{"id": "PMID:1463527", "title": "Comparison of loracarbef (LY163892) versus amoxicillin in the treatment of bronchopneumonia and lobar pneumonia.", "content": "Loracarbef (LY163892), a carbacephem, is the first of a new class of beta-lactam compounds. A 14-day, double-blind, randomized, parallel treatment study compared loracarbef (400 mg b.i.d.; n = 169) and amoxicillin (500 mg t.i.d.; n = 167) in the treatment of lobar pneumonia and bronchopneumonia. Forty-four patients in the loracarbef group and 40 patients in the amoxicillin group were evaluable for efficacy analysis. Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae were isolated from pure or mixed cultures in 45.5% of the evaluable patients, with S. pneumoniae being isolated most frequently. Favourable clinical responses (cure or improvement) in the loracarbef-treated group (42/44; 95.5%) were similar to those in the amoxicillin-treated group (38/40; 95%). A favourable bacteriological response was observed for 36/44 (81.8%) loracarbef-treated patients compared with 28/40 (70%) amoxicillin-treated patients (p = 0.2). Adverse events were similar in both groups. Withdrawal of treatment was required in three patients in each group due to gastrointestinal events or rash/allergic exanthema. These data support the conclusion that loracarbef and amoxicillin have comparable efficacy and safety in the treatment of bronchopneumonia and lobar pneumonia caused by susceptible pathogens. However, loracarbef can be administered twice daily, offering the advantage of improved patient compliance. It is also active against beta-lactamase producing organisms."}
{"id": "PMID:1463530", "title": "Effect of enalapril on mortality and the development of heart failure in asymptomatic patients with reduced left ventricular ejection fractions.", "content": "It is not known whether the treatment of patients with asymptomatic left ventricular dysfunction reduces mortality and morbidity. We studied the effect of an angiotensin-converting--enzyme inhibitor, enalapril, on total mortality and mortality from cardiovascular causes, the development of heart failure, and hospitalization for heart failure among patients with ejection fractions of 0.35 or less who were not receiving drug treatment for heart failure. Patients were randomly assigned to receive either placebo (n = 2117) or enalapril (n = 2111) at doses of 2.5 to 20 mg per day in a double-blind trial. Follow-up averaged 37.4 months. There were 334 deaths in the placebo group, as compared with 313 in the enalapril group (reduction in risk, 8 percent by the log-rank test; 95 percent confidence interval, -8 percent [an increase of 8 percent] to 21 percent; P = 0.30). The reduction in mortality from cardiovascular causes was larger but was not statistically significant (298 deaths in the placebo group vs. 265 in the enalapril group; risk reduction, 12 percent; 95 percent confidence interval, -3 to 26 percent; P = 0.12). When we combined patients in whom heart failure developed and those who died, the total number of deaths and cases of heart failure was lower in the enalapril group than in the placebo group (630 vs. 818; risk reduction, 29 percent; 95 percent confidence interval, 21 to 36 percent; P less than 0.001). In addition, fewer patients given enalapril died or were hospitalized for heart failure (434 in the enalapril group; vs. 518 in the placebo group; risk reduction, 20 percent; 95 percent confidence interval, 9 to 30 percent; P less than 0.001). The angiotensin-converting--enzyme inhibitor enalapril significantly reduced the incidence of heart failure and the rate of related hospitalizations, as compared with the rates in the group given placebo, among patients with asymptomatic left ventricular dysfunction. There was also a trend toward fewer deaths due to cardiovascular causes among the patients who received enalapril."}
{"id": "PMID:1463542", "title": "Sudden infant death syndrome in the Tel Aviv and Petah Tikva districts.", "content": "We studied the epidemiology and incidence of the sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) in the Tel Aviv and Petah Tikva districts during the period April 1980 to March 1983. Sixty-nine infants were diagnosed as SIDS and 38 of them had autopsies. Four cases were excluded because their autopsy revealed other diagnoses. When calculating for 24,183 live births per year during the study period, the rate of SIDS was found to be 0.47-0.90:1,000 live births. Other epidemiologic characteristics were: female:male [corrected] ratio 1:1.3; peak incidence at 2-4 months age, with 80% before age 6 months; increased incidence during the autumn and winter months (85% of SIDS cases); and highest incidence between midnight and 8:00 AM (84% of SIDS cases). None of the infants had a history of a previous apparent life-threatening event. Birthweight of infants who died of SIDS was not significantly different from that in the general population. No statistical relation to DTP (diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis) vaccination was found. Half the cases had mild respiratory illness during the week that preceded the sudden death. The incidence of parental cigarette smoking was higher than in the general population (56.5% vs. 36-53%; P less than 0.005) as well as the incidence of maternal smoking during pregnancy. We conclude that the incidence of SIDS in Israel is relatively low. The epidemiologic characteristics of SIDS in Israel are very similar to the presentation of the syndrome in other countries."}
{"id": "PMID:1463546", "title": "Role of the occupational health nurse in the year 2000: perspective view.", "content": "From a historical perspective, occupational health nursing practice has changed in response to historic events and societal needs. The occupational health nurse today is expected to meet a variety of challenges and assume various roles within occupational health service settings. These roles require a sophisticated knowledge base and problem solving skills which are empirically based and multidisciplinary in their approach. The occupational health nurse can effect on local and public health issues through research and influence on public values and opinion. With the increasing demand for health care cost containment, occupational health nurses must meet the challenges of today and those of the future through program planning, research, and policy making."}
{"id": "PMID:1463547", "title": "Industrial workers on a rotating shift pattern: adaptation and injury status.", "content": "Over 11 million Americans work some type of shift pattern. Numerous health and safety issues result when workers follow a rotating shift schedule. Over 5 million work-related injuries occur annually in the United States at a cost of almost $48 billion. Disrupted circadian rhythms and fatigue from rotating shifts have been implicated as a cause of traumatic injuries. This study revealed that factors related to circadian type, effects of the work environment, and coping styles explained over 51% of the variance in adaptation scores for this group of rotating shiftworkers. Adaptation levels were not significantly different for the injured and non-injured groups of shiftworkers. Findings of this research suggest that education on the effects of circadian rhythm disruption and more effective ways of coping may be justified. Also, additional research related to adaptation and injuries is needed."}
{"id": "PMID:1463548", "title": "Occupational health nurses and accident prevention: an inventory of activities in one industrial sector in Sweden.", "content": "Swedish occupational health nurses with responsibility for slaughterhouse/meat industry companies (the sector with the highest rate of occupational accidents in the country) devote only 5% of their working time, at most, to accidents and accident risks. The nurse, in comparison with the physiotherapist and safety engineer at the same Occupational Health Services (OHS) unit: works in a greater number of work environment areas; works with primary prevention and provides post-accident assistance; and works more frequently and extensively with other people. The strengths of the occupational health nurse's role are such that they can make an active contribution to the development and expansion of accident prevention activities, and promote further cooperation within OHS and between OHS and employees."}
{"id": "PMID:1463549", "title": "Leadership attributes identified by practicing occupational health nurses.", "content": "This study examined which theoretical approaches to leadership occupational health nurses perceive as most desirable. The trait approach dominates in North American research literature, with occupational health nurses favoring the more traditional leadership attributes of \"visionary,\" \"intellectually creative,\" and \"strong linguistic ability.\" Australian occupational health nurses identified the managerial character traits of \"being well informed,\" \"good communication skills,\" and \"objective decision maker\" as most appropriate traits of good leaders. Occupational health nurses need to develop alternative leadership approaches to acquire effective political and organizational strategies in today's competitive environment."}
{"id": "PMID:1463550", "title": "Attitudes toward working mothers: accommodating the needs of mothers in the work force.", "content": "More women, including mothers, are part of the work force than ever before. In the workplace, barriers often exist that restrict promotion and advancement of mothers. Mothers often are penalized in attempting to meet the demands of parent and worker roles. Parenting practices have been considered primarily the domain of mothers. However, nurturing may be done effectively by fathers or other motivated adults. Policies of employers must change to accommodate needs of families. Examples of supportive practices may include flexible working hours, parental leave, and on-site child care."}
{"id": "PMID:1463545", "title": "Surgical correction of symphalangism with incomplete polydactylism.", "content": "Symphalangistic polydactylism is one of many congenital foot deformities. The patient may experience both functional and psychological distress with this deformity. The authors present a case of symphalangism with incomplete polydactylism and its unique surgical correction."}
{"id": "PMID:1463555", "title": "Inuvialuit food use and food preferences in Aklavik, Northwest Territories, Canada.", "content": "Annual frequency of use of 32 species of mammals, fish, birds and plants was examined among 36 (43% of all) Inuvialuit households in Aklavik, NWT. Degree of preference for each of 34 traditional and 12 store-bought foods was examined among 36 adults and 35 (83% of all) Inuvialuit school children ages 10-16 years, using a Likert-type scale. Traditional foods were used on average 676 +/- 464 (mean +/- S.D.) times per year, the most frequent being caribou (145, mean), beluga whale (74), hares (35), muskrat (26), whitefish (52), cisco (39), burbot (38), inconnu (37), Arctic charr (31), geese (44) ducks (19), ptamigan (18), cloudberries (22), cranberries (20) and blueberries (18). Traditional foods were well-linked, especially caribou, bannock, charr, beluga, muskrat, geese, ducks, and hare. For 31 of 34 traditional foods, there were no statistically significant differences (p < 0.05, t-test) in children's vs adult's preference ratings; however, children rated 8 of 12 store-bought foods higher (p < 0.05) than adults did. Reasons given for the selection of favourite foods included the role of caribou as the dietary staple, the food's traditional nature, its origin in nature, its association with home and childhood, as well as organoleptic and convenience considerations. Overall, traditional foods are frequently consumed and highly preferred by contemporary Inuvialuit of Aklavik."}
{"id": "PMID:1463556", "title": "Secular changes within Arctic and Sub-Arctic populations: a study of 632 human mandibles from the Aleutian Islands, Alaska and Greenland.", "content": "A series of 632 human mandibles was used to test temporal variations in two Aleut populations and spatial variations in four homogeneous Greenlandic Eskimo populations. Sixteen metric variables and five non-metric observations were applied to generate univariate and multivariate statistics to determine variations caused by group homogeneity (Greenland), sexual dimorphism (Aleutian and Greenland), bilateral asymmetry (Aleutian and Greenland), temporal variation (Aleutians), and spatial variation (Greenland). The following results were obtained: (1) sexual dimorphism outweighed any other investigated variation, (2) no bilateral asymmetry was found in the metric variables, (3) temporal variation (Aleutian) was more significantly expressed in the male group than in the female group (patrilocal residence?), (4) spatial variation (Greenland) was more significantly expressed in the female group (matrilocal residence?), (5) the highest biological distance within the Greenlandic isolates was found between the Northeastern and Southeastern coastal areas, (6) variations in the mandible were related to metric changes rather than to changes in the morphological configuration, and (7) changes in non-metric frequencies (i.e., for mandibular tori as observed on the west coast of Greenland) were primarily induced by phenotypical variation (masticatory stress, changes in diet, ante-mortem loss of premolars and molars) caused by an inceptive increase of exogamic tendencies. The study concludes that as a single bone the human mandible yields a considerable quantity of information applicable to biological variations and reconstructions of biological and social histories, and that this information is conveniently available within the Arctic and Sub-Arctic populations."}
{"id": "PMID:1463557", "title": "Some aspects of lipid metabolism and thyroid function in arctic ground squirrel, Citellus parryi during hibernation.", "content": "The increased blood levels of thyroid hormones as well as morphologic signs of high activity of thyroid gland were observed in arctic ground squirrel during hibernation. High thyroid activity could explain the characteristics of lipid metabolism observed in the studied species during hibernation-increased lipid unsaturation and decreased cholesterol/phospholipids molar ratio in plasma membranes. High blood concentrations of total lipids, cholesterol, and phospholipids in dormant animals is explained by the dissociation between thermogenic and lipotropic actions of thyroid hormones. We postulate that thyroid hormones participate in long-term regulation of body energy metabolism and of homeoviscous adaptation of membranes during hibernation."}
{"id": "PMID:1463559", "title": "Space or rescue blanket--a bluff?", "content": "A product which has been heavily promoted for a number of years is an aluminized plastic foil designed to reflect 80% of body heat. However, a large body of experience points to the following: 1. A minimal amount of heat is radiated by a clothed body. This can easily be demonstrated with a thermocamera. 2. The plastic foils is impermeable to both water and water vapour. Thus condensation is formed on the blanket's interior. This virtually eliminates the reflective properties of the aluminum foil, often after only 15-20 minutes. 3. The blanket usually works best when the wind velocity is less than 9 m/s, otherwise the wind tears it into pieces. The greater the wind velocity and amount of clothing worn, the less the effect of the blanket. 4. Water accumulation on the clothing inside the blanket rapidly conducts heat from the skin. The blanket and the aluminum then take over and conduct heat 9,300 times faster than air. 5. It is supposed to reflect radar waves. Theoretically yes, but practical tests made in lifeboats at sea have showed that it gives no help. 6. The plastic film is inflammable."}
{"id": "PMID:1463560", "title": "[The mechanics and function of the middle ear. Part 1: The ossicular chain and middle ear muscles].", "content": "The revelation of a sophisticated micro-mechanism within the ossicular chain--the gliding of the joints results in a characteristic change of the ossicular movement--extended our conception of the function of the ossicular chain. Contrary to our former ideas of the transmission of sound during hearing, the ossicles do not rotate around an axis, which runs through the center of mass of the malleus and anvil. The imaginary rotational axis is located outside the ossicles, resulting in a more piston-like vibration of the complete chain. The ossicular joints are rigid. This acoustic function of the ossicular chain must rigorously be separated from its behaviour at changes of static, ambient air pressure. The middle ear, working as a sensitive pressure receptor also reacts to these pressure changes with comparatively huge displacements of the drum membrane (visible in pneumatic otoscopy). Only now the malleus rotates around its axial ligaments. These movements cause a gliding motion in the malleus-incus joint, which results in a predominant up- and downward movement of the anvil; the incudo-stapedial joint glides, too, and the stapes (and the inner ear) are decoupled. This micro-mechanism explains several anatomical features of the middle ear construction, as there are the vertical alignment of the incudo-stapedial joint, the suspension of the anvil, the design of the malleus joint, etc. It also accounts for the peculiar anatomical arrangement of the middle ear muscles. Their function can be interpreted as preserving the intact cartilage of the ossicular joints.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1463561", "title": "[Endonasal paranasal sinus surgery with the binocular magnifier].", "content": "The Keeler panoramic magnifiers can be worn in connection with a well-focussed head lamp system and permit stereoscopic surgery of the paranasal sinuses with 3 x 0 magnification. Operations under panoramic magnifier control are time-sparing and economical. Operations on the paranasal sinuses under binocular magnifiers are a useful alternative to microscopic surgery."}
{"id": "PMID:1463562", "title": "[Treatment and treatment results of mouth floor cancers].", "content": "The records of 68 patients with cancer of the floor of the mouth were reviewed. 56 patients underwent surgical management, 51 of them got additionally postoperative radiation. The tumour-specific five years' survival for patients with operation was 46%, 57% of treatment failures developed from local recurrence of the tumour. In 52% of all cases there was a spread to the lymphatic system in the histological evaluation. There was high incidence of false negative clinical examinations of the neck. Conservative neck dissection was the procedure of choice for clinically positive lymph nodes and for the elective management of the neck. Only advanced tumours showed involvement of the mandibular bone. Therefore a conservative management of mandibular resection was preferred. Radical tumour extirpation and histological controlling with serial sectioned specimens are methods of avoiding local tumour recurrence."}
{"id": "PMID:1463563", "title": "[Caries prevention in radiotherapy of the head-neck area].", "content": "Following radiotherapy of malignant head and neck tumours, tooth damage is observed in many cases, which is frequently referred to as \"radiation caries\". This is not the immediate result of radiation, but has a number of causes. The damage to the salivary glands caused by radiation leads to xerostomia, which affects the self-cleaning capacity in the mouth. As a result of the very painful mucositis which occurs during the course of radiotherapy as well as the restricted mastication caused by the operation, patients prefer a soft diet, which in turn promotes plaque formation. The acidogenic coating causes erosion of the enamel. If preventive measures are not taken, all of the teeth can be completely destroyed within a short time. All efforts should be made to prevent this from happening, particularly in young patients who have undergone curative radiotherapy. This should include intensive fluoride treatment and meticulous oral hygiene."}
{"id": "PMID:1463564", "title": "[Differential diagnosis of cervical space occupying lesion: the parapharyngeal rhabdomyoma].", "content": "A case of a parapharyngeal rhabdomyoma is presented. Only about 30 cases of this benign tumor of striated muscles are reported in the literature. Most tumors were located in the lateral cervical region. Histologically a rhabdomyoma must be distinguished from other mesenchymal tumors, especially from granular cell myoblastoma, hibernoma and reticulohistiocytoma. The value of magnetic resonance imaging in the radiological evaluation of parapharyngeal masses is emphasized. Operative resection is generally regarded as the therapy of choice. Local recurrences have been reported in some cases; malignant degeneration is not known."}
{"id": "PMID:1463565", "title": "[Intramuscular hemangioma of the posterior wall of the pharynx. Diagnosis and differential diagnosis].", "content": "We report on the case of a seven-year old boy who developed an enlarged swelling of the oropharynx. Clinical examination revealed a well demarcated cystic tumour. Histopathologically the diagnosis of an intramuscular haemangioma could be made because of the multitude of vascular spaces filled with erythrocytes lying between bundles of smooth muscles. Such a lesion coming from the posterior wall of the oropharynx is not described in literature. In differential diagnosis the angiosarcoma and the arteriovenous aneurysm must have been involved since there were multiple arteries and veins lying close together in couples. Moreover the adenotomia carried out one and a half year earlier prompted us to think about the possibility of a traumatic arteriovenous fistula."}
{"id": "PMID:1463566", "title": "[Various uncomfortable loudness thresholds, their correlation and use in general practice].", "content": "In the present study we examined the relationship of the loudness discomfort level LDL of different signals. We carried out measurements in 97 patients, all of whom suffered from a sensorineural hearing loss. The results showed almost no difference between the LDL of pure tones and narrow band noise. The LDL of broad band noise showed a good correlation to the LDL of 250 Hz. Only the LDL of monosyllables ranged at a higher SPL. For an up-to-date hearing aid fitting, all forms of LDL should be taken into consideration. This is especially necessary when using digital hearing aids."}
{"id": "PMID:1463567", "title": "[Nystagmus reactions after rotatory vestibular stimulation (modified Veits extended rotation method) in patients with normal equilibrium. Part II: Directional preponderance in nystagmus reactions].", "content": "Based on the absolute values of the different nystagmus reactions, measured after having used the rotational test on 70 healthy subjects, the directional preponderance (DP) was calculated in the present study according to the equation of Jongkees and Philippszoon. It could be shown that a DP of less than +/- 30% can be regarded as a normal standard only if it refers to the summarised nystagmic reaction of the per- and first postrotatory phase (Per+PI) of the test. Depending on the different parameters (frequency, amplitude or slow phase velocity of the nystagmus reactions), higher standard values have to be accepted for the different phases of the rotational test. The differentiation between healthy persons on the one hand and patients with an acute loss of vestibular function on the other can be best achieved by evaluating the nystagmographic reactions via the amplitude. Summing up, the modified rotational test also proved to be a very sensitive method in follow-up examinations of patients with vestibular lesions to differentiate between acute and compensated or regenerated stages of the disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1463568", "title": "[What is the value of measuring \"singer's formant\" in phoniatry?].", "content": "The singing formant is the product of an articulatory gesture. Devices for phonetogram measurement often claim the ability to determine it. However, they measure rather the overtone content or the noise of the voice than the formant. Moreover, the voice efficiency (ratio of the sound pressure in the frequency band 2-5 kHz to the total sound pressure), also measured by these devices, is not defined in a physical or physiological sense. Such measurement does not evaluate the efficiency of the vocal apparatus."}
{"id": "PMID:1463569", "title": "[\"Palatolaryngeal hemiplegia\" in transient brain stem ischemia--a contribution to neurogenic dysphagia].", "content": "A 65-year old man suffering from dysphagia with aspiration was examined. ENT examination showed a Horner syndrome and cranial nerve palsy with paralysis of the soft palate and one vocal cord (palatolaryngeal hemiplegia, Avellis' syndrome). Pharyngeal manometry and videofluoroscopy depicted an asynergic swallowing with cricopharyngeal achalasia. CT scans of mediastinum, head, neck, and skull base showed no signs of abnormality. MR imaging of the brain stem demonstrated an enrichment of contrast medium in the dorsal region of the upper medulla oblongata in the level of the centre of the glossopharyngeal and vagus nerve. This case demonstrates an uncommon cause of dysphagia which was related to transitory brain stem ischaemia. After a period of three weeks the patients' complaints vanished as well as the clinical features. In a follow-up of MR-imaging three months later no focal enhancement of contrast medium was seen confirming the diagnosis of a brain stem ischaemic lesion."}
{"id": "PMID:1463576", "title": "An unusual class II molecule.", "content": "H-2O is a recently described non-polymorphic mouse MHC class II molecule. Here, Lars Karlsson and colleagues describe the discovery of the H-2Ob and H-2Oa loci and the pattern of expression of H-2O, and speculate on the possible function of this unusual molecule."}
{"id": "PMID:1463577", "title": "The interplay of microbes and their hosts.", "content": "Microbes and their hosts exert considerable evolutionary pressure on one another. This brief report of a recent meeting describes the strategies and tactics, and highlights some of the key molecules involved in the complex host-parasite relationship."}
{"id": "PMID:1463578", "title": "Intestinal gluten sensitivity: snapshots of an unusual autoimmune-like disease.", "content": "Gluten-sensitive disease is activated in genetically susceptible individuals by the ingestion of wheat protein (gluten). Breakdown in normal tolerogenic processes to dietary gluten is likely to play a primary pathogenic role. The disease is characterized by several autoimmune-type features and provides a model for studying autoimmune processes. A recent meeting emphasized the need for a clearer picture of the molecular interactions between disease triggering agents, molecules of the immune system and other products of disease susceptibility genes."}
{"id": "PMID:1463579", "title": "The role of CD45 in T-cell activation--resolving the paradoxes?", "content": "CD45 is one of the most abundant transmembrane glycoproteins expressed on the surface of haematopoietic cells. Despite the striking advances of the past few years in the understanding of the actions of CD45 at a molecular level, several paradoxes remain. This article argues that these paradoxes are more apparent than real, and suggests that CD45 plays a key role on the T-cell surface in regulating coupling of the antigen-receptor complex to intracellular signalling pathways."}
{"id": "PMID:1463580", "title": "The role of G-proteins versus protein tyrosine kinases in the regulation of lymphocyte activation.", "content": "The relative roles of G-proteins and protein tyrosine kinases (PTKs) in the regulation of antigen receptor-mediated signalling in B and T cells is controversial. As they, and the biochemical events they control, are potential targets for intervention in various immune dysfunctions, the resolution of the controversy is of great interest. Here, Margaret Harnett and Kevin Rigley provide a timely assessment of current understanding, and propose a model for the interaction of G-proteins and PTKs in antigen receptor-mediated signalling."}
{"id": "PMID:1463581", "title": "The cognitive paradigm and the immunological homunculus.", "content": "In last month's issue of Immunology Today, Irun Cohen discussed the inadequacies of the clonal selection paradigm and proposed a cognitive paradigm in which preformed internal images guide and restrict the process of clonal activation. Here he clarifies the nature of these internal images, during on concrete examples from the image of infection and the image of self, the immunological homunculus."}
{"id": "PMID:1463582", "title": "GM-CSF, IL-3 and IL-5: cross-competition on human haemopoietic cells.", "content": "The biological properties of GM-CSF, IL-3 and IL-5 are multiple; initially described as haemopoietic growth factors, they also regulate inflammation, allergic reactions and cell adherence. The receptors for these three cytokines share a common component which may play a key role in their biological activity. This review describes the potential roles of GM-CSF, IL-3 and IL-5 in inflammation and discusses approaches to modulate their function."}
{"id": "PMID:1463583", "title": "Cervical lymphatics, the blood-brain barrier and the immunoreactivity of the brain: a new view.", "content": "This new view of the immunoreactivity of the normal brain is based on three key components. First, there is an active and highly-regulated communication between the brain and the central immune organs. Secondly, the connection from the brain to the draining nodes is much larger than previously appreciated. And third, the blood-brain barrier, by virtue of its selective permeability properties, contributes to the regulation of immunoregulatory cells and molecules in the brain cell microenvironment."}
{"id": "PMID:1463586", "title": "Nicotinic receptor-associated 43K protein and progressive stabilization of the postsynaptic membrane.", "content": "An extrinsic membrane protein of apparent molecular mass 43 kDa is specifically localized in postsynaptic membranes closely associated with the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (AChR). Since its discovery in 1977, biochemical and morphological studies have combined to provide relatively clear pictures of 43K protein structure and subcellular compartmentalization. Nevertheless, despite these advances, the precise function of this synapse-specific protein remains unclear. Data gathered in recent years indicate that the postsynaptic apparatus develops through the incremental agglomeration of receptor microaggregates; evidence derived from a number of sources points to a role for 43K protein in certain underlying reactions. In this paper, I review 43K protein structural and anatomical data and analyze evidence for its role in the organization and maintenance of the postsynaptic membrane. Finally, I offer a model presenting a view of the role of 43K protein in the ontogeny of the motor endplate."}
{"id": "PMID:1463587", "title": "Thymopoietin, a thymic polypeptide, potently interacts at muscle and neuronal nicotinic alpha-bungarotoxin receptors.", "content": "Current studies suggest that several distinct populations of nicotinic acetylcholine (ACh) receptors exist. One of these is the muscle-type nicotinic receptors with which neuromuscular nicotinic receptor ligands and the snake toxin alpha-bungarotoxin interact. alpha-Bungarotoxin potently binds to these nicotinic receptors and blocks their function, two characteristics that have made the alpha-toxin a very useful probe for the characterization of these sites. In neuronal tissues, several populations of nicotinic receptors have been identified which, although they share a nicotinic pharmacology, have unique characteristics. The alpha-bungarotoxin-insensitive neuronal nicotinic receptors, which may be involved in mediating neuronal excitability, bind nicotinic agonists with high affinity but do not interact with alpha-bungarotoxin. Subtypes of these alpha-toxin-insensitive receptors appear to exist, as evidenced by findings that some are inhibited by neuronal bungarotoxin whereas others are not. In addition to the alpha-bungarotoxin-insensitive sites, alpha-bungarotoxin-sensitive neuronal nicotinic receptors are also present in neuronal tissues. These latter receptors bind alpha-bungarotoxin with high affinity and nicotinic agonists with an affinity in the microM range. The function of the nicotinic alpha-bungarotoxin receptors are as yet uncertain. Thymopoietin, a polypeptide linked to immune function, appears to interact specifically with nicotinic receptor populations that bind alpha-bungarotoxin. Thus, in muscle tissue where alpha-bungarotoxin both binds to the receptor and blocks activity, thymopoietin also potently binds to the receptor and inhibits nicotinic receptors-mediated function. In neuronal tissues, thymopoietin interacts only with the nicotinic alpha-bungarotoxin site and not the alpha-bungarotoxin-insensitive neuronal nicotinic receptor population. These observations that thymopoietin potently and specifically interacts with nicotinic alpha-bungarotoxin-sensitive receptors in neuronal and muscle tissue, together with findings that thymopoietin is an endogenously occurring agent, could suggest that this immune-related polypeptide represents a ligand for the alpha-bungarotoxin receptors. The function of thymopoietin at the alpha-bungarotoxin receptor is as yet uncertain; however, a potential trophic, as well as other roles are suggested."}
{"id": "PMID:1463590", "title": "Structures of the 4-cyano and 4-methylamidate analogs of tiazofurin.", "content": "4-Cyanotiazofurin [2-(beta-D-ribofuranosyl)thiazole-4-carbonitrile, (1)], C9H10N2O4S, M(r) = 242.3, monoclinic, P2(1), a = 7.329(1), b = 8.295 (1), c = 8.697(1) A, beta = 90.90 (1) degree, V = 528.7(1) A3, Z = 2, Dx = 1.52 g cm-3, Cu K alpha, lambda = 1.54178 A, mu = 27.2 cm-1, F(000) = 252, T = 293 K, R = 0.0487 for all 1171 unique reflections. 4-Methylamidatetiazofurin [methyl 2-(beta-D-ribofuranosyl)thiazole-4-carboximidate, (2)], C10H14N2O5S, M(r) = 274.3, orthorhombic, P2(1)2(1)2(1), a = 8.596(1), b = 11.060(1), c = 26.064(1) A, V = 2478.1(2) A3, Z = 8, Dx = 1.47 g cm-3, Cu K alpha, lambda = 1.54178 A, mu = 24.5 cm-1, F(000) = 1152, T = 293 K, R = 0.0374 for all 2902 unique reflections. Compound (2) crystallizes with two crystallographic unique structures in the asymmetric unit [(2a) and (2b)]. All three structures show a close contact between the thiazole sulfur and the pentose oxygen O(1'). S...O(1') distances are 2.936 (3) A in (1), 2.773 (2) A in (2a) and 2.878 (2) A in (2b), resulting from C-glycosidic torsion angles of 34.5 (4), 15.6 (3) and 27.2 (3) degrees respectively. This interesting feature is conserved in the crystal structures of other thiazole nucleosides [Burling & Goldstein (1992)."}
{"id": "PMID:1463589", "title": "Molecular biology of Alzheimer's amyloid--Dutch variant.", "content": "Hereditary cerebral hemorrhage with amyloidosis, Dutch type (HCHWA-D) (or familial cerebral amyloid angiopathy) and familial Alzheimer's disease (FAD) share several properties. Both are autosomal dominant forms of cerebral amyloidosis characterized by beta-amyloid (A beta) deposition. In HCHWA-D the A beta is predominantly found in blood vessels and in early parenchymal plaques, whereas in AD parenchymal A beta deposits in the form of senile plaques and neurofibrillary tangles are a more prominent finding. Point mutations in the amyloid precursor protein (APP) have recently been described, in both conditions. A G to C transversion at codon 618 (extracellular portion of APP695), producing a single amino acid substitution of glutamine instead of glutamine acid, occurs in HCHWA-D; whereas mutations at codon 642 in the intramembrane region of APP695 (phenylalanine, isoleucine, or glycine instead of valine) are associated with early onset FAD. This suggests that the site of particular mutations in the APP gene and the type of amino acid substitution in the APP holoprotein are more important in determining clinicopathological phenotype and age at which A beta is deposited. Thus FAD and HCHWA-D can be regarded as two sides of the same coin."}
{"id": "PMID:1463588", "title": "Vitamin neurotoxicity.", "content": "Vitamins contain reactive functional groups necessary to their established roles as coenzymes and reducing agents. Their reactive potential may produce injury if vitamin concentration, distribution, or metabolism is altered. However, identification of vitamin toxicity has been difficult. The only well-established human vitamin neurotoxic effects are those due to hypervitaminosis A (pseudotumor cerebri) and pyridoxine (sensory neuropathy). In each case, the neurological effects of vitamin deficiency and vitamin excess are similar. Closely related to the neurological symptoms of hypervitaminosis A are symptoms including headache, pseudotumor cerebri, and embryotoxic effects reported in patients given vitamin A analogs or retinoids. Most tissues contain retinoic acid (RA) and vitamin D receptors, members of a steroid receptor superfamily known to regulate development and gene expression. Vitamin D3 effects on central nervous system (CNS) gene expression are predictable, in addition to the indirect effects owing to its influence on calcium and phosphorus homeostasis. Folates and thiamine cause seizures and excitation when administered in high dosage directly into the brain or cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of experimental animals but have rarely been reported to cause human neurotoxicity, although fatal reactions to i.v. thiamine are well known. Ascorbic acid influences CNS function after peripheral administration and influences brain cell differentiation and 2-deoxyglucose accumulation by cultured glial cells. Biotin influences gene expression in animals that are not vitamin-deficient and alters astrocyte glucose utilization. The multiple enzymes and binding proteins involved in regeneration of retinal vitamin A illustrate the complexity of vitamin processing in the body. Vitamin A toxicity is also a good general model of vitamin neurotoxicity, because it shows the importance of the ratio of vitamin and vitamin-binding proteins in producing vitamin toxicity and of CNS permeability barriers. Because vitamin A and analogs enter the CNS better than most vitamins, and because retinoids have many effects on enzyme activity and gene expression, Vitamin A neurotoxicity is more likely than that of most, perhaps all other vitamins. Megadose vitamin therapy may cause injury that is confused with disease symptoms. High vitamin intake is more hazardous to peripheral organs than to the nervous system, because CNS vitamin entry is restricted. Vitamin administration into the brain or CSF, recommended in certain disease states, is hazardous and best avoided. The lack of controlled trials prevents us from defining the lowest human neurotoxic dose of any vitamin. Large differences in individual susceptibility to vitamin neurotoxicity probably exist, and ordinary vitamin doses may harm occasional patients with genetic disorders.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1463591", "title": "Effects of nefiracetam, DM-9384 on amnesia and decrease in choline acetyltransferase activity induced by cycloheximide.", "content": "The effects of nefiracetam, [N-(2,6-dimethyl-phenyl)-2-(2-oxo-pyrrolidinyl)acetamide, DM-9384], a cyclic derivative of GABA, were investigated in the cycloheximide (CXM)-induced amnesia animal model using the passive avoidance task. Pre-training administration of DM-9384 attenuated the CXM-induced amnesia as indicated by prolongation of step-down latency. It protected against CXM-induced inhibition of choline acetyltransferase activity in the cerebral cortex. These results suggest that DM-9384 attenuates CXM-induced amnesia by interacting with AChergic neuronal system and enhancing protein synthesis in the brain."}
{"id": "PMID:1463592", "title": "Effects of nefiracetam, a novel pyrrolidone derivative, on brain monoamine metabolisms in mice.", "content": "The effects of acute and chronic administration of nefiracetam, a pyrrolidone derivative, on monoaminergic neurotransmitter systems in the mouse hippocampus, frontal cortex, hypothalamus, and striatum were studied. The levels of monoamines and of their metabolites were measured by high performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection on the first, 7th, and 14th days after nefiracetam was given. The neurochemical effects of nefiracetam were compared with those of oxiracetam and indeloxazine. Acute administration of nefiracetam (10 mg/kg, po) and oxiracetam (10 mg/kg, po) had no effect on the levels of noradrenaline (NA), dopamine (DA), or 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), or on the levels of their metabolites, 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol (MHPG), 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC), homovanillic acid (HVA), and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA), in any of the regions examined. In contrast, a single dose of indeloxazine (10 mg/kg, po) decreased the levels of MHPG, DOPAC, and 5-HIAA in all regions examined. After chronic administration of nefiracetam (10 mg/kg, po, once daily), the levels of MHPG, DOPAC, and 5-HIAA were higher than control in all regions on the 14th day only. Oxiracetam (10 mg/kg, po, once daily) similarly increased the levels of MHPG, DOPAC, and 5-HIAA in the hippocampus, frontal cortex, and striatum, but not in the hypothalamus. Conversely, indeloxazine (10 mg/kg, po, once daily) decreased the levels of MHPG and 5-HIAA in all regions and the levels of DOPAC and HVA in the hippocampus and striatum as measured on the 7th and 14th days. These results show that nefiracetam has a delayed effect on brain monoaminergic metabolism, and that its effects are similar to those of oxiracetam, but clearly different from those of indeloxazine."}
{"id": "PMID:1463593", "title": "Continuous subcutaneous lisuride infusion in OPCA.", "content": "Four patients with sporadic olivopontocerebellar atrophy (OPCA) and severe signs of Parkinsonism received continuous subcutaneous lisuride infusion via a small external pump. All 4 patients benefitted from this treatment: 3 showed an overall improvement in motor performance, in 1 patient mainly dysphagia and dysarthria improved. Therapeutic benefit lasted for at least 6 months of follow up. With a daily dose of 1.0 mg subcutaneous lisuride, treatment limitations were reached in the form of dysphagia, probably due to oropharyngeal dystonia. Subcutaneous lisuride infusion should be taken into consideration in OPCA patients with signs of Parkinsonism if oral dopaminergic treatment has failed earlier on."}
{"id": "PMID:1463594", "title": "MRI white matter hyperintensity in neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS)--a clue to pathogenesis?", "content": "The case of a young female patient with neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS) and extended MRI white matter hyperintensity in the left parietal and both occipital lobes is reported. MRI lesions resembled findings in hypertensive encephalopathy, they were not readily compatible with CNS vasculitis. Venous sinus thrombosis could be ruled out. Vascular encephalopathy with transient white matter edema and a small residual left parietal lesion is suggested. Neurochemical implications are discussed with particular reference to a possible involvement of excitatory amino acids in NMS pathogenesis."}
{"id": "PMID:1463595", "title": "[Left ventricular hypertrophy: physiopathological signs using a hemodynamic and cardio-autonomic approach].", "content": "The presence of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) in either hypertensives -H- or in normotensives -N-, suggests that not only blood pressure is determining this anatomic change, but various factors, as neural or endocrine ones, could be involved in its genesis. In order to evaluate the role of sympathetic dys-reactivity on LVH, we studied three groups of subjects: a) 12 -H- (SBP 159+/-9; DBP 99.6+/-7; FC 80+/-7) with LVH, diagnosed by echocardiogram. b) 12 -N- (SBP 138.2+/-8; DBP 83+/-2; FC 75.6+/-4) with LVH. c) 12 -N- (SBP 136.6+/-11; DBP 81.8+/-5; FC 76.3+/-5) without LVH. Using computer interfaced equipment, we measured beat to beat, hemodynamic and extra-cardiovascular autonomic functions, during a session of stressors (Mental Arithmetic, Color Word Stroop, Cold Pressure and Handgrip Tests), preceded and followed by 10' of observation. Among the various considered indexes, we evaluated the Percentual Total Activity Index (PTAI), as percentual total activity change + percentual total recovery change. Our findings point out that the PTAI of N with LVH is significantly higher for SCL, PHT, HR, SV, CO, TPR than either in H with LVH or N without LVH. These data seem to demonstrate a prolonged reactivity in N without LVH and are according to the hypothesis that LVH could also be supported by a hyper-adrenergic state with sympathetic dys-reactivity, independently from high blood pressure values."}
{"id": "PMID:1463596", "title": "[Usefulness of the prevention of oxygen radical damage in the critical patient using the parenteral administration of reduced glutathione in high doses].", "content": "A hyperproduction of Oxygen Free Radicals (FRO) is frequently observed during stress, anoxia, hyperbarism and may worsen the clinical conditions of intensive care patients. The hyperproduction of FRO may be reduced by antioxidants. The glutathione (GSH) is frequently associated with organic antioxidant protective systems. Forty patients receiving a continuous infusion of 70 mg/Kg/die of GSH were compared with forty patients not receiving GSH; the patients in both groups were randomized for age, sex, and pathology. Some parameters which are indirect indexes of FRO hyperproduction were chosen: ethane in the expired air, plasma malondialdehyde, fibrinopeptide A and C5 activated complement fraction, also the erythrocyte membrane deformability was investigated. The results obtained in the group receiving GSH were compared with the control group and a significative difference was found indicating a reduced FRO production. These interesting results need more trials in order to confirm a real GSH involvement in the antioxidant organic protection. In any case the supplementation with antioxidants in the therapy of intensive care patients can be regarded as an interesting means to improve their clinical conditions."}
{"id": "PMID:1463597", "title": "Protein kinase C-dependent phosphorylation regulates osteoclast calcium-sensing.", "content": "Osteoclasts display a membrane Ca(2+)-sensing mechanism capable of detecting the extracellular calcium concentration ([Ca2+]o), and to induce increase of [Ca2+]i and inhibition of bone resorption. The ultimate result of the stimulation of such sensing is probably the activation of protein kinase C (PKC). To demonstrate whether PKC plays a role in the control of the osteoclast activity, we treated rabbit single osteoclasts with agents known to activate or to inhibit the enzyme. We measured [Ca2+]i in single fura 2-loaded single cells and found that activation of PKC by phorbol esters doubled the [Ca2+]o-induced [Ca2+]i elevation, whereas inhibition of the enzyme by H7, staurosporine or sphingosine, completely blocked the ability of the cell to respond to elevated [Ca2+]i. By contrast, a control inactive agent, 4Aphorbol, failed to modify the cellular response to elevated [Ca2+]o. We conclude that PKC plays a synergistic role in the regulation of osteoclast Ca(2+)-sensing. Since we have previously demonstrated that activation of PKA up-regulates the Ca(2+)-sensing as well, we hypothesize that such mechanism is positively fed-back by both PKA and PKC-dependent threonine/serine phosphorylations."}
{"id": "PMID:1463598", "title": "Functional and biochemical characterization of osteoclast-like cells derived from giant cell tumours of bone.", "content": "Cells harvested from human giant cell tumours of bone were characterized on the basis of morphological features, proliferative capacity, total(AP) and tartrate resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) activity, and hormonal response. Culture were formed by mononucleated and multinucleated cells. Mononucleated cells showed fibroblastic morphology, whereas multinucleated cells showed osteoclastic phenotype. We conclude that in these cultures mature osteoclasts and their mononuclear precursors are present."}
{"id": "PMID:1463599", "title": "Integrin expression and adhesion property of osteoclast-like cells from giant cell tumours of bone.", "content": "Cells cultured from human giant cell tumours of bone were used to study interactions with different extracellular matrix proteins as Collagen, Fibronectin, Osteocalcin, Thrombospondin and Bone Sialoprotein II. Cells were capable of recognizing these substrata; beta 3 integrin subunit was distributed in focal adhesions, together with beta 1 on BSPII, FN, and in presence of serum, whereas and presented a diffuse organization onto the other substrate. beta 1 alone was expressed over collagen coated coverslips."}
{"id": "PMID:1463600", "title": "Serum levels of soluble interleukin-2 receptor (sIL-2R) in B-chronic lymphocytic leukemia.", "content": "By using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, the levels of the soluble form of the interleukin-2 receptor (sIL-2R) were evaluated in the peripheral blood of 20 patients with cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia in different stages of disease and in supernatants obtained from enriched B cell suspensions. In either all serum samples or in one out of three supernatants, elevated levels of sIL-2R were found. This could indicate that the B leukemic cells release sIL-2R which in turn, for its potential capacity of binding circulating IL-2, could contribute to the abnormal immunoregulation which characterizes B-CLL. This finding, which needs further investigation, could have prognostic significance."}
{"id": "PMID:1463601", "title": "[Correlations between karyotype and phenotype in structural and numerical abnormalities of chromosome 18].", "content": "Five cases with different abnormalities of chromosome 18 are described: one case with trisomy 18, two cases with ring 18, one case with partial trisomy 18q and one case with a mosaic 18p-/iso 18q. The karyotypes of the parents were normal. Cytogenetic analysis was performed on PHA stimulated blood lymphocytes. GTG, QFQ, MTX banding techniques were used. Karyotype-phenotype correlations are made. All patients present mental retardation, hypotonia and facial dismorphisms. The different degree of mental retardation and the clinical signs are in relation to the different size of deletions or trisomies of the short or long arm of chromosome 18. In the case with mosaicism 18p-/iso18q the phenotype is determined from the chromosomal abnormality more frequent in the cells (18p-)."}
{"id": "PMID:1463602", "title": "[Plasma levels of lipids and apoprotein in a group of middle-school students 11-14 years of age: preliminary data].", "content": "Plasma lipids and apoprotein A and B levels were measured in 63 children, of both sexes, in the age range 11-14 years. The children have been subjected to a blood drawing after a 12 hour fast at least. Statistical analysis proves that total cholesterol (TC) is positively correlated with triglycerides (TG), HDL cholesterol (HDL) with apolipoproteins A (Apo A), apolipoproteins A (Apo A) with apoproteins B (Apo B). In the end we confirm the utility of determining plasma lipids and apoproteins to estimate lipidic risk for atherosclerosis in pediatric age."}
{"id": "PMID:1463603", "title": "[Evoked oto-acoustic emissions in retrocochlear deafness].", "content": "In order to give a contribution to the genesis of the EOAEs, we have recorded the echoes in 6 subjects affected with unilateral acoustic neuroma, surgically proven (I. group); 11 subjects with sensorineural hearing loss with electrophysiological or balance signs of retrocochlear impairment (II. group) and 10 normally hearing young subjects as control group. In this study EOAEs have been recorded in response respectively to 3 ms 1000 Hz tone-burst and to 200-5000 filtered click, both sending with 2048 stimuli, at a repetition rate of 21 pps and different stimulus intensities ranging from 40 db SPL to saturation threshold in 10 db steps. The results have shown that the EOAEs were present in half of the tested patients in response to the clicks in both I. and II. group and in all the ears to the tone-burst although the 1.0 KHz audiometric threshold mean were > 65 db HL in I. group and in a third of the subjects in the II. group. The properties of EOAEs (detection and saturation threshold, dynamic range and duration) depended on the degree of hearing loss. These results suggest that acoustic tumor could determine a wallerian degeneration of the external fibers of the VIII nerve and consequently a dysfunction of the correspondent external hair cells of the cochlea, while in the II. group a contemporary or secondary involvement of the cochlear structures is possible."}
{"id": "PMID:1463604", "title": "Long-term sensitization training in Aplysia leads to an increase in calreticulin, a major presynaptic calcium-binding protein.", "content": "Long-term memory for sensitization in Aplysia requires new protein and RNA synthesis. Here, we identify a late protein as calreticulin, the major Ca(2+)-binding protein of the lumen of the endoplasmic reticulum. An antiserum against Aplysia calreticulin reveals an enrichment of calreticulin immunoreactivity in presynaptic varicosities. Quantitative S1 nuclease analysis indicates that the steady-state level of calreticulin mRNA in Aplysia sensory neurons increases during the maintenance phase of long-term sensitization. The finding that this mRNA increases in expression late, some time after training, is consistent with the idea that long-term neuromodulatory changes underlying sensitization may depend on a cascade of gene expression in which the induction of early regulatory genes leads to the expression of late effector genes."}
{"id": "PMID:1463605", "title": "Formation of the Drosophila larval photoreceptor organ and its neuronal differentiation require continuous Kr\u00fcppel gene activity.", "content": "The Drosophila segmentation gene Kr\u00fcppel (Kr) is redeployed to play a critical role for the establishment of the larval visual system. Using reporter gene expression conducted by a specific Kr cis-acting element, we were able to trace back the origin of the larval photoreceptor organ, the Bolwig organ, to a single progenitor neuron and to examine Kr function in Bolwig organ development when Kr+ activity is absent from embryos due to specific mutations or reduced by neuron-specific and temporally restricted Kr antisense RNA expression. Our results show that Kr is required for neurons to differentiate into Bolwig organs, for fasciculation of the Bolwig nerve, and for this nerve to follow a specific pathway toward the synaptic targets in the larval brain. The transcription factor encoded by Kr is likely to regulate surface molecules necessary for neuronal cell adhesion and recognition in the developing larval visual system."}
{"id": "PMID:1463606", "title": "Changes in neurotrophin responsiveness during the development of cerebellar granule neurons.", "content": "Neurotrophins and their receptors are widespread in the developing and mature CNS. Identifying the differentiation state of neurotrophin-responsive cells provides a basis for understanding the developmental functions of these factors. Studies using dissociated and organotypic cultures of rat cerebellum demonstrated that the neurotrophins brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) affect developing granule cells at distinct stages in differentiation. While early granule neurons in the external germinal layer responded to BDNF, more mature granule cells responded to NT-3. BDNF, but not NT-3, enhanced survival of granule cells in cultures of embryonic cerebella. Thus, BDNF and NT-3 have distinct sequential functions that are likely to be critical in the development of the cerebellum. BDNF may promote the initial commitment, while NT-3 may direct the subsequent maturation of granule cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1463607", "title": "NGF and other growth factors induce an association between ERK1 and the NGF receptor, gp140prototrk.", "content": "As detected by coimmunoprecipitation from PC12 cells, NGF induces rapid association between ERK1 (a growth factor-activated serine/threonine protein kinase) and gp140prototrk NGF receptors. In contrast, no such association is found with the closely related ERK2. Anti-trk immunocomplexes generated from NGF-treated cells also contain protein kinase activity that shares many properties with soluble ERK1. The association of both ERK1 protein and ERK-like kinase activity with gp140prototrk is maximal by 5 min of NGF treatment, persists for approximately 1 hr, and subsequently declines by 18 hr. Treatment with either basic fibroblast growth factor, epidermal growth factor, or orthovanadate also leads to association of ERK1 with gp140prototrk without tyrosine phosphorylation of the latter. The interaction between ERK1 and gp140prototrk may prove relevant to the NGF mechanism."}
{"id": "PMID:1463608", "title": "Neurotrophin expression in rat hippocampal slices: a stimulus paradigm inducing LTP in CA1 evokes increases in BDNF and NT-3 mRNAs.", "content": "We report that stimulation inducing long-term potentiation (LTP) in the CA1 pyramidal cell layer of the hippocampus evokes significant increases in both BDNF and NT-3 mRNAs in CA1 neurons. No changes in BDNF or NT-3 mRNA levels were seen in the nonstimulated regions of the pyramidal cell layer or the dentate. No change was seen in the levels of NGF mRNA at the time point examined. These results suggest that relatively normal levels of activity may regulate region-specific neurotrophin levels in the hippocampus. Given that known effects of NGF (and presumably of BDNF and NT-3) include elevation of neurotransmitter levels, elevation of sodium channels, and promotion of axonal terminal sprouting, activity-associated changes in neurotrophin levels may play a role in regulating neural connections in the adult as well as the developing nervous system."}
{"id": "PMID:1463609", "title": "Retrovirally introduced antisense integrin RNA inhibits neuroblast migration in vivo.", "content": "We used retrovirus-mediated gene transfer to ask whether integrins are involved in the development of neuroblasts in the chicken optic tectum. Vectors were constructed with the E. coli lacZ gene in the sense orientation and beta 1 integrin sequences in the antisense orientation. Tests in culture showed that the progeny of cells infected by these vectors were identifiable by expression of LacZ and had reduced levels of beta 1 integrins on their surfaces. We then injected these vectors into optic tecta on E3, at the height of neuronal production. Clones of LacZ-positive cells were analyzed 3-9 days later, as they migrated along radial glia to form the tectal plate. Antisense sequences had little effect on the proliferation of progenitors, or on the radial stacking of their progeny in the ventricular zone (E6). However, many antisense-bearing cells accumulated in the ventricular zone and failed to migrate into the tectal plate (E7.5 and E9). At later stages (E12), few antisense-bearing cells could be found. Thus, integrin appears to be required in the migratory process, and cells that fail to engage in integrin-mediated interactions may die."}
{"id": "PMID:1463610", "title": "Synapsin I partially dissociates from synaptic vesicles during exocytosis induced by electrical stimulation.", "content": "The distribution of the synaptic vesicle-associated phosphoprotein synapsin I after electrical stimulation of the frog neuromuscular junction was investigated by immunogold labeling and compared with the distribution of the integral synaptic vesicle protein synaptophysin. In resting terminals both proteins were localized exclusively on synaptic vesicles. In stimulated terminals they appeared also in the axolemma and its infoldings, which however exhibited a lower synapsin I/synaptophysin ratio with respect to synaptic vesicles at rest. The value of this ratio was intermediate in synaptic vesicles of stimulated terminals, and an increased synapsin I labeling of the cytomatrix was observed. These results indicate that synapsin I undergoes partial dissociation from and reassociation with synaptic vesicles, following physiological stimulation, and are consistent with the proposed modulatory role of the protein in neurotransmitter release."}
{"id": "PMID:1463654", "title": "Topographic mapping and source localization of the pattern onset visual evoked magnetic response.", "content": "The topography of the visual evoked magnetic response (VEMR) to a pattern onset stimulus was investigated using 4 check sizes and 3 contrast levels. The pattern onset response consists of three early components within the first 200ms, CIm, CIIm and CIIIm. The CIIm is usually of high amplitude and is very consistent in latency within a subject. Half field (HF) stimuli produce their strongest response over the contralateral hemisphere; the RHF stimulus exhibiting a lower positivity (outgoing field) and an upper negativity (ingoing field), rotated towards the midline. LHF stimulation produced the opposite response, a lower negative and an upper positive. Larger check sizes produce a single area of ingoing and outgoing field while smaller checks produce on area of ingoing and outgoing field over each hemisphere. Latency did not appear to vary with change in contrast but amplitudes increased with increasing contrast. A more detailed topographic study incorporating source localisation procedures suggested a source for CIIm-4cm below the scalp, close to the midline with current flowing towards the lateral surface. Similar depth and position estimates but with opposite polarity were obtained for the pattern shift P100m previously. Hence, the P100m and the CIIm may originate in similar areas of visual cortex but reveal different aspects of visual processing."}
{"id": "PMID:1463655", "title": "Topographical changes in the ongoing EEG related to the difficulty of mental tasks.", "content": "An experiment was carried out to investigate the hypothesis that task difficulty is reflected in changes in the topographical distribution of the ongoing EEG. Subjects had to perform three different tasks at two difficulty levels each; the Sternberg memory scanning task in an auditory and in a visual mode and a task whose performance required mainly visual scanning. Task difficulty was verified by the measurement of response times. Using a commercial Brain Electrical Activity Mapping device, EEG was recorded from 19 scalp electrodes while the subjects performed the tasks. Spectral matrices of the EEG were calculated to investigate spatial relationships in the EEG. Compared to the lower level, higher task difficulty resulted in EEG changes that led to the identification of two factors. One was the reduction of parietal and occipital alpha activity due to the amount of visual scanning and the other an increase of theta activity in the left frontal electrodes which may be associated with the amount of general mental processing."}
{"id": "PMID:1463656", "title": "The scalp distribution of the fractal dimension of the EEG and its variation with mental tasks.", "content": "The insights gained by the concept of deterministic chaos for the EEG is that this seemingly disordered process may be governed by relatively few simple laws which could be determined. One of the quantitative measures of a complex dynamical system is that of its dimension. The term 'dimension' refers to the ability of a space to contain a set of points. We estimated the correlational dimension of the EEG and compared the outcome to traditional Fourier analyses. In addition, we tested the hypothesis that the EEG can be described as filtered noise. Data from 15 electrode sites and 31 subjects are reported in the present study. We have utilized a variety of tasks that cut across sensory modalities including touch, vision, and imagery which reflect neuropsychological processes that differentially engage areas of the cortex in the first part of the study. In the second part, the differences between the perception of an object and the imagination of the same object were evaluated. The outcome shows variations between scalp sites for all measures and also variations between tasks in terms of dimensionality of the EEG. The hypothesis of a higher dimensionality (\"complexity\") of imagery compared to actual perceptual processing was confirmed. A statistical comparison between the maps generated by means of the various measures shows that different informations are extracted when using the different measures. There is also statistical evidence that the EEG cannot completely be described by the model of filtered noise."}
{"id": "PMID:1463657", "title": "Clinical significance of focal topographic changes in the electroencephalogram (EEG) and evoked potentials (EP) of psychiatric patients.", "content": "The relationship between psychiatric symptoms that respond to anticonvulsants and epileptic activity is still debated. Evidence linking electroencephalographic changes to treatment response is scarce and controversial, partly because of the poor scalp representation of limbic electrical activity. We studied the clinical relevance of focal topographic changes in the resting EEG, the visual evoked potential and the P300 response in 90 psychiatric patients, by evaluating response to anticonvulsants and development of neurological complications. The group with focal changes was compared to a group with epileptiform activity but no focal changes and a group with normal or diffusely altered EEG. Focal EEG and EP changes predicted good response to anticonvulsants, while the presence of epileptiform activity did not. Clinical seizures developed only in patients with focal changes and no anticonvulsants medication. Structural abnormalities and selective neuropsychological deficits were seen only in the focal group. There was an association of symptom type and the site of focus. We concluded that focal EEG and EP changes in psychiatric patients have important theoretical as well as practical implications."}
{"id": "PMID:1463658", "title": "Verbal versus non-verbal visual evoked potentials: Kanji versus line drawings.", "content": "Cortical areas related to perception of verbal and non-verbal stimuli were studied using VEPs. Kanji characters, line drawings (LD), or a blank were displayed. Verbal VEPs were obtained by subtracting the blank-VEPs from the Kanji-VEPs, and non-verbal VEPs by subtracting the blank-VEPs from the LD-VEPs. Both the verbal and non-verbal VEPs showed a negative peak (100-300 msec) focally over bilateral occipital, posterior temporal and parietal areas, and a positive peak diffusely over frontal halves. Differences between the non-verbal from the verbal VEPs showed an initial peak (100-200 msec) focally over bilateral occipital and posterior temporal areas, followed by a peak (200-300 msec) focally over bilateral posterior temporal areas. The frontal areas diffusely showed peaks at 100-200, 200-300 and 300-400 msec. Left-right asymmetries of both the verbal and non-verbal VEPs showed peaks between 100 and 300 msec over posterior temporal, parietal, and occipital areas. Left-right asymmetries of the subtraction to the non-verbal from the verbal VEPs showed a peak (100 msec) over occipital and parietal areas, and a broader peak over posterior temporal area (100-200 msec). Bilateral occipital, posterior temporal, and parietal areas are focally activated by the two perceptions (100-300 msec), while frontal areas are activated diffusely. Further, different processes may be focally involved between the hemispheres over occipital (100-200 msec) and posterior temporal (100-200 and 200-300 msec) regions. Initial left-right asymmetries of the subtracted VEP between the two perception would occur over occipital and parietal areas (100 msec) and last for 200 msec over posterior temporal area."}
{"id": "PMID:1463659", "title": "Principal components and multidimensional scaling of auditory and visual event-related potential topography.", "content": "Principal components analysis and metric multidimensional scaling were used to assess auditory and visual event-related potential topography in healthy late-middle-aged and elderly adults (n = 20). Binaurally elicited auditory evoked potentials and full-field checkerboard pattern reversal visual event-related potentials were recorded from 28 scalp sites. The zero-lag, cross-correlations of all waveforms for 300 msec post-stimulus epochs were obtained and separate analyses of the auditory and visual data were performed. Ultimately, three of the four dimensions identified in the principal components and multidimensional scaling solutions were similar and represented electrode site differences in (1) the anterior-posterior plane; (2) laterality; and, (3) the proximal-distal relation to midline. The remaining multidimensional scaling axis appeared to reflect effects specific to the modality of stimulation. Under auditory stimulation, the temporal and central-parietal sites were distinct from other scalp regions, whereas under visual stimulation, the occipital and frontal sites were distinctive. Although the results of the principal component analyses were conceptually similar to the multidimensional scaling outcomes, there were consistent differences between them. The findings provide empirical support for the validity of these multivariate methods in topographic analysis."}
{"id": "PMID:1463660", "title": "Topographic mapping of somatosensory evoked potentials helps identify motor cortex more quickly in the operating room.", "content": "Median nerve somatosensory evoked potentials were recorded from exposed cerebral cortex during craniotomies. This technique is valuable when knowledge of the motor cortex location can influence surgical decisions about resection limits or biopsy sites. Two different recording techniques were compared: strips of electrodes and arrays of electrodes. The arrays recorded electrical potentials suitable for topographic mapping. We found that motor cortex could be identified more quickly when using the topographic mapping of SEPs from arrays. We conclude that topographic mapping of SEP from sensorimotor regions during craniotomies works well in general and can be done more quickly than the traditional electrode strip technique."}
{"id": "PMID:1463661", "title": "Pelvic blood flow following aortobifemoral bypass with proximal end-to-side anastomosis.", "content": "Nine patients with end-to-side aortobifemoral bypasses were studied in the first year after surgery using color duplex imaging to determine the source of pelvic blood flow. No patient had clinical evidence of postoperative pelvic ischemia. Six of nine patients were found to have occluded distal aortas by duplex studies performed at a mean of 4.4 months postoperatively (range 0.8-8.2 months). Of those six patients, postoperative duplex examination demonstrated two with no common or external iliac blood flow, two with bilateral retrograde external iliac flow, and two with unilateral retrograde external iliac flow. Of the three patients with patent distal aortas, two had no demonstrable external iliac blood flow, while the third had continued antegrade flow through one external iliac and retrograde flow through the other. Analysis of preoperative arteriograms failed to reveal accurate predictors of postoperative distal aortic patency or retrograde iliac blood flow. Despite the preoperative assumption that prograde common iliac artery blood was required to prevent pelvic ischemia, distal aortic patency was maintained in only three of nine patients. In the six patients with prograde iliac blood flow, no ischemic symptoms were present, including two patients with complete absence of antegrade aortic or retrograde external iliac blood flow. Our observations indicate that assumptions which underlie the decision to perform end-to-side aortic anastomoses are often not borne out in the months following aortobifemoral bypass."}
{"id": "PMID:1463662", "title": "Characterization of an elastase from aneurysmal aorta which degrades intact aortic elastin.", "content": "Accumulating evidence suggests that abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) are due to a pathologic process which results in the destruction of aortic elastin and other matrix components. In this study, protein extractions were performed on both aneurysmal and normal aorta. Extracts were applied to frozen section of normal aorta either alone or in combination with 10 mM ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, recombinant tissue inhibitor of metalloproteases, 10 mM zinc, and 5 mM phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride, under conditions where calcium was removed from the buffer. After incubation, the sections were stained for elastin and evaluated by computerized morphometry. Aneurysm extracts, only in the presence of calcium, showed significant elastolytic activity characterized by destruction of intact elastic lamellae that was inhibited by ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, the recombinant metalloprotease inhibitor, and zinc. Phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride showed no inhibitory activity. Healthy aortic extract showed no elastolytic activity. This inhibitory profile is consistent with a metalloenzyme. We conclude that aneurysmal aorta contains elastolytic activity that is secondary to a metalloenzyme which is not present in normal aorta. This activity may play a role in the destruction of the elastin matrix that is seen in AAA's."}
{"id": "PMID:1463663", "title": "The effect of diabetes on the proliferation of aortic endothelial cells.", "content": "Diabetic vascular disease is more severe, diffuse, and accelerated when compared to nondiabetic vascular disease. Endothelial cell injury or alteration in endothelial cell function is hypothesized to be the initial cellular event in the pathophysiology of diabetic vascular disease. We examined the effect of insulin-treated and untreated alloxan diabetes on the proliferation of rabbit aortic endothelial cells in vitro by growing thoracic aortic endothelial cells from alloxan diabetic rabbits in serum obtained from alloxan diabetic rabbits. Diabetes adversely affected the proliferation of aortic endothelial cells; the most significant decrease in cell proliferation was noted in untreated diabetic cells. Crossover studies between endothelial cells and serum from different groups revealed that diabetes slows endothelial proliferation by not only a serum effect but also an intrinsic cellular effect. These observations suggest that diabetes adversely affects the proliferation of aortic endothelial cells by changing cell and serum functions."}
{"id": "PMID:1463664", "title": "Laser Doppler flowmetry in lower extremity ischemia: application and interpretation.", "content": "The present study was undertaken in order to develop numerical criteria for the parameters of laser Doppler flowmetry-skin blood flow velocity and pulse wave amplitude in the evaluation of lower extremity ischemia. Fifty limbs of young healthy volunteers were examined in order to obtain baseline normal values. Patient population was divided into moderately ischemic (52 limbs) and severely ischemic (22 limbs), based on patients' complaints, physical examination, ankle-brachial indices, pulse volume recordings and arteriographies. Univariate comparison between the three groups of skin blood flow velocity and pulse wave amplitude at each time point were done by analysis of variance. Power of discrimination between degrees of ischemia was evaluated by computing sensitivity and specificity, based on skin blood flow velocity and pulse wave amplitude values at time points best for predicting the severity of disease by multiple regression analysis. Using cutoff points of < 31 for skin blood flow velocity and < 9 for pulse wave amplitude, a 96% sensitivity and 96% specificity were obtained in separating normal from ischemic limbs. Cutoff points of < 9 for skin blood flow velocity and < 4 for pulse wave amplitude discriminated with a 100% sensitivity and specificity between the moderately and severely ischemic limbs. We propose the use of laser Doppler flowmetry with local heating and reactive hyperemia, and the cutoff points stated above as an additional tool to evaluate lower extremity ischemia through assessment of cutaneous microcirculation."}
{"id": "PMID:1463665", "title": "Vascular access for hemodialysis: pathologic features of surgically excised ePTFE grafts.", "content": "We analyzed 52 surgically excised ePTFE grafts used as secondary vascular access in chronic hemodialysis patients, structurally and histopathologically. Pseudoaneurysm formation at the site of repeated venipuncture was the main cause of surgical removal later than two years after implantation. Repeated needle punctures, twice per treatment, two or three times a week may result in a perigraft fibrous tissue capsule directly above areas where the graft was punctured. The delicate microporous structure of the graft wall was shown to be disrupted by needle punctures. The needle puncture sites were filled by surrounding connective tissue, and in one case, capillary formation was observed within the puncture sites. Examination by both light and scanning electron microscopy demonstrated identical patterns of pseudointima on the luminal surface. A thin pannus of endothelium-like cells, confined to the vicinity of the anastomoses, was noted in only four cases. On other areas of the luminal surface without endothelium, a red coagulum incorporating blood cells and fibrin was observed. Histological evidence of acute infection was absent in 61% of the cases and only 27% were considered to be clinically infected. Careful needle puncture technique, systematic rotation of puncture sites, and the use of rigorous aseptic technique are essential in preserving the long-term structural integrity of the vascular access, despite the good mechanical properties and reasonable good resistance to infection of ePTFE grafts."}
{"id": "PMID:1463666", "title": "A case of popliteal cystic degeneration with pathological considerations.", "content": "Adventitial cystic degeneration of the popliteal artery is seldom encountered; only 39 cases have been reported up to now in Japan. The pathogenesis of this disease remains controversial, and the authors describe a case in which the pathological findings differed from cases reported in the previous literature. The subject was a 74-year-old man admitted to our hospital complaining of intermittent claudication. The characteristic findings of cystic degeneration of the popliteal artery were uncovered by contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) and duplex sonography. The contrast-enhanced CT showed a low-density area and duplex sonography revealed a multi-lobulated low-echoic lesion. The Doppler signal of the low-echoic lesion could not be detected. While some cysts were found in the adventitia, they were mainly located in the media. The media also showed a remarkable decrease of smooth muscle cells and a prominent mucinous degeneration that had occurred circumferentially. These findings suggest that the medial degeneration noted had occurred prior to cystic formation. Because of this and other findings, we recommend the use of the term cystic degeneration of the popliteal artery in addition to the term cystic adventitial disease of the popliteal artery."}
{"id": "PMID:1463667", "title": "Radial artery collateral aneurysm: a rare entity resulting from an unusual etiology.", "content": "Atherosclerotic occlusive disease of the upper extremity can be a challenging and complex problem for the vascular surgeon. Due to the variety of pathologies that can affect the upper extremity, an accurate diagnosis may be difficult to obtain. We describe the case of a 52-year-old white man who presents with a pulsatile mass on the volar aspect of the right wrist. Arteriography of the aortic arch and right upper extremity revealed an 80% atherosclerotic stenosis at the origin of the right subclavian artery, as well as occlusion of the superficial radial artery. The occlusion resulted in the formation of an aneurysmal collateral, which communicated with the superficial palmar arch. A right carotid-subclavian bypass was necessary to prevent further embolic phenomena. The radial artery aneurysm was treated by resection and primary repair."}
{"id": "PMID:1463668", "title": "Successful percutaneous balloon catheter treatment of renal artery occlusion and anuria.", "content": "Progressive renal failure may be due to renal artery stenosis and occlusion. Gradual occlusion of the renal arteries may allow the development of collateral arterial supply sufficient to avoid dialysis. Even when dialysis is required, significant viable renal parenchyma may still be present to allow escape from dialysis following revascularization of one or both kidneys. The chance of success in such cases is thought to be better if the patient still produces a significant amount of urine. We report here a patient who was completely anuric for five days and in whom excellent renal function returned after balloon angioplasty of one of two occluded renal arteries."}
{"id": "PMID:1463669", "title": "Delayed rupture of an internal iliac artery aneurysm following proximal ligation for abdominal aortic aneurysm repair.", "content": "This is a report of a patient presenting with a contained rupture of an internal iliac aneurysm following proximal ligation after abdominal aortic aneurysm repair three years earlier. The patient presented with a large pelvic mass with symptoms of urgency, frequency, dysuria, tenesmus and fevers associated with anemia. Following evacuation of the aneurysm and direct suture ligation of the distal branches of the internal iliac artery, the patient's aortic graft was covered with omentum which also filled the pelvic cavity. The importance of proximal and distal control of aneurysms and/or the importance of complete luminal control of internal iliac artery aneurysms is emphasized by this case."}
{"id": "PMID:1463671", "title": "A simple technique of renal transplant preservation during aortic reconstruction.", "content": "Various methods of insuring renal transplant perfusion during aortic reconstruction have been described but these are often complex and troublesome. Although short periods of warm ischemia are probably well tolerated, reinstitution of pulsatile flow is more desirable. A simple method of rapidly restoring renal perfusion during aortic reconstruction is described."}
{"id": "PMID:1463672", "title": "Portal hypertension and bleeding esophageal varices.", "content": "Bleeding from esophageal varices exacts a high mortality and extraordinary societal costs. Prophylaxis--medication, sclerotherapy, or shunt surgery to prevent an initial bleeding episode--is ineffective. In patients who have bled from varices, endoscopic injection sclerotherapy can control acute bleeding in more than 90% of patients. Because recurrent bleeding frequently occurs and survival without definitive therapy is dismal, selection of a permanently effective treatment is mandatory once variceal bleeding has been controlled. Long-term injection sclerotherapy can be performed in compliant patients; it is relatively safe but is associated with a 30-50% rebleeding rate. Beta-blockers significantly reduce portal pressure and recurrent bleeding but have not been shown to diminish mortality from BEV. Portal decompressive surgery permanently halts bleeding in more than 90% of patients; the risk of operative mortality is high in decompensated cirrhotics, and long-term complications of encephalopathy and accelerated liver failure may limit indications for shunt surgery to good-risk cirrhotics who are not liver transplant candidates. Devascularization procedures have a low operative mortality and encephalopathy rate but unacceptably high rates of recurrent bleeding. Liver transplantation is curative therapy for bleeding esophageal varices and the associated underlying hepatic dysfunction; cost and availability of donor organs generally limit its use in this setting to variceal bleeders with end-stage liver disease not associated with active alcoholism."}
{"id": "PMID:1463674", "title": "Respiratory disease in non-smoking Western Australian goldminers.", "content": "Respiratory symptoms, spirometry, and transfer factor were measured in 208 non-smoking Western Australian underground goldminers (mean age 32) to identify the presence of respiratory abnormalities resulting from underground work. These subjects were part of a larger group of 771 subjects attending for statutory periodic chest x ray examinations in the industry. They had worked underground for a median of three years. The prevalence odds ratios of bronchitis, dyspnoea, wheeze, and asthma all tended to be related to duration of underground employment, even after adjusting for age, those for wheeze and asthma reaching statistical significance. After adjusting for age and height the duration of employment also had a significant effect on TL/VA but not on FEV1, FVC, or TL. These changes are consistent with the presence of airway narrowing and non-specific lung fibrosis or emphysema in non-smoking underground goldminers."}
{"id": "PMID:1463675", "title": "Agglutination of lung surfactant with glucan.", "content": "Respirable cotton dust, implicated in the pathogenesis of byssinosis, contains a number of bioactive compounds. These include lipopolysaccharide (LPS), tannins, bacterial peptides, byssinosin, iacinilene C, and 1,3-beta-D-glucan. The exact aetiological agent of byssinosis in such dust has not been definitively identified nor has its mechanism of action on lower lung surfaces been determined. In the present study 1,3-beta-D-glucan, Enterobacter agglomerans LPS, and ovine pulmonary surfactant were mixed in varying combinations. After incubation, their characteristics were determined by sucrose density centrifugation, TLC, and carbohydrate analysis. Precipitates were found in mixtures containing surfactant-glucan and surfactant-glucan-LPS, but not in surfactant-LPS. Precipitates were not seen in the surfactant, LPS, and glucan controls. The formation of a precipitate did not increase the density of the surfactant glucan mixture when compared by density gradient centrifugation with the surfactant control. The interaction between surfactant and glucan was analysed by molecular modelling. The energy of a surfactant-glucan complex (60.07 kcal/mol) was calculated to be much lower than the sum of glucan (47.09 kcal/mol) and surfactant (30.98 kcal/mol) when added separately. The results indicate that 1,3-beta-D-glucan does interact with surfactant and this complex may play a part in the pathogenesis of byssinosis by altering lung physiology maintained by pulmonary surfactant."}
{"id": "PMID:1463676", "title": "Evaluation of exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in a coke production and a graphite electrode manufacturing plant: assessment of urinary excretion of 1-hydroxypyrene as a biological indicator of exposure.", "content": "Characterisation of the airborne concentration of 13 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) at various workplaces in a graphite electrode and a coke production plant. Validation of the urinary excretion of 1-hydroxypyrene (hydroxypyrene) as a biological marker of exposure to PAH. Cross sectional study of workers exposed to PAHs (106 in the graphite electrode producing plant and 16 in the coke works). Personal air sampling during at least six hours per workshift using a glass fibre filter and a Chromosorb 102 solid sorbent tube and analysis of PAHs by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and spectrofluorometric detection (SFD). Collection of spot urine samples before and after the shift and analysis of 1-hydroxypyrene by HPLC and SFD. The workers most exposed to PAHs were those occupied at the topside area of the coke oven plant and those working in the blending and impregnation areas of the graphite electrode producing plant (mean airborne concentration of total PAHs: 199 and 223 micrograms/m3 respectively). Except for naphthalene and perylene, the relative proportion of the different PAHs did not differ between the plants. Pyrene concentration in air was highly correlated with the total airborne PAH concentration (r = 0.83, p < 0.0001) and the correlation coefficients between hydroxypyrene concentration in postshift urine samples and pyrene or total PAHs in air were 0.67 (p < 0.0001) and 0.72 (p < 0.0001) respectively. Excretion of hydroxypyrene doubled when the exposure to pyrene in air increased 10-fold. The half life for the urinary excretion of hydroxypyrene was around 18 hours (95% confidence interval 16.1-19.8). Smoking habits only explained 2.3% of the variance in hydroxypyrene excretion compared with 45% for the pyrene concentration in air. The determination of the urinary excretion of hydroxypyrene in postshift urine samples can be used as a suitable biomarker to assess individual exposure to PAHs in coke ovens and in graphite electrode manufacturing plants."}
{"id": "PMID:1463677", "title": "Allergy to methyltetrahydrophthalic anhydride in epoxy resin workers.", "content": "One hundred and forty four current and 26 former workers in a plant producing barrels for rocket guns from an epoxy resin containing methyltetrahydrophthalic anhydride (MTHPA; time weighted average air concentration up to 150 micrograms/m3) were studied. They showed higher frequencies of work related symptoms from the eyes (31 v 0%; p < 0.001), nose (53 v 9%; p < 0.001), pharynx (26 v 6%; p < 0.01), and asthma (11 v 0%; p < 0.05) than 33 controls. Also they had higher rates of positive skin prick test to a conjugate of MTHPA and human serum albumin (16 v 0%; p < 0.01), and more had specific IgE and IgG serum antibodies (18 v 0%; p < 0.01 and 12 v 0%; p < 0.05 respectively). There were statistically significant exposure-response relations between exposure and symptoms from eyes and upper airways, dry cough, positive skin prick test, and specific IgE and IgG antibodies. There was a non-significant difference in reaction to metacholine between exposed workers and non-smoking controls. In workers with and without specific IgE antibodies, differences existed in frequency of nasal secretion (54 v 23%; p < 0.05) and dry cough (38 v 12%; p < 0.05). Workers with specific IgG had more dry cough (38 v 12%; p < 0.05), but less symptoms of non-specific bronchial hyperreactivity (0 v 26%; p < 0.05). Atopic workers sneezed more than non-atopic workers (65 v 30%; p < 0.01). In a prospective study five sensitised workers who left the factory became less reactive to metacholine, and became symptom free. In 41 workers who stayed, there was no improvement, despite a 10-fold reduction in exposure. The results show the extreme sensitising properties of MTHPA."}
{"id": "PMID:1463678", "title": "Organic brain damage and occupational solvent exposure.", "content": "Three hundred and nine men with organic dementia, cerebral atrophy, or psycho-organic syndrome admitted for five nights or more to one of 18 Quebec hospitals were individually matched with patients admitted (1) with some other psychiatric diagnosis and (2) to a general hospital. Lifetime occupational histories were obtained by telephone. Occupational exposure to solvents was assessed blind to type of case by (1) individual ratings and (2) a job exposure matrix; men who worked in moderate or high solvent concentrations for at least 10 years were considered exposed. With the psychiatric referent series, an odds ratio of 1.4 (90% CI 1.0-2.0) was calculated by individual exposure ratings and 1.4 (90% CI 0.9-2.2) by job matrix. Increased risk was mainly in those with organic dementia or cerebral atrophy and an alcohol related diagnosis. The same pattern of risk was found against the general hospital referents. Adjustment for possible confounders did not alter the risk estimates appreciably. Also, lifetime job histories, compared in selected case-referent pairs, gave similar evidence of increased risk (odds ratio 2.3; 90% CI 1.0-5.5). It is concluded that the combined effect of occupational solvent exposure and alcohol intake is probably an important cause of organic brain damage."}
{"id": "PMID:1463679", "title": "Chronic neurobehavioural effects of elemental mercury in dentists.", "content": "Neurobehavioural tests were performed by 98 dentists (mean age 32, range 24-49) exposed to elemental mercury vapour and 54 controls (mean age 34, range 23-50) with no history of occupational exposure to mercury. The dentists were exposed to an average personal air concentration time weighted average (TWA) of 0.014 (range 0.0007-0.042) mg/m3 for a mean period of 5.5 (range 0.7-24) years and had a mean blood mercury concentration of 9.8 (range 0.6-57) micrograms/l. In neurobehavioural tests measuring motor speed (finger tapping), visual scanning (trail making), visuomotor coordination and concentration (digit symbol), verbal memory (digit span, logical memory delayed recall), visual memory (visual reproduction, immediate and delayed recall), and visuomotor coordination speed (bender-gestalt time), the performance of the dentists was significantly worse than that of the controls. The dentists scored 3.9 to 38.9% (mean 13.9%) worse in these tests. In trail making, digit span, logical memory delayed recall, visual reproduction delayed recall, and bender-gestalt time test scores were more than 10% poorer. In each of the tests in which significant differences were found and in the block design time, the performance decreased as the exposed dose (product of the TWA of air mercury concentrations and the years of exposure) increased. These results raise the question as to whether the current threshold limit value of 0.050 mg/m3 (TWA) provides adequate protection against adverse effects of mercury."}
{"id": "PMID:1463680", "title": "A case-control study of motor neurone disease: its relation to heritability, and occupational exposures, particularly to solvents.", "content": "Motor neurone disease (MND) was studied in relation to various determinants in a case-control study covering nine counties in southern Sweden. A questionnaire about occupational exposures, medical history, lifestyle factors etc was given to all cases in the age range 45-79 and to a random sample of 500 population controls in the same age range. The questionnaires were answered by 92 cases and 372 controls, a response rate of 85% and 75% respectively. Among men high Mantel-Haenszel odds ratios (MHORs) were obtained for electricity work (MHOR = 6.7, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.0-32.1), welding (MHOR = 3.7, 95% CI 1.1-13.0), and impregnating agents (MHOR = 3.5, 95% CI 0.9-13.1). Heritability with regard to a neurodegenerative disease or thyroid disease seemed to predispose to a risk of developing MND (OR = 2.1, 95% CI 1.0-4.3). The highest OR was found for the combination of such heritability, exposure to solvents, and male sex (OR = 15.6, 95% CI 2.8-87.0), a combination that occurred for seven cases and three controls. Hereditary factors and external exposures had a different distribution among cases with the spinal type of MND than among cases with involvement of the pyramidal tract or bulbar paresis also."}
{"id": "PMID:1463681", "title": "Menstrual function in workers exposed to toluene.", "content": "Rates of menstrual disorders were studied in 231 female production workers with high exposure to toluene (mean 88 (range 50-150 ppm) in a factory manufacturing audio speakers and compared with a control group of 58 female production workers in other departments in the same factory who had little or no exposure to toluene (0-25 ppm). An external community control group of 187 working class women under routine care at public maternal and child health centres were also studied. Detailed menstrual and reproductive histories were obtained by personal interview using a structured questionnaire. The rates for dysfunctional uterine bleeding (cycle irregularity and prolonged or heavy menstrual bleeding) were similar in all groups. Dysmenorrhoea seemed to occur more often in the women highly exposed to toluene compared with women at maternal and child health centres, but not compared with factory controls with low exposure to toluene. There was no evidence that dysfunctional uterine bleeding was likely to result from exposure to toluene. It is uncertain whether dysmenorrhoea was associated specifically with exposure to toluene, as other behavioural and work related factors may also result in dysmenorrhoea."}
{"id": "PMID:1463682", "title": "Risk of spontaneous abortion in workers exposed to toluene.", "content": "Rates of spontaneous abortions were determined using a reproductive questionnaire administered by personal interview to 55 married women with 105 pregnancies. They were employed in an audio speaker factory and were exposed to high concentrations of toluene (mean 88, range 50-150 ppm). These rates of spontaneous abortion were compared with those among 31 women (68 pregnancies) who worked in other departments in the same factory and had little or no exposure to toluene (0-25 ppm), as well as with a community control group of women who underwent routine antenatal and postnatal care at public maternal health clinics (190 women with 444 pregnancies). Significantly higher rates for spontaneous abortions were noted in the group with high exposure to toluene (12.4 per 100 pregnancies) compared with those in the internal control group (2.9 per 100 pregnancies) and in the external control group (4.5 per 100 pregnancies). Among the exposed women, significant differences were also noted in the rates of spontaneous abortion before employment (2.9 per 100 pregnancies) and after employment in the factory (12.6 per 100 pregnancies). Almost all the women were nonsmokers and did not drink; other known risk factors such as maternal age at pregnancy, order of gravidity, and race were not likely to explain the results. Thus, specific exposure to toluene seems to be associated with a risk of foetal loss."}
{"id": "PMID:1463687", "title": "Spinal cord compression: prognosis and implications for treatment fractionation.", "content": "A review of 158 cases of metastatic extradural spinal cord compression referred to three radiotherapy departments shows that the median survival time is less than 3 months, that recovery of motor and sphincter function is uncommon, and that low fraction (2-5) regimens have a similar clinical outcome to more protracted regimens."}
{"id": "PMID:1463688", "title": "Neutropenic sepsis complicating treatment of solid tumours, lymphoma and myeloma.", "content": "Ninety-three episodes of fever or infection while neutropenic (defined as neutrophil count < 2.0 x 10(9)/l) occurred in 76 patients treated for solid tumours, lymphoma and myeloma over a 4-year period. Most followed the first (39%) or second (18%) cycle of chemotherapy. The neutrophil count at onset of sepsis was < 0.5 x 10(9)/l in 69%. Pathogens were isolated in 32 episodes (34%) and a clinical focus detected in a further 19 (20%). Gram negative bacteria accounted for 51% of pathogens; 49% of bacteria were isolated from blood, 65% of them were Gram negative. The initial antibiotic regimen was cefuroxime with gentamicin or tobramycin in 76 episodes. Fever or infection resolved on first line antibiotics in 78%. The mean duration of antibiotic therapy was 7.6 days. Antibiotic therapy was changed following urine culture in 1.5% of 66 episodes and following chest radiography in 5.8% of 69 episodes, where these tests were performed. Nine (9.6%) patients died from infection, all of whom were receiving second line salvage chemotherapy. Three other patients died of progressive malignancy with sepsis present. In six major diagnostic groups, 56 episodes of infection or fever complicated 4% of chemotherapy cycles."}
{"id": "PMID:1463689", "title": "Usefulness of immunoscintigraphy in the follow-up of surgically treated gastrointestinal carcinomas using 111In-labelled anti-CEA monoclonal antibodies.", "content": "Twenty-five patients treated surgically for gastrointestinal carcinomas (16 rectum-sigmoid colon, 6 colon, 3 stomach) were investigated by immunoscintigraphy (IS) using 111In-labelled anti-CEA antibody (mouse monoclonal F023C5) F(ab')2 fragments in order to visualize questionable abdominopelvic recurrences (excluding the liver). Fifteen (60%) patients showed a rise in serum CEA levels above 5 ng/ml. Planar scans and emission computed tomographic (ECT) imaging were carried out without reference to the results of computed tomographic (CT) scans and gastrointestinal endoscopic examinations done 1-2 weeks before IS. Final diagnoses were based on biopsies and autopsies (13 cases) or on follow-up findings over at least 2 years (12 cases). Sixteen patients had a final diagnosis of recurrent malignant disease in the extrahepatic abdomen or pelvis. Of these, six were correctly diagnosed by both IS and conventional diagnostic procedures, six by IS only and two by conventional methods only. Two tumour recurrences remained undetected by both diagnostic approaches. However, five tumour recurrences were detected by IS more than 4 months earlier than by any other diagnostic procedures performed during clinical follow-up. Of the nine disease-free patients (disregarding the liver) three were correctly identified by both IS and the other diagnostic methods, four by IS only and two by conventional diagnostic procedures only. Overall sensitivity (75%) and specificity (89%) of 111In-IS were higher than figures obtained using CT scanning and endoscopy (50% and 78% respectively). True positive IS was observed in 6/15 (40%) CEA seropositive patients and in 6/10 (60%) CEA seronegative patients.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1463690", "title": "Endometrial carcinoma: does the addition of intracavitary vault caesium to external beam therapy postoperatively result in improved control or increased morbidity?", "content": "A retrospective analysis of treatment for endometrial carcinoma is reported here. From 1987 to 1989, 138 patients were referred to the oncology department following total abdominal hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy for endometrial cancer. Forty-seven patients were not prescribed postoperative radiotherapy; 31 had Stage I well differentiated adenocarcinoma with minimal myometrial invasion, while the remaining 16 patients were considered unfit for postoperative radiotherapy. There were no instances of local relapse amongst the 31 patients with minimal myometrial invasion. The remaining 91 patients all received external beam irradiation to the pelvis and, according to the preference of the individual therapist, 51 were prescribed additional intracavitary vault caesium-137. Patients receiving postoperative radiotherapy were analysed according to whether or not they received additional intracavitary vault caesium. The two groups were also analysed for incidence of vaginal vault recurrence and treatment related morbidity. In the group receiving additional intracavitary treatment more patients had Stage II or III disease (P < 0.05), and had greater depth of myometrial invasion (P < 0.05). Vaginal vault recurrence was not observed in patients receiving intracavitary therapy in addition to external beam therapy. Four patients (10%) receiving external beam therapy alone developed vaginal vault recurrence. The incidence of Kottmeier-Perez grade 2 or 3 bowel toxicity following treatment was significantly higher in those patients receiving combined treatment (18% vs. 2.5%; P = 0.03).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1463691", "title": "Community based cancer support groups: an undervalued resource?", "content": "A pilot study was set up and to identify the local community based cancer support groups and to examine the links these groups and the staff of the regional and district general hospitals. The objective was to evaluate the current role of cancer support groups and identify strategies which would improve communication. Results of the study indicated that local support groups played an important role in providing support to cancer patients in the community. Hospital staff were not well informed about support groups and felt uncertain about their use as a resource for patients. There was a need to improve communication between local cancer support groups and hospital staff in order to offer a more comprehensive service to patients. Any strategies developed to improve communication depend on finding ways in which lay care and professional health care can work together. Specific recommendations were made as a result of the research and a number of initiatives undertaken, including a local directory of community resources and a forum where representatives from the local support groups can meet with hospital staff."}
{"id": "PMID:1463692", "title": "Training for clinical oncology: experience in Glasgow 1987-1992.", "content": "This paper describes how a joint core training course in clinical oncology was set up at the Beatson Oncology Centre in Glasgow. The course extends over a period of two years and modules are taught in cancer basic sciences, physics and surgical oncology, pathology and natural history of malignant disease, and statistics. The structure and content of the course are described, together with an analysis of the problems encountered. There is an assessment of effectiveness. Proposals are made for a scheme for joint accreditation in oncology."}
{"id": "PMID:1463693", "title": "A case of lung carcinoma induced by radioactive iodine given for disseminated thyroid carcinoma.", "content": "We report a case of a patient who at the age of 32 developed a squamous carcinoma arising in the thorax. At 7 years of age he had received aggressive treatment with 131I for a thyroid carcinoma with multiple pulmonary metastases. Radiation induced malignancy, in sites such as the bone marrow or bladder, after 131I therapy is recognized; however, tumours arising in the thorax after such treatment have not been described."}
{"id": "PMID:1463696", "title": "Plasma polymerization and grafting of ethylene oxide on polysiloxane surfaces.", "content": "Polysiloxane films were prepared by plasma polymerization and dip coating. Upon these films PEG was grafted by conventional methods, and ethylene oxide by plasma activation. Before and after grafting the films were analyzed by contact angle and ESCA measurements as well as by FTIR-ATR-spectroscopy and TOF-SIMS. Furthermore results of protein adsorption measurements are reported. The polysiloxane structures obtained by the plasma polymerization of HMDSO are rather similar to those ones yielded by dip coating. The two types of grafting applied on the polysiloxane substrates led to different structures of the grafted layers as was revealed by TOF-SIMS spectra."}
{"id": "PMID:1463697", "title": "RF-plasma-modified polystyrene surfaces for studying complement activation.", "content": "Five different plasma modified surfaces were made for studying different aspects of biocompatibility. These surfaces were: 1,2-diaminocyclohexane (DACH), acrylic acid (AA), Hydroxyethylmethacrylate (HEMA), methane and hexamethylene-disiloxane (HMDSO). In addition a polyethylene-glycol (PEG) was made by grafting aldehyde functional PEG to the DACH surface. PEG and HMDSO which are the most hydrophilic and the most hydrophobic surface shows the lowest amount of adsorbed protein of the three proteins studied here (albumin, IgG and C3). Methane, HMDSO and HEMA was found to activate via the classical (complement activation) pathway while the others activated via the alternative pathway."}
{"id": "PMID:1463698", "title": "Plasma deposition for biomedical applications: a brief review.", "content": "Radio frequency plasma-deposited thin films offer an advantageous mechanism to alter the surface properties of biomaterials and medical devices without affecting the mechanical properties or primary fabrication. Such coatings are tightly adherent, conformal, and easily applied. They also exhibit excellent biocompatibility qualities. Examples are presented of four different thin film plasma treatments that show promise for reducing the platelet reactivity of materials, enhancing their ability to grow cells, preventing protein pickup by surfaces, and improving the biocompatibility of ophthalmic devices."}
{"id": "PMID:1463699", "title": "Immobilization of surface active compounds on polymer supports using a gas discharge process.", "content": "By applying an argon plasma treatment to a layer of a surface active agent pre-adsorbed on a polymer substrate, it is possible to covalently couple this layer to the substrate. This method offers a direct route to tailor the surface properties of polymers."}
{"id": "PMID:1463700", "title": "Tight binding of albumin to glow discharge treated polymers.", "content": "Tetrafluoroethylene (TFE) glow discharge-treated Dacron vascular grafts resist thrombus deposition, embolization and thrombotic occlusion. In addition, albumin adsorbed on TFE-treated surfaces resists elution by sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS). Since the tight binding of albumin to TFE-treated surfaces may contribute to their thromboresistant character, we decided to examine the mechanism responsible for this tenacious adsorption. We have investigated albumin adsorption and retention (after SDS elution) on a number of untreated and glow discharge-treated surfaces. Fluorocarbon glow discharge-treated polymers retain a larger fraction of the adsorbed albumin than ethylene and hexamethyldisiloxane glow discharge-treated surfaces. Albumin retention by surfaces appears to be closely related to their surface free energy (in air). Low energy surfaces (in air), whether untreated or glow discharge-treated, retain a larger fraction of the albumin adsorbed than higher energy surfaces. The lowest energy surfaces should have the highest interfacial energies in water, with correspondingly high driving forces for adsorption of proteins. This can lead to the formation of multiple binding sites upon adsorption, permitting strong hydrophobic interactions, which leads to the observed strong binding."}
{"id": "PMID:1463701", "title": "Plasma processing of biomaterials.", "content": "Surface properties of biomaterials can easily be modified by glow-discharge plasma processing for very diverse biomedical applications. Activated carbon granules can be coated with a very thin polymeric membrane by plasma polymerization to improve their blood compatibilities without changing their adsorption capabilities. The problems associated with the microporous polypropylene oxygenator membranes can be eliminated by coating with a nonporous thin polymeric film in a glow-discharge reactor. Cell attachment and growth on polystyrene microcarriers can significantly be increased by alkylamine plasma treatment. Physical and chemical properties of polyurethane biomaterials can be tailor-made by plasma modification."}
{"id": "PMID:1463702", "title": "X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy of plasma-polymerized films from tetramethylsilane-containing feeds.", "content": "The chemical composition and the reactivity of films deposited in RF glow discharges fed with Ar-tetramethylsilane and Ar-tetramethylsilane-O2 mixtures have been studied by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The analyses have been performed by means of a spectrometer connected in vacuo to the deposition reactor. This configuration allows to analyze as deposited films without any external contamination of oxygen and moisture. The work has been conducted by studying the detailed Si2p, C1s, and O1s signals at different electron take-off angles, as well as the valence band region. Depth profiling of films by means of Ar+ ion sputtering has also been performed in some cases."}
{"id": "PMID:1463703", "title": "Serial observation of asymmetry in the growing face.", "content": "Three children suffering from facial asymmetry were observed annually using facial stereophotogrammetry before, during, and after their general skeletal adolescent growth spurt. Stereophotogrammetry allows accurate three-dimensional measurements between identifiable facial landmarks. Five pairs of bilateral parameters connecting external canthi and angles of the mouth to alae and tip of nose, and to each other, allowed a positive sign (right-side larger) or a negative (left-side larger) assessment of parameter asymmetry. Their total, taking sign into account, assessed mid-facial asymmetry. Serial observation showed that: (1) in patient no. 1 suffering from post-traumatic condylar hypoplasia, the facial asymmetry resolved; (2) in patient no. 2 suffering from unilateral facial hypoplasia, the asymmetry, which was severe, reduced with adolescence, but did not resolve; (3) in patient no. 3 suffering from fibro-osseous dysplasia of left maxilla, the asymmetry was reduced by surgery, but the full effects of the surgery were not measurable until over 1 year after operation; subsequently, the asymmetry began to increase again."}
{"id": "PMID:1463704", "title": "The subjective need and demand for orthodontic treatment.", "content": "The subjective need and demand for orthodontic treatment amongst 955 12-year-old Sheffield children has been assessed using the aesthetic component of the Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need and by a fixed choice questionnaire. When answering the questionnaire a greater proportion of females perceived themselves as having less attractive dentitions and greater treatment need despite any objective evidence to support this view. Of the children at the attractive end of the aesthetic component scale 84.5 per cent were prepared to accept orthodontic treatment of an unspecified nature."}
{"id": "PMID:1463705", "title": "Second molar extraction in the treatment of lower premolar crowding.", "content": "Thirty-four children with lower premolar crowding were treated by extraction of second molars. Thirteen cases had mechanical lower arch treatment started not less than 6 months after extractions. The remainder had no treatment in the lower arch. The change in premolar crowding was measured, and the reasons why spontaneous alignment occurred in some cases and not in others were examined."}
{"id": "PMID:1463706", "title": "An easily removable ceramic bracket?", "content": "The use of ceramic brackets in fixed appliance orthodontics has highlighted several problems, amongst which are the problems of enamel damage and possible trauma to the patient during debonding. A ceramic bracket has recently been developed with a polycarbonate laminated base (Ceramaflex) claiming to make debond much easier, although there are no independent data to substantiate this claim. The in-vitro bond strength of these ceramic brackets to enamel was tested and compared with metal standard Edgewise brackets. The bond produced with the Ceramaflex bracket was similar in magnitude, but less reliable. No fracture of the bracket or damage to enamel was seen during debonding. Debonding of these brackets was easy to carry out, but it is possible that more debonds may occur during treatment than with the use of metal brackets."}
{"id": "PMID:1463707", "title": "Aesthetic tooth modification for patients with cleft lip and palate.", "content": "Alongside orthodontic treatment, tooth shape modification may be indicated for teeth associated with clefts of the lip and alveolus, and in non-carious teeth, minimal tooth preparation techniques appear to be most appropriate. Two methods of tooth shape modification are described. In one, hybrid composite materials, bonded to tooth enamel using the acid-etch technique, may be considered to provide a permanent, low cost, aesthetically satisfactory result, often without tooth preparation and with minimal operating time. Alternatively, indirect veneers may be appropriate for treatment of more severely malformed teeth."}
{"id": "PMID:1463708", "title": "Superelastic nickel-titanium wires.", "content": "Superelastic nickel-titanium archwires, unlike conventional wires, are capable of withstanding very large deflections and on returning to their original shape on deactivation will produce more moderate forces. The region over which there is a 'plateau' depends on the deflection and is greater the larger the deflection. With most wires both the initial wire stiffness in bending and the 'plateau' deactivation loads are very dependent on temperature. Wire size is no longer a guide to wire behaviour and force values for a given temperature and for wires of the same nominal diameter from different manufacturers can vary by a factor of six."}
{"id": "PMID:1463712", "title": "The joint response of the British Orthodontic Societies to the Nuffield Inquiry into Personnel Auxiliary to Dentistry.", "content": "1. Improving standards of dental health and greater awareness amongst the general public of the potential of dental treatment, including orthodontics have led to an increase in the number of patients seeking orthodontic advice. Yet there are insufficient orthodontists in Britain to meet the population's present need for orthodontic treatment. Moreover, the improved results expected from patients and professionals has led to an increase in the use of fixed appliances, which are more demanding of orthodontists' time. Despite attempts to rationalise treatment provision, the present number of British orthodontists remain unable to meet the need for treatment. This is indicated by the length of waiting lists in all branches of the service. Since there are no plans to expand the orthodontic profession, the present discrepancy between need for treatment and provision of treatment will not be resolved in the foreseeable future. 2. The orthodontic societies support the development of existing training programmes, career pathways and salary structures for dental surgery assistants, dental therapists, hygienists and technicians. Suitable courses need to be developed for people who have had a career break and wish to return to work. New courses also need to be designed for people entering training programmes in later life from a variety of backgrounds. Funds need to be identified in order to provide continuing education for all grades of ancillaries. 3. The development of a 'post basic' Training Course in Orthodontics for qualified dental surgery assistants is commended. A nationally approved certificate of training should be given to those who successfully complete a recognised course.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1463718", "title": "Characterization of monoclonal antibodies against voltage-dependent K+ channels raised using alpha-dendrotoxin acceptors purified from bovine brain.", "content": "Seven monoclonal antibodies raised against alpha-dendrotoxin-sensitive K+ channels, purified from bovine cerebral cortex, recognize these proteins in their native or denatured states, via interaction with the alpha- but not the beta-subunit. This finding, together with a similar observation made with polyclonal antibodies, shows that the latter is a distinct protein and not a proteolytic fragment of the larger subunit. Also, coimmunoprecipitation of alpha- and beta-subunits provides further evidence that both are tightly associated constituents of the K+ channel complexes. At least three isoforms of the K+ channel alpha-subunit are distinguishable by immunoblotting of a detergent extract of synaptic membranes with mAb 5. Likewise, multiple forms are also detectable in the purified protein with mAb 5 although deglycosylation, which does not alter reactivity with any of the mAbs, was required to achieve adequate electrophoretic resolution. These results confirm the proposal that variants of this K+ channel group, known to exist in the nervous system, are heterooligomeric complexes of alpha- and beta-subunits. Although different areas of rat brain contain proteins of similar sizes reactive with mAb 5, these are absent from heart, liver, pancreas, kidney, testes, and spleen, highlighting the selectivity of this antibody."}
{"id": "PMID:1463719", "title": "Refinement of the crystal structure of ribonuclease S. Comparison with and between the various ribonuclease A structures.", "content": "Ribonuclease S (RNase-S) is a complex that consists of two proteolytic fragments of bovine pancreatic ribonuclease A (RNase-A): the S-peptide (residues 1-20) and S-protein (residues 21-124). We have refined the crystal structures of three RNase-S complexes. The first two contain the full-length 20-residue S-peptide and were studied at pHs of 4.75 and 5.5. The third one consists of a truncated form of S-peptide (residues 1-15) and was studied at pH 4.75 as the reference structure for a series of mutant peptide complexes to be reported separately. Excluding residues 16-23 which are either missing (in the S15 complex) or disordered (in both S20 complexes), all three structures refined at 1.6-A resolution are identical within the estimated errors in the coordinates (0.048 A for the backbone atoms). The R-values, residual error, range from 17.4% to 18.6%. The final model of S20, pH 4.75, includes 1 sulfate and 84 water molecules. The side chains of 11 residues were modeled in two discrete conformations. The final structures were independent of the particular RNase-A or RNase-S used as a starting model. An extensive comparison with refined crystal structures of RNase-A reveals that the core of the molecule which is held together with extensive hydrogen bonds is in identical pattern in all cases. However, the loop regions vary from one structure to another and are often characterized by high B-factors. The pattern of thermal parameters appears to be dependent on crystal packing and correlates well with the accessibility calculated in the crystal. Gln60 is a conserved residue in all sequences known to date for this class of ribonucleases. However, it is the only residue that is clearly defined in an unfavorable position (phi = -100 degrees, psi = -130 degrees) on the Ramachandran plot. The origin of the substantial differences between RNase-A and RNase-S in stability to both acid and temperature denaturation and in susceptibility to proteolysis at neutral pH is not obvious in our visual comparison of these two structures."}
{"id": "PMID:1463720", "title": "Crystallographic structures of ribonuclease S variants with nonpolar substitution at position 13: packing and cavities.", "content": "Seven hydrophobic residues ranging in size from glycine to phenylalanine have been substituted for the wild-type methionine residue at position 13 in a 15-residue truncated version (S15) of S-peptide, the small component of ribonuclease S. Complexes of both S-15 and the seven variants with S-protein yielded isomorphous crystals. The structures of all eight complexes have been refined to final R-factors in the range of 17-19%. [See Kim, E. E. Varadarajan, R., Wyckoff, H. W., and Richards, F. M. (1992) Biochemistry (preceding paper in this issue) for the description of the reference S-15 complex.] Multiple side-chain conformations were seen for six residues in all of the complexes and for two to three additional residues in at least some of the complexes. Three of the complexes, Gly, Ala, and alpha-amino-n-butyric acid (ANB), contained a single water molecule in the cavity near residue 13 that makes three hydrogen bonds to protein atoms. Although space is available, no evidence for additional water in this region, ordered or disordered, was found. The atoms in the cavity wall tend to shrink the cavity by moving in on the small residues and to swell the cavity by moving out for the larger Phe substitution. A swelling seen with leucine was attributed to a shape effect since Leu, Ile, and Met all have the same volume. A slight volume contraction of the collection of interior residues outside of the region of position 13 was also noted. (All changes noted are in the direction to maintain a constant packing density averaged over the whole protein.) Leu51, a surface hydrophobic residue, moved considerably in the G, A, and ANB complexes in directionswhich would tend to decrease the cavity volume. The only other major change in position, 1.5 A, was the 66-69 loop, which is about 25 A from position 13. His12, Phe120, and Asp121 appear to be involved in this movement, but the connection with position 13 is not clear at all. The thermodynamic data on the association reaction for all of these complexes have been previously reported [Connelly, P. R., Varadarajan, R., Sturtevant, J. M., & Richards, F. M. (1990) Biochemistry 29, 6108-6114; Varadarajan, R., Connelly, P. R., Sturtevant, J. M., & Richards, F. M. (1992) Biochemistry 31, 1421-1426]. Some comments are offered on our initial attempts to correlate the structural changes with the changes in the thermodynamic parameters.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1463721", "title": "Pig apolipoprotein R: a new member of the short consensus repeat family of proteins.", "content": "Apolipoprotein R (apoR) is a 23-kDa protein found on very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL), on chylomicrons, and in the d > 1.21 g/mL fraction of pig plasma. The plasma concentration of apoR is 5.1 micrograms/mL, with 11.5% of apoR found on VLDL. In vitro, apoR can transfer from the d > 1.21 g/mL infranatant onto artificial lipid emulsions or human chylomicrons but not onto human VLDL. An apoR cDNA was isolated from a pig liver lambda gt11 expression library. DNA sequence analysis of the apoR cDNA revealed 67% identity with the 3'-terminal region of human C4b-binding protein alpha-chain cDNA (C4BP alpha). C4BP alpha is a 70-kDa glycoprotein that regulates both the coagulation and the complement cascades. In plasma, C4BP alpha exists as disulfide-linked multimers consisting of seven C4BP alpha chains and a single C4BP beta chain. Like C4BP, apoR forms high molecular weight disulfide-linked complexes in plasma. However, unlike C4BP alpha, apoR complexes do not appear to contain C4BP beta. ApoR mRNA was detected in pig liver, spleen, lung, bone marrow, and lymph node, but was absent in intestine and white blood cells. This distribution is consistent with the production of apoR in terminally differentiated macrophages but not in blood monocytes. ApoR mRNA was not detected in RNA isolated from human liver or lung. ApoR may be a lipoprotein-borne regulator of either the coagulation or the complement cascades."}
{"id": "PMID:1463722", "title": "Amyloid fibril formation requires a chemically discriminating nucleation event: studies of an amyloidogenic sequence from the bacterial protein OsmB.", "content": "The sequence of the Escherichia coli OsmB protein was found to resemble that of the C-terminal region of the beta amyloid protein of Alzheimer's disease, which seems to be the major determinant of its unusual structural and solubility properties. A peptide corresponding to residues 28-44 of the OsmB protein was synthesized, and its conformational properties and aggregation behavior were analyzed. The peptide OsmB(28-44) was shown to form amyloid fibrils, as did two sequence analogs designed to test the sequence specificity of fibril formation. These fibrils bound Congo red, and two of the peptides showed birefringence. The peptide fibrils were analyzed by electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Subtle differences were observed which were not interpretable at the molecular level. The rate of fibril formation by each peptide was followed by monitoring the turbidity of supersaturated aqueous solutions. The kinetics of aggregation were characterized by a delay period during which the solution remained clear, followed by a nucleation event which led to a growth phase, during which the solution became viscous and turbid due to the presence of insoluble fibrils. The observation of a kinetic barrier to aggregation is typical of a crystallization event. The delay period could be eliminated by seeding the supersaturated solution with previously formed fibrils. Each peptide could be nucleated by fibrils formed from that same peptide, but not by fibrils from closely related sequences, suggesting that fibril growth requires specific hydrophobic interactions. It appears likely that this repeated sequence motif, which comprises most of the OsmB protein sequence, dictates the structure and possibly the function of that protein.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1463723", "title": "Fourier transform infrared analysis of bacteriorhodopsin secondary structure.", "content": "Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy at a resolution of 1 cm-1 has been used to study the conformation of dark-adapted bacteriorhodopsin in the native purple membrane, in H2O and D2O suspensions. A detailed analysis of the amide I bands was made using derivative and deconvolution techniques. Curve-fitting results of four independent experiments indicate, after estimation of the methodological errors, that native bacteriorhodopsin contains 52-73% alpha-helices, 13-19% reverse turns, 11-16% beta-sheets, and 3-7% unordered segments. Our analysis has enabled the identification of several components corresponding to alpha-helices, beta-sheets, and reverse turns. Besides the alpha I- and alpha II-helices (peaking at 1658 and 1665 cm-1), we propose that two more infrared bands arise from alpha-helical structures: one at 1650 cm-1 from alpha I and another one at 1642 cm-1 in H2O suspension, which could originate from type III beta-turns (i.e., one turn of 3(10)-helix). The relatively high content of reverse turns suggests the presence of one reverse turn per loop, plus another one in the C-terminal segment. On the other hand, several reasons argue that the calculated mean beta-sheet content of around 14% should be decreased somewhat. These beta-sheets could be located in the noncytoplasmatic links of the bacteriorhodopsin molecule."}
{"id": "PMID:1463724", "title": "Kinetic evidence of microscopic states in protein folding.", "content": "Staphylococcal nuclease unfolds at acidic pHs and refolds at neutral pH. Previous kinetic analysis based on both the direct pH jump and the sequential pH jump, from a native condition (pH 7.0) to pHs beyond unfolding transition zones (pH 3.0 and pH 12), and vice versa, supports the mechanism, D3<-->D2<-->D1<-->N0, in which N0 is the native state and D's are the three substates of the denatured form [Chen, H.M., You, J.L., Markin, V.S., & Tsong, T.Y. (1990) J. Mol. Biol. 220, 771-778; Chen, H.M., Markin, V.S., & Tsong, T.Y. (1992) Biochemistry 31, 1483-1491]. Here we show that both the single- and the double-pH jump kinetics of folding and unfolding to the intermediate pHs (3.4-5.0, i.e., in the transition zone), in which both the native and the denatured states coexist, are not compatible with this simple sequential model. At 25 degrees C, log tau 1(-1) (for the D1<-->N0 step) and log tau 2(-1) (for the D2<-->D1 step) vs pH show a square root of-shaped dependence on the final pH, with minimal values (tau 1(-1) of 0.56 s-1 and tau 2(-1) of around pH 3.9. The third relaxation tau 3 (for the D3<-->D2 step, 35 s) was independent of pH in the range 3.4-8.5. The square root of-shaped dependence on pH of log tau 1(-1) and log tau 2(-1) cannot be reproduced by the above but can be accounted for if each of N0, D1, and D2 is composed of many microscopic states in rapid equilibrium.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1463725", "title": "Binding of a distamycin-ellipticine hybrid molecule to DNA and chromatin: spectroscopic, biochemical, and molecular modeling investigations.", "content": "A bifunctional molecule in which an ellipticine chromophore is attached to a distamycin residue via a diaminopropyl tether has been designed and synthesized in the expectation of creating a hybrid molecule capable of bidentate binding to DNA by both intercalation and minor-groove interactions. The strength and mode of binding to DNA of this conjugate have been studied by means of circular and linear dichroism as well as by stopped-flow kinetics and measurements of reactivity toward a chemical probe. The results converge to reveal that the ellipticine moiety of the hybrid largely dominates the binding reaction with DNA. In the presence of chromatin, the hybrid molecule binds preferentially to the internucleosomal DNA, a preference dictated by its intercalating chromophore. Theoretical computations were performed on the comparative complexation energies of distamycin, the ellipticine derivative, and the hybrid ligand with a B-representative octanucleotide, d(GCATATGC)2. The best binding configuration of the ellipticine derivative locates its aminoalkyl side chain in the minor groove where distamycin is also present. The molecular modeling analysis fully supports the involvement of a bimodal binding process for the hybrid and reveals that the binding of the conjugate to DNA favors a pronounced bending toward the minor groove. This effect is attributed to intercalation of the ellipticine chromophore. An interesting link is established between the DEPC reactivity experiments and the theoretical computations, suggesting that DEPC can be used as a probe for drug-induced DNA bending. On the basis of these results, we propose the design of a new hybrid ligand bearing an additional positively-charged amidine side chain to confer higher DNA-binding affinity."}
{"id": "PMID:1463726", "title": "Sequence-dependent distortions induced in DNA by monofunctional platinum(II) binding.", "content": "The effects on thermal stability and conformation of DNA produced by the monofunctional adducts of chlorodiethylenetriamineplatinum(II) chloride ([Pt(dien)Cl]Cl) have been investigated. Oligodeoxyribonucleotide duplexes of varying lengths (9-20 base pairs) and of varying central trinucleotide sequences were prepared and characterized that contained site-specific and unique N(7)-guanine adducts. Included are adducts at the sequences of d(AGC), d(AGT), d(CGA), d(TGA), d(TGC), and d(TGT). All these monofunctional adducts decrease the melting temperature (Tm) of the duplexes. This destabilization effect exhibits a sequence-dependent variability. The highest lowering of Tm is observed for the modified duplexes containing the central sequence of pyrimidine-guanine-pyrimidine. The destabilization effect is reduced with decreasing concentrations of Na+. Polarography, circular dichroism, phenanthroline-copper, and chemical probes reveal conformational distortions spreading over several base pairs around the adduct. The effects of monofunctional platinum(II) adducts on conformational distortions in DNA exhibit a sequence-dependent variability similar to those on thermal stability of DNA. The influence of the monofunctional adduct formed by cis-diamminemonoaquamonochloroplatinum(II) on the stability of the oligonucleotide duplex has been also studied. This lesion decreases thermal stability of DNA in the same way as does the adduct of [Pt(dien)Cl]Cl."}
{"id": "PMID:1463727", "title": "Formate as an NMR probe of anion binding to Cu,Zn and Cu,Co bovine erythrocyte superoxide dismutases.", "content": "The binding of formate to bovine Cu,Zn superoxide dismutase has been studied by NMR spectroscopy. The distance between the copper ion and the proton covalently bound to formate has been evaluated from the broadening of the resonance of such proton. The effect on the copper-coordinated water molecule was evaluated from the bulk water relaxation effect by pulsed low-resolution NMR. The broadening of the resonance due to the formate carboxyl in the 13C NMR spectrum gave further indications about the carbon-copper distance thus providing information about the orientation of the formate ion. Changes of isotropically shifted resonances of the Cu,Co enzyme, where cobalt substitutes the native zinc, indicate that rearrangements of imidazoles of the liganding histidines occur upon binding. Transient NOE experiments gave indication of the proximity of the formate proton to resonance H of the NMR spectrum assigned to the imidazole proton of the copper-liganding His 118 of the active site. 2D NMR NOESY experiments made clear that no important rearrangement of the liganding histidines occurred in the presence of a saturating amount of formate. The absence of relevant changes of the intensity of NOE cross-peaks which are sensitive to interatomic distances in the active site revealed that only slight changes have occurred. Molecular graphics representation on the basis of all the information obtained allowed us to locate the formate in the proximity of the active site. The formate binding occurs via hydrogen bonds through the carboxylate ion and the NH groups of the side chains of Arg 141 which is external to the copper coordination sphere and faces the active site of the enzyme."}
{"id": "PMID:1463728", "title": "Interaction of antimicrobial dermaseptin and its fluorescently labeled analogues with phospholipid membranes.", "content": "Dermaseptin, a 34 amino-acid residue antimicrobial polypeptide [Mor, A., Nguyen, V. H., Delfour, A., Migliore-Samour, D., & Nicolas, P. (1991) Biochemistry 30, 8824-8830] was synthesized and selectively labeled at its N-terminal amino acid with either 7-nitrobenz-2-oxa-1,3-diazole-4-yl (NBD), rhodamine, or fluorescein. The fluorescent emission spectra of the NBD-labeled dermaseptin displayed a blue-shift upon binding to small unilamellar vesicles (SUV), reflecting the relocation of the fluorescent probe to an environment of increased apolarity. Titrations of solutions containing NBD-labeled dermaseptin with SUV composed of zwitterionic or acidic phospholipids were used to generate binding isotherms, from which were derived surface partition constants of (0.66 +/- 0.06) x 10(4) M-1 and (2.8 +/- 0.3) x 10(4) M-1, respectively. The shape of the binding isotherms, as well as fluorescence energy transfer measurements, suggests that some aggregation of membrane-bound peptide monomers occurs in acidic but not in zwitterionic vesicles. The preferential susceptibility of the peptide to proteolysis when bound to zwitterionic but not to acidic SUV suggests that these aggregates might then penetrate a relatively short distance into the hydrophobic region of the acidic membrane. Furthermore, the results provide good correlation between the peptide's strong binding and its ability to permeate membranes composed of acidic phospholipids, as revealed by a dissipation of diffusion potential and a release of entrapped calcein from SUV."}
{"id": "PMID:1463729", "title": "Stereospecific reaction of muscle fiber proteins with the 5' or 6' isomer of (iodoacetamido)tetramethylrhodamine.", "content": "The labeling of muscle fiber proteins with iodoacetamido)tetramethylrhodamine (IATR) was reinvestigated with the purified 5' or 6' isomers of IATR. Both isomers modify the myosin heavy chain within the 20-kDa fragment of myosin subfragment 1 (S1) but with different rates, and only the 5'-IATR alters K(+)-EDTA- and Ca(2+)-activated ATPases. Absorption spectroscopic and ATPase studies of probe stoichiometry indicate that for 5'-IATR there are two probes per myosin sulfhydryl 1 (SH1). Quantitative fluorograms of the SDS-PAGE gels confirm that there are one covalent and one noncovalent probe per SH1 when S1 is labeled with 5'-IATR (5'-IATR-S1) and that there are one covalent and two noncovalent probes per S1 when S1 is labeled with 6'-IATR (6'-IATR-S1). The 5'- and 6'-IATR probes have similar fluorescent lifetimes when bound to S1, but quenching studies with potassium iodide show that 5'-IATR-S1 has a single class of strongly bound chromophores while 6'-IATR-S1 has two or more classes of chromophores. It is possible that 5'-IATR labels SH1 as a dimer. The polarization anisotropies of 5'- and 6'-IATR-S1 indicate that 5'-IATR is immobilized, while 6'-IATR is moving independently, on the surface of S1. The emission spectrum from 5'-IATR-S1 is unaffected by the addition of MgATP, while 6'-IATR-S1 shows a spectral shift and total intensity change. When labeling muscle fibers, 5'-IATR labels myosin SH1 and differentiates between the fiber physiological states by indicating cross-bridge rotation in quantitative agreement with previous results [Burghardt et al. (1983) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 80, 7515]. 6'-IATR reacts preferentially with actin in muscle fibers and does not differentiate between fiber physiological states as expected for an actin probe. The stereospecificity of the rhodamine isomers for SH1 indicates features of the local protein structure. The experimental results are used with theoretical methods for determining molecular structure to suggest a qualitative scheme for the specific interaction of 5'-IATR with its binding pocket on the surface of S1."}
{"id": "PMID:1463730", "title": "Isolation and characterization of human heparin.", "content": "Heparin was isolated from an unusually large human hemangioma that contained an elevated level of mast cells. Purification of multimilligram quantities of heparin from this tissue sample permitted a thorough examination of its structure and activity. Characterization of this human heparin included the following: one-dimensional and two-dimensional 1H-nuclear magnetic resonance spectral analysis; oligosaccharide mapping; saccharide compositional analysis; and in vitro assessment and anticoagulant activity. Oligosaccharide mapping and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy showed that this human heparin is structurally similar to porcine intestinal mucosal heparin but distinctly different from bovine lung heparin. This human heparin also has substantially more in vitro anticoagulant activity than either of these pharmaceutical heparins."}
{"id": "PMID:1463731", "title": "13C magic angle spinning NMR evidence for a 15,15'-cis configuration of the spheroidene in the Rhodobacter sphaeroides photosynthetic reaction center.", "content": "The photosynthetic reaction center of Rhodobacter sphaeroides 2.4.1 contains one carotenoid that protects the protein complex against photodestruction. The structure around the central (15,15') double bond of the bound spheroidene carotenoid was investigated with low-temperature magic angle spinning 13C NMR, which allows an in situ characterization of the configuration of the central double bond in the carotenoid. Carotenoidless reaction centers of R. sphaeroides R26 were reconstituted with spheroidene specifically labeled at the C-14' or C-15' position, and the signals from the labels were separated from the natural abundance background using 13C MAS NMR difference spectroscopy. The resonances shift 5.2 and 3.8 ppm upfield upon incorporation in the protein complex, similar to the 5.6 and 4.4 ppm upfield shift occurring in the model compound beta-carotene upon trans to 15,15'-cis isomerization. Hence the MAS NMR favors a cis configuration, as opposed to the trans configuration deduced from X-ray data."}
{"id": "PMID:1463732", "title": "Complete amino acid sequence of subunit e of rat liver mitochondrial H(+)-ATP synthase.", "content": "Subunit e of H(+)-ATP synthase from rat liver mitochondria was isolated from the purified enzyme by reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. The amino acid sequence of the subunit was determined by automated Edman degradation of the whole protein and derived peptides. The nucleotide sequence of the import precursor of subunit e of rat liver H(+)-ATP synthase was determined from a recombinant cDNA clone isolated by screening a rat hepatoma cell line H4TG cDNA library with a probe DNA. The sequence was composed of 289 nucleotides including a coding region for the import precursor of subunit e and noncoding regions on the 5'- and 3'-sides. The possible import precursor of subunit e and its mature polypeptide deduced from the open reading frame consisted of 71 and 70 amino acid residues with molecular weights of 8254 and 8123, respectively. Subunit e is a basic hydrophilic protein with an isoelectric point of 9.78. The sequence of the rat subunit e is highly homologous with that of subunit e of bovine heart, but has no homology with any subunit of bacterial or chloroplast H(+)-ATP synthase. The function of subunit e is unknown. However, a homology search in the database of the National Biomedical Research Foundation revealed that residues 34-65 of subunit e are homologous with residues 90-117 of troponin T, and with residues 529-561 of h-caldesmon and residues 289-319 of l-caldesmon, which are the homologous sequences corresponding to the Ca(2+)-dependent tropomyosin-binding region of troponin T."}
{"id": "PMID:1463733", "title": "The human prothrombin gene: transcriptional regulation in HepG2 cells.", "content": "The human prothrombin gene is expressed predominantly in hepatocytes. Previous work indicated that this tissue specificity is transcriptionally regulated. In order to identify the cis-acting regulatory elements in the 5' flanking region of the human prothrombin gene which may direct the expression of prothrombin in hepatocytes, a series of hybrid plasmids were constructed linking portions of the 5' flanking region of the human prothrombin gene to the bacterial chloramphenicol acetyltransferase gene. Expression of these hybrid plasmids was examined in calcium phosphate-mediated transient transfections of HepG2 cells, a human hepatoblastoma cell line which expresses prothrombin, and HeLa cells, an adenocarcinoma cell line which does not express detectable amounts of prothrombin. Both the prothrombin promoter and an upstream regulatory region containing sequence homologous to the hepatocyte nuclear factor 1 (HNF-1) binding site (nucleotides -919 to -790 relative to the prothrombin transcription initiation site) were required for expression in HepG2 cells. The upstream region also exhibited non-tissue-specific enhancer activity. Gel mobility shift assays confirmed cell-type-specific differences in the protein-DNA interactions between proteins in HepG2 or HeLa nuclear extracts and either the promoter region or the upstream regulatory region of the gene."}
{"id": "PMID:1463734", "title": "Chromophore of sensory rhodopsin II from Halobacterium halobium.", "content": "The photoreceptor sensory rhodopsin II (sR-II) was enriched 120-fold from cell membranes of Halobacterium halobium. The final preparation yields sR-II with a specific content of 3 nmol of sR-II/mg of protein. The spectroscopic measurements were performed on the enriched photoreceptor solubilized in digitonin. In the absolute absorption spectrum of the partially purified receptor, the main peak in the visible range corresponded to sR-II with a maximum at 488 nm. Cytochromes contributed to the spectrum only in a minor band at 415 nm. The extinction coefficient of sR-II was estimated from difference spectra during bleaching with hydroxylamine to be 48,000 M-1 cm-1. The reduced chromophore displayed a pronounced fine structure which is due to the coplanarity of the retinyl residue. The isomeric composition of the chromophore from the enriched photoreceptor was determined in retinal extracts in HPLC. The dark-adapted sR-II contains 80% all-trans- and 20% 13-cis-retinal. After illumination, the ratio changed to 1:1, indicating a trans-cis isomerization during the photocycle of sR-II."}
{"id": "PMID:1463735", "title": "Reconstitution of the leucine transport system of Lactococcus lactis into liposomes composed of membrane-spanning lipids from Sulfolobus acidocaldarius.", "content": "The effect of bipolar tetraether lipids, extracted from the thermophilic archaebacterium Sulfolobus acidocaldarius, on the branched-chain amino acid transport system of the mesophilic bacterium Lactococcus lactis was investigated. Liposomes were prepared from mixtures of monolayer lipids and the bilayer lipid phosphatidylcholine (PC), analyzed on their miscibility, and fused with membrane vesicles from L. lactis. Freeze-fracture electron microscopy demonstrates that the bipolar lipids in the hybrid membranes adopted a monomolecular organization at high S. acidocaldarius lipid content. Leucine transport activity (i.e., delta mu H(+)-driven and counterflow uptake) increased with the content of S. acidocaldarius lipids and was optimal at a one-to-one (w/w) ratio of PC to S. acidocaldarius lipids. Membrane fluidity decreased with increasing S. acidocaldarius lipid content. These data suggest that transport proteins can be functionally reconstituted into membranes composed of membrane-spanning lipids provided that membrane viscosity is restricted."}
{"id": "PMID:1463736", "title": "Modification of arginyl or histidyl groups affects the energy coupling of the amine transporter.", "content": "We have characterized the effects of phenylglyoxal and diethyl pyrocarbonate (DEPC) on the catalytic cycle of the amine transporter in chromaffin granule membrane vesicles. Both reagents inhibited transport in a dose-dependent reaction (with IC50 values of 8 and 1 mM, respectively). The inhibition by DEPC was specific for histidyl groups since transport could be restored by treatment with hydroxylamine. Neither phenylglyoxal nor DEPC inhibited binding of either R1- or R2-type ligands, indicating that the inhibition of transport is not due to a direct interaction with either of the known binding sites. Interestingly, however, the acceleration of reserpine binding (an R1 ligand) by a transmembrane H+ gradient is inhibited by both reagents at concentrations identical to those which inhibit transprot. As previously demonstrated, transport of one proton across the transporter is required for this acceleration to take place [Rudnick, G., Steiner-Mordoch, S., Fishkes, H., Stern-Bach, Y., & Schuldiner, S. (1990) Biochemistry 29, 603-608]. Therefore, we suggest that either proton transport or a conformational change induced by proton transport is inhibited by both types of reagents."}
{"id": "PMID:1463737", "title": "The tryptophan residues of aspartate transcarbamylase: site-directed mutagenesis and time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy.", "content": "Aspartate transcarbamylase (EC 2.1.3.2) contains two tryptophan residues in position 209 and 284 of the catalytic chains (c) and no such chromophore in the regulatory chains (r). Thus, as a dodecamer [(c3)2(r2)3] the native enzyme molecule contains 12 tryptophan residues. The present study of the regulatory conformational changes in this enzyme is based on the fluorescence properties of these intrinsic probes. Site-directed mutagenesis was used in order to differentiate the respective contributions of the two tryptophans to the fluorescence properties of the enzyme and to identify the mobility of their environment in the course of the different regulatory processes. Each of these tryptophan residues gives two independent fluorescence decays, suggesting that the catalytic subunit exists in two slightly different conformational states. The binding of the substrate analog N-phosphonacetyl-L-aspartate promotes the same fluorescence signal whether or not the catalytic subunits are associated with the regulatory subunits, suggesting that the substrate-induced conformational change of the catalytic subunit is the essential trigger for the quaternary structure transition involved in cooperativity. The binding of the substrate analog affects mostly the environment of tryptophan 284, while the binding of the activator ATP affects mostly the environment of tryptophan 209, confirming that this activator acts through a mechanism different from that involved in homotropic cooperativity."}
{"id": "PMID:1463738", "title": "Thermostable NAD(+)-dependent alcohol dehydrogenase from Sulfolobus solfataricus: gene and protein sequence determination and relationship to other alcohol dehydrogenases.", "content": "The NAD(+)-dependent alcohol dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.1) from the thermoacidophilic archaebacterium Sulfolobus solfataricus, DSM1617 strain (SSADH), has been purified and characterized. Its gene has been isolated by screening two S. Solfataricus genomic libraries using oligonucleotide probes. The encoding sequence consists of 1041 base pairs, and it shows a high preference for codons ending in T or A. The primary structure, determined by peptide and gene analysis, consists of 347 amino acid residues, yielding a molecular weight of 37,588. A level of identity of 24-25% was found with the amino acid sequences of horse liver, yeast, and Thermoanaerobium brockii alcohol dehydrogenases. The coenzyme-binding and catalytic and structural zinc-binding residues typical of eukaryotic alcohol dehydrogenases were found in SSADH with the difference that one out of the four structural zinc-binding Cys residues is substituted by Glu. The protein contains four zinc atoms per dimer, two of which are removed by chelating agents with a concomitant loss of structural stability."}
{"id": "PMID:1463739", "title": "Selectivity in the binding of NAD(P)+ analogues to NAD- and NADP-dependent pig heart isocitrate dehydrogenases. A nuclear magnetic resonance study.", "content": "The coenzyme selectivity of pig heart NAD-dependent and NADP-dependent isocitrate dehydrogenase has been investigated by nuclear magnetic resonance through the use of coenzyme analogues. For both isocitrate dehydrogenases, more than 10-fold lower maximal activity is observed with thionicotinamide adenine dinucleotide [sNAD(P)+] than with NAD(P)+ or acetylpyridine adenine dinucleotide [acNAD-(P)+] as coenzyme. Nuclear Overhauser effect measurements failed to reveal any differences in the adenine-ribose conformations among the enzyme-bound analogues. The 2'-phosphate resonance of the enzyme-bound NADP+ analogues showed the same change in chemical shift observed for the natural coenzyme and revealed the same lack of pH dependence in the range from pH 5.4 to 8.2. NADP-dependent isocitrate dehydrogenase exhibits only small differences in Michaelis constants for the coenzymes with various nicotinamide substituents, reflecting a predominant role for the adenosine moiety in binding. The conformation of the bound nicotinamide-ribose of the natural coenzymes was appreciably different from that of the coenzyme, sNAD(P)+, which shows low catalytic activity. For both isocitrate dehydrogenases, sNAD(P)+ bound to the enzymes exhibits a mixture of syn and anti conformations while only the anti conformation can be detected for NAD(P)+. Chemical shifts of NAD(P)+ enriched with 13C in the carboxamide indicate that interaction of this group with the enzymes may play a role in positioning the nicotinamide ring to participate in catalysis. Our results suggest that, although interaction of the nicotinamide moiety with the enzymes contributes relatively little to the energy of interaction in the binary complex, the enzymes must correctly position this group for the catalytic event.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1463740", "title": "A new chemical mechanism catalyzed by a mutated aldehyde dehydrogenase.", "content": "NAD(P) aldehyde dehydrogenases (EC 1.2.1.3) are a family of enzymes that oxidize a wide variety of aldehydes into acid or activated acid compounds. Using site-directed mutagenesis, the essential nucleophilic Cys 149 in the NAD-dependent phosphorylating glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase from Escherichia coli has been replaced by alanine. Not unexpectedly, the resulting mutant no longer shows any oxidoreduction phosphorylating activity. The same mutation, however, endows the enzyme with a novel oxidoreduction nonphosphorylating activity, converting glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate into 3-phosphoglycerate. Our study further provides evidence for an alternative mechanism in which the true substrate is the gem-diol entity instead of the aldehyde form. This implies that no acylenzyme intermediate is formed during the catalytic event. Therefore, the mutant C149A is a new enzyme which catalyzes a distinct reaction with a chemical mechanism different from that of its parent phosphorylating glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase. This finding demonstrates the possibility of an alternative route for the chemical reaction catalyzed by classical nonphosphorylating aldehyde dehydrogenases."}
{"id": "PMID:1463741", "title": "Purification and characterization of a carbonic anhydrase II inhibitor from porcine plasma.", "content": "Plasma from many vertebrates, including pigs, contains a soluble component that inhibits the CO2 hydrase activity of carbonic anhydrase (CA). This activity was purified to homogeneity (approximately 4000-fold) from porcine plasma using a combination of DEAE-Affi-Gel Blue chromatography and carbonic anhydrase II-affinity chromatography, yielding 16 mg of inhibitory protein/L of plasma. This protein, porcine inhibitor of carbonic anhydrase (pICA), is a monomeric protein with an apparent molecular mass of 79 kDa, as determined by electrospray mass spectrometry. As isolated, pICA contains about 3 kDa of N-linked glycosylation removable by peptide N-glycosidase F. pICA inhibits CA reversibly with a 1:1 stoichiometry. pICA is a potent and specific inhibitor of the CA II isozyme, with Ki < 0.1 nM for porcine CA II at pH 7.4. Although the Ki is dependent on the CA isozyme type (CA II << CA IV << CA III approximately CA I), it is relatively insensitive to the species source, as long as it is mammalian. The Ki is pH dependent with log Ki decreasing linearly as the pH decreases, implicating at least one ionizable group with the pKa < or = 6.5 in the binding interaction. The isozyme and species dependence of the inhibition suggest that pICA interacts with amino acids on the surface of CA II."}
{"id": "PMID:1463742", "title": "A practical method for uniform isotopic labeling of recombinant proteins in mammalian cells.", "content": "A method to obtain uniformly isotopically labeled (15N and 15N/13C) protein from mammalian cells is described. The method involves preparation of isotopically labeled media consisting of amino acids isolated from bacterial and algal extracts supplemented with cysteine and enzymatically synthesized glutamine. The approach is demonstrated by producing 15N-labeled and 15N/13C-labeled urokinase from Sp2/0 cells and successfully growing Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells on the labeled media. Thus, using the procedures described, isotopically labeled proteins that have been expressed in mammalian cells can be prepared, allowing them to be studied by heteronuclear multidimensional NMR techniques."}
{"id": "PMID:1463743", "title": "Sequence specificity in the dimerization of transmembrane alpha-helices.", "content": "While several reports have suggested a role for helix-helix interactions in membrane protein oligomerization, there are few direct biochemical data bearing on this subject. Here, using mutational analysis, we show that dimerization of the transmembrane alpha-helix of glycophorin A in a detergent environment is spontaneous and highly specific. Very subtle changes in the side-chain structure at certain sensitive positions disrupt the helix-helix association. These sensitive positions occur at approximately every 3.9 residues along the helix, consistent with their comprising the interface of a closely fit transmembranous supercoil of alpha-helices. By contrast with other reported cases of interactions between transmembrane helices, the set of interfacial residues in this case contains no highly polar groups. Amino acids with aliphatic side chains define much of the interface, indicating that precise packing interactions between the helices may provide much of the energy for association. These data highlight the potential general importance of specific interactions between the hydrophobic anchors of integral membrane proteins."}
{"id": "PMID:1463744", "title": "The glycophorin A transmembrane domain dimer: sequence-specific propensity for a right-handed supercoil of helices.", "content": "Recent studies suggest specific roles for transmembrane helix association in a range of functions, but understanding of the conformation and energetics of these interactions has been elusive. We have studied the specific dimerization of the transmembrane helix of glycophorin A by calculating the minimized interaction energies of a large number of conformations using simulated annealing techniques and tested the models against mutational analysis data. We find that the dimer is best modeled as a right-handed supercoil with an extensive region of close packing along the dimer interface. Furthermore, we observe a sequence-specific propensity for a right-handed supercoil to form when starting the simulated annealing modeling from a dimer of helices with parallel axes, in contrast with the dimerization region of the transcription factor GCN4 which shows a high propensity for the more prevalent left-handed supercoiling."}
{"id": "PMID:1463745", "title": "A base-triple structural domain in RNA.", "content": "An oligonucleotide modeled on a proposed base-triple domain of the Tetrahymena group I intron has been characterized by NMR. The oligonucleotide contains two double-helix regions with adjacent single-stranded nucleotides. The NMR data show that the two helices stack coaxially, although the rotation between the two helices is approximately twice as large as the rotation between normal base pairs. The rotation between the two helices allows the single-stranded nucleotides to form U.U.G and A.G.C base triples in the minor groove. The A.G.C base triple contains a hydrogen bond between the adenine N1 and a 2'-hydroxyl in the minor groove of the G.C pair. A similar hydrogen bond between an adenine and a 2'-hydroxyl in transfer RNA suggests that this could be a recurring tertiary interaction in RNA."}
{"id": "PMID:1463746", "title": "Low-density lipoprotein receptor point mutation results in expression of both active and inactive surface forms of the same mutant receptor.", "content": "LDL receptors, expressed in cultured fibroblasts from patients homozygous for the FH Afrikaner-1 (FH1) mutation (Asp206 to Glu), are transported from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) to the Golgi apparatus more slowly than in normal cells. In the present study, binding characteristics of FH1 cells for lipoprotein ligands (LDL and beta VLDL) and for receptor-specific monoclonal antibodies pointed to the existence of two surface forms of the same mutant receptor. One of these forms bound lipoproteins with normal high affinity whereas another did not. Binding studies of transfected hamster cells expressing only the mutant human gene confirmed the single-gene origin of the different forms. The existence of functionally distinct forms of the receptor protein was supported by the observation that only lipoprotein-binding receptor molecules were trapped intracellularly and degraded following ammonium chloride treatment of cells in the presence of ligand. The lipoprotein-binding receptor population was indistinguishable from normal receptors with respect to its affinity for LDL and beta VLDL, uptake and degradation of lipoprotein, and receptor recycling. Ligand blotting versus immunoblotting of receptors revealed normal-sized mutant receptors that were not recognized by lipoprotein ligand. Despite these differences, both mutant forms of the receptor were degraded at rates similar to those of normal receptors. We propose that the single amino acid substitution in this receptor interferes with the folding and/or posttranslational processing of precursor molecules in such a way that receptors adopt alternative stable structures."}
{"id": "PMID:1463747", "title": "Binding of anticoagulant vitamin K-dependent protein S to platelet-derived microparticles.", "content": "Vitamin K-dependent protein S is an anticoagulant plasma protein serving as cofactor to activated protein C in degradation of coagulation factors Va and VIIIa on membrane surfaces. In addition, it forms a noncovalent complex with complement regulatory protein C4b-binding protein (C4BP), a reaction which inhibits its anticoagulant function. Both forms of protein S have affinity for negatively charged phospholipids, and the purpose of the present study was to elucidate whether they bind to the surface of activated platelets or to platelet-derived microparticles. Binding of protein S to human platelets stimulated with various agonists was examined with FITC-labeled monoclonal antibodies and fluorescence-gated flow cytometry. Protein S was found to bind to membrane microparticles which formed during platelet activation but not to the remnant activated platelets. Binding to microparticles was saturable and maximum binding was seen at approximately 0.4 microM protein S. It was calcium-dependent and reversed after the addition of EDTA. Inhibition experiments with monoclonal antibodies suggested the gamma-carboxyglutamic acid containing module of protein S to be involved in the binding reaction. An intact thrombin-sensitive region of protein S was not required for binding. The protein S-C4BP complex did not bind to microparticles or activated platelets even though it bound to negatively charged phospholipid vesicles. Intact protein S supported binding of both protein C and activated protein C to microparticles. Protein S-dependent binding of protein C/activated protein C was blocked by those monoclonal antibodies against protein S that inhibited its cofactor function. In conclusion, we have found that free protein S binds to platelet-derived microparticles and stimulates binding of protein C/activated protein C.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1463748", "title": "Solution structure of cyclosporin A and a nonimmunosuppressive analog bound to fully deuterated cyclophilin.", "content": "A simple strategy involving 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and complete protein deuteration was used to determine the structures of two receptor-bound drugs. A potent immunosuppressive, cyclosporin A (CsA) binds tightly to the ubiquitous and highly conserved 17.7-kDa immunophilin, cyclophilin (CyP). Fully deuterated CyP was produced by overexpressing the human CyP gene in Escherichia coli grown on deuterated algal hydrolysate in 98% D2O. As only the CsA molecule is protonated in the CsA-CyP complex, we were able to make a complete sequential assignment of the bound drug using standard two-dimensional proton NMR experiments. The structure determination was accomplished using dynamical simulated annealing calculations with a total of 124 NMR-derived distance and torsion angle restraints. Aside from binding CsA, CyP also acts as a peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase. Thus, much importance had been ascribed to the cis peptide bond present in the structures reported for free CsA in organic solvents and in crystal studies. Interestingly, CyP-bound CsA exists in an all-trans conformation with no detectable elements of regular secondary structure and no intramolecular hydrogen bonds. A nonactive CsA analog, MeAla6-CsA, was studied using the same CyP deuteration strategy. In addition to structural elucidation of the two bound drugs, we were able to differentiate between the bound and surface-exposed residues of the drugs and also validate our previous hypothesis that the single CyP tryptophan is located in the CsA-binding site.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1463749", "title": "High control coefficient of transketolase in the nonoxidative pentose phosphate pathway of human erythrocytes: NMR, antibody, and computer simulation studies.", "content": "The degree of control exerted by transketolase over metabolite flux in the nonoxidative pentose phosphate pathway in human erythrocytes was investigated using transketolase antiserum to modulate the activity of that enzyme. 31P NMR enabled the simultaneous measurement of the levels of pentose phosphate pathway metabolites following incubation of hemolysates with ribose 5-phosphate. The variations in metabolic flux which occurred as the transketolase activity of hemolysate samples was altered indicated that a high degree of control was exerted by transketolase. Investigations using transaldolase-depleted hemolysates showed that transaldolase exhibits a lesser degree of control over pathway flux. Experimental data were compared with simulations generated by a computer model encompassing the reactions of the classical nonoxidative pentose phosphate pathway. The sensitivity coefficients (also called \"control strengths\" or \"flux-control coefficients\") calculated from the computer simulations were 0.74 and 0.03 for transketolase and transaldolase, respectively."}
{"id": "PMID:1463750", "title": "NMR study of nitrogen-15-labeled Escherichia coli valine transfer RNA.", "content": "1,3-15N-Labeled uracil was synthesized chemically and used to prepare labeled Escherichia coli tRNA(Val) biosynthetically. 500-MHz measurements of 15N and proton chemical shift were obtained, for all uridine and uridine-related bases, by heteronuclear multiple-quantum coherence spectroscopy. All the uracil NH group resonances were assigned and were in agreement with previous proton-only assignments. The temperature dependence of intensities of resonances was used to infer the relative stability of parts of the molecule. The acceptor stem was the least thermally stable structural feature, while the anticodon and T loop were relatively more stable."}
{"id": "PMID:1463751", "title": "Crystal and molecular structure of d(GTGCGCAC): investigation of the effects of base sequence on the conformation of octamer duplexes.", "content": "The structure of the self-complementary deoxyoctanucleotide d(GTGCGCAC), which crystallized as an A-type helix in the space group P4(3)2(1)2, with one strand in the crystallographic asymmetric unit has been determined and refined to a final R-value of 0.154 using 1.64-A diffraction data collected on an area detector. In contrast to the closely related sequence d(GTGTACAC)tet, there was no evidence for an ordered spermine molecule in the major groove of this octamer. Ordered water is found associated with almost all the exposed hydrogen bonding groups of the octamer. A pentagonal ring of water molecules is hydrogen bonded to O6 and N7 of G3 and the N4 and O6 of the C4.G13 base pair. A detailed comparison of the local helical parameters of d(GTGCGCAC) and d(GTGTACAC)tet is presented. The base sequence change at the center of the octamers affects several of the local helical parameters, via both intra- and interduplex interactions within the crystal."}
{"id": "PMID:1463752", "title": "Partitioning of tryptophan side-chain analogs between water and cyclohexane.", "content": "We have measured the partitioning of the tryptophan side-chain analogs 3-methylindole and N-methylindole between water and cyclohexane over the temperature range 8-55 degrees C to investigate the relative contribution of the imine-NH- to the free energy of transfer. We take advantage of the fact that the indole imine nitrogen is blocked by a methyl group in N-methylindole. Unlike previous studies, we take into account the water present in the cyclohexane phase. Free energies of partitioning were calculated using mole-fraction, volume-fraction, and Flory-Huggins-corrected volume-fraction partition coefficients [De Young, L. R., & Dill, K. A. (1990) J. Phys. Chem. 94, 801-809; Sharp, K. A., Nicholls, A., Friedman, R., & Honig, B. (1991) Biochemistry 30, 9686-9697]. These approaches account for configurational entropy changes in different ways and thus lead to different values for the calculated free energies of transfer. There is a 2-3-fold difference in the free energies calculated from our measurements, using the different units. Independent of units, the partitioning of both compounds involves identical entropy changes. However, 3-methylindole has an additional unfavorable enthalpic contribution to partitioning into cyclohexane of +1.6 kcal/mol (independent of units) which is presumably the cost of removing the indole -NH- group from water and transferring it to cyclohexane. In cyclohexane, 3-methylindole forms hydrogen bonds with water that cause water to copartition into cyclohexane with the solute. A method is described which allows the partitioning process to be examined independent of subsequent interactions with water in the solvent."}
{"id": "PMID:1463753", "title": "Fluorescence energy transfer analysis of calmodulin-peptide complexes.", "content": "The interactions between calmodulin and the tryptophan residues of synthetic peptides corresponding to the calmodulin binding domains of skeletal muscle myosin light-chain kinase and the plasma membrane calcium pump were examined. The single tryptophan residue contained in each peptide became relatively immobilized and inaccessible to iodide ion upon binding to calmodulin, indicating that the indole side chain was inserted into a hydrophobic cleft in the surface of calmodulin. Fluorescence energy transfer from peptidyl tryptophan residues to an AEDANS moiety attached to cysteine-26 of spinach calmodulin was measured. Included in these analyses was a tryptophan-containing peptide analog of the calmodulin binding domain of neuromodulin. These data indicated that the indole ring of each peptide inserted 32-35 A away from cysteine-26 and may therefore interact with the carboxyl-terminal lobe of CaM in its \"bent\" conformation [Persechini & Kretsinger (1988a) J. Cardiovasc. Pharmacol. 12 (Suppl 5), S1-S12; Ikura et al. (1992) Science 256, 632-638; Vorherr et al. (1992) Eur. J. Biochem. 204, 931-937]. The interchange of tryptophan-3 and phenylalanine-21 of the calcium pump peptide increased the efficiency of energy transfer to the AEDANS-moiety approximately 12-fold, reducing the calculated distance to 20 A. These data suggest that phenylalanine-21 of the calcium pump peptide interacts with the hydrophobic cleft in the amino-terminal lobe of CaM."}
{"id": "PMID:1463754", "title": "Identification of serine and histidine adducts in complexes of trypsin and trypsinogen with peptide and nonpeptide boronic acid inhibitors by 1H NMR spectroscopy.", "content": "We have previously shown, in 15N NMR studies of the enzyme's active site histidine residue, that boronic acid inhibitors can form two distinct types of complexes with alpha-lytic protease. Inhibitors that are structural analogs of good alpha-lytic protease substrates form transition-state-like tetrahedral complexes with the active site serine whereas those that are not form complexes in which N epsilon 2 of the active site histidine is covalently bonded to the boron of the inhibitor. This study also demonstrated that the serine and histidine adduct complexes exhibit quite distinctive and characteristic low-field 1H NMR spectra [Bachovchin, W. W., Wong, W. Y. L., Farr-Jones, S., Shenvi, A. B., & Kettner, C. A. (1988) Biochemistry 27, 7689-7697]. Here we have used low-field 1H NMR diagnostically for a series of boronic acid inhibitor complexes of trypsin and trypsinogen. The results show that H-D-Val-Leu-boroArg and Ac-Gly-boroArg, analogs of good trypsin substrates, form transition-state-like serine adducts with trypsin, whereas the nonsubstrate analog inhibitors boric acid, methane boronic acid, butane boronic acid, and triethanolamine borate all form histidine adducts, thereby paralleling the previous results obtained with alpha-lytic protease. However, with trypsinogen, Ac-Gly-boroArg forms predominantly a histidine adduct while H-D-Val-Leu-boroArg forms both histidine and serine adducts, with the histidine adduct predominating below pH 8.0 and the serine adduct predominating above pH 8.0.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1463755", "title": "Substrate analogue induced changes of the CO-stretching mode in the cytochrome P450cam-carbon monoxide complex.", "content": "The CO-stretching mode of the carbon monoxide ligand in reduced cytochrome P450cam, in the absence or presence of camphor and in the presence of nine different camphor analogues, was measured at room temperature using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Substrate-free cytochrome P450cam--CO reveals a broad, slightly structured band resulting from an overlap of several stretching mode signals. The multitude of the signals indicates that cytochrome P450 exists in a dynamic equilibrium of several conformational substates. Binding of camphor or camphor analogues strongly influences this equilibrium. For substrate analogues which are not able to form a hydrogen bond to the hydroxyl group of tyrosine 96, the CO-stretching band is rather broad and asymmetric. In contrast, substrate analogues with one quinone group which form a hydrogen bond to the Tyr96 OH induce a shift and a sharpening of the CO-stretching mode band. For substrate analogues with two hetero groups, the infrared spectrum is slightly asymmetric or a minor band appears. Sterical hindrance, substrate mobility, and protein flexibility finally determine the position and width of the CO-stretching mode signals."}
{"id": "PMID:1463756", "title": "Adenine nucleotide binding at a noncatalytic site of mitochondrial F1-ATPase accelerates a Mg(2+)- and ADP-dependent inactivation during ATP hydrolysis.", "content": "The evidence is presented that the ADP- and Mg(2+)-dependent inactivation of MF1-ATPase during MgATP hydrolysis requires binding of ATP at two binding sites: one is catalytic and the second is noncatalytic. Binding of the noncatalytic ATP increases the rate of the inactive complex formation in the course of ATP hydrolysis. The rate of the enzyme inactivation during ATP hydrolysis depends on the medium Mg2+ concentration. High Mg2+ inhibits the steady-state activity of MF1-ATPase by increasing the rate of formation of inactive enzyme-ADP-Mg2+ complex, thereby shifting the equilibrium between active and inactive enzyme forms. The Mg2+ needed for MF1-ATPase inactivation binds from the medium independent from the MgATP binding at either catalytic or noncatalytic sites. The inhibitory ADP molecule arises at the MF1-ATPase catalytic site as a result of MgATP hydrolysis. Exposure of the native MF1-ATPase with bound ADP at a catalytic site to 1 mM Mg2+ prior to assay inactivates the enzymes with kinact 24 min-1. The maximal inactivation rate during ATP hydrolysis at saturating MgATP and Mg2+ does not exceed 10 min-1. The results show that the rate-limiting step of the MF1-ATPase inactivation during ATP hydrolysis with excess Mg2+ precedes binding of Mg2+ and likely is the rate of formation of enzyme with ADP bound at the catalytic site without bound P(i). This complex binds Mg2+ resulting in inactive MF1-ATPase.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1463757", "title": "Nurse educators and decision making: a female perspective.", "content": "Quality of work life issues are major concerns of nurses today. Decision making is one such issue. This article is part of a larger case study of a Canadian hospital school of nursing that asked whether women nurse educators bring unique orientations to the workplace that have relevance for the administration of nursing organizations. The process of decision making, a small part of the larger study, is discussed in this article. The results suggested that women nurse educators used a cooperative, collaborative, highly participatory style of decision making that resulted in decisions based on consensus. The implications this female style of decision making has for nurses and nurse administrators is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1463758", "title": "Nursing assignment patterns and patient outcomes.", "content": "This article analyzes nursing assignment patterns and patient outcomes critically and comprehensively. Synthesizing empirical data over the past eight years, patient outcomes such as patient satisfaction, and quality of care were examined in association with the main nursing assignment patterns encountered in the literature: case, functional, team, primary and modular. The research results examined do not clearly delineate one assignment pattern or another and it remains illusive, from this analysis, to answer the question most often asked of administrators: \"What type of organizational mode would best contribute to the quality of care?\" However, this analysis should lead towards decisional impetus for the implementation of new systems of delivery of care, in the present context of limited resources and nursing shortage."}
{"id": "PMID:1463763", "title": "Accumulation of deletions in human mitochondrial DNA during normal aging: analysis by quantitative PCR.", "content": "We have developed a quantitative PCR technique to measure the amount of a specific mitochondrial DNA deletion (delta mtDNA), the so-called 'common deletion', in human tissues. Using this method, we estimate that there is a 10,000-fold increase in this delta mtDNA species in muscle during the course of the normal human lifespan. The maximum amount of common deletion observed in aged muscle was approx. 0.1%. Tissues that turn-over slowly, such as skeletal muscle and heart, contained more delta mtDNA than more rapidly dividing tissues, such as liver, in agreement with studies performed by others."}
{"id": "PMID:1463764", "title": "Growth regulation of ovarian cancer cells by epidermal growth factor and transforming growth factors alpha and beta 1.", "content": "Regulation of ovarian cancer growth is poorly understood. In this study, the effects of EGF, TGF alpha and TGF beta 1 on two ovarian cancer cell lines (OVCAR-3 and CAOV-3) were investigated. The results showed that EGF/TGF alpha stimulated cell growth and DNA synthesis in OVCAR-3 cells, but inhibited cell proliferation and DNA synthesis in CAOV-3 cells. TGF beta 1 invariably inhibited cell proliferation and DNA synthesis in both cell lines. These effects on growth factors are dose dependent. The interaction of TGF beta 1 and EGF/TGF alpha was antagonistic in OVCAR-3 cells. In contrast, EGF/TGF alpha and TGF beta 1 had an additive inhibitory effect on CAOV-3 cells. Our results demonstrated that mature and functional EGF receptors are present in both cell lines and that they are capable of ligand binding, internalization, processing and ligand-enhanced autophosphorylation. Both high- and low-affinity binding are present in these cell lines, with CAOV-3 cells having about 2-3-fold higher total receptors than OVCAR-3 cells. These results together with those from our previous studies show that these cells express TGF alpha, TGF beta 1 and EGF receptors and that cell growth may be modulated by these growth factors in an autocrine and paracrine manner. This report presents evidence supporting the important roles of growth factors in ovarian cancer growth and provides a foundation for further study into the mechanism of growth regulation by growth factors in these cell lines."}
{"id": "PMID:1463759", "title": "Closed-circuit TV: an effective patient education tool.", "content": "Patient education is well accepted to be an integral component of professional nursing practice. Although most nurses value patient teaching, the reality of the nursing shortage demands that innovative strategies be utilized to plan, implement and evaluate in-hospital patient education programs. Advances in computer technology have made closed-circuit television (CCTV) an attractive option for hospitals to fulfil their patient education mandate. As a delivery system, CCTV can be of considerable value. But as is true of other instructional media used to supplement educational efforts, CCTV also provides many traps that can limit its effectiveness. The biggest danger is the misuse of the tool by attempting to replace rather than supplement human interaction during the education process. This paper provides practical suggestions for the creative use of CCTV as a teaching tool to enhance patient education efforts. Pitfalls inherent in planning and implementing a CCTV system will be discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1463760", "title": "Effects of summer employment on student nurses: implications for recruitment and retention of staff nurses.", "content": "Nursing students often seek summer employment in hospital settings to practice and refine previously learned skills. Nursing administrators possibly view this employment as a means of relieving short-term staffing problems. However, if summer employment is seen as a potential strategy for recruiting future graduate nurses, then one needs to address the following: how to provide support for the student nurse to deal with the same concerns and issues as the new graduate (role confusion and reality shock); how to ensure that appropriate feedback is provided to enhance clinical skills. A pilot study of the effects of summer employment in a Quebec hospital on six second year CEGEP (diploma) nursing students explored these issues. The findings suggest actions which might suitably be taken by an agency in order to reinforce and facilitate the maintenance and promotion of excellence in patient care, as well as commitment to the profession and integration into the nursing culture."}
{"id": "PMID:1463762", "title": "Subordinate performance appraisal: what nurses really want in their managers.", "content": "This project describes a process used to identify the important job behaviors of nursing managers as seen by their staff nurses. A questionnaire developed for this purpose was administered to thirty-nine staff nurses at the Tom Baker Cancer Centre in Calgary, Alberta. The questionnaire included behaviors of managers which were categorized as either contributing to \"structure\" or \"consideration\". Staff nurses were found to favor both high structure and high consideration behaviors in a nurse manager. Behaviors found in the questionnaire to be most valued became content items on the subordinate appraisal form developed as a result of this project. The Landy-Farr Model of Performance Appraisal guided the project development. Health care organizations in their efforts to improve productivity and the quality of work life for nurses should consider alternate methods of performance appraisal for nurse managers."}
{"id": "PMID:1463765", "title": "A role for membrane transport in modulation of intramuscular free glutamine turnover in streptozotocin diabetic rats.", "content": "We wished to examine the effects of diabetes on muscle glutamine kinetics. Accordingly, female Wistar rats (200 g) were made diabetic by a single injection of streptozotocin (85 mg/kg) and studied 4 days later; control rats received saline. In diabetic rats, glutamine concentration of gastrocnemius muscle was 33% less than in control rats: 2.60 +/- 0.06 mumol/g vs. 3.84 +/- 0.13 mumol/g (P < 0.001). In gastrocnemius muscle, glutamine synthetase activity (Vmax) was unaltered by diabetes (approx. 235 nmol/min per g) but glutaminase Vmax increased from 146 +/- 29 to 401 +/- 94 nmol/min per g; substrate Km values of neither enzyme were affected by diabetes. Net glutamine efflux (A-V concentration difference x blood flow) from hindlimbs of diabetic rats in vivo was greater than control values (-30.0 +/- 3.2 vs. -1.9 +/- 2.6 nmol/min per g (P < 0.001)) and hindlimb NH3 uptake was concomitantly greater (about 27 nmol/min per g). The glutamine transport capacity (Vmax) of the Na-dependent System Nm in perfused hindlimb muscle was 29% lower in diabetic rats than in controls (820 +/- 50 vs. 1160 +/- 80 nmol/min per g (P < 0.01)), but transporter Km was the same in both groups (9.2 +/- 0.5 mM). The difference between inward and net glutamine fluxes indicated that glutamine efflux in perfused hindlimbs was stimulated in diabetes at physiological perfusate glutamine (0.5 mM); ammonia (1 mM in perfusate) had little effect on net glutamine flux in control and diabetic muscles. Intramuscular Na+ was 26% greater in diabetic (13.2 mumol/g) than control muscle, but muscle K+ (100 mumol/g) was similar. The accelerated rate of glutamine release from skeletal muscle and the lower muscle free glutamine concentration observed in diabetes may result from a combination of: (i), a diminished Na+ electrochemical gradient (i.e., the net driving force for glutamine accrual in muscle falls); (ii), a faster turnover of glutamine in muscle and (iii), an increased Vmax/Km for sarcolemmal glutamine efflux."}
{"id": "PMID:1463766", "title": "Maintenance of lower proportions of (n - 6) eicosanoid precursors in phospholipids of human plasma in response to added dietary (n - 3) fatty acids.", "content": "Competition between the (n - 3) and (n - 6) types of highly unsaturated fatty acids can diminish the abundance of (n - 6) eicosanoid precursors in a tissue, which in turn can diminish the intensity of tissue responses that are mediated by (n - 6) eicosanoids. The mixture of 20- and 22-carbon highly unsaturated fatty acids maintained in the phospholipids of human plasma is related to the dietary intake of 18:2 (n - 6) and 18:3 (n - 3) by empirical hyperbolic equations in a manner very similar to the relationship reported for laboratory rats (Lands, W.E.M., Morris, A. and Libelt, B. (1990) Lipids 25, 505-516). Analytical results from volunteers ingesting self-selected diets showed an inter-individual variance for the proportion of (n - 6) eicosanoid precursors in the fatty acids of plasma phospholipids of about 5%, but the variance among multiple samples taken from the same individual throughout the day was less (about 3%), closer to the experimental variance of the analytical procedure (about 1%). The reproducibility of the results makes it likely that analysis of fatty-acid composition of plasma lipids from individuals will prove useful in estimating the diet-related tendency for severe thrombotic, arthritic or other disorders that are mediated by (n - 6) eicosanoids. Additional constants and terms were included in the equations to account for the effects of 20- and 22-carbon highly unsaturated (n - 3) fatty acids in the diet. A lower constant for the 20- and 22-carbon (n - 3) fatty acids compared to that for the 18-carbon (n - 3) fatty acid in decreasing the ability of dietary 18:2 (n - 6) to maintain 20:4 (n - 6) in tissue lipids confirmed the greater competitive effectiveness of the more highly unsaturated n - 3 fatty acids in the elongation/desaturation process. Also, a lower constant for direct incorporation of 20-carbon fatty acids of the n - 6 vs. the n - 3 type indicated a greater competitive effectiveness of 20:4 (n - 6) relative to 20:5 (n - 3) in reesterification after release from tissue lipids. The equations may be used in reverse to estimate the dietary intakes of the (n - 3) and (n - 6) fatty acids by using the composition of the fatty acids that had been maintained in plasma lipids."}
{"id": "PMID:1463767", "title": "Deoxyadenosine toxicity in an adenosine deaminase-inhibited human CCRF-CEM T-lymphoblastoid cell line causes cell swelling.", "content": "The human T-lymphoblastoid cell line CCRF-CEM, pre-treated with 2'-deoxycoformycin, was used as a model for adenosine deaminase deficiency to investigate how 2'-deoxyadenosine exerts its cytotoxic effects. Incubation of these cells with 1 microM or 5 microM deoxyadenosine for 24 and 48 h caused an increase of up to 50% in their modal cell volume as measured by a Coulter Size Distribution Analyzer and this increase in cell volume was accompanied by an increase in their fragility and deformability. The swelling of cells was concomitant with the phosphorylation of deoxyadenosine and its intracellular accumulation as dATP. There was no evidence of osmotic imbalance or of inhibition of the Na+/K(+)-dependent ATPase activity as the intracellular concentrations (and the intracellular:extracellular ratios) of Na+, K+ and Ca2+ were essentially unchanged. Cytochalasin B (20 microM) also caused lymphoblasts to swell over a 6-h period and its effect on cell size was similar to that of either 1 microM or 5 microM deoxyadenosine over 24 or 48 h. Longer time-courses of incubation with cytochalasin B caused severe toxicity leading to the death and lysis of a significant proportion of the cells. Other drugs, such as colchicine, vincristine and vinblastine that are known to affect various components of the cytoskeleton also caused swelling of cells in a concentration- and time-dependent manner but there was no evidence that these effects were additive or synergistic with those of deoxyadenosine. Inhibition of DNA synthesis, either directly by aphidicolin or indirectly by hydroxyurea, was less cytotoxic than the effect caused by deoxyadenosine. We conclude that one of the toxic effects resulting from the excessive phosphorylation of deoxyadenosine and its accumulation as dATP in human T-lymphoblasts is not dependent on inhibition of DNA synthesis but may be caused by the disruption of the cytoskeleton in these cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1463768", "title": "Heterozygosity for the IVS-I-5 (G-->C) mutation with a G-->A change at codon 18 (Val-->Met; Hb Baden) in cis and a T-->G mutation at codon 126 (Val-->Gly; Hb Dhonburi) in trans resulting in a thalassemia intermedia.", "content": "We have analyzed the hemoglobins of a young German patient with beta-thalassemia intermedia and of his immediate family and included in these studies an evaluation of possible nucleotide changes in the beta-globin genes through sequencing of amplified DNA. One chromosome of the propositus and one of his father's carried the GTG-->GGG mutation at codon 126 leading to the synthesis of Hb Dhonburi or alpha 2 beta (2)126(H4)Val-->Gly; this variant is slightly unstable and is associated with mild thalassemic features. His second chromosome and one of his mother's had the common IVS-I-5 (G-->C) mutation that leads to a rather severe beta(+)-thalassemia and the GTG-->ATG mutation at codon 18, resulting in the replacement of a valine residue by a methionine residue. This newly discovered beta-chain variant, named Hb Baden, was present for only 2-3% in both the patient and his mother. This low amount results from a decreased splicing of RNA at the donor splice-site of the first intron that is nearly completely deactivated by the IVS-I-5 (G-->C) thalassemic mutation. The chromosome with the codon 18 (GTG-->ATG) and the IVS-I-5 (G-->C) mutations has thus far been found only in this German family; analysis of 51 chromosomes from patients with the IVS-I-5 (G-->C) mutation living in different countries failed to detect the codon 18 (GTG-->ATG) change."}
{"id": "PMID:1463769", "title": "Lead inhibits 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D-3 regulation of calcium metabolism in osteoblastic osteosarcoma cells (ROS 17/2.8).", "content": "We have determined the dose-response of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D-3 (1,25-(OH)2D3) on the intracellular free calcium-ion concentration ([Ca2+]i) in the osteoblastic osteosarcoma cells, ROS 17/2.8, using 19F-NMR and the intracellular divalent cation indicator, 1,2-bis(2-amino-5-fluorophenoxy)ethane-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid (5F-BAPTA). The dose-response demonstrated an inverted U-shaped relationship with maximal elevation of [Ca2+]i at doses of 1 to 10 nM 1,25-(OH)2D3. At 10 nM, 1,25-(OH)2D3 elevated the [Ca2+]i from a control level of 118 +/- 4 nM to a peak value of 237 +/- 8 nM within 40 min. 1,25-(OH)2D3 also increased the initial rate of Ca2+ influx into ROS 17/2.8 cells, measured by 45Ca uptake, with a dose-response relationship which paralleled its effect on [Ca2+]i. Treatment of ROS 17/2.8 cells with Pb2+ at 1 and 5 microM significantly increased [Ca2+]i but significantly reduced the 1,25-(OH)2D3-induced elevation of [Ca2+]i. Simultaneous treatment of naive cells with 1,25-(OH)2D3 and Pb2+ produce little reduction of 1,25-(OH)2D3-induced 45Ca uptake while 40 min treatment with Pb2+ before addition of 1,25-(OH)2D3 significantly reduced the 1,25-(OH)2D3-induced increase in 45Ca influx. These findings suggest that Pb2+ acts by inhibiting 1,25-(OH)2D3-activation of Ca2+ channels and interferes with 1,25-(OH)2D3 regulation of Ca2+ metabolism in osteoblastic bone cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1463770", "title": "Identification of two novel amyloid A protein subsets coexisting in an individual patient of AA-amyloidosis.", "content": "Amyloid A protein (AA), the major fibril protein in AA-amyloidosis, is an N-terminal cleavage product of the precursor protein, serum amyloid A (SAA). Using mass spectrometry and amino-acid sequencing, we identified and characterized two novel AA protein subsets co-deposited as amyloid fibrils in an patient having AA-amyloidosis associated with rheumatoid arthritis. One of the AA proteins corresponded to positions 2-76 (or 75) of SAA2 alpha and the other corresponded to positions 2-76 (or 75) of known SAA1 subsets, except for position 52 or 57, where SAA1 alpha has valine and alanine and SAA1 beta has alanine and valine in position 52 and 57, respectively, whereas the AA protein had alanine at the both positions. Our findings (1), demonstrate that not only one but two SAA subsets could be deposited together as an AA-amyloid in a single individual and (2), support the existence of a novel SAA1 allotype, i.e., SAA152,57Ala."}
{"id": "PMID:1463771", "title": "Calcium-dependent mitochondrial oxidative damage promoted by 5-aminolevulinic acid.", "content": "Swelling of isolated rat liver mitochondria is shown to be induced by metal-catalyzed 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) aerobic oxidation, a putative endogenous source of reactive oxygen species (ROS), at concentrations as low as 50-100 microM. In this concentration range, ALA is estimated to occur in the liver of acute intermittent porphyria patients. Removal of Ca2+ (10 microM) from the suspension of isolated rat liver mitochondria by added EGTA abolishes both the ALA-induced transmembrane-potential collapse and mitochondrial swelling. Prevention of the ALA-induced swelling by addition of ruthenium red prior to mitochondrial energization by succinate demonstrates the deleterious involvement of internal Ca2+. Addition of MgCl2 at concentrations higher than 2.5 mM, prevents the ALA-induced mitochondrial swelling, transmembrane potential collapse and Ca2+ efflux. This indicates that Mg2+ protects against the mitochondrial damage promoted by ALA-generated ROS. The ALA-induced mitochondrial damage might be a key event in the liver mitochondrial damage of acute intermittent porphyria patients reported elsewhere."}
{"id": "PMID:1463772", "title": "Chronic effects of ethanol on muscle metabolism in the rat.", "content": "Chronic ethanol feeding in the rat is associated with a skeletal myopathy involving primarily type-II muscle fibres, which is recognised to be mediated via a specific impairment in protein turnover. This paper investigates whether the cause of this myopathy may be related to abnormalities in carbohydrate and lipid metabolism in different muscles. [U-14C]Glucose metabolism was examined in two muscles with different fibre compositions, the extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscle, which contains predominantly type-II muscle fibres, and the soleus muscle, which is composed primarily of type-I muscle fibres. Feeding on the ethanol-supplemented Lieber-DeCarli liquid diet for 2 or 6 weeks was associated with profound disturbances in glucose metabolism in both EDL and soleus muscles, particularly in relation to rates of glycogen and alanine formation. We discuss the importance of these metabolic changes in relation to the genesis of chronic alcoholic skeletal myopathy."}
{"id": "PMID:1463773", "title": "Superior prevention of calcium ionophore cataract by E64d.", "content": "The purposes of this experiment were: (1), to compare effect of three E64 derivatives, E64, E64c and E64d in preventing nuclear opacity and proteolysis in calcium ionophore-induced cataract and (2), to measure the accumulation of E64 derivatives in the cultured lenses. In vitro E64 and E64c strongly inhibited purified calpain II from porcine heart, while E64d showed weaker inhibition than E64 and E64c. In cultured lenses, all three E64 derivatives reduced nuclear opacity by calcium ionophore A23187 in a concentration-dependent manner, and E64d, the ethyl-ester of E64c, was the most effective. When lenses were cultured in E64d for 2 h, the resulting concentration of E64 derivative in the lens was markedly higher than during culture in E64 or E64c. All three E64 derivatives prevented proteolysis of crystallins seen in A23187 cataract. The stronger effect of E64d against A23187 cataract was likely due to an earlier penetration into the lens, conversion to E64c and inhibition of activated calpain."}
{"id": "PMID:1463774", "title": "Phytanic acid alpha-oxidation in human cultured skin fibroblasts.", "content": "We studied the oxidation of [1-14C]phytanic acid, 3-methyl substituted fatty acid, to pristanic acid and 14CO2 in human skin fibroblasts. The specific activity for alpha-oxidation of phytanic acid in peroxisomes was 29- and 124-fold higher than mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum. This finding demonstrates for the first time the presence of fatty acid alpha-oxidation enzyme system in peroxisomes."}
{"id": "PMID:1463775", "title": "Radiohalogenation of proteins: an overview of radionuclides, labeling methods, and reagents for conjugate labeling.", "content": "Direct labeling of proteins with radionuclides of iodine will continue to be the method of choice to answer questions addressed in many future studies. However, it seems likely that a increasing number of applications of radiohalogenated proteins will require, or benefit from, conjugate labeling. While many radiohalogen conjugates have been studied, a large proportion of them have only undergone preliminary studies to date, leaving a question of their overall utility. Phenolic conjugates give good radioiodination labeling yields, but mixtures of radiohalogenated products and problems with in vivo stability can be expected. This fact, along with the fact that phenolic compounds do not have a general application to radiohalogens, makes them less attractive than other alternatives. Radiohalogen labeling through the use of organometallic intermediates has proven to be facile, resulting in high yields of high specific activity labeled small-molecule conjugates. Although the choice of which organometallic intermediate to use may depend somewhat on the radionuclide employed, arylstannanes appear to have the most general applicability. Fluorine-18 labeling of small-molecule conjugates has been best accomplished by ipso aromatic nucleophilic substitution (exchange) reactions. Radiohalogenated small molecules have been prepared which can be conjugated with specific functional groups (e.g. amines, sulfhydryl groups, and carbohydrates) or conjugated nonspecifically with groups in the proximity of the conjugate when it is photolyzed. On the basis of previous studies, good conjugation yields (i.e. 60-90%) can be expected for reactions with specific groups, whereas low yields (i.e. 1-5%) can be expected for conjugations with reactive nitrenes and carbenes. However, recent developments in the chemistry of conjugates that produce nitrenes and carbenes will likely improve the radiolabeling yields. There have been too few comparative studies to readily assess which is the best approach to take when beginning a study involving radiohalogenation of a protein or peptide. However, it is clear that radiohalogenated conjugates of proteins can offer an advantage over direct labeling in that conjugates may be designed which provide some control over in vivo stability and secondary distribution of metabolites. Conjugates can be prepared which are designed to utilize in vivo biochemical processes to release a radiohalogenated small molecule from a tissue (i.e. kidney or liver) or retain the radioactivity at the target tissue (e.g. tumor). Aside from the designing of conjugates with linking molecules for desired biological effects, the ultimate future goal for the radiolabeling chemical should be to prepare protein conjugates which can be radiohalogenated in a single one-step procedure."}
{"id": "PMID:1463776", "title": "Transition metal carbonyl labeling of proteins. A novel approach to a solid-phase two-site immunoassay using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy.", "content": "Labeling of bovine serum albumin (BSA) and anti-human thyroid stimulating hormone (hTSH) monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) was performed using (N-succinimidyl 4-pentynoate)hexacarbonyldicobalt (NSCo2(CO)6). Conditions of coupling were different depending on the protein to be labeled, denaturation of the mAbs occuring with high percentages of organic solvent in the reaction mixture. The influence of reaction time and initial concentration of NSCo2(CO)6 was examined. They were both shown to affect the final coupling rate of the metal carbonyl probe. Preservation of the immunoreactivity toward 125I-hTSH was observed for five conjugates having different NSCo2(CO)6: mAb molar ratios when compared to unmodified and peroxidase-labeled mAbs. Finally, a preliminary study of the quantitative detection of the metal carbonyl mAbs on microtiter wells was achieved using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy."}
{"id": "PMID:1463777", "title": "Site-specific conjugation of chain-terminal chelating polymers to Fab' fragments of anti-CEA mAb: effect of linkage type and polymer size on conjugate biodistribution in nude mice bearing human colorectal carcinoma.", "content": "Polylysine-based chelating polymers were used for site-specific modification of anti-CEA mAb Fab' fragments via their SH group distal to the antigen-binding site of the antibody molecule. Conjugation was performed using chain-terminal (pyridyldithio)propionate or 4-(p-maleimidophenyl)butyrate moieties to form reducible (S-S) or stable (S-C) bonds between a polymer and Fab' molecule, respectively. One S-S conjugate (S-S9) and two different S-C conjugates (S-C3 and S-C9) were prepared using 3- and 9-kDa molecular weight polymers. No significant loss of immunoreactivity was observed in solid-phase immunoassay, 90-95% of 111In-labeled conjugates being bound to CEA-coated Sepharose beads. After labeling with 111In, the conjugates had a specific radioactivity of 90-120 microCi/micrograms. Injected in nude mice bearing LS 174T carcinoma, the conjugates produced different biodistribution patterns. S-S9 was practically unable to accumulate in tumor and produced very rapid blood clearance of radioactivity and high uptake of radioactivity in liver, spleen, and especially kidneys (225% ID/g 24 h postinjection). S-C3 and S-C9 produced practically the same blood clearances (much slower than that of S-S9) and significant tumor uptake (9-10% ID/g at 24 h). S-C3 gave significantly lower radioactivity in spleen, skin, and bones, and cleared more rapidly from liver and kidneys. Renal uptake for S-C3 and S-C9 was rather high (45% ID/g at 24 h), but much lower than for S-S9."}
{"id": "PMID:1463778", "title": "Identification and characterization of a nucleotide binding site on recombinant murine granulocyte/macrophage-colony stimulating factor.", "content": "Granulocyte/macrophage-colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) is a regulatory cytokine important in the proliferative and functional activation of hematopoietic cells. It belongs to a family of 20 kDa or less acidic glycoprotein molecules found in a broad range of cellular sources. On the basis of the previously reported nucleotide-binding properties of interleukin-2 (IL-2), atrial natriuretic factor (ANF), and glucagon, the interaction of GM-CSF with nucleotides was investigated. Using radiolabeled 8-azidoadenosine-containing photoprobes of ATP ([gamma-32P]-8N3ATP) and Ap4A, the putative biological alarmone ([beta'-32P]-8N3Ap4A), we have identified a nucleotide binding site on recombinant murine GM-CSF (rmGM-CSF). Specificity of binding was demonstrated by saturation and competition experiments. Saturation of photoinsertion by [gamma-32P]-8N3ATP and [beta'-32P]-8N3Ap4A occurs with apparent Kd's of 10 and 0.7 microM, respectively. Using an immobilized Fe3+ affinity chromatography technique, developed specifically for the isolation of photolabeled peptides, a single radiolabeled peptide was isolated. It was identified as amino acids 5-14 near the N-terminus of GM-CSF. This peptide region has been shown in previous studies to be critical for biological activity. Also consistent with this observation is our finding that the photolabeled GM-CSF has lost most, if not all, of its biological activity, as determined by a cellular proliferation assay."}
{"id": "PMID:1463780", "title": "Use of microsphere-antibody conjugates in microparticle-enhanced nephelometric immunoassay.", "content": "A new microparticle-enhanced nephelometric immunoassay has been recently described as a sensitive, accurate, and easy-to-perform competitive immunoassay for various analytes. As initially described, this test is based on the nephelometric quantification of the inhibition, by the antigen to be assayed, of immunoagglutination of microparticle-antigen conjugates. Its applicability as a competitive immunoassay is thus limited by the necessary availability of pure antigens to prepare microparticle-antigen conjugates. In this paper, we report an adaptation of this initial test, where microparticles are coated by monoclonal antibodies, eliminating the need for purified antigens. The new configurations of particle agglutination-based immunoassays described include use of these microparticle-antibody conjugates with microparticle-antigen conjugates, free antigen, and anti-mouse immunoglobulins antiserum. The feasibility of such configurations is studied with human chorionic gonadotropin hormone, human thyroid stimulating hormone, and human myoglobin as antigens. Capture of the analyte by microparticle-antibody conjugates is evidenced by inhibition of their agglutination with microparticle-antigen conjugates and by agglutination in a sandwich assay with a complementary monoclonal antibody or polyclonal antiserum. The use of a second xenogenic antibody enhances the agglutination process and increases the assay sensitivity. Microparticle-antibody conjugates may extend the applications of microparticle-enhanced nephelometric immunoassays to unavailable analytes."}
{"id": "PMID:1463779", "title": "1-(m-[211At]astatobenzyl)guanidine: synthesis via astato demetalation and preliminary in vitro and in vivo evaluation.", "content": "No-carrier-added 1-(m-[211At]astatobenzyl)guanidine ([211At]MABG) was synthesized by astato demetalation using two different routes. The overall yield for the two-step approach from 3-(tri-n-butylstannyl)benzylamine was 13%. N-Chlorosuccinimide-mediated astato desilylation of 1-[3-(trimethylsilyl)benzyl]guanidine in acetic acid gave poor yields. In trifluoroacetic acid, the reaction worked well. The radiochemical yield was independent of reaction time and the amount of precursor used; however, the temperature of the reaction had a marked effect. Yields of 85% were obtained in 5 min at 70 degrees C using 0.5 mumol of the precursor. The percentage specific binding in vitro of [211At]MABG was nearly constant over a 2-log activity range and was comparable to that of no-carrier-added [131]MIBG. The accumulation of [211At]MABG in the heart and adrenals of normal mice was similar to that observed for no-carrier-added [131]MIBG."}
{"id": "PMID:1463781", "title": "Evaluation of peptide libraries: an iterative strategy to analyze the reactivity of peptide mixtures with antibodies.", "content": "Peptide libraries corresponding to a presumed mixture of 50,625 tetrapeptides or 16,777,216 hexapeptides were each prepared in a single assembly by standard solid-phase peptide synthesis. By enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, the tetrapeptide library was shown to inhibit the binding of an antiserum to FMRF amide with an FLRF capture antigen; the hexapeptide library was shown to inhibit the binding of a monoclonal antibody to a 28 amino acid peptide with the corresponding peptide capture antigen. An iterative strategy of variation was used to determine for each position in the tetra- or hexapeptides which amino acid contributed the most to activity. As a result we were able to logically select out of the tetrapeptide library the sequence FLRF and to select out of the hexapeptide library a sequence that differed from the apparent probable epitope but was twice as active. A single amino acid substitution in the logically derived sequence gave a peptide that was 35 times as active as the hexapeptide sequence in the original 28 amino acid peptide."}
{"id": "PMID:1463782", "title": "Acidic derivatives of homocysteine thiolactone: utility as anionic linkers.", "content": "Homocysteine thiolactone (2) derivatives in which the nitrogen is acylated with groups containing acidic functionalities have been synthesized. These include the succinyl (3), the carboxymethylglutaryl (4), the 3-phosphonopropionyl (7), and the 3-sulfopropionyl (8) derivatives. These thiolactones can be used to introduce a thiol functionality into proteins such as the outer membrane protein complex of Neisseria meningitidis (OMPC) allowing conjugation with electrophilic ligands. This chemistry is the same as with N-acetylhomocysteine thiolactone (1), but their pKa values are such that at pH 7 concomitant negative charge is introduced into the conjugate. Such negative charge should neutralize some excess positive charge introduced when arginine- and lysine-rich peptides are bonded as ligands. In the case of OMPC, introduction of such positive charge appears to effect irreversible precipitation. The system has been studied using the maleimidopropionyl and bromoacetyltriarginine (9 and 10) derivatives as models. In select instances anionic spacers reduce the degree of precipitation relative to N-acetyl-homocysteine thiolactone derivatives."}
{"id": "PMID:1463788", "title": "Development and validation of a bioassay for interleukin-2.", "content": "A reliable and precise method for the determination of IL-2 activity, based on stimulation of CTLL cell proliferation, was developed. Cells were incubated with different concentrations of IL-2 for 24 h in microtiter plates. The stimulatory effect was measured on a plate-reading spectrophotometer by reading the optical density of formazan, which is produced by viable cells from 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT). The bioassay was designed as a four-dose parallel line test, fulfilling pharmacopoeial requirements for assay validity, and the inter-assay relative standard deviation (RSD) for a group of four experiments was 2.6%. The International Standard for human IL-2 and the Reference Reagent for Recombinant DNA-derived IL-2 were employed for potency determinations. The method was found suitable for potency assessments of pharmaceutical formulations of IL-2."}
{"id": "PMID:1463784", "title": "Preparation and characterization of biologically active 6'-O-(6-aminocaproyl)-4'-O-monophosphoryl lipid A and its conjugated derivative.", "content": "N-tert-butyloxycarbonyl (t-Boc) protected 6-aminocaproic (Cap) anhydride was reacted with unprotected hexaacyl-4'-O-monophosphoryl lipid A (MLA) obtained from the lipopolysaccharide of Escherichia coli J5 to yield t-Boc-Cap-MLA. After a column purification step, the t-Boc group was removed by incubating the sample at low temperature in the presence of acid to yield Cap-MLA. This product was analyzed by californium plasma desorption mass spectrometry (PDMS). Purified t-Boc-Cap-MLA was further fractionated by reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography as its methyl ester and characterized by laser desorption mass spectrometry, PDMS, and proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. These analyses revealed that the Cap group was selectively introduced into the 6'-position of MLA. To demonstrate that Cap-MLA can be conjugated to other compounds, it was reacted with biotin-Cap N-hydroxysuccinimide ester to yield biotin-(Cap)2-MLA. Analysis of this product by PDMS confirmed its expected molecular weight of 2171 and showed the presence of fragments containing the biotin and Cap groups. Monoclonal antibodies and streptavidin were used to show the presence of both lipid A and biotin in this conjugated product. These two novel lipid A derivatives were then tested for their bioactivities. Although both Cap-MLA and biotin-(Cap)2-MLA showed mitogenic activity using murine splenocytes, they were about 4-8 times less active than MLA at 20 micrograms/mL or less and only one-half as active at 100 micrograms/mL.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1463789", "title": "Evaluation of the anti-tumour action and acute toxicity of kosins from Hagenia abyssinica.", "content": "The kosins are phloroglucinol derivatives isolated from female flowers of Hagenia abyssinica (Rosaceae) and were tested for possible cytotoxic activity in vitro and in vivo against a panel of three transplantable murine adenocarcinomas of the colon of varying growth characteristics and morphology (MAC system). Significant reductions in colony formation were observed in vitro in MAC 15A tumour following 1, 3, 6 and 24 h exposure to all kosins (alpha-kosin, kosotoxin and protokosin). The kosins (kosotoxin and protokosin) were also found to be cytotoxic against MAC tumour cells in vivo in some cases. Kosotoxin was subjected to preliminary toxicity studies in mice. It showed no observable toxicity up to 200 mg kg-1 orally and was found to be toxic at doses in excess of 50 mg kg-1 (i.p.). A single dose of 100 mg kg-1 (i.p.) was lethal for 100% of the animals."}
{"id": "PMID:1463785", "title": "Synthesis and properties of an oligodeoxynucleotide modified with a pyrene derivative at the 5'-phosphate.", "content": "The synthesis of an oligonucleotide (ODN) modified with pyrene (pyr) on the 5'-phosphate is described. The ODN and pyrene are joined through a linker composed of four methylene groups. Modification of the oligonucleotide was effected via condensation of the 2-cyanoethyl N,N-diisopropylphosphoramidite of 4-(1-pyrenyl)butanol (pyr-m4OPAm, 2) with the 5'-OH of an ODN. This derivative is suitable for incorporation into automated solid-phase DNA synthesis and was attached to the 5' terminus of the DNA chain through a phosphodiester linkage. The properties of the 5'-(pyr-m4)d(T)15 (3) and the duplex it formed with d(A)15 were investigated by fluorescence and absorbance spectroscopy. The pyrene fluorescence in the modified duplex was quenched 96.3% relative to an identical concentration of free 4-(1-pyrenyl)butanol. The ultraviolet spectrum of the 5'-(pyr-m4)-d(T)15 and 5'-(pyr-m4)-d(T)15-d-(A)15 modified duplex, in the 320-360-nm region, was red-shifted 6 nm relative to the free 4-(1-pyrenyl)-butanol. The Tm values of the unmodified and modified duplexes at 0.1 M NaCl were 34.9 and 41.9 degrees C, respectively. The pyrene-induced stabilization corresponds to a free energy change (delta delta G degrees) of -2.6 kcal/mol."}
{"id": "PMID:1463790", "title": "Determination of bis(amidinohydrazones) by micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography.", "content": "A micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography method was developed for the separation and determination of aliphatic congeners of bis(amidinohydrazones) in standard solution. Eight bis(amidinohydrazones) could be determined in less than 15 min at an applied voltage of 22 kV, using 0.05 M sodium phosphate as buffer (pH 7.0) together with 1 mM N-cetyl-N,N,N-trimethylammonium bromide. Hydrostatic sample injection was employed. The method exhibited good repeatability and a linear range of 2.5-100 micrograms ml-1. A detection limit of 1 micrograms ml-1 was achieved. The method also allows the determination of bis(amidinohydrazones) in human serum samples."}
{"id": "PMID:1463783", "title": "Gene transfer into hepatocytes using asialoglycoprotein receptor mediated endocytosis of DNA complexed with an artificial tetra-antennary galactose ligand.", "content": "We have constructed an artificial ligand for the hepatocyte-specific asialoglycoprotein receptor for the purpose of generating a synthetic delivery system for DNA. This ligand has a tetra-antennary structure, containing four terminal galactose residues on a branched carrier peptide. The carbohydrate residues of this glycopeptide were introduced by reductive coupling of lactose to the alpha- and epsilon-amino groups of the two N-terminal lysines on the carrier peptide. The C-terminus of the peptide, containing a cysteine separated from the branched N-terminus by a 10 amino acid spacer sequence, was used for conjugation to 3-(2-pyridyldithio)propionate-modified polylysine via disulfide bond formation. Complexes containing plasmid DNA bound to these galactose-polylysine conjugates have been used for asialoglycoprotein receptor-mediated transfer of a luciferase gene into human (HepG2) and murine (BNL CL.2) hepatocyte cell lines. Gene transfer was strongly promoted when amphipathic peptides with pH-controlled membrane-disruption activity, derived from the N-terminal sequence of influenza virus hemagglutinin HA-2, were also present in these DNA complexes. Thus, we have essentially borrowed the small functional domains of two large proteins, asialoglycoprotein and hemagglutinin, and assembled them into a supramolecular complex to generate an efficient gene-transfer system."}
{"id": "PMID:1463791", "title": "Identification and quantitation of tetrapeptide deamidation products by mass spectrometry.", "content": "A method to quantify asparagine (Asn), aspartate (Asp) and isoaspartate (isoAsp) residues in small peptides by fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry (FAB-MS) was developed. Discrimination of isoAsp from Asp residues was accomplished by selective derivatization of isoAsp residues in acetic anhydride, D2O and pyridine. Deuteration occurred at any carbon adjacent to a free alpha-carboxyl group, through a transient oxazalone intermediate, allowing the isoAsp side chain and the C-terminus to incorporate deuterium. Thus, isoAsp-containing peptides incorporate one more deuterium than peptides with Asp and two more than Asn peptides. FAB CID-MS spectra of the Asn tetrapeptide, Thr-Asn-Ser-Tyr, were used to confirm the position of deuteration to the C-terminal residue. FAB and FAB CID-MS spectra demonstrated that the 1 amu shift in mass was not caused by derivatization induced deamidation of the Asn residue. FAB-MS spectra of deuterated peptide standards and mixtures containing deamidation products were obtained over the molecular ion region and deconvoluted using non-deuterated control spectra. Deuterium incorporation values for the Asn, Asp and iosAsp containing peptide standards were 80% mono-deuterated peptide, 95% mono-deuterated peptide and 63% di-deuterated peptide, respectively. IsoAsp to Asp ratios in an unknown mixture were obtained by a least-squares minimization of the difference between the unknown deuterated mixture and the isotopic envelopes from the deuterated standards. The mixture was found to contain 85% isoAsp peptide by FAB-MS, which agreed well with 81% isoAsp peptide when assayed by reversed-phase LC."}
{"id": "PMID:1463786", "title": "Reagent for introducing pyrene residues in oligonucleotides.", "content": "A novel pyrenyl-containing phosphoramidite reagent, N-[4-(1-pyrenyl)butyryl]-O1-(4,4'-dimethoxytrityl)-O2- [(diisopropylamino)(2-cyanoethoxy)phosphino]-3-amino-1 ,2-propanediol (5), has been synthesized from 4-(1-pyrenyl)butanoic acid in four steps with the 52% overall yield and used to incorporate pyrene residue(s) into oligonucleotides. Oligonucleotides 6 and 7, bearing one or two pyrenes at the 5'-terminus, have been prepared by means of that reagent, characterized with fluorescence spectra, and successfully used as primers in a polymerase chain reaction."}
{"id": "PMID:1463792", "title": "Comparison of 9-fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl and 9-fluoreneacetyl-tagged silica-based derivatization reagents in high-performance liquid chromatography.", "content": "Two silica reagents based on a 4-hydroxy-3-nitrobenzoyl backbone were synthesized and characterized with 9-fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl (FMOC) and 9-fluoreneacetyl (FA) tags. These reagents were tested by derivatization of primary and secondary amines. Derivatization conditions such as temperature, time and triethylamine catalyst were tested. The FA-tagged silica reagent showed better performance than the FMOC-tagged silica reagent by a comparison of derivatization efficiencies, stabilities of reagents, and blank reagent interferences with derivatization. Finally, cadaverine and an aliphatic amine mixture were analysed using the FA-tagged reagent by pre-column, off-line derivatization and fluorescence detection."}
{"id": "PMID:1463787", "title": "Large-scale synthesis of the bifunctional chelating agent 2-(p-nitrobenzyl)-1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-N,N',N'',N'''-tetr aacetic acid, and the determination of its enantiomeric purity by chiral chromatography.", "content": "The attachment of radiometals to monoclonal antibodies for medical applications requires extreme stability under physiological conditions, with no significant release of metal. Chelators that can hold radiometals like 111In, 67Ga, and 90Y with high stability under these conditions are essential for radiotherapy or immunoscintigraphy. 2-(p-Nitrobenzyl)-1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane- N,N',N'',N'''-tetraacetic acid (nitrobenzyl-DOTA) is one of the most promising bifunctional chelating agents. A large-scale synthesis of nitrobenzyl-DOTA is described. The overall yield for the nine-step synthesis sequence starting from nitrophenylalanine is 5.6%. Synthesis of nitrobenzyl-DOTA according to the new procedure yields up to approximately 10 g without special apparatus. Both enantiomers of the chiral chelate nitrobenzyl-DOTA have been prepared, and their enantiomeric purity has been checked by chiral chromatography."}
{"id": "PMID:1463793", "title": "Liquid chromatographic analysis of monosaccharides with phenylisocyanate derivatization.", "content": "Because of the lack of sensitivity in carbohydrate analysis, HPLC pre-column derivatization techniques which give strongly UV absorbing compounds have been reported. These techniques have the disadvantage of leading to several chromatographic peaks from each reducing sugar. To enhance both the sensitivity and the selectivity of such specific separation problems, a simplex procedure was applied to optimize the phenylisocyanate derivatization of monosaccharides: a major and stable derivative was formed under the optimal conditions established. The method was extended to deoxysugars and methylglycosides. The limit of detection was 0.2-1 ng for all sugars tested."}
{"id": "PMID:1463794", "title": "Liquid chromatographic determination of a new catechol-O-methyltransferase inhibitor, entacapone, and its Z-isomer in human plasma and urine.", "content": "Assay procedures for analysis of entacapone, (E)-2-cyano-N,N-diethyl-3-(3,4-dihydroxy-5-nitrophenyl)-propenamide++ +, and its Z-isomer in human plasma and urine are described. The methods were based on reversed-phase liquid chromatography with amperometric detection. Entacapone and its Z-isomer were extracted with n-hexane-ethyl acetate mixtures after acidification with hydrochloric acid. From urine extracts the analytes were back-extracted into phosphate buffer (pH 7.2). During sample treatment 1-2% of entacapone was changed to the Z-isomer. With recoveries exceeding 75% the relative standard deviations for within-day precision were less than 11% for plasma and less than 6% for urine at the quantitation limit (10 ng ml-1) and less than 6% for both methods at higher concentrations (20-2000 ng ml-1). The assays were specific with respect to all known metabolites and selective, sensitive and precise enough for determination of entacapone and its Z-isomer in plasma and urine down to 10 ng ml-1. The methods are thus suitable for the kind of pharmacokinetic studies exemplified in this paper."}
{"id": "PMID:1463797", "title": "Hypoxic-ischemic brain damage in term neonates--the relation of neurodevelopmental handicap to cranial ultrasound findings.", "content": "This study presents ultrasound findings and neurodevelopmental follow-up in ten infants born at term suffering most severe grade of hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy. Early ultrasound findings showed in nine of these ten neonates signs of cerebral edema accompanied in two children by intraventricular haemorrhage. Late ultrasound findings in all infants examined demonstrated severe cerebral atrophy, predominantly affecting the cortico-subcortical area. In three children multiple subcortical cysts were also present, corresponding to ultrasound findings of subcortical leukomalacia. Cranial computerized tomography was performed in six of the ten children, showing more precisely the predominant site of cortical atrophy, whereas in children with ultrasound findings of subcortical leukomalacia extensive low density areas in the subcortical white matter were present. All children had neurodevelopmental follow-up for between two and seven years. Six of the ten children have multiple disabilities suffering from spastic quadriparesis, epilepsy, mental retardation and/or visual disability. Among these six were all three children with subcortical leukomalacia. All the children demonstrated poor head growth and became markedly microcephalic. We consider ultrasonography to be very useful in the diagnosis of hypoxic-ischemic brain damage in term neonates as well in predicting the neurodevelopmental outcome in asphyxiated term infants."}
{"id": "PMID:1463798", "title": "Pneumococcal meningitis in the elderly.", "content": "The authors reviewed 70 cases of Streptococcus pneumoniae meningitis occurring over a 5-years period (1985-1989). Clinical features, outcome and laboratory findings in elderly patients (> 60 years of age, 21 patients) were compared with those in younger patients (< 59 years of age, 49 patients). Mortality rate was 57% in elderly group vs. 20% in younger. Admission to the hospital was delayed in the elderly. Only 67.6% of them were admitted on the first two days of the illness vs. 81.6% of younger patients. Nearly 62% of them were deeply soporous or comatose on admission (Mathew-Lawson grade 3 and 4), while in the control group only 31% of patients had such severely altered mental status. Although glucose cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)/blood ratio tended to be lower in the elderly (0.09 vs 0.17) the difference did not reach statistical significance. Thrombocytes in the peripheral blood were lower in the elderly (113 x 10(9)/L vs. 148 x 10(9)/L, p < 0.05). When we compared laboratory findings in survivors and nonsurvivors from both groups, nonsurvivors had significantly lower glucose CSF/blood ratio (0.054 vs. 0.174, p = 0.008), and higher bilirubin levels in serum (27.9 vs 14.7, p = 0.003), but differences were more obvious in younger group of patients. Our results suggest that there is increased risk of death among elderly patients. It can be at least partially attributed to their later admittance to the hospital and because of that delayed start of the appropriate therapy and more severe conscious disturbances. All these factors contribute to the greater case-fatality ratio observed in elderly patients with pneumococcal meningitis."}
{"id": "PMID:1463799", "title": "Assessment of dementia flow chart approach to clinical diagnosis.", "content": "With life spans increasing the number of demented people rises steeply which requires proper diagnosis, particularly in the early stage of the disease. Although the majority of patients suffering from dementia have Alzheimer's disease characterized by slowly progressive course, searching for treatable causes will enable effective support to a certain number of patients. Presence of only one clinical symptom and/or sign, like the memory impairment is not sufficient for diagnosing dementia owing to its nonspecificity. Proper diagnosis depends upon one's familiarity with the criteria, clinical features, associated symptoms and the natural course of the disease as well as a wide variety of different etiological factors manifested by the similar clinical picture. In spite of certain shortcomings, the flow chart system approach of diagnostic procedure is intended for more accurate and less time consuming assessment of the clinical diagnosis of dementia. Understanding and familiarity with different aspects of the clinical picture lie behind the rational approach and selection of various laboratory methods and techniques to confirm or exclude presence of the disease for the benefit of patients and to avoid unnecessary wasting of considerable amounts of financial resources."}
{"id": "PMID:1463800", "title": "Locked-in syndrome.", "content": "A patient, young fisherman, with a locked-in syndrome is reported, in whom intact consciousness, quadriplegia of spastic type, voluntary eye blinking, (de)sursumvergence and anarthria were observed. Thrombosis of the basilar artery and slightly disturbed bioelectrogenesis of the cerebral cortex were proved by clinical examination. The patient died after 41 days. At the autopsy thrombosis a. basilaris and ventrobasal pontine infarction were confirmed. Differential diagnosis of this and similar syndromes has been discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1463802", "title": "Evidence from epileptic patients on the role of the right hemisphere in REM sleep.", "content": "Eight highly selected epileptic patients found to have lasting right temporal or temporooccipital rhythmic focal activity during night sleep were reassessed following remission which occurred between a few days and 7 years after the initial finding. In polysomnographic EEG recording, when the patients had extensive epileptic discharges in the right temporal and temporo-occipital regions, a prolonged period of REM sleep occurred (34.1 +/- 7.06% of total sleep time). Following remission, however, disproportion had returned to normal (20.4 +/- 1.75%). These results confirm that intensive focal epileptic activity in the temporal and temporooccipital regions of the right hemisphere during sleep facilitate REM sleep thus indicating a dominant role for the right hemisphere in REM sleep and dreaming."}
{"id": "PMID:1463803", "title": "Rating scales and computed tomography in multi-infarct dementia.", "content": "Forty patients who fulfilled the DSM-III-R criteria for multi-infarct dementia and had a score of 7 points or more on Hachinski ischemia score (HIS) were analyzed with the purpose to correlate the rating scales and CT scans. Among the examined patients there were 32 women with the average age of 68.5 +/- 9.8 years and 8 men with the average age of 68.8 +/- 10.4 years. No significant difference between sex in relation to Folstein Mini-mental state examination (MMSE), Gottfries-Brane-Steen scale (GBS) and Sandoz clinical assessment-geriatric scale (SCAG) was found. There is no correlation of GBS and SCAG on MMSE. With regression analysis a good correlation was found between GBS and SCAG, and we suggest that in such studies only one of these two scales is sufficient. CT abnormalities were found in about 77% of examined patients without difference according to sex. But, GBS score demonstrated greater disability among MID patients with abnormal CT scans than in MID patients with normal CT scans. In medical history of male MID patients completed stroke was significantly more common than among women, while the female MID patients had in their history significantly more frequent transient ischemic attack (TIA). This finding should be checked in a greater patient population. It is stressed that in everyday clinical practice it is necessary to use the diagnosis of multi-infarct dementia, e.g. to differentiate cerebral diseases according to etiology and pathogenesis."}
{"id": "PMID:1463804", "title": "Vimentin and glial fibrillary acidic protein expression in relation to neoplastic cell differentiation in glial tumors.", "content": "In the present work the expression of vimentin and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) was determined in homotypic, transitional and heterotypic astroglial neoplastic areas and gemistocytes. The expression of these intermediate filament (IF) proteins within oligodendroglial neoplastic cells was determined as well. The intensity of vimentin and GFAP immunoreactivity as well as the number of immunoreactive cells within astroglial areas of different grades of differentiation were different. While there was no immunoreactivity within heterotypic areas, transitional areas and gemistocytes mainly show the same intensity of immunoreactivity and number of immunoreactive cells for both analyzed IF proteins. Within homotypic astroglial areas the number of GFAP positive cells and intensity of GFAP immunoreactivity were higher than the same vimentin parameters. It is well known that vimentin and GFAP may form heteropolymers both in vitro and in vivo. Transitions in vimentin/GFAP expression reflect not only normal development of astroglial cells but occur also with the induction of neoplastic process. Our results suggest that immunoreaction intensity and number of vimentin or GFAP immunoreactive cells correlates with the degree of differentiation of specific neoplastic cell populations. It is suggested that transitions in vimentin and GFAP expression occur in the course of neoplastic progression presumably by the modulation of their incorporation into the same IF system according to the degree of neoplastic cell differentiation."}
{"id": "PMID:1463805", "title": "Transcranial Doppler sonography in the acute cerebral ischemic disease.", "content": "Transcranial Doppler sonography (TCD) is a noninvasive easy-performed method which can be repeated even in critically ill patients. It provides means to diagnose, quantify and monitor individual haemodynamic situation, and, probably, to predict the outcome of stroke. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of the TCD in the examination of vascular lesions in the early phase of acute cerebral ischemic disease. The results showed different vascular disturbanies in otherwise homogenous group of patients. The TCD examinations were carried out in 30 patients in the early phase of stroke with presumed lesions in the middle cerebral artery (MCA) irrigation area. CT of the brain showed ischemic lesions of the MCA region in all patients. Additionally, blood flow velocity (BFV) was measured in posterior cerebral artery (PCA), anterior cerebral artery (ACA) and carotid siphon (CS) on both skull sides. On the basis of BFV in MCA, the patients could be apparently divided into three groups. In group I MCA the signal was absent. The patients from group 2 showed severely decreased, moderately decreased or nearly normal BFV in MCA. Group 3 consisted of three patients with increased BFV in MCA. In one of them, in whom a high degree of MCA stenosis was confirmed by angiography, BFV in MCA was extremely increased. The results have shown that TCD examinations in patients with acute stroke could provide additional information about vascular lesions, which are relevant to the course and, probably, the prognosis of the disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1463806", "title": "Brain amyloid in Alzheimer's disease--a new experimental model.", "content": "New findings about the amyloid protein in the senile plaque and its precursor are presented. Special emphasis is laid on transgenic mice as a model for studying Alzheimer's disease in laboratory animals."}
{"id": "PMID:1463807", "title": "Cavernous angioma in cavernous sinus: case report of a rare location.", "content": "A case of cavernous angioma situated in the left cavernous sinus is presented. Occasional difficulties in accessing correct preoperative diagnosis with computerized tomography and angiography were encountered. Intraoperative relationships of neural and vascular structures of the cavernous sinus and tumor mass are described. An \"en mass\" extirpation was achieved without further neurological damage. A possible origin of cavernous angioma from the 6th cranial nerve is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1463808", "title": "A hundred years of lumbar puncture.", "content": "In the years 1991 and 1992 the 100th anniversary of the announcement of the lumbar puncture method (1891) and 150th anniversary of the birth of its inventor Heinrich Irenaeus Quincke (1842) are celebrated. In the article a short review is given of the development of this method."}
{"id": "PMID:1463809", "title": "On the generation of form by the continuous interactions between cells and their extracellular matrix.", "content": "The central issue of this essay is the problem of how multicellular organisms develop and maintain the complex architecture and intricate shape of tissues and organs. The concepts pattern formation, morphogenesis and differentiation are defined and discussed suggesting a distinction between processes that underlie uniformity (e.g. basic body plans) and those underlying inter- and intra-species variation. The initial stage of limb bone development--the formation of the mesenchymal condensation--is described in detail. On the basis of these data and many additional example from other developmental systems, the central role of continuous cell-ECM interactions in the generation of form is deduced. Evidence is provided as to the leading role of the mesenchymal-fibroblast-like cells in sculpturing tissue and organ architecture. It is proposed that a group of cells within their ECM, rather than the single cell, is the functional unit relevant to the generation of form. The continuous cell-ECM interactions lead to the generation of form not by a detailed obligate pathway, but rather by a process of 'selective stabilization' (Kirschner & Mitchison, 1986), i.e. a gradual organization into more stable structures, where existing structural configuration serve to increase the likelihood of certain configurations and reduce that of others. Data are quoted to support the notion that even cell division does not erase all the structural information imprinted in the cell. The role of the metazoan genome in morphogenesis is discussed in the light of the process of selective stabilization."}
{"id": "PMID:1463810", "title": "Life history and bioeconomy of the house mouse.", "content": "1. More is known about the western European house mouse, Mus (musculus) domesticus than any other non-human mammal. If laboratory and field information is combined, an extremely valuable understanding of the species' bioeconomy could be obtained. 2. The seven stages of mouse life-history are surveyed (up to birth, nest life, sex life, social structure, population statics and stability, senescence, and death), and the interactions between the changing phenotype and the environment are described. 3. These interactions can be used to build up a model of the opportunities and compromises which result in the fitness of individual mice. It is not yet possible to quantify such a model, but this should in principle be achievable."}
{"id": "PMID:1463811", "title": "The evolution of eutherian spermatozoa and underlying selective forces: female selection and sperm competition.", "content": "We have examined sperm morphology and dimensions in Eutherian mammals. In most Eutherians, sperm heads are round or oval and spermatozoa have short tails (average sperm length about 65 microns; range = 33-121 microns). Rodents, however, clearly depart from the typical Eutherian pattern in that they show a broad array of head morphs and an extreme range of sperm dimensions (35-250 microns). In order to trace the evolutionary changes that rodent sperm have undergone, we have used phylogenetic relationships based on biogeographical, morphological, chromosomal and genic data, and we have superimposed onto them the information available on sperm traits. Analyses were carried out for five rodent groups on which enough information was available. The evolutionary trends which emerged from these studies have two main points in common: throughout evolution spermatozoa have become enlarged and morphologically more complex, and this process seems to have taken place independently in different lineages. A general model was developed which outlines the different evolutionary pathways that rodent sperm have undergone. The adaptive significance of the increase in head complexity and the elongation of the sperm tail remains obscure. We have integrated information from evolutionary, physiological and behavioural studies to address this issue. We argue that two main selective forces may have favoured these changes: female selection within the reproductive tract and sperm competition. The female tract represents a formidable barrier for spermatozoa and its provides an environment where numerous interactions take place. The extent of these barriers and the complexity of these poorly understood interactions suggest that females may be exercising a strong selection, which may enable them to favour particular types of spermatozoa or ejaculates from particular males. Throughout their evolution males must have evolved adaptations to overcome these barriers, and the conflicting interests of choosy females. Sperm competition is a potent evolutionary force among mammals, which has influenced not only the evolution of sperm numbers but also changes in sperm dimensions. Thus, sperm competition has favoured the elongation of the sperm tail, which has led to the attainment of faster swimming speed, an important factor when sperm from rival males compete to reach the ova first."}
{"id": "PMID:1463821", "title": "Light regulation of protein synthesis factor EF-G in pea chloroplasts.", "content": "The activity of pea chloroplast elongation factor G (EF-G), a nuclear-coded protein required for the elongation cycle of chloroplast protein synthesis, is regulated in response to light. In pea seedlings germinated and grown under continuous white or red light, EF-G specific activity reaches a maximum between days 10 to 15, and then decreases. EF-G activity is almost undetectable in extracts from dark-grown seedlings. When 13-day dark-grown pea seedlings are transferred to light, EF-G specific activity reaches a higher value after 2 to 3 days than observed in seedlings grown under continuous light. The small and large subunits of ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase continue to accumulate after EF-G specific activity has reached maximum levels. Cytoplasmically synthesized components of the chloroplast protein synthetic apparatus, such as EF-G, may help coordinate cytoplasmic and nuclear events with chloroplast gene expression during light-induced chloroplast differentiation."}
{"id": "PMID:1463822", "title": "An mRNA that specifically accumulates in maize roots delineates a novel subset of developing cortical cells.", "content": "A near full-length cDNA clone (pZRP3) corresponding to an mRNA that accumulates specifically in roots of maize was isolated. The ZRP3 mRNA is ca. 600 nucleotides in length. The amino acid sequence of the predicted polypeptide is rich in leucine (16%), proline (11%), and cysteine (8.5%). The zrp3 gene appears to be expressed exclusively in roots, whereas other ZRP3-related genes are expressed in additional organs of the maize plant. In situ hybridization shows that ZRP3 mRNA accumulation is largely confined to the cells of the cortical ground meristem. Furthermore, accumulation of this mRNA occurs within a distinct subset of cortical cells, the inner three to four cell layers."}
{"id": "PMID:1463823", "title": "RNP-T, a ribonucleoprotein from Arabidopsis thaliana, contains two RNP-80 motifs and a novel acidic repeat arranged in an alpha-helix conformation.", "content": "We have isolated a 1148 bp long cDNA clone encoding an RNA-binding protein in Arabidopsis. Several partial cDNA clones were isolated by screening an Arabidopsis lambda gt11 expression library for the binding of DNA. One of these clones was used as a probe to isolate a full-length clone. The 329 amino acid protein, termed RNP-T, contains in its carboxy terminus two adjacent RNP-80 motifs, a previously described 80 amino acid long conserved putative RNA-binding domain. Each RNP-80 motif includes both consensus short sequences, RNP1 and RNP2, which are separated by 33 amino acids. We have identified an acidic domain of 54 amino acids, which is located amino-terminal to the RNP-80 motifs. Seven tandem repeats of a hexamer are present within this domain. This acidic domain has a potential alpha-helix conformation. We propose that the acidic patch might play a role in protein-protein interaction."}
{"id": "PMID:1463824", "title": "Analysis of the gibberellin-responsive promoter of a cathepsin B-like gene from wheat.", "content": "A wheat gene (A121) encoding a protein with sequence similarity to mammalian cathepsin B is regulated by gibberellic acid (GA) in aleurone layers of germinating grains. To analyse the mechanism of A121 regulation, its promoter was fused to the beta-glucuronidase reporter gene (GUS) and introduced by micro-projectile bombardment into aleurone layers of oat. With 2.3 kb of promoter sequence, the GUS expression was enhanced by GA treatment. This effect was reversed by abscisic acid (ABA). This result showed for A121, like the alpha-amylase genes, that the regulation by GA and ABA was at the level of transcription. The GA responsiveness of the promoter was retained with as little as 276 bp of promoter sequence. Sequence comparison with a GA responsive promoter of an alpha-amylase gene identified the conserved element GCAACGGCAACGATGG which is required intact for full expression of both promoters. However, there was no identifiable similarity in the cathepsin-like promoter with the GA-responsive element of alpha-amylase promoters with the consensus sequence TAACAAA, suggesting that GA affects more than one mechanism of transcriptional control."}
{"id": "PMID:1463825", "title": "Structure and expression of the lignin O-methyltransferase gene from Zea mays L.", "content": "The isolation and characterization of cDNA and homologous genomic clones encoding the lignin O-methyltransferase (OMT) from maize is reported. The cDNA clone has been isolated by differential screening of maize root cDNA library. Southern analysis indicates that a single gene codes for this protein. The genomic sequence contains a single 916 bp intron. The deduced protein sequence from DNA shares significant homology with the recently reported lignin-bispecific caffeic acid/5-hydroxyferulic OMTs from alfalfa and aspen. It also shares homology with OMTs from bovine pineal glands and a purple non-sulfur photosynthetic bacterium. The mRNA of this gene is present at different levels in distinct organs of the plant with the highest accumulation detected in the elongation zone of roots. Bacterial extracts from clones containing the maize OMT cDNA show an activity in methylation of caffeic acid to ferulic acid comparable to that existing in the plant extracts. These results indicate that the described gene encodes the caffeic acid 3-O-methyltransferase (COMT) involved in the lignin bio-synthesis of maize."}
{"id": "PMID:1463826", "title": "The tRNA(Tyr) multigene family of Nicotiana rustica: genome organization, sequence analyses and expression in vitro.", "content": "Tobacco tRNA(Tyr) genes are mainly organized as a dispersed multigene family as shown by hybridization with a tRNA(Tyr)-specific probe to Southern blots of Eco RI-digested DNA. A Nicotiana genomic library was prepared by Eco RI digestion of nuclear DNA, ligation of the fragments into the vector lambda gtWES.lambda B and in vitro packaging. The phage library was screened with a 5'-labelled synthetic oligonucleotide complementary to nucleotides 18 to 37 of cytoplasmic tobacco tRNA(Tyr). Eleven hybridizing Eco RI fragments ranging in size from 1.7 to 7.5 kb were isolated from recombinant lambda phage and subcloned into pUC19 plasmid. Four of the sequenced tRNA(Tyr) genes code for the known tobacco tRNA1(Tyr) (G psi A) and seven code for tRNA2(Tyr) (G psi A). The two tRNA species differ in one nucleotide pair at the basis of the T psi C stem. Only one tRNA(Tyr) gene (pNtY5) contains a point mutation (T54-->A54). Comparison of the intervening sequences reveals that they differ considerably in length and sequence. Maturation of intron-containing pre-tRNAs was studied in HeLa and wheat germ extracts. All pre-tRNAs(Tyr)--with one exception--are processed and spliced in both extracts. The tRNA(Tyr) gene encoded by pNtY5 is transcribed efficiently in HeLa extract but processing of the pre-tRNA is impaired."}
{"id": "PMID:1463827", "title": "Cloning of ndhK from soybean chloroplasts using antibodies raised to mitochondrial complex I.", "content": "A soybean shoot cDNA expression library was screened with polyclonal antibodies raised against red beet complex I and several clones were identified. One clone, consisting of a 1 kb insert, was fully sequenced. The sequence of 1025 bp was found to contain two extended open reading frames and the proteins encoded were identified as the ndhK and ndhJ products of the chloroplast genome. Nuclear, mitochondrial and chloroplast DNA was isolated and probed with a ndhK-specific probe. The chloroplast DNA contained a single copy of the cloned insert. With nuclear DNA, positively hybridising bands of 1.2, 2.7 and 3.2 kb were observed indicating that at least one gene homologous to ndhK of the chloroplast genome, is also present in the nucleus. The mitochondrial DNA did not hybridise with the ndhK probe. Western analysis of thylakoid proteins with the mitochondrial complex I antibodies revealed several bands. It is suggested that soybean contains two copies of the ndhK gene, one, on the plastid genome, coding for a subunit of a chloroplast NAD(P)H dehydrogenase, and the other, in the nucleus, coding for a subunit of mitochondrial complex I."}
{"id": "PMID:1463828", "title": "Protein-binding to reiterated motifs within the wheat rRNA gene promoter and upstream repeats.", "content": "The binding of specific proteins in wheat nuclear extracts to the -34 to +10 region of the wheat ribosomal RNA gene promoter has been detected. DNase I footprinting revealed two binding regions, one spanning the transcription initiation site from -7 to +2, and a larger one further upstream from around -29 to -15. An oligonucleotide made to the -30 to -14 promoter region binds a protein in a sequence-specific manner. This protein also binds specifically to sites with related sequences further upstream in the promoter and in the associated intergenic spacer repeats. A consensus sequence, CATGG--GC-AAAAC, was defined from the different binding sites of the protein. These results, taken together with in vivo results on the enhanced activity of nucleoli containing ribosomal RNA genes with more intergenic spacer repeats, endorse the hypothesis that ribosomal RNA gene transcription is regulated by the extent of binding of a protein to many sites upstream of the transcriptional start site."}
{"id": "PMID:1463829", "title": "Translation controls the expression level of a chimaeric reporter gene.", "content": "Transcriptional and translational fusions between the reading frame of the beta-D-glucuronidase gene (gusA) and the 2' as well as the 1' promoter of mannopine synthase (mas), a TR locus of Agrobacterium tumefaciens, were made. The expression of these constructs was studied in the transgenic F1 offspring of independent tobacco transformants at the protein level by assaying for GUS activity and western blot analysis of the GUS protein and at the steady-state mRNA level. In leaves, stems and roots no correlation was found between steady-state levels of GUS mRNA and enzyme activity. In older tissues significantly higher GUS activities were found. This is explained by the stable character of the GUS protein together with an accumulation of protein upon ageing. Three to ten times higher GUS activities were found for in vitro grown plants than for greenhouse-grown plants of the same offspring, despite similar levels of GUS mRNA. Roots from in vitro grown plants display three to ten times higher GUS activities than stems and leaves. In transgenic plants grown in vitro, containing a translational fusion with two AUGs in phase, the initiation of translation in leaf material occurred at both AUGs. Initiation of translation at the first AUG, however, was ten times more frequent. In contrast, initiation in roots from in vitro grown plants occurred exclusively at the second AUG."}
{"id": "PMID:1463830", "title": "Characterization of nucleotide sequences that interact with a nuclear protein fraction in rRNA gene of Vicia faba.", "content": "A certain nucleotide sequence in the promoter region of Vicia faba rRNA genes that specifically binds to a nuclear protein fraction has been identified by using a gel retardation assay and DNase I footprinting technique. The binding site of this protein fraction is located about 60 bp upstream from the initiation site of the pre-rRNA transcript. This location does not correspond with previously reported results on maize rRNA genes. However, both of the binding sites share a bi-partite consensus sequence, TAT-G(N)xCAGG. Methylation interference experiments show that two G residues in TATG and the complementary strand of CAGG are important for specific DNA-protein interaction. Furthermore, competition analyses using point-mutated synthetic DNAs show that two G residues in CAGG are essential for this interaction. Similar sequences are found in promoter regions of other plant and animal rRNA genes. We suggest that these sequences may be a cis-control element commonly involved in rRNA transcription."}
{"id": "PMID:1463831", "title": "The expression of a rab-related gene, rab18, is induced by abscisic acid during the cold acclimation process of Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh.", "content": "We have isolated a rab-related (responsive to ABA) gene, rab18 from Arabidopsis thaliana. The gene encodes a hydrophilic, glycine-rich protein (18.5 kDa), which contains the conserved serine- and lysine-rich domains characteristic of similar RAB proteins in other plant species. The rab18 mRNA accumulates in plants exposed to low temperature, water stress or exogenous ABA but not in plants subjected to heat shock. This stress-related accumulation of the rab18 mRNA is markedly decreased in the ABA-synthesis mutant aba-1, the ABA-response mutant abi-1 or in wild-type plants treated with the carotenoid synthesis inhibitor, fluridone. Exogenous ABA treatment can induce the rab18 mRNA in the aba-1 mutant but not in the abi-1 mutant. These results provide direct genetic evidence for the ABA-dependent regulation of the rab18 gene in A. thaliana."}
{"id": "PMID:1463833", "title": "Rhizobial lipo-oligosaccharides: answers and questions.", "content": "Rhizobium bacteria produce certain lipo-oligosaccharides (modified chitin oligomers) after induction of nodulation (nod) gene transcription by the host plant. The function of the rhizobial nod genes in the biosynthesis of these lipo-oligosaccharides, focusing on their host specific aspects, is discussed. The lipo-oligosaccharides can elicit various responses in the host plants, like the formation of pre-infection threads and nodule meristems. Speculating on their function in plant morphogenesis the question is raised: do the rhizobial lipo-oligosaccharides resemble unknown plant signal molecules?"}
{"id": "PMID:1463834", "title": "Presence of an N-terminal presequence in the PsaI protein of the photosystem I complex in the filamentous cyanobacterium Anabaena variabilis ATCC 29413.", "content": "The psaI gene encoding the 5.2 kDa protein component (PsaI) of the photosystem I complex was cloned from the cyanobacterium Anabaena 29413. The gene is present in single copy in this cyanobacterial genome. The nucleotide sequence of a 500 bp region of the cloned DNA revealed the presence of an open reading frame encoding a 46 amino acid long polypeptide. The N-terminal 11 residues are absent in the mature polypeptide and thus represents the first identified cleavable presequence on the PsaI protein. We suggest that this presequence directs the N-terminus of the protein to the thylakoid lumen."}
{"id": "PMID:1463835", "title": "Identification of a second psaC gene in the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC6803.", "content": "The psaC gene encodes the 9 kDa protein subunit of photosystem I that carries the iron-sulfur centers FA and FB. The paper describes the sequence and transcription analysis of a second psaC gene (psaC2) from Synechocystis sp. PCC6803. ThepsaC2 gene is transcribed into an abundant monocistronic mRNA. The deduced amino acid sequence of PSI-C2 is very similar to the protein sequences from two other cyanobacteria (Synechococcus sp. PCC7002 and Nostoc sp. PCC8009). In contrast, the recently isolated psaC1 gene is not transcribed and the PSI-C1 amino acid sequence shows the highest similarity to the proteins from higher plants."}
{"id": "PMID:1463836", "title": "Molecular cloning of a novel phytochrome gene of the moss Ceratodon purpureus which encodes a putative light-regulated protein kinase.", "content": "The phytochrome gene (phyCer) of the moss Ceratodon purpureus was isolated and characterized. phyCer is composed of three coding exons: exon I of 2035 bp, exon II of 300 bp and exon III of 1574 bp. The deduced polypeptide encoded by exon I and II exhibits substantial sequence homology to the conserved NH2-terminal chromophore domain of known phytochromes. In contrast, the COOH-terminal polypeptide encoded by exon III shows no sequence homology to any phytochrome molecule. phyCer most likely represents a single-copy gene and is expressed in a light-independent manner. From the DNA sequence analysis it can be deduced that the PhyCer polypeptide is composed of 1303 amino acids (including the starting Met) which predicts a molecular mass for PhyCer of 145 kDa. The polypeptide encoded in exon III exhibits striking homology within the 300 carboxy-terminal amino acids to the catalytic domain of protein kinases. The carboxy terminus of PhyCer was found to be most homologous to protein-tyrosine kinases of Dictyostelium discoideum and to the products of retroviral oncogenes which belong to the Raf-Mos serine/threonine kinase family. From the hydropathy profile PhyCer appears to be a soluble protein. The predicted structure suggests that PhyCer represents a soluble light-sensor protein kinase which is linked with a cellular phosphorylating cascade."}
{"id": "PMID:1463837", "title": "Expression of the pea metallothionein-like gene PsMTA in Escherichia coli and Arabidopsis thaliana and analysis of trace metal ion accumulation: implications for PsMTA function.", "content": "The PsMTA gene from pea (Pisum sativum) shares similarity with metallothionein (MT) genes and related sequences have also been isolated from a number of other higher-plant species. The proteins encoded by these genes have not yet been purified from plants and their functions remain unclear although, by analogy to MT, roles in the metabolism and detoxification of metal ions have been proposed. By contrast, correlation between transcript abundance and Fe availability has led to an alternative proposal that these genes are involved in mechanisms of Fe efficiency. Phenotypic effects of constitutive PsMTA expression were examined in Escherichia coli and Arabidopsis thaliana. Copper accumulation by E. coli cells expressing recombinant PsMTA protein was approximately 8-fold greater than in control cells. No significant effects on the accumulation of Zn or Cd were detected. In segregating A. thaliana progeny, derived from a transgenic F1 parent containing the PsMTA gene under the control of a CaMV 35S promoter, 75% of individuals accumulated more Cu (several-fold in some plants) than untransformed, control plants. These data suggest that PsMTA protein binds Cu in planta and that uncoupled (constitutive) expression of the PsMTA gene causes enhanced Cu accumulation. Roots of P. sativum plants grown under conditions of low Fe availability showed elevated activity of root surface Fe(III) reductase and accumulated more Cu than roots of plants grown in an Fe-supplemented solution. Changes in the expression of MT-like genes, coincident with changes in Fe availability, are consistent with a role in Cu homoeostasis."}
{"id": "PMID:1463838", "title": "Glyphosate tolerance of cultured Corydalis sempervirens cells is acquired by an increased rate of transcription of 5-enolpyruvylshikimate 3-phosphate synthase as well as by a reduced turnover of the enzyme.", "content": "Cell cultures of Corydalis sempervirens, tolerant to the herbicide glyphosate, have a 30-40-fold increased level of the herbicide's target enzyme 5-enolpyruvylshikimate 3-phosphate (EPSP) synthase, a ten-fold enhanced level of the corresponding mRNA but no amplification of the gene (Holl\u00e4nder-Czytko et al., Plant Mol Biol 11 (1988) 215-220). The increase at the transcriptional level is due to a higher rate of transcription of the gene, which was observed in run-off transcription assays with isolated nuclei. The further amplification at the protein level is the result of stabilization of the enzyme by the herbicide. In the presence of glyphosate the half-life of EPSP synthase was doubled leading to higher levels of both protein and enzyme activity. Overproduction of the enzyme in adapted cultures is stable at the transcriptional level, as cells from adapted cultures grown in the absence of glyphosate for three years still display an about ten-fold higher enzyme activity and transcript level than non-adapted cultures."}
{"id": "PMID:1463839", "title": "Factors influencing Agrobacterium-mediated transient expression of gusA in rice.", "content": "Transient expression of GUS in rice (Oryza sativa L.) mediated by Agrobacterium tumefaciens was characterized using binary vectors containing gusA genes that express minimal (pKIWI105 and pCNL1) or no (p35S-GUS-INT and pCNL56) GUS activity in bacteria. Four-day old seedlings obtained from seeds or immature embryos of rice were cut into shoot, root, and seed remnants and inoculated with various strains of A. tumefaciens. Transient GUS expression events were quantitated histochemically by determining the frequency of explants exhibiting blue spots indicative of GUS at four to six days after cocultivation with A. tumefaciens. A. tumefaciens strains that did not contain the gusA gene (At643) or a Ti-plasmid (At563 and At657) did not elicit any blue staining characteristic of GUS activity. Several parameters were important in obtaining efficient transient expression of GUS in rice mediated by A. tumefaciens. The growth regulator 2,4-D inhibited GUS expression if present during the seed germination period, but the presence of 6 mg/l 2,4-D during cocultivation of the explants with A. tumefaciens slightly enhanced GUS expression efficiency. All 21 rice cultivars tested expressed GUS after co-cultivation with A. tumefaciens. The GUS expression frequency was highest amongst the indica cultivars. The frequencies of GUS expression in japonica cultivars and in Oryza glaberrima cultivars (grown primarily in Africa) were generally one-half to one-third the level found for indica varieties. Leaf explants were more susceptible to A. tumefaciens-facilitated GUS expression than were roots or seed remnants. The vir genes of an agropine-type Ti-plasmid of A. tumefaciens were most effective in directing transient GUS expression in rice, whereas those of a nopaline-type and an octopine-type plasmid were less effective. We have also found that the frequency of transient expression of GUS was higher with pBIN19 as the precursor cloning vector than with pEND4K as the precursor cloning vector. Reasons for differences in effectiveness of these binary vectors are discussed. Using the conditions described here, A. tumefaciens-mediated frequencies of transient GUS expression in four-day old shoots of several rice cultivars were routinely in excess of 50%."}
{"id": "PMID:1463840", "title": "Mutational analysis of pea lectin. Substitution of Asn125 for Asp in the monosaccharide-binding site eliminates mannose/glucose-binding activity.", "content": "As part of a strategy to determine the precise role of pea (Pisum sativum) lectin, Psl, in nodulation of pea by Rhizobium leguminosarum, mutations were introduced into the genetic determinant for pea lectin by site-directed mutagenesis using PCR. Introduction of a specific mutation, N125D, into a central area of the sugar-binding site resulted in complete loss of binding of Psl to dextran as well as of mannose/glucose-sensitive haemagglutination activity. As a control, substitution of an adjacent residue, A126V, did not have any detectable influence on sugar-binding activity. Both mutants appeared to represent normal Psl dimers with a molecular mass of about 55 kDa, in which binding of Ca2+ and Mn2+ ions was not affected. These results demonstrate that the NHD2 group of Asn125 is essential in sugar binding by Psl. To our knowledge, Psl N125D is the first mutant legume lectin which is unable to bind sugar residues. This mutant could be useful in the identification of the potential role of the lectin in the recognition of homologous symbionts."}
{"id": "PMID:1463841", "title": "Seed-specific repression of GUS activity in tobacco plants by antisense RNA.", "content": "beta-Conglycinin, the 7S storage protein of soybean, is expressed only in seeds and is regulated predominantly by gene transcription [5]. We applied an antisense strategy to modify expression of a beta-glucuronidase (uidA or gusA) gene in seeds using a promoter from a beta-conglycinin gene. Transgenic tobacco plants harboring the gusA gene under the control of the CaMV 35S promoter were retransformed with a gene construct comprising the beta-conglycinin promoter fused to the gusA gene in the antisense orientation. Double transformants were regenerated and transformation was confirmed by Southern blot hybridization. Seed-specific repression of GUS activity was observed in lines containing high copy numbers of the antisense gusA transgene. Suppression of GUS activity was correlated with the amounts of (-) sense gusA transcript detected and concomitantly with a decrease in gusA transcript levels. Furthermore, the amount of suppression of GUS activity was greatest during mid to late stages of seed development, when expression of the alpha' promoter is high. These results indicate that suppression of GUS activity is due to expression of the antisense gene."}
{"id": "PMID:1463842", "title": "Multiple copies of virG enhance the transient transformation of celery, carrot and rice tissues by Agrobacterium tumefaciens.", "content": "In an effort to improve the T-DNA-mediated transformation frequency of economically important crops, we investigated the possible enhancement effect of multiple copies of virG genes contained in Agrobacterium tumefaciens strains upon the transient transformation of celery, carrot and rice tissues. Four days after A. tumefaciens infection, we performed histochemical beta-glucuronidase (GUS) assays to determine the frequency of transient transformation of calli from celery and carrot, and explants from rice and celery. Additional copies of octopine- and agropine-type virG genes in A. tumefaciens strains containing an agropine-type Ti-plasmid enhanced the frequency of transient transformation of celery and rice. This enhancement ranged from 25% to five-fold, depending upon the source of the virG gene and the plant tissues inoculated. For both rice and celery, we observed a greater enhancement of transformation using A. tumefaciens strains containing additional copies of an octopine-type virG gene than with strains harboring additional copies of an agropine-type virG gene. Multiple copies of virG genes contained in A. tumefaciens strains harboring a nopaline-type Ti-plasmid had a smaller enhancing effect upon the transformation of celery tissues, and no enhancing effect upon the transformation of rice. In contrast, we obtained a three-fold increase in the transient transformation frequency of carrot calli using an A. tumefaciens strain harboring a nopaline-type Ti-plasmid and additional copies of an octopine-type virG gene. Our results show that multiple copies of virG in A. tumefaciens can greatly enhance the transient transformation frequency of celery, carrot and rice tissues, and that this enhancement is influenced by both the type of Ti-plasmid harbored by A. tumefaciens and by the infected plant species."}
{"id": "PMID:1463843", "title": "Nucleosomal structure and histone H1 subfractional composition of pea (Pisum sativum) root nodules, radicles and callus chromatin.", "content": "Higher-order packaging of DNA in chromatin structures could be an essential step in the complex chain of events leading to activation/repression of eukaryotic gene expression. With the goal to investigate this aspect of transcriptional regulation of plant genes involved in symbiotic interactions between legumes and rhizobia we analyze here the molecular parameters of chromatin structure in functioning root nodules, callus and radicles of pea. Morphological intactness and the typical nucleosomal organization are preserved in purified nuclei isolated from all three sources. The calculated values of nucleosomal repeat changed from 185 +/- 5 bp in the nuclei of radicles to 168 +/- 5 bp and 195 +/- 6 bp in nodules and callus respectively. The observed changes are due to alterations in linker DNA lengths. The core histones are identical in all cases, but the subfractional composition of H1 linker histone is subjected to quantitative alterations. The most pronounced is the several-fold increase in content of the lowest-molecular-weight subfraction H1-6 which takes place during nodule development."}
{"id": "PMID:1463844", "title": "Cloning and transcription analysis of the ndh(A-I-G-E) gene cluster and the ndhD gene of the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC6803.", "content": "The plastid DNA of higher plants contains eleven reading frames that are homologous to subunits of the mitochondrial NADH-ubiquinone oxidoreductase (complex I). The genes are expressed, but a plastid NAD(P)H dehydrogenase has not yet been isolated and the function of the enzyme in plastid metabolism is unknown. Cyanobacteria also contain a NADH dehydrogenase that is homologous to the mitochondrial complex I. The enzyme is sensitive to rotenone and is located on the cytoplasmic and the thylakoid membrane. We report here the sequence of five subunits (ndhA, -I, G, -E and -D) of the NADH dehydrogenase from the unicellular cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC6803. As in plastid DNA, the genes ndh(A-I-G-E) are clustered and probably constitute an operon. The ndhD gene is associated with a gene encoding an iron-sulphur protein of photosystem I (psaC) as in plastid DNA. In contrast to the situation in plastids, psaC and ndhD are not cotranscribed but transcribed from opposite strands. The deduced amino acid sequence of the cyanobacterial polypeptides is more similar to the corresponding plastid (40-68% identity) than to the corresponding mitochondrial subunits (17-39% identity). Thus, the cyanobacterial NADH-dehydrogenase provides a prokaryotic model system which is more suitable to genetic analysis than the enzyme of plastids."}
{"id": "PMID:1463845", "title": "Adenine depurination and inactivation of plant ribosomes by an antiviral protein of Mirabilis jalapa (MAP).", "content": "Mirabilis antiviral protein (MAP) is a single-chain ribosome-inactivating protein (RIP) isolated from Mirabilis jalapa L. It depurinates the 28S-like rRNAs of prokaryotes and eukaryotes. A specific modification in the 25S rRNA of M. jalapa was found to occur during isolation of ribosomes by polyacrylamide/agarose composite gel electrophoresis. Primer extension analysis revealed the modification site to be at the adenine residue corresponding to A4324 in rat 28S rRNA. The amount of endogenous MAP seemed to be sufficient to inactivate most of the homologous ribosomes. The adenine of wheat ribosomes was also found to be removed to some extent by an endogenous RIP (tritin). However, the amount of endogenous tritin seemed to be insufficient for quantitative depurination of the homologous ribosomes. Endogenous MAP could shut down the protein synthesis of its own cells when it spreads into the cytoplasm through breaks of the cells. Therefore, we speculate that MAP is a defensive agent to induce viral resistance through the suicide of its own cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1463846", "title": "RNase X2, a pistil-specific ribonuclease from Petunia inflata, shares sequence similarity with solanaceous S proteins.", "content": "Petunia inflata, a species with gametophytic self-incompatibility, has previously been found to contain a large number of ribonucleases in the pistil. The best characterized of the pistil ribonucleases are the products of the S alleles, the S proteins, which are thought to be involved in self-incompatibility interactions. Here we report the characterization of a gene encoding another pistil ribonuclease of P. inflata, RNase X2. Degenerate oligonucleotides, synthesized based on the amino-terminal sequence of RNase X2, were used as probes to isolate cDNA clones, one of which was in turn used as a probe to isolate genomic clones containing the gene for RNase X2, rnx2. The deduced amino acid sequence of RNase X2 shows 42% to 71% identity to the 20 solanaceous S proteins reported so far, with the highest degree of similarity being to S3 and S6 proteins of Nicotiana alata. The cDNA sequence predicts a leader peptide of 22 amino acids, suggesting that RNase X2, like S proteins, is an extracellular ribonuclease. Also, similar to the S gene, rnx2 is expressed only in the pistil, and contains a single intron comparable in size and identical in location to that of the S gene. However, rnx2 is not linked to the S locus, and, in contrast to the highly polymorphic S gene, it is monomorphic. The possible biological function of RNase X2 is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1463847", "title": "Arabidopsis thaliana carbonic anhydrase: cDNA sequence and effect of CO2 on mRNA levels.", "content": "A full-length cDNA clone encoding carbonic anhydrase was isolated from an Arabidopsis thaliana (Columbia) leaf library. Comparison of the derived amino acid sequence obtained from this clone with those of pea and spinach reveals a considerable degree of identity. The carbonic anhydrase cDNA was used to probe the level of RNA encoding this protein in the leaves of plants grown in elevated CO2 (660 ppm). We have found that under these conditions the steady-state level of carbonic anhydrase mRNA was increased in comparison with control plants grown in normal atmospheric concentrations of CO2 (330 ppm). This raises the intriguing possibility that there exists in higher plants a mechanism for perceiving and responding to changes in environmental CO2 concentrations at the genetic level."}
{"id": "PMID:1463848", "title": "Differential expression of a chimeric CaMV-tomato proteinase Inhibitor I gene in leaves of transformed nightshade, tobacco and alfalfa plants.", "content": "The open reading frame and terminator region of a wound-inducible tomato Inhibitor I gene, regulated by the CaMV 35S promoter, was stably integrated into the genomes of nightshade (Solanum nigrum), tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum), and alfalfa (Medicago sativa), using an Agrobacterium-mediated transformation system. The expression of the foreign Inhibitor I gene in leaves of each species was studied at the mRNA and protein levels. The levels of Inhibitor I protein present in leaves of each species correlated with the levels of mRNA. The average levels of both mRNA and Inhibitor I protein were highest in leaves of transgenic nightshade plants (over 125 micrograms of Inhibitor I per g tissue), less in tobacco plants (about 75 micrograms/g tissue), and lowest in leaves of transgenic alfalfa plants (below 20 micrograms/g tissue). Inhibitor I protein was observed in all tissues throughout transgenic plant species, but inhibitor concentration per gram of tissue was 2-3 times higher in young developing leaf tissues and floral organs. The differences in the expression of the CaMV-tomato Inhibitor I gene among the different plant genera suggests that either the rate of transcription of the foreign gene or the rate of degradation of the nascent Inhibitor I mRNA varies among genera. Using electron microscopy techniques, the newly synthesized pre-pro-Inhibitor I protein was shown to be correctly processed and stored as a mature Inhibitor I protein within the central vacuoles of leaves of transgenic nightshade and alfalfa. The results of these experiments suggest that maximal expression of foreign proteinase inhibitor genes, and perhaps other foreign defense genes, may require gene constructs that are fashioned with promoters and terminators that allow maximum expression in the selected plant species."}
{"id": "PMID:1463849", "title": "A DNA polymerase from maize axes: its purification and possible role.", "content": "Three different DNA polymerase activities can be resolved by passing a protein extract from 24 h imbibed maize axes through DEAE-cellulose. These activities have been numbered 1, 2 and 3, according to their elution order. One of them, DNA polymerase 2, elutes at 100-120 mM phosphates. This enzyme was further purified by passing it through Heparin-Sepharose, Sephacryl S-300 and DNA cellulose. Purification was nearly 5000-fold. The enzyme needs Mg2+, is stimulated by K+, has an optimum pH of 7.0 and its optimum temperature is 30-37 degrees C. Specific inhibitors for different types of polymerases, such as aphidicolin, dideoxythymidine triphosphate and N-ethyl maleimide, gave intermediate values of inhibition, making impossible the definition of the type of enzyme purified by its inhibitory pattern. SDS-PAGE indicated the presence of several bands of molecular masses of 28-40, 56 and 15 kDa. Most of these bands could be visualized when proteins from crude extracts were analyzed by western blot, using an antibody against calf thymus DNA polymerase alpha. A high molecular mass (around 500 kDa) was calculated by western blot of native gels using the same antibody. Finally, specific activity of this enzyme increased 100-fold during maize germination whereas polymerase 3 virtually did not increase. Furthermore, immunoprecipitation experiments with the antipolymerase alpha-antibody showed a decrease in DNA polymerase activity by 70%. The possibility that polymerase 2 is a replicative enzyme is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1463850", "title": "Mitochondrial rps14 is a transcribed and edited pseudogene in Arabidopsis thaliana.", "content": "We have isolated and analysed a 2 kb region of the mitochondrial genome of Arabidopsis thaliana (Columbia) showing a high level of nucleotide identity with the mitochondrial (mt) rps14 small-subunit ribosomal protein gene from Oenothera berteriana and Vicia faba, as well as with an open reading frame (ORF) located upstream of the nad3 locus in O. berteriana. The rps14 locus is present as a single copy in the A. thaliana mt genome and has a translational stop codon located near the initiation codon, as well as a deletion of one nucleotide that disturbs the coding sequence. The cloning and sequencing of nine amplified mt rps14 cDNAs clearly demonstrated that this gene is transcribed and that the mRNA precursors are edited at three positions, all involving C-to-U conversions. No editing events changing the stop codon and restoring the correct coding sequence were witnessed within the 9 individual cDNA clones. Therefore, we conclude that the single rps14 sequence of the mitochondrial genome from A. thaliana is in fact a pseudogene that is transcribed and edited but not translated."}
{"id": "PMID:1463851", "title": "Analysis of differential accumulation of winged bean Kunitz chymotrypsin inhibitor mRNA species by a sequence-specific termination method.", "content": "Winged bean Kunitz chymotrypsin inhibitor (WCI) is encoded by a multigene family and accumulation of its mRNA is restricted in mid-maturation stage seeds and tuberous roots. In this paper, we analyzed the accumulation of mRNA derived from each WCI gene using a novel method: sequence-specific termination analysis. The results demonstrated that the accumulation of each WCI mRNA was differentially regulated in winged bean plants."}
{"id": "PMID:1463852", "title": "Primary structure of the Synechococcus PCC 7942 PAPS reductase gene.", "content": "The structural gene encoding a thioredoxin-dependent 5'-phosphoadenylyl sulphate (PAPS) reductase (EC 1.8.4.-) from cyanobacterium Synechococcus PCC 7942 ('Anacystis nidulans') was detected by heterologous hybridization with the cysH gene from Escherichia coli K12. The cyanobacterial gene (further called par gene) comprised 696 nt which are 57.8% homologous to the enterobacterial gene. The putative open reading frame encoded a polypeptide consisting of 232 amino acid residues (deduced molecular weight 26,635) which showed significant homologies to the polypeptide from E. coli (50.8%) and to the polypeptide from Saccharomyces cerevisiae (30.3%). A single cysteine located at the C-terminus of the polypeptide of E. coli (Cys239) was conserved in Synechococcus. Conservation of this cysteinyl residue seems indispensable for catalysis. Complementation of a cysH-deficient mutant of E. coli by the cyanobacterial gene indicated that the cloned DNA is the structural gene of the PAPS reductase."}
{"id": "PMID:1463853", "title": "The psbL gene from bell pepper (Capsicum annuum): plastid RNA editing also occurs in non-photosynthetic chromoplasts.", "content": "We have determined the nucleotide sequence of the plastid psbL gene from bell pepper. This gene has an ACG as a first codon. Isolation of RNA from pepper leaves and ripe fruits and subsequent sequencing of the psbL cDNA revealed that this ACG codon is post-transcriptionally edited into an AUG initiation codon in both leaves and fruits. These data indicate that the RNA editing machinery which exists in chloroplasts is still functional in chromoplasts from ripe fruits."}
{"id": "PMID:1463854", "title": "Isolation of genes abundantly expressed in rice anthers at the microspore stage.", "content": "A cDNA library of rice (Oryza sativa L.) has been constructed from anthers at an early stage of pollen development. By differential screening of the library, we have isolated cDNAs of two genes, designated as Osc4 and Osc6, that are abundantly expressed in anthers containing tetrads and uninucleate microspores, but are not expressed in leaves or roots. Expression of Osc4 is absent in mature anthers, while Osc6 is present although the expression decays during pollen maturation. A comparison of the nucleotide and deduced amino acid sequences with those in data banks has not shown significant homology to known molecules."}
{"id": "PMID:1463855", "title": "New plant binary vectors with selectable markers located proximal to the left T-DNA border.", "content": "Five new binary vectors have been constructed which have the following features: (1) different plant selectable markers including neomycin phosphotransferase (nptII), hygromycin phosphotransferase (hpt), dihydrofolate reductase (dhfr), phosphinothricin acetyl transferase (bar), and bleomycin resistance (ble); (2) selectable markers are located near the T-DNA left border and; (3) selectable marker and beta-glucuronidase (uidA) reporter genes are divergently organized for efficient expression, and can easily be removed or replaced as needed."}
{"id": "PMID:1463856", "title": "Nucleotide sequence of an osmotin-like cDNA induced in tomato during viroid infection.", "content": "A cDNA library from tomato planta macho viroid (TPMV)-infected tomato was constructed. The library was screened at low stringency with a tobacco PR-R cDNA probe. An 832 bp cDNA from a mRNA present only in infected tissue was isolated. Nucleotide sequence showed high homology with the osmotin from both tobacco and tomato (NP24). This cDNA probably corresponds to the AP24 and P23 proteins previously described in tomato and induced upon fungal and viroid infection."}
{"id": "PMID:1463857", "title": "A versatile binary vector system with a T-DNA organisational structure conducive to efficient integration of cloned DNA into the plant genome.", "content": "A versatile gene expression cartridge and binary vector system was constructed for use in Agrobacterium-mediated plant transformation. The expression cartridge of the primary cloning vector, pART7, comprises of cauliflower mosaic virus Cabb B-JI isolate 35S promoter, a multiple cloning site and the transcriptional termination region of the octopine synthase gene. The entire cartridge can be removed from pART7 as a Not I fragment and introduced directly into the binary vector, pART27, recombinants being selected by blue/white screening for beta-galactosidase. pART27 carries the RK2 minimal replicon for maintenance in Agrobacterium, the ColE1 origin of replication for high-copy maintenance in Escherichia coli and the Tn7 spectinomycin/streptomycin resistance gene as a bacterial selectable marker. The organisational structure of the T-DNA of pART27 has been constructed taking into account the right to left border, 5' to 3' model of T-DNA transfer. The T-DNA carries the chimaeric kanamycin resistance gene (nopaline synthase promoter-neomycin phosphotransferase-nopaline synthase terminator) distal to the right border relative to the lacZ' region. Utilisation of these vectors in Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of tobacco demonstrated efficient T-DNA transfer to the plant genome."}
{"id": "PMID:1463858", "title": "Detection and temporal appearance of multiple copies of c-erb-B2 genes in advanced mammary carcinoma using fine needle biopsies and the polymerase chain reaction.", "content": "Aspiration of tumor cells by the fine-needle biopsy method yields only a small number of cells, which hampers conventional molecular analysis for the presence of multiple copies of oncogenes. We have therefore adopted the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method to study semi-quantitatively the level of the c-erb-B2 gene in human breast tumor samples. Of 39 patients with mammary carcinoma, 7 (19%) contained multiple copies of c-erb-B2 genes, whereas only two samples failed to give informative data. Next the multiple copies of c-erb-B2 genes, whereas only two samples failed to give informative data. Next the temporal appearance of multiple gene copies was examined in 20 patients with clinical stage IV disease. Tumor samples were obtained every second to third month from the same tumor lesion of each patient. None of the initial samples from each patient contained multiple copies of c-erb-B2. Of 16 patients that showed progressive clinical disease, 5 developed multiple gene copies, showing that the event occurs in clinical stage IV disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1463859", "title": "Chromosome in situ hybridization on formalin-fixed mammary tissue using non-isotopic, non-fluorescent probes: technical considerations and biological implications.", "content": "Fluorescent in situ hybridization techniques have provided an important tool for interphase cytogenetic studies of human neoplasms. However, these techniques are difficult to use on formalin-fixed archival tissue sections. We describe here a non-fluorescent, non-isotopic in situ hybridization (ISH) approach that is easily applicable to paraffin-embedded breast tissue sections. The technical steps that must be monitored and individualized to optimize signal generation and detection are discussed. This ISH technique has several advantages over fluorescent detection methods. The signal obtained can be viewed using an ordinary light microscope and does not fade with time. More importantly, the signal is observed and analyzed in the context of tissue morphology. The technique permits detection of numerical chromosomal abnormalities not only in malignant but also in apparently normal and potentially premalignant mammary tissue. This may allow identification of focal genetic abnormalities as well as field-defects and enable analysis of their evolution during the multistep transformation to mammary neoplasm. This technique is also suitable for analysis of tumor heterogeneity and the correlation of numerical chromosomal aberrations with histologic, immunocytochemical, and clinical features of breast tumors."}
{"id": "PMID:1463860", "title": "Influence of age and parity on the development of the human breast.", "content": "Breast cancer is heavily influenced by the reproductive history of the individual. Pregnancy has a protective effect which is attributed to differences in the degree of differentiation of the breast. The purpose of this work was to determine whether the quantity and the type of parenchymal structures present in the human breast were related to the age and parity history of a woman. Fifty-one human breast samples were obtained from bilateral or unilateral reduction mammoplasties performed in 40 parous women ranging in age from 18 to 57 years, and 11 nulliparous women ranging in age from 14 to 54 years. An average of 100 grams of tissue/specimen were processed for whole mount. A total of 650 slides were examined and 31,222 structures were classified and counted under the light microscope. The following mammary structures were identified: terminal structures (TS), and lobules (LOB) type 1, 2, and 3. Results were plotted for the total patient population and separately for nulliparous and parous women against age. The total patient population contained similar proportions of LOb1, 2, and 3 between ages 14-18, with a reduction of percentage of Lob1 and increase in Lob3 between ages 23 to the middle forties, when Lob3 decreased and Lob1 increased to 70%. Lob2 and TS did not exhibit significant changes throughout the period of life analyzed. When analyzed separately it was found that the breasts of nulliparous women were predominantly composed of Lob1, fewer Lob2, with Lob3 almost completely absent, whereas parous women had a high frequency of Lob3, which were the predominant structures until the fourth decade of life.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1463861", "title": "Prediction of hormone responsiveness by mammographic parenchymal pattern in advanced primary breast cancer.", "content": "Ninety-two women with advanced, unilateral breast cancer were classified according to the Wolfe and Nottingham classifications of mammographic parenchymal pattern (MPP). Both classifications of MPP were significantly correlated to the estrogen receptor (ER) status of the breast carcinoma, but could not be used for prediction of response to hormonal therapy. Age distribution was significantly different among Wolfe types as well as between ER groups, but a multiple regression analysis showed that both age and Wolfe pattern were significant and independent predictors of the ER status."}
{"id": "PMID:1463862", "title": "Patients' preferences for learning the results of mammographic examinations.", "content": "The communication of diagnostic test results is an important aspect of the interaction between doctors and patients. Communication of mammogram results is of particular interest because the test is used to detect a common and potentially dangerous malignancy and because patients in the United States are able in some locations to obtain mammography at their own request, rather than being referred by a physician. We conducted a survey to learn about the preferences of a group of women at a traditional mammography center for learning the results of this commonly performed test. We asked women undergoing mammography to respond to questionnaires designed to learn: 1) How they felt about different methods of telling patients the results of mammograms; 2) How they were informed of the results of previous mammograms; 3) How they were told the results of the current mammograms. Patients indicated that if no abnormality is detected, they prefer to have their doctor call with the result, but if the study is 'abnormal' they wish to be told by their own physician in the office. Failing to notify the patient if the study is normal was the least preferred outcome. This group of patients did not express an interest in the most immediate form of notification (i.e. learning the result from the radiologist performing the test). Analysis of how patients felt about ways in which they were previously informed of the results of mammograms suggests that their reactions are influenced to a large extent by their clinical status. Patients undergoing mammography for diagnostic purposes, for example, were less pleased by a 'preferred' method (i.e. being told by their physician) than were those undergoing screening mammography. While patients have opinions about how they would prefer to be told their mammogram results, they are accepting a variety of methods of telling, if they are receiving good news. If abnormalities are found, patients prefer to be told in person by their own physician. Interpretations of surveys of patient satisfaction should be tempered by the finding that the clinical status of the patient alters their perceptions of satisfaction with this aspect of their physician's behavior. Patient preferences may change if increasing numbers of women are told their results by the radiologist."}
{"id": "PMID:1463863", "title": "Impaired primary antibody responses after vaccination against hepatitis B in patients with breast cancer.", "content": "The response to hepatitis B (HBV) vaccination was studied in 32 breast cancer patients who were HBV antigen- and antibody-negative at the time of diagnosis. Ten of the patients included into the study received radical mastectomy without adjuvant therapy, 15 patients underwent breast-conserving surgery with subsequent irradiation with or without tamoxifen treatment, and 7 patients were treated by modified radical mastectomy plus adjuvant chemotherapy. Eight patients received the first dose of vaccine 3 months after irradiation therapy. Seven patients were first vaccinated 6 months following irradiation therapy. Seven healthy age-matched persons were vaccinated as controls. Antibody response in the patients was significantly delayed. Four weeks after the second vaccination 6 out of 7 controls showed a significant (> 10 IU/ml) HBs antibody titer, while only 6 out of 32 patients responded. In addition, HBs antibody titers were also significantly lower after the second vaccination even in those patients treated with surgery alone, although they were first vaccinated 3 months after surgery and had no residual tumors. This difference disappeared after the second booster immunization, at which time the frequency of significant antibody titers and the levels of HBs antibody titers were comparable between patients and controls. As the population of patients undergoing treatment for breast cancer is increasing, additional studies are needed to determine optimal immunization regimens in this group of patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1463864", "title": "Effect of hyperosmolality on alkaline phosphatase and stress-response protein 27 of MCF-7 breast cancer cells.", "content": "MCF-7, a continuous cell line derived from a human breast carcinoma, exhibits very low alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity. The enzyme is heat-stable and is inhibited by L-phenylalanine and L-phenylalanylglycylglycine, but not by L-homoarginine, 1-bromotetramisole, or levamisole. These data indicate that MCF-7 produces term-placental ALP, the oncodevelopmental enzyme form inappropriately expressed by a variety of human tumors. In contrast to human cancer cells that produce this enzyme monophenotypically, ALP activity of MCF-7 cells is not significantly increased by glucocorticoids or sodium butyrate. By comparison, exposure to hyperosmolality causes a striking increase in enzyme activity. Cycloheximide blocks this effect. The results obtained with cell-free assays were confirmed by cytochemical and immunocytochemical assays on whole cells. Because some of the agents tested in the enzyme modulation experiments affect cell proliferation, their possible effect on two stress-response proteins (srp 27 and srp 72) was also examined; specific immunocytochemical assays were used. These tests revealed that neither protein is affected by glucocorticoids; that sodium butyrate has no effect on srp 27, but alters the intracellular distribution of srp 72; and that hyperosmolality, while not significantly affecting srp 72, causes an increase in srp 27."}
{"id": "PMID:1463865", "title": "Factors affecting protein composition of breast secretions from nonlactating women.", "content": "Breast secretions can be classified into two types according to their major protein components. Type I fluids contain Zn-alpha 2-glycoprotein, apolipoprotein D, and gross cystic disease fluid protein-15, while Type II fluids are characterized by the presence of lactoferrin, lysozyme, and alpha-lactalbumin. In this study, the polypeptide composition of breast secretions from 719 nonlactating women was evaluated by using polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The required amount for the analysis (1 microliter) was obtained from 50% of control women and from 75% of women with mammary disease. There were more secretors in premenopausal than in postmenopausal women, as well as in parous than in nulliparous women. Evaluation of factors affecting protein composition of breast secretions revealed that Type II fluids were found in the majority of women who had given birth in the last four years and in a high proportion of oral contraceptive users. After excluding both of these groups, Type II fluids were detected in 47% of patients with breast cancer, but only in 8% of control women and in 16% of women with benign breast diseases. Taken together, these results suggest that protein analysis of breast secretions could be an useful tool for the study of breast pathologies."}
{"id": "PMID:1463867", "title": "Interval cancer and survival in a randomized breast cancer screening trial in Stockholm.", "content": "The aim of the present study was to analyse the survival rate in a group of breast cancers detected in the intervals between screening examinations in relation to clinically detected cancers in a non-screened population. All interval and control cancers were recruited from a randomized controlled mammography screening trial in Stockholm. The overall survival up to eight years of observation was higher in 191 patients with interval cancers than in 142 control cancers (p = 0.01). There were no significant differences between the two groups with regard to tumor size, stage distribution, or mean age, though the interval group did have a larger proportion of younger women. The similarity was confirmed by multiple regression analysis. The overall survival stage by stage was consistently higher in interval cancers. The survival rate in the true interval cancers was similar to that for those found in retrospect to have been detectable or traceable at the time of screening. No correlation was found between the length of the interval and the survival of patients with interval cancers. These results contradict the hypothesis that a high growth rate is associated with a poorer prognosis and that interval cancers are a more aggressive form of breast neoplasia."}
{"id": "PMID:1463866", "title": "Biochemical study of cyst fluid in human breast cystic disease: a review.", "content": "Gross cystic disease of the breast may sometimes indicate an increased risk of breast cancer. Biochemical analysis of the cyst fluid could suggest which cysts are associated with breast cancer risk, as well as providing insights into the pathophysiology of this condition. The Na+/K+ ratio appears to be associated with the histological classification of the cyst. Sulfoconjugated estrogens and androgens, especially DHEA-S, are often found at high levels. A number of gross cystic disease fluid proteins (GCDFPs) have been described, and several polypeptide growth factors including EGF and IGF-I are frequently found. It is hoped that biochemical analysis of these components of breast cyst fluids will shed further light on the role of gross cysts in relation to breast cancer."}
{"id": "PMID:1463868", "title": "Placental isoferritin associated p43 antigen correlates with features of high differentiation in breast cancer.", "content": "Placental isoferritin (PLF), an acidic isoform of ferritin, and its unique superheavy chain p43 have been recently described to be synthesized by breast cancer cell lines but not by normal breast epithelial cells. Since previous reports have demonstrated a correlation between the content of 'normal' ferritin in breast cancer tissue, degree of differentiation, and prognosis, we have tried to evaluate the correlation of p43 in the cytosol of 122 breast cancer samples with commonly applied prognostic factors and features of proliferation and differentiation. In parallel, we investigated the correlation of p43 expression in MCF-7 and T47-D breast cancer cell lines during proliferation induced by estradiol plus fetal calf serum (assessed by 3H-thymidine incorporation), compared to p43 expression in stationary non-stimulated cell cultures. The levels of p43 in breast cancer cytosols correlated significantly negatively with tumor size (p = 0.0001), histologic grading (p = 0.0038), nuclear pleomorphism (p = 0.0019), rate of mitosis (p = 0.0002), and lymphocytic reaction (p = 0.0001), and significantly directly with the estrogen receptor status (p = 0.0009). Although patients with a higher p43 content showed a trend for a better outcome (median follow-up: 61.4 months), an independent influence of the cytosolic p43 content on survival could not be confirmed by a multivariate Cox model. In accordance with the observed negative correlation of features of differentiation vs. p43 expression, induction of proliferation by estradiol plus FCS added to serum-free tissue culture medium correlated with a decrease of p43 synthesis in both cell lines. Expression of p43 in estrogen and FCS-absent media revealed also a decrease in relation to a low spontaneous proliferation. However, the drop of p43 synthesis was significantly stronger in cell lines with estrogen-stimulated proliferation. Our in vitro and cytosol results confirm recent clinical observations describing an inverse correlation of p43 synthesis with the degree of proliferation and differentiation in breast cancer. However, the pathologic mechanisms leading to this phenomenon as well as the negative correlation with lymphocytic infiltration are still unclear and need to be further elucidated."}
{"id": "PMID:1463869", "title": "In vitro potentiation by lonidamine of the cytotoxic effect of adriamycin on primary and established breast cancer cell lines.", "content": "Lonidamine is a new potential chemotherapeutic agent, relatively non-toxic, that can positively modulate the efficacy of several antineoplastic drugs. We evaluated the response of two established human breast cancer cell lines (MCF-7 and BRC-230) and of 20 primary breast cancer cell lines to lonidamine, either alone or in combination with adriamycin, the drug most widely used in the management of breast cancer. Different schedules were tested by varying either concentration of the drugs (LND: 10-150 micrograms/ml; ADM: 0.10-0.15 micrograms/ml), or time of exposure (1-96 hours), or sequence of administration (ADM-->LND; LND-->ADM; ADM+LND). Our results indicate slight sensitivity of the cell lines to lonidamine when used alone, whereas an increase of efficacy was noted when lonidamine was added for at least 24 hours after a 4 hour exposure to adriamycin. Such efficacy was significantly greater than that expected from an additive effect between the two drugs. We conclude that lonidamine, when given according to an appropriate schedule, enhances, in vitro, the efficacy of adriamycin. A correct employment of lonidamine in the management of breast cancer might therefore potentiate the therapeutic effect of adriamycin."}
{"id": "PMID:1463870", "title": "A bioassay for antiestrogenic activity--potential utility in drug development and monitoring effective in vivo dosing.", "content": "Monitoring effective antiestrogenic activity of the triphenylethylenes in patients with breast cancer is usually determined by the duration of response. The pharmacokinetics of toremifene and tamoxifen have been shown to be highly variable but patient specific. In the present study, we developed a method to accurately assess the antiestrogenic activity of these agents using plasma specimens, cell culture, and cell cycle measurements. Plasma specimens (4-5mls) obtained from patients receiving toremifene (360mg/day for 5 days in a phase I trial) or tamoxifen (20mg/day) were extracted and reconstituted in tissue culture media (4-5mls), and growth inhibition was determined in estrogen responsive MCF-7 cells. Additionally, plasma specimens were quantified for toremifene or tamoxifen concentrations using HPLC. Growth inhibition of plasma specimens containing either toremifene or tamoxifen and their metabolites was also examined. Cell cycle measurements were determined following in vitro exposure with flow cytometric techniques. Our results show that a dose-response relationship exists between cell growth inhibition and cell cycle measurements for human plasma with added toremifene or tamoxifen, and also for human plasma specimens containing drug and its metabolites after treatment. Our antiestrogenic bioassay can address clinical research problems such as patient-specific pharmacokinetics, dosing compliance, and acquired antiestrogen resistance."}
{"id": "PMID:1463871", "title": "Monitoring the chemosensitizing effects of toremifene with flow cytometry in estrogen receptor negative multidrug resistant human breast cancer cells.", "content": "The clinical study of compounds that modulate multidrug resistance in cancer cells has been hindered by both the toxicities of these agents and the inability to monitor their effectiveness at a cellular level. The non-steroidal triphenylethylene toremifene is well tolerated clinically and can sensitize multidrug resistant cells to the effects of doxorubicin in vitro. The chemosensitizing properties of toremifene in estrogen receptor negative, multidrug resistant MDA-A1 human breast cancer cells were studied using flow cytometric analysis. Cell cycle kinetics of MDA-A1 cells were not significantly affected by treatment with either toremifene or doxorubicin alone, as the majority of cells remained in G0/G1. However, preincubation with toremifene for 70 hours followed by treatment with doxorubicin caused a marked shift of cells to G2, as cells appeared to be blocked in that phase of the cell cycle. This result was nearly identical to the effect of doxorubicin alone on doxorubicin-sensitive MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells and can be interpreted as a \"resensitization\" by toremifene of MDA-A1 cells to doxorubicin. This chemosensitizing effect of toremifene was accompanied by an enhanced accumulation of doxorubicin in MDA-A1 cells (+110% after 70 hours pre-incubation with toremifene), and by a depression in protein kinase C activity in MDA-A1 cells that was maximal following 70 hours incubation with toremifene. Flow cytometry is a widely available technique that might be applied clinically to monitor at the cellular level the chemosensitizing effects of toremifene and other modulators of multidrug resistance."}
{"id": "PMID:1463872", "title": "A case-control study of breast cancer among Japanese women: with special reference to family history and reproductive and dietary factors.", "content": "To study the effects of family history and reproductive, anthropometric, and dietary factors on the risk of breast cancer among low risk populations, we conducted a hospital-based case-control study involving 908 patients with breast cancer and their matched controls, in Japan. A positive family history of breast cancer significantly increased the risk of breast cancer (odds ratio = 1.52, 95% confidence interval: 1.14-2.03). The risk further increased with increasing number of family members affected. Obesity, single marital status, fewer births, a late childbirth, and less consumption of green-yellow vegetables and dairy products were also associated with an increased risk of breast cancer. These associations were independent in multivariate analyses. There was no increase in risk associated with consumption of high fat foods. When analyzed by menopausal status, the association with family history of breast cancer, especially in the first degree of relatives, was more evident for premenopausal breast cancer. The associations with obesity and lower consumption of dairy products were more pronounced for postmenopausal breast cancer, while those with lower parity and single marital status were stronger for premenopausal breast cancer."}
{"id": "PMID:1463873", "title": "Expression of the pS2 gene in breast tissues assessed by pS2-mRNA analysis and pS2-protein radioimmunoassay.", "content": "The expression of the pS2 gene in breast tissues was assessed by measuring pS2-protein using a radioimmunoassay, and by determining pS2-mRNA using Northern blotting. There was a good correlation between the two measurements, indicating that expression of the pS2 gene in breast tissues may be assessed by either method. Since radioimmunoassay is technically easier and more efficient than Northern blotting, radioimmunoassay will be the method of choice in routine applications."}
{"id": "PMID:1463874", "title": "Type B lactic acidosis and metastatic breast cancer.", "content": "A case is presented of a patient with longstanding metastatic breast cancer whose condition suddenly deteriorated due to hypercalcemia and severe lactic acidosis which rapidly proved fatal. Postmortem examination showed no explanation for the lactic acidosis other than extensive metastatic disease. A review of the rare syndrome of malignancy-induced lactic acidosis is presented with particular emphasis on the 5 other cases reported in association with metastatic breast cancer. Theories of pathogenesis and management controversies are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1463895", "title": "Oral susceptibility of Aedes albopictus to dengue type 2 virus: a study of infection kinetics, using the polymerase chain reaction for viral detection.", "content": "Female Aedes albopictus mosquitoes, aged 1 week, were infected with DEN-2 dengue virus. The kinetics of infection in mosquito brain and mesenteron were monitored using DNA probes with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of target DNA sequences coding for DEN-2 virus envelope protein, compared with the standard immunofluorescence assay technique (IFA). Rates of virus detection in the mesenteron of orally infected mosquitoes rose to 38% by day 4 post-inoculation, then declined until day 8, followed by irregular peaks around days 11-14 and subsequently. In mosquito head squashes, virus was detected from day 4 onwards, reaching 38% positive by day 18. Salivary glands of all the same females were found to be positive for virus by day 8 onwards. Parenterally infected Ae.albopictus females were all positive for DEN-2 in the brain and salivary glands 8 days post-inoculation. In every case, results obtained with the PCR matched those from the IFA. Our DNA probe with PCR procedure can therefore be utilized as a sensitive and reliable method for studies of DEN-2 vectors."}
{"id": "PMID:1463896", "title": "Evaluation of neem, Azadirachta indica, with and without water management, for the control of culicine mosquito larvae in rice-fields.", "content": "Applications of neem, Azadirachta indica (Meliaceae), to rice-fields were evaluated with the dual objective of controlling the culicine mosquito vectors of Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) and enhancing the grain yield. Since crude neem products deteriorate under improper storage conditions, a laboratory bioassay was developed to screen neem cake powder against mosquito larvae, Culex quinquefasciatus. Only samples of neem giving over 90% bioassay mortality were used in field trials. When good quality neem cake powder was applied at the dose of 500 kg/ha, either alone or coated over urea, there was a striking reduction in the abundance of late instar culicine larvae and pupae. Only fourteen pupae were obtained over a period of 13 weeks in neem cake powder treated plots, and four in those treated with neem coated urea, compared with 101 in control plots. Both treatments were significantly less than the control, but on par with one another. In another field trial, neem cake coated urea was tested at 500 and 250 kg neem/ha in combination with water management practices. No reduction in efficacy was noted at the lower dose. Larval abundance in plots under water management alone did not differ significantly from the controls, but was significantly reduced when water management was combined with neem products. Two stable formulations, 'Neemrich-I' (lipid rich) and 'Neemrich-II' (azadirachtin rich), also gave good suppression of immature culicines. All the treatments with neem also gave higher grain yield than the control.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1463897", "title": "Biting and resting behaviour of anophelines in western Venezuela and implications for control of malaria transmission.", "content": "A study was conducted in three villages in western Venezuela between February 1988 and October 1989 to determine the biting and resting activity of anophelines in relation to human habits, rainfall and fenitrothion spraying of houses. Mosquitoes were collected landing on humans inside and outside experimental huts throughout the night. Only three mosquitoes were found resting in the huts in the morning, but 2470 were collected resting on vegetation in the early morning. The collections yielded eleven species of anopheline, the most abundant being Anopheles nuneztovari, comprising over 75% of the total anophelines collected, followed by An.triannulatus, An.albitarsis s.l. and An.oswaldoi. The four most abundant species showed different diel patterns of biting. For An.nuneztovari the peak of activity was close to midnight indoors and outdoors, for An.triannulatus between 19.00 and 20.00 hours outdoors, for An.albitarsis mainly before midnight indoors and outdoors and for An.oswaldoi outdoors at 19.00 hours, with an additional smaller peak indoors at midnight. Most of the human population use bednets, go to bed before 22.00 hours and are therefore most exposed to mosquitoes that bite outdoors early in the night. Fenitrothion house-spraying failed to prevent large mosquito populations developing in the wet season, presumably because of their exophilic resting habits. The possible advantages of impregnation of existing bednets with pyrethroids, and provision of nets for people who do not have them, are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1463898", "title": "Population genetic confirmation of species status of the malaria vectors Anopheles willmori and An. pseudowillmori in Thailand and chromosome phylogeny of the Maculatus group of mosquitoes.", "content": "Among the Anopheles (Cellia) maculatus group of Oriental mosquitoes, positive assortative mating occurs within sympatric and synchronous populations of An.willmori and An.pseudowillmori in the presence of populations of An.maculatus and An.sawadwongporni, judged from the occurrence of inversion homozygotes and the absence of any heterozygotes in their distinctive, polytene chromosomes. Genotypic frequencies for enzyme electromorphs give additional evidence for the species status of An.pseudowillmori and a practical means of identification in field studies of malaria vectors. Autosomal rearrangements are referred to those of An.stephensi which is unique for 4y. An.willmori differs by a single inversion, 4x; An.pseudowillmori by three Arm 2 inversions; and An.dispar by one Arm 2 inversion and 4x. Fixed autosomal rearrangements in the Maculatus group are summarized and their phylogenetic distribution suggests some unknown, intrinsic mechanism by which genome structure is disrupted in association with speciation events. This could be relevant to the potential genetic manipulation of malaria vectors."}
{"id": "PMID:1463899", "title": "Insecticide resistance gene frequencies in Anopheles sacharovi populations of the Cukurova plain, Adana Province, Turkey.", "content": "In Turkey, the mosquito Anopheles sacharovi has been under field selection pressure sequentially with DDT, dieldrin, malathion and pirimiphosmethyl over a period of 30 years for the purpose of malaria control. In 1984, the field population of An.sacharovi in the malarious Cukurova plain of Adana Province contained an altered acetylcholinesterase-based resistance gene giving broad spectrum resistance against organophosphorus and carbamate insecticides. The cross-resistance spectrum from this mechanism conferred resistance to malathion but not to the organophosphorus insecticide pirimiphos-methyl. Over the 6 years that pirimiphos-methyl has been applied for malaria vector control in this area, the frequency of the altered acetylcholinesterase resistance gene has declined, although in 1989 and 1990 it was still present at measurable frequencies in An.sacharovi from Cukurova. In addition to the acetylcholinesterase resistance mechanism there is evidence of an increased level of glutathione S-transferase in some of the An.sacharovi populations tested. This is known to be correlated with DDT resistance in other anophelines. In Turkish An.sacharovi, DDT resistance and elevated glutathione S-transferase occur in the same populations at similar frequencies. The continued prevalence of resistance to DDT and dieldrin, long after the 1971 cessation of DDT spraying for malaria control in Turkey, suggests that the DDT resistance gene has insufficient reduced fitness associated with it to have been lost from the field population during the past two decades. The implications of the slow decline in resistance gene frequencies in this field population are discussed in relation to mathematical models for managing resistance."}
{"id": "PMID:1463900", "title": "Activation of three species of tsetse (Glossina spp.) in response to host derived stimuli.", "content": "Recordings were made of the activation of hungry Glossina morsitans morsitans Westwood, G. pallidipes Austen, and G. austeni Newstead in response to odours from ox breath and ox urine, and a moving visual stimulus, in a wind tunnel. The spontaneous activity of G.m.morsitans was very low (less than 4% of males and 2% of females active per min during control periods). That of G.austeni and G.pallidipes was in the region of 20% except for G.pallidipes females when in excess of 40% were active during control periods. Addition of ox urine odours to the airstream had no effect on activity in any of the species investigated but addition of ox breath odours to the airstream significantly increased activity of G.pallidipes and of G.m.morsitans, although for the latter only approximately 12% of flies were active. For G.austeni the addition of ox breath odours resulted in a significant increase in activity of females but not of males. The moving visual stimulus resulted in a significant increase in the activity of both sexes of G.austeni and G.m.morsitans but no change in the activity of G.pallidipes. The low level of spontaneous activity and the low response to ox breath odours in a strain of G.m.morsitans maintained in the laboratory since 1969 was compared with a new colony of this species which originated from puparia collected in Zimbabwe in 1991. No differences in either spontaneous activity or the response to ox breath odour was recorded, but females from the new colony were significantly more responsive to a moving visual stimulus.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1463901", "title": "Abiotic factors influencing embryonic development, egg hatching, and larval orientation in the reindeer warble fly, Hypoderma tarandi.", "content": "Wild-caught, tethered females of the reindeer warble fly, Hypoderma tarandi (L.) (= Oedemagena tarandi (L.)), (Diptera, Oestridae) were stimulated to oviposit on hairs of a reindeer hide. Newly laid eggs incubated at constant temperatures and relative humidities hatched within 3 days to 2 weeks, depending on the experimental conditions. Over a range of 7-40 degrees C, hatching only occurred between 20 and 37 degrees C. Eggs held at 100% relative humidity had lower hatchability and longer time to hatch relative to eggs held at 77% relative humidity. The average number of degree-days for hatching was 50.35. Between 20 and 33 degrees C there was a temperature-dependent linear trend in developmental rate, and the proportion of eggs hatching was highest, and least variable, at the mid-temperature ranges. The temperature range found in the natural host micro-habitat where H. tarandi commonly affix their eggs (close to the skin at the base of a host hair) was consistent with the experimental temperature treatments that produced the highest hatching rate. Newly emerged larvae displayed positive thermotaxis, while showing no phototaxic or geotaxic behaviour. Results indicate that constraints of the host environment, coupled with temperature-dependent hatching success, may impose a selective pressure on oviposition behaviour."}
{"id": "PMID:1463902", "title": "Tick infection rates with Borrelia: Ixodes ricinus versus Haemaphysalis concinna and Dermacentor reticulatus in two locations in eastern Germany.", "content": "Unfed nymphal Ixodes ricinus, Haemaphysalis concinna, and adult Dermacentor reticulatus were collected in two locations of Saxony in July and September 1991 by flagging. In July, the abundance of nymphal I. ricinus was about 2-3 times higher than that of nymphal H. concinna, a time of the year when nymphs of both species are reported to have a seasonal peak of activity. No D. reticulatus were flagged concurrently. In September, host-seeking activity of nymphal I. ricinus was again quite high as was that of adult D. reticulatus but only low numbers of nymphal H. concinna were collected. The flagged ticks were individually examined for Borrelia by an indirect immunofluorescence assay (I. ricinus: n = 414; H. concinna: n = 96; D. reticulatus: n = 116). The prevalence of Borrelia (probably B. burgdorferi) in I. ricinus varied from 12.1% to 21.0%. No borreliae were found in H. concinna. Of the examined D. reticulatus from one site (n = 97) 11.3% contained either B. burgdorferi or a related Borrelia. This may be the first finding of Borrelia in an Eurasian Dermacentor species."}
{"id": "PMID:1463903", "title": "Distribution of breeding and control of the filariasis vector Aedes samoanus in leaf axils of Pandanus in Samoa.", "content": "Water in leaf axils of the screwpine Pandanus was sampled for mosquito immature stages at seventy villages in Upolu, fifty-five in Savai'i and three in Manono, the main islands of Samoa. Ten plants in every patch of Pandanus plantation were sampled at each village. Among 23,049 mosquito larvae collected from Upolu, 77% were the filariasis vector Aedes (Finlaya) samoanus, 17.7% were Ae. (Fin.) oceanicus and 5.3% were Ae. (Fin.) tutuilae. Out of 6981 larvae taken in Savai'i, 23.2% were Ae. samoanus, 67.6% Ae. oceanicus and 9.2% Ae.tutuilae. When larval counts per plant were analysed for each district, Ae. samoanus was found to predominate in Pandanus in Upolu and Ae. oceanicus in Savai'i. However, the adult density of Ae.samoanus was higher in Savai'i and this was attributed to the large areas of forests with Freycinetia for Ae.samoanus breeding. In Pandanus in Savai'i the number of Ae.samoanus was negligible. In Upolu, with more urbanization and larger plantations, there was greater breeding of Ae.samoanus in Pandanus. Two control trials were conducted against Ae.samoanus larvae in Pandanus, one using a sand culture of the parasitic nematode Romanomermis culicivorax and the other with temephos, an organophosphate insecticide. While R. culicivorax did not adapt to the leaf axil habitat, all plants were without larvae for 5 weeks after treatment with temephos."}
{"id": "PMID:1463904", "title": "Seasonal abundance and biting behaviour of Anopheles punctulatus and An. koliensis in Malaita Province, Solomon Islands, and a trial of permethrin impregnated bednets against malaria transmission.", "content": "Seasonal abundance of the malaria vectors Anopheles punctulatus D\u00f6nitz and An.koliensis Owen in Bilimanu, an isolated inland village with forty-two houses in Malaita Province of the Solomon Islands, was monitored over 28 months by means of all-night landing/biting catches at one site during June 1985 to September 1987. Totals of 1250 An.punctulatus and 141 An.koliensis were collected, the latter being the largest number of this species ever caught at any locality in the Solomons. Bednets impregnated with permethrin 0.5 g/m2 were introduced in December 1986 to be used at night by all 190 villagers for protection against malaria vectors. Bioassay tests with An.punctulatus blood-fed females exposed under nets for 10 min resulted in 100% mortality up to 50 weeks post-impregnation. For An.punctulatus, the main vector species, the mean catch (indoors + outdoors) per man hour was 2.9 (range 0.7-13.2) before a cyclone on 19 May 1986, and, 0.66 (0.2-2.7) after the cyclone. The vector survival rates were usually high before the cyclone, but erratically lower thereafter for An.punctulatus. An.koliensis disappeared after the cyclone. Both An.punctulatus and An.koliensis consistently showed higher rates of biting man indoors than outdoors and their diel biting cycle showed a peak around midnight. Outdoors, the parous proportion of An.punctulatus was twice the nulliparous, and nearly so indoors. Following intervention with permethrin-treated bednets, the mean catch of An.punctulatus fell to 0.35 per man-hour (monthly range 0-1.5). The Plasmodium falciparum malaria infection rate reduced from 10% pre-intervention to zero in September 1987, 9 months after intervention, and then rose again.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1463905", "title": "DNA probes for the identification of members of the Simulium damnosum complex (Diptera: Simuliidae).", "content": "Genomic libraries in plasmid have been constructed from various sibling species of blackflies of the Simulium damnosum complex from West Africa. Three cloned repetitive sequences, which show variation in copy number between sibling species, have been isolated. These clones can be used as probes for the dot-blot identification of larvae, pupae or adults into the three main West African subcomplexes, i.e. damnosum, squamosum and sanctipauli subcomplexes. The sequences also show some intraspecific variation in copy number."}
{"id": "PMID:1463906", "title": "Identification of phlebotomine sandfly bloodmeals from Baringo District, Kenya, by direct enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).", "content": "Direct enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to identify the sources of bloodmeals in phlebotomine sandflies from Baringo District, Rift Valley Province, Kenya. Some bloodmeals had been stored for over 4 years before being analysed. Among 356 sandflies identified, 62.9% were Phlebotomus martini, 14.8% Sergentomyia antennatus, 10% S.schwetzi, 6% S.clydei, 1.9% S.adleri, 1.6% P.duboscqi, 1.4% S.africanus and 0.8% S.bedfordi. Out of 224 P.martini bloodmeals, host source was identified for 69. The order of host preference for P.martini was: goat 28.5%, rabbit 22.7%, human 8.9% and others 8.9%. Evidence of mixed feeding was shown by four species comprising sixteen specimens, twelve of which were P.martini. The most effective methods for trapping bloodfed P. martini were sticky paper traps in termite hills, followed by light-traps. Of the 224 P.martini trapped, 58.9% were collected with traps in termite hills, and 22.7% with light traps. Roles of the three most popular hosts for P.martini should be investigated to ascertain whether they act as reservoirs in the transmission of Leishmania donovani causing visceral leishmaniasis in Kenya."}
{"id": "PMID:1463907", "title": "Chigger mites of the genus Leptotrombidium: key to species and their distribution in China.", "content": "Chigger mites of the genus Leptotrombidium (Acari: Trombiculidae) transmit scrub typhus, caused by Rickettsia tsutsugamushi (= R.orientalis) in South-East Asia. In China, eighty-two species of Leptotrombidium have been recorded; these are listed with the names of Provinces where they were found. Five species, L.deliense, L.insularae, L.kaohuense, L.rubellum and L.scutellare, have been implicated as Chinese vectors of scrub typhus. A brief key is given to the larvae of all but three of the Leptotrombidium mites known in China."}
{"id": "PMID:1463911", "title": "Posterior vitreous detachment.", "content": "Posterior vitreous detachment is an expected consequence of aging, but it can also be the initiating cause of a retinal detachment. To understand the mechanism of posterior vitreous detachment and its sequelae, it is necessary to appreciate the anatomy of the vitreous, its development, and the pathogenesis of vitreous degeneration. This paper is a discussion of these considerations, the types of complications that may result from vitreous detachment, the proper examination of patients who present with the symptoms of vitreous detachment, and appropriate patient management."}
{"id": "PMID:1463912", "title": "Clinicolegal aspects of vitreous and retinal detachment.", "content": "Failure to diagnose retinal detachment is an important cause of professional liability claims involving optometrists. To comply with medical standards, dilation of the pupil and examination of the retinal periphery are required, both for patients who are at risk for retinal detachment and for patients who are symptomatic. Important risk factors include a history of previous detachment, myopia, lattice retinal degeneration, aphakia and pseudophakia, YAG capsulotomy, treatment of primary open-angle glaucoma with miotic drugs, blunt ocular trauma, and the proliferative retinopathies. Patients with the symptoms of acute posterior vitreous detachment must receive a dilated fundus examination, evaluation of the retinal periphery, and assessment of the vitreous. If examination results are negative, the patient should be warned of the symptoms of retinal detachment and scheduled for reevaluation in 4 to 8 weeks. Examination findings, warnings, recall appointments, and referral for treatment should be documented in the patient's record of care."}
{"id": "PMID:1463913", "title": "Scleral depression.", "content": "Indirect ophthalmoscopic examination of the peripheral retina is greatly enhanced through the use of scleral indentation. This procedure enables the examiner to better diagnose and manage peripheral retinal anomalies. In this study, the anatomical landmarks and structures relevant to examination of the peripheral fundus are reviewed, along with the various types of instrumentation used in performing scleral indentation. The mechanical techniques used in scleral indentation are discussed as are many of the common errors committed by those learning to perform this procedure. Scleral indentation can be especially valuable in determining the exact nature of lesions noted in the retinal periphery. Case studies in which this procedure was vital to reaching an accurate diagnosis have been included."}
{"id": "PMID:1463915", "title": "Retinal detachment.", "content": "Retinal detachment is a separation of the neurosensory retina from the retinal pigment epithelium. Most retinal detachments are rhegmatogenous, and identification of risk factors and predisposing lesions are important aspects of patient management. Retinal detachment is relatively rare, but can pose a significant threat to vision if there is macular involvement. Prompt diagnosis combined with patient education and appropriate intervention often can avert irrevocable visual impairment. This paper presents an overview of the categories of retinal detachment, discusses the pathogenesis of the various types of detachment, and provides recommendations for primary care of patients with predisposing factors and high-risk characteristics."}
{"id": "PMID:1463916", "title": "Lattice degeneration of the retina and retinal detachment.", "content": "Lattice retinal degeneration is considered the most significant peripheral retinal disorder potentially predisposing to retinal breaks and retinal detachment. Lattice degeneration affects the vitreous and inner retinal layers with secondary changes as deep as the retinal pigment epithelium and perhaps the choriocapillaris. Variations in clinical appearance are the rule; geographically, lattice lesions favor the vertical meridians between the equator and the ora serrata. Lattice degeneration begins early in life and has been reported in sequential generations of the same family. Along with its customary bilateral occurrence, lattice shares other characteristics of a dystrophy. The association between the vitreous and retina in lattice lesions may be responsible for the majority of lattice-induced retinal detachments. The tumultuous event of posterior vitreous separation in the presence of abnormally strong vitreoretinal adherence is the trigger for a retinal tear that, in turn, may lead to retinal detachment. Although retinal holes in young patients with lattice degeneration may play a role in the evolution of retinal detachment, the clinical course of lattice degeneration seems to be one of dormancy rather than of progressive change. This discussion outlines the pathophysiology of lattice retinal degeneration and the relationship of pathophysiology to clinical presentation. The epidemiology of lattice degeneration is summarized, as are the possible precursors to retinal detachment. A clinical characterization of the natural history of lattice degeneration is offered, and interventions for complications are described. To conclude, management strategies from a primary-care standpoint are reviewed."}
{"id": "PMID:1463917", "title": "Retinal dialysis.", "content": "Whether idiopathic or the result of ocular trauma, retinal dialysis is one of the least understood causes of retinal detachment. Dialyses are a common cause of retinal detachment and are the leading cause of traumatic retinal detachment in children and young adults. A dialysis is a disinsertion of the retina found at the ora serrata, generally involving less than 3 clock hours. Because a patient may be asymptomatic, a dialysis may be missed during ophthalmoscopic examination of the ocular fundus unless scleral indentation is used. Anatomical reattachment of detachments from retinal dialysis is highly successful for dialyses of both traumatic and idiopathic origin, with good visual results obtained postoperatively."}
{"id": "PMID:1463919", "title": "Methods of monitoring menstrual function in field studies: efficacy of methods.", "content": "Efficacy of methods for monitoring female reproductive potential under field study conditions was evaluated. Women (n = 10) were recruited to participate for two menstrual cycles on the bases, in part, of not seeking fertility assistance, working full-time but not in the medical field, and having less than one year of college education. Luteinizing hormone (LH), estrone-3-glucuronide, and pregnanediol-3-glucuronide were measured in daily morning urine and normalized to creatinine concentrations. These urinary measures were parallel to serum LH, estradiol, and progesterone profiles. Based on these urinary measures, 6 of 19 cycles were judged to be atypical. Transvaginal ultrasonography provided insights into ovarian activity during the atypical cycles. Of 13 LH surges detected by radioimmunoassay, 7 were not detected by a semiquantitative dipstick (OvuSTICK), perhaps due to that method's sensitivity to loss of LH immunoactivity caused by sample freezing. While intervals from salivary and vaginal mucous electrical resistance signals to the LH surge during typical cycles were similar to those reported previously, they were not predictive of ovulatory status during atypical cycles. Fifty-three percent of the cycles were misclassified on the basis of the basal body temperature rise. Cervical mucous color, amount, and consistency were not predictive of ovulation under these study conditions. The results from these 19 menstrual cycles provide information about the efficacy of various methods for characterizing menstrual function under field study conditions. In this regard, urinary endocrine measures are the most informative or practical."}
{"id": "PMID:1463920", "title": "Methods of monitoring menstrual function in field studies: attitudes of working women.", "content": "This study was designed to determine the attitudes and compliance of working women toward methods being evaluated for use in the assessment of the effects of toxicants on reproductive potential. Women such as the highly motivated fertility patients and nurses, who are typically familiar with the methods and procedures of fertility assessment and the value of medical research, have been used to validate such methods in a clinical setting. However, the attitudes of a general working female population toward these methods are unknown. Nine participants were selected on the bases, in part, of not seeking fertility assistance, working full-time but not in the medical field, and having less than one year of college education. Attitudes were also evaluated for 193 non-participating women to whom the procedures had been verbally described. Participants measured basal body temperature and salivary and vaginal mucous electrical resistance, evaluated cervical mucus manually (CME), and collected the first morning urine for two menstrual cycles. Blood, saliva, and transvaginal ultrasonograms (US) were obtained at a fertility clinic 6 to 9 days per cycle. Participants brought urine to the laboratory every 3 days. All participants performed all methods. Participants were paid $400; nonparticipants were not compensated. Only 3% of the respondents objected to the proposed methods: principally to CME, US, and giving blood samples. No respondent perceived the study as unimportant.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1463921", "title": "Reproductive toxicity of cyclophosphamide in the C57BL/6N mouse: 1. Effects on ovarian structure and function.", "content": "The antineoplastic alkylating agent, cyclophosphamide (CPA) is known to impair normal female reproductive function. We have examined the time- and dose-dependent effects of CPA on the ovary, specifically, its impact on follicle numbers, ovarian morphometrics, and estradiol (E2) production. Female C57BL/6N mice were treated ip with CPA in normal saline at doses of 0, 75, 200, or 500 mg/kg. Ovaries were removed 1 to 14 days following treatment and serial sections were prepared. Differential follicle counts revealed that primordial follicles were most sensitive to CPA (ED50 = 122 mg/kg), followed by antral and growing follicles. Primordial follicles were affected by all doses of CPA and were completely destroyed by 3 days in the 500 mg/kg dose group. The greatest reduction in antral follicles was to 49% and 7% of controls by CPA doses of 200 and 500 mg/kg, respectively. Plasma E2 concentrations correlated best with antral follicle numbers (r2 = 0.94) and antral follicle volume (r2 = 0.88). Growing follicles were least sensitive to CPA and only decreased at 7 and 14 days. Although atretic changes were observed in growing follicles after treatment with CPA, these follicles recovered and progressed into apparently functional antral follicles (that is, they produced E2). Total ovarian volume was significantly reduced (30 to 40%) in the high-dose group on day 1, and remained depressed throughout the experiment. Examination of ovarian morphometrics indicated that this volume loss represented specific temporal changes in corpora lutea (CL), interstitial tissue, growing follicles, and antral follicles. At 1 and 3 days after treatment, the major loss in ovarian volume was due to a reduction in antral follicle and interstitial tissue volumes, while at 7 days the majority of volume loss was accounted for by the absence of CL. It is not known if CL are directly affected by CPA at the early time points, but their absence at 7 and 14 days is probably due to earlier destruction of antral follicles. These results demonstrate that CPA-induced ovarian toxicity is exhibited as temporal changes in both structural and functional features of the ovary, particularly in destruction of primordial and antral follicles and depressed E2 production. Information of this type also gives insight into ovarian response to chemical disruption of folliculogenesis and its recovery process."}
{"id": "PMID:1463922", "title": "Reproductive toxicity of cyclophosphamide in the C57BL/6N mouse: 2. Effects on uterine structure and function.", "content": "Cyclophosphamide-induced uterine weight loss was evaluated to determine whether it was a function of primary toxicity to the uterus or a secondary response to ovarian toxicity, that is, antral follicle destruction. C57BL/6N mice treated with cyclophosphamide exhibited a reduction in uterine weight concurrent with a decrease in plasma estradiol (E2) concentrations, thereby indicating toxicity to the ovary. However, when E2 concentrations recovered, uterine weight still remained depressed, suggesting that cyclophosphamide also impaired uterine function. Further investigation revealed that cyclophosphamide altered the normal uterotropic response to E2, significantly diminishing the uterine weight gain associated with E2 treatment. We conclude that effects of cyclophosphamide on the uterus involve two components: 1) decreased uterine weight in response to decreased plasma E2 resulting from ovarian toxicity, and 2) an altered response to E2 due to direct uterine toxicity."}
{"id": "PMID:1463923", "title": "Effects of methoxychlor treatment of pregnant mice on female offspring of the treated and subsequent pregnancies.", "content": "This study was designed to assess whether exposure to the estrogenic pesticide methoxychlor (MXC) during pregnancy would affect reproductive parameters not only in female offspring exposed prenatally, but also in those of a subsequent litter. Mice were exposed via oral gavage to 7.5, 5.0, or 2.5 mg technical grade MXC (50%) or 0.025 mg estradiol-17 beta (E-17 beta) from days 6 to 15 of pregnancy. Following delivery, female offspring (F1a) were cross-fostered and sacrificed at 8 weeks of age. Mothers exposed during their first pregnancy were allowed to mate again and their second set of offspring (F1b) were similarly evaluated to detect any latent effects from the initial exposure. Mice exposed to 7.5 mg MXC were unable to carry their litters to term. Results revealed a significant increase in the length of gestation of mice exposed to both E-17 beta and 5.0 mg MXC. A larger percentage of atretic follicles appeared in the ovaries of F1a females exposed prenatally to 5.0 mg MXC when compared to controls. Females from the F1b litter displayed a significant advance in time of vaginal opening, an apparent residual effect of MXC from a mother exposed during a previous pregnancy."}
{"id": "PMID:1463924", "title": "Effects of antiestrogens on adult and neonatal mouse reproductive organs.", "content": "Estrogenic potencies of various antiestrogens, including keoxifene (Kx) and trifluoperazine (Tfp), on reproductive tracts of ovariectomized adult mice, and effects of neonatal Kx and Tfp on reproductive organs were studied in C57BL/Tw mice. In adult ovariectomized mice, weight, DNA, and protein of the uterus and vagina were increased by 3 daily injections of 100 micrograms clomiphene, tamoxifen (Tx), and nafoxidine, and of 1 microgram estradiol-17 beta (E), but not by Kx. Antiestrogenic potency of Kx was studied in adult mice given injections of E. Kx significantly suppressed the E-induced increase in weight, DNA, and protein in the uterus and vagina. Tfp (20 micrograms), known as a tranquilizer and an antiestrogen, had no estrogenic effect on either organ. Male and female mice given 5 daily injections of Kx or Tfp from the day of birth were examined at 30, 40, and 60 days of age. Weights of testis, epididymis, and seminal vesicle in neonatally Kx-treated mice were significantly lower than in controls at 30 and 40 days. Spermatozoa were not formed in the seminiferous tubules of Kx-treated mice, although spermatogenesis occurred at 60 days. In neonatally Kx-treated females, weight of the uterus at 60 days and of the vagina at 40 and 60 days was significantly lower than in controls. Corpora lutea were absent from the ovaries of Kx-treated females. In neonatally Tfp-treated mice of both sexes at all ages examined, no differences were found in organ weights or histology, other than lower spermatogenic indices at 40 and 60 days of age.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1463925", "title": "A 40-week male fertility study of the anticancer agent sulofenur (LY186641) administered orally to rats.", "content": "Sulofenur was evaluated for fertility effects on rats. Five-week old male rats (20/group) received 0, 5, 30, or 60 mg Sulofenur/kg/day for 14 weeks. Fertility was evaluated five times. Treated males were mated with untreated females at 10 weeks. Half the males from each group were necropsied after the 14-week treatment period and the remainder were mated four additional times during a 26-week posttreatment period. Following each mating, females were killed on gestation-day 20 and examined for evidence of pregnancy. Six weeks after mating trial 5, the remaining males were necropsied. Testes and epididymides were collected, weighed, and examined microscopically. All rats mated in each mating trial, and all control and low-dose animals were fertile. A significant reduction in fertility occurred in the middle- and high-dose males. This was consistent with testicular hypospermatogenesis in these groups. Fertility recovered in the high-dose group following cessation of treatment, but remained reduced in the middle-dose group. Preimplantation and postimplantation loss in mating trial 1 were higher in the middle- and high-dose groups. Abnormal fetuses were present in the high-dose group in mating trial 3, but not in mating trials 4 or 5. In conclusion, male rats given doses of 30 and 60 mg/kg/day of Sulofenur showed hypospermatogenesis and decreased fertility. Spermatogenesis and fertility recovered in the high-dose group. A dose of 5 mg/kg/day did not produce any effect on testes or fertility."}
{"id": "PMID:1463926", "title": "Relationship between fetal weight and litter size in rats: application to reproductive toxicology studies.", "content": "The inverse relationship between mammalian fetal weight and litter size has been discussed by many authors, but their opinions reveal no agreement at all. As in toxicity studies of reproduction, both parameters must be correctly evaluated. We investigated the existence of such a relationship in 2466 fetuses from 203 litters of Sprague-Dawley CD control rats. The frequency distribution of fetal weights had a normal adjustment. From the mean weight of fetuses in each litter, the mean fetal weights in each litter size and correlation coefficient were calculated and the regression line was plotted; the correlation coefficient (r = 0.677) was highly significant (P = 0.002), which made evident that there was an inverse relationship between fetal weight and litter size. If fetal weight/litter size inverse relationship is not taken into account when toxicity on the fetal weight is analyzed, wrong conclusions may be reached if the test substance reduces the litter size, provoking embryofoetal mortality. The iatrogenic decrement in fetal weight can be masked by an increment due to the litter size reduction. We suggest that in all three segments of reproductive toxicity studies, litter size must be considered as a covariate to the effect of the test substance on the fetal weight, in order to perform a correct analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), in addition to the dose factor commonly used in common ANOVA."}
{"id": "PMID:1463927", "title": "From cisplatin to artificial nucleases--the role of metal ion-nucleic acid interactions in biology.", "content": "Metal ions and metal coordination compounds bind to nucleic acids in a variety of ways, ranging from weak electrostatic interactions via hydrogen bonding and/or van der Waals forces to strong covalent binding. Metal ions naturally take part in the formation and the degradation of nucleic acids, and the propensity of certain metal coordination compounds to bind to nucleic acids, notably DNA, is exploited in cancer chemotherapy. Moreover, metal compounds have a wide potential as chemical probes for nucleic acid structures and as tools for nucleic acid processing."}
{"id": "PMID:1463928", "title": "Aluminum: a pH-dependent inhibitor of NADP-isocitrate dehydrogenase from porcine heart.", "content": "Aluminum showed a pH-dependent inhibitory effect on NADP-isocitrate dehydrogenase from porcine heart. Aluminum ions (Al3+) acted as a partial competitive inhibitor of the enzyme with respect to the substrate threo-Ds-isocitrate and inhibited the enzyme non-competitively with respect to NADP at pH 6.85. Fractional velocity plot analysis showed the Ki of the enzyme for aluminum ions to be 0.88 microM. When pH was elevated to 8.0, aluminum ions, which occur as a form of the Al(OH)4- anion, acted as partial uncompetitive and non-competitive inhibitors of the enzyme with respect to the substrates isocitrate and NADP, respectively. The K\u00ed of the enzyme was determined to be 5.64 microM at pH 8.0 by fractional velocity plot analysis. The inhibition of NADP-isocitrate dehydrogenase by two forms of aluminum ions may explain aluminum toxicity in various tissues and organs."}
{"id": "PMID:1463929", "title": "Effects of histidine on tissue zinc distribution in rats.", "content": "Histidine has been reported to affect body zinc status by increasing urinary zinc excretion. The effects of experimental histidinemia on distribution of 65Zn in anesthetized rats were studied. Infusion of L-histidine at a rate sufficient to raise plasma concentrations to approximately 2 mM for 6 h starting 48 h after a single intraperitoneal 65Zn injection did not alter 65Zn activities in a variety of tissues when compared with anesthetized uninfused animals. However, plasma 65Zn and erythrocyte 65Zn were decreased, and liver 65Zn was increased. If 65Zn was injected intravenously during histidine infusion, net accumulation of zinc by some tissues was increased, but uptake by others was reduced relative to uninfused animals. In all cases, however, uptake expressed relative to plasma 65Zn levels was increased when allowance was made for the more rapid fall in plasma 65Zn during histidine infusion. Similar infusions of D-histidine produced quantitatively similar effects. Since enzymatic mechanisms and amino acid carriers would be expected to show stereoselectivity, such processes are unlikely to be involved in the zinc distribution changes described. The possibility of zinc transport by a hitherto unidentified carrier is discussed. These experiments confirm that histidinemia can affect zinc status, but any associated changes in urinary zinc excretion do not seem adequate to account for the tissue changes found."}
{"id": "PMID:1463930", "title": "Cadmium interferes with steroid biosynthesis in rat granulosa and luteal cells in vitro.", "content": "Recently, cadmium has been described to disturb ovarian function in rats. In this paper the direct influence of cadmium on steroid production of ovarian cells in vitro has been studied. Granulosa and luteal cells were obtained from proestrous and pregnant rats, and incubated with 0, 5, 10, 20 or 40 micrograms ml-1 CdCl2 in the presence or absence of 0.1-1000 ng ml-1 follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) or luteinizing hormone (LH) for 24 or 48 h. Production of progesterone (P) and 17 beta-estradiol (E2) by granulosa and that of P by luteal cells were measured by radioimmunoassay. In FSH-stimulated granulosa cell cultures, 5 and 40 micrograms ml-1 CdCl2 suppressed P accumulation to 65 and 10%, respectively; accumulation of E2 (at 5 micrograms ml-1 CdCl2) decreased to 44%. P production of LH-supported luteal cells dropped to 86 and 66%, respectively, when 5 and 40 micrograms ml-1 CdCl2 was added to the medium. No alteration in basal P accumulation occurred in granulosa and luteal cell cultures following incubations with 20 and 40 micrograms ml-1 CdCl2, whereas basal E2 production of granulosa cells was markedly diminished. It is concluded that CdCl2 suppressing steroid synthesis in vitro exerts a direct influence on granulosa and luteal cell function."}
{"id": "PMID:1463931", "title": "High performance liquid chromatographic determination of 3 alpha, 5 beta-tetrahydroaldosterone and cortisol in human urine with fluorescence detection.", "content": "A simple and sensitive method for the simultaneous determination of 3 alpha, 5 beta-tetrahydroaldosterone (THALD) and cortisol in human urine is described. The method uses high performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection. THALD and cortisol, released by enzyme hydrolysis, and fludrocortisone (internal standard) are isolated by a Sephadex G-25M column and a Bond-Elut C18 cartridge, and then oxidized by cupric acetate to form the corresponding glyoxal derivatives. The glyoxal derivatives are converted into the fluorescent quinoxalines by reaction with 1,2-diamino-4,5-methylenedioxybenzene. The quinoxalines are successfully separated on a reversed phase column (L-column ODS) with isocratic elution and monitored fluorimetrically. The detection limits for THALD and cortisol are 0.45 and 1.18 ng/mL urine (0.65 and 2.65 pmol/100 microL injection volume), respectively, at a signal-to-noise ratio of 3 in a 100 microL injection volume. This method permits the precise and sensitive determination of THALD and cortisol in human urine (2 mL)."}
{"id": "PMID:1463934", "title": "Detection of gangliosides with the fluorochrome NBD dihexadecylamine and its application for preparative high performance thin layer chromatography.", "content": "A new method for the detection of gangliosides based on the lipophilic fluorescence agent 4-(N,N-dihexadecyl)amino-7-nitrobenz-2-oxa-1,3-diazole (NBD dihexadecylamine) and its application for preparative high performance thin layer chromatography is described. Brain gangliosides were chromatographed on silica gel coated thin layer plates and located with non-destructive fluorochrome under longwave ultraviolet light. The fluorescent zones were scraped off and the gangliosides were extracted with a mixture of chloroform/methanol/water (30/60/8; v/v/v). The gangliosides were separated from uncharged NBD dihexadecylamine by anion exchange chromatography and impurities were removed by Iatrobeads chromatography. The method described offers a simple and successful preparative thin layer chromatographic strategy to obtain pure gangliosides in microgram and milligram quantities."}
{"id": "PMID:1463932", "title": "A simple method for the quantification of famotidine in human plasma and urine by paired-ion high performance liquid chromatography.", "content": "A new method for the quantification of famotidine consists of a simple extraction procedure and paired-ion high performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection. The method has good accuracy and precision and should be suitable for the routine measurement of plasma and urine samples for clinical studies."}
{"id": "PMID:1463935", "title": "High performance ion exclusion chromatographic characterization of the vaginal organic acids in women with bacterial vaginosis.", "content": "Vaginal organic acids have previously been detected by gas-liquid chromatography, but we have applied an ion exclusion high performance liquid chromatographic procedure to the analysis of vaginal discharge samples. This procedure has the advantage of not requiring derivitization of non-volatile acids and provides the convenience of a technique which does not require the use of flammable gasses, while allowing the identification of at least 18 different acids from the same chromatographic analysis. Vaginal discharge from women with symptoms of bacterial vaginosis was collected on weighed swabs and analysed for the presence of organic acids. The results were compared to the organic acid content of samples obtained from the same cohort of women after treatment with metronidazole. In addition, samples were obtained from asymptomatic women and these samples were analysed in the same manner. The number of organic acids present in samples from women with bacterial vaginosis was greater than the number found after treatment or among asymptomatic women. Succinic acid appeared to be inversely related to lactate concentration and succinate:lactate ratios were greater among women with bacterial vaginosis before treatment than after treatment. Liquid chromatography has proven useful as a means of evaluating the metabolic end-products of vaginal microorganisms in situ."}
{"id": "PMID:1463936", "title": "Quantitative determination of a new anticonvulsant (CGS 18416A) in human plasma using capillary gas chromatography/mass spectrometry.", "content": "An analytical method has been developed for the determination of a new antiepileptic drug, CGS 18416A, in human plasma. CGS 18416A is a new anticonvulsant representative of a novel class of water-soluble agents being developed for the treatment of epilepsy. Preclinical trials indicate sustained efficacy at relatively low oral doses, indicating a need for a sensitive assay. The method is based on capillary gas chromatography/mass spectrometry and utilizes stable isotope-labelled CGS 18416A as the internal standard. Samples (1 mL) are acidified, then washed with pentane/ethyl acetate, followed by liquid/liquid extraction at pH 11 with pentane/ethyl acetate. Extracts are then concentrated and analysed directly by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Separation is accomplished on a thick film methylsilicone capillary column. Mass spectrometry was carried out under positive ion ammonia Cl conditions with selected ion monitoring of the protonated molecular ions (m/z = 248 and 252) for CGS 18416A and the 13CD3-CGS 18416A, respectively. Specificity was demonstrated by the lack of interfering peaks at the retention time of CGS 18416A and the internal standard. Recovery and reproducibility assessments indicate good accuracy and precision over the validated concentration range of 0.2-51 ng/mL. The limit of quantification is 0.2 ng/mL and the method has sufficient sensitivity to support clinical trials. This is illustrated with an example of quantification in a normal volunteer following oral dosing."}
{"id": "PMID:1463937", "title": "A new method for the purification of cytochrome-P450 from human liver microsomes.", "content": "A procedure for the solubilization and purification of cytochrome-P450 (cyt-P450) from human liver microsomes is described. Successive treatment of microsomes with protease XXVII and 3-(3-cholamidopropyl)dimethylammoniopropanesulphonic acid gave a solubilized cyt-P450 in more than 80% yield and with a three-fold increase in specific activity. With this treatment it was possible to eliminate 80% of cytochrome-b5 and 75% of NADPH cyt-P450 reductase. The solubilized cyt-P450 was filtered on a Sephacryl-200 column and then subjected to high performance liquid chromatography with a Mono-P column (chromatofocussing). The recovery of separated cyt-P450 was about 50% with a specific activity of 11.5 nmol cyt-P450/mg protein. Also with this technique it was possible to determine the isoelectric points of cyt-P450. These results allowed us to confirm the usefulness of our method, for the study the cyt-P450 from surgical biopsies."}
{"id": "PMID:1463933", "title": "Detection of abnormal haemoglobin by capillary electrophoresis and structural identification.", "content": "Haemoglobin obtained from a male adult Ghanian with retinopathy, which was probably caused by haemoglobinopathy was analysed by capillary electrophoresis (CE) for clinical diagnosis. Two major peaks, which were in the ratio of nearly one, were detected. The elution times of these peaks (HbXI and HbXII) were faster than that of normal haemoglobin (HbA). The existence of two different abnormal types of haemoglobin was clear in the patient blood. The following sequence analysis revealed that the first peak (HbXI) was HbC and the second (HbXII) was HbS on the electropherogram, and that the patient was a heterozygote of HbS and HbC (HbSC disease). One of the diagnostic processes in a haemoglobin disease was shown by the combined use of CE, HPLC and a protein sequencer."}
{"id": "PMID:1463938", "title": "Determination of low molecular weight aliphatic primary amines in urine as their benzenesulphonyl derivatives by gas chromatography with flame photometric detection.", "content": "A selective and sensitive method for the determination of low molecular weight aliphatic primary amines in urine is described. These amines were converted into their benzenesulphonyl derivatives by a modified Hinsberg procedure, and measured by gas chromatography with flame photometric detection (FPD-GC) using a DB-1 capillary column. The derivatives were very stable and provided excellent FPD responses. By FPD-GC, linear calibration curves were obtained in the range 10-200 ng of methylamine, ethylamine, n-propylamine, isobutylamine and n-butylamine using tert-butylamine as an internal standard, and the detection limits of these amines were ca. 6-25 pg as the injection amount. Benzenesulphonamide derived from ammonia was converted into its N-dimethylaminomethylene derivative which has a longer retention time, and separated from benzenesulphonyl derivatives of low molecular weight primary amines on the chromatogram. The recoveries of aliphatic primary amines added to urine samples were 91-107% and the relative standard deviations were 0.2-4.5%. Analytical results of aliphatic primary amine contents in urine samples of normal subjects are presented."}
{"id": "PMID:1463939", "title": "The retention behaviour of conjugated bile acids in reversed phase high performance liquid chromatography.", "content": "The retention behaviour of conjugated bile acids has been studied in a reversed phase high performance liquid chromatographic (RP-HPLC) system by using the mixture of methanol and aqueous phosphate buffer as the mobile phase. The retentions of the conjugates in RP-HPLC have been found to be mainly controlled by the glycine and taurine groups. The selectivity between five different glycine and taurine conjugated bile acids is a constant in RP-HPLC. This selectivity has been used for peak identification in the practical separation of conjugated bile acids."}
{"id": "PMID:1463945", "title": "Venous leg ulcers: a prognostic index to predict time to healing.", "content": "To evaluate the prognostic factors in uncomplicated venous leg ulcer healing. Randomised parallel group controlled trial with subjects stratified by initial ulcer diameter and four months' maximum duration of follow up. Assessment at Northwick Park Hospital vascular unit with community based treatment. 200 patients with clinical and objective evidence of uncomplicated venous leg ulceration and an initial ulcer diameter > 2 cm. Time to complete healing of the ulcer. In the presence of graduated compression healing occurred more rapidly in patients with a smaller initial ulcer area (relative risk of healing 1.92 associated with halving of ulcer area (95% confidence interval 1.58 to 2.33)), shorter duration of ulceration (relative risk 1.35 associated with halving duration (1.17 to 1.56)), younger age (relative risk 1.34 associated with 10 year decrease (1.12 to 1.59)), and no deep vein involvement (relative risk 1.8 (1.19 to 2.78)). These prognostic factors used in a simple scoring system predict time to healing."}
{"id": "PMID:1463946", "title": "Oral cancer in Scotland: changing incidence and mortality.", "content": "To determine the incidence of oral cancer in Scotland between 1960 and 1989 and oral cancer mortality from 1911 to 1989. Data were obtained on oral cancer incidence from the information and statistics division of the Common Services Agency of the Scottish Health Service and mortality data from the office of the registrar general for Scotland. Mortality from intraoral cancers in Scotland substantially declined throughout this century until the mid-1970s. This trend, however, was then reversed, and fourfold increases in incidence were observed in younger age groups after 1960. Death rates in these younger age groups increased to levels previously recorded in the 1940s. These increases seemed to be cohort based and may therefore continue into the future. Reasons for increasing rates among younger age groups are speculative and rely on combining knowledge about risk factors and available ecological data. Though increases in incidence at younger ages do not result in a large change in the number of cases diagnosed, possible similar increases continuing into older ages, when oral cancer is more common, will correspond to a much larger increase in the actual number of cases. Given that such a large attributable risk is associated with tobacco and alcohol, however, these increases may be preventable."}
{"id": "PMID:1463947", "title": "Evidence for efficacy of drugs affecting bone metabolism in preventing hip fracture.", "content": "To examine the effects of taking drugs affecting bone metabolism on the risk of hip fracture in women aged over 50 years. Retrospective, population based, case-control study by questionnaire. 14 centres in six countries in southern Europe. 2086 women with hip fracture and 3532 control women matched for age. Number of drugs affecting bone metabolism taken and length taken for. Women taking drugs affecting bone metabolism had a significantly decreased risk of hip fracture. After adjustment for differences in other risk factors, the relative risk of hip fractures was 0.55 (95% confidence interval 0.31 to 0.85) in women taking oestrogens, 0.75 (0.60 to 0.94) in those taking calcium, and 0.69 (0.51 to 0.92) in those taking calcitonin. The fall in risk was not significant for anabolic steroids (0.6 (0.29 to 1.22)). Neither vitamin D nor fluorides were associated with a significant decrease in the risk of hip fracture. The effect on hip fracture risk increased significantly with increasing duration of exposure (risk ratio 0.8 (0.61 to 1.05) for less than median exposure v 0.66 (0.5 to 0.88) for greater than median exposure). Drugs were equally effective in older and younger women, with the exception of oestrogen. Oestrogen, calcium, and calcitonins significantly decrease the risk of hip fracture. Short term intervention late in the natural course of osteoporosis may have significant effects on the incidence of hip fracture."}
{"id": "PMID:1463950", "title": "Primary health care in London--changes since the Acheson report.", "content": "To examine changes in primary care in London in the 11 years since the Acheson report on primary health care in inner London. Analysis of key data from the family health services authority performance indicators and from the Department of Health; study of trends since the time of the Acheson report; examination of the provision of primary care in 1990-1 and its relation to health and social factors. Comparisons between the family health services authorities of inner London, outer London, and England as a whole, with a special study of Birmingham, Liverpool, and Manchester. The family health services authorities of England. There has been an improvement in the provision of primary care in inner London as judged by the criteria of the Acheson report, but these improvements have occurred only as part of an overall improvement in the provision of primary care in the country as a whole. None of the recommendations of the Acheson report specifically oriented to London have been implemented. There are some worrying trends in inner London, such as the increasing proportion of practices with more than 2500 patients. The problems faced by practitioners in inner London resemble those in other large inner city areas, but the primary care provision to deal with them is relatively poor."}
{"id": "PMID:1463951", "title": "Management of feverish children at home.", "content": "To compare the acceptability and effects on temperature of advice to unwrap children and give paracetamol or warm sponging treatments in the management of feverish illness at home. A randomised, open, parallel group study using factorial design comparison of unwrapping, warm sponging plus unwrapping, paracetamol plus unwrapping, and paracetamol and warm sponging plus unwrapping. Homes of willing families with a feverish child recruited after consulting one of 21 participating general practitioners in Southampton. 52 children aged from 3 months to 5 years with axillary temperatures before treatment of > or = 37.8 degrees C and < 40 degrees C. Response to advice assessed over four hours; temperature assessed by continuous data logging from an axillary thermistor; acceptability of treatment to child and parent scored on Likert scales immediately after treatment and on return to health. Response to treatment advice varied; unwrapping alone had little effect on temperature. Paracetamol increased the time below 37.2 degrees C in four hours by 109 (95% confidence interval 74 to 145) minutes compared with unwrapping; warm sponging caused the fastest reduction in temperature. Parents discriminated between treatments, preferring paracetamol. Advice to give paracetamol is more effective than sponging or unwrapping in controlling temperature in children at home and is more acceptable to parents. Warm sponging has an additive effect and reduces fever more quickly than paracetamol."}
{"id": "PMID:1463953", "title": "London after Tomlinson. Care in the capital: what needs to be done.", "content": "One of the aims of the Tomlinson report is to shift more care from the secondary to the primary sector in London. But the primary sector is already underresourced and overloaded. The capital has a heterogeneous population which often makes inappropriate demands on general practitioners. Many premises are inadequate and there are insufficient support staff. David Metcalfe emphasises that London is special and that the shift will not become a reality unless these problems are tackled. He suggests the establishment of different models of practice centres which could treat some of the patients who now go to accident and emergency departments. Some would be the night emergency service base, some would have primary care beds, and each would have a different mix of specialist support."}
{"id": "PMID:1463972", "title": "Faecal steroids and colorectal cancer: steroid profiles in subjects with adenomatous polyps of the large bowel.", "content": "In this necroscopy study the relation between carriage and size of colorectal polyps was correlated with luminal steroid concentrations in respect to malignant risk. Of the 92 subjects entered into the study, 68 had adenomatous polyps of the large bowel, of which 19 had adenomas > 0.9 cm in diameter (large adenomas), 26 in the range 0.5-0.9 cm in diameter (medium adenomas) and 23 of 0.4 cm or less in diameter (small adenomas). Sixty-three percent of subjects carrying large adenomas and 26% of persons carrying small adenomas had an abnormal ratio (> 1.0) of lithocholic acid to deoxycholic acid in intestinal contents as compared to 17% of the adenoma-free comparison group (n = 24). These findings support the suggestion that the ratio of lithocholic acid to deoxycholic acid as a faecal marker may be a useful adjunct to screening procedures for colorectal cancer."}
{"id": "PMID:1463973", "title": "Faecal steroids and colorectal cancer: the effect of lactulose on faecal bacterial metabolism in a continuous culture model of the large intestine.", "content": "The effect of lactulose on intestinal bacterial metabolism in two identical single-stage chemostats has been studied. The study was designed as a single stage crossover. Both cultures were inoculated and treated in an identical manner except that whilst one fermenter was subject to pH control the other was not and vice versa. Complex bacterial populations were maintained for 23 days and many of the metabolic functions carried out by the micro-organisms in vivo were demonstrated in vitro. The predominant organisms belonged to the genera Bacteroides, Bifidobacterium and Clostridium with abundant levels of anaerobic Gram-positive rods. The redox potential in each fermenter showed considerable variation with maximum values of below -300 eV being attained. An indication of the stability of the bacterial communities was the production of short-chain volatile fatty acids; during steady-state conditions the mean ratio of the major acids acetic, propionic and butyric being 3.90:0.69:1.00 and 3.65:0.76:1.00 in each fermenter, respectively. During steady-state conditions, 7 alpha-dehydroxylation of the primary bile acid chenodeoxycholic acid was maintained at a constant rate with lithocholic acid representing over 85% of total steroid. Addition of the soluble fibre lactulose to the cultures had a profound effect on many of the parameters tested. Without pH control the culture pH dropped to below 5.0 and this coincided with a substantial decrease in total anaerobes, especially Bacteroides spp., an increase in Lactobacillus spp. (concomitant with an increase in lactic acid), a decrease in the concentration of short-chain volatile fatty acids and a substantial decrease in 7 alpha-dehydroxylation of chenodeoxycholic acid. These results show that it is possible to maintain viable intestinal bacteria in vitro using a continuous culture chemostat and that the cultures respond to changing conditions as evinced by the inhibition of 7 alpha-dehydroxylation of chenodeoxycholic acid on addition of lactulose. This indicates that the model may be of further use in studying the modulation of secondary bile acid formation, a possible risk factor in colorectal carcinogenesis."}
{"id": "PMID:1463974", "title": "Biomarker assessments in asbestos-exposed workers as indicators for selective prevention of mesothelioma or bronchogenic carcinoma: rationale and practical implementations.", "content": "In the first part of this study we have shown how the serum levels of four selected tumour markers, namely tissue polypeptide antigen (TPA), carcino-embryonic antigen (CEA), hyaluronic acid (HA) and ferritin, display patterns characteristic of mesothelioma (M) or bronchogenic carcinoma (BC) in asbestos-exposed workers, and we hypothesize that the differences in marker patterns correspond to differences in carcinogenesis mechanisms. In a preliminary study, we found these specific marker patterns in 5/19 exposed workers of whom only one demonstrated any radiological signs of disease. Thus these specific marker patterns may be early events, occurring long (possibly years) before the classical radiological signs of exposure to asbestos. Accordingly they afford an optimal opportunity for prevention which should be adapted to the carcinogenesis mechanism as it is revealed by the marker pattern; it is aimed at antagonizing free radical carcinogenesis in all persons with TPA levels in excess of 100 U/l or Ferritin in excess of 400 ng/ml, and at inhibiting chemical carcinogenesis in those having elevated CEA levels (over 3 ng/ml). The mechanisms involved in these inhibitory processes are described and discussed, as well as the practical implementations that proceed from them. A prevention trial is now being started among 300 active and retired workers of an asbestos-cement works in northern France; the design of the study is presented. This prevention programme should be maintained over many years and holds a strong potential for reducing the untoward effects of exposure to asbestos."}
{"id": "PMID:1463976", "title": "Colorectal cancer and ischaemic heart disease: an uncommon inheritance!", "content": "This study reports the relative risk of death from cancer and from coronary artery disease in 1,811 first-degree relatives of 205 young colorectal cancer probands. The elevation in the risks of death from cancer (eg colon 3.6; rectum 2.0; uterus 1.8; cervix 2.3) is consistent with, though of lower magnitude than previous studies. An unexpected find was a highly significant deficit in coronary deaths. Recently discovered molecular associations between colon cancer and cholesterol metabolism suggest that further family studies of bowel cancer and heart disease in a variety of populations may be worthwhile."}
{"id": "PMID:1463975", "title": "Vitamin supplement use in a hospital-based population.", "content": "Vitamin supplement histories were taken from a sample of approximately 3,600 individuals (2,461 men and 1,181 women) from a hospital-based population. Multivitamin preparations were the most commonly used vitamin supplements (32% of men, 37% of women) followed by vitamins C (men 11%; women 16%) and E (men 17%; women 23%). The most common combination of supplements among the multi-users was vitamins C and E. Vitamin supplement use was positively associated with education in both sexes. Among women, there was a negative association between vitamin supplement consumption and Quetelet Index. No association was found between vitamin use and smoking status or alcohol use or amount of alcohol consumed."}
{"id": "PMID:1463977", "title": "Epidemiological aspects of cancer of the penis in Finland.", "content": "The purpose of this study was to characterize the epidemiological features of cancer of the penis in Finland. After histological re-examination and exclusions, the final series comprised 269 patients with cancer of the penis diagnosed and reported to the Finnish Cancer Registry between 1955 and 1977. The age-adjusted incidence rate of cancer of the penis decreased slightly from the 1960s onwards and was on the order of 0.5 per 100,000 person-years in the 1970s. Cancer of the penis was a disease of elderly males, which showed no systematic geographical variation in Finland in terms of risk. The most frequent predisposing factors were phimosis, in 44% of the cases, and condylomatous lesions, in 20% of the cases. The general survival (all patients, all stages) was favourable; the 5-, 10-, and 20-year relative survival rates were 71, 69 and 78%, respectively."}
{"id": "PMID:1463978", "title": "Incidence of cancer of oesophagus, cardia and stomach in Denmark.", "content": "Subtypes of oesophageal and gastric cancer in Denmark are compared with respect to their occurrence in men and in women, and in the Danish capital, Copenhagen, versus the rest of Denmark. Three categories of tumours can be distinguished epidemiologically: oesophageal squamous carcinoma, oesophageal and cardial adenocarcinoma, and distal gastric cancer. Comparison of information reported to the Danish Cancer Registry and cause of death as indicated on death certificates suggests that considerable misclassification between subtypes of tumours occurs. The Danish experience supports the findings from other populations of increasing incidence of oesophageal and cardial adenocarcinoma, but because of possible changes in diagnoses over time and of misclassification of subtypes, the data must be interpreted with caution."}
{"id": "PMID:1463979", "title": "Female tumours in Italy: an example of quantitative assessment of disease burden and preventive strategies.", "content": "Female tumours (ie cancers of the female genital tract and breast) represent alone about 40% of new cases and 30% of cancer deaths in Italy (approximately 44,500 new cancer diagnoses and 17,800 deaths in 1991). An attempt to identify major issues in the primary and secondary prevention of these malignancies has disclosed several important points. Firstly, concerning epidemiology, excesses of mortality from cancers of the breast and ovaries exist in the northern part of Italy as compared to the centre and south, whereas mortality rates from uterine cancer are almost equally distributed. However, a tendency towards increasing similarity of various Italian regions emerges. Risk factors most amenable to intervention are overweight, contraceptive methods and dietary habits. Secondly, concerning screening, the number of mammograms (about 552) and the number of Pap smears taken every year (about 4 million) are approximately sufficient to provide a complete coverage of the target subset of the female population as concerns breast and cervical cancer screening. Still, on account of no one carrying out primary call procedures and checks, the actual situation is unsatisfactory. The present article, in addition to quantifying the present status of female cancer prevention in Italy, tries to define a framework for similar exercises in other European countries."}
{"id": "PMID:1463980", "title": "Plasma vitamin concentrations in patients with intestinal metaplasia and in controls. UK Subgroup of the ECP-EURONUT-IM Study Group.", "content": "A case-control study has been carried out on 129 patients with newly diagnosed intestinal metaplasia (IM) recruited in four UK centres (London, Slough, Stoke and Glasgow). Serum assays of a range of vitamins demonstrated that 38% of IM patients had serum ascorbic acid levels below the detection levels compared with only 16% of controls free of chronic gastric lesions; this difference was also seen in the patients from the individual centres. There were no major differences between cases and controls in any other serum vitamin levels measured (carotene, tocopherol or the ratio of tocopherol to cholesterol). Comparison of the healthy asymptomatic controls suggested that the intakes of ascorbic acid and of beta-carotene were much higher in southern England than in Stoke or Glasgow. The tocopherol status in the four centres tended to be more similar."}
{"id": "PMID:1463984", "title": "Aetiology of oesophageal cancer: some operative factors.", "content": "Of the thousands of chemicals tested, the only compounds found to be potent carcinogens for the oesophagus are the N-nitrosamines. Many of these compounds are readily formed from common precursors in the environment (eg example in food during its storage or preparation) and also in vivo in the human stomach. Exposure is therefore likely to be ubiquitous. Although man may be exposed to other oesophageal carcinogens these have yet to be chemically identified, and at present nitrosamines are the sole contenders for the role of initiators of oesophageal cancer in man. Evidence suggests strongly that oesophageal cancer is initiated world-wide by nitrosamines, and promoted by secondary factors, the nature of which varies with the population concerned, notably alcohol in Europe and the USA, dietary deficiencies in China and Iran, mycotoxins in South Africa. When several risk factors coincide in one locality, the result can be a very high incidence of oesophageal cancer, with no one major cause."}
{"id": "PMID:1463986", "title": "Lactobacilli, anticarcinogenic activities and human intestinal microflora.", "content": "Lactobacilli belong to the normal oropharyngeal and intestinal microflora in humans. These microorganisms contribute to the stabilization of the microflora and maintain the colonization resistance against pathogens. Lactobacilli have been used as dietary supplements in order to prevent gastrointestinal disturbances. Claims have been made that certain strains of lactobacilli possibly exert anticarcinogenic activities. The activity of bacterial enzymes, implicated in colon carcinogenesis may be elevated by a high meat, Western-type diet. Supplements of Lactobacillus acidophilus decreased these levels in both rats and humans. Colon cancer patients given L. acidophilus fermented milk showed a significant increase both in numbers of intestinal lactobacilli and dietary calcium intake, while decreasing trends in levels of both soluble faecal bile acids and faecal bacterial enzymes, two risk makers for colon cancer, were observed. In vitro studies have revealed that lactobacilli and other lactic acid bacteria have the ability to absorb cooked food mutagens. Recent studies in humans have shown that intake of L. acidophilus significantly reduced the mutagen excretion after consumption of fried meat. Several mechanisms by which lactobacilli might exert anticarcinogenic effects are discussed. Thus, certain strains of lactobacilli might lower the colon cancer risk in humans."}
{"id": "PMID:1463987", "title": "A food fair to promote dietary change in the Stockholm cancer prevention programme.", "content": "Involving organizations is crucial when developing community intervention strategies aimed at dietary change. This case study describes the use of a food fair as a change agent. The aim of the food fair was to obtain commitment and build up a network in the community comprised of professionals in the fields of food production, food distribution and information. The fair was organized in 1989 and intended to disseminate knowledge and information about healthy foods and encourage food industries, test kitchens and also publishing companies to develop and present products in accordance with the dietary objectives of the Stockholm Cancer Prevention Programme (ie a simultaneous reduction of fat and an increase in fibre intake). The food fair consisted of exhibitions and conferences/seminars. Policy makers, journalists, people in the educational and health professions and those working with food were invited to participate. Nearly 60 companies and organizations made presentations at the exhibition and 1,000 professionals attended the conferences and seminars. In all, 6,400 people visited the fair. Seventy-eight trade journals and newspapers and three radio stations reported on the fair. The food fair was so well received that a second fair was arranged in 1991."}
{"id": "PMID:1463988", "title": "A tobacco quit and win model in the Stockholm cancer prevention programme.", "content": "The main objective of the Stockholm Cancer Prevention Programme (SCPP) is to reduce cancer incidence and mortality among the 1.6 million inhabitants in Stockholm county by reducing risk factors particularly related to lifestyle. The objective of the SCPP's tobacco action programme is to reduce the number of adult daily users of tobacco (including oral snuff) to 20% by the year 2000. In 1988, a nationwide Quit and Win contest was conceived as part of this long-term programme. The contest recruited nearly 13,000 participants or 0.6% of the daily tobacco users in Sweden over the age of 16 years. More than 60% of the participants were recruited from Stockholm county. This corresponds to 1.9% of the daily tobacco users in Stockholm county compared with 0.3% in the rest of Sweden. The pharmacies and the public health services organizations were the principal distributors of contest entry forms. Sixty-two percent of the men and 59% of the women were tobacco free one month after the contest, and after 6 months the corresponding figures were 30 and 25%, respectively."}
{"id": "PMID:1463989", "title": "Tobacco and cancer: how to react to the evidence.", "content": "Tobacco is a remarkable product when considering the number of diseases to which it can reliably be linked as a causal agent or at least as a factor which is partially responsible for the occurrence of disease. If we only look at cancer, tobacco is responsible for the vast majority of cancers of the lung, trachea and bronchus; a proportion of cancers of the bladder and of the renal pelvis; a considerable proportion of cancers of the oral cavity, lip, pharynx, larynx and oesophagus with, for these sites, a large potentiation of risk when associated with the drinking of alcohol; a proportion of cancers of the pancreas and possibly of renal adenocarcinoma. In addition, among women, tobacco use has been linked with an increased risk of cervical cancer. In order to evaluate the present burden of tobacco-related cancers in the world precisely, one needs to be able to consult precise statistics of cancer occurrence, tobacco use and the relationship between the two. The availability of such data varies greatly across countries. Although mortality, and to a lesser extent, morbidity cancer statistics are collected in many parts of the world, the coverage is far from exhaustive and of uniform quality. Commercial or governmental sources of data on tobacco also exist, but the most important missing link is knowledge of the population-specific risk attributable to tobacco use in various countries for all tobacco-related diseases. Despite imperfect knowledge, the link between tobacco use and cancer is clear enough to demand strong action.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1463990", "title": "The reliability and validity of a Dutch questionnaire on fat consumption as a means to rank subjects according to individual fat intake.", "content": "In this paper a short, 25-item, telephone-administered questionnaire, designed to rank individuals according to their dietary intake of fat, is presented. Based on two studies of 52 and 639 men and women, respectively, its relative validity regarding a 7-day diet record and its reproducibility are discussed. A Pearson correlation of 0.59 was observed between fat intake estimated by 7-day diet records and fat score derived from the short questionnaire. Gross misclassification, defined as disagreement between the two fat consumption assessments beyond an adjacent tertile, was 15.4%. A Pearson correlation of 0.71 was calculated by a test-retest procedure. It is concluded that the Dutch short questionnaire on fat consumption is a rapid, simple and inexpensive method that can very well be used in nutrition education research to rank individuals according to their dietary fat intake."}
{"id": "PMID:1463991", "title": "The effect of colonic site of biopsy on cell proliferation profiles using BRDU incorporation as a measure of cell proliferation.", "content": "Sigmoidal and rectal biopsies were taken from 10 patients at colonoscopy. Colonic crypt cell proliferation was measured using a monoclonal antibody to bromodeoxyuridine by an immunohistochemical technique. Labelling index and crypt cell proliferation profiles were analysed and compared between the two sites. No statistically significant difference was found in proliferation parameters. Assessment of colonic proliferation is a useful indicator for colorectal cancer risk and for determining the effects of ongoing drug treatment. Rectal biopsies are easier to take than sigmoidal biopsies. The results of this study suggest that there is no difference in cell proliferation at the two sites. Rectal biopsies are more practical for clinical studies."}
{"id": "PMID:1463995", "title": "Preventive intervention in breast cancer, but when?", "content": "After an introductory note on primary preventive intervention of breast cancer during adulthood, the author defends and extends a hypothesis that relates most of the known risk factors for this disease to the development of preneoplastic lesions in the breast. If changes in lifestyle concerning nutritional and/or reproductive risk factors during puberty and adolescence would turn out to be unacceptable socially, an alternative approach might be found in chemoprevention based on cell differentiation."}
{"id": "PMID:1463996", "title": "Growth of colorectal polyps: design of a prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled intervention study in patients with colorectal polyps.", "content": "One hundred and sixteen patients were included, during 18 months, in a double-blind placebo-controlled intervention study, with calcium, vitamins A, C, E and selenium (in a cocktail) or placebo against growth of colonic polyps. Patients were randomized within three arms, according to diameter of the largest polyp, < 5 mm, 5-9 mm or > 9 mm. Polyps > 9 mm were resected, the others were left to be measured annually before resection after 3 years. The protocol (performed in all of the patients) included registration of demographic data, family and personal history, measurement of polyps, collection of blood specimens, stools and biopsy samples. Registration of nutritional status, diet history and 5-day prospective food consumption, was performed in 108 patients. The patient compliance was registered every third month by the hospital pharmacist, with concomitant delivery of new boxes of capsules. Additionally, stool collections were performed from all of the patients for the measurement of faecal calcium, bile salts and fat. Inclusion rate of 37, 41 and 38 patients in each of the three 6-month periods was uniform. The group with the largest polyps measuring 5-9 mm comprised 44% of the material. The sex ratio corresponded to that in overall referrals for colonoscopy. The age relationship of size and multiplicity of polyps and the distribution of polyps in the large bowel corresponded to previous experience in polyp-bearing individuals of the same age.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1463997", "title": "Cell proliferation study on gastric carcinoma and non-involved gastric mucosa using a bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) labelling technique.", "content": "Previous reports using [3H]thymidine have shown altered patterns of cell proliferation in gastric carcinogenesis. In this study we applied in vitro bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) uptake and immunohistochemistry to tissue from carcinoma, its adjacent mucosa and distant mucosa (n = 16) cases and 10 normal control cases. The labelling index (LI) was calculated for the upper, neck/isthmus and lower gland compartments and in 10 random fields/carcinoma. The LI was greater in the carcinoma than in either the adjacent or far mucosa or the controls (p < 0.001). No difference was observed between the non-carcinoma areas. However, the LI varied significantly between the gland compartments within each area (p < 0.001). In the normal control cases, the location of the proliferating cells was limited to the neck/isthmus region and perhaps the most significant observation was the change of location and expansion of the proliferative zone towards the surface in the normal mucosa adjacent to carcinoma compared with distant mucosa and controls (p < 0.001). These altered patterns of cell proliferation may be an important aspect of the precancerous potential of field changes in gastric carcinoma patients and could help patient follow-up and serve as a marker in monitoring intervention studies."}
{"id": "PMID:1463998", "title": "The relationship between gastric mucosal changes and nitrate intake via drinking water in a high-risk population for gastric cancer in Moping county, China.", "content": "There are conflicting reports on whether nitrate intake is related to gastric carcinogenesis. In this laboratory/field study from a high-risk area for gastric cancer, we analysed 178 samples of drinking water for nitrate and nitrite, and examined the relationship between gastric mucosal lesions (including gastric cancer) and quality of different types of drinking water and nitrate intake via water. The results showed that the nitrate content in the local drinking water was generally very high, with a mean of 109.6 mg/l (range 4.4-497.2 mg/l). There were significant differences in the nitrate content in drinking water from different wells in qualitatively different types of water. The histological changes were closely related to the quality of drinking water and its nitrate content. The results suggest that nitrate in drinking water probably plays an important role in gastric carcinogenesis and that in future aetiological studies of gastric cancer should include more information on well depth, the presence of public or private wells and nitrate content of water."}
{"id": "PMID:1463999", "title": "Acute megakaryoblastic leukemia in children: treatment with bone marrow transplantation.", "content": "Seven children underwent BMT for acute megakaryoblastic leukemia (AMKL). They were assessed for clinical, hematologic, and cytogenetic findings as well as response to treatment. The diagnosis of AMKL was established by cytochemistry, immunophenotyping and/or platelet-peroxidase reactivity. Patients had received various prior chemotherapies. One was in first remission, another in second remission and five were in relapse at the time of admission for transplant. Marrow donors included an HLA identical sibling (one), phenotypically HLA identical unrelated (two) and partially HLA identical family members (four). Five patients achieved engraftment, one rejected the graft and died on day 20 after a second unrelated transplant and one died from infection on day 5. Two patients relapsed within the first month after transplant and died of recurrent leukemia. Another died of a second malignancy on day 2232. Two patients survive disease-free more than 3.8 and 4.3 years after transplant."}
{"id": "PMID:1464000", "title": "High dose chemotherapy with ABMT in soft tissue sarcomas: a report of 22 cases.", "content": "Twenty-two patients with locally advanced or metastatic soft tissue sarcomas received high dose chemotherapy with autologous bone marrow graft. Eleven patients receiving melphalan also received fractionated total body irradiation. Six patients (four in CR and two in PR) were intensified after first line therapy. Thirteen patients were grafted after chemosensitive relapse: seven in second CR, one in third CR, one in first PR, three in second PR and one in fourth PR. Three patients with primary refractory disease were intensified. The overall response rate in 66% in nine evaluable patients. The overall median survival and disease-free survival were 19 and 15 months, respectively. The actuarial survival rates at 2 and 5 years were 40% and 32% respectively. There was one treatment-related death due to infection. We conclude that high dose chemotherapy is feasible and provides reasonable response rates in patients with advanced soft tissue sarcomas."}
{"id": "PMID:1464001", "title": "Peripheral blood stem cell collection and autografting in high risk lymphomas.", "content": "Peripheral blood stem cells (PBSC) were collected from 29 patients with high risk Hodgkin's disease (n = 3) or non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (n = 26) in partial remission or first sensitive relapse. Patients had either bone marrow involvement or hypoplastic bone marrow. The conditioning regimen prior PBSC collection included amsacrine and cytosine arabinoside (Ara-C) or Ara-C alone. PBSC collection was performed after leukocyte counts reached 1 x 10(9)/1. A good yield was obtained in 23 patients, whereas sufficient numbers of CFU-GM were not obtained in six cases. Twenty-one patients have been transplanted. All patients except one achieved bone marrow engraftment. Eight patients are in complete remission (mean duration 15 months). The estimated 2 years survival rate is 46.4% (CI 25-68%). This procedure would seems a good alternative in poor prognosis lymphomas."}
{"id": "PMID:1464002", "title": "Recombinant human erythropoietin (rh-Epo) administration to normal marrow donors.", "content": "Ten normal marrow donors, two children and eight adults, received 9-22 daily subcutaneous doses (100 units/kg) of recombinant human erythropoietin (rh-Epo) and oral iron prior to marrow harvesting. The two children did not have autologous blood stored prior to marrow harvesting while all eight adults did. Except for a mild skin rash at the sites of injection in three cases and transient headaches in a further three, no side effects were observed. The effects of rh-Epo on preoperative and postoperative hematocrits were evaluated and compared with those of control donors matched for age, sex, weight and blood loss. Initial hematocrits were assigned a value of 100%. The mean percentage increase between the initial hematocrit and the preoperative hematocrit in the rh-Epo group was 16% compared with a decrement of 4% in the control group (p = 0.0001). The mean % decrement between the initial hematocrit and the postoperative hematocrit was 4% for the rh-Epo group and 26% for the control group (p = 0.0003). It was concluded from this study that rh-Epo could be given safely to normal marrow donors with a significant increase in hematocrit occurring in the 2-3 weeks prior to marrow harvesting. This approach should be explored further, especially in children, for whom storage of autologous blood is not routinely performed."}
{"id": "PMID:1464003", "title": "Early deaths in children after BMT. Bone Marrow Transplantation Group of the Italian Association for Pediatric Hematology and Oncology (AIEOP) and Gruppo Italiano Trapianto di Midollo Osseo (GITMO).", "content": "In order to determine the incidence and causes of death during the first 100 days after BMT (early deaths) in a pediatric population we have examined data reported in the AIEOP BMT Registry. Up to July 1990, data on 486 children who underwent allogeneic (180) or autologous (306) BMT were evaluable. The children had acute lymphoblastic leukemia (148 cases), acute non-lymphoblastic leukemia (127 cases), neuroblastoma (82 cases), chronic myelogenous leukemia (15 cases), aplastic anemia (nine cases), solid tumors, lymphoma, immunodeficiency or storage diseases. The overall survival is 55% for allogeneic HLA matched and 38% for autologous transplants at 5 years, 24% for HLA mismatched graft at 2 years. Out of the 486 children, 70 (14%) died during the first 100 days after BMT: 33/306 (11%) after autologous BMT, 24/150 (16%) after allogeneic matched BMT and 13/30 (43%) after mismatched BMT. Causes of early death were as follows: disease progression: 12 children (10/306 after autologous and 2/180 after allogeneic BMT); infection: 12 children (five after autologous and seven after allogeneic BMT); interstitial pneumonitis: 21 children (seven after autologous and 14 after allogeneic BMT); cardiac failure: five children (four after autologous BMT); veno-occlusive disease: eight children (three after autologous, five after allogeneic BMT); acute renal failure: three children (one after autologous and two after allogeneic BMT); multiple organ failure: two cases (one after autologous BMT); cerebral hemorrhage: three children (one after autologous BMT); hypertension: one child; acute GVHD: three children (12% of early deaths after allogeneic BMT)."}
{"id": "PMID:1464004", "title": "Effect of radiation dose on the development of mixed haemopoietic chimerism following T cell-depleted allogeneic bone marrow transplantation.", "content": "The presence of mixed haemopoietic chimerism (MXC) was evaluated by cytogenetic and molecular analysis in 48 patients undergoing T cell-depleted BMT. The dose of total body irradiation (TBI) prescribed to all patients (14.4 Gy) was calculated to compensate for the absence of T cells in the graft. The actual midline dose of TBI received, however, differed significantly depending on the method of TBI administration. Thus, 35 adult patients received an average midline dose of 14.3 Gy, while 13 children received a lower dose of 13 Gy. The incidence of MXC in the adult group, who had received very close to 14.4 Gy to the midline, was 34% (12/35), which is lower than in most reported T cell-depleted series. During follow-up, chimerism remained relatively stable with time but varied between haemopoietic lineages. There was no relationship with relapse. MXC in the 13 children who had received a lower midline TBI dose was significantly higher at 69% (9/13) (p < 0.05) and increased to 90% (9/10) if patients who received additional chemotherapy in their conditioning were excluded (p = 0.001). This suggests that, in terms of marrow ablation, relatively small changes in the dose of TBI may be biologically significant, at least at this dose range. Again, in the lower TBI group MXC was not predictive of relapse."}
{"id": "PMID:1464005", "title": "Effective prevention of acute GVHD following allogeneic BMT with low leukaemic relapse using methotrexate and therapeutically monitored levels of cyclosporin A.", "content": "Although the combination of cyclosporin A (CYA) and methotrexate has been reported to reduce the incidence of acute GVHD in patients undergoing allogeneic BMT for leukaemia, it has been associated with a higher risk of leukaemic relapse. Since 1987 we have used the combination of CYA and methotrexate for GVHD prophylaxis in 24 patients undergoing allogeneic BMT for leukaemia or myelodysplasia. Over the first 50 days post-transplantation, CYA dosage was adjusted to keep within a therapeutic range of 95-205 ng/ml. This resulted in a 60% reduction in CYA dosage by day 50 post-transplant compared to the original Seattle protocol. Despite the low dosage of CYA administered, the incidence of acute GVHD was only 25% with no patient having greater than grade I GVHD. There have been no leukaemic relapses in low risk patients. The results indicate that decreasing CYA dosage does not increase the incidence of GVHD but may reduce the risk of leukaemic relapse following allogeneic BMT."}
{"id": "PMID:1464006", "title": "Transient high grade heart block following autologous bone marrow infusion.", "content": "We performed a retrospective analysis of 42 consecutive patients undergoing autologous BMT to determine the incidence of second and third degree heart block following the infusion of cryopreserved autologous bone marrow and to identify any predisposing characteristics. A decrease in heart rate > or = 10 beats/min was observed in 80.5% of patients, with a mean decrement of 27 +/- 7 beats/min. 48.8% of patients developed absolute bradycardia (< or = 60 beats/min). Four of 41 patients (9.7%) experienced high-grade heart block: 9.7% second degree and 4.8% third degree. Heart block patients did not differ from the non-heart block group with respect to age, interval from diagnosis or bone marrow harvest to transplant, cardiac risk factors, pretransplant electrocardiograms or radionuclide angiograms, transplant chemotherapy regimens or serum chemistry values. There was an increased incidence of heart block in patients with prior exposure to cyclophosphamide (p < 0.05) and vinca alkaloids (p < 0.05). There appears to be a high incidence of transient second and third degree heart block following autologous marrow infusion. This may be related to prior chemotherapy, but more likely is an effect of the infusate itself. Predisposing factors were not identified."}
{"id": "PMID:1464007", "title": "A comparison of clinical criteria for the diagnosis of veno-occlusive disease of the liver after bone marrow transplantation.", "content": "Two major studies have established clinical criteria for the diagnosis of veno-occlusive disease of the liver (VOD) after bone marrow transplantation (BMT). McDonald and co-workers defined VOD as the onset of two of the following occurring before day 30 post-BMT: (a) jaundice (bilirubin > 27 mmol/l), (b) tender hepatomegaly, and (c) ascites or weight gain. In contrast, Jones and co-workers defined VOD as the onset, before day 21 post-BMT, of hyperbilirubinemia (bilirubin > 34 mmol/l) as well as two of the following: (a) hepatomegaly, (b) ascites, and (c) weight gain. We retrospectively reviewed the occurrence of VOD in 101 patients transplanted primarily for hematologic malignancies between 1979 and 1990, applying both sets of criteria. Of the 101 patients, eight (7.9%) fulfilled the Jones criteria whereas 32 (31.7%) had VOD according to the McDonald criteria (p < 0.001). Early mortality (prior to 50 days post-BMT) was 75% (6/8) in patients who fulfilled the Jones criteria but only 28.1% (9/32) in the McDonald group (p < 0.005). Overall, mortality in each group was 75% (6/8) and 65.6% (21/32), respectively. All of the six patients with VOD according to the Jones criteria who died had evidence of hepatic failure. Of the 32 patients who fulfilled the McDonald criteria, eight have also fulfilled the Jones criteria and are described above. Of the remaining 24 patients, 22 had complete resolution of VOD as defined by these criteria within 50 days of BMT, none developed hepatic failure, and 15 died.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1464008", "title": "Treatment of myelodysplastic syndrome with busulfan-cyclophosphamide conditioning followed by allogeneic BMT.", "content": "Twenty-three consecutive patients undergoing related-donor BMT for myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) were conditioned with a combination of busulfan (BU) and cyclophosphamide (CY). GVHD prophylaxis was with cyclosporine (CSP)/methotrexate (MTX) in 15 patients, CSP/methylprednisolone (MP) in six patients, and CSP/MP/MTX in two patients. The most frequent regimen-related toxicities were oral mucosal (87% of patients, 61% > or = grade II) and hepatic (82% of patients, 43% > or = grade II). The overall incidence of grade II-IV acute GVHD was 48% with eight patients dying of acute or chronic GVHD. There have been five relapses, with the cumulative risk of relapse being 35% (95% confidence interval [CI], 16%-66%). Eight patients remain alive and well (median follow-up 27 months, range 15-70 months), with an estimated 3-year event-free survival (EFS) of 35% (95% CI, 17%-54%). Univariate analysis of EFS by pretransplant variables indicated that only age < or = 35 years correlated with a favorable outcome (p = 0.04). BUCY is an effective, well-tolerated alternative conditioning regimen for MDS patients undergoing allogeneic BMT."}
{"id": "PMID:1464009", "title": "Anti-interleukin-2 receptor monoclonal antibody (BT 563) in the treatment of severe acute GVHD refractory to systemic corticosteroid therapy.", "content": "Fourteen patients with corticosteroid-resistant acute GVHD were treated with a murine monoclonal antibody to the pp55 interleukin-2 (IL-2) receptor (MoAb BT 563). Nine of the 14 patients had also failed Xoma-Zyme-H65 as GVHD prophylaxis and/or treatment. Seven patients had received HLA-matched sibling donor bone marrow transplants, five had received HLA-matched transplants from unrelated volunteer donors, and two had received one-antigen mismatched transplants from unrelated volunteer donors. At the time of MoAb BT 563 therapy, the overall clinical grading of acute GVHD (Seattle grading system) was as follows: grade II--one patient, grade III--four patients, and grade IV--nine patients. MoAb BT 563 was administered as a short iv infusion of 5 mg daily for 10 doses, followed by 5 mg on alternate days for a further five doses. A complete response (CR) was observed in four patients (28%), and a partial response (PR) in four patients (28%). All four complete responders were treated within 28 days of first onset of grade > or = II acute GVHD. Four patients (three CR, one PR) remain alive. One complete responder subsequently died from chronic GVHD. MoAb BT 563 administration was well tolerated in all 14 patients; no significant toxicity was observed. We conclude that MoAb BT 563 directed against the IL-2 receptor on activated T lymphocytes may be useful in treating corticosteroid-resistant acute GVHD if given early, but that it is of limited value in attempting to rescue patients with far-advanced refractory acute GVHD.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1464010", "title": "Escalating sequential high-dose carboplatin and etoposide with autologous marrow support in children with relapsed solid tumors.", "content": "Thirty patients with relapsed pediatric solid tumors received high-dose carboplatin and etoposide with autologous marrow support in a dose-escalation trial. These patients had received extensive prior treatment, which included both cisplatin and etoposide in 25 cases. Six patient cohorts received carboplatin in doses of 1200-2100 mg/m2 and etoposide in doses of 960-1500 mg/m2. All courses were associated with severe neutropenia and thrombocytopenia. The median times from bone marrow infusion to granulocyte recovery (> 0.5 x 10(9)/l) and platelet recovery (> 50 x 10(9)/l) were 33 and 28 days, respectively, with similar findings for all dosage levels. The frequency of non-hematologic toxicities was generally low, although hyponatremia (Na+ < 129 mEq/l) was seen in one-third of the courses. Hepatoxicity was dose-limiting and was significantly associated with the cumulative prior cisplatin dose (p = 0.006). There were four toxic deaths (CNS hemorrhage, alfa-streptococcal sepsis, Candida sepsis, and enterocolitis). Eleven patients received a second course of therapy; toxicity profiles and times to hematologic recovery were similar for the two courses. Clinical responses were observed at all dosage levels. Eleven of 26 evaluable patients achieved a clinical response (one complete, 10 partial). The majority of responses were in patients with neuroblastoma (six of 16) or Hodgkin's disease (two of three). For phase II clinical trials, we recommend dosages of 2100 mg/m2 of carboplatin and 1500 mg/m2 of etoposide for children with prior cumulative cisplatin exposure < 960 mg/m2. This carboplatin dose represents a three- to four-fold increase over pediatric doses tolerated without bone marrow support."}
{"id": "PMID:1464011", "title": "Orthotopic liver transplantation for hepatic GVHD following allogeneic BMT for chronic myeloid leukaemia.", "content": "A 21-year-old man who had an HLA-identical sibling donor BMT for chronic myeloid leukaemia developed grade IV acute GVHD of the liver that was unresponsive to corticosteroids and anti-IL2 receptor monoclonal antibody. He was treated with an orthotopic liver transplant and is currently well 6 months later with normal liver function and no evidence of GVHD in the transplanted liver."}
{"id": "PMID:1464012", "title": "Intensive radio-chemotherapy with peripheral blood stem cell transplantation in young patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia.", "content": "Two patients with previously treated CLL received autologous PBSC transplantation after total body irradiation and high-dose chemotherapy. Before intensification, a partial marrow response had been obtained in both patients, with disappearance of peripheral blood involvement as shown by immunophenotypic assessment using fludarabine. PBSC collection was performed after a single course of high-dose cyclophosphamide followed by GM-CSF administration. One patient failed to reconstitute normal hematopoiesis and died 3 months post-transplant. The other is in continuous complete remission 12 months after intensification. This strategy in young patients with poor prognosis CLL warrants further investigation."}
{"id": "PMID:1464013", "title": "Selective automatic neuropathy as a novel complication of BMT.", "content": "Neurological complications have been reported in approximately 30% of patients following bone marrow transplantation. We report a case of selective sympathetic autonomic neuropathy following allogeneic BMT, a phenomenon not previously described."}
{"id": "PMID:1464014", "title": "Antilymphocyte globulin for treatment of pure red cell aplasia after major ABO incompatible marrow transplant.", "content": "A patient developed pure red cell aplasia after ABO incompatible BMT for leukemia. He did not respond to plasma exchange. Antilymphocyte globulin therapy was followed by complete and permanent erythroid recovery with disappearance of recipient-derived isoagglutinins."}
{"id": "PMID:1464015", "title": "Successful removal of a curled central venous catheter using interventional radiologic techniques.", "content": "We describe an unusual complication encountered in a patient with a refractory, bulky lymphoma whose 'subclinical' superior vena caval obstruction caused the central venous catheter to curl upon placement. We believe the invasive radiologic techniques described in this report represent a viable alternative to the surgical resolution of such a problem."}
{"id": "PMID:1464019", "title": "[Effectiveness of cisplatin with continuous infusion of 5-fluorouracil in neoadjuvant chemotherapy of carcinoma of the oral cavity].", "content": "The effect of neoadjuvant chemotherapy regimen utilizing cisdiaminodichloroplatinum (CDDP) with continuous 5-day infusion of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) was analyzed during the treatment of 23 patients with histologically established epidermoid carcinoma of the oral cavity. All but four patients were in clinical stage III or IV of the disease and seven of them had an inoperable tumor. No one had been treated previously. Complete response after three courses of the chemotherapy was obtained in 13 patients (56.5%) and partial response in 8 (34.8%). The overall response amounted to 91.3%. Only two tumors showed no response to the therapy after one and two courses respectively. The former patient did not continue the chemotherapy due to toxicity and the latter because of its minimal effect. During therapy the disease did not progress in any of the patients studied. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy with CDDP and continuous 5-FU infusion lasting 120 hours was found to be both tolerable and an effective part of the complex management of oral cavity carcinoma without the risk of delaying subsequent definitive treatment. (Tab. 9, Ref. 18)."}
{"id": "PMID:1464020", "title": "[Initial clinical experience with cardiopulmonary bypass and auto-oxygenation].", "content": "Cardiopulmonary bypass has been successfully used in cardiac surgery for more than 39 years. In spite of many technical improvements oxygenators are still damaging to blood. We therefore decided to change the conventional CPB into biventricular bypass without an oxygenator, using the patient's lungs for autooxygenation. A double-pump system without an oxygenator was used in 11 patients undergoing aortocoronary bypass grafting. The cardiopulmonary pulmonary setup consisted of two separate systems with two roller pumps, plastic reservoirs and filters, and one cardiotomy reservoir and heat exchanger. Cannulations were performed through the right atrium and pulmonary artery for right-sided bypass, and through the left atrium and aorta for left-sided bypass. The results confirmed the full reliability of autooxygenation during CPB. All patients were well oxygenated with and inspired oxygen fraction of 30%. Values of arterial and venous O2 saturation as well as pO2 and pCO2 varied within the normal range. Platelet count decreased by 23% between interval I and IV, but only by 12% during biventricular bypass. Fibrinogen concentration decreased by 7% between interval I and IV, but only by 4% during biventricular bypass. No patient developed postperfusion syndrome. In our small series of patients, biventricular bypass was found to be simple to handle and to provide good conditions for the surgical procedure. It appears to be more physiological and less traumatic than conventional CPB. The described approach may further improve results of aortocoronary bypass grafting. (Tab. 2, Fig. 1, Ref. 12.)."}
{"id": "PMID:1464021", "title": "[Bispecific antibodies: present status and possibile applications].", "content": "The review article information on the current status in the research regarding bispecific antibodies. The theoretical and methodical aspects of preparation of heterohybridomas secreting bifunctional monoclonal antibodies are discussed in details. The question of purification of the antibody fraction with dual specificity is also addressed. The possible application of bispecific antibodies in human medicine for immunodiagnostics and aimed immunotherapy is described. (Fig. 7, Ref. 22.)."}
{"id": "PMID:1464022", "title": "[Expression of the blood group antigens A and B in carcinoma of the urinary bladder].", "content": "In 21 patients with transitional cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder expression of A and B blood group antigens was studied by means of monoclonal antibodies on using indirect immunoperoxide reaction. Expression of the investigated antigens was found to be dependent on the degree of histological differentiation of the tumor tissue. In well-defined carcinomas mostly pronounced expression of A and B blood group antigens was observed. Middle and low-differentiated carcinomas were characterized by reduction or even total deletion of expression. The expected favorable prognosis in transitional cell carcinomas expressing A and B blood group antigens failed to be confirmed. The expression of incompatible A-like antigens in 0 and B blood group patients with carcinoma is discussed. (Tab. 3, Fig. 3, Ref. 22.)."}
{"id": "PMID:1464023", "title": "[Effects of postural changes on blood pressure and pulse rate in neonates].", "content": "Information about the effect of body position on blood pressure (BP) in neonates is rare and controversial. The aim of the present study was to investigate the type of orthostatic reaction and it s incidence in a group of infants in relation to basal resting values of BP and heart rate (HR). BP and HR were measured in 125 full-term neonates in the supine position and in the 2nd minute after changing the position by lifting on arms to 90 degrees. The reactive values of BP and HR were significantly higher, p < 0.001 (71 +/- 12 compared to 66 +/- 9 Torr in systolic BP, 41 +/- 8 to 37 +/- 6 in diastolic BP, and 127 +/- 19 to 120 +/- 8.min-1 in HR). In the head-up position an increase in BP and HR was observed in about 70% of neonates, whereas their basal supine BP values of 66/36 Torr were significantly lower compared to the values of 69/40 Torr recorded in neonates whose BP decreased in the head-up position. These differences were significant (p < 0.01 syst. and p < 0.001 diast.). (Fig. 3, Ref. 15.)."}
{"id": "PMID:1464024", "title": "[Detection of mitochondrial contact sites and creatine kinase activity in Ca(2+)-stimulated rat hearts].", "content": "Contact sites are created by fusion of the inner and outer mitochondrial membrane. They represent a dynamic microcompartment for creatine kinase activity. In this microenvironment the active sites of creatine kinase, oxidative phosphorylation, and ADP/ATP transport interact during basal and stimulated metabolism. Electron microscopic studies showed that the occurrence rate of contact sites was changing according to the energy state of the mitochondrion (Biermans et al., 1989). The aim of this study was to stimulate the metabolism of the rat heart by extracellular calcium and to investigate the formation of contact sites and creatine kinase activity. Isolated rat hearts were perfused with Krebs-Henseleit solution containing 1.6 mmol Ca. After 15 min stabilization the hearts were subjected to 0.6, 0.9, 1.8, 2.2, 2.6, or 3.6 mmol Ca for a period of 15 min. Stimulation of the isolated rat hearts with increasing calcium concentrations was physiologically manifested by enhanced dp/dt and LVP values. A higher frequency rate of mitochondrial contact sites was observed and these were associated with higher creatine kinase activity. We suppose that induction of contact site formation is related to the functional activity of the Ca stimulated rat heart and thus efficient production and transport of energy is provided. (Tab. 1, Fig. 6, Ref. 18.)."}
{"id": "PMID:1464025", "title": "[The physician and personal computers--applications of the personal computer].", "content": "Nowadays the personal computer is being used in a broad range of activities. Its user is also its operator, directly controlling the process. The paper describes both hardware and software, the structure of the PC, its input and output equipment, basic principles of work with a PC, programs and programming, as well as computer languages. A classification of personal computers is presented and the most frequently used types are assessed. (Fig. 6, Ref. 15.)."}
{"id": "PMID:1464026", "title": "[Primary axillary subclavian venous thrombosis].", "content": "The thoracic outlet syndrome includes primary axillary-subclavian vein thrombosis. The subclavian vein is compressed in a narrowed costo-clavicular space during certain movements of the arm. The intermittent compression of the vein results in position-dependent symptoms often misinterpreted. When occlusion of the vein occurs, the diagnosis of deep venous thrombosis suffers no difficulty. Non invasive vascular diagnostic techniques are nowadays paramount. Treatment, medical and/or surgical (removal of the first rib), depends on the venous state of the upper extremity."}
{"id": "PMID:1464027", "title": "[Mechanism of action and catabolism of atrial natriuretic factor in cultured human and animal kidney cells].", "content": "Cultures of renal cells from human or animal origins have allowed the modes of action and the degradation pathways of atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) to be characterized. Human glomerular mesangial and epithelial cells possess ANF receptors of both types, only clearance receptors (C) in mesangial cells, receptors with guanylate cyclase activity (A) and C receptors in epithelial cells which are, in addition, equipped with ectoenzymes rapidly degrading extracellular ANF. Epithelial cells which have been stimulated by ANF secrete cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) at their apical side. Vascular smooth muscle cells prepared from the rabbit renal cortex also possess A receptors of high affinity and C receptors. Neutral endopeptidase (NEP), an enzyme of which ANF is a specific substrate in the kidney, is expressed at the cell surface. Its expression is inhibited by factors present in the serum and is increased by glucocorticoids. Principal cells of the collecting duct are also a target for ANF via A and C receptors. Taken together, these studies demonstrate that the kidneys are sites both for the physiological effects and the degradation of ANF. Production of cGMP results in vasodilation in the renal cortex, increase of glomerular filtration rate and decrease of sodium reabsorption in the collecting duct. Degradation of ANF occurs via two different ways, its conversion into inactive peptides by NEP and its internalization after binding to C receptors."}
{"id": "PMID:1464028", "title": "[Extracapillary glomerulonephritis with fibrin deposits. Role of thrombin].", "content": "Fibrin deposits are frequent in experimental and human glomerulonephritides. In rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis (RPGN), fibrin deposits are considered as a factor generating glomerular sclerosis leading to renal failure. In RPGN, proliferation of epithelial cells associated with macrophages and fibrin deposits is observed in Bowman's space. It is known that 1) thrombin may be locally generated by tissue factor from glomerular cells and macrophages, 2) active thrombin may be adsorbed into the plug. Using immortalized human glomerular epithelial cells, we have tested the hypothesis that active thrombin may be a potential mediator of cellular proliferation, fibrin deposits persistency and collagen IV synthesis. The results clearly demonstrate that epithelial cells bind specifically iodinated alpha-thrombin. Thereafter, these cells synthesize specific inhibitors of plasminogen activators, converting their fibrinolytic activity into antifibrinolytic activity. Moreover, they synthesize soluble form of type IV collagen. A new therapeutical approach of RPGN may be taken into account based on the ability of new drugs inhibiting the binding of thrombin on its specific receptors, and/or inhibiting the extrinsic pathway of the fibrin formation."}
{"id": "PMID:1464029", "title": "[Non-atherosclerotic aorta in Cynomolgus after a hypercholesterolemic regimen].", "content": "The authors present a study on atherosclerotic and non atherosclerotic lesions of aortas of Cynomolgus (Macaca Fascicularis) on high fat diet (HFD) (6-12-24 months), after regression and after resumption. At 6 months 2 aortic responses are seen: an edema, deep and superficial clumps of foam cells, few synthetic smooth muscle cells (SSMC) few collagenic fibers--an edema, few superficial foam cells, many SSMC, secreting collagen and elastin. At 12-24 months, after regression and resumption, two aortic lesions are observed: a pronounced atheroma (47 animals) and no atheroma (14 animals). In this case, in the inner part of the aortic wall there are a fibrosis and an elastogenesis, SSMC and just some superficial lipids deposits. These aortic responses of SSMC are certainly the consequence of the environment (the diet) but also the possible consequence of the genetic determinism of SSMC since some animals only present this early, constant fibro-elastic response during this experimental follow up even though all the animals have been subjected to the same lipidic stress."}
{"id": "PMID:1464030", "title": "[Endo-brachy-esophagus, Jean-Louis Lortat-Jacob and Barrett's esophagus. The history of a modern disease].", "content": "The term-endo-brachy-oesophagus (EBO) became part of the specialised vocabulary of all those interested in the pathology of the esophagus at the beginning of the 1950s, when J. L. Lortat-Jacob identified the existence, in certain patients suffering from reflux, of the endo-esophageal ascent of a mucosa of gastric type, without any change in the gross topography of the gastro-esophageal junction. A similar lesion had been described at this same time in Great Britain by N. R. Barrett. Since then, numerous clinical and experimental arguments have been advanced in support of the acquired origin of this disorder, in the context of progressive gastro-esophageal reflux disease. However, the possibility of its regression after the treatment of reflux and its histologic presentation, though of major importance, remain unsettled. It is now generally acknowledged that EBO is one of the digestive lesions most prone to malignant degeneration, to the extent that it is now generally classified as precancerous, and all the most sophisticated procedures have been currently suggested and exploited in the attempt to detect EBO of potential malignancy. Within this field, ultramicroscopic study, enzyme assays and the techniques of flow cytometry are being used to better define this problem and to specify the point after which it is legitimate to abandon the medical treatment of reflux in favor of more aggressive methods, even surgical resection of the esophagus. The OESO Group, created in 1978, is currently conducting an international multidisciplinary and multicenter study to deal with the epidemiologic and therapeutic problems of this disorder."}
{"id": "PMID:1464031", "title": "[The role of immunotherapy in the treatment of cancer].", "content": "The first attempts to use immunotherapy in patients were made in the late sixties. At this time great hopes were raised by the theory of immunosurveillance developed by Burnet and the promising results obtained against transplantable tumors in mice. However, these expectations were not fulfilled and the results of most randomized clinical trials were disappointing. Since 1985, a better understanding of the fundamental bases of tumor immunology and the results of new human studies has led to a reappraisal of immunotherapy. The data which have accumulated since demonstrate that in certain types of tumors immunotherapy can, in a small proportion of patients, control even disseminated cancers. These new developments give a renewed interest to the results which had been obtained with immunomodulators such as poly A-poly U or levamisole in the adjuvant setting."}
{"id": "PMID:1464032", "title": "[Cancer immunotherapy: from fundamental concepts to clinical applications].", "content": "Cancer immunotherapy is based on the idea that anti-tumor immunity in its various aspects can usefully complement the effect of conventional treatments (surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy). Immunotherapy can be active when one stimulates the function of cells capable to contribute to tumor regression, notably by using interleukin-2 or immunomodulators. It can be adoptive when patients' lymphocytes are collected and incubated in vitro in the presence of cytokines to enhance their function and reinjected in the patients. It can be passive when one administers anti-tumor monoclonal antibodies."}
{"id": "PMID:1464033", "title": "[Immunotherapy study in the treatment of metastatic renal cancer in the adult].", "content": "Metastatic renal cancer is one of the models used for immunotherapy study. Interleukin-2 is active in this chemo and radioresistant tumour and induces the regression of diffuse metastatic lesions sometimes completely through the activation of the immune system. Interleukin-2 has also led to the development of new therapeutic approaches in oncology such as TIL and gene transfer."}
{"id": "PMID:1464034", "title": "[Radiolabeled monoclonal antibodies as anti-tumor missiles, their diagnostic success and therapeutic potential].", "content": "While it is now well accepted that radiolabeled antibodies can be useful for tumour detection by immunoscintigraphy, the use of larger doses of more aggressive radioisotopes coupled to antibodies for radioimmunotherapy is still in its infancy. At the experimental level, our group has shown that the intravenous injection of large doses of 131I labeled F(ab')2 fragments from monoclonal anti-carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) antibodies can eradicate well established human colon carcinoma xenografts in nude mice. At the clinical level, in a dosimetry study performed at the Institut Gustave Roussy, the same anti-CEA monoclonal antibodies and fragments, labeled with subtherapeutic doses of 131I, were injected in patients with liver metastases from colorectal carcinomas. Direct measurement of radioactivity in surgically resected liver metastases and normal liver confirmed the specificity of tumour localization of the antibodies, but also showed that the calculated radiation doses which could be delivered by injections of 200 to 300 mCi of 131I labeled antibodies or fragments, remained fairly low, in the range of 1,500 to 3,000 rads. This is obviously insufficient for a single modality treatment. An alternative approach is to inject radiolabeled antibodies intra peritoneally to treat peritoneal carcinomatosis. Several clinical studies using this strategy are presently under evaluation and suggest that positive results can be obtained when the tumour diameters are very small. In systemic radioimmunotherapy, positive results have been obtained in more radiosensitive types of malignancies such as B cell lymphomas by intravenous injection of antibodies directed against B cell differentiation markers or against idiotypic antigens from each lymphoma, and labeled with 131I or 90Y. The major directions of research for improvement of radioimmunotherapy include the design of genetically engineered new forms of humanized antibodies, the synthesis of original chelates for coupling new radioisotopes to antibodies and the development of two step strategies for immunolocalization of radioisotopes."}
{"id": "PMID:1464035", "title": "[Immunotherapy: current problems and outlook].", "content": "Cytokines are soluble mediators involved in cell-cell regulations in the immunological and the hematopoietic systems-genetic engineering now allows the characterization and the availability of recombinant molecules, some of them being recently introduced in clinical trials. Interleukin-2 (IL-2) is the first factor having demonstrated a reproducible therapeutic effect on human metastatic solid tumors, mainly chemo-resistant. High-dose IL-2 alone could achieve about 25% objective responses in metastatic renal cancers, with a low but significant number of complete, relatively long-lasting complete responses. Similar data are obtained in metastatic melanoma. IL-2 is probably acting through the activation of cytotoxic lymphocytes (LAK: lymphokine activated killers). The interest for simultaneous administration of autologous LAK cells generated through in vitro culture with IL-2 is discussed. Cytokine therapy is currently limited by important systemic toxicities, including mainly general symptoms with fever, and a capillary leak syndrome with weight gain, edema and functional renal failure-cardiac are respiratory troubles can be life-threatening. Future trends for cytokine therapy will be: The discovery of new cytokines, and a better knowledge of their synergies, allowing the design of rational associations. A letter understanding of the mechanisms of toxicities, allowing specific prevention of adverse effects not needed for efficient anti-tumor action. Gene therapy, which will lead to important and prolonged release of cytokines by the tumor cells themselves, or by infiltrating peri-tumoral cells, in order to achieve local efficacy and to circumvent systemic toxicities."}
{"id": "PMID:1464036", "title": "[Evolution of the application of nutrition in French nursing infants. Comparison of two national investigations performed in 1981 and 1989].", "content": "A national dietary survey was carried out in 1981 among a representative sample of 499 French infants 1 to 18 months of age. When compared with the French Recommended Dietary Allowances, the diets were found to be well supplied in energy, protein and calcium, and inadequately supplied in iron and linoleic acid, mainly for infants aged 4-10 months. A comparative dietary survey conducted by using the same methodology (food consumption was measured by means of a 3-day food record) in 1989 showed that linoleic acid intake was higher in the 6-month-old group. Similarly, iron intakes were higher in 1989 for infants aged 1-7 months. The mean daily iron intake increased between 1981 and 1989 from 5.0 +/- 1.9 mg to 7.3 +/- 2.6 mg in the 6-month-old group and was similar for the older infants. The data suggest that educational programs were partially efficient but it is clear that more effective efforts are needed."}
{"id": "PMID:1464037", "title": "[Brief overview of Franco-Iranian medical relations during the 19th and 20th centuries].", "content": "The continuation and the development of medical cultural relations between France and Iran are highly desirable in the interest of both of our countries. After twelve year interruption these relations should become fruitful again. We have attempted to outline several proposals which should enable us to reach this proposed aim."}
{"id": "PMID:1464038", "title": "[Experimental vaccination against HIV-1 protects the chimpanzee against challenge with injections of infected lymphocytes].", "content": "Two chimpanzees were immunized against HIV-1 : C-339, using whole inactivated HIV-1 followed by purified recombinant gp160 and a KLH-V3 peptide conjugate; and, C-499, using purified recombinant gp160 and p18gag followed by a mixture of uncoupled V3 peptides. The antigens were emulsified prior to use with one volume Syntex adjuvant SAF-1 containing 1 mg/ml Threonyl-MDP. The animals were challenged twice one year apart by the intravenous route, the first time with cell-free virus, using 40 chimpanzee infectious units (100 TCID50) of the titrated HTLV-IIIB virus stock from the National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD; and the second time with cell-associated virus, using 6 x 10(5) viable peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from a naive chimpanzee which had been injected 3 months earlier with cell-free virus and had become virus-positive within a few weeks. From end-point titration of C-087 PBMC on indicator human PBMC, using a reverse transcriptase assay, this represented the equivalent of at least 15 infected cells. A 3rd chimpanzee, C-435, a n\u00e4ive animal, was also injected with 6 x 10(5) PBMC from C-087 to serve as a positive control. The PMBC of the animals were co-cultivated with fresh human PBMC and assayed for reverse transcriptase on a regular basis. In parallel, ELISA and Western blot analyses were carried out. Virus was detected in the PBMC from C-435 beginning at 4 weeks after challenge. This was followed by seroconversion of the animal to the Env and Gag antigens. By contrast, no virus could be detected in the PBMC from chimpanzees C-499 and C-339 during 7 and 12 months, respectively. Lymph node biopsies and bone marrow aspirates from these animals remained virus-negative upon co-cultivation with human PBMC. PBMC, bone marrow aspirates and lymph node biopsies also scored HIV-negative by polymerase chain reaction. Finally, no anamnestic antibody response of the animals could be detected by ELISA, and no modification of their western blot profiles that could have signed HIV-infection were observed during the follow-up period. C-499 accidentally developed an infectious endocarditis with congestive liver and kidney failure and had to be euthanized at 7 months post-challenge. Specimens from its brain, kidneys, liver, mesenteric nodes, pancreas, salivary glands, and spleen were processed for co-cultivation with human PBMC. No evidence for the presence of virus could be detected by reverse transcriptase assays in any of these co-cultures.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1464047", "title": "Investigation of the tendency to wheeze in pollen sensitive patients.", "content": "We have undertaken a double blind placebo controlled study of the effect of nasal beclomethasone on the tendency to wheeze in 20 unselected hay fever sufferers, half with a history of previous seasonal wheezing. We found no difference between either bronchial hyperresponsiveness, as measured by methacholine challenge, home-monitored PEFR, nor recorded wheeze nor cough between treated and placebo groups although the numbers were small. All were allowed the antihistamine cetirizine hydrochloride 10 mg daily. Eighteen out of the 19 patients had either bronchial hyperresponsiveness (PD20 methacholine < 8 mumol or a > 2 doubling dose change in their PD20 during the pollen season). We have shown a significant positive correlation between a hay fever score (HFS) (created by taking the sum of the home scored; nasal discharge, nasal blockage, eye irritation, sneeze and antihistamine use) and peak seasonal specific IgE to mixed grass pollen (Spearman correlation coefficient 0.5 P < 0.02). There was also a positive correlation between the rise in specific IgE from pre to peak season and the HFS, correlation coefficient 0.6 P = 0.03)."}
{"id": "PMID:1464048", "title": "In vitro evaluation of acaricidal and fungicidal activity of the house dust mite acaricide, Allerbiocid.", "content": "The acaricidal and fungicidal activities of a new acaricide Allerbiocid, formulated for the control of house dust mites, were investigated. The components of the Allerbiocid formula are: 3% benzyl benzoate (acaricidal and fungicidal), 1% tannic acid (protein denaturant) and 0.5% Tween (surface active agent) in 70% isopropyl alcohol (antiseptic). At application rates of both 150 and 250 ml/m2, the acaricidal activity appeared to work by both ingestion and contact and remained active upon contact with mites for up to 10 weeks. When Sabouraud agar was treated with Allerbiocid at a concentration of 5 ml/20 ml medium, the preparation was also found to have fungicidal and fungistatic activities on various species of fungi commonly found in house dust. Allerbiocid contains tannic acid which is a protein denaturant. Levels of Der p I in dust were found to be reduced by over 90% after treatment with Allerbiocid. The importance of denaturation of mite faecal allergens and allergens associated with dead fungal spores is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1464049", "title": "Effect of topical application with capsaicin on skin responses to bradykinin and histamine in man.", "content": "Pre-treatment with topical capsaicin is known to induce neuropeptide depletion from sensory nerve endings and it is a useful pharmacological tool to evaluate the contribution of these nerves to skin injury and inflammation. To investigate the relative contribution of sensory neural stimulation to the action of bradykinin and histamine, a randomized, double-blind study has been undertaken evaluating the effect of topical capsaicin pre-treatment on the responses to intradermal injections of both agonists in 12 healthy volunteers. Capsaicin pre-treatment caused significant inhibition of the immediate mean flare responses (95% CI) to both bradykinin (from 51.5 [39.7-63.3] mm2 to 16.2 [8.0-24.5] mm2) (P < 0.01) and histamine (from 108.4 [80.4-136.4] mm2 to 52.3 [37.1-67.1] mm2) (P < 0.01). Topical capsaicin elicited a significant inhibition of the weal response induced by histamine, the mean weal area being reduced from 14.8 (12.6-17.0) mm2 to 12.1 (10.1-14.1) mm2 (P < 0.05). In addition, the effect of topical capsaicin was to completely inhibit the bradykinin induced weal response compared to control, the mean weal area (95% CI) being reduced from 13.4 (11.4-15.4) mm2 to 8.2 (5.3-11.0) mm2 (P < 0.01). Our findings show that repeated topical application with capsaicin led to a significant reduction of the skin responses to intradermal injections with both agonists, and particularly with bradykinin. The weal responsiveness to bradykinin may entirely follow neuropeptide release from sensory nerves within the skin and the same applies to the flare response, although this is not completely inhibited by topical application with capsaicin."}
{"id": "PMID:1464050", "title": "Longitudinal changes in skin-prick test reactivity over 2 years in a population of schoolchildren with respiratory symptoms.", "content": "As part of a larger epidemiological study, 114 children with respiratory symptoms, born between 1978 and 1980, were skin-prick tested to Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (DP), mixed grass pollens (G) and cat dander (C), and to histamine and saline controls (Bencard, U.K.) using 1 mm prick-lancets (Dome/Hollister-Stier), between July and September 1987 and again in October 1989. A weal > or = 2 mm to one or more allergens was regarded as a positive result. Each child was tested by the same investigator on each occasion, using similar techniques. Three children were excluded from analysis as they had failed to respond to histamine testing on one of the two occasions. In 1987, of the 111 children analysed, 58 (52%) children were skin-test positive, and 53 (48%) skin-test negative, while in 1989 62 (56%) were positive and 49 (44%) negative. Twelve children (11%) changed status from negative to positive, while eight (7%) changed from positive to negative. For the group as a whole the percentage agreement between the results obtained 2 years apart was 82%. In comparison to previous studies a greater number of subjects in this population than expected changed atopic status. We therefore further examined the data from those who had changed status and classified as borderline those subjects with no difference in weal size of greater than 2 mm for any allergen between 1987 and 1989. Only five children then changed status from negative to positive, none from positive to negative and 15 demonstrated only borderline changes. The coefficients of repeatability for the 106 children who did not change status were 3.37 mm, 2.80 mm and 2.33 mm for D. pteronyssinus, mixed grass pollens and cat dander respectively. The good short-term repeatability of the testing method was demonstrated in a group of 29 similar children; the coefficients of repeatability were 0.38 mm for DP and G, and 0.72 mm for C. These data demonstrate that, in a population of children with respiratory symptoms, skin-prick testing within individuals is highly repeatable over the short term, but poorly repeatable over a 2 year period. However, the percentage agreement in skin-prick test status for the group as a whole was high (82%). While no child became unequivocally skin-test negative having been previously positive, a small number of children changed status from negative to unequivocally positive, suggesting a genuine but small (4%) increase in the prevalence of skin-test positivity in this population."}
{"id": "PMID:1464051", "title": "Respiratory allergies (bronchial asthma and rhinitis) due to sensitization of type I allergy to red spider mite (Panonychus ulmi KOCH).", "content": "The inhabitants of a fruit growing area often report spontaneously of sensitization to the red spider mite (RSM) (Panonychus ulmi KOCH). These are for the most part sensitizations with low clinical symptoms (rhinitis, conjunctivitis and erythema). Severe clinical developments with bronchial asthma have been observed. We investigated six patients working in a fruit growing area sensitized by RSM. The sensitizations corresponded to a Type I allergy. Skin tests and provocation tests (nasal as well as bronchial) with RSM showed immediate reactions and RAST positive results were obtained using RSM allergen disks. RAST measurements of sera from nine house-dust mite Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus allergic patients using RSM allergen disks showed RAST-class > 1 for eight patients. RAST inhibition and immunoprint suggest a possible cross-reaction between RSM and D. pteronyssinus."}
{"id": "PMID:1464052", "title": "The antigenicity and allergenicity of microparticulated proteins: Simplesse.", "content": "New technologies are allowing the food industry to develop products from standard foods which may not be recognized in its modified form by food allergic patients. One such product, Simplesse, has been formulated by microparticulation of egg white and/or cows' milk proteins and is used as a fat substitute in many fat-laden foods. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the process of microparticulation altered the allergenicity/antigenicity of egg white and cows' milk proteins compared to the starting materials. Soluble protein fractions of Simplesse and its respective starting materials were compared to egg white, cows' milk protein, an ultra-filtered egg white/condensed milk mixture, and/or a whey concentrate by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. In addition, sera from 16 patients with documented egg and/or cows' milk hypersensitivity and two controls who were not allergic to egg or milk were used to assess potential allergenicity/antigenicity of these products by immunoblot (Western blot) analysis. There were heterogeneous IgE and IgG binding patterns to the food fractions among these food allergic patients suggesting differing sensitivity patterns among the individuals tested. However, utilizing both SDS-PAGE and immunoblot analyses, the major allergens in the microparticulated products were the same as those found in the starting materials, egg and cows' milk. In addition, there was no evidence of 'novel' protein fractions in the Simplesse test materials compared to the starting materials."}
{"id": "PMID:1464058", "title": "[Emotional states of mothers and behavior of the child during minor surgery].", "content": "The objectives of this descriptive correlational study were to measure the degree of fear-anxiety in mothers and in their children who were having minor surgery, and then to verify if there was a relationship between these two variables. Other variables examined were: child's age, rooming-in, premedication and child's experience with surgery. Fifty (50) mothers described their emotional states both on the day before and during the surgery. Fifty (50) children between the ages of two (2) and ten (10) years old were observed at five different times (one hour preoperatively, leaving for the OR, pre-induction, coming back to the room and one hour post-operatively). Their behaviours were noted on a new scale, the ECEO: Echelle des comportement de l'enfant op\u00e9r\u00e9. This scale was developed to describe the behaviour of children experiencing fear, anxiety and pain. Results show that the mother's fear-anxiety score was significantly higher during the surgery than before it (t df.49 = 3.77, p < 0.001). Rooming-in significantly affected mothers' emotional states (F = 4.07, p < 0.05). Younger children were more affected than older ones; they also showed more distress when the mother was present (t df.49 = 5.31, p < 0.001). Rooming-in contributed significantly to the child's stress score; children whose mother roomed-in at least one night showed more distress behaviours than children whose mothers did not room-in (t df.48 = 2.03, p < 0.05). A correlation was found between the degree of mothers' fear-anxiety and the children's fear-anxiety-pain score or distress behaviours (r = .28, p < 0.05). A strong relationship was established between the total distress score of the child and his or her score when the mother was present (r = .81, p < 0.01). These results support the theory of social referencing: the child is influenced greatly by the mother's emotional state and he refers to her for the interpretation of events provoking anxiety. Therefore, nurses should inform and support mothers, especially those who are rooming-in; they should also make more use of parents in the preparation and the management of the child for surgery. The development and validation of an instrument measuring fear-anxiety-pain in younger children will facilitate evaluation of the effect of surgery or other procedures on the child, and the planning adequate interventions."}
{"id": "PMID:1464065", "title": "Purification, properties, and partial amino acid sequence of chitinase from a marine Alteromonas sp. strain O-7.", "content": "Chitinase (EC 3.2.1.14) was isolated from the culture supernatant of a marine bacterium, Alteromonas sp. strain O-7. The enzyme (Chi-A) was purified by anion-exchange chromatography (DEAE-Toyopearl 650 M) and gel filtration (Sephadex G-100). The purified enzyme showed a single band on sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The molecular size and pI of Chi-A were 70 kDa and 3.9, respectively. The optimum pH and temperature of Chi-A were 8.0 and 50 degrees C, respectively. Chi-A was stable in the range of pH 5-10 up to 40 degrees C. Among the main cations, such as Na+, K+, Mg2+, and Ca2+, contained in seawater, Mg2+ stimulated Chi-A activity. N-Bromosuccinimide and 2-hydroxy-5-nitrobenzyl bromide inhibited Chi-A activity. The amino-terminal 27 amino acid residues of Chi-A were sequenced. This enzyme showed sequence homology with chitinases from terrestrial bacteria such as Serratia marcescens QMB1466 and Bacillus circulans WL-12."}
{"id": "PMID:1464066", "title": "Cloning of genetic loci involved in endoprotease activity in Streptomyces lividans 66: a novel neutral protease gene with an adjacent divergent putative regulatory gene.", "content": "A skimmed-milk clearing assay was used to identify, in a multicopy Streptomyces lividans 66 genomic library, DNA fragments that lead to increased expression of protease activity in S. lividans 66. Three independent loci were identified. The majority class (slpA, which represented 68 of 71 clones) produced large zones of clearing. Two other classes (designated slpB and slpC) showed smaller zones than slpA. Subcloning and deletion analysis of the slpA locus delineated the relevant DNA to within a 2.5 kilobase pair fragment. DNA sequence analysis revealed a structural gene associated with the appearance of an extracellular protein in the culture medium. The derived amino acid sequence indicated the presence of a zinc-binding motif, which was previously noted to be characteristic of metalloprotease enzymes. However, the relatively small size of the protein (apparent molecular weight 20,000-24,000) suggests that it represents a novel class of neutral proteases distinct from the thermolysin-type enzymes. An adjacent divergent open reading frame was identified and shown to cause a significant increase in protease activity when present together with the protease structural gene on a multicopy plasmid in S. lividans 66. The derived amino acid sequence of this open reading frame showed homology with previously characterized regulatory proteins of the LysR family of transcriptional regulator proteins."}
{"id": "PMID:1464067", "title": "Glyphosate degradation by immobilized bacteria: laboratory studies showing feasibility for glyphosate removal from waste water.", "content": "To evaluate immobilized bacteria technology for the removal of low levels of glyphosate (N-phosphonomethylglycine) from aqueous industrial effluents, microorganisms with glyphosate-degrading activity obtained from a fill and draw enrichment reactor inoculated with activated sludge were first exposed to glyphosate production wastes containing 500-2000 mg glyphosate/L. The microorganisms were then immobilized by adsorption onto a diatomaceous earth biocarrier contained in upflow Plexiglas columns. The columns were aerated, maintained at pH 7.0-8.0, incubated at 25 degrees C, supplemented with NH4NO3 (50 mg/L), and exposed to glyphosate process wastes pumped upflow through the biocarrier. Glyphosate degradation to aminomethylphosphonic acid was initially > 96% for 21 days of operation at flows yielding hydraulic residence times (HRTs) as short as 42 min. Higher flow rate studies showed > 98% removal of 50 mg glyphosate/L from the waste stream could be achieved at a HRT of 23 min. Glyphosate removal of > 99% at a 37-min HRT was achieved under similar conditions with a column inoculated with a pure culture of Pseudomonas sp. strain LBr, a bacterium known to have high glyphosate-degrading activity. After acid shocking (pH 2.8 for 18 h) of a column of immobilized bacteria, glyphosate-degrading activity was regained within 4 days without reinoculation. Although microbial growth and glyphosate degradation were not maintained under low organic nutrient conditions in the laboratory, the low levels of degradable carbon (45-94 mg/L) in the industrial effluent were sufficient to support prolonged glyphosate-degrading activity. The results demonstrated that immobilized bacteria technology is effective in removing low levels of glyphosate in high-volume liquid waste streams."}
{"id": "PMID:1464068", "title": "Effect of oxygen supply during growth on the production of cytochromes, enzymes, and acid end products by Haemophilus parasuis.", "content": "Haemophilus parasuis, grown under conditions of high aeration, was found to lack a tricarboxylic acid cycle but to possess phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase and a reductive pathway leading to the production of succinate. Such organisms contained approximately equal quantities of b-, c-, and d-type cytochromes and excreted acetate. When the oxygen supply for growth was either reduced or eliminated, the specific activities of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase, malate dehydrogenase, fumarase, fumarate reductase, and NADH: fumarate oxidoreductase were increased substantially, and the acid products were succinate, acetate, and formate. Organisms grown under the latter conditions also contained increased quantities of b- and c-type cytochromes, some of which were low-potential cytochromes. These low-potential cytochromes were reduced by NADH and oxidized by fumarate, and hence, appeared to be components of NADH: furmarate oxidoreductase. Our results indicate that in H. parasuis, growing aerobically in medium containing glucose, the sole function of the reductive pathway is to provide intermediates for biosynthetic processes, and oxygen is the preferred electron acceptor. As the supply of oxygen is reduced or eliminated, the reductive pathway becomes more involved in NAD+ recycling and fumarate becomes the acceptor. In effect, irrespective of the oxygen supply, the growth of H. parasuis is absolutely dependent upon the presence of an electron transport system."}
{"id": "PMID:1464069", "title": "Interaction between flocculent and nonflocculent cells of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.", "content": "Interaction between nonflocculent and flocculent cells of Saccharomyces cerevisiae was studied. Adhesion experiments were done using three types of nonflocculent cells and a flocculent one. Two types of nonflocculent cells were obtained from the flocculent strain by changing environmental growth conditions. The integration of nonflocculent cells in the flocs was observed by two different methods: measurement of the sedimentation capacity of mixtures and microscopic observation of stained nonflocculent cells blended with flocculent cells. It was possible to verify that cell-cell interaction corresponds to a true stable binding and not to a simple entrapment inside the floc matrix."}
{"id": "PMID:1464071", "title": "Inhibition of microbial adherence by sphinganine.", "content": "Sphingosines (precursors and degeneration products of complex sphingolipids) are mediators in membrane second-messenger cascades and in a wide variety of functions in eukaryotic cells. Sphingosines are also lethal for gram-positive microorganisms. In addition to its direct effect, sphinganine is here reported to affect the adherence of Streptococcus mitis to buccal epithelial cells and of Staphylococcus aureus to nasal mucosal cells after incubation for 90 min at 37 degrees C. When the bacteria were pretreated with 8.1, 16.2, 32.5, or (for Strep. mitis) 65 microM sphinganine for 60 min at 37 degrees C, adherence counts were reduced for Staph. aureus by 27, 37, and 60% and for Strep. mitis by 19, 44, 54, and 73%, respectively (p < 0.001). In contrast, pretreatment of buccal cells with 81.2 microM lipid increased adherence by 14% (p < 0.01), but no change occurred at either 16.2 or 325 microM lipid. These results further demonstrate the double-edged ability of sphingosines to regulate cellular activities and their potential as multifunctional therapeutic agents for infectious diseases."}
{"id": "PMID:1464072", "title": "[Antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies--ANCA].", "content": "Antibodies against cytoplasm of neutrophil leucocytes (ANCA) with a high sensitivity are found in idiopathic necrotizing vasculitis and idiopathic glomerulonephritis with formation of sickles (IGS). C-ANCA are directed against the myeloid lysosomal enzyme--proteinase 3 and are found above all in Wegener's granulomatosis and microscopic polyarteritis. P-ANCA are directed mainly against myeloperoxidase, less against leucocytic elastase or lactoferrin and are found above all in microscopic polyarteritis, IGS, polyarteritis nodosa or Churg-Strauss syndrome. The elevated ANCA level correlates with the activity of the disease or precedes a relapse. These autoantibodies activate probably neutrophil leucocytes for respiratory exacerbation and degranulation which may lead to extensive tissue damage."}
{"id": "PMID:1464073", "title": "[Systemic lupus erythematosus and pregnancy. Present status].", "content": "The authors summarize contemporary views on the relationship between pregnancy and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in women of reproductive age. It is known that pregnancy influences in a marked way the basic disease and conversely the disease has an impact on the course of pregnancy. Risks ensuing from these in errelations for women--mothers with SLE and the foetus are exacerbation (flare-up) of the basic disease, loss of the foetus and damage of the foetus by so-called \"lupus neonatorum\" with skin symptoms and complete cardiac A-V block. The contemporary state of knowledge makes it possible under certain conditions to achieve by therapeutic interventions the development and delivery of a healthy foetus. Among these views it is most important for conception to occur in these patients with SLE during a period without signs of active SLE. To ensure a successful course of pregnancy in women with SLE is the task of a team of appropriate specialists."}
{"id": "PMID:1464074", "title": "[Pharmacotherapy of rheumatoid arthritis in 1992].", "content": "The author presents an overview of the state of pharmacotherapy of rheumatoid arthritis in 1992. In the area of non-steroidal antirheumatic drugs attention is drawn to some problems associated with their undesirable action on the digestive tract and articular cartilage. The problem of interindividual reactivity to this group of drugs has not been resolved so far. The mechanism of their action, in particular analgetic action, is also still open. It was found that they can exert not only a central but also a peripheral action. Drugs modifying the disease have been extended by sulphasalazine, methotrexate and cyclosporin. Interest in combined treatment with these drugs is increasing as well as attitudes to the strategy of their application. The corticoid group has been extended by the preparation deflazacort which does not have a catabolic effect on osseous tissue. In the posology of corticoids pulsed treatment is gaining support."}
{"id": "PMID:1464075", "title": "[Use of pulsed steroid therapy in active rheumatoid arthritis].", "content": "The authors implemented a prospective double blind, controlled study where they administered to a group of 34 patients with active rheumatoid arthritis either three pulses a 1000 mg methyl prednisolone in a small infusion or an infusion with placebo. They proved a very favourable effect--after five days a marked diminution of morning stiffness was recorded, as well as a diminution of pain during locomotion and rest and general improvement of the patient's condition. After two weeks the effect declines but even after 8 weeks the difference, as compared with the initial value, was still significant, while this was not the case after placebo. The sedimentation rate increased after the initial decline to the baseline level. A number of immunological indicators (decline of immunoglobulins, IgG rheumatoid factor, rise of C3 and C4 complement levels and rise of T lymphocytes) suggest an anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive action persisting for several weeks although the mentioned results were not statistically significant (the majority at the very borderline of significance, probably significant in a larger number of patients). The authors confirm the reactive safety of this treatment, emphasize the necessity to investigate contraindications of treatment (diabetes mellitus) and the necessity to follow up patients in inpatient facilities."}
{"id": "PMID:1464076", "title": "[Replacement of hip joints with total endoprostheses in patients with ankylosing spondylitis].", "content": "In the Rheumatological Institute in Prague the authors made a retrospective investigation in patients with ankylosing spondylitis affecting the hip joints where one or two endoprostheses of the hip joints were made. In all these patients they evaluated the subjective complaints of the operated extremity, they made a clinical examination of the extent of mobility and evaluated X-ray pictures. The group of 20 patients was examined in this retrospective investigation approximately five years after operation. From the total of 32 endoprostheses 20 were cemented and 12 were without cement. From the total number of patients only four reported slight pain in the area of the operated hip joint without signs of loosening on the X-ray picture. The extent of mobility of all endoprostheses was very satisfactory, the mean abduction in men was 27.6 degrees, in women 30.7 degrees, flexion 84 degrees in men and 97 degrees in women. As revealed by X-ray, the hip joints were affected most frequently by coxitis, osteoplastic changes were detected in six patients. Enthesopathies of a small or medium extent were found in almost all patients. Heteroplastic bone was evaluated according to Brooker's criteria, in the investigated group only type I was found. It may be stated that the submitted group of results of endoprostheses in ankylosing spondylitis is a very satisfactory solution which improves the patient's mobility and thus restores the quality of life."}
{"id": "PMID:1464078", "title": "[The first isolation of Dermatophilus congolensis van Saceghem 1913 in Czechoslovakia].", "content": "The authors present a report on the first detection of the strain Dermatophilus congolensis in Czechoslovakia. The strain was isolated from ulcerations on the dorsal part of the foot of a 47-year-old patient who previously worked for several years in Libya. Based on examinations of smears from cultures of an isolated strain and four strains from a collection, from experimental dermatofilosis of a rabbit the authors describe the micromorphology of strains of D. congolensis under a light and electron microscope (transmission an and raster microscope). They describe the colonial morphology, haemolytic properties and in particular detail the haemolytic interaction of strains of D. congolensis with Streptococcus agalactiae, Rhodococcus equi and with strains of S. aureus (monoproducers of beta-haemolysin and delta-haemolysin resp.). They assessed the sensitivity of strains of D. congolensis to some staphylococcal bacteriocin-like substances."}
{"id": "PMID:1464079", "title": "[Legionella antibodies in domestic animals].", "content": "Serological examination of 420 domestic animals for the presence of antilegionella antibodies indicates their high exposure to legionellae. On examination by the microagglutination reaction with a serum dilution of 1:64 or more the highest positive values were recorded in horses which reacted with antigens of L. pneumophila 1-14 in 36.2% and with antigens of another 19 types of legionellae in 47.8%. In pigs positive values recorded in 16.2% and in 21.1%; in cattle in 3.8% and 29.5%, in sheep in 7.5% and 11.3% and laboratory rabbits were quite negative. The importance of these findings with regard to the possible role of animals in the ecology of legionellae is obscure."}
{"id": "PMID:1464080", "title": "[Personal experience with culture and isolation of urogenital mycoplasmas].", "content": "The authors describe the basic technique of cultivation and isolation of urogenital mycoplasmas, focused on their detection. They describe methods of collection of samples, principles of cultivation, dilution of samples and their sub-passage recommended to ensure a higher detection rate."}
{"id": "PMID:1464081", "title": "[Isolation of Nocardia asteroides using hemoculture (clinical report)].", "content": "The authors describe the finding of Nocardia asteroides from a haemoculture in a patient with right-sided pneumonia and several predisposing factors (TB, chronic bronchitis, anamnestic hepatitis, chronic hepatopathy, anaemia, ethylism and a neoplasm revealed in the final stage). Early bacteriological diagnosis and aimed antimicrobial therapy led to radical improvement of the very dramatic clinical condition. The authors discuss the possible higher incidence of the infectious agent, which previously was detected only very rarely."}
{"id": "PMID:1464082", "title": "[Virulence factors in strains of Escherichia coli isolated in urinary tract infections].", "content": "In 21 strains of E. coli isolated from patients with cystitis and asymptomatic bacteriuria the authors assessed the group, mannososensitive and mannoresistant agglutination of human, bovine, chick, guinea pig, sheep and pig erythrocytes, the production of haemolysis, colicins, aerobactin, the capacity of strains to induce oedema on mouse paws, the lethal effect in mice, the resistance to tetracycline, streptomycin, chloramphenicol, kanamycin, ampicillin and sulfamethoxidine, the transmission of resistance and sensitivity of strains to the action of fresh human serum. In ten strains the authors recorded also the production of haemolysin and the lethality for mice, in four strains the production of colicin V. production of aerobactin and serum resistance. In three strains the aerobactin production was recorded concurrently with the haemolysin production. In none of the samples P. fimbriae were found."}
{"id": "PMID:1464083", "title": "[Epidemiologic aspects of a new approach to monitoring hygienic food handling using the hazard analysis critical control points (HACCP) system].", "content": "The hitherto used traditional control of food hygiene focused on assessment whether the controlled sanitary and technological practice is consistent with requirements of regulations sometimes comprises also details of minor importance. To put it briefly, in the course of the production process are many check-up points, but only some or possibly only one is a critical control point. Moreover, by periodic supervision the hygienist is able to record the hygienic and technological state typical only for the time of control. Microbiological examination of final products can reveal only negative sequelae of microbial processes; it does not provide information on the conditions of contamination nor ensure protection against it. For these and other reasons the conclusion is reached that the hitherto used traditional approach of the hygiene supervision is not quite effective and must be replaced by a more active approach focused on the control of factors threatening the wholesomeness already during the production process. The new approach to supervision of food hygiene is the HACCP system (hazard analysis critical control points). The system works rationally as it is based on analysis of systematically assembled data on the causes and conditions which evoked the illness of the consumers by food products or meals. HACCP can be described as prompt, as health or quality problems are revealed immediately after their genesis during production or processing and are eliminated immediately. The system is also comprehensive as it comprises not only the basic technological process incl. processing or modification of ingredients but takes into account also the handling of the given food product after termination of production and in particular final culinar processing. The system can be applied to all pathogenic agents transmitted by foods to man from bacteria and their toxins, viruses, parasites, moulds and mycotoxins, biotoxins but also contaminants and radionuclides. The system requires reliable epidemiological statistics of alimentary infections and intoxications and in practice the participation of an epidemiologist, hygienist and food technologist."}
{"id": "PMID:1464084", "title": "[Relation of foci of tick-borne encephalitis to original plant associations in the Czech Republic].", "content": "Based on reports of the hygiene service on the morbidity from tick-borne encephalitis during the period of 1953-1987, data in the literature and results of the authors' field research on the incidence of ticks, the authors defined foci of the disease. In Bohemia there is an extensive important focus of tick-borne encephalitis in the Central Bohemian region in the Krivokl\u00e1t area, along the Berounka river, along the mid Vltava river and lower S\u00e1zava river, in the area of the Brdy mountains and Czech Karst, linked in the South along the Vltava river to foci in the South Bohemian region in the districts of P\u00edsek and Cesk\u00e9 Bud\u0115jovice and in the West linked along the Berounka river with the focus in the central part of the West Bohemian region. In the North Bohemian region and East Bohemian region, only minor separate relict foci of tick-borne encephalitis were found. In Moravia there are extensive foci of tick-borne encephalitis in the North Moravian region in the districts of Opava and Brunt\u00e1l, in the South Moravian region in its central and southern parts. The foci in Bohemia are separated from foci in neighbouring countries, foci in Moravia are continuous with those in Poland and Austria. It was proved that ticks and the revealed foci of tick-borne encephalitis in the Czech Republic are in areas of original oak groves. Areas of beech woods, even those which are below areas where ticks are found, i.e. lower that 700 m above sea level, do not offer favourable conditions for ticks andare not foci of tick-borne encephalitis. Assessment of areas with regard to the prevailing flora and fauna proved a useful method of prediction of the occurrence of ticks and foci of disease they transmit."}
{"id": "PMID:1464085", "title": "[Serologic detection of antibodies to Helicobacter pylori in children and adolescents using ELISA].", "content": "Serum antibodies anti-Helicobacter pylori (H.p.) which are specific against antigenic determinants of the bacterial body, were determined in 183 non-ulcer dyspeptic children and adolescents, aged 7- to 20 years. 108 patients (59%) of the same group underwent fibroendoscopy for direct detection of H.p. in bioptic specimens of the stomach and duodenum microbiological methods. Discrimination analysis revealed a overall positive correlation between the results of the two methods: P < 0.01. For detection of specific IgG antibodies against H.p., evaluation by the P/N ratio was used, i.e. the absorbance of the examined serum (P) was compared with the mean absorbance of three negative serum controls (N). The specificity of the ELISA test in this examination was 96.1%, the sensitivity of 90.3%. The mentioned ELISA method for detection of specific IgG antibodies against H.p. is comparable with direct microbiological prove of H.p. presence in mucus specimens in our group examined. It is a very important non-invasive method useful for primary detection of H.p. infection."}
{"id": "PMID:1464086", "title": "[The effect of breast feeding on anthropometric indicators in very young children].", "content": "In a group of 4,217 children from Southern Moravia the authors evaluated growth from birth to the age of three years in relation to breastfeeding. The basic anthropometric data were evaluated in sub-groups made with regard to birth weight. Infants who were breastfed longer than four months were lighter during the first half year, as compared with those breastfed for a shorter period; at the age of one year this difference disappeared, in the second year they tended to have a higher weight, in the third year the differences were balanced. The same was manifested in weight increments. The influence on height was not so marked and was manifested mainly in the difference of increments. The head circumference and chest circumference was not much influenced. Evaluation of indices of proportionality revealed a more harmonious growth in children who were breastfed for a longer period."}
{"id": "PMID:1464087", "title": "[Long-term clinical experience with spherocytic hemolytic anemia in children].", "content": "The author investigated during a 15-year period 27 children with spherocytic haemolytic anaemia. In 20 children the disease was familial. The initial symptoms were jaundice and anaemia. In six children the disease was manifested by severe neonatal jaundice and in four an exsanguination transfusion was made. Of five older children three were at first treated for infectious hepatitis. The anaemic syndrome was in the foreground of the clinical picture in 16 children, incl. 10 where it was present already in infant age. In 24 children splenectomy was performed, usually after the age of 6 years. For prophylaxis of bacterial infection the splenectomized children were given penicillin preparations for a period of three years. The OPSI syndrome was not recorded."}
{"id": "PMID:1464088", "title": "[Sonographic screening of upper urinary tract obstruction and approach to its treatment].", "content": "Sonographic examination of the uropoietic tract (UPT) in neonates makes it possible to detect in time inborn disorders, in particular of the excretory pathways and to provide treatment before irreversible changes develop. The authors subject within the framework of screening of inborn developmental defects all neonates to sonographic examination of the UPT. In the submitted paper they evaluate a group of 2,103 children in the course of a one-year period; 89 neonates had changes as compared with normal findings. The largest group is formed (by as many as 57) by marginal dilatation of the hollow space. A dilated hollow system was recorded in 24 neonates and eight had different types of anomalies. By further comprehensive investigation conservative or surgical procedure is indicated to prevent further, possibly irreversible damage of the renal parenchyma."}
{"id": "PMID:1464089", "title": "[Analysis of the effect of 2 criteria in the creation of age groups on the value spread of selected somatic parameters].", "content": "In the paper we present the results from the statistic analysis of the effect of two age-group creation criterions (1-st criterion--f.e. the 7 years old--from 6,500 to 7,499 years, 2-nd criterion--f.e. the 7 years old--from 7,000 to 7,999) on value dispersion of somatic characteristics chosen. We analyzed the body weight and body height in the set consists of 846 Gypsy children from 7 to 13 years of age. The dispersions of individual values of parameters followed for both criterions were tested by F-test, average values by un-pair Student's t-test. We found that the both criterions have no effect on value dispersion of evaluated somatic characteristics, except of two cases. Further, average values of testing parameters by criterion No. 1 are somewhat lower in comparison with those by criterion No. 2. Statistically significant differences are however incidental and rare. We suggest that in the case of population studies concerning with body growth and development it is possible to compare the sets with different age-group creation criterions."}
{"id": "PMID:1464090", "title": "[Macroprolactinoma with galactorrhea in a 13-year-old girl].", "content": "The case-history demonstrates a 13-year-old girl with the unusual finding of a macroprolactinoma which was clinically manifested by galactorrhoea. By medicamentous treatment the prolactin (PRL) level was reduced in six weeks and the clinical condition improved."}
{"id": "PMID:1464092", "title": "[Pneumoperitoneum in a premature, non-ventilated neonate with respiratory distress syndrome leading to respiratory failure. What is the etiology?].", "content": "The authors describe the finding of extensive tensive pneumoperitoneum which developed during distension therapy (CNP) in an immature neonate. The absence of another extraalveolar cumulation of air made the authors use PO2 analysis in the peritoneal air by means of a transcutaneous electrode. Because the PO2 rose after connection of the electrode to the catheter draining the abdominal cavity, the authors assumed a respiratory aetiology of the pneumoperitoneum and did not consider laparatomy. They assume that the above test may be valuable in the differential diagnosis between respiratory and gastrointestinal pneumoperitoneum in those instances where it is not possible to assess the aetiology of pneumoperitoneum unequivocally."}
{"id": "PMID:1464093", "title": "[Juvenile granulosa cell tumor with subsequent occurrence of gastrointestinal polyposis, subcutaneous lipomatosis and nodular goiter].", "content": "A juvenile tumour from granulosa cells (M-8622/1), 13 x 8 x 6 cm, in the right ovary in a three-month-old girl produced some symptoms of pseudopubertas praecox isosexualis which disappeared after operation. Microscopic examination of the tumour revealed in addition to typical structures a less common differentiation to Sertoli cells. Despite actinotherapy and chemotherapy one and a half years after the onset of the disease X-ray examination revealed metastases in the lungs which were successfully cured by further doses of the above two types of treatment. Between the age of 6 and 15 years the girl developed successively polyposis of the stomach, small and large intestine (M-7564/0), subcutaneous lipomatosis of the trunk and left lower extremity (M-8881/0) and nodular goitre (M-7164/0), predominantly quiescent. In the literature a connection between gonadal stromal ovarian tumours and mesenchymal tumours, intestinal polyposis and disorders of the thyroid gland is described, but in different patients. The authors' observation is unique by the successive incidence of these changes in a single patient surviving 15 years after operation; and thus genetically conditioned associations could be involved."}
{"id": "PMID:1464096", "title": "[Adverse effects of Spophyllin Spofa Retard].", "content": "An account of reported undesirable effects of Spophyllin Spofa Retard based on the register of the Commission for monitoring undesirable effects of drugs of the Scientific Council of the Ministry of Health between December 1987 and November 1990. It is surprising that no undesirable effects of Syntophyllin and Spophyllin were reported from paediatric practice. The author submits questions associated with the discrepancy of notifications of undesirable effects of Spophyllin in adults and children."}
{"id": "PMID:1464097", "title": "[Tussigenic reaction after inhalation of Intal].", "content": "Sodium cromoglycate is the drug of choice in the preventive treatment of bronchial asthma. Its only undesirable effect is the tussigenic irritation of the respiratory pathways which may lead to termination of its administration. The author analyzes the causes and submits proposals for their solution."}
{"id": "PMID:1464099", "title": "Amino acids and peptides. XXXV. Synthesis of mouse metallothionein I. (2). Synthesis of a nonacosapeptide corresponding to N-terminal sequence 1-29 (beta-fragment) of mouse metallothionein I and related peptides and examination of their heavy metal-binding properties.", "content": "A nonacosapeptide corresponding to the N-terminal sequence 1-29 (beta-fragment) of mouse metallothionein I and related peptides were synthesized by the conventional solution method and their heavy metals (Cu2+, Cu+ and Cd2+)-binding properties were examined. The Cu(2+)- or Cu(+)-binding activities of various peptides were not greatly dependent on the peptide structure, so far as examined, as in the cases of N. crassa MT and A. bisporus MTs. On the contrary, the Cd(2+)-binding activities of these peptides were fairly structure-dependent."}
{"id": "PMID:1464100", "title": "Synthesis and biological activity of 5'-aminobenzoxazinorifamycin derivatives.", "content": "Benzoxazinorifamycin reacted with various secondary amines to yield various 5'-substituted aminobenzoxazinorifamycin derivatives. The derivatives exhibited potent activities against gram-positive bacteria and mycobacteria. The antimicrobial activities of these compounds against Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Mycobacterium intracellulare were superior to those of rifampicin. Some of these compounds showed good plasma levels after oral administration in rats."}
{"id": "PMID:1464101", "title": "Syntheses of 2-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)ethylamine derivatives and their antiulcer activities.", "content": "A series of acyl derivatives of 2-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)ethylamine (4) were synthesized and evaluated for their effectiveness to prevent water-immersion stress-induced gastric ulceration when given intraperitoneally to rats. Among them N-[2-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)ethyl]-2-phenylaminoacetamide hydrochloride (15) had significant antiulcer activity. Further modification of the four parts of 15 revealed that only the introduction of a carbamoyl group into 2- or 3-position of the phenylamino part gave compounds (49-51, 54 and 55) which retained antiulcer activity comparable to the lead compound. However, the compounds (49-51 and 54) did not exert a prophylactic effect when administered orally except for the 3-substituted bezamide derivative 55. Alkyl substitution on the nitrogen of benzamide gave 3-[[[2-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)ethyl]carbamoyl]methyl] amino-N-methylbenzamide (66, DQ-2511) and the related compounds (67, 70, 74 and 77) which all had potent antiulcer activities at oral doses of 50-400 mg/kg."}
{"id": "PMID:1464102", "title": "3 beta-Hydroxysialic acid glycosides. I. Calcium-binding ability and chemical and enzymatic stabilities.", "content": "Methyl alpha- and beta-glycosides of N-acetylneuraminic acid (Neu5Ac) and N-acetyl-3 beta-hydroxyneuraminic acid (Neu5Ac beta 3OH) (1-4) were prepared to evaluate their calcium-binding ability. (Methyl alpha-glucopyranosidonyl) alpha- and beta-, and 4-methylumbelliferyl alpha-glycosides of Neu5Ac and Neu5Ac beta 3OH (5-10) were also synthesized for the comparison of chemical and enzymatic stabilities, respectively. Methyl beta-glycosides of Neu5Ac and Neu5Ac beta 3OH, 3 and 4, respectively, showed intense calcium-binding abilities, while no such ability was observed in the corresponding alpha-glycosides, 1 and 2. The Neu5Ac beta 3OH glycosides, 6, 8, and 10, showed much stronger resistance to acidic hydrolysis and sialidase digestion than the corresponding Neu5Ac glycosides, 5, 7, and 9."}
{"id": "PMID:1464103", "title": "Synthesis and cardiovascular activity of phenylalkylamine derivatives. I. Potential specific bradycardic agents.", "content": "A series of acyclic amide derivatives of N-(omega-aminoalkyl)-N-methylhomoveratrylamine was synthesized and evaluated for their bradycardic activity in isolated guinea pig right atria. Among these compounds, (E)-N-[3-[N'-[2-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)ethyl]-N'-methylamino]propyl]- 4-[3,4-(methylenedioxy)phenyl]-3-butenamide (35) was the most potent in vitro and was also found to show dose-dependent bradycardia without remarkable reduction of left ventricular dp/dtmax or mean aortic pressure in anesthetized dogs."}
{"id": "PMID:1464104", "title": "Phenolic constituents in Erythrina x bidwilli and their activity against oral microbial organisms.", "content": "Five flavonoid compounds, including two new isoflavanones, were isolated from the root bark of Erythrina x bidwilli. Their structures were determined to be 2,10-di(gamma,gamma-dimethylallyl)-3,9-dihydroxypterocarpan (erythrabyssin II), 6,8-di(gamma,gamma-dimethylallyl)-7,2',4'-trihydroxyisoflavanone (bidwillon A), 8-gamma,gamma-dimethylallyl-2',4'-dihydroxy-[6\",6\"-di-methylpyrano - (2\",3\":7,6)]isoflavanone (bidwillon B), 8-gamma,gamma-dimethylallyl-7,4'-dihydroxyisoflavone (8-gamma,gamma-dimethyl-allyldaidzein), and 8-gamma,gamma-dimethylallyl-5,2',4'-trihydroxy-[6\",6\"-dimethylpyrano+ ++- (2\",3\":7,6)]isoflavone (auriculatin), by means of spectroscopic analysis. Some potent activities against oral microbial organisms (Fusobacterium nucleatum and Prevotella intermedia) were shown in these flavonoid compounds."}
{"id": "PMID:1464105", "title": "Synthesis of deuterium-labeled 16 alpha,19-dihydroxy C19 steroids as internal standards for gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.", "content": "[2 beta,7,7,16 beta-2H4]16 alpha,19-Dihydroxyandrost-4-ene-3,17-dione (14) and [7,7,16 beta-2H3]3 beta,16 alpha,19-trihydroxyandrost-5-en-17-one (16), with high isotopic purity, respectively, were synthesized from unlabeled 3 beta-(tert-butyldimethylsiloxy)-androst-5-ene-17 beta-yl acetate (1). The deuterium introduction at C-7 was carried out by reductive deoxygenation of the 7-keto compound 3 with dichloroaluminum deuteride and that at C-2 beta and/or C-16 beta by controlled alkaline hydrolysis of 16-bromo-17-ketone 11 or 12 with NaOD in D2O and pyridine. [7,7-2H2]3 beta-Hydroxyandrost-5-en-17-one (6), obtained from compound 1 by a five-step sequence, was converted to compound 14 or 16 by an eight-step or seven-step sequence, respectively. The labeled steroids 14 and 16 are useful as internal standards for gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis of the endogenous levels."}
{"id": "PMID:1464106", "title": "Inhibition of urease activity by dipeptidyl hydroxamic acids.", "content": "A series of dipeptidyl hydroxamic acids (H-X-Gly-NHOH: X = amino acid residues) was synthesized, and the inhibitory activity against Jack bean and Proteus mirabilis ureases [EC 3.5.1.5] was examined. A number of H-X-Gly-NHOH inhibited Jack bean urease with an I50 of the order of 10(-6) M and inhibited Proteus mirabilis urease with an I50 of the order of 10(-5) M. The inhibition against Jack bean urease was more potent than that with the corresponding aminoacyl hydroxamic acids (H-X-NHOH)."}
{"id": "PMID:1464107", "title": "The influence of chloro-substituent sites of hexachlorobiphenyl on the respiration of rat liver mitochondria.", "content": "The actions of three hexachlorobiphenyls (HCBs) 2,3,4,2',3',4'-, 2,3,4,3',4',5'- and 3,4,5,3',4',5'-HCBs, on the respiration of rat liver mitochondria with succinate as the substrate were compared, and the effect of chloro-substitution sites in HCB on the respiration was examined. 2,3,4,2',3',4'-HCB strongly inhibited both state 3 and 2,4-dinitrophenol (DNP)-stimulated respiration with 50% inhibition dose of 52 and 54 microM for state 3 and DNP-stimulated respiration, respectively. The inhibitory action of 2,3,4,3',4',5'-HCB on both respiration was approximately half as potent as that of 2,3,4,2',3',4'-HCB. On the other hand, 3,4,5,3',4',5'-HCB did not inhibit any respiration at all. These results indicate that both inside (ortho) and outside (meta or para) positions in each phenyl ring of the biphenyl molecule should be replaced with chlorines for HCB to be an effective inhibitor. Either the actual position of chloro-substituent or steric conformation caused by its substitution or both can be considered as factors affecting the inhibition. On the basis of the conformational energy, calculated by AM1 (Austin model 1) method, with increases in chlorine number in ortho position, HCB molecule became angulated. Furthermore, calculated probability of the conformation distribution for HCB indicated that the probability of nonplanarity was higher for effective HCB than for less effective HCB. These structural features suggest the significance of steric conformation as well as chloro-substituent sites in determining the inhibitory ability of HCB.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1464108", "title": "80 kDa mouse sperm protein as a substrate of protein kinase C.", "content": "Calcium and phospholipid-dependent protein kinase (PKC) activity was detected mainly in the cytosol of the mouse sperm. The PKC in the cytosol fraction was partially purified by ion-exchange chromatography. Using the partially purified PKC, the phosphorylation of PKC substrates was examined in vitro. The phosphorylation of the 80 kDa protein was enhanced by phorbol ester treatment in vitro as well as in vivo. The partial amino acid sequence of this protein was homologous with that of guanosine 5'-cyclic monophosphate (cGMP)-dependent protein kinase and myosin light chain kinase, both of which are related to ligand-receptor-transduction. The present data suggest that the activation of PKC and subsequent specific protein phosphorylation might be involved in the regulation of the zona pellucida-induced acrosome reaction."}
{"id": "PMID:1464109", "title": "Three types of membranous ATPase on rat liver lysosomes.", "content": "At least three types of vanadate-insensitive membranous ATPase were identified on rat liver lysosomes: bafilomycin A1-sensitive Mg(2+)-ATPase (H(+)-ATPase), N-ethylmaleimide (NEM)-sensitive but bafilomycin A1-insensitive Mg(2+)-ATPase (ATPase I), and NEM-insensitive Ca2+/Mg(2+)-ATPase (ATPase II). They showed different sensitivity to chemicals and ions with apparent molecular masses of 700-800, 500-650, and 360 kDa, respectively. Of these membranous ATPases, H(+)-ATPase seemed to constitute only one tenth of the ATPase activity on rat liver lysosomes and to be the only ATPase that exposed its active site to the cytoplasmic side of the lysosomal membranes."}
{"id": "PMID:1464110", "title": "Glycation and insolubility of human lens protein.", "content": "To learn whether glycation plays a role in insolubilization or in senile cataractogenesis, the reactivity of lens protein from normal and senile cataractous lenses and individual crystallin prepared from human lens with various sugars [glucose, glucose-1-phosphate (G-1-P), glucose-6-phosphate (G-6-P) and fructose], and the insolubility of those proteins were determined. The reactivity of human lens protein to glucose was increased in a dose-dependent manner, and it was demonstrated that 17.9, 18.5 and 24 kDa proteins were susceptible to glycation with sugars. The study also showed that alpha-, beta-crystallins and high molecular weight (HMW) aggregate obtained from cataractous lens have some weak reactivity against sugars. It was demonstrated that the proteins obtained from normal lens of older age and from cataractous lenses have higher insolubilities to glucose than do normal younger ones. Measurement of glycosylated protein by affinity column chromatography revealed that cataractous lenses contained a larger amount of glycosylated protein than normal ones. These results suggest that there is an age-related increase of glycation in normal human lens protein, and that such glycation increases the amount of insolubilized protein with the effect of aging. The author also speculates that an abnormal acceleration of glycation in the human lens may induce senile cataract formation."}
{"id": "PMID:1464111", "title": "In vitro replication study of modified bases in ras sequences.", "content": "DNA templates containing a modified base (O6-methylguanine, 8-hydroxyguanine, xanthine or hypoxanthine) which was located in nucleotide sequences corresponding to the 12th or 61st codon of a ras gene were synthesized and deoxynucleotide incorporation opposite the lesions was investigated. The templates were replicated by Taq DNA polymerase, recombinant rat DNA polymerase beta and mouse DNA polymerase alpha-primase complex. Sequence analysis of the replicated products indicated selective incorporation of nucleotide(s) opposite a modified base, depending on the kind of base and of DNA polymerase. This system is very useful to obtain results of in vitro replication of modified bases in ras sequences."}
{"id": "PMID:1464112", "title": "Effects of 32-oxygenated lanosterol derivatives on 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase activity and cholesterol biosynthesis from 24,25-dihydrolanosterol.", "content": "The effects of 32-oxygenated lanosterol derivatives on 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase activity and cholesterol biosynthesis from [24,25-3H]24,25-dihydrolanosterol were studied. Among the derivatives, 3 beta-hydroxylanost-7-en-32-oic acid was the most active in depressing HMG-CoA reductase activity (IC50: 0.7 microM) and cholesterol biosynthesis (IC50: 0.4 microM) from 24,25-dihydrolanosterol."}
{"id": "PMID:1464113", "title": "Preparation and evaluation of eudragit gels. V. Rectal gel preparations for sustained release and avoidance of first-pass metabolism of lidocaine.", "content": "The release of lidocaine from hydrogel and xerogel preparations was remarkably suppressed compared with polyethylene glycol (PEG) 2000 suppository. The release rate of lidocaine from hydrogel and xerogel increased with the increase in the amount of sodium hydroxide incorporated within the range of 3 to 7 milliequivalent (meq). After an oral administration of lidocaine HCl solution, the plasma concentration of lidocaine was considerably lower than that after intravenous administration for all time periods. The absolute bioavailability (F(oral)) was 5.63%. For the Witepsol S-55 and PEG 2000 suppositories, the plasma levels of lidocaine were higher than those for the oral preparation, and Cmax and area under the concentration-time curve (AUC) values significantly improved (p < 0.01). The absolute bioavailabilities were 21.3 and 29.6%, respectively. On the other hand, Eudispert hv-hydrogel and xerogel preparations showed the characteristics of a sustained-release preparation, especially the xerogel preparation with 5 meq NaOH. Absolute bioavailability for hydrogel and xerogel preparations increased significantly (p < 0.05) by approximately 1.7-3.4 folds compared with those of Witepsol S-55 and PEG 2000 suppositories."}
{"id": "PMID:1464114", "title": "A study of embolizing materials for chemo-embolization therapy of hepatocellular carcinoma: antitumor effect of cis-diamminedichloroplatinum(II) albumin microspheres, containing chitin and treated with chitosan on rabbits with VX2 hepatic tumors.", "content": "As an effective therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma, hepatic arterial chemo-embolization therapy has been widely used, and many embolizing materials have been extensively investigated. In the present study, we prepared various types of cis-diamminedichloroplatinum(II) (CDDP) albumin microspheres using chitin and chitosan, both of which have attracted considerable attention as new non-toxic biological polymer materials having favorable characteristics such as immune adjuvant activity, biological compatibility, and biodegradation. Hepatic artery of rabbit hepatic cancer models, which had transplanted VX2 tumors, were embolized with various types of microspheres. The anti-tumor effects and tumor-targeting of the microspheres, and the effects of the microspheres administration on the hepatic tissue were investigated. As a result, anti-tumor activity of the microspheres was increased by the addition of chitin-containing or chitosan treated materials; tumor growth rates of chitin addition and chitosan treated groups were approximately 160% and 120%, respectively, and were significantly lower than that of the non-treatment groups with a rate of approximately 580%. However, complete inhibition of tumor growth might have been impossible. Anti-tumor activity was increased by the addition of chitin-containing or chitosan treated materials. Whereas the growth inhibitory effect was insufficient, in order to potentiate anti-tumor activity, higher CDDP contents and sustained release of CDDP at a high level from microsphere and so on should be essentially improved for the near future. The CDDP level in hepatic tissue following the administration of microspheres was increased by adding chitin to the microspheres or by treating the microspheres with chitosan.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1464115", "title": "Synthesis and drug-release characteristics of the conjugates of mitomycin C with N-succinyl-chitosan and carboxymethyl-chitin.", "content": "By condensation of mitomycin C (MMC) with N-succinyl-chitosan (Suc-chitosan) and carboxymethyl-chitin (CM-chitin) using 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide hydrochloride, Suc-chitosan-MMC conjugate (Suc-chitosan-MMC) and CM-chitin-MMC conjugate (CM-chitin-MMC) were prepared, respectively. The reaction conditions for 45 min at pH 5 and for 2 h at pH 5 were selected as the most appropriate for the preparations of Suc-chitosan-MMC and CM-chitin-MMC, respectively. Suc-chitosan-MMC was obtained as a water-insoluble product, while CM-chitin-MMC was partially water-soluble. When the ratio of MMC to the polymer supports changed in the conjugation reaction, the conjugates with 33% (w/w) and 23% (w/w) MMC contents were obtained as those most highly drug-loaded for Suc-chitosan-MMC and CM-chitin-MMC, respectively. At pH 7.4 at 37 degrees C, Suc-chitosan-MMC regenerated MMC very slowly, while the release of MMC from CM-chitin-MMC was relatively fast. Each drug release followed very nearly pseudo-first order kinetics, in which the apparent drug release rate constants (k(apps)) of Suc-chitosan-MMC and CM-chitin-MMC were 3.9 x 10(-3) and 1.1 x 10(-1) (h-1), respectively."}
{"id": "PMID:1464116", "title": "External control of drug release and penetration. VI. Enhancing effect of ultrasound on the transdermal absorption of indomethacin from an ointment in rats.", "content": "The effect of an ultrasound (1 MHz) on transdermal absorption of indomethacin from an ointment was studied in rats. Ultrasound energy was supplied for between 5 and 20 min at a range of intensities (0.25, 0.5, 0.75, and 1 W cm-2), energy levels commonly used for therapeutic purposes. For evaluating skin penetration of indomethacin, the change of plasma concentration was measured. The pronounced effect of ultrasound on the transdermal absorption of indomethacin was observed at all ultrasound energy levels studied. The intensity and the time of application were found to play an important role in the transdermal phonophoretic delivery system of indomethacin; 0.75 W cm-2 appeared to be the most effective intensity in improving the transdermal absorption of indomethacin, while the 10 min ultrasound treatment was the most effective. Although the highest penetration was observed at an intensity of 0.75 W cm-2, 0.5 W cm-2 was preferred because intensities of less than 0.5 W cm-2 of ultrasound for 10 min did not result in any significant skin temperature rise nor did it have any destructive effect on rat skin. Progressively more skin damage was noted as the intensity and the time of application of ultrasound increased. When used at a proper intensity and time of application, ultrasound appears to be a safe technique for enhancing the passage of various drug molecules through human skin."}
{"id": "PMID:1464117", "title": "A fluorescent DNA probe prepared by the direct derivatization of the sugar moiety for hybridization assay.", "content": "The preparation of a fluorescent DNA probe based on the derivatization of the terminal hydroxyl group of the sugar moiety of a DNA primer and its applicability to the DNA hybridization assay are described. M13mp8 plasmid primer reacts with 2-(5-chlorocarbonyl-2-oxazolyl)-5,6-methylenedioxybenzofu ran in the presence of sodium azide to form the corresponding fluorescent probe, which can be used for the hybridization assay to the target DNA, M13mp8 plasmid vector. The detection limit of the DNA with the naked eye is 10 ng (approximately 300 fmol)/spot on filters for the hybridization assay."}
{"id": "PMID:1464118", "title": "Purification and characterization of hamster hepatic microsomal N,O-acetyltransferase.", "content": "A microsomal N,O-acetyltransferase which activates carcinogenic arylacetohydroxamic acids was purified 75-fold from hamster liver sequentially by anion exchange column chromatography, chromatofocusing, gel filtration, and hydroxyapatite column chromatography. The purified enzyme, AT-2, was a glycoprotein with a molecular weight of 60000 and a pI value of 5.4. The N-terminal amino acid sequence of AT-2 was: 60000 and a pI value of 5.4. The N-terminal amino acid sequence of AT-2 was: Asp-Ser-Pro-Ser-Pro-Ile-Arg-Asn-Thr-His-Thr-Gly-Gln-Val-Arg-Gly-Leu-Val- His- Lys-. This sequence was highly homologous to that of the form 2 carboxylesterase of rabbit liver, but not to that of major hepatic microsomal carboxylesterases of hamster and other species. AT-2 catalyzed the hydrolysis of 4-nitrophenyl acetate and the N,O-acetyltransfer of N-hydroxy-2-acetylaminofluorene. Both enzyme activities were strongly inhibited by paraoxon, but not by iodoacetamide. These results demonstrate that this N,O-acetyltransferase is a member of carboxylesterase (EC 3.1.1.1)."}
{"id": "PMID:1464119", "title": "Contributions of various serum proteins to the binding of prasterone sulfate in humans.", "content": "The binding of prasterone sulfate (PS) in human plasma was investigated. Binding percentages of PS to human plasma, human serum albumin (HSA), human alpha 1-acid glycoprotein (AGP) and human gamma-globulin (GGL) were independent of the PS concentration between 0.1 and 8.0 micrograms/ml. The mean binding percentages were 99.1% for human plasma, 98.3% for HSA, 12.6% for AGP and 8.1% for GGL. Though PS is an acidic drug, binding of PS to AGP was observed. From the binding index, it was found that PS mainly bound to HSA in human plasma and that the contributions of AGP and GGL to PS in plasma were negligible."}
{"id": "PMID:1464120", "title": "Distribution of pirarubicin in human blood.", "content": "We investigated the distribution and stability of pirarubicin in human blood obtained from 12 healthy volunteers. The distribution of pirarubicin into blood cells showed marked temperature- and concentration-dependencies and the Arrhenius plot for pirarubicin uptake in blood was biphasic. Therefore, pirarubicin appears to be taken up into blood cells by a carrier-mediated system. Pirarubicin was mainly enzymatically metabolized to pirarubicinol in blood cells, but pirarubicin was not metabolized into doxorubicin in either blood or plasma. On the other hand, in plasma, pirarubicin was degraded to unknown inactive compounds instead of pirarubicinol. It is therefore suggested that blood cells serve to protect against the degradation of pirarubicin into inactive compounds in blood. Accordingly, when the monitoring of pirarubicin and its active metabolites is carried out in patients, both blood and plasma must be frozen immediately after blood collection."}
{"id": "PMID:1464121", "title": "Thermal characteristics of poly (DL-lactic acid) microspheres containing neurotensin analogue.", "content": "The thermal characteristics of poly (DL-lactic acid) (DL-PLA) microspheres containing a hexapeptide (NA: H(CH3)-Arg-Lys-Pro-Trp-tert-Leu-Leu-OEt) with neurotensin activity were investigated. PLA microspheres with a drug content of 1.5-11.0% were prepared by a novel o/w (oil-in-water) solvent evaporation method. Both DL-PLA and NA were amorphous in form, and an increase in heat capacity at glass transition temperature (Tg) of the polymer was observed in DL-PLA microspheres containing NA. The Tg of DL-PLA (PLA2000 bulk) was 307.8 K, while Tg of microspheres containing NA (content 6.0%) shifted to 321.2 K. The Tg of PLA2000 microspheres was found to increase with an increase in the content of NA, and its increasing tendency reached a plateau at an NA content of greater than 6%. The apparent activation energy of glass transition of PLA2000 bulk and the microspheres was calculated to be 86.3 and 99.3 kcal/mol, respectively. As a result of the release test after storage at 4 degrees C and 40 degrees C for 1 month, nearly the same release profiles of NA from PLA2000 microspheres were found. The release rate of NA after the initial release became slow after storage at 45 degrees C for 1 month. This may be attributed mainly to a decrease in surface area caused by the formation of agglomerates of PLA2000 microspheres under conditions near Tg."}
{"id": "PMID:1464122", "title": "Structural analysis of the N-linked oligosaccharides from human urinary trypsin inhibitor.", "content": "The N-linked oligosaccharides from human urinary trypsin inhibitor were purified and their structures were investigated by compositional analysis, the two-dimensional sugar map method and 500 MHz 1H-NMR. The results revealed that they were composed of disialosyl, monosialosyl and asialosyl oligosaccharides, which have the common biantennary core structure; Gal1-4GlcNAc1-2Man1-3(Gal1-4GlcNAc1-2Man1-6)M an1-4GlcNAc1-4GlcNAc."}
{"id": "PMID:1464124", "title": "Molecular design of biologically active compounds based on platelet activating factor (PAF): 7-oxabicyclo[2.2.1]heptane system as a strong antagonist of PAF.", "content": "7-Oxabicyclo[2.2.1]heptane system was designed based on the PAF structure. Among four stereoisomers synthesized, the diexo derivative turned out to be a new and strong antagonist of PAF."}
{"id": "PMID:1464126", "title": "Intravenous nifedipine for prevention of myocardial ischaemia after coronary revascularization.", "content": "We sought to determine the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic behaviour of a continuous infusion of nifedipine given for prevention of myocardial ischaemia following coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. Patients scheduled for elective CABG, who had good left ventricular function, were included. Only normotensive patients who did not require treatment with vasoactive drugs and were bleeding less than 100 ml.hr-1 following surgery were included. The patients were randomly distributed into two groups: a control group not receiving any treatment and a treated group receiving a bolus (3 micrograms.kg-1.min-1 for 5 min) and maintenance (0.2 micrograms.kg-1.min-1) infusion of nifedipine, starting upon arrival in the recovery room and continuing for four hours. Patients given nifedipine were compared with control patients in order to determine the effects of nifedipine on haemodynamic function and on the postoperative incidence of hypotension, hypertension, myocardial ischaemia and infarction. Continuous 2-lead Holter monitoring was used to detect myocardial ischaemia. Infarction was diagnosed by 12-lead ECGs and by assessment of the MB-isoenzyme creatine kinase. The infusion of nifedipine rapidly achieved and maintained plasma concentrations between 30 and 40 ng.ml-1. The pharmacokinetic studies revealed a systemic clearance of nifedipine of 0.371 +/- 0.101 L.hr-1.kg-1, an apparent volume of distribution of 0.764 +/- 0.288 L.kg-1 and an elimination half-life of 1.4 +/- 0.6 hr. No correlation was found between plasma concentration of nifedipine and mean arterial pressure (MAP). The incidence of postoperative hypotension (MAP < 70 mmHg) and hypertension (MAP > 100 mmHg) was comparable between the groups. All haemodynamic variables were similar in both groups during the study period. Of 23 patients who received nifedipine, none showed evidence of ischaemia within six hours of starting the infusion. During the same period, five of 24 patients in the control group had ST-segment deviation suggestive of myocardial ischaemia (P = 0.05, Fisher's exact test). Three patients in the control group and none in the nifedipine group suffered perioperative myocardial infarction (P = NS). In conclusion, the continuous infusion of nifedipine used in this study is safe and reduces the incidence of myocardial ischaemia in normotensive patients with good left ventricular function following CABG. Further studies of larger number of patients are required to determine the role of calcium entry blockers following coronary artery surgery."}
{"id": "PMID:1464127", "title": "Different effects of prostacyclin and phentolamine on delivery-dependent O2 consumption and skin microcirculation after cardiac surgery.", "content": "Inadequate tissue oxygen uptake autoregulation has been reported during the first hours after extracorporeal circulation for cardiac surgery. In the present study, we examined whether a dependence of oxygen consumption (VO2) on oxygen delivery (DO2) can be detected 24 hr after cardiac surgery using two different vasodilating agents. Cardiac output in triplicate was measured by thermodilution. Oxygen saturation of arterial and mixed venous blood was measured using a CO-oximeter. Oxygen consumption was assessed from the reverse Fick equation. In addition skin blood flow was assessed continuously by laser Doppler flowmetry. To investigate the VO2/DO2 relationship in 15 patients an increase in cardiac output and DO2 of at least 15% was achieved by systemic vasodilatation with iv prostacyclin (5-10 ng.kg-1.min-1) or phentolamine (5-10 g.kg-1.min-1). Infusion of phentolamine produced a 29 +/- 2% (mean +/- SE) increase in DO2 which was associated with a 20 +/- 6% increase in VO2. In contrast, prostacyclin produced a 22 +/- 3% increase in DO2 without change in VO2. Phentolamine did not alter skin microvascular blood flow, whereas prostacyclin increased skin microvascular blood flow by 33 +/- 3%. The results of the present study demonstrate a supply-dependency of VO2 in clinically stable patients 24 hr after cardiac surgery, suggesting the presence of an inadequate tissue O2 uptake autoregulation. The type of the vasodilator used to increase DO2 seems to play an important role in detecting such a supply-dependency of VO2, as well as changes of skin blood flow."}
{"id": "PMID:1464128", "title": "Predicting arterial oxygenation during one-lung anaesthesia.", "content": "Eighty patients undergoing elective thoracotomy were studied to assess the possibility of predicting arterial oxygenation (PaO2) during one-lung anaesthesia (OLA). The first 50 patients were studied retrospectively. The method of multiple linear regression was used to construct a predictive equation for PaO2 during OLA. Potential predictors of PaO2 during OLA which were considered were: age, side of operation, preoperative pulmonary flow rates, preoperative and intraoperative PaO2 during two-lung ventilation. The three most significant predictors for PaO2 during OLA were: side right of operation (P < 0.05), preoperative FEV1% (P < 0.01) and intraoperative PaO2 during two-lung ventilation (P = 0.0001). The predictive equation for PaO2 after ten minutes of OLA was: PaO2 = 100 - 72 (side) - 1.86 (FEV1%) + 0.75 (two-lung) PaO2; (for side insert 0 for left-sided thoracotomy and 1 for right-sided thoracotomy). The remaining 30 patients were studied prospectively and the predicted PaO2 correlated with the observed PaO2 after ten minutes of OLA (r = 0.73, P < 0.01). Four of 30 patients had a predicted PaO2 at ten minutes of OLA < 150 mmHg. Of these, 2/4 subsequently required abandonment of OLA for pulse oximetric saturation < 85%. We conclude that although it is not possible to predict an individual patient's PaO2 during OLA with a high degree of accuracy, it is possible, before the initiation of OLA, to identify those patients whose arterial oxygenation is likely to decrease to low levels during OLA."}
{"id": "PMID:1464129", "title": "Pressure controlled-inverse ratio ventilation and pulmonary gas exchange during lower abdominal surgery.", "content": "Although pressure controlled-inverse ratio ventilation (PC-IRV) has been used successfully in the treatment of respiratory failure, it has not been applied to the treatment of respiratory dysfunction during anaesthesia. With PC-IRV the inspiratory wave form is fundamentally altered so that inspiratory time is prolonged (inverse I:E), inspiratory flow rate is low, and the peak inspiratory pressure is limited. Positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) can be applied and the mean airway pressure is higher than with conventional ventilation. To assess the clinical efficacy of this new mode of ventilation we studied ten patients having lower abdominal gynaecologic surgery in the Trendelenburg position under general anaesthesia. Pulmonary O2 exchange was determined during four steady states: awake control (AC), after 30 and 60 min of PC-IRV during surgery, and at the end of surgery. Patients' lungs were ventilated with air/O2 by a Siemens 900C servo ventilator in the PC-IRV mode with an I:E ratio of 2:1 and 5 cm H2O of PEEP. The FIO2 was controlled at 0.5 and arterial blood gases were used to calculate the oxygen tension-based indices of gas exchange. There were significant increases of (A-a) DO2 at 30 and 60 min (41 and 43%). These changes were less than those reported in a previous study using conventional tidal volume ventilation (7.5 ml.kg-1) and were similar to those in patients whose lungs were ventilated with high tidal volumes (12.7 ml.kg-1). Thus, in this clinical model of compromised gas exchange, arterial oxygenation was better with PC-IRV than with conventional ventilation, but not better than with large tidal volume ventilation."}
{"id": "PMID:1464130", "title": "Early extubation of the trachea after repair of secundum-type atrial septal defects in children.", "content": "To investigate the role of anaesthetic management in early extubation of the trachea in children after closure of a secundum-type atrial septal defect (ASD II), a retrospective chart review for a two-year period was performed. We identified 36 children who underwent surgical repair of an isolated ASD II. In 19 children (53%) the tracheas were extubated in the operating room immediately after surgery and in 17 patients (47%) the tracheas remained intubated and the lungs were ventilated in the Intensive Care Unit. There was no difference in age (69.5 +/- 33.8 vs 72.9 +/- 45.0 mo) or weight (19.5 +/- 8.1 versus 20.5 +/- 12.7 kg) between the two groups (mean +/- SD). Children in the extubated group had a shorter duration of cardiopulmonary bypass (43.4 +/- 7.8 min) than those remaining intubated (31.7 +/- 12.7 min) (P < 0.05). The children whose tracheas were extubated early received a lower perioperative fentanyl dose (5.9 +/- 6.4 micrograms.kg-1) than those remaining intubated (35.1 +/- 8.5 micrograms.kg-1). Those children in the extubated group had a lower hourly requirement for morphine by infusion (13.6 +/- 5.7 vs 18.2 +/- 5.4 micrograms.kg-1.hr-1) and a shorter stay (20.5 +/- 3.7 versus 29.0 +/- 11.2 hr) in the Intensive Care Unit. Re-intubation of the trachea was not required in any of the children and no deaths occurred. Early extubation after ASD II repair is safe and, given the results of this study, may offer certain advantages over prolonged intubation and ventilation in these children."}
{"id": "PMID:1464131", "title": "Measuring recovery from general anaesthesia using critical flicker frequency: a comparison of two methods.", "content": "Critical flicker frequency (CFF) is the frequency at which a flickering light appears steady. It is a sensitive measure for assessing recovery from anaesthesia. The CFF is almost always determined with the method of limits by which the flickering frequency is progressively decreased (or increased) until the patient reports a change from fusion to flicker (or flicker to fusion). This method has two disadvantages: it is influenced by the response bias (i.e., the subjective criterion used by the subject to decide that flicker is present or absent) and by the response delay (i.e., the interval between the perceptual change and the response). To avoid these problems, the method of forced choice is recommended. For each trial, the subject observes the light during two short successive periods. The light flickers during only one period, according to chance. The patient must indicate the period during which flickers occur. If uncertain, the patient has to make a guess. The aim of this study was to compare the two methods for assessing recovery from general anaesthesia. Two induction agents were used to obtain different recovery profiles. Twenty patients undergoing uncomplicated surgery lasting less than two hours were tested. They received either thiopentone or midazolam for induction, according to a randomized design. Vecuronium was used to facilitate tracheal intubation and anaesthesia was maintained with fentanyl, isoflurane and nitrous oxide. The CFF was measured before induction and at 60, 120 and 180 minutes after arrival in the recovery room. The person measuring CFF was unaware of the induction agent used.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1464132", "title": "Preadmission anaesthesia consultation clinic.", "content": "Many surgical procedures are delayed or cancelled due to inadequate preoperative assessment and preparation. We describe the case referral pattern and efficiency of our preadmission anaesthesia consultation clinic, which was designed to minimize this problem. Data were collected prospectively on the first 400 patients referred to the clinic. Sixty per cent of referrals were related to the cardiovascular system, in particular coronary artery disease (27%). Eighty-one per cent of referrals were considered appropriate. With ideal functioning of the clinic, delays and cancellations could potentially be reduced to 0.75% and 1.5% of cases respectively. The clinic was well accepted and appreciated by patients. We conclude that this represents a potential important reduction in hospital costs and improvement in operating room efficiency."}
{"id": "PMID:1464133", "title": "MAO inhibitors and coronary artery surgery: a patient death.", "content": "The mechanisms of action of monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) suggest that patients taking them may respond with hyper- or hypotension when undergoing coronary artery surgery. We describe a case where MAOIs were present and fentanyl and midazolam were the anaesthetic agents used. The anaesthesia and surgery were performed without incident. Postoperative ICU care was complicated by hypertension, hyperthermia, and severe shivering followed by hypotension resistant to therapy and finally death. Diagnoses of pulmonary embolism and sepsis were unproven and may have played a role. The MAOIs may also have played a role. Reactions in patients while taking both meperidine and MAOIs are unusual and animals react differently from humans to a combination of MAOIs and narcotics. There are only five reported cases where fentanyl was given to patients on MAOIs. We conclude that, until there is more information, MAOIs should be discontinued, if possible, before surgery in which catecholamines may be needed."}
{"id": "PMID:1464134", "title": "Wenckebach type heart block following spinal anaesthesia for caesarean section.", "content": "A case is described of complete heart block during spinal anaesthesia for Caesarean section in a fit 23 yr-old-woman. This developed shortly after the institution of the block, with the height of the block below T5 and in the absence of hypotension. The patient was resuscitated successfully with vagolytic and alpha-agonist drugs. A Wenckebach block persisted for a short period postoperatively. The importance of instituting monitoring before the beginning of anaesthesia and the immediate availability of atropine and alpha-agonists before the initiation of spinal anaesthesia is stressed."}
{"id": "PMID:1464136", "title": "Allopurinol administered prior to hepatic ischaemia in the rat prevents chemiluminescence following restoration of circulation.", "content": "Oxygen-derived free radicals produced during reperfusion may be responsible for the disturbed pathology which follows prolonged ischaemia. Measurement of hepatic chemiluminescence (low level light emission resulting from the energy released during chemical reactions of free radicals) allowed determination of whether allopurinol could prevent formation of oxygen-derived free radicals during reperfusion of the ischaemic liver. While control animals demonstrated a burst of light emission shortly after reperfusion, the rats pretreated with allupurinol showed no evidence of chemiluminescence during either ischaemia or reperfusion. It is concluded that allopurinol may modify reperfusion-induced free radical formation and possibly ameliorate the organ damage which can follow ischaemia."}
{"id": "PMID:1464137", "title": "[Respiratory effects of moderate hypothermia (36 degrees C-28 degrees C) in dogs under halothane anesthesia].", "content": "Changes in systemic haemodynamic variables (mean arterial pressure, MAP; heart rate, HR; cardiac output, Qc), in oxygen consumption, VO2, and in ventilation (minute ventilation, V; respiratory frequency, f; tidal volume, VT; and arterial blood gases) with particular attention to respiratory times (duration of inspiration, TI; duration of expiration, TE; duration of the breathing cycle, TTOT), to respiratory timing (TI/TTOT) and respiratory drive (VT/TI) were studied during moderate progressive hypothermia (36 degrees C to 28 degrees C) during stable halothane anaesthesia (MAC = 1.5) in six dogs. MAP, HR and Qc decreased; V and f decreased, the decrease in f being correlated with that in temperature (r = 0.66; P < 0.01). Tidal volume did not change. The PaO2 and pHa decreased while PaCO2 increased slightly. The decrease in ventilation was related to changes in respiratory times (TI and TE) which increased (TE more than TI) and in respiratory drive (VT/TI which decreased due to the increase in TI). The relation between VT/TI and TI/TTOT changes was not constant during cooling. Changes in respiratory times and drive could be due to the effect of cold on medullar respiratory control."}
{"id": "PMID:1464135", "title": "Emergency management of the airway outside the operating room.", "content": "Successful emergency airway intervention incorporates the anaesthetist's basic skills in airway management with the knowledge of the special nature of the clinical problems that arise outside the operating room. While a thorough but rapid evaluation of the key anatomical and physiological factors of an individual patient may result in an obvious choice for optimal management, clinical problems often arise in which there is not an evident \"best approach.\" In these less clear-cut situations, the anaesthetist may do well to employ those techniques with which she/he has the greatest skills and experience. At times, however, some degree of creative improvisation is required to care for an especially difficult problem."}
{"id": "PMID:1464138", "title": "Perioperative blood and blood component therapy.", "content": "This overview examines blood, blood components, their indications and contra-indications, from an anaesthetist's viewpoint. The dangers of any blood transfusion, including infection transmission and immune suppression, as well as the risks of massive and rapid transfusions, are discussed. Autologous predonation, intraoperative haemodilution and salvage are described to help prevent some of the risks of homologous blood transfusion. Preoperatively an acceptable individualised haemoglobin concentration should be calculated for each patient and a history for potential bleeding problems taken. In most patients perioperative anaemia does not adversely influence patient morbidity and mortality. However, if blood is required, 4 ml.kg-1 body weight of packed red blood cells will raise the patient's haemoglobin concentration by 1 g.dl-1. The bleeding time as a test of platelet function does not predict perioperative blood loss. However, it remains a useful test in patients with a known bleeding problem or in operations where even small amounts of bleeding increase the surgical difficulty and patient morbidity. If bleeding is due to thrombocytopaenia it is usually slow enough to allow time to check platelet number and function before ordering and transfusing them. Fresh plasma is a much overused product which should mainly be used for coagulation factor replacement, in adequate volumes (4-8 packs in dilutional coagulopathy). The well-informed anaesthetist should be better able to use blood products which, while they may be life saving, are neither innocuous nor inexpensive."}
{"id": "PMID:1464143", "title": "New possibilities for population control of cystic fibrosis.", "content": "Cystic fibrosis (CF), which is caused exclusively by mutation of a single gene, is inherited in autosomal recessive fashion and is the commonest such disorder in populations of Caucasian origin. Although much progress has been made during the last 50 years in its clinical management, with a corresponding improvement in the mean life expectancy in developed countries from a few months to a few decades, it remains incurable and a complete understanding of its biochemical basis is still being sought. Consequently, attention has been given to the possibility of screening for carriers of the defective gene, who represent up to 5% in some populations, so that they may be given appropriate genetic counselling. Whereas previously carriers were identified only when they became parents of affected children, in recent years carriers who were more distantly related to CF patients have often been identified by means of genetic linkage techniques. A new strategy for the control of CF at the population level is now proposed. It is based on the report of a joint WHO/ICF(M)A (International Cystic Fibrosis (Mucoviscidosis) Association) Task Force on CF which met in November 1990."}
{"id": "PMID:1464144", "title": "Community-based evaluation survey of immunizations in Burkina Faso.", "content": "A cluster sample survey was conducted in January 1989 in 3 provinces of Burkina Faso to evaluate an immunization programme (based on two contacts, providing inactivated poliomyelitis vaccine plus DPT) that had been launched in 1982-84. The objectives were to estimate neonatal tetanus (NNT) mortality and poliomyelitis prevalence in the study area. The target population (using the same sample of households comprised 2107 live infants born during the preceding year for the NNT survey, and 17,154 children aged 0-9 years for the poliomyelitis survey. The NNT mortality rate was 3.3 per 1000 live births, and the poliomyelitis prevalence rate was 2.8 per 1000 children aged 5-9 years. Dates of onset of poliomyelitis cases among children aged 0-9 years and the numbers of children at risk during the 10-year recall period, reconstituted with demographic indicators taken from standardized life-tables, were used to calculate the incidence rates of poliomyelitis. These rates could be compared in the 5-year period preceding the survey, and showed a decreasing trend consistent with routine surveillance data."}
{"id": "PMID:1464145", "title": "A large waterborne viral hepatitis E epidemic in Kanpur, India.", "content": "In 1991 the largest epidemic of viral hepatitis E yet reported occurred in Kanpur (population, 2.1 million), India. The incidence of icteric hepatitis from December 1990 to April 1991 among the inhabitants of 420 randomly sampled houses in seven of the city's 50 wards was 3.76% (138 out of 3666 individuals), i.e., an estimated 79,091 persons in the city as a whole were affected. The attack rate was higher for males than females (5.3% versus 3.3%; P = 0.013) and for adults than children aged < 10 years (4.26% versus 1.29%; P = 0.0006). The incidence of hepatitis was higher in those city wards that were supplied with drinking-water consisting of a mixture of river Ganges and tubewell water than in those wards supplied only with tubewell water (5.6% versus 1.2%; P = 10(-6)). In the mixed-water areas, the incidence decreased as the drinking-water source changed from only tap to both tap and handpump, to only handpump (7.8%, 6.8%, and 4.3% respectively; P = 0.023). None of the sera collected from 41 hepatitis patients during the epidemic showed evidence of hepatitis virus A or B. There were two peaks in the epidemic (in February and April 1991). The first peak was probably caused by faecal contamination of river water, indicated by water analysis data, and the second, by inadequate chlorination of water in a reservoir. There was no evidence of secondary intrafamilial spread."}
{"id": "PMID:1464146", "title": "WHO international quality assessment scheme for HIV antibody testing: results from the second distribution of sera.", "content": "The WHO international quality assessment scheme for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) antibody testing has been established to monitor the quality of laboratory performance in testing for antibodies to HIV. Following a small trial distribution of specimens early in 1989, the second distribution was made in February 1990. A total of 20 specimens of sera, 10 of which contained antibodies to HIV-1, were sent to 103 laboratories located in the six WHO Regions. Participants were asked to test the specimens using their routine methods and to report to WHO their findings on each specimen for each diagnostic assay used and their interpretation of the HIV antibody status of each specimen. For the antibody-positive specimens, 98.2% of the results were interpreted as positive and 1.8% as indeterminate; no false-negative interpretations were reported. For the antibody-negative specimens, 90.3% of the results were interpreted as negative, 1.3% as positive, and 8.4% as indeterminate. Most of the indeterminate reports were associated with one particular specimen. A wide variety of diagnostic assays and combinations of assays were used. In terms of the technical results obtained rather than their interpretation, the assays appeared extremely reliable for the positive specimens, with 99.5% of assay results being recorded as positive, 0.17% as negative, and 0.34% as indeterminate.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1464147", "title": "Exposure and health assessment during application of lambda-cyhalothrin for malaria vector control in Pakistan.", "content": "Icon 10 WP insecticide, a wettable powder formulation containing 10% lambda-cyhalothrin, was evaluated for possible adverse effects on the health of spraymen and villagers during treatment of dwellings for malaria vector control. Skin sensory effects and occasional coughing and sneezing in confined spaces were the only symptoms noted by the workers resulting from the handling and spraying of the insecticide. Absorption of lambda-cyhalothrin was estimated by determining its metabolites in urine and serum. The average amount of lambda-cyhalothrin absorbed by the workers per day (54 micrograms) represents less than 0.0001% (< 1 micrograms.kg-1.day-1) of the average daily amount of the substance handled. Only a small proportion of villagers showed detectable levels of lambda-cyhalothrin metabolites in their urine. Absorption of lambda-cyhalothrin from the formulation tested was therefore very low and, apart from the nuisance of skin sensory effects, there should be no risk to the health of workers or to the villagers whose dwellings are treated."}
{"id": "PMID:1464148", "title": "[Stability of P. Falciparum resistance to chloroquine between 1987 and 1989 in Mounana, Gabon].", "content": "Between 1987 and 1989 the trend in the chloroquine resistance of Plasmodium falciparum in the mining town of Mounana in south-eastern Gabon was studied in vivo and in vitro in 58 and 158 subjects, respectively, aged from 1 to 15 years. The tests used were a simplified variant of the standard WHO 7-day test for the in vivo study and the isotopic semi-microtest of chemosensitivity for the in vitro study. The health situation in 1989 showed no change from the 1987 situation, but an increase in febrile symptoms suggestive of malaria was observed in 1989. This observation may be linked to a decrease in the distribution of chloroquine since 1987, accompanied by the use of other antimalarials following the appearance of chloroquine-resistant strains. While the parasitological efficacy in vivo remained the same in 1989, there was a decrease in the proportion of strains resistant to chloroquine in vitro compared to 1987; likewise, the therapeutic efficacy as estimated from temperature readings was better in 1989 than in 1987: the modification of the prophylactic strategy since 1986 and the drop in chloroquine consumption since 1987 could be responsible for a stabilization of chloroquine resistance at Mounana. The authors consider it appropriate in this region to continue treating malaria in children with chloroquine (in a dosage of 25 mg/kg) and to use a second-line treatment in the event of the recurrence of malaria symptoms within the next two weeks."}
{"id": "PMID:1464149", "title": "Surveillance of Trypanosoma cruzi transmission by serological screening of schoolchildren.", "content": "The seroprevalence of Trypanosoma cruzi infection among children is a sensitive indicator for assessing the effectiveness of programmes for control of Chagas disease. In this study we report the result of a cross-sectional serological survey carried out among schoolchildren living in a poor rural area in central Brazil. Eluates of blood collected on filter-paper were tested for anti-T. cruzi antibodies using immunofluorescence, haemagglutination, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. The overall seroprevalence of T. cruzi infection was 7.9%, which compared with the findings of the national survey carried out in 1975-80 indicates that a twofold-to-threefold reduction in prevalence has occurred over the last 10 years. This is consistent with a reduction of transmission in the area, probably related to vector control efforts. Based on our results, the incidence of new cases was estimated to be 44 per annum in the study region. In rural areas with a scattered population, surveillance of T. cruzi transmission by serological screening of children at school entry is more practical and economical than entomological evaluation for assessing both the risk of transmission in the community and the efficacy of vector control measures. A sample size of around 1000 schoolchildren is sufficient to detect prevalences as low as 2%, and such an approach would be practical and applicable to most areas where Chagas disease is endemic."}
{"id": "PMID:1464150", "title": "Characterization by isoenzyme electrophoresis of Trypanozoon stocks from sleeping sickness endemic areas of south-east Uganda.", "content": "An epidemic of sleeping sickness, which started in 1976 in a focus within the county of Luuka in Central Busoga, has spread to cover the three districts of Busoga and large parts of the neighbouring districts of Tororo and Mukono. Forty-three isolates of the subgenus Trypanozoon from Busoga and Tororo (27 from man, 9 from cows, 2 from pigs and 5 from tsetse flies) were compared by thin-layer starch-gel electrophoresis for seven enzymes. Thirty zymodemes were identified; 17 of them were found circulating in the human population. The zymodemes seen previously in Busoga were still circulating together with several new ones. Of the 16 isolates from cattle, pigs and tsetse flies, only two had the same profile, indicating a high degree of diversity. Two zymodemes from cows and a pig were identical to those found in man, implicating domestic stock in the transmission of human disease in south-east Uganda. A computer analysis of the results produced six main zymodeme groups. One comprised only isolates from man; two were composed of isolates from man, domestic animals and tsetse; and three consisted of stocks from domestic animals only. These groups quite probably indicate the different cycles of transmission involving man, tsetse fly and domestic stock."}
{"id": "PMID:1464151", "title": "Determinants of child nutrition and mortality in north-west Uganda.", "content": "An anthropometric survey of children aged 0-59 months in north-west Uganda in February-March 1987 indicated a high prevalence of stunting but little wasting. Use of unprotected water supplies in the dry season, prolonged breast-feeding, and age negatively affected nutrition; in contrast, parental education level improved nutrition. Mortality during the 12 months following the survey was higher among those who had low weight-for-age and weight-for-height, but children who had low height-for-age did not have higher mortality. Weight-for-age was the most sensitive predictor of mortality at specificities > 88%, while at lower specificity levels weight-for-height was the most sensitive. Children whose fathers' work was associated with the distillation of alcohol had a higher risk of mortality than other children. The lowest mortality was among children whose fathers were businessmen or who grew tobacco."}
{"id": "PMID:1464152", "title": "Practical screening priorities for hearing impairment among children in developing countries.", "content": "Routine screening for hearing impairment in childhood is now widespread in industrial countries, although there is considerable controversy over the most efficient techniques and procedures. In most developing countries, however, routine screening programmes for hearing impairment do not currently exist. The problems involved in implementing screening programmes in developing and industrial countries are very different, and in selecting screening procedures for a particular population the following factors have to be taken into consideration: the environmental test conditions; the availability of resources for equipment and the training of testers; the local attitudes towards disability; the level of hearing impairment that may cause handicaps; and the major types of pathology causing hearing impairment. We suggest that in developing countries children should be screened at school entry using a simple field audiometer and that the external ear be inspected for the presence of a discharge. There is an urgent need to develop reliable and simple screening procedures for infants and young children; where possible, all children should be screened for severe or significant hearing impairment before the age of 2 years. No screening should, however, be implemented until appropriate follow-up services are available."}
{"id": "PMID:1464153", "title": "Nutritional status of Brazilian children: trends from 1975 to 1989.", "content": "The prevalence of malnutrition among under-5-year-olds in Brazil fell by more than 60% between 1975 and 1989. The benefits were smaller for population strata that were more affected by malnutrition in the 1970s, i.e., children from the North and North-east regions and those from poor families in general. Regional and socioeconomic differentials in the prevalence of malnutrition therefore increased between 1975 and 1989. Trends in family income indicate extraordinary economic gains in the 1970s, some losses in the 1980s, and a modest net gain over the period 1975-89. The availability of sanitation, health, and education services, and the provision of preschool supplementary feeding programmes increased markedly in the 1970s and 1980s. Demographic trends were also positive, reducing the demand for services and programmes, increasing the economic efficiency of families, and concentrating the population in urban areas, where incomes, job opportunities, and social and material infrastructures are better. The observed nutritional improvement was therefore probably due to a moderate increase in family income associated with a substantial expansion in the provision of services and programmes, both of which were facilitated by favourable demographic trends. Also, the nutritional improvement was probably concentrated during the 1970s, while little, if any, occurred after 1980; prospects for the 1990s point to a stagnant situation. This is a reason for great concern particularly in the North and North-east regions of the country, where high rates of child malnutrition are still found."}
{"id": "PMID:1464154", "title": "A review of the stability and compatibility of antineoplastic drugs for multiple-drug infusions.", "content": "It is important that the stability of reconstituted parenteral antineoplastic agents be established, particularly in the context of ambulatory infusion systems for delivery. The stability of selected agents within each of the five classes of compounds (antimetabolites, alkylating agents, antibiotics, alkaloids and glycosides, and metals) is reviewed from the literature together with additional data from studies carried out using high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) technology in clinically applicable volumes and concentrations for ambulatory infusion. The stability of reconstituted drugs varies from a few minutes (mecloethamine) to many months (FU). Compatibility data on two- and three-drug admixtures of cytotoxic agents are reported for a number of common multidrug regimens. Tabular presentation of the drug-drug compatibilities and incompatibilities is included along with a discussion of the mechanisms for drug-drug interaction. The use of a broad spectrum of compatible cytotoxic drugs is possible, including fluoropyrimidine-, anthracycline-, and platinum-based combinations, providing the capability of carrying out multidrug infusions for 4-7 days in an ambulatory delivery system."}
{"id": "PMID:1464155", "title": "Inhibition of fludarabine metabolism by arabinosylcytosine during therapy.", "content": "The active 5'-triphosphate of arabinosyl-2-fluoroadenine (F-ara-ATP) increases the anabolism of arabinosylcytosine (ara-C), whereas ara-C 5'-triphosphate inhibits the phosphorylation of arabinosyl-2-fluoroadenine (F-ara-A) in human leukemia cells in vitro. These interactions have a potential impact on drug scheduling. Clinical trials of relapsed leukemia in which fludarabine (F-ara-A 5'-monophosphate) and ara-C were given in sequence provided the opportunity to evaluate the effects of ara-C infusion on two sequelae: the pharmacokinetics of F-ara-A in plasma and that of F-ara-ATP in leukemia cells. First, F-ara-A pharmacokinetics were altered by ara-C infusion. This was visualized as a transient increase in F-ara-A plasma levels during the ara-C infusion that was given 4 h after fludarabine. The perturbation in F-ara-A plasma levels was dependent on the dose ara-C. Second, peak F-ara-ATP concentrations were lower in leukemia cells of patients who received ara-C in addition to fludarabine as compared with those who received fludarabine alone. The terminal half-life of F-ara-A in plasma and the half-life of intracellular F-ara-ATP were reduced after the ara-C infusion in a concentration-dependent manner. Studies using purified deoxycytidine kinase support the conclusion that the increase in plasma levels of F-ara-A is in part the result of an effective competition by ara-C for phosphorylation by this enzyme, leading to a perturbation of the pharmacokinetics of intracellular F-ara-ATP."}
{"id": "PMID:1464156", "title": "Prevention of doxorubicin-induced myocardial and haematological toxicities in rats by the iron chelator desferrioxamine.", "content": "Biochemical and histopathological evaluations of the protective effects of the iron-chelator desferrioxamine against the cardiac and haematological toxicities of doxorubicin in normal rats were carried out. A single dose of doxorubicin (15 mg/kg, i.v.) caused myocardial damage that manifested biochemically as an elevation of serum cardiac enzyme [glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT), lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) and creatine phosphokinase (CPK)] and cardiac isoenzyme levels and histopathologically as a swelling and separation of cardiac muscle fibers. Doxorubicin caused severe leucopenia and decreases in red blood cell counts and haemoglobin concentrations at 72 h after its administration. Desferrioxamine treatment (250 mg/kg, i.p.) carried out 30 min before doxorubicin administration protected the heart and blood elements from the toxic effects of doxorubicin as indicated by the recovery of levels of cardiac enzymes and isoenzymes and of red blood cell counts to normal values and by the absence of significant myocardial lesions. The findings of this study suggest that desferrioxamine can potentially be used clinically to prevent doxorubicin-induced cardiac and haematological toxicities."}
{"id": "PMID:1464157", "title": "Identification of metabolites of the antitumor agent d-limonene capable of inhibiting protein isoprenylation and cell growth.", "content": "Limonene has been shown to be an effective, nontoxic chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic agent in chemically induced rat mammary-cancer models. The present study characterized circulating metabolites of limonene in female rats and determined their effects on cell growth. Metabolism of limonene was analyzed in plasma extracts by gas chromatography. Rapid conversion of limonene to two major metabolites was detected. These metabolites comprised more than 80% of the circulating limonene-derived material at 1 h after administration and thereafter, whereas limonene itself accounted for only 15%. The metabolites were characterized by mass spectroscopy and infrared spectroscopy. The probable structures were synthesized, and identities were confirmed by comparison of retention times and mass spectra. The two major circulating metabolites of limonene were found to be perillic acid and dihydroperillic acid. We have previously reported that limonene, perillic acid, and dihydroperillic acid inhibit the posttranslational isoprenylation of p21ras and other 21- to 26-kDa cell-growth-associated proteins in NIH3T3 cells and in mammary epithelial cells. In the present study, perillic acid was found to inhibit cell growth in a dose-dependent manner. Thus, perillic acid and dihydroperillic acid, the two major circulating metabolites of limonene in the rat, are more potent inhibitors of protein isoprenylation than is limonene, and perillic acid is also a more potent inhibitor of cell growth. These data raise the possibility that the antitumor effects of limonene in vivo may be mediated via perillic acid and, perhaps, other metabolites."}
{"id": "PMID:1464158", "title": "Continuous-infusion fluorodeoxyuridine with leucovorin and high-dose interferon: a phase II study in metastatic renal-cell cancer.", "content": "A total of 25 patients with metastatic renal cancer were treated on a phase II protocol with 5 days of continuous-infusion fluorodeoxyuridine (FUDR), (0.1 mg/kg daily) together with high-dose oral leucovorin (100 mg 4 h) and daily x6 high-dose interferon-alpha 2b (30 x 10(6) IU/m2). Despite the good performance status of the patients and the inclusion of 14 previously untreated patients in the cohort, no response was observed among the 20 evaluable patients. Toxicities included high fever, moderate anemia, transient leukopenia, transient and mild elevations of transaminases, and moderate to severe nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and mucositis. There were also two episodes each of confusion, fluid retention, and pancreatitis and one episode of increased creatinine levels. During the study three deaths occurred, two of which were possibly therapy-related. Despite previous reports of activity of FUDR in metastatic renal cancer, the present regimen cannot be recommended."}
{"id": "PMID:1464159", "title": "Red blood cell methotrexate and folate levels in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia undergoing therapy: a Pediatric Oncology Group pilot study.", "content": "We enrolled children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in a Pediatric Oncology Group (POG) pilot study to monitor erythrocyte (RBC) methotrexate (MTX) and folate (F) levels before and during treatment. The mean value for RBCF at diagnosis was 0.86 +/- 0.46 nmol/ml RBC in the 214 patients who achieved remission and 1.21 +/- 0.74 nmol/ml RBC in the 10 patients who did not (P = 0.020). Folate levels tended to increase during remission induction, but they dropped following an intensive consolidation with methotrexate to levels that were sustained throughout chemotherapy treatment. Methotrexate levels reached mean values of approximately 0.15 nmol/ml RBC at the end of an intensive methotrexate consolidation, then fell to levels that were sustained throughout maintenance therapy. There was a weak correlation between improved event-free survival and higher RBCMTX levels after consolidation, but no correlation was found between improved survival and the level of RBCMTX or RBCF during maintenance therapy. A larger study with more complete data is needed to determine whether RBCMTX or RBCF might be useful in predicting event-free survival in patients with ALL."}
{"id": "PMID:1464160", "title": "Inhibition of growth factor binding, Ca2+ signaling and cell growth by polysulfonated azo dyes related to the antitumor agent suramin.", "content": "The ability of the polysulfonated antitumor drug suramin and six related polysulfonated azo dyes to inhibit the cell growth, platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-receptor binding, and intracellular Ca2+ signaling of Swiss 3T3 fibroblasts was studied. Some of the azo dyes were more potent inhibitors of PDGF binding than was suramin. The concentration giving 50% inhibition (IC50) of PDGF binding was 0.5 microM for the most potent azo dye as compared with 10 microM for suramin. The azo dyes were generally more potent inhibitors of nonmitochondrial Ca2+ uptake and of inositol(1,4,5)trisphosphate-mediated Ca2+ release in permeabilized Swiss 3T3 cells than was suramin, and they were more potent inhibitors of PDGF-induced Ca2+ signaling in intact Swiss 3T3 cells. The azo dyes were only as effective as or less effective than suramin in inhibiting the growth of Swiss 3T3 cells, with IC50 values of between 74 and 361 microM being noted for the dyes as compared with 70 microM for suramin. The difference between the growth-inhibitory activity of the azo dyes and that of suramin could not be explained by metabolism of the compounds, which was not detectable in either Swiss 3T3 cells or human liver slice preparations. The results suggest that suramin and some of the azo dyes have actions on cell growth in addition to inhibition of growth factor binding and of Ca2+ signaling."}
{"id": "PMID:1464161", "title": "Evaluation of 9-dimethylaminomethyl-10-hydroxycamptothecin against xenografts derived from adult and childhood solid tumors.", "content": "The topoisomerase I inhibitor 9-dimethylaminomethyl-10-hydroxycamptothecin (topotecan) was evaluated against a panel of xenografts comprising four lines of adult colon adenocarcinoma, three colon tumors derived from adolescents, six childhood rhabdomyosarcomas from previously untreated patients as well as sublines selected in vivo for resistance to vincristine and melphalan, and three lines of childhood osteogenic sarcoma. Efficacy was determined at maximal tolerated dose levels using intermittent i.p. administration [every 4 days for 4 doses (q4dx4)] or daily p.o. or i.p. administration 5 days per week for up to 20 courses. On a q4dx4 schedule, the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) was 12.5 mg/kg per administration, which caused marked weight loss and lethality in approximately 5% of the tumor-bearing mice. This schedule caused significant growth inhibition (but no tumor regression) in advanced adult colon adenocarcinomas. The minimal treated/control (T/C) ratios were 0.49, 0.54, and 0.3 for three of the tumor lines and were achieved at 18-21 days after the initiation of treatment. In contrast, rhabdomyosarcomas were considerably more sensitive, with T/C ratios being < 0.1 for three lines, whereas topotecan was less active against two other rhabdomyosarcoma xenografts (minimal T/C ratios, 0.17 and 0.14). As inhibitors of topoisomerase I have been demonstrated to have activity in the replication phase of the cell cycle (S-phase-specific), prolonged administration schedules were examined. Mice received topotecan 5 days per week for 3 weeks either by i.p. injection or by oral gavage (p.o.). In selected experiments, p.o. administration was continued for up to 20 weeks. Oral administration for 3 weeks (2 mg/kg per dose) resulted in complete regression of all six lines of rhabdomyosarcoma, with two lines demonstrating no regrowth during the period of observation (> or = 84 days). Similar results were obtained after i.p. administration, suggesting significant schedule dependency for these tumors. For colon tumors, the daily administration schedule (i.p. or p.o.) demonstrated some advantage over the intermittent schedule, resulting in partial regressions and significant inhibition of the growth of several colon adenocarcinoma lines. In rhabdomyosarcoma Rh12 and VRC5 colon adenocarcinoma, both of which demonstrated intermediate sensitivity to topotecan, and in osteosarcoma OS33, protracted p.o. administration for 13-20 weeks (1.0-1.5 mg/kg per dose given daily x 5 days) caused complete regression without regrowth in Rh12 and OS33 tumors and partial regression of all VRC5 tumors. No toxicity was observed using this schedule of administration. Topotecan demonstrated significant activity against all three osteosarcoma xenografts examined, with optimal schedules causing complete regression in two lines.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1464163", "title": "Choice of starting dose and escalation for phase I studies of antitumor agents.", "content": "The standard approaches to initial dose selection and dose escalation in phase I trials may be inappropriately conservative. These approaches mandate accrual of large numbers of patients, most of whom are treated at low and potentially ineffective doses. We compared the clinically determined maximum tolerable dose (MTD) with the starting dose of 45 drugs that had undergone phase I studies during the period 1977-1989. We also examined the number of dose-escalation steps required to achieve the MTD in relation to nonhematologic and hematologic dose-limiting toxicity. The median ratio of MTD to starting dose for all drugs was 20 (range, < 1-433) and the median number of dose levels studied to reach the MTD was 8 (range, 0-23). For drugs with nonhematologic dose-limiting toxicity, the median ratio of MTD to starting dose was 30 (range, 3-385) as compared with 12.8 (range, < 1-433) for those with hematologic dose-limiting toxicity (P = 0.023). The median number of dose-escalation steps required to reach the MTD was 9 (range, 2-18) for drugs with nonhematologic dose-limiting toxicity as compared with 5.5 (range, 0-23) for those with hematologic dose-limiting toxicity (P = 0.038). We also examined the response rate for 1,110 patients treated with 21 phase-I-study drugs for which response information was available. Responses were reported for 29 patients (2.6%). Among the 476 patients treated at the 3 highest dose steps, 17 responded (3.6%), which is double the response rate obtained at the lower doses (P = 0.08). It is suggested that although the usual methods for choosing starting doses and dose-escalation schemes for phase I studies are safe, they are overly conservative and delay opportunities for therapeutic benefit in phase I and subsequent phase II trials."}
{"id": "PMID:1464162", "title": "In vivo depletion of O6-alkylguanine-DNA-alkyltransferase in lymphocytes and melanoma of patients treated with CB 10-277, a new DTIC analogue.", "content": "There is increasing evidence to suggest that alkylation of guanine residues in DNA at the O6 position is the critical cytotoxic event following treatment with dacarbazine (DTIC) and related drugs and that endogenous O6-alkylguanine-DNA alkyltransferase (ATase) gene expression may be a major factor in resistance to such agents. 1-p-Carboxyl-3,3-dimethylphenyltriazene (CB10-277) was recently selected for clinical evaluation as a DTIC analogue with improved solubility, stability and (possibly) metabolic activation. Serial ATase levels were measured in peripheral blood lymphocytes of nine patients and in biopsied melanoma samples of two patients undergoing treatment with 24-h continuous infusion of CB10-277 (12 g/m2). Wide individual variations in pre-treatment levels as well as in the post-treatment depletion of lymphocyte ATase were seen. Progressive depletion of lymphocyte ATase was seen during continuous infusion of CB10-277 in all patients. Complete suppression of lymphocyte ATase activity occurred in two patients whose pre-treatment ATase levels were low. Immediately following completion of the CB10-277 infusion, the median ATase activity was 17% of pre-treatment levels (range, 0-67%). At 24 h after the end of the infusion, no recovery of lymphocyte ATase activity was observed in six patients, but significant recovery to 50%, 100% and 102% of pre-treatment activity occurred in the other three. In three patients who returned for subsequent cycles of chemotherapy at 4 weeks after the first dose, pre-treatment ATase levels showed a 3- to 4-fold increase relative to the original pre-treatment values. A significant correlation was found between the extent of ATase depletion and the initial lymphocyte ATase levels (r = 0.725, P < 0.05). Haematological toxicity developed in two patients and was associated with low pre-treatment ATase activity. Depletion of tumour ATase activity was noted in these patients, with residual activity amounting to 8% and 11% of pre-treatment levels, respectively, in the biopsies melanoma tissues. These results indicate extensive metabolism of CB10-277 to a methylating agent capable of mediating alkylation of DNA and subsequent depletion of lymphocyte and tumour ATase levels and further indicate that the effects on lymphocytes may reflect effects on the target tumour."}
{"id": "PMID:1464164", "title": "Pharmacokinetics and efficacy of rectal versus oral sustained-release morphine in cancer patients.", "content": "Sustained-release morphine (MST) given by the rectal route was compared with oral MST in an open randomised cross-over trial in ten patients with cancer who received stable doses of MST. No significant difference was found in the areas under the curve of the concentration-time profiles (AUC) following oral or rectal administration for parent morphine. The AUCs determined for morphine-6-glucuronide (M6G) and morphine-3-glucuronide (M3G) after oral administration were approximately twice those obtained following rectal administration. The maximal concentration achieved was lower and the time to maximal concentration was longer following rectal administration for morphine, M6G and M3G. The relative mean arrival times following rectal administration were significantly longer for morphine and M3G but not for M6G. These findings suggest slower absorption but less first-pass metabolism of MST after rectal administration. No significant difference was noted between the oral and the rectal route in measurements on visual-analogue scales for pain or side effects. We recommend the rectal route as being suitable for MST administration when the oral route is no longer available. In changing from oral to rectal administration, the same dose and dose interval may be used, but dose adjustment may be needed."}
{"id": "PMID:1464165", "title": "Tc-99m sestamibi myocardial imaging at rest for evaluation of cocaine-induced myocardial ischemia and infarction.", "content": "Many clinical cases of cocaine-induced myocardial infarction have been reported in the literature. Of the reported cases, patients tend to be young (in the third decade of life), chronic abusers with myocardial infarction typically involving the anterior left ventricular wall. This case report demonstrates the usefulness of two-phase (symptomatic and asymptomatic) Tc-99m sestamibi myocardial imaging at rest for definitive diagnosis of cocaine-induced myocardial ischemia and infarction."}
{"id": "PMID:1464166", "title": "Incidence and significance of enterogastric reflux during morphine-augmented cholescintigraphy.", "content": "One hundred fourteen patients with suspected acute cholecystitis underwent morphine-augmented cholescintigraphy. The 115 studies were reviewed first to determine the incidence of enterogastric reflux under these conditions. Overall, enterogastric reflux was observed in 85/115 (74%), occurring only after intravenous morphine sulfate in the majority (59%, 50/85). Noted prior to morphine in 41% (35/85), the degree of enterogastric reflux increased noticeably directly following drug administration in over half of these cases. Surgical diagnoses were established in 73/114 (64%) patients as follows: 56 (77%) acute cholecystitis, 15 (20%) chronic cholecystitis, and 2 (3%) another entity (normal gallbladder and tumor encasement). These pathologically proven cases were examined more closely to address the diagnostic significance of enterogastric reflux during morphine-augmented cholescintigraphy. Enterogastric reflux was demonstrated in the majority of not only those with acute cholecystitis (48/56, 86%), but also those with chronic cholecystitis (12/15, 80%). A frequent but nonspecific finding, enterogastric reflux appears to be a pathophysiologic phenomenon that may be enhanced synergistically, at least to some degree, in patients requiring morphine-augmented cholescintigraphy."}
{"id": "PMID:1464167", "title": "False-negative morphine-augmented cholescintigraphy in a patient with gangrenous cholecystitis.", "content": "Intravenous morphine sulfate is commonly used to shorten study time and has been reported not to lower the specificity of hepatobiliary imaging. Although the false-negative rate is low, caution has to be taken in interpreting morphine-enhanced cholescintigraphy. The report presents a false-negative study in a patient with acute gangrenous cholecystitis."}
{"id": "PMID:1464168", "title": "Morphine-augmented cholescintigraphy with a false-negative result and an apparent ectopic gallbladder.", "content": "Morphine-augmented cholescintigraphy has been shown to be a highly sensitive and specific means of evaluating acute cholecystitis. False-negative results do occur infrequently, however, and such a case is reported. In addition, this case initially demonstrated an apparent ectopic gallbladder, and thus anomalies in location of the gallbladder will be discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1464169", "title": "Scintigraphic assessment of \"effort\" axillary-subclavian vein thrombosis.", "content": "\"Effort\" axillary-subclavian vein thrombosis (Paget-Schroetter syndrome) is an uncommon deep venous thrombosis due to repetitive activity of the upper limb. Clinical suspicion is usually confirmed by contrast venography. This report describes a case where the diagnosis was made by radionuclide venography (Tc-99m DTPA). The examination was carried out in the acute phase and clearly demonstrated the presence and the site of the obstruction as well as the collateral vessels. Despite a complete clinical recovery, obtained by medical therapy, further examinations performed in the follow-up period showed persistence of the thrombotic obstruction and a rich development of collateral vessels. In the authors' opinion, radionuclide venography is worth considering as a first-choice procedure when an axillary-subclavian vein thrombosis is suspected, and contrast venography should be performed only when surgical treatment is indicated."}
{"id": "PMID:1464170", "title": "Tc-99m HMPAO-labeled leukocytes for hematopoietic marrow imaging. Comparison with In-111 chloride.", "content": "The current study was initiated to define whether Tc-99m leukocyte imaging, compared to In-111 chloride imaging, could provide additional information on the hematopoietic activity of the bone marrow in diffuse hematologic disorders. A total of 11 patients with hematologic disorders were studied both with Tc-99m leukocytes and In-111 chloride. One patient with myelofibrosis showed disparate tracer distribution in the bone marrow between the two; Tc-99m leukocyte uptake in the central marrow was highly decreased, whereas In-111 chloride showed expanded marrow. The disparate results of granuloid hypoplasia and erythroid hyperplasia obtained by bone marrow biopsy and aspiration in this patient were thought to give an explanation for the radionuclide findings. The remaining 10 patients showed similar tracer distribution in the marrow, and the observation of hematopoietic cellularity confirmed by bone marrow biopsy and aspiration correlated well with the radionuclide findings. These results demonstrate that Tc-99m leukocytes may be a potential imaging agent for evaluating hematopoietic activity in the bone marrow, in particular granulopoietic activity."}
{"id": "PMID:1464171", "title": "Tc-99m DTPA diffuse pulmonary uptake in patients with coronary artery disease and renal insufficiency.", "content": "Diffuse bilateral lung uptake was observed in 10 patients undergoing Tc-99m DTPA renal scanning, referred for the evaluation of rising serum creatinine levels. All 10 patients demonstrated renal insufficiency (RI) as shown by both decreased bilateral renal tracer concentration and elevated background activity. Nine of the patients were known to have coronary artery disease (CAD) and six of these nine patients were in congestive heart failure (CHF), at or around the time of scanning. However, Tc-99m DTPA lung uptake was not observed in five other patients whose scans demonstrated RI, in whom there was no CAD or other cardiac disease. Diffuse lung uptake of Tc-99m DTPA in patients with RI therefore is highly suggestive of cardiac dysfunction (i.e. CAD and/or CHF)."}
{"id": "PMID:1464172", "title": "Hepatic SPECT imaging in the detection and clinical assessment of hepatocellular disease.", "content": "A total of 95 patients, including 45 people with no evidence of liver disease and 50 documented hepatocellular disease patients, were studied to assess the value of planar and SPECT scintigraphy in the evaluation of hepatocellular disease. The accuracy and concordance between techniques was assessed using two criteria. Criterion 1, heterogeneity of the tracer in liver, yielded a concordance of 64%, whereas with criterion 2, liver and spleen tracer pattern, concordance was 78%. SPECT was significantly more accurate than planar imaging (P < 0.01), using both criteria. The clinical severity of the hepatocellular disease was further assessed in 72 of the patients and correlated with a liver scan severity rating scale. The SPECT technique showed a good correlation (r = 0.89) with the composite clinical severity score; however, no significant relationship with planar imaging was noted. The results of this study suggest that liver SPECT is a reliable technique for the assessment of hepatocellular disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1464173", "title": "Comparison of nomogram- and ultrasound-determined renal depths for calculation of glomerular filtration rates in spinal cord injury patients.", "content": "In an informal survey, poor correlation was found between 24-hour creatinine levels and glomerular filtration rates calculated from nuclear medicine studies in spinal cord injury patients. It was speculated that the discrepancies were because the nomograms used in the calculations did not take into account differences in body fat distribution for this patient group. Twenty-five chronic spinal cord injury patients were prospectively studied to compare glomerular filtration rates (GFR) using the nomograms based on height and weight and those using renal depth determined by ultrasound. It was found that the renal depth determined by nuclear medicine was significantly less than that determined sonographically. The mean difference between the total nuclear medicine-based GFR and total ultrasound-based GFR was 17.576 ml +/- 15.449 ml (P < or = 0.001). It was found that there was a significant difference between calculated GFRs based on renal depths as determined by the different methods. In addition, calculated GFRs based on ultrasound-determined depths corresponded more closely to 24-hour creatine clearance levels and with a smaller degree of error than those using renal depths determined by the nuclear medicine nomograms."}
{"id": "PMID:1464174", "title": "Primary malignant lymphoma of the central nervous system by Ga-67 and TI-201 brain SPECT.", "content": "Two patients with primary lymphoma of the central nervous system underwent both Ga-67 and TI-201 brain SPECT. Ga-67 scans showed remarkable accumulation of radiotracer corresponding to tumors detected by CT and MRI. More avid uptake was noted on the Ga-67 scans than on the TI-201 scans. In one patient, the intense tracer uptake had disappeared in the Ga-67 study performed after irradiation with 50 Gy. We are convinced that Ga-67 SPECT is useful for detecting and following the progress of primary lymphoma of the central nervous system."}
{"id": "PMID:1464175", "title": "Bone scan detection of pelvic metastasis from pleural mesothelioma.", "content": "The authors report a rare case of a symptomatic hematogenous osseous metastasis from a pleural mesothelioma. The lesion was initially detected by bone scintigraphy and was confirmed by MRI and subsequent open biopsy, despite a negative CT scan."}
{"id": "PMID:1464186", "title": "The sudden infant death syndrome: pathologic findings.", "content": "The last decade has witnessed a remarkable evolution in fundamental concepts regarding SIDS. It begins to appear now that the phenomenon is more likely the remote consequence of a subtle, physiologic birth defect than a single catastrophic incident. One can only hope that the next 10 years will continue to shed more light on this gradually resolving mystery."}
{"id": "PMID:1464187", "title": "Epidemiology of the sudden infant death syndrome: maternal, neonatal, and postneonatal risk factors.", "content": "Infants dying of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) constitute the single largest component of postneonatal infant mortality. Many different scientific approaches and hypotheses have been pursued in research studies over the past two decades. The field of epidemiology provides a comprehensive view of risk factors for SIDS with which theories of underlying physiologic defects or other putative causes should conform. Epidemiologic research has a vital role to play in assessing hypotheses derived from other types of studies."}
{"id": "PMID:1464188", "title": "Maturation of breathing.", "content": "In summary, although the basic mechanisms involved in the control of breathing during fetal and neonatal life are similar to those investigated more extensively in adult subjects, there are some aspects that make this control unique at this age. First, sleep seems to have a very profound effect during this period of life, particularly in the fetus, in which breathing is allowed to occur only during REM sleep. Second, in utero breathing activity is present since early gestation and without apparent reason, since it is not responsible for gas exchange. Being the lung of the fetus, the placenta is responsible for gas exchange. The purpose of fetal breathing must therefore be discovered. Third, the discovery of fetal breathing is probably the most exciting contribution made in this area during the last 50 years. To learn why this episodic breathing in utero becomes continuous after birth is the major challenge of the moment. Trying to understand this change at birth may result in the discovery of key mediators that are at the heart of the mechanism controlling breathing in general."}
{"id": "PMID:1464189", "title": "The cardiorespiratory control hypothesis for sudden infant death syndrome.", "content": "One or more abnormalities in cardiorespiratory control is the most compelling explanation for SIDS. Elucidation of the interrelationships between arousal responsiveness and gasping may be crucial to a better understanding of SIDS pathophysiology. The complex interactions need to be examined between arousal, autoresuscitation, and the other components of cardiorespiratory control. Prospective identification trials will be difficult since no cardiorespiratory control parameter yet identified has sufficient sensitivity and specificity, and trials assessing multiple parameters will be costly and cumbersome. Furthermore, prospective identification will be worthwhile only if an effective intervention has been established. To the extent that SIDS deaths still occur during documented monitoring, detailed analyses of the recorded cardiorespiratory events should finally provide us with objective data as to the terminal pathophysiologic events in SIDS victims and their relationship to aberrant cardiorespiratory control."}
{"id": "PMID:1464190", "title": "Neuromuscular control of upper airway patency.", "content": "To understand medical disorders such as obstructive apnea, or pulmonary aspiration, one must understand the many functions performed by the upper airway. These functions include respiration, airway protection at the face, feeding, and regulation of thoracoabdominal pressure. The neuromuscular mechanisms that perform these functions are complex. Many of the upper airway muscles can be classed as either airway constricting or airway dilating. These muscles regulate upper airway functions by regulating the shape of the upper airway."}
{"id": "PMID:1464191", "title": "Apnea of prematurity.", "content": "Apnea is a common, treatable disorder of respiration in premature infants, which usually resolves over time. The definition and classification of apnea are discussed, as well as its epidemiology and natural history. The pathophysiology of apnea is considered in detail, including the chemosensory and reflex input that modulates respiration and the involvement of upper airway control in the etiology of obstructive apnea. Finally, diagnosis and therapy are reviewed, and the relationship of apnea of prematurity to the underlying disorder in sudden infant death syndrome is considered."}
{"id": "PMID:1464192", "title": "Apparent life-threatening events and apnea of infancy.", "content": "This article is a critical review of the literature relating to the incidence, causes, pathophysiology, and therapy of apparent life-threatening events in infants. The clinical characteristics at the time of presentation and follow-up of infants who experience apparent life-threatening events are also summarized."}
{"id": "PMID:1464193", "title": "Siblings of sudden infant death syndrome victims.", "content": "The overall low recurrence rate of SIDS (< 2%) and the lack of concordance in twins are against SIDS being a genetic disorder. The most likely explanations for an increased incidence in siblings are that SIDS constitutes a mixed group of disorders that includes some genetic diseases and some disorders that are known to be recurrent but not genetic, and that some recurrences occur in families in whose lives there is severe deprivation, with many risk factors for SIDS, and in other families whose infant care practices, while not being overtly wrong, increase the risk of SIDS. With improving identification and management of these disorders and risk factors, it is expected that the incidence of SIDS, and, particularly, recurrent incidence in a family, will decrease. The best advice that can be given to families who have had an infant die from SIDS is that for most families the risk of another death from SIDS is very low (< 1%) and that if SIDS does recur, there will not be a prolonged period of suffering for the child. With this information and the recognition by most families that they do not regret having had the child who died, most families are prepared to welcome another pregnancy."}
{"id": "PMID:1464194", "title": "Prenatal substance abuse.", "content": "It has been reported that ISAM have an increased risk of SIDS and abnormalities of cardiorespiratory physiology. Abnormalities of cardiorespiratory control may account for the increased SIDS risk in some ISAM, and home monitoring is often used for ISAM with clinical apneic episodes. However, it is possible that the increased SIDS risk factors concentrated in this population. The increased SIDS risk SIDS risk factors concentrated in this population. The increased SIDS risk demonstrated in ISAM does not necessarily indicate that drug exposure during gestation in itself causes SIDS. Thus home monitoring is not indicated for ISAM who do not have apnea or other clinical evidence of a respiratory control abnormality."}
{"id": "PMID:1464195", "title": "Prospective identification of the risk of SIDS.", "content": "In the general population, there are a number of epidemiologic and physiologic factors that have been identified as increasing the risk for SIDS. To date, optimum combinations of these factors do not sufficiently discriminate the high-risk infant in order to serve as a basis for prospective screening. In the subsequently born sibling, the risk is only slightly increased, and, again, there are no factors that discriminate the infant at risk of death. Among infants who have sustained an ALTE, there are several identifiable causes or physiologic factors associated with high risk for a repeated event. This article has reviewed the association between risk factors and death in each of these three categories of patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1464196", "title": "Multichannel polysomnographic recording for evaluation of infant apnea.", "content": "The preceding discussion has consisted of a review of the technical and clinical aspects of pediatric multichannel recordings, which have become a widely used procedure in the clinical evaluation of infants with various apnea syndromes. It has been shown that multichannel recordings are superior to two-channel pneumocardiograms. Multichannel recordings should therefore be considered in all infants with unexplained episodes of apnea, bradycardia or cyanosis, in order to clarify the type of apnea and to rule out underlying conditions such as gastroesophageal reflux or seizures. The role of multichannel recording in predicting the risk of further apnea and SIDS, however, remains questionable. The clinical introduction of documented monitoring in the home setting with integrated pulse oximetry and a method for monitoring respiratory airflow might help to identify those infants at risk for apnea and SIDS in the future (see article by Weese-Mayer and Silvestri). Nevertheless, multichannel recordings in the hospital have provided a useful tool in the initial evaluation of many infants with infant apnea, and, for SIDS research, they have been useful for evaluating the complex autonomic control mechanisms during sleep and wakefulness."}
{"id": "PMID:1464197", "title": "Documented monitoring: an alarming turn of events.", "content": "Event recording of transthoracic impedance and electrocardiogram (documented monitoring) has recently become available to the clinician. Through its use, investigators have documented a remarkably low incidence of true alarms for apnea and bradycardia among monitored infants and children and an even lower incidence of clinically significant alarms. This technique has allowed clinicians to improve monitor management and to discontinue monitoring sooner. Coupled with recording of hemoglobin saturation and pulse waveform, this technology will serve to enhance our understanding of the pathophysiology of events that accompany apparent life-threatening events and that precede sudden infant death syndrome."}
{"id": "PMID:1464198", "title": "Home monitoring.", "content": "This article addresses the controversies surrounding home monitoring for the treatment of infant apnea and in the prevention of sudden infant death syndrome. A program for the use of monitoring is outlined for the practicing physician, and the benefits and deficiencies of home cardiorespiratory recording are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1464199", "title": "The counseling of SIDS parents.", "content": "The fundamental objectives in the management of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), as well as a brief historical review of SIDs with a description of the socioeconomic variables, are presented. The general patterns of reactions of parents of SIDS victims to the death of their child are discussed as is the role of the physician in counseling. Current problems, especially the relationship of SIDS to child abuse is discussed. A short list of major SIDS resource centers from which information and publications may be obtained is presented."}
{"id": "PMID:1464200", "title": "Computed tomography in blunt abdominal trauma: an analysis of clinical management and radiological findings.", "content": "We have retrospectively assessed the computed tomography (CT) findings in 92 patients suffering severe blunt abdominal trauma. Surgical findings and clinical follow-up were correlated with the CT findings. In nine patients CT was first used after emergency surgery and provided baseline data which was useful for further management. In two patients CT did not demonstrate small hepatic lacerations seen during previous surgery. No deaths were recorded. In 16 patients surgery followed CT within 24 h; there was good correlation between the CT and operative findings in 10 patients. However, CT failed to detect significant solid organ injury in five patients and was misleading (false positive) in another patient. There were two deaths amongst these 16 patients. Sixty-seven haemodynamically stable patients were initially managed non-operatively. Fifteen of these 67 patients had normal CT examinations; only one had subsequent laparotomy (for reasons unconnected with the trauma) where no injury was detected; there were no deaths. Of the 52 patients with an abnormal CT examination, 43 were successfully managed non-operatively. There were three deaths, including one where an injury missed at CT contributed to the demise of the patient. After an initial trial of non-operative management, the remaining six patients went to surgery where there was good concordance with the CT findings except for one missed renal injury. Active non-operative management of blunt abdominal trauma is widely accepted in haemodynamically stable patients and this report shows how CT supports this policy of surgical restraint in such cases. However, on review CT missed 13 injuries in nine patients overall; stricter attention to technique and better equipment may lead to improved results in the future."}
{"id": "PMID:1464201", "title": "Review of the use of MRI in soft tissue lesions.", "content": "The MR images of 34 patients with soft tissue lesions were retrospectively evaluated to assess the accuracy of the technique in distinguishing benign from malignant lesions, and to assess the usefulness of various criteria in making this distinction. The overall sensitivity for the detection of malignancy was 75% with a specificity of 94%. Size of lesion was found to be a good criterion in predicting malignancy, lesion margin and signal intensity were less useful. The tissue type was determined in a few instances where signal characteristics were typical, notably lipomas and neural tumours, but this was not reliable and in most lesions the tissue of origin cannot be determined on MR imaging and biopsy is necessary."}
{"id": "PMID:1464202", "title": "Prevertebral swelling in cervical spine injury: identification of ligament injury with magnetic resonance imaging.", "content": "In a retrospective analysis of 27 consecutive patients with acute cervical spine injury who underwent Magnetic Resonance (MR) Imaging, 14 had prevertebral soft tissue swelling on initial lateral radiographs, of whom 13 had anterior longitudinal ligament disruption on MR. Of the eight patients who had isolated prevertebral swelling in the absence of vertebral body fracture or significant subluxation, seven had anterior longitudinal ligament disruption shown on MR imaging. Of the patients with MR documented ligament injury, three had dynamic flexion-extension radiographs within 2 weeks of injury and all demonstrated cervical instability. As cervical prevertebral swelling following trauma was indicative of ligament injury in nearly half the patients, this finding should prompt clinical and radiographic follow-up to exclude spinal instability."}
{"id": "PMID:1464203", "title": "Fat-suppression magnetic resonance imaging in the preoperative localization of parathyroid adenomas.", "content": "Prospective localization of parathyroid adenomas was attempted in 16 patients with hyperparathyroidism prior to surgery. All patients had magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) using T1-weighted spin-echo (SE) sequences and a fat-suppression sequence, the short-tau inversion recovery (STIR) sequence. Correlation with the results of surgery yielded an overall sensitivity of 71% and a specificity of 94%. Performance was good in patients with previous surgery and with ectopic tumours. We believe that fat-suppression MRI is a valuable technique in the preoperative localization of parathyroid adenomas in patients with hyperparathyroidism."}
{"id": "PMID:1464204", "title": "Tarlov cysts--another cause of sacral insufficiency fractures?", "content": "Two cases of sacral insufficiency fractures occurring in patients with large Tarlov cysts are described. We suggest that Tarlov cysts and other bony defects in the sacrum may predispose to these fractures."}
{"id": "PMID:1464205", "title": "Delayed presentation of oesophageal perforation simulating intrathoracic malignancy.", "content": "We report two patients with silent oesophageal perforation. In neither patient was the diagnosis made preoperatively by the referring physicians and a history of swallowing difficulty was elicited in only one patient. The appearances on computed tomography were very similar in both patients: there was a soft tissue mass in the upper retro-oesophageal region with destruction of the underlying vertebral body."}
{"id": "PMID:1464206", "title": "Post-laparoscopic cholecystectomy bilomas--preliminary experience.", "content": "The incidence of biloma formation after laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) is, in the early experience of many centres, significantly higher than after open cholecystectomy. We describe four cases representative of the possible spectrum of post-LC bile leaks and review the literature regarding the radiologic investigation and management of this complication. We suggest that post-LC bilomas should initially be drained percutaneously. Endoscopic cholangiography (ERC) should then be used to identify the source of the leak, but sphincterotomy and/or stent placement may be best reserved for those whose leaks do not resolve after 10 days of free drainage. Surgery is recommended only for major biliary injury and for leaks that remain unresolved after sphincterotomy and/or stenting. An algorithmic summary of this approach is presented."}
{"id": "PMID:1464207", "title": "Ischaemic colitis: clinical, radiological and pathological correlation in three cases.", "content": "The clinical and plain radiographic findings in three patients presenting with ischaemic colitis are presented. The radiographic signs were atypical in that featureless dilatation of the large bowel was present with no evidence of gas within the bowel wall or 'thumbprinting', and changes were not localized to the left colon. No thrombotic or embolic vascular occlusion was evident on examination of the resected specimens. We attempt to correlate the pathological and radiological findings, and emphasize the importance of considering this diagnosis in elderly patients who have a dilated featureless colon on plain radiographs."}
{"id": "PMID:1464208", "title": "Dose reduction of hyoscine-N-butylbromide for double-contrast barium meal examinations--a prospective randomized study.", "content": "A search of the literature suggests that the conventional 20 mg dose of intravenous hyoscine-N-butylbromide (HBB) for smooth muscle relaxation in double-contrast barium meal (DCBM) studies is largely empirical. This study analysed the merits of three different doses (5 mg, 10 mg, 20 mg) in the performance of routine DCBMs. One hundred and twenty DCBM examinations were prospectively and randomly allocated to receive one of three doses. Three parameters were measured for each examination: gastroduodenal distension, delay in gastric emptying and gastric antrum overlapping with barium-filled duodenal loops. Almost half the examinations using 5 mg produced undesirable duodenal-gastric overlay. Unacceptable early flooding of the duodenal bulb with barium was seen mostly with doses of 5 mg and 10 mg. Overall, the best results were obtained with 20 mg. The continued use of 20 mg HBB in routine DCBMs is recommended."}
{"id": "PMID:1464209", "title": "Observer variability in the sonographic measurement of renal length in childhood.", "content": "The intra- and interobserver variability of the measurement of renal length in an unselected series of children attending for renal tract ultrasound were estimated using a standard technique and test-retest protocol. The standard errors of measurement were calculated and the limits of agreement derived. The results indicate that for normal kidneys there is a 95% probability that a second measurement by one observer will be within 4.6 mm of his first reading. Similarly, a single measurement will be within 7.8 mm of a reading by a second examiner. For abnormal kidneys in this series the intraobserver variability was similar to normal kidneys but interobserver variability was greater. Observer error in the measurement of renal length is equivalent to between 2 and 3 years normal growth for children older than 1 year."}
{"id": "PMID:1464210", "title": "Case report: renal excretion of gastrografin following rectal administration.", "content": "Renal excretion of water soluble iodinated contrast media following oral administration has often been described but no reports describing renal excretion following rectal administration of such contrast have previously been described. We describe a case of renal excretion of diatrizoate methylglucamine (Gastrografin, Schering) following a diagnostic 'gastrografin enema' in a woman with caecal carcinoma."}
{"id": "PMID:1464211", "title": "Case report: lymphoma causing small bowel intussusception in a patient with the acquired immune deficiency syndrome.", "content": "We present the case of a patient with the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) who developed an ileo-ileal intussusception due to lymphoma of the small bowel. The clinical and radiographic findings are described."}
{"id": "PMID:1464212", "title": "Case report: metastatic transitional cell carcinoma presenting in a urinoma.", "content": "We describe a case of transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) metastasising into a urinoma cavity in a patient where the primary tumour arose at the ipsilateral ureterovesical junction. Seeding of transitional cell carcinoma into contiguous structures following surgical intervention has been reported, but to our knowledge, this is the first report of spread into a distant urinoma."}
{"id": "PMID:1464213", "title": "Case report: intra-ureteric metastasis from testicular teratoma.", "content": "The case report of a patient found to have intra-ureteric metastatic teratoma is presented. This has not to our knowledge previously been reported in the literature."}
{"id": "PMID:1464214", "title": "Case report: metallic mercury embolism--deliberate self-injection.", "content": "The first ever report of self-administration of mercury via both arterial and venous routes is presented. The unique feature of this case is the accidental self-injection of mercury into the ulnar artery."}
{"id": "PMID:1464215", "title": "Case report: desmoplastic fibroma of the sternum.", "content": "Desmoplastic fibroma of bone is very rare. This is only the second case reported in the sternum and the first reported with CT findings."}
{"id": "PMID:1464219", "title": "Paroxetine, sertraline, and fluvoxamine: new selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors.", "content": "The pharmacology and pharmacokinetics, adverse effects, drug interactions, efficacy, and dosage and administration of the new selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors paroxetine, sertraline, and fluvoxamine are reviewed. Paroxetine, sertraline, and fluvoxamine all have large volumes of distribution and are highly bound to plasma proteins. In contrast to fluoxetine, these three drugs possess shorter elimination half-lives of approximately one day and are metabolized to clinically inactive compounds. Nausea was the most commonly reported adverse effect for all three agents. Other reported adverse effects are headache, sedation, dry mouth, insomnia, sexual dysfunction, and constipation. Because of their favorable pharmacokinetic profiles, paroxetine, sertraline, and fluvoxaetine are less likely than fluoxamine to interact with other drugs. Paroxetine has been found to be superior to placebo and equivalent to amitriptyline, imipramine, clomipramine, and doxepin in treatment of depression. Sertraline has been found to be superior to placebo and equivalent to amitriptyline in treatment of depression. Fluvoxamine has been found to be superior to placebo and equivalent to imipramine, clomipramine, desipramine, mianserin, and maprotiline in the treatment of depression. Fluvoxamine and sertraline have been shown to be superior to placebo in the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder. Clinical experience has demonstrated all three drugs to be effective in treatment of depression. They may be especially useful in elderly patients, in those who cannot tolerate alternative treatments, and in those who do not respond to adequate trials of other antidepressant therapies."}
{"id": "PMID:1464224", "title": "University of North Carolina Caries Risk Assessment Study: comparisons of high risk prediction, any risk prediction, and any risk etiologic models.", "content": "The purpose of this analysis is to compare three different statistical models for predicting children likely to be at risk of developing dental caries over a 3-yr period. Data are based on 4117 children who participated in the University of North Carolina Caries Risk Assessment Study, a longitudinal study conducted in the Aiken, South Carolina, and Portland, Maine areas. The three models differed with respect to either the types of variables included or the definition of disease outcome. The two \"Prediction\" models included both risk factor variables thought to cause dental caries and indicator variables that are associated with dental caries, but are not thought to be causal for the disease. The \"Etiologic\" model included only etiologic factors as variables. A dichotomous outcome measure--none or any 3-yr increment, was used in the \"Any Risk Etiologic model\" and the \"Any Risk Prediction Model\". Another outcome, based on a gradient measure of disease, was used in the \"High Risk Prediction Model\". The variables that are significant in these models vary across grades and sites, but are more consistent among the Etiologic model than the Predictor models. However, among the three sets of models, the Any Risk Prediction Models have the highest sensitivity and positive predictive values, whereas the High Risk Prediction Models have the highest specificity and negative predictive values. Considerations in determining model preference are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1464225", "title": "Correction of self-assessment of dental conditions.", "content": "A correction matrix for self-assessed data on dental conditions was developed. 100 subjects, who were randomly selected among 2383 respondents to a questionnaire, were clinically examined. The dental conditions, determined clinically and through self-assessment, were recoded to seven dental categories, and the agreement between the two methods of reporting were investigated. For persons with prosthodontic work and/or edentulous persons the self-assessment was valid, whereas people with remaining teeth overreported their dental conditions through self-assessment. The overreporting did not depend on gender, but was dependent on age, which again was related to dental status. The overreporting was most marked for persons having one to two single teeth or several single teeth missing and not replaced."}
{"id": "PMID:1464226", "title": "Comparative effectiveness of visual/tactile and simplified screening examinations in caries risk assessment.", "content": "Central to the development of a model for identifying children at high risk to caries is a clinical evaluation to assess dental status and other conditions potentially useful in caries prediction. Traditionally, this evaluation has been based on a relatively lengthy visual/tactile examination conducted by a dentist. Replacing the dentist examination with a dental auxiliary conducted screening evaluation could lead to reduced time and costs. The 4-yr University of North Carolina Caries Risk Assessment Study involved approximately 5000 schoolchildren initially in Grades 1 and 5 living near Aiken, South Carolina, and Portland, Maine. The effectiveness of caries prediction models using visual/tactile examination data were compared with the same models using simplified screening evaluation data. Results showed sensitivity ranged from 0.57 to 0.61 for the visual/tactile and screening models by site and grade cohort. Specificity for the models ranged from 0.80 to 0.83. None of these differences in sensitivity and specificity between visual/tactile (dentist) and screening (hygienist) models was statistically significant. Findings show that for the prediction of children at high risk to dental caries the clinical evaluation may be conducted with no reduction of precision by using dental hygienist performed screening evaluations rather than dentist conducted visual/tactile examinations. While no cost data were collected, these results imply that costs to future prediction programs could be reduced by using screening evaluations."}
{"id": "PMID:1464227", "title": "Intrinsic motivation in dental care.", "content": "The aim of this work was to develop a method based on the idea of intrinsic motivation for analyzing motivation problems in dental care. A questionnaire dealing with intrinsic motivation was filled in by 207 women and 183 men. Factor analysis of the scale revealed the following dimensions of internal-external motivation: independence, responsibility, vs. non-independence, interest in preserving one's own teeth as long as possible vs. preference for tooth extraction, satisfaction from brushing teeth vs. brushing for others' sake, and critical evaluation of diet vs. improper diet with carbohydrates. The reliability of the questionnaire was good (standardized item alpha .69). The individual's own sense of independence and responsibility and the idea of preserving one's own teeth for as long as possible were found to be more important for the women than for the men. A longer education was also found to be related to preserving one's own teeth as long as possible. The time of the last dental visit was positively related to independence, responsibility and the far-reaching idea of preserving one's own teeth. It can be concluded that aspects of intrinsic motivation can give additional information when trying to understand dental health behavior."}
{"id": "PMID:1464228", "title": "Dental caries and its determinants among recent immigrants from rural Ethiopia.", "content": "Adults (35-45 yr old) and children (5 and 12 yr old) recently arrived in Israel from rural areas in Ethiopia were examined. Caries levels were low: e.g. DMFT = 0.31 among 12-yr-olds, and 1.27 amongst adults. The 5-yr-olds were 86.8% caries-free, while 12-yr-olds were 81.8% and adults 54% caries-free respectively. According to interview data, the diet in Ethiopia had been based on local agricultural products and was almost sugar-free. The mean total count of salivary bacteria, as determined on blood agar, was 3.4 x 10(8); mean count of Streptococcus viridans, on mitis salivarius, was 6.7 x 10(7); and mean count of S. mutans, as determined on mitis salivarius with bacitracin, was 1.7 x 10(7). These levels were all high and were not significantly different from a control group of 20 Israelis. The mean number of lactobacilli, on Rogosa agar, was 2.75 x 10(4), which was significantly higher than among the controls (3.6 x 10(3). Salivary pH levels were generally similar between the Ethiopian group and the controls. Salivary flow was significantly higher for the Ethiopians (1.93 ml/min) than for controls (1.16 ml/min). Low levels of caries in this population can be attributed to an almost sugar-free diet and high salivary flow, but not to the composition of oral microflora."}
{"id": "PMID:1464229", "title": "Dental caries, sugar consumption and restorative dental care in 12-13-year-old children in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.", "content": "A 3-day dietary history was obtained from 363 Riyadh schoolchildren aged 12-13 yr, after which their dentitions were examined for dental caries. About 16-31% of the children were caries-free and the mean DMFT varied between 1.67 and 2.43. However, in those with at least one tooth decayed, missing or filled, the mean DMFT remained constant at about 3, irrespective of age or gender; and most of the carious teeth were unrestored. There was a statistically significant relationship between DFS and the frequency of sugar consumption on the first 2 days of the dietary diary. It is suggested that the management of dental caries in the children must include the control of dietary sugar."}
{"id": "PMID:1464230", "title": "Development of a Dutch version of the Dental Visit Satisfaction Scale.", "content": "A Dutch version of the Dental Visit Satisfaction Scale has been developed. The DVSS consists of 10 items, measuring three aspects of patient satisfaction with the dentist. Item and scale characteristics of the Dutch version and the English version compared rather well. Likewise, the factor structure of the Dutch and the English version of the DVSS was very similar. A suggestion for modification of the DVSS was made."}
{"id": "PMID:1464231", "title": "Comparative study of oral health status between Scottish and Japanese schoolchildren aged 6-11 years.", "content": "This study was carried out to examine and compare the differences in oral health status between Scottish (Fife) and Japanese (Motoyoshi) primary schoolchildren, and also to analyse some factors concerned with the differences found. It was observed that caries experience is higher in Motoyoshi than in Fife, despite Fife schoolchildren having poorer oral cleanliness and consuming snacks more frequently. However, Fife children had more fissure sealants and brushed their teeth more frequently with fluoridated dentifrice than did Motoyoshi children. The sugar content of snacks consumed by Motoyoshi children was higher than that of the Scots. Gingivitis (PMA positive rate) was higher in Fife than in Motoyoshi, and it was also noted that Fife children were less independent than Motoyoshi children in their daily behaviour."}
{"id": "PMID:1464232", "title": "Caries prevalence among adults in communities with optimal and low water fluoride concentrations.", "content": "The aim of this study was to compare the dental health status of adults measured as caries prevalence in two socioeconomically similar communities with optimal and low water fluoride concentrations respectively. Other topical fluoride sources are also taken into consideration. The study is based on clinical and radiological examinations of 30-40-yr-old subjects who for all their lives have been drinking water with a fluoride concentration representative for the community. 260 individuals resident in the optimal fluoride area and 236 from the low fluoride are included in the study. The results show that caries prevalence was lower in the optimal fluoride area. Caries prevalence was higher in women than in men within both groups. The prevalence of primary caries was low but significantly higher in the low fluoride area, principally in the form of proximal caries. Caries prevalence was not influenced by other topical fluoride sources."}
{"id": "PMID:1464233", "title": "Determining optimal levels of fluoride in drinking water for hot, dry climates--a case study in Sri Lanka.", "content": "The prevalence of dental caries and dental fluorosis was examined in 380 14-yr-old children living in four geographic areas of Sri Lanka with water F-levels of 0.09-8.0 ppm. A reduction in caries prevalence by 43% was recorded in children consuming 0.6-0.79 ppm F- compared to those in low fluoride areas (< 0.4 ppm). Among those consuming drinking water containing < 1.0 ppm F-, however, 32% of the children had mild forms and 9% severe forms of dental fluorosis (Dean's index). Although other sources of F- may contribute to this effect, the prevalence and severity of dental fluorosis seen in low fluoride areas was confirmed to be high in rural Sri Lanka. Our data are comparable with recent findings from other tropical countries, e.g. Kenya and Senegal, and reaffirm that WHO guidelines for the upper limit of F- in drinking water may be unsuitable for developing countries with a hot, dry climate. Current knowledge now enables us to recommend 0.8 ppm as an appropriate upper limit for F- in drinking water supplies for these populations."}
{"id": "PMID:1464234", "title": "Dental caries experience and prevalence of children afraid of dental treatment.", "content": "The aim of this study was to examine the clinical outcome with regard to dental caries of high self reported dental anxiety in a group of Scottish secondary schoolchildren. 1103 children participated in the study, mean age 14 yr (sd 0.35 yr), and the prevalence of high dental anxiety was 7.1% (95% CI = 5.6%, 8.6%). When these children were compared with their contemporaries their DMFT and all its components were higher but only the mean MT reached statistical significance after adjusting for gender and social class. Children with a high dental anxiety were 62% more likely to have at least 1 missing tooth due to caries. In addition this group when compared to the rest of the study population, had a significantly lower mean number of teeth fissure sealed and a lower proportion of children with sealants. No similar trend was obvious for children who had a high general fear. The dentally anxious more accurately perceived their treatment need and were more likely to defer, cancel or not turn up for dental appointments."}
{"id": "PMID:1464235", "title": "Clinical correlates of dental anxiety among older adults.", "content": "Most studies of the relationship between dental anxiety and oral health status have used subjective rather than clinical indicators of oral health. In this paper we examine differences between older adults who are and are not dentally anxious using a broad range of clinical measures. The data show that dentally anxious individuals were more likely to be edentulous, and among the dentate, had more missing and fewer filled teeth. As a result, dentally anxious dentate subjects were more likely to need prosthodontic treatment. They were also more likely to need immediate treatment for the relief of pain and infection and periodontal care. There was evidence to suggest differences in patterns of dental treatment between those who were and were not dentally anxious and some evidence consistent with the hypothesis that aging influences the relationship between dental anxiety and oral health status."}
{"id": "PMID:1464236", "title": "Oral self-care behaviours in older dentate adults.", "content": "Defining oral self-care as activities undertaken by individuals to maintain or promote dental health, this paper examines the distribution of oral self-care behaviours in a sample of dentate adults, age 50 and over, living in Ontario, Canada (n = 713). Results are presented separately for two older cohorts, respondents ages 50-64 and those 65 and older, and for females and males. Six oral self-care behaviours were examined: toothbrushing, flossing, use of an interdental device, extra fluoride use, frequency of between meal snacks and ingestion of cariogenic foods. High rates of self-care occurred only for toothbrushing. Age groups differed significantly for use of interdental devices, consumption of cariogenic foods and snacking between meals while gender differences were found for toothbrushing, flossing and consuming sweet foods. The need to target older adults and especially older males for oral hygiene information and instruction in order to counteract possible misleading beliefs learned before the advent of current dental hygiene practices is apparent from these data."}
{"id": "PMID:1464239", "title": "Diastolic heart failure.", "content": "Diastolic heart failure is a distinct clinical entity increasingly seen in older patients and requires special awareness to make the diagnosis. Although no single laboratory test is identified for making a confident diagnosis of diastolic dysfunction as the pathogenetic mechanism for heart failure, a constellation of echocardiographic and radionuclear findings are helpful in most cases. Invasive assessment of LV diastole is laborious, requiring high-fidelity pressures and accurate measures of volumes, and these are rarely needed to diagnose the condition. It appears that prognosis is significantly better for those with normal systolic function, when compared with congestive heart failure caused by impaired systolic pump function. Finally, the therapeutic approaches are substantially different for the two groups. It must be emphasized that even patients with predominant myocardial systolic dysfunction have some combined diastolic dysfunction as well. This latter group is difficult to treat. However, improvement in systolic pump function, when markedly impaired, must take precedence in management strategies."}
{"id": "PMID:1464241", "title": "Glycation products and the pathogenesis of diabetic complications.", "content": "Glucose irreversibly modifies long-lived macromolecules by forming AGEs as a function of glucose concentration and time. AGEs cause qualitative and quantitative changes in extracellular matrix components such as type IV collagen, laminin, and vitronectin. These AGE-induced changes can affect cell adhesion, growth, and matrix accumulation. AGE-modified proteins also alter cell function by interacting with specific receptors on macrophages and endothelial cells, inducing changes that promote matrix overproduction, focal thrombosis, and vasoconstriction. DNA and nuclear proteins also may be targets for AGE damage. The persistence of accumulated AGEs during periods of normal glucose homeostasis may explain the phenomenon of hyperglycemic memory. Pharmacological inhibition of in vivo AGE formation by aminoguanidine prevents or ameliorates diabetic retinopathy, nephropathy, and neuropathy in animal models. These data suggest that aminoguanidine and other AGE inhibitors have a potential therapeutic role in the treatment of diabetic patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1464242", "title": "Diabetic retinopathy. A clinical overview.", "content": "After an introductory summary, this review presents a description of the natural course of diabetic retinopathy, then briefly considers selected pathogenetic and epidemiological concepts, and concludes with a discussion of current treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1464243", "title": "Epidemiology of proliferative diabetic retinopathy.", "content": "This review examines recent epidemiological data about the prevalence and incidence of and risk factors for proliferative diabetic retinopathy. In addition, the relation of proliferative retinopathy to other systemic complications associated with diabetes is reviewed. The data come mostly from the baseline and 4-yr follow-up examinations of a large population-based study, the WESDR, which involved 996 younger-onset insulin-dependent people whose diabetes was diagnosed at < 30 yr of age and 1370 older-onset people whose diabetes was diagnosed at > or = 30 yr of age, and who were taking or not taking insulin. The major finding is that proliferative retinopathy is a prevalent complication (23% in the WESDR younger-onset group, 10% in the WESDR older-onset group that takes insulin, and 3% in the group that does not take insulin). Hyperglycemia, longer duration of diabetes, and more severe retinopathy at baseline were associated with an increased 4-yr risk of developing proliferative retinopathy. However, higher blood pressure at baseline was associated only with the development of proliferative retinopathy in the younger-onset group. The presence of proliferative diabetic retinopathy was associated with an increased 4-yr risk of loss of vision, cardiovascular disease, diabetic nephropathy, and mortality. In the WESDR, a significant number of diabetic people with proliferative retinopathy at risk for vision loss were not under the care of an ophthalmologist or had not undergone panretinal photocoagulation. These data suggest that hyperglycemia and, possibly, high blood pressure are related to proliferative retinopathy. They also suggest that once proliferative diabetic retinopathy is detected, people should have a medical evaluation, because it is a strong indicator for the presence and development of systemic disease. These data also indicate that diabetic patients and their physicians should be aware of the need for routine ophthalmological examinations to detect and treat proliferative retinopathy."}
{"id": "PMID:1464244", "title": "Current hypotheses for the biochemical basis of diabetic retinopathy.", "content": "Diabetic retinopathy is one of the leading causes of vision loss in industrialized countries. Despite recent advances, the biochemical basis for the development of this diabetic complication is uncertain. Although retinal circulation is unique in that it is readily observable noninvasively, retinal tissue is extremely difficult to study in humans because of the problems inherent in obtaining fresh, appropriate biopsy material. Moreover, because of the difficulties in working with animal models of diabetic retinopathy, such as the dog, many investigators have turned to cell-culture models, especially those using primary cultures of retinal capillary endothelial cells and pericytes. Diabetic retinopathy involves both morphological and functional changes in the retinal capillaries. Morphological changes include basement membrane thickening and pericyte disappearance; functional changes include one important early change--increased permeability--which may be attributable to endothelial cell changes and basement membrane leakiness. Investigators have described major biochemical changes in cellular signaling pathways, including myo-inositol, inositol phosphates, and DAG metabolism, as well as decreased Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase and increased PKC activity. These defects may be related to the way endothelial cells and pericytes synthesize and interact with the extracellular matrix. Abnormalities in endothelial cell or pericyte interaction with the basement membrane may in turn lead to functional abnormalities, such as increased permeability."}
{"id": "PMID:1464245", "title": "Complications: neuropathy, pathogenetic considerations.", "content": "The most common form of neuropathy associated with diabetes mellitus is distal symmetric sensorimotor polyneuropathy, often accompanied by autonomic neuropathy. This disorder is characterized by striking atrophy and loss of myelinated and unmyelinated fibers accompanied by Wallerian degeneration, segmental, and paranodal demyelination and blunted nerve fiber regeneration. In both humans and laboratory animals, this progressive nerve fiber damage and loss parallels the degree and/or duration of hyperglycemia. Several metabolic mechanisms have been proposed to explain the relationship between the extent and severity of hyperglycemia and the development of diabetic neuropathy. One mechanism, activation of the polyol pathway by glucose via AR, is a prominent metabolic feature of diabetic rat peripheral nerve, where it promotes sorbitol and fructose accumulation, myo-inositol depletion, and slowing of nerve conduction by alteration of neural Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase activity or perturbation of normal physiological osmoregulatory mechanisms. ARIs, which normalize nerve myo-inositol and nerve conduction slowing, are currently the focus of clinical trials. Other specific metabolic abnormalities that may play a role in the pathogenesis of diabetic neuropathy include abnormal lipid or amino acid metabolism, superoxide radical formation, protein glycation, or potential blunting of normal neurotrophic responses. Metabolic dysfunction in diabetic nerve is accompanied by vascular insufficiency and nerve hypoxia that may contribute to nerve fiber loss and damage. Although major questions about the pathogenesis of diabetic neuropathy remain unanswered and require further intense investigation, significant recent progress is pushing us into the future and likely constitutes only the first of many therapies directed against one or more elements of the complex pathogenetic process responsible for diabetic neuropathy."}
{"id": "PMID:1464246", "title": "Diabetic neuropathies.", "content": "Diabetic neuropathy is a common complication of diabetes that may be associated both with considerable morbidity (painful polyneuropathy, neuropathic ulceration) and mortality (autonomic neuropathy). The epidemiology and natural history of diabetic neuropathy is clouded with uncertainty, largely caused by confusion in the definition and measurement of this disorder. We have reviewed various clinical manifestations associated with somatic and autonomic neuropathy, and we herein discuss current views related to the management of the various abnormalities. Although unproven, the best evidence suggests that near-normal control of blood glucose in the early years after diabetes onset may help delay the development of clinically significant nerve impairment. Intensive therapy to achieve normalization of blood glucose also may lead to reversibility of early diabetic neuropathy, but again, this is unproven. Our ability to manage successfully the many different manifestations of diabetic neuropathy depends ultimately on our success in uncovering the pathogenic processes underlying this disorder. The recent resurgence of interest in the vascular hypothesis, for example, has opened up new avenues of investigation for therapeutic intervention. Paralleling our increased understanding of the pathogenesis of diabetic neuropathy, refinements must be made in our ability to measure quantitatively the different types of defects that occur in this disorder. These tests must be validated and standardized to allow comparability between studies and more meaningful interpretation of study results."}
{"id": "PMID:1464258", "title": "Electrophysiologic studies of cervical vagus nerve stimulation in humans: II. Evoked potentials.", "content": "Evidence from studies of experimental animals indicates that electrical stimulation of the vagus nerve not only can alter the EEG but evokes activity in specific brain areas. We report effects of electrical stimulation of the vagus nerve in 9 patients with medically intractable seizures as part of a clinical trial of chronic vagal stimulation for control of epilepsy. The left vagus nerve in the neck was stimulated with a programmable implanted stimulator. Effects of stimulus amplitude, duration, and rate were studied. Noncephalic reference recording of the vagus nerve evoked potential showed some unusual properties: a scalp negative component occurred with a latency of 12 ms, very high amplitude (< or = 60 microV), and widespread scalp distribution. Field distribution studies indicated that this potential was myogenic in origin and generated in the region of the stimulating electrodes in the neck area. Chemically induced muscle paralysis confirmed this observation. Bipolar scalp recording showed several small-amplitude topographically distinct potentials occurring in 30 ms. No effect, either acute or chronic, could be detected on pattern-reversal evoked potentials, auditory brainstem evoked potentials, auditory 40-Hz potentials, or cognitive evoked potentials."}
{"id": "PMID:1464255", "title": "Seizures in a fetal lamb after cocaine exposure: a case report.", "content": "We report the chance observation of two generalized seizures in a fetal lamb that received cocaine. Cocaine was infused intravenously into a 138-day-old fetus while electrocortical (ECoG), electroocular (EOG), and neck electromyographic (EMG) activity were recorded. Fetal rapid eye movement (REM) and nonrapid eye movement (NREM) sleep were disrupted during the cocaine exposure and returned to a normal pattern after infusions were stopped. Seventy-two hours later, however, we recorded generalized seizures with ECoG spike and spike wave activity."}
{"id": "PMID:1464257", "title": "Electrophysiological studies of cervical vagus nerve stimulation in humans: I. EEG effects.", "content": "Evidence from studies of experimental animals indicates that electrical stimulation of the vagus nerve alters EEGs under certain stimulus parameters. We report EEG effects of electrical stimulation of the vagus nerve in 9 patients with medically intractable seizures as part of a clinical trial of chronic vagal stimulation for control of epilepsy. The mechanism of action of the vagal antiepileptic effect is unknown, and we believed that analysis of electrophysiologic effects of vagal nerve stimulation would help elucidate the brain areas affected. The left vagus nerve in the neck was stimulated with a programmable implanted stimulator. Stimulation at various stimulus frequencies and amplitudes had no noticeable effect on EEG activity whether the patient was under general anesthesia, awake, or asleep, but vagus nerve stimulation may interrupt ongoing ictal EEG activity."}
{"id": "PMID:1464256", "title": "Inhibition of experimental seizures in canines by repetitive vagal stimulation.", "content": "Repetitive electrical stimulation of the canine cervical vagus nerve interrupts or abolishes motor seizures induced by strychnine and tremors induced by pentylenetetrazol (PTZ). Tremors were defined as rhythmic alternating contractions of opposing muscle groups, exerting much less force than seizure contractions. Seizures were induced by injection boluses of strychnine or PTZ at 1- to 4-min intervals until sustained muscle activity was observed electromyographically (EMG). Vagal stimulation terminated seizures in 0.5-5 s. There were prolonged periods with no spontaneous EMG activity after stimulation. The period of protection was approximately four times the stimulation period. The antiseizure actions of vagal stimulation were not altered by transection of the vagus distal to the stimulating electrode. Optimal stimulus parameters were estimated: strength, approximately 20 V (electrode resistance 1-5 omega); frequency 20-30 Hz; duration, approximately 0.2 ms. These data suggest that the antiseizure effects derive from stimulation of small-diameter afferent unmyelinated fibers in the vagus nerve. These results may form the basis of a new therapeutic approach to epilepsy."}
{"id": "PMID:1464259", "title": "Pre- and postoperative auditory event-related potentials in temporal lobe epilepsy.", "content": "We studied auditory event-related potentials (ERPs) in 11 surgically treated patients with intractable temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) pre- and postoperatively. ERPs through sphenoidal electrodes (Sp1-T3, Sp2-T4) provided clinically relevant and correctly lateralizing electrophysiologic evidence of temporal lobe dysfunction in 9 of 11 patients, confirmed by EEGs, electrocorticograms, neuroradiologic, and neuropsychological results, and clinical follow-up. Lateralizing asymmetries were noted in P300 amplitude, but latencies were prolonged bilaterally. Sphenoidal ERPs might serve as a new functional indicator of temporal lobe dysfunction in patients evaluated for epilepsy surgery."}
{"id": "PMID:1464260", "title": "Factors in children that predict performance on the intracarotid amobarbital procedure.", "content": "The intracarotid amobarbital procedure (IAP) is frequently used to determine hemispheric language dominance and memory competence in individuals with intractable epilepsy before surgical intervention. The present study focused on outcome results concerning use of this technique in children. The IAP was an effective tool in determining their hemispheric language dominance. Seven characteristics, including age, gender, dose level of sodium amobarbital, Full-Scale I.Q., hemispheric side of injection (left or right), language dominance of hemisphere injected, and order of injection (first or second) were examined as possible factors predictive of memory performance on the IAP. Results suggest that after injection of the hemisphere suspected of containing the primary seizure origin, children aged < 13 years who had the left language-dominant hemisphere injected were significantly less likely to pass IAP memory tasks than were older children or younger children who had the nondominant hemisphere injected. These findings suggest that the IAP is a reliable indicator of hemispheric memory competence in children aged > 13 years or younger children whose suspected seizure focus is located in the nondominant language hemisphere."}
{"id": "PMID:1464261", "title": "Prolonged ictal amnesia with transient focal abnormalities on magnetic resonance imaging.", "content": "A previously healthy woman had a prolonged amnestic state caused by complex partial status epilepticus with bilateral mesiotemporal lobe involvement confirmed by EEG with nasopharyngeal electrodes. A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan obtained shortly after recovery from the amnesia showed reversible focal abnormalities consisting of increased signal intensity on T2-weighted scan in the mesiotemporal lobe."}
{"id": "PMID:1464262", "title": "Adult postanoxic \"erratic\" status epilepticus.", "content": "A 66-year-old woman with posttraumatic anoxic coma after diffuse cerebral fat embolism had continuous alternating-side myoclonic jerks. Usually, this kind of myoclonic status epilepticus (SE) occurs in newborn infants. We postulate the unusual combination of diffuse cerebral anoxia plus commissural fiber damage as a possible explanation."}
{"id": "PMID:1464263", "title": "Prevalence and incidence of epilepsy in Ulanga, a rural Tanzanian district: a community-based study.", "content": "A random cluster sample survey of approximately 18,000 people in 11 villages was performed in Ulanga, a Tanzanian district with a population of approximately 139,000 people. Well-instructed fourth-year medical students and neurologic and psychiatry nurses identified persons with epilepsy using a screening questionnaire and sent them to a neurologist for detailed evaluation. Identified were 207 subjects (88 male, 119 female) with epilepsy; of these, 185 (89.4%) (80 male, 105 female) had active epilepsy. The prevalence of active epilepsy was 10.2 in 1,000. Prevalence among villages varied, ranging from 5.1 to 37.1 in 1,000 (age-adjusted 5.8-37.0). In a 10-year period (1979-1988) 122 subjects living in the 11 villages developed epilepsy, with an annual incidence of 73.3 in 100,000. Generalized tonic-clonic seizures (GTCS) accounted for 58% and partial seizures accounted for 31.9%, whereas in 10.1% seizures were unclassifiable. Of the partial seizures, secondarily generalized seizures were the most common. Possible etiologic or associated factors were identifiable in only 25.3% of cases. Febrile convulsions were associated in 13.4 of cases. Other associated factors included unspecified encephalitis (4.7%), cerebral malaria (1.9%), birth injury (1.4%), and other (3%). In 38% of the cases, there was a positive family history of epilepsy."}
{"id": "PMID:1464265", "title": "Validation of a questionnaire for clinical seizure diagnosis.", "content": "A detailed questionnaire has been devised for diagnosis of seizure type. It is suitable for administration by trained interviewers, either directly or by telephone. A comparison of physician-based and questionnaire-based diagnoses showed almost perfect agreement in classification of patients into those with seizures of either generalized or focal origin. Substantial to almost-perfect agreement was reached in diagnosis of patients with most individual seizure types. Disagreement in differentiation between simple and complex partial seizures (CPS) probably reflects the limitations of the clinical method rather than of the questionnaire itself. The questionnaire should be of value in large-scaled clinical and epidemiologic studies."}
{"id": "PMID:1464266", "title": "Experience with the International League Against Epilepsy classifications of epileptic seizures (1981) and epilepsies and epileptic syndrome (1989) in epileptic children in a developing country.", "content": "Four hundred eighty-three epileptic children attending the Pediatric Epilepsy Clinic at Bai Jerbai Wadia Hospital for Children, Bombay, India were classified according to the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) classification of epileptic seizures (1981) and epilepsies and epileptic syndromes (1989). The predominant seizures were partial (53.6), generalized (40.3%), and unclassifiable (6%). In epilepsies and epileptic syndromes, 55.3% were partial, 27% were generalized, 13.5% were undetermined, and 4.1% were special syndromes. Although our results were similar in many respects to those of other reported series, some differences were observed in the incidence of partial and generalized seizures, and partial and generalized epileptic syndromes and their subgroups, such as idiopathic, symptomatic, and cryptogenic partial syndromes, idiopathic generalized syndromes, and symptomatic specific syndromes. These differences are probably due to different age limits, methods of case ascertainment and inclusion criteria, different genetic and environmental factors, variable interpretation of clinical and EEG features, and lack of facilities for investigation in developing countries. Despite various limitations, we were able to classify most cases; the ILAE classification can be used in developing countries so that comparison can be made with other studies."}
{"id": "PMID:1464264", "title": "Epilepsy and Persian culture: an overview.", "content": "This article reviews the manner in which Persian culture viewed the problem of epilepsy. Beginning with the Avesta, the earliest Persian text on health and sickness, the medical literature on treatments of epilepsy common in Iran are reviewed. The article also explores popular Persian concepts that try to explain the causes of the morbus sacer."}
{"id": "PMID:1464268", "title": "Epilepsy in Angelman syndrome associated with chromosome 15q deletion.", "content": "We report eight sporadic cases of typical Angelman syndrome (AS) associated with chromosome 15q12 deletion. Age at first visit was 3-35 months (average 18 months), and follow-up period was 4-20 years (average 14.1 years). The characteristic features of epilepsy in AS are (a) seizure onset in early childhood (8 of 8); (b) evolution of seizure type with age (8 of 8); (c) EEG abnormality changes from high-voltage slow bursts (HVS) in infancy to diffuse spike and waves in middle childhood (4 of 5); (d) atypical absence seizures (8 of 8), often occurring as atypical absence status (4 of 8); and (e) diminution of seizure discharges and clinical seizures after puberty (7 of 7). We believe that AS may frequently exist in the intractable epilepsies of childhood with severe mental retardation. We stress the importance of AS as one of the main etiologic background diseases of the intractable epilepsies with infantile onset such as West syndrome, Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, and others."}
{"id": "PMID:1464267", "title": "Angelman syndrome in three siblings: characteristic epileptic seizures and EEG abnormalities.", "content": "Neurologic findings in 3 siblings with Angelman syndrome (AS) with apparently normal karyotype but DNA deletion of 15q11-q12 deriving from their mother are described. Increased auditory brainstem response (ABR) thresholds were noted in all 3. Interictal EEG findings included periodic 2- to 3-Hz high-voltage slow wave bursts bioccipitally and sporadic slow spike wave complexes mainly bifrontally. EEG findings suggestive of minor epileptic status were apparent in the elder brother and may be a characteristic feature in young AS patients. Seizures suggestive of generalized epilepsy have been reported in 90% of AS patients. AS is considered a good model of symptomatic generalized epilepsy associated with chromosomal DNA deletion of the (GABA)A receptor beta 3-subunit gene."}
{"id": "PMID:1464270", "title": "Facial asymmetry in partial epilepsies.", "content": "Fifty-six consecutive epileptic patients with partial seizures (30 temporal, 26 extratemporal) and facial asymmetry were studied. Facial asymmetry was compared with EEG, radiologic, and other clinical findings. Thirty patients had a lesional epilepsy whereas 26 were considered cryptogenic. In lesional epilepsies, 60% of patients had EEG foci ipsilateral to the smaller hemiface and only 20% had EEG foci contralaterally. In the cryptogenic group, the EEG focus was ipsilateral in 50% and contralateral to the facial smallness in 46%. No differences were noted between temporal and extratemporal epilepsies. Early acquired cerebral lesions may modify development of the hemisphere involved, leading to a small ipsilateral hemiface and seizures originating from the same side."}
{"id": "PMID:1464269", "title": "Generalized spike-waves, multiple loci, and clinical course in children with EEG features of benign epilepsy of childhood with centrotemporal spikes.", "content": "In 41 patients with EEG features of benign epilepsy of childhood with centrotemporal spikes (BECCT), we noted associated generalized spike-wave discharges (GSWD) in 14.6% and multiple independent sharp wave foci in 9.8%. The presence or absence of these EEG features was not predictive of the clinical course. The high incidence of GSWD in children with BECCT suggests a possible relation in the expression of these two EEG traits."}
{"id": "PMID:1464272", "title": "Determinants of IQ profile in children with idiopathic generalized epilepsy.", "content": "To determine the IQ profile of children with epilepsy and the influence of various epilepsy-related variables on IQ scores, we studied 50 children with idiopathic generalized epilepsy of > 1-year duration, 25 of their siblings, and 30 healthy controls. IQ assessments were made with Malin's Indian modification of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children. The mean +/- SD IQ scores of children with epilepsy (85.6 +/- 12) and their siblings (93.2 +/- 11) were significantly lower than those of the controls (101.6 +/- 9). The IQ scores of the children with epilepsy were also significantly lower than those of their siblings (p < 0.05). The IQ scores showed a significant correlation with socioeconomic status (SES) score (r = 0.33), a history of status epilepticus (r = -0.38), duration of seizure disorder (r = -0.31), and total number of seizures (r = -0.31). On multiple regression analysis, status epilepticus emerged as the most significant variable, accounting for 14% variance, followed by SES score (9% variance), duration of seizure disorder (6% variance), and sex of the child (5% variance). Genetic or environmental factors that probably lead to cognitive deficit in children with epilepsy and their siblings require further study."}
{"id": "PMID:1464273", "title": "Correlates of behavior problems in children with epilepsy.", "content": "We report results from the first part of an ongoing longitudinal study aimed at identifying the relative contributions of demographic, seizure, and family variables in the prediction of behavior problems in children with epilepsy. We studied 127 children with epilepsy aged 8-12 years and their mothers. Self-report questionnaires, interviews, and medical records were data sources. Backward and forward stepwise elimination procedures using multiple regression indicated five variables that contributed significantly to prediction of behavior problems: female gender, family stress, family mastery, extended family social support, and seizure frequency. These factors accounted for 29% (p < 0.001) of the variation in behavioral problems. Findings suggest that family variables are important correlates of behavior problems and should be considered in clinical management of children with epilepsy."}
{"id": "PMID:1464271", "title": "Bilateral Todd's paralysis after focal seizures.", "content": "Transient postictal hemiparesis or monoparesis is not uncommon after partial (focal) seizures. We report 2 patients who complained of severe bilateral limb weakness after generalized tonic-clonic seizures (GTCS) beginning focally. Bilateral Todd's paralysis was verified and documented in both patients. EEG and clinical evidence indicate the supplementary motor cortex as the most likely source of the seizures in both cases."}
{"id": "PMID:1464274", "title": "Psychosocial outcomes of antiepileptic drug discontinuation. The Medical Research Council Antiepileptic Drug Withdrawal Study Group.", "content": "The MRC Antiepileptic Drug Withdrawal Study compared seizure control and the risk of relapse resulting from policies of slow discontinuation and routine maintenance of antiepileptic drug (AED) treatment in patients seizure-free for > or = 2 years. Because the decision to discontinue AEDs can have important psychosocial as well as medical consequences, we also sought to examine the psychosocial outcomes of the alternative policies Questionnaires were sent to eligible adults 2 years after their randomization. The response rate was 85%. There was little evidence of substantial effects of treatment policy on psychosocial outcomes, but seizure recurrence since randomization was associated with increased distress on several measures. However, receiving AEDs to control seizures was also associated with increased distress. Among patients for whom the risk of relapse after discontinuation appears low, the psychosocial benefits of discontinuation may be considerable."}
{"id": "PMID:1464275", "title": "Efficacy of the ketogenic diet for intractable seizure disorders: review of 58 cases.", "content": "The ketogenic diet was developed in the 1920s as a treatment for intractable childhood seizures when few antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) were available. There are still children whose seizures are refractory even to modern therapy, but use of the ketogenic diet appears to be waning. At Johns Hopkins, we continue to believe that the diet is very effective and well accepted by patients and families. To reevaluate our opinion of the efficacy and acceptability of this form of therapy in patients cared for in the 1980s with the newer AEDs, we analyzed the records of 58 consecutive patients who had been started on the diet. Before using the diet, 80% of the patients had multiple seizure types and 88% were treated with multiple AEDs; these children were among our most intractable patients. Despite this, seizure control improved in 67% of patients with the ketogenic diet, and actuarial analysis indicated that 75% of these improved patients continued the diet for at least 18 months. Sixty-four percent had AEDs reduced, 36% became more alert, and 23% had improved behavior. The improvement in these patients with intractable seizures and the length of time that families maintained the regimen indicate that the ketogenic diet continues to have a very useful therapeutic role in selected patients and their families."}
{"id": "PMID:1464277", "title": "Oxcarbazepine does not affect the anticoagulant activity of warfarin.", "content": "The possible interaction of the antiepileptic drug oxcarbazepine (OCBZ) on the anticoagulant effect of warfarin was investigated in 10 healthy male volunteers. After reaching steady-state conditions by repeated administration of warfarin, the prothrombin time (Quick value) was assessed before and after single (600 mg) and multiple dosing (450 mg twice daily in 1 week) of OCBZ. In 7 of the 10 volunteers with evaluable data, the prothrombin time was not significantly different (paired t test) from baseline either after single (p = 0.299) or repeated dosing (p = 0.333), indicating that OCBZ does not interact to any relevant extent with the hypothrombinemic effect of warfarin."}
{"id": "PMID:1464276", "title": "Carbamazepine (CBZ) controlled release compared with conventional CBZ: a controlled study of attention and vigilance in children with epilepsy.", "content": "To compare the effects on attention and vigilance of conventional carbamazepine (CBZ) and CBZ controlled release (CBZ-CR), 15 schoolchildren with epilepsy and normal intelligence receiving CBZ were switched to CBZ-CR. Psychological examination was performed on the day before (day A) and 1 month after substitution (day B). Measurements of attention and vigilance were repeated throughout the day at 2-h intervals. Both on days A and B, CBZ plasma levels were monitored during a 12-h period. Fifteen matched healthy controls were submitted to identical test programs, allowing comparisons within subjects as well as between patients and control children. Variability of performance over sessions was neither increased nor decreased with CBZ-CR. Consistent differences over sessions did not exist between patients and controls with either drug. No relation was noted between reaction time and CBZ plasma level. The pharmacologic data confirm results of earlier studies in children. We noted a reduction in intradose fluctuations of CBZ level with CBZ-CR as compared with conventional CBZ. The neuropsychological results do not show a difference between the drugs. Neither were differences noted with respect to antiepileptic efficacy and side effects. At the end of the study, all but one of the children (and their parents) opted to receive CBZ-CR for ease of dosage administration and overall satisfaction."}
{"id": "PMID:1464283", "title": "Defining lead as the premiere environmental health issue for children in America: criteria and their quantitative application.", "content": "The principal environmental health issue for American children is pervasive lead poisoning from the many decades of lead contamination. Available scientific evidence cementing lead's premiere ranking is voluminous, multifaceted, and compelling. This evidence, however, requires organization into a clear and coherent body of science before it can be fully recognized or comprehended by either the scientific community or the general public and its representatives: public health officials, regulators, policy makers, and legislators. An attempt at such organization is presented and begins with the premise that there exist clear, objective criteria by which a premiere environmental health issue can be defined. A second premise is that these criteria sort themselves into three categories which cover the full spectrum of toxic contaminant-population relationships. They are: (1) economic and sociopolitical, (2) scientific and public health, and (3) societal risk assessment criteria. The first set of criteria includes economic and historical centrality, primacy of economic over public health considerations, a relatively narrow decision-making framework, and controlled flow of information on the toxicant, especially its negative impacts. The second set of criteria is also orthodox in scope: the toxicant should be indestructible, should accumulate in both the environment and the body, and should be a multimedia contaminant; it should produce toxicity in numerous organs with little impediment; toxicity should be produced with low/no threshold in huge numbers of the most vulnerable; and finally, effects should persist in the critical target organ(s). There is a third, more globally encompassing, set of criteria important for present-day requirements for risk assessment; e.g., the contaminant should produce full-spectrum population-wide as well as individual toxicity. Evidence for societal harm should be compelling. It should typify the increasing importance of the elements of preventive over clinical medicine and the substance should bring to bear the cost-benefit analysis of macro plus micro health risk. Lead exposure and toxicity is conclusively shown to meet ALL of these criteria and is the premiere environmental health threat to America's children."}
{"id": "PMID:1464278", "title": "Possible interaction between oxcarbazepine and an oral contraceptive.", "content": "The effect of oxcarbazepine (OCBZ) on the kinetics of an oral contraceptive containing ethinyloestradiol (EE) and levonorgestrel (LNG) was investigated in 13 healthy female volunteers who had previously received the contraceptive for at least 3 months. After 15 days of the first study cycle, each subject received, in addition to the oral contraceptive, 300 mg OCBZ on day 16, 300 mg twice daily on day 17, and 300 mg three times daily from day 18 of the first cycle to day 18 of the next menstrual cycle. The area under the curve values for both EE and LNG decreased when OCBZ was given with the oral contraceptive (p = 0.006, analysis of variance). The results indicate that OCBZ, like most antiepileptic drugs (AEDs), decreases the bioavailability of EE and LNG, perhaps by affecting metabolism or protein binding."}
{"id": "PMID:1464279", "title": "N-methyl-D-aspartate injection into the massa intermedia facilitates development of limbic kindling in rats.", "content": "The effect on limbic kindling of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) injection into the midline thalamus of rats was investigated. Repeated injection of 25 nmol/0.5 microliters NMDA (experimental group) into the massa intermedia (MI), particularly into the reuniens nucleus, caused tonic and/or clonic generalized convulsion associated with temporal limbic EEG seizure discharge. This did not occur after injection of phosphate-buffered saline (PBS, control group). When the animals were subjected to subsequent kindling at either the hippocampus (HP) or the amygdala (AM), only the experimental group showed a significant facilitation of kindling rate. The results suggest that an NMDA receptor in the reuniens nucleus participates in modulation of temporal limbic excitability and seizure development."}
{"id": "PMID:1464284", "title": "Screening for lead exposure using a geographic information system.", "content": "Screening programs for lead overexposure typically target high-risk populations by identifying regions with common risk markers (older housing, poverty, etc.). While more useful than untargeted screening programs, targeted programs are limited by the geographic resolution of the risk-factor information. A geographic information system can make screening programs more effective and more cost-efficient by mapping cases of overexposure, identifying high-incidence neighborhoods warranting screening, and validating risk-factor-based prediction rules."}
{"id": "PMID:1464281", "title": "Action of antiepileptic drugs against kainic acid-induced seizures and automatisms during ontogenesis in rats.", "content": "Kainic acid (KA 4-14 mg/kg) administered intraperitoneally (i.p.) produces automatisms (scratching until third postnatal week, \"wet dog\" shakes thereafter), and clonic and tonic-clonic seizures in rats aged 7, 12, 18, 25, and 90 days. Administration of carbamazepine (CBZ) i.p. (25 or 50 mg/kg), phenobarbital (PB 20-80 mg/kg), clonazepam (CZP 0.2 or 1 mg/kg), or valproate (VPA 200 mg/kg) influenced neither incidence nor latency of automatisms. Clonic seizures that are regularly observed after the third postnatal week in controls were either abolished or substantially suppressed by any of the aforementioned antiepileptic drugs (AEDs). Tonic-clonic seizures observed in the first 3 postnatal weeks were suppressed only by solvent [including propyleneglycol (PEG), ethanol, and water]; the effect of AEDs on tonic-clonic seizures was proconvulsant instead. The automatisms were most resistant to AED therapy. These results induce some doubts about the adequacy of the KA model for identifying AEDs effective against complex partial seizures, but forthcoming AEDs that suppress automatisms in the KA rat model might also be active against human complex partial seizures."}
{"id": "PMID:1464285", "title": "Reassessment of lead exposure in New Jersey using GIS technology.", "content": "In order to prevent children's exposure to lead, a variety of sources must be controlled. The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and Energy (NJDEPE) is using its Geographic Information System to identify areas within Newark, East Orange, and Irvington, New Jersey, where there may be greater environmental exposure to lead. Sensitive populations are identified through the U.S. Bureau of the Census information. Blood screening data provided by the New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH) provide reported patterns of elevated blood lead in the study area. Comparisons of these spatial patterns will assist the NJDEPE in its soil sampling activities and lead exposure research, will provide information for public education, and will provide valuable information on sections of the study area where further screening and public education may be needed."}
{"id": "PMID:1464286", "title": "In vivo X-ray fluorescence of lead in bone.", "content": "The in vivo measurement of lead in bone by K X-ray fluorescence (K XRF) is becoming an increasingly widely utilized technique for assessing long-term lead dosimetry. Several groups have already reported the development of in vivo measurement systems, the majority adopting the 109Cd/backscatter K XRF technique because of its substantial advantages in terms of a robust measurement, lower detection limit (compared with 57Co/90 degrees), absence of the need for sedation of younger subjects, and lower effective (radiation) dose when calculated according to the most recent guidelines. The advantages of the 109Cd system are primarily a consequence of the physics principles of the technique. The apparatus of each XRF technique is transportable, facilitating easy establishment of mobile laboratory facilities. More research is needed to substantiate claims made for particular XRF technologies, but both L and K XRF techniques provide the possibility of improved understanding of the body's handling of the ubiquitous toxin lead."}
{"id": "PMID:1464280", "title": "Age-dependent changes in long-term seizure susceptibility and behavior after hypoxia in rats.", "content": "We showed that hypoxia is acutely epileptogenic in immature but not in adult rats. In the present study, we evaluated whether hypoxia results in an increase in long-term seizure susceptibility to flurothyl and whether this is associated with impaired performance on behavioral tests. We also determined whether these long-term outcomes are dependent on age at time of O2 deprivation. Long Evans hooded rats were rendered hypoxic on either postnatal day (P)5, P10, or P60. Sixty to 75 days after hypoxia, rats were tested for performance in water maze, open field, and handling tests and for seizure susceptibility to flurothyl. Hypoxia at P10 significantly increased seizure susceptibility to flurothyl, whereas hypoxia at P5 and P60 induced no long-term changes in seizure threshold. At P10, greater seizure severity during hypoxia and more prolonged exposure to hypoxia significantly increased long-term seizure susceptibility. This long-term change in seizure susceptibility appeared to be dissociated from any long-term neurobehavioral consequences, because only animals rendered hypoxic as adults (P60) had impaired behavioral performance. The results suggest that hypoxia-induced seizures can alter long-term seizure susceptibility and that this long-term effect is dependent on age and on severity of seizure activity at the time of previous hypoxia."}
{"id": "PMID:1464282", "title": "Anticonvulsant effect of DN-1417, a derivative of thyrotropin-releasing hormone, and liposome-entrapped DN-1417, on amygdaloid-kindled rats.", "content": "The effects of gamma-butyrolactone-gamma-carbonyl-L-histidyl-L-propionamide citrate (DN-1417), a derivative of thyrotropin-releasing hormone, and liposome-entrapped DN-1417 (DN-L) were examined in amygdaloid-kindled rats. The animals were tested 2 h after intraperitoneal (i.p.) drug administration and then again every 24 h without further drug treatment. DN-1417 did not suppress the kindled seizure at 2 h but did beginning 1-6 days after injection. DN-L suppressed the kindled seizure at 2 h and had a more prolonged anticonvulsant effect than DN-1417. After liposomes were given i.p. once daily for 2 weeks, there was no morphologic evidence that liposomes damaged brain neurons. These results, together with previously published data, suggest that as drug delivery vehicles, liposomes can enhance the effectiveness of drugs in the CNS without producing overt brain damage."}
{"id": "PMID:1464288", "title": "Immunological findings in hemp workers.", "content": "Immunological status and its relation to respiratory findings were studied in 42 female textile workers occupationally exposed to hemp dust and in 49 female control workers. Skin prick tests with hemp or flax dust extracts from different parts of the mill in hemp workers demonstrated the following frequencies of positive tests to antigens: a mixture of hemp and flax extracts (64%), followed by flax extracts (48%), hemp from combing machines (41%), hemp from carding machines (38%), hemp from spinning and weaving machines (33%), and hemp from softening machines (20%). The prevalence of positive skin tests to hemp or flax allergens in control workers was consistently lower, ranging from 21 to 5%. Increased total serum IgE was recorded in 35.7% of hemp workers compared to only 5.0% of control workers (P < 0.05). Hemp workers with positive skin tests had significantly higher prevalences of chronic respiratory symptoms than those with negative skin tests. There were, however, no differences for acute symptoms between workers with positive and negative skin tests. Across-shift changes and baseline lung function were not different when compared by immunologic status. We showed additionally that a water-soluble extract of hemp dust causes a dose-related contraction of nonsensitized guinea pig tracheal smooth muscle when studied in vitro. Our results suggest that frequent immunologic abnormalities can be documented in hemp workers but, with the exception of chronic respiratory symptoms, in general, these do not correlate with respiratory findings."}
{"id": "PMID:1464289", "title": "Air pollution and daily mortality: associations with particulates and acid aerosols.", "content": "The association between total daily mortality and air pollution was investigated for a 1-year period (September 1985 through August 1986) in St. Louis and in the counties in eastern Tennessee surrounding Kingston/Harriman. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relative importance of various measures of particulate and gaseous air pollution as predictors of daily mortality. Concentrations of inhalable particles (PM10), fine particles (PM2.5), the elemental composition of these particles, and aerosols acidity were measured daily during the period of study. The effect of each air pollutant on daily mortality was estimated after controlling for meteorologic and seasonal influences. Total mortality in St. Louis was found to increase 16% (95% CI-1 to 33%) for each 100 micrograms/m3 increase in PM10, and by 17% (95% CI-12 to 57%) in eastern Tennessee. Positive but progressively weaker associations were found with PM2.5, sulfate, and aerosol acidity concentrations in both communities. Associations with gaseous pollutants--sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, and ozone--were all far from statistical significance. Because of the short monitoring period for daily particulate air pollution, the power of this study to detect associations was limited. Nevertheless, statistically significant associations with PM10 were found in St. Louis, and, more importantly, the estimated effects were consistent between the two communities studied and with other reported analyses of the effects of particles on daily mortality. These data suggest that the acidity of particles is not as important in associations with daily mortality as the mass concentrations of particles."}
{"id": "PMID:1464290", "title": "Temporal patterns in air pollution and hospital admissions.", "content": "A 6-year data set of daily counts of admissions to 79 acute care hospitals in Southern Ontario was analyzed in relation to concurrent measurements of air pollution and weather pooled over the same regions, using progressively more sophisticated statistical techniques. The diagnoses studied included a group of respiratory causes and two control diagnoses: accidents and gastrointestinal causes. The 6-year period (1979-1985) was subdivided into six 2-month \"seasons\" and the area of study was divided into three subregions. Bivariate correlations were found to be significant more often than expected due to chance for all three admissions variables, but accounting for the temporal variation within the 60-day seasons greatly reduced the significance of the control diagnoses. Twenty-four-hour averages for air quality were found to yield more significant associations than peak hourly concentrations. July-August was the only period not having important within-season temporal trends and also had the lowest daily counts for respiratory admissions. Based on a model which accounted for serial correlation, SO2, ozone, and sulfate aerosol were found to be significant predictors of respiratory admissions during July-August. Using cumulative lags increased the magnitude of the estimated response to about 20% of summer respiratory admissions, but no consistent relationships were found which could identify the \"responsible\" pollutant(s) with certainty. Average pollutant concentrations were generally within U.S. ambient standards."}
{"id": "PMID:1464291", "title": "Beryllium-induced lung disease in the dog following two exposures to BeO.", "content": "We have shown previously that dogs exposed once to aerosols of beryllium oxide (BeO) calcined at 500 or 1000 degrees C developed granulomatous lung lesions as well as Be-specific immune responses in the blood and lung. In this report, we investigate the immunopathologic consequences of exposing dogs twice to aerosols of BeO. Dogs previously exposed to aerosols of 500 or 1000 degrees C calcined BeO to achieve an initial lung burden (ILB) of either 50 or 17 micrograms/kg body wt were exposed a second time to BeO calcined at 500 degrees C, 2.5 years after the first exposure, to achieve an ILB of about 50 micrograms/kg body wt. Immune responses of peripheral blood and lung lymphocytes were measured at 0, 14, 30, 60, 90, 120, 150, 165, 180, and 210 days postexposure (dpe), and dogs were euthanized at 210 dpe. Be-specific immune responses occurred in blood at 30 dpe and again at 150 to 210 dpe. Only sporadic positive responses were seen among lung lymphocytes when cells were cultured in 10% fetal bovine serum. In contrast, samples collected at 165, 180, and 210 dpe and incubated with 10% dog serum showed a large number of positive responses in both blood and lung. Histologic lesions were characterized by perivascular and interstitial infiltrates of lymphocytes and macrophages with progression to patchy granulomatous pneumonia accompanied by focal septal fibrosis. We conclude that Be-induced granulomatous and fibrotic lung lesions are accompanied by Be-specific immune responses within the lung but these changes do not appear to be cumulative if enough time has elapsed between exposures."}
{"id": "PMID:1464292", "title": "Dose-dependent pulmonary effects of inhaled endotoxin in guinea pigs.", "content": "As a cell wall component of gram-negative bacteria, endotoxin is thought to play a significant role in the respiratory effects of inhaled organic dusts which are microbially contaminated. Assessment of occupational survey data and clinical studies suggests that few measureable, acute functional changes occur below 30-50 ng/m3 endotoxin (as sampled in airborne dust with a vertical elutriator). Little information is available on the inflammatory effects of inhaled endotoxin at these low concentrations. The present study examined the dose-response relationship between inhaled endotoxin and functional, biochemical, and histological endpoints in the lungs of guinea pigs. Animals were exposed to 0.03 to 50.5 micrograms/m3 aerosolized endotoxin or the vehicle water for 4 hr. At 2 hr into exposure, significant decreases in specific airway conductance were observed only in animals exposed to 9.6 and 50.5 micrograms/m3 endotoxin (17.3 +/- 1.2 and 35.5 +/- 0.5% decreases from baseline values, respectively (mean +/- SE)). Total cell count and lactate dehydrogenase levels in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid were significantly elevated at 24 hr after exposure in all endotoxin-exposed groups except the lowest dose, 0.03 micrograms/m3 (P < 0.05). Polymorphonuclear leukocyte influx into the alveolar region was also dependent on the concentration of inhaled endotoxin. Thus, LDH activity, a biochemical marker of cell injury, and total cell counts and polymorphonuclear leukocytes, markers of inflammation, were more sensitive indices of adverse pulmonary effects from inhaled endotoxin than a functional measurement. These results suggest that subtle inflammatory changes may occur at airborne endotoxin concentrations which may produce no acute respiratory symptoms."}
{"id": "PMID:1464293", "title": "Assessment of slow axonal transport in lead-exposed rats.", "content": "To evaluate the effect of lead on slow axonal transport, mean transport velocity (Vmean) of radiolabeled proteins in the motor fibers of the sciatic nerve was calculated by simulating the distribution of radioactivity along the nerve 2 weeks after intraspinal injection of L-[35S] methionine in eight rats given drinking water containing lead acetate for 13 weeks. The transport of individual radiolabeled proteins was also inspected visually by fluorography. It was observed that the Vmean was significantly slowed in the lead-exposed rats and was correlated with blood lead concentration; fluorography indicated that the transport of neurofilament proteins and of tubulins was mildly retarded in the most severely affected lead-exposed rat. These findings suggest that slow axonal transport was impaired by lead. Further study using a large number of animals will be necessary to confirm the findings of the present study."}
{"id": "PMID:1464294", "title": "Effects of deltamethrin on the immune system in mice.", "content": "The influence of deltamethrin on the immune system in mice was investigated. Female BALB/c mice received deltamethrin in two daily oral doses; 6 mg/kg for 84 days and 15 mg/kg for 14 days. The humoral immune response in animals immunized with sheep red blood cells determined by agglutinin and hemagglutinin titer as well as by the number of plaque-forming cells producing IgM antibodies was significantly decreased. Also, the cell-mediated immune response assessed by alpha-naphthyl acetate esterase activity, by formation of EAC (erythrocyte-antibody-complement) rosettes, and by the footpad reaction test was hindered. A decrease in interleukin-1 activity was also ascertained. The obtained results indicate that deltamethrin exhibits an immunosuppressive effect."}
{"id": "PMID:1464295", "title": "Detection of DNA damage in stimulated human lymphocytes after enflurane exposure in vitro.", "content": "DNA damage was detected by nucleoid sedimentation in human lymphocytes stimulated with pokeweed mitogen after exposure to enflurane. Enflurane induces DNA damage at an exposure concentration of 0.2 vol%. Higher enflurane concentrations increase the rate of DNA damage. The DNA damage seen after exposure to enflurane concentrations of 0.2 and 3.0% vol is comparable to damage after X-radiation of 0.1 and 0.7 Gy. DNA single-strand breaks can be demonstrated by nucleoid sedimentation and can indicate damage before DNA repair begins. Therefore, detected DNA single-strand breaks may be reversible. However, DNA repair is not always successful and an increased number of DNA single-strand breaks could lead to irreversible DNA damage. The method of nucleoid sedimentation helps to show DNA damage in proliferating cells after exposure to volatile anesthetics or therapeutic gases."}
{"id": "PMID:1464296", "title": "Effects of zonisamide on extracellular levels of monoamine and its metabolite, and on Ca2+ dependent dopamine release.", "content": "The effects of zonisamide (3-sulfamoylmethyl-1,2-benzisoxazole), a novel anticonvulsant, on extracellular levels of monoamine and its metabolite in the striatum and hippocampus, and Ca2+ dependent monoamine release in the striatum of freely moving rats were studied by microdialysis. Zonisamide increased dopamine, homovanillic acid and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid, and decreased 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid in the rat striatum. However, zonisamide showed no effect on Ca2+ dependent dopamine release in the rat striatum. In the hippocampus, zonisamide increased dopamine, homovanillic acid, serotonin and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid and decreased 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid. The present results suggest that zonisamide facilitates dopaminergic and serotoninergic neurotransmission but does not affect Ca2+ dependent dopamine release within therapeutic plasma concentrations."}
{"id": "PMID:1464297", "title": "Neurovascular microdysgenesis in a case of Unverricht-Lundborg's disease.", "content": "An 18 year old female presented with a characteristic clinical course of Unverricht-Lundborg's disease. She was treated with several antiepileptic drugs but never with phenytoin. This patient died quietly during sleep. Coronal sectioning of the fixed brain revealed a 10 mm large red-brown solid cortical-subcortical lesion in the mesial part of the right frontal lobe and a similar alteration measuring 4 mm in the centromedian nucleus of the left thalamus. Histologically the lesions displayed supernumerary irregularly oriented vessels, mainly capillaries, and, in the cortex, a markedly disturbed neuronal orientation and lamination. Numerous heterotopic nerve cells were found in the subcortical white matter, especially under the calcarine cortex. A similar vascular malformation was found in the pons. The neuropathological changes in Unverricht-Lundborg's disease have been described as non-specific atrophy of various neuronal populations, especially medial thalamic nuclei and Purkinje cells. The present case shows that the same clinical picture may be associated with multiple cerebral microvascular malformations and a disturbance in neuronal migration and organization which may be more generalized than appears in light microscopical sections."}
{"id": "PMID:1464298", "title": "Carbamazepine induced bradycardia--a problem in general or only in susceptible patients? A 24-h long-term electrocardiogram study.", "content": "Carbamazepine is a first line drug in the treatment of epilepsy and trigeminal neuralgia, but may exert negative chronotropic and dromotropic effects on the cardiac conduction system. Bradyarrhythmias of different types and severity have been described, especially in the elderly, but the prevalence of arrhythmias in a larger group of carbamazepine treated patients is unknown. Forty-eight patients, 40 years of older, on continuous carbamazepine treatment because of various neurologic disorders were investigated by interview, physical examination, 12-lead surface electrocardiogram, and 24-h long-term electrocardiogram recording. The prevalence of bradyarrhythmias was compared with that in an age-stratified reference group. There was no differences between the two groups, either in the number or the duration of pauses or in the type of pauses. In conclusion, carbamazepine does not increase the risk of bradyarrhythmias in the vast majority of patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1464299", "title": "Protein binding of four antiepileptic drugs in maternal and umbilical cord serum.", "content": "The total and protein free levels of 4 antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) in serum from 35 maternity patients who had been treated with AED monotherapy throughout pregnancy were studied. Results were compared with those in the umbilical cord serum at the time of delivery, and the placental transfer of AEDs was evaluated from the viewpoint of the protein binding capacity of the drug. The materials consisted of 35 samples of maternal and umbilical cord serum in total and included 13 patients on phenobarbital (PB), 7 on phenytoin (PHT), 7 on carbamazepine (CBZ) and 8 on valproic acid (VPA). The mean fetal/maternal total concentration ratios were 0.86, 0.91, 0.73 and 1.59 for PB, PHT, CBZ and VPA, respectively, only the VPA ratio being above 1. On the other hand, the mean fetal/maternal free fraction ratios were 1.13, 1.10, 1.42 and 0.50 for PB, PHT, CBZ and VPA, respectively, only the VPA ratio being less than 1. Correlation of the 2 ratios showed a reciprocal proportion with a correlation coefficient of -0.90 (P < 0.005). It was considered that the fetal/maternal total concentration ratio of 4 AEDs was regulated by the fetal/maternal free fraction ratio of the corresponding AEDs and that the difference in fetal/maternal free fraction ratio depended on the type of drug being administered."}
{"id": "PMID:1464300", "title": "Comparison of PET measurements of cerebral blood flow and glucose metabolism for the localization of human epileptic foci.", "content": "We compared the relative sensitivity of two interictal PET techniques, bolus injection of [15O] labeled water for estimation of cerebral blood flow (H2(15)O CBF-PET), and 18F 2-deoxyglucose (18FDG-PET) for cerebral glucose metabolism (CMRglc), and T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging, in 28 patients with medically intractable complex partial seizures undergoing evaluation for surgery. There were statistically significant associations between lateralization by 18FDG-PET, and MRI, but not H2(15)O CBF-PET, and lateralization of the epileptic focus as defined by scalp-sphenoidal ictal EEG. Fifteen patients had surgery or subdural electrodes. 18FDG-PET was more closely associated with a good outcome than H2(15)O CBF-PET, which, in addition, showed hypoperfusion contralateral to the epileptic temporal lobe in several cases. H2(15)O sensitivity may have been reduced by technical factors, but 18FDG-PET appears to be more specific for localization of epileptic zones."}
{"id": "PMID:1464301", "title": "Long-term treatment with gabapentin for partial epilepsy.", "content": "Gabapentin was studied as an open-label 'add-on' antiepileptic drug in 35 patients with partial seizures. Follow-up at 6 months, 12 months, 18 months, and 24 months is reported. There was a trend toward improvement in simple (SPS) and complex partial seizures with it reaching significance for SPS at 12 and 24 months and for the weighted combination of seizures at 3 months. Five of nine patients were subsequently successfully converted to gabapentin monotherapy. Of those five, one is now seizure free and three are significantly improved since baseline. One remains with unchanged seizure frequency compared to baseline, but is experiencing less toxicity than at that time. This long-term observation suggests that the short-term effect demonstrated in blinded studies continues and that indeed some patients with refractory epilepsy can be maintained on gabapentin alone. Based on these findings, double-blind monotherapy trials of this drug are presently being conducted."}
{"id": "PMID:1464302", "title": "The phenomenology of multiple partial seizure-like symptoms without stereotyped spells: an epilepsy spectrum disorder?", "content": "Consistent with previous reports by neuropsychiatrists, the results of the present investigation confirmed the existence of a neurobehavioral disorder characterized by the subjective experiencing of multiple cognitive, affective, and psychosensory phenomena similar to those associated with more classic partial seizure disorders. According to the literature, such patients typically respond favorably to anticonvulsants although they lack the customary motor manifestations of complex partial seizure (CPS) disorders and typically do not have stereotyped spells. This neuropsychiatric syndrome has recently been termed epilepsy spectrum disorder (ESD). In the present study, 30 patients with ESD were matched with equal numbers of treatment-refractory CPS patients and normal controls. All subjects were administered a standardized interview consisting of 35 cognitive, affective, and psychosensory partial seizure-like symptoms. The results indicated that ESD patients endorsed significantly more partial seizure-like symptoms than did CPS patients and controls. Relatively low levels of symptom endorsement by an unmatched psychiatric comparison sample indicated that the high levels of symptom endorsement by ESD patients could not be attributed to the presence of psychiatric dysfunction per se. Analysis of responding to 'foil' items unrelated to partial seizures indicated that high levels of symptom endorsement by ESD patients did not merely reflect a deviant response. Although ESD patients seldom present themselves at tertiary care epilepsy centers, the study of such patients is likely to be of relevance to mainstream epileptology."}
{"id": "PMID:1464303", "title": "Rapid activation of a novel plant defense gene is strictly dependent on the Arabidopsis RPM1 disease resistance locus.", "content": "We cloned and sequenced cDNAs encoded by a novel plant defense gene, ELI3, from parsley and Arabidopsis thaliana. The predicted product shares no homology to known sequences. ELI3 mRNA accumulates in A. thaliana leaves in response to challenge with phytopathogenic Pseudomonas syringae strains. The timing and magnitude of this response are dictated by the genetics of the plant-pathogen interaction being analyzed. During incompatible interactions, where resistance in the plant genotype Col-0 is dictated by the dominant RPM1 locus, ELI3 mRNA accumulates to high levels 5-10 h post-inoculation. This kinetic behavior is also generated by the presence of a cloned bacterial avirulence gene, in otherwise virulent bacteria, which triggers resistance mediated via RPM1 action. The phenotypic outcome is a hypersensitive resistance reaction visible 8-15 h post-infiltration. Thus, the induction kinetics of ELI3 mRNA accumulation are consistent with a functional role for the ELI3 gene product in establishing the resistant phenotype. In contrast, during compatible interactions with the susceptible plant genotype Nd-0, which is homozygous recessive at the rpm1 locus, ELI3 mRNA accumulates significantly only after 15 h. We show genetically that ELI3 activation is strictly dependent on the presence of dominant alleles at RPM1 using an assay generalizable to any pathogen induced plant defense phenomena."}
{"id": "PMID:1464304", "title": "Chilling sensitivity of Arabidopsis thaliana with genetically engineered membrane lipids.", "content": "Upon transfer of a genetically engineered Escherichia coli gene for glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase (plsB) to Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh., the gene is transcribed and translated into an enzymatically active polypeptide. This leads to an alteration in fatty acid composition of membrane lipids. From these alterations it is evident that the enzyme is located mainly inside the plastids. The amount of saturated fatty acids in plastidial membrane lipids increased. In particular, the fraction of high-temperature melting species of phosphatidylglycerol is elevated. These molecules are thought to play a crucial role in determining chilling sensitivity of plants. An increase in sensitivity could be observed in the transgenic plants during recultivation after chilling treatment. Implications for the hypothesis of phosphatidylglycerol-determined chilling sensitivity are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1464305", "title": "Isolation and characterization of a sucrose carrier cDNA from spinach by functional expression in yeast.", "content": "Active loading of the phloem with sucrose in leaves is an essential part of the process of supplying non-photosynthetic tissues with carbon and energy. The transport is protein mediated and coupled to proton-symport, but so far no sucrose carrier gene has been identified. Using an engineered Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain, a cDNA from spinach encoding a sucrose carrier was identified by functional expression. Yeast strains that allow the phenotypic recognition of a sucrose carrier activity were constructed by expressing a cytoplasmic invertase from yeast, or the potato sucrose synthase gene, in a strain unable to transport or grow on sucrose due to a deletion in the SUC2 gene. A spinach cDNA expression library established from the poly(A)+ RNA from source leaves of spinach and cloned in a yeast expression vector yielded transformed yeast clones which were able to grow on media containing sucrose as the sole carbon source. This ability was strictly linked to the presence of the spinach cDNA clone pS21. Analysis of the sucrose uptake process in yeast strains transformed with this plasmid show a pH-dependent uptake of sucrose with a Km of 1.5 mM, which can be inhibited by maltose, alpha-phenylglucoside, carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone and p-chloromercuribenzenesulfonic acid. These data are in accordance with measurements using both leaf discs and plasma membrane vesicles from leaves of higher plants. DNA sequence analysis of the pS21 clone reveals the presence of an open reading frame encoding a protein with a molecular mass of 55 kDa. The predicted protein contains several hydrophobic regions which could be assigned to 12 membrane-spanning regions.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1464306", "title": "Chimeric myosin regulatory light chains identify the subdomain responsible for regulatory function.", "content": "Regulatory light chains, located on the 'motor' head domains of myosin, belong to the family of Ca2+ binding proteins that consist of four 'EF-hand' subdomains. Vertebrate regulatory light chains can be divided into two functional classes: (i) in smooth/non-muscle myosins, phosphorylation of the light chains by a calcium/calmodulin-dependent kinase regulates both interaction of the myosin head with actin and assembly of the myosin into filaments, (ii) the light chains of skeletal muscle myosins are similarly phosphorylated, but they play no apparent role in regulation. To discover the basis for the difference in regulatory properties of these two classes of light chains, we have synthesized in Escherichia coli, chimeric mutants composed of subdomains derived from the regulatory light chains of chicken skeletal and smooth muscle myosins. The regulatory capability of these mutants was analysed by their ability to regulate molluscan myosin. Using this test system, we identified the third subdomain of the regulatory light chain as being responsible for controlling not only the actin-myosin interaction, but also myosin filament assembly."}
{"id": "PMID:1464307", "title": "G- to F-actin modulation by a single amino acid substitution in the actin binding site of actobindin and thymosin beta 4.", "content": "The actin binding sites of actobindin and thymosin beta 4, two small polypeptides that inhibit actin polymerization by interacting with monomeric actin, have been localized using peptide mimetics. Both sites are functionally similar and extend over 20 residues and are located in the NH2-terminus of the polypeptides. They can be dissected into two functional entities: a conserved hexapeptide motif (LKHAET or LKKTET), which forms the major contact site through electrostatic interactions with actin, and a non-conserved NH2-terminal segment preceding the motif, which exerts the inhibitory activity on actin polymerization probably by steric hindrance. The introduction of a glutamic acid at the third position in the motif, creating LKEAET or LKETET sequences, which are similar to those found in some F-actin binding proteins, converts the peptide's inhibitory phenotype into an F-actin stimulatory property. These results allow the proposal of a simple model for G- to F-actin modulation."}
{"id": "PMID:1464308", "title": "The mouse 5HT5 receptor reveals a remarkable heterogeneity within the 5HT1D receptor family.", "content": "Serotonin (5-HT) is a neuromodulator that mediates a wide range of physiological functions by activating multiple receptors. Using a strategy based on amino acid sequence homology between 5-HT receptors that interact with G proteins, we have isolated a cDNA encoding a new serotonin receptor from a mouse brain library. Amino acid sequence comparisons revealed that this receptor was a distant relative of all previously identified 5-HT receptors; we therefore named it 5HT5. When expressed in Cos-7 cells and NIH-3T3 cells, the 5HT5 receptor displayed a high affinity for the serotonergic radioligand [125I]LSD. Surprisingly, its pharmacological profile resembled that of the 5HT1D receptor, which is a 5-HT receptor subtype which has been shown to inhibit adenylate cyclase and which is predominantly expressed in basal ganglia. However, unlike 5HT1D receptors, the 5HT5 receptor did not inhibit adenylate cyclase and its mRNA was not found in basal ganglia. On the contrary, in situ hybridization experiments revealed that the 5HT5 mRNA was expressed predominantly in cerebral cortex, hippocampus, habenula, olfactory bulb and granular layer of the cerebellum. Our results therefore demonstrate that the 5HT1D receptors constitute a heterogeneous family of receptors with distinct intracellular signalling properties and expression patterns."}
{"id": "PMID:1464309", "title": "Multiple trimeric G-proteins on the trans-Golgi network exert stimulatory and inhibitory effects on secretory vesicle formation.", "content": "The role of heterotrimeric G-proteins on the formation of constitutive secretory vesicles (CSVs) and immature secretory granules (ISGs) from the trans-Golgi network (TGN) of PC12 cells was investigated. Using immunofluorescence and subcellular fractionation in conjunction with immunoblotting or ADP-ribosylation by either pertussis toxin or cholera toxin, TGN membranes were found to contain not only several alpha i/alpha o G-protein subunits including apparently alpha i3, but also alpha s. Pertussis toxin treatment of cells, which resulted in the stoichiometric ADP-ribosylation of alpha i/alpha o, a modification known to prevent their coupling to receptors, led to the stimulation of cell-free CSV and ISG formation, suggesting the presence of a guanine nucleotide exchange factor for alpha i/alpha o on the TGN. Mastoparan-7, a peptide known to mimic an activated receptor and to stimulate nucleotide exchange on alpha i/alpha o, inhibited cell-free vesicle formation, an effect abolished by pertussis toxin. In contrast, activation of alpha s by cholera toxin treatment of cells resulted in a stimulation of cell-free CSV and ISG formation. This stimulation could be reversed when the alpha subunits not activated by cholera toxin, i.e. alpha i/alpha o, were activated by GTP gamma S and [AIF4]-. Our results show that both inhibitory and stimulatory trimeric G-proteins on the TGN participate in the regulation of secretory vesicle formation."}
{"id": "PMID:1464310", "title": "Dominant-negative mutants of a yeast G-protein beta subunit identify two functional regions involved in pheromone signalling.", "content": "The STE4 gene, which encodes the beta subunit of the mating response G-protein in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, was subjected to a saturation mutagenesis using 'doped' oligodeoxynucleotides. We employed a genetic screen to select dominant-negative STE4 mutants, which when overexpressed from the GAL1 promoter, interfered with the signalling function of the wild type protein. The identified inhibitory amino acid alterations define two small regions that are crucially involved in transmitting the mating signal from G beta to downstream components of the signalling pathway. These results underline the positive signalling role of yeast G beta and assign for the first time the positive signalling function of a G-protein beta subunit to specific structural features."}
{"id": "PMID:1464311", "title": "The protein kinase homologue Ste20p is required to link the yeast pheromone response G-protein beta gamma subunits to downstream signalling components.", "content": "In the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae the G-protein beta gamma subunits have been shown to trigger downstream events of the pheromone response pathway. We have identified a new gene, designated STE20, which encodes a protein kinase homologue with sequence similarity to protein kinase C, which is required to transmit the pheromone signal from G beta gamma to downstream components of the signalling pathway. Overproduction of the kinase suppresses the mating defect of dominant-negative G beta mutations providing genetic evidence for an interaction with G beta, and epistasis experiments show that this kinase functions after or at the same point as G beta gamma, but before any of the other currently identified components of the signalling pathway. This points to a potentially new mechanism of G-protein mediated signal transduction, the activation of a protein kinase through G beta gamma."}
{"id": "PMID:1464312", "title": "Molecular cloning of human growth inhibitory factor cDNA and its down-regulation in Alzheimer's disease.", "content": "In previous studies, we discovered a growth inhibitory factor (GIF) that was abundant in normal human brain, but greatly reduced in Alzheimer's disease (AD) brain. Molecular cloning of a full-length cDNA for human GIF revealed that the GIF had striking homology to metallothioneins. Furthermore, it was determined that the GIF gene was on chromosome 16, as are the metallothionein genes. GIF, in contrast to metallothioneins, was found to be expressed exclusively in the nervous system. The GIF protein produced by Escherichia coli harboring the GIF cDNA in a prokaryotic expression vector inhibited the growth of neonatal rat cortical neurons. These results indicate that GIF is a new member of the metallothionein family with distinct tissue-specific expression and functions. Northern blot analysis revealed that expression of the GIF mRNA is drastically decreased in AD brains. The result raises the possibility that down-regulation of the GIF gene in AD brain plays an important role in the pathogenesis of AD."}
{"id": "PMID:1464313", "title": "Lineage-independent activation of immune system effector function by myeloid Fc receptors.", "content": "An emerging theme in immunology finds receptors which initiate cellular effector programs forming multichain complexes in which the ligand recognition elements associate with one or more 'trigger molecules' whose aggregation initiates a signal transduction cascade. The sequence motifs constituting the active sites of these trigger molecules are found in the T cell and B cell antigen receptors, and some Fc receptors, and appear to be central to effector function activation. For example, of the many molecules that mimic or potentiate the action of the T cell antigen receptor (TCR), none have yet been found to initiate effector programs autonomously in cells lacking TCR. We have devised two strategies to study activation mediated by myeloid Fc receptors, which appear not to associate with trigger molecules: the use of primary human cytolytic T cells as surrogate effector cells for genetically delivered receptors, and the use of vaccinia virus vectors to introduce genetically modified receptors into primary human monocytes. Using these approaches, we have found that the cytoplasmic domains of two Fc receptors show comparable function to equivalent domains of the trigger molecule family, but are not homologous to members of that family."}
{"id": "PMID:1464314", "title": "Biased reading frames of pre-existing DH--JH coding joints and preferential nucleotide insertions at VH--DJH signal joints of excision products of immunoglobulin heavy chain gene rearrangements.", "content": "During B cell differentiation immunoglobulin (Ig) DH segments join to JH segments, followed by joining of VH to DJH. Although circular excision products of DH--JH rearrangements have been characterized, excision products of VH to DJH joining have never been isolated. We selectively denatured chromosomal DNA of mouse splenocytes and enriched circular DNA spanning the long distance between VH and DH. Subsequent PCR amplifications allowed the identification of signal joints of VH to DJH. Sequence analysis indicated that preexisting DH--JH coding joints of excision products showed a strong bias for reading frame 1, and the absence of reading frame 2, which would allow the expression of a truncated mu chain called D mu protein. When comparing the joints of the VH--DJH and DH--JH rearrangements we observed N-nucleotide insertions to be abundant at the VH--DH signal joint, but very sparse at the DH--JH signal joint, while the coding joints of both contained abundant N-insertions. These differences in N region insertions at the signal joints suggest a differential control of the D--J and V--DJ rearrangements."}
{"id": "PMID:1464315", "title": "CD45 tyrosine phosphatase-activated p59fyn couples the T cell antigen receptor to pathways of diacylglycerol production, protein kinase C activation and calcium influx.", "content": "The role of the CD45 phosphotyrosine phosphatase in coupling the T cell antigen receptor complex (TCR) to intracellular signals was investigated. CD45- HPB-ALL T cells were transfected with cDNA encoding the CD45RA+B+C- isoform. The tyrosine kinase activity of p59fyn was found to be 65% less in CD45- cells than in CD45+ cells, whereas p56lck kinase activity was comparable in both sub-clones. In CD45- cells the TCR was uncoupled from protein tyrosine phosphorylation, phospholipase C gamma 1 regulation, inositol phosphate production, calcium signals, diacylglycerol production and protein kinase C activation. Restoration of TCR coupling to all these pathways correlated with the increased p59fyn activity observed in CD45-transfected cells. Co-aggregation of CD4- or CD8-p56lck kinase with the TCR in CD45- cells restored TCR-induced protein tyrosine phosphorylation, phospholipase C gamma 1 regulation and calcium signals. Receptor-mediated calcium signals were largely due (60-90%) to Ca2+ influx, and only a minor component (10-40%) was caused by Ca2+ release from intracellular stores. Maximal CD3-mediated Ca2+ influx occurred at CD3 mAb concentrations at which inositol phosphate production was non-detectable. These results indicate that CD45-regulated p59fyn plays a critical role in coupling the TCR to specific intracellular signalling pathways and that CD4- or CD8-p56lck can only restore signal transduction coupling in CD45- cells when brought into close association with the TCR."}
{"id": "PMID:1464316", "title": "Distinct downstream signaling mechanism between erythropoietin receptor and interleukin-2 receptor.", "content": "Erythropoietin receptor (EPOR) and interleukin-2 receptor beta chain (IL-2R beta) belong to the same cytokine receptor superfamily and have highly conserved sequences in their intracellular signaling domain. However, common downstream signaling pathways of these receptors have not been demonstrated. In the present study, we introduced and expressed the murine EPOR in murine IL-2-, IL-3- and IL-5-dependent cell lines and analyzed their growth response to EPO. We found that the expression of EPOR induced EPO dependence in IL-3-dependent BAF-B03 and IL-5-dependent Y16 cells but not in IL-2-dependent CTLL-2 cells, although the EPOR-expressing CTLL-2 cell lines could bind and internalize EPO as efficiently as the BAF-B03-derived cell lines. Additional expression of AIC2B, a common signal transducer for IL-3R, IL-5R and GM-CSFR, made no difference to the EPO responsiveness of the EPOR-expressing CTLL-2 cell lines. These results suggest that the cellular components required for the transduction of EPOR signal and IL-2R signal are at least partially different, and this difference cannot be explained solely by the absence of AIC2B."}
{"id": "PMID:1464317", "title": "A new cdc gene required for S phase entry of Schizosaccharomyces pombe encodes a protein similar to the cdc 10+ and SWI4 gene products.", "content": "We have isolated a new cell division cycle gene (res1+) required for entry into S phase, as a multicopy dual suppressor of the pat1 and cdc10 mutants of the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe. The res1+ gene specifies a 72 kDa protein with two copies of the cdc10/SWI6 motif. A disruptant of res1+ grows poorly at 30 degrees C with severe heat- and cold-sensitivities, and completely arrests in G1 at 36 degrees C and 23 degrees C. The arrested disruptant retains a full conjugation ability. In addition to the cdc10/SWI6 motif, Res1 and SWI4 proteins share a remarkable homology in their amino-terminal region, whereas Cdc10 and SWI6 do so in their carboxy-terminal region. Moreover, the amino-terminal region is essential for the function of Res1 as it is for the function of SWI4. Furthermore, analogous to the relationship of SWI4 to SWI6, the res1+ gene effectively rescues cdc10 mutants, but the cdc10+ gene cannot rescue the res1- phenotype. Thus, striking similarities exist in both structural and functional relationships between Res1 and SWI4, and between Cdc10 and SWI6. In view of the fact that SWI4 and SWI6 form a transcription factor complex and activate promoters containing the SWI4/SWI6 dependent cell-cycle box, Res1 might be a putative association partner of Cdc10 which appears to be involved at least in the activation of promoters containing a MluI cell-cycle box."}
{"id": "PMID:1464318", "title": "Pyp3 PTPase acts as a mitotic inducer in fission yeast.", "content": "The p34cdc2 M-phase kinase is regulated by inhibitory phosphorylation of Tyr15, largely through the actions of the p107wee1 tyrosine kinase and p80cdc25 protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTPase). In this study we demonstrate that a second PTPase, encoded by pyp3, also contributes to tyrosyl dephosphorylation of p34cdc2. Pyp3 was identified as a high copy suppressor of a cdc25- mutation. The pyp3 gene encodes a 33 kDa PTPase that is more closely related to human PTP1B and fission yeast pyp1 and pyp2 PTPases than to cdc25. Pyp3 does not share an essential overlapping function with pyp1 or pyp2. We demonstrate that disruption of pyp3 causes a mitotic delay that is greatly exacerbated in cells that are partially defective for cdc25 function and that pyp3 function is essential in cdc25-disruption wee1- strains. Pyp3 PTPase effectively dephosphorylates and activates the p34cdc2 kinase in vitro. We conclude that the pyp3 PTPase acts cooperatively with p80cdc25 to dephosphorylate Tyr15 of p34cdc2."}
{"id": "PMID:1464319", "title": "Negative regulation of mitosis by two functionally overlapping PTPases in fission yeast.", "content": "We have identified a third protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTPase) gene in fission yeast, pyp2, encoding an 85 kDa protein. Disruption of pyp2 has no impact on cell viability, but pyp2 is essential in strains lacking the 60 kDa pyp1 PTPase. The two pyp PTPases are approximately 42% identical in their C-terminal catalytic domains and share weak homology in their N-terminal regions. Both genes play a role in inhibiting the onset of mitosis. Disruption of either gene rescues the G2 arrest caused by mutation of the cdc25 mitotic inducer, though the effect of pyp1-disruption is more pronounced. Disruption of pyp1 advances mitosis, suppresses overexpression of the tyrosine kinase encoded by the wee1 mitotic inhibitor, and causes lethal mitotic catastrophe in cdc25 overproducer cells. Cells bearing inactive wee1 are unresponsive to disruption of pyp1. Overexpression of pyp1 or pyp2 delays the onset of mitosis by a wee1-dependent mechanism. These data reveal an unexpected second role for protein tyrosine phosphorylation in the mitotic control that acts by promoting the inhibitory wee1 pathway."}
{"id": "PMID:1464320", "title": "An S-phase specific release from a transcriptional block regulates the expression of mouse ribonucleotide reductase R2 subunit.", "content": "Ribonucleotide reductase (RR) activity in mammalian cells is closely linked to DNA synthesis. The RR enzyme is composed of two non-identical subunits, proteins R1 and R2. Both proteins are required for holoenzyme activity, which is regulated by S-phase specific de novo synthesis and breakdown of the R2 subunit. In quiescent cells stimulated to proliferate and in elutriated cell populations enriched in the various cell cycle phases the R2 protein levels are correlated to R2 mRNA levels that are low in G0/G1-phase cells but increase dramatically at the G1/S border. Using an R2 promoter-luciferase reporter gene construct we demonstrate an unexpected early activation of the R2 promoter as cells pass from quiescence to proliferation. However, due to a transcriptional block, this promoter activation only results in very short R2 transcripts until cells enter the S-phase, when full-length R2 transcripts start to appear. The position for the transcriptional block was localized to a nucleotide sequence approximately 87 bp downstream from the first exon/intron boundary by S1 nuclease mapping of R2 transcripts from modified in vitro nuclear run-on experiments. These results identify blocking of transcription as a mechanism to control cell cycle regulated gene expression."}
{"id": "PMID:1464321", "title": "Different activation domains stimulate transcription from remote ('enhancer') and proximal ('promoter') positions.", "content": "We reported previously that the lymphocyte-derived octamer transcription factor 2A (Oct-2A or OTF-2A) activated both natural immunoglobulin promoters and synthetic promoters which contain the 'octamer' site, but was unable by itself to stimulate transcription from a remote enhancer position. Here we examine a larger set of transcription factors with respect to their proximal versus remote activation. Since a transcription factor may contain more than one activation domain, we have chosen to study the potential of individual activation domains in the context of fusion proteins that contain the DNA binding domain of GALA. We have identified at least two distinct functional classes of transcriptional activation domains. 'Proximal' activation domains, exemplified by glutamine-rich domains of Oct-1, Oct-2A and Sp1, stimulate transcription only from a position close to the TATA box, usually in response to a remote enhancer. 'General' activation domains, derived from VP16, GAL4, p65 (NF-chi B), TFE3, ITF-1 and ITF-2, can activate transcription from remote as well as proximal positions. These domains contain many acidic amino acids and/or other features such as clusters of serine and threonine. The proline-rich activation domains of AP-2 and CTF/NF1 may represent a third class with considerable promoter activity and low but significant enhancer activity. Furthermore, activation domains of both the acidic and glutamine-rich types seem to have a modular structure, since duplicated subdomains can substitute for the entire domain."}
{"id": "PMID:1464322", "title": "A synergistic increase in potency of a multimerized VP16 transcriptional activation domain.", "content": "Transcriptional synergy in eucaryotes provides a means to control both the level and diversity of gene expression. The mechanism by which multiple activators elicit such effects is unknown. To address this problem we considered whether multimerizing an activation domain was equivalent to oligomerizing an activator's binding sites on DNA. Synthetic activators bearing one, two or four VP16 'core' activation domains, fused to the GAL4 DNA binding domain, were co-transfected into Cos-1 cells with CAT gene reporter templates containing one, two or five upstream GAL4 binding sites. Our results demonstrate that all of the activators elicit synergistic effects when comparing the amounts of transcription on multiple sites versus a single site. In contrast, the multimerized activation domains did not stimulate transcription significantly on a template bearing a single site; a synergistic increase in potency was, however, apparent on a template bearing two sites. Introducing the flexible lambda repressor linker region in between the activation domains increased the ability of activators bearing two or four VP16 domains to stimulate transcription from the single-site template. We discuss the mechanistic implications of this study on gene activation and synergy."}
{"id": "PMID:1464323", "title": "The transcriptional transactivation function of wild-type p53 is inhibited by SV40 large T-antigen and by HPV-16 E6 oncoprotein.", "content": "The observed interaction between p53 and the oncoproteins encoded by several DNA tumor viruses suggests that these viruses mediate their transforming activities at least in part by altering the normal growth regulatory function of p53. In this study we examined the effect of viral oncoprotein expression on the transcriptional transactivation function of wild-type p53 in human cells. Plasmids expressing human p53 were cotransfected with either SV40 large T-antigen or human papillomavirus (HPV) type 16 E6 expression plasmids and assayed for transactivation function using a reporter gene driven by a p53-responsive promoter containing multiple copies of the consensus p53 DNA binding motif, TGCCT. Both large T-antigen and E6 were able to inhibit transactivation by wild-type p53. Furthermore, SV40 T-antigen mutants that are defective for p53 binding were not able to inhibit transactivation and HPV E6 proteins that were either mutant or derived from non-oncogenic HPV types and unable to bind p53, had no effect on p53 transactivation. These results demonstrate the physiological relevance of the interaction of SV40 T-antigen and HPV E6 oncoproteins with p53 in vivo and suggest that the transforming functions of these viral oncoproteins may be linked to their ability to inhibit p53-mediated transcriptional activation."}
{"id": "PMID:1464324", "title": "Polyadenylation of maternal mRNA during oocyte maturation: poly(A) addition in vitro requires a regulated RNA binding activity and a poly(A) polymerase.", "content": "Specific maternal mRNAs receive poly(A) during early development as a means of translational regulation. In this report, we investigated the mechanism and control of poly(A) addition during frog oocyte maturation, in which oocytes advance from first to second meiosis becoming eggs. We analyzed polyadenylation in vitro in oocyte and egg extracts. In vivo, polyadenylation during maturation requires AAUAAA and a U-rich element. The same sequences are required for polyadenylation in egg extracts in vitro. The in vitro reaction requires at least two separable components: a poly(A) polymerase and an RNA binding activity with specificity for AAUAAA and the U-rich element. The poly(A) polymerase is similar to nuclear poly(A) polymerases in mammalian cells. Through a 2000-fold partial purification, the frog egg and mammalian enzymes were found to be very similar. More importantly, a purified calf thymus poly(A) polymerase acquired the sequence specificity seen during frog oocyte maturation when mixed with the frog egg RNA binding fraction, demonstrating the interchangeability of the two enzymes. To determine how polyadenylation is activated during maturation, we compared polymerase and RNA binding activities in oocyte and egg extracts. Although oocyte extracts were much less active in maturation-specific polyadenylation, they contained nearly as much poly(A) polymerase activity. In contrast, the RNA binding activity differed dramatically in oocyte and egg extracts: oocyte extracts contained less binding activity and the activity that was present exhibited an altered mobility in gel retardation assays. Finally, we demonstrate that components present in the RNA binding fraction are rate-limiting in the oocyte extract, suggesting that fraction contains the target that is activated by progesterone treatment. This target may be the RNA binding activity itself. We propose that in spite of the many biological differences between them, nuclear polyadenylation and cytoplasmic polyadenylation during early development may be catalyzed by similar, or even identical, components."}
{"id": "PMID:1464325", "title": "A conformational rearrangement in the spliceosome is dependent on PRP16 and ATP hydrolysis.", "content": "PRP16 is an RNA-dependent ATPase that is required for the second catalytic step of pre-mRNA splicing. We have previously shown that PRP16 protein binds stably to spliceosomes that have completed 5' splice site cleavage and lariat formation. PRP16 then promotes 3' splice site cleavage and exon ligation in an ATP-dependent fashion. We now demonstrate that PRP16 can hydrolyse all nucleoside triphosphates and corresponding deoxynucleotides; complementation of the second catalytic step shows the same broad nucleotide specificity. These results link the nucleotide requirement of step 2 to PRP16. Interestingly, we find that PRP16 promotes a conformational change in the spliceosome which results in the protection of the 3' splice site against oligo-directed RNase H cleavage. This structural rearrangement is dependent on the hydrolysis of ATP, since ATP gamma S, a competitive inhibitor of the PRP16 ATPase activity, does not promote the protection of the 3' splice site and formation of mRNA."}
{"id": "PMID:1464326", "title": "Chloroplast group III twintron excision utilizing multiple 5'- and 3'-splice sites.", "content": "The chloroplast genes of Euglena gracilis contain more than 60 group II and 47 group III introns. Some Euglena chloroplast genes also contain twintrons, introns-within-introns. Two types of twintrons have previously been described, a group II twintron and a mixed group II/group III twintron. We report that four introns, three within the RNA polymerase subunit gene rpoC1 and one within ribosomal protein gene rpl16, with mean lengths twice typical group III introns, are a new type of twintron. The group III twintrons are composed of group III introns within other group III introns. The splicing of the twintrons was analyzed by PCR amplification, cloning and sequencing of cDNAs, and Northern hybridization. Excision of each group III twintron occurs by a two-step, sequential splicing pathway. Removal of the internal introns precedes excision of the external introns. Splicing of internal introns in three of the four group III twintrons involves multiple 5'- and/or 3'-splice sites. With two of the twintrons the proximal 5'-splice site can be spliced to an internal 3'-splice site, yielding alternative 'pseudo' fully spliced mRNAs. Excised group III introns of the rpl16 twintron are not linear RNA molecules but either lariat or circular RNAs, probably a lariat. The origins of alternative splicing and a possible evolutionary relationship between group II, group III and nuclear pre-mRNA introns are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1464327", "title": "A new subclass of nucleoporins that functionally interact with nuclear pore protein NSP1.", "content": "NSP1 is a nuclear pore protein (nucleoporin) essential for cell growth. To identify the components that functionally interact with NSP1 in the living cell, we developed a genetic screen for mutants that are lethal in a genetic background of mutated, but not wild type NSP1. Fourteen synthetic lethal mutants were obtained, belonging to at least four different complementation groups. The genes of two complementation groups, NSP116 and NSP49, were cloned. Like the previously described nucleoporins, these genes encode proteins with many repeat sequences. NSP116 and NSP49, however, contain a new repetitive sequence motif 'GLFG', which classifies them as a subclass of nucleoporins. NSP116 and NSP49, tagged with the IgG binding domain of protein A and expressed in yeast, are located at the nuclear envelope. These data provide in vivo evidence that distinct subclasses of nucleoporins physically interact or share overlapping function in nuclear pore complexes."}
{"id": "PMID:1464328", "title": "Chromosomal illegitimate recombination in mammalian cells is associated with intrinsically bent DNA elements.", "content": "Illegitimate recombination is the most frequent mechanism for chromosomal rearrangements in mammalian cells, yet little is known about this process. Most of the studies to date have looked at the sequences present at illegitimate junctions. These revealed the presence of recurrent DNA motifs, none of which was consistently found. We have undertaken to determine if intrinsic DNA structures such as bent DNA elements could be a major determinant in chromosomal illegitimate recombination. Using a two dimensional electrophoretic assay we found that eight out of eight junctions, resulting from various types of chromosomal rearrangements, had migration behaviour characteristic of DNA containing intrinsically bent DNA elements. In all cases, these occurred within one kilobase of the junctions, and in most cases could be found in both participating DNA segments. We also found that these bent DNA elements were present before the recombination event. When we analysed the frequency of intrinsically bent DNA elements in random chromosomal fragments, we found it to be about one per 11 kilobases. Thus these results suggest that bent DNA is associated with chromosomal illegitimate recombination."}
{"id": "PMID:1464329", "title": "A coiled-coil related protein specific for synapsed regions of meiotic prophase chromosomes.", "content": "Synaptonemal complexes (SCs) are structures that are formed between homologous chromosomes during meiotic prophase. They are probably involved in chromosome pairing and recombination. Using a monoclonal anti-SC antibody we isolated cDNAs encoding a major component of SCs which is localized specifically in synapsed segments of meiotic prophase chromosomes. The protein predicted from the nucleotide sequence of a full-length cDNA, named SCP1, consists of 946 amino acid residues and has a molecular weight of 111 kDa. It shares several features with nuclear lamins and some recently identified nuclear matrix proteins. The major part of SCP1 consists of long stretches capable of forming amphipathic alpha-helices. This region shows amino acid sequence similarity to the coiled-coil region of myosin heavy chain. A leucine zipper is included in this region. The carboxy-terminus has two small basic domains and several S/T-P-X-X motifs, which are characteristic of DNA-binding proteins. One of these motifs is a potential target site for p34cdc2 protein kinase. The amino-terminus is acidic and relatively proline-rich, but does not contain the S/T-P-X-X motif. The transcription of the gene encoding SCP1 is restricted to zygotene-diplotene spermatocytes. A polyclonal antiserum raised against the fusion protein of one of the cDNA clones recognizes a single protein on Western blots of isolated SCs, with an electrophoretic mobility identical to that of the antigen recognized by the original monoclonal antibody (mAb), IX5B2. From a detailed comparison of the immunogold labelling of rat SCs by mAb IX5B2 and the polyclonal anti-fusion protein antiserum respectively, we tentatively infer that the carboxy-terminus of SCP1 is orientated towards the lateral elements and that the other domains of the protein extend towards the central region between the lateral elements. We conclude that SCP1 is the major component of the transverse filaments of SCs, and speculate that it has evolved by specialization of a nuclear matrix protein."}
{"id": "PMID:1464330", "title": "E.coli MukB protein involved in chromosome partition forms a homodimer with a rod-and-hinge structure having DNA binding and ATP/GTP binding activities.", "content": "mukB mutants of Escherichia coli are defective in the correct partitioning of replicated chromosomes. This results in the appearance of normal-sized anucleate (chromosome-less) cells during cell proliferation. Based on the nucleotide sequence of the mukB gene, the MukB protein of 177 kDa was predicted to be a filamentous protein with globular domains at the ends, and also having DNA binding and nucleotide binding abilities. Here we present evidence that the purified MukB protein possesses these characteristics. MukB forms a homodimer with a rod-and-hinge structure having a pair of large, C-terminal globular domains at one end and a pair of small, N-terminal globular domains at the opposite end; it tends to bend at a middle hinge site of the rod section. Chromatography in a DNA-cellulose column and the gel retardation assay revealed that MukB possesses DNA binding activity. Photoaffinity cross-linking experiments showed that MukB binds to ATP and GTP in the presence of Zn2+. Throughout the purification steps, acyl carrier protein was co-purified with MukB."}
{"id": "PMID:1464331", "title": "Virulence in bacteriophage Mu: a case of trans-dominant proteolysis by the Escherichia coli Clp serine protease.", "content": "The importance of proteases in gene regulation is well documented in both prokaryotic and eukaryotic systems. Here we describe the first example of genetic regulation controlled by the Escherichia coli Clp ATP-dependent serine protease. Virulent mutants of bacteriophage Mu, which carry a particular mutation in their repressor gene (vir mutation), successfully infect Mu lysogens and induce the resident Mu prophage. We show that the mutated repressors have an abnormally short half-life due to an increased susceptibility to Clp-dependent degradation. This susceptibility is communicated to the wild type repressor present in the same cell, which provides the Muvir phages with their trans-dominant phenotype. To our knowledge this is the first case where the instability of a mutant protein is shown to trigger the degradation of its wild type parent."}
{"id": "PMID:1464333", "title": "Exercise dependent complete left bundle branch block.", "content": "Eleven patients with an exercise dependent complete left bundle branch block (CLBBB) were followed-up over a period of 2-13 years (mean 6.5 +/- 3.8). Their ages ranged from 19 to 62 years (mean 48). Four patients complained of chest pain on effort and one of palpitations. All patients underwent a clinical examination, 12 lead ECG, routine blood tests, chest X-ray, a multistage exercise test, echo Doppler, radionuclide ventriculography with TC99 and 48-h Holter monitoring. Ten were submitted to a coronary angiography with left ventriculography. The ECG at rest displayed a normal ECG in seven patients and an incomplete left bundle branch block (ILBBB) in four patients. The onset heart rate (HR) of CLBBB ranged from 95-146 beats.min-1 (mean 123) and the offset HR75-135 (mean 102 beats.min-1). Coronary angiography showed three-vessel disease in two patients and an obstruction of the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) in the third. In the other seven patients all the investigations (including coronary angiography) were normal. During the follow-up period the HR at onset of CLBBB decreased from 145 beats.min-1 to 100 beats.min-1 in four patients but no coronary artery disease (CAD) could be proven at coronary angiography. In our series chest pain did not always signify the presence of CAD. We conclude, that in patients with exercise-dependent CLBBB the prognosis is good if no underlying heart disease can be detected. It appears from our limited experience that an exercise-dependent CLBBB at heart rate below 125 beats.min-1 does not by itself constitute a sign of CAD."}
{"id": "PMID:1464334", "title": "Heart involvement in AIDS: a prospective study during various stages of the disease.", "content": "The goal of our study was to evaluate the incidence of heart involvement in AIDS patients during various stages of the disease. Between January 1988 to September 1991, we conducted a prospective study in 114 anti-HIV positive patients. The patients, whose mean age (+/- SD) was 34.6 +/- 5.4 years (range 20 to 54), were divided into three groups: anti-HIV positive asymptomatic (n = 31; 27%), AIDS related complex (ARC) group IV-A (n = 11; 10%), and AIDS subgroups IV-C1 (n = 62; 54%) and IV-D (n = 10; 9%). Overall, 84 patients (74%) were i.v. drug abusers, 24 (21%) were homosexuals, and six (5%) were partners at risk. Zidovudine (AZT) was administered to 94 patients (82%). Opportunistic infections and/or secondary malignancies were detected in 72 patients (63%). Electrocardiographic changes were of little clinical relevance. Of 72 AIDS patients, 47 (65.2%) presented a cardiac involvement: 12 subjects (16.6%) were affected by a dilated cardiomyopathy, 13 (18%) by pericardial effusion, three (4.1%) by mitral valve prolapse, four (5.5%) by myocarditis, five (6.9%) by valvular bacterial endocarditis, and 10 (13.8%) by alterations of left ventricle regional contractility. During a mean follow-up period of 44 months, 29 AIDS patients (40.2%) died. Death was attributed to a cardiac event in four patients; autopsy could be performed in 24 of the 29 patients who died. Our results demonstrate that heart involvement is present in 45.6% of HIV-infected patients, but only in the end-stage of the disease (AIDS) and it is presumably due to opportunistic infections and/or secondary malignancies.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1464335", "title": "Food in chronic heart failure: improvement in central haemodynamics but deleterious effects on exercise tolerance.", "content": "Food has been known to have significant central haemodynamic effects for over half a century; it causes an increase in cardiac output and a fall in systemic vascular resistance. These changes are potentially desirable in patients with chronic heart failure but how they relate to exercise tolerance is unknown. This study was designed to examine the haemodynamic effects of food with changes in exercise capability in a group of patients with chronic heart failure. Fifteen patients with chronic heart failure and 10 normal control subjects were studied. They underwent treadmill exercise testing whilst fasting and after a standardized meal. Measurements were made of symptom-limited exercise tolerance, cardiac output, limb blood flow and respiratory gases. Superior mesenteric artery blood flow was measured fasting and postprandially only. Despite an increase in cardiac output, at rest and during exercise, which was not, however, as great as that in the control subjects, the symptom-limited exercise tolerance of the patients fell by 37 s postprandially (P < 0.05). Superior mesenteric artery blood flow increased postprandially by a mean of 133 ml.min-1 (P < 0.05) in the patients and 424 ml.min-1 (P < 0.01) in the control subjects. Calf blood flow increased in both groups during exercise, but there was no change in limb blood flow when comparisons were made between the fasting and postprandial states. The normal postprandial increase in oxygen consumption did not occur in the patients although their minute ventilation was higher than the control subjects (P < 0.01).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1464336", "title": "Prognostic importance of predischarge exercise capacity for long-term mortality and non-fatal myocardial infarction in patients admitted for suspected acute myocardial infarction and treated with metoprolol.", "content": "To evaluate the influence of acute beta-blockade on the ability of predischarge exercise test data to predict long-term prognosis in patients admitted for suspected acute myocardial infarction, patients randomized at hospital admission to intravenous metoprolol or placebo were studied. Among 190 patients discharged alive, total 4-year mortality was 20.5% (n = 39); (33 cardiac deaths, 6 non-cardiac deaths). Non-fatal infarction rate was 6.8% (n = 13). Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that total mortality and non-fatal infarctions were independently predicted by (a) inability to perform predischarge stress testing (event-free survival for patients exercise tested 79.5% vs 56.9% for patients not eligible for testing; relative risk (RR) 1.40, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.10-1.78; P = 0.01), and (b) low predischarge exercise capacity (RR 1.44, CI 1.08-1.93; P = 0.034). ST segment shift > or = 1 mm did not predict mortality or reinfarction. Administration of metoprolol in the acute phase did not influence the predictive value of these parametres. It is concluded that assessment of exercise capacity at early exercise testing yields independent information for later death and myocardial infarctions, and that beta-blockade with metoprolol does not influence the predictive value of early exercise testing."}
{"id": "PMID:1464337", "title": "Plasma calcitonin gene-related peptide decreases in chronic congestive heart failure.", "content": "To investigate the role of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) in cardiac failure, a sensitive and specific radioimmunoassay was developed to study plasma levels of CGRP in 37 normal subjects and 41 patients with heart failure (HF). The mean plasma levels of CGRP were 294.3 pg.ml-1 (SEM: 41.4) in normal subjects and 121.2 pg.ml-1 (SEM: 21.2) in HF patients. The significant decrease observed in HF patients suggests that CGRP is involved in the pathogenesis of heart failure via a direct effect or via modulation of sympathetic nervous activity."}
{"id": "PMID:1464338", "title": "Transoesophageal stress echocardiography for pre-operative detection of patients at risk of intra-operative myocardial ischaemia.", "content": "Patients with coronary artery disease have an increased risk of developing intra-operative myocardial ischaemia and peri-operative myocardial infarction. Pre-operative identification of patients at risk of developing peri-operative myocardial ischaemia is often difficult or even impossible due to the inability of the patient to perform an exercise test. For those unable to perform physical exercise a system has recently been described combining transoesophageal echocardiography with simultaneous transoesophageal atrial pacing via the same probe to detect pacing-induced wall motion abnormalities, a sign of coronary artery disease. In a prospective study, 20 patients with clinically suspected coronary artery disease undergoing hip replacement were examined pre-operatively by transoesophageal stress echocardiography. During the subsequent operation the incidence of intra-operative ischaemia was evaluated again in all 20 patients by transoesophageal echocardiography. In eight of the 20 patients (40%) wall motion abnormalities could be induced by transoesophageal stress echocardiography pre-operatively. Intra-operative wall motion abnormalities occurred in six of these eight patients. In two patients with wall motion abnormalities induced by transoesophageal stress echocardiography no abnormalities occurred during surgery. However, in those in whom wall motion abnormalities did occur during operation they occurred in the same left ventricular segment as those initiated by stress echocardiography. None of the patients without pre-operatively inducible wall motion abnormality developed them during surgery. No patient developed a myocardial infarction intra- or post-operatively. Thus, preoperative transoesophageal stress echocardiography is a valuable technique for the detection of patients who may develop ischaemic wall motion abnormalities during surgery.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1464339", "title": "Improved diastolic function with the calcium antagonist nisoldipine (coat-core) in patients post myocardial infarction: results of the DEFIANT study. Doppler Flow and Echocardiography in Functional cardiac Insufficiency: Assessment of Nisoldipine Therapy.", "content": "A multicentre, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group trial was undertaken in 135 patients to determine whether 4 weeks of treatment with long-acting nisoldipine coat-core (20 mg once a day) could alter diastolic function in patients with a recent myocardial infarction and with mild left ventricular dysfunction as indicated by a left ventricular ejection fraction < or = 50%. The primary endpoint was the change in diastolic filling parameters assessed by Doppler and two-dimensional echocardiography. The mean time of admission to the study was 20 days (range 7-35) after myocardial infarction. Mean left ventricular ejection fraction was 41%. The drug increased early diastolic peak velocity at the tips of the mitral leaflet by 0.06 m.s-1 (95% confidence intervals (CI): 0.01, 0.11). The time velocity integral was increased by 1.2 cm (95% CI: 0.16, 2.27). These findings are indicative of increased early diastolic flow across the mitral valve. An important determinant appeared to be a reduced isovolumic relaxation time (by 14.7 ms, 95% CI: -22.5, -6.9). As there was no change in heart rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressure or cardiac output, afterload reduction appeared unlikely as an explanation. Peak workload on exercise was 12 watts higher in the group on nisoldipine (95% CI: 0.8, 23.3). Thus, nisoldipine was shown to improve indices of diastolic ventricular function, as well as exercise capacity, in this group of patients. The observed effects of nisoldipine may reflect an anti-ischaemic effect or be due to improved relaxation of the myocardium."}
{"id": "PMID:1464340", "title": "Prevalence and mechanism of streptokinase-induced platelet stimulation. Effect of acetylsalicylic acid.", "content": "It was recently shown that streptokinase may induce clot formation in vivo by immunoglobulin G mediated platelet stimulation. We evaluated the in vitro effect of streptokinase on platelet function in 103 subjects, of whom 52 were < or = 30 years and 51 were > or = 50 years old. Although streptokinase inhibited platelet aggregation in the majority of cases, in nine the threshold concentration of ADP required to induce irreversible aggregation decreased with streptokinase (1 million Units. l-1) by 30% or more. This observation was confirmed in five of the nine by repeated measurements indicating reproducible streptokinase-induced platelet stimulation. Among the five, two were < or = 30, and three were > or = 50 years old. In none of the five subjects did the radio allergo sorbent test detect type E immunoglobulins directed against streptokinase in the serum. In contrast, in four of the five subjects, streptokinase-induced platelet hyperaggregability was suppressed by addition of goat antibodies against human immunoglobulin G, or F(ab')2-fragments of such antibodies. Acetylsalicylic acid did not prevent streptokinase-induced platelet stimulation, but in three of five cases, led to an increase in the control threshold concentration for ADP, so that after the decrease induced by streptokinase the threshold concentration for ADP was in the same range as before acetylsalicylic acid and streptokinase administration. Thus, streptokinase led to an inhibition of platelet aggregation in the majority of subjects evaluated. In a minority of five out of 103, however, streptokinase reproducibly caused platelet stimulation, presumably mediated by immunoglobulin G.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1464341", "title": "Practical issues when initiating captopril therapy in chronic heart failure. What is the appropriate dose and how long should patients be observed?", "content": "To assess the feasibility of introducing captopril in patients with chronic heart failure on an outpatient rather than an inpatient basis a double-blind placebo-controlled study was carried out to compare either 6.25 mg or 25.0 mg of captopril as a starting dose; followed by either incremental doses of 6.25, 12.5, and 25.0 mg (low dose group), or 25.0 mg 8 hourly (high dose group) respectively. Forty-one patients in a general medical ward within a large teaching hospital with moderate to severe, stable, diuretic-controlled chronic heart failure, who were not hyponatraemic, hypokalaemic or on a dose of diuretic greater than 120 mg of frusemide took part. No patient experienced symptomatic hypotension. Both doses of captopril produced a significant drop in blood pressure (BP), the magnitude of which was similar in both groups. The first dose-induced fall correlated significantly with subsequent dose-related reductions in BP. Therefore if a patient did not have a hypotensive response to the first dose of captopril he/she would be unlikely to have one with subsequent doses. In the group as a whole, the magnitude of the fall in BP after the first dose correlated significantly with starting plasma levels of angiotensin II, atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), aldosterone, and renin. However, on an individual basis, the two patients with the greatest fall in blood pressure did not have the most activated renin-angiotensin-aldosterone (RAA) system. This serves to emphasise the unpredictability of this response and the need to initiate therapy under clinical observation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1464342", "title": "Ubiquinone (coenzyme Q10) in the long-term treatment of idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy.", "content": "Using a placebo-controlled, double-blind cross-over study the potential therapeutic effect of ubiquinone (coenzyme Q10) was investigated in 25 patients suffering from idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (New York Heart Association functional classification I, II and III). Over an initial period of 4 months, 15 patients were administered verum (3 x 33.3 mg coenzyme Q10 x day-1 p.o.) and subsequently given a placebo during the ensuing 4 months (V/P). The sequence of treatment was reversed within the remaining 10 patients (P/V). Therapeutic efficacy was assessed by means of echocardiogram, chest X-ray, radionuclide ventriculography in combination with exercise test and impedance cardiography. Control values for left ventricular function parameters were similar in both groups; left ventricular ejection fraction: 39.5 +/- 11.5% (P/V), 37.6 +/- 17.0% (V/P); left ventricular end-diastolic diameter: 65 +/- 9 mm (P/V), 67 +/- 8 mm (P/V); and cardiac output: 5.1 +/- 1.41 x min-1 (P/V), 5.1 +/- 1.11 x min-1 (V/P). Chronic treatment with ubiquinone had no influence on haemodynamic parameters, electrocardiogram, incidence of ventricular arrhythmias or on exercise tolerance. It was therefore impossible to demonstrate any therapeutic effect of ubiquinone in patients suffering from idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy."}
{"id": "PMID:1464343", "title": "Usefulness of intracoronary isosorbide dinitrate in alleviating myocardial ischaemia during coronary balloon angioplasty.", "content": "The effect of intracoronary isosorbide dinitrate on provoked myocardial ischaemia during percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) was studied in 60 patients who had at least 1 mm electrocardiographic (ECG) ST segment deviation during a 70 s control balloon inflation period. Isosorbide dinitrate (dose 1 mg, 2 mg or 3 mg) or placebo (saline) was administered by slow intracoronary injection, and the ST segment changes recorded again during an identical dilatation period 2-4 min later. Following injection of isosorbide dinitrate, the severity of ST segment deviation decreased (1 mg -31 +/- 30%, P = 0.03; 2 mg -51 +/- 35%, P = 0.0001; 3 mg -36 +/- 32%, P = 0.002) during coronary balloon inflation, and the time until onset of 1 mm ST deviation was prolonged (1 mg +79 +/- 137%, P = 0.06; 2 mg +85 +/- 87%, P = 0.02; 3 mg +78 +/- 109%, P = 0.02). With the 3 mg dose, the time to maximum ECG change increased (+37 +/- 87%, P = 0.02). In the placebo group, there was a small decrease in the severity of ST segment deviation in patients receiving placebo (-23 +/- 32%, P = 0.03), but no change in the time to its onset or in the time to maximum ST deviation. Isosorbide dinitrate did not alter heart rate, systolic arterial pressure or the rate-pressure product at maximum ST segment change, implying that when isosorbide was administered by direct intracoronary injection, a direct cardiac effect was responsible for the major anti-ischaemic effect of the drug.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1464344", "title": "Effect of dobutamine on pulmonary gas exchange in patients with severe heart failure.", "content": "Twenty patients (two female, 18 male, mean age 57 +/- 11 years) with severe heart failure NYHA IV (7 coronary artery disease, 13 congestive cardiomyopathy) were treated with 8.8 +/- 1.7 micrograms.kg-1 x min-1 of dobutamine. Pulmonary gas exchange was analysed by withdrawal of blood samples from a central venous catheter and a radial artery cannula. Dobutamine increased SvO2 from 58.7 +/- 11.2% to 72.2 +/- 6.3% (P = 0.0001) and decreased avDO2 from 7.7 +/- 2.45 Vol% to 4.97 +/- 1.34 Vol% (P = 0.0001). PaO2 and PaCO2 were not changed. Qs/Qt increased slightly from 9.1 +/- 8.3% to 11.3 +/- 6.4% (P = 0.035). Cardiac index increased by 51% (P = 0.0001), pulmonary capillary wedge pressure decreased by 28% (P = 0.0001). In patients with severe heart failure, dobutamine improved haemodynamics without detrimental effects on arterial oxygen concentration."}
{"id": "PMID:1464345", "title": "Preservation of myocardial function by mechanical circulatory support during prolonged ischaemia.", "content": "The effect of mechanical circulatory support on left ventricular (LV) function was evaluated during prolonged myocardial ischaemia. Regional wall thickening of a normal and an ischaemic LV region were determined in eight calves (mean body weight 76 kg) using pairs of ultrasonic crystals. LV end-diastolic (mmHg) and peak systolic (mmHg) pressure as well as maximum dP/dt (mmHg s-1) were calculated from LV high-fidelity pressure tracings. The left circumflex coronary artery was ligated proximally for 6 h and reperfused for 18 h. Circulatory support by the assist device was performed from the beginning of ischaemia to the end of the experiment. After a mean time of 4 h all animals showed ventricular fibrillation, which was converted successfully in six animals after a mean time interval of 5 h. Five animals survived after 24 h. The non-surviving animals had larger infarcts, greater creatine kinase release and a larger drop in cardiac output during ischaemia. Haemodynamic measurements were carried out after turning off the assist device. Inotropic stimulation with 0.68 mg.min-1 dopamine i.v. was performed at the end of the study. LV regional function showed systolic bulging during myocardial ischaemia. After 18 h of reperfusion, the ischaemic wall recovered and showed normal systolic wall thickening in the presence of an increased LV preload. LV relaxation was prolonged after reperfusion, suggesting diastolic dysfunction. It is concluded that mechanical circulatory support is effective in protecting myocardial function during prolonged ischaemia in approximately two-thirds of the animals, despite severe ischaemic ventricular dysfunction and intermittent ventricular fibrillation."}
{"id": "PMID:1464346", "title": "The potential role of endothelin as a vasoconstrictor substance in congestive heart failure.", "content": "A rapidly growing body of data supports the concept of in situ regulation of vascular tone: the ability of vasoactive substances to regulate vascular tone at their site of production within the wall of the vasculature. Sufficient data exist to suggest that ineffective production or response to endothelium-dependent vasodilator substances, or excessive production or responsiveness to endothelium-dependent vasoconstrictor substances may play an important role in cardiovascular disorders such as hypertension, coronary artery spasm, restenosis following coronary angioplasty, and congestive heart failure. The present review summarizes data which support the concept that endothelin, a potent vasoconstrictor produced by the endothelium, may play a role in the excessive vasoconstriction of heart failure. Increased circulating plasma endothelin may be particularly relevant to the range of pulmonary vasoconstriction encountered in congestive heart failure, with a correlation revealing that the greatest increase of plasma endothelin occurs in patients with marked pulmonary hypertension within the congestive heart failure patients studied."}
{"id": "PMID:1464347", "title": "Enhanced A-V nodal conduction (Lown-Ganong-Levine syndrome) by congenitally hypoplastic A-V node.", "content": "The basic anatomical substrate of enhanced A-V nodal conduction, manifesting or not as Lown-Ganong-Levine syndrome, is still a controversial issue. We describe the case of a 34-year-old man who presented episodes of ventricular fibrillation. Electrophysiological studies showed that the AH interval was 55 ms, and increased by only 20 ms at paced cycle lengths of 300 ms; atrial pacing induced atrial fibrillation, with a shortest RR interval of 240 ms. Despite verapamil therapy, this patient died suddenly at home. Histological study disclosed a severe A-V node hypoplasia that was evidently congenital in nature; the rest of the conduction system was normal, and no accessory A-V pathways were present. We suggest that enhanced A-V nodal conduction in this patient was due to the developmental defect in the A-V node; this abnormality caused a loss of specific impulse-delaying function, and thus allowed rapid, unfiltered atrial impulses to reach the lower A-V junction and ventricles."}
{"id": "PMID:1464348", "title": "Bilocular atrial malignant mesenchymoma causing mitral and localized pulmonary vein flow obstruction: diagnosis by transoesophageal echocardiography.", "content": "Cardiac malignant mesenchymoma is an extremely rare malignancy with poor prognosis. We report a patient presenting with a history and clinical findings typical of mitral stenosis. Transthoracic echocardiography showed a mass on the thickened posterior mitral leaflet. Transoesophageal echocardiography revealed two tumoural masses: one on the atrial side of the posterior mitral leaflet causing mitral obstruction, the other arising in the region of the right lower pulmonary vein orifice and obstructing inflow through this vein."}
{"id": "PMID:1464350", "title": "Endocarditis on a left atrial myxoma.", "content": "A 55-year-old woman presented with fever and malaise. Three blood cultures were positive for Streptococcus sanguis. A diagnosis of endocarditis was made and the patient was treated with intravenous penicillin and gentamicin. Endocardiography revealed a large left atrial tumour. At operation a myxoma covered by deposits of fibrin was excised. Microscopy revealed massive infiltrates of neutrophils and remnants of bacteria, indicating that this myxoma was a nest for infection."}
{"id": "PMID:1464352", "title": "Correlative imaging study in the diagnosis of ovarian cancer recurrences. The INSERM Research Network (Nantes, Rennes, Reims, Villejuif, Saclay), France.", "content": "A correlative imaging study was carried out in 61 female patients previously treated for ovarian carcinoma. Upon suspicion of recurrence, abdominopelvic immunoscintigraphy (IS) using F(ab')2 fragments of indium-111-labelled OC 125 monoclonal antibody was performed in all patients, Ultrasonography (US) and computed tomography (CT) were performed 53 and 37 times, respectively. The diagnostic accuracy of the different imaging techniques was studied per site (abdomen and pelvis) and per patient. The diagnostic accuracy of planar scintigraphy (PS) was slightly lower than that of emission computed tomography (ECT): 66% vs 73% for abdomen, 65% vs 72% for pelvis, and 78% vs 84% in analysis per patient. The accuracy of IS (PS and ECT combined) was markedly better than that of US and CT for abdomen (IS = 73%; US = 30%; CT = 47%), pelvis (IS = 73%; US = 37%; CT = 52%) and analysis per patient (IS = 85%; US = 43%; CT = 59%). The results of IS and morphological imaging techniques (MIT: US and/or CT) were correlatively analysed with the frequency of recurrence. When IS and MIT were both negative, the frequency of non-recurrence was 14/23 for abdomen, 7/12 for pelvis and 8/13 in analysis per patient. On the other hand, when both IS and MIT were positive, the frequency of recurrence was high (9/9 for abdomen, 17/21 for pelvis and 24/26 for analysis per patient). It was also found that a positive IS associated with a negative MIT was still highly suggestive of recurrence (17/21 for abdomen, 16/22 for pelvis and 17/19 for analysis per patient).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1464353", "title": "Immunoscintigraphy in the detection of tuberculosis with radiolabelled antibody fragment against Mycobacterium bovis bacillus Calmette-Gu\u00e9rin: a preliminary study in a rabbit model.", "content": "Immunoscintigraphy with radiolabelled monoclonal antibodies is widely used to detect solid tumours, but only a few trials have been carried out concerning the specific in vivo localization of an inflammatory process. The purpose of this study was to investigate the detectability of tuberculous foci utilizing this method with radiolabelled bacillus Calmette-Gu\u00e9rin (BCG)-specific F(ab')2 in rabbits. All of the tuberculous lesions (n = 8) were clearly visualized on serial scintigraphy for up to 48 h after injection of the antibody. Immunohistochemical and Ziel-Neelson staining of the tuberculous lesions confirmed the presence of the tuberculous antigens and bacilli. It failed to demonstrate any sustained retention of the BCG-specific antibody fragment in the control group with syphilitic orchitis (n = 2). Therefore, the specific in vivo localization of tuberculosis is feasible by immunoscintigraphy."}
{"id": "PMID:1464354", "title": "Blood platelet kinetics in normal subjects modelled by compartmental analysis.", "content": "The purpose of this study was to describe the function of platelets throughout their life span by expressing their in vivo distribution and kinetic behaviour in mathematical terms by using multicompartmental analysis. The distribution of indium-111 labelled platelets in five normal subjects was imaged and quantified with a scintillation camera image processing system. Serial blood samples were also obtained. The data were modelled using the SAAM (Simulation Analysis and Modelling) compartmental computer program. Five models were entertained to evaluate the role of platelets that were either functional or injured during collection and their interaction with the liver, spleen and vascular endothelium. Models were evaluated by comparing F values calculated from the least squares estimate obtained from each model. The Dornhorst function was used to describe the sequestration of platelets in the compartmental model. Results indicated that the data could not be satisfactorily simulated when compartments were included that simulated only functional and sequestered platelets (model 1). It was necessary to include compartments that simulated the kinetics of collection-injured platelets in the liver (model 2) and spleen (model 3). The model that simulated the interaction with the vascular endothelium (model 5) showed a visual but not significant improvement in the fitting of the observed data compared to model 3. The mean organ uptake and range indicated in parentheses were calculated at equilibrium. There were 20% (15%-27%) of the injected platelets in the spleen, 10% (8%-11%) in the liver and 70% (64%-75%) in the circulation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1464355", "title": "Automatic detection of the left ventricular myocardium long axis and center in thallium-201 single photon emission computed tomography.", "content": "A new method for centering and reorienting automatically the left ventricle in thallium-201 myocardial single photon emission computed tomography (SPET) is proposed. The processing involves the following steps: (a) the transverse sections of the left ventricle are segmented, (b) the three-dimensional skeleton of the left ventricle is extracted using tools of mathematical morphology, (c) the skeleton is fitted to a quadratic surface by the least-squares method, (d) the left ventricle is reoriented and centered using the long axis and the coordinates of the centre of the quadratic surface. A series of 30 consecutive exercise and redistribution 201Tl SPET studies were centered and reoriented by two operators twice with this method, and twice manually. There was no significant difference in the mean realignment performed by the automatic and the manual methods while centering differed moderately in some instances. In all cases and for all parameters, the reproducibility of the automatic method was 1.00, while it ranged between 0.74 and 0.98 with the manual centering and reorientation. This automatic approach provides a fast and highly reproducible method for the reconstruction of short- and long-axis sections of the left ventricle in 201Tl SPET."}
{"id": "PMID:1464356", "title": "Assessment of changes in regional cerebral blood flow in patients with major depression using the 99mTc-HMPAO single photon emission tomography method.", "content": "Regional cerebral blood flow was investigated in 14 patients with major depression diagnosed according to the DSM-III-R criteria (six patients with single and eight patients with recurrent episodes) and in ten healthy volunteers. The mean ages of the patients and the controls were 33.5 +/- 2.7 and 31.6 +/- 2.6 years, respectively. The severity of the depression was assessed using the 17-item Hamilton Depression Scale (mean: 23.2 +/- 1.5). None of the patients was under medication. After administration of 500 MBq technetium-99m hexamethylpropylene amine oxime, a single photon emission tomography study was performed and then transaxial, sagittal and coronal slices were obtained. For the semiquantitative analysis of the data, the ratios of the mean counts/pixel to the whole slice were calculated for 24 regions on three consecutive transaxial slices in the orbitomeatal plane. Additionally, left/right and frontal/occipital ratios were calculated. Both sides of the temporal region had a significantly decreased cerebral blood flow (CBF) when compared to the controls. The left/right ratio of the prefrontal region was also significantly lower in the patients than in the controls. The Hamilton score had a negative correlation with blood flow in the anterofrontal and left prefrontal regions. According to our results, regional CBF seems to be decreased in the left prefrontal and in both temporal regions in major depression. The severity of depression is correlated with the reduction in CBF in the regions of the anterofrontal and left prefrontal cortex."}
{"id": "PMID:1464357", "title": "The significance of a dipyridamole induced 99mTc-MIBI perfusion abnormality on single photon emission tomography: a quantitative validation with labelled water and positron emission tomography.", "content": "To relate technetium-99m 2-methoxy-isobutyl-isonitrile (99mTc-MIBI) uptake to regional myocardial blood flow (rMBF), 99mTc-MIBI single photon emission tomography (SPET) and H2(15)O positron emission tomography (PET) scans were obtained at rest and after dipyridamole infusion in six patients with single vessel coronary artery disease. 99mTc-MIBI and H2(15)O data sets were created for each segment perfused by the stenotic vessel and for a normal reference area, assigning regions on the SPET tomograms to comparable regions on the PET by similar transaxial image reconstructions. All patients demonstrated post-dipyridamole 99mTc-MIBI perfusion defects in the territories supplied by the stenotic arteries. Resting rMBF in these regions was slightly lower than that in the normal areas (0.82 +/- 0.05 vs 0.90 +/- 0.09 ml/g/min, P = NS). A 43% +/- 14% reduction in 99mTc-MIBI activity in the area at risk was coupled with on average a 60% +/- 9% reduction in post-dipyridamole rMBF compared with control regions (0.98 +/- 0.08 vs 2.52 +/- 0.51 ml/g/min, P < 0.001). Thus, SPET assessment of 99mTc-MIBI uptake tends to underestimate the perfusion contrast between areas with normal and areas with low coronary vasodilatory reserve when compared to PET. However, these findings may still not affect the clinical usefulness of 99mTc-MIBI and more extensive studies are required to confirm these results in the clinical environment."}
{"id": "PMID:1464358", "title": "A role for gamma scintigraphy in cancer immunology and immunotherapy.", "content": "Facilities for radiolabelling and gamma scintigraphy are largely restricted to nuclear medicine departments or specialised research institutions and are therefore not widely available to workers in cancer research. Despite this, there is growing interest in gamma scintigraphy, which can provide information relevant to the entire field of cancer immunology. This review discusses the present and future roles of gamma scintigraphy in respect of antibody-targeted, cell-mediated and cytokine therapy. The authors aim to show that gamma scintigraphy is an investigative tool of great potential."}
{"id": "PMID:1464359", "title": "Atrial fibrillation after intravenous dipyridamole for thallium imaging.", "content": "Dipyridamole 0.56 mg/kg was administered intravenously for thallium tomography after myocardial infarction. Fast atrial fibrillation developed which failed to resolve with aminophylline. Sinus rhythm returned within 3 days. Myocardial tomography revealed apical infarction without reversible ischaemia. Atrial fibrillation after dipyridamole is rare and may be caused by direct electrophysiological effects on the atrial myocardium."}
{"id": "PMID:1464360", "title": "Porcine platelets in vitro and in vivo studies: relevance to human thrombosis research.", "content": "This review summarizes present knowledge on porcine platelets in vitro and recent studies on in vivo activation of platelets in the pig. There are certain differences compared to human platelets: Platelet aggregation and secretion cannot be achieved by epinephrine, and the arachidonate pathway seems poorly developed in porcine platelets. Genetic models for von Willebrand disease (vWD) and storage pool deficiency (SPD) have been developed in the pig. Several models for the study of in vivo platelet deposition and early thrombus formation have been developed. Platelet radio-labeling techniques (with 111In) have been used extensively. We conclude that the pig seems to be a good choice for the investigation of in vivo platelet activation and deposition based on present knowledge of porcine platelets and on already established animal models."}
{"id": "PMID:1464361", "title": "Human neutrophil gelatinase: a marker for circulating blood neutrophils. Purification and quantitation by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay.", "content": "Human neutrophil gelatinase was purified to apparent homogeneity. The N-terminal amino-acid sequence of the purified enzyme could be aligned to an internal part of the cDNA-derived amino-acid sequence of 92-kDa type IV collagenase from SV 40-transfected human lung fibroblasts and from a TPA differentiated monocytic cell line, U937. Total amino-acid composition of U937 and neutrophil gelatinases was identical. Gelatinase was susceptible to treatment with o- and n-glycanase, indicating that posttranslational addition of oligosaccharide side chains occurs. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for gelatinase was developed using specific polyclonal rabbit antibodies. The assay was specific, sensitive, accurate, and reproducible. Ninety percent range for plasma gelatinase from normal subjects was 17.3 to 102.9 ng/ml. In patients treated with cytostatic agents for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, there was a parallel drop in plasma gelatinase and peripheral granulocyte count. This indicates that plasma gelatinase is a marker for circulating neutrophils. Plasma gelatinase does not seem to reflect bone marrow cellularity."}
{"id": "PMID:1464362", "title": "Abnormal bone remodelling in patients with myelomatosis and normal biochemical indices of bone resorption.", "content": "We studied bone biopsies from 26 patients with myelomatosis with apparently normal skeletal metabolism. Quantitative histomorphometric measurements suggested that skeletal disease was progressive despite normocalcaemia and normal urinary excretion rates of calcium and hydroxyproline. When biopsies were divided according to the involvement of marrow by plasma cells, bone resorption--as judged by the eroded surface--increased significantly the greater plasma cell burden. Osteoclasts were frequent with moderate tumour burdens, but there was no further increase in the number of osteoclasts when plasma cell infiltration increased by more than 50% of bone marrow. Contrary to expectation, the numbers of osteoblasts and bone formation rates were increased with bone biopsies with moderate tumour burden, but were markedly lower when plasma cell infiltration occupied more than 50% of bone marrow, due to a decreased functional capacity of osteoblasts. We conclude that skeletal bone disease in myeloma is commonly progressive despite apparently stable bone disease as judged by biochemical measurements. The major mechanism of bone loss in myelomatosis is increased osteoclastic resorption but decreased bone formation contributes to bone loss with heavy plasma cell burdens. Urinary excretion of calcium and hydroxyproline provide insensitive indices of bone resorption in myelomatosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1464363", "title": "Antenatal diagnosis of haemophilia B by amplification and electrophoresis of an exon fragment with a short deletion.", "content": "Carrier identification and antenatal diagnosis were performed in 2 sisters by electrophoretic separation of the normal and abnormal bands obtained after amplification of a fragment of exon h in the factor IX gene. The mutation in the family had been characterised as an 8-base pair (bp) deletion in exon h. By amplification of a 326 bp fragment containing the site of deletion, the shorter 318 bp band of the haemophilia B gene could be separated by electrophoresis of the fragments. The comprehensive data collection at the Haemophilia Centre is of vital importance in the genetic counselling of haemophilia families, and was a crucial step for the successful diagnoses in these sisters."}
{"id": "PMID:1464368", "title": "Mechanisms of excitotoxicity in neurologic diseases.", "content": "Excitotoxicity refers to neuronal cell death caused by activation of excitatory amino acid receptors. A substantial body of evidence has implicated excitotoxicity as a mechanism of cell death in both acute and chronic neurologic diseases. A major recent advance has been the successful cloning and expression of the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA), non-NMDA, and metabotropic glutamate receptors. The cellular mechanisms responsible for cell death after activation of these receptors are still being clarified. In acute neurologic diseases such as stroke and head trauma, excitotoxicity may be related to excessive glutamate release. In chronic neurodegenerative diseases, however, a slow excitotoxic process is more likely to occur as a consequence of either a receptor abnormality or an impairment of energy metabolism. Recent therapeutic studies have demonstrated the efficacy of non-NMDA receptor antagonists in experimental studies of global ischemia."}
{"id": "PMID:1464369", "title": "New insights into chromatin function in transcriptional control.", "content": "Transcription requires the recognition of numerous DNA sequences by diverse transcription factors, which together assemble large nucleoprotein complexes that tether RNA polymerase and facilitate the initiation of RNA synthesis. In vivo the assembly of these transcription complexes occurs in a nuclear environment where the template DNA is compacted more than 10(5)-fold through the assembly of chromatin. Our current knowledge of chromatin structure raises the major issues of the accessibility of DNA to both transcription factors and RNA polymerase and of the progression of RNA polymerase along the chromatin fiber. Novel genetic and biochemical approaches have established that specific chromatin structures have a major impact on the transcription process. Precise alterations in histone sequence, nucleosome structure, and folding of the chromatin fiber influence both the activation and repression of genes. These results offer substantial insight into the role of modulations in chromosome structure during vertebrate development. Transcription factors, histones, and the organization of DNA within the chromosome are intimately linked, and only when the correct framework is assembled can they function together to achieve correct genetic regulation."}
{"id": "PMID:1464370", "title": "Complexity of FGF receptors: genetic basis for structural diversity and functional specificity.", "content": "Since 1989, the receptors for fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) were cloned and characterized as a subgroup of the family of receptor tyrosine kinases. Four FGF receptor genes were identified, all of which encode membrane-bound glycoproteins containing three immunoglobulin (Ig) -like domains at the extracellular region, where only two of these domains are involved in ligand binding. Three unique features characterize the FGF receptors: 1) overlapping recognition and redundant specificity, where one receptor may bind with a similar affinity several of the seven known FGFs and one FGF may bind similarly to several distinct receptors. 2) The binding of FGFs to their receptors is dependent on the interaction of FGF with cell surface heparan sulfate proteoglycans. 3) A multitude of isoforms of cell-bound or secreted receptors are produced by the same gene. The gene structure of these receptors revealed two major mechanisms that are responsible for the formation of the diverse forms: alternative mRNA splicing, resulting in deletions or alternate exons usage, and internal polyadenylation, resulting in truncated products. These are reminiscent of mechanisms that also operate in the immunoglobulin family to generate diversity and to produce either secreted or cell-bound molecules. Tissue-specific alternative splicing in FGF receptors allows for the generation of two distinct receptors from a single gene because alternative exons determine the sequence of the COOH-terminal half of the third Ig-like domain involved in ligand binding. This represents a novel genetic mechanism to generate receptor diversity and specificity and to increase receptor repertoire."}
{"id": "PMID:1464371", "title": "Endowing T cells with antibody specificity using chimeric T cell receptors.", "content": "T cells recognize antigen in the form of a peptide associated with a cell surface molecule encoded by the major histocompatibility gene complex (MHC). The elaborate requirements for the T cell receptor (TCR)-antigen interaction stand in contrast to the simple and defined nature of the antigenic determinants recognized by antibodies. The similarity in the molecular structure and gene organization between antibodies and the TCR has prompted attempts to interchange the antigen-binding, variable regions of these molecules. To this end, chimeric TCR (cTCR) genes, composed of the variable domains of antibodies linked to TCR constant regions, have been used to confer antibody-type specificity on T cells. cTCR-expressing T cells respond to stimulator cells as well as to immobilized antigen in an MHC unrestricted and independent manner. The antibody-like specificity of the resulting T cells has been exploited, using defined ligands, to elucidate the physicochemical parameters that govern TCR-mediated signaling, and to provide a useful experimental system to study the role of MHC and cell-adhesion/accessory molecules in T cell activation. The successful expression of such cTCR in transgenic mice opens new avenues to explore the role of the MHC in T cell development and maturation. Eventually, chimeric receptors specific to tumor or viral antigens might be used for in vivo targeting of T cells in the framework of immuno- and gene therapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1464372", "title": "Carnitine function and requirements during the life cycle.", "content": "L-Carnitine has been described as a \"conditionally essential\" nutrient for humans. Segments of the human population suggested as having a requirement for carnitine include infants (premature and full-term), patients on long-term parenteral nutrition, and perhaps children. The evidence to support these claims includes 1) low circulating carnitine concentrations; 2) abnormal (or at least different) circulating metabolite concentrations (free fatty acids, triglycerides, ketone bodies), and 3) very limited and inconsistent growth data. A number of subjective observations and anecdotal case reports have been offered in support of a requirement for carnitine. Exogenous carnitine is required to maintain \"normal\" (in the epidemiologic sense) plasma or serum carnitine concentrations in humans of all ages. But \"functional carnitine deficiency,\" defined by abnormal clinical presentation correctable by carnitine administration, has not been demonstrated in an otherwise normal (nonpathologic) population. On the other hand, nutritional or pharmacological intervention with carnitine or its esters may be beneficial for very premature infants, infants and children with various clinical conditions associated with low circulating carnitine concentrations, and in some chronic diseases associated with the aging process."}
{"id": "PMID:1464373", "title": "Forces involved in the assembly and stabilization of membrane proteins.", "content": "Hydrophobic organization: Determination of the structure of the bacterial photosynthetic reaction center, bacterial porins, and bacteriorhodopsin allows a comparison of the basic structural features of integral membrane proteins. Structure parameters of membrane- and water-soluble proteins are surprisingly similar, given the different dielectric environments, except for the polarity of residues on the protein surface. Hydrophobic and electrostatic forces: 1) Intramembrane helix-helix interactions that are sensitive to small structure changes can dictate assembly of membrane proteins, as indicated by reconstitution of bacteriorhodopsin from proteolytic fragments and specific dimer formation of the human erythrocyte sialoglycoprotein glycophorin A. 2) Electrostatic interactions have an important role in determining the trans-membrane orientation of integral membrane proteins of the bacterial inner membrane, as expressed by the \"positive-inside\" rule for the distribution of basic residues on the cis relative to the trans side of the membrane-spanning alpha-helices. The use of this charge asymmetry rule, in conjunction with a hydrophobicity algorithm for prediction of membrane-spanning domains, allows accurate prediction of the folding patterns of such polypeptides across the membrane. A role of electrostatic interactions in assembly and maintenance of the structure of oligomeric integral membrane protein complexes is also implied by the separation and extrusion from the membrane, at high pH, of the major hydrophobic subunits of the cytochrome b6f complex from the chloroplast thylakoid membrane. It is inferred that the hydrophobic helix-helix interactions between the subunits of this complex, whose function is electron transfer and proton translocation, are relatively weak compared to those in bacteriorhodopsin."}
{"id": "PMID:1464374", "title": "Structural and evolutionary relationships among the immunophilins: two ubiquitous families of peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerases.", "content": "The immunophilins, protein receptors for the immunosuppressing drugs cyclosporin A and FK506 and related proteins from plants, fungi, and bacteria, have been analyzed structurally and evolutionarily. The cyclosporin A binding proteins (cyclophilins) represent one ubiquitous family of homologous proteins, and the FK506- and rapamycin-binding proteins (FKBPs) constitute a second, unrelated family. Multiple sequence alignments of members of each of these two protein families define the highly conserved residues that are likely to play important structural and functional roles, and mutations in representative members of these two families that abolish or alter function have been evaluated. FKBPs have undergone greater evolutionary divergence than the cyclophilins. Evolutionary trees were constructed using two distinct programs, and these trees establish the structural relationships that allow division of each of these families into subgroups. The results lead to the suggestion that several genes encoding isozymic forms of the FKBPs and possibly also of the cyclophilins existed in prokaryotes before the emergence of eukaryotes on earth and that representatives of these genes were transmitted to both kingdoms to give rise to current subfamilies of these proteins. By contrast, compartmentalization of both classes of immunophilins appears to have arisen independently in prokaryotes and eukaryotes, late in evolutionary history."}
{"id": "PMID:1464378", "title": "[Anemia in Jerusalem children aged 3-6 years].", "content": "Anemia in Israel is prevalent in nursing infants but there are few data on its prevalence in children aged 3-6 years. In 436 children in this age group in 18 family practice clinics in the Jerusalem area a hemoglobin level of less than 11.0 g% was found in only 17 (3.9%). Age, sex, and suburban versus urban residence were not related to the incidence of anemia. In 74 children (17%) the average mean red cell volume (MCV) was less than 74 fl but it was not associated with low hemoglobin. This finding might indicate the presence of thalassemia or a predisposition to the development of iron deficiency. This group of children is at risk of developing iron deficiency anemia and therefore requires follow-up. Results of blood tests at ages 9-12 months were available in 198 of the children but the results were not of high predictive value for the development of iron deficiency at 3-6 years of age. Iron supplementation administered to them when nursing did not affect the incidence of anemia in the children studied."}
{"id": "PMID:1464379", "title": "[Inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion in T-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma].", "content": "A 45-year-old woman was hospitalized for an acute confusional state which was preceded by behavioral changes of a few weeks duration. The diagnosis of the syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion as a presenting symptom of non-Hodgkin's T-cell lymphoma (needle biopsy) was made. In spite of intensive chemotherapy, and although hyponatremia did not recur, the clinical course was stormy, her condition deteriorated rapidly, and she died 3 months later."}
{"id": "PMID:1464380", "title": "[Multimodal management of bone sarcomas in children].", "content": "Osteogenic sarcoma and Ewing's sarcoma are the most common malignant bone tumors in childhood and adolescence. Marked improvement in prognosis and long-term survival have been achieved using combined modality protocols. We present a retrospective analysis of our experience with combined therapy of malignant bone tumors in children. Among 20 (ranging in age from 6-16, mean 11.4 years) with Ewing's sarcoma, 14 (70%) had complete remission by the end of treatment, 5 (25%) had partial response and 1 did not respond. The overall 10-year actuarial survival was 64%. Of the 10 with osteogenic sarcoma, 5 (50%) fully responded and are alive, 4 (40%) died after a partial or no response and 1 is receiving second-line therapy after partial response to primary treatment. The 10-year actuarial survival was 37.5% and the efficacy of combined modality therapy was demonstrated. However, further efforts are needed to arrive at optimal treatment for improved outcome."}
{"id": "PMID:1464381", "title": "[Thiamin deficiency is common in Israel].", "content": "Diseases due to vitamin B1 (thiamin) deficiency are considered to be uncommon in Israel. We present 13 patients admitted during the course of a year who were found to have thiamin deficiency. 5 had classic syndromes such as beri-beri, Wernicke's encephalopathy and cerebellar degeneration. In another 8 the thiamin deficiency was found during workup for less specific neurological abnormalities. Only a minority were alcoholics. Mainly at risk for developing nutritional deficiency were the solitary elderly of low socio-economic status with poor nutrition. Other reasons for thiamin deficiency were drug abuse and hyperemesis gravidarum. Thiamin levels should be determined not only in alcoholics and those with classic B1 deficiency syndromes, but in the routine workup of patients with sensory-motor neuropathy, dementia, gait disorders, cerebellar syndromes and confusional states. It is advised to give vitamins prophylactically to asymptomatic high risk patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1464382", "title": "[Anesthesia for cesarean section].", "content": "Of 684 parturients who underwent cesarean section between July 1985-August 1990, 371 (54.2%) were given epidural anesthesia; 50 (7.3%) required general anesthesia after a failed attempt at epidural anesthesia; and 5 (0.7%) underwent inadvertent spinal anesthesia because of dural penetration by the epidural needle. In 258 (37.7%) general anesthesia was decided on before operation. The intentional avoidance of spinal anesthesia for cesarean section in this university hospital is criticized."}
{"id": "PMID:1464383", "title": "[Infantile neuroaxonal dystrophy].", "content": "Infantile neuroaxonal dystrophy is a degenerative disease, mostly of nerve endings in the central and peripheral nervous system, with typical pathological findings. We describe a 3-year-old boy who had suffered from nystagmus, progressive muscle weakness and dementia since the age of 10 months. Biochemical work-up, MRI of the brain, and electrophysiological studies were within normal limits. Only skin biopsy, and sural nerve biopsy at a later stage, were diagnostic. We stress the importance of performing tissue biopsy even when intensive investigation is negative."}
{"id": "PMID:1464384", "title": "[Percutaneous drainage of pancreatic pseudocyst in children].", "content": "Pancreatic pseudocysts in children are usually the consequence of blunt abdominal trauma. Spontaneous resolution can be expected in up to 50%, while surgical drainage is required in the others. Percutaneous drainage of these pseudocysts has recently been reported to give good results. We present a 7-year-old boy treated successfully with percutaneous drainage of a traumatic pseudocyst of the pancreas."}
{"id": "PMID:1464385", "title": "[Combined cholestatic jaundice due to cholelithiasis and primary biliary cirrhosis].", "content": "An 82-year-old man was admitted because of painless jaundice and pruritus. Multiple small gallstones were seen on ultrasonography. Hepatic needle biopsy revealed bile stasis, intrahepatic bile ducts proliferation and inflammatory infiltration of the portal spaces. As the jaundice deepened, cholecystectomy was performed and a gallbladder full of small calculi was removed. Wedge biopsy of the liver led to the diagnosis of primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC). Colchicine was started and since then his condition has improved and become stable. PBC in an old man is very uncommon. The combination with gallbladder stones imposed special diagnostic and therapeutic problems. Although gallbladder stones are more common in PBC than in the general population, the combination of the 2 clinical entities is not sufficiently emphasized in the literature."}
{"id": "PMID:1464386", "title": "[Retrorectal cystic hamartoma].", "content": "The pathogenesis of retrorectal cystic hamartomas in the presacrococcygeal space, while known to be related to embryological remnants of the caudal region, is controversial. These lesions are rarely found in children; in the early stages of their development they may be symptomless. Diagnosis is usually made when the tumor is large enough to cause pain or intestinal obstruction, or when it becomes infected. A 2-month-old girl with a retrorectal cystic hamartoma initially treated as a perianal abscess is presented."}
{"id": "PMID:1464397", "title": "[Effects of analgesic-antipyretics on the spinal reflex potentials in cats: an analysis of the excitatory action of aminopyrine].", "content": "The effects of some analgesic-antipyretics on the spinal reflex potentials were studied in spinal cats. Aminopyrine at 25-100 mg/kg, i.v. produced a marked increase in mono- and poly-synaptic reflex potentials (MSR and PSR), and a decrease in dorsal root reflex potentials (DRR) in a dose-dependent manner. The amplitude of DRR decreased by aminopyrine was reversed by diazepam at 0.2 mg/kg, i.v.; however, the increased amplitudes of MSR and PSR were not affected by diazepam. Pretreatment of semicarbazide at 200 mg/kg, i.v. did not influence the increasing effect of aminopyrine on MSR and PSR. DL-5-Hydroxytryptophan produced facilitation of the MSR and PSR. In DL-5-hydroxytryptophan-treated cats, the amplitude of MSR was further increased by aminopyrine. Methysergide at 1 mg/kg, i.v. antagonized this increasing effect of aminopyrine on MSR and PSR. These observations suggest that the excitatory action of aminopyrine may be partly related to 5-hydroxytryptamine and not connected to the GABAergic mechanism. Other pyrazolone derivatives were also studied. Isopropylantipyrine at 50 mg/kg, i.v. produced increases in MSR and PSR. Intravenous sulpyrine at 500 mg/kg, antipyrine at 50 mg/kg or 4-aminoantipyrine at 50 mg/kg did not affect the reflex potentials. The non-pyrazolones, acetaminophen and indomethacin, did not increase the MSR and PSR. These results suggest that the N-dimethyl or isopropyl residue at the 4 position of the pyrazolone structure plays an important role in the excitatory action of analgesic-antipyretics in cat spinal cord."}
{"id": "PMID:1464398", "title": "[Effects of green tea extract on galactosamine-induced hepatic injury in rats].", "content": "The present study examined the preventive effects of green tea extract on D-galactosamine (GalN)-induced hepatic injury in rats, an animal model of viral hepatitis. A single i.p.-injection of GalN (700 mg/kg) to male Wistar rats caused fulminant hepatitis by 48 hr as assessed by marked increases in the serum aspartate aminotransferase (GOT), alanine aminotransferase (GPT) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activities; decreases in the serum protein and cholesterol levels and the amount of liver microsome P-450; and marked changes in organ weights. The lecithin: cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) activity markedly increased at 8 hr and markedly decreased at 24 hr after the GalN injection. In the experiment, animals were orally administered green tea extract at doses of 50, 100 or 200 mg/kg five times each before and after the GalN injection. Treatment with green tea extract significantly prevented the increases in the GOT, GPT and ALP activities in a dose-related manner. It also significantly prevented the decreases in serum albumin and total cholesterol, although not in a dose-related manner. A tendency to prevent the increase in LCAT activity and the decrease in liver microsome P-450 was also noted. Little effect was found on the other abnormal changes in the serum lipids and proteins and the organ weights. These results suggest that green tea may have an ameliorating effect on hepatic dysfunction."}
{"id": "PMID:1464399", "title": "[Effects of vanadyl sulfate on osteopenia in streptozotocin-induced diabetic (STZD) rats. Comparison with those of insulin].", "content": "The insulin mimetic effects of vanadium salts on glucose metabolism have been well-documented in STZD rats. In this study, the long-term effects of vanadyl sulfate (vanadium) on osteopenia in STZD rats were examined and compared with those of insulin. From 2 days after an intravenous injection of streptozotocin (30 mg/kg), the rats with hyperglycemia (> 300 mg/dl) received either vanadium (0, 0.02, 0.1 or 0.5 mg/ml) in drinking water or daily subcutaneous injections of insulin (0, 0.4 or 4.0 U/day) for 54 days. Their tibiae and femurs were examined by chemical analyses, by contact microradiography and by the method of double tetracycline labeling. Decreases in bone mass, bone density and in the rate of bone formation were observed in STZD rats. Development of these symptoms in the STZD rats with osteopenia was prevented by the administration of either vanadium or insulin in a dose-dependent fashion. The effects of vanadium at a dose of 0.5 mg/ml for preventing bone loss in STZD rats were similar to those of insulin at a dose of 4.0 U/day. These results indicate that vanadium has insulin mimetic effects on osteopenia in STZD rats."}
{"id": "PMID:1464400", "title": "[Hypoglycemic effects of Siamese Momordica charantia and Phyllanthus urinaria extracts in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats (the 1st report)].", "content": "Hypoglycemic effects of the extracts of two Siamese plants, Momordica charantia (M.c.) and Phyllanthus urinaria (P.u.), were examined in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Oral administration of a 50% methanol extract (30 mg/kg) of M.c. and P.u. decreased the blood glucose levels (BGL) by 25% and 24%, respectively, at 3 hr after administration. Among other fractions such as the ethyl ether or water soluble fractions, the 10 and 30 mg/kg n-butanol soluble fraction from M.c. extract was most effective in lowering BGL by 26% and 34%, respectively. Similarly with M.c., the n-butanol fraction from P.u. extract decreased BGL by 23% and 39% at the doses of 10 and 30 mg/kg, respectively. In the oral glucose tolerance test, n-butanol fractions from M.c. and P.u. (30 mg/kg, p.o.) both inhibited the initial increase in BGL to the same degree. In the intraperitoneal glucose tolerance test the n-butanol fraction of M.c. inhibited the increase of BGL prominently, but the n-butanol fraction of P.u. did not. These plants generally contain moderately non-polar hypoglycemic compound(s) soluble in n-butanol; and specifically, with regards to the hypoglycemic mechanism, the M.c. extract seems to act like insulin or via insulin secretion from the pancreas, like the action of sulfonyl ureas, and the P.u. extract may act via facilitation of glucose metabolism and/or the inhibition of glucose absorption in the gut like the action of biguanides."}
{"id": "PMID:1464401", "title": "[Pharmacological studies of nutritive and tonic crude drugs on fatigue in mice].", "content": "The aim of the present study was to clarify acute anti-fatiguing effects of three crude liquid drug preparations (S1-S3), containing almost the same amounts of Ginseng Radix, Epimedii Herba and Agkistrodon Japonicae, with each differentially containing an additional 11, 13 or 15 crude drugs. After preloading forced swimming or tetrabenazine (TBZ: 50, 100 mg/kg, i.p.), each of the S1-S3 preparations applied orally (0.1 ml/10 g) significantly increased the duration times of swimming together with decreased total duration times of immobility during swimming. These effects peaked 60 min postinjection with the following decreasing order of effectiveness: S3 > S2 > S1. The same order of efficacy was also found for increased locomotor activity and decreased durations of swimming immobility after TBZ. After pretreatment with 200 mg/kg TBZ preparations S1-S3 also increased the numbers of jumping on a hot plate with greatly reduced latency. Without preloading the forced swimming, S1-S3 did not have any effect on jumping and its latency, but both S2 and S3 significantly, but more weakly, as compared to those after its preloading, decreased the immobility times. These results indicate that these crude preparations may cause tonic effects and so far tested, these effects seem to be more effective on subjects fatigued with physical and/or mental works than an normal subjects."}
{"id": "PMID:1464402", "title": "[An injury of the liver caused by ischemia-reperfusion in rat liver. Report 2: Relationship between the damage of the liver and during the period of reperfusion].", "content": "Liver injury by 30-min ischemia following reperfusion was examined biochemically and histopathologically. A greater increase in the level of LDH was observed after 1-hr reperfusion. However, the level of LDH decreased in proportion to the period of reperfusion, while the levels of GOT and GPT were also increased rapidly and reached its peak at 12 hr following reperfusion and were almost restored to the control level by 48 hr. A similar increase was obtained in the lipid peroxides of the liver. In addition, cyt. P-450 content and NADPH cyt. c reductase activity decreased in proportion to the period of reperfusion up to 12 hr and then recovered by 96 hr. On the other hand, heme oxygenase activity was significantly increased by ischemia-reperfusion. The ischemia-reperfused liver resulted in various morphological changes with the period of reperfusion. The destruction of Disse's space, vacuolization of the cytoplasm and nonviable hepatocytes were observed after 12-hr reperfusion. These results indicate the greatest damages of the liver induced by 30-min ischemia following reperfusion is observed after 12-hr or 24-hr reperfusion. The liver injury by ischemia-reperfusion could be a useful experimental model to develop for future studies."}
{"id": "PMID:1464403", "title": "[Antihypertensive effect of felodipine, a new calcium antagonist].", "content": "The antihypertensive effect of felodipine was examined in various hypertensive animal models. In spontaneously hypertensive rats, felodipine administered singly at 0.1-1.0 mg/kg (p.o.) had a dose-dependent antihypertensive effect. Nifedipine was effective at 1 mg/kg. In the repeated oral administration experiment, both the maximum decrease in blood pressure and duration of the effect increased gradually and reached steady levels at 3 weeks of administration, which were maintained thereafter. Similar results were noted with nifedipine, but felodipine was longer-acting (4-6 hr) in the steady state than nifedipine (1-2 hr). No development of tolerance was observed during the administration period. In DOCA-salt and renal hypertensive (2K1C) rats, felodipine at 0.1-0.5 mg/kg (p.o.) was superior to nifedipine in the maximum decrease in blood pressure and duration of the effect. Felodipine up to 1 mg/kg (p.o.) caused no significant heart rate increase in any rat model. In renal hypertensive (2K2C) dogs given felodipine at 0.2-0.5 mg/kg (p.o.), the effect lasted for 2 hr after injection. This felodipine effect was stronger and longer lasting than the nifedipine one. At 0.5 mg/kg of felodipine, the heart rate was transiently increased. The present results show that felodipine has a stronger and long-lasting antihypertensive effect than nifedipine in the hypertension models."}
{"id": "PMID:1464405", "title": "[Investigation of the incidence of aberration in various indication for prenatal cytogenetic analysis].", "content": "In order to evaluate the role of prenatal cytogenetic analysis for the management of pregnant women, we studied the incidence of chromosomal aberration in 1,258 cases. In 502 cases with advanced maternal age (at least 35 years older), 12 (2.4%) cases of chromosome aberration were detected. The incidence of chromosomal aberration in the cases with women who had a previous child with chromosome aberration, women who had given birth to a congenital malformation child, and women who had ultrasonographic abnormalities were 3.0% (8/271), 0% (0/103) and 11.7% (36/307), respectively. Of cases with advanced maternal age, the incidence of chromosome aberration is 0% (0/21) at age 35, 0% (0/22) at age 36, 19% (1/52) at age 37, 2.2% (2/92) at age 38, 10% (1/102) at age 39, 1.3% (1/75) at age 40, 5.3% (3/56) at age 41, 6.9% (3/43) at age 42, 4.4% (1/23) at age 43 and 6.7% (1/15) at age 44. These results indicate that the incidence of chromosome aberration increases with maternal age. On the basis of these data, we recommend medical practice to offer prenatal diagnosis to all women who will be 37 or older. In the cases of fetal anomaly, they were diagnosed by ultrasonographic examination, the high incidence of chromosome aberration was detected in comparison with another group. Therefore, the prenatal cytogenetical analysis may also be performed in these cases."}
{"id": "PMID:1464406", "title": "Ca(2+)-and Sr(2+)-sensitivity of Akazara scallop troponin.", "content": "Ca(2+)-and Sr(2+)-sensitivity of desensitized myosin B-tropomyosin was investigated in the presence of troponin prepared from Akazara scallop, rabbit fast skeletal or bovine cardiac muscles. The Sr2+/Ca2+ concentration ratio at 50% activation in the presence of Akazara troponin was in the same range as the ratio in the presence of rabbit fast skeletal troponin, but higher than the ratio in the presence of bovine cardiac troponin."}
{"id": "PMID:1464407", "title": "[Comparative study of brain tumors treated at China Medical University, China and Kyushu University, Japan].", "content": "We have re-examined histopathological specimens of brain tumors extirpated at China Medical University from May, 1990 to June, 1992. During the last 2 years, about 400 cases of brain tumors were operated and 349 cases were histopathologically diagnosed and classified by one of the authors (T. I). The most common tumor was meningioma, 97 cases, followed by gliomas, 87 case and neurinoma, 71 cases. The sex and age distributions of these three tumor types were compared to those of Kyushu University Hospital, Japan. The most striking difference was age of meningioma and neurinoma patients, and Chinese patients were 10 years younger than Japanese patients. The incidence of 30th age group of meningioma was 25% in China and 10% in Japan. Thirty percent of neurinoma patients were operated at 30th and 40th age in China and Japan, respectively. The sex and ages of astrocytoma patients were almost the same frequencies in China and Japan. Among 22 cases of congenital tumors, 11 cases of epidermoid tumor in cerebello-pontine cistern was included. Cerebral tuberculoma, although rarely encountered in Japan, was 2 cases in China."}
{"id": "PMID:1464408", "title": "Glucogenolytic and hyperglycemic effect of 33-49 C-terminal fragment of pancreastatin in the rat in vivo.", "content": "The effects of the 33-49 C-terminal fragment of pancreastatin on glycogen content, glycemia, insulinemia and glucagonemia were studied in the rat in vivo. It was found that after intramesenteric vein injection of the peptide, the glycogen content of liver decreased compared with control group injected with saline-1 < % BSA. Blood glucose levels were increased by the C-terminal fragment of pancreastatin. This study shows that the 33-49 C-terminal fragment of pancreatasin could play a role in glucose metabolism not mediated by insulin or glucagon."}
{"id": "PMID:1464409", "title": "Comparison of the insulinotropic activity of glucagon-superfamily peptides in rat pancreas perfusion.", "content": "Previous studies have demonstrated that glucagon-superfamily peptides stimulate insulin release from the pancreatic islets in a glucose dependent manner. In this study we have carried out a structure-activity study of their insulinotropic activity using a rat pancreas perfusion with 5.5 mM glucose concentration. The following peptides were examined: glucagon-like peptide-1(7-36)amide (tGLP-1), glucagon, gastric inhibitory peptide (GIP), peptide having an amino-terminal histidine and carboxy-terminal isoleucine amide (PHI), vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP), growth hormone releasing factor(1-29)amide (GRF), GRF(1-27)amide and synthetic hybrid-peptides of PHI-GRF, PHI(1-11)-GRF(12-27) and PHI(1-20)-GRF(21-27). Their potencies were evaluated as: tGLP-1 = GIP > glucagon > PHI = VIP > PHI(1-20)-GRF(21-27) > PHI(1-11)-GRF(12-27) >> GRF(1-29) = GRF(1-27). It is clear that 0.1 nM tGLP-1 stimulated insulin release, whereas 1 microM GRF(1-29) did not. These results indicate that 1) in addition to N-terminal amino acid (histidine or tyrosine), position 4 (glycine), position 9 (aspartic acid) and position 11 (serine) in the amino acid sequence are important for their insulinotropic activity, 2) not only the N-terminal portion but also the C-terminal portion of these peptides contribute to their insulinotropic activity."}
{"id": "PMID:1464410", "title": "Thyroidectomy blocks stress-induced prolactin rise in rats: role of the central serotonergic system.", "content": "Thyroidectomized (TX) adult Wistar male rats and their sham-operated controls were submitted to immobilization stress during forty minutes. Thyroidectomy partially blocks stress-induced prolactin (PRL) secretion. Previous administration of MK 212, a serotonin agonist, reverts this picture. The effect of MK 212 is specifically due to its interaction with 5HT2 receptors, since the injection of LY 53857, a selective blocker of these receptors, 30 min before MK 212, prevents the effect of this serotonin agonist. LY 53857, injected alone, yields a partial blockade of PRL secretion during stress in sham-operated rats. TX rats receiving LY 53857 or saline have comparable low values of plasma PRL during stress. It is suggested that thyroidectomy disrupts the functional integrity of the central serotonergic pathways involved in the stress-induced PRL rise."}
{"id": "PMID:1464411", "title": "Comparative effects of thyroxine and/or retinoic acid treatment in vivo on growth hormone synthesis and release by pituitaries from thyroidectomized rats.", "content": "Thyroid hormones and retinoic acid (RA) coregulate growth hormone (GH) synthesis and release from cultured pituitary tumor cells by interacting with nuclear receptors that activate GH gene transcription. Whether these two compounds share overlapping GH regulatory activities in vivo is unclear. Therefore we compared the effects of in vivo replacement therapy with thyroxine (T4) and/or retinoic acid (RA) on GH synthesis and release in pituitaries from hypothyroid rats. Three weeks after thyroidectomy, male rats (100-150 grams, body weight) received 7 days of intraperitoneal T4 (20 ug/kg/day) and/or RA (500 ug/kg/day) or vehicle. Isolated pituitary fragments were incubated for 3 h with [14C]leucine followed by 2 h with [3H]leucine and 3 nM rat growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH). Basal synthesis, GHRH-induced release of stored [14C]GH, and GHRH-stimulated release of newly synthesized [3H]GH were assessed by specific immunopercipitation of media and tissue homogenates. T4 increased the synthesis of GH in the absence and presence of GHRH. T4, but not RA, increased the absolute amount of stored and newly synthesized GH released by GHRH. Neither T4 nor RA altered the percent of stored GH released by GHRH, however, both independently or additively decreased the percent of newly synthesized GH released by GHRH. In summary, treatment of hypothyroidism with T4 increased GH synthesis and absolute release. Interestingly the fractional release of GH was unchanged or decreased by T4 treatment. RA treatment had no effect on GH synthesis or absolute release, but like T4 it decreased the fractional release of newly synthesized GH. Thus T4 and RA did not share similar regulatory effects on GH synthesis and stored GH release but did have similar effects on the fractional release of newly synthesized GH in pituitaries from thyroidectomized male rats."}
{"id": "PMID:1464412", "title": "Pre- and postnatal protein undernutrition increases hepatic carnitine palmitoyltransferase I activity and decreases enzyme sensitivity to inhibitors in the suckling rat.", "content": "Rats were pair-fed isocaloric diets containing either 25% (control diet) or 6% protein (low-protein diet) during the 5 weeks prior to conception and through the gestation and lactation periods; then, carnitine palmitoyltransferase I (CPT-I) activity was determined in liver and skeletal muscle mitochondria isolated from the corresponding pups. Maternal protein undernutrition increased the activity of hepatic CPT-I all along the suckling period, whereas the activity of the skeletal muscle enzyme was unaffected. Moreover, the sensitivity of hepatic CPT-I to inhibition by both malonyl-CoA and 4-hydroxyphenylglyoxylate was decreased in the low-protein group. These alterations in the properties of hepatic CPT-I may be involved in the appearance of hyperketonemia in the rat pup upon maternal administration of low-protein diets."}
{"id": "PMID:1464413", "title": "Dynamics of circulating osteocalcin in rats during growth and under experimental conditions.", "content": "Osteocalcin is the most abundant non-collagenous protein produced in the process of bone formation. A specific radioimmunoassay has been developed using a rabbit antiserum raised against osteocalcin extracted from rat bone. The sensitivity of the assay was tested in male and female rats under different experimental conditions: ovariectomy led to a mild increase in circulating osteocalcin (70.6 +/- 6.9 vs 51.6 +/- 6.3 ng/ml; p < 0.05) and deprivation of dietary calcium elevated plasma levels further (119 +/- 6.3 ng/ml; p < 0.01). As expected, pharmacological enhancement of bone turnover with calcitriol produced a significant increase in plasma osteocalcin (296 +/- 24.1 vs 89.5 +/- 5.1 ng/ml; p < 0.01), whereas prednisolone, a steroidal compound known to inhibit osteoid mineralization, significantly reduced circulating concentrations of this protein (70 +/- 7.4 vs 100 +/- 6.3 ng/ml; p < 0.05). Plasma kinetics recorded in female rats between birth and the 100th week revealed a highly significant (p < 0.001) elevation peaking at the third week (231 +/- 70.6 ng/ml) and slowly declining to reach values measured at birth (41.3 +/- 9.2 ng/ml) at the 16th week (47 +/- 4.6 ng/ml). Subsequently, a small but significant (p < 0.05) decline towards senescence was recorded. The osteocalcin surge preceded the period of rapid growth (weeks 3 to 11) estimated by vertebral length progression, showing a tendency to stabilize as growth spurt slowed down. A moderate but significant (p < 0.01) increment was observed after mating (87.8 +/- 5.1 vs 69.5 +/- 4.0 ng/ml). Although plasma osteocalcin remained stable during lactation, average levels were elevated in comparison with age-matched non-pregnant controls.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1464414", "title": "The effect of insulin treatment on HbA1c, body weight and lipids in type 2 diabetic patients with secondary-failure to sulfonylureas. A five year follow-up study.", "content": "No conclusive data are available about the long-term effect of insulin treatment in type 2 diabetic patients failing to maximal doses of sulfonylureas and caloric restriction. In total 160 non-obese type 2 diabetic patients with secondary failure were substituted with insulin using a diabetic teaching and care program. From these 160 patients 40 died within the observation period of five years; 102 patients had a complete five year follow-up, whereas the remaining 18 patients did not come to regular follow-up visits. Metabolic control parameters improved significantly in the 102 patients with the complete five year follow-up. Postprandial plasma glucose (16.0 mM vs 10.9 mM; p < 0.0001) and HbA1c values (8.7% vs 7.1%, p < 0.0001) decreased significantly from the state before to five years after insulin substitution. In addition, plasma lipid levels could be significantly lowered under insulin therapy (cholesterol 6.2 +/- 1.5 mM vs 5.4 +/- 3.6 mM, p < 0.0002; triglycerides 2.8 +/- 1.6 mM vs 2.4 +/- 2.1 mM, p < 0.01). However, we observed a significant weight gain (mean: 10.6 kg) associated with insulin application during the five year follow-up. Thus, the body-mass-index decreased from 28.9 at onset of type 2 diabetes to 24.5 (p < 0.0001) at time of secondary failure and increased again to 28.5 (p < 0.0001) at five years after onset of insulin treatment. Furthermore, small increases of plasma creatinine from 88.4 microM to 115 microM, as well as systolic (19.3 kPa to 20.7 kPa) and diastolic (10.7 kPa to 11.3 kPa) blood pressures were observed.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1464415", "title": "Refractoriness at peripheral and pituitary receptors in general and pituitary types of thyroid hormone resistance.", "content": "Patients with the general type (patient #1 and #2) and the selective pituitary type (#3) of thyroid hormone refractoriness (TR) were studied to clarify defects at peripheral and pituitary receptors. Products of T3 and TSH (n = 63) were calculated when T3 was above the normal limit (T3 > 1.8 ng/ml, 2.8 nmol/l) as one of the indices of pituitary resistance. Means of T3 (ng/ml) x TSH (mU/l) of patient #1 (mean; 40.8), #2 (15.0) and #3 (8.6) were significantly greater than patients with Graves' disease (2.1), suggesting pituitary refractoriness in the 3 patients. The products of patient #1 and #2 were also significantly larger than patient #3, demonstrating that the pituitary insensitivity in the latter (#3) was less than the former patients. Means of serum cholesterol in patients #1 and #2 were higher than patient #3 and patients with Graves' disease. Products of T3 (ng/ml) and cholesterol (mg/ml) (n = 28) in the patient #1 (541.9) and #2 (461.0) were significantly greater than the patient #3 (292.8) and the patients with Graves' disease (275.3). The results demonstrate generalized refractoriness in the patient #1 and #2 and selective pituitary resistance in the patient #3. It is suggested that our patient with the pituitary type (#3) had less severely affected receptors at the pituitary than our two patients with the general type. These results are consistent with the previous hypothesis that the pituitary type of TR is a partial form of this disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1464416", "title": "Are adrenal and testicular androgen levels correlated?", "content": "To investigate the reported correlation between adrenal and testicular serum androgen levels, testosterone, DHEAS and androstenedione were measured in the serum of 92 healthy young males. Testosterone and androstenedione were found to have a weak but statistically significant correlation, while no correlation existed between testosterone and DHEAS, or DHEAS and androstenedione. These results indicate that although common steroidogenic pathways lead to androgen synthesis in both adrenals and testes, the regulation of steroid production in these glands is influenced by different factors. The correlation of testosterone with androstenedione can be attributed to their peripheral interconversion as well as to the fact that half of androstenedione is of testicular origin. Various other aspects of the androgen regulation mechanism such as ACTH stimulation and the role of aging, are presented and discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1464417", "title": "Combination of microdialysis and glucosensor permits continuous (on line) SC glucose monitoring in a patient operated device. II. Evaluation in animals.", "content": "The microdialysis technique was used for following the glucose content of the extracellular subcutaneous (SC) fluid under varying blood glucose levels in rats. The glucose content in the microdialysis perfusion fluid was continuously analyzed by means of the measuring flow chamber of an ex vivo glucose monitor. In six ChBB rats blood glucose levels were varied between 40 mg/dl and 575 mg/dl by intravenous (IV) infusion of glucose and by SC injections of insulin, respectively. After a running-in period of about half an hour, the glucose content in the perfusion fluid was closely related to the blood glucose concentration (r > 0.92) up to a time period of 6 hrs. The \"relative recovery\" rate of glucose by the microdialysis probe in the SC tissue varied within the 6 experimental sessions. The relative recovery rate could be shown to be not dependent on the absolute blood glucose levels in the individual rat within the glucose concentration range tested."}
{"id": "PMID:1464446", "title": "Effect of SH reagents on rod photoresponse of isolated frog retina.", "content": "Several SH reagents, N-ethylmaleimide (NEM), p-chloromercuribenzoic acid (PCMB), p-chloromercuribenzene sulphonate (PCMBS) and monoiodoacetic acid (MIAA) changed the wave form and the peak of the amplitude of the photoresponse remarkably. The effects of amino group modifying reagents, ethyl acetimidate (EA) and isethinyl acetimidate (ITA) on photoresponse were very slight. The possibility of a SH protein as cGMP-sensitive cation channel protein is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1464448", "title": "Cyclic vertical squint.", "content": "A rare case of cyclic vertical squint which developed after surgery on medial rectus muscle and its subsequent management by the Faden operation is described."}
{"id": "PMID:1464447", "title": "Bilateral proptosis due to metastatic Ewing's sarcoma of the orbit: fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) and histopathology of a case.", "content": "Bilateral proptosis due to metastatic Ewing's sarcoma is an extremely rare presentation and thus merits reporting. The role of fine needle aspiration cytology in the diagnosis is highlighted."}
{"id": "PMID:1464450", "title": "Unusual Marcus Gunn phenomenon in adults.", "content": "Two unusual cases of Marcus Gunn phenomenon in adults are presented. The first case was characterised by a bilateral jaw-winking phenomenon along with an asymmetric bilateral congenital ptosis, whereas the second case had bizarre spontaneous movements of the affected lid, deficient abduction and pseudoptosis in association with jaw-winking. The pathogenesis of Marcus Gunn phenomenon is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1464457", "title": "Characterization of specific binding sites for [3H]-1,3-di-o-tolyl-guanidine (DTG) in the rat glioma cell line C6-BU-1.", "content": "The aim of the present study was to find out if a cell line of glial origin possesses sigma and/or phencyclidine (PCP) binding sites. Binding of [3H]1,3-di-o-tolyl-guanidine (DTG), a highly selective ligand for sigma binding sites, and of [3H]N-[1-(2-thienyl)cyclohexyl] piperidine ([3H]TCP), a radioligand specific for PCP receptors, to C6-BU-1 glioma cells was investigated. Binding of [3H]DTG to C6-BU-1 cell membranes was reversible, saturable (Bmax = 10.5 pmol/mg protein), and of high affinity (KD = 26 nM). C6-BU-1 cells do not possess PCP receptors as indicated by negligible specific binding of [3H]TCP to C6-BU-1 cell membranes. Specific binding of [3H]DTG was reduced in the presence of Ca2+ and to a lesser extent by Mg2+. The rank order of potency of various PCP and sigma ligands was DTG > (+)3-[(3-hydroxy-phenyl)-N-n-propyl-piperidine] [(+)3-PPP] > haloperidol > pentazocine > (-)3-PPP > PCP > metaphit > dextromethorphan > (-)butaclamol > (+)butaclamol > (-)N-allylnormetazocine [(-)SKF 10,047] > MK801 > (+)SKF 10,047 > ketamine. The drug specificity, confirmed by a reversed stereoselectivity for the benzomorphan opiate SKF 10,047, indicated that these sites correspond to a subtype of sigma binding sites, the so-called sigma 2 binding site. Thus, the C6-BU-1 cell line is the first glial cell line demonstrated to have sigma 2 binding sites."}
{"id": "PMID:1464452", "title": "Use of beta radiation to control I.O.P.", "content": "The use of ophthalmic applicator containing Strontium-90 beta ray was used to bring about a change in I.O.P. by its effect on the ciliary body. The change in I.O.P. depends on the degree of damage done to the ciliary body. The study showed that the change in I.O.P. was directly proportional to the intensity of beta rays application - higher the dose of beta radiation more was the damage and more the reduction in I.O.P."}
{"id": "PMID:1464458", "title": "Effect of insulin on glucose and glycogen metabolism and leucine incorporation into protein in cultured mouse astrocytes.", "content": "Insulin, following binding to its receptor, produces a dose- and time-dependent stimulation of entry of 2-deoxy-D-[U-14C] glucose and glycogen synthesis from D-[U-14C] glucose in cultured mouse astrocytes following differentiation. Maximal stimulation of both glucose entry (217% above basal) and of glycogen synthesis (209% above basal) was observed at an insulin concentration of 1.7 x 10(-8) M. Insulin also stimulates the incorporation of leucine into astrocytic proteins with maximal stimulation (156% above basal) at an insulin concentration of 1.7 x 10(-7) M, but no effect on leucine uptake was observed at an insulin concentration of 1.7 x 10(-6) M. These results, together with a previous demonstration that insulin and certain insulin analogues stimulate pyrimidine nucleoside incorporation into nucleic acid, indicate that insulin has diverse actions on biomacromolecular metabolism in cultured mouse astrocytes."}
{"id": "PMID:1464449", "title": "Involvement of the eye and orbit in neurofibromatosis type 1.", "content": "11 individuals were diagnosed to have neurofibromatosis type 1 and were examined for evidence of any ophthalmic lesions. Lisch nodules were the commonest manifestation of the disease and were present in 73% of all the patients (88% of those aged 16 years or more). 55% of the cases showed presence of neurofibroma on the lids. Other findings were optic glioma, unilateral sphenoid dysplasia with enlarged orbit, medullated nerve fibers and prominent corneal nerves with an incidence of 9% each."}
{"id": "PMID:1464451", "title": "Norries disease.", "content": "A 2-month-old male infant was found to have Norrie's disease. The clinical presentation and detailed histological features diagnostic of the disease are discussed. This is the first authentic, histologically proven case of Norrie's disease from India. The absence of hearing loss and mental retardation at the time of presentation at the early stage of infancy and the fact that the case was sporadic do not detract from the diagnosis. However the child at the age of one year developed hearing loss."}
{"id": "PMID:1464459", "title": "Differential proliferative response of human and mouse astrocytes to gamma-interferon.", "content": "We have previously shown that gamma-interferon promoted the proliferation of adult human astrocytes isolated from brain biopsy specimens. In contrast, in the present study, astrocytes derived from neonatal mouse brains and treated with recombinant murine gamma-interferon responded by a decrease (average of 50% at 100 U/ml) in proliferation. The basal rate of proliferation as assessed by bromodeoxyuridine incorporation was markedly increased in neonatal mouse astrocytes when compared to the adult human cells, suggesting that age, and the corresponding metabolic activity of cells, could be important determinants in the mitogenic response of astrocytes to cytokines. However, subsequent examinations of fetal human and adult mouse astrocytes, with comparable basal rate of proliferation to neonatal mouse and adult human cells respectively, showed gamma-interferon to promote DNA synthesis in fetal human astrocytes while inhibiting that of adult mouse astrocytes. The results suggest species differences in the proliferative response of human and mouse astrocytes to the cytokine gamma-interferon."}
{"id": "PMID:1464456", "title": "Immunotherapy in allergic conjunctivitis.", "content": "Eighty patients with allergic conjunctivitis were treated with immunotherapy employing specific allergens. Sixty-two percent of these showed beneficial response. In cases of vernal conjunctivitis needing topical steroid preparations frequently for control of symptoms, immunotherapy is worth attempting to cause remission of symptoms."}
{"id": "PMID:1464460", "title": "Migration of Schwann cells from the distal stump of the sciatic nerve 1 week after transection: the effects of insulin and cytosine arabinoside.", "content": "We have examined the migratory capacity of Schwann cells from the distal stump of a 1-week transected sciatic nerve of adult rat for a distance of 10 mm. The distal stump was introduced into the open end of a silicone chamber packed with artificial fibrin sponge (Gelaspon) soaked in phosphate-buffered saline (control chambers), cytosine arabinoside (Ara-C) (0.05 mM), or insulin (40 U/ml). Migrating Schwann cells were distinguished from fibroblasts by the presence of non-specific cholinesterase (nChE) activity and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP). The cells of distal stumps including Schwann cells accepted Gelaspon as a suitable adhesive substratum. In the chambers filled with Gelaspon soaked in phosphate-buffered saline alone Schwann cells were outnumbered by fibroblasts. The addition of Ara-C resulted in greater numbers of Schwann cells, which migrate longer distances into the chambers. The application of insulin enhanced Schwann cell migration as well. These morphologic observations were further supported by biochemical measurements of nChE activity. The results suggest an influence on Schwann cell migration by fibroblasts of connective tissue sheaths and a stimulation of Schwann cell migration by insulin."}
{"id": "PMID:1464455", "title": "Ultrasonic study to see the effect of topical pilocarpine and homatropine on anterior chamber depth in phakic cases.", "content": "Pilocarpine and Homatropine are the drugs having known effect on the depth of anterior chamber. The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the time of onset, peak effect and its duration of action as well as shallowing/deepening of the anterior chamber, after single instillation of pilocarpine 2% or homatropine bromide 2%, topically in one eye. Also we tried to see if there is any effect on the contralateral eye, due to systemic absorption of pilocarpine, homatropine after topical instillation of the drug in one eye. Pilocarpine causes a measurable shallowing of the anterior chamber with onset of effect with in 20 minutes and a peak in 60 minutes, the average narrowing being 0.26 mm. (range 0.20-0.29 mm.). Homatropine has a measurable deepening effect on the anterior chamber, due to axial flattening of the lens because of cycloplegia, with a range of 0.33 to 0.36 mm. In 70% of the cases the effect passes away with in 24 hours., but in 30% it comes to normal in 48 hours."}
{"id": "PMID:1464461", "title": "Clonal segregation of oligodendrocytes and astrocytes during in vitro differentiation of glial progenitor cells.", "content": "To study the clonal lineage of the glial progenitor population, isolated from newborn rat brain (Lubetzki et al. J Neurochem 56:671, 1991), we combined somatic transgenesis using a retroviral vector encoding a modified bacterial beta-galactosidase with nuclear localization, and triple immunofluorescence labeling with A2B5, anti-galactosylceramide, and anti-glial acidic fibrillary protein antibodies. This allowed clonal analysis of the postnatal glial lineage with precise phenotypic identification of each cell within the lacZ-positive clones. When infected cells were cultivated under constant conditions, in the presence of either 1% or 10% fetal calf serum (FCS)-containing medium, all the 250 lacZ-positive clusters examined were homogeneous, i.e., either oligodendroglial or astroglial. Mixed astrocyte-oligodendroglial clones were observed when cells cultivated in the presence of 1% FCS were switched to a 10% FCS-containing medium, confirming the bipotentiality of glial progenitor cells (Temple and Raff Nature 313:223, 1985). However, even under the switch culture conditions, segregation into homogeneous clones of either oligodendrocytes or astrocytes still predominated, and the percentage of mixed clones dropped from 25 to 8 or to 3, when the switch took place at 8, 16, or 22 days in vitro, respectively. Two additional observations lead us to suggest that microenvironmental factors are responsible for the clonal segregation of glial progenitor cells: 1) the uneven distribution of oligodendrocyte and astrocyte clusters, the latter being seen mostly on the edge of the coverslips; and 2) the presence, in the vicinity of an homogeneous lacZ-positive clone, of some lacZ-negative cells expressing the same phenotype."}
{"id": "PMID:1464462", "title": "PDGF increases the expression of Fos and Jun in newly formed oligodendrocytes that have become resistant to the mitogenic effect of PDGF.", "content": "Bipotential glial (O-2A) progenitor cells give rise to oligodendrocytes on a predictable schedule in the developing rat optic nerve. The loss of mitotic responsiveness to platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) that is seen when O-2A progenitor cells initially differentiate into oligodendrocytes seems to reflect blocks or deficiencies downstream to some of the early intracellular signalling events induced by PDGF. Here we show that PDGF increases the expression of the Fos and Jun nuclear proteins in newly formed oligodendrocytes in vitro, suggesting that at least one intracellular signalling pathway to the nucleus is activated by PDGF in these cells even though they do not synthesize DNA in response to PDGF."}
{"id": "PMID:1464454", "title": "Mycotic keratitis: a study in coastal Karnataka.", "content": "Fungi were isolated from 67 cases out of the 295 cases of corneal ulcers investigated. Aspergillus species and species of Candida were the major fungal members isolated. Allescheria boydii was isolated from 3 cases, having no previous history of injury to the eye or infection with bacterial or viral agents. A boydii corneal infection is a rare occurrence. Higher incidence of mystic keratitis was seen among females than males. No relationship to seasonal changes could be established. Bacterial infection was associated in 46. 27% of the cases of mycotic keratitis and Staphylococcus was the predominant bacterial pathogen observed."}
{"id": "PMID:1464463", "title": "5'-Nucleotidase immunoreactivity of perineuronal microglia responding to rat facial nerve axotomy.", "content": "The ecto-enzyme 5'-nucleotidase was localized immunocytochemically in the axotomized rat facial nucleus. As revealed by the monoclonal antibody 5N4-2,5'-nucleotidase immunoreactivity markedly increased on perineuronal microglia during the first week following axotomy, and gradually disappeared from these cells by the end of the third post-operative week. Interestingly, parenchymal microglia were not or only weakly stained. These findings indicate that 5'-nucleotidase 5N4-2-immunoreactivity may serve as a marker for perineuronal microglia, a population of satellite glial cells that appear to be actively engaged in lesion-induced synaptic changes during regeneration."}
{"id": "PMID:1464464", "title": "Interleukin 2 and interferon alpha modulation of the lymphocyte non-major histocompatibility-restricted lytic activity in glioblastoma patients.", "content": "We studied the non-major histocompatibility-restricted cytotoxic activity induced by interleukin 2 (IL-2) and interferon alpha (IFN-alpha) in mononuclear cells of peripheral blood (PBMNC) from glioblastoma patients. We observed a depressed cytotoxic activity against natural killer (NK)-sensitive target cells in PBMNC from all the patients studied. Culture of these PBMNC with IFN-alpha for 5 days augmented the cytotoxic activity against NK-sensitive target cells in a small group of patients. Incubation with IL-2 for 5 days normalizes the decreased cytotoxic activity against NK-sensitive target cells of PBMNC from all the glioblastoma patients studied. When PBMNC from these patients were incubated with IL-2 for 5 days and IFN-alpha was added to the culture medium in the last 2 h of culture, an enhancement of non-major histocompatibility-restricted cytotoxic activity was observed compared with that obtained with either IL-2 or IFN-alpha alone. This improvement of the cytotoxic activity was more relevant when it was tested against NK-resistant target cells. The potential utility of the sequential use of the two cytokines in generating non-major histocompatibility cytotoxic activity in glioblastoma patients is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1464465", "title": "Mitogenic and tumor necrosis factor producing activities of Pseudostellaria heterophylla.", "content": "Separation of mitogenic fraction (PH-I) from Pseudostellaria heterophylla and characterization of its biological activities were investigated. PH-I was isolated as an alcohol-insoluble fraction from the hot water extract obtained by heating the roots of P. heterophylla in water at 80 degrees C for 4 h. It is a water-soluble substance consisting of mainly carbohydrates (56.8%) and a small amount of proteins (7.6%). The incorporation of tritiated thymidine into the DNA of murine spleen lymphocytes could be stimulated by PH-I in a dose-dependent manner. PH-I could act as a priming agent for the release of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) in mice. Moreover, PH-I exhibited potent anti-tumor activities against Ehrlich ascites tumor (EAT) cells in vivo but not in vitro."}
{"id": "PMID:1464466", "title": "Steroid interactions affecting metabolic activities of a T-lymphocyte line.", "content": "A glucocorticoid sensitive T-lymphocyte cell line (CEM) was used to study in vitro interaction effects of steroidal compounds on their metabolic activity. Mixtures of steroidal hormones and related substances were added to the cells and assessed in short-term culture experiments by the incorporation of 3H dTr. Dose ranges were selected to include the linear portion of the dose-response curve of each of the potentially interactive substances. Evidence for synergy, additivism or antagonism was obtained for each of the various steroid combinations studied using algebraic and geometric calculations."}
{"id": "PMID:1464467", "title": "Effect of tumor burden and route of administration on the immunotherapeutic properties of polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid stabilized with poly-L-lysine in carboxymethyl cellulose [Poly(I,C)-LC].", "content": "We examined the immunomodulatory and therapeutic activities of poly(I,C)-LC. Mice received a subcutaneous (s.c.) injection of sufficient numbers of MBL-2 lymphoma cells to produce in 1 week either a high or low tumor burden. A week after tumor cell injection, poly(I,C)-LC treatment was initiated; the agent was administered intraperitoneally (i.p.) at 5 mg/kg twice a week or at 2.5 or 0.5 mg/kg every day or as an intravenous (i.v.) injection at 0.5, 0.05, or 0.005 mg/kg three times a week. Poly(I,C)-LC treatment significantly increased antitumor effector cell functions in a variety of organs (including spleen, lungs, and peritoneum), as shown by increased killing of MBL-2 cells in vitro and increased tumor cell killing by natural killer cells and macrophages. Furthermore, prolongation of survival correlated with peritoneal macrophage tumoricidal activity when poly(I,C)-LC was given i.p. and with pulmonary effector cell function (including natural killer, cytolytic T-lymphocyte and macrophage tumoricidal activity) when the agent was administered i.v."}
{"id": "PMID:1464468", "title": "Endogenous production of tumor necrosis factor in normal mice orally treated with Deodan--a preparation from Lactobacillus bulgaricus \"LB51\".", "content": "The ability of orally administered Deodan, a product from the cell wall of Lactobacillus bulgaricus strain \"I. Bogdanov patent strain tumoronecroticance B51\" ATCC #21815, shortly called \"LB51\", to induce endogenous tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF alpha) production in normal mice was evaluated. The priming and triggering activities of the preparation were investigated in combination with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and live BCG vaccine. Deodan was applied at a dose of 150 mg/kg and various treatment schedules were employed. The serum levels of TNF alpha in treated mice were quantified by ELISA. Oral administration of Deodan at a dose of 150 mg/kg for 1, 3, 10 or 20 consecutive days only enhanced serum TNF alpha levels in treated mice. Maximal TNF alpha levels were reached 6 h after the last application of Deodan. Deodan was effective in priming TNF alpha in mice triggered intravenously (i.v.) with LPS. Deodan triggered the production of TNF alpha in BCG-primed mice. The preparation, however, was not an effective trigger of mice primed intradermally (i.d.) with 1 microgram/mouse LPS. These findings suggest that Deodan is both a primer and trigger of endogenous TNF alpha. The advantages of treatment of neoplastic disease with agents which induce endogenous TNF alpha is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1464469", "title": "In vivo enhancement of murine natural killer cell activity by 7-allyl-8-oxoguanosine (loxoribine).", "content": "7-Allyl-8-oxoguanosine (loxoribine) is a novel immunostimulatory compound which has been shown previously to enhance the antibody synthesis of antigen-stimulated B-lymphocytes. In this report, loxoribine was tested for the ability to activate murine natural killer (NK) cells. In studies in which mice were given a single subcutaneous (s.c.) or intravenous (i.v.) injection of loxoribine, splenic NK cell activity was increased in a dose-related manner with clear enhancement seen within 2 h of drug administration. The enhancement was optimal at 48 h but persisted for a minimum of 4 days. Slow and continuous administration of loxoribine via subcutaneously implanted infusion pumps successfully enhanced the NK activity for several days after all of the pump contents had been delivered. Peak NK responses were seen following s.c. or i.v. administration of 2-3 mg loxoribine per mouse in sesame oil, intralipid, or saline vehicles. Significant oral activity was seen after the administration of 8-10 mg/mouse in sesame oil or intralipid. The in vivo enhancement of NK activity was observed in spleen, blood, and bone marrow but was negligible in lymph nodes and thymus. Multiple injections of optimal concentrations of loxoribine did not tend to enhance the NK activity above that seen with a single injection, suggesting that the timing of injections was critical for optimal responsiveness."}
{"id": "PMID:1464470", "title": "Effect of Ebselen on polymorphonuclear leukocyte adhesion to and migration through cytokine-activated vascular endothelium.", "content": "Ebselen (PZ51, 2-Phenyl-1, 2-Benzoisoselenazol-3-(2H)-one) is a selinyl organic compound with anti-inflammatory properties. Some of its pharmacological effects are thought to result from its peroxidase activity. Here we examined the effects of Ebselen on polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMNL) adhesion to umbilical vein endothelium and transendothelial migration in a modified Boyden chamber in which both PMNL-dependent and endothelial-dependent (IL-1, TNF alpha) PMNL adhesion and migration can be measured. Ebselen was found to dose dependently inhibit the adhesion of PMNL to IL-1 activated endothelium and to inhibit transendothelial PMNL migration induced by IL-1 alpha, and TNF alpha with an IC50 value of 28 microM. Transendothelial migration induced by the PMNL chemotactic agents C5adesArg and N-formyl-norleu-leu-phe was also inhibited at slightly higher concentrations. The effect of Ebselen was not on endothelial cell activation but on PMNL activation for adhesion and migration. This effect on PMNL was irreversible for the duration of the assay period (75 min). The results suggest that the anti-inflammatory activity of Ebselen may, in part, be due to direct inhibition of PMNL adhesion to vascular endothelium and transendothelial migration in response to a variety of inflammatory mediators."}
{"id": "PMID:1464471", "title": "Mitogenic activity of (-)epigallocatechin gallate on B-cells and investigation of its structure-function relationship.", "content": "(-)Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCg), the main constituent of green tea, strongly enhanced the direct plaque-forming cell (PFC) response to sheep red blood cells (SRBC) in vitro and showed strong mitogenic activity for mouse splenic B-cells but not for splenic T-cells and thymocytes. The enhancement of B-cell proliferation was not mediated by macrophages since their removal did not eliminate the activity. Among the derivatives of catechin examined, (+)catechin (C); (-)epicatechin (EC); (-)-epigallocatechin (EGC); (-)epicatechin gallate (ECg); (-)epigallocatechin gallate (EGCg); and theaflavin digallate (TF3), only the derivatives with the galloyl group (ECg, EGCg, and TF3) displayed significant enhancement of the spontaneous proliferation of B-cells. Structural analogs of the catechin and galloyl groups were also examined in the system. Gallic acid and tannic acid induced some enhancement, but rutin, pyrogallol and caffeine did not. The results indicate that the galloyl group on EGCg was responsible for enhancement. However, the basic conformations of the catechins are also important, because ECg, EGCg, TF3, gallic acid, and tannic acid had quite different potencies to induce B-cell proliferation."}
{"id": "PMID:1464472", "title": "Reconstruction of anti-leprosy drug depleted complement haemolytic activity by addition of zymosan-treated sera (a source of C142) and CratEDTA (a source of C3-C9).", "content": "This paper describes the mechanism of in vitro interaction of human serum complement system with anti-leprosy drugs (dapsone and clofazimine) and anti-lepra reaction drugs such as chloroquine. These drugs could inhibit the complement-mediated lysis of erythrocytes both via direct and alternative pathways, but only at hypertherapeutic doses. Attempts were made to restore the drug depleted complement-mediated lysis of erythrocytes by adding zymosan-treated guinea-pig sera (a source of C142) and also by adding Crat-EDTA sera (a source of C3-C9). Destroyed complement-mediated haemolytic activity by dapsone could be restored by early complement (C142) components, while complement-mediated haemolytic activity blocked by clofazimine could be regenerated by adding both late (C3-C9) and early (C142) complement component. However, chloroquine-mediated inhibition of the complement-mediated haemolysis activity could not be appreciably restored by adding both early and late complement reagents."}
{"id": "PMID:1464473", "title": "Combined effects of synthetic lipid A analogs or bacterial lipopolysaccharide with glucosaminylmuramyl dipeptide on antitumor activity against Meth A fibrosarcoma in mice.", "content": "The combined effects of the synthetic glucosaminylmuramyl dipeptide (GMDP) on the antitumor activity of chemically synthesized lipid A analogs, compound A-103 (glucosamine-4-phosphate with (R)-3-tetradecanoyloxytetradecanoyl group at the C-2 and C-3 positions), Escherichia coli-type lipid A (506), Salmonella typhimurium LT-2 lipopolysaccharide (LPS) against Meth A fibrosarcoma in mice were examined. Meth A fibrosarcoma cells (5 x 10(5) were inoculated intradermally into BALB/c mice on day 0, and compound A-103 and/or GMDP was administered intravenously (i.v.) on days 7 and 9. Two i.v. injections of A-103 (50 micrograms) alone or GMDP (10 micrograms) alone induced 42.8 or 51.8% inhibition of the rate of tumor growth, however, A-103 (100 micrograms) with GMDP (10 micrograms) exhibited a high 68.7% inhibition rate 19 days after tumor inoculation. The inhibition of the tumor growth rate by the combination A-103 (100 micrograms) or 506 (50 micrograms) with GMDP (10 micrograms) was stronger than that of A-103 or 506 with MDP (10 micrograms). The combination of LPS (1 or 10 micrograms) with GMDP (10 micrograms) exhibited a higher inhibition rate than that of LPS with MDP, and three or four tumor-free mice out of five mice were observed, suggesting that the combined effect of GMDP is more potent than that of MDP. With the addition of GMDP, A-103 did not enhance the production of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) on the basis of L929 cell lysis.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1464474", "title": "Gamma-interferon corrects aberrant protein kinase C levels and immunosuppression in the spontaneously hypertensive rat.", "content": "The effects of gamma-interferon (gamma-IFN) on protein kinase C (PKC) levels and immunosuppression in the spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR) were examined. First, an abnormal PKC distribution was found in spleen, thymus and aorta from SHRs relative to normotensive controls. Biweekly injections of rat recombinant gamma-IFN (1000 U/kg) restored basal or resting PKC levels to those found in normotensive Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats. We also examined the effects of in vivo gamma-IFN treatment on nuclear PKC (nPKC) activation in purified, isolated splenocyte nuclei. It was found that basal nPKC levels were higher in untreated SHRs than gamma-IFN SHRs or WKYs. Also, while nuclei from untreated SHRs were relatively unresponsive to various immunoreactive substances and PKC activators, gamma-IFN treatment significantly restored activity. Last, the proliferative response to mitogen challenge of isolated splenocytes from untreated SHRs, gamma-IFN-treated SHRs and WKYs was studied. Although gamma-IFN treatment did not restore the proliferative response to that of WKYs, the mitogen response was significantly enhanced by treatment with gamma-IFN. The data show that gamma-IFN acts to restore normal immune function and corrects aberrant PKC levels and adds to the growing body of knowledge suggesting a role for immune dysfunction in the etiology of hypertension."}
{"id": "PMID:1464475", "title": "Determination of cytokine release after in vivo and in vitro administration of Deodan (a preparation from Lactobacillus bulgaricus \"LB51\") by the rabbit pyrogen test.", "content": "We investigated the in vivo and in vitro cytokine inducing effects of Deodan, an oral preparation from Lactobacillus bulgaricus \"LB-51\", using the rabbit pyrogen test. In the first experimental approach we administered Deodan, or its chromatographically purified fraction, via the i.m. or i.v. routes. Low doses of Deodan i.m. caused the formation of a single temperature peak, whereas large doses produced a biphasic temperature curve. Intravenous injection of Deodan produced a monophasic fever in all tested doses. Chromatographically purified Deodan injected i.v. to rabbits caused a febrile response with a dose-dependent pattern, strikingly similar to that of lipopolysaccharide. LAL-testing of Deodan, however, showed that the preparation does not contain endotoxin. In in vivo neutralization studies we demonstrated that IL-1, TNF alpha, and IL-6 mediate the rabbit febrile response to Deodan. Interestingly, the effects of Deodan on the production of TNF alpha and IL-6 were more pronounced than its IL-1 inducing activity. In the second approach, we injected supernatants from mononuclear cells incubated with nonpyrogenic doses of Deodan, intravenously to rabbits (\"monocyte type\" of pyrogen test). Rapid-onset monophasic fevers were observed, typical for the rabbit pyrogen reaction to i.v. administration of exogenous IL-1 and TNF. Finally, we demonstrated the presence of pyrogenic cytokines in the supernatants from macrophages of Deodan-treated mice. Together, these results indicate that Deodan induces the production of cytokines with endogenous pyrogenic activity."}
{"id": "PMID:1464476", "title": "Activation of spleen cell lytic activity by the alkaloid thiophosphoric acid derivative: Ukrain.", "content": "Ukrain is a semisynthetic compound consisting of alkaloids from Chelidonium majus L. conjugated to thiophosphoric acid, with immunomodulatory and therapeutic properties in cancer patients. The present in vitro studies demonstrate that Ukrain is an effective biological response modifier in that it augmented, by up to 48-fold, the lytic activity of spleen lymphocytes obtained from alloimmunized mice. The lytic activities of IL-2-treated spleen cells and peritoneal exudate lymphocytes were also increased significantly by the addition of Ukrain to the CML assay medium. The highest Ukrain-induced enhancement of spleen lymphocyte lytic activity in vitro was found to occur at 18 days after alloimmunization, was dose dependent and specific for the immunizing P815 tumor cells. Since Ukrain was present only during the CML assays, its mode of action is thought to be via direct activation of the effector cell's lytic mechanism(s)."}
{"id": "PMID:1464478", "title": "Development of an orphan drug by a start-up company. MetroGel for rosacea.", "content": "The Orphan Drug Act of 1983, along with the discovery of a new use for a known drug and an investor willing to assume the necessary risk, brought about the formation of a start-up pharmaceutical company. The primary incentive of the Orphan Drug Act of seven years of marketing exclusivity provided the protection from competition necessary for recovery of the significant research and development and marketing costs. The orphan product, MetroGel, for the treatment of rosacea, required approximately five years of development before it was approved for marketing by the Food and Drug Administration. MetroGel has become the number one drug in the United States for the treatment of rosacea. It currently is marketed in other countries through a licensing agreement with a major pharmaceutical company."}
{"id": "PMID:1464479", "title": "Evolution and current status of the Orphan Drug Act.", "content": "The 1983 Orphan Drug Act was designed in response to market and regulatory disincentives that limited industrial interest in developing drugs needed by people in the United States with rare diseases and conditions. These disincentives evolved from changes in the pharmaceutical industry and in regulatory testing requirements. In the eight years since the Act and subsequent amendments have been in effect, the law has been associated with the new development and approval of 40 marketed drugs and 12 biologicals to treat rare (orphan) diseases. An additional 281 drugs and 141 biologicals have been entered into development and designated as orphans. Finally, the law has mandated exploration of whether the incentives of the Act are necessary and appropriate for stimulating industrial development of orphan medical drugs and devices. Despite this progress, controversies have arisen over three profitable orphan products that have benefited from the law's provisions. This has created the need for continued assessment of the Act's benefits and costs."}
{"id": "PMID:1464480", "title": "Creating the costliest orphan. The Orphan Drug Act in the development of Ceredase.", "content": "The FDA recently approved Ceredase, a new treatment for Gaucher's disease, under the provisions of the Orphan Drug Act. Ceredase is unusually expensive, but there are no satisfactory alternative therapies. It appears likely that Ceredase would not have become available without the protection of the Orphan Drug Act, but its expense and the lack of information about its long-term effects on health raise questions about whether the ODA provides appropriate incentives to develop cost-effective technologies."}
{"id": "PMID:1464481", "title": "Automated ambulatory medical records systems. An orphan technology.", "content": "Automated ambulatory medical records systems (AAMRSs) have been operational for over 20 years but have not been adopted by more than a small fraction of their potential users. This paper presents a detailed analysis of the uses and benefits of the COSTAR-based AAMRS at the Harvard Community Health Plan and of the factors which have inhibited the dissemination of COSTAR. We conclude that AAMRSs have been an orphan technology and cite trends in health care that favor the future development of AAMRSs."}
{"id": "PMID:1464482", "title": "Clinical PET scanning. A \"short-lived\" orphan.", "content": "Positron emission tomography (PET) is a method of nuclear medicine imaging that uses short-lived radiopharmaceuticals to detect and quantify the metabolic abnormalities of disease processes. PET initially was developed in a research environment as a research tool; data from these research studies resulted in the gradual recognition that PET studies would be useful for various routine clinical applications. The diffusion of PET into clinical practice has been slow in comparison with other new imaging methods (e.g., magnetic resonance imaging). This slow diffusion is attributable to several factors, including the complexity and high cost of PET, the uncertain role of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in regulating the radiopharmaceuticals that are produced and used on-site for PET studies, and the apparent slow pace at which the Health Care Financing Administration and other third-party payers are developing policies for reimbursing for PET."}
{"id": "PMID:1464483", "title": "Health technologies for the developing world. Addressing the unmet needs.", "content": "This paper provides a critical overview of several strategies and mechanisms that have been employed by the Program for Appropriate Technology in Health over the past decade to address the unmet needs for health technologies in the developing world. Partnerships between public and private-sector organizations are emphasized in order to share risks, encourage efficiency, and ensure the availability of priority products for health care in resource-poor settings. Incentives for the involvement of the commercial sector, the means to protect the interest of the public sector, and the role of bridging organizations are discussed in the light of the shifting goals of the public sector."}
{"id": "PMID:1464484", "title": "Recombinant erythropoietin. Orphan product with a silver spoon.", "content": "The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) approval to the orphan biological product recombinant erythropoietin (rEPO) in June 1989 resulted both in a breakthrough treatment for the chronic anemia of people who suffer from chronic renal failure and a powerful argument for change in the legislation that spawned its development: the Orphan Drug Act of 1983. At a cost of over $6,000 per patient per year, Congress could not understand how a product that no manufacturer wanted to produce was suddenly costing the federal government hundreds of millions of dollars each year. Congress attempted to change the act in 1990 to preclude a manufacturer from using its provisions to secure lucrative monopolies in certain drug markets. In early 1991, the FDA finally issued regulations to implement the act that addressed some of the very concerns that were caused by rEPO."}
{"id": "PMID:1464485", "title": "Evaluation of orphan products by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.", "content": "Orphan drug products generally are used in treating or preventing rare diseases. The small number of patients available for study may create special problems in the evaluation of these products. This paper examines some of the special problems that are associated with the design and implementation of studies to evaluate the safety and efficacy of orphan drugs. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not established special criteria for evaluating orphan drugs per se, but the FDA has been flexible in evaluating drug products that present special problems, especially when these products are for treatment of serious of life-threatening illnesses. The FDA and other U.S. governmental agencies also have taken steps to promote the development and availability of drugs for rare diseases, including making these products available to patients who are in need, even before the drugs have full FDA marketing approval."}
{"id": "PMID:1464486", "title": "Contraceptives. On their own.", "content": "Despite the need for more safe and effective contraceptive drugs and devices, enormous barriers to contraceptive research and development have been raised in the United States. The designation of contraceptives as orphan drugs, with concomitant incentives, may be warranted to encourage private manufacturers to reenter the field."}
{"id": "PMID:1464487", "title": "Issues in the cross-national assessment of health technology.", "content": "With the growing international literature in economic evaluation and the rapid spread of new health technologies, there is a need to undertake, or at least interpret, economic evaluations on the international level. However, the ways in which cross-national differences affect the cost-effectiveness of health technologies or their evaluations have never been studied. This paper explores these issues by taking advantage of a unique situation in which the same economic evaluation of a new indication for a health technology was conducted simultaneously in four countries using an identical methodology. The study showed that if prior agreement on methods can be reached and local data applied, economic evaluations can be undertaken in a way that facilitates the extrapolation of results from country to country."}
{"id": "PMID:1464488", "title": "The Consensus Development Program. Detecting changes in medical practice following a consensus conference on the treatment of prostate cancer.", "content": "The treatment of prostate cancer was reviewed at a U.S. National Institutes of Health Consensus Development Conference in June 1987. Data from the U.S. National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results tumor registries were analyzed and showed that the proportion of eligible prostate cancer patients receiving the recommended therapies did not increase at a faster rate after the conference than before."}
{"id": "PMID:1464489", "title": "Cost-effectiveness of the screening and treatment of diabetic retinopathy. What are the costs of underutilization?", "content": "Diabetic retinal disease remains a leading cause of visual disability among those of working age. Controlled trials have demonstrated that timely diagnosis and photocoagulation treatment can reduce significantly the likelihood of visual impairment in affected diabetic patients. Using a prospective simulation model, we show that an annual screening and treatment program saves thousands of years of vision and reduces medical expenditures over the lifetime of a cohort of Swedish Type I diabetic patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1464490", "title": "Information dissemination and the cesarean birth rate. The Illinois experience.", "content": "A study was initiated to investigate the impact of information dissemination in Illinois upon the projected rise in the cesarean birth rate over the period from 1986 through 1988. The total cesarean birth rate in Illinois had not changed significantly during this period, whereas the rate of vaginal births after cesarean sections (VBAC) increased by 58.4% (p < .001). Information dissemination may have contributed to stemming an increase in the cesarean birth rate in Illinois while promoting VBAC deliveries."}
{"id": "PMID:1464491", "title": "A model for evaluating the cost-effectiveness of cholesterol-lowering treatment.", "content": "We describe and illustrate the use of a generalizable model for evaluating the cost-effectiveness of alternative cholesterol-lowering treatments. We combine standard incidence-based techniques for measuring the cost of illness with logistic risk functions from the Framingham Heart Study to project, for persons with known coronary risk characteristics, the likelihood of developing coronary heart disease (CHD) over a lifetime as well as a number of related outcomes, including the expected loss of years of life due to CHD, the expected lifetime direct and indirect costs of CHD, and the changes in these outcomes that would result from cholesterol-lowering treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1464493", "title": "X-linked retinitis pigmentosa: functional phenotype of an RP2 genotype.", "content": "Rod- and cone-mediated function was studied with psychophysics and electroretinography in members of an X-linked retinitis pigmentosa pedigree with the RP2 genotype. An asymptomatic hemizygote with an early stage of the disease had cone dysfunction in the mid-periphery and an abnormal cone electroretinogram (ERG); rod function was normal. Hemizygotes with more advanced disease had cone and rod dysfunction in the mid-peripheral retina and cone dysfunction in the far periphery; cone and rod ERGs were abnormal. At very advanced stages, there was an absolute mid-peripheral scotoma and marked cone and rod dysfunction in the far peripheral and central retina. Cone and rod ERGs were severely abnormal or not detectable. Heterozygotes showed tapetal-like reflexes, patches of pigmentary retinopathy, and a range of functional findings from no detectable abnormalities to moderate levels of retinal dysfunction. There were regions of normal function adjacent to dysfunctional patches that had greater cone than rod sensitivity losses or comparable cone and rod losses. The results suggest that the phenotype of this RP2 genotype of X-linked retinitis pigmentosa, unlike other forms of retinitis pigmentosa, is first expressed as a cone photoreceptor system dysfunction, and as the disease progresses, both rod and cone systems are involved."}
{"id": "PMID:1464494", "title": "Fatty acid composition of the human macula and peripheral retina.", "content": "The fatty acids in the human retina and the macular region were measured quantitatively (mole percent) by gas chromatography. The major fatty acids of the human retina and macula were palmitic, stearic, oleic, arachidonic, and docosahexaenoic. Surprisingly, there was much less docosahexaenoic acid in the macular region (15.9% of total) than in the peripheral retina (22.3% of total). There was a group of \"other fatty acids,\" not any of the five major fatty acids, that were relatively more abundant in the macula (21.0% of total) than in the peripheral retina (10.7% of total). These results indicate that the human macula has a unique biochemical composition, which differs substantially from the peripheral retina. Establishment of the biochemical composition of the macula may be important for helping recognize possible changes associated with diseases such as age-related macular degeneration."}
{"id": "PMID:1464495", "title": "Region and age-dependent variation in susceptibility of the human retina to lipid peroxidation.", "content": "Trephined buttons from the posterior central (including the macula) and four peripheral regions of human retina were subjected to in vitro lipid peroxidation initiated by Fe+2. There was an age-related increase in peroxidation in the retinal tissue from the posterior region (P = 0.0019), but not in tissues from any of the four peripheral retinal quadrants (collective P = 0.24). These results suggest that the posterior region of the human retina is susceptible to lipid peroxidation and that age is a factor."}
{"id": "PMID:1464496", "title": "Accurate and precise measurement of blood-retinal barrier breakdown using dynamic Gd-DTPA MRI.", "content": "Dynamic T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) after the injection of Gd-DTPA is a promising method for investigating breakdown of the blood-retinal barrier (BRB). Previously, the authors demonstrated that in a T1-weighted image, the initial rate of change in the vitreous water MRI signal as gadolinium diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (Gd-DTPA) enters the vitreous space strongly correlated with the extent of BRB breakdown. Here, a practical approach to measuring a more relevant physiologic parameter is presented: the permeability surface area product (PS). The theory is a development of earlier work used in investigating the breakdown of the blood-brain barrier. The accuracy and precision of this approach was investigated in rabbits pretreated with sodium iodate (30 mg/kg intravenously). The MRI-derived PS normalized to the area of leaky retina (5.65 +/- 0.25 x 10(-4) cm/min, mean +/- standard error of the mean; n = 6) was compared to a similarly normalized PS calculated using a classical physiologic method (4.12 +/- 0.73 x 10(-4) cm/min; n = 6). Good agreement between the two methods was found (P = 0.09). This result demonstrates that the MRI-derived PS is an accurate and precise measure of BRB breakdown under these conditions. The mathematical model of Gd-DTPA distribution in vivo also is validated. Based on these results, several potential sources of error are discussed, including the effect of back-flow of Gd-DTPA from the vitreous space to the plasma, the underlying vascular patency, and MRI slice selection."}
{"id": "PMID:1464497", "title": "In vivo imaging of breakdown of the inner and outer blood-retinal barriers.", "content": "Real-time contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used to distinguish between experimentally induced breakdown of the vascular (inner) and retinal pigment epithelial (RPE; outer) blood-retinal barrier (BRB) in vivo. Pigmented rabbits were treated with intravenous sodium iodate 30 mg/kg, (a specific RPE cell poison), intravitreal N-ethylcarboxamidoadenosine (NECA) 10(-3) mol/l (which specifically disrupts the vascular BRB), or retinal diode laser photocoagulation. Coronal T1-weighted proton images were acquired in a timed sequence after intravenous injection of gadolinium diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (Gd-DTPA). Images were analyzed to localize leakage of Gd-DTPA and determine the permeability surface area product normalized per unit area (PS). The pattern of enhancement observed in eyes treated with sodium iodate differed clearly from that in eyes treated with NECA. PS' values were significantly higher in eyes treated with sodium iodate than with NECA. Simultaneous leakage from the outer and inner BRB in eyes treated with dense retinal laser photocoagulation could be localized and quantitated independently."}
{"id": "PMID:1464498", "title": "Flicker perimetry resists retinal image degradation.", "content": "The influence of refractive defocus and artificial media opacities on perimetric thresholds in automated light-sense and flicker perimetry was investigated in 20 eyes of 20 normal subjects. Thresholds were determined at 13 locations in the central visual field up to 25 degrees. Refractive defocus was induced by blurring with glasses of +1, +2, +3, +6 and +9 diopters spherical. Three diffusers were used as artificial media opacities, causing a mean reduction of visual acuity to 0.46, 0.08, and 0.02. Blurring of the retinal image by a small defocus or by slight artificial media opacities causes a measurable reduction of light-difference sensitivity. Mean sensitivity (MS) and defocus are related logarithmically (log(MS)/defocus, r = -0.9297; P < 0.0001). The correlation between MS and the luminance factor l15, characterizing the artificial media opacities, is linear (MS/l15, r = -0.9736; P < 0.0001). Flicker fusion frequency resists retinal image degradation much better. Mean flicker frequency (MF) and defocus are related logarithmically (log(MF)/defocus, r = -0.4960; P < 0.0001). The correlation between mean flicker frequency (MF) and the luminance factor l15 is nonlinear (MF/[l15]2, r = 0.8693; P < 0.0001). The results of the present study show that perimetric methods that use temporal threshold criteria, such as flicker fusion frequency, should be more suitable than methods that use static criteria for detecting neuronal damage in the presence of factors that disturb retinal image quality."}
{"id": "PMID:1464499", "title": "An improved apparatus for transscleral iontophoresis of gentamicin.", "content": "The authors previously found that positively charged substances are less well-transported into the vitreous humor by transscleral iontophoresis than are negatively charged substances. There was more bubble formation in the eye cup with positively charged than with negatively charged substances. The authors hypothesized that these bubbles might account for the poorer conductance of the positively charged species by causing interruptions of the current. Therefore, the authors developed a modified eye cup in which the diameter of the fluid column was larger than that in the old device (1.0 rather than 0.5 mm). This modification allowed larger voltage to be applied than with the older device, because bubbles could be more easily cleared from the conjunctiva than with the narrower-bore eye cup. Although the efficiency of the apparatus was the same with the two eye cups (micrograms per milliliter in vitreous humor divided by milliampere minutes of current applied), vitreal concentrations of gentamicin with the modified eye cup were fourfold higher than with the older eye cup (83 versus 19 micrograms/ml; P < 0.001). These studies suggest that modifying the eye cup to permit easier removal of bubbles resulted in improved delivery of gentamicin into the ocular humors."}
{"id": "PMID:1464500", "title": "Acute laser lesion effects on acuity sweep VEPs.", "content": "Q-switched neodymium-YAG (infrared) laser lesions at energies up to and including retinal hemorrhages were placed under visual control in the parafovea and the fovea of anesthetized monkeys. Visual-evoked potential (VEP) data were obtained by parallel analog (vector voltmeter) techniques from scalp electrodes in response to high luminance counterphasing sine wave gratings. The gratings were swept downward in spatial frequency to determine an acuity estimate by recording of the VEP magnitude increase onset. Acuity estimates were determined immediately post-exposure and at 15 sec intervals up to 12 min. These were analyzed as a function of laser exposure site and retinal lesion produced. Significant delays in VEP lock-in were demonstrated in subjects that had parafoveal burns or parafoveal subretinal hemorrhages. Foveal burns caused severe short-term fluctuations before a sustained decrease in acuity. Contained foveal hemorrhages produced sustained acuity losses. Foveal exposures that did not produce an immediately visible lesion did not produce measurable changes in VEP response lock-in time. These results probably are independent of visible flash effects and indicate that there may be a transient neural shock effect from parafoveal lesions that can affect the fovea."}
{"id": "PMID:1464501", "title": "Age dependence and distribution of green and blue fluorophores in human lens homogenates.", "content": "This is comprehensive study of the age dependence and regional distribution of the blue and the green fluorophores, per unit protein, (specific fluorescence) in the human lens. Spectroscopic measurements were obtained using fiber optic sensors that considerably improved upon techniques used in the past because inner-filter and scattering effects were minimized. An increase in the specific green and blue fluorescence was observed with increasing age in the soluble and insoluble nuclear fractions. In the cortical fractions, an increase with age was observed in lenses of donors under 30 yr old. No significant variations in the specific fluorescence were measured beyond the third/fourth decade of life in the cortical fractions. The specific fluorescence was about twice as high in samples from the cortex compared to those from the nucleus. The insoluble protein fractions also exhibited twice as much specific fluorescence compared to the soluble ones. At older ages, the fluorescence level of insoluble proteins was always greater than that in soluble ones, but the specific fluorescence of insoluble fractions from young lenses was less than that of soluble older lenses. The greater fluorescence per unit protein may be just a manifestation or marker of the insolubilization process. Furthermore, because a threshold level of specific fluorescence was observed in the cortical fraction of clear lenses, it is likely that fluorophor formation is not a marker of aging in this region, as it is in the nuclear region in which the specific fluorescence increases with increasing age, perhaps reaching a threshold level beyond which cataractogenesis may occur."}
{"id": "PMID:1464502", "title": "Modulation of myo-[3H]inositol uptake by glucose and sorbitol in cultured bovine lens epithelial cells. I. Restoration of myo-inositol uptake by aldose reductase inhibition.", "content": "The association between high-ambient glucose, the polyol pathway, and aldose reductase inhibition on in vitro myo-[3H]inositol uptake was examined in cultured bovine lens epithelial cells (BLECs). Myo-[3H]inositol accumulation in the presence of 5.5 mmol/l D-glucose was rapid and linear for 8 hr. When Na+ was replaced on an equal molar basis with N-methyl-D-glucamine chloride, myo-[3H]inositol uptake was reduced by more than 95%. The myo-inositol transport system appear to be distinct from glucose transport, based upon three criteria: (1) 2-deoxy-D-[3H]glucose uptake, unlike myo-[3H]inositol uptake, was largely sodium independent; (2) L-glucose was a competitive inhibitor of myo-[3H]inositol uptake but had no effect on 2-deoxy-D-[3H]glucose uptake; and (3) 2-deoxy-D-[3H]glucose uptake appeared independent of myo-inositol concentration. Sodium-dependent myo-[3H]inositol uptake was substantially inhibited after chronic (20 hr) exposure of cultured cells to 40 mmol/l glucose. Inhibition of aldose reductase activity partially prevented the inhibitory effect of glucose on myo-[3H]inositol accumulation. No significant difference in the rates of passive efflux of myo-[3H]inositol from preloaded high glucose-treated and control cultures was observed. Although the coadministration of sorbinil to the high-glucose medium partially protected against the attendant decrease in transport activity, the failure to normalize myo-[3H]inositol uptake suggested that glucose-sensitive and sorbitol-sensitive processes were involved in the uptake of myo-inositol."}
{"id": "PMID:1464503", "title": "Modulation of myo-[3H]inositol uptake by glucose and sorbitol in cultured bovine lens epithelial cells. II. Characterization of high- and low-affinity myo-inositol transport sites.", "content": "Myo-[3H]inositol accumulation in cultured bovine lens epithelial cells (BLECs) occurred by high- and low-affinity, Na(+)-dependent transport sites. The high- and low-affinity transport systems had a Km of 27 +/- 4 and 157 +/- 22 mumol/l, respectively, and Vmax of 652 +/- 35 and 2952 +/- 308 pmol/mg protein/hr, respectively. The uptake of myo-[3H]inositol was lowered after chronic (20 hr) incubation of cultured cells in 40 mmol/l glucose throughout the concentration range for 1.5-400 mumol/l myo-inositol. The coadministration of sorbinil (0.1 mmol/l) to 40 mmol/l glucose partially prevented the inhibitory effect of glucose on myo-[3H]inositol uptake. Although the aldose reductase inhibitor prevented the inhibitory effect of glucose on the low-affinity transport site, a glucose-sensitive process for myo-[3H]inositol uptake on the high-affinity transport site was uncovered by Lineweaver-Burk analysis. Acute exposure (3 hr) of cultured BLECs maintained in physiologic medium (Eagle's minimal essential medium, 5.5 mmol/l glucose) to a range of 5.5-44 mmol/l glucose plus sorbinil also caused a decrease in myo-[3H]inositol uptake. Dixon plot analysis confirmed that the acute effect of glucose was the result of competitive inhibition of the high-affinity myo-inositol transport site. Acute exposure of cultured cells to 10-40 mmol/l sorbitol also diminished the accumulation of myo-[3H]inositol. Dixon plot analysis established that the acute effect of exogenous sorbitol was the result of competitive inhibition of the low-affinity myo-inositol transport site.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1464504", "title": "GM1 reduces injury-induced metabolic deficits and degeneration in the rat optic nerve.", "content": "This study demonstrates the earliest reported effects of GM1 treatment on crush-injured axons of the mammalian optic nerve. GM1, administered intraperitoneally immediately after injury, was found to reduce the injury-induced metabolic deficit in nerve activity within 2 hr of injury, as measured by changes in the nicotine-amine adenine dinucleotide redox state. After 4 wk, transmission electron microscopy 1 mm distal to the site of injury revealed a sevenfold increase in axonal survival in GM1-treated compared to untreated injured nerves. These results emphasize the beneficial effect of GM1 on injured optic nerves as well as the correlation between immediate and long-term consequences of the injury. Thus, these results have implications for treating damaged optic nerves."}
{"id": "PMID:1464505", "title": "Guanine nucleotide binding proteins in the dual regulation of lacrimal function.", "content": "The purpose of this study was to identify and characterize functional G proteins that couple regulatory peptides with lacrimal secretory functions. Membranes were prepared from isolated rat exorbital lacrimal gland acini, and guanosine 5'-triphosphate (GTP)-dependence of adenylyl cyclase activity, known to be coupled with regulation of secretion, was measured. The guanine nucleotide GTP produced a biphasic response in the activity of membrane-bound adenylyl cyclase during a 10 min incubation with a maximum stimulation at 10(-5) mol/l GTP. Significant inhibition occurred at a dose of 10(-3) mol/l GTP, with cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) production reduced to less than basal levels. The effect of ADP-ribosylation of membrane proteins by the toxins produced by Vibrio cholera or Bordetella pertussis on lacrimal adenylyl cyclase was assessed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, autoradiography, and laser densitometry. Cholera toxin treatment of membranes resulted in dose-(0.5-100 micrograms/ml) and time-dependent (0-45 min) adenosine diphosphate (ADP)-ribosylation of two membrane proteins with M(r) values of 42,000 and 45,000. Pertussis toxin treatment resulted in the specific ADP-ribosylation of a single protein that migrates with an M(r) value of 41,000. This also was dose (0.5-25 micrograms/ml) and time dependent (0-30 min). Incorporation of 32P into the 45,000 M(r) and 42,000 M(r) proteins in the presence of 50 micrograms/ml cholera toxin was guanine nucleotide dependent, with a two- to threefold increase in labeling when the membranes were incubated with 1 or 0.5 mmol/l GTP. This effect was enhanced in the presence of the nonhydrolyzable GTP analog GTP gamma S.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1464506", "title": "The mushroom femoral head. A radiographic investigation.", "content": "In 1913, anthropologist Ales Hrdlicka described a number of femora as having \"mushroom heads,\" a deformity he attributed to arthritis deformans. The authors have attempted to define the cause of this condition. Forty of 41 femora with \"mushroom\" femoral heads collected by Hrdlicka were grossly inspected and examined with plain radiographs and with computed tomography. Femoral neck angulation and degree of anteversion were determined. Three distinct categories were established: group I, those specimens with normal angulation and short femoral necks; group II, those with varus angulation and short femoral necks; and group III, those with normal-sized femoral necks and normal femoral neck angulation. No correlation was found between degree of anteversion and the categories. Additionally, most of the mushroom deformities were related to osteophyte formation. Most of the changes in the femora were the result of osteoarthritis. Two groups showed evidence of growth disturbances that occurred early in life. The changes in the second group were similar to those seen in Legg-Calv\u00e9-Perthes disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1464507", "title": "Development of a 2,048 x 2,048-pixel image intensifier-TV digital radiography system. Basic imaging properties and clinical application.", "content": "A 2,048 x 2,048-pixel matrix image intensifier (II)-TV digital radiography system has been developed. Potential clinical applications of this new II-TV system were investigated. Basic imaging properties were assessed with clinical applications to gastrointestinal (GI) tract and chest examinations. Basic imaging properties showed improvement of modulation transfer functions (MTFs) from the 1,024 x 1,024- to the 2,048 x 2,048-pixel matrix and approximated the screen-film system at low spatial frequencies. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves of simulated linear shadows improved similarly. Clinical applications showed that the image quality of the 2,048 x 2,048-pixel matrix was comparable with that of the screen-film system for upper GI and chest radiography, but the image quality of the screen-film system was better for the lower GI tract. The authors' II-TV digital radiography system is clinically applicable to gastrointestinal and chest examinations."}
{"id": "PMID:1464508", "title": "Image selection for computed tomography of the chest. A sampling approach.", "content": "High-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) is useful to characterize the presence and extent of lung abnormalities. Contiguous HRCT images of the chest would require 200 images, which is not for practical due to 1) the extensive examination and reading time, and 2) radiation exposure. This article presents a methodologic framework to select the appropriate number of HRCT images to estimate any quantitative parameter with a desired precision. Alternative sampling strategies are introduced, and the sample size requirements are given. Sample size requirements are developed for the percentage of emphysematous lung using simple random and stratified random sampling. The effect of the number of strata on the sample size requirement also is shown. The marked reduction in the number of HRCT images using different types of sampling plans illustrates the power of sampling techniques. Proper stratification is critical to reduce the sample size requirement and to avoid missing key abnormalities, which is particularly critical in the early stages of any disease process when intervention may be most useful. Prior knowledge of the disease is useful in determining the optimum number and location of strata, and can be obtained from available chest radiographs, pulmonary function tests, radionuclide studies, and clinical parameters."}
{"id": "PMID:1464509", "title": "Efficacy of adjunctive intrathrombic heparin with pulse spray thrombolysis in rabbit inferior vena cava thrombosis.", "content": "The efficacy and speed of pharmacomechanical thrombolysis may be limited by thrombotic effects of activated platelets and thrombin within the lysing clot. The authors designed an animal model of subacute venous thrombosis which was used to evaluate the effect of intrathrombic versus intravenous heparin during thrombolysis. Inferior vena cava (IVC) thrombosis was induced in rabbits by balloon catheter injury and placement of steel coils. Venacavagrams were obtained 48 hours later to document clot formation and for angiographic estimation of clot volume. Pulse-spray thrombolysis was performed by forceful injections of various agents through a catheter with multiple side holes spanning the clot. Most animals were given aspirin (30 mg orally) before treatment. After 1 hour of therapy, repeat venacavography was performed. Animals were killed, and residual clot weight was determined. Occlusive IVC thrombi were present in 94% of rabbits at 2 days. Mean residual clot weight per milliliter of estimated initial clot volume (mg/mL) for the various treatment groups was as follows: saline (n = 5) 632 +/- 54; tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) 3 mg, (n = 6) 443 +/- 162; t-PA 3 mg + heparin 750 U intravenously, (n = 7) 408 +/- 128; t-PA 3 mg + heparin 500 U intrathrombic + heparin 250 U intravenously, (n = 8) 213 +/- 166. Differences among these groups (except t-PA alone versus t-PA + intravenous heparin) were significant. The extent of lysis with intrathrombic + intravenous heparin was not significantly retarded by withholding aspirin (n = 6, 194 +/- 72), or improved by giving half the intrathrombic heparin before t-PA injections (n = 6, 280 +/- 158). The results demonstrate the advantage of adjunctive intrathrombic + intravenous heparin over intravenous heparin alone in increasing the extent of pulse-spray thrombolysis in this IVC thrombosis model."}
{"id": "PMID:1464510", "title": "Reflux of ethanol during experimental liver ethanol injections.", "content": "The reflux of ethanol into the peritoneal cavity during percutaneous ethanol injection therapy (PEIT) of liver neoplasms may cause pain and other side effects. This article studies the optimal injection technique to minimize the reflux of ethanol. A technique using normal postmortem pig livers was developed to measure the amount of reflux in different experimental injection situations. The proportional reflux increased significantly when the needle diameter (0.55-1.1 mm) was larger (P < .01) and when the injection was more superficial (P < .0005) (ie, the needle traversed a shorter distance [1-5 cm] inside the liver tissue). Speeding up the injection (0.13-1.5 g/second) produced suggestive (P < .10) increase of the proportional reflux. The proportional reflux was not affected by either the ethanol dose (0.40-2.06 g) or by the time lapse (0-30 seconds) after the injection when the needle was left in situ before its withdrawal. The reflux of ethanol during PEIT is influenced by the diameter of the needle and by the technique used. Further studies are needed to fully clarify the clinical validity of these results."}
{"id": "PMID:1464511", "title": "Early effect of gadopentetate and iodinated contrast media on rabbit kidneys.", "content": "The authors compared the physiologic and nephrotoxic effects of the magnetic resonance imaging contrast medium gadopentetate with two conventional radiographic contrast media. Rabbits were injected intravenously with one of the following solutions: 1) gadopentetate (0.1 M); 2) iohexol (300 mg I/mL); 3) metrizoate (300 mg I/mL); and 4) NaCl (0.9%). Blood samples were taken before and 5, 15, 45, 90, and 180 minutes after injection of the solutions and were analyzed for creatinine, aldosterone, and contrast media levels. Urine was sampled before and 1, 2.5, and 5 hours after injection of the solutions, and creatinine, leucine amino peptidase (LAP), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), gamma glutaryl transferase (GGT), and N-acetyl beta-D-glucosaminidase (NAG) activities were quantified. Contrast media clearance was similar for gadopentetate, iohexol, and metrizoate. Plasma aldosterone was significantly higher in the two groups injected with iodinated contrast agents compared with the gadopentetate and saline groups in the 3-hour samples. During the 5 hours after injection, the excretion of brushborder enzymes LAP, ALP, and gamma GT was significantly higher for all contrast media compared with pre-contrast values and 0.9% NaCl controls. NAG, a lysosomal enzyme from tubular cells, showed a significant increase compared with pre-contrast values for all contrast media. Intravenous injection of gadopentetate in rabbits showed nephrotoxicity of the same order as that of conventional iodinated contrast media."}
{"id": "PMID:1464512", "title": "Real-time dynamics of an extravascular magnetic resonance contrast medium in acutely infarcted myocardium using inversion recovery and gradient-recalled echo-planar imaging.", "content": "The purposes of this study are to evaluate the first-pass profile of gadolinium-BOPTA/Dimeg (Gd-BOPTA/Dimeg) during its transit through hearts subjected to acute myocardial infarction, and to delineate these infarcted regions by the use of ultrafast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Regional ischemia was induced in anesthetized rats by occluding the left coronary artery. Imaging parameters for single shot EPI included TE, 10 mseconds; AT, 33 mseconds; and 64 x 64-pixel matrix. Consecutive images were obtained every 1 to 2 seconds over a 30-second period. After approximately two images, Gd-BOPTA/Dimeg was injected intravenously (0.05 and 0.25 mmol/kg). Gd-BOPTA/Dimeg (0.05 mmol/kg), with inversion recovery EPI, produced a substantial increase in signal intensity of right and then left ventricular blood. Normally perfused myocardium also was enhanced, but not the acutely infarcted region. Clear delineation of the infarcted region as negatively enhanced \"cold spots\" persisted for at least 20 seconds. Gd-BOPTA/Dimeg (0.25 mmol/kg) with standard gradient-recalled EPI produced a different profile of signal intensity changes. Signal intensities of ventricular blood and normal myocardium were greatly reduced, leaving the infarcted zone as a positively enhanced \"hot spot.\" Delineation of the infarcted region persisted for 6 to 8 seconds. The infarcted zone detected with MRI corresponded to that observed at autopsy. Regions of acute myocardial infarction can be detected as negatively enhanced \"cold spots\" or positively enhanced \"hot spots\" by studying the first-pass dynamics of Gd-BOPTA/Dimeg through hearts with regional ischemia by use of single shot EPI."}
{"id": "PMID:1464513", "title": "Magnetic resonance imaging demonstration of pharmacologic-induced myocardial vasodilatation using a macromolecular gadolinium contrast agent.", "content": "Adenosine is a potent vasodilator used clinically in nuclear scintigraphy to assess coronary artery reserves. The potential to identify this vasodilating effect of adenosine using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which is superior in spatial resolution to nuclear scintigraphy, combined with a blood-pool MRI contrast agent, was investigated in normal rats. Groups of Sprague-Dawley rats received successive infusions of either adenosine (3 mg/kg/minute; n = 7) or dipyridamole (negative control; up to 1.0 mg/kg/minute; n = 9), both before and after contrast enhancement, with a macromolecular blood-pool MRI contrast agent, albumin-gadolinium-DTPA35 (Gd-DTPA35) (4.0 mumol Gd per kilogram). Electrocardiographically (ECG) gated MRIs (2.0 Tesla), acquired serially before and after contrast enhancement, and with and without either adenosine or dipyridamole infusions, to monitor potential pharmacologic responses. During repeated infusions of adenosine, the postcontrast myocardial enhancement, reflecting blood volume, increased significantly (P < .05), up to 150%, compared with pre-adenosine enhancement. Infusions of dipyridamole, pharmacologically inactive in rats, produced no change in myocardial enhancement. The increased myocardial signal intensity observed during adenosine infusions after enhancement of the blood pool can be attributed to increased blood volume accompanying coronary vasodilatation. The method, which does not require a continuous infusion of contrast agent, has potential for the clinical evaluations of coronary artery reserves."}
{"id": "PMID:1464514", "title": "The effect of the temperature of contrast media on cardiac electrophysiology and hemodynamics during coronary arteriography.", "content": "The authors assess the effect of preheating ionic and nonionic contrast media on regional electrophysiologic and/or hemodynamic side effects during coronary arteriography. The authors injected 6 mL of nonionic (iohexol) and ionic (ioxaglate) low-osmolality contrast media and NaCl 0.9% twice, at 20 degrees C and 37 degrees C, into the left coronary artery in eight open-chest dogs. To study regional electrophysiologic effects, the authors measured monophasic action potential duration (MAPD) using an epicardial suction electrode placed in the contrast-perfused area. Hemodynamic effects were studied by recording left ventricular systolic pressure (LVSP), mean aortic pressure, LV end diastolic pressure (LVEDP), LV dP/dtmax, and cardiac output. Ioxaglate and iohexol prolonged MAPD more at 20 degrees C than at 37 degrees C. NaCl 0.9% prolonged MAPD only when injected at 20 degrees C. The temperature of iohexol did not significantly influence LV pressures (LVPs) or LV dP/dtmax. Ioxaglate increased LVEDP and decreased LV dP/dtmax more at 20 degrees C than at 37 degrees C 10 seconds after injection. In dogs, contrast media, preheated to body temperature before selective injection during coronary arteriography, reduced dispersion of repolarization and reduced the risk of serious cardiovascular complications."}
{"id": "PMID:1464515", "title": "A new method for thermocholecystectomy. Initial experience and comparison with other techniques.", "content": "The authors tested the feasibility of thermocholecystectomy for gallbladder ablation in an animal model. Thermal treatment of the cystic duct followed by heating of the saline-filled gallbladder using a separately designed heater/expander was performed in 13 pigs (group I). In four animals, heating of the gallbladder alone was performed (group II). Two animals served as controls (group III). All animals were killed 12 weeks after treatment. There was cystic duct occlusion in 10 (77%) of 13 of group I animals. In 6 (60%) of 10 of these animals with cystic duct occlusion, there was complete ablation of the gallbladder mucosa and complete obliteration of the gallbladder lumen. In group II animals, all cystic ducts were intact with an unchanged gallbladder volume in all four animals (100%), and normal gallbladder mucosa were intact in three (75%) of four animals. The gallbladders and cystic ducts in group III animals were normal. This study demonstrates many technical difficulties with thermal cholecystectomy. However, under ideal conditions, permanent gallbladder ablation is feasible in our animal model using a specially designed heating system."}
{"id": "PMID:1464516", "title": "Radiography of the carpal scaphoid. Experimental evaluation of \"the carpal box\" and first clinical results.", "content": "The authors describe a new device (\"the carpal box\") for the radiographic detection of occult scaphoid fracture. Fractures in the scaphoid of five cadaver specimens were mechanically produced. Subsequent examinations included conventional scaphoid radiography, multi-angle radiography, and radiography using the new device. The anatomic analysis of the specimens served as the standard for comparison. A pilot study was performed in six consecutive patients with suspected scaphoid fracture. Neither scaphoid radiography nor multi-angle radiography could confirm a fracture in two specimens, whereas all fractures were recognized on the carpal box radiographs. All scaphoid fractures were visualized by carpal box radiography, whereas scaphoid radiography was equivocal in one patient and negative in the other. Carpal box radiography may have additional value in the diagnosis of occult scaphoid fracture. This may lead to a reduction in costs and inconvenience for patients with clinically suspected scaphoid fracture and negative scaphoid radiography."}
{"id": "PMID:1464519", "title": "Research in the clinical radiology department.", "content": "Researchers often feel tangled in a web of bureaucracy when attempting to conduct their research. However, it is vital that researchers get involved and develop review processes such as those described above, which facilitate animal research yet address the important ethical, legal, and other related issues raised by hospital administrators and the public. As we do so, it is vital that we communicate directly with the public. Without this participation, we will find more and more hospital radiology departments closing their doors to animal-based research."}
{"id": "PMID:1464521", "title": "Moonlighting during the radiology residency.", "content": "The authors surveyed current residents and practicing radiologists to assess motivations for and attitudes about radiology moonlighting during residency. One thousand one hundred current fourth-year radiology residents and 1,100 practicing radiologists who finished training within the past 10 years were surveyed. Information was solicited concerning motivations for and attitudes toward moonlighting and the effects of moonlighting on residents' training. Current residents were compared with former residents to assess changes in attitudes about moonlighting. There were no important differences in the practicing and training cohorts. Of each group, 52% moonlighted. Debt was the main motivating factor influencing a resident's decision to moonlight. Moonlighters owed significantly more money (average debt, $25,804) at the beginning of their residency than did non-moonlighters (average debt, $19,554). In addition, 72% of moonlighters had to begin loan repayments during training with average monthly payments of $284. Departmental policy was less of an influencing factor. There was no statistical difference in the way moonlighters and non-moonlighters spent their time with respect to clinical work, reading radiology, or participating in research. Residents moonlight primarily for financial reasons but also perceive a positive educational benefit. Although no significant negative effects on the residency were found in this study, rising debt, decreased forbearance of repayment, and possible resultant increases in the amount of time spent moonlighting, might eventually affect resident's productivity in more traditional residency activities."}
{"id": "PMID:1464522", "title": "Radiology on the air. A continuing medical education experiment.", "content": "The purpose of Radiology on the Air was to assess the technical and educational feasibility of providing radiologic continuing medical education via a fully interactive live telecommunications network. Thirty-nine radiologic conferences were broadcast over the communications network of the Microelectronics Center of North Carolina (MCNC). Category 1 credit for the Physicians Recognition Award of the American Medical Association was available to participants who returned a completed program evaluation sheet by mail. Three participating academic institutions regularly offered the programming to a total of 684 participants, of whom 129 viewed programs at distant sites. Despite adequate-to-excellent technical quality and positive feedback concerning educational content, no continuing medical education (CME) credits were issued by the parent institution. The Radiology on the Air experiment suggests that a live telecommunications network is a capable vehicle for providing CME in radiology."}
{"id": "PMID:1464530", "title": "Partial thoracic aortic occlusion in blunt trauma.", "content": "This case raises some interesting points. First, it allows a review of Poiseuille's Law and its application to vascular disease. It raises the question of whether or not some CT and MRI findings are of clinical significance. Finally, one must question whether or not intervention is indicated based on these \"high tech\" findings. Only the passage of time and accumulation of further data will give us the correct answers."}
{"id": "PMID:1464535", "title": "A study of the relationship between severity of illness and hospital cost in New Jersey hospitals.", "content": "In response to concerns over the equity of diagnosis-related group (DRG)-based prospective payment, the New Jersey Department of Health conducted a Severity of Illness evaluation study in which severity of illness, DRG, and uniform cost information were collected for 76,798 patients in 25 hospitals. Severity of illness was measured using the Computerized Severity Index (CSI) and was found to be a significant determinant of hospital cost in 76 DRGs that accounted for 41.4 percent of the total direct hospital patient care costs and 27 percent of the patients. The addition of CSI severity levels to the 76 DRGs reduced the coefficient of variation of cost in these DRGs by 17.4 percent and improved the overall reduction in variance of cost within the 76 DRGs by 38.2 percent. The change in total hospital payments due to the addition of severity for the 76 DRGs varied from a positive 5.71 percent to a negative 5.48 percent. These results demonstrate that a severity adjustment to this subset of DRGs would result in a more equitable DRG-based prospective payment system."}
{"id": "PMID:1464537", "title": "Choosing quality of care measures based on the expected impact of improved care on health.", "content": "Consumers, payers, and policymakers are demanding to know more about the quality of the services they are purchasing or might purchase. The information provided, however, is often driven by data availability rather than by epidemiologic and clinical considerations. In this article, we present an approach for selecting topics for measuring technical quality of care, based on the expected impact on health of improved quality. This approach employs data or estimates on disease burden, efficacy of available treatments, and the current quality of care being provided. We use this model to select measures that could be used to measure the quality of care in health plans, but the proposed framework could also be used to select quality of care measures for other purposes or in other contexts (for example, to select measures for hospitals). Given the limited resources available for quality assessment and the policy consequences of better information on provider quality, priorities for assessment efforts should focus on those areas where better quality translates into improved health."}
{"id": "PMID:1464538", "title": "How the elderly fare in HMOs: outcomes from the Medicare competition demonstrations.", "content": "Because of concern about the effects of prepaid care on outcomes for elderly enrollees in health maintenance organizations (HMOs), a prospective study of access to care and functional outcomes was performed. HMOs with Medicare risk contracts in January 1985 (N = 17) were selected from ten communities and were matched for comparison with ten similar communities where no Medicare HMOs were in operation. Random samples of HMO enrollees (N = 2,098) and fee-for-service (FFS) nonenrollees (N = 1,059) were assessed at baseline and at follow-up one year later (HMO = 1,873, FFS = 916) to observe access to care and functional outcomes. At baseline, nonenrollees had more bed days and poorer functional status than HMO enrollees. While fewer HMO enrollees experienced declines in functional status between baseline and follow-up (e.g., patient's ability to function declined in one or more activities of daily living: HMOs at 5.3 percent versus FFS at 8.5 percent, p < .01), after controlling for other factors with logistic regression, enrollment status was not significantly associated with functional decline. Self-rated health, history of hospitalization, age of 80 or older and baseline functional status were predictive of decline in function. After controlling for baseline differences, HMO disenrollees also experienced similar functional declines at follow-up compared to continuously enrolled beneficiaries. These findings suggest that Medicare beneficiaries who belong to HMOs experience comparable rates of functional decline to those experienced by beneficiaries in the FFS sector with similar initial levels of function and health status. Together with results showing no significant difference in medical visits according to various symptoms, we conclude that access and quality of care delivered by HMOs is comparable to that provided in FFS settings."}
{"id": "PMID:1464539", "title": "The effect of the illness episode approach on Medicare beneficiaries' health insurance decisions.", "content": "This article reports on a quasi-experimental test of the Illness Episode Approach (IEA), a new approach to providing Medicare beneficiaries with information about the financial consequences of alternative health care coverage decisions. Beneficiaries were randomly assigned to free, three-hour workshops, half using materials developed through application of the IEA, half using traditional comparative information on insurance options. Analysis of data collected before and after the workshops indicates that participants in the Illness Episode sessions were more likely to drop duplicative coverage, to spend less on premiums, and to report that their decisions to change coverage had met their expectations. The entire sample of workshop participants showed significant increases in knowledge of Medicare and their own insurance, as well as improved satisfaction with the cost of their health care coverage."}
{"id": "PMID:1464540", "title": "Determinants of hospital tax-exempt debt yields: corrections for selection and simultaneous equation bias.", "content": "The cost of capital for hospitals is a topic of continuing interest as Medicare's new capital payment policy is implemented. This study examines the determinants of tax-exempt revenue bond yields, the primary source of long-term capital for hospitals. Two important methodological issues are addressed. A probit analysis estimates the probability that a hospital or system will be observed in the tax-exempt market. A selection-corrected two-stage least squares analysis allows for the simultaneous determination of bond yield and bond size. The study is based on a sample of hospitals that issued tax-exempt revenue bonds in 1982-1984, the years immediately surrounding implementation of Medicare's new payment system based on diagnosis-related groups, and an equal number of hospitals not in the market during the study period. Results suggest that hospital systems and hospitals with high occupancy rates are most likely to enter the tax-exempt revenue bond market. The yield equation suggests that hospital-specific variables may not be good predictors of the cost of capital once estimates are corrected for selection."}
{"id": "PMID:1464541", "title": "[Importance of MRI in hydronephrosis caused by acute or chronic ureteral obstruct. Prospective study].", "content": "Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the normal kidney shows in T1 weighted sequence a spontaneous corticomedullary differentiation. In case of ureteral obstruction the corticomedullary differentiation tends to disappear, the medullary signal intensity in T1 weighted sequence is lower and the whole kidney signal intensity in T2 weighted sequence is greater in acute phase. 16 patients with lithiasis ureteral obstruction were evaluated in MRI study. A T1 weighted S.E. 500/28 sequence in axial and frontal planes (7 mm thick-section) and a T2 weighted E.G. 2000/40 sequence in axial plane were used to study the hydronephrotic kidney and to compare it with contralateral normal kidney. Ultrasounds and intravenous pyelography (IVP) were performed to assess the renal dysfunction. MRI realize a morphologic study of the kidney which can be compared with ultrasounds and IVP. MRI assess renal function by the signal intensity but the time of obstruction and the time of medical treatment before MRI are of interest."}
{"id": "PMID:1464542", "title": "[Magnetic resonance, a means for anatomically reliable imaging and noninvasive metabolic studies of kidney transplants].", "content": "As an adjunct to the monitoring of intracellular high-energy phosphorus metabolites by 31P NMR1 for assessment of renal viability, a study of vasculature of preserved kidneys was performed by Image-Guided Volume Selective 19F MR Spectroscopy. 1H and 19F of the same preserved rat and porcine kidneys were obtained. The technique enabled the analysis of the vessel and tissue properties and opens new possibilities for pretransplant assessment of renal vasculature."}
{"id": "PMID:1464543", "title": "[Ureterorenoscopy as a diagnostic procedure in the upper urinary tract].", "content": "Ureteropyeloscopy has become a valuable asset in the diagnosis and treatment in the upper urinary tract. From 1984 to 1991 we performed 1635 ureteropyeloscopies, 180 procedures in a diagnostic intention. Rigid ureteropyeloscopes permit endoscopic access into the ureter and the upper calix, actively deflectable instruments are necessary to visualize the middle and lower calix."}
{"id": "PMID:1464544", "title": "[Systematic morphometry of radical prostatectomy samples. A guideline for general practice].", "content": "The predictive value of quantitated tumor volume for the prognosis of the individual patient with prostate cancer has been established in analysis of more than 500 radical prostatectomy specimens at Stanford Medical Center. The Stanford technique for detailed tissue sectioning involves considerable time and expense plus computer planimetry. Therefore we have developed two simplified protocols which are suitable to routine diagnostic pathology. Histologic slides of 145 radical prostatectomy specimens, as evaluated by the Stanford technique, were reviewed and a selection of slides was made in a systematic fashion according to two protocols (\"bilateral\" and \"parasagittal\"). Tumor volume was estimated manually from this reduced sample of slides by comparing cancer areas to a millimeter grid. The bilateral protocol used an average of 11.7 slides per case (range 8-20), the parasagittal protocol used an average of 8.8 slides per case (range 6-15) versus an average of 26.2 slides per case (range 16-67) by the original Stanford technique. Volume estimates were within +/- 20% of true (computer) volume in 96% and 89% of cases, respectively. A simplified tissue sampling technique can yield accurate cancer volume determinations in radical prostatectomy specimens with reduced time and expense."}
{"id": "PMID:1464545", "title": "[Randomized study comparing zoladex versus zoladex plus flutamide in treatment of advanced cancer of the prostate].", "content": "589 patients from 10 countries are recruited into a multicentre randomised trial comparing Zoladex with a combination of Zoladex-Depot + flutamide. Zoladex was administered as a depot injection every 28 days and flutamide was given as 3 x 250 mg tablets daily. Patients with histologically confirmed locally advanced (T3/T4) or metastatic (M1) carcinoma were included. Patients with previous hormonal manipulation and/or chemotherapy were excluded. 65% of patients had metastatic disease. Both treatment groups were balanced (T-category, histology, metastases, performance status). An analysis of subjective and objective response, time to response and time to progression has shown no statistically significant difference. A survival analysis after a median follow-up of 24 months has shown no statistically significant difference between the two treatment groups (p = 0.47)."}
{"id": "PMID:1464546", "title": "[Autologous blood transfusions in interventions of the pelvis using the cell saver].", "content": "From July 1990 to September 1991 we used the cell-saver for autologous intraoperative retransfusion in 8 radical prostatectomies, 5 cystectomies and one adenomenucleation. Postoperatively we tolerated a hemoglobin fall up to 10 g/100 ml. Doing it without heterologous blood was possible in 7 out of 14 patients. In all of them the preoperative hemoglobin was higher than 13 g/100 ml and the blood loss did not exceed 3000 ml."}
{"id": "PMID:1464547", "title": "[Malignant mesothelioma of the tunica vaginalis testis].", "content": "Malignant mesothelioma of the tunica vaginalis testis is an extremely rare tumor, with only 37 cases previously described in the literature. Treatment consists of inguinal orchiectomy with close follow-up [1]. Asbestos exposure, trauma and hydrocele have been implicated as risk factors. We describe a patient's history and the pathological findings as well as the management according to preceding reports in the literature."}
{"id": "PMID:1464548", "title": "[Kaposi's sarcoma of the urinary bladder after kidney transplantation].", "content": "In 1872 the Viennese dermatologist Moritz Kaposi first described a pigment sarcoma of the skin. A modification of the epidemiology and the follow-up results in the accumulation of reports about the Kaposi-sarcoma after organ transplantation in the sixties and in the beginning of the eighties frequently Kaposi-sarcomas by the immunodefect syndrome AIDS were noticed. The incidence of Kaposi-sarcomas after kidney transplantations is estimated to be 0.3 to 1.8 per thousand. We report about a patient developing a Kaposi-sarcoma of the bladder during an immunosuppression therapy with Imurec and Sandimmun."}
{"id": "PMID:1464549", "title": "[Screening study for early detection of intestinal tumors after urinary diversion].", "content": "The increased risk of colon carcinoma following urinary diversions via colon makes knowledge about preneoplastic changes necessary. In 30 ureterosigmoidostomy patients with a mean observation period of 16 years flexible sigmoidoscopy with biopsies and nitrosamine analysis of the feces/urine mixture have been performed. In the biopsies we found an increased sialomucin concentration at the ureterocolonic anastomosis in 29.2%--sialomucin is supposed to be a preneoplastic change--with no significant difference to the mucosa periureteral and in the rectum. In 58.3% we found chronic inflammation at the anastomosis, in 29.2% periureteral and 4.2% in the rectum. 2/30 patients developed adenocarcinoma, 1 patient an atypia and 1 patient a juvenile polyp. The nitrosamine excretion of the ureterosigmoidostomy patients were significantly increased compared to 20 healthy controls with no correlation to the histology at the anastomosis or the observation time. Because of the multilocular presence--colon carcinomas develop only at the anastomosis--sialomucin and chronic inflammation seem to be no preneoplastic changes in urinary diversions. The nitrosamine analysis is not suitable for routine follow-up as well."}
{"id": "PMID:1464550", "title": "[Marfan syndrome and cystic kidneys of the adult type].", "content": "For the first time Bernhard Marfan described the Marfan-Syndrome in 1896; it is a meso- and ectodermed variety with the conducting symptom of \"arachnodactyly\". Marfan-Syndrome is an autosomal dominant hereditary disorder with high penetrance and variable expressivity. In our opinion this case of a 41-year-old patient with kidney cysts and aneurysma dissecans of the arteria ascendens by Marfan-Syndrome was described in the literature only twice. The casuistics of this Marfan-Syndrome patient shows a particular rare associated organ-change--the kidney cysts--and illustrate the frequency of this hereditary disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1464551", "title": "HLA class I nucleotide sequences, 1992.", "content": "The HLA class I sequences included in this compilation are taken from articles listed in the literature: \"Nomenclature for Factors of the HLA System, 1991\" [1], \"Nomenclature for Factors of the HLA System, 1990\" [2], and \"Nomenclature for Factors of the HLA System, 1989\" [3]. Because of the increased number of sequences, we have only included sequences for exons 2-4 in this compilation. Where discrepancies have arisen between reported sequences, the original authors have been contacted where possible, and necessary amendments to published sequences have been incorporated into this alignment. Future sequencing may identify errors in this list, and we would welcome any evidence that helps to maintain the accuracy of this compilation. In the sequence alignments, identity between nucleotides is indicated by a hyphen (-). An unavailable sequence is indicated by a period (.). Gaps in the sequence are inserted to maintain the alignment between different alleles showing variation in amino acid number."}
{"id": "PMID:1464552", "title": "Ancestral haplotypes: conserved population MHC haplotypes.", "content": "We describe here a number of Caucasoid MHC haplotypes that extend from HLA-B to DR and that have been conserved en bloc. These haplotypes and recombinants between any two of them account for 73% of unselected haplotypes in our Caucasoid population. The existence of ancestral haplotypes implies conservation of large chromosomal segments. Irrespective of the mechanisms involved in preservation of ancestral haplotypes, it is clear that these haplotypes carry several MHC genes, other than HLA, which may be relevant to antigen presentation, autoimmune responses, and transplantation rejection. In light of the existence of ancestral haplotypes, it is critical to evaluate MHC associations with disease and transplantation outcome in terms of associations with ancestral haplotypes rather than individual alleles."}
{"id": "PMID:1464553", "title": "Leucine33-proline33 substitution in human platelet glycoprotein IIIa determines HLA-DRw52a (Dw24) association of the immune response against HPA-1a (Zwa/PIA1) and HPA-1b (Zwb/PIA2).", "content": "Alloantibody formation against HPA-1a (Zwa/PIA1) has, to date, only been found in HLA-DRw52(a+) (Dw24) individuals. Alloimmunization against the product of the other HPA-1 allele, HPA-1b, is rare. We have been able to evaluate ten cases of HPA-1b alloimmunization in Europe in order to study whether there is an association between HLA phenotype and anti-HPA-1b antibody formation. HLA typing of these patients was performed with particular attention to the DRw52a specificity using specific T-cell clones. No association with DRw52a or any other known HLA phenotype was found. This finding implies that the amino acid substitution leucine33-proline33 in GPIIIa, responsible for HPA-1a/b, is of primary importance for the association of anti-HPA-1a antibody formation with DRw52a. These data show that the amino acid polymorphism affects the presentation of the immunogenic oligopeptides of HPA-1a and -1b in the HLA class-II groove."}
{"id": "PMID:1464554", "title": "Polymerase-chain-reaction-based analysis of polymorphism in the HLA-B gene.", "content": "The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in combination with the sequence-specific oligonucleotide probe (SSOP) was applied to analyze the polymorphism in the exon 2 of the HLA-B gene. In this study, genomic DNAs from 85 B-lymphoblastoid cell lines homozygous for HLA and peripheral blood granulocytes of 156 Japanese individuals were investigated. Two HLA-B-specific 5'-sided primers (CG4 and CG5) and two 3'-sided primers (CG2 and CG3) were designed for specific amplification of the exon. HLA-B alleles were classified into two groups (groups I and II) according to specific amplification with two types of the 3'-sided primers. The amplified DNAs were hybridized with 23 nonradioactively labeled SSOPs. Based on the hybridization patterns with the SSOPs, 34 HLA-B specificities were divided into 26 epitope combination (EC) groups. Fifteen HLA-B specificities were classified into four EC groups and these HLA-B specificities could not be distinguished from one another in the same EC group. Another 16 HLA-B specificities corresponded one by one to 16 distinct EC groups, and two subtypes of HLA-Bw75, B27, and Bw48 were also identified enabling the accurate typing of 22 HLA-B alleles at the DNA level. Single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) of the PCR products from group I HLA-B alleles was also investigated. The HLA-B alleles showed distinct electrophoretic patterns in nondenaturing polyacrylamide gels, depending on the nucleotide sequences of the exon 2, indicating that the SSCP analysis may be an alternative, useful and practical HLA-matching system of HLA-B specificity in tissue transplantation."}
{"id": "PMID:1464555", "title": "Shared polymorphism between gorilla and human major histocompatibility complex DRB loci.", "content": "A high degree of polymorphism and high nucleotide diversity mark the functional genes of the major histocompatibility complex (Mbc). Alleles at the different Mbc loci can be classified into distinct lineages that are shared between species and, therefore, are presumed to have been founded before speciation. We have sequenced the most polymorphic part of 25 gorilla Mbc-DRB genes from six individuals. (The DRB genes code for the beta-polypeptide chain of the alpha beta heterodimer that constitutes one family of the class II MHC molecules.) Fifteen of the sequences identify new alleles at four DRB loci; each of the six gorillas was heterozygous at one of the loci at least. Thirteen of the alleles could be assigned to lineages identified previously; the remaining two alleles represent new lineages. All the major human DRB allelic lineages are now known to be shared with apes, and all must have originated before the human-gorilla-chimpanzee divergence more than six million years (my) ago. The presence of some of the gorilla and human lineages in Old World monkeys suggests that these lineages emerged before the divergence of apes and cercopithecids. We argue that the major allelic lineages at the DRB1 locus began to diverge shortly after the rounds of duplication that generated the different DRB loci now found in the hominoids and that this event occurred more than 30 my ago. Comparison of closely related gorilla DRB sequences indicates that polymorphism may be generated by several mechanisms: point mutations, slippage during DNA replication, and recombination. Deduced gene linkages provide evidence for transspecies evolution of haplotype polymorphism."}
{"id": "PMID:1464556", "title": "Analysis of human T-cell receptor alpha-chain cDNAs isolated from peripheral blood mononuclear cells.", "content": "T-cell receptor alpha-chain cDNA were generated from unstimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells of a DR2,3,52a individual using a modified anchor PCR method. Fifty-six cDNA clones were identified representing 47 distinct T-cell receptor clonotypes and 26 VA loci. This analysis identified a new VA gene family VA30, and a new member of the VA6 gene family."}
{"id": "PMID:1464563", "title": "One-tone suppression in the cochlear nerve of the gerbil.", "content": "One-tone rate suppression has been reported several times for auditory nerve fibers of mammalian and non-mammalian vertebrates. Because its properties are very similar to those of two-tone rate suppression, the possibility exists that one-tone rate suppression is the result of an interaction within the inner ear of the suppressing tonal stimulus and some ongoing extraneous acoustic stimulus. For this reason, reports of one-tone rate suppression often elicit suspicions that the investigators were not sufficiently careful in controlling leaks in their acoustic barriers or in the electrical pathways to their acoustic drivers. Recent reports of one-tone rate suppression in pigeon basilar-papillar fibers and goldfish saccular fibers were accompanied by descriptions of measures taken to avoid such leaks. In this paper, we describe one-tone rate suppression in a mammal, the Mongolian gerbil; and we demonstrate that the background spike activity being suppressed is not driven by either external sounds coming from outside the acoustic isolation test chamber or by non-stimulus electrical inputs to the acoustic driver. The suppressed background spike activity evidently arises from sources within the animal. These sources may be non-acoustic, associated with spontaneous pre- or post-synaptic ion-channel activity; or they may be acoustic sources--internal sound or vibration generators."}
{"id": "PMID:1464564", "title": "The influence of loud sound on red blood cell velocity and blood vessel diameter in the cochlea.", "content": "Using intravital microscopy, we observed both decreases in red blood cell velocity and possible vasoconstriction in stria vascularis capillaries of the rat cochlea in response to loud sound (Quirk et al., 1991). However, our observation of vasoconstriction was subject to error in measurements from the two dimensional images obtained with our silicon intensified (SIT) camera due to the influence of focus causing image blur. The purpose of the current study was to apply an extended focus microscopy technique to obtain quantitative assessment of vessel diameter changes (Avinash et al., 1992), as well as to extend these studies to the guinea pig model. Broad-band sound stimulation at intensities of 84 dB SPL and 110 dB SPL were used. The results show that loud sound induces a sequence of changes in cochlear blood flow. Stimulation with 110 dB SPL resulted in a mean increase (maximum = 27%) in red blood cell velocity for the first 20 min of exposure followed by a gradual decrease below baseline (minimum = -12%) prior to termination of the signal. This velocity decrease and subsequent recovery were associated with significant changes in vessel diameters of selected and measured capillaries. In contrast, the 84 dB SPL stimulus caused an increase in red blood cell velocity (maximum = 20%) and vessel diameter (mean = 7.5) during the stimulation period. No recovery was observed during the 10 min observation period following sound. Several possible mechanisms responsible for these changes are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1464565", "title": "Sensitivity of neurons in cat primary auditory cortex to tones and frequency-modulated stimuli. I: Effects of variation of stimulus parameters.", "content": "In the primary auditory cortex (AI) of barbiturate-anesthetized cats multi-unit responses to tones and to frequency-modulated (FM) tonal stimuli were analyzed. Characteristic frequency (CF), sharpness of tuning, minimum threshold, and dynamic range of spike count--intensity functions were determined. Minimum threshold and dynamic range were positively correlated. The response functions to unidirectional FM sweeps of varying linear rate of change of frequency (RCF) that traversed the excitatory frequency response areas (FRAs) displayed a variety of shapes. Preferences for fast RCFs (> 1000 kHz/s) were most common. Best RCF was not correlated with measures of sharpness of tuning. Directional preference and sensitivity were quantified by a DS index which varied with RCF. About two-thirds of the multi-unit responses showed a preference for downward sweeps. Directional sensitivity was independent of CF and independent of best RCF. Measurements of latencies of phasic responses to unidirectional FM sweeps of different RCF demonstrated that the discharges of a given multi-unit over its effective RCF range were initiated at the same instantaneous frequency (effective Fi), independent of RCF. Effective Fis fell within the excitatory FRA of a given multi-unit. The relationships of effective Fis to CF show that responses were evoked only when the frequency of the signal was modulated towards CF and not when modulated away from it, and that responses were initiated before the modulation reached CF. Changes in the range and depth of modulation had only minor, if any, effects on RCF response characteristics, FM directional sensitivity, and effective Fis, as long as the beginning and ending frequencies of FM sweeps fell outside a multi-unit's FRA. Stimulus intensity also had only moderate effects on RCF response characteristics and DS. However, effective Fis were influenced in systematic fashions; with increases in intensity, effective Fis to upward and downward sweeps decreased and increased, respectively. Thus, for higher intensities FM responses were initiated at instantaneous frequencies occurring earlier in the signal. The results are compared with previous data on tone and FM sensitivity of auditory neurons in cortical and subcortical structures, and mechanisms of FM rate and directional sensitivity are discussed. The topographic representations of these neuronal properties in AI are reported in the companion report."}
{"id": "PMID:1464566", "title": "Derived and enhanced compound action potentials at near-threshold levels: forward masking increases sensitivity of audiograms and tuning curves.", "content": "The amplitude of a cochlear nerve compound action potential (CAP) can be increased by forward maskers having levels close to the visual detection threshold of the CAP. This effect, termed enhancement, varies as a function of the frequency of the masker and probe stimulus, and is nonmonotonic with respect to the level of the masker. Other studies using the derived CAP have used a subtraction technique to evaluate the ability of simultaneous maskers having levels near the CAP visual detection threshold to influence the CAP produced by an above threshold tone. The present paper compares audiograms produced by the conventional nonmasked CAP visual detection threshold technique with audiograms produced by both forward masked derived CAPs and forward masked enhanced CAPs. In response to low and middle frequency stimuli, both masked CAP measures produce more sensitive audiograms than does the conventional nonmasking method. Forward masked amplitude tuning curves (TCs) were also produced, comparing the conventional 50% amplitude reduction and 20 microV amplitude reduction methods with TCs obtained with derived and enhanced CAPs. When the same criteria are used, both masked CAP measures result in sharply tuned amplitude TCs that are approximately 60 dB more sensitive than the conventional CAP technique. At near-threshold levels, the properties of forward masked enhanced and derived CAPs appear to be similar."}
{"id": "PMID:1464567", "title": "Sensitivity of neurons in cat primary auditory cortex to tones and frequency-modulated stimuli. II: Organization of response properties along the 'isofrequency' dimension.", "content": "The spatial distribution of neuronal responses to tones and frequency-modulated (FM) stimuli was mapped along the 'isofrequency' dimension of the primary auditory cortex (AI) of barbiturate-anesthetized cats. In each cat, electrode penetrations roughly orthogonal to the cortical surface were closely spaced (average separation approximately 130 microns) along the dorsoventral extent of a single 'isofrequency' strip in high frequency parts of AI (> 15 kHz). Characteristic frequency (CF), minimum threshold, sharpness of frequency tuning (Q10 and Q20), the dynamic range of the spike count-intensity function at CF, sensitivity to the rate of change of frequency (RCF) and to the direction of frequency-modulation (DS) were determined for contralaterally-presented tone and FM stimuli. Sharpness of tuning attained maximum values at central loci along the dorsoventral 'isofrequency' axis and values declined towards more dorsal and more ventral locations. Minimum threshold and dynamic range varied between high and low values in a similar and correlated periodic fashion. Their combined organization yielded an orderly spatial representation of response strength, relative to maximum, as a function of stimulus amplitude. The distributions of the most common forms of FM rate sensitivity (RCF response categories) and best RCF along 'isofrequency' strips were significantly non-random although there was a considerable degree of variability between cats. FM directional preference and sensitivity appeared to be randomly distributed. Sharpness of tuning may be related to the analysis of the spectral content of an acoustic stimulus, both minimum threshold and dynamic range are related to the encoding of stimulus intensity, and measures of FM rate and directional sensitivity assess the coding of temporal changes of stimulus spectra. The independent, or for minimum threshold and dynamic range dependent, topographic organizations of these neuronal parameters therefore suggest parallel and independent processing of these aspects of acoustic signals in AI."}
{"id": "PMID:1464568", "title": "Basilar membrane mechanics in the hook region of cat and guinea-pig cochleae: sharp tuning and nonlinearity in the absence of baseline position shifts.", "content": "A heterodyne laser interferometer was used to observe the movements of small (approximately 20 microns) stainless-steel beads placed on the basilar membrane in the hook region of cat and guinea-pig cochleae. In several preparations, the displacement patterns observed exhibited sharp nonlinear tuning; in one cat this tuning was comparable to that commonly observed in single auditory-nerve fibers. The most sensitive frequencies of the preparations ranged from 31-40 kHz in the cat, and 28-32 kHz in the guinea-pig. The sharp tuning and nonlinearity of the basilar membrane responses was not apparent in surgically or acoustically traumatized preparations. The response nonlinearities were susceptible to temporary threshold shifts and disappeared within a few minutes post-mortem. Stimulus-related shifts in the baseline position of the basilar membrane were not apparent at low stimulus levels. Such shifts were occasionally observed at higher stimulus levels (e.g., > 90 dB SPL), but never approached the fundamental (oscillatory) component of basilar membrane vibration in magnitude. These findings are discussed in relation to previous observations by other workers."}
{"id": "PMID:1464569", "title": "Intensity-dependent changes in oxygenation of cochlear perilymph during acoustic exposure.", "content": "This study examined the effects of acoustic exposure at different intensities on local oxygenation of the cochlea. The oxygen partial pressure (pO2) of perilymph in the basal scala tympani was measured polarographically in anesthetized guinea pigs exposed to either wide-band noise at 85 dB SPL or a 10 kHz pure tone at 90, 105, or 125 dB SPL for 1 h. Cochlear temperature, heart rate, arterial blood pressure and acid-base status were monitored. The cochlear microphonics (CM) and compound action potentials (CAP) were recorded before and after exposure. There were clear intensity-dependent differences in the effect of acoustic exposure on perilymphatic oxygenation. Moderate exposure intensities (85-90 dB SPL) were found to increase the pO2 by an average of about 20% of the initial level. In contrast, high intensity acoustic exposure (125 dB SPL) resulted in a mean decrease of about 20%. These changes persisted within a subsequent 30-min post-exposure period. There was no significant change in cochlear temperature and cardiorespiratory variables during and after any of the exposures as compared to the controls. CM and CAP amplitudes showed an extensive loss after acoustic overstimulation (125 dB SPL), but no permanent change with lower exposure intensities. These findings suggest that intracochlear oxygenation plays an important role in inner ear physiology during acoustic stimulation."}
{"id": "PMID:1464570", "title": "Basilar membrane tonotopicity in the hook region of the cat cochlea.", "content": "Middle-ear to basilar membrane (BM) velocity transfer functions are reported for seven locations in the hook region of a single cat cochlea. These transfer functions were recorded at high sound pressure levels in a linearized, or passive cochlea, and resemble those reported previously by Wilson and Evans (1983). They demonstrate longitudinal tonotopicity with a gradient of approximately 3.6 mm/octave. When allowances are made for the nonlinear mechanisms previously demonstrated in active hook region preparations (Cooper and Rhode, 1992), the data are also consistent with the tonotopic map derived from the intracellular dye-filling studies of Liberman (1982)."}
{"id": "PMID:1464571", "title": "Two-tone suppression by a saturating feedback model of the cochlear partition.", "content": "A model of a small strip of cochlear partition was computer simulated. The model is composed of two elements, approximations to the transfer functions of an inner hair cell (IHC) and an outer hair cell (OHC), respectively. The IHC element was insensitive to DC stimulation. Input was one or two sinusoids. One sinusoid, at the characteristic frequency (CF), was multiplied by the gain of the 'cochlear amplifier'. A second sinusoid, representing a tone with much lower frequency, was not affected by the amplifier gain. This gain was determined by the OHC transfer function. In one form of the model ('fixed-gain'), this gain was set at a fixed number determined from the furthest point reached on the OHC transfer function. This form of the model produced very realistic single-tone responses as well as showing 'two-tone suppression': that is, the IHC DC response produced by CF stimulation was reduced when the lower-frequency sinusoid, at suitable intensities, was added to the stimulus. When a DC component was added to the two-tone stimulus, the magnitude of this two-tone suppression was enhanced. In the second form of the model ('variable-gain'), the cochlear-amplifier gain varied throughout the stimulus cycle. Its value was re-calculated at each instant, determined by the point on the OHC transfer function current at that particular instant. This form of the model showed two-tone suppression only when a DC component was added to the two-tone stimulus."}
{"id": "PMID:1464572", "title": "Height changes in the organ of Corti after noise exposure.", "content": "To determine whether or not exposure to noise causes an alteration in the height of the organ of Corti (OC), 16 cochleas which had been exposed for one or two hours to an octave band of noise with a center frequency of 4 kHz and a sound pressure level of 108 dB were examined microscopically as whole mounts. These specimens were divided into four groups: early ears (N = 3) recovered less than 0.6 hours following the exposure; intermediate ears (N = 5) recovered 0.6-4.0 hours; 1-day ears (N = 3) recovered 24 hours; and late ears (N = 5) recovered 2-21 days. Height was measured at three positions across the OC and at multiple percentage locations from apex to base. The OC-height data from the noise-exposed cochleas were compared statistically to those from ten control cochleas. A significant reduction (P < or = 0.01) in OC height at the third outer hair cell (OHC) was first evident in the early ears in the region 65-95% distance from the apex. The height was reduced even further in the intermediate ears and included a region from 15-25% distance from the apex as well as the 65-95% region. In the late ears, heights had returned to control values, except within focal OC lesions. Height at the first row of OHCs was less affected than at the third row, and height at the inner hair cell (IHC) was least affected. These height changes were accompanied by distortion of the shape and position of OHCs, the shape of Deiters' cells and buckling of inner and outer pillar bodies. Sometimes IHCs had distorted shapes and were displaced from their usual positions. Although no functional measures were obtained from these ears, data from the literature indicate that the exposure described above would have produced a sizable threshold shift. Transient reduction in OC height likely accounts for some portion of noise-induced threshold shifts."}
{"id": "PMID:1464573", "title": "Protein profiles of perilymph and endolymph of the guinea pig.", "content": "Results of protein separation of guinea pig plasma, perilymph, and endolymph by means of high-resolution two-dimensional sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis are presented. Several proteins are present in perilymph at levels in basic accord with the total protein gradient with respect to plasma; however, others are present in perilymph at levels comparable to plasma levels, and one protein low molecular weight protein, PLS:33, is eight times higher. In addition, a high molecular weight protein is shown to be present at similar levels in the two compartments. These findings indicate that ultrafiltration cannot be the sole mechanism of perilymph production. Endolymph proteins are uniformly five to eight times lower than perilymph levels, essentially following the total protein concentration gradient between the two compartments. This supports the view that endolymph is derived from perilymph rather than directly from blood."}
{"id": "PMID:1464574", "title": "Frequency discrimination in the European starling (Sturnus vulgaris): a comparison of different measures.", "content": "Frequency-difference limens (DL) were determined in a songbird, the European starling (Sturnus vulgaris), for stimuli differing in the type of frequency change. Four different types of frequency change were studied: an increase in frequency between pulsed tones (type FSU), a single sinusoidal sweep upward (type SSU) starting in the center of an 800 ms signal, an asymmetrical periodic sinusoidal frequency modulation that extended only above the reference frequency (type ASFM), and a symmetrical periodical sinusoidal frequency modulation extending to both sides of the reference frequency (type SSFM). Frequency DLs at two reference frequencies, 1 and 4 kHz, were studied. At 1 kHz, the starling showed the lowest DL for pulsed tones (11.4 Hz), slightly higher DLs for single sweeps and asymmetrical frequency modulation at modulation frequencies of < or = 40 Hz (15.9 Hz for stimulus SSU, and 15.3 Hz for low modulation frequencies of stimulus type ASFM). At a reference frequency of 1 kHz, the DL for symmetrical modulation (type SSFM) at modulation frequencies < or = 40 Hz was about twice as large (21.6 Hz) than for pulsed tones. Furthermore, the DLs for periodically modulated signals at a modulation frequency of 320 Hz were about twice as large as those at low modulation frequencies. At a reference frequency of 4 kHz, the differences in the DLs for various stimulus types were insignificant (27.7 Hz for type FSU, 23.3 Hz for type SSU, 28.0 Hz for type ASFM and low modulation frequencies, and 24.6 Hz for type SSFM and low modulation frequencies). Only at high modulation frequencies (> or = 320 Hz) were the DLs increased.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1464575", "title": "Psychoacoustical contribution of each lateral lemniscus.", "content": "Although each lateral lemniscus is required for sound localization in its contralateral hemifield, no auditory function is yet known for the neural activity evoked in the lemniscus ipsilateral to a sound source. In an attempt to assess the role played by the ipsilateral lemniscus, monaural cats were tested on an array of psychoacoustical tasks before and after surgical section of one or the other lateral lemniscus. The results show that the lemniscus contralateral to the remaining intact ear is either necessary or sufficient for 24 of the 26 tests administered. However, the lemniscus ipsilateral to the intact ear is both necessary and sufficient (or alternatively, the contralateral lemniscus makes no obvious contribution) to normal thresholds in two of the tasks: detection of low-frequency tones (< 4 kHz) and detection of low-frequency AM modulation. Because of their projections to the ipsilateral inferior colliculus via the ipsilateral lemniscus, the anatomical substrate of these two unusual tasks is probably the fibers from the MSO and possibly, the LSO, ipsilateral to the intact ear."}
{"id": "PMID:1464576", "title": "Modulation of cochlear nerve spike rate by cardiac activity in the gerbil.", "content": "Among primary auditory axons with characteristic frequencies (CFs) below 2500 Hz, a substantial subpopulation was found in which spike activity was driven by cardiac events. The presence of cardiac-driven activity was inferred from cycle histograms triggered on the peak of the electrocardiogram (ECG). This driven activity was either like a simple onset response (often followed by a reduction of spike activity to below background level), or as a longer lasting series of peaks and troughs. In two axons with high CFs (7 kHz and 12.5 kHz), cardiac-driven suppression was observed. Recordings made by a probe microphone revealed the presence of heart-related sound in the external ear canal. The onset of that sound coincided with the onset of cardiac-driven spike activity (and suppression)."}
{"id": "PMID:1464577", "title": "Binaural masking level differences in infants with and without otitis media with effusion.", "content": "The binaural masking level difference (MLD) was measured in two groups of infants (aged 7-10 months) who either had or did not have a documented history of otitis media with effusion (OME). Subjects were trained to detect a 500 Hz signal (either in or out-of-phase between the ears) against an in-phase, narrow band noise masker centred at 500 Hz. Non-OME infants had elevated masked thresholds and reduced MLDs compared with normal-hearing older (7-12 years) children and adults (20-27 years). OME infants also had elevated masked thresholds and reduced MLDs but, in contrast to studies using older subjects, their results were similar to those of the non-OME infants. These results suggest that, during at least the first year of life, infants are disadvantaged compared with adults or children when listening in noisy environments. They also suggest that OME does not further compromise infants' ability to detect sounds in those environments."}
{"id": "PMID:1464578", "title": "The effects of moderate cooling on gross cochlear potentials in the gerbil: basal and apical differences.", "content": "Changes in the threshold of the compound action potential (CAP) response in the gerbil to low- and high-frequency tonebursts were monitored during uniform cooling of the cochlea by 7-8 degrees C below normal body temperature. Recordings of the endocochlear potential (EP), cochlear microphonic (CM), and summating potentials (SP) were also obtained from the base and apex of the cochlea under the same conditions. Cooling-related changes in the CAP, as well as the CM and SP response obtained near the best frequency of the recording location, were greater in the base than in the apex. In contrast, reductions in the EP appeared uniform throughout the cochlea. Thus the greater vulnerability of CAP thresholds in the base does not result from a greater vulnerability of the stria vascularis in this region. Our results suggest that the enhanced susceptibility to cooling of the CAP in the cochlear base reflects changes in hair cell mechanisms."}
{"id": "PMID:1464579", "title": "Suprathreshold comparisons of derived and enhanced compound action potentials.", "content": "The Derived cochlear nerve compound action potential (CAP) and the Enhanced CAP are both measures which demonstrate the ability of a forward masker to increase the amplitude of the CAP produced by a probe stimulus. Enhancement occurs whenever the amplitude of a masked CAP is larger than that of a nonmasked CAP, whereas the derived CAP is produced by the subtraction of the entire masked CAP waveform from that of the nonmasked waveform. Therefore, a derived CAP is created whenever the masker produces a difference of amplitude, latency, and/or waveform shape. The present experiments compare these two measures by observing the effects of 13 kHz maskers varying from levels of -10 to +70 db SPL on CAPs produced by 50 or 60 dB SPL, 13 kHz probe stimuli. Enhancement is characterized by a nonmonotonic increase of CAP amplitude (and sometimes a decrease of latency) as a function of increasing levels of the forward masker, whereas this pattern seldom occurs with the derived CAP. Enhancement is typically seen with forward making, but seldom seen with simultaneous masking, whereas the derived CAP is very similar under these two types of masking."}
{"id": "PMID:1464580", "title": "Latency enhancement of the cochlear nerve compound action potential (CAP).", "content": "Forward maskers within two frequency-intensity domains are capable of decreasing (enhancing) CAP latency: one region flanks the low frequency tail, the other flanks the tip/high frequency slope regions of the latency tuning curve (TC). By contrast, amplitude enhancement typically does not flank the high frequency slope region."}
{"id": "PMID:1464583", "title": "Protein control of iron-sulfur cluster redox potentials.", "content": "The relationship between the three-dimensional structures of iron-sulfur proteins and the redox potentials of their iron-sulfur clusters is of fundamental importance. We report calculations of the redox potentials of the [Fe4S4(S-cys)4]-2/-3 couple in four crystallographically characterized proteins: Azotobacter vinelandii ferredoxin I, Peptococcus aerogenes ferredoxin, Bacillus thermoproteolyticus ferredoxin, and Chromatium vinosum high potential iron protein (HiPIP). Our calculations use the \"protein dipoles Langevin dipoles\" microscopic electrostatic model, which includes both protein and solvent water. The variations in calculated redox potentials are in excellent agreement with experimental data. In particular, our results confirm the important role of amide groups close to the cluster in separating the potential of C. vinosum HiPIP from those of the other three proteins. However, the potentials of these latter exhibit a substantial range despite extremely similar amide group environments of their clusters. Our results show that the potentials in these proteins are tuned in part by varying the access of solvent water to the neighborhood of the cluster. Our calculations provide the first successful quantitative modeling of the protein control of iron-sulfur cluster redox potentials."}
{"id": "PMID:1464584", "title": "Calcium-triggered fusion of exocytotic granules requires proteins in only one membrane.", "content": "We studied calcium-triggered fusion of sea urchin egg secretory granules to test whether membrane bound fusion proteins are required in both fusing membranes. Using both light scattering assays and video microscopy, we found that native granules fused to granules that had been inactivated with either trypsin or N-ethylmaleimide. Granules also fused with liposomes prepared from lipids extracted from egg cortices and with liposomes made from synthetic phospholipids and cholesterol. Granule-liposome fusion required no cytoplasmic proteins and was inhibited by N-ethylmaleimide. Thus, membrane fusion of exocytotic granules can be promoted by proteins residing on only one of the two membranes."}
{"id": "PMID:1464585", "title": "2'-Deoxy-GTP in the microtubule cytoskeleton of neuronal cells cultured with nerve growth factor.", "content": "Tubulin, widely recognized as a GTP/GDP-binding protein, has been isolated in its polymerized state from rat PC12 cells and embryonic chick dorsal root ganglion neurons by Triton X-100 detergent extraction of the cytoskeletal fraction. Perchloric acid extraction and deproteinization of this fraction permitted subsequent analysis of nucleotide identity and content by high performance liquid chromatography. PC12 cells grown in the absence of nerve growth factor (NGF) contained ADP, ATP, GDP, and GTP at levels consistent with the actin and tubulin content of the cytoskeletal fraction. Microtubules from PC12 cells cultured in the presence of NGF contain an additional nucleotide that we have identified as dGTP. Analysis of whole cell nucleotide extracts from PC12 cells grown in the absence or presence of NGF revealed no evidence for the presence of dGTP at 4 and 14 days, respectively. We have determined that embryonic chick dorsal root ganglion neurons also contain this deoxyribonucleotide, and we found virtually no ADP or ATP in the extracted dorsal root ganglion cytoskeletal fraction. On the basis of metabolic labeling studies with [14C] guanine, we have inferred that the presence of dGTP in NGF-treated PC12 cells probably arises either from binding to the nonexchangeable nucleotide site of tubulin undergoing dynamic assembly/disassembly or from binding to the exchangeable site of tubulin subsequently incorporated into highly stabilized microtubules."}
{"id": "PMID:1464586", "title": "Heterologous expression, purification, and biochemistry of the oligomycin sensitivity conferring protein (OSCP) from yeast.", "content": "Yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae oligomycin sensitivity conferring proteins (OSCP) have been expressed in Escherichia coli. Heterologous expression results in production of a protein that is identical to yeast mature OSCP, including the absence of the initiating methionine residue. Yeast OSCP expressed in E. coli has been purified to homogeneity and it is able to reconstitute oligomycin-sensitive ATPase using purified F1- and F1/OSCP-depleted membranes (electron transport particles (ETP). Binding of F1 to ETP is dependent on the addition of OSCP. Binding studies using 35S-OSCP indicated that OSCP binds to ETP with a Kd of 200 nM and a capacity of 420 pmol/mg particle protein, whereas OSCP does not interact with F1 in the absence of ETP. These data indicate that yeast OSCP must first form a specific complex with F0, which then binds F1 forming the functional complex. To identify functional domains in yeast OSCP, two deletion mutants have been made. Antibodies directed to these deletion products do not inhibit OSCP-dependent binding of F1 to ETP. However, antibodies directed against the last one-third of OSCP greatly reduce the oligomycin sensitivity of the reconstituted ATPase. These data suggest that OSCP is involved in a functional role in energy transduction or proton translocation and serves a structural role in the yeast mitochondrial ATP synthase."}
{"id": "PMID:1464587", "title": "Post-translational processing of rac p21s is important both for their interaction with the GDP/GTP exchange proteins and for their activation of NADPH oxidase.", "content": "rac1 and rac2 p21s are ras p21-like small GTP-binding proteins which are implicated in the NADPH oxidase-catalyzed superoxide generation in phagocytes. rac1 and rac2 p21s have a Cys-A-A-Leu (A = aliphatic amino acid) structure in their C-terminal region which may undergo post-translational processing including prenylation, proteolysis, and carboxyl methylation. We studied the function of this post-translational processing of rac p21s in their interaction with the stimulatory and inhibitory GDP/GTP exchange proteins for rac p21s, named smg GDS and rho GDI, and in their NADPH oxidase activation. We produced human recombinant rac1 and rac2 p21s in insect cells and purified them from the membrane and soluble fractions as the post-translationally processed and unprocessed forms, respectively. Post-translationally processed rac1 and rac2 p21s were sensitive to both smg GDS and rho GDI, but post-translationally unprocessed rac1 and rac2 p21s were insensitive to them. The GTP gamma S (guanosine 5'-(3-O-thio)triphosphate)-bound form of post-translationally processed rac1 and rac2 p21s stimulated the NADPH oxidase activity, but post-translationally unprocessed rac1 and rac2 p21s were far less effective. These results indicate that both rac1 and rac2 p21s stimulate the NADPH oxidase activity and that their post-translational processing is important not only for their interaction with smg GDS and rho GDI but also for their NADPH oxidase activation."}
{"id": "PMID:1464588", "title": "Characterization of chlorophyll a/b proteins of photosystem I from Chlamydomonas reinhardtii.", "content": "In this study we have isolated the chlorophyll a/b-binding proteins from a photosystem I preparation of the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and characterized them by N-terminal sequencing, fluorescence, and absorption spectroscopy and by immunochemical means. The results indicate that in this organism, the light-harvesting complex of photosystem I (LHCI) is composed of at least seven distinct polypeptides of which a minimum number of three are shown to bind chlorophyll a and b. Both sequence homology and immunological cross-reactivity with other chlorophyll-binding proteins suggest that all of the LHCI polypeptides bind pigments. Fractionation of LHCI by mildly denaturing methods showed that, in contrast to higher plants, the long wavelength fluorescence emission typical of LHCI (705 nm in C. reinhardtii) cannot be correlated with the presence of specific polypeptides, but rather with changes in the aggregation state of the LHCI components. Reconstitution of both high aggregation state and long wavelength fluorescence emission from components that do not show these characteristics confirm this hypothesis."}
{"id": "PMID:1464589", "title": "Aspartic acid 85 in bacteriorhodopsin functions both as proton acceptor and negative counterion to the Schiff base.", "content": "In bacteriorhodopsin Asp85 has been proposed to function both as a negative counterion to the Schiff base and as proton acceptor in the early stages of the photocycle. To test this proposal further, we have replaced Asp85 by His. The rationale for this replacement is that although His can function as a proton acceptor, it cannot provide a negative charge at residue 85 to serve as a counterion to the protonated Schiff base. We show here that the absorption spectrum of the D85H mutant is highly sensitive to the pH of the external medium. From spectroscopic titrations, we have determined the apparent pK for deprotonation of the Schiff base to be 8.8 +/- 0.1 and the apparent pK for protonation of the His85 side chain to be approximately 3.5. Between pH 3.5 and 8.8, where the Schiff base is protonated, and the His side chain is deprotonated, the D85H mutant is completely inactive in proton transport. Time-resolved studies show that there is no detectable formation of an M-like intermediate in the photocycle of the D85H mutant. These experiments show that the presence of a neutral proton-accepting moiety at residue 85 is not sufficient for carrying out light-driven proton transport. The requirements at residue 85 are therefore for a group that serves both as a negatively charged counterion and as a proton acceptor."}
{"id": "PMID:1464590", "title": "CrATP-induced Ca2+ occlusion in mutants of the Ca(2+)-ATPase of sarcoplasmic reticulum.", "content": "Use of the nonphosphorylating beta,gamma-bidentate chromium(III) complex of ATP to induce a stable Ca(2+)-occluded form of the sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+)-ATPase was combined with molecular sieve high performance liquid chromatography of detergent-solubilized protein to examine the ability of the Ca(2+)-ATPase mutants Gly-233-->Glu, Gly-233-->Val, Glu-309-->Gln, Gly-310-->Pro, Pro-312-->Ala, Ile-315-->Arg, Leu-319-->Arg, Asp-703-->Ala, Gly-770-->Ala, Glu-771-->Gln, Asp-800-->Asn, and Gly-801-->Val to occlude Ca2+. This provided a new approach to identification of amino acid residues involved in Ca2+ binding and in the closure of the gates to the Ca2+ binding pocket of the Ca(2+)-ATPase. The \"phosphorylation-negative\" mutant Asp-703-->Ala and mutants of ADP-sensitive phosphoenzyme intermediate type were fully capable of occluding Ca2+, as was the mutant Gly-770-->Ala. Mutants in which carboxylic acid-containing residues in the putative transmembrane segments had been substituted (\"Ca(2+)-site mutants\") and mutant Gly-801-->Val were unable to occlude either of the two calcium ions. In addition, the mutant Gly-310-->Pro, previously classified as ADP-insensitive phosphoenzyme intermediate type (Andersen, J.P., Vilsen, B., and MacLennan, D.H. (1992). J. Biol. Chem. 267, 2767-2774), was unable to occlude Ca2+, even though Ca(2+)-activated phosphorylation from MgATP took place in this mutant."}
{"id": "PMID:1464591", "title": "Fibronectin receptor modulates cyclin-dependent kinase activity.", "content": "The high affinity fibronectin receptor (FNR) is expressed by hematopoietic cells, fibroblasts, and proliferating epidermal cells. Expression of this integrin is altered by chemical and viral transformation, suggesting that FNR dysfunction may play a role in growth control. This study demonstrates that exposing FA-K562 cells to glycine-arginine-glycine-aspartate-serine (GRGDS), a peptide ligand of the FNR, specifically stimulates p34/cdc2- and cyclin A-associated kinase activities. This occurs within 2 h of peptide addition. The 110-kDa form of the retinoblastoma protein appears within 3 h of GRGDS addition, consistent with activation of a G1/S kinase. DNA staining profiles demonstrate that GRGDS induces cell cycle progression within 24 h. Increased anchorage-independent growth is subsequently observed in GRGDS-treated FA-K562 cells. The control peptide, GRGES, which cannot bind the FNR, has none of these effects. This demonstrates that an extracellular integrin ligand can regulate cell proliferation. Furthermore, these results suggest that integrins link the extracellular environment and intracellular growth regulators."}
{"id": "PMID:1464592", "title": "Thyroid hormone-induced gene expression changes in the developing frog limb.", "content": "Greater than 120 genes are up-regulated in Xenopus laevis limb buds within the first 24 h after induction of metamorphosis by thyroid hormone. Fourteen of these have been isolated and characterized. Four encode heat shock proteins. The identified regulated genes have in common a relatedness with cell growth as exemplified by the serum response of quiescent fibroblasts. Some of the genes respond directly to hormone. However, the majority appear to be secondary response genes judging from their delayed kinetics and cycloheximide sensitivity. This indicates that there are at least two periods of gene expression change in the first 24 h. DNA replication increases in the second 24 h. Growth of the limb bud occurs for several days before the genes that characterize terminal differentiation of its cell types are up-regulated."}
{"id": "PMID:1464593", "title": "Structural and functional characterization of band 3 from Southeast Asian ovalocytes.", "content": "To determine why deletion of the nine amino acids joining the membrane and cytoplasmic domains of band 3 from Southeast Asian ovalocytes (SAO) renders the erythrocytes rigid, we compared the structural and functional properties of SAO and normal band 3. Calorimetric data, inhibitor binding studies, and anion transport assays all reveal that the membrane-spanning domain of SAO band 3 is denatured, while proteolysis studies and circular dichroism spectroscopy suggest the mutant domain retains much secondary structure. It is concluded that the transmembrane helices of SAO band 3 are dissociated and randomized but not unfolded. The cytoplasmic domain of SAO band 3 was shown to be structurally and functionally normal based on (i) calorimetric properties, (ii) native conformational change, (iii) ability to form an intersubunit disulfide bond, (iv) affinity and capacity for binding ankyrin and protein 4.1, and (v) kinetics of association with ankyrin. However, both normal and mutant isoforms of band 3 in SAO cells were found to adhere nonspecifically to the spectrin skeleton. Further, when SAO cells were osmotically swollen, the detergent extractability of band 3 became normal. We propose that much of band 3 is nonspecifically entrapped in the spectrin network in SAO cells and that this nonspecific adhesion may be responsible for the rigidity of the SAO erythrocyte."}
{"id": "PMID:1464594", "title": "Basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) dissociates rapidly from heparan sulfates but slowly from receptors. Implications for mechanisms of bFGF release from pericellular matrix.", "content": "The effect of heparin on the rate of binding of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) to high affinity (receptor) and low affinity (heparan sulfate) binding sites on endothelial cells and CHO cells transfected with FGF receptor-1 or FGF receptor-2 was investigated. Radiolabeled bFGF bound rapidly to both high and low affinity sites on all three types of cells. Addition of 10 micrograms/ml heparin eliminated binding to low affinity sites and decreased the rate of binding to high affinity sites to about 30% of the rate observed in the absence of heparin. However, the same amount of 125I-bFGF bound to high affinity sites at equilibrium in the presence and absence of heparin. The effect of heparin on the initial rate of binding to high affinity sites was related to the log of the heparin concentration. Depletion of the cells of heparan sulfates by treatment with heparinase also decreased the initial rate of binding to high affinity receptors. These results suggest that cell-surface heparan sulfates facilitate the interaction of bFGF with its receptor by concentrating bFGF at the cell surface. Dissociation rates for receptor-bound and heparan sulfate-bound bFGF were also measured. Dissociation from low affinity sites was rapid, with a half-time of 6 min for endothelial cell heparan sulfates and 0.5 min for Chinese hamster ovary heparan sulfates. In contrast, dissociation from receptors was slow, with a half-time of 46 min for endothelial cell receptors, 2.5 h for FGF receptor-1, and 1.4 h for FGF receptor-2. These results suggest that degradative enzymes may not be needed to release bFGF from the heparan sulfates in instances where receptors and heparan sulfate-bound bFGF are in close proximity because dissociation from heparan sulfates occurs rapidly enough to allow bFGF to bind to unoccupied receptors by laws of mass action."}
{"id": "PMID:1464595", "title": "Structural organization of proteins on the oxidizing side of photosystem II. Two molecules of the 33-kDa manganese-stabilizing proteins per reaction center.", "content": "The 33-kDa manganese-stabilizing protein stabilizes the manganese cluster in the oxygen-evolving complex. There has been, however, a considerable amount of controversy concerning the stoichiometry of this photosystem II (PS II) component. In this paper, we have verified the extinction coefficient of the manganese-stabilizing protein by amino acid analysis, determined the manganese content of oxygen-evolving photosystem II membranes and reaction center complex using inductively coupled plasma spectrometry, and determined immunologically the amount of the manganese-stabilizing protein associated with photosystem II. Oxygen-evolving photosystem II membranes and reaction center complex preparations contained 258 +/- 11 and 67 +/- 3 chlorophyll, respectively, per tetranuclear manganese cluster. Immunoquantification of the manganese-stabilizing protein using mouse polyclonal antibodies on \"Western blots\" demonstrated the presence of 2.1 +/- 0.2 and 2.0 +/- 0.3 molecules of the manganese-stabilizing protein/tetranuclear manganese cluster in oxygen-evolving PS II membranes and highly purified PS II reaction center complex, respectively. Since the manganese-stabilizing protein co-migrated with the D2 protein in our electrophoretic system, accurate immunoquantification required the inclusion of CaCl2-washed PS II membrane proteins or reaction center complex proteins in the manganese-stabilizing protein standards to compensate for the possible masking effect of the D2 protein on the binding of the manganese-stabilizing protein to Immobilon-P membranes. Failure to include these additional protein components in the manganese-stabilizing protein standards leads to a marked underestimation of the amount of the manganese-stabilizing protein associated with these photosystem II preparations."}
{"id": "PMID:1464596", "title": "Catalytic properties of streptococcal NADH oxidase containing artificial flavins.", "content": "The flavoprotein NADH oxidase from Streptococcus faecalis 10C1, which catalyzes the tetravalent reduction of O2-->2H2O, has been purified as the apoenzyme to allow reconstitution studies with both native and artificial flavins. Turnover numbers for the enzyme containing 1-deaza-, 2-thio-, and 4-thio-FAD range from 51 to 4% of that of the native FAD enzyme; these reconstituted oxidases also catalyze the four-electron reduction of oxygen. Dithionite and NADH titrations of the native FAD oxidase require 1.7 eq of reductant/FAD and follow spectral courses very similar to those previously reported for the purified holoenzyme. Azide is a linear mixed-type inhibitor with respect to NADH, and dithionite titrations in the presence of azide yield significant stabilization of the neutral blue semiquinone. Redox stoichiometries for the oxidase containing modified flavins range from 1.1 to 1.4 eq of reductant/FAD. Spectrally distinct reduced enzyme.NAD+ complexes result with all but the 2-thio-FAD enzyme on titration with NADH. The reduced 4-thio-FAD oxidase shows little or no evidence of desulfurization to native FAD on reduction and reoxidation. Both the 8-mercapto- (E'o = -290 mV) and 8-hydroxy-FAD (E'o = -335 mV) oxidase are readily reduced by excess NADH. These results offer a further basis for analysis of the active-site structure and oxygen reactivity of this unique flavoprotein oxidase."}
{"id": "PMID:1464597", "title": "The conformation of apolipoprotein A-I in discoidal and spherical recombinant high density lipoprotein particles. 13C NMR studies of lysine ionization behavior.", "content": "To elucidate the molecular details of how high density lipoprotein (HDL) microstructure affects the conformation of apolipoprotein (apo) A-I in various classes of HDL particles, apoA-I structure in homogeneous recombinant HDL (rHDL) complexes containing palmitoyl-oleoyl phosphatidylcholine (POPC) and cholesteryl oleate has been investigated by NMR spectroscopy of [13C]lysine-labeled apoA-I. All Lys residues in rHDL apoA-I were labeled with 13C by reductive methylation, and then their ionization behavior was characterized by 13C NMR spectroscopy. Four discoidal particles were prepared to contain from 64 to 256 molecules of POPC and 2 molecules of apoA-I; their major diameters ranged from 9.3 to 12.1 nm. (13CH3)2-Lys resonances from apoA-I in discoidal complexes exhibit six distinct chemical shifts at pH 10. The various Lys have pKa values ranging from 8.3 to 10.5, indicating that they exist in different microenvironments. More than 80% of the Lys residues in small (9.3 nm) discoidal particles titrate at a significantly lower pH than in the large (12.1 nm) discoidal particles. This indicates that apoA-I has a different conformation on the differently size discs. Two spherical particles were prepared with POPC:cholesteryl oleate:apoA-I molar stoichiometries of 56:16:2 and 232:84:4 and diameters of 7.4 and 12.6 nm, respectively. On spherical rHDL, apoA-I (13CH3)2-Lys resonances exhibit five distinct chemical shifts at pH 10. The titration behavior of apoA-I Lys residues is the same in small and large spherical particles, indicating that apoA-I conformation is similar on the two particles. The Lys microenvironments indicate that the conformation of apoA-I in discoidal complexes is dependent on particle size and that these conformations are substantially different from that of apoA-I on spherical complexes. Lys microenvironments in discoidal complexes differ from that of spherical complexes by 4 to 5 ysines which titrate with relatively low pKa values on discs. This reflects apparent differences in conformation in the NH2-terminal one-third of apoA-I on discs and spheres."}
{"id": "PMID:1464598", "title": "The charge and structural stability of apolipoprotein A-I in discoidal and spherical recombinant high density lipoprotein particles.", "content": "The details of how high density lipoprotein (HDL) microstructure affects the conformation and net charge of apolipoprotein (apo) A-I in various classes of HDL particles have been investigated in homogeneous recombinant HDL (rHDL) particles containing apoA-I, palmitoyl-oleoyl phosphatidylcholine (POPC) and cholesteryl oleate. Isothermal denaturation with guanidine HCl was used to monitor alpha-helix structural stability, whereas electrokinetic analyses and circular dichroism were used to determine particle charge and apoA-I secondary structure, respectively. Electrokinetic analyses show that at pH 8.6 apoA-I has a net negative charge on discoidal (POPC.apoA-I) particles (-5.2 electronic units/mol of apoA-I) which is significantly greater than that of apoA-I either free in solution or on spherical (POPC.cholesteryl oleate.apoA-I) rHDL (approximately -3.5 electronic units). Raising the POPC content (32-128 mol/ml of apoA-I) of discoidal particles 1) increases the particle major diameter from 9.3 to 12.1 nm, 2) increases the alpha-helix content from 62 to 77%, and 3) stabilizes the helical segments by increasing the free energy of unfolding (delta GD degree) from 1.4 to 3.0 kcal/mol of apoA-I. Raising the POPC content (28-58 mol/mol of apoA-I) of spherical particles 1) increases the particle diameter from 7.4 to 12.6 nm, 2) increases the percent alpha-helix from 62 to 69%, and 3) has no significant effect on delta GD degree (2.2 kcal/mol of apoA-I). This study shows that different HDL subspecies maintain particular apoA-I conformations that confer unique charge and structural characteristics on the particles. It is likely that the charge and conformation of apoA-I are critical molecular properties that modulate the metabolism of HDL particles and influence their role in cholesterol transport."}
{"id": "PMID:1464599", "title": "p-Hydroxyphenylacetate-3-hydroxylase. A two-protein component enzyme.", "content": "p-Hydroxyphenylacetate-3-hydroxylase, an inducible enzyme isolated from the soil bacterium Pseudomonas putida, catalyzes the conversion of p-hydroxyphenylacetate to 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetate. The enzyme requires two protein components: a flavoprotein and a colorless protein referred to as the coupling protein. The flavoprotein alone in the presence of p-hydroxyphenylacetate and substrate analogs catalyzes the wasteful oxidation of NADH with the stoichiometric generation of H2O2. A 1:1 complex of the flavoprotein and coupling protein is required for stoichiometric product formation. Such complex formation also eliminates the nonproductive NADH oxidase activity of the flavoprotein. A new assay measuring the product formation activity of the enzyme was developed using homoprotocatechuate-2,3-dioxygenase, as monitoring the oxidation of NADH was not sufficient to demonstrate enzyme activity. The coupling protein does not seem to have any redox center in it. Thus, this 2-component flavin hydroxylase resembles the other aromatic hydroxylases in that the only redox chromophore present is FAD."}
{"id": "PMID:1464600", "title": "Structural requirements for transformation of substrates by the S-adenosyl-L-methionine:delta 24(25)-sterol methyltransferase. Inhibition by analogs of the transition state coordinate.", "content": "Microsomes from sunflower seedlings were used to investigate the transition state coordinate for the C-24 methylation reaction that mediates phytosterol biosynthesis. They were then used to study structurally related cationic and uncharged compounds of the natural sterol substrate, which were designed to interfere with the reaction progress. The hypothetical reaction course is described to proceed through an Sn2 formation of an activated complex involving the initial production of a covalent structure with a dative bond (methyl from AdoMet attacks si-face of the 24,25-double bond of the sterol) and the secondary production of a series of high energy intermediates, the stabilization of which determines the final C-24 methylated product. Derivatives of lanosterol and cholesterol with a methyl, hydrogen, oxygen, or bromine atom introduced into the side chain and/or at C-3 in place of the natural nucleophile were studied as inhibitors that interfere with the formation of the hypothetical tertiary isopropylcarbinyl cation intermediate in the conversion of cycloartenal to 24(28)-methylene cycloartanol. The data indicate the most potent inhibitor is a sterol with an aziridine group attached to C-24(25), which mimics the bridged C-24(25) carbenium ion generated in the transition state, and the methyltransferase possesses two strategic sites: one that recognizes the proximal end of the sterol acting as a proton donor and the other that recognizes the distal end that acts as a proton acceptor. The best fit (binding/catalysis) involves a flat sterol (including substrate and inhibitor) with intact unsubstituted nucleophilic centers at C-3 and C-24 and a freely rotating side chain that can assume the pseudocyclic conformation."}
{"id": "PMID:1464601", "title": "Calcium fluxes in T lymphocytes.", "content": "Mechanisms controlling Ca2+ fluxes through the plasma membrane of lymphocytes have been characterized in a human T-cell clone and in the Jurkat T-cell line. Due to endogenous buffers, about 1/125 of the Ca2+ ions that enter the cell are free. Ca2+ fluxes were estimated from the variations in intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) elicited by concentration jumps in extracellular Ca2+ ([Ca2+]o). Thapsigargin was used to inhibit Ca2+ uptake into intracellular stores and to stimulate Ca2+ entry. Ca2+ extrusion was strictly due to the activity of plasma membrane Ca(2+)-ATPases since there was no detectable Na+/Ca2+ exchange activity in these cells. The rate of Ca2+ extrusion was mainly influenced by [Ca2+]i and less by [Ca2+]o but was insensitive to cell depolarization. In depolarized cells, thapsigargin-induced Ca2+ influx was reduced to 10% of the value measured in normally polarized cells, suggesting that depolarization not only reduces the electrochemical gradient for Ca2+ ions, but also inhibits Ca2+ permeation. When Ca2+ ions enter the cell, they bind to a site inside the channel, with a Kd of 3.3 mM. Stimulation of clonal T-cells with low concentrations of either anti-CD3 antibodies or thapsigargin elicited Ca2+ oscillations. Both the amplitude and the frequency of CD3-induced Ca2+ oscillations were sensitive to [Ca2+]o. These oscillations were immediately interrupted when extracellular Ca2+ was removed. The properties of Ca2+ oscillations in T lymphocytes suggest that they are mainly due to variations of Ca2+ influx, modulated by variations in [Ca2+]i."}
{"id": "PMID:1464602", "title": "Pleiotrophin stimulates fibroblasts and endothelial and epithelial cells and is expressed in human cancer.", "content": "Previously we reported the purification of the heparin-binding growth factor pleiotrophin (PTN) from supernatants of the human breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231. To investigate further the biological activities of PTN and its potential role in cancer, we cloned a PTN cDNA and expressed the gene in a human kidney and in a human adrenal carcinoma cell line (SW-13). The supernatants harvested from cells transfected with PTN contained a heparin-binding specific protein of an apparent molecular mass of 18 kDa. These supernatants stimulated the proliferation of endothelial cells as well as the anchorage-independent growth of SW-13 cells and of normal rat kidney fibroblasts. Furthermore, SW-13 cells transfected with PTN acquired autonomous growth in soft agar and were tumorigenic in athymic nude mice. In contrast to these results with PTN from human cells, PTN obtained from insect cells (Sf9) using recombinant baculovirus as a vector was biologically inactive. We detected high levels of PTN mRNA in 16 of 27 primary human breast cancer samples (62%) as well as in 8 of 8 carcinogen-induced rat mammary tumors. Furthermore, 9 of 34 human tumor cell lines of different origin showed detectable PTN mRNA. We conclude that PTN may function as a tumor growth and angiogenesis factor in addition to its role during embryonic development."}
{"id": "PMID:1464603", "title": "The redox-controlled light-harvesting chlorophyll a/b protein kinase. Deactivation by substituted quinones.", "content": "The deactivation of the redox-controlled light-harvesting chlorophyll a/b protein kinase of Acetabularia acetabulum and pea thylakoids was studied. Substituted benzoquinone, naphthoquinone, and anthraquinone analogs including mono-, di-, and trihalogenated and/or alkylated quinones, which are known to inhibit the cytochrome b6/f activity, deactivate the kinase in the dark, and prevent its activation in the light. Analogs halogenated at positions 2- or 3- are the most effective deactivators. Increasing the size of the alkyl side chain and/or the number of rings lowers the deactivation effect. The activated state of the pea kinase decays with a t1/2 of 15 min, while the Acetabularia enzyme retains its active state for at least 2 h. The midpoint potential for Acetabularia kinase activity in the dark is 120 +/- 10 mV and is compatible with the involvement of plastoquinone in the kinase activation via reduction of the cytochrome complex. Deactivation of kinase by the analogs inhibiting cytochrome b6/f complex activity and the kinase copurification with the cytochrome b6/f fraction obtained from the Acetabularia thylakoid further support this conclusion. These results indicate that the process of kinase activation/deactivation includes the binding of plastoquinol or quinone analogs by the cytochrome complex and its interaction with the kinase. We propose that the latter process may constitute the rate-limiting step controlling the kinase activation/deactivation kinetics."}
{"id": "PMID:1464604", "title": "Brain proline-directed protein kinase is a neurofilament kinase which displays high sequence homology to p34cdc2.", "content": "The carboxyl-terminal regions of neurofilament high (NF-H) and middle (NF-M) molecular weight proteins have been suggested to be phosphorylated in vivo by a p34cdc2-like protein kinase, on the basis of the in vivo phosphorylation site motif and in vitro phosphorylation of the proteins by p34cdc2 kinase (Hisanaga, S.I., Kusubata, M., Okumura, E. and Kishimoto, T. (1991) J. Biol. Chem. 266, 21798-21803). A novel proline-directed protein kinase previously identified and purified from bovine brain has been found in this study to phosphorylate NF-H and NF-M at sites identical to those phosphorylated by HeLa cell p34cdc2 kinase. The proline-directed kinase is composed of a 33-kDa and a 25-kDa subunit. The 33-kDa kinase subunit was partially sequenced, and degenerate oligonucleotide primers corresponding to the amino acid sequence information were used to clone the subunit by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Two overlapping PCR products comprised a complete open reading frame of 292 amino acids. The sequence contains all features of a protein kinase, suggesting that the 33-kDa peptide represents the catalytic subunit of the kinase. The 33-kDa subunit shows high and approximately equal homology to human p34cdc2 and human cdk2, with about 58 and 59% amino acid identity, respectively. These results suggest that the brain kinase represents a new category of the cdc2 family, and that some members of the cdc2 kinase family may have major functions unrelated to cell cycle control."}
{"id": "PMID:1464605", "title": "Selective expression of mitogen-inducible cyclooxygenase in macrophages stimulated with lipopolysaccharide.", "content": "Two forms of cyclooxygenase are known to be present in eukaryotic organisms: a cyclooxygenase (COX-1) first purified from ram seminal vesicles encoded by a 2.8-kilobase mRNA, and a newly discovered mitogen-inducible cyclooxygenase (COX-2) encoded by a 4-kilobase mRNA. Expression of these two forms of the enzyme in rat alveolar macrophages stimulated with lipopolysaccharide was investigated by 1) determining the activity of newly synthesized enzyme after inactivating the endogenous enzyme with aspirin; 2) comparing levels of newly synthesized enzyme proteins in cells treated with or without lipopolysaccharide; and 3) assessing the expression of the mRNAs encoding COX-1 and COX-2. Levels of enzyme proteins were assessed by Western blot analysis and immunoprecipitation of 35S-labeled enzyme using two different antibodies, one specific for COX-2 and the other recognizing both forms of the enzyme but preferentially recognizing COX-1. We report here that the enhanced cyclooxygenase activity induced by the bacterial lipopolysaccharide in rat alveolar macrophages is caused by selective expression of the COX-2. Expression of COX-2 in macrophages stimulated by lipopolysaccharide was completely inhibited by dexamethasone, whereas COX-1 was unaffected. In resting unstimulated macrophages, only COX-1 but not COX-2 was detected. Levels of mRNA for the COX-2 in macrophages were increased, but those of the COX-1 were not affected by lipopolysaccharide as assessed by reverse transcription coupled with polymerase chain reaction. These results indicate that increased synthesis of prostaglandins and thromboxanes in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated macrophages results from selective expression of COX-2."}
{"id": "PMID:1464606", "title": "Functional integrins from normal and glycosylation-deficient baby hamster kidney cells. Terminal processing of asparagine-linked oligosaccharides is not correlated with fibronectin-binding activity.", "content": "We have examined the properties of the alpha 5 beta 1 integrin of baby hamster kidney (BHK) cells, a ricin-resistant variant Ric14 lacking N-acetylglucosaminyl transferase I, and hence unable to complete assembly of hybrid- or complex-type N-glycans, and BHK cells treated with 1-deoxymannojirimycin (dMM), an inhibitor of Golgi mannosidases involved in the initial processing of N-glycan precursors. Comparable amounts of alpha 5 beta 1 integrin were isolated from these cells by chromatography of detergent extracts on a fibronectin cell-binding fragment affinity column and elution with EDTA. The alpha 5 beta 1 integrin obtained from normal BHK cells by fibronectin affinity chromatography contained mainly endoglycosidase H-resistant oligosaccharides, whereas in RicR14 cells or dMM-treated BHK cells these were entirely endoglycosidase H-sensitive. Analysis of lactoperoxidase labeled or long term biosynthetically 35S-labeled proteins from cultures of normal or glycosylation deficient cells showed similar steady state levels of alpha 5 beta 1 integrin and expression at the cell surface. Pulse-chase experiments in normal BHK cells showed rapid conversion of the alpha 5 subunit into a mature form containing oligosaccharides resistant to endoglycosidase H and slower maturation of a precursor beta 1 subunit, as in other cell types. In Ric14 cells the precursor beta 1 subunit was found to carry glycans larger than the fully processed Man5GlcNAc2 glycan of the mature subunit, indicating that the bulk precursor pool had not been translocated into the cis-Golgi compartment containing mannosidase I. We conclude that in BHK cells terminal oligosaccharide processing of alpha 5 beta 1 integrin subunits is not required for dimer formation, surface expression, and fibronectin binding, and that expression of the glycosylation defect of Ric14 cells on the alpha 5 beta 1 integrin does not account for the reduced adhesiveness of these cells on fibronectin compared with normal and dMM-treated BHK cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1464607", "title": "Substrate specificity of myosin light chain kinases.", "content": "Skeletal muscle myosin light chain kinase can phosphorylate myosin light chains isolated from skeletal or smooth muscle. In contrast, smooth muscle myosin light chain kinase specifically phosphorylates light chains isolated from smooth muscle. In this study, we have identified residues within the rabbit smooth and skeletal muscle myosin light chain kinases which may interact with the basic residues that are important substrate determinants in the light chains. Mutation of aspartic acid 270 amino-terminal of the catalytic core of the skeletal muscle myosin light chain kinase increased the Km value for both smooth and skeletal muscle light chains. Although deletions of the analogous region of the smooth muscle myosin light chain kinase (residues 663-678) markedly increased the Km value for light chain, mutation of any single acidic residue within this region did not have a similar effect. Mutation of single residues within the catalytic core of the skeletal muscle (E377 and E421) and smooth muscle (E777 and E821) myosin light chain kinases increased Km values for the smooth muscle light chain at least 35- and 100-fold, respectively. It is proposed that these residues may form ionic interactions with the arginine that is 3 residues amino-terminal of the phosphorylatable serine in the smooth muscle light chain."}
{"id": "PMID:1464608", "title": "Neutral amino acid transport by the blood-brain barrier. Membrane vesicle studies.", "content": "Endothelial cell membranes, the site of the blood-brain barrier, were obtained from the capillaries of cow brain. The luminal and abluminal membranes were separated by centrifugation on a discontinuous Ficoll gradient. Electron microscopy revealed that the membrane preparations consisted almost entirely of sealed vesicles. The release of latent enzyme activity showed that both membrane preparations were primarily right side out. Radiolabeled L-phenylalanine uptake by luminal vesicles was proportional to membrane protein concentration, with less than 10% binding. Transport was by a high affinity carrier (Km 11.8 +/- 0.1 microM, asymptotic standard error) that showed little or no stereospecificity, and was independent of Na+ or H+ gradients. Transport was inhibited by L-tryptophan, L-leucine, 2-aminobicyclo[2,2,1]heptane-2-carboxylate and D-phenylalanine, but not by N-(methylamino)-isobutyrate. Abluminal membranes showed an additional component in which a Na+ gradient accelerated the transport of both phenylalanine and N-(methylamino)-isobutyrate. These studies demonstrate the utility of membrane vesicles as a model to characterize the transport properties of the distinct membranes of the polar endothelial cells that form the blood-brain barrier."}
{"id": "PMID:1464609", "title": "Phosphorylation-dependent regulation of phospholipase A2 by G-proteins and Ca2+ in HL60 granulocytes.", "content": "We studied the regulation of arachidonic acid (AA) release by guanosine 5'-O-(3-thiotriphosphate (GTP gamma S) and Ca2+ in electropermeabilized HL60 granulocytes. Stimulation of AA release by GTP gamma S and Ca2+ was mediated by phospholipase A2 (PLA2) and required the presence of MgATP (EC50: 100-250 microM). The nucleotide effects were Ca(2+)-dependent (maximal effects detected at 1 microM free cation). UTP and ATP gamma S, which stimulate AA release in intact HL60 granulocytes with potencies and efficacies similar to those of ATP, were ineffective in supporting the effects of GTP gamma S in electropermeabilized cells. Pretreatment with pertussis toxin affected stimulation of AA release by ATP in intact cell, without altering the nucleotide effects in permeabilized cells. We observed the protein kinase C-dependent phosphorylation of PLA2 in permeabilized HL60 granulocytes, together with a correlation between the effects of phorbol esters and staurosporine on this reaction and on AA release. ATP-independent activation of PLA2 by GTP gamma S and/or Ca2+ was measured in subcellular fractions prepared from HL60 granulocytes. These data appear consistent with a model in which PLA2 activity in resting HL60 granulocytes is subjected to an inhibitory constraint that prevents its activation by Ca2+ and G-proteins. Removal of this constraint, either by the protein kinase C-dependent phosphorylation of the enzyme in vivo or physical disruption of the regulatory assembly (e.g. by N2 cavitation), allows its activation by Ca2+ and G-proteins."}
{"id": "PMID:1464610", "title": "Phosphorylation of annexin II tetramer by protein kinase C inhibits aggregation of lipid vesicles by the protein.", "content": "Annexin II tetramer (A-IIt) is a member of the annexin family of Ca2+ and phospholipid-binding proteins. The ability of this protein to aggregate both phospholipid vesicles and chromaffin granules has suggested a role for the protein in membrane trafficking events such as exocytosis. A-IIt is also a major intracellular substrate of both pp60src and protein kinase C; however, the effect of phosphorylation on the activity of this protein is unknown. In the current report we have examined the effect of phosphorylation on the lipid vesicle aggregation activity of the protein. Protein kinase C catalyzed the incorporation of 2.1 +/- 0.8 mol of phosphate/mol of A-IIt. Phosphorylation of A-IIt caused a dramatic decrease in the rate and extent of lipid vesicle aggregation without significantly effecting Ca(2+)-dependent lipid binding by the phosphorylated protein. Phosphorylation of A-IIt increased the A50%(Ca2+) of lipid vesicle aggregation from 0.18 microM to 0.65 mM. Activation of A-IIt phosphorylation, concomitant with activation of lipid vesicle aggregation, inhibited both the rate and extent of lipid vesicle aggregation but did not cause disassembly of the aggregated lipid vesicles. These results suggest that protein kinase C-dependent phosphorylation of A-IIt blocks the ability of the protein to aggregate phospholipid vesicles without affecting the lipid vesicle binding properties of the protein."}
{"id": "PMID:1464611", "title": "Transforming growth factor-beta up-regulates low density lipoprotein receptor-mediated cholesterol metabolism in vascular smooth muscle cells.", "content": "The effects of transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) on low density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor-mediated cholesterol metabolism were evaluated in vascular smooth muscle cells. TGF-beta significantly increased the binding, uptake, and degradation of 125I-LDL. This increase was paralleled by an increase in LDL receptor mRNA steady state levels and an increase in cholesterol esterification. The increase in LDL cholesterol metabolism was independent of proliferation. LDL receptor expression in response to TGF-beta was not affected by coincubation with an antibody against platelet-derived growth factor or by cyclooxygenase inhibitors in arterial smooth muscle cells, suggesting that TGF-beta's effect was not mediated through platelet-derived growth factor or prostaglandins, as demonstrated in other cell systems. However, coincubation with pertussis toxin abrogated the effect of TGF-beta on LDL receptor expression, suggesting that a pertussis toxin-sensitive G-protein may be involved in the signal transduction pathway. These results are discussed in terms of their potential effects on cellular cholesterol trafficking."}
{"id": "PMID:1464612", "title": "Characterization of the human pleiotrophin gene. Promoter region and chromosomal localization.", "content": "The protein (PTN) encoded by the pleiotrophin (PTN) gene belongs to a recently described family of heparin-binding cytokines whose expression is temporally and spatially regulated during development. We have now isolated genomic clones of the human PTN gene, characterized its promoter region, determined its transcription initiation site(s), and established functional activity of the PTN promoter. A fragment -550/+191 that contains a CAAT box, no apparent TATA box, and four consensus sites for the binding of MyoD is sufficient to provide optimal promoter activity. A serum response element is found at -559 to -568. We also have identified the human PTN gene on chromosome 7, band q33 and the mouse Ptn gene on chromosome 6, respectively. The data thus identify and characterize the 5' end of the PTN gene and its promoter region, suggest potential regions that may contribute to the regulation of its transcriptional activity, and localize the PTN gene in human and mouse chromosomes."}
{"id": "PMID:1464613", "title": "Differential regulation of T-cell receptor processing and surface expression affected by CD3 theta, an alternatively spliced product of the CD3 zeta/eta gene locus.", "content": "The T-cell receptor (TCR) is a multisubunit complex consisting of the clonotypic Ti alpha and beta (or Ti gamma and delta) subunits and the invariant CD3 gamma, CD3 delta, CD3 epsilon, CD3 zeta, and CD3 eta subunits. Herein, we describe an additional product from the CD3 zeta/eta gene locus which we have termed CD3 theta. The cDNA derives from the first seven exons common to CD3 zeta and CD3 eta, 94 base pairs (bp) of the CD3 eta-specific exon 9 and an additional exon 10 encoding the carboxyl-terminal 15 amino acids and the 3'-untranslated region. The expression of CD3 theta is equivalent to that of CD3 eta in tissue distribution and level of expression as judged by RNase protection analysis. Despite the identity of the amino-terminal 121 amino acids of CD3 zeta, CD3 eta, and CD3 theta and an additional 31 amino acids shared between CD3 eta and CD3 theta, transfection of CD3 theta into the CD3 zeta- eta- T-cell hybridoma, MA5.8, failed to restore detectable surface TCR expression in contrast to transfection with CD3 zeta or CD3 eta. Analysis of the CD3 theta protein in transfectants indicated that CD3 theta is associated with the TCR intracellularly. However, unlike with CD3 zeta, Ti alpha-beta chains remain endoglycosidase H sensitive, suggesting a role for the unique COOH-terminal segment of CD3 theta in mediating TCR retention and/or degradation in a pre-Golgi compartment."}
{"id": "PMID:1464614", "title": "Dual regulation of vascular endothelial growth factor bioavailability by genetic and proteolytic mechanisms.", "content": "The vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) family encompasses four polypeptides that result from alternative splicing of mRNA. We have previously demonstrated differences in the secretion pattern of these polypeptides. Stable cell lines expressing VEGFs were established in human embryonic kidney CEN4 cells. VEGF121, the shortest form, was secreted and freely soluble in tissue culture medium. VEGF189 was secreted, but was almost entirely bound to the cell surface or extracellular matrix. VEGF165 displayed an intermediary behavior. Suramin induced the release of VEGF189, permitting its characterization as a more basic protein with higher affinity for heparin than VEGF165 or VEGF121, but with similar endothelial cell mitogenic activity. Heparin, heparan sulfate, and heparinase all induced the release of VEGF165 and VEGF189, suggesting heparin-containing proteoglycans as candidate VEGF-binding sites. Finally, VEGF165 and VEGF189 were released from their bound states by treatment with plasmin. The released 34-kDa dimeric species are active as endothelial cell mitogens and as vascular permeability agents. We conclude that the bioavailability of VEGF may be regulated at the genetic level by alternative splicing that determines whether VEGF will be soluble or incorporated into a biological reservoir and also through proteolysis following plasminogen activation."}
{"id": "PMID:1464615", "title": "Evidence for a structurally homologous Rh-like polypeptide in Rhnull erythrocytes.", "content": "Human Rhnull red blood cells fail to react with Rh antibodies, indicating that these cells are either devoid of Rh protein or, like other species, possess antigenically distinct variants. To determine whether Rhnull cells possess an Rh-like polypeptide, 32-kDa proteins from D--, rr, and Rhnull cells were labeled with the cysteine-specific probe, 125I-labeled pyridyldithioethylamine. Size comparisons of labeled proteins in Triton X-100-solubilized membranes from Rh-bearing and Rhnull cells showed similar sedimentation coefficients and Stoke's radii. Immunoprecipitated Rh(D) from D-- cells, Rh(c) from rr cells, and purified 32-kDa proteins from Rhnull cells were digested with alpha-chymotrypsin and examined by high-performance liquid chromatography and by two-dimensional iodopeptide mapping. Analysis of 125I-labeled chymotryptic fragments from immunoprecipitated Rh(D) and Rh(c) showed the labeled peptides from both phenotypes to be virtually identical. High-performance liquid chromatography profiles and iodopeptide maps of 32-kDa Rhnull proteins yielded patterns identical to 32-kDa proteins isolated from D-- cells and rr cells with the exception of one missing 125I-labeled peptide. Further analysis of the Rh-related fragments from Rhnull cells showed significant homology with immunoprecipitated Rh(D) and Rh(c). DNA sequence analysis of cysteine-encoding regions from Rh-bearing and Rhnull cells showed complete identity. These data suggest that Rhnull red blood cells, although serologically distinct, possess an Rh-like protein that is structurally very similar to Rh(D) and Rh(c)."}
{"id": "PMID:1464616", "title": "Phospholamban expressed in slow-twitch and chronically stimulated fast-twitch muscles minimally affects calcium affinity of sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+)-ATPase.", "content": "Chronic excitation, at 2 Hz for 6-7 weeks, of the predominantly fast-twitch canine latissimus dorsi muscle promoted the expression of phospholamban, a protein found in sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) from slow-twitch and cardiac muscle but not in fast-twitch muscle. At the same time that phospholamban was expressed, there was a switch from the fast-twitch (SERCA1) to the slow-twitch (SERCA2a) Ca(2+)-ATPase isoform. Antibodies against Ca(2+)-ATPase (SERCA2a) and phospholamban were used to assess the relative amounts of the slow-twitch/cardiac isoform of the Ca(2+)-ATPase and phospholamban, which were found to be virtually the same in SR vesicles from the slow-twitch muscle, vastus intermedius; cardiac muscle; and the chronically stimulated fast-twitch muscle, latissimus dorsi. The phospholamban monoclonal antibody 2D12 was added to SR vesicles to evaluate the regulatory effect of phospholamban on calcium uptake. The antibody produced a strong stimulation of calcium uptake into cardiac SR vesicles, by increasing the apparent affinity of the Ca2+ pump for calcium by 2.8-fold. In the SR from the conditioned latissimus dorsi, however, the phospholamban antibody produced only a marginal effect on Ca2+ pump calcium affinity. These different effects of phospholamban on calcium uptake suggest that phospholamban is not tightly coupled to the Ca(2+)-ATPase in SR vesicles from slow-twitch muscles and that phospholamban may have some other function in slow-twitch and chronically stimulated fast-twitch muscle."}
{"id": "PMID:1464617", "title": "Reconstitution and partial purification of the glibenclamide-sensitive, ATP-dependent K+ channel from rat liver and beef heart mitochondria.", "content": "The transport properties of mitochondria are such that net potassium flux across the inner membrane determines mitochondrial volume. It has been known that K+ uptake is mediated by diffusive leak driven by the high electrical membrane potential maintained by redox-driven, electrogenic proton ejection and that regulated K+ efflux is mediated by an 82-kDa inner membrane K+/H+ antiporter. There is also long-standing suggestive evidence for the existence of an inner membrane protein designed to catalyze electrophoretic K+ uptake into mitochondria. We report reconstitution of a highly purified inner membrane protein fraction from rat liver and beef heart mitochondria that catalyzes electrophoretic K+ flux in liposomes and channel activity in planar lipid bilayers. The unit conductance of the channel at saturating [K+] is about 30 pS. Reconstituted K+ flux is inhibited with high affinity by ATP and ADP in the presence of divalent cations and by glibenclamide in the absence of divalent cations. The mitochondrial ATP-dependent K+ channel is selective for K+, with a Km of 32 mM, and does not transport Na+. K+ transport depends on voltage in a manner consistent with a channel activity that is not voltage-regulated. Thus, the mitochondrial ATP-dependent K+ channel exhibits properties that are remarkably similar to those of the ATP-dependent K+ channels of plasma membranes."}
{"id": "PMID:1464618", "title": "Selective expression of trypsin fusion genes in acinar cells of the pancreas and stomach of transgenic mice.", "content": "Fusion genes combining the 5'-transcriptional regulatory region of the rat trypsin I gene and the structural gene of human growth hormone as a reporter were expressed to the high levels characteristic of the endogenous trypsin I gene selectively in the acinar cells of the pancreas of transgenic mice. As little as 232 base pairs of trypsin gene sequences containing the transcriptional start site and upstream promoter elements were sufficient to direct pancreatic expression. The tissue-specific expression was controlled transcriptionally. Trypsin-human growth hormone fusion transgenes also were expressed, although at low levels, in the stomach, an unexpected site for the expression of pancreatic digestive enzymes. Expression in the stomach of endogenous trypsin, elastase, and amylase genes in both normal and transgenic mice verified that transgene expression was consistent with normal expression of pancreatic genes. Endogenous amylase colocalizes with pepsinogen in the acinar cell-like Chief cells of the glandular portion of the mouse stomach. The expression of pancreatic genes in stomach cells is probably the consequence of similar developmental origins of pancreatic and gastric acinar cells from the primordial gut."}
{"id": "PMID:1464619", "title": "Influence of specific gamma-carboxyglutamic acid residues on the integrity of the calcium-dependent conformation of human protein C.", "content": "The concentration of Ca2+ that produced 50% of the saturable intrinsic fluorescence change (C50) of wild-type (wt) recombinant (r) human protein C (PC) was 0.40 mM. The C50 for Ca2+ increased < 2.5-fold for the following r-PC variants (Gla is gamma-carboxyglutamic acid): [Gla6-->Asp]r-PC, [Gla7-->Asp]r-PC, [Gla14-->Asp]r-PC, [Gla19-->Asp]r-PC, or [Gla25-->Asp]r-PC, and approximately 4-6-fold for [Gla20-->Asp]r-PC and [Gla29-->Asp]r-PC. Much more dramatic increases in the C50 for Ca2+ were observed for [Gla16-->Asp]r-PC (> 75-fold) and [Gla26-->Asp]r-PC (ca. 30-fold). A substantially larger maximum fluorescence change (> 3-fold) as compared to that for wtr-PC, was also found in the case of the Ca2+/[Gla16-->Asp]r-PC complex, suggesting that the final Ca(2+)-induced conformation for this variant is dissimilar to that for wtr-PC and the above mutants. When a mutation was constructed at Arg15 ([Arg15-->Leu]r-PC), a residue conserved in all Gla-containing coagulation proteins, no fluorescence alteration occurred upon addition of Ca2+. The C50 for Ca2+ for promotion of the binding of the Ca(2+)-dependent, Gla-domain-directed, conformational monoclonal antibodies, JTC-1 and JTC-3, to wtr-PC was 3.0 and 4.0 mM, respectively. A similar C50 value was found for [Gla25-->Asp]r-PC. In the case of each antibody, approximately 4-6-fold higher C50 values for Ca2+ were found for the mutants; [Gla14-->Asp]r-PC, [Gla19-->Asp]r-PC, and [Gla29-->Asp]r-PC. Ca2+ did not promote binding of either of these antibodies to the following variants; [Gla6-->Asp]r-PC, [Gla7-->Asp] r-PC, [Arg15-->Leu]r-PC, [Gla16-->Asp]r-PC, [Gla20-->Asp]r-PC, and [Gla26-->Asp]r-PC. The results of this study suggest that adoption of the Ca(2+)-dependent conformation of PC is greatly dependent upon the presence of specific essential Gla residues, particularly those, namely Gla16 and Gla26, shown in the crystal structure of the prothrombin Gla domain/Ca2+ complex to be involved with coordination of Ca2+ ions not exposed to the surface. Of similar importance is Arg15. On the other hand, Gla residues at positions 14 and 19 are much less important in directing this same conformation. This finding is readily reconciled with the above crystal structure, which shows that these latter 2 residues are mainly responsible for coordination of a surface-exposed Ca2+ that is present at the end of the Ca(2+)-ion channel."}
{"id": "PMID:1464620", "title": "Inhibition of smooth muscle myosin's activity and assembly by an anti-rod monoclonal antibody.", "content": "Monoclonal antibodies specific for the rod region can affect smooth muscle myosin's motor properties. Actin movement by phosphorylated myosin was inhibited by an antibody (LMM.4) which binds to the COOH-terminal end of the coiled-coil rod, a region thought to be involved in filament assembly. The actin-activated ATPase activity of the myosin-antibody LMM.4 complex was also reduced 10-fold at actin concentrations that gave maximal turnover rates with filamentous myosin. Metal-shadowing of the phosphorylated myosin-antibody complex at low ionic strength showed small bundles of parallel extended molecules, instead of filaments. Five other anti-rod antibodies had little or no effect on myosin's ability to act as a motor. This is the first demonstration that a muscle myosin's activity is affected by its state of assembly. A common theme that emerges from the studies on both muscle and non-muscle myosins is that assembly into a filamentous structure stimulates the activity of the individual myosin molecules."}
{"id": "PMID:1464621", "title": "Identification of amino acid residues at the interface of a bacteriophage T4 regA protein-nucleic acid complex.", "content": "The bacteriophage T4 regA protein (M(r) = 14,6000) is a translational repressor of a group of T4 early mRNAs. To identify a domain of regA protein that is involved in nucleic acid binding, ultraviolet light was used to photochemically cross-link regA protein to [32P]p(dT)16. The cross-linked complex was subsequently digested with trypsin, and peptides were purified using anion exchange high performance liquid chromatography. Two tryptic peptides cross-linked to [32P]p(dT)16 were isolated. Gas-phase sequencing of the major cross-linked peptide yielded the following sequence: VISXKQKHEWK, which corresponds to residues 103-113 of regA protein. Phenylalanine 106 was identified as the site of cross-linking, thus placing this residue at the interface of the regA protein-p(dT)16 complex. The minor cross-linked peptide corresponded to residues 31-41, and the site of cross-linking in the peptide was tentatively assigned to Cys-36. The nucleic acid binding domain of regA protein was further examined by chemical cleavage of regA protein into six peptides using CNBr. Peptide CN6, which extends from residue 95 to 122, retains both the ability to be cross-linked to [32P]p(dT)16 and 70% of the nonspecific binding energy of the intact protein. However, peptide CN6 does not exhibit the binding specificity of the intact protein. Three of the other individual CNBr peptides have no measurable affinity for nucleic acid, as assayed by photo-cross-linking or gel mobility shifts."}
{"id": "PMID:1464622", "title": "Role of the membrane surface in the activation of human coagulation factor X.", "content": "Coagulation factor X is activated by the extrinsic Xase complex composed of factor VIIa associated with the integral membrane protein tissue factor. The kinetics of human factor X activation was studied following reconstitution of this reaction system using purified human proteins and synthetic phospholipid vesicles composed of phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylserine (PCPS) or phosphatidylcholine alone (PC). Factor X activation was evaluated by discontinuous measurements of the amidolytic activity of the product, factor Xa, or continuously monitored using the fluorescent serine protease inhibitor 4-aminobenzamidine. The results of both techniques were verified by direct physical measurements of zymogen activation using SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The rate of factor X activation with PC vesicles was less than 5% of that observed with PCPS vesicles. Since factor X does not bind to vesicles containing only PC, these data suggested an important role for the substrate-membrane interaction in the catalytic cycle. The importance of the substrate-membrane interaction in the activation process was investigated by using membrane-binding proteins to compete with the substrate for combining sites on PCPS vesicles. Prothrombin fragment 1 was an inhibitor of factor X activation. The dependence of inhibition by fragment 1 on PCPS and factor X was consistent with a significant reduction in initial velocity due to the displacement of factor X from the membrane surface. The inhibition data also suggested that the membrane-bound pool of factor X was the preferred substrate for the human extrinsic Xase complex. The influence of PCPS concentrations on the rate of factor X activation was systematically investigated. Increasing concentrations of PCPS resulted in a modest change in the Km,app and a dramatic change in the Vmax,app for the reaction. The initial velocity data could be globally analyzed according to the preferential utilization of membrane-bound factor X with the intrinsic kinetic constants: Km approximately equal to 1 microM and kcat = 37 s-1 at saturating PCPS. In addition, the equilibrium parameters for the factor X-membrane interaction inferred from these studies were in excellent agreement with the directly determined values. Collectively, the data suggest that the substrate-membrane interaction must precede catalysis for the efficient activation of human factor X by the extrinsic Xase complex."}
{"id": "PMID:1464623", "title": "Sphingomyelinase and cell-permeable ceramide analogs stimulate cellular proliferation in quiescent Swiss 3T3 fibroblasts.", "content": "Sphingomyelin or the products derived from its metabolism may constitute a signaling system involved in a variety of cellular processes. The activation of a plasma membrane neutral sphingomyelinase, which catalyzes the first step in sphingomyelin turnover, has been suggested to play an important role in cellular differentiation. We have studied the effect of exogenous staphylococcal sphingomyelinase on DNA synthesis and on the composition of membrane sphingolipids in quiescent Swiss 3T3 fibroblasts. Sphingomyelinase stimulated proliferation of Swiss 3T3 cells and potentiated the mitogenic action of other growth factors, such as insulin, epidermal growth factor, and bombesin. Treatment with sphingomyelinase produced a significant decrease in sphingomyelin accompanied by a corresponding increase in ceramide levels. No significant increases were detected in the levels of products derived from ceramide, i.e. ceramide 1-phosphate, sphingosine, or sphingosine 1-phosphate. To further investigate the role of ceramide in cellular proliferation, we studied the effect of cell-permeable analogs of ceramide on DNA synthesis in quiescent Swiss 3T3 cells. Both N-hexanoylsphingosine and N-acetylsphingosine at low concentrations stimulated [3H]thymidine incorporation and acted synergistically with a wide variety of growth factors known to induce proliferation of quiescent Swiss 3T3 fibroblasts. Similar effects were observed with bovine brain ceramides. These results suggest that ceramide may be involved in the regulation of cellular proliferation."}
{"id": "PMID:1464624", "title": "Rates of carbamylation of specific lysyl residues in bovine alpha-crystallins.", "content": "Previous investigations indicate that some forms of cataract may be due to the reactions of isocyanate with lens proteins. The present investigation was directed toward identifying the products of these reactions and determining rate constants for their formation. Bovine alpha-crystallins were incubated with isocyanate and separated into alpha A- and alpha B-crystallins by reversed-phase HPLC (high-performance liquid chromatography). Products of the reaction of isocyanate with alpha-crystallins were analyzed by mass spectrometry and isoelectric focusing. Proteolytic digests of carbamylated alpha A were analyzed by HPLC and fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry to determine the extent of reaction of each of the 7 lysyl residues present in alpha A. These results demonstrate that incubation of alpha-crystallins in 0.1 M KNCO leads to partial carbamylation of all 7 lysines of alpha A-crystallin. The extent of modification after 24 h of incubation varied from 7% at Lys 88 to 61% at Lys 11. Rate constants for the reaction of specific lysyl residues with isocyanate ranged from 5 to 54 x 10(-2) M-1 h-1. The distribution of reaction products, as determined by isoelectric focusing, indicates that the physiologically relevant initial stages of carbamylation of the 7 lysyl residues of alpha A proceed in a noncooperative manner."}
{"id": "PMID:1464625", "title": "Lys-plasminogen is a significant intermediate in the activation of Glu-plasminogen during fibrinolysis in vitro.", "content": "Plasminogen, the zymogen form of the fibrinolytic enzyme plasmin, is known to undergo plasmin-mediated modification in vitro. The modified form, Lys-plasminogen, is superior to the native Glu-plasminogen in fibrin binding and as a substrate for activation by tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA). The present study was undertaken to determine the existence and significance of the Glu- to Lys-plasminogen conversion during t-PA-mediated lysis of plasma clots in vitro. When human plasma was supplemented with exogenous Lys-plasminogen and clotted, a dose-dependent shortening of lysis time was observed. Formation of Lys-plasminogen in situ during fibrinolysis was determined using 131I-Glu-plasminogen-supplemented plasma. By the time of lysis, Lys-plasminogen had accumulated to about 20% of the initial concentration of Glu-plasminogen. Quantitation of activation of both Glu- and Lys-plasminogen as well as the conversion of Glu- to Lys-plasminogen in plasma supplemented with both 131I-Glu-plasminogen and 125I-Lys-plasminogen was accomplished by determining the flux of the isotopically labeled species along three pathways: Glu-plasminogen-->Glu-plasmin, Glu-plasminogen-->Lys-plasminogen, and Lys-plasminogen-->Lys-plasmin. After a brief lag, the Glu-plasminogen activation rate was constant until lysis was achieved, at which point activation ceased. The Lys-plasminogen activation rate also was essentially constant until lysis but was not characterized by a lag phase. The rate of conversion of Glu- to Lys-plasminogen was nonlinear and correlated directly with the rate of fibrinolysis. By the time lysis had occurred, Glu-plasminogen consumption had been distributed equally between direct activation to plasmin and conversion to Lys-plasminogen, and 45% of the plasmin which had been formed was derived from Lys-plasminogen. These results demonstrate both the formation and the subsequent activation of Lys-plasminogen during fibrinolysis. As a result of improved fibrin binding and activation of Lys-plasminogen compared to Glu-plasminogen, the formation of Lys-plasminogen within a clot constitutes a positive feedback mechanism that can further stimulate the activation of plasminogen by t-PA as fibrinolysis progresses."}
{"id": "PMID:1464626", "title": "1-Deoxymannojirimycin inhibits capillary tube formation in vitro. Analysis of N-linked oligosaccharides in bovine capillary endothelial cells.", "content": "Capillary endothelial cells can be induced to form capillary-like structures in vitro by plating on fibronectin-coated dishes (Ingber, D. E., and Folkman, J. (1989) J. Cell Biol. 109, 317-330), thereby mimicking angiogenesis. To assess the role of glycoproteins bearing asparagine-linked oligosaccharides in this process, we tested the effect of oligosaccharide processing inhibitors on the formation of capillary tubes. Deoxymannojirimycin, a compound that prevents synthesis of hybrid and complex-type oligosaccharides, inhibited the formation of capillary tubes. In contrast, swainsonine, an inhibitor that blocks synthesis of complex- but not hybrid-type oligosaccharides, did not inhibit tube formation. Lectin affinity chromatography of 2-[3H] mannose-labeled glycopeptides from endothelial cells induced to form tubes did not reveal a striking difference in the spectrum of oligosaccharides compared to uninduced cells. Since endothelial cells formed tubes normally in the presence of swainsonine, we analyzed glycopeptides from swainsonine-treated induced and uninduced cells. Cells induced to form tubes were enriched in monosialylated hybrid-type oligosaccharides sensitive to alpha-fucosidase, beta-galactosidase, and beta-N-acetylhexosaminidase, suggestive of sialyl Lewis-X determinants. We used an enzyme-linked immunoassay to measure sialyl Lewis-X epitopes on capillary endothelial cells and found that both induced and uninduced cells expressed sialyl Lewis-X epitopes. Deoxymannojirimycin and, to a lesser extent, swainsonine reduced the level of sialyl Lewis-X epitopes in cells induced to form capillary tubes, but neither compound affected the level of epitopes in cell monolayers. We conclude that synthesis of at least hybrid-type oligosaccharides is required for capillary tube formation in vitro and that an increase in monosialylated, fucosylated glycans on asparagine-linked oligosaccharides occurs during this process."}
{"id": "PMID:1464627", "title": "Low density lipoprotein receptor-related protein and gp330 bind similar ligands, including plasminogen activator-inhibitor complexes and lactoferrin, an inhibitor of chylomicron remnant clearance.", "content": "The low density lipoprotein receptor-related protein/alpha 2-macroglobulin receptor (LRP) and gp330, two members of the low density lipoprotein receptor gene family, share a multitude of cysteine-rich repeats. LRP has been shown to act as an endocytosis-mediating receptor for several ligands, including protease-antiprotease complexes and plasma lipoproteins. The former include alpha 2-macroglobulin-protease complexes and plasminogen activator inhibitor-activator complexes. The latter include chylomicron remnant-like particles designated beta-very low density lipoproteins (beta-VLDL) complexed with apoprotein E or lipoprotein lipase. The binding specificity of gp330 is unknown. In the current studies we show that gp330 from rat kidney membranes binds several of these ligands on nitrocellulose blots. We also show that both LRP and gp330 bind an additional ligand, bovine lactoferrin, which is known to inhibit the hepatic clearance of chylomicron remnants. Lactoferrin blocked the LRP-dependent stimulation of cholesteryl ester synthesis in cultured human fibroblasts elicited by apoprotein E-beta-VLDL or lipoprotein lipase-beta-VLDL complexes. Cross-competition experiments in fibroblasts showed that the multiple ligands recognize at least three distinct, but partially overlapping sites on the LRP molecule. Binding of all ligands to LRP and gp330 was inhibited by the 39-kDa protein, which co-purifies with the two receptors, suggesting that the 39-kDa protein is a universal regulator of ligand binding to both receptors. The correlation of the inhibitory effects of lactoferrin in vivo and in vitro support the notion that LRP functions as a chylomicron remnant receptor in liver. LRP and gp330 share a multiplicity of binding sites, and both may function as endocytosis-mediating receptors for a large number of ligands in different organs."}
{"id": "PMID:1464628", "title": "Characterization of F-pilin as an inner membrane component of Escherichia coli K12.", "content": "Antipeptide antibodies were used to detect, purify, and characterize nonfilament F-pilin in the cell envelope of an F'tra+ strain of Escherichia coli. Affinity-purified goat antibodies raised against a peptide corresponding to the amino-terminal 14 amino acids of F-pilin detected F-pilin in immuno-overlay (\"Western\") blots of electrophoretically separated inner and outer membrane proteins. As expected, the molecule was absent from inner membrane preparations of F- or F'traA[Am] strains. Immunoreactive material was purified from inner membrane fractions and shown to be F-pilin by amino acid analysis. The anti-peptide antibodies also detected membrane forms of F-pilin produced by cells containing plasmid pTG801 (Grossman, T. & Silverman, P. (1989) J. Bacteriol. 171, 650-656). Most cell envelope pilin was in the inner membrane fraction, but a significant quantity fractionated with the outer membrane as well. The hydropathy profile of F-pilin suggested that the molecule is an integral membrane protein with two membrane-spanning domains. In confirmation, F-pilin and pTG801 pilins in inner membrane preparations were solubilized by a single extraction with the nonionic detergents Nonidet P-40 (2%) or Triton X-100 (2%), but not by 2 M KCl or 0.1 M NaOH. Moreover, analysis of traA'-'phoA constructs indicated that both the amino and carboxyl termini of F-pilin face the periplasm. The periplasmic location of the amino terminus was confirmed by immunoelectron microscopy of spheroplasts from F' and pTG801 strains, using a monoclonal antibody that recognizes an amino-terminal epitope. These data suggest a specific structure for membrane F-pilin. We discuss that structure in relation to the probable structure of filament F-pilin."}
{"id": "PMID:1464631", "title": "Advances in the pharmacotherapy of cystic fibrosis.", "content": "The quality of life and life-span of cystic fibrosis patients have been improved substantially in the last 20 or 30 years. This has been accomplished largely through improved early diagnosis and advances in traditional pharmacotherapy which mainly consists of antibiotic therapy. In the past few years, the basic cellular defect of cystic fibrosis, as well as the gene determining the disease, have been described. These milestones in the quest for knowledge about the disease open the door for other innovative forms of therapy. While corrective gene therapy may be the ultimate result of advances made based upon this new knowledge, we will probably see earlier breakthroughs in the form of immune reaction inhibition and correction of ion flux disturbances. Each of these present and future forms of therapy is explored in this paper."}
{"id": "PMID:1464632", "title": "Patient compliance--an overview.", "content": "This article reviews the major topic areas of compliance research. Much of the research in the area has focused on measurement, extent, and determinants of non-compliance. Research on the effectiveness of educational and behavioural strategies to improve compliance suggests the need to combine them. While some authors have attempted to model compliance or medication-taking behaviours, these models cannot be applied widely. After decades of compliance research, very little consistent information is available, except that people do not take their medications as prescribed. The methodological rigour of compliance studies may partially contribute to this situation. Methodological flaws have included design features and study execution. In addition, researchers have proceeded with studies without regard to a theoretical framework. Many have argued that much of the existing compliance literature also lacks conceptual rigour. Although we know that people do not take their medications consistently, we do not know specifically why they have done so. One reason for this lack of understanding is that compliance research has been dominated by the perspective of the health professional. To better understand medication-taking behaviour, researchers need to examine the patient's perspective. Consequently, future research needs to investigate a patient's decision-making process and the reasons for those decisions."}
{"id": "PMID:1464633", "title": "Drug-induced hair colour changes.", "content": "Drug-induced hair colour changes are not a common adverse effect from medications. A wide variety of drugs have been implicated in causing hair colour changes but very few have data to support a true relationship. Of the drugs reported, chloroquine and cancer chemotherapeutic agents have the best evidence to support an association. Other drugs, such as p-aminobenzoic acid, calcium pantothenate, anthralin, chinoform, mephenesin, minoxidil, propofol, valproic acid, and verapamil await confirmatory data. Drug-induced causes should be considered in any patient with unexplained hair colour changes."}
{"id": "PMID:1464634", "title": "Relationship between ceftriaxone use and resistance of Enterobacter species.", "content": "We investigated the relationship between the amount of ceftriaxone used in our hospital and the evolution of the rate of resistance among Enterobacter species isolates. We reviewed all positive microbiological reports for Enterobacter species and the pharmacy records for the ceftriaxone consumption during four semesters over 4 consecutive years. The resistance to ceftriaxone among Enterobacter species rose from 10 to 27% while the amount of ceftriaxone used almost trebled during the study period. In order to investigate the relationship between the use of an antibiotic and the emergence of resistance to it, we studied the development of ceftriaxone resistance in Enterobacter species and the use of this drug at the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV) each year between 1983 and 1986. The consumption of ceftriaxone more than doubled between 1983 and 1984, and since then has increased only slowly. Within 2 years the rate of Enterobacter species resistance to ceftriaxone has jumped from about 10% between 1983 and 1985 to 27% in 1986. As no particular modification in the preventive methods of hospital hygiene and no epidemics occurred during the period of our study, we conclude that the increase in the prescribing of ceftriaxone probably played a central role in the increased number of resistant strains of Enterobacter species."}
{"id": "PMID:1464635", "title": "The chemical degradation of phenylmercuric nitrate by disodium edetate during heat sterilization at pH values commonly encountered in ophthalmic products.", "content": "The stability following heat sterilization (121 degrees C for 15 min) of phenylmercuric (PM) nitrate in the presence of disodium edetate at pH values 5-8 has been investigated by both high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS). A stability-indicating HPLC method involving formation of the diethylamine-dithiocarbamate complexes of phenylmercuric and mercuric ions was found to suffer a pH-dependent interference from disodium edetate. A second method was therefore also employed involving selective extraction into diethylether of the phenylmercuric ion followed by HPLC of the piperidinedithiocarbamate complex with concomitant analysis of the unextracted mercuric ion by AAS using the cold-vapour technique. An HPLC method was also developed for benzene in the degraded mixtures. The application of these methods to autoclaved solutions containing PM nitrate and disodium edetate demonstrates that under the conditions of heat sterilization the phenylmercuric ion is degraded to mercuric ion and benzene to the extent of 15% at pH 8, 80% at pH 7 and completely degraded at pH 5 and 6."}
{"id": "PMID:1464636", "title": "Stability of cisplatin in ethylene vinylacetate portable infusion-pump reservoirs.", "content": "The stability of cisplatin in admixture stored in portable pump reservoirs was investigated. Admixtures containing 0.9 or 0.5 mg/ml cisplatin in 0.9% sodium chloride injection were placed in 80-ml ethylene vinylacetate (EVA) drug reservoirs protected from light and 1-ml quantities were withdrawn immediately after preparation and after storage for 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 14, 28 days at +22 or +35 degrees C. Three samples for each condition from each admixture were tested for drug concentration using a stability-indicating high-performance liquid chromatographic method. No colour change or precipitation was observed, and pH values were stable for the duration of the study. Loss of water through the reservoirs was substantial only when stored at +35 degrees C for 28 days. Cisplatin is stable in the infusion fluid used for 28 days under all the storage conditions considered."}
{"id": "PMID:1464640", "title": "Progesterone as an autocrine/paracrine regulator of human granulosa cell proliferation.", "content": "The present study examined the role of progesterone in regulating human granulosa cell proliferation. Human granulosa and luteal cells were obtained from follicular aspirates of women undergoing in vitro fertilization. Cells were plated at 5, 10, or 50 x 10(3) cells/mL and cultured for up to 6 days. At specific times, cells were harvested and assessed for cell number and morphology. The medium was assayed for progesterone. Cells plated at 50 x 10(3) cells/mL did not increase in number after 3 or 6 days of culture, but rapidly differentiated, secreting high amounts of progesterone (> or = 320 nmol/L). Conversely, cells plated at 5 x 10(3) or 10 x 10(3) cells/mL doubled in number over the first 3 days of culture and subsequently differentiated. The addition of 100 ng/mL progesterone or more to the medium inhibited proliferation. Aminoglutethamide blocked progesterone secretion and increased the number of cells present after 3 days of culture. The antiproliferative effects of progesterone were not mimicked by estradiol, testosterone, dihydrotestosterone, or dexamethasone and could not be overridden by epidermal growth factor, a potent mitogen. These data suggest that progesterone plays an autocrine/paracrine role in regulating granulosa cell proliferation."}
{"id": "PMID:1464641", "title": "Hyperinsulinemia in patients with hypercholesterolemia.", "content": "An independent association between hypercholesterolemia and high insulin levels has not consistently emerged from large-scale epidemiologic observations. We selected 39 patients with elevated low-density (LDL) cholesterol levels but normal body weight, blood pressure, and glucose tolerance, and compared them to 36 normocholesterolemic, healthy control subjects accurately matched to the patients for age, gender, body mass index, and mean arterial blood pressure. Fasting serum total cholesterol concentrations and levels of LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, and apoprotein B were all higher in the patients with hypercholesterolemia than in controls (P < 0.025 or less), whereas high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and apoprotein A levels were significantly lower (P < 0.05 or less). Plasma insulin concentrations were elevated in hypercholesterolemic patients vs. controls both in the fasting state (86 +/- 6 vs. 59 +/- 8 pmol/L) and 2 h after a 75-g oral glucose load (412 +/- 16 vs. 276 +/- 18 pmol/L, P < 0.02 for both). Two-hour plasma glucose concentrations were also significantly raised in the patients (7.8 +/- 0.2 mmol/L) compared to controls (6.4 +/- 0.1 mmol/L, P < 0.025). In a multiple regression model including serum triglyceride concentrations, LDL cholesterol was still significantly related to both fasting and 2-h plasma insulin concentrations, contributing approximately 20% to the overall variability of these measures. Thus, in this group of patients with type IIa familial combined hyperlipoproteinemia hypercholesterolemia was associated with hyperinsulinemia even when controlling for other confounders (age, gender, body mass, glucose tolerance, and blood pressure)."}
{"id": "PMID:1464642", "title": "Combining insulin-like growth factor-I and mean spontaneous nighttime growth hormone levels for the diagnosis of growth hormone deficiency.", "content": "There is no gold standard for the diagnosis of GH deficiency. Recent data show that spontaneous GH levels may lack sensitivity, and that GH stimulation tests lack specificity as currently performed. Serum insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) measurements lack both sensitivity and specificity. Some of these problems may be explained by nutritional effects. In children, overnutrition decreases GH and increases IGF-I, while undernutrition decreases IGF-I and increases GH. To overcome these difficulties and improve diagnostic accuracy, we combined mean spontaneous nighttime GH levels with IGF-I levels in a statistically based bivariate model. On a two-dimensional plot of mean spontaneous nighttime GH level (in SD units) vs. IGF-I level (in SD units), we defined a new variable, S (sum) score, where S = (1/square root of 2) x (nighttime mean GH SD+IGF-I SD). While IGF-I (SD) and the mean spontaneous nighttime GH (SD) showed a significant correlation with body mass index, the S score was independent of body mass. We, therefore, used the S score to define a new test for GH deficiency. A child failed this bivariate test if his S score was less than -2 SD. We applied this model to 47 normal children and 48 short or slowly growing children (all prepubertal). We measured spontaneous nighttime GH levels and IGF-I levels in all children. In addition, the short children underwent 3 GH stimulation tests. Forty-six of the 47 normal children passed the bivariate test for GH sufficiency. Twenty-three of the 48 short or slowly growing children failed the bivariate test, whereas only 11 children had an abnormally low mean spontaneous nighttime GH measurement alone. Sixteen of 23 children who were GH deficient by the bivariate test were also GH deficient by the stimulation tests. In summary, the bivariate test for GH deficiency appears 1) to be independent of body mass, unlike either IGF-I or GH individually; 2) to identify more children than the mean spontaneous nighttime GH level alone; and 3) to be highly specific in the normal population, unlike stimulation tests."}
{"id": "PMID:1464643", "title": "Insulin insensitivity in adrenal hyperplasia due to nonclassical steroid 21-hydroxylase deficiency.", "content": "To determine whether hyperandrogenism caused by an inborn error of adrenal steroidogenesis could produce insulin resistance, we examined insulin sensitivity in females with 21-hydroxylase deficiency. Minimal modelling was used to analyze the results of tolbutamide-modified, frequently sampled, iv glucose tolerance testing. Insulin sensitivity [Si; (min-1) (microU/mL)-1] was plotted against body mass index (BMI; defined as kilograms per m2). Six patients with nonclassical 21-hydroxylase deficiency (mean age, 27 yr; mean BMI, 23.2) underwent testing. None of these patients was in active puberty, nor was any patient being treated with glucocorticoids at the time of the study. Twelve eumenorrheic nonhyperandrogenic young adult female control subjects (mean age, 27 yr; mean BMI, 22.4) were also tested. The basal 17-hydroxyprogesterone concentration, but not the total serum testosterone level, was significantly different in the two groups (mean +/- SEM, 11,987 +/- 2,761 vs. 4,059 +/- 802 pmol/L; P < 0.05). As a group the patients' Si values were significantly lower than those of the controls (mean +/- SEM, 4.1 +/- 0.6 vs. 9.7 +/- 1.2; P < 0.05). There was no correlation between Si and basal serum 17-hydroxyprogesterone, testosterone, delta 4-androstenedione, or dehydroepiandrosterone. We conclude that chronic hypersecretion of androgen precursors due to an inborn error of metabolism can induce a reduction in insulin sensitivity."}
{"id": "PMID:1464644", "title": "Identification and characterization of high molecular weight forms of basic fibroblast growth factor in human pituitary adenomas.", "content": "Basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) extracted from 23 human pituitary adenomas and 2 nontumorous anterior pituitary glands was examined by Western blot analysis to elucidate their molecular forms. Four bands that specifically interacted with anti-bFGF antibody were identified at the regions of 16K, 18K, 22K, and 24K mol wt. These immunodetectable bFGFs were bound to a heparin-Sepharose affinity column and eluted with 1-2 M NaCl. These partially purified tumor extracts could stimulate dose-dependently the growth of FGF-responsive cells. Some tumors contained bFGF with a mol wt of 24 K as a dominant form. In contrast, a major form of bFGF at the region of 18K was identified in the nontumorous anterior pituitary glands. We also addressed the possible presence of FGF receptor mRNA using Northern blot analysis. Many, but not all, human pituitary adenomas were found to contain detectable levels of FGF receptor mRNA with a size of 3.5 kilobases. The present results suggest that the role of bFGF in growth and hormone secretion in human pituitary adenomas should be examined using high mol wt forms of bFGF."}
{"id": "PMID:1464645", "title": "The bio/immuno ratio of plasma luteinizing hormone does not change during the endogenous secretion pulse: reanalysis of the concept using improved immunometric techniques.", "content": "The purpose of this study was to find out whether the ratio of bioactive (B)/immunoreactive (I) LH varies during pulsatile LH secretion in healthy men when I-LH is determined using novel immunometric methods with improved sensitivity and specificity. Blood samples were collected for LH measurements from eight healthy men (aged 20-26 yr) at 20-min intervals over a period of 10 h. LH was measured in all samples using two novel sensitive and specific immunometric methods [Delfia, Wallac (sensitivity, 0.04 IU/L); and Amerlite, Amersham (sensitivity, 0.1 IU/L)] and for comparison with a conventional RIA. In addition, the plasma samples representing the LH secretion peaks and the preceding interpulse nadirs (two to five pairs of samples per subject; n = 23) were measured for B-LH using the mouse interstitial cell in vitro bioassay. The three immunoassay methods demonstrated the well known pulsatile mode of I-LH secretion in all subjects. A good correlation of B- and immunometric I-LH levels was observed (bioassay vs. Delfia, r = 0.89), but independent of the immunometric method used, no difference could be demonstrated between the B/I ratios of the mean basal and peak levels of LH (1.72 +/- 0.19 and 1.63 +/- 0.19 with Delfia, and 2.18 +/- 0.32 and 2.10 +/- 0.26 with Amerlite, respectively). Only when I-LH was measured by RIA was there a significant (P < 0.001) 2-fold increase in the B/I ratio in the secretion pulses. In conclusion, the previously documented increase in the B/I ratio of LH during the endogenous secretion pulses could not be documented when I-LH was measured, instead of RIA, using the novel immunometric methods. This finding further emphasizes the need for reassessment of the B/I ratio changes in LH in various physiological and clinical conditions."}
{"id": "PMID:1464646", "title": "Use of ketoconazole to probe the pathogenetic importance of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D in absorptive hypercalciuria.", "content": "Ketoconazole was used to probe the pathogenetic importance of the serum 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D [1,25-(OH)2D] concentration in 19 patients with well characterized absorptive hypercalciuria (AH). Patients were studied while receiving a constant metabolic diet before and after 2 weeks of ketoconazole administration (600 mg daily). Twelve of the patients were classified as ketoconazole responders, because in conjunction with a reduction of serum 1,25-(OH)2D from 113 +/- 36 to 70 +/- 26 pmol/L, intestinal 47Ca absorption decreased from 76.3 +/- 8.1% to 61.9 +/- 7.7%, and 24-h urinary Ca excretion declined from 7.6 +/- 1.4 to 5.7 +/- 1.1 mmol (P < 0.001 each). In these patients, intestinal 47Ca absorption was directly correlated with serum 1,25-(OH)2D levels and 24-h Ca excretion. In another group of 7 patients, termed ketoconazole nonresponders, despite reduction of 1,25-(OH)2D from 122 +/- 36 to 84 +/- 17 pmol/L (P = 0.015), there was no significant change in intestinal Ca absorption (76.0 +/- 8.2% to 72.1 +/- 10.6%) or 24-h urinary Ca excretion (7.3 +/- 1.3 to 7.2 +/- 1.0 mmol). In these patients, neither intestinal Ca absorption nor urinary Ca excretion was correlated with serum 1,25-(OH)2D levels. It, thus, appears that AH is a heterogeneous disorder comprised of both vitamin D-dependent and vitamin D-independent subsets. Although useful to probe the pathogenesis of AH, chronic treatment with ketoconazole is not recommended because of its generalized effects in inhibiting steroid synthesis."}
{"id": "PMID:1464647", "title": "Beta-endrophin immunoreactivity during human pregnancy.", "content": "The human placenta has been implicated as a source of numerous peptide hormones during pregnancy. Since the immunoassay detection of the proopiomelanocortin derived peptide beta-endorphin (beta E) in placental extracts in 1978, it has remained uncertain whether placental beta E immunoreactivity (IR) is 1) secreted into the maternal circulation and 2) opiate receptor active during pregnancy. To elucidate the nature of beta E IR in the placenta, both beta E IR and N-alpha-acetylated beta E (Ac beta E) IR were simultaneously measured in extracts of human pituitaries, placentas, and plasma by two homologous RIAs. Pituitary extracts (n = 6) contained 38 +/- 7 nmol beta E IR per g wet wt tissue (mean +/- SEM), of which only 20 +/- 4 pmol/g were Ac beta E IR. Term placental extracts (n = 19) had 201 +/- 30 fmol/g wet wt total beta E IR and 30 +/- 3 fmol/g wet wt total Ac beta E IR, which comprised 15% of total beta E IR in placental extracts. Total plasma beta E IR rose from 28 weeks gestation (8.5 +/- 0.3 fmol/mL, n = 159) to peak at labor (50 +/- 4 fmol/mL, n = 98; P < 0.01) but total Ac beta E IR was found in only four 28-week (1.7 +/- 0.9 fmol/mL) and 42 labor plasma samples (0.9 +/- 0.1 fmol/mL). Gel filtration chromatography of placental and pituitary extracts showed that while less than 1% of the beta E31-size material was acetylated in the pituitary, up to 60% of the beta E31-size material in placental extracts was acetylated. In pooled third trimester plasma extracts, however, only 4% of the beta E31-size material was acetylated. Furthermore, the ratio of beta E31:beta-lipotropin in pituitary extracts (n = 3) was 0.5; pooled plasma-0.5, and placental extracts (n = 5)-1.2. These data indicate that 1) the placenta extensively N-alpha-acetylates beta E31 destroying its opiate bioactivity while the pituitary does not; 2) beta E IR in pregnant women's plasma is similar to pituitary beta E IR, being mostly nonacetylated and similar in size to beta-lipotropin. These findings are consistent with a pituitary source for the elevated plasma beta E IR found during late pregnancy which may, in turn, be a consequence of elevated plasma concentrations of placentally secreted plasma corticotropin-releasing factor IR present during the third trimester."}
{"id": "PMID:1464648", "title": "Serum growth hormone (GH)-binding protein/receptor: an important determinant of GH responsiveness.", "content": "Individual growth rates (or responses to GH therapy) and adult heights vary over a wide range. The reasons for this variation are poorly understood. Based on the reciprocal relationship between GH production and serum GH-binding protein/receptor (GH-BP), we hypothesized that genetic growth potential was achieved by a specific combination of GH-BP/receptor and GH production in each individual. To address the question whether GH production regulates GH-BP, or vice versa, we studied GH-deficient children, where one of the parameters, GH exposure, could be controlled through exogenous administration. Forty-three untreated prepubertal GH-deficient children were studied before and after 6 and 12 months of GH replacement therapy (0.18 mg/kg.week). Growth velocity, height, bone age, weight and their respective Z scores, serum GH-BP, and serum insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) were measured at each time point. The patients responded with significant increases in serum IGF-I, age-adjusted growth velocity, and height (P < 10(-6) for all). Before therapy, GH-BP correlated directly with chronologic and bone age (P < 10(-4), but not with either growth velocity or IGF-I. In contrast, GH-BP correlated strongly with the response to therapy whether assessed as the incremental change in IGF-I (P < 10(-6)) or as the increase in growth velocity (P approximately 0.003). GH treatment had no consistent effect on GH-BP/receptor levels. These findings support the concept that the GH-BP/receptor endowment is characteristic for an individual and plays a pivotal role in somatic growth. The GH-BP/receptor system and its ontogeny appears relatively independent of regulation by GH. Differences in individual GH-BP/GH receptor complement account for some of the variability in the response to GH, and GH-BP levels may serve as a predictor for the degree of response. The reciprocal relationship between GH production and GH-BP in normal subjects probably results from adjustment of GH secretion to accommodate the prevailing GH-BP/receptor environment."}
{"id": "PMID:1464649", "title": "The role of body mass in the response to growth hormone therapy.", "content": "Obesity is associated with normal or increased growth despite diminished GH secretion compared to lean children. The mechanism by which adequate growth is maintained in the presence of low GH levels is unknown, but is possibly mediated at the GH receptor level. To probe this hypothesis, we examined the relationship between GH responsivity, body mass index (BMI) and plasma GH-binding protein (GH-BP)/receptor level in 43 GH-deficient children during treatment with a fixed dose of GH (0.18 mg/kg.week). Before treatment, BMI [expressed as standard deviation score (SDS) for age (BMI-SDS)] did not correlate with either growth velocity or serum insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I). In contrast, after 12 months of GH therapy BMI-SDS correlated directly with plasma IGF-I (P < 10(-5)) and growth velocity (P < 10(-3)). These findings parallel those obtained for GH-BP vs. the response to GH, suggesting that BMI and GH-BP are covariants. The interrelationships among BMI, GH-BP, and response to GH were further probed by multiple regression analysis. Partial correlation coefficients vs. response to GH were consistently stronger for GH-BP than for BMI-SDS, indicating that GH-BP is the dominant factor between these two covariants in determining responsiveness to GH. The data suggest a primary role for GH-BP/receptor levels in determining GH action, with secondary but significant effects of nutrition and degree of adiposity. The latter may be mediated through the impact of nutrition and body mass on GH-BP/receptor levels."}
{"id": "PMID:1464650", "title": "Immunoreactive androgen receptor expression in subjects with androgen resistance.", "content": "Individuals with androgen resistance encompass a spectrum of phenotypic abnormalities ranging from complete testicular feminization to undervirilized men. Such subjects have been classified according to the hormone-binding characteristics in genital skin fibroblasts and on the basis of the mutation in the androgen receptor (AR) gene. Antibodies to the amino-terminal region of the human AR were used to develop an immunoblot assay for the comparison of androgen binding with the amount of AR expressed in genital skin fibroblasts. In controls and 4 androgen-resistant subjects with DNA-binding domain mutations, levels of immunoreactive AR correlated closely with androgen-binding capacity. In 15 androgen-resistant subjects with qualitatively abnormal AR, immunoreactive AR levels tended to be higher than predicted from the ligand-binding capacity. Discordance between immunoreactivity and androgen binding also occurred in fibroblasts from 3 other subjects. One carries a stop codon in the AR gene and produces a truncated AR that is immunoreactive but does not bind androgen. Two carry single point mutations in the hormone-binding domain and produce immunoreactive AR that is normal in size but does not bind androgen."}
{"id": "PMID:1464651", "title": "Effect of improved assay sensitivity on luteinizing hormone pulse detection after gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonist treatment in man.", "content": "When serum levels of a hormone are at or below the detection limit of the measurement system, accurate characterization and quantitation of pulsatile hormone secretion may be difficult. This point is well illustrated in this study, which used two immunoassays with markedly different assay sensitivities to quantitate pulsatile LH secretion in men in whom serum LH levels had been suppressed by the administration of a GnRH antagonist. Five normal men received 5 mg Nal-Glu, sc, daily for 21 days. Blood was drawn at 10-min intervals over 8 h on days 0 and 21. Samples were assayed in triplicate in both a conventional LH RIA with a sensitivity of 0.6-1.0 IU/L and a two-site-directed ultrasensitive immunofluorometric assay (IFMA) with assay sensitivity ranging from 0.05-0.125 IU/L. LH pulses were analyzed by Cluster analysis (C) and were corroborated by the Detect algorithm (D). Nal-Glu suppressed LH (C) pulse amplitude from 4.0 +/- 0.7 to 0.40 +/- 0.03 IU/L by LH RIA and from 7.8 +/- 2.1 to 0.21 +/- 0.04 IU/L by LH IFMA. An apparent reduction in LH pulse number was observed in the RIA data on day 21 by both pulse detection methods [4.2 +/- 0.4 vs 2.4 +/- 0.2/8 h on days 0 and 21 by C (P < 0.005); 5.8 +/- 0.8 vs. 2.8 +/- 0.7 by D (P < 0.05)]. However, the IFMA measurements in the same samples using the more sensitive LH IFMA showed no difference in pulse number between days 0 and 21. The RIA data correlated well with the IFMA data, with a concordance coefficient ranging from 0.66-0.9. In summary, the Nal-Glu GnRH antagonist markedly decreases LH pulse amplitude, but not pulse frequency. These observations are consistent with competitive inhibition of GnRH action at the pituitary site by the Nal-Glu antagonist; they indicate that assay characteristics can significantly affect quantitation of hormone pulse pattern and underscore the need for ultrasensitive LH assays for accurate assessment of LH pulse characteristics when LH levels are low or suppressed."}
{"id": "PMID:1464652", "title": "Antithyroid hormone antibodies induced by interferon-alpha.", "content": "A 40-yr-old woman known for a multinodular goiter had hyperthyroidism. Treatment with antithyroid drugs and iodine therapy was effective. One year later, she received interferon-alpha for treatment of essential cryoglobulinemia. At that time, the patient was euthyroid. Testing for antithyroglobulin, antimicrosome, anti-TSH receptor, and antithyroid hormone antibodies was negative. After a 1-yr course of interferon-alpha, goiter enlargement was noticed. Apparently elevated free T3 and T4 serum values were measured by RIA, contrasting with clinical euthyroidism and normal TSH values. High serum levels of antithyroid hormone antibodies were found in the patient's serum, using a radiolabeled hormone immunoprecipitation assay. Antithyroglobulin and antimicrosome antibodies titers were also elevated and paralleled antithyroid hormone antibodies. After cessation of interferon-alpha therapy, clinical status and TSH levels remained normal, while thyroid hormone values and antithyroid hormone antibody levels progressively normalized. To our knowledge, this is the first report of antithyroid hormone antibodies induced by interferon-alpha. Since thyroid dysfunction is described in 10-15% of treated patients, the fact that interferon-alpha can induce antithyroid hormone antibodies has important implications: 1) the prevalence or intensity of thyroid dysfunction could be overestimated; and 2) artifactually elevated free T3 and T4 serum values could lead to inappropriate therapy of thyroid disease or cessation of interferon treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1464653", "title": "Renal clearance, metabolic clearance rate, and half-life of human growth hormone in young and aged subjects.", "content": "We studied the renal clearance, MCR, and half-life of the synthetic 22K form of human GH [recombinant hGH (rhGH)] in seven healthy young and five aged men by means of the constant iv infusion technique. rhGH was infused at a rate of 2 micrograms/kg.2 mL/h for 150 min, after which its disappearance was followed for 50 min. Changes in GH levels in plasma and urine were measured by a highly sensitive enzyme immunoassay. The mean (+/- SD) renal clearance of GH was significantly greater in the aged group than in the young group (14.3 +/- 2.5 vs. 4.2 +/- 1.0 microL/min; P < 0.05). The mean MCR was greater in the young group than in the aged group (187.1 +/- 43.7 vs. 120.5 +/- 39.5 mL/min; P < 0.05), but the MCR adjusted for body weight was not different between the two groups (2.9 +/- 0.6 vs. 2.3 +/- 0.8 mL/min.kg). No difference was noted in the half-life of GH between the two groups (13.8 +/- 0.9 vs. 14.2 +/- 0.4 min). These findings indicate that GH reabsorption from the renal tubule may be impaired in elderly subjects, but the disappearance rate of GH is not influenced by age."}
{"id": "PMID:1464654", "title": "Estradiol stimulates cell growth and secretion of procathepsin D and a 120-kilodalton protein in the human ovarian cancer cell line BG-1.", "content": "Ovarian cancers are highly invasive. In a first attempt to define the hormones and factors involved in the control of tumor invasion and metastasis, we have used the human ovarian cancer cell line BG-1 which contains both estrogen and progesterone receptors. Protein synthesis and secretion was assayed by [35S]methionine incorporation and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis followed by fluorography. Three responses to estradiol were found: 1) procathepsin D secretion was increased, whereas the corresponding intracellular proteins were not significantly affected; 2) an abundant but nonidentified 120-kilodalton (kDa) estrogen-induced secreted glycoprotein, different from CA125, was detected for the first time; and 3) the number of cells as determined by DNA assay was markedly stimulated, reaching a higher level of confluency. The antiestrogen OH-tamoxifen was weakly agonist at low concentrations to stimulate cell growth but was a pure antagonist on the 120-kDa protein. The steroid specificity of these responses strongly suggests that they are mediated by the estrogen receptor. We conclude that cathepsin D secretion is specifically stimulated by estrogen in this ovarian cancer cell line as it is in estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer cells. Both cathepsin D and a newly described 120-kDa secreted glycoprotein are potential markers of hormone responsiveness and/or aggressiveness which deserve to be further studied in clinical ovarian cancers."}
{"id": "PMID:1464655", "title": "The effects of exogenous testosterone on sexuality and mood of normal men.", "content": "The effects of supraphysiological levels of testosterone, used for male contraception, on sexual behavior and mood were studied in a single-blind, placebo-controlled manner in a group of 31 normal men. After 4 weeks of baseline observations, the men were randomized into two groups: one group received 200 mg testosterone enanthate (TE) weekly by im injection for 8 weeks (Testosterone Only group), the other received placebo injections once weekly for the first 4 weeks followed by TE 200 mg weekly for the following 4 weeks (Placebo/Testosterone group). The testosterone administration increased trough plasma testosterone levels by 80%, compatible with peak testosterone levels 400-500% above baseline. Various aspects of sexuality were assessed using sexuality experience scales (SES) questionnaires at the end of each 4-week period while sexual activity and mood states were recorded by daily dairies and self-rating scales. In both groups there was a significant increase in scores in the Psychosexual Stimulation Scale of the SES (i.e. SES 2) following testosterone administration, but not with placebo. There were no changes in SES 3, which measures aspects of sexual interaction with the partner. In both groups there were no changes in frequency of sexual intercourse, masturbation, or penile erection on waking nor in any of the moods reported. The Placebo/Testosterone group showed an increase in self-reported interest in sex during testosterone treatment but not with placebo. The SES 2 results suggest that sexual awareness and arousability can be increased by supraphysiological levels of testosterone. However, these changes are not reflected in modifications of overt sexual behavior, which in eugonadal men may be more determined by sexual relationship factors. This contrasts with hypogonadal men, in whom testosterone replacement clearly stimulates sexual behavior. There was no evidence to suggest an alteration in any of the mood states studied, in particular those associated with increased aggression. We conclude that supraphysiological levels of testosterone maintained for up to 2 months can promote some aspects of sexual arousability without stimulating sexual activity in eugonadal men within stable heterosexual relationships. Raising testosterone does not increase self-reported ratings of aggressive feelings."}
{"id": "PMID:1464656", "title": "Spontaneous pulsatile growth hormone release in male and female premature infants.", "content": "Although premature infants have high umbilical cord GH levels, little is known about spontaneous GH release in these individuals. The purpose of our study was to investigate spontaneous 12-h GH release in appropriate for gestational age male and female premature infants. We studied 22 premature infants (15 males and 7 females) of appropriate length and weight for age. Gestational ages, birth weights, birth lengths, and ages at the time of study were similar in male or female infants. All infants were biochemically euthyroid. Blood was taken every 30 min over a 12-h period from an indwelling umbilical catheter; no stress occurred during the blood withdrawal. GH was determined by a double antibody RIA, using 0.01 mL plasma. GH pulse detection was undertaken using Cluster, a computerized pulse detection algorithm. Total insulin-like growth factor-I and -II (IGF-I and -II) levels were measured after separation of the IGFs from the serum binding proteins. Spontaneous pulsatile GH release was observed in all infants studied. No differences were found between males and females in the pulse characteristics of frequency, maximal amplitude, incremental amplitude, width, or area. The GH pulse frequency per 12 h was 3.2 +/- 0.3 (mean +/- SE) in males and 3.0 +/- 0.7 in females. The maximal pulse amplitude was 50.7 +/- 6.2 micrograms/L in males and 44.7 +/- 9.0 micrograms/L in females. The incremental pulse amplitude was 24.3 +/- 3.2 micrograms/L in males and 20.2 +/- 3.9 micrograms/L in females. The mean 12-h GH level was 37.1 +/- 4.8 micrograms/L in males and 35.8 +/- 8.5 micrograms/L in females; the average GH nadir was 26.1 +/- 4.0 micrograms/L in males and 24.4 +/- 8.3 micrograms/L in females. Both IGF-I and IGF-II concentrations were similar in males and females. The mean IGF-I levels were 10.7 +/- 1.5 ng/mL in males and 7.5 +/- 1.1 ng/mL in females; IGF-II levels were 96.0 +/- 12.0 ng/mL in males and 115.4 +/- 17.1 ng/mL in females. These results demonstrate similar pulsatile GH release in male and female premature infants at a mean age of 32-33 weeks. Compared with previously reported values for mean GH concentration and average GH nadir in older children, the values in these premature infants were much higher. We speculate that the higher GH levels in premature infants may result from decreased negative feedback associated with low IGF-I levels. The premature infant's somatotrophs may also not fully respond to the GH inhibitory action of somatostatin."}
{"id": "PMID:1464657", "title": "Tertiary hyperparathyroidism during high phosphate therapy of familial hypophosphatemic rickets.", "content": "We report the development of severe tertiary hyperparathyroidism in three girls treated for familial hypophosphatemic rickets and characterize parathyroid function in vivo and in vitro. All patients had been previously treated with relatively large doses of inorganic phosphorus (125 mm/day) and ergocalciferol or calcitriol for several years and had radiographic evidence of long-standing hyperparathyroidism. Even in the presence of extremely elevated PTH levels, oral phosphate lowered serum calcium levels in vivo and further stimulated PTH secretion. Profound multiglandular parathyroid hyperplasia was found in each patient at surgery. Examination of the secretory characteristics of the excised parathyroid tissue revealed that either relatively high calcium concentrations were generally needed to suppress PTH secretion or PTH secretion was not suppressible. Caution is recommended when relatively large doses of phosphate are used to treat familial hypophosphatemic rickets."}
{"id": "PMID:1464658", "title": "Virilizing adrenal cortical neoplasm arising ectopically in the thorax.", "content": "We describe a 44-yr-old woman with a 12-yr history of clinical virilization and serum testosterone levels up to 28.1 nmol/L (normal range, 1-3.3 nmol/L) in whom repeated clinical evaluation and surgical procedures failed to reveal the source of androgen production. At the time the patient was referred to the Clinical Center of the NIH, an intrathoracic mass was seen on upper cuts of an abdominal computer-aided tomography scan, confirmed by computer-aided tomography scan and magnetic resonance imaging of the chest. A 6 x 5 x 3.5-cm mass, attached to the posterior pericardium, was removed by thoracotomy. Pathological examination revealed an adrenal cortical neoplasm of uncertain malignant potential that contained testosterone, 11-deoxycortisol, progesterone, and 17-hydroxyprogesterone. After the operation, the patient's serum testosterone levels decreased to the normal range. Ectopic adrenal cortical rests in the thorax and neoplasms arising from these rests are extremely rare, and we are not aware of a similar case previously reported. In women with virilization, radiological studies of the thorax as well as other reported sites of ectopic adrenal cortex should be performed if radiological studies of the abdomen and pelvis fail to locate the source of the neoplasm."}
{"id": "PMID:1464659", "title": "Heritability of cortisol responses to human corticotropin-releasing hormone, ergometry, and psychological stress in humans.", "content": "The present study investigated cortisol responses to three different stimulation procedures, with a focus on the contribution of genetic factors. Thirteen monozygotic (MZ) twin pairs and 11 dizygotic (DZ) twin pairs performed bicycle ergometry until exhaustion and were exposed to the psychological stress of public speaking and mental arithmetic in front of an audience. Furthermore, 9 MZ pairs and 10 DZ pairs were injected with 100 micrograms synthetic human CRH (hCRH). The adrenocortical response to these challenges was monitored by determination of cortisol in saliva. Significant intraindividual stability of baseline cortisol levels was found in females, but was less in males. Maximum cortisol responses to all three stimulation procedures were significantly intercorrelated in males, but in females only the cortisol responses to hCRH and ergometer exercise showed a significant correlation. While a decided influence of genetic factors was observed for all three baseline cortisol levels as well as for the response to hCRH, heredity appeared to be play a minor role in the adrenocortical response to psychological stress. Cortisol changes after bicycle ergometry revealed no impact of genetic factors on the secretion of cortisol in response to strenuous physical exercise."}
{"id": "PMID:1464660", "title": "Longitudinal changes in lumbar bone density among thyrotoxic patients after attainment of euthyroidism.", "content": "Hyperthyroidism increases bone turnover, which, in turn, may lead to bone loss from the spine and hip. Treatment of thyrotoxicosis may restore bone mass, but there are few long term prospective studies. We examined lumbar bone mineral density (BMD) in 21 subjects [11 with hyperthyroidism (HT) and 10 controls of similar age] by dual photon absorptiometry in 1986 and by dual energy x-ray densitometry in 1991. All 11 HT patients were successfully treated and remained euthyroid (mean TSH, 2.25 +/- 0.80 mU/L) for more than 3 yr. Lumbar BMD increased 11.03 +/- 2.38% (P < 0.001) in HT patients, but only 2.6 +/- 2.15% (P = 0.10) in control subjects. Among HT patients, the higher the T3 concentration during hyperthyroidism, the greater the subsequent increase in lumbar BMD (r = 0.72; P < 0.03). Age at treatment, in contrast, was not a significant predictor of eventual spinal bone mass. In conclusion, successful treatment of hyperthyroidism produced a significant increase in lumbar BMD. Hence, bone loss associated with thyrotoxicosis may not be permanent. Future work designed to examine the effect of thyroid hormone on skeletal homeostasis should include large scale longitudinal studies of both men and women."}
{"id": "PMID:1464661", "title": "Different posttranslational processing of human preprothyrotropin-releasing hormone in the human placenta and hypothalamus.", "content": "We scrutinized the possible existence of human prepro-THR messenger RNA (mRNA) and of its posttranslational processing products in the human placenta. Human placental mRNA of preproTRH was found to have a single species identical to that predicted from the hypothalamic mRNA, and could be reverse transcribed to complementary DNA (cDNA) encoding preproTRH in a size similar to the hypothalamic counterpart by means of reverse-transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. Five different intervening peptides, designated human TRH-associated peptide (hTAP) [hTAP-1, preproTRH(90-111); hTAP-2, preproTRH(120-132); hTAP-3, preproTRH(141-149); hTAP-4, preproTRH(158-183); hTAP-5, preproTRH(192-224)], and a TRH precursor comprising the TRH progenitor sequence (octa-TRH) were synthesized, and six different antisera raised against individual peptides were used to develop specific RIA systems. Significant concentrations of hTAP-5 and octa-TRH-like immunoreactivities were quantitated in acid extracts of human placentae. In human hypothalamic extracts, immunoreactivities of hTAP-3, hTAP-4, hTAP-5, and octa-TRH, were apparently detected. Chromotographic analysis showed a single peak corresponding to each authentic peptide in RIA systems of hTAPs detected. In placentae, a single peak of octa-TRH-like substance was observed, and two octa-TRH-like substances with different molecular weights detected in hypothalami. The present data indicate that unique posttranslational processing steps of human preproTRH differ in human placentae and hypothalami, and that the human tissues involve profound amounts of several preproTRH-related peptides which do not comprise the TRH progenitor sequence."}
{"id": "PMID:1464662", "title": "Presence of messenger ribonucleic acid for endothelin-1, endothelin-2, and endothelin-3 in human endometrium and a change in the ratio of ETA and ETB receptor subtype across the menstrual cycle.", "content": "The aim of the present study was to determine whether mRNA for the three endothelin peptides (endothelin-1, endothelin-2, and endothelin-3) and the two known receptor subtypes (ETA and ETB) was present in human endometrium at different stages of the menstrual cycle (menstrual, early and mid-proliferative, and early, mid-, and late secretory). Endometrium was obtained from women undergoing surgery for benign disease, and total RNA was extracted using a guanidinium isothiocyanate method. mRNA for endothelin peptide and receptor was detected using the reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction with nested oligonucleotide primers. mRNA for endothelin-1, endothelin-2, and endothelin-3 was demonstrated throughout the menstrual cycle, and three splice variants of mRNA encoding endothelin-3 were found in all samples. The ratio of ETA to ETB receptor mRNA was found to change throughout the menstrual cycle. In the proliferative phase, amplified cDNA product was almost exclusively confined to the ETA receptor, whereas an increase in the amplified product of the ETB receptor cDNA was seen in the secretory and menstrual phases. These studies show that mRNA for endothelin-1, endothelin-2, and endothelin-3 is present in human endometrium at all stages of the menstrual cycle and suggest that different physiological actions of the endothelin peptides may be mediated through changes in the ratio of the ETA and ETB receptor subtypes."}
{"id": "PMID:1464663", "title": "The natural history of autonomous gonadal function, adrenarche, and central puberty in gonadotropin-independent precocious puberty.", "content": "Gonadotropin-independent precocity (GIP) is a syndrome marked by precocious pubertal development in the absence of pubertal levels of gonadotropins. To investigate the discrete patterns of central nervous system, gonadal, adrenal, and skeletal maturation in this syndrome, we conducted longitudinal studies spanning up to 10 yr in two such affected individuals. A cross-sectional analysis of adrenal androgen secretion was performed in nine additional patients to assess further the time course of adrenarche in GIP. Serial evaluations revealed progression of secondary sexual characteristics, statural growth, and skeletal maturation, all consistent with ongoing exposure to pubertal gonadal steroid levels. On the other hand, adrenarche (n = 11) and spontaneous and GnRH-stimulated gonadotropin secretion (n = 2) progressed in chronological age-appropriate manners despite long term pubertal levels of gonadal sex steroid secretion. After the development of central puberty, as documented by the appearance of pulsatile gonadotropin secretion, we sought to determine whether the potential for gonadal autonomy persisted. Despite complete pituitary desensitization induced by administration of a GnRH agonist, both patients studied demonstrated an ongoing capacity to secrete pubertal levels of gonadal steroids. Our study suggests that the timing of adrenarche and central puberty in these subjects with GIP was apparently unaltered by prolonged exposure to gonadal steroids. Subsequent to the development of central puberty, pulsatile gonadotropin secretion may override and, thus, mask the underlying defect(s) in adolescents and adults with histories of GIP."}
{"id": "PMID:1464664", "title": "Relative effects of activin and inhibin on steroid hormone synthesis in primate granulosa cells.", "content": "Ovarian granulosa cells produce inhibin and activin, structurally related proteins with potentials to directly modulate follicular steroidogenesis. The aim of the present study was to compare development-related effects of inhibin-A and activin-A on steroidogenesis in marmoset monkey (Callithrix jacchus) granulosa cells. Granulosa cells from \"immature\" (< 1.0 mm diameter) and \"mature\" (> 2 mm diameter) follicles were incubated in serum-free culture medium for 96 h with and without peptide (1-100 ng/mL), in the presence and absence of gonadotropins [human (h) FSH or hLH] (10 ng/mL). Spent medium was collected and stored frozen for progesterone assay. Aromatase activity was determined by incubating cells for a further 6 h in the presence of 1 mumol testosterone and assaying accumulation of oestradiol. Granulosa cells from immature follicles showed characteristically low basal rates of steroid synthesis that were unaffected by treatment alone with either inhibin or activin. Treatment with hFSH stimulated both progesterone production and aromatase activity. Cotreatment with activin and hFSH further enhanced aromatase activity by up to 4-fold. The progesterone response to activin plus hFSH was related to the effect of hFSH in the absence of activin: high-level responsiveness to hFSH was suppressed by activin while low-level responsiveness was enhanced. Inhibin had no significant effect on FSH-responsive progesterone production, but at high concentrations (> 10 ng/mL) it caused slight (up to 30%) reduction in FSH-induced aromatase activity. Granulosa cells from mature follicles showed relatively high basal rates of steroidogenesis, and treatment with inhibin did not influence either basal or gonadotropin responsive steroidogenesis. Treatment with activin had divergent effects on aromatase activity and progesterone synthesis in that it increased both basal and hLH-responsive aromatase activity (up to 11-fold), had no effect on basal progesterone production, and markedly suppressed (by more than 50%) the progesterone response to hLH. These data reveal development-dependent effects of inhibin and activin on granulosa cell steroidogenesis that are likely to have physiological relevance to ovarian function in vivo."}
{"id": "PMID:1464665", "title": "Both hyper- and hypogonadotropic hypogonadism occur transiently in acute illness: bio- and immunoactive gonadotropins.", "content": "Previous reports of hypogonadotropic hypogonadism in critically ill men may not reflect the complexity of changes in the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis during acute illness. We sampled blood throughout hospitalization in 55 men admitted to acute care units to delineate the spectrum of changes in circulating gonadotropin and sex steroid levels at the onset and during recovery from acute illness. Bioactive LH and FSH were measured in a subset of patients. Percent free testosterone was measured to assess changes in binding to sex hormone binding globulin. Medications and serum estrogen and prolactin levels were monitored as potential causes of hypogonadotropism. Sustained suppression of serum testosterone levels below the normal range occurred in 62% of men with varying diagnoses and disease severity. Percent free testosterone remained constant. Hypogonadotropism was observed in most men (60%) and occurred independently from head injury, surgery, medications, or hyperprolactinemia. In a subset of men (n = 16), LH and/or FSH rose transiently above the normal range. Bioactivity of both LH and FSH remained constant while serum testosterone levels decreased. In contrast to serum testosterone levels, mean serum levels of E1, E2 and androstenedione were not less than control values. We conclude that both primary and secondary hypogonadism occur transiently in acutely ill men and cannot be explained solely by medications, hyperprolactinemia, or hyperestrogenemia. Neither biopotency of gonadotropins nor binding of testosterone to SHBG change across the course of acute illness. The hypogonadism, often severe and prolonged, may contribute to the persistent catabolic state observed in many critically ill patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1464666", "title": "Structure of the human glucokinase gene and identification of a missense mutation in a Japanese patient with early-onset non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.", "content": "Glucokinase is thought to play a glucose-sensor role in the pancreas, and abnormalities in its structure, function, and regulation can induce diabetes. We isolated the human glucokinase gene, and determined its genomic structure including exon-intron boundaries. Structure of the glucokinase gene in human was very similar to that in rat. Then, by screening Japanese diabetic patients using polymerase chain reaction--single strand conformation polymorphism (PCR-SSCP) and direct-sequencing strategies, we identified a missense mutation substituting arginine (AGG) for glycine (GGG) at position 261 in exon 7 of the glucokinase gene in a patient with early-onset non-insulin-dependent diabetes (NIDDM)."}
{"id": "PMID:1464667", "title": "Glucose regulation of the autoantigen GAD65 in human pancreatic islets.", "content": "Recent data suggest that the enzyme glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) may be a primary beta-cell antigen involved in the autoimmune response leading to insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM). Following three days culture of human islets at different glucose concentrations (5.6, 11 or 28 mM), there was a single 65 kDa/GAD band in the islet extracts, as assessed by immunoprecipitation both with serum from a newly diagnosed IDDM patient and a sheep anti-GAD serum. The synthesis of GAD was strongly stimulated at the higher glucose concentrations. Likewise, Western blot analysis indicated a glucose-induced increase of GAD in the islets. The data suggest that an enhanced function of human islet cells increases expression of GAD65. Possibly, this could exacerbate the autoimmune assault in the early stages of IDDM, and be of practical importance in attempts to ameliorate the autoimmune response towards the beta-cells in IDDM."}
{"id": "PMID:1464669", "title": "An endoscopic study of antibiotic-associated hemorrhagic colitis.", "content": "Colonoscopy was performed on acute stage within 72 hours from onset in 48 patients with antibiotic-associated hemorrhagic colitis (AAHC). From our observations we have developed a new endoscopic classification of AAHC and investigated the incidence of each finding in further detail. We have classified in principle the endoscopic findings of the 48 subjects into two groups: major and minor ones respectively. Category of major findings were: 1) diffuse mucosal hemorrhage (100%); 2) spotty mucosal hemorrhage (100%), and 3) linear mucosal hemorrhage (22.9%), while minor findings were: 1) irregular ulcers in 10.4%; 2) aphthoid ulcers in 6.3%, and 3) linear erosions or ulcers in 4%. Minor findings were ulcers or erosions present over the hemorrhagic mucosa associated with the moderate degree of inflammation. A histopathologic study of colon biopsy specimens from 24 patients with AAHC showed hemorrhage and inflammatory cell infiltration in the lamina propria mucosae varying from mild to moderate in extent. It was concluded that AAHC was a colonic mucosal hemorrhagic disease caused by the destruction of mucosal vessels from unknown causes and in this disease mild to moderate inflammation was partially followed by ulceration over the edematous and hemorrhagic mucosa of the colon."}
{"id": "PMID:1464670", "title": "[Changes in spinal evoked potentials caused by spinal blood flow obstruction and acidosis].", "content": "The effects of partial obstruction of blood flow and mixed type acidosis on the conduction spinal evoked potentials (C-SEP) were studied in cats anaesthetized with sodium pentobarbitone and immobilized with d-tubocurarine. Following the ligation of some intercostal arteries, changes in the C-SEP occurred: the amplitudes showed either an increase or a decrease, while the latencies were uniformly prolonged. Mixed-type acidosis resulting from a decrease in the respiratory minute volume led to a decrease in the amplitudes and an increase in the latencies. The above findings indicate that not only mechanical (obstruction of the blood flow) but also metabolic (mixed-type) factors lead to changes in the C-SEP. It is therefore important to take these factors into account and the waveform of the C-SEP should be interpreted in terms of amplitude and latency."}
{"id": "PMID:1464671", "title": "Enterovesical fistula caused by inflammatory bowel diseases.", "content": "Enterovesical fistula caused by inflammatory bowel diseases is a rare disorder. Two male patients with recurrent cystitis had sigmoid colon diverticulitis causing enterovesical fistula. One female patient with Crohn's disease developed enterovesical fistula with abdominal and urinary symptoms. In each patient, a barium enema revealed causative bowel diseases. The precise diagnosis of enterovesical fistula was made either by cystography or cystoscopy. One-stage resection of the inflamed bowel with fistula and affected the bladder wall was proved to be an effective treatment for these three patients, while a long term follow up is specifically necessary in the patient with Crohn's disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1464675", "title": "The P300 wave of the human event-related potential.", "content": "The P300 wave is a positive deflection in the human event-related potential. It is most commonly elicited in an \"oddball\" paradigm when a subject detects an occasional \"target\" stimulus in a regular train of standard stimuli. The P300 wave only occurs if the subject is actively engaged in the task of detecting the targets. Its amplitude varies with the improbability of the targets. Its latency varies with the difficulty of discriminating the target stimulus from the standard stimuli. A typical peak latency when a young adult subject makes a simple discrimination is 300 ms. In patients with decreased cognitive ability, the P300 is smaller and later than in age-matched normal subjects. The intracerebral origin of the P300 wave is not known and its role in cognition not clearly understood. The P300 may have multiple intracerebral generators, with the hippocampus and various association areas of the neocortex all contributing to the scalp-recorded potential. The P300 wave may represent the transfer of information to consciousness, a process that involves many different regions of the brain."}
{"id": "PMID:1464676", "title": "Jerk-locked averaging: technique and application.", "content": "Jerk-locked averaging (JLA) is used to record the timing and distribution of brain activity preceding brisk involuntary movements such as those observed in patients with myoclonus. JLA is capable of revealing a premyoclonus spike in the absence of paroxysmal activity in the routine EEG. The technique of JLA is described together with a consideration of the way in which the presence or absence of premyoclonus activity and the somatosensory evoked potential (SEP) can help to classify patients with involuntary movement disorders. The relationship between the premyoclonus spike and the N25-P33 complex of the SEP is discussed. Although the most common finding in patients with myoclonus of cortical origin is a large, well-defined positive-negative spike with the positive peak occurring about 20 ms before electromyographic onset, a wide variety of time relationships and topographies has been observed in other disorders of involuntary movement and some of these are described. The lack of correlation between the apparent origin of the premyoclonus spike in motor cortex and pathology in patients with myoclonus is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1464677", "title": "Invasive recording of movement-related cortical potentials in humans.", "content": "Movement-related cortical potentials (MRCPs), especially the premovement components seen only in association with voluntary movements, may represent the higher brain functions related to preparation for voluntary movements. Recent advances in many aspects (single unit and field potential recordings in animals, intracranial recording of MRCPs in epileptic patients, magnetoencephalography, and positron emission tomography) have provided new information about the physiological significance of MRCPs. In contrast to the findings on scalp recordings, in which the early potentials prior to movement onset are seen more widely, the main cortical generators appear to be discretely localized in bilateral primary and supplementary motor areas with a contralateral predominance. This review outlines the findings in scalp-recorded MRCPs and compares them with the results of invasive recordings, paying special attention to their physiological significance."}
{"id": "PMID:1464678", "title": "Evaluation of dementia by event-related potentials.", "content": "Event-related potentials depend on the context of the target stimulus and relate to the cognitive aspects of discriminating target from nontarget stimuli. For clinical purposes, they are elicited most commonly by auditory stimuli. They are influenced by advancing age and by alterations in mental function. They have been used to distinguish dementia from pseudodementia. More specifically, the P3 component of these potentials has a high sensitivity and specificity to dementia, and a prolongation in P3 latency is therefore helpful in establishing the diagnosis of dementia with confidence. Serial studies can provide a means of following changes in cognitive function over time. It may also be possible to distinguish between different types of dementia by the pattern of electrophysiologic abnormalities and in particular by which components of the event-related potentials are delayed."}
{"id": "PMID:1464680", "title": "The split rib bundle graft in mandibular reconstruction.", "content": "This article describes a modified technique for the use of free non-vascularized split ribs (bound together in the form of a tight bundle), to reconstruct different types of mandibular defects. Experience gained over the last 4 years in treating 38 patients with different pathological lesions is presented. The procedure, carried out simultaneously with bone resection proved to be highly effective in providing mesio-distal spanning of the defect, adequate mandibular height as well as bucco-lingual thickness. This technique utilizes the different theories of osteogenesis: (a) from the periosteal cells, (b) from the transplanted living osteocytes and from (c) stimulating host mesenchymal cells to form new bone by bone induction. The surgical technique, results and conclusions are presented in this report."}
{"id": "PMID:1464681", "title": "Control of vertical dimension during maxillary orthognathic surgery. A clinical trial comparing internal and external fixed reference points.", "content": "The accuracy of vertical control during maxillary orthognathic surgery was assessed in 45 patients, comparing the use of traditional internal measurements across the osteotomy lines (15 subjects) with measurements between the incisor teeth and an external reference point consisting of a bone screw placed at nasion (two groups of 15 subjects each). Although use of a fixed external reference point can significantly decrease positioning error (p < 0.001), considerable care is required during application of rigid fixation to maintain the correct vertical dimension."}
{"id": "PMID:1464682", "title": "Ultrasound imaging of the TMJ disc in asymptomatic volunteers. Preliminary report.", "content": "The position of the TMJ disc in 23 asymptomatic volunteers was determined by ultrasonography imaging. A very low incidence (2.1%) of internal derangements was revealed. The results are discussed in the light of current concepts on the aetiology of TMJ internal derangements. Since ultrasound imaging makes possible noninvasive dynamic investigation of the TMJ arrangements, performance of a prospective long-term study including a sufficiently large group of volunteers is suggested to clarify further the real incidence of TMJ internal derangements."}
{"id": "PMID:1464683", "title": "The treatment of the fractured edentulous maxilla.", "content": "The results of a follow-up of 13 out of 21 patients treated for fractures of the edentulous maxilla are presented. They were treated alternatively with craniofacial suspension wiring and with miniplate osteosynthesis. Better results are achieved by miniplate osteosynthesis. Depending on the general condition of the patient, a treatment scheme can be recommended."}
{"id": "PMID:1464684", "title": "Surgical versus non-surgical treatment of fractures of the articular process of the mandible.", "content": "In a clinical, radiographic and angiographic study, we reinvestigated 34 patients with dislocated fractures of the condylar neck. 20 of them had been treated by open reduction, 14 in a conservative-functional way. The clinical results were nearly equal in both groups. The instrumental registration and the X-ray findings showed considerable deviations in the joint physiology in the conservative group. 19 of 20 patients operated on showed near-anatomical reconstruction with good functional results."}
{"id": "PMID:1464685", "title": "Axial 'anchor' screw (lag screw with biconcave washer) or 'slanted-screw' plate for osteosynthesis of fractures of the mandibular condylar process.", "content": "Almost a quarter of all mandibular fractures are located in the condylar neck region and generally lead to disturbances of occlusion. Because they still possess active growth centres, children and adolescents can take advantage of the joint's remodelling capacity following conservative treatment of these fractures. Fractures with displacement of the condylar head in adults can interfere with function if they are not surgically reduced (Krenkel and Strobl, 1989). In addition, a compensatory overloading of the non-fractured side, which originally goes unnoticed, can bring about disc pathology and chronic pain years later. For this reason, a surgical technique was developed for the management of mandibular condylar neck fractures. A new axial/oblique-axial lag screw (anchor screw) with biconcave washers (anchor washer) makes it possible to carry out standardized osteosynthesis in the region of the thin mandibular condyle neck. Functional exercises can be initiated immediately after the operation. There are three operative procedures using an extraoral approach (1-3) and two using an intraoral approach (4-5), depending on the type and severity of the fracture: 1. Direct anchor screw osteosynthesis with closed gliding hole. 2. Indirect anchor screw osteosynthesis with open gliding groove and safety plates. 3. Osteosynthesis with a 'slanted-screw' plate for longer oblique fractures. 4. Intraoral anchor screw method. 5. Intraoral anchor screw method with intraoral 'slanted-screw' plate. The functional long-term results of conservatively and surgically treated mandibular condylar neck fractures were objectively documented by means of mechanical and electronic axiography. The functional long-term results of the condylar neck fractures treated surgically were significantly better than those treated conservatively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1464686", "title": "Step cannulation system for both articular compartments of the TMJ. Technical note.", "content": "We have developed a step cannulation system consisting of a set of six obturators with increasing diameters for effective use of the arthroscope in the diagnosis and surgical treatment of disorders of the temporomandibular joint."}
{"id": "PMID:1464689", "title": "Efficacy of cyhalothrin and lambdacyhalothrin against Boophilus microplus (Acari: Ixodidae).", "content": "A study was conducted to determine the efficacy of cyhalothrin and lambdacyhalothrin as a whole-body spray and lambdacyhalothrin as a pour-on application on cattle infested with Boophilus microplus (Canestrini). A laboratory bioassay was also done with both spray formulations. Cattle were infested with all parasitic life stages of B. microplus, then treated with 0.007 or 0.01% (AI) concentrations of cyhalothrin as a spray; 0.005, 0.007, or 0.01% (AI) concentrations of lambdacyhalothrin as a spray, or 1% (AI) lambdacyhalothrin as a pour-on. As determined by calculations of the index of reproduction (IR), the 0.007 and 0.01% (AI) cyhalothrin provided 92.4 and 97.3% control, respectively; the 0.005, 0.007, and 0.01% (AI) lambdacyhalothrin provided 92.4, 98.2 (average of two treatments) and 99.3% control, respectively; and the lambdacyhalothrin pour-on treatment provided < 50% control. Bioassay results indicated lambdacyhalothrin to be twice as effective as cyhalothrin against B. microplus."}
{"id": "PMID:1464690", "title": "New diets for production of house flies and stable flies (Diptera: Muscidae) in the laboratory.", "content": "A diet for rearing the house fly, Musca domestica (L.), was developed from feed constituents available on a year-round basis in Gainesville, FL. The diet, called the Gainesville House Fly Diet, performed as well or better than the Chemical Specialties Manufacturers' Association fly larval medium (CSMA) and can be mixed, bagged, and delivered by a local feed mill within 3 d. By adding pelleted peanut hulls 1:1 by volume, the house fly diet becomes suitable for rearing the stable fly, Stomoxys calcitrans (L.). Use of these diets and the economics involved are discussed further."}
{"id": "PMID:1464691", "title": "Evaluation of various parts of the paw paw tree, Asimina triloba (Annonaceae), as commercial sources of the pesticidal annonaceous acetogenins.", "content": "Various plant parts of the paw paw tree (Asimina triloba Dunal, Annonaceae) were extracted and partitioned to concentrate the mixture of acetogenins into a standardized pesticidal extract (F005). A bioassay with brine shrimp larvae (Artemia salina Leach) was used to determine the relative potencies of the various extracts. The small twigs (0-0.5 cm diameter) yielded the most potent extract (LC50 = 0.04 ppm); the stem wood (LC50 = 4.9 ppm) and leaves (LC50 = 53.7 ppm) yielded the poorest activities. The unripe fruits, seeds, root wood, root bark, and stem bark were notably potent and, generally, yielded > 2% of their dry weight as F005. The smaller diameter stems were more potent than the larger stems. We conclude that, by pollarding the trees, the entire twigs and small branches of paw paw could be processed to produce a potent acetogenin mixture; this biomass could be made available in quantities needed for commercialization of the pesticidal product and could be renewable through regrowth from the parent trunk and larger branches."}
{"id": "PMID:1464692", "title": "Cholinergic and H1-receptor influences of histamine on slowly adapting pulmonary stretch receptor activity in the rabbit.", "content": "Afferent impulses of slowly adapting pulmonary stretch receptors (SARs) were obtained by dissecting fine slips from the left vagus nerve (LVN) and by leaving the rest of the nerve intact. In the same SAR preparation, changes of the receptor activity in response to right atrial injections of histamine (10 and 60 micrograms/kg) were successively examined before and after atropine (1 mg/kg), partial vagal efferent ablation, and mequitazine (1 mg/kg) in 10 rabbits. Administration of histamine led to an increase in the SAR activity, and this effect became more pronounced by increasing the dose of histamine. Atropine treatment diminished the responses of SARs to histamine at different doses. Partial vagal efferent ablation produced by denervation of the rest of the intact LVN slightly reduced the response of SARs to histamine at 10 micrograms/kg but had no significant effect on the SAR response to 60 micrograms/kg histamine. In the absence of vagal afferent and efferent activities on the left side, mequitazine, a potent H1-receptor blocker, completely blocked low- and high-dose effects of histamine on SARs. We compared the responses of the receptor activity to aerosol histamine (1 and 4%) and to topical application of histamine (0.1 ml, 0.025% and 0.1%) in six SAR preparations. The magnitude and duration of increased SAR activity became more prominent by increasing the concentration of histamine. The firing pattern and discharge rate of SARs following aerosol or intratracheal administration of histamine were similar to those after intra-atrial histamine. In addition, we also examined the excitatory responses of SAR activity to right atrial injections of histamine at 10 and 60 micrograms/kg before and after topical administration of atropine (0.1 ml, 1%, n = 6) or mequitazine (0.1 ml, 1%, n = 6) in 12 SAR preparations. Intratracheal atropine diminished the response of SARs to 10 micrograms/kg of histamine but had no significant effect on the response of SARs to histamine at 60 micrograms/kg. All the responses of SARs to histamine were completely blocked by topical application of mequitazine. These results suggest that the change of SAR activity produced by histamine at 10 micrograms/kg occurs mainly as a result of the release of acethylcholine (ACh) via the vagovagal reflex and that the activation of H1-receptors of the airway smooth muscle contributes importantly to the response of SARs to histamine at 60 micrograms/kg."}
{"id": "PMID:1464693", "title": "Vagal stimulation during muscarinic and beta-adrenergic blockade increases atrial contractility and heart rate.", "content": "We determined the effects of continuous cardiac vagal nerve stimulation on atrial contractility and on heart rate in mongrel dogs in which we blocked the muscarinic and beta-adrenergic receptors. Each dog received atropine, 0.5 mg/kg and propranolol, 0.5-1 mg/kg. We stimulated the cardiac vagus nerves in each dog for three separate 5-min periods at frequencies of 0 (control), 20, and 40 Hz (5 ms, 15 V) and measured the changes in atrial contractility and heart rate. Vagal nerve stimulation increased right atrial contractility from the control value by 27% at 20 Hz and by 19% during stimulation at 40 Hz (P < 0.001). Vagal nerve stimulation also increased the heart rate from 114 +/- 5 beats/min during the control period to 146 +/- 10 beats/min (P < 0.01) during stimulation at a frequency of 20 Hz and to 140 +/- 11 beats/min (P < 0.05) during stimulation at 40 Hz. Injection of the vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) antagonist, [4Cl-D-Phe6,Leu17]VIP, directly into the dog right coronary artery in concentrations of 0 (control), 2, and 4 micrograms/kg did not influence spontaneous atrial contractility or the heart rate. However, 4 micrograms/kg of the VIP antagonist significantly reduced the augmentation in right atrial contractility and the increase in heart rate during vagal nerve stimulation. Our experiments suggest that cardiac vagal nerve stimulation, during muscarinic and beta-adrenergic receptor blockade, releases VIP or a 'VIP-like substance', that significantly augments atrial contractility and increases heart rate."}
{"id": "PMID:1464694", "title": "Differential effects on sympathetic nerve activities elicited by activation of neurons in the pressor areas of dorsal and rostral ventrolateral medulla in cats.", "content": "Changes of the nerve activity of the sympathetic renal and vertebral nerves were elicited by microinjection of sodium glutamate (50 nmol/100 nl) into the pressor areas of the dorsal (DM) and rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM) in cats under urethane-chloralose anesthesia. Animals were bilaterally vagotomized, artificially ventilated, and paralyzed with gallamine triethiodide. The vertebral nerve activity always increased when pressor responses were induced by DM or RVLM stimulation. However, the effects of medullary stimulation on the renal nerve activity were variable. Three types of renal nerve responses concomitant with the pressor responses were observed in either baroreceptor-intact or baroreceptor-denervated cats. They were: (1) augmentation (type I); (2) attenuation (type II); and (3) insignificant change (type III). Type I responses were often elicited by RVLM stimulation whereas type II responses were often elicited by DM stimulation. Findings suggested that neurons integrating these sympathetic nerve activities were not equally distributed in the pressor areas of DM and RVLM. This result supports the notion that neurons located in different pressor areas of the brainstem exert differential effects over different sympathetic nerve activities."}
{"id": "PMID:1464695", "title": "Light enhances sympathetic and suppresses vagal outflows and lesions including the suprachiasmatic nucleus eliminate these changes in rats.", "content": "Neurons in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) are suggested to be involved in the mechanism of glucose homeostasis. This mechanism was examined by studies on the effect of illumination on the activity of autonomic efferents to the adrenals, pancreas and liver. Exposure of one eye of anesthetized rats to light enhanced the efferent activity of the adrenal nerve and suppressed that of vagal pancreatic and hepatic nerves. No change in efferent activities of these nerves was observed on light-stimulation of rats with lesions that included the bilateral SCN. These findings indicate that light signals modulate visceral functions including metabolic processes through the retinohypothalamic tract probably via the SCN to autonomic efferent pathways innervating visceral organs."}
{"id": "PMID:1464696", "title": "A novel acetylcholine receptor-related peptide blocks canine cardiac ganglia and inhibits the nicotinic receptor of PC-12 cells.", "content": "A 13 amino acid peptide from the calf muscle acetylcholine receptor has been previously shown to bind both snake neurotoxins and acetylcholine. In the experiments reported here a modified complementary peptide (cAChR) derived from that acetylcholine receptor peptide was tested for biological activity in a canine heart preparation. It was expected that the modified complementary peptide would exhibit either acetylcholine-like effects or acetylcholine inhibiting effects, since, as a complementary peptide to the receptor, it should resemble acetylcholine. In these studies cAChR was administered via the sinus node artery of dog hearts in intact animals which were anesthetized with pentobarbital, intubated, and prepared with local cardiac electrograms and force gauges. cAChR was also injected directly into thoracic sympathetic ganglia. Both approaches demonstrated cAChR inhibition of neural transmission, cAChR was added to the medium of carbachol stimulated PC-12 cells. In these cells, derived from a rat pheochromocytoma, sodium flux is controlled by neural nicotinic receptors. With or without preincubation cAChR inhibited carbachol stimulation of sodium flux, exhibiting a Ki of approximately 9 x 10(-5) (similar to that of hexamethonium). Thus cAChR appears to be a novel synthetic peptide which interrupts nicotinic cholinergic neural transmission by acting as an antagonist of the neural nicotinic receptor."}
{"id": "PMID:1464697", "title": "Neurons in the caudal ventrolateral medulla mediate the somato-sympathetic inhibitory reflex response via GABA receptors in the rostral ventrolateral medulla.", "content": "In urethane-anesthetized rabbits, stimulation of the sural nerve, consisting of cutaneous afferents (A-fibers), evoked reflex responses consisting of an early small excitatory component followed by a prolonged inhibitory component in renal sympathetic nerve activity. Bilateral injections of GABA antagonist, bicuculline (4 nmol/site), into the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM), where sympatho-excitatory reticulospinal neurons are located, attenuated the inhibitory component in a dose-dependent manner as well as the inhibition evoked by stimulation of the aortic nerve A-fibers (baroreceptor afferents). Bilateral injections of a neurotoxic agent, kainic acid (4 nmol/site, 3 sites/side), into the caudal ventrolateral medulla (CVLM), where sympatho-inhibitory neurons with axonal projection to the RVLM are located, diminished these sympatho-inhibitory responses. Therefore it is concluded that the sympatho-inhibition evoked by activation of somatic afferents was mediated by neurons in the CVLM and by GABA receptors in the RVLM, as was the sympatho-inhibition associated with the arterial baroreceptor reflex. Bilateral injections of kynurenic acid (4 nmol/site, 3 sites/side) into the CVLM did not affect the somato-sympathetic reflex response, but diminished the sympatho-inhibition produced by activation of the baroreceptor afferents. Sympatho-inhibitory neurons in the CVLM were activated by glutamate when baroreceptor afferents were activated, but another excitatory transmitter may participate in the somato-sympathetic reflex in the CVLM."}
{"id": "PMID:1464698", "title": "Mechanisms involved in aortic baroreceptor excitation during drug-induced aortic pressure elevation in intact rabbits.", "content": "Aortic baroreceptor activity during drug-induced elevation of arterial pressure in intact animals is determined not only by the magnitudes of arterial pressure elevation but also by other mechanisms such as the direct effects of drugs on aortic wall property and on baroreceptors per se. This study aimed to determine the relative contribution of arterial pressure elevation and other mechanisms on aortic baroreceptor activity during intravenous infusion of norepinephrine (NE), phenylephrine (PE) or angiotensin II (Ang II) in intact anesthetized rabbits, all of which were used to assess arterial baroreflex function in vivo. We simultaneously recorded aortic pressure (AP), afferent aortic nerve activity (ANA) and the aortic diameter (AD) during elevation of AP induced by intra-aortic balloon inflation or intravenous infusions of NE, PE, and Ang II. During Ang II-infusion or balloon inflation, AD progressively increased with increases in AP. The relationships among changes in AP, ANA, and AD were similar during balloon inflation and during Ang II infusion which indicated that increases in ANA during Ang II infusion were caused by increases in AD or strain of baroreceptors. In contrast, during NE or PE infusion, ANA increased with no changes or decreases in AD, respectively. The latter results suggest that in intact rabbits increases in ANA during NE or PE infusion resulted from mechanisms other than an increase in strain of baroreceptors, such as the direct excitatory effect on baroreceptors. Thus, different mechanisms were involved in aortic baroreceptor excitation in intact rabbits during elevation of AP caused by the vasopressor drugs, which are commonly used to assess arterial baroreflex function in vivo."}
{"id": "PMID:1464699", "title": "Elderly care. Automatic implantable cardioverter defibrillators.", "content": "The automatic implantable cardioverter defibrillators (AICD) is a commonly accepted treatment for an increasing number of elderly clients at high risk for ventricular dysrhythmias and sudden cardiac death. With increasingly successful use of AICDs, a unique group of gerontological patients has emerged with special physical, educational, psychosocial, and emotional needs. Gerontological nurses will encounter these clients in acute care settings as well as in home health care, nursing homes, senior citizen centers, and adult day health-care centers. Nurses need basic information about AICDs to plan for the continued care, teaching, guidance, and reassurance of these clients and their families."}
{"id": "PMID:1464700", "title": "Postmenopausal women. Factors in osteoporosis preventive behaviors.", "content": "Osteoporosis is a serious health hazard mainly affecting postmenopausal and elderly women. Osteoporotic fractures are one of the leading causes of morbidity and death in the elderly population. Prevention of further loss of bone mass in postmenopausal women can be achieved if women take estrogen replacement therapy, consume adequate levels of calcium, exercise regularly, and practice healthy lifestyle behaviors. Elderly women need to follow the same strategies as postmenopausal women with more emphasis on prevention of falls."}
{"id": "PMID:1464701", "title": "Research considerations: family opinions about elderly relatives in research.", "content": "As the elderly population expands due to longer life expectancy, clinical investigation will be required to provide optimal care. Family members of the elderly often become involved in the decision to participate in clinical investigation due to moral, ethical, personal, and financial concerns. Establishing rapport with the patient and family members is of great importance for the nurse when conducting clinical investigation. Most relatives interviewed for this study had positive opinions toward research with the elderly."}
{"id": "PMID:1464704", "title": "Intrapreneurial/entrepreneurial roles for nurses in long-term care. Seize the opportunity to be nontraditional.", "content": "An increasing elderly population with multiple chronic diseases in need of sophisticated nursing care suggests that long-term care needs will continue to escalate. Recent political changes affecting the industry have led to explication of quality care issues and needs of long-term care consumers. Creative, innovative nurses need to seize the opportunity to influence patient care and the long-term care industry positively and cost-consciously. Intrapreneurial and entrepreneurial nursing are nontraditional nursing roles for self-directed, highly motivated nurses. Opportunities exist for gerontological nurses to design, direct, implement, and provide quality patient care; to serve as primary care providers or consultants; and to own and control a nursing practice."}
{"id": "PMID:1464705", "title": "Financing long-term care: a practical mix of public and private.", "content": "Congress is considering proposals to improve its financing of long-term care. The key issue is whether it should support a social insurance program or a program targeted to a population group defined by income and assets. Social insurance is expensive, costing between $15 and $20 billion. For the most part, it provides benefits--primarily asset protection--to middle- and upper-income individuals. An improved Medicaid program, costing about $8 billion, benefits lower-income individuals but does not protect those with higher incomes. These two options cannot be viewed independently from trends in the private market. Sales of private long-term care policies have grown and between 30 percent and 40 percent of the elderly can be considered potential buyers. If private alternatives are available for those individuals who need asset protection, the case for a more targeted public approach--along with reliance on the private sector--becomes more compelling. Congress should consider a program that enhances Medicaid; improves consumer education; assists states in regulating long-term care policies, so as to enhance consumer protection and confidence; and clarifies taxes on long-term care insurance to encourage workers and the elderly to protect themselves against catastrophic expenses."}
{"id": "PMID:1464707", "title": "Financing universal health insurance: taxes, premiums, and the lessons of social insurance.", "content": "In a society with strong antitax sentiment and large government deficits, the enactment of universal health insurance is blocked by an impasse over financing. The two chief mechanisms for funding universal health insurance are taxes and insurance premiums. Taxes and premiums are not distinct entities; rather, a spectrum of financing methods exists with varying tax-like and premium-like features. Premium-like financing tends to be voluntary and earmarked for health care, with coverage contingent upon making payments and payments going to private insurance firms. Tax-like financing, in contrast, tends to be mandatory and not earmarked for health care, with coverage not dependent upon making payments and payments going to governments. Over the past century, most industrialized nations have developed highly popular social insurance programs to cover periods of retirement, disability, unemployment, and payment for medical care. Social insurance constitutes a blend of tax-like and premium-like features, offering lessons that might assist in breaking the current impasse over universal health insurance financing."}
{"id": "PMID:1464708", "title": "Physicians' perceptions of the risk of being sued.", "content": "We explore the deterrent effect of the tort system by assessing physician perceptions of the risk of being sued and the impact of those perceptions on their own practice. The data are from a mailed survey conducted in 1989 of a random sample of physicians who were practicing in New York State in 1984. The survey results were compared to the actual risk of suit using the between-group (Wald) test and logistic regression methods. We also surveyed physicians about practice changes undertaken in the last ten years, factors influencing practice standards, and the costs of being sued and included these in the analysis. On average, physicians estimate that 19.5 out of one hundred of their colleagues will be sued in a given year, approximately three times the actual rate, with significant differences by specialty, location, and suit history. Perceived risk is associated with self-reported changes in test-ordering frequency and reduction in practice scope. The median number of days lost from practice to defend a malpractice suit was three to five, and 6 percent of the physicians surveyed incurred some out-of-pocket expenses. These findings suggest that physicians respond to the messages sent by litigation in a manner consistent with the deterrent theory of tort litigation."}
{"id": "PMID:1464709", "title": "Prospective payment for psychiatric services.", "content": "The Medicare prospective payment system (PPS) was designed to create financial incentives for providers to contain costs, but it also places them at financial risk. The system includes provisions to mitigate the risk, but, because they may have limited effectiveness in the case of psychiatric services, specialty psychiatric hospitals and eligible psychiatric units of general hospitals are exempt from the system. A variety of payment options have been proposed to integrate these facilities into the PPS. Empirical studies on the financial risk entailed by these options have focused on their impact on risk in the long run. Our study uses a broader framework to evaluate their impact on short-run as well as long-run risk. We use Medicare discharge data for 1985 to simulate alternative PPS payment options under the assumption that treatment patterns remain fixed. Our results suggest that under current PPS payment rules, risk would be high for psychiatric specialty hospitals. However, alternative options exist, which could substantially reduce their exposure to risk, while maintaining incentives to contain costs."}
{"id": "PMID:1464711", "title": "Competition and community mental health agencies.", "content": "Community mental health agencies (CMHAs) provide most of the institutional outpatient treatment in the United States. A great deal of this care is given to clients at prices below the actual cost of the service. As the number of mental health providers increases, the question of how competition shapes the performance of CMHAs becomes more important. We use a two-stage least-squares model to examine how competition from other outpatient facilities, psychiatrists, and health maintenance organizations (HMOs), coupled with demographic, economic, and organizational factors affects subsidized care in CMHAs. Our analysis shows that competition from psychiatrists and HMOs reduces the number of subsidized visits that CMHAs provide and that agencies in urban areas and those initiated with federal funds provide more subsidized care. By restricting access to outpatient treatment, competition may have adverse long-term consequences for potential clients and for state mental health authorities."}
{"id": "PMID:1464715", "title": "Mental illness and help-seeking behavior among Mariel Cuban and Haitian refugees in south Florida.", "content": "Differences in psychopathology and use of the mental health system by recent refugee groups are explored in light of competing hypotheses stemming from theories of immigrant adaptation and minority mental health. Results show that would-be Haitian refugees arriving in South Florida during the early 1980s had relatively small needs for mental health care, but whatever needs they had were largely unattended by the health services system. Mariel Cubans had far greater needs that were mostly met satisfactorily by virtue of their familiarity with service facilities prior to departure and their incorporation into a favorable social environment. These contextual factors are added and compared with the individual-level predictor variables suggested by Andersen and others. The results' implications for theories of immigrant mental health and help-seeking and for the implementation of effective delivery programs are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1464716", "title": "Factors contributing to the subjective quality of life of the chronic mentally ill.", "content": "Although the deinstitutionalization of the seriously mentally ill has been severely criticized, the success of some model community programs shows that community care can enhance patients' quality of life. We lack specific knowledge, however, about the components that make these programs effective, and why. A theoretical framework for identifying these critical components is proposed. Services can enhance life satisfaction by increasing individuals' actual power through economic resources or status, thus enhancing their perceptions of mastery. An internal evaluation of a model program provides support for this hypothesis. One hundred and fifty-seven patients were interviewed about services, quality of life, and perceptions of mastery. Results show that services providing economic resources and an empowerment approach to service delivery are significantly related to overall quality of life. Furthermore, perceptions of mastery account for the impact of these components on life satisfaction. These findings suggest interventions that can be adopted by a wide range of mental health programs for the improvement of the quality of life of the chronic mentally ill."}
{"id": "PMID:1464717", "title": "Women and mental health: the interaction of job and family conditions.", "content": "Current research on the effects of wives' employment on their well-being focuses on the determinants of those effects. Most studies have used a gender model that concentrates on family conditions as mediators. In contrast, studies of the effects of employment on men typically use a job model and focus on work rather than family conditions as determinants. To understand fully the impact of employment on women, these models should be combined. We predict that certain work and family conditions interact, specifically, that the degree of control at work moderates the effects of demands in the family. Using two data sets on community mental health, we have found some support for this hypothesis."}
{"id": "PMID:1464718", "title": "The natural history of cigarette smoking and young adult social roles.", "content": "The relation between cigarette smoking (in adolescence and adulthood) and the occupancy of conventional adult social roles was investigated in the current study. Two alternative predictions for this relation were examined--\"role incompatibility\" (which predicts a negative relation between adolescent smoking and adult role occupancy) and \"pseudomaturity\" (which predicts a positive relation between adolescent smoking and adult role occupancy). Processes of role selection and role socialization were examined using data from a longitudinal study of smoking from adolescence to young adulthood. Both pseudomaturity and role incompatibility predictions found some support in the data, and the two views could be reconciled by considering the student role as the key transition into other adult statuses. Implications for the study of social roles and substance use are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1464719", "title": "Gender roles as mediators of sex differences in adolescent alcohol use and abuse.", "content": "This study tested the hypothesis that internalized gender-role personality attributes and gender-role ideology mediate sex differences in alcohol use and drinking problems in a random sample of 1,077 adolescents aged 13 to 19. Results indicated that gender roles substantially, although not completely, mediated the effects of sex on drinking patterns. The relationships between gender roles and alcohol use were largely consistent with the hypothesis that individuals with conventional gender identities conform more closely to cultural norms that condone drinking among males but not among females. However, effects of the gender-linked attributes of expressivity, emotional control, and instrumentality on drinking also may be interpreted within a framework that views them as functional coping styles. Finally, differences between Black and White teens in the relationships between alcohol use and the masculine attributes of instrumentality and emotional control suggest possible race differences in the functional value of these attributes."}
{"id": "PMID:1464720", "title": "The effect of ambient threats to employment on low birthweight.", "content": "The hypothesis that ambient threats to employment security are associated with increased rates of low birthweight is tested in two sites. The first test uses interrupted time-series methods to measure the association between a threatened reduction in the number of state workers and the incidence of low birthweight in Sacramento, California. The second test is of the association between unexpectedly low employment and low birthweight in Los Angeles, California. Both tests suggest that White males without Spanish surnames and Spanish-surnamed males are at elevated risk of low birthweight when the community is faced with a perceived threat to employment security. The implications of the findings for economic regulation and the provision of services are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1464721", "title": "Socialization to dying: social determinants of death acknowledgement and treatment among terminally ill geriatric patients.", "content": "Although the vast majority of deaths occur among terminally ill geriatric patients, little is known about the etiology of these patients' death acknowledgement and ultimate type of treatment. Based on interviews with 76 triads composed of physicians, terminally ill patients, and primary caregivers, this study uses the socialization perspective to identify the actors and actions that most strongly affect the patient's death acknowledgment and receipt of exclusively palliative care (i.e., socialization to the dying role). Whereas patient preferences and sociodemographic characteristics do not influence significantly the patient's odds of death acknowledgment, these odds are increased if their primary caregivers accept death, their physicians are not affiliated with a teaching hospital, and the terminal prognosis is disclosed to them and disclosed \"matter-of-factly.\" Patients who acknowledge death, whose agents value pain alleviation over life-prolongation, and whose physicians are not affiliated with a teaching hospital, are substantially more likely to receive exclusively palliative rather than curative terminal treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1464722", "title": "Diastolic regional wall motion asynchrony in patients with hypertension.", "content": "Left ventricular regional wall motion was analyzed from angiographic ventriculograms in 51 subjects, 18 of these served as controls, 10 were hypertensive with coronary artery disease, and 23 had a history of hypertension without coronary artery disease. All normal subjects showed normal synchronous wall motion throughout the cardiac cycle. In 10 patients with coronary artery disease and hypertension at the time of catheterization, the major determinant of regional abnormality was coronary artery lesion (sensitivity = 83%, specificity = 95%). Patients who had a history of hypertension and no ischemic disease, were further subdivided into three groups, 4 who were normotensive, 4 with borderline pressures and 15 hypertensive at the time of cardiac catheterization. All normotensive, 3 of the borderline hypertensive, as well as one hypertensive (without coronary artery disease) patients showed normal wall motion. In one patient with borderline pressure and 14 of 15 hypertensive patients diastolic regional asynchrony was detected. Apical region was most commonly affected in these patients. This suggests the importance of treating hypertension in patients and the possible reversibility of abnormal wall motion with treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1464723", "title": "Analysis of left ventricular function from gated first-pass and multiple gated equilibrium acquisitions.", "content": "99mTechnetium-sestamibi is a new myocardial perfusion imaging agent that offers significant physical advantages over 201thallium for myocardial perfusion imaging. One of these advantages is that it can be used in the assessment of ventricular function by means of first-pass radionuclide angiography (FPRNA), acquired during the injection of the tracer. In this study we compared gated list mode first-pass acquisition with 99mTc-sestamibi (FP-MIBI) to multiple gated equilibrium radionuclide ventriculography (MUGA) with 99mTc-labelled red blood cells for the determination of global left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). The study population consisted of 20 patients (mean age 54 years) who were submitted to stress-rest perfusion imaging. Resting FPRNA was performed using 99mTc-sestamibi and the reference data were acquired within a week with the MUGA technique. A linear correlation between FP LVEF and MUGA LVEF gave an r = 0.974 (p < 0.01). Diastolic and systolic timing and velocity parameters had lower correlations between these two methods. We conclude that global LVEF can be precisely measured with 99mTc-sestamibi when compared to usually employed MUGA technique with 99mTc-labelled red blood cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1464724", "title": "Detection of aortic dissection by magnetic resonance imaging in adults with Marfan's syndrome.", "content": "Marfan's syndrome is a connective tissue disorder, which mainly affects the cardiovascular system, together with ocular, skeletal and connective tissue. The cardiovascular manifestations in particular determine the mortality of this disorder. We studied 13 patients, suffering of Marfan's syndrome, with suspected aortic dilatation by means of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Aneurysmal dilatation of the aortic root and dissection were the two major findings in our study. Two of the five patients with dissections presented without relevant symptoms in the medical history nor at the time of the MRI examination."}
{"id": "PMID:1464725", "title": "Clinical experience with technetium-99m teboroxime scintigraphy in patients referred for myocardial perfusion evaluation.", "content": "A series of 30 patients (25 males, 5 females, age = 28-73 years) with a clinical indication of thallium-201 stress/4 hours redistribution scintigraphy has been studied using stress/rest (n = 7) or rest/stress (n = 23) protocols with technetium-99m teboroxime (CARDIOTEC, Squibb Diagnostics) in order to assess the clinical usefulness of this new molecule and to compare it to thallium. In all cases coronary artery disease was known or highly suspected, with a history of myocardial infarction in 18 cases (subacute n = 6, remote n = 12) and/or previous by-pass surgery or PTCA in 5 cases. Medical treatment was not discontinued at the time of stress testing. Coronary angiography was available for 27 patients. Exercise tests for both tracers were carried out on an ergometric bicycle during the same day and the levels of exercise achieved for the thallium studies were very similar to those achieved for teboroxime. Imaging was performed in three planar projections and sudies were evaluated using a model with 4 territories: septal and anterior assumed to correspond to the LAD artery, lateral and latero-posterior (= LCX), inferior and posterior (= RCA) and apex. Classification of results was: normal, ischemic, infarcted and infarcted with ischemia. With reference to the thallium-201 results, agreement was found in 86% (37/43) of normal regions and in 82% (63/77) of abnormal regions. Relative to documented coronary artery lesions (27 patients) sensitivity and specificity of thallium and teboroxime for exact correspondence between arteries and territories were, respectively: thallium, se = 71%, sp = 64%, teboroxime, se = 67%, sp = 75%.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1464726", "title": "3D-reconstruction of coronary arteries in view of flow measurement.", "content": "An angiographic method for measurement of absolute coronary blood flow in patients was developed. It is based on 3D-reconstruction of the left or right coronary tree from digitized biplane coronary cineangiograms. The apparatus is presently composed of a 35 mm cinefilm projector with a video camera and a 512 x 512 x 8 bits image array processor controlled by a VAX-11/750 computer. First, the parameters of the two angiographic projections are determined in form of two 4 x 3 matrices from a pair of cineframes showing a 4 cm cube bearing markers. The cube is filmed after the coronary injection, with unchanged geometric configuration. The coronary arteries of interest are then 3D-reconstructed from a pair of cineframes showing them fully opacified. This allows to compute the intravascular volumes needed for flow determination. In vitro experiments showed that the obtained volume are reasonably accurate. For the measurement of coronary flow, the concentration of contrast medium along the involved arteries is computed (in arbitrary units) from two cineframes taken one (or two) cardiac cycle after onset of the injection. This yields a 'concentration-distance' curve per artery. The volume of fluid (contrast medium mixed with blood) which flows into the arteries during this (or these two) cardiac cycle is determined by applying a concentration threshold to the obtained concentration-distance curves. Measurements performed on a constant flow model were satisfying. Preliminary measurements in 12 patients showed that flow values obtained angiographically into the left anterior descending coronary artery correlate well with the values measured simultaneously by thermodilution in the great cardiac vein (Qangio = 0.83 x Qthermo + 16.1 ml, r = 0.87, n = 29)."}
{"id": "PMID:1464727", "title": "An unusual Doppler-echocardiographic finding in case of a Bj\u00f6rk-Shiley mitral prosthetic valve thrombosis.", "content": "We report a patient in whom the commonly accepted Doppler echocardiographic findings failed to suggest prosthetic valve dysfunction. This was diagnosed by M-mode technique. We therefore feel that M-mode echocardiography still has its place in the complete evaluation of patients with suspected prosthetic valve dysfunction."}
{"id": "PMID:1464728", "title": "Technetium-labeled myocardial imaging agents.", "content": "99mTc sestamibi and 99mTc teboroxime has unique features that differ from thallium-201 in dosimetry, energy, cellular transport, extraction fraction, retention, washout, and imaging protocols. Sestamibi is ideal for gated and SPECT imaging while SPECT imaging with a multi-head detector system is preferred for teboroxime. Both permit simultaneous assessment of perfusion and function using first-pass radionuclide angiography. This paper discusses the special features and clinical applications of these two technetium agents."}
{"id": "PMID:1464729", "title": "Ultrafast CT and the cardiovascular system.", "content": "Ultrafast computed tomography (CT) is a new imaging technique that relies on electron beam technology. Its rapid image acquisition speeds make it ideal for evaluating the cardiovascular system. The high-resolution, flow, and cine-modes are unique and provide complimentary information about cardiovascular anatomy, function, and flow dynamics. Ultrafast CT can provide quantitative measurements of cardiac output, ejection fraction, ventricular volumes, and ventricular mass as well as evaluation of segmental cardiac function. This technique can be used to assess coronary artery bypass graft patency as well as to screen for coronary artery calcium. Intracardiac thrombus or tumor, valvular disease, and disorders of the pericardium can be evaluated and characterized using ultrafast CT. The diagnosis of congenital lesions of the heart and great vessels is facilitated by this imaging modality, which can help determine complex anatomic abnormalities and quantitate shunt lesions. Acquired lesions of the great vessels, such as aortic dissection and aneurysm, can be diagnosed by ultrafast CT, which can also be used for serial examination and conservative management."}
{"id": "PMID:1464730", "title": "Macrophage priming by interferon gamma: a selective process with potentially harmful effects.", "content": "The tissue-fixed macrophage is a key cellular element in the initiation and regulation of inflammation. Understanding the regulation of macrophage activation may provide valuable clues to the mechanisms involved in both beneficial and deleterious effects of inflammation. The lymphokine interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) is capable of producing paradoxical immunoinflammatory effects. In the immunocompromised host it up-regulates a variety of immune functions and improves survival, but it is also capable of producing harmful effects by sensitizing immunocompetent animals to subclinical doses of endotoxin. These paradoxical effects suggest that the state of activation or priming of the host immune system is a key determinant of its response to endotoxemia. Because tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and procoagulant activity (PCA) elaboration by the tissue-fixed macrophage play a central role in the host response to endotoxin, we asked whether the paradoxical effects of IFN-gamma may be caused by priming of the macrophage for TNF and/or PCA production. In vitro, IFN-gamma produces a marked augmentation in TNF but does not alter PCA elaboration in response to endotoxin, demonstrating the selectivity of IFN-gamma priming of the macrophage. In vivo, IFN-gamma pretreatment followed by an established subclinical endotoxin exposure enhances toxicity while simultaneously increasing peak serum TNF levels. Exogenous priming by IFN-gamma alters the activation state of the macrophage and modifies the host response to endotoxin. Because this response is also dependent on the host's underlying immune state, IFN-gamma treatment in the immunocompetent host has the potential to produce deleterious effects by eliciting an exaggerated TNF response during endotoxemia."}
{"id": "PMID:1464731", "title": "The gene for human eosinophil Charcot-Leyden crystal protein directs expression of lysophospholipase activity and spontaneous crystallization in transiently transfected COS cells.", "content": "Expression of the gene encoding human eosinophil lysophospholipase, the Charcot-Leyden crystal (CLC) protein, was studied in transiently transfected COS cells. Recombinant CLC (rCLC) protein expression was demonstrated both by Western blot and radioimmunoassay inhibition analyses of transfected COS cell extracts and by immunofluorescent staining and ultrastructural immunogold analyses of intact cells. The rCLC protein was immunochemically indistinguishable from native eosinophil-derived CLC protein, and each transfected COS cell expressed approximately 11 pg of rCLC protein as determined by radioimmunoassay and assessment of transfection efficiency. Immunofluorescent microscopy and ultrastructural immunogold analyses localized rCLC protein to the nucleus, cytoplasm, and plasma membrane of COS cells. Lysates from transfected COS cells producing CLC protein expressed significant lysophospholipase activity. Furthermore, rCLC protein expressed in COS cells spontaneously formed the distinctive intracytoplasmic and intranuclear hexagonal bipyramidal crystals characteristic of the native eosinophil and basophil-derived protein. Expression of the CLC gene confirms the authenticity of the CLC cDNA, the expression of lysophospholipase activity by this unique eosinophil and basophil constituent, and will facilitate the routine purification of the active enzyme for in vitro and animal model studies of its role (or roles) in eosinophil and basophil associated allergic inflammation and eosinophil-parasite interactions."}
{"id": "PMID:1464732", "title": "Induction of transforming growth factor-beta and prostaglandin E2 production by ethanol in human monocytes.", "content": "To test our hypothesis that monocytes (M phi) and their mediators are major contributors to ethanol-related immunodepression, the modulating capacity of acute ethanol treatment was assessed on the production of transforming growth factor-beta (TGF beta) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) by human peripheral blood M phi. We demonstrate that acute in vitro treatment of adherent M phi with either 50 or 150 mM ethanol induced a significant increase in the production of TGF beta (P < 0.045 and P < 0.001, respectively). Furthermore, M phi pretreatment with both 50 and 150 mM ethanol augmented TGF beta production in response to subsequent stimulation with the synthetic bacterial analog, muramyl dipeptide (MDP) (P < 0.05 and P < 0.001, respectively). Ethanol also increased TGF beta production in interferon gamma (IFN gamma-activated M phi in response to MDP stimulus (P < 0.05). M phi TGF beta levels, however, were always lower in IFN gamma-activated than in non-IFN gamma-activated M phi after the same stimulation with ethanol plus MDP, suggesting that M phi preactivation by IFN gamma can partially counteract the TGF beta inducing potential of ethanol. Similar to its TGF beta-inducing potential, ethanol (150 mM) had the capacity to induce PGE2 production in adherent human M phi (P < 0.045). However, ethanol failed to augment M phi PGE2 production induced by the PGE2 secretagogue, MDP. TGF beta induction by ethanol was unaffected by the presence of cyclooxygenase inhibitor, suggesting that ethanol-induced M phi TGF beta production does not require M phi PGE2 production. These results indicate that ethanol is a potent inducer for inhibitory M phi mediators, TGF beta and PGE2, and also has the capacity to augment M phi TGF beta production in response to subsequent stimulation. Thus, ethanol-induced elevation of M phi TGF beta and PGE2 production might contribute to decreased T cell proliferation and abnormal M phi functions after alcohol exposure, resulting in a depressed immune response."}
{"id": "PMID:1464733", "title": "Eosinophil granule proteins in peripheral blood granulocytes.", "content": "Eosinophils contain four principal cationic proteins, major basic protein (MBP), eosinophil-derived neurotoxin (EDN), eosinophil cationic protein (ECP), and eosinophil peroxidase (EPO). To determine the quantities of these proteins in granulocytes and whether they are specific to eosinophils, their concentrations in lysates of human granulocytes were measured using specific radioimmunoassays. The effect of different methods for eosinophil lysis on the recovery of the proteins was also studied. Maximal recovery occurred at pH 2 for MBP and pH 5.6 for the other granule proteins. The proteins cosedimented with eosinophils and their concentrations (mean +/- SEM) in ng/10(6) eosinophils (and in nM/10(6) eosinophils) were: MBP, 8,982 +/- 611 (641.6); EDN, 3,283 +/- 116 (178.4); ECP, 5,269 +/- 283 (250.9); and EPO, 12,174 +/- 859 (171.5). Basophils from a normal person contained (in ng/10(6) cells) MBP, 2,374; EDN, 214; ECP, 77; and EPO, 17. Highly purified neutrophils contained (in ng/10(6) cells) MBP, 3 +/- 0.5; EDN, 72 +/- 9; and ECP, 50 +/- 12. Therefore we conclude that these proteins are mainly expressed in eosinophils, but that certain ones are present in basophils and neutrophils."}
{"id": "PMID:1464734", "title": "Killing of Legionella pneumophila by nitric oxide in gamma-interferon-activated macrophages.", "content": "The role of nitric oxide (NO) radicals in killing the intracellular bacterial pathogen Legionella pneumophila (Lp) was examined in infected macrophages. Murine (RAW 264.7) and human (HL-60) cell monolayers were treated with 100 U/ml gamma-interferon (IFN) and cocultured with Lp in the presence and absence of NGMMA, a specific inhibitor of NO production. Viable Lp in IFN-treated RAW 264.7 cells decreased from 3.8 to 0.7 +/- 0.12 log CFU/ml after 24 h incubation, whereas in IFN+NGMMA-treated RAW 264.7 cells, viable Lp persisted at 2.2 +/- 0.2 log CFU/ml after 24 h. This increased survival corresponded with an inhibition of NO production (5.65 +/- 2.99 microM with NGMMA vs. 58.6 +/- 5.36 microM without NGMMA). Viable Lp were susceptible to killing, in a dose-dependent fashion, by 0, 2.5, and 5.0 mM sodium nitroprusside, a source of NO radicals. IFN-treated RAW 264.7 cells also had significantly decreased levels of intracellular iron (below assay limit) when compared to IFN+NGMMA-treated cells (72.0 +/- 0.78% of control). Normally permissive HL-60 cells treated with IFN were bacteriostatic rather than bactericidal, and NO production was not detected above background. Thus, NO radicals play a critical role in the bactericidal activity against Lp by IFN-treated RAW 264.7 cells, but the absence of NO production limits IFN-treated HL-60 cells to bacteriostasis."}
{"id": "PMID:1464735", "title": "Tumor necrosis factor-alpha decreases neutrophil chemotaxis to N-formyl-1-methionyl-1-leucyl-1-phenylalanine: analysis of single cell movement.", "content": "Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), a cytokine produced by mononuclear cells in response to endotoxin, inhibits neutrophil chemotaxis. We analyzed the effects of TNF-alpha on the orientation and movement of individual neutrophils in a chemoattractant gradient. Neutrophils, treated or untreated with TNF-alpha, were observed migrating in a gradient of the chemotactic peptide N-formyl-1-methionyl-1-leucyl-1-phenylalanine (fMLP) on a specially constructed chamber (Zigmond bridge). The movement of these cells was videotaped, digitized, and then tracked using a newly designed computer algorithm. The data obtained from this algorithm were then utilized to calculate distance traveled, speed and ability to polarize and migrate in a directed manner for each individual cell. TNF-alpha-treated cells behaved like cells not exposed to fMLP in that they failed to orient in a chemotactic gradient and moved in a manner similar to randomly migrating cells. This study provides unique observations of the effect of TNF-alpha on multiple parameters of PMN migration."}
{"id": "PMID:1464736", "title": "Phorbol ester reduces constitutive nuclear NF kappa B and inhibits HIV-1 production in mature human monocytic cells.", "content": "NF kappa B is a potent mediator of specific gene expression in human monocytes and has been shown to play a role in transcription of the HIV-1 genome in promonocytic leukemias. There is little information available on the response of NF kappa B to cytokines in normal human monocytes. We have used a 32P-labeled oligonucleotide derived from human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) long terminal repeat, which contains a tandem repeat of the NF kappa B binding sequence, as a probe in a gel retardation assay to study this transcription factor. Using this assay, we have detected NF kappa B in extracts of nuclei from normal human monocytes. Treatment of normal monocytes with 12-0-tetradecanoyl phorbol-13-acetate (TPA) for 4-24 h caused the complete disappearance of NF kappa B from nuclear extracts of monocytes. A similar result was obtained with the mature monocytic leukemia cell line THP-1. The constitutive transcription factor SP1 was unaffected by addition of TPA. The disappearance of NF kappa B from the nucleus was concentration dependent between 10 and 50 ng/ml of phorbol ester. In THP-1 cells, TPA also induced a new, faster-migrating NF kappa B species not induced in monocytes. Protein kinase C inhibitor staurosporine, but not cyclic nucleotide-dependent protein kinase inhibitor HA-1004, also dramatically reduced constitutive levels of nuclear NF kappa B. Finally, TPA addition to monocytes infected with HIV-1 inhibited HIV-1 replication, as determined by reverse transcriptase assays, in a concentration-dependent manner. These results are in striking contrast to the increase in nuclear NF kappa B and HIV-1 replication induced by phorbol esters in promonocytic leukemia cells U937 and HL-60, and emphasize the importance of studying cytokine regulation of HIV-1 in normal monocytes."}
{"id": "PMID:1464737", "title": "Cytokines and suppressor macrophages cause tumor-bearing host CD8+ T cells to suppress recognition of allogeneic and syngeneic MHC class II molecules.", "content": "Quantitative and qualitative tumor-associated changes in T cell phenotype and function were identified in CD8+ T cells. Tumor growth changed splenic CD4+/CD8+ T cell ratios and induced the appearance of more cells with the CD8+ phenotype. In comparison to equal concentrations of normal host (NH) counterparts, tumor-bearing host (TBH) CD8+ T cells were highly suppressive to allorecognition and autorecognition. Suppression was not due to quantitative reductions in CD4+ T cells, although minor qualitative differences were observed. Suppression appeared to be mediated partly by prostaglandin E2 (PGE2). Interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) and interleukin-4 (IL-4) contributed to TBH CD8+ T cell-mediated suppression. Blocking studies using monoclonal antibodies (mAb) in conjunction with indomethacin suggested that cytokine networks involving IFN-gamma, IL-4, and PGE2 were disrupted during tumor growth and promoted TBH CD8+ T cell suppression. Alloresponses and autoresponses were significantly suppressed when TBH CD8+ T cells mediated these reactions simultaneously with TBH Ia- macrophages. Inhibition of PGE2 production was unable to reverse the additive suppression caused by these two cell types. These results collectively suggest that tumor-induced changes in CD8+ T cells lead to suppressed allo-recognition and autorecognition through both soluble mediator molecules and cellular interactions."}
{"id": "PMID:1464738", "title": "Phosphatidylinositol hydrolysis by phospholipase A2 and C activities in human peripheral blood neutrophils.", "content": "We describe here and partially characterize a Ca(2+)-independent phospholipase A2 that acts on phosphatidylinositol in normal human peripheral blood neutrophils. Neutrophils incubated with myo-[3H]inositol to form [3H]phosphatidylinositol and then stimulated with the calcium ionophore A23187 produced [3H]lysophosphatidylinositol. This deacylation was further characterized in cell sonicates by the specific release of [3H]arachidonic acid from exogenous [1-14C]stearoyl-2-[3H]arachidonyl-phosphatidylinositol. This phospholipase A2 is Ca2+ independent, retaining full activity in the presence of 10 mM EDTA, and is optimally active at alkaline pH (pH 9). A phosphatidylinositol-hydrolyzing phospholipase C activity was characterized by the production of [3H]-/[14C]-diglycerides. This phospholipase C activity is dependent on the presence of exogenous Ca2+ and is optimally active at neutral pH (pH 7.5). The lipoxygenase/cyclooxygenase inhibitors eicosatetraenoic acid and nordihydroguaiaretic acid and the calmodulin antagonist trifluoperazine were the only compounds tested that showed significant inhibition of phospholipase A2 activity. However, none of these phosphatidylinositol-hydrolyzing phospholipase A2 inhibitory compounds resulted in the accumulation of any radiolabeled diglyceride, monoglyceride, or phosphatidic acid intermediates. Following subcellular fractionation on sucrose density gradients, it was found that the plasma membrane-enriched fractions contained the highest specific activity for phospholipase A2; however, the cytosolic fraction contained a large part of the total phospholipase A2 activity. Furthermore, when neutrophils were first exposed to several agents, including lipopolysaccharide, phorbol myristate acetate, or N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl- phenylalanine, and then subfractionated, there was a significant translocation of the enzyme activity from the cytosolic fraction to the membrane-enriched fractions. These data suggest that this Ca(2+)-independent, phosphatidylinositol-hydrolyzing phospholipase A2 may play an important role in early cell activation, providing free arachidonic acid for subsequent metabolism into biologically active eicosanoids."}
{"id": "PMID:1464739", "title": "Liposome-encapsulated hemoglobin inhibits tumor necrosis factor release from rabbit alveolar macrophages by a posttranscriptional mechanism.", "content": "Macrophages contribute to the systemic inflammatory response that characterizes the sepsis syndrome through the production of inflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF). Liposome-encapsulated hemoglobin (LEH), a potential red cell substitute, is cleared by fixed tissue macrophages. In these studies, in vitro incubation of alveolar macrophages with stored LEH was shown to inhibit the expression of TNF induced by endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide, LPS) stimulation. This effect was dependent on LEH dose but independent of the period of exposure to the LEH. Despite inhibition of TNF expression, Northern blot analysis of total cellular RNA from LPS-stimulated macrophages revealed accumulations of TNF-specific transcripts in cells treated with or without LEH. Thus the mechanism of LEH inhibition of TNF expression appears to involve a posttranscriptional event. Although these results suggest a potential advantage of resuscitation with LEH when sepsis complicates hemorrhagic shock, immunomodulation in vivo remains to be defined."}
{"id": "PMID:1464740", "title": "Interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta), IL-1 receptor antagonist, and TNF alpha production in whole blood.", "content": "The ability of an individual to mount defense responses to infection depend in part on the capacity to produce cytokines such as interleukin 1 (IL-1) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF). The specialized equipment, labor intensity, and sterile practice required for the standard in vitro evaluation of cytokine production can make such evaluation impractical in some clinical situations. We report a method for stimulating whole blood to produce cytokines that can be implemented in laboratories without tissue culture facilities and requires minimal sample preparation. IL-1 beta and TNF alpha production in whole blood samples was stimulated with endotoxin and/or phytohemagglutinin in standard EDTA-containing vacuum collection tubes. After incubation, plasma was removed and frozen for later assay. Comparison of this whole blood method with isolated mononuclear cell cultures indicated a significant correlation for IL-1 beta production (r = 0.746, P = 0.005). This technique also produced the newly described cytokine, IL-1 receptor antagonist. We conclude that the whole blood method is an acceptable alternative to isolated cell culture methods for measuring IL-1 beta in situations that preclude the standard in vitro approach."}
{"id": "PMID:1464742", "title": "12 alpha-hydroxylase activity in human liver and its relation to cholesterol 7 alpha-hydroxylase activity.", "content": "Interruption of the enterohepatic circulation by cholestyramine causes a several-fold increase in bile acid synthesis, reflected in a stimulation of cholesterol 7 alpha-hydroxylase activity; the synthesis of cholic acid being stimulated to a greater extent than chenodeoxycholic acid. It is not known if this preferential increase in cholic acid is due to an increase of the 12 alpha-hydroxylase activity. The present study aimed at investigating the 12 alpha-hydroxylase activity and its relation to cholesterol 7 alpha-hydroxylase activity in liver microsomes of patients with different levels of cholesterol 7 alpha-hydroxylase activity. Liver biopsies were obtained from four gallstone-free patients, and seven untreated and two cholestyramine-treated gallstone patients undergoing cholecystectomy, and four patients with Crohn's disease undergoing intestinal resection. The combined group of cholestyramine-treated and ileum-resected patients had four times higher cholesterol 7 alpha-hydroxylase activity and two times higher 12 alpha-hydroxylase activity than the other patients. A positive correlation was obtained between cholesterol 7 alpha-hydroxylase activity and 12 alpha-hydroxylase activity (r = +0.69; n = 16). These results indicate that the increased ratio between the synthesis of cholic acid and chenodeoxycholic acid during cholestyramine treatment is due to a compensatory increase of the 12 alpha-hydroxylase activity."}
{"id": "PMID:1464743", "title": "Peroxisomal beta-oxidation of branched chain fatty acids in human skin fibroblasts.", "content": "Human skin fibroblasts in suspension are able to degrade [1-14C]-labeled alpha- and gamma-methyl branched chain fatty acids such as pristanic and homophytanic acid. Pristanic acid was converted to propionyl-CoA, whereas homophytanic acid was beta-oxidized to acetyl-CoA. Incubation of skin fibroblasts with [1-14C]-labeled fatty acids for longer periods produced radiolabeled carbon dioxide, presumably by further degradation of acetyl-CoA or propionyl-CoA generated by beta-oxidation. Under the same conditions similar products were produced from very long chain fatty acids, such as lignoceric acid. Inclusion of digitonin (> 10 micrograms/ml) in the incubations strongly inhibited carbon dioxide production but stimulated acetyl-CoA or propionyl-CoA production from fatty acids. ATP, Mg2+, coenzyme A, NAD+ and L-carnitine stimulated acetyl-CoA or propionyl-CoA production from [1-14C]-labeled fatty acids in skin fibroblast suspensions. Branched chain fatty acid beta-oxidation was reduced in peroxisome-deficient cells (Zellweger syndrome and infantile Refsum's disease) but they were beta-oxidized normally in cells from patients with X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD). Under the same conditions, lignoceric acid beta-oxidation was impaired in the above three peroxisomal disease states. These results provide evidence that branched chain fatty acid, as well as very long chain fatty acid, beta-oxidation occurs only in peroxisomes. As the defect in X-linked ALD is in a peroxisomal fatty acyl-CoA synthetase, which is believed to be specific for very long chain fatty acids, we postulate that different synthetases are involved in the activation of branched chain and very long chain fatty acids in peroxisomes."}
{"id": "PMID:1464744", "title": "Intestinal lipids and lipoproteins in the human fetus: modulation by epidermal growth factor.", "content": "The aim of the present investigation was first, to examine the ability of human fetal intestine (17-20 wk) to incorporate fatty acid into esterified lipids; and second, to study in vitro lipoprotein synthesis and secretion by fetal explants, as well as the effect of epidermal growth factor (EGF) on these processes. Cultured fetal jejunal explants were incubated in Leibovitz medium for 42 h with [14C]oleate. Both triglycerides (TG) and phospholipids (PL) were the major labeled products. Whereas TG were predominant (80%) in the culture medium, PL accounted for more than 50% of total tissue lipids. More than 60% of the radioactivity in PL was associated with phosphatidylcholine. Some labeling (< 5%) was also recovered in the cholesteryl ester fraction. Active exocytosis was demonstrated by the accumulation of newly synthesized esterified lipids in the medium and the presence of lipoproteins in the basolateral membrane region and intercellular spaces. Most of the newly synthesized lipids were found in lipoproteins of d < 0.97 g/ml (51.2%) and d < 1.21 g/ml (39.3%), whereas the rest were recovered in d < 1.006 g/ml (9.8%) and 1.063 g/ml (5.6%). A similar trend characterized the lipoprotein secretion. The synthesis of the d < 0.97 g/ml fraction (30,653 +/- 4,122 dpm/mg protein) was significantly greater than the 1.006 g/ml fraction (5,897 +/- 1,734), P < 0.005. The secretion of d < 0.97 g/ml particles into the medium was also five fold higher than that of the d < 1.006 g/ml fraction (P < 0.01). The addition of EGF to the culture medium (25, 50, and 100 ng/ml) significantly enhanced the d < 0.97 g/ml lipoprotein secretion (25-40%) and decreased the d 1.006 g/ml and 1.063 g/ml fraction output. The lipid composition of these lipoprotein fractions was never altered by the presence of EGF, suggesting that the number of lipoprotein particles, rather than size, was modified by the growth factor. The present findings provide the first evidence that the human fetal intestine has the capacity to elaborate lipoprotein fractions for the transport of newly synthesized lipids. Furthermore, our data suggest that EGF, present in significant quantity in saliva, amniotic fluid, and bile, can modulate the release of TG-rich lipoproteins by fetal intestinal explants."}
{"id": "PMID:1464745", "title": "Effects of dietary fat on cholesterol movement between tissues in CBA/J and C57BR/cdJ mice.", "content": "Differences in dietary fats cause differences in cholesterol metabolism in mice. CBA/J mice are resistant to diet-induced hypercholesterolemia and atherosclerosis; they adjust hepatic hydroxymethyl-glutaryl-CoA reductase activity (HMGR) to maintain homeostasis; C57BR/cdJ mice are susceptible, but young animals are thought to maintain homeostasis by changing fecal excretion of sterols. Compartmental modelling of movement of [4-14C]cholesterol was used to analyze movement of cholesterol between serum and liver, heart, and carcass in mice fed 40 en% fat, polyunsaturated to saturated fatty acid ratio (P/S) = 0.24 (US74) or 30 en% fat, P/S = 1 (MOD). Dietary effects were quite pronounced, while strain effects were more subdued. The C57/cdJ animals appear to regulate the overall cholesterol balance by reducing synthesis, as do the CBA/J animals, even though synthesis is not reduced to the same degree as in the CBA/J animals. Both diet and strain influence the whole-animal turnover rate, with slower turnover occurring for C57BR/cdJ animals and animals fed the US74 diet."}
{"id": "PMID:1464746", "title": "Sulfonate analogues of chenodeoxycholic acid: metabolism of sodium 3 alpha, 7 alpha-dihydroxy-25-homo-5 beta-cholane-25-sulfonate and sodium 3 alpha, 7 alpha-dihydroxy-24-nor-5 beta-cholane-23-sulfonate in the hamster.", "content": "This report describes the chemical synthesis of a new bile acid analogue, namely, sodium 3 alpha, 7 alpha-dihydroxy-25-homo-5 beta-cholane-25-sulfonate from homochenodeoxycholic acid. The structure of the new compound was assigned by proton magnetic resonance and infrared spectrometry. Its metabolism was studied in the hamster in comparison with sodium 3 alpha, 7 alpha-dihydroxy-24-nor-5 beta-cholane-23-sulfonate and sodium taurochenodeoxycholate. After intraduodenal administration of the 3H-labeled analogues into bile fistula hamsters, both sulfonates were absorbed from the intestine and nearly 80% of the radioactivity was secreted into bile within 8 h. Intra-ileal administration revealed that these compounds resembled taurochenodeoxycholate in that they were much more rapidly absorbed from the ileum than from the proximal small intestine: more than 85% of the radioactivity was recovered in bile within 1 h. After intravenous infusion the sulfonates were efficiently extracted by the liver at rates similar to that of sodium taurochenodeoxycholate. Chromatographic analysis of the bile showed that, regardless of the route of administration, most (> 95%) of the sulfonates were not biotransformed and they became major biliary bile acids. Sodium 3 alpha, 7 alpha-dihydroxy-25-homo-5 beta-cholane-25-sulfonate and, to a lesser extent, sodium 3 alpha, 7 alpha-dihydroxy-24-nor-5 beta-cholane-23-sulfonate induced cholestasis at infusion rates at which sodium taurochenodeoxycholate produced choleresis."}
{"id": "PMID:1464747", "title": "Transgenic mice expressing human apolipoprotein A-I have sera with modest trypanolytic activity in vitro but remain susceptible to infection by Trypanosoma brucei brucei.", "content": "Although Trypanosoma brucei brucei fatally infects livestock in much of sub-Saharan Africa, humans are innately resistant to infection, apparently because high-density lipoproteins (HDL) in human serum lyse this unicellular protozoan parasite. Recently, we demonstrated that purified human apolipoprotein (apo) A-I, the major protein (M(r) 28,016) constituent of HDL, had full trypanolytic activity in vitro whereas the apoA-I of cattle and sheep was non-lytic. In the present study, we have sought to confirm the trypanocidal capability of human apoA-I by studying four lines of transgenic mice expressing (supra)physiological serum levels of this polypeptide. Although trypanolysis in vitro by sera from transgenic mice (15.1 +/- 1.3% [mean +/- SEM], n = 30) was considerably less than by human sera (typically 60-80%), it was nevertheless significantly greater than by control sera (8.5 +/- 1.1%, n = 10; P < 0.001) and correlated with the concentration of human apoA-I (r = 0.56, P < 0.001). When trypanosomes were incubated at 37 degrees C with human serum or with human apoA-I for 30 min (i.e., within the pre-lytic period) they lost their ability to subsequently infect mice; trypanosomes incubated with transgenic mice serum remained infective. Furthermore, transgenic mice were fully susceptible to infection when inoculated with 10(3) trypanosomes; both the initial detection of trypanosomes in the blood (3-4 days) and the time to death (5-6 days) were no longer than control mice. This apparent paradox between the action of human apoA-I in human serum and in mouse serum was investigated further.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1464748", "title": "Identification and properties of the proline664-leucine mutant LDL receptor in South Africans of Indian origin.", "content": "The incidence of familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is high among South African Indians. The proline664-leucine low density lipoprotein (LDL)-receptor mutation was detected in four apparently unrelated Indian FH families in South Africa. This mutation was originally described in an FH subject (MM) of Indian (Gujerat province) origin (Soutar et al. 1989. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 86: 4166-4170). All four South African families trace their origin to the vicinity of Surat in the Gujerat province of India. Haplotype analyses revealed that both LDL receptor genes in one of the homozygous patients are the same as those in the subject MM. The phenotype of the mutant protein was analyzed in skin fibroblasts of homozygous patients. [35S]methionine pulse-chase experiments revealed that the receptor precursors were slowly processed to mature receptors. Mature mutant receptors were degraded at faster than normal rates. This mutation, which is in the epidermal growth factor (EGF)-precursor-like domain of the LDL receptor, was previously reported to yield binding-defective receptors. Here we report that the affinity of the mutant LDL receptor for both LDL and beta-very low density lipoprotein (beta-VLDL) was normal and that the steady-state level of mutant receptors was about 20% of normal. Thus, the disease FH in these subjects is presumably due to the low steady-state level of receptor molecules that are functionally normal but exhibit accelerated turnover."}
{"id": "PMID:1464749", "title": "Bisphosphonates used for the treatment of bone disorders inhibit squalene synthase and cholesterol biosynthesis.", "content": "Some bisphosphonates used for the treatment of bone disorders are also potent inhibitors of squalene synthase, a critical enzyme for sterol biosynthesis. Among seven drugs tested, YM 175 (cycloheptylaminomethylene-1,1-bisphosphonic acid) was the most potent inhibitor of rat liver microsomal squalene synthase (Ki = 57 nM) and sterol biosynthesis from [14C]mevalonate in rat liver homogenate (IC50 = 17 nM). EB 1053 (3-(1-pyrolidino)-1-hydroxypropylidene-1,1-bisphosphonic acid) and PHPBP (3-(1-piperidino)-1-hydroxypropylidene-1,1-bisphosphonic acid) were less potent inhibitors in both these assays. Pamidronate and alendronate were poor inhibitors of squalene synthase (IC50 > 10 microM) but were potent inhibitors of sterol biosynthesis from mevalonate (IC50 = 420 and 168 nM, respectively), suggesting that the latter two agents may have inhibited other enzymes involved in the synthesis of farnesyl pyrophosphate from mevalonate. Etidronate and clodronate were inactive in both these assays. YM 175 also inhibited sterol biosynthesis in mouse macrophage J774 cells (IC50 = 64 microM) and in rats, when administered acutely, it inhibited cholesterol biosynthesis in the liver (ED50 = 30 mg/kg, s.c.). Structural modifications on YM 175 to enhance cell permeability may result in a new class of cholesterol-lowering agents."}
{"id": "PMID:1464750", "title": "Evidence for a common biliary cholesterol and VLDL cholesterol precursor pool in rat liver.", "content": "Hepatic free cholesterol levels are influenced by cholesterol synthesis and ester formation, which, in turn, might regulate cholesterol secretion into bile and plasma. We manipulated the rates of hepatic cholesterol synthesis and esterification and measured biliary and very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) cholesterol secretion, and bile acid synthesis. Mevalonate decreased HMG CoA reductase by 80%, increased acyl coenzyme A: cholesterol acyltransferase (ACAT) by 60% and increased [3H]oleate incorporation into microsomal and VLDL cholesteryl esters by 174% and 122%, respectively. Microsomal and biliary free cholesterol remained constant at the expense of increased microsomal and VLDL cholesteryl ester content. Mevalonate did not change bile acid synthesis. 25-OH cholesterol decreased HMG-CoA reductase by 39%, increased ACAT by 24%, but did not effect 7 alpha-hydroxylase. 25-OH cholesterol increased [3H]oleate in microsomal and VLDL cholesterol esters by 71% and 120%. Biliary cholesterol decreased by 40% and VLDL cholesteryl esters increased by 83%. A small and unsustained decrease in bile acid synthesis (14CO2 release) occurred after 25-OH cholesterol. After orotic acid feeding, HMG-CoA reductase increased 352%, and [3H]oleate in microsomal and VLDL cholesteryl esters decreased by 43% and 89%. Orotic acid decreased all VLDL components including free cholesterol (68%) and cholesteryl esters (55%), and increased biliary cholesterol by 160%. No change in bile acid synthesis occurred. Hepatic cholesterol synthesis and esterification appear to regulate a cholesterol pool available for both biliary and VLDL secretion. Changing cholesterol synthesis and esterification did not alter bile acid synthesis, suggesting that either this common bile/VLDL secretory pool is functionally distinct from the cholesterol pool used for bile salt synthesis, or that free cholesterol availability in this precursor pool is not a major determinant of bile acid synthesis."}
{"id": "PMID:1464751", "title": "Effects of apolipoprotein E, beta-very low density lipoproteins, and cholesterol on the extension of neurites by rabbit dorsal root ganglion neurons in vitro.", "content": "Previous studies suggest that during nerve regeneration apoE acts as a lipid transport protein that assists in the rapid initial extension of axons and then in their myelination. To determine whether apoE and/or apoE-containing lipoproteins can modulate axon growth, we assessed their effect on the out-growth of neurites from neurons in mixed cultures of fetal rabbit dorsal root ganglion cells in vitro. Incubation with beta-very low density lipoprotein (beta-VLDL) particles, which are rich in apoE and cholesterol, increased neurite outgrowth and branching. Unesterified cholesterol added to the cultures had a similar, but less pronounced, effect. These data suggest that cholesterol might be the component responsible for the enhanced neurite growth. In contrast, purified, lipid-free apoE added to the cultures reduced neurite branching. Neurite branching was also reduced when purified apoE was added along with beta-VLDL or cholesterol; however, the striking finding was that under these conditions the neurites extended farther from the neuronal cell body. Dorsal root ganglion cells were examined for the presence of receptors for native and apoE-enriched beta-VLDL. Immunocytochemistry, ligand blots, 45Ca2+ blots, and studies of the interaction of the cells with fluorescent lipoproteins provided evidence of two types of receptors for apoE-containing lipoproteins on neurons: the low density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor, which binds native beta-VLDL, and the LDL receptor-related protein, which binds apoE-enriched beta-VLDL. These findings indicate that apoE may play two complementary roles in neurite outgrowth. When complexed with lipoproteins, apoE stimulates neurite growth by the receptor-mediated delivery of cholesterol and perhaps other components necessary for neurite outgrowth. When apoE as a free protein is added together with apoE-containing lipoproteins, apoE decreases neurite branching and promotes neurite extension away from the cell body. These actions, which would be complementary in promoting target-directed nerve growth in vivo, provide the first direct evidence that apoE and apoE-containing lipoproteins can modulate the outgrowth of neuronal processes."}
{"id": "PMID:1464752", "title": "Metabolism of high density lipoprotein lipids by the rat liver: evidence for participation of hepatic lipase in the uptake of cholesteryl ester.", "content": "In order to determine the role of hepatic lipase in the hepatic uptake and metabolism of high density lipoprotein (HDL) triglycerides, cholesteryl esters, and phospholipids, isolated rat livers were perfused with a reconstituted HDL (rHDL) radiolabeled with [3H]triolein and [14C]cholesteryl oleate or palmitoyl-[14C]linoleoyl phosphatidylcholine. A bolus of radiolabeled rHDL was injected into the portal vein and livers were perfused for 5 min using a nonrecirculating perfusion system. Recovery of rHDL triolein in the liver as intact triolein was used to determine the amount of unmetabolized rHDL remaining in the liver. After correcting for the amount of unmetabolized rHDL remaining in the liver, about 30% of the rHDL triolein was hydrolyzed of which 19% was recovered in the liver and 11% in the perfusate. Moreover, about 7% of the rHDL phosphatidylcholine was hydrolyzed to lysophosphatidylcholine, all of which was recovered in the perfusate. Although there was no hydrolysis of rHDL cholesteryl oleate, about 30% of the cholesteryl oleate was taken up by the liver. Preperfusion of the liver with heparin to deplete the liver of hepatic lipase resulted in about a 70% reduction in rHDL triolein hydrolysis and about a 75% reduction in rHDL cholesteryl oleate uptake. Although hepatic lipase hydrolyzes both triglycerides and phosphatidylcholines, elimination of the triolein from rHDL had no effect on the uptake of rHDL cholesteryl oleate, but replacement of the rHDL phosphatidylcholine with a nonhydrolyzable phosphatidylcholine diether resulted in an 87% reduction in cholesteryl oleate uptake. These results indicate that hepatic lipase is necessary for the hepatic uptake of both HDL triglycerides and cholesteryl esters and that the uptake of cholesteryl esters is not dependent on the hydrolysis of HDL triglycerides but is dependent on the hydrolysis of HDL phospholipids."}
{"id": "PMID:1464753", "title": "Efflux of lipid from fibroblasts to apolipoproteins: dependence on elevated levels of cellular unesterified cholesterol.", "content": "Earlier work from this laboratory showed that enrichment of cells with free cholesterol enhanced the efflux of phospholipid to lipoprotein acceptors, suggesting that cellular phospholipid may contribute to high density lipoprotein (HDL) structure and the removal of sterol from cells. To test this hypothesis, we examined the efflux of [3H]cholesterol (FC) and [32P]phospholipid (PL) from control and cholesterol-enriched fibroblasts to delipidated apolipoproteins. The percentages of [3H]cholesterol and [32P]phospholipid released from control cells to human apolipoprotein A-I were 2.2 +/- 0.5%/24 h and 0.8 +/- 0.1%/24 h, respectively. When the cellular cholesterol content was doubled, efflux of both lipids increased substantially ([3H]FC efflux = 14.6 +/- 3.6%/24 h and [32P]PL efflux = 4.1 +/- 0.3%/24 h). Phosphatidylcholine accounted for 70% of the radiolabeled phospholipid released from cholesterol-enriched cells. The cholesterol to phospholipid molar ratio of the lipid released from cholesterol-enriched cells was approximately 1. This ratio remained constant throughout an incubation time of 3 to 48 h, suggesting that there was a coordinate release of both lipids. The concentrations of apoA-I, A-II, A-IV, E, and Cs that promoted half-maximal efflux of phospholipid from cholesterol-enriched fibroblasts were 53, 30, 68, 137, and 594 nM, respectively. With apoA-I and A-IV, these values for half-maximal efflux of phospholipid were identical to the concentrations that resulted in half-maximal efflux of cholesterol. Agarose gel electrophoresis of medium containing apoA-I that had been incubated with cholesterol-enriched fibroblasts revealed a particle with alpha to pre-beta mobility. We conclude that the cholesterol content of cellular membranes is an important determinant in the ability of apolipoproteins to promote lipid removal from cells. We speculate that apolipoproteins access cholesterol-phosphatidylcholine domains within the plasma membrane of cholesterol-enriched cells, whereupon HDL is generated in the extracellular compartment. The release of cellular lipid to apolipoproteins may serve as a protective mechanism against the potentially damaging effects of excess membrane cholesterol."}
{"id": "PMID:1464754", "title": "High sensitivity negative ion GC-MS method for detection of desaturated and chain-elongated products of deuterated linoleic and linolenic acids.", "content": "A sensitive negative chemical ionization (NCI) gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) method for the detection of pentafluorobenzyl (PFB) esters of deuterated fatty acids is described. Deuterated linoleic [18:2n-6 2H4-9,10,12,13] and linolenic [18:3n-3 2H5-17,17,18,18,18] acids were converted to chain-elongated and desaturated products during incubations with homogenates prepared from rat liver. The extracted fatty acids were derivatized with pentafluorobenzyl bromide and analyzed in the negative ion mode by GC-MS. The detection limit of the PFB esters in NCI using selected ion monitoring was below 10 femtograms. In general, detection of the PFB derivatives using the negative ion mode was more than three orders of magnitude more sensitive than using a positive chemical ionization (PCI) method with methyl ester derivatives. The PFB esters of the 2H4-18:2n-6 metabolites eluted with their unlabeled analogues, whereas the PFB esters of the 2H5-18:3n-3 metabolites were resolved from the unlabeled compounds on polar capillary FFAP columns. Isotope ratios of the 2H4-18:2n-6 metabolites were used to quantify the deuterated compounds from standard dilution curves generated from the ion abundances of the unlabeled fatty acids. The 2H5-18:3n-3 metabolites were quantified similarly using 18:3n-3. This method is feasible for the study of the in vivo metabolism of deuterated essential fatty acids in whole animals."}
{"id": "PMID:1464755", "title": "An in vitro model for essential fatty acid deficiency: HepG2 cells permanently maintained in lipid-free medium.", "content": "A stable essential fatty acid-deficient cell type, known as HepG2-EFD, was derived from the lipoprotein-producing human hepatoma cell line HepG2. These cells are particularly useful for quantitative studies involving essential fatty acids (n-6 and n-3 fatty acids) in secreted lipoproteins. Radiolabeled essential fatty acids can be delivered to these cells without altering the specific activity of the fatty acids, since the deficient cells contain no endogenous essential fatty acids. Using these cells, radioactivity data (dpm) from metabolic studies can be converted directly to mass, and masses as low as a few pmoles can be accurately measured. HepG2-EFD cell cultures were established by growing HepG2 cells in medium containing delipidated serum. After 10 days of growth in delipidated medium, HepG2 cells were completely depleted of all essential fatty acids. Compensatory increases in nonessential fatty acids (n-9 and n-7 fatty acids) including 20:3n-9 (the Mead acid), which is the hallmark fatty acid of essential fatty acid deficiency, were also observed in HepG2-EFD cells. Despite the lack of exogenous fatty acids in the medium and the lack of essential fatty acids in the cells, export of very low density lipoprotein (VLDL)-associated apolipoprotein B by HepG2-EFD was the same as observed for parent HepG2 cells. However, the activity of beta-oxidation of fatty acids in HepG2-EFD cells was much lower than in the parent cell line.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1464758", "title": "A quantitative model for the regulation of naturally occurring cell death in the developing vertebrate nervous system.", "content": "Throughout the animal kingdom, the formation of the nervous system involves the elimination of many cells soon after their generation. This phenomenon, known as naturally occurring cell death, has precise time schedules and is observed in the vast majority of neural structures. It causes the loss of 15-85% of the neurons generated. Manipulations of the target structure can considerably affect the amount of cell death in a nervous center, but the regulation of this process is still controversial. While in some experiments cell death leads to a linear relationship between the size of the target and that of the input, other experiments show dramatic deviations from a linear prediction. It is quite possible that cell death is regulated by different mechanisms in different cases and that the search for a single explanation would be doomed to failure. However, it is shown here that if mutual trophic interactions are assumed to occur between connected structures, a general model can be developed for the regulation of histogenetic cell death in the developing nervous system of vertebrates. The model relies on few assumptions, all derived from a number of experimental studies. Cells destined to form a neural center are generated according to a program and die around a certain age unless a trophic factor is supplied that prevents their death. Target cells exert a trophic influence on input cells and vice versa. The model quantitatively describes the time course and the amount of cell death in neural structures, thereby reconciling in a unitary framework experimental findings that until now have appeared conflicting."}
{"id": "PMID:1464759", "title": "Neuronal activity in monkey ventral striatum related to the expectation of reward.", "content": "Projections from cortical and subcortical limbic structures to the basal ganglia are predominantly directed to the ventral striatum. The present study investigated how the expectation of external events with behavioral significance is reflected in the activity of ventral striatal neurons. A total of 420 neurons were studied in macaque monkeys performing in a delayed go-no-go task. Lights of different colors instructed the animal to do an arm-reaching movement or refrain from moving, respectively, when a trigger light was illuminated a few seconds later. Task performance was reinforced by liquid reward in both situations. A total of 60 ventral striatal neurons showed sustained increases of activity before the occurrence of individual task events. In 43 of these neurons, activations specifically preceded the delivery of reward, independent of the movement or no-movement reaction. In a series of additional tests, these activations were time locked to the subsequent reward, disappeared within a few trials when reward was omitted, and were temporally unrelated to mouth movements. Changes in the appetitive value of the reward liquid modified the magnitude of activations, suggesting a possible relationship to the hedonic properties of the expected event. Activations also occurred when reward was delivered in a predictable manner outside of any behavioral task. These data suggest that neurons in the ventral striatum are activated during states of expectation of individual environmental events that are predictable to the subject through its past experience. The prevalence of activations related to the expectation of reward suggests that ventral striatal neurons have access to central representations of reward and thereby participate in the processing of information underlying the motivational control of goal-directed behavior."}
{"id": "PMID:1464760", "title": "The expression of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors by PC12 cells treated with NGF.", "content": "The expression of neuronal nicotinic ACh receptors (nAChRs) and the subunits that compose these receptors by PC12 cells exposed to NGF has been studied. The analysis of total RNA reveals that the neuronal nAChR subunits alpha 3, alpha S, beta 2, beta 3, and beta 4, but not alpha 2 and alpha 4, are expressed in our PC12 cells. Within 48 hr of adding NGF to cultures, the RNA corresponding to alpha 3, alpha 5, beta 3, and beta 4 is decreased, but the beta 2 RNA increases for up to 6 d after NGF treatment. To determine the influence of NGF treatment on subunit protein expression, subunit-specific antisera were prepared. Immunocytochemistry detected antigen for alpha 3, alpha 5, beta 2, beta 3, and beta 4 (but not alpha 2 and alpha 4) in both NGF-treated and nontreated PC12 cells. The expression of nAChR subunit proteins, as measured by direct binding of antibodies to PC12 cells, does not change subsequent to 6 d of treatment with NGF. Whole-cell recording of PC12 cells shows that both the individual cell current density and response to the agonist cytisine were not altered after 5-7 d in NGF. However, the number of cells exhibiting detectable ACh-induced currents doubled. These results indicate that NGF increases the number of PC12 cells expressing ACh-sensitive nAChR currents but the activation is not the result of altering the amounts of individual nAChR subunit proteins. These data, taken together with the decrease in most nAChR subunit RNAs (except beta 2), suggest that NGF regulation of nAChRs may be through a posttranscriptional mechanism."}
{"id": "PMID:1464761", "title": "Lesions of the perirhinal cortex but not of the frontal, medial prefrontal, visual, or insular cortex block fear-potentiated startle using a visual conditioned stimulus.", "content": "The present study is part of an ongoing series of experiments aimed at delineation of the neural pathways that mediate fear-potentiated startle, a model of conditioned fear in which the acoustic startle reflex is enhanced when elicited in the presence of a light previously paired with shock. A number of cortical areas that might be involved in relaying information about the visual conditioned stimulus (the light) in fear-potentiated startle were investigated. One hundred thirty-five rats were given 10 light-shock pairings on each of 2 consecutive days, and 1-2 d later electrolytic or aspiration lesions in various cortical areas were performed. One week later, the magnitude of fear-potentiated startle was measured. Complete removal of the visual cortex, medial prefrontal cortex, insular cortex, or posterior perirhinal cortex had no significant effect on the magnitude of fear-potentiated startle. Lesions of the frontal cortex attenuated fear-potentiated startle by approximately 50%. However, lesions of the anterior perirhinal cortex completely eliminated fear-potentiated startle. The effective lesions included parts of the cortex both dorsal and ventral to the rhinal sulcus and extended from approximately 1.8 to 3.8 mm posterior to bregma. Lesions slightly more posterior (2.3-4.8 mm posterior to bregma) or lesions that included only the perirhinal cortex dorsal to the rhinal sulcus had no effect. The region of the perirhinal cortex in which lesions blocked fear-potentiated startle projects to the amygdala, and thus may be part of the pathway that relays the visual conditioned stimulus information to the amygdala, a structure that is also critical for fear-potentiated startle. In addition, the present findings are in agreement with numerous studies in primates suggesting that the perirhinal cortex may play a more general role in memory."}
{"id": "PMID:1464762", "title": "Neural regulation of N-cadherin gene expression in developing and adult skeletal muscle.", "content": "Using monoclonal antibody and cDNA probes, we have studied N-cadherin gene expression in developing and adult chick skeletal muscle. N-cadherin was expressed by developing myotubes during the period of initial nerve-muscle contact but was downregulated within days of innervation. Treatment of embryos with d-tubocurare partially reversed this downregulation. In the adult, there were muscle fiber type differences in N-cadherin expression. N-cadherin was undetectable on normally innervated twitch fibers, while multiply innervated tonic muscle fibers expressed low but readily detectable levels of N-cadherin. Denervation led to the renewed expression of N-cadherin in twitch fibers as well as a marked increase in expression in tonic fibers. Levels of N-cadherin expressed by tonic fibers could also be modulated by animal housing conditions that favored either increased or decreased levels of daily motor activity. Increased motor activity was correlated with decreased levels of N-cadherin, while decreased motor activity correlated with increased levels of muscle N-cadherin. Results of in vitro studies using the calcium channel agonist ryanodine suggest that changes in intracellular calcium may be the initial signal linking neural stimulation with changes in muscle fiber expression of N-cadherin. Together, our results indicate that neural stimulation of chick skeletal muscle fibers dynamically and reversibly downregulates the expression of N-cadherin mRNA and protein. This pattern of regulation may be functionally important in limiting and/or promoting axon growth in innervated versus denervated muscle and may serve as a molecular model system for studies of the activity-dependent regulation of gene expression."}
{"id": "PMID:1464763", "title": "Role of the target in synapse elimination: studies in cerebellum of developing lurcher mutants and adult chimeric mice.", "content": "As the mature nervous system is sculpted out of its embryonic anlage, regressive events are a surprisingly common feature. As one example, the establishment of adult innervation in the CNS and PNS often involves a massive withdrawal of previously formed functional synapses. In the cerebellum, the one-to-one relationship of inferior olivary climbing fibers to Purkinje cells is preceded by a transient stage in which each Purkinje cell is multiply innervated. The regulation of this regressive event is still not fully understood; previous studies suggested that some stimulus from the maturing granule cells is necessary. We have used the lurcher (Lc) mutation as a model system in which to study this phenomenon. In lurcher mice, Purkinje cells degenerate during the first few postnatal weeks, after receiving synaptic contacts from both inferior olivary neurons and granule cells. We have recorded the climbing fiber responses both in lurcher mutants at postnatal days 14-20 (P14-P20) and in adult lurcher chimeras. In the latter, experimental genetics are used to create a situation in which untreated wild-type Purkinje cells are present in an environment that ranges from 100% wild-type to nearly mutant. We found that in P14-P16 lurcher mutants, most of the cells recorded (75%) remained polyinnervated, whereas in wild-type control mice, only 10% of the Purkinje cells retained their multiple innervation. By P18-20, it was difficult to find Purkinje cells in the lurcher mutants that would withstand an intracellular electrode. Nonetheless, in those cells that were successfully impaled, most remained multiply innervated. By this age in wild-type mice, 100% of the Purkinje cells are monoinnervated.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1464764", "title": "Development of binocular vision in the kitten's striate cortex.", "content": "Studies of the development and plasticity of the visual pathway are well documented, but a basic question remains open: what is the physiological status of the system prior to extensive visual experience? Somewhat conflicting answers have been put forward, and in a major area, binocular vision, reports have ranged from severe immaturity to well-developed maturity. This is an important question to resolve since binocular cells in the visual cortex are thought to be the neural substrate for stereoscopic depth perception. We have addressed this question by recording from single cells in the striate cortex of kittens at postnatal ages 2, 3, and 4 weeks and from adults for comparison. Gratings with sinusoidal luminance distribution are presented to left, right, or both eyes. For each cell, we determine optimal values for orientation and spatial frequency. Relative phase (retinal disparity) is then varied in a dichoptic sequence so that binocular interaction may be studied. Results are as follows. In the normal adult, we have shown in previous work that most binocular interaction in the visual cortex can be accounted for on the basis of linear summation. Results from 3 and 4 week postnatal kittens are closely similar to those from adults. All types of binocular interaction found in adults are present in kittens. This includes phase-specific and non-phase-specific suppression or facilitation. Furthermore, monocular and binocular tuning characteristics are comparable in kittens and adults. The clear changes that occur with age are optimal spatial frequencies and peak responses. In addition, at 2 weeks, there is a substantially higher proportion of monocular cells compared to other ages and correspondingly, lower relative numbers of cells that exhibit phase-specific or suppressive binocular interactions. From increases in optimal spatial frequency and interpupillary distance with age, we calculated predicted changes in binocular disparity thresholds (stereo acuity) with age. Although there are methodological limits with respect to the behavioral testing of young kittens, the predicted results are comparable to some of the values obtained. Considered together, our results show that the physiological apparatus for binocular vision is functional at an early stage in postnatal development. It is possible that the connections that underlie this function are developed rapidly during early postnatal experience. An alternative possibility is that there is an elaborate genetic organization of binocular vision, but our study does not address this issue directly. A combination of these factors may be applicable.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1464765", "title": "The analysis of visual motion: a comparison of neuronal and psychophysical performance.", "content": "We compared the ability of psychophysical observers and single cortical neurons to discriminate weak motion signals in a stochastic visual display. All data were obtained from rhesus monkeys trained to perform a direction discrimination task near psychophysical threshold. The conditions for such a comparison were ideal in that both psychophysical and physiological data were obtained in the same animals, on the same sets of trials, and using the same visual display. In addition, the psychophysical task was tailored in each experiment to the physiological properties of the neuron under study; the visual display was matched to each neuron's preference for size, speed, and direction of motion. Under these conditions, the sensitivity of most MT neurons was very similar to the psychophysical sensitivity of the animal observers. In fact, the responses of single neurons typically provided a satisfactory account of both absolute psychophysical threshold and the shape of the psychometric function relating performance to the strength of the motion signal. Thus, psychophysical decisions in our task are likely to be based upon a relatively small number of neural signals. These signals could be carried by a small number of neurons if the responses of the pooled neurons are statistically independent. Alternatively, the signals may be carried by a much larger pool of neurons if their responses are partially intercorrelated."}
{"id": "PMID:1464766", "title": "Does loss of nerve growth factor receptors precede loss of cholinergic neurons in Alzheimer's disease? An autoradiographic study in the human striatum and basal forebrain.", "content": "The mechanism by which cholinergic neurons degenerate in Alzheimer's disease is not known. Some of these neurons depend, however, on trophic support from NGF via a membrane receptor. We have analyzed the state of these receptors by autoradiography, with 125I-NGF as the ligand, in the caudate nucleus, putamen, ventral striatum, nucleus basalis of Meynert, and nucleus tegmenti pedunculopontinus of six patients with Alzheimer's disease and five controls, matched for age and postmortem delay. The binding characteristics were similar in the striatum (including caudate nucleus, putamen, and ventral striatum) and basal forebrain of control subjects and patients with Alzheimer's disease (Kd = 2.5-4 x 10(-11) M). In control brains, high levels of 125I-NGF binding were observed in the basal forebrain and striatum (0.32-0.49 fmol/mg tissue equivalent), but no specific binding was detected in the nucleus tegmenti pedunculopontinus. NGF binding sites were distributed heterogeneously in the striatum with patches of low density, corresponding to AChE-poor striosomes, surrounded by a matrix in which receptor density was significantly greater. In Alzheimer's disease, the density of NGF receptors was markedly decreased in the caudate nucleus, putamen, ventral striatum, and nucleus basalis of Meynert. In contrast, AChE staining decreased less in the nucleus basalis of Meynert in all Alzheimer's disease patients, and in the ventral striatum of those most severely affected. These results indicate that if NGF receptors are located on cholinergic neurons, receptor loss and the consequent decrease in trophic support may precede cell degeneration in Alzheimer's disease. The relationship between the loss of these receptors and the pathogenesis of the disease remains to be determined."}
{"id": "PMID:1464767", "title": "Axo-glial interactions at the dorsal root transitional zone regulate neurofilament protein synthesis in axotomized sensory neurons.", "content": "After dorsal root crush, dramatic ultrastructural differences are observed between regenerated dorsal root axonal endings that are physically blocked at a ligation neuroma and those that are allowed to form axo-glial endings among the astrocytes at the dorsal root transitional zone (DRTZ). Physically blocked axonal endings swell immensely with membranous organelles and neurofilaments (NFs) while axo-glial endings do not, suggesting that DRTZ astrocytes stop axonal growth by activating a physiological stop pathway within those endings. Since protease-dependent NF degradation at axonal endings is a part of this pathway, this study addresses the question of whether NF subunit synthesis in the dorsal root ganglion (DRG) is regulated by the pathway. Lumbar dorsal roots were crushed and, at various postinjury times, the attached DRGs were removed and pulse-labeled in vitro with 35S-methionine for subsequent analysis of protein synthesis by electrophoresis and fluorography. Within 24 hr of axotomy, there was a down-regulation of the 68 kDa (NF-L) and 145 kDa (NF-M) NF subunits. At 14 d postcrush, a time when most of the regenerating axons have reached and been stopped by DRTZ astrocytes, NF protein synthesis returned to control levels. By contrast, when the axons were prevented from reaching the DRTZ by ligating or removing segments of the roots, NF synthesis failed to return to normal levels. These data suggest that activation of the physiological stop pathway by DRTZ astrocytes regulates NF protein synthesis in the DRG."}
{"id": "PMID:1464768", "title": "Microtubule-based filopodium-like protrusions form after axotomy.", "content": "The growth cone at the front of a growing neurite often has F-actin-rich structures--digitate filopodia and sheet-like veils and lamellipodia--whose protrusion advances the leading edge. Microtubules and other cytoplasmic constituents later fill the protruded area, transforming it into new neuritic length. Growth can be initiated from an axon by transecting it. We have used video-enhanced contrast-differential interference contrast microscopy to observe the early events following transection of Aplysia axons in culture. Many filopodium-like protrusions (FLPs) grew rapidly (average instantaneous velocity of 1.6 microns/sec) from the sides and end of the axon stump within minutes of transection. Some of these displayed bidirectional transport of swellings, at a rate similar to fast axonal transport. Dihydrocytochalasin B, which blocks actin polymerization, only halved the number of FLPs that formed within 10 min of transection, and actually increased the number of transporting FLPs. Nocodazole, a microtubule-specific drug, also halved the number of FLPs, but none of them displayed transport of swellings. No FLPs formed in the presence of both drugs. In transected axons that had not been exposed to either drug, removal of the plasma membrane revealed fibers in many of the FLPs; immunofluorescence showed these fibers to be microtubules. Thus, a substantial number of the FLPs that form soon after axotomy are microtubule based, rather than actin based, underscoring the potential of microtubules to drive the rapid extension of neuritic precursors."}
{"id": "PMID:1464769", "title": "Changes in PKC gamma immunoreactivity in mouse hippocampus induced by spatial discrimination learning.", "content": "In the present study, we examined changes in immunoreactivity (ir) for the gamma-isoform of protein kinase C (PKC gamma) in mouse hippocampus in relation to spatial memory processes employing the monoclonal antibody 36G9 raised against purified PKC gamma. Learning and memory were assessed by performance in a free-choice spatial pattern paradigm in a hole board in which the animals learned the pattern of 4 baited holes out of 16 holes. Adult male house mice were used, divided in four groups. Three control groups were formed: group N, naive (blank controls); group H, habituated (animals were for 5 consecutive days introduced to the hole board with all holes baited); and group PT, pseudotrained (animals were for 13 consecutive days introduced to the hole board with all holes baited). The T (trained) group was for 5 consecutive days introduced to the hole board with all holes baited (similar to the H and PT groups) followed by 8 successive days with only four holes baited in a fixed pattern. Behaviorally, following the first 5 d, the PT group crossed the hole board randomly, whereas the T group gradually learned to orientate in the hole board. The mice were killed 24 hr after the last performance. A shift in 36G9-ir appeared from the cell somata to the dendrites of hippocampal principal neurons when comparing the H and PT group, respectively. In contrast, the T group showed strong PKC gamma-ir in both cell somata and dendrites, which clearly exceeded that of the H and PT mice. In this way, 36G9-ir reveals the physiologically activated neurons involved in hole board learning.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1464770", "title": "Selective vulnerability of dentate hilar neurons following traumatic brain injury: a potential mechanistic link between head trauma and disorders of the hippocampus.", "content": "Despite intensive study, the neurobiological basis of epilepsy and persistent memory impairment following traumatic head injury remains unknown. Since abnormalities of the hippocampus are known to be associated with temporal lobe seizures and memory dysfunction, we investigated the effects of experimental traumatic brain injury on hippocampal structure and function in the rat. Using a model of fluid-percussion injury, we have discovered that neurons of the dentate hilus are vulnerable to a brief, unilateral impact to the extradural surface of the brain. One week after trauma, there was a dramatic reduction in hilar neurons ipsilateral to the impact, and a milder but significant decrease in neurons on the contralateral side as well. This neuronal loss was highly selective since adjacent dentate granule and pyramidal neurons appeared relatively unaffected. Immunocytochemistry showed that the hilar cell loss included a loss of somatostatin-immunoreactive neurons, and degeneration stains provided evidence that irreversible hilar injury occurred within 4 hr of impact. To assess the functional effects of the hilar damage, dentate granule cell field potentials were measured in response to perforant path stimulation. This revealed abnormal dentate granule cell hyperexcitability at 2.0 Hz stimulation in many of the injured animals. The presence of abnormal hyperexcitability correlated with the loss of hilar neurons. Thus, a momentary impact to the surface of the brain can cause selective, bilateral hippocampal injury with associated abnormalities in dentate gyrus physiology. Furthermore, the pattern of cell loss is similar to that observed in some patients with temporal lobe epilepsy.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1464771", "title": "Protein synthesis within neuronal growth cones.", "content": "This study investigates the capacity of neuronal growth cones to synthesize protein locally and independently of their cell body. Isolated growth cones were prepared from cultures of neurons from the snail Helisoma by transecting neurites proximal to the growth cone. The capacity for protein synthesis was tested by radiolabeling cultures with 3H-leucine and analyzing the resultant autoradiograms. Isolated growth cones displayed incorporation of 3H-leucine that was inhibited by treatment with the protein synthesis inhibitors anisomycin and pactamycin, indicating that ribosomal-dependent translation occurs in growth cones. Ultrastructural analyses of growth cones demonstrated the presence of polyribosomes, the machinery for protein synthesis. The density of polyribosomes varied between growth cones, even between different growth cones on the same neuron, suggesting that growth cones express a range of protein synthetic capabilities. That different types of growth cones possess differing capabilities for protein synthesis is suggested in autoradiograms of 3H-leucine incorporation by the growth cones of axonal and nonaxonal neurites; incorporation was radically reduced in axonal growth cones in comparison with non-axonal growth cones. Finally, growth cones that were isolated for 2 d prior to radiolabeling incorporate 3H-leucine in a eukaryotic ribosomal-dependent manner, suggesting that the capacity for translation is long-lived in growth cones. Taken together, these studies reveal a capacity for protein synthesis confined totally to the neuronal growth cone proper. The synthesis of proteins in growth cones could afford a mechanism for the alteration of growth cone structure or function. This is in accord with the view that growth cones participate autonomously, to at least some extent, in the processes of synaptogenesis and the construction of neuronal architecture."}
{"id": "PMID:1464772", "title": "Increased c-fos expression in spinal neurons after irritation of the lower urinary tract in the rat.", "content": "This study utilized neuronal c-fos expression to examine the spinal pathways involved in processing nociceptive and non-nociceptive afferent input from the lower urinary tract (LUT) of the urethane-anesthetized rat. C-fos protein was detected immunocytochemically in only a small number of cells (< 2 cells/L6 section) in control animals. However, chemical irritation with 1% acetic acid or mechanical stimulation of the LUT markedly increased the number of c-fos-positive neurons (56-180 cells/L6 section) in four regions of the caudal lumbosacral (L6-S1) spinal cord: medial dorsal horn (MDH), lateral dorsal horn, dorsal commissure (DCM), and sacral parasympathetic nucleus (SPN). Only small numbers of c-fos-positive cells were detected in rostral lumbar segments, a region that is thought to receive nociceptive input from the LUT via afferent pathways in sympathetic nerves. The distribution of c-fos-positive cells in the L6 spinal cord varied according to the stimulus (i.e., urethral catheter, bladder distension, or chemical irritation). Distension of the urinary bladder increased the number of c-fos-positive cells mainly in DCM and SPN regions of the cord. In contrast, irritation of the LUT increased c-fos expression largely in DCM and MDH areas. Spinal cord transection (T8 level) did not alter the c-fos expression induced by a catheter or chemical irritation, indicating that gene expression was mediated by spinal pathways. Denervation experiments showed that c-fos expression was induced by activation of afferent pathways in the pelvic and pudendal nerves. These results suggest that neurons in several regions of the spinal cord are involved in processing afferent input from different parts of the LUT. Neurons in the DCM appear to have an important role since they respond to both nociceptive and non-nociceptive inputs and to visceral (pelvic nerve) and somatic (pudendal nerve) afferent pathways. Thus, these neurons may be involved in the mechanisms of visceral-somatic referred pain."}
{"id": "PMID:1464773", "title": "Presynaptic localization of sodium/calcium exchangers in neuromuscular preparations.", "content": "Calcium ions play a critical role in neurotransmitter release. The cytosolic Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]cyt) at nerve terminals must therefore be carefully controlled. Several different mechanisms, including a plasmalemmal Na/Ca exchanger, are involved in regulating [Ca2+]cyt. We employed immunofluorescence microscopy with polyclonal antiserum raised against dog cardiac sarcolemmal Na/Ca exchanger to determine the distribution of the exchanger in vertebrate neuromuscular preparations. Our data indicate that the Na/Ca exchanger is concentrated at the neuromuscular junctions of the rat diaphragm. The exchanger is also present in the nonjunctional sarcolemma, but at a much lower concentration than in the junctional regions. Denervation markedly lowers the concentration of the exchanger in the junctional regions; this implies that the Na/Ca exchanger is concentrated in the presynaptic nerve terminals. In Xenopus laevis nerve and muscle cell cocultures, high concentrations of the exchanger are observed along the neurites as well as at the nerve terminals. The high concentrations of Na/Ca exchanger at presynaptic nerve terminals in vertebrate neuromuscular preparations suggest that the exchanger may participate in the Ca-dependent regulation of neurotransmitter release. The Na/Ca exchanger is also abundant in developing neurites and growth cones, where it may also be important for Ca2+ homeostasis."}
{"id": "PMID:1464774", "title": "Intracranial arterial aneurysms: a review of neurosurgical results.", "content": "The results of elective surgery for intracranial aneurysms are now excellent, with a 90% cure rate, but they do not reflect the overall results of treatment of aneurysmal pathology. Despite improvements in microsurgical techniques, these results remain disappointing (56.4% cured, 27.3% dead in the 1983 co-operative study, this is mainly due to the severity of the initial haemorrhage caused by rupture of the aneurysms, but also to the problems encountered in transferring patients, as quickly as possible, to a specialized surgical unit. Only an early care of symptomatic patients will improve these results by reducing the frequency of rebleeding and vasospasm. The most dangerous complications to which patients who survived the first haemorrhage are exposed."}
{"id": "PMID:1464776", "title": "Endovascular treatment of subarachnoid arterial aneurysms in the acute period. Preliminary results.", "content": "The authors report their preliminary experience concerning the endovascular treatment of ruptured subarachnoid aneurysms during the acute phase in 9 patients. The endovascular approach was only used in Hunt and Hess grade IV or V patients, as an alternative to surgical clipping and in cases considered technically difficult for surgery (extremity of the basilar artery). No particular technical difficulties were encountered, except for a case with vasospasm. Further experience is needed to evaluate the benefit of this method during the acute phase."}
{"id": "PMID:1464777", "title": "Traumatic aneurysms of the internal and external carotid arteries. One case and a review of the literature.", "content": "The case of a female patient with two traumatic aneurysms diagnosed by serial angiography is reported. The first aneurysms, located on the orbito-frontal branch of the left anterior cerebral artery, was removed. The second aneurysm involving the right middle meningeal artery was treated by endovascular embolization. The causes and physiopathology of such lesions are reviewed. The frequency of traumatic cerebral aneurysms has been reduced by the routine use of computed tomography. Aggressive treatment of these aneurysms is advocated because of their natural history."}
{"id": "PMID:1464778", "title": "Dural fistulae of the cavernous sinus treated by embolization. Ten cases.", "content": "We report ten cases of dural fistulae of the cavernous sinus treated by the endovascular route. The fistulae were fed by the internal and external carotid arteries. All patients presented with ophthalmic symptoms and/or headache and/or intracranial murmur. Embolization was decided on the ground of all in visual acuity, exophthalmos, ophthalmoplegia or sudden exacerbation of clinical symptoms. It was performed after selective catheterization of external carotid feeders with non-resorbable particles. The shunt was totally occluded in 7 cases, and local signs were improved in all patients: the intracranial murmur disappeared in 2 out of 4 cases and headache was relieved in 2 out of 3 cases. No permanent complication was observed. Among the various possible treatments of these dural fistulae, embolization of branches of the external carotid artery is a simple, effective and safe method, provided its principles and indications are respected."}
{"id": "PMID:1464779", "title": "MRI in neurosarcoidosis.", "content": "Nine patients with neurological manifestations of sarcoidosis were explored by MRI and, in some cases, CT. The MRI examinations were performed in T1- and T2-weighted spin-echo sequences in all patients, with gadolinium injection in seven. Several non-specific lesions were demonstrated, the most frequent of them showing on T2-weighted sequences as high-intensity signals in the periventricular white matter and the semi-oval centres. Other abnormalities, such as infiltrations of the hypothalamo-pituitary region, granulomatous masses within the brain tissue and meningeal infiltrations, were observed. These findings were in agreement with those found in the literature. Gadolinium injection seems to be important in this pathology, as it demonstrates lesions that are not visible on conventional T1- and T2-weighted spin-echo sequences."}
{"id": "PMID:1464780", "title": "MRI in Sturge-Weber syndrome.", "content": "Five children (3 girls, 2 boys, aged from 1 to 18 years) presenting with Sturge-Weber syndrome were explored by MRI with contrast injection in 2 cases. The respective positions of CT and MRI are discussed: CT is the method of choice to display leptomeningeal calcifications. MRI seems to be more accurate than CT to determine the location of the lesions and to demonstrate the enhancement of the angioma after contrast injection."}
{"id": "PMID:1464781", "title": "The aid of computerized tomography in hemifacial spasm.", "content": "Although the physiopathological mechanisms causing hemifacial spasm are not clearly understood, it is generally accepted that the causative factor is compression of the facial nerve at its root exit zone. In this paper we present seven cases of hemifacial spasm which were studied by dynamic CT scanning in the preoperative period, and treated with microvascular decompression. We suggest that CT scanning has considerable diagnostic value in disclosing the asymmetrical vascular formation causing root exit zone compression and that microvascular decompression should be the treatment of choice in this condition."}
{"id": "PMID:1464782", "title": "The P300 event-related potential. The effects of sleep deprivation.", "content": "We monitored 15 healthy young adults during 18 hours of sleep deprivation. Subjects were repeatedly tested on measures of the P300 (P3) event-related potential, reaction time, body temperature, and a subjective rating of fatigue. Statistically significant decreases in P3 amplitude (P < or = .01) and increases in P3 latency (P < or = .0001) were found during sleep deprivation. These changes correlated with body temperature and fatigue and were not due to circadian variation. Reaction time did not show a significant change over time. We conclude that the P3 potential is a more sensitive cognitive measure of sleep deprivation than reaction time, a measure commonly used in previous studies. We provide a review of the literature on the P3 and recommend the use of the P3 as a marker to examine sleep deprivation in health professionals."}
{"id": "PMID:1464783", "title": "Sleep deprivation and house staff performance. Update 1984-1991.", "content": "All English language studies since 1984 of sleep deprivation and house staff performance are reviewed. Manual and computer surveys identified 14 such studies. Our goal is to examine whether the current literature supports the hypothesis that sleep deprivation significantly impairs house staff performance. Our review finds that the current data remain inconclusive. The causes for this uncertainty include different methodologies in assessing performance, the arbitrary definitions of sleep deprived and rested states, and lack of separation of the effects of acute and chronic sleep deprivation. Our review notes striking difference in reported effects of sleep deprivation depending on medical specialty. Surgical studies most frequently show little effect of sleep deprivation. All studies since 1990 support the hypothesis that sleep deprivation significantly impairs performance. Most studies support the impairment of physician mood with increasing sleep deprivation."}
{"id": "PMID:1464785", "title": "A benefit-to-cost analysis of a work-site health promotion program.", "content": "An analysis of the benefit-to-cost ratio of a major health promotion program was conducted for the years 1986 through 1990, with projections to the year 2000. Program costs for personnel, capital expenses, materials, and rent were determined and compared with program benefits (discounted to account for increasing pension liability) for heath care cost savings, increased productivity, decreased absenteeism, decreased life insurance claims, and program-generated income. After adjusting future monies to net present value, a benefit-to-cost ratio of 3.4 was estimated for the program. Despite the limitations of the study design, the authors concluded that the program realizes a positive return on its investment. Several program recommendations are presented to increase the probability of achieving positive benefit-to-cost ratios in future program offerings."}
{"id": "PMID:1464786", "title": "A comparison of smokers and nonsmokers with respect to oncogene products and cytogenetic parameters.", "content": "Human monitoring studies can be valuable tools for assessing the adverse effects of chemicals. Cytogenetic parameters have been frequently employed but are rarely related directly to possible adverse health effects. Recently, the measurement of oncoprotein levels in plasma has been proposed as a possible and more appropriate indicator of exposure and carcinogenic risk but, unlike chromosome damage, little is known about the effects of possible confounding factors. This study compared the effect of smoking on chromosome aberrations, sister chromatid exchange, and plasma ras oncoprotein levels, in forty humans not otherwise known to be exposed to any specific chemical hazard. No effect was found on any of these end points, with the exception of a moderate, statistically nonsignificant elevation of sister chromatid exchange levels. It is concluded that smoking is unlikely to be a confounding factor in human monitoring studies using oncoprotein levels as an end point."}
{"id": "PMID:1464787", "title": "Training and proficiency in the medical review of job applicant drug screens.", "content": "A survey was performed to examine the proficiency of urine drug screen medical review officers (MROs) and the effect of training upon their performance. One hundred thirty-nine attendees of the ACOEM basic MRO training course, and 82 attendees of the advanced course completed both pre- and postcourse surveys. The questionnaires included 10 vignettes with positive analytical results; of which only half should be reported as positive to management. The mean number of correct responses among the 10 cases presented were: basic pre-test--4.91; basic post-test--7.45; advanced pre-test--6.68; advanced post-test--7.33. Differences between all four groups were significant (P < .001 to P = .003), except for the basic post-test versus the advanced post-test, for which there was no significant difference. It is concluded that 1) inadequate knowledge and skill in the medical review of drug screens may contribute to errors in reports to management, 2) physician's performance can be improved with training, and 3) certification of MROs in both the private and public sectors should be considered."}
{"id": "PMID:1464788", "title": "Sick building syndrome. Medical evaluation of two work forces.", "content": "Sick building syndrome, characterized by upper respiratory irritative and central nervous system symptoms, is poorly understood. Building ventilation problems are frequent, although causative agent(s) are unknown. Few studies have addressed clinical characterization of symptomatic building occupants. Employees from two sites underwent standardized evaluation including medical history, physical examination and screening neurologic and neuropsychologic testing while acutely symptomatic. Both symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals were evaluated when one of the sites was evacuated. Baseline evaluation results for this group were available for comparison. Symptoms of both work forces mirrored those reported in the literature. General medical examination abnormalities were few and minor, while neurologic and neuropsychologic examinations documented mental status, cerebellar, and neurobehavioral deficits. There were statistically significant changes from baseline. Abnormalities were self-limited. Controlled evaluations of symptomatic sick building occupants should be performed to verify these findings."}
{"id": "PMID:1464790", "title": "[Factors influencing the pitch and loudness of tinnitus].", "content": "Pitch match and loudness balance tests were given to 397 cases with tinnitus. The factors which influenced tinnitus pitch and loudness were analyzed statistically from the clinical point of view. The results obtained were as follows: 1) Onomatopoeia of tinnitus, either [Keeeen] or [Jeeeen], were observed in a majority of cases. 2) Significantly sharp sounding onomatopoeia such as [Keeeen] or [Meeeen] had high pitches, over 4kHz, and dull sounds like [Gooooh] or [Buuuun] had low pitches, below 500Hz. 3) Acute stage tinnitus, within one month of onset, had a significantly depressed pitch and walked loudness, above 6dB. 4) The pitches observed in cases with Meniere's disease and chronic otitis media were distributed evenly from low frequencies to high. In other cases, especially presbyacusis and noise deafness, high pitch tinnitus (above 4kHz) was frequently noted. The loudness of tinnitus without hearing loss was significantly greater than in other diseases. 5) As a rule the more deteriorated the hearing level was, the lower the frequency of the pitch, and the smaller the loudness in tinnitus. 6) A high pitch of tinnitus nearly corresponded with hearing type, that is, the pitch of tinnitus was also in accordance with the disturbed frequency in the hearing threshold."}
{"id": "PMID:1464791", "title": "[Masking in bone-conduction testing--proposal of ABC method].", "content": "A new strategic masking technique, namely the ABC method, has been developed. In performing this method of measuring thresholds of bone-conduction, the vibrator is placed at the forehead with both ears occluded by air-conduction earphones. One of the earphones is for masking noise and the other is a dummy which balances out the occlusive effect of the test ear against the nontest ear. The ABC method is based on the ABC rule that, in bone-conduction testing, the effective masking noise level necessary to block out the nontest ear can be calculated by a simple equation: right AC (A) + left AC (B)--unmasked BCu (C) under the assumption that the BCu belongs to the nontest ear. In some cases of hearing loss, the above noise level might produce overmasking, then an additive safety noise level, BCu + Interaural Attenuation, is employed. This method offers testers step by step directions which consist of indications of the noise level and a criterion for determining whether the measured bone-conduction is free from cross hearing and overmasking for the given configuration of air-conduction of both ears, BCu, and the masking noise level. Compared to the well known Plato method, in which measurements of thresholds are repeated at several masking noise levels in order to find a single bone-conduction threshold, the ABC method can essentially find the threshold at only one masking noise level. Therefore the ABC method makes it possible to save a great deal of time in performing bone conduction testing."}
{"id": "PMID:1464792", "title": "[The pathogenic role of Chlamydia trachomatis in otitis media with effusion].", "content": "There are conflicting views concerning middle ear infections due to Chlamydia trachomatis. To ascertain the etiological role of this agent in otitis media with effusion, middle ear effusions were cultured for C. trachomatis and other bacterial flora. A total of 102 patients with otitis media with effusion (OME) were recruited for this study. The study population included 66 patients with acute OME (AOME) and 36 patients with chronic OME (COME). As Chlamydia pneumoniae, the third species of Chlamydia, is also known to be isolated from middle ear effusion of OME, the fluorescent-antibody technique using anti-C. pneumoniae or anti-C. trachomatis antibodies was employed in order to identify the inclusion bodies isolated on HeLa 229 cells as C. trachomatis. C. trachomatis was recovered from 7 patients (10.6%) with AOME and from 8 (22.2%) patients with COME. Bacteria were cultured from 20 of 63 patients with AOME and from 13 of 28 patients with COME. Pathological bacteria were cultured from only 2 patients with C. trachomatis infection in the middle ear. Only normal skin flora, no bacterial pathogens, were isolated from the remainder. Antibodies to C. trachomatis in serum were measured by a microimmunofluorescent method in 13 patients with C. trachomatis infection in the middle ear. Antichlamydial antibody of the IgG type was detected in 84.6% (11/13) of these patients. These results suggest that C. trachomatis causes middle ear infections and plays an etiological role in the pathogenesis of otitis media with effusion."}
{"id": "PMID:1464793", "title": "[Immunohistological investigation of type IV collagen in the basement membrane surrounding the cancer nest (cancer nest membrane) of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma--its relation to frequency of cervical lymph node metastasis].", "content": "Lymphoducts and blood vessels exist in the stroma, while none can be detected in the cancer nest itself within cancerous tissue. This explains why metastasis of carcinoma cannot occur without the escape of tumor cells through the basement membrane surrounding the cancer nest into the stroma. Accordingly, observation of the continuity of the basement membrane, what we call the cancer nest membrane, is essential for elucidating the first step of metastasis. Since type IV collagen is the most important structure composing the basement membrane, investigation of the immunohistological localization and continuity of type IV collagen is of value in predicting the metastatic aggressiveness of squamous cell carcinoma. We therefore studied biopsy tissues from the advancing lesion of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma in 95 untreated patients. The tissues were fixed in 85% ethanol and embedded in paraffin, and 5-um thin sections prepared were then immunohistochemically stained for type IV collagen by the ABC method for observation of the continuity status of the cancer nest membrane in relation to metastasis. The basement membranes of normal mucosal epithelium and normal interstitial capillaries were utilized as positive controls, and negative controls were obtained by using PBS in place of the primary antibodies for the immunohistochemical reaction. Membrane discontinuity (breaks or absence) correlated significantly with cervical lymph node metastasis, while intact membrane was associated with a low frequency of cervical lymph node metastasis. There was no obvious relation between the clinical T category and the continuity of the membrane; pN (+) carcinomas with membrane discontinuity included even T1 supraglottic and hypopharyngeal carcinomas, as well as T2 or higher oral mucosal carcinomas and T3 or higher glottic carcinomas, suggesting variation with tumor site. Hypopharyngeal and supraglottic carcinoma was associated with membrane discontinuity and a high incidence of cervical lymph node metastasis. On the other hand, glottic and oral carcinoma more often presented with intact membranes and had a lower incidence of metastasis, although carcinomas in these sites that did present with discontinuity of the membrane were associated with a high incidence of cervical metastasis. Therefore, observation of the continuity of the cancer nest membrane by the expression of type IV collagen may be useful in selecting better specific therapies and determining the necessity of prophylactic neck dissection. A correlation between the degree of tumor differentiation and the continuity of the membrane was also found; well-differentiated tumors with discontinuity of the membrane were frequently associated with cervical lymph node metastasis.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1464794", "title": "[Influence of environmental temperature (cold exposure) on nasal resistance].", "content": "Changes in nasal resistance were examined in 33 healthy subjects in order to investigate the physiological reactions of nasal mucosa to cold exposure. Each examinee was exposed to changes in room temperature from 25 degrees C to 15 degrees C with the same humidity in an artificial atmosphere chamber, regulated by an environmental control unit. Nasal resistance was measured by means of the active-anterior method using a rhinomanometer MPR-2200. The same experiments were repeated on different dates in all 18 subjects. The results can be summarized as follows. 1) The average value of nasal resistance significantly increased after room temperature was decreased from 25 degrees C to 15 degrees C. 2) Patterns of nasal resistance responses to cold exposure were classified into two types. One type was increased nasal resistance after cold exposure and the other was maintenance of resistance despite cold exposure. Each individual manifested a different pattern in experiments carried out on different dates. 3) The nasal resistance value in the chamber at 25 degrees C was significantly higher in winter than in summer, and the increase in nasal resistance in response to cold exposure was significantly larger in summer than in winter. This result was assumed to be due to cold adaptation of the nasal mucosa in winter. 4) Heart rate decreased significantly with cold exposure. However, changes of heart rate in response to cold exposure did not correlate with changes in nasal resistance. No correlation between changes in nasal resistance in response to cold exposure and orthostatic loading, which was carried out after the cold exposure experiment, was detected. 5) A nasal cycle was observed in 7 (14%) of the 33 cases. In 6 of these total nasal resistance was maintained despite cold exposure."}
{"id": "PMID:1464795", "title": "[T-cell subsets and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 in human allergic nasal mucosa].", "content": "We performed an immunohistological study of T-cell subsets and intercellular adhesion molecules in allergic and non-allergic nasal mucosa. In allergic mucosa, the number of CD4 positive cells tended to dominate that of CD8 positive cells. CD8 positive cells were detected randomly in all regions of the mucosa, whereas CD4 positive cells tended to be clustered in the superficial portion of the lamina propria. Furthermore, the number of CD4 positive cells correlated with the intensity of ICAM-1 expression, especially in the superficial portion of the lamina propria."}
{"id": "PMID:1464796", "title": "[Spontaneous cerebrospinal fluid otorrhea in a normal inner ear. A case report].", "content": "A 49-year-old male with spontaneous cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) otorrhea, an extremely rare condition, is presented as the third reported case in Japan. The patient visited us complaining of sudden hearing loss and fullness of the ear on the left side. A tegmen defect of the posterior cranial fossa and CSF leakage from the fistula into the mastoid air cells, but a normal inner ear, were found by means of metrizamide CT. The fistula was surgically occluded with fascia temporalis and an artificial bone with fibrin glue. The CSF otorrhea from the tegmen defect was successfully stopped by this procedure and no recurrence has been observed. We discuss this extremely rare disease in this paper."}
{"id": "PMID:1464797", "title": "[A study of factors regulating ciliary activity using cultured human paranasal sinus mucosa].", "content": "Whether temperature, pH, osmotic pressure, Ca2+, Mg2+, and ATP have promotive effects on ciliary activity was investigated by a photo-electric method using cultured human ethmoid sinus mucosa. The results obtained were as follows: 1. Ciliary activity was reversible between 11 and 43 degrees C. It was activated with rising temperature, and inactivated at 40 degrees C. A temperature between 36 and 40 degrees C was optimal for activation of ciliary activity. 2. In the case of brief immersion (30 min.) in solutions between pH 4.5 and 8.5 ciliary activity was reversible, and with prolonged immersion (72 h) between pH 6.5 and 7.5 it was also reversible. with brief immersion within 30 min, pH 8.5 was an activating factor. 3. Ciliary activity was reversible in solutions between 143 and 1,140mOsm/Kg for 30 min. However, the ciliary reaction was different even at the same osmotic pressure according to the substance, NaCl or glucose, used to adjust it. Inhibited beating was reversible after prolonged immersion (72 h) in an osmotic pressure between 285 and 423mOsm/Kg adjusted by NaCl, and between 285 and 570mOsm/Kg adjusted by glucose. Any osmotic pressure of 428mOsm/Kg adjusted by NaCl activated ciliary activity. 4. Neither Ca2+ nor Mg2+, between 10(-2) and 10(-6) Mol, increased ciliary activity. 5. Between 10(-3) and 10(-5) Mol of Na-ATP, given exogenously, slightly activated ciliary movement, while Mg-ATP of 10(-3) Mol also activated it but only slightly. It is important to bear in mind the above results in administering local aerosol therapy for nasal and paranasal sinus diseases."}
{"id": "PMID:1464798", "title": "Shifting the paradigm: toward integrative research on mothers and children.", "content": "The mother-child relationship has been examined extensively but most research has centered on maternal characteristics associated with poor childhood developmental outcomes or maternal response to stressors. The \"maternal deficit\" model has misdirected research and intervention. Research on maternal depression based on the maternal deficit model has resulted in research designs that do not adequately address maternal outcomes. Research must be conceptualized to address parent-child relationships and situational factors that influence them."}
{"id": "PMID:1464800", "title": "In defense of genuine ignorance: supporting vitality and relevance in graduate curricula.", "content": "Genuine ignorance, defined by John Dewey as curiosity and openmindedness in opposition to repetition of catch phrases and familiar propositions, is nurtured in graduate nursing curricula in which the educational process is congruent with course content. Preparation for advanced practice in the mental health environment of the foreseeable future required abandonment of the familiar medical model in favor of conceptual models consistent with current thinking in psychiatric nursing and exposure to current problems (homelessness, family violence, AIDS) and current problem solving strategies (brief treatment, family preservation). Involvement in practice-based research and operationalizing new perspectives on familiar clinical problems, are suggested as strategies for developing the advanced practitioner. Two of the authors, former graduate students, describe the impact of changed perspectives and research activity on their own practice."}
{"id": "PMID:1464804", "title": "Putting the unit to bed.", "content": "Bedtime on children's inpatient units taxes a staff's patience and energy. Many children are pressing their needs with great urgency. Unfortunately, by late evening staff members are frequently depleted and not emotionally available to the children. Inpatient nurses can address this situation by developing bedtime programs that focus on the particular nighttime needs of disturbed children. The Author details such a bedtime program and describes why it has been successful in helping patients get undisturbed sleep."}
{"id": "PMID:1464805", "title": "A symptom management program for adolescents with psychotic illnesses: theoretical basis.", "content": "The author describes the theoretical basis of a nursing intervention program for adolescents who have experienced nondrug-related psychotic episodes. The program is designed to empower mentally ill adolescents and to increase their level of functioning by assisting them to recognize and manage symptoms of their illnesses. The theoretical model predicts some factors that influence the adolescent's level of functioning."}
{"id": "PMID:1464806", "title": "Ecotoxicological testing: small is reliable.", "content": "The focus of environmental regulations has changed significantly since the introduction of the bioassay as a standard means of assessing environmental impact. Prominent in this change is an increasing emphasis on protecting the integrity of natural ecosystems, which incorporate community- and system-level properties as well as organismal and population processes. Consequently, support for the use of multispecies testing has widened to include not only ecologists in academia but environmental scientists in the regulatory and industrial sector as well. The reason for this trend is clear: the additional environmental realism gained from tests utilizing communities of organisms allows for greater insight into the potential hazard of chemicals and other forms of human activity to natural ecosystems that cannot be obtained from single species tests alone. Many of the problems cited for multispecies testing early in their evolution as a hazard assessment tool have been refuted or overcome. In particular, the use of natural microbial communities minimizes several shortcomings typically associated with multispecies toxicity testing. This article includes the utility of microcosm and mesocosm tests using aquatic microbial communities as hazard assessment tools in conjunction with accumulating information on their performance in toxicity testing protocols. An increasing body of experimental evidence supports an expansion in the use of these tests for a variety of regulatory and research purposes. A shift in research focus is needed, however, to answer remaining questions and further refine standard protocols for these valuable ecotoxicological tools."}
{"id": "PMID:1464803", "title": "Twenty years: a great beginning.", "content": "The only nursing organization whose major focus is the psychiatric mental health needs of severely emotionally disturbed children, adolescents and their families and the promotion of mental health of children, adolescents, and their families, has turned 20 this year. The author's purpose is to review the history and accomplishments of Advocates for Child Psychiatric Nursing, Inc. (ACPN), and to make some projections for future action by this nursing specialty organization."}
{"id": "PMID:1464807", "title": "Life-span studies in rats exposed to 239PuO2 aerosol. II. Nonpulmonary tumor formation in control and exposed groups.", "content": "Female young adult, SPF, Wistar rats, obtained from the same supplier over an 18-month period, were examined in a life-span study with inhaled 239PuO2. Nonpulmonary tumors were evaluated both in 1052 rats comprising 16 controls groups and in 2105 exposed rats. Tumors in the pituitary gland, mammary glands, uterus, and thyroid glands, in order of decreasing prevalence, accounted for 90% of all tumors. Uterine tumors comprised 55% of all nonpulmonary malignant tumors. A substantial variability in tumor incidence was seen in most organs and for most tumor types among the 16 cohort subgroups, which was not explained by husbandry conditions or mortality patterns. The incidence of thyroid tumors ranged from 0 to 21% and uterine tumors from 14 to 45% among control cohorts. Pulmonary metastases were seen in 12% of all rats irrespective of treatment, two thirds of which were uterine adenocarcinomas that appeared histologically similar to some primary lung adenocarcinomas. A tumor incidence of about 1.5% was associated with metal identification ear tags. Except in the lung, no significant difference was found in tumor location or type between control and exposed rats. A twofold or greater increase in tumors in exposed rats was found in Zymbal gland, bladder, brain, and liver; tumor incidence in each organ was < 1%."}
{"id": "PMID:1464811", "title": "Epidemiological factors of cancer in California.", "content": "California has 12% of the U.S. population. In 1991, the newly diagnosed cancer cases in California represented 10% of all new cancer cases in the country, and the yearly toll was 10% of all cancer deaths. Relative to all new cancer cases in the U.S., California had 10, 9.8, 9.8, and 9.3% of breast, lung, prostate, and colorectal cancers, respectively. Because of its large population and cancer incidence, the epidemiology of cancer in California is of particular interest. Epidemiological factors reviewed in this article include ethnicity, lifestyle, occupation, and environmental conditions. Ethnic factors: There is an increased incidence of cervical and gallbladder cancer among Hispanic women, and of stomach cancer in Hispanic men and women. In U.S.-born Chinese men, the most prevalent cancers are those of the lung and colon, which is also seen in American white men. In U.S.-born Chinese women, there is an upward displacement of breast cancer incidence. In U.S.-born Japanese men and women, the mortality rate is closer to that of American whites. Life-style: Members of the Mormon Church and Seventh-Day Adventists have only 50% of the U.S. standardized mortality rate for cancer associated with smoking. Increased coffee consumption has been found to be associated with increased occurrence of colon and bladder cancer; alcohol use has been reported to have a positive association with colorectal cancer. The large AIDS population in San Francisco has a 144-fold odds ratio of Kaposi's sarcoma and a fivefold odds ratio of lymphoma when compared with the general U.S. population. Occupational factors: An increased incidence of mesothelioma in asbestos workers, of gastric cancer, skin cancer, and lymphoma in men working in dusty environments, and of astrocytoma in individuals with prolonged exposure to low-frequency electric and magnetic fields has been recorded. Environmental factors: The drinking-water pool in northern California is contaminated with asbestos of the serpentine type, which is associated with mesothelioma of the peritoneum and carcinoma of the lung, gallbladder, and pancreas. Petrochemical fumes in the heavily industrialized San Francisco Bay area have not been associated with an increased occurrence of cancer. No significant incidence in cancer has been noted in the counties surrounding the nuclear power plant at San Onofre during 18 years of close observation."}
{"id": "PMID:1464812", "title": "Geographic survey of cancer in China.", "content": "Cancer incidence in China shows characteristics related to geographic distribution, ecological factors, dietary and nondietary habits, lifestyles and living conditions, and occupational factors. The random interaction of these factors resulted in a markedly uneven distribution of each of the major types of cancer throughout China. This article reviews the main types of cancer found in China in relation to their relevant epidemiological factors."}
{"id": "PMID:1464810", "title": "Environmental monitoring in Lithuania. Environmental distress signals: gastrointestinal epithelial barrier after exposure to chemical agents.", "content": "Lithuania's environment is heavily polluted as a result of domestic and transboundary contamination. The main ecological problems are related to atmospheric pollution; water contamination; soil, water, and forest acidification; nitrogen-compounds overload of soil, water, and food; and contamination with agricultural chemicals and heavy metals. The increased environmental distress is a menace to public health in Lithuania. Experimental studies need to be designed and used to ascertain the effects of environmental distress on the gastrointestinal tract epithelial barrier. Our electronmicroscopic and immunohistochemical study of human gastrointestinal endocrine cells revealed changes in the amount of secretory material and intracytoplasmic vacuolization after exposure to the environmental chemicals such as hexavalent chromium and the herbicide Saprol. The most affected were the EC (serotonin, motilin, substance P), D (somatostatin), A (glucagon), B (insulin), and mast (histamine, serotonin, heparin) cells. These results provide ultrastructural evidence of digestive tract epithelial barrier reaction as an expression of environmental distress signals of the organism."}
{"id": "PMID:1464813", "title": "Breast cancer: geographic variation and risk factors.", "content": "Cancer of the breast is the most frequent malignant neoplasm occurring in women in developed countries. The age-standardized incidence rates of breast cancer vary widely throughout the world, the highest being observed in white females in the U.S. In general, its incidence is much lower in developing countries, particularly in Asia. Incidence rates in Japan are also low, which contradicts the role of the high economic level of a country being associated with high risk of breast cancer. The range of variation in incidence worldwide reaches a tenfold difference. Though breast cancer incidence has been increasing, screening practices for early diagnosis have contributed to keeping mortality at lower levels. Geographical variations, time trends, and studies on populations migrating from low- to high-risk areas, which show that the incidence in such populations approaches that of the host country in one or two generations, clearly suggest an important role of environmental factors in the etiology of breast cancer. Since the 1960s, numerous analytical studies have been conducted that have investigated, in particular, reproductive habits, hormonal patterns, and more recently, dietary habits. This article reviews the known risk factors and current research directions."}
{"id": "PMID:1464814", "title": "Screening and pathological diagnosis of asbestosis and mesothelioma: a review.", "content": "X-ray screenings of workers employed in asbestos manufacturing in Hungary revealed 255 cases of asbestosis and 3 cases of malignant mesothelioma. The pathological diagnosis of asbestosis is not very difficult. The diagnosis of mesothelioma, however, is fraught with problems. To identify mesothelioma we use histochemical reactions with PAS diastase digestion and immunohistochemical reactions for cytokeratin, vimentin, and CEA. The PAS and CEA reactions are negative but the vimentin and cytokeratin are positive in mesothelioma. Cytogenetic and molecular genetic studies may contribute to the better understanding of the pathogenesis and, thus, open new perspectives in our understanding of mesotheliomas."}
{"id": "PMID:1464815", "title": "Association of oral carcinoma with nasswar (snuff dipping).", "content": "A total of 186 cases of oral carcinoma were treated at the Institute of Radiotherapy and Nuclear Medicine (IRNUM), Peshawar, and at the District Headquarter Teaching Hospital, Abbottabad, during a two-year period. These patients were investigated for their personal habits and environmental factors. Use of nasswar was the most significant habit. We found that 91% of patients had the habit of nasswar dipping for more than 10 years. A history of tobacco smoking was noted in 44% of cases. Of these, 96% were also nasswar addicts. A significant correlation of the oral lesions was found with the site of the nasswar (snuff) dipping. We concluded that nasswar and other types of smokeless tobacco are not safe alternatives to tobacco smoking."}
{"id": "PMID:1464817", "title": "Male genital tract tumors in Punjab, India.", "content": "A total of 95,797 tissue specimens were submitted to our laboratory for histopathological examination during the 21-year period from January 1964 to December 1984. Out of 21,281 cases diagnosed as tumors, 9,254 were found in the male population, comprising 6,846 malignant neoplasms and 2,408 benign neoplasms. There were 1,175 tumors of the male genital tract of which 1,118 were malignant and 57 were benign. The incidence of male genital tract cancer represented 16.33% of male malignancies. The relative frequency of malignant tumors of various organs in the male genital tract was penis, 42.49%; prostate, 40.34%; testis, 15.92%; scrotum, 0.71%; epididymis, 0.36%; spermatic cord, 0.09%; and urethra, 0.09%. All these tumors were classified into various histopathological types and their relative frequency was determined. Some of the rare tumors diagnosed included leiomyosarcoma of the penis, transitional cell carcinoma of the prostate gland, orchioblastoma of the testis, and carcinoma of the urethra. A separate study by this department on the pattern of cancer distribution revealed that cancer of the uterine cervix is the most common malignancy in females in this geographic region. We postulate that a common carcinogenic agent, either a virus or a biochemical (smegmatic) factor, may be responsible for the high incidence of carcinoma of the penis in males and carcinoma of the cervix in females. Educating people about the importance of penile hygiene, and, in particular, educating mothers to retract the foreskin of male babies and to wash it with soap and water when bathing them, will hopefully reduce the incidence of these cancers in regions of high prevalence."}
{"id": "PMID:1464816", "title": "Malignant lymphomas in Beijing.", "content": "We report on 1,082 cases of malignant lymphomas from the files of the Department of Pathology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing. We found non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (NHL) in 980 cases (91%) and Hodgkin's disease (HD) in the remaining 102 cases (9%). Among the NHL, the diffuse type was seen in 955 cases (97.4%) and the follicular type in 25 cases (2.6%). Among the diffuse NHL, the pleomorphic type was most frequently found (263 cases or 26.8%), followed in frequency by the mixed small and large cell (163 cases or 16.6%). The large-cell cleaved and noncleaved immunoblastic was found in 139 cases (14.2%), small cleaved cell in 132 cases (13.5%), lymphoblastic convoluted and nonconvoluted in 72 cases (7.3%), the small lymphocytic type in 128 cases (13.1%), plasmacytoid type in 40 cases (4.1%), and Burkitt type in 18 cases (1.8%). Using immunohistocytochemistry, we found T-cell lymphoma in 53% and B-cell lymphoma in 47% of cases. The distinctive differences of malignant lymphomas types between China and Western countries suggest the possibility of a relationship to environmental factors."}
{"id": "PMID:1464818", "title": "Gastric carcinoma in northwestern Turkey: epidemiologic characteristics.", "content": "We studied 252 newly diagnosed gastric cancer patients seen at our institution between 1977 and 1991 and compared the findings with 609 age- and gender-matched controls. There was no difference in the mean age and the M:F ratio. Most of our patients were rural dwellers from a low socio-economic group. The proximal portion of the stomach was most often involved. No statistically significant differences were found with regard to the use of coffee, alcohol, starchy food, and fresh fruits. The relative risk for gastric cancer was significantly higher statistically in individuals who consumed only small amounts of vegetables and bread. Although an increased relative risk was noted between gastric cancer and the amount of milk and meat consumed, this appears to have been fortuitous: an increased consumption of milk may have been due to patients attempts to alleviate symptoms, and a low meat intake most likely was due to the low income level of the majority of our patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1464819", "title": "Geographic pathology on the precursors of stomach cancer.", "content": "The classification of dysplasias of the gastric mucosa used in our institute includes adenomatous dysplasia, regenerative dysplasia, and cryptal dysplasia. We compared the incidence of gastric dysplasia in three regions of China which have quite different geographical environments: the loess plateau of Wuwei area in the Gansu Province, the island of the Yangtze River in the Jiangsu Province of southern China, and the coastal area of the Liaoning Province in northern China. The mortality rate of stomach cancer in these areas is more than 50 per 100,000. We found a total of 323 cases of gastric dysplasia in these three areas. Regenerative dysplasia is the most common precancerous lesion of the stomach and was found in 40% of the cases from the three high-risk areas of gastric cancer. The background lesions consist of gastric erosions, severe gastritis, gastric ulcers, and intestinal metaplasia, which indicate that some factors causing damage to gastric mucosa are very important in the histogenesis of stomach cancer. The gastric dysplasia sites involved are different in the three geographical regions studied. On the island of the Yangtze River, cardiac dysplasia and intestinal metaplasia are common (75%), and cancer of the cardia is also common. In the other two geographical areas, antral dysplasia predominates (85 to 91%). The finding of different sites of gastric dysplasia in different geographical environments may be very important in our search for etiological factors of gastric cancer and may allow for beneficial intervention in the prevention of this disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1464825", "title": "The role of endogenous angiotensin II in the regulation of renal haemodynamics and proximal fluid reabsorption in the rat.", "content": "1. The influence of endogenous angiotensin II (AII) on renal haemodynamics and tubular function was examined by clearance and micropuncture methods in anaesthetized rats during AII receptor blockade with the non-peptide antagonist DuP 753 (50 micrograms kg-1 min-1 i.v.). 2. Mean arterial pressure was reduced slightly (-5 +/- 2 mmHg) while filtration fraction and glomerular filtration rate rose by 30% without changes in renal plasma flow (RPF) or renal vascular resistance (RVR). 3. Fractional proximal fluid reabsorption (calculated from lithium clearance) fell from 73 to 64% (P < 0.01) and fractional distal sodium reabsorption decreased from 98 to 94% (P < 0.01). 4. Urine flow rate more than doubled, sodium output increased 4-fold and plasma renin concentration rose 8-fold while potassium excretion remained unchanged. 5. Proximal tubular fluid reabsorption (Jv) as measured by shrinking split-droplet micropuncture decreased by 21% (P < 0.01) during infusion of DuP 753 compared with 22.5% (P < 0.01) during converting enzyme inhibition by enalaprilat (MK422). 6. Responses to DuP 753 were similar to those previously documented with converting enzyme inhibitors except that DuP 753 failed to raise RPF. It is concluded that generation of intrarenal vasodilator paracrines has confounded conclusions about the renal action of converting enzyme inhibitors and we propose that in anaesthetized rats, endogenous angiotensin II (AII) has its major renal influences on glomerular filtration and proximal fluid reabsorption with little effect on renal vascular resistance."}
{"id": "PMID:1464826", "title": "Effects of muscarine on single rat adrenal chromaffin cells.", "content": "1. The action of muscarine on membrane currents and cytosolic calcium (Ca2+) of dissociated rat adrenal chromaffin cells was investigated using standard whole-cell voltage-clamp techniques and microfluorimetry of unclamped single cells. 2. In cells held at a constant holding potential negative to -40 mV, brief (5-10 s) applications of muscarine produced a transient activation of outward current. The activation of this current by muscarine also occurs in the presence of 5 mM-Co2+. 3. The outward current activated by muscarine at holding potentials negative to about -40 mV is blocked over 90% by either 200 microM-curare or 200 nM-apamin. One millimolar TEA produces variable blocking effects at such potentials. 4. The outward current activated by muscarine is transient even in the continuing presence of muscarine. Complete recovery between pairs of muscarine applications occurs over a 1-2 min period. If sufficient time was allowed for recovery between muscarine applications, the muscarine-activated outward current could be reliably elicited in dialysed cells for periods of 20-30 min. 5. Voltage ramps were used to examine effects of muscarine on currents over a range of membrane potentials. Over all potentials, muscarine activates a relatively voltage-independent component which is blocked almost completely by 200 nM-apamin and by 200 microM-curare. At potentials negative to about -40 mV, the apamin- and curare-sensitive current accounts for virtually all muscarine-activated current. This current appears to correspond to a Ca(2+)-activated, voltage-independent current found in these cells. Effects of muscarine on currents activated at potentials positive to 0 mV are complex. At potentials above 0 mV, muscarine can produce either an activation or an inhibition of outward current. The outward current activated at positive potentials was primarily voltage dependent and blocked by 1 mM-TEA. However, in some cells activation of voltage-dependent current was not observed and, in such cases, muscarine produced an inactivation of the voltage-dependent component of current. The inactivation of outward current could also be observed in the presence of 5 mM-Co2+ indicating that the inactivation does not occur secondarily to an effect of muscarine on Ca2+ current. The possibility is discussed that the inactivation of outward current occurs as a result of intrinsic inactivation properties of the voltage-dependent Ca(2+)-dependent K+ current. According to this hypothesis, the extent to which inactivation of voltage-dependent outward current is observed depends on the magnitude of the muscarine-induced cytosolic Ca2+ elevation and the level of depolarization of the cell.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1464827", "title": "Membrane recapture and early triggered secretion from the newly formed endocytotic compartment in bovine chromaffin cells.", "content": "1. Recycling of secretory vesicles in cultured bovine adrenal medullary cells was investigated. 2. Extracellular horseradish peroxidase (HRP), a fluid phase marker, was taken up into cultured adrenal medullary cells following carbamylcholine-induced secretion of catecholamine. 3. The endocytosed HRP remained compartmentalized within the cell, migrating to a low density band on a Percoll density gradient. The endocytotic compartment was distinct from the major pool of catecholamine-containing chromaffin granules, which were found at much higher densities on the Percoll gradient. 4. The chromaffin granule membrane marker dopamine beta-hydroxylase was associated with the endocytosed HRP compartment as well as with the heavier chromaffin granules. 5. A subsequent challenge of the cells with carbamylcholine triggered the release of up to forty per cent of the endocytosed HRP. 6. The time course for secretion of the fluid phase marker was similar to that for catecholamine secretion. 7. Triggered release of HRP was dependent on extracellular calcium. The dependence on the extracellular calcium concentration was similar to that of catecholamine release. 8. Release of HRP could be triggered from electropermeabilized cells by raising the intracellular Ca2+ into the micromolar range. The intracellular Ca2+ dependence of triggered HRP release was similar to that for catecholamine release. 9. HRP could be secreted as early as 5 min, and as late as 2 h after endocytosis. 10. These data provide evidence that endocytotic vesicles can rapidly re-enter the secretory cycle. Endocytosed vesicles may therefore not have to recycle via the trans-Golgi reticulum to form high-density chromaffin granules in order to re-enter the regulated secretory pathway."}
{"id": "PMID:1464828", "title": "Neuronal selectivity of ATP-sensitive potassium channels in guinea-pig substantia nigra revealed by responses to anoxia.", "content": "1. Two sub-populations of pars compacta substantia nigra neurones were identified with very different electrophysiological properties and rostral-caudal distribution. Both cell types were identified by biocytin intracellular dye injection and found to be located within pars compacta containing tyrosine hydroxylase-positive cells. These sub-populations displayed distinctly different responses to transient anoxia. 2. The first group ('Phasic' neurones) exhibited a low threshold calcium conductance LTS gCa associated with bursts of action potentials, were located at the level of the mammillary bodies and were highly sensitive to anoxia. The second group ('rhythmic' neurones) fired in a rhythmic pattern, were located at the level of the accessory optic tract and were relatively insensitive to anoxia. 3. The anoxic response of phasic cells was characterized by membrane hyperpolarization (mean 12 mV), a decrease in input resistance (mean 36%) and cessation of action potential firing. The axonic response of these neurones was not blocked by TEA (5-10 mM), haloperidol (100 microM), the removal of extracellular calcium or depletion of endogenous dopamine. However, this effect was blocked by both the sulphonylurea tolbutamide (50-500 microM), and also by quinine (100 microM) and could be mimicked by application of diazoxide (1 mM). 4. Rhythmic cells displayed a variable response to anoxia consisting of either modest depolarization, hyperpolarization or no change in membrane potential, in all cases accompanied by little or no change in input resistance. The polarity of the membrane potential shift during anoxia was reversed by TEA (5-10 mM) or the removal of calcium. These cells were also relatively insensitive to diazoxide (1 mM). 5. It is concluded from the neuronal responses to anoxia and the pharmacological modification of these responses, that the ATP-sensitive potassium channel (KATP channel) is functionally operative in the substantia nigra and is primarily distributed on the phasically discharging cells of the rostral pars compacta. The relevance of this recently discovered ionic channel is discussed with regard to the normal and abnormal functioning of the substantia nigra."}
{"id": "PMID:1464829", "title": "Effects of aortic pressure and vasoactive agents on the vascular resistance of the vasa vasorum in canine isolated thoracic aorta.", "content": "1. We have developed a new preparation for continuously measuring changes in vascular resistance of the vasa vasorum of the canine isolated thoracic aorta perfused at a constant flow rate with Krebs-bicarbonate solution. 2. An increase of more than 150 mmHg in aortic pressure caused a significant increase in the vascular resistance of the vasa vasorum. 3. 5-Hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), noradrenaline (NA), adrenaline and dopamine caused dose-dependent increases in the vascular resistance of the vasa vasorum. The decreasing order of potency in the vasoconstrictor responses was as follows: 5-HT >> NA = adrenaline >> dopamine. The 5-HT- and adrenaline-induced vasoconstrictor responses were inhibited by methysergide and by phentolamine plus propranolol, respectively. 4. Acetylcholine (ACh), isoprenaline (ISP), histamine (His), ATP, ADP and adenosine produced dose-related decreases in the vascular resistance of aortic vasa vasorum perfused with the Krebs solution containing 10(-5) M-NA. The decreasing order of potency in the response was as follows: ACh = ISP > His >> adenosine = ATP = ADP. The ACh-, ISP- and His-induced vasodilator responses were antagonized by atropine, propranolol and famotidine, respectively. 5. The results suggest that the preparation described is useful for studying the regulation of vascular resistance of aortic vasa vasorum and that aortic pressure and vasoactive compounds may directly regulate the vascular resistance of the vasa vasorum in canine isolated thoracic aorta."}
{"id": "PMID:1464830", "title": "Effects of carbon dioxide on tetanic contraction of frog skeletal muscles studied by phosphorus nuclear magnetic resonance.", "content": "1. Bullfrog skeletal muscles were stimulated tetanically for 2 s at a sarcomere length of 2.4 microns in Ringer solution saturated with a gas mixture of O2 and CO2 of various proportions, at 4 degrees C. Using 31P nuclear magnetic resonance (31P-NMR), concentrations of inorganic phosphate (P(i)) and phosphocreatine (PCr) and intracellular pH (pHi) in whole muscle were measured in order to correlate the changes in these metabolites with the mechanical responses. 2. Resting muscles were first equilibrated to 5% CO2, then the CO2 concentration was increased up to 30%. This resulted in a rapid increase in [H+] (pH 6.72 in 30%, and 7.21 in 5% CO2) with little change in P(i) or PCr concentrations. When these muscles were given a single tetanic stimulation force fell in proportion to the decrease in pHi. 3. When a series of tetanic stimulations, with a long recovery period between tetani, was applied to the muscles in high CO2, force declined until a steady level was attained. A considerable increase in [P(i)] accompanied this whereas the decrease in pHi was relatively small. The force decline was much greater than could be predicted by the decrease in pHi alone. The concentration of ATP did not change significantly. 4. By subtracting the direct effect of [H+] on force a relationship between force and total P(i) concentration in the steady state of repeated contraction-recovery cycles was obtained. Force was suppressed linearly by increasing P(i) up to 30 mmol (1 fibre water)-1, while this relationship suggested an interaction between the effects of [P(i)] and [H+]. 5. These results have also shown that the inhibitory effects of CO2 on muscle contraction are dual. While elevation of [H+] directly suppresses contraction, this also accelerates P(i) accumulation in actively contracting muscles, which further suppresses contraction."}
{"id": "PMID:1464831", "title": "Exponential activation of the cardiac Na+ current in single guinea-pig ventricular cells.", "content": "1. The cardiac Na+ current of guinea-pig was recorded using an improved oil-gap voltage clamp method. When a single ventricular cell was stretched between the internal and external solution compartments across an oil gap of about 40 microns in width, the sealing resistance in the oil gap was higher than 1 G omega and the time constant of the capacitive current was between 10 and 40 microseconds. Effective series resistance (Rs) was less than 50 k omega after Rs compensation. 2. The activation time course (I'Na) was separated from inactivation by dividing the digitized record of Na+ current with the inactivation variable h(t), which was obtained by fitting exponential functions to the decaying phase of current. I'Na started as a single exponential activation at time 0, which was defined by the decay of the capacitive current to 5% of its peak. 3. The Na+ tail current was recorded on repolarization after a short (1.2 ms) depolarizing pulse to -10 mV. Its single exponential decay at potentials negative to -50 mV, or its major exponential component of decay between -50 and -30 mV, was attributed to deactivation. The time constants of deactivation were similar to those of activation which were measured from I'Na on depolarization to comparable potentials. The m1 kinetics gave a better fit for Na+ activation than the m3 kinetics. 4. The time constant of deactivation was a linear function of the membrane potential on a semilogarithmic scale with an e-fold increase per 21.6 +/- 1.3 mV (n = 8) depolarization. The steady-state activation value (m(infinity)) was obtained from the amplitude of I'Na. Fitting a Boltzmann equation indicated a half-activation potential of -21.9 +/- 1.7 mV and a slope factor of 7.9 +/- 0.4 mV (n = 9). 5. m1 kinetics are more pertinent to a description of the cardiac Na+ current. Limitations in analysing the activation kinetics of Na+ current are discussed for the improved oil-gap voltage clamp method."}
{"id": "PMID:1464832", "title": "Classification of preganglionic neurones projecting into the cat cervical sympathetic trunk.", "content": "1. The spontaneous and reflex activity patterns of 167 single preganglionic axons dissected from the cervical sympathetic trunk were examined in chloralose-anaesthetized cats. Each neurone was classified into one of four major groups, on the basis of three principal criteria: the presence or absence of significant cardiac rhythmicity of the activity, the response to noxious stimulation of the skin, and the coupling of its activity to central inspiratory drive (phrenic nerve activity). Most neurones were also subjected to additional tests, which included carotid chemoreceptor stimulation, nasopharyngeal probing, systemic hypercapnia (ventilation with 8% CO2), hyperventilation, adrenaline-induced blood pressure rises and retinal illumination. 2. Group I neurones (n = 69; 41%) showed significant cardiac rhythmicity, indicating strong baroreceptor control. Most (54/69) were excited by noxious stimuli, the rest being unaffected. Their activity showed variable degrees of excitatory coupling to the central inspiratory drive, and was enhanced by hypercapnia (35/39). Their responses to stimulation of arterial chemoreceptors (12/15) and nasopharyngeal receptors (24/35) were excitatory. 3. Group II neurones (n = 39; 23%) were inhibited by noxious stimulation of skin. With nine exceptions, they showed no significant cardiac rhythmicity, although they were weakly inhibited by an adrenaline-induced blood pressure rise. Their coupling to central inspiratory drive was weak or absent, and their responses to hypercapnia and hyperventilation were variable. By contrast to other groups, they were inhibited by both chemoreceptor stimulation (9/10) and nasopharyngeal stimulation (17/18). 4. Group III neurones (n = 33; 20%) showed no significant cardiac rhythmicity, but their activity was closely coupled to central inspiratory drive. They were inhibited by hyperventilation (9/9) and excited by hypercapnia (20/21), but only fired during the central inspiratory phase and sometimes during late expiration. Their responses to noxious stimulation (28/33), chemoreceptor stimulation (8/11) and nasopharyngeal probing (24/24) were excitatory, but the induced activity was 'gated' by the respiratory cycle, occurring primarily during inspiration and avoiding the postinspiratory phase. 5. Group IV neurones (n = 26; 16%) showed no significant cardiac or respiratory related activity and were either excited (n = 22) or unaffected (n = 4) by noxious stimuli. One of the latter and three group II neurones were inhibited by retinal illumination; thirty-one other neurones of all classes were unaffected. 6. Approximately 45% of thoracic sympathetic neurones were silent under the experimental conditions. About 25% of these could be recruited by systemic hypercapnia leaving 34% without spontaneous and reflex activity.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1464833", "title": "Effects of procaine and caffeine on calcium release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum in frog skeletal muscle.", "content": "1. Resting myoplasmic free [Ca2+] and [Ca2+] transients (delta [Ca2+]) were measured in single voltage-clamped frog skeletal muscle fibres in the presence and absence of procaine, caffeine or procaine plus caffeine using Fura-2 fluorescence and antipyrylazo III (Ap III) absorbance signals. The rate of release (Rrel) of calcium from the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) was calculated from the calcium transients and corrected for the relatively small decline due to depletion of calcium from the SR. 2. Procaine (1 mM) reversibly suppressed delta [Ca2+] and the corresponding Rrel by about 40% for 60-100 ms depolarizing steps to -40 to +20 mV. Procaine had little effect on either the waveform or voltage dependence of the Rrel records. 3. [Ca2+] transients calculated from Fura-2 fluorescence changes in the presence or absence of procaine had similar time courses and amplitudes as those calculated from the Ap III absorbance changes suggesting that 1 mM-procaine did not interfere with the ability of Ap III or Fura-2 to monitor delta [Ca2+]. 4. Although 1 mM-procaine depressed Rrel it had no effect on intramembrane charge movements (IQ) calculated from membrane currents recorded simultaneously with delta [Ca2+]. 5. Procaine (1 mM) reversibly inhibited the potentiating effect of 0.5 mM-caffeine on delta [Ca2+]. The amplitude and waveform of the Rrel records were similar in control fibres and in the presence of 1 mM-procaine plus 0.5 mM-caffeine. 6. In the presence of 0.5 mM-caffeine delta [Ca2+] after 10-20 ms voltage steps exhibited an increase in the time to peak and a slower decay time course compared with caffeine-free controls, suggestive of significant calcium-induced calcium release in the presence of caffeine. These effects of caffeine were completely and reversibly blocked by 1 mM-procaine. 7. In the absence of caffeine, 1 mM-procaine caused a small decrease in time to peak of delta [Ca2+] after 10-30 ms duration voltage steps compared to the bracketing control and wash runs without procaine. Rrel turned off faster after 10 ms pulses in procaine than in the absence of procaine, but the turn-off of release was about equally fast with or without procaine after pulses of 20 ms or longer. The effect of procaine after 10 ms pulses in the absence of caffeine may indicate suppression of a component of calcium-induced calcium release in control that inactivates during the pulse.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1464834", "title": "The effect of a calmodulin inhibitor on intracellular [Ca2+] and contraction in isolated rat ventricular myocytes.", "content": "1. The effect of the calmodulin inhibitor N-(6-aminohexyl)-5-chloro-1-naphthalenesulphonamide (W7; 10 microM) on intracellular [Ca2+] ([Ca2+]i) and [H+], and on contraction, has been studied in myocytes isolated from the ventricles of rat hearts. [Ca2+]i and [H+] were monitored using the fluorescent dyes Fura-2 and 2',7'-bis(carboxyethyl)-5,6-carboxyfluorescein (BCECF) respectively. 2. W7 decreased the size of both the Fura-2 fluorescence (a function of [Ca2+]i) transient and twitch, but had no effect on their time course. 3. The decrease in the size of the Fura-2 fluorescence transient in the presence of W7 was accompanied by a decrease in the increase of Fura-2 fluorescence that could be elicited by releasing Ca2+ from the sarcoplasmic reticulum using 10 mM-caffeine. 4. There was a decrease in the apparent sensitivity of the contractile proteins to Ca2+ in the presence of W7 which may account, in part, for the decrease in the twitch observed in the presence of W7. 5. Test beats were interpolated at different test intervals after a train of steady-state contractions. Mechanical restitution curves were constructed by plotting the size of the test beat against the test interval. Both the size and the duration of the twitch increased as the test interval was prolonged. W7 slowed this mechanical restitution but had no effect on the changes in the duration of the twitch. 6. Intracellular pH was not altered by W7. 7. These results are discussed in terms of the known actions of calmodulin and W7."}
{"id": "PMID:1464835", "title": "Impact of antral mechanoreceptor activation on the vago-vagal reflex in the rat: functional zonation of responses.", "content": "1. Activation of gastric sensory afferents alters gastric motor and secretory function via the gastric vago-vagal reflex. In this report, we investigated in the rat the impact of gastric mechanoreceptor activation on the brain stem components of the reflex, which are located in the dorsal vagal complex (DVC), i.e. the nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS) and the subjacent dorsal motor nucleus (DMN). 2. In our extracellular recordings of single-cell activity in the DVC, we observed a relation between the response to antral distention and the location of the cell in the DVC. Specifically, cells that were excited by antral distention (ON cells) were located dorsal to those that were inhibited (OFF cells) by the same stimulus (mean depth = 536 +/- 15 and 627 +/- 14 microns for ON and OFF cells, respectively). 3. For a subset of DVC cells, the location was marked by ionophoretic ejection of Pontamine Blue from the recording barrel. Histological analysis indicated that ON cells were located in the NTS, and OFF cells were located in the ventral NTS or within the boundaries of the DMN. Together, these data led to the hypothesis that ON and OFF cells are functionally different groups of neurones, i.e. ON cells may be NTS neurones, and OFF cells may be DMN neurones. We tested this directly by employing both an intragastric balloon and a non-traumatic vagal stimulating electrode to determine whether inflation-related cells were NTS or DMN cells via orthodromic and antidromic activation, respectively. 4. Almost all ON cells (12/13) were orthodromically activated by vagal stimulation, i.e. they were NTS neurones. One ON cell was antidromically activated, and therefore was a DMN neurone. Of the twenty-eight OFF cells that were encountered, ten were classified as NTS neurones because they were orthodromically inhibited by vagal stimulation. The remaining eighteen OFF cells were orthodromically inhibited and antidromically activated (i.e. DMN neurones). Thus, our results support the hypothesis that ON and OFF cells can be functionally distinct populations of neurones, in that almost all ON cells are NTS cells and approximately 2/3 of the OFF cells are DMN neurones. 5. The response to mechanoreceptor activation was different for NTS and DMN neurones. NTS cells were activated (55%) or inhibited (45%) by balloon distention of the stomach, whereas DMN cells were almost exclusively inhibited (95%) by this stimulus. This information provides insight into the organization of excitatory and inhibitory connections of the brain stem components that mediate gastric vago-vagal reflexes."}
{"id": "PMID:1464836", "title": "Myoplasmic free Mg2+ concentration during repetitive stimulation of single fibres from mouse skeletal muscle.", "content": "1. The role of the myoplasmic free Mg2+ concentration ([Mg2+]i) in fatigue was studied in intact single fibres isolated from mouse skeletal muscle. Fatigue was produced by repeated tetanic stimulation. The fluorescent Mg2+ indicator furaptra was pressure injected into fibres. In vivo calibrations were performed to convert fluorescence signals into [Mg2+]i. 2. [Mg2+]i at rest was 0.78 +/- 0.05 mM (mean +/- S.E.M., n = 14). An increase of the extracellular [Mg2+] from 0.5 to 20 mM resulted in a small elevation of [Mg2+]i (86 microM in 5 min). Removal of extracellular Na+ did not affect [Mg2+]i. An intracellular alkanization of about 0.6 pH units gave a [Mg2+]i reduction of 65 microM. 3. During fatiguing stimulation [Mg2+]i initially remained almost constant and it then suddenly started to rise towards the end of the stimulation period. The onset of the [Mg2+]i rise was always followed by a rapid tension decline. In fatigue [Mg2+]i was approximately twice as high as at rest. 4. Fibres were injected with MgCl2 to study if the rise in [Mg2+]i could explain the tension decline in fatigue. An elevation of [Mg2+]i was accompanied by a tension reduction but the [Mg2+]i for a given tension was generally much higher in rested fibres injected with MgCl2 than in fatigued fibres. Thus the rise in [Mg2+]i as such cannot explain the tension reduction in fatigue. 5. Injection of MgCl2 was also used to assess the intracellular Mg2+ buffering. The mean Mg2+ buffer power (i.e. the ratio of the change in [Mg2+]i to the amount of Mg2+ added) was 0.62. 6. ATP is the quantitatively most important binding site for Mg2+ at rest and ATP breakdown is then a likely source of the [Mg2+]i increase in fatigue. The role of ATP breakdown in the increase of [Mg2+]i was studied with metabolic inhibition: fibres were exposed to iodoacetic acid to inhibit glycolysis and cyanide to inhibit oxidative phosphorylation. The pattern during metabolic inhibition was similar to that observed during fatigue. After remaining almost constant during a lengthy period, [Mg2+]i rose rapidly and this rise preceded a period of rapid tension decline. The fibres thereafter went into rigor and [Mg2+]i stabilized at an elevated level; the mean [Mg2+]i increase in rigor was 1.30 mM. 7. We have used modelling to determine the likely change in the intracellular ATP concentration ([ATP]i) for the observed changes in [Mg2+]i.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1464837", "title": "Vagal control of mucus glycoconjugate secretion into the feline trachea.", "content": "1. We examined the effects of frequencies and patterns of electrical stimulation of the peripheral cut ends of the vagus nerves on the release of mucus glycoconjugates into feline trachea in vivo. Mucus glycoconjugates, radiolabelled biosynthetically with [35S]sulphate and [3H]glucose, were washed from a tracheal segment in situ, and dialysed before being counted and assayed chemically by the periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) method. 2. Vagal stimulation with regular pulses (10 V, 2 ms duration) at 1, 2.25, 4.5, 9 and 18 Hz produced frequency-dependent increases in the output of mucus glycoconjugates. 3. The muscarinic agonist pilocarpine (0.1-10 microM), given intrasegmentally, produced dose-dependent increases in the output of mucus glycoconjugates. 4. Pretreatment with atropine, phentolamine and propranolol reduced but did not abolish the effects of vagal stimulation. Vagus nerve stimulation still caused frequency-dependent increases in the output of mucus glycoconjugates. 5. High frequency stimulations at 22.5 and 47.5 Hz given intermittently (1 s burst then 4 s rest), whether in the absence or presence of cholinergic and adrenergic blockade, produced similar secretory responses as the same number of pulses delivered in regular trains at 4.5 and 9.5 Hz. This suggests that neither cholinergic nor non-adrenergic, non-cholinergic (NANC) nerve mechanisms in this system are potentiated by high frequency, intermittent burst stimulation. 6. In the absence of atropine, regular vagal stimulation had a greater effect on heart rate than did the same number of pulses delivered in bursts. 7. High molecular weight glycoconjugates from secretions were taken from the void volume of a Sepharose CL-2B gel filtration column and separated further by density-gradient centrifugation. Macromolecular components were observed at two densities, a typical mucin at 1.52 g ml-1, and a high density atypical component at 1.63 g ml-1. In secretions collected during vagal stimulation, either in the absence or presence of cholinergic and adrenergic blockade, the ratio of low density to high density macromolecules was higher than in unstimulated secretions. This can be explained if both cholinergic and NANC nervous vagal mechanisms stimulate the output of typical (density = 1.52 g ml-1) mucins into the feline trachea."}
{"id": "PMID:1464838", "title": "A submucosal mechanism of action for prostaglandin E2 on hexose absorption and metabolism in mouse intestine.", "content": "1. The involvement of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) in hexose absorption and metabolism was studied in mouse small intestinal villus cells. 2. Phlorizin-sensitive, Na(+)-dependent alpha-methyl-D-glucoside (alpha-MG) uptake (0.8 mM) during 2 min cell incubations (37 degrees C) was 74 +/- 4 nmol (mg protein)-1. Maximal uptake was 110 +/- 8 nmol (mg protein)-1, representing an accumulation of 50-fold. Metabolism of D-glucose (5 mM) to L-lactate was 38 nmol min-1 (mg protein)-1. 3. Incubation of isolated cells with indomethacin or PGE2 did not affect alpha-MG uptake or D-glucose metabolism. By including indomethacin during cell isolation from whole intestine, alpha-MG uptake was inhibited dose dependently (50-250 microM) by up to 70% (P < 0.001). PGE2 present during both isolation and incubation inhibited by 85% (P < 0.001) at 1 microM and by 27% (P < 0.05) at 0.1 microM, with no effect at lower concentrations. alpha-MG uptake was reduced to 38% (P < 0.01) when 1 microM-PGE2 and 250 microM-indomethacin were presented in combination. When present during cell isolation and incubation, 1 microM-PGE2 inhibited lactate production by 24% (P < 0.05), except when present in combination with 250 microM-indomethacin. Indomethacin, itself, had no effect on lactate production. 4. A submucosal mechanism is proposed to account for the observed inhibitory effects of PGE2 on brush-border uptake of alpha-MG and cellular lactate production. Indomethacin appears to exert not only an effect of its own, possibly via PG-independent actions within the submucosa, but at high concentrations also disrupts the effects of exogenously applied PGE2."}
{"id": "PMID:1464839", "title": "Simultaneous measurements of cardiac noradrenaline spillover and sympathetic outflow to skeletal muscle in humans.", "content": "1. Muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSA) was recorded in the peroneal nerve at the knee by microneurography in ten healthy subjects and determinations were made simultaneously of intra-arterial blood pressure, and whole-body and cardiac noradrenaline spillover to plasma. Measurements were made at rest, during isometric handgrip at 30% of maximum power and during stress induced by forced mental arithmetic. 2. At rest there were significant positive correlations between spontaneous MSA (expressed as number of sympathetic bursts min-1) and both spillover of noradrenaline from the heart and concentration of noradrenaline in coronary sinus venous plasma. 3. Both isometric handgrip and mental arithmetic led to sustained increases of blood pressure, heart rate and MSA. Plasma concentrations of noradrenaline and spillover of noradrenaline (total body and cardiac) increased. In general the effects were more pronounced during handgrip than during stress. 4. When comparing effects during handgrip and stress the ratio between the fractional increases of MSA and cardiac noradrenaline spillover were significantly greater during handgrip. 5. The data suggest (a) that there are proportional interindividual differences in the strength of resting sympathetic activity to heart and skeletal muscle which are determined by a common mechanism and (b) that handgrip and mental stress are associated with differences in balance between sympathetic outflows to heart and skeletal muscle."}
{"id": "PMID:1464840", "title": "Maturation of carotid chemoreceptor sensitivity to hypoxia: in vitro studies in the newborn rat.", "content": "1. A preparation was developed to record single-fibre chemoreceptor afferent activity from carotid bodies of newborn and adult rats in vitro. The response to severe hypoxia was studied as a function of developmental age in four age groups: 1-2, 4-7, 10-15 days and adult (25-30 days). 2. During superfusion with HEPES-saline at room PO2 and at 26 or 35 degrees C, afferent chemoreceptor activity could be recorded in all age groups. No significant difference was found among groups in baseline discharge frequency at 26 or 35 degrees C. 3. All chemoreceptors responded to anoxia (PO2 congruent to 0 Torr) with a rapid increase in discharge frequency. At 35 degrees C, peak discharge frequency of single chemoreceptor afferents was significantly greater in the adult (15.7 +/- 1.6 Hz, mean +/- S.E.M., n = 18) and 10-15 days (11.2 +/- 4.2, n = 8) compared to rats of 1-2 days (4.3 +/- 0.7, n = 14) and 4-7 days of age (3.9 +/- 1.0, n = 7). 4. At 2 min into the anoxia period, all chemoreceptor activities were reduced from their peak discharge levels. At 35 degrees C, this decrease was significantly greater in the adult compared to the newborn. 5. During the period of decreased activity during anoxia, the chemoreceptor discharge could not be increased by inter-stream injection of acetylcholine (100 micrograms) or dopamine (100 micrograms), although these drugs were effective in increasing discharge rate prior to hypoxia. 6. We conclude that: (1) postnatal maturation of chemoreceptor sensitivity to hypoxia is present in vitro, (2) maturation occurs between the first and second week after birth in the rat, and (3) the decrease in activity during prolonged anoxia is not greater in the newborn compared to the adult. Thus, maturational changes occur in the sensitivity of the glomus cell-nerve ending complex to hypoxia."}
{"id": "PMID:1464841", "title": "Second-messenger regulation of sodium transport in mammalian airway epithelia.", "content": "1. Sodium absorption is the dominant ion transport process in conducting airways and is a major factor regulating the composition of airway surface liquid. However, little is known about the control of airway sodium transport by intracellular regulatory pathways. 2. In sheep tracheae and human bronchi mounted in Ussing chambers under short circuit conditions, the sodium current can be isolated by pretreating tissues with acetazolamide (100 microM) to inhibit bicarbonate secretion, bumetanide (100 microM) to inhibit chloride secretion and phloridzin (200 microM) to inhibit sodium-glucose cotransport. This sodium current consists of amiloride-sensitive (57%) and amiloride-insensitive (43%) components. 3. The regulation of the isolated sodium current by three second messenger pathways was studied using the calcium ionophore A23187 to elevate intracellular calcium, a combination of forskolin and the phosphodiesterase inhibitor zardaverine to elevate intracellular cyclic AMP, and the phorbol ester 12,13-phorbol dibutyrate (PDB) to stimulate protein kinase C. 4. In sheep trachea, A23187 produces a dose-related inhibition of the sodium current with maximal effect (38% of ISC) at 10 microM and IC50 1 microM. This response affects both the amiloride-sensitive and insensitive components of the sodium current and is not altered by prior stimulation of protein kinase C or elevation of intracellular cyclic AMP. In human bronchi, A23187 (10 microM) produced a significantly greater inhibition of ISC (68%), a response which was unaffected by prior treatment with PDB or forskolin-zardaverine. 5. In sheep trachea, stimulation of protein kinase C with PDB produced a dose-related inhibition of ISC maximal (56% of ISC) at 50 nM (IC50 7 nM). This response was abolished by amiloride (100 microM) pretreatment suggesting a selective effect on the amiloride-sensitive component of the sodium current. The response was not altered by prior elevation of intracellular calcium or cyclic AMP. PDB (10 nM) caused a similar inhibition of ISC in human bronchi (43%). The effect of PKC stimulation following pretreatment with A23187 was diminished in human bronchi. Elevating intracellular cyclic AMP did not alter this response. 6. Addition of forskolin (1 microM) together with the phosphodiesterase inhibitor zardaverine (100 microM) produced a mean 35-fold increase in intracellular cyclic AMP in sheep trachea. This was associated with a small, but significant, 6% transient increase in ISC followed by a significant 4% fall. Neither effect could be abolished by amiloride pretreatment. In human bronchi, a small decrease in ISC which could not be distinguished from that occurring in controls was observed.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1464842", "title": "Acetylcholine released from guinea-pig submucosal neurones dilates arterioles by releasing nitric oxide from endothelium.", "content": "1. The role of the endothelium as an effector of the neurogenic cholinergic vasodilatation in submucosal arterioles of the guinea-pig ileum was investigated by measuring changes in arteriolar diameter in response to exogenous application of muscarine or electrical stimulation of the submucosal ganglia. 2. NG-Monomethyl-L-arginine (L-NMMA), an inhibitor of nitric oxide (NO) synthesis, competitively inhibited the vasodilatation produced by muscarine in arterioles which had been preconstricted with the prostaglandin analogue U46619. L-Arginine (10 mM), but not D-arginine (10 mM), prevented the inhibition by L-NMMA. 3. Neither tetrodotoxin (TTX, 1 microM), nor the cyclo-oxygenase inhibitor, indomethacin (10 microM), altered the muscarinic vasodilatation or the inhibitory effect of L-NMMA. 4. Sodium nitroprusside (SNP), an activator of the soluble guanylate cyclase, dilated the arterioles in a concentration-dependent manner. This vasodilatation was unaffected by L-NMMA but was abolished by the guanylate cyclase inhibitor, methylene blue (10 microM). In addition, methylene blue antagonized the muscarinic vasodilatation to a similar degree as did L-NMMA. 5. The vasodilatation produced by ganglionic stimulation (10 Hz, 10 s) was blocked by TTX and the muscarinic receptor antagonist, 4-diphenylacetoxy-N-methyl-piperidine methiodide (4-DAMP, 1 microM). The neurally evoked vasodilatation was inhibited by 70% in the presence of L-NMMA; this inhibition was prevented by L-arginine. Methylene blue inhibited the neurogenic vasodilatation to the same extent as did L-NMMA. 6. These results show that arteriolar vasodilatation by muscarine is mediated mainly through the release of NO formed from L-arginine; the origin of the L-arginine appears to be the endothelium. These results also demonstrate that acetylcholine released from submucosal nerves onto submucosal blood vessels reaches the endothelium to cause the release of NO formed from L-arginine; the endothelial-derived NO dilates the arteriole."}
{"id": "PMID:1464843", "title": "Interhemispheric inhibition of the human motor cortex.", "content": "1. Using two magnetic stimulators, we investigated the effect of a conditioning magnetic stimulus over the motor cortex of one hemisphere on the size of EMG responses evoked in the first dorsal interosseous (FDI) muscle by a magnetic test stimulus given over the opposite hemisphere. 2. A single conditioning shock to one hemisphere produced inhibition of the test response evoked from the opposite hemisphere when the conditioning-test interval was 5-6 ms or longer. We shall refer to this as interhemispheric inhibition. However, the minimum latency of inhibition observed using surface EMG responses may have underestimated the true interhemispheric conduction time. Single motor unit studies suggested values 4-7 ms longer than the minimum interval observed with surface EMG. 3. Interhemispheric inhibition was seen when the test muscle was active or relaxed. Increasing the intensity of the conditioning stimulus increased the duration of inhibition: increasing the intensity of the test stimulus reduced the depth of inhibition. 4. The conditioning coil had to be placed on the appropriate area of scalp for inhibition to occur. The effect of the conditioning stimulus was maximal when it was applied over the hand area of motor cortex, and decreased when the stimulus was moved medial or lateral to that point. 5. The inhibitory effect on the test stimulus probably occurred at the level of the cerebral cortex. In contrast to the inhibition of test responses evoked by magnetic test stimuli, test responses evoked in active FDI by a small anodal electric shock were not significantly inhibited by a contralateral magnetic conditioning stimulus. Similarly, H reflexes in relaxed forearm flexor muscles were unaffected by conditioning stimuli to the ipsilateral hemisphere. However, inhibition was observed if the experiment was repeated with the muscles active."}
{"id": "PMID:1464844", "title": "Estimating the strength of common input to human motoneurons from the cross-correlogram.", "content": "1. The relationship between the motor unit discharge pattern (rate and variability) and synchronization of motor unit pairs was studied in the first dorsal interosseus muscle of human subjects. In separate trials of up to 4 min duration, subjects voluntarily controlled the mean discharge rate of an identified motor unit at one of several prescribed rates (range 7.5-17.5 Hz). 2. The effect of discharge rate on the synchronous peak in the cross-correlogram was examined in eighty motor unit pairs from six subjects. Five commonly used synchronization indices were used to quantify synchrony in the cross-correlograms constructed from different discharge-rate trials. For each synchronization index, the apparent magnitude of synchrony increased at lower motor unit discharge rates. The synchronization indices were not equally sensitive to discharge rate; increases in the different indices ranged from 72 to 494% between the highest and lowest discharge rates. 3. A model of the membrane potential trajectory underlying rhythmic motoneuron discharge was used to explain the observed increase in the magnitude of the synchronization indices at lower discharge rates. The essential feature of this model is that the probability of a common-input EPSP causing a synchronous discharge in two motoneurons is independent of discharge rate. This means that the number of synchronous action potentials in excess of chance in any trial depends on the properties of the common-input EPSPs and the duration of the trial, but is not related to motor unit discharge rates. The model also demonstrated that when the excess synchronous counts are normalized to motor unit discharge rate, or baseline counts in the histogram (as in the conventional synchronization indices), the magnitude of the index increases when the motor unit discharge rates are low. 4. The strength of common input to motoneurons could be misinterpreted if conventional synchronization indices are used because of discharge-rate effects. The model was used to derive an index of the strength of common input to motoneurons (CIS) that was independent of motor unit discharge rate. CIS is the frequency of synchronous action potentials in the motor unit pair in excess of those expected due to chance (calculated during periods of tonic discharge in both units). The mean CIS in first dorsal interosseus motor unit pairs ranged from 0.052 to 1.005 extra synchronous action potentials per second across subjects. 5. Discharge variability was correlated with each of the synchronization indices and the CIS.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1464845", "title": "Physiological evidence for a slow K+ conductance in human cutaneous afferents.", "content": "1. The depression in axonal excitability that follows short trains of impulses (H1) may lead to spike frequency adaptation to a sustained stimulus, and has been attributed to a slow K+ conductance. The present experiments sought indirect evidence for slow K+ channels at the node of Ranvier of human cutaneous afferents based on the demonstration of post-tetanic changes in excitability typical of H1. 2. The excitability changes in low-threshold cutaneous afferents in the digital nerves of the index finger were explored using a submaximal test pulse conditioned by trains of supramaximal stimuli, containing up to 100 impulses. Changes in the amplitude of the compound sensory action potential set up by a constant test stimulus were used as a measure of the changes in excitability. These changes in amplitude were paralleled by inverse changes in latency. 3. When the conditioning stimulus was a single supramaximal pulse, excitability was enhanced at conditioning-test intervals of 4-40 ms, with a peak at 6-8 ms. When the conditioning stimulus consisted of a train of ten pulses delivered at 200 Hz, the recovery cycle was dominated by subnormality that was maximal at 20 ms and subsided gradually over 50 ms. 4. The post-train depression in excitability increased as the number of pulses in the conditioning train increased to ten but changed little with further increases in train duration. The degree of depression increased with the pulse frequency within the train. Cooling the hand from a skin temperature of 35 to 25 degrees C slowed the recovery processes but did not alter the magnitude of the post-train depression. 5. These characteristics are typical of the H1 phase of post-tetanic depression in axonal excitability. The extent of the depression in excitability suggests, first, that there may be a significant K+ conductance at the nodes of human cutaneous afferents and, secondly, that H1 may play a significant role in limiting repetitive discharge in normal and pathological afferents."}
{"id": "PMID:1464846", "title": "Effect of an inhaled thromboxane mimetic (U46619) on in vivo pulmonary resistance and airway hyperresponsiveness in dogs.", "content": "1. We investigated the role of thromboxane A2 in the airway hyperresponsiveness that follows the inhalation of ozone in dogs by examining the responses to an inhaled thromboxane analogue (U46619). 2. Measurements of pulmonary resistance were made in anaesthetized dogs; the concentration of inhaled agonist causing an increase of 5 cmH2O l-1 s was calculated (provocative concentration). The effect of inhaled U46619 was studied on in vivo canine airway resistance, on airway responsiveness and on airways made hyperresponsive following the inhalation of ozone. 3. Inhaled thromboxane is a potent constrictor of the canine airway. The mean provocative concentration was 2.13 x 10(-4) M, compared to acetylcholine which was 3.23 x 10(-2) M. 4. Inhaled thromboxane did not result in the development of airway hyperresponsiveness to acetylcholine. Following U46619 inhalation the mean provocative concentration to acetylcholine was 3.92 x 10(-2) M. 5. Canine airway was not hyperresponsive to inhaled thromboxane following the inhalation of ozone. This was not due to an inhibition of acetylcholinesterase as the dogs were hyperresponsive to carbachol (a muscarinic agonist not degraded by endplate cholinesterase). 6. These experiments do not support a role for thromboxane in the development of airway hyperresponsiveness following the inhalation of ozone in dogs."}
{"id": "PMID:1464847", "title": "Mitochondrial and sarcolemmal Ca2+ transport reduce [Ca2+]i during caffeine contractures in rabbit cardiac myocytes.", "content": "1. Contraction and intracellular Ca2+ (Ca2+i) transients were measured in isolated rabbit ventricular myocytes during twitches and contractures induced by rapid application of 10 mM-caffeine. 2. The amplitude of caffeine-induced contractures and the accompanying Ca2+i transients were larger than during normal twitches and also declined more slowly. This may be because only a fraction of sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca2+ is released during a normal twitch, or because of a temporal overlap of SR Ca2+ release and uptake during the twitch. 3. When a caffeine contracture was initiated in Na(+)-free, Ca(2+)-free medium (to prevent sarcolemmal Na(+)-Ca2+ exchange) the contracture and Ca2+i transient were larger and decreased much more slowly. Thus, Ca2+ extrusion via Na(+)-Ca2+ exchange may limit the amplitude of caffeine-induced contractures. 4. Relaxation half-time (t1/2) for the twitch (0.17 +/- 0.03 s) was increased to 0.54 +/- 0.07 s for caffeine contractures in control solution and 8.8 +/- 1 s for caffeine-induced contractures in Na(+)-free, Ca(2+)-free solution. These results confirm that the SR Ca2+ pump and Na(+)-Ca2+ exchange are the predominant mechanisms for cytoplasmic Ca2+ removal during relaxation. However slower mechanisms can still reduce intracellular [Ca2+]. 5. Relaxation of caffeine contractures in Na(+)-free solution was further slowed when (a) mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake was inhibited with the oxidative phosphorylation uncoupler, FCCP (t1/2 = 19.7 +/- 3.2 s), or (b) the sarcolemmal Ca(2+)-ATPase pumping ability was depressed by a large transmembrane [Ca2+] gradient (t1/2 = 27.5 +/- 6.9 s). 6. When the four Ca2+ transport systems were simultaneously inhibited (i.e. SR Ca2+ pump, Na(+)-Ca2+ exchange, mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake and sarcolemmal Ca2+ pump), relaxation was practically abolished, but the cell could recover quickly when Na+ was reintroduced and caffeine removed. 7. We conclude that, under our experimental conditions, the sarcolemmal Ca2+ pump and mitochondria are approximately 37- and 50-fold slower than the Na(+)-Ca2+ exchange at removing Ca2+ from the cytoplasm. Additionally, the SR Ca2+ pump is about 3-4 times faster than Na(+)-Ca2+ exchange."}
{"id": "PMID:1464848", "title": "Vibrotactile sensitivity of slowly adapting type I sensory fibres associated with touch domes in cat hairy skin.", "content": "1. Recordings were made from single slowly adapting type I (SAI) afferent fibres associated with touch domes in the cat hairy skin. Controlled vibratory stimuli were used first, to characterize the precision with which these SAI afferents reflect the temporal aspects of vibrotactile stimuli, and second, to determine whether earlier disparate reports of SAI responsiveness to vibration may be attributable to highly specific stimulus requirements. 2. Eighteen SAI fibres from femoral cutaneous nerve branches were examined; each was associated with one to three touch domes. SAI responses to both steps and sinusoidal vibration (1-1.5 s in duration) were affected profoundly by both probe size and position. Punctate stimulus probes (250 microns) produced much higher response levels and steeper stimulus-response relations than those elicited with large (2 mm) probes, probably on account of focal distortion created within the dome by the smaller probes. SAI sensitivity to vibration was also affected markedly by the amplitude of any pre-indentation on which the vibration was superimposed; sensitivity was much lower when the pre-indentation exceeded 100 microns, in particular with larger stimulus probes. 3. Measures of both vibration sensitivity and the precision of impulse patterning demonstrated that, if appropriate stimulus parameters are chosen, the SAI fibres can respond to 1 s trains of vibration (amplitude < or = 100 microns) in a tightly phase-locked, 1:1 manner for frequencies up to 500 Hz. At frequencies from approximately 100-500 Hz the SAI fibres displayed broad 1:1 plateaus, where their response rate remained constant over a range of amplitudes, and phased-locking was tightest. Responses remained phase-locked up to 1000 Hz, but could not follow the vibration with a 1:1 pattern above 500 Hz. 4. The results demonstrate that with appropriate stimulus parameters, touch dome-associated SAI fibres are capable of signalling vibrotactile information over a similar bandwidth of frequencies as do Pacinian sensory fibres. The variability in past reports of SAI vibration sensitivity may relate principally to differences in stimulus conditions. However, in view of the SAI capacity for responding to vibration with temporally precise, patterned activity, it appears that their reported failure to contribute to vibrotactile sensibility must be attributed to limitations imposed in the central processing of SAI signals."}
{"id": "PMID:1464849", "title": "Inward current caused by sodium-dependent uptake of GABA in the crayfish stretch receptor neurone.", "content": "A two-microelectrode current-voltage clamp and Cl(-)-selective microelectrodes were used to examine the effects of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) on membrane potential, current and intracellular Cl- activity (aiCl) in the crayfish stretch receptor neurone. All experimental solutions were CO2-HCO3- free. 2. GABA (500 microM) produced a mono- or biphasic depolarization (amplitude < or = 10 mV), often with a prominent initial depolarizing component followed by a transient shift to a more negative level. In some neurones, an additional depolarizing phase was seen upon washout of GABA. Receptor desensitization, being absent, played no role in the multiphasic actions of GABA. 3. The pronounced increase in membrane conductance evoked by GABA (500 microM) was associated with an increase in aiCl which indicates that the depolarizing action was not due to a current carried by Cl- ions. 4. The currents activated by GABA under voltage clamp conditions were inwardly directed when recorded at the level of the resting membrane potential, and they often revealed a biphasic character. The reversal potential of peak currents activated by pulses of 500 microM-GABA (EGABA) was 9-12 mV more positive than the reversal potential of the simultaneously measured net Cl- flux (ECl). ECl was 2-7 mV more negative than the resting membrane potential. 5. EGABA (measured using pulses of 500 microM-GABA) was about 10 mV more positive than the reversal potential of the current activated by 500 microM-muscimol, a GABA agonist that is a poor substrate of the Na(+)-dependent GABA uptake system. 6. In the absence of Na+, the depolarization and inward current caused by 500 microM-GABA were converted to a hyperpolarization and to an outward current. Muscimol produced an immediate outward current both in the presence and absence of Na+. 7. Following block of the inhibitory channels by picrotoxin (100-200 microM), the depolarizing effect of 500 microM-GABA was enhanced and the transient hyperpolarizing shifts were abolished. 8. In the presence of picrotoxin, GABA (> or = 2 microM) produced a concentration-dependent monophasic inward current which had a reversal potential of +30 to +60 mV. This current was inhibited in the absence of Na+ and by the GABA uptake blocker, nipecotic acid. Unlike the channel-mediated current, the picrotoxin-insensitive current was activated without delay also at low (2-10 microM) concentrations of GABA.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1464850", "title": "Synaptically triggered action potentials begin as a depolarizing ramp in rat hippocampal neurones in vitro.", "content": "1. During just-suprathreshold synaptic activation of CA1 pyramidal cells in rat hippocampal slices in vitro the action potential begins as a slow depolarizing ramp, superimposed on the underlying EPSP and forming an integral part of the action potential. We call this ramp a synaptic prepotential (SyPP). 2. In order to examine the SyPP, a procedure for subtraction of the underlying EPSP was necessary. Because action potentials were only elicited by a subset of EPSPs with larger than average amplitude, a subtraction of the mean subthreshold EPSP would not give valid results. Instead, an EPSP to be subtracted was selected from an assemblage of subthreshold EPSPs, so that its amplitude matched the initial part of the spike-generating EPSP. 3. Virtually all action potentials started with a SyPP. Using an amplitude criterion of 1 S.D. of the mean of the matching subthreshold EPSPs, just-suprathreshold EPSPs gave prepotentials in 72-100% of all action potentials from fifteen randomly selected cells. With a criterion of 2 S.D.S, the frequency of occurrence ranged from 36 to 100%. 4. With a constant stimulus strength, there was a certain variability of the spike latencies. Shorter latency spikes had steeper, but smaller SyPPs than later spikes, suggesting that the slope of SyPP influenced the timing of the cell discharge. 5. The SyPP was best fitted by a single, exponentially rising curve, and was both smaller and slower than the large amplitude action potential. Its amplitude was 1-6 mV and the time constant 1-5 ms, which was 10-50 times slower than that of the upstroke of the action potential. 6. A properly timed hyperpolarizing current pulse could block the large amplitude action potential, thereby unmasking the SyPP as an initial depolarizing ramp. 7. The SyPP was more sensitive than the large amplitude action potential to intracellular injection of QX-314, a lidocaine derivative. At the concentrations used (10 or 30 mM) no detectable changes were seen in the large amplitude action potential. 8. Droplet application of a specific N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonist, DL-2-amino-5-phosphonovaleric acid (1 mM), reduced both the EPSP and the firing probability, but did not change the SyPP. 9. The SyPP amplitude and time course depended upon the membrane potential at which the cell was activated. Depolarization enhanced and prolonged the SyPP, while hyperpolarization gave opposite effects. In part, the depolarization-induced amplitude increase could be attributed to membrane accommodation. 10. Antidromically evoked action potentials never started with a prepotential.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1464852", "title": "Effects of continuous heating at mild temperatures on the translocation of hsp70 and protein synthesis in NRK cells.", "content": "We investigated intracellular translocation of hsp70 and total protein synthesis during heating at mild temperatures in NRK (normal rat kidney) cells. When cells were heated at 41 degrees C, the hsp70 was translocated into the nuclei/nucleoli, then returned gradually to the cytoplasm during heating. Concomitantly, total protein synthesis first decreased to 80% of the control level, then recovered by 2 hr. This indicates the acquisition of translational thermotolerance during heating at 41 degrees C. The return of hsp70 to the cytoplasm seems to be related to the recovery of total protein synthesis. Similar relationships were obtained at 42 degrees C heating in the presence of glycerol. These results suggest that translocation of hsp70 into the nuclei/nucleoli is important for the recovery of protein synthesis (acquisition of translational thermotolerance) during heating at mild temperatures."}
{"id": "PMID:1464851", "title": "Two components of calcium-activated potassium current in rat adrenal chromaffin cells.", "content": "1. The activation of calcium (Ca2+)-dependent potassium (K+) currents in dissociated rat adrenal chromaffin cells was investigated using the dialysed cell recording technique. 2. Ca(2+)-dependent K+ current was the major component of outward current at command potentials from -30 mV to about +50 mV. 3. Two components of Ca(2+)-dependent outward current could be distinguished based on the voltage dependence of activation, the properties of tail currents following repolarization, and pharmacological properties. 4. One Ca(2+)-dependent current was similar to an after-hyperpolarization current (often termed IAHP) observed in other cell types. This current was largely blocked by 200 nM-apamin or 200 microM-curare, was associated with slow Ca(2+)-dependent tail current, and exhibited little dependence on voltage. In cells with cytosolic Ca2+ buffered to 500 nM-1 microM, curare-sensitive current accounted for most of the membrane current at potentials negative to about -40 mV. 5. A second component of Ca(2+)-activated K+ current exhibited voltage-dependent activation, was completely blocked by 1 mM-TEA, and turned off rapidly following repolarization. An unusual aspect of the TEA-sensitive currents was that they appeared to inactivate under conditions of constant cytosolic Ca2+. 6. A novel observation during these experiments was a slow hump of outward current which appears to result from a non-monotonic elevation in cytosolic Ca2+ during prolonged voltage jumps."}
{"id": "PMID:1464853", "title": "Comparison of the measured gamma ray dose and the DS86 estimate at 2.05 km ground distance in Hiroshima.", "content": "The gamma ray dose at 2.05 km ground distance from the Hiroshima atomic bomb hypocenter was measured from roof tile samples by a thermoluminescence technique. Two tile samples collected at 2.45 km also were analyzed to check the reliability of the background estimates. The result for the 2.05 km distance was 129 +/- 23 mGy for five-tile sample average. This value is 2.2 times larger than the corresponding DS86 estimate. These results and those in the literature show the DS86 estimate is 50% or less of the measured value 2.05 km from the Hiroshima hypocenter."}
{"id": "PMID:1464854", "title": "Effects of 5-fluorouracil on hematopoietic stem cells in normal and irradiated mice.", "content": "The effects of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) on hematopoietic stem cells (CFU-S) and nucleated cells in mouse femur and spleen were studied in normal and X-irradiated mice (ddY-SLC male, 8-10 weeks old). Changes in the number of circulating blood cells also were investigated in mice treated with 5-FU. A single dose of 5-FU (150 mg/kg) was injected i.p. The femoral CFU-S decreased after 5-FU treatment up to day 3 when it reached 2% of the control value. The cells then increased, reaching a maximum about twice that of control by day 12. A very similar profile was found for splenic CFU-S. Post-irradiation recovery for femoral and splenic CFU-S in mice treated with 5-FU 3 days before X-irradiation (1.9 Gy) was faster than in mice given irradiation alone. Regrowth rates of CFU-S were almost the same as in mice treated with 5-FU alone. The radiosensitivity of the CFU-S population in mice treated first with 5-FU at different times before X-irradiation (1.9 Gy) changed day-by-day after treatment. The maximal survival for femoral CFU-S was found in mice treated with 5-FU 5 days before irradiation, and for splenic CFU-S in mice treated 12 days before irradiation."}
{"id": "PMID:1464855", "title": "Novel TCR gene rearrangements and expression in radiation-induced thymic lymphomas.", "content": "Using the intrathymic (i.t.) injection assay with a B10.Thy 1 congenic donor-host combination, we previously demonstrated that the pre-neoplastic cells (thymic prelymphoma cells) exist in immature T cell subpopulations; mainly in CD4-CD8- double negative (DN) and CD4-CD8+ single positive (SP) thymocytes and to some extent in CD4+CD8+ double positive (DP) thymocytes. Most thymic lymphomas that developed from these prelymphoma cells showed concomitant TCR alpha, beta and gamma gene rearrangements and expression. In this lymphomas, two lymphomas also showed TCR delta gene rearrangements. This represents the intermediate stages of TCR gene rearrangement. Every lymphoma, however, expressed CD3-associated alpha beta TCR on the cell surface, but not gamma delta TCR. Novel rearrangements of V gamma 4 and J gamma 4-C gamma 4 segments with non-gamma elements were found respectively in a concerted and symmetrical fashion. Recombinase-mediated inter-chromosomal exchanges characteristic of thymic lymphomas may function in radiation-induced lymphomagenesis."}
{"id": "PMID:1464856", "title": "Effects of fetal exposure to gamma rays on aggressive behavior in adult male mice.", "content": "Aggressive behavior (AB) in first generation (F1) hybrid male C57BL/6xC3H mice irradiated on the 14th day of gestation was studied at 100-135 days of age. Gravid female mice were irradiated with 1.0 or 2.0 Gy of gamma rays to the whole body. The AB of pairs of mice were recorded with a capacitance-induction motility monitor and on videotape. Recordings were continued for 90 min, starting at 2:00 PM. Vigorous wrestling, boxing and biting were regarded as AB. Data recorded at 15-min intervals were stored on micro-computer discs. The body weight for the irradiated group was significantly lower than that for the control group. The number of instances of AB was significantly higher in the irradiated group. The AB of the 2.0 Gy group was significantly more intensive than that of the control group. No difference in the duration of AB was found for the 2 irradiated and the control groups. Results demonstrate that male mice irradiated prenatally show increased aggressiveness."}
{"id": "PMID:1464859", "title": "Rheumatoid cachexia: depletion of lean body mass in rheumatoid arthritis. Possible association with tumor necrosis factor.", "content": "To investigate body composition and serum tumor necrosis factor (TNF) levels in a series of 24 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Body composition assessment by anthropometric measures and bioelectrical impedance. Cytokine determination in serum by ELISA: When compared to United States population norms, 16 of the subjects (67%) were cachectic. In regression models, lean body mass (LBM) was inversely associated with the number of swollen joints (p < 0.025). Elevated TNF-alpha was found in 3 of 5 flaring patients vs 0 of 18 patients with less active disease (p = 0.001). These 3 were all cachectic, while the 2 flaring patients without detectable TNF had normal LBM (p < 0.03). Among the whole group, there was a trend toward increasing disability with decreased LBM after adjusting for joint pain and disease duration (p < 0.07). Cachexia is common in RA, and may be cytokine driven. Given the prognostic impact of LBM wasting in other diseases, the effect of rheumatoid cachexia on outcome in RA deserves further study."}
{"id": "PMID:1464860", "title": "Detection of myeloid precursors (granulocyte/macrophage colony forming units) in the bone marrow adjacent to rheumatoid arthritis joints.", "content": "Various cytokines were recently found to be involved in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and particularly, cytokines with hematopoietic activity have been detected in synovial tissues. We counted the number of myeloid precursors in terms of granulocyte/macrophage colony forming units (CFU-GM) and the number of stromal cell progenitors in terms of fibroblast colony forming units (CFU-F) in the tibial bone marrow adjacent to the joints affected by RA (n = 21), osteoarthritis (OA) (n = 10), and trauma (n = 2) using the colony formation unit assay. We also quantitated the amounts of interleukin 1 beta (IL-1 beta), IL-6, and granulocyte/macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) in the culture supernatant of synovial tissue explants of these patients by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The mean number (+/- SEM) of CFU-GM in patients with RA (7.4 +/- 4.9) was greater than that in patients with OA (0.5 +/- 0.2), while CFU-GM was not detected in trauma patients. The number of CFU-GM in the tibial bone marrow of patients with RA correlated well with the amount of IL-1 beta (r = 0.64, p < 0.01), but not with GM-CSF or with IL-6 from synovial tissues. These findings suggest that active bone marrow is present adjacent to the affected joints in patients with RA and that hematopoietic activity is influenced by IL-1 beta produced in nearby synovial tissues."}
{"id": "PMID:1464861", "title": "HLA in Singapore Chinese with rheumatoid arthritis.", "content": "The HLA-A, B, C, DR and DQ antigens were determined in 50 Singapore Chinese patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). There was a significant increase in the prevalence of HLA-Bw46, DRw53 and DQ3 in patients with RA. The linkage disequilibrium between Bw46 and DRw53 explains this association. This major histocompatibility complex association differs from the HLA-DR4 link in Caucasian populations and suggests that RA is an immunogenetically heterogeneous disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1464862", "title": "Effect of low doses of deflazacort vs prednisone on bone mineral content in premenopausal rheumatoid arthritis.", "content": "Longterm administration of steroid drugs, particularly prednisone, is known to induce osteoporosis, as well as bone growth inhibition and delayed fracture union. Recently deflazacort, an oxazoline prednisone derivative, has been developed to reduce such deleterious effects. We carried out a comparative study in premenopausal patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Sixteen cases whose mean age was 36.5 years and mean disease duration 29 months, all fulfilling ARA criteria, were evaluated in a randomized, double blind trial. Visually identical deflazacort or prednisone capsules were given and patients were instructed to maintain an adequate calcium intake. Laboratory tests focussed on bone mineral density in lumbar spine, femoral neck and Ward's triangle and whole body mineral content. Differences between baseline and 12-month values were processed statistically. Persistent synovitis control proved similar for both drugs and features suggestive of Cushing's syndrome were only found in the prednisone group. The difference in whole body bone mineral content between the deflazacort and prednisone groups just failed to reach statistical significance. In the deflazacort group, the difference between the nonsignificant bone mineral density increase at the femoral neck and the significant decrease in the prednisone group proved statistically significant. Ward's triangle was the most sensitive area to bone mineral density changes in patients receiving prednisone, with a highly significant intergroup difference (p < 0.01). We believe this is the first study on corticosteroid induced osteoporosis, as evaluated by whole body mineral content measurements in premenopausal patients with short term RA, showing that deflazacort is a promising alternative in cases severe enough to require steroid therapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1464863", "title": "Frequent induction of insulin autoantibodies by D-penicillamine in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.", "content": "D-Penicillamine is a drug known to induce various immunological abnormalities. We used a competitive radiobinding assay, to evaluate the presence of insulin autoantibodies in 42 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), under various treatment modalities. In 11/42 (26.2%) patients, the levels of insulin autoantibodies (range 59-1970 nU/ml) exceeded our upper limit of normal range (50 nU/ml). Nine of these 11 (81.8%) insulin autoantibodies positive patients had been treated with D-penicillamine. Out of 21 D-penicillamine treated patients, 9 (42.9%) were insulin autoantibodies positive (range 80 to 1970 nU/ml). An inverse correlation was found between the concentration of insulin autoantibodies and the time interval since the last drug administration, R = -0.58 (p < 0.05). No correlation was found between the autoantibodies levels and age, or duration of D-penicillamine treatment. In summary, elevated concentration of serum insulin autoantibodies are most probably induced by D-penicillamine therapy in patients with RA and tend to decrease after the drug withdrawal."}
{"id": "PMID:1464864", "title": "Dietary omega-3 fatty acid supplementation and naproxen treatment in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.", "content": "In a controlled, double blind, clinical trial we tested the effect of dietary omega-3 fatty acid supplementation with and without naproxen and placebo, respectively, in 67 patients with active rheumatoid arthritis. The patients were randomized into 3 groups that received the following treatment: Group 1, corn oil (\"placebo omega-3 fatty acids\"), 7 g/day for 16 weeks, and naproxen, 750 mg/day for 10 weeks followed by a stepwise reduction to 0 mg/day during the following 3 weeks; Group 2, omega-3 fatty acids, 3.8 g of eicosapentaenoic acid plus 2.0 g of docosahexaenoic acid, and naproxen, 750 mg/day for 16 weeks; and Group 3, omega-3 fatty acids as Group 2 and naproxen as Group 1. At the end of the trial, patients in Group 2 had improved with respect to duration of morning stiffness and global assessment by physician and patient. In Groups 1 and 3 there was a significant deterioration for most of the variables measured. However, for duration of morning stiffness the deterioration was significantly less pronounced in Group 3 compared with Group 1. These effects might be ascribed to the dietary omega-3 fatty acid supplementation."}
{"id": "PMID:1464865", "title": "Questionnaire study of the use of surgical shoes prescribed in a rheumatology outpatient clinic.", "content": "Our questionnaire study was undertaken to ascertain the proportion of patients who use an appliance and to what extent, up to a year after being prescribed. Twenty-four percent no longer used the appliance. Two-thirds wore their orthosis for more than 6 hours/day. Half the patients had surgical shoes--moulded and bespoke, most found their shoes of benefit. Moulded shoes were found to be worn more frequently and to be more comfortable, easier to put on and more attractive. Patients reported a significantly greater improvement in their condition with moulded shoes than with bespoke shoes."}
{"id": "PMID:1464866", "title": "Kates forefoot arthroplasty in rheumatoid arthritis. A 5-year followup study.", "content": "The longterm results of Kates forefoot arthroplasty in 74 feet of 41 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) after a mean followup of 5.2 years was considered to be good by 38 patients and poor by 3 patients. The average walking distance had doubled. The mean hallux valgus angle was reduced from 46 to 27 degrees. Surgical results proved to depend on the quality of the arc of the remaining stumps, and not on the severity or activity of RA. Reoperations were necessary in 16 feet of 10 patients because of too prominent distal metatarsal stumps. Despite the absence of pain, 28 patients were not satisfied with the function of the hallux. This might be improved by performing arthrodesis of the first metatarsophalangeal joint."}
{"id": "PMID:1464867", "title": "Measurement of disease activity in systemic lupus erythematosus. Prospective validation of 3 clinical indices.", "content": "Several clinical indices have been proposed to measure disease activity in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. Only a few have been subjected to extensive analysis. We report a methodological comparison of reliability, validity, responsiveness, and feasibility of the Lupus Activity Criteria Count, the Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI), and our own simplified modification of the latter (MEX-SLEDAI). They were applied prospectively to 39 patients with diverse degrees of disease activity in 3 consecutive visits. Inter-observer reliability outweighed experts' evaluation (rs = 0.86 to 0.89, p < 0.0001 versus 0.74). Significant association was demonstrated between indices and experts' judgment, managing physician's opinion, changes in treatment and clinical course. Moreover, indices showed good convergent validity (rs = 0.76 to 0.79, p < 0.0001), and responsiveness. MEX-SLEDAI was the least expensive instrument."}
{"id": "PMID:1464868", "title": "Incidence of and risk factors for hospitalizations in systemic lupus erythematosus: a prospective study of the Hopkins Lupus Cohort.", "content": "To determine the incidence of and risk factors for hospitalization in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). A prospective study of hospitalizations in 1989 and 1990 in the Hopkins Lupus Cohort was conducted. Of 261 patients with SLE in the Hopkins Cohort, 147 (56.3%) were hospitalized in 1989 or 1990. The incidence of hospitalization was 0.69 admissions/person-year. The mean length of stay was 9.6 days +/- 12.7 (SD). Activity of SLE accounted for 35% of admissions. Risk factors for hospitalization for active lupus in 1990 included activity of SLE in 1989 (measured by either the highest physician's global assessment in 1989, p = 0.004, highest lupus activity index (LAI) score in 1989, p = 0.002, or highest systemic lupus erythematosus disease activity index score in 1989, p = 0.008), an average prednisone dose greater than 10 mg in 1989 (p = 0.002), and the presence of neurologic lupus in 1989 (p = 0.02). Medical admissions other than for active SLE accounted for an additional 27% of admissions; one-half of these admissions (47%) were for complications of SLE and/or its treatment, with coronary artery disease the most common (21% of medical admissions). Infections were responsible for 14% of admissions. The majority of infections were bacterial (90%). Risk factors for hospitalization for infection in 1990 included active SLE in 1989 (p = 0.03), average prednisone dose of greater than 10 mg in 1989 (p = 0.04), immunosuppressive drug use in 1989 (p = 0.003), neurologic SLE in 1989 (p = 0.02) and previous hospitalization in 1989 (p = 0.03). Hospitalization is common in the Hopkins Lupus Cohort, with active SLE (35%), infection (14%, infection and/or active SLE; 11%, infection alone) and medical complications of SLE (13%) as the 3 most common causes."}
{"id": "PMID:1464869", "title": "Significance of plasma endothelin-1 levels in patients with systemic sclerosis.", "content": "Endothelin-1 (ET-1) is a novel potent vasoconstrictor peptide discovered in the supernatant fraction of cultured endothelial cells. We measured plasma levels of ET-1 using a sensitive sandwich enzyme immunoassay. Plasma concentrations of ET-1 in 31 patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) (1.90 +/- 0.47 pg/ml) were higher than those (1.31 +/- 0.10 pg/ml) in 25 age and sex matched healthy subjects. Patients with SSc with diffuse scleroderma had higher levels of ET-1 compared with those with limited scleroderma. Plasma ET-1 levels correlated inversely with carbon monoxide diffusing capacity (DLco). Measurement of plasma ET-1 levels may be useful as a predictor of prognosis of SSc."}
{"id": "PMID:1464870", "title": "Raynaud's phenomenon in primary Sj\u00f6gren's syndrome. Association with other extraglandular manifestations.", "content": "One hundred and four patients with primary Sj\u00f6gren's syndrome (SS) were evaluated for the presence (29%) or absence of Raynaud's phenomenon (RP). The clinical course of RP was, in general, benign and caused no vascular sequelae. In patients with primary SS having RP, nonerosive arthritis, vasculitis and pulmonary fibrosis were significantly more frequent than in those without RP. Myositis also appeared more frequently associated with RP, but the difference reached statistical significance only when combined in meta-analysis with 2 other comparable series. There were no differences in the autoantibody profiles of the 2 groups."}
{"id": "PMID:1464871", "title": "Reproductive function prior to disease onset in women with scleroderma.", "content": "We tested in a retrospective study the hypothesis that women with scleroderma have an increased risk, before disease presentation, of problems in pregnancy. Reproductive history, as reported from a validated postal questionnaire, was obtained from 204 women with scleroderma [mean year of birth (yob) 1942] and compared to that reported by 233 women with primary Raynaud's phenomenon (mean yob 1948) and 189 healthy women from a population register (mean yob 1950). Only pregnancies occurring before symptom onset in the scleroderma group were considered for analysis. All analyses were adjusted for job, social class, age at first pregnancy, smoking habit, and where relevant, parity. The results are expressed as odds ratios (OR) [with 95% confidence limits (CL)] giving the risk of developing scleroderma, with previous exposure to each of the specific reproductive variables analyzed, relative to the 2 comparison groups. The women with scleroderma were more likely than the population women to have had a delay in conception (> or = 12 months): OR 2.6 (1.1, 5.7) or be infertile: OR 2.3 (0.7, 7.2). These differences were not apparent when the scleroderma group was compared to the women with Raynaud's: OR's 0.7 and 1.1, respectively. Similarly there was a greater self report of maternal ill health in pregnancy in the group with scleroderma compared to the population women: OR 2.1 (1.2, 3.5) but not compared to the women with Raynaud's: OR 1.0 (0.7, 1.6).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1464872", "title": "Subcutaneous bursitis in scleroderma.", "content": "We encountered 3 types of subcutaneous bursitis in our patients with scleroderma: dry bursitis characterized by a rub, sterile bursitis characterized by inflammatory effusions without crystals by polarizing microscopy, and septic (staphylococcal) subcutaneous bursitis. The latter, which occurred in 6 of 40 consecutive patients, had a protracted course, was often complicated by fistulas, and tended to involve several bursae particularly in patients with extensive calcinosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1464873", "title": "The prevalence of ankylosing spondylitis among Norwegian Samis (Lapps).", "content": "A population survey of the Sami (Lapp) population of the municipalities Karasjok and Kautokeino in north Norway revealed a prevalence of ankylosing spondylitis (AS) according to the New York criteria of 1.8%. Eleven cases of AS were found, 7 men and 4 women. Only 4 of the 11 observed cases of AS were aware of the diagnosis of AS prior to the survey. Ten of 11 patients with AS possessed HLA-B27 (91%) which is found in 24% of the general Sami population in this area. It was calculated that 6.8% of B27 positive persons had AS."}
{"id": "PMID:1464874", "title": "The epidemiology of gout and hyperuricemia in a rural population of Java.", "content": "The prevalence of gout and hyperuricemia was investigated by a survey of a total population of 4683 rural adults. The successful response rate was 95.2%. Of the respondents 85.3% of the individuals were examined. The prevalence of gout and hyperuricemia in men was 1.7 and 24.3%, respectively. The male to female ratio was 34:1 for gout and 2:1 for hyperuricemia. The observed higher prevalence of gout and hyperuricemia in this male Malayo-Polynesian population compared with Caucasian data, in spite of a lower life expectancy and subsistence economy, suggests that genetic and racial predisposition are key causative factors."}
{"id": "PMID:1464875", "title": "31P magnetic resonance spectroscopy of skeletal muscle in patients with fibromyalgia.", "content": "31Phosphorous nuclear magnetic resonance (31P NMR) spectroscopy of painful calf muscle was performed in 12 patients with fibromyalgia (FS) and 7 healthy subjects during rest, aerobic and anaerobic exercising conditions, and postexercise recovery. Ratios of inorganic phosphate and creatinine phosphate (Pi/PCr) and pH were calculated from the collected 31P NMR spectra. Resting values of Pi/PCr were normal in the patients. Patients delivered only 49% of the muscle power of the controls (p = 0.005). Patients and controls had similar rates of Pi/PCr and pH changes during work and recovery. The controls were able to change their Pi/PCr and pH more than the patients, due to the greater workload reached. However, statistical significance was reached only for the anaerobic static exercise (p = 0.003). It was concluded that patients with FS have a reduced voluntary capacity for work, but normal biochemical response to work and recovery."}
{"id": "PMID:1464876", "title": "Preliminary report of higher dose methotrexate treatment in juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.", "content": "Methotrexate (MTX) is widely used to treat juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA). Although most patients respond to lower doses (0.15-0.5 mg/kg/wk), some patients have required higher doses of MTX to control their arthritis. Thirteen children were treated with MTX 0.82-1.1 mg/kg/wk for 2-26 months. Although all children initially responded (> 50% improvement in joint index, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, morning stiffness and global evaluation), 4 patients discontinued treatment because of side effects or lack of prolonged efficacy. Five patients have continued taking higher dose MTX for 4-26 months, while 4 other patients have been able to decrease their MTX dose and maintain improvement. Twenty-four hour MTX levels were done on all patients at initiation of higher dose MTX and all cleared MTX well. Our report suggests that MTX in doses of 0.82-1.1 mg/kg/wk can successfully treat active synovitis in some children with severe JRA with few short term toxicities. Longterm use at these doses has not been studied and thus its safety is not known."}
{"id": "PMID:1464877", "title": "Longterm followup of hip and knee soft tissue release in juvenile chronic arthritis.", "content": "Longterm results of soft tissue release for hip and knee flexion deformity in 27 patients with juvenile chronic arthritis (JCA) were evaluated. A total of 53 tenotomies were reviewed: 22 hips and 31 knees. Mean age at surgery was 12.1 years, with a mean underlying disease duration of 6.3 years and a postoperative followup of 5 years. Patients were evaluated at 3-6 months, then at one, 3 and 5 years. Results showed a marked drop in flexion contracture and an improvement in joint range up to the first 3 years postsurgery, but beyond this period benefits achieved were gradually partially lost. Only 37% of patients were able to walk before surgery. At one year followup, 81% were able to do so. Soft tissue release thus seems a beneficial therapeutic alternative to preserve both alignment and function in hip and knee flexion deformity affecting patients with JCA."}
{"id": "PMID:1464878", "title": "Cognitive-behavioral intervention for juvenile primary fibromyalgia syndrome.", "content": "Seven girls between 8.6 and 17.7 years of age were treated for symptoms of juvenile primary fibromyalgia syndrome (JPFS) using cognitive-behavioral techniques (progressive muscle relaxation, guided imagery) aimed at reducing pain and facilitating sleep, as well as strategies aimed at increasing mastery over the pain and improving mood. Patients satisfying diagnostic criteria for JPFS based on the presence of chronic diffuse musculoskeletal pain lasting at least 3 months (mean = 9.4, SD = 8.28) and a minimum of 5 characteristic soft tissue trigger and/or tender points with absence of synovitis, were referred for intervention. Results indicated that in the majority of patients, such techniques were effective in reducing pain and facilitating improved functioning."}
{"id": "PMID:1464879", "title": "Seroprevalence survey of borreliosis in children with chronic arthritis in British Columbia, Canada.", "content": "A seroprevalence survey using an indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) for IgG antibodies to Borrelia hermsii and Borrelia burgdorferi was conducted for varied pediatric chronic arthritis patients and a nonrheumatic control group in the province of British Columbia, Canada. Overall, a higher rate of sera with IFA titers > or = 1/256 was found for B. hermsii (36.6%) compared to B. burgdorferi (12.5%). There were no significant differences among the arthritis subgroups and controls for the distribution of IFA titers for either organism. IgG immunoblotting of selected high titered sera to either borrelia species confirmed the lack of specificity of the IFA assay. Serological tests for borreliosis should be cautiously interpreted in children with chronic arthritis."}
{"id": "PMID:1464880", "title": "Acute nonlymphocytic leukemia after treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus with immunosuppressive agents.", "content": "We describe a case of acute nonlymphocytic leukemia with inversion of chromosome 16 in a patient with systemic lupus erythematosus treated with immunosuppressive agents including azathioprine and cyclophosphamide. Although the leukemia may have been caused by other factors, it is worth noting the potential association of this malignancy with immunosuppressive therapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1464881", "title": "Jaccoud's arthropathy and inflammatory bowel disease.", "content": "A patient with longstanding ulcerative colitis developed an arthropathy of the hands and feet characterized by subluxations at the metacarpophalangeal and metatarsophalangeal joints without apparent osseous erosions. This could be a case of Jaccoud's arthropathy associated with inflammatory bowel disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1464882", "title": "Massive soft tissue calcification causing complete loss of extensor tendon function in renal failure.", "content": "Extraskeletal soft tissue calcifications occur commonly in patients with uremia receiving dialysis. Rarely, a large tumoral calcinosis-like mass may develop. A patient receiving chronic ambulatory peritoneal dialysis for only 7 months developed a tumoral calcinosis-like mass that encased the extensor tendons of his wrist with loss of extensor tendon function, initially suggesting extensor tendon rupture. Surgical debridement restored tendon function. Tumoral calcinosis-like lesions are uncommon, but may cause limitation of joint movement, pain or ulceration through the skin. Measures aimed at controlling factors contributing to soft tissue calcification should be undertaken in any event whether surgery is required or not."}
{"id": "PMID:1464883", "title": "Severe progressive erosive arthritis in multicentric reticulohistiocytosis: possible involvement of cytokines in synovial proliferation.", "content": "A case of multicentric reticulohistiocytosis complicated by severe progressive erosive arthritis in a 40-year-old man is described. The diagnosis was confirmed by biopsies of the cutaneous nodule and the synovial tissue of the right knee joint. Destructive changes in the multiple joints rapidly progressed and resulted in severe progressive erosive arthritis. Immunohistochemical staining revealed that the histiocytes reacted positively to interleukin 1 beta and platelet derived growth factor B, leading to the speculation that these cytokines may play a role in the synovial proliferation seen in patients with multicentric reticulohistiocytosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1464889", "title": "Association between insulin and blood pressure in a community population with normal glucose tolerance.", "content": "The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between insulin and BP in patients with normal glucose tolerance. The associations between systolic and diastolic BP, age, body mass index, waist/hip ratio, fasting glucose, insulin, fructosamine, glycosylated haemoglobin, lipid profile, and glucose and insulin two hours after 75 g oral glucose were examined in 1,520 employees of a public utility company and non-medical staff of a district hospital. Patients with impaired glucose tolerance or diabetes mellitus (using WHO criteria) were excluded. In men (mean age 35.6 +/- 8.7 years, n = 769), both systolic and diastolic BP were positively associated with age, body mass index, waist/hip ratio, fasting and 2h glucose and insulin, triglycerides and apolipoprotein B, and were negatively associated with glucose/insulin ration, and high density lipoprotein and cholesterol and its subfractions. However, in multivariate analysis only body mass index, age, fasting glucose and insulin were independent predictors of systolic BP, while only body mass index and age predicted diastolic BP. In women, age, glycosylated haemoglobin, 2h glucose/insulin ratio, 2h glucose, fructosamine and triglycerides were predictors of systolic BP. Fasting or 2h insulin, and glucose/insulin ratios did not predict diastolic BP. The results are compatible with the hypothesis that systolic hypertension may reflect a hyper-insulinaemic state even in those with normal glucose tolerance, independent of age and obesity. The association between plasma lipids and blood pressure is probably mediated by insulin and obesity."}
{"id": "PMID:1464890", "title": "Overdiagnosis of hypertension in the elderly.", "content": "Seventeen untreated and 36 treated hypertensives aged 65 years or more were referred to our clinic because of repeated values of systolic blood pressure > or = 160 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure > or = 95 mmHg. All 53 patients underwent 24h blood pressure monitoring during their customary daily activities. Eleven (65%) untreated and 23 (64%) treated patients were normotensive during their daily activities. Thus, ambulatory BP monitoring appears to be useful in the elderly hypertensive patients in detecting those whose BP is elevated only in the clinic. Ambulatory BP obtained outside the clinic may be useful in diagnostic and therapeutic decision-making in the elderly population."}
{"id": "PMID:1464891", "title": "Terminal aortic response to sodium intake is the major determinant of total peripheral resistance in elderly hypertensives.", "content": "Thirty-four elderly patients were studied using a Doppler flowmeter during different sodium intakes. Salt increased mean blood pressure and cardiac output (CO), while total peripheral resistance (TPR) remained unchanged. Neither carotid nor terminal aortic resistance changed, while coeliac, superior mesenteric or renal resistance increased. There was a significant and direct correlation (r = 0.82) between the change in TPR and that in terminal aortic resistance. Salt-sensitive patients were divided into two subgroups; the SST group in which sodium loading increased TPR more than CO, and the SSC group in which salt loading increased CO more than TPR. Terminal aortic resistance increased in the SST, decreased in the SSC, and remained unchanged in the non-salt-sensitive group with salt loading. The terminal aortic vascular bed received much of the increase of CO in the SSC patients. In the SST group, the contribution of the individual vascular area to increased TPR was assessed, which revealed that terminal aortic response to sodium loading was the major determinant of increased TPR. We concluded that the responses of terminal aortic vascular bed to sodium loading contributed to the changes in TPR."}
{"id": "PMID:1464892", "title": "Effect of cigarette smoking on the J-shaped relationship between treated blood pressure and cardiovascular disease. Hypertension Follow-up Group of the Japan Federation of Democratic Medical Institutions.", "content": "It is known that a J-shaped relationship exists between treated blood pressure and the incidence of cardiovascular disease. To determine the relationship, an assessment was made of 6,825 patients aged 50-75 years who were receiving antihypertensive drugs. Blood pressures were averaged from five readings that were measured at the time of entry and during the preceding year. Current smoking status was ascertained by interview. During the mean follow-up period of 2.7 years (18,562 patient-years), the 241 incidences of cardiovascular disease (CVD), which occurred including cerebrovascular disease, were classified into 156 strokes, 59 myocardial infarctions, 18 congestive heart failures, 2 aortic aneurysmal ruptures, and 6 sudden deaths. In smokers, the sex, and age-adjusted incidence of CVD per 1,000 patient-years was 24*, 13, 24*, 40**, according to the treated systolic blood pressure (SBP) subgroups, i.e., < 140, 140-149, 150-159, and > or = 160 mmHg, respectively (*P < 0.05, **P < 0.005 compared with 140-149 mmHg). A J-shaped relationship with a dip at the middle SBP (140-149 mmHg) was recognized between treated SBP and CVD. Similar J-shaped curves were also present in each male age bracket, 50-59, 60-69, 70 yrs and older, and in women. However, in nonsmokers, the incidence in relation to SBP was 7, 9, 10, 17, respectively, (P < 0.01 compared with 140-149 mmHg), showing a positive linear relationship between SBP and CVD. These findings suggest that cigarette smoking leads to the J-shaped relationship between treated SBP and the incidence of CVD."}
{"id": "PMID:1464893", "title": "Blood pressure and body composition in children: importance of allowing for cuff size.", "content": "A cross-sectional study of blood pressure (BP) was conducted in a sample of 1312 Australian school children aged 11-12 yrs. In line with current recommendations for the measurement of BP, a cuff of appropriate size was chosen for each subject based on his or her arm circumference. Analyses revealed statistically significant independent relationships between measured BP and cuff size. Observed relationships in the sample between measured BP and body composition variables were substantially affected when BP measurements were adjusted to remove the effect of cuff size. Cuff-associated biases in estimates of relationships between BP and body composition variables may still exist even though cuffs are carefully chosen to suit arms of different circumferences. It would appear that this potential problem is largely unrecognised. Some previous studies of relationships between BP and body composition may have been affected."}
{"id": "PMID:1464894", "title": "Usefulness of self-measured blood pressure when diagnosing mild hypertension.", "content": "Blood pressure (BP) measured by the patients themselves at home and at their workplaces (self BP) and office blood pressure (office BP) were compared with ambulatory BP (amb BP) in 41 middle-aged borderline hypertensive men when diagnosing hypertension. Ambulatory BP was used as the 'gold standard'. The mean (standard deviation) value for office BP was 142/89 (14/7), self BP 143/92 (14/8), and amb BP 134/88 (12/6) mmHg. There was no difference between diastolic office BP and self BP as instruments for diagnosing hypertension. Furthermore, combining the two added little to the diagnostic value obtained from only one of them."}
{"id": "PMID:1464895", "title": "Converting enzyme inhibition: dissociation between antihypertensive and arterial effects.", "content": "In this study the dose-response curves reflecting the arterial and the antihypertensive effects of converting enzyme inhibition were analysed. The BP measurement (using a random zero sphygmomanometer) and its decrease following converting enzyme inhibition were used as a marker of the arteriolar effect of the drug. The effect on conduit arteries was evaluated through determination of carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity used as an index of arterial distensibility. We compared the dose-response curves of these two parameters in a double-blind study carried out in 24 patients with essential hypertension, who were randomised between placebo and 2, 4 and 8 mg of the converting enzyme inhibitor trandolapril given for 8 days. The antihypertensive effect was observed from 2 mg, at which dose the plateau of BP reduction was already achieved. No significant correlation was found between dose and BP reduction (r = -0.34), whereas the dose was significantly related to the change in pulse wave velocity (r = -0.56, P < 0.01). No significant correlation was found between changes in BP and change of pulse wave velocity. The study provides evidence that the effect on the conduit artery was obtained for higher doses than the BP effect in patients treated for hypertension by the converting enzyme inhibitor trandolapril."}
{"id": "PMID:1464896", "title": "Airway responsiveness and cough induced by angiotensin converting enzyme inhibition.", "content": "Dry cough is one of the most common side-effects of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors. The mechanism of cough induced by ACE inhibitors is not completely understood and may be related to bronchial hyperreactivity and/or an accumulation of kinins. In a placebo-controlled, double-blind randomised study, the effect of captopril on lung function and bronchial reactivity to histamine and bradykinin was investigated in eight asthmatic and 12 hypertensive patients (six with and six without cough during previous ACE inhibition). Lung function did not change in any patient after a single (25 mg) or short-term (2 x 25 mg for two weeks) administration of captopril. Bronchial reactivity to histamine and bradykinin remained unaltered in all groups. In hypertensive patients with cough, reactivity to histamine tended to be more pronounced and bronchial hyperreactivity to be more frequent than in those without cough. In conclusion, the present results do not support a major role for kinins in cough induced by ACE inhibition. On the other hand, bronchial hyperreactivity may be important in some patients. Additionally, these results demonstrate that treatment with ACE inhibitors is safe in most patients with bronchial asthma."}
{"id": "PMID:1464897", "title": "Effects of Chinese herbal drugs on serum lipids, lipoproteins and apolipoproteins in mild to moderate essential hypertensive patients.", "content": "We investigated the effects of the traditional Chinese herbal drugs, Dai-saiko-to (D) and Saiko-ka-ryukotsuboreito (S) on blood pressure, pulse rates, serum lipids, lipoproteins and apolipoproteins in 30 patients with mild to moderate hypertension in an open, randomised trial. After the drug treatment, BP remained unchanged, but pulse rates declined significantly after 3 months in the S treated group. Serum total cholesterol and triglyceride values did not change, but high density lipoprotein-cholesterol increased significantly (P < 0.05) in both groups. Apo-AI (P < 0.1 in S group) and apo-AII (P < 0.05 in D group, P < 0.1 in S group) tended to increase 3 months after treatment. These data indicate that both of these traditional Chinese medicines have a preferential effect on lipid metabolism with little antihypertensive action."}
{"id": "PMID:1464898", "title": "Combined actions of isradipine and captopril on renal function in hypertension.", "content": "The object of this study was to test the hypothesis that the natriuretic and uricosuric effect of calcium-entry blockers could be mediated through antagonism of angiotensin II dependent intrarenal mechanisms. The antihypertensive efficacy, haemodynamic and excretional effects of superimposed calcium blockade with isradipine were investigated in seven hypertensives with unsatisfactorally controlled blood pressure with captopril 50 mg twice daily. Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and renal plasma flow (RPF), clearances (C) of sodium (Na), potassium (K), uric acid (UA) and lithium (Li), were measured before and after a low-dose bolus of isradipine, i.v. Subsequently, measurements were repeated during constant i.v. infusion of a higher dose with definite systemic haemodynamic effects. After 4 months of combined treatment with isradipine and captopril renal investigations were carried out again. The low isradipine dose induced a slight but statistically significant increment in CNa (22% +/- 28) and heart rate (4% +/- 4), whereas no other variables changed significantly. Infusion of the high isradipine dose caused a pronounced fall in renal vascular resistance (27% +/- 14), systolic (8% +/- 2) and diastolic blood pressure (17% +/- 5). RPF increased significantly (15% +/- 18) whereas no changes were noted in GFR, filtration fraction and urinary albumin excretion rate. In spite of the pronounced fall in BP during the high dose infusion, significant increments in natriuresis (91% +/- 63) and diuresis (41% +/- 27) were induced. The natriuresis was caused by a proximal tubular action as indicated by increased CLi and CLi/GFR.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1464900", "title": "Stereo pairs of bright-field micrographs via Wiener-type inverse filtering.", "content": "In a three-dimensional (3-D) image data set obtained through optical sectioning, each two-dimensional (2-D) segment is blurred by out-of-focus information from neighbouring focal planes superimposed on the in-focus segments from that plane. Instead of attempting to remove this redundant information over the full 3-D data set, we have developed a technique for restoring stereoscopic views. In this paper we describe the implementation of a Wiener-type inverse filtering method for generating stereo pairs of bright-field micrographs. A theoretical optical transfer function valid under certain simplifying approximations has been used in implementing this filtering technique. In developing this method the slice theorem of computed tomography is used. In this way the image reconstruction problem is reduced to one of processing 2-D arrays rather than 3-D arrays and the problem of restoring missing Fourier components within the missing-cone region is circumvented. Limited experimentation with real micrographs shows that the approach provides images that display an effective increased depth of field and 3-D attributes of the specimen, even though some of the underlying assumptions on which this method is based are difficult to verify explicitly. The method can be implemented with a relatively fast execution time on 386-SX computers."}
{"id": "PMID:1464901", "title": "High-resolution scanning electron microscopy of frozen-hydrated cells.", "content": "Cryo-fixed yeast Paramecia and sea urchin embryos were investigated with an in-lens type field-emission SEM using a cold stage. The goal was to further develop and investigate the processing of frozen samples for the low-temperature scanning electron microscope (LTSEM). Uncoated frozen-hydrated samples were imaged with the low-voltage backscattered electron signal (BSE). Resolution and contrast were sufficient to visualize cross-fractured membranes, nuclear pores and small vesicles in the cytoplasm. It is assumed that the resolution of this approach is limited by the extraction depth of the BSE which depends upon the accelerating voltage of the primary beam (V0). In this study, the lowest possible V0 was 2.6 kV because below this value the sensitivity of the BSE detector is insufficient. It is concluded that the resolution of the uncoated specimen could be improved if equipment were available for high-resolution BSE imaging at 0.5-2 kV. Higher resolution was obtained with platinum cryo-coated samples, on which intramembranous particles were easily imaged. These images even show the ring-like appearance of the hexagonally arranged intramembranous particles known from high-resolution replica studies. On fully hydrated samples at high magnification, the observation time for a particular area is limited by mass loss caused by electron irradiation. Other potential sources of artefacts are the deposition of water vapour contamination and shrinkage caused by the sublimation of ice. Imaging of partially dehydrated (partially freeze-dried) samples, e.g. high-pressure frozen Paramecium and sea urchin embryos, will probably become the main application in cell biology. In spite of possible shrinkage problems, this approach has a number of advantages compared with any other electron microscopy preparation method: no chemical fixation is necessary, eliminating this source of artefacts; due to partial removal of the water additional structures in the cytoplasm can be investigated; and finally, the mass loss due to electron beam irradiation is greatly reduced compared to fully frozen-hydrated specimens."}
{"id": "PMID:1464902", "title": "Artefacts and morphological changes during chemical fixation.", "content": "The normally 'condensed' (darkly stained) chromosomes of dinoflagellates decondense by swelling. This occurs in an increasing number of cells when the concentration of added OsO4 is decreased. With different fixatives other types of disintegration can be observed, which vary with the concentration. With cryofixation and freeze-substitution the chromosomes are most 'condensed'. Escherichia coli infected with bacteriophage T4, with or without active lysozyme production, were studied by optical densitometry for partial lysis and by light and electron microscopy for observing swelling. When active lysozyme is present some of the acrolein (2.5%)-glutaraldehyde (2%)-fixed cells swell at 0 degrees C, but do not in the absence of lysozyme nor when fixed at room temperature. If OsO4 is added at concentrations < or = 0.5%, partial lysis occurs when lysozyme is present. The optical density decreases, the cells lose some matter and swell slightly. The corresponding electron micrographs show gap formation by curdling and/or a decreased concentration of the cytoplasm which reveals certain phage-related particles."}
{"id": "PMID:1464904", "title": "Mutagens in urine sampled repetitively from municipal refuse incinerator workers and water treatment workers.", "content": "Municipal refuse incinerator workers may be exposed to mutagenic compounds from combustion gases and particulates during plant operation, maintenance, and ash removal procedures. The frequency of mutagens was measured by the Ames assay in 3 urine samples collected from each of 37 workers in 4 refuse incinerators and 35 (control) workers from 8 water treatment plants during June-August 1990. When comparing the first urine samples contributed by workers in each cohort, incinerator workers had a significantly (p < .05) increased risk of both direct-acting mutagens and promutagens (8/37 or 22% for each mutagen type) compared with water treatment workers (2/35 or 6% for each mutagen type). Smoking within 24 h before urine sampling was not a confounder of these results. Interestingly, there was no significant (p > .05) difference for risk of urinary mutagens or promutagens between the two cohorts when comparing, respectively, the second and third urine samples from each cohort. The repeatability of demonstrating urinary mutagens in individual incinerator workers was poor, suggesting that their exposure was highly variable and/or that these workers modified their exposure (e.g., wore masks) as a consequence of being studied. Factors that influence production of mutagenic compounds during refuse incineration and subsequent worker exposure are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1464905", "title": "Correlation between cataract and retinopathy due to lighting in F344 rats used in a long-term carcinogenicity study.", "content": "Correlations between light intensity of animal room lighting and both cataract and retinopathy of rats were examined, and relationships between the cataract and the retinopathy were further investigated. Seventy-nine male rats and 106 female rats surviving to the end of a 2-yr carcinogenicity study of monosodium succinate were used in this investigation. Animals were housed in polycarbonate cages, each containing 4 rats, with wire lids and hardwood chips for bedding and with a 12-h light/dark cycle. Individual groups comprising 13 cages were inserted into 3 by 5 cage hanging type racks. Light intensity was measured at the bottom (on the bedding) of individual cages. Statistically, both the incidence of cataracts and the severity of retinopathy were closely related to light intensity. The incidence of cataracts in males was significantly higher than that in females, while no sex difference was observed for the severity of retinopathy. Meanwhile, no differences in either the incidence of cataracts or the severity of retinopathy were observed between the monosodium succinate-treated and control groups and between the right and left eyes. While the occurrences of retinopathy and cataract were strongly associated, our results indicated that retinopathy occurs more frequently than cataracts, and thus the retina appeared to be more sensitive to the effects of lighting."}
{"id": "PMID:1464906", "title": "Structure-activity relationship of a series of sensory irritants.", "content": "The relative potencies for a series of sensory irritants, with structures based on toluene, were determined by measuring the airborne concentrations that caused a 50% decrease in respiratory rate in Swiss-Webster mice. This concentration is referred to as the RD50. Toluene, a relatively nonirritating compound, and compounds with chlorine, two chlorines, bromine, and iodine atoms substituted on the alpha carbon of toluene were tested. The RD50s for these compound types were determined to be 4900, 27, 27, 5.2, and 4.3 ppm, respectively. In addition, compounds with chlorine substituted at the ortho, meta, and para positions on the toluene ring were also tested. The RD50s were determined to be 4.9, 13, and 14 ppm, respectively. The structure-activity relationships of the compounds studied are explained by a model (Abraham et al., 1990; Nielsen and Alarie, 1982) that relates the interaction of sensory irritants with a receptor protein in a lipid bilayer. The trends in the RD50s, and thus sensory irritation, for the compounds studies are related to the development of a partial positive charge on the toluene alpha carbon by the positioning of a ring chlorine and the bond dissociation energies of the alpha carbon-halogen bond for the iodo, bromo, and chloro isomers of benzyl halide."}
{"id": "PMID:1464907", "title": "Impairment of vitamin D metabolism due to environmental cadmium exposure, and possible relevance to sex-related differences in vulnerability to the bone damage.", "content": "To determine whether depleted serum 1 alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (VD) concentrations are associated with cadmium (Cd)-induced renal damage, the relationships between four indices of renal function and two indicators of bone metabolism, that is, serum VD and parathyroid hormone (PTH) concentrations, were analyzed in 30 male and 44 female subjects exposed to environmental Cd. Also, these associations were compared in male and female subjects to evaluate sex-related differences in vulnerability to the bone damage observed in Cd-exposed persons. Serum VD decreased significantly with declines in creatinine clearance and percentage tubular reabsorption of phosphate, and with increases in serum creatinine and serum beta 2-microglobulin (beta 2m) concentrations in the female subjects exposed to Cd, but not in the male subjects. The correlation between serum VD and PTH levels was also significant only in the females. Correlation coefficients between serum beta 2m and VD and those between serum PTH and VD in both sexes were significantly different. These results suggest that renal damage due to Cd exposure leads to the decreases in the serum VD level and increases in serum PTH level, and that the more marked changes in serum VD and PTH in the women may play a role in the development of sex-related differences in Cd-induced bone injury."}
{"id": "PMID:1464908", "title": "Evidence of thyroxine formation following iodine administration in Sprague-Dawley rats.", "content": "Iodine (I2) has been proposed to be used as a water disinfectant on the manned space station. Previous work has shown that subchronic administration of I2 to Sprague-Dawley rats in drinking water significantly increases plasma thyroxine/triiodothyronine (T4/T3) levels. This is not observed with iodide (I-) treatment. The present study addresses the possibility that I2 reacts with deiodinated T4 metabolites in the gastrointestinal tract to resynthesize T4. Incubation of diiodothyronine (T2), T3, or reverse T3 with I2 in phosphate-buffered saline resulted in the formation of T4 as measured by radioimmunoassay. Washes from the initial segments of the small intestine of the rat show that substrates are present that react with I2 to produce T4. Single oral doses of I2 to rats produced significant dose-related increases in serum T4 and decreases in T3 concentrations after 2 h. Administration of an equivalent dose of I- did not alter significantly plasma T4 concentrations. Higher concentrations of a radioactive substance that bound a T4-specific antibody are present in plasma of animals treated with 125I2 compared to 125I-. These data support the hypothesis that I2 reacts with metabolites of thyroid hormone in the gastrointestinal tract to resynthesize T4 and elevate its levels in blood."}
{"id": "PMID:1464911", "title": "Intestinal bacterial translocation in experimentally burned mice with wounds colonized by Pseudomonas aeruginosa.", "content": "Translocation of micro-organisms from the gastrointestinal tract may play a role in the pathogenesis of septic complications in severely burned patients. We therefore investigated the influence of burn wound infection with Pseudomonas aeruginosa on translocation in experimentally burned mice. The P. aeruginosa disseminated in 15% of the animals on the second day and in 20% of the animals on the third day postburn in the Pseudomonas-seeded group. Wound colonization with P. aeruginosa, compared with a control group, led to an increased incidence of translocation of Escherichia coli from the GI tract to the spleen (p < 0.005), liver (p < 0.03), lungs (p < 0.005), and peritoneal cavity (p < 0.03) on the second day postburn but not on the third day postburn. On both the second and third days, the number of viable E. coli in the organs in the Pseudomonas-seeded group exceeded that in the organs in the control group. In this model translocation of E. coli from the GI tract played a more important role than did hematogeneous dissemination of P. aeruginosa from the burn wound."}
{"id": "PMID:1464912", "title": "Association between blood transfusion and infection in injured patients.", "content": "The association between red blood cell transfusions and infectious complications in 484 patients with acute injuries was studied in 1989. The median age was 62 years (0.5-97) and the median stay 7 days (3-141). Infectious complications developed in 46 (9.5%) patients. A number of potential risk factors, except blood transfusion, were analyzed in a logistic regression model to determine significant predictors of infectious complications. Blood transfusion as a cofactor was then added to this model. The final logistic regression analysis showed a relationship between blood transfusions and infectious morbidity that was independent of the other significant factors; Injury Severity Score, age, and surgical procedure. The corrected odds ratios for infection were 1.6 (95% confidence interval: 0.7-3.7) when 1-4 units of blood were given and 6.4 (95% CI: 2.3-18.3) when more than 4 units were used."}
{"id": "PMID:1464913", "title": "Identifying body fluid distribution by measuring electrical impedance.", "content": "The effects of critical illness on extracellular water (ECW) and total body water (TBW) were measured using (1) a multiple dilutional technique, and (2) whole body and regional bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) in a group of stable patients. Total body water and body resistance (R) were similar in patients when compared with normal healthy subjects (TBW: 45.1 +/- 4.5 vs. 46.2 +/- 3.4 L, p = 0.85; R: 518 +/- 42 vs. 500 +/- 22 omega, p = 0.70), and a significant relationship was present between these measurements (r = -0.87, p < 0.001). However, patients demonstrated an increase in ECW compared with controls (ECW: 18.6 +/- 1.3 vs. 14.7 +/- 1.1 L, p < 0.05). Expanded ECW values were associated with diminished electrical reactance (Xc) values (38 +/- 6 vs. 70 +/- 4 omega, p < 0.001) and these values were correlated (r = -0.67, p < 0.005). The ratio of Xc to R determined across the body and each of the segments was significantly lower in patients compared with controls (at least p < 0.005) and this ratio measured across a leg was the most sensitive predictor of health (Xc/R > or = 0.137) and disease (Xc/R < or = 0.101). Bioelectrical impedance analysis is a noninvasive and simple bedside technique that can be used to predict TBW and identify altered fluid distribution following critical illness."}
{"id": "PMID:1464914", "title": "Effects of hypothermia on hemodynamic responses to dopamine and dobutamine.", "content": "Hemodynamic characteristics, arrhythmogenicity, and dose-related hemodynamic responses to intravenous dopamine (group I) and dobutamine (group II) were examined in 16 swine at three different core body temperatures (38.5 degrees C, 35 degrees C, and 30 degrees C). The animals were anesthetized with isoflurane and mechanically ventilated. Cooling and re-warming were accomplished by a femoral-jugular A-V shunt. The animals were cooled down to 30 degrees C and stabilized for 1 hour before intravenous infusion of dopamine (group I, n = 8) or dobutamine (group II, n = 8) was started at 2, 5, 10, 15, 20, and 30 micrograms/kg/min. Hemodynamic responses to the two inotropes were continuously monitored with a bedside monitor equipped with a PC mode for customized data collection and analysis. Computerized arrhythmia detection was performed. Our findings were: (1) profound hypothermia (30 degrees C) causes significant depression of hemodynamic functions; (2) IV infusion of dopamine and dobutamine can be used safely and effectively for inotropic support during profound hypothermia, and the optimal dosage for improving cardiac output is 10-20 micrograms/kg/min; (3) no risk of inducing arrhythmia was noted with IV infusion of both inotropes up to a maximum dosage of 30 micrograms/kg/min, even though significant sinus tachycardia was consistently seen at 30 micrograms/kg/min."}
{"id": "PMID:1464915", "title": "Isolated fracture-dislocations of the first tarsometatarsal joint.", "content": "Eight cases of isolated fracture-dislocation of the first tarsometatarsal joint are presented. This is an uncommon injury and a distinct entity from other tarsometatarsal joint injuries. Reduction of both the fracture and the dislocation is easy but is unstable. Kirschner wire and screw fixation adequately stabilizes the reduction and gives good results. Results of conservatively treated cases are usually poor, since redisplacement in plaster is quite common."}
{"id": "PMID:1464916", "title": "Mechanical failures of internal fixation in T and Y fractures of the distal humerus.", "content": "To evaluate the factors resulting in mechanical failures of internal fixation of distal T-type and Y-type humeral fractures, we reviewed the clinical course and final results in 61 consecutive cases treated with AO-ASIF internal fixation devices. The patients were followed for at least 2 years (range, 2-11 years). Mechanical failure occurred in 18 cases (29.5%). In 12 patients this resulted from an unstable fixation. Severe osteoporosis was present in four patients. In two patients no specific causative factor could be detected. A second osteosynthesis was undertaken in five patients, and four additional patients were later operated on for nonunion. The functional outcome after these mechanical failures was, unexpectedly, poor in only 6 of the 18 patients. In spite of this comforting finding, the conclusion is that to minimize the failure rate in the management of these demanding fractures strict adherence to the correct technical fixation principles is mandatory, and when the bone is very osteoporotic a nonsurgical approach seems advisable."}
{"id": "PMID:1464917", "title": "External fixation of lower limb fractures in children.", "content": "Thirty-four tibial and femoral shaft fractures in 32 children between the ages of 3 and 15 years were treated by external fixation over a 5-year period. The indications were fractures occurring in association with other major injuries and failure of conservative treatment to maintain satisfactory reduction. There was one case of delayed union and one early refracture. The overall pin track infection rate was 6%, but the rate for the tibial pins (2.1%) was much lower than for the femoral pins (10.3%). Union was achieved at an average of 11.7 weeks in the femoral fractures and 10.0 weeks in the tibial fractures. The use of external fixation is recommended for childhood femoral and tibial fractures, particularly in children with multiple injuries."}
{"id": "PMID:1464918", "title": "Balloon tamponade for bilobar transfixing hepatic gunshot wounds.", "content": "The nonresectional approach to major liver trauma is clearly preferred. Unfortunately, trachotomy with vessel ligation, selective hepatic arterial ligation, perihepatic pack, and fibrin glue are not viable options with high-energy bilobar liver injuries. We have fashioned a balloon tamponade device that has proved very effective for these transfixing hepatic gunshot wounds."}
{"id": "PMID:1464919", "title": "The role and limitations of computed tomographic scanning in the evaluation of cervical trauma.", "content": "We retrospectively reviewed the medical records, plain films, CT scans and complex-motion tomographic studies (TOMOS) of 216 consecutive patients with cervical injuries to determine the uses and limitations of CT in the evaluation of cervical trauma and the indications, if any, for the continued use of TOMOS in evaluating cervical trauma. There were 453 fractures and 104 subluxations or dislocations of the cervical spine in the 216 patients. Plain films detected 58% (262 of 453) of the fractures and 93% (97 of 104) of the subluxations and dislocations; and 94% (202 of 216) of the patients with abnormalities were identified. Computed tomographic scans detected 90% (406 of 453) of the fractures and 54% (56 of 104) of the subluxations and dislocations; 92% (198 of 216) of the patients with abnormalities were identified. Most of the abnormalities missed on the CT scans involved the dens, C-6, and C-7, and were oriented in the axial plane. Although CT scanning was better than plain films in detecting most types of cervical fractures, plain films were better than CT for detecting fractures of the vertebral body, dens, and spinous processes, and significantly better than CT in detecting subluxation and dislocation. When plain films and CT scans were combined they identified 98% (443 of 453) of the fractures and 99% (103 of 104) of the subluxations and dislocations; 100% (216 of 216) of the patients with abnormalities were identified. In the 20 patients who underwent both CT scanning and TOMOS, TOMOS detected more fractures, subluxations, and dislocations than CT scanning. Complex-motion tomographic studies detected atlanto-occipital dislocation and subluxation of the vertebral bodies and fractures of the spinous processes, lateral masses, articular processes, vertebral bodies, and dens better than CT scanning. Although the more routine use of CT scanning in evaluating cervical trauma should increase the detection of cervical abnormalities to near 100%, TOMOS remain the gold standard of diagnosis for atlanto-occipital dislocation, subluxation of the vertebral bodies, and fractures of the lateral masses, articular processes, vertebral bodies, and dens."}
{"id": "PMID:1464920", "title": "The effects of alcohol intoxication on the initial treatment and hospital course of patients with acute brain injury.", "content": "The effect of alcohol intoxication at the time of injury on hospital outcome was evaluated in 520 adult patients diagnosed with brain injury who were admitted to the emergency department of Harborview Medical Center. Data were collected for each subject's status from field intervention through hospitalization. Serum alcohol levels were measured from blood drawn in the emergency room, and the subjects were stratified into two groups: intoxicated (> or = 100 mg/dL, n = 191) and nonintoxicated (< 100 mg/dL, n = 329). Compared with subjects who were not intoxicated, intoxicated patients were more likely to be intubated in the field or emergency department (relative risk [RR] = 1.3, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.1-1.5), require placement of an intracranial pressure bolt (RR = 1.4, 95% CI = 1.1-1.8), develop respiratory distress requiring ventilatory assistance during hospitalization (RR = 1.8, 95% CI = 1.0-3.3), or develop pneumonia (RR = 1.4, 95% CI = 0.9-2.2). The similarities in the clinical presentation of patients with acute brain injury and those who are intoxicated appear to influence prehospital care and also suggest that a more objective assessment of cerebral injury than provided by clinical diagnostic measures alone is required, thus accounting for the elevated likelihood of intracranial pressure monitoring in intoxicated trauma patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1464921", "title": "Emergency room resuscitative thoracotomy: when is it indicated?", "content": "This study was designed to examine the results of emergency room resuscitative thoracotomy (ERRT) and to formulate cost-effective indications for this procedure. A retrospective study was performed of 28 patients who had ERRT at St. Elizabeth Hospital Medical Center, Youngstown, Ohio, during the 4 years from July 1985 through June 1989. The prognostic factors analyzed included mechanism and site of injury, signs of life (SOL), vital signs (VS), age, gender, and prehospital care. The overall survival rate of ERRT was 7% (2 of 28 patients). The survival rate was 18% (2 of 11 patients) with penetrating trauma, and 0% (none of 17 patients) with blunt trauma. The best survival rate was 66% in the subgroup of patients with penetrating trauma and SOL present at the scene and in the emergency room (ER), (two of three patients). Our observations were combined with those of 23 studies from the literature involving 2294 trauma patients who had ERRT. Using meta-analysis, the survival rate was 11% overall. Improved survival was noted for patients with penetrating trauma compared with patients with blunt trauma (14% vs. 2%, p < 0.01). There were no survivors in the group of patients with no SOL at the scene, and there were no neurologically intact survivors among blunt trauma patients with no SOL upon arrival at the ER. An algorithm based on mechanism of injury and presence or absence of SOL at the scene and in the ER is proposed. This algorithm would decrease the number of ERRTs performed by 41% without decreasing the number of neurologically intact survivors.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1464922", "title": "Computed tomography in the initial evaluation of patients with blunt trauma.", "content": "Two hundred sixty-six of 374 consecutive blunt trauma patients underwent emergency computed tomographic (CT) scanning during evaluation at a level I trauma center. The purpose of this study was to develop guidelines for use of CT scanning in the initial evaluation of blunt trauma patients. Of the 131 CT scans of the head obtained, 20 (15%) had positive results. Seven patients whose initial neurologic examinations were normal had abnormal results on head CT scans; none required emergent treatment of their head injury. This suggests that, in the presence of a normal neurologic examination, head CT scans can safely be delayed until other more serious injuries are addressed. Twenty-six CT scans of the chest were performed and ten (38%) were interpreted as abnormal. Chest CT scans provided information about the extent of the injury but did not alter the initial management of any patient and therefore are rarely indicated in the acute evaluation of trauma patients. A total of 110 abdominopelvic CT scans were performed and 20 (19%) were interpreted as positive. Seventy-five percent of those patients with positive CT scans were treated successfully in a nonsurgical fashion."}
{"id": "PMID:1464923", "title": "Posttraumatic disablement: a prospective study of impairment, disability, and handicap.", "content": "This study was designed to evaluate both the frequency and the course of impairments, disabilities, and handicaps resulting from trauma. It was conducted in Aquitaine, France, on a sample of 1005 trauma patients (mean ISS, 10.5 +/- 0.3) in which severe trauma (ISS > 25) was rather overrepresented (169 of 1005). A prospective follow-up of disablement according to the WHO classification was based on medical examinations performed 6 and 12 months after the trauma. Of 664 survivors reviewed at 6 months, the findings were cross tabulated with Injury Severity Score (ISS) and age. There was a good relationship between ISS and the mean length of stay in the hospital (r = 0.46; p < 0.001), the duration of rehabilitation, and the time away from work or school. Out of this sample of 1005 patients with rather major injuries, 73% of the survivors suffered from at least one impairment, with a consistently lower frequency in children whatever the severity. At least one disability was encountered in 52.3% of these patients depending on both ISS and age. Handicap was noted in at least 26% of the cases. Between the sixth month and the end of the first year, the minimal handicap regression was 35.8%, whereas the minimal regression of the disability rate was 19.5%. The best improvement was observed essentially in the low ISS categories. Whereas for minor trauma the course of disablement seems to be fixed 1 year after the injury, such is not the case for severe trauma."}
{"id": "PMID:1464924", "title": "The association of trauma death and alcohol use in a rural state.", "content": "This study documents the strong association of alcohol in trauma-related deaths. In a previous study alcohol was present in 62.8% of homicide victims, 48.6% of unintentional injury fatality victims, 35.3% of persons who committed suicide, and 14.4% of persons who died of natural causes. The present study uses the legal limit of 100 mg/100 mL to include patients as having an alcohol-associated trauma death. In addition the study includes patients who die up to 20 hours after injury. These features of our study result in the lower reported frequency rates. Our study confirms that alcohol is strongly associated with trauma deaths resulting from motor vehicle crashes. It also demonstrates a strong association between alcohol use and victims of all types of trauma mortality; specifically those victims of gunshot wounds, burns, stabbings, and falls all are frequently using alcohol. This information is of importance for those who treat such injured patients, since such tests as neurologic examination frequently will be compromised by the use of alcohol in the victims of major trauma. Perhaps most importantly this information can be of help in designing appropriate strategies in attacking this problem the best possible way--by prevention."}
{"id": "PMID:1464925", "title": "TRISS unexpected survivors--a statistical phenomenon or a clinical reality?", "content": "Data from patients treated in Pennsylvania-accredited trauma centers during 1989 were analyzed. TRISS expected and unexpected survivors (1.6% of all survivors) differed in many ways. Unexpected survivors were more than twice as likely to have been transferred from a nondesignated trauma center (45.8% vs. 22.8%, p < 0.001). Unexpected survivors had significantly higher frequencies of motor vehicle injuries (56.2% vs. 38.3%, p < 0.001), pedestrian injuries (9.6% vs. 5.4%, p < 0.01), and gunshot wounds (7.3% vs. 4.7%, p < 0.01). Expected survivors were injured more frequently in falls (26.1% vs. 10.8%, p < 0.001) and were less frequently male (64.5% vs. 75%, p < 0.001). Unexpected survivors had significantly longer average hospital stay (29.6 s vs. 9.3 days, p < 0.001) and more frequent (98.8% vs. 36.8%, p < 0.001) and longer average stays in the ICU (13.3 s vs. 4.1 days, p < 0.001). The percentage of unexpected survivors discharged to rehabilitation centers (61.9%) was significantly greater than that for expected survivors (8.7%), (p < 0.001). Unexpected survivors were more frequently judged \"completely dependent\" in five measures of functional disability than expected survivors. We conclude that unexpected survivors are a seriously injured and clinically relevant patient set, not just a statistical phenomenon."}
{"id": "PMID:1464927", "title": "Difficult aeromedical rescue situations: experience of a Swiss pre-alpine helicopter base.", "content": "Swiss Air Rescue (REGA) teams execute more than 3000 aeromedical missions annually, of which some require the use of a winch. To evaluate the need for early medical intervention at sites where landing is impossible, we analyzed retrospectively 100 consecutive operations (10.8% of all primary missions, 110 patients) accomplished by the REGA base at Lausanne with an emergency physician of the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV) on board. In such difficult rescue conditions, time to call, response times, and scene times were particularly long (mean delay to admission: 114 minutes). Fourteen patients were dead on arrival, 22 were uninjured, 50 had NACA Index 1-3 injuries (moderate), 22 had NACA Index 4-6 injuries (severe). Seventeen required major intervention at the site or during rescue. We conclude that in our European pre-alpine region 22% of patients rescued by winch are severely injured. Since rescue actions are particularly long and difficult, the performance of advanced procedures at the scene and during transportation is of great value."}
{"id": "PMID:1464928", "title": "Intrahepatic arterioportal fistula following conservative treatment of a traumatic liver rupture: case report.", "content": "A 16-year-old girl with severe liver injury complicated by the development of an intrahepatic arterial aneurysm and arteriovenous fistula is presented. Nonsurgical treatment combining close observation and repeat hepatic arterial embolization was successful."}
{"id": "PMID:1464929", "title": "Appendiceal transection in a child associated with a lap belt restraint: case report.", "content": "The seatbelt syndrome refers to the spectrum of injuries associated with lap belt restraints and includes intestinal tears, perforations, and transections; mesenteric disruptions; and lumbar distractions, dislocations, and fractures. We report a case of appendiceal transection associated with a lap belt restraint in a small child."}
{"id": "PMID:1464930", "title": "Massive craniofacial injuries from recreational fireworks: a report of three cases.", "content": "Recreational rocket injuries can result in massive destruction of facial soft tissues and bone and can produce long-term sequelae. This study reviews the cases of three patients who arrived at our medical center within a 3-week period in July 1990 who sustained severe craniofacial injuries from fireworks. A timely multidisciplinary approach is important in the care of these injuries, since there are usually associated serious ophthalmologic and cranial injuries that require immediate attention. We present the management dilemmas confronting the personnel who treat such injuries as well as tips on avoiding long-term complications."}
{"id": "PMID:1464931", "title": "Case report: the management of penetrating cardiac trauma with major coronary artery injury--is cardiopulmonary bypass essential?", "content": "Major coronary artery injury in penetrating cardiac trauma is relatively uncommon and is associated with a poor prognosis. However, for a variety of reasons, the outcome for such patients has been improving during the last two decades. The main factor responsible for this change is, according to some authors, the use of emergency cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). We present a case of complete transection of the LAD coronary artery managed by primary ligation of the vessel, but because of progressive signs of extensive myocardial infarction, the patient underwent emergency CPB and an aortocoronary bypass graft. The patient experienced a good cardiac recovery but died 5 days later of irreversible anoxic brain damage. In reviewing the literature concerning the absolute need for emergency CPB in the management of penetrating coronary artery injury (PCAI), we found that the overall outcome for patients treated with emergency CPB was not significantly better than for those treated with ligation alone. We believe that CPB is not always essential in the management of PCAI and should be instituted only when the injury to a main coronary artery is very proximal, whenever associated intracardiac injuries exist, or when the patient develops extensive myocardial infarction or uncontrolled arrhythmias following ligation of the injured coronary vessel."}
{"id": "PMID:1464932", "title": "Penetrating stab wound of the gluteus--a potentially life-threatening injury: case reports.", "content": "Presented are two cases of stab wounds through the gluteus in which serious damage was incurred by internal organs: in one case there was penetration of the rectum with the appearance of signs of acute abdomen; in the other there was tearing of retroperitoneal muscles and the internal iliac vessels with resultant hypovolemic shock. These observations suggest that there should be greater awareness of the life-threatening nature of stab wounds of the gluteus under similar circumstances."}
{"id": "PMID:1464933", "title": "Fracture-dislocation of the lumbosacral spine: case report and review of the literature.", "content": "This report describes an extensively comminuted fracture of the sacrum and the L-5 vertebral body with complete anterior dislocation of the lumbar spine on the sacrum that occurred in a 19-year-old man ejected from a motor vehicle. Lumbosacral dissociation was characterized by computed tomography with three-dimensional and multiplanar reconstruction, and definitively managed by posterior instrumentation using locking hook spinal rods attached to the pelvis with hockey stick attachments by the Galveston technique. Implications of this case and a review of the literature are presented."}
{"id": "PMID:1464934", "title": "Avulsion fractures of the scapula: report of eight cases.", "content": "Fractures of the scapula from indirect trauma represent 0.01% of all skeletal fractures treated in our Institute. They are avulsion fractures that result from the violent pulling of the muscles, the ligaments, or both on their bony insertion. In our series of eight cases any possible direct trauma to the scapula was carefully excluded. In all patients treatment did not represent a particular problem and it was always conservative. Clinical results were always good, with excellent recovery of shoulder function except in one case with a circumflex nerve lesion leaving a deltoid muscle deficit."}
{"id": "PMID:1464935", "title": "Bilateral patellar tendon rupture: case report and literature review.", "content": "Bilateral patellar tendon rupture is a rare entity, often associated with systemic diseases. We report the case of a 67-year-old man with bilateral ruptures of the patellar tendons caused by minor trauma and with a good functional end result."}
{"id": "PMID:1464936", "title": "Bilateral sacroiliac joint fracture-dislocation requiring late coccygectomy: a case report.", "content": "Associated injuries often prevent aggressive management of bilateral sacroiliac fracture-dislocations, although excellent results have been reported with nonsurgical treatment. We report a case of bilateral sacroiliac joint fracture-dislocation in a patient with multiple injuries which was managed with the placement of an external fixation frame. This patient developed a prominent and painful coccyx and ultimately required a coccygectomy. The excellent final result demonstrates the therapeutic role of coccygectomy as a late treatment for this injury."}
{"id": "PMID:1464940", "title": "Oblique sliding metatarsal osteotomy for pressure metatarsalgia.", "content": "The transverse arch of the foot is formed by metatarsals which heads lie in a straight line to endure most of the loading of the forefoot. Malalignment of one or more metatarsal heads will result in increased loading and produce local tender plantar callosity. The treatment of pressure metatarsalgia must aim for it's pathomechanic cause, that is, hyper-extension of metatarsophalangeal joint. We have modified the distal metatarsal osteotomy to treat 40 toes in 22 cases. Follow up for an average of 21.3 months (ranging from 18 months to 31 months) indicated 19 cases (86.4%) with satisfactory results. The 3 cases with unsatisfied results were all due to early removal of the pin. Maximum oblige sloping of the osteotomy makes the osteotomy slide more easily and ensures union. Intramedullary pinning and early weight bearing maintain the osteotomic alignment, prevent foot stiffness and allow the distal fragment telescopes to be adequately positioned to prevent over correction which leads to transfer lesion. Compared to other methods, modified metatarsal osteotomy is less invasive, preserves natural structure, is easily performed and easy cared for which leads to effective and stable results."}
{"id": "PMID:1464941", "title": "[The effect of monosodium L-glutamate (MSG) treatment during neonatal period on the pineal function in young female rats].", "content": "The purpose of this study is to examine whether monosodium L-glutamate (MSG) influences the function of pinealocytes in female rats. MSG was administered at a does of 4 mg/g body weight to rat pups on days 1 and 3 postnatally. As the rats matured, sexual receptivity as well as proceptivity were observed by testing the lordosis quotient (LQ), rejection quotient (RQ) and solicitation. Pineal function was estimated by measuring the serum level of melatonin and the activity of protein kinase A (PKA) in the pineal gland. Blood samples were withdrawn at light and dark phases for four consecutive days, respectively. The serum concentration of melatonin was determined by radioimmunoassay and the data of each phase were pooled together. The results showed that both the receptivity and proceptivity of MSG-treated female rats were significantly lower than that of the control ones. Melatonin levels during the dark phase were significantly higher than those during the light phase in both control and MSG-treated groups, but whenever in the light or dark phase, the levels of melatonin were the same in both groups. There was no significant difference in PKA activity in the pineal gland between the control and MSG-treated group. These results indicate that MSG used as a neurotoxin to induce hypogonadal status affected neither the PKA activity of pineal gland nor the serum level of melatonin in young female rats. Thus, the decrease in receptivity and proceptivity of MSG-treated female rats was not caused by the alteration of pineal function."}
{"id": "PMID:1464942", "title": "[A study on sexual differences of postero-anterior cephalometrics among Chinese in Taiwan with different occlusions].", "content": "The main purpose of this study is to investigate the characteristics of cranio-dento-facial morphology among Chinese in Taiwan with different occlusions by the postero-anterior cephalograms and to examine the differences between sexes in the cranio-dento-facial width as well as morphology. Our study comprised three hundred and seventy three patients with preorthodontic treatment records. They were divided into 12 groups with respect to the Angle's classification, sex, and age. Summarizing the differences of the various cephalometric analyses, 31 kinds of measurement, including 20 values of width dimension and 11 values of the width ratio, were employed. The results of using the Student t-test to study the sex differences of cranio-dento-facial width and morphology are summarized as follows: (1) The sexual dimorphism of the cranio-dento-facial width occurs as early as the age of 9-12. The deviation is augmented continuously with growth and, hence, it is more pronounced in adults. (2) Regardless of the class of occlusion or the stage of maturity, the cranio-dento-facial size of the male is significantly larger than that of the female. However, their cranio-dento-facial morphology is similar. (3) The sexual dimorphism of the cranio-dento-facial width dimensions is most pronounced in the zygoma, the mandibular angle and the condyles."}
{"id": "PMID:1464943", "title": "[Surgical management of blunt splenic trauma].", "content": "From 1986 to 1990, 94 patients with blunt splenic trauma were hospitalized and operated on in the Kuang Tien General Hospital. Included were 74 males and 20 females with a mean age of 33 years (range: 5 to 78). The mean duration of the follow-up was 40 months. We classified the severity of the injury according to the splenic injury scale which was published in 1989 by the Organ Injury Scaling (O.I.S.) Committee of the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma (A.A.S.T.). Based on the operative findings, the splenic injuries of the 94 cases were classified as follows: grade I--4 cases, grade II--14 cases, grade III--24 cases, grade IV--41 cases, and grade V--11 cases. Twelve of the patients were treated with splenorrhaphy, and 82 cases underwent splenectomy. The mortality rate was 5.3%, and the morbidity rate, 12.8%. The most frequent postoperative complications in the patients who survived the initial operation were wound infections (4.2%), small bowel obstruction (3.2%), pulmonary infection (3.2%), intra-abdominal abscesses (1.1%), and pancreatitis (1.1%)."}
{"id": "PMID:1464944", "title": "Pituitary oncocytoma: three cases report.", "content": "Three out of 102 pituitary adenoma patients, including 2 males and one female, had their pituitary tumors diagnosed as \"oncocytomas\" and underwent transsphenoidal adenomectomy. The tumors were confirmed as \"pituitary oncocytomas\" by both immunohistochemical staining and electron microscopy. They had poorly developed subcellular organelles and were markedly hyperplastic and pleomorphic, with swollen mitochondria in the cytoplasm and scattered secretory granules along the cell membranes. Postoperative follow-up revealed that visual acuity gradually improved in all the patients, and no tumor recurrence was found. The accurate preoperative diagnosis of pituitary oncocytomas relies on endocrinological, neuroradiological clinical evaluation, and the management of this disease must be surgery with postoperative radiotherapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1464945", "title": "[Schizophrenia and factitious cheilitis: a case report].", "content": "Factitious Cheilitis is a rare skin disorder which has been seen in patients with emotional disturbances, particularly in cases with neurotic and personality disorders. However, there have been no reports of factitious cheilitis seen in cases of schizophrenia. This study reports on a case of schizophrenic disorder, where the patient was observed to develop factitious cheilitis whilst subject to unstable psychiatric conditions. The case reported here is of a 59 year-old female widow, who has experienced the delusion of being controlled, the delusion of being possessed. Been subject to auditory hallucination and vague somatic pain for eight years and had a very poor psychotropic drug compliance. Observation revealed frequent licking of the lips unrelated to drug-induced dyskinesia, but as a possibly linked response to hallucination whilst subject to an intense unstable emotional and painful state. Factitious cheilitis was proved with biopsy of the lips and pathological findings of acanthosis, hyperkeratosis and parakeratosis. After psychiatric and dermatologic care, her cheilitic condition improved. This study demonstrates that factitious cheilitis can be seen in a schizophrenic patient, specifically where hallucination and emotional instability coupled with long-term licking of the lips can result in factitious cheilitis. The relationship of skin disorder and psychiatric illness is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1464946", "title": "[Human ecological and epidemiological studies of Japanese immigrants and their descendants in South America].", "content": "Over a million people of Japanese origin reside in South America. However, only a limited number of studies on their health status and lifestyle factors affecting it have been carried out. The author and his co-workers have been conducting a series of field surveys on the health situation and lifestyle factors in Japanese immigrants and their descendants in various areas of South America. The subjects of the first-phase study were residents in four agricultural settlements (colonies) in the suburbs of Brazil, Paraguay and Bolivia. The levels of minerals and heavy metals in the hair were measured, and significant variations were found in several elements. These different levels were found to be regulated by the environmental level of their living place and by the dietary pattern. In the second-phase study, several health-related indicators such as blood pressure, anthropometric features, viral infection markers in sera, and dietary pattern were investigated in two group of immigrants, one from Okinawa and the other from the mainland of Japan, both living in Bolivia. Differences in health situation and lifestyle were identified between them. Traditional habits seen in their original places of residence in Japan still existed in their life in Bolivia, while the introduction of Bolivian lifestyle was prevalent among them. Although the number of Japanese residents in Brazil is largest in the world outside of Japan, little has been known about their health situation. The subjects of the third-phase study were Japanese Brazilians. A descriptive epidemiologic study was carried out, and the mortality and incidence of cancer were determined. Some changes in disease pattern were noted when compared with Japanese in Japan, but these changes were not as marked as in the case of Japanese in the U.S.. A cross-section study on the lifestyle factors of Japanese residents in S\u00e3o Paulo showed some differences in health-related indicators and dietary habits in comparison with Japanese living in five areas of Japan. Such differences were also found among Japanese in S\u00e3o Paulo according to the place of origin in Japan. These series of studies in Japanese immigrants in South America showed the importance of lifestyle factors, especially dietary habits, for the health situation."}
{"id": "PMID:1464947", "title": "[Statistical study of the optimal conditions of the spiral plating method for counting bacterial numbers in river water].", "content": "The application of the spiral plating method, a rapid and labor-saving technique for enumerating bacteria in food, to evaluate bacteria in river water, was examined. Standard plate counts and the numbers of heterotrophic bacteria, coliforms and Flavobacterium spp. in the water were tested by the spiral plating method, the results were compared with those of the conventional method and the optimal conditions for using the spiral plating method were considered and selected to fit the conventional methods. The optimal conditions selected were as follows: by laser colony counter after incubation at 35 degrees C for 38h. for standard plate counts; by laser colony counter after incubation at 25 degrees C for 48h. for the numbers of heterotrophic bacteria and Flavobacterium spp.; by colony viewer counting reddish colonies > or = 0.25mm in diameter after incubation at 35 degrees C for 22h. for the number of coliforms. The numbers of bacteria, except for coliforms, determined by this spiral plating method were found to be closely related to those from conventional methods (r > or = 0.91), and the replicating variances of both methods were not significant. The counts of bacteria by laser colony counter gave results similar to those by colony viewer counting by visual inspection. This spiral plating method saved time, money and labor in the evaluation of bacteria in river water as comparable to that in food. These results indicate that the spiral plating method can be used in place of conventional methods in evaluating the number of bacteria in river water."}
{"id": "PMID:1464948", "title": "[Concentration of trace elements in hair from children living in a Keshan disease district in China].", "content": "The hair from 9 children living in a Keshan disease prevalent district and from 10 children living in a Keshan disease non-prevalent district in China was analyzed. At the same time, the hair from 35 children of the same age residing in Tsukuba district in Japan was analyzed for comparison of the concentration of essential trace elements with that of children living in the Keshan disease prevalent district. Se concentration was determined by a fluorophotometric method and 16 other elements were analyzed by ICP emission spectrometry. Hg was analyzed by the heating evaporation method and by neutron activation analysis. The Se concentration in the hair of children living in the prevalent district was very low, being one-tenth that of the Japanese. The Ni concentration was particularly low in the prevalent district, and it determined to study more about the effects of Ni deficiency on health. In the prevalent district, Mg and Ca levels were low and those of Pb, Fe, Al, Ti were relatively high. Mn concentrations of both districts in China were very high when compared to the Japanese. The results of this study showed that the low Se concentration in Keshan disease is in agreement with previously reported data. Ecological factors, including nutrition were considered to be important in the etiology of this disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1464949", "title": "Metabolic fate of cis- and trans-chlordane in mice.", "content": "A single dose of a cis-chlordane and trans-chlordane mixture (1:1) was orally administered to mice (total dose: 40 mg/kg), and the metabolic fate of the two congeners administered and their major metabolite, oxychlordane, in various tissues, was studied from day 1 after dosing to week 52. Cis-chlordane and trans-chlordane showed the highest concentrations on day 1 after dosing, and disappeared on day 14 except in the liver. The half life in the tissues was approximately one day for both congeners. On the other hand, oxychlordane was observed in various tissues from day 1 after dosing, reaching the maximum concentration on day 1 or 2 showing considerably higher concentrations than those of the congeners. The rate of decrease of oxychlordane in the tissues was extremely slow compared to the congeners. It was found that oxychlordane remained in the tissues even in week 52 (year 1) after dosing. The regression curve for the tissue oxychlordane concentration was diphasic after or at around week 8 after dosing; the half life was approximately 20 days in the first phase and was prolonged to over 100 days in the second phase. These results suggest that the cis-chlordane and trans-chlordane taken into the human body via foods disappear rapidly from the tissues but that oxychlordane, their metabolite, remains in the body over a prolonged period of time."}
{"id": "PMID:1464950", "title": "Effect of the continuity and sampling rate of polygraphy data on sleep stage by a computerized scoring system--a reliability study.", "content": "The percentage of each sleep stage determined by visual judgment was compared with computerized judgment using continuous and three intermittent sampling data. Comparison of stage agreements of four types of computerized judgments with visual judgment were also conducted. Hypnograms of six healthy young male students were recorded on each of five nights. Data of each subject were compiled individually, and the six data were analyzed. Agreement rate of the sleep stage by computerized judgment using continuous (method A), one-third (method B), one-ninth (method C), and one-fifteenth (method D) data with that of visual judgment were compared. The agreement rate of visual and computerized judgment using method A showed no difference from that between visual and computerized judgment using method B. There was a significant loss of agreement between visual and computerized judgment using method C or D compared with that between visual and computerized judgment using method A. Paired t-tests were conducted for each stage percentage against total sleep time of visual judgment and those of computerized judgments using method A, B, C, or D. There were no significant changes in any sleep stage percentages between visual judgment and computerized judgments using method A, B, C, or D. From sleep stage agreement and the degree of difference from visual judgment, the acceptable limitation of the sampling period was concluded to be one-third of continuous data."}
{"id": "PMID:1464951", "title": "[Characteristics of medical institutions visited by 30 intractable disease patients receiving financial aid for treatment].", "content": "In order to determine the characteristics of medical institutions which patients with 30 intractable diseases visited, we analyzed data of a nationwide survey conducted by the Epidemiology of Intractable Diseases Research Committee in 1989. Each of 47 prefectural governments in Japan reported information of all patients with 30 intractable diseases who received financial aid for the diseases between April 1988 and March 1989. Information collected about each patient consisted of identification numbers, which included the disease code, sex, age, the code of the municipality where the patient lived, the medical institution which treated the patient, etc. Out of 173,637 patients whose information was reported by prefectural governments, we used data of 159,910 patients whose medical institutions were reported completely. The results can be summarized as follow: 1) Of the 159,910 patients, 8.6 percent visited medical institutions outside of the prefectures where the patients lived. Many patients living in prefectures located close to large cities, such as Tokyo, visited medical institutions in large cities. 2) The proportion of patients who visited hospitals of medical schools was 27.9 percent. 3) Patients who were affected by diseases causing physical disabilities such as SMON and malignant rheumatoid arthritis tended to visit medical institutions located in their neighborhoods and were treated in small hospitals or clinics. Old patients had the same tendency as patients with such diseases. 4) Although the number of patients receiving aid in 1988, whose data we analyzed in the current study, was larger than that in 1984, the proportion of patients visiting medical institutions outside of the prefecture where the patients lived, and the proportion of patients visiting hospitals of medical schools were nearly equal to those in 1984."}
{"id": "PMID:1464952", "title": "[Factors influencing prolonged hospital stays by elderly patients: problems in medical management including use of urethral catheters].", "content": "Fifty-nine elderly patients who had been hospitalized more than six months in five hospitals in the city of Mino in Osaka Prefecture, were studied to clarify the factors influencing prolonged hospital stays by the elderly. Their mean age was 82.2 years, and women accounted for 86% of the patients. One-third had suffered a stroke. As for ADL, 44% were completely dependent when walking, eating, bathing and dressing. Moreover, 36% had severe dementia, 19% suffered from decubitus ulcers, 66% were undergoing rehabilitation, 58% were receiving venous infusion therapy, 36% used a urethral catheter, and 10% were receiving tube feeding. The subjects were divided into two groups according to the likelihood of discharge assessed by the doctors in charge: one group consisted of 27 patients who might be discharged and the other of 32 patients with an ongoing need for inpatient care. Multivariate analyses using Hayashi's quantification method II indicated that use of a urethral catheter and not undergoing rehabilitation were the main factors associated with the need for inpatient care, while being a woman, being of advanced age and not having one's own room at home were the non-medical factors which made it difficult for the patients to be discharged from the hospital. As use of a urethral catheter was the factor most strongly related to prolonged hospital stay, multivariate analyses were applied to the 45 patients with urinary incontinence, who were divided into one group of 21 patients with, and one of 24 without a urethral catheter. The factors associated with use of a urethral catheter were then investigated.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1464953", "title": "[Concentration and form of asbestos fibers in tap drinking water contaminated from a water supply pipe with asbestos-cement].", "content": "The identification and concentration of asbestos fibers in tap drinking water supplied in a central area of Akita Prefecture, Japan, were determined by phase-contrast microscopy and a scanning electron microscope equipped with an energy-dispersive X-ray microanalyzer. The following results were obtained. 1. Asbestos fibers were found in the tap water from two areas in which an asbestos-cement pipe was used for public water supply. The concentrations of asbestos fibers in the tap water were 2.7 x 10(4) to 27.0 x 10(4) fibers per liter of water in area A and 10.0 x 10(4) to 21.0 x 10(4) in area B. On the other hand, no asbestos fiber contamination was observed in tap water of area C, which shared a common water source with area A. A vinyl chloride pipe was used over the entire length of the water supply in route C. 2. Crocidolite was the predominant type of asbestos fiber detected in the tap water. Chrysotile and a mixture of chrysotile and amosite were also observed. 3. Almost all asbestos fibers detected in the tap water possessed the form of thick or sheaved fibers with lengths ranging from ca. 5 to 10 microns. Their shapes were very different from those of asbestos fibers found in the atmosphere. The typical form of the latter is short (ca. 1 micron in length) and needle-like. 4. It was suggested that the contamination of asbestos fibers in the tap water was caused by erosion and peeling off of the inner wall of the asbestos-cement pipe used as a conduit. In order to evaluate the safety of drinking water in Japan, an extensive survey on asbestos-fiber contamination in tap water is necessary."}
{"id": "PMID:1464954", "title": "Age-related differences in the inhibition of neuropathy target esterase and susceptibility to triphenyl phosphite-induced delayed neurotoxicity in chickens.", "content": "Triphenyl phosphite (TPP)-induced delayed neurotoxicity, which is thought to resemble but somewhat differ from classical organophosphate-induced delayed neurotoxicity (OPIDN), is known to be age-dependent. The relationship between clinical appearance and histopathological lesions, and the inhibition of neurotoxicity target esterase (NTE) in nervous tissues were compared in young and adult chickens after i.v. administration of TPP. NTE inhibition by TPP in vitro was also compared between the two age groups. Fourteen days after i.v. administration of TPP (50 mg/kg), adult chickens (24 months old) showed obvious histopathological lesions as well as obvious clinical neurological signs. On the other hand, young chickens (65 days old) showed few histopathological lesions and only marginal neurological signs. NTE activity in brain, spinal cord, and sciatic nerves was inhibited in a dose-dependent manner in both age groups. While inhibition tended to be mild in the younger chickens, the level of activity was less than 30% of the normal value in all three tissues at 24 hours after administration of 50mg/kg of TPP (14% vs. 8% in brain, 15% vs. 9% in spinal cord and 13% vs. 14% in sciatic nerves). Recovery of NTE activity in the sciatic nerves was faster in the younger chickens. The IC50 of TPP on brain (6.67 vs. 6.76 x 10(-8)M) and spinal cord NTE (1.05 vs. 1.53 x 10(-7)M) was almost the same in the two age groups. These results confirmed age-specific susceptibility to TPP, not only clinically but also histopathologically, and, suggested that the differences in both TPP metabolism and NTE recovery are related to and/or contribute to this age specificity. Judging from the age specificity and the figure of NTE inhibition, the delayed neurotoxicity produced by an i.v. administration of TPP is virtually identical to classical organophosphate-induced delayed neurotoxicity. Hydrolytic products may produce additional effects characteristic of TPP-induced neurotoxicity observed after an s.c. dose."}
{"id": "PMID:1464955", "title": "[Phase I clinical trial of a new myocardial imaging agent, 99mTc-PPN1011].", "content": "A new myocardial imaging agent, 99mTc-1,2-bis[bis(2-ethoxyethyl) phosphino]ethane (99mTc-PPN1011) was administered to healthy male volunteers to evaluate its safety and kinetics. No significant drug-related events were observed. After intravenous injection, blood clearance was rapid. Prompt heart uptake (1.8% of the injected dose after 5 minutes) was followed by relatively slow wash-out (1.0% remained after 3 hours). Liver and lung uptake was observed but the clearance was more rapid than in the heart. 4.7-24.0% of the injected 99mTc-PPN1011 was excreted into urine until 4 hours after injection. 99mTc-PPN1011 also seemed to be excreted through hepato-biliary system. Excellent and low-background myocardial images were obtained using either SPECT or planar imaging. We conclude that 99mTc-PPN1011 could be useful for myocardial perfusion imaging."}
{"id": "PMID:1464956", "title": "[Dual nuclides SPECT for ventilation and perfusion study].", "content": "Dual nuclides SPECT using 81mKr and 99mTc-MAA for ventilation and perfusion study was performed in 24 subjects. Crosstalk of 81mKr to 99mTc-energy window was about 7.5% when ventilation and perfusion study were performed by 370 MBq of 81mKr gas and 185 MBq of 99mTc-MAA. Areas of low V/Q was significantly larger in SPECT study than in planar study, in 11 cases with various pulmonary diseases. High V/Q mismatches were also more clearly delineated in SPECT than in planar study. Dual nuclides SPECT study has advantages of obtaining V/Q distribution without movement artifacts and of simultaneous acquisition of ventilation and perfusion image. Area of high V/Q became larger in SPECT with crosstalk than in SPECT without crosstalk, but in the low V/Q area no significant difference was noted between SPECT with crosstalk and without crosstalk."}
{"id": "PMID:1464957", "title": "[Right ventricular volume determination by continuous 81mKr infusion and 99mTc blood pool imaging].", "content": "Our newly developed radionuclide method for the calculation of right ventricular (RV) volume was examined in this study. Using a semi-geometric count-based method, volume can be measured by the following equation: Cv = Cm/(L/d). V = (Ct/Cv) x d3 = (Ct/Cm) x L x d2. (V = volume, Cv = voxel count, Cm = the maximum count of a container, Ct = the total count of the container, L = maximum length of the image of the container obtained from a direction perpendicular to the direction where the count data were collected, and d = pixel size.) A phantom study was performed by setting a cylindrical container in a system which circulated 5 liters of water per minute. 81mKr solution was infused continuously into the container, and images of the container were collected for one minute. Cm and Ct were obtained and, because the container was cylindrical, the maximum width of the image of the container was measured as L. The volume of the container was calculated using the above equation. The container's true volume and the volume measured by this method showed a good correlation with r = 0.997 (n = 13, p < 0.001). This theorem was applied to RV images obtained in the 30 degree right anterior oblique position by continuous infusion of the 81mKr solution. Multiple gated acquisition was performed and RV end-diastolic maximum counts and total counts were obtained. The RV maximum width was measured as L on the end-diastolic cardiac pool image with 99mTc-D-HSA collected in the 40 degree left anterior oblique position.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1464958", "title": "[A method for measurement of regional cerebral blood flow using N-isopropyl-p-[123I]iodoamphetamine (123I-IMP) SPECT; two scans with one point blood sampling technique].", "content": "We have developed a new method to quantitate regional cerebral blood flow (CBF) using 123I-IMP and SPECT. This technique requires two SPECT scans and one blood sampling. Based on the 2 compartment model (influx; k1 and outflux; k2), a table between k2 and ratio of 1st scan counts/2nd scan counts was calculated, and a table look up procedure yielded a unique pair of k1 (CBF) and distribution volume (Vd = k1/k2) for each region of interest (ROI). The arterial input function was obtained by one point blood sampling to calibrate the standard input function, which has been obtained from the previous study on 12 subjects. This method was applied to 5 subjects including 1 healthy volunteer and 4 patients with cerebral infarction, and the regional CBF results were compared with those measured by H2(15)O PET technique. Optimized scan time combination was 40, 180 min which provided the best correlation with H2(15)O-CBF. The Vd values obtained in infarcted regions were significantly smaller than those in normal regions, suggesting the importance of measuring Vd for each ROI."}
{"id": "PMID:1464959", "title": "[Visualization of the female breast in bone scintigraphy].", "content": "Breast cancer incidence rates in Japan have more than doubled in the decade between 1975 and 1985 due to a well-established and affluent Western life-style. One hundred patients having breast cancer, 107 patients having mastectomies, and 243 patients having no breast cancer were reviewed for whole body and spot views of bone scintigraphy with 99mTc-MDP. The frequency of positive breast uptake in patients with no breast cancer showed a maximum in those patients between the ages of 30 and 40, with a progressive rise and fall before and after the peak, respectively. Patients between the ages of 50 and 60 with breast cancer showed a maximum uptake of 83%, while those patients between the ages of 70 and 80 with breast cancer showed an uptake higher than 50%. There was a markedly higher breast uptake ratio in the breast cancer group compared to the breast cancer free group. Although this scanning agent was of no value in recognition of tumor localization from breast uptake, we have to suspect a high incidence of cancer existence whenever there was unilateral increased breast activity. Even though the mechanism of 99mTc-MDP uptake by breast tissue is unknown, breast concentration of 99mTc-MDP appears to be influenced by hormones, especially estrogen."}
{"id": "PMID:1464960", "title": "[Dipyridamole-thallium myocardial imaging in patients unable to exercise adequately: comparison with arm and bicycle ergometer].", "content": "We assessed the usefulness of dipyridamole-thallium myocardial imaging in patients unable to exercise adequately, compared with arm-ergometer and standard (bicycle) ergometer. Fifty-six patients with arteriosclerosis obliterans, aortic aneurysm, aortic dissection and so on, who were revealed normal imaging, were studied. Only one of 13 cases with arm-ergometer and two of 14 with bicycle ergometer reached target heart rate. Lung thallium uptake in the cases with arm-ergometer (37 +/- 9%) is higher than that with dipyridamole (29 +/- 5%). This elevation may be confused with pectoralis muscle uptake. Washout rate is 45 +/- 9% with dipyridamole and 46 +/- 12% with bicycle ergometer, respectively, though there was no significant differences. Myocardial/background counts ratio with dipyridamole (4.6 +/- 0.8%) is significantly higher than that with arm and bicycle ergometer (arm-ergometer; 3.5 +/- 0.7, bicycle ergometer; 4.2 +/- 0.9). Then, myocardial image with dipyridamole have superior quality. We concluded that dipyridamole-thallium myocardial imaging is very useful in the patients who have suboptimal exercise efforts."}
{"id": "PMID:1464961", "title": "[Autoradiographic demonstration of 18F-FDG distribution within mouse FM3A tumor tissue in vivo].", "content": "To demonstrate the distribution of 2-deoxy-2-18F-fluoro-D-glucose (FDG) within the tumor in vivo, C3H/He mice transplanted with FM3A tumors were studied one hour after intravenous injection of FDG using whole-body, macro- and micro-autoradiography. The whole-body autoradiograph showed that the tumor mass as well as the brain, heart, bone marrows, and the diaphragm and crus diaphragm were clearly visualized. The macro-autoradiograph showed the heterogeneous distribution of FDG in the tumor mass. Markedly dense areas surrounding the tumor and the necrotic area were observed. Micro-autoradiograph showed the high grain densities in the macrophages between the necrosis and viable tumor cells, and in the young granulation tissues demarcating between the tumor and surrounding intact host tissues. Our results showed that the FDG uptake in the tumors may reflect not only the uptake by the tumor cells but also that by the inflammatory reaction elements."}
{"id": "PMID:1464962", "title": "[Cerebral hemodynamic difference between early- and late-onset Alzheimer's disease by circumferential profile analysis with 123I-IMP brain SPECT].", "content": "We conducted investigation to determine whether early- and late-onset Alzheimer's disease differ pathophysiologically. Five patients with the early-onset (65 years and under) of the disease and 11 with the late-onset (65 years and over) of the disease were studied by single photon emission CT (SPECT) with N-isopropyl-p-[123I]iodoamphetamine (IMP). Circumferential profile analysis (CPA) was performed to examine differences in the predominant hypoperfusion in the temporoparietal lobe, which is considered to be functionally damaged the most in Alzheimer's disease. The Xm values, calculated from gradients between the motor sensory or occipital cortices and temporoparietal cortex in the circumferential profile curve, were compared in both groups. The Xm values for the patients with early- and late-onset Alzheimer's disease were 6.81 +/- 2.10 (count/degree) and 3.28 +/- 1.58, respectively, the difference being significant. Our results suggest that functional abnormalities in the temporoparietal area severer in early- than late-onset Alzheimer's disease and that the application of CPA to IMP SPECT is useful to elucidate the pathophysiological difference between each of the disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1464963", "title": "[A fundamental study of 99mTc-ethyl cysteinate dimer (99mTc-ECD)].", "content": "In vitro fundamental studies of 99mTc-ethyl cysteinate dimer (99mTc-ECD), a newly developed radiopharmaceutical for cerebral perfusion scintigraphy, were performed, and were compared with those of 99mTc-HM-PAO, which has been widely applied to clinical use. 99mTc-HM-PAO should not only be injected soon after reconstitution, but also be avoided mixture with saline or drugs such as Diamox, because of its radiochemical purity decreases with the passage of time and the addition of saline and Diamox. On the other hand, the radiochemical purity of 99mTc-ECD reached a constant level of 94-96% at 30 to 180 min after reconstitution, and it remained stable against the addition of saline and Diamox. Therefore, it was suggested that 99mTc-ECD could be injected from an already saline-infused venous-line or mixed with Diamox. However, early injection after reconstitution should be avoided, because 99mTc-ECD did not become stable enough to maintain sufficient radiochemical purity until 30 min after reconstitution. The present studies are suggested that the red blood cell component is largely related to the metabolism of 99mTc-ECD in blood. Furthermore, from study of the metabolic rate using rabbit blood, it was suggested that a species difference existed in esterase activity in blood."}
{"id": "PMID:1464964", "title": "Anesthetically blocked optic nerve conduction in congenital stationary night blindness.", "content": "It has been hypothesized that the negative configuration of the electroretinogram (ERG) in congenital stationary night blindness (CSNB) may change to a positive configuration following loss of the inhibitory function of the optic nerve centrifugal fibers. In order to study this hypothesis, the ERGs before and after blocking optic nerve conduction by retrobulbar anesthesia were recorded in a patient with CSNB, who had retinal breaks and was being treated with cryopexy under retrobulbar anesthesia. After complete blockade of the optic nerve conduction induced by retrobulbar anesthesia, the ERG showed little change in comparison with that recorded before anesthesia. The above finding indicates that the temporary blockade of optic nerve conduction does not modify the ERG configuration in CSNB."}
{"id": "PMID:1464965", "title": "Photopic electroretinogram B-wave implicit time in monkey eye.", "content": "Photopic electroretinograms were elicited in anesthetized monkey eyes with stimulus light of various intensities under background light of different luminances. The b-wave implicit time was prolonged with increasing stimulus light intensity and shortened with brighter background luminance. While the change of anesthetic conditions produced by the addition of halothane (0.5% or 1.0%) mildly prolonged the implicit time, it affected neither the waveforms nor the relationship between the b-wave implicit time and background luminance."}
{"id": "PMID:1464966", "title": "Fundus flavimaculatus with severely reduced cone electroretinogram.", "content": "An 11-year-old girl complaining of progressive visual loss in both eyes showed atrophic macular degeneration with yellowish white flecks around the fovea in both eyegrounds. Decreased vision, central scotoma with normal peripheral visual field, and angiographic dark choroid except for transmitted hyperfluorescence in the macula and at the flecks confirmed the diagnosis of fundus flavimaculatus with atrophic macula. Electroretinograms, however, revealed severely reduced cone responses associated with almost normal rod response, which led to the diagnosis of cone dystrophy. The rare combination of angiographic evidence of fundus flavimaculatus and electroretinographically diagnosed cone dystrophy was discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1464967", "title": "Glycolytic oscillation and effect of metabolic inhibitor on rat lens.", "content": "Abnormalities in glucose metabolism are thought to be among the main causes of cataract formation. We have taken noninvasive biochemical measurements of the lens which provides us with information concerning glucose metabolism in the lens epithelium. The autofluorescence of reduced pyridine nucleotides (PN) and oxidized flavoproteins (Fp) in the rat lens epithelium was measured noninvasively as a function of time using redox fluorometry. The oscillations of the metabolic ratio, PN/Fp, were measured in vivo, in situ, and in the organ-cultured lens. The PN/Fp ratio in the organ-cultured lens ranged from 1.05 to 2.57 within a period of 60-90 minutes (mean +/- SD = 1.52 +/- 0.36). This PN/Fp ratio increased by 23% when a respiratory inhibitor (8 mM KCN) was applied to the lens. However, it decreased by 10% in the presence of a complete metabolic inhibitor (8 mM iodoacetamide). The presence of metabolic oscillations in the in vivo, in situ and cultured lens indicates that this oscillation is a local phenomenon. In cell-free extract systems, oscillations of several intermediates in the glycolytic pathway have been previously demonstrated and this PN/Fp oscillation is thought to be a reflection of glycolytic oscillation."}
{"id": "PMID:1464968", "title": "Q-switched Nd:YAG laser treatment for corneal neovascularization.", "content": "Q-switched Nd:YAG laser treatment to occlude newly formed corneal vessels was performed in patients with herpetic keratitis to reduce corneal opacity and the risk of graft rejection. Nine neovascularized corneas of 9 patients were treated. In 8 of the 9 patients, corneal neovascularization was markedly reduced with a resulting decrease in corneal opacity. Penetrating keratoplasty was performed in 3 patients after the treatment. Two patients in whom YAG laser treatment was effective had uneventful postoperative courses for 13 and 17 months, respectively. In one patient with ineffective YAG laser treatment, rejection occurred 3 months after keratoplasty, and systemic steroid and ciclosporin therapy was needed. Ultrastructural examination of the corneal button removed during keratoplasty from a patient with successful laser treatment showed destruction of vascular endothelial cells and occlusion of the vascular lumen."}
{"id": "PMID:1464969", "title": "Two cases of acquired syphilis with acute central chorioretinitis as initial manifestation.", "content": "Acquired syphilis has become an overlooked cause of posterior uveitis including chorioretinitis. Two male cases of bilateral acute acquired syphilitic chorioretinitis were observed, one of whom demonstrated an early delay of choroidal circulation during fluorescein angiography, possibly indicating the choroidal or subretinal neovascular proliferation which occurred later. Although both patients had been treated with oral prednisone for approximately one month before their initial visit to our clinic, good visual recovery had not been achieved. Diagnosis was first confirmed by the positive results of serologic Treponema pallidum hemagglutination and Venereal Disease Research Laboratory tests. The patients were successfully treated with orally administered bacampicillin, which resulted in the complete recovery of visual acuity and normal fundus appearance except for slight pigmentary changes of the retina in the macular area."}
{"id": "PMID:1464970", "title": "Retinoblastoma in dizygotic twins born as extremely low birth weight infants.", "content": "A case of bilateral retinoblastoma affecting both of a pair of dizygotic twins was reported. To our knowledge, there has been only one previous report of dizygotic twins, both affected, with this disease. The present twins had no family history of retinoblastoma. They were born prematurely as extremely low birth weight infants after 26 weeks and 4 days of gestation, and 3 of the 4 tumors were detected at 33 weeks after conception. Using LINAC external radiation therapy followed by xenon photocoagulation when necessary, the tumors were successfully treated. These cases show that retinoblastoma can develop in the pre-term period, indicating that the second mutation involved in tumorigenesis can occur in the fetus."}
{"id": "PMID:1464971", "title": "Optic nerve glioma in Japanese patients with neurofibromatosis 1. Case reports and literature review.", "content": "Case 1, a 6-year-old boy, had multiple caf\u00e9-au-lait spots, no light perception OS, Lisch nodules OU, pale optic disc OS, enlarged left optic nerve on computed tomographic scan and magnetic resonance imaging, and histopathologically verified pilocytic astrocytoma (glioma). The patient's mother had neurofibromatosis 1 (NF-1). Case 2, a 12-year-old boy, had multiple caf\u00e9-au-lait spots, decreased visual acuity OU, Lisch nodules OU, pale optic discs OU, enlarged optic nerves and chiasm on computed tomographic scan, and histopathologically verified pilocytic astrocytoma. We also examined 38 Japanese patients with NF-1 and found Lisch nodules in 95% and optic nerve glioma in 5%. After reviewing the recent literature, we found that the association of optic nerve glioma and NF-1 in the Japanese population was less than that reported in North America."}
{"id": "PMID:1464972", "title": "Antibodies against human retinal proteins in serum from patients with cone dystrophy.", "content": "Eleven patients with cone dystrophy were examined for serum antibodies against human retinal proteins. Sera were screened by immunoblotting methods using human retinal proteins as antigens. Three cases from different families showed a distinct band at the molecular weight of 14 kDa; the hereditary pattern of these seropositive cases was autosomal recessive or sporadic with parental consanguinity. The serum antibodies were negative in the other sporadic or autosomal dominant cases of cone dystrophy with similar clinical features, in cases of various ocular diseases including macular dystrophies, and in healthy adults. No sera tested showed any specific antibodies against proteins from the human optic nerve or spinal cord."}
{"id": "PMID:1464973", "title": "S-antigen localization in developing rds mouse retina.", "content": "The morphology of the photoreceptor cell and localization of the cytoplasmic soluble protein, S-antigen, in the retina of the developing retinal degeneration slow (rds) mutant mouse (2-505 postnatal days) were studied by improved immunocytochemical and freeze-substitution methods. Anti-S-antigen antibody labeling was observed first in the postnatal 10-day retina under light microscope. Labeling signals increased progressively to a maximum level in 20 days, and then decreased gradually to an undetectable level by 505 postnatal days. By electron microscopic immunocytochemical methods, S-antigen was detected first in the photoreceptor cells at 3 postnatal days, and increased with development. It was located in the entire cytoplasm of the photoreceptor cell including the rudimentary outer segment, but degenerated and disappeared by 505 postnatal days. S-antigen was also present in the membranous vesicles budding off from the photoreceptor membrane to the subretinal space. The rds photoreceptor cell seems to lose other soluble proteins together with these vesicles. From these results and other published data, we speculate that the degeneration of the photoreceptor cells may be the secondary effects of the loss of a large amount of soluble and membrane proteins following the malfunction of membrane. Recent reports show the rds mouse must have a gene defect in the membrane component such as peripherin or the 39 kDa protein."}
{"id": "PMID:1464974", "title": "Effect of topical epinephrine on permeability of blood-aqueous barrier in human eyes.", "content": "The time-course of changes in the effects of topical epinephrine on the aqueous flow and the coefficient of protein entry into the anterior chamber (k(in)) were determined in 12 normal human subjects. Before and after instillation of 1.25% epinephrine in one eye, protein concentration in the anterior chamber (Ca) was determined from aqueous flare intensity using the laser flare-cell meter, and aqueous flow rate was determined by fluorophotometry. The k(in) was calculated from the Ca, plasma protein concentration, and aqueous flow rate. A single instillation of epinephrine affected neither the Ca nor the aqueous flow rate significantly. The calculated value of the k(in) showed no significant changes at any time of determination, which implied that a single instillation of epinephrine is insufficient to affect the permeability of the blood-aqueous barrier to plasma protein in the normal human eye."}
{"id": "PMID:1464975", "title": "Effect of rapid glycemic control on progression of diabetic retinopathy.", "content": "The effect of the start of glycemic control on the progression of retinopathy was investigated by a case-control study. The changes in glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1) were compared between a case group, diabetic cases showing progression of retinopathy (Group 1), and a control group, diabetic cases showing no progression of retinopathy (Groups 2-A and 2-B). Group 2-A was matched with Group 1 on the basis of the grade of retinopathy at the first examination and other clinical data. Group 2-B was matched with Group 1 in terms of HbA1 value and methods of control, but had no retinopathy or background retinopathy. The retrospective follow-up period for the three groups was 24 months. On the basis of the respective matching factors, Groups 1 and 2-A were divided into 9 blocks of homogeneous subjects, and Groups 1 and 2-B were similarly divided into 6 blocks. The resulting data was evaluated block by block, using the analysis of variance (ANOVA) and a conditional logistic regression analysis. In Group 1, the HbA1 value decreased rapidly 10-6 months before the progression of retinopathy, but the HbA1 value did not change in Groups 2-A and 2-B during the 24-month follow-up. The difference in the estimated mean HbA1 value between 10-9 months and 1-0 month before the progression of retinopathy was 2.46% greater in Group 1 than in Group 2-A, as determined by ANOVA. The relative risks of a 1, 2 and 3% increase in HbA1 value for 7-6 months were estimated as 1.6, 2.4 and 3.8, respectively, by conditional logistic regression analysis. These findings indicate that the decrease in HbA1 value during any 6-month period should be limited to less than 2% in order to prevent the progression of retinopathy. It is also evident that too rapid a decrease at the initiation of glycemic control could cause severe or transient exacerbation of the progression of retinopathy."}
{"id": "PMID:1464977", "title": "[Estimation of pulmonary vascular permeability by indocyanine green in permeability pulmonary edema].", "content": "In this study we attempted to estimate pulmonary vascular permeability by indocyanine green (ICG). Permeability pulmonary edema was produced in 9 adult dogs by injecting 0.08 ml/kg oleic acid. We injected 50 mg ICG intravenously in 18 dogs (9 dogs with pulmonary edema and 9 control dogs). We measured the time course of ICG concentrations in pulmonary arterial blood, ICG concentration of peripheral lung tissue, tissue/serum ICG concentration ratios, and wet/dry lung weight ratios. The following results were obtained. The time course of ICG concentration in pulmonary arterial blood showed peak values at 2 minutes and became constant at 5 or 10 minutes after injection. The ICG concentration in peripheral lung tissue, tissue/serum ICG concentration ratios, and wet/dry lung weight ratios in the pulmonary edema group were significantly higher than those in the normal group. There was a strong linear correlation between wet/dry lung weight ratio and ICG concentration in peripheral lung tissue, with correlation coefficients of r = 0.936 (p < 0.01) in the right lung and r = 0.901 (p < 0.01) in the left lung. From these results, we conclude that estimation of pulmonary vascular permeability by ICG is a useful method."}
{"id": "PMID:1464978", "title": "[Evaluation of the distribution of ferruginous bodies and the kind of asbestos fibers in the lungs in lung cancer cases with definite occupational history of asbestos exposure].", "content": "The distribution of ferruginous bodies in the lungs of ten lung cancer patients with definite occupational history of asbestos exposure and the kind of core fibers in the center of the ferruginous bodies were evaluated. Six cases had a history of asbestos exposure in shipyards or Japanese naval dockyard, and the other four also had a definite history of occupational asbestos exposure. The largest number of ferruginous bodies was detected in the upper or middle lobes, but in only one case the lung cancer was present in the lobe in which the largest number of ferruginous bodies was detected. Therefore, the primary site of lung cancer is not dependent on the number of ferruginous bodies. The core of the ferruginous bodies was chrysotile in 7 cases, and amosite fibers were frequently detected in the three cases from the Japanese naval dockyard."}
{"id": "PMID:1464979", "title": "[Clinical course of asthmatics with severe asthma attack].", "content": "This study was conducted on 39 patients whose severe attacks of bronchial asthma with disturbance of consciousness required admission to the ICU of our hospital between 1984 and 1989. Among the 39 patients, there were 16 deaths. Most patients collapsed suddenly at home and were taken to our hospital. Arterial blood gas analysis at the time of admission to the ICU revealed that the PaO2 levels were as high as 252.6 +/- 57.6 (mean +/- S.E.) Torr in non-survivors and 221.0 +/- 29.7 Torr in survivors, with no significant difference because of prior oxygen therapy in almost all cases. Systolic blood pressure was 14.8 +/- 10.8 (mean +/- S.E.) mmHg, with marked circulatory disturbance in the fatal cases. Most patients displayed marked disturbance of consciousness, but maintenance of blood pressure led to recovery without sequelae despite marked disturbance of consciousness in most patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1464980", "title": "[Supplementary nutrition therapy is effective in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease].", "content": "We examined the effects of supplementary nutritional therapy (calorie:REEx1.5) for one year using branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) enriched-elemental diet in addition to usual diet in 12 malnourished patients with COPD. Improvement in nutritional status was assessed by BW, %IBW, %AMC, transferrin, and plasma amino acid BCAA. PImax was significantly increased after 3 months' therapy. Although no significant change was found in pulmonary function and arterial blood gases, subjective symptoms evaluated by D.O.E., oxygen cost score and QOL index were improved. Significant correlations were found between delta BW and delta AMC and delta TSF, delta PImax and delta AMC, delta oxygen cost score and delta PImax, which suggest that improvements in nutritional status contributed to the improvement in respiratory muscle function and subjective symptoms. These findings suggest the effectiveness of supplementary nutritional therapy using BCAA-enriched elemental diet in patients with COPD."}
{"id": "PMID:1464981", "title": "[Superoxide dismutase activity in the broncho-alveolar lavage fluid in late asthmatic response model in guinea pigs].", "content": "In order to investigate the mechanism of the late asthmatic responses (LAR), LAR model in guinea pigs was made by inhalation of a large quantity of egg albumin antigen. Serial changes of inflammatory cells and superoxide dismutase activities in broncho-alveolar lavage fluids obtained from these animals were observed. In this model, increase in inflammatory cells, such as neutrophils, was observed in the broncho-alveolar lavage fluid during the late asthmatic responses of the attack and superoxide dismutase activity increased in the broncho-alveolar lavage fluid in parallel with the increase in inflammatory cells. These results suggest that change in superoxide dismutase activity in the broncho-alveolar lavage fluid may be involved in the onset of the late asthmatic responses."}
{"id": "PMID:1464982", "title": "[Obstructive pneumonitis in lung cancer patients--a retrospective study].", "content": "We evaluated the frequency and the backgrounds of lung cancer patients with obstructive pneumonitis. Among 84 cases of lung cancer, 35 presented with bronchial obstruction at bronchoscopy or on radiological studies. Of these 35 cases, 8 had infectious obstructive pneumonitis. This complication was observed more commonly in patients with squamous cell carcinoma. A comparative analysis of the immunological and nutritional states before the occurrence of bacterial complication was performed on patients with infectious obstructive pneumonitis and those with non-infectious obstructive pneumonitis. The serum concentration of total protein, albumin and total cholesterol was significantly lower in patients who subsequently developed bronchial obstruction and bacterial infection, compared to concentrations in patients with non-infectious obstructive pneumonitis. Similarly, there was significant decrease in the number of peripheral lymphocytes, and neutrophils as well as a significant reduction of the serum concentration of IgM in the group of patients with infectious complications. These results suggest that nutritional and immunological deficiencies, in association with local airway obstruction, may be determining factors in the occurrence of infectious obstructive pneumonitis in patients with lung cancer."}
{"id": "PMID:1464983", "title": "[A case of secondary myelodysplastic syndrome following chemotherapy for lung cancer].", "content": "A case of secondary myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) following chemotherapy for lung cancer is reported. A 78-year-old man, with a smoking history of 20 cigarettes/day for 55 years, was incidentally, diagnosed as having stage IV squamous cell carcinoma of the lung in 1987 during admission for transurethral resection of bladder cancer. He received combination chemotherapy of mitomycin C, vincristin, and cisplatin for his lung cancer between July and September 1988. His clinical course remained almost stable until October 1989, when his blood count showed severe anemia and thrombocytopenia. He was diagnosed as having secondary MDS induced by cytotoxic agents used for the treatment of lung cancer, based on the dysplastic findings of precursor cells in the bone marrow and the chromosome abnormality of 51XY, +8, +9, +21, 3p-, 5q-, +2mar. He died of infection with the progression of MDS in March 1990."}
{"id": "PMID:1464984", "title": "[A case of systemic arterialization of lung without sequestration].", "content": "Intralobar pulmonary sequestration is a congenital disease characterized by nonfunctioning lung tissue with an anomalous blood supply stemming from the systemic circulation. We report a rare case of anomalous systemic arterial supply to the lung without demonstrable pulmonary changes. It is controversial whether this abnormality, systemic arterialization of lung without sequestration, should be a subtype of sequestration complex or not. We discuss the spectrum of sequestration complex."}
{"id": "PMID:1464985", "title": "[Case report of Farmer's lung disease in siblings in Kagoshima Prefecture].", "content": "Two cases of farmer's lung disease in siblings are reported. A 54-year-old male farmer, who had been engaged in stock work for 20 years, presented to our clinic for the second episode of fever, productive cough and shortness of breath. Chest roentgenogram revealed diffuse micronodular pattern, and mild hypoxemia was recognized on arterial blood gas analysis. Cytology obtained from BALF showed lymphocytosis, with especially increased OKT3, OKT4 positive cells and OKT4/8 ratio. The diagnosis was confirmed by highly positive reaction of precipitins to Thermoactinomyces vulgaris and granulomatous interstitial pneumonitis on histopathological examination. The second case was a 51-year-old female patient, the sister of the first case, who also worked as a stock farmer of another farm for 20 years. She presented with an episode of similar symptoms to the first case, one and a half years after the onset of her brother's symptoms. The findings of roentgenogram, BALF analysis, precipitins to T. Vulgaris and pathology were similar to those of the first case. The finding of high OKT4/8 ratio on BALF analysis in both cases is characteristic of formers lung disease, in contrast to the summer-type hypersensitivity pneumonitis which usually shows low OKT4/8 ratio in BALF. To our knowledge, this is the first report of farmer's lung disease in an area other than the northern part of Japan. Thus we conclude that farmer's lung disease may occur in Japan under any environmental conditions, and that some genetic factor may take part in the onset of this disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1464986", "title": "[Two cases of pericardial diverticulum].", "content": "Two cases of resection of pericardial diverticulum are reported. The lesion was located in the right upper mediastinum in case 1 (66-year-old woman) and at the right anterior cardio-phrenic angle in case 2 (20-year-old woman). In case 1, the shape of the lesion varied on fluoroscopic observation when the position of the patient was changed, and in case 2, ICG instilled into the lesion operation diffused into the pericardial cavity. These procedures seemed to be useful in the diagnosis of pericardial diverticulum, differentiating it from pericardial cyst."}
{"id": "PMID:1464987", "title": "[A fatal case of acute mediastinitis caused by periodontal infection].", "content": "A 57-year-old man had suffered from poorly controlled diabetes mellitus and liver cirrhosis due to alcohol and hepatitis C for about 10 years. He developed fever and swelling of the right cheek and neck due to periodontal infection. The symptoms worsened in spite of antibiotic therapy and were accompanied by dyspnea. He was therefore referred to our hospital. Chest radiographs and computed tomographs revealed widening of the superior mediastinum, pulmonary infiltrates and right pleural effusion. He was diagnosed as having mediastinitis, right pyothorax and pneumonia caused by periodontal infection. Tracheotomy and mechanical ventilation were performed. Antibiotic therapy resulted in improvement of the mediastinitis and pyothorax. However, renal and liver dysfunction developed and the patient died of multiorgan failure after 35 days of hospitalization. Death due to periodontal infection is rare. We give a review of the literature."}
{"id": "PMID:1464988", "title": "[A case of pulmonary alveolar proteinosis with invasion of macrophages in alveolar interstitial region].", "content": "A 24-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital on November 2, 1989 for investigation and treatment of abnormal shadows detected in her routine chest radiograph on July 19, 1989. The chest X-ray film on admission showed diffuse infiltrative shadows in the peripheral regions of the bilateral middle and lower lung fields. In addition centrilobular shadows in the subpleural regions with increases irregular densities were found on chest CT. We therefore suspected pulmonary alveolar proteinosis. Bronchoalveolar lavage from the right middle bronchus and transbronchial lung biopsy of the right upper and lower lobes were performed. Electron microscopic examination of a specimen of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid revealed many multilamellar bodies, characteristic of pulmonary alveolar proteinosis. In addition, proteinaceous material containing multilamellar bodies was observed within the alveolar lumina. We diagnosed this case as pulmonary alveolar proteinosis. Electron microscopy also revealed many macrophages in the alveolar walls, some of which contained a few or numerous multilamellar bodies within the secondary lysosomes. We treated this patient with oral and inhaled Ambroxol, with improvement of her clinical condition."}
{"id": "PMID:1464989", "title": "[A case of interstitial pneumonitis associated with polymyositis complicated by renal cell carcinoma].", "content": "A 55-year-old woman was referred to the department of urology in our hospital with left renal tumor, discovered during examinations at another hospital for fever and dyspnea on exertion. Because surgery was difficult due to severe hypoxemia, pulmonary function impairment (restrictive) and bilateral diffuse interstitial shadows on chest X-ray film, the patient was referred to our department. Interstitial pneumonitis was found on transbronchial lung biopsy, and serum GOT, LDH and CPK values were elevated. These symptoms and abnormalities of laboratory data were improved by administration of prednisolone 60 mg/day, and left nephrectomy was performed without any complications. Pathological examination of the surgical specimen showed clear cell carcinoma (Grawitz). Steroid therapy was tapered off and her clinical course was good. Six months after surgery, the patient developed a recurrence of fever, which was not responsive to antibiotics. Polymyositis was diagnosed on the basis of elevated serum GOT, LDH and CPK, electromyogram and muscle biopsy findings and positive anti-Jo-1 antibody. Polymyositis/dermatomyositis is sometimes associated with interstitial pneumonitis or malignant neoplasms, but rarely with both simultaneously. Moreover, renal cell carcinoma is very rare among the malignant neoplasms associated with polymyositis/dermatomyositis, and we therefore report this unusual case."}
{"id": "PMID:1464990", "title": "[A case of hypersensitivity pneumonitis caused by a humidifier].", "content": "A 58-year-old woman was admitted complaining of dry cough and exertional dyspnea. Physical findings, chest X-ray films, chest CT scan and respiratory function tests were suggestive of interstitial pneumonia. Transbronchial lung biopsy showed specific findings of hypersensitivity pneumonitis. As a result of positive provocation test using her home humidifier, a diagnosis of humidifier lung was made. Many microorganisms including Flavobacterium meningosepticum were cultured from the water left in the humidifier for one week. As both complement fixation test and precipitation test were positive to humidifier water and to extract of Flavobacterium meningosepticum, the humidifier and Flavobacterium meningosepticum were suggested to be causative in this case."}
{"id": "PMID:1464991", "title": "[Three cases of pulmonary actinomycosis].", "content": "Three cases of pulmonary actinomycosis are reported. Case 1 was a 33-year-old man complaining of hemosputum. A large mass lesion was noted in the right upper lobe and surgically resected. Actinomycosis was diagnosed pathologically. The second case was a 41-year-old man with lung abscess. An actinomyces species was cultured by percutaneous aspiration biopsy. He was effectively treated with clindamycin. The third case was a 46-year-old man with a chronic cough and cavitary lesion. Gram staining of sputum revealed sulfur granules. Piperacillin was administered with prompt response. All three cases had dental disease and two had diabetes mellitus. In patients with a mass lesion or those with lung abscess not effectively treated by cephem antibiotics, actinomycosis should be suspected especially when diabetes mellitus and/or dental disease coexists. Adequate treatment may not always require long-term antibiotics."}
{"id": "PMID:1464992", "title": "[A case of intractable status asthmaticus treated by isoflurane inhalational anesthesia and bronchial lavage].", "content": "A case of severe asthmatic attack treated by isoflurane inhalational anesthesia and bronchial lavage is reported. A 24-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital with severe asthmatic attack. Although she was treated by intravenous administration of aminophylline and corticosteroids, pulmonary function and consciousness deteriorated. Therefore, she was intubated nasally and mechanically ventilated by IPPV with administration of aminophylline, corticosteroids and epinephrine. Despite this treatment, she remained in status asthmaticus with high airway pressure and barotrauma causing pneumomediastinum and subcutaneous emphysema. On the 3rd hospital day, a system was arranged so that isoflurane could be given in an air and oxygen mixture, and administration was started with a concentration of isoflurane of 1.5%. In addition, bronchial lavage via bronchoscopy was performed in order to clear any mucous plugs. After 24 hours, there was marked improvement of wheezing, airway pressure and arterial blood gas level. Eventually, she was weaned from the ventilator on the 6th hospital day without significant side effects. The use of halothane inhalational anesthetic treatment for status asthmaticus is widely known, but it has serious side effects such as arrhythmia and liver injury. Isoflurane may be the inhalational anesthetic agent of choice in the treatment of status asthmaticus."}
{"id": "PMID:1464993", "title": "[A case of asymptomatic endobronchial lipoma followed for 4 years].", "content": "Bronchoscopy was performed on a 68-year-old male patient with pulmonary tuberculosis, and revealed a yellow smooth polypoid tumor in the lumen of the left upper division bronchus. The histopathological diagnosis of the biopsy specimen was endobronchial lipoma. Since the patient did not have any symptoms due to the lipoma, we performed treatment for tuberculosis and continued careful observation of the tumor. During the subsequent 4 years, the patient developed no complications such as obstructive pneumonia, and the size of the tumor under bronchoscopic observation did not change. Endobronchial lipoma is a very rare benign tumor. Almost all reported cases have undergone operation or endoscopic surgery. This case is the first that was followed over 4 years without surgical procedure. The findings of follow-up bronchoscopic examination suggest that the growth rate of endobronchial lipoma is very slow. Furthermore, we reviewed 36 cases of endobronchial lipoma in the Japanese literature, including our case. Smoking seems to have a strong relation to the occurrence of the tumor. It is noteworthy that 6 cases had separate malignancies, but the direct relationship between endobronchial lipoma and such malignancies is unclear."}
{"id": "PMID:1464994", "title": "[A case of pulmonary adenocarcinoma in a young man with multiple metastasis to the nasopharynx and paranasal sinuses].", "content": "A 36-year-old man who complained of bloody sputum showed a mass-like shadow in the right upper lung field on chest X-ray, which was diagnosed as adenocarcinoma by sputum cytology in August, 1990. Since his clinical stage was too advanced for curative operation, chemotherapy was started on October 1, 1990. On October 26, he brought up a polyp-like mass, and was found to have polypoid tumors on the bilateral tonsils and nasopharynx, which were biopsied and diagnosed as poorly-differentiated adenocarcinoma. On November 21, CT of the face showed soft tissue density tumors in the bilateral paranasal sinuses. According to the clinical course, all tumors were thought to be metastatic lesions. Since he had suffered from epistaxis and nasal obstruction due to the enlargement of metastatic tumors, nebulization chemotherapy and palliative resection were performed. In February 1991, he developed severe headache due to brain metastasis. Despite irradiation therapy, he died from cerebral intra-tumorous hemorrhage on February 22. We reported a rare incurable case of lung cancer with metastasis to the nasopharynx and paranasal sinuses."}
{"id": "PMID:1464995", "title": "[A case of right pulmonary hypoplasia with congenital diaphragmatic hernia and dextrocardia].", "content": "Chest X-ray of a 28-year-old woman revealed an abnormal shadow in the right lower lung field and dextrocardia, for which detailed investigation was performed. Since the CT number of the tumor shadow corresponded to that of the liver on chest CT, diaphragmatic hernia of the liver was suspected, and was confirmed by MRI and angiography of the abdomen. In addition, the pulmonary artery and vein were hypoplastic, and angiography of the pulmonary artery demonstrated pulmonary hypoplasia. This case was considered to have primary pulmonary hypoplasia, because the dextrocardia was considered to have occurred secondary to pulmonary hypoplasia and the diaphragmatic hernia of the liver was not sufficiently large to cause pulmonary hypoplasia. Pulmonary hypoplasia first diagnosed in adulthood is rare, with a clinical course and roentgenographic appearance differing from those of pulmonary hypoplasia in children."}
{"id": "PMID:1464996", "title": "[Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty in patients with high risk bypass surgery].", "content": "The purpose of this study was to assess the immediate and long-term results of incomplete percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) in high-risk coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG) patients. 24 pts (male-22, female-2, age - 39-60 years) were divided into 2 groups: I-8 pts with unstable angina pectoris who were definitely not CABG candidates because of very low ejection fraction (LVEF < 24%) and/or diffuse coronary atherosclerosis; II-16 pts selected for CABG only after failed PTCA. From this group 12 pts with unstable angina pectoris and history of myocardial infarction were at higher CABG risk because of LVEF < 40% and diffuse coronary atherosclerosis. 4 pts were poor surgical candidates because of coexistent medical disorders. The strategy of PTCA was to dilate first the most critical (culprit) lesion, responsible for the patient symptoms, usually situated in the artery supplying large area of viable myocardium. We did not achieve: complete revascularization in all our pts (incomplete revascularization by intent). Initial success rate of the PTCA in both groups was 100%. There were no serious complications. During follow-up (6 months--4 yrs) long-term clinical improvement was observed in 7 pts from group I (87.5%) and 14 pts from group II (87.5%). We conclude, that in most pts with unstable angina pectoris and with high-risk of CABG good immediate and long-term results of incomplete PTCA can be achieved."}
{"id": "PMID:1464997", "title": "[Modification of atrio-ventricular conduction in treatment of supraventricular reentry tachycardia. (preliminary results)].", "content": "Intracardiac defibrillation to produce complete heart block is a modern and effective method for treatment of refractory supraventricular arrhythmias. The main drawback of this technique is the necessity of implantation of permanent pacemaker. There is however a growing interest in modification of atrio-ventricular (A-V) conduction to prevent arrhythmias without producing complete heart block. A new energy source used for this purpose is the radiofrequency (RF) current. Preliminary clinical results of modification of antegrade conduction in 5 patients with recurrent supraventricular arrhythmias are presented. HAT 100 (Dr Osypka GmbH, Germany) a high frequency generator was used for modification. Electrophysiological studies showed slow/fast type of junctional reentry tachycardia in 4 patients and paroxysmal atrial flutter with rapid ventricular response in 1. Since RF current produces much smaller and more discrete lesion, the precise localization of the active electrode was of primary importance. We manipulated the catheter, used for modification, in AV region until a relatively large atrial potential with only barely visible His bundle deflection was obtained. During reentry tachycardia the place of the earliest retrograde atrial depolarization was searched for. Current and voltage were monitored during the modification procedure. It was possible to titrate the HF energy to achieve the desired effect changing the power and the time of current application. The modification was repeated several times since PQ and AH interval increased > 50%. No prolongation of HV was noted. The modification was effective in all patients and allowed to avoid the induction of reentry despite the persistence of 1:1 AV conduction.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1464998", "title": "[Electrocardiography of high resolution in the diagnosis of arrhythmogenic dysplasia of the right ventricle].", "content": "To assess the diagnostic value of high resolution ECG in ARVD which is a rare and diagnostically difficult disease, cardiac micropotentials were evaluated in 32 pts with ventricular arrhythmias with LBBB pattern and right axis deviation. Typical ECG-, ECHO-, angiographic features of ARVD were found in 9 pts (mean age 36 y, VT 8 pts, MAS-5). Normal right ventricle (NRV) (Echo, Tc99) was seen in 23 pts (mean age 36 y, VT-14 pts, MAS-6). 25 healthy man (mean age 28 y) served as control (C). [table: see text] Morphology of total QRS complex in pts with ARVD, comparing to NRV pts and C, was exceptionally characteristic: it was composed of high frequency notches seen not only as prolonged LP but also within fundamental QRS complex. In pts with ARVD beside presence of LP, significantly prolonged TVAT and characteristic notches within QRS complex are observed, therefore the high resolution ECG is a promising method in noninvasive diagnosis of ARVD."}
{"id": "PMID:1465000", "title": "[Effect of physical exercise on the function of prosthetic heart valves--evaluation by doppler echocardiography].", "content": "Although considerable data exist regarding the function of prosthetic heart valves (PHV) at rest, few data exist regarding the response to exercise. Thus, we studied by Doppler echocardiography 81 asymptomatic patients with PHV (46 mitral, 45 aortic) of varying type and 20 normal persons before and after symptom limited upright bicycle exercise. Rest and exercise hemodynamics (blood velocity, gradients, heart rate, stroke volume and cardiac output) was examined. In patients with mitral PHV maximal (Gmax) and mean (Gmean) gradients increased from 9.9 to 17.8 mmHg and from 4.4 to 7.8 mmHg (both p < 0.001), respectively. In patients with aortic PHV Gmax and Gmean increased from 27 to 42 mmHg and from 16 to 24 mmHg (both p < 0.001), respectively. Linear regression analysis demonstrated a relationship between the % change in gradient with exercise nd % change in stroke volume and cardiac output. Importantly, the largest gradient produced by exercise is related and predicted by the rest gradient. In comparison with normal valves, maximal and mean blood velocity were significantly (p < 0.001) greater across PHV, but % change in velocity with exercise did no differ significantly between prosthetic and normal valves. In conclusion, exercise Doppler echocardiography provides a good method to assess PHV function."}
{"id": "PMID:1464999", "title": "[Increased tension on the sympathetic nervous system in arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia. Participation in etiopathogenesis?].", "content": "To evaluate the suspected role of sympathetic nerve tone in pathogenesis of arrhythmogenic right ventricle dysplasia (ARVD), noradrenaline (NOR) and adrenaline (AD) plasma levels were determined by radioenzymatic method in 10 pts with ARVD (mean age 36 y, VT-8 pts, syncope-5) at rest and during peak exercise. 9 healthy men (mean age 28 y) served as control. [table: see text] Significant increase of norepinephrine serum level during peak exercise suggests essential role of sympathetic nerve tone in pathogenesis of ARVD."}
{"id": "PMID:1465001", "title": "[Opinions and fears of patients waiting for heart transplantation. (results of questionnaire)].", "content": "The purpose of the study was to assess the quality of life and opinions of heart transplant candidates about transplantation and to evaluate some psychological aspects of anticipation of the procedure. The study comprised 49 patients from the Department of Cardiac and Vascular Surgery according to a list of potential candidates from January 1991. The special questionnaire prepared by the authors was applied in the study. The main topics were: severity and treatment of heart disease, method of informing about necessity of operation and basics of transplantation, factors contributing to the ultimate decision, opinions about problems of donors and psychological aspects of disease and transplantation, especially anxiety and fear. 39 answers (34 men, 5 woman, mean age--49.6 years) were received, including 10 reports of patient's death. Respondents evaluated their compensation of illness as bad or average nearly in equal proportions, 48.3% and 51.7% respectively. They were treated in the intensive care units on average 2.6 times a year. 96.6% assessed highly the method of informing about heart transplantation, consisting of a private conversation with a physician. A similar proportion of respondents (93.1%) began to show concern about problems associated with this procedure. Up to 77.8% declared the desire of increasing their knowledge on that score emphasizing the significance of information coming from physicians. The majority of respondents were interested in postoperative management--but 40.4% stated that they did not know anything about it. 58.6% consent immediately after transplantation had been proposed by the physician.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1465002", "title": "[Programmed noninvasive stimulation of the heart ventricle transcutaneously].", "content": "Possibility of performing of a programmed transcutaneous heart stimulation by combining two, easily purchasable noninvasive cardiac stimulators was examined in 4 healthy volunteers. Combining of a SP-5 transesophageal stimulator with a transcutaneous NP-4D stimulator made conduction of the programmed cardiac stimulation possible as well as two undisturbed ECG recordings. The quality of the obtained recordings (surface and transesophageal) made estimation of the retrograde AV conductivity possible. The performed examinations point out to a practical utility of the applied combination of transesophageal and transcutaneous stimulation-for conducting of noninvasive diagnostic heart examination."}
{"id": "PMID:1465017", "title": "Prey-catching and predator-avoidance in frog and toad: defining the schemas.", "content": "The present model postulates the construction of motor actions through the interaction of different motor schemas via a process of competition and co-operation wherein there is no need for a unique schema to win the competition (although that might well be the result) since two or more schemas may simultaneously be active and co-operate to yield a more complicated motor pattern. Based on lesion data, our model is structured on the principles of segregation of co-ordinate systems and participation of maps intermediate between sensory and motor schemas. The motor schemas are driven by specific internal maps which between them constitute a distributed internal representation of the world. These maps collectively provide the transition from topographically-coded sensory information to frequency-coded inputs to the diverse motor schemas that drive muscle activity. We stimulate data on approach and avoidance behavior of the frog or toad under normal conditions and under lesion of different brain centers. For example, the model generates different motor zones for prey-catching behavior which match those observed experimentally in normal conditions and in the medullary hemifield deficit, and offers predictions for new experiments on both approach and avoidance behaviors."}
{"id": "PMID:1465018", "title": "The population genetics of alleles affecting enzyme activity.", "content": "It is possible to predict the population genetics of allozymes by assuming that fitness is proportional to flux through a biochemical pathway. The model presented here extends previous work by incorporating two additional features of biological realism. Firstly, that more than one biochemical route may exist between any two metabolites. The major routes have been identified as the classical biochemical pathways but in the event of a mutation blocking a major route, minor routes become significant. These minor routes are named \"bypass fluxes\" and have profound effects on the population genetics of allozymes. Secondly, recent work has suggested that a metabolic cost is associated with enzyme synthesis; this will constitute an additional selective pressure on alleles which affect the amount of enzyme synthesized. The model generates a fitness curve which predicts the fitness associated with any level of enzyme activity. It can utilize data on null or near-null, structural or regulatory, mutations in the presence or absence of bypass fluxes. When data from natural populations of Drosophila are investigated, it is concluded that selection pressures acting on enzyme variants may be much higher than previously thought."}
{"id": "PMID:1465019", "title": "A coupled-oscillator model of ovarian-cycle synchrony among female rats.", "content": "The ovarian cycles of female rats become synchronized when they live together, as do the cycles of many other mammals. Ovarian cycles also become synchronized when rats live apart if they share a common air supply, indicating that ovarian-cycle synchrony is mediated by pheromones. We developed a coupled-oscillator model of ovarian-cycle synchrony to test several hypotheses about its pheromonal and neuroendocrine mechanisms and to guide our experimental research. The model spans three levels of organization: the group, the rat, and the neuroendocrine components of the ovarian system. The ovarian system (not the ovaries themselves) are modeled as an oscillating system. Coupling among ovarian systems is mediated by the exchange of two pheromones, one that delays the phase of the ovarian system and one that advances it. Computer simulation experiments showed that this coupled-oscillator model can explain the levels of ovarian-cycle synchrony observed in groups of female rats while, at the same time, matching an empirical distribution of ovarian-cycle lengths. By successfully matching computer simulation data with empirical data, we were able to infer theoretical predictions in a number of areas: (1) effect of initial conditions on the probability that a group will change to different synchrony level and phase relationships, i.e. the transition probability between all synchrony levels and phase relationships; (2) effects of individual differences in pheromone sensitivity on ovarian-cycle synchrony; (3) the timing of pheromone sensitivity during the ovarian cycle; and (4) the existence of partial luteinizing hormone surges, which may cause the \"spontaneous\" prolonged ovarian cycles associated with ovarian-cycle synchrony. The paper concludes by discussing the integrative role of this model for experimental research. In particular, we focus on the role of this model in interpreting theoretical aspects of ovarian-cycle synchrony as well as for guiding future experimental research into its mechanisms and functions."}
{"id": "PMID:1465020", "title": "A general approach to genetic equilibria with an uneven sex ratio.", "content": "It is shown that in a diploid population at a genetic equilibrium with an uneven sex ratio the distribution of all (inertial) autosomal genes is symmetric between the two sexes. If several allelic genes occur in the population then the sex ratios of the various genotypes uniquely determine the uneven population sex ratio. The equilibrium is unstable to invasion by new genes which are relatively more frequent among the less numerous sex. A new proof is given to the fact that if genotype sex ratios do not change then, following an invasion by a new allele, a new stable polymorphic equilibrium can only correspond to a sex ratio which is more even than the old one. Application of these general results to a model of offspring sex determination by parents' autosomal genes shows the equilibrium to be unstable to invasion by new genes which tend to increase the production of offspring of the minority sex, as proposed by Fisher. The relevance of the Shaw-Mohler formula in this context is shown to derive from its role in describing the dynamics of autosomal genes in general. In connection with a model for offspring sex determination by one parent, a new proof is given to the fact that, following an invasion by a new allele, a new stable polymorphic equilibrium can only correspond to a sex ratio which is more even than the old one."}
{"id": "PMID:1465021", "title": "Natural selection and dynamical coexistence of defective and complementing virus segments.", "content": "Defective interfering (DI) particles are known to coexist with wildtype viruses under high multiplicity of infection. The complementing segments of coviruses (multiparticle, segmented viruses) coexist under similar conditions. In all cases, within-cell reproductive advantage to one of the segments is rather common. This fact, and the observation that DI particles are parasites, whereas covirus segments are mutualists, call for a non-trivial model of stable dynamical coexistence. The methodical novelty is the application of the structured deme model to virus dynamics. It assumes that biochemical (\"ecological\") interactions occur among segments within a coinfection group, established through random infection of the cells, and there is complete mixing of the various types emerging from all the coinfection groups (cells) in the virus pool between two infections. Through the application of the model, analytic results on the coexistence of virus segments are obtained for the following cases: virus-DI particle, virus-DI particle-resistant virus, covirus pair, virus-covirus."}
{"id": "PMID:1465023", "title": "Strategies in the treatment of acute myelogenous leukemia.", "content": "The current treatment of acute myelogenous leukemia is far from satisfactory despite some recent advances. This review focuses on current strategies designed to improve treatment outcome. With advances in molecular biology, the definition of a complete remission should be redefined as a molecular remission where any abnormal gene rearrangement has disappeared or a clonal remission with morphologic characteristics of a complete remission, but with detectable genetics or molecular abnormalities. Abnormal gene rearrangements permit the detection of minimal residual disease, the significance of which remains to be determined. New drug development remains an important area of research and several new drugs are active in acute myelogenous leukemia. These include etoposide, idarubicin, mitoxantrone and carboplatin. Various combinations are undergoing clinical trials. Prognostic factors which predict for outcome include phenotyping, cytogenetics, cytokinetics, drug resistance and age. Proto-oncogene expression as a predictor of response is under investigation. Post-induction therapy remains controversial and approaches have included allogeneic bone marrow transplantation, autologous bone marrow transplantation with or without purging, intensive consolidation and maintenance programs. The superiority of one approach over the other has not been firmly established. Differentiating agents such as all-trans retinoic acid, and growth factors, the latter for supportive care, or recruitment of leukemic cells into the cycle are being investigated. Understanding the mechanisms of drug resistance should lead to the development of new approaches. Thus, with knowledge generated in many areas, the future should bring increasing success in treating AML."}
{"id": "PMID:1465024", "title": "Phenotypic and genotypic characterization of 14 leukemia and lymphoma cell lines with 11q23 translocations.", "content": "11q23 translocation is the most popular chromosomal abnormality in infant leukemia. In adults, it is often encountered in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). In this study, we analyzed the phenotypic and genotypic characteristics of 9 acute leukemic cell lines with 11q23 translocations and one with deletion of the 11q23 locus, nine of which were established by researchers in this group, together with 4 NHL cell lines with 11q23 translocations. All lines were considered to belong to the B-cell lineage at different stages. All 10 leukemic lines showed clonal rearrangement of the immunoglobulin heavy chain (IgH) gene: two corresponded to the B-precursor stage (CD19+, cytoplasmic mu-), while the other 8 corresponded to the pre-B stage (cytoplasmic mu+). All 4 NHL lines showed rearrangements of both the IgH and Ig kappa genes with three expressing surface Ig; specifically, mature B-cell phenotype. As for myelocytic-monocytic markers, at least one out of 4 antigens examined were positive in 8 of the 10 leukemic cell lines, while only one of the 4 NHL lines was reactive. There were essentially no clear phenotypic or genotypic differences between t(4;11) and t(11;19) cell lines, supporting the view that both diseases have similar clinicopathological characteristics. These cell lines are also valuable for cloning genes at the chromosomal breakpoints."}
{"id": "PMID:1465025", "title": "Differential macrophage-mediated cytotoxicity to P388 leukemia cells and its drug-resistant cells examined by a new MTT assay.", "content": "After activation by interferon-gamma (INF-gamma) and lipopolysaccharide(LPS), mouse peritoneal macrophages were cocultured with P388 parental cell line (P388/PRT) and its adriamycin (ADM)-, cisplatin(CDDP)-, cyclophosphamide(CPM)-, and mitomycin-C(MMC)-resistant cell lines for one day at effector:target ratios (E:T) of 10:1, 5:1, and 2:1. The direct 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) cleavage assay and a new indirect MTT assay as well as clonogenic assay were used to quantitate activated macrophage-mediated cytotoxicity to these non-adherent leukemia targets. The results revealed that all the P388 cell lines can be suppressed efficiently by activated macrophages, but P388 CPM- and MMC-resistant cell lines (P388/CPM, P388/MMC) were more susceptible than P388/PRT while P388 ADM- and CDDP-resistant cell lines (P388/ADM, P388/CDDP) shared equal level of survival rates with P388/PRT. This study also showed that both non-activated and activated macrophages can produce formazan in a high level, which can interfere with the final results of direct MTT assay. The new indirect MTT assay can avoid such interference by separating the effectors from the targets before performing the MTT assay and reflects the real viability of the targets so the indirect MTT assay developed in this study could be a better way to examine cytostatic and cytotoxic effect of activated macrophages on non-adherent tumor cells in vitro."}
{"id": "PMID:1465026", "title": "Endogenous serum levels and surface receptor expression of GM-CSF and IL-3 in patients with myelodysplastic syndromes.", "content": "The majority of patients suffering from myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) die of complications due to cytopenia. Clinical trials have demonstrated that in an essential number of MDS patients cytopenia can be ameliorated by exogenously supplied growth factors. We investigated endogenous serum levels of GM-CSF and IL-3 in 15 healthy individuals and 34 patients suffering from MDS. No circulating growth factors were detected in the serum of healthy controls, nor was IL-3 measurable in MDS patients. GM-CSF serum levels, however, were elevated in a significant number of patients (26.5%). Levels did not correlate with FAB classification, leukocyte count or chromosomal abnormalities. No significant differences in GM-CSF or IL-3 receptor expression were detected between healthy individuals and MDS patients. One patient with increased endogenous GM-CSF serum level and normal surface receptor expression responded to exogenously applied GM-CSF. In the light of these results, a functional alteration of growth factor receptors or disturbances of signal transduction pathways must be discussed for MDS."}
{"id": "PMID:1465027", "title": "Acute myelocytic leukemia associated with thrombocytosis and inv 3(q21.3; q26.2) in a case of Gr\u00f6nbland-Strandberg syndrome.", "content": "Gr\u00f6nbland-Strandberg syndrome is an inherited connective tissue disorder with cutaneous, ophthalmologic, and systemic manifestations. Here we report a case of AML with thrombocytosis arising in a patient with this syndrome. Karyotypic analysis of bone marrow cells revealed the inversion 3 (q21.3;q26.2). To our knowledge, this is the first report of the association of AML with thrombocytosis and Gr\u00f6nbland-Strandberg syndrome. This might be a coincidental association, but it suggests some interesting speculations regarding the pathogenesis of these diseases."}
{"id": "PMID:1465028", "title": "Interleukin 4 potentiates the antiproliferative effect of 1 alpha, 25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 on mouse monocytic leukemia cells but antagonizes the antiproliferative effects of interferon alpha, beta and interleukin 6.", "content": "Mouse monocytic leukemia Mm cells are a line of spontaneously differentiated cells obtained from mouse myeloblastic leukemia M1 cells. The effect of interleukin 4(IL-4) on the proliferation of Mm cells in the presence or absence of growth inhibitory substances was investigated. In semi-solid agar culture, IL-4 markedly inhibited colony formation by Mm cells, reducing the number of colonies to 50% of that in control cultures at concentration of 3 U/ml. In contrast, IL-4 did not inhibit colony formation by the parent M1 cells. In liquid culture, IL-4 alone inhibited the proliferation of Mm cells only slightly. However, a combination of IL-4 and 1 alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (VD3), which alone did not inhibit growth significantly, markedly inhibited the growth of Mm cells. This combination also increased the lysozyme activity of Mm cells significantly. On the other hand, IL-4 suppressed the antiproliferative effects of interferon alpha, beta and IL-6, which are growth inhibitory cytokines for these Mm cells. These results indicate that IL-4 can modulate the growth of monocytic leukemia Mm cells and that its modulatory effects depend on growth inhibitory substances."}
{"id": "PMID:1465029", "title": "CD10 antigen density in childhood common acute lymphoblastic leukaemia: comparisons of race and sex.", "content": "During the 25 month period from July 1989 until August 1991, 58 children with FAB defined acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) were referred for immunophenotypic analysis. Of these, 42 children with a common/pre-B phenotype (CD19/CD10-positive) were studied specifically to assess CD10 antigen density. A pattern of segregation was found between males and females and between black and white children. Black males, who are the worst prognostic group, had the lowest CD10 density, while white females, known to constitute the best prognostic group, had significantly higher CD10 antigen density than the other groups. Black females and white males occupied intermediate positions with respect to CD10 antigen density. A two way analysis of variance showed that although sex had contributed significantly to this variation (p = 0.0038), the contribution of race was marginal (p = 0.0530). It is hypothesized that low CD10 antigen density patterns in males and in Blacks could be causally related to poor prognosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1465030", "title": "FcRIII (CD16) expression on neutrophils from chronic myeloid leukemia. A flow cytometric study.", "content": "FcRIII (CD16) expression on neutrophils from 17 patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) was studied by flow cytometry using monoclonal antibodies. A variable proportion of CD16-negative neutrophils were found both in CML patients in chronic phase (3 out of 8 patients) and in CML patients in hematological remission (3 out of 9 patients). Neutrophils with reduced FcRIII expression showed more defective chemiluminescence and phagocytosis than neutrophils with normal FcRIII expression. Circulating myeloid cells from three patients in chronic phase, showing a normal percentage of CD16-positive neutrophils, were isolated and fractionated by discontinuous Percoll gradients. This study showed that CD16 appears at the stage of metamyelocyte, that band cells and segmented neutrophils display an identical pattern of membrane FcRIII, and that the fluorescence intensity shown by metamyelocytes is different from that displayed by more mature cells. The association between low FcRIII expression and function abnormality could be suggestive of a defect in CML neutrophil maturation."}
{"id": "PMID:1465031", "title": "Has the climacteric been medicalized? A study on the use of medication for climacteric complaints in four countries.", "content": "In order to compare the use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT), non-hormonal treatment for the menopause, and tranquillizers, samples of about 300 women aged over 40 were interviewed in France, the United Kingdom, the former West Germany and Italy. The proportion of women in the samples using HRT varied from 3% in Italy to 25% in Germany. The figures for non-hormonal treatment ranged from 2-13%, and for tranquillizers from 5-28%. The use of both HRT and non-hormonal treatment was found to be related to the perimenopause and the corresponding age groups and that of HRT to higher educational level. Tranquillizer use was related to the postmenopause and lower educational level. After controlling for potential confounding effects of menopausal status, educational level, gainful employment and civil status, it emerged that HRT use rates varied significantly between the countries surveyed. It is concluded that cultural differences exist between these countries as to the prescription and acceptance of HRT."}
{"id": "PMID:1465032", "title": "Attitudes towards and level of information on perimenopausal and postmenopausal hormone replacement therapy among Norwegian women.", "content": "In order to investigate women's attitudes towards and level of information on perimenopausal and postmenopausal hormone replacement therapy (HRT) 1019 women over 17 years of age constituting a representative sample of the Norwegian female population were interviewed in 1990 as part of a monthly national opinion poll (response rate 96.5%). Women's magazines proved to be the most important source of information on hormone therapy. Only in the over-45 age group were doctors mentioned frequently as information sources. A high self-assessed information level was associated with a positive attitude towards hormone therapy. Those who had obtained information from a doctor were more positive than those who had not. More than half of those who expressed an opinion believed that hormone therapy increased the risk of heart infarction, stroke, breast cancer and cancer in general. There was a strong association between a negative attitude, towards using hormones and belief in an increased risk of serious disease. The women were more positive towards the use of HRT for the prevention of osteoporosis and for postmenopausal urogenital complaints than for the alleviation of climacteric symptoms."}
{"id": "PMID:1465033", "title": "A transdermal regimen for continuous combined hormone replacement therapy in the menopause.", "content": "Transdermal systems for oestrogen therapy in the menopause have become very popular. The compliance, however, is impeded by the cyclic addition of oral progestins which leads to monthly withdrawal bleeds. In this pilot study a skin patch releasing 0.05 mg oestradiol and 0.25 mg norethisterone acetate per day, which was originally designed for sequential therapy, was used in a continuous manner. Results were quite favourable. Menopausal complaints were efficiently relieved and the Kupperman score dropped from 27.6 to 5.0. Out of 10 women, 1 had mild breakthrough bleeding, and 7 patients recorded one or several spotting episodes, mainly within the first 3 treatment months. No endometrial hyperplasia was observed and there was no significant change in plasma lipids, i.e. cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL-, HDL2-, HDL3-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and apolipoproteins A1 and B. The regimen might be a useful alternative to oral continuous combined replacement therapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1465034", "title": "Effects on lipids and lipoproteins in women treated with oestradiol and progesterone.", "content": "Thirty women with climacteric symptoms were treated for 4 months with 2 mg 17 beta-oestradiol and different doses of progesterone (50, 100 or 200 mg). The concentrations of total and free cholesterol, phospholipids, triglycerides (TG), apoprotein A1 and apoprotein B were determined in high-density lipoprotein (HDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) fractions and in serum. HDL levels increased and LDL levels decreased, while TG levels in VLDL remained unchanged, which indicates that the lipoprotein pattern is oestrogen-induced and that progesterone exerts little or no influence."}
{"id": "PMID:1465035", "title": "Effect of 17 beta-oestradiol and norethisterone acetate on vertebral bone mass and lipid metabolism in early postmenopausal women.", "content": "We studied the effects on vertebral bone density and lipid metabolism of long-term administration of 17 beta-oestradiol combined with norethisterone acetate in a 2-year prospective study carried out in 40 women, divided into 2 groups of 20 subjects. One group received treatment, while the other constituted the control group. In the untreated group, vertebral bone density was found to be decreased significantly by 1.1% at 12 months and by 4.4% at 24 months in relation to initial values (P < 0.001). Total cholesterol was significantly higher (P < 0.05) at the end of the 2-year period. By contrast, in the treated group, bone density showed significant increases of 5.6% at 12 months and 7% at 24 months (P < 0.001). Significant reductions in the biochemical markers of bone remodelling (osteocalcin and the urinary calcium/urinary creatinine ratio) were also observed. Total cholesterol, high-density-lipoprotein cholesterol, low-density-lipoprotein cholesterol and triglycerides did not change significantly during treatment. These results, as well as the good compliance with treatment (78%), suggest that this treatment regimen could be useful in the prevention of postmenopausal bone loss."}
{"id": "PMID:1465036", "title": "Effects of continuous and cyclic nasal calcitonin administration in ovariectomized women.", "content": "The aim of the present study was to assess the effects of continuous and cyclic salmon calcitonin (sCT) administration in the prevention of the rapid bone loss that follows ovariectomy in humans. Patients who had undergone bilateral ovariectomy 10-30 days previously received either calcium supplementation alone (500 mg/day, n = 12) or such supplementation together with nasal sCT (200 IU/day) according to a continuous (n = 20) or a cyclic (3 months on, 1 month off) regimen (n = 16) for 2 years. In the calcium-only-treated subjects urinary hydroxyproline excretion, serum alkaline phosphatase and plasma bone Gla protein levels showed a substantial increase (P < 0.01) 6 months after surgery, while radial bone density was found to have decreased significantly (P < 0.01). The patterns of biochemical markers in the sCT-treated groups indicated that nasal sCT can positively uncouple the two bone remodelling processes without inducing any significant change in radial bone density over a 2-year period. No differences were observed between the two sCT-treated groups. These results demonstrate that the rapid bone loss that follows ovariectomy can be prevented by either cyclic or continuous nasal sCT administration. Thus, cyclic nasal sCT represents an attractive alternative for the prevention of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women with contraindications to oestrogen replacement therapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1465037", "title": "Total and regional bone mineral content in relation to menopause.", "content": "Total body bone mineral content (TBBM) and anatomical region bone mineral content (head, trunk and extremities) were measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry in 188 women aged 60 +/- 6 years, of whom 154 were normal and 34 were osteoporotic. Of the 154 normal subjects, 90 were premenopausal (40 aged 44 +/- 3 years and 50 aged 34 +/- 8 years), the remaining 64 being postmenopausal and aged 58 +/- 7 years. There were no TBBM or regional changes in the premenopausal women, whereas there was a significant reduction in bone mineral content in the postmenopausal as compared with the premenopausal women in all regions. The osteoporotic subjects showed a general decrease (P < 0.001) in all measurements which was more marked in the trunk. The rate of TBBM reduction was 16% in the normal postmenopausal women and 29% in the osteoporotic subjects. All the postmenopausal women (both normal and osteoporotic) showed lower TBBM values than those in the Wisconsin trial, similar results being obtained in the case of the premenopausal group. Such differences can only be explained by hardship experienced by these now postmenopausal women during their childhood and adolescence."}
{"id": "PMID:1465038", "title": "Preoperative treatment with oestradiol in women scheduled for vaginal operation for genital prolapse. A randomised, double-blind trial.", "content": "To disclose a clinical and histopathological effect of local low-dose oestradiol treatment on the vagina. A randomised, double-blind trial. Two gynaecological departments at University Hospitals. Forty-eight postmenopausal women scheduled for surgery because of genital prolapse. 25 micrograms oestradiol or placebo, administered as vaginal pessaries daily, 3 weeks prior to surgery. Cytological, histological and clinical changes of the vaginal mucosa. The thickness of the vaginal wall increased as did the oestrogenic index. No clinical effect was seen apart from decreased incidence of recurrent cystitis postoperatively. Preoperative oestrogen treatment has been shown to reduce the incidence of recurrent cystitis and may be needed for stimulation of vaginal mucosa; the short-term clinical effect is not convincing, however."}
{"id": "PMID:1465041", "title": "Arginine synthesis by the proximal convoluted tubule in rats with chronic renal failure.", "content": "The high plasma level of citrulline (Cit) is one of a number of abnormalities in the plasma amino acid pattern in chronic renal failure (CRF). Synthesis of arginine (Arg) from citrulline in the kidney is the major source of Arg for the body. In order to evaluate the renal activity of Arg synthesis in CRF, we studied arginine production in proximal convoluted tubules (PCT) isolated from male Sprague-Dawley rats 1 month after 5/6 nephrectomy and from sham-operated rats (n = 6 of each). PCT segments were incubated in a sealed chamber with 50 or 200 microM of [L-ureido 14C]-Cit (simulating in vivo plasma concentrations in healthy rats or rats with CRF, respectively). Arginase and urease were added to the medium to hydrolyze Arg into 14CO2 + NH3. 14CO2 was trapped in KOH and counted. Results showed that: (1) in CRF, Arg production per unit tubular length is increased in proportion to hypertrophy of PCT (x 1.5); (2) in CRF, as in the healthy kidney, Arg production increases with Cit concentration (x 2.5 from Cit 50 to 200 microM). Taking into account the hypertrophy and the elevation in Cit concentration, the increase in Arg production per unit length (x 3.6) is not sufficient to compensate for the reduction in nephron number. Most likely, a greater length of maximal tubule is recruited for renal Arg synthesis in CRF."}
{"id": "PMID:1465042", "title": "Ammonium chloride increases kidney cell protein content.", "content": "Augmented renal ammoniagenesis and renal hypertrophy often occur together. Ammonia may increase cell protein content by modulating protein synthesis, protein degradation, or both. We conducted experiments to examine the effect of ammonium chloride on the synthesis and degradation of protein in cultured kidney cells. Quiescent opossum kidney cells were exposed to 20 mM NH4Cl for two days. Monolayers were then analyzed for cell number, protein content, protein synthesis ([14C]valine incorporation), protein degradation ([14C]valine release) and DNA synthesis ([3H]thymidine incorporation). Cell protein content was increased by 18% in NH4Cl-treated cells (190 +/- 6 pg/cell control vs. 225 +/- 7 pg/cell NH4Cl, p < 0.001). NH4Cl suppressed protein degradation (1.36 +/- 0.02%/h control vs. 1.12 +/- 0.04%/h NH4Cl, p < 0.001) but did not change protein synthesis, DNA synthesis, or cell number. Thus, reduced protein degradation accounts entirely for enhanced protein accumulation at 2 days in this in vitro model of kidney cell hypertrophy."}
{"id": "PMID:1465043", "title": "Effect of protein intake and unilateral nephrectomy on renal function and eicosanoid excretion in rats.", "content": "Vasoactive eicosanoids may be involved in glomerular hyperfiltration following a high protein intake or removal of renal mass. We sequentially measured glomerular filtration rate (GFR), proteinuria (UpV), and urinary eicosanoid excretion in sham-operated (2K) and uninephrectomized (NX) rats on two diets. Compared with 12% protein (LP), 36% protein (HP) initially resulted in a higher GFR and UpV in both 2K and NX rats. Urinary excretion of 6kPGF1 alpha and TxB2 was higher on the HP diet. Ten weeks after NX, PGE2 excretion was slightly reduced, while that of TxB2 and 6kPgF1 alpha was the same as in 2K rats, indicating that the excretion per kidney had increased. From week 40, the GFR of NX rats on the HP decreased, preceded by a progressive increase in UpV. Excretion of PgE2, TxB2, and 6kPgF1 alpha was highest in the phase of proteinuric chronic renal failure. Thus, vasoactive eicosanoids are involved to maintain hyperfiltration induced by high protein intake or NX."}
{"id": "PMID:1465044", "title": "Involvement of renal autacoids in the direct effects of mixed amino acids on the kidney.", "content": "A pharmacological approach has been employed to investigate the involvement of renal autacoids in the direct effect of amino acids on the isolated rat kidney. The increase in renal perfusate flow induced by 6 mM mixed amino acids was inhibited by sulpiride, a dopamine antagonist. The change in GFR induced by 6 mM mixed amino acids was abolished by L-nitro-arginine methyl ester, an inhibitor of nitric oxide biosynthesis and partially inhibited by either sulpiride or indomethacin. It is concluded that several autacoids may mediate the direct effect of amino acids on the kidney with dopamine being primarily involved in hyperperfusion and nitric oxide involved primarily in hyperfiltration."}
{"id": "PMID:1465045", "title": "Effect of diet composition on renal morphology in diabetic rats.", "content": "Streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats were fed rodent diets with standard (4.5%) or high (10%) polyunsaturated fatty acid content for up to 12 months. Diabetic rats fed a standard diet developed thickening of glomerular basement membrane (GBM) when compared to similarly fed controls (285 +/- 21 vs. 243 +/- 18 nm, respectively; p = 0.0003). No differences in GBM thickening were observed between control and diabetic rats fed high-fat diets (188 +/- 23 vs. 195 +/- 21 nm, respectively; p = n.s.). Regardless of diabetes, all rats fed high polyunsaturated fat diets had decreased GBM thickness compared to standard-fed rats (p = 0.0001). Glomerular and mesangial volumes were similar in control and diabetic rats fed standard or high fat diets. Diets high in polyunsaturated fatty acids prevent GBM thickening in diabetes and reduce GBM thickness in control rats."}
{"id": "PMID:1465046", "title": "Relationships between oxidant and non-oxidant mechanisms in the pathogenesis of acute renal failure.", "content": "During the past several years studies using freshly isolated proximal tubules in suspension have contributed to understanding several of the major cellular processes underlying ischemic and related forms of acute renal failure. Tubules have a large capacity to augment their intracellular ATP content when supplemented with exogenous purines. This process has been shown to be mostly explained by adenosine uptake. Reductions of cell pH such as occur prominently during ischemia strongly protect tubules against a variety of insults. Increases of cytosolic free calcium to micromolar levels are highly damaging to tubules and do occur prior to lethal cell injury induced by ATP-depleting metabolic inhibitors, but do not critically determine the outcome in the latter setting. Given their ubiquitous occurrence and well-documented importance in a variety of systems, reactive oxygen metabolites play a surprisingly small role in oxygen deprivation-induced injury to isolated tubules. Several small neutral amino acids, glycine being the prototype and most potent, have a critical, constitutive effect to maintain tubule cell structural integrity during a variety of acute insults."}
{"id": "PMID:1465047", "title": "Mechanism of organ dysfunction in phosphate depletion: a critical role for a rise in cytosolic calcium.", "content": "Phosphate depletion (PD) is associated with multiorgan dysfunction. It has been proposed that this phenomenon is due to two metabolic derangements: (a) there is a reduction in ATP content of cells and hence reduced availability of energy-rich phosphate compounds, and (b) there is a decrease in 2,3-diphosphoglycerate in red blood cells, a change that would increase the affinity of hemoglobin to oxygen resulting in tissue hypoxia. Recent studies have demonstrated that PD is associated with a significant elevation in basal levels of cytosolic calcium [Ca2+]i in many cells. This is due to an increased entry into and decreased extrusion of calcium out of cells. This rise in [Ca2+]i plays a major role in organ dysfunction in PD and in the genesis of decreased ATP content of cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1465048", "title": "Hypoxia-induced von Willebrand factor release is blocked by verapamil.", "content": "Hypoxia-induced stimulation of the rate of von Willebrand factor (vWF) release from human umbilical vein endothelial cells in culture, and the influence of the calcium antagonist verapamil, was studied using a system in which a pO2 of 20 mm Hg was achieved over 60 min. The mean +/- SEM rate of vWF release over 60 min in normoxia was 0.42 +/- 0.07% pooled plasma standard. The addition of verapamil did not alter the basal rate of vWF release, but after 60 min of hypoxia, the rate was increased to 0.71 +/- 0.03% plasma standard (p < 0.01). Verapamil at a concentration of 0.1 microgram/ml of media had no influence on the stimulated rate of release (0.78 +/- 0.07%), but increasing concentrations of verapamil up to a maximum of 1 microgram/ml attenuated the hypoxia induced stimulation (0.48 +/- 0.07%; p = 0.04 vs. hypoxic control). Thus, verapamil at this concentration completely blocked the hypoxia-induced stimulation."}
{"id": "PMID:1465049", "title": "Effect of hemodialysis on intracellular calcium in human polymorphonuclear neutrophils.", "content": "Hemodialysis (HD) leads to neutrophil activation depending on the membrane material used. Calcium plays a major role in PMN function and metabolism. A rise of cytosolic free calcium [Ca2+]i is an important intracellular messenger for neutrophils. In this study we measured intracellular resting Ca2+ and the chemotactic peptide FMLP-stimulated intracellular Ca2+ during HD using membranes made of polysulfone and polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA). Also, we investigated the effect of continuous infusion of nifedipine in a dose of 18 micrograms/kg/h during HD with PMMA. Only HD with PMMA causes an increase of both resting and FMLP-stimulated [Ca2+]i after 30 min of starting HD. Polysulfone did not affect [Ca2+]i. Continuous infusion of nifedipine during HD with PMMA completely inhibited these changes of [Ca2+]i. Although the existence of voltage-sensitive calcium channels has not been proved, the present data provide further indirect evidence either for the existence of calcium channels or for a mechanism of action that is independent of antagonism."}
{"id": "PMID:1465050", "title": "The vitamin D/parathyroid hormone axis in the pathogenesis of hypertension and insulin resistance in uremia.", "content": "Recent evidence suggests a pathogenetic link between hypertension and insulin resistance. In addition, disturbances of vitamin D/parathyroid hormone axis have been reported in various hypertensive and insulin-resistant states. Chronic renal failure is characterized by high incidence of hypertension, insulin resistance and disturbances in the vitamin D/parathyroid hormone axis. Preliminary studies in both patients and rats with end-stage renal disease who were hypertensive, insulin resistant and 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol deficient with hyperparathyroidism; parenteral administration of pharmacological doses of 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol led to reversal of hypertension and insulin resistance without significant changes in serum calcium or parathyroid hormone concentrations. Thus, vitamin D deficiency may be an important factor in the pathogenesis of hypertension and insulin resistance in end-stage renal disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1465051", "title": "Use of oral stable strontium to provide an index of intestinal calcium absorption in chronic ambulatory peritoneal dialysis patients.", "content": "Recent interest in the role of oral calcium carbonate and low calcium dialysate has emphasised the need for a simple, safe and inexpensive test of intestinal calcium absorption. The stable, non-radioactive, strontium absorption test fits these requirements. Stable strontium and calcium-45 were administered simultaneously to 19 fasting CAPD patients and their serum levels were subsequently measured. There was a close correlation between the absorption of calcium and strontium at both 60 and 120 min post-ingestion. The two markers resulted in the same classification of patients as normal or malabsorbers in 18 of 19 cases (95%), suggesting that strontium could be substituted for calcium-45 in a 60-min test of absorption enabling safe, simple and repeated measurements in renal failure patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1465052", "title": "Changes in total body bone mineral content and regional bone mineral density in renal patients following renal transplantation.", "content": "We performed serial measurements of total body bone mineral content (BMC) and bone mineral density (BMD), and of regional BMD at the lumbar spine and femoral neck using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry. Twenty-six patients (15 females and 11 males) were studied at the time of transplantation, and 3 and 6 months post-transplant. At baseline, the total body BMC and regional BMD values of the patients did not differ significantly from age- and sex-matched controls. Total body BMC had fallen progressively at 3 months, followed by partial recovery at 6 months. Significant decreases of BMD were seen in the lumbar spine and femoral neck at 3 months with no evidence of recovery at 6 months. The changes in these indices correlated well with the duration of hospital stay in the first 3 post-transplant months. This preliminary study demonstrated rapid deterioration of skeletal integrity following renal transplantation and that this might be progressive. Preventative strategies to avoid this early bone loss may need to be investigated."}
{"id": "PMID:1465053", "title": "New insights into endocrine disturbances of chronic renal failure.", "content": "Secondary hyperparathyroidism occurs in the very early stages of renal failure. In the past, there has been considerable controversy concerning the signal triggering secondary hyperparathyroidism. Recently, it has become clear that secondary hyperparathyroidism is, at least to a major extent, the consequence of the deranged endocrine feedback between calcitriol, the secretory product of renal 1-alpha-hydroxylase, and parathyroid hormone. Another recent insight concerns disturbances of the secretion of hypophyseal hormones. These hormones, e.g. GH, gonadotropins and TSH, are secreted in a pulsatile fashion. For all three hormones, reversible abnormalities of secretory rhythmicity have been demonstrated in renal failure. Disturbed oscillatory patterns of hormone secretion provide a new dimension to our understanding of the genesis of endocrine disturbances."}
{"id": "PMID:1465054", "title": "Effect of malnutrition and uremia on impaired cellular host defence.", "content": "There is a high incidence of infection in hospitalized patients with chronic renal failure. Nutritional and metabolic factors, as well as vitamins and trace elements are involved in impaired host defence and altered PMN function in dialysis patients. A circulating peptide (GIP) could be isolated from uremic serum that inhibits PMN glucose uptake, chemotaxis, oxidative metabolism and intracellular killing of Staphylococcus aureus. In addition to enhanced susceptibility to infection by impaired PMN function, uremic patients show profound defects of specific immune system represented by monocytes, B cells and T cells. T cells show decreased proliferation and Il-2 production on the one hand and enhanced Il-2 receptor expression on the other. Monocytes fail to elicit adequate help for T cell proliferation despite normal production of Il-1 and Il-6, but they produce elevated amounts of TNF alpha. B cells secrete decreased amounts of IgG and respond insufficiently to various vaccines. Malnutrition and uremia induce severe alterations of host defence and specific immune system if a combination of both these diseases occur."}
{"id": "PMID:1465055", "title": "Ketone body-induced dissociation between hepatocyte gluconeogenesis and ureagenesis in acutely uremic rats.", "content": "Ketone body production in isolated liver cells and the effect of ketone bodies on hepatocyte urea and glucose production were investigated in acutely uremic rats. Blood beta-hydroxybutyrate levels of starved acutely uremic rats were reduced compared to starved sham-operated controls, suggesting a failure to develop hyperketonemia. On the other hand, beta-hydroxybutyrate concentration is elevated in the liver. Hepatocyte beta-hydroxybutyrate production of acutely uremic animals is enhanced using serine as a substrate. Addition of ketone bodies abolishes this effect. Blood acetoacetate levels of starved acutely uremic rats are elevated compared to sham-operated controls. Liver acetoacetate concentration is unchanged in acute uremia. Hepatocyte acetoacetate production of acutely uremic rats is stimulated using serine and alanine as substrates. Again, this effect is reversed by addition of ketone bodies. Addition of ketone bodies does not affect enhanced glucose production from serine or alanine in hepatocytes of acutely uremic rats but decreases markedly enhanced urea production from serine (156 +/- 35.2 versus 27.4 +/- 7.1) and alanine (80.0 +/- 22.3 versus 42.0 +/- 4.4 nmol mg-1. 30 min-1), especially after bilateral nephrectomy. The data show that the two processes of gluconeogenesis and ureagenesis can be dissociated in hepatocytes of bilaterally nephrectomized rats by the addition of ketone bodies. The finding that ketone bodies decrease the rate of urea production may be worth further study."}
{"id": "PMID:1465056", "title": "Creatine and creatinine metabolism in uraemia.", "content": "Measurements of serum creatinine to monitor the progression of chronic renal failure may be misleading and influenced by factors other than GFR. Creatinine is produced by the degradation of creatine which is stored in muscle. The effect of biochemical changes observed in uraemia on the transport of [1-14C]creatine were examined in a cultured muscle model. In a Na-free medium flux of [1-14C]creatine was reduced (p < 0.001), however the addition of various uraemic toxins, insulin, parathyroid hormone and the alteration of pH had no effect on creatine influx. The variance of red cell creatine levels in uraemic patients was significantly different from controls (p < 0.02) and the plasma to red cell creatine gradient was low in some patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1465057", "title": "Increased plasma homocysteine concentration in patients with chronic renal failure.", "content": "Since moderate hyperhomocysteinemia is associated with premature occlusive arterial disease, a frequent complication in uremic patients, we prospectively determined fasting plasma concentration of total homocysteine (Hcy) in 79 nondialyzed patients (47 males) with chronic renal failure. None received folate supplementation. Mean (+/- SD) Hcy concentrations were 16.2 +/- 8.1, 23.3 +/- 14.7 and 29.5 +/- 14.4 mumol/l in patient groups with creatinine clearance (Ccr) of, respectively, 30-75, 10-30 and < 10 ml/min, and significantly higher (p < 0.01) than in 45 healthy controls (8.2 +/- 2.2 mumol/l). Linear regression analysis showed a significant negative correlation between Ccr and Hcy (r = 0.40, p < 0.01). Among 37 male patients aged > or = 50 years, Hcy was significantly higher in 15 who had clinical evidence of occlusive arterial disease than in 22 who did not (28.9 +/- 13.3 vs. 17.8 +/- 8.9 mumol/l, p < 0.01). We conclude that hyperhomocysteinemia is present from the early stage of chronic renal failure and may constitute a risk factor for premature arteriosclerosis in uremic patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1465058", "title": "Increased concentrations of Apo B-containing triglyceride-rich lipoprotein particles in patients with chronic renal failure.", "content": "The dyslipoproteinemia of chronic renal failure (CRF) was characterized by discrete Apo B-containing lipoprotein particles separated by sequential immunoprecipitation of VLDL, IDL and LDL with antisera to Apo E and Apo C-III. CRF patients before and during dialysis had increased concentrations of Apo B-containing lipoproteins (LP) due to increased levels of triglyceride-rich LP-B:C and LP-B:C:E particles with no significant change in the levels of cholesterol-rich LP-B. Patients on hemodialysis had lower concentrations of LP-B:C and higher concentrations of LP-B:C:E than predialytic patients. The increase of Apo B-containing lipoprotein particles in CRF may contribute to atherosclerotic vascular disease and to glomerulosclerosis and progression of renal insufficiency."}
{"id": "PMID:1465059", "title": "Effect of dietary manipulation on the lipid abnormalities and urinary protein loss in nephrotic patients.", "content": "We performed two trials. The former was a multicentric trial on 24 untreated patients with nephrotic syndrome due to membranous nephropathy to ascertain whether or not a long-term reduction of protein intake reduces urinary protein loss. In a randomized cross-over design the patients ate sequentially each for 3 months a normal protein diet (1.1 +/- 0.3 g/kg/day of proteins) and a low-protein diet (0.7 +/- 0.1 g/kg/day). Both diets were low in fat (< 30% of total calories). Neither urinary protein excretion nor serum albumin concentration were significantly different at the end of the low protein diet period or the normal protein diet period. We found that after 6 months of dietary manipulation serum total and LDL-cholesterol were reduced by 24 and 27% from the values at the beginning of the run-in period, also the mean 24 h proteinuria was significantly lower. In the later trial, after a baseline control period of 2 months on free diet, 20 untreated nephrotic patients were fed for two months a vegetarian soy diet, low in fat (28% of total calories) and in proteins (0.71 +/- 0.36 g/kg ideal body weight/day). At the end of the diet period all patients ate the same free diet as in the baseline period for 2 more months. The soy diet induced highly significant decreases in total serum cholesterol (28%). LDL-cholesterol (33%), apolipoprotein B (19%), urinary protein excretion (32%), that reversed on discontinuation of the diet.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1465060", "title": "Protein restriction affects fat intake and serum lipids in children with chronic renal failure.", "content": "Cardiovascular complications in patients with chronic renal failure have been associated with the hyperlipidemia present in many of these patients. Since a protein-restricted diet is often prescribed in an attempt to preserve renal function, we performed a randomized controlled study in children with chronic renal failure on the effect of a protein-restricted diet on fat intake and serum lipid profiles. Although total fat intake did not change, we found a lower cholesterol intake and a higher polyunsaturated/saturated fat ratio in the patients with the protein-restricted diet. This is probably caused by the restriction of animal protein which results in the replacement of animal fat by vegetable fat in the protein-restricted group. Moreover, we observed an increase of plasma cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in patients with a normal protein intake which was absent in the protein-restricted group. This suggests a favourable effect of the institution of a protein-restricted diet on lipid intake and plasma profile."}
{"id": "PMID:1465061", "title": "Nephrotic hyperlipidemia: primary abnormalities in both lipoprotein catabolism and synthesis.", "content": "One of the most prominent manifestations of the nephrotic syndrome is hyperlipidemia. Lipoprotein synthesis is increased and catabolism is reduced in nephrotic patients and animals. The observation that infusion of either albumin or dextran reduces lipid levels suggests that oncotic pressure (pi) may regulate lipogenesis. It has been postulated that prolonged plasma half-life of lipoproteins in nephrosis is a consequence of saturation of catabolic sites and is secondary to the hyperlipidemia that results from increased lipogenesis. However, the absolute rate of triglyceride catabolism is reduced in nephrotic rats in comparison to normal suggesting that defective lipid catabolism may be a cause rather than a consequence of hyperlipidemia. Furthermore, chylomicrons (CM) and very-low-density lipoproteins (VLDL) are cleared normally in rats with hereditary analbuminemia despite increased lipid synthesis. When we cause proteinuria in analbuminemic rats, the clearance of CM and VLDL becomes greatly prolonged, suggesting that proteinuria, and not reduced serum albumin or pi, is responsible for defective lipoprotein catabolism. Maneuvers that reduce proteinuria, such as administration of an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor, reduce lipid levels in nephrotic patients and animals even when plasma albumin concentration is unchanged supporting a hypothesis that proteinuria may lead to reduced catabolism of lipoproteins."}
{"id": "PMID:1465062", "title": "Muscle protein turnover and amino acid metabolism in patients with chronic renal failure.", "content": "Muscle protein turnover and amino acid (AA) exchange were studied in 4 patients with chronic renal failure (CRF) and in 5 controls in the postabsorptive state by using the forearm perfusion method together with the systemic infusion of 3H-Phe. In CRF patients muscle protein breakdown is increased and is associated with a parallel increase in protein synthesis. Protein breakdown is inversely related to arterial bicarbonate. Net proteolysis is unchanged. The release of total AA, glutamine and alanine is not different from controls, whereas the release of valine and leucine is reduced and serine uptake tends to be decreased. In conclusion, in postabsorptive patients with CRF, well before the uremic stage, an increased protein breakdown associated with metabolic acidosis takes place; net proteolysis is unaffected. Alterations in BCAA metabolism suggest the occurrence of increased BCAA degradation proceeding beyond the transamination step."}
{"id": "PMID:1465063", "title": "Protein synthesis in skeletal muscle of uremic patients: effect of low-protein diet and supplementation with ketoacids.", "content": "The purpose of this study was to investigate the modifications of muscle protein synthesis activity in uremic patients fed a low-protein diet and a low-protein diet supplemented with a keto acid-amino acid mixture. The protein synthesis activity was evaluated in vitro on isolated muscle ribosomes incubated in a cell-free medium with tritiated leucine. Simultaneously, nitrogen kinetics and amino acid patterns were examined. Protein synthesis activity is correlated with the protein content of the diet in uremic patients. The keto acid-amino acid supplementation enhances protein synthesis. Variations of protein synthesis can be correlated with the variations of nitrogen balance which implies a major role of protein synthesis activity in muscle protein metabolism. Variations in plasma levels of the essential amino acids, mainly leucine and valine, can be correlated with the variations of protein synthesis activity, and these amino acids seem therefore to be mediators of the dietary effects on protein synthesis in uremia."}
{"id": "PMID:1465064", "title": "Muscle protein synthesis is impaired in nephrotic rats.", "content": "Muscle protein synthesis is impaired in nephrotic rats: muscle and hepatic protein synthesis was measured as the incorporation of [3H]phenylalanine [3H]phe) into muscle and liver in male Sprague-Dawley rats with passive Heymann nephritis (HN) in comparison to both normal male (SDM) and female Sprague-Dawley rats (SDF). Incorporation of [3H]phe was significantly less muscle in HN (1.55 +/- 0.08 x 10(4) cpm/g muscle/h) than in SDM (2.55 +/- 0.14 x 10(4), p < 0.01) and no different than in SDF (1.64 +/- 0.23 x 10(4)). Growth rate was also significantly less in SDF and HN compared to SDM. Total [3H]phe incorporation and the % of [3H]phe incorporated into muscle correlated inversely with urinary albumin excretion in HN (p < 0.01) but not with serum albumin. In contrast, [3H]phe incorporation was increased in livers of HN (13.89 +/- 0.99 x 10(3) cpm/g rat/h) compared to either SDM (5.96 +/- 0.38 x 10(3), p < 0.01) or SDF (4.71 +/- 0.35 x 10(3), p < 0.01). Total liver mass, liver protein content, and the ratio of liver weight/body weight were all increased in HN. There were no differences in liver weight, liver protein content, or the ratio of liver weight/body weight between SDM and SDF. We have previously shown that decreased muscle protein accrual in HN cannot be overcome by increasing dietary protein intake. Hepatic protein synthesis and mass are increased in proteinuric rats while muscle protein synthesis is reduced. As a consequence growth rate and muscle protein accrual are diminished in nephrosis. The mechanism responsible for reduced muscle protein synthesis in the nephrotic syndrome is unknown."}
{"id": "PMID:1465065", "title": "Mechanisms for protein catabolism in uremia: metabolic acidosis and activation of proteolytic pathways.", "content": "Accelerated protein catabolism in uremia occurs in animals and patients with acute (ARF) and chronic renal failure (CRF). Possible causes include resistance to both insulin-induced inhibition of protein-degradation and insulin-induced stimulation of protein synthesis. The mechanisms for these effects are unknown. However, metabolic acidosis has been shown to increase proteolysis in rat skeletal muscle even in the presence of insulin and this effect is absent in adrenalectomized rats. Similarly, metabolic acidosis accounts for increased muscle proteolysis in rats with CRF. Metabolic acidosis also stimulates branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) breakdown by increasing the activity of branched-chain keto acid decarboxylase. Uremia causes high corticosterone levels in ARF and CRF and this hormone could contribute significantly to increased proteolysis, BCAA-breakdown and possibly, the inhibition of protein synthesis. Besides changing glucocorticoids, uremia could inhibit the activity of transporters which regulate intracellular pH and ultimately, the metabolism of protein and amino acids. For example, uremia inhibits ion transporters including Na/H exchange in a variety of tissues and therefore, could increase the susceptibility to metabolic acidosis. Research directed at identifying specific, proteolytic pathways stimulated by metabolic acidosis has excluded a major role for Ca2+ activated and lysosomal proteases and suggests activation of an ATP- and ubiquitin-dependent proteolytic pathway."}
{"id": "PMID:1465066", "title": "Hepatic glutamine metabolism and acid-base regulation.", "content": "Switching of hepatic nitrogen disposal from urea synthesis to glutamine production has been proposed as a mechanism for countering acidosis, with glutamine synthesis providing a route for the detoxification of ammonium not incorporated into urea. Isolated livers from starved rats were perfused with ammonium (0.8 mM); increasing perfusate lactate concentration 0-2 mM raised glutamine synthesis threefold whilst increasing perfusate glucose concentration 0-20 mM did not. This was true under normal and acidotic conditions. In the presence of both substrates plus either 14C-glucose or 14C-lactate, the mean specific activity of glutamine synthesised was greater for 14C-lactate. Thus, the preferred substrate for hepatic glutamine synthesis is lactate, a proton neutral reaction. Perfusion with lactate and glutamine over the pH range 6.9-7.5 with or without the glutamine synthase inhibitor L-methionine-s-sulphoxime showed that the switch in acidosis to net glutamine production is entirely due to inhibition of glutamine removal by periportal hepatocytes."}
{"id": "PMID:1465067", "title": "Severity of chronic metabolic acidosis and growth of rats with chronic uremia.", "content": "To determine what levels of chronic metabolic acidosis affect growth in uremia, we compared two groups of uremic rats receiving a 30% protein diet. This diet induced acidosis in A rats (n = 52; pH: 6.9-7.35) which was prevented by the addition of NaHCO3 in the diet of B rats (n = 52; pH: 7.38-7.46). A rats were separated into five groups by increasing severity of acidosis and were matched with B rats of similar renal function. Comparison between A and B rats showed: (1) no difference in food intake; (2) a reduction of weight gain only for severe acidosis with pH around 7.20 or less; (3) a reduction of length gain which was observed for less severe acidosis than reduction of weight gain, but which did not exist for marginal acidosis (pH > 7.25)."}
{"id": "PMID:1465068", "title": "Metabolic acidosis accelerates whole body protein degradation and leucine oxidation by a glucocorticoid-dependent mechanism.", "content": "Previous work documented an acceleration of proteolysis and branched-chain amino acid oxidation when muscles from rats with chronic metabolic acidosis were incubated in vitro. The present study examines the impact of chronic metabolic acidosis on whole body amino acid turnover and oxidation in chronically catheterized, awake, male Sprague-Dawley rats using stochastic modeling and a primed continuous infusion of L[1-14C] leucine. Whole body protein turnover was accelerated by acidosis as reflected in a 70% increase in proteolysis and a 55% increase in protein synthesis. Amino acid oxidation was increased by 145% in rats with acidosis relative to control rats receiving diets identical in protein and calories based on a reciprocal pool model and plasma alpha-ketoisocaproate specific radioactivity. These changes were accompanied by a 104% increase in liver branched-chain ketoacid dehydrogenase (BCKAD) activity in rats with acidosis, similar to previously documented increases in skeletal muscle BCKAD activity caused by acidosis. In contrast, kidney BCKAD activity was decreased by 38%, illustrating the tissue specificity of the changes that were present. We conclude that chronic metabolic acidosis accelerates whole body protein turnover and reduces the efficiency of protein utilization by accelerating amino acid oxidation. These changes may require an intact glucocorticoid axis."}
{"id": "PMID:1465069", "title": "Protein synthesis and growth in uremic rats with and without chronic metabolic acidosis.", "content": "The effects of uremia-induced chronic acidosis on fractional protein synthesis rate (FSR), degradation (FDR) and protein tissue growth (FRG) in skeletal muscle were examined in young rats fed a 30% protein diet. This diet induced acidosis in UA rats, which was corrected by NaHCO3 supplementation in UB rats. Blood pH and plasma HCO3- were 7.22 +/- 0.01 and 15.2 +/- 0.8 mmol/l in UA rats vs. 7.41 +/- 0.01 and 25.8 +/- 0.9 in UB rats. Both UA and UB groups had similar renal function and food intake. Acidosis impaired weight gain (4.0 +/- 0.3 vs. 5.0 +/- 0.4 g/day, p < 0.05) and length gain (0.31 +/- 0.02 vs. 0.42 +/- 0.02 cm/day, p < 0.001). UA and UB rats showed similar muscle FSR (10.4 +/- 0.5 vs. 10.8 +/- 0.5%/day) and RNA content (6.3 +/- 0.2 vs. 6.2 +/- 0.2 micrograms/g protein). UA rats had lower FGR than UB rats (3.9 +/- 0.8 vs. 5.9 +/- 0.6%/day, p < 0.05). Therefore, muscle FDR was increased in UA rats (6.30 +/- 0.99 vs. 5.10 +/- 0.7%/day)."}
{"id": "PMID:1465070", "title": "Expression of insulin-like growth factor in adult and embryonic kidney.", "content": "Insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) I and II are proinsulin-like peptides. IGF I is produced in adult and embryonic kidney. It is likely that IGF I produced locally in adult kidney regulates processes of renal transport, metabolism and growth. Renal IGF I production is stimulated by growth hormone (GH) and by epidermal growth factor (EGF). The identity of additional factors that regulate IGF I gene expression in settings such as compensatory hypertrophy and diabetes mellitus is unknown. IGF I and IGF II produced in embryonic kidney promote the metanephrogenic process. The identity of factors that regulate metanephric IGF gene expression is yet to be determined."}
{"id": "PMID:1465071", "title": "Localization and characterization of IGF-I receptors in fetal and adult human kidneys.", "content": "Human insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) is a growth and differentiating factor produced by various adult and fetal tissues. In the kidney, it has been linked to the proliferative response of renal tubular and glomerular cells, following unilateral or partial nephrectomy, in acromegaly, in diabetes mellitus and in glomerulonephritis. To gain insight into the potential effects of IGF-I in human kidney, a quantitative analysis of IGF-I-binding sites was performed in fetal and adult tissue using 125I-IGF-I. The ligand consistently labelled renal cortex, medulla, and glomeruli while renal vessels were not uniformly marked. The highest affinity of binding sites was found in glomeruli (adult kidneys: Kd 24.7 +/- 5.1 pM; Bmax 5.2 +/- 0.5 fmol/mg tissue equivalent (TE); n = 4; fetal kidneys: Kd 17.0 +/- 2.5 pM; Bmax 4.5 +/- 0.7 fmol/mg TE; n = 4) and cortical tubules, while vessels and renal medulla (adult kidneys: kd 47 +/- 3.9 pM, Bmax 2.6 +/- 0.3 fmol/mg TE; n = 4; fetal kidneys: kd 41.6 +/- 9.2 pM, Bmax 3.5 +/- 0.4 fmol/mg TE; n = 3) had only about half the affinity of binding and a significantly reduced maximal capacity. The strong binding of 125I-IGF-I to glomeruli supports the view that IGF-I may be involved in modulating glomerular structure and function. Fetal renal growth may depend on the action of IGF-I on glomerular cells and tubular epithelia of the kidney."}
{"id": "PMID:1465072", "title": "Insulin-like growth factor I and its variant, des(1-3)IGF-I, improve nitrogen balance and food utilization in rats with renal failure.", "content": "The growth-promoting effects of IGF-I were examined in rats following partial nephrectomy and compared with the effects of the des(1-3) variant of IGF-I. Four groups of rats were subjected to 5/6 nephrectomy (n = 8 per group) and treated for 7 days with IGF-I (0.9 or 2.2 mg/kg BW/day), des(1-3)IGF-I (0.9 mg/kg/BW/day), or vehicle (0.1 M acetic acid) administered subcutaneously by osmotic pump. A group of vehicle-treated, sham-operated control rats (n = 7) was included. Food utilization was significantly improved in all three peptide-treated groups, by 13-16% compared with the vehicle-treated nephrectomized group. Also, nitrogen balance was enhanced, particularly in the des(1-3)IGF-I group, in which nitrogen excretion was reduced by 24%, with the low- and high-dose IGF-I groups showing 16 and 18% reductions, respectively. Serum urea levels were significantly decreased, by 25%, in the des(1-3)IGF-I group, with 20 and 17% reductions being observed in the low- and high-dose IGF-I groups. Muscle protein degradation was found to be significantly attenuated with des(1-3)IGF-I treatment but was not significantly affected in the two IGF-I-treated groups. While carcass composition was not altered with IGF peptide treatment, absolute mass of protein in the carcass was improved in rats treated with the high dose of IGF-I. These results show that IGF-I or, more particularly, des(1-3)IGF-I may be efficacious in overcoming impaired growth in renal failure."}
{"id": "PMID:1465073", "title": "The rationale for the use of growth hormone or insulin-like growth factor I in adult patients with renal failure.", "content": "Since the development of recombinant DNA technology, there has been a rapid expansion of research concerning the use of recombinant DNA synthesized human growth hormone (rhGH) for the treatment of clinical disorders. rhGH has been used to treat patients with acute catabolic stress caused by surgery, trauma and sepsis, children with chronic renal insufficiency and impaired growth, patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis who are malnourished, and individuals on weight reduction diets. These studies indicate that rhGH enhances protein balance in acutely stressed patients and in malnourished maintenance hemodialysis patients, promotes catch-up growth in children with chronic renal failure, and may reduce protein wasting and enhance lipolysis in obese individuals on weight reduction diets. Experimental studies suggest that in addition to enhancing anabolism, rhGH may increase both immune function and the rate of wound healing. Many, but not all, of the effects of rhGH are mediated through insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I). For example, the hyperglycemic and lipolytic effects of rhGH do not seem to be caused by IGF-I. Animal or human studies suggest that with severe malnutrition or severe sepsis, rhGH treatment may neither increase serum IGF-I levels nor promote anabolism. These observations provide a rationale for administering IGF-I as an anabolic hormone for severely malnourished or septic patients with renal failure. Further studies will be necessary to examine both the short-term and long-term potential benefits and adverse effects of rhGH or rhIGF-I treatment in these conditions."}
{"id": "PMID:1465074", "title": "Increase of circulating insulin-like growth factor-I in chronic renal failure is reduced by low-protein diet.", "content": "We performed a nutritional trial to assess the variations of circulating insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) in chronic renal failure (CRF). Eight patients suffering from mild renal failure (SCr = 374 +/- 52 mumol/l) were prescribed a standard diet for 1 month followed by 1 month of protein restriction. Mean protein intake was 0.77 and 0.46 g/kg BW/day, mean caloric intake 25 and 24.7 kcal/kg BW/day for the first and the second month, respectively. After each period of diet, nitrogen balances were negative (-1.2 +/- 1.6 and -1.6 +/- 0.9 g/N/day). Despite these low-caloric conditions, mean serum IGF-I level was at the upper level of normal (358 +/- 136 ng/ml) after 1 month of standard protein intake, and statistically reduced (289 +/- 122 ng/ml, p < 0.002) by the low-protein diet. No correlation was observed between serum IGF-I levels and protein, caloric intake, and nitrogen balances for the two periods. Estimation of the IGF-I binding by the ratio of extracted to nonextracted IGF-I value suggested abnormal binding in CRF. This binding was modified by reduced protein intake. In conclusion, larger studies are needed in CRF to assess the significance of IGF-I variations and the IGF-I binding proteins which modulate the bioactivity of this growth factor."}
{"id": "PMID:1465075", "title": "Factors causing catabolism in maintenance hemodialysis patients.", "content": "Malnutrition is common in maintenance hemodialysis (HD) patients who are frequently anorectic. The protein requirements in HD patients are increased compared with nonuremics. Factors which tend to increase the protein requirements are: low energy intake, metabolic acidosis, leading to enhanced catabolism of branched-chain amino acids in muscle, and dialytic losses of amino acids and glucose. In addition, the HD procedure results in inhibition of muscle and whole body protein synthesis, and induces an inflammatory response (blood membrane interaction, endotoxins) leading to enhanced muscle protein breakdown. The relative importance of the various factors leading to enhanced net protein catabolism in HD patients remains to be elucidated."}
{"id": "PMID:1465076", "title": "Use of bioelectrical impedance for the nutritional assessment of chronic hemodialysis patients.", "content": "Although malnutrition poses a significant risk to the well-being of chronic hemodialysis patients, their nutritional assessment is usually empirical. We studied body composition by bioelectrical impedance (BEI) prospectively in 39 patients followed for 5-12 months. BEI correctly discriminated between underweight and overweight patients in terms of fat mass (21 +/- 5 vs. 34 +/- 10%; p = 0.002), lean body mass (78 +/- 4 vs. 67 +/- 10%; p = 0.004) and total body water (57 +/- 3 vs. 49 +/- 7%; p = 0.002), respectively. Serial body weights did not correlate with changes in lean body mass (LBM) as measured by BEI. While 28% of patients lost weight, 41% lost LBM. Most striking is the contrast between the patients who showed no change in LBM by BEI and those whose body weight remained neutral (3 vs. 28%). BEI is a most sensitive clinical tool for assessing changes in LBM in hemodialysis patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1465077", "title": "Impaired gut barrier in experimental chronic uremic rats.", "content": "The intestinal permeability in chronic uremic rats on a high- and a low-protein diet was measured with a mixture of differently sized polyethylene glycols (PEG 400 and PEG 1000). The permeability was assessed by the 24-hour urinary recovery of PEG molecules (range 326-1,162 Da) administrated orally or intravenously. The urinary recovery after oral load, when corrected with the recovery after intravenous administration, was significantly enhanced in the uremic rats. A decreased urinary recovery was observed in the groups on the low-protein feed diet. There was also decreased selectivity towards larger PEGs in uremia. The results thus suggest that (i) the intestinal permeability is increased in chronic uremic rats, and (ii) the intestinal permeability is influenced by a low-protein diet."}
{"id": "PMID:1465078", "title": "Erythrocyte vitamin B1, B2 and B6 in nephrotic syndrome.", "content": "Vitamin status was evaluated in 33 patients with chronic glomerulonephritis and nephrotic syndrome who had normal glomerular filtration rates. Erythrocyte vitamin B1 and B2 were within the normal reference range. Vitamin B6 was significantly decreased. Long-term, 6-month supplementation with riboflavin, 2 mg/24 h, and pyridoxine HCl, 50 mg/24 h, in 9 patients improved erythrocyte vitamin B2 and B6 levels even though the clinical status and the disease activity of the basic disease persisted or progressed."}
{"id": "PMID:1465079", "title": "Factors affecting chronic renal failure progression: results from a multicentre trial. The Northern Italian Cooperative Study Group.", "content": "In order to evaluate the prognostic factors concerning the rate of progressive deterioration of renal function, we made an inductive analysis of the behaviour of 456 patients in a multicentre, formal prospective trial aimed at clarifying the possible role of protein restriction in retarding the progression of chronic renal insufficiency (CRI). The main clinical and laboratory findings in patients whose plasma creatinine (PCr) levels doubled in comparison with baseline randomization values or who needed dialysis within 24 months after onset of the study were compared with those of the other patients. In addition, independently of the assigned diet, we tested the main variables that might affect CRI progression (sex, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, change in body weight, hematocrit, calcium-phosphate product, proteinuria, protein catabolic rate, total cholesterol and triglycerides). We used multiple regression analyses and also plotted the mean values of these parameters in each patient against an estimate of the deterioration of chronic renal failure based on the difference between the final and the initial reciprocal of the PCr and the creatinine clearance (CCr) levels. A descriptive analysis of the behaviour of PCr in the three CRI groups and in the four underlying diseases groups was made. PCr levels at entry, underlying disease and proteinuria were prognostic factors for CRI progression. The increase in PCr was 0.0102 mg/dl/month in patients with nephrosclerosis, 0.0203 mg/dl/month in interstitial nephropathy, 0.0360 mg/dl/month in glomerulonephritis and 0.0704 mg/dl/month in polycystic kidney disease.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1465080", "title": "Multicentre randomized study on the effect of a low-protein diet on the progression of renal failure in childhood: one-year results. European Study Group for Nutritional Treatment of Chronic Renal Failure in Childhood.", "content": "After an adaptation period of 6 months, 200 children (mean age 10.3 years; 138 boys and 62 girls) were stratified according to their renal diseases and the progression of renal failure during the adaptation period and randomized for low protein intake amounting to the WHO safe levels for age (0.8-1.1 g/kg/day) or free protein intake. Energy intake of both groups should be near the WHO recommendations. Compliance was controlled by written dietary diaries and urea-N excretion. 101 children had been randomized for the diet group and 99 for the control group. 165 of these patients finished their first year after randomization. Mean protein intake was 126% of the recommendations in the diet group vs. 187% in the control group while energy intake was similar in both groups (85 vs. 90%). SDS for height at start and 1 year later did not change (diet: -0.9 vs. -1.1; control: -0.9 vs. -0.9). Weight gain was not different. Only the stratification for two groups according to the progression of renal failure ('nonprogressive' and 'progressive' diseases) was used in the analyses. Progression of renal disease during the adaptation period proved to be a significant prognostic factor. Mean loss of GFR/year was similar in patients with 'nonprogressive' diseases in the control group (-1.1 ml) and the diet group (-1.3 ml). In patients with 'progressive' diseases mean loss of GFR was significantly higher in the diet group (-6.5 ml) than in the control group (-4.0 ml).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1465081", "title": "Amino acid solutions for CAPD: rationale and clinical experience.", "content": "Protein-calorie malnutrition is present in a sizable proportion of dialysis patients. In CAPD patients, constant glucose absorption from dialysate may displace other calorie sources, such as protein, and may suppress the appetite, thus contributing to malnutrition. Use of amino acids in place of glucose as the osmotic agent has been studied extensively. Ultrafiltration and small-molecule clearance similar to that with glucose can be achieved with amino acid solutions, but nitrogenous waste produced by amino acids limits the extent to which they can replace hypertonic glucose. Side effects of CAPD with amino acids appear to be minor and easily manageable. Most studies have found at least some nutritional benefit of amino acid solutions in addition to that of lowering the glucose load. Short-term studies of amino acid solutions for dialysis indicate that they may improve protein nutrition in malnourished CAPD patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1465082", "title": "Effect of glucocorticoids and extracellular pH on protein metabolism in cultured cells.", "content": "Chronic renal failure (CRF) is complicated by metabolic acidosis and muscle wasting. Protein degradation (PD) in skeletal muscle is accelerated in rats with CRF and correction of uremic acidosis returns PD to normal. Experimentally induced acidosis in normal rats accelerates PD and requires an intact adrenal axis. To investigate mechanisms of pH-induced changes in protein metabolism, BC3Hl myocytes and LLC-PK1 renal epithelial cells were studied. Low extracellular pH increases PD in myocytes but does not change PD in LLC-PK1 cells. In both types of cells, intracellular pH changes predictably as extracellular pH is varied. Exogenous glucocorticoids (GC) do not alter PD in either cell line, but inhibit protein synthesis in BC3Hl myocytes. Since extracellular pH stimulates PD only in BC3Hl myocytes and since LLC-PK1 cells may not possess GC receptors, we can compare and contrast the effects of pH and GC on protein metabolism to study the role of GC in acid-stimulated proteolysis."}
{"id": "PMID:1465083", "title": "Therapeutic value of recombinant human growth hormone in children with chronic renal failure.", "content": "In chronic renal failure (CRF), serum growth hormone (GH) levels are elevated due to a reduced renal metabolic clearance. Although the concentration of circulating GH is increased in CRF, insensitivity to GH is noted. This is mainly due to a decreased production of hepatic insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I and an accumulation of its binding protein (IGFBP-3), both resulting in a low concentration of free active IGF-I. Treatment with recombinant human (rh) GH in doses of about 30 IU/m2/week, increases the serum concentration of IGF-I, normalizes somatomedin (IGF) bioactivity and leads to catch-up growth. The anabolic effects of rhGH are seen from an increase in muscle mass and a reduction of fat mass. rhGH treatment is also able to compensate for the growth-depressing effects of corticosteroids in animal studies and in children after renal transplantation."}
{"id": "PMID:1465084", "title": "Effects of dietary protein on eicosanoid production and on the activity of related enzymes in glomeruli and tubules.", "content": "Glomeruli obtained from rats fed a high-protein diet for 8 weeks produce increased amounts of eicosanoids due to greater activity of both PE-specific phospholipase A2 and cyclooxygenase. Eicosanoid synthesis in response to angiotensin II is also greater in glomeruli from rats fed a high-protein diet when compared to rats fed a low-protein diet. There was also increased synthesis of eicosanoids in medullary/papillary tubules but not in proximal cortical tubules of rats fed a high-protein diet. This appears to be due to increased activity of PC-specific phospholipase A2 and cyclooxygenase in medullary/papillary tubules."}
{"id": "PMID:1465085", "title": "Effect of dietary protein on glomerular proteinase activities.", "content": "Recent studies suggest that proteolytic enzymes are involved in the degradation of extracellular matrix components of the renal glomerulus. In the present study, the effects of feeding 3 different protein diets on glomerular cysteine proteinase and metalloproteinase activities to healthy rats for 6 weeks were examined. The diets contained 5, 20, or 60% casein and were made isocaloric by starch. On sacrifice, the glomeruli were isolated by differential sieving. Proteolytic activities were measured using fluorogenic substrates and were expressed per glomerular DNA content. Body weight was virtually unchanged by the amount of protein ingested, whereas kidney weight was closely correlated with dietary protein content (5%: 1,625 +/- 324; 20%: 2,110 +/- 326; 60%: 2,705 +/- 910 mg). Activity of cathepsin B, the most abundant cysteine proteinase in the glomerulus, decreased with protein loading (5%: 1,498 +/- 110; 20%: 1,321 +/- 82; 60%: 914 +/- 84 pmol/min/micrograms DNA). The same pattern emerged with cathepsin L (5%: 869 +/- 71; 20%: 846 +/- 70; 60%: 517 +/- 83 pmol/min/micrograms DNA) and cathepsin H (5%: 498 +/- 45; 20%: 478 +/- 55; 60%: 330 +/- 39 pmol/min/micrograms DNA). The differences between the 20 and 60% groups were statistically significant for all 3 cathepsins measured. The intraglomerular activity of the metalloproteinase collagenase declined significantly with the amount of protein ingested (5%: 233 +/- 14; 20%: 189 +/- 13; 60%: 137 +/- 11 microU/micrograms DNA). Gelatinase activity also fell as protein intake increased (5%: 183 +/- 18; 20%: 115 +/- 10; 60%: 94 +/- 11 F/micrograms DNA).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1465086", "title": "Fibronectin metabolism in isolated glomeruli from obese Zucker rats.", "content": "The obese Zucker rat develops non-immune-mediated spontaneous focal glomerulosclerosis. Mesangial matrix expansion is an important initiating hallmark of such glomerular damage and fibronectin is a normal constituent of mesangial extracellular matrix. Using a quantitative method based on enzyme immunoassay, we have assessed the intraglomerular fibronectin content and its degradation in obese Zucker rats and their lean littermates. In the obese Zucker rats the glomerular fibronectin content was significantly higher than in the control animals. Furthermore, proteinase activity against fibronectin was significantly reduced in the glomeruli of obese Zucker rats compared to the control animals. These data demonstrate that in obese Zucker rats there is a glomerular accumulation of fibronectin which we propose is at least partly due to diminished proteolytic digestion. We speculate that this result might indicate a possible mediator of progressive glomerulosclerosis in this animal model."}
{"id": "PMID:1465087", "title": "Effect of renal disease on glomerular proteinases.", "content": "Until now, little is known about the self-perpetuating mechanism leading to terminal renal failure in chronic renal disease. The common pathological feature of progressive renal insufficiency is focal and segmental glomerulosclerosis. The experimental counterpart of this process is represented by models of streptozotocin diabetes, Adriamycin nephropathy and Goldblatt hypertension. The main initiating hallmark of glomerulosclerosis is an accumulation of glomerular proteins, whose balance is apparently influenced by the activity of glomerular proteinases. In isolated glomeruli of kidneys from experimental animals, total proteinase activity was assayed with an unspecific but sensitive azocasein assay. The activity was significantly reduced in all experimental models at acid and neutral pH when relating enzyme activity to the glomerular protein and DNA content. The demonstration of reduced glomerular proteinase activity in the animal models of glomerulosclerosis could represent a new additional common pathogenetic mechanism. Glomerular protein accumulation could be a result of a synergistic interaction between hemodynamic and biochemical factors; we suggest the latter to be a decrease in glomerular proteinase activity."}
{"id": "PMID:1465088", "title": "Aminopeptidase A (= angiotensinase A) in human progressive renal disease.", "content": "To elucidate factors possibly involved in adaptive cell responses due to progressive deterioration of glomerular structure and function, the activity of angiotensinase A (ATA), a glycoprotein of the glomerular tuft and of the proximal tubule, was analyzed on human kidney sections applying quantitative image analysis. Based on the software the exclusive glomerular expression of ATA was assessed in normal controls and 34 kidneys of patients with various stages of renal insufficiency (1.3-12 mg/dl serum creatinine). The data from diseased kidneys revealed a reduced total ATA-positive glomerular compartment, a larger area of remaining glomeruli, and a rise of the ATA-negative renal interstitium. Irrespective of the progression of the disease, hypertrophic glomeruli of remnant nephrons exhibited a high and homogeneous expression of ATA. Survival of glomeruli in patients with chronic renal failure correlated with the capability of glomerular cells to synthesize ATA at an increased rate, which may prevent angiotensin II-mediated growth effects, the accumulation of extracellular matrix proteins, etc., thus escaping final glomerulosclerosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1465089", "title": "Primer-template interactions during DNA amplification fingerprinting with single arbitrary oligonucleotides.", "content": "DNA amplification fingerprinting (DAF) is the enzymatic amplification of arbitrary stretches of DNA which is directed by very short oligonucleotide primers of arbitrary sequence to generate complex but characteristic DNA fingerprints. To determine the contribution of primer sequence and length to the fingerprint pattern and the effect of primer-template mismatches, DNA was amplified from several sources using sequence-related primers. Primers of varying length, constructed by removing nucleotides from the 5' terminus, produced unique patterns only when primers were 8 nucleotides or fewer in length. Larger primers produced either identical or related fingerprints, depending on the sequence. Single base changes within this first 8-nucleotide region of the primer significantly altered the spectrum of amplification products, especially at the 3' terminus. Increasing annealing temperatures from 15 degrees to 70 degrees C during amplification did not shift the boundary of the 8-nucleotide region, but reduced the amplification ability of shorter primers. Our observations define a 3'-terminal oligonucleotide domain that is at least 8 bases in length and largely conditions amplification, but that is modulated by sequences beyond it. Our results indicate that only a fraction of template annealing sites are efficiently amplified during DAF. A model is proposed in which a single primer preferentially amplifies certain products due to competition for annealing sites between primer and terminal hairpin loop structures of the template."}
{"id": "PMID:1465090", "title": "The SEG1 element: a new DNA region promoting stable mitotic segregation of plasmids in the zygomycete Absidia glauca.", "content": "A series of new vectors for the model zygomycete Absidia glauca was constructed on the basis of the structural neomycin resistance (Neor) gene controlled by the promoter of the gene for elongation factor 1 (TEF). In order to select for transformed colonies with a stable Neor phenotype, spores from primary transformants were pooled and grown for two sporulation cycles under non-selective conditions. Southern blot analysis of DNA from single spore isolates originating from independent transformant pools allowed the identification of two autonomously replicating plasmids. Retransformation of Escherichia coli and restriction analysis of the two plasmids provided evidence for spontaneous in vivo insertion of a new DNA element (SEG1) from the A. glauca genome. The inserted regions in both plasmids are essentially identical and do not represent repetitive DNA. Compared with other autonomously replicating vectors, these SEG1-containing plasmids are mitotically extremely stable and are passed on to the vegetative spore progeny of a retransformed A. glauca strain. We assume that SEG1 contains structural elements involved in partitioning and stable segregation of plasmids. For the construction of stable transformants of A. glauca, the SEG1 element may be regarded as a major breakthrough, because stabilization of transformed genetic traits by integration is difficult to achieve in all mucoraceous fungi and all known replicating plasmids are mitotically unstable."}
{"id": "PMID:1465091", "title": "G:C-->T:A and G:C-->C:G transversions are the predominant spontaneous mutations in the Escherichia coli supF gene: an improved lacZ(am) E. coli host designed for assaying pZ189 supF mutational specificity.", "content": "Escherichia coli K12 strain KS40 and plasmid pKY241 were designed for easy screening of supF mutations in plasmid pZ189. KS40 is a nalidixic acid-resistant (gyrA) derivative of MBM7070 (lacZ(am)CA7020). Using in vitro mutagenesis, an amber mutation was introduced into the cloned gyrA structural gene, of E. coli, to give pKY241, a derivative of pACYC184. When KS40 containing pKY241 (designated KS40/pKY241) is transformed with pZ189, nalidixic acid-resistant GyrA protein is produced from the chromosomal gyrA gene and wild-type GyrA protein from pKY241 because of the suppression of the gyrA amber mutation by supF. It is known that the wild-type, otherwise nalidixic acid-sensitive, phenotype is dominant over the nalidixic acid-resistant phenotype. Thus, KS40/pKY241 gives rise to nalidixic acid-sensitive colonies when it carries a pZ189 plasmid with an active supF suppressor tRNA. If the supF gene on the plasmid carries an inactivating mutation then KS40/pKY241 will form nalidixic acid-resistant colonies. By using this system, the spontaneous mutational frequency of the supF gene on pZ189 was calculated to be 3.06 x 10(-7) per replication. Among 51 independent supF mutations analyzed by DNA sequencing, 63% were base substitutions, 25% IS element insertions, 9.6% deletions and 1.9% single-base frameshifts. The base substitutions included both transversions (84.8%) and transitions (15.2%), the largest single group being G:C to T:A transversions (45.4% of the base substitutions). These results demonstrate that the KS40/pKY241 system we have developed can be used to characterize the DNA sequence changes induced by mutagens that give very low mutational frequencies."}
{"id": "PMID:1465092", "title": "High frequency, heat treatment-induced inactivation of the phosphinothricin resistance gene in transgenic single cell suspension cultures of Medicago sativa.", "content": "One descendant of the Medicago sativa Ra-3 transformant T304 was analysed with respect to the somatic stability of the synthetic phosphinothricin-N-acetyltransferase (pat) gene which was used as a selective marker and was under the control of the 5'/3' expression signals of the cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV) gene VI. In order to quantify gene instability, we developed a system for culturing and regenerating individual cells. Single cell suspension cultures derived from T304 and the ancestral non-transgenic M. sativa cultivar Ra-3, were established. The cells were regenerated into monoclonal calli. In transgenic calli, the phosphinothricin (Pt)-resistance phenotype was retained after more than 2 months of non-selective growth. In contrast, up to 12% of the suspension culture cells grown under nonselective conditions and at constant temperature (25 degrees C) lost the herbicide-resistance phenotype within 150 days. Surprisingly, a heat treatment (37 degrees C), lasting for 10 days, during the culture period resulted in an almost complete (95%) loss of the Pt resistance of the suspension culture cells. However, the frequency of cell division was identical in cultures grown under normal and heat treatment conditions. A biochemical test revealed that no phosphinothricin-N-acetyltransferase activity was present in heat treated, Pt-sensitive cells. The resistance level of the Pt-sensitive transgenic cells was equivalent to that of the wild-type cells. A PCR analysis confirmed the presence of the pat gene in heat treated, Pt-sensitive cells. From these results it is concluded that the Pt resistance gene was heat-inactivated at a high frequency in the M. sativa suspension cultures."}
{"id": "PMID:1465093", "title": "In vivo studies on the effects of immunity genes on early lytic transcription in the Halobacterium salinarium phage phi H.", "content": "We have studied in vivo the effects of putative immunity genes on the expression of an early lytic gene of the Halobacterium salinarium phage. phi H. We transformed an H. salinarium host with DNA coding for a putative repressor gene, the transcript of which has been designated T6. We show that, in vivo, this gene specifically shuts off production of the early lytic transcript T4. A construct carrying the DNA transcribed as T4, but without its putative repressor binding sequences, shows T4 transcription enhanced to a level comparable to that observed in lytic growth of mutant phages capable of growing on immune H. salinarium strains. This transcript is insensitive to the action of the T6 product. The product of this 'unrepressed' T4 transcript is able to complement in trans the repressed T4 on superinfecting phi H-sensitive phages, allowing these to grow on a strain containing the repressor gene. It has, however, no effect on the production of repressor. We also mapped the start and end points of two other transcripts, T9 and T10, which are expressed only in the lysogenic state by cells immune to superinfection by phage, cloned the coding DNA and used it to transform H. salinarium. This DNA, though transcribed by the transformants, has no detectable effect on the cells, which remain susceptible to phage infection."}
{"id": "PMID:1465094", "title": "The developmentally regulated Aspergillus nidulans wA gene encodes a polypeptide homologous to polyketide and fatty acid synthases.", "content": "The Aspergillus nidulans wA gene is required for synthesis of a green pigment present in the walls of mature asexual spores (conidia); wA mutants produce colorless (white) conidia. We determined the transcriptional structure and DNA sequence of the wA gene. wA consists of 5 exons separated by short (40-60 bp) introns. The processed transcript has the potential to encode a protein consisting of 1986 amino acid residues. The predicted WA polypeptide showed extensive sequence similarities with bacterial and fungal polyketide synthases and vertebrate fatty acid synthases, particularly within conserved active sites. Properties of the yellow conidial wall pigment intermediate suggest that it is a polyketide rather than a fatty acid. It is therefore likely that wA encodes all or part of a polyketide synthase involved in the formation of this pigment intermediate."}
{"id": "PMID:1465095", "title": "Structure and expression of the phosphoglycerate kinase (Pgk) gene of Drosophila melanogaster.", "content": "The gene that encodes phosphoglycerate kinase in Drosophila melanogaster (Pgk) has been isolated and characterized. There is a single copy of Pgk in the Drosophila genome located at cytogenetic position 23A1-2. Transcripts of Pgk are 1.6 kb long and are found during development with a profile similar to the expression pattern of other genes of the glycolytic pathway. There are substantial amounts of maternal transcript in early embryos which decline in abundance until mid-embryogenesis when transcript levels increase; levels remain high, during larval stages, fall during pupariation and rise again at emergence. The nucleotide sequence of the Pgk gene reveals two small introns, one of which is at a position identical to the site of an intron found in Pgk genes from other organisms. The Pgk gene has no TATA box in the region of transcription initiation and has multiple transcription initiation sites that are closely spaced within 110 nucleotides of the translation start site."}
{"id": "PMID:1465096", "title": "Towards a physical map of the fertility genes on the heterochromatic Y chromosome of Drosophila hydei: families of repetitive sequences transcribed on the lampbrush loops Nooses and Threads are organized in extended clusters of several hundred kilobases.", "content": "The understanding of structure and function of the so-called fertility genes of Drosophila is very limited due to their unusual size--several megabases--and their location on the heterochromatic Y chromosome. Since mapping of these genes has mainly been done by classical cytogenetic analyses using a small number of cytologically visible lampbrush loops as the sole markers for particular fertility genes, the resolution of the genetic map of the Y chromosome is restricted to 3-5 Mb. Here we demonstrate that a substantially finer subdivision of the megabase-sized fertility genes in the subtelomeric regions of the Y chromosome of Drosophila hydei can be achieved by a combination of digestion with restriction enzymes having 6 bp recognition sequences, and pulsed field gel electrophoresis. The physical subdivision is based upon large conserved fragments of repetitive DNA in the size range from 50 up to 1600 kb and refers to the long-range organization of several families of repetitive DNA involved in Y chromosomal transcription processes in primary spermatocytes. We conclude from our results that at least five different families of repetitive DNA specifically transcribed on the lampbrush loops nooses and threads are organized as extended clusters of several hundred kb, essentially free of interspersed non-repetitive sequences."}
{"id": "PMID:1465097", "title": "beta-Galactosidase of Kluyveromyces lactis (Lac4p) as reporter of gene expression in Candida albicans and C. tropicalis.", "content": "Vectors containing fusions of the Candida albicans ACT promoter to heterologous genes were constructed and transformed into a C. albicans host strain. beta-Galactosidase (Lac4p) activity was detected in transformants carrying an ACT fusion to the Kluyveromyces lactis LAC4 gene, while fusions to the Escherichia coli lacZ gene and to other heterologous genes were not expressed. Lac4p was also produced by C. tropicalis transformants carrying the ACT/LAC4 fusion. Plasmids in transformed C. albicans strains were present either as free multimers in high copy number or, more frequently, integrated into the genome in low copy number yielding high and low LAC4 mRNA and Lac4p expression levels, respectively. Lac4p-expressing transformants of C. tropicalis, but not of C. albicans, were able to utilize lactose as sole carbon source. An ACT/LAC4 fusion was not differentially expressed during the yeast and hyphal growth phases of C. albicans, indicating that the ACT promoter is not regulated during morphogenesis. These results define the first reporter gene system for convenient monitoring of gene expression in Candida species."}
{"id": "PMID:1465098", "title": "Leucine and serine induce mecillinam resistance in Escherichia coli.", "content": "We have previously shown that resistance to the beta-lactam mecillinam in Escherichia coli can be brought about by a high ppGpp pool, as observed under conditions of partial amino acid starvation and RelA-dependent induction of the stringent response. We show here that our E. coli wild-type strain, which is sensitive to mecillinam on minimal glucose plates, becomes resistant in the presence of L-leucine or L-serine (or cysteine, which inactivates the antibiotic). The resistance, which is not a transient effect and does not depend on the physiological state of the cells when plated, is specific for mecillinam and is reversed by the presence of isoleucine and valine in the medium. At least in the case of serine, the resistance is RelA-dependent. We conclude that the presence of leucine and serine in the growth medium cause partial starvation for isoleucine/valine, leading to induction of the stringent response and concomitant resistance to mecillinam."}
{"id": "PMID:1465099", "title": "Restoration of the wild-type locus in an RuBP carboxylase/oxygenase mutant of Synechocystis PCC 6803 via targeted gene recombination.", "content": "The interaction between homologous DNA sequences, distant from each other in the chromosome, was examined in the cyanobacterium Synechocystis PCC 6803. Most of the rbcL gene encoding the large subunit of ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco) was duplicated in the genome by a targeted insertion of a 3'-truncated gene copy into the psb A-I locus. Both rbcL genes, in the psb A-I region and at the rbc locus, were non-functional; The former due to the 3' truncation, and the latter due to a deletion in the 5'-region (creating a 5' truncation) and a mutation associated with an insertion of the Rhodospirillum rubrum rbc gene, yielding a high-CO2-requiring mutant ('cyanorubrum'). The 3' and the 5' truncated rbcL genes were linked to chloramphenicol and kanamycin resistance markers, respectively. Decreasing the kanamycin selective pressure concomitantly with exposure of the double resistance mutant to air, resulted in air-growing colonies. Analysis of their genomes, Rubisco proteins, and their ultrastructure revealed: 1) Reconstitution of a full-length cyanobacterial rbcL gene at the rbc locus; 2) simultaneous synthesis of the cyanobacterial (L8S8) and R. rubrum (L2) enzymes in meroploids containing both mutated and reconstituted rbcL genes; 3) reappearance of carboxysomes. Our results indicate extensive recombinatorial interactions between the homologous sequences at both loci leading to reconstitution of the cyanobacterial rbcL gene."}
{"id": "PMID:1465100", "title": "Lysis protein T of bacteriophage T4.", "content": "Lysis protein T of phage T4 is required to allow the phage's lysozyme to reach the murein layer of the cell envelope and cause lysis. Using fusions of the cloned gene t with that of the Escherichia coli alkaline phosphatase or a fragment of the gene for the outer membrane protein OmpA, it was possible to identify T as an integral protein of the plasma membrane. The protein was present in the membrane as a homooligomer and was active at very low cellular concentrations. Expression of the cloned gene t was lethal without causing gross leakiness of the membrane. The functional equivalent of T in phage lambda is protein S. An amber mutant of gene S can be complemented by gene t, although neither protein R of lambda (the functional equivalent of T4 lysozyme) nor S possess any sequence similarity with their T4 counterparts. The murein-degrading enzymes (including that of phage P22) have in common a relatively small size (molecular masses of ca. 18,000) and a rather basic nature not exhibited by other E. coli cystosolic proteins. The results suggest that T acts as a pore that is specific for this type of enzyme."}
{"id": "PMID:1465101", "title": "Targeting sequences of the two major peroxisomal proteins in the methylotrophic yeast Hansenula polymorpha.", "content": "Dihydroxyacetone synthase (DAS) and methanol oxidase (MOX) are the major enzyme constituents of the peroxisomal matrix in the methylotrophic yeast Hansenula polymorpha when grown on methanol as a sole carbon source. In order to characterize their topogenic signals the localization of truncated polypeptides and hybrid proteins was analysed in transformed yeast cells by subcellular fractionation and electron microscopy. The C-terminal part of DAS, when fused to the bacterial beta-lactamase or mouse dihydrofolate reductase, directed these hybrid polypeptides to the peroxisome compartment. The targeting signal was further delimited to the extreme C-terminus, comprising the sequence N-K-L-COOH, similar to the recently identified and widely distributed peroxisomal targeting signal (PTS) S-K-L-COOH in firefly luciferase. By an identical approach, the extreme C-terminus of MOX, comprising the tripeptide A-R-F-COOH, was shown to be the PTS of this protein. Furthermore, on fusion of a C-terminal sequence from firefly luciferase including the PTS, beta-lactamase was also imported into the peroxisomes of H. polymorpha. We conclude that, besides the conserved PTS (or described variants), other amino acid sequences with this function have evolved in nature."}
{"id": "PMID:1465102", "title": "Improvement of plant regeneration and GUS expression in scutellar wheat calli by optimization of culture conditions and DNA-microprojectile delivery procedures.", "content": "Genetic transformation of cereals by direct DNA delivery via microprojectile bombardment has become an established procedure in recent years. But the derivation of functional transgenic plants, especially in wheat, is still problematic, mainly due to low efficiency of DNA delivery and the reduced regeneration capability of microprojectile-bombarded tissue. We focussed on these two aspects and found that the regeneration of scutellar calli of wheat can be rendered highly efficient and considerably accelerated by a liquid culture phase in screen rafts. We also found that the expression of a reporter gene following DNA delivery by microprojectile can be improved by maintaining the scutellar calli in 0.25 M mannitol before and after bombardment, by bombardment in the presence of silver thiosulfate and Ca(NO3)2 (rather than CaCl2) and by the elimination of spermidine from the DNA/microprojectile mixture. A protocol that includes all these features leads to several-fold higher transient expression of the reporter gene than have previously published procedures."}
{"id": "PMID:1465103", "title": "SCM4, a gene that suppresses mutant cdc4 function in budding yeast.", "content": "The gene SCM4 encodes a protein which suppresses a temperature-sensitive allele of the cell division cycle gene CDC4 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. SCM4 was cloned on a 1.8 kb BamHI fragment of yeast genomic DNA in the high copy-number vector pJDB207, which results in a 50- to 100-fold increase in the level of the 700 nucleotide SCM4 transcript in vivo. The SCM4 gene encodes a 20.2 kDa protein of 187 amino-acids with a clear tripartite domain structure in which a region rich in charged residues separates two domains of largely uncharged amino acids. Although the apparent allele specificity of cdc4 suppression suggests that the CDC4 and SCM4 proteins interact, disruption of SCM4 demonstrates that the gene product is not essential for mitosis or meiosis; however, it may be a member of a family of related, functionally redundant proteins."}
{"id": "PMID:1465104", "title": "Organization and functional analysis of three T-DNAs from the vitopine Ti plasmid pTiS4.", "content": "The vitopine Ti plasmid pTiS4 of Agrobacterium vitis has an unusual T-DNA organization. The pTiS4 oncogenes, localized by screening selected pTiS4 clones for growth-inducing activity, are localized on three T-DNAs, whereas in all other characterized Ti plasmids one or two T-DNAs are found. The nucleotide sequences and predicted amino acid sequences of the pTiS4 oncogenes set them apart from the corresponding genes from other Ti or Ri plasmids. The oncogenes induce the same type of reaction on various test plants as the well-known pTiAch5 oncogenes but the pTiS4 ipt gene induces considerably more shoots than its Ach5 homologue. We have also identified the gene coding for vitopine synthase as well as a vitopine synthase pseudogene. Both sequences show homology to the octopine synthase gene. In terms of both nucleotide sequence and overall organization, the pTiS4 T-DNAs appear to be only distantly related to previously characterized T-DNAs."}
{"id": "PMID:1465105", "title": "The pso4-1 mutation reduces spontaneous mitotic gene conversion and reciprocal recombination in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.", "content": "Spontaneous mitotic recombination was examined in the haploid pso4-1 mutant of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and in the corresponding wild-type strain. Using a genetic system involving a duplication of the his4 gene it was shown that the pso4-1 mutation decreases at least fourfold the spontaneous rate of mitotic recombination. The frequency of spontaneous recombination was reduced tenfold in pso4-1 strains, as previously observed in the rad52-1 mutant. However, whereas the rad52-1 mutation specifically reduces gene conversion, the pso4-1 mutation reduces both gene conversion and reciprocal recombination. Induced mitotic recombination was also studied in pso4-1 mutant and wild-type strains after treatment with 8-methoxypsoralen plus UVA and 254 nm UV irradiation. Consistent with previous results, the pso4-1 mutation was found strongly to affect recombination induction."}
{"id": "PMID:1465106", "title": "Characterization of the secretion efficiency of a plant signal peptide in Bacillus subtilis.", "content": "The ability of the Bacillus subtilis secretion machinery to interact with a heterologous signal peptide was studied using a plant (wheat alpha-amylase) signal peptide. The plant signal peptide was capable of mediating secretion of Escherichia coli alkaline phosphatase and B. amyloliquefaciens levansucrase from B. subtilis. This secretion was dependent on the plant signal peptide, as deletion of five amino acids from the hydrophobic core resulted in a block of secretion. Attempts to improve the efficiency of the plant signal peptide in B. subtilis were made by increasing the length of the hydrophobic core from 10 to 16 residues by insertion of 2, 4, 5 or 6 amino acids. None of the alterations improved the secretion efficiency relative to the wild-type plant signal peptide."}
{"id": "PMID:1465107", "title": "Characterization of the amdA-regulated aciA gene of Aspergillus nidulans.", "content": "The structure, function and regulation of the acetate inducible aciA gene of Aspergillus nidulans was analysed. The aciA locus was mapped to chromosome 1 at a position where no acetate inducible gene has been previously located. The nucleotide sequence of aciA was determined, the structures of two transcripts were determined and the sequences of the polypeptide products of the gene were deduced. Construction of an aciA loss-of-function mutant was achieved via insertional inactivation, but it did not reveal a phenotype for an aciA- strain. The larger polypeptide, AciA, was found to have a putative dinucleotide cofactor binding site. Acetate inducibility of aciA was found to be dependent on the amdA regulatory gene. Use of a 5' deletion series of an aciA--lacZ fusion and an in vivo regulatory protein binding (titration) assay allowed the region required for amdA activity to be localized to a 124 bp segment 5' to aciA. A 13 bp region of sequence similarity was observed between aciA and the coregulated amdS gene in the regions required for amdA-mediated regulation of these genes. This sequence may have a role in amdA regulation of the two genes."}
{"id": "PMID:1465108", "title": "Isolation of purine auxotrophic mutants of Lactococcus lactis and characterization of the gene hpt encoding hypoxanthine guanine phosphoribosyltransferase.", "content": "Five purine auxotrophic mutants of Lactococcus lactis were isolated. L. lactis was capable of converting adenine, guanine and hypoxanthine to AMP, GMP and IMP, respectively, indicating the existence of adenine phosphoribosyltransferase (APRT) and hypoxanthine guanine phosphoribosyltransferase (HGPRT) activities. A 1.3 kb DNA fragment from L. lactis was cloned by complementation of the hpt mutation in Escherichia coli. Introduction of this fragment into L. lactis resulted in an increase in HGPRT activity. In vitro transcription and translation analysis showed that the fragment coded for a polypeptide with M(r) of 22,000. The nucleotide sequence of this hpt gene was determined."}
{"id": "PMID:1465109", "title": "A umuDC-independent SOS pathway for frameshift mutagenesis.", "content": "The chemical carcinogen N-acetoxy-N-2-acetylaminofluorene induces mainly frameshift mutations, which occur within two types of sequences (mutation hot spots): -1 frameshift mutations within contiguous guanine sequences and -2 frameshift mutations within alternating GC sequences such as the NarI and BssHII restriction site sequences. We have investigated the genetic control of mutagenesis at these sequences by means of a reversion assay using plasmids pW17 and pX2, which contain specific targets for contiguous guanine and alternating GC sequences, respectively. Our results suggest that mutations at these hot spot sequences are generated by two different genetic pathways, both involving induction of SOS functions. The two pathways differ both in their LexA-controlled gene and RecA protein requirements. In the mutation pathway that acts at contiguous guanine sequences, the RecA protein participates together with the umuDC gene products. In contrast, RecA is not essential for mutagenesis at alternating GC sequences, except to cleave the LexA repressor. The LexA-regulated gene product(s), which participate in this latter mutational pathway, do not involve umuDC but another as yet uncharacterized inducible function. We also show that wild-type RecA and RecA430 proteins exert an antagonistic effect on mutagenesis at alternating GC sequences, which is not observed either in the presence of activated RecA (RecA*), RecA730 or RecA495 proteins, or in the complete absence of RecA as in recA99. It is concluded that the -1 mutation pathway presents the same genetic requirements as the pathway for UV light mutagenesis, while the -2 mutation pathway defines a distinct SOS pathway for frameshift mutagenesis."}
{"id": "PMID:1465110", "title": "Organization of specific DNA sequence elements in the region of the replication origin and matrix attachment site in the chicken alpha-globin gene domain.", "content": "The distribution of specific DNA sequence elements in a 2.9 kb HindIII fragment of chicken DNA containing the replication origin and the upstream matrix attachment site (MAR) of the alpha-globin gene domain was investigated. The fragment was shown to contain a CR1-type repetitive element and two stably bent DNA sequences. One of them colocalizes with the previously described MAR element and with the recognition site for a proliferating-cell-specific, DNA-binding protein. The melting pattern of a set of subfragments of the region proved to be non random. No correlation between the distribution of readily melting sequences and bent DNA was found. The possible importance of curved, low-melting and repetitive DNA sequences for the organization of the upstream boundary of the alpha-globin gene domain and the function of the replication origin is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1465111", "title": "Effect of T-DNA configuration on transgene expression.", "content": "T-DNA vectors were constructed which carry a beta-glucuronidase (gusA) gene fused to the promoter of the nopaline synthase (nos) gene and the 3' end of the octopine synthase (ocs) gene. This reporter gene was cloned at different locations and orientations towards the right T-DNA border. For each construct, between 30 and 60 stably transformed calli were analysed for beta-glucuronidase activity. Depending on the T-DNA configuration, distinct populations of gusA-expressing calli were obtained. Placing the reporter gene in the middle of the T-DNA results in relatively low expression levels and a limited inter-transformant variability. Placing the gene with its promoter next to the right border led to an increase in both the mean activity and the variability level. With this construct, some of the calli expressed the gusA gene at levels four to five times higher than the mean. In all these series, at least 30% of the calli contained reporter gene activities that were less than half of the mean expression level. Separating the gusA gene from the right T-DNA border by an additional 3'-untranslated region, derived from the nos gene, resulted in an increase in the mean expression to a level almost four times higher than that of constructions carrying the reporter gene in the middle of the T-DNA. Moreover, the number of transformants with extremely low activities decreased by at least 50% and this resulted in significantly lower inter-transformant variability independently of the orientation of the reporter gene on the T-DNA."}
{"id": "PMID:1465112", "title": "Apical secretion and association of the Drosophila yellow gene product with developing larval cuticle structures during embryogenesis.", "content": "The yellow (y) gene of Drosophila melanogaster is required for the pigmentation of larval and adult cuticle structures. The deduced y protein sequence includes two putative N-linked glycosylation sites and a putative signal peptide, suggesting that it might be a secreted molecule. Consistent with the characteristics of a secreted protein, our in vitro translation studies using RNA synthesised from the y cDNA demonstrate that the nascent y polypeptide is a preprotein that cotranslationally translocates into the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane and becomes glycosylated. The N-terminal peptide is cleaved from the preprotein between the two alanine residues at positions 21 and 22, to release the final product into the lumen of the ER. Antibodies raised against the y polypeptide detect the protein starting at 13 h post-fertilization in epidermal cells and in the cuticle structures secreted by them that later become pigmented; in addition, yellow protein is detected in the cuticle structures associated with Keilin's organs. The embryonic beta-galactosidase staining pattern of a transgene, bearing a construct in which expression of the lacZ gene is driven by the y promoter, is also described and is similar to that of the y protein. Our results indicate that the y gene product is an apically secreted protein which becomes an immobilised structural component of the pigmented cuticle."}
{"id": "PMID:1465113", "title": "XylS domain interactions can be deduced from intraallelic dominance in double mutants of Pseudomonas putida.", "content": "The XylS protein is the positive regulator of the TOL plasmid-encoded meta-cleavage pathway for the metabolism of alkylbenzoates in Pseudomonas putida. This protein is activated by a variety of benzoate analogues. To elucidate the functional domains of the regulator and their interactions, several fusions of the XylS C-terminus to MS2 polymerase and of the N-terminus to beta-galactosidase were constructed but all are inactive. In addition, 15 double mutant xylS genes were constructed in vitro by fusing parts of various mutant genes to produce mutant regulators exhibiting C-terminal and N-terminal amino acid substitutions. The phenotypic properties of the parental single mutant genes, and those of the double mutant genes, suggest that the C-terminal region is involved in binding to DNA sequences at the promoter of the meta-cleavage pathway operon, and that the benzoate effector binding pocket includes critical residues present at both the N-terminal and C-terminal ends of the protein. The intraallelic dominance of the Ile229 (Ser229-->Ile) and Val274 (Asp274-->Val) substitutions over the N-terminal His41 (Arg41-->His) substitution, and the intraallelic dominance of Thr45 (Arg45-->Thr) over Ile229 and Val274, support the proposal that these two regions of the regulator interact functionally. Combination of the Leu88 (Trp88-->Leu) and Arg256 (Pro256-->Arg) substitutions did not suppress the semiconstitutive phenotype conferred by Leu88, but resulted in a protein with altered ability to recognize benzoates. In contrast, the Leu88 semiconstitutive phenotype was suppressed by Val288 (Asp288-->Val), and the double mutant was susceptible to activation by benzoates.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1465114", "title": "Isolation of DNA markers linked to a beet cyst nematode resistance locus in Beta patellaris and Beta procumbens.", "content": "In cultivated beet no useful level of resistance of the beet cyst nematode (BCN) Heterodera schachtii Schm. has been found, unlike the situation in wild species of the section Procumbentes. Stable introgression of resistance genes from the wild species into Beta vulgaris has not been achieved, but resistant monosomic additions (2n = 18 + 1), diploids of B. vulgaris with an extra alien chromosome carrying the resistance locus, have been obtained. Here we describe a new series of resistant monosomic fragment addition material of B. patellaris chromosome 1 (pat-1). We further describe the cloning of a single-copy DNA marker that specifically hybridizes with a monosomic addition fragment of approximately 8 Mb (AN5-90) carrying the BCN resistance locus. This marker and another fragment-specific, single-copy DNA marker probably flank the BCN locus on the addition fragment present in the AN5-203 material, which is approximately 19 Mb in size. Furthermore, several specific repetitive DNA markers have been isolated, one of which hybridizes to AN5-90 and also to DNA from a smaller DNA segment of Beta procumbens, present in line B883, carrying a BCN resistance locus introgressed into the B. vulgaris genome. This suggests that the specific repetitive marker is closely linked to the BCN locus."}
{"id": "PMID:1465115", "title": "The DAC2/FUS3 protein kinase is not essential for transcriptional activation of the mating pheromone response pathway in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.", "content": "The DAC2/FUS3 gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which encodes a CDC28/cdc2-related protein kinase, is essential both for the arrest of cell division induced by mating pheromones and for cell fusion during conjugation. To elucidate the role of the DAC2 gene product in the pheromone response pathway, I determined the nucleotide sequence of the DAC2 gene and characterized two types of deletion mutants of the DAC2 gene. Here, I show that the DAC2 gene is identical to the FUS3 gene and that dac2/fus3 deletion mutants respond to mating pheromones by activating transcription. Therefore, the DAC2/FUS3 gene is not essential for transcriptional activation in the pheromone response pathway. The DAC2/FUS3 protein kinase has a positive role in cell fusion during sexual conjugation."}
{"id": "PMID:1465116", "title": "Cloning and expression of Candida albicans ADE2 and proteinase genes on a replicative plasmid in C. albicans and in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.", "content": "A plasmid vector (denoted pRC2312) was constructed, which replicates autonomously in Escherichia coli, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Candida albicans. It contains LEU2, URA3 and an autonomously replicating sequence (ARS) from C. albicans for selection and replication in yeasts, and bla (ampicillin resistance) and ori for selection and replication in E. coli. S. cerevisiae AH22 (Leu-) was transformed by pRC2312 to Leu+ at a frequency of 1.41 x 10(5) colonies per microgram DNA. Transformation of C. albicans SGY-243 (Ura-) to Ura+ with pRC2312 resulted in smaller transformant colonies at a frequency of 5.42 x 10(3) per microgram DNA where the plasmid replicated autonomously in transformed cells, and larger transformant colonies at a frequency of 32 per microgram DNA, in which plasmid integrated into the genome. Plasmid copy number in yeasts was determined by a DNA hybridization method and was estimated to be 15 +/- 3 per haploid genome in S. cerevisiae and 2-3 per genome in C. albicans replicative transformants. Multiple tandem integration occurred in integrative transformants and copy number of the integrated sequence was estimated to be 7-12 per diploid genome. The C. albicans ADE2 gene was ligated into plasmid pRC2312 and the construct transformed Ade- strains of both C. albicans and S. cerevisiae to Ade+. The vector pRC2312 was also used to clone a fragment of C. albicans genomic DNA containing an aspartic proteinase gene. C. albicans transformants harboring this plasmid showed a two-fold increase in aspartic proteinase activity. However S. cerevisiae transformants showed no such increase in proteinase activity, suggesting the gene was not expressed in S. cerevisiae."}
{"id": "PMID:1465117", "title": "The regulatory gene nit-2 of Neurospora crassa complements a nnu mutant of Gibberella zeae (Fusarium graminearum).", "content": "The nnu mutant of Gibberella zeae (=Fusarium graminearum) is unable to catabolize many of the nitrogen sources utilized by its wild-type parent, and may have suffered a mutation in the major nitrogen regulatory locus. Transformation of this mutant with the major nitrogen regulatory gene from Neurospora crassa, nit-2, restored the wild-type phenotype, thus confirming that the nnu mutation is in the major nitrogen regulatory locus of G. zeae. Our results are consistent with the premise of conservation of the structure of regulatory factors and suggest the possibility that functional DNA homologues of this regulatory element occur across a broad range of ascomycetous fungi."}
{"id": "PMID:1465127", "title": "Evolution and environment in the Hominoidea.", "content": "Between 10 and 20 million years ago, a variety of hominoid primates lived in Africa, Europe and Asia. The question of which of these, if any, lie closest to the ancestries of humans and modern apes remains a lively source of debate. Recent fossil discoveries, though, shed light on the environments in which the various groups of hominoid emerged and, it is hoped, on their evolution. But the lack of a hominid fossil record before about 5 million years ago--and any fossil record for the African apes--is still a frustrating barrier."}
{"id": "PMID:1465128", "title": "Atherogenesis in transgenic mice expressing human apolipoprotein(a)", "content": "Elevated plasma levels of the lipoprotein Lp(a) are associated with increased risk for atherosclerosis and its manifestations, myocardial infarction, stroke and restenosis (for reviews, see refs 1-3). Lp(a) differs from low-density lipoprotein by the addition of the glycoprotein apolipoprotein(a), a homologue of plasminogen that contains many tandemly repeated units which resemble the fourth kringle domain of plasminogen, and single homologues of its kringle-5 and protease domain. As plasma Lp(a) concentration is strongly influenced by heritable factors and is refractory to most drug and dietary manipulation, the effects of modulating it are difficult to mimic experimentally. In addition, the absence of apolipoprotein(a) from virtually all species other than primates precludes the use of convenient animal models. Here we show that transgenic mice expressing human apolipoprotein(a) are more susceptible than control mice to the development of lipid-staining lesions in the aorta, and that apolipoprotein(a) co-localizes with lipid deposition in the artery walls."}
{"id": "PMID:1465129", "title": "Mutation of the beta-amyloid precursor protein in familial Alzheimer's disease increases beta-protein production.", "content": "Progressive cerebral deposition of the 39-43-amino-acid amyloid beta-protein (A beta) is an invariant feature of Alzheimer's disease which precedes symptoms of dementia by years or decades. The only specific molecular defects that cause Alzheimer's disease which have been identified so far are missense mutations in the gene encoding the beta-amyloid precursor protein (beta-APP) in certain families with an autosomal dominant form of the disease (familial Alzheimer's disease, or FAD). These mutations are located within or immediately flanking the A beta region of beta-APP, but the mechanism by which they cause the pathological phenotype of early and accelerated A beta deposition is unknown. Here we report that cultured cells which express a beta-APP complementary DNA bearing a double mutation (Lys to Asn at residue 595 plus Met to Leu at position 596) found in a Swedish FAD family produce approximately 6-8-fold more A beta than cells expressing normal beta-APP. The Met 596 to Leu mutation is principally responsible for the increase. These data establish a direct link between a FAD genotype and the clinicopathological phenotype. Further, they confirm the relevance of the continuous A beta production by cultured cells for elucidating the fundamental mechanism of Alzheimer's disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1465130", "title": "Projection domains of MAP2 and tau determine spacings between microtubules in dendrites and axons.", "content": "Neurons develop a highly polarized morphology consisting of dendrites and a long axon. Both axons and dendrites contain microtubules and microtubule-associated proteins (MAPs) with characteristic structures. Among MAPs, MAP2 is specifically expressed in dendrites whereas MAP2C and tau are abundant in the axon. But the influence of MAP2, MAP2C and tau on the organization of microtubule domains in dendrites versus axons is unknown. Both MAP2 and tau induce microtubule bundle formation in fibroblasts after transfection of complementary DNAs, and a long process resembling an axon is extended in Sf9 cells infected with recombinant baculovirus expressing tau. We have now expressed MAP2 and MAP2C in Sf9 cells in order to compare their morphology and the arrangement of their microtubules to that found in Sf9 cells expressing tau. We report here that the spacing between microtubules depends on the MAP expressed: in cells expressing MAP2, the distance is similar to that found in dendrites, whereas the spacing between microtubules in cells expressing MAP2C or tau is similar to that found in axons."}
{"id": "PMID:1465131", "title": "The spatial arrangement of cones in the primate fovea.", "content": "The retinae of Old World primates contain three classes of light-sensitive cone, which exhibit peak absorption in different spectral regions. But how are the different types of cone arranged in the hexagonal mosaic of the fovea? This question has often been answered with artists' impressions, but never with direct measurements. Staining for antibodies specific to the short-wave photopigment has revealed a sparse, semiregular array of cones; but nothing is known about the arrangement of the more numerous long- and middle-wave cones. Are they randomly distributed, with chance aggregations of one type, as Hartridge postulated in these columns nearly 50 years ago? Or do they exhibit a regular alteration, recalling the systematic mosaics seen in some non-mammalian species? Or, conversely, is there positive clumping of particular cone types, as might be expected if local patches of cones were descended from a single precursor cell? We have made direct microspectrophotometric measurements of patches of foveal retina from Old World monkeys, and report here that the distribution of long- and middle-wave cones is locally random. These two cone types are present in almost equal numbers, and not in the ratio of 2:1 that has been postulated for the human fovea."}
{"id": "PMID:1465132", "title": "A cell line that can induce thymocyte positive selection.", "content": "The thymus positively selects thymocytes that bear T-cell receptors which recognize antigen presented by self major histocompatibility complex (MHC) proteins. Positive selection is usually driven by MHC products on radiation-resistant cortical epithelial cells. It is unknown whether positive selection is mediated by all thymic epithelial cells or by some specialized subsets. Here we introduce an H-2b-expressing thymic epithelial cell line into the thymuses of lethally irradiated H-2k animals reconstituted with H-2b/k F1 BM or fetal liver cells. I-Ab-restricted T cells are found in these animals, demonstrating that selection occurs on the introduced epithelial cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1465133", "title": "Isozyme-selective stimulation of phospholipase C-beta 2 by G protein beta gamma-subunits.", "content": "Hydrolysis by phospholipase C (PLC) of phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate is a key mechanism by which many extracellular signalling molecules regulate functions of their target cells. At least eight distinct isozymes of PLC are recognized in mammalian cells. Receptor-controlled PLC is often regulated by G proteins, which can be modified by pertussis toxin in some cells but not in others. In the latter cells, PLC-beta 1, but not PLC-gamma 1 or PLC-delta 1, may be activated by members of the alpha q-subfamily of the G protein alpha-subunits. An unidentified PLC in soluble fractions of cultured human HL-60 granulocytes is specifically stimulated by G protein beta gamma subunits purified from retina and brain. Identification of a second PLC-beta complementary DNA (PLC-beta 2) in an HL-60 cell cDNA library prompted us to investigate the effect of purified G protein beta gamma subunits on the activities of PLC-beta 1 and PLC-beta 2 transiently expressed in cultured mammalian cells. We report here that PLC-beta 1 and PLC-beta 2 were stimulated by free beta gamma subunits and that PLC-beta 2 was the most sensitive to beta gamma stimulation. Thus stimulation of PLC by beta gamma subunits is isozyme-selective and PLC-beta 2 is a prime target of beta gamma stimulation. Activation of PLC-beta 2 by beta gamma subunits may be an important mechanism by which pertussis toxin-sensitive G proteins stimulate PLC."}
{"id": "PMID:1465134", "title": "Subunits beta gamma of heterotrimeric G protein activate beta 2 isoform of phospholipase C.", "content": "The activation of heterotrimeric G proteins results in the exchange of GDP bound to the alpha-subunit for GTP and the subsequent dissociation of a complex of the beta- and gamma-subunits (G beta gamma). The alpha-subunits of different G proteins interact with a variety of effectors, but less is known about the function of the free G beta gamma complex. G beta gamma has been implicated in the activation of a cardiac potassium channel, a retinal phospholipase A2 (ref. 9) and a specific receptor kinase, and in vitro reconstitution experiments indicate that the G beta gamma complex can act with G alpha subunit to modulate the activity of different isoforms of adenylyl cyclase. Of two phospholipase activities that can be separated in extracts of HL-60 cells, purified G beta gamma is found to activate one of them. Here we report that in co-transfection assays G beta gamma subunits specifically activate the beta 2 and not the beta 1 isoform of phospholipase, which acts on phosphatidylinositol. We use transfection assays to show also that receptor-mediated release of G beta gamma from G proteins that are sensitive to pertussis toxin can result in activation of the phospholipase. This effect may be the basis of the pertussis-toxin-sensitive phospholipase C activation seen in some cell systems (reviewed in refs 13 and 14)."}
{"id": "PMID:1465135", "title": "Association of the Shc and Grb2/Sem5 SH2-containing proteins is implicated in activation of the Ras pathway by tyrosine kinases.", "content": "The mammalian shc gene encodes two overlapping, widely expressed proteins of 46 and 52K, with a carboxy-terminal SH2 domain that binds activated growth factor receptors, and a more amino-terminal glycine/proline-rich region. These shc gene products (Shc) are transforming when overexpressed in fibroblasts. Shc proteins become phosphorylated on tyrosine in cells stimulated with a variety of growth factors, and in cells transformed by v-src (ref. 2), suggesting that they are tyrosine kinase targets that control a mitogenic signalling pathway. Here we report that tyrosine-phosphorylated Shc proteins form a specific complex with a non-phosphorylated 23K polypeptide encoded by the grb2/sem-5 gene. The grb2/sem-5 gene product itself contains an SH2 domain, which mediates binding to Shc, and is implicated in activation of the Ras guanine nucleotide-binding protein by tyrosine kinases in both Caenorhabditis elegans and mammalian cells. Consistent with a role in signalling through Ras, shc overexpression induced Ras-dependent neurite outgrowth in PC12 cells. These results suggest that Shc tyrosine phosphorylation can couple tyrosine kinases to Grb2/Sem-5, through formation of a Shc-Grb2/Sem-5 complex, and thereby regulate the mammalian Ras signalling pathway."}
{"id": "PMID:1465136", "title": "Spliced leader RNAs from lower eukaryotes are trans-spliced in mammalian cells.", "content": "Exon sequences present on separate RNA molecules can be joined by trans-splicing in trypanosomatids, Euglena, and in the nematode and trematode worms. Trans-splicing involves an interaction between a 5' splice site present in a spliced leader RNA and a 3' splice site located near the 5' end of pre-messenger RNAs. In vitro trans-splicing of artificial mammalian pre-mRNAs has been reported, but the efficiency of splicing appears to depend on sequence complementarity between the two substrates. There has been speculation that some natural pre-mRNAs can be trans-spliced in mammalian cells in vivo, but alternative interpretations have not been ruled out. Here we show that spliced leader RNAs can be accurately trans-spliced in mammalian cells in vivo and in vitro. Both nematode and mammalian 3' splice sites can function as acceptors for trans-splicing in vivo. These results reveal functional conservation in the splicing machinery between lower eukaryotes and mammals, and they directly demonstrate the potential for trans-splicing in mammalian cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1465142", "title": "The earliest Acheulean from Konso-Gardula.", "content": "Konso-Gardula is a palaeoanthropological area discovered by the 1991 Palaeoanthropological Inventory of Ethiopia in the southern Main Ethiopian Rift. The Konso-Gardula sediments span the period about 1.3-1.9 million years ago. They contain rich Acheulean archaeological occurrences. Vertebrate fossils include early Homo."}
{"id": "PMID:1465143", "title": "Mitotic domains in the early embryo of the zebrafish.", "content": "At the midblastula transition in the zebrafish, three, and only three, spatially separate mitotic domains arise with distinctive cycle lengths and rhythms. As in Drosophila and at about the equivalent stage, the mitotic domains reflect the fate map, but they do so only very crudely: two are extraembryonic and the third forms the entire embryo. The domains appear not to subdivide during gastrulation, when the germ layers form and when cells probably commit to their eventual fates. The domains may signal specification of morphogenesis rather than cell fate, because, shortly after they appear, each assumes a different role during epiboly, the first morphogenetic movement of the embryo. During meroblastic cleavage, and continuing in the early blastula, zebrafish blastomeres divide rapidly and synchronously. At the time of the tenth cleavage, the beginning of the midblastula transition, the cell cycle lengthens, and, as in Xenopus and Drosophila, cycle length comes under nucleocytoplasmic control (D.A.K. and C.B.K., manuscript in preparation). This nucleocytoplasmic control seems to be maintained during cycle lengthening in the next 2 or 3 cycles, comprising a midblastula transition period. We now show that functionally distinct subsets of cells that arise during this period have reproducibly different mitotic cycle lengths."}
{"id": "PMID:1465145", "title": "Reversal of pathology in murine mucopolysaccharidosis type VII by somatic cell gene transfer.", "content": "An inherited deficiency of beta-glucuronidase in humans, mice and dogs causes mucopolysaccharidosis VII (Sly syndrome), a progressive degenerative disease that reduces lifespan (to an average of 5 months in mice) and results from lysosomal storage of undegraded glycosaminoglycans in the spleen, liver, kidney, cornea, brain and skeletal system. Bone marrow transplantation in mutant mice provides a source of normal enzyme ('cross-correction'), which substantially improves the clinical condition and extends the average lifespan to 18 months. Gene therapy by transfer of a beta-glucuronidase gene into mutant haematopoietic stem cells is an alternative approach, but it is not known whether the low expression of vector-transferred genes in vivo would be sufficiently effective. Here we show that retroviral vector-mediated transfer of the gene to mutant stem cells results in long-term expression of low levels of beta-glucuronidase which partially corrects the disease by reducing lysosomal storage in liver and spleen."}
{"id": "PMID:1465144", "title": "Bone and haematopoietic defects in mice lacking c-fos.", "content": "The proto-oncogene c-fos is the cellular homologue of v-fos originally isolated from murine osteosarcoma. Fos protein is a major component of the AP-1 transcription factor complex, which includes members of the jun family. Stable expression of c-fos in mice has been demonstrated in developing bones and teeth, haematopoietic cells, germ cells and in the central nervous system. It has been proposed that c-fos has an important role in signal transduction, cell proliferation and differentiation. We have previously demonstrated that overexpression of c-fos in transgenic and chimaeric mice specifically affects bone, cartilage and haematopoietic cell development. To understand better the function of c-fos in vivo, we used gene targeting in embryonic stem cells to generate cells and mice lacking c-fos. Here we report that heterozygous fos +/- mice appear normal, although females exhibit a distorted transmission frequency. All homozygous fos -/- mice are growth-retarded, develop osteopetrosis with deficiencies in bone remodelling and tooth eruption, and have altered haematopoiesis. These data define the c-Fos protein as an essential molecule for the development of specific cellular compartments."}
{"id": "PMID:1465149", "title": "[Molecular biological techniques in the diagnosis of tropical parasitic diseases].", "content": "Recent advances in the development of molecular biological techniques have resulted in their supplementary application for improved diagnosis of tropical parasitic diseases. The main areas of interest are the production of recombinant antigens for immunodiagnosis, and the detection of parasites by hybridization of nucleic acids and by DNA amplification (PCR) in vitro."}
{"id": "PMID:1465147", "title": "Brain-derived neurotrophic factor prevents the death of motoneurons in newborn rats after nerve section.", "content": "Motoneurons innervating the skeletal musculature were among the first neurons shown to require the presence of their target cells to develop appropriately. But the characterization of molecules allowing motoneuron survival has been difficult. Ciliary neurotrophic factor prevents the death of motoneurons, but its gene is not expressed during development. Although the presence of a neurotrophin receptor on developing motoneurons has suggested a role for neurotrophins, none could be shown to promote motoneuron survival in vitro. We report here that brain-derived neurotrophic factor can prevent the death of axotomized motoneurons in newborn rats, suggesting a role for this neurotrophin for motoneuron survival in vivo."}
{"id": "PMID:1465146", "title": "Brain-derived neurotrophic factor rescues developing avian motoneurons from cell death.", "content": "During normal vertebrate development, about half of spinal motoneurons are lost by a process of naturally occurring or programmed cell death. Additional developing motoneurons degenerate after the removal of targets or afferents. Naturally occurring motoneuron death as well as motoneuron death after loss of targets or after axotomy can be prevented by in vivo treatment with putative target (muscle) derived or other neurotrophic agents. Motoneurons can also be prevented from dying in vitro and in vivo (Y.Q.-W., R.W., D.P., J. Johnson and L. Van Eldik, unpublished data and refs 7, 13, 14) by treatment with central nervous system extracts (brain or spinal cord) and purified central nervous system and glia-derived proteins. Here we report that in vivo treatment of chick embryos with brain-derived neurotrophic factor rescues motoneurons from naturally occurring cell death. Furthermore, in vivo treatment with brain-derived neurotrophic factor (and nerve growth factor) also prevents the induced death of motoneurons that occurs following the removal of descending afferent input (deafferentation). These data indicate that members of the neurotrophin family can promote the survival of developing avian motoneurons."}
{"id": "PMID:1465154", "title": "Cost reductions. Part 1: An operations improvement process.", "content": "Today's nursing leaders are commonly expected to reduce labor costs. This two-part series provides a framework for achieving significant cost reductions in the nursing labor budget. Part One describes a process that has been used to identify and implement cost savings in varied hospital settings. Part Two will address organizational culture issues that can hamper or support cost savings."}
{"id": "PMID:1465155", "title": "Nursing involvement in hospital governance: 1990 and 1995.", "content": "The integration of nursing into organizational governance structures has been advocated to improve practice and enhance the quality of patient care. In 1990, department of nursing involvement in hospital governance occurred primarily through the activities of the CNE. Projections for 1995 suggest that both staff RNs and CNEs will be more involved in governing health care organizations."}
{"id": "PMID:1465156", "title": "RN orientation: cost and achievement analysis.", "content": "A cost analysis for orienting registered nurses in a traditional manner was initiated prior to a performance-based system. A 15-month study in a 772-bed midwestern hospital tracked the cost of all human and material resources used and determined a level of achievement for each individual in the sample."}
{"id": "PMID:1465157", "title": "Estimating costs of underusing advanced practice nurses.", "content": "A model for estimating the cost of underutilizing nurses in advanced practice is proposed. Numerical requirements for implementing the model are detailed and examples are provided."}
{"id": "PMID:1465158", "title": "Balancing the pressure ulcer cost and quality equation.", "content": "Pressure ulcers are a serious national health concern impacting cost of care, reimbursement, and quality of life. National estimates show 1.7 million patients annually develop pressure ulcers with associated health care costs of $8.5 billion. Sixty percent of patients develop these pressure ulcers while in acute care hospitals. Assessment of institution prevalence rates, patient risk profile, standardization of therapy protocols, and increased staff awareness can positively impact the balance between cost and quality patient outcomes."}
{"id": "PMID:1465165", "title": "[Sexual abuse of children: the necessity of medical intervention].", "content": "Recently the Dutch Health Council published a report on the medical aspects of sexual abuse of children. The questions underlying this report reflect an attempt to arrive at hard indices of sexual abuse in children through the assessment of physical symptoms. For the medical assessment, the authors refer to the Dutch translation of an English report entitled Physical signs of sexual abuse in children, published by The Royal College of Physicians. The hazards connected with the exclusive focus on physical symptoms are recognized, and the authors stress that medical examination should be part of a much broader assessment of the child and his/her family. However, instead of confining themselves to assessment issues of physical symptoms, the authors add a rather meagre account of behavioural and emotional factors relevant to the diagnosis of sexual abuse of children. Unfortunately, this approach seems to aggravate the problems underlying misdiagnosis rather than to increase diagnostic accuracy and improve adequate care for sexually abused children."}
{"id": "PMID:1465169", "title": "[Sexual violence observed in family practice].", "content": "In 11 general medical practices which are part of the 'Huisartsen Peilstation Groningen', the nature and extent were investigated of cases of sexual violence previously unknown to the GP. Questions also investigated were who took the initiative to bringing up this subject, and whether the results yield guidelines for better detection of and attending to sexual violence. The GPs registered these items during 1990 and 1991 after the first contact with any patient about a case of sexual violence (as defined by Draijer) previously unknown to them. The number of registered cases was 64 (corresponding to 17 per 10,000 patients), half of which concerned adults with sexual violence problems in their childhood. Offenders, nature and extent of the violence did not differ from descriptions in the literature. No cases were reported of still continuing violence. The 11 GPs differed significantly in the number of registered cases. The extent to which GP or patient took the initiative to bringing up the subject was not related to the number of cases registered by the GP. Patients referred and those not referred did not differ significantly in nature or extent of the sexual violence. Few follow-up appointments were made with non-referred patients. On the basis of these results, two items were formulated for better detection of and attending to sexual violence problems: stimulating the GP to an open, inviting attitude as well as active continuation of questioning in the case of complaints with a signal value; and making a follow-up appointment for non-referred patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1465170", "title": "[The relationship between job appreciation and absenteeism studied with the use of a simple questionnaire].", "content": "In the period February 1986-January 1988 a questionnaire study was carried out among 455 men aged 39-55 years working for the Netherlands Post Office to determine whether a correlation exists between job appreciation and absenteeism. Job appreciation was estimated by means of seven questions concerning: pleasure at work, fatigue after work, job satisfaction, mental stress due to the work, tension in contact with colleagues, tension in contacts with superiors and the physical exertion of working. Answers were scored on a 7-point scale. It was found that a particular score area exists that is correlated with significantly more absenteeism. The results apply to groups, not to individuals."}
{"id": "PMID:1465171", "title": "[An outbreak of mostly extrapulmonary tuberculosis in a family practice].", "content": "An outbreak of mainly extrapulmonary tuberculosis (TB) in a group of about 550 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is described. These patients had been attending the practice of a former general practitioner who treated cases of rheumatoid arthritis with phenylbutazone and steroids. The number of diagnosed TB cases was 55. Six cases had a contagious lung localisation. The possible sources of the outbreak were analysed. Both a visit on a same day as a sputum positive patient (chi 2-trend: 20.4; p < 0.001) and the administration of steroids (odds ratio (OR): 36.2; 95% confidence interval (CI): 8.8-313) were independent risk factors. There also appeared to be a relationship between TB and RA (OR: 4.4; 95%-BI: 2.2-9.1). Exogenous re(infection) and endogenous reactivation are possible causes of this outbreak."}
{"id": "PMID:1465172", "title": "[Dystrophia myotonica and pregnancy].", "content": "We describe the maternal and neonatal complications of pregnancy in two patients with myotonic dystrophy. The disease leads to an increased spontaneous abortion rate, hydramnios, prolonged first and second stages of labour, retained placenta, postpartum haemorrhages and anaesthetic sensitivity in the mother. The neonatal problems are caused by the congenital form of the disease. The major clinical features of congenital myotonic dystrophy are bilateral facial weakness, hypotonia, neonatal distress, feeding difficulties, talipes, tent-shaped mouth, mental retardation and delayed motor development. Relatives of a known myotonic dystrophy patient should be advised to let themselves be examined for this disease. If the disease is diagnosed, information should be given regarding possibilities for prenatal diagnosis. Pregnancy in myotonic dystrophy patients should be monitored by a gynaecologist. Labour has to take place in a hospital with intensive care facilities for mother and child."}
{"id": "PMID:1465176", "title": "Localization of messenger RNAs encoding crustacean hyperglycemic hormone and gonad inhibiting hormone in the X-organ sinus gland complex of the lobster Homarus americanus.", "content": "The localization of messenger RNAs encoding the crustacean hyperglycemic hormone, involved in regulation of carbohydrate metabolism and the gonad inhibiting hormone, which inhibits vitellogenesis, was studied in the eyestalk of the lobster Homarus americanus using complementary RNA probes for in situ hybridization. For the detection of gonad inhibiting hormone messenger RNA, we cloned and sequenced a partial complementary DNA encoding lobster gonad inhibiting hormone and for crustacean hyperglycemic hormone messenger RNA detection an available complementary DNA was used. This approach reveals that there is a frequent but inconsistent cellular co-localization of the two neurohormones. Furthermore, our data show that male lobsters contain an equal number of neuroendocrine gonad inhibiting hormone cells as female lobsters. An additional study, involving the use of in situ hybridization in combination with immunocytochemistry, shows that the synthetic activity of the crustacean hyperglycemic hormone- and gonad inhibiting hormone-producing cells can be followed at the messenger RNA as well as the protein level. This reveals that when strong immunostaining is present, the messenger RNA staining is usually weak or absent and vice versa. In conclusion, the presence of cells, containing only gonad inhibiting hormone messenger RNA or only crustacean hyperglycemic hormone messenger RNA, indicates that lobster crustacean hyperglycemic hormone and gonad inhibiting hormone originate from two different precursors. Co-localization of the two neurohormone messenger RNAs confirms the co-localization at the peptidergic level found by immunocytochemistry and thus these findings were not due to cross-reactions between the two antisera.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1465177", "title": "Demyelination, and remyelination by Schwann cells and oligodendrocytes after kainate-induced neuronal depletion in the central nervous system.", "content": "Excitotoxins are thought to kill neurons while sparing afferent fibers and axons of passage. The validity of this classical conclusion has recently been questioned by the demonstration of axonal demyelination. In addition, axons are submitted to a profound alteration of their glial environment. This work was, therefore, undertaken to reassess axonoglial interactions over time after an excitotoxic lesion in the rat. Ultrastructural studies were carried out in the ventrobasal thalamus two days to 18 months after neuronal depletion by in situ injections of kainic acid. In some cases, lemniscal afferents were identified by using anterograde transport of wheatgerm agglutinin conjugated to horseradish peroxidase from the dorsal column nuclei. Two and four days after kainate injection, numerous dying axons displaying typical signs of Wallerian degeneration were observed in a neuropile characterized by the loss of neuronal somata and dendrites, an increase in number of microglia/macrophages and the disappearance of astrocytes. Ten and 12 days after kainate injection, degenerating axons were no longer observed although myelin degeneration of otherwise unaltered axons was ongoing with an accumulation of myelin remnants in the neuropile. At 16 and 20 days, the demyelination process was apparently complete and axons of different diameters were sometimes packed together. One and two months after kainate injection, the axonal environment changed again: remyelination of large-caliber axons occurred at the same time as reactive astrocytes, oligodendrocytes and numerous Schwann cells appeared in the tissue. Schwann cell processes surrounded aggregates of axons of diverse calibers, ensheathed small ones and myelinated larger ones. Axons were also remyelinated by oligodendrocytes. Horseradish peroxidase-labeled lemniscal afferents could be myelinated by either of the two cell types. After three months, the neuropile exhibited an increase in number of hypertrophied astrocytes and the progressive loss of any other cellular or axonal element. At this stage, remaining Schwann cells were surrounded by a glia limitans formed by astrocytic processes. These data indicate that although excitotoxins are sparing the axons, they are having a profound and complex effect on the axonal environment. Demyelination occurs over the first weeks, accompanying the loss of astrocytes and oligodendrocytes. Axonal ensheathment and remyelination takes place in a second period, associated with the reappearance of oligodendrocytes and recruitment of numerous Schwann cells, while reactive astrocytes appear in the tissue at a slightly later time. Over the following months, astrocytes occupy a greater proportion of the neuron-depleted territory and other elements decrease in number.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1465178", "title": "Cytosine arabinoside effects in mouse cerebellar cultures in the presence of astrocytes.", "content": "Organotypic cerebellar cultures derived from neonatal mice were exposed to recent preparations of cytosine arabinoside that destroyed oligodendrocytes and drastically reduced granule cells, but did not reduce the astrocyte population. The cultures were analysed by light and electron microscopy, and by extracellular electrophysiological recording. Purkinje cells survived in greater numbers than in untreated explants and sprouted excess recurrent axon collaterals that formed heterotypical synapses with Purkinje cell dendritic spines. These changes were similar to those found in earlier studies with a cytosine arabinoside preparation that did reduce the astrocyte population, in addition to destroying oligodendrocytes and granule cells. Results with recent cytosine arabinoside preparations that differed from those obtained previously included astrocytic ensheathment of Purkinje cells and apposition of many unattached dendritic spines, encasement of heterotypical synapses by astroglial processes, a loss of Purkinje cell somatic spines, and a lack of somatic hyperinnervation of Purkinje cells by sprouted recurrent axon collateral terminals. All of these differences were attributed to the presence of adequate numbers of competent astrocytes. Heterotypical synapses formed by sprouted recurrent axon collateral terminals and Purkinje cell dendritic spines were functional, as indicated by cortical inhibition in response to antidromic Purkinje cell activation in the absence of somatic hyperinnervation. These results give further definition to the role of astrocytes in cerebellar development and plasticity."}
{"id": "PMID:1465179", "title": "Autoradiographic localization of binding sites for arginine vasopressin and atrial natriuretic peptide on astrocytes and neurons of cultured rat central nervous system.", "content": "The cellular localization of binding sites for [125I]arginine vasopressin and [125I]atrial natriuretic peptide was studied in explant cultures of rat spinal cord, brain stem and cerebellum by means of autoradiography. In brain stem cultures, especially in the nucleus of the solitary tract, a great number of neurons revealed binding sites for both peptides. In spinal cord cultures, many neurons of various sizes were labelled by [125I]arginine vasopressin, whereas only a small number of cells showed binding sites for [125I]atrial natriuretic peptide. Neurons in cerebellar cultures revealed little or no binding for the peptides. In addition to neurons, binding sites for [125I]arginine vasopressin and [125I]atrial natriuretic peptide were also observed on glial cells. Simultaneous staining of the cultures with glial fibrillary acidic protein has shown that the labelled cells were glial fibrillary acidic protein-positive and could therefore be identified as astrocytes. Labelling of the cells by [125I]arginine vasopressin and [125I]atrial natriuretic peptide was more intense in spinal cord and brain stem cultures than in cultures of cerebellum, providing evidence for a heterogeneity of astrocytes in different regions of the central nervous system. Binding of both [125I]arginine vasopressin and [125I]atrial natriuretic peptide to neurons and astrocytes could be competed by the unlabelled peptides, suggesting specific binding of the radioligands. Our autoradiographic studies provide good evidence that in addition to neurons, astrocytes also express receptors for arginine vasopressin and atrial natriuretic peptide."}
{"id": "PMID:1465180", "title": "Muscle stiffness and continuous electromyographic activity in old rats; an animal model for spasticity?", "content": "A mechanomyographic response of the hind foot to passive straightening and bending, as well as an electromyographic activity of the gastrocnemius and tibialis anterior muscles were recorded in old (35-44-month-old) and young female rats. In old rats, spontaneous, tonic electromyographic activity patterns were concurrently observed in both antagonistic muscles; they were low-amplitude, dense tonic activity and continuous, high-amplitude, sparse electromyographic activity. The tonic electromyographic activity was correlated with a decline in the strength and mass of muscles, as well as with motor disturbances, including paresis of the rigidly straightened backward hind legs, dragged behind by an animal. In muscles of old rats, morphological features of a chronic denervation atrophy were found. Baclofen (10 and 15 mg/kg, i.p.) diminished the spontaneous tonic electromyographic activity and potently decreased the whole body muscle tone, whereas Madopar (50 mg/kg of L-DOPA+12.5 mg/kg of benerazide) was ineffective. It is suggested that old rats in which the above-described pathologic alterations are observed might be a useful animal model in the search for basic etiopathological mechanisms of spasticity and similar disturbances found in humans."}
{"id": "PMID:1465181", "title": "Acetylcholinesterase and its association with heparan sulphate proteoglycans in cortical amyloid deposits of Alzheimer's disease.", "content": "Previous studies have used a sensitive histochemical technique to demonstrate acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase within the pathological lesions of Alzheimer's disease. In this study, we used this technique to show that acetylcholinesterase localized in either frozen or fixed neocortical tissue sections is removed after treatment with various glycosaminoglycans, heparinases or proteases. Heparan sulphate, heparinase lyase type I and to a lesser degree, heparin and chondroitin sulphate were effective in solubilizing a large part of the cholinesterase activity. At physiological concentrations, the protease papain or trypsin readily removed activity but collagenase or pronase were relatively less effective. Peptide protease inhibitors and divalent metals did not exhibit any clear effect. The specificity of these observations was shown by inhibition of activity with various anticholinesterases including diisofluorophosphate. Our results suggest that acetylcholinesterase is anchored to and may be released from the heparan sulphate glycosaminoglycans shown to be contained in the lesions. We further suggest that the localization of cholinesterases is closely associated with the accumulation of the glycosaminoglycans in amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles."}
{"id": "PMID:1465182", "title": "Mouse microtubule-associated protein 2 expression in transgenic Drosophila.", "content": "Full-length mouse microtubule-associated protein 2 complementary DNA inserted between Drosophila heat-shock protein 70 promoter and trailer was introduced in the germ-line of Drosophila melanogaster by P element-mediated transformation. Three transformant lines contained microtubule-associated protein 2 complementary DNA in sense orientation and two in antisense orientation. All sense lines produced microtubule-associated protein 2 after heat-shock in several tissues at low level. In the adult brain, high-level microtubule associated protein 2 expression independent of heat induction occurred in specific neuron types in each sense transformant, suggesting the action of neuron-specific enhancer genes. High microtubule-associated protein 2 levels are expected to interfere with the cells' activity by forming unphysiological cross-links, which may help elucidate the function of the given neurons."}
{"id": "PMID:1465183", "title": "The lack of an effect of applied d.c. electric fields on peripheral nerve regeneration in the guinea pig.", "content": "This study was undertaken to provide evidence of enhanced regeneration of mammalian peripheral nerves in response to applied d.c. electric fields. Peroneal nerves of adult guinea-pigs were crushed or transected and anastomosed. Constant current d.c. stimulators (20 microA) were implanted in the flank with platinum/iridium electrodes routed to the ankles. Animals with crush lesions were tested for toe spreading ability from the 14th to the 23rd day following the lesion. Animals with transection lesions were allowed to recover for 40 days and isometric force measurements of toe abduction and foot flexion were made. Both myelinated and unmyelinated fiber densities were determined. There proved to be no difference between legs treated with an anode, a cathode, or a sham electrode as evaluated by: the time to return of the toe spreading reflex, the isometric force of either twitches or tonic contractions, the latency between stimulation and contraction, or the number or density of either myelinated or unmyelinated fibers. These negative results are at variance with other studies that have reported beneficial effects of d.c. electric fields on peripheral nerve regeneration. The stimulation and analysis techniques used in this study were well within the variety of protocols that have yielded reports of highly significant positive effects with smaller numbers of animals than used in this study. The conclusion is that either there is a subtle but highly specific and critical difference between the present protocol and others, or the other studies need to be reevaluated. In either case, it seems that the ability of applied d.c. fields to enhance peripheral nerve regeneration in vivo remains open to question."}
{"id": "PMID:1465184", "title": "Effects of immune activation on quinolinic acid and neuroactive kynurenines in the mouse.", "content": "Accumulation of quinolinic acid and neuroactive kynurenines derived from tryptophan are of potential significance in human neuropathologic diseases because of their neurotoxic and convulsant properties. Clinical studies have established that sustained elevations of quinolinic acid, L-kynurenine and kynurenic acid within the cerebrospinal fluid occur in patients with a broad spectrum of inflammatory diseases and correlate with markers of immune activation and interferon-gamma activity. The present study describes an animal model that replicates these clinical observations and investigates the role of interferon-gamma as a mediator between immune activation and increased kynurenine pathway metabolism. Marked elevations in quinolinic acid, L-kynurenine and 3-hydroxykynurenine as well as an increased ratio of quinolinic acid: kynurenic acid in brain occurred 24 h after systemic pokeweed mitogen administration to C57BL6 mice. In plasma, L-tryptophan and kynurenic acid levels were reduced by pokeweed mitogen, while the concentrations of L-kynurenine, 3-hydroxykynurenine and quinolinic acid were increased. Interferon-gamma, pokeweed mitogen and lipopolysaccharide induced indoleamine-2,3-dioxygenase, the first enzyme of the kynurenine pathway, and increased both L-kynurenine and quinolinic acid concentrations of brain and systemic tissues, particularly in the lung, gastrointestinal tract and spleen. In contrast, hepatic tryptophan-2,3-dioxygenase activity was either reduced or unaffected. Increases in kynurenine pathway metabolism were sustained in mice given daily injections of interferon-gamma for seven days and subsequent responses to interferon-gamma were further enhanced. In contrast, daily administration of lipopolysaccharide was associated with subsequent attenuated responsiveness (tolerance) to lipopolysaccharide, pokeweed mitogen and interferon-gamma. Systemic administration of a monoclonal antibody to mouse interferon-gamma either attenuated or abolished the responses of kynurenine pathway metabolism to pokeweed mitogen and interferon-gamma. We conclude that acute and chronic increases in quinolinic acid and neuroactive kynurenines follow immune stimulation in mice, and result from indoleamine-2,3-dioxygenase induction. The results demonstrate that interferon-gamma is an important mediator between immune stimulation and indoleamine-2,3-dioxygenase induction. These increases in kynurenine pathway metabolism closely parallel the responses documented in patients with a broad spectrum of inflammatory diseases. Mice treated with immune stimuli are a useful model to investigate the relationships between immune activation and kynurenine pathway metabolism."}
{"id": "PMID:1465185", "title": "Ethanol uncouples dentate granule neurons by increasing junctional resistance: a multineuronal system model approach.", "content": "The effects of an acute intoxicating concentration of ethanol (50 mM) on the electrotonic membrane properties of hippocampal dentate granule neurons were studied using a system model incorporating electrotonic coupling between neurons. Uncoupling of cells by other alcohols has been shown in several tissues. The system model allows a quantitative estimation of the changes in coupling and other neuronal electrotonic properties. The input impedance of a neuron was measured from the voltage decay of a short hyperpolarizing current pulse. An analytic expression of the input impedance has been written incorporating somatic, dendritic, and electrical coupling parameters. Using this particular current stimulation, the modelling results showed that ethanol selectively increased the junctional resistance by more than 2.5 times, hence uncoupling the neurons. A 30% increase in the final time-constant, tau 0, was also obtained from the voltage transient. Other parameters were not significantly affected. A neuronal model without electrotonic coupling to other neurons gave rise to physiologically impossible values for the membrane resistance and capacitance. With resistive and capacitive coupling in the model, uncoupling did not occur with ethanol. It is concluded that ethanol uncouples neurons by increasing the effective gap junctional resistance in dentate granule neurons."}
{"id": "PMID:1465186", "title": "Regulation of transient dopamine concentration gradients in the microenvironment surrounding nerve terminals in the rat striatum.", "content": "Synaptic overflow of dopamine in the striatum has been investigated during electrical stimulation of the medial forebrain bundle in anesthetized rats. Dopamine has been detected with Nafion-coated, carbon-fiber electrodes used with fast-scan voltammetry. In accordance with previous results, dopamine synaptic overflow is a function of the stimulation frequency and the anatomical position of the carbon-fiber electrode. In some positions the concentration of dopamine is found to respond instantaneously to the stimulus when the time-delay for diffusion through the Nafion film is accounted for. In these locations the measured rates of change of dopamine are sufficiently rapid such that extracellular diffusion is not apparent. The rate of dopamine overflow can be described by a model in which each stimulus pulse causes instantaneous release, and cellular uptake decreases the concentration between stimulus pulses. Uptake is found to be described by a constant set of Michaelis-Menten kinetics at each location for concentrations of dopamine from 100 nM to 15 microM. The concentration of dopamine released per stimulus pulse is found to be greatest at low frequency (< or = 10 Hz) with stimulus trains, and with single-pulse stimulations in nomifensine-treated animals. The frequency dependence of release is not an effect of dopamine receptor activation; haloperidol (2.5 mg/kg) causes a uniform increase in release at all frequencies. The absence of diffusional effects in the measurement locations means that the constants determined with the electrode are those operant inside intact striatal tissue during stimulated overflow. These values are then extrapolated to the case where a single neuron fires alone. The extrapolation shows that while the transient concentration of dopamine may be high (200 nM) at the interface of the synapse and the extrasynaptic region, it is normally very low (< 6 nM) in the bulk of extracellular fluid."}
{"id": "PMID:1465187", "title": "Developmental regulation of phosphoprotein gene expression in the caudate-putamen of rat: an in situ hybridization study.", "content": "The regional and cellular ontogeny of the mRNA encoding the dopamine- and cAMP-regulated phosphoprotein, DARPP-32, has been studied in rat striatum by quantitative in situ hybridization histochemistry. The mRNA for DARPP-32 exhibited a characteristic developmental profile. The hybridization signal was first visible on the day of birth, at which time DARPP-32 mRNA was concentrated in patches in the caudate-putamen. By the end of the first postnatal week, the majority of neurons in the caudate-putamen expressed the DARPP-32 message. Levels of mRNA per cell increased markedly during the second postnatal week, and peaked around the beginning of the third week. The adult level of DARPP-32 mRNA was lower than that observed at the apex of mRNA expression, on a per cell basis, while the proportion of neurons expressing detectable levels of message remained relatively constant. In the nucleus accumbens and olfactory tubercle, DARPP-32 mRNA development lagged somewhat behind that observed in the caudate-putamen, but was similar in other respects. A non-quantitative study employing an oligonucleotide probe complementary to the mRNA encoding another cAMP-regulated phosphoprotein, ARPP-21, revealed a similar developmental sequence to DARPP-32. The present results suggest that for DARPP-32 mRNA, genetic and, possibly, environmental factors play a role in determining the developmental patterns observed."}
{"id": "PMID:1465188", "title": "Voltage-dependent fast (20-40 Hz) oscillations in long-axoned neocortical neurons.", "content": "Fast (20-80 Hz) oscillations of cortical activity, occurring during an increased level of focused alertness or elicited by optimal sensory stimuli, have been described by recording field potentials and neuronal firing in various cortical areas. Despite the increasing interest in this topic, little is known about the cellular mechanisms of the fast (generally termed 40-Hz) rhythm. An in vitro study demonstrated that, in sparsely spiny interneurons of frontal cortex, the 40-Hz rhythm is generated by a voltage-dependent persistent Na+ current, with the involvement of a delayed rectifier. Here we report depolarization-dependent 40-Hz oscillations in cat's motor and association neocortical neurons with identified projections to contralateral homotopic cortical area and thalamus. Our data indicate that this fast rhythm may be synchronized through intracortical and corticothalamic linkages."}
{"id": "PMID:1465189", "title": "Distribution of nicotinic receptors in cynomolgus monkey brain and ganglia: localization of alpha 3 subunit mRNA, alpha-bungarotoxin and nicotine binding sites.", "content": "The distribution of nicotinic receptors in the brain and ganglia of the Cynomolgus monkey was studied by in situ hybridization and receptor autoradiography. A 35S-labeled antisense riboprobe for the mRNA of the alpha 3 subunit of the human nicotinic receptor, [3H]L-nicotine and [125]alpha-bungarotoxin were used as markers. The highest levels of alpha 3-mRNA were observed in the hippocampus, the medial habenula, the lateral geniculate, the granular layer of the cerebellum, as well as in the pineal gland; moderate levels were found in other nuclei of the thalamus and in the deeper layers of the cerebral cortex. High-affinity binding sites for [3H]L-nicotine were observed mainly in the thalamus. The distribution of [125I]alpha-bungarotoxin binding sites was different from that observed for alpha 3-mRNA and [3H]L-nicotine; they were most abundant in a few specific thalamic nuclei, in the medial habenula and in lamina I of the cerebral cortex. The localization of these three markers was also investigated in the sympathetic, parasympathetic and sensory ganglia of the monkey. Intense labeling was observed for alpha 3-mRNA and for [125I]alpha-bungarotoxin in the sympathetic and parasympathetic ganglia, whereas no positive signal was seen in the ganglion of Gasser. [3H]L-nicotine binding was not detected in any of the ganglia examined. High levels of mRNA for the alpha 3 subunit of the nicotinic receptor were also detected in human sympathetic ganglia. Comparison between alpha 3-mRNA distribution and [3H]L-nicotine binding suggests that in the Cynomolgus monkey brain, the alpha 3 subunit may participate in the formation of more than one nicotinic receptor subtype: a high-affinity binding site for [3H]L-nicotine in the thalamus, and other sites with low affinity for nicotine in the medial habenula and cerebral cortex. Both the alpha 3-mRNA and the [125I]alpha-bungarotoxin are highly expressed in the sympathetic ganglia; however, since no information is presently available on the intraneuronal cellular localization, it cannot be established whether or not they are both present at synaptic sites."}
{"id": "PMID:1465190", "title": "Differential regulation of alpha-calcitonin gene-related peptide and preprocholecystokinin messenger RNA expression in alpha-motoneurons: effects of testosterone and inactivity induced factors.", "content": "alpha-Calcitonin gene-related peptide expression in alpha-motoneurons is regulated by spinal cord transection, axotomy and testosterone, but to date there are no studies which examine the regulation of cholecystokinin expression in motoneurons. In the present study, we compared the regulation of preprocholecystokinin and alpha-calcitonin gene-related peptide messenger RNA levels in motoneurons of the spinal nucleus of the bulbocavernosus. Previously, we demonstrated that manipulations which decrease activity in target muscles of the spinal nucleus of the bulbocavernosus motoneurons increase alpha-calcitonin gene-related peptide message and peptide levels in spinal nucleus of the bulbocavernosus motoneurons. This muscle-nerve interaction is mediated by a soluble factor which is increased by castration. We now report that decreasing plasma testosterone levels decreased preprocholecystokinin messenger RNA levels. Testosterone replacement at the time of castration restored preprocholecystokinin messenger RNA levels to intact values. Injections of crude extracts prepared from denervated bulbocavernosus/levator ani into the homologous muscles of gonadally intact rats increased the levels of alpha-calcitonin gene-related peptide messenger RNA in spinal nucleus of the bulbocavernosus motoneurons. The levels of preprocholecystokinin messenger RNA did not differ in rats injected with denervated bulbocavernosus/levator ani extract or buffer, both of which were significantly higher than in intact, untreated rats. The results of the present experiments imply that levels of preprocholecystokinin and alpha-calcitonin gene-related peptide messenger ribonucleic acid are differentially regulated in spinal nucleus of the bulbocavernosus motoneurons."}
{"id": "PMID:1465191", "title": "Voltage-dependent 40-Hz oscillations in rat reticular thalamic neurons in vivo.", "content": "Extra- and intracellular recordings of thalamic reticular and relay neurons were performed in rats under urethane anaesthesia. Under this type of anaesthesia it was found that, throughout the whole reticular thalamic nucleus, a large proportion of cells (approximately 34%) discharged like clocks within a 25-60 Hz frequency band width (i.e. 40 Hz). Simultaneous recordings of pairs of reticular cells showed that the regular discharges of nearby units were not synchronous. Thus, the asynchronous 40-Hz firing of reticular thalamic cells was not correlated with any 40-Hz extracellular activity as revealed by the spectral analysis of the electroencephalogram and by recordings performed in various thalamic nuclei. In relay cells of the ventrobasal, ventral lateral and posterior thalamic nuclei, the regular firing of reticular thalamic neurons induced a rhythmic inhibitory modulation that was detected by the time-series analysis of the inhibitory postsynaptic potentials. In many relay cells, however, the disclosure of this inhibitory modulation required cellular depolarization since the resting potential in these cells was maintained at the reversal potential of the inhibitory events. Intracellular recordings of reticular thalamic cells showed that their regular firing was not driven in an all-or-nothing manner by 40-Hz synaptic inputs but rather that it depended upon the activation of a voltage-dependent pacemaker mechanism; this pacemaker activity was manifested by the presence of subthreshold oscillations that drove spike discharges and whose frequency was voltage dependent. In the context of data already published on the genesis of 40-Hz oscillations in the brain, and given the key position of reticular thalamic neurons in thalamocortical networks, the present results indicate that the reticular thalamic nucleus might play a pacemaker function in the genesis of 40-Hz oscillations in the thalamus and cortex during states of focused arousal."}
{"id": "PMID:1465192", "title": "Intrinsic and synaptically generated delta (1-4 Hz) rhythms in dorsal lateral geniculate neurons and their modulation by light-induced fast (30-70 Hz) events.", "content": "Thalamocortical neurons of cat dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus were recorded under urethane anesthesia. Neurons were identified by antidromic invasion from the internal capsule and by orthodromic stimulation from the optic chiasm or light stimuli. An intrinsic oscillation within the frequency of sleep delta waves (1-4 Hz) was induced by hyperpolarizing current pulses triggering a rhythmic sequence of low-threshold spikes alternating with after hyperpolarizing potentials. The increased propensity to oscillation after blockage of inputs arising in the retina indicates that afferent synaptic drives interfere with the intrinsic oscillation of lateral geniculate cells. The relatively rare occurrence of this type of oscillation in impaled neurons, as compared with extracellular recordings in the same nucleus or to intracellular recordings in other dorsal thalamic nuclei, suggests that the interplay between the two intrinsic currents generating delta oscillation is particularly critical in lateral geniculate cells. Another type of delta oscillation was characterized by excitatory postsynaptic potentials which gave rise to action potentials or to low-threshold spikes at more depolarized or hyperpolarized levels, respectively. It is suggested that this rhythm reflects synaptic coupling by intranuclear recurrent axonal collaterals. Light stimulation induced fast (30-70 Hz) excitatory events that were blocked after lidocaine injections into the eye. In all tested cells, changes in the ambient luminosity of the experimental room blocked the intrinsic as well as the synaptic oscillation within the delta frequency. In some cells, this suppressing effect was associated with depolarization and increased firing rate. These results demonstrate different types of sleep delta oscillations in visual thalamic neurons and show that they are modulated not only by brainstem regulatory systems, but also by specific drives along the visual channel."}
{"id": "PMID:1465193", "title": "Delta frequency (1-4 Hz) oscillations of perigeniculate thalamic neurons and their modulation by light.", "content": "Neurons in the perigeniculate sector of the reticular thalamic nuclear complex were recorded extra- and intracellularly under deep urethane anesthesia. They were identified by burst responses to optic chiasm stimulation and depolarizing spindle oscillations in response to internal capsule stimulation. Perigeniculate neurons displayed oscillations within the frequency range of electroencephalogram delta waves (1-4 Hz). One-third of extracellularly recorded neurons discharged rhythmic (2.5-4 Hz), high-frequency (150-200 Hz) spike bursts. This was similar to an intrinsic oscillation that was recently observed in dorsal lateral geniculate cells studied in vitro and in vivo. Other oscillating neurons displayed trains of single spikes (20-50 Hz) crowning rhythmic (2.5-4 Hz) depolarizing envelopes that were best expressed at the \"resting\" membrane potential (-60 to -65 mV). It is suggested that this oscillation reflects synaptic drives from dorsal lateral geniculate neurons. Changes in ambient room luminosity disrupted both types of delta rhythms. These data demonstrate for the first time that delta oscillations are present in the visual sector of the reticular thalamic nucleus. The results suggest that the two types of delta rhythmicity result from intrinsic and network properties of visual thalamic neurons and that perigeniculate cells may synchronize, through backward connections, the activity of dorsal lateral geniculate cells during deep stages of resting sleep."}
{"id": "PMID:1465194", "title": "An [Na+ + K+]coupled L-glutamate transporter purified from rat brain is located in glial cell processes.", "content": "Polyclonal antibodies were generated against the major polypeptide (73,000 mol. wt) present in a highly purified preparation of the [Na+ + K+]coupled L-glutamate transporter from rat brain. These antibodies were able to selectively immunoprecipitate the 73,000 mol. wt polypeptide as well as most of the L-glutamate transport activity--as assayed upon reconstitution--from crude detergent extracts of rat brain membranes. The immunoreactivity in the various fractions obtained during the purification procedure [Danbolt et al. (1990) Biochemistry 29, 6734-6740] closely correlated with the L-glutamate transport activity. Immunoblotting of a crude sodium dodecyl sulphate brain extract, separated by two-dimensional isoelectric focusing-sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, showed that the antibodies recognized one 73,000 mol. wt protein species only. Deglycosylation of the protein gave a 10,000 reduction in molecular mass, but no reduction in immunoreactivity. These findings establish that the 73,000 mol. wt polypeptide represents the L-glutamate transporter or a subunit thereof. The antibodies also recognize a 73,000 mol. wt polypeptide and immunoprecipitate L-glutamate transport activity in extracts of brain plasma membranes from rabbit, pig, cow, cat and man. Using the antibodies, the immunocytochemical localization of the transporter was studied at the light and electron microscopic levels in rat central nervous system. In all regions examined (including cerebral cortex, caudatoputamen, corpus callosum, hippocampus, cerebellum, spinal cord) it was found to be located in glial cells rather than in neurons. In particular, fine astrocytic processes were strongly stained. Putative glutamatergic axon terminals appeared non-immunoreactive. The uptake of glutamate by such terminals (for which there is strong previous evidence) therefore may be due to a subtype of glutamate transporter different from the glial transporter demonstrated by us."}
{"id": "PMID:1465195", "title": "Immunohistochemical distribution of neurons containing the G-proteins Gq alpha/G11 alpha in the adult rat brain.", "content": "A new class of G-proteins, the Gq family, has been recently identified and found to be involved in phospholipase C activation. The alpha subunits of the Gq and G11 members of this family are separate polypeptides but appear to have the same function. In this study, the cellular distribution in the adult rat brain of these G-proteins, Gq alpha/G11 alpha, was determined by immunohistochemistry using an antipeptide antiserum directed against the predicted C-terminal decapeptide which is conserved between these polypeptides. The specificity of the antiserum was verified by Western blot analysis using rat brain homogenates. Immunoreactivity was detected in neurons, where it was localized in the dendrites and at the periphery of the cell bodies. The staining was abundant in the dendrites of cerebellar Purkinje cells and hippocampal CA1 pyramidal cells. Staining was also found in neurons in the olfactory bulb, minor and major islets of Calleja, anterior olfactory nuclei and piriform cortex; the different cortical areas especially in their superficial layers; caudate-putamen, accumbens and olfactory tubercle; lateral septum and amygdala; hippocampal CA2-4 sectors of Ammon's horn, dentate gyrus and hilus; hypothalamic supraoptic nucleus; cerebellar granular layer; colliculi and superficial layers of the dorsal horn of the spinal cord. In conclusion, the brain neuronal localizations of Gq alpha/G11 alpha match that of phospholipase C, 1,4,5-triphosphate receptor and, to a lesser extent 1,4,5-triphosphate-3-kinase."}
{"id": "PMID:1465196", "title": "Localization of the tachykinin neurokinin B precursor peptide in rat brain by immunocytochemistry and in situ hybridization.", "content": "Tachykinins exert a broad range of actions in the mammalian nervous system. While much is known about the localization of peptides derived from one of the two mammalian tachykinin genes (substance P- and neurokinin A-encoding preprotachykinin), little has been reported on the localization of peptides derived from a second tachykinin gene encoding neurokinin B. Using an antiserum raised against a 30-residue peptide fragment (Peptide 2) of the protein precursor to neurokinin B, we have mapped the distribution of Peptide 2 by immunocytochemistry. Peptide 2 antiserum specificity was determined by western blot analysis (which showed antibody cross-reactivity to a neurokinin B fusion protein from a cloned neurokinin B-encoding complementary DNA) and by the elimination of immunoreactive product in brain tissue sections upon preabsorption with a 10 microM concentration of Peptide 2 peptide. In addition, we report on the distribution of neurokinin B-messenger RNA with a full-length complementary RNA probe to localize cells that express the neurokinin B precursor. Peptide 2 immunoreactivity and neurokinin B-messenger RNA-positive cells were found, in some instances, paralleling the distribution of substance P and in other cases existing separately from substance P. Peptide 2 immunoreactivity as well as neurokinin B-messenger RNA-positive cells were found in the main olfactory bulb, cortex, olfactory tubercle, nucleus accumbens, hippocampus, bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, amygdala, medial habenula, periaqueductal gray, superior and inferior colliculus, and nucleus of the spinal trigeminal tract. Whereas substance P is found throughout the rat brain, neurokinin B appears to be partitioned more to forebrain than to brainstem structures. The marked differences in the distribution of both tachykinins in the rat central nervous system suggests that neurokinin B may play an important role in olfactory, gustatory, visceral, and neuroendocrine processing of information."}
{"id": "PMID:1465197", "title": "The prodynorphin system in the rat hippocampus is differentially influenced by kainic acid and pentetrazole.", "content": "Administration of kainic acid (15 mg/kg, i.p.) or pentetrazole (75 mg/kg, i.p.) to rats evoked recurrent limbic or tonic-clonic seizures, respectively. Radioimmunoassay showed that the level of alpha-neoendorphin (prodynorphin-derived peptide) in the hippocampus was decreased after 3 h (by c. 60%) and 72 h (by c. 40%), but was not changed after 24 h following kainic acid administration. The basal release of alpha-neoendorphin from hippocampal slices of kainic acid-treated rats was decreased after 3, 24 and 72 h following the drug injection by c. 50%. The K(+)-stimulated release was decreased after 3 and 24 h (by c. 300 and 200%, respectively) and was back to the control level after 72 h. An in situ hybridization study showed that kainic acid strongly enhanced the prodynorphin messenger RNA levels in the dentate gyrus after 3 and 24 h (by c. 200%), whereas after 72 h it tended to decrease. Twenty four hours after pentetrazole injection the hippocampal level of alpha-neoendorphin was elevated (by c. 33%) and remained unchanged after 3 and 72 h. No significant changes in the basal or K(+)-stimulated alpha-neoendorphin release from hippocampal slices of pentetrazole-treated rats were found at any time points measured. Three and 24 h after pentetrazole administration the level of prodynorphin mRNA in the dentate gyrus was slightly decreased (by c. 30%), but was back to the control values after 72 h. Hence seizure-related changes in hippocampal prodynorphin neuron activity seem to depend on the experimental model of epilepsy.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1465198", "title": "Expression of c-fos in regions of the basal limbic forebrain following intracerebroventricular corticotropin-releasing factor in unstressed or stressed male rats.", "content": "Corticotropin-releasing factor has an integrative role on the behavioral, endocrine and autonomic responses to stress. Immediate-early gene (c-fos) expression was used to determine patterns of neural activity in the limbic system following i.c.v. infusion of corticotropin-releasing factor. Either 250 or 1000 pmol corticotropin-releasing factor infused into the lateral ventricle of precannulated and handled male rats resulted in marked c-fos expression 60 or 120 min later in localized regions of the basal forebrain, including the ventrolateral septum, the dorsal and medial parvicellular divisions of the paraventricular nucleus, the central nucleus of the amygdala, and dorsal bed nucleus of the stria terminalis. Pre-infusion of alpha-helical corticotropin-releasing factor (2500 pmol), a competitive corticotropin-releasing factor antagonist of corticotropin-releasing factor, had no effect on immediate-early gene expression alone but reduced that elicited by exogenous i.c.v. corticotropin-releasing factor (250 pmol)--in some areas to control levels. Fifteen minutes of restraint stress, a situation in which corticotropin-releasing factor is released endogenously, also activated c-fos expression in a pattern that resembled corticotropin-releasing factor infusions but was not identical. There was enhanced expression in the dorsal and medial areas of the paraventricular nucleus, but not its magnocellular region, and increased expression in the ventrolateral septum; however, there was no detectable response on the central amygdala. Preinfusion of alpha-helical corticotropin-releasing factor (2500 pmol) had no significant effect on stress-induced c-fos expression in the ventrolateral septum or paraventricular nucleus. This suggests that corticotropin-releasing factor release may form only a part of the central neurochemical response to restraint stress. Rats given i.c.v. corticotropin-releasing factor (250 pmol) before restraint stress showed additive effects on c-fos in the ventrolateral septum but not in the paraventricular nucleus; the central nucleus of the amygdala reacted as if corticotropin-releasing factor alone had been infused. Corticosterone levels were raised by both stress and corticotropin-releasing factor, but pretreatment with alpha-helical corticotropin-releasing factor reduced them after either procedure, which correlates with c-fos expression in the paraventricular nucleus and ventrolateral septum. These results show that corticotropin-releasing factor induces a specific pattern of c-fos expression in localized regions of the amygdala, hypothalamus and septum, which may indicate a corresponding pattern of neural activation. Restraint, one form of stress, activates c-fos in a similar but not identical manner, suggesting that corticotropin-releasing factor may not be the only neuropeptide involved in the response to this stressor.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1465199", "title": "In vitro and in vivo modulation of 5-hydroxytryptamine-, thyrotropin-releasing hormone- and calcitonin-gene related peptide-like immunoreactivities in adult rat sensory neurons.", "content": "In a previous work we have shown that culturing adult rat dorsal root ganglia neurons modifies their neurotransmitter phenotype in such a way that cultured neurons synthesize transmitters that are not found in situ, while several other transmitters are expressed in a much higher percentage of neurons in culture than in situ [Schoenen J. et al. (1989) J. Neurosci. Res. 22, 473-487]. The aim of the present study was to investigate the origin and the nature of the relevant environmental signals that allow this plasticity to be expressed, focusing on three neurotransmitters: 5-hydroxytryptamine, thyrotropin-releasing hormone and calcitonin-gene related peptide. The main results can be summarized as follows: (1) culturing cells in fetal calf serum or on feeder layers of astrocytes, Schwann cells or fibroblasts partially inhibits the serotoninergic phenotype of dorsal root ganglia neurons; (2) in vivo disconnection of dorsal root ganglia from their spinal targets but not from their peripheral or supraspinal targets induces a significant increase of the percentage of 5-hydroxytryptamine- and thyrotropin-releasing hormone-positive neurons in disconnected ganglia; (3) growth factors such as ciliary neuronotrophic factor or basic fibroblast growth factor but not nerve growth factor repress 5-hydroxytryptamine and calcitonin gene-related peptide immunoreactivity in cultured sensory neurons. In conclusion, neurotransmitter gene expression of adult dorsal root ganglia neurons is controlled by complex influences. Our data suggest that thyrotropin-releasing hormone and 5-hydroxytryptamine gene expression are tonically repressed in vivo by factors originating from the spinal segmental level and that growth factors such as ciliary neurotrophic factor or basic fibroblast growth factor could be potential vectors of this repressing effect."}
{"id": "PMID:1465200", "title": "Age-induced changes in electrophysiological responses of neostriatal neurons recorded in vitro.", "content": "The present studies were undertaken to determine whether the major electrophysiological characteristics of neostriatal neurons are altered during aging. The passive and active membrane properties of 130 neostriatal neurons obtained from young (three to five months, N = 65) and aged (24-26 months, N = 65) Fischer 344 rats were compared using an in vitro slice preparation. The results indicated that in a population of aged neostriatal neurons the majority of the electrophysiological changes that occurred resulted in decreases in cellular excitability. These changes included increased threshold to induce action potentials by intracellular current injection and decreased negativity of membrane potentials at which such action potentials were induced. In addition, there were increases in the amplitude of the action potential afterhyperpolarization and increases in the frequency of occurrence of accommodation when trains of action potentials were induced. These two latter effects can limit the frequency of action potential generation. The thresholds to elicit synaptically evoked depolarizing responses and action potentials were increased. The results also indicated that a number of basic electrophysiological parameters were unchanged by the aging process. These included action potential amplitude, rise time and duration, resting membrane potential, input resistance and time constant. Although thresholds for the induction of synaptic and action potentials by extracellular stimulation were increased, the latency, amplitude and duration of the evoked depolarization remained unchanged. These findings suggest that the ability of neostriatal neurons to integrate spatiotemporal inputs must be severely compromised in this population of aged cells. Furthermore, the present findings, when compared with age-induced electrophysiological alterations in neurons in other brain areas, indicate that age may differentially alter electrophysiological properties of neurons in separate nuclei. Profiles of age-related changes in neurophysiological properties of neurons provide important information that can be related to the contributions of individual neural areas to the behavioral effects of aging."}
{"id": "PMID:1465201", "title": "GABA-immunoreactive basal forebrain afferents innervate GABA-immunoreactive non-pyramidal cells in the cerebral cortex of the lizard Podarcis hispanica.", "content": "The basal forebrain projection to the cerebral cortex was studied in the lizard Podarcis hispanica by anterograde transport of Phaseolus vulgaris leucoagglutinin. After injections of the lectin into the septal-basal forebrain area, Phaseolus vulgaris leucoagglutinin-labelled fibres were mainly detected in the outer plexiform layer of the medial cortex and in the inner plexiform layer of the dorsal and dorsomedial cortices. Ultrathin sections from these areas were obtained and processed for postembedding immunogold staining for GABA. Most of the Phaseolus vulgaris leucoagglutinin-labelled boutons in the dorsal and dorsomedial cortical areas were GABA immunoreactive and all the double-labelled boutons established symmetric synaptic contacts on cell bodies and dendrites that were also found to be GABA immunoreactive in all cases. In contrast, Phaseolus vulgaris leucoagglutinin-labelled varicosities in the outer plexiform layer of the medial cortex made asymmetric synaptic contacts on GABA-immunonegative profiles and they were themselves negative for GABA. In double-labelled sections, GABA-, calbindin D28k- and neuropeptide Y-immunoreactive neurons were found to be innervated by multiple Phaseolus vulgaris leucoagglutinin-labelled varicosities in the dorsal and dorsomedial cortical areas, whereas in the medial cortex Phaseolus vulgaris leucoagglutinin-labelled fibres were not observed in contact with any subpopulation of GABAergic cells. The results demonstrate that in lizards the septal-basal forebrain projection to the cortex has a GABAergic component, which selectively terminates on GABAergic non-pyramidal cells including the neuropeptide Y- and the calbindin D28k-containing subpopulations. This synaptic organization is remarkably similar to that in mammals, and suggests that the mechanisms of control of the cortical activity by the basal forebrain have been highly preserved during phylogeny."}
{"id": "PMID:1465202", "title": "The effect of cortical lesion on systemic penicillin epilepsy in rats.", "content": "There is a certain recovery of function following brain damage, due to neuronal plasticity. The experiments were performed in order to investigate the effects of cortical lesion on seizural activity in rats induced by systemic application of penicillin. The sensorimotor cortex was unilaterally removed in the lesioned animals, while the control animals were only sham operated or non-operated (before implantation of the electrodes). Seizural activity was recorded by means of electroencephalograms before and after penicillin treatment (1,000,000 I.U./kg, i.p). Testing of penicillin started at least 30 days after cortical lesion. Seizural activity was characterized by spike and wave complexes accompanied by vigilance reduction and sometimes by mild myoclonic jerks in both control and lesioned animals. The early period (about 2 h after penicillin administration) with appearance of the spike-wave discharges with relative increase of the mean total electroencephalogram powers as well as the succeeding period 2.5-5.5 h after penicillin administration) with maximum number of spike-wave discharges did not differ in the electroencephalogram of the control and lesioned animals. The late period of penicillin effect (from 6-11 h after penicillin administration) with frequent spike-wave discharges and still large mean total electroencephalogram powers was observed only in lesioned animals. It is concluded that a cortical lesion destabilizes the brain function in the rat model of epilepsy induced by parenteral administration of penicillin."}
{"id": "PMID:1465203", "title": "Dynamics of responses of V1 neurons evoked by stimulation of different zones of receptive field.", "content": "The dynamics of receptive fields of 73 neurons in area 17 of cat visual cortex were studied using the temporal slice method. Three-dimensional maps of the receptive fields were plotted using the criterion of spike number in successive fragments (step 10 or 20 ms) of responses to 100 local flashes presented at different parts of the receptive field in random order. The size and configuration of such dynamically recorded receptive fields were then estimated. This allowed us to reveal the dynamic reorganization of all receptive fields 20-400 ms after stimulation. A small zone of responses appeared in the receptive field after initial latency, then it widened, received definitive configuration, and after that decreased and disappeared. The effect was reproducible under repeated estimations. The relationships between receptive field and the previously described orientation tuning dynamics, as well as between dynamics of receptive fields and their summation zones, mechanisms and possible functional meaning of the revealed effects for signal processing in the primary visual cortex are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1465204", "title": "Sensory stimulation induces local cerebral glycogenolysis: demonstration by autoradiography.", "content": "Brain glycogen stores are localized primarily to glia and undergo continuous utilization and resynthesis. To study the function of glycogen under normal conditions in brain, we developed an autoradiographic method of demonstrating local-glycogen utilization in the awake rat. The method employs labeling of brain glycogen with 14C(3,4)glucose, in situ microwave fixation of brain metabolism, and anhydrous tissue preparation. With this technique, tactile stimulation of the rat face and vibrissae was found to accelerate the utilization of labeled glycogen in brain regions known to receive sensory input from face and vibrissae: the contralateral somatosensory cortex and the ipsilateral trigeminal, sensory and motor nuclei. These findings demonstrate a link between neuronal activity and local glycogen utilization in mammalian brain and suggest that, like other tissues, brain may respond to sudden increases in energy demand in part by rapid glycolytic metabolism of glycogen. As cerebral glycogen is restricted primarily to glia, these observations also support a close coupling of glial energy metabolism with neuronal activity."}
{"id": "PMID:1465205", "title": "Quantification of 5-hydroxytryptamine1A receptors in the cerebellum of normal and X-irradiated rats during postnatal development.", "content": "5-Hydroxytryptamine1A receptors were studied in rats during the first postnatal month in the normal cerebellum and in the granule cell-deprived cerebellum produced by X-irradiation at postnatal day 5. Quantitative autoradiographic studies on sagittal sections of cerebellar vermis, using [1251]BH-8-MeO-N-PAT as radioligand or specific anti-receptor antibodies, revealed that 5-hydroxytryptamine1A receptors existed in the molecular/Purkinje cell layer but at variable density from one lobule to another. Thus, in both normal and X-irradiated rats, the posterior lobules were more heavily labelled than the anterior ones, and the density of 5-hydroxytryptamine1A sites decreased progressively in all the cerebellar folia down to hardly detectable levels at postnatal day 21. However, the intensity of labelling remained higher at postnatal day 8 and postnatal day 12 in X-irradiated rats than in age-paired controls. Measurements of [3H]8-OH-DPAT specific binding to membranes from whole cerebellum confirmed that the density of 5-hydroxytryptamine1A sites per mg membrane protein (Bmax) was higher in X-irradiated animals than in age-paired controls. However, on a \"per cerebellum\" basis, no significant difference could be detected between the total number of 5-hydroxytryptamine1A sites, which progressively increased in both control and X-irradiated animals during the first postnatal month. These results therefore show that 5-hydroxytryptamine1A receptors are not located on developing granule cells. The progressive decrease in 5-hydroxytryptamine1A receptor density during the first postnatal month did not reflect a transient expression of 5-hydroxytryptamine1A receptors in the cerebellum of newborn rats, but resulted from the progressive \"dilution\" of these sites in this growing structure. The higher density of 5-hydroxytryptamine1A sites in X-irradiated rats simply reflected a lower \"dilution\" due to the delayed growth of the cerebellum in these animals."}
{"id": "PMID:1465206", "title": "Startle reflex habituation in functional psychoses: a controlled study.", "content": "The habituation of the startle reflex in a paradigm using electrical stimulation was studied in 17 psychotic patients and 18 healthy controls. The magnitude of the R2 component of the blink reflex differed between the groups (ANOVA, F = 5.81; P = 0.022) and during the course of trials (F = 25.72; P < 0.0001). Furthermore a statistically significant interaction of diagnosis x trials (F = 3.34; P = 0.022) emerged suggesting that an impairment in habituation of startle is present in patients but not in healthy controls despite a comparable reactivity."}
{"id": "PMID:1465207", "title": "Walking of cats on a grid: performance of locomotor task in spinal intact and hemisected cats.", "content": "We have investigated interlimb coordination during walking by observing locomotion of cats on a grid. Control cats made no error in forelimb placement on the grid, and landed their hindlimbs on the rung where each ipsilateral forelimb left moments earlier. This suggests that locomotor command signals were modified by grid information including its size and direction and affected the pattern generators of both forelimbs and hindlimbs. Hemisected cats, made both at high cervical and lower thoracic, showed deteriorated placement of the hindlimbs suggesting that interlimb coordination is carried out mainly by descending pathways from the brainstem such as ventrolateral fasciculus and dorsolateral fasciculus. Interlimb reflex pathways may play a limited role."}
{"id": "PMID:1465208", "title": "In vivo binding of [11C]Ro15-4513 in human brain measured with PET.", "content": "Ro15-4513, an azide derivative of benzodiazepine antagonist flumazenil (Ro15-1788), and Ro15-1788 were labelled with carbon 11. Sequential PET scans following injection of [11C]Ro15-4513 or [11C]Ro15-1788 into normal male healthy volunteers were measured, and kinetic analysis using pons as a reference region was performed. [11C]Ro15-4513 was highly accumulated in frontal cortex, temporal cortex, hippocampus and relatively lower accumulation in occipital cortex, whereas almost homogeneous distribution of Ro15-1788 throughout cortex area was seen. The kinetic analysis revealed that such differences of regional distribution in brain between two labelled ligands were mainly due to the regional difference of the dissociation rate constants in vivo (k4). [11C]Ro15-4513 may be a useful tool for the in vivo study of benzodiazepine receptors in human brain."}
{"id": "PMID:1465209", "title": "An intrinsic mechanism to stabilize posture--joint-angle-dependent moment arms of the feline ankle muscles.", "content": "The neuromuscular system can use sensory feedback to regulate motion, but these feedback loops involve relatively long delays (50-100 ms) and may produce undesirable oscillations. However, stabilizing changes in muscle force can also be provided intrinsically (i.e. without feedback) by 2 properties of the muscle itself, its force-length and force-velocity relationships. We have discovered another intrinsically stabilizing mechanism in the musculoskeletal architecture of the cat ankle joint. Many of its muscles have their predominant moment arms about the adduction/abduction axis, with smaller moment arms for inversion/eversion and about the principal axis of motion, dorsiflexion/extension. The magnitudes of the moment arms in ab/adduction and in/eversion depend strongly on joint angle, increasing for positions away from neutral that lengthen the muscles. Thus, co-activation of agonist-antagonist pairs, known to occur in these muscles, would provide immediate stabilizing changes in torque when the ankle is perturbed away from neutral position."}
{"id": "PMID:1465210", "title": "The effect of experimentally induced diabetes mellitus on the lipid order and composition of rat cerebral microvessels.", "content": "To determine whether diabetes mellitus alters the lipid order and composition of cerebral microvessels, streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats were studied after 5 weeks of chronic hyperglycemia. Diabetes did not affect membrane order or the thermotropic transition temperature of cerebral microvessels as determined from the fluorescence polarization of 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene (DPH). The cholesterol, phospholipid and fatty acid composition of isolated cerebral microvessels was also not significantly affected in diabetic rats. On the other hand, the cerebral microvessels of diabetic rats had significantly increased concentration of lipid peroxidation byproducts, namely conjugated dienes (the calculated O.D./mg phospholipids was 6.98 +/- 0.52 in controls and 11.82 +/- 0.40 in diabetic rats (P < 0.01). The accumulation of conjugated dienes in cerebral microvessels of diabetic rats in the absence of an alteration in the availability of substrates for peroxidation is consistent with the hypothesis that diabetes mellitus is a disease state which is associated with increased free radical activity. Increased oxidative damage may contribute to the changes in the blood-brain barrier observed in animal models of diabetes."}
{"id": "PMID:1465211", "title": "Comparison of the level of mRNA encoding m1 and m2 muscarinic receptors in brains of young and aged rats.", "content": "We compared the concentration of mRNA encoding the m1 and m2 muscarinic receptors in several brain regions obtained from young (5-8 months) and aged (24-28 months) male Fischer 344 rats. DNA-excess solution hybridization was employed as a quantitative measure of mRNA concentration. The results indicate the absence of changes in the m1 receptor message with aging in the cerebral cortex, hippocampus and striatum. While there was no statistically significant aging-associated alteration in the concentration of the message encoding the m2 receptor in the thalamus, midbrain, cerebellum and brainstem, there was a decrease in the message level in the hypothalamus."}
{"id": "PMID:1465212", "title": "The microsomal calcium-ATPase inhibitor thapsigargin is a neurotoxin in perinatal rodent brain.", "content": "Thapsigargin is a potent inhibitor of the microsomal calcium-ATPase. We hypothesized that thapsigargin-induced liberation of calcium from sequestered intracellular sites could result in irreversible brain injury. To assess neurotoxicity, intracerebral injections of 0.1-100 nmol thapsigargin were performed in 7-day-old rats, and the severity of injury was assessed 5 days later by microscopy and measurements of lesioned areas. We found that thapsigargin elicited dose-dependent tissue injury in perinatal rodent brain."}
{"id": "PMID:1465213", "title": "Acute starvation decreases acetylcholinesterase activity in different regions of rat brain.", "content": "The activity of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) was assayed spectrophotometrically in four brain regions of rats that had been deprived of food for 96 h. A significant decrease in the total AChE activity (by 4-45%) as well as in its specific activity (by 14-28%) was observed in the supernatant and total particulate fractions from cerebral hemispheres, cerebellum, brainstem and diencephalon + basal ganglia. Similarly, blood glucose, body weight and protein content of subcellular fractions from most brain regions showed decreases after starvation."}
{"id": "PMID:1465214", "title": "Tau pathology in a case of familial Alzheimer's disease with a valine to glycine mutation at position 717 in the amyloid precursor protein.", "content": "The brain tissue from a case of familial Alzheimer's disease (FAD) caused by a missense (valine to glycine) mutation at codon 717 of the amyloid precursor protein (APP) gene has been examined for the presence of abnormally phosphorylated paired helical filament tau (PHF-tau). There was abundant PHF-tau present, which on Western blots, was indistinguishable from the PHF-tau typical of cases of sporadic Alzheimer's disease and that of another FAD mutation (valine to isoleucine), previously (Neurosci. Lett., 137 (1992) 221-224). This result implies that the cytoskeletal pathology in Alzheimer's disease is biochemically linked to abnormal APP processing and amyloid deposition."}
{"id": "PMID:1465215", "title": "Centrally administered aminoglycoside antibiotics antagonize naloxone-precipitated withdrawal in mice acutely dependent on morphine.", "content": "The effects of i.c.v. administration of several aminoglycoside antibiotics on naloxone-precipitated morphine withdrawal symptoms were evaluated in mice acutely dependent on morphine. Neomycin (10-40 micrograms/mouse), gentamicin (40-160 micrograms/mouse) and kanamycin (80-320 micrograms/mouse) produced a dose-dependent reduction of the number of precipitated jumps, forepaw tremors and head shakes. The order of potency of the aminoglycoside antibiotics on all withdrawal symptoms was neomycin > gentamicin > kanamycin, which is the same order that these drugs show as N-type calcium channel blockers. The capacity of several drugs that decrease neuronal calcium availability (such as lanthanum and L-type calcium channel blockers) to antagonize opiate withdrawal is well known. In the light of these findings, our results suggest that the mechanism of aminoglycoside-induced inhibition of morphine abstinence may be related to the capacity of these antibiotics to block N-type calcium channels, and to decrease neuronal calcium availability."}
{"id": "PMID:1465216", "title": "Tectal projection to an unusual nucleus in the diencephalon of a teleost fish, Pantodon buchholzi.", "content": "Nucleus rostrolateralis, a newly identified nucleus, has been found to date in only three species of ray-finned fishes, two of which are osteoglossomorphs. It is relatively large and well developed in only one of the osteoglossomorphs, Pantodon buchholzi, in which it receives a relatively sparse, primarily contralateral, input from the retina. The present report describes a relatively intense, bilateral projection from the optic tectum to nucleus rostrolateralis."}
{"id": "PMID:1465217", "title": "Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in human neuroblastoma (SH-SY5Y) cells.", "content": "Whole-cell patch-clamp recordings were used to investigate nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) in the human neuroblastoma cell line, SH-SY5Y. Acetylcholine, nicotine and the neuronal nAChR agonist dimethylphenylpiperazinium iodide (DMPP), but not muscarine, all evoked inward currents in the cells (voltage-clamped at -60 mV). DMPP's actions were concentration- and voltage-dependent, and were antagonised by the neuronal nAChR antagonist mecamylamine (1-3 microM). Atropine was ineffective at 0.1 microM, but at 1 microM caused significant reductions in current amplitudes. Pre-incubation of cells with 2 microM alpha-cobratoxin had no effect on the actions of DMPP, and inward currents could also be induced when extracellular NaCl was replaced with CaCl2. DMPP also reversibly depolarized SH-SY5Y cells. These findings clearly identify nAChRs in SH-SY5Y cells, and provide two possible mechanisms by which receptor activation may lead to noradrenaline release, namely by triggering Ca2+ influx through the nAChR itself or by opening voltage-gated Ca2+ channels."}
{"id": "PMID:1465218", "title": "Effect of caerulein on expression of the immediate-early genes c-fos and zif/268 in the rat brain.", "content": "The effect of caerulein, an analog of cholecystokinin-8, on expression of the immediate-early genes c-fos and zif/268 was studied in the rat brain using Northern blot analysis and an in situ hybridization technique. Intraperitoneal injection of caerulein did not change the basal c-fos and zif/268 expression. Administration of the convulsant, pentylenetetrazole (PTZ), caused a dramatic increase of c-fos and zif/268 mRNAs in the hippocampus and dentate gyrus. Pretreatment with caerulein suppressed the PTZ-induced c-fos and zif/268 expression. It is considered that systemically administrated caerulein modifies neuronal activities by exerting a suppressed effect on induction of the immediate-early genes."}
{"id": "PMID:1465219", "title": "Distribution of D5 dopamine receptor mRNA in rat brain.", "content": "The distribution of the messenger RNA encoding the dopamine D5 receptor was determined in the rat brain by in situ hybridization. Using [35S]-labelled riboprobes to either the rat or human D5 receptor, this mRNA was localized to the hippocampus and the parafascicular nucleus of the thalamus. This mRNA could not be visualized in the more traditional brain regions associated with dopaminergic cell bodies or projection fields. This unusual distribution suggests a novel function in the brain for this subtype of the dopamine receptor."}
{"id": "PMID:1465220", "title": "Melatonin infusions restore sleep suppressed by continuous bright light in pigeons.", "content": "Constant bright light (LL) suppresses 24-h melatonin and many other behavioral and physiological rhythms in pigeons. LL also strongly suppresses sleep. Daily melatonin infusions in LL restore sleep to normal nocturnal levels of a light-dark cycle and continuous infusions sustain it for at least 10 days. Restoration of sleep in LL by melatonin indicates its key role in avian sleep mechanisms."}
{"id": "PMID:1465221", "title": "Spinal commissural neurons mediating vestibular input to neck motoneurons in the cat upper cervical spinal cord.", "content": "Spinal commissural neurons (CNs) activated di- or trisynaptically by stimulation of ipsilateral vestibular afferents were stained with intraaxonal injection of horseradish peroxidase in the cat upper cervical spinal cord. Stem axons of CNs in lamina VIII or VII, after crossing the midline, had ascending and/or descending main branches that gave off multiple axon collaterals to laminae IX and VIII over a few cervical segments. Terminal boutons appeared to make contact with proximal dendrites and somata of retrogradely-labelled neck motoneurons. Therefore, these CNs were regarded as mediating vestibular afferent input to contralateral neck motoneurons trisynaptically at the shortest."}
{"id": "PMID:1465222", "title": "Intermediate cells of Lugaro are present in the immature rat cerebellar cortex at an earlier stage than previously thought.", "content": "The maturation of the intermediate cell of Lugaro, impregnated by classical silver methods, was studied on parasagittal sections of cerebellar vermis of newborn rat pups. Using morphological criteria characteristic of the adult cell type, immature Lugaro neurons can be recognized from the second part of the first postnatal week on. This implies that these cells differentiate at a much earlier age than previously inferred from studies using tritiated thymidine."}
{"id": "PMID:1465223", "title": "Quinolinic acid in culture media used for in vitro neurotoxicology studies.", "content": "Serum from several species is frequently added to the incubation media of cells in vitro. The excitotoxin and N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor agonist quinolinic acid was found to be present in serum in concentrations ranging from 59 to 4895 nM. Some neuronal systems are reported to be particularly sensitive to the neurotoxic effects of quinolinic acid. Therefore, quinolinic acid in serum should be considered as a potentially confounding variable in neurotoxicology studies in vitro."}
{"id": "PMID:1465230", "title": "Recognition and management of alcohol-related nutritional deficiencies.", "content": "Alcoholic beverages comprise an appreciable percentage of the total caloric intake of individuals in Western societies. Alcohol contains no usable nutrients and, in the chronic drinker, often replaces food. Chronic alcoholics frequently have evidence of nutritional deficiencies due to decreased intake, reduced uptake and impaired utilization of nutrients. Syndromes of nutritional deficiency seen in the alcoholic include anemias, neurological disorders, and vitamin and mineral deficiencies. Alcoholics represent the largest group of patients with treatable nutritional disorders in Western countries. Recognition and management of alcohol-related nutritional deficiencies may assist in the identification of high-risk individuals and may result in improved health status with reduced morbidity and mortality."}
{"id": "PMID:1465231", "title": "The diagnosis and treatment of cholera.", "content": "Cholera is a diarrheal disease that results from colonization of the small intestine by the Vibrio cholerae organism. The disease is spread primarily by means of fecal contamination of drinking water and may begin with the sudden onset of profuse, watery diarrhea. Vomiting, rapid dehydration, acidosis, muscular cramps and circulatory collapse are other prominent features of severe cholera. Diagnosis is confirmed by identification of the organism in a stool specimen. Treatment requires immediate replacement of the massive fluid loss before diagnostic studies are ordered. Clinicians should suspect cholera in any case of massive, shock-producing diarrhea, especially if the patient has traveled to a cholera-affected country. This article presents epidemiology and public-health measures, pathophysiology, diagnosis, clinical signs and symptoms, and treatment modalities for adults and children infected with the V. cholerae organism."}
{"id": "PMID:1465232", "title": "Didanosine use in the adult HIV patient.", "content": "There have been reports in the medical community of hesitation regarding the administration of didanosine to adult HIV patients because of the fear of the documented toxicities associated with didanosine. The most worrisome toxicities include pancreatitis and peripheral neuropathy. With close observation and follow-up, these toxicities can almost always be avoided or easily reversed. This article attempts to allay these fears so that the practitioner can administer this effective antiretroviral confidently and safely. The development of nucleoside and the pharmacology of didanosine are discussed. Drug administration information is provided, including a description of the different forms of didanosine currently available. Guidelines for assessing toxicities associated with didanosine, as well as suggestions for patient education, are also provided. Data gathered at the National Cancer Institute in the phase I didanosine trial indicate that early detection and discontinuation of didanosine, in nearly all cases, can limit or lessen the extent of morbidity."}
{"id": "PMID:1465268", "title": "Neuroanatomical localization for clinical SPECT perfusion brain imaging: a practical proportional grid method.", "content": "For the purpose of facilitating anatomical localization in interpretation of 99Tcm-hexamethylpropyleneamine oxime (HMPAO) brain single photon emission tomographic (SPECT) scans, a stereotaxic proportional grid system was applied in the form of an interactive computer program. This method takes advantage of a rotating gamma camera system which permits planar scout imaging for the determination of anatomical reference lines, and standardization of tomographic slices for brain size. Using measurements made on a lateral planar HMPAO image, proportional grids were constructed onto standardized transaxial images. This method was implemented for 33 clinical HMPAO SPECT studies. It required less than 15 min of an operator's time. This simple and practical neuroanatomical localization technique can be instrumental as an aid to the interpretation of routine clinical HMPAO SPECT images."}
{"id": "PMID:1465269", "title": "99Tcm and 111In leucocyte scintigraphy in inflammatory bowel disease.", "content": "A comparative study of 99Tcm-hexamethylpropyleneamine oxime (HMPAO) and 111In leucocyte scintigraphy was performed in inflammatory bowel disease. Two hundred and thirty-four patients were studied, 146 had 99Tcm-HMPAO, 82 had 111In and six had both. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of the 99Tcm leucocyte scan were 96, 97 and 97%, respectively, and 96, 97 and 97%, respectively, for the 111In leucocyte scan. 99Tcm-HMPAO leucocytes demonstrated similar diagnostic accuracy to 111In-labelled leucocytes with improved image quality and reduced radiation dose."}
{"id": "PMID:1465270", "title": "99Tcm-MIBI single photon emission tomography (SPET) for detecting myocardial ischaemia and necrosis in patients with significant coronary artery disease.", "content": "The ability of 99Tcm-methoxyisobutylisonitrile (MIBI) single photon emission tomography (SPET) to detect myocardial ischaemia and necrosis was assessed in 56 patients (45 male, 11 female, aged 55 +/- 5 years), with clinically recognized ischaemic heart disease (IHD). All underwent coronary angiography (CA) and left ventriculography (LV). SPET images were obtained at rest and at peak exercise (Modified Bruce) 90 min after injection of 99Tcm-MIBI (650-850 MBq). Data were acquired in 30 min over 180 degrees (from 45 degrees RAO to 45 degrees LPO) with no correction for attenuation, using a 64 x 64 matrix. The presence of persistent (P) or reversible (R) perfusion defects (PD) was then correlated to the resting and exercise ECG and to the results of CA and LV. Of the 56 patients, 34 had reversible underperfusion (RPD), 46 persistent underperfusion (PPD) and 31 had both. The occurrence of RPD correlated well with the occurrence of exercise-induced ST segment depression and/or angina (27 patients of 34 patients, 79%) and with the presence of significant coronary artery disease (CAD) (33 of 44, 73%). In 45 of 46 patients (98%) PPD corresponded to akinetic or severely hypokinetic segments (LV) usually explored by ECG leads exhibiting diagnostic Q waves (42 of 46 patients, 91%). The scan was normal both at rest and after stress in four of 11 patients with no CAD, and in two of 45 patients with CAD. Finally, an abnormal resting scan was seen in seven of 11 patients with normal coronary arteries, of whom six had regional wall motion abnormalities.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1465271", "title": "What does rCBF-SPECT offer in schizophrenia?", "content": "Schizophrenia is a major psychiatric problem common in the younger population. Structural imaging and findings on autopsy have not yet revealed a specific deficit in these patients. Uncertainty in clinical diagnosis based on a set of signs and symptoms is another drawback in the management of this patient population. Regional cerebral blood flow studies (rCBF) using single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) offers the opportunity to study the underlying phenomenon and to detect the specific functional deficits in schizophrenia."}
{"id": "PMID:1465272", "title": "Tumour detection and localization using 99Tcm-labelled OV-TL 3 Fab' in patients suspected of ovarian cancer.", "content": "Fab' fragments of the monoclonal antibody OV-TL 3, that recognizes an ovarian carcinoma-associated antigen (OA3), were labelled with 99Tcm using D-glucarate as a ligand. Twenty patients suspected of having primary or recurrent ovarian cancer received intravenously 1 mg of the Fab' labelled with 740 MBq 99Tcm. Both planar and single photon emission computed tomographic (SPECT) scintigraphy were performed up to 30 h after intravenous infusion. In 19 out of 20 patients surgical and histopathological evaluation was performed between 2 and 6 days postinfusion. Imaging results were compared with X-ray computed tomography (CT), ultrasonography (US) and CA 125 serum level. Blood clearance was fast with median t1/2 beta of 9.5 h. Thirty-seven per cent of the injected dose (% ID) was excreted in the urine within the first 24 h, whereas 7% ID was excreted in the 24 h faeces. In one patient with an OA3 negative ovarian carcinoma, radioimmunoscintigraphy (RIS) did not visualize the tumour. In two other patients a benign ovarian cyst was found, also showing no elevated uptake. In 13 out of 17 patients ovarian cancer lesions were detected with RIS, whereas CT and US detected lesions in, respectively, 15 and 12 patients. Of 36 surgically defined tumour deposits larger than 1 cm in diameter, 53% were detected and localized with RIS, whereas CT and US detected 61 and 40%, respectively. Radioimmunoscintigraphy with 99Tcm-OV-TL 3 Fab' is less distressing for the patients but the overall imaging performance is not improved when compared with 111In-OV-TL 3 F(ab')2."}
{"id": "PMID:1465273", "title": "Is gall bladder ejection fraction a reliable predictor of acalculous gall bladder disease?", "content": "The use of quantitative 99Tcm-EHIDA imaging with cholecystokinin and the measurement of gall bladder ejection fraction in a prospective study of 89 patients with right upper quadrant pain is described. Correlation with surgical and histological findings and clinical follow-up suggests that gall bladder ejection fraction < or = 35% is a reliable and accurate indicator of acalculous gall bladder disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1465277", "title": "Breast cancer survival in relation to sex and age.", "content": "Crude and relative survival rates were analyzed using data from 4,199 incident breast cancers in females and 39 breast cancers in males registered between 1974 and 1988 in the Cancer Registry of the Swiss Canton of Vaud. The relative survival rates were 0.94 for females and 0.95 for males at 1 year, 0.87 and 0.95 at 2 years, 0.71 and 0.75 at 5 years, and 0.57 and 0.65 at 10 years. In relation to age at diagnosis, among females the relative survival increased from 0.62 for cases diagnosed under the age of 35 years to 0.78 at the age of 45-49 years, decreased to 0.66-0.68 in the age group 50-59 years, and rose again to reach 0.76 at the age of 65-69 years, declining thereafter to 0.69 at the age range 80-84 years. This pattern was already evident during the first 2 years of follow-up and persisted up to 10 years after diagnosis, although somewhat less defined. For males, no significant difference was evident in relative survival between breast cancers diagnosed before or at the age of 65 years and over, and only the 10-year survival rate was apparently (though not significantly) lower at older ages. Thus, these population-based data show remarkable similarities in survival for female and male breast cancer, despite possible heterogeneities in diagnosis and ascertainment of the disease as well as differences in steroid hormone levels in the two sexes and possible differences in biological characteristics of the disease. Further, they confirm that breast cancer survival varies across subsequent age groups. This possibly reflects selection and modifying effects on incidence and survival of hormone dependency of a proportion of breast cancers, the growth of which could be accelerated during the premenopause and the survival favourably influenced by the decline in steroid hormone levels after the menopause."}
{"id": "PMID:1465278", "title": "Mitomycin C + high-dose medroxyprogesterone versus cyclophosphamide+doxorubicin plus fluorouracil as first-line treatment for metastatic breast cancer.", "content": "A pilot study was undertaken to compare mitomycin C plus oral high-dose medroxyprogesterone acetate (MMPA) to cyclophosphamide+doxorubicin+ fluorouracil (CAF). Thirty-four women were randomized at first relapse to receive MMPA or CAF. Patients were balanced with respect to age, performance status, hormone receptor status, prior adjuvant treatment, site of metastases, and number of metastatic sites. On MMPA 9/18 objective responses occurred and on CAF 12/18. Median time to treatment failure was 5.7 months on MMPA and 7.6 months on CAF; median survival on MMPA was 22.5 months and on CAF 16.7 months. Although there were more objective responses on CAF, this was not statistically significantly different, and CAF was associated with significantly more hemopoietic toxicity. It is concluded that mitomycin C should be further studied in front-line regimens for patients with metastatic breast cancer."}
{"id": "PMID:1465279", "title": "Variations in estrogen and progesterone receptor levels after short-term tamoxifen treatment in breast carcinoma.", "content": "The modification of estrogen and progesterone receptor status was prospectively studied in mammary carcinoma after short-term (7 days) administration of tamoxifen citrate (30 mg/day). Seventeen patients fulfilled the stringent criteria required for final evaluation. Tamoxifen was administered to them immediately prior to surgery and receptor status was studied on the surgical specimen. Estrogen receptor levels were significantly (p < 0.05) decreased after treatment, whereas progesterone receptors remained statistically unaltered, although they showed a tendency towards significant increase (p = 0.12). Following these results, short-term tamoxifen treatment seems inadequate for the induction of significant levels of progesterone receptors in mammary carcinoma."}
{"id": "PMID:1465280", "title": "Latent coagulation disorders evaluated by the assay of plasma thrombin-antithrombin III complexes in a large series of 'solid tumours'.", "content": "Coagulation disorders are frequently detected in patients affected by different tumours even though clinical symptoms occur in a very small percentage of such subjects. Coagulation processes are probably involved in the mechanism of metastatic spread. We assayed the plasma levels of thrombin-antithrombin III (TAT) complexes in a group of 276 patients with several tumours in different stages in order to achieve a better understanding of the complex interactions between coagulation disorders and either tumour growth or metastatic spread. High levels of TAT complexes were found in 51% of localized, 66.3% of metastatic and 58.3% of patients with no evidence of disease; a statistically significant difference was observed comparing metastatic cancer either with localized (p < 0.00015) or with free-of-disease (p < 0.004) groups. Gastrointestinal tract neoplasms showed higher levels of TAT complexes in the metastatic than in the localized group. No difference was seen between small-cell and non-small-cell lung-localized cancer. Our results confirm the frequent coexistence of cancer and subclinical blood coagulation disorders. The evidence of higher levels of TAT complexes in metastatic cancer than in the other groups could be related to the mechanisms involved in tumour spread."}
{"id": "PMID:1465281", "title": "Altered pattern of lipid metabolism in patients with lung cancer.", "content": "Cholesterol distribution in tumoral tissues and lipid composition in the plasma compartment were determined in patients affected by different histologic types of lung cancer. The results showed that tumoral lung tissues contained 2-fold more total cholesterol and 3.5-fold more esterified cholesterol than normal lung tissues. In the patients the alterations in intracellular cholesterol were also associated with peculiar changes in cholesterol distribution in the plasma compartment. Serum high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels were markedly lower in than in controls. No significant changes in other lipid parameters were observed in these patients. We suggest that the reduced levels of serum HDL cholesterol observed in patients with lung tumors may be a consequence of the disease, probably mediated by the greater utilization of cholesterol for new membrane biogenesis and by the accumulation of esterified cholesterol in tumoral tissues."}
{"id": "PMID:1465282", "title": "Intraperitoneal cisplatin in the treatment of refractory or recurrent advanced ovarian carcinoma.", "content": "Twenty-three patients with advanced ovarian cancer were entered into a phase II trial of intraperitoneal cisplatin (60 mg/m2 with escalation to 90 mg/m2 per course). All patients had either minimal residual disease after systemic chemotherapy or a recurrence after attainment of a clinically or surgically complete response. After a median follow-up of 3 years, 12 patients had died and of the 11 remaining alive 4 were without recurrence. Survival ranged between 4 and 48+ months with a median of 30 months. A definite survival advantage with this treatment modality does not appear evident and needs to be demonstrated by randomized studies."}
{"id": "PMID:1465284", "title": "The interaction of 5-fluorouracil, hydroxyurea, and radiation in two human head and neck cancer cell lines.", "content": "We have investigated the effects of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and hydroxyurea (HU) with radiation on two human head and neck squamous carcinoma cell lines. SQ-20B has a D0 of 239 cGy and an S phase fraction of 37%, while SQ-38 has a D0 of 146 cGy and an S phase fraction of 31%. For SQ-20B the surviving fraction at 100 cGy was significantly reduced (p < 0.05) when cells were exposed to HU or to 5-FU or both chemotherapy agents together with radiation. No significant effect was seen for SQ-38 with either chemotherapy agent alone or in combination with radiation as compared with radiation alone. Therefore, additive cytotoxicity between 5-FU and HU and radiotherapy was observed only in a head and neck cancer cell line with a higher D0 and a higher S phase fraction."}
{"id": "PMID:1465283", "title": "Changes in the Ki-67 labeling rates of head and neck squamous cell carcinomas during preoperative radiation therapy.", "content": "Immunostaining with Ki-67 monoclonal antibody was performed on frozen sections of biopsy specimens obtained before and during preoperative radiation therapy from 21 patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. The Ki-67 labeling rates before radiation therapy and at radiation doses of 10 and 20 Gy ranged from 21 to 71% (mean: 35.0%), from 7 to 49% (mean: 25.8%) and from 1 to 44% (mean: 14.8%), respectively. One of the 2 patients whose tumors showing Ki-67 labeling rates of greater than 48% (mean +1 SD) before radiation therapy suffered local relapse shortly after the treatment. Moreover, tumors with rapidly decreased Ki-67 labeling rates (lower than 3%) at radiation doses of 20 Gy were related to poor clinical outcome: 4 out of 6 patients whose tumors showed Ki-67 labeling rates below 3% (mean -1 SD) at 20 Gy of irradiation had local relapses or showed distant metastases. These findings indicate that immunostaining with Ki-67 monoclonal antibody of biopsy specimens of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, before and during radiation therapy, is very useful in assessing the clinical outcome of the patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1465285", "title": "Benign thyroid diseases and the risk of death from breast cancer.", "content": "A survey of the causes of death among women with benign thyroid disease was conducted to assess the risk of breast cancer mortality in thyroid patients. The study population was all women diagnosed with one of several types of thyroid disease at the Massachusetts General Hospital Thyroid Clinic from 1925 to 1974. A population-based comparison group was matched to the Clinic patients for age and socioeconomic status, resulting in a total of 9,520 matched pairs. A search of the Massachusetts mortality records located death certificates for 10.9% (1,039) of the Thyroid Clinic patients and 10.5% (995) of the comparison women. Cancer was the cause of death in 21% (218) of the Thyroid Clinic patients and 24% (239) of the comparison women. Fewer patients than comparison women died from cancers of the digestive organs (30.2 vs. 45.5%), but more patients died from thyroid cancer (3.7 vs. 0%), lymphatic and hematopoietic cancers (11.5 vs. 4.2%), and cancers of other sites (8.3 vs. 3.8%). Breast cancer deaths accounted for 21.6% of cancer deaths in the patients and 22.2% of cancer deaths in the comparison women. When specific thyroid diagnoses were considered, the percent of all deaths due to breast cancer ranged from 1.9 to 5.6%, compared to 5.3% in the comparison women. Of the diagnostic groups studied, patients with Hashimoto's thyroiditis had the lowest percent of deaths due to breast cancer, while those with nontoxic nodular goiter had the highest."}
{"id": "PMID:1465286", "title": "Experience with intraperitoneal alpha-2a interferon.", "content": "Eighteen patients affected with epithelial ovarian cancer have been treated by intraperitoneal alpha 2a-Interferon. The usual single dosage was 54 x 10(6) U at weekly intervals for four times (eight times in responders): 10 histologically confirmed complete remissions and 3 partial remissions have been obtained; the toxicity was represented by fever in the majority of the cases, by abdominal discomfort in some cases, and by a mild transitory neurological complication in 1 case. Seventeen of 18 patients were pretreated, and 11 of 18 had only cytologic and/or microscopic disease. alpha 2a-Interferon has proven to be very effective and moderately toxic in microscopic peritoneal disease of ovarian epithelial cancer previously treated with extensive surgery and intravenous cytotoxic chemotherapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1465287", "title": "Evaluation of an implantable venous access system in a general oncology population.", "content": "Venous access has been a problem for the practicing oncologist. Previous approaches, such as arteriovenous fistulas, grafts, or percutaneous catheters, have not gained widespread acceptability. We report our experiences with 230 Port-a-Cath devices, a totally implantable venous access system. The catheters were placed in 218 general oncology patients for the administration of chemotherapy. One patient had three catheters placed and 10 patients had two catheters each. Most patients received standard bolus chemotherapy, while 25 patients were treated with continuous ambulatory infusions. The catheters were in place for an average of 271 days (range 2-1,427 days) for a total of 62,330 catheter days, representing the largest published experience with devices of this type in cancer patients. A total of 24 complications occurred in 22 patients. Catheter insertion was associated with four pneumothoraces, two of which required chest tube drainage. Five catheters were removed because of infection. There were 6 cases of venous thrombosis, but none resulted in pulmonary embolism. Other complications were manageable and included catheter occlusion, migration, and extravasation of chemotherapy agents. The Port-a-Cath is safe and is associated with a low rate of complications. Implantable venous access systems represent a significant advantage in the management of oncology patients with poor venous access."}
{"id": "PMID:1465288", "title": "Antiemetic efficacy of high-dose metoclopramide and dexamethasone in patients receiving cisplatin chemotherapy: a randomized trial.", "content": "In a prospective randomized trial we compared the antiemetic efficacy of metoclopramide (MCP) and dexamethasone (DXM). A total of 172 patients receiving chemotherapy based on cisplatin 100 mg/m2/day were randomly allocated to four groups. CP was administered in 5 doses of 1.5 mg/kg (group A), 2 mg/kg (group C), or combined with 4 doses of DXM 4 mg/6 h (MCP: 1.5 mg/kg in group B; 2 mg/kg in group D). Vomiting was decreased in the DXM groups compared to groups A and C (p < 0.002), and the duration of nausea was greater in group A than in group D (P < 0.004). A greater disturbance in appetite was observed in group A compared to groups B (p < 0.028), D(p < 0.001) and C (p < 0.045). Activity problems were greater in group A than in C (p < 0.003) and D(p < 0.005). We noticed that a small increase in MCP (0.5 mg/kg) did not influence the antiemetic effect. The addition of DXM did not significantly alter the antiemetic results at the lower MCP dose, but improved them when MCP was slightly increased. We conclude that DXM slightly improves the antiemetic effect of MCP and the effects are related to the MCP dose."}
{"id": "PMID:1465289", "title": "Primary extranodal non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of the head and neck.", "content": "Among 387 cases of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) treated in our units between January 1977 and December 1990, 52 (13.4%) had primary extranodal (PE) NHL of the head and neck. The median age was 55 years with a M:F ratio of 1.9:1. The most frequent primary site was the tonsil (28 cases), followed by oral cavity, parotid gland, orbit and other sites. The aggressive histological subtypes predominate. 55.2% of the patients were in stage I and 44.8% in stage II of disease. The CR rate was high (94.2%). The 5 years' overall survival rate was 65% and it was influenced mainly by stage (stage I 82.5% vs. 48.7% in stage II). Sex, age and histology did not significantly affect survival rate. Patients with primary Waldeyer's ring involvement (WR group) did not differ significantly from the other primary sites analyzed as a group (non-WR group) in respect to median age, sex distribution, histology and CR rates. They differed, however, in: (1) stage distribution with stage II disease more frequent in the WR group; (2) overall survival and disease-free survival both of which were significantly better in the non-WR group; and (3) the high incidence of GI tract involvement as initial manifestation of relapse in the WR group. It is concluded that the behaviour of the Waldeyer's ring PE-NHL is rather distinctive and should be considered separately from the other PE-NHL of the head and neck."}
{"id": "PMID:1465290", "title": "Intracavitary oxytetracycline in malignant pericardial tamponade.", "content": "We started a treatment trial for malignant pericardial tamponade with intracavitary oxytetracycline, 500-1,000 mg/day, administered via an indwelling pericardial cannula after extraction of as much pericardial fluid as possible. This procedure was repeated every 24 h for 6 consecutive days or until no more fluid could be drained. Eleven consecutive patients were entered in the study. The responses were obtained by clinical examination, chest roentgenogram and echocardiogram, prior to and after treatment. The primary cancer was located in the breast in 7 patients, in the stomach in 2 patients, and in the lung in 2 patients. In all cases, systemic chemotherapy or hormonal therapy was started after the pericardial tamponade was cured. The mean tetracycline dose per patient was 3,000 mg (range 1,500-6,000). All patients responded to the treatment with rapidly improving symptoms. Response persisted during a median of 9 months coinciding roughly with the median survival because all patients died because of progression of the neoplasm at sites other than the pericardium with no evidence of pericardial relapse. The main concomitant effects were mild local pain during tetracycline instillation in 4 patients, and transient fever (less than 39 degrees C) in 3. These data suggest that intracavitary oxytetracycline is perhaps less toxic and similar by successful as tetracycline hydrochloride in malignant pericardial tamponade."}
{"id": "PMID:1465291", "title": "Palm carotene inhibits tumor-promoting activity of bile acids and intestinal carcinogenesis.", "content": "The effects of palm carotene on chemical carcinogenesis was studied. Palm carotene suppressed mouse epidermal ornithine decarboxylase activity induced by glycocholic acid. In a two-stage mouse epidermal carcinogenesis experiment using 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene as the initiator, glycocholic acid as the 1st stage promoter, and mezerein as the 2nd stage promoter, palm carotene inhibited the promoting activity of glycocholic acid. Furthermore, in N-ethyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine-induced mouse duodenal carcinogenesis, 0.05% of palm carotene given in drinking water decreased the percentage of tumor-bearing mice significantly."}
{"id": "PMID:1465294", "title": "A method for screening the quality of hospital care using administrative data: preliminary validation results.", "content": "Applying a computerized algorithm to administrative data to help assess the quality of hospital care is intriguing. As Iezzoni and colleagues point out, there are major differences of opinion as to the worth of such efforts. This article significantly advances the state of the art in using administrative data to screen for potential quality-of-care problems. In addition, this work on identifying complications of care goes well beyond the emphasis of many government organizations on hospital mortality rates. One question, however, not raised in the paper is: What is a practical upper limit to the sensitivity and specificity in comparing computerized screen results with the consensus judgments of a group of independent physicians? Advanced statistical techniques (such as bootstrapping) might be used to estimate the stability of consensus judgments by physician groups. When the judgments of two groups of physicians are compared with each other, the resulting sensitivity and specificity will not be .99! In addition, more training of members of the physician panels would probably have increased interrater reliability. While acknowledging this problem, the researchers' detailed analysis of the panel results is intriguing and represents a model for such studies. It is hoped that the authors will follow up on the avenues opened here. Furthermore, what degree of accuracy is necessary to identify facilities with higher-than-expected rates of complications? The authors discuss problems involved in using administrative data to target hospitals and departments for more costly in-depth reviews of quality. It is hoped that the promising findings that are reported here will be validated in other studies. Certainly their algorithms should find a ready audience in insurers and hospitals willing to try them out. Finally, should we expect additional research to lead to improvement in the authors' algorithms? I believe the algorithms will prove difficult to improve upon; but perhaps we should not worry about this. At some point, however, the cost of trying to identify and correct quality problems in \"minimally outlier\" hospitals will exceed the benefits, particularly given alternative uses for the funds. Might we now be close the the \"flat of the curve\" in the development of such systems for identification of quality problems? This issue should be discussed much further in future studies."}
{"id": "PMID:1465295", "title": "Is QA antiquated, or was it at the right place at the wrong time?", "content": "Much has been written about the strengths and weaknesses of quality assurance (QA) and continuous quality improvement (CQI) as approaches to achieving optimal quality and value in health care. In the past, the motivation behind QA was largely regulatory. Today, the driving force for CQI is corporate America, whose clout has key provider constituencies ready to cooperate as never before. This article argues that many of the functions of traditional QA will remain an integral component of quality management strategies for health care organizations and that the success of these efforts will depend on a coordinated effort by professionals from QA, quality management, and health services research. Furthermore, quality engineering concepts from other industries provide a useful framework to enable coordination among these three fields."}
{"id": "PMID:1465296", "title": "Managing transitions: assuring the adoption and impact of TQM.", "content": "Assuring the full adoption and impact of total quality management (TQM) requires the understanding that TQM involves transitional challenges to managers, individuals, work groups, and the organization as a whole. This article presents some of these challenges and describes how they might be met over time to determine the ultimate success of TQM adoption in an organization."}
{"id": "PMID:1465297", "title": "Investigations on the mechanism of the salt-induced peptide formation.", "content": "The applicability of the salt-induced peptide formation in aqueous solution--the simplest model so far for peptide synthesis under primitive earth conditions--is demonstrated for valine as another amino acid, and the formation of mixed peptides in systems containing glycine, alanine and valine is investigated. The dominant dipeptides formed are Gly-Gly, Gly-Ala and Gly-Val, at longer reaction times sequence inversion produces Ala-Gly and, considerably slower, Val-Gly. Ala-Ala is also produced and the relative amounts of the diastereomers prove the high conservation of optical purity of the original amino acids over a considerable time. The results lead to some further conclusions about the reaction mechanism and the possible dominance of peptide sequences in primordial dipeptides."}
{"id": "PMID:1465304", "title": "External fixation of unstable Malgaigne fractures: the comparative mechanical performance of a new configuration.", "content": "An external fixator has been designed that is rigid enough to eliminate the need for skeletal traction in patients with unstable pelvic-ring fractures. This Wichita frame is similar to the Pittsburgh frame but is stiffened by the use of locked crossbars connecting the side triangles. The frame was tested in cadaveric specimens by techniques previously reported. In addition, finite-element modeling of the various frame designs was performed to ensure that the frame configuration was optimal and to supplement in vitro test results. Multiple variables that can influence frame failure loads were examined."}
{"id": "PMID:1465305", "title": "Internal versus external fixation of bicondylar tibial plateau fractures.", "content": "Comminuted bicondylar tibial plateau fractures remain a difficult problem for the orthopaedic surgeon. Treatment has ranged from traction to cast immobilization to open reduction and internal fixation; none of these has emerged as ideal. Recently, one of the senior authors (DJC) used a technique of indirect reduction followed by application of a hybrid circular external fixator, noting a stability similar to that of an open reduction and internal fixation but with fewer complications. This paper reviews both the authors' experience and citations from the literature with regard to this problematic fracture."}
{"id": "PMID:1465306", "title": "Understanding the os odontoideum.", "content": "Five cases of os odontoideum and associated instability of C1-2 involving patients who underwent a posterior spinal fusion are reviewed, along with the literature. Four of the patients had Down's syndrome, and two of them were symptomatic at the time of presentation. In the two asymptomatic patients, the os odontoideum was an incidental finding on routine roentgenographic survey. The fifth patient presented with trauma and neck pain. The operation was successful in all of the patients with Down's syndrome but one, who had preoperative signs of myelopathy. Patients known to have an os odontoideum must be followed closely; if there is instability, posterior spinal fusion is recommended to avoid the risk of neurologic compromise. An understanding of the pathoanatomy of this condition is essential to recognize and properly treat these patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1465307", "title": "Repair of a glenoid fracture using a powered stapler.", "content": "Scapular fractures account for only 1% of all fractures, and displaced intra-articular glenoid fractures are very rare. This report describes the operative treatment of a displaced intra-articular fracture of the glenoid in a 33-year-old man. The fracture was repaired by open reduction and internal fixation, using a pneumatically powered stapler for initial stabilization of the fracture fragment and anatomic reduction of the articular surface."}
{"id": "PMID:1465308", "title": "Tips of the trade. Computerized tomography--guided excision of osteoid osteoma.", "content": "Excision of osteoid osteoma nidus utilizing a Kirschner wire for preoperative marking of the lesion and a CORB biopsy set for excision is described. The procedure is performed in a computed tomographic scan unit under local anesthesia and results in minimal postoperative discomfort."}
{"id": "PMID:1465311", "title": "A model to assess the risk of recurrences of superficial bladder carcinoma. A preliminary report based on 27 patients with a two-year follow-up.", "content": "Being able to identify patients with superficial bladder carcinoma at high risk of tumour relapse would be helpful in reducing the high recurrence rate observed in these cases, because a more aggressive prophylactic treatment could be applied. We obtained a series of cystoscopic and histological findings from 27 patients with pTa and pT1 bladder carcinomas, of whom 19 recurred within 2 years following transurethral resection. Histological grade, shape and number of tumours were chosen as discriminating features between patients who relapsed and those who did not. These three variables were used to derive a discriminant function which classified correctly 23 out of the 27 patients on the basis of their actual situation of tumour relapse at 2 years. This method might therefore prove to be useful in predicting accurately the outcome of each patient, thus allowing us to follow an individualized protocol of surveillance and treatment based on a quantified risk for tumour recurrence."}
{"id": "PMID:1465312", "title": "[Validity of the AgNOR count in cervical pathology].", "content": "Nucleolar organizer regions (NORs) were counted on ten cases each of normal ectocervix, CIN 1, 2 and 3 to verify the possibility of a differentiation between the various grades of CIN and between them and condylomata. Counts were performed on the full thickness of the tissue, layer by layer (stratified counts). A significant difference (p < 0.05) was found between the means of normal tissue toward condylomata and CIN 2 and 3 and between CIN 1 and CIN 2 and 3. There was no significance (p < 0.05) between normal tissue and CIN 1, between CIN 2 and 3 and between condylomata and CIN 2 and 3. The range of variations on the counts was associated with overlapping between the various cases. Our data showed also a progressive rise in mean NOR values from normal tissue to CIN 3. The stratified counts showed in all the groups a rise from basal to parabasal cells. Counts on parabasal and intermediate layers distinguished two groups of cases. In one there was either the same number of dots or a further rise from one layer to the next, while in the other a definite decrease was seen. The former pattern may be related to a potential for malignant evolution of the lesion. NORs should be counted in all cases of CIN and condylomata to treat more aggressively those lesions which present the pattern of a progressive rise of NORs from basal to intermediate cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1465313", "title": "Autopsy and the internal medicine department.", "content": "The accuracy of major clinical diagnoses and causes of death was estimated from the analysis of clinical diagnoses and autopsy findings of patients deceased at the internal medicine department of a large university hospital in two different periods (1965-1967 and 1985-1987). The autopsy cases from the second period were subdivided in two groups i.e. less and more than seven days of hospital stay prior death. From 100 randomly selected autopsy cases in each period there was no statistically significant variability in clinico-pathological concordance. In three groups studied (1965-1967, 1985-1987 < seven days and 1985-1987 < seven days hospital stay) the major clinical diagnosis was confirmed in 85, 94 and 86% respectively. A decrease of nearly 27% in the number of autopsies performed is shown between analysed periods. Clinico-pathological conferences are regularly held weekly, this being one of the reasons for a stable and extremely high clinico-pathological concordance."}
{"id": "PMID:1465314", "title": "[Measurement of breast cancer dimensions: correlation between mammographic and macroscopic data].", "content": "In this study the maximum diameters of 48 mammary carcinomas of various istotype detected preoperatively on mammography are compared with the diameters of neoplasms diagnosed by the anatomo pathologist on macroscopic examination of the excised part. Statistical analysis has shown that for every mammographic value it is possible to infer the corresponding real macroscopic value by adding or subtracting 0.45 cm."}
{"id": "PMID:1465315", "title": "[DNA index of colorectal carcinoma and follow-up].", "content": "In relation to DNA index we have studied 18 cases of differently evoluted carcinoma of the colon, some incoherently (8) other in agreement (10) with staging. Static and flow cytometric techniques have been employed, the first by means of densitometric study on paraffin sections with the Feulgen method, the second based on application of Hedley method on paraffin included material. DNA content, pressed by the DNA index, is inversely proportional to survival with similar results in both techniques, from which the possible prognostic significance is argued."}
{"id": "PMID:1465316", "title": "The application of AgNOR technique on glycol-methacrylate embedded human normal and pathological tissues.", "content": "The Authors have applied the AgNOR technique to a series of normal and pathological human tissues fixed in neutral buffered formalin and methacarnoy and embedded in glycol-methacrylate. The results show the compatibility of the AgNOR technique with this embedding medium as well as the possibility to obtain an adequate visualization of the specific silver precipitates (AgNORs) on a unique focal plane without appreciable nuclear overlap, making thus the valuation of the AgNORs less subjective."}
{"id": "PMID:1465317", "title": "The experimental systemic perfused lung: histological observations in the dog.", "content": "An experimental model of pulmonary hypertension was obtained in the dog implanting the left main pulmonary artery in the descending thoracic aorta. The main histological lesions consisted in an increased muscularity of the pulmonary artery itself and of its lobar branches."}
{"id": "PMID:1465318", "title": "Acute pulmonary edema after over-infusion of crystalloids versus plasma: histological observations in the rat.", "content": "An experimental model of acute pulmonary edema was obtained in the rat, with over-infusion of normal saline and of plasma: histology demonstrated essential differences between edema from crystalloids, developed in the interstitial space, and that from colloids, affecting the alveoli."}
{"id": "PMID:1465319", "title": "[Antiproliferative activity of cimetidine and a copper-cimetidine complex on rat fibroblasts cultured in vitro].", "content": "Cimetidine is an active H2-receptor antagonist which, combined with other drugs, has antitumor effect. It has been recently shown that some drugs complexed with copper increase their inhibitory effect on tumor growth and promote cell differentiation. In the present investigation we analysed the modifications of some cell proliferation parameters (mitotic, labelling and apoptotic indices and DNA synthesis) by microfluorometry and autoradiography in 2-day low and high cell density fibroblast cultures in presence of 20 microM cimetidine or copper-cimetidine complex. In low density cultures, a more intense proliferation activity was found while in the high density ones there was accumulation of 4c and 8c polyploid cells. The highest antiproliferative effect was found in low density cultures in presence of copper cimetidine complex, which caused mitotic anomalies and increased chromocenters. Simultaneous evaluation of nuclear DNA content and 3H-T labelling indicated the extension of G1 and G2 phases, followed by a lower cell proliferation and degeneration."}
{"id": "PMID:1465320", "title": "Changes in fibronectin production in rat liver during cirrhotic evolution due to treatment with CCl4 and steroid hormones: correlation with plasmatic fibronectin.", "content": "Previous our studies showed that some steroid hormones, as pure crystalline Progesterone (pPc) and 17-alpha-hydroxyprogesterone capronate (17 alpha HPC) heightened the cirrhogenic action produced in rat liver by carbon tetrachloride. Medroxyprogesterone (MPA), however, did not appear to promote cirrhosis, but increased just steatosis. In the present paper, we have studied the above mentioned steroid hormones for their possible capability of inducing changes in plasma fibronectin concentration. For this purpose, the soluble plasma fibronectin level was measured in female rats 45 days after CCl4-induced cirrhosis, and it was compared with the insoluble fibronectin of liver (detected by immunostaining) and the collagen content in the organ. The results obtained show that, after treatment with CCl4 and MPA, both plasma and liver fibronectin content strongly increases, whereas liver collagen content lowers. However, after treatment with CCl4 alone or in association with the other two steroid hormones, any changes in fibronectin content is not observable, but, on the contrary, is evident a heightened collagen production associated with a cirrhotic change of liver."}
{"id": "PMID:1465321", "title": "[Non-radioactive in situ hybridization of alpha-satellite sequences in cytogenetic diagnosis].", "content": "Non isotopic in situ hybridization with alpha-satellite DNA probes in the cytogenetic diagnosis. Standard banding cytogenetic techniques do not always allow to define the structure and the origin of chromosome rearrangements involving the centromere region. Non-isotopic in situ hybridization of alphoid sequences has allowed to determine the origin of the centromeres in the metaphases of 5 patients referred to us for: 2 structural rearrangements involving chromosome 21, 2 structural rearrangements involving chromosome Y and 1 reciprocal translocation involving on chromosome 20 and one chromosome 15."}
{"id": "PMID:1465323", "title": "[Adenomatoid tumor of the epididymis: cytologic diagnosis by fine-needle aspiration (FNA)].", "content": "Adenomatoid tumor of the epididymis diagnosed using fine needle aspiration (FNA). The adenomatoid tumor of the male genital system is a relatively uncommon, well recognized neoplasm with benign histologic appearance, and mostly asymptomatic clinical features. We describe a case of adenomatoid tumor of the epididymis diagnosed before surgery by fine needle aspiration cytology (FNA). This diagnostic procedure has allowed a rapid, reliable, and conclusive surgical approach."}
{"id": "PMID:1465322", "title": "[Comparison between the use of anti-secretory-component (sc) antibodies and anti-mucin-like-cancer-antigen (MCA) antibodies in the identification of cancer cells in serous effusions].", "content": "Evaluation between Antibodies SC and MCA in identification of carcinomatous cells in serous effusions. Authors have tested with MAbs MCA and SC twenty-seven cell-blocks from malignant effusions (epithelial neoplasms) in order to investigate the capacity of each antibody to discriminate neoplastic cells from mesothelial cells; moreover the two antibodies have been tested in relation to PAS-diastase test to verify their sensitivity to mucin detection. The \"Chi square\" statistical test demonstrates that MCA is much better than SC for sensitivity towards neoplastic cells, but that the SC is the best between two antibodies as markers of mucous producing features, and preferable to PAS-diastase test for better standardisation and interpretation."}
{"id": "PMID:1465325", "title": "[A case of desmoplastic malignant melanoma].", "content": "Desmoplastic malignant melanoma: report of a case. Authors report a case of desmoplastic malignant melanoma, a variant of the common primary cutaneous malignant melanoma in a 42 years old man, who was admitted into Hospital for metastatic node disease. Differential diagnoses on the primary, eventually discovered on the right knee, are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1465331", "title": "[Image processing of early gastric cancer cases].", "content": "Computer image processing was used to enhance gastric lesions in order to improve the detection of stomach cancer. Digitization was performed in 25 cases of early gastric cancer that had been confirmed surgically and pathologically. The image processing consisted of grey scale transformation, edge enhancement (Sobel operator), and high-pass filtering (unsharp masking). Gery scale transformation improved image quality for the detection of gastric lesions. The Sobel operator enhanced linear and curved margins, and consequently, suppressed the rest. High-pass filtering with unsharp masking was superior to visualization of the texture pattern on the mucosa. Eight of 10 small lesions (less than 2.0 cm) were successfully demonstrated. However, the detection of two lesions in the antrum, was difficult even with the aid of image enhancement. In the other 15 lesions (more than 2.0 cm), the tumor surface pattern and margin between the tumor and non-pathological mucosa were clearly visualized. Image processing was considered to contribute to the detection of small early gastric cancer lesions by enhancing the pathological lesions."}
{"id": "PMID:1465326", "title": "Monocytoid B-cell lymphoma of the prostate.", "content": "A case of a primary malignant non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of the prostate, with the histological and immunohistochemical features of monocytoid B-cell lymphoma, is presented. The tumor histology was identical to that described in the forms of node-based monocytoid B-cell lymphoma being composed of a dense, monomorphous lymphoid infiltrate with ovoid nuclei and rather abundant, pale cytoplasm. Phenotypic analysis revealed high expression of B markers 4KB5 and L26, and negativity for T-associated antigens. This unusual localization broadens the spectrum of extra-nodal sites of monocytoid B-cell lymphoma."}
{"id": "PMID:1465332", "title": "[Two-dimensional time-of-flight MR angiography of mediastinum and pulmonary hilar vessels: initial clinical experiences].", "content": "Two-dimensional time-of-flight magnetic resonance angiography (2D TOF MRA) of mediastinal and pulmonary hilar vessels was performed in 10 patients, seven men and three women with a mean age (range) of 65.7 (48-88) years. The rate of visualization of the vessels and the diagnostic ability of 2D TOF MRA were assessed in comparison with contrast-enhanced CT. A radiofrequency-spoiled gradient echo sequence (SPGR) was used during repeated breath-holding (8-27 seconds) in coronal (8 patients) and axial (2 patients) imaging planes on a 1.5 Tesla superconducting scanner under the following conditions: repetition time/echo time/flip angle/excitation: 25-33/7-8 ms/45 degrees/1, field-of-view: 30 x 30 cm, slice thickness: 2.5 mm, 32 slices, 256 (frequency) x 192 (phase) matrix, with gradient moment nulling technique. Visualization sufficient to enable diagnosis of the vascular lesion was obtained in 95 (52%) vessels, mere visualization in 63 (35%), and non-visualization in 24 (13%) of the 182 evaluable vessels. The rates of good visualization of pulmonary hilar vessels (26/86, 30%) and veins (26/48, 54%) were significantly lower than that of arteries (43/48, 90%, p < 0.05). The sensitivity and specificity of 2D TOF MRA were 77% (10/13) and 100% (83/83), respectively, in 96 evaluable vessels of nine patients. 2D TOF MRA of mediastium and pulmonary hili is clinically feasible, and may be useful because of its high specificity."}
{"id": "PMID:1465333", "title": "[Changes in mammographic features of breast cancer--comparison with previous films].", "content": "Mammographic features of 87 breast cancer patients were studied in comparison with their previous survey films. Changes in the mammographic features included microcalicification (28 cases), tumor shadow (35 cases) and intratumorous microcalicifications (6 cases). Seven cases had several extremely faint calcifications on the previous films, and three of six cases with clustered and scattered microcalcifications that extended over an entire breast quadrant had increased in number, density and extent. Eight cases in which clustered microcalcifications had increased in number, density and extent suggested a relationship between the increase in the extent of microcalcifications and length of time between visits. In most cases with tumor shadow, a slight localized increase in mammary gland density, irregular margins and straightened trabeculae were overlooked because of breast density."}
{"id": "PMID:1465334", "title": "[Fundamental study of helical scanning CT--evaluation of spatial resolution in the longitudinal axis].", "content": "We evaluated spatial resolution in the longitudinal axis with helical scanning CT using a fourth-generation fast CT scanner. We made a phantom by stringing acrylic balls (65 mm phi x 8 and 9 mm phi x 6). The acquired images were processed by MPR and assessed visually to evaluate axis resolution. With the conventional scanning method, the partial volume effect varied with the starting position, but helical scanning was able to reconstruct high-resolution images using continuous raw data. During helical scanning, axis resolution varied depending on the slice width and sliding speed of the couch top. Even if the sliding speed was kept constant at 4 mm/sec, axis resolution was superior with a slice width of 2 mm than with one of 5 mm."}
{"id": "PMID:1465329", "title": "[Dental abnormalities in cleidocranial dysplasia. Presentation of 4 cases].", "content": "Four patients, three in the same family, with cleidocranial dysplasia, are reported. The birth of a male newborn with cleidocranial dysplasia has allowed to investigate his mother and grandmother with the same condition. An other 30-year-old patient with cleidocranial dysplasia is described. All the adult patients showed the main clinical manifestations of the disease with the peculiar abnormalities of the dentition."}
{"id": "PMID:1465335", "title": "[CT features of chronic maxillary osteomyelitis in adults].", "content": "CT findings were reviewed in four adult patients with chronic maxillary osteomyelitis (CMO) that was histologically proved. The CT features of CMO included bone destruction and soft tissue mass, predominantly in the inferior portion of the maxillary antrum (all 4 cases), thickening of the antral wall (3 cases) and abnormal soft tissue around the antrum associated with or without bony wall destruction (3 cases). CMO could not be distinguished from cancer of the maxillary antrum on CT because of the similar findings. However, abnormal soft tissue around the antrum together with an undestructed bony antral wall may be useful for differentiating the two diseases."}
{"id": "PMID:1465336", "title": "[MR imaging of bone metastasis].", "content": "One hundred and three patients with known malignancy and suspected bone metastasis underwent magnetic resonance imaging. In 93%, the metastatic lesions, detected both on plain films and radionuclide bone scans, showed decreased signal intensity on T1-weighted images and increased signal intensity on T2-weighted images. All lesions, except one lesion showing much blastic change on plain films, showed contrast enhancement with Gd-DTPA administration. Although further investigation is needed, a correlation between the type of primary malignancy and the signal intensity of the metastatic lesion is suggested. Among 312 metastatic lesions detected by MR imaging, 272 lesions (87%) and 134 lesions (40%) were also detected by radionuclide bone scans and plain films, respectively. In five cases, MR imaging clearly revealed the lesion compressing the spinal cord, which helped us formulate a therapeutic plan. We conclude that MR imaging is the most sensitive examination for detecting bone metastasis and is necessary for planning treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1465328", "title": "[Single maxillary central incisor and holoprosencephaly].", "content": "A holoprosencephalic female was born to a mother with a single central maxillary incisor. The newborn had microcephaly, hypotelorism, cebocephaly, palatoschisis, micrognathia, and normal chromosomes. Her brain computed tomography showed alobar holoprosencephaly. The mother was of normal intelligence and stature, and her brain computed tomography was normal. Other relatives did not have single central maxillary incisors, hypotelorism, or oral clefts. We show a further evidence of a single central maxillary incisor as an indicator of potential holoprosencephaly in the next generation, confirming an autosomal dominant trait with wide variety in penetrance and expressivity."}
{"id": "PMID:1465337", "title": "[MR imaging of stereotactic thalamotomy using radiofrequency methods].", "content": "Sixty-eight stereotactic radiofrequency (rf) thalamic lesions in 57 patients with movement disorders were evaluated by magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. Postoperative periods ranged from 5 days to 4 years and 9 months. All 68 rf lesions were clearly detected on T2-weighted images (T2WI). Changes in signal intensity on T2WI were classified into five patterns, as follows: Pattern I: lesions with three concentric zones consisting of an inner hypointense, middle hyperintense and outer hypointense zone (31 lesions); Pattern II: lesions consisting of an inner hypointense and outer hyperintense zone (4 lesions); Pattern III: lesions consisting of an inner hyperintense and outer hypointense zone (27 lesion); Pattern IV: lesions of a hyperintense area alone (2 lesions); Pattern V: lesions of a hypointense area alone (4 lesions). The outer hypointense rim in Patterns I and III is thought to represent hemosiderin deposition. The abnormal signal intensity on T2WI caused by rf ranged from 2 to 12 mm in diameter, and lesions in the late phase were smaller than lesions in the early phase."}
{"id": "PMID:1465338", "title": "A retrospective survey of delayed adverse reactions to ionic and nonionic contrast media.", "content": "A comparative survey of delayed adverse reactions (DARs) to ionic and nonionic contrast media (CM) was carried out. In Japan high osmolar CM have mostly been replaced by new low osmolar CM. Therefore, a retrospective survey was performed limited to inpatients who had received an enhanced CT examination in our hospital. The material consists of 715 consecutive cases given ionic CM (iothalamate and diatrizoate) and 902 given nonionic CM (iopamidol and iohexol). DARs were picked up based on descriptions in the medical record up to 5 days after the examination. Most DARs had occurred within two days after the examination. Overall DARs were noted in 36 cases (5.0%) of the ionic group, and 44 cases (4.9%) of the nonionic group. Skin rash as well as other symptoms revealed no significant difference in incidence between the ionic and the nonionic group. There were no significant associations with immediate reactions, allergy, previous adverse reactions to CM. One patient given an ionic CM developed hypotension (60 mmHg) after return to the ward. It should be emphasized that a delayed shock had been recorded."}
{"id": "PMID:1465339", "title": "[Hydralazine-induced enhancement of hyperthermia treatment in vivo].", "content": "Hydralazine (Hyd) is a vaso-active drug that significantly affects the nature of blood flow in tumors. As a result, Hyd reduces blood flow and oxygen tension in tumors, causing an increase in the toxic effect of hyperthermia treatment. We investigated enhancement of the anti-tumor effect of hyperthermia by Hyd on SCC-VII tumors in C3H mice. Hyd was administered by intraperitoneal injection, and tumors were heated by water bath. We measured the tumor temperature in animals receiving Hyd by thermocouple. We found no significant change in tumor temperature with Hyd treatment. The effect of Hyd (2.5 mg/kg, 5.0 mg/kg, 7.5 mg/kg) on tumors was evaluated in terms of a growth delay value at which tumor volume reached four-fold. The growth delay values obtained were 6.25 +/- 0.82, 7.14 +/- 0.90, 8.50 +/- 0.98, 9.72 +/- 0.92, and 9.84 +/- 1.3 days for: hyperthermia alone, Hyd of 1.0 mg/kg, 2.5 mg/kg, 5.0 mg/kg, respectively. This effect was independent of the time course of administration of Hyd. These results indicate that Hyd can increase the therapeutic efficacy of hyperthermia treatment. Changes in the microenvironment, such as low pH and tumor hypoxia, induced by arterial embolization may have increased the sensitivity of tumors to heat."}
{"id": "PMID:1465340", "title": "[MR angiography of the lung using 3-dimensional imaging method].", "content": "Three-Dimensional MR angiography (3D-MRA) of the lung was performed in 5 healthy volunteers and 14 patients with primary pulmonary cancer in the hilum, and compared with 2D-MRA. As 3D-MRA could be obtained with single breath holding after intravenous bolus injection of Gd-DTPA, pulmonary vessels of the hilum and peripheral zone were demonstrated more definitely than those of 2D-MRA. In all patients except one case, the relation between the tumor and pulmonary vessels was visualized more clearly by 3D-MRA than 2D-MRA. This technique is considered a non-invasive and effective method for evaluation of pulmonary vessels in the patient with hilar tumor."}
{"id": "PMID:1465341", "title": "[MR angiography enhanced by sodium acetazolamide].", "content": "We tried to use sodium acetazolamide to enhance MR angiography (MRA). Sodium acetazolamide, one of carbonic anhydrase inhibitors, has an effect to increase regional cerebral blood flow. We made a direct comparison between pre and post enhanced MRA (both 3D-TOF and 3D-PC techniques). MRA after administration of sodium acetazolamide could depict more details of cortical branches without enhancement of back-ground. So we recommend this simple method to be used widely in any examination of MR angiography."}
{"id": "PMID:1465343", "title": "[How is simplex glaucoma diagnosed?].", "content": "Although glaucoma has traditionally been regarded as a disease affecting people over 60 years of age, improved diagnostic methods now enable glaucoma-related changes to be detected already in the 35-40-year-old age group, long before any functional visual changes are present. Since there is no treatment capable of restoring lost visual capacity, the diagnosis should be made and treatment initiated at an early stage before visual deterioration has become manifest. Measurements of intra-ocular pressure and visual acuity provide insufficient guidance, whereas periodic photography of the nerve fibre layer yields early diagnostic information and an indication of the appropriate individual level of intra-ocular pressure to prevent progression of the disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1465344", "title": "[Laser treatment in diabetes-related eye complications].", "content": "Argon laser photocoagulation for diabetic retinopathy predominantly involves scatter photocoagulation of either the macula (for diabetic macular edema) or a large portion of the retina (panretinal photocoagulation). In both cases the laser treatment destroys a part of the photoreceptor layer, allowing the diffusion of oxygen and nutrients from the choroid to the inner retina, thus improving the metabolic state of the inner retina. Metabolic imbalance (hypoxia) can be linked with diabetic macular edema through hemodynamic principles according to Starlings law. The connection between the metabolic imbalances and retinal neovascularization is less clear and may involve chemical mitogens, hemodynamic considerations and other unknown factors."}
{"id": "PMID:1465345", "title": "[Current diagnostic and therapeutic possibilities in tapetoretinal degeneration].", "content": "Recent advances in research have markedly improved the possibility of differentiating between the different kinds of retinitis pigmentosa, and of elucidating prognosis, heredity and in certain cases the precise pathogenesis. Although treatment trials have begun, as yet no adequate treatment is available for the majority of patients with diseases belonging to this category. One approach under discussion is transplantation of fetal retinal cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1465346", "title": "[Alcohol during pregnancy damages eye and vision development].", "content": "Maternal alcohol abuse during pregnancy causes malformations of the eyes with serious consequences to the vision of the affected children. A high percentage (up to 90 per cent) of children suffering from the fetal alcohol syndrome have eye abnormalities of different kinds. The most typical are hypoplasia of the optic nervehead and increased tortuosity of the retinal vessels, especially of the arteries, both occurring in up to half of the cases. Visual acuity is often reduced. Considering the developmental timing of different tissues of the eye, one can presume that there is a risk for deleterious effects of alcohol on eye structures at any point of time from early gestation until development is completed."}
{"id": "PMID:1465347", "title": "[Contrast sensitivity and glare].", "content": "The ability of the visual system to detect the information presented to the eye in form of spatial or temporal contrast can be characterized by the contrast sensitivity function (CSF). CSF measurements can be used to visualize loss in visual capacity in patients with different diseases and to monitor recovery of vision. In the clinic CSF is most commonly used to evaluate disability glare in patients with cataract."}
{"id": "PMID:1465349", "title": "The crack cocaine problem. A warning from North America.", "content": "This article describes crack cocaine and its adverse clinical and public health effects. Although crack cocaine does not yet constitute a major drug problem in the Nordic countries, heed should be paid to North America where crack cocaine has developed into a serious and widespread problem only a few years after its introduction. In spite of highly publicized efforts to limit its spread, after a small decline in 1990, the use of crack cocaine is once again increasing. Strong efforts should therefore be made to keep this substance away from the Nordic countries."}
{"id": "PMID:1465350", "title": "[Diagnosis in acute narcotics poisoning].", "content": "The article presents a brief summary of symptoms in acute narcotic drug intoxication. It emphasizes the need for correct diagnosis by using drugs of abuse testing, and when these tests may be applicable. With three case reports the authors show the need for correct diagnosis from both medical and legal aspects."}
{"id": "PMID:1465351", "title": "[Sexual abuse of children--a public health problem?].", "content": "Owing to variation in the reported prevalences of sexual abuse of children, international publications were reviewed to analyse the definitions and other criteria used. Reported prevalences varied from 4 to 67 per cent, the variation being due, among other things, to inconsistency in the definitions used. By some of the investigators sexual acts without actual physical contact between the offender and the victim had been included in the category, exhibitionism. Approximately half of the reported experiences were isolated events. Future research in this field will require greater conformity in the definitions and criteria used."}
{"id": "PMID:1465352", "title": "[Effort-induced myocardial wall motion abnormalities in the magnetic resonance tomogram: a comparison with effort MIBI SPECT].", "content": "In 20 patients with an angiographically documented coronary artery stenosis of > or = 70% and normal LV function at rest MRI was performed before and after dipyridamole infusion (0.75 mg/kg BW). In all patients MIBI-SPECT was obtained at rest and after dynamic symptom-limited exercise. In 18 patients MIBI-SPECT showed ischemia and in 18 patients dipyridamole MRI showed a wall motion impairment. In the segments representing the 29 stenosed vessels ischemia in MIBI-SPECT was diagnosed correctly in 24 instances (sensitivity 83%, specificity 90%) and a wall motion abnormality was present in MRI in 23 instances (sensitivity 79%, specificity 90%). Dipyridamole GE-MRI is not superior to MIBI-SPECT in the diagnosis of ischemia."}
{"id": "PMID:1465353", "title": "[A phosphine-substituted diphosphonic acid (HMPD) for improved scintigraphic detection of bone lesions].", "content": "Although the radiopharmaceuticals used for bone scintigraphy are of very high quality, the search for an \"ideal\" agent continues. To optimise the detectability of bone lesions, we analysed 244 different 99mTc-labeled phosphonates in animal experiments. In osteosarcoma-carrying rats 99mTc-labeled 1-Hydroxy-3-methyl-phosphinic-1, 1-propanediphosphonic acid (HMPD) was shown to produce the best lesion/normal bone ratio. 99mTc-MDP was used as reference. The ratio was found to be 1.28 for 99mTc-HMPD. The transferability of our results in animals to the situation in man was studied in 10 patients with bone metastases. There was for 99mTc-HMPD an improvement of the lesion/normal bone ratio by more than 60% but also an additional reduction of the soft tissue contrast by about 40%. 15% of the metastases were detected by scintigraphy using 99mTc-HMPD only and not with 99mTc-MDP. The new agent should make possible a better and earlier discrimination of bone lesions in the scintigram."}
{"id": "PMID:1465354", "title": "[The value of a new IRMA for determining thyroglobulin].", "content": "A total of 277 patients suffering from differentiated thyroid carcinoma with individual follow-up periods of up to five years had been investigated. More than 1,000 sera were collected. The present paper reports on the results of the parallel serum Tg determinations by means of a recently introduced Tg-IRMA system in comparison with the previously used, well established Tg-RIA method. The intra- and the interassay variation of the IRMA were found at 37% and 46%, respectively, for 4 ng Tg/ml, and 3% and 6%, respectively, for Tg values above 40 ng/ml. Several effects that could interfere with the serum Tg determination (freezing or repeated freezing and thawing of sera, hemolysis or lipemia or dilution of sera, preanalytical use of serum separating tubes) were examined. Although statistically significant in some instances, at least, all of the above mentioned effects were without any practical relevance for the clinical routine use of the IRMA. In patients being in complete remission and on complete TSH suppressive thyroid hormone treatment but having no residual thyroid tissue (n = 70), the level of clinical significance was 1 ng Tg/ml for the IRMA system, resulting in a sensitivity of 99% and a specificity of 90%, respectively. For the RIA system, however, the level of clinical significance was found to be 10 ng Tg/ml with a sensitivity of 89% and a specificity of 95%. We could additionally define the grey-zone for the practical use of the IRMA (1-3 ng Tg/ml). The IRMA system is significantly more sensitive and detects more sera correctly positive than the Tg-RIA.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1465355", "title": "Quantitative bone scintigraphy and 24-hour whole-body counting of 99mTc-methylene diphosphonate in patients with prostatic carcinoma.", "content": "Thirty-four patients with prostatic carcinoma were studied with quantitative bone scintigraphy and whole-body counting (WBC) 1 and 24 h after injection of 99mTc-MDP before as well as two weeks and two months after orchiectomy. Thirteen of the patients had normal bone scintigrams and WBR at the three different investigations; 21 had skeletal metastases. The latter showed throughout the study higher local gamma camera count rates as well as WBR values than the patients with normal scintigrams. In these patients a \"flare phenomenon\", with an increase in count rate two weeks after orchiectomy followed by a decrease two months post-operatively, was seen with quantitative bone scintigraphy but not with WBC. However, WBC may be a valuable method indicating the total extent of skeletal metastases in the body, while quantitative bone scintigraphy is more accurate in the interpretation of individual skeletal metastases."}
{"id": "PMID:1465356", "title": "[Immunoscintigraphy using 111In-antimyosin-antibodies in the clinical diagnosis of myocarditis].", "content": "Thirty patients suspected of having acute myocarditis underwent examination with 111In-labeled antimyosin antibodies. The heart/lung ratio was used for scintigraphic evaluation, with a value of > 1.5 being regarded as positive. The values were correlated with a score based on typical clinical parameters, separating myocarditis into categories \"unlikely\", \"possible\" and \"highly probable\". There was complete correlation in the category \"myocarditis highly probable\"--with a heart/lung ratio > 1.5 (11 patients)--and in the category of \"myocarditis unlikely\"--with a heart/lung ratio of < or = 1.5 (5 patients). The category \"myocarditis possible\" included 2 cases with a scintigraphic vote for the presence of myocarditis and 12 cases against. Immunoscintigraphy with antimyosin antibodies has shown itself to be a valuable non-invasive tool in the investigation of suspected myocarditis."}
{"id": "PMID:1465357", "title": "[MR tomography of the lower limbs of children with diseases of the hematopoietic system].", "content": "In 41 children with disorders of the hematopoetic system 119 MR examinations of both tibiae and knees were performed (T1 and T2 spin-echo sequences and a T2 gradient-echo sequence). Before therapy bone marrow changes in leukemia were diffuse, and patchy during and after therapy. Signals in T2-weighted images were different for infiltrations, fibrosis, necrosis and siderosis. In 3 children suspected of suffering from osteomyelitis, Ewing-sarcoma or coxitis, MR examination was the first to show the correct diagnosis. Therefore in children indications for MR tomography should be handled more generously to win time for therapy. Using only a T1 spin-echo sequence and a T2 gradient-echo sequence screening of more than one region is capable of controlling bone marrow diseases."}
{"id": "PMID:1465358", "title": "[Tuberous sclerosis: broadening of the diagnosis using MR tomography and computed tomography].", "content": "Ten children and a 22-y old women with tuberous sclerosis were studied. All children were epileptic but only 8 had skin lesions (white spots, sebaceous adenoma), 4 had rhabdomyoma of the heart and 4 children had astrocytoma of the retina; only in 4 children was the entire triad of tuberous sclerosis seen. The young woman with a hemorrhage of an angiolipoma of the kidney had no other symptoms of tuberous sclerosis. All patients had pathologic CT and MRT findings; 4 different types of lesion were seen in MRT. In order to elucidate human genetic aspects and to demonstrate the underlying disease all children with epileptic disorders and also all patients without the full triad of symptoms should be examined by MRT."}
{"id": "PMID:1465360", "title": "[99mTc-MAB bone marrow scintigraphy and probe-guided biopsy in aplastic anemia].", "content": "The diagnosis of systemic haematological disorders is often confirmed by bone marrow biopsy which is usually performed \"blind\". False-negative results may be obtained because this method is restricted to a small part of the blood-forming organ. Bone marrow scintigraphy has the potential of detecting the distribution of active haematopoietic bone marrow and to localize infiltrative lesions. This case report of a patient with pancytopenia demonstrates that the diagnosis of aplastic anaemia can be confirmed by bone marrow scintigraphy in combination with probe-guided bone marrow biopsy."}
{"id": "PMID:1465363", "title": "[Electrolyte abnormalities in elderly people. Prevalence and relation to drug treatment. Multicenter study of 631 subjects aged 70 years and over].", "content": "In order to assess the responsibility of medicinal drugs for the disorders in electrolytes observed in elderly people, the prevalence of abnormal natraemia and kalaemia was prospectively established in 631 subjects aged 70 or more on the first day of hospitalization. Among 337 subjects not taking drugs likely to create problems (diuretics, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, anti-inflammatory agents) 3.6 percent had hyponatraemia (below 130 mmol/l) and 12.2 percent had hypokalaemia (below 3.5 mmol/l). Subjects with normal renal function who were taking angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents showed no more electrolytic abnormalities than those who did not take them. Conversely, subjects on thiazides were more frequently hyponatraemic (11.8 percent) or hypokalaemic (16.2 percent; 20 percent in the absence of associated distal diuretics). These abnormalities were more frequent in women than in men (21.7 and 13 percent). This, together with the fact that 68 percent of subjects taking thiazides were women accounts for the marked female predominance of electrolytic abnormalities reported in the literature."}
{"id": "PMID:1465364", "title": "[Survival after gastrectomy for cancer. 209 cases].", "content": "The long-term results of 209 gastrectomies performed for adenocarcinoma, including 117 which were prospectively collected, are presented. Resection was curative in 154 cases (73.6 percent). The TNM distribution of the tumours was: stage I (TxNOMO) 75 cases, stage II (TxN1MO) 46 cases, stage III (TxN2MO) 33 cases and stage IV (TxNxM1) 55 cases. Lymph node involvement was more frequent in the prospective than in the retrospective study. With a more than 5 years' follow-up of 80 percent of the patients operated upon, the actuarial survival rate at 5 years (operative mortality included) was 38 percent for all lesions, 52 percent for curative resection and 2 percent for palliative resection. Following curative resection, the survival rates for tumours of the upper, middle and lower thirds of the stomach were 40, 60 and 55 percent respectively. These rates were 60 percent for stage I tumours, 54 percent for stage II tumours and 25 percent for stage III tumours. The results obtained in this series, where most of the curative gastrectomies included excision of N1 and N2 lymph nodes, show that lymph node involvement has no significant importance for the prognosis when it is proximal (N1) and is not incompatible with prolonged survival when it is pedicular (N2)."}
{"id": "PMID:1465365", "title": "[Efficacy of danazol in autoimmune hemolytic anemia with cold agglutinins. 4 cases].", "content": "The treatment of haemolytic anaemia related to primary cold agglutinin disease is often unsatisfactory. Corticosteroids are not useful in most cases and, beside protection against cold, treatment is frequently limited to transfusions. We report the good results obtained with long-term danazol therapy (600 mg per day initially, than 400 mg per day) in 3 cases of chronic cold agglutinin disease and 1 case of idiopathic haemolytic anaemia with cold agglutinin in serum. The only side-effect was a transient increase of transaminase level requiring reduction of a maintenance dose which could be given during 3 to 7 years."}
{"id": "PMID:1465366", "title": "[Infectious respiratory complications of AIDS].", "content": "Respiratory infections are particularly frequent in HIV infection. They depend upon the degree of immunodeficiency, the geographical region and a possible prophylaxis. Bronchopneumopathies caused by pyogenic organisms (notably pneumococci) appear when the number of T4 lymphocytes is little reduced. Pulmonary tuberculosis, particularly frequent in Africans and Haitians, occurs in patients with moderate immunodeficiency (T4 between 200 and 300/mm3). HIV infections modify the epidemiology of tuberculosis in Africa, but also in the USA and probably in Europe. Despite a well-established prophylaxis, pneumocystosis, which develops when the number of T4 cells falls below 200/mm3, is the opportunistic pathology which in most cases points to AIDS in the USA and in France. Atypical mycobacterial infections (Mycobacterium avium complex) and CMV infections occur at a late stage of the disease in patients with severe immunodeficiency. Noticeable advances have recently been made in the treatment of these complications."}
{"id": "PMID:1465372", "title": "[Bronchial cancer associated with atheromatous arteriopathy. Prognostic and therapeutic consequences in pulmonary excision].", "content": "Between January 1980 and January 1985, 462 consecutive patients underwent lung resection for bronchogenic carcinoma. Eighty of these patients (17.3 percent) had atherosclerosis involving mainly the coronary arteries (40 percent). The mortality rate was significantly higher in patients with atherosclerosis (10 percent) than in those without it (4.7 percent), but the long-term survival was not affected with the presence of atherosclerosis. The lung carcinoma-atherosclerosis association raises two problems: what investigations should be carried out in this group of patients at risk, and what treatment should be given priority when vascular lesions are present and likely to become complicated by pulmonary surgery? However, the presence of atherosclerosis should not lead to a re-evaluation of the need for lung resection."}
{"id": "PMID:1465373", "title": "[Systematic parasitic coprologic testing. Value in hospital kitchen staff].", "content": "The results of annual parasitological coprology in 56 members of the kitchen staff of a hospital over a 6-year period have been studied. Among these subjects, 27 had at least one positive examination. The results were compared with those from other hospitals. Among the parasites found were 2 Strongyloides stercoralis, 4 Schistosoma mansoni and 31 protozoa with direct transmission. The value of this examination is discussed, taking into account the increasing number of immunodepressed patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1465374", "title": "[Treatment of wounds with honey. 40 cases].", "content": "Honey has been used long ago to treat wounds and cutaneous ulcers, and its healing properties have recently been rediscovered. Its applications on wounds or infected burns give satisfactory results. In a study of 40 patients with wounds of various origin honey provided healing in 88 percent of the cases. At the end of the healing process a few microorganisms were isolated from the wounds, but they did not prevent consolidation. This treatment, therefore, seems to be effective; moreover, as it is simple and inexpensive it should be better known and added to the list of commonly used antiseptic products."}
{"id": "PMID:1465375", "title": "[Tubular gastrostomy using celioscopy].", "content": "Surgical feeding gastrostomy is attended by a significant morbidity and mortality. Today, the percutaneous endoscopic route is regarded as the best method, but it is not feasible in case of pharyngo-oesophageal stenosis and has its own drawbacks. A new method using laparoscopy to perform a Depage-Janeway gastrostomy is presented here. The theoretical advantages of this method are clear: the limited parietal damage should avoid cicatricial complications, and the limited ventilatory aggression should reduce the amplitude of respiratory complications. Moreover, in surgical practice this is a simple, rapid and efficient operation."}
{"id": "PMID:1465376", "title": "[Cardiovascular consequences of obesity associated with arterial hypertension].", "content": "Hypertensive obese subjects run an increased cardiovascular risk. Their predominantly abdominal obesity is often associated with hypertriglyceridaemia and insulin-resistant diabetes, and their cardiovascular status is characterized by cardiac hyperdynamics and hypervolaemia responsible for left ventricular hypertrophy and dilatation. Insulin resistance and subsequent hyperinsulinaemia are thought to explain the obesity-hypertension association, the cardiovascular effects observed and the metabolic and cardiovascular complications which might result from this situation. Successful control of both arterial pressure and overweight should contribute to regression of the left ventricular hypertrophy. Simultaneous treatment of abnormalities in carbohydrate and lipid metabolism is also necessary to prevent cardiovascular complications."}
{"id": "PMID:1465380", "title": "Population genetics in the forensic DNA debate.", "content": "The use of matching variable number of tandem repeat (VNTR) profiles to link suspects with crimes is potentially very powerful, but it has been quite controversial. Initial debate over laboratory procedures has largely given way to debate over the statistical and population genetic issues involved in calculating the frequency of a profile for a random member of a population. This frequency is used to weight the evidence of a match between suspect and crime scene material when the suspect denies responsibility for that material. A recent report from the National Research Council, intended to put to rest some of the issues, has instead raised further debate by advocating a procedure based on maximum frequencies of profile components over several different populations."}
{"id": "PMID:1465381", "title": "Androgen-specific gene activation via a consensus glucocorticoid response element is determined by interaction with nonreceptor factors.", "content": "A fundamental issue in steroid hormone regulation is the question of how specific transcription is attained in vivo when several receptors can bind the same DNA sequence in vitro. We report an enhancer of the mouse sex-limited protein (Slp) gene that, unlike previously characterized enhancers, is activated by androgens but not by glucocorticoids or progestins. Potent androgen induction requires both a consensus glucocorticoid (hormone) response element and auxiliary elements also present within a 120-base-pair DNA fragment. Cotransfection assays with wild-type and mutant receptors reveal that glucocorticoid receptor can bind, but not transactivate from, the hormone response element within the enhancer. The positive effect of androgen and the null effect of glucocorticoid appear to require the amino-terminal domains of the respective receptors. Thus, exclusive transcriptional response to androgens, and lack of response to glucocorticoids, derives from factor interactions that are determined by the context of the receptor binding site rather than by its distinct sequence."}
{"id": "PMID:1465382", "title": "Transcription factor IIA is inactivated during terminal differentiation of avian erythroid cells.", "content": "Avian histone H5 and alpha A-globin genes are transcribed much more efficiently in whole cell extracts derived from immature polychromatic erythrocytes than in extracts from mature duck erythrocytes. We found that these differential activities are detectable only if assayed with promoters containing a functional TATA box. The addition of either highly purified human or recombinant yeast transcription factor IIA (TFIIA) to extracts from mature erythrocytes resulted in a significant increase in transcription from TATA-containing promoters, whereas transcription from TATA-less promoters remained unaffected. Moreover, the activity of TFIIA was found to be reduced in extracts from mature erythrocytes. These data support the proposition that inactivation of TFIIA may contribute to a general repression of gene activity in avian erythrocytes, and only those genes with alternative mechanisms of initiation complex formation continue to be expressed in these cells. In the case of the histone H5 gene, such an alternative mechanism could be mediated via the interaction between duck erythrocyte upstream stimulating factor and TFIID."}
{"id": "PMID:1465383", "title": "The PR264/c-myb connection: expression of a splicing factor modulated by a nuclear protooncogene.", "content": "We have previously reported that expression of the c-myb gene in normal avian thymic cells proceeds through the intermolecular recombination of ET (thymus-specific) and c-myb coding sequences, thereby generating a novel type of c-myb product. Antisense transcripts expressed from the ET locus encode the extremely well-conserved splicing factor PR264/SC35. We now show that the human PR264 promoter sequences contain several myb-recognition elements that efficiently interact in vitro with the c-myb DNA-binding domain. Moreover, expression from the PR264 promoter is transactivated, both in vitro and in cultured cells, by different c-myb products. Thus, the PR264 gene is most likely a physiological target for the c-myb family of transcription factors."}
{"id": "PMID:1465384", "title": "A different sort of Mott cell.", "content": "NYC is a B lymphoma cell line derived from B/W mice. Upon fusion of NYC cells with a plasmacytoma, which itself produces no immunoglobulin, the resulting NYCH hybridoma cells are Mott cells; i.e., they contain large intracellular vesicles filled with immunoglobulin, the so-called Russell bodies. When NYCH.kappa, a variant of NYCH that had lost the ability to produce heavy chain, was transfected with a heavy-chain construct, this concentration of immunoglobulin in the intracellular vesicles occurred only when the transfected immunoglobulin heavy chain had the same variable region as NYC. Moreover, unlike conventional Mott cells, the hybrid cells secrete immunoglobulin at a normal rate."}
{"id": "PMID:1465385", "title": "Ascaris hemoglobin gene: plant-like structure reflects the ancestral globin gene.", "content": "Animal globin genes have two introns at strictly conserved positions, while plant globin genes have both of these as well as an additional, central intron. It has been proposed that a common ancestor gene had three introns, one of which was subsequently lost from animal but not plant globin genes. We have elucidated the cDNA sequence and gene structure of a hemoglobin from the parasitic nematode Ascaris suum and found a plant-like central intron, providing strong evidence for a three-intron ancestor of modern globin genes."}
{"id": "PMID:1465386", "title": "Identification of a functionally important sequence in the C terminus of the interferon-gamma receptor.", "content": "We have previously shown that the intracellular domain of the interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) receptor plays an obligate role in receptor-mediated signal transduction. Moreover, we have specifically identified two regions within the human IFN-gamma receptor's intracellular domain required for functional activity: the membrane-proximal 48 amino acids required for both functional activity and receptor-mediated ligand internalization and the C-terminal 39 amino acids required exclusively for biologic response induction. Herein we report the identification of the 3 amino acids within the C-terminal region of the receptor that are obligatorily required for receptor function. By using a set of overlapping truncation mutants, the minimal functional sequence within the C-terminal region was localized to residues 434-444 (APTSFGYD-KPH). By mutating each individual residue within this sequence to alanine, three residues (Tyr-440, Asp-441, and His-444) were identified as being critical for IFN-gamma-dependent (i) upregulation of major histocompatibility complex class I proteins, (ii) activation of the IFN regulatory factor 1 gene, and (iii) stimulation of cells to produce nitric oxide. The more conservative Tyr-440-->Phe substitution also resulted in a nonfunctional receptor. Subsequent mutational analysis of all five of the IFN-gamma receptor's intracellular tyrosine residues revealed that Tyr-440 was the sole tyrosine required for receptor activity. These results thus identify a unique sequence in the IFN-gamma receptor that is required for initiation of IFN-gamma-dependent biologic responses and highlight the importance of the hydroxyl side chain of Tyr-440 in this process."}
{"id": "PMID:1465387", "title": "Circadian oscillations in period gene mRNA levels are transcriptionally regulated.", "content": "The period (per) gene is involved in regulating circadian rhythms in Drosophila melanogaster. The per gene is expressed in a circadian manner, where fluctuations in per mRNA abundance are influenced by its own translation product, which also cycles in abundance. Since per gene expression is necessary for circadian rhythmicity, we sought to determine how certain features of this feedback loop operate. The results of this study reveal that fluctuations in per mRNA are primarily controlled by fluctuations in per gene transcription, that per mRNA has a relatively short half-life, and that sequences sufficient to drive per mRNA cycling are present in 1.3 kilobases of 5' flanking sequences. These and other results indicate that the per feedback loop has all of the basic properties necessary to be a component of a circadian oscillator."}
{"id": "PMID:1465388", "title": "Insulin-like growth factor II stimulates motor nerve regeneration.", "content": "Injury to mammalian motor nerves can lead to paralysis, but relatively successful regeneration may occur when conditions are favorable. Elucidation of the mechanism upholding successful regeneration is of theoretical and clinical interest. In this study, the hypothesis that insulin-like growth factor II (IGF-II) can stimulate motor nerve regeneration was tested. When IGF-II was infused continuously near a site of crush on the sciatic nerve, the distance of motor axon regeneration was increased significantly in rats. In contrast, spontaneous regeneration was inhibited when an anti-IGF-II antiserum was infused through a \"window\" in the epineurium. Thus, infused IGF-II can increase, and endogenous IGFs can support, the regeneration of motor axons in lesioned nerves."}
{"id": "PMID:1465389", "title": "Carbonic anhydrase in the membrane of the endoplasmic reticulum of male rat liver.", "content": "We have prepared subcellular fractions of male rat liver homogenate by the method of Lewis and Tata [Lewis, J. A. & Tata, J. R. (1973) J. Cell Sci. 23, 447-459], further purifying the membranes of the microsomal fraction by exposure to 0.01% Triton X-100 and centrifugation. We determined the purity of the fractions with marker enzymes and measured carbonic anhydrase (CA; EC 4.2.1.1) activity in intact and solubilized particulates with 18O exchange between CO2/HCO3- and water. We measured the concentration of CA by titration with a sulfonamide inhibitor, ethoxzolamide, obtaining an average value of 3.8 mumol/mg of microsomal membrane protein. The equilibrium constant for binding ethoxzolamide was 0.49 x 10(-9) M. The Km for CO2 was 1.7 mM and the turnover number was 560,000 sec-1, characterizing this as a membrane-bound, high-activity isozyme of type IV. By electron microscopy of tissue sections after staining with a cobalt precipitation technique, CA was seen in small cytoplasmic vesicles in hepatocytes and in microsomal particles and membranes. There was a sulfonamide-resistant (isozyme type III) and a sulfonamide-sensitive (isozyme type II) CA in the cytosol but none in the rapidly sedimenting endoplasmic reticulum. We conclude that there is no CA normally within the matrix of the cell endoplasmic reticulum but that the CA type III found in the microsome may have been captured from the cytosol during resealing. Thus the adult male rat hepatocyte contains CA type IV in the membrane of the endoplasmic reticulum and CA type II and CA type III in the cytoplasm."}
{"id": "PMID:1465390", "title": "Honeybee colony integration: worker-worker interactions mediate hormonally regulated plasticity in division of labor.", "content": "Adult workers in honeybee (Apis mellifera) colonies exhibit plasticity in hormonally regulated, age-based division of labor by altering their pattern of behavioral development in response to changes in colony conditions. One form of this plasticity is precocious development: levels of juvenile hormone increase prematurely and bees begin foraging as much as 2 weeks earlier than average. We used two experimental paradigms inspired by developmental biology to study how bees obtain information on changing colony needs that results in precocious foraging. An analog of \"cell culture,\" with bees reared outside of colonies in different sized groups, revealed that worker-worker interactions exert quantitative effects on endocrine and behavioral development. \"Transplants\" of older bees to colonies otherwise lacking foragers demonstrated that worker-worker interactions also affect behavioral development in whole colonies. These results provide insights to a long-standing problem in the biology of social insects and further highlight similarities in the integration of activity that exist between individuals in insect colonies and cells in metazoans."}
{"id": "PMID:1465391", "title": "Expression of hepatitis B surface antigen in transgenic plants.", "content": "Tobacco plants were genetically transformed with the gene encoding hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) linked to a nominally constitutive promoter. Enzyme-linked immunoassays using a monoclonal antibody directed against human serum-derived HBsAg revealed the presence of HBsAg in extracts of transformed leaves at levels that correlated with mRNA abundance. This suggests that there were no major inherent limitations of transcription or translation of this foreign gene in plants. Recombinant HBsAg was purified from transgenic plants by immunoaffinity chromatography and examined by electron microscopy. Spherical particles with an average diameter of 22 nm were observed in negatively stained preparations. Sedimentation of transgenic plant extracts in sucrose and cesium chloride density gradients showed that the recombinant HBsAg and human serum-derived HBsAg had similar physical properties. Because the HBsAg produced in transgenic plants is antigenically and physically similar to the HBsAg particles derived from human serum and recombinant yeast, which are used as vaccines, we conclude that transgenic plants hold promise as low-cost vaccine production systems."}
{"id": "PMID:1465392", "title": "Ligand-dependent conformational changes in the progesterone receptor are necessary for events that follow DNA binding.", "content": "Hormones and antihormones induce related, but distinct, conformational changes in the progesterone receptor [Allan, G. F., Leng, X., Tsai, S. Y., Weigel, N. L., Edwards, D. P., Tsai, M.-J. & O'Malley, B. W. (1992) J. Biol. Chem. 267, 19513-19520]. In both cases the conformational change precedes the dissociation of heat shock proteins and binding to DNA. We have now investigated the steps in hormone action which are dependent upon this conformational change. We show that in the absence of ligand, monoclonal antibodies directed against different regions of the progesterone receptor can induce high-affinity binding to its response element in vitro. This antibody-induced DNA binding is presumably facilitated by enhanced dimerization of receptor monomers. However, antibodies do not induce the hormone-specific conformational change in the progesterone receptor and do not induce in vitro transcription by the receptor. In contrast, the antiprogestin ZK98299, which inhibits receptor binding to DNA, fully induces the antihormone-specific conformational change. Thus, our data imply that steroids induce a conformational change in their receptors which is necessary for events subsequent to DNA binding, most likely for transactivation."}
{"id": "PMID:1465393", "title": "Modulation of synaptic gain by light.", "content": "Although synaptic transmission in the retina has been assumed to be static, it appears that the voltage gains of the synapses between photoreceptors and second-order cells can be enhanced by light. Voltage gains of the synapses between rods and bipolar (or horizontal) cells are about 10 times higher in the presence of dim background light than in darkness. This increase in synaptic gain may compensate for the loss of rod light responsiveness caused by weak background light so that the animal can maintain good rod sensitivity under moonlight or starlight, the natural lighting condition for mating and food catching."}
{"id": "PMID:1465394", "title": "Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase activity in mononuclear leukocytes of 13 mammalian species correlates with species-specific life span.", "content": "Poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation is a eukaryotic posttranslational modification of proteins that is strongly induced by the presence of DNA strand breaks and plays a role in DNA repair and the recovery of cells from DNA damage. We compared poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP; EC 2.4.2.30) activities in Percoll gradient-purified, permeabilized mononuclear leukocytes from mammalian species of different maximal life span. Saturating concentrations of a double-stranded octameric oligonucleotide were applied to provide a direct and maximal stimulation of PARP. Our results on 132 individuals from 13 different species yield a strong positive correlation between PARP activity and life span (r = 0.84; P << 0.001), with human cells displaying approximately 5 times the activity of rat cells. Intraspecies comparisons with both rat and human cells from donors of all age groups revealed some decline of PARP activity with advancing age, but it was only weakly correlated. No significant polymer degradation was detectable under our assay conditions, ruling out any interference by poly(ADP-ribose) glycohydrolase activity. By Western blot analysis of mononuclear leukocytes from 11 species, using a crossreactive antiserum directed against the extremely well-conserved NAD-binding domain, no correlation between the amount of PARP protein and the species' life spans was found, suggesting a greater specific enzyme activity in longer-lived species. We propose that a higher poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation capacity in cells from long-lived species might contribute to the efficient maintenance of genome integrity and stability over their longer life span."}
{"id": "PMID:1465395", "title": "Domain motions in phosphoglycerate kinase: determination of interdomain distance distributions by site-specific labeling and time-resolved fluorescence energy transfer.", "content": "3-Phosphoglycerate kinase is composed of two globular domains separated by a wide cleft. The substrate binding sites are situated on the inner surfaces of the two domains. By analogy to other kinases, it has been postulated that the catalytic mechanism of phosphoglycerate kinase involves a hinge bending domain motion that brings the substrates together to allow phosphoryl transfer. To characterize this large-scale conformational change, as well as the dynamics of the unliganded enzyme in solution, we have applied site-directed mutagenesis and time-resolved nonradiative energy transfer techniques. Two genetically engineered cysteines (Cys-135 and Cys-290), one in each of the two domains, were covalently labeled with a donor and acceptor pair of fluorescent probes. Analysis of subnanosecond fluorescence decay curves yielded the equilibrium distribution of interdomain distances. In the absence of substrates, the distribution of distances between the two labeled sites was very broad, with a full width at half maximum estimated as 20 A or broader, indicative of a large number of conformational substates in solution. The mean distance, 31.5 +/- 1 A, was 8 A smaller than in the crystal structure. Upon addition of ATP alone or of ATP and 3-phosphoglycerate, the average distance increased to 38 +/- 1 A and the width of the distribution decreased. Addition of 3-phosphoglycerate alone induced a similar but smaller change. The rate of conformational state fluctuations (interconversion between states) was found to be slow on the nanosecond time scale, as expected for a protein with a relatively large interdomain contact area."}
{"id": "PMID:1465396", "title": "Amplifiable messenger RNA.", "content": "RNA molecules were prepared that consisted of an mRNA encoding chloramphenicol acetyltransferase embedded within the sequence of midivariant RNA, which is a template for the RNA-directed RNA polymerase Q beta replicase. These recombinant RNAs were shown to be bifunctional: they are amplified exponentially by incubation with Q beta replicase, and the replicated RNA serves as template for the cell-free synthesis of enzymatically active chloramphenicol acetyltransferase. The availability of amplifiable mRNAs will enable relatively large amounts of protein to be synthesized in vitro."}
{"id": "PMID:1465397", "title": "Molecular cloning of a gene encoding a seed-specific protein with nutritionally balanced amino acid composition from Amaranthus.", "content": "An albumin with a well-balanced amino acid composition and high levels of the essential amino acids was purified to homogeneity from the mature seeds of Amaranthus hypochondriacus. The amino acid composition of this protein is comparable to the World Health Organization recommended values for a highly nutritional protein. The protein is a 35-kDa monomer with four isoforms that can be separated by chromatofocusing. Antibodies raised against one of the isoforms, AmA1, cross-reacted with the other three isoforms. Affinity-purified AmA1 antibodies were used to isolate cDNA clones from a developing-seed expression library. The six immunopositive recombinants obtained were found to be related. The cDNA of the largest clone (1.2 kilobases) has a single major open reading frame corresponding to a 304-amino acid polypeptide. The clone was confirmed by hybrid-selected translation and immunoprecipitation. The size of the immunoprecipitated product was identical to the mature protein. Analysis of RNA and protein in developing seeds showed that AmA1 is synthesized during early embryogenesis, reaching a maximum by midmaturation. No RNA was detected in 1-day-old seedlings although the protein showed delayed breakdown on germination. Expression of the AmA1 gene was found to be seed-specific, as no protein or RNA was detected in other plant tissues."}
{"id": "PMID:1465398", "title": "Myc/Max and other helix-loop-helix/leucine zipper proteins bend DNA toward the minor groove.", "content": "A distinct family of DNA-binding proteins is characterized by the presence of adjacent \"basic,\" helix-loop-helix, and leucine zipper domains. Members of this family include the Myc oncoproteins, their binding partner Max, and the mammalian transcription factors USF, TFE3, and TFEB. Consistent with their homologous domains, these proteins bind to DNA containing the same core hexanucleotide sequence CACGTG. Analysis of the conformation of DNA in protein-DNA complexes has been undertaken with a circular permutation assay. Large mobility anomalies were detected for all basic/helix-loop-helix/leucine zipper proteins tested, suggesting that each protein induced a similar degree of bending. Phasing analysis revealed that basic/helix-loop-helix/leucine zipper proteins orient the DNA bend toward the minor groove. The presence of in-phase spacing between adjacent binding sites for this family of proteins in the immunoglobulin heavy-chain enhancer suggests the possible formation of an unusual triple-bended structure and may have implications for the activities of Myc."}
{"id": "PMID:1465399", "title": "Human T-cell leukemia virus type I infection of monocytes and microglial cells in primary human cultures.", "content": "The pathogenesis of progressive spastic paraparesis [HTLV-I-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP)], a serious consequence of human T-cell leukemia virus type I (HTLV-I) infection, is unclear. T and B lymphocytes can be naturally infected by HTLV-I, but the susceptibility to HTLV-I infection of other cell types that could contribute to the pathogenesis of HAM/TSP has not been determined. We found that a human monocyte cell line (THP-1), primary human peripheral blood monocytes, and isolated microglial cells but not astrocytes or oligodendroglial cells derived from adult human brain were infected by HTLV-I in vitro. Infection with HTLV-I enhanced the secretion of interleukin 6 in human microglial cell-enriched cultures but did not stimulate the release of interleukin 1 from monocytes or microglial cells. Tumor necrosis factor alpha production was stimulated by HTLV-I infection of monocytes and microglial cells and could be enhanced by suboptimal amounts of lipopolysaccharide. Since both tumor necrosis factor alpha and interleukin 6 have been implicated in inflammatory demyelination and gliosis, our findings suggest that human microglial cells and monocytes infected with and activated by HTLV-I could play a role in the pathogenesis of HAM/TSP."}
{"id": "PMID:1465400", "title": "Progesterone regulates the activity of collagenase and related gelatinases A and B in human endometrial explants.", "content": "Explants of human endometrium were cultured to study the release of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). Analysis of conditioned media by zymography revealed latent and active forms of collagenase (MMP-1, EC 3.4.24.7), 72-kDa gelatinase A (MMP-2, EC 3.4.24.24), and 92-kDa gelatinase B (MMP-9, EC 3.4.24.35). These proteinases were identified by their M(r), their inhibition by tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases, and the activation of their zymogens by trypsin or aminophenylmercuric acetate. In the absence of sex hormone, explants released large amounts of enzyme activities, as measured by densitometry of zymograms or in soluble assays. Physiological concentrations of progesterone (10-200 nM) almost totally abolished the release of collagenase, of total gelatinase activity, and of the active form of gelatinase B and largely inhibited the release of the active form of gelatinase A. These effects, which were antagonized by mifepristone (RU 38486), suggest that progesterone restrains endometrial tissue breakdown by blocking the secretion and activation of MMPs."}
{"id": "PMID:1465401", "title": "Cloning of cDNAs of the MLL gene that detect DNA rearrangements and altered RNA transcripts in human leukemic cells with 11q23 translocations.", "content": "Recurring chromosomal abnormalities involving translocations at chromosome 11 band q23 are associated with human myeloid and lymphoid leukemia as well as lymphoma. We have identified the gene located at this break-point and have named it MLL (for myeloid-lymphoid, or mixed-lineage, leukemia). The t(4;11), t(6;11), t(9;11), and t(11;19) are among the most common reciprocal translocations in leukemia cells involving this chromosomal band. We now have evidence that the breakpoints in all of these translocations are clustered within a 9-kilobase (kb) BamHI genomic region of the MLL gene. By Southern blot hybridization using a 0.7-kb BamHI cDNA fragment of the MLL gene called MLL 0.7B, we have detected rearrangements of DNA from cell lines and patient material with an 11q23 translocation in this region. Northern blot analyses indicate that this gene has multiple transcripts, some of which appear to be lineage-specific. In normal pre-B cells, four transcripts of 12.5, 12.0, 11.5, and 2.0 kb are detected. These transcripts are also present in monocytoid cell lines with additional hybridization to a 5.0-kb transcript, indicating that expression of different-sized MLL transcripts may be associated with normal hematopoietic lineage development. In a cell line with a t(4;11), the expression of the 12.5-, 12.0-, and 11.5-kb transcripts is reduced, and there is evidence of three other altered transcripts of 11.5, 11.25, and 11.0 kb. Thus, these 11q23 translocations result in rearrangements of the MLL gene and may lead to altered function(s) of MLL and of other gene(s) involved in the translocation."}
{"id": "PMID:1465402", "title": "Metabolic engineering of medicinal plants: transgenic Atropa belladonna with an improved alkaloid composition.", "content": "The tropane alkaloid scopolamine is a medicinally important anticholinergic drug present in several solanaceous plants. Hyoscyamine 6 beta-hydroxylase (EC 1.14.11.11) catalyzes the oxidative reactions in the biosynthetic pathway leading from hyoscyamine to scopolamine. We introduced the hydroxylase gene from Hyoscyamus niger under the control of the cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter into hyoscyamine-rich Atropa belladonna by the use of an Agrobacterium-mediated transformation system. A transgenic plant that constitutively and strongly expressed the transgene was selected, first by screening for kanamycin resistance and then by immunoscreening leaf samples with an antibody specific for the hydroxylase. In the primary transformant and its selfed progeny that inherited the transgene, the alkaloid contents of the leaf and stem were almost exclusively scopolamine. Such metabolically engineered plants should prove useful as breeding materials for obtaining improved medicinal components."}
{"id": "PMID:1465403", "title": "Calcium ions are involved in Escherichia coli chemotaxis.", "content": "Escherichia coli regulates intracellular free Ca2+ at about 90 nM [Gangola, P. & Rosen, B. P. (1987) J. Biol. Chem. 262, 12570-12574]. To increase intracellular free Ca2+, nitr-5/Ca2+, a \"caged\" Ca2+ compound, was electroporated into cells and then its affinity for Ca2+ was reduced by exposure to 370-nm light. Upon release of the Ca2+ ions, the cells tumbled. Studies on mutant strains showed that the receptor proteins (methyl-accepting chemotaxis proteins, MCPs) were not required for the Ca(2+)-induced tumbling but that CheA, CheW, and CheY proteins were required. Similar results were obtained with DM-nitrophen/Ca2+, another caged calcium compound that releases Ca2+ upon illumination at 340 nm. Diazo-2, a caged Ca2+ chelator that takes up Ca2+ upon illumination at 340 nm, was used to decrease intracellular free Ca2+, and this caused smooth swimming."}
{"id": "PMID:1465404", "title": "Identification of human TFIID components and direct interaction between a 250-kDa polypeptide and the TATA box-binding protein (TFIID tau).", "content": "Previous studies have indicated that human transcription initiation factor TFIID is a large complex that contains a TATA-binding polypeptide (TFIID tau or TBP) and other components that qualitatively alter promoter interactions and are uniquely required for activator-dependent (versus basal) transcription. TFIID tau-specific antibody columns have been employed to identify a number of human TFIID polypeptides that are tightly associated with TFIID tau. These differ in size from polypeptides in known general initiation factors, including the initiator-binding factor (TFII-I) which shares some promoter binding characteristics with TFIID. The largest component (p250) identified in TFIID was shown to interact directly and tightly with TFIID tau, suggesting that it may play a major role in the assembly of the TFIID complex."}
{"id": "PMID:1465405", "title": "Characterization of the Ca(2+)-triggered conformational transition in troponin C.", "content": "Troponin C is the Ca(2+)-binding subunit of troponin in vertebrate striated muscle. Binding of Ca2+ to troponin C is thought to induce a conformational change that triggers subsequent events in the initiation of muscle contraction. A molecular modeling study has proposed that, when Ca2+ binds to the N-terminal triggering sites, helices B and C separate from the helices D and A, thereby exposing a crucial interaction site for troponin I, the inhibitory subunit of troponin [Herzberg, O., Moult, J., and James, M. N. G. (1986) J. Biol. Chem. 261, 2638-2644]. In the present study the question of whether this separation actually occurs is addressed directly. A mutant rabbit skeletal troponin C containing a pair of cysteines at position 12 in helix A and position 49 in the polypeptide segment linking helices B and C was created by site-directed mutagenesis. Pyrene excimer fluorescence and resonance energy transfer studies on the labeled mutant troponin C reveal a Ca(2+)-induced increase in distance between the two cysteines. Under certain assumptions, the distance increase could be estimated from the extent of energy transfer to be approximately 13 A, in good agreement with the distance increase predicted by molecular modeling. Our results provide further experimental support for the model proposed by Herzberg et al. (above)."}
{"id": "PMID:1465406", "title": "Expression of tissue factor by melanoma cells promotes efficient hematogenous metastasis.", "content": "Metastasis is a multistep process which requires highly adapted interactions of tumor cells with host target organs. Compared with nonmetastatic cells, metastatic human melanoma cells express 1000-fold higher level of tissue factor (TF), the major cellular initiator of the plasma coagulation protease cascades. To explore whether TF may contribute to metastatic tumor dissemination, we analyzed the effect of specific inhibition of TF function on human melanoma metastasis in severe combined immunodeficient (SCID) mice. Using species-specific antibodies to TF, we demonstrate that initial adherence in insufficient for successful tumor cell implantation in a target organ. Rapid arrest of human tumor cells in the lungs of mice was not diminished by inhibition of TF. However, inhibition of TF receptor function and consequent reduction in local protease generation abolished prolonged adherence of tumor cells, resulting in significantly reduced numbers of tumor cells retained in the vasculature of the lungs. The growth of pulmonary metastases was also significantly inhibited by a blocking anti-TF monoclonal antibody and Fab fragments thereof, whereas a noninhibitory antibody lacked antimetastatic effects. Cell surface expression of functional TF thus contributes to melanoma progression by allowing metastatic cells to provide requisite signals for prolonged adhesive interactions and/or transmigration of tumor cells across the endothelium, resulting in successful metastatic tumor implantation."}
{"id": "PMID:1465407", "title": "A nuclear localization signal and the C-terminal omega sequence in the Agrobacterium tumefaciens VirD2 endonuclease are important for tumor formation.", "content": "The T-DNA portion of the Agrobacterium tumefaciens tumor-inducing (Ti) plasmid integrates into plant nuclear DNA. Direct repeats define the T-DNA ends; transfer begins when the VirD2 endonuclease produces a site-specific nick in the right-hand border repeat and attaches to the 5' end of the nicked strand. Subsequent events generate linear single-stranded VirD2-bound DNA molecules that include the entire T-DNA (T-strands). VirD2 protein contains a nuclear localization signal (NLS) near the C terminus and may direct bound T-strands to plant nuclei. We constructed mutations in virD2 and showed that the NLS was important for tumorigenesis, although T-strand production occurred normally in its absence. A tobacco etch virus NLS, substituted for the VirD2 NLS, restored tumor-inducing activity. Amino acids (the omega sequence) at the C terminus of VirD2, outside the NLS and the endonuclease domain, contributed significantly to tumorigenesis, suggesting that VirD2 may serve a third important function in T-DNA transfer."}
{"id": "PMID:1465408", "title": "A human interleukin 3 analog with increased biological and binding activities.", "content": "Human interleukin 3 (IL-3) variants generated by site-directed mutagenesis were analyzed in multiple biological and binding assays to identify residues critical for IL-3 activity. Two mutants carrying substitutions in the predicted hydrophilic region within the first alpha-helix, [Ala21,Leu22]IL-3 and [Ala21,Leu22,Ala25]IL-3 showed loss of biological activity and high-affinity binding. Mutants in a second predicted hydrophilic region, [Ala44,Leu45,Ala46]IL-3 and [Ala44,Ala46]IL-3, however, showed similar biological and binding activities to wild-type IL-3. Mutations in a C-terminal hydrophilic region that overlaps the fourth predicted alpha-helix led to either loss or gain of function. IL-3 analogs [Glu104,Asp105]-, [Leu108]-, [Asn108]-, [Thr108]-, and [Ala101,Leu108]IL-3 were less active than wild-type IL-3, whereas [Ala101]IL-3 and [Val116]IL-3 were 2- to 3-fold more potent. Significantly, the double mutant [Ala101,Val116]IL-3 exhibited a 15-fold greater potency than native IL-3. Receptor binding studies showed that [Ala101,Val116]IL-3 exhibited increased binding to the high- and low-affinity receptors of monocytes. These results show the generation of an IL-3 analog with increased biological and binding activities and support a model where the C terminus of IL-3 interacts with the alpha chain of the IL-3 receptor, making this region a useful focus for the development of more potent IL-3 agonists or antagonists."}
{"id": "PMID:1465409", "title": "Axon substitution in the reorganization of developing neural connections.", "content": "Insights into the mechanisms of normal and pathological neural development may be gained by studying the reorganization of developing neural connections, caused experimentally or by disease. Many reorganized connections are assumed to arise by the anomalous stabilization of transient connections that occur during normal development. We report that, although the retina projects transiently to the somatosensory system in normal developing hamsters, the permanent retinal projections to the somatosensory system that arise as a consequence of early brain lesions are not formed by the stabilization of the normally transient projection. Instead, the transient retinal axons are replaced by retinal axons that do not normally project to the somatosensory system. The distinction between anomalous stabilization and substitution is significant for determining the cellular mechanisms underlying the development of neural connectivity."}
{"id": "PMID:1465410", "title": "Interaction of the yeast Swi4 and Swi6 cell cycle regulatory proteins in vitro.", "content": "In budding yeast, two transcription factors, Swi4 and Swi6, control the expression of important cell cycle regulatory proteins (the G1 cyclins, Cln1 and Cln2, and the cyclin-like Hcs26) as well as the HO gene, whose product initiates mating-type switching. Both Swi4 and Swi6 are components of a protein complex that forms at a repeated sequence element, SCB (SWI4, -6-dependent cell cycle box), found in the upstream regulatory sequences of target genes. We show, by using proteins synthesized in vitro, a direct association between Swi4 and Swi6. The cdc10-Swi6 or ankyrin motifs present in both Swi4 and Swi6 are dispensable for their association, which is mediated instead by a region near the C terminus of each protein. Furthermore, we show that interaction with Swi6 is not necessary for specific recognition of the SCB sequence by the Swi4 protein; we propose that Swi4 is responsible for binding to the SCB sequence while Swi6, through its association with Swi4, regulates activity of the complex."}
{"id": "PMID:1465411", "title": "Insulin-like growth factor I accelerates recovery from ischemic acute tubular necrosis in the rat.", "content": "The effects of administering insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) were examined in a model of ischemic acute tubular necrosis in rats. Injury was induced by 75 min of bilateral renal artery occlusion. Compared to rats administered vehicle, rats administered IGF-I (100 micrograms/day via continuous subcutaneous infusion) had significantly lower serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen levels over the course of 7 days postocclusion. Glomerular filtration rate as determined by inulin clearance was examined on day 2 postocclusion and was significantly increased in IGF-I-treated animals (0.16 +/- 0.02 ml per min per 100 g of body weight) compared to vehicle-treated controls (0.08 +/- 0.02 ml per min per 100 g of body weight). The weight loss that occurred during the course of acute tubular necrosis was ameliorated by IGF-I. Mortality was reduced from 36.7% in vehicle-treated rats to 7.1% in rats administered IGF-I. Histologically, there was much less renal injury evident at day 7 postocclusion in the IGF-I-treated rats compared to vehicle-treated controls. In contrast, growth hormone (200 micrograms administered subcutaneously for 4 days) did not affect recovery of renal function or reduce mortality postreperfusion. This report demonstrates a beneficial effect of IGF-I administration in the setting of acute tubular necrosis. Several properties of IGF-I render it a pharmacological agent with excellent potential for treatment of this condition in humans."}
{"id": "PMID:1465412", "title": "1H NMR studies on the catalytic subunit of aspartate transcarbamoylase.", "content": "The 1H NMR spectrum of the catalytic subunit of Escherichia coli aspartate transcarbamoylase (EC 2.1.3.2) was simplified by using strains auxotrophic for the aromatic amino acids and a growth medium containing fully deuterated Trp, Phe, and His and partially deuterated Tyr. 1H resonances for Tyr in the catalytic trimer (M(r) = 10(5)) were partially resolved into five peaks at 27 degrees C, which above 50 degrees C were further resolved to give a distinct resonance for each of the eight Tyr residues in the polypeptide chain. Experiments on chemically modified catalytic subunits and on a mutant form in which Tyr-165 was converted to Ser-165 led to the assignment of resonances for Tyr-165, Tyr-240, and Tyr-185. Binding of the substrate, carbamoyl phosphate, caused shifts of two of the unassigned resonances, and the subsequent binding of the aspartate analog succinate perturbed the resonances corresponding to Tyr-165 and Tyr-240. The bisubstrate analog N-(phosphonacetyl)-L-aspartate produced a spectrum differing considerably from that caused by the combination of carbamoyl phosphate and succinate. The NMR spectrum for the Tyr-165-->Ser mutant trimer showed clearly that the single amino acid substitution caused conformational changes affecting the environment of residues remote from the position of the replacement. In contrast, the inactive mutant subunit in which Gly-128 was replaced by Asp exhibited a spectrum virtually identical to that of the wild-type protein. However, addition of the substrate carbamoyl phosphate caused a marked change in the spectrum of the mutant enzyme, whereas that of the wild-type trimer was altered only slightly, showing that the effect of the amino acid substitution was manifested in the NMR spectrum only with the liganded enzyme."}
{"id": "PMID:1465413", "title": "Major histocompatibility complex class II genes of zebrafish.", "content": "Twenty cDNA clones derived from beta-chain-encoding class II genes of the zebrafish (Brachydanio rerio) major histocompatibility complex (MHC) have been sequenced. They fall into three groups identifying three loci of expressed genes. The length and organization of these genes are similar to those of their mammalian homologs. Amplification by polymerase chain reaction and sequencing of genomic DNA from zebrafish collected at different locations in India indicate the existence of a fourth group of sequences (fourth locus). A high degree of polymorphism at the B. rerio MHC loci and concentration of variability to the putative peptide-binding region of the beta 1-domain-encoding part of the gene are also indicated. Large genetic distances between alleles suggest trans-specific evolution of fish MHC polymorphism. Zebrafish genes appear to be derived from a different ancestor than the various class II gene families of other vertebrates. In spite of great sequence divergence between fish and mammalian MHC genes, there seems to be a striking conservation in their overall organization."}
{"id": "PMID:1465414", "title": "Identity of 4a-carbinolamine dehydratase, a component of the phenylalanine hydroxylation system, and DCoH, a transregulator of homeodomain proteins.", "content": "The principal pathway for the metabolism of phenylalanine in mammals is via conversion to tyrosine in a tetrahydrobiopterin-dependent hydroxylation reaction occurring predominantly in the liver. Recently, the proposal that certain hyperphenylalaninemic children may have a deficiency of carbinolamine dehydratase, a component of the phenylalanine hydroxylation system, has widened the interest in this area of metabolism. Upon cloning and sequencing the dehydratase, we discovered that this protein is identical to DCoH, the cofactor which regulates the dimerization of hepatic nuclear factor 1 alpha, a homeodomain transcription factor. The identity of the nuclear and cytoplasmic proteins is demonstrated by size, immunoblotting, stimulation of phenylalanine hydroxylase, and dehydratase activity. The evolution of the dual functions of regulation of phenylalanine hydroxylation activity and transcription activation in a single polypeptide is unprecedented."}
{"id": "PMID:1465415", "title": "A 69-kDa RNA-binding protein from Xenopus oocytes recognizes a common motif in two vegetally localized maternal mRNAs.", "content": "Vg1 mRNA, a maternal message encoding a member of the transforming growth factor beta superfamily, undergoes localization to the vegetal cortex of Xenopus laevis oocytes during a narrow period of oogenesis. A 340-nucleotide sequence has been identified in Vg1 RNA that directs its vegetal localization [Mowry, K. L. & Melton, D. A. (1992) Science 255, 991-994]. To understand how cis- and trans-acting factors are involved in Vg1 mRNA localization, we have looked for specific interactions in vitro between oocyte proteins and Vg1 mRNA. S100 extracts of late-stage oocytes contain a protein-binding activity that protects specific regions of labeled Vg1 mRNA from degradation by RNase T1. The use of different regions of Vg1 RNA in competition reactions reveals two binding sites, both in the first half of the 3' untranslated region of Vg1 message. UV crosslinking predominantly labels a 69-kDa protein; saturation analysis and competitor studies indicate that this protein binds with a high affinity to the down-stream site, which corresponds to the 340-nucleotide vegetal localization sequence. Binding to this region is inhibited by another vegetally localized message, transforming growth factor beta 5 but is not inhibited by an animally localized RNA, An2. These data indicate that vegetally localized mRNAs share a binding motif that helps them achieve their intracellular distribution through specific RNA-protein interactions."}
{"id": "PMID:1465416", "title": "Relationships between orientation-preference pinwheels, cytochrome oxidase blobs, and ocular-dominance columns in primate striate cortex.", "content": "The relationships between cytochrome oxidase blobs, ocular-dominance columns, and iso-orientation domains, subsystems underlying visual perception, were explored in primary visual cortex of macaque monkey. High-resolution maps of these three subsystems were acquired. Optical imaging based on activity-dependent intrinsic signals revealed that the most prominent organizational feature of orientation preference was a radial arrangement, forming a pinwheel-like structure surrounding a singularity point. More than 80% of these pinwheels were centered along the midline of ocular-dominance columns. The iso-orientation contours of adjacent pinwheels crossed borders of ocular-dominance columns at approximately right angles. Pinwheels with the same or opposite directions of orientation-preference change were smoothly connected with each other. On the average, all orientations were equally represented. In exactly the same cortical area, the cytochrome oxidase blobs, thought to be involved in color processing, were also mapped, using cytochrome oxidase histology. Like the centers of pinwheels, the centers of blobs also lie along the midline of ocular-dominance columns. However, the centers of pinwheels did not coincide with the centers of blobs; these two subsystems are spatially independent. \"Hypercolumn\" modules, each including two complete pinwheels in two adjacent columns of complementary ocularity, as well as portions of a few blobs, were frequently found but did not seem to be the primary unit of cortical organization. An alternative to hypercolumns is proposed."}
{"id": "PMID:1465417", "title": "Deformation of DNA during site-specific recombination of bacteriophage lambda: replacement of IHF protein by HU protein or sequence-directed bends.", "content": "Escherichia coli IHF protein is a prominent component of bacteriophage lambda integration and excision that binds specifically to DNA. We find that the homologous protein HU, a nonspecific DNA binding protein, can substitute for IHF during excisive recombination of a plasmid containing the prophage attachment sites attL and attR but not during integrative recombination between attP and attB. We have examined whether IHF and HU function in excisive recombination is mediated through DNA bending. Our strategy has been to construct chimeric attachment sites in which IHF binding sites are replaced by an alternative source of DNA deformation. Previously, we demonstrated that properly phased bends can substitute for the binding of IHF at one site in attP. Although this result is highly suggestive of a critical role of IHF-promoted bending in lambda integration, its interpretation is obscured by the continued need for IHF binding to the remaining IHF sites of these constructs. In the present work, we engineered a population of sequence-directed bends in the vicinity of the two essential IHF sites found in attR and attL. Even in the absence of IHF or HU, pairs of these attachment sites with properly phased bends are active for both in vitro and in vivo excision. This success, although tempered by the limited efficiency of these systems, reinforces our interpretation that IHF functions primarily as an architectural element."}
{"id": "PMID:1465418", "title": "Primary structure of an archaebacterial transducer, a methyl-accepting protein associated with sensory rhodopsin I.", "content": "A methylated membrane protein of 97 kDa was suggested on the basis of mutant analysis to transduce signals from the phototaxis receptor sensory rhodopsin I to the flagellar motor in Halobacterium halobium. Here we report isolation of the proposed transducer protein, cloning of its gene based on partial protein sequences, the complete gene sequence, and analysis of the encoded primary structure. The 1611-base-pair gene termination codon overlaps the initiator ATG of the sopI gene, which encodes the sensory rhodopsin I apoprotein. The predicted size of 57 kDa for the methylated protein indicates an aberrant electrophoretic migration on SDS/polyacrylamide gels, as occurs with other acidic halophilic proteins. Putative promotor elements are located in an A+T-rich region upstream of the gene. Comparison of the translated nucleotide sequence with N-terminal sequence of the purified protein shows the protein is synthesized without a processed leader peptide and the N-terminal methionine is removed in the mature protein. The deduced protein sequence predicts two transmembrane helices near the N terminal that would anchor the protein to the membrane. Beyond this hydrophobic region of 46 residues, the remainder of the protein (536-amino acid residues total) is hydrophilic. The C-terminal 270 residues contain a region homologous to the signaling domains of eubacterial transducers (e.g., Escherichia coli Tsr protein), flanked by two regions homologous to the methylation domains of the transducer family. The protein differs from E. coli Tsr in that it does not have an extramembranous-receptor binding domain but instead has a more extended cytoplasmic region. Coexpression of the methyl-accepting protein gene (designated htrI) and sopI restores sensory rhodopsin I phototaxis to a mutant (Pho81) that contains a deletion in the htrI/sopI region. These results extend the eubacterial transducer family to the archaebacteria and substantiate the proposal that the methylated membrane protein functions as a signal-transducing relay between sensory rhodopsin I and cytoplasmic sensory-pathway components."}
{"id": "PMID:1465419", "title": "Ku autoantigen is the regulatory component of a template-associated protein kinase that phosphorylates RNA polymerase II.", "content": "The carboxyl-terminal domain of RNA polymerase II contains a tandemly repeated heptapeptide sequence. Previous work has shown that this sequence is phosphorylated at multiple sites by a template-associated protein kinase, in a reaction that is closely associated with the initiation of RNA synthesis. We have purified this kinase to apparent homogeneity from human (HeLa) cells. The purified kinase phosphorylates native RNA polymerase II only in the presence of DNA and the general transcription factors TFIID (TBP), TFIIB, and TFIIF. Two kinase components are required for full activity: a catalytic component and a DNA-binding regulatory component. The regulatory component has been identified as Ku autoantigen, based on the molecular weights of its component polypeptides, its DNA-binding properties, and its reactivity with anti-Ku monoclonal antibodies. The Ku autoantigen recruits the catalytic component of the kinase to the template. Ku autoantigen has been previously proposed to interact with DNA by a characteristic bind-and-slide mechanism. This mode of interaction may provide a mechanism for targeting the kinase to the transcription complex and other DNA-bound substrates."}
{"id": "PMID:1465420", "title": "DNA strand-specific repair of (+-)-3 alpha,4 beta-dihydroxy-1 alpha,2 alpha-epoxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydrobenzo[c]phenanthrene adducts in the hamster dihydrofolate reductase gene.", "content": "We evaluated the formation and removal of (+-)-3 alpha,4 beta-dihydroxy-1 alpha,2 alpha-epoxy-1,2,3,4- tetrahydrobenzo[c]phenanthrene (BcPHDE)-DNA adducts in two Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell lines. One line of repair-proficient cells (MK42) carries a stable 150-fold amplification of the dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) locus. The other line of repair-deficient cells (UV-5) is diploid for this gene and is defective in excision of bulky DNA lesions. Two methods were used to quantitate adduct levels in treated cells: Escherichia coli UvrABC excision nuclease cleavage and 32P-postlabeling. DNA repair was examined in the actively transcribed DHFR gene, in an inactive region located 25 kilobases downstream, and in the overall genome. Between 8 and 24 hr after BcPHDE exposure, preferential repair of the DHFR gene compared to the noncoding region was apparent in MK42 cells. This gene-specific repair was associated with adduct removal from the DHFR transcribed strand. However, UV-5 cells showed no lesion reduction from this strand of the gene. By both quantitation methods, regions accessible to repair in MK42 cells showed a 2-fold reduction in DNA adduct levels by 24 hr. That the decline in adducts reflects genomic repair was demonstrated by the constant damage level remaining in UV-5 cells. Since BcPHDE-induced mutations in DHFR apparently arise from adducted purines on the nontranscribed strand, results from the present study support the idea that a consequence of strand-specific repair is strand-biased mutations."}
{"id": "PMID:1465421", "title": "Identification of a 45-kDa protein at the protein import site of the yeast mitochondrial inner membrane.", "content": "Import of proteins into mitochondria involves the cooperation of protein translocation systems in the outer and inner membranes. We have identified a 45-kDa protein at the protein import site of the yeast mitochondrial inner membrane. This 45-kDa protein could be crosslinked to a partly translocated precursor, which cannot be imported across the inner membrane when the matrix is depleted of ATP. In addition, an antibody against this protein strongly inhibited protein import into right-side-out inner-membrane vesicles. The 45-kDa protein accounts for only 0.1% of mitochondrial protein and appears peripherally attached to the outer face of the inner membrane. The properties of this protein suggest that it is a component of the protein import system of the mitochondrial inner membrane."}
{"id": "PMID:1465422", "title": "Gene-culture coevolution: toward a general theory of vertical transmission.", "content": "A general formulation of cultural and genetic transmission is developed. The cultural transmission is vertical and the genetics may involve multiple loci. Each individual is represented by a phenogenotype, and conditions are given under which the evolutionary dynamics of phenogenotype frequencies are reducible to phenogametic or phenoallelic frequencies. The interaction between genes and culture is specified by an association measure, and results on the order of magnitude of this association at equilibrium are presented."}
{"id": "PMID:1465423", "title": "Resistance to host antimicrobial peptides is necessary for Salmonella virulence.", "content": "The production of antibacterial peptides is a host defense strategy used by various species, including mammals, amphibians, and insects. Successful pathogens, such as the facultative intracellular bacterium Salmonella typhimurium, have evolved resistance mechanisms to this ubiquitous type of host defense. To identify the genes required for resistance to host peptides, we isolated a library of 20,000 MudJ transposon insertion mutants of a virulent peptide-resistant S. typhimurium strain and screened it for hypersensitivity to the antimicrobial peptide protamine. Eighteen mutants had heightened susceptibility to protamine and 12 of them were characterized in detail. Eleven mutants were attenuated for virulence in vivo when inoculated into BALB/c mice by the intragastric route, and 8 of them were also avirulent following intraperitoneal inoculation. The mutants fell into different phenotypic classes with respect to their susceptibility to rabbit defensin NP-1, frog magainin 2, pig cecropin P1, and the insect venom-derived peptides mastoparan and melittin. The resistance loci mapped to eight distinct locations in the genome. Characterization of the mutants showed that one had a defective lipopolysaccharide and another mutant harbored a mutation in phoP, a locus previously shown to control expression of Salmonella virulence genes. Our data indicate that the ability to resist the killing effect of host antimicrobial peptides is a virulence property and that several resistance mechanisms operate in S. typhimurium."}
{"id": "PMID:1465424", "title": "Formation of guide RNA/messenger RNA chimeric molecules in vitro, the initial step of RNA editing, is dependent on an anchor sequence.", "content": "Synthetic pre-edited messenger RNA (mRNA) and guide RNA (gRNA) for the 5'-edited maxicircle-encoded ND7 cryptogene from Leishmania tarentolae formed chimeric molecules upon incubation in the presence of a mitochondrial extract. These chimeric molecules consisted of the gRNAs covalently linked to the mRNAs by short oligo(U) tails at normal editing sites in most cases. Unlike the previously reported chimeras present in steady-state kinetoplast RNA, the in vitro-synthesized chimeras showed no editing of downstream editing sites. The synthesis of chimeric RNAs required ATP and was dependent on the formation of a gRNA/mRNA anchor duplex 3' of the pre-edited region, as shown by in vitro mutagenesis of the mRNA and the gRNA. mRNA sequences 3' and 5' of the pre-edited region also affected the efficiency of the chimera-forming activity. This in vitro system may accurately represent the initial step in RNA editing."}
{"id": "PMID:1465425", "title": "Insertional mutagenesis of hydrophilic domains in the lactose permease of Escherichia coli.", "content": "The lactose permease of Escherichia coli is a membrane transport protein postulated to contain a hydrophilic N terminus (hydrophilic domain 1), 12 hydrophobic transmembrane alpha-helices that traverse the membrane in zigzag fashion connected by hydrophilic domains, and a hydrophilic C terminus (hydrophilic domain 13). To test whether the hydrophilic domains are important for function, each domain was independently disrupted by insertion of two or six contiguous histidine residues, and the mutants were characterized with respect to initial rate of lactose transport and steady-state level of accumulation. Remarkably, histidine insertions into 10 out of 13 hydrophilic domains result in molecules that catalyze lactose accumulation effectively, although the initial rate of transport is compromised in certain cases. In contrast, insertions into hydrophilic domain 3, 9, or 10 cause a marked decrease in transport activity. As judged by immunoblots and [35S]methionine pulse-chase experiments, diminished activity is not due to decreased expression of the mutated permeases, defective insertion into the membrane, or increased rates of proteolysis after insertion. The results (i) suggest that most of the hydrophilic domains in the permease do not play an essential role in the transport mechanism and (ii) focus on the region of the permease containing putative helices IX and X as being particularly important for activity."}
{"id": "PMID:1465426", "title": "Induction of expression of monocyte interleukin 1 by Hageman factor (factor XII).", "content": "The results reported here indicate that activated species of Hageman factor (HF, factor XII), a protein that mediates blood clotting, fibrinolysis, and activation of the complement cascade, induce elaboration of interleukin 1 (IL-1) by human monocytes. Augmentation of IL-1 production in mononuclear cell cultures was observed when HF was present along with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) but was not observed with HF alone. Furthermore, antiserum to HF abrogated the enhancement of IL-1 in cultures containing HF and LPS. Total IL-1 activity, which represents secreted and cell-associated IL-1, was enhanced in LPS-stimulated mononuclear cultures by HF. In the absence of LPS, the initial activation product of HF, HFa, which contains the serine protease enzyme activity and the surface-binding domains of the protein, induced IL-1 beta protein and mRNA. In the presence of LPS, the enzymatic moiety (HFf), which is also contained in HF and HFa, amplified IL-1 production. Induction and amplification of monocyte IL-1 by HF provides further evidence for establishing a role for HF in the acute-phase reaction and the cellular immune response."}
{"id": "PMID:1465427", "title": "Borocaptate sodium: a potential boron delivery compound for boron neutron capture therapy evaluated in dogs with spontaneous intracranial tumors.", "content": "Borocaptate sodium (Na2B12H11SH) is a boron-carrying compound under consideration for use in boron neutron capture therapy. The biodistribution of boron from borocaptate sodium administration will partly determine boron neutron capture therapy efficacy and normal tissue radiation tolerance. The biodistribution of boron was determined in 30 dogs with spontaneous intracranial tumors at 2, 6, or 12 hr after intravenous borocaptate sodium infusion. Blood and tissue boron concentrations were measured using inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy. Mean tumor boron concentration (mean +/- standard error) was 35.9 +/- 4.6 (n = 15), 22.5 +/- 6.0 (n = 9), and 7.0 +/- 1.1 micrograms of boron per g (n = 6) at 2, 6, and 12 hr, respectively, after borocaptate sodium infusion. Peritumor boron concentrations were elevated above that of normal brain in half of the dogs. Normal brain boron concentration (mean +/- standard error) was 4.0 +/- 0.5, 2.0 +/- 0.4, and 2.0 +/- 0.3 micrograms of boron per g at 2, 6, and 12 hr after infusion, respectively. Some cranial and systemic tissues, and blood, had high boron concentration relative to tumor tissue. Geometric dose sparing should partly offset these relatively high normal tissue and blood concentrations. Borocaptate sodium biodistribution is favorable because tumor boron concentrations of recommended magnitude for boron neutron capture therapy were obtained and there was a high tumor-to-normal brain boron concentration ratio."}
{"id": "PMID:1465428", "title": "The alternative sigma factor katF (rpoS) regulates Salmonella virulence.", "content": "Nutrient limitation is a critical signal in Salmonella virulence gene regulation. The katF (rpoS) gene mediates the expression of the Salmonella spv plasmid virulence genes during bacterial starvation. A katF Salmonella mutant has increased susceptibility to nutrient deprivation, oxidative stress, acid stress, and DNA damage, conditions which are relevant to the intraphagosomal environment of host macrophages. Moreover, the katF mutant has significantly reduced virulence in mice. katF encodes an alternative sigma factor of RNA polymerase which coordinately regulates Salmonella virulence."}
{"id": "PMID:1465429", "title": "Involvement of cytochrome P450 in host-plant utilization by Sonoran Desert Drosophila.", "content": "The four Drosophila species endemic to the Sonoran Desert (Drosophila mettleri, Drosophila mojavensis, Drosophila nigrospiracula, and Drosophila pachea) utilize necrotic cactus tissue or soil soaked by rot exudate as breeding substrates. Each Drosophila species uses a different cactus species as its primary host. D. pachea is limited to senita cactus by a biochemical dependency on unusual sterols available only in that cactus. For the other Drosophila species, no such chemical dependencies exist to explain the relationships with their primary host plants. Each cactus species has a different array of allelochemicals that have detrimental effects on non-resident fly species. We have hypothesized that the desert fly-cactus associations are due, in part, to differences between the fly species in their allelochemical detoxication enzymes, the cytochrome P450 system. To test whether P450s are involved in the detoxication of cactus allelochemicals, several experiments were done. (i) The effect of a specific P450 inhibitor, piperonyl butoxide, on larval survival through eclosion on each cactus substrate was investigated. (ii) In vitro metabolism of cactus alkaloids was determined for each Drosophila species. The effects of specific inducers and inhibitors were included in these experiments. (iii) The basal and induced content of cytochrome P450 in each species was determined. The results support the hypothesis that P450 enzymes are involved in host-plant utilization by these Sonoran Desert Drosophila species."}
{"id": "PMID:1465430", "title": "High-level expression of a heterologous protein in the milk of transgenic swine using the cDNA encoding human protein C.", "content": "Transgenic pigs were generated that produced human protein C in their milk at up to 1 g/liter. The gene construct was a fusion gene consisting of the cDNA for human protein C inserted into the first exon of the mouse whey acidic protein gene. These results demonstrate that the mouse whey acidic protein gene contains regulatory elements that can direct cDNA expression at high levels in the pig mammary gland. Recombinant human protein C that was produced at about 380 micrograms/ml per hr in transgenic pig milk possessed anticoagulant activity that was equivalent to that of protein C derived from human plasma. These studies provide evidence that gamma-carboxylation can occur at high levels in the mammary gland of a pig."}
{"id": "PMID:1465431", "title": "Human immunodeficiency virus gp120 binding C'C\" ridge of CD4 domain 1 is also involved in interaction with class II major histocompatibility complex molecules.", "content": "Using site-directed mutagenesis informed by high-resolution CD4 structural data, we have investigated the role of residues of the C'C'' ridge region of human CD4 on class II major histocompatibility complex (MHC) binding. This C'C'' ridge is homologous to the CDR2 loop of an immunoglobulin variable domain and is known to contain the binding site for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) coat glycoprotein gp120. Here we report that this region is also involved in interaction with class II MHC. Exposed positively charged residues Lys-35, Lys-46, and Arg-59 and the exposed hydrophobic residue Phe-43 contribute significantly to class II MHC binding. Moreover, mutations in the buried residues Trp-62 and Ser-49, which support the top and bottom of the C'C'' ridge, respectively, disrupt class II MHC interaction. The HIV binding region appears to involve a restricted area of the larger class II MHC binding site on CD4. Strategies of drug design aimed at interrupting CD4-HIV interaction will need to consider the extensive overlap between class II MHC and HIV gp120 binding surfaces in this region of CD4."}
{"id": "PMID:1465432", "title": "Major histocompatibility complex class I-restricted T cells are required for resistance to Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection.", "content": "Mice with a targeted disruption in the beta 2-microglobulin (beta 2m) gene, which lack major histocompatibility complex class I molecules and consequently fail to develop functional CD8 T cells, provided a useful model for assessing the role of class I-restricted T cells in resistance to infection with virulent Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Of mutant beta 2m-/-mice infected with virulent 10(6) M. tuberculosis, 70% were dead or moribund after 6 weeks, while all control mice expressing the beta 2m gene remained alive for > 20 weeks. Granuloma formation occurred in mutant and control mice, but far greater numbers of tubercle bacilli were present in the lungs of mutant mice than in controls, and caseating necrosis was seen only in beta 2m-/-lungs. In contrast, no differences were seen in the course of infection of mutant and control mice with an avirulent vaccine strain, bacille Calmette-Gu\u00e9rin (BCG). Immunization with BCG vaccine prolonged survival of beta 2m-/-mice after challenge with M. tuberculosis for 4 weeks but did not protect them from death. These data indicate that functional CD8 T cells, and possibly T cells bearing gamma delta antigen receptor, are a necessary component of a protective immune response to M. tuberculosis in mice."}
{"id": "PMID:1465433", "title": "Adhesion and incorporation of lacZ-transduced endothelial cells into the intact capillary wall in the rat.", "content": "Use of the capillary bed of skeletal muscle as an in vivo recipient site to transplant autologous endothelial cells that have undergone gene transfer ex vivo has considerable potential as a technique of somatic gene therapy. Here we document a previously unrecognized capacity of endothelial cells to adhere and incorporate spontaneously into confluent endothelial cell monolayers in vitro and in vivo. This spontaneous adhesion and incorporation of endothelial cells enabled us to seed lacZ-transduced endothelial cells into the wall of skeletal muscle capillaries of the hindlimb of the rat. Certain transduced endothelial cells became incorporated within the capillary wall, whereas others remained within the capillary lumen where they formed focal, electron-dense, contacts with host endothelium. lacZ expression in the capillary bed was documented for up to 1 month after transplantation. Use of the intact capillary bed of skeletal muscle as an in vivo recipient site for transduced, autologous endothelial cells holds promise as a strategy for somatic gene therapy to treat various genetic and acquired human diseases."}
{"id": "PMID:1465434", "title": "Spectral enhancement of proteins: biological incorporation and fluorescence characterization of 5-hydroxytryptophan in bacteriophage lambda cI repressor.", "content": "We have used a tryptophan-requiring Escherichia coli auxotroph to replace the three tryptophan residues of lambda cI repressor with 5-hydroxy-L-tryptophan (5-OHTrp). By using a nonleaky promoter, we have achieved > 95% replacement of tryptophan in the repressor. We show that the absorbance and fluorescence properties of 5-OHTrp-lambda cI are clearly distinct from lambda cI repressor and that the fluorescence of 5-OHTrp-lambda cI repressor can be observed selectively in the presence of exogenous tryptophan. We also show that the 5-OHTrp-lambda cI repressor functional properties, as assessed by measurement of binding constants for self-association and for association to operator DNA, and structural properties, as assessed by fluorescence, are indistinguishable from the native repressor. Based on these results, we anticipate that the availability of spectrally enhanced proteins will significantly enhance the utility of both fluorescence and phosphorescence spectroscopies to study protein structure and function in complex interacting systems."}
{"id": "PMID:1465435", "title": "Wild-type p53 binds to the TATA-binding protein and represses transcription.", "content": "p53 activates transcription of genes with a p53 response element, and it can repress genes lacking the element. Here we demonstrate that wild-type but not mutant p53 inhibits transcription in a HeLa nuclear extract from minimal promoters. Wild-type but not mutant p53 binds to human TATA-binding protein (TBP). p53 does not bind to yeast TBP, and it cannot inhibit transcription in a HeLa extract where yeast TBP substitutes for human TBP. These results suggest a model in which p53 binds to TBP and interferes with transcriptional initiation."}
{"id": "PMID:1465436", "title": "Site-specific RNA cleavage generates the 3' end of a poxvirus late mRNA.", "content": "The cowpox virus late mRNAs encoding the major protein of the A-type inclusions have 3' ends corresponding to a single site in the DNA template. The DNA sequence of the Alu I-Xba I fragment at this position encodes an RNA cis-acting signal, designated the AX element, which directs this RNA 3' end formation. In cells infected with vaccinia virus the AX element functions independently of either the nature of the promoter element or the RNA polymerase responsible for generating the primary RNA. At late times during virus replication, vaccinia virus induces or activates a site-specific endoribonuclease that cleaves primary RNAs within the AX element. The 3' end produced by RNA cleavage is then polyadenylylated to form the 3' end of the mature mRNA. Therefore, the poxviruses employ at least two mechanisms of RNA 3' end formation during the viral replication cycle. One mechanism, which is operative at early times in viral replication, involves the termination of transcription [Rohrmann, G., Yuen, L. & Moss, B. (1986) Cell 46, 1029-1035]. A second mechanism, which is operative at late times during viral replication, involves the site-specific cleavage of primary RNAs."}
{"id": "PMID:1465437", "title": "Expression of yeast hexokinase in pancreatic beta cells of transgenic mice reduces blood glucose, enhances insulin secretion, and decreases diabetes.", "content": "It has been proposed that endogenous hexokinases of the pancreatic beta cell control the rate of glucose-stimulated insulin secretion and that genetic defects that reduce beta-cell hexokinase activity may lead to diabetes. To test these hypotheses, we have produced transgenic mice that have a 2-fold increase in hexokinase activity specific to the pancreatic beta cell. This increase was sufficient to significantly augment glucose-stimulated insulin secretion of isolated pancreatic islets, increase serum insulin levels in vivo, and lower the blood glucose levels of transgenic mice by 20-50% below control levels. Elevation of hexokinase activity also significantly reduced blood glucose levels of diabetic mice. These results confirm the role of beta-cell hexokinase activity in the regulation of insulin secretion and glucose homeostasis. They also provide strong support for the proposal that reductions in beta-cell hexokinase activity can produce diabetes."}
{"id": "PMID:1465438", "title": "Exogenous advanced glycosylation end products induce complex vascular dysfunction in normal animals: a model for diabetic and aging complications.", "content": "Advanced glycosylation end products (AGEs) have been implicated in many of the complications of diabetes and normal aging. Markedly elevated vascular tissue and circulating AGEs were linked recently to the accelerated vasculopathy of end-stage diabetic renal disease. To determine the pathogenic role of AGEs in vivo, AGE-modified albumin was administered to healthy nondiabetic rats and rabbits alone or in combination with the AGE-crosslink inhibitor aminoguanidine. Within 2-4 weeks of AGE treatment, the AGE content of aortic tissue samples rose to six times the amount found in controls (P < 0.001). Cotreatment with aminoguanidine limited tissue AGE accumulation to levels two times that of control. AGE administration was associated with a significant increase in vascular permeability, as assessed by 125I label tracer methods. This alteration was absent in animals that received aminoguanidine in addition to AGE. Significant mononuclear cell migratory activity was observed in subendothelial and periarteriolar spaces in various tissues from AGE-treated rats compared to normal cellularity noted in tissues from animals treated with aminoguanidine. Blood pressure studies of AGE-treated rats and rabbits revealed markedly defective vasodilatory responses to acetylcholine and nitroglycerin compared to controls (P < 0.001), consistent with marked NO. inactivation; aminoguanidine treatment significantly prevented this defect. These in vivo data demonstrate directly that AGEs, independent of metabolic or genetic factors, can induce complex vascular alterations resembling those seen in diabetes or aging. AGE administration represents an animal model system for the study of diabetic and aging complications as well as for assessing the efficacy of newly emerging therapies aimed at inhibiting advanced glycosylation."}
{"id": "PMID:1465439", "title": "Distinct promoters direct neuronal and nonneuronal expression of rat aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase.", "content": "Aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase (AADC, EC 4.1.1.28) catalyzes the decarboxylation of L-dopa to dopamine in catecholamine cells and 5-hydroxytryptophan to serotonin in serotonin-producing neurons. This enzyme is also expressed in relatively large quantities in nonneuronal tissues such as liver and kidney, where its function is unknown. Neuronal and nonneuronal tissues express AADC mRNAs with distinct 5' untranslated regions. To understand how this is accomplished at the genomic level, we have isolated rat genomic DNA encoding AADC. The organization of the AADC gene suggests that there are two separate promoters specific for the transcription of neuronal and nonneuronal forms of the AADC message. A small exon containing 68 bases of the neuronal-specific 5' end is located approximately 9.5 kilobases upstream of the translation start site, which is contained in the third exon. Approximately 7 kilobases upstream from the neuron-specific promoter is another small exon containing 71 bases of the 5' end of the nonneuronal AADC message. These data suggest that transcription initiating at distinct promoters, followed by alternative splicing, is responsible for the expression of the neuronal and nonneuronal forms of the AADC message."}
{"id": "PMID:1465440", "title": "Translocation of a folded protein across the outer membrane in Escherichia coli.", "content": "A mutation in the Escherichia coli dsbA gene (coding for a periplasmic disulfide oxidoreductase) reduces the rate of disulfide bond formation in the enzyme pullulanase and also reduces the rate at which the enzyme is secreted to the cell surface, as measured by protease accessibility. The enzyme did not become protease accessible when disulfide bond formation was completely prevented in the mutant strain by carboxymethylation. These results indicate that a disulfide bond may be required for, and certainly does not impede, the translocation of pullulanase across the outer membrane. Since it is unlikely that a disulfide bond could be formed and then reduced again in the periplasm, these results would appear to strengthen the argument that pullulanase polypeptides fold into or close to their final conformation before they are transported across the outer membrane. It is suggested that this might be a feature common to all proteins that are secreted by other Gram-negative bacteria by a pullulanase-like pathway."}
{"id": "PMID:1465441", "title": "The Saccharomyces cerevisiae ARG4 initiator of meiotic gene conversion and its associated double-strand DNA breaks can be inhibited by transcriptional interference.", "content": "In the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, as in other eukaryotes, some regions of the genome have a much higher level of meiotic gene conversion than others. Previous deletion analysis indicated that the sequence necessary for the high level of gene conversion within the ARG4 region defined an initiation site located between positions -316 and -37 [relative to the first base pair (+1) of the ARG4 coding sequence] of the ARG4 promoter. To test whether this sequence is sufficient to promote gene conversion in a novel chromosomal context, we inverted on the chromosome various DNA fragments including the implicated region and the ARG4 coding sequence. Surprisingly, these inversions resulted in the loss of the normal recombination properties and double-strand-break formation associated with this process. By Northern analysis, we found that a transcript traverses the ARG4 initiation site in these inversion mutants but not in the wild type. When transcription through this region was prevented by a transcription terminator, the activity of the initiation site and the formation of double-strand breaks were restored. From these results and from complementary deletion analysis in the normal ARG4 orientation, we conclude that the activity of the ARG4 initiation site requires protection from transcriptional interference."}
{"id": "PMID:1465442", "title": "Chi sequence protects against RecBCD degradation of DNA in vivo.", "content": "RecBCD is a multifunctional enzyme involved in DNA degradation and homologous recombination. It also produces an endonucleolytic cleavage near properly oriented chi sites (5'-GCTGGTGG-3'). Plasmids are not known to be affected by either RecBCD enzyme or the presence of a chi site. We report here that plasmids that replicate by a rolling circle mechanism accumulate large amounts of high molecular weight linear multimers (HMW), either if they contain a chi site or if RecBCD is absent. An in vivo inducible system for rolling circle replication was constructed to study RecBCD and its interactions with chi. Results show that (i) HMW accumulation is chi orientation dependent, and (ii) a succession of chi sites prevents degradation of HMW by RecBCD enzyme. These results demonstrate chi activity in plasmids. The rolling circle mechanism produces a sigma structure during plasmid replication; we propose that the double-stranded DNA tail of this sigma form allows RecBCD entry; the tail is degraded unless it is protected by a chi site. By analogy, a principal role of chi in the survival of lambda red-gam- mutants in wild-type strains may be to protect rolling circle concatemers (in late replication) from degradation by RecBCD."}
{"id": "PMID:1465443", "title": "Organization of the human skeletal myosin heavy chain gene cluster.", "content": "Myosin is an important structural and enzymatic component of skeletal muscle. Multiple myosin isoforms are encoded by a multigene family and are expressed in different developmental stages and fiber types. In humans and mice, skeletal myosin heavy chain (MYH) genes are clustered on a single chromosome (17p and 11, respectively). Since the structural organization of the gene cluster may affect its expression as well as shed light on MYH genetic alterations, a physical map of the human MYH gene cluster was constructed. Nine yeast artificial chromosomes containing MYH genes were isolated and used to construct a contiguous set (contig) of overlapping yeast artificial chromosomes. This contig encompasses a genetic marker mapped to 17p13.1. Six MYH genes were located within a 500-kilobase segment of human DNA. The order of the genes within this cluster does not correspond to the developmental pattern of expression of individual members."}
{"id": "PMID:1465444", "title": "Interleukin 7 receptor functions by recruiting the tyrosine kinase p59fyn through a segment of its cytoplasmic tail.", "content": "Engagement of the cell surface receptor for interleukin 7 (IL-7R) provokes protein tyrosine phosphorylation, although the receptor lacks a kinase catalytic domain in its cytoplasmic tail. The molecular basis of this response is not known. Here we report that the IL-7R functions by recruiting p59fyn, an intracellular tyrosine kinase of the src family. Treatment of pre-B cells with IL-7 causes an enhancement of the catalytic activity of p59fyn, but not of the related kinase p62yes. IL-7-dependent stimulation of the enzyme phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, a tyrosine kinase substrate, provides further evidence suggestive of p59fyn activation. We demonstrate that p59fyn forms part of a protein complex with the IL-7R. A chimeric receptor comprising the CD8 extracellular domain and the IL-7R cytoplasmic tail (CD8/IL-7R) recruits tyrosine kinase activity in transfected myeloma cells, and p59fyn can be detected in association with it by immunoprecipitation and immunoblotting. Conversely, p59fyn immunoprecipitates contain the phosphorylated CD8/IL-7R. We have identified a segment of the IL-7R cytoplasmic tail which mediates p59fyn recruitment: a truncated CD8/IL-7R containing only this segment recruits tyrosine kinase activity, associates with p59fyn, and activates phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase. Interestingly, this segment contains no tyrosine residues, although it is the phosphotyrosine-binding src homology domains of p59fyn and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase which mediate their association with many growth factor receptors. Thus our results suggest that an unusual interaction links IL-7R to these two important signaling pathways."}
{"id": "PMID:1465445", "title": "Sequence-structure matching in globular proteins: application to supersecondary and tertiary structure determination.", "content": "A methodology designed to address the inverse globular protein-folding problem (the identification of which sequences are compatible with a given three-dimensional structure) is described. By using a library of protein finger-prints, defined by the side chain interaction pattern, it is possible to match each structure to its own sequence in an exhaustive data base search. It is shown that this is a permissive requirement for the validation of the methodology. To pass the more rigorous test of identifying proteins that are not close sequence homologs, but that have similar structure, the method has been extended to include insertions and deletions in the sequence, which is compared to the fingerprint. This allows for the identification of sequences having little or no sequence homology to the fingerprint. Examples include plastocyanin/azurin/pseudoazurin, the globin family, different families of proteases and cytochromes, including cytochromes c' and b-562, actinidin/papain, and lysozyme/alpha-lactalbumin. Turning to supersecondary structure prediction, we find that alpha/beta/alpha fragments possess sufficient specificity to identify their own and related sequences. By threading a beta-hairpin through a sequence, it is possible to predict the location of such hairpins and turns with remarkable fidelity. Thus, the method greatly extends existing techniques for the prediction of both global structural homology and local supersecondary structure."}
{"id": "PMID:1465446", "title": "Patterns of spatiotemporal organization in an \"ambiquitous\" enzyme model.", "content": "Many enzymes in pathways such as glycolysis associate reversibly with cellular substructures. The spatiotemporal behavior of a \"limit-cycle\" oscillation model is studied under the condition that the \"ambiquitous\" oscillophor, phosphofructokinase, is partitioned between \"bulk-phase\" and \"bound\" forms in a heterogeneous system. Computer simulation demonstrates the occurrence of sustained, wave-like spatiotemporal patterns of chemical concentration in the bulk medium. Kinetic dissimilarity among the localized populations of bound enzyme leads to a \"polarity\" effect in the wave phenomenon. It is suggested that a key physiological role of the limit-cycle regime is to engender a rapid, site-to-site, signal-transmission modality in large eukaryotic (e.g., mammalian) cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1465447", "title": "Repair of DNA damaged by UV light and ionizing radiation by cell-free extracts prepared from Schizosaccharomyces pombe.", "content": "A whole cell extract prepared from Schizosaccharomyces pombe was shown to be active in an assay for repair of plasmid DNA damaged by either ultraviolet (UV) light or gamma-radiation. The assay allows for analysis of repair synthesis at single-strand nicks generated by gamma-rays and analysis of the incision step and repair synthesis in UV-light-damaged DNA. Repair synthesis of DNA damaged by either UV light or gamma-rays was shown to depend on the presence of ATP in the reaction mixture. However, incision at pyrimidine dimers did not require the addition of exogenous ATP. These studies showed that plasmid DNA containing a single pyrimidine dimer or one single-strand nick is a suitable substrate in this assay system. S. pombe is a genetically well-defined eukaryotic organism and many radiation-sensitive mutant derivatives have already been described, making this a powerful system in which to study DNA excision repair."}
{"id": "PMID:1465448", "title": "Empty and peptide-containing conformers of class I major histocompatibility complex molecules expressed in Drosophila melanogaster cells.", "content": "Transfected Drosophila melanogaster cells can express large quantities of class I major histocompatibility complex molecules. Such molecules lack endogenous peptides because the Drosophila cells are devoid of proteins necessary for intracellular peptide loading. The empty molecules are efficiently expressed on the cell surface and can acquire extracellular peptides. The conformation and stability of empty murine class I molecules are determined by the source of beta 2-microglobulin. All beta 2-microglobulin-induced conformers of empty heavy chains seem to be unified in a common rigid conformation on peptide binding."}
{"id": "PMID:1465449", "title": "Genomic structure of the human caldesmon gene.", "content": "The high molecular weight caldesmon (h-CaD) is predominantly expressed in smooth muscles, whereas the low molecular weight caldesmon (l-CaD) is widely distributed in nonmuscle tissues and cells. The changes in CaD isoform expression are closely correlated with the phenotypic modulation of smooth muscle cells. During a search for isoform diversity of human CaDs, l-CaD cDNAs were cloned from HeLa S3 cells. HeLa l-CaD I is composed of 558 amino acids, whereas 26 amino acids (residues 202-227 for HeLa l-CaD I) are deleted in HeLa l-CaD II. The short amino-terminal sequence of HeLa l-CaDs is different from that of fibroblast (WI-38) l-CaD II and human aorta h-CaD. We have also identified WI-38 l-CaD I, which contains a 26-amino acid insertion relative to WI-38 l-CaD II. To reveal the molecular events of the expressional regulation of the CaD isoforms, the genomic structure of the human CaD gene was determined. The human CaD gene is composed of 14 exons and was mapped to a single locus, 7q33-q34. The 26-amino acid insertion is encoded in exon 4 and is specifically spliced in the mRNAs for both h-CaD and l-CaDs I. Exon 3 is the exon that encodes the central repeating domain specific to h-CaD (residues 208-436) together with the common domain in all CaD (residues 73-207 for h-CaD and WI-38 l-CaDs, and residues 68-201 for HeLa l-CaDs). The regulation of h- and l-CaD expression is thought to depend on selection of the two 5' splice sites within exon 3. Thus, the change in expression between l-CaD and h-CaD might be caused by this splicing pathway."}
{"id": "PMID:1465450", "title": "Helix-loop-helix transcription factors E12 and E47 are not essential for skeletal or cardiac myogenesis, erythropoiesis, chondrogenesis, or neurogenesis.", "content": "E12 and E47 are two non-tissue-specific helix-loop-helix (HLH) transcription factors encoded by the E2A gene. Previous studies suggested that they are involved in regulation of differentiation in many tissue types including muscle, blood, and nerve through direct heterodimer interactions with tissue-specific HLH proteins. To gain further genetic insight into the functions of E12 and E47 during cell differentiation, we mutated both copies of the E2A gene in mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells and then tested the effect on differentiation in vitro. We find that the ES cells lacking functional E12 and E47 are capable of differentiating into both skeletal and cardiac muscle, erythrocytes, neurons, and cartilage that the same extent as wild-type cells. These results indicate that the E2A gene is not essential for differentiation of these cell types and suggest that redundant genes may control these developmental pathways."}
{"id": "PMID:1465451", "title": "Costs of deception: cheaters are punished in rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta).", "content": "From a functional perspective, deception can evolve in animal populations but should be constrained by the costs associated with detection. It then follows that withholding information should be more prevalent as a form of deception than active falsification of information because of the relative difficulties associated with detecting cheaters. Empirical studies of deception have focused on the benefits of cheating but have provided no data on the costs associated with being detected as a cheater. I present results from field experiments on rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) which show that individuals discovering food announce their discoveries by calling on 45% of all trials. Discoverers who failed to call, but were detected with food by other group members, received significantly more aggression than vocal discoverers. Moreover, silent female discoverers ate significantly less food than vocal females. This demonstrates that there are significant costs to withholding information. Such costs may constrain the frequency with which deception occurs in this and other populations."}
{"id": "PMID:1465452", "title": "Intermolecular interactions between the A and B subunits of heat-labile enterotoxin from Escherichia coli promote holotoxin assembly and stability in vivo.", "content": "Cholera toxin and the related heat-labile enterotoxin (LT) produced by Escherichia coli consist of a holotoxin of one A subunit and five B subunits (AB5). Here we investigate the domains of the A subunit (EtxA) of E. coli LT which influence the events of B-subunit (EtxB) oligomerization and the formation of a stable AB5 holotoxin complex. We show that the C-terminal 14 amino acids of the A subunit comprise two functional domains that differentially affect oligomerization and holotoxin stability. Deletion of the last 14 amino acids (-14) from the A subunit resulted in a molecule that was significantly impaired in its capacity to promote the assembly of a mutant B subunit, EtxB191.5. In contrast, deletion of the last four amino acids (-4) from the A subunit gave a molecule that retained such a capacity. This suggests that C-terminal residues within the -14 to -4 region of the A subunit are important for promoting the oligomerization of EtxB. In addition, we demonstrate that the truncated A subunit lacking the last 4 amino acids was unable to form a stable AB5 holotoxin complex even though it promoted B-subunit oligomerization. This suggests that the last 4 residues of the A subunit function as an \"anchoring\" sequence responsible for maintaining the stability of A/B subunit interaction during holotoxin assembly. These data represent an important example of how intermolecular interactions between polypeptides in vivo can modulate the folding and assembly of a macromolecular complex."}
{"id": "PMID:1465453", "title": "Cloning and expression of a cDNA encoding the transporter of taurine and beta-alanine in mouse brain.", "content": "A taurine/beta-alanine transporter was cloned from a mouse brain cDNA library by screening with a partial cDNA probe of the glycine transporter at low stringency. The deduced amino acid sequence predicts 590 amino acids with typical characteristics of the sodium-dependent neurotransmitter transporters such as sequence homology and membrane topography. However, the calculated isoelectric point of the taurine/beta-alanine transporter is more acidic (pI = 5.98) than those (pI > 8.0) of other cloned neurotransmitter transporters. Xenopus oocytes injected with cRNA of the cloned transporter expressed uptake activities with Km = 4.5 microM for taurine and Km = 56 microM for beta-alanine. Northern hybridization showed a single transcript of 7.5 kilobases that was highly enriched in kidney and distributed evenly in various parts of the brain. In situ hybridization showed the mRNA of the taurine/beta-alanine transporter to be localized in the corpus callosum, striatum, and anterior commisure. Specific localization of the taurine/beta-alanine transporter in mouse brain suggests a potential function for taurine and beta-alanine as neurotransmitters."}
{"id": "PMID:1465454", "title": "High expression of human beta S- and alpha-globins in transgenic mice: hemoglobin composition and hematological consequences.", "content": "A line of transgenic mice (alpha H beta S-11; where alpha H is human alpha-globin) was created in which the human beta S and human alpha 2 globin genes, each linked to the beta-globin locus control region, were cointegrated into the mouse genome. On a normal genetic background, the transgenic mice produced 36% human beta S-globin chains with an alpha H/beta S ratio of 1.3. Higher levels of beta S were achieved by breeding the transgenic mice with mutant mice carrying a mouse beta major-globin gene deletion. Mice heterozygous for the beta major deletion (alpha H beta S[beta MD]; MD, mouse deletion) had 54% beta S with an alpha H/beta S ratio of 1.0; mice homozygous for the beta major deletion (alpha H beta S[beta MDD]) had 72.5% beta S and an alpha H/beta S ratio of 0.73. Because mouse alpha chains inhibit hemoglobin (Hb) S polymerization, we bred the mice to heterozygosity for a mouse alpha-globin deletion. These mice (alpha H beta S[alpha MD beta MDD]) had an increased alpha H/beta S ratio of 0.89 but expressed 65% beta S. Expression of the human genes cured the thalassemic phenotype associated with the murine beta major deletion. Transgenic alpha H beta S[beta MDD] mice had normal hematocrit and Hb and somewhat elevated reticulocytes (6% vs. 3% for control), whereas the mice carrying the alpha-globin deletion (alpha H beta S[alpha MD beta MDD]) had a normal hematocrit and Hb and more elevated reticulocytes (10.3 +/- 7.6% vs. 3.4 +/- 1.0%). Expression of the transgene restored a normal distribution of erythrocyte densities when compared to thalassemic mice; however, the average mean corpuscular Hb concentration of alpha H beta S[beta MDD] mice increased to 35.7 g/dl (vs. control 33.7 g/dl) whereas that of alpha H beta S[alpha MD beta MDD] mice was further elevated to 36.3 g/dl. The intrinsic oxygen affinity was increased in transgenic mouse erythrocytes at 280 milliosmolal, and the PO2 at midsaturation of alpha H beta S[alpha MD beta MDD] erythrocytes was higher than that of alpha H beta S[beta MDD] cells (37.4 +/- 2 vs. 33.5 +/- 1 mmHg). The higher values of the mean corpuscular Hb concentration and intrinsic PO2 at midsaturation, which favor in vivo sickling, may explain the slightly more severe hematological picture in alpha H beta S[alpha MD beta MDD] mice. We conclude that the transgenic mouse with high Hb S expression does not exhibit adult anemia but does have abnormal hematological features: increased erythrocyte density, high oxygen affinity, and reticulocytosis with increased stress reticulocytes."}
{"id": "PMID:1465455", "title": "High expression of human beta S- and alpha-globins in transgenic mice: erythrocyte abnormalities, organ damage, and the effect of hypoxia.", "content": "A line of transgenic mice with two cointegrated transgenes, the human beta S- and alpha 2-globin genes, linked to the beta-globin locus control region was produced and bred with mice carrying a deletion of the mouse beta major-globin gene. In transgenic mice homozygous for the beta major deletion (alpha H beta S[beta MDD]; where alpha H is human alpha-globin and MD is mouse deletion), 72.5 +/- 2.4% (mean +/- SD) of the beta-chains are beta S and the ratio of alpha H- to beta S-globin was 0.73. Introduction of a heterozygous mouse alpha-globin deletion into mice homozygous for the beta major deletion (alpha H beta S[alpha MD beta MDD]) resulted in 65.1 +/- 8.5% beta S and a human alpha/beta ratio of 0.89 +/- 0.2. Sickling occurs in 95% of erythrocytes from alpha H beta S[beta MDD] mice after slow deoxygenation. Transmission electron microscopy revealed polymer fiber formation but not fascicles of fiber. Increased organ weight was noted in lung, spleen, and kidney of transgenic mice vs. controls that may be due to hypertrophy or increased blood volume in the lungs and/or increased tissue water content. The hemoglobin content of lung, spleen, and kidney was also elevated in transgenic animals due to trapped hemoglobin and/or increased blood volume. When transgenic and control mice were examined by magnetic resonance imaging at 9.4 tesla, some transgenic animals had enlarged kidneys with prolonged relaxation time, consistent with increased organ weight and water content. The glomerular filtration rate was elevated in transgenic animals, which is characteristic of young sickle cell patients. Furthermore, exposure to hypoxia resulted in significantly decreased hematocrit, increased erythrocyte density, and induced a urine-concentrating defect. We conclude that the transgenic mouse line reported here has chronic organ damage and further hematological and organ dysfunction can be induced by hypoxia."}
{"id": "PMID:1465456", "title": "Genomic structure of DNA encoding the lymphocyte homing receptor CD44 reveals at least 12 alternatively spliced exons.", "content": "The CD44 molecule is known to display extensive size heterogeneity, which has been attributed both to alternative splicing and to differential glycosylation within the extracellular domain. Although the presence of several alternative exons has been partly inferred from cDNA sequencing, the precise intron-exon organization of the CD44 gene has not been described to date to our knowledge. In the present study we describe the structure of the human CD44 gene, which contains at least 19 exons spanning some 50 kilobases of DNA. We have identified 10 alternatively spliced exons within the extracellular domain, including 1 exon that has not been previously reported. In addition to the inclusion or exclusion of whole exons, more diversity is generated through the utilization of internal splice donor and acceptor sites within 2 of the individual exons. The variation previously reported for the cytoplasmic domain is shown to result from the alternative splicing of 2 exons. The genomic structure of CD44 reveals a remarkable degree of complexity, and we confirm the role of alternative splicing as the basis of the structural and functional diversity seen in the CD44 molecule."}
{"id": "PMID:1465457", "title": "Correlation analysis of amino acid usage in protein classes.", "content": "We present a comparative study of residue usage correlations of various organism protein sets of diverse phylogenetic species and of open reading frames of several large human viral genomes. Our correlation analysis reveals three major tendencies: (i) charge compensation reflected by the high correlation of basic with acidic residues; (ii) the positive correlations of functionally and structurally similar amino acids including many pairs of hydrophobic amino acids, all pairs of aromatic amino acids, the anionic pair (glutamate and aspartate), but not the cationic pair (lysine and arginine), moderately the hydroxyl pair (serine and threonine), the small amino acids (glycine and alanine), and many (but not all) of those having high values in the Dayhoff substitutability matrix (characteristics such as amino acid polarity or codon usage agreement, except for the wobble position, do not necessarily imply significant positive correlations); (iii) a widespread negative correlation of the aggregate strong codon group amino acids (Ala, Gly, Pro) versus the weak codon group amino acids (Lys, Ile, Tyr, Asn, Phe). Discussion and speculations relate amino acid usage correlations to protein function/structure, cellular localization, proximity in amino acid biosynthetic pathways, amino acid relative abundances, tRNA and aminoacyl synthetase availabilities, and evolutionary processes."}
{"id": "PMID:1465458", "title": "Ovariectomy selectively reduces the concentration of transforming growth factor beta in rat bone: implications for estrogen deficiency-associated bone loss.", "content": "Previous work showed that production of transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) by osteoblast-like rat UMR 106 cells was increased by 17 beta-estradiol at physiological concentrations. To determine whether ovariectomy alters the concentration of TGF-beta in rat long bones, female Sprague-Dawley rats were either sham-operated (n = 19) or ovariectomized (n = 19), pair-fed a semisynthetic diet for 6 weeks, and sacrificed. Tibial and femoral diaphyses were removed and extracted by demineralization. Ovariectomy lowered serum estrogen; did not alter body weight, serum magnesium, or serum 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D; and produced only modest differences in serum calcium and phosphate concentrations. Hydroxyproline was higher and extractable protein was lower in bones from ovariectomized rats than in bones from sham-operated rats; calcium content did not differ between the two groups of animals. Ovariectomy lowered the concentration of TGF-beta in bone but did not change the concentration of insulin-like growth factors I or II compared with values in bone from control animals. The reduction of bone TGF-beta was evident 6 weeks after surgery but not at 3 weeks. Treatment of ovariectomized rats with estrogen eliminated the TGF-beta deficit. To determine whether 17 beta-estradiol increased TGF-beta production by normal bone cells, mouse osteoblasts were treated for 2 days with 17 beta-estradiol. The production of TGF-beta was increased almost 2-fold by 1 nM 17 beta-estradiol, and short-term treatment stimulated the intracellular accumulation of TGF-beta 1 mRNA. We conclude that ovariectomy reduces deposition of TGF-beta in rat bone and that diminished skeletal TGF-beta could play a role in the pathogenesis of bone loss, fractures, and microfractures that occur in estrogen-deficient states. Our results support the possibility that estrogen and bone TGF-beta may be necessary for normal maintenance of the skeleton in female rats."}
{"id": "PMID:1465459", "title": "Approach to a retrovirus vaccine: immunization of mice against Friend virus disease with a replication-defective Friend murine leukemia virus.", "content": "In an initial attempt to test the ability of replication-defective retroviruses to immunize against immunologically related pathogenic viruses, we have worked with the erythroleukemogenic Friend retrovirus complex (FV), which consists of a replication-competent helper component, Friend murine leukemia virus (FMuLV), and a related defective pathogenic component, spleen focus-forming virus (SFFV). An 81-base-pair deletion was introduced into the p15E-encoding region of the env gene of an otherwise replication-competent molecular clone of the FMuLV provirus. After transfection of this clone into cells that package the viral RNA in MuLV coats, infectious virus was released into the culture medium. Mouse fibroblasts infected with this virus, here called delta FMuLV, expressed the truncated viral env gene products in their cytoplasm but not on cell surfaces, and culture fluids from these cells did not transmit the infection to fresh mouse fibroblasts. In preliminary experiments, immunization of mice of H-2-congenic BALB/c strains with delta FMuLV conferred levels of immunity to FV disease ranging from weak to relatively strong. Immunized mice developed anti-FV IgM and IgG antibodies and cytotoxic T cells. Mice observed for 15 weeks after the first of two immunizations showed no detectable pathology, but delta FMuLV DNA was detectable in livers of some immunized mice for at least 3-6 weeks. These results suggest that our approach to development of retrovirus vaccines may be a useful one."}
{"id": "PMID:1465461", "title": "An opportunist to keep at bay. Pseudomonas in ITU.", "content": "Pseudomonas is a common cause of infection in ITU. To minimise incidence of this opportunistic infection, it is essential that nursing care is based on research, rather than ritual."}
{"id": "PMID:1465462", "title": "Lasting relief from a distressing condition. Surgical intervention in hidradenitis suppurativa.", "content": "Hidradenitis suppurativa is a painful skin condition which affects the skin glands. The condition can be successfully treated with surgery, but requires skillful and sensitive pre- and post-operative nursing care."}
{"id": "PMID:1465463", "title": "A strategy to regain control: helplessness and depressive illness in women.", "content": "The feelings of helplessness which accompany depression in many women have known psychological, physiological and sociological causes. By including patients in the decision-making process, nurses can help them begin to take control over their lives."}
{"id": "PMID:1465464", "title": "How much do they know? A study into patients' knowledge of drugs.", "content": "If patients are to make informed decisions about the treatment they receive, they need adequate information about their treatment. This study looks at renal patients' knowledge of the drugs they are prescribed to manage their condition."}
{"id": "PMID:1465465", "title": "An adequate recourse to protection? Using a multidisciplinary approach to resolve elderly abuse.", "content": "Abuse of elderly, dependent people by their carers is a problem that many in the legal and healthcare professions would prefer to ignore. It is essential, however, that this problem is highlighted and cases are referred to a multidisciplinary case conference so the individual's protection and security can be assured."}
{"id": "PMID:1465466", "title": "How much should we tell them? Patient education for people with diabetes.", "content": "Patient education assumes that by giving people with diabetes information about their condition, they will take steps to prevent potential complications. Not all clients, however, are willing to follow advice or are prepared to make short-term sacrifices for long-term gains. Informing clients about the potential for complications, however, enables them to share responsibility for the outcome."}
{"id": "PMID:1465469", "title": "A challenge we can all achieve. Total quality management in healthcare.", "content": "The healthcare system is becoming increasingly concerned with initiatives to ensure and improve the quality of its services. Quality assurance, prevalent in much of nursing, can be overly bureaucratic; total quality management focuses the entire organisation on achieving quality."}
{"id": "PMID:1465470", "title": "Early removal advances discharge home. Comparison of midnight and early morning catheter removal following prostatectomy.", "content": "Resumption of normal voiding is necessary before prostatectomy patients can be discharged from hospital. This study assesses the effect upon this of the timing of catheter removal."}
{"id": "PMID:1465471", "title": "A seasonal depression. Management of seasonal affective disorder.", "content": "1. SAD is a mood disorder characterised by recurring cyclic periods of autumn/winter dysthymia alternating with late spring/summer euthymia or hypomania. 2. It is now thought that SAD sufferers may be deficient in certain brain chemicals, and it is likely that the interactions of a number of neurotransmitters are responsible for the disorder. 3. In the UK, 72% of SAD sufferers report an increase in sleep from around seven hours in the summer to nine in winter. 4. Phototherapy has been proved an effective treatment for SAD, and lamps for phototherapy are becoming increasingly available."}
{"id": "PMID:1465472", "title": "Correlations of purinergic, cholinergic and adrenergic functions in rabbit corporal cavernosal tissue.", "content": "Erection involves cholinergic, adrenergic as well as non-cholinergic non-adrenergic nerves. Endothelial-derived relaxation factor plays an important role in mediating smooth muscle relaxation, which is crucial in initiating and maintaining erection. We previously showed that adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP) can induce significant relaxation in rabbit corporal cavernosal tissue. The present study presents effects of different neurotransmitters and the role of endothelium in controlling the contractile/relaxant status of rabbit cavernosal tissue. These studies utilized isolated tissue strips prepared from the corpus cavernosum of sexually mature male New Zealand white rabbits. The results can be summarized as follows: (1) field stimulation caused relaxations with rebound contractions in most strips; (2) bethanechol (250 microM), isoproterenol (20 microM) and ATP (1 mM) all induced relaxations, though the relaxation induced by bethanechol was poorly sustained; (3) removal of the endothelium by rubbing decreased the relaxation to field stimulation and virtually eliminated the relaxation induced by bethanechol, but had no effect on the relaxation responses to isoproterenol and ATP; (4) methoxamine (200 microM) stimulated a sustained contraction of corporal cavernosal tissue, an effect unaltered by rubbing the strips; (5) low dose epinephrine induced relaxation, whereas higher concentrations contracted the tissue, and (6) beta-adrenergic inhibition with propranolol (20 microM) was significantly more effective than mascarinic blockade with atropine (20 microM) in eliminating relaxation caused by field stimulation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1465473", "title": "Effect of the potassium channel opener EMD 56431 on globally ischemic rat hearts.", "content": "The effect of the ATP-sensitive potassium channel opener EMD 56431 on coronary vasodilation and cardioprotection in isolated rat hearts was investigated. EMD 56431 caused a significant increase in pre-ischemic coronary flow. Time to contracture and reperfusion function were significantly increased at 3, 10 and 30 microM concentrations. LDH release was significantly reduced at 10 and 30 microM concentrations. 1 microM glyburide completely abolished the protective effects found with 10 microM EMD 56431. When given during reperfusion only, 10 microM EMD 56431 showed no cardioprotection. Thus, EMD 56431 appeared to reduce the severity of ischemia/reperfusion injury. The vasorelaxant versus cardioprotective effects for EMD 56431 are similar to other potassium channel openers, such as cromakalim."}
{"id": "PMID:1465474", "title": "Carbonic anhydrase inhibition by flurbiprofen and related agents.", "content": "Flurbiprofen, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), reduces bone resorption in periodontal disease. This therapeutic effect has been attributed to inhibition of prostaglandin synthesis. In view of the importance of carbonic anhydrase (CA) in bone resorption, we examined the CA-inhibitory properties of flurbiprofen using bovine and human CA II and compared them with those of acetazolamide and two other NSAIDs, ibuprofen and indomethacin. Flurbiprofen inhibited both human and bovine erythrocyte CA II but to a much lesser degree than acetazolamide. Ibuprofen and indomethacin were much less active in inhibiting CA II than flurbiprofen."}
{"id": "PMID:1465475", "title": "Comparison of sorbinil and ponalrestat (Statil) diminution of proteinuria in the BB rat.", "content": "Diabetic nephropathy leading to kidney failure is a major complication of type I (insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus and is associated with progressive proteinuria. In the present 6-month study, effects of two structurally dissimilar aldose reductase inhibitors (sorbinil and ponalrestat or Statil) were examined on prevention of proteinuria in insulin-dependent spontaneously diabetic BB rats and compared with age-matched BB resistant controls. Prior to aldose reductase inhibitor treatment, all diabetic BB rats exhibited hyperglycemia (> 300 mg/dl), glycosuria (> 2,000 mg/dl) and 24-hour urinary protein excretion ranging from 5.01 to 11.23 mg/day. After daily administration of ponalrestat (20 mg/kg) for 3 months, 24-hour urinary protein excretion was 11.53 +/- 1.76 mg/day in ponalrestat-treated rats, despite persistence of hyperglycemia (444 +/- 31 mg/dl) and glycosuria (> 2,000 mg/dl); by contrast, urinary protein excretion was 17.76 +/- 2.59 mg/day in the control group of untreated BB diabetic rats. Ponalrestat initially protected against excretion of an array of urinary proteins having molecular weights between 30,000 and 100,000 daltons. These effects sustained throughout the 4th month of treatment, tended to change toward valves in control rats by the 5th month. At the end of 6 months, ponalrestat-treated diabetic rats excreted 18.73 +/- 3.20 mg/day of protein, similar to valves in untreated BB diabetic rats; both demonstrated a 4-fold increase in urinary protein excretion when compared to age-matched BB resistant controls. Proteinuria was attributed to an increase in albumin and an array of proteins having molecular weights between 30,000 and 100,000 daltons.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1465476", "title": "Inhibitory effect of beta-alanyl-L-histidinato zinc on bone resorption in tissue culture.", "content": "The inhibitory effect of beta-alanyl-L-histidinato zinc (AHZ) on bone resorption in tissue culture was investigated. Calvaria were removed from weanling rats (3-week-old male) and cultured for periods up to 48 h in Dulbecco's modified Eagle medium (high glucose, 4.5%) supplemented with antibiotics and bovine serum albumin. The experimental cultures contained 10(-7) to 10(-4) mol/l AHZ. The bone-resorbing factors, parathyroid hormone (1-34) (PTH; 10(-7) mol/l), prostaglandin E2 (10(-5) mol/l), interleukin-1 alpha (IL1 alpha; 50 U/ml), and lipopolysaccharide (10 micrograms/ml), caused a significant decrease in bone calcium content. The decreases in bone calcium content induced by bone-resorbing factors were completely inhibited by the coexistence of AHZ (10(-6) to 10(-4) mol/l). Also, AHZ (10(-5) mol/l) completely inhibited the PTH (10(-7) mol/l) or IL1 alpha (50 U/ml)-induced increase in medium glucose consumption and lactic acid production by bone tissue. Furthermore, AHZ (10(-5) mol/l) fairly blocked both PTH (10(-7) mol/l)-increased acid phosphatase and decreased alkaline phosphatase activities of bone tissue. The inhibitory effect of AHZ (10(-5) mol/l) on PTH (10(-7) mol/l)-stimulated bone resorption was clearly prevented by the presence of 10(-4) mol/l dipicolinate, a chelator of zinc. However, zinc sulfate (10(-7) to 10(-4) mol/l) did not inhibit the PTH (10(-7) mol/l)-stimulated bone resorption in tissue culture. These findings indicate that AHZ had a direct inhibitory effect on bone resorption in vitro, and the AHZ effect was found in the chemical form of zinc-chelated dipeptide."}
{"id": "PMID:1465477", "title": "Methylated cap structures in eukaryotic RNAs: structure, synthesis and functions.", "content": "There are more than twenty capped small nuclear RNAs characterized in eukaryotic cells. All the capped RNAs appear to be involved in the processing of other nuclear premessenger or preribosomal RNAs. These RNAs contain either trimethylguanosine (TMG) cap structure or methylated gamma phosphate (Mppp) cap structure. The TMG capped RNAs are capped with M7G during transcription by RNA polymerase II and trimethylated further post-transcriptionally. The Mppp-capped RNAs are transcribed by RNA polymerase III and also capped post-transcriptionally. The cap structures improve the stability of the RNAs and in some cases TMG cap is required for transport of the ribonucleoproteins from cytoplasm to the nucleus. Where tested, the cap structures were not essential for their function in processing other RNAs."}
{"id": "PMID:1465478", "title": "Membrane structure, toxins and phospholipase A2 activity.", "content": "The phospholipid-hydrolyzing enzyme phospholipase A2 (PLA2) (EC 3.1.1.4) exists in several forms which can be located in the cytosol or on cellular membranes. We review briefly cellular regulatory mechanisms involving covalent modification by protein kinase C and the action of Ca2+, cytokines, G proteins and other cellular proteins. The major focus is the role of phospholipid structure on PLA2 activity, including (1) the mechanism of PLA2 action on synthetic phospholipid bilayers, (2) perturbation of synthetic and cellular membranes with lipophilic agents and membrane-interactive peptides and (3) the ability of these agents to activate endogenous PLA2 activity, with emphasis on the venom and plant toxins melittin, cardiotoxin and Pyrularia thionein."}
{"id": "PMID:1465479", "title": "Rational use of antiepileptic drug levels.", "content": "Antiepileptic drug (AED) levels are obtained frequently in clinical practice, but their complex relation to seizures or drug toxicity often makes interpretation of the results difficult. Research studies have not always taken into account clinical, as well as pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic, factors which may influence the drug level-effect relationship. AED levels should be drawn at an appropriate time in relation to drug ingestion and clinical symptoms. Systematic investigations in selected patients, during which several levels are obtained, may be more rewarding than routine measurements in a large clinic population."}
{"id": "PMID:1465480", "title": "Role of the RNA-dependent protein kinase in the regulated expression of genes in transfected cells.", "content": "The RNA-dependent P1/eIF-2 alpha protein kinase is a highly specific protein-serine/threonine kinase that catalyzes the phosphorylation of the alpha subunit of protein synthesis initiation factor eIF-2. The kinase plays a central role in translational control. The activity of the kinase is regulated by a variety of naturally occurring effector RNAs which bind to the regulatory domain of the enzyme. Certain RNAs are able to activate the eIF-2 alpha kinase activity inherent within protein P1, a process which involves an autophosphorylation of protein P1, whereas other RNAs are able to antagonize the activation process. Translational repression mediated by the kinase may also be disrupted by RNA binding proteins that sequester activator double-stranded RNAs and by site-directed mutants and homologs of the eIF-2 alpha translation factor substrate. The P1/eIF-2 alpha protein kinase is an important regulator of the translation of plasmid-derived mRNAs in transfected eukaryotic cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1465481", "title": "The disclosure of the diagnosis of cancer.", "content": "In summary, the consensus today is that full disclosure of the diagnosis of cancer to competent individuals (including children) is morally, ethically, legally, and therapeutically the appropriate policy. Unfortunately, this task is one that most physicians still find awkward, in part because of the continued de-emphasis of \"soft\" clinical skills in the medical education. Thus, doctors have little opportunity to address their own beliefs and emotions. By being cognizant of clinician unease and using well-described communication skills, however, disclosure can be satisfactorily accomplished. As American health care becomes increasingly ambulatory in nature, primary care physicians will have even more need to hone this skill."}
{"id": "PMID:1465482", "title": "The pathologist's role in the diagnosis of cancer.", "content": "This brief overview of the activities of the pathologist for cancer patients has shown the primary care physician not only what is involved for the office patient, but also procedures that are out of the scope of office practice. It is intended that this review lead to better patient care through communication and cooperation."}
{"id": "PMID:1465483", "title": "Diagnostic imaging in cancer.", "content": "Screening chest radiographs do not reduce mortality from lung cancer. Should an incidental noncalcified pulmonary parenchymal nodule be discovered, chest CT will demonstrate one third of such patients to, in fact, have the multiple nodules of metastatic disease. CT is very helpful to guide fine needle aspiration biopsy of lung lesions and to assist in evaluation for resectability. MR can be helpful in special circumstances, including the definition of the extent of paravertebral, superior sulcus, and diaphragmatic lesions. Endorectal ultrasound is not sensitive enough to function as a screening tool for prostate cancer but is used routinely to guide biopsies. CT and MR are rarely helpful in staging this disease. Given the highly characteristic trait of bone metastasis in prostate cancer, a bone scan is mandatory in all patients. Double contrast barium enema can be used as an adjunct or alternative to sigmoidoscopy for colorectal cancer screening, in the preoperative evaluation of patients, and in postoperative surveillance. CT and MR can detect macroscopic adenopathy and liver metastases; CT is generally the preferred study. Screening mammography can have a major impact in reducing breast cancer mortality. It is recommended that a baseline study be obtained at age 35. Annual or biannual examinations should commence at age 40. Any palpable lesion, whether or not it is demonstrated mammographically, must be subjected to biopsy. Ultrasound is the most useful initial imaging study for evaluating pelvic masses. MR will, on occasion, identify the origin of a mass not determinable from ultrasound scan. MR is particularly valuable to identify parametrial spread (inoperability) of cervical cancer, and has been underused for this purpose. Surgery remains the mainstay for the staging of ovarian and endometrial cancer, although CT can be helpful to identify macroscopic relapse, ascites, or liver metastases. Bone scan and liver CT remain the standard procedures for detecting metastases in these respective organ systems. MR can be invaluable in the imaging of epidural metastasis and spinal cord compression in patients with vertebral metastatic disease. Contrast-enhanced MR is more sensitive than contrast-enhanced CT for detecting brain metastases, but the latter remains a useful tool. Chest CT can improve the detection of pulmonary metastases when this is of crucial importance."}
{"id": "PMID:1465484", "title": "Paraneoplastic syndromes for the primary care physician.", "content": "To summarize, we have reviewed the major endocrine, hematologic, neurologic, dermatologic, and miscellaneous paraneoplastic syndromes. These entities are of great importance to the primary care physician because, when recognized, they can permit early diagnosis of the neoplasm. Further, treatment can afford palliation of symptoms. We can expect more definite identification of the causes of the paraneoplastic syndromes in the future because more of the substances that are released by tumors will be identified and analyzed. We need to watch with anticipation for the development of specific treatments for the paraneoplastic syndromes as the causes are identified."}
{"id": "PMID:1465485", "title": "Metastasis of unknown origin.", "content": "Evaluation of the patient with metastasis of unknown origin should be structured to quickly identify treatable tumors or the need for palliation while avoiding prolonged hospital stays and testing that will result in neither improved treatment nor better prognosis. The evaluation should be symptom-directed and pathologically oriented. It is the responsibility of the family physician in caring for a patient with MUO to ensure that communication is facilitated between surgeon, oncologist, pathologist, and patient. The physical examination should include thyroid, breasts, pelvic, and rectal examinations. General lab analyses should include fecal occult blood testing, complete blood count, urinalysis, serum calcium, and liver function studies. Men should have assays for prostate-specific antigen and serum prostatic acid phosphatase. Women should undergo mammography and pelvic ultrasound. Undifferentiated carcinoma is likely to originate from either small cell bronchogenic, lymphoma, or germ cell, and thus, serum should be assayed for HCG and AFP. Further radiologic studies, in the absence of specific symptoms, should be limited to chest radiographs and abdominal CT. Contrast studies should be included only if there is organ dysfunction. Biopsy of the malignant tissue should be done early, and studies should include histochemistry, immunohistology, and electron microscopy. Tissues from female patients should be studied for estrogen and progesterone receptors. When a biopsy is planned, advance communication between the family physician or surgeon and the pathologist greatly increases the chance of identifying a primary site. It is important that the surgeon obtain sufficient material to enable study, not only by standard histologic techniques, but also by electron microscopy, special stains, estrogen receptor activity, hormonal markers, and tumor markers. Treatment of patients for whom a primary tumor remains undiscovered must include toxic therapies only for those with good functional status who are likely to respond. Therapy must be pursued for palliation of symptoms when they develop. As physicians, we must control the urge to do something at those times when doing nothing is more appropriate. We must provide continuous support for both the patient and family, protecting to the best of our ability their quality of life. A physician should never convey the impression that it is \"not cost-effective\" to look for the source of a patient's malignancy. It can be emphasized that further search for a primary tumor carries both medical risk and expense, yet is unlikely to locate the primary tumor or improve the response to therapy or the quality of life.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1465486", "title": "Cancer drug therapy.", "content": "The chemotherapeutic treatment of cancer has evolved into a major treatment modality. Better results than ever before are being recorded with the integration of this approach into the early and total management of cancer. Although complex and toxic, these drugs and their combinations are contributing in new ways to the treatment of more and more patients. More than 50% of those people afflicted with cancer in 1991 became long-term survivors. Most of these survivors are destined to be followed on a long-term basis by their family doctor."}
{"id": "PMID:1465487", "title": "Cancer survivors.", "content": "Cancer survivorship is becoming a newly defined entity. Cancer therapies can produce many late physical effects by adversely affecting every organ system. Psychosocial issues that have been studied include: psychiatric, self-concept, school performance, and behavioral adjustment, employment and insurance discrimination, and marital status. Quality-of-life assessments in adult survivors is comparable to controls but is diminished for children with disease or treatments that affect the CNS. The greatest fear for cancer survivors is the 10 to 20 times greater risk of SMN as compared with persons with no history of cancer. Infertility and sexual dysfunction are real concerns for survivors that usually go unexpressed. Some cancers have a familial predisposition; however, treatments do not appear to increase the risk of birth defects or childhood cancers in the offspring. Lower socioeconomic status adversely affects cancer survival because of lost opportunities for cancer screening, other diseases, and untreated cancer. The primary care physician can competently care for cancer survivors and should emphasize health promotion and risk prevention behaviors, topics especially applicable for this patient population."}
{"id": "PMID:1465488", "title": "Pain management in advanced cancer.", "content": "This article presents a primary care approach to pain management in patients with advanced cancer. Assessment of \"total\" pain is reviewed along with interdisciplinary care. Pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic therapies are outlined, with emphasis on the correct use of narcotics and adjuvant analgesics."}
{"id": "PMID:1465489", "title": "Hospice care.", "content": "Hospice care is a philosophy and system of care for the terminally ill patient that accepts death in an affirmative way and provides palliative care and emotional support to dying patients and their families. The primary care physician needs to better understand the hospice concepts, the reasons for and growth of hospice care, and the depth of resources that can assist in equality management of the terminally ill."}
{"id": "PMID:1465490", "title": "Ethical issues in the care of cancer patients.", "content": "Nearly all the topics considered by medical ethics generally present themselves to those caring for cancer patients. Although most attention may be given to questions of resource allocation and limiting treatment, other issues are of equal importance. Providing respect and compassion for patients may be even more important. The day-to-day treatment of the patient that recognizes the practical autonomy of the patient and legitimizes the patient's involvement in deciding about his or her own care may do more to preserve the integrity of the patient as a person than anything else that happens to someone who accepts the cancer diagnosis. The physician who can accept the patient's judgment and participation and who can help the patient find positive meaning in what can be a personally and socially devastating disease experience has enacted a highly laudatory ethical standard of patient care."}
{"id": "PMID:1465491", "title": "The family with a member who has cancer.", "content": "Optimal medical care for persons with chronic illnesses such as cancer cannot be provided unless the physician adopts a family-oriented approach to patient care. Such an approach requires little additional time or effort but profoundly affects the ability of patient and family to cope with cancer. Physicians should routinely gather data about the family system of their patients with cancer and make use of that data in understanding the unique issues the patient will face in adapting to their illness. The physician's goal should be to anticipate how the illness will affect the family at its current stage of the life cycle and recognize how the patient's family is currently affecting the patient's experience of the illness. The maintenance of clear, open communication among patient, family, and physician is critical to successful adaptation."}
{"id": "PMID:1465492", "title": "Leukemias and lymphomas in children.", "content": "Leukemias and lymphomas, the most common type of neoplasms in children, represent a heterogenous group of diseases that display a wide spectrum of clinical, morphologic, immunologic, cytogenetic, and molecular features. Modern treatment is curative for most children with lymphoid neoplasms; however, new approaches to therapy of acute nonlymphoblastic leukemias are necessary if current results are to be improved. This article focuses on the clinical and biologic characteristics, and the modalities of treatment of this group of diverse diseases."}
{"id": "PMID:1465501", "title": "Pathological lesions following an experimental intoxication with aflatoxin B1 in broiler chickens.", "content": "A follow-up of chickens dosed orally over 21 days with 0.2 and 3 micrograms of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) g-1 of bodyweight daily and their subsequent recovery 10 days after withdrawal of contaminated food was conducted. Vacuolation of liver cells during the initial days of the intoxication and cellular depletion in the follicle medulla of the bursa of Fabricius were the lesions which appeared first and persisted during the recovery phase in both groups of intoxicated animals. The intensity of these lesions and their persistence was related to the dose of aflatoxin ingested. A significant reduction in the bodyweight and absolute weights of liver, bursa of Fabricius spleen and thyroid was observed in the higher dose group."}
{"id": "PMID:1465502", "title": "Tannic acid intoxication in sheep and mice.", "content": "Acute tannic acid intoxication was studied in mice and sheep. In mice, following oral administration of 2.0 to 4.6 g of tannic acid kg-1 bodyweight, periacinar coagulative and haemorrhagic necrosis occurred in the liver. In sheep, following oral (8 g kg-1 bodyweight) administration of tannic acid, liver necrosis was not observed either histologically or detected biochemically, although transmission electron microscopy showed focal hepatocellular necrosis, steatosis and acicular crystal cleft formation. In sheep given tannic acid intraperitoneally (0.1 g kg-1 bodyweight), liver necrosis occurred and plasma sodium and glucose levels significantly (P < 0.05) decreased while packed cell volume and plasma aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, creatinine and bilirubin significantly (P < 0.01) rose. The results for blood-gas and acid-base determinations, blood haemoglobin and oxygenation showed significant increases in arterial blood methaemoglobin concentration (P < 0.05) and decreases in blood pH (P < 0.01) and oxyhaemoglobin concentration (P < 0.05) in sheep by 32 hours after oral dosing with 8 g of tannic acid kg-1 bodyweight. In sheep given tannic acid intraperitoneally, methaemoglobinaemia was not detected, but metabolic acidosis with a compensatory respiratory alkalosis occurred. Thus, it would appear that although tannic acid is hepatotoxic when given orally to mice or intraperitoneally to sheep, it does not produce renal or significant hepatic injury in sheep when given orally, but rather causes metabolic acidosis and methaemoglobinaemia."}
{"id": "PMID:1465503", "title": "Immune responses to dietary antigens in gluten-sensitive enteropathy of Irish setters.", "content": "This study examined whether increased intestinal permeability in Irish setters with gluten-sensitive enteropathy was associated with altered immune responses to ingested antigens, and whether a humoral immune response to gluten is involved in the pathogenesis of the condition. Affected setters reared on a wheat-containing diet were compared with littermates reared on a cereal-free diet and age-matched control setters. Measurement of serum immunoglobulins revealed increased serum IgA concentrations in affected dogs. Antibody responses to a variety of dietary antigens were measured by ELISA. Antibody levels to ovalbumin, collagen I and II and soya were not significantly different from normal dogs. Anti-gliadin antibody concentrations were lower in affected dogs than controls, and correlated with immune complex formation as assessed by C1q binding. The study suggested a modified immune response in dogs with increased intestinal permeability, although there was no major systemic antibody response to dietary antigens."}
{"id": "PMID:1465504", "title": "Reactivity of lichen lectins with blood typed canine erythrocytes.", "content": "Extracts from 69 species of lichens were tested for their ability to agglutinate untreated and enzyme-modified erythrocytes from a panel of blood typed dogs. Forty-three lichen species reacted positively with either untreated or enzyme-modified cells. Many extracts exhibited differential agglutination among red cells tested. The patterns of differential agglutination observed with the lichen extracts did not correspond to known canine blood groups present on the test red cell panel."}
{"id": "PMID:1465505", "title": "The effect of copper and heliotrope on the composition of bile in sheep.", "content": "The effects of interrupting the enterohepatic circulation (EHC) of bile salts for seven hours and of feeding copper and heliotrope alone and combined for 13 weeks, on bile flow and excretion of copper, zinc, iron and alpha-mannosidase were studied in sheep. Interruption of EHC reduced bile flow rate and increased the concentration of copper, zinc, iron and bile acids while alpha-mannosidase's activity remained stable. Changes in concentration were related to changes in bile volume for copper and zinc only. Total output per hour was not changed. Biliary concentration of copper correlated with alpha-mannosidase's activity in control sheep and those given copper or heliotrope, supporting the hypothesis that lysosomes are involved in biliary secretion of copper in sheep. Increasing the intake of copper increased the rate of excretion of copper in bile. Copper output was lower when heliotrope was fed alone."}
{"id": "PMID:1465506", "title": "Does a single bout of exercise cause adaptation of amino acid metabolism in pigs?", "content": "Amino acid responses to exercise stress in well-trained racehorses and human athletes are well characterised, but the knowledge of amino acid metabolism during and after exercise in inactive animal species is limited. To study this, plasma amino acid concentrations were measured in previously unexercised pigs which performed two exercise tests on a treadmill with an interval of one week. In general, the changes in amino acids were more pronounced after the second than after the first exercise bout. Alanine, glutamine, phenylalanine and tyrosine were elevated for one hour only after the latter exercise. Twenty-four hours after the second exercise isoleucine, leucine, phenylalanine, tyrosine and valine were increased, but only isoleucine was increased after the first test. These differences between the two tests might be explained by adaptation of the amino acid metabolism after a single exercise bout and suggest that domestic pigs are well suited to study the early effects of exercise."}
{"id": "PMID:1465507", "title": "Glucose tolerance and insulin secretion in spontaneously hyperthyroid cats.", "content": "Glucose tolerance and insulin secretion after administration of a glucose load were determined in 11 clinically normal cats and 15 cats with spontaneous hyperthyroidism. In six hyperthyroid cats, a glucose tolerance test was repeated after treatment with radioactive iodine (131I). All cats had similar baseline glucose concentrations. However, the cats with hyperthyroidism had a significantly decreased glucose clearance, which was worse after treatment. Hyperthyroidism also caused a marked increase in basal and glucose-stimulated insulin secretion, which was not improved with treatment. It is concluded that hyperthyroidism in cats may lead to long-lasting alterations of glucose tolerance and insulin secretion which may not be reversed by treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1465508", "title": "Vaccination against experimental staphylococcal mastitis in dairy heifers.", "content": "Vaccination-challenge experiments were carried out with dairy heifers using new, killed cell-toxoid-adjuvant Staphylococcus aureus vaccines. The organisms in the vaccines were cultured under conditions which simulated in vivo growth and induced expression of a pseudocapsule. Dextran sulphate which promotes synthesis of IgG2 antibody was included in the vaccines as the primary adjuvant. Vaccinated heifers developed very high levels of both IgG1 and IgG2 anti-pseudocapsule antibody in serum, however, titres of neutralising antibody against toxoided haemolysins were generally low. Vaccinated and unvaccinated control heifers were challenged by intramammary infusion of three virulent strains of S aureus in four experiments. Vaccinated heifers were more resistant to clinical mastitis following challenge than were controls, and the vaccinates had significantly greater milk production than controls following challenge. The most promising vaccine had dextran sulphate combined with mineral oil as the adjuvant injected intramuscularly."}
{"id": "PMID:1465509", "title": "Functional significance of the morphology and micromechanics of collagen fibres in relation to partial rupture of the superficial digital flexor tendon in racehorses.", "content": "The high incidence of partial rupture of the superficial digital flexor tendor in the equine athlete represents a major cause for concern in the racing industry. Frequently, the lesion is localised to the central core of the tendon. This study tested the hypothesis that the site specific structural failure results from differences in the collagen fibre morphology and associated micromechanics between central and peripheral regions of the tendon. Bundles of collagen fibres were dissected from central and peripheral sites in the mid-metacarpal region of the tendon. Crimp morphology was quantified by polarised light microscopy and mechanical characteristics determined using a fibre tensometer. In older horses, centrally located fibres showed significantly lower values for crimp angle, crimp length and toe limit strain than seen peripherally. There were no significant differences in these features between corresponding sites in the younger horses. No significant difference between sites was found in elastic modulus in either group. These data indicate a non-uniform functional stress distribution which may result from ageing or be related to the exercise history as a feature of accumulated damage. These observations may explain the location of central core lesions seen on clinical examination."}
{"id": "PMID:1465510", "title": "Inhalation of water during electrical stunning in chickens.", "content": "Twenty live hens were subjected to electrical stunning using a waterbath containing a solution of technetium99 (99Tc), and 12 hen carcases were injected intratracheally with different doses of the same solution. The respiratory tract was dissected from the carcases and samples were assessed for the presence of radioactivity. Thirty-five per cent of the electrically stunned birds had 99Tc in their tracheas and 15 per cent had 99Tc in the lungs. From the dose response study it was estimated that the birds with radioactivity in their lungs had inhaled between 0.5 and 1 ml of water. In commercial slaughterlines this may be a hazard to meat hygiene."}
{"id": "PMID:1465511", "title": "Interactions between Teladorsagia circumcincta and Trichostrongylus vitrinus infections in young lambs.", "content": "Groups containing six lambs that previously had been infected five times each week for four, eight or 12 weeks, either with 1000 Trichostrongylus vitrinus third stage larvae (L3) or 1000 T vitrinus L3 and 2500 L3 Teladorsagia (previously Ostertagia) circumcincta were challenged, along with six worm-free control lambs, with 3000 75Se-labelled T vitrinus L3. The lambs were killed 10 days after challenge. Those given a dual infection for four and eight weeks had significantly lower total T vitrinus numbers than monospecifically infected lambs. Significantly fewer radiolabelled larvae were recovered from the dual infected group killed after four weeks exposure to infection than from lambs infected monospecifically. The negative interaction between these two nematode species appears to be physiologically mediated and may be an important factor in accounting for differences in their seasonal prevalence."}
{"id": "PMID:1465512", "title": "Evidence of multiple anthelmintic resistance in a strain of Teladorsagia circumcincta (Ostertagia circumcincta) isolated from goats in Scotland.", "content": "The efficacy of ivermectin, fenbendazole and levamisole was determined in lambs individually infected with 5000 third stage larvae of Teladorsagia (Ostertagia) species isolated from a herd of goats with a history of benzimidazole resistance and where the efficacy of ivermectin had also suffered an apparent decline. Efficacies, calculated using geometric means, for groups where treatments were directed against adult worms were 90.3 per cent (ivermectin), 43.4 per cent (fenbendazole) and 100 per cent (levamisole). The efficacy of ivermectin against immature stages was 83.2 per cent. Ivermectin was highly effective (99.9 per cent) against a known susceptible ovine strain of Teladorsagia."}
{"id": "PMID:1465513", "title": "Stress factors influencing plasma cortisol levels and adrenal weights in Chinese water deer (Hydropotes inermis).", "content": "Stress responses were compared in Chinese water deer (Hydropotes inermis) exposed to different handling, management and disease factors by measuring plasma cortisol and adrenal gland weight. Healthy free-ranging deer shot as part of a management programme served as baseline controls; they had lower cortisol levels than either diseased deer or free-ranging deer that were either netted and manually restrained or anaesthetised by dart. Although darting appeared subjectively to be much less stressful to the deer than manual restraint, there was no significant difference in cortisol levels between the two groups. Hand-reared deer that were manually restrained in a similar manner to the free-ranging deer did not react behaviourally any less violently but showed significantly lower plasma cortisol levels. Adrenal glands of deer with various, mostly chronic, disease conditions weighed significantly more than those of healthy deer."}
{"id": "PMID:1465514", "title": "Sequential in vivo measurements of body composition of calves exposed to natural infection with gastrointestinal nematodes.", "content": "Sequential in vivo measurements of total body water, exchangeable sodium and exchangeable potassium, made by radioisotopic dilution techniques, were used to determine changes in body composition in calves exposed to natural infections with gastrointestinal nematodes during their first grazing season. Two groups of calves were studied, one of which received a sustained release anthelmintic bolus at turn out. Over the grazing season the bolus-treated calves showed a significantly improved pattern of bodyweight gain, compared with the untreated control calves. There were also significant increases in both total body water and exchangeable potassium, as a percentage of the bodyweight, in the bolus calves compared with the controls. These findings indicated that body protein as a percentage of bodyweight was increased in the bolus animals. The bolus-treated calves also had significantly lower serum pepsinogen concentrations, faecal egg counts and worm burdens."}
{"id": "PMID:1465515", "title": "Antigenic differences between the life cycle stages of Cooperia oncophora.", "content": "The antigenic differences among the life cycle stages of Cooperia oncophora were studied by SDS-gel electrophoresis and Western blotting. Sodium dodecylsulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the different life cycle stages of C oncophora revealed a complex protein pattern with a decreasing number of protein bands towards the adult stages. Several bands of the fourth stage larvae were in common with both the third stage and the adult nematode. Western blotting with sera from C oncophora monoinfected calves showed that the antigens of the fourth stage larvae were recognised predominantly and the presence of stage specific antigens in all stages. Strong cross reactivity was demonstrated when serum from Ostertagia ostertagi infected calves was used."}
{"id": "PMID:1465516", "title": "Preparation and use of a monoclonal antibody to detect Chlamydia psittaci antigen in paraffin-embedded tissue sections.", "content": "A murine monoclonal antibody prepared against an ovine abortion isolate of Chlamydia psittaci (A22/Teramo) revealed specific binding to a 57 kDa chlamydial antigen in immunoblotting studies. The monoclonal antibody was able to detect intracytoplasmic chlamydial inclusions and scattered elementary bodies in infected McCoy cell culture, and on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue sections both from experimentally infected mice and from fetal membranes of cases of ovine enzootic abortion."}
{"id": "PMID:1465517", "title": "Changes in some biochemical indicators of bone turnover after ultraviolet irradiation of dairy cows.", "content": "The effect of ultraviolet irradiation on some biochemical indicators of bone turnover in dairy cows was determined. The irradiation was performed using a stationary system for two months and comprised a regimen of 10 days irradiation followed by 10 days rest. After ultraviolet irradiation, significant differences in the activities of serum alkaline phosphatase (P < 0.001) and bone alkaline phosphatase isoenzyme (P < 0.05) and concentration of osteocalcin (P < 0.01) were demonstrated. The results suggest that supplementary ultraviolet irradiation during winter could be used as a simple but reliable method of preventing the development of generalised metabolic bone disorders in dairy cows."}
{"id": "PMID:1465518", "title": "Occurrence of retrovirus-like particles in various cellular and intercellular compartments of the venom glands from Bothrops jararacussu.", "content": "Retrovirus-like particles were detected in venom glands from Bothrops jararacussu during electron microscopy. Type C-like particles were found inter- and intracellularly in gland and vessel lumina and scattered in the connective tissue. They were about 100 nm in diameter, with an electron dense core and bilaminar external membrane. Shapes suggestive of a budding process from the plasma membrane were also observed. Less frequently, type A-like particles, about 80 nm diameter with an electronlucent core, appeared in association with the membranes of the endoplasmic reticulum of the secretory cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1465520", "title": "[Drug-induced hyperprolactinemia and galactorrhea].", "content": "A 21 year old female treated for recurring gastric troubles with dopamine-antagonists (domperidone, metoclopramide) developed a clinically manifest hyperprolactinemia (3055 microU/l; normal value < 650 microU/l) with galactorrhea only two days after a new two day course of metoclopramide. The drug was withdrawn and within days mastodynia and galactorrhea subsided. A control of plasmatic prolactin two weeks later yielded a normal value (358 microU/l). After administration of metoclopramide or domperidone hyperprolactinemia is regularly observed and galactorrhea has been described earlier. It is unclear why this patient inspite of repeated administration of one dopamine antagonist remained asymptomatic whereas the other after a short time and only a few doses led to galactorrhea. It is conceivable that differences in passage into the cerebrospinal fluid or the better penetration of the blood-brain barrier favored the development of galactorrhea under metoclopramide. This case served to discuss the pathophysiologic background of drug-induced hyperprolactinemia."}
{"id": "PMID:1465521", "title": "[Evaluation of the antihypertensive efficacy of isradipine SRO as assessed by ambulatory blood pressure determination].", "content": "The calcium channel blocker isradipine has become recently available in a form with delayed release (isradipine SRO). The anti-hypertensive efficacy and tolerance of this preparation at a single daily dose of 5 mg was studied in 40 patients with uncomplicated essential hypertension over a period of 6 weeks. Blood pressure during office visits decreased under Isradipine SRO from 164/105 +/- 16/7 to 144/93 +/- 12/7 mmHg (mean +/- 1 standard deviation p < 0.001). Using ambulatory blood pressure recording we could show that antihypertensive efficacy of the new galenic form persisted over 24 hours. During the day the blood pressure dropped from 150/95 +/- 13/7 to 141/91 +/- 13/7 mmHg (p < 0.001), during the night from 131/85 +/- 13/3 to 121/81 +/- 15/9 mmHg (p < 0.001). Heart-rate was not changed by treatment and the drug was well tolerated. Isradipine SRO at a single dose is thus well suited for antihypertensive treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1465522", "title": "[Sympathy, desire and physical attraction in the student-patient relationship. Encounter with Mrs. Kelley during my internship].", "content": "During an internship in pneumology the author made the acquaintance of Mrs. Kelley, a young and likeable patient. While taking the history he experienced the development of a subtle erotic tension between them. When her husband and children joined them Mrs. Kelley preferred to be examined physically and sent her family out of the room. This situation made the student insecure and he could no longer approach this patient like other patients. This article contains reflections on the incident which helped the author to cope with that particular incident and comparable situations. He also developed proposals to include this aspect in the medical curriculum."}
{"id": "PMID:1465548", "title": "[Psychophysical load of students in the first year of community secondary schools].", "content": "The material comprised 179 first-grade pupils (92 girls and 87 boys) of private high-schools in several big cities. The psychophysical load of pupils was evaluated using a standard questionnaire containing 77 questions. These questions were arranged in groups allowing for estimation of psychophysical load related to school lessons, extracurricular activities, daily timetable, pupil's situation in the class and family, and his psychic feeling. The results were treated statistically; moreover, they were compared with the results of earlier studies on 518 first-grade pupils (346 girls and 172 boys) of public high-schools in the same cities. The results lead to the following conclusions: In both private and public high-schools the psychophysical load of girls exceeded that of boys. Likewise, the objectively existing load-causing situations and subjective feelings of the troublesomeness of these situations were a greater nuisance to girls. Psychophysical loads of these girls and boys were somewhat slighter in private than in public high-schools. This decrease in psychophysical load of girls and boys attending private high-schools is associated with smaller loads related to school lessons and to the pupil's situation in the family and class, as well as is due to his better psychic feeling. Loads related to extracurricular activities were similar for girls and boys, irrespective of the kind of high-school. Loads associated with school timetable were in private schools similar for girls and boys, whereas in public schools they were somewhat higher for girls."}
{"id": "PMID:1465549", "title": "[Quality, accreditation and certification in free-market economy. Part II. Quality, accreditation and certification in light of European standards].", "content": "Process of accreditation and certification on the ground of series of European standards EN 45000 was discussed. Purpose of establishing, subject and field of application of these standards were presented. Current legal situation in Poland in the domain of accreditation and certification was described."}
{"id": "PMID:1465550", "title": "[Residues of organochlorine insecticides in foods in the years 1986-1990].", "content": "During 1986-1990 4625 samples of food commodities were examined for residues of organochlorine (OC) insecticides in 10 provinces in Poland. This monitoring included analysis of total DDT (DDT+DDE+DDD), alpha, beta and gamma-HCH, HCB and Methoxychlor (DMDT) in milk and milk products, fruits, vegetables, vegetable oils and baby foods. The median values for DDT in milk and milk products varied from undetectable to 0.23 mg/kg on fat basis, and the draft national tolerance (1.0 mg/kg) was exceeded in 2-5% of samples in 1986 only. In fruits and vegetables the median concentrations of the total DDT usually were below the limit of determination. Generally, during the five years period the downward tendency in DDT complex concentration was observed, but not in case of the total HCH. The residues of OC insecticides in baby foods were generally very low due to establishing of special \"low-pesticide\" areas for growing raw materials for these products."}
{"id": "PMID:1465551", "title": "[Quality, accreditation and certification in free-market economy. Part I. Quality and quality assurance systems according to international standards].", "content": "The problems concerning the quality and quality assurance systems were discussed on the base of the International Standards series ISO 9000. The structure, scope and the field of application of these Standards were described. The special attention has been drawn to the models of quality assurance specified in ISO 9001, ISO 9002 and ISO 9003. The role of the International Standards series ISO 9000, as a useful tool to harmonize the international trade in free-market economy was stressed. It was emphasized that the application of quality management and quality assurance systems according to ISO 9000 is compatible with the implementation of Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) system in the food industry."}
{"id": "PMID:1465552", "title": "[Changes in nitrate levels and nitrates in carrot roots during storage in an earthen clamp].", "content": "The aim of this study was the determine the nitrate and nitrite contents in edible parts of 5 varieties of carrot, before clamping and after uncovering, in fresh carrot and dry matter. The colorimetric methods of Griess with modified by Romminger and Straus were used. Dry matter was determined with a drier. Statistical significance of differences in the levels of the studied compounds was calculated by a two-ways analysis of variance. In the studied carrot before clamping average 406.6 mg KNO3/kg and 4.1 mg NaNO2/kg of fresh product was found. These amounts considerably admissible values. After 6-month storage a statistically significant decrease in nitrate levels of Karlena, Perfekcja and Amager was found, in dry matter, whereas a statistically significant increase in Koral variety, while no statistically significant difference in the nitrate level did not changes, was found in Bercoro variety. As concerns nitrites a statistically significant decrease was stated in all carrot varieties."}
{"id": "PMID:1465553", "title": "[Influence of meat storage at +2 degrees C I - 18 degrees C on the activity of OTC residues].", "content": "The examinations were carried out on meat of rabbits which had been being given therapeutical doses OTC (3 x 30 mg/kg i.m.). Rabbits were slaughtered after 4 hours since the last injection. The highest residues of OTC were found in kidneys, lower in liver and the lowest in muscles. The activity of OTC residues was observed in the kidneys, liver and muscles for 21 days stored at +2 degrees C and for 90 days at -18 degrees C. During the storage residues of OTC decreased more dynamically in kidneys and liver than in muscle tissue."}
{"id": "PMID:1465554", "title": "[Nutritional value of daily diets prepared in several regions of the country. Part VI. Value of retinol, beta-carotene and vitamin E].", "content": "Determinations of retinol, beta-carotene and vitamin E were carried out in daily diets of manual and mental workers with medium incomes. The diets were prepared on the basis of the analysis of the Central Statistical Office in 1986 under laboratory conditions in five regions of Poland (Warszawa, Lublin, Olsztyn, Pozna\u0144, Wroc\u0142aw). It was found that these diets contained respectively: vitamin A (retinol and beta-carotene) 844 and 859 micrograms, retinol 466 and 496 micrograms, beta-carotene 2267 and 2167 micrograms and vitamin E 4.82 and 5.12 mg per day. In relation to the realization of daily recommended dietary allowances by these diets, for vitamin A were met respectively 102 and 104% and for vitamin E 58 and 61%. There were considerable differences in the content of beta-carotene and vitamin E between diets prepared in all five regions of Poland."}
{"id": "PMID:1465555", "title": "[Some elements of methods used for nourishing school children in the town of Poznan after development of market economy].", "content": "Studies were aimed at evaluation of nutrition of primary school pupils, 11-14 years of age. It was shown that the daily food rations fail to comply with the recommended nutritional standards for nearly all nutrients, and do not meet the norms of sufficient nutrition. analysis of the food consumption structure testified to very high differentiation of nutrition in the investigated group; this is doubtless related to the family's income levels. The results point to the need for food supplementation at schools."}
{"id": "PMID:1465556", "title": "[Gliadin determination in gluten-free products by the ELISA method].", "content": "Immunoenzymatic method with rabbit antibodies against gliadin and antibodies conjugates with peroxidase for gliadin determination in gluten-free food using polypropylene and polystyrene was successfully used. Results of gliadin determination indicate that content of gliadin in investigated samples was low--about 0.1%."}
{"id": "PMID:1465557", "title": "[Examination of the effect of chlorfenvinphos on the activity of aminotransferase in plasma and liver in vitro].", "content": "In vitro experiments the effect of chlorfenvinphos on aminotransferases activities in rat plasma and liver homogenate cytoplasmic fraction was studied. As amino groups donors in the transamination reactions with plasma enzymes the next eight amino acids were used: alanine, aspartic acid, cysteine, phenylalanine, leucine, lysine, valine and asparagine, and with the liver cytoplasmatic enzymes--the same above mentioned without asparagine. In all these reactions as an amino groups acceptor alfa-ketoglutaric acid was used. To the incubation mixtures were added: 1 cm3 of the plasma or liver homogenate cytoplasmic fraction; 0.05 cm3 of chlorfenvinphos solution in ethyl acetate (0.17 mg/cm3) or 0.05 cm3 ethyl acetate. Aminotransferase activity was expressed as the amount of glutamate developing during 1 h incubation. Glutamic acid was determined spectrophotometrically after chromatographic separation on filter paper. Both in rat plasma and in liver cytoplasmic fraction all used amino acids as amino groups donors in the transamination reactions were shown. In the reactions with the blood plasma enzymes the most active donors were: alanine, aspartic acid and cysteine and with the participation of liver transaminases: alanine, aspartic acid and phenylalanine. As well in plasma, as in liver the greater activity of AlAT than of AspAT was observed. In the reaction with alanine and aspartate there was formed in the case of plasma 1.51 mumol Glu/cm3 and 1.00 mumol Glu/cm3 respectively and in the case of liver -69.07 mumol Glu/g and 53.26 mumol Glu/g respectively. Results of statistical analysis revealed that small plasma and liver aminotransferases inhibition was caused by the solvent, while the insecticide under test had no influence on the efficiency of transamination."}
{"id": "PMID:1465558", "title": "[The effect of n-methylcarbamate insecticides on catecholamines in rat adrenal glands].", "content": "The influence of acute (50% LD50), subacute (10% and 20% LD50) and 12-weeks (5% LD50) intoxication with carbaryl and propoxur on the adrenaline (A) and noradrenaline (NA) level in the rat adrenal glands was investigated. The level of A and NA was decreased to very low values after acute intoxication with carbaryl. Probably this effect result from increase of release of accumulated acetylcholine during poisoning. With lower dosages of carbaryl and propoxur (10% and 20% LD50) different biochemical effect in adrenal glands has been observed. There was a significant decrease in the level of A and simultaneously increase in the NA level. Intoxication with 20% LD50 dose of propoxur has caused smaller alterations than the same dose of carbaryl. Carbaryl when given in a dose of 5% LD50 (12 weeks) produced within first six weeks similar changes to that which can be observed during subacute poisoning. Such character of changes (increase of NA level and decrease of A level) indicate that probably N-methylcarbamate insecticides inhibited the last step of biosynthesis of adrenaline. It can be due to inhibition of N-methyltransferase noradrenaline activity."}
{"id": "PMID:1465559", "title": "[Results of testing well water from an area influenced by the chemical plant \"Police\"].", "content": "The subject of this study was the determination of the correlation between the operation of Chemical Plant \"Police\" and contamination of underground waters. The waters from ten wells in 16 localities were tested in 1982, 1987 and 1990. The indicators of contaminations emitted in different form by Chemical Plant \"Police\" as fluorides, ammonia and its derivatives nitrites and nitrates, sulphates, phosphates and also chlorides were tested. Bacteriological examinations of water also were performed. Investigations performed in 1987, confronted to 1982, showed development concentration of ammonia and minor as depends fluorides and sulphates. In 1990 lowering of average level of all chemical indicators were obtained. Presumable the introduction of technological changes in Plant determined the reduction of contaminations of underground water in this area."}
{"id": "PMID:1465560", "title": "[Occurrence of aquatic organisms in water pipes and the resulting problems with drinking water disinfection].", "content": "The present text is the first part of a paper aimed at specification of the requirements ensuring effective disinfection of drinking water. The discussed health hazards result not only from the presence of pathogenic microorganisms in water, but also from the occurrence of micro- and macroscopic plant and animal organisms. It was shown that while the traditional method for water treatment and disinfection reduces the number of these organisms, it fails to eliminate them completely, particularly in the case of tap water intake from shore intakes of surface waters."}
{"id": "PMID:1465561", "title": "Dentin hypersensitivity treated with a fluoride-containing varnish or a light-cured glass-ionomer liner.", "content": "Dentin hypersensitivity in 112 teeth was randomly treated with Duraphat or Vitrabond. No patients were included unless they, without being asked, complained about daily pain for a long period of time caused by cold, warm, sweet, sour, touch or any combination of these five variables. Patients were excluded if the dentin hypersensitivity could have been caused by cervical abrasion/erosion lesions deeper than 1 mm, cracked-tooth syndrome, caries lesions, operative caries treatment, and/or periodontal surgery or root scaling within the last 6 months. The pain was registered on a binary scale: 1) pain before the treatment; and 2) pain/no pain after the treatment. With Duraphat, 22% of the treatments failed within 1 wk and the cumulative 1-yr success rate was 41%. With Vitrabond, 2% failed within the first week and the 1-yr success rate was 79%. The difference between the two treatments was highly significant. Patients in whom Duraphat failed were treated with Vitrabond and vice versa; the 1-yr success rate for the retreated teeth was 68% when \"Duraphat-failures\" were treated with Vitrabond and 42% when \"Vitrabond-failures\" were treated with Duraphat."}
{"id": "PMID:1465562", "title": "Caries and saliva in 12-18-year-old diabetics and controls.", "content": "Eighty-five 12-18-yr-old adolescents suffering from insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) and their healthy age- and sex-matched controls were investigated with respect to dental caries, salivary flow rate, pH and buffering capacity of saliva, counts for lactobacilli and mutans streptococci, and salivary glucose content. The diabetics had their disease well controlled according to the HbA1 levels. The results showed no statistically significant difference between diabetics and controls in DMF and DMFS indexes and the number of initial caries lesions. Mean number of initial caries lesions was 3.2 in diabetics, 2.3 in controls. Mean stimulated salivary flow rate was 1.2 ml/min in the patients, 1.4 ml/min in the controls. The pH and buffering capacity values were 7.3 and 4.8 in the patients, 7.4 and 5.1 in the controls, respectively. High counts of mutans streptococci (> 10(6) CFU/ml) and lactobacilli (> 10(5) CFU/ml) were observed more often, but not significantly so, among the patients than in the controls. The mean concentration of glucose in saliva was 10.3 micrograms/ml in the patients, 9.7 1 microgram/ml in the controls. Thus, if the patients' IDDM is well controlled, their salivary and caries data does not differ from that of healthy controls."}
{"id": "PMID:1465563", "title": "Progression of approximal caries in primary molars and the effect of Duraphat treatment.", "content": "The progression of caries lesions over a 2-yr period was studied in 3-6-yr-olds. All 468 children included in the study lived in an area during 1977-85 (Malm\u00f6, Sweden) with a low fluoride concentration (0.2 ppm) in the drinking water. Radiographs were taken with a standardized periodic identical technique. Caries lesions were scored on the distal surface of the first and on the mesial surface of the second primary molars (maximum 8 per child) according to Gr\u00f6ndahl et al. Half of the children were treated semiannually with a fluoride varnish (Duraphat). In all, 421 surfaces with caries at baseline were available at the 1-yr examination and 369 at the 2-yr examination. After 1 yr, 34.1% of the shallow enamel lesions remained unchanged, while a progression was seen in 60.9%. 5.1% had been restored. The corresponding figures after 2 yr were 20.6, 52.1 and 27.3%. Of the deeper enamel lesions at baseline, 28.8% remained unchanged after 1 yr and 13.7% after 2 yr. Of the lesions extending into the dentin, 81.5% had been restored after 1 yr and all after 2 yr. When evaluating the effect of Duraphat, only the percentage of individuals with one or more superficial enamel lesions showing progression was determined. After 1 yr, 51.2% in the Duraphat (n = 41) and 82.8% in the control group (n = 29) showed progression (restored surfaces included). The corresponding figures after 2 yr were 66.7 (n = 42) and 91.2% (n = 34). The differences after both 1 yr and 2 yr were statistically significant.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1465564", "title": "Xylitol 5-P formation by dental plaque after 12 weeks' exposure to a xylitol/sorbitol containing chewing gum.", "content": "Five subjects used xylitol-containing chewing gum for 12 wk. Dental plaque was collected before and after the exposure to xylitol. The plaque samples were examined for their capacity to form xylitol 5-P by incubation with 14C labeled xylitol, extraction and separation on HPLC. It was found that the capacity of the plaque to form xylitol 5-P was not reduced during the xylitol exposure in any of the subjects. No other xylitol-derived metabolites were observed. The inhibitory capacity of xylitol thus appears to be maintained after 12 wk exposure to xylitol."}
{"id": "PMID:1465565", "title": "Tobacco smoking, a factor in tooth loss in Reykjav\u00edk, Iceland.", "content": "A random sample of 1023 people 52-79 yr of age out of a group participating in a longitudinal study at the Heart Preventive Clinic of the Icelandic Heart Association in Reykjav\u00edk, Iceland, was examined. The examination was carried out in 1985-7. The results on the number of remaining teeth and total edentulousness were compared to information regarding smoking habits and social status. Total edentulousness was more common among women. Total and partial edentulousness was more frequent in the lower \"employment\" classes while no statistical difference was found for smoking in this respect. This, however, did not affect the significance of tobacco smoking as a factor in the loss of teeth. In general smokers had fewer remaining teeth and were more often edentulous than ex-smokers, smoking time not considered, who again suffered more tooth loss than those who had never smoked. Therefore it is concluded that tobacco smoking may be a major single independent risk factor in the loss of teeth."}
{"id": "PMID:1465566", "title": "Sensitivity to a low calcium diet in different bones: an experimental study in the adult rat.", "content": "Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats weighing an average of 550 g were age matched into one control group and one group given a low calcium diet. The animals were followed for 34 wk. There was a similar loss of cancellous bone tissue in the proximal tibia, the first tail vertebra and the mandible due to calcium deficiency. The bone loss was not related to the initial amount of cancellous bone or to the bone-forming activity, which did not differ between experimental and control animals."}
{"id": "PMID:1465568", "title": "Short term bone healing in calcium deficiency osteopenia and disuse osteopenia: experimental studies in adult rats.", "content": "Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats (average weight 530-540 g) were studied in two different series. In series I, studying disuse osteopenia, the experimental rats had all maxillary molars extracted on one side. After 16 wk they had their mandibular first molar of the corresponding side extracted and were followed for another 4 wk. In series II, studying calcium deficiency osteopenia, the experimental rats were given a low calcium diet for 16 wk and at this time had their mandibular first molars extracted. Both disuse and calcium deficiency caused osteopenia, which did not seem to impair the healing process after tooth extraction in the short term. One puzzling finding in the disuse series (I) was that the alveolar height at the extraction site was higher in the experimental than in the control group 4 wk after extraction."}
{"id": "PMID:1465567", "title": "Influence of masticatory muscle function on craniofacial growth in hypocalcemic rats.", "content": "The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of low masticatory function on the craniofacial growth pattern in rats fed a low calcium and vitamin D deficient diet. Male growing rats were divided randomly into three groups: the Normal Hard Diet group, the Deficient Soft Diet group, and the Deficient Hard Diet Group. Lateral cephalograms were taken at days 0, 14 and at the end of the experiment, day 28. The craniofacial growth pattern was altered by an upwards rotation of the viscerocranium (orthocranialization) in the Deficient groups and, the total skull lengths were shorter than in the Normal Hard Diet group. The viscerocranium in the Deficient Soft Diet group was in an even more orthocranial position than in the Deficient Hard Diet group and the antegonial notch was shallower. This indicates that an induced disturbance of craniofacial morphology due to metabolic bone disease during growth is accentuated by a low masticatory function."}
{"id": "PMID:1465569", "title": "Longitudinal study of stimulated whole saliva in an elderly population.", "content": "The aim of this investigation, which is part of the longitudinal gerontologic population study in Gothenburg (H-70), was to examine the effect of aging on salivary flow. Three 70-yr-old cohorts, born in 1901/02, 1906/07, and 1911/12, were studied both cross-sectionally and longitudinally. Representative subsamples (n = 931) were followed up to 82 yr in the first and up to 75 yr in the second and third cohorts. Whole saliva secretion was stimulated by paraffin wax chewing for 5 min and all sampling was carried out in the morning after an overnight fast. The mean secretion rate was 1.24 for men and 0.94 ml/min for women at the age of 70 (all cohorts pooled). The percentage values for extremely low secretion rate (< 0.2 ml/min) were 2 and 6%, respectively. Neither the cross-sectional nor the longitudinal comparison showed any decrease in secretion rate on a group basis either in the age interval 70-82 yr in the first or between 70 and 75 yr in the other two cohorts. However, an increased prevalence of complaints of mouth dryness was found, especially among women. The main conclusion from this study is that there is no decline on a population basis in paraffin-wax-stimulated salivary flow with increasing age."}
{"id": "PMID:1465570", "title": "Factors influencing mercury evaporation rate from dental amalgam fillings.", "content": "Factors influencing mercury evaporation from dental amalgam fillings were studied in 11 volunteers. Air was drawn from the oral cavity for 1 min and continuously analyzed with a mercury detector. In six volunteers the median unstimulated evaporation rate was 0.1 ng Hg/s, range 0.09-1.3 ng Hg/s. After chewing gum for 5 min the highest evaporation rate was 2.7 ng Hg/s. Chewing paraffin wax gave only a small increase in evaporation rate. Changes in airflow rates between 1.5 and 2.5 1/min during the 1 min sampling did not change the amount of mercury drawn from the oral cavity. Sampling with different mouthpieces and closed mouth was compared to open mouth sampling with a thin plastic tube. It was found that the latter method could result in lower values for some volunteers due to simultaneous mouth breathing. After placing individual plastic teeth covers in the mouth, the intraoral evaporation of mercury decreased immediately by 89-100% of previous levels. This technique could be used to detect mercury evaporation from separate amalgam fillings or to reduce the intraoral mercury vapor concentration. Rinsing the mouth with heated water for 1 min increased the mean evaporation rate by a factor of 1.7 when the water temperature increased from 35 degrees C to 45 degrees C."}
{"id": "PMID:1465571", "title": "Alveolar ridge augmentation by osteoinductive materials in goats.", "content": "The purpose of the present study was to determine whether alveolar ridge augmentation could be induced in goats. In 12 male goats allogenic, demineralized, and lyophilized dentin or bone was implanted subperiosteally on the buccal sides of the natural edentulous regions of the alveolar process of the mandible. Light microscopic evaluation revealed fibrous encapsulation, a few multinuclear giant cells, little inflammatory reaction, and no osteoinduction. It was concluded that no osteoinduction took place in goats."}
{"id": "PMID:1465572", "title": "Levels of cyclosporin-A (CsA) in saliva in children after oral administration of the drug in mixture or in capsule form.", "content": "The cyclosporin-A (CsA) level in human unstimulated whole saliva was studied in 5 children, aged 9-16 yr, receiving the immunosuppressive drug CsA following renal allograft transplantation. The time-concentration relationship of CsA in saliva was determined in the children who were taking the drug orally in mixture form (n = 3) as well as in capsule form (n = 3). For the mixture, the median maximal level of CsA in whole saliva was 2867 ng/ml compared to 5.4 ng/ml for the capsule. The oral mucosal exposure of CsA during the dosage interval was approximately 130 times higher when the drug was administered in mixture form than in capsule form. The study demonstrates that gingival tissue is exposed to a considerable concentration of CsA throughout the dosage interval in patients taking CsA in mixture form. Therefore the vehicle in which the drug is administered should be considered in the pathogenesis of CsA-induced gingival overgrowth."}
{"id": "PMID:1465573", "title": "Effects of food preservatives on growth and metabolism of plaque bacteria in vitro and in vivo.", "content": "The aims of the present study were to assess the consumption of food preservatives during the last decades, and to study the effect of the preservatives, sorbic and benzoic acid, on growth and glycolysis of oral bacteria in vitro, and on acid formation by dental plaque in vivo. Five consumption reports from the Central Bureau of Statistics of Norway were used to estimate alterations in consumption of staple food containing the two preservatives. A modified broth dilution method was used to determine the MIC values of the preservatives against Streptococcus sobrinus and Streptococcus sanguis. Extracellular 14C-glycolytic metabolites were studied by HPLC analyses. Plaque-pH measurements were used to assess possible effects on acid production. The consumption reports indicated increased consumption of preservatives. The in vitro testing suggested that legal concentrations of preservatives may inhibit the growth of oral streptococci. However, the preservatives did not inhibit in vitro glycolysis at tested concentrations. In vivo testing with similar concentrations (0.4% w/v) showed a significant effect. A higher concentration (2% w/v potassium sorbate) had a tendency to inhibit acid-formation by dental plaque even more."}
{"id": "PMID:1465574", "title": "Nail pigmentation associated with zidovudine: a review and report of a case.", "content": "Zidovudine has become the standard therapy for patients with AIDS and for asymptomatic HIV infected patients with low helper-T-cell levels. As experience with the drug has grown, knowledge of the range of side effects has increased. We describe progressive pigmentation of finger and toe nails in a white patient due to zidovudine therapy, a phenomenon not often described. Nail pigmentation occurs primarily in black patients. It appears to be reversible and relatively dose dependent. The mechanism responsible for the discoloration is unknown. It is important to alert patients to this side effect and to prevent unnecessary investigations and treatment for other diagnoses, such as cyanosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1465575", "title": "A foodborne outbreak of group A streptococcal disease at a birthday party.", "content": "A severe foodborne outbreak of group A streptococcal disease (T28) affected 122/169 people (72%) who attended a church party or ate leftovers from the party. The median incubation time was 42 h. Muscular pain or weakness and fatigue usually preceded pharyngeal symptoms. Complications included otitis media with perforation, peritonsillitis requiring tonsillectomy, arthritis and pericarditis. A 45-year-old man died 36 h after he developed an influenza-like illness, and at necropsy there were histological signs of early streptococcal septicaemia. The strain produced erythrogenic exotoxins B and C. Streptococci were probably transmitted by sliced eggs on sandwiches. Laboratory experiments showed that there was an increment in viable count of streptococci with 6 logs after incubation in egg yolk for 24 h at room temperature. The unusually warm climate and flaws in food handling routines contributed to this large foodborne epidemic."}
{"id": "PMID:1465576", "title": "Septic shock induced by group A streptococcal infection: clinical and therapeutic aspects.", "content": "During 1988 and 1989 > 500 cases of serious group A streptococcal infections were reported in Sweden, many with a fatal outcome. We report here on 11 consecutive patients with septic preshock/shock and multiorgan failure, including acute renal failure. 10 had verified group A streptococci (GAS) serotype T1M1 infections while 1 patient was culture negative but with clinical signs of severe infection and serological evidence of GAS infection. Presenting symptoms were high fever, relative bradycardia, edema and renal failure. In all patients the condition deteriorated despite conventional treatment including volume substitution and antibiotics. Systolic blood pressure was transiently < 80 mmHg in 10 patients and 9 of them needed infusion of inotropic agents to avoid fatal circulatory shock. In 9 patients respiratory aid was instituted and 7 were dialysed. Plasma exchange was performed in 7, while the remaining 4 received transfusions with blood and plasma without plasma exchange. 10 patients improved and were discharged within 8 weeks. One woman died within 2 days after admission to the hospital. Renal function recovered in all survivors, with a follow-up serum creatinine < 80 mumol/l. The complicated clinical picture in these patients with many simultaneous therapeutic events confounds the interpretation of the effect of single actions. The favourable outcome in these severely ill patients suggests that potent inotropic agents, immunoglobulin therapy and plasma exchange might be beneficial in severe streptococcal disease when conventional treatment fails."}
{"id": "PMID:1465577", "title": "Outbreaks of group A beta-hemolytic streptococcal pharyngitis in children: correlation of serotype T4 with scarlet fever.", "content": "We evaluated the clinical features of 121 children who had group A beta-hemolytic streptococcal (GABHS) pharyngitis during 2 outbreaks in the Chikuhou district, Fukuoka, Japan, with respect to T types. During the first outbreak (November 1989-February 1990), T12 (50%) and T22 (27%) were the dominant T types isolated. During the second outbreak (January-April 1991), 64% of the typable strains were T4. Pus on the tonsils was less common and strawberry tongue more common in patients with eruptions than in those without. Skin eruptions were much more common in the patients infected with T4 than with other T types (p < 0.001). Despite a 10-day regimen of amoxicillin, 12/69 patients (17.4%) had evidence of GABHS on repeat cultures. The results suggest that T4 may be associated with a high incidence of scarlet fever. Serotyping should be performed to identify disease carriers and patterns of GABHS infection."}
{"id": "PMID:1465578", "title": "Kinetics of serum levels of interleukin-6 in Staphylococcus aureus septicemia.", "content": "The kinetics of Il-6 serum concentrations were analyzed in 17 patients with a culture verified Staphylococcus aureus septicemia. The analyses were performed using an antigen capture immunoassay. All patients had elevated IL-6 serum concentrations on admission. In most cases a subsequent rapid decrease to low levels was registered within 10 days. The IL-6 serum concentrations reflected the clinical course. In sera sampled on admission a relationship was found between IL-6 serum concentrations and levels of C-reactive protein."}
{"id": "PMID:1465579", "title": "Survival and causes of death among patients with Yersinia enterocolitica infection. A Norwegian 10-year follow-up study on 458 hospitalized patients.", "content": "The aim of the present study was to elucidate the possible influence of the Yersinia enterocolitica infection on long-time survival, and to describe clinical conditions associated with a fatal issue. During the period 1974-83, Y. enterocolitica infection was diagnosed in 458 hospitalized patients by antibody response or isolation of the microorganism. The patients were followed for 4-14 years (until 1987). The observed cumulative survival rates for female patients, and for the whole material, deviated significantly from the expected rates for 10 and 8 years. Two patients died in association with the acute infection, and 2 died from malignant mesothelioma during the first year of observation. 4/42 other patients died during the follow-up period from chronic multiorgan disease, 9 from malignant disease, and 2 died from hematological disorders. A very high mortality (10/22) was observed among patients who had developed chronic liver disease subsequently to the infection. We conclude that chronic conditions associated with the Y. enterocolitica infection may exert a substantial impact on long-time survival."}
{"id": "PMID:1465580", "title": "Delayed antibiotic-induced lysis of Escherichia coli in vitro is correlated with enhancement of LPS release.", "content": "A kinetic turbidimetric Limulus amebocyte lysate (LAL) assay was used to study the effects of gentamicin, amoxycillin and ciprofloxacin (16 x MIC) upon release of lipopolysaccharide at different stages of a growing Escherichia coli 055:B5:H culture in vitro. In this model a linear correlation was present between the logarithms of colony counts and free LAL activities. Untreated E. coli grew from log values of 4.9 +/- 0.15 (low inoculum) and 6.8 +/- 0.08 cfu/ml (high inoculum) at t = 0 to 8.9 +/- 0.05 and 9.1 +/- 0.13 cfu/ml at t = 6 h, respectively. The log values of basal free LAL activities at low and high inoculum sizes were 1.9 +/- 0.07 and 3.3 +/- 0.14 endotoxin units/ml, increasing 2100- and 69-fold, respectively during a 6-h growth. Amoxycillin-induced lysis was not significantly associated with an increase in free LAL activity. Efficacy of bacterial killing by gentamicin was high, but free LAL activity increased only 3.2- and 7.7-fold at the low and high inoculum experiments, respectively. Ciprofloxacin induced cell filamentation during the experiments. At low and high inoculum conditions exposure to ciprofloxacin induced a 43- and 68-fold increase in free LAL activities, respectively. Our data indicate that (a) LPS is released as long as E. coli remain structurally intact; (b) LPS release is enhanced when bacterial biomass increases; and (c) are taken as evidence against the concept of lysis-correlated LPS release."}
{"id": "PMID:1465581", "title": "Antibody response to a Haemophilus influenzae type b polysaccharide tetanus toxoid conjugate vaccine in splenectomized children and adolescents.", "content": "20 children and adolescents 4-18 years old and splenectomized for various reasons (spherocytosis (n = 6), idiopathic thrombocytopenia (n = 8), other (n = 6)) were immunized once with a Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) polysaccharide tetanus toxoid conjugate vaccine. Prior to vaccination 10/20 patients had anticapsular antibodies below what could be considered the minimum protective level in splenectomized (0.6 micrograms/ml), whereas all obtained high antibody levels after vaccination. In addition 1 infant with congenital asplenia was vaccinated at 2,4 and 6 months of age, and was shown to respond well after the second and third injection with serum antibody concentrations of 0.84 and 10.7 micrograms/ml respectively. Because asplenic individuals have an increased risk of invasive Hib infection, these data suggest that vaccination of such individuals against Hib may be justified."}
{"id": "PMID:1465582", "title": "Bacteriology of the maxillary sinus in healthy volunteers.", "content": "In order to investigate the bacteriology of the healthy maxillary sinus, 12 volunteers were subjected to antral puncture with instillation of sterile saline, followed by aspiration. Maximum efforts were used to obtain aspirates without contamination. None of the aspirates showed bacterial growth."}
{"id": "PMID:1465583", "title": "Ciprofloxacin versus a tobramycin/cefuroxime combination in the treatment of serious systemic infections: a prospective, randomized and controlled study of efficacy and safety.", "content": "Sequential intravenous and oral ciprofloxacin (CF) was compared with a combination of tobramycin and cefuroxime (T/C) in the treatment of serious systemic infections. Altogether 310 patients were randomized, 160 receiving CF and 150 T/C, the 2 groups being reasonably well balanced. 29 patients without infection were excluded from the analysis. Complete clinical resolution was obtained in 75% (107/143) patients receiving CF and in 78% (107/138) receiving T/C; the difference was not statistically significant. The rate of bacterial eradication in septicaemia was 72% (95% confidence interval (95% c.i.): 58-86%) for patients treated with CF and 87% (95% c.i.: 77-96%) when T/C was given, while the eradication rates in urinary tract infection were 72% (95% c.i.: 54-90%) and 45% (95% c.i.: 23-67%) for CF and T/C, respectively. Significant differences in bacteriological response for other diagnoses were not detected. Also for lower respiratory tract infections (LTRI) the clinical and bacteriological responses were quite similar, although relatively more failures occurred in CF treated patients with LRTI caused by pneumococci. The frequencies of adverse reactions were comparable, but the reactions were less serious following CF treatment. Our results indicate that CF may be used for empirical treatment of serious infections. However, if pneumococcal etiology is likely, alternative antibiotics should be used, and if necessary, coverage against anaerobic bacteria should be added."}
{"id": "PMID:1465584", "title": "Pneumonia--a clinical or radiographic diagnosis? Etiology and clinical features of lower respiratory tract infection in adults in general practice.", "content": "Etiology and clinical manifestations have been studied in 153 adult patients with lower respiratory tract infection, and the results are presented according to clinical and radiographic diagnosis. Laboratory investigations revealed that bacterial infection, mycoplasma and chlamydia included, occurred as often in 22 patients whose clinical diagnoses of pneumonia were not evident radiographically, as in 20 patients with radiographic pneumonia. In the latter group significantly higher values of erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein were demonstrated. The most common pathogen was influenzavirus A, followed by respiratory syncytial virus, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and Mycoplasma pneumoniae. Chlamydia pneumoniae infection was found in 3 patients with radiographic pneumonia. The study supports the traditional view that patients with a positive chest radiograph as a rule present more serious manifestations of lower respiratory tract pathology than patients with a normal radiograph. However, as only 1/9 patients with pneumococcal infection and 2/7 with mycoplasmal infection had radiographic evidence of pneumonia, radiography alone did not seem to offer sufficient information for selecting patients for antibacterial therapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1465585", "title": "Reactivation of hepatitis B virus infection with an unusual pattern of serological markers.", "content": "A 73-year-old man presented with acute hepatitis, judged to be a reactivation of hepatitis B virus infection. His serum samples during a follow-up time of 16 months showed an unusual pattern of serological markers. He was consistently HBeAg positive, HBsAg fluctuated just under the cut-off value and he had a low level of circulating anti-HBs. By electron microscopy numerous aggregates of surface antigen particles, but not complete virions were seen. He was HBV DNA positive by hybridization. The complete precore and core genes and a region of the surface gene were amplified from his serum by PCR. These findings emphasize the need for expanded serological testing in some patients with acute clinical hepatitis."}
{"id": "PMID:1465586", "title": "Streptococcal myositis.", "content": "Streptococcal myositis (SM), is a very serious condition with a high mortality rate. The port of entry of the infection is often unknown. We present here a case report concerning a 68-year-old patient with fulminant SM preceded by symptoms of an upper respiratory tract infection. Haemolytic streptococci of group A were found in the blood, muscle tissue and throat. The patient survived after massive therapeutic interventions including intensive care with intravenous antibiotics, fasciotomy, plasma exchange, controlled respiratory ventilation and exarticulation through the shoulder. The patient's wife fell ill at the same time with a sore throat and the same type of streptococci (T-type 3) was found in both patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1465587", "title": "Disseminated actinomycosis due to Actinomyces meyeri and Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans.", "content": "A 44-year-old man presented with pulmonary lesions and neurological symptoms suggestive of lung carcinoma with cerebral metastases. He had non-specific chest X-ray findings since 6 years and he also suffered from relapsing purulent skin lesions which resolved spontaneously or by short courses of antibiotic treatment. When corticosteroids were given, multiple subcutaneous swellings developed that spontaneously ruptured. The pus contained Actinomyces meyeri and Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans. On operation, the intracerebral lesions appeared to be abscesses and the same bacteria were cultured as from the skin lesions. Bronchoscopical examination did not reveal a diagnosis. Amoxicillin was given for 12 months and the patient recovered."}
{"id": "PMID:1465588", "title": "Candida albicans septicemia in a premature infant successfully treated with oral fluconazole.", "content": "A premature male infant, birth-weight 1460 g, was treated successfully for a Candida albicans septicemia with orally administered fluconazole for 20 days. Dosage was 5 mg/kg/day. No side effects were seen. Fluconazole may present a major progress in treatment of invasive C. albicans infections in neonatology."}
{"id": "PMID:1465589", "title": "Leishmaniasis diagnosed from bronchoalveolar lavage.", "content": "A 51-year-old renal transplant patient, whose spleen had been removed 11 years ago, was admitted to hospital for elective surgery, which was cancelled as she developed spiking fever and nonproductive cough and her general condition deteriorated. After 2 weeks, leishmaniasis was unexpectedly diagnosed from a bronchoalveolar lavage specimen, which had been subjected to parasitological examination under the suspicion of pneumocystosis. Isoenzyme typing identified the parasite as Leishmania infantum. The patient had visited Malaga, Spain, twice a year, the last trip taking place 1 month before admission. Specific treatment was followed by rapid recovery without relapse during 1.5 years. Splenectomy and immunosuppressive medication obscured the clinical suspicion of leishmaniasis. The case is a reminder of the interstitial pneumonitis in leishmaniasis and emphasizes the value of broad-spectrum methods detecting a variety of parasites."}
{"id": "PMID:1465590", "title": "Antibodies to Borrelia burgdorferi in various population groups in Croatia.", "content": "The purpose of the present study was to investigate the prevalence of antibody to Borrelia burgdorferi in Croatia in various population groups. The study comprised 263 individuals: 93 healthy subjects (travellers); 100 controls separated into 2 subgroups, 50 from high risk zone (endemic) and 50 from low risk zone (non-endemic); and 70 members of a high risk population (forestry workers). Antibody to B. burgdorferi of IgM and IgG class were analysed by an ELISA technique using mixed antigen made of strain B31 (ATCC 35210). IgG antibodies were detected in 9/93 (9.7%) in general population; 22/50 (44.0%) in the control group from high risk zone and 4/50 (8.0%) from low risk zone; and 30/70 (42.9%) among forestry workers. In all tested groups low numbers of IgM positive were found."}
{"id": "PMID:1465591", "title": "Rapid emergence of quinolone resistance in Campylobacter jejuni in patients treated with norfloxacin.", "content": "15/60 subjects from one center, who all took part in a multicenter double-blind, placebo-controlled study to evaluate the effect of norfloxacin on acute enteritis, had norfloxacin sensitive strains of Campylobacter jejuni in pre-study stool specimens. Eight of the 15 subjects received active drug. In 3 of these 8, high-level quinolone resistant Campylobacter strains of the same serotype as in pre-treatment samples were isolated 4-90 days after the initiation of treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1465594", "title": "[Heart valve substitution: the effect of preoperative findings on long-term outcome].", "content": "In a retrospective analysis of 653 consecutive patients who underwent heart valve replacement by one single type of mechanical prosthesis (St. Jude Medical) at three Swiss university medical centers (Basel, Bern, Lausanne), the outcome was judged on the basis of preoperative variables. These variables should facilitate the timing of heart valve replacement. Preoperative evaluation includes NYHA classification of symptoms, chest X-ray, ECG, and LVEF on angiography. Postoperative outcome was assessed clinically at yearly intervals by NYHA classification, documentation of complications and mortality. Five-year-survival rates were 96 and 88%, and complication-free rates were 82 and 76% respectively in patients after isolated aortic and mitral valve replacement. An unsatisfactory outcome with death or persistent severe symptoms was more frequent when preoperative symptoms at rest and atrial fibrillation were present. Heart valve replacement should not be postponed until severe symptoms and functional impairment occur. Clinical criteria are at least as important for the timing of operation as the findings of more complex investigations."}
{"id": "PMID:1465595", "title": "[Bacterial pathogens in diarrhea: demonstration of verotoxin-producing Escherichia coli using the polymerase chain reaction].", "content": "In 23% of 576 diarrhea patients we were able to demonstrate putative bacterial pathogens. Not included in this number is Clostridium difficile which was found in 8 of 48 (8.3%) specimens analyzed. In addition to Salmonella (8.2%), Campylobacter (6.0%), Aeromonas (2.7%), Shigella (1.9%) and Yersinia (0.8%) we identified verotoxin-producing Escherichia coli (VTEC) in 10 patients (1.9%). VTEC were found as frequently as Shigella (occurring exclusively in patients returning from the tropics) and we propose that VTEC should be routinely assayed in patients with travel-associated diarrhea as well as in those with diarrhea presumably acquired in Switzerland. Established methods for identification of E. coli O157:H7, which include screening for sorbitol-negative Enterobacteriaceae and agglutination, are laborious and insensitive (only 1 of 10 patients with proven VTEC infection positive). The other 9 patients were identified by means of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). In 7 of these 9 patients we were able to isolate a verotoxigenic strain following a positive PCR result by screening large numbers of colonies. None of them belonged to the O157:H7 serogroup and, in addition, all were sorbitol-positive. The polymerase chain reaction as performed in this study is easy to use, is applicable to large numbers of specimens, and can be regarded as the method of choice for demonstration of VTEC in the clinical diagnostic laboratory."}
{"id": "PMID:1465596", "title": "[Hyperkalemia during prolonged use of angiotensin II-converting enzyme inhibitors in end-stage renal insufficiency].", "content": "Hyperkalemia is a severe complication of end-stage renal failure. To evaluate whether ACE inhibitors may even worsen the propensity to develop hyperkalemia in this condition, we have analyzed retrospectively pre-dialytic blood pressure and serum potassium in 15 patients on chronic hemodialysis before and during long-term ACE inhibition. This treatment induced a significant drop in blood pressure (from 173 +/- 3/90 +/- 2 to 159 +/- 5/85 +/- 2 mm Hg [p < 0.05]), whereas serum potassium increased from 4.9 +/- 0.2 to 5.5 +/- 0.2 mM (p < 0.05), irrespective of the dosage of ACE inhibitor and of the residual diuresis. Hyperkalemia was well tolerated and was corrected in all patients by dialysis; treatment was discontinued in only one case. In conclusion, ACE inhibitors represent effective antihypertensive treatment in end-stage renal failure. However, long-term ACE inhibition may be accompanied by a worsening of hyperkalemia, which could be accounted for by a reduced effect of aldosterone on extrarenal potassium homeostasis."}
{"id": "PMID:1465597", "title": "[Q-DIPS: current approach to prediction of drug interactions].", "content": "Interactions are an important cause of adverse drug effects. Because of the large number of substances and the complexity of the mechanisms involved, computers can be of great help in the detection, prediction and management of interactions. We propose a new complementary approach to the prediction of interactions through a key mechanism, hepatic drug biotransformation. The originality of the approach consists in integrating in vitro enzymatic data and pharmacokinetic data to make in vivo predictions. An Inhibition Index (II) is defined to characterize the interaction potential of an inhibitor for a specific isozyme independently of the isozyme's substrates. It is thus possible, even in the absence of prior clinical observations, to make individualized qualitative as well as quantitative predictions of potential in vivo interactions. Q-DIPS is a prototype computer system under development on a Macintosh to manage the large amount of multi-dimensional data and facilitate the investigation and validation of extrapolations. The kinetics of II for two antifungal drugs, fluconazole and ketoconazole, are simulated and compared in order to illustrate the potential of the approach."}
{"id": "PMID:1465598", "title": "[Incidence and clinical aspects of scombroid fish poisoning].", "content": "An impressive case of scombroid-fish poisoning in a 34-year-old woman prompted us to investigate the incidence, clinical findings and follow-up of this disease, the syndrome of which resembles histamine intoxication. In 25 years (1966-1991) a total of 76 incidents after intake of tuna fish were reported to Swiss Toxicological Information Centre. 27 reports came from physicians, and of these 18 fulfilled the criteria of scombroid-fish poisoning. Thus, this intoxication occurs rarely in Switzerland. The symptoms in 31 well documented cases are described. Most patients had erythema (87%), half complained of headache and one third had gastrointestinal symptoms. The clinical course was benign in all patients, and the symptoms had disappeared after a mean period of 8 hours."}
{"id": "PMID:1465600", "title": "Groin infection following cardiac catheterization: a case report.", "content": "A 56 year old female with insulin dependent diabetes mellitus developed a severe wound infection after a cardiac catherization. The clinical features and treatment of progressive bacterial synergistic gangrene and necrotizing fasciitis are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1465611", "title": "Arabidopsis and Nicotiana anthocyanin production activated by maize regulators R and C1.", "content": "Anthocyanin pathway-specific transcriptional activators R and C1 from the monocot maize were expressed in two dicots, Arabidopsis thaliana and Nicotiana tabacum. Expression of R caused augmented anthocyanin pigmentation in both plant species and augmented trichome (hair) production in Arabidopsis. Alone, C1 had no effect. Hybrid transgenic Arabidopsis expressing both C1 and R produced anthocyanins in root, petal, and stamen tissues that normally never express anthrocyanins. When R was expressed in the transparent testa glabrous (without anthocyanins and trichomes) mutant of Arabidopsis, the deficiency was complemented and both anthocyanins and trichomes were restored."}
{"id": "PMID:1465612", "title": "Interaction of U6 snRNA with a sequence required for function of the nematode SL RNA in trans-splicing.", "content": "Nematode trans-spliced leader (SL) RNAs are composed of two domains, an exon [the 22-nucleotide spliced leader] and a small nuclear RNA (snRNA)-like sequence. Participation in vitro of the spliced leader RNA in trans-splicing reactions is independent of the exon sequence or size and instead depends on features contained in the snRNA-like domain of the molecule. Chemical modification interference analysis has revealed that two short sequence elements in the snRNA-like domain are necessary for SL RNA activity. These elements are sufficient for such activity because when added to a 72-nucleotide fragment of a nematode U1 snRNA, this hybrid RNA could participate in trans-splicing reactions in vitro. One of the critical sequence elements may function by base-pairing with U6 snRNA, an essential U snRNA for both cis- and trans-splicing."}
{"id": "PMID:1465613", "title": "Nucleosome core displacement in vitro via a metastable transcription factor-nucleosome complex.", "content": "In order to function, transcription factors must compete for DNA binding with structural components of chromatin, including nucleosomes. Mechanisms that could be used in this competition have been characterized with the use of the DNA binding domain of the yeast GAL4 protein. The binding of GAL4 to a nucleosome core resulted in a ternary complex containing GAL4, the core histone proteins, and DNA. This ternary complex was unstable; upon the addition of nonspecific competitor DNA, it dissociated into either the original nucleosome core particle or GAL4 bound to naked DNA. Nucleosome core destabilization by GAL4 did not require a transcriptional activation domain. These data demonstrate the displacement of nucleosome cores as a direct result of binding by a regulatory factor. Similar mechanisms might affect the establishment of factor occupancy of promoters and enhancers in vivo."}
{"id": "PMID:1465614", "title": "Identification of a second pseudoautosomal region near the Xq and Yq telomeres.", "content": "The telomeres of Xq and Yq have been observed to associate during meiosis, and in rare cases a short synaptonemal complex is present. Molecular cloning of loci from Xqter and Yqter has revealed that their sequence homology extends over 400 kilobases, which suggests the possibility of genetic exchange. This hypothesis was tested by the development of two highly informative microsatellite markers from yeast artificial chromosome clones that carried Xqter sequences and the following of their inheritance in a set of reference pedigrees from the Centre d'Etude du Polymorphisme Humain in Paris, France. From a total of 195 informative male meioses, four recombination events between these loci were observed. In three cases, paternal X alleles were inherited by male offspring, and in one case a female offspring inherited her father's Y allele. These data support the existence of genetic exchange at Xq-Yq, which defines a second pseudoautosomal region between the sex chromosomes."}
{"id": "PMID:1465615", "title": "DNA sequencing by primer walking with strings of contiguous hexamers.", "content": "When template DNA is saturated with a single-stranded DNA binding protein (SSB), strings of three or four contiguous hexanucleotides (hexamers) can cooperate through base-stacking interactions to prime DNA synthesis specifically from the 3' end of the string. Under the same conditions, priming by individual hexamers is suppressed. Strings of three of four hexamers representing more than 200 of the 4096 possible hexamers primed easily readable sequence ladders at more than 75 different sites in single-stranded or denatured double-stranded templates 6.4 kilobases to 40 kilobase pairs long, with a success rate of 60 to 90 percent. A synthesis of 1 micromole of hexamer supplies enough material for thousands of primings, so multiple libraries of all 4096 hexamers could be distributed at a reasonable cost. Such libraries would allow rapid and economical sequencing. Automating this strategy could increase the speed and efficiency of large-scale DNA sequencing by at least an order of magnitude."}
{"id": "PMID:1465616", "title": "Alterations in signal transduction molecules in T lymphocytes from tumor-bearing mice.", "content": "Impaired immune responses occur frequently in cancer patients or in tumor-bearing mice, but the mechanisms of the tumor-induced immune defects remain poorly understood. In an in vivo murine colon carcinoma model (MCA-38), animals bearing a tumor longer than 26 days develop CD8+ T cells with impaired cytotoxic function, decreased expression of the tumor necrosis factor-alpha and granzyme B genes, and decreased ability to mediate an antitumor response in vivo. T lymphocytes from tumor-bearing mice expressed T cell antigen receptors that contained low amounts of CD3 gamma and completely lacked CD3 zeta, which was replaced by the Fc epsilon gamma-chain. Expression of the tyrosine kinases p56lck and p59fyn was also reduced. These changes could be the basis of immune defects in tumor-bearing hosts."}
{"id": "PMID:1465617", "title": "Invariant chain peptides in most HLA-DR molecules of an antigen-processing mutant.", "content": "Class II major histocompatibility complexes bind peptides in an endosome-like compartment. When the class II null cell line 721.174 was transfected with class II DR3 genes, DR molecules were produced in normal amounts. However, the DR molecules were abnormally conformed and unstable because deletion of an antigen-processing gene had impaired intracellular formation of most class II-peptide complexes. Yet, 70 percent of the DR molecules still bore peptides, 80 percent of which were 21- to 24-amino acid fragments of the class II-associated invariant chain. These peptides were rare on DR3 from control cells. Thus, a defect in the main antigen-processing pathway revealed a process in which DR molecules bind long peptides derived from proteins present in the same compartment."}
{"id": "PMID:1465618", "title": "Expression directed from HIV long terminal repeats in the central nervous system of transgenic mice.", "content": "Infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is frequently accompanied by the AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) dementia complex. The role of specific HIV genetic elements in the pathogenesis of central nervous system (CNS) disease is not clear. Transgenic mice were constructed that contained the long terminal repeats (LTRs) of two CNS-derived strains and a T cell tropic strain of HIV-1. Only mice generated with CNS-derived LTRs directed expression in the CNS, particularly in neurons. Thus, some strains of HIV-1 have a selective advantage for gene expression in the brain, and neurons can supply the cellular factors necessary for their transcription."}
{"id": "PMID:1465619", "title": "Range of messenger action of calcium ion and inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate.", "content": "The range of messenger action of a point source of Ca2+ or inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3) was determined from measurements of their diffusion coefficients in a cytosolic extract from Xenopus laevis oocytes. The diffusion coefficient (D) of [3H]IP3 injected into an extract was 283 microns 2/s. D for Ca2+ increased from 13 to 65 microns 2/s when the free calcium concentration was raised from about 90 nM to 1 microM. The slow diffusion of Ca2+ in the physiologic concentration range results from its binding to slowly mobile or immobile buffers. The calculated effective ranges of free Ca2+ before it is buffered, buffered Ca2+, and IP3 determined from their diffusion coefficients and lifetimes were 0.1 micron, 5 microns, and 24 microns, respectively. Thus, for a transient point source of messenger in cells smaller than 20 microns, IP3 is a global messenger, whereas Ca2+ acts in restricted domains."}
{"id": "PMID:1465621", "title": "Hepatic synthesis of lipoproteins and apolipoproteins.", "content": "We have attempted to review new information concerning the regulation of the secretion of three major apolipoproteins that are synthesized in the liver: apoB, apoA-I, and apoE. ApoB, which is a large protein involved in the transport of triglyceride and cholesterol from the liver to the peripheral tissues, appears not to be regulated on a short-term basis at the transcriptional level. Rather, once synthesized, this protein, which is unique in its intracellular transport in the secretory pathway, is subjected to post-translational regulation, which is dependent on the lipid status of the cell. Assembly of nascent apoB-containing LPs begins in the ER. If core lipids, whether triglyceride or cholesteryl ester, are limiting, then apoB will be rapidly degraded, most likely in the ER compartment. However, if one or both of the core lipids are available in adequate quantities, then apoB will be protected in the ER, and more apoB, in the form of an apoB-containing LP (whether VLDL or a smaller particle) will be secreted by the hepatocyte. Addition of surface lipids, mainly phospholipids or free cholesterol, probably occurs in the Golgi. A further mechanism that regulates the secretion of apoB-containing LPs may involve rapid reuptake of newly secreted particles. The regulation of the secretion of apoA-I by liver is very different from that of apoB. Although apoA-I is also synthesized on attached ribosomes and becomes contranslationally or post-translationally associated with the RER membrane, it is transported to the Golgi much more rapidly than apoB. In the Golgi nascent HDL particles are formed, but it is also likely that apoA-I is secreted by the hepatocyte in a lipid-poor form.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1465622", "title": "Hepatic clearance of plasma low density lipoproteins.", "content": "An elevated plasma LDL concentration is a major risk factor for the development of atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease. The concentration of LDL in plasma is determined, to a large extent, by events in the liver, since this organ is the source of LDL (via VLDL) and is the major site of LDL catabolism. LDL uptake by the liver is mediated largely by receptor-dependent mechanisms and fully 80 to 90% of whole body receptor-dependent LDL catabolism occurs in the liver. The rate of receptor-dependent LDL uptake by the liver is influenced by dietary and genetic factors. Cholesterol and fatty acids are the major dietary factors that alter receptor-dependent LDL uptake by the liver and appear to do so by regulating LDL receptor gene transcription. Regulation of LDL receptor gene transcription by sterols is mediated by sterol regulatory elements within the LDL receptor promoter, but how the nucleus actually senses cellular cholesterol levels and how dietary fatty acids might influence this process remain to be elucidated. Genetic factors may affect the basal rate of receptor-dependent LDL transport or the sensitivity of the LDL receptor pathway to regulation by dietary lipids. An understanding of how dietary lipids regulate hepatic LDL transport and plasma LDL levels, and identification of the major genetic factors that determine responsiveness to dietary lipids is crucial to the development of safe and effective dietary guidelines and to the selection of individuals most likely to benefit from diet modification."}
{"id": "PMID:1465636", "title": "Issues in sterilization and disinfection.", "content": "Urology nurse managers and practitioners play a key role in minimizing the risk of infection to patients. It is essential that managers understand the processes of sterilization and disinfection, precautions, recommendations, and related issues to establish appropriate policies and procedures. It is equally important for practitioners to understand sterilization and disinfection and the rationale for practice guidelines. This area is dynamic, with new products and technology being introduced into the market each year. Along with these innovations will be additional information, and possibly revisions in recommendations. Therefore, urology nurses must remain current with scientific literature and national standards."}
{"id": "PMID:1465637", "title": "Intravenous access. Part 3. Venous access devices.", "content": "The nursing care of the whole patient, not just the venous access device, should be the focus of the nurse. Venous access devices provide the nurse with the rare opportunity to have assured venous access for blood sampling as well as the administration of intravenous therapies. The meticulous care of venous access devices is essential if complications are to be avoided and their primary function maintained."}
{"id": "PMID:1465642", "title": "Magnetic resonance imaging of myositis ossificans: analysis of seven cases.", "content": "Myositis ossificans typically presents as soft tissue swelling with progressive ossification on radiographs. Since magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is commonly used to evaluate soft tissue masses, we analyzed eight MR examinations in seven patients with myositis ossificans to determine if typical patterns were present. One acute lesion had homogeneous intermediate signal intensity on T1-weighted images and high signal intensity on T2-weighted images. Two subacute lesions had low signal intensity margins with slightly increased signal intensity centers on T1-weighted images and very high signal intensity on T2-weighted images. Five chronic lesions had two different patterns. All five were well-defined with low signal intensity borders. Three had signal intensity patterns characteristic of fat on T1-weighted and T2-weighted images. The other two lesions had intermediate signal intensity on T1-weighted images and slightly increased signal intensity on T2-weighted images. We conclude that typical MR appearances of myositis ossificans do exist. A low signal intensity rim is a common finding. However, these patterns are not unique to myositis ossificans and resemble those that have been reported in other lesions. It is important to be aware of the spectrum of MR findings of myositis ossificans when considering the differential diagnosis of a soft tissue mass."}
{"id": "PMID:1465643", "title": "Epithelioid hemangioendothelioma of bone. A report of two cases and review of the literature.", "content": "Epithelioid hemangioendothelioma is the prototype of a group of vascular tumors characterized by epithelioid or histiocytoid endothelial cells. Epithelioid hemangioendothelioma of bone is a rare lesion that constitutes fewer than 1% of primary malignant skeletal neoplasms. We describe two cases that illustrate the spectrum of radiographic features seen with this neoplasm, and also present its appearance on magnetic resonance imaging."}
{"id": "PMID:1465644", "title": "Superolateral erosions of the humeral head in chronic inflammatory arthropathies.", "content": "Erosive lesions on the superolateral aspect of the humeral head were studied in 127 patients with chronic inflammatory arthropathies including rheumatoid arthritis (RA), juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA), ankylosing spondylitis (AS), and psoriatic arthropathy (PA), as well as in a control group of 53 patients with non-inflammatory shoulder joint disease. Superolateral erosions were found in 39 out of 127 patients (31%), comprising 11/56 RA cases (20%), 22/50 JRA cases (44%), 4/9 cases of AS (44%), and 2/12 cases of PA (17%), but were absent in non-inflammatory disorders. Two morphologically distinct types of erosions were observed, an extensive one, present in all of the inflammatory conditions studied, and a circumscribed one occurring predominantly in JRA patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1465645", "title": "The signal intensity of the normal odontoid process (dens) displayed on magnetic resonance images.", "content": "In order to analyse the normal signal intensity of the medullary space of the odontoid process (dens) relative to age, the craniovertebral junction of 33 asymptomatic volunteers in six age groups was examined by means of magnetic resonance imaging. To avoid partial-volume effects 3-mm slices were used in sagittal and axial planes. The signal intensities relative to cerebral white matter varied from 0.51 to 1.23 in the sagittal plane and 0.56 to 1.51 in the axial plane. The signal intensities relative to muscle varied from 0.76 to 2.40 in the sagittal plane and 0.96 to 2.30 in the axial plane. The signal intensities relative to fat varied from 0.22 to 0.62 in the sagittal plane and 0.23 to 0.68 in the axial plane. No correlation with age of the volunteers was found. The normal medulla of the dens may exhibit a low signal intensity on T1-weighted images irrespective of age."}
{"id": "PMID:1465646", "title": "Selective arterial embolization in the treatment of aneurysmal bone cyst and angioma of bone.", "content": "Nineteen aneurysmal bone cysts and five angiomas of bone were treated by selective arterial embolization. The median follow-up was 22 months. In 17 patients healing occurred with complete relief of symptoms; in 11 of these almost complete ossification of the lesion resulted. In the remaining cases, little or no ossification was apparent but ossification may take 1 year or more to occur. No recurrence was observed in any of these cases. Recurrence occurred only in two cases. In one, growth of the recurrence stopped after a second embolization, and the X-rays showed no change. Selective arterial embolization represents a treatment of choice in aneurysmal bone cyst and angioma of bone especially of the spine, sacrum, or pelvis. In these sites embolization replaces surgery which might be hazardous due to intraoperative bleeding."}
{"id": "PMID:1465647", "title": "Diminished space in the acromioclavicular joint in forced arm adduction as a radiographic sign of degeneration and osteoarthrosis.", "content": "The purpose of this study was to examine the acromioclavicular joint by radiography under forced arm adduction to demonstrate diminished joint space as a sign of cartilage degeneration and osteoarthrosis. A total of 192 right and left joints were investigated in 96 healthy working men. There were three main results from the manoeuvre: in 135 of the 192 joints the space was reduced, in 33 joints it was unchanged, and in 24 joints the joint space was increased. In 43 joints (22% of the total) a marked reduction of the joint space to 1 mm or less occurred during the manoeuvre; in the remaining 92 joints with space reduction the reduction was less pronounced. A narrow acromioclavicular joint space during forced adduction of the arm indicates cartilage thinning and may be interpreted as a sign of osteoarthrosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1465655", "title": "[Psychological preparation of disclosing diagnosis and therapy in patients with malignant hematologic diseases].", "content": "The article deals with the experience in psychological preparation of patients with haematologic malignant disorders for diagnosis ant therapy. Psychological assessment and preparation of the patients, including members of their families, were carried out in the Institute of Haematology of the University Clinical Centre in Belgrade, from November 1990 to the present day. Over a period of less than 11 months, the psychological preparation was carried out in 146 hospitalized patients in whom leukaemia was diagnosed. The same was done with 292 members of their families. This kind of clinical practice requires a team work which involves: a clinical psychologist, the head of the unit, and medical doctors who treat the patient during hospitalization."}
{"id": "PMID:1465656", "title": "[Electroretinography findings in the other eye in patients with central retinal vein occlusion].", "content": "ERG assessment in 32 patients with recent OVCR was done over the period of 6 years. The aim was to check the hypothesis whether ERG values in the affected and \"healthy\" eye of the same patient are same. The control group consisted of patients of the same age but without eye disease. Scotopic \"b\" wave and photopic b/a ratio, known as indicators of oxygenation of the retina, were studied. In bs wave and b/a ratio the statistically significant difference between the group with OVCR and the other groups was found. Other groups showed no significant differences. The hypothesis that OVCR associated with a systemic disease is necessarily accompanied with changes in the other eye, has been challenged. However, the safety of the other eye is not absolute."}
{"id": "PMID:1465657", "title": "[Clinical significance of 5'-nucleotidase].", "content": "The paper deals with the current data of molecular organization, localization, activity and clinical significance of 5'-nucleotidase in the diagnosis of different illnesses. The paper also deals with the specificity and sensitivity of 5'-nucleotidase comparing to other laboratory tests."}
{"id": "PMID:1465658", "title": "[Incidence and prognostic significance of ventricular arrhythmias in patients after acute myocardial infarct].", "content": "Patients after myocardial infarction have a high incidence of both frequent and complex ventricular arrhythmias. Arrhythmias detected by 24-hour electrocardiographic recordings at hospital discharge are predictive of next cardiac mortality. Both left ventricular dysfunction and ventricular arrhythmias have been associated with poor prognosis following acute myocardial infarction. But dysfunction of the left ventricle and ventricular arrhythmias are independently related to mortality. This finding provides a rationale for treating patients with frequent and/or complex ventricular arrhythmias detected at hospital discharge after acute myocardial infarction. Beta-blockers should be considered as antiarrhythmic drugs of choice in the treatment of postinfarction patients with ventricular arrhythmias in order to reduce both ventricular arrhythmias and cardiac mortality."}
{"id": "PMID:1465659", "title": "[Use of the positron emitter in functional and metabolic lung studies].", "content": "Positron emission tomography (PET), a new technique, uses positrons which, immediately after emission, combine with electrons and annihilate to produce pairs of 511 KeV photons. Commonly used positron emitters (C-11, N-13, O-15) are important constituents of biologic metabolism. However, because of their short half-life characteristics, the on-side cyclotron facility is required for their use. To date, there is not much experience with PET in lung diseases. In this paper brief information about PET application in pulmonary blood flow measurements, ventilation measurement, central chemical control of ventilation and lung metabolic studies, is presented."}
{"id": "PMID:1465660", "title": "[Orbital lymphomas].", "content": "Lymphomas are relatively rare in the orbit: only about 8-11% of all orbital tumours. The most common histological type is diffuse well-differentiated lymphocytic lymphoma (DWDLL--Rappaport's classification)--70%. Orbital lesions are always curable by radiotherapy, but in some 40% of these patients local recurrence or dissemination occur. The authors present two patients with diffuse well-differentiated lymphocytic lymphoma, and one patient with FCC lymphoma of centrocytic type (Kiel classification) localized in the orbit. Two of them were irradiated after an unsuccessful treatment by chemotherapy. In the third patient local radiotherapy is still in the course."}
{"id": "PMID:1465661", "title": "[Cyclosporine in the treatment of glomerular diseases in children].", "content": "From June 1987 to June 1991 at the Belgrade University Children's Hospital 10 patients, 5 males and 4 females, aged 2-16 years, with chronic glomerular disease, were treated with CyA. Seven patients had INS, 2 lupus nephritis and one IgA nephritis. Before initiation of CyA, all but one, were treated with classic immunosuppressive therapy, which had no effect (8/10) and/or had serious adverse effects (9/10). CyA dosage was initiated at 4-6 mg/kg/BW, and was subsequently adjusted to achieve CyA concentrations in blood at range 50-100 ng/ml. Treatment duration was 2-17 months. Patient compliance to CyA therapy was observed in 5/7 INSs: 2 cortico-sensitive (1 with FSGS was cortico-dependent and 1 had frequent relapses) and 3 cortico-resistant patients (2 with FSGS and 1 with minimal histologic changes). After drug withdrawal, only one of the patients who responded, had no relapse. One of the two patients with SLE showed improvement during CyA administration, while no response was observed in the patient with IgA nephritis. Adverse experiences with CyA therapy involved decreased renal function (2/10), arterial hypertension (1/10), hyperbilirubinaemia (1/10), transient LDH increase and hyperuricaemia (1/10)."}
{"id": "PMID:1465662", "title": "[Metastatic neck tumors of unknown primary localization].", "content": "The authors present their experience in the diagnosis and therapy of metastatic neck tumours of unknown primary localization. Over the period from 1975 to 1985 in Otorhinolaryngology Department of the Military Hospital in Sarajevo 200 patients with the so-called secondary deposits in the neck were treated. Of this number 14 (7%) were patients with unknown primary localization. In 64.29% of these patients metastases in the cervical lymph nodes had developed in deep lymph nodes of the upper jugular location. They were predominantly unilateral than bilateral. Morphologically, those were most frequently deposits of planocellular carcinoma (64.29%) which were in 77.45% of cases firmly fixed. Five-year survival-time was registered in 2 cases only (14.28%)."}
{"id": "PMID:1465663", "title": "[Duplex-Doppler sonography in the diagnosis of acute rejection in kidney transplantation].", "content": "Duplex Doppler sonography can be used in evaluation of renal allografts. Arterial Doppler signals were quantified with a pulsatility index. In this study 114 Duplex Doppler examinations were performed in 75 patients after renal transplantation. The mean PI in patients with acute rejection was statistically compared with the mean PI in normal allografts, and the mean PI in patients with CsA nephrotoxic effects and chronic rejection. The data shaw that there is statistically significant difference between the patients with acute rejection and other examined groups. The results of this study show that the use of quantitative Doppler US scanning may be valuable in differential diagnosis among the various forms of graft disfunction."}
{"id": "PMID:1465664", "title": "[Cavernous hemangioma of the liver].", "content": "Over the last six years 8 patients with cavernous haemangioma of the liver were operated in our institute, of whom 7 women and 1 man, aged from 32 to 77 years average, 19.6 years. In two patients double haemangiomas of the liver were removed. So the number of resected haemangiomas was 10. The size of these haemangiomas was 2, 2, 3, 3.5, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6.5 and 16 cm respectively, average 5.7 cm. Diagnosis was established by ultrasonography, computed tomography, blood pool 99m-technetium-scintigraphy, laparoscopy and selective angiography. Indications for the operation were: palpable tumour and pain in 2 patients; suspected liver metastases secondary to colon cancer 7 years after right colectomy; suspicion to primary haematoma of the liver and suspicion to secondary liver tumour in a patient with a big tumour of the left ovary. Incidental ultrasonic finding of the liver tumour occurred in a patient with obstructive jaundice. In a female with Bartter's syndrome ultrasonography and explorative surgery were carried out in order to reveal endocrine tumour (reninoma), as well as an occasional finding during cholecystectomy. Various operative techniques were performed in these 5 patients: 3 left lobectomies, 1 segmentectomy of the V and the VI liver segments, and 3 atypical resections. The only postoperative complication in our series was a mild superficial variceal thrombophlebitis of the leg in one female patient which disappeared on conservative treatment. These 5 patients have been followed-up from 1 to 48 months (average 18 months), and were symptom-free, except the patient with Bartter's syndrome who stayed on treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1465665", "title": "[Circadian variation in complex ventricular arrhythmias in patients with coronary disease].", "content": "In a group of 60 patients with coronary artery disease and complex ventricular arrhythmias which were recorded by 24-hour ambulatory electrocardiogram, circadian variation of ventricular arrhythmias was analysed. All patients had multiform ventricular premature beats: 40 (67%) patients had pairs of ventricular premature beats; 26 (43%) patients had episodes of ventricular tachycardia, and 8 (13%) patients had R on T type of ventricular premature beats. The most frequent multiform ventricular premature contraction was recorded between 7 and 10 h. a. m. and between 5 and 8 h. p. m. Similar bimodal distribution in frequency of pairs of ventricular premature beats and episodes of ventricular tachycardia, was recorded. Episodes of both symptomatic and asymptomatic types of myocardial ischaemia showed a circadian rhythm similar to that seen in complex ventricular arrhythmias. The study revealed the existence of significant circadian rhythm of ventricular arrhythmias in coronary patients which may be important for chronopharmacologic approach to antiarrhythmic therapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1465666", "title": "[Significance of the the tumor markers, Ca-125 and tumor-associated trypsin inhibitor in patients with carcinoma of the cervix and uterus].", "content": "Quantitative contents of tumour markers in 51 patient suffering from carcinomas of the cervix and corpus uteri, are analysed. CA-125 and tumor-associated-trypsin-inhibitor (TATI) were determined in the serum of these patients before and after surgical treatment. After careful and detailed analysis and statistical testing of the results, we observed insignificant changes of CA-125 in both localisations of carcinoma. The great importance of preoperative determination of TATI markers in carcinomas of the corpus uteri is emphasized. However, the testing of these markers should be performed with great attention and in correlation with other indexes of pathobiological nature of cancers of the cervix and corpus uteri."}
{"id": "PMID:1465667", "title": "[Diurnal changes in the levels of immunoreactive parathyroid hormone and calcitonin in patients with chronic renal insufficiency].", "content": "The circadian rhythms of the serum immunoreactive parathyroid hormone (iPTH) and calcitonin concentration were examined in 6 patients with chronic renal failure (CRF) not treated by haemodialysis. In 3 patients on haemodialysis the influence of haemodialysis with cuprophan and polyacrylonitrile membranes (in a.m. and p.m. periods of day) on serum concentration of these was investigated. The results demonstrate that in patients with CRF in predialysis period the circadian rhythm of serum iPTH concentration is at least partially preserved. However, the effect of dialysis on serum C-terminal iPTH concentration showed a sharp progressive fall of the concentration during haemodialysis on polyacrylonitrile membranes. The study of the circadian rhythm of serum calcitonin concentration in CRF patients with the six hours intervals between blood sampling could not reveal changes which favour the opinion of the existence of circadian rhythmicity. In patients on haemodialysis during haemodialysis with cuprophan membranes a rise of serum calcitonin concentration was observed."}
{"id": "PMID:1465668", "title": "[Use of erythropoietin in children with terminal renal insufficiency treated with chronic hemodialysis].", "content": "Nine pts, aged 4-20 years (mean 12) with chronic uremic anaemia (mean Hb 5.8 g/dl, range 5.0-7.0 g/dl) on regular thrice-weekly haemodialysis, were treated with human recombinant erythropoietin (rh-uEPO) for a mean of 28.11 weeks (range 4-48). To attain a target Hb concentration (9.6-11.2 g/dl) RH-uEPO (Cilag) was administered i.v. after each dialysis in increasing doses within the range (51-300 U/kg/week). All pts were treated with persantine. Five pts needed iron supplementation. All pts showed increased Hb concentration and none of 6 previously transfusion dependent pts needed further transfusions after the first week of rH-uEPO. Pretreatment long-term dialyzed, polytransfused and iron overloaded pts, even when treated with lower doses of rH-EPO, responded better, reaching target Hb level from the 8th- to the 16th week. Three of 4 highly sensitized pts on rH-EPO treatment had a significant decrease of cytotoxic antibody titre, and 2 were successfully transplanted. rH-EPO also significantly improved the life quality in all pts. No pts developed any serious side affects. There was a transient increase in BP (2 pts) and transaminase with eosinophilia (4 pts)."}
{"id": "PMID:1465669", "title": "[Clinical heterogeneity in patients with ocular myopathies].", "content": "We present the results of clinical, electrophysiological, and biopsy studies in patients with ocular myopathy. Nine patients (four women and five men) were included in these investigations. According to the biopsy findings the patients were divided into patients with oculocraniosomaltic syndrome (OCSS) and patients with oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy (OPMD). The presented clinical features, especially in the OCSS groups was more variable. Associated neurological and multisystem disturbances were characteristic of OCSS. Biopsy findings were of essential significance in distinguish these two conditions, especially in cases of the late onset."}
{"id": "PMID:1465670", "title": "[Radiotherapy of primary spinal cord tumors in adults].", "content": "Between 1980 and 1985 we treated 21 patients with primary spinal cord tumors. There were two diffuse and ten localized ependymoma, six low grade astrocytoma and three malignant glioma. Surgery consisted of total resection in six patients, subtotal resection in three and biopsy in twelve patients. Radiation doses ranged 45-55 Gy. Median age was 55 years (34-70 years), and median follow-up after therapy was 5 years (1-9 years). For patients with localized ependymoma, overall survival and 5-year recurrence-free survival are 80%. Of two patients with diffuse ependymoma, one is alive with no evidence of disease 6 years after the initial diagnosis, while the other is dead. Overall survival and 5 years recurrence-free survival for patients with low grade astrocytoma are 83% and 67%, respectively. All three patients with malignant glioma died of local recurrence (one had diffuse craniospinal metastases, too) one year after the initial diagnosis. Radiotherapy is therapy of choice after surgery in primary spinal cord tumors in adults, although local recurrences remain the major problem."}
{"id": "PMID:1465672", "title": "[Epidemiologic characteristics of human parvovirus B19. Report of an epidemic of erythema infectiosum in the area of Belgrade].", "content": "During the period 29.10.1987-10.5.1988 an outbreak of an illness with rash resembling Erythema Infectiosum occurred among school children in one part of Belgrade-Mladenovac. This is the first outbreak of Erythema Infectiosum reported in Yugoslavia and confirmed in University College of Middlesex School of Medicine, London, in November 1989. Of 720 school children exposed to infection of Human Parvovirus B 19 two hundred and eighty four (39.4%) have had clinical symptoms and 166 (58.4%) of them were in the age group 10-14. The sero-epidemiologic investigations excluded infection of Rubella virus, Cytomegalovirus and Coxsackie viruses A 9 and B 5. To detect the infection Elisa IgM antibody, complement fixation, inhibition of hemagglutination and isolation have been used. Clinical symptoms of illness have been manifested as Rubella like exanthemas on extremities in 92.5%, extremities and body in 26.5% and the phenomenon \"slapped Cheek\" was discovered in 76.25% of all patients. Reappearance of rash has been observed in 25% of cases."}
{"id": "PMID:1465673", "title": "[Treatment of idiopathic nephrotic syndrome with cyclosporine A].", "content": "Cyclosporin-A (Cy-A) is a new drug used in the treatment of idiopathic nephrotic syndrome (INS) over the past few years. The treatment is based on the two postulates; first, that INS is presumably a disorder of T lymphocytes, and second, that Cy-A exerts its immunomodulatory effect on T cell immunity. The paper first gives evidence why in the current nephrology the three histologic variants, i.e. minimal changes, focal glomerular sclerosis and diffuse mesangial hypercellularity are termed idiopathic nephrotic syndrome, and review of immunopathogenesis of INS, which might be a rational use of Cy-A as therapeutic modality. Recent data concerning the treatment of INS with Ca-A have shown that Cy-A might be an alternative drug for corticosteroid sensitive patients, but who are either frequent relapsers or drug-dependent. However, Cy-A maintain remission during administration only. It could be used to overcome side effects of corticosteroid therapy, which is of particular interest in children with growth retardation. Treatment of patients resistant to classic immunomodulatory therapy (corticosteroids, cyclophosphamide, chlorambucil) was beneficial only in 22% of cases. In these patients, especially if their glomerular filtration rate is reduced, Cy-A is potentially nephrotoxic and may lead to rapid deterioration of renal function. Long-term administration of Cy-A requires regular screening for nephrotoxicity by laboratory tests and renal biopsy every 6-12 months."}
{"id": "PMID:1465671", "title": "[Vascular headache and cerebral edema].", "content": "Headache is one of the commonest symptoms in neurology. It can be present among many other somatic illnesses. There are many aetiological factors. Pathogenetic mechanisms are unknown. There is a significant number of patients with headache, especially with vascular headache, (about 15%), and vascular headache associated with cerebrovascular ischaemic stroke. Therefore the new investigations of neurobiochemical and neurophysiological problems are necessary. A group of patients involved in our study with diagnosis of vascular headache was tested. The result of the study (especially neuroradiological results) show that many patients, prevalently young women, had cerebral oedema during the attack of vascular headache."}
{"id": "PMID:1465674", "title": "[Pityriasis versicolor--modern views on etiology, pathogenesis and therapy].", "content": "Pityriasis versicolor (Tinea versicolor) is a superficial chronic fungal infection caused by Pityrisporum species which are normal \"inhabitants\" of the cutaneous flora. The morphologic changes from yeast to mycelial hypha form are important in the development of clinical lesions. The onset and course of the disease are under the influence of genetic factors, age, sex, climate, local environmental factors, malnutrition, pregnancy, oral contraceptives, corticosteroid and immunosuppressive treatment. They favorize transformation of saphrophytic to pathogenic form, and are the cause of recurrences and chronicity of the disease. The ultrastructural and immunologic studies which are carried out today would significantly contribute to a better understanding of pathogenesis of the disease. The disease is limited to seborrheic areas of the skin and commonly has three clinical forms: papulosquamous, follicular and inverse. This can make great problems in differential diagnosis. In the treatment of these patients it should be kept in mind that Pityriasis versicolor is not a primary contagious disease and that conversion of Pityrisporum depends on the predisposing factors. Numerous medicaments with local and systemic effect which are used nowaday in the treatment and prevention of pityriasis are reported. Way of application, doses, duration of therapy, advantages and disadvantages are given in detail."}
{"id": "PMID:1465676", "title": "[Acute lymphoblastic leukemia in refractory anemia with \"ringed\" sideroblasts].", "content": "The paper deals with the progression of idiopathic refractory sideroblastic anaemia (IRSA) and its transformation to acute B lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL). Attention is paid to haematological changes prior to leukaemia development. Acute leukaemia was best expressed in this patient by severe deterioration of dyserythropoiesis, leukopenia, and by an increase of blasts in the bone marrow over 5%. Our patient is an additional evidence to the hypothesis of the common lymphohematopoietic progenitor."}
{"id": "PMID:1465677", "title": "[Gilles de la Tourette's syndrome].", "content": "Gilles de la Tourette's syndrome (GTS) is characterized with motor and vocal tics, initiating before 21 years of age, lasting for over a year and are associated with diverse behavioral disorders. The study analyzes features of 12 our GTS patients with mean age at the onset of the disease of 12.0 years, while the exact diagnosis was established only after 9.5 years (2-33 years). In 11 out of 12 patients the disease started with motor or vocal tics, while in completely developed clinical picture of GTS the permanently present tics were associated with coprolalia (6 patients), echolalia, copropraxia (in 2 patients, respectively), attention deficits (9 patients), obsessive-compulsive disorders (8 patients) etv. The role of neuroleptic therapy was discussed according to our experience and other reported studies. In our study, haloperidol had good therapeutical effect in 64% of the treated patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1465675", "title": "[Pharmacology--new therapy. Calcium channel blockers: new aspects of therapeutic use of diltiazem].", "content": "The calcium antagonist, diltiazem is effective in the treatment of patients with various types of angina pectoris, as well as with essential and renovascular arterial hypertension. Sustained-release diltiazem in dose of 180 mg once daily is effective as sustained-release diltiazem in dose of 90 mg twice daily. Besides, in patients with stable angina pectoris and essential arterial hypertension the monotherapy with sustained-release diltiazem in dose of 180 mg is similarly effective as beta blockers and thiazide diuretics. However, monotherapy with sustained-release diltiazem is at least effective as monotherapy with sustained-release verapamil. Comparative clinical investigations showed that diltiazem is more effective than propranolol in decreasing ischemic attacks, whereas the risk of bradycardia is smaller. On the other hand, nifedipine (dihydropyridine calcium antagonist) is more effective than diltiazem in lowering ischemic electrocardiographic changes, incidence of attacks and improving working capability. The efficacy of diltiazem, nifedipine and verapamil is similar in the treatment of patients with spastic angina pectoris, whereas the least effective is propranolol. As far as the arterial hypertension is concerned, clinical investigations showed that the efficacy of diltiazem and nifedipine is similar. Side effects are relatively rare (1.8-9.6% patients) and depend on the dose (nausea, fatigue, dizziness, headache and itching)."}
{"id": "PMID:1465678", "title": "[Acute pancreatitis in a patient treated with hemodialysis].", "content": "Acute pancreatitis presents about 1% of all acute abdominal diseases. Its mortality is about 20-50%. The main etiological causes are diseases of the biliary tract and alcoholism. In 10-20% of cases the cause is still unknown. Chronic renal failure is also mentioned as a possible cause of acute pancreatitis. The purpose of this article was to show the frequency and course of acute pancreatitis in patients on haemodialysis during the last 15 years with a case report. From 1976, to 1991, in our Centre about 600 patients have been observed. The diagnosis of acute pancreatitis has been posed in 5 patients (0.8%). In 2 of them the course was easy, 2 died and 1 survived despite a number of complications and two surgical operations. Acute pancreatitis is a rare disease in patients on dialysis, but it is more frequent in them than in persons with healthy kidneys. The mortality in those patients is also high. With adequate care and treatment there is a possibility to survive even heavy type of acute pancreatitis."}
{"id": "PMID:1465679", "title": "[Penicillin allergy in children].", "content": "Penicillin allergy in children is overdiagnosed and paediatricians, fearing the possibility of fatal anaphylaxis, seldom question a report that a child is allergic to penicillin. Laboratory tests to predict whether a patient will react to penicillin are unhelpful in routine clinical practice and skin tests themselves carry a significant risk of anaphylaxis and even death. A few simple inquiries can often exclude the diagnosis. However, a history of penicillin therapy associated with an immediate reaction suggests penicillin allergy."}
{"id": "PMID:1465687", "title": "Zocor, the postmarketing experience.", "content": "The aim of this study was to develop and test a descriptive, intensive drug surveillance methodology in order to examine the effectiveness and safety of new drugs in the immediate postmarketing period. The HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor, simvastatin (Zocor), was chosen as the test drug. Data were collected from 100 randomly chosen cardiologists, specialist physicians and general practitioners practising in the six main centres of South Africa. A 66% doctor response rate was achieved and 438 patients were enrolled in the study. The overall effectiveness expressed as a percentage decrease (from baseline) in total cholesterol levels was 20.5% for the 251 patients who started on a 10 mg daily dose of the drug and 27.6% for the 42 patients who started on 10 mg but changed to 20 mg/d. The safety profile of simvastatin was comparable with the premarketing clinical trial data, and patient non-compliance appeared to be dose-related. The methodology employed was found to be suitable for the collection of safety and effectiveness data in the postmarketing period and simvastatin was shown to be effective with few adverse events reported."}
{"id": "PMID:1465688", "title": "Simvastatin in non-insulin-dependent diabetic patients with hypercholesterolaemia.", "content": "The objective of this study was to evaluate the lipid-lowering effect of simvastatin in non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) patients with hypercholesterolaemia while possible clinical and biochemical adverse effects were monitored for. Forty-three NIDDM patients with hypercholesterolaemia (total cholesterol > 6.5 mmol/l) used simvastatin after a detailed clinical laboratory evaluation as well as a 4-week wash-out period and a 4-week placebo baseline period. Simvastatin treatment was initiated with a 10 mg dose for 6 weeks; this was increased to 20 mg and 40 mg at 12 and 18 weeks of follow-up respectively if the total cholesterol level had not decreased to below 5.17 mmol/l. Patients were placed on a lipid-lowering diet and continued to take any regular non-lipid-lowering medication throughout the trial; side-effects were monitored at 6-week intervals until patients had taken simvastatin for 24 weeks. The mean total cholesterol level was reduced by 22.2% at the first follow-up visit, and by 24.2%, 23.3%, and 28.5% at the second, third and fourth follow-up visits respectively compared with base-line levels. A dose of 10 mg simvastatin brought about a reduction in total cholesterol similar to those found with higher doses. The mean triglyceride level was reduced by 20.9% with 20 mg simvastatin. The high-density lipoprotein cholesterol level was not altered significantly and neither was the control of diabetes.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1465689", "title": "Effects of therapy on renal impairment in essential hypertension.", "content": "The effect of hydrochlorothiazide 50 mg, amiloride 5 mg (HCTZ-A) (Moduretic; MSD) and its combination with pindolol and nadolol on renal function were compared in patients with mild to moderate essential hypertension (mean untreated supine blood pressure 179 +/- 5.7/108 +/- 2.6 mmHg) with compromised renal function (glomerular filtration rate (GFR) < 85 ml/min). After randomisation to a beta-blocker plus diuretic, the beta-blocker was washed out (diuretic-only period) and the other beta-blocker added. Eleven patients completed the randomised cross-over comparative study, 5 receiving pindolol 15 mg plus 1 dose of HCTZ-A daily for 6 weeks, and 6 nadolol 120 mg plus 1 dose of HCTZ-A daily. The beta-blocker was then withdrawn for 4 weeks, after which each group of patients received 1 dose of HCTZ-A plus the alternative beta-blocker daily for 6 weeks. The GFR was measured using chromium-51-ethylenediamine-tetra-acetic acid at the end of each treatment phase. The mean GFR (+/- SE) fell from 69.6 +/- 5.8 to 60.6 +/- 5.1 ml/min (P < 0.01) during HCTZ-A therapy, whereas the addition of pindolol or nadolol caused no further drop in the GFR. We conclude that mild degrees of renal impairment in essential hypertension may be aggravated by HCTZ-A therapy when given as one tablet of Moduretic daily."}
{"id": "PMID:1465690", "title": "Nutritional status in rheumatoid arthritis. Effects of disease activity, corticosteroid therapy and functional impairment.", "content": "Sixty-five patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) (mean age 37.2 years) were compared with 71 controls (mean age 33.8 years). Anthropometric measurements included body diameters and skin-fold thickness at multiple sites, while biochemical markers of nutritional status included serum albumin, thyroxine-binding pre-albumin and retinol-binding globulin levels. None of the RA subjects was outside the range that extended 2 standard deviations above and below the normal control values for lean body mass. Discriminant analysis showed that corticosteroid therapy did not significantly influence skinfold thickness in RA. A combination of bi-acromial and bi-ankle diameters had a sensitivity of 70% and a specificity of 72% in differentiating the RA group, in whom disease activity had a greater effect on body diameters than corticosteroid therapy did. Differences related to functional impairment were a manifestation of disease activity rather than a direct effect on skinfold thickness or body diameters. According to anthropometric measurements in ambulant patients, RA does not result in malnutrition in young individuals."}
{"id": "PMID:1465691", "title": "A simple 'tally sheet' system for collecting information on the paediatric utilisation of a western Cape day hospital.", "content": "This paper describes a simple 'tally sheet' system for collecting information on the paediatric utilisation of Bishop Lavis Day Hospital. of 2,053 children seen over a 7-week period in August and September 1988, the details of 1,971 (96%) were entered on the tally sheets; age and weight were documented in 1,915 (97%) cases. Only 19 patients (1%) were neonates, 370 (19%) were aged under 1 year, 1,092 (57%) 1-6 years and 453 (24%) 6-13 years. One hundred and ninety-eight children (10%) had a weight for age less than the 3rd percentile and 646 (34%) a weight between the 3rd and 25th percentiles; 505 (26%) were between the 25th and 50th percentiles and 566 (30%) above the 50th percentile. Nursing personnel alone saw and treated 1,067 (52%) of the children and the commonest conditions treated were upper respiratory tract infections (31%) and infective and non-infective skin conditions (18%). A similar system could be used to evaluate other aspects of health care."}
{"id": "PMID:1465692", "title": "The cost of neonatal care.", "content": "A medical and financial assessment of the Neonatal Unit at Groote Schuur Hospital showed that the emphasis was on high care provided at a cost of R265 per patient per day. Intensive care cost R530 and low care R88 per day. The average was R172 per day. Infants of very low birth weight (< 1,500 g) accounted for 58% of expenditure. Half of this amount was spent on infants of below 1,000 g; the cost was R14 621 per survivor and R344 per quality-adjusted life-year. The cost declined progressively for infants of greater birth weight. There are a paucity of comparable local data, but the cost of the care was very reasonable."}
{"id": "PMID:1465693", "title": "Vaccination coverage in Mhala and Elim in 1990--a health systems approach.", "content": "This paper assesses the implementation of the 1986 Gazankulu policy on immunisation in 2 of the homeland's 6 health wards, Mhala and Elim. Vaccination coverage was estimated using the cluster sampling technique recommended by the Expanded Programme on Immunisation of the World Health Organisation. Vaccination coverage of children aged 12-23 months who have received eight valid doses (as stipulated in the programme) is estimated at 25% in Mhala and 53% in Elim (P < 0.001). While both figures can be substantially improved, the analysis concentrates on factors that help explain the differences between 2 districts that fall under the same central administration. As well as demographic differences, key factors include the presence of community-based health facilities and availability of staff (including programme leaders). The need for regional planners to have detailed and comprehensive knowledge of the health system at district level, and to make allowance for this, is put forward as vital to effective health planning. The failure of the Gazankulu policy to attain its objectives also reflects the often unrecognised consequences of the fragmentation of health services."}
{"id": "PMID:1465694", "title": "[Factors which may mask a possible safe threshold for asbestos fibre].", "content": "Five factors are identified which could mask a possible threshold for asbestos fibre as a cause of asbestosis: (i) the definition of asbestosis; (ii) the influence of dust other than asbestos fibre; (iii) the underestimation of the true exposure to fibres; (iv) the non-allowance for random error in the determination of disease; and (v) the overestimation of early (high) exposures coupled with the underestimation of later (low) exposures. The manner in which each of these factors may tend to mask the existence of a threshold is dealt with. It is concluded that one or more of the factors could have been responsible for some of the unsuccessful past attempts to demonstrate a safe concentration for asbestos fibre. It is recommended that in future, exposure-response studies should take these factors into account."}
{"id": "PMID:1465696", "title": "Does primary Streptococcus viridans pneumonia exist?", "content": "In 4 adult black patients admitted to an urban general hospital with community-acquired pneumonia, Streptococcus viridans alone was isolated from blood culture (first subculture), in the absence of any other positive microbiological finding. Sputum examination by Gram staining and culture in 3 cases was reported as negative. Echocardiography was performed in 3 cases and was normal, without evidence of endocarditis. The clinical course of illness in the 4 patients is described. The chest radiograph showed a segmental or subsegmental consolidation in all cases; this appeared 'mass-like' in 2 patients. Viridans streptococci may be a more important, if still uncommon, cause of community-acquired pneumonia than previously suspected. The organism should be considered as a possible cause of chest infection, particularly in patients with appropriately positive blood cultures and no other positive microbiological finding."}
{"id": "PMID:1465697", "title": "South African psychiatrists' attitudes to the present implementation of the Abortion and Sterilisation Act of 1975.", "content": "In 1980 and 1990 reports were published in the SAMJ on the attitudes of South African gynaecologists to the present Abortion and Sterilisation Act of 1975. The proportion of respondents favouring abortion on demand in the first trimester rose from 32% to 40% over this period, while that of respondents requesting a review of the Act increased from 71% to 85%. The Society of Psychiatrists of South Africa decided to conduct a similar survey of its members using the same questionnaire with some additional questions on current psychiatric practice. Of the 50% of psychiatrists who responded, 78% were personally involved in the implementation of the Act. Some 51% of psychiatrists supported termination on request before the 12th week of pregnancy, an equal number felt that the role of psychiatrists in the implementation of the Act should be reduced, and 89% considered that the present Abortion and Sterilisation Act requires review. Thus, many psychiatrists and gynaecologists are seeking a revision of existing legislation on the medical termination of pregnancy."}
{"id": "PMID:1465698", "title": "The therapeutic sterilisation of the mentally handicapped. Experience with the Abortion and Sterilisation Act of 1975.", "content": "The Abortion and Sterilisation Act of 1975 gives legal sanction for the sterilisation of persons with a mental handicap, and by 1989, 1,817 such persons had been sterilised in South Africa. In this paper, we review our experience in investigating all 291 persons who were referred to the Pregnancy Advisory Service of Groote Schuur Hospital for this purpose. Referrals included 37 white, 233 coloured and 21 black patients. One hundred and eight (37.1%) were severely retarded, 104 (35.7%) were moderately retarded, 70 (24%) were mildly retarded and 9 (3.2%) were not testable. None could give informed consent and the applications for sterilisation came from burdened families of whom one-third were already caring for illegitimate children born to these mentally handicapped women. Of the 291 applications, 231 (79%) were recommended for sterilisation. The main issues involved in making a decision to sterilise mentally retarded individuals are the valid assessment of the degree of retardation, the availability of alternative means of fertility control, and the complex ethical factors that have to be considered with regard to the sterilisation of persons with a mental handicap."}
{"id": "PMID:1465699", "title": "Psychiatric disorders in internal medicine.", "content": "All patients admitted to one firm of the Department of Medicine were psychiatrically evaluated in terms of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM III, 1980) criteria. Thirty-three per cent of the patients had treatable psychiatric disorders while only 3.5% of admissions to a comparable firm of the same department were referred for psychiatric consultation (P < 0.05). These data support the need for a more comprehensive liaison psychiatric service than a mere consultation service in the general hospital."}
{"id": "PMID:1465712", "title": "When in vitro fertilization fails: a prospective view.", "content": "New reproductive technologies such as in vitro fertilization (IVF) offer much hope to infertile couples, yet the odds for success are not high. In this study we examine the experiences of a cohort of women undergoing IVF or a related technology at three points in time: before technological intervention, approximately one month after the first failed cycle, and six months later. We consider the women's expectations and experiences and discuss implications of the findings for social work practice."}
{"id": "PMID:1465713", "title": "Paediatric inter-facility transport: the parents' perspective.", "content": "A telephone survey was conducted to evaluate the impact on families of inter-facility paediatric transport to a tertiary care centre. The 54 families who responded were almost unanimous in their appreciation of the transport service and the expertise of the attendants. However, many experienced problems, including finances, child care, travel arrangements and accommodation. Most problems were encountered by those who did not accompany the child in the transport vehicle, lived at a distance so that they could not commute and did not use hospital accommodation. Further research is suggested to assess the extent of the problems families face and to determine appropriate solutions."}
{"id": "PMID:1465714", "title": "Driving and dementia: perspectives from an outpatient clinic.", "content": "This article explores issues related to automobile driving and dementia from the perspective of an outpatient medical clinic. A retrospective pilot study is presented with particular focus on the relationship between cognitive status and hazardous driving performance. Special attention is given to the practice considerations that confront social workers and other health care professionals who deal with this prevalent and difficult problem."}
{"id": "PMID:1465715", "title": "Searching for the doable in nursing home social work practice.", "content": "Nursing home social workers were asked to provide information about their current practice circumstances, and to rate relative importance of resident and family psychosocial needs and frequency of functions performed or overseen by social workers to meet these needs. Both consultant and full-time staff social workers practiced under severe time constraints. Practitioners viewed psychosocial needs similarly, but staff and consultants met these needs through somewhat different functions. Findings provide a profile of practice that can contribute to care improvement through a definition of realistic service expectations for which social workers can be accountable."}
{"id": "PMID:1465716", "title": "Maximizing the patient's uniqueness and strengths: a challenge for home health care.", "content": "Because of where services are provided, home health care programs offer rich opportunities for incorporating the patient's uniqueness and strengths in treatment planning. Operationalizing these in day-to-day practice may be inhibited by the traditional medical model governing most treatment decisions. A reflective model and strengths perspective are mechanisms which bolster efforts to individualize patient care. A case example illustrates the difference between traditional approaches and alternative opportunities open to the home health care social worker."}
{"id": "PMID:1465717", "title": "Cultural differences in health beliefs: implications for social work practice in health care settings.", "content": "Individuals of diverse ethnic backgrounds often have beliefs about health, disease and treatment which vary significantly from American scientific medical practice. Cultural and subcultural health beliefs also vary among blacks, Hispanics and Asians. Individual differences within cultural groups may be influenced by length of time in the United States, age and social economic status. Social work activities which can improve health care services to ethnic minorities are identified."}
{"id": "PMID:1465718", "title": "Towards an understanding of families with physically disabled adolescents.", "content": "This exploratory study examined the family environment of ten families, each with a physically disabled adolescent and at least one non-disabled adolescent. Family members completed the Moos Family Environment Scale (FES) and discussed with the interviewer their experiences as a family. Blind and independent ratings on the FES by social workers involved in the study provided a comparison with the families' self ratings. Family ratings on the FES gave no indication of distress, but showed slightly higher than average emphasis on cohesion and achievement orientation. Social work ratings, in contrast, indicated elevated levels of conflict, achievement orientation, and control. In this report, no attempt is made to generalize these specific findings to all families with disabled adolescents. Rather, results are interpreted, in the light of findings in the recent literature, to underscore the need for better designed research and to alert professionals to the danger of imposing the prevalent dysfunctional view upon families with disabled children and adolescents."}
{"id": "PMID:1465719", "title": "Early unplanned readmissions to social work of elderly patients: factors predicting who needs follow-up services.", "content": "There are some elderly patients who receive social work services during an initial hospitalization and experience an early unplanned readmission, when they again are in need of social work assistance. This research identified factors which differentiated social work patients who were readmitted to the hospital within one month and were again referred to social work services from those who were not readmitted. Three factors were found to be predictive of readmission to social work: longer length of stay in the initial hospitalization; presence of barriers which complicated the social work service plan undertaken in the first admission; and provision of social work services in the initial admission which were limited to information and referral only."}
{"id": "PMID:1465720", "title": "Treatment issues and treatment configurations for mentally ill homeless women.", "content": "This article reviews and discusses various issues pertinent to effective delivery of treatment services to mentally ill homeless women. The central emphasis is upon the gender-specific issues unique to this population and includes attention to distinctive features of effective case management, utilization of group therapy techniques, and greater integration of the psychiatrist into the treatment team. The article concludes with a discussion of the future issues relevant to community based services to homeless mentally ill women."}
{"id": "PMID:1465721", "title": "Workers' Sick Fund (Kupat Holim) hot-line therapeutic first intervention: a model developed in the Gulf War.", "content": "This paper describes the work of the Workers' Sick Fund (Kupat Holim) of the Labor Organization in Israel in the Gulf War. A model is presented which was developed in real time, in light of existing conditions. The distinctive feature of the model is its effectiveness: the model accomplished its objective although counselling was by telephone and limited to a single session only."}
{"id": "PMID:1465722", "title": "Social work ethics in the practice arena: a qualitative study.", "content": "This paper is a report of an exploratory qualitative study that examined the role that social work ethics plays in informing social work behavior, as compared to other influences of an extra-ethical nature. The paper begins with a review of the literature exploring how ethical principles are utilized in professional practice. A discussion of the methodology focuses upon the choice of a qualitative design. Excerpts from participants' responses to a fictional case history are presented and discussed. The reader is offered an understanding of the area of study through access to the \"natural flow\" of thoughts presented in the excerpts. This research demonstrates how ethical principles, as codified in the N.A.S.W. Code of Ethics, can be effective in informing practice decisions."}
{"id": "PMID:1465723", "title": "[An epidemiologic study of the value and limits of physical therapy/exercise therapy in Fontaine stage II arterial occlusive disease].", "content": "Using a questionaire the members of the German Society for Angiology (DGA) were interrogated on the use of physical training for the treatment of peripheral arterial occlusive disease; from a total of n = 431 as much as n = 156 responded, i.e. making up a response of 36%. 104 of them conduct physical training either on their own or assign patients to it (67%). In most of the institutions exclusively walking/interval training (83%) or medical exercise (74%) are performed. In most cases the training is conducted by physiotherapeutists (71%). 13% of the patients are admitted exclusively to physical training, 34% undergo combined therapy, i.e. physical training and vaso-active medication. 22% receive mere medical, 31% surgical treatment. A general evaluation on the success of the different therapies applied turned out following frequency: 1. combined therapy (medical treatment/physical training); 2. surgical procedures as a therapeutic measure; 3. physical training; 4. medical treatment. A further study performed at three ambulatory centres offering physical training were to show what kind and to which extent such training is useful. In 34% of the cases (from a total of n = 201 patients with peripheral arterial occlusive disease in state II according to Fontaine) contraindications argue against the application of physical training. From a rest of 66% as much as 36% of the patients refuse to undergo physical training the reasons of which were stated with large transport distances and time problems. The remaining rest accepts the offer, although 24% attend such training only sporadically. The results show that mainly contraindications and insufficient patient compliance account for the fact that only one third of the patients attend physical training. The results are discussed and proposals are made to improve patient compliance."}
{"id": "PMID:1465725", "title": "Techniques for in utero endoscopic surgery. A new approach for fetal intervention.", "content": "In utero open surgery can salvage many fetuses with life-threatening anomalies. This approach carries risks, especially from preterm labor induced by the hysterotomy incision. In an effort to decrease uterine injury during hysterotomy, we developed techniques for endoscopic manipulation of the fetus. We developed these methods in fetal lambs. The uterus was exposed and insufflated with CO2. As a model for in utero surgery, a simulated cleft lip was created and immediately repaired using intracorporeal suturing and knot-tying procedures. The techniques for endoscopic suture placement and knot-tying were based on microsurgical principles. We also designed and created several specialized instruments to facilitate precise work in this highly magnified surgical field. The novel techniques of endoscopic fetal surgery described here offer an alternate approach to fetal intervention. Our future goals include the application of these techniques to a nonhuman primate model and the development of percutaneous access methods."}
{"id": "PMID:1465726", "title": "The role of peritoneoscopy (laparoscopy) in the evaluation of the acute abdomen in critically ill patients.", "content": "Emergency peritoneoscopy (laparoscopy) to evaluate a suspected intraabdominal catastrophe was performed in ten critically ill patients over a 3-year period. The examination was negative in six cases, thereby avoiding celiotomy in this high-risk group. The examination was positive in four cases and, on this basis, celiotomy was recommended. Verification of the peritoneoscopic findings by clinical follow-up, operative findings, or autopsy was obtained in eight out of the ten cases. Based on our experience, we feel that peritoneoscopy is of value in defining the indications for celiotomy in this high-risk group of patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1465727", "title": "Comparison between echo-guided fine-needle aspiration cytology and microhistology in diagnosing pancreatic masses.", "content": "Echo-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsy of pancreatic masses is a well-established diagnostic procedure. However, there is no consensus as to the superiority of cytology or microhistology. We compared the results of cytology and microhistology in 50 consecutive patients who underwent fine-needle aspiration biopsy for pancreatic masses. Aspirates were positive for malignant disease in 42 patients; the other eight had chronic focal pancreatitis. In the 42 cases of cancer, cytology provided conclusive results in 40 (95.2%); sampling was inadequate in two. Microhistology proved accurate in 30 cases (71.4%); insufficient tissue was obtained in 12, giving a statistically significant difference in favor of cytology (P < 0.01). In the eight patients with benign disease both techniques ruled out malignancy; in five microhistology gave further indications confirming suspected chronic pancreatitis (fibrosis, lymphocyte and histiocyte-cell infiltrate). Our results show that cytology is the method of choice in diagnosing pancreatic carcinoma. Microhistology can be a useful adjunct in patients with suspected chronic pancreatitis."}
{"id": "PMID:1465728", "title": "Incision extension is the optimal method of difficult gallbladder extraction at laparoscopic cholecystectomy.", "content": "An unsolved problem of laparoscopic cholecystectomy is the optimal method of removing the gallbladder with thick walls and a large stone burden. Proposed solutions include fascial dilatation, stone crushing, and ultrasonic, high-speed rotary, or laser lithotripsy. Our observation was that extension of the fascial incision to remove the impacted gallbladder was time efficient and did not increase postoperative pain. We reviewed the narcotic requirements of 107 consecutive patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Fifty-two patients required extension of the umbilical incision, and 55 patients did not have their fascial incision enlarged. Parenteral meperidine use was 39.5 +/- 63.6 mg in the patients requiring fascial incision extension and 66.3 +/- 79.2 mg in those not requiring fascial incision extension (mean +/- standard deviation). Oral narcotic requirements were 1.1 +/- 1.5 doses vs 1.3 +/- 1.7 doses in patients with and without incision extension, respectively. The wide range of narcotic use in both groups makes these apparent differences not statistically significant. We conclude that protracted attempts at stone crushing or expensive stone fragmentation devices are unnecessary for the extraction of a difficult gallbladder during laparoscopic cholecystectomy."}
{"id": "PMID:1465729", "title": "Selection of the treatment for esophagogastric varices. Analyses of collateral structures by endoscopic ultrasonography.", "content": "In 57 cases with portal hypertensive disease, we investigated the intramural and extramural structure of the stomach and the esophagus by endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS). Variously developed intra- and extramural vascular structures had a relationship to the endoscopic variceal form, and communicating (inflow) vessels to varices were found in 28 of the 43 primary cases treated (65%). We then classified the esophagogastric varices into three types according to the vascular structure, such as the esophageal type, esophagogastric type, and solitary gastric type. Based on the analysis of these collateral structures, we selected the treatment as follows. In the esophageal type, which has a few inflow vessels, it is easy to eliminate the varices by obturating the inflow vessels by endoscopic injection sclerotherapy (EIS). In the esophagogastric type, which has many enlarged inflow vessels, the Hassab operation is effective in devascularizing the extramural inflow vessels, and the combination of EIS is necessary to sclerose the intramural varices. In the solitary gastric type, which is a part of the downward portosystemic shunt, the Hassab operation is recommended to prevent rupture of the varices for the subtype with intramural running vessels, but conservative therapy is enough for the subtype without."}
{"id": "PMID:1465730", "title": "The rotary gallstone lithotrite to aid gallbladder extraction in laparoscopic cholecystectomy.", "content": "During laparoscopic cholecystectomy, a large stone burden may cause difficulty when extracting the gallbladder through the abdominal wall. Currently, the alternatives available to the surgeon include increasing the incision, removing stones singly, or utilizing complex fragmentation techniques like the pulsed dye laser. We have employed an electromechanical rotary gallstone lithotrite (RGL) to fragment stones to an aspiratable size. Initially, cholesterol spheres were pulverized in a latex balloon to demonstrate the efficacy of the device. Then, human gallstones were placed in the balloon and reduced to fragments less than or equal to 1 mm from initial sizes of 4-24 mm. Human stones were then inserted in ex vivo porcine gallbladders in a controlled experiment and treated with the device. Ten out of 12 tests were completed within 30 s; one test required 49 s and one 105 s to achieve complete fragmentation. Blinded histological evaluation demonstrated that tissue abrasion caused by use of the device would not interfere with the diagnosis of unsuspected malignancy. Clinical trials have now commenced under the auspices of the hospital ethical committee."}
{"id": "PMID:1465731", "title": "A new method of recording endoscopic and operative findings in colorectal neoplasia.", "content": "A new method of recording 12 relevant facts concerning patients with colorectal neoplasia has provided a neoplastic profile for each patient. With this information recorded on an outline of the colon one can see at a glance the date, histology, and location of the initial lesion; the number and timing of both synchronous and metachronous lesions and their histology; the size, differentiation, and location of each lesion; plus a family tree. This method provides pertinent clinical facts in chronological order and characterizes each patient's neoplastic activity without the need to refer to operative notes and laboratory reports. With this method, it is easy to record and easy to interpret, and it has been extremely useful in the clinical assessment of patients with colorectal neoplasia and in arranging appropriate surveillance for these patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1465732", "title": "Periampullary duodenal diverticulum in a patient undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy.", "content": "Duodenal diverticulae are acquired lesions usually found near the papilla of Vater and associated with significant symptoms. We present a case of a patient with obstructive jaundice who had a diverticulum and cholelithiasis. The management of this scenario is explained in the era of laparoscopic cholecystectomy."}
{"id": "PMID:1465733", "title": "Combination therapy of laparoscopic cholecystectomy and endoscopic transpapillary lithotripsy for both cholecystolithiasis and choledocholithiasis.", "content": "This report describes five patients with cholecystolithiasis and choledocholithiasis who were treated by combination endoscopic extraction of common bile-duct stones with sphincterotomy (EST) and laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC). Following this combination procedure the patients were relieved completely of obstructive jaundice and right upper quadrant pain, leaving only small trocar insertion scars made during the short course of hospitalization. The combination therapy of EST and LC will be recommended for this kind of patient as a minimally invasive procedure."}
{"id": "PMID:1465734", "title": "Dissection of the esophagus after dilatation of a cervical diaphragm.", "content": "The authors report a case of a very large esophageal mucosal dissection observed during an esophagoscopy performed 7 days after dilatation of a cervical esophageal web. They treated this dissection by positioning an endoesophageal balloon which obtained the fast, overlapping closure of the torn mucosal layers and at the same time allowed both gastric drainage and enteral feeding via a pump."}
{"id": "PMID:1465735", "title": "Endoscopic protector hood for safe removal of sharp-pointed gastroesophageal foreign bodies.", "content": "Endoscopic removal of sharp and pointed foreign bodies in the upper gastrointestinal tract still poses technical difficulties. Overtubes may be uncomfortable to the patients and only objects fitting within a lumen of about 11-15 mm can be removed. We present here our preliminary experience with a commercially available new endoscopic end protector hood having the unique characteristic of maintaining its bell portion inverted during the progression of the scope through the gut and flipping back to its original shape during withdrawal through the lower esophageal sphincter. This prevents exposure of the esophageal and pharyngeal wall to injuries from the edges of the foreign body. We used this device to remove nine large sharp or pointed gastroesophageal foreign bodies in six consecutive patients in whom conventional techniques were considered unsafe or not technically feasible owing to the size and shape of the objects. In all cases, removal was successful and easily performed without bowel damage. We believe that this device enhances the safe removal of a wide variety of potentially dangerous gastroesophageal foreign bodies."}
{"id": "PMID:1465736", "title": "Laparoscopic feeding jejunostomy: also a simple technique.", "content": "Placement of feeding tubes is a common procedure for general surgeons. While the advent of percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy has changed and improved surgical practice, this technique is contraindicated in many circumstances. In some patients placement of feeding tubes in the stomach may be contraindicated due to the risks of aspiration, gastric paresis, or gastric dysmotility. We describe a technique of laparoscopic jejunostomy tube placement which is easy and effective. It is noteworthy that this method may be used in patients who have had previous abdominal operations, and it has the added advantage of a direct peritoneal view of the viscera. We suggest that qualified laparoscopic surgeons learn the technique of laparoscopic jejunostomy."}
{"id": "PMID:1465740", "title": "Metabolic mapping of the synergism between MK-801 and SKF 38393 in rats with unilateral lesions of the dopaminergic nigrostriatal pathway.", "content": "In rats with a unilateral lesion of the dopaminergic nigrostriatal pathway with 6-hydroxydopamine, blockade of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors by MK-801 strongly potentiated the turning behavior induced by D-1 receptor stimulation. To determine the functional consequences of such positive interaction we measured the local rates of cerebral glucose utilization (lCMRglc) in lesioned rats treated with MK-801 (0.1 mg/kg) and the D-1 agonist SKF 38393 (1.5 mg/kg), either alone or in combination. Treatment with each drug separately did not induce any substantial change in lCMRglc besides an increase in the metabolic activity of the dorsomedial caudate and entopeduncular nucleus (EP) of the lesioned side of MK-801 treated rats, as compared to the same side of lesioned rats treated with vehicle. Combined administration of MK-801 + SKF 38393 increased lCMRglc in the EP (+77%) and in the substantia nigra pars reticulata (SNr) (+30%) of the lesioned side as compared with the intact side, while it decreased lCMRglc in the lateral habenula (-26%). These changes were also significant when compared to the lesioned side of vehicle treated rats. The results suggest that while the caudate putamen might be the primary site of MK-801 and SKF 38393 positive interaction, the EP and SNr are the striatal efferent areas where this positive interaction is expressed."}
{"id": "PMID:1465737", "title": "A simplified technique for percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy.", "content": "Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) is the preferred method of establishing long-term enteral access for feeding. Many patients requiring PEG are elderly and at risk for complications. Expeditious placement of the gastrostomy tube will minimize complications, but distorted esophageal anatomy can significantly lengthen the procedure. Some endoscopists abandon conventional repeat gastroscopy in difficult cases to accelerate the procedure. The authors describe a reliable method for quick reinsertion of the endoscope which shortens time required for PEG, and may reduce complications."}
{"id": "PMID:1465741", "title": "Dopaminergic regulation of cortical acetylcholine release.", "content": "The extent to which the activity of basal forebrain cholinergic neurons is influenced by dopamine (DA) was investigated using in vivo microdialysis of cortical acetylcholine (ACh). Systemic administration of the DA receptor agonist apomorphine significantly increased dialysate concentrations of ACh. Systemic, but not local, administration of d-amphetamine produced similar effects. Both D1 (SCH 23390) and D2 (haloperidol, raclopride) DA receptor antagonists attenuated the amphetamine-induced increase in cortical ACh release; however, only the D1 antagonist significantly reduced basal output of cortical ACh. These findings suggest that the activity of cortically projecting cholinergic neurons in the nucleus basalis is regulated in an excitatory manner by central dopaminergic neurons and that both D1 and D2 receptors are involved."}
{"id": "PMID:1465742", "title": "Role of the subthalamic nucleus in the regulation of nigral dopamine neuron activity.", "content": "The influence of subthalamic nucleus (STN) afferents on dopaminergic (DA) neurons of the rat substantia nigra (SN) was investigated. Hemisections of the brain placed between the STN and the SN or located anterior to the STN caused an increase in the firing rate of DA cells without producing significant changes in their firing pattern. In contrast, electrolytic and ibotenic acid lesions of the STN resulted in 93% and 49% reductions, respectively, in the level of burst firing without affecting the firing rate of DA cells recorded in the lateral SN. Furthermore, procedures which interrupted the STN input to the SN produced rapid pacemaker-like firing in 18% of the lateral SN DA neurons recorded. Activation of the STN using single pulses of electrical stimulation caused: 1) a 20-50 msec inhibition of DA cell firing followed by an excitation, which in 35% of DA cells was accompanied by spikes occurring in a burst-like pattern, and 2) a short-latency inhibition lasting 5-25 msec in 75% of non-DA SN zona reticulata (ZR) neurons. On the other hand, stimulation of the STN for 1 minute at 20 Hz resulted in an initial decrease in DA cell burst firing followed by elevated firing rates and increased burst firing by 30-60 minutes after the stimulation. Pharmacological activation of the STN by infusion of bicuculline caused a rapid inhibition of DA cells followed by a two-fold increase in burst firing 6-14 minutes later, whereas SN ZR cells responded with an elevation in firing rate which dissipated in 6-14 minutes. Muscimol-induced STN inhibition produced complimentary biphasic changes in SN neuron firing: 1) an initial increase followed by a decrease in burst firing and firing rate of DA neurons and 2) a rapid inhibition followed by an excitation of ZR cells over a similar time course. Thus, the STN appears to exert a dual action on SN DA cells: 1) initial inhibition possibly mediated through STN excitation of the inhibitory SN ZR projections to DA cells, and 2) a facilitation of burst firing which may be a direct effect of excitatory STN afferents."}
{"id": "PMID:1465744", "title": "The hepatopulmonary syndrome: new name, old complexities.", "content": "On the basis of previous work, our own experience and findings, and the considerations discussed above, we propose a set of four diagnostic criteria for the hepatopulmonary syndrome: 1. presence of chronic hepatic disease (alcoholic, postnecrotic, or primary biliary cirrhosis or active chronic hepatitis)--severe liver dysfunction may not be mandatory; 2. absence of intrinsic cardiopulmonary disease, with normal chest radiograph or with nodular basal shadowing; 3. pulmonary gas exchange abnormalities--an increased alveolar-arterial oxygen gradient (> or = 2.0 kPa) with or without hypoxaemia; 4. the extrapulmonary appearance of intravenous radiolabelled microspheres or a positive contrast enhanced echocardiogram, suggesting intrapulmonary vascular abnormalities. Although these four criteria appear straightforward, there may be other features that are not always present--namely: 1. low transfer factor (diffusing capacity); 2. shortness of breath, with or without platypnoea and orthodeoxia; 3. increased cardiac output and reduced pulmonary vascular pressures; 4. small (or no) increase in pulmonary vascular resistance when the patient is breathing low oxygen mixtures. From the physiological viewpoint, the hepatopulmonary syndrome provides an excellent model for clinical research in the pathophysiology of pulmonary gas exchange. So far it has been possible to show that arterial hypoxaemia in this condition is (1) partitioned into components resulting from VA/Q mismatching, intrapulmonary shunt, and limitations of oxygen diffusion; (2) modulated by the interplay between the intrapulmonary and the extrapulmonary determinants of PaO2, such as cardiac output and minute ventilation; (3) vulnerable to the influence of inadequate pulmonary vascular tone; and (4) resolved when the injured liver is replaced and hepatic function is restored to within normal limits."}
{"id": "PMID:1465746", "title": "The accuracy of portable peak flow meters.", "content": "The variability of peak expiratory flow (PEF) is now commonly used in the diagnosis and management of asthma. It is essential for PEF meters to have a linear response in order to obtain an unbiased measurement of PEF variability. As the accuracy and linearity of portable PEF meters have not been rigorously tested in recent years this aspect of their performance has been investigated. The response of several portable PEF meters was tested with absolute standards of flow generated by a computer driven, servo controlled pump and their response was compared with that of a pneumotachograph. For each device tested the readings were highly repeatable to within the limits of accuracy with which the pointer position can be assessed by eye. The between instrument variation in reading for six identical devices expressed as a 95% confidence limit was, on average across the range of flows, +/- 8.5 l/min for the Mini-Wright, +/- 7.9 l/min for the Vitalograph, and +/- 6.4 l/min for the Ferraris. PEF meters based on the Wright meter all had similar error profiles with overreading of up to 80 l/min in the mid flow range from 300 to 500 l/min. This overreading was greatest for the Mini-Wright and Ferraris devices, and less so for the original Wright and Vitalograph meters. A Micro-Medical Turbine meter was accurate up to 400 l/min and then began to underread by up to 60 l/min at 720 l/min. For the low range devices the Vitalograph device was accurate to within 10 l/min up to 200 l/min, with the Mini-Wright overreading by up to 30 l/min above 150 l/min. Although the Mini-Wright, Ferraris, and Vitalograph meters gave remarkably repeatable results their error profiles for the full range meters will lead to important errors in recording PEF variability. This may lead to incorrect diagnosis and bias in implementing strategies of asthma treatment based on PEF measurement."}
{"id": "PMID:1465747", "title": "Randomised trial of inhaled steroids in preterm infants with respiratory symptoms at follow up.", "content": "Preterm infants often suffer from recurrent respiratory symptoms at follow up. Although these infants are responsive to treatment with bronchodilators some continue to wheeze or cough despite treatment. In a randomised double blind placebo controlled trial, the ability of inhaled steroids to reduce recurrent respiratory symptoms and the requirement for bronchodilator treatment in preterm infants less than two years of age has been assessed. Eighteen premature infants with mean gestational age 28 weeks and postnatal age 10.5 months were recruited. The study consisted of two six week treatment periods separated by a two week washout period. The infants received either 200 micrograms of beclomethasone dipropionate or placebo as one puff twice daily from an inhaler, through a spacer and a face mask. Parents kept a daily record of their infants' respiratory tract symptoms (wheeze and cough) and use of bronchodilators. Functional residual capacity (FRC) was measured at the beginning and end of each six week period. The symptom score was reduced by 37% in the active compared with the placebo period. During the active period the infants had a mean of 28 bronchodilator free days, compared with 22 days in the placebo period. The FRC improved significantly in the active but not the placebo period. Regular dosage with beclomethasone by inhalation is a useful treatment for preterm infants with respiratory symptoms."}
{"id": "PMID:1465748", "title": "Regional structure-function correlations in chronic obstructive lung disease measured with positron emission tomography.", "content": "Positron emission tomography, performed with isotopes of very short half life, can be used to relate local lung tissue density to local ventilation and to the ventilation:perfusion ratio. This method has been used in 10 patients with severe chronic airflow obstruction and differing values for carbon monoxide transfer factor (TLCO) and transfer coefficient (KCO). Ventilation (VA) and the ventilation:perfusion ratio (V/Q), lung density, and blood volume were measured regionally in a single transaxial section at mid-heart level with the patients in a supine position. Alveolar volume, extravascular tissue lung density, and perfusion (Q) were derived. Twenty five regions with abnormalities in the ventilation images were analysed. Tissue density showed a negative correlation with the ratio V/Q (r = 0.55) and a positive correlation with Q (r = 0.59) and blood volume (r = 0.65). In four patients with a low carbon monoxide transfer factor (TLCO) and transfer coefficient (KCO) < 50% predicted many regions with low VA had low tissue density and normal or high V/Q. On the other hand, in four patients with TLCO and KCO > 50% predicted many regions with low VA had normal or high tissue density and low values of V/Q. The other two patients had patterns between these two extremes. Individual ratios between mean values of tissue density and V/Q had a positive correlation with KCO (% pred; r = 0.79). These findings link structural differences with distinctive functional patterns; they reinforce the view that bronchial inflammation or oedema predominate in some patients with chronic airflow obstruction, whereas alveolar destruction is the major feature in others."}
{"id": "PMID:1465749", "title": "Inspiratory muscle strength and endurance during hyperinflation and histamine induced bronchoconstriction.", "content": "This study investigated whether the inspiratory muscles are susceptible to fatigue during acute airway narrowing because of increased airway resistance and hyperinflation. Asthmatic subjects performed up to four series (on separate days) of 18 maximal static inspiratory efforts of 10 seconds' duration with 10 second rest intervals (50% duty cycle; total duration six minutes): at functional residual capacity (FRC) (control); after histamine induced bronchoconstriction, which decreased forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) to a mean of 55% (SD 11%) of the initial value; at a voluntarily increased lung volume (initial volume held at 140% control); and after inhalation of histamine at a voluntarily increased lung volume. For the group of subjects the mean (SD) maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP) in the control experiments was 114 (22) cmH2O and the initial volume was 3.5 (1.2) 1. After histamine inhalation the initial lung volume for contractions increased to 118% (5%) of the control volume. In the high lung volume experiments initial volumes were 140% (12%) of the control (volume without histamine) and 140% (15%) (with histamine). The relation between MIP and initial absolute lung volume was determined for each subject before fatigue developed. When the inspiratory pressures for each contraction in the endurance test were normalised to the pressure expected for that lung volume, no significant differences were found between the four experimental conditions for MIP, or between pressures sustained over the 18 contractions. Histamine induced bronchoconstriction and hyperinflation had no detectable effect on inspiratory muscle strength or endurance in these asthmatic subjects."}
{"id": "PMID:1465750", "title": "Absence of seasonal variation in concentrations of the house dust mite allergen Der p1 in south Manchester homes.", "content": "House dust mite numbers and the concentration of its main allergen, Der p1, depend on ambient temperature and humidity and have been reported to show a seasonal variation in homes in the United States. A study was designed to find out whether Der p1 concentrations vary with the seasons in dust collected from homes in north west England. The concentration of Der p1 was measured in dust, collected every three months from April 1990 to April 1991, from mattresses and from bedroom and living room carpets in 40 houses in the south Manchester area. Twenty four hour recordings of indoor relative humidity were made in 20 houses during the sampling day. Mean concentrations of Der p1 from all three sources rose two to three fold in October. This was in contrast to the 1000 fold variation in concentrations of Der p1 present between houses within each season's sample and less than the 10 fold change considered to be of clinical importance. The autumn increase was paralleled by a rise in humidity. There was no statistical correlation, however, between Der p1 concentrations and relative humidity, house type, ventilation, or double glazing. The results suggest that seasonal variations in exposure to Der p1 exposure in north west England are small and unlikely to be of major clinical importance. The temperature and humidity data showed that the indoor environment remained relatively constant and conducive to mite growth throughout the year."}
{"id": "PMID:1465751", "title": "Intravenous pamidronate in the treatment of osteoporosis associated with corticosteroid dependent lung disease: an open pilot study.", "content": "Bisphosphonates have been shown to be effective agents in the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis. Because corticosteroid associated osteoporosis is often associated with increased bone turnover, the effect of intermittent intravenous infusions of pamidronate on this condition has been investigated. Seventeen patients (five male) with chronic corticosteroid dependent lung disease (15 asthma, two sarcoidosis) were treated with infusions of 30 mg pamidronate once every three months for one year. These patients had been taking an average of 14 (range 7.5-40) mg prednisolone a day for an average of 14 (range 3-30) years. Bone density measurements, by dual energy x ray absorptiometry, and radiography of the dorsolumbar spine were carried out before and one year after treatment. Bone formation was assessed by measurement of serum alkaline phosphatase and bone resorption by measurement of the fasting urinary hydroxyproline: creatinine ratio at the same time as densitometry and radiography were performed. Pretreatment density of L2-4 and the neck of the femur was significantly lower in these patients compared with a cohort of 100 age and sex matched controls (L2-4 (mean (SEM)): 0.906 (0.050) g/cm2 v 1.142 (0.016) g/cm2; neck of femur: 0.793 (0.030) g/cm2 v 0.936 (0.013)) g/cm2. After treatment there was a significant fall in serum alkaline phosphatase activity from (mean (SEM)) 220 (16) U/1 to 174 (9) U/1 (normal 80-280 U/1) and in the fasting urinary hydroxyproline:creatinine ratio from (mean (SEM) 0.040 (0.006) to 0.024 (0.003) (normal < 0.033). A significant rise was noted in L2-4 density to 0.927 (0.047) g/cm2; mean rise of 3.4%). No change was noted in density of the neck of the femur. Intermittent infusions of intravenous pamidronate would seem to be effective in both reducing turnover of bone and increasing bone density in corticosteroid induced osteoporosis associated with chronic lung disease. Longer term controlled studies are indicated."}
{"id": "PMID:1465752", "title": "Relation of serum elastin peptide concentration to age, FEV1, smoking habits, alcohol consumption, and protease inhibitor phenotype: an epidemiological study in working men.", "content": "In clinical investigations elastin peptide concentration has been proposed as one potential marker of lung elastin degradation. No epidemiological study has yet confirmed this hypothesis. The relation of elastin peptide concentration to some factors closely related to pulmonary emphysema (age, smoking habits, FEV1 alpha protease inhibitor (PI) phenotype) and to alcohol consumption was examined in an epidemiological study of 310 working men. The elastin peptides used for obtaining antibodies and as reference in an ELISA assay were prepared from chemically hydrolysed elastin. The elastin peptide concentration significantly decreased with age from 2.92 (1.54) micrograms/ml among subjects younger than 30 years to 2.18 (1.14) micrograms/ml among subjects older than 50. Elastin peptide concentration did not differ with smoking habits and was clearly unrelated to FEV1. A lower elastin peptide concentration was observed in all groups of subjects with a protease inhibitor phenotype other than PI MM (PI FM, IM, MP, MS, MZ, and S phenotypes). The results cast doubts on the usefulness of the elastin peptide concentration as a marker of lung destruction in middle aged, predominantly healthy men. Blood elastin peptide concentration may reflect both elastin degradation and resynthesis. The results of this analysis suggest that several factors (age, alcohol consumption, non-PI MM phenotype) may be associated with decreased resynthesis of lung elastin. Further studies, conducted in various age groups and including estimates of the degree of lung destruction, are needed to unravel the mechanisms underlying lysis and resynthesis of lung elastin."}
{"id": "PMID:1465753", "title": "Relation of measures of asthma severity and response to treatment to outcome in acute severe asthma.", "content": "It would be helpful if patients with asthma who require admission to hospital for an acute attack could be identified. The relation between the severity of an attack of asthma as determined by admission assessment and the eventual outcome was studied in 52 asthmatic patients aged 14 to 44 years and admitted to an asthma emergency room. The patient's history, including medication and previous admissions to hospital, was recorded and a clinical assessment, including a full inspiratory and expiratory flow-volume loop, was performed on four occasions: on admission, at two hours and at 12-18 hours after the start of a standardised treatment, and two weeks later on an outpatient basis. Patients who were discharged and who had an uneventful follow up at the two week assessment were defined as good responders. Patients who had to be admitted to hospital after 12 to 18 hours or were readmitted during the two weeks, or both, were defined as poor responders. Thirty eight patients were good responders and 14 were poor responders (seven admitted at 12 to 18 hours, seven returned to hospital). All four patients with a raised arterial carbon dioxide tension (PaCO2) (> or = 6 kPa) and the three with cyanosis were in the poor responder group, and this group had lower peak expiratory flow (PEF) values (21% v 30% predicted) on admission. There was, however, considerable overlap in PEF between the two groups and no clinical measure was able to distinguish between the good and the poor responders reliably. Poor responders had a history of more chronic systemic steroid administration, regular use of inhaled beta agonists, and asthma related hospital admissions. Nearly all the subjects showing a good response to standardised treatment had a PEF > 75% predicted and an FEV1 > 65% predicted 12 to 18 hours after the start of treatment. Prediction of outcome at admission was not possible in individual patients. A history of poor long term control of asthma, a PEF < 30% of predicted, a PaCO2 > or = 6 kPa, the presence of cyanosis, and lack of early response to treatment indicated a group of asthmatic patients who are less likely to respond to conventional emergency treatment over a short period."}
{"id": "PMID:1465754", "title": "Acute effect of inhaled bradykinin on tracheobronchial clearance in normal humans.", "content": "Bradykinin, a nonapeptide that contributes as a mediator to the pathogenesis of asthma, may affect lung mucociliary clearance, as it has been shown to be a potent secretagogue in canine airways and in human nasal mucosa in vivo. To evaluate this possibility the effect of inhaled bradykinin on mucociliary clearance has been studied in 10 healthy volunteers. Subjects attended the laboratory on two occasions to take part in tracheobronchial clearance studies using a non-invasive radioisotopic technique. Inhalation of radioaerosol was followed 30 minutes later by inhalation of either bradykinin (8 mg/ml) or vehicle placebo in a randomised, double blind fashion. After each inhalation the number of coughs was recorded. Whole lung radioactivity was measured every half hour for six hours with two collimated scintillation counters, and a tracheobronchial clearance curve was plotted for each subject on each occasion. Mucociliary clearance, expressed as the area under the tracheobronchial radioaerosol retention curve calculated for the first six hours (AUC0-6h), was greater in nine out of 10 subjects after inhalation of bradykinin than after placebo. The median values (range) for AUC0-6h were significantly reduced from 126% (78-232%)/h with placebo to 87% (51-133%)/h with bradykinin. It is concluded that acute exposure to inhaled bradykinin accelerates tracheobronchial clearance in normal human airways."}
{"id": "PMID:1465755", "title": "Respiratory disease in systemic lupus erythematosus: correlation with results of laboratory tests and histological appearance of muscle biopsy specimens.", "content": "In systemic lupus erythematosus, certain laboratory tests and evidence from muscle biopsy specimens of lymphocytic vasculitis reflect disease activity. A study was designed to determine if such indices predict respiratory lesions, and in particular whether the presence of vasculitis in quadriceps muscle reflects respiratory muscle function. Twenty seven 27 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus were studied, ten of whom were consecutive untreated patients and 17 having clinically active disease and being treated. They were prospectively evaluated on the basis of erythrocyte sedimentation rate, lymphocyte count, C3 degradation products, quadriceps muscle biopsy, spirometry, lung volumes, carbon monoxide transfer factor, and mouth pressure during a maximal sniff. Lung function test results were abnormal in 12 patients. Vital capacity was reduced in seven, carbon monoxide transfer factor capacity in five, and mouth pressure was low (< 70% predicted) in ten. Lymphocytic vasculitis was seen in the muscle biopsy specimens of ten patients. No correlation was found between laboratory tests and lung function or mouth pressure, or between the presence of lymphocytic vasculitis and mouth pressure. In untreated patients, those with lymphocytic vasculitis had lower spirometric values. In systemic lupus erythematosus, evidence from muscle biopsy specimens of lymphocytic vasculitis is not predictive of impaired inspiratory muscle function as measured by mouth pressure. In untreated patients there were relationships between some laboratory test results and respiratory function, but this was not the case for the whole group. In systemic lupus erythematosus, laboratory tests and evidence from muscle biopsy specimens of lymphocytic vasculitis are therefore unlikely to be helpful in the assessment of respiratory disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1465756", "title": "Measurement of maximal expiratory pressure: effect of holding the lips.", "content": "Minor differences in technique may account for the wide range of published normal values of maximum expiratory and inspiratory pressures. The effects of holding the lips while the subject performed a maximal expiratory pressure manoeuvre were investigated in this study. Maximum static expiratory pressures (PEmax) obtained with a cylindrical tube by means of lip compression by the subject and technician aided compression were compared in 20 men (mean age 27 years) and 20 women (mean age 28 years). Technician aided lip compression was associated with higher maximum expiratory pressure than compression by the subject in both men (195 v 110 cm H2O) and women (134 v 80 cm H2O). Compression of the lips and corners of the mouth should be performed by a trained technician for maximum expiratory pressure measurements when a cylindrical mouthpiece is used."}
{"id": "PMID:1465757", "title": "B lymphocyte accumulations in human pulmonary sarcoidosis.", "content": "Although cell mediated immunity is primarily thought to mediate the pathogenesis of sarcoidosis, the presence of immunoglobulins, immune complexes and complement suggests that processes of humoral immunity may contribute to immunopathology in sarcoid lesions. To test this hypothesis, the distribution of B lymphocytes in paraffin embedded sarcoid lesions in mediastinal lymph nodes and open lung biopsy specimens was investigated. Paraffin sections from eight open lung and 21 lymph node biopsies from sarcoid patients and five normal and five tuberculous lymph nodes from patients with tuberculosis were stained with a panel of monoclonal antibodies by means of avidin/biotin enhanced immunocytochemistry. Immunohistochemical analysis of the 29 biopsy specimens from the sarcoid patients revealed large numbers of B cells in the intergranulomatous regions. Further investigations in the open lung biopsy specimens indicated that these B cells were often organised into discrete circular or oval shaped aggregates with no germinal centre morphology, in which a few CD45RO memory T lymphocytes were scattered. The B cells were polyclonal, and a few plasma cells (IgM+, IgA+, IgG+) were identified. The finding of large numbers of B lymphocytes in sarcoid pulmonary lesions is in contrast to bronchoalveolar lavage studies, which have demonstrated proportions of 5% or less of B cells as a total of all immune cells, and therefore indicates that bronchoalveolar lavage may not correctly sample the immune cells of lung interstitial tissue in pulmonary sarcoidosis. The B cells at these sites are the possible origin of some of the humoral changes in the serum and lesions of sarcoid patients. They may also influence the pathogenesis of the disorder by presenting antigen(s) and forming immune complexes at sites of disease activity."}
{"id": "PMID:1465758", "title": "Carinal transplantation.", "content": "Current techniques of management of carinal lesions are not always satisfactory. Carinal transplantation, if feasible, would be valuable in certain circumstances. Carinal transplantation experiments were performed in dogs. In early cross transplant experiments there were problems in controlling ventilation and in obtaining satisfactory anastomoses, and the animals failed to live for even a few days. In seven subsequent experiments the carinal graft was removed from one dog and transplanted into a second dog. Two dogs lived for over four months with immunosuppression. The results suggest that carinal transplantation can succeed if (1) the calibre of the graft is matched with that of the recipient; (2) there is an abundant blood supply to the graft; (3) appropriate immunosuppression is provided; (4) ventilation is adequate during surgery."}
{"id": "PMID:1465761", "title": "Tuberculosis contact tracing: are the British Thoracic Society guidelines still appropriate?", "content": "The value of contact tracing in South Glamorgan for the period May 1987 to December 1989 was assessed. Tuberculosis was diagnosed in six (3.5%) of 170 close contacts. All were young and were detected in the initial screening. Tuberculosis was not found among 441 casual contacts. The value of follow up of contacts after the initial screening and of screening casual contacts in districts with a low prevalence of tuberculosis is questioned."}
{"id": "PMID:1465762", "title": "Unusual spinal tuberculosis after adequate chemotherapy for lymph node tuberculosis in an immunocompetent man.", "content": "A 35 year old man developed paraplegia due to an epidural mass 15 months after completion of a full chemotherapy course for pulmonary and lymph node Mycobacterium bovis infection. His cellular immune function was normal after treatment. It is suggested that the lesion was a granulomatous healing response rather than bacteriological recurrence."}
{"id": "PMID:1465763", "title": "Idiopathic pulmonary haemosiderosis: a form of microscopic polyarteritis?", "content": "Idiopathic pulmonary haemosiderosis remains a diagnosis of exclusion in patients who present with pulmonary alveolar haemorrhage. Systemic vasculitis developed in a patient with an eight year history of idiopathic pulmonary haemosiderosis. The diagnosis was confirmed by a rising titre of antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies directed against myeloperoxidase. Treatment with immunosuppressive agents resulted in complete resolution of symptoms and suppression of the antibodies. Measurement of antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies is recommended for all patients with pulmonary alveolar haemorrhage syndromes."}
{"id": "PMID:1465764", "title": "Extrinsic allergic alveolitis caused by goose feathers in a duvet.", "content": "A patient with extrinsic allergic alveolitis had precipitating antibodies to many avian antigens. A duvet containing goose feathers proved to be the source of antigenic material."}
{"id": "PMID:1465767", "title": "A chronic pulmonary syndrome associated with graft-versus-host disease after allogeneic marrow transplantation.", "content": "Of 143 consecutive patients who survived at least 6 months after bone marrow transplantation (allogeneic [n = 131]; syngeneic [n = 5]; or autologous [n = 7]) and whose pulmonary function was evaluated before and on at least 2 occasions after BMT, 29 (20%) developed a chronic pulmonary syndrome without evidence for an infectious etiology. Twenty-eight (97%) presented with cough and 22 (76%) with dyspnea; abnormal chest signs were crackles in 23 (79%) and wheeze in 22 (76%). Chest roentgenogram showed pulmonary infiltrates in 15 (52%) cases but was normal in 14 (48%). All patients had major reductions in lung volumes (forced expiratory volume in 1 sec [FEV1]; relaxed vital capacity [VC]; and alveolar volume [VA]), and/or diffusing capacity (pulmonary diffusing capacity [TLCO] and single-breath carbon monoxide coefficient [KCO]). The obstructive component varied with only 18 (62%) patients developing overt airways obstruction (FEV1/VC < 75%), and in 6 of this group the fall in lung volumes preceded the onset of airways obstruction. Open lung biopsy (n = 4) showed both bronchiolitis obliterans and chronic patchy interstitial pneumonitis. The development of this syndrome was associated with acute (P < 0.001) and chronic (P < 0.0001) graft-versus-host disease of other organ systems. Twenty-four (83%) patients had a partial or complete response to immunosuppressive agents. Six (21%) have died, five (17%) of pulmonary complications. We suggest that this syndrome may be a manifestation of chronic GVHD involvement of the lung."}
{"id": "PMID:1465768", "title": "Lymphokine-activated killer cells in autologous bone marrow transplantation. Evidence against inhibition of engraftment in vivo.", "content": "Lymphokine activated killer cells have potent antitumor effect both in vitro and in vivo. They have been reported to suppress bone marrow (BM) progenitor cell activity (PCA) in vitro, thus raising concern about the feasibility of their use after autologous bone marrow transplantation. The present study was carried out to evaluate the effect of LAK cells on BM engraftment in a syngeneic BMT setting in mice. LAK cells supplemented with or without exogenous interleukin-2 therapy did not impair the hematopoietic reconstitution or survival of mice undergoing BMT. LAK cells also did not reduce the PCA of the engrafted BM. LAK cell therapy did not cause graft-versus-host disease. Finally, LAK cells supplemented with IL-2 therapy improved the graft-versus-leukemia effect. These findings suggest that LAK cells plus IL-2 therapy after BMT does not impede hematopoiesis and should be evaluated as an adjuvant therapy with the aim of eradication of minimal residual disease after autologous BMT."}
{"id": "PMID:1465769", "title": "The requirement for allogeneic chimerism for second transfer of tolerance from mixed allogeneic chimeras (A+B-->A) to secondary recipients.", "content": "We have applied the model of mixed allogeneic chimerism (A+B-->A), in which stem cells from both allogeneic and syngeneic donor engraft, to determine the in vivo cellular requirements for transfer of tolerance from mixed chimeras to secondary recipients. Using two approaches, we have demonstrated that the persistence of donor-specific transplantation tolerance is dependent on the presence of bone-marrow-derived cells. When untreated bone marrow from mixed chimeras was transferred to irradiated secondary recipient mice, most of the secondary recipients were rescued, but only 48% were demonstrably chimeric. This pattern of repopulation, therefore, allowed us to examine whether chimerism was required to maintain transplantation tolerance. In all of our studies, the presence of allogeneic chimerism was required for successful transfer of tolerance from mixed allogeneic chimeras to irradiated secondary recipients. Only those secondary recipients which repopulated with demonstrable allogeneic chimerism exhibited in vivo and in vitro evidence for transfer of donor-specific transplantation tolerance. These results were confirmed by using transfer of bone marrow from mixed chimeras depleted of allogeneic class I elements. In an attempt to identify a putative population of suppressor cells, second transfer of splenic lymphoid cells from mixed allogeneic chimeras, containing approximately 6 times more T-lymphocytes that were functionally tolerant to donor alloantigens, was also performed with similar results. These data suggest that the in vivo maintenance of tolerance to MHC transplantation alloantigens requires persistence of donor bone marrow-derived alloantigens."}
{"id": "PMID:1465770", "title": "The role of T suppressor cells in the maintenance of spontaneously accepted orthotopic rat liver allografts.", "content": "Orthotopic liver allografts from BN donors to LEW recipients are spontaneously accepted, and the recipients develop donor-specific immunological unresponsiveness. This unresponsiveness may be mediated by suppressor T cells. Immunomagnetically purified splenic T cells from LEW rats bearing BN liver grafts were shown to adoptively transfer suppression of skin, heart, and kidney graft rejection in a donor-specific manner, prolonging the survival of BN but not third-party DA grafts. However, the suppressor T cells were sessile, being resident in the spleen but not present in thoracic duct lymph. The presence of a nonrecirculating suppressor T cell in rats spontaneously accepting liver transplants is strongly suggestive of an important function in the maintenance of donor-specific unresponsiveness, although the contribution of other possible mechanisms of unresponsiveness has not been investigated."}
{"id": "PMID:1465771", "title": "The effects of rapamycin on humoral immunity in vivo. Suppression of primary responses but not of ongoing alloantibody synthesis or memory responses.", "content": "The effect of rapamycin on primary and secondary alloantibody responses to major histocompatibility complex class I antigens was investigated in inbred rat strains. Primary anti-MHC class I alloantibody responses, detected by indirect hemagglutination and complement-dependent cytotoxicity assays, were abrogated in high-responder WAG (RT1u) recipients of DA (RT1a) blood transfusions, given on days 0 and 7 of a 14-day course of rapamycin (3 mg/kg/day). Antibody class studies showed that both IgM and IgG responses were equally effectively inhibited. Moreover, when these animals were rechallenged with DA transfusions, 28 days after drug withdrawal, they exhibited donor-specific humoral unresponsiveness. Similar results were observed in cyclosporine-treated rats. In preimmunized high-responder LEW (RT1(1)) rats with high titer anti-DA class I alloantibodies, a 35-day course of rapamycin (3 mg/kg/day) had no significant suppressive effect on serum alloantibody levels when compared with untreated preimmunized control animals. WAG rats were immunized by DA transfusions and serum antibody levels then allowed to decay over 16 weeks. The animals were then challenged with a further DA transfusion given on the second day of a 14-day course of rapamycin (3 mg/kg/day). Alloantibody responses to the challenge transfusion in this group were not, however, significantly suppressed when compared with a non-drug-treated control group. The results of this study indicate that rapamycin is a potent inhibitor of primary alloantibody synthesis in high-responder rat strains, but does not significantly suppress alloantibody synthesis in animals with established humoral reactivity. These results may be of relevance if rapamycin is to be used in clinical renal transplantation, because in man similar antibodies mediate hyperacute rejection, and when they develop after transplantation are associated with very high rates of rejection."}
{"id": "PMID:1465772", "title": "Evidence that stimulator cell-derived IL-6 and IL-1 are released in the mixed lymphocyte culture but are not requisite for responder T cell proliferation.", "content": "We investigated whether IL-6 and (or) IL-1 are crucial costimulatory signals in the human MLC with purified responder T cells. With allogeneic PBMC as stimulators, IL-6 and IL-1 were rapidly produced, and reached plateau values of 100-300 U/ml and 200-500 pg/ml after 24 hr, respectively. Irradiated or mitomycin-c treated PBMC could easily be induced (with LPS) to produce IL-6 and IL-1 while no activity was measured after 48 hr in the supernatant of PHA-stimulated T cells, suggesting that in the MLC the monokines were entirely produced by stimulator PBMC. In cultures of responder T cells and stimulator B cells, no IL-6 and IL-1 activity was measured in the supernatant, and only a marginal proliferative response was found. Exogenous IL-6 and IL-1 increased in a dose-dependent way the B-cell-induced alloresponse and induced significant cytotoxicity in the responder cells. Antisera to IL-6 and IL-1 totally inhibited the induced response. The proliferation was accompanied by increased IL-2 production and IL-2R expression. Preincubation of B cells with IL-6 and IL-1 did not improve the proliferation, suggesting direct effects of IL-6 and IL-1 on the T cells. The proliferative responses induced by B cells and exogenous IL-6 and IL-1 represented a fraction of those induced by PBMC. Moreover, in PBMC-stimulated cultures exogenous IL-6 and IL-1 or antisera to these lymphokines did not significantly alter proliferative responses, cytotoxicity, IL-2 levels in the supernatant, or IL-2R expression on responder T cells. We conclude that a role for IL-6 and IL-1 in allogeneic T cell stimulation can be demonstrated in conditions of suboptimal stimulation with B cells. With PBMC, neutralizing antisera to these cytokines do not seem to inhibit the proliferative response, suggesting that these cells are superior in alloantigen presentation either by producing various costimulatory signals or by the fact that due to cell-cell contact stimulator cell-derived monokines cannot be blocked. This finding makes it unlikely that antimonokine therapy will be useful in transplantation."}
{"id": "PMID:1465773", "title": "Indefinite survival of MHC class I-deficient murine pancreatic islet allografts.", "content": "To examine the immune response to class I-deficient allogeneic tissue, we used beta 2-microglobulin-deficient mice as graft donors. These mice lack cell surface class I major histocompatibility complex antigen expression. Pancreatic islet allografts from class I-deficient donors survived indefinitely in a majority of fully allogeneic BALB/c recipients. In contrast, host recognition of graft class I antigen was unnecessary for prompt destruction of skin allografts of for autoimmune damage of transplanted pancreatic islet grafts in nonobese diabetic mice. These studies provide evidence that intentional genetic elimination of immunologically relevant donor antigens may prove an effective strategy for preventing allograft rejection."}
{"id": "PMID:1465774", "title": "Induction of specific unresponsiveness (tolerance) to skin allografts by intrathymic donor-specific splenocyte injection in antilymphocyte serum-treated mice.", "content": "Although chronic immunosuppression has been extremely successful in clinical organ transplantation, it is associated with severe complications such as opportunistic infections, spontaneous neoplasms, drug toxicities, metabolic complications, and the inability to control rejection. We therefore have investigated the ability of allogeneic donor lymphoid cells to produce specific tolerance following intrathymic (IT) injection into allograft recipients. Groups of B6AF1 mice received ALS on days -1 and +2 relative to C3H/He skin grafts on day 0; experimental groups received 1, 5, or 10 x 10(7) syngeneic (B6AF1) or allogeneic (C3H) spleen cells (SPCs) by IT injection on day +7. IT injection of C3H splenocytes significantly prolonged allograft survival at all cell doses tested when compared with ALS controls. The best survival was obtained following IT injection of 5 x 10(7) C3H cells (median survival time [MST] = 132 days; ALS controls = 21.5 days), with 8 of 13 skin grafts surviving longer than 100 days. IT injection of syngeneic splenocytes or third-party DBA/2 splenocytes did not prolong allograft survival beyond that observed in ALS controls. C3H spleen cells injected IT into ALS treated mice on day 0 relative to grafting of C3H skin also produced significant allograft survival (1, 5, or 10 x 10(7) SPCs = MSTs of 75, 47, and 35, respectively) but the results were inferior to those obtained by 5 x 10(7) SPCs IT on day +7. Spleen cells (1 or 5 x 10(7)) injected intraperitoneally or intravenously prolonged allograft survival beyond that seen in ALS controls but were inferior to IT injection at all doses and times studied. Bone marrow, thymocytes, or lymph node cells (5 x 10(7) cells) were substituted for SPCs for IT injection. IT injection of BM, LN or thymocytes all significantly prolonged graft survival over ALS controls. However none of these cell types was as effective as IT splenocytes. Eight B6Af1 recipients of IT splenocytes bearing C3H skin grafts for > 100 days received a second C3H skin graft as well as a simultaneous third-party B10.AKM skin graft. All rejected third-party grafts in normal first-set fashion. Three tolerated both 1st and 2nd C3H grafts without any sign of rejection; 1 rejected the 2nd C3H graft while tolerating the 1st graft; and 4 rejected the 2nd C3H graft in an attenuated fashion but also rejected the 1st graft at the same pace.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1465775", "title": "Absence of hepatitis delta virus infection in chronic hemodialysis and kidney transplant patients in france.", "content": "Hemodialyzed patients and kidney recipients are frequently multiply-transfused and infected by hepatitis B virus (HBV). Hepatitis delta virus (HDV) has a symbiotic association with HBV. The prevalence of HDV infection has, surprisingly, not been assessed in patients in hemodialysis or renal transplantation setting. We retrospectively studied the prevalence of serum delta antigen and antidelta antibodies by a microenzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in 77 of the 80 HBsAg-positive patients who underwent a kidney transplantation over a 10-year period. Of these patients, 73% had active HBV replication as assessed by the presence of serum HBV DNA and 65% had a biopsy-proved chronic active hepatitis, including cirrhosis. None of our patients had any marker of HDV infection at the end of the hemodialysis period or at the end of follow-up in transplantation. These results establish that HDV superinfection has indeed been extremely rare during end-stage renal failure and kidney transplantation in France, in contrast to HBV reactivation or hepatitis C virus infection."}
{"id": "PMID:1465788", "title": "One-year monkey heart xenograft survival in cyclosporine-treated baboons. Suppression of the xenoantibody response with total-lymphoid irradiation.", "content": "The shortage of cadaveric human organs for transplantation could be alleviated by the use of xenografts. Long-term (> one-year) survival of xenografts in humans or experimental animals has not been achieved with previous immunosuppressive protocols. Poor results in xenotransplantation compared with allotransplantation have been attributed to a more potent antibody response rather than to cell-mediated responses. To investigate these issues a concordant heterotopic cardiac xenograft model was developed in conjunction with cyclosporine and/or total-lymphoid irradiation. Concordant models permit examination of xenoantigen induced antibody and cell-mediated responses since preformed humoral factors (in discordant models) do not cause hyperacute rejection. Four groups of baboon recipients received cervical heart transplants from cynomolgous monkeys. Group I (n = 2), untreated, mean survival (MS) = 6 days; group II (n = 5), CsA and methylprednisolone, MS = 25 days; group III (n = 3), preoperative TLI, MS = 29 days; group IV (n = 6), preoperative TLI and CsA+MP, MS = 255 days (> 77, > 108, > 142, 184, > 480, 540 days). Heart xenografts of CsA-MP-treated recipients appear to be destroyed predominantly by antibody (IgM)-mediated processes whereas cell-mediated rejection is likely the major reaction in TLI-treated recipients. CsA-MP-treated recipients had early immunohistochemical evidence of antibody and complement-mediated rejection (deposition of IgM and complement but not IgG on heart xenografts). In contrast IgM and complement deposits were not detected on heart xenografts in TLI- and TLI-CsA-treated recipients. IgG xenoantibodies were only detected on the two rejected heart grafts of TLI-CsA-treated recipients. CsA-MP-treated recipients rapidly developed high xenoantibody titers (1:256 to 1:512) that immediately preceded rejection. In contrast, TLI-treated animals developed lower levels of xenoantibody (< or = 1:8) and TLI-CsA-treated recipients had no detectable xenoantibody during the initial three months after transplantation (and titers no greater than 1:8 thereafter.) The lack of xenoantibody was likely not due to a generalized inhibitory effect of the immunosuppressants on B cell function since all classes of serum immunoglobulins were in the normal range. Intragraft cytolytic lymphocyte activity was detected in rejecting TLI- and TLI-CsA-treated recipients but could not be detected in xenografts of CsA-MP-treated recipients. One explanation for these data is that TLI (either directly or indirectly) induces a state of specific B cell unresponsiveness to monkey xenoantigens, thereby preventing IgM mediated rejection in the third week after transplantation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1465789", "title": "Prolonged adult skin allograft survival as a result of cotransplantation with neonatal tissue. The requirement for antigen sharing between graft and cotransplant.", "content": "The survival of an adult skin allograft can be prolonged by a cotransplant of neonatal, but not adult, skin on the same recipient. We demonstrated this phenomenon using a C3HeB/FeJ (H-2k; C3H) adult graft and neonatal cotransplant donors. The median survival time (MST) for adult graft survival on B6AF1 (H-2a/b) recipients was 59 days on recipients treated with antilymphocyte serum and donor bone marrow cells. With adult or neonatal cotransplants, the MSTs for adult graft survival were 55 and > 100 days, respectively. Our current experiments explore the specificity of this phenomenon by substituting neonatal cotransplants of several allogeneic and partially allogeneic strains. Cotransplants that do not share the antigens presented by the adult graft to the recipient as foreign do not produce any prolongation of adult graft survival. Thus, cotransplants of adult or neonatal C57BL/6J (H-2b) or A/J (H-2a) strain skins had no significant effect on adult C3H graft survival. In contrast to these results, neonatal (but not adult) cotransplants that share presented antigens produce a significant cotransplant effect. The presence, on a recipient, of a neonatal cotransplant of CBA/J (H-2k) resulted in significant prolongation of adult skin grafts (MST > 150 days; P < 0.05). As well, on a different recipient strain (CAF1; H-2a/d), neonatal C3H-H-2o2/SfSn (H-2o2) skin cotransplants, sharing only background antigens and H-2Dk with the adult graft donor, caused a significant prolongation of adult graft survival relative to that seen on recipients bearing only a single adult graft (MSTs = 53 and 31 days; P < 0.05). Our results suggest that this graft-prolonging effect of neonatal cotransplantation requires that the cotransplant shares antigens with the adult graft that are presented as foreign to the recipient."}
{"id": "PMID:1465790", "title": "Technetium-99m sulfur colloid accumulation as a predictor of acute renal transplant rejection.", "content": "Renal transplantation is the preferred treatment for end-stage renal disease in children. Most transplant failures are due to allograft rejection. To date, only histopathological findings on renal biopsy can establish this diagnosis. Prior to the availability of cyclosporine, technetium-99m sulfur colloid nuclear scans (TSC) were used in a limited number of institutions to detect rejection episodes. The purpose of this study was to determine whether TSC could predict acute rejection in the cyclosporine era. A prospective study involving 41 pediatric renal transplant patients (M = 25, F = 16) was conducted from 6/1/89 to 10/31/91. Patients who received a TSC and biopsy (41 patients, 62 studies) within one week of clinical and laboratory evidence of acute rejection were included in the study. A qualitative method of determining sulfur colloid uptake was used by comparing allograft uptake with that of the fifth lumbar vertebrae (L5) marrow uptake: 3(+)--allograft with greater than L5 marrow uptake, 2(+)--same as, 1(+)--less than, and 0--no allograft uptake. Transplant accumulation of > or = 2+ was considered consistent with acute rejection (P < 0.001). Acute rejection was noted in 53 of 62 renal biopsies. Of those with biopsy-proved acute rejection, SC was positive (> or = 2+) in 46 of 53. SC of > or = 2+ has proved to be a good predictor of acute rejection. This technique has a sensitivity of 98%, specificity of 53%, positive predictive value of 87%, and negative predictive value of 89%."}
{"id": "PMID:1465791", "title": "Impaired fibrinolysis in cyclosporine-treated renal transplant patients. Analysis of the defect and beneficial effect of fish-oil.", "content": "Cyclosporine treatment has been associated with thrombotic vascular complications. We investigated the activity of the fibrinolytic system and its capacity to respond upon DDAVP stimulation in a group of 20 cyclosporine-treated patients as compared with a group of 9 azathioprine-treated patients. Furthermore, the effect of the administration of fish-oil to these patients on the endogenous fibrinolytic activity was studied in a double-blind randomized, placebo-controlled cross-over study. The cyclosporine-treated patients showed a significantly reduced plasminogen activator activity and plasmin generation response upon the infusion of DDAVP as compared with the azathioprine group. In the cyclosporine group 60% of the patients had an impaired fibrinolytic response, whereas this was found in only 11% of the azathioprine-treated patients (P < 0.05). The impairment of the endogenous fibrinolysis activity could be attributed either to a defective release of plasminogen activator from the vessel wall (67% of patients) or to high plasma levels of plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (33% of patients). Administration of fish-oil resulted in a significant improvement of the impaired fibrinolysis in the cyclosporine group. Particularly, in patients with a defective release of plasminogen activator from the vessel wall, fish-oil treatment resulted in a normalization of the fibrinolytic activity. These results indicate that cyclosporine treatment induces an impaired fibrinolysis that may contribute to the frequent occurrence of thromboembolic complications and eventually the impairment of renal function in cyclosporine-treated patients. The beneficial effect of the administration of fish-oil on the endogenous fibrinolysis may result in a reduction of the adverse events associated with cyclosporine treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1465792", "title": "Analyses of the risk and operative stress for donors in living-related partial liver transplantation.", "content": "Operative risk and stress were analyzed in 28 parent-donors whose children received partial liver transplantations at the Second Department of Surgery, Kyoto University Hospital between June 1990 and December 1991. Graft-harvesting operations were classified into three types: left lobectomy (group L, n = 12), left lateral segmentectomy (group S, n = 15), and right lobectomy (n = 1). Since donor safety is a primary concern, great care was taken to minimize potential damage to the remaining lobes of the donor liver as well as the graft liver by avoiding stressful maneuvers such as hepatic vascular clamping during the transection of the hepatic parenchyma. In all cases the arterial ketone body ratio, which reflects the hepatic mitochondrial redox potential, was maintained at over 0.7 throughout the donor operation as well as postoperatively. There was no significant difference in the postoperative RBC, WBC, serum GOT, and total bilirubin between groups L and S, although the abnormalities exhibited by the single right lobectomy case tended to be larger and more prolonged. All cases were within the range acceptable for immediate discharge, and all donors of groups L and S were subsequently discharged within 14 days without any postoperative complications. The single right lobectomy donor was discharged on POD17 because of transient slight icterus, which is the only postoperative complication encountered in this series thus far. The present analyses would indicate that the risk and operative stress to the donor in living-related partial liver transplantation can be minimal when the left lobe or left lateral segment of the liver is used for the graft."}
{"id": "PMID:1465793", "title": "Lipid status after combined pancreas-kidney transplantation and kidney transplantation alone in type I diabetes mellitus.", "content": "This study was designed to compare changes in lipid status following organ transplantation between type I diabetes mellitus (DM-I) patients receiving combined pancreas-kidney transplantation (PKT) with those receiving kidney transplantation alone (KTA). A retrospective chart review was used to identify pre- and posttransplantation fasting total cholesterol (TC) and triglycerides (TG) in three groups: DM-I patients receiving KTA (DM:KTA; n = 14), DM-I patients receiving PKT (DM:PKT; n = 20), and kidney transplant recipients without DM (NDM; n = 16). The groups were matched for age, gender, weight, duration of dialysis, smoking history, and duration of diabetes mellitus. Linear regression was used to analyze differences in lipid trends over time (up to 24 months posttransplantation) and the effects of prednisone dose, cyclosporine dose, and serum creatinine. Preoperative TC was significantly lower in the DM:KTA group (P < 0.05) compared with DM:PKT or NDM. There were no significant differences in preoperative TG between the three groups. TC and TG decreased over time only in DM:PKT (P = 0.0112, P = 0.0278, respectively). TC increased and TG was unchanged over time in DM:KTA (P = 0.0003, P = 0.1103, respectively). Neither TC nor TG changed over time in NDM. Trends of TC and TG for DM:PKT were significantly different from DM:KTA (P < 0.01 for both). Trend of TC for NDM was also significantly different from DM:PKT (P = 0.0061). Prednisone dose was significantly related to TC in DM:KTA and NDM (P < 0.01) while cyclosporine dose was significantly related to TC for DM:KTA only (P = 0.0013) in the presence of time. None of the variables tested (prednisone dose, cyclosporine dose, and serum creatinine) significantly affected TG in the presence of time. In summary, TC and TG decreased over time only in DM:PKT. In contrast, TC increased while TG was unchanged in DM:KTA over the same interval (0-24 months). If these trends continue, the beneficial change in lipids in the DM:PKT group may translate into a net improvement in atherosclerosis-mediated events for diabetic patients with chronic renal failure who receive PKT compared with those who do not."}
{"id": "PMID:1465794", "title": "Evidence that antihuman tumor necrosis factor monoclonal antibody prevents OKT3-induced acute syndrome.", "content": "We have used an antihuman tumor necrosis factor monoclonal antibody, CB006 (murine IgG1), to prevent the OKT3-induced acute clinical syndrome. This syndrome is due to the massive, although transient release in the circulation of various cytokines (TNF, interferon gamma, interleukin 2, interleukin 6) and represents one important side effect linked to in vivo use of OKT3. Fourteen kidney allograft recipients undergoing prophylactic OKT3 therapy were treated with CB006 in a single i.v. injection of either 0.4 mg/kg (group I, 7 patients) or 2 mg/kg (group II, 7 patients), 1 hr before the first OKT3 administration. Nineteen consecutive patients formed a historical control group. None of the CB006-pretreated patients showed any of the common, severe OKT3-associated symptoms (hypotension, respiratory distress, or neurotoxicity), which were observed in 10% of the historical controls. In addition, CB006-treated patients showed a lower frequency of pyrexia (> or = 39 degrees C) and gastrointestinal symptoms. None of the CB006-treated patients presented severe vomiting or diarrhea, defined as repeated episodes inducing significant fluid and electrolyte loss. Two out of the 7 patients in group I and group II had mild transitory diarrhea. Mild single vomiting episodes occurred in 2 group I patients and 3 group II patients. At variance in all controls, gastrointestinal symptoms were long lasting and associated with major prostration due to electrolyte and fluid loss. Importantly, CB006-treated patients who presented mild symptoms had detectable bioactive circulating TNF, showing incomplete inactivation of OKT3-induced TNF by CB006. CB006 was perfectly well tolerated, did not induce xenosensitization, and did not affect the biological or clinical effectiveness of OKT3."}
{"id": "PMID:1465807", "title": "Evolutionary and immunological aspects of xenotransplantation.", "content": "Immunological aspects in xenotransplantation are directly linked to evolutionary aspects. The immunological network with its high antigen specificity and species-specific interactions was developed to fight against the host's outside world including xenografts. The tremendous amount of reaction and mechanisms triggered by the performed natural antibody-endothelial cell reaction clearly indicates that only basic changes might overcome these problems. Even the introduction of transgenic donors might not be sufficient to modify more than one parameter, for example, complement activity. Total depletion of preformed natural antibodies is not compatible with normal life and the regulation of hormones and enzymes under xenogeneic conditions has just been discovered. Cellular mechanisms depend, as far as we know, on the delicate system of receptors, interleukins, and MHC antigens. From today's very early results we know that major changes exist already between closely related species. The investigation of xenogenic mechanisms has opened a totally new field of immunological interactions. Up to now there are no signs of solution to bridge clinically relevant times with xenogenic organs from widely divergent suitable donors with promising quality of life."}
{"id": "PMID:1465808", "title": "Some ethical issues in organ retrieval, 1982 to 1992.", "content": "The debate on incentive payments and related issues will continue so long as dialysis and cadaver donation remain out of the reach of physicians in developing countries. This article (from a Western doctor) steps outside the usual debate on these issues by making a practical suggestion which aims at easing the ethical tension of incentive donation rather than insisting on its abolition. \"Donors' trusts\" may help the situation in India, but should not be applied in any country where effective dialysis is generally available. Nor would I be happy for such a model to be developed in any country where the aim to introduce cadaveric organ donation was not being energetically pursued."}
{"id": "PMID:1465842", "title": "Effect of anti-HLA and anti-idiotypic antibodies on the long-term survival of heart and kidney allografts.", "content": "Long-term survival of heart and kidney allografts is threatened by the development of chronic rejection. Analysis of the relationship between reversible acute rejection episodes and actuarial survival at 5 years showed an inverse correlation suggesting that early cellular events may trigger antibody-mediated chronic rejection. In both heart and kidney allograft recipients producing anti-HLA antibodies we found a significant decrease in the 5-year graft survival rate. However, there was heterogeneity among anti-HLA antibody producers with respect to the development of anti-idiotypic antibodies. The actuarial 5-year graft survival was significantly higher in patients with Ab2 compared to patients without."}
{"id": "PMID:1465895", "title": "Effect of recipient gender and race on heart and kidney allograft survival.", "content": "Study of long-term survival of heart allografts shows that AA males and females have lower graft survival rates than those observed in NAC recipients. Primary kidney allografts in AA males, but not females, also display lower 5-year survival rates compared to those observed in the corresponding populations of NAC. Comparison of graft survival in the overall population of male and female recipients of kidney allografts shows that females have higher graft survival rates, probably as a result of better HLA matching. The level of alloantibody activity in posttransplantation sera is similar in the two populations, suggesting that factors other than HLA mismatching may contribute to the higher degree of graft failure in AA recipients."}
{"id": "PMID:1466075", "title": "Pathogenesis of human reactive-appearing \"non-monomorphous\" malignant lymphoproliferative disorders: a hypothesis.", "content": "Human reactive-appearing \"non-monomorphous\" malignant disorders, such as Hodgkin's disease, T-cell-rich B-cell lymphomas and angioimmunoblastic lymphadenopathy display a peculiar and unifying characteristic, which biologically differentiates them from \"monomorphous\" non-Hodgkin's lymphomas. It consists in the coexistence within the pathologic tissue of a polyclonal, normal-appearing, presumed reactive cellular component, mainly composed of T-lymphocytes together with a clonal cell component constituting a minority of the pathologic mass. To explain the long-lasting coexistence of such polymorphic cell populations in the pathologic tissue of synchronous and metachronous localizations of the disease, it is hypothesized that they are interconnected by \"biological interactions\" which determine and sustain the pathologic process. Based on the biological characteristics of an experimental model (the follicular center cell \"lymphoma\" of the SJL murine strain), it is suggested that these human \"non-monomorphous\" malignant diseases should be regarded as a continuous spectrum of lymphoproliferative disorders sustained by a biological loop which interconnects different cell populations able to stimulate each other for growth."}
{"id": "PMID:1466076", "title": "Adjuvant chemotherapy for cancer of gastrointestinal tract: a critical review.", "content": "Surgery is the only curative therapeutic approach for gastrointestinal tumors. If the tumor is deeply infiltrating through serosa or invading regional lymph nodes, the 5-year patient's survival is about 60% and < 40%, respectively. The natural history and prognosis of neoplasms from colon, rectum and stomach are different. Despite the unsatisfactory results obtained with radical treatment of advanced disease, there are positive studies on adjuvant treatment of colon and rectal cancer, whereas the role of such an approach is still controversial for gastric cancer. The combination of fluorouracil containing chemotherapy with radiotherapy was suggested as the most effective adjuvant treatment for patients with Dukes' B and C rectal cancer. However, the choice of chemotherapeutic regimen is still debated. A recent report, from the North Central Cancer Tumor Group, stated survival and disease-free survival advantages for patients with Dukes' C colon cancer treated with FU + levamisole for 1 year after radical surgery. Since this regimen was not proven effective in advanced disease, ongoing adjuvant trials are comparing it with the combination of FU + biochemical modulator. The role of adjuvant therapy for gastric cancer is debated. The recent development of regimens active on advanced disease result in more promising future adjuvant trials."}
{"id": "PMID:1466077", "title": "Dietary habits, internal migration and social class in a sample of a northern Italian population.", "content": "The study of migrants has generated interesting hypotheses on the etiology of different types of cancer. In particular, it has been suggested that both colon and breast cancer could be related to living conditions, including diet, in the country of immigration. Considerable internal migration occurred in Italy in the sixties. We studied a random sample of 1,400 subjects living in the city of Torino and the province of Varese. They were interviewed with a detailed questionnaire about their dietary habits, and the consumption of several nutrients was considered according to the area of birth and social class. The hypothesis we tested was whether, after controlling for social class, there were different dietary habits among the migrants and the native population, and whether such differences could help in the formulation of etiologic hypotheses on cancer. We found that the intake of saturated fatty acids and cholesterol was lower among the migrants from the south, whereas they consumed higher levels of vegetables than people born in the north. The different intake of saturated fatty acids and cholesterol seemed to be attributable mainly to the consumption of butter, for which the south/north ratio was as low as 0.47 in men and 0.56 in women. Important gradients by social class were also suggested for several nutrients."}
{"id": "PMID:1466078", "title": "Spontaneous screening for cervical cancer and diagnostic histories of incident cases.", "content": "Cytologic and colposcopic histories of cases of invasive cervical cancer and cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade III (CIN III) registered in Ravenna (northern Italy) between 1986 and 1990 were evaluated. During the 5 years prior to diagnosis, 10/49 invasive cancer patients and 25/61 CIN III patients had had at least one pap smear reported as negative. At the time of the most recent false-negative report, 9/10 and 17/25 of these cases had been recommended for a repeat smear within 2 to 6 months. Of the 9 patients with invasive cancer, 5 had also undergone an inconclusive colposcopy (with biopsy unperformed). Among invasive cancer patients aged under 50, half of incident cases (7/14) and most of those with some cytologic experience (7/8) had had a false-negative report; each of these patients (7/7) had been recommended for an early repeat smear. For invasive cancer patients as well as for CIN III patients, the suggested intervals for the early repeat were largely exceeded. Median delay in diagnosis was about 2 years. Although the frequency of negative reports recommending repeat smears within a few months was estimated to be some 10% of total screening patients, current concepts in cervical cytology suggest that cancer cases with such false-negative reports should be regarded as follow-up failures rather than laboratory errors. In fact, they passed quite unnoticed. In unplanned (spontaneous) cervical screening practice, sensitivity needs to be maximized, but even the occurrence of false-negative cases is not monitored. The present study points out what may result from such a contradiction."}
{"id": "PMID:1466079", "title": "Risk of infiltrating breast cancer subsequent to lobular carcinoma in situ. The Coordinating Center and Writing Committee of FONCAM (National Task Force for Breast Cancer).", "content": "The authors report on a retrospective consecutive multicentric series of 60 cases with histologic evidence of lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS), followed for an average of 5.3 years. In the course of the follow-up, ipsilateral LCIS or infiltrating carcinoma occurred in 3 or 5 cases, respectively. Two LCIS reoccurrences and all ipsilateral infiltrating carcinomas were observed in 37 patients treated by limited surgery. Contralateral synchronous or metachronous carcinoma was observed in 3 or 2 cases, respectively (intraductal = 3, infiltrating = 2). Three patients died of breast cancer (2 with ipsilateral, 1 with ipsilateral and contralateral infiltrating carcinoma). The study confirms the higher risk of ipsilateral and contralateral cancer in LCIS patients and warns about the possible hazards of limited surgery in these cases."}
{"id": "PMID:1466080", "title": "Histopathologic classification of breast cancer in Sweden and Italy: a comparison between two pathologists.", "content": "Two large series of breast cancers (BC), identified in the Pathology Departments of Malm\u00f6 (Sweden) and Florence (Italy), were independently reviewed by two experienced pathologists, one from each department. Overall, comparison of diagnoses of 372 BCs according to a simplified WHO histologic classification system (in four combined categories) revealed agreement for 74% of the cases. Concordance, as measured by the kappa statistic, was relatively good (0.53 overall). Kappa values for specific categories were also acceptable, being highest for \"invasive lobular\" BC (0.63) and lowest for \"other types\" (0.45). The kappa value for \"noninvasive\" versus all other categories of invasive BC was 0.53. Some BCs were systematically classified as \"noninvasive\" by one pathologist and as \"invasive ductal with a predominant intraductal component\" by the other. Invasive lobular BCs were also diagnosed more frequently by one pathologist. These findings suggest that when planning geographical or temporal comparisons of distribution for BC histologic categories, standardization of classification and a centralized review may play an important role."}
{"id": "PMID:1466081", "title": "Chromosome changes in renal cell carcinoma.", "content": "Cytogenetic studies have provided a great deal of useful information about the biology and diagnosis of renal cell tumors. Particularly papillary and non-papillary tumors seem to be characterized by different cytogenetic patterns. We report the cytogenetic and histologic analysis of 16 renal tumors, 5 of which showed clonal chromosome changes. Most had chromosome abnormalities which have so far been described as specific of particular histopathologic subgroups."}
{"id": "PMID:1466082", "title": "Reversal of resistance to doxifluridine and fluorouracil in metastatic colorectal cancer: the role of high-dose folinic acid.", "content": "The benefits from medical treatment in colorectal cancer are limited. Fluorouracil remains the only recognized drug, and how to treat unresponsive patients is still debated. To evaluate the role of folinic acid (FA) in circumvence resistance in colorectal cancer, 28 patients pretreated with fluoropyrimidine were candidated to receive one of the following schedules: fluorouracil (600 mg/m2) associated with FA (500 mg/m2) weekly for 6 weeks (Regimen A: 21 cases), or fluorouracil (370 mg/m2) plus FA (200 mg/m2) daily for 5 days every 4 weeks (Regimen B: 7 cases). Fourteen patients were pretreated with doxifluridine, a new fluoropyrimidine derivative with a peculiar mechanism of action, and the remaining 14 patients with fluorouracil. All but 2 patients were unresponsive to first-line treatments. When the treatment began, the median age of the patients was 60 years (range, 30-68). The performance status (ECOG) was 0/1 in 25 of them, and the primary tumor was in the colon and rectum in 19 and 9 patients, respectively. Sites of disease were liver (64%), lung (35%), local recurrence (10%) and peritoneum (10%). A median of 3 cycles (range, 1-7) was delivered, and no objective response was observed in the group of patients pretreated with doxifluridine or in the group pretreated with fluorouracil. In 5 cases a significant decrease in baseline CEA values was observed. Therapy was well tolerated, and no grade 4 toxicity was encountered. Severe toxicity was limited and included diarrhea (7 patients), stomatitis (1 patient) and nausea/vomiting (1 patient). High-dose FA has no role in reversing resistance to fluoropyrimidine, and other mechanisms of refractoriness are surely involved. FA should be associated with fluoropyrimidine as first-line therapy together with other biochemical modulators. Further rescue therapies need to be developed."}
{"id": "PMID:1466083", "title": "Hyperthermia in clinical practice: preliminary results and current problems in the treatment of 21 patients.", "content": "From February 1988 through February 1991, 21 patients were managed by superficial hyperthermia and radiotherapy. Nineteen patients had received previous treatment; the most common histology was breast carcinoma. Twenty-six cycles of combined hyperthermia and radiotherapy were delivered: 4 complete responses (15.4%), 17 partial responses (65.4%), 1 minimal partial response (3.8%), 3 stable diseases (11.6%) and 1 disease progression (3.8%) were obtained. The median duration of response was 7 months (range 1-16) for responding and 4 months (range 2.5-4) for non-responding patients. The toxicity encountered (confined mostly to epithelitis--7/21 patients) was completely reversible. In our experience, hyperthermia combined with radiotherapy proved to be an effective treatment. However, some problem that emerged during treatment planning and delivery showed the need for further development and research into hyperthermic devices and thermometry systems."}
{"id": "PMID:1466084", "title": "Deflazacort and fluoximesterone in advanced, pretreated breast cancer.", "content": "A very simple, low dose, orally administered regime (10 to 15 mg of fluoximesterone + 6 mg of deflazacort daily for periods of 1 to several months) resulting in mild-acceptable toxicity (essentially some weight gain) determined subjective improvement in 2/3 of 34 evaluable patients (out of 36 treated) and an objective measurable tumor reduction in 1/3, although most patients had been previously treated with chemotherapy and hormone treatment and proved primarily or secondarily refractory. The receptor status at the beginning of fluoximesterone+deflazacort treatment was not known, except in one negative-receptor patient, who responded to the combination after becoming resistant to tamoxifen (see photo). In some patients the condition of hormone refractoriness would suggest a no-treatment policy, but a trial with this regime is always convenient as it may improve both duration and quality of life."}
{"id": "PMID:1466085", "title": "Endobronchial metastases in colorectal adenocarcinoma.", "content": "Between 1982 and 1990, 2388 bronchoscopic examinations were carried out in patients with cancer in our hospital. A diagnosis of endobronchial metastasis was established in 30 patients (2.09%), with the following primary tumors in descending order of frequency: breast, large bowel, melanoma, neuroblastoma, leiomyosarcoma and endometrial. Despite the rarity of endobronchial metastases secondary to colon adenocarcinoma, we were able to study 3 cases from our Center. In one case the diagnosis of endobronchial metastasis was simultaneous with that of the primary tumor, and in the other 2 this metastatic complication occurred 16 and 42 months, after the original diagnosis. When this complication occurred, the stage of the disease was advanced in all 3 cases: 2 were Dukes' stage C and one stage D. Although this metastatic location usually implies a very negative prognosis as regards life expectancy, it did not seem to significantly reduce the latter in our patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1466086", "title": "Hyalinizing trabecular adenoma of the thyroid. Report of two cases, with cytologic, immunohistochemical and ultrastructural studies.", "content": "The cytologic, histologic, immunocytochemical and ultrastructural features of 2 cases of hyalinizing trabecular adenoma (HTA) of the thyroid are described. The difficulty of a cytologic diagnosis and the need for an immunohistochemical profile of the lesions for a final histologic diagnosis are emphasized."}
{"id": "PMID:1466087", "title": "Primary Hodgkin's disease of the stomach. A case report.", "content": "Primary gastric Hodgkin's disease is rare and has been reported in only 2% of patients with primary gastric lymphomas. Its existence is quite controversial, and new immunohistochemical techniques and flow cytometry have reduced the frequency of diagnosis of this pathology. The authors describe a case of primary gastric Hodgkin's disease in a 61-year-old woman."}
{"id": "PMID:1466088", "title": "Teleangiectatic sarcomatoid carcinoma of the breast.", "content": "We report a case of breast carcinoma in a lactating woman with an osteosarcomatous and chondrosarcomatous metaplasia and multicystic hemorrhagic appearance. Grossly and on low microscopic power it simulated a teleangiectatic osteosarcoma. Clinical and mammographic presentation and fine needle aspiration biopsy initially suggested a hemangioma which resulted in delayed treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1466089", "title": "Prophylactic effect of a Lactobacillus casei preparation on the recurrence of superficial bladder cancer. BLP Study Group.", "content": "A randomized controlled study was conducted in patients with superficial bladder cancer in order to investigate the safety of an orally administered (3 g/day) Lactobacillus preparation, biolactis powder (BLP), and its preventive effect on the recurrence after transurethral resection of the bladder tumor (TUR-Bt). Of 58 cases enrolled in the study 23 cases in the BLP group and 25 cases in the control group completed the study. There were no significant differences in the patient characteristics for the complete cases between the two groups. Comparison of the disease-free duration by the Kaplan-Meier method revealed that the 50% recurrence-free interval after TUR-Bt was prolonged by BLP treatment (350 days) to 1.8 times that in the control group (195 days). A significant difference between the groups was detected by the long-rank test (p = 0.03). No adverse side effect was observed. The results suggest that oral administration of BLP is useful for the prevention of the recurrence of superficial bladder cancer."}
{"id": "PMID:1466090", "title": "Value of serum laminin P1 as a diagnostic and monitoring parameter in transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder.", "content": "In a combined (cross-sectional and longitudinal) study, the serum concentration of laminin P1 was measured by radioimmunoassay in 16 patients with benign inflammatory bladder disorders and 47 patients with transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder. The results were compared with the serum laminin P1 values in 50 healthy control subjects. In the cross-sectional study, the mean value of serum laminin P1 was significantly higher in bladder cancer patients than either the controls (p < 0.0001) or patients with benign inflammatory bladder disorders (p < 0.001). Similarly, the mean values of all different stages of grades of the tumor were significantly higher than either the controls or patients with benign inflammatory disorders. Progressive increase in the mean values of serum laminin P1 could also be found with deterioration of the stage or grade of the tumor. However, the difference between the mean values of the different cancer stages or grades did not reach statistical significance. In the longitudinal study, no significant difference could be detected between the mean values of patients with superficial tumor recurrence and those with remission of the disease (p > 0.5). Nevertheless, in the invasive cancer group, the levels of serum laminin P1 were directly proportional with progression of the disease (Z = 2.94; p < 0.01)."}
{"id": "PMID:1466091", "title": "Endocrine treatment prior to radical retropubic prostatectomy in patients with T3 prostate cancer: a retrospective study of 22 patients.", "content": "Twenty-two patients with locally advanced prostatic carcinoma stage T3, N0, M0 have been treated with LH-RH agonists during a mean time of 5 months prior to radical retropubic prostatectomy. Although tumors appeared to be confined to the organ in 68% of the patients after endocrine treatment, pathological examination of the surgical specimens showed in 89% evidence of extraprostatic disease, which questions the clinical impression of 'downstaging'. A disparity between the tumor grade of the biopsy and that of the operative specimen as well as an increased size of tumor-involved lymph nodes despite endocrine treatment led us to speculate that a certain proportion of patients will bear the risk of disease progression during preoperative androgen deprivation. Furthermore, there was local recurrence early in the postoperative course and at the high rate of 39%."}
{"id": "PMID:1466092", "title": "Effects of vasoactive intestinal polypeptide on isolated rat urinary bladder smooth muscle.", "content": "The effect of vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) on the contractile activity of the urinary bladder was investigated in the rat. VIP caused a weak contraction and a small potentiation of carbachol- and acetylcholine-induced contractions. The present results may provide the evidence that VIP could be a modulator in the urinary bladder."}
{"id": "PMID:1466093", "title": "Testicular dysplasia causing disturbance of spermiogenesis in patients with unilateral torsion of the testis.", "content": "Fifty-five patients were followed up for their state of fertility at a time varying in length after testicular torsion. In addition to the spermiogram they were screened for sperm antibodies. Biopsy samples were collected from the contralateral (not contorted) testis in 34 patients at the time of torsion or immediately afterwards. Two to 8 years after torsion only 7 out of 55 patients had a normal spermiogram. Nineteen had an OAT syndrome, 10 had asthenospermia and 19 had teratospermia. Sperm antibodies occurred very rarely at the time of torsion (2/36) or at the time of a further checkup (2/36). Immunological damage to the noncontorted testis by the contorted one seems therefore rather unlikely. Histology of the contralateral testis, the samples of which were taken at the time of torsion (30) or up to 4 months later (4), showed pathological conditions in 30/34 cases (desquamation of the germinative epithelium, atrophy of the Leydig cells, malformation of spermatoblasts) and normal spermiogenesis in 4 cases only. Hence, a preexistent congenital testicular dysplasia must be assumed to be the cause of the observed disturbance of spermiogenesis and reduced fertility."}
{"id": "PMID:1466094", "title": "Seminal plasma transferrin concentration: relationship with seminal parameters and plasma hormone levels.", "content": "Seminal plasma transferrin concentrations were determined in 155 infertile male patients and in 15 pregnancy-proven fertile males (control group); then the relationship between these concentrations and seminal parameters and plasma hormone levels was investigated. The concentrations of seminal plasma transferrin in patients with a sperm concentration below 20 x 10(6)/ml were significantly lower than those in the control group (p < 0.01). There was no significant difference in seminal plasma transferrin concentration between patients with a sperm concentration of 40 x 10(6)/ml or more and the control patients. A positive correlation was observed between sperm concentration and seminal transferrin content (r = 0.56; p < 0.05). However, correlations between seminal transferrin concentration and sperm motility and between seminal plasma transferrin content and sperm morphology did not show any significance, nor did the seminal transferrin content correlate with plasma LH, FSH, prolactin or testosterone levels. It, therefore, seems that while transferrin is indicative of certain physiopathological conditions in the germ cells, this protein is not a distinctive marker of the fertility potential of an individual."}
{"id": "PMID:1466095", "title": "Candida antigen detection by a latex agglutination test in candiduria patients.", "content": "We evaluated a latex agglutination test commercially available in kit form for the identification of Candida pyelonephritis in candiduria patients. Tests were performed on sera from 11 patients with fever and candiduria plus other positive candidal sites (group A), 12 patients were fever and candiduria alone (group B), 17 afebrile patients with candiduria alone (group C), and 27 afebrile patients without documented candiduria or bacteriuria (group D). Positive antigenemia with a titer of 1:4 or greater was detected in 9 candiduria patients with fever: 7 (63.6%) in group A and 2 (16.7%) in group B. The incidence of group B, in which Candida pyelonephritis was strongly suspected, was significantly less than that of group A and did not significantly differ from that of groups C and D. These results suggest that this test has little value in the diagnosis of Candida pyelonephritis without disseminated candidiasis."}
{"id": "PMID:1466096", "title": "ESWL of stones in the mid-ureter.", "content": "Two hundred and twenty patients with a ureteric calculus were treated by in situ ESWL; in 60 of these the stone was located in the mid-ureter. Treatment was given without anesthesia or with sedoanalgesia only. Complete or partial stone clearance at the time of discharge from hospital was achieved in 95% irrespective of the site of the stone and there were no complications. It is suggested that in situ ESWL is effective in the treatment of stones in mid ureter as well as those in upper and lower ureter."}
{"id": "PMID:1466097", "title": "Pseudo-adrenal incidentaloma: magnetic resonance imaging in a patient with para-adrenal Castleman's disease.", "content": "We report a case of para-adrenal angiofollicular lymph node hyperplasia (Castleman's disease) of the hyaline-vascular type. The mass could not be differentiated from an adrenal tumor by ultrasonography and computed axial tomography (CT). However, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) suggested the possibility of an extra-adrenal origin of the mass. The intensity of the mass by MRI was homogeneous and of a higher intensity in the T2-weighted image than in the T1-weighted image, a finding similar to lymphadenopathy, lymphatic tumorous mass or metastatic tumor of the lymph node. Ultrasonography, CT and MRI may not be useful in characterizing Castleman's disease, but MRI was useful to distinguish asymptomatic para-adrenal masses from those of adrenal origin."}
{"id": "PMID:1466098", "title": "Small hyperechoic renal tumors displaying no fat content on CT.", "content": "We report two cases of small renal adenocarcinoma and one case of small angiomyolipoma, which were identified as hyperechoic tumors by ultrasonography. None of the three tumors displayed fat content on plain CT. Since CT cannot reliably identify the intratumoral structure of small hyperechoic renal tumors, we recommend intraoperative pathological examination when CT findings do not correspond with the results of ultrasonography."}
{"id": "PMID:1466099", "title": "Paraurethral actinomycosis.", "content": "Actinomycosis of the genitourinary tract is rare. Herein we report a case of actinomycosis of the urethra following staged hypospadia repair. Pathophysiology and treatment options of this rare lesion are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1466100", "title": "Growth factors in urologic tissues: detection, characterization, and clinical applications.", "content": "During the last two decades, enormous strides have been made in understanding cellular and molecular biology. The direction of treatment of many neoplasms and other diseases are starting at the microscopic level. Growth factors are polypeptides that play a part in the development and maintenance of living tissues. We, as well as others, have investigated the role that growth factors play particularly in urologic tissues, both benign and malignant. We review several well-known growth factors and their function in prostate, kidney, and bladder tissues, as well as their functions in other regulating processes of the human body, and also the use of growth factors as tumor markers, and antibodies to growth factors as possible treatment of disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1466101", "title": "Renal tumors in young adults.", "content": "Primary renal malignancies are relatively rare in young adults. Eighteen patients between the ages of twenty and forty years underwent nephrectomy for renal tumors at our institution between 1947 and 1989. Data were reviewed in this group regarding method of presentation, duration of symptoms, tumor histology, pathologic stage, and survival. Tumor histology parallels that of older patients, the majority being adenocarcinoma (78%). The duration of symptoms prior to seeking medical attention was long, averaging eighty-four weeks. The overall survival rate, excluding nontumor deaths, was 50 percent. No patient with nodal or distant metastases survived, regardless of histology."}
{"id": "PMID:1466102", "title": "Traumatic dislocation of testes and bladder rupture.", "content": "Traumatic dislocation of the testes with bladder rupture occurred in 2 multiply injured patients with pelvic fracture. One had a history of retractile testes and the other of previous testicular dislocation. Surgical correction was performed after closed reduction failed. These injuries must be recognized and treated promptly to maximize the likelihood of testicular salvage. If early intervention is not possible, duplex ultrasonography and pulsed Doppler analysis are the optional valuative studies."}
{"id": "PMID:1466103", "title": "Urothelial tumors of upper tract following treatment of primary bladder transitional cell carcinoma.", "content": "We studied, retrospectively, the incidence of upper tract urothelial tumors following the treatment of primary transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder in 638 patients. Subsequent tumor development was found in 20 patients (3.1%) with a mean latency interval between initial treatment of the bladder cancer and diagnosis of the upper urinary tract tumor of eighty months. We did not find a significant difference among treatment modalities on the incidence of upper tract occurrences. Other than carcinoma in situ, tumor stage was not an independent predictive variable."}
{"id": "PMID:1466104", "title": "Pneumoscrotum: report of two cases and review of mechanisms of its development.", "content": "Scrotal emphysema and, less frequently, pneumatocele are uncommon signs of pneumoscrotum caused by a variety of pathogenic and iatrogenic disease processes. The finding of air in the scrotal sac may be an early sign of a life-threatening condition or may represent an incidental finding associated with more benign conditions. The three basic mechanisms by which air becomes localized to the scrotum are discussed, the literature is reviewed, and 2 new cases are presented."}
{"id": "PMID:1466106", "title": "Follow-up of clean intermittent catheterization for children with neurogenic bladders.", "content": "Intermittent catheterization remains the primary method of treatment in the management of patients with neurogenic bladders such as those with meningomyelocele. In a follow-up of a previous study, we re-examined the urologic status of patients with neurogenic bladders continuing on a regimen of clean intermittent catheterization five years after the completion of the first study. Thirty-seven of the original 49 patients were available for follow-up, and no significant differences were found between those lost to follow-up and those included in this study. Among the patients re-evaluated, reflux remained unchanged or improved in most patients, renal function was maintained, and the urinary tract infection rate remained low. Additionally, continuation of an intermittent catheterization program does provide independence and social continence in most young adults with meningomyelocele. We conclude that a long-term intermittent catheterization program is associated with stable reflux status, renal function, and infection rate, and that compliance with a catheterization program can result in improved social continence and independence."}
{"id": "PMID:1466107", "title": "Urachal abscesses: protean manifestations, their recognition, and management.", "content": "We present the manifestations, their recognition, and treatment of urachal disorders, as well as report on 3 cases of urachal abscess in children. A review of the English literature is included."}
{"id": "PMID:1466108", "title": "Primary congenital bladder diverticula in boys.", "content": "Three male patients ranging in age at diagnosis from eight to seventeen years were found to have presumed primary congenital bladder diverticula. All 3 patients had a solitary documented urinary tract infection (Staphylococcus 2, Escherichia coli 1), 1 patient presented with gross hematuria, and in 1 patient the diverticulum was an incidental finding. In all cases, there was no radiologic evidence on voiding cystourethrography of physiologic or anatomic ureteral or bladder outlet obstruction. In a nine-year-old boy there was ipsilateral renal agenesis, an intra-abdominal undescended testis, and an atretic ureter arising from the diverticulum. The older boy had Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. If the diverticulum is enlarging, compromises the ureterovesical valve mechanism, or by virtue of incomplete bladder emptying is believed to promote urinary tract infection, it should be removed. A surgically conservative course is followed in the Ehlers-Danlos syndrome because of the bleeding tendency and tissue abnormalities."}
{"id": "PMID:1466111", "title": "Primary melanoma of urinary bladder.", "content": "The fourth case of primary melanoma of the bladder is presented together with a review of the previously reported cases and the relevant literature on malignant melanoma in urology. The criteria for classification of the bladder lesion as the primary site are discussed. The eighty-one-year-old female patient was felt not to be suitable for extensive surgery and was successfully treated with a combination of radiation and immunotherapy with recombinant alpha 2 interferon. After previous monthly recurrences of the tumor the patient is in complete remission fifteen months after initiation of therapy. It appears that this form of treatment might be a valuable alternative to radical surgery in elderly patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1466113", "title": "Incidental prostate adenocarcinoma in a thirty-year-old Native American.", "content": "We report a case of prostatic adenocarcinoma in a thirty-year-old Native American. The tumor was an incidental autopsy finding. We speculate on the biological and clinical significance of prostate tumors in young males."}
{"id": "PMID:1466114", "title": "Effect of early bladder stimulation on spinal shock: experimental approach.", "content": "The period of spinal shock which frequently follows spinal cord injury is associated with bladder areflexia and urinary retention. We studied the effect of early bladder electric stimulation on detrusor activity during the spinal shock phase in the dog. The animals had a spinal cord section at T10 vertebra, and their bladder management was assigned to one of the three following groups: intermittent catheterization, indwelling catheterization, and electric bladder stimulation. The parameters for evaluating each treatment included: blood chemistry, and radiographic and urodynamic tests. The most important finding was the early return of detrusor activity in the group of animals treated by early electric stimulation of the bladder."}
{"id": "PMID:1466115", "title": "Combined effect of interleukin 2 and cyclophosphamide in therapy of mice with transitional cell carcinoma.", "content": "We investigated the effect of combination therapy with interleukin 2 (IL-2) and cyclophosphamide (CPM) in C3H/HeN mice implanted with mouse bladder tumor cells (MBT2). MBT2-bearing mice were treated with a single intraperitoneal injection of 120 mg/kg CPM on day 10 and/or subcutaneous administration of 5 x 10(4) units IL-2/day from day 11 to day 20. As a result, the growth of tumor in mice treated with IL-2 alone was slightly suppressed. On the other hand, regression was observed in all mice treated with CPM alone, although regrowth of tumor was seen in all of them. However, when IL-2 was administered with CPM, regrowth of tumor was completely suppressed. An immunologic study was done that showed cytotoxicity against YAC-1 and P815 in the spleen cells was suppressed in mice treated with CPM alone, but that both recovered to control levels when IL-2 was administered with CPM. Cytotoxicity against MBT2 in the spleen cells was most elevated in mice treated with both IL-2 and CPM. These findings suggested that clinical evaluation of combination therapy with IL-2 and CPM may be worthwhile."}
{"id": "PMID:1466119", "title": "Managing superficial bladder cancer: an overview.", "content": "More than 90 percent of bladder cancers are transitional cell carcinoma (TCC). Superficial TCC is defined as a transitional cell tumor that is confined to the mucosa (Stages Ta or carcinoma in situ) or that has invaded the lamina propria (Stage T1). When treating patients with superficial bladder cancer, urologists are faced with a number of important tasks. First, the initial tumor or tumors must be removed. Second, the other parts of the urothelium must be assessed for the presence of premalignant or malignant abnormalities. Third, the depth and extent of invasion (i.e., tumor stage) must be determined. Fourth, the clinician must decide whether additional treatment (e.g., intravesical chemotherapy or immunotherapy, cystectomy, or radiotherapy) is indicated. Finally, the patient must be monitored for the development of subsequent tumors. This article provides an overview of the management of superficial bladder cancer."}
{"id": "PMID:1466120", "title": "Clinicopathological investigation of primary, uncomplicated maedi-visna virus infection.", "content": "Maedi-visna virus infection in a flock of sheep in Scotland was associated with respiratory disease, neurological disease, mastitis and lameness. The major clinical signs were dyspnoea (particularly on exercise), progressive fore- and hindlimb ataxia and balance defects, mammary induration and multilimb lameness, occasionally with enlarged carpal joints. Pathological examinations revealed lesions in the lungs, central nervous system, mammary glands and joints which were consistent with those induced by maedi-visna virus. The was no clinical or pathological evidence of concurrent sheep pulmonary adenomatosis, and pulmonary bacterial infections, when they occurred, were superimposed on the lesions due to maedi-visna virus."}
{"id": "PMID:1466121", "title": "Trial of the efficacy and immunological response to an inactivated mycoplasma F38 vaccine.", "content": "Goats on two zero grazed farms carrying 1621 animals with a history of contagious caprine pleuropneumonia were subjected to a vaccine trial with an inactivated mycoplasma F38 vaccine. The results indicated that the vaccine produced an immune response, that it was very effective in reducing morbidity and mortality rates, and that a booster dose one month after the first dose of vaccine gave extra protection."}
{"id": "PMID:1466122", "title": "Pathogens in dog bite wounds in dogs in Harare, Zimbabwe.", "content": "Over a year swabs were taken from 87 untreated bite wounds in dogs seen by veterinary practitioners in Harare, Zimbabwe. Swabs were also taken from normal skin adjacent to the wound site, and gingival swabs were collected from normal dogs coming to the same clinics. The swabs were cultured aerobically for pathogens, particularly Staphylococcus intermedius, and the antibiotic sensitivities of the pathogens were determined by disc diffusion assay. The most common pathogens isolated from the wounds were S intermedius (23 per cent), Escherichia coli (18 per cent) and non-lactose-fermenting coliforms (14 per cent). S intermedius was common on the normal skin of the dogs with infected wounds, and was associated with wounds on the abdomen, hindlimbs and tail and wounds that were more than three days old. This organism was, however, isolated only infrequently from the gums and there was little correlation in general between the prevalence of pathogens in the mouth and their prevalence in wounds. Of the S intermedius isolates from wounds, 30 per cent were resistant to penicillin and multiple antibiotic resistance was common among the enterobacterial isolates. The majority of the pathogens were sensitive to cotrimoxazole."}
{"id": "PMID:1466128", "title": "Changes in the plasma concentrations of lipids and lipoprotein fractions in dogs infected with Leishmania infantum.", "content": "A study was made of serum concentrations of cholesterol, phospholipids, triglycerides, cholesterol bound to high-density lipoproteins (HDL), HDL1-cholesterol, HDL2-cholesterol and cholesterol bound to low-density lipoproteins (LDL) in 16 dogs naturally infected with Leishmania infantum (ZMON-1) taken from an endemic focus. Results were compared with those of a control group of ten healthy dogs. Statistically significant increases in cholesterol, triglyceride and LDL-cholesterol levels were observed. There was, however, a statistically significant decrease in HDL-cholesterol level, mainly at the expense of the HDL2-cholesterol subfraction. Cholesterol transport is therefore shown to undergo changes which may be attributed to the consumptive evolution of the disease, immunocomplex deposits in cells, hepatic disorders and interactions between the parasite and the normal cholesterol metabolism of the host."}
{"id": "PMID:1466129", "title": "Interaction of parasitism and nutrition in goats: effects on haematological parameters, correlations, and other statistical associations.", "content": "Weaned wether goats (n = 144) approximately 6 months of age were placed in a 2 x 3 factorial experiment to test the effects and interaction of two levels of nutrition (growth+maintenance, NUT1; and twice growth+maintenance, NUT2) and three levels of Haemonchus contortus burden (0, 500, and 2000 larvae administered every 2 weeks; W0, W500, and W2000, respectively) on packed cell volume, red blood cell count, total serum protein and leukocytes. The statistical analysis revealed clear and proportionate differences among levels of infection for all variables. A significant (P < 0.05) nutritional effect was also found associated with all the variables except leukocytes. Nutrition by worm load interactions were found for packed cell volume and leukocytes. The neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio was higher in the NUT1-infected animals, leading to the nutrition by worm load interaction for leukocytes. An analysis for the different leukocyte types revealed significant (P < 0.05) differences among infection levels for lymphocytes, while nutrition level was found to be a significant effect for basophil count and immature white cells. Several significant correlations were observed between pairs of variables. Faecal egg output could be predicted from actual worm count in three of the four necropsy periods. The clear differences observed for blood parameters were not present in production traits, suggesting that physiological thresholds may play an important role in framing the metabolic activity of biological organisms. Total serum protein was the best indicator of these effects on production parameters."}
{"id": "PMID:1466130", "title": "Seasonal patterns of total and Ostertagia-specific IgE in grazing cattle.", "content": "Serum samples, collected monthly from January through December 1988 from 10 cows, their calves, and 10 yearling heifers, were used to determine total and Ostertagia-specific IgE levels. In addition, serum pepsinogen concentration, fecal egg counts, and body weights were measured. The following observations were made. (1) Total and Ostertagia-specific IgE levels followed similar seasonal patterns, being generally highest in the spring. (2) Breed and/or sire effects on total IgE levels were observed, with cattle from Angus-cross lines having higher levels than cattle of the other breeds tested. (3) Based on fecal egg counts, adult populations of Ostertagia ostertagi paralleled circulating IgE levels in the calves."}
{"id": "PMID:1466131", "title": "Immunoglobulin E recognition of Dirofilaria immitis antigens is more specific than immunoglobulin G.", "content": "The chronological development of the serum IgE and IgG response to microfilaria, third and fourth stage larvae, and male and female adult Dirofilaria immitis was examined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and enzyme-linked immunoelectrotransfer blot (EITB). Dirofilaria immitis-specific IgE and IgG levels peaked 16-18 weeks post-infection after increasing in response to the fourth larval molt. Specific IgG levels plateaued after patency, while IgE continued to decline. The use of ammonium sulfate cut sera showed there was no quenching or blocking of IgE binding by IgG in the ELISA and EITB methods used in this study. IgE-specific EITB showed 30-49 bands for the five respective extracts that were identified by M(r) or relative mobility. Eighty-five to 100 bands were visualized by IgG-specific EITB for the same five extracts. The isotype-specific ELISA and EITB were shown to be closely related by significant correlations (P < 0.0001) between S/N ratios and the number of bands found on blots. The isotype-specific EITB bands non-specifically recognized were greater in size than 21 kDa for IgG and 45 kDa for IgE. Recognition of bands changed over time with some bands being recognized only by prepatent sera. Ten antigen bands of seven M(r) were consistently and specifically recognized by IgE in the five-stage extracts by sera from prepatent and patent infections; only one such M(r) at 13.9 kDa, was described for IgG. A potentially diagnostic 31.9 kDa antigen band was identified on the IgE-specific EITB of D. immitis female extract and was shown to be recognized by IgE in sera from all infected dogs at all time points examined from 2 weeks until 1 year post-inoculation. Overall, IgE reactivity was more specific for D. immitis infections than IgG reactivity."}
{"id": "PMID:1466132", "title": "Attempts to immunize cattle against Ostertagia ostertagi infections employing 'normal' and 'chilled' (hypobiosis-prone) third stage larvae.", "content": "Immunity to Ostertagia ostertagi infections in calves develops slowly and only becomes manifest towards the end of a grazing season in which they have been exposed to the parasite. In an attempt to hasten the onset of immune reactions, three immunization protocols were set up. Twenty four heifers were allocated into four groups. Beginning in January, animals in two of the groups were inoculated with four 1-monthly increasing dosages of either 'normal' or 'chilled' (hypobiosis-prone) larvae, those in the third group received a single large infection with 'chilled' larvae and those in the fourth group served as non-infected controls. All animals were turned out on a common pasture in late April. Development of immunity was evaluated through determinations of faecal egg counts, live weight gains, serum pepsinogen levels and specific serum antibody responses of three isotypes (IgG1, IgG2 and IgA). Significantly reduced egg excretions in the immunized groups were apparent early in the season, indicating that the immunizations had, in this respect, been efficacious. The 'chilled' and 'normal' larvae seemed equally efficient given as multiple and single infections. A single large dosage of 'chilled' larvae seemed to have adverse effects. Only moderate antibody responses were elicited probably because of low challenge infection level on pasture. Considerable variation in responses existed between and within the four groups, for which reason conclusions regarding correlations between antibody isotype responses and immune effects on parasites could not be made."}
{"id": "PMID:1466133", "title": "Immunosuppression of in vivo and in vitro lymphocyte responses in swine induced by Trichinella spiralis or excretory-secretory antigens of the parasite.", "content": "The in vivo and in vitro effects of Trichinella spiralis excretory-secretory (ES) antigens on porcine peripheral blood lymphocyte (PBL) responses induced with mitogens (phytohemagglutinin, PHA; concanavalin A, Con A; pokeweed mitogen, PWM) or unrelated antigen (Protein A) were studied to determine whether ES antigens depress lymphocyte responses in experimental swine trichinosis, and/or if this response was manifested after lymphocytes from infected pigs had been pretreated with ES antigens. Additionally, the range of inhibition of lymphocyte responses was tested in parasite-free pigs using different doses of ES antigens and compared with the responsiveness of control cultures from the same animals. The responses of lymphocytes from pigs inoculated with 4 x 10(3) muscle larvae (ML) were strongly depressed (P < 0.05) at post-inoculation days (PID) 7 (after stimulation with PHA), 14, 35 (Con A or PWM), and 49 (PWM). At PID 56 and 63 the lymphocytes from T. spiralis-infected pigs responded better (P < 0.05) to all three mitogens than those from non-infected controls. After 7 weeks post-inoculation, PBL which were pretreated with 10 or 250 micrograms ml-1 of ES antigens showed significantly weaker (P < 0.05, P < 0.001) responses to PWM or PHA, respectively, than those from non-infected animals. The responsiveness of lymphocytes from both groups of pigs to Protein A was not affected by the pretreatment with ES antigens in vitro. The responses of lymphocytes from the parasite-free pigs induced by PHA, PWM or Protein A were strongly depressed (P < 0.01) after in vitro pretreatment regardless of the dose of ES antigens (5, 10, 15, or 20 micrograms ml-1) applied."}
{"id": "PMID:1466134", "title": "Studies on the development and survival periods of the non-parasitic stages of Boophilus microplus (Canestrini), in the climatic conditions of Ranchi (India).", "content": "Engorged female ticks of Boophilus microplus were exposed in wire-gauze cylinders and glass tubes in an experimental grass plot at monthly intervals during 1989, and egg laying, egg development and larval survival periods observed and recorded. Rainfall and atmospheric relative humidity had an important influence on tick activity. Egg production was maximum, hatching percentage was high, incubation and prehatch periods were short, and larval survival and total longevity periods were long for ticks exposed during the warm and humid rainy season from June to September. Dry atmospheric conditions severely affected egg development, egg hatch and larval survival. Eggs failed to hatch in the dry months from December to April and only 29-38% hatched after a long incubation period of 41 days in November and May. On grass, the larvae of ticks exposed in November survived for the shortest period of 28 days and the larvae of ticks exposed in June survived for the longest period of 133 days. Low winter temperatures reduced egg production and prolonged the pre-oviposition, oviposition and incubation periods. It is suggested that the results of this study might be helpful in the development of measures to control tick infestation by planned dipping and restricted grazing during the period from late June to January when the pasture has a substantial load of larval ticks."}
{"id": "PMID:1466135", "title": "Studies on Rhinoestrus purpureus (Diptera: Oestridae) larvae infesting donkeys (Equus asinus) in Egypt. III. Pupal duration under controlled conditions.", "content": "The pupal duration of Rhinoestrus purpureus was studied under variable degrees of temperature and relative humidity (RH). It was found that pupal duration was affected by temperature but not by RH. An increase in the temperature above 22 degrees C decreased the pupal duration: 26-27 days at 22 degrees C, 16-24 days at 27 degrees C, 13-15 days at 32 degrees C. At 37 degrees C, the pupated larvae failed to pupate and died. The deformity ratio of emerged flies was 25-30% at 22-32 degrees C, but it was directly proportional to RH at a constant temperature of 32 degrees C: 26.1% at 75% RH, 16.7% at 50% RH, 6.7% at 30% RH. It was concluded that the optimum temperature and RH for obtaining normal active flies were 32 degrees C and 30%, respectively."}
{"id": "PMID:1466136", "title": "Canine neosporosis in South Africa.", "content": "Neospora caninum was identified in tissues of one neonatal and two adolescent dogs by a specific immunohistochemical technique during a retrospective study. The histological lesions included multifocal polymyositis, multifocal parasitic myocarditis, interstitial pneumonia, severe multifocal encephalitis and myelitis with perivascular cuffing. This report extends the known range of the parasite to the African continent."}
{"id": "PMID:1466137", "title": "Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in llamas (Lama glama) in the northwest USA.", "content": "Serum samples from 283 llamas (Lama glama) from Oregon, Washington State and Idaho were tested for antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii using the modified agglutination test. Antibodies were found in 95 (33.5%) llamas. Percent seropositivity in serum dilutions of 1:25, 1:50, 1:500, and 1:5000 was 9.5%, 18.3%, 4.9%, and 0.7%, respectively."}
{"id": "PMID:1466138", "title": "Effect of feeding lasalocid to pregnant ewes experimentally infected with Toxoplasma gondii.", "content": "Sixteen 50 day gestational ewes were fed lasalocid at the rate of 30 g t-1 and were orally inoculated with 100 infective Toxoplasma gondii oocysts 5 days after beginning feeding of lasalocid. Seventeen control ewes were similarly inoculated with T. gondii and were not fed lasalocid. The rate of abortion and neonatal mortality in both treated and untreated ewes was similar, indicating that feeding lasalocid was not effective in preventing T. gondii abortion in sheep."}
{"id": "PMID:1466139", "title": "Fatal toxoplasmosis in domestic rabbits in the USA.", "content": "Three rabbits from two sources died after an acute illness characterized by fever, lethargy and diarrhea in one rabbit and no clinical signs in two rabbits. The most striking lesion in all three rabbits was foci of necrosis of the spleen and liver associated with massive presence of multiplying Toxoplasma gondii tachyzoites. The diagnosis was confirmed by specific staining with anti-T. gondii serum in an avidin-biotin complex immunohistochemical stain."}
{"id": "PMID:1466140", "title": "Sarcocystis neurona-associated ataxia in horses in Brazil.", "content": "Sarcocystis neurona-like schizonts were found in sections of brain and spinal cord of two ataxic horses from Brazil. The diagnosis was supported by staining with anti-Sarcocystis serum in an immunohistochemical test. One of the affected horses was born in Argentina and raised in Brazil, and the other horse was born and raised in Brazil."}
{"id": "PMID:1466141", "title": "Specificity of the carbon immunoassay (CIA) test for the diagnosis of Toxoplasma infections.", "content": "A rapid and low cost procedure, the carbon immunoassay (CIA) test, was evaluated for the diagnosis of Toxoplasma gondii infections. Using a closely related parasite (Besnoitia jellisoni) as antigen, and homologous or heterologous immune sera, it was demonstrated by light and electron microscopy that CIA is a very reliable and specific test. As it is neither expensive nor time-consuming, it can be recommended for general and routine laboratory use."}
{"id": "PMID:1466142", "title": "Effect of fenbendazole molasses supplement block treatment on nematode infection and subsequent weight gain of weanling beef calves.", "content": "Two trials were conducted to evaluate the effect of fenbendazole molasses supplement block treatment on weight gain of weanling beef calves. An initial (November) oral fenbendazole (5 mg kg-1) treatment was administered to all animals in both trials. In Trials 1 and 2, respectively, two fenbendazole molasses supplement block treatments were administered 6 (6.4 mg kg-1) and 16 (7.0 mg kg-1) weeks later and 7 (3.4 mg kg-1) and 14 (3.8 mg kg-1) weeks later. During the treatment periods, calves were maintained on dormant bermuda grass pasture, supplemented with hay and protein/mineral blocks. The first block treatment was administered approximately midway through the supplement period to suppress the infection level when nutrition was marginal. The second treatment was administered just prior to ryegrass grazing. Trial 1 and 2 treatments resulted in reducing the infection level, as indicated by reduced mean fecal egg counts. Treatment group mean fecal egg counts remained lower than control group mean counts throughout each trial. In Trial 1, the treatment group gained 29.5 kg more than the control group. In Trial 2, the control group gained 15.5 kg more than the treatment group. Fecal egg count data indicated that the infection level during Trial 1 was higher than during Trial 2. This difference could influence weight gain."}
{"id": "PMID:1466143", "title": "Preliminary observations on helminth parasite populations of the dromedary in northern Mali.", "content": "An abattoir survey on gastrointestinal parasites of the dromedary (Camelus dromedarius) was carried out in March/April 1987 in northern Mali. Parasitological examination of the digestive tract contents of 11 dromedaries revealed that Haemonchus longistipes was the predominant parasite with a prevalence as high as 85.7%. The genera Impalaia, Trichostrongylus, Cooperia, and Oesophagostomum were also recovered, but with a lower level of infection and frequency. The larval stage of the canine cestode Echinococcus granulosus was recorded in a single instance."}
{"id": "PMID:1466145", "title": "Preparation of latex sensitized with rabbit IgG antibody for slide reversed passive agglutination.", "content": "A method is described for preparing latex particles sensitized with IgG antibody (IgG-sensitized latex) applicable to the slide reversed passive agglutination (RPLA) test. Soap-free latex (latex) was sensitized with IgG which had been isolated from rabbit anti-bovine lactoferrin serum using protein A Sepharose CL 4B. Unadsorbed protein-binding sites on the surface of latex were blocked with bovine serum albumin (BSA). IgG-sensitized latex that gave better agglutination in RPLA could be selectively obtained by centrifugation at 19 900g for 15 min in 0.01 mol/L glycine buffer (pH 7.3; specific gravity 1.042) containing 3% NaCl, 5% saccharose and 2% choline chloride. By dispersing this IgG-sensitized latex in 0.01 mol/L glycine buffer (pH 7.3) containing 1-2% BSA, a uniformly suspended, highly reactive, readily agglutinable preparation was obtained."}
{"id": "PMID:1466146", "title": "Epidemiological observations on stomach worms of donkeys in Morocco.", "content": "Over two consecutive years, weekly examinations for the presence of nematodes were conducted on 185 stomachs from donkeys originating mainly from the Rabat, Casablanca and Settat regions of Morocco. All the animals, except one, were infected by at least one of four helminth species. Trichostrongylus axei was found in 93.5%, Habronema muscae in 89.7%, H. majus in 85.4% and Draschia megastoma in 1.1% of donkeys. Most animals were infected by two (23.8%) or three (71.9%) species. High burdens of T. axei were observed in the winter of both years and in the mid-summer of the second year. Peak burdens of Habronema were found at various times throughout both years. There were more adult H. majus than H. muscae. The periods of peak levels of infection by these parasites were related to environmental conditions suitable for the development and survival of infective larvae of T. axei and for the build-up of muscid fly vectors of Habronema and Draschia spp."}
{"id": "PMID:1466147", "title": "Interspecies differences in the pharmacokinetics of kanamycin and apramycin.", "content": "Comparative studies on some selected pharmacokinetic parameters for kanamycin in sheep, goats, rabbits, chickens and pigeons, and for apramycin in sheep, rabbits, chickens and pigeons were carried out after intravenous administration of the two drugs at a dose of 10 mg/kg. The results revealed that a two-compartment open model was most suitable for kanamycin, while for apramycin a one-compartment open model was usually optimal. The log distribution rate constant (alpha) of kanamycin was significantly correlated to the log of the body mass (r = 0.919, n = 5, p < 0.05). Interspecies differences in the apparent volume of distribution (Vda) of kanamycin were small. These differences were larger for apramycin, as were the variations in the area under the serum concentration-time curve (AUC) and in the total body clearance (ClB) of both kanamycin and apramycin, both having almost a threefold difference depending on the species but without any correlation to body mass. The values of the log half-life of kanamycin in the mammals in this study and also those from data in the literature revealed a significant correlation with log body mass between animal species according to the equation: t1/2 beta = 38.47W0.21 (r = 0.7648, n = 10, p < 0.05)."}
{"id": "PMID:1466148", "title": "Muscarinic receptor subtypes in equine tracheal smooth muscle.", "content": "Selective muscarinic receptor antagonists were used to identify muscarinic receptor subtypes in equine trachealis strips. The M1 receptor antagonist pirenzepine (10(-7) mol/L to 3 x 10(-5) mol/L) and the M3 receptor antagonist 4-diphenylacetoxy-N-methylpiperidine (4-DAMP, 10(-9) mol/L to 3 x 10(-7) mol/L3) dose dependently inhibited the contractile responses to electrical field stimulation (EFS) and exogenous acetylcholine (ACh). Schild plots yielded a pA2 value for pirenzepine vs ACh of 6.75 +/- 0.09, which is consistent with the affinity for M2 or M3 receptors, and a pA2 value for 4-DAMP vs ACh of 8.47 +/- 0.09, which is in agreement with the affinity for M3 receptors. The M2 receptor antagonist gallamine (10(-5) mol/L and 10(-4) mol/L) did not affect the response of trachealis to exogenous ACh and low-frequency EFS (0.1-2 Hz) but decreased the responses to high-frequency EFS (4-16 Hz). These results suggest that the muscarinic receptors mediating contractions induced by ACh in equine tracheal smooth muscle are of the M3 subtype. The lack of an increase in the response to EFS following gallamine suggests that functional prejunctional inhibitory M2 receptors are not present on the cholinergic nerves innervating equine tracheal smooth muscle."}
{"id": "PMID:1466149", "title": "The effect of long-term exposure to phosphamidon on the ruminal microorganisms and circulating carboxylesterase of Bubalus bubalis.", "content": "The effect of long-term exposure to the organophosphate insecticide phosphamidon on the ruminal microorganisms and serum carboxylesterase of buffalo calves was investigated. Oral administration of phosphamidon in doses of 0.25 and 0.5 mg/kg per day for 120 days caused significant inactivation of carboxylesterase activity (16-32%) without eliciting any intoxicating signs apart from mild intermittent diarrhoea in the animals receiving the higher dose. The higher dose also produced a significant reduction in the total number of rumen protozoa (16-24%). However, the insecticide had no discernible effect on the total bacterial count or pH of the rumen liquor."}
{"id": "PMID:1466150", "title": "Studies on co-localization of 7B2 and pancreatic hormones in normal and tumoural islet cells.", "content": "The distribution of protein 7B2, a protein with structural characteristics of GTP-binding proteins, has been studied in normal pancreatic islets and in a series of 70 pancreatic endocrine tumours with emphasis on the co-localization of 7B2 and the different pancreatic hormones. Although all cell types of normal islets were found to store 7B2, variations from intense expression to absence of reaction were seen within each cell type. In particular, B cells showed intense immunostaining for 7B2 in small compact islets and weak or no staining in larger islets with lobular arrangement. Pancreatic polypeptide (PP) cells expressed 7B2 intensely in the PP-rich area of ventral embryological origin, but were mostly non-reactive in the PP-poor area. The A cells, located along intralobular blood vessels, were more frequently immunoreactive for 7B2 than those at the periphery of the islets. Immuno-electron microscopy revealed a preferential localization of 7B2 in secretory granules of islet cells, with more intense localization in the peripheral halo of alpha granules. Benign islet cell tumours more frequently expressed 7B2 than their malignant counterparts. Although often expressed in a lower number of tumour cells than the tumour-specific hormone, 7B2 was usually co-localized with the latter. In contrast, no relationship was found with the localization of proinsulin. It is concluded that 7B2 is a non-permanent component of the cell granule compartment, probably involved in events related to exocytosis and without relationship to intracellular prohormone processing."}
{"id": "PMID:1466151", "title": "Production of anti-NC1 antibody by affected male dogs with X-linked hereditary nephritis: a probe for assessing the NC1 domain of collagen type IV in dogs and humans with hereditary nephritis.", "content": "Some patients with hereditary nephritis (HN) who have received a renal transplant have been shown to form antibody with specificity for the NC1 domain of collagen type IV, a major constituent of glomerular basement membranes (GBM). We attempted to duplicate this phenomenon in a family of dogs with X-linked HN, a model for human X-linked HN, by immunizing affected male dogs with normal dog NC1 domain. A collagenase digest was prepared from normal dog GBM, the NC1 domain was separated into dimer (approximately 50 kDa) and monomer (24 kDa and 26 kDa) components by SDS-PAGE, and injected into two affected male dogs. Antisera obtained from both dogs contained antibody which reacted with the NC1 domain of dog and human GBM by a plate-binding radioimmunoassay, bound to the dimer and 26 kDa monomer bands by Western blotting, and staining dog and human GBM by immunofluorescence (IF). The affected male dog antiserum reacted equally by radioimmunoassay with the NC1 domain isolated from GBM of unaffected, affected male, and carrier female dogs in the family with X-linked HN, and bound by Western blotting to dimers and the 26 kDa monomer band of the NC1 domain of GBM in each group of dogs. However, the affected male dog antiserum differentiated these dogs by IF; it produced global staining of GBM of unaffected dogs, failed to stain GBM of affected male dogs, and produced segmental staining of GBM of carrier female dogs. Absorption of the affected male dog antiserum with normal dog NC1 domain eliminated the staining of dog GBM by IF, whereas staining persisted after absorption with affected male dog NC1 domain. The abnormal staining patterns of GBM seen by IF in the affected male and carrier female dogs and the results of the absorption studies imply an abnormality of one or more determinants in the 26 kDa monomer band of the NC1 domain of their GBM. Amino acid sequencing of this band identified the alpha 1(IV) chain of collagen type IV, a finding that has implications for the pathogenesis of canine X-linked HN. Absent and segmental staining respectively were also seen by IF in GBM of a male and female patient with HN, using the affected male dog antiserum. Thus, the results obtained in affected male and carrier female dogs with X-linked HN may also be relevant to patients with this disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1466152", "title": "Cystatin C in the human pancreas and gut: an immunohistochemical study of normal and neoplastic tissues.", "content": "The occurrence of immunoreactive cystatin C (CC) in normal and neoplastic cells of the human pancreas and gut was investigated using an indirect streptavidin-biotin method on formaldehyde-fixed and paraffin-embedded tissues. Virtually all pancreatic islet cells and many neuroendocrine cells throughout the gastrointestinal tract showed strong CC immunoreactivity and a granular cytoplasmic staining pattern. All 14 endocrine pancreatic tumours (insulinomas, glucagonomas, gastrinomas and non-producing tumours), as well as 16 of 17 gut carcinoid tumours, were also strongly CC immunoreactive. In addition, non-endocrine epithelial cells of pancreatic ducts and the gastrointestinal mucosa and 20 of the 24 adenocarcinomas from these sites showed weak CC immunoreactivity. Thus, CC cannot be used as a reliable immunohistochemical marker for endocrine gastro-entero-pancreatic tumours despite the fact that the protein is strongly expressed in a majority of such tumours."}
{"id": "PMID:1466153", "title": "DNA-cytophotometry and immunocytochemistry in ovarian tumours of borderline malignancy and related peritoneal lesions.", "content": "A total of 34 surgical specimens, obtained from 13 patients with ovarian tumours of borderline malignancy (OTBM), were investigated by conventional histology, immunocytochemistry and DNA cytophotometry. The lesions were obtained by primary ovarian surgery or second-look procedures and altogether comprised 19 (single and bilateral) OTBM, 8 cases of endosalpingiosis, 4 in situ and 2 invasive peritoneal implants and 1 overt adenocarcinoma. The morphological findings were related to follow-up data, which showed neoplasms with clinically malignant behaviour in 2 patients. The histology of the extra-ovarian manifestations was not associated with their immunocytochemical properties or with their DNA content. There were no correlations between the evolution of disease and microscopical features but the clinical course appeared to be linked to the DNA content of the extra-ovarian lesions, which was of greater prognostic importance than DNA ploidy of the ovarian tumours. Recurrence-free survival was noted in all 5 patients with diploid or euploid extra-ovarian proliferations, while the 2 clinically malignant cases fell into the group of 3 patients with noneuploid or aneuploid specimens. DNA estimations may be a methodology which increases the prognostic value of second-look procedures in OTBM patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1466154", "title": "Oestrogen retards the development of spontaneous thymomas in BUF/Mna rats.", "content": "BUF/Mna rats develop spontaneous thymomas with nearly 100% incidence in both sexes. While the thymomas in males develop from around 9 months of age, those in females start from 13-15 months of age. To clarify the mechanism of the delay of thymomagenesis in females, the effect of sex hormones on the development of thymomas was examined after either gonadectomy or oestrogen treatment. Prepubertal ovariectomy accelerated the thymoma development in females, whereas orchiectomy did not affect it. An intraperitoneal injection of oestriol (20 mg) into males at 2 months of age remarkably diminished the thymic weight to about one-tenth of age-matched controls at 16 months of age. These results suggest that oestrogen can actually retard the onset of thymoma in spite of genetic control of its incidence. However, oestrogen did not cause thymic involution when it was injected into rats over 9 months of age. Immunohistochemically, there seemed to be no distinct difference in distribution of oestrogen-receptor-bearing epithelial cells between thymomas and 2- to 3-month-old thymuses. The oestrogen sensitivity of the thymus might be destined to be lost, as the thymic epithelial cells start neoplastic changes with the impairment of oestrogen-receptor function."}
{"id": "PMID:1466155", "title": "Expression of transforming growth factor alpha in human tissues: immunohistochemical study and northern blot analysis.", "content": "The expression of transforming growth factor alpha (TGF-alpha) was examined in various human tissues and the fetus, using immunohistochemistry and Northern blot analysis. TGF-alpha immunoreactivity was detected mainly in the epithelial cells of the digestive tract, liver, pancreas, kidney, thyroid, adrenal, skin, mammary gland and genital organs. In the digestive tract, epithelial cells with regenerative change or hyperplastic change showed strong immunoreactivity to TGF-alpha. Peripheral nerve, vessels, megakaryocytes and macrophages in the lung and spleen were also positive for TGF-alpha. By Northern blot analysis the expression of TGF-alpha mRNA was confirmed in the digestive tract, salivary gland, thyroid, kidney and mammary gland. In the human fetus, the nerve tissues, liver, adrenal and kidney were positive for TGF-alpha. Strong immunoreactivity to TGF-alpha was observed in the hepatocytes of the fetus. These findings indicate that TGF-alpha is produced by a variety of non-neoplastic cells in both adult and fetal tissues."}
{"id": "PMID:1466156", "title": "Histology and immunocytochemistry of differentiated thyroid carcinomas do not predict radioiodine uptake: a clinicomorphological study of 62 recurrent or metastatic tumours.", "content": "Sixty-two metastases or recurrences of differentiated thyroid carcinomas were investigated using conventional histology and immunocytochemistry for thyroglobulin (TG), thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3). In each patient, 131I total body scans had been performed 4-10 weeks before surgery. Twenty-seven of the 62 tumours exhibited a predominance of follicles (A1), while 35 either exclusively or predominantly consisted of papillae or, in the case of follicular carcinomas, were predominantly trabecular or solid in structure (A2). TG and T4 immunoreactivity was observed in 60 cases, only 4 of these also expressing T3. Positive radioiodine uptake (RIU) was noted in 27 of 62 (44%) cases (A1:18/27 = 67%; A2:9/35 = 26%), 25 of which showed intraluminal TG and T4 positivity. Two follicular carcinomas showing RIU lacked follicular lumina, but exhibited strong diffuse cytoplasmic positivity for both TG and T4. In another 95 differentiated thyroid carcinomas, the structure of primary and secondary lesions was assessed. Of these, 27 (28%) showed a discordant pattern (A1/A2 or A2/A1) when comparing the structure of primary and secondary lesions. Our data suggest that differentiated thyroid carcinomas show a dissociation of TG/T4 expression and RIU, defects of iodine uptake and storage being found more frequently than a depression of TG and T4 synthesis. Intact synthesis of TG and T4, but not of T3 may be regarded as a prerequisite for RIU. Positive RIU is based on the presence of mature neoplastic follicles containing TG and T4 immunoreactive colloid and among follicular carcinomas, positive RIU may be encountered in neoplasms lacking follicular lumina but exhibiting strong cytoplasmic TG and T4 staining. Finally, the RIU of recurrent and metastatic PC and FC is not predictable from histological features of the primaries."}
{"id": "PMID:1466157", "title": "Immunohistochemical study on the distribution of sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium ATPase in various human tissues using novel monoclonal antibodies.", "content": "Novel monoclonal antibodies were raised against sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium (Ca2+)-ATPase of human skeletal muscle. Immunohistochemical analysis demonstrated that these antibodies, designated 6F5 and 7F10, bind Ca(2+)-ATPase of non-muscle tissue of the adult including parathyroid, islets of Langerhans, anterior lobe of the pituitary gland and photoreceptor cells of the retina as well as skeletal muscle. A positive reaction was also found for fetal tissues including skeletal muscle, heart, chondrocytes and peripheral nerves. Our results for distribution suggest that Ca(2+)-ATPase is strongly expressed in the tissues and cells in which signal transduction is actively carried out by Ca2+ release from the cytoplasmic Ca2+ pool."}
{"id": "PMID:1466158", "title": "Androgens and the testis.", "content": "The present survey focuses on some unique features of the testis as an androgen target tissue. Within the testis androgens act in a paracrine rather than in an endocrine fashion. All the available evidence suggests that the concentration of androgens that surrounds testicular target cells is much higher than that observed in peripheral target tissues, but the exact concentration remains unknown. The concentration of androgens required to maintain spermatogenesis considerably exceeds that observed in the peripheral circulation although it is probably lower than that which exists within the testis. The effects of androgens on spermatogenesis are indirect and are mediated by somatic cells. Sertoli cells are the most likely mediators of the effects of androgens on germ cell development. These cells contain androgen receptors which are upregulated by FSH and by androgens and they respond to androgens in vitro. They are not the only androgen-responsive cells in the testis, however, and some effects of androgens on Sertoli cells (epithelial cells) are indirect and are actually mediated by paracrine factors produced by underlying peritubular cells (mesenchymal cells). Androgen-regulated mesenchymal-epithelial interactions may not be limited to the testis but may be a more general feature of androgen action in several target tissues and our data suggest that the mediators involved may be very similar or identical. A final interesting aspect of androgen action in the testis is that the compartment which responds to androgens (the tubular compartment) may locally modulate the activity of the compartment which is responsible for androgen production (the interstitial compartment). A complex network of paracrine mediators is responsible for these interactions."}
{"id": "PMID:1466159", "title": "[Immunodiagnosis of Taenia saginata cysticercosis].", "content": "Many different serological tests have been investigated in order to replace the current \"knife and eye\" method at the slaughterhouse, which detects only a small fraction of the cattle infected with cysticercosis. Among the assays for the detection of antibodies against the cysticerci of Taenia saginata, the ELISA is certainly the most sensitive, although it is unable to detect lightly infected animals. Consequently it only allows a group diagnosis in naturally infected cattle. The use of purified antigens of T. saginata, T. crassiceps and T. hydatigena did not improve significantly the reliability of these antibody detection tests. Recently monoclonal antibodies have been developed against surface or excretory- and secretory antigens of T. saginata metacestodes, allowing the detection of circulating antigens in the serum of infected cattle. Furthermore these monoclonal antibodies can distinguish animals carrying living, infectious cysticerci from those harbouring only dead cysticerci. Research is currently going on in order to improve the sensitivity of this antigen detection test, so that it can replace the current unreliable meat inspection methods in the slaughterhouse."}
{"id": "PMID:1466160", "title": "Diabetic bone disease. Low turnover osteoporosis related to decreased IGF-I production.", "content": "The influence of insulin on plasma and bone mineral homeostasis was studied in the BB rat model, which develops an autoimmune form of diabetes at the age of about 100 days. Untreated diabetes of short duration resulted in hypercalciuria and intestinal calcium malabsorption despite increased free concentrations of serum 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D. The concentrations of two vitamin D-dependent calcium-binding proteins were also decreased: a low duodenal calbindin-D 9K concentration corresponding to the low intestinal active calcium absorption and a low serum osteocalcin concentration, corresponding to a low bone formation and highly correlated with serum IGF-I concentration. Indeed, on bone histology a very low number of osteoblasts and low osteoblast activity (osteoid formation and mineral apposition rate) were observed. Similar abnormalities persisted in rats with long-standing diabetes resulting in markedly decreased bone mass and increased brittleness of bone. Diabetes therefore resulted in low-turnover osteoporosis. Several hormones (testosterone, growth hormone and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D) and growth factors (IGF-I and its binding proteins) with known effects on bone were markedly decreased in diabetic rats. A continuous infusion of testosterone, GH or 1,25-(OH)2D3 for 14 d by miniosmotic pumps could not improve the biochemical or histomorphometric abnormalities. Insulin infusion for 2 weeks, however, rapidly increased and overcorrected the number of osteoblasts, normalized serum osteocalcin and IGF-I concentrations but could not yet normalize bone mineralization. Continuous infusion of IGF-I alone did not improve the osteoblast number of osteocalcin but markedly stimulated bone mineralization. From these data we can conclude that both insulin and IGF-I are potent bone growth factors but with different mode of action. In human type 1 diabetes, a similar decrease in serum osteocalcin and IGF-I was observed. A reduction of regional bone mass, both in long and trabecular bones, is frequently observed in human diabetes. Cumulative data from case control studies indicate that the life-time fracture risk is increased in diabetes."}
{"id": "PMID:1466162", "title": "[The etiological structure of acute bacterial meningitis in different regions].", "content": "In 1985-1989 the etiological structure of acute bacterial meningitides (ABM) in children was studied in 4 largest industrial cities in different regions of the European part of the former USSR, as well as in 2 industrial cities of western Siberia. Due to the common methodological approach used in all investigations, comparable data were obtained in all cities. These investigations revealed that meningococci caused 53.0-86.7% of all cases of ABM in children, which corresponded to moderately increased morbidity rate in meningococcal infection (3.9-11.0 cases per 100,000 of the population, mostly 5.0-7.0 cases) in these cities with its progressive decrease during 3-4 years of observation. The gradual change of meningococci from group A, prevailing in the '70s and early '80s, to group B and in some cases the appearance of group C meningococci, accompanied by a decrease in morbidity rate, were noted. In St. Petersburg the indices of ABM morbidity in children aged up to 5 years for 1987 and 1988, caused by Haemophilus influenzae (0.74 and 4.13) and pneumococci (3.23 and 4.86), could be calculated. A great number of ABM cases of unclear etiology (15.9-33.3%) suggests that the number of ABM cases caused by these two infective agents was underestimated."}
{"id": "PMID:1466163", "title": "[The HIV infection processes in a hospital: the prognostic possibilities].", "content": "The method of mathematical simulation of the processes of HIV infection in hospitals and clinics is proposed with the aim of predicting the spread of HIV infection throughout the territory of this country. An original mathematical model reproducing, on the whole, the essential properties of HIV infection processes in the course of medical interventions requiring skin punctures has been worked out. An adequate mathematical and computer model imitating the process of HIV infection in a hospital is a convenient instrument for making up prognostic evaluation and for the epidemiological analysis of cases of HIV infection occurring at medical institutions throughout this country."}
{"id": "PMID:1466164", "title": "[The ultrastructure of a new species of Chlamydia--Chlamydia pneumoniae].", "content": "The dynamic study of a new Chlamydia species, C. pneumoniae (strain TWAR, isolate TW-480), inoculated into the monolayer culture of cells L-929 was made 24, 48, 72 and 96 hours after inoculation. When compared with C. trachomatis and C. psittaci, C. pneumoniae were found to stand between these two species with respect to the morphology of their intracytoplasmic microcolonies (inclusions): they were round, almost bubble-like, but more densely packed with chlamydiae, surrounded by an undulate membrane, preserving its integrity until the late stages of their development cycle. In cells L-929 C. pneumoniae had a typical development cycle accompanied by the formation of vegetative and spore-like cells, reticular and elementary bodies, as well as intermediate cells, though this process was slower than in C. trachomatis and C. psittaci. Besides normal elementary bodies, many altered ones were formed in the process of the development of C. pneumoniae in cells L-929. Most of these alterations were similar to the process of bacterial L-transformation and could be regarded as the manifestation of chlamydial pathology related to the adaptation to new host cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1466165", "title": "[HIV infection in the Warsaw Clinic of Infectious Hepatology].", "content": "An epidemiological survey of patients in the Warsaw Clinic of Infectious Hepatology, the Polish National Center of AIDS Control, has been made. The epidemiological evaluation of risk groups and the age of HIV-infected persons has revealed that in Poland they are similar to those in Europe and in the USA (homosexuals and addicts aged 26-30 years). In 12% of the hospitalized patients the full clinical picture of AIDS, in 11.3% pre-AIDS (ARC) and in 58.1% lymphadenopathy (LAS) have been registered. In 18.4% of the patients only antibodies to HIV have been detected. The necessity of timely laboratory examinations for the determination of antibodies to HIV, whose presence may be signalled by any clinical symptom of the disease, has been shown."}
{"id": "PMID:1466166", "title": "[A comparative evaluation of the effectiveness of methods for serological sampling examinations].", "content": "Blood serum samples of 3,448 schoolchildren of grades 1-10 in 35 schools of Dushanbe were examined in the passive hemagglutination test in 1988 and 1989. The proportion of persons unprotected against diphtheria and tetanus was estimated by common methods in different kinds of selective serologic survey: mass screening (43.4-83.0%), testing in selected groups reduced 2, 3 and 5 times, cluster sampling. The reduction of the groups to be examined (from 3,033 to 250 persons) was not accompanied by essential changes (t < 2) in the characteristics of mass immunity against diphtheria and tetanus. The cluster method was shown to be highly reliable also in the study of population immunity."}
{"id": "PMID:1466167", "title": "[The characteristics of the epidemic process of hospital infections in maternity hospitals influenced by an operational management system].", "content": "As shown in this investigation, the introduction of the algorithmic system of the control of the epidemiological process of hospital infections (HI) in maternity hospitals makes it possible to reduce HI-induced morbidity and mortality rates more than by half, as well as to alter their nosological and age structures, without additional economic expenditures and under the existing material conditions of maternity hospitals. Such success is achieved by the observation of infection precursors indicating the activation of the mechanisms of the transmission of Staphylococcus, Escherichia and Klebsiella infections and the risk factors (preconditions) facilitating this activation with the immediate involvement of all relevant specialists into action at the stage when an increase in the contamination of newborns and puerperal women is noted and not as late as at the stage of morbidity and mortality."}
{"id": "PMID:1466168", "title": "[The antibody response of animals to a corpuscular meningococcal group-B preparation with different methods of immunization].", "content": "As revealed in animal experiments, the formation of antibodies to group-B N. meningitidis antigens (group-specific polysaccharide, lipopolysaccharide and outer membrane proteins) in response to administration of meningococcal corpuscular preparations depends on the method of administration, the dose, and the number of administrations. In the sera of rabbits, immunized orally, antibodies to all three antigens in sufficiently high titers have been detected."}
{"id": "PMID:1466169", "title": "[The effect of a ribosomal Shigella sonnei vaccine on cellular immune reactions].", "content": "The influence of S. sonnei ribosomal vaccine on hematopoiesis, T- and B-cell-mediated immune reactions has been studied in the course of the development of experimental vaccinal process. The vaccine stimulated hematopoiesis, that was characterized by a dose-dependent increase in colony-forming units in the spleen (CFUs), a rise in CFUs in the blood and bone marrow and an increase in the pool of proliferating stem cells in bone marrow, shortly after injection. A pronounced immunostimulating effect of the vaccine on the formation of antibody-producing cells (APC) to heterologous antigen (sheep red blood cells) in the spleen has been established, and the vaccine has also been found to stimulate, though to a lesser extent, APC synthetizing specific antibodies to S. sonnei LPS. The injection of S. sonnei ribosomal vaccine influences the functional activity of effector T-cells; in its turn this phenomenon produces phasic changes in the migration activity of spleen cells in the presence of specific LPS and surface polysaccharide antigen of S. sonnei in phase I."}
{"id": "PMID:1466170", "title": "[The use of monolaurates for removing endotoxins from preparations of cell-free pertussis vaccine].", "content": "The possibility of using monolaurates for removing endotoxin from acellular pertussis vaccines developed at the Laboratory of Immunomodulators, Mechnikov Research Institute for Vaccines and Sera (Moscow), has been studied. Monolaurates PEG-400 and PEG-600 obtained, respectively, from Fluka Chemie AG and Ferak GmbH (Germany) have been used. The use of monolaurate PEG-600 ensures the decrease of the toxicity of acellular pertussis vaccines by 2.34-6.3 times."}
{"id": "PMID:1466171", "title": "[The protein admixture content in a tick-borne encephalitis vaccine and its purification by means of microfiltration].", "content": "The method of rocket immunoelectrophoresis permits the detection of all antigenic admixtures in tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) vaccine. Human serum albumin constitutes the main part of protein admixtures in the preparation. Purification by microfiltration is an effective stage of the technological process of obtaining purified TBE vaccine."}
{"id": "PMID:1466172", "title": "[The evaluation of the mutagenic activity of pertussis vaccinal preparations].", "content": "Two vaccine preparations obtained from Bordetella pertussis, whole-cell vaccine constituting one of the components of adsorbed DPT vaccine and acellular vaccine, were tested for mutagenicity. The doses of the preparations covered the range 1-100 ED50. Ames' test and the metaphase analysis of marrow cells of C57BL/6J mice were used. The acellular preparation was also tested on thymectomized mice, taking into consideration chromosomal aberrations in marrow metaphases. Whole-cell and acellular pertussis vaccines did not induce mutations in Salmonella typhimurium and chromosomal aberrations in mouse marrow cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1466173", "title": "[Experimental influenzal and tuberculous infections under conditions of specific and nonspecific immunosuppression].", "content": "The course of influenza and tuberculosis infections under the conditions of disturbances in the immune response of experimental animals has been studied. As revealed in the survival test, the induction of secondary T- and B-cell-mediated immunodeficiency in mice leads to an increase in the sensitivity of the body to influenza virus, especially in cases of T-cell-mediated immunodeficiency. The injection of BCG in combination with cyclophosphamide into mice induces tolerance to this antigen in the animals; this tolerance has a \"split\" character, i.e. it affects only T-cell-mediated, but not humoral immunity. The induction of T-cell-mediated immunodeficiency or tolerance to BCG in mice has been shown (in the survival test) to lead to the development of the sensitivity of the animals to experimental tuberculosis infection. B-cell-mediated immunodeficiency did not influence the animal survival rate."}
{"id": "PMID:1466174", "title": "[A comparative immunochemical analysis of allergoids and allergens].", "content": "In comparison with allergens having protein fragments with a molecular weight not exceeding 110 kD, allergoids have been found to consist of larger fragments with a molecular weight of 10-150 kD. Allergoids have less charged components than initial allergens and less antigenic components. Allergoids retain their capacity for stimulating the production of antibodies, specific to all antigenic components."}
{"id": "PMID:1466180", "title": "[The characteristics of the colonization resistance of the intestines in conventional animals with a history of clinical death].", "content": "After modeling the terminal state caused by the acute loss of blood in rats their intestinal microflora was studied, as was their resistance to colonization. Decreased resistance to colonization was registered early after resuscitation (up to 3 days), which was confirmed by the translocation of bacteria into internal organs, decreased number of lactobacilli in the contents of the small intestine and elevated level of enterobacteria in the intestine. Disturbances in resistance to colonization was also manifested by prolonged colonization of the digestive tract of the resuscitated animals by Escherichia coli indicator strain K12pSS-120 carrying Shigella sonnei (phase I) invasiveness plasmid."}
{"id": "PMID:1466181", "title": "Characterization of contact dermatitis and atopy using bioengineering techniques. A survey.", "content": "Bioengineering techniques useful in the characterization of contact dermatitis and atopy are surveyed, including non-invasive techniques for the measurement of skin colour, blood flow, skin surface temperature, skin surface contour, water barrier, and skin surface hydration. Ultrasound measurement of skin thickness and edema formation, and ultrasound cross-sectional imaging are also included. Structural and pathophysiological findings in the different types of dermatitis are outlined. Weal or hive formation is covered additionally."}
{"id": "PMID:1466182", "title": "Scaling, dry skin and gender. A bioengineering study of dry skin.", "content": "Dry skin and scaling was studied in a group of 72 healthy volunteers by using subjective self-assessment and by clinical assessment by a dermatologist, as well as application of noninvasive bioengineering techniques to measure scaling and epidermal hydration. The study revealed that 67% of the volunteers had subjective complaints, while only 5.6% had definite clinical signs of dry skin at the time of examination. Subjective complaints were more common in women than in men (p < 0.001), though neither clinical nor objective measurements showed any sex difference, which suggests that other factors may play a role in the way men and women perceive dry skin. Subjective and clinical scores were correlated (p < 0.02), though neither was significantly correlated to objective measurements. Grading of skin scaling on D-squame tapes correlated with densitometry of the tapes (p < 0.001), as did the electrical capacitance (p < 0.001). Both clinical and objective methods can identify dry skin. However, the study showed that in healthy persons a number of irrational factors play a role in the use of moisturizers, and while these factors cannot be measured, they must be taken into account. Healthy, but dry skin is a vaguely defined clinical entity, which may explain the generally poor correlation between the two methods. This underlines the need for several methods to be used simultaneously in order to elicit complementary information."}
{"id": "PMID:1466183", "title": "A three-hour test for rapid comparison of effects of moisturizers and active constituents (urea). Measurement of hydration, scaling and skin surface lipidization by noninvasive techniques.", "content": "An in vivo skin test for rapid comparison of the efficacy of moisturizers is introduced. Test substances were applied to flexor side forearm skin, and measurements by non-invasive techniques were performed after 3 h. As indicators of epidermal hydration, the electrical conductance and capacitance were measured. To quantify the effects on scale pattern, D-Squame tapes were scored and the optical transmission measured. Moreover, skin surface lipids resulting from lotion lipids were measured. Lotions and different concentrations of urea could be ranked in a consistent way, viz. untreated skin < vehicle < 3% urea lotion < 10% urea lotion. Urea was concluded to be very potent as a skin humidifier and as a descaling agent, particularly in 10% concentration. Humidity characteristics correlated much better with the concentration of urea than with lipidization of the skin surface due to lotion lipids. A 3-hour test period was sufficient for the evaluation of the effects of moisturizers on both epidermal hydration and scale pattern. With a rapid test method, sources of variation such as diurnal and day-to-day variations, dosage and non-compliance are easily controlled. Further, by using non-invasive methods, the assessment has been rendered objective."}
{"id": "PMID:1466184", "title": "A double-blind comparison of two creams containing urea as the active ingredient. Assessment of efficacy and side-effects by non-invasive techniques and a clinical scoring scheme.", "content": "From a group of 72 healthy individuals, 47 with evidence of dry skin according to measurements by non-invasive techniques were enrolled for a 3-week study with double-blind and randomized treatment of one forearm, using either 3% urea cream (HTH lotion 'light') or 10% urea cream (HTH lotion 'Original'). The contralateral forearm served as an untreated control. Two volunteers had to be excluded because measurements of skin surface lipids gave evidence of vehicle components on the skin surface at the time of final evaluations. Evaluations took place not less than 12 h after the last application. According to questionnaire replies, the two creams were equally effective. This was confirmed by \"blind\" evaluation of the skin hydration state by a dermatologist, measurements of electrical capacitance and conductance indicating epidermal and skin surface hydration, and by D-Squame tape assessments including optical transmission of tapes with stratum corneum and scales from adhering skin, as well as visual scoring of the tapes. The methods showed a high degree of correlation, i.a. a definite relation between increase in electrical hydration parameters, reduced scaling according to the D-Squame tape evaluations, and clinical improvement of dryness. In skin treated with 10% urea cream the transepidermal water loss (TEWL) decreased, indicating an improved water barrier function. Skin colour measurement according to the CIE colour system showed that skin treated with the 3% urea cream turned in the direction of yellow, and there was generally a tendency for the brightness to decrease. Thus, the 3% urea cream gave the skin a more golden colour. There was no change in redness with any of the creams. Neither data from the questionnaire, the clinical examination, nor results of TEWL and colour measurements indicated any local irritant effect of urea causing water barrier damage or inflammation. In conclusion, the 3% and 10% urea creams were both found efficient, resulting in improvement of hydration and reduction of scaling. Both were non-toxic. However, specific differences did appear, viz. the 3% urea cream turned the skin colour golden, while the 10% urea cream improved the skin's water barrier function."}
{"id": "PMID:1466185", "title": "An experimental study of irritant effects of urea in different vehicles.", "content": "The properties of urea as an irritant were investigated. Seventeen healthy volunteers were patch tested with 20% urea using petrolatum and water, respectively, as vehicles. Irritant effects of urea were assessed by clinical evaluation of patch test reactions as well as by various non-invasive methods. The inflammatory response was quantified by laser Doppler flowmetry measuring the superficial blood flow, and by ultrasound A-scan reflecting the edema formation. Impairment of the barrier function was indicated by measurement of transepidermal water loss (TEWL). It is concluded that 20% urea in petrolatum applied under occlusion for 24 h elicits significant inflammation (i.e. increase in blood flow and skin thickness) and causes impairment of the skin barrier (i.e. increased TEWL). The irritant impact of urea on the skin depends upon the vehicle used, the irritant effect being intensified when urea is dispensed in petrolatum compared with water."}
{"id": "PMID:1466186", "title": "Market research surveys in the marketing of consumer products.", "content": "To achieve commercial success, any skin care product having given functional properties will on the consumer market also depend on a high degree of attraction, comfort and effective marketing. To accomplish this, consumer surveys are necessary in the various stages of product development and the marketing process. A brief description of the latter is given and of the various types of related surveys. To illustrate certain product tests, examples are given of the relaunch of HTH in the nordic markets."}
{"id": "PMID:1466188", "title": "Urea in the treatment of dry skin.", "content": "Urea is a unique physiological substance. It has frequently been used in dermatological therapy for more than 20 years. The relevant properties of urea with regard to its use in dermatological preparations are discussed in this brief review. Urea's natural presence in the horny layer, its water solubility, dipolar character and relation to concentrated solutions of electrolytes, are highlighted. The clinical use of urea creams is discussed with respect to indications, side-effects and combinations with other substances."}
{"id": "PMID:1466189", "title": "Dry skin in atopic dermatitis.", "content": "Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a common, chronically recurring skin disorder. Dry skin is a common finding in patients with AD, apart from the dermatitis. Although there are obvious clinical signs of an impaired barrier function of the skin, few investigators have studied this aspect of AD. The stratum corneum, where the barrier is located, has been studied with different techniques in patients with AD, and the results are now presented. The water-binding capacity of dry atopic skin was found to be reduced when measured with an in vitro microbalance technique. TEWL (transepidermal water loss) measured with and Evaporimeter Ep1, was increased in dry skin and in clinically normal skin of atopics on predilection areas. Water content was decreased in dry atopic skin, when measured with the Corneometer CM 420. In a quantitative electron microscopic study, the lamellar bodies were found to have an increased relative volume in dry atopic skin. When using chromatographic analysis, preliminary data suggested reduced amounts of extractable stratum corneum lipids in patients with AD. In a clinical study, 80% of the patients with AD regarded their skin as being dry. Fifty percent were found to have areas of dry skin, on clinical examination. By scanning electron microscopy (SEM), the surface pattern of dry atopic skin was found to be coarse and irregular. When using profilometry, quantitative differences in roughness parameters were found in dry atopic vis-\u00e0-vis to normal skin.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1466190", "title": "Hypoparathyroidism in beta-thalassemia major. Clinical and laboratory observations in 24 patients.", "content": "In the last 18 years, we have observed 24 cases of hypoparathyroidism (HPT) in beta-thalassemia major. At present, 4.5% of patients followed regularly in our department have this complication. HPT is thought to be mainly the consequence of iron deposition in the parathyroid glands. The age of our patients when HPT was diagnosed ranged from 11 to 24 years (mean 16.5 years). Their serum ferritin levels ranged from 810 to 15,200 ng/ml (mean 3,772 ng/ml). The severity of HPT varied widely. In only 3 patients was hypocalcemia severe with signs of tetany, seizures or cardiac failure. The onset of HPT was preceded or followed in most patients by other endocrine and/or cardiac complications. We found no clear relationship between HPT and serum ferritin levels in our patients, suggesting either an individual sensitivity to iron toxicity or early damage of the parathyroid gland before chelation had reduced the iron overload. However, the diagnosis of no new cases of HPT in the last 3 years coinciding with the much improved regime of chelation therapy suggests that chelation may have helped to prevent the development of HPT."}
{"id": "PMID:1466191", "title": "Effect of cimetidine on peripheral blood lymphocytes from chronic uremic patients: improvement of burst-promoting activity.", "content": "We have studied the in vitro effect of cimetidine, an inhibitor of suppressor T lymphocytes, on T lymphocytes of 6 uremic subjects and on normal T lymphocytes preincubated with the serum from the same patients. Cimetidine has been shown to increase the burst-promoting activity (BPA) of uremic T lymphocytes and to partially improve the BPA of normal T lymphocytes preincubated with uremic serum. The present study shows that suppressor T lymphocytes are not affected by uremic inhibitors and that chronic uremia, besides inducing a decrease in the number of helper T lymphocytes, impairs their ability to stimulate the BFU-E in vitro growth."}
{"id": "PMID:1466192", "title": "Effects of physical stress on complete blood count and venous blood gas profile of individuals with sickle cell trait.", "content": "The association between sickle cell trait (SCT) and adverse effects of exercise has been controversial. While individuals with SCT are at higher risk of sudden death, the mechanism for this outcome remains to be elucidated. In order to shed light on this controversy, we have monitored venous blood count and blood gas parameter values in normal and SCT subjects during treadmill exercise. White and red blood cell counts and hemoglobin changed significantly over time in both the SCT and normal groups, with peak exercise values different from pre-exercise or post-exercise values. Red blood cell counts showed significant group-time interaction; increase in count during exercise was accentuated in SCT subjects. All blood gas parameters showed significant changes over time in both groups. O2 content was significantly higher in SCT than AA at all time intervals. O2 saturation, pO2 and CO binding to hemoglobin showed significant group-time interaction. Furthermore, O2 saturation for the combined groups was significantly greater at peak exercise and at rest than before exercise. It is possible that treadmill exercise causes microvascular shunting in SCT subjects, leading to a decrease in the peripheral utilization of oxygen."}
{"id": "PMID:1466193", "title": "IgM autoagglutinins in warm autoimmune hemolytic anemia: a poor prognostic feature.", "content": "The presence of both complete IgM autoagglutinins and IgG autoantibodies in warm autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA) is an uncommon finding. Over a 6-year period, only 5 of 115 (4.1%) patients with AIHA had IgM and IgG autoantibodies. In 3 of the 5 cases, the complete IgM autoagglutinins reacted up to 30 degrees C and these patients responded well to corticosteroid or other therapies for warm AIHA. The 2 patients who had warm (37 degrees C) reactive IgM autoagglutinins, were refractory to corticosteroids, splenectomy and cytotoxic drugs, and died due to the complications of hemolytic anemia. The data in these 5 cases suggest that the thermal amplitude of the IgM antibody in these unusual AIHA cases may be predictive of refractoriness to therapy and poor clinical outcome."}
{"id": "PMID:1466194", "title": "Paroxysmal nocturnal haemoglobinuria in Indians.", "content": "Paroxysmal nocturnal haemoglobinuria (PNH) was diagnosed in 11 patients attending the haematology clinic of a private community hospital in Hyderabad, India over a 3-year period. Compared to PNH occurring in Caucasians, the patients were younger, and showed a marked male preponderance; severe thrombocytopenia, haemorrhagic complications from thrombocytopenia and infectious complications were not seen. Thrombotic complications were common. Fever during periods of haemoglobinuria was a notable feature in 4 patients. None of the patients had the aplastic anaemia PNH syndrome."}
{"id": "PMID:1466195", "title": "Spontaneous remission with cyclic leukocytosis in chronic myelogenous leukemia.", "content": "A 41-year-old female with Philadelphia chromosome (Ph1)-positive chronic myelogenous leukemia was observed for 7 years. Cytotoxic therapy was not instituted until blastic crisis developed in the last 4 months. Successive hematologic measurements revealed cyclic fluctuations in blood leukocyte and platelet counts. These cycles had an average duration of 71 days during the 43 months observed. The oscillation amplitude decreased gradually over time, followed by hematologic remission until the last 4 months. The possible relationship between long-term survival and cyclic leukocytosis is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1466196", "title": "Ketoconazole and high-dose methylprednisolone predisposing to cyclosporine-induced seizures: report of 3 cases.", "content": "Three consecutive cases of severe aplastic anemia undergoing immunosuppressive therapy with cyclosporin A (CyA) and high-dose methylprednisolone (HDMP) developed grand mal seizures after receiving ketoconazole treatment. All the seizures were reversed after transient discontinuation of those drugs. To our knowledge, it has not been reported as yet that the combination of ketoconazole and HDMP may considerably increase the risk of CyA-induced seizure. We would advise that ketoconazole and HDMP not be taken concomitantly with CyA treatment, and whenever ketoconazole therapy is needed, CyA be started with as small a dose as possible."}
{"id": "PMID:1466197", "title": "Successful plasmapheresis in corticosteroid-resistant hemolysis in infectious mononucleosis: role of autoantibodies against triosephosphate isomerase.", "content": "A 19-year-old girl fell ill with a high temperature and cervical lymphadenopathy. The detection of heterophile antibodies as well as Epstein-Barr-virus-specific antibodies confirmed the diagnosis of infectious mononucleosis. In the course of the infection, the patient developed severe hemolytic anemia with her hemoglobin falling from 14 to 8 g/dl. High-dose corticosteroid therapy did not stop hemolysis; this could only be achieved by seven plasmapheresis sessions. Antibodies against triosephosphate isomerase (TPI) and the blood group marker 'i' were found in the patient's serum. Anti-i cold agglutinins were not active at 37 degrees C, whereas antibodies against TPI caused increased 51Cr release from marked patient's erythrocytes in vitro. Plasmapheresis removed the autoantibodies effectively and stopped the hemolysis. After 8 weeks, the patient gradually recovered."}
{"id": "PMID:1466198", "title": "Neutrophilic pustulosis associated with chronic myeloid leukemia: a special form of Sweet's syndrome. Report of two cases.", "content": "Two subjects with Ph-positive chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) in whom pustular Sweet's syndrome was diagnosed are reported. The first patient was a 47-year-old woman who developed fever, painful ulcers of the oral mucosa and vagina and generalized pustulous skin lesions 2 years after the diagnosis of CML. Histologically, the skin lesions consisted of dense neutrophilic infiltrates with perifollicular disposition. The microbiologic studies were negative. The lesions showed a favorable response to corticosteroids, but fever recurred with every attempt of tapering prednisone; it finally disappeared with the addition of oral cyclophosphamide. The second patient was a 45-year-old man who developed fever and disseminated pustules with histologic features consistent with Sweet's syndrome and negative microbiologic studies at 2.5 years after diagnosis of CML. The picture showed a dramatic response to prednisone and did not recur after the drug was discontinued. In both patients, CML remained stable after resolution of Sweet's syndrome."}
{"id": "PMID:1466199", "title": "A novel chromosomal translocation t(3;17)(q29;q11) in a case with polycythemia vera.", "content": "We report a novel chromosomal translocation t(3;17)(q29;q11) in a case with polycythemia vera (PV). The present case (38-year-old male) developed the spent phase of PV after a 10 years' clinical course and showed excessive proliferation of myeloid cells in the bone marrow. The karyotype analysis of the bone marrow cells showed chromosomal translocation t(3;17)(q29;q11), and the same aberration was detected in the granulocyte-colony-stimulating-factor-stimulated peripheral blood cells, suggesting the cells with the t(3;17)(q29;q11) showed myeloid differentiation. It is known as well that the retinoic acid receptor gene, which is related with a myeloid disorder, is located in 17q11. Thus, the novel chromosomal translocation could be associated with the pathogenesis of the disorder in this patient."}
{"id": "PMID:1466203", "title": "Distribution of IgG subtypes in maternal anti-D sera and their prognostic value in Rh haemolytic disease of the new-born.", "content": "In 107 Rh(D)-immunized women having Rh(D)-positive pregnancy screening for IgG subtypes was carried out between the 34th and 36th week of gestation. Using polyclonal IgG subtype-specific reagents, all four IgG subclasses were detected in anti-D sera though IgG1 and IgG3 were the most predominant classes. IgG3 anti-D was usually low titre. At the same level of Rh(D) antibody titre, haemolytic disease of the new-born was more severe when anti-D was IgG1 type than IgG3 type. When the IgG1 and IgG3 anti-D subtypes existed together, the risk of having a stillborn child was very high compared to other subtypes (IgG1 + IgG3 34.8%, IgG1 19.2% and IgG3 15.4%)."}
{"id": "PMID:1466204", "title": "Novel type of clonally involved cytoplasmic immunoglobulin-negative cells in multiple myeloma: flow cytometric study.", "content": "In order to identify myeloma cells and their precursor cells, we studied bone marrow samples from 39 patients with multiple myeloma, including 2 with plasma cell leukemia, using dual parameter cytometry of both DNA and cytoplasmic immunoglobulin (Cyt-Ig). Myeloma cells from 25 patients (64.1%) were aneuploid and those from the remaining 14 patients were diploid. In 25 patients with aneuploid myeloma, we found a small component of cells which had aneuploid DNA content without Cyt-Ig in addition to myeloma cells showing aneuploidy with Cyt-Ig. These aneuploid Cyt-Ig-negative cells were considered to be clonally involved because they were aneuploid, and detected predominantly in patients with stage III myeloma. This suggests that these cells may contribute to disease progression. The characteristics of these cells are described and the relationship between these cells and myeloma precursor cells is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1466205", "title": "Diagnosis of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) mutations by DNA amplification and allele-specific oligonucleotide probes.", "content": "We have recently identified that at least four types of mutation are responsible for the glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) polymorphism in the Chinese of Taiwan. Two mutations (487 G-->A and 493 A-->G) occurring at nucleotide position 487 and 493, respectively, create Alu I and Ava II recognition sites which enabled us to directly examine these two mutations by PCR/restriction enzyme (RE) digestion. However, the other two mutations (1376 G-->T and 1388 G-->A), which do not generate any recognizable restriction sites, were detected by DNA sequencing method which is not suitable for rapid diagnosis. Using the PCR technique, we have successfully developed a simple and rapid method for the detection of 1376 and 1388 mutations. This method involves the selective amplification of a DNA fragment from human G6PD gene with specific oligonucleotide primers, followed by hybridization with allele-specific oligonucleotide (ASO) probes. Using the PCR/ASO and PCR/RE methods, we have successfully examined two families and 20 unrelated subjects with G6PD deficiency. Our results indicate that the PCR/ASO method is suitable for the rapid determination of 1376 and 1388 mutations. The combined use of PCR/ASO and PCR/RE methods will be suitable for rapid diagnosis of four known G6PD mutations in Chinese."}
{"id": "PMID:1466206", "title": "Hemolytic anemia and thrombocytopenia induced by cyanidanol.", "content": "Five patients who received cyanidanol for 4-36 months are presented. Three developed both hemolytic anemia and thrombocytopenia, while 2 had only thrombocytopenia. After suspending the drug the hematological values returned to normal in all of the patients. Drug-dependent platelet antibodies were detected in 4 of the 5 patients and cyanidanol-dependent red blood cell antibodies were present in 3. There are various mechanisms involved in the cyanidanol-induced immune cytopenias and, as in the present study, were sometimes simultaneously observed in the same patient."}
{"id": "PMID:1466208", "title": "Effect of antithrombin concentrate on haemostatic variables in critically ill patients.", "content": "In a controlled pilot study of 32 critically ill patients, we have attempted prospectively to identify laboratory variables which can be used to select and monitor patients on antithrombin (AT) therapy. Patients with plasma AT levels less than 70% of normal were randomized to receive (AT group) or not to receive AT concentrate (non-AT group). The groups did not differ in median age, sex, median APACHE II and TISS scores, number of days spent in the Intensive Care Unit or mortality rate. At the time of inclusion all patients had activated coagulation and fibrinolysis demonstrated as high levels of soluble fibrin, thrombin-antithrombin complexes and fibrin-D-dimers (twice, four and ten times the upper reference range, respectively). In the AT group these levels decreased faster and the prothrombin complex concentration increased more rapidly to normal (i.e. the prothrombin time decreased). The level of C-reactive protein which was high in both groups on inclusion (139 and 98 mg/l, respectively) decreased by 40% in the AT group but did not change in the control group. Our study indicates that laboratory variables normalize faster in seriously ill patients who have activated coagulation and fibrinolysis when they receive AT concentrate and that the variables mentioned above seem to be useful for monitoring the treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1466209", "title": "Therapeutic intervention scoring system (TISS)--a method for measuring workload and calculating costs in the ICU.", "content": "The Therapeutic Intervention Scoring System (TISS) is an easily applicable method for measurement of workload in the intensive care unit (ICU). In the present study a modified TISS-scoring (mTISS) was performed daily during 1988-1989 on 2693 patients in a general ICU. Of these, 900 could be classified as 'true' ICU-patients (ICU-stay > or = 24 h or TISS > or = 20 points), whereas the rest were postoperative. In ICU-patients the average length of stay was 4.5 +/- 8.9 days and the average workload 114 +/- 218 mTISS-points. The workload was not significantly related to age or type of admission (scheduled vs unscheduled). Hospital non-survivors (13.6%) showed a significantly increased mean total mTISS-score (239 +/- 364, P < 0.001). Critically ill (TISS Class IV) patients (14% of the sample), with an average workload of 437 +/- 401 mTISS-points, consumed 53% of the total resources. Patients categorized (ICD-9) to respiratory and infectious diseases showed the greatest average workload (207 +/- 315 and 208 +/- 355 mTISS-points, respectively). A workload-index was also developed relating the actual workload to the ICU personnel. The cost of each mTISS-point was calculated. In conclusion, the present study showed that mTISS is a valuable tool when evaluating resource utilization in the ICU. Together with the proposed workload-index and calculation of costs, mTISS could be used for ICU management control."}
{"id": "PMID:1466210", "title": "Sublingual premedication with brotizolam.", "content": "This randomized, double-blind and double-dummy study was carried out in order to compare the perioperative sedation after premedication with either brotizolam 0.25-0.50 mg sublingually or diazepam 5-10 mg orally. Sixty-two patients aged 18-60 years scheduled for minor gynaecological surgery in general anaesthesia were included. Assessments were: 1. auditory continued response time (ACRT); 2. coma scale; 3. anxiety scale; and 4. final patient questionnaire. One hour after premedication the brotizolam group was more sedated, based on ACRT (P < 0.01) and the coma scale (P < 0.05). The final questionnaire showed (P < 0.05) that the brotizolam group was more satisfied with the effect of the premedication. Seven hours after the premedication the ACRT scores in both groups were similar to those before premedication and all the patients could walk about freely. In conclusion, as a premedicant in outpatients sublingual brotizolam appears to be a good alternative to diazepam."}
{"id": "PMID:1466211", "title": "Recollections of general anaesthesia: a survey of anaesthesiological practice.", "content": "In order to identify the factors to which patients attach importance when undergoing general anaesthesia, 678 patients were retrospectively asked about their recollections of previous anaesthetics during routine preoperative screening over a period of 14 months. The most frequently mentioned recollections concerned the post-anaesthetic period, followed by recollections of the induction of anaesthesia. From the post-anaesthetic period, nausea/vomiting and drowsiness were most often cited. The number of anaesthetics previously undergone had no influence on the reports of the two most frequently mentioned complaints. The rate of nausea/vomiting in this series was 21.0%. The number of patients reporting nausea/vomiting following an anaesthetic has not changed over the years. The last 250 patients were asked to assess the quality of their anaesthetics on a 5-point scale. More than a quarter of the patients were not satisfied with the anaesthesia. No correlation was found between the assessment of the anaesthesia and complaints about nausea/vomiting and drowsiness. The possible role of psychological factors in the origin of complaints about anaesthesia is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1466212", "title": "Lidocaine pretreatment effectively decreases the incidence of hiccups during methohexitone administration for dilatation and curettage.", "content": "The efficacy of lidocaine 1 mg.kg-1 for prevention of methohexitone-induced hiccups was assessed in a double-blind fashion in 200 patients undergoing dilatation and curettage for pregnancy interruption. The patients were randomly assigned to receive either lidocaine 1% or saline 0.9% in a similar way (1 ml for every 10 kg of body weight). The incidence of hiccups was 16% in the control group compared to 6% in the lidocaine group. We speculate that this reduction in the methohexitone-induced hiccup ratio is related to lidocaine's membrane-stabilizing properties, which decrease the excitability of all the nervous structures involved in this reflex."}
{"id": "PMID:1466213", "title": "A device for measuring the lateral wall cuff pressure of endotracheal tubes.", "content": "A new method for measuring the lateral wall pressure on the trachea from cuffs of endotracheal tubes is presented. The method is based on measuring the force necessary to force a small, constant flow of air through a Teflon or silicone rubber envelope, placed between the cuff and the tracheal wall. The pressures recorded are 0.1 to 0.3 kPa higher than the theoretically correct values. The response time is 0.28 s for 90% of full deflection. Dynamic recordings of the lateral wall pressure of high and low residual volume cuffs can be obtained for analysis of the interaction between the cuff and the tracheal compliance. No method for accurate, dynamic recording of the lateral wall cuff pressure has previously been published."}
{"id": "PMID:1466214", "title": "Clinical and metabolic responses to different kinds of premedication in ASA III patients.", "content": "Clinical and metabolic responses to atropine plus pethidine and to scopolamine plus morphine premedication were studied in 45 ASA physical status III patients undergoing gynaecological procedures. Atropine 0.5 mg plus pethidine 50 mg intramuscularly (Group 1), scopolamine 0.24 mg plus morphine 8 mg (Group 2), or intramuscular placebo (Group 3) premedication were given in random, double-blind fashion. Scopolamine-morphine premedication caused a significant decrease in energy expenditure (EE) and oxygen consumption (VO2) (from 1229 +/- 193 to 1184 +/- 221 kcal/24 h, P = 0.004 and from 105 +/- 11 to 102 +/- 12 ml/min/m2, P = 0.006, respectively) simultaneously with a decrease in rate-pressure product (RPP) (P = 0.0001) and an increase in pressure-rate quotient (PRQ) (P = 0.034). Atropine-pethidine premedication induced a decrease in RPP but not in EE or VO2. In the placebo group both RPP and VO2 first increased and then slowly returned to the levels measured prior to premedication. The RPP was significantly lower in Group 2 than in Groups 1 and 3 at both 30 and 60 min. The degrees of subjective tiredness and anxiolysis were significantly greater in Groups 1 and 2 (showing good sedative and anxiolytic effect) than in Group 3. These results show that in ASA III patients, atropine-pethidine premedication does not decrease the sympathoadrenal reaction to the degree its anxiolytic and sedative effect would suggest. This may indicate neuroendocrine stress induced by atropine-pethidine."}
{"id": "PMID:1466215", "title": "The effects of propofol, methohexitone and isoflurane on the baroreceptor reflex in the cat.", "content": "The effects of propofol (P), methohexitone (M) and isoflurane (I) on the baroreceptor reflex were studied in a cat model in which the blood pressure in a bilateral isolated carotid sinus preparation was artificially varied between 50-200 mmHg. The influence from aortic and cardiopulmonary baroreceptors was excluded by vagotomy. With basal chloralose anaesthesia as control, the investigated anaesthetics were used in doses corresponding to MAC 0.5 and 1.0. The maximum change in systemic mean arterial pressure (MAP) and heart rate (HR) following a defined increase in carotid sinus pressure was used as an index of baroreceptor reflex sensitivity. Compared to control, M and I anaesthesia were associated with significant depression of baroreceptor reflex sensitivity at the high dose (corresponding to MAC 1.0), and during I anaesthesia also at the low dose (MAC 0.5). The baroreceptor reflex sensitivity was maintained during propofol anaesthesia. The carotid sinus pressure interval at which the maximum changes in MAP could be elicited, was significantly higher during M than during P. This indicates resetting of the baroreflex."}
{"id": "PMID:1466216", "title": "Ventilatory effects of epidural clonidine during the first 3 hours after caesarean section.", "content": "Many authors have shown the analgesic efficacy of 150-800 micrograms of epidural clonidine in the postoperative period. Its use as an analgesic after caesarean section has recently been studied with higher dosages (400-800 micrograms). Our study aimed at assessing the analgesic and ventilatory effects of two smaller doses of epidural clonidine (150 and 300 micrograms), which were compared to the effects of 10 mg of parenteral morphine (M) during the first 3 h after caesarean section. The duration of the analgesic effect was longest with 150 micrograms of epidural clonidine. Arterial blood pressure decreased from 30 min after the injection to the end of the study in both epidural clonidine groups. A marked sedation was observed in patients receiving 300 micrograms of epidural clonidine and was frequently associated with snoring, obstructive apnoea and episodes of arterial oxygen desaturation. We conclude that 150 micrograms of epidural clonidine provides better and longer analgesia after caesarean section than 10 mg of parenteral morphine, and seems preferable to higher doses (300 micrograms) in this setting, since 300 micrograms of epidural clonidine may produce unacceptable respiratory obstructive disturbances."}
{"id": "PMID:1466217", "title": "Elimination of apparatus dead space--a simple method for improving CO2 removal without increasing airway pressure.", "content": "During mechanical ventilation the apparatus dead space can be eliminated by insufflating through one lumen of a tracheal double-lumen tube and allowing expiration through the other. In six intravenously anesthetized pigs, this technique resulted in an 18% (1 kPa) decrease in PaCO2 compared with insufflating through both lumens (32 ml rebreathing volume). Oxygenation, airway pressures, and tidal volumes were unchanged. Flushing the trachea with fresh gas during the expiratory phase did not improve the efficiency of ventilation. It is concluded that elimination of apparatus dead space improves CO2 removal without increasing airway pressures and tidal volumes, and it is suggested that minimization of apparatus dead space should be tried before more advanced ventilatory modes are considered."}
{"id": "PMID:1466218", "title": "Gas exchange impairment and pulmonary densities after cardiac surgery.", "content": "In 11 patients with impaired respiratory function after coronary artery revascularization surgery, thoracic computed tomography (TCT) and cardiopulmonary profile were obtained. The patients were haemodynamically stable without clinical or radiological signs of lung oedema. Oxygenation was reduced in all patients (alveolo-arterial PO2-difference (PA-aO2) = 37.3 +/- 10.39 kPa, venous admixture (QVA/QT) = 26.4 +/- 4.4%) during mechanical ventilation with positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP = 5 cmH2O) (0.5 kPa). TCT-scan analysis revealed considerable amounts of crest-shaped bilateral densities in dependent lung regions. There were no differences between the right and left hemithorax. Atelectatic lung tissues were defined as areas presenting with attenuation values of -200 to +20 Hounsfield Units. The magnitude of non-ventilated areas correlated with QVA/QT (r = 0.875, P < or = 0.01), but not with the duration of either extracorporeal circulation, surgical procedure or general anaesthesia. It is concluded that atelectasis in dependent lung areas contributes to impaired gas exchange after cardiac surgery."}
{"id": "PMID:1466219", "title": "Hemodynamic interactions when combining verapamil, acute changes in extracellular ionized calcium concentration and enflurane, halothane or isoflurane in chronically instrumented dogs.", "content": "To assess the hemodynamic interactions when combining verapamil, acute changes in extracellular ionized calcium concentration [Ca2+] and enflurane (2.5%), halothane (1.2%) or isoflurane (1.6%), seven dogs were chronically instrumented to measure heart rate (HR), aortic, left atrial and left ventricular (LV) pressures, and cardiac output (CO). [Ca2+] was lowered 0.35 mmol.l-1 by citrate infusion and then increased 0.35 mmol.l-1 above control level by CaCl2 infusions. Verapamil was infused at 3 micrograms.kg-1 x min-1 (loading dose 200 (awake), 150 (isoflurane) or 100 (enflurane and halothane) micrograms.kg-1), giving mean verapamil concentrations around 75 (range of means: 66-84 ng.ml-1). Verapamil produced mostly minor changes in the cardiovascular effects of changing [Ca2+] in both awake and anesthetized dogs, indicating mostly additive effects. Verapamil induced a decrease in HR at high [Ca2+] and abolished an increase in mean aortic pressure at both low and high [Ca2+] awake. Verapamil exaggerated the decrease in CO and stroke volume (SV) induced by low [Ca2+] during enflurane anesthesia and abolished the increase in CO induced by low [Ca2+] and exaggerated the increase in SV and LV dP/dtmax induced by high [Ca2+] during halothane anesthesia."}
{"id": "PMID:1466220", "title": "Anaesthetic practice and postoperative pulmonary complications.", "content": "The aim of this study was to identify risk factors associated with postoperative pulmonary complications. The influence of the anaesthetic technique was evaluated (i.e. general contra regional anaesthesia and long contra intermediately acting muscle relaxants (pancuronium and atracurium)) taking into account the patient's age, the presence or absence of chronic obstructive lung disease (preoperative risk factors), the type of surgery and the duration of anaesthesia (perioperative risk factors). Seven thousand and twenty-nine patients undergoing abdominal, urological, gynaecological or orthopaedic surgery were included in the study. A total of 290 patients (4.1%) suffered from one or more postoperative pulmonary complications. Six thousand and sixty-two patients received general anaesthesia and 4.5% of these had postoperative pulmonary complications. Of the patients admitted to major surgery receiving pancuronium, 12.7% (135/1062) developed postoperative pulmonary complications, compared to only 5.1% (23/449) receiving atracurium (P < 0.05). When stratified for type of surgery and duration of anaesthesia, conventional statistics showed no difference between pancuronium and atracurium as regard postoperative pulmonary complications. However, a logistic regression analysis indicated that long-lasting procedures involving pancuronium entailed a higher risk of postoperative pulmonary complications than did other procedures. In patients having regional anaesthesia, only 1.9% (18/967) developed postoperative pulmonary complications (P < 0.05 compared to general anaesthesia). However, when stratified for type of surgery there was a significantly higher incidence of postoperative pulmonary complications only in patients undergoing major orthopaedic surgery under general anaesthesia, 11.5% compared to 3.6% in patients given a regional anaesthesia.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1466221", "title": "Core temperature measured in the auricular canal: comparison between four different tympanic thermometers.", "content": "Four different tympanic thermometers, absorbing infra-red radiation, (FirstTemp, Diatek, Ivac and Genius) were studied. Variations from repeated measurements and reliability of tympanic temperature compared to oesophageal, rectal and pulmonary artery temperature were studied. Core temperature measured by the \"FirstTemp\" and the \"Genius\" thermometers showed slightly higher values than core temperature measured by oesophageal, rectal and pulmonary artery thermistors. Compared to oesophageal temperature \"FirstTemp\" showed 0.56 degrees C and \"Genius\" 0.28 degrees C higher values, while the \"Diatek\" and the \"Ivac\" gave slightly lower values (-0.5 degrees C and -0.28 degrees C). All four thermometers were found accurate for repeated measurement both in terms of standard deviation and coefficient of variance. All four tympanic thermometers showed good accuracy for changes in core temperatures compared to the reference thermistors (r2 values 0.96 for \"FirstTemp\", 0.88 for \"Diatek\", 0.96 for \"IVAC\" and 0.95 for \"Genius\"). The tympanic thermometer was found to be a valuable alternative for measuring core temperature in most clinical settings."}
{"id": "PMID:1466222", "title": "The effect of acute hypothermia and serum potassium concentration on potassium cardiotoxicity in anesthetized rats.", "content": "We examined the effects of hypothermia on serum K+ concentration and the interaction of body temperature and K+ load on cardiac toxicity in anesthetized rats. Serum K+ concentration significantly decreased to 2.61 +/- 0.13, 2.59 +/- 0.19 and 2.39 +/- 0.14 mmol/l at 31.0 degrees C, 28.0 degrees C and 25.0 degrees C, respectively, from the control value of 2.80 +/- 0.15 mmol/l at 37.0 degrees C. We used a 300% increase in baseline QRS duration as evidence of cardiac toxicity. Serum K+ concentrations of 4.95 +/- 0.12, 4.71 +/- 0.10, 4.45 +/- 0.14 and 4.07 +/- 0.14 mmol/l resulted in cardiac toxicity at 37.0 degrees C, 31.0 degrees C, 28.0 degrees C, and 25.0 degrees C, respectively. These data indicate that the level at which an elevation of serum K+ concentration causes cardiac toxicity diminishes with progressive hypothermia. We conclude that hypothermia induces hypokalemia, possibly through redistribution, and that the myocardium appears to be more sensitive to the toxic effects of K+ as hypothermia deepens."}
{"id": "PMID:1466223", "title": "Reduced left ventricular diameters at onset of bradycardia during epidural anaesthesia.", "content": "Pathophysiologic mechanisms of bradycardia during epidural anaesthesia (L3-L4 with 1% lidocaine, 38 ml) were evaluated by studying changes in selected cardiovascular and hormonal parameters. Six of eight subjects (analgesia to T8-T10) remained circulatory stable with no significant changes in heart rate (HR), mean arterial pressure (MAP) and thoracic impedance (TI). In one of two subjects MAP decreased after 25 min from 85 to 50 mmHg (11.3 to 6.7 kPa), HR from 80 to 45 beats.min-1 while thoracic impedance increased from 25.5 to 26.5 ohm. End-systolic diameter (ESD) and end-diastolic diameter (EDD) of the left ventricle determined with echocardiography were reduced from 3.8 to 3.2 cm (17%) and 5.6 to 5.0 cm (11%), respectively. In the other subject MAP decreased after 25 min from 75 to 50 mmHg (10.0 to 6.7 kPa) and HR from 82 to 60 beats.min-1 while thoracic impedance increased from 28.8 to 29.6 ohm. ESD was reduced from 3.8 to 3.3 cm (13%), and EDD from 5.6 to 5.0 cm (11%). Both subjects recovered after infusion of saline and being placed in the head-down position. There were no consistent changes in plasma catecholamines, whereas pancreatic polypeptide increased from 5 and 3 to 152 and 69 pmol.l-1, vasopressin from 3 and 2 to 152 and 46 pmol.l-1, and aldosterone from 282 and 229 to 383 and 485 pmol.l-1, respectively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1466224", "title": "Direct spinal effect of intrathecal acetaminophen on visceral noxious stimulation in rabbits.", "content": "The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of intrathecal acetaminophen on visceral and somatic noxious stimulation in the intact, non-anesthetized rabbit. Sixteen rabbits had intrathecal catheters implanted surgically. Visceral noxious stimulation was induced by intestinal distension of the distal colon and somatic stimulation with increasing electrical current through skin electrodes placed in either the cervical or the lumbar area. The effect on visceral noxious stimulation was assessed following intrathecal injection of 0.5, 2.5 and 5 mg of acetaminophen and following 10 and 50 mg acetaminophen intravenously. Naloxone 0.2 mg and yohimbine 0.1 mg were administered intrathecally prior to intrathecal injection of acetaminophen 5 mg. A dose-dependent effect of intrathecal acetaminophen against the visceromotor reflex produced by intestinal distension was shown. No effects on thresholds to lumbar or cervical electrical stimulation or intestinal distension were observed following i.v. administration. Thresholds to noxious electrical stimulation were only significantly elevated at the lumbar level following i.t. injection of 5 mg acetaminophen. Naloxone failed to antagonize the effect of intrathecal acetaminophen, whereas intrathecal yohimbine attenuated the effect of intrathecal acetaminophen in both tests. In conclusion, a spinal, dose-dependent, naloxone-irreversible, and yohimbine-reversible effect of intrathecal acetaminophen on electrical and visceral noxious stimulation was demonstrated."}
{"id": "PMID:1466225", "title": "Cardiac herniation after pneumonectomy.", "content": "Cardiac herniation is a rare, lethal complication of intrapericardial pneumonectomy demanding urgent treatment. It usually occurs within the first 24 h postoperatively. We present a patient with late cardiac herniation, 28 h postoperatively, where the electrocardiographic changes were evident several hours before the clinical picture became clear. After the diagnosis was made, the patient was treated surgically and survived."}
{"id": "PMID:1466226", "title": "Alfentanil infusion in total intravenous anaesthesia (TIVA). Population pharmacokinetics fails to predict plasma concentration of alfentanil.", "content": "In order to evaluate the ability to predict plasma concentrations from population-corrected pharmacokinetics, a prospective study comprising 14 women admitted for elective hysterectomy was done. Alfentanil was given in combination with propofol in a total intravenous anaesthesia technique. The predicted median alfentanil concentration (289(256-363) ng ml-1) was significantly lower than the measured median plasma concentration of 368(168-666) ng ml-1). In conclusion, population-based pharmacokinetics were found not to be accurate as they underestimate plasma concentrations of alfentanil."}
{"id": "PMID:1466227", "title": "Organic structures of the hypercalcified peritubular matrix in horse dentine.", "content": "EDTA-insoluble organic structures of the hypercalcified peritubular matrix (PM) in horse dentine were observed by scanning electron microscopy. The PM was enveloped in double cylindrical structures composed of fibrillar sheaths in the inner and outer peripheries. Between the outer fibrillar sheath and intrinsic fibrils of the intertubular matrix, a calcified cementing membrane existed. Within the PM, warped cone-shaped structures of fibrillar sheaths, overlapping at intervals of 4-6 microns and semiconcentrically surrounding the dentinal tubule, extended from the inner fibrillar towards the outer fibrillar sheath. The cone-shaped fibrillar sheaths following the inner and outer fibrillar sheaths were identified as the incremental lines of the PM. Most of these fibrils may be collagen although it could not be confirmed, whereas non-collagenous organic materials in the lateral branches of the dentinal tubule are radially arranged in the PM. These EDTA-insoluble structures were three-dimensionally illustrated using an image-analysing system."}
{"id": "PMID:1466228", "title": "Particular structure of the anterior third of the human true vocal cord.", "content": "The histological aspects of the true vocal cord mucosa change in the anterior third compared with the posterior two thirds. The anterior third is characterized by an epithelium where the ridges, marked in the posterior two thirds, are very slight or even absent. The underlying basement membrane, which is thin in the posterior two thirds, here appears particularly thick. At the ultrastructural level in this area, beneath a normally thickened basal lamina, a thick layer of finely granulated electron-dense material, interspersed with thin and randomly scattered collagen fibrils and proteoglycan filaments, is detectable. Beneath this thickened basement membrane, a layer of small undulated collagen fibril bundles with very numerous interspersed oxytalan fibres is found. The collagen fibrils, small in diameter (30-40 nm), seem to continue with the collagen fibrils of the basement membrane. In this layer numerous blood vessels with a very thick, delaminated basement membrane are also observed. The underlying area is characterized by the vocal cord ligament, composed by large compact collagen fibril bundles with interspersed elastic fibres. The particular features of the thick basement membrane, the thick-walled and delaminated vessels and the modular distribution of the elastic system together may well form the basic structure enabling the functional integration of the vocal ligament into the overlying mucosa and the underlying vocal muscle."}
{"id": "PMID:1466229", "title": "Growth of the perichondrium and the chondroepiphysis: experimental approach in the rat proximal tibial epiphysis.", "content": "In the present paper we study the participation of the perichondrium in chondroepiphysis development analyzing its in vitro growth pattern without the perichondrium. We also advance the descriptive morphological results. We have observed that the chondroepiphysis without perichondrium grew with an almost normal pattern. Most of the cells that participated in chondroepiphysis growth came from the lateral region of the growth plate."}
{"id": "PMID:1466230", "title": "Fractal dimensions of cranial sutures and waveforms.", "content": "Two quite different shapes of cranial sutures ostensibly yield fractal dimensions. The rare, intricate sutures yield the more valid fractal dimensions because self-similar scaling provides a double-log plot of negative slope. These sutures are fractals over a range of several r values. Some of the highly folded, wavy sutures in humans also fill space except at very tiny values of r, but are nonfractal. A great deal depends on whether the dimension D is > 1 and by how much, whether the curve yields a false fractal dimension, whether the curve scales and shows self-similarity, and whether the scaling occurs regularly in the same pattern. We suggest careful attention to the inverse power law equations, which when misused can yield false fractal values. Cranial sutures vary from the simple wavy sutures to the complex folded ones, and, in rare instances, evolve and develop to the self-similar, scaling, elaborate ones called intricate sutures. The main thing is to express the biology precisely, whether waveform regularity or irregularity or scaling elaboration conserving space and the original shape. D values may not in themselves reliably allow such a distinction, by whatever method used."}
{"id": "PMID:1466231", "title": "Human sperm surface mapping with lectins.", "content": "Ten fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-linked lectins [Bauhimia purpurea, Concanavalin A, Dolichos biflorus (DBA), Griffonia simplicifolia I, Griffonia simplicifolia II, Maclura pomifera, Arachis hypogea (PNA), Glycine max, Ulex europaeus (UEA) and Triticum vulgaris agglutinin] have been used to study their binding features on the human ejaculate spermatozoa. Qualitative changes in the labeling pattern have been observed in unfixed and acetone-treated spermatozoa. Furthermore, ultrastructural localization of some of the colloidal gold-linked lectins, namely PNA, UEA and DBA, has been attempted to delineate the binding domains of the specific sugars on the sperm surface. It needs to be emphasized that flow-cytometric methods employed in our study, which provide quantitative slant to qualitative data, should be utilized to evaluate the functional status of the spermatozoa."}
{"id": "PMID:1466232", "title": "Clomiphene citrate alters vaginal surface morphology in cycling rats.", "content": "Cycling virgin female rats were treated with clomiphene citrate (CC) during dioestrus of the reproductive cycle. Animals were sacrificed 2 days after the initial injection and their vaginal tissue was examined by scanning electron microscopy. Animals treated with one dose of CC had an epithelium consistent with a prolonged dioestrus. Treatment with CC for 2 days induced changes in the epithelium that had no resemblance to any normal hormonally controlled event in the vagina. It was found that CC had effects consistent with progesterone alone as well as effects unique to this superovulatory drug."}
{"id": "PMID:1466233", "title": "Ultrastructure and collagen composition of the myo-fascial junction in rat calf muscles.", "content": "The collagen composition and ultrastructural organization of the myo-fascial junction was studied using immunohistochemical techniques and electron microscopy. At the myo-fascial junction, a small amount of type-III collagen was found; however, the major collagen component was the type-I collagen. On the longitudinal sites of muscle cells, there were deep recesses and, within these, finger-like structures containing sarcomeres. In these recesses and in the finger-like structures of the myo-fascial junction, the sarcolemma was thickened (three times) in a similar way to the basal lamina at the myotendinous junction. Thin collagen fibers were closely associated with the thickened sarcolemma of the finger-like structures."}
{"id": "PMID:1466234", "title": "Abdominal part artery of axillary artery: proposed term for the artery supplying the abdominal part of the musculus pectoralis major.", "content": "In 1976, the authors reported that the abdominal part artery (Pab) supplying the abdominal part of the pectoralis major muscle usually originates from the axillary artery (Ax). The findings in the present study show that the type of origin of this artery most frequently encountered is type 2-a (44.0%) in which the Pab, as an independent branch (type a), branches out of the second part of the Ax (type 2). The second and third most frequently encountered types are type 2-b (17.0%), where the Pab has a common trunk with the thoracoacromial artery, and type 2-c (10.0%), where it has a common trunk with the lateral thoracic artery. By classification according to the supplying areas, 67% was type I-B, supplying the lower part of the pectoralis minor muscle and the abdominal part of the muscle. In 5%, the branch as type I-A courses down to the sternocostal part. In most cases (types A and B in 91%), this artery originates from the Ax proximal to the ansa mediana of the brachial plexus; however, in 4% providing the superficial brachial artery, the Pab branches out from the superficial brachial artery. Based on those findings, the authors would propose that the artery be named the arteria partis abdominalis or Pab."}
{"id": "PMID:1466235", "title": "In vitro effects of elastase on rabbit craniomandibular joint articular disks.", "content": "This in vitro study correlates morphologic and radioimmunoassay (RIA) findings on the effects of elastase on the elastic fibers that are found in the rabbit craniomandibular joint (CMJ) articular disk. Articular disks were removed from rabbit CMJs at necropsy, and cut sagittally into two pieces which were incubated in 0.3 ml of phosphate-buffered saline containing either 0, 12.5, 25 or 50 units of porcine pancreatic elastase for either 1, 3 or 24 h. The quantitative RIA findings correlated well with the qualitative light-microscopic observations in that both methods showed a reduction in the amounts of elastin in the CMJ disks following enzyme treatment. However, the morphologic appearance of most of the elastase-treated disks suggested that the destruction of the elastic fibers was more extensive than was suggested by the results of the RIA which indicated that some elastin remained in the tissues of the disks even when the highest enzyme level and longest incubation period were combined. The results of this study also support the interpretation that the resorcin-fuchsin-stained fibers in the rabbit CMJ disk are elastic fibers."}
{"id": "PMID:1466236", "title": "Biogenesis of the ciliary roots: participation of the dictyosomes of Golgi's complex.", "content": "In this study, the hypothesis of a possible biogenesis of the ciliary roots is suggested, after observing the cilia neurons under the electron microscope, which were found as an exception in the periaqueductal nucleus of the mesencephalon in the domestic cat, conserving the potential to differentiate the cilia, basal bodies and ciliary roots. The dictyosomes of Golgi's complex and Golgi's vesicles participated in this biogenesis. Vesicles of approximately 71.6 nm in diameter had become separated from the periphery of the flattened discoid cisterns of the dictyosome and were aligned normally, in tangential contact with each other, forming rows of vesicles or 'ringed chains', whose points of contact formed the beginning of the 'periodic striation' of a thin ciliary root. Later, the lateral walls of the vesicles and the molecules of the intracisternal proteins gave rise to the interperiodic microfilaments, when the carrier proteins were transformed into structural proteins of the ciliary roots. The parallel apposition of several ringed chains or thin ciliary roots, with their rings joined at the same level (or transversal striations), gave rise to thicker striated roots. This hypothesis of an ultrastructural biogenesis of the striated ciliary roots involves the following six stages: stage I = separation of Golgi's vesicles from the periphery of the flattened disk of dictyosomes near the basal body, with a diameter of over 71.6 nm; stage II = reinforcement of the membrane of the vesicles at the two opposite polar ends of its larger diameter; stage III = alignment of vesicles to form ringed chains, due to the tangential contact between their reinforced points; initiation of the 71.6-nm striation period, roots ringed linearly; stage IV = formation of joining microfilaments between periods (69.2 nm) with the lateral walls of the vesicles and the molecules of the proteins in their content; stage V = lengthening of the thin ciliary roots due to the coupling of new Golgi's vesicles at their ends so that their length increases as a result of the addition of terminal vesicles; stage VI = increase in thickness of the thin ciliary roots, due to the parallel apposition of several ringed chains or thin ringed ciliary roots, at the point where their transversal striation points coincide."}
{"id": "PMID:1466237", "title": "Branches of the right pulmonary artery supplying the basal segments of the lung.", "content": "The studies were carried out on 100 right lungs taken from dead human bodies of both sexes whose age varied from 16 to 81 years. The pulmonary artery and the bronchus were injected with a 65% solution of duracryl and then digested in sulfuric acid. The specimens obtained were then examined to determine the number and dimensions of the branches of the basal portion of the right pulmonary artery (RPA) penetrating into the basal segments of the right lower pulmonary lobe. Their length was 52 mm at the most, and their diameter 14 mm. Three types of ramification of the basal portion of the RPA were distinguished on the basis of the trunks, segmental and subsegmental branches present. In 72% of the cases the branches penetrating into the basal segments showed a tree-like type, in 2% of the cases a bushy-like type and in 26% of the cases a middle type."}
{"id": "PMID:1466238", "title": "Ultrastructural development of chorioallantoic placenta in the Indian Miniopterus bat, Miniopterus schreibersii fuliginosus (Hodgson).", "content": "The chorioallantoic placental interhemal membrane of Miniopterus schreibersii fuliginosus has been described electron-microscopically. Morphologically there are three main types of placentae which develop in chronological sequence. They are (1) primary placenta, (2) secondary placenta and (3) tertiary placenta. In neural groove and limb-bud embryos the primary placenta consists of the following elements which separate the maternal and fetal circulations: (1) a continuous ectoplasmic layer, (2) intrasyncytial lamina, (3) syncytiotrophoblast, (4) cytotrophoblast, (5) basal lamina, (6) mesenchyme and (7) fetal endothelium. The primary placenta degenerates until term when it consists of a thin syncytiotrophoblastic layer resting on basal lamina. Mesenchyme does not show the presence of fetal capillaries. The secondary placenta is formed in early limb-bud embryos. The electron microscope has revealed that the placenta is of the endotheliomonochorial type and (1) consists of a well-developed maternal endothelium, (2) the trophoblast surrounding the maternal blood tubule is cellular, not syncytial as previously thought and the apical plasma membrane of these trophoblastic cells is in direct contact with the discontinuous interstitial membrane, (3) basal lamina, (4) mesenchyme and (5) fetal endothelium. Tertiary placenta at full term stage is of the hemodichorial type having the following elements: (1) thin ectoplasmic layer, (2) a thick intrasyncytial lamina, (3) syncytiotrophoblast, (4) cytotrophoblast, (5) basal lamina, (6) mesenchyme and (7) fetal endothelium. The definitive chorioallantoic placental barrier in this bat thus differs from the organization earlier proposed by Chari and Gopalakrishna [Proc. Indian Acad. Sci. 93: 463-483, 1984] on the basis of light-microscopic observations: (1) the absence of maternal endothelium in the primary placenta from the neural groove and early limb-bud embryos, (2) the existence of only cellular trophoblast in the secondary placenta throughout the gestation and (3) the presence of well-developed hemodichorial tertiary placenta is the unique feature of the interhemal membrane in higher Chiroptera."}
{"id": "PMID:1466239", "title": "Fibroblast growth factor: effects on osteogenesis and chondrogenesis in the chick embryo.", "content": "In vivo effects of fibroblast growth factor (FGF) on osteogenesis were evaluated in the chick embryo. Autoradiographic studies of 3H-proline labeling over bone matrix indicated that 24 h after treatment on day 11, FGF stimulated osteogenic cell proliferation, while inhibiting the production of bone matrix collagen. However, 4 days after multiple doses of FGF, the large pool of newly formed osteogenic and chondrogenic cells expressed their function with the increased formation of matrix. The data provide in vivo evidence of the effects of exogenous FGF on osteogenesis and also point to a possible role for FGF both in embryonic osteogenesis and in fracture repair."}
{"id": "PMID:1466240", "title": "Quantification and distribution of troponin-T in cultures of chick embryo myocardiocytes.", "content": "We analyzed the distribution and labeling patterns of troponin-T, a protein involved in the regulation of striated muscle contraction, in myocardiocytes obtained from chick embryos in Hamburger and Hamilton's stage 25 and 39, and cultured for 8 days. Troponin-T expression was examined with indirect immunofluorescence, densitometry, fluorescence-activated cell sorting, electrophoresis and immunoblotting. The patterns of expression of troponin-T were compared with those of actin to determine possible correlations in different stages of chick embryo development and culture. Our findings show that in both stages of embryonic development, the cellular accumulation of troponin-T changed after 8 days of culture. Our results revealed a quantitative modification with time: after 4 days of culture there was a significant increase in this protein, followed by a slight additional increase after 8 days of culture. Flow cytometry findings confirmed these trends over time, showing a significant increase in positive cells after 4 days, followed by a smaller rise after 8 days of culture. In comparison with actin, this pattern was similar only in cells from Hamburger and Hamilton's stage 25 embryos."}
{"id": "PMID:1466241", "title": "Changes in glycosaminoglycan binding to collagen during desmoid mineralization as revealed by different electron-microscopic staining techniques.", "content": "Mineralization at collagen fibrils is regulated by glycosaminoglycans (GAG). Alterations in proteoglycan composition during mineralization as well as inhibition of mineralization by GAGs are well documented. Collagen-GAG interactions during desmoid osteogenesis in fetal rat calvariae were investigated ultrastructurally by means of different fixation techniques. Mineralization was restricted to the collagen of the osteoid at the ectocranial side. Beyond the osteoid, one layer containing degenerated cells was found, followed by sheets of healthy osteoblasts with nonmineralized collagen fibrils. These fibrils were ordered in bundles, but were irregularly arranged in the mineralized osteoid. After fixation in glutaraldehyde-ruthenium red (GA-RR), small RR-positive granules were periodically attached to the fibrils of the nonmineralized collagen. These granules were absent at collagen in the mineralized osteoid. Periodically bound granules (periodicity of 62 nm) could clearly be demonstrated along collagen fibrils by pretreatment with the positively charged protamine sulfate and subsequent fixation in GA-RR in the nonmineralized collagen. In the mineralized osteoid, however, these granules were present, but periodic binding was missing. Heparin pretreatment followed by fixation in GA-RR revealed periodically bound fine strands between collagen fibrils running parallel in the nonmineralized collagen; these threads were absent in the mineralizing osteoid. Restriction of mineralization to osteoid at the mineralization border may be reflected by the observed changes in GAG binding to collagen fibrils within the osteoid of developing fetal calvariae in contrast to binding to collagen in nonmineralized areas."}
{"id": "PMID:1466242", "title": "Quantification of thymic innervation in juvenile and aged rats.", "content": "Thymic innervation has been quantified using silver impregnation and light microscopy on 5 juvenile and 5 aged rats. There is an increase in innervation density of the thymus with age, exceeding the reduction of thymic volume due to involution. The density of innervation correlates inversely with thymic volume. From previous studies, we conclude that thymic innervation is confined to the extraparenchymal compartment. Ultrastructural morphometry shows this compartment to maintain its volume during involution of the remaining thymic tissue. Related only to the extraparenchymal compartment, the innervation increases by a factor two with age."}
{"id": "PMID:1466244", "title": "Immunohistochemical and ultrastructural examination of histiocytosis X cells in pulmonary eosinophilic granuloma.", "content": "We describe histological, immunohistochemical, and ultrastructural findings in pulmonary eosinophilic granuloma (PEG) from three patients. The specimens were taken by open-lung biopsy. The lesions of the lung were composed of histiocytic cells, macrophages and eosinophils. The histiocytic cells reacted positively with anti-S-100 protein antibody. The histiocytic cells had various types of Birbeck granules in the cytoplasm. The histiocytic cells were histiocytosis X (HX) cells considered to be derived from Langerhans cells. Sporadic mitosis of HX cells was observed. Some HX cells had migrated from the lesions into the alveolar spaces through the alveolar cell layers. In the lesions of PEG, HX cells have self-reproduction and migration capability."}
{"id": "PMID:1466245", "title": "Spontaneous rupture of aortic arch through an atheromatous plaque resulting in pseudoaneurysm.", "content": "An autopsy case of spontaneous rupture of aortic arch through an atheromatous plaque which resulted in pseudoaneurysm is reported. The aorta was involved by severe atherosclerosis with scattered calcifications over the entire surface, and there was a fusiform aneurysm protruding from a transmural tear in the aortic arch. Histopathologically, no evidence of dissection or inflammatory change was noted in the aorta, and no histologic component of the aortic media was observed in the aneurysmal wall. However, degenerative change of cystic and laminar medial necrosis were recognized near the ruptured site. Such localized degenerative change was considered to be caused by circulatory disturbance which originated from disruption of the vasa vasorum due to aortic rupture."}
{"id": "PMID:1466246", "title": "Extremely well differentiated papillary adenocarcinoma of the lung with prominent cilia formation.", "content": "We describe a 54-year-old woman with primary pulmonary adenocarcinoma showing a characteristic papillary architecture and prominent cilia formation. Immunohistochemically, the tumor cells were positive for carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), epithelial membrane antigen (EMA) and Leu-M1, and negative for lactoferrin and surfactant apoprotein. An ultrastructural study also indicated differentiation toward bronchial surface epithelial cells. To our knowledge, this type of neoplasm has not been reported as peripheral-type adenocarcinoma of the lung."}
{"id": "PMID:1466247", "title": "True pulmonary carcinosarcoma (squamous cell carcinoma and chondrosarcoma). A case report.", "content": "True pulmonary carcinosarcoma (squamous cell carcinoma and chondrosarcoma) originating in the right lower lobe in a 62-year-old Japanese male is reported. The tumor, measuring 5.5 x 3.5 x 3.5 cm, was markedly necrotic and its apex protruded into the bronchial lumen. Light microscopy showed that the tumor was composed of squamous cell carcinoma with sarcomatous spindle or polygonal cell proliferation and true chondrosarcoma. Immunohistochemically, the cytoplasm of numerous cells of the squamous cell carcinoma component was stained with anti-cytokeratin (PKK 1) and the cytoplasmic membrane with anti-epithelial membrane antigen (EMA). Although sarcomatous regions were stained with anti-vimentin (vimentin) and no tumor cells were reactive for EMA, a few tumor cells were positive for PKK 1. The cytoplasm of numerous chondrosarcoma cells was positively stained for vimentin and S-100 protein. Based on these findings, we concluded that the present tumor was a true carcinosarcoma composed of squamous cell carcinoma with sarcomatous regions and true chondrosarcoma."}
{"id": "PMID:1466248", "title": "A case of primary sarcoma of the pulmonary artery.", "content": "A 39-year-old male was admitted complaining of nonproductive cough and dyspnea on exertion. Death occurred eight months after onset of the symptoms. Autopsy examination showed that the pulmonary trunk and left main pulmonary artery were markedly dilated and completely occluded by a tumor. The tumor had infiltrated into the left upper lobe and mediastinal lymph nodes, and metastatic nodules were found in both lungs and in the left adrenal gland. Small foci of infarction were noted in the lower lobes of both lungs. The tumor cells were of two types; pleomorphic spindle cells and bizarre multinucleated giant cells. Immunohistochemically, they were positive for vimentin, myosin, and lysozyme, but negative for desmin and muscle-specific actin. The cytoplasm of the tumor cells was showed by electron microscopy to contain microfilaments, dense bodies, and pinocytotic vesicles. We diagnosed this case as undifferentiated sarcoma of the pulmonary artery. Approximately 100 cases of pulmonary artery sarcoma have been reported. Histopathologically, almost all of the reported cases showed both spindle cells and pleomorphic giant cells, indicating a biologically anaplastic neoplasm."}
{"id": "PMID:1466249", "title": "A case report of inflammatory pseudosarcoma of the urinary bladder.", "content": "A case of inflammatory pseudosarcoma of the urinary bladder in a 35-year-old Japanese male is presented. This benign lesion can easily be mistaken for spindle cell sarcoma since it consists of rhabdomyoblast-like elongated strap cells showing infiltrative growth, and whether it is benign or malignant is difficult to determine by microscopic examination. In this case, spindle cell proliferation extended among bundles of the superficial muscle layer. However, no abnormal mitoses, severe nuclear atypia or cellular pleomorphism could be seen, thus indicating inflammatory pseudosarcoma. Although the lesion was not completely resected, no recurrent disease has been clinically observed for two years following transurethral resection. Urologists and surgical pathologists must be able to detect this lesion in order to avoid unnecessary surgical procedures."}
{"id": "PMID:1466250", "title": "Utility of type I procollagen propeptide assays for assessing abnormalities in metabolic bone diseases.", "content": "We measured type I procollagen carboxyl-terminal propeptide (PICP) by a commercial radioimmunoassay and amino-terminal propeptide (PINP) by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) developed in our laboratory in serum from 75 normal women, 10 growing girls, 84 normal men, and 197 patients with various metabolic bone diseases. The molar concentrations of serum PINP were 100-fold higher than those of PICP, suggesting differences in the metabolism of PICP and PINP. In normal women, serum PICP values correlated positively with age and serum PINP values correlated negatively with age (r = 0.28 and -0.32, respectively; P = 0.02). In normal men, however, PICP correlated negatively with age (r = -0.32, P = 0.003) whereas PINP did not change. As assessed by Z scores (SD from age- and sex-specific predicted normal mean), changes in serum PICP and PINP values were concordant in hypoparathyroidism (mean Z scores for PICP and PINP, -0.63 and -1.48, respectively) and Cushing's syndrome (0.50 and 0.40) but were discordant in acromegaly (0.78 and -0.68), hyperthyroidism (1.33 and -0.66), untreated postmenopausal osteoporosis (-0.11 and 0.40), fluoride-treated postmenopausal osteoporosis (-0.61 and 1.08), Paget's disease (4.05 and -0.20), and chronic renal failure (1.45 and -0.50). With either assay, deviations from normal were less pronounced than the deviations of concurrently measured serum osteocalcin and bone alkaline phosphatase values. The deviations in these latter two values agreed better with those of PICP than with those of PINP, except in untreated or fluoride-treated osteoporotic patients.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1466251", "title": "A specific immunoassay for monitoring human bone resorption: quantitation of type I collagen cross-linked N-telopeptides in urine.", "content": "Peptides of low molecular weight that contain pyridinoline cross-links were isolated from adolescent human urine. A fraction was selected that was enriched in the N-telopeptide-to-helix intermolecular cross-linking domain of bone type I collagen. Mouse monoclonal antibodies were generated against these urinary peptides conjugated to a carrier protein as immunogen. A high-affinity antibody was identified that specifically bound to the trivalent peptides derived from the N-telopeptide-to-helix pyridinoline cross-linking site in type I collagen of human bone. This was confirmed by the direct isolation from human bone collagen of similar fragments recognized selectively by the antibody. A sensitive inhibition ELISA was established on microtiter plates that could quantify the bone-derived peptides in human urine. The assay, which can be run directly on untreated urine, was thoroughly tested against samples from normal subjects and from patients with metabolic bone disease. For example, strong correlations with urinary hydroxyproline and total pyridinoline cross-links were found in patients with Paget's disease of bone. The method shows considerable promise as a rapid and specific index of human bone resorption rates, with greatly improved specificity and convenience over total pyridinoline analysis. Potential applications include the study of normal metabolism, the diagnosis and monitoring of bone disease, and evaluating the effectiveness of antiresorption therapies."}
{"id": "PMID:1466252", "title": "Vertebral deformity in men.", "content": "Vertebral fracture is the most prevalent manifestation of osteoporosis in women, but there is very little information concerning vertebral fracture in men. These studies begin to determine the prevalence, radiographic character, and relationship to bone mineral density of vertebral deformity in men. A group of 144 white men aged 34-94 years (83% between 50 and 80 years) were studied. Thoracic and lumbar spine radiographs were obtained using standardized techniques, and morphometric measures of vertebrae (T6-L5) were obtained using a computerized digitization pad. Vertebral deformities (wedge, midbody, and crush) were identified using several criteria. In addition, a skeletal radiologist independently identified vertebral deformities, as well as vertebrae affected by epiphysitis (Scheuermann's disease), using classic radiographic criteria. Bone mineral density was measured at lumbar spine and proximal femoral sites using dual-photon absorptiometry. The prevalence of vertebral deformity was related to the criteria used for their identification. Utilizing vertebral-specific criteria (anterior/posterior or midbody/posterior vertebral height more than 3 SD below vertebral specific mean), 10% of subjects had vertebral deformity. Wedge deformity occurred primarily in thoracic vertebrae and were more common than midbody deformity, which occurred more commonly in lumbar vertebrae. Crush deformities were not observed. Evidence of vertebral epiphysitis was present in 9% of subjects but was not responsible for vertebral deformity sufficient to be falsely identified using the more than -3 SD criterion. Bone mineral density in subjects with vertebral deformity was clearly reduced at both vertebral (p = 0.003) and proximal femoral (p = 0.002) measurements sites. The number of vertebral deformities was negatively correlated with vertebral bone mineral density.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1466253", "title": "Do estrogens improve bone mineral density in osteoporotic women over age 65?", "content": "A retrospective analysis of our experience with estrogen and fluoride treatment in 91 patients with postmenopausal osteopenia followed for 6-47 months has been performed. Treatment included calcium (1000 mg/day) and either conjugated estrogens (0.625 mg/day) or sodium fluoride (50 mg/day), or both. All patients had at least two serial dual-photon spinal bone mineral density measurements performed 6 months or more apart. Estrogen treatment was associated with increased bone mineral density (5.3%/year), as was fluoride alone (7.5%/year). Estrogen and fluoride together were additive (9.6%/year). In women over age 65 the estrogen effect was just as great (6.9%/year) as in younger women. Estrogen benefit occurred predominantly in the first 18 months of treatment (7.0%/year), after which time changes in bone mineral density were similar to those in untreated controls, who showed stable bone mineral density. We conclude that aggressive estrogen and fluoride treatment tailored to the severity of the individual's postmenopausal osteopenia results in short-term improvement in spinal bone mineral density. These data further support that elderly women respond to estrogen replacement therapy with absolute and relative increments in bone density similar to those in younger women."}
{"id": "PMID:1466254", "title": "Bone mineral density, muscle strength, and recreational exercise in men.", "content": "Muscle strength has been shown to predict bone mineral density (BMD) in women. We examined this relationship in 50 healthy men who ranged in age from 28 to 51 years (average 38.3 years). BMD of the lumbar spine, proximal femur, whole body, and tibia were measured by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (Hologic QDR 1000W). Dynamic strength using one repetition maximum was assessed for the biceps, quadriceps, and back extensors and for the hip abductors, adductors, and flexors. Isometric grip strength was measured by dynamometry. Daily walking mileage was assessed by 9 week stepmeter records and kinematic analysis of video filming. Subjects were designated as exercisers and nonexercisers. Exercisers participated in recreational exercise at least two times each week. The results demonstrated that BMD at all sites correlated with back and biceps strength (p < 0.01 to p = 0.0001). Body weight correlated with tibia and whole-body BMD (p < 0.001); age negatively correlated with Ward's triangle BMD (p < 0.01). In stepwise multiple regressions, back strength was the only independent predictor of spine and femoral neck density (R2 = 0.27). Further, back strength was the most robust predictor of BMD at the trochanter, Ward's triangle, whole body, and tibia, although biceps strength, age, body weight, and leg strength contributed significantly to BMD at these skeletal sites, accounting for 35-52% of the variance in BMD. Exercisers and nonexercisers were similar for walking (3.97 versus 3.94 miles/day), age (37.8 versus 38.5) years, and weight (80.0 versus 77.7 kg). However, BMD and muscle strength were significantly greater in exercises than in nonexercisers.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1466255", "title": "Diurnal variation in serum markers of type I collagen synthesis and degradation in healthy premenopausal women.", "content": "There are several indications that the functions of human osteoblasts and osteoclasts have circadian rhythms with peak activities occurring at night. It is not known, however, whether the principal function of these cells, namely synthesis and degradation of the organic matrix of bone, of which about 90% is type I collagen, also has a circadian rhythm. This was therefore investigated for both the formation of type I collagen and the degradation of type I collagen in bone using two newly developed serum markers: the serum concentration of the carboxy-terminal propeptide of type I procollagen (PICP) as a marker of formation and the serum concentration of the carboxy-terminal pyridinoline cross-linked telopeptide of type I collagen (ICTP) as a marker of degradation. PICP and ICTP were measured by RIA in samples taken every 3 h over a 24 h period in 12 healthy premenopausal women (age 32 +/- 5 years, mean +/- SD). Both PICP (p = 0.003) and ICTP (p = 0.00003) showed a significant circadian rhythm, with about 20% higher values at night than in the afternoon. We conclude that serum markers of both the formation of new type I collagen and the degradation of old type I collagen in bone exhibit a clear circadian rhythm, with increased activity of both osteoblasts and osteoclasts at night. The etiology of this circadian rhythm is still unknown."}
{"id": "PMID:1466256", "title": "Regulation of cytoplasmic calcium concentration in tetracycline-treated osteoclasts.", "content": "The ability of low-dose tetracyclines to inhibit collagenase activity and inactivate osteoclasts suggests that these compounds have great potential as a prophylaxis for metabolic bone disease. However, the cellular mechanism by which tetracyclines interact with skeletal tissue is not yet clear. To better understand the effects of tetracyclines on bone metabolism, we examined their effect on osteoclast activity in vitro. Because tetracyclines can enter the cell and bind calcium and have been reported to directly interact with osteoclasts, we postulated that exposure to either of two tetracyclines, minocycline or doxycycline, would alter cytosolic Ca2+ regulation in rat osteoclasts. [Ca2+]i was measured in single rat osteoclasts utilizing fura-2. Addition of extracellular Ca2+ (5 mM CaCl2), a potent osteoclast inhibitor, increased [Ca2+]i in all osteoclasts, but 10(-6) M salmon calcitonin (sCT) did so only in a subpopulation of osteoclasts. Neither minocycline nor doxycycline (10 micrograms/ml) altered steady-state osteoclast [Ca2+]i. Further, neither minocycline nor doxycycline pretreatment affected the sCT-mediated increases in [Ca2+]i. However, tetracycline pretreatment significantly decreased the cytosolic Ca2+ response to extracellular CaCl2. Our results strongly suggest that tetracyclines have a specific effect on extracellular Ca(2+)-stimulated cytosolic Ca2+ mobilization in osteoclasts, which is not solely dependent on their ability to buffer Ca2+. Furthermore, these results point to the potential use of tetracyclines as probes to study cytosolic Ca2+ regulation. However, that tetracyclines attenuate a signal response associated with decreased osteoclastic resorption suggests that the reported antiresorptive attributes of tetracyclines must be achieved independently of an effect on osteoclastic cytosolic Ca2+."}
{"id": "PMID:1466257", "title": "Interrelationship between parathyroid hormone and insulin: effects on DNA synthesis in UMR-106-01 cells.", "content": "UMR-106-01 osteoblast-like cells respond to high concentrations of parathyroid hormone (PTH) in vitro by decreasing thymidine incorporation, a marker of DNA synthesis and cell proliferation. This response is different from in vivo conditions, such as primary and secondary hyperparathyroidism, in which high PTH levels are associated with an increased number of osteoblasts. When the response of UMR-106-01 cells to PTH is evaluated in vitro, however, these cells are exposed to only a single hormone. The present study was designed to evaluate the combined effects of two hormones, PTH and insulin, on the DNA synthesis of UMR-106-01 cells. PTH is known to decrease and insulin to increase thymidine incorporation by UMR-106-01 cells. To examine the interaction of these hormones, acute studies, defined as a 24 h exposure to hormone, and chronic studies, defined as a 7 day exposure to hormone, were performed. Both acute and chronic exposure to 10(-9) M PTH decreased thymidine incorporation by UMR-106-01 cells, with suppression ranging from 27 to 81% (P < 0.05). Both acute and chronic exposure to 10(-8) M insulin (INS) increased thymidine incorporation by UMR-106-01 cells; this ranged from 26 to 58% (P < 0.05). However, chronic exposure to 10(-9) M PTH followed by an acute exposure to 10(-8) M INS resulted in a 710% increase in thymidine incorporation (P < 0.01). Reversing the sequence by chronically exposing UMR-106-01 cells to 10(-8) M INS followed by acute exposure to 10(-9) M PTH resulted in a 53% decrease in thymidine incorporation (P < 0.01).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1466258", "title": "In vivo assessment of forearm bone mass and ulnar bending stiffness in healthy men.", "content": "The cross-sectional bending stiffness EI of the ulna was measured in vivo by mechanical resistance tissue analysis (MRTA) in 90 men aged 19-89 years. MRTA measures the impedance response of low-frequency vibrations to determine EI, which is a reflection of elastic modulus E and moment of inertia I for the whole ulna. EI was compared to conventional estimates of bone mineral content (BMC), bone width (BW), and BMC/BW, which were all measured by single-photon absorptiometry. Results obtained from the nondominant ulna indicate that BW increases (r = 0.27, p = 0.01) and ulnar BMC/BW decreases (r = -0.31, p < or = 0.005) with age. Neither BMC nor EI declined with age. The single best predictor of EI was BW (r2 = 0.47, p = 0.0001), and further small but significant contributions were made by BMC (r2 = 0.53, p = 0.0001) and grip strength (r2 = 0.55, p = 0.0001). These results suggest that the resistance of older men to forearm fracture is related to age-associated changes in the moment of inertia achieved by redistributing bone mineral farther from the bending axis. We conclude that the in vivo assessment of bone geometry offers important insights to the comprehensive evaluation of bone strength."}
{"id": "PMID:1466259", "title": "Kallikrein-like activity in nonpregnant and pregnant rat uterus, fetal membranes, placenta and amniotic fluid.", "content": "SBTI-resistant kininogenase activity was found in nonpregnant and pregnant rat uterus, placenta, amniotic fluid and fetal membranes. After trypsin treatment the kininogenase activity increased 2-3 fold. Total kininogenase (active plus inactive) was completely blocked by kallikrein antibodies. The physiological role of these kallikrein-like enzymes is unknown. It is speculated that these enzymes play a local role, perhaps in the processing of polypeptide hormones of through the release of kinins in the regulation of uterine blood flow."}
{"id": "PMID:1466260", "title": "Dynamics of kallikrein activity in different biological fluids of pregnant animals.", "content": "Kallikrein activity was measured in urine, saliva and blood plasma samples from pregnant cows by using the chromogenic substrates S-2266 and S-2302 (Kabi, Sweden). It was found that the kallikrein activity in these biological fluids showed a trend to an increase with a peak prior to parturition. At the same time the plasma prekallikrein levels decreased during pregnancy reaching the lowest values at the end of the gestation period."}
{"id": "PMID:1466261", "title": "Bovine pancreatic kallikrein: purification and radioimmunoassay.", "content": "Kallikrein was isolated from bovine pancreatic tissue by a sequential procedure of anion-exchange, hydrophobic interaction and gel filtration chromatographies. A monospecific polyclonal antiserum to the pure enzyme was raised in rabbits and was used to set up a specific radioimmunoassay for bovine tissue kallikrein."}
{"id": "PMID:1466262", "title": "Purification and characterization of new arginine esteropeptidase from the soluble fraction of human submaxillary glands.", "content": "An arginine esteropeptidase was completely purified from the soluble fraction of human submaxillary glands. The molecular weight was calculated to be 12,000, having 2 species of subunits. The study of the effect of inhibitors confirmed the enzyme's serine protease-like characteristics. The best ester and amide substrates were Tos-Arg-OMe and D-Ile-Pro-Arg-pNA, respectively."}
{"id": "PMID:1466263", "title": "Molecular diversity of tissue kallikrein in human saliva.", "content": "The present study was conducted to explore the extent of heterogeneity of tissue kallikrein in saliva using immunological analysis and to demonstrate that such heterogeneity resulted from secretory phenomena and not degradation secondary to secretion. Human mixed saliva was collected by paraffin-stimulation and centrifuged at 10,000 rpm for 10 minutes. Special collectors were used to obtain parotid and submandibular/sublingual saliva using citric acid stimulation. Western blot analysis of human mixed saliva demonstrated major immunoreactive species with molecular masses of < 20 KD, 45 KD, 60 KD, 90 KD and > 200 KD. The polyclonal antibody used for these blotting studies was monofunctional with respect to reaction with purified salivary tissue kallikrein. Only the < 29 KD and 45 KD species were active using an enzyme overlay technique. While a similar distribution of molecular weight material was observed in both parotid and submandibular saliva, the amount of immunoreactive material was markedly less in parotid secretion. In addition, the < 20 KD material was essentially absent in parotid saliva. Treatment of the saliva with thermolysin eliminated the immunoreactive band at 60 KD while treatment with various glycosidases also eliminated some heterogeneity. These results demonstrate considerable variation in tissue kallikrein expression in salivary gland secretions."}
{"id": "PMID:1466264", "title": "Detection and separation of some arginine amidases including tissue kallikrein from human seminal plasma.", "content": "A plasminogen/plasmin like substance (AHSAA-1), with affinity to lysine column was separated from DEAE-cellulose adsorbed human seminal plasma. Two forms of acidic arginine amidase with different affinities to LBTI (AHSAA-2) and aprotinin columns (AHSAA-3) were separated from the DEAE-cellulose adsorbed preparation and AHSAA-3 was identified as tissue kallikrein. Two basic arginine amidase preparations having affinity to LBTI (BHSAA-1) and aprotinin column were also separated from the CM-cellulose adsorbed human seminal plasma. Three basic arginine amidases with different molecular mass (BHSAA-2 to 4) were separated by Cellulofine GCL-2000 gel filtration from aprotinin adsorbed material and some of their properties were examined."}
{"id": "PMID:1466266", "title": "Immunoassays for the determination of human tissue kallikrein (TK) in different body fluids based on monoclonal antibodies.", "content": "A monoclonal antibody produced against human tissue kallikrein was used to develop solid phase immunoassays for the determination of total immunoreactive tissue kallikrein, of the complex of tissue kallikrein with alpha 1-proteinase inhibitor, and of enzymatically active tissue kallikrein. The assays permit the specific determination of various forms of tissue kallikrein in body fluids and should be very useful in studies on the biological function of tissue kallikrein-kinin systems."}
{"id": "PMID:1466267", "title": "Biological assay for tissue kallikrein: comparison with the synthetic substrate S2266.", "content": "A highly sensitive biological assay for tissue kallikrein is described, using human kininogen as substrate; and quantitation, by radioimmunoassay, of generated kinins. Using purified human urinary kallikrein as a reference standard we have correlated the kininogenase activity of kallikrein with amidase activity as measured by cleavage of the synthetic substrate S2266."}
{"id": "PMID:1466268", "title": "Expression of kallikrein-binding protein and alpha 1-antitrypsin genes in response to sex hormones, growth, inflammation and hypertension.", "content": "We have recently purified rat kallikrein-binding protein (RKBP) and alpha 1-antitrypsin (alpha 1-AT) to homogeneity and isolated, sequenced cDNAs encoding these potential regulators of tissue kallikreins. Characterization of the cDNA and the gene has established the identity of the kallikrein-binding protein as a new member of the serpin (serine proteinase inhibitor) superfamily. Using the cDNA probes in Northern blot hybridization, we found a differential regulation of RKBP and alpha 1-AT gene expression in the liver. Ovariectomy results in a 67% reduction of RKBP mRNA levels but a 30% increase of alpha 1-AT mRNA levels. Estradiol or progesterone treatment of the ovariectomized rats increases RKBP transcripts by 2.5- and 6.5-fold, respectively, but reduces alpha 1-AT mRNA level by 30% and 45%, respectively. In contrast to kininogen expression, both RKBP and alpha 1-AT mRNA levels in the liver are at the lowest at birth and rapidly increase during growth and development. Rats injected with endotoxin from 4 to 24 h show a time-dependent decrease of RKBP mRNA levels while the same treatment induces alpha 1-AT gene expression. RKBP mRNA levels in the normotensive Wistar Kyoto (WKY) rats are higher than those in the spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) while there are no differences of alpha 1-AT mRNA levels between SHR and WKY.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1466270", "title": "Inhibition of glandular and plasma kallikrein by benzamidine derivatives.", "content": "Besides guanidino compounds and amines structurally related to arginine and lysine, compounds with other cationic groups are inhibitors of trypsin-like serine proteinases. Particularly aromatic ring structures with an amidino moiety have high affinity for these enzymes. In most cases ordinary benzamidine derivatives are no selective inhibitors, however, among derivatives of N alpha-arylsulfonyl-omega-amidinophenyl-alpha-amino-alkylcarboxylic acids selective competitive inhibitors of several enzymes were found. Amides of phenyl-alpha-aminobutyric acid containing an amidino moiety are inhibitors of plasma kallikrein. The p-amidinoanilide of 2-tosylamino-4-phenylbutyric acid inhibits selectively plasma kallikrein with a Ki of 0.70 mumol/l. In contrast, potent and selective inhibitors of glandular kallikrein were hardly found among benzamidines."}
{"id": "PMID:1466271", "title": "A finding of highly selective synthetic inhibitor of plasma kallikrein; its action to bradykinin generation, intrinsic coagulation and experimental DIC.", "content": "We found a novel and highly selective synthetic inhibitor of plasma kallikrein (PK), called PKSI-527; the Ki value was 0.81 microM. PKSI-527 inhibited the bradykinin (BK) generation induced by kaolin and prolonged partial thromboplastin time (PTT). PKSI-527 prevented the decrease of fibrinogen (Fg) levels due to i.v. injection of ellagic acid in mice and ameliorated the endotoxin (ET)-induced DIC in rats."}
{"id": "PMID:1466272", "title": "Studies on the design of orally active peptide analogues.", "content": "Converting peptide inhibitors of tissue kallikrein into drugs requires, among other things, that the compounds be made orally active. Measurement of the rate at which peptides diffuse across model epithelial membranes that mimic the human gut has allowed a quantitative relationship relating lipophilicity and % absorption to be developed. The absorption of simple peptides from the human gut may be predicted with this equation."}
{"id": "PMID:1466273", "title": "A systematic approach for determining minimum inhibitory sequence and contribution of individual residues in binding of kininogen fragments to tissue kallikrein.", "content": "A systematic approach to evaluate the contribution of individual residues occurring within the sequence Ser386-Pro-Phe-Arg-Ser-Val-Gln392 from bovine kininogen towards binding to tissue kallikrein is developed. Of the 21 sequences which can be formed, no dipeptide and only one tripeptide measurably inhibits the enzyme. Almost 80% of the binding energy of the substrate analogue inhibitors comes from the core sequence Phe-Arg-Ser which occurs between P2 and P1'. Molecular models developed from the Chen-Bode coordinates of the aprotinin--beta-PPK complex have been used to interpret the results of these studies."}
{"id": "PMID:1466275", "title": "Characterization of cell binding and thrombin inhibitory regions on kininogens' heavy chain.", "content": "Investigations have been performed to determine the domain(s) on kininogens' heavy chain that binds to platelets and contains thrombin inhibitory region Domain 3, but not domains 1 or 2, completely inhibited 125I-HK binding to platelets (Ki = 24 nM +/- 7, n = 4). D3 binding to platelets was saturable with an apparent Kd of 39 nM +/- 8 (n = 4) and 1227 +/- 404 binding sites/platelet. D3 inhibited 125I-thrombin binding to platelets which prevented thrombin-induced platelet aggregation and secretion. These studies indicate that D3 on kininogens' heavy chain contains a cell binding region and another region which inhibits thrombin binding and activation of platelets."}
{"id": "PMID:1466276", "title": "Parallel procoagulant and anticoagulant pathways for high molecular weight kininogen coagulant function.", "content": "High molecular weight kininogen (HK) or its procoagulant light-chain but not the heavy chain potentiated the heparin enhancement of antithrombin III inactivation of plasma kallikrein and factor XIa from 10-50-fold to approximately 1000-fold at I 0.15, pH 7.4, 25 degrees C. This potentiation resulted in antithrombin becoming a predominant inhibitor of kallikrein and factor XIa in heparinized normal but not HK-deficient plasmas. The heparin chain-length and salt dependence of this potentiation suggested an anticoagulant action of HK analogous to its procoagulant action."}
{"id": "PMID:1466277", "title": "Purification and some properties of kininogens in canine plasma.", "content": "High molecular weight (HMW) and low molecular weight (LMW) kininogens were present in canine plasma, and its content ratio was 1:3. Both kininogens were purified by ion-exchange and affinity chromatographies. Purified HMW kininogen might be heterogeneous molecule. And two LMW kininogens were purified and properties of both LMW kininogens were almost the same."}
{"id": "PMID:1466278", "title": "Evolution of the kallikrein gene family.", "content": "All kallikrein-like genes that have been studied to date are composed of 5 exons and the tertiary structures of the encoded enzymes are remarkably similar. In the mouse and rat, these genes are highly conserved, tightly linked and tandemly arranged. In other species, such as the human, the family is less well defined and seems to be much smaller than that of the mouse and rat. Although extensively studied, the exact physiologic significance is not known for many kallikrein gene family members, however, they are thought to play important roles in processing biologically important peptide precursors. Given the potential importance of these mammalian enzymes as a group of highly selective peptide processing enzymes, it would be helpful to know more about the ways in which this family varies from species to species, especially with respect to the size of the family in each species. The evolutionary mechanisms which have shaped this family of genes are largely unknown, however, enough data has been generated to begin understanding the pathway by which this gene family has evolved."}
{"id": "PMID:1466280", "title": "The structure and expression of the genes for T-kininogen in the rat.", "content": "T-kininogen plays an important role in the acute phase response to trauma in the rat as a possible source of kinins and as a cysteine proteinase inhibitor. Two T-kininogens are expressed by rat liver from two separate genes. T-kininogen expression in liver during the acute phase response is regulated at the level of transcription. The similarity in T- and K-kininogen gene structure suggests divergent evolution from a common gene ancestor."}
{"id": "PMID:1466281", "title": "Increased uptake of T-kininogen by the liver in inflammatory conditions.", "content": "The distribution of [125I]T-kininogen in the liver of rats was found to be increased by laparotomy-, turpentine- or lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammation, whereas no such increase was observed in other organs or when 125I-labeled carboxymethylated T-kininogen, which does not inhibit cysteine proteinase, was used. These results suggest that the liver plays an important role in clearing T-kininogen from the circulation during inflammation."}
{"id": "PMID:1466282", "title": "The role of the kininogens as cysteine proteinase inhibitors in local and systemic inflammation.", "content": "The contribution of the kininogens and cystatin C to the functional inhibitory capacity for cysteine proteinases of blood plasma and inflammatory secretions was estimated from ex vivo experiments. 98.5% of the inhibitory capacity of blood plasma for cathepsin L (4-5 microM) is provided by the kininogens ensuring a complete control of this enzyme even at a lowered kininogen concentration. Control of cathepsin B activity by the kininogens is incomplete and depends critically on the active concentration of cystatin C (70 nM in normal plasma), which is reduced in blood plasma of polytraumatized and septic patients and very low in epithelial lining fluid of the shock lung."}
{"id": "PMID:1466283", "title": "Caiman kininogen-like cysteine proteinase inhibitor.", "content": "Kininogens are the major mammalian plasma cysteine proteinase inhibitors; a kininogen-like protein was also found in the snake Bothrops jararaca plasma. This communication describes a kininogen-like protein in plasma of Caiman crocodilus vacare. Caiman crude plasma, unlike snake plasma, contains a detectable cysteine proteinase inhibitor. The inhibitor was purified by DEAE-Sephadex ion-exchange chromatography and chromatography on carboxy-methylated-papain-Sepharose. The estimated molecular weight of Caiman cysteine proteinase inhibitor is 70,000. Caiman plasma also hydrolyzes plasma kallikrein synthetic substrates and inhibits trypsin. Reptilian kininogen may lack the site for interaction with plasma prokallikrein, and the sequence of the released kinin may be distinct from bradykinin. The poor effectiveness of bradykinin on reptile smooth muscle shows that the reptile kinin receptors may be adapted to a specific kinin."}
{"id": "PMID:1466284", "title": "Isolation and characterisation of chicken L- and H-kininogens and their interaction with chicken cysteine proteinases and papain.", "content": "We have isolated L- and H-kininogens from chicken egg white and plasma using affinity chromatography on CM-papain Sepharose, Con-A Sepharose, gel filtration and ion exchange chromatography, in pure form. In chicken plasma mostly HK was present, whereas in chicken egg white both LK and HK were identified. The determined Mr of LK and HK were 69000 and about 96000, respectively. They occurred in multiple forms with pI 4.3-5.2. The inhibitory activity of chicken HK was tested against cysteine proteinases cathepsins B and L, isolated from chicken liver, and papain. The obtained Ki values demonstrated that chicken H-kininogen is a strong inhibitor of chicken cathepsin L and papain, but much weaker inhibitor of chicken cathepsin B."}
{"id": "PMID:1466285", "title": "A re-evaluation of the tissue-specific pattern of expression of the rat kallikrein gene family.", "content": "We have used reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis and insitu hybridization to further define the tissue and cell-specific pattern of expression of the rat kallikrein gene family. rKlk1 gene expression has been unequivocally demonstrated in the rat heart, ovary and testis. Similarly, rKlk3, 4 and 9 gene expression has been demonstrated in the testis/ovary, heart and testis respectively. Insitu hybridization has identified the expression of kallikrein gene family members to specific cell-types in the rat ovary (granulosa cell) and testis (germ cell)."}
{"id": "PMID:1466286", "title": "Structural features of two kininase I-type enzymes revealed by molecular cloning.", "content": "Kininase I-type carboxypeptidases remove a single C-terminal Arg residue from kinins. The circulating kininase I (carboxypeptidase N) contains two types of subunits: a 50 kDa catalytic subunit and an 83 kDa carrier subunit which protects the active subunit in blood. The 83 kDa subunit contains 12 leucine-rich tandem repeats, similar in sequence to other proteins with binding functions. Human carboxypeptidase M is a widely distributed \"tissue kininase I\" bound to plasma membranes. It has 41% sequence identity with the 50 kDa subunit of carboxypeptidase N and may regulate the activity of kinins and other peptides at the cell surface."}
{"id": "PMID:1466287", "title": "Comparative molecular modeling of the active subunit of human kininase I.", "content": "The structure of the enzymatically active subunit of human plasma carboxypeptidase N was determined by computer aided model building by homology using the structural coordinates from carboxypeptidase A. The active site of carboxypeptidase N has been well conserved in comparison with carboxypeptidase A. Differences in substrate specificity can be explained by the comparison of energetically favorable binding sites for different atomic probe groups."}
{"id": "PMID:1466288", "title": "Localization and characterization of human salivary kininases.", "content": "The human saliva of normal subjects containing large amounts of basic carboxypeptidase produces decarboxylated non inflammatory peptides, for instance, kinins and anaphilotoxins C3a, C4a and C5a. A reduction of epithelial cell-bonded enzyme (carboxypeptidase M-type or kininase I), produces inflammations by the active intact kinins and the initiation of the alternative activating pathway of complement by active anaphilotoxins, which generate complement cleavage products, containing potential destructive mechanism."}
{"id": "PMID:1466289", "title": "Human serum carboxypeptidase U: a new kininase?", "content": "A carboxypeptidase capable of cleaving basic amino acids from synthetic peptide substrates is present in fresh human serum, and not in human heparinized plasma. Its activity is generated during the process of coagulation. Because of its instability at room temperature and at 37 degrees C, we named it \"unstable carboxypeptidase\" (carboxypeptidase U, CPU). The enzymatically active subunit of carboxypeptidase U was purified and exhibits a single band at 53 kDa on SDS-PAGE."}
{"id": "PMID:1466290", "title": "Functional diversity of proteinases encoded by genes of the rat tissue kallikrein family.", "content": "A group of proteinases closely related to tissue kallikrein was purified from the rat submandibular gland. Physicochemical characterization of these proteinases, including amino terminal sequencing, allowed correlation with the genes of the rat kallikrein family. In spite of their similar structure, these proteinases have different substrate specificities and different susceptibilities to inhibitors which suggest that they do not share the same biological function. Kallikrein-like proteinases also have restricted specificities that are probably related to their extended substrate binding site. This makes them good candidates for processing inactive protein or peptide precursors into biologically active peptides. A general approach to identifying the putative biological substrates of individual proteinases based on analysis of the specific cleavage of synthetic and natural peptide substrates by kallikrein-related proteinases is described."}
{"id": "PMID:1466291", "title": "A useful and sensitive method for demonstration of the involvement of either kallikrein-kinin system in pathological states.", "content": "In rat carrageenin-induced pleurisy, bradykinin (BK) was hardly able to be detected (< 160 pg per rat) in the exudates. In contrast, des-Phe8-Arg9-BK (des-8,9-BK) level, determined by an enzyme immunoassay (EIA) newly developed, was larger in the exudate and the levels were kept throughout the entire course of this inflammation. Arg-Pro-Pro-Gly-Phe ([1-5] BK) level, measured by an EIA newly developed, was much higher than that of des-8,9-BK in the exudate. Intrapleural administration of soy bean trypsin inhibitor (0.3 mg per rat) reduced the levels of both des-8,9-BK and [1-5] BK in the exudates. Reduction in the residual levels of plasma prekallikrein (P-Kall) and high-molecular-weight-kininogen (HMW-K), not low-molecular-weight-kininogen (LMW-K), were accompanied with increase in these BK degradation products, indicating that plasma prekallikrein was activated in the pleural cavity. On the other hand, intravenous injection of acetaldehyde to rats pretreated with disulfiram resulted in the significant increase in the levels of [1-5] BK in the blood, which was accompanied with reduction in the residual levels of LMW-K, not of HMW-K and P-Kall in plasma. These results indicated that the detection of BK degradation products was a good marker for the kinin release in vivo and that the concomitant reduction of the precursor proteins allowed us to identify the type of kallikrein-kinin systems relevant to the kinin release."}
{"id": "PMID:1466292", "title": "Quantification of Ile-Ser-Bradykinin degradation in human serum and ascites.", "content": "A leucine aminopeptidase (LAP) and a carboxypeptidase (CP) activity in human serum and malignant ascites degrade Ile-Ser-Bradykinin (ISB = T-Kinin) in two catalytic steps to desArg9Bradykinin. The catalytic activity in serum is always higher than in ascites. In serum the carboxypeptidase activity is higher than the LAP activity whereas in ascites the two activities are not different."}
{"id": "PMID:1466294", "title": "Isolation of a bradykinin-potentiating factor from scorpion Tityus serrulatus venom.", "content": "A bradykinin-potentiating factor was isolated and characterized from the scorpion Tityus serrulatus venom by chromatographic techniques and reverse phase followed by biological assays. This factor showed to be able to potentiate the contractile activity of the isolated guinea-pig ileum, inhibited the angiotensin-converting enzyme and potentiated the bradykinin-induced lowering of the arterial blood pressure in the rat."}
{"id": "PMID:1466295", "title": "Bradykinin antagonists: the state of the art.", "content": "The availability of practical bradykinin antagonists has revolutionized research in the kinin field. Development of the first antagonists and progress to the present time are reviewed."}
{"id": "PMID:1466296", "title": "Bradykinin antagonists: synthesis and in vitro activity of bissuccinimidoalkane peptide dimers.", "content": "A systematic study on dimerization of the bradykinin (BK) antagonist D-Arg0-Arg1-Pro2-Hyp3-Gly4-Phe5-Ser6-D-Phe 7-Leu8-Arg9 has been performed. Several of the dimeric BK antagonists displayed remarkable activities and long durations of action. Rank order of antagonist potency as a function of dimerization position is as follows: rat uterus 6 > 5 > 0 > 2 > 1 > 3 >> 4,7,8,9; guinea pig ileum 6 > 5 > 3 > 2 > 1 > 0 >> 4,7,8,9. These results suggest that the development of BK antagonists of significant therapeutic potential may be possible using a dimerization strategy that can overcome the heretofore limiting problems of potency and in vivo duration of action."}
{"id": "PMID:1466297", "title": "Pseudopeptide analogs of bradykinin and bradykinin antagonists.", "content": "Over 100 reduced-bond analogs of bradykinin and bradykinin antagonists were designed, synthesized, and assayed in the classic smooth muscle and blood pressure assays in a further study of the structure-activity relationships of bradykinin. Both potent BK-like agonists and antagonists of BK activity were found among the reduced-bond analogs."}
{"id": "PMID:1466298", "title": "Bradykinin antagonists do not require a D-aromatic amino acid residue at position 7.", "content": "More than 200 new analogs of bradykinin have been synthesized and assayed. Analogs containing a D-aliphatic amino acid residue at position 7 and an L-aliphatic residue at position 8 are very potent antagonists of BK action on classical systems. Thus the \"conventional wisdom\" that a D-aromatic amino acid residue is required at sequence position 7 of BK antagonists must be modified."}
{"id": "PMID:1466299", "title": "Metabolism and characterisation of kinins and Hoe 140 (kinin antagonist) in the synovial fluid of patients with inflammatory joint diseases.", "content": "Methods have been optimised for the collection of synovial fluid and the chromatographic separation of individual kinins (bradykinin and kallidin) in the fluid by HPLC. In addition, the stability of the kinin antagonist, Hoe 140, in synovial fluid was compared with that of synthetic bradykinin. Although bradykinin was completely degraded after incubation for only 6 h in pooled synovial fluid obtained from patients with rheumatoid arthritis, Hoe 140 was stable for as long as 2 weeks under the same conditions. These studies will provide quantitative information regarding levels of kinins in inflamed joints and an insight into the therapeutic potential of kinin antagonists."}
{"id": "PMID:1466300", "title": "Immunovisualisation of plasma prekallikrein and H-kininogen on human neutrophils and in human hepatocytes.", "content": "Both plasma prekallikrein and H-kininogen were immunolocalised in human hepatocytes by the use of immunocytochemical techniques in conjunction with the confocal optical scanning microscopy. In contrast, both proteins were demonstrated on the external surface of human blood neutrophils. However, detection of H-kininogen on non-fixed but not on fixed neutrophils with the anti-domain 6 antibody (directed at the prekallikrein binding site on H-kininogen), suggested that access to the epitope was blocked by the presence of the bound plasma prekallikrein. Therefore, we prepose that H-kininogen provides the binding site for plasma prekallikrein on circulating neutrophils."}
{"id": "PMID:1466301", "title": "Hormonal regulation of pituitary glandular kallikrein: a morphometric study.", "content": "We have previously identified the lactotrophs as the Glandular Kallikrein (GK) containing cells in the rat anterior pituitary using immunocytochemistry, this localization has been independently confirmed with similar methods by other groups. The purpose of the present work was to evaluate the estrogen and dopaminergic control of the GK-containing cells using a morphometric analysis. Female (200-250 g) ovariectomized rats (n = 40) were treated with estradiol (5, 10, 50 micrograms/rat) in the presence or absence of haloperidol (2.5 mg/Kg). The pituitaries were fixed by perfusion with Bouin's and immunostained for prolactin (PRL) or GK. The number of cells and the intensity of the staining were determined by morphometric analysis. Little GK staining was observed in pituitaries from ovariectomized rats, whereas estradiol treatment produced a marked increase in GK staining; GK-positive lactotrophs increased from 4% in control to 75% with 5 micrograms of estradiol, higher doses produced little further increase. However, GK staining intensity in lactotrophs was markedly dependent upon estradiol dose increasing 4-fold between 5 micrograms and 50 micrograms. Haloperidol (2.5 mg/Kg) elicited weak GK staining in 46% of the lactotrophs in the absence of estradiol, and potentiated GK staining intensity elicited with low doses of estradiol. Estradiol also produced a dose-dependent increase in pituitary mass and % lactotrophs indicating lactotroph proliferation. Estradiol produced a dose dependent increase in pituitary wet weight, % PRL-positive cells and % GK-positive cells. Pituitary weight was correlated with % lactotrophs (r = 0.992), and % GK cells (r = 0.874), and % lactotrophs was correlated with % GK cells (r = 0.978).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1466302", "title": "Kallikrein-producing cells in the rat pituitary and pineal gland.", "content": "By using an immunohistochemical technique, kallikrein-producing cells in the anterior pituitary of rats were identified to be the same as prolactin-producing cells. Kallikrein was localized at the Golgi apparatus, the rough endoplasmic reticulum and secretory granules. Kallikrein was also located in the perivascular cells of the pineal gland."}
{"id": "PMID:1466303", "title": "Cellular localization of human kininogens.", "content": "An immunocytochemical screening using polyclonal and monoclonal antikininogen antibodies was performed in various human tissues including blood cells. By comparing the spatial relationship between the cellular localizations of tissue kallikrein and kininogens it was evident that in some tissues both enzyme and substrate were present establishing a close anatomical relationship whereas in others only one of the components could be detected. This pattern of distribution suggests that within various tissues (cells) the major function of either tissue kallikrein (kininogenase, processing enzyme) or kininogen (kinin precursor, cysteine protease inhibitor, kallikrein acceptor molecule) could be different and probably specific to each cell type."}
{"id": "PMID:1466304", "title": "Expression of human salivary-gland kallikrein in insect cells by a baculovirus vector.", "content": "A cDNA fragment encoding human salivary-gland kallikrein, including the kallikrein-owned signal peptide, was inserted into a baculovirus vector adjacent to the polyhedrin promoter and expressed in transfected insect cells. Biologically active kallikrein was isolated to homogeneity from serum-free culture supernatant using a four-step protocol. The N-terminal amino acid sequence of the insect-derived kallikrein was identical to that of the natural proteinase, thus indicating the proper removal of the mammalian signal peptide."}
{"id": "PMID:1466305", "title": "Determinants of tissue kallikrein cleavage specificity in the limited proteolysis of kininogens.", "content": "Further evidence for interactions at tissue kallikrein extended binding sites, as determinants of the kininogen cleavage specificities is presented. Differences in the cleavage sites in kininogen hydrolysis by rat and other tissue kallikreins is related to subsite S1' specificity, while the low susceptibility of rat kininogen to horse tissue kallikrein is explained by the difference in their subsite S3'."}
{"id": "PMID:1466307", "title": "Kinetics of bond cleavages at kallidin release by tissue kallikrein: cleavage of two peptide bonds in a single enzyme-substrate complex?", "content": "The kinetics of the release of kallidin, L- and KL-chains from bovine L-kininogen by porcine tissue kallikrein were followed and individual kinetic constants for cleavage of the Met-360 and the Arg-370 bond determined. The results suggest that both these bonds in L-kininogen r are hydrolyzed \"simultaneously\" without appearance of a free singly-nicked intermediate. Kallidin release in the human analogous system is also compatible with such a mechanism."}
{"id": "PMID:1466308", "title": "Kinetics of Lys-bradykinin release by porcine pancreatic kallikrein from rabbit low molecular weight kininogen.", "content": "The initial rates of Lys-bradykinin release by porcine pancreatic kallikrein from rabbit low molecular weight kininogen are found to follow the Michaelis-Menten kinetics with kc = 0.62 sec-1 and Km = 1.93 microM at substrate concentrations 0.3-1.3 microM, but at higher ones the Michaelis dependence is broken. Inhibition of the reaction by its product(s) with Kp < Km is revealed with integral analysis methods in a range of 4.5-270 microM kininogen."}
{"id": "PMID:1466309", "title": "Characterization of kallikrein isolated from rat submandibular glands by a simple and rapid purification procedure.", "content": "Numerous biochemical properties (e.g. Mr, carbohydrate content, pI) were determined for kallikrein isolated from rat submandibular glands by a simple, rapid purification procedure. The kinetic behaviour of the enzyme towards various inhibitors and synthetic substrates was investigated. The effects of different salts and detergents on the esterolytic activity of the rat tissue kallikrein were recorded."}
{"id": "PMID:1466311", "title": "Role of triglycerides in coronary artery disease: lessons from the Prospective Cardiovascular M\u00fcnster Study.", "content": "The incidence of atherosclerotic coronary artery disease (CAD) was assessed in 4,576 male participants of the Prospective Cardiovascular M\u00fcnster (PROCAM) study, aged 40-64 years, over a 4-year follow-up period. In this time, 122 study participants developed atherosclerotic CAD (89 definite nonfatal myocardial infarctions and 33 definite atherosclerotic CAD deaths). Univariate analysis revealed a significant association between the incidence of atherosclerotic CAD, and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (p < 0.001) and triglyceride (p < 0.01) levels. The relation to HDL cholesterol remained after adjustment for other risk factors. By contrast, the relation between the incidence of atherosclerotic CAD and triglycerides disappeared if, in a multivariate analysis by means of a multiple logistic function, cholesterol or HDL cholesterol was taken into account. However, the data suggested that hypertriglyceridemia is a powerful additional coronary risk factor, when excessive triglycerides coincide with a high ratio (> 5.0) of plasma low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol to HDL cholesterol. Even though the prevalence of this subgroup was only 3.7%, it included a quarter of all atherosclerotic CAD events observed."}
{"id": "PMID:1466312", "title": "Triglyceride levels and the risk of coronary artery disease: a view from Australia.", "content": "A prospective study of cardiovascular disease in elderly Australians commenced in 1988 in Dubbo, New South Wales. The study population comprised 1,237 men and 1,568 women aged > or = 60 years. The prevalence rates of coronary artery disease (CAD) and putative risk factors were examined cross-sectionally in the baseline data. The age-standardized rate of CAD was 23.8/100 men and 18.1/100 women. In a univariate analysis, the major risk factors for CAD were hypertension, diabetes, family history, reduced high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels, and increased triglyceride levels. The prevalence rate of CAD was examined in those with low-density lipoprotein (LDL):HDL ratios < 5.0 or > 5.0. Most notably in women, the CAD rate was 16/100 with an LDL.HDL ratio < or = 5.0 and 28/100 with an LDL.HDL ratio > 5.0. In the latter group, the rate was 21/100 in those with triglycerides < or = 2.3 mmol/liter and 36/100 in those with triglycerides > 2.3 mmol/liter. In a multiple logistic model that controlled for many potential risk factors or confounding variables, CAD in men was significantly predicted by age, hypertension (odds ratio = 1.40), family history (odds ratio = 2.05), and low HDL cholesterol (odds ratio = 0.78). Significant predictors in women were age, years of education (odds ratio = 0.82), hypertension (odds ratio = 1.45), family history (odds ratio = 1.77), serum triglycerides (odds ratio = 1.30), and low HDL cholesterol (odds ratio = 0.73). An independent gradient of CAD risk with increasing triglyceride levels and a similar gradient with decreasing HDL cholesterol levels were found in women.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1466313", "title": "Hypertriglyceridemia: risks and perspectives.", "content": "The evidence linking hypertriglyceridemia and coronary artery disease (CAD) is reviewed. A positive correlation between plasma triglyceride level and CAD incidence has been demonstrated in most prospective studies on univariate analysis. However, the significance is weakened on multivariate analysis, in particular when level of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol is taken into account, perhaps because of the close metabolic interrelation between the triglyceride-rich lipoproteins and HDL particles. Recent analyses of clinical data have shown that the combination of elevations of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglyceride and low levels of HDL cholesterol confers particularly high risk for CAD. The U.S. National Institutes of Health Consensus Development Conference on Triglyceride, High Density Lipoprotein, and Coronary Heart Disease in February 1992 made recommendations to integrate more fully HDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels into the assessment and treatment of dyslipidemia and CAD risk. Treatment of hypertriglyceridemia should focus on diet and weight control, exercise, and smoking cessation, as well as control of other major risk factors for CAD, notably hypercholesterolemia and hypertension."}
{"id": "PMID:1466314", "title": "Therapeutic management of triglycerides: an international perspective.", "content": "Current recommendations from various international expert committees generally concur in their definitions of borderline and high triglyceride levels, with small but important differences between recommendations in the definition of normal levels. However, population-based data on triglyceride levels are poorly developed in most countries, making difficult any international comparisons of prevalences of hypertriglyceridemia using the new definitions. However, it is probable that there should be considerable differences in the prevalence of hypertriglyceridemia, probably due to a mixture of genetic and environmental influences. The management of hypertriglyceridemia must continue to emphasize the detection and correction of secondary causes, even though the specific secondary causes may vary between countries. Dietary and exercise interventions must deal with local customs and resources, including striking international differences in alcohol consumption. Pharmacologic therapies will likely increase in use if they follow the trends in countries with available data. Although various drugs are available, nicotinic acid and fibric acid derivatives remain the drugs of choice. Considerably more research is needed to describe these international differences in etiology, prevalence and management practices of hypertriglyceridemia."}
{"id": "PMID:1466315", "title": "Epidemiology of triglycerides: a view from Framingham.", "content": "New analyses from the Framingham Heart Study are presented showing that men and women who have high triglyceride levels (> 1.7 mmol/liter) and a low high-density lipoprotein (HDL) level (< 1.03 mmol/liter) run a significantly higher rate of coronary artery disease and can be identified, and that this risk group (high triglyceride-low HDL) is, independently of the major risk factors (including low HDL), related to occurrence of coronary artery disease. Further, this trait appears to be common in our society, producing twice as many cases of coronary artery disease during the 14 years of the Framingham study as the next highest disease-producing lipid abnormality. This trait of high triglyceride-low HDL is associated in the medical literature with increased insulin resistance, higher blood sugars (within the normal range), higher uric acid levels, hypertension, and centrally mediated obesity. Because total cholesterol in people with these traits may be less than or just slightly greater than 5.2 mmol/liter, they are missed or neglected by most cholesterol screening programs."}
{"id": "PMID:1466316", "title": "Effect of coronary angioplasty on late potentials one to two weeks after acute myocardial infarction.", "content": "In survivors of acute myocardial infarction (AMI), the restoration of anterograde flow in the infarct artery, even if accomplished beyond the time for myocardial salvage, may reduce the frequency of subsequent arrhythmic events and sudden death. Twelve subjects (8 men and 4 women, aged 39 to 69 years) with a first AMI, signal-averaged electrocardiographic late potentials, and an occluded infarct artery were prospectively identified. Seven (group I) had successful coronary angioplasty 6 to 15 days after AMI, and 5 (group II) were managed conservatively. Follow-up signal-averaged electrocardiography was performed 3 to 7 months later. From baseline to follow-up, the 7 group I subjects had a significant change in QRS duration (117 +/- 13 [mean + SD] to 102 +/- 10 ms), root-mean-square voltage (10.4 +/- 4.7 to 31.0 +/- 7.6 microV), and low-amplitude signal duration (47.5 +/- 8.5 to 32.4 +/- 5.2 ms) (p < or = 0.05 for all 3 variables). No group I patient had a late potential at follow-up. In contrast, the 5 group II patients showed no change in QRS duration or low-amplitude signal duration from baseline to follow-up, and all 5 had a late potential at follow-up. At follow-up, the root-mean-square voltage was significantly greater and the low-amplitude signal and QRS durations significantly less in group I than in group II (p < 0.05 for all 3 variables). Thus, in our patients, the mechanical restoration of anterograde perfusion in an occluded infarct artery 1 to 2 weeks after AMI caused the resolution of signal-averaged electrocardiographic late potentials."}
{"id": "PMID:1466317", "title": "Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty without on-site surgical facilities.", "content": "Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) is associated with a low risk of serious complications, the most important of which is acute coronary occlusion needing emergency surgery. There is a consensus among many cardiologists and cardiac surgeons that all PTCA procedures need on-site surgical backup. A task force report on PTCA by the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association mandates the presence of an on-site cardiovascular surgical team. Since 1981, we have performed PTCA without the benefit of on-site surgery but with backup surgery provided at a regional cardiac surgical center located 6 kilometers away. Up to the end of 1991, 762 patients have undergone 847 PTCAs. Most patients had 1-vessel angioplasty (94.6%). The primary success rate since 1981 was 76%, and from January 1990 to December 1991 it was 87% (n = 313). Complications included death in 7 patients (0.9%), myocardial infarction in 16 (2.1%) and emergency surgery in 12 (1.6%). Surgical backup was provided on a next available operating room basis. The average time from decision to transfer to onset of surgery was 164 minutes (range 75 to 320). All patients survived surgery, but 42% developed a new Q-wave myocardial infarction. These patients were followed up until the end of 1991, and are all alive. The results are similar to those reported from centers with and without on-site surgery. With careful selection of patients and a formal, coordinated plan for backup surgery, PTCA can be safely performed without on-site surgery."}
{"id": "PMID:1466318", "title": "Results of coronary angioplasty using the transluminal extraction catheter.", "content": "To assess the procedural results after coronary angioplasty using the transluminal extraction catheter (TEC) in patients with complex lesion anatomy, experience with 51 patients undergoing this procedure was reviewed. One or more adverse lesion morphologic features were present in 45 patients (88%) and > or = 2 adverse features were present in 38 (74%). Procedural success (< 50% final diameter stenosis and the absence of major complications) was obtained in 42 patients (82%); major complications occurred in 7 patients (death, 3; Q-wave myocardial infarction, 4; emergency bypass operation, 2). Distal embolization was noted in 5 patients with thrombus-containing saphenous vein graft stenoses. Only lesion thrombus correlated with an unsuccessful outcome. After TEC use, diameter stenosis was reduced from 76 +/- 13 to 50 +/- 22% (p < 0.001). Adjunct balloon angioplasty was used in 44 procedures (86%), further reducing the diameter stenosis to 32 +/- 22% (p < 0.001 compared with post-TEC). High-frequency intracoronary ultrasound was performed in 11 patients after TEC use. Plaque fissuring was present in all lesions and intraluminal dissection was noted in 4 (36%). Residual plaque after TEC use was found in virtually all lesions. During the 5.2 +/- 2.8-month follow-up period, 17 patients (40%) developed recurrent symptoms. Coronary bypass surgery was performed in 4 patients and repeat coronary angioplasty was required in 3. In addition, 3 patients died from cardiac causes. It is concluded that coronary angioplasty using the TEC may be a useful alternative to balloon angioplasty in patients with complex coronary anatomy, although distal embolization may still occur in thrombus-containing saphenous vein graft lesions."}
{"id": "PMID:1466319", "title": "Clinical success, complications and restenosis rates with excimer laser coronary angioplasty. The Percutaneous Excimer Laser Coronary Angioplasty Registry.", "content": "The role of excimer laser angioplasty in treating complex coronary artery disease remains uncertain. A randomized trial comparing this new technology with balloon angioplasty cannot be designed until systematic analysis identifies the lesion types that are likely to benefit from treatment with excimer laser angioplasty. In a cohort of 764 patients who had 858 coronary stenoses treated with excimer laser-facilitated angioplasty, relative risk analysis was used to examine acute success, complications and restenosis rates, and the results were compared with those of balloon angioplasty to identify the lesion types that show the greatest benefit with the new treatment. Clinical success was achieved in 657 patients (86%), as indicated by < or = 50% residual stenosis and no in-hospital complication. A major in-hospital complication (death, bypass surgery, or Q-wave or non-Q-wave myocardial infarction) occurred in 58 patients (7.6%). Follow-up angiography was obtained in 70% of eligible patients. Combining angiographic and noninvasive restenosis rates yielded an overall restenosis rate of 46%. Relative risk analysis showed that major complications occurred frequently in lesions at an arterial bifurcation (odds ratio [OR] 5.96 [2.76, 12.6]; p = 0.001). However, certain complex lesions that are difficult to treat with balloon angioplasty (saphenous vein graft lesions, lesions > 10 mm, ostial lesions, calcified stenoses, total occlusions and unsuccessful balloon dilatations), analyzed together as a group, had lower complication rates by univariate (OR 0.59 [0.35, 1.00]; p = 0.051) and multivariate logistic regression (p = 0.006) analyses.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1466320", "title": "Prediction of risk for hemodynamic compromise during percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty.", "content": "The availability of circulatory support devices has increased the importance of accurately identifying patients at risk for hemodynamic compromise during percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA). Accordingly, prospective evaluation of 3 criteria to predict hemodynamic compromise (defined as a decrease in systolic blood pressure > or = 20 to < 90 mm Hg during balloon inflation) in 157 patients (group A) undergoing PTCA was performed. Left ventricular ejection fraction < 35% had a sensitivity of 13% and a specificity of 95%. Greater than 50% of the myocardium at risk was associated with a sensitivity of 31% and a specificity of 85%. The angiographer's assessment of high risk for hemodynamic compromise had the highest sensitivity of 56% and a specificity of 86%. The clinical and angiographic characteristics of these patients were reviewed to identify risk factors retrospectively. Multivariate analysis of 28 variables identified multivessel disease, diffuse disease, myocardium at risk, and stenosis before PTCA as independent predictors of hemodynamic compromise. With use of this analysis, a 13-point weighted scoring system was created based on the regression of coefficients of the variables. Defining high risk for hemodynamic compromise as a risk score > or = 4, the sensitivity of this criterion in group A patients was 81% and the specificity was 74%. The scoring system was then prospectively applied to 61 consecutive patients (group B) undergoing PTCA. In using a risk score > or = 4 to define high risk, this scoring system had a sensitivity of 92% and a specificity of 92%.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1466321", "title": "Classification of morphologic effects of percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty assessed by intravascular ultrasound.", "content": "The aim of this study was the assessment and classification of the morphologic effects of percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTCA) by intravascular ultrasound (IU). Fifty-eight patients were examined immediately after PTCA with a 4.8Fr, 20 MHz rotational tip IU system. In 10 patients (17%), IU images could not be analyzed due to failure of the imaging system or poor image quality. In 48 patients (83%; 40 men and 8 women, aged 55 +/- 9 years), IU images of 48 PTCA segments, as well as 41 distal and 44 proximal sites, were analyzed. The left anterior descending artery was studied in 30 patients, the right coronary artery in 17 and the left main coronary artery in 1. Calcium was present in 32 of 48 PTCA segments (67%). Plaque morphology was concentric in 18 patients (38%) and eccentric in 30 (62%). Seven distinct morphologic patterns were observed. In concentric plaques, plaque compression without significant wall alterations (type 1) was found in 2 patients (4%), superficial tears within the plaque (type 2) in 1 (2%) and deep tears (type 3) in 8 (17%). Deep tearing associated with submedial or subintimal dissection (type 4) was found in 2 patients (4%). Dissection between plaque and vessel wall without noticeable intimal tearing (type 5) was the most common morphology (n = 15; 31%) and occurred in concentric and eccentric plaques. In eccentric plaques, no significant tearing of the plaque (type 6) was found in 6 patients (13%), and tearing of the plaque close to its base with dissection (type 7) in 14 (29%).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1466322", "title": "Comparison of painful and painless left ventricular dysfunction recorded during ambulatory ventricular function monitoring in angina pectoris secondary to coronary artery disease.", "content": "Left ventricular (LV) function and the electrocardiogram of 55 patients with coronary artery disease and angina were monitored for a mean of 3.2 +/- 1.9 hours with an ambulatory LV function monitor. During the monitoring interval, patients performed daily activities such as sitting, walking, climbing stairs, and eating. Sixty episodes of transient reduction in ejection fraction of > 5% lasting > 60 seconds were observed in 24 patients; 13 episodes were associated with typical angina, but 47 were asymptomatic. Asymptomatic episodes had a shorter duration of ventricular dysfunction (116 +/- 49 vs 189 +/- 113 seconds; p < 0.05), and smaller increases in relative end-diastolic and end-systolic volumes (end-diastolic 0.9 +/- 5.4% vs 4.6 +/- 4.9% [p < 0.05], and end-systolic 21 +/- 11% vs 35 +/- 20% [p < 0.05]) than did symptomatic ones. When a subset of patients with both symptomatic and asymptomatic episodes were analyzed, similar results were observed: in asymptomatic episodes, duration was shorter (82 +/- 31 vs 200 +/- 110 seconds; p < 0.005), ejection fraction decrease was smaller (-7.3 +/- 2.6% vs -11.0 +/- 4.7%; p < 0.05), and end-systolic volume increase was smaller (23 +/- 12% vs 37 +/- 19%; p < 0.05). The data suggest that asymptomatic transient LV dysfunction is less severe and of shorter duration in patients with angina pectoris."}
{"id": "PMID:1466323", "title": "Variable location of accessory pathways associated with the permanent form of junctional reciprocating tachycardia and confirmation with radiofrequency ablation.", "content": "Permanent junctional reciprocating tachycardia (PJRT) occurs primarily in young patients and causes nearly incessant tachycardia that is frequently refractory to pharmacologic treatment. Previous nonpharmacologic therapy has included surgical or direct-current catheter ablation of either the His bundle or the accessory pathway. The accessory pathway in PJRT has been described as having retrograde and anterograde decremental conduction properties, and is typically identified in the posteroseptal location. This report describes radiofrequency catheter ablation of accessory pathways in 8 patients with PJRT. All ablations were successful and without adverse effects. Accessory pathway potentials were detected just before atrial activation in 6 of 8 patients. A new finding was that 5 of the 8 pathway locations, as identified by the site of successful ablation, were not in the typical posteroseptal region. In 1 patient it was located in the right posteroseptal region, 2 were in the right atrial freewall, 1 was in the right anterior septum and 1 was in the left posterior region just outside of the septal region. In conclusion, radiofrequency catheter ablation can be a highly effective and safe method for treatment of young patients with PJRT. Because the accessory pathways can be located outside of the posteroseptal region, careful mapping of both the right and left atrioventricular groove may be necessary for successful ablation."}
{"id": "PMID:1466324", "title": "Detection of left anterior descending coronary artery disease in patients with left bundle branch block.", "content": "The detection of coronary artery disease is difficult if a patient has electrocardiographic evidence of left bundle branch block (BBB). Septal blood flow may be reduced in patients with left BBB, despite no angiographic evidence of left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery disease. We have developed a new method of quantification of Thallium-201 single-photon emission computed tomographic (SPECT) images with the aim of better separating patients with left BBB and LAD disease from those with left BBB alone. The study cohort comprised 8 normal subjects (group I) and 20 patients with left BBB and chest pain who underwent thallium-201 SPECT imaging and coronary angiography. Eight patients (group II) had < or = 50% LAD stenosis, and 12 (group III) had > or = 70% LAD stenosis. Septal abnormality scores on the second short-axis slice from the base were computed, based on comparison of each subject's short-axis circumferential profile with a normal reference curve. This followed a procedure in which each profile was scaled to minimize differences in its absolute level in relation to the reference curve. Septal abnormality scores on stress images were 0.8 +/- 22 for group I, 27 +/- 43 for group II, and 165 +/- 67 for group III (p = 0.15 for group I vs II, and p < 0.0001 between groups I and III, and II and III).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1466325", "title": "Comparison of sustained-release formulations of nicardipine and verapamil for mild to moderate systemic hypertension.", "content": "In this double-blind, parallel, multicenter study, sustained-release (SR) preparations of 2 calcium antagonists, nicardipine and verapamil, were compared for the treatment of mild to moderate systemic hypertension. Two hundred eighteen patients with supine diastolic blood pressures (BP) 95 to 114 mm Hg were randomly assigned to receive nicardipine-SR 45 mg twice daily (n = 73), nicardipine-SR 60 mg twice daily (n = 73) or verapamil-SR 240 mg once daily in the morning (n = 72). All 3 regimens significantly reduced supine and sitting systolic and diastolic BPs compared with baseline values (p < 0.005). The efficacy of drugs became apparent after 2 weeks of therapy, and was sustained throughout the 12-week study. Reductions in sitting diastolic BP and supine and sitting systolic BPs were statistically greater with nicardipine-SR 60 mg twice daily compared with verapamil, and nicardipine-SR 45 mg twice daily was equivalent to verapamil. Asthenia and constipation occurred more frequently in patients treated with verapamil (9.7 and 11.1%, respectively, compared with 6.8 and 4.1% in either nicardipine group). Adverse events reported more frequently with nicardipine were headache (17.8% with nicardipine-SR 60 mg and 15.1% with nicardipine-SR 45 mg vs 13.9% with verapamil) and edema (15.1% in the nicardipine-SR 60 mg group, 8.2% with nicardipine-SR 45 mg vs 4.2% with verapamil). Verapamil, but not nicardipine, produced significant reductions in heart rate. SR preparations of calcium antagonists offer options for effective monotherapy of systemic hypertension. Side-effect profiles differ and may affect choice of therapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1466326", "title": "Comparison of different methods for assessing sympathovagal balance in chronic congestive heart failure secondary to coronary artery disease.", "content": "Twenty-five patients (aged 62 +/- 2 years) with stable, moderate to severe ischemic congestive heart failure (CHF) (New York Heart Association class II/III: 15/10; ejection fraction 21.6 +/- 2%; and peak oxygen uptake 13.6 +/- 0.7 ml/kg/min) were studied to evaluate the ability of different methods to characterize autonomic tone in chronic CHF. Sympathovagal balance was assessed by: (1) heart rate variability in the time domain, assessed by the SD of RR intervals; (2) heart rate variability in the frequency domain, assessed by low- (0.03 to 0.14 Hz) and high- (0.18 to 0.40 Hz) frequency components of heart rate variability by autoregressive power spectral analysis; (3) 24-hour, daytime and nighttime heart rate; (4) submaximal heart rate during upright bicycle exercise, with respiratory gas analysis to obtain peak oxygen uptake; and (5) radiolabeled norepinephrine spillover. These methods did not correlate, with the exception of day and nighttime heart rate (r = 0.74; p < 0.001) and the expected inverse correlation between low and high frequency (r = -0.92; p < 0.001). No method correlated significantly with peak oxygen uptake, exercise tolerance or ejection fraction. After 8 weeks of physical training at home, all methods showed improvement in autonomic balance: increases in SD of RR intervals (+21%; p < 0.02) and high frequency (+41%; p < 0.007), and decreases in low frequency (-19%; p < 0.002), low-/high-frequency ratio (-48%; p < 0.03), norepinephrine spillover (-28.9%; p < 0.03), 24-hour heart rate (-2.7%; p < 0.005) and submaximal heart rate (-10.8%; p < 0.01).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1466327", "title": "Noninvasive detection of left ventricular diastolic dysfunction using M-mode echocardiography to assess left ventricular posterior wall kinetics in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.", "content": "In patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HC), it is difficult to determine the severity of left ventricular (LV) diastolic dysfunction. Three different patterns of LV posterior wall motion were found by M-mode echocardiography in patients with HC, and the use of these patterns is proposed as a new noninvasive index of the severity of LV diastolic dysfunction. M-mode echocardiograms were recorded prospectively from 35 patients with HC, and the posterior wall motion pattern in late systole and early diastole was classified into the following 3 types: (1) normal motion (n = 9); (2) flat motion--flat motion from late systole to early diastole, followed by rapid backward movement (n = 13); and (3) downward motion--slow backward movement from late systole (n = 13). There were no differences in the severity or type of hypertrophy, LV systolic function and pulsed Doppler indexes of LV filling among these 3 groups. However, LV end-diastolic pressure was increased in the groups with flat (15 +/- 6 mm Hg) and downward (16 +/- 9 mm Hg) motion. Furthermore, the maximal rate of decrease in LV pressure (normal 1,450 +/- 300, flat 1,250 +/- 300 and downward 860 +/- 80 mm Hg/s) and the time constant of LV pressure reduction (normal 60 +/- 15, flat 70 +/- 25 and downward 101 +/- 34 ms) showed a stepwise deterioration from the normal to the flat and then to the downward motion groups.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1466328", "title": "Magnetic resonance imaging in right ventricular dysplasia.", "content": "Fifteen patients with right ventricular dysplasia were investigated by T1-weighted spin- and gradient-echo pulse sequences, using a protocol that enabled both a subjective analysis of myocardial signal intensity and a quantitative/qualitative analysis of right and left ventricular function. In 8 patients, 3 investigators independently recognized abnormally hyperintense areas in the anatomic sites usually affected by the disease. In 7 of these patients, these areas showed an overlap with a-dyskinetic areas imaged by both magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and echocardiography. In 1 patient who underwent a cardiac transplant, MRI of the explanted heart showed an excellent correlation between the distribution of the lesions and the in vivo/in vitro features. The data were compared with those from an equivalent sample of patients affected by dilated cardiomyopathy. In the latter patients, no focal hyperintensities were attributed to any anatomic sites in the right ventricule, and no focal a-dyskinetic foci were observed. Furthermore, the 2 groups of patients were significantly different in regard to dimensional and functional quantitative parameters. The results suggest that MRI is useful in integrating echocardiographic data and can be helpful in diagnosing this disease in late stages."}
{"id": "PMID:1466329", "title": "Maxepa versus bezafibrate in hyperlipidemic cardiac transplant recipients.", "content": "Accelerated coronary artery disease is the most serious obstacle to long-term survival in cardiac transplant recipients. Lipid abnormalities are found frequently in these patients, and there is growing evidence that even minimally increased levels of cholesterol and triglycerides contribute to the development of accelerated coronary artery disease. However, the optimal lipid-lowering therapy after cardiac transplantation has not been defined. In an open, randomized study, the efficacy and safety of bezafibrate (400 mg/day) and fish oil (Maxepa) (10 g/day) for 3 months were compared in 87 cardiac transplant recipients with serum total cholesterol > 6.5 or triglycerides > 2.8 mmol/liter, or both. After 1 month, bezafibrate reduced total cholesterol by 13%, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol by 20% and apolipoprotein B by 13%. It also increased apolipoprotein A1 and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol by 12 and 20%, respectively, and significantly reduced fibrinogen at 3 months. Maxepa had no significant effect on these variables, but was as effective as bezafibrate in reducing triglycerides (36 and 31%, respectively). Both drugs increased lipoprotein (a) to a similar extent, and bezafibrate significantly increased serum creatinine. These results suggest that bezafibrate has better lipid-, apolipoprotein- and hemostatic modifying properties than does Maxepa, but its potentially adverse effect on renal function needs further investigation."}
{"id": "PMID:1466354", "title": "Bone densitometry in patients with multiple myeloma.", "content": "We performed dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry in 10 selected patients with aggressive multiple myeloma in whom substantial tumor mass reduction was achieved after high-dose chemoradiotherapy followed by autologous blood stem cell transplantation. In most cases, bone mineral density (BMD) of the spine was initially low (Mean Z score: -2.69, SEM 0.76) and dramatically increased after treatment (mean increase 16.4%; 7.7% with 95% confidence interval 2.2 to 12.2, excluding one patient whose spine BMD increased by 94.8%). In contrast, skeletal roentgenograms, computed tomographic scans, and magnetic resonance imaging did not reveal any significant improvement of patients' bone lesions. In patients with multiple myeloma, bone densitometry could be a useful way to assess the efficacy of treatment on bone status."}
{"id": "PMID:1466355", "title": "Prognostic significance of elevated serum beta 2-microglobulin levels in adult acute lymphocytic leukemia.", "content": "Elevated serum beta-2 microglobulin (beta 2M) levels are associated with poor prognosis in several lymphoproliferative disorders including multiple myeloma and lymphoma. Their prognostic relevance in acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) is unknown. We analyzed the associations of serum beta 2M levels at diagnosis with pretreatment characteristics and with prognosis in adult ALL. One hundred fifty-nine adults with newly diagnosed ALL were investigated. Serum beta 2M levels were determined at diagnosis, on fresh peripheral blood samples, using a radioimmunoassay, the Pharmacia beta 2 Micro RIA (Pharmacia Diagnostics, Uppsala, Sweden). Statistical correlations were assessed by standard methods, and further independent prognostic value of serum beta 2M was determined by multivariate analysis. Patients with beta 2M levels of 4.0 mg/L or above had a lower complete response rate (61% versus 80%; p = 0.02), a significantly worse survival (p < 0.01), and a significantly higher association with development of central nervous system (CNS) leukemia (p < 0.01). High beta 2M levels were more common among patients with older age, with elevated creatinine, bilirubin, and alkaline phosphatase levels, with low albumin levels, and with B-cell disease. Multivariate analysis for survival indicated the beta 2M level to be an independent prognostic variable (after adjusting for pretreatment creatinine level and age). The evaluation of beta 2M levels within low- and high-risk groups for CNS disease suggested an association of elevated beta 2M levels with a worse incidence of CNS disease in the high-risk patients. Monitoring serum beta 2M levels may provide significant prognostic information in adults with ALL and should be included in their pretreatment evaluation. Its importance in childhood ALL requires investigation."}
{"id": "PMID:1466356", "title": "Diabetic cutaneous microangiopathy.", "content": "To determine a potential relationship between skin blood flow changes and the duration of diabetes and the presence of other microvascular complications. Skin blood flow was measured by laser Doppler techniques at the finger and toe pulps, areas of predominant arteriovenous anastomotic (AVA) flow, and on the finger and toe dorsums, which have a greater nutritive microvascular contribution, in 83 diabetic patients and 39 nondiabetic control subjects. The average duration of diabetes was 14 +/- 1 years. Thirty-four patients had retinopathy. Eighteen patients had proteinuria. Forty patients had definite signs and symptoms of neuropathy, whereas 11 had no detectable neuropathy. There was little difference between diabetic and nondiabetic skin blood flow at normal body temperatures. However, at an elevated skin temperature of 44 degrees C, significant reductions in skin blood flow versus control were demonstrated in the diabetic group. Skin blood flow at finger and toe dorsums showed a decrease as a function of the duration of diabetes. In contrast, there was little, if any, relationship between the duration of diabetes and skin blood flow at the finger and toe pulps. Diabetic patients with retinopathy had significantly lower blood flow at both finger and toe dorsums than those without retinopathy. Even excluding patients with recent onset of diabetes from the analysis, flows at finger (18.6 +/- 2.0 mL/min/100 g) and toe dorsums (11.2 +/- 1.4 mL/min/100 g) in the patients with retinopathy were significantly lower than in diabetic patients without retinopathy [finger: 28.6 +/- 2.7 mL/min/100 g (p < 0.01) and toe: 15.1 +/- 1.5 mL/min/100 g (p < 0.05)]. The presence of proteinuria was also associated with lower blood flow at the toe dorsum. There were no differences between patients with or without clinical diabetic neuropathy. At finger and toe pulps, there were no significant differences between diabetic patients with or without retinopathy, proteinuria, or neuropathy. There appears to be a diabetic cutaneous microangiopathy that coexists with diabetic retinal and renal microvascular disease. This process is expressed primarily at sites of nutritive microvasculature. The ability to use the skin as a model for diabetic microangiopathy would have great practical importance, both experimentally and in clinical practice."}
{"id": "PMID:1466357", "title": "Pulmonary function in systemic lupus erythematosus is related to distinct clinical, serologic, and nailfold capillary patterns.", "content": "The purpose of this study was to investigate whether systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients with interstitial lung disease represent a particular subset of patients characterized by the presence of clinical, serologic, and nailfold capillary patterns overlapping scleroderma. In 57 consecutive patients with SLE, a standardized detailed history was obtained and a physical examination performed, directed at signs and symptoms of connective tissue diseases, in particular scleroderma. Additionally, pulmonary function testing, chest radiography, radionuclide transit studies of the esophagus, nailfold capillary microscopy, and detailed serologic studies directed at the antigenic specificities of antinuclear antibodies were performed. Patients were divided into three groups based on the results of pulmonary function testing, i.e., normal lung function, restriction, or isolated impairment of diffusion. Clinical, serologic, and nailfold capillary microscopic findings were compared among these three groups. Twenty patients had normal lung function, 19 had restrictive lung function loss, and 9 had an isolated impairment of the diffusing capacity (T1,CO). Patients with obstructive lung disease (n = 9) were excluded from analysis. Sclerodermatous changes of the hands were associated with a restrictive lung function pattern. Interstitial changes on chest radiograph were associated with isolated impairment of T1,CO. Nailfold capillary abnormalities correlated with decreased T1,CO and Dm, the component of T1,CO representing the diffusing capacity of the alveolocapillary membrane. Antibodies to U1-RNA were associated with restrictive lung function and decreased T1,CO. We conclude that interstitial lung disease is present in a subset of SLE patients characterized by an increased prevalence of scleroderma traits and anti-(U1)RNA antibodies. Microvascular changes may contribute to the development of interstitial lung disease in SLE as well as in scleroderma."}
{"id": "PMID:1466358", "title": "Transforming growth factor beta within fibrotic scleroderma lungs.", "content": "Since transforming growth factor beta (TGF beta) has been implicated as an important mediator of pulmonary fibrosis, we measured TGF beta protein and gene expression in alveolar epithelial lining fluid (ELF) of fibrotic scleroderma lungs sampled by bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL). TGF beta protein was qualitatively examined by Western blot analysis, and quantitatively by radioreceptor assays. Gene expression was evaluated in BAL mononuclear cells by Northern blot analysis with quantification of relative gene expression by densitometric analysis of the autoradiograms. Normal and scleroderma subjects had a 24-kd protein that comigrated with defined human TGF beta 1 and immunoreacted with anti-TGF beta antibody. The normal population had a significantly higher average TGF beta concentration (705 pM) compared with the scleroderma subjects (177 pM). The TGF beta 1 gene was expressed in amounts that did not significantly differ between the scleroderma and normal groups. On an individual subject basis, the TGF beta concentration variability did not correlate with variations in BAL cellularity or TGF beta 1 gene expression within the recovered mononuclear cells. It is concluded that both normal and fibrotic lungs have TGF beta 1 present at the alveolar epithelial surface. However, in the fibrotic scleroderma lungs, TGF beta protein content and gene expression were not increased at the alveolar epithelial surface. The simultaneous analysis of TGF beta protein content, gene expression, and cellular constituents within individual ELF specimens showed that the cellular components of the ELF do not appear to be major determinants of TGF beta protein concentration at the alveolar epithelial surface."}
{"id": "PMID:1466359", "title": "Prevalence and prognosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among 5,839 consecutive patients with acute myocardial infarction. SPRINT Study Group.", "content": "The purpose of this study was to report the prevalence and the clinical significance of clinically recognized chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) during acute myocardial infarction. During 1981 to 1983, a secondary prevention study with nifedipine (SPRINT) was conducted in Israel among 2,276 survivors of acute myocardial infarction. During the study, demographic, historical, and medical data were collected on special forms for all patients with diagnosed acute myocardial infarction in 13 hospitals (the SPRINT Registry, n = 5,839). Mortality follow-up was completed for 99% of hospital survivors for a mean follow-up of 5.5 years (range: 4.5 to 7 years). The prevalence of COPD was 7% (406 of 5,839). The latter rate increased significantly in men (7.6%), smokers (9.7%), and older patients (70 years or older, 10.0%). Patients with COPD exhibited a complicated hospital course with an in-hospital mortality rate of 23.9%. Subsequent mortality rates in survivors at 1 and 5 years were 12.3% and 35.9%, respectively. Rates at the same time periods in patients without COPD were 17.2%, 9.2%, and 26.9% (p < 0.005 for in-hospital and 5 years). In a multivariate analysis that included age, gender, and history of myocardial infarction and congestive heart failure, COPD was not independently associated with either in-hospital or postdischarge excess fatality rates. In this large cohort of consecutive patients with myocardial infarction, the prevalence of COPD was 7% and higher among smokers, men, and elderly patients. Although in-hospital and postdischarge mortality rates were higher among patients with COPD, this condition did not independently increase either the risk of early death or the risk of long-term mortality among survivors of acute myocardial infarction."}
{"id": "PMID:1466360", "title": "Bone mineral density and abstention-induced changes in bone and mineral metabolism in noncirrhotic male alcoholics.", "content": "Abuse of alcohol may derange bone metabolism and cause osteoporosis. Due to confounding factors associated with alcohol abuse, however, the effect of alcohol itself on bone loss remains obscure. The influence of alcohol intake on bone and mineral metabolism is rather well known, but how the metabolism normalizes during withdrawal has rarely been investigated. The aims of the present study were to evaluate the alcohol-induced changes of bone and mineral metabolism and their recovery during abstention, and to reassess any possible link between alcohol abuse and osteoporosis. We studied 27 non-cirrhotic male alcoholics hospitalized for 2 weeks for withdrawal. For comparison, three groups of control subjects were examined. Serum and urinary parameters of bone and mineral metabolism as well as intestinal absorption of calcium were determined at the beginning and end of the treatment period. Bone mineral density (BMD) was measured by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry at four axial sites (lumbar spine, femoral neck, Ward's triangle, trochanter). On admission, bone formation in the alcoholics was reduced as reflected by decreased serum levels of osteocalcin (-28%; p < 0.05) and procollagen I carboxyterminal propeptide (-17%; p < 0.05). Both parameters normalized within 2 weeks of abstention (p < 0.0001 and p < 0.01, respectively). Urinary hydroxyproline, a parameter of bone resorption, was at the control level on admission and increased slightly during abstention (p < 0.05). Serum ionized calcium increased by 3% (p < 0.0001) during withdrawal. Concomitantly, serum free fatty acids (FFA) decreased by 38% (p < 0.001), and there existed an inverse correlation (r = -0.50, p < 0.05) between changes in ionized calcium and FFA. Serum levels of intact parathyroid hormone and vitamin D metabolites were similar in patients and controls throughout the whole observation period. Intestinal absorption of calcium measured by stable strontium was 37% higher in alcoholics than in controls (p < 0.001); it decreased to nearly normal toward the end of the treatment period. Mean axial BMD did not differ between patients and controls at any of the four measurement sites. However, BMD decreased parallel with duration of drinking history in the alcoholics at all axial sites (p < 0.05 to < 0.01, analysis of covariance with age and weight as covariates). Decreased bone formation, which is uncoupled from ongoing bone resorption, recovers completely during 2 weeks of abstention. In the absence of confounding factors, the central BMD is normal in noncirrhotic male alcoholics, although the negative effect of alcohol on BMD is evident when duration of excessive drinking is taken into account."}
{"id": "PMID:1466361", "title": "Coagulation, fibrinolytic, and inhibitory proteins in acute myocardial infarction and angina pectoris.", "content": "The role of thrombus formation in the pathogenesis of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and unstable angina pectoris has been well established. However, comprehensive and systematic studies of the blood coagulation, fibrinolytic, and inhibitory proteins are not available in patients with these conditions. Fourteen patients with AMI, 10 patients with angina pectoris, and 32 normal volunteers were studied. Plasma antigen concentrations and/or activities of high-molecular-weight kininogen (HMWK), fibrinogen, fibronectin, plasminogen, D-dimer, tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA), alpha 2-antiplasmin, alpha 2-macroglobulin, alpha 1-antitrypsin, protein C, total and free protein S, antithrombin III (AT-III), von Willebrand factor (vWF), factors (F) XII, XI, IX, VIII, VII, X, V, II, and XIII, and plasma antiplasmin activity were measured using appropriate functional or immunologic assays. The AMI group showed a significant reduction in F XII activity, F XII activity-to-concentration ratio, and HMWK concentration. In addition, the AMI patients exhibited a significant elevation of plasma F XI activity, F IX concentration, and F IX activity, and vWF, fibrinogen, D-dimer, and t-PA concentrations. This was associated with significant reductions in F V, F II, and AT-III activity-to-concentration ratio. Many of the changes observed in AMI patients were also present in patients with angina pectoris. Furthermore, the latter group exhibited an elevation of F VIII activity, alpha 2-macroglobulin activity, and alpha 1-antitrypsin concentration and a significant reduction of antiplasmin activity despite a normal alpha 2-antiplasmin concentration. The observed reduction of the plasma F XII activity-to-antigen concentration ratio combined with a reduced HMWK concentration suggests intrinsic pathway activation, while the elevation of the D-dimer concentration indicates thrombin generation and fibrin formation and degradation in the AMI group. The latter changes were also present in patients with angina pectoris. Both AMI and angina groups showed several other abnormalities of the coagulation, fibrinolytic, and inhibitory systems. The results suggest the presence of a prothrombotic state associated with the activation of coagulation and fibrinolytic systems in patients with acute myocardial ischemia or infarction."}
{"id": "PMID:1466362", "title": "Plasma lipoprotein (a) protein concentration and coronary artery disease in black patients compared with white patients.", "content": "This study examines the relation between lipoprotein (a) protein levels and other lipid parameters and coronary artery disease in white and black patients. Plasma lipoprotein (a) protein levels were measured prior to coronary angiography in a population of 127 white and 111 black patients. Each angiogram was given a total coronary artery disease score based on the number and severity of atherosclerotic coronary lesions. White and black patients exhibited no differences in total plasma cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and triglycerides. Black patients had higher lipoprotein (a) protein levels than white patients (8.6 versus 4.0 mg/dL; p < 0.0001). The extent and severity of coronary artery disease was the same in white and black patients. White and black patients with coronary artery disease had higher lipoprotein (a) levels than patients without coronary lesions (4.37 versus 1.99 mg/dL, p = 0.027 for white; 9.23 versus 6.87 mg/dL, p = 0.072 for black). In both groups of patients, there was a weak but significant positive correlation between lipoprotein (a) protein levels and coronary artery disease score. Lipoprotein (a) is higher in patients with coronary artery disease. Black patients have higher plasma lipoprotein (a) protein levels than white patients and a comparable degree of coronary artery disease. It follows that the cardiovascular pathogenicity of lipoprotein (a) is not significantly greater in black patients despite higher lipoprotein (a) levels."}
{"id": "PMID:1466363", "title": "Value of functional status as a predictor of mortality: results of a prospective study.", "content": "To assess the value of functional status questions in predicting mortality, we conducted a 4-year prospective longitudinal follow-up study of functionally impaired community-dwelling elderly persons. A total of 282 elderly (aged 64 years or older) patients of 76 community-based physicians who were UCLA clinical faculty members were assessed at baseline and at an average of 51 months later using scales from the Functional Status Questionnaire. By the end of the study, 24% of the sample had died. By means of a multivariate model, the following baseline characteristics were independently predictive of death: greater dysfunction on a scale of intermediate activities of daily living, male gender, living alone, white race, better quality of social interactions, and age. Initial baseline functional measures were also predictive of follow-up health status perceptions. The assessment of information on physical functioning and the quality of social interactions provides prognostic information regarding mortality. Furthermore, of the independent predictors of death identified in this sample, only functional impairment and living alone are remediable. Whether improving functional status can reduce the risk of mortality remains to be determined."}
{"id": "PMID:1466364", "title": "Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria as a marker for clonal myelopathy.", "content": "Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) is recognized as a clonal disorder manifested as increased sensitivity of marrow cells to complement. Case reports have associated this condition with leukemia, myelodysplasia, and myeloproliferative disorders. We identified 47 patients with PNH from 1976 to 1990. In 9 of the 47 patients, PNH was associated with another clonal myelopathy. Five patients had PNH and a myelodysplastic syndrome, and four had PNH and agnogenic myeloid metaplasia. PNH preceded the development of myelodysplastic syndrome but occurred after the development of agnogenic myeloid metaplasia. This is the largest series of PNH and other clonal myelopathies. We suggest that the PNH defect may represent a second manifestation of a single stem cell disorder."}
{"id": "PMID:1466365", "title": "Antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies: a still-growing class of autoantibodies in inflammatory disorders.", "content": "Antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA) have been described as sensitive and specific markers for active Wegener's granulomatosis (WG). ANCA in WG produce a characteristic cytoplasmic staining pattern of neutrophils (c-ANCA) and are directed against proteinase 3 (Pr3), a serine protease from the azurophilic granules. c-ANCA, more or less equivalent to anti-Pr3, occur in more than 90% of patients with extended WG, in 75% of patients with limited WG without renal involvement, and in some 40% to 50% of patients with vasculitic overlap syndromes suggestive of WG such as microscopic polyarteritis. The presence of c-ANCA is highly specific for those diseases (greater than 98%). Changes of levels of c-ANCA precede disease activity and may be used as guidelines for treatment. Antibodies producing a perinuclear staining of ethanol-fixed neutrophils (p-ANCA) occur in a wide range of diseases. They are directed against different cytoplasmic constituents of neutrophils. Among those, antibodies to myeloperoxidase are found in patients with idiopathic crescentic glomerulonephritis, the Churg-Strauss syndrome, polyarteritis nodosa with visceral involvement, and vasculitic overlap syndromes. Their specificity for this group of necrotizing vasculitides is high (94% to 99%), although they may occur in patients with hydralazine-induced glomerulonephritis, anti-glomerular basement membrane disease, and possibly in some patients with idiopathic systemic lupus erythematosus. Antibodies to leukocyte elastase are incidentally found in patients with vasculitic disorders, whereas lactoferrin antibodies are detected in patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis with or without ulcerative colitis and in rheumatoid arthritis. Their diagnostic significance awaits further studies. p-ANCA of undefined specificity may distinguish ulcerative colitis (sensitivity of 75%) from Crohn's disease (sensitivity of 20%). p-ANCA also occur in autoimmune liver diseases: in 75% of patients with chronic active hepatitis, in 60% to 85% of those with primary sclerosing cholangitis, and in about 30% of patients with primary biliary cirrhosis. Finally, p-ANCA are detected in chronic arthritides and in some 5% of healthy controls. Assessment of their diagnostic value has to await further characterization of the antigens involved, allowing the development of antigen-specific assays."}
{"id": "PMID:1466366", "title": "Interventricular septal rupture complicating acute myocardial infarction: from pathophysiologic features to the role of invasive and noninvasive diagnostic modalities in current management.", "content": "Rupture of the interventricular septum is a serious complication of acute myocardial infarction, accounting for 5% of deaths due to acute infarction. The septal perforation most frequently occurs during the first week after the infarction. The majority of these patients present with at least two-vessel coronary artery disease, and most cases have a total occlusion of the infarct-related artery. The degree of associated right ventricular damage is clinically important. Unpredictable hemodynamic deterioration can rapidly develop in 80% of the patients, and mortality with medical therapy alone exceeds 90%. Because the preoperative hemodynamic status of these patients appears to be a major determinant for survival, accurate diagnosis, urgent management, and early operative correction are necessary to avoid a catastrophic clinical outcome. Traditionally, diagnostic procedures included first, the insertion of a pulmonary artery catheter for recording of pressures, sequential oximetry, and calculation of the shunt's magnitude and the cardiac output followed by left ventriculography and coronary arteriography for angiographic demonstration of the shunt and the coronary anatomy. Currently, optimal utilization of color flow Doppler and two-dimensional and transesophageal echocardiography offers a significant clinical advantage and can be used to shorten the time spent on diagnosis, evaluation, and management prior to the urgent surgical repair. The elimination of time-consuming diagnostic tests can contribute to further improvement in the survival rate."}
{"id": "PMID:1466368", "title": "Role of antibodies to tubulointerstitial nephritis antigen in human anti-tubular basement membrane nephritis associated with membranous nephropathy.", "content": "We report three patients, from two unrelated families, with anti-tubular basement membrane (TBM) antibody nephritis associated with membranous nephropathy. This rare disorder is characterized by nephrotic syndrome, tubular dysfunction, and progression to renal failure. Direct immunofluorescent studies in these patients revealed linear IgG deposition along the proximal TBM, while circulating antibodies reacting with proximal TBM but not with glomerular basement membrane were identified by indirect immunofluorescence. Sera from all three patients reacted by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and Western immunoblotting with purified 58-kd tubulointerstitial nephritis (TIN) antigen isolated from TBM. Additional reactivity with a 175-kd component, which may be a higher-molecular-weight form of TIN antigen, was observed by immunoblotting. Since recurrent Fanconi syndrome was seen after transplantation in one patient, anti-TBM antibodies were removed by plasmapheresis prior to kidney transplantation in the other two patients. Neither patient has clinical evidence of recurrent anti-TBM nephritis in the allograft despite the posttransplantation reappearance of anti-TBM antibodies in the serum of one patient. Serologic and molecular HLA class I and class II polymorphism analysis has identified the presence of both HLA-B7 and -DRw8 antigens in two unrelated affected individuals (0.3% expected frequency in the white population). We conclude that sera from patients with anti-TBM nephritis associated with membranous nephropathy react with 58-kd TIN antigen previously implicated in the pathogenesis of primary anti-TBM nephritis. This rare autoimmune disorder may be HLA associated with B7 and/or DRw8, providing susceptibility to the disease. Further investigation is needed to understand the pathogenesis of recurrent anti-TBM nephritis in the renal allograft."}
{"id": "PMID:1466394", "title": "Trisomy 12 in pediatric granulosa-stromal cell tumors. Demonstration by a modified method of fluorescence in situ hybridization on paraffin-embedded material.", "content": "The use of fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) to detect chromosomal abnormalities has many applications. Use of FISH on archival, paraffin-embedded material has been limited to microscopic sections. We have carried out FISH on preparations of disaggregated nuclei obtained from paraffin-embedded tissue to evaluate chromosome 12 copy number in granulosa-stromal cell neoplasms occurring in infants, children, and adolescents. Trisomy 12 was detected in the majority of cells from three of four juvenile granulosa cell tumors (three ovarian and one testicular) and one malignant granulosa cell tumor. Tetrasomy 12 was observed in a case of ovarian thecoma."}
{"id": "PMID:1466395", "title": "Identification of monoclonal B-cell populations by rapid cycle polymerase chain reaction. A practical screening method for the detection of immunoglobulin gene rearrangements.", "content": "Alternatives to Southern blot hybridization for gene rearrangement analysis are being studied because of the time, labor, cost, and radioisotopes required for this technique. We have utilized a rapid, hot air, thermocycling polymerase chain reaction (PCR) system to examine various lymphoproliferative disorders for immunoglobulin heavy chain (IgH) gene rearrangements. This unique system amplifies DNA from 10 microliters samples placed in glass capillary tubes, over a total cycle time of about 30 minutes. Amplified bands are easily visualized on ethidium bromide-stained agarose gels. Forty-one monoclonal B-cell proliferations, 27 reactive lymphoid hyperplasias, 17 T-cell lymphomas and 3 cases of Hodgkin's disease were studied. All 88 cases were fully characterized by morphologic, immunophenotypic, and genotypic (Southern blot) analyses. Each case was separately evaluated by PCR with two primer pairs: 1) IgH variable region (VH) and IgH joining region (JH) and 2) bcl-2 and JH. Thirty-four of 41 monoclonal B-cell proliferations revealed a distinct band (within an expected base pair range) with 1 or both primer combinations supporting B-cell monoclonality; the other 7 cases were considered false negatives. The 47 entities without IgH gene rearrangements detectable by Southern analysis demonstrated no amplified product or a smear of amplified DNA with no distinct band. The overall specificity of PCR was 100%, and the sensitivity was 83% when directly compared with Southern blot analysis. Although its sensitivity is currently less than optimal, PCR is a rapid and practical screening method for the detection of IgH gene rearrangements. If a positive result is obtained no further analysis is required; however, if there is a negative result, standard Southern blot analysis should be performed to definitively exclude the presence of a monoclonal B-cell population in the sample."}
{"id": "PMID:1466396", "title": "An ultrastructural analysis of tumor-promoting phorbol diester-induced degranulation of human basophils.", "content": "Release reactions stimulated in human basophils by a variety of secretagogues show biochemical and morphologic differences as well as similarities. Biochemical differences include those of rate, amount, and order of mediator release, as well as mediator type released or generated. Morphologic diversity of release reactions includes prototypic anaphylactic degranulation (AND), or piecemeal degranulation (PMD), and a continuum of anatomic release comprised of PMD followed by AND that is seen when human basophils are stimulated by the bacterial peptide, formyl methionyl leucyl phenylalanine (FMLP). AND is characterized by extrusion of membrane-free granules through multiple plasma membrane pores; PMD is characterized by partially to completely empty, nonfused granule containers in the cytoplasm of basophils. AND is further characterized by diminished-to-absent granules and reduced cytoplasmic vesicles at peak histamine release intervals; PMD does not show decreases in numbers of granules, and cytoplasmic vesicles are plentiful. Smooth membrane-bound vesicles with granule particles and vesicles that appear empty comprise this organelle population. PMD is the single most evident activation change present in basophils that traffic into tissues in multiple diseases in vivo. In this study, we examined the ultrastructural kinetic morphology associated with stimulation of human basophils with tetradecanoyl phorbol acetate (TPA)--a tumor-promoting phorbol diester known to elicit histamine (but not LTC4) release. Partially purified human basophils were prepared for electron microscopy and examined either after control incubations in buffer alone or at 0 time, 1, 2, 5, 10, 30, and 45 minutes after TPA stimulation. Standard morphology and ultrastructural quantitation of vesicles and granules and contents of vesicles or alteration of granules was done and compared with previous ultrastructural kinetic analyses of human basophil release reactions stimulated by different triggers. Like biochemical studies that have determined that TPA is a unique secretogogue for human basophils, the morphology stimulated by TPA and associated with histamine release was also unique. For example, very minor images of AND were evident. Far greater amounts of PMD were imaged. PMD was associated with approximately 50% alteration of cytoplasmic granules by 45 minutes after TPA stimulation. This evidence of empty granules was associated with, and preceded by, a rapid, extensive, and sustained increase in particle-containing cytoplasmic vesicles, as compared with buffer controls (P < 0.001 for each TPA stimulation time compared with unstimulated basophils). In addition, previously undescribed interactions of releasing granules and their overlying plasma membranes characterized TPA-stimulated cells.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1466397", "title": "High-resolution analyses of two different classes of tumor cells in situ tagged with alternative histochemical marker genes.", "content": "To evaluate interactions of two different tumor cell classes during the establishment of micrometastases at the single-cell level, two different BALB/c 3T3 tumor cell derivatives were established that harbor different histochemical marker genes: bacterial lacZ in a EJ-Harvey ras transformant (abbreviated LZEJ cells) and human placental alkaline phosphatase (ALP) gene in a human c-sis transformant (APSI cells). Several different histochemical staining methods were evaluated, using the distinctiveness of lacZ and ALP gene activities, for identification of these cell classes singly or together in the lung after their intravenous injection into nude mice. LZEJ and APSI cells could readily be distinguished from each other after co-injection by using specific and sequential staining protocols of whole organs or sections; staining of host organ cells was minimized. Co-injection of the two tumor cell classes resulted in similar numbers of homogeneous microfoci in lungs of LZEJ or APSI cells within minutes after injection that persisted for several hours before clearance of most of them. Furthermore, a significant percentage of foci could be identified containing both classes of tumor cells on whole-organ or section evaluations; these cohabiting foci resisted clearance from lungs. Therefore, use of two different histochemical marker genes to tag different classes of tumor cells provides a powerful approach for determining their in situ co-localization, cooperation, or interference with the establishment and development of micrometastases, as well as an opportunity to evaluate gene regulation in situ at the single-cell level."}
{"id": "PMID:1466398", "title": "Immunohistochemical analysis of p53 expression in malignant lymphomas.", "content": "p53 is a tumor suppressor gene that commonly undergoes mutations in human tumors, including lymphomas. Because p53 mutations are not restricted to a single locus, immunohistochemistry is useful to detect p53 expression and correlate this finding with lymphoma phenotype. Cryostat sections from 125 cases of lymphoma were analyzed for p53 expression using three different monoclonal antibodies (pAb 421, 1801, 240) which react with human cellular p53 and a common conformational epitope on mutant p53. A control antibody (pAb 246) reacts only with wild type p53 of murine origin and was negative in all cases. Tissue from 29 cases of lymphoid hyperplasia, including six from human immunodeficiency virus-positive (HIV+) patients, were negative for p53. p53 was predominantly localized in nuclei of high-grade lymphomas, including 14 of 46 cases of B cell immunoblastic lymphomas and two of five T cell immunoblastic lymphomas. p53 expression was relatively common in lymphomas from HIV+ patients, and unusual in intermediate and low-grade lymphomas of follicular center cell type. Low-grade lymphoma of small lymphocytic type disclosed p53+ large cells (paraimmunoblasts) that may play a role in tumor progression in this lymphoma subtype. p53 was also strongly expressed in the nuclei of Reed Sternberg cells from 19 of 37 cases of Hodgkin's disease, including six cases of mixed cellularity, and 13 cases of nodular sclerosing type. Immunohistochemical staining is a rapid method to identify p53 expression in lymphomas."}
{"id": "PMID:1466399", "title": "Transient disruptions of aortic endothelial cell plasma membranes.", "content": "Cells of gut, skin, and muscle frequently suffer transient survivable plasma membrane disruptions (\"wounds\") under physiological conditions, but it is not known whether endothelial cells of the aorta, which are constantly exposed to hemodynamically generated mechanical forces, similarly are injured in vivo. We have used serum albumin as a molecular probe for identifying endothelial cells of the rat aorta that incurred and survived transient plasma membrane wounds in vivo. Such wounded endothelial cells were in fact observed in the aortas of all rats examined. However, the percentage of wounded cells in the total aortic endothelial population varied remarkably between individuals ranging from 1.4% to 17.9% with a mean of 6.5% (+/- 4.6% SD). Wounded endothelial cells were heterogeneously distributed, being found in distinct clusters often in the shape of streaks aligned with the long axis of the vessel, or in the shape of partial or complete rims surrounding bifurcation openings, such as the ostia of the intercostal arteries. Physical exercise (running) did not increase the frequency of aortic endothelial cell membrane wounding, nor did spontaneous hypertension. Surprisingly, 80% of mitotic endothelial cell figures were identified as wounded. This article identified a previously unrecognized form of endothelial cell injury, survivable disruptions of the plasma membrane, and shows that injury to the endothelial cells of the normal aorta is far more commonplace than previously suspected. Plasma membrane wounding of endothelial cells could be linked to the initiation of atherosclerosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1466400", "title": "Peripheral T-cell lymphomas of the intestine.", "content": "Twenty-seven cases of primary peripheral T-cell lymphomas of the intestine (PTLI) were investigated. Seven patients had histories of malabsorption. The most frequent symptoms at presentation were weight loss, abdominal pain, and acute abdomen. The jejunum was the most common site of lymphoma and multifocal disease was found in 72% of the cases. Twenty-two patients (92%) presented with localized disease confined to the intestine and abdominal lymph nodes, only two patients had generalized disease. According to the pattern of lymphoma infiltration and the morphology of the uninvolved small intestinal mucosa, 21 cases were separated histologically into three categories; 1) enteropathy-associated T-cell lymphoma (EATCL, n = 9) showing predominant intramucosal lymphoma spread and villous atrophy of uninvolved mucosa with high density of intraepithelial lymphocytes (IEL), 2) EATCL-like lymphoma without enteropathy (EATCL-LLWE, n = 5) but with an infiltration pattern similar to EATCL, and 3) T-cell lymphoma without features of EATCL (Non-EATCL, n = 7). Distinctive features of EATCL were the high incidence of malabsorption states, multifocal intestinal disease in all cases, and the high frequency of intestinal recurrences. On frozen sections four of eight PTLI showed the phenotype CD3+ CD4- CD8- HML-1+, which is also expressed on a small subset of normal IEL. The morphologic and immunomorphologic findings suggest that the majority of PTLI is derived from mucosal T lymphocytes. This derivation may be responsible for certain biologic features, such as the preferential spread to and relapse of PTLI at small intestinal sites."}
{"id": "PMID:1466401", "title": "Induction of fatty streak-like lesions in vitro using a culture model system simulating arterial intima.", "content": "In this study a two-compartment culture model of arterial intima was used for the in vitro induction of fatty streaklike lesions. The apparatus consisted of upper and lower compartments separated by a human amnion membrane stretched between them. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were cultured to confluence on the stromal surface of the amnion membrane. Maximal migration of blood mononuclear cells (MCs) through the HUVEC monolayer in response to a f-Met-Leu-Phe gradient was observed at 10(-8) mol/l; the migration was 3.29 times greater than that observed under the condition of random migration (control). In the study of MC transformation into lipid-laden cells in the amnion membrane (foam cell formation in 'arterial intima'), 10(6) MCs were incubated, in the presence of freshly prepared low-density lipoprotein (LDL; 100 microgram/ml). The lipid loading of MCs was time dependent. After 12 hours' incubation, 39% of the MCs that migrated into the amnion membrane contained a small number of lipid droplets, whereas the remaining 61% showed no lipid droplets. Only 1.7% of the cells contained a high number of lipid droplets in the cytoplasm and took on the appearance of foam cells. With time, the number of lipid-laden cells and the amounts of intracytoplasmic lipid droplets gradually increased. At 72 hours after incubation, 65.4% of the MCs were loaded with lipid droplets, and 20.9% of them, an eightfold increase over 12 hours of incubation, showed a foamy cell appearance. Because MCs consist of 70% monocytes and 30% lymphocytes, about 93% of the monocytes were filled with lipid after a 72-hour incubation. Ultrastructural examination showed that lipid-laden cells took on macrophage characteristics, such as wide and heterogeneous cytoplasm, indented nuclei, and abundant lysosomes. A minority of the MCs in the amnion were considered lymphocytes; they had scanty cytoplasm, round nuclei with abundant heterochromatin, no lysosomes, and no lipid vacuoles. In conclusion, the formation of an in vitro fatty streaklike lesion is demonstrated, and this is reminiscent of in vivo human atherogenesis."}
{"id": "PMID:1466402", "title": "Isolation and characterization of granuloma initiation factor.", "content": "A soluble component that transfers granulomatous tissue reaction was fractionated from Schistosoma mansoni egg-induced hepatic granulomas (SMHG) by Sephacryl S-300 column chromatography. The fractions separately bound to inert, Affi-Gel agarose beads were inoculated subcutaneously in naive mice. The low molecular weight fraction, consisting of proteins 23 kd, 20 kd, and 16 kd, produced organized granulomas 6 to 7 weeks after inoculation. This fraction was further purified by high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) gel filtration and gave three fractions eluting at retention times of 44, 46, and 48 minutes. Each fraction contained all low-molecular-weight proteins in varying amounts and induced skin granulomas when inoculated subcutaneously. Amino acid sequence of the major 20-kd protein showed 11 N-terminal residues identical to those of cyclophilin. Antisera raised to the protein with retention time of 46 minutes, reacted with cells in the granulomas but not surrounding liver tissue as detected by immunofluorescence microscopy. The findings indicate a low molecular weight soluble fraction of SMHG can induce new granuloma formation when injected in an immobilized form into skin of naive mice. The results suggest granuloma initiation factor is a homolog of the cyclophilin gene family."}
{"id": "PMID:1466403", "title": "Immunohistochemical and histopathologic correlates of Alzheimer's disease-associated Alz-50 immunoreactivity quantified in homogenates of cerebral tissue.", "content": "Alz-50 is a monoclonal antibody that immunoreacts with neurofibrillary tangles and neurites in brains with Alzheimer's disease (AD). In addition, the levels of Alz-50 immunoreactivity in brain, measured by either enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay or ALZ-enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay (EIA), are increased in AD relative to age-matched controls. The current study compares the distribution and extent of Alz-50 immunostaining with quantified levels of Alz-50 immunoreactivity measured in adjacent frozen blocks of tissue by ALZ-EIA. The brain tissue studied was obtained from individuals with AD, AD + Down's syndrome (AD + DN), Parkinson's disease with dementia (PD), or AD + PD, and from nondemented aged controls. In AD, AD + DN, and AD + PD, there were significantly higher densities of Alz-50-immunoreactive (AFI) neurons, more abundant diffuse AFI neurites, and higher ALZ-EIA values than in aged controls. In PD, the overall mean density of AFI neurons was significantly lower than in AD and AD + DN, but AFI neurites were as abundant as they were in brains with an AD diagnosis. However, PD was readily distinguished from AD and AD + DN by significantly lower mean ALZ-EIA values, and significantly lower densities of neurofilament-immuno-reactive AD lesions. Multiple-regression analysis demonstrated significant correlations between ALZ-EIA levels and the severity of AD lesions, and the density of AFI neurites, but not with the density of AFI neurons. Therefore, ALZ-EIA levels may represent only a portion of the Alz-50 immunoreactivity detectable by immunohistochemical staining."}
{"id": "PMID:1466404", "title": "Programmed cell death in heterokaryons. A study of the transfer of apoptosis between nuclei.", "content": "Thymocytes undergoing apoptosis induced by dexamethasone showed nuclear refractivity changes under Nomarski optics that correlated precisely with internucleosomal DNA degradation and was prevented by cycloheximide. When heterokaryons between thymocytes and 9L or NIH3T3 cells were examined, 99.75% of the nuclei in heterokaryons followed the original and distinct fate characteristic of the parental cells. Thymocyte nuclei proceeded to undergo apoptotic cell death, whereas the 9L and NIH3T3 nuclei in the heterokaryons did not show the morphologic changes of apoptosis or any DNA cleavage on gels, and remained viable and mitotic. Cycloheximide prevented the induction of apoptosis in thymocyte nuclei in the heterokaryons. An excess of up to seven thymocyte nuclei undergoing programmed cell death in a heterokaryon did not detectably damage the 9L nucleus, and an excess of six 9L nuclei did not protect the thymocyte nucleus from apoptosis. The proposed model stating that programmed cell death results from de novo synthesis of death-causing gene products is difficult to reconcile with these findings. A cell-type-specific activity, present in thymocyte nuclei before induction of apoptosis with corticosteroids and unable to diffuse between nuclei, appears to be responsible for DNA fragmentation. These results also show that nuclear disintegration is the trigger of thymocyte death and not a consequence of cell death due to another mechanism."}
{"id": "PMID:1466405", "title": "Changes in thickness and anionic sites of the glomerular basement membrane after subtotal nephrectomy in the rat.", "content": "Rats progressively develop proteinuria and glomerular sclerosis with age. These physiologic and histologic changes are accelerated by subtotal renal mass ablation. Alterations in the glomerular basement membrane (GBM), such as thickening and decreased anionic site density, occur during senescence. This study examines the ultrastructural alterations of the GBM affecting remnant glomeruli. Six week-old male Wistar rats underwent a subtotal nephrectomy (70%) and were compared with sham operated rats. Rats were fed a standard diet, and physiologic measurements were performed every 3 weeks. Rats were killed 6 and 12 weeks after surgery. Anionic sites were labeled by polyethyleneimine perfusion before killing. Kidneys were processed for light and electron microscopy. Nephrectomized rats had higher protein-uria than the controls and developed glomerular sclerosis. The GBM of nephrectomized rats were significantly thinner and anionic sites were less numerous 12 weeks after nephrectomy, especially in the lamina densa (LD) of the GBM. The number and distribution of anionic sites were similar to those observed in sham operated rats killed 6 weeks after surgery. These results indicate that glomerular sclerosis and GBM thickening are unrelated phenomena. They also suggest that the number and density of anionic sites in LD are not a prominent factor for increasing proteinuria after subtotal nephrectomy."}
{"id": "PMID:1466406", "title": "Ultrastructural analysis of contractile cell development in lung microvessels in hyperoxic pulmonary hypertension. Fibroblasts and intermediate cells selectively reorganize nonmuscular segments.", "content": "The current study traces the development of contractile cells in the nonmuscular segments of rat lung microvessels in hyperoxic pulmonary hypertension. New intimal cells first develop into a well-defined layer beneath the endothelium and internal to an elastic lamina. Ultrastructurally, these cells are found to be 1) fibroblasts recruited to the vessel wall from the interstitium and 2) intermediate cells, a population of preexisting vascular cells (structurally between a smooth muscle cell and a pericyte). Early in hyperoxia (days 3 through 7), interstitial fibroblasts migrate and align around the smallest vessels in which an elastic lamina is either absent or fragmentary. These cells then are incorporated into the vessel wall by tropoelastin secretion and the formation of an elastic lamina along their abluminal margin. After day 7, the new mural fibroblasts acquire the features of contractile cells, namely a basal lamina, extensive microfilaments, and dense bodies. In other vessels, as early as day 3 of hyperoxia, intermediate cells within the vessel intima begin to acquire the additional filaments and dense bodies of contractile cells. As hyperoxia continues, each cell pathway gives rise to vessels with distinct intimal or medial layers of contractile cells. In this way, thick-walled 'newly muscularized' vessel segments form adjacent to the capillary bed."}
{"id": "PMID:1466429", "title": "The occupational hazard of human immunodeficiency virus and hepatitis B virus infection. I. Perceived risks and preventive measures adopted by anaesthetists: a postal survey.", "content": "We have conducted a postal survey of members of the Association of Anaesthetists to ascertain perceived risks and preventive measures adopted with regard to the occupational hazard of Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Hepatitis B Virus infection. Despite recognition of the infection risk and the adoption of appropriate measures when managing known infected patients, the majority of anaesthetists have not implemented simple precautions in their daily routine work. Less than 16% of respondents routinely wear gloves and more than one in three still resheath needles. It would appear that the recommendations of the Association with regard to universal safety precautions have not been implemented by the majority of its members."}
{"id": "PMID:1466430", "title": "The occupational hazard of human immunodeficiency virus and hepatitis B virus infection. II. Effect of grade, age, sex and region of employment on perceived risks and preventive measures adopted by anaesthetists.", "content": "The effect of grade, age, sex and region of employment on the attitude of anaesthetists to the possible risk of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) infection and the measures adopted to minimise the risk were assessed. As a group, anaesthetists in training were more concerned than consultants about the risk of HIV or HBV infection and, as a consequence, were more likely to adopt protective measures. A similar variation was seen with age, younger anaesthetists being more concerned about the risk of infection and adopting preventive measures in greater numbers than their older colleagues. The sex of the anaesthetist had minimal effect on their attitude. Despite the marked variation in the incidence of both HIV and HBV, the attitude of anaesthetists to the risk of infection and the numbers adopting simple preventive measures did not vary significantly on a regional basis throughout the country. However, there was a significant inter-regional variation in the availability and uptake of HBV immunisation (p < 0.01) and knowledge of the existence of local policy guidelines for the management of known HIV or HBV positive patients (p < 0.01)."}
{"id": "PMID:1466431", "title": "Estimation of tidal volume from the reservoir bag. A laboratory study.", "content": "The accuracy of 21 anaesthetists in estimating tidal volumes from reservoir bag movements was assessed using a model lung apparatus. The breathing system configuration (Mapleson A or D), the grade of anaesthetist, and the years of anaesthetic experience had no effect on accuracy. Greater precision of tidal volume estimation was observed with larger tidal volumes and lower fresh gas flows. The mean systematic error of 18 of the 21 anaesthetists was greater than zero, indicating a general tendency to overestimate tidal volume. This study therefore strengthens the view that clinical observations should be supplemented with information from continuous monitoring devices."}
{"id": "PMID:1466432", "title": "Anaesthesia for myocardial revascularisation. A comparison of fentanyl/propofol with fentanyl/enflurane.", "content": "We studied the effects on myocardial performance and metabolism of fentanyl/propofol and fentanyl/enflurane anaesthesia in 20 patients before coronary artery bypass grafting. Anaesthesia was induced with fentanyl 20 micrograms.kg-1 and pancuronium 0.15 mg.kg-1. Patients received, by random allocation, either propofol by infusion, 6 mg.kg-1.h-1 reduced by half after 10 min then adjusted as necessary (mean rate 2.8 mg.kg-1.h-1), or enflurane 0.8% inspired concentration for 10 min reduced to 0.6% and adjusted as required (mean 0.7%). Measurements were made before induction, after tracheal intubation, after skin incision and after sternotomy. There were no significant differences between the groups in any haemodynamic variables during the study. Following intubation both groups showed a rise in heart rate (p < 0.01) and cardiac index (p < 0.05). Systemic vascular resistance decreased after intubation (p < 0.05) then returned to baseline during surgery; stroke index was unchanged after intubation but was reduced during surgery (p < 0.01) as systemic vascular resistance increased. Regional and global coronary blood flow were maintained in both groups, as were myocardial oxygen consumption and lactate extraction ratio. However, lactate production did occur in one patient receiving enflurane and Holter monitoring confirmed ischaemia. One patient receiving propofol showed lactate production not accompanied by any ECG changes. This study suggests that propofol may be a suitable alternative to enflurane as an adjunct to opioids in anaesthesia for coronary artery bypass grafting."}
{"id": "PMID:1466433", "title": "Vital capacity breath technique for rapid anaesthetic induction: comparison of sevoflurane and isoflurane.", "content": "This study compares vital capacity rapid inhalational induction of anaesthesia with sevoflurane and isoflurane. Forty-six volunteers undergoing the procedure had one of the two agents: 25 had sevoflurane and 21 isoflurane. Subjects were unpremedicated and breathed approximately 1.7 MAC equivalents of either vapour. There were no significant differences in the patients' monitored cardiovascular, respiratory, and electrocardiographic variables. The mean time for induction of anaesthesia with sevoflurane (120 s) was significantly shorter than with isoflurane (145 s), reflecting its higher blood-gas solubility. There were fewer induction complications in the sevoflurane group. Subjects in the sevoflurane group found the induction of anaesthesia more pleasant and were more willing to undergo it again compared to subjects in the isoflurane group. We conclude that sevoflurane is superior to isoflurane in vital capacity rapid inhalational induction of anaesthesia, particularly in instances where premedication should be avoided."}
{"id": "PMID:1466434", "title": "Upper oesophageal sphincter pressure during inhalational anaesthesia.", "content": "Upper oesophageal sphincter pressure was recorded with a Dent sleeve in 30 patients breathing nitrous oxide, oxygen and halothane. Twenty-three patients, after thiopentone induction, received suxamethonium and had their trachea intubated either before (group A, n = 11), or after (group B, n = 11), a study period of inhalational anaesthesia. Group C (n = 8) received an inhalational induction. Mean (SD) sphincter pressure after loss of consciousness was 8 (7) mmHg (group A), 6 (5) mmHg (group B) and 24 (13) mmHg (group C) increasing to 19 (7) mmHg in group A immediately after intubation. With an end-tidal halothane concentration of 1.5%, mean sphincter pressure in group B, 16 (7) mmHg, was significantly lower than in group A, 45 (21) mmHg (p < 0.001) and group C, 27 (14) mmHg (p < 0.05). Halothane had no dose-related effect on sphincter pressure. Insertion of a laryngeal mask in group C (n = 7) had no significant effect on sphincter pressure. Induction and maintenance of anaesthesia with halothane, unlike thiopentone or suxamethonium, maintained a degree of upper oesophageal sphincter tone, although three patients in this study had sphincter pressures of less than 10 mmHg and would therefore have been at risk of regurgitation in the presence of gastro-oesophageal reflux."}
{"id": "PMID:1466435", "title": "Peri-operative liver graft function: monitoring using the relationship between blood glucose and oxygen consumption during anaesthesia.", "content": "The purpose of our study was to test the hypothesis that the quotient between plasma glucose and whole body oxygen consumption (VO2) as a 'metabolic index' is a sensitive indicator of early graft function. Arterial levels of glucose and oxygen consumption were determined in 100 consecutive patients during orthotopic liver transplantation performed without anhepatic veno-venous bypass. Patients were divided into survivors with no obvious problems related to graft function and those with primary nonfunction of the graft. The neohepatic increase in VO2 was significantly higher in survivors (112 +/- 4 vs 88 +/- 11 ml.min-1.m-2; p < 0.05), whereas blood glucose levels after reperfusion were higher (352 +/- 18 vs. 287 +/- 36 mg dl-1) in those with primary non-function of the graft. The calculated metabolic index was also higher (4.02 +/- 0.93 vs 2.67 +/- 0.45, p < 0.05) in patients with primary nonfunction of the graft. Our principal conclusion was that 92% of normal functioning liver grafts could be classified correctly by the metabolic index immediately after reperfusion, whereas glucose levels and VO2 alone classified only 67% and 70% of normal functioning liver grafts correctly."}
{"id": "PMID:1466436", "title": "Comparison of digital blood pressure, plethysmography, and the modified Allen's test as means of evaluating the collateral circulation to the hand.", "content": "The collateral circulation to the hand was evaluated on 70 hands of healthy volunteers. Comparisons were made between the results of the modified Allen's test alone and the Allen's test combined with either plethysmography or digital blood pressure. The modified Allen's test requires patient cooperation and the results can be subjective. Plethysmography does not require patient cooperation and produces a signal that varies directly with flow; however, this is not a quantifiable signal. Digital blood pressure (measured by the 2300 Finapres noninvasive blood pressure monitor, Ohmeda, Englewood, CO, USA) also requires no patient cooperation. The values produced are of clinical value and reproducible. Both the plethysmograph and digital blood pressure monitors were able to demonstrate the dominant arterial vessel of the hand. The digital blood pressure monitor produces an objective recordable numerical value, an accepted clinical parameter, and it does not require patient cooperation. The use of a digital blood pressure monitor may prove to be an acceptable alternative to the traditional Allen's test."}
{"id": "PMID:1466437", "title": "Erythropoietin in a patient following multiple trauma.", "content": "We report on a Jehovah's Witness who had severe blood loss following major trauma. The problems of her management without blood transfusion, and with the use of recombinant human erythropoietin therapy for severe anaemia, are described."}
{"id": "PMID:1466438", "title": "Cimetidine-dobutamine interaction?", "content": "The report describes a patient during induction of anaesthesia for coronary artery by-pass grafting, in whom the infusion of dobutamine at a rate of 5 micrograms.kg-1.min-1 resulted in unanticipated severe hypertension. The exaggerated response may be attributed to cimetidine--dobutamine interaction."}
{"id": "PMID:1466439", "title": "The Laerdal pocket mask: effects of increasing supplementary oxygen flow.", "content": "To determine the effect of increasing supplementary oxygen flow during ventilation with the Laerdal pocket mask 24 subjects ventilated a modified recording mannikin for four 90 s periods using the mask with oxygen flows of 5 l, 10 l, 15 l and 20 l.min-1. Oxygen concentration increased and carbon dioxide concentration decreased with increasing oxygen flow. Tidal volume also increased with oxygen flow. The delivered oxygen concentrations were lower than previously reported at all four rates; however, mask function improved with increasing flow up to 20 l."}
{"id": "PMID:1466441", "title": "Pre-oxygenation: the Hudson mask as an alternative technique.", "content": "The use of a simple oxygen facemask (Hudson) with high oxygen inflow (48 l.min-1) was investigated as a technique for pre-oxygenation, comparing it with the Magill system (oxygen flow: 100 ml.kg-1.min-1). One hundred and thirty-eight patients scheduled for elective gynaecological and orthopaedic surgery were studied: group 1, Hudson mask and group 2, Magill system (ASA 1-2, n = 107); group 3, Hudson mask and group 4, Magill system (ASA 3, n = 30). Pre-oxygenation was assessed by measuring the times to 97%, 95% and 93% arterial desaturation (finger pulse oximetry) following 3 min of pre-oxygenation. The times taken to achieve these end-points in all the study groups suggest that the Hudson mask offers an alternative technique for pre-oxygenation."}
{"id": "PMID:1466443", "title": "Influence of hearing of 22 G Whitacre and 22 G Quincke needles.", "content": "Audiograms were performed pre-operatively and 2 days postoperatively in 48 patients given spinal anaesthesia for transurethral resection of the prostate. Hearing levels were examined at 1000 Hz and below. Either 22 G standard design (Quincke) needles (n = 25) or 22 G pencil-point design (Whitacre) needles (n = 23) were used. Hearing loss of 10 dB or more at two or more frequencies were observed in six of 25 patients in the Quincke group and in two of 23 patients in the Whitacre group. The mean hearing level was more reduced in the Quincke group. The shape of the tip of the spinal needle seems to be of some importance to the effects on hearing level that may occur after spinal anaesthesia."}
{"id": "PMID:1466444", "title": "Baroreflex control of heart rate during high thoracic epidural anaesthesia. A randomised clinical trial on anaesthetised humans.", "content": "Baroreflex control of heart rate after cardiac sympathectomy induced by thoracic epidural anaesthesia was evaluated in 30 patients who were randomly assigned to group 1 (bupivacaine 0.25%), group 2 (bupivacaine 0.5%) or group 3 (control). Plasma volume expanders were given to equalize preload conditions, as assessed using transoesophageal echocardiography. All measurements were made under general anaesthesia. Baroreflex sensitivity was determined from the heart rate response to phenylephrine and nitroglycerin. There was no difference in cardiac slowing in response to phenylephrine between the three groups. Baroreflex sensitivity, measured as cardiac acceleration in response to nitroglycerin, was significantly lower (p < 0.01) in groups 1 and 2 (1.8 and 1.5 ms.mmHg-1 respectively) compared with group 3 (3.5 ms.mmHg-1) with no differences between the two bupivacaine concentrations. The results suggest that baroreflex-mediated response to decreases in arterial pressure is dependent on the integrity of the sympathetic nervous system."}
{"id": "PMID:1466445", "title": "Use of adrenaline in obstetric analgesia.", "content": "A questionnaire on the use of adrenaline in obstetric analgesia was completed by 87 obstetric anaesthetists: 71% of consultants in teaching hospitals were prepared to use adrenaline mixed with local anaesthetics compared with 33% of consultants in district hospitals; they had a similar duration of obstetric anaesthetic experience. Test doses containing adrenaline were not commonly used in labour, but were more often used prior to elective Caesarean section. Adrenaline was used with either lignocaine or bupivacaine; few consultants used both solutions. Contraindications to the use of adrenaline in the nonuser group were in decreasing order of rank: neurological damage, pregnancy-induced hypertension, stenotic valvular heart disease, sickle cell disease or trait of fetal distress. Overall, the contraindications related to the systemic absorption of adrenaline were most common."}
{"id": "PMID:1466446", "title": "An evaluation of a combined spinal/epidural needle set utilising a 26-gauge, pencil point spinal needle for caesarean section.", "content": "We have conducted a prospective study into the ease of use and incidence of postdural puncture headache with the 'Portex' combined spinal/epidural set. The pack contains a 16-gauge Tuohy needle of standard 8 cm shaft length with a matching 26-gauge pencil point spinal needle. The study included 150 consecutive combined spinal/epidural anaesthetics for lower segment Caesarean section. Eighty-eight percent of the cases fulfilled the criteria as technically perfect, i.e. cerebrospinal fluid obtained at the first attempt after identifying the epidural space. There were two cases of significant postdural puncture headache requiring blood patch due to puncture by the 26-gauge spinal needle giving an incidence of 1.3%. This compares favourably with previously reported rates in obstetric patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1466447", "title": "Modified parallel 'Lack' breathing system for use in dental anaesthesia.", "content": "A twin-tube breathing system for inhalational anaesthesia in dental surgery is described. The system is a modification of a parallel Mapleson 'A' breathing system and is suitable for use with continuous flow anaesthetic machines. Resistance to airflow has been evaluated and is within the recommended ranges at all flows likely to be experienced in normal clinical conditions. The system is suitable for children and adults, easy to use and efficient. The expiratory valve is located remote from the face and the system is suitable for scavenging by active, assisted or passive systems."}
{"id": "PMID:1466448", "title": "The Gulf war: anaesthetic experience at 32 Field Hospital Department of Anaesthesia and Resuscitation.", "content": "The organisation and the workload of the anaesthetic department of a Field Hospital deployed during the Gulf war were described. Suggestions are made as to how the problems encountered might be overcome in the future."}
{"id": "PMID:1466449", "title": "Application of a trochoidal electron monochromator/mass spectrometer system to the study of environmental chemicals.", "content": "A trochoidal electron monochromator has been interfaced to a mass spectrometer to perform electron capture negative ion mass spectrometric (ECNIMS) analyses of environmentally relevant chemicals. The kinetic energy of the electron beam can be varied from 0.025 to 30 eV under computer control. No reagent gas is used to moderate the electron energies. An electron energy spread of +/- 0.1 to +/- 0.4 eV full width at half-maximum (fwhm) can readily be obtained at a transmitted current of 2 x 10(-6) A, improving to +/- 0.07 eV at 5 x 10(-7) A. Comparisons of ECNI results from the electron monochromator/mass spectrometer system with those from a standard instrument that uses a moderating gas show similar spectra for heptachlor but not for the s-triazine herbicides, as for example, atrazine. This compound shows numerous adduct ions by standard ECNIMS that are eliminated by using the electron monochromator to generate the mass spectra. Isomeric tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxins show distinct differences in the electron energies needed to produce the maximum amount of parent and fragment anions. Multiple resonance states resulting in stable radical anions (M.-) are easily observed for nitrobenzene and for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Ionic products of dissociative electron capture invariably occur from several resonance states."}
{"id": "PMID:1466450", "title": "High-resolution determination of 147Pm in urine using dynamic ion-exchange chromatography.", "content": "A procedure has been developed for measuring 147Pm in bioassay samples, based on the separation and preconcentration of 147Pm from the urine matrix by adsorption onto a conventional cation-exchange column with final separation and purification by HPLC using dynamic ion-exchange chromatography. The concentration of 147Pm is determined by collecting the appropriate HPLC fraction and measuring the 147Pm by liquid scintillation counting. The limit of detection is 0.1 Bq (3 fg) 147Pm based on a 500-mL sample of urine and a counting time of 30 min with a background of 100 cpm. Ten samples can be processed in 1.5-2 days."}
{"id": "PMID:1466451", "title": "Use of spherical targets to minimize effects of neutron scattering by hydrogen in neutron capture prompt gamma-ray activation analysis.", "content": "For hydrogenous targets that are thinner than they are wide, element sensitivities (counts.s-1.mg-1) for determining concentrations of elements by neutron capture prompt gamma-ray activation analysis (PGAA) are enhanced relative to sensitivities obtained from measurements on nonhydrogenous materials. These enhancements are caused mainly by elastic neutron scattering by H, which changes the average neutron fluence rate within the matrix. The magnitude of the effect depends on the macroscopic scattering and absorption cross sections and on the size, shape, and orientation of the target with respect to the neutron beam. Sensitivities increase linearly with H density for thin targets of constant size and shape and also vary with target shape. Theoretical work was shown that element sensitivities for hydrogenous targets in the form of spheres are least affected by neutron scattering. Methods were devised for creating solid spheres and for containing liquids in spherical shapes. Element sensitivities were determined for spheres and disks of several hydrogenous materials. For H, B, Cl, K, Br, and Cd, sensitivities for spheres were found to be less affected by neutron scattering. Exceptions were Sm and Gd sensitivities measured in liquids contained in quartz globes."}
{"id": "PMID:1466452", "title": "Data-processing method to reduce error coefficients for membrane-based analytical systems. 1. Amperometric-based sensor evaluated for quantification of oxygen.", "content": "This paper describes the use of a predictive, curve-fitting method to reduce the effects of experimental variables on results obtained with membrane-based devices. Multipoint data from the transient regions of responses are used with suitable models and curve-fitting methods to predict the signal that would be measured for the system at equilibrium. The resulting equilibrium response usually is much less dependent on experimental variables than the transient responses used to predict it. The approach is evaluated for the membrane-based amperometric electrode for oxygen. Current vs time data are used to predict the equilibrium current expected when oxygen concentrations are the same on both sides of the membrane. Predicted equilibrium currents vary linearly with oxygen concentration. Relative to the more common steady-state method, the sensitivity of the predictive method is about 5-fold higher, the measurement time is about 17-fold shorter and the dependencies on membrane thickness and stirring rate are 125- and 8-fold lower, respectively. Pooled standard deviations (n = 40) correspond to uncertainties in oxygen concentration of about 0.009 mmol L-1."}
{"id": "PMID:1466453", "title": "Acrylamide polymerization kinetics in gel electrophoresis capillaries. A Raman microprobe study.", "content": "The formation of 3.5% T, 3.3% C cross-linked polyacrylamide is monitored in 75-microns-i.d. electrophoresis capillaries by Raman microprobe spectroscopy. The disappearance of the acrylamide 1292-cm-1 band is followed with 60-s time resolution for 30 min, and 2-4 min resolution for up to 10 h. Polymerization is 98% complete in 1.5 h and greater than 99% complete after 2 h. In the 900-1700-cm-1 region no bands attributable to cross-linking are observable. Reaction in the capillary follows second-order kinetics. The reaction is faster in the bulk system because heat dissipation is not sufficient to maintain a constant temperature."}
{"id": "PMID:1466458", "title": "Quantification of the degradation products of sevoflurane in two CO2 absorbants during low-flow anesthesia in surgical patients.", "content": "Sevoflurane, a new inhalational anesthetic agent has been shown to produce degradation products upon interaction with CO2 absorbants. Quantification of these sevoflurane degradation products during low-flow or closed circuit anesthesia in patients has not been well evaluated. The production of sevoflurane degradation products was evaluated using a low-flow anesthetic technique in patients receiving sevoflurane anesthesia in excess of 3 h. Sevoflurane anesthesia was administered to 16 patients using a circle absorption system with O2 flow of 500 ml/min and average N2O flow of 273 ml/min. Preoperative and postoperative hepatic and renal function studies were performed. Gas samples were obtained from the inhalation and exhalation limbs of the anesthetic circuit for degradation product analysis and analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry for four degradation products. The first eight patients received sevoflurane anesthesia using soda lime, and the following eight patients received anesthesia using baralyme as the CO2 absorbant. CO2 absorbant temperatures were measured during anesthesia. Of the degradation products analyzed, only one compound [fluoromethyl-2, 2-difluoro-1-(trifluoromethyl) vinyl ether], designated compound A, was detectable. Concentrations of compound A increased during the first 4 h of anesthesia with soda lime and baralyme and declined between 4 and 5 h when baralyme was used. Mean maximum inhalation concentration of compound A using baralyme was 20.28 +/- 8.6 ppm (mean +/- SEM) compared to 8.16 +/- 2.67 ppm obtained with soda lime, a difference that did not reach statistical significance. A single patient achieved a maximal concentration of 60.78 ppm during low-flow anesthesia with baralyme. Exhalation concentrations of compound A were less than inhalation concentrations, suggesting patient uptake.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1466459", "title": "Intelligent alarms reduce anesthesiologist's response time to critical faults.", "content": "The proliferation of monitors and alarms in the operating room may lead to increased confusion and misdiagnosis unless the information provided is better organized. Intelligent alarm systems are being developed to organize these alarms, on the assumption that they will shorten the time anesthesiologists need to detect and correct faults. This study compared the human response time (the time between the sounding of an alarm and the resolution of a fault) when anesthesiologists used a conventional alarm system and when they used an intelligent alarm system. In a simulated operating room environment, we asked 20 anesthesiologists to resolve seven breathing circuit faults as quickly as possible. Human response time was 62% faster, decreasing from 45 to 17 s, when the intelligent alarm system was used. The standard deviations in response time were only half as large for the intelligent alarm system. It appears that the computer-based neural network in the intelligent alarm system diagnosed faults more rapidly and consistently than did the anesthesiologists. This study indicates that breathing circuit faults may be more rapidly corrected when the anesthesiologist is guided by intelligent alarms."}
{"id": "PMID:1466460", "title": "Radiologic localization of the laryngeal mask airway in children.", "content": "In the absence of data on the anatomic localization of the cuff of the laryngeal mask airway (LMA) in children, radiologic images were obtained from 50 infants and children (aged 1 month to 15 yr) undergoing diagnostic radiologic procedures during halothane and N2O:O2 anesthesia. In 46 patients, the cuff of the LMA was in the pharynx and covered the laryngeal opening. The upper (proximal) section was adjacent to the base of the tongue at the level of C1 or C2 vertebrae pushing the tongue forward and its lower (distal) end was in the inferior recesses of the hypopharynx at the levels of C4 to T1 vertebrae. The cuff of LMA at this position between the base of the tongue above the epiglottis and below the laryngeal opening, covered the laryngeal aperture, forming a low pressure seal at the entrance of the larynx. In 37 of these 46 patients, a posterior deflection of the epiglottis was noted (< 45 degrees), and in only 9, the epiglottis was in the anatomic position. In four patients, the cuff of the LMA was located in the oropharynx. No correlation was found between the size of the LMA and the position of the epiglottis with respect to end-tidal CO2, respiratory rate, or the leak pressures. The size of the LMA, its anatomic location, and the position of the epiglottis had no significant effect on the respiratory parameters of spontaneously breathing children."}
{"id": "PMID:1466461", "title": "Anesthetic techniques during surgical repair of femoral neck fractures. A meta-analysis.", "content": "Fracture of the hip typically occurs in older women. These patients usually have serious accompanying chronic illnesses. There is a difference of opinion as to the choice of regional versus general anesthesia for surgery in these patients. This meta-analysis compared survival of patients with traumatic femoral neck fractures undergoing operative repair during regional or general anesthesia. The data sources were articles comparing regional and general anesthesia from peer reviewed journals. Thirteen randomized controlled trials were found. Besides 1-month mortality, variables used were estimated operative blood loss and the incidence of deep venous thrombosis. For dichotomous outcomes, two effect measures were calculated: the difference in probabilities and the odds ratio. For blood loss, a continuous variable, the effect measure was the mean difference in blood loss. A random-effects Bayesian meta-analysis was used to combine study data, estimate parameters and create 95% confidence intervals. Only the incidence of deep venous thrombosis was clearly greater for patients receiving general anesthesia, being 31 percentage points higher than for patients receiving regional anesthesia. By the odds ratio, deep venous thrombosis was almost four times more likely following general anesthesia. There was no difference in estimated operative blood loss. By probability difference, mortality was a non-significant 2.7 percentage points less following regional anesthesia. By odds ratio effect measure, death was 1.5 times more likely following general anesthesia, but the lower bound of the 95% confidence interval was close to 1. Meta-analysis does not allow a conclusion that important differences in mortality exist between regional and general anesthesia for traumatic hip fracture surgery."}
{"id": "PMID:1466462", "title": "Duration of apnea in anesthetized infants and children required for desaturation of hemoglobin to 95%. The influence of upper respiratory infection.", "content": "Sixty-one patients ASA physical status 1-2 aged 1 month to 12 years undergoing elective surgery were included in the study. Anesthesia was induced via a mask with sevoflurane up to 5% and 66% nitrous oxide in oxygen. After paralysis with vecuronium (0.12 mg/kg iv), the trachea was intubated and the lungs were ventilated manually with 3% sevoflurane in oxygen until the end-tidal nitrous oxide decreased to less than 5%. Apnea was started by disconnecting the breathing circuit from the endotracheal tube. The time from the start of apnea to Spo2 of 95% was measured. Manual ventilation was reinstituted when Spo2 decreased to 95% and another set of vital signs was recorded. Twenty of 61 patients had symptoms of upper respiratory infection. The time to Spo2 of 95% correlated well with height, age, and body weight both by linear and non-linear regression analyses. The patients with symptomatic upper respiratory infection required less time for Spo2 to decrease to 95% compared to the asymptomatic children. We conclude that younger children require less time for Spo2 to decrease to 95%. The presence of upper respiratory infection is an additional factor increasing the susceptibility of small children to hypoxemia."}
{"id": "PMID:1466463", "title": "A randomized comparison of intravenous versus lumbar and thoracic epidural fentanyl for analgesia after thoracotomy.", "content": "Administration of large doses of fentanyl is a popular method to provide postoperative analgesia after thoracotomy. It is however unclear whether epidural lumbar (L) or epidural thoracic (T) administration of fentanyl confers any major advantage over intravenous (iv) infusion. Using a randomized prospective study design, we compared the potential benefits of L, T, and iv fentanyl administration after thoracotomy in 50 patients. Epidural catheters were not injected during surgery. Postoperatively a fentanyl infusion (5 micrograms/ml) was started at 1 microgram.kg-1.h-1 after a bolus of 1 microgram/kg and adjusted to maintain a score < or = 30/100 at rest using a visual analog scale (VAS) for pain. Data were prospectively collected before surgery, at fixed intervals during the 48 h of fentanyl infusions, and the day of discharge. There was no difference between the groups in overall quality of analgesia at rest and after coughing, quantity of fentanyl delivered (L = 1.15 +/- 0.38, T = 1.22 +/- 0.23, iv = 1.27 +/- 0.3 micrograms.kg-1.h-1), incidence of pruritus needing treatment (L = 2, T = 1, iv = 0 patients), need to decrease fentanyl infusion rate because of side effects (L = 2, T = 2, iv = 4 patients), importance of pulmonary infiltrates, or arterial blood gas values. One patient (L group) needed naloxone (0.04 mg iv). Intravenous patients were more frequently nauseated (P = .009) and needed boluses of fentanyl more often (L = 3 +/- 9, iv = 6 +/- 12, T = 4 +/- 8; P = .04).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1466464", "title": "Does a subanesthetic concentration of isoflurane blunt the ventilatory response to hypoxia?", "content": "The normal ventilatory response to the sudden imposition of sustained hypoxia is characterized by an acute increase followed by a modest decline in ventilation. Since subanesthetic concentrations of potent inhalational anesthetics greatly attenuate the acute response, we hypothesized that ventilation might decrease to less than normoxic levels when hypoxia is sustained. We therefore measured the ventilatory response to 20 min of sustained hypoxia (PETO2 45 mmHg) at two levels of strict isocapnia--normocapnia (PETCO2 1-2 mmHg above resting) and hypercapnia (PETCO2 49 mmHg)--in eight healthy male subjects during inhalation of 0.1 MAC isoflurane or carrier gas (control). An abrupt end-tidal step from normoxia to isocapnic hypoxia was induced using a dynamic end-tidal forcing system. Isoflurane and control experiments were performed on separate days; the order of isoflurane and control days and the order of normocapnia and hypercapnia within days were randomized. Subjects were studied while fasted, always at the same time of day, and were required to watch a documentary videotape to minimize differences in level of consciousness. With normocapnia, there was no difference in ventilation at any time between isoflurane and control (prehypoxic 9.6 +/- 1.5 vs. 9.5 +/- 2.6 1/min, peak hypoxic 24.7 +/- 10.4 vs. 26.2 +/- 10.4 1/min, final hypoxic 15.0 +/- 4.4 vs. 15.9 +/- 3.5 1/min; mean +/- SD). With hypercapnia, prehypoxic ventilation increased to the same level for isoflurane and control (24.8 +/- 6.7 vs. 24.8 +/- 9.6 1/min). Although peak hypoxic ventilation was slightly less in isoflurane than in control hypercapnic experiments, this was not significant (49.6 +/- 16.3 vs. 56.5 +/- 24.3 1/min; P = .22).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1466465", "title": "Comparison of postoperative analgesic effects of intraarticular bupivacaine and morphine following arthroscopic knee surgery.", "content": "Recent studies have shown that, in the presence of inflammation, the local administration of opioids results in analgesia. The analgesic efficacy of local anesthetics and morphine administered intraarticularly was compared in patients undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery under epidural anesthesia. We compared postoperative pain scores (VAS) and opioid requirements among 47 patients receiving, in a randomized, double-blinded fashion, one of three intraarticular medications (20 ml): normal saline with 100 micrograms epinephrine (group 1, n = 16); 0.25% bupivacaine with 100 micrograms epinephrine (group 2, n = 15); and 3 mg morphine sulfate and 100 micrograms epinephrine in normal saline (group 3, n = 16). VAS scores were similar in the groups preoperatively and on arrival in the recovery room. At the end of the first postoperative hour, the residual sensory blockade was minimal in all three groups (mean = 3.8-4.1 segments) and almost total recovery occurred in all three groups before the second postoperative hour. The VAS in group 3 was not significantly different than group 1 at any time interval. Intraarticular bupivacaine (group 2) provided significantly better analgesia than did saline or morphine (group 1 or 3) in the first 2 postoperative hours (ANOVA, P < .05). Subsequent VAS scores were not significantly different in the three groups. While no patient in group 2 requested analgesics during the first postoperative hour, nine patients in group 3 required systemic analgesics (P < .01). We conclude that no evidence for a peripheral opiate-receptor mediated analgesia could be demonstrated in patients undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery under epidural anesthesia."}
{"id": "PMID:1466466", "title": "Reaction of sevoflurane and its degradation products with soda lime. Toxicity of the byproducts.", "content": "Sevoflurane previously has been reported to undergo extensive degradation in the presence of soda lime. To more completely characterize the extent and significnce of this reaction, we studied degradation of sevoflurane with and without soda lime, as well as the toxicity and mutagenicity of the degradation products. Two degradation products detected were CF2 = C(CF3)OCH2F (compound A) and CH3OCF2CH(CF3)OCH2F (compound B). During circulation of 1%, 2%, and 3% sevoflurance in a closed anesthesia circuit for 8 h, peak concentrations of compound A were 13.3 +/- 0.27, 30.2 +/- 0.10, and 42.1 +/- 1.07 ppm at 2 h, respectively. The concentrations of compound B did not exceed 2 ppm. The temperature of the soda lime was 43.3 +/- 2.8 degrees C at 1 h and increased gradually to 47.9 +/- 1.5 degrees C after 8 h. In closed flasks with soda lime, the magnitude of the decrease in sevoflurance concentrations (3%) and of the increase in compound A concentrations was temperature dependent. The peak concentrations of compound A at 23 degrees C, 37 degrees C, and 54 degrees C were 32.8 +/- 6.8 at 2 h, 46.6 +/- 1.0 at 0.5 h, and 78.5 +/- 2.3 ppm at 0.5 h, respectively. The LC50 (50% lethal concentration) of compound A in Wistar rats was 1,090 ppm in males and 1,050 ppm in females exposed for 1 h. The LC50 was 420 ppm in males and 400 ppm in females exposed for 3 h. The chronic toxicity of compound A in Wistar rats was studied by exposing rats 24 times, for 3 h each, to initial concentrations of 30, 60, or 120 ppm in a ventilated chamber. At all concentrations, there were no apparent effects other than a loss of body weight in females (120 ppm) on the final day (P < 0.01). Compound A did not induce mutation on the reverse (Ames) test at less than 2,500 micrograms/dish (culture medium 2.7 ml) with activation by S-9 mixture, and below 1,250 micrograms/dish (culture medium 2.7 ml) without activation, in four strains of S. typhimurium and in 1 strain of E. coli. Exposure of fibroblasts to 7,500 ppm of compound A for 1 h, compound A did not induce structural change. In a study of acute toxicity of compound B, there was no toxicity in Wistar rats after 3 h of exposure at 2,400 ppm. The reverse (Ames) test for compound B was negative at 625-1,250 micrograms/dish.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1466467", "title": "The influence of hemorrhage on organ perfusion during deliberate hypotension in rats.", "content": "There is general concern that major blood loss during deliberate hypotension could produce severe organ ischemia, but documentation of the magnitude of this response remains obscure. To examine this response, we studied 43 male Sprague-Dawley rats that were divided into seven groups: the control animals received 1 MAC (1.4%) isoflurane only; the hypotensive animals received a 1.4% isoflurane baseline anesthetic and were then rendered hypotensive by either increasing the isoflurane concentration (dISO), or by adding sodium nitroprusside (SNP), or 2-chloroadenosine (2AD) to the baseline anesthetic, decreasing the MAP to 51 mmHg; hemorrhaged animals had hypotension produced in the same manner as for the hypotensive animals, but additionally were bled 20% of estimated blood volume during deliberate hypotension produced with either deep isoflurane (dISOH), sodium nitroprusside (SNPH), or 2-chloroadenosine (2ADH). After a 25-min period of hypotension, or hypotension plus hemorrhage, cardiac output and blood flow to brain, heart, gastrointestinal tract, kidney, and liver were measured with 141Ce-labelled 15-microns microspheres. Hypotension was associated with decreased blood flow to the kidneys in all groups and to the liver in the 2AD group and an increased blood flow to the heart in the SNP and 2AD groups. Hemorrhage decreased blood flow during deliberate hypotension to the brain and the gastrointestinal tract in the dISOH and 2ADH groups and to the liver in the dISOH group. Our results suggest that hemorrhage during deliberate hypotension with dISO or isoflurane plus 2AD may be associated with compromised organ blood flow, whereas blood flow to vital organs is maintained after 20% hemorrhage during isoflurane and superimposed SNP-induced hypotension."}
{"id": "PMID:1466468", "title": "Endothelium-dependent circulatory control--a mechanism for the differing peripheral vascular effects of isoflurane versus halothane.", "content": "Several studies have suggested that halothane and isoflurane modify responses to endothelium-dependent vasodilators, indicating that the differing circulatory effects of these anesthetics may be, in part, attributable to alterations in endothelial cell control of vascular tone. This study was designed to determine the contribution of endothelium-derived relaxing factor (EDRF/NO) to circulatory control in indomethacin-treated rats anesthetized with equipotent concentrations (1 MAC) of either isoflurane (n = 6) or halothane (n = 8). Using radiolabelled microspheres, systemic and regional hemodynamics were measured in cerebrum, cerebellum, heart, kidney, gastrointestinal tract, spleen, liver, skeletal muscle, skin, ear, and white and brown fat. Cardiac output, mean arterial pressure (MAP), systemic vascular resistance (SVR), regional blood flows, and regional vascular resistances were determined before (control) and after administration of NG-monomethyl-L-arginine (L-NMMA, 100 mg/kg) to inhibit EDRF/NO synthesis, and following L-arginine (300 mg/kg) to reverse the effects of L-NMMA. In both anesthetic groups, L-NMMA decreased cardiac output and increased MAP, SVR, and regional resistances in brain, heart, kidney, spleen, gastrointestinal tract, hepatic artery, skeletal muscle, skin, and white fat. L-arginine returned SVR and MAP to or below control values in both groups, although cardiac output remained decreased. During isoflurane as compared to halothane anesthesia, L-NMMA caused significantly greater increases in blood pressure (54 +/- 7% vs. 24 +/- 2%) and SVR (143 +/- 22% vs. 79 +/- 11%). In addition, rats anesthetized with isoflurane had significantly greater increases in vascular resistance in heart, kidney, gastrointestinal tract, hepatic artery, and skin after L-NMMA than did rats anesthetized with halothane.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1466469", "title": "Interaction of intrathecal morphine with bupivacaine and lidocaine in the rat.", "content": "The interaction in the rat between intrathecal morphine and local anesthetics (bupivacaine and lidocaine) on nociception (52.5 degrees C hot plate and paw pressure), motor function, and autonomic function (blood pressure [BP] and heart rate [HR]) was examined over a range of doses for both morphine and the local anesthetics. High doses of intrathecal bupivacaine (75 micrograms) or lidocaine (500 micrograms) produced motor block and hypotension (150 micrograms bupivacaine) lasting approximately 15 and 7 min, respectively, whereas low doses of intrathecal bupivacaine (25 micrograms) and lidocaine (100 micrograms) produced only a transient motor weakness lasting 2 min or less. Alone, neither agent altered the hot plate or paw pressure response at doses, or at times, where the agents had no effect upon motor function. In contrast, at the low dose of either local anesthetic, after the resolution of the transient motor weakness, these doses resulted in a significant leftward shift in the dose-response curves for intrathecal morphine on both the hot plate and paw pressure, as measured by the maximum observed peak effect and by the area under the time-effect curve. Thus, for example, the morphine ED50 (95% confidence intervals) for morphine/saline was 1.7 micrograms (0.7-1.9) on the hot plate and 1.1 micrograms (0.8-1.4) on the paw pressure versus for morphine/bupivacaine (25 micrograms): hot plate 0.25 micrograms (0.21-0.42) and paw pressure 0.28 micrograms (0.2-0.4). Intrathecal morphine was not observed to have any effect on the dose-dependent effects of intrathecal bupivacaine on motor or autonomic blockade. Comparable results were also observed with lidocaine (bupivacaine was found to have no significant effect on spinal cord morphine clearance). We conclude that low doses of intrathecal lidocaine and bupivacaine, which alone have no antinociceptive effect, at times when motor function was clearly unimpaired, are able to significantly augment the antinociceptive activity of intrathecal morphine on the hot plate and paw pressure tests. This prominent and selective potentiation appears to occur via a non-pharmacokinetic mechanism and probably reflects upon the interaction of low concentrations of local anesthetics with systems in the spinal dorsal horn that process acute high threshold afferent input."}
{"id": "PMID:1466470", "title": "Metabolism of ketamine stereoisomers by human liver microsomes.", "content": "Ketamine is used clinically as a racemic mixture of optical isomers that differ in their analgesic properties and psychomimetic effects. Administered individually, or together as the racemate, ketamine enantiomers differ in their hepatic clearance and duration of anesthetic effect. S(+) ketamine exhibits a greater clearance and faster anesthetic recovery compared to the racemate and a greater clearance compared to R(-) ketamine. Ketamine undergoes extensive hepatic metabolism, primarily via N-demethylation to norketamine, yet little is known about the human metabolism of ketamine enantiomers. The purpose of this investigation therefore was to characterize ketamine racemate and enantiomer metabolism by human liver and to test the hypothesis that differences in hepatic ketamine enantiomer metabolism can account for observed differences in ketamine enantiomer pharmacokinetics. Ketamine N-demethylation by microsomes from three human livers was measured by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. At ketamine concentrations typically achieved during anesthesia (5 microM), the rate of S(+) ketamine demethylation was 20% greater than that of R(-) ketamine and 10% greater than that of the racemate (P < .05). At all ketamine concentrations, the rate of racemate demethylation was less than the sum of the rates for the individual enantiomers, reflecting a metabolic enantiomeric interactin whereby one ketamine enantiomer inhibits the metabolism of the other enantiomer. N-demethylation of racemic ketamine and each enantiomer was catalyzed by two apparent enzymes, a high affinity-low capacity enzyme (Km1 30-50 microM, Vmax1 2-6 nmoles.min-1 x nmole-1) and a low affinity-high capacity enzyme (Km2 600-800 microM, Vmax2 9-15 nmoles.min-1 x nmole-1).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1466471", "title": "The fast flush test measures the dynamic response of the entire blood pressure monitoring system.", "content": "The fast flush test (FT) is the only test that allows clinicians to determine in vivo the natural frequency (fn) and damping coefficient (zeta) of an invasive blood pressure monitoring system. The underlying assumption to the validity of the FT is that it activates the whole system including the distal catheter. We devised an in vitro model of a typical invasive blood pressure monitoring system to determine whether this assumption was true. The model consisted of a conventional transducer with a flush device attached to various lengths of connecting tubing (91.4, 182.9, and 274.3 cm) terminated by four different diameter catheters (5.1 cm 14 G, 16 G, 18 G, and 20 G). A microtipped transducer catheter was inserted into the distal catheter tubing system. A FT was performed and the fn and zeta were recorded from the conventional transducer and simultaneously from the microtipped transducer catheter. Similar studies were conducted using the ROSE damping device as well as with systems including 0.1 ml of air near the conventional transducer. These studies utilized 18- and 20-G catheters with each of the three lengths of connecting tubing. All measurements of fn and zeta at the proximal conventional transducer were identical to those measurements as recorded by the distal microtipped transducer catheter. We conclude that the FT activates the whole monitoring system and that fn and zeta are the same throughout the system including the distal catheter."}
{"id": "PMID:1466482", "title": "Diet-induced atherosclerosis in cynomolgus monkey aorta and regression by the sixth-month observation.", "content": "Pathomorphologic analysis was employed to evaluate diet-induced atherosclerosis in cynomolgus monkey aorta and regression by administration of a hypolipidemic agent for six months after the atherogenic ration. Twenty-seven male cynomolgus monkeys were divided into three groups. Group A was fed individually with a high-fat diet containing 0.3% cholesterol under identical conditions for six months. Group B was fed with normal monkey chow for six months after the same atherogenic ration. Group C was fed with normal monkey chow and administered a hypolipidemic agent 1% of 4-[2-(4-isopropylbenzamido)ethoxy] benzonic acid for six months after the same atherogenic ration. Each thoracic and abdominal aorta of animal models was separately analyzed. Lipid composition analysis and esterified cholesterol (CE) in aortic wall, ratio of free cholesterol to phospholipid, surface involvement, and atherosclerotic index after Sudan IV staining were studied for evaluation of progression and regression. The configurations of atherosclerotic involvement were histologically evaluated among each group. These observed lesions, features specific to cynomolgus lesions, mainly consisted of lipid-rich foam cells, lipid debris, and proliferated extracellular matrix. No different lesion composition was noted between the thoracic and abdominal aorta. This may suggest that some local factors play an important role for development of atherosclerosis after the initial event. Group C had remarkable reduction of foam cells and of CE accumulation in both the thoracic and abdominal aortic wall. Accelerated regression in group C as compared with group B was demonstrated both biochemically and pathohistologically. These results suggest that substantial regression of atherosclerosis in both the thoracic and abdominal aorta can be expected. This hypolipidemic agent exerts notable antiatherosclerotic activity, along with a lowering effect on plasma total cholesterol levels."}
{"id": "PMID:1466483", "title": "Long-term clinical and duplex follow-up after proximal vertebral artery reconstruction.", "content": "From 1977 to 1989, 28 patients, 18 men and 10 women, underwent 29 proximal vertebral artery reconstructions. Indications were vertebrobasilar insufficiency in 17 patients and TIA or stroke in 6. Five were asymptomatic. Procedures performed were endarterectomy in 20, reimplantation in 5, venous bypass in 3, and decompression in 1 case. Concomitant procedures were coronary artery bypass grafting (6) and carotid, subclavian, or innominate artery revascularization (14). There was no operative mortality. There were 3 early reoperations for occlusion, bleeding, and lymph fistula, respectively. Except for 1 foreign patient recent clinical follow-up was complete. Mean follow-up was 85.6 months (range 17-146). During follow-up 10 patients died. Causes were mainly cardiac (3), carcinoma (3), and stroke (2). Seventeen patients were alive, 13 had no cerebrovascular symptoms, 2 sustained a hemispherical stroke, 1 was only slightly improved, and 1 had a drop attack 131 months after operation. Five and ten-year actuarial survival rates were 85% and 51% respectively. Follow-up with duplex scan was available in 26 patients and was complete in 24. Mean duplex follow-up was 78.6 months (range 3-146). Significant abnormalities were noted in 6 but with symptoms in only 1 patient. Mean time to restenosis was 77.3 months. Late angiographic control in 10 patients correlated well with duplex findings. Proximal vertebral artery reconstruction yields good clinical long-term results, and duplex scan is a useful tool in the follow-up of these patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1466484", "title": "Capillary blood flow to the skin of forearm in cirrhosis.", "content": "In liver cirrhosis a hyperkinetic circulatory state is frequently observed as a consequence of an arterial or even a venous peripheral vasodilatation with secondary increase in cardiac output. Indirect evidence suggests that, in liver disease, the manifestation of warm hands, capillary pulsation, or palmar erythema may also relate to such a state by way of an increased skin blood flow. The purpose of the present study has been to directly assess capillary skin blood flow in liver disease through the clearance of a locally injected radioactive substance. The study was performed in 24 patients with different liver diseases, including 14 Child class II cirrhotics, and in 9 control subjects. A small volume of Na 131I solution was injected at the volar surface of the forearm, and radioactive counts were recorded continuously for ten seconds every minute for up to twenty minutes. The best fit line of the disappearance rate was determined by the least square method, and both its T/2 and an estimated blood flow parameter were calculated. The T/2 of isotope disappearance rate was 4.54 +/- 0.71 and 4.38 +/- 0.68 minutes in cirrhotics and controls, respectively. Similarly, estimates of skin blood flow (mL/min/100 g tissue) were 7.82 +/- 1.28 in the cirrhotic patients, not significantly different from those in both patients with mixed liver diseases (7.6 +/- 2.86) and control subjects (8.06 +/- 1.04). Parameters of skin blood flow were also invariant in respect to the various etiologies of liver disease. Thus, the present findings indicate that capillary skin blood flow is not affected by the hyperdynamic circulatory changes occurring in liver cirrhosis.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1466485", "title": "Failure of thrombin-antithrombin III complexes in the diagnosis of deep vein thrombosis.", "content": "Plasma thrombin-antithrombin III (T-AT) complexes are reputed to be an indirect manifestation of thrombin generation, and a role for their determination in the diagnosis of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) has been advocated. In order to evaluate the accuracy of T-AT complexes assay for DVT diagnosis, in 166 consecutive outpatients with clinical suspicion of the disease, plasma concentration of T-AT complexes was measured immediately before venography by means of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit. The result of the T-AT complexes assay was elevated in 29 of the 48 patients with DVT (sensitivity, 60%). The T-AT complexes levels were within the normal range in 104 of the 118 patients with normal venograms (specificity, 88%). The positive and the negative predictive value were 67% and 85%, respectively. The authors conclude that the T-AT complexes assay is of little value for the diagnosis of DVT in outpatients."}
{"id": "PMID:1466486", "title": "Automated blood pressure determination during exercise test. Clinical evaluation of a new automated device.", "content": "The accuracy and reproducibility of a new automatic device (P) specially designed for noninvasive blood pressure monitoring during the exercise stress test were evaluated in 50 consecutive subjects (34 normotensives and 16 hypertensives). Automatic measurements were compared with those taken by a sphygmomanometer (RR). A good agreement between systolic pressure values obtained by the two methods was found (RR 159 +/- 30 mmHg, P 158 +/- 28 mmHg, mean difference = -1.53 +/- 13 mmHg, p = 0.166, ns). On the contrary the new device significantly underestimated diastolic pressure values (RR 89.3 +/- 13 mmHg; P 84 +/- 13 mmHg, mean difference -5.37 +/- 9.3, p < 0.001). In conclusion the new device seems able to measure systolic but underestimates diastolic blood pressure both in hypertensives and in normotensives during the effort test."}
{"id": "PMID:1466487", "title": "Hazardous information from bedside fast-flush device test for fluid-filled pressure monitoring systems.", "content": "The fast-flush device test--based on the square-wave principle--has been used in clinical practice to test the accuracy of fluid-filled pressure-monitoring systems. One assumption with the square-wave test is that the system is a second-order approximation. To elucidate the problem, the authors compared, in vitro, a reference test method (frequency response test), valid for second-order systems, with a pure square-wave test and a fast-flush device test. They showed that the two tested systems did not have any relation to the reference system, which suggests that the second-order approximation is not valid. Therefore, the fast-flush device test cannot be used reliably in testing the total chain of catheter, tubing, transducer, and monitor for invasive pressure measurement."}
{"id": "PMID:1466488", "title": "Inhibition of interleukin 1-mediated proteoglycan degradation in bovine articular cartilage explants by addition of sodium hyaluronate.", "content": "The effect of exogenous hyaluronate on normal cartilage metabolism and interleukin-1 (IL-1)-induced cartilage matrix degradation was investigated in a bovine cartilage explant culture system. Addition of hyaluronate at a concentration of 1.5 mg/ml to cartilage culture explants consistently decreased normal proteoglycan release from the matrix to a value less than that found in control cultures. Addition of 1.5 mg of hyaluronate/ml to IL-1 stimulated cartilage culture systems reduced proteoglycan release from the matrix by 83 to 113%. The reduction in control and IL-1-stimulated proteoglycan degradation by hyaluronate had a concentration-dependent trend. Evaluation of alterations in protein (enzyme) release by IL-1-stimulated chondrocytes after introduction of hyaluronate was evaluated by use of sodium dodecyl sulfate agar gel electrophoresis of cartilage-conditioned media. The quantity or the molecular weight profile of IL-1-induced proteins did not differ after introduction of hyaluronate into the culture system. Results indicate that introduction of high molecular weight hyaluronate into cartilage culture systems results in a decrease in proteoglycan release from the matrix in control systems, as well as in cultures incubated with IL-1. Because IL-1-stimulated protein synthesis by chondrocytes remains unchanged after addition of exogenous hyaluronate, the mechanism of inhibition of matrix degradation does not appear to be interference with binding of IL-1 to chondrocytes or to be inhibition of the production of neutral metalloproteases, including stromelysin."}
{"id": "PMID:1466489", "title": "Physiologic effects of administration of interleukin 1 beta in cows.", "content": "The immunomodulating polypeptide interleukin 1 beta (IL-1 beta) has been shown to be homologous to osteoclast-activating factor and is capable of stimulating increased osteoclastic bone resorption. This effect prompted an investigation into the potential use of IL-1 beta for prevention of parturient paresis, a disease of dairy cows characterized by hypocalcemia and poor osteoclastic resorption of bone. Six nonpregnant cows were treated with a high dosage of IL-1 beta (166 ng/kg of body weight) every 8 hours for 4 days. The IL-1 beta treatment significantly (P < 0.05) increased urinary hydroxyproline excretion, an index of osteoclast activity, indicating that bone calcium resorption might be stimulated by IL-1 beta treatment of cows. However, IL-1 beta treatment also caused transient fever, inappetence, increased pulse and respiratory rate, and diuresis. The acute, but transient, effect of IL-1 beta treatment was to cause a decrease in plasma calcium and phosphorus concentrations. The pleiotropic effects of IL-1 beta administration negated the positive effects on osteoclastic bone resorption, and indicates that this cytokine may be of minimal benefit for prevention of parturient paresis."}
{"id": "PMID:1466490", "title": "Cross-reactivity between a monoclonal antibody that recognizes a tumor-associated antigen on bovine lymphosarcoma cells and blood lymphocytes from various mammalian species.", "content": "Tumor-associated antigens that are expressed in lymphosarcoma B cells of cattle with enzootic bovine leukosis had been analyzed in terms of their reactivity with 13 monoclonal antibodies (MAB). By use of flow cytometry and radioimmunoprecipitation, 1 of the MAB (c143) that recognized a tumor-associated antigen cross-reacted with blood lymphocytes (BL) from various mammalian species. By use of flow cytometry, the c143 MAB reacted with 10 to 49% of BL derived from human beings, mice, dogs, horses, pigs, llamas, sheep, goats, and cattle. Titer of the c143 MAB with BL from horses, pigs, human beings, and llamas ranged between 1:6.0 x 10(4) and 1:5.3 x 10(5); titer associated with BL of goats and sheep was 1:1.6 x 10(6); and that associated with BL of cattle was 1:4.3 x 10(7). The c143 MAB specifically immunoprecipitated 3 homologous proteins from cell extracts of caprine, ovine, and bovine BL (32-, 34-, and 36- to 37-kDa bovine proteins; 31-, 32-, and 36- to 37-kDa caprine proteins; and 31.5-, 33-, and 36- to 37-kDa ovine proteins), but none was immunoprecipitated from human, murine, canine, porcine, and llama BL. These results indicate that the avidity of the c143 MAB in binding to BL from ruminants (eg, goats, sheep, and cattle) is higher than that to BL from human beings, mice, dogs, horses, pigs, and llamas. In sheep, the c143 MAB could immunoprecipitate the aforementioned proteins from BL of the Suffolk breed, but not BL from the Corriedale breed, whereas the c143 MAB immunoprecipitated apparently identical proteins from BL of 4 breeds of cattle."}
{"id": "PMID:1466491", "title": "Evaluation of a modified-live virus vaccine administered in ovo to protect chickens against Newcastle disease.", "content": "The B1 strain of Newcastle disease virus (NDV-B1), which is nonpathogenic for newly hatched chickens, killed embryos when it was used to inoculate chicken eggs at embryonation day 18. Treatment of NDV-B1 with an alkylating agent, ethylmethane sulfonate (EMS) markedly reduced the pathogenicity of the virus for 18-day-old chicken embryos. Eggs inoculated with the modified virus (NDV-B1-EMS) hatched, and the virus was isolated from lungs and spleen of 1-day-old chickens. The hatched chickens developed antibody to NDV and were protected against challenge exposure (at 4 weeks of age) with a highly virulent GB-Texas strain of NDV. Presence of maternal antibody to NDV in embryonating eggs did not influence the protective ability of NDV-B1-EMS, which also induced protective immunity when administered to 4-week-old chickens. The 50% protective dose of NDV-B1-EMS in maternal antibody-negative and -positive embryos was calculated to be 10.77 and 17.70 embryo 50% lethal doses, respectively. Results of the study indicated that NDV-B1-EMS may be used as an embryo vaccine to protect chickens against Newcastle disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1466492", "title": "Protection of neonatal calves against fatal enteric colibacillosis by administration of egg yolk powder from hens immunized with K99-piliated enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli.", "content": "The protective effects of egg yolk powder prepared from hens vaccinated with heat-extracted antigens from K99-piliated enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) strain 431 were evaluated in a colostrum-fed calf model of ETEC-induced diarrhea caused by a heterologous strain (B44). The antibody powder was obtained by spray-drying the water-soluble protein fraction of egg yolks after removing the lipid and fatty components by precipitation with hydroxypropylmethylcellulose phthalate. A total of 16 colostrum-fed calves were studied to determine whether the orally administered antibody powder would prevent fatal bovine colibacillosis caused by a virulent ETEC strain. Clinical response of individual calves was monitored and evaluated in the context of these variables: fecal consistency score, intestinal colonization, weight loss, and mortality. Control calves that were treated with vehicle (milk with egg yolk powder from nonimmunized hens) had severe diarrhea and dehydration and died within 72 hours after infection was manifested. In contrast, calves fed milk containing egg yolk powder with antipili agglutinin titers of 1:800 and 1:1,600 had transient diarrhea, 100% survival, and good body weight gain during the course of the study. Results indicate that the orally administered egg yolk powder protected against ETEC-induced diarrhea in neonatal calves and that the protective components may have been the antibodies raised by vaccination of chickens against ETEC."}
{"id": "PMID:1466493", "title": "Effects of clinically apparent and subclinical Ostertagia ostertagi infections on nitrogen and water metabolism in calves.", "content": "Four balance trials were conducted in 3 groups of 5 calves each at 0, 4, 8, and 14 weeks after initial inoculation with Ostertagia ostertagi. Group-1 calves were inoculated with 100,000 third-stage larvae (L3) of O ostertagi/wk for 14 weeks. Group-2 calves were inoculated with 10,000 L3/wk for 14 weeks, and group-3 calves were not inoculated. Effects of infection on apparent digestibilities of dry matter and nitrogen, and balances of nitrogen and water were evaluated. Neither clinically apparent (group 1) nor subclinical (group 2) O ostertagi infections had observable effects on the apparent digestibility of dry matter. Subclinical infection also had no significant effects on nitrogen digestibility or nitrogen and water balance. Clinically apparent infection, however, decreased the apparent digestibilities of nitrogen significantly (P < 0.05) at 4, 8, and 14 weeks after inoculation, and decreased nitrogen balance at 4 and 8 weeks after inoculation. Group-1 calves also had lower water intake, fecal-water excretion, and apparent water balance, but higher urinary water output at 4, 8, and 14 weeks after inoculation."}
{"id": "PMID:1466494", "title": "Nutritional and pathophysiologic effects of clinically apparent and subclinical infections of Ostertagia ostertagi in calves.", "content": "Nutritional and physiologic effects of clinically apparent and subclinical Ostertagia ostertagi infections were studied in 3 groups of 5 calves each. Group-1 calves were inoculated with 100,000 Ostertagia ostertagi third-stage larvae (L3)/calf/wk for 14 weeks. Group-2 calves were inoculated with 10,000 L3/calf/wk for 14 weeks, and group-3 calves were no inoculated. Calves in group 1 had decreased dry matter intake and feed utilization from 4 weeks after initial inoculation. Group-2 calves had no changes in dry matter intake, but had decreased feed utilization at 12 and 14 weeks. Calves with clinically apparent infections (group 1) lost a mean weight of 11.8 kg, whereas calves with suclinical infections (group 2) lost a mean of 46.6 kg, and control calves lost a mean of 60.7 kg. Calves with O ostertagi infections (group 1 and 2) also had decreased carcass quality at slaughtering, which was reflected in decreased dressing weights and increased water-holding capacity of the rib-eye muscle. Calves in groups 1 and 2 also had lower carcass yield and rib-eye muscle weight, and group-1 calves had decreased protein content. Results of hematologic, pathologic, parasitologic, and clinical examinations mirrored nutritional changes."}
{"id": "PMID:1466495", "title": "Effects of Ostertagia ostertagi infection on secretion of metabolic hormones in calves.", "content": "Effects of Ostertagia ostertagi infection on secretion of insulin, pancreatic glucagon, cortisol, gastrin, and pepsinogen were studied in calves inoculated with 100,000 (group 1) or 10,000 (group 2) O ostertagi infective larvae weekly for 14 weeks. Plasma insulin concentrations in both inoculated groups were lower than those in a non-infected (group 3) control group. The differences between group 1 and group 3 were significant (P < 0.05) at 2 and 12 weeks after initial inoculation. Plasma pancreatic glucagon and cortisol concentrations of groups 1 and 2 did not differ significantly from those of the control group, although plasma pancreatic glucagon concentration was consistently lower in group-1 calves from 4 weeks to end of the study. Plasma pepsinogen and serum gastrin concentrations also increased significantly (P < 0.05) in both groups that received inoculations. We concluded that decreased plasma insulin concentrations are contributory to changes in postabsorptive protein metabolism, and that serum gastrin concentrations are more representative of the pathologic changes in the abomasum than are plasma pepsinogen concentrations."}
{"id": "PMID:1466496", "title": "Clinical evaluation of the efficacy of inoculating cattle with a vaccine containing Tritrichomonas foetus.", "content": "To test the efficacy of a polyvalent Tritrichomonas foetus vaccine, 130 nulliparous heifers were randomly assigned to either receive the test T foetus vaccine or to serve as nonvaccinated controls. The polyvalent test vaccine consisted of a Campylobacter fetus/Leptospira canicola-grippotyphosa-hardjo-icterohaemorrhagiae-pamona bacterine containing 5 x 10(7) killed T foetus/dose. The polyvalent control vaccine consisted of the aforementioned formulation without T foetus. Heifers were administered 2 doses of control or experimental vaccine at 3-week intervals. Heifers were bred to T foetus-infected bulls and their conception and pregnancy rates were determined throughout gestation. In addition, serum samples were analyzed to determine induced concentrations of antitrichomonal antibodies and vaginal secretions were sampled to determine T foetus infection rates in control and vaccinated animals. One week after each of the 15-day breeding periods, 60% (6 of 10) of tested vaccinates and 80% (8 of 10) of tested control animals were T foetus culture-positive. The mean duration of infection of vaccinates was 3.8 weeks (+/- 7.5 days), compared with 5.4 weeks (+/- 7.5 days) of infection for control heifers. All vaccinates developed increased immunofluorescence and serum neutralizing antibody titers following the first immunization, and had additional increases of at least fourfold in response to the second injection. In contrast, no consistent increase in immunofluorescence or serum neutralizing antibodies was observed in control animals. Conception rates were 89.2% for vaccinates and 85.9% for control animals 30 days after breeding and 80 to 90% of these remained pregnant 60 days after breeding.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1466497", "title": "Evaluation of two test procedures for diagnosis of giardiasis in dogs.", "content": "Two commercially available tests, an antigen-capture ELISA for use on fecal samples, and a peroral nylon string test for use in dogs, were compared with a zinc sulfate fecal concentration technique (ZSCT) for detection of giardiasis in dogs. Of 77 dogs and 164 fecal samples (from these dogs), 33 and 52, respectively were found to be Giardia-positive on the basis of results of the ZSCT. The ELISA gave false-negative results for 10 and 14% of ZSCT-positive dogs and fecal samples, respectively, and false-positive results (relative to the ZSCT test results) in 13 and 10% of ZSCT-positive dogs and fecal samples, respectively. Of the 18 string-tested dogs, 14 were positive by results of the ZSCT. Of the 4 dogs that were Giardia-negative by ZSCT, 2 were Giardia-positive by ELISA. Dogs were sedated and given water and metoclopramide to aid passage into the duodenum of the capsule containing a nylon string. Of the 21 string tests performed on the 18 dogs, only 5 strings reached the duodenum, and 0 of the 5 yielded positive results for Giardia sp. Because the string broke in 1 dog (leaving most in the gastrointestinal tract and, therefore, producing a risk of string foreign body) further string tests were not done."}
{"id": "PMID:1466498", "title": "Acute toxicity of paraherquamide and its potential as an anthelmintic.", "content": "Paraherquamide, an oxindole alkaloid metabolite of Penicillium paraherquei and P charlesii, is a new anthelmintic with potential broad-spectrum use. In initial trials, it had an excellent safety profile in cattle and sheep at doses efficacious against a dozen or more helminths, but recently it produced unexpected and severe toxicosis in dogs at doses far below those that were safe in the ruminants. To provide data on which to build rational safety tests in the future, we tested the acute toxicity of paraherquamide administered PO to male CD-1 mice and compared its profile with the most potent anthelmintic known, ivermectin. The estimated doses lethal to 50% of a group of mice were 14.9 and 29.5 mg/kg of body weight for paraherquamide and ivermectin, respectively. The no-effect doses were 5.6 and 18.0 mg/kg for paraherquamide and ivermectin, respectively. Signs of intoxication in paraherquamide-treated mice, if they developed, emanated within 30 minutes of administration, irrespective of dose, and consisted of either mild depression with complete recovery or a 5- to 10-minute period of breathing difficulty followed by respiratory failure and death by 1 hour after treatment. Gross necropsy findings in paraherquamide-treated mice that died in the high-dose group were normal. Ivermectin-related toxicity was slower and more predictable, taking place over a 3-day period, with dose-dependent signs of intoxication consisting of tremors, ataxia, recumbency, coma, and death. Necropsy of ivermectin-treated mice that died in the high-dose group revealed dehydration, a condition most likely resulting from the coma-induced state.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1466499", "title": "Induction of fatty liver in cows by ethionine administration and concomitant decreases of serum apolipoproteins B-100 and A-I concentrations.", "content": "Ethionine, an analogue of methionine, induces fatty liver in rats by inhibiting protein synthesis, including that of apolipoproteins in liver. Ethionine was administered to cows to elucidate the participation in fatty liver development of impaired triglyceride secretion from liver attributable to decreased apolipoprotein synthesis. The administration resulted in a significant increase of liver triglyceride contents. Several apolipoproteins were found to have decreased concentrations. In particular, apolipoprotein B-100 in very low-density (0.95 to 1.006 g/ml) lipoprotein and in low-density (1.006 to 1.063 g/ml) lipoprotein fractions was greatly reduced. The decreases of apolipoprotein B-100 concentrations in the 2 lipoprotein fractions were at least partly correlated to the decreased triglyceride concentrations in the respective fractions. Decreased concentrations of apolipoprotein A-I in high-density (1.063 to 1.210 g/ml) lipoprotein were also observed, although not as distinctly as with apolipoprotein B-100. Total cholesterol and phospholipid concentrations in low- and high-density lipoprotein fractions were decreased. The decrease in cholesterol was attributed to reduced concentrations of cholesteryl esters. It was suggested that the impaired lipid secretion from liver attributable to the decreased apolipoprotein concentrations has a role in ethionine-induced fatty liver of cows."}
{"id": "PMID:1466500", "title": "Effects of furosemide and pentoxifylline on blood flow properties in horses.", "content": "The effects of furosemide and pentoxifylline on blood flow properties in horses were investigated. Hematologic and rheologic changes were examined in 4 horses before and 3 minutes after administration of epinephrine (1 mg, IV). The next day, hemorheologic changes were determined before and 3 hours after administration of furosemide (1 mg/kg of body weight, IM), and after administration of epinephrine at the sampling at 3 hours. Hematologic and rheologic changes were evaluated weekly in 3 horses given pentoxifylline (8.5 mg/kg, q 12 h, PO) for 28 days. In addition, hemorheologic responses to epinephrine were determined on days 0, 14, and 28 of pentoxifylline treatment. Neutrophil filtration studies were also performed 2 hours after IV administration of pentoxifylline (8.5 mg/kg). Postepinephrine values for PCV, RBC and WBC counts, and blood viscosity were greater than preepinephrine values. Erythrocyte sedimentation rates decreased after epinephrine, whereas RBC filterability did not change. Treatment with furosemide was associated with increases in mean RBC hemoglobin concentration and blood viscosity. Filterability of RBC did not change. Treatment with pentoxifyllie resulted in an increase in RBC filterability and erythrocyte sedimentation rate and a decrease in PCV; however, mean values for hematocrit and RBC count did not change. Treatment with pentoxifylline did not result in a change in resting blood viscosity, but markedly reduced the postepinephrine increase in blood viscosity. Neither IV nor orally administered pentoxifylline had an effect on neutrophil filtration. It was concluded that pentoxifylline has beneficial effects on RBC filterability and postepinephrine changes in blood viscosity, which may contribute to improvements of microcirculatory blood flow. In addition, furosemide may exacerbate exercise-associated hyperviscosity in horses."}
{"id": "PMID:1466501", "title": "Composition and analysis of cerebrospinal fluid in clinically normal adult cattle.", "content": "Cerebrospinal fluid and serum were obtained from 16 clinically normal adult cows (11 dairy, 5 beef). Sodium, potassium, magnesium, total protein, and albumin concentrations, osmolality, and lactate dehydrogenase and creatine kinase activities, were quantified in CSF and serum. Total and differential cell counting, protein electrophoresis, and IgG quantification were performed on CSF. Statistical analyses of these variables, including mean, SEM, range, and 95% confidence intervals, were performed. Effects of blood contamination were evaluated, and were found to be negligible for all measured constituents. Correction factors for CSF creatine kinase and lactate dehydrogenase activities accounting for cellular contamination were developed. Total nucleated cell count was similar to counts in CSF of other species, but higher than values in healthy people. Differential leukocyte count in CSF was similar to that reported in CSF of other domestic animals: mostly lymphocytes, fewer monocytoid cells, and scant neutrophils. Cerebrospinal fluid protein concentration was higher than concentration reported for dogs, goats, and people, but was similar to values reported for horses. Beef cows had higher CSF total protein concentration than did dairy cows; also, beef cows had higher CSF gamma-globulin concentration. The concentration of sodium in CSF was slightly higher than the value in serum, and potassium concentration was lower than the value in serum. In contrast to studies of human beings, CSF osmolality was generally less than serum osmolality in the cows studied. Reference values for CSF electrolyte concentrations and osmolality are useful for diagnosis of salt poisoning and for assessment of the effects of fluid therapy. Magnesium concentration was lower in CSF, compared with serum.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1466502", "title": "Platelet aggregation in dogs after sedation with acepromazine and atropine and during subsequent general anesthesia and surgery.", "content": "Platelet aggregation and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) release were measured by use of the impedance method in blood samples obtained from 25 adult female Beagles before and after sedation with acepromazine (0.13 mg/kg of body weight) and atropine (0.05 mg/kg), and during general anesthesia. General anesthesia was induced by IV administration of thiamylal (average dosage, 2.1 mg/kg; range, 1.2 to 4.2 mg/kg) and was maintained with halothane in oxygen. Samples of jugular venous blood were obtained from each dog, using citrate as anticoagulant. Platelet count was done on each sample. Platelet aggregation and ATP released from the aggregating platelets were measured within 2.5 hours of sample collection, using a whole-blood aggregometer. Adenosine diphosphate (ADP) or collagen was used as aggregating agent. For each aggregating agent, platelet aggregation and ATP release were measured over 6 minutes. After sedation with acepromazine and atropine, significant (P < 0.01) reduction was observed in platelet count (from median values of 341,000 cells/microliters to 283,000 cells/microliters) and in the ability of platelets to aggregate in response to ADP (from 14.0 to 7.0 omega). During the same period, maximal release of ATP in response to collagen also was reduced (from 5.56 mumol to 4.57 mumol; P < 0.01); however, this difference ceased to be significant when ATP release was normalized for platelet count. During general anesthesia and surgery (200 minutes after sedation), platelet count and aggregation responses to ADP and collagen had returned to presedation values. None of the dogs in this study appeared to have hemostasis problems during surgery.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1466503", "title": "Effect of treatment with erythromycin and rifampin during the acute stages of experimentally induced equine ehrlichial colitis in ponies.", "content": "Sixteen healthy ponies were inoculated IV with Ehrlichia risticii-infected P388D1 mouse monocytes. Of the 16 ponies, 15 developed clinical signs of equine ehrlichial colitis. Twenty-four hours after onset of fever (rectal temperature > 38.8 C), 7 ponies were treated with 25 mg of erythromycin stearate/kg of body weight and 10 mg of rifampin/kg, given orally every 12 hours for 5 days. The remaining 8 ill ponies served as nontreated controls. All ponies were observed for progression of clinical signs typical of equine ehrlichial colitis. Within 12 hours of initiation of treatment, 4 of the 7 treated ponies had rectal temperature < 38.4 C and, within 24 hours, 6 of the 7 ponies had rectal temperature < 38.3C. In contrast, all control ponies had rectal temperature > 39.2 C at 24 hours (P < 0.05). Of the 7 treated ponies, 4 no longer had signs of mental depression after the second day of treatment, and only 1 of the 7 ponies had mild signs of depression after the third day of treatment. In contrast, control ponies had high mental depression score during the observation period (P < 0.05). Feed intake improved in ponies of the treatment group, with feed intake of 4 of the 7 ponies returning to normal; the other 3 ponies were only mildly anorectic by the second day of treatment. Control ponies progressively decreased their feed intake during the observation period (P < 0.05). One control pony and 2 treated ponies developed diarrhea before the treatment/observation period began. Only 1 treated pony developed diarrhea after treatment began. Of the 8 control ponies, 7 developed diarrhea.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1466504", "title": "Effects of three antiarthritic drugs on fibronectin and keratan sulfate synthesis by cultured canine articular cartilage chondrocytes.", "content": "Because articular chondrocytes are a target for drugs that can influence the integrity of cartilage, we investigated the effects of 3 antiarthritic drugs, glycosaminoglycan polysulfate, diclofenac-Na, and S-adenosylmethionine sulfate p-toluenesulfonate on total protein, fibronectin, and DNA synthesis, as well as on extradomain-A fibronectin and keratan sulfate content. Glycosaminoglycan polysulfate stimulated dose-dependent incorporation of [35S]methionine into protein and fibronectin, whereas incorporation of [3H]thymidine into DNA was unaffected. Total fibronectin, extradomain-A fibronectin, and keratan sulfate content were high in chondrocyte cultures treated with glycosaminoglycan polysulfate. In contrast, fibronectin and DNA synthesis, as well as extradomain-A fibronectin and keratan sulfate content were unaffected by diclofenac-Na. S-Adenosyl-methionine decreased dose-dependently the synthesis of fibronectin, as well as the content of fibronectin and keratan sulfate. At the highest concentration of S-adenosyl-methionine tested, findings suggest that cell viability was impaired as assessed by the release of lactate dehydrogenase into the media."}
{"id": "PMID:1466505", "title": "Pharmacokinetics of norfloxacin and its N-desethyl- and oxo-metabolites in broiler chickens.", "content": "Norfloxacin was given to 2 groups of chickens (8 chickens/group) at a dosage of 8 mg/kg of body weight, IV and orally. For 24 hours, plasma concentration was monitored serially after each administration. Another group of chickens (n = 30) was given 8 mg of norfloxacin/kg orally every 24 hours for 4 days, and plasma and tissue concentrations of norfloxacin and its major metabolites desethylenenorfloxacin and oxonorfloxacin were determined serially after the last administration of the drug. Plasma and tissue concentrations of norfloxacin, desethylenenorfloxacin, and oxonorfloxacin were measured by use of high-performance liquid chromatography. Pharmacokinetic variables were calculated, using a 2-compartment open model. For norfloxacin, the elimination half-life (t1/2 beta) and the mean +/- SEM residence time for plasma were 12.8 +/- 0.59 and 15.05 +/- 0.81 hours, respectively, after oral administration and 8.0 +/- 0.3 and 8.71 +/- 0.23 hours, respectively, after IV administration. After single oral administration, norfloxacin was absorbed rapidly, with Tmax of 0.22 +/- 0.02 hour. Maximal plasma concentration was 2.89 +/- 0.20 microgram/ml. Oral bioavailability of norfloxacin was found to be 57.0 +/- 2.4%. In chickens, norfloxacin was mainly converted to desethylenenorfloxacin and oxonorfloxacin. Norfloxacin parent drug and its 2 major metabolites were widely distributed in tissues. Considerable tissue concentrations of norfloxacin, desethylenenorfloxacin, and oxonorfloxacin were found when norfloxacin was administered orally (8 mg/kg on 4 successive days). The concentration of the parent fluoroquinolone in fat, kidneys, and liver was 0.05 micrograms/g on day 12 after the end of dosing."}
{"id": "PMID:1466506", "title": "Ultrasonographic and quantitative histologic assessment of sequelae to testicular biopsy in stallions.", "content": "A sample of testicular parenchymal tissue, approximately 2 x 7 x 7 mm, was aseptically removed from 1 testis in each of 9 stallions on day 0. Slight to moderate hemorrhage from the tunica albuginea was observed in 8 stallions, but bleeding from the parenchyma was detected in only 2 stallions. Stallions were castrated 27 days later. Normal development of granulation tissue was evident at the biopsy site, but hematomas were not observed. In situ measurement of the widths of the right and left testes, total scrotal width, and evaluation of testicular echogenicity during ultrasonography were variables used to monitor changes in the testicular parenchyma from 14 days before biopsy through 27 days after biopsy. The control testis was consistently larger than the biopsied testis, except for day 3. Ultrasonography revealed signs of a localized change in the parenchyma of the biopsied testis in 4 stallions, but each lesion decreased in size by day 27. Tissues removed during biopsy enabled an excellent appraisal of spermatogenesis at that time. Detailed examinations of seminiferous tubules in the testes were performed to assess for damage to testicular function. At castration, samples were taken from 6 sites in each testis. Quantitative histologic evaluations of testicular tissues revealed low numbers of spherical spermatids and pachytene spermatocytes in biopsied testes, compared with control testes. It was concluded that there was a transitory increase in degeneration of preleptotene spermatocytes and B spermatogonia at the time of biopsy. A mild inflammatory response at the biopsy site in some testes was evidenced by an increased number of leukocytes at the biopsy site and at a dorsal site.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1466507", "title": "Development of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays for conglutinin, mannan-binding protein, and serum amyloid-P component in bovine sera.", "content": "Sandwich ELISA were developed to quantitatively determine conglutinin (CG), mannan-binding protein (MBP), and serum amyloid-P component (SAP) in the sera of cattle. The ELISA system was found to have high repeatability for quantitation of these serum proteins at concentration as low as 5 ng/ml. From results obtained for 10 healthy cows aged 2 to 7 years, mean +/- SD serum concentrations were 56.5 +/- 14.4 micrograms of CG/ml, 2.37 +/- 0.87 micrograms of MBP/ml, and 11.14 +/- 3.92 micrograms of SAP/ml, respectively. Values in 6 healthy heifer calves aged 6 months were 3.45 +/- 1.22 micrograms/ml for CG, 1.71 +/- 0.96 micrograms/ml for MBP, and 5.45 +/- 2.75 micrograms/ml for SAP, respectively. Concentrations in 9 healthy bullocks aged 6 months were 1.83 +/- 0.66 micrograms/ml for CG, 1.04 +/- 0.63 micrograms/ml for MBP, and 4.9 +/- 1.13 micrograms/ml for SAP, respectively."}
{"id": "PMID:1466508", "title": "Effect of titanium endoprostheses on bone mineral density measurements, using quantitative computed tomography.", "content": "Quantitative computed tomography has been used extensively to measure bone mineral density; particularly in the vertebral column and in the proximal portion of the femur in human beings with osteoporosis. Other potential applications of this technique include evaluation of bone adjacent to metallic endoprostheses and evaluation of fractures as they heal. Unfortunately, metal causes severe image degradation, principally seen as starburst streaking. One method used to decrease these artifacts is by imaging less-attenuating materials, such as titanium alloy. Titanium decreases image degradation sufficiently to allow accurate determination of the geometric properties of cadaveric bone. In our study, the effect of a titanium segmental endoprosthesis on bone mineral density measurement was determined by use of bone specimens from dogs and calibration standards. Titanium decreased the bone mineral density of calibration solutions from 6.8 (500 mg/cm3) to 17.7% (250 mg/cm3), and increased bone mineral density of cortical bone by 5.3%. Titanium did not affect the repeatability of these scans, indicating that the error caused by titanium was systematic and can be corrected. Our data were suggestive that quantitative computed tomography can be used to measure bone mineral density of cortical bone adjacent to titanium endoprostheses, with a predictable increase in density measurement."}
{"id": "PMID:1466509", "title": "Effects of monensin on selenium status and related factors in genetically hypo- and hyperselenemic growing swine.", "content": "Monensin is an ionophoretic antibiotic, which selectively transports alkali metal cations across biological membranes. In growing swine, monensin toxicosis causes acute, degenerative cardiac and skeletal myopathy resembling vitamin E-selenium deficiency. Selenium is an essential trace element incorporated in glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), an antioxidant enzyme system that protects subcellular membranes. In our study, we examined the effects of monensin on body weight, Se balance, antioxidant status, and serum concentrations of selected minerals in growing pigs that were genetically hypo- or hyperselenemic (hypo-Se and hyper-Se, respectively). Three groups of eight 8-week-old pigs, each comprised of 4 hypo-Se and 4 hyper-Se pigs (76.4 +/- 3.0 and 106.3 +/- 10.3 ng of Se/ml of serum, respectively), were fed standard diets containing 0.1 mg of supplemental Se/kg of body weight, and either 0, 200, or 400 mg of monensin/kg for a 77-day period, followed by a 28-day monensin withdrawal period. On days 0, 7, 28, 56, 70, and 98, all pigs were weighed and blood was collected for determination of serum GSH-Px, creatine phosphokinase, and aspartate transaminase values, as well as serum concentrations of vitamin E, Se, Ca, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Na, P, and Zn. Significance of main effects of monensin treatment, genetic Se status, and their interactions was tested by Fisher's variance ratio test, followed by conditional comparison of treatment means with a Bonferroni test. Signs of monensin toxicosis were not observed and monensin consumption had no effect on body weight, or serum creatine phosphokinase, aspartate transaminase, or Se values. However, pigs consuming monensin had consistently higher serum GSH-Px activities, possibly because of increased synthesis of this adaptive antioxidant enzyme. Interactions were not found between monensin and genetic Se status. Hyperselenemic pigs were heavier and had higher serum Se and GSH-Px values than hypo-Se pigs. Furthermore, hypo-Se and hyper-Se pigs were hypo- and hypercupremic, respectively, suggesting genetic regulation of copper status. It is likely that pigs with inadequate antioxidant status (hyposelenemia, hypocupremia) are more susceptible to diseases associated with cellular membrane damage, such as vitamin E-Se deficiency disease and monensin toxicosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1466510", "title": "Diet and exercise as potential risk factors for osteochondritis dissecans in dogs.", "content": "A matched case-control study was conducted to evaluate dietary components and exercise patterns as potential risk factors for osteochondritis dissecans in dogs. A telephone interview, with a standard questionnaire and protocol, was used to collect data on dietary intake of calories and nutrients and on the usual amounts and types of exercise of each dog. Thirty-one dogs with osteochondritis dissecans and 60 controls were matched on the basis of breed, sex, and age. Using a conditional logistic regression model, high dietary calcium, playing with other dogs, and drinking well water (rather than city water) were associated with increased risk of osteochondritis dissecans. Feeding of specialty dry dog foods was associated with decreased risk."}
{"id": "PMID:1466511", "title": "Effect of dietary phosphoric acid supplementation on acid-base balance and mineral and bone metabolism in adult cats.", "content": "Experimental evidence indicates that maintenance of urinary pH < or = 6.4 is the single most effective means of preventing feline struvite crystalluria or urolithiasis of noninfectious causes. This may be accomplished by dietary acidification, but must be moderated to avoid potential adverse effects of excessive acidification, including bone demineralization, negative calcium balance, potassium depletion, and renal disease. Effects of chronic dietary phosphoric acid supplementation on acid-base balance and on mineral and bone metabolism were investigated in adult, domestic cats. One group of 6 cats was fed a basal, naturally acidifying diet without added acidifiers, and another group of 6 cats was fed 1.7% dietary phosphoric acid. Changes observed during 12 months of study included development of noncompensated metabolic acidosis, increased urinary calcium excretion, and lower but positive calcium balance in cats of both groups. Urinary pH decreased in cats of both groups, but was significantly (P < 0.05) and consistently maintained < or = 6.4 in cats given dietary phosphoric acid. Urinary phosphorus excretion increased in cats of both groups, but was significantly (P < 0.05) greater in phosphoric acid-supplemented cats, leading to lower overall phosphorus balance as well. Potassium balance decreased in cats of both groups, but was only transiently negative in the phosphoric acid-supplemented cats midway through the study, and normalized at positive values thereafter. Plasma taurine concentration was not affected by dietary acidification, and remained well within the acceptable reference range for taurine metabolism. Double labeling of bone in vivo with fluorescent markers was followed by bone biopsy and histomorphometric measurement of several static and dynamic variables of bone formation. Overall indices of bone formation decreased in cats of both groups with age and confinement, but were not affected by dietary phosphoric acid supplementation. Dietary supplementation with phosphoric acid used as the principal inorganic P source to achieve moderate and stable degree of urinary acidification, did not appear over the course of 1 year, to have induced adverse effects on mineral, bone, or taurine balance in these adult domestic cats."}
{"id": "PMID:1466512", "title": "Biomechanical comparison of three internal fixations for treatment of slipped capital femoral epiphysis in immature dogs.", "content": "The biomechanical strength and stiffness of 3 fixation techniques used to repair acute slipped capital femoral epiphysis were evaluated in bone specimens from immature dogs. A servohydraulic testing machine was used to create slipped capital femoral epiphysis in 9 pairs of femurs by shearing the capital femoral epiphysis along the physis in a craniocaudal direction. The slip was reduced and repaired with 1, 2, or 3 double-pointed, 1.6-mm (0.062-inch) smooth pin(s) and retested. The strength and stiffness of each intact femur (which served as the control) and repaired femur were compared. Results of the study indicated that differences among the failure strengths of 1- and 2-pin fixations and their respective controls were not significant; however, the 3-pin fixation was 29% stronger than its control and was 60 and 45% stronger than the 1- and 2-pin fixations, respectively. One- and 2-pin fixations were 34 and 24% less stiff than their respective controls, whereas the stiffness of the 3-pin fixation was similar to its control. The 2- and 3-pin fixations were 48 and 76% stiffer, respectively, than the 1-pin fixation, but were not significantly different, compared with each other."}
{"id": "PMID:1466513", "title": "Functional, radiographic, and histologic assessment of healing of autogenous osteochondral grafts and full-thickness cartilage defects in the talus of dogs.", "content": "A circular (5.5 mm diameter) full-thickness cartilage defect was created on the medial ridge of the talus in 12 skeletally mature dogs. In 6 dogs, the articular surface of the lesion was repaired, using an osteochondral graft obtained from the ipsilateral manus. The graft (digit I, first phalanx, distal articular surface and diaphysis) was contoured to obtain a press fit in the drilled talar recipient site. In 6 dogs, the lesion was not treated and healed by fibrous tissue replacement. Functional assessment (lameness, hock range of motion, joint stability, joint crepitus, and mid-femoral muscle circumference) was completed before surgery and at postoperative weeks 2 through 20. Radiographic assessment (periarticular soft tissue width, joint space width, osteophyte formation, and graft incorporation) was completed before surgery and at postoperative weeks 0, 6, 12, and 20. To facilitate histologic assessment, tissues were stained with toluidine blue and H&E. Histologic assessment of the articular surface on the surgically treated talus, ipsilateral tibia, and contralateral talus was completed, using a modification of the Mankin grading system. Subchondral bone was examined to assess graft viability and incorporation. Analysis of the ordinal data was completed, using a Mann-Whitney rank sum test. All dogs were fully weight bearing by postoperative week 7. Dogs without grafts had significantly (P = 0.036) better clinical function at postoperative week 6. Significant difference in functional assessment was not evident at postoperative week 20. Immediate postoperative radiographic assessment revealed significant (P = 0.005) difference between nongrafted and grafted groups. Significant difference was not observed at postoperative week 6, 12, or 20. All grafts appeared radiographically incorporated by postoperative week 12. All grafts restored joint surface congruity, whereas 3 of 6 nongrafted lesions had poor articular congruity. Of 6 grafts, 4 partially retained normal hyaline cartilage, resulting in significantly (P = 0.014) lower Mankin grades. Significant histologic differences between groups were not apparent when the apposing tibia and control talus were examined. Talar reconstruction by use of a phalangeal osteochondral graft is a viable surgical procedure. These data indicate that normal articular and subchondral architecture are more closely approximated by osteochondral reconstruction than by fibrous tissue repair."}
{"id": "PMID:1466514", "title": "Evaluation of intestinal villus height in rats after ischemia and reperfusion by administration of superoxide dismutase, polyethylene glycol-conjugated superoxide dismutase, and two 21-aminosteroids.", "content": "Intestinal ischemia was induced and maintained for 60 minutes in male Sprague-Dawley rats weighing 175 to 225 g. Prior to reperfusion, the following drugs were administered via the caudal vena cava: 0.9% NaCl (0.5 ml), superoxide dismutase (SOD; 1,000 IU/kg of body weight), polyethylene glycol-conjugated SOD (PEG-SOD; 1,000 IU/kg), or the 21-aminosteroids, U74006F (3 mg/kg) or U78715G (3 mg/kg). A sham-operated control group was included. Animals from each group were euthanatized at 5 periods of reperfusion: 5 minutes, 30 minutes, 18 hours, 3 days, and 7 days after reperfusion. Fixed tissues were embedded in paraffin, sectioned at 5 microns, and stained with H&E. Villi profiled in cross section were measured from the crypt villus junction to the tip of the villus. The mean villus height for each rat was calculated and compared by two-way ANOVA to determine the effects of time and treatment. Villus height was maintained after 30 minutes of reperfusion in rats of the sham- and U74006F-treated groups; U78715G and SOD treatment attenuated the loss in villus height, and villus height was not maintained in the PEG-SOD- and 0.9% NaCl-treated rats. In all rats, villus height was comparable to, or was greater than villus height in sham-operated controls by 18 hours after reperfusion in all animals and remained constant through 7 days. Administration of the 21-aminosteroids maintained villus height after ischemia and reperfusion. Treatment with PEG-SOD did not maintain villus height to the degree observed in rats treated with SOD."}
{"id": "PMID:1466515", "title": "Effect of various vaccination procedures on shedding, latency, and reactivation of attenuated and virulent pseudorabies virus in swine.", "content": "Various procedures of vaccination for pseudorabies were compared for their effects on shedding, latency, and reactivation of attenuated and virulent pseudorabies virus. The study included 6 groups: group 1 (10 swine neither vaccinated nor challenge-exposed), group 2 (20 swine not vaccinated, but challenge-exposed), and groups 3 through 6 (10 swine/group, all vaccinated and challenge-exposed). Swine were vaccinated with killed virus IM (group 3) or intranasally (group 4), or with live virus IM (group 5) or intranasally (group 6). The chronologic order of treatments was as follows: vaccination (week 0), challenge of immunity by oronasal exposure to virulent virus (week 4), biopsy of tonsillar tissue (week 12), treatment with dexamethasone in an attempt to reactivate latent virus (week 15), and necropsy (week 21). Vaccination IM with killed or live virus and vaccination intranasally with live virus mitigated clinical signs and markedly reduced the magnitude and duration of virus shedding after challenge exposure. Abatement of signs and shedding was most pronounced for swine that had been vaccinated intranasally with live virus. All swine, except 4 from group 2 and 1 from group 4, survived challenge exposure. Only vaccination intranasally with live virus was effective in reducing the magnitude and duration of virus shedding after virus reactivation. Vaccination intranasally with killed virus was without measurable effect on immunity. Of the 55 swine that survived challenge exposure, 54 were shown subsequently to have latent infections by use of dexamethasone-induced virus reactivation, and 53 were shown to have latent infections by use of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with trigeminal ganglia specimens collected at necropsy. Fewer swine were identified by PCR as having latent infections when other tissues were examined; 20 were identified by testing specimens of olfactory bulbs, 4 by testing tonsil specimens collected at necropsy, and 4 by testing tonsillar biopsy specimens. Eighteen of the 20 specimens of olfactory bulbs and 3 of the 4 tonsil specimens collected at necropsy in which virus was detected by PCR were from swine without detectable virus-neutralizing antibody at the time of challenge exposure. One pig that had been vaccinated intranasally with live virus shed vaccine virus from the nose and virulent virus from the pharynx concurrently after dexamethasone treatment. Evaluation of both viral populations for unique strain characteristics failed to provide evidence of virus recombination."}
{"id": "PMID:1466516", "title": "Arterial-venous difference in atrial natriuretic peptide concentration during exercise in horses.", "content": "Six nontrained mares were subjected to steady-state, submaximal treadmill exercise to examine the effect of exercise on the plasma concentration of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) in arterial, compared with mixed venous, blood. Horses ran on a treadmill up a 6 degree grade for 20 minutes at a speed calculated to require a power equivalent to 80% of maximal oxygen uptake (VO2MAX). Arterial and mixed venous blood samples were collected simultaneously from the carotid and pulmonary arteries of horses at rest and at 10 and 20 minutes of exercise. Plasma was stored at -80 C and was later thawed; ANP was extracted, and its concentration was determined by radioimmunoassay. Exercise caused significant (P < 0.05) increases in arterial and venous plasma ANP concentrations. Mean +/- SEM arterial ANP concentration increased from 25.2 +/- 4.4 pg/ml at rest to 52.7 +/- 5.2 pg/ml at 10 minutes of exercise and 62.5 +/- 5.2 pg/ml at 20 minutes of exercise. Mean venous ANP concentration increased from 24.8 +/- 4.3 pg/ml at rest to 67.2 +/- 14.5 pg/ml at 10 minutes of exercise and 65.3 +/- 13.5 pg/ml at 20 minutes of exercise. Significant differences were not evident between arterial or mixed venous ANP concentration at rest or during exercise, indicating that ANP either is not metabolized in the lungs or is released from the left atrium at a rate matching that of pulmonary metabolism."}
{"id": "PMID:1466517", "title": "Cardiopulmonary effects of etomidate in hypovolemic dogs.", "content": "Cardiopulmonary effects of etomidate administration were studied in hypovolemic dogs. Baseline cardiopulmonary data were recorded from conscious dogs after instrumentation. Hypovolemia was induced by withdrawal of blood from dogs until mean arterial pressure of 60 mm of Hg was achieved. Blood pressure was maintained at 60 mm of Hg for 1 hour, by further removal or replacement of blood. One milligram of etomidate/kg of body weight was then administered IV to 7 dogs, and the cardiopulmonary effects were measured 3, 15, 30, and 60 minutes later. After blood withdrawal and prior to etomidate administration, heart rate, arterial oxygen tension, and oxygen utilization ratio increased. Compared with baseline values, the following variables were decreased: mean arterial pressure, mean pulmonary arterial pressure, central venous pressure, pulmonary wedge pressure, cardiac index, oxygen delivery, mixed venous oxygen tension, mixed venous oxygen content, and arterial carbon dioxide tension. Three minutes after etomidate administration, central venous pressure, mixed venous and arterial carbon dioxide tension, and venous admixture increased, and heart rate, arterial and venous pH, and arterial oxygen tension decreased, compared with values measured immediately prior to etomidate administration. Fifteen minutes after etomidate injection, arterial pH and heart rate remained decreased. At 30 minutes, only heart rate was decreased, and at 60 minutes, mean arterial pressure was increased, compared with values measured before etomidate administration. Results of this study indicate that etomidate induces minimal changes in cardiopulmonary function when administered to hypovolemic dogs."}
{"id": "PMID:1466518", "title": "Anatomy of the prepubic tendon in the horse, cow, sheep, goat, and dog.", "content": "Analyses of the fibers in the prepubic tendon of the horse and ruminants have shown that it is composed of the crossed and uncrossed tendons of origin of the pectineus muscles, the pelvic tendons of the rectus and obliquus abdominis muscles, and the tendons of origin of the cranial parts of the gracilis muscles. Pelvic attachments of the linea alba and the yellow abdominal tunic are incorporated in it. It is not a transverse ligament, and it is not homologous to the human superior (cranial) pubic ligament. The dog differs in 4 respects: (1) the pectineus tendons do not cross, but each originates from the pubic bone of the same side; (2) an iliopubic cartilage is intercalated in the prepubic tendon on each side at the junction of the pectineus tendon and the abdominal and pelvic tendons of the external oblique at the caudal angle of the superficial inguinal ring; (3) in some dogs, the caudal border of the aponeurosis of the transversus abdominis joins the prepubic tendon; (4) the gracilis tendon does not extend to the prepubic tendon. The clinical anatomy was described, illustrated, and compared between species. Conflicting descriptions in the literature were discussed and resolved by new approaches to the dissection. Studies of the inguinal region in the cat and pig were reviewed. A table of nomenclature is included."}
{"id": "PMID:1466519", "title": "Estrogen and progesterone receptor status of mammary carcinomas and correlation with clinical outcome in dogs.", "content": "Estrogen and progesterone receptors (ER, PR) were measured in cytosol fractions from 18 primary canine mammary carcinomas by use of biochemical assays. One or both receptors were detected (> 10 fmol/mg of cytosol protein) in 11 tumors: 5 ER and PR; 2 ER only; 4 PR only. Mean cytoplasmic receptor concentrations (fmol/mg of cytosol protein) were 22.8 +/- 2.9 (SEM) for ER and 51.0 +/- 10.3 for PR in tumors containing ER and PR, 28.8 +/- 12.1 for ER in tumors containing only ER and 13.2 +/- 1.5 for PR in tumors containing only PR. Estrogen or progesterone receptors or both were identified in 6 of 9 tubular adenocarcinomas, 4 of 5 papillary adenocarcinomas, and 1 of 1 squamous cell carcinoma. These receptors were not identified in solid carcinomas (n = 2) or a single spindle cell carcinoma. Although the number of cases was limited, survival times of dogs tended to be longest in those with tumors containing ER alone or in combination with PR, intermediate in those with tumors containing only PR, and shortest in those with tumors without ER or PR. A correlation was not apparent between receptor status and age, presence of ovaries, tumor size, or histologic classification of the tumor. In the analysis of this series, the extent of surgery (mastectomy of the involved gland vs unilateral or bilateral mastectomy) did not appear to influence the outcome of the disease, and metastasis to regional lymph nodes did not appear to be a reliable prognostic indicator."}
{"id": "PMID:1466520", "title": "Safety of ceftiofur sodium administered intramuscularly in horses.", "content": "Ceftiofur sodium, a broad-spectrum cephalosporin antibiotic, was evaluated for safe use in horses. Male or female horses were allotted to groups and were given either saline solution (control), or 2.2, 6.6, or 11 mg of an aqueous solution of ceftiofur sodium/kg of body weight/d, IM, for 30 or 31 days. These dosages are expressed in terms of the ceftiofur free acid, and represent 1 to 5 times the proposed therapeutic dosage (2.2 mg/kg/d) administered for 3 times the maximal recommended duration of 10 days. Some of the horses were euthanatized and necropsied on day 31 or 32. The other horses were evaluated for an additional 30 days, and some were euthanatized and necropsied on day 60. The following types of data were collected: clinical observation; physical examination; pelleted food consumption; body weight; hematologic, serum biochemical, and urinalysis findings; organ weight; gross necropsy observations; and histopathologic findings. Ceftiofur sodium was generally well tolerated at the exaggerated doses and treatment durations used in these safety studies. Slight to mild decrease in pelleted food consumption was detected in horses given 6.6 or 11 mg of ceftiofur sodium/kg/d. Decreased food consumption began on day 2 and lasted for approximately 9 to 12 days. Generally, mild skeletal muscle irritation was detected by gross and microscopic examination of the injection sites of horses given ceftiofur sodium. Prevalence and severity of the muscle irritation tended to increase with increasing concentration of the dosing solution.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1466521", "title": "The biomechanical efficacy of an oscillating K-wire driver.", "content": "A new oscillating drill, designed for insertional ease and safety, was biomechanically tested using an MTS 812 servohydraulic material testing machine (Instrom). Holding strength and drilling force were compared against a traditional rotary drill using rabbit tibias to approximate the diameter and cortical thickness of human metacarpals. Three differently sized (0.028-, 0.045-, and 0.062-in. diameter) K-wires were evaluated for each drill. Mean peak axial load (drilling force) was significantly different for each wire driver type in each of the three sized K-wires (p < or = 0.01). The oscillating drill used an average of 3 N less force to penetrate either cortex. Mean peak pull-out force (holding strength) was higher for the oscillating drill, but the difference was not significant (p > or = 0.5). This study indicated that the oscillating drill required less force for insertion and had a similar holding strength as the rotary drill. In addition, our drill has been shown to be less damaging to surrounding soft tissues. This new type of drill is likely to be advantageous in the fields of hand, microsurgery, orthopedic, and plastic surgery, where bone fixation is often near vital neurovascular structures."}
{"id": "PMID:1466522", "title": "The epigastric fat transfer: an alternative free flap model in the rat.", "content": "A free epigastric fat flap, a modification of the well-known cutaneous groin flap, is described in the rat. Vascular perfusion was successfully restored when transferred to the neck of the rat in 75% of the rats that underwent surgery, as assessed by multiple postoperative stripping tests and select microangiography. This flap offers the advantages of familiar anatomy, ease of postoperative care without risk of flap trauma, and a challenge to microsurgical technique development for successful flap transfer execution. Therefore, this free flap provides an additional animal model for use in microsurgical training as well as a research tool in fat transplantation physiology."}
{"id": "PMID:1466523", "title": "Hair removal by a depilatory does not affect survival in rodent experimental flaps.", "content": "The current study looked at the effect of topically applied hair depilatory agent Nair on flap survival. In a 10 x 3-cm dorsal rat flap model, there were no statistically significant differences in survival noted on postoperative day 7 between control skin and flaps receiving 6 to 24 minutes of Nair preoperatively. Therefore, hair depilation by Nair can be used safely in this model."}
{"id": "PMID:1466524", "title": "Eminectomy for the treatment of chronic subluxation and recurrent dislocation of the temporomandibular joint and a new method of patient evaluation.", "content": "We have performed this technique bilaterally on 39 patients with chronic subluxation and 13 patients with recurrent dislocation since 1985 and have had good results with patient satisfaction. These patients had significantly higher articular eminences than normal control individuals. Also, we have used echography as a new application of an old technique, to evaluate the patients objectively in the preoperative and postoperative periods."}
{"id": "PMID:1466525", "title": "Polyurethane-covered mammary implants: a 12-year experience.", "content": "Polyurethane-covered mammary implants are the implants of choice in aesthetic and reconstructive mammary surgery. These implants give very good results in regard to breast contour and consistency, and have a very low complication rate. We present our 12-year experience using polyurethane-covered prostheses. We place the implant mostly in the subglandular or subcutaneous site, and their capsular contracture rate is extremely low (3.3%). Based on our experience, we also review the other complications and side effects occurring with polyurethane prostheses and discuss them in detail."}
{"id": "PMID:1466526", "title": "Laser deepithelialization of the transverse rectus abdominis musculocutaneous flap.", "content": "Total or partial skin deepithelialization of the transverse rectus abdominis musculocutaneous (TRAM) flap is an integral component of this technique for achieving a successful breast reconstruction. In a manner similar to dermabrasion, the carbon dioxide laser in a defocused mode permits precise removal by vaporization of the epidermis and outer dermis. The extended application of this method for deepithelializing the TRAM flap is simple, rapid, and safe. Because a portion of the dermis always remains intact, another inherent advantage of this method is preservation of the subdermal vascular plexus that may be important for maintaining any precarious flap perfusion."}
{"id": "PMID:1466527", "title": "Continuous intraarterial infusion of prostaglandin E1 and heparin to extend and improve the survival of pedicled musculocutaneous flaps through unusual routes: a clinical preliminary report.", "content": "Sixteen pedicled musculocutaneous flaps (pectoralis major, 3; latissimus dorsi, 4; and transverse rectus abdominis musculocutaneous [TRAM], 9) received continuous intraarterial infusion of prostaglandin E1 (5 micrograms/k of flap per day) and heparin (100 to 200 U/cannula per day) for 14 days postoperatively to extend the flap or improve survival in a high-risk patient. Therapy was successful in 15 patients. To preserve the main arterial inflow to the flap, the infusion was administered via the lateral thoracic artery in the pectoralis major and a branch to the serratus anterior muscle in latissimus dorsi flaps in retrograde fashion, respectively, and was via both the ipsilateral deep epigastric artery and the contralateral superficial epigastric artery in TRAM flaps. This technique permits the use of a pedicled flap in some patients who would otherwise require a free flap."}
{"id": "PMID:1466528", "title": "Reconstruction of the chest wall with e-PTFE following major resection.", "content": "Nine patients underwent major chest wall resection at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital (Philadelphia, PA) over a 19-month period. Chest wall reconstruction was performed with an expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (e-PTFE) soft tissue patch (Gore-Tex) and vascularized flaps in all patients. The size of the skeletal defects ranged in area from 60 to 400 cm2. The primary indications for resection included chest wall sarcoma and radiation ulcer. Aggressive chest wall resection may be a patient's only opportunity for cure and an improved quality of life. In this series, chest wall resection was able to be performed with a low morbidity and no mortality. This study also demonstrates many of the advantages of e-PTFE as a chest wall substitute compared with other previously described prosthetic materials. The use of a Gore-Tex patch along with described flaps for soft tissue coverage provides good functional and aesthetic results."}
{"id": "PMID:1466529", "title": "Electrical nerve stimulation improves healing of diabetic ulcers.", "content": "A controlled study of the effects of electrical nerve stimulation (ENS) was performed in conjunction with a standard treatment for healing chronic diabetic ulcers on 64 patients divided randomly into two groups. All patients received standard treatment (paste-impregnated bandage and a self-adhesive elastic bandage) plus placebo ENS or ENS (alternating constant current; frequency, 80 Hz; pulse width, 1 msec; intensity-evoking strong paresthesias) for 20 minutes twice daily for 12 weeks. Comparison of percentages of healed ulcer area and the number of healed ulcers was made after 2, 4, 6, 8, and 12 weeks. There were significant differences (p < 0.05) in both ulcer area and healed ulcers in the ENS group compared with the placebo group after 12 weeks of treatment. The results of the present study support the use of ENS in diabetic ulcers. ENS is easy to apply and can be used by the patient at home following instructions from a medical doctor or a therapist experienced in electrical stimulation and the treatment of ulcers. Additional studies are needed to identify the mechanisms involved in the promotion of ulcer healing with electrical stimulation and to determine the stimulus variables that most efficaciously accelerate tissue repair."}
{"id": "PMID:1466530", "title": "Pedicle scapular apophysis transplantation in congenital limb malformations.", "content": "Congenital segmental amputations are difficult to correct. Free interposition bone grafts with growth centers were tried experimentally by many investigators even at the beginning of this century. Attempts at clinical application of this principle, however, were mostly failures. More recently, with the advent of microsurgical techniques, new hope has arisen. In particular, toe transfers in children have confirmed the survival of such growth centers, as these transfers could be found to grow normally [1]. The transfer of vascularized epiphysis with its growth plate has been shown in animal limbs to achieve a rate of growth comparable with the normal site. Originally, two donor sites were used with acceptable results in children. These were the superior epiphysis of the fibula and the iliac crest. So far, in most clinical applications, they have been used as appositional transfers. However, a growth problem occurring at the donor site has proved to be quite crippling."}
{"id": "PMID:1466531", "title": "Costs and complications in mandibular reconstruction.", "content": "Because of increasing concerns about the high cost of complex medical care, we compared the combined cost of ablation and reconstruction incurred using five different management strategies for patients undergoing mandibular resection. We also compared the rates of complication and failure for the methods used. The records of 69 patients undergoing segmental or total mandibulectomy between January 1, 1986, and June 30, 1990, were reviewed. Of these, 15 had reconstruction with soft tissue only (average cost, $36,137; complication rate, 33%), whereas 20 had immediate reconstruction with vascularized bone (average cost, $46,894; complication rate, 50%), and 15 had reconstruction with only a metal plate (average cost, $47,678; complication rate, 73%). Nine patients had plate reconstructions initially but subsequently underwent reconstructions with bone (average cost, $54,346; complication rate, 78%), whereas 10 patients had no initial reconstruction but subsequently underwent delayed reconstruction with bone (average cost, $52,486; complication rate, 70%). If reconstruction was performed with bone, immediate reconstruction was more cost effective than delayed reconstruction and had a lower complication rate as well."}
{"id": "PMID:1466532", "title": "Midfacial fractures in the pediatric population.", "content": "Fractures to the midface in the pediatric age group are rare because the mandible and cranium provide protection and absorb most of the traumatic impact. In addition, these midfacial bones are extremely elastic. When caring for midfacial fractures, standard reconstructive procedures directed toward restoration of form and function must be met. Unfortunately, diagnosis of facial fractures may be difficult because it is very dependent on the site and severity of injury as well as the child's age. Fracture management is similar to that seen in adults with the major exception related to the developing dentition, which requires adjustments in the securing of intermaxillary fixation. Children will usually recover quickly and, fortunately, complications remain rare. It is important for clinicians to closely evaluate these patients for other associated injuries. Unfortunately, due to the small numbers and poor long-term follow-up, definitive conclusions are often difficult to obtain."}
{"id": "PMID:1466533", "title": "Mucosal malignant melanoma of the paranasal sinuses.", "content": "We report a case of primary malignant melanoma arising in the mucosa of the nose and paranasal sinuses. Clinical presentation and course of this rare type of melanoma are described, and the surgical management is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1466534", "title": "Intrathoracic application of the transverse rectus abdominis musculocutaneous flap.", "content": "The use of extrathoracic muscles for intrathoracic transposition of healthy tissues for correction of intrathoracic pathology has many precedents. The lower transverse rectus abdominis musculocutaneous flap as elevated in a manner identical to that more commonly used for breast reconstruction may also serve that role especially for basilar thoracic defects if more traditional muscle flap options are unavailable. A unique case of intrathoracic transfer of a lower transverse rectus abdominis musculocutaneous flap for obliteration of a chronic empyema cavity is presented."}
{"id": "PMID:1466535", "title": "Tissue expansion in a patient with extensive nevus comedonicus.", "content": "Nevus comedonicus is a rare developmental abnormality of the pilosebaceous apparatus that presents as an aggregation of dilated follicular orifices filled with pigmented keratinous material. Occurrence of extensive or giant lesions is even more rare. Indications for treatment include recurrent infections and cosmetic reasons. Therapeutic approaches include topical keratolytic agents, manual extraction of comedones, dermabrasion, and excision of smaller lesions. Increasing clinical experience with tissue expansion has suggested that it might be used effectively in the definitive treatment of an extensive nevus comedonicus previously considered too large to excise without the use of a skin graft, despite the potential risk of infection within the lesion during the course of expansion. We report the first patient with giant nevus comedonicus to be treated using tissue expansion. This patient demonstrates that prompt treatment of cellulitis and abscesses within the lesion will keep this process isolated from the adjacent expanders and will not compromise a planned excision and reconstruction."}
{"id": "PMID:1466536", "title": "Penicillamine-induced pseudoxanthoma elasticum-like skin changes requiring rhytidectomy.", "content": "A 42-year-old woman with pronounced skin laxity of her neck underwent a rhytidectomy and was found to have pseudoxanthoma elasticum-like changes of her skin. Her medical history was significant for Wilson's disease, requiring that she take penicillamine for 26 years. In patients on long-term penicillamine therapy, 20% to 33% will develop a dermatopathy. The drug has been used to alter scar formation in various surgical conditions. Penicillamine is known to alter cross-linking of elastin and collagen fibers. A review of the literature reveals other penicillamine-related dermatopathies that may present to the surgeon."}
{"id": "PMID:1466537", "title": "Utility of the inferior gluteal vessels in free flap coverage of sacral wounds.", "content": "An improved technique for gaining access to the inferior gluteal vessels is presented. This method allows rapid isolation of these vessels, preservation of greater pedicle length, and improved access for the performance of microsurgery. The innervation and function of the gluteus maximus is also preserved. We believe the use of this technique makes the inferior gluteal vessels the receptor vessels of choice for microsurgical procedures in the sacral area. An illustrative patient is presented in whom these vessels were used for a combined serratus anterior-latissimus dorsi free muscle flap for sacral wound coverage."}
{"id": "PMID:1466538", "title": "Nonorthopedic use of the fracture table.", "content": "Use of the fracture table for patient positioning instead of the standard operating room table is advantageous in many nonorthopedic surgical situations. Benefits include circumferential accessibility of bilateral lower extremities, permitting two or more surgical teams to work simultaneously on different anatomical sites. Burns and multiple acute and chronic leg wounds are particularly suitable for this technique."}
{"id": "PMID:1466543", "title": "The transverse gracilis musculocutaneous flap.", "content": "Through detailed anatomical study and latex injection of 24 cadaver legs, the blood supply to the skin overlying the gracilis muscle was examined. The proximal pedicle entered the gracilis muscle 10 +/- 2 cm below the pubic tubercle. The dissections identified both septocutaneous and musculocutaneous perforators from the proximal gracilis pedicle. These branches had a pronounced tendency to travel in a transverse direction, supplying the cutaneous territory over the adductor longus and sartorius anteriorly and extending for > 5 cm beyond the posterior margin of the gracilis muscle. This information led to a \"new\" transverse design of the gracilis musculocutaneous flap, such that the vascular perforators are invariably included in the cutaneous portion of the flap. In contrast, the traditional design, because of skin mobility, may allow elevation outside the skin territory of the muscle perforators."}
{"id": "PMID:1466544", "title": "The occipital artery flap for transfer of hair-bearing tissue.", "content": "The posterior scalp is investigated as the donor site for the transfer of hair-bearing tissue based on the occipital artery. The dissection of fresh cadavers was performed and the occipital artery was noted to have three major branches including a vertical, transverse, and descending branch. The vessel connection across the midline allowed transfer of the posterior scalp to the desired recipient site. This vessel provides the possibility of transfer of large areas of hair-bearing tissue to a single stage. The variability of flap design is described as well as the technical considerations for a successful transfer."}
{"id": "PMID:1466545", "title": "The composite lateral arm free flap: vascular relationship to triceps tendon and muscle.", "content": "We studied the vascular relationship of the lateral arm flap to triceps tendon and muscle in 16 dissected cadaver arms. We designed composite lateral arm free flaps containing fasciocutaneous components, triceps muscle, and/or triceps tendon. Vascular communication between the lateral arm fascia and triceps tendon was negligible. In contrast, a mean of 3.6 vessels passed through triceps muscle from the posterior radial collateral artery to the harvested triceps tendon; in each dissection at least 1 vessel entered the proximal 5 cm and 1 vessel entered the distal 5 cm of harvested tendon. Methylene blue injections confirmed that perfusion of the triceps tendon was through triceps muscle and not through lateral arm fascia. We used the composite lateral arm free flap in 6 patients, 3 with triceps muscle and 3 with triceps tendon. Baltimore Therapeutic Evaluation testing in those patients where triceps tendon was harvested showed no deficit in elbow extension. Complete coverage of composite defects was achieved with a single surgical procedure in all patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1466546", "title": "Characteristics of prosthetic mesh and autogenous fascia in abdominal wall reconstruction after prolonged implantation.", "content": "This study evaluated two types of prosthetic mesh and autogenous fascia in long-term abdominal wall reconstruction for rats. Marlex mesh, Gore-Tex patch, and autogenous fascia were implanted and left in place for 1 year. Materials were removed and evaluated using tensile strength of the material, tensile strength of the suture line, and adhesions. No change in the tensile strength of any of the materials were found at 1 year follow-up. Tensile strengths were significantly greater for Gore-Tex patch and Marlex mesh than the autogenous fascia. The Marlex mesh, however, had a weak and a strong tensile strength direction. These were significantly different (p < 0.05). Suture line tensile strength was greater for autogenous fascia and Marlex mesh than it was for the Gore-Tex patch, which was significantly weaker (p < 0.05). The greatest number of adhesions were seen in the Marlex mesh group. No significant difference was present in adhesions between Gore-Tex patch and autogenous fascia. In summary, autogenous fascia showed virtually no adhesions and good suture line strength. While it was the weakest of the three materials examined, the strength was still within the normal range and adequate for abdominal wall reconstruction."}
{"id": "PMID:1466547", "title": "Coverage of widely separate defects of the lower extremity: application of cluster analysis.", "content": "A patient with lower extremity reconstruction is presented with a radial forearm free flap designed using the cluster analysis method of cutaneous perforators. The cutaneous vascular anatomy of fasciocutaneous flaps is discussed as well as the application of the mathematical model of analysis of the vascular territories within specific flaps to assist in \"custom\" flap design. The ultimate goal of this technique is the creation of flaps that provide a more precise and anatomical reconstruction of the proposed defect."}
{"id": "PMID:1466548", "title": "The medial arm flap.", "content": "The reports of transfer of the medial arm flap have been inconsistent, and confusion remains about its anatomy and use. In 40 fresh cadaver arms, the vascular supply to the medial side of the arm was studied after latex injection. The superior ulnar collateral artery was present in 39 of 40 dissections and was the most consistent prominent blood supply to this area. In 57.5% of dissections, direct cutaneous arteries > 1.0 mm were present, and in 47.5%, multiple muscular cutaneous arteries > 1.0 mm were present. Although the blood supply to the medial arm flap is multiple, at least one pedicle > 1.0 mm can be found in all dissections. To date, 10 consecutive medial arm flaps were used to cover upper and lower extremity defects without any flap loss. With knowledge of the anatomical variations, the medial arm flap is a plausible reconstructive option."}
{"id": "PMID:1466549", "title": "The versatile metacarpal and reverse metacarpal artery flaps in hand surgery.", "content": "Vascular anatomy of dorsal metacarpal arteries was investigated in fresh cadaver dissections and by injection of methylene blue. Origin and termination of the vessels were studied, as well as their connection to the palmar vasculature. Vascular territories and elevation of flaps based on these vessels are also discussed. The second dorsal metacarpal artery was found to be the most consistent. This vessel has a large distal connection to the palmar vessels which allows both proximal and reverse elevation. Representative cases and surgical technique are described."}
{"id": "PMID:1466550", "title": "Psychological adjustment following work-related hand injury: 18-month follow-up.", "content": "Severe, work-related hand injuries are often accompanied by a significant number of psychological symptoms that are frequently associated with posttraumatic stress disorders. These symptoms occur in the following four domains of psychological functioning: cognitive, affective, physiological, and behavioral. This study examined the incidence of a variety of symptoms occurring with work-injured patients. Interviews were conducted at 1 week, 3 months, 6 months, 12 months, and 18 months after injury. Symptom frequencies were recorded. The results indicate that many of these symptoms were persistent 18 months later and continued to be significantly debilitating. The results support the need for psychological intervention after severe, work-related hand injuries."}
{"id": "PMID:1466551", "title": "Creating a hyperbaric oxygen treatment unit in a major medical center: a personal experience.", "content": "Hyperbaric oxygen therapy has regained the interest of physicians and surgeons, including plastic surgeons, after some years of disinterest and suspicion on the part of many. Under the leadership of the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society, the rationale for hyperbaric oxygen treatment has been subjected to rigorous review. Interest in hyperbaric oxygen therapy on the part of plastic surgeons is largely related to its adjunctive use in the management of compromised tissue. When the decision is made to install a hyperbaric unit in a hospital, the next most critical decisions will be the choice of a medical director who has whole-hearted enthusiasm for the project, the choice of a monoplace or multiplace chamber, a suitable site for the unit, ancillary equipment to support the unit, and staffing that is appropriate to the uses conceived for the unit. Pitfalls and problems are described."}
{"id": "PMID:1466552", "title": "Comprehensive correction of the craniofacial deformity in achondroplastic dwarfism.", "content": "The treatment of this patient serves to demonstrate a craniofacial team approach to a unique and moderately severe problem. By the modification and careful combination of standard techniques, i.e., frontofacial advancement, and Le Fort I and vertical mandibular osteotomy, a good correction has been obtained. Analysis of the problem clearly indicated the need for moving multiple components of the facial skeleton into new positions to provide correction. The upper and lower midface required simultaneous movements in exactly opposite directions to normalize the skeletal deformity. To address the excess forehead height and projection, a modification of the usual frontofacial advancement was necessary. Rotation of the frontofacial segment forward inferiorly allowed correction of the orbital deficiency while also allowing shortening of the vertical forehead dimension. This is a deviation from the straight linear advancement usually dissected. Simultaneous retroposition and rotation of the maxilla allowed correction of the plane of occlusion while lengthening the midface. The unique combination and application of standard techniques of craniofacial surgery in this patient allowed a very good result."}
{"id": "PMID:1466553", "title": "Tire explosion injuries to the upper extremity.", "content": "Several articles have been published that bring attention to the destructive potential of tire explosions. Although the severity of tire explosion injuries to the head and neck region is well established, only one previous article has reported injuries to the upper extremity. Fourteen patients with upper extremity tire explosion injuries have been treated by us from 1980 to 1988. Each injury was caused by single-piece wheel assemblies, as opposed to multipiece wheel assemblies, which have traditionally been associated with the injury. Three representative patient reports are discussed. Prevention of this injury can be achieved by increased public awareness, formal industrial safety training, tire servicing with dedicated equipment including restraining devices or barriers, complete evaluation of wheel/tire serviceability before tire mounting, separation of servicing of single and multipiece wheels, and complete tire deflation before servicing."}
{"id": "PMID:1466554", "title": "Self-inflicted midline facial gunshot wounds: the case for a combined craniofacial and microvascular team approach.", "content": "Self-inflicted gunshot wounds to the face are extremely complex and difficult to manage. In the past, these patients have been treated by debridement, hemostasis, and soft tissue closure with reconstruction deferred to a later time. This approach consigned the patient to significant facial contracture and scarring, which is impossible to adequately correct secondarily. As a result of this traditional approach, patients had substantial disfigurement as well as dysfunction. At the Medical College of Wisconsin, we have begun an aggressive multispecialty team approach in which the maximum possible reconstruction is performed acutely. This has resulted in superior aesthetic and functional results, and in a substantially lower number of hospitalizations, surgical procedures, and hospital days. This approach includes the spectrum of current plastic surgical techniques including the craniofacial approach using open reduction with accurate miniplate reconstruction and acute bone grafting as well as soft tissue reconstruction and replacement using composite multiple-stacked free tissue transfer. We believe the overall approach provides a superior result and we will continue a program of aggressive and acute intervention."}
{"id": "PMID:1466555", "title": "Toxic shock syndrome following latissimus dorsi musculocutaneous flap breast reconstruction.", "content": "Acute toxic shock syndrome (TSS) not related to menstruation has comprised an increasing proportion of cases reported to the Center for Disease Control in recent years. We report a patient with TSS resulting from a postoperative donor site infection after bilateral breast reconstruction with latissimus dorsi musculocutaneous flaps. The diagnosis, management, and outcome of TSS are reviewed. The plastic surgeon should be aware of TSS as a potential postoperative complication of routine procedures in plastic surgery."}
{"id": "PMID:1466556", "title": "Expanded midline forehead flap for coverage of nonnasal facial defects.", "content": "A 13-month-old infant with a giant hairy nevus of the superior portion of the right cheek, which measured 3.5 x 5.5 cm, was treated by excision and coverage using expanded midline forehead flap. This approach stands in contrast both to the standard technique of excision and full-thickness grafting for large facial defects as well as to the use of the midline forehead flap for nonnasal reconstruction. Although this approach did necessitate the placement of a midline forehead scar, the overall result was sufficiently superior to justify its use. The child has good, stable, soft coverage with no contour or landmark distortion. The child is presented in an 18-month follow-up with photographic documentation."}
{"id": "PMID:1466557", "title": "Penile replantation after self-inflicted amputation.", "content": "In 4 men with self-inflicted penile amputation, replantation was successful using microsurgical technique. Postoperative complications were minimal. In 1 man who had amputated his penis and then amputated his scrotum and testicles, a small skin graft was necessary to close a portion of the defect. A mild urethral stricture that developed in this man responded to dilation. Return of sensation was excellent. Normal erections were reported by all men. Microsurgical replantation is the treatment of choice for this injury and is superior to other techniques of penile reattachment, which have a high incidence of distal necrosis, fistula and stricture formation, as well as incomplete or absent sensation and compromised erectile function. Of concern in this group of men is the high incidence of previous or subsequent penile mutilation. Two of the 4 men have a history of recurrent self-mutilation. The follow-up in this series is longer than previously reported and the overall psychiatric pathology appears to be quite severe and persistent."}
{"id": "PMID:1466558", "title": "Transfer of an inferior rectus abdominis myocutaneous flap following enterostomy.", "content": "A rectus abdominis myocutaneous flap was successfully transferred in a patient in whom a mucous fistula had previously been brought through the midportion of the muscle. The flap was used to close a large defect in a paraplegic. Previous enterostomy is not a contraindication to the use of this flap. Preoperative arteriography to confirm the presence of a patent deep inferior epigastric artery is recommended prior to flap transfer."}
{"id": "PMID:1466560", "title": "Lethal short limb dwarfism with dysmorphic face, omphalocele and severe ossification defect: Piepkorn syndrome or severe \"boomerang dysplasia\"?", "content": "The authors report a case of lethal neonatal dwarfism characterized by striking micromelia, fused rudimentary and supernumerary digits, large, soft head, pronounced hypertelorism, protruding eyes set laterally, enormous omphalocele and severe deficiency of tubular bone and spine ossification. Histologic examination showed lack of ossification of the cartilaginous anlage of many tubular bones. The cartilage had irregularly distributed chondrocytes. The matrix contained hypocellular and degenerated areas with scattered large chondrocytes. In a few bones a very disorganized growth cartilage was present. The case is similar to that described by Piepkorn et al. (1977) and may represent a severe form of \"boomerang dysplasia\" (Kozlowski et al., 1981; Tenconi et al., 1983; Kozlowski et al., 1985; Winship et al., 1990)."}
{"id": "PMID:1466561", "title": "Cytogenetic and molecular investigations of an abnormal Y chromosome: evidence for a pseudo-dicentric (Yq) isochromosome.", "content": "A derivative Y chromosome was found in a 55-year-old man with Lambert-Eaton paraneoplasic pseudomyastheniform disease. Small testicles, azoospermia were noticed and hormonal level values were as in the Klinefelter syndrome. A 45,X/46,XYp+ mosa\u00efcism was described on peripheral blood lymphocytes. Cytogenetic investigations with R-G-C- and Q-banding have been performed. In situ hybridization with the GMGY 10 DNA probe showed two copies of proximal Yp sequences. Southern blot analyses were performed using the Y DNA probes 27a, 47z, 64a7, 50f2 disclosing specific Yp and Yq sequences from the pseudoautosomal boundary to the Yq proximal portion. The der(Y) has been defined as a dicentric isochromosome for the long arm with one active and one apparently suppressed centromere. The breakpoint leading to the der(Y), has been located in the pairing segment of the Y short arm (i.e. Yp11.32). So the der(Y) was interpreted as a psu dic(Y) (qter-->cen-->p11.32 ::p11.32-->qter). There was thus an almost complete duplication of the Y chromosome."}
{"id": "PMID:1466562", "title": "Molecular studies of a translocated (X;22) DiGeorge patient using somatic cell hybridization.", "content": "In order to better characterize the chromosomic rearrangement of an unbalanced 45XX t(X;22) (q28;q11) DiGeorge patient, a somatic hybrid clone segregating the translocated chromosome was constructed and investigated using X and 22 linked markers. Our study demonstrated that this de novo translocation was from paternal origin. The breakpoint was assigned between DXS296 and IDS loci at Xq28 and between D22S9 and BCRL2 at 22q11. This observation and published data allow to locate a \"critical region\" for DiGeorge syndrome between these two last loci on 22q11. Our hybrid clone may be a useful tool for mapping new probes arising in this region."}
{"id": "PMID:1466563", "title": "Interstitial deletion of the proximal region of the long arm of chromosome 18, del(18q12) a distinct clinical entity? A report of two new cases.", "content": "Two unrelated mentally retarded patients were found to have an interstitial deletion of 18q12. They were a 2-year-old, short, macrocephalic and autistic girl, and a 5-year-old boy. Six other liveborn patients with comparable deletion have been so far identified. The common findings are mild dysmorphic features (telecanthus, epicanthal folds, flaring eyebrows, small mouth with thin upper lip), hypotonia, behavioural disorders, mental retardation with speech delay and lack of major malformation."}
{"id": "PMID:1466564", "title": "Mapping of the Darier's disease gene by serogenetic markers: results in two large British kindreds.", "content": "The authors have carried out genetic linkage studies in 57 subjects from two large kindreds of Darier's disease, using a range of serological and biochemical polymorphisms of known chromosomal location. In these kindreds, about 7% of the genome has been excluded for close linkage to the Darier's disease gene. However, one family showed positive lod scores for linkage with the Duffy blood locus (1p13); lod scores were negative in the other family, but in the combined families the total score for this marker was still positive and does not completely exclude linkage."}
{"id": "PMID:1466565", "title": "A small one-band paracentric inversion inv (4) (p15.3p16.3).", "content": "A neonate with aniridia was found to have a one band paracentric inversion of the short arm of chromosome 4. This was initially difficult to interpret on high resolution banding. The inversion was present in three generations of the family."}
{"id": "PMID:1466566", "title": "An apparent balanced translocation [t(9;11)(p21.2;p14.2)] in a neonate with dysmorphic features.", "content": "The role of so called balanced translocations in human morphogenesis remains puzzling. An eleven month old hispanic female was referred for neurological evaluation. The major dysmorphic features include: epicanthal folds, flat nasal bridge, small mouth, micrognathia, low set ears and cleft-palate. The cytogenetic findings by multiple banding techniques revealed an apparent balanced translocation involving chromosomes 9p and 11p i.e. 46,XX,t(9;11)(p21.2;p14.2) which, according to the authors, has not been previously reported."}
{"id": "PMID:1466567", "title": "Distal deletion of the long arm of chromosome number 1 (q43-->qter) associated with severe mental retardation and a nonspecific dysmorphic syndrome.", "content": "A 6 8/12-year-old girl with severe mental retardation, multiple congenital malformations and a de novo distal deletion of the long arm of chromosome 1 [del 1 (q43-->qter)] is here described. A review of the reported patients does not allow to distinguish different phenotypes related to distal deletion 1q42 and/or 1q43."}
{"id": "PMID:1466569", "title": "Trisomy 18q: 46,XX,-10,+der(10) t(10;18) (p15;q12) pat: a case report.", "content": "A 2-month-old female with intrauterine and postnatal growth retardation, multiple congenital anomalies, absent right kidney, congenital heart disease was investigated. Her karyotype revealed, 46,XX,-10,+der(10), t(10;18) (p15;q12) pat. The child died at 2 months 2 weeks. This is the third case of trisomy 18q resulting from translocation of chromosome 10 and 18."}
{"id": "PMID:1466570", "title": "fra(1) (p11), fra(1) (q22) and r(1) (p11q22) in a retarded girl.", "content": "A mentally retarded girl with a 46,XX/47, XX+r(1) (p11q22q22p11)/47, XX+r(1) (p11q22) fra(1) (p31) fra(1) (p11) fra(1) (q22) karyotype who inherited the fragile sites from the normal mother was studied. The conicidence of fra(1) (p11) and fra(1) (q22) with the ring chromosome breakpoints strongly suggests a cause-effect relationship. This finding agrees with other reported associations between fragile sites and structural chromosome abnormalities and constitutes the fourth reported of a de novo structurally abnormal chromosome as a consequence of presumed in vivo fragile sites instability. Although risk figures for chromosome anomalies and cancer associated with fragile sites are lacking, carriers of fra (1) (p11) may have a higher risk for abnormalities of chromosome 1 in somatic and gonadal cells than the general population."}
{"id": "PMID:1466571", "title": "C-anaphases: a mitotic variant.", "content": "In order to assess the frequency of C-anaphases in colchicine-arrested lymphocyte cultures, the authors studied 100 patients classified in four groups: spontaneous abortion (n = 17), subfertility (n = 12), aneuploidy (n = 18) and miscellaneous (n = 53). At least 300 mitotic G-banded cells were scored by individual. In 12 individuals no C-anaphases were observed; in 87 individuals the range was 1-7 with a mode of 2 and a mean of 2.14; the remaining individual had 19 C-anaphases in 330 cells (5.7%). The statistical analysis did not show significant differences between the groups (p > 0.05). These data along with previous studies indicate that normally most individuals have < or = 3% of C-anaphases in habitual lymphocyte cultures. Moreover, there exists an autosomal dominant form in which individuals with the trait have > 5% of the cells with such mitotic configurations. We conclude that both the low frequency common and the high frequency familiar forms are mitotic variants without pathological significance."}
{"id": "PMID:1466574", "title": "[Laparoscopic ileal conduit].", "content": "The authors describe an experimental model for performing the Bricker procedure endoscopically. After placing the operating table in the Trendelenburg position, the trocars are inserted through the incisions at the level of the umbilicus, the right and left flanks and the hypogastrium. Both ureters are dissected free from the inferior pole of the kidney up to a short distance from the bladder, clamped and cut. The right flank incision is extended a few cms longitudinally and the right ureter and ileal loop are brought out through the incision. Once exteriorized, a segment of the ileum is separated and intestinal continuity reestablished. The right ureter is then attached to the distal end of the ileal segment. The other end of the loop is brought to the left flank and exteriorized together with the left ureter, as described above. Once the ureter has been attached, they are passed inside. The incisions are sutured and a stoma is created in the right flank. The authors recommend the application of this simple technique in the clinical setting."}
{"id": "PMID:1466575", "title": "[Conservative treatment of ureteral iatrogenesis of gynecologic origin].", "content": "Five patients with iatrogenic ureteral injuries are described herein. Two patients had a vesicoureteric fistula and the remaining three patients had obstructive uropathy secondary to ligation with resorbable material during hysterectomy for a benign uterine condition, which spontaneously resolved with conservative management. Classically, the approach of this type of lesion was interventional and careful patient selection afforded the possibility of definitive resolution. US, CT and modern endourological technology have facilitated temporary diversion via percutaneous nephrostomy (or surgery, if the foregoing is not possible) to protect renal function during the process of recanalization of the injured ureter. Furthermore, it permits radiological control of the course and functional assessment of the excretory tract."}
{"id": "PMID:1466576", "title": "[Flurbiprofen: therapeutic alternative in nephritic colic].", "content": "A double blind randomized study was conducted in 52 patients with renoureteric colic to compare the therapeutic efficacy of two analgesics given in a single intramuscular dose. Following the administration of 2 gm dipirone plus 20 mg hyoscine N-butylbromide (n = 26) or 150 mg flurbiprofen (n-26), the patients were assessed for pain intensity, relief and pain status for a period of one hour. Both treatments afforded a similar analgesic effect, with pain remitting in 76.9% of the cases. No significant differences were observed for the latency periods or degree of pain at 5, 10, 30 and 60 minutes following treatment. Additional analgesic therapy was required in 34.6% of the patients who received dipirone and 26.9% of the flurbiprofen group, the difference not being statistically significant. Overall both drugs were well tolerated and only local adverse effects were observed, pain being the most frequent."}
{"id": "PMID:1466577", "title": "[Carcinosarcoma of the prostate. Immunophenotype, morphologic course and clinico-pathologic differential diagnosis].", "content": "The observation of a patient with a malignant tumor of the prostate initially classified as adenocarcinoma with desmoplasia, reclassified as adenocarcinoma with a malignant spindle cell component of uncertain cell line following two large tumor recurrences over a period of 4 months, and subsequently as carcinosarcoma with heterologous mesenchymal areas has prompted us to review the 11 reported cases of prostatic carcinosarcoma and the diagnostic algorithm of the proliferative processes of the prostate with elongated cells in order to recognize (from the histological features and the inclusion and exclusion immunophenotypes) the pseudosarcomatous stromal reactions, fusicellular changes of the carcinoma, benign and malignant phyllodes tumors and carcinosarcoma."}
{"id": "PMID:1466578", "title": "[Renal angiomyolipoma: a cause of massive retroperitoneal hemorrhage].", "content": "Five patients were diagnosed as having angiomyolipoma. Evidence or signs of tuberous sclerosis were observed in no patient. In 2 patients the presenting symptoms was massive retroperitoneal hemorrhage which required emergency surgery. The kidney could be preserved in 4 cases. One underwent nephrectomy for synchronous clear cell renal tumor. CT and US afford a diagnostic accuracy of nearly 100 percent. According to the data reported in the literature, tumors larger than 4 cm are amenable to treatment by conservative surgery. Smaller tumors can be followed carefully. However, surgical exploration is warranted not only in patients with pain and hemorrhage, but also in those cases with complex lesions less than 4 cm."}
{"id": "PMID:1466579", "title": "[Test with vasoactive drugs: its predictive value in the diagnosis of erectile sexual dysfunction of venous origin].", "content": "The practicability and sensitivity of the test with vasoactive drugs, the first method performed in our flow studies, make it an invaluable method for orienting the diagnosis. Our findings show that in 65% of the patients with a partial response to the drug-induced erectile test, dysfunction may arise from pure or associated venous leakage, which must be confirmed by dynamic cavernosometry and/or cavernosography."}
{"id": "PMID:1466580", "title": "[Priapism induced by intracavernous injection].", "content": "We report 16 cases of priapism in 13 of 404 patients who received intracavernous injection of vasoactive drugs to induce erection. In 10 patients the complication presented following injection of papaverine and phentolamine in combination. Despite reducing the dose of both agents, one patient had another episode of priapism. One patient who had been receiving papaverine alone in increasing doses with no results, developed priapism after the first injection of the combined treatment modality and again after the dose of both drugs had been reduced. Three cases presented priapism after injection with papaverine alone. One presented the complication again after injection of a reduced dose. The patients were seen after a sustained erection of 20 hours maximum on 15 occasions and one patient was seen after a sustained erection of 36 hours."}
{"id": "PMID:1466581", "title": "[Basis for the study of erectile dysfunction with pudendal evoked potentials].", "content": "The evaluation of erectile dysfunction by popliteal and pudendal evoked potentials is not widely utilized in our country, although the foregoing has proved to be a useful technique in the evaluation of a possible neurological etiology. This study describes this simple, fast and low cost method of evaluation and reports the normal ranges. The study comprised 40 subjects; 15 were healthy volunteers and the remaining had consulted for impotence and referred antecedents suggesting a neurological etiology. The results show that a latency of 40.9 +/- 2.1 msec in P1 for the pudendal evoked potentials is normal. Concerning the popliteal evoked potentials, the normal latency for P1 is 38.07 +/- 2.8 msec."}
{"id": "PMID:1466582", "title": "[High-flow priapism: diagnostic-therapeutic management].", "content": "We report a case of traumatic priapism with an evolution of three weeks at the time of the diagnosis. The foregoing condition had been caused by an arteriocavernal fistula. Several arteriograms and selective embolization of the compromised area were required for treatment. The etiological, pathophysiological and therapeutic aspects are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1466583", "title": "[Leydig cell tumor].", "content": "We report on a 44-year-old patient with Leydig cell tumor of the testis that had been incidentally detected following orchidectomy for a tumor. The clinical, hormonal and histological criteria currently used to distinguish the malignant from the benign form of this tumor and the different therapeutical alternatives are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1466584", "title": "[Bladder sarcomatoid carcinoma: report of a case].", "content": "A case of sarcomatoid carcinoma of the bladder is described. Its interest basically stems from the fact that this extremely aggressive tumor is uncommon in the bladder and there is existing controversy as to its anatomopathological distinction from other carcinosarcomas, spindle cell sarcoma and pseudosarcomatous bladder lesions."}
{"id": "PMID:1466585", "title": "[Medico-surgical management of renal leiomyosarcoma].", "content": "Because renal leiomyosarcoma is extremely rare, the experience in the management of this tumor type is necessarily scant. Our surgical and chemotherapeutic approach in a 17-year-old male patient with renal leiomyosarcoma achieved partial remission of tumor recurrence and a survival of 31 months following diagnosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1466586", "title": "[2 new cases of ++urethral diverticuli in women].", "content": "The first two cases of diverticulum of the female urethra seen in our Service are described. The secretion of purulent material from the urethra on vaginal compression prompted us to suspect this condition, which could not be confirmed radiologically in one case and a urethroscopy procedure was required. The etiopathogenesis of this disease is briefly reviewed and the therapeutic possibilities depending on the location of the urethral diverticulum are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1466587", "title": "[Focal urinary Salmonella infection].", "content": "A case of focal Salmonella sp. urinary infection in an elderly diabetic patient is described herein. The therapeutic approach in this uncommon type of infection is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1466588", "title": "[Vulvar metastasis in renal adenocarcinoma].", "content": "We report an additional case of vulvar metastasis as the presenting symptom of renal adenocarcinoma. The hypothesis that have been put forward relative to the route of spread of this type of metastasis are discussed and the literature reviewed."}
{"id": "PMID:1466590", "title": "When and how to treat caliceal stones.", "content": "Currently, there are no guidelines for the selection of patients for caliceal stone removal, although there is no doubt that urologists are taking a more aggressive approach now that treatments with low morbidity are available. We discuss when and how to treat patients with symptomatic and asymptomatic caliceal stones."}
{"id": "PMID:1466591", "title": "Invasive bladder cancer in women.", "content": "A total of 84 radical cystectomies were performed for invasive bladder cancer in 67 men (79.8%) and 17 women (20.2%). The present study investigated the possible sex-dependent differences in the pattern of invasive bladder cancer. More than 40% of the women presented lower urinary tract syndrome alone or with haematuria, giving a clinical picture similar to acute cystitis. This caused an average time-lag in diagnosis of 18.5 months in the women and 8 months in the men. There was a higher frequency of non-transitional cell carcinoma in the women (17.6%) than in the men (2.9%). We found statistically significant differences (p < 0.005) in tumor grade: 35.2% of the women had low grade tumors, compared to 7.4% of the men. However, no significant differences in staging or survival rate were found when comparing the two sexes. This leads us to believe that bladder cancer is less aggressive in women."}
{"id": "PMID:1466594", "title": "Measurement of cold challenge responses in primary Raynaud's phenomenon and Raynaud's phenomenon associated with systemic sclerosis.", "content": "Using computed thermography continuous temperature recordings were made before and after cold challenge of the fingers of control subjects and patients with primary Raynaud's phenomenon and Raynaud's phenomenon associated with systemic sclerosis. Basal skin temperature measurements (Tpre) were significantly lower in patients with primary Raynaud's phenomenon and Raynaud's phenomenon associated with systemic sclerosis than in the controls. Temperatures immediately after cold challenge (T0) were significantly lower in patients with primary Raynaud's phenomenon and Raynaud's phenomenon associated with systemic sclerosis than in controls. The lag phase before the start of temperature recovery (Tlag) was significantly greater in patients with primary Raynaud's phenomenon and Raynaud's phenomenon associated with systemic sclerosis than in control subjects. The maximum recovery index (R%) was significantly less in patients with primary Raynaud's phenomenon and Raynaud's phenomenon associated with systemic sclerosis than in controls. The maximum rate of change of temperature during the rapid phase of rewarming (Gmax) was significantly greater in controls than in patients with primary Raynaud's phenomenon and Raynaud's phenomenon associated with systemic sclerosis. Discriminant analysis showed that the dynamic parameters of rewarming (Tlag, Gmax, and R%) showed greater variation between the patients with primary Raynaud's phenomenon and those with Raynaud's phenomenon associated with systemic sclerosis than did Tpre or T0. This method of analysis of cold challenge will be used in studies of the effects of treatment of Raynaud's phenomenon."}
{"id": "PMID:1466595", "title": "Systemic lupus erythematosus on the Caribbean island of Cura\u00e7ao: an epidemiological investigation.", "content": "To determine the incidence, prevalence, and outcome of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in a well delineated black population in the Caribbean basin data were collected on the disease course of all patients with definite SLE seen during a 10 year period (1980-9) using three different sources of information (hospital records, private practice records, and death certificates). Ninety four patients were identified giving an average annual incidence rate of 4.6/100,000 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.4 to 8.8), which showed little variation during the study period. Twenty five patients (27%) died during the study period, giving a point prevalence of 47/100,000 (CI 34.1 to 51.1) in 1990. In women aged 15-44 years the annual incidence (12/100,000; CI 5.3 to 18.9) was highest, whereas in women aged 44-65 years the 1990 point prevalence rate (one in 526; CI 469 to 625) was highest. Annual mortality was 1.7/100,000 (CI -0.8 to 4.2) with a female to male ratio of 5.3. Renal disease was the most common complication, occurring in 73 (78%) patients. Thus the transatlantic movement from an area with a (presumably) low prevalence of SLE (Central Africa) has been accompanied by an increase in the prevalence of SLE in the black population of Cura\u00e7ao, indicating that environmental factors may prevail over genetic factors in the expression of this disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1466596", "title": "Comparison of two approaches to measuring change in health status in rheumatoid arthritis: the Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) and modified HAQ.", "content": "As an alternative to the calculation of change scores for health status questionnaires used in clinical trials or longitudinal studies, transitional questions have been developed for patients to assess changes directly themselves. Here the original Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) is compared with a modified version of the HAQ (MHAQ) which contains transition questions used at follow up. These, together with a set of standard rheumatological tests, were all completed by 100 patients with rheumatoid arthritis on two occasions, three months apart. Change scores were calculated for the HAQ and for the clinical measures and compared with the MHAQ. The results were strikingly in favour of encouraging patients to assess their own degree of change through the use of transition questions in the MHAQ."}
{"id": "PMID:1466597", "title": "Specificity of the proteus antibody response in rheumatoid arthritis.", "content": "Antibodies to proteus were determined by indirect immunofluorescence in 146 serum samples from patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). An autoantibody screen was performed in the same samples and in 52 of these antibody titres to the viruses influenza A, adenovirus, rubella, and parvovirus were determined. There was no significant correlation between proteus antibodies and any of the other antibodies tested. Dividing the samples into those from patients with active (C reactive protein > 10 mg/l) and inactive RA showed that the only antibodies to be significantly increased in active RA were the proteus antibodies. These observations suggest that the proteus antibody response in RA is specific."}
{"id": "PMID:1466598", "title": "Aetiological role of bacteria associated with reactive arthritis in pauciarticular juvenile chronic arthritis.", "content": "The cause of juvenile chronic arthritis (JCA) is unknown. Pauciarticular JCA is the most common subtype and can be subdivided into early (type I) and late onset (type II) forms, the latter clinically resembling reactive arthritis. The cellular immune responses to bacteria associated with reactive arthritis in blood and synovial fluid from 39 children with pauciarticular JCA, three children with classical reactive arthritis, and two children with psoriatic arthritis were examined. Specific titres of antibodies to bacteria in serum samples were measured in all patients. A bacteria specific synovial cellular immune response was found in two of three (67%) patients with reactive arthritis and 14 of 28 (50%) patients with pauciarticular JCA type II but only in one of 11 (9%) patients with pauciarticular JCA type I and none in patients with psoriatic arthritis. Six patients responded specifically to Chlamydia trachomatis and 11 to Yersinia enterocolitica. Antigen specific lymphocyte proliferation correlated poorly with the specific antibody response. These findings suggest that bacteria with associated reactive arthritis may have a causative role in pauciarticular JCA type II but not in JCA type I."}
{"id": "PMID:1466600", "title": "Effect of intravenous iron-dextran (Imferon) infusion on antigen induced monarticular arthritis in rabbits.", "content": "The effect of intravenously infused iron-dextran (Imferon) on the progression of antigen induced monarticular arthritis in rabbits was studied. A rapid deposition of iron and apoferritin in the synovia of arthritis joints occurred after infusion of iron-dextran during either the acute or chronic phases of the disease. This coincided with the appearance of catalytic (bleomycin reactive) iron in the synovial fluid. There was no evidence, however, for an exacerbation of the antigen induced arthritis as a result of the iron-dextran, and synovial and bleomycin reactive iron concentrations decreased with time after administration, indicating a redistribution of the synovial iron load. Thus although intravenously infused iron-dextran appears to 'prime' the rabbit arthritic joint transiently with the potential for iron stimulated oxygen free radical damage, other factors may determine its occurrence."}
{"id": "PMID:1466599", "title": "Increased concentrations of nitrite in synovial fluid and serum samples suggest increased nitric oxide synthesis in rheumatic diseases.", "content": "Cytokines induce nitric oxide synthesis by endothelial cells, macrophages and polymorphonuclear leucocytes, indicating a role for nitric oxide in inflammatory processes. Nitric oxide production was therefore measured indirectly as nitrite in serum and synovial fluid samples from patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and osteoarthritis (OA) together with serum samples from healthy volunteers matched for age and sex. Serum nitrite concentrations in patients with RA and OA were significantly higher than in controls. In both disease groups synovial fluid nitrite was significantly higher than serum nitrite, implying nitric oxide synthesis by the synovium. Serum and synovial fluid nitrite concentrations in RA were also significantly higher than those in OA. These data show increased nitric oxide production in RA and OA and suggest a role for nitric oxide as an inflammatory mediator in rheumatic diseases."}
{"id": "PMID:1466601", "title": "P blood group phenotype, proteus antibody titres, and rheumatoid arthritis.", "content": "The interrelationships between P blood group phenotype, proteus antibodies and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) were investigated in 140 patients with RA and 114 of their siblings who did not have RA. In the group with RA P2 subjects had significantly higher titres of proteus antibodies than P1 patients. This was not observed in the group without RA, or for antibodies to Escherichia coli. Although C reactive protein was the best predictor of proteus antibodies in the group with RA, the P blood group had an independent and significant influence. These observations suggest a testable model in which asymptomatic carriage of proteus in the urinary tract may lead to antibody production, which in turn may be important in the pathogenesis of RA."}
{"id": "PMID:1466602", "title": "Sequence similarity between HLA-DR1 and DR4 subtypes associated with rheumatoid arthritis and proteus/serratia membrane haemolysins.", "content": "Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is found more often in subjects carrying the HLA-DR1 antigen and some subtypes of the HLA-DR4 antigen than in those without these antigens. Analysis of probes specific for HLA-DR4 has shown that amino acids encoding positions 69-74 (EQRRAA) of the beta chain indicates susceptibility to RA. A hexamer sequence of proteus haemolysin spanning residues 32-37 (ESRRAL) has been identified which resembles biochemically, and discriminates by charge, between HLA types associated with RA (DR1, Dw4, Dw14, Dw15), and those not linked with the disease (Dw10, Dw13)."}
{"id": "PMID:1466603", "title": "Antibody response against 26 and 46 kilodalton released proteins of yersinia in yersinia triggered reactive arthritis.", "content": "Using an inhibition enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) the serum antibody responses against released proteins of yersinia of molecular weights 26 and 46 kilodaltons were studied in 37 patients with and in 21 patients without reactive arthritis following yersinia infection. Although no difference was seen for the 46 kilodalton released protein, patients with yersinia triggered reactive arthritis had higher levels of antibodies against the 26 kilodalton released protein at the beginning of the disease than patients with uncomplicated yersiniosis. This may indicate an increased production of this protein in the early infection leading to poorer phagocytosis of the bacteria and thereby to the persistence of yersinia organisms within the arthritic host."}
{"id": "PMID:1466604", "title": "Does the locus on chromosome 11 implicated in susceptibility to HLA-DR4 dependent type I diabetes mellitus also affect susceptibility to rheumatoid arthritis?", "content": "There is a polygenic component to rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in addition to the known association with HLA-DR4. It has previously been shown in another autoimmune disease (type I diabetes mellitus) that a gene on chromosome 11p can act with HLA-DR4 to enhance susceptibility (relative risk 5-6). It is therefore possible that this locus may also affect the development of RA. Genotype frequencies at this locus, defined by a dimorphic Fok 1 restriction site, were compared in 139 healthy controls and 213 patients with classical/definite RA. In contrast with diabetes there was no increase in genotypes lacking the Fok 1 site, either in the rheumatoid group overall (125/211 compared with 86/139 controls) or in the DR4 positive rheumatoid group (76/140 compared with controls). These results indicate that the interaction between DR4 and a locus on chromosome 11p is not common to all DR4 associated autoimmune diseases."}
{"id": "PMID:1466605", "title": "Use of a risk factor and dietary calcium questionnaire in predicting bone density and subsequent bone loss at the menopause.", "content": "One hundred and thirty six healthy white females within 30 months of their last menstrual period (mean age 52 years) were examined to determine the usefulness of a risk factor questionnaire in predicting bone density and subsequent loss. Bone density was assessed at baseline and at 12 monthly intervals. None of the proposed risk factor variables with the exception of nulliparity correlated with the baseline spinal or femoral bone density. As a predictor of bone loss only drinking alcohol (more than four units/day) was significant. A risk factor score derived from the questionnaire before its administration did not correlate with baseline bone density or subsequent bone loss. In most normal women questioned soon after a natural menopause, an estimate of bone density and subsequent bone loss and hence osteoporotic risk cannot be reliably made using a simple risk factor questionnaire."}
{"id": "PMID:1466614", "title": "Recent results of elective open cholecystectomy in a North American and a European center. Comparison of complications and risk factors.", "content": "Results of elective open cholecystectomy in 1252 patients treated in a North American and a European center were examined using a recent standardized classification of complications. Although there were significant differences between centers in population age, rate of concomitant disorders, and numbers of operators, the frequency and severity of complications were comparable. There were no deaths, but 12% and 14% of the patients developed complications in the two centers. About 6% of the patients developed grade I complications. Grade II complications were noted in 6% and 8%, and grade III in 0% and 0.3%. Using univariate and multivariate analysis, individual risk factors for developing complications were found to be different in the two centers. Two preoperative scoring systems, ASA and a simplified APACHE II, were predictive for complications in both centers, but did not account for all risk in these patients. Data from the two centers could not be combined because of significant interaction between risk factors and center. Elective open cholecystectomy is a safe procedure, particularly in terms of highly morbid complications and death. Generalization of risk factors identified in a particular center may be misleading because local conditions may significantly affect risk factors for complications. The data also demonstrate the advantages of a uniform way of reporting surgical complications, which may permit meaningful comparisons among centers."}
{"id": "PMID:1466615", "title": "Intraoperative detection of colorectal cancer with radioimmunoguided surgery and CC49, a second-generation monoclonal antibody.", "content": "Radioimmunoguided surgery (RIGS) has been employed intraoperatively in cases of colorectal cancer to assess the extent of local tumor spread and metastatic disease. This technique uses radiolabeled monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) directed against tumor-associated antigens, and a hand-held gamma-detection probe to detect the radiolabel fixed to tumor tissue. Recently introduced is an MAb directed against tumor-associated glycoprotein (anti-TAG), CC49. Sixty patients were entered into the initial study. Eighteen of 21 (86%) primary tumors were localized by the CC49 MAb and the gamma-detecting probe. Twenty-nine of 30 (97%) recurrent tumors were localized. Antibody dose did not affect localization. Specimens were divided into tissue types I through IV, based on antibody localization and hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining: type I, RIGS (-) and histologically (-); type II, RIGS (-) and histologically (+); type III, RIGS (+) and histologically (-); type IV, RIGS (+) and histologically (+). Type IV tissue were further classified by whether they were grossly apparent, IVa, or grossly inapparent, IVb (occult). Occult tumor found by RIGS and confirmed by H&E staining (type IV) had localization ratios similar to RIGS-positive, histology-negative tissue (type III). Traditionally found cancer (type IV) had significantly higher ratios. In 12 of 24 patients (50%) with primary tumors and 14 of 30 patients (47%) with recurrent tumors, RIGS with CC49 altered the planned operative procedure. Radioimmunoguided surgery with CC49 provides useful, immediate intraoperative information not available by other techniques."}
{"id": "PMID:1466616", "title": "The association of perioperative blood transfusion with colorectal cancer recurrence.", "content": "The relationship between blood transfusion, disease-free survival, and other potential prognostic factors was prospectively studied in 339 consecutive patients with colorectal cancer. Admission and discharge hematocrit, Dukes' stage, and blood loss were significantly related to both blood transfusion and disease-free survival. Using Cox proportional hazards model, however, the association of transfusion with disease-free survival was significant (p = 0.0196) after controlling for age, sex, blood loss, procedure, tumor differentiation, stage, admission hematocrit, duration of surgery, length of the specimen, and tumor size. Dukes' stage (p < 0.0001) and blood transfusion (p < 0.0001) were the only variables independently related to disease-free survival. Forty per cent (44) of the 110 patients who received transfusions developed cancer recurrence, compared with 22% (50) of the 229 patients who did not receive blood (p < 0.0001). Five-year disease-free survival of the transfused patients was 57%, compared with 77% for nontransfused patients. Patients who developed recurrence received an average of twice as much blood as patients without recurrence (1.26 versus 0.61 units, p = 0.0128). Perioperative blood transfusion is a significant independent prognostic factor for colorectal cancer."}
{"id": "PMID:1466617", "title": "Undergraduate surgical education for the twenty-first century.", "content": "This article addresses the problems associated with current undergraduate surgical education and discusses the requirements necessary for its improvement during the third and fourth years of medical school. It asserts that, coincident with the emphasis on faculty research and publication and expanded resident patient care duties, teaching, particularly medical student teaching, has assumed a very low priority. Third-year medical students are attached to surgical teams, where their education is haphazard and disorganized. Furthermore, because any teaching that occurs is teacher oriented rather than student centered, knowledge is accumulated passively and is not well retained. Traditional evaluation using shelf multiple choice examinations and ward ratings by residents and faculty may provide inaccurate assessments of the students' performance. The undergraduate surgical education program should be directed by a faculty member who has been grounded in educational techniques and research and supported by a department chairman committed to bettering the program. In the clerkship, medical students should be assigned to faculty rather than to services and should be presented problems that require solution. Students also should be provided with the resources to solve the problems and should be given sufficient time to solve them. Some operating room experience and bedside teaching should occur during the clerkship. A variety of evaluation and testing methods based on the learning objectives of the clerkship should be used. Third-year students should not be promoted until they have demonstrated their acquisition of appropriate knowledge and skills.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1466618", "title": "Effects of recombinant human growth hormone in patients with severe sepsis.", "content": "The objective of this study was to evaluate the safety and the effect of recombinant exogenous growth hormone (GH) on nitrogen production in patients with severe sepsis. It was designed as a prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled trial, and performed in the medical intensive care unit of a university hospital. Twenty patients admitted with septic shock and receiving standard parenteral nutrition served as subjects. Treatment consisted of GH 0.1 mg/kg/day or placebo administered as continuous intravenous infusion on the second, third, and fourth days after admission. The study period was eight days. During GH administration, nitrogen production decreased significantly in the GH group and increased in controls (p < 0.01). Nitrogen balance became slightly positive in the GH group during treatment: 1.2 +/- 6.4 versus controls -3.7 +/- 3.8 g/day (day 3) (p < 0.05). Within 24 hours after cessation of treatment, differences between GH and controls disappeared. 3-Methylhistidine excretion as a measure of absolute muscle breakdown declined during the study period, but did not differ between groups. The levels of insulin, insulinlike growth factor 1, glycerol, free fatty acids, and beta-hydroxybutyrate increased during treatment. Despite continuous intravenous administration, GH levels gradually declined during the 3 treatment days, indicating increased metabolic clearance. Side effects other than insulin resistance were not observed. Growth hormone administration reduces nitrogen production and improves nitrogen balance in patients with severe sepsis. These effects are not sustained after cessation of treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1466619", "title": "Pancreatic exocrine and endocrine function after operations for chronic pancreatitis.", "content": "Exocrine and endocrine function of the pancreas was assessed in the early postoperative period (< or = 2 months) and subsequently (mean, 25 months; range, 3 to 120) in 103 patients (69 men, 34 women; mean age, 42.4 +/- 11.6 years) undergoing operation for chronic pancreatitis. Alcohol was the main causative agent (69%) and pain the most frequent indication (87%) for operation. Drainage procedures (n = 23) did not alter pancreatic function either initially or on long-term follow-up. In the early postoperative period, distal pancreatectomy (n = 42) often impaired endocrine function without affecting exocrine function; seven patients (17%) became diabetic, and results of oral glucose tolerance test showed deterioration in 23 of 28 patients (82%, p < 0.05). On subsequent follow-up, 11 patients developed exocrine failure (p < 0.01) and 10 patients endocrine (p < 0.01) failure. Proximal pancreatectomy (n = 38) precipitated clinical exocrine failure in 14 patients (37%, p < 0.01), yet pancreolauryl tests in 18 patients showed little objective change in exocrine status (0.50 > p > 0.10). Endocrine function was initially spared after proximal pancreatectomy, but six additional patients (16%, p < 0.05) required treatment for diabetes at a mean of 19 months (range, 3 to 34). Deterioration in pancreatic function is thus not an invariable immediate consequence of pancreatic drainage procedures or partial pancreatectomy for chronic pancreatitis. Progression of disease must account, in part, for failure of both exocrine and endocrine function on long-term follow-up. Drainage operations appear to delay this progressive decline in pancreatic function."}
{"id": "PMID:1466620", "title": "Conversion of exocrine secretions from bladder to enteric drainage in recipients of whole pancreaticoduodenal transplants.", "content": "Between September 1984 and August 1991, 265 whole pancreaticoduodenal transplants were done at our institution, with bladder drainage of exocrine secretions through a duodenocystostomy. Seventeen patients subsequently underwent conversion from bladder to enteric drainage at 2 to 64 months after transplant. Eight conversion procedures were done to correct chronic intractable metabolic acidosis due to bicarbonate loss from the allograft: seven to alleviate severe dysuria, presumed secondary to the action of graft enzymes on uroepithelium; one to prevent recurrent allograft pancreatitis, presumed secondary to back pressure from the bladder; and one because of graft duodenectomy for severe cytomegalovirus duodenitis with perforation. None were done to correct technical complications from the initial transplant operation. The conversions were done by dividing the graft duodenocystostomy, then re-establishing drainage through a graft duodenal-recipient jejunal anastomosis. A simple loop of recipient jejunum was used for the duodenojejunostomy in 15 cases, and a Roux limb in two. One of those two cases had a previously created Roux limb that was available for use. The other was in the patient who underwent graft duodenectomy and subsequent mucosa-to-mucosa anastomosis of the pancreatic duct to a newly created Roux limb of jejunum. All patients experienced relief of their symptoms after operation. Two patients had surgical complications (12%), an enterotomy in one case, which was closed operatively, and an enterocutaneous fistula in the other case, which healed spontaneously with bowel rest and parenteral nutrition. The drawback to conversion is loss of urine amylase as a marker for rejection, particularly in recipients of solitary pancreas grafts (n = 5). In recipients of simultaneous pancreas-kidney (SPK) allografts (n = 12), the kidney can still be used to monitor for rejection (two with follow-up < 1 year, 10 with follow-up > 1 year). None of our solitary pancreas recipients, however, have lost graft function (follow-up, 10 to 36 months). The only pancreas allograft loss was in an SPK recipient who also rejected the kidney 6 months after conversion. She received a second SPK transplant with enteric drainage, and is insulin independent and normoglycemic 10 months after retransplantation. Patients converted for metabolic acidosis tended to have impaired renal function (mean creatinine, 2.14 +/- 0.98 mg/dL at time of conversion) due to chronic rejection, progression of native kidney diabetic nephropathy, or cyclosporine toxicity, and possibly could not compensate for bicarbonate loss from the pancreas allograft.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1466621", "title": "Enucleation of giant hemangiomas of the liver. Technical and pathologic aspects of a neglected procedure.", "content": "Cavernous hemangiomas are the most common benign tumors of the liver. Giant cavernous hemangiomas, defined as those larger than 4 cm in diameter, can reach enormous proportions. Newer imaging modalities, although often demonstrating characteristic features that strongly suggest the diagnosis, should not be augmented by biopsy because of the risk of hemorrhage. Elective surgical resection may be indicated for symptomatic giant lesions and for those with an atypical appearance where the diagnosis is in doubt. Between October 1986 and May 1991, we treated 10 patients with giant hemangiomas by enucleation or enucleation plus resection. Median operative blood loss was 800 mL (range, 200 to 3000 mL). One patient required reoperation for control of postoperative hemorrhage. Detailed pathologic examination has demonstrated an interface between hemangiomas and the normal liver tissue that allows enucleation. Enucleation is an underused procedure that if carefully performed allows resection of giant hemangiomas with a reduced blood loss and the preservation of virtually all normal hepatic parenchyma."}
{"id": "PMID:1466622", "title": "Collagen types I and III propeptides as markers of healing in chronic leg ulcers. A noninvasive method for the determination of procollagen propeptides in wound fluid--influence of growth hormone.", "content": "A noninvasive method allowing measurements of the propeptides of collagen type III (PIIINP) and type I (PICP) in ulcer washings was developed. The response to topical human growth hormone was examined. Fourteen patients with venous ulcers were treated sequentially with human growth hormone (0.1, 0.25, and 1 IU/cm2/day), each dose for 1 week, followed by 1 week washout. On alternate days, three and two times during treatment and washout periods, respectively, the ulcers were washed and incubated for 30 minutes with sterile water. No changes in healing rates in relation to growth hormone application were observed. In contrast, PIIINP increased significantly to 168% (154% to 184%) (mean, 95% confidence interval) and 195% (179% to 218%) 5 and 9 days, respectively, after start of treatment, (p < 0.01). Propeptides of collagen type I reached a significant increase, to 196% (172% to 232%), in the fourth week, (p < 0.01). The areas under the curves of PICP and PIIINP correlated significantly with the healing rates (r = 0.57, p = 0.04; and r = 0.64, p = 0.01, respectively). The authors conclude that propeptide measurements may be useful markers of healing in clinical studies."}
{"id": "PMID:1466623", "title": "Surgical aspects of subungual malignant melanomas. The Scottish Melanoma Group.", "content": "The incidence, treatment, and survival of subungual malignant melanomas in Scotland is reviewed from the Scottish Melanoma Group database. Between 1979 and 1989, 100 cases of subungual melanoma were identified (2.8% of all malignant melanomas in Scotland). The tumors tended to be locally advanced at the time of presentation (mean Breslow depth, 4.7 mm +/- 3.0 mm), and this is reflected in an overall 5-year survival of 41%. There was no difference in the survival of patients treated with local/proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joint amputation compared with those having more proximal amputations. Because nearly 70% of these tumors arose on the thumb or hallux, it is concluded that, provided adequate clearance could be obtained, less radical excision should be performed for these lesions to maintain maximum function."}
{"id": "PMID:1466624", "title": "Management of groin hernias in patients with ascites.", "content": "The records of 18 cirrhotic patients with ascites and groin hernias (20 inguinal and one femoral) were retrospectively reviewed. Eleven patients underwent repair of their groin hernias (total of 13 repairs). Ten herniorrhaphies were performed electively, two were performed urgently because of recent difficult reduction, and one was performed emergently for incarceration without strangulation. No major and four minor postoperative complications occurred. There were no perioperative deaths or ascites leaks. Of the 13 hernias in 11 patients undergoing repair, 12 (92%) were available for follow-up. In this group, the 12 groin hernia repairs were followed for a mean of 25 months. One recurrence (8%) occurred 11 months after repair. In this same group of patients, five umbilical hernias were repaired, with three recurrences (60%). From this retrospective study, it appears that serious complications from groin hernias in cirrhotics are not common, and elective repair can usually await control of ascites. Additionally, for appropriately selected patients with ascites, elective inguinal hernia repair can be performed safely, with an acceptable rate of recurrence."}
{"id": "PMID:1466626", "title": "Laparoscopic colectomy.", "content": "Fifty-one laparoscopic colectomies were attempted at two institutions. The clinical results and methods are presented. Seven cases (14%) were converted to facilitated procedures, and four cases (8%) were converted to \"open.\" Cases of cancer, diverticulitis, endometriosis, regional enteritis, villous adenomas, and sessile polyps were operated. Right, transverse, left, low anterior, and abdominoperineal colectomies were performed. Colotomies and wedge resections were also performed. Laparoscopic suturing was required in five cases of incomplete anastomosis by circular stapler (18%). Suturing was required in all right, transverse colectomies and colotomies. Operative time averaged 2.3 hours. Hospitalization averaged 4.6 days. Four patients had complications (8%), and one 95-year-old died of pneumonia (2%). Laparoscopic colectomies can be performed safely, but require two-handed laparoscopic coordination, as well as suturing and knot-tying skills."}
{"id": "PMID:1466627", "title": "Synthesis of biologically active [2.2]paracyclophanes.", "content": "Claisen reaction of 4-acetyl[2.2]paracyclophane (1) with ethyl acetate and diethyl oxalate affords 4-acetoacetyl[2.2]paracyclophane (2) and ethyl (4-oxaloacetyl[2.2]paracyclophane) (6), respectively. Reaction of 2 and 6 with hydrazines and CuCl2 gave the pyrazole derivatives 4 and 8 in addition to the metal complexes 5 and 9. Mannich reaction of 2 with benzylamine and paraformaldehyde yielded the piperidinone derivative 3. The biological activity of all new compounds was tested."}
{"id": "PMID:1466628", "title": "Psychological and ergonomic aspects of work with video display terminals.", "content": "Forty-nine operators of video display terminals were administered a questionnaire on subjective complaints in connection with work conditions. Measurements of non-ionizing and ionizing radiation emissions during normal operation of video display terminals showed them to be within permissible levels. A detailed ergonomic analysis of equipment and workstations was also performed. Results showed a high occurrence of subjective complaints, significant differences between age subgroups in a few variables, and significant correlation between sets of variables of some perceived ergonomic features and subjective complaints."}
{"id": "PMID:1466629", "title": "[Interindividual differences in tolerance to shift work and characteristics of shift workers: relation between the quality and duration of sleep and certain worker characteristics].", "content": "The investigation aimed at examining the relationship between the quality and duration of sleep on the one hand and various shift workers' characteristics on the other, as well as establishing whether sleep characteristics were congruent with some other indices of night shift tolerance. A total of 604 rotating shift workers working in a fast rotating shift system were administered a battery of questionnaires. The results showed that sleep quality was related to their many characteristics, especially to neuroticism, rigidity of sleeping habits, flexibility of habits, and relaxedness. Actually, the shift workers' characteristics accounted for a notable percentage (48%) of interindividual differences in sleep quality. However, there were fewer traits related to sleep duration than to sleep quality so that only a small percentage of interindividual differences in sleep duration could be explained (12-30%). Sleep quality proved to be a good indicator of night shift tolerance. The results concerning sleep duration indicated only sleep duration on the afternoon shift and days off, as well as average sleep duration in the complete shift cycle, to be relatively good indices of night shift tolerance."}
{"id": "PMID:1466630", "title": "[Monitoring of respiratory function in hemp-processing workers].", "content": "In a follow-up study the prevalence of chronic respiratory symptoms and changes in ventilatory capacity were followed over a period of three years in 38 female and 28 male hemp workers in a textile industry. The prevalence of all respiratory symptoms was found to be increased. Significant acute reductions of ventilatory capacity were recorded during the work shift. The measured ventilatory capacity values were significantly decreased in comparison to predicted normal values. The mean annual decline of FVC (range: 0.014-0.065 L), FEV1 (range: 0.041-0.068 L), FEF50 (range: 0.020-0.220 L/s) and FEF25 (range: 0.030-0.140 L/s) was considerably greater than in healthy non-exposed subjects. The mean annual decline of all tests was considerably larger in workers with the symptoms of byssinosis than in those without such symptoms. Our data suggest that long-term exposure to hemp dust may cause the development of chronic respiratory symptoms and impairment of ventilatory capacity."}
{"id": "PMID:1466631", "title": "Contact allergy and psoriasis.", "content": "The study was conducted over a two-year period and included 48 psoriatic patients with palmar and plantar lesions and 61 psoriatic patients without palmar and plantar lesions who served as controls. The objective was to establish the incidence of contact sensitization and its importance as the causative factor in palmar and plantar psoriasis. The most frequent contact allergens were: nickel sulphate, mercapto mix, balsam of Peru, potassium dichromate, mercury mix and fragrance mix. Patch tests were positive in 41.7% psoriatics with palmar-plantar psoriasis and in only 6.6% of psoriatics without palmar-plantar involvement. The study showed an increased incidence of contact allergy in patients with palmar-plantar psoriasis."}
{"id": "PMID:1466632", "title": "Cervicobrachial syndrome--work and disability.", "content": "The subjects in the study were 114 persons receiving a disability pension or referred for disability assessment. They were placed in two groups of 57 persons each, one with marked cervicobrachial syndrome and the other without. The latter group was chosen by the method of equivalent pairs with regard to sex and age. All subjects underwent a clinical examination and a standardized questionnaire was completed. The questionnaire pertained to the state of health, focussing on the amount and type of physical burdening at the workplace and on activities outside the workplace. Sixty-five percent of the subjects were aged from 51 to 60 years. A statistically significant difference was established between earlier occupation and cervicobrachial syndrome. Cervicobrachial syndrome was found in 31.6% of unskilled workers and 12.3% of the controls (P < 0.05). A forced body posture during work was recorded in 74% of the subjects with the syndrome and in 50% of the control subjects (P < 0.05). Repetitive movements at work were reported by a large number of subjects with cervicobrachial syndrome (71.9:49.1%; P < 0.05) who also claimed to strain the arms (84.2:61.4%; P < 0.05) and burden the cervical spine (68.5:40.4%; P < 0.05) during household activities to a significantly greater extent than the controls. A possible preventive approach to the occurrence and progression of cervicobrachial syndrome is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1466633", "title": "[Evaluation of ventilatory function of the small airways].", "content": "The results of functional tests and the values of flow-volume and spirometric parameters were reevaluated in 1174 randomly selected patients with no evidence of heart disease. There were 533 patients with normal ventilation and 327 patients with no restrictive disorders. In the latter group 11% of the patients had normal FEV1 and lowered FEF50 and FEF75 values. In those patients obstructive changes would not have been found if expiratory flow rates had not been taken into account as one of the criteria for evaluating airway obstruction. In further 13% of the patients a mild airway obstruction would have been found had only FEV1 been evaluated without taking account of expiratory flow rates. It is concluded that expiratory flow rates along with anamnestic data and clinical status are important indicators of obstructive changes of ventilation, especially as they serve to identify functional disorders while these are still reversible and therapy can be useful."}
{"id": "PMID:1466634", "title": "[Early detection of the toxic effects of benzene on the hematopoietic system--the imperative of modern occupational medicine].", "content": "Surveillance of workers exposed to benzene calls for a complex approach. This includes the determination of benzene concentration in the working atmosphere, which, according to standards applied in Croatia, should not exceed 15 ppm. In the developed countries the allowable workplace level has been reduced to 1 ppm. The monitoring of benzene metabolites in the organism of exposed workers is also necessary. As an indicator of benzene exposure, the urinary phenol concentration determined before and after work in the middle of the week has been generally accepted in Croatia. An essential laboratory test is a complete blood count including red cell indices. Other haematological tests that might be valuable early indicators of benzene haematotoxicity need to be more fully evaluated. Alterations in any of these indicators are not pathognomonic and all findings should therefore be interpreted at the same time and with caution. Early detection of benzene haematotoxicity can be accomplished by continuous health monitoring of exposed workers through preplacement and periodic health examinations. This is in accordance with the principles of modern occupational medicine which requires identification of early changes and prevention of irreversible benzene induced toxic changes in the haematopoietic system."}
{"id": "PMID:1466635", "title": "[Work-related diseases].", "content": "The different causal factors of work and work environment which contribute to the development of work-related diseases are discussed. The diseases such as locomotor disorders, chronic non-specific respiratory diseases, arterial hypertension, disorders connected with psychosocial factors and the use of video display terminals are separately analysed. Special emphasis is placed on the importance of epidemiological and clinical approach in the prevention and control of work-related diseases with regard to the different causal factors. Criteria for diagnosis of work-related diseases are suggested to serve as basis for preparation of the List of work-related diseases."}
{"id": "PMID:1466636", "title": "Effect of tooth temperature on activities of slowly adapting periodontal mechanoreceptors in the cat.", "content": "The mass response of a nerve bundle and the unitary discharges from a functional single nerve fibre evoked by mechanical stimulation of the upper canine tooth were recorded from the superior alveolar nerves of 10 anaesthetized cats. When the pulpal cavity of the mechanically stimulated tooth was perfused with a 0.9% NaCl solution at temperatures from 10 to 45 degrees C, the mass response of the nerve bundle to that stimulation increased linearly with the rise in perfusate temperature (hereafter, tooth temperature). In the unitary discharge recordings, the activities of 30 (88%) of 34 slowly adapting periodontal mechanosensitive units were modulated by tooth temperature. The optimal temperature, at which the periodontal mechanoreceptor shows extreme excitation by mechanical tooth stimulation, was distributed widely from 10 to < or = 45 degrees C with a peak at < or = 45 degrees C. A shift in tooth temperature away from the optimal value caused a decrease in, or sometimes the disappearance of, the response. This decrease was the result of the decrease in the excitability of the periodontal mechanoreceptor; i.e. an increase in threshold stimulus intensity and a shortening of the adaptation time to sustained pressure applied to the tooth."}
{"id": "PMID:1466637", "title": "Histochemical characterization of masseter muscle fibres in a biopsy study of normal young women.", "content": "Muscle fibres from biopsies of the anterior part of the masseter muscle (pars superficialis) were histochemically characterized in 13 healthy female students. They were 21-28 yr old with a full complement of teeth, and normal facial and occlusal relations. Before surgery, normal masseter muscle function was demonstrated by bite-force measurements and recordings of electromyographic activity. After staining for myosin ATPase activity, the relative mean areas of muscle fibres were: type I 82.9%, type IM 9.5% and type II 8.3%. The intraindividual (18-155% of mean) and interindividual (0-216% of mean) variation of the fibre size was large. The type I fibres had the largest diameter (10-80 microns, mean: 39 microns), the type II fibres (6-47 microns, mean: 21 microns) and the IM fibres (8-54 microns, mean: 28 microns) the smallest. The biopsy technique and the histochemical characterization will be suitable for reference in women with functional changes or diseases of the masseter muscle."}
{"id": "PMID:1466638", "title": "Associations among different orofacial dysfunctions in 6-8 year olds.", "content": "Associations among several orofacial dysfunctions such as articulatory speech disorders, craniomandibular disorders (CMD) and problems in coordinating the orofacial muscles were examined in two groups of Finnish first-graders, i.e. children with and without speech disorders. In the whole sample of 287 subjects the mean age was 7.5 yr. A speech therapist diagnosed articulatory speech disorders and a phoniatrician examined the morphology and function of the articulators. Signs and symptoms of CMD, capacity for mandibular movement, and prevalence of occlusal interferences were examined by a dentist. Deviations in motor skills, but not in morphology of the articulators, were associated with speech disorders. The findings also suggested that capacity for mandibular movement, deviation of the jaw during maximal mouth opening and occlusal interferences were related to certain speech disorders among these 6-8 yr olds. Different orofacial dysfunctions appear to be associated with each other during growth."}
{"id": "PMID:1466639", "title": "pH responses to sucrose and the formation of pH gradients in thick 'artificial mouth' microcosm plaques.", "content": "Artificial microcosm plaques were grown in a five-plaque culture system for up to 6 weeks, reaching a maximum depth of several mm. Procedures for long-term pH measurement with glass electrodes were established; they showed that the application of 5 or 10% sucrose for 6 min with a slow continuous flow of a basal medium containing mucin (BMM) generated the pH changes characteristic of in vivo Stephan curves. These pH responses were reproducible between plaques. Plaque mass and thickness were critical variables. Successive, sucrose-induced pH curves in plaques up to 4 mm thickness showed minor reductions only in the amplitude and rates of pH change. In plaques over 4 mm thick there was a pronounced reduction in pH response to successive sucrose applications, indicating increased diffusion limitations--a result of plaque growth to seal in the freshly-inserted pH electrode. In plaques of 6 mm maximum thickness, 10% sucrose induced a decrease to below pH 5.5 lasting 24 h, compared to the pH response in 2 mm thick plaque, which returned to the resting pH in 2 h. Differences in pH of up to 0.9 units were identified in thick plaques between inner and outer layers. The BMM flow rate was a critical determinant of the amplitude of the pH response to sucrose and subsequent return to resting pH. These results confirm, for microcosm plaque, the importance of clearance dynamics and diffusion-limited gradients in regulating plaque pH."}
{"id": "PMID:1466640", "title": "A study in 47,XYY men of the expression of sex-chromosome anomalies in dental occlusion.", "content": "Occlusal traits were determined for 47,XYY men and compared with previous determinations of occlusal morphology in other sex-chromosome anomalies and in normal women and men. The 47,XYY men, like 47,XXY men, tended to have a mesial molar occlusion and a mandibular overjet more often than did other groups, while 45,X women (Turner patients) clearly had the highest frequency of distal occlusion and large overjet. The 47,XXY men had the highest frequency of most occlusal anomalies. As a whole, these and earlier findings suggest that the number of X or Y chromosomes is associated negatively with distal occlusion and lateral crossbite, whereas a positive association was found with mesial molar occlusion and scissors bite."}
{"id": "PMID:1466641", "title": "Fluoride uptake in hard tissues of fetal guinea pigs in response to various dose regimens.", "content": "This study was designed to explore various aspects of maternal-fetal fluoride metabolism. In its first phase, 57 female guinea pigs were bred and randomly assigned to a control group (I) or one of three experimental groups: (II) 3 parts/10(6) fluoride in drinking water, (III) a single daily oral dose and (IV) 3 parts/10(6) fluoride in water and a single daily oral fluoride dose. The total mean doses received by groups II and III were similar. The total mean dose received by group IV was approximately double that for groups II and III. Samples of maternal plasma, and fetal bone and enamel were collected on the 57th day of gestation. In its second phase, 53 pregnant guinea pigs were given drinking water containing 0, 2, 4, 6 or 8 parts/10(6) fluoride during gestation. On the 57th day of gestation samples of maternal and fetal enamel were collected. All samples in both phases of the study were assayed for fluoride using the microdiffusion, ion-selective electrode method. In the first part of the study, mean fetal enamel fluoride by group was: I, 21.6 parts/10(6); II, 38.6 parts/10(6); III, 33.5 parts/10(6); IV, 54.9 parts/10(6). In the second phase, maternal enamel was linearly related to the fluoride dose. The same was true for fetal enamel except at the 8 parts/10(6) fluoride level in the water where there was no increase over the 6 parts/10(6) group. At all dose levels, fetal enamel fluoride uptake was approximately an order of magnitude less than maternal enamel fluoride uptake.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1466642", "title": "Interleukin-1: the principal osteolytic cytokine produced by keratocysts.", "content": "Fragments of keratocysts removed at operation were maintained in explant culture and the media were assayed for the biological activity of the potent osteolytic cytokines--interleukin (IL)-1, interleukin (IL)-6 and tumour necrosis factor (TNF). Media were also assayed for their ability to stimulate bone resorption. All six cysts examined released IL-1 and IL-6 bioactivity but TNF bioactivity was unmeasurable. Dialysed cyst media stimulated bone resorption and this could be completely inhibited by a monospecific antibody which neutralized IL-1 alpha and IL-1 beta. Immunohistochemical staining of cryostat sections of keratocysts revealed the presence of IL-1 alpha and IL-6 in cyst epithelial cells but not in other cell types. Sections did not react with antibodies to IL-1 beta or TNF. It is therefore proposed that IL-1 alpha is the major osteolytic cytokine produced by keratocysts and that IL-6 and IL-1 may contribute to keratocyst growth by promoting epithelial cell proliferation and bone resorption, respectively."}
{"id": "PMID:1466643", "title": "The distribution of the antimicrobial protein, calprotectin, in normal oral keratinocytes.", "content": "Calprotectin is a heterodimeric peptide isolated from neutrophil cytosol that exhibits profound antimicrobial effects. Using monoclonal antibody MAC 387, calprotectin was found to be expressed in oral keratinocytes from normal, non-inflamed oral mucosa. Orthokeratinized sites including the attached gingiva and hard palate expressed low levels of calprotectin with a restricted pattern; immunoreactants were identified only within subcorneal keratinocytes. Parakeratinized mucosa from the lips, soft palate, tongue and buccal mucosa expressed calprotectin in a more widespread, yet variable pattern, immunoreactants being detectable in only a portion of the spinous layer in some cases whereas in others the pattern of expression was more topographically diffuse. Antigen was not detected in basilar and lower strata cells. Both cytoplasmic and nuclear decoration could be identified. The results indicate that oral mucosa harbours an antimicrobial deterrent to micro-organisms that may enhance the physical epithelial barrier of host defence."}
{"id": "PMID:1466644", "title": "The validity of the masseteric post-stimulus electromyographic complex: a twin study.", "content": "The twin model was used to assess the validity of an electromyographically recorded, masseter muscle reflex by measuring the sensitivity and specificity. Results were satisfying, implying that in future studies this reflex could be used to calculate heritability estimates between monozygotic and dizygotic twins."}
{"id": "PMID:1466645", "title": "Effects of lipid-lowering diets enriched with monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids on serum lipoprotein composition in patients with hyperlipoproteinaemia.", "content": "Controlled comparisons of the effects of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) as a part of lipid-lowering diets in persons with hyperlipoproteinaemia are sparse. The present study was carried out at a metabolic ward. Forty hyperlipidaemic patients (25 hypercholesterolaemic and 15 hypertriglyceridaemic) were given a 3-week diet rich in either MUFA (saturated fatty acids 7.3 energy% (E%), MUFA 14.6 E%, PUFA 4.8 E%) or PUFA (saturated fatty acids 7.8 E%, MUFA 8.4 E%, PUFA 10.4 E%), but otherwise with an identical composition. The mean serum cholesterol reduction on the MUFA diet was 12% (P < 0.001), with a low density lipoprotein cholesterol reduction of 11% (P < 0.001). The corresponding reductions on the PUFA diet were 15% (P < 0.001) and 16% (P < 0.001). The serum apolipoprotein B and A-I concentrations decreased highly significantly by 13% and 11% on the MUFA diet and by 14% and 11% on the PUFA diet. None of these changes differed between the two diets. Neither were there any differences between the diets regarding the effects on blood glucose, serum insulin and plasma fibrinogen, but there was a significant decrease in serum insulin with a significant reduction of the insulin/glucose ratio after the MUFA diet. The results of this study indicate that MUFA and PUFA are interchangeable within the given frames in lipid lowering diets even in patients with hyperlipidaemia."}
{"id": "PMID:1466646", "title": "Probucol reduces plasma and aortic wall oxysterol levels in cholesterol fed rabbits independently of its plasma cholesterol lowering effect.", "content": "To understand further the antiatherogenic mechanism of probucol, the antioxidant effect of this agent was studied on specific cholesterol oxidation products in plasma and aortic wall in equally hypercholesterolemic New Zealand white rabbits. In order to maintain equal plasma total cholesterol levels, five control rabbits (C group) received a 1% followed by a 0.5% cholesterol enriched diet, while the probucol treated rabbits (C+P group) received a graded increase in the cholesterol supplemented diet from 1% to 3%; probucol supplementation was constant at 1%. After 9 weeks of feeding, the plasma oxysterols, cholest-5-ene-3 beta,7 alpha-diol, cholest-5-ene-3 beta,7 beta-diol, 5,6 beta-epoxy-5 alpha-cholestan-3 beta-ol, 5,6 alpha-epoxy-5 alpha-cholestan-3 alpha-ol and 5 alpha-cholestane-3 beta,5,6 beta-triol significantly increased over baseline levels in both experimental groups. However, the increase in all these products in plasma was 20-60% less in the C+P group than the C group (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the C+P aortic wall cholesterol oxide concentrations were 50-90% less than the C group (P < 0.05). The oxysterol pattern of the aortic wall was similar to plasma. Additionally, the aortic wall cholesterol content in the C+P group was 50% less than the C group (P < 0.05). The plasma cholesterol levels were not significantly different at any time point during the study and the cholesterol oxide content in the diets was the same. These results are consistent with the contention that the antioxidant properties of probucol serve as the basis for its antiatherogenic effects in vivo."}
{"id": "PMID:1466647", "title": "Effect of a novel series of macrocyclic hypolipidemic agents on plasma lipid and lipoprotein levels of four non-primate species.", "content": "The ansamycins are structurally novel hypolipidemic agents derived from rifampicin, but lacking antibacterial activity. Oral or intravenous administration resulted in rapid lowering of plasma cholesterol in rats, hamsters, guinea pigs and dogs. In the chow-fed rat, three related compounds (CGP 43371, CGS 23810 and CGS 24565) exhibited ED50 values of 13.7, 3.1 and 0.18 mg/kg, respectively. A feature common to the lipid lowering documented in these four species was the concomitant reduction of low density lipoprotein (LDL) and high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. In the chow-fed rat, however, apolipoprotein AI (apo AI) levels were much less affected than were those of HDL cholesterol. CGP 43371 at 3 and 10 mg/kg, lowered HDL cholesterol by 20% and 39%, respectively, whereas plasma apo AI was reduced by only 1% and 12%. Similarly, in lipoprotein fractions separated by ultracentrifugation, apo AI was unchanged in the d = 1.019-1.21 g/ml fraction after treatment with 3 or 10 mg/kg of CGP 43371, but HDL cholesterol was reduced 12% and 26% in this fraction at the two dose levels. Plasma and lipoprotein apo B levels, on the other hand, were reduced to a level equivalent to that of the reduction in cholesterol. The ansamycins thus represent a new structural series which may possess a novel mechanism of action as well, involving differential effects on HDL cholesterol and protein."}
{"id": "PMID:1466648", "title": "The influence of dietary olive oil and margarine on aortic cholesterol accumulation in cholesterol-fed rabbits maintained at similar plasma cholesterol level.", "content": "The present study compares the atherogenicity of a standard diet and diets with 10% olive oil or 10% margarine added, in rabbits maintained at a mean plasma cholesterol level of about 20 mM for 13 weeks. Each group consisted of 15 animals. The distribution of cholesterol in plasma between VLDL, IDL, LDL and HDL was similar in the 3 groups. The thoracic aortic cholesterol accumulation was 16.6 +/- 1.6, 11.4 +/- 1.0 (P < 0.05) and 12.6 +/- 1.7 (P > 0.05) nmol/mg wet weight for the group receiving standard diet, diet with 10% olive oil added and diet with 10% margarine added, respectively. There was no significant difference between groups in the occurrence of the atherosclerotic changes in the proximal and distal parts of coronary arteries, abdominal aorta and renal arteries. The occurrence of atherosclerotic changes in the pulmonary arteries was equal in the groups receiving standard diet and diet with 10% margarine added while it was significantly lower (P < 0.05) in the group receiving diet with 10% olive oil added. The atherosclerotic changes at the aortic orifice of coronary arteries were quanticated morphometrically and were most severe in the group on the standard diet. The results indicate a comparable atherogenic effect of 10% olive oil or margarine addition to standard diet on development of atherosclerosis in rabbits maintained at a similar plasma cholesterol level. The study also suggests that supplementation of olive oil or margarine to standard rabbit diet leads to lower cholesterol accumulation in the thoracic aorta compared with standard diet, an effect not modulated by changes in plasma cholesterol concentrations."}
{"id": "PMID:1466649", "title": "Effect of vitamin E on acute iron load-potentiated aggregation, secretion, calcium uptake and thromboxane biosynthesis in rat platelets.", "content": "In the present study performed on rats, we investigated the influence of an in vivo acute iron load on several platelet parameters and their modification after vitamin E supplementation. Iron load was achieved by injecting iron dextran corresponding to 0.1 mg Fe3+ per kg in the gluteus muscles. Control rats were injected with an equal amount of a dextran solution. Analyses were performed 18 h after injection. By comparison with controls, in iron-injected animals, we found significant increases of: (1) serum total iron (by 110%); (2) aggregation of isolated platelets induced by low concentration of thrombin and ADP (by 350% and 120%, respectively); (3) thrombin-induced endogenous serotonin secretion (by 94%). We also studied the mobilization of radiolabeled arachidonate preincorporated into platelet phospholipids. The results indicated that the thrombin-stimulated release of arachidonate and formation of cyclooxygenase and lipoxygenase products (particularly thromboxane B2), were significantly increased. We also found in plasma an increase (by 67%) of malondialdehyde (MDA) as well as a decrease of vitamin E (by 60%). When vitamin E was injected the day before iron injection, platelet hyperactivity and thromboxane biosynthesis were reduced as well as the plasma MDA concentration. Consequently, given the key role of calcium flux in the activation processes in platelets, we also investigated the thrombin-induced Ca2+ uptake by means of radiocalcium. We found that in platelets from iron-treated rats the Ca2+ uptake amounted to 3670 +/- 201 pmol/10(9) platelets (plt) and was significantly different from controls (1680 +/- 192 pmol/10(9) plt, P < 0.001).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1466650", "title": "EDTA reduces liver cholesterol content in cholesterol-fed rabbits.", "content": "A study conducted in 1953 by one of the authors (H.S.M. Uhl) reported that orally administered ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA) both prevented the accumulation of cholesterol in the liver of cholesterol-fed rabbits and caused the removal of accumulated cholesterol from the liver. These observations were made in rabbits fed high concentrations of cholesterol and have never been confirmed in the literature. The purpose of the present study was to determine if this original observation could be confirmed using lower amounts of dietary cholesterol and more modern and comprehensive methods for analysis of tissue lipids and plasma lipoproteins. New Zealand White rabbits were fed diets containing 0.1% cholesterol with or without EDTA (3 g/day). After 16 weeks, significantly lower concentrations of hepatic cholesterol were found in rabbits fed EDTA (6.95 mg/g wet weight) compared with controls fed the same cholesterol-containing diet without EDTA (16.6 mg/g wet weight). Plasma cholesterol levels in both groups of animals were not significantly different from one another; therefore, the effect of EDTA in reducing liver cholesterol accumulation was independent of changes in plasma cholesterol concentrations. Although the mechanism of this EDTA effect is unknown, it may provide a tool to gain further insight into mechanisms of regulation of hepatic lipoprotein and cholesterol metabolism."}
{"id": "PMID:1466651", "title": "Phenotype related changes of intimal smooth muscle cells from human aorta in primary culture.", "content": "To study the functional characteristics of smooth muscle cell (SMC) phenotypes, we have investigated myosin expression, cell proliferation, collagen production and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor activity in intimal SMCs of normal human aorta during their growth in primary culture. By staining with rabbit antibodies to smooth muscle myosin (ASMM) 3 cell types could be distinguished in culture: homogeneously stained cells, cells with discontinuous myosin fibrils and myosin-negative cells. The ratio of cell types greatly changed with culture growth: on days 5, 7 and 14 it was 82:1:17%, 70:5:25% and 10:30:60%, respectively. After 5-6 days of culture intimal SMCs began to proliferate and DNA-synthesizing nuclei were seen 1.5-4.3 times more frequently in myosin-negative cells than in cells with homogeneous myosin distribution. At that time the number of cells reacted with monoclonal antibody (MAb) to an epitope shared collagen types I and III started to increase. By double immunofluorescence staining it was shown that the cultured cells containing both ASMM and MAb markers were found 2.0-4.8 times more rarely than MAb-positive staining in myosin-negative cells. During the first 5 days in culture LDL binding and uptake were diminished in intimal cells with intercellular lipid inclusions independently of their myosin staining pattern, but their activity increased with culture growth. Thus, SMCs from human aortic intima change their phenotype on days 6 and 7 in primary culture as manifested by alteration of myosin expression, increased cell proliferation, collagen production and LDL receptor activity. Changes in myosin expression, however, are not an essential prerequisite for cell proliferation and collagen production."}
{"id": "PMID:1466652", "title": "Cytokine regulation of macrophage apo E secretion: opposing effects of GM-CSF and TGF-beta.", "content": "Biosynthesis of apolipoprotein (apo) E has been previously demonstrated to be regulated in macrophages by intracellular free cholesterol levels as well as by macrophage activating factors. In this report, the regulation of apo E secretion by cytokines detected within atherosclerotic lesions has been investigated. Granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) stimulated macrophages had a 3-5-fold reduction in apo E secretion, comparable to that observed for gamma interferon (IFN gamma), while tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha) and interleukin 1 beta (IL-1 beta) resulted in a 2-fold decrease. In contrast to the reduction in apo E secretion by these cytokines, transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) stimulated macrophages secreted 3-fold greater amounts of apo E than controls. The reduced secretion of apo E by GM-CSF was reversible, heat labile, dose dependent, maximal 48 h after cytokine exposure and was coincident with an increase in fibronectin secretion. The opposing effects of GM-CSF and TGF-beta on apo E secretion were consistent with similar changes detected in apo E mRNA levels. Cytokine effects on apo E secretion in cholesterol loaded macrophages were also investigated and found to be similar to the non-loaded cells with GM-CSF decreasing and TGF-beta increasing apo E secretion. The observed differences in apo E secretion did not correlate with any significant changes in either cellular cholesterol distribution in the non-cholesterol loaded macrophages or in basal ACAT activity. In addition to changes in apo E secretion, cytokine treated macrophages pulsed with [14C]oleate and acetylated LDL for 2-6 h had a 2-fold increase (GM-CSF) or decrease (TGF-beta) in cholesterol esterification. Therefore, GM-CSF and TGF-beta mediated changes in apo E secretion may occur through a mechanism independent of changes in cellular free cholesterol levels. These results suggest that cytokines expressed within an atheroma may play an important role in the modulation of macrophage mediated reverse cholesterol transport."}
{"id": "PMID:1466653", "title": "Adrenaline increases the uptake of low-density lipoproteins in carotid arteries of rabbits.", "content": "The uptake of low-density lipoprotein was compared in carotid arteries of anaesthetized male New Zealand rabbits after infusing alternate carotids with adrenaline, or with saline as a control. The infusions were at approximately 2% of the carotid blood flow, the adrenaline being at approximately 10 nM in the carotid blood. Human low density lipoprotein, methylated to prevent recognition by the high affinity receptor (m-LDL), was labelled with 125I and injected intravenously. Adrenaline infusions for 2 or 4 h significantly increased m-LDL radioactivity in the carotid walls. The radioactivity of reinjected red cells labelled with 51Cr was the same in the walls of both carotids. This excluded the possibility that the excess LDL radioactivity in adrenaline infused carotids was accounted for by increased amounts of blood in the arterial wall. It also made it improbable that the excess LDL resulted from decreased elimination through a vasoconstriction effect of adrenaline on the vasa vasorum, which should have decreased the amount of radioactivity due to red cells. The results, therefore, suggest that adrenaline at its pathophysiological blood concentrations accelerates the uptake of LDL by large arteries in rabbits."}
{"id": "PMID:1466654", "title": "The variability of and associations between measures of blood coagulation, fibrinolysis and blood lipids.", "content": "Hemostatic variables are increasingly recognized as atherothrombotic risk markers and their susceptibility to lifestyle changes has therefore considerable interest. To study this subject knowledge of the spontaneous variability of measures of coagulation and fibrinolysis is required. We monitored 17 young male adults with constant lifestyles for a year and here present characteristics of the observed variability of factor VII coagulant activity (F VIIc), fibrinogen, fibrinolytic variables and blood lipids. The variables differed considerably with regard to total variability (range of CV (%): 13-54) and with respect to relative size of the inter- and intrapersonal components of variation. None of the variables showed seasonal changes of biological significance. Descriptive statistics of the same variables measured in 74 young healthy adults (19 women, 55 men) are also reported. These values may be used as a reference for comparable groups of individuals. Serum triglycerides were significantly associated with F VIIc (Spearman's Rs = 0.24, P < 0.05) and plasma concentrations fo the plasminogen activator inhibitor type I (Spearman's RS = 0.23, P = 0.05). An increased thrombotic tendency with elevated triglyceride levels was thus indicated. Serum cholesterol was not associated with hemostatic variables, except for plasminogen activator activity (Spearman's Rs = 0.31, P < 0.05)."}
{"id": "PMID:1466657", "title": "Familial defective apolipoprotein B-100: a single mutation that causes hypercholesterolemia and premature coronary artery disease.", "content": "Familial defective apolipoprotein B-100 is a recently identified, dominantly inherited genetic disorder caused by a G to A mutation in exon 26 of the apolipoprotein B gene. This creates a substitution of glutamine for arginine in the codon for amino acid 3500 and results in reduced affinity of low density lipoprotein (LDL) to the LDL receptor. We have integrated already published data with hitherto unpublished data from 8 countries and a total of 135 affected individuals from 56 families, in an attempt to focus on the range of expression of this mutation on lipid and lipoprotein levels and on coronary artery disease. The frequency of this mutation may be as high as 1 in 500 to 1 in 700 in Europe and in North America. The vast majority of affected heterozygotes have total and LDL cholesterol levels well above the 95th centile for age and gender; in contrast, high density lipoprotein cholesterol, very low density lipoprotein cholesterol and plasma triglycerides are not affected by the mutation. The risk of premature coronary artery disease in the carriers of the mutation is increased to levels as high as those seen in patients with clinical familial hypercholesterolemia; at age 50, about 40% of males and 20% of females heterozygous for the mutation have developed coronary artery disease. Familial defective apolipoprotein B-100 is thus a significant cause of hypercholesterolemia and premature coronary artery disease in Western societies."}
{"id": "PMID:1466658", "title": "Evaluation of morphological changes of the atherosclerotic aorta by enhanced computed tomography.", "content": "Enhanced and non-enhanced computed tomography (CT) were performed in 405 subjects (222 men; 183 women; mean age 57 years). Intimal atherosclerotic changes of the aorta were quantified by enhanced CT, revealing the atheromatous intima to be projecting and thick-walled, while non-enhanced CT demonstrated aortic calcification. We measured the degree of aortic intimal changes at various segments of the aorta. In 224 cases, CT was performed from the aortic root to the bifurcation of the abdominal aorta. Intimal changes were found predominantly at the aortic arch, the middle descending thoracic and the infrarenal abdominal aorta. As for the intimal changes, aortic calcification and aortic pulse wave velocity were significant atherosclerotic characteristics. The aortic diameter did not show a significant association with intimal change. Among the various atherosclerotic risk factors, intimal change was significantly associated with age, systolic blood pressure, serum total cholesterol and diabetes mellitus, whereas gender, diastolic blood pressure, relative weight and cigarette use were not significantly related. For coronary artery disease and arteriosclerosis obliterans, aortic intimal changes constituted a significant atherosclerotic feature. In cerebrovascular disease, however, aortic intimal change did not play a significant role."}
{"id": "PMID:1466659", "title": "Binding of modified high density lipoproteins to endothelial cells: relation with cellular cholesterol efflux?", "content": "Human endothelial cells (EA.hy 926 line) were enriched with cholesterol using cationized low density lipoprotein (LDL). Cholesterol-loaded cells interacted with native apolipoprotein (apo) E-free high density lipoprotein3 (HDL)3 as well as with dimethyl suberimidate-modified HDL3 (DMS-HDL3). At 4 degrees C both HDL preparations showed a saturable high affinity binding with a KD of 31 and 50 micrograms of protein/ml and a Bmax of 226 and 436 ng/mg cell protein for native HDL3 and DMS-HDL3 particles, respectively. Competition of binding of 5 micrograms apo E-free 125I-labelled HDL3/ml by unlabelled DMS-HDL3 and tetranitromethane-treated HDL3 (TNM-HDL3) was very poor, whereas unlabelled native HDL3 competed very effectively with 125I-labelled HDL3 binding. Thus, both types of modified HDL did not compete for the high affinity binding sites for native HDL. Unlabelled native HDL3 and unlabelled DMS-HDL3 both competed for the binding of 125I-labelled DMS-HDL3 very effectively. These experiments indicate that there are two distinct high affinity binding sites for HDL on cationized LDL-loaded EA.hy 926 cells: one specific HDL binding site, which only binds native HDL, and a second binding site for both native HDL and DMS-HDL. The modified HDL fractions were used to study the relation between HDL binding and HDL-mediated efflux. Efflux of cell cholesterol was measured as the increase of cholesterol mass in the medium after 24 h of incubation with 0.2 mg native HDL3/ml, or the same amount of modified HDL3. DMS-HDL3-mediated efflux was identical to efflux mediated by native HDL3. TNM-HDL3 also induced efflux of cell cholesterol; however, efflux induced by TNM-HDL3 was only 45-50% of the amount obtained with native HDL3. So both DMS- and TNM-modified HDL3 induced efflux of cholesterol, although these particles do not bind to the specific high affinity sites for native HDL. These results do not indicate a link between binding of HDL to specific receptors for native HDL and HDL-mediated efflux of cholesterol from loaded endothelial cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1466660", "title": "Inhibition of intimal thickening of the carotid artery of rabbits and of outgrowth of explants of aorta by probucol.", "content": "The effect of administration of probucol in preventing intimal thickening of rabbit carotid artery after balloon catheter injury and the mechanism of action of the drug were studied. Groups of 6 male New Zealand-White rabbits were given normal diet (Group I), high cholesterol diet (Group II) or high cholesterol diet plus probucol (Group III) for 4 weeks. Balloon catheter injury was made in week 2 and animals were killed in week 4. No significant differences in the total cholesterol levels in Groups II and III were found in week 4. The medians of areas of the intimal layer in cross-sections of the carotid arteries of Groups I, II and III were 0.237, 0.475 and 0.309 mm2, respectively. Thus high-cholesterol diet increased the thickness of the intimal layer and probucol reduced its effect. There were no significant differences in the areas of the medial layers in these 3 groups. For the examination of the mechanism of the effect of probucol, rabbits were given chow containing 0.5% cholesterol with and without 0.5% probucol (7 rabbits each) and then the numbers of explants from their aortas showing outgrowth were compared. The plasma total cholesterol levels of these two groups were the same. The probucol concentrations in the plasma and aorta of the former group were 18.6 +/- 13.2 micrograms/ml and 7.3 +/- 5.4 micrograms/g wet tissue, respectively. The number of explants showing outgrowth on day 14 was suppressed by 34% in the probucol-treated group.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1466661", "title": "Differential regulation of hepatic apolipoprotein A-I and A-II gene expression by thyroid hormone in rat liver.", "content": "Apolipoproteins A-I and A-II (apo A-I, apo A-II) are major protein components of high density lipoproteins. Thyroid hormone has a differential effect on the expression of the apo A-I and apo A-II genes in rat liver. Apo A-I gene expression is stimulated by thyroid hormone, whereas apo A-II mRNA abundance is decreased in chronic hyperthyroidism. To determine the regulatory steps involved in this differential effect of thyroid hormone on hepatic apo A-I and apo A-II gene expression, we studied the effect of short term and chronic hyperthyroidism on apo A-I and apo A-II gene transcription rates, nuclear RNA abundance and total cellular mRNA levels. After a single receptor saturating dose of L-triiodothyronine (T3) apo A-II gene transcription was transiently increased to 164% +/- 13% of basal values (P < 0.05) without affecting nuclear apo A-II RNA abundance. Apo A-I gene transcription, however, increased to 158% +/- 8% of baseline levels (P < 0.05) and remained elevated for at least 24 h. Nuclear and total cellular apo A-I mRNA increased more than expected from the increased transcription rate suggesting nuclear RNA stabilization and/or more efficient processing of the primary transcripts. In chronic hyperthyroidism, total cellular apo A-II mRNA abundance decreased to 62% +/- 18% (P < 0.05) and apo A-II gene transcription and apo A-II nuclear RNA were moderately reduced. By contrast, apo A-I nuclear and total cellular RNA were increased several fold by post-transcriptional mechanisms, whereas apo A-I gene transcription was drastically decreased. We conclude that the apo A-I and apo A-II genes in rat liver respond differently to both acute and chronic hyperthyroidism and that their expression is regulated at transcriptional and posttranscriptional levels."}
{"id": "PMID:1466662", "title": "Associations between lipoprotein lipase gene polymorphisms and plasma correlations of lipids, lipoproteins and lipase activities in young myocardial infarction survivors and age-matched healthy individuals from Sweden.", "content": "Association studies were carried out on a sample of 87 patients from Sweden who had survived a myocardial infarction (MI) at a young age and 93 age-matched healthy individuals, to compare the impact of polymorphisms (PvuII, HindIII and Serine447-Stop) at the lipoprotein lipase (LPL) gene locus on among-individual differences in plasma lipid traits and progression of atherosclerosis. Significant linkage disequilibrium was detected between any two of these polymorphisms, with the Stop447 allele being only found on the same chromosome as the rare alleles (no cutting sites) of the PvuII and HindIII polymorphisms. In the healthy individuals, weak associations were found between genotypes of the HindIII polymorphism and triglycerides and the PvuII polymorphism and high density lipoprotein cholesterol explaining 7.4% and 5.6% of sample variance (P = 0.03 and 0.09), respectively. No associations were found between these traits and genotypes of the Serine447-Stop substitution, and thus it is unlikely to be the cause of the associations seen with the PvuII and HindIII polymorphisms even though it truncates the enzyme amino acid sequence. The presence of the rare allele, H-, of the HindIII polymorphism was associated with a smaller variance in triglycerides and both cholesterol and triglycerides in the very low density lipoprotein fraction, and with larger interdependent variation between these lipid traits, and also between LPL activity and these lipid traits. This implies that the H- allele, rather than the Stop447 allele, has the major impact on interdependence between traits which are directly or indirectly influenced by LPL activity. In the healthy individuals who were carriers of the apolipoprotein E2 allele, the inter-dependence between LPL activity and lipid traits was significantly smaller, and that between high density lipoprotein cholesterol and both cholesterol and triglycerides in the very low density lipoprotein fraction was much larger compared with non-carriers (P < 0.05). No significant associations were found between lipid traits or lipase activity and genotypes of the Serine447-Stop substitution. However, in the patients, global severity of coronary atherosclerosis at the first angiography was significantly associated with haplotype combinations of the HindIII and the Serine447-Stop polymorphisms, with the H-Stop haplotype being associated with the highest median score (P = 0.02). The data suggest that variation at the LPL gene locus is associated with a pleiotropic effect, that is not directly mediated by changes in lipids, on severity of coronary atherosclerosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1466663", "title": "Structural and functional properties of apolipoprotein B in chemically modified low density lipoproteins.", "content": "The structural and compositional changes occurring during in vitro chemical modification of apolipoprotein B-100 (apo B), the apolipoprotein component of low density lipoproteins (LDL), were investigated in this study. The functional properties of chemically modified apo B and especially its potential to induce accumulation of cholesterol esters in macrophages were related to the structural changes of apo B. Acetylation, maleylation or malondialdehyde conjugation did not significantly affect the lipid composition of LDL. However, the unsaturated cholesteryl esters content, especially that of cholesteryl arachidonate was significantly decreased through Cu-oxidation. The number of reactive lysine residues in apo B was decreased by Cu-catalyzed LDL oxidation, acetylation, maleylation and by malondialdehyde conjugation. The number of free cysteines decreased from six in native apo B-100 to three in Cu-oxidized LDL. The tryptophan fluorescence intensity decreased most in malondialdehyde-conjugated LDL and in Cu-oxidized LDL, compared with acetylated and maleylated LDL. The secondary structure of native and chemically modified LDL was measured by attenuated total reflection infrared spectroscopy and by circular dichroism. No significant changes were observed in the secondary structure of any of the modified LDL. These data suggest that neither acetylation, malondialdehyde treatment or even Cu-oxidation substantially altered the secondary structure of apo B, in spite of significant modifications in the primary structure. Incubation of chemically modified LDL with J774 macrophages induced an accumulation of cellular cholesteryl esters and foam cell formation. The highest cholesterol accumulation was induced after malondialdehyde treatment of LDL. These data suggest that the cellular uptake and accumulation of modified LDL is not modulated by changes in the apo B structure. Rather it seems dependent upon the net charge of the apo B protein and probably involves the modification of critical lysine residues."}
{"id": "PMID:1466664", "title": "On the accumulation of D-aspartate in elastin and other proteins of the ageing aorta.", "content": "Ageing and degenerative changes of the human aorta are associated with medial thinning and a reduced dry weight content of elastin. The metabolic stability of cross-linked elastin was investigated by measuring the accumulation of D-aspartate with ageing in insoluble elastin isolated from human aorta. D-Aspartate accumulation in elastin was compared with D-aspartate accumulation in aortic collagen and an elastin bound glycoprotein fraction. The D-aspartate content of elastin, purified from infrarenal aorta; increased linearly with age from 3% of the total aspartate in youth to 13% in the mid 80s. In contrast the D-aspartate content of aortic collagen remained invariant (3-5% of the total aspartate) from youth to old age. The apparent first order rate constant for the racemization of L-aspartate in elastin was 1.14 x 10(-3). The D-aspartate content of the elastin bound glycoproteins increased by only a small amount, from 3% in the mid 30s to 6% in the mid 80s. These results argue for the metabolic stability of aortic elastin as compared with the fibrillar collagens of the human aorta. Both the rate of racemization and the specific accumulation of D-aspartate in elastin, but not collagen, indicates that mature cross-linked elastin is not synthesized in the adult aorta."}
{"id": "PMID:1466665", "title": "Ultrasonography in the detection of Achilles tendon xanthomata in heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia.", "content": "We have examined the usefulness of ultrasound (US) in the detection of Achilles tendon (AT) xanthomata in heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia. Our study is based on 30 adult subjects with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) (16 men, 14 women), 27 subjects with other non-familial forms of severe hypercholesterolemia (non-FH) with serum total cholesterol levels > or = 8 mmol/l (13 men and 14 women) and 31 subjects without marked hypercholesterolemia of the same age (control group; serum total cholesterol < 8 mmol/l) (15 men, 16 women). The three groups were comparable with respect to age, sex and body mass index. In the control group the mean sagittal thickness of AT was 4.5 mm (95% CI 3.2, 5.9 mm) and the mean coronal breadth of AT 11.0 (95% CI 9.0, 13.0 mm). Mean thickness of AT was 4.9 (range 4-7) mm in the non-FH group and 11.1 (5-16) mm in the FH group. The mean breadth of AT was in these groups 12.0 (10-17) mm and 19.2 (12-27) mm, respectively. Using the upper 95% confidence interval cut-off point in the control group as a criterion for normal AT thickness and breadth, 6 (22%) of non-FH and 29 (97%) of FH patients had increased AT thickness and 5 (19%) vs. 26 (87%) patients had increased AT breadth, respectively. The sensitivity of AT thickness for identifying FH was 0.97, specificity 0.78 and positive predictive value 0.83. The sensitivity of AT breadth in identifying FH was 0.87, specificity 0.81 and positive predictive value 0.84. None of the control subjects and none of the non-FH patients showed structural abnormalities of AT in the US, whereas 89% of FH-patients showed hypoechogenicity of AT. FH-score obtained by summing up the number of abnormal US findings gave a sensitivity of 0.93, a specificity of 0.96 and a positive predictive value of 0.96 for AT US in discriminating FH from non-FH. In conclusion, US examination of AT is a useful method in the detection of AT xanthomata and thus of help in the diagnosis of heterozygous FH."}
{"id": "PMID:1466667", "title": "DUI pre-arrest alcohol purchases: a survey of Sonoma County drunk drivers.", "content": "Based on a sample of 1,052 drunk drivers in northern California, less than 1% (0.80%) of those arrested for DUI had purchased and consumed alcohol prior to arrest from a convenience/gas store (gasmart). Data from both \"on-sale\" (on-premises consumption) and \"off-sale\" (off-premises consumption) alcohol outlets were compared. When off-sale outlets were compared only 2% of the DUI offenders had purchased and consumed alcohol from gasmarts prior to the arrest event. Gasmarts were the least frequent source of DUI-offender alcohol purchases. This report also describes the distribution of alcohol outlets for Sonoma and San Diego counties with respect to type of license and activity. Convenience stores that sold gas and alcohol concurrently were not overrepresented in either county."}
{"id": "PMID:1466671", "title": "Perineurial permeability to sodium during Wallerian degeneration in rat sciatic nerve.", "content": "In rat sciatic nerves, the effect of Wallerian degeneration on the rate of transperineurial passage of sodium between the endoneurium and the epineurial extracellular space was investigated. In nerves transected and ligated at the sciatic notch, an in situ technique was used to measure the permeability coefficient-surface area product (PS) of the mid-thigh portion of the perineurium to 22Na. Sampling times ranged from one day to sixteen weeks after the lesion. Additionally, endoneurial water content (an indicator of nerve edema) was also measured in transected, degenerating nerves at the same sampling times. Endoneurial water content increased significantly by the fourth day after transection, peaked at four weeks, and then remained elevated through 16 weeks of post-lesion measurement. The PS of the perineurium to 22Na on the 4th day after transection was significantly greater than that of control animals. This increase then declined to normal levels through the 2nd week, and finally increased to values that were 3-fold to 4-fold of control values for the remainder of the observation period. The earlier, short lasting increase in perineurial PS is probably associated with the inflammatory response to nerve section, and proliferation of perineurial layers and cells. The later increase in perineurial permeability is proposed to play a role in the dissipation of endoneurial hydrostatic pressure and clearance of myelin debris from the endoneurium. In view of the complex changes in perineurial permeability described herein, it would seem inappropriate to consider these phenomena merely as passive breakdowns of the barrier properties of the perineurium."}
{"id": "PMID:1466690", "title": "Acute vibration--its effect on digital blood flow by central and local mechanisms.", "content": "In order to establish underlying mechanisms responsible for the vasospastic disorder vibration white finger (VWF), the acute effect of vibration on digital blood flow was assessed. Thirteen patients with primary Raynaud's phenomenon (RP), 15 patients with WVF and 13 controls were exposed to acute vibration in the middle digit of one hand for 1 and 3 minutes. Blood flow was measured in that digit and in the middle finger of the contralateral hand using strain gauge plethysmography before and after vibration. The measurements were then repeated following digital nerve blockade using 2% Lignocaine in the vibrated digit. The results demonstrate that vibration affects digital blood flow through two independent mechanisms. Vibration appears to cause both an axonal vasoconstrictor reflex and an active local vasodilation phenomenon. In patients with established vasospastic disorders this vasoconstrictor reflex is exaggerated."}
{"id": "PMID:1466691", "title": "Venous haemodynamics--a consideration of macro- and microvascular effects.", "content": "In health, valves in the deep veins function unidirectionally permitting blood flow towards the heart. This function is often degraded following deep vein thrombosis leading to venous hypertension and disturbed haemodynamics in the legs of the patient. Hypertension, in turn, promotes venous ulceration through a series of degenerative pathological steps. Traditional methods of treatment include leg elevation and compression using elasticated garments or bandaging. These techniques manage the problem with varying success but do not cure it. Recent advances in surgical research suggest that novel techniques are being developed for treating valve incompetence. In these circumstances, vascular scientists should be examining methods of addressing both the macro- and the microcirculation so that changes in these consequent to venous hypertension may be measured. This review examines existing methods of measuring the macrocirculation as well as the potential techniques to study effects of venous haemodynamics in the microcirculation."}
{"id": "PMID:1466693", "title": "Engineering design of vascular prostheses.", "content": "The replacement and bypass of arteries of diameter greater than 6 mm with textile vascular prostheses has proved very successful since they were first introduced forty years ago. Although manufacturers continue to improve their products and make them of consistent quality for increased safety and performance and to facilitate their use by surgeons, most of the research work in this area is concerned with the development of small-diameter prostheses. Current expanded PTFE and textile prostheses do not perform satisfactorily when their diameters are reduced to less than 6 mm. For the small-diameter prostheses it will be necessary to develop less thrombogenic materials and to design the structure of the prostheses more closely to match the mechanical properties of the natural arteries. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the design requirements and to review the development of large- and small-diameter vascular prostheses."}
{"id": "PMID:1466694", "title": "The measurement of blood flow waveforms from X-ray angiography. Part 1: Principles of the method and preliminary validation.", "content": "The principles and implementation of a method for measurement of blood flow waveforms from X-ray angiography are described. Contrast medium mass values are obtained at multitudinous positions along individual vessels and from numerous images in a time sequence. These values are represented as a matrix of grey levels in a parametric image. This image is normalized to represent contrast medium concentration, and the movement over time of isoconcentration portions of the contrast bolus is recovered to determine blood flow. Preliminary validation has been undertaken using parametric images generated in two ways: synthesis from a computer model of vascular pulsatile flow and analysis of cine-angiograms of physical models (plastic and perspex tubes) carrying known pulsatile flows. Two distinct methods for interrogation of parametric images by digital image processing were employed; both provided accurate flow measurements."}
{"id": "PMID:1466695", "title": "The measurement of blood flow waveforms from X-ray angiography. Part 2: Application to video recordings of digital subtraction angiography.", "content": "A method of measuring blood flow from X-ray angiograms recorded on cine film, by obtaining contrast mass values at numerous positions along individual vessels and at multiple instants of time, has been previously reported. In the present work it was hypothesized that the signal-to-noise limitations of recordings on video tape could be overcome by recording already-subtracted angiograms from a digital subtraction angiographic (DSA) system and that the spatial resolution of video was adequate to use a similar measurement method. Validation experiments were recorded, in which flows measured using a calibrated electromagnetic flowmeter passed through tubes of 4-7 mm diameter, during injections of 2-5 ml contrast medium. The video sequences were computer analysed and produced angiographic flow measurements agreeing with the electromagnetic flows to within 5 per cent. A case study of a clinical carotid artery DSA in a patient with secondary carcinoma metastases in the brain is described. It is concluded that accurate flow measurements can be made from DSA video recordings."}
{"id": "PMID:1466696", "title": "Determination of the arterial flow fraction in normal and diseased livers using constrained deconvolution.", "content": "There is some evidence that the ratio of the blood flow to the liver through the hepatic artery to the total flow to the liver through the hepatic artery and portal vein (the hepatic arterial flow fraction, AFF) is altered in the presence of cirrhosis. Several methods have been published that seek to provide an index of this ratio. These indices are dependent on factors other than the AFF and cannot provide a true measure of it. The impulse retention function of the liver has two components and these may be derived using a model-driven deconvolution of the arterial tracer concentration curve and the curve of tracer concentration in the liver. The AFF may then be obtained from the relative heights of these two components. Simulation studies show that the AFF calculated using this method is reasonably accurate and a small clinical series shows that it is capable of appropriate clinical classification of patients into cirrhotic and non-cirrhotic groups."}
{"id": "PMID:1466697", "title": "Liver blood flow: non-invasive estimation using a gamma camera.", "content": "A non-invasive radioisotope technique for the measurement of total liver blood flow (TBF) is described. The method requires the use of two intravenously administered tracers, 99mTc (technetium 99m) human serum albumin (HSA) and 99mTc colloid. Computer analysis of first-pass time activity curves for HSA for liver and lung tissues yields values for the arterial and portal contributions to liver blood flow, from which TBF can be determined. These values are then corrected for attenuation using the images of the colloid distribution. The use of the method is illustrated in 17 subjects. Assumptions, limitations and possible applications of the technique are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1466698", "title": "Anatomy and pathophysiology of the popliteal tendon area in the lateral meniscus: 1. Arthroscopic and anatomical investigation.", "content": "An arthroscopic and anatomical investigation was performed to define the abnormal conditions of the popliteal tendon area in a lateral meniscus. Arthroscopic findings for 100 patients and anatomical observations of 10 amputated knees were analyzed. Five of the 10 dissected menisci were also examined histologically. Menisco-tibial coronary ligaments were classified into two types, as follows: type I--a coronary ligament covering an entire popliteal tendon beneath the meniscus; type II--a popliteal tendon visible beneath the meniscus through defects of the coronary ligament. Twenty-one of 100 cases were classified as type I, and 79 were classified as type II. Three of the 10 anatomical dissections were type I, and the remaining 7 were type II. Menisci in which the type I coronary ligaments were thought to be torn and menisci with type II coronary ligaments showed a rather marked mobility, but no conclusion could be reached."}
{"id": "PMID:1466699", "title": "Anatomy and pathophysiology of the popliteal tendon area in the lateral meniscus: 2. Clinical investigation.", "content": "Treatment of abnormal mobility of the popliteal tendon area of the lateral meniscus is described. Twenty-seven patients who exhibited an abnormally mobile posterior segment with no obvious ruptures in the lateral meniscus were directly examined by us after an average of 4 years and 3 months from the time of the arthroscopic procedure. The main complaints associated with this condition before the surgery were pain and locking during deep knee flexions. The patients were divided into three groups according to surgical method: partial meniscectomy, subtotal meniscectomy, or meniscal repair. The subtotal meniscectomy and repair groups showed significantly higher scores than the partial meniscectomy group. A locking phenomenon recurred in one case of the meniscal repair group. In this case, the menisco-femoral coronary ligament posterior to the popliteal tunnel could not be sutured."}
{"id": "PMID:1466700", "title": "Cellular repopulation of deep-frozen meniscal autografts: an experimental study in the dog.", "content": "This study evaluated the cellular repopulation of deep-frozen meniscal autografts. Medial menisci of adult dogs were excised, deep-frozen in liquid nitrogen (-196 degrees C) for 10 min, and orthotopically reimplanted into the joint. Deep-freezing was found to effectively kill all the cells within the meniscus as determined by the absence of Na(2)35SO4 incorporation. Following orthotopic replacement within the knee joint, menisci were repopulated with cells that seemed to originate from the adjacent synovium. These cells migrated over the surface of the meniscus and began to invade the deeper layers of the tissue. However, even after 6 months, the central core of the meniscus remained acellular. While the new cells appeared to modulate into cells that are similar in appearance to meniscal fibrochondrocytes, the exact phenotypic expression of these newly differentiated cells has yet to be determined. Histological alterations, as manifested by a loss of normal orientation of the collagen architecture of the superficial layers of the meniscus; was evident at 6 months and suggests that a remodeling phenomenon may be associated with the cellular repopulation. While biomaterial studies have not been carried out on these specimens, the morphologic alterations observed in the collagen orientation would suggest a possible alteration in the material properties of the repopulated meniscus. The clinical implication of this study is that the structural remodeling associated with the cellular repopulation of deep-frozen meniscal allografts may make the transplanted meniscus more susceptible to injury."}
{"id": "PMID:1466701", "title": "The effect of inflammatory synovial fluid on the breaking strength of new \"long lasting\" absorbable sutures.", "content": "The effect of inflammatory synovial fluid upon several absorbable sutures potentially useful for arthroscopic procedures, e.g., meniscus repair and shoulder stabilization, was studied by implanting lengths of these sutures into unstable, arthritic rabbit knees and testing their breaking strength after varying time periods (up to 18 weeks). Polyglyconate (Maxon) sutures retained no significant strength at 6 weeks. Polydioxanone (PDS) sutures began to lose breaking strength at 3 weeks, retained only 40% of their original strength 6 weeks after implantation, and had no measurable strength at 9 weeks. Polycaprolactone (LTS) sutures showed a slow reduction in strength and retained approximately 90% of their original breaking strength after 18 weeks of implantation. Green braided polyester (Mersiline) sutures showed no loss of breaking strength over the testing period. Measurements of inherent viscosity were made to give an indirect indication of the decline in molecular weight of these sutures. These data paralleled the breaking strength decline in every case. The surgeon selecting an absorbable suture must consider the length of time the suture will hold the target tissue. This information should be helpful to surgeons considering an absorbable suture for procedures such as meniscus repair and shoulder stabilization."}
{"id": "PMID:1466702", "title": "The intraoperative evaluation of the neurosensory function of the anterior cruciate ligament in humans using somatosensory evoked potentials.", "content": "Most of the investigation of the properties of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) has focused on its biomechanical functions. There has been increasing interest in the study of the possible neuroreceptor function of the ACL and its role in providing important proprioceptive feedback. Anatomic and histologic studies in humans have shown the presence of neuroreceptors within the anterior cruciate ligament. Indirect evidence exists that proprioception is diminished in the ACL-deficient knee. However, direct evidence in humans of the actual origin of the afferent impulses from within the ACL itself is lacking. Measurement of direct electrical afferent activity, occurring on stimulation of the ACL, should provide this evidence. Somatosensory evoked potentials (SEP) measure the electric potentials evoked in the cerebral cortex upon stimulation of a peripheral neuroreceptor. Carried by the posterior columns of the spinal cord, they reflect activity of the proprioceptive fibers. During arthroscopic procedures performed on nine patients, the normal ACL was stimulated by the use of electrodes applied to the femoral end, midsubstance, and tibial end, and cortical potentials thus evoked were recorded. In all cases, SEPs were recorded at the cerebral cortex upon stimulation of the ACL. The greatest potentials were reported upon stimulation of the midsubstance of the ligament. These findings provide direct evidence for, and strongly support the presence of, active proprioceptive receptors within the intact anterior cruciate ligament of the human knee."}
{"id": "PMID:1466703", "title": "Blood loss from arthroscopic autogenous patellar tendon anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.", "content": "Thirty patients who had arthroscopically assisted autogenous patellar tendon anterior cruciate ligament reconstructions were retrospectively reviewed to determine the blood loss associated with this procedure. On average, a 1.5 U blood loss (9-point hematocrit decrease) occurred with this procedure. The amount of blood lost was not affected by use of an intraoperative tourniquet. Blood loss was minimally increased by extra-articular iliotibial band surgery and was unrelated to surgical timing, in the acute versus chronic phase of the injury."}
{"id": "PMID:1466704", "title": "The biomechanical effects of geometric configuration of bone-tendon-bone autografts in anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.", "content": "This study provides biomechanical support for a new technique of autograft anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction featuring circular bone plugs and endosteal interference fit fixation. Six matched pairs of fresh frozen human knees were utilized. Femoral interference fit pull-out strength was determined from material-testing-machine-generated oscillograph recordings at a strain rate of 100%/s. Circular bone plugs, obtained with a circular oscillating saw, provided 19.9% greater interference fit pull-out strength compared with identically fixed trapezoidal bone plugs. Different geometric defects were compared in three- and four-point bending on an Instron machine with frozen patellae and an artificial bone composite. Circular defects have 107% greater strength than matched trapezoidal patellar defects in three-point bending. In a bone composite, circular defects are 53% stronger than triangular and 25% stronger in four-point bending than trapezoidal defects. A new technique of harvesting bone plugs with endosteal interference fit fixation is described and biomechanically supported. To date, this technique has been performed on over 500 cases clinically without evidence of patellar fracture or fixation failure. This study demonstrates the efficacy of this simple and reproducible technique compared with previously reported procedures."}
{"id": "PMID:1466705", "title": "Classification of the suprapatellar septum considering ontogenetic development.", "content": "At the end of the 4th fetal month, the suprapatellar septum completely separates the knee joint cavity from the suprapatellar bursa. A perforation of the septum normally occurs at the end of the 5th fetal month. Mechanical factors, such as the pressure and friction of the quadriceps tendon on the condylar surface, are said to determine the form and extent of the perforation. Anatomic studies of adult knee joints revealed four variants in the further development of the suprapatellar septum, namely, a completely preserved septum (complete septum), a perforated septum with the communication between suprapatellar bursa and knee joint cavity differing in localization and number (perforated septum), a residual septum in the form of a fold that is almost always in a medial localization (residual septum), or a completely involuted septum (extinct septum). The clinical term \"suprapatellar synovial plica\" should not be used as a synonym for the expression \"suprapatellar septum.\" The suprapatellar synovial fold corresponds to the residual septum and thus is only one of the four types of the suprapatellar septum."}
{"id": "PMID:1466706", "title": "Patellofemoral relationships and distal insertion of the vastus medialis muscle: a magnetic resonance imaging study in nonsymptomatic subjects and in patients with patellar dislocation.", "content": "The correlation between the insertion level of the vastus medialis muscle and lateral patellofemoral angle (LPA), lateral patellar displacement (LPD) and tilt (LPT), and the height of the patella (LT/LP) was analyzed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in patients with patellar dislocation (n = 10) and in control subjects (n = 10). Images were produced in 0 degrees and 20 degrees of knee flexion. The insertion level to the patella was also analyzed with the knee in extension. No significant correlation was noted between the insertion level and different patellofemoral indexes, but multiple-regression analysis showed that the best predictor for the insertion level was the LPA with the knee in extension. The insertion level was significantly more proximal in patients with patellar dislocations than in normal subjects."}
{"id": "PMID:1466707", "title": "Ligament strain and ankle joint opening during ankle distraction.", "content": "To determine the efficacy of ankle distraction and to investigate possible complications of the procedure, the strain on four ankle ligaments and the tibiotalar joint opening resulting from distraction force and various foot positions were studied. We mounted strain gauges on the deltoid, calcaneofibular, tibiofibular, and anterior talofibular ligaments of six fresh human cadaver ankles. An Acufex ankle distractor was used to apply forces of 45, 90, 135, and 180 N at 20 degrees dorsiflexion, neutral, and 10 degrees plantar flexion. The ankle distractor proved to be effective in opening the joint space for better visualization, but complications of pin bending, excessive ligament strain, and bony destruction did occur within the clinically recommended range. Based on the observed results, the safest method of distraction was to use forces < 135 N in the neutral position."}
{"id": "PMID:1466708", "title": "Osteochondritis dissecans of the lateral femoral condyle in the adult.", "content": "In osteochondritis dissecans, 15% of the lesions occur in the lateral condyle. In order to understand the significance of these lesions, 27 were studied prospectively from 1983 to 1990 and compared with 20 consecutive cases of lesions of the medial femoral condyle. Lesions of the lateral femoral condyle were larger, and often comprised the entire width of a condyle and resulted in deformation of a significant segment of the femoral condyle. They lay further posteriorly and commonly were associated with mechanical symptoms including buckling or locking. A discernible clunk was unique to these lesions. In addition, lateral lesions were more fragile, often having multiple bony islands that were prone to fragmentation, making replacement difficult if not impossible. Lateral lesions occurred directly within the main force-bearing areas of the condyle, disrupting normal contact areas and possibly leading to more rapid joint deterioration once segments are lost. This has prompted concern for reinsertion of articular fragments or reconstruction with osteochondral allografts."}
{"id": "PMID:1466709", "title": "Early degenerative joint disease simulating impingement syndrome: arthroscopic findings.", "content": "Eighteen patients who underwent shoulder arthroscopy for impingement syndrome were shown at operation to have coexisting glenohumeral degenerative joint disease (DJD) which was not apparent during preoperative clinical and radiographic evaluation. Because traditional (\"open\") techniques of anterior acromioplasty do not allow inspection of the glenohumeral joint, it is almost certain that this pathology would have been missed at operation if open acromioplasty had been performed. We conclude that arthroscopic subacromial decompression (ASD), by allowing easy inspection of the glenohumeral joint, offers a distinct advantage over traditional acromioplasty. Furthermore, arthroscopic evaluation of some of these patients' glenohumeral joints provided us with evidence supporting the existence of subluxation arthropathy. We have also developed a new clinical test, the \"compression-rotation\" test, which has been helpful in distinguishing patients with both impingement syndrome and early DJD syndrome from those with isolated impingement syndrome. Although patients in this study appeared to be doing well at short-term follow-up status post-ASD and glenohumeral debridement, no long-term results are yet available."}
{"id": "PMID:1466710", "title": "Biceps tendon and superior labral injuries.", "content": "Twenty-two patients sustained injury to the biceps tendon, rotator cuff interval, or superior labrum. Seven patients with \"interval lesions\" underwent biceps tenodesis, one biceps repair, and three subscapularis repairs. All were satisfied, although one tenodesis failed with distal biceps retraction. Key arthroscopic findings included biceps or subscapularis fraying. Thirteen patients with \"S.L.A.P. (superior labrum anterior to posterior) lesions\" underwent labral debridement. All but one obtained pain relief. Eight cadaveric shoulders exhibited extreme anatomic variability of the bicipital origin/superior labral attachment. Biomechanical study showed anterior-superior and posterior-superior labral strain with simulated biceps contraction to be greatest in shoulder abduction (p < 0.01). Biceps tendon strain was greatest in shoulder adduction (p < 0.05). A continuum of injuries to the biceps tendon exist, from the rotator cuff interval to the labral attachment. Key arthroscopic findings may assist in the difficult diagnosis of interval lesions. Individual anatomy and mechanism of injury may determine the site of the lesion."}
{"id": "PMID:1466711", "title": "Arthroscopic elbow findings: correlation with preoperative radiographic studies.", "content": "Correlation between arthroscopic findings and preoperative radiographic studies (plain radiographs and arthrotomograms) was performed in a consecutive series of 37 elbows. Arthrotomograms added significant diagnostic information unavailable from plain radiographs alone, thereby improving the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and diagnostic efficiency (accuracy) in the evaluation of elbow joint surface changes, marginal spurs, and loose bodies. Arthrotomograms gave 85% accuracy for bone spurs, 89% accuracy for joint surface abnormalities, and 89% accuracy for loose bodies (88% accuracy overall), whereas plain radiographs demonstrated 69% accuracy for bone spurs, 71% accuracy for joint surface abnormalities, and 75% accuracy for loose bodies (72% accuracy overall). The arthrotomograms had 100% sensitivity for loose bodies as well as a 100% negative predictive value for loose bodies. Arthrotomograms are indicated when additional preoperative diagnostic accuracy is necessary. These radiographic studies approached only 90% accuracy, confirming that diagnostic arthroscopy adds additional information."}
{"id": "PMID:1466712", "title": "Microarthroscopic study of the morphologic features of normal and pathological synovial membrane.", "content": "The complex symptoms occurring in several internal knee diseases are usually related to changes in the synovial membrane, causing diagnostic and therapeutic problems. The conventional arthroscope, useful in establishing the diagnosis of internal derangement, is of questionable value in the differential diagnosis and evaluation of the stages of arthritis. With magnifying arthroscopy, it is possible to better show various forms of synovitis. Between 1983 and 1989, 3,000 knee joints were studied with conventional arthroscopy. In 400 of these joints, magnifying arthroscopic examination (microarthroscopy) was performed: 34 were normal, 57 had meniscal and ligamentous lesions, 220 had osteoarthritis, and 89 had inflammatory synovitis. We used two types of arthroscopes, Hamou-Storz and Microview-Wolf, adapted from a microhysteroscope, which provided a x 150 magnification of the conventional field. Referring to established microarthroscopic aspects of the synovial membrane in normal and pathological conditions, we have suggested microarthroscopic criteria for the differential diagnosis of synovitis in various pathological disorders. We believe that there are new applications for microarthroscopy because the instruments appear to have great potential value for both research and diagnosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1466713", "title": "Arthroscopic anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction with patellar tendon.", "content": "Anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction using a bone-patella tendon-bone free autologous graft was performed with an arthroscopic technique in 73 patients with chronic insufficiency. Sixty-nine (94.5%) were available for personal follow-up 3-5 years after the operation. Six patients (8%) had had postoperative difficulties in regaining a complete range of motion. Symptoms of giving-way were cured in 97% of the cases, and 89% had returned to vigorous activities. Residual anterior laxity (defined as pivot shift 2+, and/or Lachman 2+, and/or KT-1000 > 5 mm at the manual maximum) was found in 13% and was more frequent in patients with an uncorrected varus laxity. Patellofemoral crepitus was present in 17% of the knees and was associated with pain and/or swelling in a further 4%; it correlated with radiographic evidence of patellofemoral incongruence (p = 0.009). Comparison of the results with those of a previous series performed by arthrotomy revealed a decreased incidence of limited range of motion, severe patellar symptoms, and changes in patellar height. Stability was the same."}
{"id": "PMID:1466714", "title": "Arthroscopic treatment of flexion deformity after ACL reconstruction.", "content": "After anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction, one frequent complication is the restriction of the range of motion and loss of extension. In addition to the presence of adhesions in the suprapatellar pouch, it is possible to detect two different pathological findings in the intercondylar notch: a misplacement of graft causing an intercondylar impingement, or the presence of hypertrophic tissue originating from the graft that blocks the last degrees of extension, causing an \"anterior impingement.\" We reviewed 18 consecutive cases treated by arthroscopic release. All patients had knee range-of-motion restriction after an ACL procedure. The follow-up at 1 and at 6 months shows that good results have been obtained in cases of anterior impingement, whereas in cases of intercondylar impingement a restricted range of motion, especially of flexion, did remain. In all cases, after arthroscopic treatment the postoperative extension was between 5 and 10 degrees, but this deficit regressed after 6 months in 12 patients, whereas a dropout case was necessary in the remaining 6 patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1466715", "title": "Microvasculature of the human medial meniscus: operative findings.", "content": "The purpose of our study was to weigh the probability of a successful meniscus repair on the basis of the microvasculature of the human medial meniscus. In a series of 105 patients who underwent an anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction between January 1985 and December 1986, we chose the 40 patients who had a subtotal medial meniscectomy (38%) to study the microvasculature of the human medial meniscus adequately; the other patients had either an intact meniscus (23%), a meniscus repair (29%), or an already removed meniscus (10%). Forty medial menisci, from 40 male patients with an average age of 27 years, having an anterolateral and/or anteromedial chronic knee laxity and an associated meniscal pathology, were subdivided into two groups: (a) 20 tears restricted to the posterior horn, and (b) 20 bucket-handle tears observed under light microscopy. Meaningful capillary plexuses penetrating into the meniscal stroma were found in 18 of 40 menisci (45%). They were easier to identify in posterior horn tears (55%) than in bucket-handle tears (35%), and were found especially in younger patients (22 years on the average). Therefore, we encourage meniscus repairs even in chronic tears, particularly in younger patients and in posterior-horn tears."}
{"id": "PMID:1466716", "title": "Lateral discoid meniscus: treatment and results.", "content": "Forty-six patients (47 knees) who had symptomatic discoid lateral menisci were operated on between August 1981 and May 1989. The patients were categorized according to Watanabe's classifications: complete (80.8%), incomplete (10.6%), and Wrisberg type (8.5%). The treatment of the discoid meniscus is based on total or partial meniscectomy, achieved by the percutaneous or arthrometric technique. Of the 47 knees, 30 underwent a follow-up evaluation. Using Ikeuchi's knee scale, 27 cases (90%) had either excellent or good ratings, and 3 (10%) received fair ratings. There were no poor outcomes. The results in the knees treated by partial meniscectomy were better than those in the knees treated with total meniscectomy."}
{"id": "PMID:1466717", "title": "Role of arthroscopic lateral release in the treatment of patellofemoral disorders.", "content": "The results of 50 arthroscopic lateral releases are reported. The average follow-up period was 36 months with a range of 18-52 months. Satisfactory results were achieved in 71% of 21 patients with patellar pain alone and in 76% of those (Betz RR, Lonergan R, Patterson R. The percutaneous lateral retinacular release Orthopaedics 1982;5:57-62) with instability. Patients with patellofemoral osteoarthritis or patellar dislocation were excluded from the series. Postoperative hemarthrosis occurred in 10%. Unsatisfactory results could be related to incomplete release, severe chondromalacia, or insufficient rehabilitation. Lateral release is capable of producing high rates of success with a low incidence of complication when used to treat patellar pain with tight retinaculum, patellar instability, and subluxation."}
{"id": "PMID:1466718", "title": "Operative arthroscopy of the ankle.", "content": "The long-term results of 30 operative arthroscopies of the ankle performed from 1983 to 1989 are the basis of this study. The most frequent lesions are synovitis and osteochondral defects of the talus. The treatment consists of lavage, synovial debridement, osteochondral debridement, and the removal of loose bodies. Of the 30 cases, 86.7% obtained excellent or good results and 88% of the athletes returned to their sport."}
{"id": "PMID:1466719", "title": "Recurrent atraumatic superior dislocation of the patella: case report and review of the literature.", "content": "Recurrent atraumatic superior dislocation of the patella with spontaneous reduction prevented by interlocking osteophytes has not been previously reported. Eight previous case reports were noted in the literature with single episodes of interlocking by osteophytes in a superior dislocation, none with recurrence, and all treated by closed reduction. The presentation of a 60-year-old woman with recurrent atraumatic superior dislocation of the patella on three separate occasions required closed reduction due to interlocking patella and trochlear osteophytes that were preventing spontaneous reduction. Arthroscopic debridement of these osteophytes resulted in no functional limitation or recurrence of dislocation at 28-month follow-up. This case demonstrates successful arthroscopic treatment of this previously unreported condition. In light of the increasingly active aging population with coexistent patellofemoral joint osteoarthritis, this presentation may become more frequent."}
{"id": "PMID:1466720", "title": "Arthroscopic release of a posttraumatic flexion contracture in the elbow: a case report and review of the literature.", "content": "Open arthrotomy has been the standard of treatment for posttraumatic flexion contractures of the elbow. Utilizing standard arthroscopic techniques combined with electrocautery, anterior capsulotomy was performed without complication. Immediate improvement in extension was demonstrated. Multiple cadaveric dissections evidenced the safety of the approach as the humeral capsular attachment is isolated from the neurovascular structures by the brachialis muscle. This technique serves to underscore the utility of elbow arthroscopy in patients with dysfunction previously only amenable to open joint procedures."}
{"id": "PMID:1466721", "title": "The role of screening in the fight against breast cancer.", "content": "Breast cancer, a significant cause of mortality, can often be tackled effectively if detected at an early stage. This may be achieved by mammography, physical examination by skilled practitioners, or self-examination of the breasts. However, the value and feasibility of these methods vary with the age of the subject and with economic and cultural circumstances."}
{"id": "PMID:1466724", "title": "Preparing the young to look after the old.", "content": "In Malaysia the steady rise in the proportion of people aged 60 or more, and an awareness of their complex psychosocial, economic and health care needs, have led medical faculties to introduce geriatrics as an essential subject in their curricula. The efforts made in this field by the School of Medical Sciences of the Universiti Sains Malaysia are outlined in the present article."}
{"id": "PMID:1466725", "title": "Rehabilitation technicians for remote rural communities.", "content": "A programme is described in which indigenous personnel are trained to provide culturally appropriate rehabilitation services for islanders of the Pacific Basin. The disabling conditions most commonly dealt with are associated with stroke, diabetes, arthritis, trauma, and back and neck pain. The programme could be adapted to meet needs in other remote rural communities lacking suitably trained carers."}
{"id": "PMID:1466726", "title": "Health care for nomads too, please.", "content": "Pastoral nomadism, a way of life in many developing countries, especially in Africa, has received little attention from planners, economists and governments, partly because the communities in question present what are perceived as difficult logistical problems. Yet it is incumbent on the authorities to develop practical and feasible approaches to the delivery of primary health care for nomadic populations."}
{"id": "PMID:1466727", "title": "What health system for nomadic populations?", "content": "In Niger, independent mobile health units intended to meet the needs of nomadic populations have proved ineffectual and excessively costly. Primary health care services should be based on fixed structures with a reasonably wide radius of coverage and sufficient flexibility and mobile capacity to fulfil their obligations to all sectors of the population."}
{"id": "PMID:1466730", "title": "Patterns and problems of alcohol consumption in Japan.", "content": "The authors trace the roots of Japan's drinking culture and show how socioeconomic developments, especially in the cities, have led to increased alcohol consumption and associated problems. Measures taken by both the state and nongovernmental bodies to combat alcohol abuse and rehabilitate alcoholics are outlined."}
{"id": "PMID:1466744", "title": "What technologies for health care in developing countries?", "content": "In order to decide whether a health technology is suitable for introduction into a developing country it is first necessary to assess both it and the infrastructural conditions in which it would have to function. The present article examines the rationale for establishing national health technology assessment programmes and outlines how they might be conducted."}
{"id": "PMID:1466745", "title": "Intoxicants: no gateway to happiness.", "content": "Intoxicants may have symbolic and ritualistic significance and they are widely used to provide excuses for social ineptitude, poor performance, bad behaviour and various other kinds of failure. There are no grounds for attributing to their pharmacological properties any feelings of well-being or joy that may be associated with their use."}
{"id": "PMID:1466746", "title": "Removing the \"magic\" from drugs.", "content": "Following training courses, young people in Sri Lanka are demonstrating that the subjective influence of alcohol and other drugs, and the behaviour they allegedly induce, can be changed by undermining widely held beliefs on their effects. Support is thus emerging for the view that the \"magic\" or pleasurable experiences commonly ascribed to drugs have little to do with their chemical action."}
{"id": "PMID:1466748", "title": "PCR-based analysis of the TCR repertoire in human autoimmune diseases.", "content": "Characterization of T cells at sites of autoimmune damage has been difficult. Now, however, polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based methods are being used to analyse T-cell receptor (TCR) gene expression in such lesions. Here, Christopher Marguerie, Claudio Lunardi and Alex So summarize and interpret the most recent findings and describe the current understanding of TCR usage in autoimmune diseases."}
{"id": "PMID:1466750", "title": "A strategy to improve the efficacy of vaccination against tuberculosis and leprosy.", "content": "The pathogens responsible for leprosy, tuberculosis and the leishmaniases can induce different classes of immunity, but protection is provided only by a cell-mediated response. Here, Peter Bretscher proposes a strategy to achieve an immunological imprint that ensures a stable cell-mediated response upon natural infection."}
{"id": "PMID:1466751", "title": "The role of hsp90 in fungal infection.", "content": "The immunodominant antigens of many microbial pathogens are heat shock proteins (hsps). In systemic candidal infections, a major target of protective antibody is an epitope shared with human hsp90. Here, Ruth Matthews and James Burnie suggest that fungal hsp90 plays a key pathogenic role in systemic infection by either binding to certain serum proteins, causing them to malfunction, or by mimicking the functional activity of other proteins."}
{"id": "PMID:1466752", "title": "Islet cell antigens in insulin-dependent diabetes: Pandora's box revisited.", "content": "A major goal of research into IDDM has been the identification of the 'causative antigen'. As described in this article by Len Harrison, this reductionist aim is confounded by the fact that numerous candidate islet cell antigens have been described. He scrutinizes the credentials of these candidates and discusses the problem of using autoantibodies to identify causative antigens in a T-cell-mediated disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1466753", "title": "The echinoid immune system and the phylogenetic occurrence of immune mechanisms in deuterostomes.", "content": "In this article, Courtney Smith and Eric Davidson reinterpret the published data on immune function in lower deuterostomes and primitive chordates. It leads them to a new model of immune system phylogeny in which MHC-directed T-cell responses are the last to evolve and are not derived from subchordate self-nonself recognition systems."}
{"id": "PMID:1466754", "title": "Guidelines for the PhD degree in immunology. International Union of Immunological Societies Education Committee.", "content": "The International Union of Immunological Societies, recognizing the need for internationally acceptable standards for the PhD degree in immunology, commissioned the IUIS Education Committee to prepare recommendations on the subject. This document, the result of a two-year study of PhD programs in many countries, presents these recommendations."}
{"id": "PMID:1466756", "title": "Secondary structural changes of metmyoglobin and apomyoglobin in anionic and cationic surfactant solutions: effect of the hydrophobic chain length of the surfactants on the structural changes.", "content": "Secondary structural changes of metmyoglobin and apomyoglobin were examined in solutions of sodium alkylsulfates with hydrocarbon numbers of 8 and 12, and alkyltrimethylammonium bromides with hydrocarbon numbers of 10, 12, 14, and 16. The relative proportion of alpha-helical structure was estimated by the curve-fitting method of circular dichroic spectrum. The helical proportions of metmyoglobin and apomyoglobin were 82 and 63%, respectively. The shorter the hydrocarbon chain the surfactant had, the higher the concentration necessary to disrupt the secondary structures of these proteins. However, the helical proportion had a tendency to decrease down to lower values in solutions of the cationic surfactants with short hydrophobic groups. On the other hand, the alpha-helical structure of apomyoglobin was disrupted in lower concentrations of each cationic surfactant than that of metmyoglobin, although the disruptions of the same structures in both the proteins occurred in the same concentration range of each anionic surfactant. It appeared likely that the removal of the heme group unstabilized the myoglobin conformation only in the cationic surfactant solutions."}
{"id": "PMID:1466757", "title": "Identification of tissue proteins by amino acid analysis after purification by two-dimensional electrophoresis.", "content": "Mouse brain proteins were separated by two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE). The proteins of a section of the 2-DE pattern were blotted onto hydrophobic membranes and 43 of them were excised and hydrolyzed by liquid-phase hydrolysis. The amino acid composition of these proteins was determined by orthophthaldialdehyde precolumn derivatization and compared with the compositions of known proteins stored in the NBRF sequence database. An identification program named ASA was developed for this purpose. The ASA program includes correction and weighting factors, data reduction by molecular weight windows, and exclusion or inclusion of certain organisms as desired. As a control, eight test proteins and five well-known proteins from mouse brain, all separated by 2-DE, were correctly identified by the program. Out of the 43 brain proteins selected, 19 were identified with high confidence."}
{"id": "PMID:1466758", "title": "Solubility and reactivity of caseins and beta-lactoglobulin in protic solvents.", "content": "The study of the solubility of unstructured proteins (alpha s1-, beta-, and kappa-casein) and well-structured globulin (beta-lactoglobulin) in low water binary solvent systems demonstrated the crucial importance of solvent polarity and neutralization of protein polar functions on the final outcome of solubility experiments. The solubilities up to 38, 56, and 96% in CHCl3/CH3OH (1/1, v/v) acidified with HCl and up to 5, 10, and 25% in CHCl3/CH3OH (1/1, v/v) in the presence of triethylamine (TEA) were obtained for kappa-, alpha s1-, and beta-casein, respectively. The importance of protein charge neutralization was apparent when the solubilization was performed in basified CHCl3/CH3OH media, giving the optimal results when the studied proteins were brought before to their isoionic point. The maximum solubility of beta-casein at its pI in 30-70% methanol in CHCl3 was reaching 50-60% with triethylamine (TEA) added. beta-lactoglobulin could be solubilized up to 70% in CHCl3/CH3OH (7/3, v/v) acidified with HCl and up to 40% in CHCl3/CH3OH (3/7, v/v) in the presence of TEA. The observed yield of reductive alkylation of beta-lactoglobulin was much higher (98%) when performed in studied solvent system than in aqueous conditions (75%). Apparently, steric hindrance of the well-folded beta-barrel (in aqueous conditions) structure masks the portion of epsilon-NH2 groups. In the case of unstructured aqueous media beta-casein, 90% alkylation yields were obtained in organic and aqueous conditions."}
{"id": "PMID:1466759", "title": "Prediction of the tertiary structure of parathyroid-hormone-related protein (residues 1-34) by the island model.", "content": "Prediction of the tertiary structure of a 34 residue N-terminal fragment of parathyroid-hormone-related protein was carried out by the island model. This peptide is known as a major causative agent of humoral hypercalcemia of malignancy, but structural information studied by X-ray diffraction has not been reported. We adopted the secondary structure determined by NMR and packed on the basis of island model of protein folding developed by us. Predicted structure is discussed in connection with the interaction of active sites."}
{"id": "PMID:1466760", "title": "Primary structure of chain I of the heterodimeric hemoglobin from the blood clam Barbatia virescens.", "content": "The blood clam Barbatia virescens has a heterodimeric hemoglobin in erythrocytes. Interestingly, the congeneric clams B. reeveana and B. lima contain quite different hemoglobins: tetramer and polymeric hemoglobin consisting of unusual didomain chain. The complete amino acid sequence of chain I of B. virescens has been determined. The sequence was mainly determined from CNBr peptides and their subpeptides, and the alignment of the peptides was confirmed by sequencing of PCR-amplified cDNA for B. virescens chain I. The cDNA-derived amino acid sequence matched completely with the sequence proposed from protein sequencing. B. virescens chain I is composed of 156 amino acid residues, and the molecular mass was calculated to be 18,387 D, including a heme group. The sequence of B. virescens chain I showed 35-42% sequence identity with those of the related clam Anadara trapezia and the congeneric clam B. reeveana. An evolutionary tree for Anadara and Barbatia chains clearly indicates that all of the chains are evolved from one ancestral globin gene, and that the divergence of chains has occurred in each clam after the speciation. The evolutionary rate for clam hemoglobins was estimated to be about four times faster than that of vertebrate hemoglobin. We suggest that blood clam hemoglobin is a physiologically less important molecule when compared with vertebrate hemoglobins, and so it evolved rapidly and resulted in a remarkable diversity in quaternary and subunit structure within a relatively short period."}
{"id": "PMID:1466761", "title": "Comparative study on the thermostability of collagen I of skin and bone: influence of posttranslational hydroxylation of prolyl and lysyl residues.", "content": "Pepsin-solubilized collagen I from skin and bone was analyzed with regard to its thermal stability as a triple helical molecule in solution and after in vitro fibril formation. Collagen I from human control bone was compared with samples showing deficiencies or surplus in the degree of hydroxylation of lysine. The helix to coil transitions were studied by circular-dichroism measurements and limited trypsin digestion. Melting of fibrils from standardized in vitro self-assembly was investigated turbidimetrically. Human control bone collagen I has a maximum transition rate (Tm) at 43.3 degrees C in 0.05% acetic acid. This is 1.9 degrees C above control skin (Tm = 41.4 degrees C), most likely, due to a higher degree of prolyl hydroxylation--0.48 in bone vs. 0.41 in skin collagen I. Lysyl overhydroxylation of human and mouse bone collagen I appears to reduce the Tm slightly (approximately 1 degree C). Underhydroxylated bone collagen has a Tm which is 2 degrees C below control. Melting temperatures of in vitro formed fibrils are an indication for higher thermostability in parallel with an increase of lysyl hydroxylation. Accordingly, the melting temperature of such fibrils from human control skin, 49.3 degrees C, exceeds control bone by 1.4 degrees C. The degree of lysyl hydroxylation in these samples is 0.14 and 0.10, respectively. Further underhydroxylation (0.06) reduced it down to 45.4 degrees C, while extensive overhydroxylation did not continue to increase the thermal stability of fibrils."}
{"id": "PMID:1466762", "title": "Binding of benzo(a)pyrene, ellipticine, and cis-parinaric acid to beta-lactoglobulin: influence of protein modifications.", "content": "The binding of benzo(a)pyrene, ellipticine, and cis-parinaric acid to native, esterified, and alkylated beta-lactoglobulin was followed by enhancement of the ligand fluorescence. Three studied ligands bind to native or modified beta-lactoglobulin in apparent molar ratios varying between 1/8 and 2/1, with apparent dissociation constants in the range of 10(-8) M for ligand/beta-lactoglobulin complexes. The studied, chemically modified beta-lactoglobulin derivatives display higher binding affinities for all studied ligands, cis-parinaric acid excluded. The reductive alkylation of epsilon-NH2 lysyl residues of beta-lactoglobulin increases the apparent molar ratios of benzo(a)pyrene and cis-parinaric acid, and decreases it for ellipticine. The esterified and native beta-lactoglobulin complexed to the investigated ligands display similar stoichiometries. Dynamic light scattering study of ligand-beta-lactoglobulin complexes in solution shows the formation of aggregates: the apparent hydrodynamic radius value of beta-lactoglobulin dimer (3.4 nm) reaches 49, 46, and 74 nm upon addition and binding of benzo(a)pyrene, ellipticine, and cis-parinaric acid, respectively."}
{"id": "PMID:1466764", "title": "Chemical modification of interleukin-1 beta: biochemical characterization of a carbodiimide-catalyzed intramolecular cross-linked protein.", "content": "We have modified recombinant human Interleukin-1 beta using 1-ethyl-3(3-dimethylaminopropyl)-carbodiimide at pH 6.5, resulting in the formation of an internally cross-linked protein. The major product (30% yield) of the reaction (17 kD; pI = 6.2) was purified and fully characterized by peptide mapping using Endoproteinase Lys C. When digests were conducted under nondenaturing conditions, we found that the modified protein is different from the native protein. The native protein yielded 14 peptides after digestion, whereas only two large peptides and a tetrapeptide, Asn-Tyr-Pro-Lys, were released from the cross-linked protein (i.e., cleavage occurs only at residues Lys88 and Lys92). Using gel filtration, the two peptides were found to co-elute as a single species (15 kD), which represent a noncovalent complex of the amino terminal and C-terminal portions of the molecule. Further analysis of the modified protein by peptide mapping under denaturing conditions and by FAB MS analysis showed that Glu111 and Lys138 were internally cross-linked. The cross-linked protein had bioactivity (T-cell proliferation), fluorescence, and circular dichroism spectra similar to native IL-1 beta. In contrast, while having similar secondary structure, the digested cross-linked protein had less than 1% of T-cell proliferative activity of the undigested protein. These data show that the structural integrity surrounding and perhaps including the Asn-Tyr-Pro-Lys region may be crucial for the biological activity of rIL-1 beta and may be important for the binding of IL-1 to its receptor."}
{"id": "PMID:1466763", "title": "Effects of amino acid substitutions outside an antigenic site on protein binding to monoclonal antibodies of predetermined specificity obtained by peptide immunization: demonstration with region 145-151 (antigenic site 5) of myoglobin.", "content": "Monoclonal antibodies of predetermined specificity were prepared by immunization with a free (i.e., without coupling to any protein carrier) synthetic peptide representing region 145-151 of sperm whale myoglobin (SpMb) and their cross-reactions with eight Mb variants were determined. Five Mbs--bottle-nose dolphin myoglobin (BdMb), pacific common dolphin myoglobin (PdMb), horse myoglobin (HsMb), dog myoglobin (DgMb), and badger myoglobin (BgMb)--have an identical sequence in that region. Nevertheless, these Mbs exhibited very different cross-reactivities. BdMb and PdMb exhibited cross-activities which were comparable to that of the reference antigen, SpMb; while the reactivity of HsMb was remarkedly decreased, DgMb and BgMb showed almost no cross-reactions with these mAbs. Since the region 145-151 has an identical sequence in all the five Mbs, it is concluded that the differences in their antigenic reactivities with anti-region 145-151 mAbs are due to the effects of amino acid substitutions outside the region 145-151. Another pair of myoglobins, echidna myoglobin (EdMb) and chicken myoglobin (ChMb), have the same sequence in that region, but reacted very differently with anti-region 145-151 mAbs. The reactivity and affinity of EdMb were substantially decreased while those of ChMb were almost completely absent, relative to SpMb. It is concluded, contrary to popular assumptions, that when an amino acid substitution influences the binding of a protein variant to a mAb, it is not necessary for that substitution to be an actual contact residue (i.e., a residue within the antigenic site where the mAb binds). Such effects, which are often very drastic, could be due to indirect influences of the substitution on the chemical and binding properties of the site residues. Furthermore, residues which had been postulated, on the basis of these assumptions, to constitute discontinuous antigenic sites in SpMb, were found [from the present studies and those recently reported with mAbs against the other four antigenic site of Mb (regions 15-22, 56-62, 94-100, and 113-120 of SpMb)] to merely be exerting indirect effects on the known five antigenic sites of Mb. The effects of substitutions, which can happen even in the absence of conformational changes, are determined by many factors, such as the chemical nature of the substitution, its environment, its distance from the site, and the nature of the site residue(s) being affected."}
{"id": "PMID:1466765", "title": "Enkephalin is a competitive antagonist of cholecystokinin in the gastrointestinal tract, as predicted from prior conformational analysis.", "content": "Prior calculations based on ECEPP (Empirical Conformational Energies for Peptides Program) of the low energy minima for cholecystokinin (CCK) and Met-enkephalin have demonstrated that significant structural features of these two peptides are identical. This result suggested the possibility that Met-enkephalin, as well as other enkephalin analogues of similar structure, could associate with receptors for CCK. To test this theoretical result, we examined the ability of Met-enkephalin and its analogues to bind to peripheral CCK receptors in the rat gastrointestinal tract; in particular, we measured the ability of the opiate peptide to inhibit the effects of CCK in a physiological assay system which we have previously characterized: CCK-induced contraction of the isolated rat pyloric sphincter. We find that Met-enkephalin is an antagonist of the CCK-8-induced contraction, with a IC50 of 110 nM. Furthermore, antibodies against CCK were found to cross-react with Met-enkephalin and its analogues in a manner which suggests a distinct structure-activity relationship. These experimental results strongly support the theoretical results of conformational analysis showing structural similarity between enkephalin and CCK. They further suggest that enkephalins could modulate the response of CCK systems under physiological conditions."}
{"id": "PMID:1466766", "title": "Guanine-nucleotide binding activity, interaction with GTPase-activating protein and solution conformation of the human c-Ha-Ras protein catalytic domain are retained upon deletion of C-terminal 18 amino acid residues.", "content": "A truncated human c-Ha-Ras protein that lacks the C-terminal 18 amino acid residues and the truncated Ras protein with the amino acid substitution Gly-->Val in position 12 were prepared by an E. coli overexpression system. The truncated Ras protein showed the same guanine-nucleotide binding activity and GTPase activity as those of the full-length Ras protein. Further, the same extent of GTPase activity enhancement due to GTPase-activating protein was observed for the truncated and full-length Ras proteins. In fact, two-dimensional proton NMR analyses indicated that the tertiary structure of the truncated Ras protein (GDP-bound or GMPPNP-bound) was nearly the same as that of the corresponding catalytic domain of the full-length Ras protein. Moreover, a conformational change around the effector region upon GDP-->GMPPNP exchange occurred in the same manner for both proteins. These observations indicate that the C-terminal flanking region (18 amino acid residues) of the Ras protein does not appreciably interact with the catalytic domain. Therefore, the truncated Ras protein is suitable for studying the molecular mechanism involved in the GTPase activity and the interaction with the GTPase-activating protein. On the other hand, an active form of the truncated Ras protein, unlike that of the full-length Ras protein, did not induce neurite outgrowth of rat pheochromocytoma PC12 cells. Thus, membrane anchoring of the Ras protein through its C-terminal four residues is not required for the interaction of Ras and GAP, but may be essential for the following binding of the Ras-GAP complex with the putative downstream target."}
{"id": "PMID:1466767", "title": "Calcium-binding proteins in the dentate gyrus.", "content": "Calbindin D28k (CaBP) is present throughout the entire cell volume of all dentate granule cells in the rat and its appearance is a useful indicator of their development and maturation. Kindling induces a dramatic reduction of granule cell CaBP content but does not make granule cells any more susceptible to the effects of ischemia in adult rats. Others have reported that the levels of CaBP are regulated by corticosterone but our results (in adrenalectomized Wistar or hypophysectomized Sprague-Dawley rats) suggest that any effect is small and transitory. Parvalbumin (PV) is located quite specifically within the entire cell volume of a subpopulation of GABAergic neurons both in the granule cell layer and hilar zone. It appears quite late in the development of the neurons. Reports that kindling induces an increase in PV immunoreactivity in neurons within the hippocampal formation are not supported by the direct measurement of PV levels by radioimmunoassay. Hypophysectomy resulted in a significant fall in PV levels in a number of brain areas including the combined dentate gyrus/CA3 region of the hippocampal formation."}
{"id": "PMID:1466768", "title": "Morphological changes in the dentate gyrus in human temporal lobe epilepsy.", "content": "Multiple morphological and neurochemical changes are found in the dentate gyrus of humans with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). Three basically different types of changes will be discussed and some interrelationships considered. Neuronal loss in several regions of the hippocampal formation in human TLE has been recognized for many years, but only recently have the polymorph or hilar neurons been evaluated as a distinct group of neurons, and cell loss in this region is now being documented in many cases with severe TLE. Reorganization of afferents within the molecular layer of the dentate gyrus is also found in a high percentage of TLE specimens. The apparent reorganization of mossy fibers from the dentate granule cells is particularly striking, and aberrant innervation of the inner part of the molecular layer by zinc- and dynorphin-containing mossy fibers has been reported in human tissue by several groups of investigators. In a subpopulation of TLE specimens, there is also disorganization of the granule cell layer. Rather than being arranged in the compact, highly organized layer that is characteristic of control tissue, the granule cell bodies in some TLE cases are dispersed. In some additional cases, a bilaminar pattern of granule cells is observed. Each of these changes could contribute to altered circuitry within the dentate gyrus of humans with TLE, and such alterations could influence seizure susceptibility within the hippocampal formation."}
{"id": "PMID:1466769", "title": "Information processing in the dentate gyrus.", "content": "The dentate gyrus is viewed as playing a major role in the generation of epileptiform activity. The ramifications of disrupted neuronal activity in the dentate gyrus are discussed with emphasis on the role of the dentate gyrus in processing sensory information. Several features of conditioned auditory-evoked potentials reflective of activity in the perforant path are described with respect to the activity of dentate granule cells. Comparisons of the sequential changes which occur in the perforant path synaptic activity and dentate granule cell discharge reveal an inverse relationship between synaptic input from the perforant path and degree of cell firing on any given trial. This inverse relationship is addressed in terms of extra-hippocampal projections to the cortex as well as recurrent connections to the enthorhinal area and the cells of origin of the perforant path. It is concluded that the perforant path regulates the response of the dentate granule cells to sensory input from the neocortex by decreasing synaptic drive when granule cell activity is high and increasing that synaptic drive when granule cell activity is low. This extra-hippocampal control of perforant path activity serves to 'clamp' the dentate granule cell response rate within a tightly controlled range to guarantee that granule cells will have some response capacity to 'unexpected' sensory experiences."}
{"id": "PMID:1466770", "title": "[Metabolism of trace elements in healthy and sick children. I. Health status].", "content": "The oligo-elements or trace elements have acquired a major importance in the knowledge concerning corporal composition and in the comprehension of their metabolic participation in organic processes. Today, thanks to the technological and scientific progress reached by modern pediatrics, the studies made at cellular level have advanced to a molecular level, which will in the future be, without doubt, the bridge that will lead into the atomic level. In addition, this review will briefly summarize several facts of the knowledge accumulated up to now, regarding: 1. The nutritional aspects of these oligo-elements; 2. Its biological functions in healthy condition, especially in children; 3. Their respective nutritional requirements."}
{"id": "PMID:1466771", "title": "[Differential physical growth during the 1st year of life. II. Growth of the head].", "content": "The corporal segment that display the major growth velocity before and after born is the head; that is, once a baby is born, it represents the fourth part of the stature, it has the greater corporal circumference, and their development is superior than other corporal segments. However, the growth shape of the craniofacial structures is different; so, the growth gradient of brain, is the responsible of the morphological view described previously; the facial structures follow the general growth curve; moreover, the facial bone that contributes with the growth of brain, describes mixed growth gradients. This complex shape of the head growth, requires the existence of growth standards for these structures. The present paper describes the results of longitudinal research on head growth. We studied 200 children of both sex and ages from 0 to 1 year of extrauterine life. We got 18 growth measures of the head, such as: head circumference, head length and width, minimum frontal diameter; head, total facial, upper facial, and nose height; bizygomatic, bigonial, external bipalpebral, internal bipalpebral and nose widths; length and width of lips and ear. Moreover, we report the final increments and the differences on sexual dimorphism."}
{"id": "PMID:1466772", "title": "[Protection of health personnel against hepatitis B by DNA recombinant vaccine].", "content": "Hepatitis B (HVB) is a worldwide spread health problem. It has been assessed that there are more than 300 millions of carriers. HVB has a special concern for health care workers (HCW's) due to the high risk among them of getting the infection in clinic-setting areas. According to some estimation, the risk for hepatitis B among HCW's is 2 to 10 times higher than the risk for general population. The risk is related to the degree of direct contact with blood and body fluids, as well as, with the frequency of traumatic exposure in the work place. The control of this infection is based on the observance of universal precautions and the vaccination, since there is not treatment against this disease. The results of an efficacy-evaluation of DNA recombinant vaccine against hepatitis B are reported; 174 HCW's were studied; three dosages of vaccine were administered (0.1st and 6th month) by I.M. via. In addition, three serum samples were collected at 0, 1st and 9th month after vaccine administration. We did not find carriers of surface antigen of hepatitis B. With regards to seroconverted individuals we observed the following results: there were a satisfactory response to the vaccine in 163 individuals (93.7%); however, 8 (4.6%) persons did not reach titles of protective antibodies and 3 (1.7%) did not show seroconversion at all. Therefore, 11 persons (6.3% of the total) did not result immunized. The secondary reactions to the vaccines were low in frequency and mainly of local presentation. Among the study population we did not find chronic carries of hepatitis B.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1466773", "title": "[Usefulness of endoscopy in the differential diagnosis of hemorrhage of the upper digestive tract in children].", "content": "One hundred and sixty two patients with upper and intermediate gastrointestinal hemorrhage studied under a prospective protocol are reported. Upper endoscopy revealed lesions of the upper gastrointestinal tract in 137 patients (89%); a barium swallow performed to 92 of them failed to confirm the endoscopic diagnosis in 66 (71.7%). In 99m Tc scan suggested ectopic gastric mucosa in 9 cases; Meckel's diverticulum was confirmed by laparotomy in 7 and gastrointestinal duplication in two of them. Selective mesenteric arteriography demonstrated bleeding ileo-cecal varices in one patient. The main causes of gastrointestinal hemorrhage in the current series were duodenal ulcer (22.8%), esophageal varices (14.8%), stress ulcers (14.2%), reflux esophagitis (7.4%), aspirin-induced gastritis (6.8%), gastric ulcer (5.6%) and ectopic gastric mucosa (5.6%). These diagnosis were characteristically distributed according to pediatric age-groups. The source of bleeding could be detected in 90% of the patients studied. A clinical approach to differential diagnosis of patients with gastrointestinal bleeding is presented."}
{"id": "PMID:1466774", "title": "[Prevalence of dental caries and rampant caries in a preschool population].", "content": "The results from a study on prevalence of ordinary dental caries and rampant caries in a children population are presented. The study was carried out at Dentistry Out patient Service in the Children Hospital \"San Juan de Arag\u00f3n\" of the Federal District Department. The DMF index was obtained and its was proposed another one, in order to classify the different degrees of rampant caries in function of dental damage. An interview was applied to the fathers of the children of the study group in order to determinate hygiene oral habits, eating and familiar antecedents that could influence in the process of the ordinary and rampant caries and to compare between them. Serum and saliva were analyzed to determinate levels of albumin and IgM, IgG and IgA; there were also others factors tested that could indicate caries development."}
{"id": "PMID:1466775", "title": "[Right pulmonary hyperplasia with bronchoesophageal fistula].", "content": "The pulmonary hypoplasia with bronchoesophageal fistula is a rarely-seen disease which can be confused with total pulmonary agenesis. This case study concerns to one day old male newborn which was hospitalized in our hospital with respiratory difficulties, accompanied by pulmonary opacity of the right side. After having carried out diagnosis studies, including bronchography, we concluded that it was a case of pulmonary agenesis. The patient died from persistent pulmonary hypertension. The anatomopathologic diagnosis, was right pulmonary hypoplasia with bronchoesophageal fistula. This pathology originated during early embryonic stage when the bronchoplastic and esophagoplastic tissue are incompletely separated an thus a fistula between the esophagus and the principal bronchus is formed. The presence of a fistula could not be proven by bronchography. However, esophagography or esophagoscopy would have proven the presence of the fistula."}
{"id": "PMID:1466776", "title": "[Becker's melanosis: a case report].", "content": "Becker melanosis is a dermatosis characterized by hyperpigmentation and hypertrichosis in absence of cells nevus; its frequency is unknown an its presentation is rare in the infancy; appearance usually during puberty. In the last years its association to anomalies of development increase the importance of this entity. We present the case of 4 years old girl considered the youngest report in the literature, with affection of trunk and right leg associated to minimum shorten of right leg."}
{"id": "PMID:1466777", "title": "[Septic shock in newborn infants].", "content": "Systemic bacterial infections continue to be a main cause of death in newborns at neonatal intensive care units (NICU), worldwide. Bacteria causing neonatal septicemia are mainly the gram-negative, which possess endotoxin and are responsible for endotoxic shock. However, gram-positive bacteria are also able to induce septic shock, especially in immunocompromised hosts, like the newborns. Diagnosis and treatment of neonatal septic shock are quite difficult. Furthermore, there is not sufficient knowledge about its real frequency in Latin-american countries. The hyperdynamic phase of septic shock in newborns can be short and the hypodynamic phase is rapidly established, which increases the mortality. Since few years ago, some important aspects of physiopathology in septic shock have been studied and, at the same time that our knowledge about immunologic soluble mediators is increasing, new therapeutic modalities have been discovered. Such is the case of the therapeutic potentialities of cytokines, receptor antagonists and monoclonal antibodies, which is very encouraging at the present time."}
{"id": "PMID:1466778", "title": "Effect of post-training unilateral labyrinthectomy in a spatial orientation task by guinea pigs.", "content": "The effects of unilateral labyrinthectomy in guinea pigs have been studied on an angular orientation task consisting, in an open field, of running to a hidden goal oriented at 45 degrees with respect to the cephalocaudal axis of the animal placed in a starting-box. The task was conducted in light but in an homogeneous environment, i.e. without visual, auditory or olfactory cues indicating the location of the goal. A second group of animals was submitted to a similar task running to a hidden goal but the place of the goal was indicated by a colored card. All the animals were trained before the lesion and tested in their respective task for 1 month after the lesion. In the task conducted without conspicuous cues, animals were dramatically disturbed. In contrast, animals pretrained in the visually guided task were not impaired after the lesion. These results point out the important role of vestibular information in performing spatial tasks based on angular estimation, since, even if proprioceptive and visuokinesthetic information remain available, subjects seemed not able to maintain a correct angular trajectory. The trajectories being not disturbed in the visually guided task, one can exclude the hypothesis that such deficit was due to a purely motor disturbance."}
{"id": "PMID:1466779", "title": "Regulatory behaviour, exploration and locomotion following NMDA or 6-OHDA lesions in the rat nucleus accumbens.", "content": "The effects of bilateral, N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)-induced lesions of the nucleus accumbens (N.Acc.) on regulatory and behavioural responding were studied in rats and compared with the effects of bilateral 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) lesions. After postoperative body weight, food and water intake had been monitored for a period of 4 weeks, rats were tested in an exploration-choice box. Spontaneous locomotion and the locomotor and stereotypy responses to different doses of dopaminergic agonists were measured subsequently. Detailed assessment of NMDA-induced lesion volumes showed that on average 81.53% of total N.Acc. area was damaged, depending on excitotoxin dose. Tyrosine hydroxylase immunohistochemistry was used to confirm loss of mesolimbic dopamine neurones following 6-OHDA. Analysis of the behavioural data showed that NMDA N.Acc. lesions significantly enhanced exploratory behaviour, spontaneous locomotor activity and the locomotor response to a low dose of D-amphetamine. By comparison, 6-OHDA lesions did not affect exploration and spontaneous locomotion but significantly attenuated the locomotor response to a low dose of D-amphetamine. Regulatory responses were unaffected 28 days after surgery, although NMDA-lesioned rats took longer to recover from postoperative hypodipsia. The results suggest that NMDA N.Acc. lesions induce a deficit in the control of general locomotor output and are consistent with the hypothesis that the N.Acc. functions as an interface between sensory input and locomotor output and that it is needed to channel activity levels appropriately."}
{"id": "PMID:1466780", "title": "Opponent-process theory and drug conditioning: an assessment for conditioned stimulant-induced movement.", "content": "Opponent-process theory occupies an important place in drug conditioning because it accounts for conditioned drug effects which are opposite to those induced by the drug itself. It has not been established, however, whether there is an opponent-process component to stimulant drug induced conditioned effects. In the present study the unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) rat model was used to examine this issue. Two groups of Sprague-Dawley rats with equivalent 6-OHDA lesions were administered five apomorphine treatments (0.05 mg/kg s.c.) either paired or unpaired to a 10-min test chamber placement. Apomorphine induced vigorous contralateral rotation and suppressed all ipsilateral rotation. While the apomorphine-induced contralateral rotation response can be conditioned to the test environment cues, the critical test of opponent-process theory in the present study was whether the opposite response of ipsilateral rotation would also become conditioned as a latent opponent-process response to the exteroceptive test environment cues associated with the apomorphine drug state. The postacquisition saline test for conditioning showed that the paired group exhibited higher rates of contralateral and ipsilateral rotation compared to the unpaired group. In addition, when the animals were subsequently tested with the dopaminergic receptor antagonist, haloperidol (0.5 mg/kg), unexpectedly, contralateral rotation was enhanced in the paired group, whereas, ipsilateral rotation was suppressed in both groups. While these findings are, in part, compatible with an opponent-process mechanism, the data supported a simpler explanation; namely, the mechanism of differential habituation in the two groups due to a blocking effect of apomorphine on habituation selectively in the paired group.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1466781", "title": "Hippocampal mossy fibres: implication in novelty reactions or in anxiety behaviours?", "content": "Hippocampal mossy fibre distribution is known to correlate with various processes including responses to novelty. Unfortunately, these correlations have been calculated using behavioural variables recorded in situations including anxiogenic components and so it is not clear whether the hippocampal trait is related to novelty reactions or to anxiety. In order to better elucidate the functional role of the supra- (SP-MF), intra-infra-(IIP-MF) and dentate gyrus (CA4) mossy fibres synaptic area, we investigated their covariations with behavioural measures recorded in situations related to novelty (free exploration test, confrontation with a novel object) or to anxiety (light/dark choice test). The hippocampus-behaviour correlation matrix reveals that IIP-MF and SP-MF correlate with variables linked to novelty reactions while CA4 correlates with measures related to anxiety."}
{"id": "PMID:1466782", "title": "Learning behaviour in chronic vitamin E-deficient and -supplemented rats: radial arm maze learning and passive avoidance response.", "content": "The effects of long-term vitamin E deficiency and supplementation on learning behaviour were investigated. Rats were fed vitamin E-deficient [VE(-)], -supplemented [VE(+)], or control standard food beginning after the age of 4 weeks. They were trained in an eight-arm radial maze learning task at the age of 17 months, and in a step-through passive avoidance response (PAR) task at the age of 25 months. In the radial maze task, both VE(-) and VE(+) animals required as many trials to reach the learning criterion as control animals. Scopolamine injection (0.25-0.5 mg/kg) after acquisition of the task decreased the number of correct choices dose-dependently; however, the degree of the drug effect on VE(-) and VE(+) rats did not differ from that on control rats. On the other hand, VE(-) animals showed significantly lower rate of avoidance response and VE(+) animals tended to show higher rate of avoidance response in the PAR task than did control animals. These results suggest that long-term vitamin E deficiency or supplementation does not influence general ability to acquire and maintain memory tasks in rats, but that it may affect learning behaviour, depending on the kind of task in which animals were trained."}
{"id": "PMID:1466783", "title": "Effects of CGS 19755 and dizocilpine (MK 801) on delayed time discrimination performance.", "content": "The effects of the competitive NMDA (N-methyl-D-aspartate) receptor antagonist CGS 19755 and the non-competitive NMDA receptor antagonist dizocilpine (MK 801) on time discrimination and short-term memory were investigated in rats trained on a delayed time discrimination task. In a two-lever operant chamber, pressing one lever was correct and reinforced with a food pellet after presentation of a stimulus light for 2 s (SD(short)); pressing the opposite lever was correct after presentation of a stimulus light for 8 s (SD(long)). CGS 19755 (3.0 mg/kg) attenuated performance, decreased nose-pokes (an activity necessary to trigger the presentation of the discriminative stimulus and the presentation of the response levers), and increased response latencies (time from 'opportunity to leverpress' to 'actual leverpress'). The highest dose of dizocilpine (0.2 mg/kg) tested also attenuated performance. Further, the number of nose-pokes and response latencies were not altered by any dose of dizocilpine. With increasing delays, saline-injected animals developed a bias towards reporting an occurrence of an SD(long), independent of the actual stimulus presented. This bias was attenuated or even reversed by CGS 19755 (3.0 mg/kg) and (0.2 mg/kg). Our results suggest that NMDA receptors are directly or indirectly involved in time discrimination performance."}
{"id": "PMID:1466784", "title": "Retrieval of active and inactive visual discriminations while temporal cortex is suppressed with cold.", "content": "While local cooling of inferotemporal cortex (IT) impairs new visual learning, it has little effect on recall. However, in visual discriminations, there is typically extensive exposure to the stimuli before cortical inactivation. Perhaps if recall was prevented before suppression, it would fail during suppression. Three animals with cryodes covering a major part of IT were trained on two face discriminations. They were then run on one of these discriminations for 3 days to create the expectation that the task would be continued with the same stimuli, and on the 4th day, they were started with these stimuli, but after cold suppression, they were switched to a discrimination that they should not have anticipated. IT suppression prevented recall of the discrimination that had not been pre-exposed; performance dropped to chance and stayed there for 50 trials. When they were switched back to the initial pair, performance returned nearly to normal. The experiment was repeated with the role of anticipated and unanticipated stimuli reversed. It was suggested that pre-exposure to the discrimination created the expectation that the same stimuli would continue to be used, and induced information about them to be copied from IT into prestriate cortex."}
{"id": "PMID:1466785", "title": "Visual performance of pigeons following hippocampal lesions.", "content": "The effect of hippocampal lesions on performance in two psychophysical measures of spatial vision (acuity and size-difference threshold) was examined in 7 pigeons. No difference between the preoperative and postoperative thresholds of the experimental birds was found. The visual performance of pigeons in the psychophysical tasks failed to reveal a role of the hippocampal formation in vision. The results argue strongly that the behavioral deficits found in pigeons with hippocampal lesions when tested in a variety of memory-related spatial tasks is not based on a defect in spatial vision but impaired spatial cognition."}
{"id": "PMID:1466786", "title": "Visual discrimination performance after lesions of the ventral lateral geniculate nucleus in pigeons (Columba livia).", "content": "Pigeons were trained to perform simultaneous pattern and color discrimination tasks. After their training was completed, bilateral electrolytic lesions were made in the ventral lateral geniculate nucleus (GLv). Following the surgery, they were retrained to their preoperative performance levels. Lesions of GLv caused no deficits in pattern discrimination performance. The birds which had been trained for discrimination of red vs. magenta showed a slight decline in their performance. This impaired performance on color discrimination was not, however, as severe as that of a bird with lesions in the nucleus rotundus. These results suggest that GLv plays some role in the detection of short wavelengths of light."}
{"id": "PMID:1466787", "title": "Descending pathways and the hopping response in the rabbit.", "content": "Descending pathways were studied in 5 adult rabbits by means of HRP, injected in the cervical spinal cord (in C2 and C3) at the right side. Results indicate the existence of pathways from the contralateral motor cortex, bilateral projections from the red nuclei, from the vestibular nuclei and from several nuclei in the reticular formation."}
{"id": "PMID:1466788", "title": "Inhibition of myosin light chain kinase, cAMP-dependent protein kinase, protein kinase C and of plant Ca(2+)-dependent protein kinase by anthraquinones.", "content": "A variety of anthraquinone (anthracene-9,10-dione) derivatives inhibits rat brain Ca(2+)- and phospholipid-activated protein kinase C (PKC) of which the most potent inhibitors are mitoxantrone (1,4-dihydroxy-5,8-bis[2-(hydroxyethylamino)-ethylamino]-9,10- anthracenedione) (IC50 4 microM) and quinalizarin (1,2,5,8-tetrahydroxy-anthraquinone (IC50 4 microM). Anthraquinone derivatives with less polar substitution in positions 1 to 4 and 5 to 8 are less effective as inhibitors of PKC. Wheat germ Ca(2+)-dependent protein kinase (CDPK) assayed with a myosin light chain-based peptide substrate is much less sensitive to inhibition by anthraquinones, the most effective anthraquinone inhibitors being the 1,2,4-trihydroxy (IC50 14 microM), 1,8-dihydroxy-3-methyl (IC50 56 microM) and 1,2,5,8-tetrahydroxy (IC50 65 microM) derivatives. Ca(2+)-calmodulin-dependent myosin light chain kinase (MLCK) is inhibited by a range of di-, tri- and tetrahydroxylated anthraquinones (IC50 values 2 to 53 microM), the most potent inhibitors being the more polar compounds, namely mitoxantrone (IC50 2 microM) and emodin (1,3,8-trihydroxy-6-methylanthraquinone) (IC50 8 microM). Mitoxantrone interacts with calmodulin as determined from abolition of Ca(2+)-dependent fluorescence enhancement of dansyl-calmodulin (IC50 4 microM). A range of anthraquinone derivatives inhibits the catalytic subunit of cAMP-dependent protein kinase (cAK). In a number of cases compounds acting as potent inhibitors of MLCK (such as mitoxantrone and emodin) are very poor inhibitors of cAK and vice versa."}
{"id": "PMID:1466789", "title": "Analysis of the human insulin receptor.", "content": "The insulin derivative 4-azidosalicyloyl-[B1-biocytin-B2-lysine]insulin was used to photo-affinity-label the highly purified insulin receptor from human placenta. As shown by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, the 5 monoiodo isomers, with iodine in positions B1, B16, B26, A14 or A19, gave different labelling patterns. After complete tryptic digestion of the covalent receptor complex with 125I-Asa-[BctB1,LysB2]insulin, a stable fragment of 18 kDa was isolated, which was further purified by HPLC. This tryptic fragment of the intact receptor corresponds, according to HPLC, Tricin-SDS-PAGE and 2D-electrophoresis, to the similarly labelled sequenced domain of the receptor ectodomain (Fabry, M. et al. (1992) J. Biol. Chem. 267, 8950-8956). We thus conclude that insulin is bound to identical contact sites of native receptor and truncated ectodomain."}
{"id": "PMID:1466790", "title": "3-Hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase mediates the preparation of its substrate diastereomers and is inhibited by (3R)-3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA.", "content": "Stereochemically pure samples of enzymically active (3S)-3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA and its enzymically inactive R diastereomer were prepared in good yield with a genetically engineered catalytic fragment of human 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase. The inhibitory properties of the R stereoisomer were determined in reactions with 3S and 3RS substrate and were shown to be of partially competitive type. Ki values of competitive inhibitors are shown to be approximately equal if determined with either stereochemically pure substrate or the diastereomeric 3RS mixture containing the inhibitory stereoisomer."}
{"id": "PMID:1466791", "title": "The amino-acid sequence of two isoforms of alpha-lactalbumin from donkey (Equus asinus) milk is identical.", "content": "The complete primary structure of donkey alpha-lactalbumin A and B has been determined by sequencing of the peptides obtained after tryptic, Glu-C proteinase or cyanogen bromide cleavage. Although preparative purification of alpha-lactalbumin by flat-bed isoelectric focusing gave two protein fractions A and B, their amino-acid sequence revealed no differences. Donkey alpha-lactalbumin shows two, four and five differences in comparison to the horse alpha-lactalbumin A, B and C. Thus donkey alpha-lactalbumin is homogeneous and belongs to the horse A-type variant."}
{"id": "PMID:1466792", "title": "The primary structure of the hemoglobin from the tomb bat (Taphozous georgianus, Microchiroptera).", "content": "The primary structures of the alpha- and beta-chains of the single hemoglobin component from the tomb bat (Taphozous georgianus, Microchiroptera) are presented. After chain separation by reversed-phase HPLC the sequences could be determined by automatic gas and liquid phase Edman degradation of the chains and their tryptic peptides. The alpha- and beta-chains differ from human hemoglobin by 14 and 18 replacements, respectively. Compared to the total number of amino-acid exchanges, the exchange rate in the interhelical regions of the alpha-chains is surprisingly high (25%). It seems unlikely that substitutions at contact positions affect the oxygen binding properties of the hemoglobin."}
{"id": "PMID:1466794", "title": "T-cell tolerance.", "content": "Despite the acceptance of principles such as clonal deletion in the thymus and peripheral clonal anergy, several new issues have arisen in the study of T-cell tolerance. For example, in the case of thymic tolerance, it is now clear that several distinct components of the thymus, including various subsets of thymic epithelial cells, can all make contributions to the deletion of autoreactive T cells. In the case of peripheral T-cell tolerance, the induction of anergy now has been complicated by the possibility that bone marrow derived antigen presenting cells may, under certain conditions, be tolerogenic rather than stimulatory."}
{"id": "PMID:1466795", "title": "Transgenes in autoimmunity.", "content": "The ability of transgenic mice to express a specific protein in a specific tissue has enabled the mechanisms of self-tolerance and autoimmunity to be elucidated. Further studies, combined with more sophisticated methods of gene targeting, will provide insights into the pathway leading from loss of self-tolerance to autoimmunity."}
{"id": "PMID:1466796", "title": "T-cell subsets in autoimmunity.", "content": "The demonstration that functionally different T-cell subsets can be defined by the isoforms of the leukocyte-common antigen, CD45, that they express, has prompted studies on the roles of these subsets in autoimmunity. The results have led to the identification of a particular subset of CD4+ T cells that have the ability to inhibit autoimmune disease. Further, it has been shown that diabetes in the B-B rat can be transferred by in vitro activation of T cells by Staphylococcal enterotoxin suggesting that superantigens may play a role in the pathogenesis of this disease. However, in this system too, it appears that a subset of T cells can inhibit the induction of autoaggressive cells. In other experimental autoimmune diseases there is evidence that CD8+ T cells can be protective and that these cells may mediate this protection by the synthesis of transforming growth factor-beta."}
{"id": "PMID:1466797", "title": "B-cell responses in autoimmune diseases.", "content": "Autoantibodies are detected in most autoimmune diseases. Beyond their direct role in mediating tissue damage in some models, the characterization of several intracellular autoantigens and the study of the autoimmune B-cell repertoire favor an antigen-driven B-cell response in most autoimmune models studied."}
{"id": "PMID:1466798", "title": "Peptide-MHC interaction in autoimmunity.", "content": "Our increased understanding of the molecular basis of autoimmunity owes much to an appreciation of general principles governing peptide-MHC interactions. Such understanding may help resolve long-standing questions concerning autoimmune diseases and aid development of improved therapeutic strategies for their treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1466799", "title": "Cytokines in autoimmunity.", "content": "It is now generally accepted that many cytokines are involved in the pathogenesis of autoimmune disease, either directly by causing tissue destruction or indirectly through the activation of autoreactive and inflammatory cells. Thus, cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha, are implicated in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis based on in vitro studies on synovial tissue from patients with rheumatoid arthritis, which suggest that the effects of tumor necrosis factor-alpha are amplified by its potential to induce other pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as interleukin-1 and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor. Transgenic mouse technology has shown that mice expressing the human tumor necrosis factor-alpha gene develop a polyarthritis. Interleukin-2 has also been identified by transgenic technology as a cytokine involved in the pathogenesis of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus through the activation and stimulation of growth of autoreactive T cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1466800", "title": "Rheumatoid arthritis.", "content": "Rheumatoid arthritis is often considered to be an autoimmune disease in which the abnormal immunological response is triggered by an infectious agent(s) but progress towards identifying such extrinsic factors has so far been unrevealing. In contrast, the genetic component of host susceptibility is slowly becoming clearer. In particular, the nature of the HLA class II association with the disease has led to new insights into its pathogenesis and possible novel forms of therapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1466801", "title": "Thyroid autoimmunity.", "content": "Antigenic structure remains a major focus in thyroid immunology. The genes for three major thyroid antigens--thyroglobulin, thyroid peroxidase and the thyrotropin receptor--were sequenced in the late 1980's, and epitopes for antibody and T cells have been reported within the last year. In addition, new evidence for selective use of T-cell receptor V gene segments in human thyroid infiltrates may point the way to specific immunotherapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1466802", "title": "Roles of eosinophils in allergy.", "content": "In the past year insights have been gained into mechanisms whereby eosinophils are mobilized from the vasculature to enter sites of inflammation. In addition, the responses of eosinophils to specific cytokines have been delineated. Moreover, for the first time it has become clear that eosinophils themselves are sources of cytokines that may exert not only autocrine effects on eosinophils but also paracrine effects on adjacent cells within tissues."}
{"id": "PMID:1466803", "title": "Role of type 1 and type 2 T helper cells in allergic diseases.", "content": "Various characteristics of atopic allergic disorders seem to be causally related with the activation of allergen-specific T helper lymphocytes with a type 2 cytokine secretion profile, including high levels of interleukin-4 and interleukin-5. These cytokines are responsible for the occurrence of elevated levels of serum allergen-specific IgE and eosinophilia and play an important role in local inflammatory reactions."}
{"id": "PMID:1466804", "title": "Regulation of isotype switching.", "content": "In the past year, our understanding of the mechanisms that regulate isotype switching has significantly progressed. Activation of germ line transcription by isotype-specific cytokines is emerging as a crucial mechanism for increasing the accessibility of a particular switch region, and targeting switch recombination."}
{"id": "PMID:1466805", "title": "Allergy of the respiratory tract.", "content": "The past year has seen significant advances in several fields of asthma and allergy research. Notable among these advances were the following: the demonstration that inflammatory granulocytes may be a source of cytokines; an increased understanding of the inter-relationships between the inflammatory cells invading the asthmatic bronchial mucosa; some important new approaches to asthma therapy; and the beginnings of a systematic classification of the structure of allergens and their antigenic epitopes."}
{"id": "PMID:1466808", "title": "Conformational effects of selected cancer-related amino acid substitutions in the p53 protein.", "content": "The tumor suppressor gene p53 has been identified as the most frequent target of genetic alterations in human cancers. Cancer-related mutations in the human p53 protein tend to cluster in four of the five highly conserved domains of the protein, and, in particular, in the central region of domain IV from residues 241 to 253. Using conformational energy analysis based on ECEPP (Empirical Conformational Energies for Polypeptides Program), we have determined the preferred three dimensional structures for this tridecapeptide sequence for the human wild-type p53 protein and four cancer-related mutant p53 proteins (Ala 245, Ile 246, Trp 248, Ser 249). The results show that the mutant peptides adopt conformations that are distinctly different from that of the wild-type peptide. These results are consistent with experimental conformational studies demonstrating altered detectability of antigenic epitopes in murine wild-type and mutant p53 proteins. These results suggest that the oncogenic effects of human mutant p53 proteins may be mediated by distinct local conformational changes in the protein."}
{"id": "PMID:1466809", "title": "Comparison of protein models minimized by the all-atom and united-atom models in the AMBER force field: correlation of RMS deviation with the crystallographic R factor and size.", "content": "We performed energy minimization of 25 protein structures, which vary significantly in their size, secondary structural content and crystallographic R factor, in the AMBER force field. We used an unconstrained path and the conjugate gradients algorithm. To determine the reliability of the united-atom approximation, we minimized all the proteins using both the all-atom and united-atom models. The RMS deviations of the minimized structures were plotted as a function of the crystallographic R factors of the initial structures. For the all-atom models, we found a strong linear relationship between the RMS deviations and the R factors (correlation coefficient of 0.78). The RMS deviations of protein structures minimized using united-atom models showed a wider range of distribution and had a correlation coefficient with the R factors of only 0.52. The RMS deviations decrease with an increase in the size of the protein, probably due to the decreased ratio of surface area to volume with increasing size of the protein. The surface atoms and residues showed higher RMS deviations than those in the interior of the protein. Even in these plots the united-atom models show a wide range of distribution of data points. From these results, we recommend the use of all-atom models for energy minimization of proteins in the AMBER force field."}
{"id": "PMID:1466810", "title": "Structural aspects of Ca2+ binding by acyclic peptides: low-energy conformational domains and molecular dynamics of N-acetyl-L-prolyl-D-alanyl-L-alanine-N'-methylamide.", "content": "We have applied random-search, energy minimization and molecular dynamics simulations to investigate the structural aspects of the interaction of N-acetyl-L-prolyl-D-alanyl-L-alanine-N'-methylamide with Ca2+. Spectral data on related peptides had suggested that the beta-turn conformation might be a prerequisite for the binding of cation ion by such short linear peptides. In order to relate the conformational characteristics with the Ca(2+)-binding affinities of these peptides, the molecular events involved in cation binding need to be understood. We have addressed this problem in this study by using a systematic approach that involved the following steps. First, a random search technique was used to generate a large population of conformers for the free peptide in the absence of Ca2+. Next, the energies of these conformers were computed. Conformations with energies within 4 kcal/mol of the global minimum were analysed and found to fall into four main groups characterized by the presence of different types of hydrogen-bonded structures including single and consecutive beta-turns. The energies for interconversion of conformers from one group to another were computed and found to be relatively small (< 10 kcal/mol). Finally, molecular dynamics of the peptide at 300K in the presence of Ca2+ were used to simulate the cation binding process. Starting points for these simulations were generated by placing the ion in the vicinity of two molecules of the peptide. The simulation results showed that the conformers with two consecutive beta-turns led to the formation of a stable 2:1 (peptide:Ca2+) sandwich complex in agreement with earlier experimental observations on similar linear peptides. While the starting conformation of the peptide in the consecutive beta-turn structure allowed for the proper orientation of three carbonyl oxygen atoms for chelation to the metal ion, the dynamics of complex formation rearranged the peptide structure substantially, leading to the formation of an 8-coordinated Ca2+ complex in a dodecahedral spatial arrangement. Thus, based on the energetics of the structures and processes involved, the present study demonstrates that: a) peptide-Ca2+ complex formation is initiated by conformers adopting consecutive beta-turn structures which subsequently go over to a significantly different conformation found in the complex; and, b) The facile interconversion between the low-energy conformers in the different groups would help shift the equilibrium population towards the consecutive beta-turn structure during the complex formation."}
{"id": "PMID:1466811", "title": "Binding of DNA to large fragment of DNA polymerase I: identification of strong and weak electrostatic forces and their biological implications.", "content": "Examination of the electrostatic potential of a modeled complex, consisting of the Klenow fragment of E. coli DNA polymerase I and DNA template-primer, suggested the presence of two distinct interacting regions. The one displaying a strong electropositive potential field is generated by side chains of basic amino acid pairs and is directed towards the major groove site in DNA. The second electrostatic potential field around DNA is somewhat weaker and appears to be exerted by a pair of vicinal side chains of acidic and basic amino acids. The distribution of charges in this manner appears well suited for the binding of enzyme to the template-primer required in the enzymatic synthesis of DNA."}
{"id": "PMID:1466812", "title": "A structural model for sequence-specific proflavin-DNA interactions during in vitro frameshift mutagenesis.", "content": "Molecular models describing intermediates that may lead to proflavin-induced 1 bp deletions during in vitro polymerization by E. coli DNA polymerase I Klenow fragment are proposed. The models provide structural explanations for the fact that the induced frameshifts always occur opposite template bases that are adjacent to 5' pyrimidines and are based on the underlying hypothesis that the deletions arise because the polymerase passes by a template base without copying it. Because the most frequent mutations are opposite Pu in the template sequence 5' Py Pu 3', a single-strand loop-out model was constructed for this sequence and proflavin was added, using structures found in crystalline oligonucleotides and their complexes with proflavin. The model seeks to rationalize the roles of the 5' pyrimidine and proflavin in facilitating the bypass. Four potential roles for proflavin in mutagenesis are described: 1) stacking on the looped-out base; 2) stacking on the base pair immediately preceding the site of mutation; 3) hydrogen bonding with the 5' pyrimidine; 4) hydrogen bonding with the phosphate backbone. These models point to the possibility that a number of proflavin-DNA interactions may be involved. In contrast, modeling does not suggest a role for classically intercalated proflavin in frameshift mutagenesis arising during in vitro DNA polymerization."}
{"id": "PMID:1466813", "title": "Ca2+ binding environments on natural and synthetic polymeric DNA's.", "content": "Here are reported 43Ca nmr chemical shift and line width measurements obtained during 43CaClO4 titrations of two natural and two synthetic polymeric DNA's. Titrations of the natural DNA's demonstrate the existence of at least two classes of bound 43Ca2+. The 43Ca2+ nmr relaxation and chemical shift behavior observed during titration of C. perfringens DNA (31%GC) is dominated by a delocalized, non-specific interaction. In contrast, titration of M. lysodeikticus DNA (72% GC) indicates that a small fraction of the 43Ca2+ experiences significant motional retardation and/or an increase in the electric field gradient when associated to the DNA, and thus appears to be locally bound to discrete sites on the DNA. These results, and previous results for calf thymus DNA (39% GC) demonstrate that higher GC content correlates with an increase in favorable Ca2+ binding environments. Titrations of synthetic DNA demonstrate that Ca2+ binding is remarkably sensitive to local DNA structure."}
{"id": "PMID:1466814", "title": "A molecular mechanics investigation of RNA complexes. I. Ethidium intercalation in an HIV-1 TAR RNA sequence with an unpaired adenosine.", "content": "Nucleic acid complexes with ethidium intercalated into different sites in a segment of HIV-1 TAR RNA with an unpaired A base, along with corresponding complexes with a normal RNA sequence without an unpaired base were studied by molecular mechanics energy minimization methods. Different intercalation geometries as well as different orientations of the ethidium molecule in the intercalation sites were tested. A general binding affinity enhancement for the ethidium binding to the bulge sequence compared with the normal RNA segment was obtained. With the unpaired adenosine base stacked in the duplex, the binding site adjacent to the 3' side of the bulge was found to be the most energetically favorable binding site, and the intercalation site 5' to the bulge in the same sequence is much less favorable. Unique correlated backbone conformational changes on binding of ethidium to the intercalation site 3' to the bulge were found to relieve backbone strains caused by the stacking of the unpaired base into the helix. These backbone conformational changes present a plausible molecular basis for the experimentally observed ethidium binding preference in this bulge RNA segment (L.S. Ratmeyer, R. Vinayak, G. Zon and W.D. Wilson, J. Med. Chem. 35, 966, 1992)."}
{"id": "PMID:1466815", "title": "The interface between an alternating CG motif and a random sequence motif displays altered nuclease activity.", "content": "Previously we described the B-Z junctions produced in oligomers containing (5meCG)4 segments in the presence of 5.0 M NaCl or 50 uM Co(NH3)6+3 [Sheardy, R.D. & Winkle, S.A., Biochemistry 28, 720-725 (1989); Winkle, S.A., Aloyo, M.C., Morales, N., Zambrano, T.Y. & Sheardy, R.D., Biochemistry 30, 10601-10606 (1991)]. The circular dichroism spectra of an analogous unmethylated oligomer containing (CG)4, termed BZ-IV, in 5.0 M NaCl and in 50 uM Co(NH3)+3 suggest, however, that this oligomer does not form a B-Z hybrid. BZ-IV possesses Hha I sites (CGCG) in the (CG)4 segment and an Mbo I site (GATC) at the terminus of the (CG)4 segment. BZ-IV is equally digestible in the presence and absence of cobalt hexamine by Hha I, further indicating that the structure of BZ-IV is fully B-like under these conditions. The Mbo I cleavage site at the juncture between the (CG)4 segment and the adjacent random segment displays enhanced cleavage by both Mbo I and its isoschizomer Sau3AI in the presence of cobalt hexamine. In addition, exonuclease III digestion of BZ-IV is inhibited at this juncture. Actinomycin inhibits Mbo I activity in the presence of cobalt hexamine but not in the absence. Together, these results suggest that enzymes recognize the interfaces of (CG)n and adjacent random sequences as altered substrates even in the absence of a B-Z junction formation."}
{"id": "PMID:1466816", "title": "Description of base motion and role of excitations in the melting of poly(dG).poly(dC).", "content": "We study the contribution of various vibrational modes to the melting of poly(dG).poly(dC). We find that the principal contribution comes from the H-bond breathing modes that have been observed in Raman scattering and that we have associated with helix melting. We show the softening of these modes on approach to melting in agreement with the observed behavior. We also describe the contribution to melting from base rotation modes that others have suggested are important in melting."}
{"id": "PMID:1466817", "title": "Energy flow considerations and thermal fluctuational opening of DNA base pairs at a replicating fork: unwinding consistent with observed replication rates.", "content": "The effect of an open loop of various sizes on the thermal stability of the adjoining intact base pairs in a duplex DNA chain is studied in a lattice model of Poly(dG).Poly(dC). We find that for a Y-shaped fork configuration the thermal fluctuation at the fork is so enhanced that the life time of the adjoining base pair is much smaller than the 1 millisecond time scale associated with helicase separation of a base pair in some systems. Our analysis indicates that thermal fluctuational base pair opening may be of importance in facilitating the enzyme unwinding process during chain elongation of a replicating DNA. It is most likely that the thermal fluctuational opening of the base pair at the junction of a replicating fork is fast enough so that a DNA unwinding enzyme can encounter an unstacked base pair with reasonable probability. This conclusion can explain several experimental observations regarding the temporal relationship between ATP hydrolysis by accessory proteins and primer elongation by a holoenzyme complex in ssDNA. We also discuss a mechanism by which the energy associated with ATP hydrolysis may enhance the thermal driven base opening mechanism."}
{"id": "PMID:1466818", "title": "Age-related differences in concurrent-task performance of normal adults: evidence for a decline in processing resources.", "content": "A concurrent-task paradigm was used to investigate age-related differences in the attentional capacity of 92 right-handed adults. Young, middle-aged, and elderly Ss were compared as they performed speeded, unimanual finger tapping with and without concurrent silent reading, speaking, and maze completion. There were 2 levels of difficulty for each cognitive task. The decrement in tapping rate from the single- to dual-task condition increased linearly with age. Concurrent-task tapping was slowed more by difficult than by easy tasks, and difficult tasks had a disproportionately disruptive effect on the concurrent performance of elderly Ss. The heightened vulnerability of the elderly to concurrent-task effects cannot be attributed parsimoniously to either general slowing or diminution of a specific resource. Instead the results suggest a reduction in a general-purpose processing resource with increasing age."}
{"id": "PMID:1466819", "title": "The interpretation of life experience and well-being: the sample case of relocation.", "content": "Social psychological theories of the self postulate mechanisms through which individuals interpret their life experiences to ensure positive self-evaluation. This framework was applied to a sample of aging women (N = 120, M age = 74.9 years) who had experienced community relocation. The authors measured their reasons for moving (push factors), reasons for selecting the new setting, (pull factors), and interpretive mechanisms, including how they compared with others in their new setting, how they were viewed by significant others following the move, how their behaviors changed following relocation, and whether the above evaluations occurred in life domains central to their sense of self. Regression analyses showed that push-pull factors and interpretive mechanisms accounted for substantial variance in multiple aspects of psychological well-being, particularly environmental mastery, purpose in life, and positive relations with others."}
{"id": "PMID:1466820", "title": "Aging persons' estimates of vehicular motion.", "content": "Estimated arrival times of moving autos were examined in relation to viewer age, gender, motion trajectory, and velocity. Direct push-button judgments were compared with verbal estimates derived from velocity and distance, which were based on assumptions that perceivers compute arrival time from perceived distance and velocity. Experiment 1 showed that direct estimates of younger Ss were most accurate. Older women made the shortest (highly cautious) estimates of when cars would arrive. Verbal estimates were much lower than direct estimates, with little correlation between them. Experiment 2 extended target distances and velocities of targets, with the results replicating the main findings of Experiment 1. Judgment accuracy increased with target velocity, and verbal estimates were again poorer estimates of arrival time than direct ones, with different patterns of findings. Using verbal estimates to approximate judgments in traffic situations appears questionable."}
{"id": "PMID:1466821", "title": "Age differences in visual search: target and distractor learning.", "content": "Age differences in a semantic category visual search task were investigated to determine whether the age effects were due to target learning deficits, distractor learning deficits, or a combination thereof. Twelve young (mean age 20) and 12 older (mean age 70) adults received 2,400 trials each in consistent and varied versions of the search task. Following training, a series of transfer-reversal manipulations allowed the assessment of target learning and distractor learning both in isolation and in combination. The pattern of data suggests that older adults have a deficit in their ability to increase the attention-attraction strength of targets and to decrease the attention-attraction strength of distractors. The results are interpreted in terms of a strength-based framework of visual search performance."}
{"id": "PMID:1466822", "title": "On mental multiplication and age.", "content": "In 2 experiments, younger and older adults were presented with simple multiplication problems (e.g., 4 x 7 = 28 and 5 x 3 = 10) for their timed, true or false judgments. All of the effects typically obtained in basic research on mental arithmetic were obtained, that is, reaction time (a) increased with the size of the problem, (b) was slowed for answers deviating only a small amount from the correct value, and (c) was slowed when related (e.g., 7 x 4 = 21) versus unrelated (e.g., 7 x 4 = 18) answers were presented. Older adults were slower in their judgments. Most important, age did not interact significantly with problem size or split size. The authors suggest that elderly adults' central processes, such as memory retrieval and decision making, did not demonstrate the typical age deficit because of the skilled nature of these processes in simple arithmetic."}
{"id": "PMID:1466823", "title": "Rapid speech processing and divided attention: processing rate versus processing resources as an explanation of age effects.", "content": "The authors conducted a dual-task study to examine age differences in speech processing under varying loads. Younger and older adults listened to and immediately recalled spoken passages presented at various speech rates (140-280 words per min). This task was performed alone as well as in a divided-attention condition in which subjects concurrently performed a picture recognition task. Consistent with the slowing hypothesis, older adults' immediate memory performance was differentially depressed when speech rates were very fast. The Age x Speech Rate interaction, however, was not exacerbated in the divided-attention condition. This suggests that aging may reduce the rate at which the processing operations underlying memory for speech are completed, but this is conceptually distinct from an age-related reduction in attentional capacity."}
{"id": "PMID:1466824", "title": "Type A behavior pattern and emotion expression in younger and older adults.", "content": "Eighty younger (less than 50 years, M = 28 years) and 80 older (more than 50 years, M = 69 years) Type A and Type B Ss were evaluated for Type A behavior pattern using the Structured Interview (SI) and given personality tests for anxiety, depression, anger, aggression, hostility, and anger-in-anger-out. Ss also underwent an emotion induction procedure. Videotapes of the emotion induction procedure (N = 160) and the SI (N = 80) were coded for facial expression of emotion. Type As did not differ from Bs on anxiety or depression but did on anger and aggression. Type As showed anger inhibition and anger bound to shame, as predicted by emotion socialization theory. The greatest number of differential effects were observed between age groups. Older individuals, in general, were more emotionally expressive than younger Ss across a range of emotions. Women appeared more conflicted about anger expression than men, and Type A women more so than Type A men."}
{"id": "PMID:1466825", "title": "Functional versus structural social support, desirable events, and positive affect in older adults.", "content": "The independent contributions of structural social support versus functional support to positive affect in older adults were compared in this prospective design. Four social support models were translated from the stress-symptoms literature into promotional models for positive mental health and for relationships to desirable challenge events. A total of 1,031 older adults were interviewed 5 times at 6-month intervals, and events were measured across the middle 18-month period. The 2 support variables made quite different contributions. Functional support was directly related to positive affect 2 years later, independent of events; structural support had more transitory direct effects. Structural support, but not functional support, was related to the subsequent occurrence of challenge events and in turn was strengthened by challenge events, suggesting a dynamic interplay between the social network and desirable events."}
{"id": "PMID:1466826", "title": "Short-term longitudinal change in cognitive performance in later life.", "content": "Changes in mean performance on memory, information processing, and intellectual ability tasks over a 3-year period were examined. The sample consisted of 328 community-dwelling men and women (from an original sample of 484 individuals) aged 55-86 years. Ss completed tasks yielding measures of verbal processing time, working memory, implicit memory, vocabulary, verbal fluency, world knowledge, reading comprehension, word recall, and text recall. The results showed significant average decline on working memory, verbal fluency, and world knowledge. There were also interactions for 2 processing time measures and working memory, showing greater decline in the earlier-born cohort group than in the later-born cohort group. A step-down analysis revealed that covarying declines in other variables, including processing time, did not eliminate significant declines in working memory, verbal fluency, and world knowledge."}
{"id": "PMID:1466827", "title": "Professional expertise does not eliminate age differences in imagery-based memory performance during adulthood.", "content": "Using a testing-the-limits paradigm, the authors investigated the modulation (attenuation) of negative adult age differences in imagery-based memory performance as a function of professional expertise. Six older graphic designers, 6 normal older adults, 6 younger graphic design students, and 6 normal younger students participated in a 19-session program with a cued-recall variant of the Method of Loci. Older graphic designers attained higher levels of mnemonic performance than normal older adults but were not able to reach younger adults' level of performance; a perfect separation of age groups was achieved. Spatial visualization was a good predictor of mnemonic performance. Results suggest that negative adult age differences in imagery-based memory are attenuated but not eliminated by the advantages associated with criterion-relevant ability (talent) and experience."}
{"id": "PMID:1466828", "title": "Adult age differences in attentional allocation during memory search.", "content": "Young and older adults performed a memory search task in which, before probe onset, a cue indicated which of 4 memory-set items the probe was most likely to be. The results were consistent with an attentional allocation model in which performance represents a weighted combination, across trials, of focused (i.e., selective) versus distributed attention. The model significantly underestimated the reaction time required by miscued trials, probably because of the response inhibition occurring on these trials. The degree to which Ss relied on focused attention was significantly greater for older adults than for young adults. The estimated time required to shift attention between memory-set items was equivalent for the 2 age groups."}
{"id": "PMID:1466829", "title": "Eyewitness memory and aging: predictors of accuracy in recall and person recognition.", "content": "This study examined adult age differences in identification accuracy, confidence, and verbal recall of crime films. A total of 120 Ss in 3 adult age groups watched 2 crime films that contained characters varying in role and visibility. Results suggested a modest negative relationship between age and identification accuracy but no age differences in recall of main points or details. Education and self-reported health positively predicted verbal recall, but higher education was associated with lower identification accuracy. No age differences were found in confidence or in the relationship between confidence and accuracy."}
{"id": "PMID:1466830", "title": "Assessing retirement satisfaction and perceptions of retirement experiences.", "content": "A 2-part investigation developed a measure of retirement as a life transition. Study 1 generated items from interviews with retirees (n = 40) and service providers. Item analysis with recent retirees (n = 86) produced a 51-item Retirement Satisfaction Inventory assessing 6 areas: preretirement work functioning, adjustment and change, reasons for retirement, satisfaction with life in retirement, current sources of enjoyment, and leisure and physical activities. Study 2 examined a heterogeneous sample of men (n = 159) and women (n = 243) retires. Factor analyses produced internally consistent subscales. Moderate, but acceptable, test-retest reliability was demonstrated. Satisfaction scores correlated with concurrent measures and, together with pre- and postretirement experiences, discriminated 4 groups of voluntary and involuntary retirees. Few effects related to gender, socioeconomic status, length of retirement, and part-time employment were found."}
{"id": "PMID:1466831", "title": "Assessment of behavioral problems in dementia: the revised memory and behavior problems checklist.", "content": "The Revised Memory and Behavior Problems Checklist (RMBPC), a 24-item, caregiver-report measure of observable behavioral problems in dementia patients, provides 1 total score and 3 subscale scores for patient problems (memory-related, depression, and disruptive behaviors) and parallel scores for caregiver reaction. Data were obtained from 201 geriatric patients and their caregivers. Factor analysis confirmed 3 first-order factors, consistent with subscales just named, and 1 general factor of behavioral disturbance. Overall scale reliability was good, with alphas of .84 for patient behavior and .90 for caregiver reaction. Subscale alphas ranged from .67 to .89. Validity was confirmed through comparison of RMBPC scores with well-established indexes of depression, cognitive impairment, and caregiver burden. The RMBPC is recommended as a reliable and valid tool for the clinical and empirical assessment of behavior problems in dementia patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1466832", "title": "Effect of environmental support on implicit and explicit memory in younger and older adults.", "content": "The study addressed 2 major issues: whether there are age differences on an implicit word-stem-completion task and whether age differences on both implicit and explicit memory would decrease with increased environmental support. A total of 287 Ss were presented with words in an incidental learning task with structural or semantic processing. Following 2 filler tasks, Ss received an implicit or an explicit word-stem-completion task. The number of letters in the stem varied from 2 to 4. Results yielded an Age x Memory Task dissociation such that there were large age differences on the explicit task and no age difference on the implicit task, regardless of whether Ss aware of the memory test were included or excluded. There was no evidence that environmental support improved older adults' performance more than that of younger adults on either memory task."}
{"id": "PMID:1466833", "title": "Aging, exercise, and attention.", "content": "The authors investigated the relationship among aging, attentional processes, and exercise in 2 experiments. First they examined age differences on 2 attentional tasks, a time-sharing task and an attentional flexibility task. Young adults alternated attention between 2 sequenced tasks more rapidly and time-shared the processing of 2 tasks more efficiently than older adults. They then investigated the effects of aerobic exercise on the same 2 attentional tasks in older adults. Following the 10-week exercise program, older exercisers showed substantially more improvement in alternation speed and time-sharing efficiency than older controls. Interestingly, this exercise effect was specific to dual-task processing. Both groups of subjects showed equivalent effects on single-task performance. These results indicate that aerobic exercise can exert a beneficial influence on the efficiency of at least 2 different attentional processes in older adults."}
{"id": "PMID:1466834", "title": "Motion perception and aging.", "content": "The authors used a correlated motion paradigm to investigate the effects of aging and gender on motion sensitivity. In 2 experiments with a total of 50 elderly and 50 young subjects, motion thresholds were significantly higher for elderly women. The correlated motion signal, which was embedded in random motion, may have been coherent to subjects in much the same way a form is in Witkin's Embedded Figures Test (EFT). In Experiment 2, EFT scores were obtained. A significant positive relationship between motion thresholds and EFT performance was found within each age group. Although gender-related perceptual style differences may contribute to motion perception effects, the authors argue that a common neural factor contributes to performance on both the EFT and the correlated motion task."}
{"id": "PMID:1466835", "title": "Age-related differences in three tests of visual imagery.", "content": "Adult age differences were explored on 3 short tests of the ability to generate and manipulate mental images. Age-related decrements were found in all 3 tests and were especially marked on the Clock Test. The tests are all reliable, as shown by test-retest reliability coefficients. Correlations also revealed that the Brooks Letter Test and the East-West Test appear to tap one common underlying ability, whereas the Clock Test measured a somewhat different ability. The East-West and Clock tests, in particular, may provide rapid and easily administered assessments of age-related changes in aspects of mental imagery."}
{"id": "PMID:1466836", "title": "Use of physical chemistry and in vivo exposure to investigate the toxicity of formaldehyde bound to carbonaceous particles in the murine lung.", "content": "Knowledge about the health effects of exposure to formaldehyde associated with automotive emissions is of pivotal importance in the risk assessment of this agent. Mobile sources emit many combustion-derived pollutants, including formaldehyde, in association with respirable carbon particles. Because it is hydrophilic, most of the inhaled formaldehyde is absorbed in the upper respiratory tract. However, if the organic vapor is adsorbed on respirable particles, formaldehyde may be deposited in the deep lung with the inhaled particles and may be available to interact adversely with cells along the lung parenchyma. On the respiratory surface, the alveolar macrophage phagocytic system plays the pivotal role in defending the lung against infectious agents. Susceptibility to respiratory infections is a relevant and sensitive indicator of the adverse effects of air pollution because acute and chronic exposures to a variety of air pollutants have been shown to decrease pulmonary antibacterial defenses. The goal of this research was to investigate whether exposure to formaldehyde decreases resistance to respiratory infections through dysfunctions of the alveolar macrophage phagocytic system. The study also explored whether interactions between formaldehyde and respirable carbon black particles alter susceptibility to respiratory infections and impairment of alveolar macrophage phagocytosis by delivering adsorbed formaldehyde to the deep lung with the inhaled particles. A carbon black, Regal GR, was used in these studies as a surrogate for the carbonaceous core of Diesel particulate matter. This material was selected to represent the worst-case scenario because the carbon black was expected to adsorb formaldehyde strongly. To accomplish this goal, mice were exposed to formaldehyde and to carbon black and formaldehyde combinations; increased susceptibility to respiratory infections was quantified by alveolar macrophage-dependent intrapulmonary killing of Staphylococcus aureus after an inhalation challenge with the bacterium. The salient findings of the bactericidal studies are as follows: Fifteen parts per million (ppm)* formaldehyde impaired the intrapulmonary killing of S. aureus when exposure followed the bacterial challenge. One ppm formaldehyde impaired the intrapulmonary killing of S. aureus when exposure preceded and was continued after the bacterial challenge. Coexposures to target concentrations of 3.5 mg/m3 carbon black and 2.5 ppm formaldehyde, or 10 mg/m3 carbon black and 5 ppm formaldehyde after the bacterial challenge had no effect on the intrapulmonary killing of S. aureus. Preexposure for four hours per day for four days to target concentrations of 3.5 mg/m3 carbon black and 2.5 ppm formaldehyde had no effect on the intrapulmonary killing of S. aureus when the assay was performed one day after the cessation of exposure.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1466838", "title": "The induction of cataracts by HIV-1 in transgenic mice.", "content": "To elucidate the tissue specificity of the expression of HIV-1 genes in an animal and its pathological effects on these tissues. Transgenic mice carrying a defective HIV-1 genome were bred in order to overcome the host-range barrier of this virus. mRNA specific to the transgene was detected in the eyes and the spleen, and, in smaller quantities, in the thymus and the brain. Interestingly, many of the transgenic mice developed cataracts at 3-6 months of age. Swelling and vacuolation of the lens fiber cells were marked, but the epithelial cells of the lens were less affected. HIV antigens were detected in the lens fiber cells and the retina by immunological staining. Accumulation of large amounts of p24 Gag antigen was demonstrated in the affected lens by immunoblot analysis, while negligible Env or other viral proteins was detected. Although accumulation of the Gag protein was also detected in the skin and the brain, no apparent abnormality was observed in these tissues. Preferential expression of the HIV genes in the eyes, skin, brain and lymphoid tissues was demonstrated. The accumulation of the Gag protein is suggested to have detrimental effects on lens fiber cells, causing cataracts."}
{"id": "PMID:1466839", "title": "Virus-specific cytotoxic T-lymphocytes in HIV-2-infected cynomolgus macaques.", "content": "Specific cytotoxic T-lymphocytes (CTL) are induced in humans or monkeys after infection with HIV-1 or SIVmac, respectively. Since, like HIV-1, HIV-2 causes AIDS, our objective was to determine the characteristics of the HIV-2-specific CTL response. Since it is rarely possible to study cellular immunity in individuals, because of the small number of HIV-2-infected patients available in Europe and the necessity for co-operation in the performance of sequential CTL assays, cynomolgus macaques were infected with HIV-2. Autologous transformed B-lymphoblastoid cell lines infected with recombinant vaccinia viruses were used as target cells for cytotoxicity assays. Recombinant vaccinia viruses expressing HIV-2 genes were constructed to infect B-lymphoblastoid cell lines from macaques. These cells were used as target cells for cytotoxicity assays with peripheral blood mononuclear cells from HIV-2BEN-infected cynomolgus macaques. To characterize the effector cells, CD8+ cells were separated with immunomagnetic beads. Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) restriction of the cytotoxic cells was determined by incubation with matched or mismatched target cells. HIV-2BEN-infected cynomolgus macaques raised CTL against proteins of the three major viral structural genes, gag, pol and env. The cytotoxic cells were CD8+ and their activity was MHC class I-restricted. In contrast to SIVmac-infected macaques, env-specific lysis was mediated exclusively by CD8+ cells. CTL from individual animals recognized different viral proteins and the recognition pattern varied over time. Like HIV-1 and SIVmac, HIV-2 induces virus-specific CTL. The variation of antigen recognition between individual animals and over time indicates that sequential experiments are necessary to determine the complete spectrum of the CTL response of infected animals. HIV-2-infected macaques represent a suitable model for investigations into the cellular immune response against HIV."}
{"id": "PMID:1466840", "title": "High-resolution structure of an HIV-1 quasispecies: identification of novel coding sequences.", "content": "To characterize an HIV-1 quasispecies in vivo at high resolution (1%) in order to determine its genetic structure. The first coding exon of tat was amplified by polymerase chain reaction from uncultured peripheral blood mononuclear cells of an HIV-1-infected patient. The products were cloned into M13mp18 RF, and 106 clones were sequenced. Thirty-one different Tat protein variants were found. Amongst these, five major forms with frequencies of 44, 11, 8 and 5% were identified. All of the remaining 26 sequences were unique, 15 of which were defective. Within the variant spectrum a small number of genomes encoded novel open reading frames, for example, a tat-vpu fusion product. Some of the myriad proviruses present in an individual harbour novel coding sequences. While these are probably of little importance for AIDS pathogenesis they emphasize the ability of HIV to explore a huge range of genetic configurations."}
{"id": "PMID:1466841", "title": "Modulation of cell surface molecules during HIV-1 infection of H9 cells. An immunoelectron microscopic study.", "content": "To study cell surface molecules and HIV-1 proteins on H9 cells 2 days after infection by immunogold electron microscopy, either in single or in double labelling using combinations of host cell-derived molecules and HIV-1 proteins. The presence of host cell antigens CD3, CD4 and human leukocyte antigen-DR (HLA-DR) and HIV-1 antigens gag p15, p17, p24 and env gp41 was evaluated using immunocytochemistry at the light microscopic level. H9 cells 2 days after infection were processed for conventional transmission electron microscopy and cryo-ultramicrotomy. Leukocyte antigens investigated were CD2, CD3, CD4 (two antibodies), CD5, CD8, CD25, CD30, CD63 antigens and HLA-DR; HIV-1-encoded antigens were gag p24, pol reverse transcriptase, and env gp41 and gp120. Double immunogold labelling was performed using reagents with different sized gold particles. For leukocyte markers, the labelling density of the cell membrane was assessed quantitatively on uninfected and infected H9 cells. Infected cells revealed the presence of gag p24, pol, and env gp41 and gp120 antigens on HIV-1 virions. Uninfected H9 cells showed a random distribution of cell surface molecules, including CD4 antigen, along the plasma membrane. The CD63 antigen, a lysosomal membrane glycoprotein, was located mainly in the cytoplasm of uninfected cells. Cells 2 days after infection showed CD4 labelling on sites where virions were budding from or attached to the cell surface and on free virions. Virions also showed labelling by CD3, CD5, CD25, CD30 and CD63 antibodies and anti-HLA-DR. Compared with uninfected cells, a significantly lower density was found on infected cells in labelling for CD4, CD5 and anti-HLA-DR. A significantly higher density on cells 2 days after infection was seen in CD63 labelling. During the first phase of infection host cell molecules concentrate on budding structures and newly generated HIV-1 virions. This phenomenon might contribute to the disappearance of these molecules (like the CD4 molecule) from the cell membrane after infection."}
{"id": "PMID:1466842", "title": "Vertical transmission of HIV-1: lack of detectable virus in peripheral blood cells of infected children at birth.", "content": "To evaluate the time-course of HIV-1 detection in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from newborns at risk of vertically acquired infection. Forty-six infants born to HIV-1-infected mothers were enrolled at birth and examined virologically and clinically in the perinatal period and every 30 days for the first 3 months of life. Follow-up was conducted at intervals of 2-3 months. HIV-1 detection in PBMC was performed using virus culture and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay. Only one out of 24 newborns tested within 48 h of delivery and two out of 22 infants tested between 3 and 15 days of age were found to be HIV-1-positive by both PCR and virus culture. Further testing performed between 30 and 60 days of life identified an additional eight HIV-1-positive children. Subsequent viral, immunological and clinical follow-up confirmed PCR and virus culture results obtained in 30-60-day-old children. Infected infants had detectable levels of HIV-1 in their PBMC at 1 month of age. The negative PCR and virus culture findings in PBMC of newborns indicate strongly that HIV-1 cannot be diagnosed at birth in the majority of cases, and suggests that viral transmission could occur during late pregnancy and/or delivery."}
{"id": "PMID:1466843", "title": "Inhibition of HIV-1 productive infection in hepatoblastoma HepG2 cells by recombinant tumor necrosis factor-alpha.", "content": "To evaluate the role of liver cells in and the effect of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) on HIV-1 replication. Human hepatoblastoma HepG2 cells were infected with various strains of HIV-1 and the effect of TNF-alpha treatment, either before or after infection, was monitored by p24 antigen assays. Northern blot analysis and gel retardation assays were performed to determine the expression of CD4 and HIV-1 trans-acting region (TAR)-binding proteins in these cells, respectively. HepG2 cells are CD4+ and support active HIV-1 replication, producing infectious virions, as measured by both p24 production and ability to infect T-cell lines with the virus produced by HepG2 cells. In contrast to the stimulatory effect of TNF-alpha on HIV-1 replication in T-cells and monocytes, up to 200 U/ml TNF-alpha treatment, at various times, either before or after HIV-1 infection, substantially inhibited p24 antigen production in HepG2 cells without causing any remarkable cytotoxicity. Gel-retardation assay revealed enhancement of a DNA-binding protein in TNF-alpha-treated HepG2 cells that binds to a specific sequence of the HIV-1 TAR, compared with the untreated control. These results indicate the importance of cellular factor(s) in HIV-1 infection and suggest that cytokines in different tissues can induce opposite effects. TAR-binding protein may act as an inhibitory factor for HIV-1 replication in the HepG2 cell line."}
{"id": "PMID:1466844", "title": "HIV-1 expression during early mammalian development.", "content": "Our long-term objective is to determine the consequences of HIV-1 expression in the mammalian fetus using the mouse as a model system. This study describes HIV gene expression in micro-injected and electroporated embryos during the pre-implantation period. Procedures were adopted to create a non-infectious HIV system to assay HIV long terminal repeat (LTR) activation in a non-human mammal. Two constructs (RSV promoter-HIV tat gene; HIV LTR-lac Z gene) were co-micro-injected (10 micrograms/ml each) into pronuclei of fertilized eggs or one nucleus of the two-cell stage and expression assessed after 2-5 days. The techniques of electroporation and micro-injection were compared for their ability to deliver the constructs expressed subsequently. We found that HIV-1 expression, as monitored by beta-galactosidase production, can occur as early as the eight-cell to blastocyst stage. The intensity of HIV expression varied from high to low; the proportion of the embryo expressing HIV varied from half to only two cells. The material was too limited to allow a determination of integration. The expression rate of the HIV-LTR was low, averaging slightly over 1%. The data demonstrate that the HIV-LTR can be activated in early mammalian development, even before implantation. This information is valuable to those studying HIV-transgenic mice, to those interested in factors governing HIV expression, and to those concerned about pathologies accompanying developmental expression of HIV."}
{"id": "PMID:1466845", "title": "The absence of Tat sequences in tissues of HIV-negative patients with epidemic Kaposi's sarcoma.", "content": "Tat, an essential regulatory protein of HIV, acts as a growth factor for Kaposi's sarcoma (KS)-derived cells in culture. We tested the hypothesis that HIV-negative epidemic KS patients who are also at high risk for HIV disease might have been infected with a defective HIV-1 virus that retained the ability to express Tat. We evaluated the presence of Tat sequences in KS tissue and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of HIV-1-negative individuals with epidemic KS who had risk factors for HIV infection by polymerase chain reaction using specific primers for the Tat region of HIV-1. No evidence for the presence of Tat-1 sequences or for Tat-expressing defective HIV-1 virus was found. These results suggest that HIV-1 Tat does not play a role in the initiation of KS in HIV-1-negative individuals. Tat might play an indirect role in epidemic KS in HIV-infected patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1466846", "title": "Systemic dissemination by a newly recognized intestinal microsporidia species in AIDS.", "content": "Primarily to determine whether an intestinal microsporidian recently identified in AIDS patients disseminates from the bowel to infect other organs. Disseminated microsporidiosis has been reported in immunocompromised humans, but never due to Enterocytozoon bieneusi, the most common species in AIDS patients and one that evidently infects only enterocytes. In animals, dissemination follows ingestion of Encephalitozoon cuniculi spores, apparently via macrophages, and pathology occurs in, for example, kidneys and brain. A second, un-named Encephalitozoon-like intestinal microsporidia has been identified in five AIDS patients with chronic diarrhea; because it infects lamina propria macrophages, it was logical to investigate its dissemination. Light and transmission electron microscopy were used to study urine sediment from four out of five patients with biopsy-documented small intestinal infection due to the second intestinal microsporidian. The gall bladder from one patient and autopsy specimens from an E. bieneusi-infected patient were similarly studied. Systemic dissemination was documented by detecting abundant spores, both free and within renal tubular and transitional cells, in the urine of two patients. Many of the lamina propria macrophages in these two patients' intestinal biopsies contained microsporidia, while those of the two negative patients either contained only Mycobacterium avium complex or only occasional parasites. The gall bladder was co-infected with this microspordian and with cytomegalovirus. At autopsy, the patient with documented enteritis due to E. bieneusi 2 years before death had disseminated microsporidiosis, not of E. bieneusi, but apparently of the second intestinal species. The microsporidian had caused severe tubulointerstitial nephritis. Parasites were also observed in non-parenchymal cells of the liver and bronchial epithelium. A newly described Encephalitozoon-like intestinal microsporidian, which causes chronic diarrhea in AIDS patients, can disseminate and cause renal pathology."}
{"id": "PMID:1466847", "title": "Progressive spastic myelopathy in a patient co-infected with HIV-1 and HTLV-II: autoantibodies to the human homologue of rig in blood and cerebrospinal fluid.", "content": "Human T-cell leukemia virus types I (HTLV-I) and II (HTLV-II) are closely related human retroviruses. HTLV-I has been implicated in a chronic progressive myelopathy, known as tropical spastic paraparesis (TSP) or HTLV-I-associated myelopathy (HAM). We sought to determine whether autoantibodies to brain antigens were present in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of a patient with chronic progressive spastic myelopathy with evidence of both HIV-1 infection and HTLV-I/II seropositivity. A 54-year-old bisexual man with clinical features of HAM/TSP of over 20 years' duration was followed. We applied discriminatory DNA amplification (polymerase chain reaction) to distinguish HTLV-I from HTLV-II and to verify co-infection with HIV-1. The patient's CSF was used to screen a human brain cDNA expression library to identify antibodies directed against brain antigens. Autoreactive bacteriophage clones were isolated and sequenced. The patient was found to be co-infected with both HIV-1 and HTLV-II, but not with HTLV-I. HTLV-II proviral levels in the peripheral blood remained relatively constant, despite therapy with zidovudine. Prominent oligoclonal banding of immunoglobulins was present in the patient's CSF. A single repeatedly reactive cDNA clone was identified, by screening with CSF antibody, sequenced, and found to be the human homologue of the rat insulinoma gene, rig. HTLV-II infection may predispose to development of a HAM/TSP-like illness. Autoimmune mechanisms, such as autoantibody formation, may play a role in pathogenesis."}
{"id": "PMID:1466848", "title": "Tuberculous meningitis with acellular cerebrospinal fluid in AIDS patients.", "content": "To describe the clinical manifestations of tuberculous meningitis in HIV-positive patients with acellular cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Retrospective analysis of case reports. Four HIV-positive patients with acellular CSF and tuberculous meningitis are reported. Clinical presentation did not indicate meningeal infection in three of the four cases, and CSF tests were unusual in all cases. Two patients were diagnosed only after death. Acellular CSF may obstruct the diagnosis of tuberculous meningitis in AIDS patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1466849", "title": "Oral dapsone versus nebulized pentamidine for Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia prophylaxis: an open randomized prospective trial to assess efficacy and haematological toxicity.", "content": "To compare the haematological toxicity and efficacy of oral dapsone and nebulized pentamidine as Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) prophylaxis in HIV-infected patients receiving zidovudine. Randomized, prospective. Infectious diseases hospital with participants drawn from both inpatient and outpatient departments. Those eligible were starting treatment with zidovudine, needed PCP prophylaxis (CD4+ count < 200 x 10(6)/l or < 20% total lymphocyte count or previous episode of PCP), and had a normal glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase screen. Of the 98 patients enrolled, 96 returned for follow-up. Fifty patients received dapsone (100mg orally twice weekly) and 46 pentamidine (400 mg nebulized monthly). Follow-up was for a median of 18 months. The development of PCP, transfusion requirements, monthly complete blood cell counts, serious adverse reactions and death were recorded. Nine (18%) dapsone and eight (17%) pentamidine recipients developed PCP. There was no significant difference in number of patients transfused (12 dapsone and nine pentamidine recipients) or transfusion-free survival. At exit from the study, mean haemoglobin (11.7 versus 12.4 g/dl), white blood cell (3.9 versus 3.7 x 10(9)/l) and platelet (195 versus 184 x 10(9)/l) counts did not differ for the dapsone and pentamidine arms, respectively. There was no significant difference in the occurrence of serious adverse reactions (six in the dapsone and eight in the pentamidine arm). Dapsone can be recommended in preference to pentamidine as PCP prophylaxis on the basis of equivalent efficacy, absence of excessive haematological toxicity, low cost and ease of administration."}
{"id": "PMID:1466850", "title": "Rapid increase of both HIV-1 infection and syphilis among pregnant women in Nairobi, Kenya.", "content": "To determine the prevalence of HIV-1 and syphilis antibodies in a population of pregnant women in Nairobi, Kenya, between 1989 and 1991. As part of an ongoing prospective study on the effect of HIV-1 infection and sexually transmitted diseases, 4883 pregnant women were screened for HIV-1 and syphilis antibodies in one health-centre in Nairobi. HIV-1 seroprevalence increased from 6.5 to 13.0% (P < 0.001) and syphilis seroreactivity from 2.9 to 5.3% (P = 0.002), while there was no change in gonococcal infection rates. The most rapid increase in HIV-1 prevalence was observed in women aged less than 25 years. There was no evidence of demographic fluctuations in the population during this time, or of changes in sexual behaviour, except that fewer women enrolled in 1991 reported having more than one sex partner, compared with women enrolled in 1989 (39.1 versus 20.0%; P = 0.0001). HIV-1-seropositive women were more likely to be seroreactive for syphilis than HIV-1-seronegative mothers (7.7 versus 3.2%; odds ratio = 2.5; 95% confidence interval, 1.7-3.8; P < 0.001), but there was no difference between the two groups in terms of gonorrhoea prevalence. These data confirm an association between HIV-1 and syphilis infection, and indicate that both are spreading rapidly among women in Nairobi outside high-risk groups. Increased efforts to control both infections are urgently required."}
{"id": "PMID:1466851", "title": "Women and HIV infection: a cohort study of 483 HIV-infected women in Bordeaux, France, 1985-1991. The Groupe d'Epid\u00e9miologie Clinique du SIDA en Aquitaine.", "content": "To study the epidemiological trends, clinical patterns, evolution and prognosis of HIV infection in women. Cohort study of 1816 HIV-infected patients. Up to 1 January 1991, 483 (26.6%) of the patients reported to the Groupe d'Epidemiologie Clinique du SIDA en Aquitaine surveillance system were women. The male-to-female ratio has decreased progressively (3.4:1 in 1985; 2.7:1 in 1990) over time. Fifty per cent of HIV-infected women are or have been intravenous drug users (IVDU). The proportion of heterosexually acquired HIV infection increased from 11.6 to 34.6% over the last 5 years; 46.9% of the women infected through heterosexual intercourse reported sexual contacts with male IVDU. Excluding Kaposi's sarcoma, no significant difference was observed between men and women in the overall distribution of AIDS-defining events. The observed trend of a slower progression to AIDS in women, compared with men, disappeared when controlling for prognostic variables. However, female sex significantly enhanced survival after AIDS diagnosis in multivariate analysis (relative risk, 2.7; 95% confidence interval, 1.1-6.2). Early diagnosis of HIV infection in female patients and prevention of HIV infection among women is now a priority for public health interventions, both in industrialized and in developing countries."}
{"id": "PMID:1466852", "title": "Abortions and HIV-1 infection in New York City, 1987-1989.", "content": "This serologic survey was performed to determine rates of HIV-1 infection among New York City (NYC) women seeking abortions. Anonymous unlinked blood samples were collected and analyzed for the presence of HIV-1 antibodies. Abortion clinics were chosen for the representativeness of their patient population to all women obtaining abortions in NYC. Blood samples and demographic information, including age group, race/ethnicity, borough of residence and type of payment were obtained from 15 abortion sites (11 clinics, four hospitals) in NYC between 1987 and 1989. A total of 5889 blood samples were collected from women seeking abortions. Twelve of the 15 facilities were sampled in all 3 years. We determined HIV infection rates in the overall sample and in selected subpopulations, and assessed temporal trends. Stepwise logistic regression was applied to identify factors independently associated with HIV-1 infection. The rate of HIV-1 infection in the overall sample was 1.19% (70 out of 5889) and remained stable in the 12 facilities sampled during all 3 years: 1987 (1.42%, 17 out of 1200); 1988 (1.67%, 20 out of 1200); and 1989 (0.90%, 27 out of 2989) (P = 0.09). Logistic regression identified receiving Medicaid and being aged between 25 and 35 years to be independently associated with HIV-1 infection. Approximately 1200 women seeking abortions annually in NYC are infected with HIV-1. If accessibility to elective abortion is curtailed, the number of children born to HIV-1 infected mothers will increase."}
{"id": "PMID:1466853", "title": "Tuberculosis incidence in developing countries with high prevalence of HIV infection.", "content": "To study the impact of the HIV epidemic on tuberculosis (TB) incidence in developing countries. A simple mathematical model is constructed using figures from published reports to estimate the rise of TB incidence as the HIV epidemic expands. Two groups with different risk of developing TB are identified: individuals with dual infection of HIV and Mycobacterium tuberculosis and the rest of the population. The model is based on a combination of the incidence and the percentage of TB in these two groups. The expected rise in TB incidence and the percentage of TB cases that will be HIV-positive are plotted against the prevalence of HIV. Unless appropriate action is taken, TB incidence in developing countries will double as the prevalence of HIV infection reaches 13 per hundred adults."}
{"id": "PMID:1466854", "title": "Longitudinal sexual behavior changes in injecting drug users.", "content": "To determine whether injection drug users (IDU) maintained sexual behavior risk reduction over an 18-month period that had been noted previously over a 4-month period. A repeated measures design was utilized with IDU assessed initially at study enrollment and again 18 months later. Sexual behaviors of a group of 220 IDU (148 men and 72 women) were assessed by a structured interview at the start of an AIDS prevention project and again 18 months later. Having multiple sex partners during the 12 months before initial assessment was reported by 42.6% of the men and 35.7% of the women. Significantly fewer had multiple sex partners during the 10 months before follow-up assessment (men, 20.9%; women, 14.3%). Condom use for vaginal intercourse increased from a mean of 11.9% initially to 27.8% at follow-up for men. The increase in condom use was greater for those with multiple sex partners. Women did not report significant increases in condom use. Continued involvement in unsafe sexual behaviors was associated with exchanging sex for money or drugs, using drugs to help meet sexual needs, alcohol use and drug use. Risk reductions noted previously were maintained over 18 months for the majority of the sample. Drug-use treatment and interventions that closely examine the interplay between drug use and sexuality for individual IDU are recommended as strategies to further reduce the sexual risk of HIV transmission among IDU."}
{"id": "PMID:1466863", "title": "Nursing in Latvia from the perspective of Oppressed Theory.", "content": "Few nurses have the opportunity to witness the rebirth of a democratic state. The author, an American nurse of Latvian birth, served as a visiting professor at the Latvian Medical Academy, Department of Nursing, three weeks after Latvia had declared independence in August, 1991 during the coup d'etat of the Union of the Soviet Republics (USSR). In this article, the author shares and discusses her cultural experiences and reflections of Latvia from oppressed group theory perspectives. In an ever increasing pluralistic society, the author believes that nurses need the widening perspective of transcultural nursing to understand populations and changes in Eastern Europe. She further contends that nurses need a full understanding of what developed with the Latvians and what they have experienced during the last fifty years under communism."}
{"id": "PMID:1466864", "title": "Transcultural nursing care values, beliefs, and practices of American (USA) Gypsies.", "content": "This ethnonursing qualitative investigation was focused on the domain of culture care values, expression and meanings of selected American Gypsies. The purpose of the study was to explicate culture care American Gypsy lifeways in order to help nurses understand this largely unknown culture, and to offer guidelines for providing culturally congruent nursing care. Leininger's theory of Culture Care Diversity and Universality was the appropriate theory to use for this study, along with the ethnonursing research method to generate emic and etic grounded data. Findings substantiated that the world view, ethnohistory, religion (moral code), kinship and cultural values, and generic folk practices were powerful influences of Gypsy lifeways and supported culture congruent nursing care. Ethnohistorical facts strongly buttressed the cultural values, norms, and moral codes for culture specific care practices. Several Gypsy culture specific and dominant care meanings, expressions, and actions were confirmed and made credible from raw data and thematic analysis. They were: 1) protective in-group caring; 2) watching over and guarding against Gadje; 3) facilitating care rituals; 4) respecting Gypsy values; 5) alleviating Gadje harassment; 6) remaining suspicious of outsiders; and 7) dealing with purity and impurity moral codes and rules. Culture specific and congruent care generated from Leininger's theory with the three predicted modes were identified to guide nursing decisions and actions."}
{"id": "PMID:1466867", "title": "Pregnancy and childbirth beliefs and practices of American Hare Krishna devotees within transcultural nursing.", "content": "The followers of Krishna Consciousness are primarily young men and women of child-bearing age who desire healthy pregnancies within the beliefs and practices of their particular culture. The researcher spent a year and a half with American Hare Krishna devotees in a large Southeastern city and on a farm in a neighboring state. The researcher used Leininger's Cultural Care Theory and the ethnographic qualitative research method to focus on the ethnohistory, social structures, and care and caring beliefs and practices of the group related to pregnancy and childbirth. Transcultural nursing implications were derived from the study. While the research was done in 1981 and 1982, the researcher has been back to visit the Krishna devotees several times. Contact with other Krishna followers in different places has also been accomplished since the study. The researcher has found that the same cultural beliefs, practices, and values have prevailed within the group over the years."}
{"id": "PMID:1466868", "title": "Lateral dorsal cutaneous branch of the sural nerve. Standardization in nerve conduction study.", "content": "Lateral ankle or foot pain may have various etiologies including entrapment of or injury to the distal sural nerve or early peripheral neuropathy. Antidromic distal sural conduction studies have not been used in clinical neurophysiologic evaluation, however, for technical reasons. The purpose of this study was to determine if by modifying recording parameters and using electronic averaging adequate responses could be obtained to permit standardization of distal sural conduction. Standard surface recording electrodes with an inter-electrode separation of 37 mm were used. The distal sural nerve conduction of 40 healthy adult subjects (mean age = 33 +/- 9 yr, range = 23 to 52) was measured. The latency to the onset was 3.2 +/- 0.4 ms (range = 2.5 to 4.0 ms) and to the negative peak was 3.9 +/- 0.5 ms (range = 3.0 to 4.9 ms). The conduction velocity was 38 +/- 5 m/s (range = 30 to 48 m/s). The amplitude measured from baseline to negative peak was 5.8 +/- 2.1 microV (range = 3.0 to 11.0 microV). The results indicated that electrodiagnostic evaluation of the distal sural nerve could be readily achieved and that this might be useful in differential diagnosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1466869", "title": "Continuous intrathecal baclofen in spinal cord spasticity. A prospective study.", "content": "Continuous intrathecal infusion of the well known antispastic medication baclofen was evaluated in ten consecutive patients. One year after pump implantation the average Ashworth scale for muscle tone decreased, compared with before treatment, 2.32 points (P < 0.0001), reflexes decreased 2.22 points (P < 0.0001) and the spasm score decreased 1.65 points (P < 0.0001). The average dose increased from 92.22 to 290.95 micrograms (P < 0.0001) between the 1st month of treatment and 1 yr of treatment. The dosage for all patients more than doubled (P < 0.0022) between 3 months and 1 yr postimplantation. There was no significant difference for muscle tone, reflexes or spasms at 3 months v 1 yr. Complications were not unusual and included temporary atelectasis, orthostatic hypotension with escalation of baclofen dose, loss of penile erections, postsurgical pseudo-meningoceles, catheter disruptions and exhausted pump reservoirs. One patient suffered a seizure apparently related to a rapid withdrawal from intrathecal baclofen as a result of catheter sequestration. All patients required a period of intensive inpatient rehabilitation to benefit functionally from the decreased motor tone and/or increased voluntary motor control. The procedure is expensive and close follow-up is necessary for assessing efficacy and refilling the pump. Intrathecal baclofen infusion by subcutaneous pump is useful in treating the effects of spinal spasticity resistant to oral medications. However, there appears to be accommodation to intrathecal baclofen necessitating escalating doses to maintain clinical effects."}
{"id": "PMID:1466870", "title": "Hormone changes in men with spinal cord injuries.", "content": "The steady state profiles of 63 men with traumatic spinal cord injuries (24 quadriplegics and 39 paraplegics; average age of 31.2 +/- 6.8 yr; 18-44 yr) were studied. The average length of post-traumatic period was 6.2 +/- 5.0 yr, ranging from 8 months to 20 yr. It was found that all the subjects had normal serum thyroxine, thyrotropin, cortisol, growth hormone and plasma adrenocorticotropic hormone. Seven cases (11.1%) had low serum triiodothyronine and eight cases (12.7%) had low serum testosterone. On the other hand, 17 cases (27.0%) had hyperprolactinemia; 9 cases (14.3%) had elevated serum testosterone level; 6 cases (9.5%) had elevated serum follicle-stimulating hormone; and 4 cases (6.3%) had elevated serum luteinizing hormone. The level of spinal cord injury, injury period and patient age had no correlation with other serum hormone changes except that quadriplegic subjects had lower serum triiodothyronine than the paraplegic, with a mean of 1.42 +/- 0.30 v 1.70 +/- 0.36 nmol/liter (P < 0.005). Of the eight subjects who had low serum testosterone, none had elevated gonadotropin. There were also eight subjects with elevated follicle-stimulating hormone and/or luteinizing hormone, six of them had normal serum testosterone and two had elevated serum testosterone. This suggested their hypogonadism did not result primarily from classic primary gonadal failure. It could be speculated that other testicular paracrine factors and/or alteration of hypothalamus-pituitary-testicular axis are involved in the pathogenesis of hypogonadism. Further studies in this field will provide information regarding male reproductive physiology and may have impact on fertility enhancement options for men with spinal cord injuries."}
{"id": "PMID:1466871", "title": "A clinical trial of strengthening and aerobic exercise to improve gait and balance in elderly male nursing home residents.", "content": "The purpose of this study was to determine whether a moderate to high intensity strengthening and aerobic exercise program can improve the strength, exercise capacity, gait and balance of deconditioned male nursing home residents. Ambulatory subjects who scored 30 or less on the modified Tinetti gait and balance assessment scale, who demonstrated less than 80% of age-matched lower extremity strength on isokinetic muscle testing and who gave informed consent were enrolled. Subjects were randomized to either an exercise (n = 8) or a control (n = 6) group. All participants underwent an exercise test to determine maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) and received quantitative gait and balance measurements. The subjects assigned to the exercise group than completed a 12-wk program of weight training for the lower extremities and stationary cycling. Both the exercise and control groups were then retested. Ten outcome variables were assessed: Tinetti mobility scores, VO2max, isokinetic-tested lower extremity strength and endurance, stride length, gait velocity, stance time, gait duration, cadence and balance. The exercise group, after completion of the program, demonstrated significant improvements in Tinetti mobility scores (P < 0.05), combined right and left quadricep muscle strength (P < 0.01), right and left lower extremity muscular endurance (P < 0.01), left stride length and gait velocity (P < 0.05), although other outcome variables changed insignificantly. The control group revealed no changes of significance with the exception of improvement of the combined right and left hamstring muscle strength (P < 0.05). Nevertheless, for those outcome variables that had improved significantly in the exercise group, the changes amounted to only a 5 to 10% increase over the baseline measurements. These findings showed that an appropriately designed high intensity exercise program can result in significant although limited improvements for clinical mobility scores, strength, muscular endurance and certain gait parameters."}
{"id": "PMID:1466872", "title": "Fibromyalgia syndrome. New associations.", "content": "Previous research has demonstrated a number of conditions, such as sleep disturbance, fatigue, depression, spastic colon and mitral valve prolapse, associated with fibromyalgia. The present report describes additional symptoms and medical conditions that appear to be associated with the syndrome based on a survey of 554 individuals with fibromyalgia compared with a group of 169 controls. Individuals with fibromyalgia self report a greater incidence of bursitis, chondromalacia, constipation, diarrhea, temporomandibular joint dysfunction, vertigo, sinus and thyroid problems. Symptomatic complaints found statistically more prevalent in fibromyalgia patients included concentration problems, sensory symptoms, swollen glands and tinnitus. Other associations occurring with significant increased frequency were chronic cough, coccygeal and pelvic pain, tachycardia and weakness. Our previous report on inheritance patterns in fibromyalgia was reaffirmed with 12% reporting symptomatic children and 25% reporting symptomatic parents. Of the respondents, 70% noted that their symptoms were aggravated by noise, lights, stress, posture and weather."}
{"id": "PMID:1466873", "title": "Spinal cord arteriovenous malformation in a person with congenital lymphatic abnormalities.", "content": "Spinal cord arteriovenous malformations have been described in association with a variety of congenital diseases affecting the vasculature, including Klippel-Trenaunay-Weber syndrome, Rendu-Osler-Weber syndrome and others, but rarely in association with lymphatic abnormalities. We report the case of a young man with congenital lymphedema and arteriovenous malformations of one lower extremity and a spinal cord arteriovenous malformation. Awareness of the possible presence of a central nervous system arteriovenous malformation in individuals with pre-existing arteriovenous and lymphatic abnormalities may be helpful in their diagnosis and management."}
{"id": "PMID:1466874", "title": "Dural tear following traumatic spinal cord injury. A delayed complication.", "content": "Dural tears with leakage of cerebral spinal fluid into surrounding soft tissues can occur after traumatic spinal cord injury. An unusual case presented in a patient with traumatic paraplegia where the onset was delayed and clinical features were suggestive of autonomic dysfunction. The clinical features, pathophysiology and treatment of this interesting complication following traumatic spinal cord injury are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1466876", "title": "Pergolide can induce soluble superoxide dismutase in rat striata.", "content": "Pergolide, a dopamine receptor agonist, given daily i.p. for three weeks at 0.04 mg/kg and 0.4 mg/kg, significantly induced soluble (Cu-Zn) superoxide dismutase in the rat striatum, while having no effect on the mitochondrial (Mn) form of the enzyme. Such induction, which can also be effected by (-)-deprenyl, may help to protect against nigrostriatal degeneration."}
{"id": "PMID:1466877", "title": "Photoperiodic response of pineal-thyroid axis of the female Indian palm squirrel, Funambulus pennanti.", "content": "Effect of short (SP: 10 L: 14 D: Light: Dark) and long (LP: 14 L: 10 D) photoperiod was tested on pineal-thyroid axis in a tropical seasonally breeding rodent F. pennanti during sexually regressive phase of reproduction. SP reduced thyroid weight and plasma thyroxine (T4) as well as increased melatonin (aMT) while pinealectomy (Px) prevented such an effect of SP. LP and Px plus LP had no significant effect on thyroid activity when compared with their respective controls. These results suggest that SP stimulated pineal activity which increased the concentration of aMT, hence inhibited thyroid gland activity. However, the plasma aMT concentration under LP regime had no significant difference from controls, as the ambient photoperiodic length (13.6 hr) was almost similar to the experimental one (14.0 hr). It is suggested that being innervated from the same ganglion (SCG) which conveys photic stimuli to the pineal gland, the thyroid gland like the pineal is also under the influence of photoperiodic responses. Further pineal/melatonin also influences thyroid function indirectly."}
{"id": "PMID:1466878", "title": "Changes in the amount and distribution of neuronal alkaline and acid phosphatase after chronic exposure of cultures of cingulate cortex to antidepressant drugs.", "content": "Enzyme histochemistry was used to examine alkaline and acid phosphatases in cultures of embryonic rat cingulate cortex after 14 days exposure in vitro to two tricyclic antidepressants (amitriptyline and desipramine) and two non-tricyclic antidepressants (mianserin and citalopram). An increased amount of acid phosphatase reaction product was observed in lysosomes of neurons in cultures treated chronically with the non-tricyclic antidepressants, mianserin or citalopram. More strikingly, reaction product was also present in the inner lamellae of the Golgi apparatus after this treatment, but never in controls. These observations suggest that non-tricyclic antidepressants significantly increase the rate of degradative processes in cingulate neurons. In cultures, treated chronically with desipramine or amitriptyline, pre- and postsynaptic membranes contained heavy deposits of alkaline phosphatase reaction product, whereas in control cultures not exposed to these drugs the corresponding membranes were entirely devoid of reaction product. An increase in the amount of alkaline phosphatase reaction product was also observed on the plasma membranes of neuronal cell bodies. These observations suggest that chronic exposure to antidepressants may influence transmembrane transport in cingulate neurons."}
{"id": "PMID:1466879", "title": "Effects of fenfluramine on plasma homovanillic acid in healthy subjects.", "content": "The specificity of fenfluramine as a pharmacological probe of the serotonin system has been questioned, since animal studies with high dose l-fenfluramine show increases in striatal levels of the dopamine metabolite homovanillic acid. To test the specificity of fenfluramine in humans with clinical doses, we compared plasma homovanillic acid (pHVA) concentration in healthy volunteers after administration of fenfluramine (60 mg) and placebo. There were no significant effects on pHVA, which supports previous findings that at doses used in pharmacological challenge paradigms, the effect of fenfluramine on the dopamine system is insufficient to alter measures of its change."}
{"id": "PMID:1466880", "title": "Vehicle occupant exposure to carbon monoxide.", "content": "This paper focuses on the auto commuting micro-environment and presents typical carbon monoxide (CO) concentrations to which auto commuters in central Riyadh, Saudi Arabia were exposed. Two test vehicles traveling over four main arterial roadways were monitored for inside and outside CO levels during eighty peak and off-peak hours extending over an eight-month period. The relative importance of several variables which explained the variability in CO concentrations inside autos was also assessed. It was found that during peak hours auto commuters were exposed to mean CO levels that ranged from 30 to 40 ppm over trips that typically took between 25 to 40 minutes. The mean ratio of inside to outside CO levels was 0.84. Results of variance component analyses indicated that the most important variables affecting CO concentrations inside autos were, in addition to the smoking of vehicle occupants, traffic volume, vehicle speed, period of day and wind velocity. An increase in traffic volume from 1,000 to 5,000 vehicles per hour (vph) increased mean CO level exposure by 71 percent. An increase in vehicle speed from 14 to 55 km/h reduced mean CO exposure by 36 percent. The number of traffic interruptions had a moderate effect on mean concentrations of CO inside vehicles."}
{"id": "PMID:1466881", "title": "Ultrasound beam orientation during standard two-dimensional imaging: assessment by three-dimensional echocardiography.", "content": "Standard two-dimensional echocardiographic image planes are defined by anatomic landmarks and assumptions regarding their orientation when these landmarks are visualized. However, variations of anatomy and technique may invalidate these assumptions and thus limit reproducibility and accuracy of cardiac dimensions recorded from these views. To overcome this problem, we have developed a three-dimensional echocardiograph consisting of a real-time scanner, three-dimensional spatial locater, and personal computer. This system displays the line of intersection of a real-time image and an orthogonal reference image and may be used to assess actual image orientation during standardized two-dimensional imaging when the line-of-intersection display is not observed by the operator. Three hundred forty standard images were assessed from 85 examinations by 11 echocardiographers. Twenty-four percent of the unguided standard images were optimally positioned within +/- 5 mm and +/- 15 degrees of the standard. Of the optimal images, two thirds were parasternal long-axis views. A subsequent study with three-dimensional echocardiography and line-of-intersection guidance of image positioning showed 80% of the guided images to be optimally positioned, a threefold improvement (p < 0.001). Two-dimensional echocardiography does not achieve reasonably consistent optimal positioning of standard imaging views, suggesting that measurements taken from these views are likely to be suboptimal. Three-dimensional echocardiography that uses line-of-intersection guidance improves image positioning threefold and should therefore improve the accuracy and reproducibility of quantitative echocardiographic measurements derived from these images."}
{"id": "PMID:1466882", "title": "Geometric accuracy of intravascular ultrasound imaging.", "content": "In spite of the current interest in and clinical application of intravascular ultrasound imaging, there is very little published information on the limitations of this modality. In vitro studies on nine phantom vessels (diameter 4.76 to 12.7 mm) and 11 human arteries (diameter 3.7 to 6.2 mm) were performed to assess the potential sources of error of diagnostic intravascular ultrasound imaging. The effects of (1) blood flow velocity, (2) temperature, (3) eccentric, noncentral catheter placement, (4) alteration of the angle of incidence by 30 degrees, and (5) the effect of imaging in different mediums--saline solution, blood, and electrode gel--were studied. Variations in blood flow velocity (from 10 to 300 ml/min) and temperature (from 22 degrees C to 37 degrees C) resulted in a < 2% change in the lumen area measured by intravascular ultrasound imaging catheters. Eccentric catheter location had little effect on phantom or human arterial lumen shape or area when imaging was performed with optimized catheters. However, with used catheters circular lumens appeared elliptical with an eccentric index for phantoms from 0.88 to 1.15, (P < 0.05), and for human arteries from 0.88 to 1.11 (P < 0.05). The area ranged from 89% to 112% (P < 0.05) in phantoms and from 90% to 110% in human arteries compared with the lumen areas measured with a central catheter position (control). A 30-degree alteration in the angle of incidence resulted in 16.3% +/- 5.5% increase in lumen area for phantoms and 14.2% +/- 8.6% for human arteries in vitro. Ultrasonic-measured wall thickness of human vessels correlated closely with the actual measured thickness (r = 0.93) when a central catheter position was used. The wall thickness measured during adjacent (< 0.2 mm) and far-wall positioning (1.9 mm) of the catheter correlated closely (r = 0.96), but the far wall thickness with a 30-degree angle of incidence resulted in a 10.6% increase from control. Studies in saline solution resulted in significantly different measures of lumen area compared with imaging in blood. Compared with images recorded in blood, images in saline solution were 7.6% to 8.2% larger and 3.9% to 7.2% smaller in gel.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1466883", "title": "Normal pulmonary venous flow characteristics as assessed by transesophageal pulsed Doppler echocardiography.", "content": "Twenty-seven subjects without apparent cardiac abnormalities underwent transesophageal echocardiography to evaluate normal Doppler characteristics of pulmonary venous flow. In particular, the effects of normal respiration and straining during the Valsalva maneuver were analyzed. Pulmonary venous flow during systole consisted of one forward flow wave in 15 cases (56%) and of two forward flow waves in 12 cases (44%). In all instances one forward flow wave was seen during early diastole and in 23 subjects (85%) a retrograde wave related to atrial contraction was present. Maximal velocity during systole was 57 +/- 13 cm/sec (mean +/- SD), during early diastole was 58 +/- 19 cm/sec, and during late diastole was 16 +/- 9 cm/sec. Velocity time integral during systole was significantly higher than during early diastole (11.8 +/- 4.9 vs 9.5 +/- 3.9 cm, p < 0.05), while velocity time integral during late diastole was 1.1 +/- 0.7 cm. During normal inspiration both early diastolic velocity and velocity time integral significantly decreased from 59 +/- 15 to 54 +/- 15 cm/sec (p < 0.01) and from 9.5 +/- 3.9 to 8.5 +/- 4.2 cm (p < 0.05), respectively. During normal expiration, systolic and early diastolic velocity time integral significantly increased, from 11.0 +/- 4.1 to 11.8 +/- 4.5 cm (p < 0.001) and from 9.5 +/- 3.9 to 10.1 +/- 4.3 cm (p < 0.05), respectively. Although statistically significant, the differences were small and do not seem of clinical importance. Straining during the Valsalva maneuver, however, obviously decreased pulmonary venous flow velocities. Systolic and early diastolic velocity decreased from 57 +/- 15 to 32 +/- 10 cm/sec and from 59 +/- 18 to 34 +/- 15 cm/sec, respectively, while velocity time integral during systole, early, and late diastole decreased from 12.0 +/- 5.6 to 4.3 +/- 2.6 cm, from 9.9 +/- 4.4 to 5.2 +/- 3.7 cm, and from 1.3 +/- 0.8 to 0.8 +/- 0.7 cm, respectively. In conclusion, pulmonary venous Doppler characteristics can adequately be analyzed with transesophageal echocardiography. Normal respiration only minimally influences pulmonary venous flow velocities in contrast to straining during the Valsalva maneuver; this should be considered when these variables are applied for clinical purposes."}
{"id": "PMID:1466884", "title": "Doppler evaluation of normalized peak filling rate in normal children and children with left ventricular outflow obstruction.", "content": "To evaluate the early diastolic peak filling rate of the left ventricle, three groups of children (normal children, patients with aortic valvular stenosis, and patients with aortic coarctation) were examined with the peak filling rate normalized to stroke volume calculated from the mitral valve inflow Doppler recording as the peak E velocity divided by the velocity time integral. The normal value for this index in children was 6.78 +/- 0.99 SV/sec and did not vary with age, weight, body surface area, or heart rate. Compared with normal subjects, both patients with aortic stenosis and patients with coarctation had increased left ventricular mass, but patients with aortic stenosis had decreased normalized peak filling rates (5.3 +/- 0.84 SV/sec, p < 0.01), while patients with coarctation had normal rates (6.79 +/- 0.98 SV/sec, p = 0.97). Compared with patients with aortic coarctation, patients with aortic stenosis had higher Doppler gradients. Thus the Doppler index of peak filling rate normalized to stroke volume is particularly useful in children because it is independent of heart rate, age, weight, and body surface area. Patients with coarctation may have normal peak filling rates normalized to stroke volume despite increased left ventricular mass because of milder obstruction or better coronary artery perfusion compared with that of patients with aortic stenosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1466891", "title": "Demographic prognostic factors in breast cancer.", "content": "The aim of this study was to assess the prognostic influence of the month of treatment, the year of treatment, and the patient's age at diagnosis of breast cancer in comparison with clinical and histopathological prognostic factors. This retrospective analysis from the years 1968-1990 at one university hospital in a rural area in Eastern Finland included 688 patients with invasive breast cancer followed up for more than 12 years. The breast tumours diagnosed in September and in October were larger, had distant metastases more often and, accordingly, had a worse prognosis than the tumours diagnosed during the rest of the year. The prognosis of breast tumours improved during the study period whereas the patient's age was inversely related to prognosis. The histopathological characteristics of breast tumours were not related to the month of treatment. The tumours were histologically more atypical and smaller in size, and the patients were older at diagnosis in the 1990's than in the 1980's. In conclusion, the month of treatment, the year of treatment, and the patient's age were found to be independent prognostic predictors in breast cancer, acting as confounders in survival analyses based on the biological prognostic factors."}
{"id": "PMID:1466885", "title": "Doppler assessment of left ventricular diastolic function: a review.", "content": "Two-dimensional echocardiography provides valuable information for the assessment of left ventricular function. Traditionally, evaluation has focused on determination of systolic performance. However, recent investigations indicate diastolic dysfunction may also contribute to symptoms of congestive heart failure in many patients despite normal systolic function. Pulsed Doppler echocardiography complements two-dimensional imaging for assessment of left ventricular filling properties that are often altered in the setting of diastolic dysfunction. The concept of diastolic function and recognition of abnormal filling patterns detected by pulsed Doppler echocardiography are reviewed."}
{"id": "PMID:1466886", "title": "Does inferior vena cava size predict right atrial pressures in patients receiving mechanical ventilation?", "content": "The inferior vena cava diameter and its respiratory response are used to estimate right atrial pressures in spontaneously breathing patients but its value in patients receiving mechanical ventilation is unvalidated. Forty-nine patients undergoing mechanical ventilation were prospectively evaluated in the intensive or coronary care units with two-dimensional echocardiography of the inferior vena cava and simultaneous measurements of mean right atrial pressures by central venous or pulmonary artery catheter. Correlation between inferior vena cava diameter at expiration and mean right atrial pressure was only 0.58. The correlation between inspiratory change in inferior vena cava diameter and mean right atrial pressure was poor (r = 0.13). Despite these correlations, an inferior vena cava diameter of < or = 12 mm predicted a right atrial pressure of 10 mm Hg or less 100% of the time, but sensitivity was only 25%. An inferior vena cava diameter > 12 mm had no predictive value for right atrial pressure."}
{"id": "PMID:1466892", "title": "Anxiety and depression in breast cancer patients at start of adjuvant radiotherapy. Relations to age and type of surgery.", "content": "Using a self-report questionnaire, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression (HAD) scale, feelings of anxiety and depression were assessed in 133 breast cancer patients referred for adjuvant radiotherapy following surgical treatment. Eighteen patients (14%) had scores indicating morbid anxiety. Significant depression was recorded for only 2 patients (1.5%). Severe anxiety was recorded for 10 out of 54 mastectomized patients (19%) and for 8 out of 79 patients treated with breast conserving surgery (10%). The difference was not significant (p = 0.13). In a subgroup aged 50-59 years, morbid anxiety was significantly more common among mastectomized patients than among patients operated conservatively, 4 out of 9 (44%) vs. 1 out of 23 (4%) (p = 0.01). Such a pattern was not discernable in the patients < 50 years of age or those > or = 60 years old. The results suggest that, at start of adjuvant radiotherapy, emotional distress is characterized by anxiety rather than depression and the risk of morbid anxiety is especially large for mastectomized women in their fifties."}
{"id": "PMID:1466893", "title": "Lymph node metastases in the neck from unknown primary tumour.", "content": "During a 12-year period a total of 203 patients were referred to the oncologic center of Odense with lymph node metastases in the neck. Routine examinations on admission failed to detect the primary tumour in 37 patients. During follow-up, the primary was revealed in 18 of these patients, and in a further 8 cases it was found at autopsy. The primary was most often located in the head and neck region with a possibility of curative therapy. Patients with small neck node metastases responded well to treatment with neck dissection and radiotherapy, resulting in a 5-year crude survival rate of 53%."}
{"id": "PMID:1466888", "title": "Transesophageal echocardiographic recognition of a fistula between a coronary artery and the left atrium.", "content": "A 58-year-old woman with a prosthetic mitral valve and an anomalous single coronary artery received transesophageal echocardiography and was found to have a coronary artery--to--left atrium fistula. Because of its superior imaging quality, transesophageal color Doppler method is a useful diagnostic procedure."}
{"id": "PMID:1466887", "title": "A comparison of flow convergence with other transthoracic echocardiographic indexes of prosthetic mitral regurgitation.", "content": "Prosthetic shadowing of the left atrium may prevent detection of mitral regurgitation during transthoracic echocardiography. In 60 patients with mitral valves, Carpentier-Edwards (n = 20), St. Jude (n = 22), and cage-ball (n = 18), we blindly evaluated the accuracy of three transthoracic Doppler signs of significant (> 2+) mitral regurgitation: (1) color Doppler flow convergence, (2) a color Doppler jet of significant regurgitation in the left atrium, and (3) an intense continuous wave Doppler signal. All 60 patients had transesophageal echocardiography, 26 had cardiac catheterization, and 28 had surgery. The sensitivity and specificity of flow convergence for significant regurgitation by transesophageal echocardiography was 73% and 70%, respectively, compared with 33% and 93% for left atrial color Doppler, and 15% and 97% for continuous wave Doppler. The sensitivity of flow convergence in Carpentier-Edwards, St. Jude, and cage-ball valves was 80%, 73%, and 67%, respectively; whereas the sensitivity of left atrial color Doppler was 70%, 27%, and 0%, and the sensitivity of continuous wave Doppler was 33%, 0%, and 13%. Flow convergence was the only sign of significant regurgitation in 12 of 30 patients (40%); 10 of these patients had mechanical valves. We conclude flow convergence is a more sensitive, though less specific, predictor of significant mitral regurgitation than color Doppler, spatial mapping of the left atrium, and continuous wave Doppler, especially when a mechanical valve is present."}
{"id": "PMID:1466894", "title": "A contribution to the comparison of the efficacy of radiotherapeutic procedures in cervical carcinoma.", "content": "This paper presents a new method in which the regression velocity of cervical carcinoma is measured by computer tomography and the results evaluated by two statistical methods: non-linear regression analysis and survival analysis. By means of this approach it was possible to compare the early effect of therapy in patients treated with intracavitary application of 226Ra plus external radiotherapy with those treated with 252Cf, 226Ra and extended radiotherapy. In the latter group a higher efficacy of the therapy was demonstrated by both statistical methods. As the timing between external and intracavitary radiotherapy was different in the two groups and as 252Cf contributed to a rather small part of the total radiation dose it could not be concluded that the difference in efficacy really was due to 252Cf. Of essential interest was, however, that an obvious difference in efficacy could be found between two slightly different treatment techniques. The statistical procedure called survival analysis, used here parallelly with weighed regression analysis seemed to give better results than a classical regression analysis and can thus be recommended for processing of clinical data of the type which is discussed in this paper."}
{"id": "PMID:1466889", "title": "Unruptured sinus of valsalva aneurysm and bicuspid aortic valve with aortic cusp perforation: detection by color flow Doppler mapping.", "content": "Congestive heart failure developed in a 53-year-old man with a history of bicuspid aortic valve, angina, and pericarditis. Two-dimensional echocardiography showed a sinus of Valsalva aneurysm related to the anterior coronary sinus and color flow mapping identified a perforation of the anterior aortic cusp. These findings were confirmed during surgery."}
{"id": "PMID:1466895", "title": "Radiation protection of male fertility in mouse and rat by a combination of 5-hydroxy-L-tryptophan and a thiol compound (AET).", "content": "Sperm abnormalities and fall in total sperm count following different doses (4 Gy, 5 Gy and 6 Gy) of whole body gamma irradiation (WBGR) were studied in adult male Swiss strain A mice. The protecting ability of a combination of 5-hydroxy-L-tryptophan (5-HTP, 100 mg/kg) and 2-aminoethyl isothiuronium bromide hydrobromide (AET, 20 mg/kg) was also investigated. Pretreatment with a 5-HTP+AET formulation i.p., 30 min before irradiation modified the fall in sperm counts significantly. Exposures to 4 Gy, 5 Gy and 6 Gy WBGR caused marked increase of sperm abnormalities which could be significantly reduced by pretreatment with 5-HTP-AET. WBGR with 4 Gy, 5 Gy and 6 Gy produced a short period of sterility associated with oligospermia but these abnormalities were corrected by pretreatment with 5-HTP+AET. This finding was supported by breeding experiments in pretreated adult male Sprague-Dawley rats which showed delivery of normal offsprings in drug-protected irradiated groups in contrast to irradiated controls."}
{"id": "PMID:1466896", "title": "Urination frequency and cystic pressure resistance after fractionated whole or partial irradiation of the rabbit urinary bladder.", "content": "Urination frequency and cystic pressure resistance have been used as end-points to assess x-ray-induced changes of bladder function. Whole or half bladders of adult male rabbits were irradiated, caudally or cranially. The absorbed dose was 33 Gy, 36 Gy or 39 Gy, given in 5 daily fractions. Animals which received a whole bladder dose of 39 Gy or 36 Gy showed increased urination frequency and enhanced bladder pressure resistance during the whole follow-up time of 100 weeks, compared with the sham-irradiated controls. At half bladder irradiation, only the highest doses (39 Gy to the cranial part of the bladder and 39 Gy or 36 Gy to the caudal part) gave rise to a slight increase in frequency at about 20 weeks after exposure."}
{"id": "PMID:1466901", "title": "Transferrin synthesis by macrophages: up-regulation by gamma-interferon and effect on lymphocyte proliferation.", "content": "We have investigated transferrin synthesis by human and mouse lymphoid and myeloid cells. It was found that transferrin synthesis is a property of mouse but not human macrophages, whereas in man T lymphocytes synthesised transferrin. Synthesis by mouse macrophages showed a dose-dependent increase in response to gamma-interferon (gamma-IFN), but iron added as ferric nitrilotriacetate had no effect. Macrophage-derived transferrin was found to contain iron already bound to it and was able to support Con A-stimulated mouse lymphocyte proliferation."}
{"id": "PMID:1466902", "title": "Tumour cell inhibition of macrophage cytokine activity.", "content": "Macrophages elaborate both effector and regulatory immune functions. It was hypothesised that tumours can exert a local alteration of macrophage function. Murine peritoneal macrophage-derived cytokines were assayed in the presence and absence of cells, cytosol fractions or conditioned media (TCCM) from established murine tumour lines. Interleukin-1 beta, interleukin-6 and tumour necrosis factor-alpha activities were significantly inhibited by tumour cells or their products, as were the corresponding recombinant human cytokines. Intracellular protein kinase C activation was also measured and was significantly inhibited by murine TCCM, thus suggesting one possible site of inhibitor action. Data analyses indicate that the inhibitory factor(s) is probably not an already well-characterised macrophage inhibitor."}
{"id": "PMID:1466903", "title": "The balance of macrophage subsets may be customised at mucosal surfaces.", "content": "Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) can discriminate phagocytes (mAb, RFD7+), antigen presenting cells (mAb, RFD1+) and suppressor macrophages (mAbs, RFD1+RFD7+). Here we compare proportions of these subsets in normal mucosa and investigate changes associated with inflammatory disease. Biopsies were obtained from normal and inflamed lung, gut and skin. Cryostat sections were then analysed using mAbs RFD1 and RFD7. At normal mucosal surfaces the RFD1+RFD7+ suppressor cells consistently formed a major population: lung, RFD1+ 11.4%, RFD7+ 43.3%, RFD1+RFD7+ 45.2% and in gut, RFD1+ 37%, RFD7+ 12%, RFD1+RFD7+ 51% while in the skin the three subsets were in relatively equal proportions (RFD1+ 30%, RFD7+ 37%, RFD1+RFD7+ 33%). In inflamed eczematous skin the percentage of RFD1+RFD7+ increased at the expense of RFD1+ and RFD7+ cells whereas in inflamed mucosa the RFD1+RFD7+ population was significantly reduced (asthmatic lung 29%, RFD1+RFD7+, colitis 31% RFD1+RFD7+). In the lung this reduction was concomitant with a rise in RFD1+ cells while in the gut the RFD7+ population increased. It is concluded that balance of macrophage subsets may be customised at mucosal surfaces to sustain suppression of T cell reactivity. Inflammation here is associated with a loss of this suppression."}
{"id": "PMID:1466904", "title": "Heterogeneity of peripheral blood monocyte populations in human immunodeficiency virus-1 seropositive patients.", "content": "Monocytes from human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) patients have an increased heterogeneity of phenotype and function. In a study of 120 HIV patients we have demonstrated that they have normal monocyte differential counts but that with progression of the disease an increasing proportion of monocytes show phenotypic and functional evidence for activation or maturation. A proportion of the monocytes are larger, with increased expression of CD11b, HLA-DR, CD45 and CD16. Concomitantly there was increased expression of TNF-alpha, high constitutive synthesis of PGE2 and high plasma IL-6 levels. This suggested that there exists a more dynamic situation of recruitment, activation and maturation of peripheral blood monocytes driven by HIV infection which results in a broader phenotypic profile."}
{"id": "PMID:1466905", "title": "Use of enzyme microassay to detect eosinophil potentiating activity of cytokines in sheep.", "content": "Microplate assays for eosinophil peroxidase (EPO) and arylsulphatase (EAS) have been established as indices of eosinophil survival/proliferation in sheep bone marrow cell (SBMC) cultures. Cell specificity was confirmed using density-fractionated and differentially depleted SBMC populations. Several recombinant cytokines including interleukins 3 (IL-3) and 5 (IL-5), and granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF), but not macrophage-CSF (M-CSF), had demonstrable eosinophil-potentiating activity on the basis of enhanced EPO and EAS activities in treated, compared with untreated, SBMC cultures. Effects of IL-5 were abrogated in the presence of a specific monoclonal anti-IL-5 antibody. The results indicate that measurement of EPO and EAS in cultured SBMC offers a simple and effective method for detecting eosinophil potentiating activity in the ovine."}
{"id": "PMID:1466906", "title": "The development of a radiometric assay for monocyte phagocytosis and killing.", "content": "Monocyte and macrophage phagocytosis and killing has an important role in host defence against infectious microorganisms. Established methods for investigating these activities in vitro are time-consuming, expensive and prone to subjective error. An in vitro assay has been developed which measures monocyte phagocytosis and killing of Candida albicans. In this system, monocyte function is assessed by a radiometric assay based on the incorporation of [3H]uridine into viable yeast cells. This technique allows the simultaneous but independent measurement of the average number of yeast cells ingested by monocytes and the percentage of the ingested organisms killed within a defined incubation period. These tests can be carried out on a single sample of peripheral blood, are relatively easy to perform, and provide objective results within 24 h of receipt of the specimen. This method gave consistent results when monocyte-enriched harvests were obtained by four different separation techniques. This assay could prove a valuable tool for the investigation of monocyte function in individuals with recurrent infections to determine the contribution this makes to their clinical condition. It may also be used to investigate in vitro the influence of cytokines and other chemical agents on monocyte function."}
{"id": "PMID:1466907", "title": "Effect of blocking TNF-alpha on intracellular BCG (Bacillus Calmette Guerin) growth in human monocyte-derived macrophages.", "content": "Four agents, thalidomide, oxpentifylline, dexamethasone and a polyclonal anti-TNF-alpha antibody, were all shown by specific Elisa to block endogenous TNF-alpha production by Bacillus Calmette Guerin (BCG)-infected human monocyte-derived macrophages in in vitro culture. There was however no significant enhancement of intracellular BCG growth, over a 7-day incubation, in human monocyte-derived macrophages in the presence of any of the TNF-alpha-blocking agents, as determined by both radiometric and CFU counting methods of assessing bacterial viability and growth. The result suggests that the action of TNF-alpha alone is unlikely to be an important effector mechanism in antimycobacterial immunity within human cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1466908", "title": "Cell-stroma interactions in monocytopoiesis.", "content": "We have used immunohistochemistry to distinguish monocytes from early granulocyte precursors in trephine biopsies, in order to determine the distribution of monocytopoiesis within bone marrow. Developing granulocytes and monocytes have extensively overlapping immunophenotypes, but differential expression of calgranulin by monocytes and granulocytes during their maturation permitted the use of this antigen as a marker of bone marrow monocytes. In addition to morphologically normal bone marrow biopsies, in which monocyte numbers are relatively low, we studied pathological conditions in which either monocytopoiesis or granulopoiesis is selectively increased. By contrast with the highly zonal distribution of developing granulocytes, we found that monocytes were dispersed singly throughout the bone marrow. There was no evidence of preferential localisation of monocytes to particular stromal compartments. We hypothesise that developing monocytes are highly mobile within the bone marrow stroma and are relatively independent of physical stromal contacts for differentiation signals."}
{"id": "PMID:1466909", "title": "A comparison of the different methods available for determining BCG-macrophage interactions in vitro, including a new method of colony counting in broth.", "content": "Different methods of determining BCG viability based on colony forming unit (CFU) counting and radio-isotope labelling were comparatively assessed. These included radio-isotope labelling with [3H]uracil, [3H]uridine, [3H]glycerol, and CFU counting, by both agar plate dilution, and microcolony counting in broth. The sensitivity ranges of the different techniques were determined in both macrophage-free and macrophage-treated systems and used to assess the anti-mycobacterial potential of human monocyte-derived macrophages following BCG infection."}
{"id": "PMID:1466910", "title": "[Molecular cytogenetic study of an extra small chromosome].", "content": "An extra small chromosome was observed in a three-generation family. Eight members of this family were involved, but their phenotypes were normal. Molecular cytogenetic study was carried out, using cytogenetic methods and chromosome in situ hybridization with 3H-labelled rDNA probe. The results showed that this chromosome was from the short arm of chromosome of D/G group. The origin and genetic effects of this chromosome and fertility of the carriers were also discussed were also discussed briefly."}
{"id": "PMID:1466911", "title": "[Cloning and sequence analysis of salmon growth hormone cDNA].", "content": "cDNA clones encoding Chinook Salmon, Oncorhynchus tschawytscha, growth hormone (sGH) have been isolated from a cDNA library prepared from Chinook Salmon pituitary gland poly(A)+ RNA. Synthetic oligodeoxynucleotide mixtures based on amino acid residues 1-7 of sGH and 166-172 of sGH were used as hybridization probes to select recombinant plasmids carrying the sGH coding sequence. The complete nucleotide sequence of sGH cDNA has been determined. The cDNA sequence codes for a polypeptide of 210 amino acids including a putative signal sequence of 22 amino acids. The 5' and 3' untranslated regions of the message were 70 and 446 bases long, respectively. Comparison of the nucleotide sequence and amino acid sequence between Chum sGH and Chinook sGH indicated that there were 97% and 99% homology respectively."}
{"id": "PMID:1466912", "title": "[Studies of plasmids of Pseudomonas maltophilia].", "content": "Eighteen strains of P. maltophilia were screened for the occurrence of plasmid using four different methods. Five of them were harbor plasmids. The results of plasmid detection in different growth phase of P2 strain showed that the highest amount of plasmids in the strain was observed in stationary growth phase. The characteristics of plasmid of P. maltophilia P2 was investigated by methods of agarose gel electrophoresis, restriction endonucleases analysis, determination of molecular weight. The results indicated that P. maltophilia P2 contained only one type of plasmid, its molecular weight was 4.4 x 10(6) dalton and that the plasmid had single BamHI. PstI. XbaI EcoRI. HindIII sites. Thus, the plasmid of P. maltophilia P2 may be developed into a fine cloning vector."}
{"id": "PMID:1466913", "title": "[Isolation of vitamin B2 auxotroph and preliminary genetic mapping in Salmonella typhimurium].", "content": "The first independent vitamin B2 auxotrophs of Salmonella typhimurium were obtained by using selective medium containing extraordinarily high concentration of B2 (300 micrograms/ml) after mutagenesis. Transduction analysis showed that 21 B2 auxotrophs could be divided into four groups, which were unlinked to each other. It means that at least 4 structural genes were involved in B2 biosynthetic pathway. Preliminary genetic mapping indicated that 2 genes located in 7'-22' and other 2 located in 22'-34' and 61.5'-69' region on the genetic map of S. typhimurium respectively."}
{"id": "PMID:1466914", "title": "[The construction of genomic library of Alcaligenes faecalis and cloning of nifH gene sequence homologous to Klebsiella pneumoniae].", "content": "A genomic library of Alcaligenes faecalis A-15Hl which possesses rather high nitrogenase activity has been constructed. The total DNA of A. faecalis A-15 Hl was partially digested with Sau3AI. 13-20 kb of fragments recovered from agarose gel were cloned in bacteriophage EM-BL4 vector. A total number of 1.2 x 10(6) of recombinants was obtained. It is much beyond the desired capacity of a library. By using nifH gene of K. pneumoniae from plasmid pGB1 as probe, we have successfully screened the clone containing its homologous sequence. The recombinant bacteriophage DNA was digested with EcoRI. A 3.5 kb of hybridizing band appeared after southern blotting and then was cloned in pUC19 DNA. The result of southern blotting indicated that the recombinant plasmid clone contained nifH gene sequence of A. faecalis. This clone was named as pAFH."}
{"id": "PMID:1466917", "title": "Variation in coronary risk factors by social status: results from the Scottish Heart Health Study.", "content": "The relationship between social status and coronary heart disease in the United Kingdom is well established with the more socially disadvantaged being at higher risk. There is also evidence that the levels of most of the known coronary risk factors vary with social status in a way consistent with their relationship to coronary heart disease. Using data from the Scottish heart health study the aim of this study was to quantify, for men and women, the variation in four of the main coronary heart disease risk factors--smoking, serum total cholesterol level, blood pressure and obesity--according to a number of social factors--occupational social class, housing tenure, level of education and employment status. The analyses used both mean risk factor levels as well as the percentages above suggested cut off levels, in order to provide estimates of the percentage of people at risk. All the risk factors, apart from total cholesterol level in men, showed fairly consistent variation across social groups with the more socially disadvantaged being at higher risk. Similar social variation was found for the percentages above the cut off levels, and these indicate that nearly 60% of the Scottish population aged 40-59 years, have one or more risk factors for coronary heart disease. These results suggest that some targeting of health education and management is appropriate, and this is especially relevant as the reforms to the National Health Service set health targets for health authorities and encourage general practitioners to provide health promotion services.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1466918", "title": "Hypercholesterolaemia: setting a Dutch national standard.", "content": "Since 1989 the Dutch college of general practitioners (Nederlands Huisartsen Genootschap) has published a total of 22 standards on different subjects. For the standard on hypercholesterolaemia a working conference was organized and attended by the most active general practitioners in the college. The conference aimed to facilitate the publication of a well balanced standard and to judge the value of the previously used procedure in which the draft standard was sent to a sample of college members for their comments on the feasibility of the guidelines. Six controversial areas of hypercholesterolaemia were discussed at the conference and the conclusions reached were compared with the opinions of the random sample responding to the postal questionnaire. The representativeness of the populations consulted and the impact of the conference on the standard were also studied. Compared with the total population of Dutch general practitioners, women and those in the youngest age group (30-35 years) were over-represented in the random sample, while at the conference general practitioners from two partner and group practices were over-represented. There were no significant differences in background characteristics between the 36 conference participants and the 52 respondents to the written inquiry. Their opinions differed on the appropriateness of an upper age limit for screening for hypercholesterolaemia and on whether the 'average' general practitioner can prescribe a cholesterol-lowering diet. The results of the conference appear to have altered the final text of the standard on four issues: screening in women, having an upper age limit for screening, the time period for blood sampling and the prescription of a cholesterol-lowering diet by the general practitioner.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1466919", "title": "General practice in Gloucestershire, Avon and Somerset: explaining variations in standards.", "content": "Variations in standards are found in all health services. The method and amount of funding are thought to be important reasons for these variations. A cross sectional survey of all general practices in three counties in south west England was undertaken in order to explain variations in the level of development. A development score for each practice was calculated. There was wide variation in standards as described by the level of development. Multiple regression analysis showed that being a training practice, having a practice manager, the partners having a younger mean age, a larger total number of patients registered with the practice and a lower Jarman underprivileged area score were all independently related to a higher level of practice development. In addition, the responsible family health services authority was also related to the level of development. A combination of professional factors such as the decision to become a training practice, environmental factors such as the family health services authority or the underprivileged area score and economic factors reflected in the total list size determine the level of practice development. The most easily corrected factor is the employment of a practice manager. It is suggested that differences in standards in general practice may be increased rather than decreased by the fundholding scheme."}
{"id": "PMID:1466920", "title": "Time between presentation and treatment of six common cancers: a study in Devon.", "content": "The time between a person presenting to a general practitioner with a symptom of cancer and that person starting treatment has been studied in Devon. Retrospective analysis was undertaken of the general practitioner records of 1465 patients proven to have cancer who were registered with 245 general practitioners. During inspection of these records dates of first presentation, of referral, of first hospital consultation and of the start of treatment were noted for people with six common types of cancer (cancer of the breast, large bowel, lung, oesophagus, prostate and stomach). The general practitioner stage time and hospital stage time (pre-appointment and post-appointment) were calculated for each patient. Large differences were found in median times for the general practitioner stage according to the type of cancer, ranging from a median value of 0 days for people with breast cancer to 84 days for people with cancer of the oesophagus. For patients with cancer of the breast, large bowel, lung or prostate, median general practitioner times were shorter than median hospital stage times, while for patients with cancer of the oesophagus and stomach cancer, median general practitioner stage times were longer than median hospital stage times. Comparison of the hospital stage times for people with breast cancer and cancer of the large bowel showed notable differences between the four health districts in Devon, pre- and post-appointment times being twice as long in one district as in another. This retrospective record analysis was acceptable to participating practitioners. The results provide a basis for general practitioners and hospital staff to review their own work."}
{"id": "PMID:1466921", "title": "Long term use of inert intrauterine contraceptive devices in 94 women in Israel.", "content": "A 22 year retrospective survey was undertaken in an Israeli family practice to determine how long inert (plastic only, unmedicated) intrauterine contraceptive devices could be safely left in place. Ninety four women were identified who had used 100 inert intrauterine contraceptive devices continuously for between five and 19 years. Fifty nine women complained of pain, increased uterine bleeding or increased vaginal discharge, but these were the reasons for removal of the device in only 32 women. There was only one case of pelvic inflammatory disease but this was treated without removal of the intrauterine contraceptive device. Of 14 women who requested to have their device removed after between five and nine years without having had any side effects, 11 women conceived within nine months. The results of the study indicate that inert intrauterine contraceptive devices can be safely left in place until the menopause. As it will take many years before the new type of copper devices can be shown to be as safe for long term use, it seems an appropriate time to reintroduce inert intrauterine contraceptive devices for women."}
{"id": "PMID:1466922", "title": "Incidence and management of transient synovitis of the hip: a study in Dutch general practice.", "content": "Little is known about transient synovitis of the hip in the community. Using data from the Dutch national survey of morbidity and interventions in general practice, a study was undertaken to look at the incidence and management of transient synovitis of the hip in children under 15 years of age. Transient synovitis of the hip was diagnosed in 19 children, 17 of whom were new cases. The mean age of the children was six years six months with a sex ratio of 2.8:1.0 boys to girls. An incidence rate of 1.1 per 1000 person years was calculated. General practitioners prescribed drug treatment for six children and bed rest was advised for six children. Two children were referred for an x-ray examination. Clear follow-up arrangements were made for 16 of the 19 children. It appears that general practitioners preferred to adopt a wait-and-see approach to transient synovitis of the hip rather than referring children for diagnostic ultrasound or x-ray examination."}
{"id": "PMID:1466923", "title": "Management of asthma in pre-school children.", "content": "The management of asthma in pre-school children often presents physicians with challenging problems. This article addresses the diagnostic criteria by which the diagnosis may be made, discusses the prognosis of untreated asthma and states the principles underlying the treatment of asthma in this age group. The management according to a stepwise protocol is discussed with reference both to maintenance therapy, and the treatment of acute severe asthma. The methods by which appropriate medication may be delivered are also described."}
{"id": "PMID:1466924", "title": "Risk targeting in cervical screening: a new look at an old problem.", "content": "In the face of continuing debate about the level of effectiveness of the United Kingdom cervical cytology screening programme in preventing cervical cancer, more precise targeting of high risk groups might offer a means of enhancing its efficiency. Broad risk targeting is already practised by screening only sexually active women aged 20 to 65 years. This paper describes a risk scoring system constructed from the available literature and designed to be used by primary care health professionals and patients. The system involves four independent risk factors: educational level, current smoking habit, years of oral contraceptive use and number of sexual partners. Since the objective is simply to identify women at relatively high risk, inclusion of a factor neither requires nor implies causality. The next steps are to study the feasibility of putting the scale to practical use and to investigate its predictive value in a prospective evaluation."}
{"id": "PMID:1466935", "title": "ECMO in newborn infants: the Melbourne experience.", "content": "At the Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) has been used in the treatment of newborn infants with life-threatening respiratory or cardiac failure since May 1989. The main indications for the use of ECMO are that the disease is reversible, the surviving infant is likely to be normal and there is an 80% likelihood of death without ECMO. Sixteen of 22 (73%) newborn infants have survived at least 6 months after ECMO. Fourteen of 16 (87.5%) infants receiving ECMO (who did not have a congenital diaphragmatic hernia) were functionally normal survivors; the other two infants died. Two of six infants with congenital diaphragmatic hernia who received ECMO were discharged and survived to have normal neurological and respiratory function at 6 month follow up. These results are similar to results from other centres internationally. It would appear that ECMO is a useful therapy for near-term newborn infants with otherwise fatal cardiorespiratory failure."}
{"id": "PMID:1466936", "title": "ECMO in newborn infants: the New South Wales experience.", "content": "Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) has been used at the Prince of Wales Children's Hospital, Sydney for the treatment of newborn infants with life-threatening respiratory or cardiac failure since August 1989. The main indications are that the disease is reversible, the surviving infant is likely to be normal and there is an 80% likelihood of death without ECMO. Eighteen of 19 newborn infants have survived at least 2 months after ECMO. The 15 infants receiving ECMO (nine with meconium aspiration, six with persisting pulmonary hypertension) who did not have a congenital diaphragmatic hernia were normal survivors. One death occurred at 5 months of age from chronic lung disease. Three of four infants with congenital diaphragmatic hernia were discharged following ECMO and appeared normal at 6, 9 and 18 months of age. These results are similar to results from other centres internationally. It appears that ECMO is a useful therapy for near-term newborn infants with otherwise fatal cardiorespiratory failure."}
{"id": "PMID:1466937", "title": "Serum osteocalcin in normal and short Chinese children.", "content": "Serum osteocalcin was measured by radioimmunoassay in 200 normal children and adolescents, and seven growth hormone (GH) deficient and seven non-growth hormone deficient (NGHD) short children. There was a sex- and age-dependent change in the serum osteocalcin concentrations in normal children and adolescents with a pattern similar to the childhood height velocity curves. The serum osteocalcin concentration was in the low normal range in most patients with GH deficiency and NGHD short stature. GH therapy significantly increased the growth velocity in both groups of short children. GH treatment resulted in a significant rise in serum osteocalcin concentrations after 6 and 12 months in NGHD children but a more variable change was observed in GH-deficient children. Although osteocalcin levels may give some biochemical indication of growth, these measurements should be used together with auxological and other biochemical measurements to assess growth reliably."}
{"id": "PMID:1466938", "title": "The KEMH method for securing umbilical catheters.", "content": "A new method of fixation of umbilical catheters is described. This method utilizes a purse-string suture around the cord stump, which is then secured through the umbilical skin and fixed to the catheter with adhesive tape. This method avoids damage to the fragile skin, particularly of the preterm newborn, caused by the use of T piece strapping."}
{"id": "PMID:1466939", "title": "An area analysis of child injury morbidity in Auckland.", "content": "The geographical distribution of child injury morbidity in Auckland between 1982 and 1987 was examined. Analysis of total injury, pedestrian injury and vehicle occupant injury, with the census area unit as the basic spatial entity revealed distinct variations in child injury morbidity by census area unit. Morbidity rates were above average in parts of the central urban area and South Auckland and below average on the North Shore. Total injury morbidity and pedestrian injury morbidity rates were strongly correlated with census area unit unemployment rates, which were used as a measure of socio-economic deprivation. Geographical areas with high rates of child injury morbidity, to which injury prevention resources can be directed, were identified. In particular, the results suggest that injury prevention programmes should be targeted at socio-economically disadvantaged communities."}
{"id": "PMID:1466941", "title": "Primary staphylococcal pneumonia in childhood: a review of 69 cases.", "content": "Primary staphylococcal pneumonia is a rapidly progressive illness with well-described clinical and radiological features and a significant mortality rate. This retrospective study of cases diagnosed over a 20 year period at a tertiary paediatric hospital was undertaken to document the epidemiology and assess the management and mortality of the disease. The survey demonstrated that far fewer patients are being seen than formerly and confirmed that this is a disease primarily affecting infants and Aboriginal children. The initial radiological features were not diagnostic in the majority of cases but typical changes appeared in most at some time during the illness. The use of surgical drainage was not associated with a decrease in the duration of fever or length of hospital stay. The mortality rate has improved but remains significant."}
{"id": "PMID:1466940", "title": "A multicentre randomized placebo-controlled double-blind study on the efficacy of Ketotifen in infants with chronic cough or wheeze.", "content": "The efficacy of Ketotifen was examined in the treatment of 113 infants between 6 and 36 months of age presenting with a history of cough and/or wheeze in a multicentre randomized placebo-controlled double-blind study. A 4 week no-medication baseline phase preceded the 16 week treatment phase in which infants took 2.5 mL twice daily of either placebo or Ketotifen (0.5 mg) syrup; this was followed by a 4 week wash-out phase. Diary card evaluation was performed by the parent or guardian for the duration of the study and recorded wheeze and cough twice daily as well as medication used. The percentage of symptom-free days decreased significantly in both groups (P < 0.005) with placebo-treated infants experiencing significantly more symptom-free days compared with the Ketotifen group (P < 0.01), although this difference was never more than 10% in any 4 week treatment period. Symptom severity scores and use of beta-agonist medication were also less in the placebo-treated infants but did not reach statistical significance. This study was unable to show a therapeutic advantage of Ketotifen over placebo in this group of infants with chronic cough and/or wheeze and the apparent statistical advantage of placebo is not a clinically relevant finding."}
{"id": "PMID:1466942", "title": "Immunization status of casualty attenders: risk factors for non-compliance and attitudes to 'on the spot' immunization.", "content": "Outbreaks of vaccine preventable infections have focused attention on 'missed opportunities' for immunizing children. The immunization status of 520 consecutive children attending Casualty during a 10 day period was studied. Only 70% of children had received their diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (DTP) and poliomyelitis immunization at the appropriate time, 13% had completed the schedule later than recommended and 17% had immunizations overdue by 4 weeks or more. For measles (mumps/rubella) vaccine (MM or MMR) 75% were up to date, 10% were given late and 15% were overdue. A subset of 171 families was interviewed to evaluate factors affecting compliance. Families possessing a Social Security 'Health Care Card', whose father was unemployed, who spoke poor English or who had lived in Australia for 5 years or less were significantly more likely (P < 0.02) to be inadequately immunized. There were 84 children whose immunization was overdue and who were well enough to be immunized. The parents of 70 (83%) of these 84 said that they would agree to 'on the spot' immunization if it were available; 14 (17%) parents refused, the commonest reason for refusal being that the parents felt that the child was too sick at the time to be immunized."}
{"id": "PMID:1466943", "title": "Lafora disease: a progressive myoclonus epilepsy.", "content": "Lafora disease is a rare inborn error of metabolism resulting in storage of a polyglucosan in tissues including the brain, skin and liver. Four children are described with progressive myoclonus epilepsy and intellectual deterioration in whom this diagnosis was made. In two the diagnosis was confirmed by the presence of periodic acid schiff (PAS) positive, diastase resistant, colloidal iron staining inclusion material in the liver when they were referred to a paediatric gastroenterologist with abnormal liver function tests. In one, the diagnosis was made from cerebellar biopsy, although on retrospective review the liver biopsy performed at this time was abnormal. In a fourth child, whose sibling was affected, histological diagnosis was confirmed by skin biopsy, although clinical and EEG findings had been highly suggestive for several years. The disease has autosomal recessive inheritance, is progressive and the prognosis is poor. Paediatricians should be aware of this diagnosis, which is often delayed, as early histological diagnosis allows prognostic and genetic counselling and optimal treatment. Although the diagnosis was made by liver or brain biopsy in three cases, skin biopsy offers a reliable, less invasive means of diagnosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1466944", "title": "The epidemiology of acute epiglottitis in children in Western Australia.", "content": "A comprehensive case definition was used to study all cases of epiglottitis that occurred in children under 15 years of age in Western Australia during a 5 year period. There was microbiological evidence of Haemophilus influenzae type b infection in 71% of 103 cases of epiglottitis. Seventy-five per cent of cases occurred in children under 5 years of age. In this age group, the estimated annual incidence (13.5 episodes per 100,000) was significantly lower than that reported in Victoria (22.7 per 100,000). The case definition of invasive H. influenzae type b disease used for surveillance purposes in Canada was more sensitive than the definitions used in the United States or England and Wales, yet even the Canadian definition could have detected only 65% of the cases of epiglottitis that occurred in Western Australia. A simple and sensitive surveillance system which could be used to monitor the impact of H. influenzae type b immunization in Western Australia is proposed."}
{"id": "PMID:1466945", "title": "Spondylothoracic dysplasia (Jarcho-Levin syndrome) in a Chinese baby.", "content": "Spondylothoracic dysplasia (STD) syndrome or the Jarcho-Levin syndrome has been seen commonly in Puerto Ricans. A case of STD syndrome in a Chinese baby which we believe is the first reported case in an Asian baby is reported. The skeletal disorder syndrome affecting the spine, ribs and thorax is an autosomal recessive disorder with associated non-skeletal anomalies. It should not be confused with the phenotypically similar skeletal disorder known as spondylocostal dysplasia, which is an autosomal dominant disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1466950", "title": "A phase I study of HGP-30, a 30 amino acid subunit of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) p17 synthetic peptide analogue sub-unit vaccine in seronegative subjects.", "content": "HGP-30-KLH vaccine in alum at doses of 10, 25, 50, and 100 micrograms/kg administered intramuscularly at weeks 0, 4, and 10 appear well-tolerated clinically. Local pain at the injection site, appears to be the main clinical toxicity. Laboratory parameters are not affected by administration of the vaccine candidate except for perhaps mild urinalysis abnormalities at the highest dose. This vaccine candidate has no apparent immunotoxicity and does not appear to affect lymphocyte populations or T-cell functional studies. Low levels and transient antibodies develop in a minority of subjects early after immunization with the vaccine candidate. These responses were observed in the lowest dose range. Higher doses, and longer follow-up will be needed to confirm this observation. T-cell proliferative responses to KLH and KLH-HGP-30 are consistent and may not be dose dependent, but the proliferative responses are variable and more data need to be accumulated. Preliminary, there appears to be an HGP-30-induced CTL response of HGP-30-coated EBV-transformed autologous B cell lines. This study was approved under an IND for the California Department of Health Services' Food and Drug Branch. They have provided excellent support and regulatory guidelines for this project. Future work will extend and confirm these initial observations."}
{"id": "PMID:1466956", "title": "Lymphocytes from some long-term seronegative heterosexual partners of HIV-infected individuals proliferate in response to HIV antigens.", "content": "A comparison of the proliferative responses of lymphocytes to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) antigens from long-term, seronegative heterosexual partners of HIV-infected subjects, from normal unexposed controls and from healthy seropositive heterosexual partners or seropositive, asymptomatic men, reveals that lymphocytes from healthy seropositive individuals with strong proliferative responses to recall, microbial antigens respond only minimally to HIV proteins or envelope peptides, and that even these low responses do not occur in all individuals. If the frequency of responses to several HIV antigens are analyzed, lymphocytes from both HIV-exposed seropositive and seronegative partners of infected individuals proliferate to HIV antigens to a greater degree than lymphocytes from unexposed, normal control individuals. Although lymphocytes from seropositive partners proliferate to a greater degree than those from seronegative partners, the latter are more similar to seropositive partners than they are to normal controls. This observation suggests that these seronegative partners may have become sensitized to HIV antigens through sexual exposure but without infection, and/or that the presence or development of these small immune responses in some individuals might be associated with a failure to become infected."}
{"id": "PMID:1466966", "title": "Immunization of rhesus monkeys with high- and low-dose Tween-ether-disrupted SIVMAC.", "content": "Two vaccine trials were conducted with low- and high-dose purified Twen-ether-treated SIVmac adsorbed onto aluminum hydroxide using rhesus macaques. In the first experiment 7 macaques were immunized with a total amount of 560 micrograms protein and 3 animals served as controls. After the immunization period the vaccinees exhibited ELISA titers up to 1:1280 and 5 immunized animals showed an antigen-specific proliferative response. After the virus challenge the 3 control animals and 3 vaccinees became infected. Four of the infected animals developed a cytotoxic T-cell response beginning 8 weeks postchallenge. The 4 protected animals were rechallenged 16 weeks later and all became infected. For the high-dose experiment 5 immunized animals receiving 2 mg of antigen and 2 control animals were used. The ELISA titers of the vaccinees reached 1:20480 and 4 animals exhibited an antigen-specific proliferative response. In response to virus challenge the 2 control and 1 immunized animal became infected. From these data it can be concluded that the high-dose immunization scheme elicited higher antibody titers and increased the fraction of protected animals."}
{"id": "PMID:1466970", "title": "Immunogenicity and toxicity testing of an experimental HIV-1 vaccine in nonhuman primates.", "content": "A highly purified saponin from Q. saponaria (QS-21) was tested in juvenile rhesus macaques for adjuvant activity and toxicity. The QS-21 was tested alone or as part of an experimental subunit HIV-1 vaccine containing a truncated recombinant HIV-1 envelope protein (gp160D) adsorbed to alum. Antibody responses were measured using ELISA and cell-mediated immunity was measured using cellular proliferation assays. Potential toxicity was monitored by standard clinical pathology testing using peripheral blood and urine samples. No toxic effects were observed, even after the administration of the experimental vaccines three times at monthly intervals. The QS-21 saponin adjuvant enhanced total antibody production levels by greater than 100-fold and broadened the specificity of the response so that additional epitopes were recognized, when compared with alum-adsorbed HIV-1 gp160D formulation. Low-level, antigen-specific proliferative responses to HIV-1 recombinant gp160 were induced by either vaccine formulation. Proliferative responses were induced by a sham challenge with soluble recombinant HIV-1 gp160 for all of the animals that had been vaccinated. However, those that received the HIV-complete vaccine formulation containing QS-21 responded significantly better. These data demonstrated that the QS-21 adjuvant augmented both antibody responses and cell-mediated immunity and established immunological memory. The potent adjuvant activity and lack of toxicity suggest that this adjuvant should be safe and effective for use in HIV-1 vaccines."}
{"id": "PMID:1466991", "title": "Comparison of protection afforded by whole virus ISCOM versus MDP adjuvanted formalin-inactivated SIV vaccines from IV cell-free or cell-associated homologous challenge.", "content": "A SIV-ISCOM and a SIV-MDP adjuvanted vaccine were tested for their potential to induce protection from intravenous cell-free or cell-associated homologous SIV challenge in rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta). Seven monkeys vaccinated four times over a four-month period with either the SIV-ISCOM or the SIV-MDP vaccine were challenged intravenously with approximately 10 MID50 cell-free SIVmac251 (32H). They all were protected from developing viremia during a three-month observation period. Two other groups of four monkeys were vaccinated essentially in the same way with either of these vaccines. They were challenged intravenously with approximately 10 MID50 of infected PBMC of a rhesus monkey that had been infected with SIVmac251 (32H) 11 months earlier (stock prepared by J. Heeney). Two monkeys of each of these two groups proved to be protected from developing viremia during a two-month observation period. For both the cell-free and the cell-associated SIV challenge, monkeys vaccinated with measles virus ISCOMS or MDP adjuvanted measles virus antigen, served as controls. They all became viremic within two weeks after SIV challenge. This is the first demonstration that vaccinated previously unchallenged nonhuman primates can be protected from infection with lentivirus-infected PBMC from another animal. Serological analysis indicated that SIV-specific serum antibody titers were considerably higher in SIV-ISCOM vaccinated animals than in the SIV-MDP vaccinated animals. The serology also confirmed the protection data, by showing the absence of increase in SIV-specific serum antibodies in apparently protected animals after challenge."}
{"id": "PMID:1466992", "title": "Prevention of HIV-2 and SIVSM infection in cynomolgus monkeys by active or passive immunization.", "content": "We have established experimental infection with HIV-2 and SIVsm in cynomolgus monkeys and successfully used these models for vaccine experiments. Protection against homologous HIV-2 infection was demonstrated in two of two monkeys immunized with a Triton-X100-treated whole HIV-2SBL-6669 vaccine in incomplete Freund's adjuvant and in 2 of 4 monkeys immunized with a formalin-inactivated whole HIV-2 vaccine in RIBI adjuvant. Monkeys preinfected with a live poorly replicating HIV-2 strain were shown to develop cross-protection against SIV-induced disease. We have shown also that HIV-2 and SIVsm infection in cynomolgus monkeys can be prevented by passive immunization. These results raise hope for effective immunization against HIV infections in humans."}
{"id": "PMID:1467000", "title": "The urge for an AIDS vaccine: perspectives from a developing country.", "content": "AIDS is inexorably involving all parts of the country and all strata of society, with 10% of the urban and 3% of the rural population infected with HIV. It is increasingly a disease of women and children. The major cofactors for transmission are also sexually transmitted. For most developing countries, in spite of all education efforts, the \"silent epidemic\" of AIDS continues. AIDS is known but not understood; counselling modifies behavior in only 10-20% of at-risk persons. Under optimal conditions, HIV discordant females have seroconversion rates of 4.7% per year and pregnancy rates of 10.4% per year. The recent political unrest in Zaire and Haiti will further enhance the spread of AIDS in these countries. Despite these difficult periods, the work can and must continue. After all, during our 10th year of collaboration with a Haitian private research group, the Haitian government and Cornell University, Haiti has known seven different political rulers. Finally, I want to make a pledge on behalf of the millions of people who face a certain death from HIV infection and AIDS and who will never make the front page of any newspaper. For these people, you can make a difference. You must give us the tools to carry on this fight. The clinical trials must be done where they are most needed: the developing countries. Vaccines represent the only viable alternative despite the recognized obstacles of viral heterogeneity, immunogenicity, and delivery."}
{"id": "PMID:1467015", "title": "[Posterior shoulder dislocation in a patient sample of the Swiss Accident Insurance Service].", "content": "We report on 17 posterior shoulder dislocations which were investigated by SUVA's medical service during the past three years. We can confirm the information in the literature, that the diagnosis is initially often missed (4 out of 17) and that the injury is often sustained in epileptic fits (4 out of 17). Among our patients, however, the time at which the diagnosis was made did not obviously influence the results of the treatment. After treatment, over half of our patients have an impairment which, in three cases, resulted in integrity compensation, in one case in a recommendation for vocational retraining, in one case in a change of profession and in one case in a pension."}
{"id": "PMID:1467010", "title": "The effect of maturation on in-vitro erosion of glass-ionomer and other dental cements.", "content": "The clinical durability of restorations made using water-based materials depends upon the type of material used. Current specification tests cannot predict durability, possibly because these are carried out on samples matured for 24 hours whereas longer maturation times may be more relevant. The lactic acid jet test was selected as a test method, being believed capable of ranking materials in the same order of erosion resistance in vitro as found in vivo. The powder/liquid interaction (glass or zinc oxide with polymeric or phosphoric acid) was investigated by selecting glass-ionomer, zinc polycarboxylate, silicate and zinc phosphate cements, with emphasis placed on glass ionomers. Two test times, 24 hours and 2 months, were chosen, with eight samples for each material tested at each time. All glass ionomers showed a significant reduction in erosion rate with time; two zinc polycarboxylates also showed some reduction but not to a significant degree. The silicate and zinc phosphate cements increased in erosion rate but not significantly. It was concluded that materials using polymeric acids had erosion rates which reduced with time, significantly so for glass ionomers. This might explain their longevity over silicate cements."}
{"id": "PMID:1467016", "title": "[Fractures of the clavicle and secondary lesions of the brachial plexus].", "content": "The fractures of the clavicle are fundamentally minor and usually will heal by simple immobilization. When the trauma is severe, the fracture may cause a lesion of the subclavicular neuro-vascular bundle. However, if the lesion is limited it may appear clinically only a few days after the accident. In other cases, whether the clavicular fracture heals or not, the bone lesion may produce a hypertrophic callus. This phenomenon will cause a narrowing of the costo-clavicular outlet and a compression of the neurovascular bundle which will provoke a real TOS. The authors present 16 cases of clavicular fractures, two of which having had early neurovascular complications and the 14 others a late phenomenon of costo-clavicular syndrome. The pathogenesis of the lesions, the principles of treatment and the results are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1467012", "title": "An unusual foreign body in an unerupted supernumerary tooth.", "content": "A case of an unusual foreign body (a tip fragment from a plastic chopstick) embedded in one of two unerupted supernumerary teeth in the premaxillary region of a 12-year-old Japanese boy is presented."}
{"id": "PMID:1467009", "title": "The use of general anaesthesia for tooth extraction in children in London: a multi-centre study.", "content": "Following publication of the Poswillo report, the continued use of general anaesthesia in dentistry became the subject of a major debate. In particular, the provision of general anaesthetic services by general dental practitioners in order to carry out simple extractions for child patients has been called into question. Other authors have strongly supported the continued need for general anaesthesia and insist that for some patients it remains the technique of choice. There is, however, little evidence of current patterns of attendance from which argument may be advanced to support or refute the differing views. In this study data was drawn from three London dental teaching hospitals providing out-patient general anaesthesia for extractions. During the 12-month period investigated 7852 general anaesthetics had been administered for child patients. There was evidence of an increase in numbers at one centre when results were compared to those of a previous study and some evidence of a change in pattern of referral with time at the same centre, with an increase in the numbers of patients referred by general dental practitioners. Eighty-three per cent of the anaesthetics had been given for the extraction of carious primary teeth, with an average of 3.3 being extracted per child. Nearly one-third of the anaesthetics were for children under the age of 5 years."}
{"id": "PMID:1467013", "title": "Operation Wild Dog.", "content": "'Operation Wild Dog' was the title given to an incredible escapade by two Army Dental Corps soldiers who decided to mount their own two-man raid on occupied France in 1942. In an attempt to forestall claims of desertion, they involved Prime Minister Winston Churchill and, when they ultimately faced a court martial, were lauded in the press for their daredevil exploits. Inspired by raids carried out by Special Services units on Norway, Italy and France, Sergeant Peter King, a regular soldier and dental clerk orderly, and Private Thomas Leslie Cuthbertson, a trainee dental mechanic, set about their unofficial raid, outlined below."}
{"id": "PMID:1467017", "title": "[Baumann shoulder reposition].", "content": "An untraumatic method for the reposition of dislocated shoulders without any analgesia is presented. That the way of this method must be right, is proved by a short historical view and by case reports; On one side by the inventor of this method and on the other side by a retrospective study from the orthopedic department of the Kantonsspital of St. Gallen. How to do this reposition is clearly described by words and pictures."}
{"id": "PMID:1467011", "title": "Human labial orf: a case report.", "content": "A case of orf in a 59-year-old man with no direct contact with farm animals is reported. The patient presented with an ulcerating lesion on the upper lip and the diagnosis was confirmed by electron microscopy from a smear of the lesion. The unusual case history, differential diagnosis and method of diagnosis are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1467019", "title": "[Esthetic and functional scar sequelae: plastic reconstruction of soft tissue].", "content": "The irregularities of a scarred area result of the destruction or alteration of the soft tissues. Functional consequences may occur if the scar tissue directly apply on a bony structure without any protection against shocks. Finally an underlying osteitis or unconsolidated fracture cannot be cured unless a good skin coverage and sufficient local vascularization are obtained. Secondary correction of the scar deformations intend to create a new subcutaneous layer. This can be done with adjacent adipous tissue, or by transfer of a well vascularized tissue, such as a muscle, if the underlying structures make it necessary. Some recent techniques are illustrated, especially tissue expansion and pediculated or free microvascular muscle transfer."}
{"id": "PMID:1467018", "title": "[Massive iodine absorption after joint irrigation-suction drainage with PVP-iodine (betadine)].", "content": "Iodine is known as a local disinfectant substance for more than 100 years. Its use however was restricted due to strong local irritation. In the last 25 years Polyvinylpyrrolidon-Iodine solutions (Povidone-Iodine, PVP-Iodine, Betadine) has become more and more popular for treating traumatologic, surgical and orthopaedic infections. However several papers have reported changes in the blood chemistry (T3, T4, TSH, PBJ and Iodine excretion in the urine) after utilizing PVP-Iodine, especially in visceral surgery. We report on a patient in whom a massive iodine resorption with clinical signs of hyperthyroidism occurred, with soft tissue necrosis at the site of irrigation."}
{"id": "PMID:1467020", "title": "[Multicenter paragliding accident study 1990].", "content": "During the period from 1.1.90 until 31.12.90, 86 injuries associated with paragliding were analyzed in a prospective study in 12 different Swiss hospitals with reference to causes, patterns, and frequencies. The injuries showed a mean score of over 2 and were classified as severe. Most frequent spine injuries (36%) and lesions of the lower extremity (35%) with a high risk of the ankles were diagnosed. One accident was fatal. 60% of the accidents happened during landing, 26% during launching and 14% during flight. Half of the pilots were affected during their primary training course. Most accidents were caused by inflight error of judgement--especially incorrect estimation of wind conditions--and further the choice of unfavourable landing sites. In contrast to previous injury-reports, only one equipment failure could be noted, but often the equipment was not corresponding with the experience and the weight of the pilot. To reduce the frequency of paragliding-injuries an accurate choice of equipment and an increased attention to environmental factors is mandatory. Furthermore an education-program regarding the attitude and intelligence of the pilot should be included in training courses."}
{"id": "PMID:1467021", "title": "[Quality assurance in traumatology--initial experiences with a computer program for the selection of trauma patients for morbidity and mortality conferences].", "content": "Trauma is the leading cause of death in the under thirties age group in Switzerland and the third leading cause in the 30-64 age group. In addition to efforts in the area of prevention, optimization must also be attained in individual medical care in order to reduce mortality and morbidity. Improvements are only possible, however, when based on precise knowledge of accident epidemiology and possible weak spots in the rescue chain, which begins at the scene of the accident and ends with discharge from hospital. This information should be complied for our region with the aid of a trauma register on the basis of internationally recognized elements. The following comments describe in a shortened form the CDC-Register (Centers for Disease Control, USA). Using our own initial experiences, the practical application and use of the corresponding Register-Software (\"Trauma registry\", Version 2.0, 1990) for conferences on mortality and morbidity, the basic guarantee of quality, are demonstrated."}
{"id": "PMID:1467026", "title": "Alcohol and sudden cardiac death.", "content": "To assess the relation between alcohol intake and sudden cardiac death--ie, death within one hour of the onset of symptoms. Prospective study of a cohort of men followed up for eight years. General practices in 24 towns in England, Wales, and Scotland. 7735 men aged 40-59 at screening who were selected at random from one general practice in each of 24 towns. All deaths from ischaemic heart disease with particular reference to those that were sudden (death within one hour of the onset of symptoms). During the follow up period of eight years there were 217 deaths from ischaemic heart disease of which 117 (54%) were classified as sudden. Although heavy drinkers (more than six drinks daily) did not show a high incidence rate of fatal heart attack, they showed the highest incidence rate of sudden cardiac death. This was seen in both manual and non-manual workers and was most clearly seen in older (50-59) men. Death from ischaemic heart disease was more likely to be sudden in heavy drinkers than in other drinking groups; this phenomenon was seen irrespective of the presence or degree of pre-existing ischaemic heart disease. The positive association between heavy drinking and the incidence of sudden death was most apparent in men without pre-existing ischaemic heart disease, with heavy drinkers showing an increase of > 60% compared with occasional or light drinkers. After adjustment for age, social class, and smoking, heavy drinkers free of pre-existing ischaemic heart disease had a marginally significantly higher incidence rates of sudden death than other drinkers combined (relative risk 2.00, 95% confidence interval 0.98 to 4.8). Additional adjustment for systolic blood pressure reduced the risk to 1.7. This study suggests that heavy drinking is associated with an increased risk of sudden death. Studies that do not take pre-existing ischaemic heart disease into account are likely to underestimate the adverse effects of heavy drinking on the incidence of sudden death because the effects are not as evident in men with pre-existing ischaemic heart disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1467027", "title": "Streptokinase resistance: when might streptokinase administration be ineffective?", "content": "(a) To develop an assay for streptokinase resistance. (b) To determine the prevalence of streptokinase resistance in patients presenting with acute myocardial infarction for the first time. (c) To determine the prevalence of streptokinase resistance in patients after exposure to streptokinase or streptococcal infection. Open, prospective. 30 healthy volunteers. 40 patients admitted to the coronary care unit at Addenbrooke's Hospital with suspected acute myocardial infarction, 12 patients 12 months after streptokinase treatment, eight patients 24 months after streptokinase treatment, and sera from 12 patients with raised anti-streptolysin O (ASO) titres. Three assays were used; a dilution neutralisation assay, an enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for immunoglobulin G (IgG) anti-streptokinase antibodies, and an in vitro fibrin plate lysis assay. All measurements were performed on venous blood samples. Neutralisation and IgG antibody titres were positively correlated. Mean (SEM) antistreptokinase concentrations in the 30 controls were 87 (10) U/ml (neutralisation assay) and 28 (6.3) U/ml (ELISA). Corresponding concentrations in patients before streptokinase were 68 (6.1) U/ml and 18 (4.5) U/ml with a mean fibrin plate assay 117 (7.1)% that of controls. Resistance to streptokinase was detectable in one patient after 72 hours and in all patients by day 10. By day 10 concentrations were 4388 (919) U/ml, 773 (109) U/ml, and 17 (5.4)%. At both 12 and 24 months resistance was present in 75% of patients. Similarly 66% of high ASO titre sera showed resistance. The fibrin plate lysis assay detected significantly reduced streptokinase dependent fibrinolysis in vitro in the absence of raised total concentrations of antistreptokinase antibodies. The prevalence of streptokinase resistance in patients presenting with their first myocardial infarction is low. Resistance develops early after treatment and is still present in 75% of patients after 24 months. Retreatment with streptokinase is likely to be suboptimal even after 24 months. The fibrin plate lysis assay detects resistance in patients with normal concentrations of streptokinase antibodies. Streptococcal infection is associated with a high incidence of streptokinase resistance."}
{"id": "PMID:1467028", "title": "Evidence for oxidative stress in unstable angina.", "content": "To determine whether unstable angina, which is characterised by recurring episodes of myocardial ischaemia and reperfusion, is associated with oxidative stress (that is, where there is an imbalance between oxidants, such as free radicals, which are in excess and antioxidants). Between group comparison of patients with unstable angina, stable angina, and healthy controls. The coronary care unit and cardiac investigation ward of a regional cardiology centre. Twenty five consecutive patients admitted to the coronary care unit with unstable angina. Twenty five consecutive patients admitted to the cardiac investigation ward (patients with stable angina undergoing coronary angiography) were used as controls for the presence of atherosclerosis, drug treatment, and smoking habit. Thirty eight healthy controls (hospital staff and patients admitted for minor surgical procedures who were otherwise healthy) were also studied. Thiobarbituric acid related substances (TBARS) in plasma and plasma reduced thiol (PSH) as indicators of oxidative damage to lipids and proteins respectively were measured. Coronary angiography was performed in all patients with stable angina and roughly half of those with unstable angina. Mean (SEM) plasma TBARS in unstable angina and stable angina were 9.95 (0.36) nmol/ml and 9.14 (0.28) nmol/ml respectively (p = 0.08). Mean plasma TBARS in healthy controls were 8.09 (0.21) nmol/ml (p < 0.05 compared with both angina groups). Mean (SEM) PSH concentration in unstable angina was 4.21 (9) nmol/ml and in stable angina was 4.85 (9) nmol/ml (p < 0.05). Mean PSH in healthy controls was 5.64 (8) nmol/ml (p < 0.001 compared with both angina groups). The extent of coronary artery disease, use of medication, and smoking habit were not significantly different between the angina groups. Biochemical indicators of oxidative stress are more abnormal in unstable than stable angina. This is in keeping with experimental evidence that episodes of ischaemia and reperfusion lead to generation of free radicals and toxic oxygen species and depression of endogenous antioxidant activity. The clinical significance of this finding remains to be determined, although, experimentally, free radicals and toxic oxygen species have adverse effects on myocardial contractile function, myocardial electrical stability, endothelial mediated vasodilatation, and coagulation."}
{"id": "PMID:1467029", "title": "Early diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction by a newly developed rapid immunoturbidimetric assay for myoglobin.", "content": "To evaluate a rapid immunoturbidimetric assay for myoglobin and to investigate its clinical usefulness in the early detection of acute myocardial infarction. Prospective study. Immunoturbidimetrically determined myoglobin concentrations were compared with radioimmunoassay results obtained with the same blood samples. The diagnostic performance of myoglobin determination was compared with creatine kinase and creatine kinase MB activity (current standard of routine diagnosis). Part 1: coronary care unit. Part 2: emergency room in a university hospital. Part 1:30 patients with acute myocardial infarction admitted not later than four hours (median two hours) after the onset of symptoms. Part 2: 126 patients admitted to the emergency room with chest pain not caused by trauma (51 cases of acute myocardial infarction, 51 cases of angina pectoris, and 24 cases of chest pain not related to coronary artery disease). Part 1: routine treatment including intravenous thrombolytic treatment (28 patients). Part 2: routine emergency treatment without thrombolytic treatment. The analytical quality of the immunoturbidimetric myoglobin assay and a comparison between the myoglobin assay and creatine kinase and creatine kinase MB for diagnostic sensitivity and performance. The immunoturbidimetric myoglobin assay was fast and convenient and gave myoglobin determinations of high analytical quality. The concentration of myoglobin increased, peaked, and returned to the reference range significantly earlier than creatine kinase (p < or = 0.0001) and creatine kinase MB (p < or = 0.0002). Before thrombolytic therapy was started the diagnostic sensitivity of myoglobin was significantly higher than that of creatine kinase MB activity 0-6 h after the onset of chest pain and significantly higher (0.82 v 0.29) than creatine kinase 2-4 h after the onset of chest pain. In almost all patients (92%) plasma myoglobin concentrations were increased 4-6 h after the onset of chest pain. Myoglobin was more sensitive in detecting early myocardial infarction than creatine kinase and creatine kinase MB activity. Immunoturbidimetric myoglobin measurements could be useful in the early evaluation of patients with suspected myocardial infarction because this assay takes less than two minutes."}
{"id": "PMID:1467030", "title": "Short-stepping gait in severe heart failure.", "content": "Patients with severe chronic heart failure seem to take shorter steps than healthy controls when walking on a treadmill and when walking freely along a corridor. In healthy individuals the pattern of walking affects the oxygen cost of exercise, and so this observation might be relevant to the limitation of exercise in heart failure. Length of stride was analysed as stride/stature index in 15 controls, 10 patients with moderate heart failure, 10 patients with severe heart failure, and 10 patients with angina, walking at a constant speed/stature index. The stride/stature index was 0.64 in the controls in patients with New York Heart Association (NYHA) class II heart failure, and in patients with angina. It was 0.49 in patients with NYHA class III heart failure. In the patients with heart failure the stride/stature index correlated with exercise capacity determined as peak oxygen consumption VO2max (R = +0.62, p < 0.005). When healthy controls walked in time to a metronome adjusted to decrease their stride/stature index to approximately that seen in severe heart failure steady-state oxygen consumption increased by a mean of 15%. The length of stride is reduced in severe heart failure, and when healthy controls adopt this gait the oxygen cost of walking is increased. A short-stepping gait may contribute to the limitation of exercise capacity in heart failure."}
{"id": "PMID:1467031", "title": "Ventilation in chronic heart failure: effects of physical training.", "content": "To assess the effects of exercise training on ventilatory function in chronic heart failure. Observer blinded random allocation crossover training and detraining trial. Assessment in hospital based clinical laboratory; training home based. 22 patients with chronic heart failure (New York Heart Association (NYHA) class II or III) recruited from a tertiary referral centre. All finished the study. Bicycle ergometer exercise for 20 minutes a day, five days a week for eight weeks at 70%-80% of maximum heart rate. Exercise capacity on graded incremental exercise test, minute ventilation, oxygen consumption and carbon dioxide output. Peak work load increased from 96 W to 112 W and peak oxygen consumption from 14.1 ml/kg/min to 15.4 ml/kg/min (p < 0.01). At submaximal workloads carbon dioxide excretion (VCO2) and minute ventilation (Vi) decreased significantly (p < 0.05) though oxygen consumption was unchanged. The relation between Vi and carbon dioxide excretion changed: the slope of the Vi to VCO2 plot decreased from 38.6 to 35.3, indicating an improvement in overall ventilary efficiency. The instantaneous carbon dioxide ventilatory equivalent (Vi/VCO2) decreased at submaximal workloads, and reached a lower minimum value after training, indicating that optimum ventilatory performance improved. The exercise capacity of patients was related to the optimum ventilatory performance. It is suggested that this may in part be mediated through changes in skeletal muscles. Exercise training reduces the ventilatory abnormalities in chronic heart failure; thus some of these changes may be due to physical deconditioning."}
{"id": "PMID:1467032", "title": "Management of the cardiovascular manifestations of poisoning by the Indian red scorpion (Mesobuthus tamulus).", "content": "The efficacy of nifedipine and prazosin in combination or alone in the management of cardiovascular manifestations caused to Mesobuthus tamulus poisoning was investigated. Observation and study. Hospital at Mahad, Maharashtra, India. 62 patients who had been stung by a red scorpion were admitted from January to December 1990: 18 with hypertension, 15 with supraventricular tachycardia, 11 with pulmonary oedema, and 18 with local pain at the site of sting but no systemic involvement. Two patients with massive life-threatening pulmonary oedema were given intravenous sodium nitroprusside. The combination of nifedipine and prazosin was more successful in preventing myocardial damage in 16 patients with hypertension than was nifedipine alone in two other patients with hypertension. Prazosin alone helped to alleviate the cardiovascular manifestations in eight patients with pulmonary oedema and 15 with supraventricular tachycardia. One patient with pulmonary oedema died and two recovered after they were given intravenous sodium nitroprusside. Nifedipine alone did not prevent myocardial damage unless the peripheral action of venom was blocked by prazosin."}
{"id": "PMID:1467033", "title": "Use of casts in the necropsy diagnosis of fetal congenital heart disease.", "content": "To evaluate a casting technique in the interpretation of fetal cardiac anatomy. In 32 fetuses, the echocardiographic and cast features were compared and correlated. Three normal fetal heart specimens from spontaneous abortuses and 32 specimens from spontaneous or induced abortions with congenital heart malformation. There was close correlation between the echocardiographic and anatomical features in 32 abnormal fetuses studied. In some, additional features of diagnosis could be displayed on the cast and the relative sizes of the cardiac structures could be appreciated and defined. With increasing echocardiographic detection of congenital heart disease in early prenatal life, an increasing number of fetal heart specimens of small size are dissected for pathological confirmation. The use of silicone rubber casts to reproduce the internal anatomy proved a useful addition to dissection, providing a three dimensional model of the cardiac defect."}
{"id": "PMID:1467034", "title": "Left ventricular performance in children: transthoracic versus transoesophageal measurement of M mode derived indices.", "content": "To compare M mode derived indices of left ventricular performance obtained with transthoracic and transoesophageal echocardiography in children with congenital heart disease. Transthoracic and transoesophageal M mode echocardiograms were obtained under general anaesthesia before cardiac catheterisation. Recordings were digitised by dedicated software. Indices of cavity dimension and left ventricular wall dynamics were compared. 16 unselected patients with congenital heart disease. Group data for simple measurements of ventricular dimension and wall thickness were similar with the two techniques and had acceptable coefficients of repeatability, but there were considerable individual differences. Correlation was poor with unacceptable repeatability for derived indices of cavity and ventricular wall dynamics. Both transthoracic and transoesophageal echocardiography can be used to obtain M mode derived indices of left ventricular performance but the resultant measurements are not directly comparable, presumably because of regional non-uniformity of function."}
{"id": "PMID:1467035", "title": "Transoesophageal echocardiography in neonates, infants and children: applicability and diagnostic value in everyday practice of a cardiothoracic unit.", "content": "To determine the applicability of and information obtained by transoesophageal echocardiography in neonates, infants, and children in every day practice of a cardiothoracic unit. Four month prospective study. Supraregional centre for paediatric cardiothoracic services. 58 patients aged between four days and 16 years with a wide range of cardiovascular disease underwent transoesophageal echocardiography under sedation or general anaesthetic. One of two paediatric probes (6 or 7 mm diameter), or an adult probe (13 mm in diameter) was used. Whenever possible the investigation was immediately preceded by precordial echocardiography. Success, failure, technical difficulties, and complications of probe introduction and, when possible, comparison of the information obtained with that obtained from precordial echocardiography. Introduction of the probe was successful in 57 of the 58 patients. The only complication encountered was transient bradycardia during manipulation of the probe in a 2.2 kg baby. The adult (13 mm) probe was successfully used in children as small as 7.0 kg. Below this weight a smaller paediatric probe was required. In 56% of cases transoesophageal ultrasound provided information not obtained from the precordial approach. The technique was of particular value perioperatively and in the immediate postoperative period in neonates and infants and in the presence of valve prostheses and the investigation of mediastinal tumours in older children. Transoesophageal echocardiography is a valuable additional investigative tool for children of all ages. It is of particular value when acquisition of precordial image is impaired around the time of and after operation and in children with prosthetic valves or mediastinal tumour. Image quality was superior with the adult probe and we recommend the use of this probe unless the patient's weight is below 7 kg, when a paediatric probe allows this technique to be used usefully and safely in babies as small as 2.2 kg."}
{"id": "PMID:1467036", "title": "Comparative value of transthoracic and transoesophageal echocardiography before balloon dilatation of the mitral valve.", "content": "To assess the relative merits of transthoracic and transoesophageal echocardiography before balloon dilatation of the mitral valve. Transthoracic and transoesophageal echocardiograms were prospectively performed in 35 patients being considered for balloon dilatation of the mitral valve. Echocardiograms were analysed for image quality, the assessment of valve morphology, the detection of left atrial thrombus, and the assessment of mitral regurgitation and other valvar pathology. 35 consecutive patients with symptomatic dominant mitral stenosis. 30 eventually underwent balloon dilatation of the mitral valve by the Inoue technique. Five patients had mitral valve replacement. Echocardiographic and surgical detection of left atrial thrombus and successful, uncomplicated balloon dilatation of the mitral valve. Left atrial thrombus was detected in 1/35 patients by transthoracic studies compared with 6/35 from transoesophageal studies. Otherwise both techniques gave comparable results. Thrombus was confirmed at mitral valve replacement in five patients. Successful dilatation of the mitral valve was performed in 30 patients. Transthoracic echocardiography is a useful screening procedure but transoesophageal echocardiography is mandatory before balloon dilatation of the mitral valve for the detection of left atrial thrombus."}
{"id": "PMID:1467037", "title": "Echocardiographic demonstration of important abnormalities of the mitral valve in congenitally corrected transposition.", "content": "Whereas abnormalities of the morphological tricuspid valve are common in the setting of discordant atrioventricular connections, there are only a few postmortem reports of abnormalities of the mitral valve in this condition. This report describes two patients with discordant atrioventricular connections, in whom important abnormalities of the mitral valve were found during life by cross sectional echocardiography."}
{"id": "PMID:1467038", "title": "An analysis of the incidence of myocardial metastasis from solid cancers.", "content": "Metastasis to the heart is compared with that to other target sites in terms of incidence, tissue susceptibility, and cancer cell injury within the microcirculation. At necropsy the myocardium is the sixth most common site for arterial metastasis among eight target organs in ten different types of disseminated primary cancer. However, the metastatic efficiency index (incidence/blood flow) indicates that the myocardium is no less susceptible to metastasic per unit of cancer cells delivered than most other sites examined. The analyses also indicate that cancer cells causing myocardial metastasis are mainly derived from metastatic or primary tumours in the lungs. Experiments on laboratory animals suggest that the failure to develop myocardial metastasis in 80 to 98% of patients with metastatic cancer is at least partially due to lethal, deformation-associated, mechanical damage inflicted on cancer cells trapped within the myocardial microvasculature."}
{"id": "PMID:1467039", "title": "Conservative surgery of the mitral valve: a report of the first 100 cases from one unit and one surgeon.", "content": "To report the first 100 mitral valve repairs performed in a unit with an aggressive approach to conservative mitral valve surgery. Case notes were reviewed retrospectively and patients invited for clinical examination and cross sectional and Doppler echocardiography. Tertiary cardiothoracic referral centre. Between December 1985 and April 1991 mitral valve repair was carried out on 100 patients (66 males). Patients with pure mitral stenosis were excluded. Sixty seven had degenerative and 15 rheumatic mitral valve disease. Median age was 66 (range 12 to 79) years, with an interquartile range of 59 to 71 years. Operative procedures included annuloplasty ring in 97, resection of the posterior leaflet in 67, resection of endocarditic portion of posterior leaflet in four, commissurotomy in six, and correction of anterior leaflet abnormalities in seven. Thirty nine concomitant cardiac procedures were performed in 32 patients. Six operations were emergencies, and three of these required concomitant procedures. Mortality, operative failure rate, patients' functional state and degree of residual mitral regurgitation, incidence of thromboembolism, and endocarditis. Follow up ranged from one to 59 months, median 14 months, and an interquartile range of four to 23.5 months. Early mortality was 1%, late mortality 5%, and there was a 2% reoperation rate. Eighty four patients had moderate to severe mitral regurgitation preoperatively. At follow up mitral regurgitation was absent or mild in 78. Eighty six patients were in New York Heart Association (NYHA) class I-II at follow up compared with 80 in NYHA class III-IV preoperatively. There were no thromboembolic events. This study shows that satisfactory results can be obtained with mitral valve repair in a fairly elderly population with a high incidence of concomitant cardiac disorders. We suggest that these encouraging results will lead to earlier mitral valve repair in mitral regurgitation."}
{"id": "PMID:1467040", "title": "Transoesophageal Doppler echocardiographic measurement of cardiac output by the mitral annulus method.", "content": "To compare cardiac output measured by the transoesophageal Doppler and thermodilution techniques. Prospective direct comparison of paired measurements by both techniques in each patient. Intensive care unit in a cardiovascular centre. 65 patients after open heart surgery (mean (SD) age 53 (12) years). Cardiac output was measured simultaneously by the transoesophageal Doppler and thermodilution techniques. Cardiac output was measured again after a mechanical intervention or volume loading. The limits of agreement were -2.53 to +0.83 1.min-1 for cardiac output measured by the Doppler and thermodilution techniques. This suggests that the Doppler method alone would not be suitable for clinical use. The second measurement of cardiac output by thermodilution was compared with cardiac output estimated from the first and second Doppler measurements and the first thermodilution measurement. The limits of agreement (-0.55 to +0.51 1.min-1) were good enough for clinical use. After cardiac output had been measured simultaneously by both the Doppler and thermodilution techniques, subsequent transoesophageal Doppler alone gave a clinically useful measurement of cardiac output."}
{"id": "PMID:1467041", "title": "Comparison of trends in ischaemic heart disease between North Karelia, Finland, and Kaunas, Lithuania, from 1971 to 1987.", "content": "To compare the long-term trends in mortality and attack rate of ischaemic heart disease in North Karelia, Finland, and in Kaunas, Lithuania, from 1971 to 1987. Data on routine mortality statistics were obtained from the Central Statistical Office of Finland and from the Central City Archives of Kaunas. In addition, data from the community based myocardial infarction registers were used. The registers used similar diagnostic criteria and had operated in both areas during the entire study period. The province of North Karelia in Finland and the city of Kaunas in Lithuania. The target populations were the people of North Karelia and Kaunas aged 35-64 years. Mortality from ischaemic heart disease and the attack rate of acute myocardial infarction. In North Karelia mortality from ischaemic heart disease and the attack rate of acute myocardial infarction declined steeply both in men and women. This decline was accompanied by a decrease in total mortality. In Kaunas, both mortality and the attack rate increased in men but remained unchanged in women. In 1985 to 1987, age standardised total mortality per 100,000 inhabitants was similar in the two populations in men (1081 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1013 to 1149), in North Karelia; 1082 (95% CI 1032 to 1132), in Kaunas). The proportional mortality from ischaemic heart disease was considerably higher in North Karelia (40%) than in Kaunas (28%). In women, age standardised total mortality was lower in North Karelia (350 (95% CI 312-388)) than in Kaunas (440 (95% CI 413 to 467)). The proportional mortality from ischaemic heart disease in women was also higher in North Karelia (28%) than in Kaunas (13%). Despite the remarkable decline in the occurrence of ischaemic heart disease, it still remains the most important cause of premature mortality in North Karelia. In Kaunas ischaemic heart disease mortality and attack rate increased in men. Experiences from successful cardiovascular disease prevention programmes in western countries, such as the North Karelia Project, should be exploited to prevent an increasing epidemic of ischaemic heart disease in eastern Europe."}
{"id": "PMID:1467042", "title": "Intravascular ultrasound to assess left main stem coronary artery lesion.", "content": "A man of 70 underwent coronary arteriography for the assessment of angina. The appearance of the left coronary main stem was slightly abnormal but no definite stenosis could be delineated. Intracoronary ultrasound examination with a 4.8 French intravascular ultrasound probe showed an extensive plaque in the distal left main stem and proximal left anterior descending coronary artery, with a shelf-like projection causing 60% narrowing at one point in the distal left main stem. Since coronary bypass surgery the patient has been free of angina."}
{"id": "PMID:1467043", "title": "Rapid reversal of heart failure in a patient with phaeochromocytoma and catecholamine-induced cardiomyopathy who was treated with captopril.", "content": "A patient with a phaeochromocytoma and severe left ventricular heart failure caused by a catecholamine-induced cardiomyopathy is described. The clinical signs of congestive heart failure resolved rapidly on treatment with captopril and myocardial performance became normal within two weeks of medical treatment with captopril for one week and with captopril in combination with phenoxybenzamine for another week."}
{"id": "PMID:1467044", "title": "Delayed complications after myocardial contusion.", "content": "A 45 year old farmer was kicked in the chest by a horse. In the days following the injury episodic breathlessness developed and he was admitted to hospital with right ventricular failure and pulmonary emboli. Echocardiography showed global right ventricular dysfunction but a right ventricular mural thrombus, the likely source of the pulmonary emboli, was not seen. He gradually recovered after treatment with anticoagulant. One month later he presented with a further complication--complete atrioventricular dissociation--that required a dual chamber pacemaker implantation. This patient had few initial manifestations of right ventricular myocardial contusion and this case illustrates that such patients should be closely monitored for delayed complications."}
{"id": "PMID:1467045", "title": "Impact of the recommendations of the British Pacing and Electrophysiology Group on pacemaker prescription and on the immediate costs of pacing in the Northern Region.", "content": "The report from the Working Party of the British Pacing and Electrophysiology Group recommends the use of more sophisticated pacemakers in most patients. These proposals were initially circulated in September 1990 and are likely to have major cost implications. Their impact on pacing practice and the immediate costs of pacemaker hardware in the Northern Region were retrospectively audited. The pacing records of 550 patients undergoing a first pacemaker insertion at the Freeman Hospital between March 1990 and August 1991 were reviewed. The patient's age, indication for pacing, pacing mode, and the cost of generator and lead(s) were recorded. The cost was compared with the costs of pacing with the optimal and alternative modes recommended by the Working Party. The costs were calculated from the actual mean cost of the recommended unit over the 18 month period of study multiplied by the number of patients who would have received that unit. 96% of patients were paced for sinus node dysfunction, atrioventricular block, or atrioventricular block and atrial fibrillation. The mean (SD) ages of patients in each diagnostic group were: sinus node dysfunction 69.4 (14), sinus node disease and atrioventricular block 67.2 (17.6), atrioventricular block 73.9 (12.5), atrial fibrillation and atrioventricular block 74.0 (13.9), and carotid sinus hypersensitivity 74.6 (11.6) years. Over the 18 month audit period there was an increase in physiological pacing. AAI pacing in patients with sinus node dysfunction increased by 100% and DDD pacing in atrioventricular block increased by atrioventricular block increased by 56%. Over the whole 18 month period the adoption of the British Pacing and Electrophysiology Groups optimal recommendations would have increased expenditure on pacemaker hardware in the Northern Region by 94% and the use of the alternative mode would have increased it by 61%. For the last six months alone the excess would be 78% and 48%. The adoption of the recommendations of the British Pacing and Electrophysiology group in the Northern Region would greatly increase the cost of pacing hardware. The greater part of this increase would be attributable to the routine use of dual chamber pacing in patients with atrioventricular block and the increased use of rate responsive units. The benefits of sophisticated pacing in a predominantly elderly population need to outweigh the disadvantages of the increased cost and complexity of follow up."}
{"id": "PMID:1467047", "title": "Adaptation of the maternal heart in pregnancy.", "content": "The first haemodynamic change during pregnancy seems to be a rise in heart rate. Starting between two and five weeks this continues well into the third trimester. Stroke volume increases slightly later than the heart rate and continues throughout the second trimester after an augmentation of venous return and a fall of systemic vascular resistance and afterload. Myocardial contractility is probably slightly increased. During the third trimester there is relatively little change in these cardiac indices. After delivery there is a very early and dramatic reduction in volume loading followed by a return towards normal cardiac output. Structural changes within the heart reflect the volume loading of pregnancy and include dilatation of the valve ring and increase in myocardial thickness. Post partum resolution of the ventricular hypertrophy seems to take longer than the rest of the post partum changes. The resemblance to the cardiovascular changes associated with training and exercise are fascinating and worthy of further study."}
{"id": "PMID:1467049", "title": "Effect of exercise training on the total ischaemic burden: an assessment by 24 hour ambulatory electrocardiographic monitoring.", "content": "To examine the effect of prolonged high intensity exercise training on total ischaemic burden in men with chronic stable angina pectoris. A randomised controlled trial based on 24 hour ambulatory electrocardiographic monitoring of patients on two occasions a year apart. Cardiology department of a large general hospital. 40 men under 60 years of age with chronic stable angina pectoris and no previous myocardial infarction. After training the exercise group showed a 30% reduction in frequency of ST segment depression. There were significant reductions in painful episodes of ischaemia and those triggered by changes in heart rate. There was also a trend towards a reduction in silent ischaemia and episodes not triggered by changes in heart rate. The duration of ischaemic episodes was also reduced. No significant change in frequency or severity of dysrhythmia was shown. Exercise training reduces total ischaemic burden in patients with angina pectoris by reducing the frequency and duration of all types of ischaemic episode."}
{"id": "PMID:1467050", "title": "Relation of left ventricular isovolumic relaxation time and incoordination to transmitral Doppler filling patterns.", "content": "To investigate factors during isovolumic relaxation that determine Doppler filling patterns in patients with left ventricular disease, and thus to identify the underlying mechanisms. 85 patients (50 ischaemic heart disease, 35 left ventricular hypertrophy due to aortic stenosis) and 26 controls were studied with Doppler and M mode echocardiography and phonocardiography. 16 patients underwent two studies on separate occasions, to find whether changes in isovolumic relaxation time were reflected by a change in the Doppler A/E ratio. A tertiary cardiac referral centre. Patients referred for assessment of coronary artery disease or aortic stenosis with left ventricular hypertrophy. Doppler filling velocities during early (E wave) and late (A wave) diastole and the A/E ratio, acceleration of the E wave, digitised M mode indices of incoordinate relaxation (change in cavity dimension before mitral valve opening and time from minimum dimension to mitral valve opening), isovolumic relaxation time, M mode measures of diastolic function after mitral valve opening (peak rate of posterior wall thinning and peak rate of dimension increase), and left ventricular end diastolic pressure. A/E correlated with age in normal subjects (r = 0.74), to a lesser extent in left ventricular hypertrophy (r = 0.41), but not significantly in ischaemic heart disease. In all patients, isovolumic relaxation time was significantly and negatively correlated with the acceleration of the E wave, showing its fundamental relation to the force responsible for early diastolic filling (r = -0.71 for left ventricular hypertrophy, and -0.74 for ischaemic heart disease, p value < 0.01). In left ventricular hypertrophy and those ischaemic patients without left ventricular dilatation A/E was correlated both with isovolumic relaxation time (r = 0.68 and 0.60 respectively), and with incoordinate relaxation (r = 0.65 and 0.61). In those ischaemic patients with left ventricular dilatation, the influence of incoordination was lost and isovolumic relaxation time became the dominant influence upon A/E (r = 0.82). Weak correlations of end diastolic pressure and RR interval with A/E, became insignificant once isovolumic relaxation time had been taken into account. Isovolumic relaxation time and incoordination together accounted for over 50% of the variance in the A/E ratio in our patients. Isovolumic relaxation time and the A/E ratio were linearly related. Patients with a short isovolumic relaxation time had evidence of considerable diastolic abnormalities, despite a normal Doppler A/E ratio. In the 16 patients who had two echocardiographic studies, changes in the duration of isovolumic relaxation were accompanied by a change in the Doppler A/E ratio. The relation between these two variables, derived from the group as a whole was similar. The main factors influencing the A/E ratio in patients with left ventricular disease are two distinct properties of isovolumic relaxation--namely the duration and the extent of incoordinate wall motion. Filling pressure and RR interval are not significant independent determinants, but act only through an effect upon isovolumic relaxation time. Age is an important influence in normal people, but this effect is attenuated in left ventricular hypertrophy and lost in ischaemic ventricular disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1467051", "title": "Analysis of left ventricular regional wall motion in normal neonates.", "content": "To investigate neonatal circulatory change by quantitative analysis of left ventricular regional wall motion. Random prospective study. Department of paediatrics in a teaching hospital. 66 neonates born after a normal pregnancy, labour, and delivery. Quantitative analysis of left ventricular regional wall motion was performed on cross sectional echocardiograms. M mode, cross sectional, and Doppler echocardiograms were obtained simultaneously. Manually traced endocardial contours at end diastole and at end systole were realigned by superimposing the centre of the ventricular mass and the axis. The contours were divided into 24 segments with 24 radii of equal arc from the centre. Then the ratio of the change in area between the outline of the contour and the two hemiaxes was calculated automatically. There was hyperkinesis of the interventricular septum in the first 24 hours after birth which continued until the end of the first week. Simultaneous echocardiographic examination showed evidence of pulmonary hypertension, as indicated by an increase in the ratio of the right pre-ejection period to the right ventricular ejection time (RPEP/RVET) and of the diameter ratio of the pulmonary artery to the aorta and a shortening of the acceleration time of pulmonary arterial blood flow. These features disappeared within a week. Hyperkinesis of the interventricular septum may reflect circulatory changes that are characteristic of the early neonatal period."}
{"id": "PMID:1467052", "title": "Correlation between echocardiographic and morphological investigations of lesions of the tricuspid valve diagnosed during fetal life.", "content": "To assess the degree of agreement between the fetal echocardiographic and postmortem examination of hearts from fetuses with severe malformations of the tricuspid valve. A retrospective study to analyse echocardiographic recordings and make comparisons with postmortem findings. Tertiary referral centre for fetal echocardiography. Institute for cardiac morphology. 19 cases shown to have severe malformation of the tricuspid valve by fetal echocardiography that died in the prenatal or neonatal period. Correlations between morphology and measurements made at echocardiography and necropsy. The echocardiographic diagnosis was Ebstein's malformation in seven and tricuspid valvar dysplasia in 12 fetuses. These findings were confirmed in six and eight cases at necropsy. In one false positive diagnosis of Ebstein's malformation, necropsy showed dysplasia of the leaflets of the tricuspid valve without displacement. In four cases with the echocardiographic diagnosis of valvar dysplasia, necropsy showed displacement, the hallmark of Ebstein's malformation. Associated malformations that are known to worsen prognosis were predicted correctly by echocardiography. Taking the mean duration of four weeks between echocardiographic and postmortem investigations, both methods showed cardiomegaly causing lung hypoplasia, right atrial dilatation, and relative hypoplasia of the pulmonary trunk, morphometric factors that may be responsible for the poor outcome. Mostly good agreement existed between the echocardiographic and postmortem measurements if cases with an interval of more than eight weeks between the measurements were excluded. Fetal echocardiography was proved to be a reliable technique in differentiating the variants of tricuspid valvar disease, in diagnosing associated cardiac lesions, and in predicting quantitative factors that can define the subsequent outcome."}
{"id": "PMID:1467053", "title": "Myocardial disarray in Noonan syndrome.", "content": "To characterise the histopathology of the left ventricular hypertrophy commonly associated with Noonan syndrome by assessing the extent of myocyte disarray and therefore to define one aspect of the relation between this disease and idiopathic hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Blinded histological analysis. Hospital medical school. Six hearts of children with the Noonan phenotype and isolated ventricular hypertrophy were compared with age and sex matched controls. Histological analysis was performed with an image analyser under light microscopy. Representative sections from the entire left ventricular free wall were examined. Results were expressed as the percentage of fields showing disarray related to the number of fields evaluated: 100 fields were examined for each patient. In the patients with Noonan syndrome myocardial disarray was present in the ventricular septum in 24 (5.7)% (mean (SD)) of fields and in the free wall in 22.2 (6.8)%. In the controls disarray was present in the septum in 3.8 (2.3)% of fields and in the free wall in 2.4 (2.8)%. In both regions the extent of disarray was significantly greater in patients with Noonan syndrome (p < 0.0005; 95% confidence interval 14 to 26.3 for the septum: p < 0.005, 95% confidence interval 11.4 to 28.2 for the free wall). The ventricular hypertrophy associated with Noonan syndrome is histologically similar to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy but whether the two diseases are the expression of the same genetic defect remains to be determined."}
{"id": "PMID:1467054", "title": "Different distribution of abnormal endocardial electrograms within the right atrium in patients with sick sinus syndrome.", "content": "Prolonged and fractionated right atrial endocardial electrograms are characteristic of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (idiopathic or associated with sick sinus syndrome). The distribution of these abnormal atrial electrograms within the right atrium and the way it is related to the likelihood that patients with sick sinus syndrome will develop paroxysmal atrial fibrillation was studied. Endocardial catheter mapping of the right atrium during sinus rhythm was performed in 41 control patients with normal sinus node function and without paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, in 33 patients with sick sinus syndrome but without tachycardia, and in 27 patients with sick sinus syndrome and paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (group 3). The bipolar electrograms were recorded at 12 sites in the right atrium and an abnormal atrial electrogram was defined as lasting > or = 100 ms and/or showing eight or more fragmented deflections. 1195 atrial endocardial electrograms were assessed and quantitatively measured. In patients with sick sinus syndrome and paroxysmal atrial fibrillation 54% of the abnormal atrial electrograms were recorded from the high right atrium, 28% from the mild right atrium, and 18% from the low right atrium. However, in patients with sick sinus syndrome without tachycardia 78% of the abnormal atrial electrograms were recorded from the high right atrium and 22% from the mid right atrium. No abnormal electrograms were recorded from the low right atrium. In patients with sick sinus syndrome without tachycardia abnormal atrial electrograms generally came from the high right atrium but in patients with sick sinus syndrome and paroxysmal atrial fibrillation abnormal atrial electrograms were more widely distributed in the right atrium. In patients with sick sinus syndrome the greater the extent of the compromised atrial muscle, the greater the likelihood that paroxysmal atrial fibrillation will develop."}
{"id": "PMID:1467055", "title": "Non-atherosclerotic coronary artery disease and sudden death in the young.", "content": "To assess prevalence and type of non-atherosclerotic coronary artery disease in young people (< or = 35 years) who died suddenly. A necropsy study of 150 consecutive cases of sudden death (that is, within 6 h of the onset of symptoms). Death was attributed to coronary artery disease in 48 cases: in 16 (33%) of them the disease was non-atherosclerotic. Twelve subjects (eight males and four females, age range 2-35 years, mean 24.2) had congenital anomalies: a deep intramyocardial course in six, origin from the wrong sinus in three, and ostial obstructions in three. Sudden death was the first manifestation of disease in six cases. The other six had a history of palpitation or syncope or both. An electrocardiogram was available in five cases and showed ventricular arrhythmias in four; none had angina pectoris. Stress testing was available in two cases: neither showed any effort-dependent ST-T abnormalities. In six cases sudden death was related to physical exercise. Acquired non-atherosclerotic coronary artery disease was found in four cases: spontaneous coronary dissection in three previously symptom free patients and Kawasaki coronary arteritis in one child who had had acute myocardial infarction. One third of the cases of fatal coronary artery disease were non-atherosclerotic with coronary artery anomalies being the most frequent form. Coronary artery anomalies should be suspected in young patients who have symptoms of ventricular arrhythmias without any overt signs and symptoms of ischaemia."}
{"id": "PMID:1467057", "title": "Percutaneous balloon pericardiotomy in the management of recurrent malignant pericardial effusions.", "content": "Two patients with recurrent symptomatic pericardial effusions secondary to malignant disease were successfully treated by percutaneous balloon pericardiotomy. Open surgery was avoided and the procedure was completed under local anaesthesia in less than 40 minutes. The first patient was free of recurrence at nine months but pericardial effusion recurred at two months in the second patient. Percutaneous balloon pericardiotomy offers a potentially important new means of relieving recurrent tamponade and substantially reduces trauma to the patient."}
{"id": "PMID:1467056", "title": "Adjustment for the influence of age and heart rate on Doppler measurements of left ventricular filling.", "content": "To determine the normal range of pulsed Doppler measurements of left ventricular filling adjusted for age and heart rate. Multiple regression was used to measure the effects of age and heart rate on pulsed Doppler indices of left ventricular filling in normal subjects. These regression equations were used to calculate a predicted normal value and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) for any subject from his age and heart rate. 61 subjects with no evidence of cardiovascular disease, aged 20 to 90 years, with a resting heart rate of 47-89 beats/min. The effect of a 10 year increase in age was peak atrial filling velocity +15% (95% CI 12.0% to 18.5%); peak early filling velocity -3.2% (-6.0% to 0%); isovolumic relaxation time +6.2% (3.9% to 8.4%); acceleration time -3.8% (-6.0% to -1.5%); deceleration time +7.9% (5.1% to 10.8%). The effect of a 10 beat/min increase in heart rate was: peak atrial filling velocity +5.5% (1.2% to 10.1%); peak early filling velocity -4.0% (-8.1% to 2.0%); isovolumic relaxation time -2.5% (-4.6% to 0.6%); acceleration time -3.1% (-6.4% to 0.4%); deceleration time -1.8% (-4.0% to 3.8%). For any individual, comparison of the predicted normal measurement and 95% CI with the observed measurement allows an assessment of the effects of disease on left ventricular filling that is independent of age and heart rate."}
{"id": "PMID:1467058", "title": "Pulmonary artery rupture in pregnancy complicating patent ductus arteriosus.", "content": "Fatal haemopericardium in a 27 year old pregnant woman was caused by rupture of a dissecting aneurysm of the pulmonary artery. She had an uncorrected patent ductus arteriosus and severe pulmonary hypertension. The wall of the pulmonary artery showed atherosclerosis and cystic medionecrosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1467059", "title": "Leaking false aneurysm of right coronary saphenous vein graft; successful treatment by percutaneous coil embolisation.", "content": "An unusual complication after aortocoronary bypass grafting (CABG) is described in which a false aneurysm of the saphenous vein graft to the right coronary artery (RCA) developed and caused profuse intermittent bleeding through the sternotomy wound. The aetiology of this condition is uncertain but it could occur whenever a suture line is present especially in the presence of infection. The diagnosis was made non-invasively by a contrast enhanced computed tomogram and was subsequently confirmed by selective coronary bypass angiography. The pseudoaneurysm was successfully obliterated by coil embolisation of the right coronary graft, which stopped the bleeding immediately and was followed by rapid wound healing."}
{"id": "PMID:1467060", "title": "Seventh survey of staffing in cardiology in the United Kingdom 1991. British Cardiac Society, the Cardiology Committee of the Royal College of Physicians, and the Trafford Centre for Medical Research, University of Sussex.", "content": "The Seventh Survey of Staffing in Cardiology was conducted with an index date of 31 July 1991. At that time the total number of posts for cardiologists in England and Wales, defined as individuals trained in the specialty and spending at least 40% of their professional time working in it, was 340. Ten individuals worked part time only, making 335 whole time equivalent posts. This number increased from 1990 by 15 (4.7%). There were 67 cardiologists in Scotland and Northern Ireland, making a total for the United Kingdom of 407 posts (402 whole time equivalents). Sixteen Districts in England and Wales had no cardiologist at the time of the survey, and 31 other Districts had less than seven visiting sessions each week. The situation had not improved since the 1990 survey. The population of these 47 Districts is nearly nine million. Scotland had almost 800,000 additional people served by Health Boards without resident cardiologists. The number of senior registrars and lecturers is inadequate to provide a full period of training for most who advance to consultant status, and the situation will worsen from 1995 onwards. A major problem has been a top slice of 10 posts for a research allocation, few of which are occupied by individuals seeking a career in the specialty. These posts should be redesignated to increase training opportunities to counter the present shortfall and facilitate an expansion in consultant posts of at least 5% per annum over the next decade."}
{"id": "PMID:1467061", "title": "The future of paediatric cardiology in the United Kingdom. British Cardiac Society and the Royal College of Physicians of London.", "content": "(1) The working party has considered the requirements for the training of paediatric cardiologists and has suggested a flexible curriculum that allows the specialty to benefit from doctors coming into it from both adult cardiological and paediatric disciplines. (2) The working party appreciates that the short term problem with appointment of paediatric cardiologists cannot be solved immediately and recommends that appointing authorities should show patience. They should look to the possibility of identifying suitable candidates, at present in training, and making proleptic appointments to allow appropriate training to be completed. (3) There is a need for an increase in the number of paediatric cardiologists to service the specialty during a period when the patient load will increase because of population trends and changes in work patterns (specifically adults with congenital heart disease and prenatal cardiology). The care of adults with congenital heart disease has to be planned, certainly at regional and probably supraregional levels, and the financial and training implication has to be recognised. (4) The working party therefore recommends that there should be one consultant paediatric cardiologist per million of the population to allow for these changes in the service. (5) The working party considers that this report makes a very strong case for an increase in the number of senior registrar and registrar posts in the specialty. The existing number of junior posts will not fill the increase in agreed new posts and those made vacant by retirements between now and the end of the decade. When the additional posts recommended by the working party are taken into account at least three new senior registrar posts are needed. To make sure that a satisfactory supply of experienced candidates is available to fill the senior registrar posts the working party recommends the provision of two full time middle grade registrar jobs for each senior registrar position."}
{"id": "PMID:1467067", "title": "Hemodialysis needles can be pain free: use of a topical anaesthetic cream.", "content": "Many patients on hemodialysis experience pain and anxiety related to fistula punctures. The purpose of this study was to investigate the analgesic effect of an anaesthetic (lidocaine/prilocaine) cream when used to alleviate pain from the insertion of hemodialysis needles. The study took place over a 12-month time frame with a total of seven patients participating in the study. Before the patient entered the study, an assessment was made by the nursing staff as to the degree of pain and/or anxiety experienced by the patient in relation to needling. Patients were instructed regarding application of the cream. We have found this cream to be an effective topical anaesthetic in preventing pain and alleviating anxiety associated with needling. All patients involved in the study have expressed the desire to continue use of the cream. Use of this topical anaesthetic could also have great ramifications for paediatric dialysis, venipunctures and other procedures requiring topical anaesthesia."}
{"id": "PMID:1467070", "title": "Peripheral nerve injury caused by injection needles used in regional anaesthesia: influence of bevel configuration, studied in a rat model.", "content": "We have studied the immediate and long term (up to 28 days) effects of short and long bevelled needle impalement of the rat sciatic nerve. Three techniques were used to assess neural trauma and its consequences: stained longitudinal nerve sections were assessed by light microscopy and scored for injury; the extravasation of Evan's Blue dye, after antidromic electrical nerve stimulation, was used as a test of unmyelinated fibre function; the flexion withdrawal times from a noxious stimulus were measured. The results of all three experiments suggested that, should a nerve fascicle become accidentally impaled during regional anaesthesia, the lesions induced by short bevelled needles are more severe, more frequent and take longer to repair than those induced by long bevelled needles. Nerve injury induced by short bevelled needles was associated with persisting signs of injury 28 days after the injury. These results suggest that the current practice of using short bevelled needles to prevent nerve injury complicating regional anaesthesia be reassessed."}
{"id": "PMID:1467071", "title": "Effect of age, sex and anaesthetic technique on the pharmacokinetics of atracurium.", "content": "We have defined the pharmacokinetics of atracurium besylate 0.25 mg kg-1 in 41 patients anaesthetized with 0.9% isoflurane end-tidal, 0.5% halothane end-tidal or midazolam 3-10 mg as a supplement to 66% nitrous oxide in oxygen. The pharmacokinetic profile was affected by age, sex and anaesthetic technique. Advancing age was associated with a reduced clearance and a longer elimination half-time; clearance was greater and elimination half-time was shorter in males than in females. Clearance was also greater in patients anaesthetized with isoflurane than with the two other techniques. Age, sex and anaesthetic technique did not significantly affect the volume of distribution."}
{"id": "PMID:1467072", "title": "Etomidate shortens the onset time of neuromuscular block.", "content": "We have studied 30 healthy patients allocated randomly to receive thiopentone, propofol or etomidate in equipotent doses followed by vecuronium 0.1 mg kg-1. Haemodynamic variables and time to 100% neuromuscular block were measured. The patients receiving etomidate had a significantly shorter onset time of neuromuscular block compared with those receiving the two other i.v. induction agents. There was a significant negative correlation between onset time of neuromuscular block and the maximum percent change in mean arterial pressure."}
{"id": "PMID:1467073", "title": "Disposition of alfentanil in burns patients.", "content": "We have studied the disposition of alfentanil in six patients (who had suffered 10-30% surface area burns 5-21 days previously) undergoing surgical debridement and grafting and compared the data with those from a control group of six patients matched for age, sex and weight undergoing body surface surgery of similar duration. Plasma samples were collected up to 480 min after an i.v. bolus of alfentanil 50 micrograms kg-1. Drug concentrations were measured by radioimmunoassay and alfentanil binding to plasma proteins by equilibrium dialysis. The burns patients had significantly greater concentrations of alpha-1-acid glycoprotein (AAG) and smaller concentrations of albumin. The mean protein binding of alfentanil was 94.2 (SEM 0.05)% in the burns group and 90.7 (0.4)% in the control group (P = 0.004). There was a good correlation between AAG concentration and protein binding (r = 0.8). The volume of distribution and total clearance of alfentanil were reduced significantly in the burns group. The clearance of the unbound fraction and the elimination half-life of alfentanil were not decreased significantly."}
{"id": "PMID:1467074", "title": "Effect of diclofenac on renal function and prostacyclin generation after surgery.", "content": "We have examined the effect of diclofenac on renal function after major surgery in a randomized, double-blind, controlled study of 20 patients undergoing oesophagogastrectomy. Diclofenac 75 mg or placebo was given i.m. 12-hourly for 2 days. I.v. fluid administration was standardized. Renal function was assessed by fluid balance and measurement of serum creatinine and electrolyte concentrations, creatinine and free water clearance, and urinary sodium and potassium excretion. Urinary 6-keto-prostaglandin F1 alpha (6-keto-PGF1 alpha) was measured by radioimmunoassay to assess renal prostacyclin production. After surgery, 6-keto-PGF1 alpha production increased, but this did not occur with diclofenac. On the first day after surgery, use of diclofenac was associated with a decreased urine flow rate, decreased urinary sodium and potassium excretion and a tendency to hyperkalaemia. Frusemide was required more often in the diclofenac group. One patient was withdrawn from the diclofenac group because of impaired renal function. Urine flow rate and blood potassium concentration should be monitored if diclofenac is used after major surgery."}
{"id": "PMID:1467075", "title": "Mechanism of extension of spinal anaesthesia by extradural injection of local anaesthetic.", "content": "We have examined the effect of extradual injection of 0.5% bupivacaine or normal saline on the progression of spinal anaesthesia in 28 patients undergoing Caesearean section. Three groups were studied. Subarachnoid anaesthesia was established in all patients. Group A (n = 10), the control, received no extradural injection for 20 min. Group B (n = 9) received extradural bupivacaine 10 ml and group C (n = 9) received extradual saline 10 ml 5 min after the subarachnoid injection. Sensory levels were compared at 5-min intervals and extension of the block was found to be similar in groups B and C and significantly faster than the control (P < 0.05). The quality of anaesthesia and incidence of adverse effects was similar for all three groups. We conclude that the mechanism of extension of spinal anaesthesia by extradural injection of local anaesthesia is largely a volume effect."}
{"id": "PMID:1467076", "title": "Comparison of hypertonic saline (5%), isotonic saline and Ringer's lactate solutions for fluid preloading before lumbar extradural anaesthesia.", "content": "We have compared the haemodynamic effects of fluid preloading performed before lumbar extradural anaesthesia with isotonic saline (NS), 5% hypertonic saline (HS) and Ringer's lactate (RL) solutions in 30 ASA I patients undergoing minor orthopaedic surgery, allocated randomly to the three groups. All patients received an equal amount of sodium (2 mmol kg-1). After fluid preloading, lumber extradural anaesthesia was performed (2% lignocaine 6 mg kg-1) and ephedrine was administered in order to maintain mean arterial pressure (MAP) > 80% of its control value. Both volume and duration of fluid preload were significantly less in group HS (160 (SD 25) ml, 8.8 (SD 2.9) min) than in the two other groups (NS: 903 (144) ml, 17.7 (3.3) min; RL: 932 (166) ml, 212 (6.0) min) (P < 0.05). The number of blocked segments and the total amount of ephedrine administered were similar in the three groups. Heart rate increased significantly in all groups immediately after the fluid preload and remained increased until the end of the study (90 min). MAP was not affected by any fluid preload and its maximal decrease after lumbar extradural anaesthesia was similar in all groups. Infusion of 5% HS 2.3 ml kg-1 was tolerated well and produced a significant (P < 0.05) but moderate hypernatraemia lasting 90 min after the end of fluid preloading. We conclude that HS may be useful when rapid fluid preloading is desired, in situations where excess free water administration is not desired."}
{"id": "PMID:1467077", "title": "Cricoid pressure may prevent insertion of the laryngeal mask airway.", "content": "We have studied 42 female patients undergoing elective day-case surgery allocated randomly to two groups. After induction of anaesthesia an attempt was made to insert a laryngeal mask airway after application of cricoid pressure in one group or with no cricoid pressure in the other. The anaesthetist was unaware of the application, or not, of cricoid pressure. Successful insertion was achieved at the first or second attempt in 19 of the 22 patients in the non-cricoid pressure group, but in only three of the 20 patients in the cricoid pressure group (chi 2 18.62, P < 0.001). The laryngeal mask airway was then inserted successfully in all 17 patients after removal of cricoid pressure. The implications of having to remove cricoid pressure if a laryngeal mask airway is to be inserted are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1467078", "title": "Is the \"K-type\" caffeine-halothane responder susceptible to malignant hyperthermia?", "content": "The \"K-type\" designation is used to describe a patient being investigated for malignant hyperthermia (MH) when concurrent administration of caffeine and halothane induces muscle contracture (rigidity, spasm) in vitro, but when halothane and caffeine given separately produce a normal response. It is accepted in some centres that K-type individuals are susceptible to malignant hyperthermia (MHS). In this paper, the K-type is shown not to correlate with the MH susceptible (MHS) status as accepted by the European MH group."}
{"id": "PMID:1467079", "title": "Fractional delivery of fresh gas: a new index of the efficiency of semi-closed breathing systems.", "content": "In earlier clinical studies, we have found a significant difference in the fractional utilization of fresh gas (FU) when using an enclosed afferent reservoir breathing system (EAR) for adult patients compared with children. This difference was explained by a large arterial to end-tidal carbon dioxide difference in the adults, reflecting a larger alveolar deadspace. In the present study, a new index of breathing system efficiency, fractional delivery of fresh gas (Fd) is proposed, which is independent of alveolar deadspace. In order to demonstrate this, values of Fd were calculated for the EAR during controlled ventilation of adults, children and a lung model. There were no significant differences between the groups. A maximum efficiency of 0.94 for the EAR was close to the theoretical limit of 1.0 predicted by the results at minute volume ventilation to fresh gas flow ratio (VE:VF) values greater than 2.0. For adult patients, the values of Fd were shown to be significantly greater than the values of FU at the same VE:VF ratio (Fd = 0.91, FU = 0.72 at VE:VF = 2.0 (P < 0.05))."}
{"id": "PMID:1467080", "title": "Hepatic disposition of methohexitone in patients undergoing coronary bypass surgery.", "content": "In order to clarify the relative contribution of hepatic metabolism to the short term disposition of methohexitone, we have measured hepatic blood flow during induction of anaesthesia with a 1.5-mg kg-1 i.v. bolus dose of methohexitone. Median hepatic clearance was 1.01 litre min-1 and hepatic extraction 87%. As a consequence of the high hepatic extraction, the hepatic clearance of methohexitone was closely dependent on hepatic plasma flow."}
{"id": "PMID:1467081", "title": "Anaesthesia for critically ill children during magnetic resonance imaging.", "content": "Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is becoming increasingly useful in children. Because of technical considerations and safety concerns, critically ill children have frequently been excluded from MRI. We have accomplished safely both transport and MRI in 21 patients from paediatric intensive care units (ICU). Three children were not considered appropriate for transport from the ICU to the MRI facility. All patients underwent assisted ventilation using a modified Mapleson D system. Monitoring of oxygenation, ventilation and haemodynamic state, including invasive arterial (n = 4) and intracranial pressures (n = 3) was continued successfully using routinely available equipment. All MRI studies were completed successfully with satisfactory image quality and all patients returned to the ICU in satisfactory condition. In contrast with previous reports which have excluded critically ill children, we have demonstrated that MRI may be undertaken safely and efficiently in critically ill children."}
{"id": "PMID:1467082", "title": "Enhancement of bupivacaine toxicity by diltiazem in anaesthetized dogs.", "content": "We have studied the cardiovascular effects of graded doses of bupivacaine in the absence or presence of clinical concentrations (approximately 250 micrograms litre-1) of diltiazem in fentanyl-pentobarbitone anaesthetized dogs. Bupivacaine was given, increasing in a stepwise manner, as a loading dose (200, 400 or 600 micrograms kg-1) followed by a 30-min i.v. infusion (25, 100 or 200 micrograms kg-1 min-1, respectively). Thereafter, bupivacaine was infused at 400 micrograms kg-1 min-1 until each animal died. Group A (n = 7) received bupivacaine, group B (n = 5) diltiazem (400 micrograms kg-1 followed by 12 micrograms kg-1 min-1) and group C (n = 7) received diltiazem followed by bupivacaine given as in group A. Lethal plasma concentrations of bupivacaine were significantly smaller (P < 0.01) in group C (7.1 (SEM 0.7) vs 12.6 (1.5) mg litre-1). Bupivacaine produced similar decreases in cardiac index, left ventricular (LV) segmental work and the first derivative of LV pressure (LV dP/dt) in the absence and presence of diltiazem. In group A, bupivacaine increased systemic vascular resistance index (SVRI) and thus mean arterial pressure (MAP) was maintained. In group C, SVRI, reduced by diltiazem per se, did not increase in response to bupivacaine, so MAP was not maintained. Death resulted from a progressive decrease in cardiac contractility and MAP. Plasma concentrations of bupivacaine attained at the three doses were similar in the absence and presence of diltiazem. This study has shown that the toxicity of bupivacaine was increased approximately two-fold by diltiazem."}
{"id": "PMID:1467084", "title": "Plasma lignocaine concentrations associated with extradural analgesia in patients with and without multiple organ failure.", "content": "We have measured plasma concentrations of lignocaine after thoracic extradural analgesia with continuous infusion of lignocaine in eight intensive care patients with chest wall trauma or after major upper abdominal surgery. Four patients developed multiple organ failure (MOF). Plasma concentrations of lignocaine in arterial blood were measured 4, 8, 24 and 48 h after a continuous infusion of lignocaine was commenced in the extradural space. Plasma concentrations of lignocaine were greater in all patients with MOF (range 2.7-5.1 micrograms ml-1) than in patients without MOF (range 0.8-1.2 micrograms ml-1). Because plasma concentrations in patients with MOF were within the low toxic range, extradural infusion of lignocaine should only be considered in intensive care patients without MOF or when plasma concentrations of lignocaine are monitored."}
{"id": "PMID:1467085", "title": "Anaesthesia for caesarean section in a patient with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome type IV.", "content": "We report the successful use of combined spinal and extradural anaesthesia for elective Caesarean section in a primigravid patient with Ehlers-Danlos type IV (EDS IV). EDS IV is a rare disorder with a high pregnancy-related mortality. Previous reports have not addressed the question of anaesthesia for delivery. It is not possible to be didactic about anaesthetic technique for such patients. The relative risks of general and regional anaesthesia must be discussed fully, and the risks weighed against the wishes of the woman and her partner."}
{"id": "PMID:1467086", "title": "Abolition of the extradural sieve by addition of fentanyl to extradural bupivacaine.", "content": "A patient is described in whom breakthrough of pain occurred from uterine rupture during effective extradural analgesia, demonstrating the hypothesis of the \"extradural sieve\". Subsequent abolition of this pain by addition of fentanyl to bupivacaine 0.25% raises the question whether or not this combination should be avoided in women with a scarred uterus undergoing \"trial of labour\"."}
{"id": "PMID:1467087", "title": "Bacterial retention properties of heat and moisture exchange filters.", "content": "We have examined the properties of six heat and moisture exchange filters (HMEF) to ascertain their resistance to liquid flow and their ability to retain a challenge bacterium, Pseudomonas diminuta, from aqueous and nebulized suspensions. Only one HMEF, the Pall Ultipor was able to withstand a significantly greater pressure of liquid than that found in clinical practice. However, when breached, the HMEF were unable to prevent transmission of micro-organisms from aqueous suspension. Only the Darex Hydrobac filter failed to meet the manufacturer's claim for filter efficiency for nebulized bacteria, mainly because the filter housing failed under test. When the reduction in bacterial cells after passage of the nebulized Pseudomonas diminuta through the HMEFs was analysed statistically, the data showed that the HMEF produced by Pall (Ultipor) and Intersurgical (Filter therm) were superior to those produced by DAR Mediplan (Hygrobac), Intertech (HME 225-2835-800) and Gibeck (Humid-vent)."}
{"id": "PMID:1467095", "title": "Hypoxaemia and pain relief after lower abdominal surgery: comparison of extradural and patient-controlled analgesia.", "content": "We have examined postoperative pain in patients allocated randomly to receive extradural bolus diamorphine 3.6 mg, extradural infusion of 0.15% bupivacaine with 0.01% diamorphine or patient-controlled i.v. administration of diamorphine at a maximum rate of 1 mg per 5 min, after total abdominal hysterectomy. Extradural infusion analgesia produced the smallest pain scores from 12 to 24 h after surgery (P < 0.05). More patients in the extradural infusion group were moderately hypoxaemic (SpO2 < 90% > 12 min h-1) after operation, compared with the two other groups (P < 0.05). The group using patient-controlled analgesia received more diamorphine and suffered a greater incidence of emetic sequelae (P < 0.05)."}
{"id": "PMID:1467096", "title": "Hypoxaemia and pain relief after upper abdominal surgery: comparison of i.m. and patient-controlled analgesia.", "content": "Forty patients recovering from upper abdominal surgery were allocated randomly to receive i.m. morphine 0.15 mg kg-1 as required or patient-controlled analgesia (PCA), with i.v. morphine 1 mg and a 5-min lock out time. Arterial oxygen saturation (SpO2) was measured continuously the night before and for 24 h immediately after surgery. A significantly greater proportion of patients in the PCA group (nine of 19) rated their analgesia as excellent compared with the i.m. group (two of 20) (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the incidence of postoperative hypoxaemia in the two treatment groups. Severe postoperative hypoxaemia (SpO2 < 85% for more than 6 min h-1) was seen in three patients receiving i.m. analgesia and one patient in the PCA group."}
{"id": "PMID:1467097", "title": "Effects of isoflurane anaesthesia on the median nerve somatosensory evoked potential in children.", "content": "Evoked potentials are used to determine the integrity of neural pathways during neurosurgical and orthopaedic procedures, but the extent to which they may be altered by anaesthetic agents has not been studied systematically in children. In this study we have recorded median nerve somatosensory evoked potentials (mnSSEP) in children during isoflurane anaesthesia to determine if there are changes similar to those seen in adults. We studied 10 patients using standardized anaesthetic and clinical neurophysiological techniques. Control mnSSEP were obtained with 70% nitrous oxide in oxygen and isoflurane was then administered at 0.25, 0.50 and 0.75 MAC. The latencies and amplitudes of the mnSSEP were subjected to repeated measures analysis of the variance (ANOVA) and linear regression. There were statistically significant increases in N20, P22 latencies and central conduction time (P < 0.001) and reductions in amplitude of the N20-P22 complex (P < 0.03) with increasing end-tidal isoflurane concentrations. These results are similar to the findings in adults."}
{"id": "PMID:1467098", "title": "Sequential measurement of the median nerve somatosensory evoked potential during isoflurane anaesthesia in children.", "content": "We have used sequential measurements of median nerve somatosensory evoked potentials (mnSSEP) in 10 children to estimate the equilibration time of an inhalation anaesthetic agent between alveolar gas, arterial blood and brain. MnSSEP were obtained sequentially every 90-180 s. After control measurements in the absence of isoflurane, the end-tidal concentration was increased stepwise (0.25, 0.5 and 0.75 MAC). Each isoflurane concentration was maintained for 15 min. The point at which the N20 latency reached stability was determined; the mean time between reaching a stable end-tidal isoflurane concentration and this point varied between 5 min 16 s and 7 min 37 s. This technique may be useful in circumstances in which a \"steady state\" of anaesthesia is important, such as in the determination of MAC or during intraoperative monitoring of evoked potentials."}
{"id": "PMID:1467099", "title": "Propofol and alfentanil in children: infusion technique and dose requirement for total i.v. anaesthesia.", "content": "We estimated the dose of propofol (initial dose followed by a stepped infusion) when given with two different infusion rates of alfentanil for total i.v. anaesthesia in 59 children aged 3-12 yr. Patients in series 1 (four groups) received an alfentanil loading dose of 85 micrograms kg-1 and an infusion of 65 micrograms kg-1 h-1. Patients in series 2 (groups 5 and 6) received an alfentanil loading dose of 65 micrograms kg-1 and infusion of 50 micrograms kg-1 h-1. Parents gave their informed consent. Premedication comprised temazepam 0.3 mg kg-1. Glycopyrronium 5 micrograms kg-1 was administered and anaesthesia induced and maintained with alfentanil (loading dose and infusion) followed by propofol (loading dose and three-stage manual infusion scheme). Suxamethonium 1 mg kg-1 was used to facilitate tracheal intubation and the lungs were ventilated artificially to normocapnia with 30% oxygen in air. Probit analysis was used to determine the dose requirement of propofol. In series 1, the ED50 was 6.0 mg kg-1 h-1 (95% confidence limits 5.5-6.2 mg kg-1 h-1) and ED95 8.6 (6.8-7.8) mg kg-1 h-1. Corresponding values for series 2 were ED50 7.5 (8.0-9.8) mg kg-1 h-1 and ED95 10.5 (9.6-13.1) mg kg-1 h-1."}
{"id": "PMID:1467100", "title": "Pharmacokinetics of lignocaine in children after infiltration for cleft palate surgery.", "content": "We have studied the pharmacokinetics of lignocaine in children after local infiltration for cleft palate surgery. After induction of anaesthesia, lignocaine 2.5 mg kg-1 with adrenaline 1:200,000 was injected into the palate. Blood samples were collected before and at 2, 5, 10, 15, 20, 30, 60 and 120 min after infiltration. Plasma concentrations of lignocaine were measured by a gas-liquid chromatographic technique. There were no signs of systemic toxicity on routine monitoring of the patients and the peak plasma concentrations were less than the accepted toxic values. Mean half-life was 72.9 (SEM 9.9) min, similar to that found previously in adults and children. However differences in mean clearance (24.6 (2.04) ml kg-1 min-1) and volume of distribution (0.80 (0.07) litre kg-1) were found between this and previous studies."}
{"id": "PMID:1467101", "title": "Thiopentone and etomidate concentrations in maternal and umbilical plasma, and in colostrum.", "content": "We have measured concentrations of etomidate and thiopentone in maternal plasma, umbilical venous plasma and colostrum after induction of anaesthesia in 40 patients undergoing Caesarean section. Mean plasma etomidate concentration declined rapidly (1242.0 ng ml-1 at 5 min, 434.0 ng ml-1 at 15 min, 64.2 ng ml-1 at 30 min, 7.0 ng ml-1 at 60 min and undetectable 2 h after the injection). Mean plasma concentrations of thiopentone declined more slowly (6.09 micrograms ml-1 at 5 min, 2.64 micrograms ml-1 at 2 h, 1.35 micrograms ml-1 at 4 h, 0.86 microgram ml-1 at 9 h and 0.59 micrograms ml-1 at 12 h). Mean umbilical venous thiopentone concentration was 4.72 micrograms ml-1, whereas the thiopentone concentration in the maternal sample at 5 min was 6.09 micrograms ml-1, giving an umbilical:maternal vein ratio of 1:1.3. Mean umbilical etomidate concentration was 51.7 ng ml-1 and the corresponding maternal vein sample (5 min) was 1242.0 ng ml-1 (P < 0.001), giving an umbilical:maternal vein ratio of 1:24. Mean concentrations of thiopentone in colostrum were 1.98 micrograms ml-1 at 30 min, 0.91 microgram ml-1 at 4 h and 0.59 microgram ml-1 at 9 h, colostrum:plasma ratios at 4 h and 9 h being 0.67 and 0.68, respectively. Mean concentrations of etomidate in colostrum were 79.3 ng ml-1 at 30 min and 16.3 ng ml-1 at 2 h, being undetectable at 4 h. The colostrum:plasma etomidate concentration ratio was 1.2 at 30 min.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1467102", "title": "Spinal anaesthesia for caesarean section: comparison of 22-gauge and 25-gauge Whitacre needles with 26-gauge Quincke needles.", "content": "We have studied 150 women undergoing elective Caesarean section under spinal anaesthesia. They were allocated randomly to have a 22-gauge Whitacre, a 25-gauge Whitacre or a 26-gauge Quincke needle inserted into the lumbar subarachnoid space. The groups were compared for ease of insertion, number of attempted needle insertions before identification of cerebrospinal fluid, quality of subsequent analgesia and incidence of postoperative complications. There were differences between groups, but they did not reach statistical significance. Postdural puncture headache (PDPH) was experienced by one mother in the 22-gauge Whitacre group, none in the 25-gauge Whitacre group and five in the 26-gauge Quincke group. Five of the six PDPH occurred after a single successful needle insertion. Seven of the 15 mothers in whom more than two needle insertions were made experienced backache, compared with 12 of the 129 receiving two or less (P < 0.001). We conclude that the use of 22- and 25-gauge Whitacre needles in elective Caesarean section patients is associated with a low incidence of PDPH and that postoperative backache is more likely when more than two attempts are made to insert a spinal needle."}
{"id": "PMID:1467103", "title": "Accuracy of coagulation studies performed on blood samples obtained from arterial cannulae.", "content": "We have assessed the accuracy of coagulation studies in blood obtained from intra-arterial cannulae. Paired samples were studied in blood from 39 patients receiving intensive care; one sample was obtained by venepuncture and the other from an intra-arterial cannula after the apparatus deadspace plus 5 ml of blood had been discarded. Activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) (with thromboplastin routinely used in our laboratory), prothrombin time (PT), thrombin time (TT), fibrinogen and heparin assays were measured on each sample. In 37 sample pairs, APTT was measured also using a different thromboplastin. The median difference between the sample pairs was 5.5 s for APTT (P = 0.032) and 1.0 s (P = 0.048) for TT, the times for arterial cannula samples being longer. There was no significant difference between arterial cannula and venepuncture samples for PT or fibrinogen concentration. Heparin assays revealed heparin contamination in samples obtained from arterial cannulae in 15 of 30 patients not receiving heparin. It is concluded that, when coagulation studies are performed using the techniques used routinely in our laboratory, a blood sample from an arterial cannula may give clinically misleading information because of contamination with small amounts of heparin, and that separate venepuncture is recommended."}
{"id": "PMID:1467104", "title": "Isoflurane does not increase the incidence of intraoperative myocardial ischaemia compared with halothane during vascular surgery.", "content": "We have studied the incidence of new intraoperative myocardial ischaemia (IMI), myocardial infarction (MI) and cardiac death (CD) in 500 consecutive patients undergoing elective major non-cardiac vascular surgery. Patients were allocated randomly to receive either halothane (n = 226) or isoflurane (n = 274) as principal anaesthetic agent. Using real-time ST segment trend analysis (leads V5 and II) IMI (halothane 39%, isoflurane 38%), MI (halothane 1.3%, isoflurane 1.5%) and CD (halothane 0.4%, isoflurane 0.7%) did not differ significantly between the two groups. Twenty-three per cent of IMI episodes were related to haemodynamic disturbances, but unrelated to the type of surgery: 148 supra-aortic (IMI = 39%), 244 abdominal aortic (IMI = 41%) and 108 lower extremity revascularizations (IMI = 33%). We conclude that the choice of volatile anaesthetic agent does not influence cardiac morbidity or mortality in this type of patient."}
{"id": "PMID:1467105", "title": "Evaluation of closed loop control of arterial pressure during hypotensive anaesthesia for local resection of intraocular melanoma.", "content": "We have studied 20 patients undergoing local resection of intraocular melanoma during hypotensive anaesthesia, allocated randomly to receive either manual control by an experienced anaesthetist or closed-loop computer control of an infusion of a 5:1 mixture of trimetaphan camsylate (TMP) and sodium nitroprusside (SNP). There were no significant differences in the smallest systolic and diastolic arterial pressures obtained, heart rate or infusion requirements between the two groups, but the duration of both the infusion and the operation were significantly longer in the computer-controlled group (P < 0.05). The quality of control of arterial pressure was assessed by the percentage of time spent at pressures greater and less than the prescribed target values, and was satisfactory in both groups during the critical period of profound hypotension. We conclude that the computer-controlled infusion performed satisfactorily during profound hypotension compared with an experienced anaesthetist."}
{"id": "PMID:1467106", "title": "Modulation by carbon dioxide and pH of the contractile responses to potassium and prostaglandin F2 alpha in isolated human pial arteries.", "content": "Variation of PCO2 with concomitant changes in extracellular pH (pHo) may modulate cerebrovascular resistance, but the direct actions of carbon dioxide and pHo on human cerebral arteries are unknown. In this study, we have evaluated the effects of different carbon dioxide tensions (2.7, 4.2 and 7.2 kPa) with either fixed (pHo = 7.44) or concomitant changes in pHo, on contractions induced by depolarization (potassium) or receptor stimulation (prostaglandin F2 alpha) in isolated human pial arteries. Isolated changes in PCO2 had no significant effect on either potency (unchanged EC50 value) or the maximum response (Emax) in potassium-contracted arteries. Hypercapnia with uncompensated pHo significantly decreased both EC50 and Emax values, whereas uncompensated hypocapnia significantly increased the EC50 value without any effect on Emax. Concentration-response curves induced by prostaglandin (PG) F2 alpha were shifted significantly to the right (increased EC50 = decreased potency) during both hypo- and hypercapnia, independent of changes in pHo. The maximal responses were enhanced significantly during hypocapnia (Emax = 110 (SEM 2)%), but this enhancement was converted into a slight attenuation when pHo was compensated (Emax = 92 (4)%). Hypercapnia, with or without compensation of pHo, decreased the Emax values to 69 (16)% and 73 (9)%, respectively. We conclude that hypocapnia increases contractility in human pial arteries--an effect which is reversed by compensation of pHo. In contrast, the hypercapnic decrease of PGF2 alpha-induced contractions appears to be independent of pHo. The results confirm a relationship between contractility and pHo, but do not exclude a direct action of carbon dioxide in receptor-stimulated arteries."}
{"id": "PMID:1467108", "title": "Retrograde intubation--a facilitated approach.", "content": "The procedure of retrograde tracheal intubation has been facilitated by the use of a multilumen catheter guide. When used as an anterograde guide, it would easily follow the retrograde guide and would direct placement of the tracheal tube atraumatically. A new technique is described that allows stabilization of the anterograde catheter and its insertion deep inside the trachea to prevent dislodgement of the tracheal tube from the laryngeal inlet. This catheter guide may also be used as a conduit for high-frequency jet ventilation with monitoring of the airway pressure, thus providing wider margins of safety in patients with difficult upper airways."}
{"id": "PMID:1467109", "title": "Continuous subarachnoid infusion of 0.125% bupivacaine for analgesia during labour.", "content": "We have studied 20 primiparous women requesting pain relief for labour, to determine the feasibility of subarachnoid infusions of bupivacaine for analgesia. A 28-gauge catheter was inserted into the subarachnoid space through a modified 22-gauge Sprotte needle. After a bolus dose of up to 1.5 ml of 0.25% bupivacaine, a continuous infusion of 0.125% bupivacaine was commenced. If analgesia became inadequate, additional 0.5-ml boluses of 0.25% bupivacaine were given (mean number of top-ups 2.8; range 0-6). Persistent perineal pain occurred in four women and this was relieved by 0.5% hyperbaric bupivacaine. Analgesia was good or excellent in 15 of 20 mothers within 10 min and in 19 of 20 within 30 min, and it remained good or excellent throughout labour and delivery. Motor block was complete in three of the women who needed hyperbaric 0.5% bupivacaine. There were no difficulties with insertion of the catheter, no episodes of significant hypotension (systolic arterial pressure less than 100 mm Hg) or postdural puncture headache. Seven mothers delivered their babies vaginally, eight required assistance with forceps and five needed a Caesarean section."}
{"id": "PMID:1467110", "title": "Effect of interpleural morphine on postoperative pain and pulmonary function after thoracotomy.", "content": "We have investigated the effect of interpleural morphine on postoperative pain and pulmonary function after thoracotomy. At the end of surgery, an interpleural catheter was inserted in 17 patients and, in a double-blind and randomized manner, either a bolus of morphine 2.5 mg interpleurally (i.p.) and normal saline i.v. (group I) or, as a control for systemic absorption, morphine 2.5 mg i.v. and i.p. saline (group II) was injected. After the initial bolus, a continuous infusion of morphine 0.5 mg h-1 i.p. and saline i.v. (group I) or morphine 0.5 mg i.v. and saline i.p. (group II) was maintained for 24 h. Postoperative pain was assessed by a visual analogue scale, a numerical rating scale and the McGill Pain Questionnaire. Pulmonary function was assessed by spirometry. Supplementary analgesics, side effects, degree of sedation, vital signs and chest tube drainage were recorded. All variables were assessed on the day before surgery and 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 24 h and 7 days after surgery. Supplementary morphine was given upon request. There was no significant difference in any pain measure or postoperative pulmonary function variable between the groups. We conclude that, after thoracotomy, interpleural morphine does not provide superior analgesia or improve pulmonary function compared with systemic morphine."}
{"id": "PMID:1467111", "title": "An active heat and moisture exchanger.", "content": "We have carried out a laboratory evaluation of an active heat and moisture exchanging filter (aHMEF). The device consists of a conventional heat and moisture exchanging filter (HMEF) with an additional heating element and water supply. It was compared with a standard HMEF using a model lung. The aHMEF with the heating element alone, reduced 2-hourly water loss compared with the HMEF (P < 0.001); with both the heating element and additional water, this was reduced further (P < 0.001). The mean catheter mount temperature with the HMEF and heater was 32.7 (SD 1.8) degrees C and with the complete aHMEF was 34.6 (1.6) degrees C. The maximum temperature with the heating element in use was 37.7 degrees C. We conclude that the aHMEF provided effective, controllable and convenient humidification of inspired gases."}
{"id": "PMID:1467112", "title": "Hepatic function and indocyanine green clearance during and after prolonged anaesthesia with propofol.", "content": "We have studied the effects of propofol on hepatic function and clearance of indocyanine green (ICG) in 13 consecutive patients undergoing prolonged plastic and reconstructive surgery. Hepatic function was assessed using serum concentrations of liver-specific glutathione-S-transferase (GST). There were no significant changes in GST activity or plasma clearance of ICG throughout the study."}
{"id": "PMID:1467113", "title": "Apparent pacemaker failure caused by activation of ventricular threshold test by a magnetic instrument mat during general anaesthesia.", "content": "A patient with a permanent pacemaker underwent radical neck dissection. After induction of anaesthesia, a magnetic surgical instrument mat was placed over the patient's chest. This caused the pacemaker to go into a threshold test which included a 2.5-s period of asystole. Surgery had to be abandoned temporarily. We suggest that magnetic instrument mats should not be used with pacemaker patients; not all pacemakers are converted to a fixed magnetic rate by application of a magnet. The anaesthetist should check to see if the patient has a pacemaker with a threshold test and, if possible, this should be rendered inactive."}
{"id": "PMID:1467114", "title": "Extradural abscess complicating extradural anaesthesia for caesarean section.", "content": "Extradural abscess has been described infrequently as a complication of extradural anaesthesia and analgesia. We describe an abscess that developed 5 days after operation in a patient who had extradural anaesthesia for Caesarean section and postoperative analgesia, and review the literature on extradural abscess complicating extradural catheterization, including a discussion on pathogenesis, clinical presentation, diagnosis and management. There have now been 16 reported cases of extradural catheter-related extradural abscess. Only one previous case has been in obstetric practice, despite the widespread use of these techniques in this specialty. A disproportionate number of cases have involved thoracic catheters. Duration of catheterization ranged from 40 h to 6 weeks, the majority of catheters being in place for 5 days or less. The time from catheter placement to development of symptoms ranged from 72 h to 5 months. The causative organism was isolated in 11 cases: Staphylococcus aureus was identified in nine (82%) and Staphylococcus epidermidis in two (18%). Outcome was reported in 15 cases, of which seven (47%) had a full or near full recovery and eight (53%) had a persistent neurological deficit. One case was managed successfully without surgery. Fifty percent of all cases have been reported in the past 5 years. With the increasing use of extradural techniques for anaesthesia and analgesia, this serious complication may be seen more frequently in the future."}
{"id": "PMID:1467115", "title": "General anaesthesia and the hypereosinophilic syndrome: severe postoperative complications in two patients.", "content": "Two patients with markedly increased eosinophil counts developed severe postoperative complications after general anaesthesia. One patient suffered life-threatening Adult Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), while the other presented with a coagulopathy and less severe respiratory problems. The hypereosinophilic syndrome is described and the possibility of a role of eosinophils in the pathogenesis of tissue injury is discussed. These cases suggest that, in patients with marked eosinophilia requiring general anaesthesia, perioperative steroid cover is advisable. This may reduce or prevent serious lung damage and other complications."}
{"id": "PMID:1467123", "title": "[The incidence and clinical significance of the echocardiographic finding of false chordae tendineae].", "content": "The presence of false tendons (FT) with M-mode and 2-D echocardiography in a consecutive series of 916 patients (520 men--396 women) with a wide age range (9-83 y) was investigated, and a possible correlation with heart systolic murmurs and/or heart arrhythmias evaluated. The problems that FT cause in differential diagnosis with other intraventricular structures were also considered. FT were observed in 53 subjects (5.8%), 30 men--23 women, and in an additional 51 cases (96%) in the left ventricular cavity. A clear prevalence of FT was observed during childhood and adolescence (26.1%), with the preferential location at the top of the ventricular chamber. No relevant correlation between FT and heart systolic murmurs and/or cardiac rhythm disorders was found. Although our results show that FT constitute an occasional finding, with no anatomic or functional relevance, they should always be held in due consideration in case of diagnostic uncertainty with other pathological structures, in particular intracavitary thrombi."}
{"id": "PMID:1467124", "title": "[Nonischemic changes of the ST segment in dynamic electrocardiography].", "content": "Ambulatory ECG monitoring has become increasingly important in the diagnostic workup of patients investigated for chest pain and in the evaluation of patients with known ischemic heart disease. Following the demonstration of ischemic episodes not associated with anginal symptoms, the diagnosis of myocardial ischemia is based solely on the detection of ST segment shifts; however several conditions associated with non-ischemic ST segment changes during ambulatory ECG monitoring might potentially be misleading. These conditions include: 1) ST segment changes in the normal population: it is a rare finding in specifically designed studies that however are probably affected by a \"pretest referral bias\"; caution is therefore suggested in diagnosing ischemia when episodes of ST segment depression are mild (< 2 mm) and occur at high heart rates (> 120 beats/min); 2) postural changes, usually easily recognized by the typical \"square\" pattern of the ST segment trend; 3) ST segment changes related to respiratory manoeuvres, quite rare and usually mild; 4) ST segment changes due to drugs; 5) ST segment changes caused by rhythm and conduction disturbances. Lastly the significance of ST segment changes in patients with angina and normal coronary arteries is discussed, following recent observations of reduced coronary flow reserve and/or abnormal myocardial metabolism in a sizable proportion of these patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1467125", "title": "[Cryptococcosis in a female patient with angioimmunoblastic lymphadenopathy and dysproteinemia].", "content": "A case of a 72-year-old woman affected by angioimmunoblastic lymphadenopathy with dysproteinemia is described. She was admitted to the hospital for serious cutaneous lesions and dementia. The patient had been treated with corticosteroids for the previous two years. Cryptococcosis was diagnosed by cutaneous biopsy. Antimycotic therapy together with corticosteroid withdrawal cured the cutaneous lesions and improved her psychiatric symptoms."}
{"id": "PMID:1467126", "title": "[Familial Mediterranean fever: a report of 2 cases of Italian origin].", "content": "Familial Mediterranean fever is an inherited disease, occurring almost exclusively in Arabs, Jews and Turks. Cases are very rarely described in the USA, USSR, France, and patients are all natives to the Mediterranean area. This paper describes two cases of familial Mediterranean fever in brothers native to Campania, Italy. Both had complained of repeated episodes of fever, with acute abdomen, thoracalgia and arthralgia since the age of about 20. One of them had had pleuritis when he was 6 years old. In the period preceding our first observation, both underwent laparotomy to evaluate abdominal symptoms, with negative results. After ruling out other diseases with similar signs and symptoms, we raised the hypothesis of familial Mediterranean fever, despite the fact that the literature has described very few Italian natives affected by this disease. The diagnostic hypothesis was confirmed by the positivity of the metaraminol provocation test. At the same time we evaluated the presence of amyloidosis by rectal biopsy, with negative results. Treatment with colchicine 1 mg/day per os was established. Dramatic improvement of the symptoms was observed in both patients. The present paper stresses the importance of familial Mediterranean fever, its correct diagnosis in Italy and the fundamental role played by the metaraminol provocation test as a determinant diagnostic tool. It allows establishment of appropriate treatment as soon as possible, so that renal amyloidosis, the most severe complication and major prognostic determinant of familial Mediterranean fever, can be prevented. Inappropriate, useless and potentially harmful surgical diagnostic procedures are also avoided."}
{"id": "PMID:1467127", "title": "[Adherence to dietetic treatment, the nutritional metabolic status and the progression of chronic kidney failure].", "content": "Effects of two protein restricted diets on dietary compliance, nutritional and metabolic state, and progression of chronic renal failure (CRF) were investigated. Twenty-one patients with CRF were randomly assigned to either a conventional low protein diet (0.6 g of protein/kg b.w./day) or to a very low protein diet, providing 0.4 g of protein/kg b.w./day, supplemented with a mixture of essential amino acids which contained HIS, TYR and a high proportion of branched chain amino acids. Nutrition, assessed by body weight, anthropometry, serum protein levels and nitrogen balance studies, was maintained in all patients. Some metabolic abnormalities of CRF (i.e., secondary hyperparathyroidism, glucose intolerance) improved in both groups. The supplemented diet provided better adherence to protein prescription, corrected the depletion of VAL and LEU in muscle and was more effective than conventional diet in slowing the rate of progression of CFR."}
{"id": "PMID:1467128", "title": "[Alpha-interferon therapy: an echographic study of left ventricular function and a clinical assessment of cardiovascular complications].", "content": "Many side-effects of alpha interferon (alpha-I) therapy have occurred as a result of its widespread clinical applications. The hypothesis of alpha-I related cardiomyopathy is particularly interesting. Our study involved echocardiographic evaluation of left ventricular function and cardiovascular complications in 35 patients with chronic hepatitis treated with alpha-I at 20 MU/week for an average of 10.8 months. The results were compared with those of a control group. Of the values studied, only Max E V and the E/A ratio were statistically significant. No cardiovascular side-effects were found."}
{"id": "PMID:1467129", "title": "[The neuroendocrine aspects of chronic alcoholism: the effect of alcohol intake and its withdrawal].", "content": "Neuroendocrine dysfunctions, in part similar to those found in depression, are present in chronic alcoholism. The aim of this investigation was to evaluate the effects of chronic alcohol intake on cortisol secretion in basal conditions, after dexamethasone (DXT) suppression or corticotropin (ACTH) stimulation in 10 alcoholic men, during active drinking and after two weeks of alcohol withdrawal. The 24-hour, day- and night-time urinary cortisol and melatonin levels, and the effects of thyrotropin releasing hormone (TRH) on thyrotropin (TSH) and prolactin (PRL) secretions were studied in the same subjects. The data were correlated to the scores obtained by the Hamilton Rating Scale for depression and compared to those found in healthy subjects. Increased cortisol levels and the lack of DXT suppression of cortisol secretion are considered to be alcohol-dependent inasmuch as they disappear in most patients after alcohol withdrawal. The cortisol response to ACTH 1-24 infusion measured before and after alcohol withdrawal was similar in the patients we studied; moreover no significant difference was found between patients and controls. The increment of urine free cortisol levels in active alcoholics was not statistically significant. Urine cortisol levels became similar to those of the control subjects after alcohol withdrawal. The increased diurnal values of urine melatonin and the inversion of the physiological ratio between nocturnal and diurnal levels observed during alcohol intake became normal upon alcohol withdrawal. The TSH and PRL responses after the administration of 50 or 200 micrograms TRH were higher in alcoholics than in controls, while a blunted response is known to occur in depression."}
{"id": "PMID:1467130", "title": "[The current outlook in the therapy of autoimmune diseases].", "content": "Recent advances in immunology and molecular biology have contributed to a much greater understanding of the pathogenetic mechanisms of the autoimmune diseases and thus to the development of new rationally-based therapies. Most of the immunosuppressive agents that have been tried in autoimmune disease patients nonspecifically suppress the immune response, often causing various side effects. Autoimmune diseases result from the activation of self-reactive T cells that recognize autoantigens or foreign antigens cross-reactive with an autoantigen coupled with major histocompatibility complex (MHC) products on an antigen presenting cell. It appears possible to modulate T cell activation by interfering with the interaction between T cell receptor and the peptide-MHC molecule complex. A number of sites are potential targets for immunologic intervention, such as MHC molecules, T cell receptor, CD4 and CD3 molecules, adhesion molecules, cytokines and cytokine receptors. In the present review the most important new therapeutic approaches to autoimmune conditions, which appear to be more selective in overcoming the limitations of non-specific treatments, are summarized. They include monoclonal antibodies, cytokines and cytokine-inhibitors, peptides interacting with MHC molecules and T cell vaccination."}
{"id": "PMID:1467133", "title": "Introducing NMDA antagonists into clinical practice: why head injury trials?", "content": "1. Head injury is the major cause of death and severe disability in young adults. Evidence from clinical studies shows ischaemic brain damage to be the major determinant of bad outcome, and that a proportion of this (perhaps up to 40%) is delayed, thus offering an opportunity for 'prophylactic' therapy. 2. Laboratory studies in several relevant animal models of human head injury (fluid percussion, subdural haematoma, and focal ischaemia by middle cerebral occlusion) indicate that excitatory amino acids are important mediators of brain damage. Pretreatment with NMDA antagonists has shown that the extent of ischaemic damage may be dramatically reduced in these models (68% reduction in the cat MCA occlusion model, 54% in the rat subdural haematoma model). 3. Trials of NMDA antagonists in human head injury are therefore strongly indicated."}
{"id": "PMID:1467134", "title": "The effects of an oral thromboxane TP receptor antagonist BAY u 3405, on prostaglandin D2- and histamine-induced bronchoconstriction in asthma, and relationship to plasma drug concentrations.", "content": "1. The potent bronchoconstrictors prostaglandin (PG) D2, PG F2 alpha and thromboxane A2 are thought to have a role in the pathogenesis of asthma, mediated via the thromboxane (TP) receptor. 2. BAY u 3405 is a new potent selective competitive TP receptor antagonist. 3. The effect of single oral doses of 20 mg and 50 mg BAY u 3405 was examined against histamine and PG D2 bronchial provocation at 90 min after drug ingestion and, for the 20 mg dose alone, at 60 min after ingestion, in randomised, double-blind placebo controlled crossover studies. A time course study was performed with the 20 mg dose. 4. BAY u 3405 protected against PG D2 bronchial provocation. The 20 mg dose increased the amount of PG D2 required to produce a fall of 20% in the forced expiratory volume in 1 s by 6-fold and 16-fold at 60 min and 90 min after ingestion respectively, and the 50 mg dose by 14-fold at 90 min after ingestion. 5. The specificity of the drug was confirmed in vivo in that there was no significant protection against histamine bronchial provocation at either dose or at either time point. 6. The time course study showed significant protection against PG D2 bronchial provocation at 1 h and at 3 h after a single 20 mg oral dose. 7. There was no correlation between subjects in plasma BAY u 3405 concentration and drug effect. Within the subjects performing the time course study there was a strong correlation in time between drug effect and plasma BAY u 3405 concentration.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1467135", "title": "Effects of leukotrienes C4 and D4 on human isolated saphenous veins.", "content": "1. Vascular injury during the intra-operative procedures of bypass surgery may be the initiating event in the gradual deterioration in the patency of the graft. Adhesion of leukocytes to the vascular endothelium frequently accompanies preparation and insertion of the graft. However, little is known about the effects of vasoactive substances released from leukocytes on vein graft performance. 2. To determine whether leukotrienes are capable of affecting the tone of blood vessels used as coronary artery bypass grafts we studied the human saphenous vein as intact rings using an isolated organ bath technique. 3. LTC4 and LTD4 caused weak endothelium-dependent relaxations at lower concentrations (1 pM to 1 nM) and powerful endothelium-independent contractions at higher concentrations (3 nM to 0.1 microM). The maximum responses to LTC4 and LTD4 for relaxations were 21.1 +/- 4.8% and 28.6 +/- 3.4% (% of noradrenaline induced tone) respectively and 64.6 +/- 9.9% and 59.1 +/- 7.9% (% response to KCl) respectively for contractions. 4. The inhibitor of nitric oxide formation, L-NG-monomethyl L-arginine, prevented the relaxations to LTD4, but not LTC4 and unmasked endothelium-dependent contractions to LTD4 (32.9 +/- 11.3%). NG-monomethyl L-arginine had no effect on the contractions produced by LTC4 or LTD4. 5. Indomethacin augmented relaxations and contractions of saphenous vein to LTC4 from 22.5 +/- 5.6 to 40.02 +/- 8.7 (P < 0.05) and 48.8 +/- 5.5% to 74.7 +/- 7.6% (P < 0.01) respectively. LTD4 responses were not affected by indomethacin treatment. 6. In conclusion, leukotrienes mediate biphasic responses in the human saphenous vein.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1467136", "title": "7-Alkoxyquinoline O-dealkylation by microsomes from human liver and placenta.", "content": "1. The O-dealkylation of seven 7-alkoxyquinoline derivatives by human hepatic and placental microsomes and the effect of maternal cigarette smoking on placental 7-alkoxyquinoline metabolism was studied. 2. None of several monoclonal antibodies to isoenzymes of cytochrome P450 had a clear effect on metabolism of the compounds by liver microsomes. 3. Maternal cigarette smoking induced the O-dealkylation of all of the 7-alkoxyquinoline derivatives, being greatest for 7-butoxy- and 7-benzyloxyquinoline. 4. Placental 7-alkoxyquinoline metabolism induced by smoking was partially inhibited by the monoclonal antibody 1-7-1 raised against 3-methylcholanthrene-induced rat liver P450. 5. None of the 7-alkoxyquinoline O-dealkylations could be assigned specifically to any known P450 isoenzyme in human liver or placenta."}
{"id": "PMID:1467137", "title": "Attitudes to adverse drug reaction reporting in the Northern Region.", "content": "1. The attitudes and knowledge of doctors in the Northern Region to reporting of adverse drug reactions were assessed using a postal questionnaire to all doctors in two, previously identified, high reporting and two low reporting health districts. Comparisons were made of the attitudes and knowledge within professional groups (GPs, Consultants and Junior Hospital Doctors), and between the amalgamated doctor groups. 2. 1181 of 1600 doctors (74%) responded. Despite being selected on the basis of previous adverse drug reaction reporting patterns, GPs and consultants from high and low reporting districts perceived they had sent a similar number of ADR reports, and there were few differences in opinion and attitude within these two groups. 3. Most differences within doctor groups were found for junior doctors, with those from low reporting districts indicating they had sent significantly less yellow cards than those in high reporting districts. There were also significant differences in the estimates junior doctors made with a frequency of adverse drug reactions, the existing documentation on adverse drug reactions, and the purposes of the adverse reaction scheme. 4. General Practitioners in low reporting areas stated they wrote more prescriptions (P < 0.02), consultants spent more time in clinical contact (P < 0.01) and junior doctors did both (P < 0.01), all of which suggest different workloads may effect reporting of adverse drug reactions. 5. When given clinical examples, or asked about the CSMs black triangle scheme, all doctor groups performed poorly. 6. The number of reports stated as being sent increased with time from qualification for 10 years, then seemed to plateau.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1467138", "title": "Reduction of plasma cholesterol by lovastatin normalizes erythrocyte membrane fluidity in patients with severe hypercholesterolaemia.", "content": "The effect of lovastatin on erythrocyte membrane composition and fluidity was investigated in eight patients with severe hypercholesterolaemia (mean LDL-cholesterol of 7.2 mmol l-1). Lovastatin was administered at a dosage of 40-80 mg for 20 weeks and was discontinued for 5 weeks thereafter. Parallel to a 47% fall in plasma LDL cholesterol, there was a significant reduction (P < 0.01) in erythrocyte membrane cholesterol:phospholipid molar ratio, while erythrocyte membrane fluidity assessed by diphenylhexatriene (DPH) fluorescence polarization increased significantly (P < 0.01). Discontinuation of lovastatin resulted in the reversal of erythrocyte membrane composition and fluidity to pre-treatment values."}
{"id": "PMID:1467139", "title": "Plasma morphine-3-glucuronide, morphine-6-glucuronide and morphine concentrations in patients receiving long-term epidural morphine.", "content": "Plasma morphine concentrations were measured in five cancer patients receiving long-term epidural morphine administration. Peak concentrations were observed within 1 h of dosage and concentrations then declined biexponentially. Plasma morphine-3-glucuronide (M3G) and morphine-6-glucuronide (M6G) concentrations were measured in two patients and plasma M3G concentrations were observed to be much higher than plasma M6G and morphine concentrations. Peak plasma M6G concentrations occurred within 1.0 h of dosing and plasma M6G concentrations then remained higher than plasma morphine concentrations."}
{"id": "PMID:1467140", "title": "Morphine metabolism in neonates and infants.", "content": "The metabolism of morphine was studied in seven fullterm neonates and five infants receiving a continuous infusion of morphine. All the patients had detectable plasma concentrations of morphine 3-glucuronide (M3G) and 10 had detectable concentrations of morphine 6-glucuronide (M6G). The mean plasma clearance of morphine was 20.1 ml min-1 kg-1 in neonates and 23.4 ml min-1 kg-1 in the group as a whole. The M3G/morphine ratio (7.3) was higher than that previously reported for preterm neonates (5.0) but lower than that reported for children (23.9)."}
{"id": "PMID:1467141", "title": "Stereoselective inhibition of renal organic cation transport in human kidney.", "content": "Amantadine was found to be concentrated by human cortical slices, with apparent Km and Vmax values of 187 +/- 11 microM and 1.37 +/- 0.28 nmol mg-1 min-1 respectively (mean +/- s.e. mean, n = 4). Addition of quinine (8S, 9R-(-)-isomer) or quinidine (8R, 9S-(+)-isomer) competitively inhibited this accumulation (apparent Ki values of 261 +/- 44 (n = 4) and 586 +/- 68 microM (n = 3), respectively). The stereoselectivity of this inhibition is the reverse of that seen with respect to the renal clearances of the diastereoisomers."}
{"id": "PMID:1467143", "title": "[Liver transplantation without clamping the vena cava inferior].", "content": "An original technique of orthotopic liver transplantation with preservation of the recipient's entire inferior vena cava and side-to-side caval anastomosis is described. The procedure was used in 21 consecutive patients. It has permitted to avoid vena cava occlusion and the need for venous bypass. No consequences on caval flow were observed during the anhepatic phase. Such technique avoids retrocaval dissection and requires only one caval anastomosis, reducing the duration of the anhepatic phase."}
{"id": "PMID:1467144", "title": "[PTFE in reconstructive surgery on the face].", "content": "The employment of synthetic materials instead of autologous tissues (cartilaginous, adipose tissue, etc.) is already well codified and widely spread: the only restraint to their use is represented by biocompatibility which is not always satisfactory. Prosthesis should be clinically inert and inalterable with time, easy to sterilize, intraoperatively mouldable, and, from the aesthetic point of view, unrecognizable at touch. Since PTFE is widely used in general surgery (vascular prosthesis, aortobifemoral bypass, ect.) we have employed it in plastic surgery obtaining good results in the correction of malar depressions, and in harmonizing the final result of a rhinoplasty or of a labial plasty. All patients showed to well tolerate the material employed without any evident inflammatory reaction and with stable results at long-term follow-up."}
{"id": "PMID:1467145", "title": "[A case of so-called Poland's syndrome].", "content": "Pathogenesis, morphology and different associated abnormalities in the so-called Poland syndrome are considered. The surgical treatment adopted in the case recently observed is discussed. In most cases an isolated muscular and breast hypoplasia or aplasia is present so that surgery has the only intent to solve the esthetic problem."}
{"id": "PMID:1467146", "title": "[Multiple hamartomas of the bile ducts (MBDH) or von Meyenburg's complex].", "content": "Multiple bile duct hamartomatosis of the liver or so-called von Meyenburg's syndrome, is an infrequent disease related to a dysembryogenic error. The authors discuss clinical features, diagnostic methods and possible related pathologies. Data reported in the literature are also received."}
{"id": "PMID:1467147", "title": "[Leiomyosarcomas of the stomach: a report of 3 clinical cases and a review of the literature].", "content": "Three consecutive malignant smooth-muscle gastric tumor cases are reported. Digestive endoscopy allowed a correct diagnosis in 2 out of 3 cases, when neoplasias were ulcerated, enabling a deep endoscopic biopsy. On the contrary, in the third case the endoscopic diagnosis was a benign leiomyoma and the endoscopic biopsies were completely negative. Even CT scan was not able to reveal the malignant nature of the disease in this patient. Surgical procedures performed were: polar superior gastric resection, Billroth I partial gastric resection and extended total gastrectomy. In one patient, regional lymph nodes were positive for metastases. The patient who died at 6 months from surgery had a large (approximately 12 cm) neoplasia of the gastric fundus."}
{"id": "PMID:1467148", "title": "[Carcinomas of the right colon. A review of 60 consecutive cases].", "content": "Sixty consecutive cases of tumor of the right colon operated upon between 1981 and 1991 are reviewed. Age and sex distribution, clinical findings, preoperative diagnostics and system used staging, TNM classification, surgical management, operative mortality, follow up and survival were analyzed. Results are discussed and compared with published data. In the second of the two 5-year period considered an increased incidence of right-sided carcinoma compared with tumors of the left colon and rectum was observed. According to the TNM classification, more than 50% of patients were in stage III. Operative mortality was 5%. The overall 5-year survival rate was 58%, while the survival rate of patients treated with radical intent was 70%."}
{"id": "PMID:1467149", "title": "[Conservative elective surgery in kidney neoplasms].", "content": "After the good results of \"necessary\" conservative surgery in the treatment of kidney neoplasms (bilateral neoplasms, congenital, acquired or functional solitary kidney), conservative surgery itself has been employed as elective treatment in selected cases presenting without the overmentioned problems. The authors report two cases of elective conservative surgery in kidney neoplasm with good results after 18 and 24 months."}
{"id": "PMID:1467150", "title": "[Bilateral breast tumors].", "content": "From a retrospective analysis of 181 cases observed in a ten-year period (1980-1990), the authors registered a frequency of bilateral breast cancer comparable to that reported in the literature (1-12%). Early diagnosis is the only factor able to modify positively the prognosis, through an accurate follow up, based on blood and X-ray tests (low-density mammography)."}
{"id": "PMID:1467151", "title": "[The treatment of recurrent inguinal hernias by using Marlex mesh preperitoneally].", "content": "Several techniques are utilized in the treatment of inguinal hernia: each type of repair offers advantages, but a variable number of recurrences occurs regardless of the hernioplasty technique used. Treatment of hernial recurrence is a troublesome goal for surgeons. Nowadays, the use of prosthetic materials with a posterior surgical approach simplifies and resolves most of the problems encountered in the past. The authors report their experience with the use of Marlex mesh for hernia repair through a preperitoneal approach pointing out the advantages of such prosthetic material and of the surgical access as well. Finally, the importance of patients selection is stressed."}
{"id": "PMID:1467152", "title": "[Resection of the sigmoid via laparoscopy: an experimental study of its feasibility].", "content": "The authors describe an experimental laparoscopic sigmoid colon resection performed in the porcine model. The operation begins with the introduction of the laparoscope via an umbilical trocar. Five other trocars are then placed allowing different maneuvers. The sigmoid colon is grasped in order to gain access to its mesenteric vessels which are clipped and divided, carrying out the dissection of the entire sigmoid colon. Two modified Endo-GIA are then fired both cranially and caudally, in order to obtain a closed sigmoid specimen and to maintain patent the lumen of the descending colon and rectum. The sigmoid is removed transanally. A P-CEEA stapler is introduced via the rectum and its detached anvil is put into the lumen of the descending colon. A purse-string is applied and closed around the anvil rod. The P-CEEA is retracted, and the rectal stump closed with another Endo-GIA. After reintroducing the trocar-loaded stapler, the trocar is advanced through the suture line of the rectum and removed via a port. The stapler is then reassembled, fired and extracted through the anus. Taking into account the oncologic criteria, we think that this mini-invasive technique could be applied, after an adequate training period on the animal model, to humans also."}
{"id": "PMID:1467153", "title": "Hypothesis: new concepts concerning the pathophysiology of the sudden infant death syndrome due to magnesium deficiency shock.", "content": "There appear to be many contributing factors to sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). One final common pathway that may explain some cases of SIDS is presented as a hypothesis: SIDS occurs as a shock-like event in a stressed infant with congenital or acquired magnesium deficiency with respect to calcium, or with genetically determined high magnesium requirements. Increased calcium and stress-related catecholamines favour platelet aggregation and release of mediators, chief of which appears to be thromboxane A2 (TXA2). TXA2, a major vasoconstrictor, bronchoconstrictor, and platelet aggregator is relatively unopposed during shock by prostacyclin, a vasodilator, bronchodilator, and platelet disaggregator which normally counterbalances its effects. The shock episode is self-limited. Infants who recover have suffered an apparent life threatening event (ALTE); those who die have insufficient pathology to explain the cause of death; the diagnosis is SIDS."}
{"id": "PMID:1467154", "title": "Serum and mononuclear cell potassium, magnesium, sodium and calcium in pregnancy and labour and their relation to uterine muscle contraction.", "content": "Thirty women in their third trimester of pregnancy (37-42 weeks), 40 women during and 72 h after labour and 18 non-pregnant controls were studied for changes in serum and mononuclear cell cation content, and their relationship to cervical effacement and intensity of pain as measured by plasma beta endorphin concentrations during labour. Serum magnesium fell from 0.95 +/- 0.01 (mean +/- SEM) to 0.84 +/- 0.02 mmol/litre at late pregnancy and further to 0.76 +/- 0.01 during labour (P < 0.001); serum potassium fell from 4.25 +/- 0.05 to 3.79 +/- 0.06 mmol/litre (P < 0.0001) during labour; and serum calcium fell from 2.40 +/- 0.02 to 2.28 +/- 0.01 mmol/litre at late pregnancy (P < 0.001) and further to 2.25 +/- 0.02 mmol/litre during labour (P < 0.001). Mononuclear cell magnesium content rose from 4.5 +/- 0.3 to 5.6 +/- 0.04 fmol/cell (P < 0.02); potassium content rose from 37.7 +/- 2.0 to 50.9 +/- 3.0 fmol/cell (P < 0.001); and calcium content rose from 4.4 +/- 0.4 to 7.6 +/- 1.1 fmol/cell (P < 0.105). On the other hand, mononuclear cell sodium content fell from 7.2 +/- 0.5 to 3.8 +/- 0.3 fmol/cell (P < 0.001). Plasma beta endorphin concentrations increased with increasing degrees of effacement, as did intracellular Na, whereas intracellular Mg and K showed an inverse trend. A significant correlation was found between intracellular cation and beta endorphin levels (r = -0.98, Mg; -0.99, K; 0.83, Na). These changes are probably due either to intercompartmental cation shifts or possibly to endometrial ischaemia and damage during labour."}
{"id": "PMID:1467155", "title": "Oral magnesium supplementation improves fetal circulation.", "content": "It is well known that pregnancy is a condition in which plasma magnesium falls because of accumulation of the ion in the placenta and fetus. Magnesium (Mg) is therefore widely given as a supplement during pregnancy, particularly in cases of preterm labour. In our experience, the combination of oral Mg (magnesium pyrrolidone carboxylic acid) at a dose of 360 mg/day with conventional ritodrine treatment allows a reduction in ritodrine dosage, accompanied by a significant reduction in side effects. We therefore evaluated changes in fetal blood flow, using pulsed Doppler, in women submitted to combined magnesium and ritodrine treatment compared to those treated with ritodrine plus placebo. The Mg-treated group showed a decrease in vessel resistance both in the umbilical artery and in the fetal middle cerebral artery, indicating that fetal vasculature is sensitive to exogenous Mg. Measurement of plasma and mononuclear cell Mg showed an intracellular increase in the cation of about 10 per cent. We conclude that oral magnesium supplementation in pregnancy is safe and that it has a positive effect on the fetal circulation."}
{"id": "PMID:1467156", "title": "Magnesium and obesity: influence of gender, glucose tolerance, and body fat distribution on circulating magnesium concentrations.", "content": "Obesity is characterized by a high risk for glucose intolerance and cardiovascular disease. Since magnesium deficiency or depletion have often been associated with both pathologies, is of interest to study magnesium status in severely obese subjects before any form of treatment. Negative magnesium balances have been described in overweight persons submitted to total starvation, hypocaloric diets, and obesity surgery. For this reason 80 non-diabetic obese men and 118 age-matched obese women were studied. Serum and erythrocyte magnesium concentrations were significantly higher in the male population but the mean values were not suggestive of a magnesium deficit before any form of treatment was started. Since metabolic abnormalities and cardiovascular risk are greater in patients with upper body fat distribution (UBFD) both sexes were subdivided according to \"waist-to-hip\" circumference ratio. No difference could be shown in the obese men but in women, UBFD subjects showed higher basal insulin levels and increased erythrocyte magnesium concentration as compared to those with classical gynoid fat distribution. A 75 g oral glucose tolerance test enabled the subjects to be subdivided into those with normal or impaired glucose tolerance (IGT). The IGT group in both sexes was older and more obese. Mean values of serum magnesium and erythrocyte magnesium were not decreased despite the more pronounced insulin resistance in the IGT group. However a significant negative correlation was found between fasting blood sugar/insulinaemia and erythrocyte magnesium, showing that this middle-aged obese population can maintain normal circulating levels of magnesium, in contrast to type II diabetics or older subjects where for other reasons (urinary losses or decreased intake) magnesium status is interfered with."}
{"id": "PMID:1467157", "title": "Serum and erythrocyte magnesium concentrations in solid tumours: relationship with stage of malignancy.", "content": "Magnesaemia is often decreased in solid tumours, but magnesium (Mg) is mainly an intracellular cation and serum levels do not reflect actual body stores. In this study serum Mg (SMg) and erythrocyte Mg (EMg) concentrations were measured in 40 healthy controls and in 108 patients affected by various types of tumour (50 lung cancers, 25 breast cancers, 18 ovarian cancers, and 15 oropharyngeal and hypopharyngeal cancers). EMg was higher (P < 0.05) and SMg lower P < 0.001) in neoplastic patients than in controls. All tumour types behaved in the same way, though in the lung cancer group the increase in EMg did not reach statistical significance in comparison with the control group (P = 0.05). The extent to which EMg was increased and SMg decreased was positively correlated with the advancement in the stage of malignancy. These results suggest that in neoplastic disease Mg requirement is not only increased in tumour tissue, but also in erythrocytes. The increase in EMg may derive from a change in the red blood cell membrane, facilitating intracellular concentration of magnesium for transport to the tumour. The concomitant decrease in SMg may be the consequence of the enhanced erythrocyte uptake of magnesium from the extracellular circulating pool."}
{"id": "PMID:1467158", "title": "New experimental data on the relationship between diabetes mellitus and magnesium.", "content": "Diabetes mellitus is the most frequent chronic disease associated with secondary magnesium deficit. Hypomagnesaemia is a central feature of the deficit, which is often reported in experimental and clinical forms of the disease. In diabetic rats as in man, plasma magnesium concentrations may correlate inversely with the degree of hyperglycaemia. The duration of the disease also appears to be relevant. The hypomagnesaemia of diabetes might be expected to affect intracellular concentrations of the ion. However, although some animal and clinical studies have reported subnormal magnesium concentrations in blood cells, bone, and soft tissues of diabetics, the relationship between plasma magnesium concentration and intracellular level of the ion is inconsistent. Clinical studies have speculated on a potential link between the magnesium deficit of diabetes and several diabetic complications, including cardiovascular problems and retinopathy. Recent experimental studies are largely supportive of such a link; myocardial disorders associated with magnesium deficiency have been reported in diabetic mice and rabbits. It is possible that a common mechanism involving magnesium may be responsible for some of the diverse complications of diabetes. The aetiology of hypomagnesaemia in diabetes is complex. Nevertheless, plasma magnesium concentrations are ultimately determined by four processes: intake, gastrointestinal absorption, redistribution within body pools, and urinary excretion. This review considers in turn the potential role of each of these processes in the development of diabetic hypomagnesaemia. Both experimental and clinical studies suggest that hypermagnesiuria may be the major factor involved. Recent animal studies have described a specific renal tubular magnesium defect in diabetes, which, together with the osmotic diuresis, is responsible for large magnesium losses. The precise cause of the defect is unknown, but it may relate to the prolonged hyperglycaemia, insulinopenia, disturbance of phosphate metabolism, or other hormonal changes which characterize the disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1467159", "title": "Relationship between neurological diseases due to aluminium load, especially amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and magnesium status.", "content": "The correlation between kinetic metal behaviour and the degenerative process in the central nervous system (CNS) tissues of magnesium (Mg) deprived animals was examined, with particular reference to the levels and ratios of Mg, calcium (Ca), and aluminium (Al). Al content in the CNS tissue was high in the groups fed low Mg and low Mg + low Ca diets, as well as those supplemented with Al. In the group given a normal Mg, normal Ca with high Al diet, Al content in the CNS tissue showed no difference compared with that of the control group, although the concentration of Al in the serum was high. It was observed that Al content tended to rise with an increase in the Mg/Ca ratio in the CNS tissue. There was neither atrophy nor degeneration of the anterior horn cells of the spinal cord, nor demyelination of the pyramidal tract, which are characteristic of the pathology of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. The cell body, nucleus, and nucleolus of the spinal neurones, however, appeared to diminish in size in the groups fed a low Mg diet and low Mg, low Ca with surplus Al diet. On the basis of these findings, it is speculated that Mg depletion, by increasing the Ca/Mg ratio in the CNS tissues, accelerates the uptake of Al into the brain, and this may later be involved in the development of the degenerative process."}
{"id": "PMID:1467160", "title": "A review of biointeractions of Ni and Mg. I. Enzyme, endocrine, transport, and skeletal systems.", "content": "Magnesium (Mg) and nickel (Ni) are biologically active elements in higher animals. Recent studies in vivo as well as in vitro point to interactions of Ni and Mg; non-immunological roles of these elements are reviewed here. Ni and Mg play roles in some of the same enzyme and endocrine systems, body and cell structures, and transport systems. Mg status has determined some responses to dietary Ni. Information available at this time is inadequate to permit assessment of all functions of Mg and Ni and their interactions in human populations. Evidence to date, however, warrants further investigation of the nutritional and metabolic relationships between these elements, over wide ranges of dietary intakes or exposure levels."}
{"id": "PMID:1467161", "title": "A review of biointeractions of Ni and Mg. II. Immune system and oncology.", "content": "Reports of interactions, in vivo and in vitro, between Ni and Mg in humoral and cellular immunity, hypersensitivity and inflammation, and in tumourigenesis are explored from a mechanistic viewpoint. Although Mg is present in much larger concentrations in normal mammalian systems than Ni, similar chemical and physical properties may allow Ni to exchange for Mg at reactive sites with damaging consequences to living organisms. Consequences of such exchanges could involve reduced immunocompetence and related carcinogenic transformation of cells. Mg status and environmental exposure to Ni are conceivable antecedents to possible biological sequelae in humans."}
{"id": "PMID:1467162", "title": "The management of denial in cancer patients.", "content": "Faced with a diagnosis of cancer, many patients react initially with a kind of numbed disbelief that is a form of denial. In the majority of cases, this reaction is subsequently replaced by other coping responses. Some patients, however, continue to use denial. Clinically, it is useful to categorize denial as follows: (1) complete denial, (2) denial of implications of a diagnosis of cancer, (3) denial of affect. Denial, particularly if complete, can have adverse effects in terms of delay in seeking treatment and noncompliance with treatment. But there are also certain advantages. Denial is associated with reduction in psychological distress, and there is preliminary evidence suggesting that it may be associated with prolonged duration of survival in women with nonmetastatic breast cancer. Although there are no hard and fast guidelines for the psychological management of patients who use denial, four possible management scenarios are provided."}
{"id": "PMID:1467164", "title": "High-dose chemotherapy with autologous stem cell support for breast cancer.", "content": "Breast cancer is a major public health issue, expected to affect one out of nine women over a lifetime. High-dose chemotherapy with autologous stem cell support is a current approach to the management of metastatic breast cancer and high-risk primary breast cancer. This review considers the effectiveness of this modality in the treatment of breast cancer in an effort to define its role in overall patient management. Current research directions, including technical advances aimed at reducing toxicity, are discussed. Finally, controversies regarding the role of third-party payers in the investigational process are considered."}
{"id": "PMID:1467165", "title": "Analgesia in children with sickle cell crisis: comparison of intermittent opioids vs. continuous intravenous infusion of morphine and placebo-controlled study of oxygen inhalation.", "content": "The objectives of the study were to compare the efficacy and safety of a continuous infusion (CIV) of morphine and intermittent parenteral opioids (IPO) in children with sickle cell vaso-occlusive crises (VOCs); to determine whether 50% oxygen administration through a face mask can reduce the duration of severe pain in patients receiving CIV morphine; and to measure morphine concentration at steady state for pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic analysis in patients receiving CIV morphine. The study was designed as a prospective, controlled, \"before-and-after\" evaluation of two different analgesic regimens. For patients receiving CIV morphine, there was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of O2 vs. air. The patients were 66 children with sickle cell disease, 3-18 years old, requiring opioid therapy for severe VOC (32 patients in phase A, 34 in phase B). The analgesic regimens were as follows: phase A: meperidine, morphine, or codeine IM or IV bolus every 3 or 4 hours; phase B: morphine sulfate, loading dose 0.15 mg followed by CIV 0.04 mg/kg/hr. The infusion rate was adjusted every 8 hours according to pain and/or symptoms of opioid toxicity. Pain assessment was by behavioral observation (BPS). In terms of results, the mean opioid dose (morphine equivalent) was similar in both groups (0.032 +/- 0.020 mg/kg/hr in phase A and 0.035 +/- 0.011 in phase B). However, the duration of severe pain was significantly shorter in phase B (0.9 +/- 1.0 days) than in phase A (2.0 +/- 1.8 days). No severe opioid toxicity was observed in either group. Oxygen did not shorten the duration of severe pain compared to the placebo group (0.94 +/- 1.08 and 0.95 +/- 1.19 days, respectively) nor did it prevent the appearance of new pain sites. Pharmacokinetic analysis was performed in 24 patients of phase B. Total body clearance (TBC) of morphine was greater in children before puberty than after (40.4 +/- 10 vs. 28 +/- 11 mL/kg/min; p < 0.05). In conclusion, in children with severe VOCs, continuous infusion of morphine provides better analgesia than intermittent opioid therapy. Fifty percent oxygen inhalation had no effect on the duration of pain."}
{"id": "PMID:1467167", "title": "Intravenous immunoglobulin prophylaxis in children with acute leukemia following exposure to varicella.", "content": "The high risk of varicella in immunocompromised children has been well documented. With the aim of diminishing this risk, attempts have been made to modify or prevent varicella by passive immunization. From September 1985 to March 1991, five children with leukemia, having a total of seven episodes of intimate exposure to varicella, received a single dose (200 mg/kg) of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) within 3 days of exposure. The patients included four children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia and one child with myelodysplastic syndrome in acute myeloblastic leukemic transformation. None of the five children developed varicella following IVIG infusion. No side effects were observed. IVIG appears to be an effective and safe alternative for preventing varicella in immunocompromised patients upon intimate exposure, when zoster immunoglobulin or varicella-zoster immunoglobulin is unavailable, as in Taiwan."}
{"id": "PMID:1467166", "title": "History of pediatric hematology and oncology in Finland: a brief review.", "content": "The history of Finnish pediatric hematology started in the late 1940s, but this field of pediatrics was not officially acknowledged before 1979. The Children's Hospital, University of Helsinki started hematological services in 1950 but at that time there was no position for a specialist--it was a \"spare time\" work until 1980 when a hematology/oncology ward was established led by a full time specialist. Since the late 1950s the pediatric department of the Aurora Hospital in Helsinki has made an important contribution to the development of Finnish pediatric hematology. The Blood Transfusion Service of the Finnish Red Cross has also played an important role in Finnish pediatric hematology. The remaining four University Hospitals have now established wards for pediatric Hematology/oncology."}
{"id": "PMID:1467169", "title": "Reevaluation of iron absorption and serum ferritin in beta-thalassemia intermedia.", "content": "In order to reassess the need for iron chelation therapy in nontransfused patients with beta-thalassemia intermedia, serum ferritin level and ferrous iron absorption from the gastrointestinal system were measured in 43 (23 male and 20 female) patients (mean age 13.4 +/- 7.5). The mean hemoglobin value was 8.6 +/- 1.3 g/dL and serum ferritin 303 +/- 207 ng/mL. Absorption of ferrous iron salt was determined in 21 patients by measuring serum iron before and 3 hours after giving ferrous salt orally at 1 mg/kg. The means of the increase in serum iron values were 39 +/- 45, 105 +/- 46, and 224 +/- 112 micrograms/dL in patients with beta-thalassemia intermedia, normal subjects, and patients with iron deficiency anemia respectively. Differences in the means in three groups were significant (p < 0.001). This study shows that iron absorption from the gastrointestinal system as ferrous salt is not accelerated in patients with beta-thalassemia intermedia. The serum ferritin level in these patients is not high enough to necessitate iron chelation therapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1467168", "title": "Second bone marrow transplantation in eight children.", "content": "Between 1985 and 1989, eight children underwent two successive bone marrow transplantations. The initial disease was chronic myelomonocytic leukemia in three patients, chronic myelocytic leukemia in two, acute M7 nonlymphoblastic leukemia in one, sickle cell anemia in one, and thalassemia major in one. The preparation in view of the second grafting included high-dose chemotherapy in all patients, associated with antithymocytic globulin transfusion and total nodal irradiation in three patients. Hematological recovery was similar after both graftings. Infectious complications were not more common following the second graft than after the first one. On the other hand, the rates of rejection and graft-versus-host disease were lower, probably due to a more intensive immunosuppressive therapy. The prognosis of chronic leukemia relapsing after a first graft does not seem to be improved by a second attempt."}
{"id": "PMID:1467177", "title": "Renal revascularization in high-risk patients: the role of iliac renal bypass.", "content": "Between 1984 and 1989, 29 iliac renal artery bypasses were performed in 29 patients (mean age 67.8 years) with severe renovascular disease due to atheroma. The indication for renal artery reconstruction was hypertension in all patients, which was associated with kidney failure in 16 cases. In six cases, reconstruction was performed after failure or complications of percutaneous transluminal angioplasty. The bypass was constructed with polytetrafluoroethylene in 24 cases (83%) and vein graft in five cases (17%). There was no postoperative mortality. All bypasses were found to be patent on duplex scanning or digital subtraction arteriograms. One patient was lost to follow-up. Mean follow-up was 23.2 months. One patient died of acute kidney failure, probably related to occlusion of the bypass. Hypertension improved in 22 cases (79%), was cured in two cases (7%), and remained unchanged in four (14%). Renal function remained unchanged in six cases (40%) and improved in nine (60%). Iliac-to-renal artery bypass seems to be the surgical renal revascularization modality best adapted to high-risk patients or those who have severe atheroma. Additionally, this technique enables rapid treatment of failures or complications of percutaneous transluminal angioplasty of the renal artery."}
{"id": "PMID:1467178", "title": "The evolution of carotid and coronary artery disease after operation for carotid stenosis.", "content": "We followed 278 consecutive patients undergoing carotid artery surgery between January 1985 and December 1989 using a computerized surveillance program file with automatic carotid and coronary artery follow-up investigations every six months. Combined postoperative neurologic mortality and morbidity was 1.7%. During the mean follow-up period of 30 months, 10 patients died, four due to myocardial infarction. Actuarial rates of survival and freedom from cerebral vascular accidents at 36 months were 94% and 95.8%, respectively. No fatalities due to cerebral vascular accidents occurred during follow-up. Eleven patients had myocardial infarction, an actuarial rate of 6% at 36 months; 18 patients experienced angina pectoris, while seven sustained silent electrical myocardial ischemia. Findings on myocardial angioscintiscans and coronary artery arteriograms led to four aortocoronary bypasses and seven percutaneous coronary artery dilatations. Duplex scanning documented three asymptomatic carotid restenoses of > or = 80%, which were operated upon, and 32 contralateral carotid artery stenoses ranging between 80% and 99%, 24 of which were asymptomatic. Twenty-eight patients underwent secondary contralateral carotid artery revascularization. No one with contralateral carotid artery stenosis < 80% experienced a carotid artery ischemic event. These results clearly show the value of cardiac and neurologic surveillance of patients operated on for carotid artery stenosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1467179", "title": "Aortic false aneurysms after prosthetic reconstruction of the infrarenal aorta.", "content": "False aneurysm of the infrarenal aorta was found at the site of proximal anastomosis in 13 patients after vascular reconstruction for lower limb arterial disease. The grafts involved were aortoprosthetic in one patient, aortobiiliac in two patients, and aortobifemoral in 10 patients. They had been implanted eight years prior to reoperation on the average (range six months to 15 years). False aneurysm was diagnosed because of abdominal pain in four cases, embolism in two cases, intestinal hemorrhage in one case, and during routine sonographic or computed tomographic (CT) scan surveillance in the six other cases. Femoral false aneurysm was associated in eight of 10 cases with femoral anastomoses. Aortic false aneurysms were repaired by interposition of a prosthetic tube between the infrarenal aorta and the original prosthetic graft in 11 cases and by changing the aortobifemoral graft in two cases. In one further case, repair was accomplished by implanting an aortobifemoral prosthetic graft laterally on a prosthetic tube interposed between the infrarenal aorta and the body of the original prosthetic graft, which continued to irrigate the internal iliac arteries. There was no mortality. Thrombosis of a prosthetic branch occurred in one case and was treated by thrombectomy. One patient underwent reoperation for intestinal obstruction. Two others had distal embolism responsible for toe necrosis. Anastomotic false aneurysms should be looked for routinely during the surveillance of prosthetic grafts implanted on the infrarenal aorta, especially when femoral false aneurysm is found. Preservation of pelvic vascularization must be an integral part of management."}
{"id": "PMID:1467170", "title": "Changing pattern of treatment policies invalidates the use of C-reactive protein level and hyponatremia as indicators of sepsis in children with malignancies.", "content": "We evaluated serum C-reactive protein (CRP) level and serum sodium concentration as early indicators of bacteremia in neutropenic children in two different series in 1983-1984 (49 bacteremias) and 1989-1990 (29 bacteremias). During the earlier period, the goal was to avoid unnecessary antimicrobial therapy. Currently a neutropenic patient is placed on antimicrobial therapy at the first sign of fever. In 1983-1984 the serum CRP concentration was elevated in every case, whereas in 1989-1990 it was normal in 34% cases (P = .0001). Hyponatremia was detected on admission in 84% and 52% cases (P = .0001). The urinary sodium concentration was elevated in most cases. The mortality in bacteremia was 22% in 1983-1984 compared to 3% (P = .025) in 1989-1990. Prompt initiation of empirical antimicrobial therapy in children with fever and neutropenia invalidates the use of hyponatremia and an elevated CRP level as early indicators of sepsis."}
{"id": "PMID:1467180", "title": "Late results of palmar arch bypass in the treatment of digital trophic disorders.", "content": "This study reports the late results of eight palmar bypass procedures performed between 1983 and 1988 in eight men patients with a mean age of 43 years old, who presented with unilateral digital trophic disorders. The origin of the arterial lesions was post-traumatic in four cases, embolic in three cases, and aneurysmal in one. The procedures performed included four radiopalmar bypasses, two ulnar-palmar bypasses, one distal radial bypass and one palmopalmar bypass. In all cases, the replacement conduit used was the superficial radial vein retrieved from the wrist. There were no complications observed in this short series. All fingers healed within three weeks' time after excision of necrotic lesions. During a mean follow-up of 66 months, two bypasses became thrombosed, leading to amputation of the distal phalanx of a thumb in one patient while the remaining six bypasses remained patent, three of them for more than seven years. In the presence of trophic changes of the fingers, palmar arch bypasses, whenever feasible, are more effective at long-term and less aggressive than the usually proposed thoracic sympathectomy."}
{"id": "PMID:1467181", "title": "Saphenous vein endothelium-dependent relaxation in patients with peripheral vascular disease.", "content": "In vitro vasomotor responses of saphenous veins of 15 patients undergoing peripheral vascular bypass procedures were studied. Vessels were harvested by standard techniques, sectioned into 4 mm rings, and suspended in organ baths under isometric tension. Stimulation with cumulative doses of norepinephrine revealed a -logED50 of 6.85 +/- 0.12 M and maximal tension of 8.64 +/- 1.77 g. Patient characteristics suggesting high maximal response (by univariate analysis) included male sex (male 11.69 +/- 2.49 g versus female 5.08 +/- 1.69 g; p = 0.058). Intact and denuded rings were additionally tested for endothelium-dependent relaxation following submaximal norepinephrine precontraction. The vessels relaxed in response to acetylcholine (maximal relaxation 31.1 +/- 10.7% at 1 x 10(-6) M), calcium ionophore A23187 (85.3 +/- 11.8% at 1 x 10(-5) M), and sodium nitroprusside (150.8 +/- 15.2% at 1 x 10(-5) M), but only acetylcholine relaxation was completely endothelium-dependent. Calcium ionophore A23187 relaxation was partially dependent on the endothelium while sodium nitroprusside relaxation was entirely endothelium-independent. Negligible relaxation was observed in response to adenosine diphosphate (ADP) (12.1 +/- 12.8% at 1 x 10(-5) M) while histamine and serotonin caused additional contraction only. We concluded that, in patients undergoing vascular surgical procedures, the saphenous vein (1) demonstrates variable contractile function which appears to be greater in males following spinal anesthesia, and (2) exhibits moderate endothelium-dependent relaxation in response to acetylcholine and calcium ionophore A23187 but not to ADP, histamine, or serotonin."}
{"id": "PMID:1467182", "title": "Increased intestinal permeability: implications for thoracoabdominal aneurysm repair.", "content": "Coagulopathy and massive bleeding plays a major role in the mortality of thoraco-abdominal aneurysm repair. Increasing supraceliac aortic cross-clamp time from 0 to 90 minutes increases the degree of disseminated intravascular coagulation, which occurs as a result of occlusion and reperfusion of the superior mesenteric artery. The purpose of this study was to investigate the mechanism of the superior mesenteric artery reperfusion disseminated intravascular coagulation. Twenty dogs were divided into four groups: cross-clamp time of 30 minutes; cross-clamp time of 60 minutes; cross-clamp time of 90 minutes; and control. Permeability was determined by lactulose/mannitol absorption. The venous effluent was sampled for endotoxin, potassium, bacteria, and pH every hour and urine was collected for six hours. Lactulose absorption was significantly higher in all of the experimental groups. There was increased permeability in the 60 and 90 minute groups which correlated significantly with time. Venous endotoxin, potassium, and blood cultures for bacteria did not change significantly. The pH was significantly lower every hour for six hours in the 90 minute group. These data suggest that intestinal permeability is increased with supraceliac aortic clamping and can be kept to a minimum for clamp times of under one hour."}
{"id": "PMID:1467183", "title": "Unilateral carotid stenosis and impaired cerebral hemispheric vascular reserve.", "content": "Single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) scanning with 99TcHMPAO (Ceretec) was used to demonstrate regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in sixteen patients with hemodynamically significant unilateral carotid stenosis. All patients were demonstrated by cerebral computed tomography to be without cerebral infarction. When dysautoregulation was induced by intravenous acetazolamide, eight patients demonstrated a perfusion defect ipsilateral to carotid stenosis. Repeat SPECT scanning with dysautoregulation following carotid endarterectomy showed improved or normal cerebral perfusion in seven of these patients. The results suggest that a hemodynamic mechanism for cerebral ischemic events, including transient ischemic attacks (TIA) may be more common than previously suspected. Carotid disobliteration usually improves ipsilateral cerebrovascular reserve in patients with a preoperative perfusion defect."}
{"id": "PMID:1467184", "title": "Hemodynamic effects of primary closure versus patch angioplasty of the carotid artery.", "content": "This study evaluated the hemodynamic changes associated with patch angioplasty compared to primary closure of the canine carotid artery. A standard arteriotomy was closed either primarily, with a 5x28 mm expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) patch, or with a 10x28 mm ePTFE patch. Measurements for the primary closure group showed a systolic pressure gradient of 17 mmHg across the closure and a peak systolic velocity increase of 58% at mid-closure compared to proximal inflows. Flow turbulence increased at mid-closure in the 10 mm patch group, with the percent spectral window lowered from 0.50 to 0.36. These data show that primary vessel closure creates a mild local stenosis with flow acceleration but no flow turbulence. No significant hemodynamic disturbances are caused by a moderate sized patch; however, a large patch relative to native vessel dimensions creates marked flow disturbances throughout the cardiac cycle. As turbulence and flow separation are felt to contribute to restenosis, care should be taken in the selection of patch size when used following carotid endarterectomy."}
{"id": "PMID:1467185", "title": "Lingual infarction: a review of the literature.", "content": "Lingual infarction, although a very rare entity has been reported in 16 cases since 1961. The goal of this article is to alert the physician to the symptoms of tongue claudication to prevent the morbid effects of tongue infarction and blindness due to cranial arteritis. A discussion of the disease and the differential diagnosis is included."}
{"id": "PMID:1467186", "title": "Surgical repair of a celiac axis aneurysm and renal oncocytoma: a single case report.", "content": "Visceral artery aneurysms are unusual lesions. However the frequency of diagnosis has increased in recent years as a result of increased utilization of arteriogram and computed tomographic (CT) scan. When diagnosed in conjunction with other syndromes, alternative treatment options can be utilized. The present case discusses a 67-year-old black male who presented with a right renal mass and celiac artery aneurysm. The renal mass was diagnosed as an oncocytoma. This unique anatomy enabled us to perform a right nephrectomy in conjunction with a celiac artery aneurysmectomy with primary anastomosis between the right renal artery and common hepatic artery. This case demonstrates our approach to an unusual problem."}
{"id": "PMID:1467187", "title": "Hypertension due to an aneurysm of the left renal artery in a patient with neurofibromatosis.", "content": "Arterial lesions in patients with neurofibromatosis are rarely described and in most cases are stenotic. The aneurysmal changes reported in the literature are usually characterized by multiple microaneurysms due to the dysplastic lesions of the artery. We report a case of a single aneurysm of the inferior hilar branch of the left renal artery of a young female with neurofibromatosis. The patient showed hypoperfusion of the renal pole fed by this branch and was hypertensive. The aneurysm had a diameter of 4 cm and showed the histological findings typical of dysplastic lesions of neurofibromatosis. The hypertension and the renal pole hypoperfusion recovered after surgical excision of the aneurysm and end-to-end anastomosis of the hilar branch stumps."}
{"id": "PMID:1467188", "title": "False aneurysm of the abdominal aorta due to Brucella suis.", "content": "A 48-year-old man presented with a fissured false aneurysms of the abdominal aorta due to Brucella suis. Clinical findings were lumbosciatic pain, fever, and sudation. Diagnosis was reached through abdominal computed tomographic (CT) scan and arteriograms. An extremely large false aneurysm, thrombosed and perforated posteriorly, was found in the infrarenal aorta. Semiurgent therapy consisted of resection of the aneurysm and prosthetic Dacron graft replacement associated with a transposed omental wrap. Antibiotic therapy was administered for three months. Although bacteriologic specimens were negative, brucellosis was diagnosed because of a positive Wright test and high Brucella antibodies in this patient originating from an endemic area. Six months after surgery he is apparently in good health."}
{"id": "PMID:1467189", "title": "Infective aneurysm of the popliteal artery due to Salmonella enteritidis.", "content": "Infected aneurysms of the popliteal artery are rare and Salmonella enteritidis infection in this site has not been previously reported. In the case reported herein, septic thrombophlebitis was found to be in contact with the aneurysm. Preoperative diagnosis was made through arteriography, computed tomographic (CT) scan, and positive blood cultures. The infected aneurysm was treated by resection without any reconstruction while phlebitis was treated by thrombectomy. Appropriate antibiotic therapy was administered. The patient made an uneventful recovery."}
{"id": "PMID:1467190", "title": "Enhanced surgical exposure for the high extracranial internal carotid artery.", "content": "The need for enhanced surgical exposure for the high extracranial (Zone III) internal carotid artery is not uncommon. In certain circumstances, the posterior border and angle of the mandible may interfere with access to the distal internal carotid artery (ICA). The use of modified mandibular osteotomies has provided vascular surgeons in our institution with improved exposure of the ICA in selected cases. The intraoral sagittal split and extraoral vertical ramus osteotomies of the mandible allow manipulation of the posterior border and angle of the mandible with low morbidity and minimal postoperative complications. These procedures can be performed for both dentate and edentulous patients without the need for intermaxillary fixation. This paper introduces these modifications and discusses the benefits over previously described methods of mandibular manipulation."}
{"id": "PMID:1467191", "title": "Endothelial cell seeding: a review.", "content": "The concept of endothelial cell seeding, designed to provide vascular grafts with a nonthrombogenic lining, has progressed from crude animal experiments during the past two decades to detailed in vitro functional studies using human cells. Although favorable results have been obtained in animal studies this has yet to be translated to humans, where current application of these techniques has been limited to a very few clinical trials. The history, current status and future directions are reviewed herein."}
{"id": "PMID:1467195", "title": "The impact of nausea and vomiting upon quality of life measures.", "content": "The measurement of quality of life in cancer patients has achieved prominence in recent years. This results from recognition of the limitations of available therapies and a clearer view of the goals of treatment in patients whose diseases may not be curable. Many different approaches to the measurement of quality of life have been proposed and these will be reviewed. In a recent survey of available methods, the Medical Research Council's Working Party on Quality of Life Measurement systematically analysed available instruments for measuring quality of life specifically in cancer patients and commented on a number of instruments of general purpose that may be used in oncology. It was concluded that no instrument is entirely satisfactory for all purposes and that available instruments have to be selected carefully for a particular study or a particular aspect of clinical practice. However, among the existing instruments, the Rotterdam Symptom Checklist for a general assessment of many facets of quality of life and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, for detecting psychosocial morbidity quickly and easily, were useful. In our own studies we have used a multiple linear analogue scale system to measure aspects of quality of life in breast cancer patients and have recently addressed the determinants of overall quality of life. Our studies identify the importance of evaluating the psychometric properties of measurement instruments in quality of life. Reliability and validity and the ability to discriminate changes with time and between clinically distinct groups have to be carefully assessed.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1467196", "title": "Neuropharmacology of emesis in relation to clinical response.", "content": "5-HT3 receptor antagonists such as ondansetron, granisetron, ICS205-930 and zacopride are highly effective in the ferret, cat or dog to prevent emesis caused by cisplatin and other chemotherapeutic agents, and radiation treatment. The anti-emetic effects may be mediated centrally in the area postrema and associated structures of the emetic reflex such as the nucleus tractus solitarius, which have a very high density of 5-HT3 receptors. Additional sites of action may be found on the 5-HT3 receptors located on the vagus nerve or enteric neuronal elements in the gastro-intestinal tract. The precise site(s) and mechanism(s) of action of different cytotoxic treatments to induce emesis remains to be determined, but appears to involve a common action on a 5-HT3 system. The 5-HT3 receptor antagonists do not impair normal behaviour and, in particular, fail to affect the extrapyramidal motor system and do not cause sedation. Of potential benefit, the 5-HT3 receptor antagonists have an anxiolytic profile of action in rodent and primate models. The 5-HT3 receptor antagonists are revealed as an important group of drugs to prevent emesis induced by a wide range of cytotoxic treatments."}
{"id": "PMID:1467197", "title": "Nausea and vomiting and cancer patients' quality of life: a discussion of Professor Selby's paper.", "content": "It is evident from the data presented above that nausea and vomiting are frequent side effects which are often persistent and distressing to patients. Evidence suggests, and intuitively it appears that avoidance of nausea and vomiting is important to the patients' ability to maintain their quality of life during the treatment period. It is of particular interest to note that in the literature reviewed in this paper standard antiemetic prescribing and practice were followed. It would, therefore, appear that available antiemetic agents are not always effective or may not be adequately employed. The toxicities associated with dopamine receptor antagonists, the current standard of antiemetic regimens, limit their usefulness in the clinical setting. In fact, the contribution of antiemetic therapy toxicities to the incidence of anxiety, fatigue, and restlessness which were commonly reported by patients in the studies reviewed should be considered. Additional effort to characterise the impact of nausea and vomiting on cancer patients' quality of life is needed. Clearly, the data available suggest that these symptoms should be included as part of the physical domain component of quality of life instruments used in cancer patients. Ideally, the instrument used should contain separate items for nausea and vomiting. Major side effects of antiemetic therapy should also be assessed since these may be as debilitating as the effects of nausea and vomiting. Increased awareness of total patient impact of emesis and antiemetic therapy will serve as an impetus for improvements in antiemetic therapy strategies and practices."}
{"id": "PMID:1467198", "title": "Antiemetic study design: desirable objectives, stratifications and analyses.", "content": "Once the optimal dose and safety of an antiemetic has been established a randomised double blind parallel subjects design is recommended for phase III studies. Randomisation distributes the unknown prognostic variables so that their effects can be allowed for in tests for statistical significance. Stratification can equally distribute the known prognostic factors e.g. prior exposure to chemotherapy, strength of the emetic stimulus, age, sex and prior alcohol consumption. A cross-over design is often proposed because less patients would be required to achieve the same power as a parallel subjects study. The major problem with this design is in being able to estimate and allow for carry over effects or treatment period interactions which can interact with each other and the direct treatment effect. The study must be large enough to detect a statistically significant difference of clinical importance. Interim analyses should be preplanned and early termination should require a difference between the arms with a more significant P value than 0.05. Simple evaluation of efficacy could include quantitation of objective parameters and use of simple ordinal scales to record more subjective phenomena. In a parallel subjects design patients must assess their overall tolerance of therapy which balances the antiemetic's efficacy and toxicity."}
{"id": "PMID:1467200", "title": "Methodology and assessment in clinical anti-emetic research: a meta-analysis of outcome parameters.", "content": "There have been major clinical advances in the control of chemotherapy-induced nausea and emesis. These advances were achieved partly by the introduction of new anti-emetic agents but important improvement came from the use of existing agents in ways developed from the results of studies based on new approaches and methods in anti-emetic research. By developing basic research tools, improving methodology and applying psychometrically sound assessments better management or chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting has been achieved. The goals of anti-emetic assessment are discussed here along with data and examples of assessment techniques for emesis and nausea. Examination of 153 separate anti-emetic studies between the years of 1975 and 1988 showed that emesis was the most common outcome measure used and that approximately 1 out of five studies measured some other type of outcome usually in the context of nausea and emesis. The frequency of outcome events was most commonly the dimension assessed. Examination of size of the effect of an anti-emetic regimen for these anti-emetic studies showed it to be independent of the type of outcome measured, but to be quite dependent on how the outcome was quantified. For instance, differences in the frequency or incidence of either nausea or emesis were generally larger than measurements made of the duration of either of these."}
{"id": "PMID:1467201", "title": "Autonomic changes during cancer chemotherapy induced nausea and emesis.", "content": "Certain autonomic variables have been shown to be responsive to motion induced nausea and vomiting. Here we report preliminary data on changes in heart rate, blood volume pulse, pallor and skin temperature assessed during a one hour period at baseline, a one hour period of peak nausea, and a one hour period of emesis in five female patients receiving identical cancer chemotherapy and antiemetic drugs according to a common protocol. Examination of coefficients of variation showed that heart rate and face temperature were more stable measures across each of the three time periods than blood volume pulse and pallor. Furthermore, the four measures were found to be more variable during times of emesis than times of nausea. The four measures were shown to be responsive to patient reported nausea and vomiting. Temperature and pallor showed a linear change from baseline to nausea to vomiting. Heart rate and blood volume pulse significantly decreased from baseline time during nausea and then significantly increased from a time of nausea to during emesis. Variations in the time course of each variable change during nausea supported a view that nausea may be more related to a rebound of parasympathetic activity than a slow decrease of sympathetic activity. Replication with larger samples is needed. Examination of the nausea and vomiting of pregnancy, general anaesthesia or different chemotherapeutic agents could help explore whether results reported here are singular or representative of a more generalisable autonomic response associated with patient reported nausea."}
{"id": "PMID:1467203", "title": "Behavioural factors influencing the development and expression of chemotherapy induced side effects.", "content": "Aversive side effects are commonly associated with potentially curative chemotherapy treatments. Despite the advances in the development and testing of antiemetic medication, nausea and vomiting remain prevalent and troublesome side effects of chemotherapy. Four studies (from 1978-1990) of 2,499 consecutive cancer patients being treated with a variety of chemotherapy agents showed that 62-72% were experiencing posttreatment nausea/vomiting despite the use of available antiemetic medication. In addition to occurring during, or up until days following, treatment with cytotoxic drugs, nausea and vomiting may begin to occur in anticipation of chemotherapy treatments. This phenomenon is called anticipatory nausea and vomiting (ANV) and it occurs in at least one in four patients. Randomised clinical trials have shown that antiemetic drugs do not control ANV once it has developed. No single clinical or patient variable has been found to be as significantly associated with the development of ANV as several in concert. We have examined the predictive value of eight clinical characteristics in a series of three clinical trials. The first of these trials was developmental; the other two have been longitudinal prospective trials. The eight clinical characteristics appear stronger in predicting those patients who will not subsequently develop ANV rather than those who will. Anxiety has been proposed as a mechanism in the development and expression of anticipatory side effects. Here we show an association (P < .05) between patient self-report of anxiety on the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and the Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90) assessed at the first chemotherapy treatment, and subsequent development of anticipatory side effects within the first five treatments.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1467204", "title": "Economic evaluation of ondansetron: preliminary analysis using clinical trial data prior to price setting.", "content": "This study combines secondary analysis of efficacy and side-effect data from a randomised controlled trial with estimates of resource use to evaluate the likely economic effects of the new antiemetic agent ondansetron. Costs, effects and cost-effectiveness of ondansetron in the prophylaxis of acute nausea and vomiting induced by chemotherapy are assessed relative to antiemetic therapy with metoclopramide. Superior efficacy of ondansetron is quantified both in terms of significant emesis avoided and emesis management costs avoided. A simple cost analysis, with the metoclopramide dosage priced at 10 pounds, indicates that therapy with ondansetron would give equivalent net treatment costs, at a price ratio (ondansetron/metoclopramide) of 2.3 to 1. If therapeutic success is defined as the avoidance of emesis and antiemetic side-effects, then the two therapies would be equally cost-effective at a drug price ratio of 5 to 1. We conclude that, (i) economic evaluation prior to price setting is feasible and informative; (ii) such models can indicate prospective data collection priorities."}
{"id": "PMID:1467206", "title": "Issues in the measurement of nausea.", "content": "Measurement of nausea is essential for the evaluation of efficacy of antiemetic treatment. Frequency, duration and intensity of nausea should be assessed in all trials. Three different methods: a discrete scale (DS), a visual analogue scale (VAS) and a continuous chromatic analogue scale (ACCS) of measuring nausea and four different dimensions maximal intensity, (MI); entity, (E); duration, (D) and quantity, (Q) were evaluated in 849 cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. A substantial agreement between the different scales was found and no advantage was shown for using an analogue (VAS) rather than a discrete (DS) scale. There was a trend towards increasing sensitivity in detecting differences as the dimension of nausea used encompassed wider aspects of this symptom (Q more sensitive than E more sensitive than MI)."}
{"id": "PMID:1467212", "title": "Mental health. Ethical standards and human rights.", "content": "In an earlier article in Nursing Standard (1), the author discussed the use of control and restraint techniques when dealing with violent or potentially violent situations. Here, he offers a nurse's perspective on the ethical and human rights issues which confront staff who are trying to cope with the challenging behaviours of their patients and who, as a last resort, may have to use physical restraint to prevent injury occurring. In intervening physically, nurses, he argues, must be aware of the legal and ethical boundaries of their practice."}
{"id": "PMID:1467211", "title": "Ensuring compliance with drug regimens.", "content": "This article explores the difficulties patients encounter in complying with prescribed drug regimens, and describes some of the compliance aids which are commonly available. A sensitive understanding of patients' individual difficulties by health care staff is an essential precursor to successful compliance behaviour."}
{"id": "PMID:1467214", "title": "Abortion: the nurse's responsibilities.", "content": "Previous Royal College of Nursing guidance in relation to nurses and abortion was issued in December 1980. Since then, there have been changes in the law and new drugs for use in the termination of pregnancy have become available. The RCN has received requests for guidance from nurses in relation to their legal and moral position in caring for women who are undergoing a termination of pregnancy."}
{"id": "PMID:1467226", "title": "Women, nursing and caring: the issues.", "content": "This is the first of three consecutive articles in Nursing Standard dealing with the issues affecting women in nursing. Articles two and three will focus on the specific problems faced by black and ethnic minority women, and on the future of nurse education in relation to recruitment and retention of nurses. This week, the general issues linking women, caring and nursing are examined, and some possible explanations of why so many women are found in nursing are offered."}
{"id": "PMID:1467227", "title": "Patient complaints: guidance for nurses.", "content": "In response to the debate at RCN Congress in 1990, the College has produced the following guidelines for good practice on handling complaints about care, treatment and services. These guidelines have been written to help nurses, midwives and health visitors to handle complaints in ways which are fair to patients and in which they feel confident. The principles are readily applicable to other disciplines and an effective complaints procedure can only be established on a multidisciplinary basis. They may be used and adapted to form local policies and should be considered in conjunction with the recommendations of the Association of Community Health Councils and government recommendations and proposals to improve patients' satisfaction and confidence in health care services."}
{"id": "PMID:1467229", "title": "Cystic fibrosis: managing nutrition.", "content": "A crucial part of the management of patients with cystic fibrosis is ensuring that dietary requirements are met, and therefore weight gain and growth are achieved. The author outlines the nutritional problems faced by this client group and suggests how they may be overcome. She argues that optimum nutrition contributes not only to an improved standard of health, but also to the overall quality of life of patients with cystic fibrosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1467230", "title": "Interpretation of a normal chest X-ray.", "content": "Thousands of chest X-rays are taken every day in hospitals throughout the county, but what indications suggest that a chest X-ray is 'normal'? This article, written by two radiologists, offers a step-by-step guide on how to interpret the normal chest X-ray, and will assist nurses in evaluating the significance of this common diagnostic test."}
{"id": "PMID:1467241", "title": "Pre-operative shaving in gynaecology.", "content": "The authors describe a small scale study conducted to examine the practice of pre-operative shaving in women undergoing gynaecological surgery. The results show that the practice of shaving was not uniform among the wards surveyed and that there were differences in the method used, area shaved and times at which the patient was shaved. Recommendations for practice are suggested."}
{"id": "PMID:1467245", "title": "Differing approaches to nursing care.", "content": "There are many different models and frameworks for the delivery of nursing care. While there is no single 'right' way of organising the nursing service, it is important that nurses understand the various theories and systems that exist."}
{"id": "PMID:1467244", "title": "Nursing people with psychosomatic illness.", "content": "Nursing and medical staff can feel frustrated in their attempts to help patients with problems of a psychosomatic nature. Lack of success can also compound the patient's problems, making the prospect of effective treatment even less likely. The author considers the assessment of such patients in hospital, and looks at short and long term nursing interventions as well as the therapeutic goals that can be appropriate."}
{"id": "PMID:1467253", "title": "A study of two \"quick-and-easy\" methods of assessing individual differences in student learning.", "content": "A study is reported which examined the reliability and validity of two measures of individual differences in learning, a short form of the Approaches to Studying Inventory (Entwistle and Ramsden, 1983) and the Learning Style Inventory (Kolb, 1976). Both of these are short and easy to administer, making them attractive for use in the classroom. The Approaches to Studying Inventory was found to be a potentially useful measure: the predicted factors emerged, the scales were moderately reliable and those students adopting a deep approach to learning were more likely to be successful in their exams. The Learning Style Inventory, on the other hand, was relatively unreliable and the underlying factor structure did not correspond to what was predicted; there was, however, a correlation between scores on the active/passive dimension and academic success. It is concluded that the short form of the Approaches to Studying Inventory has some potential in assessing the learning styles of students, but that further refinement is required before it is adopted for general use."}
{"id": "PMID:1467254", "title": "Some observations in the figure drawings of clumsy children.", "content": "This paper presents two exploratory studies of figure drawing by clumsy children. In the first, the drawings of 42 such children and controls, matched pairwise on chronological age and verbal IQ, were compared. Not only were the impaired children's drawings found to be generally delayed but there was also a suggestion that some fell further behind their peers as they got older. In a follow up study of a subset of the clumsy group it was found that increasing delay was indeed characteristic of some children, but others improved. In spite of improvement in some aspects of figure representation, however, the children's poor motor control persisted."}
{"id": "PMID:1467255", "title": "Re-examining repeated testing and teacher effects in a remedial mathematics course.", "content": "This study examined the impact of repeated testing and teachers' effects on student achievement in a remedial mathematics course. A 2 x 2 completely randomised factorial design was used, with final examination performance the dependent variable and testing attempts and the teacher factor the independent variables. The study found no main effects for teacher but a main effect for testing attempts and a teacher-factor/testing-attempt interaction. Post hoc findings qualified a direct interpretation of the main effect. The implications for further research and application are discussed, giving special attention to teacher effects, the needs of remedial mathematics instruction, and the claims of mastery-learning pedagogies."}
{"id": "PMID:1467256", "title": "Social and academic treatments in mixed-ethnic classes and change in student self-concept.", "content": "The efficacy of three pedagogical strategies for the enhancement of student academic and social self-concept in mixed-ethnic classes was examined among 594 Israeli children of varying status levels in their first year of junior high school. One treatment approach involved cooperative learning in small groups; a second approach employed a specially designed social relations programme; and the third approach presented the social relations programme and cooperative learning. A comparison group using traditional pedagogical approaches was also investigated. Status level was defined according to student sociometric standing and academic standing. Results indicated that low-achieving students of Middle Eastern background only in the comparison group sustained a significant negative change in their social and academic self-concepts. All three treatment strategies succeeded in curbing this decline. Findings were in the same direction when status was defined by sociometric standing. These results suggest that under proper pedagogical conditions minority children in mixed-ethnic classes need not suffer any decline in their self-concept."}
{"id": "PMID:1467257", "title": "Handwriting and spelling: dyslexic children's abilities compared with children of the same chronological age and younger children of the same spelling level.", "content": "Handwriting speed and spelling were examined in a group of 10-year-old dyslexic children compared with children of the same age and with younger children of the same spelling level. The children wrote lists of words onto a digitizer pad in three different condition: a dictation, copying from a sheet on the desk and copying from a wall chart. The words ranged in complexity from simple monosyllabic phoneme to grapheme words to words needing orthographic and morphological information and non-words. There were differences in writing speed between the 10-year-olds and 8-year-olds in most conditions. There were no significant differences in speed of writing or pausing between the dyslexic children and the 10-year-olds. There was a difference in the number of errors in the spelling of non-words, the dyslexic children being inferior to both the other groups. The only difference between the dyslexic children and the 8-year-olds was in speed of writing in copying from the desk and in writing complex words. The performance of the dyslexic group was more similar to that of the 8-year-olds in the dictation but to the 10-year-olds in the copying conditions. Independent judges had no difficulty in identifying the 10-year-olds' writing but confused that of the 8-year-olds with the dyslexic children's. It is proposed that the dyslexic children had automatised movement patterns linked to spelling equivalent to their same age peers but that these patterns were built on accumulated inaccuracies in both letter formation and spelling."}
{"id": "PMID:1467258", "title": "Season of birth and school attendance.", "content": "Previous research has shown that summer compared to autumn or spring born children have been found to do less well educationally, to be more likely to have their abilities underestimated and to be considered to have behaviour problems, but not to differ in terms of school attendance. That last result is refuted by the results of this study which is based on more than 5000 pupils in their last year of primary education and which reveals that: (a) after controlling for gender and size of family, the summer born have the poorest and the autumn born the highest attendance rates; and (b) in the case of pupils with attendance rates of 80 per cent or less, more of them are summer born and fewer, autumn born."}
{"id": "PMID:1467259", "title": "Special needs and the distribution of attainment in the National Curriculum.", "content": "The assessment model adopted by the British Government for the reporting of attainment on the National Curriculum at the ages of 7, 11, 14 and 16 is examined, with particular reference to the nature of the levels defined. The rate of increase of spread of attainment within the cohort over time is shown to be of critical importance, particularly with respect to low-attaining students. A technique for deriving estimates of rates of spread from the norms provided with standardised tests is presented, and the estimates are found to be greater than the estimates of rate of increase of spread used in the formulation of the National Curriculum. Implications with respect to the current legal framework are drawn."}
{"id": "PMID:1467260", "title": "Head injured children and education: a need for greater delineation and understanding.", "content": "There is continuing professional misunderstanding within education and psychology regarding the effects of head injury upon the immature brain. Children who sustain repeated mild, or single severe head injuries in falls, road accidents, or as victims of physical abuse, may look good but perform badly. There is no acceptable evidence that such children achieve a good or full recovery. Conclusions about good prognosis cannot be substantiated in the present state of inadequate assessment including the perpetual reliance on inadequate or inappropriate global estimates, such as IQ, or Glasgow Outcome scores. The basis of many problems for head injured children within education is the apparent failure to adequately delineate the variables of mechanism and severity of injury, age at insult and time since injury."}
{"id": "PMID:1467261", "title": "Some normative data on the Bender Gestalt test performance of Iranian children.", "content": "The Bender Gestalt test of visuomotor coordination was applied to a sample of Iranian children (N = 1,600) aged between 6.0 years and 10 years and 11 months attending grades 1 through 5 of 16 public primary schools in Shiraz city, southern Iran. The administration of the test and its scoring followed the standard procedures recommended by Koppitz. The reliability of the test in its new context was investigated through readministering it to a group of 60 children after four weeks, the r being .77. The validity of the test was established by comparing scores of children at different age levels and by correlating test results with marks obtained in two sets of examinations, results of Goodenough Harris Draw-A-Person Test and indices of parental education and occupation. The results are mostly in the expected direction and indicate that the Bender Gestalt test may be used as a simple measure of cognitive-intellectual development in Iran. Observed differences between Iranian norms and those of Koppitz (1963, 1975) for American children are briefly discussed and explained."}
{"id": "PMID:1467282", "title": "Increased urine neopterin levels in psoriasis.", "content": "The production of neopterin closely reflects activation of T-lymphocyte-mediated immunity. Oxidized and reduced forms of urine neopterin were measured by reversed-phase ion-pair high-performance liquid chromatography in patients with moderate to severe chronic plaque psoriasis (n = 40), and in a heterogeneous group of patients (n = 14) with cutaneous T-cell malignancies (CTCM). Results were compared with healthy non-psoriatic control subjects (n = 30). Neopterin levels were repeated after a course of ultraviolet B therapy (UVB) plus topical tar or dithranol, or photochemotherapy (PUVA), in 12 psoriatic patients. Fully oxidized urine neopterin levels and neopterin/creatinine ratios were significantly elevated in the psoriatic group compared with controls (P < 0.002, P < 0.05) but not in the CTCM group. Both neopterin and its creatinine ratio were significantly reduced by treatment (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). Psoriasis area and severity index scores (PASI) correlated strongly with urine neopterin levels (P < 0.001). These findings indicate that urine neopterin concentrations may be a marker of psoriatic disease activity, and further support the importance of activated T lymphocytes in the pathogenesis of psoriasis."}
{"id": "PMID:1467283", "title": "T lymphocytes bearing the gamma delta T-cell receptor: a study in normal human skin and pathological skin conditions.", "content": "The aims of this study were to investigate the presence of gamma delta T cells in normal human skin, and the possible role of these cells in cutaneous reactions. Twenty-eight samples of normal skin from various sites, and 52 biopsies from inflammatory and neoplastic skin conditions were investigated by immunohistochemical techniques. In normal human skin gamma delta T cells were infrequently seen in the epidermis and dermis. In the inflammatory and neoplastic dermatoses, gamma delta T cells were occasionally present, accounting for 0-5% of CD3+ cells in most of the biopsies examined. In one case of pityriasis lichenoides chronica and one case of lichen planus gamma delta T cells were found to be increased, accounting for 15% of the CD3+ cells in each case. Dermal gamma delta T cells were markedly increased in three of six cases of Langerhans cell histiocytosis, with up to 30% of dermal CD3+ cells showing positive staining to an anti-T-cell receptor gamma delta monoclonal antibody. In two of these cases gamma delta T cells were seen in both the dermis and the epidermis. In two further cases dermal gamma delta T cells were not a prominent feature, but small clusters of epidermal gamma delta T cells were observed. T cells bearing the gamma delta T-cell receptor are thus not a major feature of normal human epidermis, unlike the murine system, where the great majority of epidermal lymphocytes express the gamma delta T-cell receptor.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1467284", "title": "Aberrant expression of p53 tumour-suppressor protein in non-melanoma skin cancer.", "content": "Expression of the cellular p53 tumour-suppressor protein was examined in 78 epidermal tumours, including basal and squamous cell carcinomas, keratoacanthomas, solar keratoses, Bowen's disease and viral warts. An immunohistochemical study was employed using the antibody CM-1, raised against recombinant human p53 protein. Positive staining for p53, not detectable in normal cells because wild-type p53 is rapidly degraded, reflects abnormal stabilization of p53 protein, and in many cases suggests p53 gene mutation. p53 immunoreactivity was not observed in normal skin or in viral warts. In contrast, positive staining for CM-1 was seen throughout the tumour in the majority of basal and squamous cell carcinomas and in Bowen's disease. Immunoreactivity to p53 was also observed in the majority of keratoacanthomas and solar keratoses, but was confirmed to areas of dysplastic basal epithelium. This study demonstrates that accumulation of p53 protein, suggestive in many cases of p53 gene mutation and hence loss of tumour-suppressor function, may occur as an important early step in the development of diverse epidermal cancers."}
{"id": "PMID:1467285", "title": "Functional assessment of the stratum corneum under the influence of oral aromatic retinoid (etretinate) in guinea-pigs and humans. Comparison with topical retinoic acid treatment.", "content": "Clinically we have noted that the skin of patients treated with long-term oral etretinate becomes uniformly soft and smooth to touch, like facial skin that becomes smoother and less wrinkled following treatment with topical tretinoin. This suggests that retinoids, whether used systemically or topically, alter the physical properties of the skin, particularly of the stratum corneum (SC). To study the influence of retinoids on the SC, we serially assessed the functional properties of the SC non-invasively in retinoid-treated humans and experimental animals. SC hydration and barrier function were assessed by measurement of high-frequency conductance and transepidermal water loss (TEWL), respectively. Daily application of topical retinoic acid creams was found to rapidly induce a time- and dose-dependent, linear increase in SC hydration of the forearm skin of healthy adults over a 2-week period and to compromise its water barrier function in a similar fashion. Systemic administration of high-dosage etretinate, 4 or 8 mg/kg/day, to guinea-pigs also induced dose-dependent increases in both SC hydration and TEWL measured on the plantar skin after 1 month. Moreover, in the animals given etretinate 4 mg/kg/day we confirmed a slight but significant decrease in the number of cell layers of the plantar SC. Likewise, patients with various dermatoses began to show similar functional changes of the SC in the uninvolved skin of the flexor surface of the forearms 3 weeks after the start of oral etretinate treatment, consisting of 50 mg daily for 2 weeks, followed by gradual dose tapering.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1467286", "title": "Humoral responses to Malassezia furfur serovars A, B and C in normal individuals of various ages.", "content": "A transferable solid-phase (TSP) ELISA was developed for the determination of antibody titres specific to Malassezia furfur serovars A, B and C in human sera. A survey of levels of class-specific antibodies (IgM, IgG and IgA) to M. furfur serovars A, B and C in relation to age (2-64 years; 60 individuals) demonstrated that individuals had immunity to M. furfur by the age of 2-3 years. There was no difference in either IgM or IgG levels into adulthood. The only age-related differences were lower IgM titres to the three serovars in the 60-64 year age-group compared with younger individuals. There was, however, a difference between titres of antibody specific to the three serovars. The mean reciprocal log2 IgM titre to serovar A (6.9) was significantly higher (P < 0.05) than that to serovar B (mean reciprocal log2 titre of 5.8), but not to serovar C (6.1). In contrast, the mean reciprocal log2 IgG titre to serovar A (6.5) was significantly lower (P < 0.05) than those to serovars B and C (mean reciprocal log2 titre of 8.9 in both cases)."}
{"id": "PMID:1467287", "title": "Variation in the deposition of the antibodies at different anatomical sites in linear IgA disease of adults and chronic bullous disease of childhood.", "content": "The diagnosis of linear IgA disease of adults (LAD) and chronic bullous disease of childhood (CBDC) relies upon finding a linear band of IgA at the basement membrane zone on direct immunofluorescence. This study examines the regional variation in antigen expression in the skin of affected individuals. Direct immunofluorescence was performed on biopsies from four different sites in 17 patients with these diseases. In two patients a biopsy from the volar surface of the forearm was negative, but other sites were positive; in the remaining patients there was no variation in antibody expression with site. It is therefore recommended that, if a single diagnostic biopsy is to be taken, the volar surface of the forearm is avoided."}
{"id": "PMID:1467288", "title": "Information leaflets in the dermatology out-patient waiting area.", "content": "Patients' attitudes to the supply and quality of information provided about their condition were examined by questionnaire before (n = 852) and after exposure to an information leaflet campaign (n = 560) in the dermatology out-patient waiting area. A high expectation of this service was demonstrated, particularly from patients under 60 years of age with chronic diseases. A variety of information sources, other than doctors, were identified which could be improved (video-systems, specialist nurses, leaflets, posters). The campaign significantly increased the percentage of patients who derived information from the leaflet source (5.6-18.8%, P < 0.001) and it reduced a demand for leaflets (16.4-9.1%, P < 0.001). However, the campaign did not alter patients' perceived need to spend more time with a dermatologist. In order to achieve a greater impact on patient satisfaction, a combination of information sources in the out-patient department should be targeted at young adults with chronic diseases."}
{"id": "PMID:1467289", "title": "Contact hypersensitivity to topical corticosteroids.", "content": "Topical corticosteroids are increasingly recognized as relatively common contact sensitizers. Between July 1988 and December 1991 2687 patients undergoing routine patch testing were also tested with tixocortol pivalate (TP). Over the same time period 528 patients were selected for testing with a series of 18 steroids. One-hundred and thirty-one cases (4.9%) of corticosteroid hypersensitivity were detected and 119 (90.8%) of these cases were positive to TP. Thirty-seven patients reacted to one or more steroids in the steroid series, the most frequent sensitizers being hydrocortisone, budesonide (3.6%) and hydrocortisone 17-butyrate (2.5%). Of these 37 cases, 20 (54%) reacted to more than one steroid simultaneously, but the patterns of cross-reaction were not consistent with previously suggested groupings. Screening for steroid allergy should be performed as part of standard patch testing. The value of TP as a marker of corticosteroid hypersensitivity is reinforced by this study, but no satisfactory marker was found for the 9.2% of cases not detected by TP. There remains a need for further markers of corticosteroid hypersensitivity. A prevalence of 4.9% of corticosteroid allergy amongst our patients suggests that the frequency of this finding is generally underestimated."}
{"id": "PMID:1467290", "title": "Sustained renal function loss in psoriasis patients after withdrawal of low-dose cyclosporin therapy.", "content": "Eight patients with psoriasis received low-dose cyclosporin (CyA) treatment for an average period of 12 months (range 4-16 months). There was great variability in minimal effective CyA dose. In 50% of the patients long-term treatment was limited by dose reductions necessitated by side-effects. A considerable impairment of renal function during CyA therapy was found. Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and effective renal plasma flow (ERPF) were measured with 125I-iothalamate and 131I-hippuran, respectively. Both at the end of the active treatment period (GFR-CyA and ERPF-CyA), and 4 months after withdrawal of CyA (GFR-4mo and ERPF-4mo), there was sustained renal impairment: GFR-BL = 97 (64-117), GFR-CyA reduction 17.8% (2.2-31.9%) [P < 0.02], GFR-4mo reduction = 9.8% (5.5-21.5%) ml/min/1.73 m2 (P < 0.05 vs. BL); ERPF-BL = 401 (232-607), ERPF-CyA reduction = 10.1% (7.4-27.3%) [P < 0.05], ERPF-4mo reduction = 13.5% (3.0-32.9%) ml/min/1.73 m2 (P < 0.02). Further studies of the effects on renal function during, and after, long-term therapy of psoriasis with low-dose CyA are warranted."}
{"id": "PMID:1467291", "title": "Treatment of psoriasis with a 311-nm UVB lamp.", "content": "In a left-right comparative study, the Philips TL-01 sunlamp, a new UVB fluorescent lamp, was evaluated in 15 patients with symmetrical psoriasis. One half of the body was treated in a cabin containing TL-01 lamps, and the other half in a cabin containing TL-12 lamps. The patients were treated three times/week, and the study was conducted in a randomized, double-blind fashion. The percentage response of psoriatic lesions was determined on the tenth and twentieth exposures. The therapeutic effect of the TL-01 lamps was superior to that of the TL-12 lamps, and treatment was better tolerated, particularly with regard to episodes of burning. This new lamp appears to provide more effective and safer phototherapy for psoriasis."}
{"id": "PMID:1467292", "title": "Treatment of cutaneous lupus erythematosus with acitretin and hydroxychloroquine.", "content": "A randomized, double-blind, multicentre study was performed to compare the efficacy of acitretin (50 mg/day) with hydroxychloroquine (400 mg/day) in 28 and 30 patients, respectively, suffering from cutaneous lupus erythematosus (LE). The study was carried out over an 8-week period. Improvement of facial LE lesions after treatment with acitretin and hydroxychloroquine was assessed using several clinical parameters. In the acitretin group there was marked improvement or clearing of erythema in 10/24 patients (42%), of infiltration in 15/24 (63%) and of scaling/hyperkeratosis in 12/20 (60%). In the hydroxychloroquine group there was complete clearing or marked improvement of erythema in 17/25 patients (68%), of infiltration in 17/25 (68%) and of scaling/hyperkeratosis in 15/23 (65%). Overall improvement occurred in 13/28 patients (46%) treated with acitretin and in 15/30 patients (50%) with hydroxychloroquine. The incidence of side-effects was higher in the acitretin group, and necessitated discontinuation of treatment in four patients. The present results demonstrate that both acitretin and hydroxychloroquine provide effective treatment in approximately 50% of cases of cutaneous LE."}
{"id": "PMID:1467293", "title": "Coexistent cutaneous T-cell lymphoma and B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukaemia.", "content": "Three patients with cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) are reported who had concurrent B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (B-CLL). The separate lineage and clonal nature of the individual lymphoid malignancies were confirmed by gene-rearrangement analysis. The chronology of the illnesses did not support the hypothesis that CTCL predisposes to the development of B-cell proliferative disorders. There was no clear association with immunosuppressive therapy, and HTLV-1 studies were negative in all patients. Consequently, we speculate that a lymphoid stem cell defect, which may lead to the development of either aberrant B- or T-cell clones, may be responsible for such cases of dual lymphoid neoplasia."}
{"id": "PMID:1467294", "title": "Oral etoposide in the treatment of cutaneous large-cell lymphomas. A preliminary report of four cases.", "content": "The favourable results of oral etoposide as single-agent therapy in four patients with a cutaneous lymphoma other than mycosis fungoides are reported. In all cases other chemotherapeutic options were limited because of prior chemotherapy or the age of the patients. Therapy with etoposide resulted in an initial complete remission in all patients, and was associated with minimal side-effects."}
{"id": "PMID:1467295", "title": "Recurrent neutrophilic eccrine hidradenitis.", "content": "Neutrophilic eccrine hidradenitis (NEH) is a neutrophilic dermatosis primarily affecting the eccrine glands, and most commonly seen in patients undergoing chemotherapy for treatment of a malignancy. Rapid diagnosis may avert unnecessary changes in therapy to treat conditions which clinically mimic NEH. We describe a patient who developed NEH on three separate occasions provoked by two different chemotherapeutic agents--cytarabine and mitoxantrone. The lesions were morphologically distinct and differed in their anatomical distribution during each episode. The response to intravenous corticosteroids was dramatic, but lesions recurred after their withdrawal. This case illustrates the potential diversity of clinical lesions in a single patient with NEH, and its response to systemically administered corticosteroids."}
{"id": "PMID:1467296", "title": "Erythropoietic protoporphyria, transfusion therapy and liver disease.", "content": "A 28-year-old man who had suffered from erythropoietic protoporphyria since infancy was referred because of worsening photosensitivity. Conventional therapy with beta-carotene, terfenadine and topical sunscreens was ineffective or not tolerated, and he was treated with transfusions of washed packed cells. Unexpectedly, his photosensitivity deteriorated further, his whole blood protoporphyrin levels doubled and he developed abnormal liver function tests. This is the first report of such an adverse response to blood transfusion therapy for erythropoietic protoporphyria and may have been related to subclinical hepatitis or the increased iron load associated with blood transfusion."}
{"id": "PMID:1467297", "title": "A case of Sweet's syndrome and myelodysplasia: response to cyclosporin.", "content": "A case of severe Sweet's syndrome associated with myelodysplasia is reported. The skin lesions responded to high doses of systemic steroids, but recurred rapidly on dose reduction. Treatment with a low dose of cyclosporin resulted in sustained clearance of the skin lesions, and was associated with a stable haemoglobin level, without the need for further blood transfusions."}
{"id": "PMID:1467298", "title": "Neurofibromatosis of the vulva.", "content": "Neurofibromatosis can be very variable in its expression. A case of neurofibromatosis presenting with vulval lesions is described."}
{"id": "PMID:1467305", "title": "Developmentally regulated expression of a mitogen-activated protein kinase in Xenopus laevis.", "content": "Mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases are activated in somatic cells in response to many extracellular stimuli and in oocytes during meiotic maturation. We have examined the tissue specificity of expression of a MAP kinase (Xp42) in adult and larval Xenopus laevis. MAP kinase RNA and protein were abundant in the nervous system and lymphoid tissues and were readily detected in most other organs. A remarkably high level of RNA was detected in ovary. Fractionation of oocytes showed that MAP kinase RNA is expressed at the highest level in small oocytes, suggesting that it is a maternal RNA that is stored for early embryogenesis. The levels of MAP kinase RNA and protein did not change from the time of fertilization through to late blastula. The results are consistent with functions for MAP kinases in signal transduction in embryonic as well as adult cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1467306", "title": "Platelet-derived growth factor potentiates phorbol ester-induced neuronal differentiation of human neuroblastoma cells.", "content": "Previous studies have shown that platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) and PDGF receptors are expressed in the mammalian central nervous system and that primary cultured neuroblasts from rat hindbrain have functional PDGF beta-receptors. Here, it is shown that cultured human neuroblastoma cells express PDGF alpha- and beta-receptors, but not PDGF-A and PDGF-B chain mRNA. In contrast to alpha-receptor expression, beta-receptor expression appears to be associated with a mature neuronal phenotype. Under serum-free growth conditions, PDGF-AA and -BB induce a trophic and weak mitogenic response in SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells, showing that the PDGF receptors in these cells are functional. In combination with 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate, all three PDGF isoforms induce sympathetic neuronal differentiation of the SH-SY5Y cells, as shown by morphology and by increased expression of the genes coding for growth-associated protein 43 and neuropeptide tyrosine, respectively. This indicates a potential role for PDGF in the development of sympathetic neurons in particular and of the nervous system in general."}
{"id": "PMID:1467307", "title": "The gene for the rat heat-shock cognate, hsc70, can suppress oncogene-mediated transformation.", "content": "In cells transformed by mutant mouse p53 plus ras, the former protein is found to be complexed with the heat-shock protein cognate hsc70. To determine whether hsc70 can directly affect neoplastic transformation, nonestablished rat embryo fibroblasts (REF) were transfected with rat genomic hsc70 DNA in conjunction with various oncogenes. We report here that the hsc70 gene could efficiently suppress focus induction by mutant p53 plus ras, as well as by myc plus ras. No inhibitory effect of hsc70 was detectable in assays monitoring the ability of REF to be immortalized by mutant p53, arguing against a nonspecific deleterious effect of the hsc70 genomic clone on REF survival and proliferation. Lines generated in the presence of the hsc70 plasmid produced augmented levels of hsc70. Plasmids encoding only short NH2-terminal fragments of hsc70 could also, in some cases, partially reduce oncogene-mediated focus formation. However, a maximal inhibitory effect required the production of a functional hsc70 protein. The data presented here raise the possibility that hsc70 may be directly involved in the modulation of oncogene-mediated transformation."}
{"id": "PMID:1467308", "title": "Staurosporine overrides checkpoints for mitotic onset in BHK cells.", "content": "Under normal conditions, mammalian cells will not initiate mitosis in the presence of either unreplicated or damaged DNA. We report here that staurosporine, a tumor promoter and potent protein kinase inhibitor, can uncouple mitosis from the completion of DNA replication and override DNA damage-induced G2 delay. Syrian hamster (BHK) fibroblasts that were arrested in S phase underwent premature mitosis at concentrations as low as 1 ng/ml, with maximum activity seen at 50 ng/ml. Histone H1 kinase activity was increased to approximately one-half the level found in normal mitotic cells. Inhibition of protein synthesis during staurosporine treatment blocked premature mitosis and suppressed the increase in histone H1 kinase activity. In asynchronously growing cells, staurosporine transiently increased the mitotic index and histone H1 kinase activity but did not induce S phase cells to undergo premature mitosis, indicating a requirement for S phase arrest. Staurosporine also bypassed the cell cycle checkpoint that prevents the onset of mitosis in the presence of damaged DNA. The delay in mitotic onset resulting from gamma radiation was reduced when irradiation was followed immediately by exposure to 50 ng/ml of staurosporine. These findings indicate that inhibition of protein phosphorylation by staurosporine can override two important checkpoints for the initiation of mitosis in BHK cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1467309", "title": "Effect of epidermal growth factor/transforming growth factor alpha and transforming growth factor beta 1 on growth in vitro of rat urinary bladder carcinoma cells.", "content": "The response to growth factor stimulation was evaluated in clonally derived rat bladder carcinoma cell lines, ranging from nontumorigenic to tumorigenic and metastatic, in athymic nude mice. In the nontumorigenic cell line D44c, epidermal growth factor (EGF)/transforming growth factor (TGF) alpha weakly stimulated anchorage-dependent, but not -independent, growth. In tumorigenic/nonmetastatic cells (G1-200 Cl-17), EGF/TGF-alpha stimulated markedly anchorage-independent, but marginally anchorage-dependent growth, whereas TGF-beta 1 inhibited anchorage-independent growth and DNA synthesis. In the highly tumorigenic/metastatic cell line LMC19, EGF/TGF-alpha stimulated anchorage-dependent growth weakly and anchorage-independent growth strongly. In these cells, TGF-beta 1 did not inhibit anchorage-independent growth and DNA synthesis but increased the size of colonies irrespective of the presence of EGF, and some cells were scattered around colonies in soft agar. None of the cell lines showed evidence of TGF-alpha-specific mRNA transcription. Expression of TGF-beta 1 mRNA increased in parallel to the biological aggressiveness of the cell lines. Highly tumorigenic and metastatic cells also demonstrated gelatinase activity involving 72 kilodalton and 92 kilodalton types. Our data suggest that the growth-stimulatory effect of EGF/TGF-alpha in soft agar may be limited to cells that are already tumorigenic and that EGF/TGF-alpha is not effective in making nontumorigenic cells become tumorigenic (or in making nontumorigenic cells grow in soft agar).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1467310", "title": "Ca(2+)-regulated serine protease associated with the nuclear scaffold.", "content": "The nuclear scaffold (NS) is a proteinaceous network of orthogonally arrayed intermediate filament proteins, termed lamins, which is responsible for nuclear structure. Recent work has demonstrated that a subset of lamins A/C is proteolytically cleaved to produce an ATP-binding protein. This proteolytic cleavage is accomplished by a NS protease activity, which shows a considerable selectivity for lamins A/C and is stringently regulated by Ca2+ in vitro, suggesting that it might also participate in control of NS breakdown in various scenarios. Here, we identify the major NS protease as a novel serine protease with a predominantly chymotryptic-like substrate preference, and we show that even transient perturbations in cytosolic Ca2+ have significant effects on the NS protease activity. This NS protease activity shows extensive similarities to the multicatalytic proteinase complex. In addition to a potential role in control of NS breakdown at mitosis and/or under pathological conditions, this NS protease is also strategically located for other functions, such as inactivation of various oncogenic proteins or maturation-promoting factor."}
{"id": "PMID:1467311", "title": "Germ-line splicing mutation of the p53 gene in a cancer-prone family.", "content": "Li-Fraumeni syndrome is a rare autosomal dominant susceptibility to a variety of cancers including carcinomas of the breast and the adrenal cortex, tumors of brain and muscle tissue, and leukemias. Affected individuals develop cancer at a young age and often at multiple primary sites. A study has been conducted into the genetic basis of cancer in a particular Li-Fraumeni syndrome family. Examination of p53 as a candidate susceptibility gene revealed that, in two affected individuals, there was an aberrant larger transcript of 3.6 kilobases present in both tumor and constitutional material in addition to the normal-sized 2.8-kilobase transcript. The additional transcript was not found in three unaffected family members. S1 nuclease mapping localized the insertion toward the 5' end of the p53 transcript near exons 4 and 5, and sequencing revealed a point mutation in the splice donor site of intron 4 in the germ-line of the two affected individuals, which accounted for the presence of the larger transcript. The same splicing mutation was also detected in two obligate carriers and was not found in two unaffected individuals. As no mutations were detected in exons 5-8 in either tumor examined, the second p53 allele was most likely lost during tumorigenesis in both tumors. The demonstration of a germ-line splicing mutation in affected individuals from a Li-Fraumeni syndrome family provides for a novel mechanism of p53 inactivation not seen previously in other affected families, in whom the mutations have all been missense.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1467312", "title": "Differential effects of phorbol esters on proliferation and calcyclin expression in human endometrial carcinoma cells.", "content": "Calcyclin is a member of the S-100 family of calcium-binding proteins, whose expression is enhanced when quiescent cells are exposed to mitogenic signals. The function of calcyclin is unknown, but it is thought to be involved in modulating the intracellular calcium concentration following mitogenic stimuli. Since activation of protein kinase C (PKC) also occurs following stimulation of quiescent cells by a variety of mitogens, we have investigated the relationship between calcyclin expression and PKC activation in three human endometrial adenocarcinoma cell lines. The addition of 10(-7) M 4 beta-phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) to HEC-50 and HEC-1B cell cultures resulted in a change in cell morphology, an inhibition of proliferation, an increase in calcyclin transcription rate, and an increase in calcyclin mRNA and calcyclin protein levels. In contrast, PMA had no effect on cell morphology or cell proliferation in the Ishikawa adenocarcinoma cell line but enhanced calcyclin expression. Another bioactive phorbol ester had the same effect, whereas the calcium ionophore A23187 and the non-phorbol-ester-type tumor promoter thapsigargin had no effect on calcyclin expression. The effect of PMA on calcyclin expression was blocked by the simultaneous addition of the PKC inhibitor staurosporine and by protein synthesis inhibition with cycloheximide. RNase protection assays and primer extension analysis demonstrated that PMA enhanced transcription from all three of the previously identified transcription start sites in the calcyclin gene. These data clearly demonstrate a dissociation between calcyclin expression and cellular proliferation and suggest that the enhanced calcyclin expression which is seen in quiescent cells following mitogenic stimuli may result from activation of the PKC system."}
{"id": "PMID:1467313", "title": "Erosive gastritis and portal hypertension.", "content": "There is conflicting evidence concerning the effects of portal hypertension on the gastric mucosa. This paper summarises the histological and haemodynamic alterations which are present in both human and experimental portal hypertension. Despite the fact that histological studies suggests that the gastric mucosa is an oedematous plethoric structure in portal hypertension, haemodynamic studies show that gastric mucosal blood glow is at least maintained if not increased in portal hypertension. The term \"active\" rather than \"passive\" congestion is a more appropriate description of the basic change present in the gastric mucosa in portal hypertension."}
{"id": "PMID:1467314", "title": "Primary bile duct stones and bacterial activity.", "content": "The results of this study suggest that infection with beta-glucuronidase active bacteria is the initial event in the nucleation of primary bile duct stones (PBDS). PBDS from five patients were morphologically fragile and \"earthy\" with alternating light and dark brown pigment layers with no evidence of a distinct central nucleus that may have been reminiscent of a different structure. Chemically, calcium bilirubinate and calcium palmitate were prominent throughout their structure. All bile duct biles had a positive culture and were always associated with at least one bacterial species which was beta-glucuronidase active. Moreover, fragments of PBDS nuclear areas had positive cultures that were comparable with those present in their individual bile duct bile. Microscopic examination of bile showed abundant precipitation of calcium bilirubinate granules in all samples. Thus, bile duct bile infection with beta-glucuronidase active bacteria (e.g. E. coli, C. perfringens) appears to be a key factor in PBDS pathogenesis, having a precursor role, rather than being a consequence. Bile stasis is likely to be a co-factor which must have a supportive role in subsequent stone growth."}
{"id": "PMID:1467315", "title": "Standard surgical approaches to primary choledocholithiasis--definitive versus temporary decompression.", "content": "The occurrence of retained/recurrent calculi after primary CBDE followed by temporary T-tube decompression, have remained at rates varying from 5.4% to 20.9% over the last 10 years in spite of sophisticated pre and intraoperative imaging techniques. It is postulated that a functional obstruction, due to dysmotility of the SO, lies behind most stone-containing ducts. Thus it seems logical to us that a permanent \"fenestration\" should be the management of most such ducts. We prospectively followed-up, for one to 10 years, two groups of patients submitted to primary CBDE aiming to assess the short and long-term results of two different surgical approaches to duct lithiasis. In one (Group A) 162 CBDE's were performed, out of 680 CHE's (24%), with a \"positivity\" of 68% and in the other (Group B) 80 CBDE's, out of 438 CHE's (18%), with a \"positivity\" of 70%. In Group A a T-tube decompression was used in 79(49%) and a definitive drainage in 83(51%) whereas in Group B the T-tube was employed in only 3(4%) and some form of permanent \"fenestration\" in 77(96%). There were no significant differences between the operative mortality rates, which were 2.5% in Group A (1 death post T-tube, 3 post CDJ) and 1.3% in Group B (1 death post CDD). The long-term results, though, were significantly worse among patients of Group A whose ducts were temporarily decompressed: 10/79 (12.7%) required further aggressive interventional therapy for retained/recurrent stones while only 3.8% (3/80) in Group A and 1.3% (1/76) in Group B required revisional surgery for bilio-digestive anastomotic complications with cholangitis. It is concluded that it is against the long-term efficiency of the approach utilized in Group B that the new laparoscopic techniques should be compared."}
{"id": "PMID:1467316", "title": "Left-sided hepatectomy with a linear stapling device: an experimental study on pigs.", "content": "Thirteen pigs underwent resection of the left liver lobe. By random selection, the animals were resected either with the aid of an RLG 90R linear stapling device or by the conventional finger-fracture technique. There was one postoperative death due to anaesthetic complications. The median operative time using the stapler was 27 min (range 19-40 min) which was significantly shorter (p = 0.0065) than that required for resection by the finger-fracture technique (42.5 min; range 37-55 min). The median blood loss, estimated by counting the number of gauze swabs used, was 425 ml and 275 ml for the finger-fracture resected and stapler resected groups, respectively (ranges 275-550 ml versus 175-300 ml; p = 0.015). The animals were sacrificed and examined one week after the operative procedure. Except for a small bile pseudo-cyst in one pig operated upon with conventional resection, no sign of bleeding or biliary leakage was revealed. This study demonstrates the feasibility of stapling the liver to facilitate resection."}
{"id": "PMID:1467317", "title": "Diagnosis and surgical treatment of hepatic hydatid disease.", "content": "In this report two hundred and twenty six patients with hydatid disease were admitted to the Surgical Department of Erciyes University (Kayseri) and Si\u015fli Etfal Hospital (Istanbul) between 1978 and 1990 and reviewed retrospectively. One hundred and two patients (45.1%) were male and 124 (54.9%) female. In the patients with hydatid cysts the most frequent symptom was right upper abdominal pain (66%). The most frequent signs were hepatomegaly (43.8%) and palpable mass (39%). One hundred and sixty seven patients (73.9%) were examined with ultrasonography which has a diagnostic value of 94%. Preoperative complications were infection of cyst (7%), intrabiliary rupture (3.5%) and anaphylactic shock (0.4%). All patients were operated on by using various surgical techniques; omentoplasty (101), external drainage of residual cavity (64), marsupialization (25), capitonnage (15), introflexion (10), pericystectomy (6), and hepatic resection (5). The main postoperative complications were wound infection (12%) and biliary fistula (2.6%). The total mortality rate was 1.8% in this series."}
{"id": "PMID:1467319", "title": "A comparison of SMS 201-995 and oesophageal tamponade in the control of acute variceal haemorrhage.", "content": "Forty endoscopically proven active variceal bleeds were entered in a prospective trial comparing oesophageal tamponade with SMS 201-995 infusion. Oesophageal tamponade controlled 19 of 20 bleeds over the first four hours and 14 of 18 bleeds over 48 hours. SMS 201-995 infusion controlled 18 of 20 bleeds over the first four hours and 10 of 20 bleeds over 48 hours (p = 0.15). No significant differences between the groups were seen in time to control of bleeding, amount of blood transfused or number of patients crossed over to the opposite treatment. Complications in the oesophageal tamponade group were discomfort due to the tube (17 patients) and chest infection (10 patients), while in the SMS 201-995 group 7 chest infections and one episode of hyperglycaemia occurred, with no symptomatic complaints. The patient survived the admission in 15 of the oesophageal tamponade bleeds and all of the SMS 201-995 bleeds (p = 0.047). An intravenous infusion of SMS 201-995 appears to have comparable efficacy to oesophageal tamponade in variceal bleeding."}
{"id": "PMID:1467320", "title": "[Cell fine structures observed by scanning electron microscopy].", "content": "The scanning electron microscope (SEM) provides vivid seemingly three dimensional images which are easier to understand for us than transmission electron microscopic images. For this point of view scanning electron microscopy is advantageous in morphological researches of cell fine structures. Nevertheless, there were few studies in this field, because SEM had much lower resolution than transmission electron microscope (TEM) and because there was no adequate method to reveal intracellular structures. In recent years, however, the resolution of SEM has been markedly improved and the specimen preparation techniques have also advanced. In this paper, some of our preparation technique for revealing cell surface structures or intracellular structures, in particular, osmium-DMSO-osmium method, and the results observed by these methods were described. 1) Nucleus. The nucleus was wrapped with a nuclear envelope that consisted of two membranes enclosing a narrow space. On the surface of the envelope many nuclear pores were observed. 2) Endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Rough ER consisted of flattened cisternae, arranged in parallel. The surface were studded with many ribosomes which were often arranged spirally to form polysomes. Smooth ER consisted of tubules. 3) Golgi complex. a) The Golgi stacks were all linked by anastomosing. b) Connection between Golgi stacks and rough ER was often observed. c) Cisternae in a Golgi stack were connected each other. 4) Mitochondria. The mitochondrion was bounded by 2 sheets of unit membrane and the inner membrane projected into the interior of the organelles to make mitochondrial cristae."}
{"id": "PMID:1467321", "title": "Use of human leukocyte antigen-mismatched allogeneic lymphokine-activated killer cells and interleukin-2 in the adoptive immunotherapy of patients with malignancies.", "content": "Clinical effects and side effects were investigated in the adoptive immunotherapy of patients bearing malignant diseases using human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-mismatched allogeneic lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cells. Allogeneic LAK cells were induced from peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) of healthy donors with the same blood types as those of patients. Recently we succeeded in increasing the proliferation rate and enhancing the cytotoxic activity of LAK cells by means of initial stimulation with pokeweed mitogen (PWM, PWM-LAK cells). Five of 12 patients applied in the adoptive immunotherapy showed clinical effects such as partial or complete regression of pulmonary metastases and pleural effusion. All pulmonary metastatic lesions were eliminated in one case by this adoptive immunotherapy combined with chemotherapy. Toxic effects were chillness, fever and general fatigue which were reversible, and no allergic side effects occurred even though allogeneic LAK cells were injected frequently. In the patients who received more than 10(11) of allogeneic LAK cells, anti-HLA class I antibodies appeared without any evidence of autoantibody. However, immunological side effects were never experienced after injection of allogeneic LAK cells even when the anti-HLA class I antibodies existed in the patients; this phenomenon suggests the safety of the adoptive immunotherapy using allogeneic LAK cells. Taken together, allogeneic LAK cells could be considered as alternative therapy for patients with malignancies who could not supply sufficient materials of autologous LAK cells. Recently, LAK cells, particularly PWM-LAK cells were found to obtain significantly potent and prompt lectin-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (LDCC). All tumor cells confluent in microtest plate well could be annihilated by PWM-LAK cells plus PWM less than 8 hours. New immunotherapy using PWM-LAK cells or lectin-stimulated LAK cells with PWM or other lectins is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1467322", "title": "[Augmentation of therapeutic effect of adoptive immunotherapy through a synergy between transferred killer cells and host's fresh lymphocytes].", "content": "Among several approaches to augment the therapeutic effect of adoptive immunotherapy, we focused the antitumor synergy between transferred killer cells and host's fresh lymphocytes. Immunotherapy models using murine tumors or clinical experiments revealed that preadministration of immunostimulator such as OK-432, followed by chemotherapeutic agents such as cyclophosphamide, can induce host's non-cytotoxic fresh lymphocytes that act synergistically with cultured killer cells against autologous tumor cells. Immuno-chemo-lymphocytotherapy (a sequential treatment with OK-432, chemotherapy and adoptive immunotherapy) is useful to treat the patients with advanced cancer even if the number of transferred lymphocytes is limited."}
{"id": "PMID:1467323", "title": "[Expansion of peripheral blood lymphocytes by culture with immobilized anti-CD3 antibody and IL-2].", "content": "Peripheral blood lymphocytes separated from about 20ml of blood were cultured with immobilized anti-CD3 antibody and IL-2. Total T lymphocytes in the culture expanded about 2,000 times by 2 weeks culture. Expanded T lymphocytes were infused to cancer patients, and safety and feasibility was confirmed. This method will be applicable for prevention of cancer recurrence."}
{"id": "PMID:1467324", "title": "[Development of specific immunotherapy for cancer].", "content": "We developed CTL therapy against cancer as an cancer specific immunotherapy. The primary CTL therapy showed certain efficacy on advanced cancer patients. However, when ratio of monocyte population in peripheral blood lymphoid cells (PBL) of advanced cancer patients increases more than that of CD8+ T cell population, so that CD8+ T cell/M3 ratio is less than 1, CTL directed to cancer cannot be induced in PBL and the primary CTL therapy is not materialized for these patients. Monocyte-macrophages in these patients release a suppressive factor(s) capable of inhibiting CTL induction and proliferation at induction phase but not inhibiting cytotoxic activity in target cell lysis at effector phase. Furthermore, these monocytes expressed strong message of TGF beta. If most of increased monocytes of PBL from advanced cancer patients are removed by a nylon wool column method from the PBL, CTL directed to cancer cells can be induced even in PBL of advanced cancer patients with high frequency, this improved CTL therapy against cancer showed remarkable efficacy as the cancer specific immunotherapy in various advanced cancer patients without any side effects."}
{"id": "PMID:1467325", "title": "[Adoptive immunotherapy using immobilized anti-CD3 mAb-activated autologous lymphocytes: the strong cytotoxicity was supported by CD16+ cells which proliferated in prolonged cultures].", "content": "Inflammatory cytokines are able to facilitate the homing of transferred lymphocytes, tumor cell lysis through induction of adhesion molecules, also able to reduce tumor cell susceptibility to LAK cells by increasing tumor cell class I antigen. Investigation with 12 cell lines suggested that promotion of lysis by ICAM-1 was more responsible than protection by (allogeneic) class I Ags (Fig. 1). PBMC were cultured in anti-CD3 coated flasks with rIL-2. CD3+ cells dominated until day 7, decreased thereafter with CD4+. CD8+ and CD16+ increased (Fig. 2). Strong cytotoxicity obtained in some cultures correlated well with CD16+, contributing exclusively among several variables to the activity estimation in multiple regression analysis (Fig. 4). Among 6 cases, in which 2 or more cycles of transfer was done, 1 was prophylaxis of recurrence, in 2 of 3 advanced metastasis cases in which cells were transferred as BRM in the course of chemotherapy, survival of half a year was obtained in good QOL with suppressed disease and adequate level of PBL number. In 2 other cases, inflammation eliciting local treatments were combined. In the case 4, three large liver metastasis from colon cancer which resisted topical ethanol injection and chemotherapy, responded to the transfer with reduced lesions to 1/8 (Fig. 8). In the case 5, abdominal metastasis from colon cancer were removed, liver metastasis were injected of ethanol, and cells were transferred. Responses were obtained to immunotherapy in a certain degree, while never to any chemotherapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1467326", "title": "[Establishment of EGF, EGF-R and FN-R positive human adenocarcinoma cell line (GAC-1)].", "content": "A human adenocarcinoma cell line designated as GAC-1, was established from ascites of the 56-year old male patient with rapidly progressive gastric cancer. The doubling time was about 18.5 hours in vitro, and cell cycle analysis using flow cytometry showed marked increase of S phase (46.1%). Immunohistochemical demonstration of GAC-1 cells revealed positive staining of TGF-alpha, EGF, EGF-R, FN-R, laminin and negative staining of fibronectin. Histogram of them indicated aneuploidy with modal number 57 and they formed tumors in nude mice."}
{"id": "PMID:1467327", "title": "[Development of an experimental model for spontaneous lymph node metastasis of human esophageal carcinoma in nude mice--histopathological analysis].", "content": "Three human squamous cell carcinoma cell lines (HPL-EsC-1-K, -S, and -M) originated from a male patient with esophageal carcinoma were established and were studied on their tumorigenic and metastatic properties in nude mice. All cell lines grew in the hind foot pads following subcutaneous inoculation and produced popliteal lymph node metastasis dose (2-8 x 10(6)/mouse)-dependently. Based on the histopathological findings on serial sections of the lymph nodes, the stages of lymph node invasion by cancer cells were classified into 4 stages (St. 0-III). The time course of lymph node metastasis of EsC-K cells were examined. Advanced stage of metastasis increased according to the time elapsed after tumor cell inoculation. Incidence of metastasis of EsC-K cells were not affected by host factors such as sex differences, anti-asialo GM1 antibody treatment on the hosts. Today, there are few experimental models for studies on spontaneous lymph node metastasis of human carcinomas. This experimental model provides a useful research tool for studies on the biology and therapy for lymph node metastasis of esophageal cancer."}
{"id": "PMID:1467328", "title": "[Establishment and characterization of a human squamous cell carcinoma cell line LK-52 which produce direct activator of coagulant factor X].", "content": "Uterus origin squamous cell carcinoma cell line LK-52 was established from surgical specimen of lung metastatic nodule. LK-52 produce poorly differentiated squamous carcinoma in nude mouse, and doubling time in vitro was 38 hours. Chromosome analysis show various abnormality and main mode number was 67 and 68. LK-52 shed active procoagulant substance into culture medium. The culture medium of LK-52 shortening recalcification time of normal human plasma and factor VII or factor IX deficient plasma but not factor X deficient plasma. Procoagulant activity of LK-52 product may induced with direct activation of coagulant factor X. Procoagulant activity which produced by cancer cell may play a important roll in the unbalanced haemostasis of cancer patient."}
{"id": "PMID:1467329", "title": "[Use of 2-mercaptoethanol in cell culture].", "content": "Survival and growth in in vitro cultivation of lymphocytes, lymphoma cells and some other cells including human carcinomas are profoundly improved by 2-mercaptoethanol. These cells hardly take up cystine, an essential nutrient in the culture medium, but in the presence of 2-mercaptoethanol they can utilize cystine. Recently it has been found that 2-mercaptoethanol is effective in the in vitro cultivation of pathogenic trypanosomes and in the in vitro development of bovine embryos. The mechanisms by which 2-mercaptoethanol improves the survival and growth of these cells are described."}
{"id": "PMID:1467330", "title": "Automated site-directed drug design: a method for the generation of general three-dimensional molecular graphs.", "content": "A new algorithm for creating diverse, irregular and physically reasonable three-dimensional linear atomic chains is described. The linear chains of atoms, or molecular graphs, are generated by solving a series of trigonometric equations within geometric constraints for a given set of atom types. The nature and number of the chains that are produced can be controlled by changing the palette of atom types, so that a chemist user could generate template suggestions that are synthetically relevant to a drug design project. Testing has shown that the method is sufficiently robust to be used in a general context. The molecular graphs could serve as useful structural templates for joining up regions in an active site where a ligand might interact strongly with the receptor. This paper is concerned with the description and proof of the methodology. The approach will form part of a larger structural tool kit for helping chemists to design novel ligands for a specified site."}
{"id": "PMID:1467331", "title": "Automation of conformational analysis and other molecular modeling calculations.", "content": "A software system has been developed for facilitating modeling calculations on large numbers of molecules. Using the system, it is possible to subject one or more molecules to a series of calculations, each requiring use of a different computer program. No user intervention is required: where necessary, output from one program is used automatically as input to the next. Names are assigned to output files automatically and in a systematic manner. As an example, the system can be used to perform a succession of calculations aimed at identifying the major low-energy conformers of each of a set of molecules, starting only from their chemical connectivities. The reliability of the results has been tested by calculations on 40 molecules taken from the Cambridge Structural Database. The observed crystal structure geometry could be found for the majority of these molecules."}
{"id": "PMID:1467332", "title": "Object Command Language: a formalism to build molecular models and to analyze structural parameters in macromolecules, with applications to nucleic acids.", "content": "We have written a programming language OCL (Object Command Language) to solve, in a general way, two recurring problems that arise during the construction of molecular models and during the geometrical characterization of macromolecules: how to move precisely and reproducibly any part of a molecular model in any user-defined local reference axes; and how to calculate standard or user-defined structural parameters that characterize the complex geometries of any macromolecule. OCL endows the user with three main capabilities: the definition of subsets of the macromolecule, called objects in OCL, with a formalism from elementary set theory or lexical analysis; the definition of sequences of elementary geometrical operations, called procedures in OCL, enabling one to build arbitrary three-dimensional (3D) orthonormal reference frames, to be associated with previously defined objects; and the transmission of these definitions to programs that allow one to display, to modify and to analyze interactively the molecular structure, or to programs that perform energy minimizations or molecular dynamics. Several applications to nucleic acids are presented."}
{"id": "PMID:1467333", "title": "Finding and filling protein cavities using cellular logic operations.", "content": "A method for solid-filling protein cavities is presented. The method uses a pattern-recognition technique based on cellular logic operations to distinguish between convex and concave regions of a protein. In doing this it solid fills protein cavities and automatically defines a boundary between cavity and exterior free space. The operations used to fill the cavities also can be used to process the filler to filter out small-scale features. So far the main use of the method has been in visualizing protein active sites for docking. The method can be used to find cavities of a given size range and could be used to find novel protein binding sites."}
{"id": "PMID:1467334", "title": "FOCUS: a program for analyzing molecular dynamics simulations, featuring digital signal-processing techniques.", "content": "FOCUS is a program for analyzing molecular dynamics simulations. It enables the researcher to monitor structural and energetic properties during the trajectory, and to calculate the corresponding statistical averages, correlation functions and Fourier transforms. In addition to these conventional methods, the program also utilizes novel methods based on digital signal-processing techniques to characterize the various motions. The characteristic frequencies in the system are revealed by the frequency distribution function g(v), which is calculated from the Fourier transform of the atomic coordinates. A filtering technique is employed to remove uninteresting motion (e.g., high-frequency bond stretching) while retaining and focusing on important motion (e.g., low-frequency conformational motion). The filtering technique enables fast display of slow events without getting a blurry or jittery picture due to the high-frequency motions. Another new way for analyzing the motion is by extracting \"characteristic modes\" and associated frequencies. This yields a pictorial description of the oscillatory motions in a manner analogous to normal mode analysis."}
{"id": "PMID:1467335", "title": "XELE--a polypeptide model-building program for a graphics workstation.", "content": "A model-building program, XELE, for use in protein crystallography has been written in C under UNIX on a graphics workstation. This program makes full use of the X Window system to display the electron density distribution and to manipulate the polypeptide model, and therefore is named XELE. It utilizes a fast three-dimensional rendering package, Dor\u00e8, and is portable to other types of graphics workstations. A part of the program for the man-machine interface uses the library of X Window and X Toolkit, and therefore is highly interactive. The structure analysis program package, PROTEIN, is also implemented in an interactive mode using X Window, and has been interfaced with XELE."}
{"id": "PMID:1467336", "title": "Improving data acquisition parameters of 31P in vivo spectra for signal analysis in the time domain.", "content": "To obtain reliable NMR quantitation, experimental cautions concerning data acquisition must be taken when using automatic predictive calculations. For this study, 2000 31P in vitro and in vivo spectra were processed, using the enhancement procedure with linear prediction using singular value decomposition (EPLPSVD) method, and analyzed. The effects of quadrature detection modes (simultaneous or sequential), of the number of time-domain samples used are investigated and experimental conditions such as sample motions and spectral width are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1467337", "title": "Lanthanide complexes of aminophosphonates as shift reagents for 7Li and 23Na NMR studies in biological systems.", "content": "A systematic NMR characterization of various Dy(III) complexes of linear and macrocyclic aminophosphonates as 7Li and 23Na NMR shift reagents for biological systems was undertaken. Their efficacy as shift reagents (SR) was tested under constant aqueous solution ionic strength conditions at pH 7.5 as a function of rho = [SR]/[M+]. Further characterization of the two best SRs, Dy(PcPcP)2(7-) and Dy(DOTP)5-, led to the conclusion that, although quite sensitive to solution pH and the presence of alkali metal ions and Mg2+ and Ca2+, these complexes were stable towards hydrolysis by phosphatases. The lack of precipitation of its solutions in the presence of Ca2+, allowed the choice of Dy(DOTP)5- as the best overall SR for biological studies. Other SRs, like Dy(TTHA)3-, although less sensitive to pH and to divalent ions, require significantly higher concentrations to yield the same shifts, leading to large bulk susceptibility artifacts in perfused tissues and organs."}
{"id": "PMID:1467338", "title": "Magnetic resonance spectroscopy: a powerful tool for drug metabolism studies.", "content": "Studies on the metabolism and disposition of drugs using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) as the analytical technique are reviewed. An overview of the main studies classed in terms of the observed magnetic nucleus (1H, 2H, 7Li, 13C, 19F, 31P, 77Se) is followed by some typical examples of the way in which 19F and 31P MRS can be profitably employed to gain more understanding about the metabolism and disposition of the anticancer fluoropyrimidines (5-fluorouracil (FU) and its prodrugs) and ifosfamide (IF). The results of three recent studies carried out in our laboratory are developed. They concern the direct quantitative monitoring of the hepatic metabolism of FU in the isolated perfused mouse liver, the elucidation of the origin of the cardiotoxicity of FU and the metabolism of IF from an analysis of biofluids of patients. Finally, the advantages and limitations of MRS for investigations on drug metabolism are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1467339", "title": "High resolution NMR spectroscopy of physiological fluids: from metabolism to physiology.", "content": "High resolution NMR spectroscopy of physiological fluids provides quantitative, qualitative and dynamic information on the metabolic status of the interstitial and plasma compartments under a variety of pathophysiological conditions. The simultaneous detection and quantitation by NMR spectroscopy of numerous compounds of the intermediary metabolism offers a new insight in the understanding of the milieu int\u00e9rieur. NMR spectroscopy of physiological fluids offers a unique way to define and monitor the global metabolic homeostasis in humans. The development of this analytical approach is still limited by the scarcity of pluridisciplinary teams able to fully exploit the wealth of information present on the NMR spectrum of a fluid. While application in pharmacology and toxicology is already established, the main areas of current development are cancer, hereditary metabolic disorders, organ transplantation and neurological diseases."}
{"id": "PMID:1467340", "title": "Accurate estimation of inter-atomic distances in large proteins by NMR.", "content": "Recently a method was proposed which permits the extraction of the exact interatomic distance information from the measurement of the evolution of a single cross-peak relative to the mixing time in a NOESY experiment. This is performed through a careful multi-exponential analysis allowing the extraction of the relaxation parameter, and, consequently, the inter-proton distance. We investigate in the present paper whether this technique, already evaluated theoretically, can be used in a real experimental case. We have recorded and analyzed a set of 56 NOESY experiments on a lysozyme sample. Some 81 nOe build-up curves obtained from these data were analyzed in terms of distance. It is shown that the correlation between the measured distances and the reference distances obtained from crystallographic studies, is quite good. An accuracy of the order of 10% is obtained."}
{"id": "PMID:1467341", "title": "Modelling the dynamics of an antigenic peptide using NMR relaxation data.", "content": "The internal dynamics of a cyclic peptide which was designed to mimic an antigenic loop of the haemagglutinin, is studied through heteronuclear relaxation along the 13C alpha-1H alpha vectors and through homonuclear relaxation along the 1H alpha-1HN and 1H beta-1H beta' vectors. Order parameters are extracted from the longitudinal and cross-relaxation data. Molecular dynamics simulations are performed and the order parameters are calculated in different ways from the trajectories. The simulation, which is performed in vacuo, gives smaller order parameters (vector motions of larger amplitude) than the experimental results. However, the general features of the experimental order parameters are reproduced by the molecular dynamics simulation. The flexibility of the molecule can then be investigated from the results of the molecular dynamics. It shows that the mobility observed through the order parameters is due to motions in flanking regions, remote from the observed vectors."}
{"id": "PMID:1467348", "title": "[Discovery of carnosine and anserine. Some of their properties].", "content": "The history of discovery of carnosine and anserine is reviewed with special reference to the structure and distribution of the dipeptides in various tissues during ontogenesis. The state of the dipeptides in muscle cells, their metabolism and role in muscle activity are considered. The properties of carnosine and anserine phosphoric esters are described, and their putative role in mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation is discussed. The membranotropic activity of carnosine and anserine is demonstrated."}
{"id": "PMID:1467342", "title": "Progress in multidimensional NMR investigations of peptide and protein 3-D structures in solution. From structure to functional aspects.", "content": "2-D and 3-D NMR techniques were used to investigate the conformations in solution of several peptides and proteins for which crystalline structures are not available yet. Insect defensin A is a small (40 aa) antibiotic protein exhibiting a characteristic 'loop-helix-beta-sheet' structure. A striking analogy was found with charybdotoxin, a scorpion toxin in which a CSH (cysteine stabilized alpha-helix) motif is also present. Wheat phospholipid transfer protein (PLTP) (90 aa) has a 3-D structure resulting from the packing of four helices and of a C-terminal less well-defined fragment. Preliminary results show that PLTP forms a complex with lyso-PC and that such an interaction results in a conformational change affecting principally the C-terminal half of the protein. A last example is given with surfactin, a lipopeptide biosurfactant from bacterial origin. Its protonated form shows a very compact structure in which the two acidic residues located on the top of a 'horse saddle' topology face each other, whereas the ionized form could adopt a more extended conformation. A common property of these compounds is their capacity to interact with lipids. The present structural data open the way for a further establishment of structure-activity relationships."}
{"id": "PMID:1467343", "title": "NMR characterization of a diamagnetic model of unliganded alpha chains from human hemoglobin.", "content": "This paper reports the reconstitution and spectroscopic characterization of a complex between alpha globin from human adult hemoglobin and protoporphyrin IX-Zn(II). Optical and proton one-dimensional (1-D) NMR spectra indicate that the prosthetic group binds in a 1:1 stoichiometry to the apoglobin in a single conformation. Using 2-D proton NMR techniques we assigned resonances corresponding to the majority of porphyrin substituents and to several side chains of amino acids in contact with the porphyrin. Analysis of nuclear Overhauser enhancement interactions between identified protons indicated that the complex contains only one rotation isomer of the prosthetic group. The diamagnetic Zn(II) ion is coordinated to the proximal histidine (His87) and does not bind O2 or CO as a sixth ligand. The ring current effects on protons from the distal valine (Val62) are considerably higher than in the liganded form providing strong evidence for a more compact ligand binding pocket relative to the carbon monoxy state. Therefore, protoporphyrin-Zn(II)/alpha globin complex is a suitable diamagnetic model for unliganded alpha chains and will be used for structure determination by NMR and modeling methods."}
{"id": "PMID:1467349", "title": "[The place of carnosine among physiologically active peptides].", "content": "The results of analysis of EROP-Moscow data base concerning structural and functional peculiarities of endogenous regulatory oligopeptides are reviewed in relation to carnosine, the first endogenous peptide bioregulator. The dipeptide fragment ala-his is widely distributed in natural systems, in particular in various representatives of living organisms. The main structural peculiarity of carnosine is its elongated \"filamentous\" structure with a positively charged N-terminus and a cyclic radical characteristic of large physiologically active oligopeptides. The relatedness of carnosine to other oligopeptides also becomes apparent during the analysis of its role in various regulatory systems of the body."}
{"id": "PMID:1467350", "title": "[Carnosine: biological role and prospects for use in medicine].", "content": "The biological role of the histidine-containing dipeptide carnosine (beta-alanyl-L-histidine) has been reviewed. The properties and putative biological role of the dipeptide in vertebrate tissues are considered. The antioxidative activity of carnosine and related compounds is described. The author's conception of the membranoprotective effect of carnosine on cells, tissues, and whole organism has been formulated. The properties of carnosine as an antistressory radioprotective agent are discussed. The data presented suggest that carnosine is a perspective immunomodulating tool which has many applications in medicine."}
{"id": "PMID:1467345", "title": "The inhibition of bovine heart hexokinase by 2-deoxy-D-glucose-6-phosphate: characterization by 31P NMR and metabolic implications.", "content": "The glucose analog, 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2DG), has been used widely for studying the initial steps in the metabolism of glucose by radio-isotope tracer methods and by 31P NMR. In the rat heart perfused with acetate/2DG (both 5 mM) plus insulin, trapping of phosphorus by 2-deoxy-D-glucose-6-phosphate (2DG6P) results in a steady state exhibiting high 2DG6P (55 mM) and low ATP concentrations but near-normal function, as observed in an earlier 31P NMR study. In order to understand how the 2DG6P concentration is stabilized, we studied the inhibition of a mammalian hexokinase by 2DG6P in vitro by a 31P NMR technique. Inhibition, previously unobserved, was found. It is similar to inhibition by G6P in that it is competitive with ATP and not competitive with 2DG, but the inhibition constant (1.4 mM) is much larger. The experimental protocol includes provisions for enzymatic destruction of stray inhibitors such as G6P. The results show that the high 2DG6P and low ATP concentrations found in the steady state of the perfused heart should strongly reduce the rate of phosphorylation of sugars by hexokinase."}
{"id": "PMID:1467344", "title": "NMR studies of interactions between inhibitors and porcine pancreatic phospholipase A2.", "content": "Two-dimensional NMR studies were performed on the complexes of porcine pancreatic phospholipase A2, bound to a micellar lipid-water interface of fully deuterated dodecylphosphocholine, with competitive inhibitors derived from the following general structure: [formula: see text] X and Y are alkyl chains with various 'reporter groups'. The interactions between the inhibitor and the enzyme were localized by comparison of 2-D nuclear Overhauser effect spectra using protonated and selectively deuterated inhibitors, and inhibitors with groups having easily identifiable chemical shifts. These experiments led us to the following conclusions for the phospholipase A2/inhibitor/micelle complex: i) the His48 C2 ring proton is in close proximity to both the amide proton and the methylene protons at the sn-1 position of the glycerol skeleton of the inhibitor, ii) the acyl chain of the inhibitor at the sn-2 position makes hydrophobic contacts near Phe5, Ile9, Phe22 and Phe106; iii) no interactions between the acyl chain at the sn-1 position and the protein could be identified. Comparison of our results on the enzyme/inhibitor/micelle ternary complex with the crystal structure of the enzyme-inhibitor complex shows that the mode of inhibitor binding is similar. However, in several cases we found indications that the hydrophobic chains of the inhibitors can have multiple conformations."}
{"id": "PMID:1467351", "title": "[Carnosine and anserine as specialized pH-buffers--hydrogen ion carriers].", "content": "Data are reviewed that carnosine (pK 6.9) and anserine (pK 7.1) act as specific mobile pH buffers promoting a rapid elimination of pH gradients between different parts of muscle fibers (very large cells containing various structural components, such as actomyosin, Z-discs, mitochondrial and sarcoplasmic reticulum, etc.). The specific role of these muscle dipeptides as pH buffers (H(+)-translocators) provides explanation for the so-called \"Severin phenomenon\"-a manyfold enhancement by carnosine of the ability of the isolated muscle to contract and accumulate lactate."}
{"id": "PMID:1467352", "title": "[Carnosine and anserine in working muscles--study using proton NMR spectroscopy].", "content": "NMR spectroscopy was used to study carnosine and anserine metabolism in rat tissues under intensive muscle loading. Muscle loading was accompanied by the dipeptide (predominantly anserine) accumulation in muscle tissues. Preliminary per os administration of carnosine (250 mg/kg of body mass) did not increase the dipeptide content in muscle tissues but diminished the lactate content in rat muscles under intensive muscle loading."}
{"id": "PMID:1467346", "title": "13C NMR studies of bacterial fermentations.", "content": "We describe the experimental methods used and the constraints that apply in studies of anaerobic cell metabolism by 13C NMR. We review some of the results of our recent work in this area. Clostridium neopropionicum was shown to ferment ethanol into propionate by the acrylate, non-randomizing pathway. The same metabolic route accounts for 50% of the propionate formed in the complex ecosystem that inhabits the pig's large intestine. The rest is formed via the randomizing succinate pathway. Reductive, hydrogenotrophic acetogenesis was studied in several ecosystems. Although it is usually overshadowed by methanogenesis in the competition for hydrogen, it may become an efficient electron sink when methane biosynthesis is blocked by a specific inhibitor."}
{"id": "PMID:1467353", "title": "[Use of gamma-aminobutyric acid from various sources in the synthesis of homocarnosine in the brain of animals of various ages].", "content": "The dynamics and intensity of radiolabelled carbon incorporation from [14C] putrescine into homocarnosine in the brains of rats of various age have been studied. In the brains of 1-, 7-, and 2-day-old rats putrescine is the main GABA source for homocarnosine synthesis. In the brains of 14- and 31-day-old animals the GABA formed from glutamic acid participates in homocarnosine synthesis alongside with putrescine. In the brains of adult rats the rate of [14C] incorporation from glutamic acid into homocarnosine is 7 times as low as that of [14C] incorporation from putrescine."}
{"id": "PMID:1467347", "title": "In vivo 31P NMR study of early cellular responses to hyperosmotic shock in cultured glioma cells.", "content": "Cell volume regulation in the face of osmotic stress is a fundamental homeostatic activity, and is most critical in brain, which is spatially constrained. Despite the importance of this phenomenon, little is known about volume regulation in the brain, primarily because of the cellular heterogeneity in the tissue. We describe here simultaneous in vivo 31P nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) measurements of cell volume, intracellular pH and phosphate metabolites during early responses to hyperosmotic stress in C6 glioma cells perfused in NMR-compatible bioreactors. Cell volume was measured using dimethyl methylphosphonate (DMMP) as a probe which has an intracellular NMR resonance shifted upfield from the extracellular resonance. The sensitivity of these measurements allowed 31P NMR spectra to be collected every 30 s. Following an increase in osmolarity from 320 to 480 mOsm by addition of NaCl to the perfusate, C6 glioma cells shrank to 67% of their original volume. We also observed a simultaneous increase of intracellular pH coincident with the decrease in cell volume. The signals from ATP decreased by 10%, but those from phosphocreatine (PCr) increased by 31% after hyperosmotic shock. However, correcting the ATP signals for the decrease in cell volume indicated that its intracellular concentrations increased after treatment. Signals from glycerophosphorylcholine (GPC) and glycerophosphorylethanolamine (GPE) were not changed significantly. This is the first in vivo report of early cellular responses monitored by NMR spectroscopy following hyperosmotic shock in cultured cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1467354", "title": "[Carnosine as a stimulator of cytotoxic and phagocytic function of peritoneal macrophages].", "content": "Biochemical changes in peritoneal macrophages and their relatedness to the cytostatic and phagocytotic function in C3HA mice injected with a single intraperitoneal dose of 0.45 mM carnosine and 4-methyluracil or stimulated with peptone have been studied. During the first 24 hours after injection both carnosine and 4-methyluracil increase the activity of adenosine deaminase and purine nucleoside phosphorylase, the key enzymes of purine catabolism which is the main source of O2-. radicals in macrophages. In carnosine-stimulated macrophages the activity of membrane 5'-AMP nucleotidase decreases on days 1-3 after injection which points to alleviation of adenosine-induced inhibition as well as to macrophage activation. Carnosine increases the cytostatic and phagocytotic activities of macrophage coupled to O2-. production. The mechanism of the stimulating effect of carnosine on macrophages seems to consist in the dipeptide interaction with specific receptors localized on the plasma membrane of macrophagal cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1467355", "title": "[Effect of carnosine and 4-methyluracil on the development of experimental hepatitis in rats].", "content": "A comparative study of the hepatoprotective effect of carnosine and 4-methyluracil under CCl4-induced acute toxic hepatitis has been carried out. The extent of liver injury and its regeneration were established from morphological data as well as from changes in the activities of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and histidase and the bilirubin content in blood serum. Hyperlipoperoxidation in the liver and serum was assessed by the amount of TBA-active products. It was found that by day 10 of experimental hepatitis ALT and histidase levels in blood sera of untreated animals exceeded the normal values 1.3- and 3.9-fold, whereas those in the carnosine-treated group approximated the values characteristic of intact animals. The activity of serum ALT in animals treated with vitamin B12 or 4-methyluracil exceeded normal values 1.5 and 1.6 times, whereas that of histidase was 2.5 and 2.7 times as high. Carnosine and 4-methyluracil inhibited (in approximately the same degree) the formation of TBA-active products in the liver. According to morphological dta, cessation of CCl4 injections was accompanied by rapid regeneration of liver tissues in all animal groups. Carnosine enhanced regenerative processes in parenchymatous and connective tissues in a far greater degree in comparison with other drugs. The mitotic index in the carnosine-treated group exceeded more than twofold the corresponding parameters in untreated animals. Possible mechanisms of carnosine action on liver repair are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1467356", "title": "[The effect of carnosine on the liver enzyme system in the irradiated body].", "content": "The effect of carnosine on post-radioactive changes in lipid peroxidation (LPO) products in blood serum and cytochrome P-450 content in liver microsomes has been studied. Per os administration of carnosine 24 hours prior to irradiation in a minimal lethal dose (7 Gr) markedly decreases the post-radioactive accumulation of LPO products in rat blood serum one hour after irradiation and fully restores the post-radioactive decrease in the cytochrome P-450 content in rat liver microsomes on day 5 after irradiation. Besides, the ability of carnosine to prevent the post-radioactive decline in the activity of UDP-glucuronyl transferase. Another key enzyme of the liver detoxifying system, has been demonstrated. The data obtained testify to the ability of carnosine to provide effective protection against post-radioactive intensification of LPO in irradiated organisms."}
{"id": "PMID:1467357", "title": "[The effect of carnosine on hematopoietic stem cell activity in irradiated animals].", "content": "Carnosine given to adult animals together with potable water one day prior to gamma-irradiation or injected in a single intraperitoneal dose one hour after irradiation enhances colony formation by haemopoietic stem cells migrating from the bone marrow to the spleen. In young animals with a high colony-forming activity carnosine either decreases or does not influence at all the efficiency of colony production."}
{"id": "PMID:1467358", "title": "[The effect of autoblood in a hyposmotic state on the colony-forming activity of hematopoietic stem cells].", "content": "It has been shown that hypoosmotic autoblood injected sub- or intracutaneously stimulates the colony-forming activity of haemopoietic stem cells in mice. Autoblood injected to animals immediately after their irradiation stimulates haemopoiesis even after a single dose. When mice are injected with autoblood prior to irradiation, the time between the first injection and the day of irradiation is critical for manifestation of the immunomodulating effect. Autoblood infusions immediately before, the day before, or two days before irradiation markedly deteriorate the clinical status of experimental animals and cause death in some of them. It is suggested that stimulation of haemopoiesis is associated with the appearance in the blood stream of a population of radiosensitive cells, apparently T-cell precursors."}
{"id": "PMID:1467359", "title": "[The protective effect of carnosine in hypoxia and reoxygenation of the isolated rat heart].", "content": "The effect of carnosine (15 mM) on the contractile activity of isolated rat hearts contracting in an isotonic regime (37 degrees C at a 5 Hz stimulation frequency) has been studied. Carnosine added to the perfusing solution had no effect on the contractile activity either in hypoxia or during reoxygenation but decreased it with a simultaneous increase in the coronary flow during reoxygenation. Carnosine inhibited by 60% the lactate dehydrogenase release from cardiac cells. A conclusion is drawn that the protective effect of carnosine is due to its membrane-stabilizing action which is implemented during inhibition of peroxidation of membrane lipids."}
{"id": "PMID:1467360", "title": "[Reperfusion injury of myocardial biomembranes after acute fatal hemorrhage and their correction with carnosine].", "content": "Studies on inbred male rats revealed that ischemia associated with clinical death caused by haemorrhage with subsequent recirculation and reoxygenation during resuscitation led to an increase in enzyme activities in blood serum and perfusate passed through the coronary bed of isolated hearts, presumably due to impaired membrane integrity. Damage to cardiomyocyte membranes was caused by intensification of LPO concomitant with enhanced glycolysis and lactate accumulation in the cardiac muscle. Carnosine (25 mg/kg) injected simultaneously with recirculation and reoxygenation prevented membrane damage and created optimal conditions for the functioning of membrane enzymes."}
{"id": "PMID:1467361", "title": "[Prospects for designing medicines based on carnosine (several new applications)].", "content": "The perspectives in application of carnosine, its analogs (histidine-containing dipeptides), and their derivatives as components of medicinal drugs are reviewed. These applications are based on antioxidative properties of carnosine and its analogs, their chelating activity towards transient valency metals as well as on their specific neurotransmitter functions in the brain. Combination of carnosine with other antioxidants and the use of copper or zinc complexes with histidine-containing dipeptides are considered as perspective trends in the design of new drugs."}
{"id": "PMID:1467362", "title": "A VLA-4 alpha-chain specific monoclonal antibody enhances CD3-induced IL-2/IL-2 receptor-dependent T-cell proliferation.", "content": "Cross-linking the T-cell receptor-associated CD3 complex using the immobilized monoclonal antibody OKT3 can induce low levels of proliferation of purified resting T cells. The effect of coimmobilizing a monoclonal antibody 19H8 specific for the alpha-chain of the integrin VLA-4 on T-cell activation was evaluated. The level of proliferation induced by coimmobilization of the anti-VLA-4 with OKT3 was about 2- to 3-fold over proliferation induced by maximal OKT3 stimulation. The costimulatory activity of 19H8 was dependent on CD3 stimulation since immobilized 19H8 by itself did not induce proliferation. IL-2 secretion was found to be increased over 2-fold with 19H8 costimulation. Addition of exogenous IL-2 resulted in enhanced proliferation of both OKT3 and OKT3 plus 19H8-stimulated cells, but T cells coactivated with 19H8 exhibited a greater capacity to proliferate in response to exogenously supplied IL-2. Analysis of IL-2 receptor expression by flow cytometry revealed that the percentage of CD25-positive cells activated with either OKT3 or OKT3 plus 19H8 is comparable, but the mean fluorescence of cells coactivated with 19H8 is about 3-fold over cells stimulated with OKT3 alone. Dependency of the 19H8 enhanced proliferation on the IL-2/IL-2 receptor system was established by using IL-2-specific neutralizing antisera that reduced the proliferation of T cells activated with OKT3 alone or OKT3 plus 19H8 to comparable levels.2+hese results demonstrate that adhesion molecules may operate at the level of cytokine production and expression of its receptors to modulate the activation state of a cell."}
{"id": "PMID:1467363", "title": "Ex vivo secretion of tumor necrosis factor and interleukin-2 by rat splenocytes after intestinal ischemia and shock.", "content": "We studied the ex vivo secretion of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and interleukin 2 (IL-2) by splenocytes after circulatory shock induced by intestinal ischemia and reperfusion in rats. Shock was induced by total occlusion of the superior mesenteric artery followed by reperfusion. In a second group, vascular occlusion was maintained throughout the experimental protocol. A third group of sham rats and a fourth group of control rats with a negligible surgical procedure were also studied. \"Spontaneous\" (untriggered) secretion of TNF by splenocytes was higher in the ischemia-reperfusion group than in all other groups (p < 0.01), but did not increase significantly after stimulation with LPS. Splenocytes from control rats exhibited a marked increase in TNF secretion after stimulation with LPS to values similar to those in the ischemia-reperfusion group. A diminished, though statistically significant increase in LPS-stimulated secretion of TNF was detected in the sham and ischemia only groups of rats (p < 0.05) from untriggered values in each. Untriggered secretion of IL-2 was similar in all groups. However, when compared to control rats, splenocytes from the three surgically manipulated groups exhibited suppressed secretion of IL-2 in response to stimulation with Con A (p < 0.05). These results support the role played by TNF in mediation of shock and point to spleen macrophages as a source of TNF after intestinal ischemia and reperfusion. Our results also demonstrated postinjury alteration in immune function manifested by depressed ability of splenocytes to increase the production of IL-2 after stimulation with Con A."}
{"id": "PMID:1467364", "title": "Transforming growth factor-beta 1 down-regulates expression of membrane-associated lymphotoxin and secretion of soluble lymphotoxin by human lymphokine-activated killer T cells in vitro.", "content": "Lymphokine-activated T killer lymphocytes (T-LAK) are important effector cells in various diseases of tissue destructive reactions. They require stimulation with various cytokines to proliferate and mature into function effector cells. We have examined the role of various endogenously and exogenously added cytokines, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)/lymphotoxin (LT) receptors in this process in vitro. The present report is a continuation of these studies. We found that human T-LAK cells express membrane-associated LT (mLT) but not TNF, and secrete high amount of soluble LT (sLT) but low levels of TNF. When added to the initial cultures or immature T-LAK cells, transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-beta 1) suppressed both mLT expression and sLT secretion by 30-40%. Coculture of mature T-LAK cells with TGF-beta 1 caused 35% down-regulation of both mLT expression and sLT secretion after 18 h of incubation. Kinetic experiments indicated reduction of LT mRNA synthesis could occur in as little as 1 h when cocultured with 5 ng/ml of TGF-beta 1. TGF-beta 1 also reduced mLT induced T-LAK cell cytolytic activity on L929 cells in vitro. It appears TGF-beta 1 can down-regulate LT mRNA syntheses, mLT expression, and sLT secretion of human T-LAK cells in vitro."}
{"id": "PMID:1467365", "title": "Effects of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) on collagen arthritis.", "content": "Louvain rats were administered tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) via a continuous osmotic infusion pump. These rats were then immunized with native type II collagen (CII) to determine the effects of exogenous TNF-alpha on collagen-induced arthritis (CIA), an animal model of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). In this highly susceptible strain, 100% of experimental and control rats developed arthritis although TNF-alpha-treated rats had more severe disease as judged by both clinical and blinded radiographic parameters. Humoral responses to collagen were high in both groups, but cellular responses to CII were augmented by TNF-alpha. Serum IL-6 levels were significantly increased in all arthritic rats. This study suggests that TNF-alpha is a proinflammatory cytokine in CIA and that future studies targeting TNF-alpha might be therapeutic."}
{"id": "PMID:1467366", "title": "Development and applications of a radioimmunoassay (RIA) for the in vitro and in vivo quantification of murine IL-1 beta.", "content": "A specific, precise, and accurate radioimmunoassay (RIA) for murine interleukin-1 beta (mIL-1 beta), with a sensitivity of 250 pg/ml, has been established. Although mIL-1 beta shares structural homology and multiple biological properties with mIL-1 alpha, this RIA did not detect mIL-1 alpha or other murine cytokines such as TNF and IL-6. Recombinant mIL-1 beta, freshly added in different concentrations to murine plasma, was recovered from 88 to 104%, and intra- and interassay coefficients of variation never exceeded the 10% value. Parallel analysis showed that murine plasma and cell or organ supernatants did not affect the test. This characteristic allowed mIL-1 beta analysis directly in the nonmanipulated biological specimens. In murine macrophage supernatants collected after 24 h of in vitro stimulation with LPS, nanogram fractions of IL-1 beta were detected by RIA. These values corresponded to approximately 50% of the total IL-1 detected by the LAF bioassay. In spleen, liver, and lung, IL-1 beta appeared at significant levels (110 ng/g of lung, 638 ng/g of spleen, and 78 ng/g of liver) as early as 1 h after LPS administration, reached the plateau 1-2 h later, and then slowly but progressively decreased. In plasma and brain, nanogram fractions of IL-1 beta were detectable by 4 h post-LPS. Thereafter, IL-1 beta levels progressively increased to reach the value of 44 ng/g in the brain and 2 ng/ml in plasma 8 h after LPS treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1467367", "title": "Overexpression of metallothionein confers resistance to the cytotoxic effect of TNF with cadmium in MCF-7 breast carcinoma cells.", "content": "Experiments were designed to determine whether cells that overexpress metallothionein acquire resistance to the cytotoxic action of tumor necrosis factor (TNF). Human MCF-7 mammary carcinoma cells, which are sensitive to the cytotoxic action of TNF, were stably transfected with a vector in which the human metallothionein-IIA (hMT-IIA) gene was placed under the control of the constitutively active beta-actin promoter. MT-expressing clones displayed greater resistance to cadmium toxicity than control cell lines. Neither control-transfected nor MT-expressing cell lines were sensitive to the cytotoxic effect of TNF alone, even at concentrations as high as 200 ng/ml. However, treatment of control-transfected cells with TNF in the presence of CdCl2 produced a greater cytotoxic effect than CdCl2 alone. MT-expressing cell clones were protected from this synergistic cytotoxic effect of TNF and CdCl2. These results suggest that under certain conditions MT expression may protect tumor cells from the cytotoxic effects of TNF."}
{"id": "PMID:1467368", "title": "Prothymosin alpha enhances human natural killer cell cytotoxicity: role in mediating signals for NK activity.", "content": "We have investigated the effects of prothymosin alpha (ProT alpha) on the in vitro NK activity of various human cell populations obtained by successive purification of large granular lymphocytes (LGLs) and CD16+ cells. The results of this study indicate that ProT alpha is able to enhance the spontaneous NK activity of cells from normal donors. This effect was time and dose dependent in the range 7 to 350 nM, occurred over a wide range of effector/target cell ratios, and appeared not to require the presence of accessory cells. In addition, ProT alpha exhibited additive effects with recombinant interferon-gamma (rIFN-gamma) and recombinant interleukin-2 (rIL-2). Finally our data suggest that the effect of ProT alpha enhancing the NK cell cytotoxicity appears to involve enhancement of p70 IL-2R expression and internalization of IL-2, and was independent of cell proliferation."}
{"id": "PMID:1467369", "title": "Growth velocity of some fetal parameters. I. Brain weight and brain dimensions.", "content": "In this study, fetal growth velocities of the brain weight (whole brain and infratentorial part) and of the right and left fronto-occipital diameters were established from 420 normal fetuses and neonates. The age of the subjects ranged from 10 to 41 gestational weeks. Growth rates were computed by time intervals, and velocity curves were plotted with their 95% confidence intervals. The whole brain displays an accelerating pattern of growth until 35 weeks; thereafter, the growth rate breaks down. The growth velocity of the infratentorial part of the brain increases throughout fetal life, without a fall at 35 weeks. Moreover, it grows faster than the whole brain after 24 weeks. The lengths of the hemispheres present a steady decreasing pattern of growth velocity throughout pregnancy."}
{"id": "PMID:1467370", "title": "Growth velocity of some fetal parameters. II. Body weight, body length and head circumference.", "content": "In this study, fetal growth velocities of the body weight, crown-heel length, crown-rump length and head circumference were established from 478 normal fetuses and neonates, aged 8-41 gestational weeks. The growth rates were computed by time intervals, and the velocity curves were plotted with their 95% confidence intervals. The body weight displayed an accelerating pattern of growth until 34-35 weeks and a breakdown of the growth rate afterwards, as we already observed for the brain weight in another study published in Biology of the Neonate. Decreasing patterns of growth velocity throughout pregnancy were observed for the crown-heel and the crown-rump lengths, with a marked fall at 35 weeks. The growth velocity curve of the head circumference is also decreasing, but in a more irregular way. A curious revival of growth velocity was observed in most parameters at about 38 weeks. These changes in the growth rhythm were similar to those found previously with ultrasound data."}
{"id": "PMID:1467371", "title": "Effects of injectable beta-carotene and vitamin A on lymphocyte proliferation and polymorphonuclear neutrophil function in piglets.", "content": "Newborn piglets were injected with either (1) vehicle; (2) 20 mg beta-carotene; (3) 40 mg beta-carotene; (4) 25,000 IU vitamin A palmitate, or (5) 50,000 IU vitamin A palmitate. Blood was collected at 0.5, 1, 3, and 6 weeks of age and lymphocyte proliferation, polymorphonuclear neutrophil (PMN) phagocytosis and intracellular killing of live Escherichia coli were measured. Lymphocyte proliferation in all piglets was high at birth but decreased thereafter. Piglets injected with either high beta-carotene or vitamin A palmitate showed higher phytohemagglutinin- and pokeweed mitogen-induced lymphocyte proliferation at week 3 compared to controls. Similar results were seen with 20 micrograms/ml concanavalin A in piglets injected with high vitamin A palmitate. Phagocytosis by PMN isolated from all piglets decreased to a nadir at week 3 but returned to values observed in the newborn by week 6. Treatment had no effect on phagocytosis. Piglets injected with beta-carotene or vitamin A palmitate had lower intracellular killing ability at week 3 compared to controls. Therefore, beta-carotene and vitamin A palmitate enhanced mitogen-induced lymphocyte proliferation but reduced killing ability by PMN in piglets."}
{"id": "PMID:1467372", "title": "Effects of interleukin-3 on murine fetal liver hemopoiesis in utero.", "content": "The normal regulation of primitive hemopoietic stem cells (PHSCS) throughout development involves locally produced factors and humoral factors. While considerable information is available on the effects of candidate hemopoietic growth factors (HGFs) on postnatal hemopoietic tissues, little is known about the regulatory events of developing hemopoietic stem cells within fetal microenvironments. Fetal hemopoiesis represents expanding populations and may be under different regulatory control mechanisms. The microinjection of purified interleukin-3 (IL-3), a candidate HGF, into 13-day-old mouse fetuses via the yolk sac, allowed us to evaluate its effects on morphogenetic events and, more specifically, on fetal liver populations using quantitative in vitro clonal assays for hemopoietic precursors. In view of the sensitivity of fetal development during the early organogenetic period, considerable care was taken to identify the stress effects of the surgical laparotomy and the microinjection procedure. Control studies, required to distinguish stress effects of surgical laparotomy and microinjection, clearly revealed that the fetal liver is a sensitive organ responding with limited tissue disorganization, reduced cellularity and erythropoietic activity, as monitored 24 h after experimental intervention. The microinjection of 15 units of IL-3 promoted a significant expansion of depleted liver hemopoietic-cell populations and had stimulatory effects on the distribution of connective tissue mast cells and absolute cell numbers, including hemopoietic precursors (erythroid, granulocyte, macrophage, megakaryocyte), compared to controls. These studies suggest that (1) fetal liver hemopoiesis is selectively sensitive to maternal stress but has an effective regenerative capacity to maintain essential hemopoiesis in utero, and (2) fetal hemopoietic cells require an ability to respond to IL-3 early in fetal development."}
{"id": "PMID:1467373", "title": "Maturation of jejunoileal gradients in rat intestine: the role of intraluminal nutrients.", "content": "Jejunoileal gradients of intestinal function are thought to be established during the third week of life in the rat when postnatal intestinal maturation occurs. In order to investigate the normal development of jejunoileal gradients and whether either the absence of intraluminal nutrients or the form in which they are provided affected the development of jejunoileal gradients, gradients for mucosal DNA, protein, lactase and sucrase were studied in suckling rats undergoing normal weaning and compared to gradients in rats receiving no intraluminal nutrients or rats receiving nutrients in elemental form. In suckling animals, preexisting jejunoileal gradients for DNA and protein persisted through the weaning period, gradients for lactase formed by rapid decline of ileal function and sucrase gradients formed by rapid increase in jejunal activities. Intraluminal nutrients in elemental form resulted in the formation of jejunoileal gradients similar to those in intestines of normally weaned rats. The lack of intraluminal nutrients resulted in no qualitative differences in the expression of jejunoileal gradients for sucrase, but provision of elemental nutrients resulted in increased jejunoileal differences for this enzyme. The lack of intraluminal nutrients resulted in no gradients for DNA, less pronounced jejunoileal differences for protein and delayed maturational decline of ileal lactase which prevented development of jejunoileal gradients for the enzyme. These studies indicate that the formation of jejunoileal gradients in the maturing rat intestine for the parameters investigated require intraluminal nutrients regardless of the form in which they are provided for their normal expression."}
{"id": "PMID:1467375", "title": "A dose-ranging study of the behavioral and cardiovascular effects of CCK-tetrapeptide in panic disorder.", "content": "Recent animal studies have shown that pretreatment with centrally active cholecystokinin (CCK) antagonists blocks the anxiogenic effects of CCK-tetrapeptide (CCK-4). In order to determine whether pretreatment with these antagonists can block the anxiogenic effects of CCK-4 in patients with panic disorder, a suitable challenge dose of CCK-4 must be selected. Thus, we conducted a dose range study in which patients with panic disorder (n = 29) were challenged with CCK-4 (10, 15, 20, or 25 micrograms) or placebo on two separate occasions, in a balanced incomplete block design. Patients received in random order 10 micrograms (n = 12), 15 micrograms (n = 11), 20 micrograms (n = 12), or 25 micrograms (n = 12) of CCK-4 or placebo (n = 11). CCK-4 induced anxiety and panic responses in a dose-dependent fashion. The incidence of panic attacks following the CCK-4 challenge was 17% (10 micrograms), 64% (15 micrograms), 75% (20 micrograms), and 75% (25 micrograms). None of the patients panicked with placebo. Moreover, a strong linear relationship between CCK-4 and increases in heart rate and diastolic blood pressure was found. The findings of this study suggest that a dose of 20 micrograms of CCK-4 (ED75) might be suitable for efficacy studies of CCKB antagonists and other potential antipanic drugs in patients with panic disorder."}
{"id": "PMID:1467376", "title": "MRS detection of whole brain lactate rise during 1 M sodium lactate infusion in rats.", "content": "Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H MRS) performed in vivo on nine Sprague Dawley rats detected a threefold increase in whole brain lactate during intravenous 1 mol/L sodium lactate infusion. Significant increases in whole brain lactate were detected within 5 min after starting lactate infusion, progressively rose to a maximum level estimated at 3.2 +/- 1.5 mmol/L (all values +/- SD) immediately postinfusion, then decreased towards baseline levels during the next hr. Venous lactate concentration, increasing from 2.3 +/- 2.4 mmol/L to 43.0 +/- 8.0 mmol/L during the infusion, exhibited a steeper rise and then decreased more rapidly in comparison to changes in whole brain lactate. These data suggest MRS can be used in vivo to study acute changes in brain lactate associated with increasing blood lactate concentrations."}
{"id": "PMID:1467377", "title": "Lithium effect on smooth pursuit eye movements of healthy volunteers.", "content": "Smooth pursuit eye movement (SPEM) dysfunctions in major affective disorder patients have been reported to be associated with lithium treatment. We report that SPEM of 13 healthy volunteers, either taking lithium (n = 7) or placebo (n = 6), were not significantly impaired by lithium. This could point to a pathophysiologic difference between affective disorder patients and a normal population."}
{"id": "PMID:1467378", "title": "Startle gating deficits occur across prepulse intensities in schizophrenic patients.", "content": "The effects of prepulse stimuli of different intensities in inhibiting the startle reflex was assessed in 14 age-matched and gender-matched schizophrenic patients and 14 normal controls. The subjects were presented with startling stimuli consisting of bursts of white noise (106 dBA) with or without prepulse stimuli. Four intensities of prepulse stimuli were utilized: 75, 80, 85, and 90 dBA. Throughout the testing, the background noise was maintained at 70 dBA. The prepulse stimuli more effectively inhibited the startle reflex in the control group compared to the schizophrenic patients who showed deficient prepulse inhibition (gating) of the startle reflex. These results suggest that schizophrenics have impaired central inhibitory mechanisms over a fairly broad range of background noise to prepulse ratios. Further studies are needed to clarify exactly which ratios are optimal in eliciting prepulse inhibition (PPI) and in differentiating between schizophrenic and control groups."}
{"id": "PMID:1467379", "title": "The human brain resonance of choline-containing compounds is similar in patients receiving lithium treatment and controls: an in vivo proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy study.", "content": "Lithium specifically and potentially inhibits membrane transport of choline. However, the effect of lithium on human neuronal choline content is unknown. This study was performed to determine if lithium alters the human brain choline concentration in vivo. In vivo proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy was used to compare the relative brain concentration of choline-containing compounds in seven lithium-treated patients and six lithium-free controls. No significant difference was observed in the mean relative choline resonance between the patient and control groups. Lithium treatment did not appear to alter the overall brain content of choline-containing compounds. It remains possible that a component of these compounds, particularly free choline, is elevated during lithium treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1467380", "title": "Dopaminergic function in panic disorder: comparison with major and minor depression.", "content": "Several lines of evidence suggest that dopamine might be involved in anxiety states. In this study, we assessed the growth hormone (GH) response to apomorphine (a dopaminergic agonist) 0.5 mg SC in nine drug-free inpatients meeting Research Diagnostic Criteria (RDC) for panic disorder who were age-matched and gender-matched with nine major depressive, and nine minor depressive inpatients. The three groups differed significantly in their mean GH peak response: 5.29 +/- 2.75 ng/ml in major depressives, 26.27 +/- 12.71 ng/ml in minor depressives, and 37.28 +/- 10.58 ng/ml in panics, with a significantly higher response in panic than in either minor or major depressive patients. These results support dopaminergic overactivity in panic disorder as compared with major and minor depression."}
{"id": "PMID:1467381", "title": "Familial subtypes of unipolar depression: a prospective study of familial pure depressive disease compared to depression spectrum disease.", "content": "In a large multicenter effort, major depressives were systematically studied at index admission and prospectively followed up for 5 years. Primary unipolar depressives with a family history of alcoholism (depression spectrum disease) differ from depressives with a family history of depression only (familial pure depressive disease) in having more familial anxiety and somatization disorder, more divorce, more suicide attempts, more negative life events, and needed more time to recover from the index episode. In the 5-year follow-up they are more likely to develop alcoholism and drug abuse. Depressive spectrum disease patients are more likely to meet systematic criteria for neurotic depression. The data suggest that major depression is a syndrome that is heterogeneous, and may be a final common pathway of more than one familial illnesses."}
{"id": "PMID:1467382", "title": "Daily sleep reports and circadian rest-activity cycles of elderly community residents with insomnia.", "content": "Sleep patterns were investigated in 29 insomniacs and 22 controls selected from a large sample of elderly residents of an urban community. According to sleep logs kept for a mean of 14.7 days, insomniacs took longer to fall asleep and stayed awake longer when they woke at night. In 14 insomniacs and 8 controls, wrist movements were monitored with a portable instrument. A circadian rhythm of motor activity was found in both groups, with some notable differences. Insomniacs were more active during periods of bedrest, and their mean daily rest-activity pattern--representing mean activity at equivalent times of day--was flatter. The mean level of activity over the entire experiment was similar in both groups. Insomnia in many elderly persons is thus associated with diffusion of activity over the 24-hr day, leaving bedrest periods only partially filled by rest or sleep."}
{"id": "PMID:1467383", "title": "EEG coherence in unmedicated schizophrenic patients: topographical study of predominantly never medicated cases.", "content": "Electroencephalographic (EEG) power and coherence were compared in 11 unmedicated schizophrenics (including 9 never mediated patients) and in 15 normal controls. There was no significant difference in power between the two groups. However, interhemispheric coherence between O1-O2 was higher in the schizophrenics in the delta and beta bands, and interhemispheric coherence between T5-T6 was higher in the delta band. These results suggest that coherence is more sensitive than power for comparison of these two groups, and that cerebral function is less lateralized in schizophrenics."}
{"id": "PMID:1467384", "title": "Nialamide, an MAO inhibitor, increases urinary excretion of endogenously produced bufotenin in man.", "content": "Nialamide, an MAO inhibitor, was given per os (PO) to a normal man who volunteered in two separate trials (total intake 300 mg and 1000 mg, respectively), and his bufotenin excretion was followed by consecutive urine samples. In both experiments the excretion rose well above the values measured from the same test subject when not taking nialamide (median 0.089 nmol/mmol creatinine, range 0.002-1.78). At its highest, the excretion was 16.5 nmol/mmol creatinine, and the maximum urinary output was 495 nmoles (56 micrograms) in 24 hr. The levels of bufotenin in plasma required for the excretion of the latter amounts are not far from those that produce psychic symptoms in man."}
{"id": "PMID:1467385", "title": "Plasma prolactin as a predictor of relapse in drug-free schizophrenic outpatients.", "content": "A low plasma prolactin concentration has been reported to be associated with an increased risk of subsequent relapse in patients with schizophrenia. Prolactin concentration was measured in samples from stable schizophrenic men who were outpatients just prior to neuroleptic withdrawal. No relationship between prolactin concentration and time to subsequent relapse was found. Prolactin concentration may predict time to relapse only in populations characterized by specific demographic features or medication history."}
{"id": "PMID:1467386", "title": "Effect of m-chlorophenylpiperazine on plasma homovanillic acid concentrations in healthy subjects.", "content": "In view of the abundant anatomical and functional interactions between serotonin and dopamine systems, this study examined the effect of the serotonin agonist, m-chlorophenylpiperazine (mCPP) on plasma concentrations of the dopamine metabolite, homovanillic acid. Plasma prolactin levels, body temperature, and mCPP blood level were also measured. mCPP (0.35 mg/kg) and placebo were administered orally to 10 healthy men in a randomized double-blind design. Variables were measured for 210 min after administration of capsules. mCPP raised prolactin and temperature as compared to placebo, but did not affect plasma homovanillic acid concentrations. Results suggest that mCPP does not alter dopamine function."}
{"id": "PMID:1467388", "title": "Good sleep, bad sleep: a meta-analysis of polysomnographic measures in insomnia, depression, and narcolepsy.", "content": "Primary insomnia, major depression, and narcolepsy are usually considered to be separate disorders, distinguished by different polysomnographic profiles. But do polysomnographic data provide adequate evidence to segregate the three disorders, or might they display fundamentally the same sleep disturbance, differing only in degree? To test the viability of these two alternate hypotheses, the authors performed a meta-analysis of controlled polysomnographic studies of these disorders. A summary measure of degree of sleep disturbance was constructed from five variables: wakefulness after sleep onset, percentage of stage 1 sleep, percentage of stage 3 + 4 sleep, rapid eye movement (REM) latency, and REM density. The results of available studies for each variable were combined using a weighted average of effect sizes. An overall \"sleep disturbance index\" was then calculated by combining the estimates for the five above listed variables. On both the individual measures and especially on the summary index, insomnia, depression, and narcolepsy were arrayed on a simple continuum of progressively more severe sleep disturbance--congruent with the clinical observation that these disorders display progressively more disturbed sleep. These findings suggest that sleep can be disturbed in only a limited number of ways: in evaluating sleep architecture, it may not be possible to elaborate much beyond a single axis of good-to-bad sleep. Thus, polysomnographic measures may not provide adequate evidence to classify insomnia, depression, and narcolepsy as separate entities."}
{"id": "PMID:1467389", "title": "Mescaline-induced psychopathological, neuropsychological, and neurometabolic effects in normal subjects: experimental psychosis as a tool for psychiatric research.", "content": "The psychological, neuropsychological, and neurometabolic effects of the hallucinogenic agent mescaline were investigated in 12 normal men who were volunteers. Mescaline produced an acute psychotic state 3 1/2-4 hr after drug intake, as measured by the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) and Paranoid Depression Scale (PDS). The Assessment of Altered States of Consciousness (APZ) questionnaire revealed specific effects of mescaline in the visual system. Neuropsychological effects were studied with a face/nonface decision task with known right-hemisphere advantage, in which mescaline induced a decrease of functioning of the right hemisphere. In functional brain imaging using single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), mescaline produced a \"hyperfrontal\" pattern with an emphasis on the right hemisphere, which was correlated with mescaline-induced psychotic psychopathology. Our findings question the validity of the concept of hypofrontality as an explanation for schizophrenic symptomatology. The study of psychoactive substances under controlled laboratory conditions has the methodological advantage of intraindividual control, and hence, minimal variability of data."}
{"id": "PMID:1467390", "title": "Long-term test-retest reliability of event-related potentials in normals and alcoholics.", "content": "The long-term test-retest reliability of event-related potentials (ERP) measures was examined in a group of 44 controls and 71 chronic alcoholics, retested after an average of 14 months. Correlational analyses revealed moderately significant test-retest correlations for visual and auditory target N1, N2, and P3 amplitudes, with significant correlations for N1, N2 and P3 latencies. Controls and alcoholics produced similar test-retest correlations for visual and auditory ERP measures. Men and women produced equally stable ERP measures over time. Overall N1 and P3 amplitudes were most reliable in both groups followed by N2 amplitude, N1 and N2 latency, and P3 latency. The stability of ERP measures found in this study over a 14-month period in both normals and chronic alcoholics supports the use of ERPs in the study of normal and disordered cognitive functioning."}
{"id": "PMID:1467391", "title": "Respiratory and cardiac rhythms as windows to central and autonomic biobehavioral regulation: selection of window frames, keeping the panes clean and viewing the neural topography.", "content": "Respiratory and cardiovascular processes figure importantly in biobehavioral regulation. Various cardiac and respiratory measures may, furthermore, index the activity of relatively distinct central and autonomic mechanisms. In this regard, I consider ventilatory indices of central drive and timing of respiration, and rhythmic cardiac-interval fluctuations as reflections of parasympathetic and sympathetic cardiac influences. Particular emphasis is placed upon the phenomenon of respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA). A number of conceptual and methodological questions are addressed concerning quantification and inference. Among others, these include the following issues: (1) What is the evidence that the three cardiac periodicities slower than heart rate reflect distinct autonomic mechanisms? (2) Does RSA reflect tonic or phasic parasympathetic regulation of heart rate? (3) Do specific quantification procedures for measuring these rhythms provide superior estimates? (4) What are some potential pitfalls for quantification and inference."}
{"id": "PMID:1467392", "title": "Applied use of cardiac and respiration measures: practical considerations and precautions.", "content": "Cardiac and respiratory measures can be successfully applied to \"real world\" environments and these measures have certain advantages over both performance and subjective measures that are typically used to monitor operator state and workload. However, because of large differences between laboratory and \"real world\" environments one must utilize caution in directly applying laboratory data and theories to the day-to-day world environment. While most workers are highly over-trained in their jobs, laboratory subjects are often under-trained in the cognitive tasks that are used to study cognitive activity. It is possible that a substantial portion of experimental effects reported in laboratory studies is due to learning effects. In addition, relatively small changes in cardiac and respiration measures are reported to experimental manipulations in the laboratory while a much larger range of changes are reported in \"real world\" environments. These differences highlight questions about laboratory/real world similarities and the need to develop a database of actual work environment data. A third area of concern is the relative lack of control over the experimental situation that is the case with most applied research. The possible confounding of changes due to cognitive and physical activity levels is a major concern and strategies for overcoming these problems are suggested. The potential for valuable contributions by cardiac and respiratory measures to applied research make overcoming these difficulties worthwhile."}
{"id": "PMID:1467393", "title": "Respiration in psychophysiology: methods and applications.", "content": "With the use of advanced equipment, respiratory measures can unobtrusively and reliably be assessed in a variety of psychophysiological research settings. New computerized analysis techniques can break down respiration into a number of components that provide valid estimates of variations in respiratory control mechanisms in the brain stem. Thus analysed, respiratory responses may vary in at least two dimensions: (A) with regard to drive and timing aspects, and (B) with regard to the metabolic appropriateness of the respiratory response. Assessment of respiratory responses may be relevant for a broad variety of research areas, including studies of the physiological effects of mental load and stress, investigations of physiological correlates of emotions and affect, and research linking physiological responses to subjective distress and psychosomatic disorders."}
{"id": "PMID:1467394", "title": "Measurement and analysis methods of heart rate and respiration for use in applied environments.", "content": "Cardiovascular measures are used in applied settings to assess mental load. It is neither desirable nor possible to adapt the working situation to the needs of the experimenter, as can be done in the laboratory; the purpose of this paper is to discuss how invested effort, mental efficiency, and changes in cardiovascular state can be measured in applied settings, including non-stationary ones. This paper discusses the theoretical background of fluctuations in heart rate and respiration and the application of existing methods in laboratory and normal working situations. Data acquisition and analysis methods are then presented, particularly the problems of artifact detection and correction and variability indices in spectral bands in relation to the reliability of these measures. In the last section the interpretation of data acquired in environments and the specific problems inherent in such situations are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1467395", "title": "Spectral analysis of heart rate and psychological state: a review of its validity as a workload index.", "content": "This paper provides some background information on concepts of mental workload and stress and the possibility of indexing them by means of spectral analysis of heart rate. A literature review of practical implementations of the technique in laboratory and field studies is provided with the purpose of evaluating its utility as a tool in the study of mental workload and stress."}
{"id": "PMID:1467396", "title": "Assessing pilot workload. Why measure heart rate, HRV and respiration?", "content": "The application of heart rate and respiratory measures to the human factors of flight is discussed. The concept of pilot workload is related to the concept of arousal and distinguished from physical workload. Finds from studies of pilot workload using heart rate measures are reviewed for flight, simulated flight and related real-life challenges. Measurement techniques and transducers are discussed from the perspective of field measurement. Recommended procedures are presented as are directions for future work."}
{"id": "PMID:1467397", "title": "Research methods for measurement of heart rate and respiration.", "content": "Strategies for heart rate and respiration quantification are dependent upon a knowledge of physiology and statistics. To develop appropriate and sensitive psychophysiological measures, it is necessary to understand the neural control of the autonomic nervous system and the statistical characteristics of physiological data. Moreover, it is proposed that inferences derived from physiological measures are dependent upon a statistical interaction between the characteristics of the physiological data and the measurement techniques. The steps required to analyze heart rate and respiration data are presented, ranging from data acquisition and editing to data analysis and physiological inference. A variety of techniques are described and contrasted with recommendations for future research."}
{"id": "PMID:1467399", "title": "[Immunological changes in chronic osteomyelitis].", "content": "We have studied several aspects of cellular and humoral immunity in 19 patients with chronic osteomyelitis (CO) compared with 11 healthy controls of similar characteristics. Patients with CO showed significantly higher values of GSR, reactive protein C (RPC), IgG and lymphocytes CD3+ and lower values of the CD4+/CD3+ ratio, as well as an hypoergic response to 7 antigens in the different cutaneous hypersensibility tests, compared with healthy controls. The rate of \"in vitro\" blastic stimulation by different lectins was significantly lower in the group of patients, compared with controls. These changes in the cellular immunity are not correlated with the extent, chronicity and prognosis of the disease, although we did not performed sequential studies of the immunitary condition. None of these immunological markers seem to be a better predictor of the bone infectious activity than the traditional GSR or RPC."}
{"id": "PMID:1467400", "title": "[Azidothymidine in the treatment of patients with human immunodeficiency virus infection and persistent generalized adenopathies].", "content": "The effectiveness and security of azidothymidine (AZT) in the treatment of patients with infection by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and persistent generalized adenopathies (PGA), were assessed. Thirty six patients with HIV infection and PGA participate in the study. Eighteen were treated with AZT and the other 18 were included in the control group, since they did not accept the treatment. Both groups were homogeneous with respect to their clinical, immunological and virological characteristics. A common study protocol was used and the clinical, immunological and virological effectiveness was assessed. Lymphocyte subpopulations were quantified by flow cytometry, viral antigens were determined by sandwich-type ELISA and antibodies against viral proteins (anti-gp120, anti-gp160, anti-gp41, anti-gp24 and anti-p18) were detected by Western blot. Naranjo and Busto's algorithm was used for the causality of adverse effects. We did not observe any significant differences regarding the presence of infection and the evolution of AIDS in both groups. A positive response to thrombocytopenia was observed, more evident in patients under low doses of AZT. The small initial transitory improvement of the immunological parameters was not statistically significant. The viral antigen was not modified by the treatment. With respect to the behaviour of the several antibodies studied, no differences were observed. The initial doses of AZT had to be modified in 44% of patients due to their hematological toxicity, more frequent in the first stages of the treatment. In two patients, the treatment had to be finally discontinued due to severe neutropenia. 25% of patients showed mild to moderate gastrointestinal manifestations.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1467401", "title": "[Immunoglobulins, beta-2 microglobulin and lymphocyte subpopulations in patients addicted to parenteral drugs (IVDA)].", "content": "Disorders in serum immunoglobulins, beta-2 microglobulin and lymphocyte subpopulations in parenterally drug-addict patients (PDAP) are analyzed. The study is divided in three parts. In the first one, a group of 33 HIV-negative PDAP without intercurrent diseases is compared with a control group of healthy non-addict persons. In the second part, the differences between a group of 58 HIV-negative PDAP and a group of 95 HIV-positive PDAP are studied. In the third part, the differences between the group of HIV-negative PDAP without associated procedures and a subgroup of HIV-positive patients including 31 asymptomatic carriers in phase II, are studied. No statistically significant differences were detected between the control group and the HIV-negative PDAP group. The HIV-positive PDAP group showed lymphocytes CD3, CD4 and a CD4/CD3 ratio statistically lower than the HIV-negative group, as well as a significant increase of the immunoglobulin IgG and beta-2 microglobulin. The same results were obtained when the subgroup of HIV-positive patients in phase II was compared with the group of HIV-negative PDAP without intercurrent diseases. According to these results, we conclude that the immunological disorders detected in PDAP patients seem to be more related with the infection by the human immunodeficiency virus and with other associated infections than with the drug-addiction itself."}
{"id": "PMID:1467402", "title": "[Solitary metastases of unknown origin. Apropos 64 cases].", "content": "Metastatic cancer of unknown origin is frequent subject of medical articles because of it's difficult approach. Most commonly it's present in multiple organs (more than 50%). We reported a study about solitary metastases of cancer of unknown origin and we tried to identify where are the original neoplasms that most frequently appeared in this form."}
{"id": "PMID:1467403", "title": "[The assessment of liver microsomal oxidative capacity via caffeine and antipyrine elimination in patients with chronic active hepatitis: preliminary results].", "content": "The hepatic metabolism of drugs in patients with chronic active hepatitis has been studied in a few occasions, finding discordant results. In our preliminary study we pretend to appraise the microsomal oxidative hepatic metabolism in 10 chronic active hepatitis HBs Ag(+) outpatients without clinical symptoms. The concentrations of both substances were measured in saliva and the caffeine and antipyrine tests of these patients were compared to control group. The difference found in the caffeine and antipyrine elimination, between the chronic active hepatitis group and the control group, have been low, without statistics significance (p > 0.1). Although, the results are preliminaries and is necessary to follow this study in many patients, probably the caffeine and antipyrine elimination are not decreased in the chronic active hepatitis without clinical symptoms. In these patients, the microsomal oxidative hepatic metabolism is not altered."}
{"id": "PMID:1467404", "title": "[Acute pancreatitis in thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura. Apropos 2 cases].", "content": "Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) is a syndrome characterized by fever, microangiopathic hemolytic anemia, thrombocytopenia, renal disease and neurologic changes. The development of little thrombi in the systemic microcirculation is thought to play an important role, however the etiology is unknown. We present two cases in which pancreatic disease was the first manifestation of TTP."}
{"id": "PMID:1467405", "title": "[Empyema due to Moraxella (Branhamella) catarrhalis].", "content": "We present a case of empyema by Moraxella (Branhamella) catarrhalis in a patient affected by a bronchogenic epidermoid carcinoma. We describe the basic clinical characteristics of the infection by Moraxella (Branhamella) catarrhalis and we confirm the low incidence of empyema by such germ."}
{"id": "PMID:1467406", "title": "[Myopathy associated with infection by the human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1)].", "content": "We present a case of an active homosexual patient who was a paid donor of plasma and presented myopathy associated to infection by the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1). In the ultrastructural study of the muscular biopsy, we stress the formation of central intermyofibrillary \"minocores\", as well as the presence of nuclear extrusions in which the core is surrounded by mitochondrial accumulations. We review the clinical, histological and ultrastructural characteristics used to identity this pathology against the group of myopathies induced by zidovudine, as well as the several empirical therapies currently recommended."}
{"id": "PMID:1467407", "title": "[Fulminant meningoencephalitis due to Listeria monocytogenes].", "content": "We present a case of meningoencephalitis due to Listeria monocytogenes type IV in a patient in which the diagnosis of small-cells malignant diffuse non-Hodgkin's lymphoma had been established. He was hospitalized with vague clinical manifestations and without showing any neurological focus. Hours later, he presented clinical brain stem semiology. Within a 24-hour period, Listeria monocytogenes was isolated from blood and cephalorhachidian fluid (being the first time that this microorganism had been isolated for the past 20 years in our laboratory). The patient evolved to a state of coma, with Cheyne-Stokes's respiration, abolition of pupillary reflexes, decerebration position and exitus laetalis. The affection of the central nervous system has been fully documented. However, its fulminant presentation, as in the case that we present here, is less frequent, although it has been described in the literature by other authors, like Finegold et al., with cases in which the interval between the onset of the neurological focality and death ranged from 8 to 16 hours. The antibiogram showed a wide sensibility to several groups of drugs, despite the fast evolution of the disease that prevented the modification of the initial antibiotherapy (Vancomicine and imipenem)."}
{"id": "PMID:1467408", "title": "[The quality of life and cancer].", "content": "Quality of life has been one of the main goals of medicine during the past years. With the increase of chronic degenerative diseases and the stability of the life expectancy at birth, we are beginning to think that it is not only important the number of years that we live, but as well the number of years that we live free of discapacities. On the other hand, the increase in the survival rate due to the advance of the biotechnology, as it happens with cancer, lead us to consider several psychosocial aspects neglected a few years ago."}
{"id": "PMID:1467416", "title": "[Single oral dose of phosphomycin trometamol versus pipemidic acid and norfloxacin in treating uncomplicated low-level urinary tract infections].", "content": "To make an assessment of the effectiveness and safety of a single oral dose compared with the conventional way of treating low-level Urinary Infections presenting no complications. This was an investigative and prospective study, using a control, a simple blind and randomised sample. SITE. Health Centres in Oviedo and Zaragoza. We looked at 150 patients and included 106 females between the ages of 16 and 75 in the study. Their clinical symptoms were compatible with low-level urinary infections presenting no complications. 49 patients were given Trometamol Phosphomicine (TP) in a single oral dose; 36 took Pipemidic Acid (PA) and 21 Norfloxacine (NFX), both of these in a dose of 400 mg twice a day for 5 to 7 days. Clinical and bacteriological assessments of the results were made 3, 7, and 28 days after treatment. A total of 75 gems were isolated: E. coli was the most common (68%). In all three groups, the main symptoms rapidly disappeared after the start of the treatment. Having considered the bacteriological and clinical findings, as well as tolerance levels, we are able to conclude that a single oral dose of Trometamol Phosphomicine is a good alternative to conventional therapy for the treatment of low-level Urinary Infections Which present no complications."}
{"id": "PMID:1467417", "title": "[Obesity in the province of Le\u00f3n. Differing criteria, different prevalences].", "content": "To assess the prevalence of obesity among the adult population of our province. Cross-sectional. SITE. Le\u00f3n Province. This was a random sample with 572 individuals over 17. They were picked from the electoral register. The confidence level was 95%, with a 3.5% length of interval. They were selected by means of proportional, multi-stage stratified sampling. The Hansen method was used for a subsequent survey of the cases missed. Socio-demographic data were collected, and weight and size measured, using standard procedures. Those who had a Quetelet index > or = 30 kg/m2 or with a relative weight > or = 120%, in line with different weight tables, were considered to be obese. Under the first criterion there was a 23.25% prevalence of obesity (CI: 19.79-26.71). The second showed long variations, running from 59.92% (CI: 55.64-64.20) to 16.17% (CI: 13.06-19.28). The prevalence of obesity among adults in our province is above that in other zones of Spain and other countries. The calculation of relative weight is not possible in an important number of cases because age or size are not properly included in the reference table. The criteria for defining someone as obese need to be unified in order to be able to make comparisons between different surveys."}
{"id": "PMID:1467418", "title": "[Origin and distribution of seasonal allergies. A primary care view].", "content": "To describe the seasonal allergy distribution and its relation with grass pollen in environment. Ecological and descriptive study. SITE. Primary care centre in townshipe Coslada (Madrid). PATIENTS OR OTHER PARTICIPANT: People who are attended because of seasonal allergy from 20th April to 14th June in 1990 and 1991, of the total people covered by a primary care team. No differences were found in relation to sex. 5-19 age group cumulated 66.1 and 61.2% of the episodes in 1990 and 1991 respectively. 36.2 and 31% (1990-1991) described respiratory difficulties and 21.5 and 18.8% respiratory wheezings. 82.7 and 88.4% of patients asserted that the symptoms repeated annually. Patients who related known allergy, 91.8 and 98.3% attributed their problems to grass pollen. Correlations of r = 0.5207 (p < 0.001) in 1990 and r = 0.4978 (p < 0.01) in 1991 between grass pollen the day before and the notification date were found. We found the highest care assistance in the infant-juvenile age group, the same as an important number of cases with asthmatic symptomatology. We seen a moderate relationship between the episodes notification date and grass pollen in the environment."}
{"id": "PMID:1467419", "title": "[Advanced booking as strategy for diminishing appointments on demand: an approach].", "content": "We looked at a group of patients included in the arterial hypertension (AHT) sub-programme, in order to analyse whether an appointment booked in advance can reduce the number of on-demand consultations requested by the patients themselves. We also assessed whether these patients sought more on-demand consultations than consumers not included in any sub-programme. A retrospective, observational, crossover study, with no random distribution. SITE. Barrio del Carmen Health Centre in Murcia. 541 consumers not included in any sub-programme and 67 patients involved in the AHT sub-programme. Patients involved in the AHT sub-programme had 9.9 +/- 8.7 on-demand consultations per year, one year before their involvement. In 1987, they had 8.3 +/- 6.2; and in 1989, 7.3 +/- 6.3 (p > 0.05). These patients did not have any more on-demand consultations than those not involved in any sub-programme, except in the 50 to 65 age-group (p < 0.001). Our model does not show that a booked medical appointment is an adequate tool for reducing demand, even when the number of booked consultations significantly increases."}
{"id": "PMID:1467420", "title": "[Prevalence of serological markers of the hepatitis B virus in the out-patient population of the city of Vigo].", "content": "To discover the prevalence of serological markers of the Hepatitis B virus in the out-patient population of the city of Vigo. A year-long retrospective study (from January to December, 1990) of a total of 4,581 serums belonging to patients. These came to our laboratory from patients who attended the out-patient clinics of the Hospital Xeral in Vigo. The HBs Ag, anti-HBc and anti-HBc IgM (this last if the total anti-HBc showed positive) were then determined. SITE. Primary Care and Digestive Clinics of the Hospital Xeral of Vigo's Health Area. PATIENTS OUR OTHERS PARTICIPANTS: All pregnant women were excluded from the study. The rest were men and women between 18 and 69 who provided a total sample of 4,581 serums. These findings were as follows: 954 serums had some positive marker, which presumes a prevalence of 20.8% with a Confidence Interval of +/- 0.79 (p < 0.05). Pattern 1 had 39 cases, which was 0.8% of the total number of serums studied. Pattern 2 had 141 cases (3.1%). Pattern 3 had 5 cases (0.1%). Pattern 4 had 769 cases (16.8%). Pattern 4 was the most common (80.6%), followed by Pattern 2 (14.8%) and Pattern 1 (4.1%). The rarest was Pattern 3 with 0.5%. The percentage of positive markers was greater in men than in women: this was a statistically significant difference. Overall prevalence was 20.8%. In order to reduce the number of people infected by this important disease--one which carries extremely serious socio-economic repercussions--it would be in principle advisable to vaccinate all those in high-risk groups."}
{"id": "PMID:1467431", "title": "Analysis of antibody reactivity in the sera of 42 patients with paraproteinaemia.", "content": "The clinical expression of disease in patients with conditions in which autoimmunity is thought to contribute to the pathogenesis of disease is the result of an unfortunate combination of predisposing and environmental factors. The presence of autoantibodies showing a variety of antigen specificities in sera from many of these patients has been closely correlated with particular spectra of organ involvement or tissue destruction. Their precise role in the disease process is as yet unclear. Sera from patients with paraproteinaemia also often contain autoantibodies to a variety of cell components, although symptoms of autoimmune disease are rarely found in this group of individuals. In this study of 42 sera from patients with paraproteinaemia we have confirmed the presence of autoantibodies in 33% (13/42) of samples. Amongst the autoantibodies detected were those to human neutrophils (3), U1RNP (8) and cardiolipin (4). In five sera, the immunoglobulin class of autoantibody did not correlate with that of the monoclonal band. This study extends previous reports of the repertoire of autoantibodies present in sera from patients with paraproteinaemia."}
{"id": "PMID:1467432", "title": "Aberrant expression of GM1 on lymph node cells of MRL/Mp-lpr/lpr mice: influences on the autoreactivities of anti-asialo GM1 antibodies.", "content": "Although changes in surface carbohydrate expression of abnormally expanded MRL/Mp-lpr/lpr (MRL/lpr) lymph node (LN) cells have previously been described, the composition and function of glycolipids present on these cells as well as the spectrum of specificity of anti-carbohydrate antibodies reactive with these cells remains obscure. Analysis of antibodies to a panel of 22 carbohydrate structures using a liposome immune lysis assay (LILA) showed that, except for anti-asialo GM2 (GA2) antibodies, marked reduction of antiglycolipid antibody levels was observed in sera from 4-mo-old MRL/lpr mice compared with these from MRL/Mp(-)+/+ (MRL/+) mice. Absorption experiments revealed that both anti-asialo GM1 (GA1) and globoside antibodies had binding capacity to MRL/lpr LN cells. To elucidate the glycolipid profiles of MRL/lpr LN cells, glycolipids were extracted from LN cells of both MRL/lpr and MRL/+ mice and analysed. A 30-fold elevation of GM1 was found in MRL/lpr LN cells compared with MRL/+ LN cells. From the results of LILA using GA1/GM1 mixed liposomes, aberrantly expressed GM1 inhibited the classical complement pathway but did not interfere with the binding of anti-GA1 antibodies to liposomal GA1. These findings suggest that a drastic GM1 increase on MRL/lpr LN cells would inhibit the action of anti-GA1 antibodies and complement on the cell surface. This may explain the escape of these cells from an activated self directed immune response."}
{"id": "PMID:1467433", "title": "Elevated gene expression of argininosuccinate synthetase in peripheral lymphocytes from systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients.", "content": "Argininosuccinate synthetase (ASS) is a rate-limiting enzyme of urea cycle and functions primarily in the liver, whereas ASS activity is hardly detected in normal lymphocytes. In this study, we examined the level of ASS gene expression in peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) from human SLE patients by amplification of reverse-transcribed mRNA using the polymerase chain reaction. We have demonstrated that (a) approximately 40% of SLE patients exhibited 2.5 to 5 times higher expression of ASS gene in PBL than those of healthy PBL and (b) the elevation of ASS gene expression of PBL significantly correlates with the active pathogenesis of SLE patients according to the criteria of Japanese Ministry of Health and Welfare (p < 0.001 by student's two-tailed t-test). Thus, it is suggested that ASS gene expression is a promising marker of hyperactivated lymphocytes uniquely generated in patients with systemic autoimmune disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1467434", "title": "Anti-glycoprotein IIb/IIIa autoantibodies are reversibly internalized into platelets in idiopathic (autoimmune) thrombocytopenic purpura.", "content": "We used flow cytometry to investigate the binding of platelet-binding IgG (PBIgG) to unfixed platelets in idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), including that of anti-glycoprotein (GP) IIb/IIIa antibodies. Anti-GPIIb/IIIa antibodies were detected in 13/64 ITP patients using antigen-capture ELISA and immunoblotting. When unfixed platelets were incubated with ITP plasma, the PBIgG level was significantly higher than after incubation with normal plasma. When 1 microM ADP was added to unfixed platelets, which were incubated with ITP plasma and washed, the PBIgG level increased additively. GMP-140 is a constituent of platelet alpha-granules, and a monoclonal antibody directed against this protein showed weak binding to platelets after 1 microM ADP stimulation. The increase of PBIgG produced by ADP was significantly greater when ITP plasma positive for anti-GPIIb/IIIa antibody was used compared with that obtained using antibody-negative ITP plasma. This increase of PBIgG was markedly inhibited by the removal of extracellular calcium with EDTA or the dissociation of the GPIIb/IIIa complex by EDTA treatment at 37 degrees C. These results suggest that anti-GPIIb/IIIa autoantibodies are internalized by unfixed ITP platelets and stored somewhere other than the alpha-granules. This stored antibody pool can be reversibly redistributed on the platelet surface by weak stimulants such as ADP and a functional GPIIb/IIIa complex appears to be necessary for this to occur."}
{"id": "PMID:1467435", "title": "Enhanced tumor necrosis factor in anti-CD3 antibody stimulated diabetic NOD mice: modulation by PGE1 and dietary lipid.", "content": "Administration of OKT3 anti-CD3 monoclonal antibody (mAb) to patients for transplant rejection, is associated with a distinct and often severe clinical syndrome related to massive cytokine release. Previous reports have similarly demonstrated increased levels of serum tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha) in normal mice following administration of 1452-C11 anti-CD3 mAb. In this study, we compared serum TNF alpha levels at baseline and after anti-CD3 stimulation among three groups of mice: normal BALB/c controls, pre-diabetic non-obese diabetic (NOD) mice, and diabetic NOD mice. Baseline serum TNF alpha levels, as measured by L929 cell bioassay, were 2xhigher in diabetic NOD and 3xhigher in pre-diabetic NOD compared with BALB/c. Ninety minutes after anti-CD3 mAb stimulation, serum from BALB/c controls and pre-diabetic NOD contained 2- to 8-fold higher levels of TNF-alpha as compared to untreated control mice. In contrast, following anti-CD3 mAb, there was a dramatic 20-fold increase in serum TNF alpha in diabetic NOD mice (levels > 5000 pg/ml). Additionally, anti-CD3 mAb increased the steady-state TNF alpha mRNA transcripts. Spleens from diabetic mice given anti-CD3 mAb had higher steady-state TNF alpha mRNA than spleen from normal mice similarly treated. The enhanced release of circulating TNF alpha after anti-CD3 mAb in diabetic NOD mice was abrogated by pre-treatment of mice with prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) 30 min prior to anti-CD3 mAb stimulation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1467436", "title": "Antibodies in the serum of patients with autoimmune thyroid disorders react with a recombinant 98 amino acid fragment of a full length 64 kDa eye muscle membrane protein which is also expressed in the thyroid.", "content": "We have tested sera from patients with autoimmune thyroid disorders with or without ophthalmopathy for immunoreactivity, in a dot blot assay, against a recombinant 98 amino acid fragment of a cloned 64 kDa protein, D1, which is expressed in human eye muscle and thyroid, in the form of a Lac Z fusion protein. Tests were positive in 19 out of 40 patients with established thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy (TAO), in 12 out of 21 patients with Graves' hyperthyroidism (GH) without clinically evident ophthalmopathy, in 5 out of 10 patients with thyroid autoimmunity and lid retraction but no other signs of ophthalmopathy, in 4 out of 23 patients with Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) without evident ophthalmopathy and in 2 out of 18 patients with benign adenoma or multinodular goitre, but in only 2 out of 37 normal subjects tested. SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and Western blotting for an antibody reactive with a 64 kDa antigen in pig eye muscle membranes was also carried out on sera from patients with TAO and GH. While immunoblotting for antibodies reactive with a 64 kDa protein was more often positive in patients with TAO, in whom 58% had serum antibodies which reacted with a 64 kDa protein, this was not the case in patients with GH without eye signs in whom the prevalence of positive immunoblot tests was 35%. Overall there was a fairly close correlation between the two tests although there were many exceptions.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1467437", "title": "Studies of autoantibodies reactive with thyroid membrane antigens and insulin in non obese diabetic mice.", "content": "Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to study the temporal relationship between the appearance of murine autoantibodies reactive to insulin and thyroid membrane antigens (TMA) and the development of diabetes and thyroiditis in the non obese diabetic (NOD) mouse. Overall, 28% of NOD mice had antibodies specific for mouse thyroid membrane antigens (MTMA), 30% had antibodies to human thyroid membrane antigens (HTMA) and 23% of NOD mice had insulin autoantibodies (IAA), in at least one of their serial monthly blood samples. Non autoimmune BALB/c mice did not develop antibodies to these antigens. Presence of IAA was associated with the development of diabetes and in 87% of cases such antibodies were detected before the diabetes was diagnosed. IAA were usually demonstrated before insulitis. No association between thyroiditis and IAA was noted. Anti-MTMA and anti-HTMA antibodies were detected more frequently in NOD mice with thyroiditis than in those without thyroid inflammation. No significant association was noted between detection of serum anti-TMA antibodies and the development of diabetes. In young mice, anti-TMA antibodies were not detected in the absence of thyroiditis. Western blot analysis of NOD sera positive for MTMA by ELISA revealed a heterogeneous pattern of reactivity. The significance of these findings with respect to the pathogenesis of diabetes and thyroiditis and their association, is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1467439", "title": "MHC gene products and anticardiolipin antibodies in systemic lupus erythematosus results of a multicenter study. SLE Study Group.", "content": "Anticardiolipin antibodies (aCL) and HLA-DR antigens were determined in 314 central European patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Both HLA-DR4 and DR7 were increased in aCL-positive patients, and aCL were significantly associated with DRw53. The association between DRw53 and aCL was also apparent in those 17 patients with SLE and the anticardiolipin syndrome. There was no association between aCL and HLA-DQ or C4 alleles in SLE."}
{"id": "PMID:1467440", "title": "Tryptophan fluorescence intensity and anisotropy decays of human serum albumin resulting from one-photon and two-photon excitation.", "content": "We measured the emission spectra, intensity decays and anisotropy decays of the single tryptophan residue of human serum albumin (HSA) resulting from one-photon (295-298 nm) and two-photon (590-596) excitation. The emission spectra and intensity decays were independent of the mode of excitation. The anisotropy decays were superficially similar for one- and two-photon excitation. However, upon consideration of the different orientation photoselection for one- and two-photon excitation, the anisotropy data reveal different angles between the absorption and emission oscillators for one-photon and two-photon excitation. This result suggests different relative one-photon and two-photon cross-sections for the 1La and 1Lb transitions of the indole residue. This first report of the time-resolved anisotropy decay of a protein resulting from two-photon excitation suggests that such measurement will yield insights into the complex photophysical properties of tryptophan residues in proteins."}
{"id": "PMID:1467441", "title": "Structure and dynamics of motilin. Time-resolved fluorescence of peptide hormone with single tyrosine residue.", "content": "Time-resolved fluorescence and CD spectroscopy were used to characterize the structure and dynamics of the peptide hormone motilin with a single tyrosine residue among its 22 amino acids. CD spectroscopy showed that secondary structure is independent of concentration in the range 1 x 10(-5)-2.6 x 10(-4) M, and of the presence of DOPC lipid vesicles, but is strongly induced by addition of hexafluoroisopropanol. The fluorescence studies with tyrosine as the intrinsic fluorophore, performed at the MAX synchrotron laboratory at Lund, showed that three fluorescence lifetimes (0.4 ns, 1.7 ns and 3.6 ns at 20 degrees C) and two rotational correlation times (0.4 ns and 5 ns at 20 degrees C) were needed to account for the data. The different decay times are interpreted as representing ground-state rotamers interconverting slowly on the ns time scale. The rotational correlation times are ascribed to local angular motion of the tyrosyl ring, and global motion of the whole peptide, respectively."}
{"id": "PMID:1467442", "title": "Noncoexisting structural elements in catalytic pre-messenger RNA's.", "content": "We simulate the sequential folding of an autocatalytic pre-mRNA of group I revealing a scenario where core elements exert their function on intramolecular substrates as they are being generated. Our results indicate that the interactions shaping the 3'-substrate do not coexist with those shaping the 5'-substrate, but form after 5'-cleavage has occurred. This chronology of events is shown to be required for ribozyme function and quite universal in group I introns, since it is based on a competition of conserved helical stems. Preliminary probes rooted in site-directed mutagenesis are invoked to further validate the results."}
{"id": "PMID:1467443", "title": "Anthracycline gels. II. Spectroscopic study on doxorubicin-lecithin association products.", "content": "Thixotropic and thermally reversible gels have been prepared from doxorubicin-lecithin association products (DL12) by addition of salts to their aqueous solutions. The gel formation and the melting profiles have been followed by several spectroscopic techniques (1H NMR, UV-Vis, Circular Dichroism). The transition temperatures increase as the concentration of both the salt and the DL12 is increased, suggesting a progressive closer approach of the gel forming species. The process of the gel formation is cooperative and causes immobilization of the doxorubicin molecules of DL12."}
{"id": "PMID:1467444", "title": "Rotamer interconversion and its influence on the fluorescence decay of tyrosine: a molecular dynamics study.", "content": "To test the hypothesis of charge-transfer quenching between an electrophile in the alanyl sidechain (carbonyl carbon or protonated amino group) and the excited aromatic phenol-subunit, which leads to a bi-exponential fluorescence decay of tyrosine in acidic aqueous solution, we investigated the dynamics of this amino acid and of the peptide Gly-Tyr-Gly in vacuo and in water with classical molecular dynamics (MD) and with stochastic dynamics (SD) computer simulation. The proposed low-frequency of interconversions between sidechain rotamers on a fluorescence time-scale could not be confirmed. Instead, frequent transitions for both, chi 1 and chi 2, dihedrals were observed. Simulating a low pH situation (protonated carboxylate group) did not significantly affect the transition frequency. Rotamer interconversions in the peptide Gly-Tyr-Gly, though significantly less, were also observed although the fluorescence decay of this compound could be described by a uni-modal lifetime distribution centered at 0.8 ns. The results obtained from simulations in vacuo and in solution were critically compared with those of stochastic simulations. We found the stochastic simulation in a better agreement to full MD (water explicitly included), which is highly time consuming, whereas the in vacuo simulations clearly deviated from both. We conclude from our results that, since the rotamers do frequently interconvert within the fluorescence lifetime of tyrosine, their contribution to the non-exponential fluorescence decay should be negligible."}
{"id": "PMID:1467445", "title": "Thin-layer microcalorimetric studies of oxygen and carbon monoxide binding to hemoglobin and myoglobin.", "content": "A thin-layer gas-solution microcalorimeter has been developed to study the binding reactions of gaseous ligands with ligand binding macromolecules. We have measured the enthalpy of binding oxygen and carbon monoxide to horse myoglobin, human hemoglobin A0 and sperm whale myoglobin in phosphate buffer at pH 7.6, with the enzyme reducing system of Hayashi. Reactions of human hemoglobin were also done under various buffer conditions in order to elucidate the Bohr effect. These binding reactions were found not to exhibit a detectable enthalpy change over the temperature range of 10 degrees C to 25 degrees C. The enzyme reducing system was shown to react with oxygen in a manner that releases a substantial amount of heat. This problem was corrected by using a minimum amount and by placing the buffer and enzyme system in the reference cell effectively cancelling the oxygen enzyme reaction heat as well as the heat of gas dissolution. It was also demonstrated that glucose-6-phosphate, one of the reducing system components, in 50 mM concentrations can influence the heat of binding oxygen and carbon monoxide to hemoglobin. This effect was shown to be absent in the myoglobins and also with hemoglobin at glucose-6-phosphate concentrations less than 5 mM."}
{"id": "PMID:1467446", "title": "Optical absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy studies of ground state melanin-cationic porphyrins complexes.", "content": "Optical absorption and fluorescence spectroscopies were employed in the study of the interaction between synthetic L-dopa (dihydroxyphenylalanine) melanin and the cationic porphyrins tetrakis(4-N-methylpyridyl) porphyrin (TMPyP), tetrakis(4-N-benzylpyridyl)porphyrin (TBzPyP), zinc tetrakis(4-N-methylpyridyl)porphyrin (ZnTMPyP) and zinc tetrakis (4-N-benzylpyridyl)porphyrin (ZnTBzPyP). Optical absorption and fluorescence properties of the porphyrins were dependent on the symmetry of the central ring. No evidence was found for dimerization of the porphyrins in phosphate buffer, pH 7, in the concentration range between 4 x 10(-8) to 5 x 10(-5) M. Addition of L-dopa melanin red shifted the optical absorption spectra of porphyrins, concomitant to broadening and reduction in intensity of the bands. L-Dopa melanin also strongly quenched the fluorescence of the porphyrins. Time resolution of the fluorescence decay of porphyrins showed at least two lifetimes that were only slightly modified in the presence of melanin. The interaction between melanin and porphyrin resulted in the formation of non-fluorescent ground state complexes. It was found that there are two different classes of binding sites in melanin for complexation with cationic porphyrins and the values of dissociation constants are of the order of 10(-8) M. These values and the number of binding sites are dependent on the nature of the porphyrins. It was shown that the binding has electrostatic origin, but it is also affected by metal coordination and hydrophobic interaction."}
{"id": "PMID:1467447", "title": "Enhancement of differentiation and cytotoxicity of leukemia cells by combinations of fluorinated pyrimidines and differentiation inducers: development of DNA double-strand breaks.", "content": "We have previously shown that pretreatment of mouse erythroleukemia (MEL) cells with the fluorinated pyrimidines 5-fluorouracil (FUra) or 5-fluorodeoxyuridine (FUdR) followed by the differentiation inducer hexamethylene bisacetamide (HMBA) greatly enhanced the magnitude of their differentiation and caused extensive cell death. We have now extended these studies to address the mechanism that may be responsible for this enhancement and have also examined a human leukemic cell line (HL-60) for its sensitivity to this combination cytotoxic-differentiation therapy. We found that in HL-60 cells, pretreatment with FUdR, but not FUra, followed by 1.2% dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) led to an 8 to 10-fold enhancement of cell death as compared to FUdR alone. When all-trans-retinoic acid (ATRA) was used instead of DMSO, the enhancement of differentiation and cytotoxicity was 5-fold. The percent of cells induced to differentiate was dependent on the concentration of both FUdR and ATRA. In HL-60 cells resistant to ATRA-induced differentiation, the combination of FUdR and ATRA did not result in enhanced cytotoxicity. Leucovorin (LV), a compound known to enhance the inhibitory effect of FUra or FUdR on DNA synthesis, increased the effectiveness of the cytotoxic-differentiation therapy, whereas thymidine inhibited its effectiveness. This suggests that inhibition of DNA metabolism may be an integral part of the differentiation-enhancing cytotoxic mechanism. To further explore inhibition of DNA synthesis, DNA was extracted under alkaline or neutral conditions from 3H-thymidine-labelled cells that were treated with FUra/LV and HMBA individually or in combination. The emergence of single and double-strand DNA breaks was monitored by agarose gel electrophoresis. In parallel to the enhancement of cytotoxicity, the combination treatment (FUra/LV followed by HMBA) also produced a 2.5-3-fold increase in the DNA breaks when compared to the same effect obtained by the agents applied individually. Thus, we propose that DNA degradation may be the mechanism responsible for the enhanced loss of cell viability. In summary, we report here an approach which is targeted to increasing the death rate of leukemic cells through the combined use of low doses of cytotoxic drugs and differentiation inducers."}
{"id": "PMID:1467448", "title": "All-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) therapeutical effect in acute promyelocytic leukemia.", "content": "All-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) is able to specifically differentiate acute promyelocytic leukemic cells (APL) in short-term culture. Patients with APL achieved complete remission within 1-3 months by a progressive maturation of leukemic cells. The advantages of this differentiation therapy are the rapid disappearance of the bleeding disorders and the absence of aplastic phase avoiding the early deaths occurring in 15-30% of patients with conventional chemotherapy. However, relapses occurred when ATRA alone was maintained. For this reason, a chemotherapy is added after complete remission obtained by ATRA. A pilot study on 27 patients was proposed with the sequential combination of ATRA and chemotherapy. A European trial randomizes conventional therapy to the sequential ATRA-chemotherapy protocol. Retinoic acid receptor (RAR alpha) is rearranged by the specific translocation t(15;17) of APL; a PCR technique was developed in order to ensure the diagnosis and to follow the minimal residual disease. Transfection experiment of the chimaeric gene inhibits the transactivation of the natural RAR. ATRA is able to revert the arrest of maturation perhaps through an increase of the expression of the normal allele of RAR, which could overpass the impairment induced by the chimaeric protein on target responsive elements. One of the steps of the repair is the modulation of programmed cell death (PCD). Bcl-2, a gene involved in the PCD, is modulated in in vitro studies, arguing for the engagement of the cell in the natural death. The beneficial effect of differentiation therapy is probably due to the induction of the natural death of the malignant cell."}
{"id": "PMID:1467449", "title": "Therapy of 'high risk' myelodysplastic syndromes with an association of low-dose Ara-C, retinoic acid and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3.", "content": "Forty-four patients with high risk primary myelodysplastic syndromes and an excess of marrow blasts were treated with a combination of low-dose Ara-C, retinoic acid and vitamin D3. Morphological subtypes were refractory anemia with excess of blasts (RAEB) in 16, RAEB in transformation (RAEB-T) in 20 and chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML) in eight patients. The therapy was continued in responders until relapse or death. The results were compared to those of a matched control of 44 patients given a supportive therapy only. In the treated group the overall response rate was 50% (75% in RAEB, 50% in RAEB-T and 0% in CMML) and the survival was significantly better than in the control group (P < 0.025). Comparing separately each FAB subgroup gave statistical evidence that the treatment prolonged the survival in the RAEB-T subgroup only (P < 0.002). The median duration of response was 15 months and the survival in responders was statistically better than in non-responders (P < 0.0001). Myelosuppression has been the most important side effect, however, no death related to the treatment was observed. Our study suggests that patients with RAEB-T, who are not suitable candidates for aggressive chemotherapy, could benefit from our treatment schedule. The long duration of therapy seems to be of value for patients achieving a response in order to prolong the survival. The toxicity is acceptable and the therapy can be given on an outpatient basis."}
{"id": "PMID:1467450", "title": "Innate chaos: I. The origin and genesis of complex morphologies and homeotic regulation.", "content": "The genesis of complex morphologies is an inherent property of all dynamically expanding natural systems. In the inorganic and prebiotic world, chaotic movement of quantitable particles results in formation of ordered streamlined structures or micelles close to phase boundaries. In the course of chemical and colloid crystallization or development of living organisms, complex morphologies emerge, due to unusual chaotic attraction, diffusion limited aggregation (DLA) and multifractal organization suggesting that common mechanisms direct the morphogenesis in a wide range of natural systems. The development of a multicellular organism from a single fertilized oocyte requires intensive clonal proliferation sequential determinations and the organization of terminally differentiated cells in morphologically stable homeostatic functional units. Comparative data on insect and vertebrate embryogenesis revealed that the spatial organization of the developing body is orchestrated by several mechanisms: maternal effect genes or cell position specify the initial polarities and the main axes, while metameric segmentation, intrasegment identity and cell fate are determined by the programmed expression of morphogenetic determinants. They include evolutionarily conserved DNA binding proteins containing homeobox or pair-box sequences, endogenous ligands, activating specific nuclear hormone receptors, and humoral growth factors acting via specific membrane receptors and more ubiquitous transducing pathways. Morphogenetic regulators form intratissual gradients and demark fields required for the correct realization of the developmental programme. It has been recognized that the cell's freedom is limited to stringent developmental choices that in the end results in the formation of coherent cell colonies, many of them displaying chaotic behaviour. The linkage between embryonic regulation and adult tissue differentiation is not completely elucidated, however, data are emerging to show that several morphogenetic regulators may function throughout life in different human tissues. Genetically transmissible deletions or acquired impairments likely contribute to malignant tissue growth. Diffusible morphogenetic regulators may reverse the malignant phenotype in some cases and induce clinical remission. Further work is needed, however, to identify the dominant components of physiological regulatory networks and to understand what hierarchical organization and chaotic behaviour represent in order to elaborate new combined therapeutic protocols."}
{"id": "PMID:1467451", "title": "Immunosuppressive effect of cyclosporine in the hyperlipidemic rat model.", "content": "The immunosuppressive effects of 2.5 (n = 6) and 5 mg kg-1 day-1 (n = 7) of cyclosporine (CSA) given intravenously for 9 days to the immunized, hyperlipidemic Zucker rat model were compared with drug-free animals (n = 6) and lean litter-mates given 0 (n = 6), 5 (n = 6), and 10 mg kg-1 day-1 (n = 8) of CSA. Thus, based on body weights, both obese rats and lean litter-mates received total doses of 0, 1, and 2 mg of CSA. No significant differences in percent change in baseline body weight were found; in contrast, spleen weights were markedly greater in treated animals compared with controls. Serum cholesterol, triglycerides, and lipoprotein levels of obese rats were significantly greater than values found in lean litter-mates. CSA concentrations in whole blood, serum, and the lipoprotein fractions obtained 4 h after the final dose were greater in obese rats compared with lean litter-mates. Immunosuppressive activity, as assessed by ex vivo T-lymphocyte proliferation assay, was equivocal between all rats given CSA, independent of dose and obesity, and significantly greater than control animals. Whereas serum CSA levels were correlated to cholesterol levels (r = 0.95, p < 0.0001), there were no significant correlations with immunosuppressive activity. The present data suggest that increased binding of CSA to lipoproteins in the vascular compartment does not significantly impact on its immunosuppressive activity."}
{"id": "PMID:1467452", "title": "Nonlinear pharmacokinetics of hepatobiliary transport of rose bengal in rats after i.v. bolus administration with varying doses.", "content": "To investigate the nonlinear kinetics in the hepatobiliary transport of rose bengal (RB), the time profiles of plasma concentration and biliary excretion rate after its i.v. administration at various doses were measured in rats. The total body clearance decreased remarkably with increased dose. The hepatic uptake clearance also showed a similar dose dependency, and saturation of hepatic uptake at least partly accounts for the dose-dependent change in total body clearance. The peak biliary excretion rate approached the transport maximum (approximately 150 nmol min-1 kg-1) with increased dose. To further clarify which process in RB hepatobiliary transport has nonlinearity, we analysed thus obtained data based on a three-compartment model. The hepatic uptake and sequestration rate constants decreased remarkably with increased dose. The initial hepatic uptake rates assessed from the plasma disappearance rate during the early phase fit well to the Michaelis-Menten equation with a saturable and a nonsaturable component. The maximum uptake velocity and Michaelis constant were 4.7 mumol min-1 kg-1 and 360 microM, respectively. That hepatic uptake has a much higher capacity (about 30 fold) than biliary excretion suggests that biliary excretion can be a rate-determining process in the overall hepatobiliary transport of RB. We conclude that the saturation of both hepatic uptake and biliary excretion could be the main causes for the nonlinear pharmacokinetics of hepatobiliary transport of RB."}
{"id": "PMID:1467453", "title": "Clinical pharmacokinetics of procaterol: dose proportionality after administration of single oral doses.", "content": "Procaterol is a potent, orally active beta 2-agonist bronchodilator useful in the treatment of reversible bronchospastic disease. It is effective when administered as single or multiple (Q8H) 50 and 75 micrograms doses. As part of the clinical development of procaterol, the pharmacokinetics and dose proportionality of single 25, 50, 75, and 100 micrograms doses were investigated in 14 healthy subjects. Serial blood samples were collected for 16 h and urine was quantitatively collected for 48 h following administration of each dose. Procaterol concentrations in plasma and urine were determined using sensitive and specific radioimmunoassay methods. Mean values for tmax, the apparent elimination rate constant, Cl/F, renal clearance, and per cent of dose excreted unchanged in urine were similar for all doses. Dose-normalized AUC, Cmax, and amount excreted unchanged in urine (Ae) were also similar across dosage levels. Thus, the pharmacokinetics of procaterol appear to be proportional to dose over the range of doses studied."}
{"id": "PMID:1467454", "title": "Moxisylyte plasma kinetics in humans after intracavernous administration.", "content": "Obtaining and sustaining an erection are common problems for the male spinal cord injury patient. Intracavernous injection of vasoactive substances offers a new treatment option but it must be approached with caution in this population. In this work, the use of an alpha-adrenergic blocking agent, moxisylyte, after intracavernous administration for complete paraplegic patients with erectile impotence is described. During this study, the pharmacokinetic profile of moxisylyte has been defined. Unchanged moxisylyte is not found in plasma, this drug is immediately metabolized after administration. Three metabolites were found in plasma: desacetylmoxisylyte (DAM), conjugated DAM, and conjugates of desmethylated DAM (MDAM). Maximum plasma levels of 72.3 ng ml-1, 301.4 ng ml-1, and 88.8 ng ml-1 are obtained 0.22 h, 0.9 h, and 2.08 h after drug administration for these three metabolites, respectively. The elimination half-lives are 0.89 h, 2.16 h, and 5.32 h and the MRT, 1.38 h, 3.23 h, and 8.45 h, respectively. No side-effects were noted, only one patient presented sleepiness. Successful erections (10 to 25 min) were obtained in all patients and no priapism was noted."}
{"id": "PMID:1467455", "title": "Sex-differences in the disposition of substituted benzamides: pharmacokinetics of a gastroprokinetic agent (4-amino-5-chloro-2-[2- (methylsulfinyl) ethoxy]-N-[2-(diethylamino)ethyl] benzamide hydrochloride) (ML-1035) in male and female New Zealand white rabbits.", "content": "The disposition of 4-amino-5-chloro-2-[2-(methylsulfinyl)ethoxy]-N- [2-(diethylamino)ethyl] benzamide hydrochloride (ML-1035) following intravenous (10 mg kg-1) and oral (200 mg kg-1) dosing was investigated in male and female New Zealand white rabbits. After intravenous dosing ML-1035 was eliminated with a half-life of 1.45 +/- 0.49 h in males and 0.79 +/- 0.08 h in females. Volume of distribution at steady-state was 2.08 +/- 0.98 l kg-1 in males and 9.11 +/- 5.86 l kg-1 in females. Clearance averaged 2.99 +/- 1.11 l h-1 kg-1 in males and 16.73 +/- 7.29 l h-1 kg-1 in females. All pharmacokinetic parameters were significantly different between males and females (p < 0.05). Absolute bioavailability after oral administration was 7.35 per cent for males and 12.31 per cent for females, suggesting that ML-1035 undergoes significant first-pass elimination. Plasma area under the curve for the metabolites of ML-1035 after both oral and intravenous administration were also different between the two sexes. These data suggest that the disposition of ML-1035 shows significant differences between male and female rabbits."}
{"id": "PMID:1467456", "title": "Human dolasetron pharmacokinetics: I. Disposition following single-dose intravenous administration to normal male subjects.", "content": "Dolasetron is a 5-hydroxytryptamine antagonist active at type III receptors; it is presently undergoing clinical evaluation for the reduction/prevention of cancer chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting. Following intravenous administration to healthy male subjects of doses ranging from 0.6 to 5 mg kg-1, dolasetron disappeared extremely rapidly from plasma; concentrations were generally measurable for only 2-4 h. Less than 1 per cent of the dose was excreted intact in urine. A major plasma metabolite, reduced dolasetron, peaked rapidly at approximately 0.625 h (median). Its median terminal disposition half-life was 7.56 h; median values for fraction of dose excreted in urine and renal clearance were 31.0 per cent and 2.68 ml min-1 kg-1, respectively. Over the dose-range covered, pharmacokinetics of both dolasetron and reduced metabolite appeared to be independent of dose. The median ratio of the areas under the plasma concentration-time curves for metabolite relative to dolasetron was 11.9. As a result of its activity and significant plasma concentrations, reduced dolasetron may play a significant role in pharmacodynamic activity."}
{"id": "PMID:1467457", "title": "Pharmacokinetics of progesterone in ovariectomized rats after single dose intravenous administration.", "content": "The pharmacokinetics of progesterone were characterized in ovariectomized female rats. Progesterone was administered intravenously at a dose of 500 micrograms kg-1. Serum progesterone concentrations were determined by radioimmunoassay. Serum concentrations of progesterone were best described by a two-compartment model with elimination from the central compartment. The distribution and elimination phase half-lives were 0.13 +/- 0.024 (mean +/- SD) and 1.21 +/- 0.21 h, respectively. Elimination of the steroid was rapid with a total clearance of 2.75 +/- 0.42 l h-1 kg-1. Progesterone was widely distributed in the rat with a steady state volume of distribution of 2.36 +/- 0.23 l kg-1, a volume of the central compartment of 0.86 +/- 0.24 l kg-1 and a volume of the peripheral compartment of 1.50 +/- 0.19 l kg-1. The results of this study suggest that the ovariectomized female rat is a suitable animal model for examining the pharmacokinetics of progesterone."}
{"id": "PMID:1467458", "title": "M.V. Volkenstein, evolutionary thinking and the structure of fitness landscapes.", "content": "High dimensional fitness landscapes are robustly dominated by saddle points, not isolated peaks. We present an argument to this effect that is reminiscent of May's complexity stability analysis and trace out the significance for the dynamics of speciation, the connection between the neutral and punctuated aspects of evolution and evolution on moving landscapes. The paper is written in honor of M.V. Volkenstein (October 23rd, 1912-February 18th, 1992), who devoted his last papers to uniting dynamics with evolutionary thinking."}
{"id": "PMID:1467459", "title": "Neural modeling with dynamically adjustable threshold and refractory period.", "content": "A variant of the FitzHugh-Nagumo model is proposed in order to fully make use of the computational properties of intraneuronal dynamics. The mechanisms of threshold and refractory periods resulting from the double dynamical processes are qualitatively studied through computer simulation. The results show that the variant neuron model has the property that its threshold, refractory period and response amplitude are dynamically adjustable. This paper has also discussed some problems relating to collective property, learning and implementation of the neural network based on the neuron model proposed. It is noted that the implicit way to describe threshold and refractory period is advantageous to adaptive learning in neural networks and that molecular electronics probably provides an effective approach to implementing the above neuron model."}
{"id": "PMID:1467460", "title": "Global stability of prey-predator systems with predatory switching.", "content": "This paper deals with a complex prey-predator system, consisting of two prey species and two types of predator (dominant and mutant of the same species) with predatory switching. We derived conditions for existing polymorphism with respect to a switching property and found a condition for feasible equilibrium to be globally asymptotically stable. We have shown parameter regions for a stable and an unstable feasible equilibrium."}
{"id": "PMID:1467461", "title": "Lipoxin A4-induced release of thromboxane in the guinea-pig lung: studies of its characteristics using lipoxin A4-methyl ester.", "content": "It was the aim of this study to reexamine the contradictory findings regarding the characteristics of LXA4-induced contractions in guinea-pig lung parenchymal strips, with particular respect to release of thromboxane A2 (TXA2). The contraction produced was similar to that evoked by leukotriene C4 (LTC4) regarding both the time course and release of TXA2, measured as TXB2 by RIA of bath-fluid. When release of TXA2 was abolished by pretreatment with the cyclooxygenase inhibitor, indomethacin, the initial component of the contractile response was depressed. Administration of the cysteinyl-leukotriene antagonists FPL 55712 or ICI 198,615 blocked the contractile response to LXA4. Furthermore, FPL 55712 also blocked TXA2-release evoked by LXA4. Maximally precontracted and depolarized preparations retained their ability to release TXA2 in response to LXA4. These findings indicate that LXA4 releases TXA2 by direct activation of a receptor similar to that utilized by the cysteinyl-leukotrienes and that release of TXA2 was not a mere consequence of the contractile response."}
{"id": "PMID:1467462", "title": "Effects of dietary n-6/n-3 ratios on lipid and prostaglandin E2 metabolism in rat gastric mucosa.", "content": "The effects of increased dietary n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids on gastric mucosal lipid metabolism were studied in rats fed for 8 weeks with different combinations of fish and corn oils. Lipid composition, ex vivo prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) production and enzymatic activities involved in phospholipid metabolism and peroxisomal oxidative catabolism of fatty acids and PGE2 were examined. With dietary n-6/n-3 compositional ratios ranging between 75 and 3.3 it was observed that: (i) the arachidonic acid-to-eicosapentaenoic acid ratio (AA/EPA) fell from infinity to 3.1 and 5.1 in phosphatidylcholines (PC) and phosphatidylethanolamines (PE), respectively; (ii) ex vivo production of PGE2 was lowered by a factor of about 2; and (iii) gastric phospholipase A2 activity was enhanced by 32%. With dietary n-6/n-3 ratio lower than 3.3, stimulation of PGE2-CoA oxidase activity was observed whilst the PGE2 level remained constant. These data suggest that the fish oil-induced decrease in ex vivo PGE2 production is more closely related to a decrease in the membrane AA level than to an enhanced oxidative catabolism of PGE2."}
{"id": "PMID:1467463", "title": "Modulation of phosphatidylserine homeostasis by amphiphilic cations in a human neuronal cell line, LA-N-2.", "content": "The stimulatory effects of sphingosine and oleylamine upon the incorporation of [3H]serine into its corresponding phospholipid, phosphatidylserine, by LA-N-2 cell cultures, have been reported (Singh et al. (1992) FEBS Lett., 296, 166-168). The presence of chlorpromazine and N-(6-aminohexyl)-5-chloro-1-naphthalenesulfonamide (W-7) in cultures of these cells provoked increased phosphatidylserine synthesis but decreased protein synthesis in a concentration-dependent fashion. Several other amphiphilic cations, including dimethyldidodecylammonium bromide, verapamil, desipramine, amitriptyline, and mepacrine also stimulated phosphatidylserine synthesis in a dose-dependent manner. These amphiphilic cations reduced the conversion of phosphatidylserine to phosphatidylethanolamine. The observed stimulation of phosphatidylserine synthesis by amphiphilic cations was unaltered in protein kinase C (PKC) down-regulated cells and in retinoic acid (RA)-induced differentiated cells. In contrast, bis(2-ethylhexyl)hydrogen phosphate, an amphiphilic anion, strongly inhibited the incorporation of [3H]serine into phosphatidylserine. These observations demonstrate that phosphatidylserine synthesis in LA-N-2 cells can be modulated by amphiphilic cations and anions. It is suggested that the amphiphilic cations cause the ethanolamine moiety of membrane bound phosphatidylethanolamine to become more accessible to the juxtaposed serine base exchange enzyme."}
{"id": "PMID:1467464", "title": "Effects of coronary angioplasty on plasma platelet-activating factor in man.", "content": "Platelet activating factor (PAF) is a mediator of ischemia and reperfusion-induced tissue damage which was found to be synthesized in culture by endothelial cells. We hypothesized that PAF levels may be increased in the coronary system following coronary angioplasty. PAF levels were measured in the great cardiac vein of 16 patients before, during and following angioplasty of the left anterior coronary artery. PAF concentration was significantly higher in the cardiac vein than in the peripheral circulation at all time points. Interestingly, while PAF levels tended to decrease in the periphery they tended to increase in the coronary system over time. We conclude that PAF levels are higher in the coronary system than in the peripheral circulation in patients undergoing coronary angioplasty and that PAF may be released into the coronary artery following the procedure."}
{"id": "PMID:1467465", "title": "[The physiological reactions to stress in 3 strains of rats].", "content": "We have studied the resistance of Wistar, August, Fisher male rats to 2- and 24-hours immobilization by vegetative and behavioral reactions. The difference in the resistance has been observed both between the three lines of rats and within one particular line. The lowest resistance to stress has been demonstrated by Fisher rats, the highest by Wistar rats. The correlation between emotional reactivity of rats and their response to stress has been shown."}
{"id": "PMID:1467466", "title": "[The ultrastructure of the central nervous system neurons and synapses in the edible snail under a high concentration of potassium ions].", "content": "The morphometric and electron microscopic results on neuronal and synaptic ultrastructure of central nervous system of Helix pomatia snail, incubated in vitro in media with high potassium ion concentration are represented in the present paper. The activation of glial cells is revealed with its close attachment to neurons. The energization of neuronal mitochondria and signs of cytoplasmatic oedema are clearly visible. The penetration of glial endings in the large neuronal branches and the synaptic vesicles confluence in neuronal endings are found."}
{"id": "PMID:1467467", "title": "[The enhancement of the reflex reactions of the rat spinal cord after ablation of the cerebellum].", "content": "The character of evoked monosynaptic responses of spinal cord 3 weeks after total or partial ablation of cerebellum was studied on white rats. There was a substantial increase of amplitude of this response on the side of hemicerebellectomy and of animals with total cerebellectomy. In acute experiments cutting of spinal cord does not remove hyperreflexia."}
{"id": "PMID:1467469", "title": "[Epileptiform activity in the somatosensory cortex of rats with trigeminal neuralgia].", "content": "It was shown in experiments on rats that penicillin 1 microliter microinjection (100 U) into the caudal nucleus of the spinal tract of the trigeminal nerve, accounting for formation of a generator of pathologically enhanced excitation (GREE), brings about in rats the pain syndrome with characteristic for trigeminal neuralgia behavioural manifestations and the emergence of epileptiform activity in the somatosensory cortex, especially pronounced in the contralateral hemisphere. The emergence of this activity reflects, on the one hand, the action of the GREE in the caudal nucleus of the trigeminal nerve and, on the other hand, the involvement of the somatosensory cortex taking over stimulation from the hyperactive caudal nucleus, into formation of a pathological algic system of this form of trigeminal neuralgia."}
{"id": "PMID:1467470", "title": "[The exploratory behavior in an open field and in a burrowing chamber of rats with different predispositions to stress].", "content": "The peculiarities of oriental research behavior and correlation between activities of catecholaminergic and serotoninergic brain systems dependently on their stress resistance degree were investigated in Wistar rats. The experiments showed that resistant (R) to a sound stimulus rats differed from nonresistant (NR) ones by increased research activity under moderate stress in the open field test and by decreased research behavior level in the cell chamber test. The biochemical analysis of biogenic amines in different brain structures revealed increased norepinephrine levels in stress R rats, and increased dopamine and serotonin levels in NR ones. The findings suggest that inborn behavior regulation in animals with different stress resistance is determined by different correlations between serotonin-dopamine and norepinephrine brain systems activities."}
{"id": "PMID:1467471", "title": "[The effect of erythrocyte polypeptides on the erythron system in experimental anemia].", "content": "The paper reports the action of the polypeptide preparation made of red cells on erythron system in rat toxic anemia. These polypeptides proved more effective as to erythropoiesis stimulation in phenylhydrasine anemia than vitamin B12 or lek. Red cell polypeptides are considered possible regulators of erythropoiesis."}
{"id": "PMID:1467474", "title": "[Changes in the hemoglobin content of the erythrocytes in white rats in ontogeny].", "content": "The investigation of hemoglobin concentration (HC) in erythrocytes of rats in prenatal and early postnatal period reported HC reduction in the process of animal development, especially marked during the first 5 days of postnatal life. The change in the character of cell distribution by hemoglobin has been established: the decrease in the width of distribution, the shift of histogram to lower values of hemoglobin concentrations, the appearance of marked modal class in adult rats."}
{"id": "PMID:1467475", "title": "[The state of lipid peroxidation and of the antioxidant system in the liver and lung microsomes at different periods of sensitization depending on the histamine content].", "content": "Histamine impact on lipid peroxidation (LPO) in hepatic and pulmonary microsomes of guinea-pigs sensibilization was studied. It is demonstrated that intensity of chemiluminescence and LPO product content in NADPH-, ascorbat-dependent and spontaneous systems was enhanced in relation to the period of sensibilization process formation and histamine concentration."}
{"id": "PMID:1467476", "title": "[Changes in the blood serum lipids and lipoproteins of rats in ovariectomy and to the administration of the methyl ester of 6-hydroxy-D-homo-8-isoestrone].", "content": "Ovariectomy of rats resulted in biphasic increase of the blood plasma cholesterol (on days 42-54, 70), the alteration of lipoprotein spectrum. The administration to ovariectomized rats of methyl ether 6-oxy-D-homo-8-isoestrone in a dose of 0.01 mg/kg brought about lowering of serum cholesterol and normalization of lipoproteins spectrum. The above trends were not observed after introduction of 0.01 mg/kg estradiol."}
{"id": "PMID:1467477", "title": "[A correlation between the cellular composition of the spleen and the change in splenocyte chemiluminescence after laser irradiation].", "content": "Chemiluminescence (CL) of splenocytes of A/Sn mice (1.5-9-month old) was recorded after irradiation of the cells with lambda semiconductor laser at 820 nm (dose 1.1 x 10(3) J/m2, pulse repetition rate 292 Hz). Laser radiation was found to stimulate or suppress the spontaneous CL (SCL) of splenocytes, the amplitude and its sign depending on cellular composition of the spleen. Direct correlations between effect of laser radiation (per cent in changes in SCL) and per cent of plasmatic cells (r = 0.743, p < 0.001), neutrophils (r = 0.650, p < 0.001) and myelocytes and metamyelocytes (r = 0.507, p << 0.01) were established. The correlation with per cent of lymphocytes (r = -0.590, p < 0.001) was found to be a reverse one."}
{"id": "PMID:1467478", "title": "[Changes in pain sensitivity under increased atmospheric pressure].", "content": "It has been established that augmentation of air pressure from 0.1 to 1.1 MPa (with 0.1 MPa intervals) was accompanied in rats with the development of progressive analgesia which was measured according to the threshold of vocalization in the test of electrical stimulation of the tail. The highest analgesic response arose at 0.7-1.1 MPa. All the animals might be divided into two groups: group 1-72% of the animals with a 200% increase of the threshold, group 2--animals with such an increase by 15%. The augmentation of the pressure of heliox (79.1% of helium, 20.9% of oxygen) also caused analgesia, but not so strong. In patients pain thresholds to the mechanical nociceptive stimulation also increased by about 43-67% and 95-100% under the influence of increased air pressure of 0.4 and 0.7 MPa, respectively. In group 1 patients (67%) pain threshold increased by 50-100%, in group 2 by 15-25%. Pretreatment with naloxone (1 mg/kg), atropine (1 mg/kg), yohimbine (1 mg/kg), parachloramphetamine (5 mg/kg) and prasosin (1 mg/kg) decreased hyperbaric analgesia in rats by 41-56, 41-56, 17-19, 17-19%, respectively. The role of increased partial pressure of nitrogen in hyperbaric analgesia and possible neurochemical mechanisms of its realization are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1467479", "title": "[The influence of propranolol on the circadian fluctuations in the duration of the hypnogenic effect of diazepam and hexenal].", "content": "The influence of propranolol on the circadian variations of duration of the anaesthetic effect of diazepam and hexobarbital sodium were studied at 2-hour intervals in two separate round-the-clock observations on mice. Propranolol significantly changed the daily course of the anaesthetic effect of diazepam, caused its inversion and reduced the mean duration of hexobarbital anaesthesia. The observed antagonism between propranolol and hypnotics with varying anaesthetic properties could be attributed to its ability to interfere with both the cerebral neuromediator sleep regulating and beta-adrenoblocking systems but not to its specific blocking effects on pineal functions."}
{"id": "PMID:1467480", "title": "[A spectral analysis of the effect of sidnocarb on the bioelectrical activity of the rat brain].", "content": "A quantitative pharmaco-EEG analysis of the action of psychostimulant drug sydnocarb and its solvent polyethylenglycol-400 on bioelectrical activity of sensomotor cortex, dorsal hippocamp and lateral hypothalamus of wakeful rats in free behavior was carried out. Polyethylenglycol-400 proved to affect CNS, as it decreases slow-wave activity and causes displacement of the dominant peak to the region of more slow-wave frequencies, shows anticonvulsant action. Sydnocarb reduces absolute power of all frequency ranges and increases relative power of fast activity. It is concluded that sydnocarb increases in optimal limits the level of CNS vigilance which may underlie a psychostimulant action of the drug eventuating into optimization of behavioral functions, increasing physical and mental capacity for work."}
{"id": "PMID:1467481", "title": "[A comparative study of the neurochemical profiles of remoxipride, raclopride and metoclopramide activity].", "content": "Effects of intraperitoneal administration of remoxipride (2.4 mg/kg), raclopride (1.2 mg/kg) and metoclopramide (5 mg/kg) on the concentration of monoamines and metabolites in various brain regions, on the DA and serotonin biosynthesis in the striatum and nucleus accumbens, on the K(+)-stimulated DA release from the isolated striatum, on the extracellular levels of DA and metabolites in the striatum of freely moving rats were studied. Remoxipride and raclopride increase DA turnover, biosynthesis and DA release, studied both in vitro and in vivo. Metoclopramide was shown to be more effective in increasing DA turnover and biosynthesis, while exerted less activity in regard to increasing DA release in vivo and failed to affect release in vitro. Possible neurochemical mechanisms underlying pharmacological effects of these drugs are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1467482", "title": "[The effect of the prophylactic use of benzonal on the cytochrome P-450 content of the liver in irradiated rats].", "content": "The rats (100 mg/kg, once a day, per os, during 3 days) were administered suspension of benzonal in starch gel before irradiation of 12 Gy. Induced and uninduced rats were irradiated on the following day after stopping benzonal administration and were decapitated at 10, 12, 15 and 21 o'clock during the first and second day after irradiation and also on the fourth day (day of mass death of irradiated rats). It has been established that irradiation changes the dynamics of cytochrome P-450 concentration in microsomal fraction of rat liver. The essential decrease of the content of cytochrome on the second day after irradiation was accompanied by intensification of the process of its inactivation, but stoichiometry between the decrease of P-450 and the increase of cytochrome P-420 was not observed. The high inducing and stabilizing effects of benzonal on cytochrome P-450 and on the liver persisted. In comparison with irradiation the unfavourable effect of benzonal on immunocompetent organs (thymus, spleen) was not found."}
{"id": "PMID:1467483", "title": "[The interrelationship of doses and the pharmacological effects of cardiac peptides].", "content": "Low-molecular weight peptides prepared according to an original procedure from a cattle heart possess a protecting effect on the myocardium during ischemia. Peptides in doses of 10(-7) g/ml and less improve the indexes of contractility function of the isolated heart after total ischemia and correct respiration warranting cardiomyocytes survival during hypoxia. However, in different models high doses of heart peptides (5 x 10(-6) g/ml and more) are shown to inhibit contractility, to stop respiration, the action of the peptides increasing with myocardial ischemia degree."}
{"id": "PMID:1467484", "title": "[The effect of naloxone on the activation, inducible by chronic alcoholic intoxication, of the membrane-bound form of enkephalin convertase in the midbrain and hypothalamus of rats].", "content": "The activity of membrane-bound and soluble enkephalin convertase was determined with dansyl-Phe-Leu-Arg as substrate in midbrain, including hypothalamus, of Wistar rats, who were given ethanol (20% solution i.g., 9-15 g/kg per day during 4 days) or naloxone (2 mg/kg i.p. twice a day during 4 days) or their combination. It was shown that activation of membrane-bound enzyme, observed after alcohol treatment of rats, didn't develop by combined ethanol-naloxone administration. It's supposed that alcohol-stimulating effect on this enzyme realizes throughout the hyperstimulation of opioid receptors by enkephalins and, possible, by other opioid-active compounds."}
{"id": "PMID:1467485", "title": "[Changes in the glial condition in different sections of the rat brain after stopping the systemic circulation].", "content": "The effect of ischemia on the expression of GFAP in astrocytes of cerebrum, hippocampus and cerebellum was studied on rat clinical death model. Cardiac arrest was induced by 10-or 15-min intrathoracic compression of the heart vascular bundle. Immunohistochemical staining showed that GFAP immunoreactivity significantly increased in the white matter, and GFAP-expressing astrocytes appeared in the gray matter. The reaction activity correlated with ischemia duration and phases of postresuscitation process. The obtained data are indicative of possible changes in the astrocytes condition in the absence of manifest lesions of neurons. This brings up the question of the role of glia homeostasis derangements in the formation of brain postresuscitation pathology."}
{"id": "PMID:1467486", "title": "[The production and characteristics of an interleukin-6-dependent hybridoma].", "content": "The interleukin-6-(IL-6)-alpha dependent B-cell heterohybridomas were obtained by the fusion of X65.Ag8.653 cells with spleen cells from August rats immunized with lipopolysaccharide E. coli. One of these hybridomas (D6C8) was found to be most dependent on IL-6 for its surviving and growth. Human recombinant IL-1 beta and tumor necrosis factor-alpha could not induce the in vitro growth of this cell line. Presence of elevated level of IL-6 was demonstrated in the sera of patients with rheumatoid arthritis. A specific and sensitive detection of the IL-6 activity in test samples makes it possible to study the presence and role of IL-6 in various immunological disorders."}
{"id": "PMID:1467487", "title": "[The effect of interleukin-2 on experimental emotional hypertension].", "content": "The effect of human recombinant interleukin-2, one of the potent mediators of the immune system, on the course of emotional hypertension in non-linear white rats has been investigated. A significant and prolonged hypotensive action of a single injection of interleukin-2 in hypertensive rats has been revealed. The data obtained can be a new evidence of participation of immune system in the development of hypertension in experimental animals."}
{"id": "PMID:1467488", "title": "[Immunocorrection in destructive pancreatitis].", "content": "An immunocorrective effect of current methods of detoxication in experimental acute destructive pancreatitis was studied on 40 mongrel male dogs with body mass 13-15 kg. It was found that destructive pancreatitis is associated with a decrease in immunological reactivity, mainly in T-cell immunity component. Application of spleen xeno and ultraviolet irradiation of autoblood proved most effective as early treatment. On treatment day 3-7 immunological indices recovered and even increased after hemosorption."}
{"id": "PMID:1467489", "title": "[Natural killer activity in man under different experimental conditions].", "content": "The cytotoxic activity of natural killer (NK) cells against labelled with 3H-uridine target cells of standard human erythromyeloblast line K562 in 63 healthy donors was studied in 14-hr cytotoxic test. The cytotoxic reaction was realized in complete medium supplemented with different types of serum such as foetal calf serum (FCS), autologous or homologous sera in different schemes of incubation. It has been shown that NK cell activity was augmented by 50 per cent (p < 0.05) in the presence of homologous serum added to mononuclear cell suspension for 1 hr at 37 degrees C in comparison with the effect of FCS presence. Thus, the serum of healthy donors contains some factors which not only reflect an individual genotypic information of a donor, but also can be recognized by NK cells and significantly change the cytotoxic NK cell activity. The data obtained exclude possibility of using a homologous serum when positive controls for natural cytotoxic reactions are planned."}
{"id": "PMID:1467490", "title": "[The dynamics of cytostatic factor production by inactivated resident peritoneal macrophages from Syrian hamsters].", "content": "Results presented indicate that resident peritoneal macrophages (Mph) of intact, or tumor-bearing Syrian hamsters release cytostatic factor(s) (CSF) independently on the presence of serum in culture medium and the degree of Mph adherence. Dynamics of CSF secretion and accumulation depends on the number of Mph and duration of time of CSF production. It has been shown that at later time of Mph cultivation (24 hours) supernatants examined can stimulate proliferation of the target cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1467491", "title": "[The effect of ascitic fluid on the growth of Ehrlich tumor and Lewis carcinoma].", "content": "In the study of the effect of ascitic fluid and dialysate of Ehrlich ascites tumor cells (m.m. less than 15 kDa) on the growth of Ehrlich and Lewis carcinoma it was found that the ascitic fluid significantly decreased the size of Ehrlich tumor (by more than 50% on day 9-25 after the tumor cell inoculation). It also reduced Lewis carcinoma tumor volume by more than 30% during 3 weeks after the tumor cells inoculation. Dialysate of Ehrlich tumor cells significantly inhibited the growth of Ehrlich tumor too. It is suggested that this test-system simulates inhibition of a small tumor by a big tumor in vivo."}
{"id": "PMID:1467492", "title": "[The modelling of the growth of Ehrlich carcinoma and teratoma T-36 with ascitic fluid and tumor-cell dialysate].", "content": "The study of the effect of ascitic fluid and dialysate of Ehrlich ascites tumor cells (M.m. less than 15 kDa) on the growth of Ehrlich carcinoma and teratoma T-36 has shown that both the ascitic fluid and dialysate can protect tumor cells in vivo. The number of animals with tumors increased from 0% in control animals to 60 and 20%, respectively, in experimental ones after transplantation i.m. of 20 x 10(3) Ehrlich tumor cells into mice. Compared to control, ascitic fluid and dialysate of Ehrlich ascites tumor cells increased the rate of tumor growth to 195 and 153%, respectively. It is suggested that this test-system simulates the effect of tumor humoral factors in vivo."}
{"id": "PMID:1467493", "title": "[The genome localization of the plasmid pAP27 fin N system].", "content": "Plasmid transfer genetic regulatory system fin N of F-like plasmid pAP27 have been localized on BamHI-restriction fragment f3 (length 8.7 kb). Plasmid pUC19 Fin-activity have been cleared up and characterized from the point of view of its specificity of action on some plasmid transfer functions."}
{"id": "PMID:1467494", "title": "[The systems of the genetic regulation of plasmid transfer fin K, fin L, fin M and fin N].", "content": "F-like plasmids pAP19-1::Tn9, pAP20::Tn9, pAP22-1::Tn1, pAP27 characterized by the presence of unique genetic plasmid transfer regulatory systems in their genomes have been found. These systems were named fin K, fin L, fin M, finN, consequently. They were characterized from the point of view of specificity of their action on F-factor and F-like conjugative function. Dependence of fin N-system expression on host-cell and on the order of plasmid entering into host-cell was shown."}
{"id": "PMID:1467495", "title": "[Hematopoietic precursor cells in radiation chimeras restored by bone marrow from thymectomized mice].", "content": "Radioprotective capacity of bone marrow CFUs of adult thymectomized mice was studied. Lethally irradiated mice were inoculated with bone marrow of mice thymectomized 8-11 months before. The colony forming capacity and proliferative rate of CFUs were studied 1-7.5 months after obtaining the radiation chimeras. It has been shown that proliferative capacity of bone marrow of adult thymectomized mice was reduced in comparison with that of normal animals. It is related to the decrease (4-fold) of the proliferative rate of bone marrow of thymectomized mice which was inoculated into lethally irradiated recipients 1 month before. We also found that the content of CFUs in bone of those chimeras was reduced later--after 7.5 months. In this period (1-7.5 months) the cellularity of bone marrow did not change."}
{"id": "PMID:1467496", "title": "[The proliferative potential of CFUs from the bone marrow of thymectomized mice].", "content": "Proliferative potential of CFUs in bone marrow of young and adult mice (1.5-25 months) and thymus influence on this property were studied. It has been shown on the model of adult thymectomized mice that during \"steady state\" hematopoiesis, proliferative potential of bone marrow CFUs does not depend on the animals age and on thymic factors."}
{"id": "PMID:1467498", "title": "[The electron-histochemical detection of the activity of thiol proteinases in normal and cirrhotically altered liver].", "content": "The distribution co-activity of thiol proteinases (cathepsin B and cathepsin H) was investigated in normal and cirrhotic liver by the electron-cytochemical method. The reaction product was localized on lysosomes of Kupffer's cells, hepatocytes, endotheliocytes and fibroblasts. Extracellular activity of thiol proteinases was revealed in normal as well as in cirrhotic liver. The reaction product was situated on collagen fibrils near hepatocytes and connective tissue cells. The results evidence that besides participation in intracellular degradation of different proteins, thiol proteinases are secreted by hepatocytes and connective tissue cells of the liver to the intercellular space and can take part in extracellular collagen resorption."}
{"id": "PMID:1467499", "title": "[The biochemical and morphological changes in the myocardium of patients with an acute surgical vascular pathology (based on data from early autopsies)].", "content": "Biochemical and morphological disorders of glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G-6-PDH) were studied in the myocardium of 9 patients who had died from different vascular surgical diseases. The inhibition of G-6-PDH activity most prominent in lung artery thromboembolism was shown biochemically. Histological and histoenzymological findings demonstrate low G-6-PDH activity in different myocardial regions and solitary defects of cardiomyocytes. The data obtained evidence significant sensibility of the myocardium in surgical patients to different influences."}
{"id": "PMID:1467500", "title": "[Cellular apoptosis].", "content": "The interrelations between lymphocytes and intestinal epithelium cells after total X-ray irradiation (15 Gy) were investigated autoradiographically in CBA mice. The labelled lymphocytes injected in the irradiated animals migrated in intestinal epithelium, the label being present within vacuoles of the crypt cells and later in their nuclei. The trophic function of lymphocytes and the nature of the so-called apoptosis are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1467501", "title": "[The mechanism of action of chorionic gonadotropin on lactate dehydrogenase activity].", "content": "The purpose of this report is to demonstrate that chorionic gonadotropin (CG) interacts nonspecifically with lactate dehydrogenase changing its catalytic activity. The binding in vitro of CG (5 mg/ml) to the enzyme is accompanied by conformational changes of its protein and kinetic characteristics. It may be possible that chorionic gonadotropin exercises a controlling influence on lactate dehydrogenase activity in the cell."}
{"id": "PMID:1467502", "title": "[New approaches to an understanding of hemodynamic norms].", "content": "Tetrapolar rheography was used to investigate central hemodynamics parameters in a group of 80 healthy subjects aged 25-68. Hyperkinetic, eukinetic and hypokinetic types of circulation were determined by interval distribution according to cardiac index. The proportion of the examinees by their hemodynamic type was: 16.3:63.7:20.0%. In hyperkinetic type the optimal level of average blood pressure was provided by a relatively high cardiac output (CO) and low total and specific peripheral resistance (TPR, SPR). The hypokinetic type of hemodynamics was characterized by a low level of CO and a high value of TPR and SPR. Subjects with eukinetic hemodynamic type were in an intermediate position. It is suggested to take into consideration the hemodynamic type in hypertensive subjects for drug selection and treatment control."}
{"id": "PMID:1467511", "title": "Cytokine dysregulation and acute graft-versus-host disease.", "content": "We suggest that acute GVHD after marrow transplantation reflects (1) host injury due to the conditioning regimen followed by the production of inflammatory cytokines; (2) stimulation of mature donor T cells in the milieu of increased cell surface expression of leukocyte adhesion molecules and HLA molecules, followed by the autocrine production of IL-2; and, finally, (3) recruitment and activation of additional mononuclear effector cells from donor marrow progenitors, which produce additional inflammatory cytokines, thus sustaining the response. The second step is critical for the amplification of the systemic inflammatory response, and it is absence in autologous, syngeneic, and T-cell-depleted transplants. These T cells may also contribute to the inflammatory cytokine network. Acute GVHD can occur in the absence of primary tissue injury in such settings as transfusion-related GVHD; however, it is likely that a greater HLA disparity between donor and host is required. We propose that inflammatory cytokine production is the final common pathway of acute GVHD. If this model is correct, control of cytokine dysregulation at any of several points should control GVHD. Further studies of GVHD and investigations of cytokine antagonists (eg, IL-4 or IL-10) or combinations of antagonists such as IL-1ra and soluble TNF receptor or pentoxifylline will allow us to determine the validity of this hypothesis."}
{"id": "PMID:1467512", "title": "Effects of therapy with didanosine on hematologic parameters in patients with advanced human immunodeficiency virus disease.", "content": "Myelosuppression is associated with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and may also be produced by agents used for the treatment of the disease or the treatment of its complications. Didanosine (ddl; 2',3'-dideoxyinosine) is a newer purine nucleoside that has recently become available for therapy for HIV infection. The effects of didanosine on peripheral blood counts have been retrospectively evaluated in the first 170 patients treated with this new agent in four phase I trials. Patients treated with didanosine showed statistically significant improvements in hemoglobin levels, white cell counts, and granulocyte and platelet numbers as compared with baseline values. These changes were seen with or without prior therapy with zidovudine, were somewhat more pronounced at higher doses of didanosine, and persisted for up to 1 year. Reported adverse events included peripheral neuropathy, diarrhea, and most notably, pancreatitis. It is concluded that, while some toxic side effects occur, didanosine therapy in HIV infection is associated with an amelioration of HIV-induced myelosuppression."}
{"id": "PMID:1467513", "title": "Long-term outcome of high-dose cytarabine-based consolidation chemotherapy for adults with acute myelogenous leukemia.", "content": "Modern induction chemotherapy produces 60% to 80% complete remissions in adults with newly diagnosed acute myelogenous leukemia. A major challenge is to eradicate subclinical disease in remission and prevent leukemic relapse. We analyzed the long-term results of high-dose cytarabine-anthracycline consolidation chemotherapy without maintenance treatment and examined the effect of major prognostic factors, including age, sex, history of preleukemia, and cytogenetics. Two hundred twenty-seven patients with newly diagnosed acute leukemia were enrolled on two sequential studies conducted from 1982 to 1991. One hundred fifty-one patients (67%) achieved a complete remission. One hundred twenty-three patients were eligible for high-dose cytarabine-based consolidation administered in two to three courses. After a median follow-up of 4.8 years, 40 patients remain alive, with 28 in continued remission. Median remission duration for all eligible patients is 12.8 months, and actuarial leukemia-free survival (LFS) at 5 years is 26% +/- 8%. Advanced age and male sex were negative prognostic indicators for LFS. For patients < or = 45 years of age, 5-year LFS was 35% +/- 13%, as compared with 18% +/- 11% for patients greater than age 45 (P = .03). Toxicity of consolidation chemotherapy included treatment-related death in nine patients and serious neurotoxicity in five. Our results show an improved LFS for younger patients treated with high-dose cytarabine-based consolidation. There was no apparent benefit for older patients compared with reported data with less intensive regimens."}
{"id": "PMID:1467514", "title": "Clinical significance of the BCR-ABL fusion gene in adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia: a Cancer and Leukemia Group B Study (8762).", "content": "The Philadelphia (Ph1) chromosome, or its molecular counterpart, the BCR-ABL fusion gene, is a rare but important prognostic indicator in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), but its impact on adult ALL has not been well ascertained. A prospective study of the BCR-ABL fusion gene was begun on patients entered on clinical trials conducted by the Cancer and Leukemia Group B (CALGB). All patients received intensive, multiagent chemotherapy that included daunorubicin. Over 2 years, 56 patients were studied for molecular evidence of a BCR-ABL gene using Southern blot and pulsed-field gel hybridization analysis. Results were compared with cytogenetic detection of a Ph1 chromosome, and clinical features were compared for the BCR-ABL-positive and -negative groups. Molecular methods detected the BCR-ABL gene in 30% of cases compared with cytogenetic detection of the Ph1 chromosome in only 23%. The majority of cases (76%) showed the p190 gene subtype similar to pediatric ALL; the BCR-ABL-positive cases displayed a more homogeneous immunophenotype than the BCR-ABL-negative cases and were predominantly CALLA positive (86%) and B-cell surface antigen positive (82%). The rate of achieving complete remission was similar in the BCR-ABL-positive and -negative groups (71% and 77%, respectively, P = .72). There were more early relapses in the BCR-ABL-positive group, resulting in a shorter remission duration that was especially marked in the CALLA-positive and B-cell antigen-positive populations. These preliminary data suggest that the impact of the BCR-ABL gene on clinical outcome in ALL may be on maintenance of complete remission (CR) rather than achievement of CR when aggressive, multiagent chemotherapy is used. This study identifies the BCR-ABL gene as an important factor in adult ALL and demonstrates the utility of molecular methods for its accurate diagnosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1467515", "title": "Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor and erythropoietin act competitively to induce two different programs of differentiation in the human pluripotent cell line UT-7.", "content": "The UT-7 cell line was established from a patient with a megakaryoblastic leukemia (Komatsu et al, Cancer Res 51: 341, 1991). Its proliferation is strictly dependent on the presence of hematopoietic growth factors including erythropoietin (Epo), granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), and interleukin-3 (IL-3). We investigated the differentiation capacities of this cell line under the action of several growth factors, using immunomarkers, flow cytometry, and ultrastructural techniques. In the presence of GM-CSF and IL-3, eosinophil and basophil promyelocytes were detected, as well as a few cells with erythroid and megakaryocytic (MK) differentiation features. In contrast, Epo induced a marked erythroid differentiation with an increase of glycophorin A expression, accompanied by a few hemoglobinized cells. Differentiation induced by the growth factors took 24 to 48 hours to begin, and increased with cell passages to a plateau at 2 weeks of culture. However, this was not only due to a cell selection because the differential effects of Epo and GM-CSF were observed from a single cell clone and the phenotype could be reversed by opposite growth factors, even after a long period of culture. We subsequently investigated the phenotype of UT-7 in the presence of combinations of Epo, IL-3, and GM-CSF, and showed that GM-CSF and IL-3 act predominantly over Epo. This effect was mediated by a rapid downmodulation of Epo receptors by GM-CSF at messenger RNA and binding sites levels, without a change in receptor affinities. On the other hand, Epo had no effect on number and affinity of GM-CSF receptors. This study shows that UT-7 is a growth factor-dependent pluripotent cell line in which commitment may be directed by a hierarchical action of growth factors through an early and rapid transmodulation of growth factor receptors."}
{"id": "PMID:1467516", "title": "Activation of the erythropoietin receptor by the Friend spleen focus-forming virus gp55 glycoprotein induces constitutive protein tyrosine phosphorylation.", "content": "The erythropoietin receptor (EPO-R) can be activated to signal cell growth by binding either EPO or gp55, the Friend spleen focus-forming virus (SFFV) glycoprotein. EPO binding induces tyrosine kinase activity and rapid tyrosine phosphorylation of several cellular substrates. To test for gp55-induced tyrosine kinase activity, we performed immunoblots on two murine cell lines that stably express EPO-R and gp55. Stimulation of the parental cell line, Ba/F3, with murine interleukin-3 (IL-3) resulted in rapid, dose-dependent tyrosine phosphorylation of a 97-Kd substrate. Stimulation with IL-3 or EPO of the Ba/F3 cells expressing the recombinant EPO-R (Ba/F3-EPO-R) resulted in tyrosine phosphorylation of the same p97 substrate. These latter cells, when transformed to growth factor-independence by the Friend gp55 glycoprotein, exhibited constitutive tyrosine phosphorylation of the 97-Kd substrate. Other growth factor-independent Ba/F3 subclones, transformed with either the oncoprotein, v-abl, or with a constitutively activated EPO-R, also had constitutive phosphorylation of a 97-Kd substrate. In CTLL-2-EPO-R cells, a T-lymphocyte line stably transfected with the EPO-R, the 97-Kd substrate was tyrosine-phosphorylated in response to IL-2 or EPO. The 97-Kd protein was constitutively phosphorylated in CTLL-2-EPO-R-gp55 cells. In conclusion, a 97-Kd protein found in two murine cell lines is tyrosine-phosphorylated in response to multiple growth factors and viral oncoproteins, and appears to be a central phosphoprotein in signal transduction."}
{"id": "PMID:1467517", "title": "Characterization of human osteoblast and megakaryocyte-derived osteonectin (SPARC).", "content": "Osteonectin is an adhesive, cell, and extracellular matrix-binding glycoprotein found primarily in the matrix of bone and in blood platelets in vivo. Osteonectins isolated from these two sources differ with respect to the complexity of their constituent N-linked oligosaccharide. In this study, osteonectin synthesized by bone-forming cells (osteoblasts) and platelet-producing cells (megakaryocytes) in vitro was analyzed to determine if the proteins produced were analogous in terms of glycosylation to those isolated from bone and platelets, respectively. Immunoblot analyses of osteonectin produced by the osteoblast-like cell lines, SaOS-2 and MG-63, indicated that secreted and intracellular forms of the molecule are structurally distinct. Endoglycosidase treatment and immunoblotting of osteonectin secreted from SaOS-2 and MG-63 cells, under serum-deprived conditions, suggested that the molecule possessed a complex type oligosaccharide unlike the high-mannose moiety found on bone matrix-derived osteonectin. Biosynthetic labeling of SaOS-2 cells and human megakaryocytes indicated that both cell types synthesize osteonectin de novo. Electrophoretic and glycosidase sensitivity analyses of [35S]-osteonectin isolated from lysates of metabolically labeled SaOS-2 cells and megakaryocytes indicated that these two cell types synthesize osteonectin molecules that are identical in oligosaccharide structure to the isolated bone and platelet proteins. These data suggest that the intracellular form of the osteonectin molecule is glycosylated differently in SaOS-2 cells and megakaryocytes but that the extracellular form which is secreted from platelets in vivo and osteoblasts in vitro is characterized by the presence of a complex type N-linked oligosaccharide."}
{"id": "PMID:1467518", "title": "Proteolytic interactions of factor IXa with human factor VIII and factor VIIIa.", "content": "Factor IXa was shown to inactivate both factor VIII and factor VIIIa in a phospholipid-dependent reaction that could be blocked by an antifactor IX antibody. Factor IXa-catalyzed inactivation correlated with proteolytic cleavages within the A1 subunit of factor VIIIa and within the heavy chain (contiguous A1-A2-B domains) of factor VIII. Furthermore, a relatively slow conversion of factor VIII light chain to a 68-Kd fragment was observed after prolonged incubation. Sites of cleavage were identified within the A1 domain at Arg336-Met337 and within the factor VIII light chain at Arg1719-Asn1720. Factor IXa failed to cleave isolated factor VIII heavy chains, yet cleaved isolated factor VIII light chain. In addition, the purified A1/A3-C1-C2 dimer derived from factor VIIIa was a substrate for factor IXa; however, cleavage of the A1 subunit occurred at less than 30% the rate of cleavage of A1 in trimeric factor VIIIa. These data suggest that factor VIII light chain contributes to the binding site for factor IXa and also support a role for a heavy chain determinant located within the A2 subunit in the association of factor VIIIa with factor IXa. Furthermore, the capacity of factor IXa to proteolytically inactivate its cofactor, factor VIIIa, suggests a mode of regulation within the intrinsic tenase complex."}
{"id": "PMID:1467519", "title": "An unusual antibody that blocks tissue factor/factor VIIa function by inhibiting cleavage only of macromolecular substrates.", "content": "Tissue factor (TF), the cell surface receptor and cofactor for factor VIIa (FVIIa), is considered the major physiologic trigger of the coagulation cascade. Most monoclonal antibodies to TF have been reported to inhibit TF activity by blocking association of FVII(a) with TF. Using solution-phase kinetic analyses, we have reexamined two strongly inhibitory anti-TF monoclonal antibodies (TF8-11D12 and TF9-9C3) previously reported to block FVII binding in cell-binding assays. Kinetic analysis of TF9-9C3 was consistent with direct competition with FVIIa for binding to TF. However, antibody TF8-11D12 did not block FVIIa binding to TF as measured by ability of the TF:FVIIa complex to cleave a small peptide substrate or by enhanced reactivity of FVIIa with a tripeptidyl-chloromethylketone. Interestingly, TF8-11D12 strongly inhibited cleavage of all three known macromolecular substrates (factors VII, IX, and X) of the TF:FVIIa complex. We hypothesize that TF8-11D12 blocks access of macromolecular substrates to the active site of FVIIa by steric hindrance. This study identifies a useful probe for TF function and provides insights into the inhibitory mechanism of an unusual class of antibody proposed for therapeutic intervention in thrombotic disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1467520", "title": "Activation of human platelets by the rabbit anticardiolipin antibodies.", "content": "Affinity purified anticardiolipin antibodies (ACLA) raised in rabbits showed cross-reactivities with various negatively charged phospholipids as shown by both the solid phase enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and inhibition studies. In ELISA, ACLA showed strong cross-reactivity to both sphingomyelin (SM) and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), but the inhibition studies showed that ACLA failed to bind the aqueous suspensions of SM, PE, and PE/PC (1:1). ACLA bound to resting gel-filtered human platelets (GFP) as shown by both inhibition study and flow cytofluorometric analysis. Western blotting procedure showed that ACLA strongly cross-reacted to an 80-Kd plasma membrane protein. ACLA activated platelet response in a concentration-dependent manner. At less than 10 micrograms/mL, ACLA induced both platelet shape change to spiculate irregular forms as shown by scanning electron microscopy and the phosphorylation of 20-Kd protein. ACLA at more than 10 micrograms/mL caused platelet aggregation and secretion. The aggregation was inhibited by EDTA; aspirin; antimycin A plus 2-deoxyglucose; PGE1; and the F(ab')2 fragment of ACLA. It was not inhibited by monoclonal antibody to Fc receptor (MoAb FcR2). The biochemical events of ACLA-induced platelet response involved the elevation of (1) thromboxane A2 formation, (2) cytosolic free calcium ion concentration ([Ca2+]i), and (3) 47-Kd protein phosphorylation. In addition, the subaggregatory concentration of ACLA showed synergistic platelet activation with that concentration of thrombin, collagen, and epinephrine. The study showed the mechanism involved in ACLA-induced platelet responses."}
{"id": "PMID:1467521", "title": "Human T-cell development in SCID-hu mice: staphylococcal enterotoxins induce specific clonal deletions, proliferation, and anergy.", "content": "SCID-hu mice provide an in vivo model for studying the events of normal intrathymic human T-cell development and differentiation. We injected SCID-hu mice with staphylococcal enterotoxins (SE) and determined their effects on the development and responsiveness of human T-cell populations defined by their expression of CD4 and CD8, and the type of V beta molecule in their T-cell receptors. After single intraperitoneal injections of SEB or SEE, we observed specific effects on thymic T cells expressing a cognate V beta T-cell receptor (TCR) (V beta 12.1 in the case of SEB-treated SCID-hu mice and V beta 8.1 in the case of SEE-treated mice) using both immunohistochemical staining of thymic frozen sections and flow cytometric analyses. An injection of SEB resulted in a 32% decrease in the total percentages of V beta 12.1+ cells in thymic sections after 2 days, with the greatest effect seen in the medulla, without a demonstrable effect on V beta 5.2/5.3+ or V beta 8.1+ cells. Fluorescence-activated cell sorter analysis demonstrated that TCRhi thymocytes expressing a cognate V beta TCR declined transiently by 35% to 45% 1 to 2 days after the injection of SE. Analysis of thymic subpopulations showed decreases in the TCRhi CD4+8- and CD4-8+ cells and an increase in TCRlo CD4-8+ cells. Multiple injections of SE resulted in 50% to 60% decreases in cognate V beta TCR+ CD4+8- populations. Thymocytes prepared from SE-treated SCID-hu mice demonstrated specific anergy to the SE to which they had previously been exposed in vivo, but had a normal proliferative response to other superantigens in an in vitro assay. In contrast to the effects on thymic T cells, single injections of SE resulted in a twofold increase in the total numbers of circulating CD4+8- and CD4-8+ human T cells and a fourfold to eightfold increase in T cells expressing a cognate V beta TCR. Using SE as superantigens in SCID-hu mice, we have been able to induce antigen-specific clonal deletions, anergy, and proliferation of human T cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1467522", "title": "Expansion of a unique subpopulation of cytotoxic T cells that express a C alpha V delta 1 T-cell receptor gene in a patient with severe persistent neutropenia.", "content": "CD8+ T-lymphocyte populations may be expanded in the peripheral blood of patients with chronic idiopathic neutropenia and may be involved in suppression of granulopoiesis. In this report, we have analyzed the T-cell receptor (TCR) used by the T lymphocytes of a patient with chronic severe neutropenia. Using specific oligonucleotides in the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to amplify cDNA specific for the different families of the V alpha, V beta, and V delta TCR genes, and monoclonal antibodies (MoAbs) to examine T-lymphocyte subsets and their TCR, a persistent expansion of CD3+CD8+ T lymphocytes and a reduced repertoire of TCR V alpha and V beta genes were found in the patient's peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) preparations. A predominant portion of the T lymphocytes expressed a unique TCR structure. Thus, we found that, despite the fact that 98% of the T cells expressed alpha beta TCR on the surface membrane and less than 2% expressed tau delta TCR, nonetheless, 40% to 60% of the T cells stained positively with anti V delta 1 MoAb. Using the PCR analysis, the V delta 1 gene segment was found to be rearranged to C alpha, rather than to C delta genes. The expanded C alpha V delta 1+ cells, which are found only rarely in normal PB, expressed CD8 and were cytotoxic, and the C alpha V delta 1 receptor was functional in cytotoxicity. This constitutes the first description of an expansion of cytotoxic CD8+ lymphocytes expressing a functional \"hybrid\" C alpha V delta 1 gene in vivo, and suggests a pathogenic role for CD8+ C alpha V delta 1+ cells in some patients with idiopathic neutropenia."}
{"id": "PMID:1467523", "title": "Serum platelet-reactive IgG of autoimmune thrombocytopenic purpura patients is not F(ab')2 mediated and a function of storage.", "content": "Serum platelet-reactive and glycoprotein (GP) IIb-GPIIIa-reactive IgG and F(ab')2 was examined in 39 patients with classic autoimmune thrombocytopenic purpura (ATP), two patients with anti-PLA1 antibody and 25 control subjects in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. IgG was purified by diethyl aminoethyl chromatography and centrifuged at 100,000g before testing of the supernatant. Significant IgG binding (threefold to fourfold control IgG binding) was noted with 8 of 17 ATP patients' IgG, 2 anti-PLA1 IgGs, and 2 ATP patients with multiple platelet transfusions. However, F(ab')2 fragments of nine of nine positive ATP IgGs were nonreactive; F(ab')2 from the two anti-PLA1 and two multiply transfused ATP IgGs were as reactive as their intact IgG. Antiplatelet or anti-GPIIb-GPIIIa reactivity of ATP IgG could be adsorbed to fixed platelets or solid-phase GPIIb-GPIIIa and eluted with 0.1 mol/L glycine, pH 2.5. However, binding of IgG to GPIIb-GPIIIa could not be inhibited with F(ab')2 of ATP IgG or Fc fragments of control subjects. When platelet- or GPIIb-GPIIIa-reactive ATP IgG was applied to a Sephacryl 300 gel filtration column, no reactivity was noted in the 7S region, whereas anti-PLA1 localized to this region. Antiplatelet or anti-GPIIb-GPIIIa reactivity was noted in the void volume and accompanied by a high molecular weight protein region. An immunoblot of the void volume fraction with goat antihuman IgG (gamma chain) antibody showed high molecular weight bands greater than 250 Kd, which after reduction converted to a 55-Kd heavy-chain band. Fresh samples of ATP and control IgG processed within 1 to 2 days of blood withdrawal had no reactivity for GPIIb-GPIIIa. After storage at -20 degrees C for greater than 3 months, 5 of 19 ATP IgG became reactive, whereas 16 of 16 controls were nonreactive. Thus, platelet-reactive IgG of ATP sera appears to be caused by the development of IgG aggregates held together by disulfide bonds that develop on storage, and is not F(ab')2 mediated."}
{"id": "PMID:1467524", "title": "Distinctive immunophenotypic features of t(8;21)(q22;q22) acute myeloblastic leukemia in children.", "content": "Thirty cases of newly diagnosed pediatric acute myeloblastic leukemia (AML) with French-American-British (FAB) M2 morphology were analyzed with cytogenetics and a comprehensive panel of monoclonal antibodies reactive with lymphoid-, natural killer (NK)-cell-, and myeloid-associated antigens. The t(8;21)(q22;q22), or t(8;21;V)(q22;q22;V), translocation was identified in 16 of the 30 cases. Cases with the t(8;21) did not differ significantly from the remaining M2 cases with respect to expression of CD11b, CD13, CD14, CD15, CD33, CD34, CD36, CD41a, CD42b, CDw65, TdT, or HLA-DR. Expression of the B-cell antigen CD19 was detected in 13 of the 16 t(8;21) cases (81%), but in only 1 of the 14 (7%) other M2 cases (P = .00006). Expression of the CD56 NK-cell antigen was also significantly more frequent among t(8;21) cases (63% v 14%; P = .01). Coexpression of CD19 and CD56 was found only in the t(8;21) group (9 of 16 cases, P = .0009). Furthermore, this phenotype was not found in 48 evaluable cases of de novo AML of the FAB M1, M3, M4, M5, or M7 subtypes. The 14 M2 AML cases lacking the t(8;21) commonly expressed CD2 (n = 5) or CD7 (n = 8). However, no case with the t(8;21) expressed either antigen (P = .01 and .0005, respectively). Thus, the t(8;21) biologic subgroup of pediatric M2 AML has distinct immunophenotypic characteristics that distinguish it from other types of de novo AML."}
{"id": "PMID:1467525", "title": "Effects of tumor necrosis factor-alpha on peroxidation of plasma lipoprotein lipids in experimental animals and patients.", "content": "Changes in the plasma lipid composition are observed in patients and animals with malignancy and certain other diseases that are consistent with peroxidation of plasma lipoprotein lipids. These changes can be observed with water-suppressed proton (H-1) and carbon-13 (C-13) nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) and gas chromatography. Gas chromatography provides evidence of a decrease in polyunsaturated fatty acids relative to monounsaturated fatty acids. This evidence is consistent with that observed by C-13 NMR spectroscopy. Mediators for these effects were sought. Cytokines, known to be released in response to malignant tumor cells and to affect lipid metabolism, were injected into normal mice and their effects on the H-1 and C-13 NMR spectra of plasma lipids were observed. Mouse recombinant tumor necrosis factor-alpha (mr-TNF-alpha) significantly decreased the H-1 methyl and methylene lipid linewidths, and the C-13 spectra indicated a decrease in the relative concentration of polyunsaturated fatty acids. The same changes were directly confirmed by gas chromatographic analysis, showing decreases in the amount of linoleic and arachidonic acids and other polyunsaturated fatty acids relative to monounsaturated fatty acids and in the ratio of polyunsaturated to monounsaturated fatty acids. Serial plasma samples from volunteers receiving an infusion of endotoxin showed similar changes in their C-13 NMR spectroscopy at times when peak TNF-alpha values were measured. In addition, in these samples the C-13 NMR spectra showed direct evidence of lipid peroxidation products. These changes were similar to those observed commonly in the plasma of cancer patients. Other cytokines (human recombinant interleukin-1 alpha [hr-IL-1 alpha], hr-IL-2, mouse recombinant interferon-gamma) did not produce these effects. We conclude that TNF-alpha is a mediator (but not necessarily the only one) of changes in plasma lipoprotein lipid composition due to peroxidation and that this is a mechanism for the changes observed in the NMR spectra of plasma from cancer patients and from normal animals injected with TNF-alpha."}
{"id": "PMID:1467526", "title": "Myeloid and lymphoid chimerism after T-cell-depleted bone marrow transplantation: evaluation of conditioning regimens using the polymerase chain reaction to amplify human minisatellite regions of genomic DNA.", "content": "Determining both myeloid and lymphoid chimerism after T-cell-depleted allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT) could be helpful in the understanding of the biology of engraftment and could provide a rational method of assessing the ability of different conditioning regimens to promote engraftment. We prospectively investigated the role of different pretransplant conditioning regimens in 29 leukemic patients post-BMT by assessing myeloid and T-cell chimerism using a rapid and sensitive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method. Minisatellites are hypervariable regions of DNA consisting of tandem repeats of a core nucleotide sequence, and allelic polymorphism results from differences in the number of the repeats. We used this variation to distinguish between donor and recipient cells post-BMT. Seventeen patients (9 sibling and 8 unrelated donors) received conditioning with hyperfractionated total body irradiation (TBI), thiotepa, and cyclophosphamide (Cy). Of the other 12 patients (all sibling donors), 11 received TBI plus Cy plus another agent: VP16, carboplatinum, or AZQ. One patient received TBI plus thiotepa plus VP16. All but one of the patients studied received marrow from HLA-identical donors. PCR analysis confirmed donor lymphoid engraftment within 8 days of transplant in six of six patients studied. All granulocyte DNA was of donor origin within the first 4 weeks of transplant, regardless of the conditioning regimen. The day +28 T cells were exclusively of donor origin in 14 of 17 patients who received TBI plus thiotepa plus Cy, but were mixed chimeric in 10 of 12 patients who received other conditioning regimens (P < .001). Early graft rejection was seen in one unrelated transplant recipient conditioned with TBI plus thiotepa plus Cy. Late graft failure was observed in 3 of 12 patients with mixed T-cell chimerism and in none of 16 patients with full donor chimerism at day +28. However, 5 of 16 patients who had complete T-cell chimerism at day +28 developed acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), whereas no patient with mixed chimerism had acute GVHD. Our results indicate that minisatellite PCR is a rapid and sensitive method for assessing chimerism post-BMT, that the donor T cells are important for consistent durable engraftment, and that TBI plus thiotepa plus Cy may be superior to the other regimens studied in inducing full donor chimerism. Larger numbers and longer follow-up are necessary to confirm these data and also to assess the relationship between complete donor T-cell chimerism and leukemia-free survival."}
{"id": "PMID:1467527", "title": "T-cell subsets and suppressor cells in human bone marrow.", "content": "To characterize immune suppressive and hematopoietic features of enriched subsets of human marrow cells, we separated these cells on Percoll density gradients. CD4+ and CD8+ T cells (CD3+) were enriched in the high-density marrow cell fractions and reduced in low-density fractions. CD4-CD8- (CD3+) T cells expressing the alpha beta T-cell antigen receptor were at least 10 times less numerous than the CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in all fractions. Purified populations of the CD4-CD8- alpha beta + T cells obtained by flow cytometry suppressed the mixed leukocyte reaction (MLR). Another population of suppressor cells that expressed neither T-cell (CD3) nor natural killer cell (CD16) surface markers was also identified. The latter cells had the phenotypic and functional characteristics of \"natural suppressor\" cells. Suppressor cell activity was enriched in the low-density fractions along with hematopoietic progenitors (colony-forming unit-granulocyte-macrophage and burst-forming unit-erythroid). The progenitor and suppressor cell activities were depleted in high-density fractions. The latter fractions made vigorous responses in the MLR. The low-density fractions, which accounted for less than 10% of the input marrow cells, suppressed the MLR and did not respond. Further evaluation of the low-density fractions may be of value in allogeneic bone marrow transplantation due to the reduction of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells and the enrichment of hematopoietic progenitors as well as immune suppressor cells that may inhibit graft-versus-host disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1467534", "title": "Biological aspects and clinical results of autologous bone marrow transplantation for acute myeloid leukemia.", "content": "Autologous bone marrow transplantation is a therapeutic approach that permits the administration of high-dose chemo-radiotherapy followed by the infusion of the patient's own marrow, previously collected during remission and cryopreserved. In recent years, autologous bone marrow transplantation has been increasingly used as a treatment for acute leukemias. The mechanisms underlying leukemic relapse represent the most exciting and controversial aspects of autologous bone marrow transplantation. At least three factors may be responsible for leukemic relapse in patients receiving autologous bone marrow transplantation: (1) minimal residual disease; (2) leukemic cells reinfused with the graft; (3) the lack of a graft-versus-leukemia effect. In this paper, the techniques for pharmacological marrow decontamination and the clinical results obtained with autologous bone marrow transplantation will be reviewed."}
{"id": "PMID:1467535", "title": "Systemic lupus erythematosus.", "content": "The reported change in the incidence of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is mainly due to a greater awareness of the disease, and to the introduction of serological detection methods such as the LE cell assay and subsequently a variety of other antinuclear antibody assays. SLE is seldom preceded by rheumatoid arthritis, nor does SLE often develop in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. In a substantial proportion of our SLE patients, discoid LE occurred first. On analyzing the literature no evidence could be found that nowadays less severe SLE is diagnosed. Also, in the last three decades no change has been observed in the prevalence of clinical features in large groups of patients with SLE. These data indicate that there has been no change in the expression or prognosis of SLE in recent decades."}
{"id": "PMID:1467536", "title": "AIDS vaccine: present problems and future perspectives.", "content": "Vaccination has proved to be an effective means for the prevention of infectious diseases. Advances in our understanding of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and the immune system of the host may lay the foundation for the development of an AIDS vaccine. Current attempts to develop vaccines focus on the development of substances that will produce a different type of immune response from that which occurs naturally. Progress has been made in understanding the mechanisms by which the AIDS virus stimulates an neutralizing antibody response and triggers specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes in the host. The pressing need for a vaccine has prompted the testing of several candidate vaccines based on the simian immunodeficiency virus (closely related to HIV) in the macaque animal model for AIDS. The lessons learned from these trials will be valuable for developing future vaccines."}
{"id": "PMID:1467537", "title": "Orthotopic liver transplantation for chronic viral hepatitis: an overview.", "content": "The aim of this review is to discuss the problem of orthotopic liver transplantation in patients suffering from chronic viral liver disease due to hepatitis B, C and D viruses. The decision to operate these patients is often controversial, as the risk of a recurrence of viral infection is very high and reinfection may be severe enough to require a second or even multiple grafts. However, the quality of life and the survival rate improve after transplantation in chronic viral hepatitis patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1467538", "title": "Regulatory aspects of clonally expanded B-1 (CD5+ B) cells.", "content": "B-1 (CD5+ B) cells appear early in ontogeny, produce mainly unmutated polyreactive antibodies, and are capable of self-renewal. B-1 cells clonally expand with age and are the malignant cell in chronic lymphocytic leukemia. In this report immunological analysis of B-1 malignancies in NZB mice, a murine model of chronic lymphocytic leukemia, is related to current information on B-1 cells. B-1 clones from NZB mice produce high levels of interleukin-10, detected at the RNA level by semi-quantitative polymerase chain reaction. In addition, the B-1 malignant clones in NZB mice and their hybrids, are negative for B220/6B2 expression, the B-specific antigenic form of CD45 which is a membrane-associated phosphatase involved in lymphocyte activation. Both the autocrine production by B-1 cells of interleukin-10 and altered CD45 expression may be responsible for the clonal expansion of these cells, as well as the accompanying T cell expansion. We report the establishment of an in vitro cytotoxic CD8+ T cell line derived from an NZB with a B-1 malignancy. The effect of B-1 cell-derived interleukin-10 on subsets of T lymphocytes may account for the immunoregulatory properties of B-1 cells. In addition, the NZB malignancies were also characterized for immunoglobulin variable region sequence and antigen specificity. The B-1 malignancies produced immunoglobulin derived from unmutated germline sequences with no N base substitutions. It appears that both the immunoglobulin and interleukin-10 produced by the B-1 malignant cell in NZB mice may have immunoregulatory properties. A study of B-1 malignancies may shed light on the immunoregulatory properties of non-clonally expanded normal B-1 cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1467539", "title": "Clinical and biological aspects of juvenile thrombophilia.", "content": "The clinical status of 418 consecutive thrombotic patients was assessed and they were investigated for deficiencies of the proteins involved in the modulation of blood coagulation and fibrinolysis. The whole cohort was divided into two groups according to the age at which the first thrombotic event occurred: group 1 younger than 45 years and group 2 older than 45 years. Deficiencies were significantly more frequent in the juvenile thrombotic population; in this subset of patients the prevalences of single deficiencies were: protein S (6.9%), protein C (4.9%), antithrombin III (3%), plasminogen (0.5%) and dysfibrinogenemia (0.3%). It was possible to diagnose 41 additional deficiencies in the relatives of the probands. The clinical picture and the presence, absence and type of predisposing factors were not statistically different in deficient and non-deficient patients. However, deficient patients experienced their first episode significantly earlier than non-deficient patients and had a significantly higher number of recurrences and pulmonary embolism episodes. From the analysis of the thrombosis-free survival curves, there is no doubt that age represents a strong cofactor in thrombotic risk-related deficiency."}
{"id": "PMID:1467540", "title": "[A comprehensive fact finding study of home care elderly for planning of the community based rehabilitation system in Koga City, Ibaraki Prefecture].", "content": "An interview survey was held with the purpose of grasping the problems faced by the home care elderly living in Koga city in Ibaraki prefecture. The subjects of the study were 100 cases who had been registered as elderly requiring home care in the municipality. The main results were as follows: (1) The most frequent underlying disorders that were considered as causes of disabilities in the home care elderly were cerebrovascular diseases, senile dementia and external injuries. In 67 percent of the subjects, one of these three disorders had caused the disabilities. (2) Disabilities in self care activities and in mobility were closely related to each other and the order of the difficulty in performing these activities was similar in many cases. A large number of the subjects sustaining severe disabilities expressed discontent with their daily life. (3) Forty two percent of the subjects were so-called bedridden elderly who got out of bed for less than 3 hours a day. The Barthel index score was 60 or less in all of the bedridden subjects. (4) For most of the bedridden elderly, bed rest was not required and probably exacerbated the disuse syndrome. In order to ameliorate their condition, adequate rehabilitation programs and assistance in their daily activities need to be offered. (5) Seventy eight percent of the care givers complained about the burden of care. Those who had no assistant care giver complained more frequently. Many of the care givers complaining about their burden had their own health problems. (6) The utilization of social welfare services were not always without any problems. The number of the experts who can deal with the psychosocial aspects in the elderly should be increased in order to improve the situation."}
{"id": "PMID:1467541", "title": "[Analysis of factors influencing the recent decline in birth rate in Tokyo].", "content": "This study was undertaken in an attempt to find factors which affected the recent declining birth rate in Tokyo. Vital statistics of the female population, age 20-39, for the period of 1970 through 1985 for Tokyo were compared to national averages. Indices examined were birth rate, percentage of married women, birth rate for married women, and birth rate for married women by live birth order. Results thus obtained were as follows: 1. Birth rates for females aged 20-24 and 25-29 were largely dependent on percentages of married women rather than birth rates for married women both in Tokyo and in the nation as a whole, while the birth rates for females aged 30-34 and 35-39 were more dependent on birth rates for married women. 2. Percentages of married women aged 20-24 and 25-29 decreased during the observation period both in Tokyo and in the nation as a whole. 3. Birth rates for married women aged 30-34 and 35-39 dropped in the first 5 or 10 years of observation in both groups as a result of the reduction in high order live births. Thereafter, the decline changed to an upturn trend. 4. Yearly changes of birth rate, percentage of married women, birth rate for married women, birth rate for married women by live birth order, and birth rate of first child for married women appeared to have the same timing both in Tokyo and in Japan as a whole in each age category.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1467542", "title": "[Development of a method for estimation of physical fitness age for the evaluation of physical performance levels].", "content": "The aims of this study are to develop a method for estimation of physical fitness age for the evaluation of physical performance levels and to examine the efficacy and adaptability of the method. Physical fitness data collected on 15,845 subjects from 23 health promotion centers in Japan, during a 2-year period, 1985-1986, were analysed by correlation analysis to find factors which affect physical performance. From this analysis, stature and exercise habit were selected as factors to be considered in the computation of physical fitness age. For determination of physical fitness and its relation to chronological age, four tests, side step, sit-ups, vertical jump and wing lift were selected from results of correlation and multiple regression analysis and an estimation equation for physical fitness age was developed by stepwise multiple regression analysis, in which the subjective variable is physical fitness data and objective variables are chronological age and height, on 9,528 people without habitual physical activities. Physical fitness age for each fitness test was calculated from the equation and mean individual physical fitness age computed. The suitability of the developed method was tested on other groups with results showing that the developed method was generally applicable to the other group and was exact enough to evaluate the characteristics of the physical level of the group. Analysis of the relation between health indices and physical fitness age obtained by this new method, revealed that the group in which physical fitness age is inferior to chronological age contained relatively more hypertensive patients and obese people."}
{"id": "PMID:1467543", "title": "[Health conditions of caregivers of elderly living at home and the influence of factors present in the home care environment].", "content": "Health conditions of primary caregivers for elderly aged 65 and over living at home were surveyed. Subjects were 167 caregivers in Osaka prefecture. Results obtained were as follows. 1) The primary caregivers were largely associated with and varied with the sex of the cared elderly. The caregivers for the female elderly were almost daughters-in-law or daughters. The caregivers for the male elderly were mostly their elderly wives. 2) Seventy-five percent of the caregivers had health complaints, such as anxiety for health, physical fatigue, lower back pain, sleeplessness, or emotional fatigue. 3) Logistic regression analysis was used to statistically analyze factors in the home care environment. Health conditions of the caregivers showed significant correlation with age of caregivers, sex of the elderly, degree of dementia, and number of family members."}
{"id": "PMID:1467544", "title": "[An epidemiological evaluation of the efficacy of mass screening for uterine cancer in Japan. The relationship between coverage rate of mass screening and reduction in death rate from uterine cancer].", "content": "To evaluate the efficacy of mass screening for uterine cancer, the relationship between the coverage rate of mass screening and the reduction in mortality rate from uterine cancer was analyzed. The percent change in the AADR (Age-adjusted death rate) from 1979-1983 to 1984-1988 were compared between the high coverage rate areas and the control areas with relatively lower coverage rates, and among the high coverage rate areas with varied coverage rates. The main results were: (a) the decreases of AADR from uterine cancer were greater in three groups of high coverage rate areas than in control areas with low coverage rates. (b) Among three groups of high coverage rate areas with variation in coverage rates (> or = 20%, > or = 30%, > or = 40%), the higher the coverage rate was, the greater was the percent reduction (-45.9%, -52.3%, -63.5%) of AADR. These results suggest that systematic mass screening may be effective in reducing mortality from uterine cancer."}
{"id": "PMID:1467545", "title": "[Bacterial contamination of infant urine samples obtained from filter papers used in neuroblastoma-screening tests. (6) Protective effects of preaddition of chlorhexidine digluconate in filter papers or containers for urine on bacterial break-down of creatinine, vanillylmandelic acid and homovanillic acid].", "content": "The effects of chlorhexidine digluconate preadded to urine samples for a neuroblastoma-screening test in preventing the break-down of creatinine (Cre), vanillylmandelic acid (VMA), and homovanillic acid (HVA) by creatinine-cleaving bacteria and the influence of the added disinfectant on the HPLC determination of urinary Cre, VMA, vanillillactic acid (VLA) and HVA. Laboratory or field experiments showed that preadded disinfectant (0.02% volume) nearly completely inhibited the growth of the bacteria and satisfactorily protected urinary Cre, VMA, and HVA from bacterial decomposition. Chlorhexidine digluconate was comparable to benzalkonium chloride in its inhibitory effects on the growth and activities of creatinine-cleaving bacteria. Unlike benzalkonium chloride, chlorhexidine digluconate added to urine samples gave no troubles in subsequent analytical processes. Addition of the disinfectant (0.02% volume) to standard Cre, VMA, VLA, and HVA solution did not affect retention times and sensitivities in HPLC analyses. To estimate influences of the added disinfectant on the serial HPLC determinations of VMA, VLA, and HVA on a large number of urine samples (40, 80, 120, 160, 200, or 5, 500), HPLC analyses were performed on standard VMA, VLA, and HVA solution with repeated injection of the disinfectant in great amounts into a column. The results showed no appreciable changes in the retention times and sensitivities of VMA, VLA, and HVA, and almost complete elution of the disinfectant retained on the column were possible with water-methanol (1:1, 2:8) or methanol washing.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1467546", "title": "[Traditional religion and terminal care in the Ryukyus, southern Japan].", "content": "The public health significance of traditional religions in terminal care was studied in the Ryukyu Archipelago. The traditional religious view of life, in which death at home is ideal, is still maintained: while inhabitants seek modern medical care in facilities outside of the island, they are transported back to die in their homes when their condition becomes critical. Most of the general hospitals, special nursing homes for the aged, and psychiatric hospitals of Okinawa allow bereaved families to perform \"Nujifa\", a traditional religious ritual for transferring soul of the dead from the death to their own home, that functions as a significant factor in relieving grief. In many of the special nursing homes for aged, not a few aged women practiced activities uniquely associated with traditional religion on strongly reflecting the fact that endemic religion is deeply embedded in their thinking. Although acculturation is in rapid progress in the Ryukyu Archipelago, such endemic religion still has a significant effect on the people. Therefore these religious factors should be considered in the terminal medical care of these people."}
{"id": "PMID:1467547", "title": "[Elimination of Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica) aeropollen by rainfall].", "content": "The concentration of aeropollens of Japanese cedar decreases on rainy days, due to the rainfall removing pollens from the atmosphere. An analysis was performed of the concentration of pollen grains in rain water samples from Yokohama during the period February 10 to April 30, 1991. Sampling of rain water was performed using an automatic rain water collector, and an analysis performed on each mm of rainfall, from 1 mm to 5 mm. In this collector, 1 mm of rainfall corresponds to 100 ml of accumulated rain water. The pollens in rain water were concentrated by centrifugation to 1/200 volume, and pollen grain count was performed on a Fuchs. Rosenthal hemocytometer. Pollens of Japanese cedar were detected in the rain water during the period, 22 February to 19 April, and peaked on 22 March. The number of pollens at peak was 264,000 grains per 100 ml. The pollen count contained in the 2nd to 5th mm of rainfall compared to that in the first mm of rainwater was 19.4% in the 2nd mm of rainfall, 6.7% in the 3rd, 4.4% in the 4th and 2.3% in the 5th. From a log-log graph plot of this data, a regression line was obtained for a regression equation, y = 100.x-2.29. These data indicate that rainfall quickly clears pollens of Japanese cedar from the atmosphere. Examination of pollen obtained from the rain water, showed a few % of the pollen grains had ruptured, and on the surface of the cytoplasmic membrane of the ruptured pollen were attached suspended particulate matters from atmosphere."}
{"id": "PMID:1467548", "title": "C-terminal sequencing of peptides using electrospray ionization mass spectrometry.", "content": "A low-flow reactor is described for the on-line monitoring of peptides digested with carboxypeptidase P by electrospray ionization. Two peptides were analyzed using this technique: glucagon (average MW 3482.8 Da), and apomyoglobin (average MW 16,951.5). Both peptides gave interpretable results. The first 19 amino acids of glucagon were successfully sequenced. Apomyoglobin yielded sequence information to the 30th amino acid with some gaps. At 300 nL/min, 50% of the first 30 amino acids were sequenced and at 1 microL/min, 67% of the first 30 amino acids were observed."}
{"id": "PMID:1467549", "title": "An investigation of fragmentation mechanisms of doubly protonated tryptic peptides.", "content": "Peptides formed as reaction products, of specific hydrolysis of proteins by trypsin, are characterized by a basic residue (Arg or Lys) at the C-terminus, which facilitates formation of abundant [M + 2H]2+ ions under electrospray or ionspray conditions. These doubly charged ions readily dissociate upon collisional activation to y\" and b fragment ions which are mass complements of one another. The suggestion that these fragments are formed by direct charge-separation dissociations must contend with the observation that the y\" intensities are generally appreciably larger than those of their b counterparts. However, it is shown that this can be accounted for by a greater susceptibility of the b ions to undergo further dissociation to smaller fragments such as immonium ions. In addition no evidence could be found to support alternative mechanisms, including dissociative electron capture, for which equal intensities of the two fragment ion series are not obligatory. Initial protonation at the N-terminus was shown to be required for formation of these [M + 2H]2+ ions via its suppression by mono-acetylation at the N-terminus. These findings, and others concerning formation of [y\"']2+ fragments, are consistent with extensions of published mechanisms for formation of b and of y\" fragments from singly protonated peptides, via charge-site-induced cleavages and intramolecular proton transfers between nitrogen atoms, respectively."}
{"id": "PMID:1467550", "title": "Charge promotion of low-energy fragmentations of peptide ions.", "content": "We have examined the hypothesis that structural features which predispose to localization of charge at a strongly favored site are not conducive to the low-energy fragmentation of peptide ions via a multiplicity of pathways. Consistent with this proposal, it is demonstrated that the formation of N- or C-terminal pre-charged derivatives is detrimental to the formation of sequence-specific product ions following low-energy collisional activation. Protonation of pre-charged derivatives (yielding doubly charged ions) restores favorable fragmentation properties; the effect is attributed to the fragmentation-directing properties of the proton which may occupy one of several sites. Similarly, a doubly protonated peptide which incorporates a C-terminal arginine residue as a single strongly favored site of protonation exhibits favored low-energy fragmentations attributable to location of the second proton at one of several sites remote from the C-terminus."}
{"id": "PMID:1467551", "title": "Thermospray high-performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometric determination of cyclosporins.", "content": "The cyclic undecapeptides cyclosporin (Csp) A, CspD and dihydro CspC (HCspC) were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography/thermospray-mass spectrometry (HPLC/TSP-MS) on line with a UV detector. Positive ion partial (1000-1300 u) mass spectra of these compounds could be obtained with 1-2 pmol injected on column. Mass spectra were characterized by signals corresponding to the [M+H] ions as well as fragment ions derived from the loss of 112 (CspA and CspD) or 44, 114 and 114 + 44 (HCspC) mass units from the parent ion. The same qualitative profile was observed for negative-ion acquisition where the ions were formed by proton abstraction. The application of the technique to the characterization of CspA and its major hydroxylated and dealkylated metabolites in human blood samples is presented."}
{"id": "PMID:1467552", "title": "Ion detection limitations to mass resolution in matrix-assisted laser desorption time-of-flight mass spectrometry.", "content": "The ion detection process in a discrete-dynode electron multiplier can result in significant mass resolution losses in time-of-flight mass spectrometry (TOF-MS) for higher mass-to-charge (m/z) ion species. This resolution loss is attributed to propagation time delays and signal broadening in the ion detector. This is presumed to be due to the generation of a distribution of secondary ion species produced initially upon impact of a primary ion with the first dynode surface of the ion detector. Comparisons are made between the signals produced by a standard discrete dynode ion detector (which amplifies the negatively charged species produced by impact of a primary ion) and a detector modified to respond to only the positively charged secondary ion species produced by a primary ion impact. Ion signals for higher m/z ions with the standard detector geometry are seen to be due to a narrow signal component, most likely due to the generation of secondary electrons and/or very low mass secondary ions (H-), and a broad signal component, apparently due to secondary ions which take significant amounts of time to traverse the low potential fields between the first and second detector dynode. This results in ion signal tailing for higher m/z ion species. Numerical subtraction of the ion signal obtained with the standard and modified detector geometries (singly protonated molecular ion species of equine myoglobin) results in an improvement in mass resolution, such that a new adduct ion species (from trifluoroacetic acid) can be resolved."}
{"id": "PMID:1467553", "title": "Sequence distribution of beta-hydroxyalkanoate units in bacterial copolyesters determined by desorption chemical ionization mass spectrometry.", "content": "The sequence distributions of poly(beta-hydroxyalkanoate) copolymers were determined by analyzing oligomers obtained by the pyrolysis direct-chemical-ionization (DCI) mass spectrometry technique. Oligomers up to nonamers were identified and the comparison between the experimental and calculated peak intensities makes it possible to calculate repeating unit compositions and sequence distributions. Comparisons with other earlier methods are given."}
{"id": "PMID:1467554", "title": "The changing architecture of the neonatal rat ovary during histogenesis.", "content": "The purpose of this study was to describe the changing histological organization of the rat ovary during postpartum days one through three (p1-p3). A PC-based image-combining microscope system was used to reconstruct the ovary in three dimensions. On p1, cyclindrical pocket-like structures radiated from the core of the ovary that were open toward the surface epithelium. The walls of the pockets contained connective tissue cells and capillaries (stroma). By p2, these pockets had completely closed; each pocket enclosed a small nest of oocytes and a few presumptive granulosa cells. By p3, the pocket-like organization had disappeared. On p1, only one or two primordial follicle-like structures were observed in the core and toward the periphery of the ovary; most oocytes were not enclosed in follicles. By p3, very few naked oocytes remained; primordial follicles predominated in all the regions of the ovary and some of the follicles had multiple layers of granulosa cells. There were changes in location, area, and volume of the rete tubules during these postnatal days. The extraovarian rete was visible on all 3 days but changed its orientation relative to the ovary. The connecting rete was found beneath the epithelial layer of the ovary on all 3 days and showed dramatic increase in area on p2. The wide lumen of the intraovarian rete was in direct contact with some of the oocytes near by on all 3 days, but these \"communication points\" were most abundant on p2. Based on our observations of different cell-cell associations during this time period, we hypothesize (1) that the mesenchymal-presumptive granulosa cell association is essential for the completion of folliculogenesis, and (2) the rete ovarii may have an inductive role in follicle assembly. These observations suggest that the first 3 days postpartum are critically important for studying the heterogeneous cell interactions that lead to the assembly of primordial follicles. The regional differences in tissue organization during this formative period may have significant implications on later aspects of follicular development."}
{"id": "PMID:1467555", "title": "Urokinase expression during the epithelial-mesenchymal transformation of the avian somite.", "content": "Early events in the morphogenesis of the axial skeleton involve an epithelial-mesenchymal transformation of the somites. Cells of the ventromedial wall of the somite (the sclerotome) migrate to regions surrounding the notochord and neural tube and condense to form the cartilage model of the vertebrae. Urokinase activity in the axial region of the quail embryo trunk was found to increase during these stages. In situ hybridization localized urokinase mRNA expression in this region and suggests an important role for this protease in the process of cell migration and matrix remodeling during development of the axial skeleton."}
{"id": "PMID:1467556", "title": "Insertional mutation of a gene involved in growth regulation of the early mouse embryo.", "content": "A transgenic mouse strain derived from embryonic stem (ES) cells infected with multiple copies of a retroviral vector carries a recessive insertional mutation resulting in prenatal lethality. A detailed histological analysis of developing embryos has shown that the mutation results in hyperplasia of both embryonic and extraembryonic ectoderm and failure of mesoderm formation in the egg cylinder stage embryo. The number of cells in each lineage of normal and mutant embryos was estimated using stereological analysis of serial sections taken from implantation sites. We observed a 2-fold increase in the number of embryonic ectoderm cells in mutant embryos at 7.5 days postcoitum (dpc). In addition, we found that mutant embryonic ectoderm cells are only 0.6 times as large as normal cells. The number of extraembryonic ectoderm cells in mutant embryos at 7.5 dpc is also increased, by almost 4-fold. Mutant extraembryonic ectoderm cells are also smaller than normal, being only two-thirds the size of wild-type cells. The mutant phenotype suggests that the gene identified by this insertional mutation plays an important role in the growth control of early embryonic lineages."}
{"id": "PMID:1467557", "title": "Neuroblastoma x spinal cord (NSC) hybrid cell lines resemble developing motor neurons.", "content": "We have developed a series of mouse-mouse neural hybrid cell lines by fusing the aminopterin-sensitive neuroblastoma N18TG2 with motor neuron-enriched embryonic day 12-14 spinal cord cells. Of 30 neuroblastoma-spinal cord (NSC) hybrids displaying a multipolar neuron-like phenotype, 10 express choline acetyltransferase, and 4 induce twitching in cocultured mouse myotubules. NSC-19, NSC-34, and their subclones express additional properties expected of motor neurons, including generation of action potentials, expression of neurofilament triplet proteins, and acetylcholine synthesis, storage, and release. In addition, NSC-34 cells induce acetylcholine receptor clusters on cocultured myotubes, and undergo a vimentin-neurofilament switch with maturation in culture, similar to that occurring in neuronal development. NSC cell lines appear to model selected aspects of motor neuron development in an immortalized clonal system."}
{"id": "PMID:1467558", "title": "Scanning electron microscopy of femoral ossification in the human foetus.", "content": "The ossification of human femoral bone was studied in 10 fetuses aged from 8 to 40 weeks, and in a 3 1/2 month-old child. After dissection and radiographic examination, each femur was sectioned in a sagittal plane. One part was processed for routine histology, the remaining one for scanning electron microscopy. By comparing the radiographic, light microscopic and scanning electron microscopic pictures, it is possible to precise the pattern of ossification and to define 3 main periods during human fetal development (pure cartilage, metaphyseal and diaphyseal ossification, constitution of a cortex and a medulla in the diaphysis)."}
{"id": "PMID:1467559", "title": "Spleen's relative growth in human fetuses.", "content": "The growth of the spleen weight was studied by bivariate allometry. It was correlated to fetal parameters of development as gestational age (in weeks), crown-rump length (mm) and weight (gm). Thirty human fetuses ranging from 16 to 36 weeks were studied. These were analysed in second and third trimesters separately and together. The growth of the spleen weight presents statistically significant positive allometry relative to age, C-R length and fetal weight. In second trimester the allometric coefficient, analysing spleen's weight and fetus' weight, calculated by reduced major axis method (RMA) was 1.21. In the third one the RMA was 1.73. Considering fetuses together the RMA = 1.65. This study presents growth curves of the spleen weight useful in medical branches such as anatomy, forensic medicine, medical imagery, fetophatology, obstetrics and pediatrics."}
{"id": "PMID:1467560", "title": "[The carpal synovial sheaths and their vascularization].", "content": "The synovial sheaths of the flexor digitorum of 70 pieces of fresh cadavers have been studied on the whole of their length as far as the basis of the fingers: 20 have been injected with a latex or a physiologic solution, after the ablation of the palmar aponeurosis and of the superficial palmar arch. The arteries of the 50 other pieces have been injected with coloured latex solution from humeral artery. The proximal limit of the superficial sheaths is located 5 centimetres above the radiocarpal articular line and this of the deep sheaths 7 centimetres. In the metacarpal area, the superficialis central sheath presents peritendinous expansions, which realise an uninterrupted connection with each digital sheath. It is the aponeurotic and vascular extrinsic compressions, which simulate the interruption of these expansions. The proximal synovial arteries have a muscular origin. The antibrachial collateral arteries, 3 pairs in number, arise from the radial and the ulnar arteries. The distal synovial arteries come from the palmar arches and from their branches: superficial branches for the superficial sheaths and deep branches for the deep sheaths. There is many anastomoses between the different synovial arteries. Two are particularly developed and connect the proximal arteries to the palmar arches: the superficial longitudinal anastomotic artery; which runs close along the medial edge of the median nerve; the deep longitudinal anastomotic artery, which gives the nutritious branches for the tendons of the flexor digitorum. This disposition allows to create two synovial flaps of gliding and vascular help, centred on the anastomotic longitudinal arteries, pediculated on the volar archs and distal-ward rotated.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1467562", "title": "[Finger extension. I. History. State of knowledge].", "content": "Recapitulation of the principal stages concerning the descriptive and the functional anatomy of the extensor apparatus of the ulnar digits. They can be written in the following frame: The G\u00e1lien's theories of the exclusive role of the extensor digitorum muscles prevail during more as a millenium. The indispensable conjoined action of the interosseus muscles through the collateral tendon is demonstrated by Duchene in 1867. The role of antagonistic muscles is clearly showed by Bouvier in 1851 on the level of the metacarpo-phalangeal joints and by Valentin and Tubiana in 1962 on the level of the proximal interphalangeal joints. The role of the oblique retinacular ligament on the extension of the third phalanx is specified in 1956 by Landsmeer."}
{"id": "PMID:1467563", "title": "[Finger extension. II. Materials and methods].", "content": "The study of the extensor apparatus through different methods concerns 200 fingers, the most of fresh cadavers. The dissection through direct observation or with surgical microscope of the dorsal aponeurosis of 30 fingers has been completed by an histological study of 10 fingers. The mechanic properties of each dorsal aponeurotic structure has been tested by extensometry on 12 fingers. The functional study of the role and of the transmission of the different motor components concerns 128 fingers. It has been completed by experimental sections of each aponeurotic structure concerning 20 fingers."}
{"id": "PMID:1467564", "title": "[Validity of the Pauwels theory: Focus on experimental methods for studying deformations of the hip joint during unilateral and bilateral weight-bearing].", "content": "A critical analysis is proposed between two experimental studies of the hip joint. Is it very important to respect the PAUWELS theory? The authors try to answer this question."}
{"id": "PMID:1467565", "title": "[Anomalies produced by cytochalasin B after 10.5 days of gestation: in vitro study].", "content": "124 rats embryos (Rattus Norvegicus sp.) have been cultured for 48 hours period (from 9.5 days to 11.5 days). 24 hours after the beginning of the culture, cytochalasin B (CB) dissolved in 1% dimethylsulphoxide (DMSO) was added to the culture medium in the experimental group (61 embryos), whereas only DMSO was added to the medium in the control group (63 embryos). Survival rate in the control group was 100% whereas in CB-treated embryos the higher the dose, the lesser the survival rate. Embryo growth and morphological score was reduced in CB-treated embryos. The most common gross malformations were delays in axial rotation as well as open neural tube defects."}
{"id": "PMID:1467566", "title": "[The segments of facial profiles: cutaneous and osseous. Sex differences using canonical correlations].", "content": "By calculation of new parameters named \"canonicals\", with matrix methodology, it is possible to calculate the relations between whole of cutaneous and bony profile elements and between there wholes and each facial original segment. The affinity between subjects are raised in evidence and drawn. Sexual differences are obvious in spite of 27% \"bad classed\" subjects."}
{"id": "PMID:1467567", "title": "[Pericardial fatty fringes: preoperative anatomo-radiographic value of their use in the protection of bronchial sutures].", "content": "Bronchial sutures grafts by epiplooplasty is a method used to allow a better vascularisation of the bronchial sutures. The authors purpose an other method using the pericardial fatty fringes (P.F.F.). The vascularisation of P.F.F. was studied on 30 fresh cadavers and 8 patients before surgery. Angiography of the internal thoracic artery was done in the first group and M.R.I. in the second group. M.R.I. is better than angiography because numerous parietal vessels project in the angiogram, and they overlap pericardial fat fringes vessels."}
{"id": "PMID:1467568", "title": "[The characteristic phenotype of the masseter muscle fibers is established after birth].", "content": "Muscle biopsies were taken from the superficial portion of the M. masseter in 10 foetuses (aged between 12 and 38 weeks), in a child of 18 months and in an adult without any neuromuscular disease. Serial frozen sections were processed for immunocytochemistry using antibodies specific for the embryonic, foetal, slow and fast myosin heavy chains (MHCs). Diameter of the different types of fibers were measured with a Leitz ASM 68 K; the results have been expressed as average diameters and histograms. During foetal development, the masseter is formed from two successive generations of muscle fibers in a manner very similar to that which has been previously described for other skeletal muscles. After birth, a particular phenotype appears. This phenotype is characterised by the persistence of embryonic and foetal MHCs and by the presence of two distinct populations of fibers: small diameter fibers which coexpress embryonic, foetal and fast myosin isoforms but never express the slow MHC; large diameter fibers which express slow myosin either exclusively or in variable associations with the other isoforms."}
{"id": "PMID:1467570", "title": "New management techniques in neurosurgery.", "content": "New management techniques continue to be explored by neurosurgeons in order to improve their subspecialty, as well as medicine in general. This year has seen advances in many aspects of cerebrovascular surgery, traumatic brain and spinal cord injury, and chemotherapy for neoplastic disease. Stereotaxis also continues to be a strong alternative for the guidance and treatment of various pathological entities. The basis for developing new management techniques in neurosurgery continues to be rooted in the results of stringent basic science research and well-designed clinical trials."}
{"id": "PMID:1467571", "title": "Biology and therapy of glial tumors.", "content": "Glial tumors remain challenging problems for the clinician and researcher. Despite more aggressive therapy, the majority of these tumors recur locally. This review will provide an update on the new strategies being developed to treat gliomas. Advances in our understanding of the biology of glial tumors will provide new targets at which to direct therapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1467572", "title": "Non-glial tumors of the brain: tumors of the cerebellopontine angle and meningiomas.", "content": "The principal non-glial tumors of the brain are meningiomas and acoustic schwannomas. Advances in the management of meningiomas have included endovascular techniques for embolization to reduce blood loss, radical surgical approaches, and the recognition of the high recurrence rate of these tumors. Advances in the management of acoustic tumors have been in preservation of VIIth nerve function, improved preservation of hearing, and the availability of stereotactic radiosurgical techniques as an alternative. There is still a substantial discussion concerning the route of surgery for acoustic tumors and not all agree that hearing preservation is a reasonable goal at present."}
{"id": "PMID:1467573", "title": "Intracranial pressure measurement/cranial vault mechanics: clinical and experimental observations.", "content": "The absolute value of intracranial pressure (ICP) should be considered in conjunction with evaluation of a patient's clinical condition. In addition, other aspects of cranial vault mechanics may be important in multiple disease states. Among the important physiological measures of cranial vault sufficiency are hydrodynamic interaction between brain tissue, blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)--volume-pressure relation, CSF dynamics--CSF outflow resistance, CSF production rate, sagittal sinus pressure, and appearance of ICP waves. Clinical and experimental studies brought together in this review provide an insight into the dynamics of ICP and the cranial vault."}
{"id": "PMID:1467574", "title": "Early prediction of outcome from coma.", "content": "It is increasingly important to be able to predict early in the course of illness a patient's outcome from coma. Potential indicators include clinical scales, electrophysiologic responses, and cerebral blood flow and metabolism. Our current knowledge provides some understanding of the ultimate impact of the illness, but is of limited assistance in decisions regarding initiation or withdrawal of therapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1467575", "title": "Outcome evaluation in acute neurological injury.", "content": "To evaluate outcome one must define the outcome and those factors that contribute to it. Recent advances in measurement of brain injury by radiology, evoked potentials and electroencephalogram (EEG), cerebral blood flow (CBF) and cerebral metabolism have demonstrated differential prognosis. Outcome from coma has also been expanded to include cognitive and neurobehavioral measures as well as functional assessments."}
{"id": "PMID:1467576", "title": "Radiology of the developing central nervous system.", "content": "Functional and anatomical imaging of the developing central nervous system continue to engender considerable interest. Structural anomalies have been further defined and catalogued, aiding in the diagnosis and genetic counseling of children with developmental delay. Anomalous development of the brain has recently been linked to certain neuropsychiatric disorders. The natural course of many of the metabolic brain disorders has now been chronicled with imaging studies, rendering standards on which to evaluate efficacy of treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1467577", "title": "Infections of the central nervous system.", "content": "Several discussions of the neuroimaging of inflammatory diseases with emphasis on computerized tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings and on rare diseases, such as sparganosis, neuroborreliosis and various types of encephalitis, have been published during the past year. Infectious processes in immunosuppressed patients have been described by many authors, especially in the field of acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). The importance of gadolinium-diethylenetriamine-penta-acetic acid (Gd-DTPA) in MRI for delineation, and differential diagnosis of the inflammatory processes has been considered. Newly introduced techniques such as technetium-99m hexamethylpropyleneamine oxime (99mTc-HMPAO) single photon emission CT (SPECT) and proton spectroscopy have made the early detection of diseases possible."}
{"id": "PMID:1467578", "title": "Technical advances in magnetic resonance imaging.", "content": "Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging continues to develop at a rapid rate. Major new innovations include functional neuroimaging, fast spin-echo, magnetization transfer, the fluid attenuated inversion recovery sequence, MR angiography and measurement of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flow. Further developments of functional imaging and interventional techniques are expected."}
{"id": "PMID:1467579", "title": "Recent advances in magnetic resonance angiography of the brain.", "content": "Newer techniques in magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) are faster, have higher resolution, and have greater vascular conspicuity than the early techniques introduced just a few years ago. Advances in 'black blood' and 'bright blood' (time-of-flight and phase-contrast) MRA are discussed with attention to saturation effects, use of gadolinium, and background suppression with magnetization transfer contrast."}
{"id": "PMID:1467580", "title": "The role of nuclear medicine in neurology and psychiatry.", "content": "Nuclear medicine has a place in the study of brain trauma, brain tumours, stroke, dementia epilepsy and depression. The development of new tracers labelled with widely available radionuclides, such as technetium-99m (99Tc) and iodine-123, has played a key role here. Practical methodology can now be implemented in the routine setting. Additional applications are reviewed in the context of brain death, encephalitis, post-viral fatigue syndrome, Parkinson's disease and schizophrenia."}
{"id": "PMID:1467581", "title": "Interventional neuroradiology.", "content": "Recent technical developments and improvements in angiographic equipment, variable stiffness microcatheters, embolic materials, and better training increased efficacy, safety, and growing acceptance of endovascular procedures by various specialties. Additional treatment options, frequently supplementary to neurosurgical procedures can be offered to patients with intracranial vascular lesions, using existing vascular pathways and avoiding the need for surgical exposure. For endovascular embolization of unclippable aneurysms coils which are soft, retrievable, and thrombogenic appear a better alternative than detachable balloons. New understanding and capabilities in brain arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) as an adjunct to microsurgical resection, or as the sole form of treatment may improve results and long-term outcome. Experience with intravascular thrombolysis and balloon angioplasty of extracranial and intracranial vessels will potentially improve neurological deficits in cerebrovascular or vasospastic occlusive disease. Safety, efficacy, and long-term follow up are needed to maintain and improve standards of practice and offer new therapeutic alternatives."}
{"id": "PMID:1467582", "title": "Cytoskeletal abnormalities in Alzheimer's disease.", "content": "A fundamental process in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the breakdown of the cytoskeleton. The microscopic manifestation of this--neurofibrillary tangles--is described. Tangles are formed from paired helical filaments (PHF), in turn constructed from abnormally phosphorylated Tau proteins. Recent investigations on the process of Tau phosphorylation and possible links between amyloid deposition and tangle formation are reviewed."}
{"id": "PMID:1467583", "title": "Lewy body disease.", "content": "Subsumed under the rubric of Lewy body disease are idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD), pure diffuse Lewy body disease (DLBD), and, most commonly, combined brainstem and neocortical Lewy bodies with Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology in a relatively early developmental stage. Clinical correlates are dementia with psychiatric and subcortical features plus mild extrapyramidal signs (EPS)."}
{"id": "PMID:1467584", "title": "Human prion diseases.", "content": "The past year has seen considerable advances in our understanding of the prion diseases, and there is increasing acceptance that the transmissible agent in these diseases may be an abnormal isoform of a normal host encoded protein. Molecular genetic studies have led to a new appreciation of the phenotypic spectrum of the prion diseases as the inherited forms of these conditions can now be diagnosed by a direct gene test. The conundrum of how a disease can be both inherited and transmissible is beginning to make sense."}
{"id": "PMID:1467585", "title": "Mitochondrial encephalomyopathies.", "content": "Molecular genetic studies are now bringing a new classification and new insights into already recognized mitochondrial encephalomyopathies. There are, however, numerous reports on an overlap pattern between mitochondriopathies. In addition, the link between the defect in oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) in the brain and the specific neuropathological pattern is unclear. A better knowledge of nuclear mutations in mitochondriopathies and of the interactions between nuclear and mitochondrial genomes will probably allow new developments."}
{"id": "PMID:1467586", "title": "Cerebral pathology in AIDS: a new nomenclature and pathogenetic concepts.", "content": "Complementary to a clinical classification of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-associated nervous system syndromes, a neuropathology-based terminology defines entities at tissue level, including the new HIV-specific diseases, HIV encephalitis and HIV leukoencephalopathy. Poor clinico-neuropathological correlation may be explained by complex pathogenetic mechanisms in which several factors, including virus load, neurotoxicity, vascular changes, and metabolic abnormalities, may act together to damage both white and gray matter of the brain."}
{"id": "PMID:1467590", "title": "[Ataxia telangiectasia: what impact in clinical oncology?].", "content": "Ataxia telangiectasia (AT) is a hereditary disease transmitted in a recessive mode and characterized by chromosomal instability and radiosensitivity. AT patients have a 100-fold higher risk of cancer than the general population. Although AT is a rare disease of which the frequency has been estimated to be 1/40,000, the frequency of the heterozygosity status, when assessed with the Hardy-Weinberg equation is high (about 1.4%). Parents of AT children, thus obligate AT carriers, show chromosomal instability and radiosensitivity, but at a lower level than AT patients. Assuming that these AT characteristics deal with the cancer predisposition, it can be hypothesized that AT heterozygote individuals have a higher cancer susceptibility than the general population. To test this hypothesis, M Swift's group compared cancer incidence rates from adult blood relatives of AT patients with controls. The risk of cancer in AT heterozygotes could be increased by 3.5 and, for carrier women, the breast cancer risk could be increased by 5.1. Actually, the diagnosis of the AT heterozygote status is not possible. However, the near cloning of the gene (or genes) for the disease will permit to identify the AT carriers in a population of patients suffering from cancer and to assess precisely the impact of AT heterozygosity in the genetic predisposition to cancer."}
{"id": "PMID:1467591", "title": "[Prevention and treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis in women treated for cancer].", "content": "Among 50-year-old women, about 30%, will suffer from osteoporosis resulting in vertebral compression, pain, and possible disablement; this represents a cost of over 4 billion French franco, and therefore necessitates a prevention policy. It has been established that estrogens applied in a dose-dependent manner have a preventive action against bone loss during the treatment period. The action of nor-steroid progestatives and anti-estrogens is likely, although this has not been fully demonstrated. Estrogens, when administered alone, increase the risk of endometrial cancer; however, this risk seems to be reduced by the addition of progestatives over a minimal period of time. Regarding breast cancer, it seems that substitutional hormone treatments for menopause only increase the risk of the above cancer after a prolonged period of over 10 years. The role of progestatives in breast-cancer risk remains uncertain, and is a subject of controversy. It therefore seems justified to prescribe substitutional hormone treatments combining estrogens and progestatives for young women in whom treatment for non hormone-dependent cancers of the cervix, ovary, etc has resulted in castration. For women who have been treated for breast or endometrial cancer, we are of the opinion that the treatment of choice should consist of non-hormonal treatments for prevention of osteoporosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1467592", "title": "[Primary neuroendocrine cutaneous carcinoma or Merkel cell carcinoma. Review of the literature].", "content": "The neuroendocrine carcinomas of the skin, also called Merkel cell carcinomas, are unusual malignancies mostly observed in the elderly. They are diagnosed by a pathologist: ultrastructural studies and immunohistochemistry support the diagnosis. The prognosis is poor. Lymph nodes and metastases quickly arise although sometimes, they are discovered immediately. A combination of surgery and radiotherapy is recommended. Metastases and unresectable tumors should be treated by chemotherapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1467593", "title": "[Evaluation of the consequences of signing a written consent on physician-patient relations. Apropos of Huriet's legislation].", "content": "Whenever an innovative treatment or a research protocol is proposed to a patient, the \"loi Huriet\" requires a written consent from the patient. This is an important change in the field of the interrelation between the doctor and his patient. To evaluate the impact of this written consent we asked 215 patients who have signed a consent form to answer a questionnaire at the end of their radiation treatment. The signature appears as an important event. The majority of the patients (70%) is not shocked by this procedure. In 97% of cases, in spite of this written relation, the patients keep intact their confidence in their doctor. Sometimes this consent form may improve the information given to the patient and it should not be seen as an obstacle for the development of research trials. There are still many problems to be solved as regards the information of the patient and the application of the \"loi Huriet\"."}
{"id": "PMID:1467594", "title": "[Primary epidermoid carcinoma of the breast. Clinical, histopathologic and prognostic study of 14 patients].", "content": "We reviewed the charts of 14 patients with epidermoid breast carcinoma, whether pure or associated with a minor glandular component. These patients were treated between 1970 and 1989 at the Institut Curie and represented 0.06% of all breast cancer patients treated during the same period. No clinical or radiological criteria could help to discriminate these forms from other types of breast cancer. Four out of 13 patients with initial axillary node dissection had nodal involvement. Various combinations of surgery and radiotherapy were used to treat these patients. One out of 14 hormone receptor levels was positive. Median survival was 54 months (9 months-144 months). Two patients had a local recurrence and 7 had metastasis. No event occurred beyond 5 years of follow-up. This suggest that the outcome of epidermoid breast tumors is closer to that of other epidermoid tumors, rather than to other types of breast cancer."}
{"id": "PMID:1467595", "title": "[Breast cancer in men: incidence and types of associated previous synchronous and metachronous cancers].", "content": "Male breast cancer represents about only 1% of all breast cancers. We have analysed a retrospective, multicentric series of 404 patients, initially non-metastatic, with mean age of 63 years. The 5 and 10-year overall survival rates were 65 and 36% respectively. Sixty-eight patients developed secondary cancer. From ten patients who already presented with cancer (2.5%) 3 cases corresponded to prostatic cancer treated by estrogen. Four had synchronous cancer (1%). Three and eight patients respectively had a synchronous and metachronous contralateral breast cancer (2.7% of bilateral cancer). Forty-three other patients (10.6%) developed metachronous cancer. The main tumor types were: prostate (9), lung (6), colon and rectum (6), esophagus (4). Four patients developed various hematologic malignancies and 14 patients, various types of solid tumors. From these 43 patients, 27 died; 19 as a result of secondary cancer. This represents 9% of all deaths among the 404 patients. While the bilateral cancer rate is similar to women, the second cancer rate appears to be higher in men. From hematological malignancies, chemotherapy and radiotherapy do not seem to contribute to this high incidence of second cancer."}
{"id": "PMID:1467596", "title": "[Value of the combination of piperacillin and pefloxacin possibly followed by vancomycin in the treatment of febrile neutropenia in nephrotoxic chemotherapy].", "content": "We evaluated the efficacy and safety of piperacillin-pefloxacin potentially associated to vancomycin as a non nephrotoxic antimicrobial therapy in febrile neutropenic cancer patients, treated with nephrotoxic chemotherapy. Fifty-seven patients: 49 with solid tumors and 8 non-Hodgkin lymphomas, were treated during 85 episodes with: piperacillin 4 g IV every 8 h pefloxacin 400 mg IV every 12 h. If the patient remained febrile after 72 h, 1 g of vancomycin IV was added every 12 h. The mean duration of neutropenia was 7 days (3-14 days). In 44 episodes, the granulocyte nadir was < 100/mm3. Infection was microbiologically documented in 17 episodes (20%) with ten Gram-positive cocci and 11 Gram-negative bacilli. There were 64 apyrexia with piperacillin-pefloxacin (75%) and further 14 were resolved by the addition of vancomycin (total success = 92%); three early changes because of clinical deterioration (two episodes) or germ resistance (one episode); three protocol violations, and one apyrexia by addition of amphotericin. Neither septic death nor toxicity were observed. We conclude that this empirical treatment is active and safe and avoids nephrotoxicity in cancer patients heavily treated with nephrotoxic chemotherapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1467597", "title": "[Esophageal cancer: did combined treatments improve prognosis?].", "content": "Prognosis of esophageal cancer is very poor. Five-year survival does not exceed 20% after radical surgery, the best available treatment. Unfortunately, only 40% of the patients are amenable to surgery because of poor general status and/or locoregional extension. Adjuvant treatment did not yield survival improvement. Preoperative radiotherapy (three randomized trials) or postoperative radiotherapy (one randomized trial) showed only a decrease of regional relapses, perhaps only for the nodes negative patients. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy obtains some interesting response rate (20-60%), but there has been no evidence yet for survival improvement. Recently, promising results were presented after combination of radiotherapy and chemotherapy. In this paper, we review the present status of combined treatment for esophageal cancer. Our multicentric group (OSOF) is now completing a phase II trial, that should soon form the basis for a phase III prospective study."}
{"id": "PMID:1467598", "title": "[Reflections on the classification validation of the most common forms of osteosarcomas by functional isotopic methods].", "content": "After noting the limits of a purely morphological approach, either the descriptive methods for classifying certain osteosarcomas, or the techniques connected with these limitations such as particularly limited or non significant sampling, the authors consider the possible contribution of new methods such as immunohistochemistry or in vivo radioisotope tests to improve osseous tumor classification. The latter methods may be particularly useful in clarifying a significant number of difficult diagnoses or in providing information on tumor location, to be combined with morphological observations regarding osteosarcomas."}
{"id": "PMID:1467599", "title": "[Present and future of the practice of medical oncology and multidisciplinary cancerology].", "content": "The Assembly of French Professors in Cancerology, consisting of medical and surgical oncologists as well as radiotherapists, has introduced a new diploma for specialized studies in medical oncology. This diploma is entitled oncology, medical option; the pre-existing diploma for radiotherapy is entitled oncology, radiotherapeutic option. Both diplomas are awarded after a common training period followed by specific studies for each one. A third diploma requiring a shorter study period (2 years) has been in existence for a few years and is awarded after complementary pluridisciplinary studies in cancerology. It provides medical oncologists and radiotherapists, as well as surgical and medical specialists in organs with the possibility, if they wish, to acquire global knowledge in cancerology over and above that connected with their specific area of expertise. It familiarizes them with a pluridisciplinary cancerological approach to setting up diagnostic and treatment protocols with subsequent applications to clinical and therapeutic trials. The recent reforms in post-graduate studies have now made available teaching models and state diplomas for all areas of clinical cancerology including an optional pluridisciplinary course--and should constitute an invaluable contribution to both public and private practice. They should also facilitate the work of the state bodies and those in charge of health expenditure."}
{"id": "PMID:1467600", "title": "[Value of thymidine kinase in the prediction of response to treatment by chemotherapy or hormone therapy in breast cancer].", "content": "Thymidine kinase (TK) was assayed in the cytosol of 210 primary breast cancers to assess its predictive value for response to first line chemotherapy and hormonotherapy. We performed correlations between TK and the other prognosis factors of breast cancer. TK activity is correlated with SBR grading and estrogen receptors. It has a low predictive value for response to chemotherapy and is not useful for hormonotherapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1467601", "title": "[Treatment of metastatic malignant melanoma with interleukin-2].", "content": "Between April 1988 and December 1990, 37 patients with progressive histologically proven metastatic melanoma were treated with interleukin-2 according to three multicentric successive protocols. Eighteen males and 19 females entered the trial. Mean age was 44 years (range 20-66); none of the patients had severe visceral disease or brain metastasis. Superficial and visceral metastatic sites were equally distributed. Interleukin-2 was administered as a 3 to 5 day continuous intravenous infusion, at a dose varying from 16 to 24 million international units/m2/day, as previously described by West. The second course was given after a 9 to 16 day free interval and one to seven courses were administered (mean three courses). A total of 132 courses has been given to the 37 patients. All are evaluable for toxicity and efficacy. Toxicity was tolerable and not different from that presented in recent reports. Only four patients had to definitively stop therapy for toxicity, one of them for cardiotoxicity; a dose modification or a transient suspension of therapy occurred in 18% of treatment cycles. One hypothyroidism with anti-thyroglobulin and anti-microsome antibodies was observed. We observed eight major responses (21.6%), usually of short duration (2-6 months). Most responses occurred in superficial lesions. One patient remains in complete remission, as therapy is stopped for 40 months. Immunological parameters, although demonstrating induced immunostimulation, did not correlate with clinical outcome. With an overall response rate of 21.6%, we confirm the activity of interleukin-2 in melanoma, as previously reported by others."}
{"id": "PMID:1467602", "title": "Cancer mortality among Polish migrants to France.", "content": "Cancer risk in the Polish-born population of France has been compared to that in Poland and in native French subjects (born in France), using mortality data from the period 1979-1985. The Polish-born community in France is a long-established one--most migration occurred during the 1920s--so that for many cancer sites the cancer pattern is closer to that of French natives than that in Poland (eg oral cavity, oesophagus, large bowel, gall bladder, uterus, leukaemia). Polish migrants, however, retain their characteristically high rates of cancer of the stomach and lung (in men), and low rates of breast and prostate cancer. The Polish-born community has a characteristic pattern of residence (living mainly in the Nord and the Pas-de-Calais) and occupational status (a higher proportion of 'workers' than the French-born); these are important confounding factors which can mask the true differences in risk for several sites (larynx, oesophagus, large bowel) if no adjustment is made during analysis."}
{"id": "PMID:1467603", "title": "[To plead for the introduction of a new psycho-oncology in France].", "content": "Psycho-oncology is a new discipline which considers the problem of psychological distress of cancer patients in a different manner to that of classical psychoanalysis. It is symptomatic, practical, scientific, and widely used on an international scale. It provides fresh clarification and the latest practical techniques in many areas: treatment of side-effects subsequent to radio- or chemotherapy, problems connected with life \"after\", risk factors, psychosocial interventions for normal stress reactions, treatment of anxiety and depressive syndromes, etc. This approach has been adopted to only a limited extent in France and deserves wider diffusion."}
{"id": "PMID:1467605", "title": "Effect of post-delivery care on neonatal body temperature.", "content": "A prospective observational study of post-delivery care and neonatal body temperature, carried out at Kathmandu Maternity Hospital, was followed by a randomized controlled intervention study using three simple methods for maintaining body temperature. There were 500 infants in the initial observation study and 300 in the intervention study. In the observation study, 85% (420/495) of infants had temperatures < 36 degrees C at 2 h and nearly 50% (198/405) had temperatures < 36 degrees C at 24 h (14% were < 35 degrees C). Most of the infants who were cold at 24 h had initially become cold at the time of delivery (only seven infants had been both well dried and wrapped). In the intervention study, all infants were dried and wrapped before random assignment to one of the three methods: the \"kangaroo\" method, the traditional \"oil massage\" or a \"plastic swaddler\". All three were found to be equally effective. Overall, 38% (114/298) of the infants had temperatures < 36 degrees C at 2 h and 18% (41/231) at 24 h (when none was < 35 degrees C)."}
{"id": "PMID:1467606", "title": "Macromolecular absorption in small-for-gestational-age infants.", "content": "Using human alpha-lactalbumin as a marker protein, macromolecular absorption was studied in 40 preterm infants, appropriate for gestational age (AGA), in 12 AGA term infants and in 18 preterm infants, small for gestational age (SGA). The absorption of alpha-lactalbumin was measured as concentration in serum after a human milk feed and expressed as micrograms alpha-lactalbumin/l serum/l human milk/kg body weight on day 7, 14, 21 and 42 after delivery. The serum concentration of alpha-lactalbumin was correlated negatively with maturity and postnatal age. In the SGA infants, the concentration of alpha-lactalbumin was significantly higher than in the AGA infants of similar gestational age. The data show that intrauterine growth retardation causes a delayed postnatal decrease in macromolecular absorption. This may indicate delayed intestinal maturation."}
{"id": "PMID:1467607", "title": "Predictive inability of cord zinc, magnesium and copper levels on the development of benign hyperbilirubinemia in the newborn.", "content": "Cord serum concentrations of zinc, magnesium and copper were determined in 90 healthy term infants. The infants were divided by peak bilirubin values into an icteric group (peak bilirubin > 136 mumol/l) (n = 21) and a control group (peak bilirubin < or = 136 mumol/) (n = 69). Mean cord serum zinc, magnesium and copper concentrations in the icteric group did not differ from those of the control group. Furthermore, no significant correlation was found between peak serum bilirubin concentrations and cord serum concentrations of these three elements. We conclude that cord serum concentrations of zinc, magnesium or copper are not useful in predicting which neonates will develop hyperbilirubinemia."}
{"id": "PMID:1467608", "title": "Efficacy of \"high-intensity\" blue-light and \"standard\" daylight phototherapy for non-haemolytic hyperbilirubinaemia.", "content": "We report our clinical experience with phototherapy in 3802 infants; 3629 were exposed to \"standard\" daylight phototherapy and 173 to \"high-intensity\" blue-light phototherapy. High-intensity blue-light phototherapy was twice as effective as standard daylight phototherapy in decreasing bilirubin concentrations. No failures occurred with high-intensity phototherapy compared with an overall failure rate of 1.84/1000 with daylight lamps; these cases were transferred to high-intensity phototherapy with prompt response. Rebound after cessation of phototherapy was greater in those exposed to high-intensity blue light with a significantly greater number requiring a second exposure. However, the incidence was still low. No third exposure was required in any infant. Nursing of infants under high-intensity blue light was more difficult and inconvenient as was clinical monitoring. The light also caused more stress on the nursing and medical personnel. However, the infants tolerated both types of phototherapy equally well. High-intensity blue-light phototherapy would seem to be the treatment of choice for infants with rapidly increasing or very high bilirubin levels, as well as in those not responding adequately to daylight phototherapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1467609", "title": "Oxygen saturation and breathing patterns in preterm infants with cyanotic episodes.", "content": "The pathophysiology of cyanotic/apnoeic episodes in preterm infants was investigated using overnight tape recordings of beat-to-beat arterial oxygen saturation (SaO2), plethysmographic waveforms from the oximeter, breathing movements and nasal airflow. Recordings were made in 16 preterm infants with recurrent cyanotic episodes of unknown cause that had received stimulation or resuscitation, and 15 preterm controls, matched for birth weight, post-conceptional and postnatal age. The recordings were analysed for baseline SaO2, the number of hypoxaemic episodes (SaO2 < or = 80% for > or = 4 s) and the breathing patterns associated with each episode. There was a significant difference in the total number of hypoxaemic episodes between patients and controls (520 versus 100; p < 0.01), but no difference was found for mean baseline SaO2 (98.6 versus 99.0%; p > 0.05). The mean duration of each hypoxaemic episode in the patients was 9.5 s compared with 5.8 s in the controls (p < 0.01). Although most hypoxaemic episodes (62 and 76%) were associated with pauses in breathing movements, a proportion (8 and 18%, respectively) occurred despite continuous airflow and breathing movements in both patients (6 of 16) and preterm controls (2 of 15). The rate of decrease in SaO2 was significantly more rapid during these latter hypoxaemic episodes than during episodes associated with isolated apnoeic pauses (8.5 versus 3.2% per second, p = 0.02). Preterm infants with cyanotic episodes have increased numbers of clinically unapparent hypoxaemic episodes, some of which have continued ventilation and rapid desaturation. The pathogenesis of these episodes warrants further investigation."}
{"id": "PMID:1467610", "title": "Giardiasis causing chronic diarrhoea in suburban Copenhagen: incidence, physical growth, clinical symptoms and small intestinal abnormality.", "content": "During a six-year period, 29 children (aged 0.7-13.5 years, mean 3.3 years) suffering from chronic diarrhoea due to giardiasis were studied. The incidence of this illness was 81 per 1,000,000 children aged 0- < 7 years per year. According to growth charts, relative height and weight of the patients decreased significantly (approximately 0.5 SD) from before the onset of diarrhoea to the time of diagnosis and subsequently increased up to the end of catch-up growth. Small intestinal mucosal specimens were studied. Two patients had severe villous atrophy, 8 moderate abnormalities, 6 only light changes and 13 biopsies were normal. D-xylose or lactose malabsorption was detected in 25% of the patients. The lactose malabsorption was due to hereditary low lactase levels. None of the patients with a Danish ethnic background showed lactose malabsorption. D-xylose absorption and the relative weight loss of the patients correlated with the degree of mucosal damage. Patients with persistent diarrhoea (n = 19) were younger and had a shorter duration of diarrhoeal illness and a more significant weight reduction than those with intermittent diarrhoea (n = 10). However, the age at onset of symptoms was similar in the two groups (medians 1.3 years). Seven patients contracted the disease abroad. They all developed persistent diarrhoea and had a more severe course of the illness than those who acquired the disease in Denmark."}
{"id": "PMID:1467611", "title": "Effect of measles-mumps-rubella vaccination on polymorphonuclear neutrophil functions in children.", "content": "Adherence, metabolic burst and chemotaxis of polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs) were examined in 15 children before and seven days after measles-mumps-rubella vaccine administration. In all children, PMN functions were significantly reduced on the seventh day. Adherence, metabolic burst and chemotaxis tested in three subjects one month after vaccination had returned to normal values. Only two children presented transient hyperpyrexia. We conclude that measles-mumps-rubella vaccine administration suppresses PMN functions without clinical consequences. This is probably because attenuated strains of vaccine viruses do not replicate in lymphoid tissues as extensively as do wild-type strains."}
{"id": "PMID:1467612", "title": "Skin test reactivity to atypical mycobacteria among healthy Finnish preschool children vaccinated with BCG vaccine at birth.", "content": "Skin test reactivity to three mycobacterial sensitins (M. avium, M. fortuitum and M. scrofulaceum) was studied in 353 healthy children vaccinated with the BCG vaccine at birth. A significant waning of reactivity to all of the three sensitins was found to occur with increasing age. Revaccination against measles, parotitis and rubella had been given to 31 (9%) of the children, all aged > 5.5 years. They had significantly larger reactions sizes, which was contrary to what was expected. Children with atopic dermatitis (n = 19) had significantly smaller reaction sizes to the M. fortuitum sensitin. Neither respiratory viral infections during the preceding six months nor contact with pets or farm animals had any influence on reaction sizes. The variation of sensitin reactions was large in preschool children vaccinated with the BCG vaccine at birth. The diagnostic value of sensitin reactions in preschool children needs to be elaborated in clinical studies in children with clinically demonstrable mycobacteriosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1467613", "title": "A double-blind, placebo-controlled study of the effect of intranasal budesonide in the treatment of children with seasonal rhinitis.", "content": "The effectiveness of the intranasal glucocorticosteroid budesonide was investigated in children with grass pollen-induced rhinitis during a pollen season. The trial was of a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group design with a one-week run-in period and a three-week treatment period. Twenty-four children received treatment with budesonide 200 micrograms bid and 27 children with placebo, administered by a nasal aerosol. Concomitant terfenadine, as required, was allowed in both groups. Recordings of nasal symptom severity, use of terfenadine and adverse effects were made in diaries. Nasal symptoms were significantly less severe in patients treated with budesonide as compared with placebo-treated patients. An overall assessment of treatment effect made by the children was significantly in favour of budesonide, and the consumption of terfenadine was significantly larger in the placebo than in the budesonide group. These results provide good evidence that intranasal budesonide is effective in seasonal rhinitis in children."}
{"id": "PMID:1467614", "title": "Implantable central venous catheter facilitates prophylactic treatment in children with haemophilia.", "content": "Twelve children with a severe form of haemophilia A received a totally implantable venous access system (Port-A-Cath) to facilitate regular prophylactic treatment with factor VIII. The indication for implantation was difficulty in obtaining regular access to a peripheral vein. Postoperative bleeding around the portal site occurred in two of 12 cases. After a median duration of follow-up of 26 months (range 5-79 months), none of the systems had needed replacement due to bleeding, septicaemia or thrombosis. One child, with an inhibitor against factor VIII, had an infection at the portal site and this system was removed. None of the other children had any serious side effects. Nine of the 12 children's parents learned how to use the Port-A-Cath system, thus enabling optimal prophylactic home treatment with factor VIII to be begun early in life."}
{"id": "PMID:1467615", "title": "Borrelia arthritis in Swedish children: clinical manifestations in 10 children.", "content": "Since 1986, serology against Borrelia burgdorferi has been performed on patients with arthritis admitted to the Division of Pediatric Rheumatology, S:t G\u00f6ran's Hospital, Stockholm. We studied, retrospectively, the period 1986-88. Among 300 children with arthritis, 10 had positive titers against B. B. burgdorferi. Other causes of arthritis were excluded. The onset of Borrelia arthritis was throughout the year. Only 3 of the 10 children remembered an actual tick bite. No other manifestations of Lyme borreliosis were present simultaneously. The typical clinical picture was a relapsing unilateral arthritis of the knee."}
{"id": "PMID:1467616", "title": "The influence of scoliosis brace treatment on function in children with myelomeningocele.", "content": "The influence of Boston brace treatment on the functional and motor ability of children with scoliosis secondary to myelomeningocele was studied in a consecutive series of 20 children of 5-19 years of age. Motor activity, ADL function and ambulation ability were assessed before brace treatment and then annually during the treatment period, which lasted an average of 2.7 years (range 0.6-8.7 years). Thirteen children were followed-up one year after braces were removed. The effect of brace treatment on the scoliosis was favourable as is reported elsewhere. The children's motor activity and ADL function remained unchanged during brace treatment, but brace wearing was accompanied by a decreased ambulatory skill. This may partly be explained by a slight increase of flexion contractures of the hips during treatment. Patients with useful ambulation ability kept this ability up even during brace treatment. Considering the favourable effect of brace treatment on the scoliosis curve and the few complications encountered, we recommend brace treatment for scoliosis in patients with myelomeningocele."}
{"id": "PMID:1467617", "title": "Absences for sickness among children in day care.", "content": "The number of days of absence because of sickness, recorded for all children in one city in Finland, cared for in municipal day care over a period of 2.5 years, was collected from the monthly figures kept by the city council office for accounting purposes. The average number of days of absence per child was 24 per year at child-care centers and 9 in family care (p < 0.01) at age less than 3 years, 13 and 7, respectively (p < 0.05) at age 3-5 years, and 10 and 5, respectively (p < 0.05) among those aged 6 years. The average duration of absence in all age groups was 3.6 days in child-care centers and 2.5 days in family-care centers. The number of days absent at each child-care center in 1986 correlated significantly with that for 1987 (r = 0.58, p < 0.001), indicating consistency in the absence figures. A bivariate analysis showed the number of children in the child-care centers (r = 0.32, p < 0.05) to explain the number of absences for sickness, and after this factor had been controlled in a multivariate analysis, the number of nurses serving out food while looking after the children (r = 0.27, p < 0.01) and the number of families to whom the children belonged (r = 0.27, p < 0.01)."}
{"id": "PMID:1467621", "title": "Chloramphenicol-resistant Haemophilus influenzae meningitis in young urban Nigerian children.", "content": "In a developing country like Nigeria, the unusual emergence of Haemophilus influenzae type b, resistant to cost-effective antimicrobials, is of serious concern. We report three cases of H. influenzae type b meningitis in young Nigerian children in whom clinical and bacteriological features of resistance to chloramphenicol were identified. One of the cases had concomitant resistance to ampicillin (multiple-drug resistance). Significant anaemia was an associated feature in two cases, one of whom had a recent measles infection. All three cases were malnourished. The possible mechanisms of antimicrobial resistance in H. influenzae infections are highlighted while the need for periodic surveillance of antibiotic resistance profiles in resource-poor countries is emphasized. The potential value of prophylactic measures like H. influenzae type b conjugate immunization is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1467622", "title": "Rupture of the trachea: an unusual complication of delivery.", "content": "We describe a neonate whose trachea ruptured during delivery. The baby developed respiratory symptoms shortly after delivery and became dramatically ill after 6 h. This particular birth trauma appears to be very unusual: there are few cases reported in the literature. Rupture of the trachea should be considered as a differential diagnosis in a neonate who develops pneumomediastinum after a complicated delivery."}
{"id": "PMID:1467628", "title": "Cardiac natriuretic peptide hormones during artificial cardiac pacemaker stimulation and left heart catheterization.", "content": "Brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) is synthesized and released predominantly in the ventricular myocardium whereas atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) is produced mainly in the atria. This study evaluated whether artificial pacemaker stimulation or left heart catheterization results in specific changes in BNP and ANP plasma levels. Both BNP and ANP responded sensitively to changes in pacemaker stimulation (single-chamber pacemakers; pacing rates of 72 and 92/min) and during the left heart catheterization procedure. However, whereas higher pacing resulted in a more pronounced increase in plasma BNP levels, a stronger ANP release followed catheterization. This incongruous rise in ANP and BNP plasma concentrations points to at least partly independent mechanisms governing the release of BNP and ANP."}
{"id": "PMID:1467629", "title": "Peptic ulcer bleeding: medical and surgical point of view. Results of a prospective interdisciplinary multicenter observational study. DUSUK Study Group.", "content": "Various treatment policies and clinical disciplines compete for the treatment of bleeding peptic ulcer. In a prospective multicenter and interdisciplinary study performed during a 1-year period at ten hospitals in D\u00fcsseldorf, all patients admitted for peptic ulcer bleeding were recorded. The characteristics of patients admitted to surgical and to medical departments, the distribution of endoscopic treatment, indications for surgery, type of surgical procedures, and outcome were investigated. In the study period 387 bleeding peptic ulcers were recorded. Of these patients 82% were primarily admitted to medical and 18% to surgical departments. No differences in terms of severity of ulcer disease or bleeding activity were noted between the groups of medical and surgical patients. However, accompanying or underlying diseases were detected more often in patients admitted to medical departments. Endoscopy treatment was performed in the majority of patients with arterial spurting bleeding (88%) or a visible vessel (80%). Injection therapy with epinephrine or polidocanol was mainly used (78%). In 16% of cases the patients underwent operation; 44% of the patients primarily admitted to a surgical department were operated (medical departments, 10%). About half of the operated patients underwent emergency surgery; in the majority of cases resections were performed (gastric ulcer, 76%; duodenal ulcer, 56%). Overall mortality was 11%, with no difference between surgical and medical patients. A high mortality was observed in the subgroup of patients with late recurrent bleeding (27%). It is concluded that for optimal treatment of peptic ulcer bleeding intensive cooperation between physicians and surgeons is necessary, and that agreed and evaluated treatment policies are needed."}
{"id": "PMID:1467630", "title": "Endothelin-1 in patients with complicated and uncomplicated myocardial infarction.", "content": "Endothelin-1 concentrations were measured in peripheral venous blood samples from 42 patients with acute myocardial infarction. In patients with ischemic or hemodynamic complications (n = 11), endothelin-1 concentrations were significantly higher already on admission (P = 0.008) and remained significantly higher until day 6 after admission compared to patients with uncomplicated infarctions (n = 31; P = 0.035). There were no close correlations between peak concentrations of endothelin-1 and creatine kinase or creatine kinase isoenzyme MB mass in either group. Only in complicated patients did left ventricular ejection fraction correlate closely and inversely with peak endothelin-1 concentrations (r = -0.71; P = 0.03). Therefore, plasma endothelin-1 concentrations in patients with acute myocardial infarction patients may reflect states of markedly depressed cardiac performance and recurrent myocardial ischemia."}
{"id": "PMID:1467631", "title": "Erythema nodosum of dental origin.", "content": "The association of erythema nodosum and dental infectious foci has rarely been described in the literature. This report concerns four women who developed erythema nodosum either following dental treatment associated with gingival bleeding or due to infectious dental foci. In these cases, tooth extraction, removal of dental deposits, interrupted pulp treatment, apical periodontitis, or a relicted root were identified as causes of the development of erythema nodosum. Upon admission to the hospital, these patients also presented fever and and a maximally elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR). In all instances, surgical treatment of the dental foci and/or administration of antibiotics rapidly led to the regression of the erythema nodosum, as well as to the normalization of body temperature and ESR. The cases described indicate that antecedent dental treatment and the possible presence of infectious dental foci should be considered in the differential diagnosis of erythema nodosum when taking the patient's medical history. This approach may avoid unnecessary, possibly invasive diagnostic procedures and can lead to rapid improvement in the patient's clinical status."}
{"id": "PMID:1467632", "title": "Disseminated toxoplasmosis with sepsis in AIDS.", "content": "A 24-year-old woman with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome was admitted with septic fever of unknown origin and a 2-week history of diarrhea. Clinical diagnostic procedures did not reveal the cause of sepsis. Broad-spectrum antibiotics and intensive symptomatic therapy could not prevent progressive deterioration. The patient developed septic shock and consumptive coagulopathy and died 6 days after admission. Autopsy revealed disseminated infection with toxoplasma gondii and multiple organ manifestations. We conclude that disseminated toxoplasmosis should be considered in AIDS patients with septic disease of unknown origin. Extremely elevated lactate dehydrogenase may suggest disseminated toxoplasma gondii infection. New procedures such as polymerase chain reaction for detection of toxoplasmosis may be helpful diagnostic tools."}
{"id": "PMID:1467633", "title": "Coincidence of primary myelodysplastic syndrome and non-Hodgkin lymphoma.", "content": "A 60-year-old patient is presented with primary myelodysplastic syndrome classified according to the criteria of the French-American-British classification as chronic myelomonocytic leukemia and with a hyperviscosity syndrome. We found a monoclonal gammopathy with a very high serum immunoglobulin M level. There is strong evidence for coincidence of myelodysplastic syndrome and Waldenstr\u00f6m's macroglobulinemia in this patient."}
{"id": "PMID:1467634", "title": "Comparison of nitroglycerin with nifedipine in patients with hypertensive crisis or severe hypertension.", "content": "To determine whether nitroglycerin is as effective as nifedipine in lowering the blood pressure in severe hypertension and hypertensive crisis, two groups of 20 patients received in random sequence either 1.2 mg nitroglycerin sublingually or a 10-mg nifedipine capsule, which was chewed and swallowed. The blood pressure fell after 5 min in the nitroglycerin group from 211/122 mmHg to 171/95 mmHg and after nifedipine from 210/118 to 185/102 mmHg. The greater effect of nitroglycerin may result from faster absorption through the oral mucosa than through the small intestinal mucosa where nifedipine is primarily absorbed. After 15-20 min a satisfactory reduction in blood pressure was reached in both groups: 157/91 and 158/92 mmHg, respectively. After 30 min the heart rate in the nitroglycerin group had decreased from 83 to 80/min, but in the nifedipine group it had increased from 84 to 90/min. The reduction in blood pressure persisted up to 6 h. No significant differences in side effects were determined. Since a hypertensive crisis is usually accompanied by left ventricular failure, pulmonary edema, angina pectoris, or infarction, nitroglycerin has been definitively shown positively to influence these conditions, and preference should be given to nitroglycerin in the treatment of hypertensive crises."}
{"id": "PMID:1467635", "title": "Low incidence of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia in HIV patients receiving 300 mg pentamidine aerosol every 2 weeks.", "content": "The optimal dosage of pentamidine for prophylaxis of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PcP) is unknown. We assessed the effects of 300 mg pentamidine inhaled every 2 weeks. Salbutamol was added for prevention of bronchoconstriction. A total of 128 consecutive HIV patients were enrolled, 21 of whom were excluded within 8 weeks; the remaining 107 patients, 66 on primary and 41 on secondary prophylaxis, were treated for 39 weeks (median; range 8-133). Two patients developed PcP. Side effects occurred in only 14 of 5082 inhalations. Three patients developed hypoglycemia after inhalations. Blood glucose levels determined in 34 patients before and after inhalation revealed a decline from 89 +/- 23 mg/dl to 79 +/- 23 mg/dl (P < 0.005). A randomized prospective trial is necessary to evaluate the efficacy of 300 mg pentamidine inhaled every 4 or 2 weeks."}
{"id": "PMID:1467638", "title": "Living with altered body image: the cancer experience.", "content": "A wide range of cancer problems (e.g. tumour, treatment and treatment delivery systems) cause alterations in body image for patients. Individuals' sense of self-worth is bound up with appearance, function and control of their bodies. This value system is developed through the process of socialization and the advertising in the fashion industries. Nurses must consider the value system that patients employ and the way in which they value different aspects of their bodies. Nurses cannot make effective care contributions to the problems of altered body image during the immediate acute phase of illness. It is at a later stage, normally at discharge, that patients experience a reaction to their altered body image."}
{"id": "PMID:1467640", "title": "Nursing implications of increasing asthma prevalence.", "content": "There is evidence of a worldwide increase in the prevalence of, and mortality from, asthma. Suggested causes of these increases include environmental and medical factors. There are implications for nursing practice. The nurse has a role to play in health education and promotion for asthmatics. Research is being carried out but there is a need for further work."}
{"id": "PMID:1467641", "title": "Care of a patient with breathing difficulties.", "content": "Use of the Roper model of nursing care enabled the patient's physical, social and psychological needs to be met. Identification of actual and potential problems in each activity of daily living enabled goals to be set and care plans to be implemented to alleviate the problems. It is important that nursing care addresses not only the physical side of nursing, but also the psychological needs of the patient and the patient's family. By identifying the patient's fears in each activity of daily living, we could offer practical help and reassurance which greatly facilitated her return to independent living."}
{"id": "PMID:1467639", "title": "Smoking and the young.", "content": "Over one quarter of the risk of death due to the sudden infant death syndrome (cot death) is attributable to maternal smoking. Maternal smoking during pregnancy and infancy is one of the most important avoidable risk factors for infant death. Nicotine is a drug of addiction. Many young smokers are addicted to nicotine and develop withdrawal symptoms on stopping. Smoking is an important marker for other types of drug abuse, e.g. alcohol, cannabis and cocaine. The earlier children start smoking, the greater the risk of lung cancer and heart disease. Smoking affects immunity and has been associated with an increased risk of acquiring human immunodeficiency virus-1 infection."}
{"id": "PMID:1467644", "title": "Extended role of the nurse in ICU.", "content": "A popular definition of a nurse's extended role is a procedure that is not covered in basic training and for which further training is needed (Rowden, 1987). Nurses' past need for certification and the concept that certain procedures are part of an extended role negates nurses' professionalism. Many nurses fear that the UKCC's abolishment of certification for extended role procedures will open the floodgates for unsafe practice and strip the profession of its protection. This survey analysed what procedures intensive care nurses were performing, how responsibility was related to status, whether certain procedures were classified as extending their role and how staff related these procedures to patient care, staffing levels and professionalism."}
{"id": "PMID:1467645", "title": "Behaviour at the scene of an accident.", "content": "Remember that your behaviour at the scene of an accident will directly influence the actions of the other people present. Be aware of your own safety at all times. Double-check that vehicles, machinery and smokers involved in the accident pose no further threat. Be mindful of spinal injuries. Do not move injured patients unless their lives are in immediate danger. Never leave an unconscious patient's airway unsupervised. If a motor cyclist's helmet is removed, it must be done slowly and smoothly."}
{"id": "PMID:1467646", "title": "Career opportunities in oncology.", "content": "Oncology nursing offers nurses a wide range of opportunities. Nurses need a wide range of skills in order to care for patients who may have acute oncological illnesses or require palliative care. The nature of the nurse/patient relationship can be intense. Nurses generally find this enhances job satisfaction. The pressures exerted on nurses working in oncology can be immense. Oncology nursing is rewarding but very demanding and therefore the nurse has to be resourceful. Early career planning is advisable to take advantage of the opportunities that are currently available."}
{"id": "PMID:1467649", "title": "Two G-box-related sequences confer different expression patterns in transgenic tobacco.", "content": "We have analyzed the expression patterns conferred by two G-box-related motifs, a perfect palindromic sequence (PA, 5'-GCCACGTGGC-3') and motif I (Iwt, 5'-GTACGTGGCG-3'), in transgenic tobacco plants. A mutant version of motif I, Imu, was used as a negative control. PA is present in the promoters of several different genes, whereas Iwt is a conserved sequence found in abscisic acid-inducible promoters. Previously we have demonstrated that PA and Iwt, but not Imu, can bind to the tobacco transcription activator TAF-1 in vitro, with the PA sequence showing a 70-fold higher affinity as compared to Iwt. We found that tetramers of PA and Iwt, which differ by only 2 bp per 10-bp repeat, confer very different tissue-specific and expression patterns in transgenic tobacco plants. PA confers preferential expression in root tissues with a low level of activity in leaves, whereas Iwt directs developmentally regulated expression in seeds beginning 15 days after petals have fully expanded until seed maturation. Imu appears to be inactive because it gives the same expression pattern as the -90 cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter control. RNA gel blot analysis showed that the expression pattern of TAF-1 mRNA is similar to that directed by PA, suggesting that TAF-1 may be involved in the transcriptional regulation of PA."}
{"id": "PMID:1467642", "title": "Recent developments in the ENB framework and higher award.", "content": "The ENB Higher Award is designed to be flexible and clinically relevant, allowing practitioners to study to first degree and to masters if desired, or simply to follow individual units of learning in the programme to meet identified professional development needs. The structure of the ENB Higher Award is based on the 10 key characteristics of the ENB Framework; these encapsulate all the qualities that should make a good nurse and act as a reference point for practitioners. The aim of the Higher Award is to produce Quality Education for Quality Care, promoting higher standards of nursing care by the application of relevant skills and knowledge. The CAT (Credit Accumulation and Transfer) scheme has been introduced to give credit to existing qualifications and prevent replication of learning for all applicants. APEL (Assessment of Prior Experiential Learning) gives the practitioner the opportunity to claim further exemption from study based on relevant experience declared in a professional portfolio. Because this new scheme is deemed extremely cost-effective, no additional funds will be provided by regional health authorities or the ENB to fund this excellent continuing education initiative."}
{"id": "PMID:1467647", "title": "Developing standards in palliative care.", "content": "Palliative care is an area of nursing that demands special skills and deserves standards of excellence. Standards are vital for the monitoring of patient care. Standards ensure that all staff are aware of the level of care to be delivered. Palliative care should be given to all patients who are dying, not just those with cancer. Before standards can be created, a philosophy of care must be written. Time limits must be set and adhered to."}
{"id": "PMID:1467650", "title": "COP9: a new genetic locus involved in light-regulated development and gene expression in arabidopsis.", "content": "We report here the identification and characterization of a new Arabidopsis light-regulatory locus, COP9, mutation that leads to a constitutive photomorphogenic phenotype. Dark-grown cop9 seedlings exhibit many morphological characteristics of light-grown seedlings, including short hypocotyls and open and enlarged cotyledons with cell-type and chloroplast differentiation. Furthermore, the cop9 mutation leads to high-level expression of light-inducible genes in the absence of light, probably by altering the promoter activities of these genes. These properties imply that the mutation in the COP9 locus uncouples the light/dark signals from morphogenesis and light-regulated gene expression. In addition, light-grown cop9 mutants are severely dwarfed and are unable to reach maturation and flowering. This adult-lethal phenotype indicates that the COP9 locus also plays a critical role for normal development of the light-grown plant. Similar to cop1 mutants, but not det1, the cop9 mutants show (1) no effect on the phytochrome control of seed germination and (2) deficiency in the dark-adaptive change of expression of light-regulated genes. Our results suggest that the cop9 and cop1 mutations result in the same range of phenotypes and therefore COP9 and COP1 loci may encode closely related components in the same regulatory pathway."}
{"id": "PMID:1467651", "title": "Initial characterization of a pea mutant with light-independent photomorphogenesis.", "content": "We have identified a mutant of pea cultivar Alaska that has many of the characteristics normally associated with light-grown seedlings even when grown in complete darkness. We have designated this mutant lip1, for light independent photomorphogenesis. Etiolated wild-type pea seedlings are white to slightly yellow in color and have a distinct morphology characterized by elongated epicotyls and buds containing unexpanded leaves with small, undifferentiated cells. In contrast, mutant seedlings grown under the same conditions are yellow in color and have short epicotyls and expanded leaves showing clear cellular differentiation. Transmission electron microscopy revealed partially developed, agranal plastids in the dark-grown mutant, unlike wild-type seedlings that contain etioplasts with prolamellar bodies. The mutant also exhibits a much shorter lag period for chlorophyll accumulation when etiolated seedlings are transferred from darkness to white light. The dark-grown mutant has 10-fold less spectrally detectable phytochrome, which can be attributed to a 10-fold reduction in the level of the PHYA polypeptide. Cab, Fed1, and RbcS transcripts are present in dark-grown mutant seedlings at levels comparable to those produced in light-grown material. The levels of these transcripts show a normal decrease when green plants grown for 15 days in a light/dark cycle are transferred to continuous darkness. However, transcript levels remain high during dark treatment of seedlings grown for 9 days in continuous light, indicating that the dark adaptation response in this mutant is developmentally plastic. The lip1 mutant has several features in common with the deetiolated Arabidopsis mutants det1, det2, and cop1. However, there are also several important differences, including varying effects on phytochrome levels, organ-specific gene expression, plastid development, and response to dark adaptation."}
{"id": "PMID:1467652", "title": "Pumpkin phloem lectin genes are specifically expressed in companion cells.", "content": "Pumpkin phloem exudate contains two abundant phloem proteins: PP1 is a 96-kD protein that forms polymeric filaments in vivo, and PP2 is a 48-kD dimeric lectin. Polyclonal antibodies raised against pumpkin phloem exudate were used to isolate several cDNAs corresponding to PP1 and PP2. RNA gel blot analysis indicated that PP1 is encoded by an mRNA of approximately 2500 nucleotides, whereas PP2 subunits are encoded by an mRNA of 1000 nucleotides. Sequence analysis of PP2 cDNAs revealed a 654-bp open reading frame encoding a 218-amino acid polypeptide; this polypeptide had the carbohydrate binding characteristics of a PP2 subunit. The PP2 mRNA was localized within the phloem of pumpkin hypocotyl cross-sections based on in situ hybridization of a digoxigenin-labeled antisense probe. PP2 mRNA was found within the companion cells in both the bicollateral vascular bundles and the extrafascicular phloem network."}
{"id": "PMID:1467653", "title": "Spatial and temporal gene expression patterns occur during corm development.", "content": "We investigated gene expression patterns that occur during taro corm development. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis identified several different prevalent proteins that accumulate during corm development. Microsequencing studies indicated that some of these proteins are related to taste-modifying proteins, such as curculin and miraculin, and proteins found in other storage organs, such as sporamin and the Kunitz trypsin inhibitor. A curculin-encoding cDNA clone, designated as TC1, was identified that corresponds to a highly prevalent 1-kb corm mRNA. The TC1 mRNA accumulates during corm development, is more prevalent in corm apical than basal regions, and is either absent, or present at low concentrations, in other vegetative organs such as the leaf and root. In situ hybridization experiments showed that the TC1 mRNA is highly concentrated in corm storage parenchyma cells and is absent, or present in reduced concentrations, in other corm cells and tissues. Our results show that corm development is associated with the differentiation of specialized cells and tissues, and that these differentiation events are coupled with the temporal and spatial expression of corm-specific genes."}
{"id": "PMID:1467654", "title": "A 62-kD sucrose binding protein is expressed and localized in tissues actively engaged in sucrose transport.", "content": "Sucrose transport from the apoplasm, across the plasma membrane, and into the symplast is critical for growth and development in most plant species. Phloem loading, the process of transporting sucrose against a concentration gradient into the phloem, is an essential first step in long-distance transport of sucrose and carbon partitioning. We report here that a soybean 62-kD sucrose binding protein is associated with the plasma membrane of several cell types engaged in sucrose transport, including the mesophyll cells of young sink leaves, the companion cells of mature phloem, and the cells of the developing cotyledons. Furthermore, the temporal expression of the gene and the accumulation pattern of the protein closely parallel the rate of sucrose uptake in the cotyledon. Molecular cloning and sequence analysis of a full-length cDNA for this 62-kD sucrose binding protein indicated that the protein is not an invertase, contains a 29-amino acid leader peptide that is absent from the mature protein, and is not an integral membrane protein. We conclude that the 62-kD sucrose binding protein is involved in sucrose transport, but is not performing this function independently."}
{"id": "PMID:1467655", "title": "[Results of the Strassmann operation at the Innsbruck University Gynecologic Clinic (1976-1991)].", "content": "Strassmann's operation in the presented manner has proven to be a valuable intervention in the case of infertility due to uterus bicornis or subseptus. The pregnancy rate observed after the operation was 92%, while the rate of abortion was 16%. Strassmann's operation requires smaller incisions compared with other metroplasties and was therefore continued. The establishment of the so-called 'abortus habitualis consulting hours' has led to a dramatic increase in the indication of a metroplasty. The proportion of patients with uterine malformations among those presenting with abortus habitualis amounts to 18%. Delivery by cesarean section 1-2 weeks before term should be taken into consideration from the obstetrical viewpoint. However, the decision for this treatment mode is also governed by the wish of the patient for minimal risk."}
{"id": "PMID:1467656", "title": "[Current therapeutic strategies in breast cancer].", "content": "In the last 20 years the general and operative treatment of breast cancer has changed to a large extent. The super-radical Rotter-Halstedt operation of breast cancer is past history, and also the modified radical mastectomy (Patey) is performed in fewer cases. The ablative operative therapy of breast cancer is replaced more and more by a breast-conserving operative treatment with the combination of an adjuvant local and general therapy. Adjuvant therapy is mainly understood as a hormonal treatment or polychemotherapy. A great number of randomized studies proves the efficiency of this therapeutic strategy."}
{"id": "PMID:1467657", "title": "[Thyroid regulation pathways and its effect on human luteal function].", "content": "There are interferences between function of the thyroid gland and the ovary. Thus, thyroid disorders may influence the ovarian cycle. Up to now interferences in three main areas are described: the secretion of GnRH, i.e. FSH and, above all, LH, the peripheral metabolism of steroids (androgens, estrogens, and SHBG), and metabolism of prolactin. By employing human luteal cells, we were able to demonstrate that there is also a direct impact of thyroid regulation on luteal function: TSH, but not TRH or T3 or T4, possesses a luteotropic activity and reaches one fifth of the biological activity of hCG. This kind or direct influence may play an important role in the pathophysiology in patients with hypothyroidism."}
{"id": "PMID:1467658", "title": "[Computer-assisted patient management. Individual electronic data processing-assisted documentation in gynecology].", "content": "EDP-supported documentation of patients has become increasingly important over the last several years. Seven autonomous wards of the gynecological department of the Hospital Rudolfstiftung were equipped with a clinical documentation system. The integration of this new system into the infrastructure of the KIS (Krankenhausinformationssystem) was accomplished with the help of the MD-ADV. We also implemented one of the best-known statistical analyzing systems, SAS, so that we have simple possibilities for statistical calculation and graphical plots."}
{"id": "PMID:1467659", "title": "[Local prevention of infection with metronidazole before vaginal hysterectomy--comparative effect compared with systemic prevention?].", "content": "A prospective clinical trial was designed to examine the influence of a local intravaginal application of metronidazole on postoperative infectious morbidity in 114 women undergoing vaginal hysterectomy. On the evening before vaginal hysterectomy, 51 patients received a vaginal suppository of metronidazole (500 mg). These patients were compared with a group of 63 patients who were given a single-shot prophylaxis with 1,500 mg cefuroxime intravenously. With regard to febrile morbidity, urinary tract infection and pelvic infection there was no significant difference in the two treatment groups. There was no statistically significant difference in the postoperative duration of hospital stay and additional antibiotic therapy between the two groups either. We did not see serious infections in our examination. Our results suggest that a local single-dose application of metronidazole in vaginal hysterectomy might have the same efficacy on postoperative infectious morbidity than a systemic antibiotic prophylaxis and that it can reduce antibiotic costs."}
{"id": "PMID:1467660", "title": "Biological gestational age and its calendar assessment with ultrasound. Part 2: Biological-calendar scales for prediction of birth-date.", "content": "Evaluation of enzymatic and sonographic assessments has been done in terms of relativity of gestational length. The principle of relativity means that it is not the calendar time but the biological one that qualifies the results of both the diagnostic procedures and treatments. The described biological-calendar scale comprises and links both the enzymatic and ultrasonographic data. The shifting of the end of the biological scale to the end of the calendar scale enables the appropriate evaluation of both the child's maturation for labor, as well as the pregnancy duration from the last menstrual period until the end of normal births range. It is why almost all ultrasound scales heretofore useful only for 50% of deliveries (as usually encompassing range of 40 weeks) have to be lengthened."}
{"id": "PMID:1467661", "title": "[Image of the uterus in Greek-Roman antiquity and its representation].", "content": "The author describes the common ideas of the human uterus in Etruscan and early Roman Italy known from anatomical ex-votos and gems, most of them found in the regions of Etruria and Latium. In contrast, a medical or scientific concept of the human uterus can be found in various manuscript copies from ancient writers, especially in those derived from the Coan school of medicine, from ancient Greek philosophers and in those derived from Soranus of Ephesus, the best-known teaching authority on obstetrics in Roman medicine. Miscellaneous concepts were characteristic of drawings in later manuscript copies of the early middle ages."}
{"id": "PMID:1467670", "title": "Health promotion and disease prevention for the older adult: an overview of the current recommendations and a practical application.", "content": "This report provides a description of the components of health promotion and disease prevention services for the older adult. The aspects to be included, the current available organizational and governmental recommendations, and a discussion of the criteria on which these recommendations were based are presented. A practical, easy-to-use worksheet will enable NPs to incorporate relevant health promotion and prevention activities into each client visit. This approach insures that the range of comprehensive services will be offered."}
{"id": "PMID:1467671", "title": "Managing relapse as a positive opportunity for change.", "content": "During the process of lifestyle changes, there is a high incidence of relapse during the first three months. There are frequently negative feelings experienced by both the nurse practitioner and the client. This paper presents information concerning relapses, conceptualizing relapse as a positive experience, and strategies to support clients who encounter relapse in their efforts to maintain positive health habits."}
{"id": "PMID:1467672", "title": "Assessment of domestic violence by nurse practitioners.", "content": "Domestic violence has reached epidemic proportions in American society. In the normal course of supplying medical care to women and children, NPs will encounter victims of physical, sexual, and psychological violence. It is imperative that NPs know how to assess for victimization and safety and that they provide patients with needed information about community services."}
{"id": "PMID:1467673", "title": "Assessing depression in primary care.", "content": "NPs often see patients as they enter the health care system and are frequently confronted with overt and covert manifestations of depression. Early identification and treatment leads to the reduction of some symptoms and referral for treatment of others, thus promoting health and wellness while interrupting the development of additional symptoms."}
{"id": "PMID:1467674", "title": "The nurse practitioner as healer: a process of interactive simultaneity.", "content": "Interactive simultaneity draws on the human-living-health model of nurse theorist Rosemarie Parse and the author's research on the healing activity of arctic and subarctic medicine women to enhance contemporary clinical practice in a variety of situations."}
{"id": "PMID:1467675", "title": "Spontaneous remission of cancer: an example of health promotion.", "content": "Spontaneous remission provides an example of health promotion: that of the body/mind/spirit maximizing its potential and showing, not only the disappearance or lessening of pathology, but also the healing capabilities of the individual. This brief overview of a grounded theory research study summarizes nine healees' experiences with a diagnosis of cancer and their subsequent remissions."}
{"id": "PMID:1467683", "title": "Predictive value of microalbuminuria in patients with insulin-dependent diabetes of long duration.", "content": "To investigate the predictive value of microalbuminuria (albumin excretion rate 30-300 mg/24 h) as a risk factor for overt diabetic nephropathy in patients with longstanding insulin dependent diabetes. 10 year follow up of patients with normoalbuminuria (albumin excretion rate < 30 mg/24 h), microalbuminuria (30-300 mg/24 h), and macroalbuminuria (> 300 mg/24 h) based on two out of three timed overnight urine samples. Outpatient clinic of Helsinki University Hospital. 72 consecutive patients who had had insulin dependent diabetes for over 15 years. Urinary albumin excretion rate, mortality, and prevalence of diabetic complications after 10 years. 56 patients were re-examined at 10 year follow up, 10 had died, five were lost to follow up, and one was excluded because of non-diabetic kidney disease. At initial screening 22 patients had macroalbuminuria, 18 had microalbuminuria, and 26 had normal albumin excretion. Only five (28%, 95% confidence interval 10% to 54%) of the microalbuminuric patients developed macroalbuminuria during the 10 year follow up and none developed end stage renal failure. Two (8%, 1% to 25%) normoalbuminuric patients developed macroalbuminuria and four (15%, 4% to 35%) became microalbuminuric. Seven (32%, 14% to 55%) of the macroalbuminuric patients developed end stage renal failure and six (27%, 11% to 50%) died of cardiovascular complications. Microalbuminuria is not a good predictor of progression to overt nephropathy in patients with longstanding insulin dependent diabetes."}
{"id": "PMID:1467684", "title": "Use of oral contraceptives by adolescents and its consequences in Finland 1981-91.", "content": "To study use of oral contraceptives among Finnish teenagers during 1981-91 and how abortions, childbirths, sexually transmitted diseases, and cardiovascular diseases changed during this period. Biannual cross sectional surveys with mailed questionnaires from 1981 onwards and analysis of national statistics. Finland. A nationwide sample of 14, 16, and 18 year olds. Sample size varied from 1249 to 3887 and response rate from 85% to 94%. Proportion taking oral contraceptive, fertility and abortion rates, hospital discharge rates, rates of sexually transmitted diseases. The proportion of teenagers taking oral contraceptives increased steadily. In 1991 the percentages among 14, 16, and 18 year olds were 2%, 18%, and 41% compared with 0.2%, 7% and 22% in 1981. Most users had a steady partner (80% of 16 year olds and 85% of 18 year olds). By 1989 rates of abortion had fallen from 12/1000 to 9.3/1000 in 16 year olds and from 25/1000 to 19.2/1000 in 18 year olds; fertility rates had fallen from 4.5/1000 to 2.3/1000 and from 23.5/1000 to 15.3/1000 respectively. Rates in 14 year olds fell only slightly. Gonorrhoea infection fell and HIV infection remained rare. Rates of hospital discharge after thromboembolic venous disease rose slightly. The increased use of oral contraceptives is the most likely explanation for decreasing abortion and fertility rates among teenagers. Increased reliance on the condom because of the threat of AIDS may increase unwanted pregnancies."}
{"id": "PMID:1467685", "title": "Is diabetes mellitus related to undernutrition in rural Tanzania?", "content": "To investigate the relation between undernutrition and diabetes. Survey of glucose tolerance in rural Tanzania. Eight villages in three widely separated regions of Tanzania. 8581 people aged 15 and above: 3705 men and 4876 women. Oral glucose tolerance, body mass index, height, and low haemoglobin and cholesterol concentrations. In the eight villages 42.7-56.9% of all men and 30.0-45.2% of all women had a body mass index below 20 kg/m2; the lowest quintile was 18.2 kg/m2 in men and 18.6 kg/m2 in women. The prevalence of diabetes did not change significantly from the lowest to the highest fifths of body mass index in men (lowest 1.6% (95% confidence interval 0.8% to 2.9%) v highest 1.3% (0.7% to 2.5%)) or women (1.1% (0.6% to 2.1%) v 0.5% (0.2% to 1.2%)). In men and in women prevalence of impaired glucose tolerance was greater in the lowest fifths of height (8.2% (6.3% to 10.6%), and 11.1% (9.2% to 13.3%)) respectively and body mass index (9.6% (7.5% to 12.1%), and 8.4% (6.7% to 10.5%)) than in the highest fifths (impaired glucose tolerance 4.7% (3.4% to 6.5%); and 5.1% (3.9% to 6.7%); body mass index 5.1% (3.7% to 7.0%), and 7.7% (6.2% to 9.6%). Rates of diabetes were not significantly associated with low body mass index or height, but overall rates were much lower than those in well nourished Western populations. Increased impaired glucose tolerance in the most malnourished people may reflect the larger glucose load per kilogram weight. The role of undernutrition in the aetiology of diabetes must be questioned."}
{"id": "PMID:1467686", "title": "Decision to treat mild hypertension after assessment by ambulatory monitoring and World Health Organisation recommendations.", "content": "To determine if one ambulatory blood pressure recording over 12 hours could detect those patients with mild hypertension who needed treatment according to the World Health Organisation-International Society of Hypertension (ISH) guidelines based on the causal measurement of diastolic blood pressure at successive visits to a clinic. Comparison of decision to treat based on one ambulatory measurement over 12 hours and standard blood pressure measurements over six months in the same patients. Outpatient hypertension clinic. 130 men and women with diastolic blood pressure of 90-104 mm Hg at second visit to clinic. Blood pressure measurements over six months. Measurement from ambulatory monitoring. Decision to treat. Of the 130 patients included, 108 were followed up over the six months. Treatment was started according to WHO-ISH criteria in 44 (13 at the third visit, 13 at the fourth, 18 at the fifth). According to the selected criteria for ambulatory blood pressure monitoring 41 patients would have been treated. Both methods agreed that the same 27 patients required treatment and the same 50 did not, but they did not agree in 31 patients. When calculated at the optimal diastolic blood pressure threshold determined by a receiver operating characteristic curve, the sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive value of ambulatory blood pressure monitoring were 71% (95% confidence interval 57% to 84%), 82% (72% to 92%), and 66% (51% to 81%), respectively. If the WHO-ISH criteria are accepted as the standard for deciding to treat patients with mild hypertension the predictive value of one ambulatory blood pressure recording over 12 hours is too low to detect with confidence those patients who need treatment when managed according to these criteria."}
{"id": "PMID:1467688", "title": "Electronic communication between providers of primary and secondary care.", "content": "To study the effects of the introduction of electronic data interchange between primary and secondary care providers on speed of communication, efficiency of data handling, and satisfaction of general practitioners with communication. Comparison of traditional paper based communication for laboratory reports and admission-discharge reports between hospital and general practitioners and electronic data interchange. Twenty-seven general practitioners whose offices were equipped with a practice information system and two general hospitals. Paper based communication was evaluated by questionnaire responses from and interviews with care providers; electronic communication was evaluated by measuring time intervals between generation and delivery of messages and by assessing doctors' satisfaction with electronic data interchange by questionnaire. Via paper mail admission-discharge reports took a median of 2-4 days, and laboratory reports 2 days, to reach general practitioners. With electronic data interchange almost all admission-discharge reports were available to general practitioners within one hour of generation. When samples were analysed on the day of collection (as was the case for 174/542 samples in one hospital and 443/854 in the other) the laboratory reports were also available to the general practitioner the same day via electronic data interchange. Fifteen general practitioners (of the 24 who returned the questionnaire) reported that the use of electronic admission-discharge reports provided more accurate and complete information about the care delivered to their patients. Ten general practitioners reported that electronic laboratory reports lessened the work of processing the data. Electronic communication between primary and secondary care providers is a feasible option for improving communication."}
{"id": "PMID:1467690", "title": "Quality of life measures in health care. I: Applications and issues in assessment.", "content": "Many clinicians remain unsure of the relevance of measuring quality of life to their clinical practice. In health economics quality of life measures have become the standard means of assessing the results of health care interventions and, more controversially, the means of prioritising funding; but they have many other applications. This article--the first of three on measuring quality of life--reviews the instruments available and their application in screening programmes, audit, health care research, and clinical trials. Using the appropriate instrument is essential if outcome measures are to be valid and clinically meaningful."}
{"id": "PMID:1467692", "title": "London after Tomlinson. Clinical research.", "content": "Sir Bernard Tomlinson's report focuses on London's health services, but his proposals have major implications for the future of clinical research--not just in London but in the United Kingdom as a whole. They must be seen in the context of a widely perceived decline in British research and development which also threatens clinical research. This article examines the implications of Tomlinson's proposals and related strategies and recommends the construction of a research market for the patient costs of clinical research to complement the NHS market for patient services introduced in 1991. These arrangements would help sustain the clinical research base and guarantee excellence."}
{"id": "PMID:1467693", "title": "For public or profession?--The new GMC performance procedures.", "content": "The upheaval in the General Medical Council two decades ago came from doctors not the consumers the council was set up to protect. Since then there have been repeated calls for doctors to improve their self regulation by amending the disciplinary procedures. Private member's bills have failed and the GMC has now proposed performance procedures to deal with doctors who exhibit a \"pattern of poor performance.\" After months of wide consultation in and outside the medical profession the GMC will decide next week whether to endorse the procedures, which unlike the conduct hearings will be inquiries by peers. Professor Margaret Stacey suggests that the procedures lack clarity, smacking of that \"trust me\" principle whose subtext is \"but I'm not telling you what I'm up to.\""}
{"id": "PMID:1467719", "title": "Effect of using protocols on medical care: randomised trial of three methods of taking an antenatal history.", "content": "To compare the effectiveness of three methods of taking an antenatal history on the quality of obstetric care. Randomised controlled trial. Antenatal clinic of St James's University Hospital, Leeds. 2424 women attending the hospital for the first (booking) visit. Histories were taken by midwives using an unstructured paper questionnaire, a structured paper questionnaire (incorporating a checklist), or an interactive computerised questionnaire (incorporating 101 clinical reminders). The number of clinical responses to factors arising from the antenatal booking history according to method of taking the history. Actions were categorised as medical and surgical, obstetric, personal, current symptoms and treatment, related to maternal age, and related to two common actions (cervical smear testing and dental hygiene) and were weighted for clinical importance by 10 obstetricians. Overall the unstructured questionnaire generated 1063 actions, the structured questionnaire 1146, and the computerised questionnaire 1122. The clinical importance of these actions was lowest for the unstructured questionnaire (overall total value score 1987 v 2182 and 2110 for the structured and computerised questionnaires respectively). The structured questionnaire was better than the computerised questionnaire in the medical and surgical (total value score 191 v 184), obstetric (275 v 241), and personal (430 v 360) categories but inferior in the current symptoms category (179 v 191). Structured questionnaires (computerised or paper) provide more and better information, and their use improves clinical response to risk factors. Computerised systems offer no further advantage in antenatal clinics."}
{"id": "PMID:1467720", "title": "Audit of compliance with antenatal protocols.", "content": "To assess the implementation of action protocols dictated by antenatal risk factors noted at the initial (booking) antenatal visit. Retrospective study of 2000 women delivered between 1 March 1990 and 29 March 1991. Maternity department of a district general hospital supporting a multiethnic population in inner London. Comparison of clinical actions performed against those dictated by the department's protocols. Analysis according to clinical importance, gestation at booking, maternal age, parity, birth order, ethnic origin, and certainty of gestational age. Interobserver agreement between the two auditors was good (kappa statistic for risk factors detected, 0.78; for actions generated, 0.80). Of the 15,658 actions dictated by department protocols, 3673 (23.5%) were actually performed by the clinicians. The 63 combinations of risk factors and actions believed by consultants to be of particular clinical importance had an action rate of 28.3% compared with 18.6% for those considered less important (p < 0.001). Mothers who first visited the hospital antenatal clinic at or before 24 weeks' gestation had 25.2% of relevant protocols fulfilled (p < 0.001). Compliance was significantly improved in women aged 36 or over (32.4%), black women (24.9%), and cases of uncertain gestation (24.5%). Parity and birth order were not associated with an altered action rate. Ethnic origin deemed as \"other\" (than white, black, Asian, or oriental) or \"unknown\" was associated with poor compliance (19.3%). Compliance to a set of agreed protocols was poor even though a computer system was available and a protocol manual had been distributed. Protocols were more likely to be implemented in women who booked early and in some groups of women deemed at high risk including older mothers, black women, and those denoted as having uncertain gestational age."}
{"id": "PMID:1467721", "title": "Policy for controlling pain after surgery: effect of sequential changes in management.", "content": "To observe the effects of introducing an acute pain service to the general surgical wards of a large teaching hospital. A study in seven stages: (1) an audit of current hospital practice succeeded by the sequential introduction to the general surgical wards of (2) pain assessment charts; (3) an algorithm to allow more frequent use of intramuscular analgesia; (4) increased use of local anaesthetic techniques of wound infiltration and nerve blocks; (5) an information sheet for patients about postoperative pain; (6) the introduction of patient controlled analgesia; (7) a repeat audit of hospital practice. Data were collected on each patient 24 hours after operation. University Hospital of Wales, which has both district general and tertiary referral functions. 2035 patients over nine months from all surgical specialties (excluding cardiac) at the hospital. General surgical operations were studied in detail and separated into major, intermediate, and minor for data collection. A change in the median visual analogue pain scores 24 hours after surgery for pain during relaxation, pain on movement, and pain on deep inspiration at each stage of the study. There was a reduction in median visual analogue scores during the study. The median (95% confidence interval) scores for pain during relaxation decreased from 45 (34 to 53) in stage 1 to 16 (10 to 20) in stage 7 for major surgical procedures. Pain on movement decreased from 78 (66 to 80) to 46 (38 to 48), and pain on deep inspiration decreased from 64 (48 to 78) to 36 (31 to 38). The reductions in median scores for intermediate and minor operative procedures showed similar patterns. The introduction of an acute pain service to the general surgical wards led to considerable improvement in the level of postoperative pain as assessed by visual analogue scores. Simple techniques of regular pain assessment and the more frequent use of intramuscular analgesia as a result of using an algorithm were particularly effective."}
{"id": "PMID:1467722", "title": "White coat hyperglycaemia: disparity between diabetes clinic and home blood glucose concentrations.", "content": "To identify patients with discrepantly high clinic blood glucose concentrations compared with self reported values and to assess whether such patients have errors in self monitoring technique. To determine whether, in patients with good technique, the discrepancy is a transient phenomenon related to clinic attendance. Prospective study of diabetes clinic patients recruited over six months. Outpatient diabetes clinic of a teaching hospital. 34 consecutive patients with non-insulin dependent diabetes who had had at least two consecutive clinic blood glucose concentrations more than 5 mmol/l higher than the mean self reported concentration. Assessment of monitoring technique; presence of cognitive or physical impairment; serum fructosamine concentration; home and clinic blood glucose concentrations. 15 of 34 patients had errors in monitoring technique, 12 of whom had cognitive or physical impairment. In the remaining 19, the mean (SD) blood glucose concentrations of capillary and venous samples taken at home (10.2 (0.6) and 12.2 (1.1) mmol/l respectively) were significantly lower than in those taken at the clinic (16.8 (1.6) mmol/l, p < 0.0002). The fructosamine concentration was significantly higher in patients with monitoring errors than those without (2.4 (0.4) v 1.8 (0.4) mmol/l, p < 0.0001). \"White coat\" hyperglycaemia was detected in about half the patients but errors in technique accounted for the rest of the discrepancies. Patients' ability should be assessed before teaching self monitoring and the technique checked regularly."}
{"id": "PMID:1467725", "title": "Reforming the Department of Health's research and development policy: from the devil to the deep blue sea?", "content": "Research into health and social services in Britain is largely funded by the Department of Health. Regional NHS research and development has recently been reformed and a new report now proposes replacement of the 13 research units funded by the department with three or four large multidisciplinary centres. Evidence to support such a step is lacking, and many criticisms of the existing units arise from poor departmental planning rather than deficiencies of the units themselves. Large units may make research less responsive to the department's needs, and it is essential that the proposed new structure is thoroughly evaluated before it is introduced."}
{"id": "PMID:1467726", "title": "Secondary care beyond Tomlinson: an opportunity to be seized or squandered?", "content": "The Tomlinson report's emphasis on primary care and its essentially quantitative analysis of hospital care in London leaves little space for a picture of how secondary care for Londoners should look. In this article Fiona Moss and Martin McNicol argue that most outpatient work does not need to be done in hospitals. With proper organisation and better premises a genuinely specialist consultative service can be provided in primary health care centres, with benefit to patients and communication between primary and secondary care doctors. Hospitals would then house those outpatient services that needed major investigative facilities and much reduced inpatient capacity. It may no longer be necessary for each acute unit to offer a full range of services. Such a pattern of secondary care will have implications for the organisation of accident and emergency services and for postgraduate training. Above all Moss and McNicol argue that Tomlinson's recommendations demand that general practitioners and specialists should re-examine the services hospitals provide and agree on the best settings for different sorts of health care and the most appropriate skills to provide it."}
{"id": "PMID:1467748", "title": "Computer-assisted interpretation of visual fields in glaucoma.", "content": "Visual field abnormality is an important diagnostic sign in glaucoma. Therefore, the presence or absence of visual field loss most often strongly influences diagnostic and therapeutic decisions in glaucoma management. Interpretation of visual field results is often difficult, however. Physiological variability of perimetric sensitivity values contributes to these difficulties. It has been our aim to develop improved computer-assisted methods for the recognition of early glaucomatous field loss. Our approach has therefore been to design techniques that are highly sensitive to small but significant departures from normality. We have investigated normal physiological variability in perimetric results and combined the obtained knowledge with pathophysiological models which are sensitive to the spatial patterns of field loss commonly seen in glaucoma. Thus, we have devised probability scores in order to take the complex physiological variability into account, and developed a hemifield analysis and an arcuate cluster analysis based on the normal anatomy of the retinal nerve fibre layer. A fundamental approach in the collection of normative data and the selection of glaucoma cases used in this project has been to select subjects using non-perimetric criteria (except for the removal of large field defects). Our objective here was to reduce bias from pre-conceived ideas of visual fields. This approach was used for (1) empirical studies on physiological variability, (2) development of analysis methods, and (3) evaluation of such methods. Glaucoma patients were selected based on evaluations of optic disc appearance. Normal subjects were never eliminated on the basis of perimetric results alone. The new methods developed in these studies have significantly improved discrimination between normal and glaucomatous field results, as compared with previously available techniques. Our results indicated that the usage of probability scores was the main source of this improvement, and that the location of observed field abnormalities and spatial modelling were other important factors. Candidate methods which did not properly combine spatial and normative analyses resulted in false positive defects in the mid-periphery and/or underestimated paracentral glaucomatous field defects. Similar approaches based on classification of visual field results in terms of significances, and on recognition of specific spatial patterns of field loss could be used for other groups of diseases having visual field abnormality as an important diagnostic sign.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1467750", "title": "Race and ethnicity as biological constructs.", "content": "For some time, biologists and anthropologists have overwhelmingly rejected the partitioning of modern humans into biological \"races.\" An examination of recent human evolutionary history suggests that the zoological definition of race, based on significant genetic differences, cannot be legitimately applied to contemporary humans. Extensive past hybridization, plasticity of the human phenotype, the presence of ecotypes, the lack of extensive molecular information, and the lack of longitudinal multigenerational evaluations of diverse groups contribute to ambiguity in taxonomic assignment. Although biological aggregates do exist, they represent variation below the subspecies level, and, as such, are much more tenuous over evolutionary time. The persistent reference to quasibiological constructs such as ethnicity and race in the lay and scientific literatures requires that ethnicity be scrutinized for possible biological dimensions. The Diop model of ethnicity suggests that at least three components contribute to its formation: a historical factor, a linguistic factor, and a psychological factor, each of which can be examined for possible biological dimensions. Presumed biological affinities may allow certain groups to expand and extend their collective history and amplify their kin networks, possibly improving group biological fitness. Individual and group initial language of acquisition may influence brain physiology and organize the template for interpretation and behavior, creating greater consistency of response across otherwise divergent biological aggregates. Psychological continuity in particular behavioral traits, particularly repetitive multigenerational responses, may have an adaptive aspect at the group level. While ethnicity remains primarily a sociocultural category, it has biological precursors, parameters, and consequences for both individuals and groups. The genetic components of these biological dimensions remain to be identified and quantified."}
{"id": "PMID:1467751", "title": "Black-White differences in blood pressure: the role of social factors.", "content": "This review summarizes current knowledge about the social sources of differences in blood pressure between blacks and whites in the United States. Genetic variables may play some role in explaining black-white differences in blood pressure, but social factors are more important than genetic ones. I review evidence linking stress, social integration, coping styles, and health behavior (including obesity) to high blood pressure, emphasizing that the distribution of these risk factors is shaped by larger social structures and processes. Effective efforts to reduce stress and improve health practices must not focus only on the individual but must seek to alter the social, economic, and political structures and arrangements that produce disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1467754", "title": "Models for dietary and weight change in African-American women: identifying cultural components.", "content": "This paper explores cultural factors that potentially influence the effectiveness of weight-control programs for African-American women and attempts to challenge the perception that such programs operate in a culture-free context. The prevalence of obesity and related chronic conditions is notably higher among African-American than among white women. A larger net weight gain during adulthood among African-American women is associated at least in part with a lesser likelihood of losing weight. Evidence from clinical trials also suggests that African-American women have difficulty in losing weight. Cultural variables are thought to limit the intensity of weight-loss motivations among African-American women, but it is also possible that unrecognized cultural variables within behavioral weight-control programs limit their applicability to persons who do not fit a typical middle-class white American prototype. Many perspectives that differ between African-American and American cultures are directly relevant to the tasks and expectations involved in conventional behavioral therapy. Thus, efforts to make programs culturally appropriate for African-American women may need to go beyond superficial adaptations (eg, logistical accommodations) toward a behavioral analysis of weight control as it is likely to be approached by African-American women within their cultural context."}
{"id": "PMID:1467755", "title": "Community organization to reduce the risk of non-insulin-dependent diabetes among low-income African-American women.", "content": "Non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus is epidemic among African-American women in the United States; reports of its prevalence among African Americans range from 50% to 60% higher than among whites. African Americans also incur higher rates of diabetes-related complications such as blindness, end-stage renal disease, and amputations. Data indicate that non-insulin-dependent diabetes among African Americans is associated with lower socioeconomic status and with obesity. Because obesity has been hypothesized as contributing to the growing numbers of non-insulin-dependent diabetics among African-American women, new strategies are urgently needed to promote weight loss in this population. Community organization can broaden health education and facilitate behavior change toward development of life- and self-mastery skills. Specific strategies of this approach include (1) integrating community values into health messages, (2) facilitating neighborhood \"ownership\" and decision-making, (3) utilizing existing formal and informal networks, and (4) empowering individuals and community. Community organization may be a promising strategy among low-income minority communities to reduce the risk of non-insulin-dependent diabetes by promoting changes in dietary patterns, because it ensures that the health messages and programs that emerge will be consistent with existing sociocultural norms and beliefs."}
{"id": "PMID:1467758", "title": "The weathering hypothesis and the health of African-American women and infants: evidence and speculations.", "content": "Observed variation between populations in fertility-timing distributions has been thought to contribute to infant mortality differentials. This hypothesis is based, in part, on the belief that the 20s through early 30s constitute \"prime\" childbearing ages that are low-risk relative to younger or older ages. However, when stratified by racial identification over the predominant first child-bearing ages, maternal age patterns of neonatal mortality vary between groups. Unlike non-Hispanic white infants, African-American infants with teen mothers experience a survival advantage relative to infants whose mothers are older. The black-white infant mortality differential is larger at older maternal ages than at younger ages. While African Americans and non-Hispanic whites differ on which maternal ages are associated with the lowest risk of neonatal mortality, within each population, first births are most frequent at its lowest-risk maternal ages. As a possible explanation for racial variation in maternal age patterns of births and birth outcomes, the \"weathering hypothesis\" is proposed: namely, that the health of African-American women may begin to deteriorate in early adulthood as a physical consequence of cumulative socioeconomic disadvantage."}
{"id": "PMID:1467759", "title": "Patterns of blood lead levels in US black and white women of childbearing age.", "content": "While high-dose lead exposure has long been known to be detrimental to reproductive functioning, several recent studies have reported adverse effects such as shortened gestation, decreased birthweight, and increased incidence of spontaneous abortion in association with maternal blood lead levels as low as 0.48 to 0.72 mumol/L (10 to 15 micrograms/dL). Using data from the second National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, we examined patterns of blood lead levels by age for US black and white women of childbearing age. We found that sizable percentages of women have blood lead levels that may place them at risk for poor reproductive outcomes and that disparities exist between the racially identified groups. Black women tend to have higher lead levels than white women, and the magnitude of this difference is larger among older compared to younger age-groups of reproductive-age women. This disparity may reflect the cumulative effect of differential environmental exposure to lead and may have implications for the excessive incidence of adverse reproductive outcomes currently seen in US black women."}
{"id": "PMID:1467760", "title": "Similarities in cardiovascular reactivity to behavioral stressors in African-American and white males.", "content": "This study examines the influence of ethnicity (African-American vs white) and family history of hypertension on the blood pressure and heart rate responses of healthy, unmedicated men, aged 21 to 39 years, to a variety of stressors that are hypothesized to elicit beta-adrenergic or alpha-adrenergic reactivity. Cardiovascular reactivity data were also obtained in response to ischemic exercise (handgrip), and a structured interview was designed to measure anger. On the basis of previous research, we predicted that African Americans would show greater responses to the alpha-adrenergic tasks (cold pressor test) and smaller cardiovascular responses to the beta-adrenergic tasks (math challenge) compared to whites. The results indicated no significant differences between African-American and white blood pressure or heart rate responses to either of the tasks. On the other hand, both African-American and white men with family histories of hypertension had significantly higher systolic and diastolic blood pressure responses during exposure to each of the stressors than did men with negative family histories of hypertension. Parental history did not significantly influence heart rate responses to the stressors or resting plasma catecholamine levels in either group. African Americans had significantly lower erythrocyte lithium-sodium exchange rates and significantly higher intracellular sodium concentration compared to whites; parental history of hypertension did not influence these measures. Finally, the blood pressure responses to stress were not modified by the erythrocyte lithium-sodium exchange rate, intracellular sodium concentration, or plasma concentrations of catecholamines."}
{"id": "PMID:1467761", "title": "HIV risks among minority drug users in a small city.", "content": "In 1989, African-American and Mexican-American drug users (n = 220) in a small southern city were interviewed, in street settings, about their HIV behavioral risks and their readiness to reduce risks. Both ethnic groups contained large numbers of cocaine and heroin users. Mexican Americans were more likely to use heroin, prefer injection, and share needles with other drug users than were African Americans. Sexual risk-taking in both groups was high, with very low levels of condom use, high levels of exchanging sex for drugs and money, and high levels of having multiple sexual partners. Mexican Americans were more likely than African Americans to have regular partners who used drugs. Intravenous drug users in both ethnic groups were at high risk for HIV infection, reporting high levels of multiple drug use, daily drug use, needle sharing, never cleaning needles, and exchanging sex for drugs or money. Readiness to reduce HIV risks was also high in both groups, as evidenced by the response to questions about the use of free preventive services, HIV testing, and concern about AIDS. Implications for research and preventive programs among minority drug users in small cities are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1467762", "title": "Health survey methods with minority populations: some lessons from recent experience.", "content": "Until recently, minority populations have been inadequately or inaccurately represented in health research. Researchers are now recognizing the need to improve the validity and reliability of data on the health status and health-related behaviors of minorities. This paper discusses important methodological issues in conducting health survey research in minority communities: construction of an appropriate sampling frame, response rates, attrition from panel studies, and response patterns. These themes are illustrated with data from three field studies at the New England Research Institute. Two of these studies focus on inner-city Puerto Rican youth, a group rapidly increasing in size. The extent and multiplicity of problems experienced by this group affect the complexity of survey protocols. The third study is a random-digit-dial telephone survey on health care utilization for coronary heart disease by black and white adults from three inner-city neighborhoods in Boston. The conclusions drawn from the Institute's experience are corroborated by other scientific studies. First, the sociocultural characteristics of the community or group selected for study must be considered in planning and implementing any survey research on minority populations. Second, ensuring the quality of field work with minority groups may be expensive because of high residential mobility and lack of preexisting sampling frames. Third, there is no reason to expect any diminution of data quality with minority groups, provided the resources for data collection are adequate. The quality of data is undoubtedly proportional to the field efforts expended, but the costs of high-quality survey work are often not appreciated. The paper questions the utility of the term \"minority research,\" for it disregards the considerable variation between and within minority groups and subcultures."}
{"id": "PMID:1467764", "title": "A partnership with minority populations: a community model of effectiveness research.", "content": "This paper describes a community-based approach, including a partnership of an academic medical institution and a high-risk, urban, African-American population, directed at decreasing premature morbidity and mortality and enhancing health and functional status. The intervention approach is based on a model of community-based leadership and \"ownership\" of interventions and programs to enhance sustainability of effective approaches, and it follows specific stages to assure appropriate assessment and evaluation. Initial efforts were directed at the control of hypertension and were coordinated through decentralized mayor's stations in Baltimore, Maryland. This approach was successful in significantly enhancing control of hypertension and reducing related morbidity and mortality. Over time, an enhanced partnership has been coordinated through churches in the community and organized around a program entitled \"Heart, Body, and Soul.\" Current efforts are directed at the major risk factors and preventable and/or controllable problems in the population, such as hypertension, smoking, obesity, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and cervical and breast cancer. Key components include the training of neighborhood health workers to provide screening, counseling, monitoring, support, and follow-up; enhanced access to care; training of high school students as health counselors; and use of media to promote healthier life-styles."}
{"id": "PMID:1467766", "title": "An evaluation of rectal epithelial proliferation measurement as biomarker of risk for colorectal neoplasia and response in intervention studies.", "content": "Colorectal carcinogenesis is preceded by a phase of epithelial hyperproliferation. Detection and measurement of this hyperproliferation could be useful as a marker of risk for neoplasia or a measure of response to intervention therapy. Today, bromodeoxyuridine labelling and immunohistology is the easiest to perform and most standardized technique for evaluating proliferation in experimental and human studies. In general, measurement of proliferation has fulfilled expectation in experimental studies, however, in humans it has been less conclusive. The reasons are multifactorial and include: limitations in obtaining tissue samples and sampling error, the type of labelling technique used, lack of an objective method for quantifying proliferation and confounding factors influencing the degree of proliferation. The use of matched controls, sophisticated statistical analysis and the search for trends and not just statistical significance, is to be recommended. At present, evaluation of rectal epithelial proliferation is of limited value in assessing risk for colorectal neoplasia in the individual. On the other hand, it seems a useful biomarker of response within the context of a matched control intervention trial."}
{"id": "PMID:1467767", "title": "Endogenous plasma sex hormones in pre- and postmenopausal women with breast cancer: results from a case-control study in Moscow.", "content": "Plasma sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), testosterone, total oestradiol (E2) and proportion of E2 not bound to blood proteins (percentage free E2) have been measured in a case-control study to test whether any of these factors are related to the risk of breast cancer. The cases studied were 27 premenopausal and 34 postmenopausal women with newly diagnosed localized breast cancer who were admitted to the All-Union Cancer Research Centre, Moscow. The controls were an equivalent number of women from the same neighbourhood. These were matched for age (within 2 years) and menopausal status. The average levels of E2 in cases were significantly higher than controls (p = 0.004 and p < 0.001 for pre- and postmenopausal groups, respectively). Percentage free E2 was significantly raised only in premenopausal cases (p = 0.019). The plasma concentrations of testosterone and SHBG were similar for both pre- and postmenopausal groups. Raised E2 or percentage free E2 was associated with an increased relative risk of breast cancer. However, only E2 levels (crude or adjusted for body build) were significantly related to risk in the two menopausal sets (p = 0.022 and p = 0.002, respectively). High percentage free E2 was associated with almost a threefold increase in the risk of breast cancer in premenopausal women; however, this increase was not statistically significant (p = 0.083). The levels of SHBG or testosterone, crude or adjusted for body build and E2 concentration, were not related to risk of breast cancer."}
{"id": "PMID:1467768", "title": "Do general practitioners facilitate the breast screening programme?", "content": "Mammography uptake has been discouragingly low since the introduction of breast cancer screening in Northern Ireland. This questionnaire survey was undertaken to appraise the views of participating general practitioners (GPs) about mammography and the extent to which they followed good practice in facilitating the screening programme. Of 173 GPs, 152 returned a questionnaire. Approximately three-quarters of these GPs believed the screening programme was worthwhile for the eligible women on their list. When sent the prior notification lists from the screening unit, less than half of the GPs always checked the accuracy of patients' addresses. Fifty-five per cent of the GPs said they routinely took opportunities (as they arouse) during normal surgeries to counsel women about mammography and 90% did so in health promotion or well-woman clinics. Despite this, only 56% routinely recorded non-attendance in patients' case notes and less than 20% contacted non-attenders to advocate mammography. Such a pro-active approach was more commonly adopted with women who had not attended when invited for a cervical smear. There was no significant difference in mammography uptake among the women on the lists of GPs with differing views or whose doctors differed in their degree of active commitment to the programme. The results point to a need for the screening unit to evaluate its own advocacy role to GPs and for Health Board to devise effective appraisal strategies for health promotion clinics in primary care."}
{"id": "PMID:1467769", "title": "Physical characteristics and factors related to sexual development and behaviour and the risk for prostatic cancer.", "content": "A case-control study of prostatic cancer was carried out to examine the association between selected physical characteristics and factors related to sexual development and behaviour and the risk for this disease. In consideration of an endocrinologic mechanism for these putative risk factors, the association between selected factors and serum hormone level in a comparison group, free of prostate cancer, was also examined. One-hundred cases and 113 controls were included for study. An elevated risk for prostatic cancer was found for those currently married (odds ratio (OR) = 4.0), those who had been married once (OR = 2.8), and those who were currently practising a religion (OR = 2.0). Compared to subjects with one child, those with more than one child and those with no children were more common among cases than controls. Prostatic cancer risk was associated with large body size and, in particular, with greater weight (p < 0.01). Early age at attainment of adult height was also associated with prostatic cancer risk (p < 0.01). Only moderate associations were found between increased frequency of sexual intercourse and prostatic cancer risk. The levels of testosterone (T), dihydrotestosterone, salivary testosterone and T/SHBG (sex hormone binding globulin) did not vary with age. Older men had higher oestradiol levels. Further, little association between hormone levels and risk factors was found, except for married subjects having increased serum androgens (p < 0.05) and heavy subjects having decreased serum androgens (not significant)."}
{"id": "PMID:1467770", "title": "Prediction of cancer mortality in the Nordic countries in 2005: effects of various interventions.", "content": "Rough estimates of the effect in 2005 of various preventive measures aimed at reducing cancer mortality in the Nordic countries were made using the American software CAN*TROL. The effect was measured as the percentage reduction in cancer mortality in 2005. The calculations were performed for changes in the smoking, dietary and sunbathing habits of the population (primary prevention), earlier diagnosis (secondary prevention) and improvements in survival resulting from better treatment (tertiary prevention). The calculations incorporate many assumptions, some of them more firmly based than others, such as uniformity of incidence trend in all the Nordic countries and also concerning the causality of various relations. For lack of evaluated Nordic data, we have used American figures concerning stage distributions and stage-specific relative survival rates. These assumptions should be borne in mind when drawing conclusions from the results obtained. The results show that there is a potential of up to several tens of percent for reducing total cancer mortality by the year 2005."}
{"id": "PMID:1467771", "title": "Cancer of the oesophagus: a global overview.", "content": "The geographical distribution of cancer of the oesophagus shows wide inter- and intra-national variation both in mortality and sex ratio. Numerous analytical studies have demonstrated alcohol and tobacco as important risk factors. Poor diet, particularly those lacking fresh fruit and vegetables, appears to be an equally important determinant in certain areas. In addition to alcohol and tobacco, Mat\u00e9 drinking in Southern South America independently increases risk. The possible role of thermal injury when Mat\u00e9 is drunk hot is still being investigated. Analysis of incidence data by histological subtype and site of disease has revealed rising rates for adenocarcinomas, generally of the lower third of the oesophagus, and predominantly in males. These data are paralleled by increasing rates of adenocarcinoma of the cardia of the stomach. The aetiology of these tumours in adjacent sites remains to be fully investigated but one known predisposing factor is the presence of Barrett's oesophagus. This poor prognosis disease does not appear amenable to widespread screening. Preventative measures would necessarily incorporate plans to reduce alcohol and tobacco use while improving the marginal diets of many populations."}
{"id": "PMID:1467772", "title": "The rising trend in oesophageal adenocarcinoma and gastric cardia.", "content": "The incidence of cancer of the oesophagus and stomach in the West Midlands region of England have been analysed for the 25 years 1962-86. Overall, cancer of the oesophagus is increasing (from 3.45 per 100,000 in 1962-66 to 4.37 in 1982-86) and stomach cancer is decreasing (19.22 and 16.54 respectively). However, when analysed by histological type and subsite the picture is very different. In oesophagus, squamous cell carcinoma shows only a slight increase whereas for adenocarcinoma the increase is highly significant (from 0.14 to 0.76). In stomach, cardia shows a very similar pattern to adenocarcinoma of oesophagus (increasing from 0.75 to 2.96) but pyloric antrum is decreasing (from 2.63 to 2.32). The rapid changes in investigative procedures over the period have resulted in increasing numbers with histological confirmation and subsite specification but despite these confounding factors, comparative analyses still indicate a real increase in adenocarcinoma of oesophagus and cardia. Although the incidence of both are greater in men than in women, the proportional rates of increase, particularly for cardia, are very similar in both sexes, indicating a common aetiological factor or factors. Analysis by social-economic group reveals that the increases observed are not uniform throughout the population but are relatively higher in professional classes (1 and 2)."}
{"id": "PMID:1467773", "title": "Trends in registered incidence of oesophageal and stomach cancer in the Oxford region, 1974-88.", "content": "In the Oxford region 8,903 residents with oesophageal or gastric cancers were registered by the Oxford Cancer Registry between 1974 and 1988. For most of this time the Registry's practice was to code all adenocarcinomas of the oesophagus as adenocarcinomas of the cardia of stomach. There was a significant increase over time in the registered incidence of adenocarcinoma of the cardia, no appreciable change in the incidence of oesophageal cancers registered as such, and a decline in registered incidence of cancers of the stomach other than cardia."}
{"id": "PMID:1467774", "title": "Oesophageal cancer in France and Switzerland: recent time trends.", "content": "This paper reports the incidence of oesophageal carcinoma in five cancer registries from France and in a further two from the francophone regions of Switzerland. The cancers are segregated into the two main histological types (squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma). In Belgium the proportion of adenocarcinomas is much higher than in any of the French registries. A study of time trends shows no clear trend in overall incidence of oesophageal cancer. There is a trend towards an increasing proportion of adenocarcinomas with time, that is most apparent in Doubs, Dijon and Vaud registries."}
{"id": "PMID:1467776", "title": "Breast cancer in Europe: the importance of factors operating at an early age.", "content": "Breast cancer incidence varies considerably among European countries, with highest rates found in western and northern and lowest rates in eastern and southern European countries. The objective of this ecological correlation study was to investigate to what extent variation in breast cancer incidence within Europe can be attributed to differences in the prevalence of the following risk factors: age at menarche, age at first birth, parity, body height and body weight. The results of the study showed that particularly age at first birth and body height correlated positively and significantly with breast cancer incidence. If in eastern and southern European countries changes take place with respect to reproductive behaviour and nutritional status in the same way as has happened in western and northern European countries, breast cancer incidence in the countries included in this study may increase by 11%. This means that, by the time the 0- to 10-year-old female population in the European countries being studied reaches the age of 64, the number of women with breast cancer may be 1,198,369, which is almost 135,000 higher than would be the case if breast cancer risk remained stable."}
{"id": "PMID:1467777", "title": "Colorectal carcinoma in Indian patients with idiopathic ulcerative colitis.", "content": "In contrast to reports from Western countries, the incidence of colorectal carcinoma among patients with idiopathic ulcerative colitis is considered to be low in the Indian subcontinent. In order to assess the risk of carcinoma in Indian patients, a retrospective analysis of 436 cases of idiopathic ulcerative colitis seen by us over a period of 12 years was carried out. Eight cases of colitis carcinoma (1.8%) were encountered during the study period. Pancolitis was present in six of them while colitis was of limited extent in two cases. The mean duration of colitis prior to development of carcinoma was 12.1 (range 7-25) years. While four of these patients were on our follow-up list and were diagnosed to have carcinoma at the time of a medical or surgical complication, four others first presented to us with a surgical complication of colitis carcinoma. We conclude that colitis carcinoma is not a rare entity among Indian patients with idiopathic ulcerative colitis. We feel that until proved otherwise, patients with idiopathic ulcerative colitis from the Indian subcontinent should not be denied the benefits of a cancer surveillance programme."}
{"id": "PMID:1467778", "title": "Dietary practices in households as risk factors for stomach cancer: a familial study in Poland.", "content": "In the framework of a nationwide case-control study of risk factors for stomach cancer, a household survey was conducted on those food habits at the family level which were considered relevant for stomach cancer. The practices of 741 case and 741 control households were compared and relative risks calculated by the unconditional maximum likelihood method. For each household, the person responsible for cooking completed the survey. Respondents to the household survey were 35% of the cases and 40% of the controls of the case-control study and otherwise other household members. Case households relied more frequently on their own gardens as a major source of vegetables and fruit, and they cooked their vegetables more often than control households. The vegetable and fruit consumption during the summer period per family member was significantly less in case households compared to control households. The difference in per capita vegetable and fruit consumption between case and control households persisted, but was considerably less pronounced when the consumption of the index person (case or control) was subtracted from the household consumption. The consumption of mainly wholemeal bread showed a relative risk (RR) of 0.18 (95% CI 0.07-0.44) compared with mainly white bread consumption, whereas frequent frying and stewing of meat was associated with an increased risk compared to boiling of meat (RR = 2.06, 95% CI 1.48-2.87). No association with risk was found for long-term refrigerator use or other storage modalities.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1467779", "title": "Science as cancer prevention for American inner city residents.", "content": "Eighty parents and guardians of high-risk elementary school children from Hartford, America's fourth poorest city, participated in a 12-week Saturday programme of science and cancer risk reduction while their children participated in a science programme designed to be interesting and fun. The children learned to enjoy biology as innovative recreation. Their parents and guardians learned to appreciate the health risks associated with passive thinking. Cigarette advertisements and misleading food claims were exposed to scientific scrutiny with the result that parents and guardians came to view scientific thinking as a means to protect their children and themselves from cancer. They also learned to reduce cancer risk through proper nutrition. Attendance was excellent and the majority of parents and guardians completing the programme believed they had learned to identify and avoid cancer risks."}
{"id": "PMID:1467780", "title": "Attitude or access: reasons for not attending mammography in Northern Ireland.", "content": "Maximizing the uptake of mammography among the eligible population will be critical to the success of the national breast cancer screening programme. Although compliance may vary for different reasons from area to area, it has been suggested that making screening clinics more accessible may be an effective means of enhancing uptake. In the present study we undertook 600 interviews with women who had been invited for mammography to determine the main reasons given by women in Northern Ireland for not attending for mammography when invited, how these may have related to access factors and to discover their views on how the service might be improved. The most frequently cited reasons for non-attendance were related to feelings of indifference or ignorance of screening issues and to fear of pain or embarrassment. Although more non-attenders did not have access to private transport, few women (23/600) expressed a preference for more accessible clinics. The fact that non-attenders were more likely not to have had a recent cervical smear, adds weight to the notion that attitudes rather than access played the predominant role in influencing uptake in this sample. We have concluded that investment in flexible mobile screening units cannot replace the continued need for delivering effective advocacy to eligible women."}
{"id": "PMID:1467781", "title": "Histological and cytological diagnosis of carcinoma of the oesophagus.", "content": "Endoscopic examination of the oesophagus accompanied by histological examination of biopsies or cytological examination of smears enables a confident diagnosis of carcinoma to be established within a period of 24-48 h and in the case of cytology within 15-60 min. Squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma are easily identified in biopsies or smears taken directly from the lesion. The histopathologist should be alerted to the possible diagnosis of Barrett's adenocarcinoma provided adequate information is given regarding the level of the squamo-columnar junction and the level of the targeted lesion. Unusual tumours are encountered rarely and they include carcinosarcoma, mucoepidermoid carcinoma, adenocystic carcinoma, carcinoid, malignant melanoma, oat cell carcinoma, spindle cell sarcoma, malignant lymphoma, Kaposi's sarcoma, etc. Special stains and multiple levels from the biopsies will be required for accurate identification of these tumours. Dysplasia constitutes a difficult diagnostic problem with reference to its significance regarding surveillance and treatment. Low grade dysplasia represents a recommendation for surveillance provided that the patient is regarded as a good surgical risk if cancer should develop at a later stage. High grade dysplasia is associated with a high risk of invasive cancer and close surveillance is required for the detection and treatment of invasive cancer provided also that the patient is a good surgical risk."}
{"id": "PMID:1467782", "title": "Barrett's oesophagus.", "content": "Barrett's oesophagus or columnar lined epithelium of the oesophagus (CLO) is a metaplastic condition associated with excessive gastro-oesophageal reflux. It is found in 15% of patients with reflux oesophagitis. In a detailed study of 115 CLO patients dysplasia was found in 46%; 13.9% were moderate or severe dysplasia, usually found in intestinal type CLO. Fifty patients were endoscoped annually to determine the natural history of the disease. The incidence of adenocarcinoma was 1 in 52 patient-years, a 125-fold excess risk. A dysplasia-carcinoma sequence was seen in the five who developed carcinoma. Patients with early carcinoma were treated surgically with 12% postoperative mortality and 100% survival for 24-70 months."}
{"id": "PMID:1467783", "title": "The early diagnosis of oesophageal adenocarcinoma by endoscopic screening.", "content": "Oesophageal carcinoma has a very poor prognosis unless detected at a pre-symptomatic stage. This can only be done by screening and patients with Barrett's columnar lined epithelium of the oesophagus (CLO) are high risk candidates for an endoscopic screening programme. Surveillance studies in CLO patients, when reviewed, showed that the incidence of adenocarcinoma was between 1 in 52 and 1 in 81 patient years, with a mean of 1 in 76. This paper describes the Nottingham experience with an endoscopic screening programme that was established in 1976. To date it has detected four adenocarcinomas at a mean cost similar to that of detecting breast cancer by screening."}
{"id": "PMID:1467784", "title": "Surgery in Barrett's oesophagus.", "content": "Surgical treatment for a columnar-lined oesophagus (CLO) may be considered in terms of indications, procedures and risks. Reflux may be an indication for surgery, but does not lead to reversal of epithelium, nor does it eliminate malignant potential. Whether it reduces such potential is not certain. Anti-reflux surgery is therefore based on reflux-related criteria, and not as a treatment for a CLO. Dysplasia is a possible indication for surgery, but as progression to carcinoma may be slow, must not be considered an absolute indication in an elderly, frail patient. Malignancy is a clear indication for operation in a patient deemed fit enough to withstand it. Anti-reflux operations have been standardized over recent years, and aim at exclusion of gastric juice from the oesophagus. Another approach is to alter refluxed material qualitatively by a duodenal diversion procedure. This eliminates bile and pancreatic juice from the oesophagus, with dramatic effects on inflammation but without reversal of a CLO. Reversal of inflammation may facilitate endoscopic surveillance. Either dysplasia or carcinoma are treated by oesophagogastric resection. Newer forms of laparoscopic or thoracoscopic dissection may be particularly applicable with dysplasia or early carcinoma in CLO. Palliative surgery for advanced tumours is not often required today. Risks of anti-reflux surgery must be balanced against symptoms. Risks are reduced if splenectomy is avoided, and operations avoided where possible in the elderly. Resection for dysplasia or carcinoma is high-risk surgery. In the young there is much to gain, and the risks are lower. In the elderly, in the absence of other treatment, risks must be balanced against general health and life expectancy."}
{"id": "PMID:1467793", "title": "Case management lessons from a public/private partnership to finance long-term care.", "content": "In June of 1987, Connecticut's State Task Force on Private and Public Responsibilities for Financing Long-Term Care for the Elderly released its final report. This Governor's Commission, concluding that neither the private nor the public sector had much short-term hope of solving this difficult problem alone, recommended the creation of a public/private partnership. As this partnership was forged, some unique insights were gained into the functions of case management. This case study shows how case management can help coordinate the private and public roles, but it also raises some research questions which must be tackled before case management can fulfill its promise to help stretch and conserve scarce resources."}
{"id": "PMID:1467794", "title": "Eldercare. An issue for corporate america.", "content": "The aging of America is taking its toll on employers in a variety of ways. Growing numbers of employees are also part-time or full-time caregivers for older relatives or friends. These employees' caregiving responsibilities contribute to absenteeism, tardiness, increased use of health benefits, and decreased productivity. Following a landmark study by The Travelers in 1985, it and other corporations have begun to offer a variety of programs to address the concerns of caregivers. Among the services being offered are information fairs, counseling and referral assistance, flexible spending accounts, support groups, and adult daycare."}
{"id": "PMID:1467796", "title": "Case management. The wave of the future.", "content": "Nurses and social workers are often placed in case management positions without an understanding of the basic philosophy or skills necessary for functioning effectively in this role. While the general components of the case management process are familiar to people from both professions, the specific procedures and goals of the process are quite different from those the participants learned during their basic educational preparation. This article explores the growing need for case management and offers a plan for effective training and skills necessary for the successful case manager. It describes the effects of case management on resource allocation, on the quality of its clients' lives, and on the systems within which it operates. It provides a clear overview of the important role that the case manager plays in sustaining the independence of older persons."}
{"id": "PMID:1467797", "title": "What price quality? Assuring the quality of case-managed in-home care.", "content": "Case managed community-based long-term care has now become an established component of the service delivery system in the United States. As case management has developed, it has gone through an evolutionary process. In the initial phase of case management, considerable attention was placed on gaining access to resources by the case manager. This article addresses issues of assuring the quality of case-managed care. It focuses on the current concerns and potential problems associated with evaluating the effectiveness of services arranged by case managers, and describes a model, developed in Ohio, to ensure the quality of care. In addition, it discusses the continued challenges for and costs of quality assurance and notes the difficulty of obtaining empirical data in the effort to assure quality."}
{"id": "PMID:1467799", "title": "Developing consumer-centered quality assurance strategies for home care. A case management model.", "content": "Despite a growing interest in home care quality assurance, models for effective quality assurance systems are in short supply. This article describes such a model, developed after a literature review; interviews with business leaders and with home care consumers and their families; and focus groups with consumers, case managers, and home health nurses. The Consumer-Centered, Negotiated Model for Home Care Quality integrates quality assurance into the case management process, focusing on the entire plan of care, not simply individual services. In this model, quality assurance is a regular and ongoing process, utilizing standards that are consumer-oriented, specific, and measurable."}
{"id": "PMID:1467800", "title": "A clinical collaboration of a psychiatrist and a geriatric care manager.", "content": "Older persons often need an integrated support system to enable them to remain in the community. This is particularly true for elderly patients with multidimensional disorders. This article describes an effective collaboration between a psychiatrist and geriatric care manager in treating six such patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1467801", "title": "Case management services for children with special health care needs. A family-centered approach.", "content": "The Coordinating Center for Home and Community Care (CCHCC) has developed a comprehensive, multidisciplinary case management model that facilitates the discharge of technology-assisted children from hospital to home. Coordination of the variety of services necessary for optimal medical, educational, and psychosocial development of the child and family is provided with an emphasis on cost containment. The hallmark of this program is its ability to locate, coordinate, and monitor the quality, continuity, provision, and cost of services at home. The CCHCC model was designed to enable children who would otherwise remain hospitalized at a substantial cost to third party payers to move home, providing a humane choice for families while requiring less costly care for funders."}
{"id": "PMID:1467802", "title": "A case management agency and bank create a service innovation.", "content": "Connecticut Community Care, Inc. (CCCI), a statewide, nonprofit case management agency, in collaboration with Connecticut National Bank (CNB), developed a unique model of delivering case management services to bank trust clients. No reports of such a collaborative model have been found in the published literature in the United States. The article presents a historical overview of this innovative initiative; the identification of the target population; the delivery of the assessment, coordination, and monitoring services; and the marketing techniques. Utilization statistics, a synopsis of the model outcomes as viewed by the trust officers, and suggestions for replication are also presented."}
{"id": "PMID:1467803", "title": "Have we oversold case management as a \"quick fix\" for our long-term-care system?", "content": "Case management has become a core component in almost every community-based, long-term-care program. Yet it is, at best, a piecemeal response to an enormous health and social services problem. Fragmented funding, ill-considered public health policy, and short-range planning assure that no single system, even one as ubiquitous as case management, will eliminate the serious problems plaguing our health care system."}
{"id": "PMID:1467805", "title": "A taxonomy of ethical issues in case management of the frail older person.", "content": "Present-day case managers find themselves facing a broad range of ethical issues and value conflicts. For managers of the frail older person, these issues may relate to (a) the client, (b) the client's family, (c) the manager's agency, (d) interdisciplinary interactions, (e) interagency dynamics, and (f) the entire service system. An eight-point strategy for conflict resolution can be effectively applied to these ethical conflicts."}
{"id": "PMID:1467806", "title": "Case management in long-term care: it can be ethical and efficacious.", "content": "The present-day concept of case management combines two opposing functions, advocacy and gatekeeping, which creates an ethical tension. To maintain a balance between these activities and thus avoid untenable ethical situations, long-term-care programs must at the very least have sufficient dollars to provide required services, those dollars must be committed to the program and not subject to allocation elsewhere, and the services must be distributed fairly among those who need them. Various case management models attempt to separate the advocacy and gatekeeping functions with varying degrees of success."}
{"id": "PMID:1467807", "title": "Individual advocacy as a governing principle.", "content": "Many case managers have two roles, that of gatekeeper and that of advocate, that often conflict. A true advocate adopts the client's perspective as the guide for activity. Many advocacy models exist, notably those of physician/patient and lawyer/client. The client's rights to an informed choice and to strict confidentiality are fundamental to these advocacy models and must be incorporated into any advocacy model of case management."}
{"id": "PMID:1467808", "title": "Ethical issues in case management from a political and systems perspective.", "content": "This article has been excerpted from a talk which provided a description of the systemic context in which case management operates in relation to other services and provides an overview of the political context in which the system of services for older people operates. The ethical issues of case management, which are discussed elsewhere in this issue, are imposed in part by the role of case managers in the system as a whole, which in turn reflects our society's political consensus on how older persons will be served and at what cost."}
{"id": "PMID:1467809", "title": "The Person-In-Environment System for classifying client problems: A new tool for more effective case management.", "content": "This article outlines the application of the Person-In-Environment system for the classification of problems which clients bring to case managers. The PIE system, sponsored by the National Association of Social Workers, Inc., concisely describes social role, environmental, mental health, and physical health problems in a format that allows for a clear delineation of the appropriate targets for case management intervention. The article also illustrates the system's use with three case management vignettes involving child protective services, the chronically mentally ill, and older adults."}
{"id": "PMID:1467810", "title": "A quantitative method for measuring regional in vivo fatty-acid incorporation into and turnover within brain phospholipids: review and critical analysis.", "content": "An experimental method and its associated mathematical model are described to quantitate in vivo incorporation rates into and turnovers of fatty acids (FAs) within stable brain metabolic compartments, particularly phospholipids. A radiolabeled FA is injected i.v. in a rat, and arterial plasma unacylated FA radioactivities and unlabeled concentrations are sampled until the animal is killed after 15 min, when the brain is analyzed biochemically or with quantitative autoradiography. Unbound unacylated label in blood easily crosses the blood-brain barrier; rapidly equilibrates in the unacylated FA, acyl-CoA and phosphatidate-diacylglycerol brain pools; then is incorporated into phospholipids and other stable metabolic compartments. Uptake and incorporation of labeled FAs are independent of cerebral blood flow at constant brain blood volume. Different labeled FAs enter specific sn positions of different brain phospholipids, suggesting that a combination of probes can be used to investigate metabolism of these phospholipids. Thus, [9,10-3-H]palmitate preferentially labels the sn1 position of phosphatidylcholine; [1-14C]arachidonate the sn2 positions of phosphatidylinositol and phosphatidylcholine; and [1-14C]docosahexaenoate the sn2 positions of phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylcholine. The FA model provides an operational equation for rates of incorporation of FAs into brain phospholipids, taking into account intracerebral recycling and de novo synthesis of the FA, as well as entry into brain of FA from acylated blood sources. The equation is essentially independent of specific details of the proposed model, and can be used to calculate turnovers and half-lives of FAs within different phospholipid classes. For the model to be most applicable, experiments should satisfy conditions for pulse-labeling of the phospholipids, with brain sampling times short enough to minimize exchange of label between stable metabolic compartments. A 15-20 min sampling time satisfies these criteria. The FA method has been used to elucidate the dynamics of brain phospholipids metabolism in relation to brain development, brain tumor, chronically reduced auditory input, transient ischemic insult, axotomy with and without nerve regeneration, and cholinergic stimulation in animals with or without a chronic unilateral lesion of the nucleus basalis magnocellularis."}
{"id": "PMID:1467811", "title": "Increased cognitive sensitivity to scopolamine with age and a perspective on the scopolamine model.", "content": "18 older normal volunteers (mean age = 66.5 +/- 7.9 years) and 46 younger volunteers (mean age = 27.0 +/- 6.1 years) were administered the anticholinergic drug scopolamine (0.5 mg i.v.) followed by a battery of cognitive tests evaluating attention, learning and memory. The older subjects were significantly more impaired than the younger by scopolamine on some tests of learning and memory. This increased sensitivity of the older group to scopolamine is consistent with studies in animals and humans showing decreased cholinergic system function with age. The findings also indicate that age is an important variable to consider in using the scopolamine model of memory impairment. The cognitive impairment caused by scopolamine in younger subjects in this and prior studies is similar to some, but not all aspects of the impairment which occurs in normal aging. Scopolamine also caused impairments on digit span and word fluency tasks, which are not consistent with normal aging changes. In the older group of subjects, scopolamine produced aspects of the cognitive impairment which occurs in AD on tests of episodic memory and learning, vigilance-attention, category retrieval, digit span, and number of intrusions. Other areas of cognition that are of relevance to aging and AD such as psychomotor speed, praxis, concept formation and remote memory were not evaluated in this study. Some of these are being evaluated in ongoing studies, along with additional and more specific tests of retrieval from knowledge memory, implicit memory and attention. The scopolamine model has provided a fruitful pharmacologic starting point for the study of a number of cognitive operations. The idea of dissecting apart aspects of memory systems pharmacologically depends on the availability of neurochemically specific drugs and on the specificity and sensitivity of neuropsychological tests for distinct cognitive operations or domains. Further studies using such tools will aid not only in the understanding of the impairments which occur in aging and in AD, but also of the conceptualization of memory and other cognitive operations and ultimately the physiological mechanisms involved in memory and learning."}
{"id": "PMID:1467812", "title": "Activity-dependent development of spinal cord motor neurons.", "content": "Patterned neuronal activity in early postnatal life can regulate the acquisition of the mature morphological and electrophysiological properties of neurons. Many properties of motor neurons are developmentally regulated and may be influenced by epigenetic factors. The pattern of activation of motor neurons can regulate axon terminal morphology and synaptic efficacy at the neuromuscular junction. Motor neuron morphology and synaptic connections can also be modified by exposure to specific hormones in the early postnatal period. The acquisition of mature physiological and anatomical properties is paralleled by the acquisition of specific molecular properties. Recent experiments using molecular markers for motor neuron differentiation indicate that motor neurons undergo activity-dependent development during a circumscribed period in early postnatal life. Normal motor neuron differentiation requires a normal pattern of neuronal activity in early postnatal life. Differentiation also requires activation of the NMDA receptor over the same time period. The activity-dependent development of morphological, electrophysiological and molecular properties of motor neurons is similar to activity-dependent development in the vertebrate visual system. The neuromuscular system may provide an accessible system for characterizing the molecules subserving the translation of patterned neuronal activity into mature neuronal phenotype."}
{"id": "PMID:1467817", "title": "Management of depression in the elderly.", "content": "Depressive illness in late life may present to doctors in the community or on general hospital wards. Management often involves physical treatments, but social and psychological approaches may also be important. This article considers acute treatment, continuation treatment (to prevent relapse) and the treatment of resistant depressive illnesses."}
{"id": "PMID:1467816", "title": "Management of adults with cystic fibrosis.", "content": "Many patients with cystic fibrosis now survive into adulthood seeking continuation of their care from adult physicians rather than paediatricians. Attention to detail is the key to successful management of this complex multisystem disorder; care is best provided in the context of a multidisciplinary, team-oriented approach."}
{"id": "PMID:1467818", "title": "Clinical manifestations of African AIDS.", "content": "AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) is now the greatest cause of death in many African countries. Any traveller from sub-Saharan Africa may present with an AIDS-related condition. This article provides a brief introduction to the problems posed by AIDS and AIDS-related conditions and their recognition."}
{"id": "PMID:1467819", "title": "Intravenous chlormethiazole.", "content": "Intravenous chlormethiazole is widely used for its sedative and anticonvulsant action in patients with acute alcohol withdrawal, status epilepticus, pre-eclampsia and eclampsia. Concern remains over its safety if it is given carelessly and without careful monitoring."}
{"id": "PMID:1467820", "title": "Clinical applicability of inorganic phosphate measurements.", "content": "Many articles have warned of the dangers of too much and/or too little potassium, calcium or sodium in the blood, but phosphate has not received similar attention. Yet, because of its pivotal role in intermediary metabolism and its close solubility product relationship with ionized calcium, disordered phosphate homeostasis can have profound clinical effects."}
{"id": "PMID:1467822", "title": "Guide to postgraduate exams: multiple-choice questions.", "content": "Multiple-choice questions are among the most common components of medical exams. They are potentially very reliable and are easy and accurate to mark. Their validity leaves much to be desired, however, and the common practice of negative marking is ill considered."}
{"id": "PMID:1467825", "title": "Central administration of 5-HT activates 5-HT1A receptors to cause sympathoexcitation and 5-HT2/5-HT1C receptors to release vasopressin in anaesthetized rats.", "content": "1. The effects of intracerebroventricular injections to the right lateral ventricle (i.c.v.) of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT, 40 and 120 nmol kg-1), N,N-di-n-propyl-5-carboxamidotryptamine (DP-5-CT; 3 nmol kg-1), 5-carboxamidotryptamine (5-CT; 3 nmol kg-1), 8-hydroxy-2-(di-N-propylamino) tetralin (8-OH-DPAT; 3, 40 and 120 nmol kg-1) and 1-(2,5-di-methoxy-4-iodophenyl)-2-aminopropane (DOI; 40 and 120 nmol kg-1) on renal sympathetic nerve activity, blood pressure, heart rate and phrenic nerve activity were investigated in normotensive rats anaesthetized with alpha-chloralose. 2. 5-HT caused a long lasting pressor response which was associated with an initial bradycardia and renal sympathoinhibition followed by a tachycardia and renal sympathoexcitation. Pretreatment with the 5-HT2/5-HT1C receptor antagonists, cinanserin (300 nmol kg-1, i.c.v.) or LY 53857 (300 nmol kg-1, i.c.v.) reversed the initial bradycardia and sympathoinhibition to tachycardia and sympathoexcitation. Combined pretreatment with LY 53857 (300 nmol kg-1, i.c.v.) and the 5-HT1A antagonist, spiroxatrine (300 nmol kg-1, i.c.v.), blocked the effects of 5-HT on all the above variables. 3. Pretreatment with the vasopressin V1-receptor antagonist, beta-mercapto-beta,beta-cyclopentamethylene-propionyl1, O-Me-Tyr2, Arg8-vasopressin [(d(CH2)5Tyr(Me)AVP, 10 micrograms kg-1, i.v.] did not affect the magnitude but reduced the duration of the pressor response produced by i.c.v. 5-HT and reversed the initial bradycardia and renal sympathoinhibition to tachycardia and sympathoexcitation. 4. 1-(2,5-Di-methoxy-4-iodophenyl)-2-aminopropane (DOI) caused a pressor effect which was associated with a bradycardia and sympathoinhibition. These effects were blocked by pretreatment with BWSOlC67 (0.1 mg kg-', i.v.), a peripherally acting 5-HT2/5-HTc receptor antagonist. However,BWSOlC67 (0.1 mg kg-', i.v.) failed to block the effects of i.c.v. 5-HT.5. DP-5-CT, 5-CT and 8-OH-DPAT (3 nmol kg-', i.c.v.) caused sympathoexcitation, tachycardia and a rise in blood pressure. Pretreatment with methiothepin (1 mg kg-', i.v.) or spiroxatrine (300 nmol kg-',i.c.v.) attenuated the response to i.c.v. DP-5-CT.6. It is concluded that i.c.v. administration of 5-HT activates 5-HTlA receptors to cause sympathoexcitation and 5-HT2 or 5-HT1c receptors to cause the release of vasopressin."}
{"id": "PMID:1467821", "title": "Withdrawing medical treatment: implications of the Bland case.", "content": "The question of whether it is possible to withdraw a feeding system from a patient who is in a persistent vegetative state raises serious legal and ethical issues which have recently been discussed in the High Court. This article discusses the issues and the Court's conclusions in this particular case."}
{"id": "PMID:1467826", "title": "Mechanisms of the biphasic responses to endothelin-3 in dog coronary arteries.", "content": "1. Endothelin-3 (ET-3) elicited relaxations at low concentrations (up to 10(-8) M) and contractions at higher concentrations in dog isolated coronary arteries precontracted with prostaglandin F2 alpha (PGF2 alpha). The relaxation by ET-3 was not affected by endothelium denudation nor treatment with NG-nitro-L-arginine, but was abolished or reversed to a contraction by treatment with indomethacin and markedly suppressed by tranylcypromine, a PGI2 synthetase inhibitor, or diphloretin phosphate, a prostaglandin receptor antagonist. ET-1 produced only concentration-dependent contractions. 2. BQ-123, a new selective ETA receptor antagonist, caused relaxation of the strips contracted with ET-3 in a dose-dependent manner and prevented the ET-3-induced contraction but did not affect the contraction produced by PGF2 alpha. The relaxation caused by ET-3 was enhanced by treatment with BQ-123. 3. It is concluded that the relaxations elicited by ET-3 in dog coronary arteries are mediated via liberation of PGI2 by activation of non-ETA receptors, located in subendothelial tissues, possibly smooth muscle cells, whereas the peptide-induced contractions are mediated via ETA receptors."}
{"id": "PMID:1467827", "title": "Cardiovascular selectivity of adenosine receptor agonists in anaesthetized dogs.", "content": "1. In order to determine the relevance of adenosine (Ado) receptor classification obtained from in vitro methods to the cardiovascular actions of Ado agonists in vivo, the cardiovascular effects of adenosine 5'-monophosphate (AMP), N6-cyclohexyladenosine (CHA, 400 fold A1-selective), 5'-N-ethyl-carboxamidoadenosine (NECA, A1 approximately A2) and 2-phenylaminoadenosine (PAA, 5 fold A2-selective) were compared in open-chest, fentanyl-pentobarbitone anaesthetized dogs. 2. Graded doses of CHA (10 to 1000 micrograms kg-1), NECA (0.5 to 100 micrograms kg-1) or PAA (0.1 to 20 micrograms kg-1) were administered intravenously and changes in haemodynamics and myocardial contractility were assessed 10 min following each dose. The effects of graded infusions of AMP (200 to 1000 micrograms kg-1 min-1) were also evaluated. 3. AMP and each of the Ado analogues (NECA > PAA > CHA) increased the systemic vascular conductance index (SVCI) in a dose-dependent manner and reduced mean arterial pressure (MAP). At doses causing similar increases in SVCI, these agonists caused (i) similar reflex increases in heart rate (HR) and cardiac index (CI) and decreases in AV conduction interval (AVi) and (ii) similar increases in coronary vascular conductance (CVC). 4. After cardiac autonomic blockade with atropine (0.2 mg kg-1) and propranolol (1 mg kg-1), AMP, CHA and PAA still increased SVCI and CVC and decreased MAP. CHA and PAA had no marked effects on HR, CI or AVi. As in the absence of cardiac autonomic blockade, equieffective vasodilator doses of CHA and PAA had identical effects on CVC, CI and AVi. 5.Myocardial contractility, as assessed by E,,,,, measurements, was stimulated by AMP in control animals. Following cardiac autonomic blockade, PAA increased contractility while AMP and CHA had no significant effects.6. Despite marked.differences in receptor selectivity in vitro, no marked differences between the actions of these Al- and A2-selective Ado receptor agonists on the cardiovascular system in vivo were apparent.Difficulties therefore exist in the application of in vitro Ado receptor selectivity data to the prediction of the cardiovascular effects of Ado agonists in vivo."}
{"id": "PMID:1467828", "title": "Stereospecific antiarrhythmic effects of naloxone against myocardial ischaemia and reperfusion in the dog.", "content": "1. The effects of both the (-)- and (+)-stereoisomers of naloxone in anaesthetized dogs with arrhythmias induced by acute coronary artery occlusion followed by reperfusion were investigated. 2. Following coronary artery occlusion and reperfusion, all dogs in the control group developed ischaemia- and reperfusion-induced cardiac arrhythmias, bradycardia and hypotension. 3. The opiate antagonist (-)-naloxone prevented the arrhythmias, bradycardia and hypotension due to myocardial ischaemia and reperfusion. 4. The (+)-stereoisomer of naloxone, which is inactive as an opiate antagonist, was without beneficial effects. 5. These results indicate a possible involvement of endogenous opioid peptides in the cardiac effects due to myocardial ischaemia and reperfusion, mediated by opiate receptors through opiate antagonism."}
{"id": "PMID:1467829", "title": "Lack of effect of potassium channel openers on ATP-modulated potassium channels recorded from rat ventromedial hypothalamic neurones.", "content": "1. Single neuronal cells were freshly isolated from the ventromedial hypothalamic nuclei (VMHN) of the rat brain. Currents through ATP-modulated and large conductance (160 and 250 pS) calcium-activated potassium channels were recorded by the cell-attached and excised inside-out patch techniques. 2. BRL38227 (lemakalim; 30-90 microM) applied to the superfusing medium produced no change in firing rate of isolated glucose-receptive VMHN neurones in cell-attached recordings. 3. BRL38227, at concentrations of between 30-100 microM applied to the intracellular (cytoplasmic) aspect of inside-out patches, had no effect on the activity of ATP-sensitive K+ channels in the absence of ATP or in the presence of a sub-maximal inhibitory concentration (3 mM) of ATP. Cromakalim, pinacidil, minoxidil sulphate and diazoxide also produced no effect under these conditions. 4. The potassium channel openers (KCO's) were tested on ATP-activated potassium channels recorded from a further subpopulation of VMHN neurones. Application of BRL38227 (up to and including 100 microM) to this channel in inside-out patches either in the absence of ATP or when activated by 5 mM ATP had no effect on channel activity. Identical results were obtained with cromakalim and pinacidil. 5. BRL38227 had no effect on either of the large conductance (250 pS and 160 pS) calcium-activated potassium channels in VMHN neurones. 6. Intracellular recordings were made from glucose-receptive VMHN neurones in rat brain slices. Cromakalim (50 microM) or diazoxide (60 microM) did not alter the firing rate or passive membrane properties of these neurones demonstrated to be sensitive to tolbutamide (0.1 mM). 7. These results show that the KCO's tested in this study have no effect either on VMHN neurones contained in brain slices or on the activity of any of the ATP-modulated potassium channels under isolated patch conditions associated with these neurones."}
{"id": "PMID:1467830", "title": "Inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate generation and calcium mobilisation via activation of an atypical P2 receptor in the neuronal cell line, N1E-115.", "content": "1. Alterations in the levels of intracellular calcium ([Ca2+]i) and D-myo-inositol-1,4,5-trisphosphate (InsP3) were measured in the murine neuroblastoma cell line clone, N1E-115, by use of the calcium-sensitive dye, fura-2 and a radioreceptor assay, respectively. 2. Exposure of the cells to ATP (100 microM) elicited rapid and transient increases in [Ca2+]i and InsP3, with both responses reaching a maximum between 10-20 s after agonist addition. 3. Investigation of concentration-response data by use of various analogues of ATP suggests the presence of an extracellular receptor which fails to fit into the current classification of purinoceptors. 4. Cross-desensitization experiments suggest that the same receptor can also be activated by the structurally different pyrimidine base, UTP. 5. Application of the tumour-promoting agent, beta-phorbol-12,13 dibutyrate (PDBu) caused a reduction in the increases in both [Ca2+]i and InsP3, suggesting a role for protein kinase C in feedback inhibition of purinoceptor responses in this cell line. 6. In summary, we present the first evidence for the existence of an atypical purinoceptor on a cell line of CNS origin. This receptor is linked to stimulation of phosphoinositide turnover and subsequent mobilisation of intracellular calcium."}
{"id": "PMID:1467831", "title": "L-leucyl-L-arginine, naltrindole and D-arginine block antinociception elicited by L-arginine in mice with carrageenin-induced hyperalgesia.", "content": "1. Intraplantar injection of carrageenin into the mouse hind paw produced hyperalgesia when measured by the paw pressure test (Randall & Selitto method). 2. Subcutaneous administration of L-arginine (100-1,000 mg kg-1), a possible precursor of kyotorphin which is an endogenous analgesic neuropeptide, inhibited carrageenin-induced hyperalgesia in a dose-dependent manner. This effect was blocked by subcutaneous administration of naloxone, naltrindole, a selective delta-opioid receptor antagonist (enkephalin antagonist), and D-arginine. 3. Intracerebroventricular administration of L-leucyl-L-arginine inhibited the antinociceptive effect of systemically administered L-arginine in hyperalgesic mice. 4. Intracerebroventricular administration of L-arginine (3 and 30 micrograms per mouse) and kyotorphin (300 ng-3 micrograms per mouse) produced antinociception in hyperalgesic mice. The antinociceptive effects of L-arginine but not kyotorphin were blocked by intracerebroventricular administration of D-arginine. 5. These results suggest that L-arginine-induced antinociception is mediated by activation of 'kyotorphinergic' nerves followed by activation of the 'opioidergic' (possible 'enkephalinergic') nerves in the central nervous system."}
{"id": "PMID:1467832", "title": "Characterization of endothelium-dependent relaxations resistant to nitro-L-arginine in the porcine coronary artery.", "content": "1. Previous studies, demonstrated that endothelium-dependent relaxations which are resistant to nitro-L-arginine (an inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase) are accompanied by membrane hyperpolarization in the porcine coronary artery. The present experiments were designed to characterize further this type of endothelium-dependent relaxation in response to bradykinin by measuring isometric force in isolated rings of that artery. The experiments were performed in the presence of indomethacin to rule out vasoactive prostanoids. 2. Bradykinin induced comparable endothelium-dependent relaxations of proximal and distal rings of porcine coronary arteries contracted with prostaglandin F2 alpha in the presence of nitro-L-arginine. 3. Bradykinin and SIN 1 (a donor of nitric oxide) reduced contractions induced by prostaglandin F2 alpha in an additive fashion in the presence of nitro-L-arginine. 4. Bradykinin (in the presence of nitro-L-arginine) relaxed the tissues contracted with tetraethylammonium, prostaglandin F2 alpha, phorbol 12, 13-diacetate or endothelin, with similar pD2 values. 5. The time course of the relaxations induced by bradykinin (in the presence of nitro-L-arginine) and UK14304 (an alpha 2-adrenoceptor agonist, in the absence of the inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase) were comparable. 6. These results suggest that, in the porcine coronary artery, nitro-L-arginine-resistant relaxations (a) are distributed similarly in the proximal and distal parts of the artery, (b) contribute to inhibition of vascular smooth muscle with nitric oxide in an additive fashion, (c) occur during contractions induced by various contractile agents and (d) do not precede those mediated by nitric oxide."}
{"id": "PMID:1467833", "title": "Effect of a 5-lipoxygenase inhibitor and leukotriene antagonist (PF 5901) on PAF-induced airway responses in neonatally immunized rabbits.", "content": "1. Aerosol administration of platelet activating factor (PAF) (80 micrograms ml-1 for 60 min) to neonatally immunized rabbits caused bronchoconstriction which was far in excess of that produced by a comparable aerosol of bovine serum albumin (BSA), the carrier molecule for PAF. Bronchoconstriction of a similar magnitude was elicited by PAF in immunized, sham-immunized and normal rabbits. 2. Aerosol administration of PAF to immunized rabbits induced enhanced airway responsiveness to inhaled histamine in all animals tested, 24 h and 72 h after exposure. In not all cases had airways responsiveness returned to basal levels at 1 week following PAF challenge. In contrast, following exposure of immunized rabbits to BSA, no significant changes in airway responsiveness to histamine were evident at any of the measured time points. 3. A significant increase in the total number of inflammatory cells recovered in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid was determined 24 h and 72 h following PAF exposure in immunized rabbits. This was associated with a significant increase in the number of neutrophils and eosinophils. Similar changes were observed following exposure of PAF to normal and sham-immunized rabbits. No change in the total number of inflammatory cells was obtained in BAL after BSA challenge to immunized rabbits; however, neutrophil numbers were significantly increased. 4. PF 5901, a specific inhibitor of the 5-lipoxygenase pathway of arachidonic acid metabolism and a leukotriene D4 antagonist, at a dose of 10 mg (direct intratracheal administration) significantly inhibited the airway resistance (RL) component of the bronchoconstriction induced by PAF in neonatally-immunized rabbits. Doses of 10 mg, 3 mg and 1 mg PF 5901 (direct intratracheal administration) were sufficient to inhibit significantly the PAF-induced increase in airways responsiveness to inhaled histamine in immunized rabbits. PF 5901 however, failed to alter the pulmonary cell infiltration induced by PAF,as assessed by BAL.5. We suggest from the results of the present study that PAF induces consistent and long-lasting increases in airways responsiveness to histamine in immunized rabbits, which is mediated, at least in part, by products of the 5-lipoxygenase metabolic pathway. Furthermore, the inability of PF 5901 to inhibit the influx of inflammatory cells into the airway lumen following PAF challenge may suggest that bronchial hyperresponsiveness and cellular infiltration are not strictly associated events."}
{"id": "PMID:1467834", "title": "Attenuation of vasoconstriction by endogenous nitric oxide in rat caudal artery.", "content": "1. The effects of NG-nitro-L-arginine (L-NNA), NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME), haemoglobin and methylene blue have been examined on vascular reactivity in the rat isolated caudal artery. The effects of L-NNA and sodium nitroprusside were also investigated on the stimulation-induced (S-I) efflux of noradrenaline in the rat caudal artery. 2. L-NNA (10 microM) and L-NAME (10 microM) significantly attenuated the vasodilator responses to acetylcholine (1 nM-1 microM), but had no effect on vasodilator responses to papaverine (1-100 microM). 3. Vasoconstrictor responses to sympathetic nerve stimulation (3 Hz, 10 s), noradrenaline (0.01-1 microM), methoxamine (1-10 microM), 5-hydroxytryptamine (0.01-0.3 microM), phenylephrine (0.1-10 microM), endothelin-1 (10 nM) and KCl (40 mM) were significantly enhanced by 10 microM L-NNA. L-NAME (10 microM) caused a significant enhancement of vasoconstrictor responses to noradrenaline and sympathetic nerve stimulation in endothelium-intact, but not in endothelium-denuded tissues. 4. Haemoglobin and methylene blue (both 10 microM) enhanced the vasoconstrictor responses to sympathetic nerve stimulation and noradrenaline. The enhancements were absent in endothelium-denuded arterial segments. 5. In endothelium-denuded arterial segments precontracted with phenylephrine, the vasodilator responses to the nitric oxide donor, sodium nitroprusside (0.1-300 nM) were decreased by increasing the level of precontraction. 6. L-NNA (10 microM) had no effect on the S-I efflux of radioactivity from arteries in which transmitter stores had been labelled with [3H]-noradrenaline. 7. These results suggest that endothelial nitric oxide attenuates vasoconstrictor responses in the rat caudal artery through activation of soluble guanylate cyclase to decrease smooth muscle contractility. Therefore, the findings provide evidence that nitric oxide acts as a functional antagonist to oppose vasoconstriction."}
{"id": "PMID:1467835", "title": "Effects of cicletanine on haemodynamics, arrhythmias and extent of necrosis during coronary ligation in rabbits.", "content": "1. The effects of cicletanine on arrhythmias, haemodynamics and extent of necrosis during myocardial ischaemia were investigated in rabbits subjected to coronary ligation. 2. Cicletanine increased cardiac output prior to coronary occlusion (P < 0.01) but had no other significant haemodynamic effects at this time and did not significantly alter heart rate, blood pressure or cardiac output during 30 min of ischaemia or 30 min of reperfusion. 3. Ventricular fibrillation and mortality were greater in control (65% and 60% respectively) than treated animals (15.4% and 15.4%, P < 0.01). 4. The extent of myocardial necrosis expressed as a percentage of the area at risk was also reduced by cicletanine from 61 +/- 8% in controls to 37 +/- 6% (P < 0.05). 5. These findings indicate that cicletanine attenuates arrhythmias and preserves myocardium in the early phase of ischaemia and this effect appears to be independent of an established antihypertensive action."}
{"id": "PMID:1467836", "title": "Role of protein kinase C in the regulation of histamine and bradykinin stimulated inositol polyphosphate turnover in adrenal chromaffin cells.", "content": "1. The possibility that bradykinin- or histamine-stimulated inositol polyphosphate accumulation may be regulated by protein kinase C (PKC) in bovine adrenal chromaffin cells has been addressed. 2. Initial experiments confirmed that the phorbol ester 12-O-tetradecanoyl-phorbol 13-acetate (TPA) dramatically inhibited agonist-stimulated [3H]-inositol phosphate accumulations in [3H]-inositol prelabelled cells. In contrast, the PKC inhibitor, Ro 31-8220, did not affect this response. 3. Histamine (100 microM) or bradykinin (100 nM) evoked rapid increases in inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (Ins(1,4,5)P3) and inositol 1,3,4,5-tetrakisphosphate (Ins(1,3,4,5)P4) mass accumulations (maximal accumulations within 10 s and 30 s, respectively) which declined towards basal values over a 10 min incubation period. TPA (1 microM) significantly attenuated the peak Ins(1,4,5)P3 response to bradykinin and histamine by 30% and 70% respectively. In contrast, TPA did not significantly affect agonist-stimulated Ins(1,3,4,5)P4 responses. 4. Ro 31-8220 (10 microM) significantly enhanced the maximal Ins(1,4,5)P3 accumulations elicited by both bradykinin and histamine. 5. The results indicate that the initial Ins(1,4,5)P3 response to either bradykinin or histamine in bovine adrenal chromaffin cells can be attenuated by PKC activation by phorbol ester and enhanced by PKC inhibition by Ro 31-8220. In contrast, agonist-stimulated Ins(1,3,4,5)P4 accumulation does not appear to be affected by these manipulations of PKC activity. Possible bases for differential modulation of Ins(1,4,5)P3 and Ins(1,3,4,5)P4 are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1467837", "title": "ATP activates P2x-contracting and P2y-relaxing purinoceptors in the smooth muscle of mouse vas deferens.", "content": "1. The mechanism for the low potency of exogenous ATP in producing contraction at the P2x-purinoceptors in the smooth muscle of the mouse vas deferens (VD) was examined. 2. The measure of the breakdown of ATP in contact with the VD showed that its degradation was limited and did not account for its weak contractile effect. 3. Externally applied, ATP induced a small and transient contraction but a marked and prolonged increase of the cytosolic Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i), which suggests an efficient binding to the P2x-purinoceptors. Such a calcium-force dissociation was not observed with beta, gamma-methylene ATP (beta, gamma-Me-ATP), a structural ATP analogue. 4. The force response of precontracted VD to ATP was biphasic, consisting of a small initial contraction followed by a sustained marked relaxation. In contrast, beta, gamma-Me-ATP elicited a pronounced contraction without ensuing relaxation. 5. ATP was more potent than adenosine in producing relaxation, and the relaxation was not antagonized by 8-phenyltheophylline, suggesting the activation of P2-purinoceptors. 6. For this relaxation, the rank order of potency was 2-methyl-thio-ATP (2-MeSATP) > ATP > beta, gamma-Me-ATP, which is characteristic for the P2y-purinoceptors. 7. Reactive Blue 2, a P2y-purinoceptor antagonist, was found to reduce the relaxation mediated by ATP. 8. These results indicate that ATP acts in VD not only on contracting but also on relaxing P2-purinoceptors, eliciting thereby overlapping opposite effects. In VD, the classical low potency of ATP or contraction is thus not explained by its low bioavailability or its low binding, but rather by its low specificity for the contracting P2x-purinoceptors, leading to the activation of the relaxing P2y-purinoceptors."}
{"id": "PMID:1467838", "title": "Pharmacological profile of GR117289 in vitro: a novel, potent and specific non-peptide angiotensin AT1 receptor antagonist.", "content": "1. This paper describes the effects of GR117289 (1-[[3-bromo-2-[2-(1H-tetrazol-5-yl)phenyl]-5-benzo-furanyl]methyl ]-2-butyl-4-chloro-1H-imidazole-5-carboxylic acid) at angiotensin receptors and binding sites in rabbit aorta, rat liver and bovine cerebellum preparations in vitro. 2. In rabbit isolated aortic strips, GR117289 (0.3, 1 and 3 nM) caused a concentration-related, insurmountable suppression of the concentration-response curve to angiotensin II (AII). When the contact time was increased, a greater degree of antagonism of AII was observed, suggesting that GR117289 is slow to reach equilibrium. A pKB of 9.8 +/- 0.1 was calculated for GR117289 after 3 h incubation. GR117289 (1 microM) did not affect contractile responses to phenylephrine or 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) in the rabbit aorta. 3. GR117289 (1 nM) alone caused a marked suppression and a slight rightward displacement of the AII concentration-response curve. Co-incubation with the competitive, surmountable AT1 receptor antagonist, losartan (10 nM, 100 nM and 1 microM), resulted in a concentration-related upward and rightward displacement of the concentration-response curve to subsequently administered AII. In separate experiments in which preparations were pre-incubated with GR117289 (1 nM), subsequent addition of losartan (1 microM) for 2, 15 or 45 min caused a further, but similar, rightward displacement of the concentration-response curve to subsequently administered AII with a time-dependent increase in the maximum response.4. Suppression of All-induced contractile responses, caused by superfusion with GRI17289 (0.3, 1 or 3 nM) was not reversed by continuously washing the tissues for 3 h; in fact, the potency of GRI 17289 was slightly enhanced after this period.5. In rat liver membranes, GRI17289 was a potent competitor with [3H]-AII for AT, binding sites(pKi = 8.7 +/- 0.1) but in bovine cerebellum membranes, it was a very weak competitor for AT2 binding sites (pKi<6). Pre-incubation of rat liver membranes with GRI17289 had little effect on its affinity(pKi = 9.1 +/- 0.21), but increasing the concentration of bovine serum albumen in the assay buffer from 0.001% to 0.1% w/v decreased affinity (pKi= 7.5 +/- 0.1).6. In saturation binding experiments in rat liver membranes, GRI 17289 (12 nM) increased the Kd of[3H]-AII from 0.28 +/- 0.06 nM to 0.37 +/- 0.02 nM, and decreased Bm. from 10.0 +/- 0.1 to 5.6 +/-0.3 fmol mg' tissue. In other experiments, GR1 17289 (1 jIM) did not alter the rate of dissociation of[3H]-AII from AT1 binding sites, following addition of excess unlabelled All.7. In rabbit aorta vascular smooth muscle membranes, GR1 17289 competed with ['25I]-Sar'1le8 All for binding to AT, binding sites. In the presence of 0.1% w/v bovine serum albumen, a pIC50 of 7.6 +/- 0.1 was calculated. Under the same conditions, but with rat liver membranes, a pIC50 of 7.8 +/- 0.1 was determined.8. Taken together, these results show that GRI17289 is a potent, specific, selective and insurmountable antagonist at angiotensin AT, receptors. Its profile in the rabbit aorta is consistent with the proposalthat GRI17289 is a slowly reversible (pseudo-irreversible) antagonist at these receptors."}
{"id": "PMID:1467839", "title": "Involvement of nitric oxide in the regional haemodynamic effects of perindoprilat and captopril in hypovolaemic Brattleboro rats.", "content": "1. Male, homozygous Brattleboro (i.e. vasopressin-deficient) rats were chronically instrumented with pulsed Doppler flow probes and intravascular catheters, and were studied 5 h after a subcutaneous injection of an hyperoncotic solution of polyethylene glycol to render them hypovolaemic, and hence dependent on the renin-angiotensin system for maintenance of haemodynamic status. Pilot experiments showed that, in this model, primed infusion of perindoprilat (0.05 mg kg-1 bolus, 0.05 mg kg-1 h-1 infusion) or captopril (0.2 mg kg-1 bolus, 0.2 mg kg-1 h-1 infusion) just abolished the pressor effect of angiotensin I (120 pmol), and had similar initial hypotensive and renal hyperaemic vasodilator effects. 2. Perindoprilat had more sustained hypotensive, and mesenteric and hindquarters vasodilator effects than captopril in the presence of saline. In the presence of NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME 3 mg kg-1 h-1), the renal vasodilator effects of perindoprilat were unchanged, whereas the other haemodynamic effects of perindoprilat and captopril were reduced. Hence, in the presence of L-NAME, all haemodynamic effects of perindoprilat were greater than those of captopril. 3. The renal hyperaemic vasodilator effects of acetylcholine were abolished by L-NAME and by perindoprilat, and were markedly reduced by captopril. However, since perindoprilat and captopril caused such marked renal hyperaemic vasodilatation themselves, it is feasible this change in baseline status contributed to their effects. It is unlikely this could be a full explanation of the results, because the haemodynamic effects of lemakalim were unchanged under any experimental conditions. 4. Bradykinin alone, or in the presence of saline, caused mesenteric hyperaemic vasodilatation whereas, in the presence of perindoprilat or captopril, bradykinin caused marked renal and mesenteric vasoconstrictions. However, in the additional presence of L-NAME, the mesenteric vasoconstriction was reduced, yet the hypotensive effect of bradykinin was augmented. One possible explanation of these observations is that, in the presence of L-NAME and either perindoprilat or captopril, bradykinin caused marked coronary vasoconstriction, leading to a reduction in cardiac output. 5. Neither perindoprilat nor captopril impaired the pressor, or renal, mesenteric, or hindquarters vasoconstrictor effects of L-NAME. Indeed, in their presence, the effects of L-NAME were generally enhanced, consistent with perindoprilat and captopril causing activation of nitric oxide-dependent mechanisms that were subsequently inhibited by L-NAME."}
{"id": "PMID:1467840", "title": "Characteristics of the contractile response of rabbit aorta produced by cromakalim in calcium-free solution.", "content": "1 The effect of potassium channel opening compounds has been investigated in the smooth muscle of rabbit aorta under Ca-free conditions. Examination of the characteristics of the response has been performed using cromakalim as the prototype compound. 2 In order of potency, Ro 31-6930, cromakalim, minoxidil sulphate and pinacidil each produced a contraction in rabbit aortic strips bathed in Ca-free MOPS-buffered physiological salt solution (PSS). In contrast, forskolin, glyceryl trinitrate and nifedipine each failed to increase tension under identical conditions. Cromakalim also evoked contraction of bovine trachealis muscle bathed in Ca-free PSS. 3. The contractile response to cromakalim in rabbit aortic strips was of delayed onset (15-20 min) and reached a plateau after approximately 120 min (1.8 g maximum with 1 microM cromakalim). No cromakalim-induced tension changes were observed in either 1 mM or 2.5 mM Ca-containing PSS. 4. Raising the [KCl] of the Ca-free PSS to 65.9 mM fully inhibited the cromakalim-induced contraction in rabbit aortic strips. In addition, pretreatment of aortic strips with the sulphonylurea glibenclamide antagonized the subsequent mechanical response to cromakalim. 5. In Ca-free PSS, cromakalim (1 microM) stimulated 42K-efflux with a time-course corresponding to the contractile event. Glibenclamide (1 microM) inhibited this cromakalim-induced 42K-efflux. 6. In sharp microelectrode studies in bovine trachealis, cromakalim (10 microM) produced a sustained membrane hyperpolarization in normal PSS. In contrast, the cromakalim-induced hyperpolarization in Ca-free PSS was not sustained. The fading of the hyperpolarization was temporally correlated with the increase in tension under these experimental conditions. 7. It is concluded that the K-channel opener-induced smooth muscle contractile response revealed in Ca-free PSS is the consequence of K-channel opening. The nature of the detailed mechanism which underlies this contractile phenomenon remains to be determined."}
{"id": "PMID:1467841", "title": "Discrimination between ETA- and ETB-receptor-mediated effects of endothelin-1 and [Ala1,3,11,15]endothelin-1 by BQ-123 in the anaesthetized rat.", "content": "1. The influence of BQ-123 (a selective ETA-receptor antagonist) on the haemodynamic response elicited by endothelin-1 (ET-1) and [Ala1,3,11,15]ET-1 (a selective ETB-receptor agonist) was studied in anaesthetized rats instrumented with ultrasonic Doppler flow probes on the carotid, coeliac, mesenteric, renal and iliac arteries. 2. BQ-123 alone (1.6 mumol kg-1, i.v.) induced a decrease in femoral mean arterial pressure (AP), accompanied by a systemic vasodilatation. The response was maximal after 3 min and then returned slowly to baseline. None of these effects was observed after a 0.016 mumol kg-1 dose of BQ-123. 3. ET-1 (1 nmol kg-1, i.v.) induced a biphasic response characterized by a transient initial decrease in AP accompanied by regional vasodilatation (mainly in the carotid and iliac beds) and by immediate mesenteric and renal vasoconstrictions. This was followed, within 1 min, by a marked and prolonged increase in AP accompanied by systemic vasoconstriction. Pretreatment with BQ-123 (1.6 mumol kg-1, i.v., 8 min before ET-1) increased and prolonged the vasodilator effect of ET-1 (mainly in the carotid, coeliac, mesenteric and iliac beds) and reduced its systemic vasoconstrictor effects with marked regional differences (the coeliac, mesenteric and renal beds being poorly affected). 4. [Ala1,3,11,15]ET-1 (3 nmol kg-1, i.v.) induced an initial and marked decrease in AP accompanied by regional vasodilatation (mainly in the carotid, coeliac and iliac beds) and by mesenteric and renal vasoconstrictions. This was followed, within 5 min, by a small increase in AP and systemic vasoconstriction. All these effects were dose-dependent. Pretreatment with BQ-123 (1.6 tmol kg'; 8 min before ET-1) did not modify the early effect of [Ala'3\"\"5]ET-l, but abolished its secondary vasoconstrictor effect except in the mesenteric bed.5. This study demonstrates that pretreatment with BQ-123 not only reduced a large part of the sustained vasoconstrictor activity of ET-1, suggesting the involvement of ETA-receptors, but also enhanced the early vasodilator activity of ET-1 revealing a functional antagonism between the two effects. The vasodilator effect of [Ala1\"3\"\"l '5]ET-1 was not affected by BQ-123 and ET-1 induced a similar vasodilatation, that was potentiated by BQ-123, suggesting the involvement of ETB-receptors in this vasodilator response. Marked regional differences were however observed which might be partly related to different levels of functional antagonism between ETB- and ETA-mediated effects, but differences in receptor types, or subtypes, cannot be excluded, mainly in the mesenteric and renals beds."}
{"id": "PMID:1467842", "title": "Dissociation between biochemical and functional effects of the aldose reductase inhibitor, ponalrestat, on peripheral nerve in diabetic rats.", "content": "1. The aim of the study was to examine the effects in rats of two different doses of the aldose reductase inhibitor, ponalrestat, on functional measures of nerve conduction and sciatic nerve biochemistry. 2. After 1 month, streptozotocin-induced diabetes produced 22%, 23% and 15% deficits in conduction velocity of sciatic nerves supplying gastrocnemius and tibialis anterior muscles and saphenous sensory nerve respectively compared to controls. These deficits were maintained over 2 months diabetes. 3. Slower-conducting motor fibres supplying the interosseus muscles of the foot did not show a diabetic deficit compared to onset controls, however, there was a 13% reduction in conduction velocity after 2 months diabetes relative to age-matched controls, indicating a maturation deficit. 4. Resistance to hypoxic conduction failure was investigated for sciatic nerve trunks in vitro. There was an increase in the duration of hypoxia necessary for an 80% reduction in compound action potential amplitude with diabetes. This was progressive; after 1 month, hypoxia time was increased by 22% and after 2 months by 57%. 5. The effect of 1-month treatment with the aldose reductase inhibitor, ponalrestat, on the abnormalities caused by an initial month of untreated diabetes was examined. Two doses of ponalrestat were employed, 8 mg kg-1 day-1 (which is equivalent to, or greater than, the blockade employed in clinical trials), and 100 mg kg-1 day-1. 6. Sciatic nerve sorbitol content was increased 7 fold by diabetes. Both doses were effective in reducing this; 70% for 8 mg kg-1 day-1, and to within the control range for 100 mg kg-1 day-1."}
{"id": "PMID:1467843", "title": "Potassium channel modulation in rat portal vein by ATP depletion: a comparison with the effects of levcromakalim (BRL 38227).", "content": "1. The effects of levcromakalim and of adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP) depletion on membrane potential and ionic currents were studied in freshly-dispersed smooth muscle cells of rat portal vein by use of combined voltage- and current-clamp techniques. 2. Levcromakalim (1 microM) induced a glibenclamide-sensitive, non-inactivating K-current (IKCO) and simultaneously inhibited the slow, transient outward, delayed rectifier K-current (ITO). Levcromakalim also hyperpolarized the portal vein cells by approximately 20 mV. 3. Reduction of intracellular ATP by removal of glucose and carboxylic acids from the recording pipette and of glucose from the bath fluid, induced a slowly-developing, non-inactivating and glibenclamide-sensitive K-current (Imet) within 60-300 s after breaking the membrane patch. Imet reached peak amplitude after 300-900 s, remained at a plateau for 200-800 s and then slowly ran down. At the peak of Imet, the cells were hyperpolarized by approximately 20 mV and their input conductance was increased by 42%. 4. At the time of maximum development of Imet, the delayed rectifier current, ITO, was reduced by 48%. 5. In the absence of glucose and carboxylic acids, addition of 1 microM free ATP to the recording pipette almost doubled the magnitude of Imet. At a holding potential of -10 mV, Imet was increased from 124 +/- 11 pA to 228 +/- 54 pA whereas the time-course of development and run-down of Imet was unaffected. 6. During the development and after the run-down of Imet, levcromakalim (1-10 microM) failed to induce IKCO. 7. Stationary fluctuation analysis of the current noise associated with Imet revealed a unitary conductance of between 10-20 pS in a physiological potassium gradient. A second contaminating current with an underlying unitary conductance of approximately 150 pS remained after Imet had run down. 8. It is concluded that IKCO induced by levcromakalim and Imet are carried by the same population of relatively small conductance, glibenclamide-sensitive K-channels. The open state of these is increased by procedures designed to lower intracellular ATP concentrations. 9. The simultaneous inhibition of the delayed rectifier current (ITO) by both levcromakalim and during the development of Imet is highly significant. It suggests that levcromakalim could modify the interaction of ATP with sites linked to more than one type of K-channel. This results in the opening of those channels which underlie IKCO (and which are normally inhibited by ATP binding) together with the modulation of phosphorylation-dependent channels such as those which underlie ITO."}
{"id": "PMID:1467844", "title": "Endothelium-dependent increase in vascular sensitivity to phenylephrine in long-term streptozotocin diabetic rat aorta.", "content": "1. The effect of short- and long-term streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetes (12 and 52 weeks) on the vascular response to phenylephrine was examined in the isolated thoracic aorta with and without intact endothelium from diabetic, age matched control rats and diabetic rats treated with insulin. 2. Twelve weeks after induction of diabetes, aortae with intact endothelium demonstrated no changes either in sensitivity (defined as pD2) or contractility (defined as the maximal developed tension per aortic tissue wet weight) to phenylephrine. 3. In contrast, 52 weeks after induction of diabetes, aortae with intact endothelium demonstrated an increased sensitivity to phenylephrine while contractility to phenylephrine was not changed. Insulin treatment partially corrected the increased sensitivity to phenylephrine observed in diabetic rat aorta. 4. Removal of endothelium abolished the difference in phenylephrine sensitivity between diabetic and control aortae at 52 weeks. 5. Pretreatment of intact aortae with methylene blue, an inhibitor of endothelium-derived relaxing factor (EDRF), abolished the difference in phenylephrine sensitivity between control and diabetic rat aortae at 52 weeks, while pretreatment with indomethacin, an inhibitor of cyclo-oxygenase, had no effect. These results suggest that decreases in production or release of EDRF might be responsible for the increased vascular sensitivity to phenylephrine observed in long-term STZ diabetic rats. 6. Acetylcholine-induced relaxation, which is EDRF-dependent, was less in diabetic rat aortae with intact endothelium at 52 weeks, but not at 12 weeks. These results further support the theory that decreases in capacity of the endothelium to synthesize or release EDRF may occur in long-term STZ diabetic rats."}
{"id": "PMID:1467845", "title": "Phosphoramidon blocks big-endothelin-1 but not endothelin-1 enhancement of vascular permeability in the rat.", "content": "1. Changes in vascular permeability following intravenous injections of human big-endothelin-1 (big-ET-1) and endothelin-1 (ET-1) were measured by extravasation of Evans blue dye (EB, 20 mg kg-1) in selected tissues. 2. A low dose of big-ET-1 (40 pmol kg-1) failed to alter vascular permeability but a dose of 400 pmol kg-1 increased EB extravasation in the trachea, upper and lower bronchi, and lung parenchyma by 55 to 69% (P < 0.05). Vascular permeability was also enhanced in the liver, spleen, kidney, heart, and diaphragm by 20, 14, 41, 25, and 67%, respectively (P < 0.05). 3. Upon injection of ET-1 (400 pmol kg-1), EB extravasation increased in the upper and lower bronchi, lung parenchyma, liver, pancreas, kidney, heart, and diaphragm. 4. Administration of ET-1 and big-ET-1 was not associated with significant systemic responses. 5. Pretreatment with phosphoramidon (PA) blocked the response to big-ET-1 in all tissues examined but this inhibitor failed to alter the response to ET-1. 6. We conclude from these results that the dose-dependent increase in vascular permeability induced by big-ET-1 in various tissues follows its conversion to ET-1 by the endothelin converting enzyme, a PA-sensitive process."}
{"id": "PMID:1467847", "title": "Prediction of response to lithotripsy--the use of scanning electron microscopy and X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy.", "content": "A single urine sample was obtained from each of 38 patients before and immediately after treatment with a Wolf Piezolith 2300. Each sample was analysed for crystals using scanning electron microscopy and X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy. In all cases it was possible to make a stone diagnosis prior to treatment and there was 100% correlation between the pre- and post-treatment diagnosis. All stones smaller than 90 mm2 on plain X-ray cleared with piezoelectric lithotripsy alone, regardless of composition. Larger stones composed of calcium oxalate were all successfully fragmented, but 5 of 15 mixed or phosphate stones failed to respond."}
{"id": "PMID:1467848", "title": "Treatment of stones in caliceal diverticula: extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy versus percutaneous nephrolitholapaxy.", "content": "Stones in caliceal diverticula may cause symptoms for which treatment is indicated. Both extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) and percutaneous nephrolitholapaxy (PNL) are recommended. We have evaluated the results of ESWL treatment of stone-containing caliceal diverticula and compared these with the results obtained by percutaneous surgery. In the ESWL group, 15 patients were treated with an electromagnetic lithotriptor (Siemens Lithostar). After 3 months, plain abdominal X-rays revealed that only 2 patients were both stone-free and symptom-free. Of the 13 patients with residual fragments, 7 had no symptoms. The remaining 6 were treated by a lower pole resection (n = 3), a percutaneous procedure (n = 2) and long-term administration of antibiotics (n = 1). Sixteen patients were treated percutaneously. Puncture failed in 3 and they underwent a lumbotomy. In the remaining 13 patients the stones were reached by direct puncture (n = 12) or via an adjacent calix (n = 1). After 3 months, 10 patients were stone-free and had no symptoms. Morbidity consisted of post-operative bleeding (n = 3) and high fever (n = 1). It was concluded that caution should be exercised in the treatment of stone-containing caliceal diverticula. Only in symptomatic cases is treatment indicated and ESWL is the first choice. If ESWL fails (residual stones and persistent symptoms), PNL should be performed, although it is associated with a higher morbidity rate."}
{"id": "PMID:1467849", "title": "Clinical study of patients with renal carcinoma surviving for more than 10 years after nephrectomy.", "content": "Of 207 patients with renal carcinoma we studied 50 who survived for more than 10 years after nephrectomy. These 50 patients were younger than the others at the time of operation and included more females. They had lower stage and lower grade tumours. Recurrence was detected in 18/50 patients and 6 died from cancer. Recurrence developed approximately 10 years after nephrectomy. Eleven patients with recurrences had metastases to a single organ and 9 received multidisciplinary treatment, mainly surgery and radiotherapy. The survival rate 10 years after nephrectomy was lower in patients with recurrences than in those without recurrent tumours and there was a significant decrease in the survival rate 17 years after nephrectomy. Although the patients had low grade and low stage tumours 10 years after nephrectomy, careful follow-up is recommended in such cases as it is possible that they may have dormant tumours."}
{"id": "PMID:1467850", "title": "Does too much urology damage your eyesight? Study of macular function.", "content": "A study comparing the macular function of both eyes of 130 urological surgeons was carried out to investigate whether the increased light exposure to the endoscoping eye caused any deterioration of macular function. The non-endoscoping eye was used as a control. A sophisticated computer test of colour contrast sensitivity was used. The computer assesses the degree of brightness at which the subject is just able to detect a coloured grating, and for each eye this is expressed as a threshold for the red/green axis and the blue/yellow (tritan) axis. The subjects also completed a questionnaire about their working patterns and their general and ophthalmic history and had a brief examination of the fundus. The results do not suggest that urologists are suffering any significant macular damage as a result of their work with endoscopes."}
{"id": "PMID:1467851", "title": "Blue light emission from urological equipment. Can it damage the eyes?", "content": "Blue light present in the visible spectrum at the lower wavelengths can cause damage to the retinas of monkeys and rats. In the present study the light sources and instrumentation available to the urologist were evaluated to see whether they posed a hazard. The light emitting directly from the sources, cables and telescopes was tested and these levels were found to be dangerous to the eye when compared with the safety limit recommended by the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH). When the light at the eyepiece of the telescopes which had been reflected off a surface was measured, the blue light levels did not appear to be harmful when compared with the ACGIH safety limit. The use of filters is discussed and the transmission of 2 types of filters shown. While the level of blue light emission from the eyepiece remains within the ACGIH level, there are no data on long-term exposure. The addition of a blue light filter may be beneficial until such time as videoendoscopy becomes the norm. The light from light sources should be protected by a shutter and more care taken with the emission from cables and telescopes."}
{"id": "PMID:1467852", "title": "Abdominal aortic aneurysms presenting as renal colic.", "content": "In a 6-year period, 9 patients were referred by their General Practitioners to the urology unit with a clinical diagnosis of renal colic but were subsequently found to have leaking abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA). In all cases of loin pain, especially in the elderly patient, the possibility of a leaking abdominal aneurysm must be considered. If no intrinsic urological cause for the pain is found or patterns suggestive of ureteric obstruction are seen on urography, ultrasound examination of the aorta-iliac vessels should be performed. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) scans may be useful adjuncts to this investigation."}
{"id": "PMID:1467853", "title": "Psychological aspects of female urinary incontinence in general practice.", "content": "The aim of this study was to determine whether urge incontinence was associated with a higher prevalence of psychological symptoms than other types of incontinence. The psychological aspects of 110 women presenting with urinary incontinence in general practice were assessed by means of standardised questionnaires and medical history-taking. The results showed no difference in psychological characteristics between patients with urge incontinence and those with other types of incontinence. These findings were contrary to the conclusions of almost all other studies based on populations selected for specialist care. It was concluded that in general practice the psychological approach to urinary incontinence depends more on the individual needs of the patient than specifically on the type of incontinence."}
{"id": "PMID:1467854", "title": "Epidural anaesthesia in the management of the painful bladder.", "content": "Bladder pain is a difficult symptom to manage. Epidural anaesthesia, which was used in 10 patients with sensory disorders, carries a low morbidity and helps to define those patients with severe bladder pain who might benefit from denervation procedures."}
{"id": "PMID:1467855", "title": "Does residual urine predispose to urinary tract infection?", "content": "The relationship between the presence of post-micturition residual urine and urinary tract infection is unclear. We have performed a retrospective analysis of 342 studies on bladder emptying and compared the incidence of bacterial infection and pyuria in patients with residual urinary volumes of more or less than 100 ml. In patients with a residual volume > 100 ml 49/219 studies showed evidence of pyuria and 28/198 studies of patients whose residual urine was less than 100 ml showed evidence of infection. In cases where the residuals were > 100 ml 33/123 had evidence of pyuria and 19/109 infection. There was no significant increase in the rate of infection in patients with large residual urinary volumes, suggesting that there is no definite correlation between post-micturition residues and urinary tract infection."}
{"id": "PMID:1467856", "title": "Samuel Pepys and his bladder stone.", "content": "Samuel Pepys, as a young man, developed a bladder stone and, by the age of 25 years, realised that only surgery could deliver him from his agony. The chances of success in an age that was ignorant of sepsis were slender, but he opted for surgery. The operation, carried out through the perineum without anaesthetic by a master barber surgeon, was successful and Pepys survived. Although left sterile, he was far from impotent and he went on to achieve fame and fortune as Secretary to the Navy and President of the Royal Society. His greatest fame came after his death with the publication of his diary, which was to become one of the best known and best loved books in the language."}
{"id": "PMID:1467857", "title": "Rome pouch: pre-peritoneal continent ileal reservoir with hydraulic valve.", "content": "We present our experience with a modified technique for constructing a continent ileal reservoir, using the terminal ileum in a pre-peritoneal position. The ureters were implanted using the Le Duc-Camey technique; the Benchekroun valve was used as a continence mechanism. This technique was used in 18 patients and its advantages and complications are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1467858", "title": "The quality of life after radical radiotherapy for bladder cancer.", "content": "The quality of life in 72 patients who had shown a complete response to radiotherapy, using a modified bladder symptom score and the Nottingham health profile, was compared with the quality of life in a similar control group matched for age and sex. There was no significant difference in either group. The records of 69 patients who had undergone post-radiation salvage cystectomy were reviewed, looking specifically at surgical complications. There were 3 post-operative deaths (5%), 3 pulmonary emboli and 3 fistulae--with some overlap of complications. Five patients who underwent cystectomy for intractable symptoms in the apparent absence of recurrent tumour were found to have residual cancer in the excised specimens."}
{"id": "PMID:1467859", "title": "Urologists' attitudes to the management of bladder cancer.", "content": "All consultant urologists in Great Britain and Ireland were sent 2 questionnaires relating to their management policies in bladder cancer; 82% and 78% respectively of questionnaires were completed and returned. The answers demonstrated a wide variation among urologists about the management of common clinical problems."}
{"id": "PMID:1467860", "title": "Irrigation or no irrigation after transurethral prostatectomy?", "content": "Urologists remain divided as to the need for routine irrigation following transurethral prostatectomy (TURP). This randomised prospective study compared a policy of irrigation with that of no irrigation in a consecutive group of 200 patients undergoing TURP. In the irrigation group, a mean of 15 litres of irrigating fluid was used in each patient and one-third of patients required at least one bladder washout. In the no irrigation group, although two-thirds of the patients required at least one bladder washout, only one-third required more than one washout. No significant difference in blood loss, electrolyte balance, infection rate or recovery was seen in the 2 groups. This study led to a local change in practice, converting from a policy of routine irrigation to one of no irrigation."}
{"id": "PMID:1467861", "title": "Local hyperthermia for prostatic disease: in vitro studies on human prostatic cancer cell lines.", "content": "Local hyperthermia for benign and malignant prostatic disease remains largely empirical. In an attempt to understand the biological action of hyperthermia, and its potentiation by antiandrogen seen in clinical practice, the interaction of the two has been studied in prostatic cancer cell lines. Human prostatic cancer cell lines LNCaP and DU 145 were studied to examine the effects of heat shock treatment (HST), androgen (5 alpha-dihydrotestosterone: 5 alpha DHT) and antiandrogen (hydroxyflutamide: OH-Flut) on cell growth and survival. Response (measured as increased DNA content) to 5 alpha DHT demonstrated that LNCaP was androgen sensitive, whereas DU 145 was androgen insensitive; OH-Flut stimulated LNCaP growth but had no effect on DU 145 growth. Thermotolerance was exhibited by DU 145 cells but not by LNCaP cells. The combination of HST followed by OH-Flut markedly reduced survival of LNCaP cells compared with HST alone. This effect was not observed in DU 145 cells. The enhanced cytotoxic effect of antiandrogen and hyperthermia could minimise the effect of thermotolerance in malignant cells surviving initial hyperthermia treatment and might suggest real clinical value for the combination or sequence."}
{"id": "PMID:1467862", "title": "Mitomycin C and aminoglutethimide in the treatment of metastatic prostatic cancer: a phase II study.", "content": "In a phase II study, 24 patients with metastatic prostatic cancer were treated with mitomycin C 15 mg/m2 i.v. every 6 weeks, combined with aminoglutethimide 250 mg twice a day. A low dose of 37.5 mg cortisone acetate was supplied daily to compensate for adrenal cortical suppression. A partial response was demonstrated in 4 of 24 evaluable patients with bi-dimensionally measurable metastases. Stable disease occurred in 8 patients over a period of more than 6 months. Within the maximum cumulative dose limit of 2 mg/kg body weight mitomycin C, toxicity was observed in 21 cases, including 2 deaths due to treatment toxicity. The poor response rate and high toxicity suggest that the addition of aminoglutethimide does not enhance the effect of mitomycin C in these patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1467863", "title": "High resolution ultrasonography in the diagnosis of simple intratesticular cysts.", "content": "Simple intratesticular cysts are a rare condition. High resolution sonography permits unequivocal sonographic differentiation between intratesticular cysts and neoplastic lesions with a cystic appearance, so that conservative treatment seems justified. Seventeen patients with sonographically diagnosed intraparenchymal testicular cysts were followed up for an average of 29 months. No increase in size or change in echo pattern was found and surgical therefore not indicated."}
{"id": "PMID:1467864", "title": "Total nephrectomy in children: a clinicopathological review.", "content": "The records of 85 children undergoing total nephrectomy have been reviewed. Diagnoses ranged between pyelonephritis (37 patients), renal tumours (25), renal dysplasia and multicystic kidney (16), obstructive uropathy (6) and renal vein thrombosis (1). In the pyelonephritic group a contributory ipsilateral abnormality was demonstrated in 36 of the 37 children. Vesicoureteric reflux (VUR) was the most common abnormality in this cohort and was usually of a severe grade. Calculus disease was present in 9 patients, only 1 of whom had VUR. Of the remaining 7 patients with pyelonephritis, 6 had evidence of obstruction to the upper tracts. Calculus disease poses a more severe threat to the childhood kidney than the well known risk factors of vesicoureteric reflux and obstructive uropathy."}
{"id": "PMID:1467865", "title": "The role of tissue expanders in vaginoplasty for congenital malformations of the vagina.", "content": "There are many techniques of vaginoplasty in congenital malformations of the vagina, all of which involve the use of labial and perineal skin flaps. The results are not uniformly satisfactory because of delayed stenosis in many patients. To avoid this complication, we have used labial expansion with tissue expanders to obtain an elastic and sufficiently large skin flap. We recommend this technique in patients with the adrenogenital syndrome associated with varying degrees of virilisation and in other intersex anomalies."}
{"id": "PMID:1467866", "title": "Continent urinary reservoir in exstrophy/epispadias complex.", "content": "The outcome of 15 children and young adults who underwent reconstruction of continent urinary reservoirs (CUR) from January 1987 to 1990 is presented. Ten patients were male and 5 female with an age range of 3 to 20 years. There were 13 patients with bladder exstrophy and 2 with incontinent epispadias. In 8 cases the urinary diversion was performed for an inadequate bladder capacity following successful closure (3), failed attempted closure (3), female epispadias (1) and following successful urethroplasty in 1 case of male epispadias. A tiny fibrotic bladder plate unsuitable for attempted closure was the indication for diversion in 3 patients. Faecal and urinary incontinence following ureterosigmoidostomy (2 patients) and trigonosigmoidostomy (2) was the reason to consider re-diversion in 4 previously diverted patients. In 10 patients an Indiana pouch was performed. The Mitrofanoff procedure was used in 5 cases with caecum (2), sigmoid colon (2) or transverse colon (1) as the urinary reservoir. All patients are continent on clean intermittent catheterisation with stable renal function. Three patients developed large stones within the reservoir and needed open cystolithotomy. This series supports the efficacy of CUR as an alternative procedure to traditional forms of urinary diversion in the management of selected patients with exstrophy/epispadias complex."}
{"id": "PMID:1467876", "title": "Challenges in the management of prostate cancer.", "content": "An estimated 32,000 American men will die of prostate cancer this year. Local prostate cancer may be successfully treated by radical prostatectomy or radiotherapy. Advanced cases may necessitate the use of hormonal ablation with bilateral orchiectomy, an approach that is regarded as the gold standard of therapy but not always the preferred treatment of patients. Oestrogen therapy is an alternative but is associated with side effects, such as hot flushes and gynaecomastia, which frequently lead to treatment cessation. Luteinising hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) analogues work by initially producing a surge of androgen, followed by a down-regulation in hormone production to effect a medical castration. Various groups have studied the effects of androgen blockade administered as monotherapy and as combination therapy (LHRH analogue plus antiandrogen). The National Cancer Institute intergroup protocol 0036, which is the largest cooperative study to date of patients with advanced prostatic cancer, showed that combination therapy with leuprolide and flutamide offered greater benefit in both time to disease progression and median survival while circumventing tumour flare and its associated symptoms. Thus, combination therapy for total androgen ablation may become the new treatment standard for advanced prostatic cancer, pending further studies in the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of all available treatments."}
{"id": "PMID:1467877", "title": "Postsurgical management of the patient undergoing radical prostatectomy.", "content": "Radical prostatectomy is a useful procedure for the treatment of prostate cancer limited to the gland; however, failure may occur as a result of the immediate or delayed complications of surgery, or to disease recurrence related to incomplete tumour excision. Seventy-nine radical prostatectomies were performed between April 1985 and August 1991 in patients with prostate cancer (primarily stage B1) who averaged 63 years of age. Immediate post-operative complications included vesicocutaneous fistulae, cystic lymphangiomas, abdominal wall abscesses, extraperitoneal haematoma, acute cholecystitis, and enterocutaneous fistula. Massive pulmonary embolism accounted for 2 deaths. Of the 77 surviving patients followed up for an average of 34 months, 79.2% (61) were continent, 15.6% had stress-related incontinence or severe incontinence and 5.2% were lost to follow-up. Sexual potency was preserved in 13 of the 33 patients (39%) who were pre-operatively potent. A favourable outcome as defined by no recurrence was seen in 69 patients (87.3%). Four patients (5.1%) are living with recurring prostatic cancer and 1 patient has died of the disease 46 months after surgery."}
{"id": "PMID:1467878", "title": "Management of stage C adenocarcinoma of the prostate.", "content": "A review of numerous clinical series dealing with the treatment of patients with clinical stage C prostate cancer failed to find the treatment or a combination of treatments that is superior to any other. Accurate staging, which was difficult in older studies, and stage migration, which complicates the comparison of recent to older studies, may contribute to this lack of identification. The majority of patients ultimately experience disease progression and are therefore treated with hormonal therapy, the use of which obscures survival data for initial modes of treatment. These observations point to the need for control of randomised clinical trials to identify effective treatments in the future."}
{"id": "PMID:1467881", "title": "Nasogastric intubation and elective abdominal surgery.", "content": "The use of nasogastric tubes after elective abdominal surgery remains standard practice for many surgeons. Such tubes, however, cause much discomfort and are associated with significant morbidity. This paper reviews the arguments for and against nasogastric intubation, and finds little evidence to support its continued routine use."}
{"id": "PMID:1467882", "title": "Function of the human colon.", "content": "Despite the volume of research on human colonic dysfunction, little is known about colonic function in health. This has stemmed partly from the difficulty in obtaining access to the organ. Two approaches have been used: studies on patients with stomas, and intestinal intubation techniques. The colonoscope has also recently been used to gain access. All these methods have limitations and results must be interpreted with caution. The accepted roles of the colon include the conservation of water and electrolytes and the controlled evacuation of faeces. Recent research has demonstrated its importance as a metabolic organ with an influence on overall metabolism, an effect that may in large part be attributed to the activity of colonic microflora. Evidence demonstrating that the defunctioned colon behaves differently from the functioning colon in the same individual has implications for a proper understanding of the organ, as practically all previous in vivo studies have been conducted in cleansed or defunctioned human colon."}
{"id": "PMID:1467883", "title": "Mycetoma.", "content": "Mycetoma is a chronic infective condition of tropical and subtropical regions. It is commoner in males, especially those in their third or fourth decade who work on the land. The clinical triad of subcutaneous nodule, sinuses and discharge usually leads to diagnosis; the disease is commonly painless. Treatment is by extensive surgical excision of affected areas and may include limb amputation. Recurrence is common, rates ranging from 20 to 90 per cent. Medical treatment may be used on its own or as an adjunct to surgery. Although such therapy may cure over half of those with actinomycetoma (caused by bacteria, mainly aerobic actinomycetes), those affected by eumycetoma (caused by fungi) have a poorer prognosis and may require many years of drug therapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1467885", "title": "Aetiology and treatment of chylous ascites.", "content": "A series of 45 patients with chylous ascites has been reviewed. The age at presentation ranged from 1 to 80 (median 12) years; 23 patients were aged < or = 15 years. Thirty-five patients had an abnormality of the lymphatics (primary chylous ascites); in the remaining ten, the ascites was secondary to other conditions, principally non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (six patients). Two principal mechanisms of ascites formation were identified using lymphangiography and inspection at laparotomy: leakage from retroperitoneal megalymphatics, usually through a visible lymphoperitoneal fistula (14 patients); and leakage from dilated subserosal lymphatics of the small intestine, invariably associated with leaking lacteals causing protein-losing enteropathy (24 patients). Both sites of leakage were present in a further five patients. In the remaining two patients, chyle was leaking from normal mesenteric lymphatics, in one via a ruptured mesenteric lymph cyst and in the other from the site of a previous lymph node biopsy. Other associated lymphatic abnormalities were present in 36 patients, lymphoedema of the leg being the commonest (26 patients). All patients were initially treated conservatively with dietary manipulation; this was the most satisfactory treatment for those with leaking small bowel lymphatics. Surgery (fistula closure, bowel resection or insertion of a peritoneovenous shunt) was performed in 30 patients. Closure of a retroperitoneal fistula, when present, was the most successful operation, curing seven of the 12 patients so treated."}
{"id": "PMID:1467886", "title": "Prostacyclin production from seeded prosthetic vascular grafts.", "content": "Endothelial cell seeding has been proposed as a method of improving patency rates in small-calibre prosthetic vascular grafts. In vivo, endothelial cells normally produce prostacyclin (PGI2), a potent antiplatelet agent. The aim of this study was to determine whether seeded grafts show significant PGI2 production after in vivo implantation. Grafts were seeded with either autologous canine venous endothelial cells or autologous microvascular endothelial cells. After 12 weeks, PGI2 production was assessed under basal and stimulated conditions. Seeded grafts were compared with non-seeded controls and the corresponding aorta. The overall patency rate in seeded grafts was 80 per cent compared with 10 per cent in non-seeded grafts (P < 0.01). Grafts seeded with cells from either source produced significantly more PGI2 than unseeded grafts in both basal and stimulated states (P < 0.05). The aorta produced significantly more PGI2 than seeded grafts under both conditions (P < 0.01). Endothelial cell seeding produces a functional graft and leads to an improved patency rate."}
{"id": "PMID:1467887", "title": "Serotonin-induced contractility in human saphenous vein is inhibited by naftidrofuryl.", "content": "Vascular endothelial denudation contributes to vasospasm by causing platelet aggregation and the subsequent release of vasoconstrictors such as serotonin. It has recently been suggested that naftidrofuryl fumarate (NFT) may oppose serotonin-induced vasoconstriction. Fourteen rings of human saphenous vein from 14 patients undergoing varicose vein surgery were tested in standard organ bath experiments. Cumulative dose-response curves and maximal contraction in response to serotonin were recorded and this was repeated in the presence of NFT at 10(-6) and 10(-3) mol/l. The difference in maximal contractility between the three sets of curves was significant (P < 0.0001). Sensitivity to serotonin in each of the three curves was measured using the concentration for half-maximal response; differences were again significant (P < 0.0001). It is concluded that NFT reduces serotonin-induced contractility in a dose-dependent fashion in rings of human saphenous vein in vitro. These results suggest a possible role for NFT in reducing vasospasm and support further investigation of this drug."}
{"id": "PMID:1467891", "title": "Parotidectomy for parotid tumours: 19-year experience from The Netherlands.", "content": "A total of 150 patients were treated for parotid tumours over a period of 19 years. In 94 per cent superficial or total parotidectomy was performed. Histological diagnosis of the resected specimen revealed pleomorphic adenoma in 92 patients (61 per cent), Whartin's tumour in 30 (20 per cent), various benign neoplasms in 11 (7 per cent) and malignant tumour in 17 (11 per cent). After a mean follow-up of 7.7 years, no recurrence of a benign tumour was seen. Malignant tumours recurred in five patients. Permanent partial facial paralysis was seen in 4 per cent of patients after surgery for benign lesions. Frey's syndrome was observed in 43 per cent of patients, and was not prevented by resection of the auriculotemporal nerve."}
{"id": "PMID:1467893", "title": "Meal area index: a new technique for quantitative assessment in achalasia by ambulatory manometry during eating.", "content": "Ambulatory non-perfused oesophageal manometry was used to study oesophageal body function during consumption of a full meal in patients with achalasia. A measure of oesophageal body activity (the meal area index) was developed by calculating the total area under the pressure curve during eating, above the preprandial baseline oesophageal pressure, per meal minute. Untreated patients with achalasia (n = 13) were compared with normal subjects (n = 42), patients with benign stricture (n = 9) and patients with achalasia who had undergone Heller's myotomy (n = 17). The results showed a high meal area index in achalasia, due to a rise in baseline oesophageal pressure and frequent high-amplitude contractions during eating. This was not seen in normal subjects or patients with stricture. The high meal area index was abolished by successful Heller's myotomy but remained in two patients with persisting dysphagia. Sustained high intraoesophageal pressure is generated during consumption of a solid meal in untreated achalasia, resulting in a unique manometric profile. Manometry during eating using the meal area index permits quantitative assessment of oesophageal body function in achalasia and may aid in the assessment of response to treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1467895", "title": "Closure of laparotomy wounds: skin staples versus sutures.", "content": "To investigate the routine use of a skin stapling device for the closure of midline abdominal wounds, 48 patients were randomized to receive skin staples or subcuticular polydioxanone sutures. The mean (range) time for closure with staples was 8.0 (3.4-14.8) s cm-1 while subcuticular closure took 12.7 (9.6-28.0) s cm-1. The mean time saved per patient with skin staples was 77 s. Wound pain and requirements for analgesia were significantly lower in the sutured group. The mean cost per patient was 1.41 pounds for subcuticular closure and 7.72 pounds for stapling; the latter also incurred an additional cost of 6.27 pounds for staple removal. No clear benefit derives from the use of staples in the closure of abdominal wounds."}
{"id": "PMID:1467896", "title": "Evaluation of routine upper digestive tract endoscopy before laparoscopic cholecystectomy.", "content": "Endoscopy of the upper digestive tract was performed in 376 patients with symptomatic gallstone disease before elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Abnormalities were found in 60 patients (16.0 per cent); these included peptic ulcer (n = 14), gastric erosions (n = 15) and oesophagitis (n = 11). Thirty patients were treated medically and two by endoscopic polypectomy. In four patients endoscopy led to cancellation of cholecystectomy; in two the complaints have persisted. Statistical analysis of 28 variables showed few significant differences in symptoms between patients with normal and those with abnormal appearances at endoscopy. It is concluded that routine endoscopy before laparoscopic cholecystectomy is neither clinically useful nor cost effective in patients with symptomatic gallstone disease. This conclusion is related exclusively to patients with typical gallstone symptoms according to the definition used in this department."}
{"id": "PMID:1467900", "title": "Significance of intracystic pressure in abdominal hydatid disease.", "content": "A prospective study was performed in 32 patients (24 female, eight male) with 50 abdominal hydatid cysts, to assess whether intracystic pressure (ICP) could predict viability. The median ICP, measured during operation, was 35 cmH2O for 31 viable cysts and zero for nine non-viable cysts located in the liver (P < 0.05). The median ICP was significantly higher in cysts located in the left lobe of the liver than in those in the right (P < 0.05). The ICP was not significantly different in unilocular or multilocular cysts. ICP increased as the diameter of the cysts increased. The sensitivity of the indirect haemagglutination test was 86 per cent and the specificity 75 per cent. It is concluded that measurement of ICP is a simple and reliable method for assessment of the viability of abdominal hydatid cysts."}
{"id": "PMID:1467901", "title": "Open method versus capsulorrhaphy without drainage in the treatment of children with hepatic hydatid disease.", "content": "A recognized major postoperative complication of hepatic hydatid disease is accumulated hydrops leading to secondary infection in the residual cavity of the excised cyst. This study examined two methods of treating cystic hepatic hydatid disease in 43 children. A group of 22 children were treated by a new method of open drainage, 21 underwent capsulorrhaphy without drainage. There was no mortality or morbidity. The open method was associated with more rapid resolution of hydrops and quicker shrinkage of residual cavities, with efficacy over a median follow-up of 42 months."}
{"id": "PMID:1467902", "title": "In vivo assessment by videomicroscopy of acute renal microvascular responses to cyclosporin.", "content": "Nephrotoxicity limits the use of cyclosporin A for immunosuppression after organ transplantation and may be caused by glomerular hypoperfusion. Indirect studies have shown that cyclosporin A increases renal vascular resistance and reduces total renal blood flow. This study used direct in vivo videomicroscopy to define the effects of the drug on the renal microcirculation of the rat. An intravenous infusion of cyclosporin A (20 mg per kg body-weight) caused a 13 per cent acute constriction of the proximal interlobular artery and an associated 29 per cent reduction in preglomerular interlobular arterial blood flow. There was a simultaneous increase in mean arterial blood pressure of 34 per cent caused by cyclosporin A and a 23 per cent increase in systemic vascular resistance. Cyclosporin acutely reduces renal microvascular blood flow by vasoconstriction and affects the central circulation, suggesting that a generalized peripheral vasoconstriction is induced."}
{"id": "PMID:1467903", "title": "Liver transplantation for fulminant hepatic failure and late-onset hepatic failure in children.", "content": "The mortality rate of fulminant hepatic failure (FHF) and late-onset hepatic failure (LOHF) in childhood has remained between 70 and 95 per cent despite recent improvements in medical therapy. Liver transplantation has become an important therapeutic option in adults with this condition but has been performed infrequently in children. Between March 1988 and August 1991, 12 children aged between 1 month and 14 years with FHF or LOHF received 13 liver transplants. The aetiology was viral hepatitis in eight children (non-A non-B in six, A in two), drug hepatotoxicity (carbamazepine) in two, autoimmune hepatitis in one and congenital haemochromatosis in one. Reduced-size livers were used for ten of the 13 transplants. Morbidity after operation included infective complications and abdominal bleeding. Two patients died from graft versus host disease, one from brain aspergillosis and another from graft infarction after portal vein thrombosis. Eight patients survive after a median follow-up of 18 months. Liver transplantation should be the therapeutic choice for children with FHF and LOHF for whom the chances of recovery are poor."}
{"id": "PMID:1467905", "title": "Toxic dilatation of the colon in Chagas' disease.", "content": "Toxic megacolon occurs in colitis of differing aetiology. This report describes 15 patients with chagasic megacolon with this complication. The clinical signs and symptoms in all patients were pain and progressive abdominal distension accompanied by fever, severe toxaemia and shock. Seven patients developed this clinical pattern after manual removal of faeces. The remaining patients had pain and abdominal distension followed by signs of severe toxaemia when first examined. Nine patients underwent total colectomy with ileostomy (one death), four partial colectomy (all died) and two received medical treatment (both died). At autopsy, three of the four patients undergoing partial colectomy had residual colitis and enteritis. The surgical procedure of choice for this complication of chagasic megacolon is total colectomy."}
{"id": "PMID:1467907", "title": "Mucin changes in ileoanal pouches monitored by metabolic labelling and histochemistry.", "content": "The pattern of mucin synthesis and secretion in mucosal biopsies from the proximal ileum, distal ileum, rectum and pouch before and after ileostomy closure was monitored in patients undergoing restorative proctocolectomy by metabolic labelling with [3H]glucosamine and [35S]sulphate and compared with the mucin histochemistry in each patient. Metabolic labelling clearly demonstrated a reduction in sulphation associated with the rectal mucosa in colitis. Significant differences in the turnover of isolated secreted mucin between proximal and distal ileum and rectum were also found, as was a metaplastic change towards a colonic-type mucosa in the pouch before and after ileostomy closure relative to the proximal and distal ileum, and rectum. This technique can be used to monitor colonic metaplasia in the pouch mucosa and is suitable for comparative studies where mucin changes are implicated."}
{"id": "PMID:1467908", "title": "Evidence from dynamic integrated proctography to redefine anismus.", "content": "The role of anismus in the aetiology of defective rectal evacuation was investigated by dynamic integrated proctography in 20 controls and 71 constipated patients. Normal parameters were defined and compared between 21 constipated patients with poor evacuation during proctography (< 40 per cent of contrast evacuated; group 1) and 50 who evacuated fully (> 90 per cent of contrast evacuated; group 2). Nine patients in group 1 failed to evacuate. Radiological abnormalities of the rectum were recorded in all groups but obstructed evacuation was not observed. Anismus (defined as a recruitment of puborectalis electromyogram (EMG) activity of > 50 per cent) was significantly more common in group 1 than group 2 patients (14 of 21 versus 12 of 50, P < 0.01) and present in seven of those unable to evacuate. Eight patients in group 1 failed to raise intrarectal pressure > 50 cmH2O compared with two in group 2 (P < 0.001). Six patients in group 1 demonstrated both anismus and inability to raise intrarectal pressure, which may combine to cause defective evacuation. EMG recruitment alone is insufficient to diagnose anismus. Definition should be based on three criteria: demonstration of puborectalis EMG recruitment of > 50 per cent; evidence of an adequate level of intrarectal pressure (> 50 cmH2O) on straining; and presence of defective evacuation."}
{"id": "PMID:1467909", "title": "General surgery in patients aged 80 years and older.", "content": "This study reviews 594 surgical admissions, of patients aged 80 years and older, to departments of general surgery during 1 year. Half of the patients were admitted as emergencies and 60 per cent underwent surgery. The operative mortality rate was 8 per cent and the overall mortality rate for all admissions 9 per cent. The number of complications and the mortality rate after surgery increased in emergency cases and in patients with coexisting disease. Of all admissions, 72 per cent were uncomplicated and in 70 per cent patients could be discharged directly home; such patients do not generally take up beds and are discharged as soon as medical care is no longer indicated. The number of admissions of patients over 80 years of age will increase by about 30 per cent during this decade and, unless additional resources are provided to meet this challenge, new standards must be considered for the distribution of resources and of indications for surgery in both young and old."}
{"id": "PMID:1467918", "title": "Research on avian coccidia: an update.", "content": "Despite the availability of many anticoccidial drugs, infections caused by species of Eimeria continue to be a source of significant economic loss to the poultry industry. After two decades in which the use world wide of ionophorous antibiotics gave unparalleled control of coccidiosis, drug resistance is once again tipping the balance in favour of the parasites. The realization that even the most spectacularly successful drugs might, after all, have a finite life if not used conservatively, has focused attention on ways in which the life span of drugs can be prolonged. Many drugs with different (if unknown) modes of action are available, and a variety of shuttle and rotation programmes can be considered. In view of the limitations of chemotherapy, particularly for the rearing of replacement flocks, there is considerable interest in the development of vaccines. Prospects for the introduction of live vaccines based on attenuated parasites are now very good, but the availability in the future of genetically engineered vaccines is more uncertain as little is known about the parasite molecules that stimulate protective immunity and, even if isolated, how they can be administered to the host so that it responds in the immunologically correct manner. Current research on Eimeria spp. in the chicken is broadly representative of that being done on other coccidia. Many lines of investigation are not connected with the development of new drugs or vaccination per se (and therefore have no obvious practical applications), but they are providing new insights into the biological complexity of the organisms and the ways in which they interact with their hosts. It remains possible, however, that a more detailed understanding and analysis of the molecules that are essential in the maintenance of the parasitic life style can be exploited in the future to provide alternative targets for chemical or immunological attack. The research topics considered in this review are arbitrarily grouped as studies on: (1) the basic biology of parasites, including aspects of the life cycle, and structure and function of the apical organelles; (2) the molecular biology of the parasites, including analyses of the number and structure of chromosomes, characterization of DNA sequences, and an account of the viral RNA that has been found in some species of Eimeria; and (3) control of coccidiosis, encompassing first immunity and the development of vaccines, and secondly, chemotherapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1467919", "title": "The comparative effectiveness of three commercial oral solutions in correcting fluid, electrolyte and acid-base disturbances caused by calf diarrhoea.", "content": "Three commercial oral rehydration solutions (Effydral ('E'), Lectade ('L') and Lectade Plus ('LP')) were evaluated in young calves with diarrhoea following the administration of E. coli. Twenty calves with non-fatal diarrhoea were included in each group and examined for electrolytes, acidosis (pH, PCO2 and TCO2), PCV and selected biochemical parameters. Faecal consistency and clinical state were also assessed. Eight calves were examined for plasma and ECF volume. Calves were treated with the appropriate ORS only for 2 days and with ORS plus milk substitute for a further 2 days. No other treatments were given. Solutions E, L and LP were chosen specifically to test the hypothesis that their ability to repair extracellular volume would depend on their sodium content (E > L > LP) and their ability to correct metabolic acidosis would reflect their content of bicarbonate precursor (E > LP > L). Both hypotheses were confirmed as was the fact that the higher sodium content of E helps it to repair ECF volume without predisposing to hypernatraemia. The importance of correcting hyponatraemia as well as ECF volume is emphasized. Direct measurement of such changes proved much more sensitive than traditional clinical parameters such as weight loss, skin elasticity, etc. Although this study was not designed to examine mortality, it is noted that nine treated calves died, none in the E-treated group."}
{"id": "PMID:1467920", "title": "Colonization of neonatal puppies by staphylococci.", "content": "The composition of the normal staphylococcal flora of bitches and their litters held in a breeding unit was studied. The animals were sampled at a number of sites using moistened swabs. Six bitches were sampled daily, for 10 days, before whelping and then, together with four puppies per litter, at whelping (day 11) and at 1 and 7 days thereafter. Staphylococcus intermedius formed the predominant staphylococcal isolate. S. intermedius counts at the oral and nasal sites on the bitches did not change markedly before whelping and remained low (< 6 cfu/swab). Significant rises in the oral counts on both the bitches (P < 0.05) and puppies (P < 0.001) were then observed after whelping (days 11-18). Abdominal counts on both the bitches and puppies also rose (P < 0.001) after whelping. S. intermedius counts at the vaginal vestibulum of the pregnant bitches were found to be higher than at any other site sampled and did not alter markedly until whelping when a decrease (P = 0.05; days 10-12) was observed. S. intermedius was not found at the anal site in any of the six bitches and only transiently colonized five of the puppies."}
{"id": "PMID:1467921", "title": "Effects of spatial allowance, group size and perches on the behavior of hens in cages with nests.", "content": "The behaviour of laying hens housed in 'welfare-improved' cages fitted with one nest per hen was investigated with manipulations of group size (two or four birds), spatial allowance excluding the nests (600 cm2 or 1200 cm2 per bird) and perch provision (presence or absence). More time was spent in the nests by birds housed at 600 cm2 than at 1200 cm2, and by birds housed in pairs than in four. Perch provision had no significant effect on time spent in the nest but resulted in reduced nest soiling by birds housed at 1200 cm2, and increased 'comfort' behaviour by some groups."}
{"id": "PMID:1467923", "title": "Analysis of the camelpox virus thymidine kinase gene.", "content": "The thymidine kinase (TK) gene from camelpox virus has been cloned using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The oligonucleotides used in the PCR amplification were based on residues conserved amongst the orthopoxviruses on the 5' and 3' sides of the TK gene. The oligonucleotides were also designed to contain HindIII cleavage sites to facilitate subsequent cloning. A fragment of approximately 700 base pairs was amplified from camelpox virus infected tissue culture cells. This fragment was then cleaved with HindIII and cloned into the M13mp19 sequencing vector which had also been cut with HindIII. The nucleotide sequence of the TK gene was then determined and compared to other poxvirus TK sequences. The possibilities of producing TK- camelpox virus vaccines and of using camelpox virus as a vaccine vector for the expression of genes from other camel pathogens are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1467924", "title": "Campylobacter infections in calves, piglets, lambs and kids in Trinidad.", "content": "Faeces or rectal swabs from 689 diarrhoeic and non-diarrhoeic animals were cultured for thermophilic campylobacters and their antibiograms were determined. Three hundred and fifteen (45.7%) samples were positive for Campylobacter. Piglets had the highest prevalence, 79.3% (233/294) and lambs, the lowest with 17.9% (15/84) being positive. The difference was statistically significant (P < or = 0.01; chi 2). In calves, 20.5% (60/293) and in kids 38.9% (7/18) were positive for campylobacters. The prevalence of infection was not significantly (P > or = 0.05; chi 2) different between diarrhoeic (46.1%) and non-diarrhoeic (45.1%) animals nor between male (47.5%) and female (43.8%). The frequency of isolation of campylobacters harvested from semi-intensively managed animals (75.4%) was, however, significantly higher (P < or = 0.001; chi 2) than from intensively or extensively managed animals. Overall, C. coli strains (32.8%) were more frequently isolated than C. jejuni strains (12.9%) and the difference was significant (P < or = 0.001; chi 2). Biotype I accounted for 67.3% (152/226) of C. coli and 64.0% (57/89) of C. jejuni strains isolated. A total of 245 (77.8%) strains of Campylobacter exhibited resistance to one or more antibiotics and was highest to streptomycin (76.5%), kanamycin (28.6%) and neomycin (26.7%). It was concluded that Campylobacter infections were widespread in livestock in Trinidad, particularly C. coli in piglets."}
{"id": "PMID:1467925", "title": "Bulk and trace elements in the accessory glands of buffalo bulls.", "content": "Little is known of the importance of mineral levels in buffalo semen or the relationship of the level of various elements to spermatozoan activity. To establish a basis upon which further studies could be conducted, the accessory glands (seminal vesicles, prostate and bulbo-urethrals) of 43 buffalo bulls (2-4 years old) with intact testes and eight steers (3-4 years old) were analysed for their content of bulk and trace elements. The ash obtained from known weights of various accessory glands was used to determine the concentrations of Na and K using emission flame photometry. P was determined chemically, whereas Ca, Mg, Cu, Fe and Zn were assayed by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The accessory glands of intact bulls varied significantly in the concentration of all elements except Fe. Ca and Cu were relatively more concentrated in the seminal vesicles. The prostate had the highest concentration of Zn, while the highest concentrations of Na, K, Mg and P were found in the bulbo-urethral glands. Age of the bulls had no marked effect on any of the elements studied except Cu which appeared to decrease significantly in older bulls. Seasonal variation was significant for the levels of K, Ca and Zn. Castration appeared to result in a highly significant reduction of Zn concentration in all accessory glands."}
{"id": "PMID:1467928", "title": "Single neuron gustatory responses of the gerbil chorda tympani to a variety of stimuli (recorded by a new method).", "content": "In most mammalian studies on gustatory single neuron recordings, the animal's chorda tympani nerve was cut and manipulated. This results in nerve trauma which may have affected the precision of the responses. In this paper, we are presenting a method whereby gustatory recordings were obtained from gerbil single chorda tympani neurons by inserting a microelectrode directly into the uncut nerve. The stimuli included 0.3 M NaCl, 0.3 M KCl, 0.3 M CaCl2, 0.3 M NH4Cl, 0.05 M acetic acid, 0.01 M quinine HCl, 32% Polycose and the sweeteners 0.5 M D-glucose, 0.5 M D-fructose, 0.02 M sodium saccharin and 0.5 M sucrose. While thirty-seven of the sixty seven neurons tested did not respond to any of the eleven gustatory stimuli applied to the gerbil's tongue, thirty positive single neuron responses were obtained to this group of compounds. The thirty positive neuron responses were grouped in two ways: (1) by observationally sorting the data according to maximum responses to four stimuli, sucrose, NH4Cl, NaCl, and acetic acid; and (2) by objectively sorting the data matrix using cluster analysis. The groups resulting from each method were then characterized and compared by discriminant function analysis. By the first grouping method, ten neurons responded best to sodium chloride, seven to acetic acid, four to ammonium chloride, and nine to sucrose. However, canonical discriminant function analysis showed that two of the four groups, acetic acid and ammonium chloride, occupied the same region of discriminant space and should be combined.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1467929", "title": "Basal forebrain and anterior thalamic contributions to acetylcholinesterase activity in granular retrosplenial cortex of rats.", "content": "Histochemical studies demonstrate that granular retrosplenial cortex (cortical areas 29b and c) of the adult rat displays a characteristic laminar pattern of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity. While some AChE-positive axons are found in all cortical layers, most intense staining occurs in two bands that correspond to layers I and III. The present studies were directed toward identifying the neural systems underlying this AChE activity. Unilateral electrolytic or excitatory amino acid induced lesions of the basal forebrain, including the nucleus of the diagonal band, result in reductions of AChE staining throughout ipsilateral granular retrosplenial cortex; particularly noteworthy are the reductions in layer I and the deeper cortical layers. AChE staining remains in superficial layer I and in layer III. Placement of lesions in the anterior thalamus, including all of the anterior dorsal nucleus, results in reduction of AChE histochemical staining in the outer part of layer I and especially in layer III. Staining remains in much of layer I and in the deepest band of layer III. Placement of electrolytic lesions in the hypothalamus or the midbrain tegmentum produce no detectable change in the pattern of AChE in retrosplenial cortex. These results indicate that AChE activity in granular retrosplenial cortex is found primarily within afferent axons from the basal forebrain system and from anterior dorsal thalamus, and these two systems of afferents display distinct laminar patterns of termination."}
{"id": "PMID:1467930", "title": "Autoradiographic localization of the binding of calcium channel antagonist, [125I]omega-agatoxin IIIA, in rat brain.", "content": "The calcium channel antagonists omega-agatoxin IIIA (omega-Aga-IIIA) and omega-conotoxin GVIA (omega-CgTx) were radioiodinated and used to locate binding sites in the rat brain by receptor autoradiography. While patterns of regional binding to sagittal sections of rat brain were generally similar for the 2 toxins, notable differences in the cerebellum and hippocampus were observed. Specific [125I]omega-Aga-IIIA binding was greatest in the granule cell layers of the cerebellum and of the dentate gyrus. In contrast, binding of [125I]omega-CgTx was most intense in the molecular layers of these structures. Less than one-third of [125I]omega-Aga-IIIA binding in rat brain slices was inhibited by pre-exposure to 250 nM omega-CgTx, while 40 nM omega-Aga-IIIA virtually eliminated the binding of [125I]omega-CgTx under the same conditions. The P-type calcium channel antagonist omega-Aga-IVA blocked only a small fraction of [125I]omega-Aga-IIIA and [125I]omega-CgTx binding. These autoradiographic data are consistent with membrane binding experiments and indicate that the combined use of agatoxins and conotoxins may be useful in the characterization of separate types of neuronal calcium channels."}
{"id": "PMID:1467931", "title": "Dopamine denervation leads to an increase in the intramembrane interaction between adenosine A2 and dopamine D2 receptors in the neostriatum.", "content": "We have previously found, in striatal membrane preparations from young (2 months old) rats, that stimulation of adenosine A2 receptors (with the selective adenosine A2 agonist CGS 21680) increases the dissociation constants of high- (Kh) and low-affinity (Kl) dopamine D2 binding sites (labelled with the selective dopamine D2 antagonist [3H]raclopride) without changing the proportion of high affinity binding sites (Rh). In the present study in striatal preparations from adult (6 months old) rats, it was found that in addition to the increase in both Kh and Kl values, stimulation of adenosine A2 receptors is associated with an increase in Rh. These results suggest that, in the adult rat, adenosine A2 stimulation may inhibit the behavioural effects induced by dopamine D2 stimulation both by decreasing the affinity and the transduction of dopamine D2 receptors. We have also studied the intramembrane A2-D2 receptor interaction in an experimental model of Parkinson's disease, namely in rats with a unilateral 6-OH-dopamine-induced lesion of the nigro-striatal dopamine pathway. It was found that a unilateral dopamine denervation is associated with a higher density of striatal dopamine D2 receptors in the order of 20%, without any change in their affinity compared with the unlesioned neostriatum. Furthermore, the density (Bmax values) of dopamine D2 receptors in the contralateral neostriatum was significantly higher (about 20%) than in the striatum from naive animals. This finding suggests that an unilateral dopamine denervation also induces compensatory long-lasting changes of dopamine D2 receptors in the contralateral neostriatum.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1467932", "title": "The 5-hydroxytryptamine agonist fenfluramine increases Fos-like immunoreactivity in the brain.", "content": "This study was designed to assess the effects of the 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) indirect agonist fenfluramine on the brain distribution of Fos- and corticotropin-releasing factor-like immunoreactivity (F-LI and CRF-LI). A single intraperitoneal injection of either DL-fenfluramine (25 mg/kg) or saline was given to resting Sprague-Dawley rats housed on a 12-12 h light-dark cycle and fed libitum. Sixty min following injections, rats were killed and brains removed and sliced (40 microns thick) in a coronal plane from the anterior olfactory bulb to the brainstem. Brain slices were then stored at -40 degrees C pending the tissue localization of F-LI and CRF-LI. F-LI and CRF-LI were determined by means of a double immunostaining procedure using the peroxidase-avidin:biotin complex (ABC) method. Fenfluramine injection led to a marked increase in F-LI in the caudate-putamen (CPu), the parvocellular division of the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN), and the central amygdaloid nucleus (CeA). In the PVN, most of the F-LI was co-localized with CRF-LI. There was no attempt to identify which types of neurons displayed F-LI in CPu and CeA. While F-LI was readily observable in all rats treated with fenfluramine, it was not discernible in the control animals. This study provides evidence for an involvement of the immediate-early genes c-fos in the central action of fenfluramine."}
{"id": "PMID:1467933", "title": "The effect of sodium valproate on extracellular GABA and other amino acids in the rat ventral hippocampus: an in vivo microdialysis study.", "content": "We report the effects of i.p. administration of sodium valproate (VPA) on extracellular concentrations of various amino acids in the rat ventral hippocampus studied using in vivo microdialysis, followed by HPLC with fluorometric detection. At the doses used (100, 200 and 400 mg/kg), VPA had no effect on extracellular aspartate, glutamine and taurine, whilst inducing a small, but not statistically significant increase in glutamate at 200 and 400 mg/kg. In contrast, VPA administration produced a biphasic effect on extracellular GABA levels which was dependent on the dose used. At 100 mg/kg, VPA reduced GABA concentrations by 50% when compared to basal. 200 mg/kg VPA had virtually no effect, whilst 400 mg/kg VPA raised extracellular GABA levels to 200% of basal. The results are discussed in relation to the known pharmacological and anticonvulsant actions of VPA."}
{"id": "PMID:1467934", "title": "Blockade of mitral/tufted cell habituation to odors by association with reward: a preliminary note.", "content": "Association of odor and reward during the early postnatal period modifies rat pup behavioral responses and olfactory bulb neural responses to subsequent presentations of that odor. Recent evidence has shown that olfactory bulb output neurons, mitral/tufted cells, receive convergent odor and reward inputs. The present report demonstrates that contiguous odor-reward pairings prevent mitral/tufted cell habituation to the odor that normally occurs to repeated odor-only stimulation. It is hypothesized that the maintenance of olfactory bulb responses to conditioned odors during training may allow for activation of long-term memory mechanisms."}
{"id": "PMID:1467935", "title": "Frequency-dependent increase in cortical acetylcholine release evoked by stimulation of the nucleus basalis magnocellularis in the rat.", "content": "Acetylcholine was collected from the somatosensory cortex of anesthetized rats, using the microdialysis technique. Electrical stimulation of the nucleus basalis magnocellularis (NBM) with trains of 10 pulses at 100 Hz delivered every second produced a 3-4-fold increase in acetylcholine release. Stimulation with an intratrain frequency of 10, 50, 100 or 200 Hz demonstrated that 100 Hz trains produced the greatest increase, while the other frequencies were about half as effective. The cortical release of acetylcholine in this paradigm supports the hypothesis that the previously demonstrated enhancement by NBM stimulation of cortical sensory inputs is due to cholinergic activation."}
{"id": "PMID:1467936", "title": "Trigeminal ganglion neurons which project by way of axon collaterals to both the caudal spinal trigeminal and the principal sensory trigeminal nuclei.", "content": "Employing a combination of fluorescent retrograde double labeling and immunofluorescence histochemistry, we found that some single neurons in the trigeminal ganglion of the rat projected by way of axon collaterals both to the caudal spinal trigeminal nucleus and to the principal sensory trigeminal nucleus, and that about 40% or 57% of these neurons showed respectively substance P- or calcitonin gene-related peptide-like immunoreactivity."}
{"id": "PMID:1467937", "title": "Origin of the in vivo rat piriform cortex activity recorded with voltage-sensitive dyes: comparison of the optical signals and the field potentials.", "content": "The comparison of optical recordings and evoked field potentials recorded on the rat piriform cortex pointed out that both signals were strongly correlated. As the field potentials, the two waves of the optical signals originated from the mono- (direct olfactory bulb afferents) and polysynaptic (intrinsic association fibers) excitatory postsynaptic potentials. Such optical recordings will be used for studying spatiotemporal distribution of the piriform cortex activity."}
{"id": "PMID:1467938", "title": "K+ and pH homeostasis in the developing rat spinal cord is impaired by early postnatal X-irradiation.", "content": "Activity-related transient changes in extracellular K+ concentration ([K+]e) and pH (pHe) were studied by means of ion-selective microelectrodes in neonatal rat spinal cords isolated from pups 2-14 days of age. Pups 1 to 2 days old were X-irradiated to impair gliogenesis and spinal cords were isolated 2-13 days postirradiation (PI). In 2- to 14-day-old pups PI stimulation produced ionic changes that were the same as those in 3- to 6-day-old control (non-irradiated) pups; e.g. the [K+]e increased by 4.03 +/- 0.24 mM (mean +/- S.E.M., n = 30) at a stimulation frequency of 10 Hz and this was accompanied by an alkaline shift of 0.048 +/- 0.004 pH units (mean +/- S.E.M., n = 32) pH units. By contrast, stimulation in non-irradiated 10- to 14-day-old pups produced smaller [K+]e changes, of 1.95 +/- 0.12 mM (mean +/- S.E.M., n = 30), and an acid shift of 0.035 +/- 0.003 pH units which was usually preceded by a scarcely discernible initial alkaline shift, as is also the case in adult rats. Our results show that the decrease in [K+]e ceiling level and the development of the acid shift in pHe are blocked by X-irradiation. Concomitantly, typical continuous development of GFAP-positive reaction was disrupted and densely stained astrocytes in gray matter of 10- to 14-day-old pups PI revealed astrogliosis. In control 3- to 6-day-old pups and in pups PI the stimulation-evoked alkaline, but not the acid, shift was blocked by Mg2+ and picrotoxin (10(-6) M). The acid shift was blocked, and the alkaline shift enhanced, by acetazolamide, Ba2+, amiloride and SITS. Application of GABA evoked an alkaline shift in the pHe baseline which was blocked by picrotoxin and in HEPES-buffered solution. By contrast, the stimulus-evoked alkaline shifts were enhanced in HEPES-buffered solutions. The results suggest a dual mechanism of the stimulus-evoked alkaline shifts. Firstly, the activation of GABA-gated anion (Cl-) channels induces a passive net efflux of bicarbonate, which may lead to a fall in neuronal intracellular pH and to a rise in the pHe. Secondly, bicarbonate independent alkaline shifts may arise from synaptic activity resulting in a flux of acid equivalents."}
{"id": "PMID:1467939", "title": "The distribution of catecholamines and beta-endorphin in the brains of three behaviorally distinct breeds of dogs and their F1 hybrids.", "content": "This study examines neurochemical and behavioral differences among three types of domestic dogs and F1 hybrids derived from them. Purebred dogs included Border Collies, representing herding dogs, Shar Plaininetz, representing livestock protecting dogs, and Siberian Huskies, representing Northern dogs. Composite behavioral scores were derived from frequency measures of various components of predatory behavior observed when the dogs were tested with mice. Catecholamine levels, including norepinephrine (NE), dopamine (DA), and epineprine (EPI), were determined in various brain regions by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with electrochemical detection. beta-endorphin levels were determined in the same regions by RIA. Collies showed the highest levels of non-consummatory behaviors and Huskies the highest levels of consummatory behaviors. Shars were found to have lower levels of NE and DA than Collies and Huskies in several brain regions, including those comprising the nigrostriatal DA system. Positive correlations between neurochemical and behavioral characteristics could be made between Shars and Collies. Comparisons of F1 hybrids with their respective parental breeds revealed no clear pattern of inheritance for these characteristics but suggested that multiple factors, both independent and epistatic, are involved. Based on previous studies on nigrostriatal DA and behavior, the levels of DA in this system may be causally related to the levels of predatory behavior expressed by Collies and Shars."}
{"id": "PMID:1467940", "title": "The role of angiotensin II in regulation of cerebrospinal fluid formation in rabbits.", "content": "The effect of central and peripheral administrations of angiotensin II (AII) on cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) formation was investigated in rabbits anesthetized with intravenous alpha-chloralose and urethane. CSF production was measured by the ventriculo-cisternal perfusion method with Blue dextran 2000 used as an indicator substance. AII infused intracerebroventricularly (i.c.v.) at rates of 5.5 and 55 pg min-1 significantly decreased CSF formation rate by 27% and 36%, respectively. This AII action could be completely blocked by simultaneously administered specific AII antagonist, [Sar1,Ala8]AII (saralasin), given i.c.v. at a rate of 5.5 ng min-1. Intracerebroventricular infusion of AII at a rate of 5.5 ng min-1 did not change CSF production. Saralasin, when given alone into the ventricular system (5.5 ng min-1), non-significantly increased CSF production by 12%. However, in 4 of the 6 animals studied, the rise in CSF production was statistically significant (by 23%). Intravenous infusion of AII at rates of 30 and 100 ng kg-1 min-1 was found not to change CSF formation rate. Also, i.c.v. administration of angiotensin I converting enzyme inhibitor, captopril (10 microliters min-1), did not influence CSF production. It is concluded that the centrally released AII can control CSF production. Our results suggest that under normal conditions, AII exerts a tonic inhibitory effect on CSF formation. In contrast, the blood-borne peptide seems not to influence this physiological process."}
{"id": "PMID:1467941", "title": "Cholecystokinin antagonists inhibit in vivo voltammetric signals generated by KCl-induced slow wave depolarization in rat caudate.", "content": "The effect of sulfated cholecystokinin octapeptide (CCK-8S) on the generation of slow wave depolarisation in the rat caudate-putamen (CPu) was studied using in vivo voltammetry. Pressure-ejection of 50 microM CCK-8S into the CPu induced voltammetric signals recorded at widely spaced Nafion-coated carbon fiber microelectrodes. Based on the in vitro selectivity properties of the electrodes, the signals were predominantly due to increases in extracellular concentrations of dopamine (DA). The similar propagation rates of the signals induced by CCK-8S and 100 mM KCl suggests that the CCK-8S-induced signals represent a slow wave depolarization (SWD). Since the CPu was refractory to a second CCK-8S stimulus, the effects of CCK antagonists on DA signals associated with 100 mM KCl-induced SWD were evaluated. Proglumide (4-64 mg/kg) and lorglumide (20-640 micrograms/kg), administered intravenously, decreased KCl-induced DA signals in the CPu in a dose-dependent manner. The antagonistic effect of lorglumide on the KCl-induced signals was partly reversed 130 min after drug administration. The generation of a SWD by CCK-8S and the inhibitory effects of CCK-8S antagonists on KCl-induced signals suggest that the susceptibility of the CPu to KCl-induced SWD may be enhanced by CCK-8S."}
{"id": "PMID:1467942", "title": "Developmental expression of brain beta-spectrin isoform messenger RNAs.", "content": "We have investigated the expression of brain beta SpIIa and beta SpIb (previously referred to as the beta-subunits of brain spectrin (240/235) and brain spectrin (240/235E), respectively) during mouse brain development. The 9 kb transcript which encodes beta SpIIa is present in fetal mouse brain tissue and increases to a maximal level in a 30-day-old mouse. There is a coordinate accumulation of the 7.8 kb alpha SpIIa mRNA (with beta SpIIa) during mouse brain development. The coordinate expression of alpha SpIIa and beta SpIIa at the mRNA and protein level allows formation of (alpha SpIIa/beta SpIIa)2 tetramers (brain spectrin(240/235)) early in premitotic neuronal development; and avoids turnover of unassembled alpha and beta-subunits. An 11 kb transcript which encodes beta SpIb is not produced in embryonic tissue, and is first seen in a 6-day-old mouse. The protein translation products beta SpIIa and beta SpIb have previously been demonstrated by our laboratory to first appear in fetal mouse brain tissue and at postnatal day 6-8, respectively [J. Neurosci., 7 (1987) 864-874]. The expression of beta SpIb mRNA on postnatal day 6-8, and the appearance of brain spectrin(240/235E) in postmitotic and postmigratory neurons of the cerebellum at this same time; suggests that brain spectrin(240/235E) is involved in differentiated functions of the neuron (formation of cell-cell contacts, formation of dendritic processes and postsynaptic contacts). Thus, the data from the present study demonstrates that the expression of these two neuronal beta-spectrin isoforms is regulated at the level of mRNA expression."}
{"id": "PMID:1467943", "title": "Functional regeneration of glossopharyngeal nerve through micromachined sieve electrode arrays.", "content": "To assess the potential of micromachined silicon sieve electrodes for long term recordings from single afferent sensory fibers, we implanted them between the cut ends of rat glossopharyngeal nerves which innervate taste and somatosensory receptors on the posterior tongue. After the implants had been in place for an average of 101 days nerve regeneration was measured using histological and electrophysiological methods. Axons of the glossopharyngeal nerve regenerated through holes in the sieves and supported the functional regeneration of taste, thermal and mechanoreceptors."}
{"id": "PMID:1467944", "title": "Astringent compounds suppress taste responses in gerbil.", "content": "Astringent tastes are generally considered those that induce long-lasting puckering and drying sensations on the tongue and membranes of the oral cavity. Electrophysiological recordings were made here from the whole chorda tympani nerve in gerbil to understand the interactive effect of astringent-tasting molecules with a broad spectrum of tastants including mono- and divalent salts, bitter compounds, acids, and sweeteners. The astringent tasting compounds were tannic acid (24 mM at pH's 2.9 and 5.5), aluminum ammonium sulfate (30 mM), aluminum potassium sulfate (10 mM) and gallic acid (30 mM). Hydrochloric acid (1 mM, pH 2.9) was also tested to control for acidity, since aqueous solutions of astringent-tasting compounds are acidic. Adaptation of the tongue to tannic acid (24 mM) at both pH 2.9 and 5.5 markedly inhibited responses elicited by salts, acids, sweeteners, and bitter-tasting compounds. The degree of the inhibition at these two pH values is about the same which suggests that tannic acid itself (as opposed to acidity) may produce this inhibition. Chorda tympani responses to sweeteners were completely suppressed by tannic acid; responses to KCl, NH4Cl, and urea were the least suppressed. The aluminum salts also inhibited the chorda tympani responses to all stimuli tested. Gallic acid, which is weakly astringent, had minimal effects on the chorda tympani responses to the test compounds. These data suggest that both tannic acid and the aluminum salts inhibit a variety of transport pathways and receptors in taste cells for a broad spectrum of tastants. The inhibition of some of these pathways may contribute to the astringent taste sensation."}
{"id": "PMID:1467945", "title": "Evocation of postural atonia and respiratory depression by pontine carbachol in the decerebrate rat.", "content": "To study mechanisms underlying the postural muscle atonia and respiratory depression associated with rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, the cholinergic agonist, carbachol, was microinjected into the pontine reticular formation in decerebrate, spontaneously breathing rats. Carbachol injection led to a simultaneous depression of neck and tonic intercostal EMG activity (lasting 14.5 min +/- 7.6 (S.D.)) and a reduction of the respiratory rate. Phasic inspiratory intercostal activity was not consistently depressed. After a spontaneous recovery from the atonia and respiratory depression, subsequent carbachol injections at the same site produced similar responses. Thus, the decerebrate rat may provide a useful model for studies of the inhibitory neural mechanisms activated by the increased acetylcholine levels in the pons that occur in REM sleep. Pontine carbachol effects in rats differ from those described in cats in a manner analogous to differences in the patterns of natural REM sleep in these two species."}
{"id": "PMID:1467946", "title": "The internal carotid artery has a sleeve of increased innervation density within the cavernous sinus in monkeys.", "content": "The numerical density of nerve terminals of the internal carotid artery was measured using interrupted serial sections and compared with densities sampled from the major cerebral arteries of cynomolgus and rhesus monkeys. In its course through the carotid canal and the foramen lacerum the artery received few terminals. Nerve terminal density increased substantially within the cavernous sinus in 13 of 19 animals, reaching a peak shortly before emerging to join the circle of Willis. The density dropped rapidly on leaving the sinus. The increase was present in both species and rose to a mean nerve terminal density at least ten times that of any other artery measured. In 6 monkeys terminal incidence was unchanged through the sinus. The possible relevance of the nerve terminal sleeve to cerebral vasodynamics and to vascular head pain is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1467947", "title": "Characterization of phospholipase D in a cell-free system of cultured cells derived from rat frontal cortex.", "content": "The existence and regulation of phospholipase D (PLD) activity in cell-free system from primary cultured cells of fetal rat frontal cortex were investigated. PLD activity was detectable only in the presence of Triton X-100. Other detergents examined (deoxycholate, taurocholate, CHAPS, Tween 20, sodium dodecyl sulfate) caused only a small increase in PLD activity. Triton X-100 enhanced PLD activity maximally at 0.1% (w/v) and reduced at higher concentrations. The optimal pH was about 7.2. Both Ca2+ and Mg2+ inhibited PLD activity in a dose-dependent manner. When comparing the primary cultured cells with adult rat frontal cortices, all of the results of the primary cultured cells were in agreement with those of the frontal cortices. Moreover, the apparent Km value of the enzyme in primary cultured cells for phosphatidyl-choline was the same as that in rat frontal cortex. These results suggest that the same kinds of PLD exist in the primary cultured cells and the rat frontal cortex, and that the primary cultured cells are a good experimental model for analyzing the mechanism of PLD in neuronal system."}
{"id": "PMID:1467948", "title": "Selective enhancement by basic fibroblast growth factor of NMDA receptor-mediated increase of intracellular Ca2+ concentration in hippocampal neurons.", "content": "The short-term effect of bFGF on intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) of hippocampal neurons was investigated using dissociated cell cultures. Changes in [Ca2+]i were measured by microfluorometrically monitoring the fluorescence intensities from individual neurons loaded with fura-2. Perfusion of bFGF (20 ng/ml) alone did not affect the basal level of [Ca2+]i in hippocampal neurons, but clearly enhanced the [Ca2+]i increase induced by NMDA. Quisqualate or KCl-induced [Ca2+]i increase was not influenced by bFGF. These results suggest that bFGF selectively enhances the NMDA receptor-mediated response in hippocampal neurons."}
{"id": "PMID:1467949", "title": "Immunocytochemical localization of parvalbumin- and neurofilament triplet protein immunoreactivity in the cat retina: colocalization in a subpopulation of AII amacrine cells.", "content": "Using antibodies against parvalbumin and neurofilament triplet protein, colocalization of these two neuronal markers was revealed in all of type A horizontal cells and alpha ganglion cells and in a small number of AII amacrine cells of the cat retina. Besides the double-labeled neurons, parvalbumin alone was present in type B horizontal cells, in small numbers of starburst- and A13-like amacrine cells and in the somata of unidentified ganglion cells. The processes of the double- or single-labeled amacrine cells did not have a continuous retinal cover. Although the parvalbumin- and neurofilament-immunolabeled amacrine cells belonged to groups of neurons with well-defined cell morphologies, their neurochemical features differed from other AII, starburst and A13 amacrine cells. The presence of these cells may be due to an accidental expression of an unusual combination of neurochemical features during retinal development. It is also possible that these cells support the functioning of ganglion cells with rarely occurring complex receptive fields."}
{"id": "PMID:1467950", "title": "Low sodium injury in the hippocampal slice is mediated through NMDA receptors.", "content": "Perfusion of hippocampal slices with normoxic medium containing no added sodium resulted in a rapid loss of the CA1 population spike, with only 35 +/- 10% (S.E.M.) (P < 0.001) recovery after a 15 min exposure. This injury was prevented by the non-competitive N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) antagonist MK-801 (93 +/- 4% recovery, P < 0.001), suggesting that low sodium injury may be mediated by opening of the NMDA receptor-associated ionic channels, possibly secondary to the well known sodium dependency of transmitter uptake systems. By contrast, slice perfusion with a medium moderately low in sodium (26 mM) produced only slight injury to the CA1 population spike under normoxic conditions (76 +/- 8% recovery) and provided no protection against hypoxic injury. Low chloride medium also provided no protection against hypoxic injury."}
{"id": "PMID:1467951", "title": "Cyclosporin A protects against ischemia-reperfusion injury in the brain.", "content": "We investigated the protective effect of Cyclosporin A (CsA) against ischemia-reperfusion injury in the brain using a transient focal ischemia model in rats. In CsA-treated rats, ischemic brain edema formation 1 day after reperfusion in the cerebral cortex perfused by the middle cerebral artery (MCA) and infarct size were decreased compared with those in olive oil treated control rats. These results suggest that CsA is beneficial in reducing ischemia-reperfusion injury, possibly by the suppression of immunological reactions."}
{"id": "PMID:1467952", "title": "Convergent serotonin and GABA innervation of VIP neurons in the suprachiasmatic nucleus demonstrated by triple labeling in the rat.", "content": "By means of a combination of serotonin (5-HT) uptake radioautography and dual immunocytochemistry, vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) neurons in the suprachiasmatic nucleus are demonstrated to simultaneously receive both 5-HT and GABA afferents at their somatic and dendritic levels. These data constitute a further step towards the improved characterization of the morphological substrate of the integrative function of these neurons, which are known to play an important role in the delivery of light-mediated rhythmic signals to other parts of the brain."}
{"id": "PMID:1467953", "title": "Nitric oxide synthesis couples cerebral blood flow and metabolism.", "content": "The most fundamental aspect of the cerebral circulation is the well-described coupling of cerebral metabolic activity and cerebral blood flow. A number of substances have been proposed to link flow and metabolism, including K+, pH and adenosine. In the alpha-chloralose anaesthetised cat we studied simultaneously cerebral neuronal activity and local blood flow to attempt to dissociate the two and thus determine the coupling substance. Neuronal activity was determined by monitoring unit firing in the parietal cortex with tungsten in glass microelectrodes while local cerebral blood flow in the same area was monitored continuously using laser Doppler flowmetry. To initiate an increase in metabolic activity and, pari passu, blood flow spreading depression was elicited by needle stick injury. Spreading depression when initiated causes a wave of depolarization, measured as an increased firing rate and associated marked (400 +/- 95%) increase in local cerebral blood flow. Intravenous administration of NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (1-NAME), a potent nitric oxide synthase inhibitor, produced a complete blockade of the hyperemia associated with spreading depression but no change in either resting cell firing or spreading depression-evoked increases in firing rate. These data demonstrate at least for spreading depression-elicited increases in metabolic activity, that nitric oxide (NO) is a key coupling compound that links changes in cerebral blood flow and metabolism. These data imply that NO may have a more general role in flow/metabolism coupling and further studies in other situations are required to determine the extent to which NO is responsible for this fundamental cerebrovascular phenomenon."}
{"id": "PMID:1467954", "title": "Circadian rhythm of cell proliferation in the telencephalic ventricular zone: effect of in utero exposure to ethanol.", "content": "The neocortical ventricular zone is composed of a desynchronized population of proliferating cells. These cells give rise to neurons in the infragranular laminae of neocortex. The present study documents a diurnal rhythmicity of cell proliferation in the ventricular zone and examines the effects of ethanol on this biological clock. Pregnant rats were fed one of 3 diets. They were provided an ethanol-containing (6.7% v/v) liquid diet ad libitum between gestational day (G) 6 and G18, pair-fed an isocaloric liquid control diet, or fed chow and water. Throughout the experiments, the rats were fed either at 08.00 h (E.S.T) or at 17.00 h (lights on 06.00 to 18.00 h). Rats were given a single injection of bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) on G17 at one point during a 24 h period (03.00, 06.00, 09.00 h, etc.). The fraction of ventricular cells that incorporated the BrdU was determined using quantitative immunohistochemical methods. Pair-fed control rats (fed at 08.00 or 17.00 h) consumed their food within 4 h of presentation. The ratio of cells passing through the S-phase of the cell cycle changed diurnally; the ratio was highest during the day (0.52 +/- 0.01 at 12.00 h) and lowest during the night (0.40 +/- 0.02 at 03.00 h). In contrast, the ethanol-fed rats grazed on their food throughout the dark cycle regardless of when the food was presented. The mean peak blood ethanol concentration was 142 +/- 13 mg/dl during the dark phase and less than 25 mg/dl during the light phase. Prenatal exposure to ethanol eliminates the fetal circadian rhythm in cell proliferation (mean labeling index of 0.45 +/- 0.03).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1467955", "title": "Neurons in the dorsal column nuclei of the rat respond to stimulation of neck mechanoreceptors and project to the thalamus.", "content": "Electrophysiological recordings were made from neurons in the dorsal column nuclei which were activated by stimulation of muscle and cutaneous receptors in the neck of the rat. 222 units were studied, 158 (71%) of which responded to activation of cutaneous mechanoreceptors while 64 (29%) were activated by muscle receptors. The response patterns of 12 neurons with input from receptors in neck muscles were tested more fully. Their response patterns strongly suggested that 6 were activated by muscle spindle afferents while the other 6 were activated by Golgi tendon organ afferents. 18 (8%) of the neck-responsive neurons in the medulla were shown to project rostrally to the thalamus."}
{"id": "PMID:1467956", "title": "Hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus lesions do not abolish glucoprivic or lipoprivic feeding.", "content": "This experiment assessed the importance of the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) for feeding stimulated by blockade of glucose utilization (glucoprivic feeding) and fatty acid oxidation (lipoprivic feeding). The PVN was investigated because it is innervated by neurons residing in the area postrema and nucleus of the solitary tract (AP/NTS) region where lesions have been shown to abolish both glucoprivic and lipoprivic feeding, and because the PVN appears to be a site of action for certain feeding-stimulatory peptides and amines. Bilateral electrolytic lesions were placed in the PVN and adjacent areas. Lesioned rats were subsequently tested for feeding in response to 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2DG)-and mercaptoacetate (MA)-induced blockade of glucose and fatty acid oxidation, respectively. Results revealed that total destruction of the PVN does not impair either 2DG- or MA-induced food intake and suggest that this structure is not essential for these particular controls of feeding."}
{"id": "PMID:1467957", "title": "Axial muscle EMG responses evoked by cutaneous flank nerves in the female rat: effects of spinal transection, steroid hormones, and anesthesia.", "content": "In the lateral longissimus muscle (LL) of ovariectomized, female rats anesthetized with low surgical doses of urethane (1.0 g/kg), cutaneous reflexes with similar EMG and response patterns could be elicited from CNS-intact rats and from rats 24 h after complete thoracic spinal cord transection. The probability of eliciting a response to contralateral cutaneous nerve stimulation alone is much lower in rats with complete spinal transections compared to CNS-intact rats. For both CNS-intact and spinal-transected rats, responses to ipsilateral cutaneous nerve stimulation had a shorter latency and required significantly less current on average than responses to contralateral stimulation. The respective currents for eliciting threshold responses to ipsi- and contralateral stimulation are less for CNS-intact than spinal-transected rats. For both CNS-intact and spinal-transected rats, responses to bilateral cutaneous nerve stimulation were inconsistent in the same animal from run to run. With the variability of response at this anesthetic level, no consistent effects of progesterone (acute, i.v.) or estrogen (acute, i.v. and pretreatment, s.c.) were observed in spinal-transected rats. Intravenous progesterone reduced early, unilateral responses in CNS-intact rats anesthetized with 1.0 g of urethane/kg. For both CNS-intact and spinal-transected rats, additional anesthesia during EMG recording produced a gradual decline in response magnitude which could be recovered with a modest increase in stimulus intensity. However, spinal-transected rats appear to require less anesthesia to reduce comparable responses. The results suggest that supraspinal input is especially effective for facilitating contralateral cutaneous reflexes in back muscles, whereas it contributes more equally with afferent input and segmental circuitry to the efficacy of ipsilateral cutaneous reflexes."}
{"id": "PMID:1467958", "title": "Stimulation of 5-HT1A receptors in the dorsal hippocampus impairs acquisition and performance of a spatial task in a water maze.", "content": "8-Hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin (8-OH-DPAT), a potent 5-HT1A receptor agonist, was infused in the dorsal hippocampus of rats and its effect on acquisition and performance of a 2-platform spatial discrimination task was studied using a water maze. The infusion (0.5 microliter/min) of 2 but not 0.4 microgram 8-OH-DPAT in the CA1 region of the dorsal hippocampus impaired rats' accuracy with no effect on latency (except day 3). At 5 micrograms 8-OH-DPAT impaired rats' accuracy and significantly increased choice latencies from day 2 to day 5 of the training period. The dose of 2 micrograms significantly increased the errors of omissions on the first day of training and animals which had received 5 micrograms 8-OH-DPAT made significantly more errors of omission on the first and second days of training. Intrahippocampal administration of 1 microgram spiroxatrine, a 5-HT1A receptor antagonist, antagonized the effect of 5 micrograms 8-OH-DPAT on accuracy and choice latency with no significant effect on the errors of omission on days 1 and 2 of training. Infusion of 2 and 5 micrograms 8-OH-DPAT in the dorsal hippocampus also impaired accuracy in well-trained rats. The results suggest that stimulation of 5-HT1A receptors in the CA1 region of the dorsal hippocampus causes an impairment of spatial discrimination in rats."}
{"id": "PMID:1467959", "title": "Recoverin in pineal organs and retinae of various vertebrate species including man.", "content": "Recoverin is a recently discovered 26 kDa calcium-binding protein, which activates guanylate cyclase in retinal photoreceptors when the intracellular concentration of free calcium drops upon photoexcitation. In this study we examined the distribution of recoverin in retinae and pineal organs of Xenopus laevis larvae, 1-day-old chicken, adult pigeon, albino rat, sheep and man by means of immunocytochemistry. Recoverin immunoreaction was found in all species investigated except for the chicken. In the retina, recoverin immunoreaction was restricted to photoreceptors; all other cell types were immunonegative. In the pineal organ, the recoverin immunoreaction labeled 'pinealocytes of the sensory line', i.e. classical pineal photoreceptors of Xenopus laevis larvae, modified pineal photoreceptors of pigeon, and pinealocytes of mammals. The number of recoverin immunoreactive pinealocytes varied considerably among species of mammals: very few cells were stained in the rat pineal organ, whereas in rabbit, sheep and man, numerous pinealocytes were found to be recoverin-immunoreactive. No immunocytochemical staining was observed after preabsorption of the recoverin antibody with the recombinant protein. Immunoblotting experiments showed that the immunoreaction is due to a protein of 26 kDa in both retina and pineal tissue. Thus, recoverin appears to belong to the family of proteins which are expressed in both retina and pineal organ and are highly conserved in the course of phylogeny. Recoverin may be involved in phototransduction in the directly light-sensitive pineal organs of poikilothermic vertebrates and birds. However, the functional role of recoverin in the mammalian pineal organ, which is not photosensitive, remains unknown."}
{"id": "PMID:1467960", "title": "Selective form of an excitable membrane plasticity.", "content": "This work describes the change in an active electrogenesis of the command neurons responsible for defensive closure of a snail's pneumostome during elaborating, extinction and restoration of a classical conditioned defensive reflex to a tactile stimulus. Tactile stimulations applied to different parts of a snail's body served as a differential stimulus. As the biological value of a conditioned stimulus increases due to learning, the excitability of command neurons in response to conditioned stimulus rises. At the same time the neurons demonstrated a reduced excitability in response to a differentiating stimulus."}
{"id": "PMID:1467961", "title": "Tactile and taste sensory maturation of the frog larvae tongue.", "content": "The maturation process of organs in the oral cavity of the larvae of bullfrogs, Rana catesbeiana, corresponding to the larval stages XVIII to XXV distinguished by Taylor and Kallros Anat. Rec., 94 (1946) 7-25, were investigated. In this study, these larval stages were divided by the width of the mouth slit into A1, A2, B and C stages. The A1 and A2 stages corresponded to larval stages XVIII-XIX and XX, respectively. The B and C stages corresponded to stages XXI and XXII-XXV, respectively. In stage A1, mechanical and chemical stimulation of the tongue rudiment, in most larvae, failed to elicit afferent discharges in glossopharyngeal nerves. However, in a small number of larvae, obvious afferent discharges of these nerves were generated. In stage A2, glossopharyngeal nerves in most larvae began responding to the same stimulations. The amplitude increased with decreasing duration of afferent discharges, resembling those of the adult. In stage B, the first glossopharyngeal-hypoglossal nerve reflex (G-H reflex) was elicited by mechanical stimulation of the tongue. In stage C, the G-H reflex was also induced by chemical stimulation and the latency of the G-H reflex elicited by mechanical stimulation decreased. In this stage, expansion and extension of the tongue increased. Therefore, the natural function of this reflex for the intake of food may follow this stage."}
{"id": "PMID:1467962", "title": "In vivo mapping of drug-induced seizures with voltage-sensitive dye.", "content": "The voltage-sensitive dye diO-C2-5 was used to produce an in vivo map of the membrane potential in two types of seizures. Mild limbic seizures were induced in rats with kainic acid; clonic convulsive seizures were induced with bicuculline. Kainic acid animals showed various levels of neural depolarization during their seizures in limbic, thalamic, cortical, and brainstem sites. The bicuculline animals showed uniformly greater levels of neural depolarization during their seizures. The magnitude of these changes relative to controls varied across seizure models and reflected the different underlying neural mechanisms for each model. The ability of the technique to capture local electrical events provides a new tool in which to explore brain activity."}
{"id": "PMID:1467963", "title": "Angiotensin II binding sites in the hamster brain: localization and subtype distribution.", "content": "This study was designed to characterize the distribution of angiotensin II (AII) binding sites in the hamster brain. Brain sections were incubated with [125I][sar1,ile8]-angiotensin II in the absence and presence of angiotensin II receptor subtype selective compounds, losartan (AT1 subtype) and PD123177 (AT2 subtype). Binding was quantified by densitometric analysis of autoradiograms and localized by comparison with adjacent thionein stained sections. The distribution of AII binding sites was similar to that found in the rat, with some exceptions. [125I][sar1,ile8]-angiotensin II binding was not evident in the subthalamic nucleus and thalamic regions, inferior olive, suprachiasmatic nucleus, and piriform cortex of the hamster, regions of prominent binding in the rat brain. However, intense binding was observed in the interpeduncular nucleus and the medial habenula of the hamster, nuclei void of binding in the rat brain. Competition with receptor subtype selective compounds revealed a similar AII receptor subtype profile in brain regions where binding is evident in both species. One notable exception is the medial geniculate nucleus, predominately AT1 binding sites in the hamster but AT2 in the rat. Generally, the AII binding site distribution in the hamster brain parallels that of the other species studied, particularly in brain regions associated with cardiovascular and dipsogenic functions. Functional correlates for AII binding sites have not been elucidated in the majority of brain regions and species mismatches might provide clues in this regard."}
{"id": "PMID:1467964", "title": "Calretinin-immunoreactive neurons in the primary visual cortex of dolphin and human brains.", "content": "A new class of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic neurons immunoreactive to the calcium-binding protein calretinin (CR) was demonstrated in primary visual cortices of the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) and humans (Homo sapiens). Comparative analysis revealed several differences between dolphin and human visual cortex in the laminar distribution of CR-positive perikarya, although general typology of the immunoreactive CR-positive neurons was similar in both species. Thus, in both human and dolphin primary visual cortex almost all CR-positive neurons are non-pyramidal, either fusiform or bipolar cells, oriented with their long axis along the radial axis of the cortex. Large multipolar stellate cells were also observed in layers I and VI. The CR-positive neurons in the dolphin visual cortex are concentrated almost exclusively in layer I and, to a lesser extent, in layer II. In all other layers (IIIa, b, IIIc/V and VI) of the dolphin visual cortex CR-positive neurons were only rarely seen. In the human primary visual cortex CR-positive neurons are located mainly in layers II, III and IVa, b, c, with considerably lower densities of these cells observed in layers V and VI. CR-positive neurons in layer I of the human visual cortex are represented by Cajal-Retzius horizontal cells, whereas no such cells were seen in layer I of the dolphin neocortex. The numerical density of CR-positive neurons in the dolphin primary visual cortex is significantly lower than in the area of cortex in humans.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1467965", "title": "Neural distribution of estrogen receptor immunoreactive cells in the female musk shrew.", "content": "In this report we describe the neural distribution of estrogen receptor immunoreactivity (ER-IR) in the female musk shrew (Suncus murinus). The highest concentrations of neurons containing ER-IR were found in the preoptic areas, the lateral septum, the anterior arcuate and ventromedial nuclei of the hypothalamus, the medial nuclei of amygdala, and the midbrain central grey. Additional preoptic, hypothalamic, limbic and midbrain nuclei also contained ER-IR cells. The distribution of ER-IR was similar to that described in other mammals and birds, with several important differences. In the female musk shrew, there was little difference in ER-IR intensity or distribution when brains from gonadally intact and ovariectomized musk shrews were compared. In addition, long-term treatment with a supraphysiological dose of estradiol was required to detect a decrease in ER-IR intensity. Finally ER-IR was noted in both nuclear and cytoplasmic regions of cells in ovariectomized and gonadally intact musk shrews. The dense ER-IR noted in intact females as well as the presence of cytoplasmic stain may be due to the unusual relationship between estradiol, ovulation and sexual receptivity in this species."}
{"id": "PMID:1467966", "title": "Prenatal stress selectively alters the reactivity of the hypothalamic-pituitary adrenal system in the female rat.", "content": "A study was made of the effects of prenatal stress on the reactivity of the hypothalamic-pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis in male and female offspring. Rat dams were subjected to noise and light stress on an unpredictable basis throughout pregnancy. At 28 days of age mRNA for POMC, proenkephalin and prodynorphin were measured in the hypothalamus of the offspring. A marked reduction was found in POMC mRNA in PS females (PSF) but not in males (PSM), but the other mRNA's did not differ from controls (C). At 60 days of age, PSF has 3 times higher resting levels of serum corticosterone (COR) and significantly lower dexamethasone (DEX)3H hippocampal binding sites than CF. Overnight adrenalectomy abolished the difference in DEX binding. After 10 min exposure to open field PS males and females voided more fecal pellets and made fewer center entries than C offspring, testifying to increased emotionality. Open field stress caused a 3-5-fold rise in circulating COR in all groups within 15 min, which returned to baseline by 90 min in all rats except PSF. These data show that prenatal stress can cause permanent alterations in the behavior of both sexes in stressful situations but appears to cause a selective effect on the HPA axis in the female rat."}
{"id": "PMID:1467967", "title": "Hippocampectomy disrupts the topography of the rat eyeblink response during acquisition and extinction of classical conditioning.", "content": "The effect of hippocampal lesions on acquisition and extinction of eyeblink conditioning in rats was examined with the procedure described by Schmajuk and Christiansen (Physiol. Behav., 48 (1990) 755-758). Male Long-Evans rats received either sham, cortical control or hippocampal lesions. Animals were trained in a delay conditioning paradigm with a 500-ms, 98-dB, white noise conditioned stimulus; a 150-ms, 5-psi air puff unconditioned stimulus; a 350-ms interstimulus interval; and a 60-s average intertrial interval. Each animal received 50 trials daily until it reached a criterion of 80% conditioned responses (CR) on a given day. After acquisition criterion was reached, extinction began the next day and continued until each animal achieved a criterion of one CR in a block of 10 consecutive trials. Although hippocampal lesions affected neither acquisition nor extinction rates, hippocampal lesioned animals showed significantly shorter CR onset latency during acquisition and extinction, and larger CR peak amplitude during acquisition. The results are discussed in terms of hippocampal modulation of cerebellar learning."}
{"id": "PMID:1467968", "title": "Distribution of morphine in brain regions, spinal cord and serum following intravenous injection to morphine tolerant rats.", "content": "In order to determine the possible contribution of altered distribution of morphine in the morphine tolerance process, the distribution of morphine was studied in brain regions and spinal cord, following its intravenous administration. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were made tolerant to morphine by implanting 6 morphine pellets, each containing 75 mg of morphine base, for 7 days. Seventy-two hours after the removal of the pellets, a time when serum morphine levels were negligible or absent and yet tolerance to the pharmacological effects of morphine was present, morphine (10 mg/kg, i.v.) was injected in placebo and morphine pellet implanted rats. At various times (5, 30, 60, 120 and 360 min) after the injection of morphine, brain regions (hypothalamus, cortex, hippocampus, midbrain, pons and medulla, striatum and amygdala), spinal cord and serum were collected. The level of morphine in the tissues was determined by using a highly sensitive and specific radioimmunoassay (RIA) method. Five minutes after morphine injection, the concentration of morphine was the highest in the hypothalamus and the lowest in amygdala. The concentration of morphine in hypothalamus, pons and medulla, hippocampus and midbrain of morphine tolerant rats was smaller than in placebo pellet implanted rats. The tissue to serum ratio of morphine in the hypothalamus, hippocampus, striatum, midbrain and cortex were also smaller in morphine tolerant than in non-tolerant rats. The concentration of morphine in brain regions with time did not exhibit linearity. At other time intervals like 30 and 60 min, the concentration of morphine in several brain regions and spinal cord was significantly higher in morphine tolerant than in non-tolerant rats.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1467969", "title": "Intracerebroventricular injection of insulin or glucose alters insulin-like growth factor II (IGF-II) concentrations in specific hypothalamic nuclei.", "content": "Peripherally administered insulin has been shown to alter content and gene expression of hypothalamic insulin-like growth factor II (IGF-II) in a region specific manner (Lauterio, TJ. et al., Endocrinology, 126 (1990) 392-398. The objective of this experiment was to determine whether central administration of insulin can modulate hypothalamic IGF-II peptide content. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were implanted with lateral ventricular cannulae and allowed to recover from surgery one week prior to injection. At that point animals were remotely injected with one of the following: (1) synthetic cerebral spinal fluid vehicle (sCSF); (2) 2 mIU porcine insulin (I); (3) glucose (100 mg%) only. Animals were decapitated 30 min after injections and brains were quickly removed, frozen and dissected into specific hypothalamic regions for IGF-II analysis by RIA. Insulin increased IGF-II content in the ventromedial hypothalamic region by 80% (P < 0.001) and paraventricular nucleus by 30% (P < 0.01) compared to sCSF or glucose treatment. Arcuate nucleus and neurointermediary lobe pituitary IGF-II content was decreased with insulin treatment compared to controls (P < 0.01). Insulin had no effect on IGF-II concentrations in the dorsomedial or lateral hypothalamic regions or in the supraoptic and suprachiasmatic nuclei. Peripheral concentrations of glucose, insulin and IGF-II were unaffected by any treatment. Results show that insulin which reaches the brain can alter IGF-II levels in specific regions of the hypothalamus and suggests a possible role for IGF-II in insulin mediated changes in metabolism or hypothalamic hormone secretion."}
{"id": "PMID:1467970", "title": "Oxidative stress induced by administration of the neuroleptic drug haloperidol is attenuated by higher doses of haloperidol.", "content": "The effect of haloperidol administration on lipid peroxidation and glutathione/protein thiol homeostasis in the brain was examined 4 h following subcutaneous administration of a single dose of haloperidol; 1.0, 1.5, 2.0 or 2.5 mg/kg b.wt. Glutathione (GSH) levels decreased significantly in cortex, striatum and midbrain after haloperidol administration. Maximal decrease of GSH was observed in the striatum. The depleted GSH was recoverable as protein glutathione mixed disulfide (Pr-SSG) with concomitant loss of protein thiols (Pr-SH) in all the regions of the brain examined. Administration of 1.5 mg/kg b.wt. of haloperidol resulted in significant depletion of GSH in striatum and midbrain as compared to that after administration of the lower dose of 1.0 mg/kg b.wt. of haloperidol. However, administration of higher doses of haloperidol (2.0 and 2.5 mg/kg b.wt.) did not result in greater depletion of GSH; the GSH levels were not significantly different from that observed following the administration of 1.5 mg/kg b.wt. of haloperidol. However, Pr-SSG levels increased dose-dependently following haloperidol administration. The total GSH recovered as sum of GSH and Pr-SSG was significantly higher than controls in striatum and midbrain following administration of higher doses of haloperidol, namely, 2.0 and 2.5 mg/kg b.wt. The depleted GSH was not recoverable as glutathione disulfide (GSSG). GSSG levels were not significantly different from controls 4 h after administration of 1.5 mg/kg b.wt. of haloperidol. The levels of malondialdehyde (indicative of lipid peroxidation) increased significantly as compared to control levels (280-220%) following administration of 1.0 and 1.5 mg/kg b.wt. of haloperidol.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1467971", "title": "Constitutive expression of 65-kDa heat shock protein (HSP65)-like immunoreactivity in cultured mouse oligodendrocytes.", "content": "The expression of mycobacterial 65-kDa heat shock protein (HSP65)-like immunoreactivity in cultured mouse oligodendrocytes and astrocytes was investigated using three monoclonal antibodies (ML30, IA1, 3A) specific for the mycobacterial HSP65. In western blot analysis, these antibodies recognized the proteins with molecular weights approximately of 50-, 60-, and 70-kDa expressed in both heat-stressed and unstressed glial cells. When the cells were exposed to heat stress, the expression of both 50- and 70-kDa proteins was attenuated, whereas that of the 60-kDa protein was not affected. On immunocytochemical studies, an appreciable level of HSP65 immunolabelling was identified in most (> 90%) oligodendrocytes under both heat-stressed and unstressed conditions but only marginally detectable in most (> 95%) astrocytes. These results indicate that mouse oligodendrocytes in vitro express the mycobacterial HSP65-like immunoreactivity constitutively."}
{"id": "PMID:1467972", "title": "The origin of rhythmic fast subthreshold depolarizations in thalamic relay cells of rats under urethane anaesthesia.", "content": "Intracellular recordings were performed in relay neurons of the dorsal thalamus in rats under urethane anaesthesia. In 77 out of 127 neurons of the ventro-posterolateral and ventral lateral nuclei, but not in neurons of the ventro-posteromedial and posterior nuclei, a highly rhythmic pattern of subthreshold depolarizations was present at rest. The average frequency of these rhythmic depolarizations in ventro-posterolateral cells was 23.36 +/- 11.48 Hz (range: 6-60 Hz); in ventral lateral relay cells higher frequencies were observed (65.86 +/- 17.42 Hz; range: 17-95 Hz). The rhythmic subthreshold events were identified as excitatory postsynaptic potentials generated by the regular firing of prethalamic afferents located in dorsal column and deep cerebellar nuclei. Indeed, in cells of the ventro-posterolateral nucleus these spontaneous potentials had a waveform similar to that of synaptic potentials triggered by somatosensory stimulation. They increased in amplitude with membrane hyperpolarization and their rhythmic occurrence was not affected by the injection of large inward currents. Moreover, they persisted after capsular transection, but they could no more be recorded in ventro-posterolateral cells after lesion of dorsal column nuclei. Finally, it was found that prethalamic afferents within the deep cerebellar nuclei discharged spontaneously in a rhythmic manner within the same frequency band as that of the rhythmic synaptic potentials recorded in ventral lateral cells. On the basis of these results, it is concluded that the rhythmic subthreshold depolarizations observed in thalamic neurons of animals under urethane anaesthesia are not generated intrinsically but that they represent excitatory postsynaptic potentials of prethalamic origin.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1467973", "title": "The intrastriatal 6-hydroxydopamine model of hemiparkinsonism: quantitative receptor autoradiographic evidence of correlation between circling behavior and presynaptic as well as postsynaptic nigrostriatal markers in the rat.", "content": "Unilateral injections of 6-hydroxydopamine into the striatum resulted in almost immediate ipsilateral amphetamine (AMPH)- and delayed contralateral apomorphine (APO)-induced circling behavior in rats. APO-induced rotation correlated positively with that caused by AMPH. In these animals, there was an almost complete disappearance of dopamine uptake sites as well as increases in DA D2 receptors in specific subdivisions of the ipsilateral caudate-putamen (CPu). Both the rate of AMPH- and APO-induced rotation correlated with the percentage of DA terminal loss in the total aspect and in various quadrants of the striatum. In contrast, AMPH- and APO-induced rotation correlated with the percentage increase in striatal D2 receptors only in the dorsolateral (DL) aspect of the CPu. These results indicate that both AMPH- and APO-induced rotation can be used to determine the extent of DA terminal loss in the rat basal ganglia. The positive correlation of circling behavior to only changes in DA D2 receptors observed in the DL striatal subdivision provides further evidence for the heterogeneity of the basal ganglia. This model of hemiparkinsonism in the rat which uses a distant intrastriatal approach to the destruction of nigral DA cell bodies may be a more appropriate model to study the regenerative properties of the nigrostriatal DA system. This approach could also be used to more specifically localize peptidergic receptors on midbrain dopamine cell bodies."}
{"id": "PMID:1467974", "title": "Ultrastructural studies of the primate parabigeminal nucleus: electron microscopic autoradiographic analysis of the tectoparabigeminal projection in Galago crassicaudatus.", "content": "The normal ultrastructure of the parabigeminal nucleus and the morphology and synaptic relationships of tectoparabigeminal terminals have been examined. Five different morphological types of terminals have been observed within the parabigeminal nucleus. Three of these profiles contain round vesicles and make asymmetrical synapses, while two contain pleomorphic vesicles and make symmetrical synapses. Electron microscopic autoradiographic data indicate that labeled tectoparabigeminal terminals represent only one of the three profiles containing round vesicles. Such terminals are primarily presynaptic to dendritic shafts, and several labeled profiles have been observed presynaptic to the same dendrite."}
{"id": "PMID:1467975", "title": "Serotonergic modulation of junctional conductance in an identified pair of neurons in the mollusc Lymnaea stagnalis.", "content": "Serotonin (5-HT) is shown to modulate electrotonic coupling between two giant peptidergic neurons in the CNS of Lymnaea stagnalis. The primary effect of 5-HT appears to be a rapid and reversible decrease in gap junctional conductance."}
{"id": "PMID:1467976", "title": "Involvement of the subnucleus reticularis dorsalis in diffuse noxious inhibitory controls in the rat.", "content": "Several lines of evidence have suggested the participation of the caudal medulla, including the subnucleus reticularis dorsalis (SRD), in the supraspinally mediated diffuse noxious inhibitory controls (DNICs). To test this hypothesis directly, DNICs acting on spinal convergent neurones were compared in sham-operated rats and rats with unilateral quinolinic acid-induced lesions of the SRD. Inhibitions produced by heterotopic noxious stimuli (i.e. DNIC), of the C-fibre-evoked responses of the convergent neurones were significantly reduced in the lesioned animals. This depression of DNIC, by 40-45%, was similar no matter where the conditioning stimuli were applied and was not significantly different for neurones recorded ipsilaterally to the lesion from those recorded contralaterally. These results suggest that the SRD is one of the supraspinal relay(s) in the circuitry underlying DNIC in the rat."}
{"id": "PMID:1467977", "title": "A single meal elicits regional changes in bombesin-like peptide levels in the gut and brain.", "content": "Several studies have demonstrated that exogenous bombesin (BN) elicits a potent satiety effect when administered centrally or systemically. It has been suggested that BN-like peptides may play a physiological role in the control of food intake. The objective of the present study was to determine whether the levels of endogenous BN-like peptides change in response to a meal. All rats were food deprived overnight for a 12 h period. Half the animals were then allowed to feed for 35 min (postprandial group) and the remainder formed the preprandial group. Regions of the brain (hypothalamus, cerebellum, medulla, pons, neocortex, hippocampus, olfactory bulbs, striatum, midbrain and pituitary), gut (oesophagus, fundus, antrum, duodenum, jejunum, ileum, colon) and adrenal glands were analyzed for BN-like peptide levels using radioimmunoassay. Our results indicate significant increases in the levels of BN-like peptides in the hypothalamus and hippocampus, as well as in the antrum of the stomach, after food ingestion. These results are the first to demonstrate the activation of endogenous BN-like peptide mechanisms in response to ingestion. These rapid alterations in peptide levels may support the contention that BN-like peptides play a physiological role in the regulation of ingestive behavior."}
{"id": "PMID:1467978", "title": "Taurine, GABA and GFAP immunoreactivity in the developing and adult rat optic nerve.", "content": "The localizations of taurine, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) within the developing rat optic nerve were determined using immunocytochemical techniques on tissues from animals ranging in age from embryonic day 20 to postnatal 28 days. Mature nerves from 3-4-month-old adults were also examined. At the younger ages, taurine immunoreactivity was intense and localized specifically to the optic nerve axons, but by postnatal day 15 and thereafter its predominant localization was in macroglia. Some of these glia were astrocytes as indicated by the specific marker, GFAP. GABA immunoreactivity was present at the same time as taurine but was found only in macroglia. In mature nerves the patterns of taurine, GABA and GFAP distribution (within glia) were highly similar."}
{"id": "PMID:1467979", "title": "Single K(+)-channel currents under steady-state potential conditions in small hippocampal neurons.", "content": "Small cultured hippocampal neurons from rat embryos were studied with the patch-clamp technique. Single-channel currents from outside-out membrane patches were recorded under steady-state potential conditions. The most frequently found channel types were selective to K+ and showed conductances of about 30 and 80 pS in the range -20 to 0 mV. Two basic kinetic patterns were observed for the 80 pS channels. In one type, the fraction of time spent in open state increased with potential, and in the other type it decreased. For both types of 80 pS channel, the distribution of dwell times in the open state was well described by the sum of two exponentials while three exponentials sometimes were required for dwell times in the closed state. The time constants of the fitted exponentials could vary considerably during an experiment."}
{"id": "PMID:1467980", "title": "Characterization of muscarinic receptor subtypes in Alzheimer and control brain cortices by selective muscarinic antagonists.", "content": "Subtypes of muscarinic receptors were characterized in the frontal cortices of control and Alzheimer brains, with labelled quinuclidinyl benzilate [3H]QNB and the unlabelled muscarinic antagonists pirenzepine, AF-DX 116, hexahydro-sila-diphenidol (HHSiD), para-fluoro-hexahydro-sila-diphenidol (p-F-HHSiD) and himbacine. High and low affinity sites were observed for both pirenzepine and AF-DX 116 in human control frontal cortices. The majority (76%) of the pirenzepine binding sites showed high affinity to the muscarinic receptors (M1), while the rest of the binding sites had an affinity that was 40 times less. AF-DX 116 displayed two sets of binding sites where the high affinity AF-DX 116 (M2) sites constituted 27%, while the low affinity AF-DX 116 (non-M2 site) was 73%. A single class of binding sites was observed for HHSiD, p-F-HHSiD and himbacine in human frontal cortices. HHSiD showed an affinity in the frontal cortices that was comparable to that of the pirenzepine high affinity binding (M1) sites. The affinity of p-F-HHSiD was three times lower than that of HHSiD but similar to himbacine. A significant increase in the affinity (+ 40%) as well as in the Bmax (+ 99%) value was observed for the pirenzepine high affinity binding sites (M1) in the frontal cortices of Alzheimer brains compared to controls. Similarly, a significant increase was observed in the Bmax value (+ 60%) for the AF-DX 116 low affinity binding sites (non-M2), while no change was found for the high affinity binding sites (M2).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1467981", "title": "Neurotoxic effects of the intrastriatal injection of spermine and spermidine: lack of involvement of NMDA receptors.", "content": "The injection into the rat striatum of the polyamines spermine and spermidine (30-300 nmol) produced, 1 week after injection, a dose related loss of the neuronal markers glutamate decarboxylase and choline acetyltransferase and a decrease in the density of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors (as labelled with [3H]TCP). In parallel, an increase in peripheral type benzodiazepine (p) binding site density (a marker of the associated glial reaction and macrophage invasion) was observed. Intrastriatal injection of putrescine (300 nmol) did not significantly alter any of these markers. The effect of spermine on these neuronal and glial markers was maximal 3 days after injection, and tended towards control levels at 16 days post injection. The neurotoxic effects of spermine were confirmed by histological analysis demonstrating a massive neuronal loss around the injection site and an accumulation of astrocytes and phagocytes. The neurotoxic effects of spermine (250 nmol) were not antagonised by the previous administration of the NMDA receptor antagonist MK-801 (10 mg/kg, i.p.). Thus polyamine neurotoxicity in vivo does not seem to involve NMDA receptor activation, although it may possibly be related to the multiple effects of these compounds on diverse calcium channels and processes regulating calcium homoeostasis."}
{"id": "PMID:1467982", "title": "Light and electron microscopic localization of alpha subunits of GTP-binding proteins, G(o) and Gi, in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus of rat brain.", "content": "Antibodies that recognize alpha subunits of G(o), Gi2 and Gi3 were used to evaluate their association with synaptic junctions. G(o), but not Gi, was concentrated within perikaryal and dendritic cytoplasm of a small population of bipolar neurons. All three G-proteins were associated with the intracellular surface of dendritic, axonal and astrocytic plasma membranes and postsynaptic densities (PSDs). However, association with PSDs was more prevalent for the two Gi's than for G(o) while the association with terminals forming putatively excitatory synapses was more prevalent for G(o) and Gi3 than for Gi2. Thus, neuromodulators may modulate the release of excitatory transmitters via activation of presynaptic Gi3 and G(o) and also regulate the opening of Ca2+ and/or K+ channels via activation of Gi's and G(o) at PSDs."}
{"id": "PMID:1467983", "title": "Cultured astrocytes express mRNA for peptidylglycine-alpha-amidating monooxygenase, a neuropeptide processing enzyme.", "content": "Cultured astrocytes have been previously found to express several neuropeptides, as well as the neuropeptide processing enzyme carboxypeptidase E (CPE). To investigate whether cultured astrocytes contain additional peptide-processing enzymes, Northern blots were screened for peptidylglycine-alpha-amidating monooxygenase (PAM) mRNA. PAM is involved with the formation of amide groups on the C-terminus of numerous peptide hormones and neurotransmitters. Primary cultures of astrocytes contain moderate levels of PAM mRNA, as determined by Northern blot analysis. The level of PAM mRNA in cultured hypothalamic astrocytes is similar to the level expressed in cultured hypothalamic neurons. The relative abundance of PAM mRNA differs up to 6-fold between astrocytes cultured from various brain regions. Astrocytes cultured from hypothalamus have high levels of PAM mRNA, those cultured from striatum, frontal cortex, and hippocampus have moderate levels, and those cultured from cerebellum have low levels. To investigate whether all cultured astrocytes express PAM mRNA, in situ hybridization analysis of cultured astrocytes was performed. Interestingly, virtually all of the astrocytes cultured from either hypothalamus or cerebellum express PAM mRNA, in contrast to a previous finding that only 20-40% of similarly cultured astrocytes express CPE. The presence of PAM mRNA in cultured astrocytes suggests that these cells have the capacity to produce amidated neuropeptides."}
{"id": "PMID:1467984", "title": "Role of central ATP-sensitive potassium channels in the analgesic effect and spinal noradrenaline turnover-enhancing effect of intracerebroventricularly injected morphine in mice.", "content": "Glibenclamide is one of the most potent sulfonylurea-derived antidiabetic drugs which block the adenosine triphosphate-sensitive potassium (KATP) channels. In the present study, we found that none of morphine, U-50,488H (a selective kappa agonist) and baclofen (a selective GABAB agonist) added to the incubation medium at concentrations up to 10(-4) M had appreciable effect on the specific binding of [cyclohexyl-2,3-3H(N)]glibenclamide ([3H]glibenclamide) to the isolated mouse brain microsomes. The analgesic activity induced by intracerebroventricular injection (i.c.v.) of morphine but not U-50,488H was antagonized by pretreatment with either i.c.v. glibenclamide or beta-funaltrexamine (beta-FNA; a selective mu antagonist) in mice. Furthermore, the increasing effect of i.c.v. morphine on the spinal noradrenaline (NA) turnover was greatly antagonized by i.c.v. pretreatment with either beta-FNA or glibenclamide. From these results, we demonstrated that KATP channels play an important role as indirect modulators of the supraspinal analgesia induced by mu agonist but not kappa agonist in mice, and the activation of descending noradrenergic system induced by i.c.v. morphine appears to be suppressed by the blockade of KATP channels."}
{"id": "PMID:1467985", "title": "Immunohistochemical localization of calretinin in the rat lateral geniculate nucleus and its retino-geniculate projection.", "content": "In the present study, we examined the distribution of calretinin-immunoreactive neuronal cell bodies and fibers in the lateral geniculate nucleus of the rat. In normal rats, clusters of immunoreactive cell bodies were found in: (i) the rostral portion of the ventral lateral geniculate nucleus pars medialis (VLGM), (ii) the intergeniculate leaflet (IGL), (iii) the intermediate region between the VLGM and the ventral lateral geniculate nucleus pars lateralis (VLGL), (iv) the caudomedial portion of the VLGM, and (v) the caudolateral portion of the VLGM. In the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus (DLG), immunoreactive cell bodies were rarely observed. After uni- or bilateral eye enucleation, no significant alteration in the morphological features or distribution of immunoreactive cell bodies was detected in the lateral geniculate nucleus. In normal rats, immunoreactive fibers formed dense plexuses in: (i) the DLG, (ii) the external layer of the VLGL, (iii) the internal layer of the VLGL, (iv) the IGL, (v) the caudomedial portion of the VLGM, and (vi) the optic tract. After unilateral eye enucleation, immunoreactive fibers in the external layer of the VLG and in the optic tract almost totally disappeared on the contralateral side to the lesion. Unilateral eye enucleation caused a significant decrease of immunoreactive fibers in the DLG and in the internal layer of the VLGL, but a substantial number of immunoreactive fibers still remained there. In the IGL and the caudomedial portion of the VLGM, no observable alteration in the distribution of immunoreactive fibers was detected after uni- or bilateral eye enucleation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1467986", "title": "Acute depolarization block of A10 dopamine neurons: interactions of morphine with dopamine antagonists.", "content": "Extracellular single-unit recording techniques were used to determine the effects of morphine, administered either systematically (intravenous) or locally (microiontophoresis), on ventral tegmental area (A10) dopamine (DA) neuronal activity in animals pretreated with D1 (SCH 23390) or D2 (pimozide) DA receptor antagonists. In rats pretreated with the D2 antagonist pimozide, A10 DA neurons readily entered a state of apparent depolarization block in response to either i.v. or iontophoretically applied morphine. Whether the inactivation of DA neurons was induced by systemic or local morphine, it was reversed in 22 of 27 cases by iontophoretic administration of the inhibitory amino acid transmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), suggesting depolarization block as the underlying mechanism. Pretreatment of rats with the D1 antagonist SCH 23390 did not significantly alter the tendency of A10 DA neurons to enter apparent depolarization block in response to morphine. These data support recent behavioral evidence suggesting that the combination of systemic pimozide and ventral tegmental area morphine can result in depolarization inactivation of the mesoaccumbens DA reward system."}
{"id": "PMID:1467987", "title": "Chronological expression of microtubule-associated proteins (MAPs) in EC cell P19 after neuronal induction by retinoic acid.", "content": "Pluripotent murine embryonal carcinoma (EC) P19 cells are induced at a high rate into neural cells using retinoic acid and serum-free medium. EM observation revealed great increase of microtubules (MTs) after neuronal induction. To study the expression of microtubule-associated proteins (MAPs), immunoblotting and immunocytochemistry were performed with phosphorylated MAP1B (pMAP1B)-, MAP2-, and MAP1A-specific monoclonal antibodies. They did not stain undifferentiated cells. Early MAPs (pMAP1B and MAP2C) appeared 12 h after the neuronal induction, changing to late MAPs (MAP1A and MAP2A/B) at 3-5 days. These expression patterns are quite similar to those of neural cells in vivo. Anti-pMAP1B stained not only neurites but also the cell body and varicosities. But after extraction of the soluble component by permeabilization, pMAP1B was found in only MT-domains of the neurites at LM and EM levels, indicating that some part of pMAP1B is a structural component of neurite MTs and others exist in a soluble form. After culturing for more than 5 days, pMAP1B disappeared from the soma, but still remained in the distal ends of neurites. Here we showed that P19 is a good model system for studying the expression of MAPs on the continuous course of neuronal differentiation."}
{"id": "PMID:1467988", "title": "Biologically active salmon calcitonin-like peptide is present in rat brain.", "content": "Although high densities of calcitonin (CT) receptors and potent CT-induced actions occur within the rat central nervous system, the physiological ligand for central receptors remains unidentified. This study identifies a salmon CT (sCT)-like peptide in extracts of rat brain. Aliquots of 1 M HCl brain extracts were reconstituted in 0.01 M acetic acid and assayed for sCT-like immunoreactivity using a radioimmunoassay (RIA) based on a guinea pig anti-sCT antibody (detection limit 0.1 ng). The assay was less than 0.1% cross-reactive with human CT, porcine CT, rat calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP)-I and human CGRP-I. Extracts of diencephalon revealed sCT-like activity (30-120 ng/g wet weight), while extracts from cortex, cerebellum and medulla oblongata did not contain detectable activity. Reverse-phase HPLC analysis demonstrated co-elution with synthetic sCT. Further, the peak material was active in 4 CT bioassay systems; (1) stimulation of cAMP production in UMR 106-06 cells and (2) T47D cells, (3) inhibition of 125I-sCT binding in UMR 106-06 cells and (4) inhibition of 125I-sCT binding in sheep brain membranes. The bioactivity of material in these assays was similar to that estimated through the RIA. The results identify, for the first time, the presence of sCT-like material in the rat brain and constitutes the first demonstration of biologically active sCT-like material from brain extracts. Salmon CT-like peptide may represent the endogenous ligand for central CT receptors."}
{"id": "PMID:1467989", "title": "The time course of sigma activity and slow-wave activity during NREMS in cortical and thalamic EEG of the cat during baseline and after 12 hours of wakefulness.", "content": "The extrapolation from recent neurophysiological findings concerning the dependency of spindle and slow-wave oscillations of thalamocortical neurons on membrane potential to macroscopic EEG events, predicts a reciprocal relation between spindle activity and slow-wave activity (SWA) in thalamic and cortical EEG during non-rapid-eye-movement sleep (NREMS). To test this hypothesis, the EEG recorded in 8 cats, from the nucleus centralis lateralis of the thalamus and from the skull during a 12-h baseline dark period and during a 12-h recovery dark period, following a 12-h sleep deprivation, were analyzed. Per 12-s epoch, sleep-wake behaviour was determined and spectral power density was computed in the slow-wave frequency range (0.5-4.0 Hz) and in the spindle frequency region (sigma activity: 11.0-14.5 Hz). To analyze the development of EEG power densities in the course of NREMS and during the transition from NREMS to REMS, the last epoch of wakefulness and the first 15 epochs of NREMS, as well as the last epochs of NREMS and the first epoch of REMS were selected from the NREM-REM cycles. For each animal the values were averaged over 4-h intervals. In the cortical EEG, SWA was minimal at NREMS onset and increased progressively in the course of NREMS. SWA declined sharply prior to REMS. sigma Activity increased gradually towards a uniform level after NREMS onset. During the transition to REMS, sigma activity initially increased and then decreased rapidly. In the thalamic EEG, the time course of SWA paralleled that of the cortex. However, the development of sigma activity during the first part of NREMS differed: in the thalamic EEG, sigma activity was maximal during the beginning of NREMS and slightly decreased thereafter. After sleep deprivation, SWA within NREMS was markedly enhanced in both the cortical and the thalamic EEG. Sigma activity was attenuated in the thalamic EEG, whereas in the cortical EEG it was temporarily elevated. The present data show that, in the thalamic EEG, an inverse relation exists between spindle and slow-wave activity during baseline NREMS. This relation is preserved after sleep deprivation. In the cortical EEG, a reciprocal relation between spindling and SWA is less evident."}
{"id": "PMID:1467990", "title": "Peroxidative stress effects on calpain activity in brain of young and adult rats.", "content": "Three hours after administration of the pro-oxidant 2-cyclohexen-1-one, calpain activity was significantly reduced in the brain of young rats, but not in the brain of adult rats, and cathepsin D activity remained unchanged. Addition of isovalerylcarnitine to the incubation medium increased calpain activity 5-7-fold, counteracting the effect of the pro-oxidant."}
{"id": "PMID:1467991", "title": "Parasympathetic postganglionic nerve fibers in the fungiform papillae of the bullfrog, Rana catesbeiana.", "content": "An investigation was made of the precise origin of the unmyelinated nerve fibers in the fungiform papillae of the bullfrog's tongue. Some unmyelinated nerve fibers in the fungiform papillae originate from the parasympathetic postganglionic cells in the glossopharyngeal nerve. Axonal enlargements of the parasympathetic nerve fibers were in close contact with the Merkel-like basal or supporting cells in the taste disk. These results seem to provide morphological evidence for the existence of an efferent control system in the taste disk."}
{"id": "PMID:1467992", "title": "Zinc modulates GABAB binding in rat brain.", "content": "The effects of ZnCl2 on [3H]GABA binding to GABAA and GABAA binding sites were investigated using receptor autoradiography. At concentrations exceeding 100 microM, zinc non-competitively inhibited GABAB binding in a dose dependent fashion. GABAA binding was not inhibited significantly by zinc eliminating the possibility of a non-specific effect of zinc. Increased calcium concentrations up to 10 mM enhanced total GABAB binding but did not prevent zinc induced inhibition of GABAB binding, indicating a separate site of action for these cations at the GABAB binding site. In some regions, zinc modulates GABAB binding in a biphasic manner as concentrations of 10-100 microM zinc significantly enhanced GABAB binding in the hippocampus and the molecular layer of the cerebellum but not in the thalamus. These results provide further evidence for a neuromodulatory role for zinc in the central nervous system."}
{"id": "PMID:1467993", "title": "Observations on morphology and electrophysiological properties of the normal and axotomized facial motoneurons in the cat.", "content": "The correlation between the morphology of facial motoneurons stained intracellularly with horseradish peroxidase and their physiological parameters was examined in cats following facial nerve section and in cats with intact facial nerve. A certain statistical relationship exists between cell size and excitability in normal neurons. After axotomy, facial neurons showed a slow conduction velocity and a low rheobasic current, but had a normal cell size. Physiological changes include repetitive firing in response to intracellular current injection, reflecting an increase in the excitability in the axotomized neurons."}
{"id": "PMID:1467994", "title": "Sex differences in the regulation of heat shock protein 70 kDa and 90 kDa in the rat ventromedial hypothalamus by estrogen.", "content": "The regulation of heat shock proteins 70 kDa (hsp 70) and 90 kDa (hsp90) by estradiol (EB) was examined in the ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH) of gonadectomized adult female and male rats with and without estradiol replacement. Estradiol significantly elevated hsp70 and hsp90 protein concentrations in EB-treated VMH of females, but not males, sacrificed at 12 h following steroid hormone compared with oil-vehicle controls. These findings confirm our previous observations that EB induces hsp70 and hsp90 in the female VMH16,17. The sex differences for the two proteins may occur by different mechanisms, since basal hsp70 levels were higher in males than females, whereas hsp90 levels were similar for the two sexes."}
{"id": "PMID:1467995", "title": "Repeated focal cerebral ischemia in gerbils is associated with development of infarction.", "content": "We induced repeated focal cerebral ischemia in gerbils. Single 5-min ischemia produced neuronal damage limited to the ipsilateral CA1 and CA4 hippocampus. Two 5-min ischemic insults spaced at a 1-h interval caused selective neuronal damage to the CA1, CA3 and CA4 hippocampus, striatum, neocortex, and thalamus. Three 5-min ischemic insults at 1-h intervals produced infarction. Thus, repeated focal ischemia produced cumulative brain damage by conversion of sublethal damage into selective neuronal damage and of the neuronal damage into infarction."}
{"id": "PMID:1467996", "title": "Lack of neuroprotective effect of some sigma ligands in a model of focal cerebral ischemia in the mouse.", "content": "The potential neuroprotective effect of seven sigma ligands has been evaluated in a mouse model of focal cerebral ischemia (induced by coagulation of the left middle cerebral artery) and compared to that of known N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) antagonists. When given after the induction of cerebral ischemia, the NMDA receptor antagonists dizocilpine and CGS 19755 and the mixed NMDA antagonist/sigma ligand eliprodil (SL 82.0715) afforded very substantial protection against cortical infarction (92, 44 and 72%, at the doses of 1, 10 and 10 mg/kg, i.p., for dizocilpine, CGS 19755 and eliprodil, respectively). In contrast, none of the sigma ligands investigated--DTG, DMTG, GBR 12909, (+)- and (-)-3-PPP (up to 10 mg/kg), BMY 14802 (up to 30 mg/kg), except haloperidol at a high dose (3 mg/kg)--had neuroprotective effects."}
{"id": "PMID:1467997", "title": "Enhanced gastric acid secretion induced by gastrin can be suppressed partially by glucose injection into the medullary nuclei in rats.", "content": "Gastric acid outputs after glucose injection into the nucleus of the vagus nerve (X) or into the nucleus of the tractus solitarius (SOL) were examined in rats with tetragastrin. The enhanced acid output caused by gastrin was partially inhibited by glucose injection into the X or SOL. Glucose injection into the X depressed acid output in a dose-dependent fashion, but a non-dose-dependent response in acid output was seen when glucose was injected into the SOL. There was no interaction between the X and SOL in acid response due to glucose. These findings suggest that glucose modulates gastric acid secretion stimulated by gastrin at the medullary level, and that such a modulation is characterized by the medullary X or SOL, separately."}
{"id": "PMID:1467998", "title": "Differential laminar distribution of acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase containing tangles in the cerebral cortex of Alzheimer's disease.", "content": "A sensitive histochemical method for the visualization of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) activity was used to determine the laminar distribution of cholinesterase-positive cortical tangles in Alzheimer's disease (AD). In many cortical areas AChE- and BChE-positive tangles displayed a completely overlapping distribution. In other areas the most superficial layers contained only AChE-positive tangles whereas the deepest layers contained only BChE-positive tangles. These observations suggest that some cholinesterase-positive tangles have a predominantly (if not exclusively) AChE-like reactivity whereas others have a reactivity that is predominantly BChE-like. The intermingling of AChE- and BChE-positive tangles in most cortical areas and layers suggests that there may also be a third population in which the two enzymes are equally prominent in the same tangle."}
{"id": "PMID:1467999", "title": "Genetically variable taste sensitivity to D-amino acids in mice.", "content": "Behavioral and neural responses to D-amino acids were compared between two inbred strains, C57BL and BALB mice. In both strains, an aversion conditioned to D-valine, D-leucine, D-methionine, D-histidine or D-tryptophan generalized to sucrose, whereas an aversion to D-alanine or D-serine did not generalize to sucrose. Generalization patterns across various test stimuli for each of these 7 D-amino acids were significantly correlated between two strains. However, an aversion conditioned to D-phenylalanine generalized to sucrose in C57BL mice, but not in BALB mice. Application of a proteolytic enzyme, Pronase E, to the tongue reduced chorda tympani responses to sucrose and D-amino acids to which a conditioned aversion generalized to sucrose. Again, only in C57BL mice, Pronase inhibited D-phenylalanine responses. These comparable results indicate that sweet taste response is genetically highly variable only to D-phenylalanine among 8 D-amino acids tested."}
{"id": "PMID:1468000", "title": "Vasopressinergic modulation of stress responses in the central amygdala of the Roman high-avoidance and low-avoidance rat.", "content": "The central nucleus of the amygdala (CEA) is selectively involved in the passive component of the behavioral (immobility) and the accompanying parasympathetic response during conditioned, stressful environmental challenges. Vasopressinergic mechanisms in the brain seem to play a role in these stress responses. The effects of the neuropeptides arginine-8-vasopressin (AVP) and oxytocin (OXT) on modulating CEA activity during conditioned stress of inescapable footshock were studied in male Roman high-avoidance (RHA/Verh) and low-avoidance (RLA/Verh) rats, psychogenetically selected on the basis of shuttle-box acquisition behavior. In RLA/Verh rats, the cardiac and behavioral responses to the conditioned emotional stressor were bradycardia and immobility, suggesting an important role for the CEA in these rats. The RHA/Verh rats, however, failed to show any change in heart rate or immobility in response to a conditioned stress situation. The low dose of AVP (20 pg) in the CEA of conscious RLA/Verh rats caused an enhancement of the stress-induced bradycardiac and immobility response. However, the high dose of AVP (2 ng) and OXT (200 pg) attenuated the bradycardiac and immobility responses in the RLA/Verh rats. Infusion of AVP and OXT in the RHA/Verh rats failed to induce any change in heart rate or immobility. Binding studies revealed that the AVP receptor selectively binds AVP with high affinity. In contrast, the OXT receptor recognizes both AVP and OXT with a similar (but lower) affinity. This suggests that the behavioral and autonomic responses of the high dose of AVP may be caused by OXT receptor stimulation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1468001", "title": "Estrous cycle variation of afferent fibers supplying reproductive organs in the female rat.", "content": "Multi-unit afferent nerve activity was recorded from branches of the hypogastric and pelvic nerves in virgin female rats on different days of the estrous cycle. In each rat, the response of hypogastric nerve fibers to uterine distension and the response of pelvic nerve fibers to vaginal distension was tested. The minimal pressure necessary to evoke a response was highest in diestrus for both the hypogastric and pelvic nerve fibers. For the hypogastric nerve, the minimal necessary pressures were significantly lower during both proestrus and estrus, whereas for the pelvic nerve, the pressure was significantly lower only on the day of proestrus. These results suggest that the overall response sensitivity of afferent fibers in the pelvic and hypogastric nerves are differentially affected by hormonal variations occurring across the estrous cycle in a manner that would enhance reproduction."}
{"id": "PMID:1468002", "title": "Colocalization of enkephalin-, glucagon-, and corticotropin-releasing factor-like immunoreactivity in GABAergic amacrine cells in turtle retina.", "content": "The large number of amacrine cells which contain gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in the turtle retina makes it difficult to examine specific GABAergic cell types. In order to selectively label subpopulations of GABAergic neurons, we have used fluorescent double-labeling immunocytochemical techniques to examine the localization of GABA-like immunoreactivity (LI) in amacrine cells which contain antigens resembling the neuropeptides glucagon (GLUC), corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) or enkephalin (ENK). GABA-LI was found in 41% of the cells with GLUC-, 100% of the cells with CRF-, and 69% of the cells with ENK-LI. There were regional differences in the presence of GABA-LI in amacrine cell populations with ENK-LI. GABA-LI was present in about 80% of the cells with ENK-LI outside of the visual streak, while only 37% of the cells within the streak had GABA-LI. Based on the distinct morphologies and regional distributions of these peptidergic amacrine cells, we conclude that they represent different subpopulations of GABAergic amacrine cells in the turtle retina. Future studies can now utilize existing information regarding the synaptic connectivity of these peptidergic amacrine cells to help delineate the functions of GABAergic amacrine cells in the turtle retina."}
{"id": "PMID:1468003", "title": "Vasopressin-induced motor effects: localization of a sensitive site in the amygdala.", "content": "Arginine vasopressin (AVP) induces motor effects when administered into the cerebral ventricles, the ventral septal area (VSA), or the vestibular cerebellum of the rat brain. Because AVP-like immunoreactivity and AVP-binding sites exist in the central medial amygdala (cmeA), and because the amygdala can be kindled to produce motor effects, we hypothesized that the amygdala might play a role in AVP-induced motor effects. This hypothesis was tested by observing motor behavior in response to injection of AVP into the central medial region of the amygdala. Our results demonstrate that an initial injection of AVP into the cmeA caused minor motor effects, including immobility, prostration and ataxia, whereas a similar injection, given 24 h later, caused severe motor effects including barrel rotations and myoclonic/myotonic-like convulsive behavior. A potential receptor basis for the AVP-induced motor and sensitization effects in the cmeA was investigated using AVP analogues. A V1 antagonist, d(CH2)5Tyr(Me)AVP, blocked both the motor and sensitization effects produced by cmeA AVP injection. A V2 receptor agonist, DDAVP, did not affect motor activity upon cmeA injection, but did, however, sensitize animals to subsequent cmeA AVP injection. These results suggest that the cmeA is a sensitive site for AVP-induced motor effects and that these motor effects are sensitized by prior exposure to AVP. While the motor effects observed after cmeA AVP injection are mediated via AVP receptors that resemble the V1 type, the sensitization effect may be mediated via multiple receptor systems.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1468004", "title": "Lesions of the nucleus paragigantocellularis: effects on mating behavior in male rats.", "content": "We evaluated the effects of bilateral radio-frequency lesions of the paragigantocellular (PGi) reticular nucleus in the ventral medulla on male rat copulatory behavior. In Experiment 1, sexually naive male rats with such lesions were more likely than sham-operated controls to copulate to ejaculation during their first exposure to an estrous female. Additionally, among the rats that copulated to ejaculation, those with lesions demonstrated a reduction in mount frequency (MF), intromission frequency (IF), and ejaculation latency (EL), and an increase in copulatory efficiency (CE). In Expt. 2, sexually experienced male rats were allowed to mate to sexual exhaustion. Males with PGi lesions showed an increased latency to sexual exhaustion and an increased number of ejaculations prior to exhaustion. Additionally, rats with PGi lesions displayed reductions in IF, EL, and post-ejaculatory interval (PEI) as they approached sexual exhaustion. Our results provide further evidence that the PGi is a supraspinal locus of descending inhibitory influence on spinal nuclei mediating ejaculatory reflexes in the male rat."}
{"id": "PMID:1468005", "title": "Androgen and estrogen concentrating neurons in chemosensory pathways of the male Syrian hamster brain.", "content": "The medial preoptic area (MPOA), bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST), and medial amygdaloid nucleus (Me) are essential for male sexual behavior in the Syrian hamster. These nuclei received chemosensory stimuli and gonadal steroid signals, both of which are required for mating behavior. The objective of this study was to compare the distribution of androgen- and estrogen-concentrating neurons in MPOA, BNST, and Me in the adult male hamster using steroid autoradiography for estradiol (E2), testosterone (T) and dihydrotestosterone (DHT). Adult males (n = 4 per group) received two i.p. injections of tritiated steroid 4-7 days after castration. Six-microns frozen sections through the brain were mounted onto emulsion-coated slides, and exposed for 11-16 months. In MPOA, BNST, and Me, neurons were more abundant and heavily labelled after [3H]E2 treatment than after either [3H]T or [3H]DHT. Tritiated estradiol- and DHT-labeled cells were found throughout the rostrocaudal extent of Me, with a high concentration in posterodorsal Me. Tritiated testosterone treatment labelled cells largely within posterodorsal Me. In MPOA, the majority of E2-, T-, and DHT-labelled neurons were in the medial preoptic nucleus (MPN) and the preoptic continuation of the posteromedial bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNSTpm). Few T-labelled cells were present outside these subdivisions. In the BNST, E2- and DHT-labelled neurons were present in all subdivisions, whereas T labelling was confined to the antero- and posteromedial subdivisions of BNST. These results suggest that the distribution of androgen- and estrogen receptor-containing neurons overlap considerably in nuclei which transmit chemosensory signals in the control of mating behavior."}
{"id": "PMID:1468006", "title": "Blockade of NMDA receptor-channels by MK-801 alters breathing in adult rats.", "content": "The role of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor-channel activation in the production of respiratory pattern was studied by administration of the NMDA receptor-channel blocker (+)-5-methyl-10,11-dihydro-5H-dibenzo[a,d]cyclohepten-5,10-imine hydrogen maleate (MK-801, 1-3 mg/kg, i.v.) to anesthetized adult rats. This dose of MK-801 blocked the excitatory effects of NMDA (applied iontophoretically) on brainstem respiratory neurons. The predominant respiratory response to systemic MK-801 administration was an increase in inspiratory duration and a decrease in amplitude of diaphragm electromyogram and phrenic nerve discharge. Effects on inspiratory timing and amplitude were most pronounced when the rats were vagotomized. Significant changes in arterial blood gases and pH after systemic MK-801 administration in spontaneously breathing rats (vagi intact or cut) indicated that ventilation was depressed by NMDA receptor-channel antagonism. Respiratory timing changes in response to systemic MK-801 administration differed between two rat strains studied. Breathing patterns resembling apneusis, i.e., with irregular inspiratory durations prolonged 2- to 30-fold, occurred in 60% of the vagotomized, spontaneously breathing Sprague-Dawley rats and none of the Wistar rats. Thus, the breathing pattern in Sprague-Dawley rats is more sensitive to interference with NMDA-mediated mechanisms. We propose that respiratory pattern generation and transmission of rhythmic respiratory drive are mediated by synergistic activation of NMDA and non-NMDA receptors at brainstem and spinal cord sites."}
{"id": "PMID:1468007", "title": "Fast, statistically based alignment of amino acid sequences on the base of diagonal fragments of DOT-matrices.", "content": "We present a new pairwise alignment algorithm that uses iterative statistical analysis of homologous subsequences. Apart from the classical conversion of the DOT-matrix characteristic of the Needleman-Wunsch algorithm (NW), we used only those matrix elements that corresponded to the most non-random subsequence homologies. The most reliable elements of the DOT-matrix are written to the compact competition matrices. The algorithm then searches for alignment on the base of only these matrix elements. Our algorithm has low storage and memory requirements, but provides a reliable alignment for the sequences of weak homology (or, at least for the homology regions). In such cases classical NW algorithms often produce unreliable results on the level of statistical noise due to accumulation of random matchings throughout the aligned sequences."}
{"id": "PMID:1468008", "title": "MALIGNED: a multiple sequence alignment editor.", "content": "A multiple sequence alignment editor is described which runs on a VAX/VMS system and can exchange data with a number of other programs, including those of the Genetics Computer Group (GCG). Up to 199 sequences can be aligned. The quality of the alignment can be easily judged during its development because the display attributes to each character are determined by the way it matches the other sequences. Four methods are available for calculating the highlighting to emphasize different aspects of the relationships of the sequences and up to four styles of highlighting can be used at the same time. Laser printer output is suitable for publication without modification."}
{"id": "PMID:1468009", "title": "Estimation of restriction maps with known site order using a generalized linear model.", "content": "A generalized linear model with Gamma errors is used to estimate the coordinates of a restriction map when the site order is known. This can be conveniently programmed in a wide range of statistical packages (e.g. Genstat 5, Minitab, SAS), and gives maximum likelihood estimates with their associated optimal properties. Regression diagnostics allow the checking of assumptions and help to identify mis-specified, influential or discordant fragment lengths. A specific diagnostic for identifying fragment lengths causing reversal of restriction site order is derived. Exact 'fragment' lengths from DNA sequencing can be conveniently included in an approximate manner by giving them a larger weight than observed restriction fragment lengths. Two examples and the Genstat 5 codes used in their analysis are presented."}
{"id": "PMID:1468010", "title": "APL program for evaluation of heat processes for spherical foods.", "content": "The present program solves the heat transfer equations for spherical foods by a numerical procedure that uses the Crank-Nicolson method. The program is implemented for conditions with as few restrictions as possible to enhance versatility. The results agree with the analytical solutions for two particular cases of boundary conditions. The program also computes the thermal effect in the foodstuff from the temperature data obtained by the numerical program."}
{"id": "PMID:1468011", "title": "Cumulative logit modelling for ordinal response variables: applications to biomedical research.", "content": "Incorrect statistical methods are often used for the analysis of ordinal response data. Such data are frequently summarized into mean scores for comparisons, a fallacious practice because ordinal data are inherently not equidistant. The ubiquitous Pearson chi-square test is invalid because it ignores the ranking of ordinal data. Although some of the non-parametric statistical methods take into account the ordering of ordinal data, these methods do not accommodate statistical adjustment of confounding or assessment of effect modification, two overriding analytic goals in virtually all etiologic inference in biology and medicine. The cumulative logit model is eminently suitable for the analysis of ordinal response data. This multivariate method not only considers the ranked order inherent in ordinal response data, but it also allows adjustment of confounding and assessment of effect modification based on modest sample size. A non-technical account of the cumulative logit model is given and its applications are illustrated by two research examples. The SAS programs for the data analysis of the research examples are available from the author."}
{"id": "PMID:1468012", "title": "GeneScape: a relational database of Escherichia coli genomic map data for Macintosh computers.", "content": "We present a relational database program developed in FoxBase+/Mac for the viewing and manipulation of ordered restriction maps and associated features of the Escherichia coli genome including sequenced genes and the Kohara miniset of bacteriophage lambda clones. Use of this program allows easy access to the wealth of information being collected in a dataset of DNA sequences, maps and genetic data known as EcoSeq, EcoMap and EcoGene respectively."}
{"id": "PMID:1468013", "title": "Can we recover a sequence, just knowing all its subsequences of given length?", "content": "The problem tackled here concerns the feasibility of DNA sequencing using hybridization methods. We establish algorithms for and computational limitations to the reconstruction of a sequence from all its subsequences having the same length: in other words, the building of a string that contains all the words of a given set, and only these ones. Generally there are several possible strings. We refer to graph theory and propose an algorithm to enumerate all the strings that are solutions. We then carried out stimulations using real DNA sequences. They provided some necessary conditions and give some upper bounds to the length of the sequence to recover in relation with the length of oligonucleotides. To avoid limiting ourselves to problems that admit a unique solution, we introduce another algorithm that produces a signature for each solution string. Each signature can be tested to determine which one belongs to the correct sequence."}
{"id": "PMID:1468014", "title": "Time correction for computing Michaelis--Menten kinetics.", "content": "A description of time correction applied to the integrated Michaelis equation in view of cancelling a non-correct estimation of the Michaelis constant due to a lack of coincidence between time zero of measurement and time zero of reaction is presented. An estimation of kinetic parameters is made with time correction on the same experimental set of data using a classical least squares iterative procedure."}
{"id": "PMID:1468015", "title": "AIDS in Ireland: the reporting delay distribution and the implementation of integral equation models.", "content": "This paper deals with two basic aspects concerning the modelling of AIDS incidence in the context of Irish data. We describe initially the adjustment of the number of AIDS cases (Xij) to allow for reporting delays, where a simple form of the likelihood function for the Xij is supported by GLIM. Subsequently, we consider the accessibility of numerical solution (through a NAG routine) of the integral equation models generated by the back-projection method for the adjusted AIDS cases. Results for the Irish data are summarized for various choices of the incidence distribution."}
{"id": "PMID:1468016", "title": "IBIS integrated biological imaging system: electron micrograph image-processing software running on Unix workstations.", "content": "'IBIS' is a set of computer programs concerned with the processing of electron micrographs, with particular emphasis on the requirements for structural analyses of biological macromolecules. The software is written in FORTRAN 77 and runs on Unix workstations. A description of the various functions and the implementation mode is given. Some examples illustrate the user interface."}
{"id": "PMID:1468017", "title": "A program for computer-aided analyses of ecological field data.", "content": "A program for IBM-compatible microcomputers is introduced which combines several complementary analyses of species-station-tables generated in ecological field investigations. The scope of the program encompasses table editing functions, routines for community delimitation by cluster analysis and procedures for the analysis of properties related both to stations (e.g. diversities) and species (e.g. abundance statistics and association indices). The essential reasoning behind the application of community studies is presented briefly, as well as the multi-step analytical approach implemented in the program."}
{"id": "PMID:1468018", "title": "MacT: Apple Macintosh programs for constructing phylogenetic trees.", "content": "MacT is a set of programs for the Apple Macintosh to construct and evaluate unrooted trees derived from amino acid sequences using a distance matrix method. Programs are designed on a 'one program--one task' basis for (i) determining the branching order in trees consisting of four or five species and calculating various statistical measures, (ii) calculating statistical measures for all possible topologies of unrooted trees and (iii) generating and evaluating trees derived from bootstrapped samples. With four auxiliary programs unrooted trees can be built for maximal 26 species, and the robustness of topologies be tested by bootstrapping."}
{"id": "PMID:1468019", "title": "A personal computer program for large-scale comparisons of related nucleotide sequences.", "content": "A personal computer program (COMPSEQ) has been developed which can present an informative listing of pre-aligned exonic nucleotide sequences and of their translations to amino acid sequences as well run triplet-oriented analyses on these sequences in a given reading frame. The sequence listing focuses on the differences between related sequences by suppressing the concordances between them."}
{"id": "PMID:1468020", "title": "OBSTRUCT: a program to obtain largest cliques from a protein sequence set according to structural resolution and sequence similarity.", "content": "A program OBSTRUCT has been developed to obtain the largest possible subset according to specific constraints from a set of protein sequences whose tertiary structures have been determined crystallographically. The user can request a range in sequence similarity level and/or structural resolution. The program optionally includes sequences with known three-dimensional folds elicited from NMR data."}
{"id": "PMID:1468024", "title": "Isolation and initial characterization of a new virus: Micro-Foci inducing virus or MFV.", "content": "Infectious and transforming activity was obtained from cultures of a large kidney tumour with very high N-myc amplification. The patient belonged to a cluster of neuroblastoma cases diagnosed in Southern Louisiana in 1986-1988. Infection with ultra-filtered supernatants from neuroblastoma cultures caused the appearance of small foci of rounded cells with neural features and the presence of virus was indicated by electron microscopy: the virus was called Micro-Foci inducing virus or MFV. Infected young adult rats did not develop overt disease, but 11/11 of the litters from infected animals developed a very dramatic and highly lethal syndrome which could resemble neuroblastoma symptoms. N-myc amplification disappeared in very early cultures of the tumour, but it was subsequently detected in MFV-infected cell cultures."}
{"id": "PMID:1468025", "title": "[Remission of established disease in diabetic NOD mice induced by anti-CD3 monoclonal antibody].", "content": "Anti-CD3 monoclonal antibodies are potent immunosuppressants widely used in clinical transplantation to prevent or treat acute allograft rejection. We have used a hamster monoclonal antibody (145 2C11) specific for the epsilon chain of the murine CD3 complex to treat autoimmune insulin-dependent diabetes appearing spontaneously by 15 to 30 weeks of age in female Non Obese Diabetic (NOD) mice. Mice showing overt disease (glycosuria and glycemia > or = 4 g/l) were randomized in two groups receiving either anti-CD3 (5 micrograms/day i.v. for 5 consecutive days) or an identical dose of hamster polyclonal immunoglobulins. Progressive remission of disease was observed, 3 to 6 weeks after the end of treatment, in 80% of anti-CD3 treated mice as compared to 6% of mice in the control group. This remission was maintained long term namely, during the 4 to 5 months (after the end of treatment) observation period. These results open interesting perspectives on the possibility to treat recently diagnosed diabetic patients with therapy showing long term efficacy and no chronic toxicity."}
{"id": "PMID:1468026", "title": "[Spiroplasma from Tabanidae capable to multiply and to persist in the central nervous system in mice].", "content": "Using alternate passages of cultivation in vitro at 37 degrees C and in suckling mice following intracerebral inoculation, a tabanid spiroplasma was demonstrated capable of multiplication and persistence in mice for 6 successive passages, without production of specific antibody. This is the first report of a spiroplasma from a common flying haematophagous arthropod shown to produce persistent infection of a mammal."}
{"id": "PMID:1468027", "title": "'Horoscope effect' not only for seasonal but also for non-seasonal allergens.", "content": "We report on the relation between the month of birth and the chance of developing an IgE antibody response as found in a study sample of 150,000 subjects. Our results confirm that for the three seasonal allergens birch pollen, grass pollen and house dust mite, an increased relative risk was found for subjects born up to 3 months before the main season for that allergen in The Netherlands. For cat and dog allergy an increased relative risk was found from November to January, perhaps reflecting increased exposure to these pets during the winter. Surprisingly, however, also for egg white and cow's milk a clearly increased relative risk was found from November to January and a decreased relative risk in May. These data support the hypothesis of a 'sensitive' period in the first months of life during which allergen exposure is more likely to prime for an allergy later in life. The results with the non-seasonal allergens suggest that another seasonal factor exists which early in life assists (or prevents) priming by allergen."}
{"id": "PMID:1468028", "title": "Month of birth and allergic disease at the age of 10.", "content": "The relationship between month of birth and asthma, hay fever and skin sensitization to mixed grass pollen was analysed in a population-based cross-sectional study in Munich and Bavaria 1989-1990 of 6535 10-year-old children. The relative risk of developing atopic disease is calculated by comparing the prevalence in a single month with the prevalence of all other months. A slightly increased risk of developing allergic skin sensitization for grass pollen (n = 1128) was found for February (odds ratio, 1.3, 95% confidence interval 1.0-1.6), May (1.4, 1.1-1.8) and June (1.3, 1.0-1.6). For hay fever (n = 379) an increase was found for May (1.5, 1.0-2.1) and for allergic asthma (n = 277) for August (1.4, 1.0-2.1). A protective effect was observed for certain months of birth; September for allergic sensitization (0.8, 0.6-1.0), October for and November for hay fever (0.6, 0.3-0.9). The occurrence of hay fever and positive prick test is explained by the seasonal variation of atmospheric grass pollen and the peak in August of asthmatic patients by house dust. Date of birth appears therefore to slightly influence the risk of developing an allergic sensitization and allergic diseases."}
{"id": "PMID:1468029", "title": "Monoclonal antibodies to Lepidoglyphus destructor: delineation of crossreactivity between storage mites and house dust mites.", "content": "We have developed monoclonal antibodies (MoAbs) to the storage mite Lepidoglyphus destructor (Ld). Employing these anti-Ld MoAbs Ld-MoAbs) in ELISA and ELISA inhibition techniques we have analysed the reaction pattern of Ld-MoAbs to both non-pyroglyphid and pyroglyphid mites. The storage mite Glycyphagus domesticus (Gd) exhibited most efficient inhibition, followed by Acarus siro (As), Tyrophagus putrescentiae (Tp), Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (Dpt) and Euroglyphus maynei (Em). Of the two pyroglyphid species, Dpt showed at least 1000 times less inhibition than Gd. Two of the MoAbs immunoprecipitated a band of 39 kD whereas the third reacted weakly, with a high-molecular band of approximately 110 kD. The Ld extract was also subjected to various reagents and conditions and the antigen was heat stable, it was not affected by low pH, or sensitive to dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO) or paraformaldehyde. After exposure of the extract to various reagents, such as protease trypsin and periodate, we conclude that the epitopes recognized by Ld-MoAbs were of carbohydrate rather than of protein nature. It would thus seem that MoAbs recognize the carbohydrate part of a glycoprotein."}
{"id": "PMID:1468032", "title": "Adrenergic response in children with asthma on exogenous stimuli.", "content": "In asthmatic children it was investigated whether the degree of impairment of the adrenergic response on exogenous stimuli is related to the magnitude of the 24-hour amplitude in airflow obstructions. Urinary-adrenaline and noradrenaline excretion after house dust mite (HDM) inhalation and after exercise was measured. Nine children with (group I), and nine without increased airflow obstruction overnight (group II) and nine age matched healthy children (group C) were included in the study. All patients showed an early obstructive reaction (EOR) after HDM challenge. Six children in group I and five in group II developed an EOR on exercise. A significant increase in urinary adrenaline excretion was observed after exercise in the control group (P < 0.05, values on the control and challenge day being 5.4 +/- 0.9 and 10.0 +/- 1.6 mumol/mol creat.). The same occurred for noradrenaline (P < 0.01, values being 28.2 +/- 2.5 and 49.0 +/- 5.7 mumol/mol creat.). Adrenergic response after both stimuli was impaired in the asthmatic groups, in group I more pronounced than in group II. Values from group I for adrenaline on the control day, HDM and exercise challenge were 6.0 +/- 0.8, 4.7 +/- 0.6, 6.0 +/- 1.0 and for noradrenaline 36.1 +/- 2.7, 27.2 +/- 2.3, 38.4 +/- 4.9 mumol/mol creat., respectively. Values from group II for adrenaline on these days were 5.6 42- 1.0, 3.7 42- 0.6 and 9.0 +/- 1.3 and for noradrenaline 28.3 +/- 3.2, 22.4 +/- 2.5, 41.3 +/- 5.9 mumol/mol creat., respectively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1468033", "title": "Percutaneous internal jugular vein catheterization with double lumen for temporary hemodialysis: experience of 100 cases.", "content": "We studied a total of 100 patients (46 men, 54 women) with renal failure requiring hemodialysis therapy by using double lumen catheter for temporary vascular access through the internal jugular vein. Fifteen patients had acute renal failure and 85 patients had end stage renal disease (including 27 cases of DM nephropathy). The mean length of time the catheter was in situ was 18.7 +/- 11.1 days (2-67 days); the mean frequency of the hemodialysis performed through this access was 7.8 +/- 4.6 (1-27). Recirculation rate was 7.19 +/- 2.68% (3.2-10.7%). The blood flow during hemodialysis was 180-200 ml/min. There was no catheter related mortality. The most common complication was catheter related septicemia (4%). Local infection of the catheter entry site occurred in 3 cases. Inadequate blood flow was detected in 3 cases. Two episodes of arrhythmia (atrial premature contractions, short runs of ventricular tachycardia) developed during the first hemodialysis procedure. Hematoma due to accidental puncture of the carotid artery was noted in one case. Neither pneumothorax nor hemothorax was detected. Our experiences revealed that the percutaneous internal jugular vein catheterization with a double lumen catheter is a safe and efficient temporary vascular access for hemodialysis."}
{"id": "PMID:1468034", "title": "Primary myelodysplastic syndrome: an analysis of 56 patients.", "content": "A total of 56 patients were diagnosed as primary myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Kaohsiung from April 1986 to December 1991. The median age was 65 years with an equal sex ratio. All patients presented with anemia and 52% with pancytopenia. The overall median survival for the entire group was 7 months, in which the chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMMoL) was 7 months, and 4 months for each of the refractory anemia with excess of blasts (RAEB) or the refractory anemia with excess of blasts in transformation (RAEB-T), however, the median survival had not been reached at 27 months for refractory anemia (RA) and at 33 months for refractory anemia with ring sideroblasts (RARS). Low-does arabinosyl cytosine (Ara-C) was administered in 9 patients with RAEB and RAEB-T, but no survival benefit was noted. Infection, especially pneumonia, was the most common cause of death. In 61 febrile episodes with clinically suspected sepsis, 10 (17%) were documented to associate with bacteremia. Twelve patients (7 RAEB, 4 RAEB-T, and 1 CMMoL) evolved to acute myelogenous leukemia (AML), the median interval from diagnosis to evolution was 4.8 months. This series indicates that only two groups of FAB subtypes could be clearly separated in terms of morphological findings and clinical outcome; RA and RARS constitute a good prognostic group, whereas RAEB, CMMoL, and RAEB-T constitute a poor prognostic group."}
{"id": "PMID:1468035", "title": "Postmenopausal tuboovarian abscess.", "content": "Twenty postmenopausal women with tuboovarian abscess were surgically managed at CGMH during 1981 to 1991. Fever with lower abdominal pain were the most common symptoms and signs. Laboratory, sonographic & roentgenologic studies helped in detecting and in making a correct preoperative diagnosis of the origin of the inflammatory complex. Half of the patients had postmenopausal bleeding or discharge. Six tuboovarian abscesses were ruptured at the time of surgery and of these had prolonged hospitalization due to complications. Among the six complications, 2 suffered from intraoperative bowel injury, 2 had postoperative wound infection, 1 colonocutaneous fistula and 1 sigmoid stricture. Abdominal total hysterectomy was tried in all the cases but the surgical procedure was changed to subtotal hysterectomy in two and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy in one. Septic condition and suspicion of ruptured abscess are indications for immediate operation. No major medical complication developed in the post-operative period. However, the early detection and treatment of unruptured tuboovarian abscess had less surgery related complications and had a shorter mean length of hospitalization."}
{"id": "PMID:1468036", "title": "[Analysis of treatment and results of periapical surgery].", "content": "The purpose of this investigation was to study the treatment results following periapical surgery at Taipei Chang Gung Memorial Hospital. From August 1984 to November 1990, 101 periapical surgery treatments were performed on 82 patients. A total of 40 patients with 47 teeth were reexamined more than one year after they had received periapical surgery. The observation period varied from 1 to 6 years. According to radiographic and clinical criteria, the treatment results were considered successful in 61.8% of the teeth, doubtful in 19.1%, and unsuccessful in 19.1%. Clinical signs and symptoms were present in 21.3% of the teeth, occurring significantly more after in teeth demonstrating radiographically unsatisfactory healing."}
{"id": "PMID:1468037", "title": "[The comparison of microleakage among three different dentin bonding agents in class V cavities].", "content": "The use of the etching technique and an enamel bonding agent may effectively reduce microleakage of the cavity wall. However, the reduction of marginal leakage relating to class V cavities, is still unsatisfactory according to the dental literature. Due to the structural difference between the dentin and the enamel, though many new dentin bonding agents have been developed lately, none of them work perfectly. In this experiment, the \"silver staining technique\" was used to investigate the degree of microleakage in class V resin restorations which were bonded with 3 different dentin bonding agents (Scotchbond, Scotchbond 2 and Denthesive). The sample consists of 21 caries free human molars which were divided into 3 groups: 1) Scotchbond v. s. Scotchbond 2, 2) Scotchbond v. s. Denthesive, 3) Scotchbond 2 v. s. Denthesive. Both buccal and lingual surfaces were prepared for class V cavities. The cavities were then filled with composite resin Silux, and immersed in 50% silver nitrate solution for 2 hours, and followed by washing with distilled water. After that these teeth were immersed in photodeveloping solution under the fluorescent light for 3 hours. On finishing, they were washed again, sectioned vertically into mesial and distal halves with a Isomet sectioner and put under a microscope and evaluated for the degree of microleakage with Dr. Going's method. On statistical analysis, the results of this study showed that the degree of microleakage was not significantly different among the 3 dentin bonding agents in class V resin restorations, either on the gingival wall or the occlusal wall."}
{"id": "PMID:1468038", "title": "[A complete denture rebasing method in two appointments].", "content": "During rebase of the complete dentures, the denture bases are used as the trays for making border molding and final impression. Both open--mouth and closed-mouth impression methods are certainly expected to change the relationship between acrylic teeth and denture base after impression procedures. The upper denture usually shifts forward and downward, as a result, the occlusal relationship and esthetics are both damaged. The purpose of this article was to introduce an effective method for rebasing complete dentures. Through utilizing (1) the interridge distance, (2) the distance between the upper edentulous ridge and the occlusal surface of the lower acrylic teeth, and (3) the interocclusal records obtained immediately after each impression, the displacement of denture base can be corrected accurately. In addition, the original occlusion and esthetics are able to be preserved."}
{"id": "PMID:1468039", "title": "Meconium peritonitis-antenatal diagnosis by ultrasound.", "content": "Meconium peritonitis is usually the result of prenatal bowel obstruction with subsequent perforation, then the contents spread into the peritoneal cavity, which results in a sterile inflammatory reaction. The incidence ranges from 1/1500 to 1/2000, if without prenatal diagnosis and planned postnatal treatment, the mortality rate is as high as 62%. We describe three children, two with surgically, one with autoptically confirmed meconium peritonitis. All had abnormally prenatal ultrasonographic examinations. The first fetus showed a large 10 x 11 cm intra-abdominal mass with floating echogenic substances inside and with an echogenic rim. The second showed increased echogenicity with dilated bowel in abdominal cavity in one of the twin, and the third had an intra-abdominal cyst with several echogenic bands inside, fetal ascites was also noted. It is remarkable that the ultrasonographic findings were different in the three children. Two of the three children survived postoperation, one died 3 hours later after induction out at 31 weeks of gestational age due to multiple congenital anomalies."}
{"id": "PMID:1468040", "title": "Carcinosarcoma of esophagus. Report of one case and review of the literature.", "content": "Esophageal carcinosarcoma is a rare malignant tumor. The tumor is composed of both carcinomatous and sarcomatous elements. The multiple designations of names such as pseudosarcoma, pseudosarcomatous carcinoma, polypoid carcinoma etc. reflect the controversy on the nature of sarcomatous component of this lesion. We report a case of carcinosarcoma of esophagus occurred in a 67 year old male with progressive dysphagia. Esophageal polypoid tumor was found by endoscopy and was resected by esophagectomy. Carcinosarcoma was proved by demonstrating both carcinomatous and sarcomatous components in the tumor. Immunohistochemical studies revealed positive keratin stain in the sarcomatous area and positive vimentin stain in the sarcomatous area. The tumor was reported to have a better prognosis than that of the squamous cell carcinoma of esophagus in the literatures, especially in the survival rate."}
{"id": "PMID:1468041", "title": "Retrograde jejunogastric intussusception caused by a jejunal polyp.", "content": "A 70-year-old male presented with epigastric pain, vomiting and upper gastrointestinal bleeding 11 years after a subtotal gastrectomy. Retrograde jejunogastric intussusception was diagnosed by endoscopy and barium meal study and finally confirmed by laparotomy. After reduction of the intussusception, a small polyp was found at 20 cm distal to the anastoma, which served as the leading point of intussusception. The pathophysiology and clinical manifestations of this disease were reviewed."}
{"id": "PMID:1468042", "title": "Penile fracture. Case report.", "content": "A male patient suffered from pain, bleeding and deformity of penis with immediate detumescence during reverse coitus. Early surgical repair of the ruptured corpora cavernosa achieved excellent functional results. We report a case of penile fracture and review the literature."}
{"id": "PMID:1468043", "title": "Measuring psychological outcomes following rehabilitation.", "content": "Recent literature leaves little doubt that people with disabilities experience depressive and adjustment disorders at a greater rate that those in the general population. Differences between rates detected in different studies, however, prompt researchers to explore the definition of depression as applied to people with a disability, and to challenge the long-held notions that everyone with a disability undergoes depression at one time or another as part of the process of adjustment to disability. The present study measures the two related, but theoretically distinct, constructs of depression and adjustment to disability in a sample of spinal cord injured adults interviewed at one, four and twelve months post-rehabilitation. On the basis of these data, a two-dimensional measurement model is empirically developed for psychological outcomes, with the two dimensions representing adjustment and depression. The measurement model is supported by data at all three time intervals and by a number of different analyses. These findings underline the importance of distinguishing between depression and adjustment both in clinical applications and in research."}
{"id": "PMID:1468044", "title": "An outcome measure to quantify passive stiffness of the ankle.", "content": "The primary aim of this research project was to develop a method to quantify a specific variable of neuromuscular function, passive stiffness of the ankle. It was then used to determine if values for the outcome measure varied with age and sex in a sample of elderly men and women between 55 and 85 years old. Subjects were screened for medical conditions contraindicative to testing, e.g. severe arthritis, other history of bone or muscle disorders, ankle fracture, neural disorder causing spasticity or contracture. A rotatable footplate which recorded position and resistive torque with a potentiometer and strain gauge, respectively, was linked to an electric, computer-controlled torque motor. Passive elastic stiffness, defined as the slope of the passive resistance curve at 10 degrees dorsiflexion (in N.m/degree), was greater in males, (p < .001), and increased with age (p = .002). There was a significant effect of age group on passive range of motion (ROM) values for ankle dorsiflexion (p < .001), but also a significant sex by age interaction (p = .001). Females showed a large drop from a mean of 19.3 degrees +/- 3.2 in the youngest group (55-60 yr) to 12.1 degrees +/- 5.5 in the 81 to 85 yr olds. Corresponding mean values for the middle-aged males were 15.4 degrees +/- 4.3 versus 13.1 degrees +/- 3.5 of dorsiflexion in the group of 81 to 85 yr old men. It was concluded that passive ROM of the ankle into dorsiflexion showed decreases in the elderly, which seemed to reflect less complaint tissue structures."}
{"id": "PMID:1468045", "title": "Clinical measures of shoulder subluxation: their reliability.", "content": "The purpose of this report is to describe the reliability of three clinical measures used to evaluate changes in shoulder subluxation. The three methods include measuring the subacromial space in fingers breadth, using calipers, or a plexiglass jig. Thirty-six patients with shoulder subluxation who had experienced a cerebrovascular accident were the subjects. Four occupational therapists with experience in stroke rehabilitation were divided into two teams of two therapists and rated the subjects independently. Each rater repeated her assessments on nine subjects to test intrarater agreement. Inter-rater agreement was assessed both between members of the same team (27 subjects per rater pair) and members of different teams (18 subjects per rater pair). The measure of reliability was the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC2, 1) as derived from two-way analysis of variance. The highest intra-rater reliability was displayed by the finger breadth method, the second highest by the caliper method and the lowest by the plexiglass jig. The coefficients in the former two cases were always above .8. Using the jig only one rater achieved this level. Agreement between the two members of the same team were above .75 for the fingers and caliper methods, but less than this for the jig. Between members of different teams however, only the finger breadth method attained reliabilities above .7, and the plexiglass jig, in particular, showed very low reliability. These results demonstrate the difficulty of achieving consistent clinical measurement for a condition like shoulder subluxation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1468046", "title": "Balance control in the elderly: implications for clinical assessment and rehabilitation.", "content": "Deterioration of balance control system with age results in a higher incidence of falls. To assess the performance of the balance control system we need to select appropriate body posture and/or motion, decide on the type and level of perturbation and study the response using selected measures. The guidelines we should use to determine the task, perturbation and measures is the focus of this article. Our work on the elderly is used to provide support for the various criteria put forward. The tasks evaluated for stability should include specific postures and movements which are part of the normal repertoire and challenge the balance control system. Variety of perturbations are necessary to get insights into the working of the system. The level of perturbation that can be handled should be specified. The response measures should be able to identify deterioration in the system performance, provide diagnostic information and insights into how the system has adapted to the age-related changes. These guidelines are critical if balance tests are to be used for clinical assessment and rehabilitation."}
{"id": "PMID:1468047", "title": "Gross motor performance measure for children with cerebral palsy: study design and preliminary findings.", "content": "This project investigated the validity, reliability and responsiveness of the Gross Motor Performance Measure (GMPM). The GMPM was developed as an observational instrument to measure changes in quality of movement in children with cerebral palsy. Physical therapists from 3 children's treatment centres assessed 107 children with CP, 18 children with head injury and 33 non-disabled children. Assessments were conducted on 2 occasions, 4 to 6 months apart. The measurement protocol included assessment with the GMPM and the Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM). Validity was tested by comparing changes in GMPM scores to parent and therapist independent ratings of the children's motor performance. Also, a sample (n = 30) of paired assessments was videotaped for 'masked' evaluation by therapists. Inter-rater, intra-rater and test-retest reliability studies (n = 30) were conducted. Responsiveness to change was determined through parent and therapist ratings of the importance of observed changes in quality of movement. Data collection for this study has just been completed. Validation hypotheses have been postulated regarding correlations between changes in GMPM scores; GMFM scores; age of children; diagnosis; severity of condition; parent, therapist and 'masked' evaluator judgement of change. Correlation analysis, t-test and analysis of variance results will be presented. Reliability data for the GMPM and parent/therapist rating scales will be presented using intra-class correlation coefficients. Data supporting responsiveness of the GMPM will be presented using an analysis of variance model for 'stable' and 'responsive' groups."}
{"id": "PMID:1468049", "title": "Spasticity measurement in stroke: a pilot study.", "content": "The ability to objectively measure spasticity, related to cerebral stroke, is important in the rehabilitation therapies since many therapeutic modalities have been developed over the years to reduce spasticity. The unproven clinical expectation is that function would be improved were spasticity to be reduced. Unfortunately, the ability to measure spasticity to conduct efficacy studies of spasticity-reducing therapies is not possible. This relates to the multi-variable nature of the spastic syndrome with the result that no clinical measurement technique has been proven to be sensitive, valid and reliable. Therefore, it is important to develop a research-oriented spasticity measurement system to meet this need. We describe the current development of such a system. Details of our pilot study of a reflex excitability technique, designed to measure certain components of cerebral spasticity, are presented. The technique combined biomechanical and electrophysiological measures to investigate a homogenous stroke sample (n = 6); it incorporated the H-reflex in soleus, during passive ankle movements, as a measure of faulty neural inhibition. This component significantly (p < .05) differentiated the stroke sample from a matched, healthy control group (n = 6). Evocation of a cutaneous reflex in soleus was a condition that was problematic and it had to be dropped from the protocol. Joint stiffness, which is thought to affect measures of spasticity during passive movement, did not contaminate the measures. Further research in this direction is required to delineate and measure other neural components of spasticity while taking into account related non-neural variables. The final objective in this line of research is to develop a valid, reliable and sensitive spasticity measurement system that could be used to judge the efficacy of physical neurorehabilitation treatments currently employed to reduce spasticity following stroke."}
{"id": "PMID:1468050", "title": "Construction and validation of the Alberta Infant Motor Scale (AIMS).", "content": "The Alberta Infant Motor Scale (AIMS), an observational assessment scale, was constructed to measure gross motor maturation in infants from birth through independent walking. Based upon the literature, 58 items were generated and organized into four positions: prone, supine, sitting and standing. Each item describes three aspects of motor performance--weight-bearing, posture and antigravity movements. Content validation of the instrument was accomplished through a mail survey of Canadian pediatric physical therapists and consultation with an international panel of experts. Five hundred and six infants, age-stratified from birth through 18 months, participated in the reliability and validity testing of the AIMS. In addition, 20 infants who were experiencing abnormal motor development and 50 infants at risk for motor disorders were assessed and compared with the results of the full-term sample. Results to be presented include: 1) test-retest and inter-rater reliability estimates; 2) correlations between the AIMS and the Bayley and Peabody motor scores; and 3) scaling of the items along the age continuum for normal motor development."}
{"id": "PMID:1468052", "title": "Incoordination in patients with hemiparesis.", "content": "Incoordination is frequently observed in patients following a cerebrovascular accident. Clinical electromyographic studies which have furthered our understanding of this motor impairment are reviewed, and possible underlying mechanisms are discussed. It is suggested that the lack of coordinated voluntary movement observed in hemiparetic patients may be due, in part, to an impaired regulation of spinal neurones. In the rehabilitation sciences, the need to assess the effectiveness of treatment as well as develop new approaches for the treatment of hemiparetic subjects will require the combined efforts of many investigators. A two-fold research approach is supported which aims: 1) to quantify the motor deficit, and 2) to extend our knowledge of the physiological mechanisms underlying the deficit. Such a general research approach could be of value to the study of other sensorimotor deficits."}
{"id": "PMID:1468051", "title": "Validation of prediction of kindergarten-age school-readiness scores of nondisabled survivors of moderate neonatal encephalopathy in term infants.", "content": "Outcome studies of nonmalformed term infants with neonatal encephalopathy associated with late fetal and/or early neonatal distress show those in the severe category die or become disabled; 18% in the moderate category become disabled and of the nondisabled, greater than 40% have school-readiness delay. Predictive indices for kindergarten-age learning ability obtained from obstetrical/neonatal and family/social data were developed for 71 nondisabled survivors of moderate neonatal encephalopathy born in 1974-79 (Cohort I). Predicted outcome was compared to actual outcome of a second cohort of neonates with the same diagnosis, born in 1982-86 (Cohort II); comparison groups for both cohorts were tested. School-readiness scores from Cohort II were similar to Cohort I and both were below respective comparison groups. Prediction for the nondelayed was 68% to 95%; for the delayed 7% to 29%, affected by the lower sample size available for this category. Predicted scores were within 0.5 SD of actual scores for 80% of not delayed children. Nondisabled survivors predicted to do very well can be discharged from follow-up; others with moderate or severe neonatal encephalopathy should receive ongoing assessment."}
{"id": "PMID:1468053", "title": "Measuring long-term outcome after traumatic brain injury.", "content": "We report the results of the first stage of development of an instrument to measure long-term functional outcome after traumatic brain injury. The instrument focuses on both the person with a disability and the impact on the family caregiver. We illustrate the early stages of instrument development, focusing on one approach to standardized reviewer feedback to evaluate content validity. The results of the pilot testing are discussed in terms of: purpose, instrument construction, and clinical utility. While the complete details of the instrument are not presented, example items are used as illustration. A number of methodological issues in instrument development in rehabilitation are described including the logistics of reviewer feedback, the use of family caregivers in instrument development and the reliability of self-report in brain-injured population."}
{"id": "PMID:1468055", "title": "Measuring balance in the elderly: validation of an instrument.", "content": "This study assessed the validity of the Balance Scale by examining: how Scale scores related to clinical judgements and self-perceptions of balance, laboratory measures of postural sway and external criteria reflecting balancing ability; if scores could predict falls in the elderly; and how they related to motor and functional performance in stroke patients. Elderly residents (N = 113) were assessed for functional performance and balance regularly over a nine-month period. Occurrence of falls was monitored for a year. Acute stroke patients (N = 70) were periodically rated for functional independence, motor performance and balance for over three months. Thirty-one elderly subjects were assessed by clinical and laboratory indicators reflecting balancing ability. The Scale correlated moderately with caregiver ratings, self-ratings and laboratory measures of sway. Differences in mean Scale scores were consistent with the use of mobility aids by elderly residents and differentiated stroke patients by location of follow-up. Balance scores predicted the occurrence of multiple falls among elderly residents and were strongly correlated with functional and motor performance in stroke patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1468065", "title": "[Abandonment, therapeutic relentlessness or euthanasia].", "content": "Which standards and values should guide our conduct relating to death and palliative care? Who, in the end, has the right to decide whether or not to administer a life extending therapy to terminally-ill patients? Where exactly is the border between an ordinary treatment and an extraordinary or a relentless one? Should euthanasia be legalized or not? These are some of the basic questions caregivers and health professionals who work with the dying are now asking themselves. To delve deeper into these questions and help to find the answers, the author draws a collective typology of the main ideas people have on these problems. The differences between the various trends of thinking regarding death are explained. The author concludes with a plea in favor of the principle where the dying patient becomes the centre of the end of life and agony process. Therefore, it is the caregiver's responsibility to grant the patient the right to be informed, to ask for or refuse therapeutic relentlessness, or to die with dignity and serenity."}
{"id": "PMID:1468066", "title": "[Snow-white in danger. Women, socialization and health. Some messages, by means of allegory].", "content": "This is the modern-day allegory of Snow White, the most beautiful woman in the kingdom. Because of her beauty she is banished from the castle. The seven dwarfs who befriend her welcome her into their cottage. Little by little, they begin to impose their demands on her. They try to coerce her into submitting to life's little demands in order to attain beauty, health and happiness. Diet categorizes the foods filled with nasty calories that Snow White must learn to do without. Fitness outlines her spare time exercise regimen to keep her slim and trim. Mr. Clean provides her with specific household cleaning tips. Job tips advise her how to get a job outside the home to maintain her financial autonomy. Pills provide her with a way to assure a smooth transition between work and the household chores. Oh! And we almost forgot Baby. Who will care for Baby? Snow White of course--since she is the only woman in the house. Finally, to assure perfect co-ordination of all these tasks, Excel sends her off to take a time management course. Snow white responds enthusiastically to all the expectations. As anticipated, she loses weight. She then becomes exhausted and collapses and is transformed into Burnt-Out Beauty. She remains in a deep sleep for 100 days and nights. The dwarfs place her in a glass box in a forest clearing where she is discovered by Prince Conscience. He opens the glass box, kisses her lightly on the forehead, and immediately disappears. Snow White awakens and remembers the events preceding her deep sleep.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1468070", "title": "Three-dimensional reconstruction of skeletal muscle from MRI.", "content": "Three-dimensional (3D) reconstructions of medical images can provide useful information to the radiologist, enabling delineation and spatial correlation of anatomic structures in one image rather than consecutive two-dimensional (2D) images. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is known to be a powerful technique for evaluation of skeletal muscle pathology and physiology. We investigated the role of 3D reconstruction from MRI images of pathological and healthy muscle, using volume rendering. The ability to easily delineate and recognize normal and injured muscle in the 3D images were dependent upon the original contrast between normal and injured muscle, spatial resolution, and anatomic complexity in the original slices, and also on imaging parameters such as volume averaging."}
{"id": "PMID:1468072", "title": "CT appearances in macronodular hepatosplenic tuberculosis: a review with five additional new cases.", "content": "Pseudotumoral or macronodular hepatosplenic tuberculosis (HSTB) is rare. Only 31 cases have been documented in imaging literature so far. Presented is the clinico-imaging review with five additional new cases of this uncommon variety. Due to nonspecific wide spectrum of imaging appearances, biopsy is mandatory in almost all cases. Clinical recovery and resolution of lesions on imaging may not be directly proportional."}
{"id": "PMID:1468077", "title": "The preparation of intermediates for the synthesis of 1D-myo-inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate, a second messenger for signal transduction in cells.", "content": "Racemic 1,2,4-tri-O-benzyl-5,6-O-isopropylidene-myo-inositol was prepared by a new route involving crotyl (but-2-enyl) ethers and converted into the (-)-omega-camphanates to give the pure crystalline 1L-diastereoisomer and the chirally impure, syrupy 1D-diastereoisomer. The latter was converted via the 1-O-allyl or 1-O-p-methoxybenzyl ethers into chirally pure 1D-2,3,6-tri-O-benzyl-myo-inositol [required as an intermediate for the synthesis of 1D-myo-inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (1,4,5-IP3)], which was also prepared by de-p-methoxybenzylation of 1D-2,3,6-tri-O-benzyl-1,5-di-O-p-methoxybenzyl-myo-inositol. Racemic 2,4-di-O-benzyl-5,6-O-isopropylidene-1-O-p-methoxybenzyl-myo-inositol was prepared in a similar way to the analogous tribenzyl ether (using crotyl ethers) and the omega-camphanate esters behaved similarly, allowing efficient resolution by crystallisation of the (-)- and (+)-omega-camphanates. Racemic 1,2,4-tri-O-allyl-3-O-(but-2-enyl)-myo-inositol was resolved via the (-)-omega-camphanates and was also converted into 1,2,4-tri-O-(cis-prop-1-enyl)-myo-inositol, an alternative intermediate for the synthesis of 1,4,5-IP3."}
{"id": "PMID:1468071", "title": "Combining evidence from multiple imaging modalities: a feature-analysis method.", "content": "This study was designed to develop methods to improve radiologists' ability to detect and diagnose breast cancer. We evaluated the ability of a feature-analysis method to help radiologists merge judgements constructively from two rather disparate breast imaging tests. To accomplish these goals, we developed a list of perceptual features and quantitated the importance of each in the diagnosis of patients having both diaphanography (Test 1) and mammography (Test 2). Then, two decision aids were developed: One was a checklist of the critical diagnostic visual features from both tests that also assisted readers in rating these features numerically. The second was a computer-based classifier that assisted readers in merging the assessments of the two tests into one overall diagnostic probability. The value of these aids was assessed by comparing radiologists' accuracy in reading a set of proven cases in their standard fashion with their accuracy when reading in an enhanced mode, utilizing the checklist and computer classifier. When Test 1 was read adjunctively with Test 2, use of the decision aids led to a significant improvement in accuracy (p = .013) over the unenhanced, combined readings. For Test 1 alone, the aids led to a significant improvement over its low level of unenhanced reading (p = .046). For Test 2 alone, the enhancements provided little gain in accuracy over an already high level of performance on the full case set (p = .081), although significant gains were realized on the most difficult ones. We conclude that methods to aid standardization and merging of feature-based judgements can improve radiologists performance on complex diagnostic tasks."}
{"id": "PMID:1468078", "title": "Synthesis and biological properties of 2-substituted myo-inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate analogues directed toward affinity chromatography and photoaffinity labeling.", "content": "A series of myo-inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate analogues with the 2-acyl substituents p-aminobenzoyl (7), p-azidobenzoyl (8), 4-(5-[2-(benzamido)ethyl]-2-hydroxyphenylazo)benzoyl (9), and cis,trans-4-aminocyclohexylcarbonyl (10) were synthesised and examined for their effects on the 5-phosphatase, the 3-kinase, the tritiated trisphosphate-binding activity, and the Ca(2+)-releasing activity. Each analogue inhibited the hydrolysis of D-[5-32P]Ins(1,4,5)P3 and the phosphorylation of D-[3H]Ins(1,4,5)P3, catalysed by erythrocyte ghosts and brain cytosol, respectively. The analogues acted as full agonists in releasing Ca2+ from permeabilised cells and also inhibited the binding of D-[3H]Ins(1,4,5)P3 to cerebellum microsomes. The analogues 7 and 10 were utilised for immobilisation of the trisphosphate on Sepharose and the subsequent affinity chromatography effected purification of the above proteins. A photoaffinity probe, the appendage of which acted as the photoaffinity probe as well as a non-radioactive molecular marker, was also derived from the analogue 7."}
{"id": "PMID:1468079", "title": "Synthesis of diacylglycerol analogues as potential second-messenger antagonists and inhibitors of protein kinase C.", "content": "A series of analogues of diacylglycerol has been prepared and tested as inhibitors of protein kinase C (PKC). The diketone analogues, 10-hydroxymethyl-8,13-eicosanedione (24), 10-acetoxymethyl-8,13-eicosanedione (25), and 10-methoxymethyl-8,13-eicosanedione (26) each inhibited PKC activated by 2-O-acetyl-1-O-oleoylglycerol. Compound 24 was the most effective inhibitor of the growth of MR4 and HT29 cells in culture, and 26 was more effective than 24 against HL60 cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1468074", "title": "Thrombosis of the IVC and azygous continuation of IVC by bronchogenic cancer: CT and MRI appearance.", "content": "The authors describe the computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings in a patient with thrombosis of the inferior vena cava (IVC) and azygous continuation of the IVC caused by bronchogenic carcinoma. CT has been touted as the modality of choice for mediastinal evaluation. MRI is presently considered to be the initial modality of choice for mediastinal vessel evaluation. MRI is noninvasive, there is no radiation dose to the patient, multiplanar imaging can be done, and there is no need for iodinated contrast material. The satisfactory evaluation of an individual patient may require the use of MRI and CT in a complementary fashion."}
{"id": "PMID:1468080", "title": "Synthesis of racemic 5-phosphonate analogues of myo-inositol 1,4,5-tris- and 1,3,4,5-tetrakis-phosphate.", "content": "(+/-)-2,3,6-Tri-O-benzyl-5-O-p-methoxybenzyl-myo-inositol and (+/-)-2,6-di-O-benzyl-5-O-p-methoxy-benzyl-myo-inositol, accessible readily from (+/-)-3,6-di-O-allyl-1,2-O-cyclohexylidene-myo-inositol, were phosphitylated with dibenzyl N,N-di-isopropylphosphoramidite, and the resulting phosphite triesters were oxidised with tert-butyl hydroperoxide to give the corresponding fully protected myo-inositol 1,4-bis- (12) and 1,3,4-tris-phosphate (13) derivatives. Cleavage of the p-methoxybenzyl group from 12 and 13, phosphonylation with bis[6-(trifluoromethyl)benzotriazol-1-yl] methylphosphonate or (difluoromethyl)phosphonic di(1,2,4-triazolide), followed by treatment in situ with benzyl alcohol, and then hydrogenolysis of the benzyl groups gave the 5-methylphosphonate and 5-[(difluoromethyl)phosphonate] analogues of myo-inositol 1,4,5-tris- and 1,3,4,5-tetrakis-phosphate. The 5-methylphosphonate analogue of myo-inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate acted as a calcium antagonist in permeabilized human platelets."}
{"id": "PMID:1468073", "title": "Configurational MR characteristics of metastatic brain tumors.", "content": "Magnetic resonance (MR) characteristics of metastatic brain tumors (MBTs) were studied using 15 cases (13 males and 2 females whose ages ranged from 32-78 yr, with the mean age of 57.8 yr; 12 adenocarcinomas, 2 squamous-cell carcinomas, 2 large-cell carcinomas). Nine cases showed hypointensities and five showed isointensities on T1-weighted images. Six cases showed markedly hypo- or hypointensities, two showed isointensities, and six showed markedly hyper- or hyperintensities on T2-weighted images. One case was markedly hyperintense on both T1- and T2-weighted images. The decrease of the signal intensity on the T2-weighted image was the main MR characteristic. A hypointense peritumoral rim was seen in four of the six hyperintense tumors on T2-weighted images. There was no correlation between the signal intensity and the histological classification."}
{"id": "PMID:1468081", "title": "New tetherable derivatives of myo-inositol 2,4,5- and 1,3,4-trisphosphates.", "content": "(+/-)-myo-Inositol 1-(3-aminopropyl hydrogen phosphate) 3,4-bis(disodium phosphate) (5) and (+/-)-myo-inositol 2-(3-aminopropyl hydrogen phosphate) 4,5-bis(disodium phosphate) (11) have been synthesized by conventional procedures. Each derivative has been immobilized on a polymeric resin in order to give a bioaffinity matrix."}
{"id": "PMID:1468075", "title": "CNS changes in neuro-Beh\u00e7et's disease: CT, MR, and SPECT findings.", "content": "CNS changes in three cases of neuro-Beh\u00e7et's disease were observed by computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance (MR) and single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). The present study illustrates the reversibility of lesions in the brain stem with MR, while CT failed to show any abnormal findings in the region of the disease. We conclude that MR is a quite useful method to detect lesions in the brain stem and to evaluate the effects of treatment in neuro-Beh\u00e7et's disease. SPECT is also an important method for the evaluation of dementia recognized in neuro-Beh\u00e7et's disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1468082", "title": "Stereoselective synthesis of glycobiosyl phosphatidylinositol, a part structure of the glycosyl-phosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchor of Trypanosoma brucei.", "content": "O-alpha-D-Mannopyranosyl-(1-->4)-O-2-amino-2-deoxy-alpha-D-glucopyranosy l- (1-->6)-1D-myo-inositol 1-(1,2-di-O-myristoyl-sn-glycer-3-yl hydrogen phosphate), a part structure of the glycosyl-phosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchor of Trypanosoma brucei, was synthesised efficiently by the phosphonate approach. The glycobiosylinositol core was prepared in a stereocontrolled manner from 1D-2,3,4,5-tetra-O-benzyl-1-O-(4-methoxybenzyl)-myo-inositol, tert-butyldimethylsilyl 2-azido-3,6-di-O-benzyl-2-deoxy-alpha-D-glucopyranoside, and methyl 3,6-di-O-acetyl-2,6-di-O-benzyl-2-thio-alpha-D-mannopyranoside."}
{"id": "PMID:1468083", "title": "Building blocks for the synthesis of glycosyl-myo-inositols involved in the insulin intracellular signalling process.", "content": "Glycosylation of (+/- )-1-O-benzyl-2,3:5,6-di-O-isopropylidene-myo-inositol (4) with 6-O-acetyl-4-O-allyl-2-azido-3-O-benzyl-2-deoxy-beta-D-glucopyranosyl trichloroacetimidate (6) gave the 4-O-(2-amino-2-deoxy-alpha-D-glucopyranosyl)- myo-inositol derivative (9) as a mixture of diastereoisomers which could be resolved by chromatography. Likewise alpha-glycosylation of 4 with 6-O-acetyl-2-azido-3-O-benzoyl-2-deoxy-4-O-(2,3,4,6-tetra-O-acetyl-beta- D- galactopyranosyl)-D-glucopyranosyl trichloroacetimidate (10) gave the corresponding pseudotrisaccharide derivative 16 as a mixture of diastereomers which could be resolved partially by chromatography. alpha-Glycosylation of enantiomerically pure 2,3:5,6- (18) and 2,3:4,5-di-O-isopropylidene-1-O-menthoxycarbonyl-myo-inositol (19) with 3,4,6-tri-O-acetyl-2-azido-2-deoxy-D-glucopyranosyl trichloroacetimidate (20) gave the pseudodisaccharide derivatives 21 and 22, respectively. Likewise, alpha-glycosylation of 18 with 10 afforded a pseudotrisaccharide derivative (23)."}
{"id": "PMID:1468086", "title": "Nicardipine in the prevention of migraine headaches.", "content": "The subjects, 104 patients who had experienced more than two migraine episodes per month during the previous 6 months, received 60 mg of nicardipine daily for 2 months in an uncontrolled, Phase-IV study. Eighty-nine patients (mean age, 40 years; 16 with and 73 without aura; 60 women) completed the treatment regimen. The patients' blood pressure did not change during treatment. The mean number of migraine attacks was reduced significantly from 6.7 per month during the 3 months before treatment to 4.0 per month during treatment. The number of severe attacks was also reduced significantly. The patients' subjective ratings of the frequency and intensity of the attacks and their need for analgesia were reduced significantly from before to after treatment. Side effects (flushing and shortness of breath) were reported by four patients. It is concluded that nicardipine is safe and effective in the prevention of migraine attacks."}
{"id": "PMID:1468087", "title": "Blood and urinary magnesium kinetics after oral magnesium supplements.", "content": "A study was conducted to compare the pharmacokinetic profile of three oral magnesium supplements--magnesium chloride solution, slow-release magnesium chloride tablets, and magnesium gluconate tablets--at 16 mmol/dose. Twelve healthy normomagnesemic subjects were evaluated during an initial baseline study, followed by three magnesium supplementation studies. Supplements were administered in a randomized, crossover fashion at weekly intervals. During each of the four trials, subjects followed the same routines and consumed identical diets. Magnesium concentrations were measured in urine samples collected from 0 to 4, 4 to 8, 8 to 12, and 12 to 24 hours. Intraleukocyte, total serum, and ultrafiltrable magnesium were measured in blood samples drawn at 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 12, and 24 hours. Compared with baseline, 24-hour urinary magnesium excretion significantly increased (P < 0.05) after the administration of the magnesium chloride solution and also increased after the administration of the other supplements, but the difference was not significant. The 24-hour areas under the curve (AUCs) for total serum, ultrafiltrable, and leukocyte magnesium were greater after the administration of each of the supplements when compared with baseline, although the differences were not statistically significant. Differences in delta AUCs (supplement AUC minus baseline AUC) for total magnesium, ultrafiltrable magnesium, and 24-hour urinary magnesium excretion were statistically different from zero or between supplements. Statistically significant differences (P < 0.05) in total serum, ultrafiltrable, and leukocyte magnesium concentrations were observed at various time points. These results suggest that there were no major differences in the overall effect of these supplements on total serum, ultrafiltrable, and leukocyte magnesium concentrations but do reveal differences in the time-concentration profiles in magnesium levels in blood and urine among the three supplement forms."}
{"id": "PMID:1468088", "title": "In vitro activity of several antimicrobial agents against genital mycoplasmas.", "content": "The increasing resistance of genital mycoplasmas to tetracyclines is a serious problem, since this group of antibiotics is one of the few that is effective against virtually all species of mycoplasmas. Tetracyclines are also used to treat many sexually transmitted diseases. In this study, we assessed the susceptibility of Mycoplasma hominis and Ureaplasma urealyticum to macrolides, tetracyclines, spectinomycin, and trospectomycin by the agar dilution method. For M hominis, trospectomycin was the most active agent. Spectinomycin, tetracycline, and doxycycline had comparable mycoplasmatic activity, and the macrolides were ineffective. Against U urealyticum, spectinomycin and trospectomycin were the most active drugs, and were at least twofold more active than the macrolides and tetracyclines."}
{"id": "PMID:1468084", "title": "Third-generation cephalosporins: a review.", "content": "Third-generation cephalosporins play a pivotal role in the management of infections because of their potent and broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity, proven clinical efficacy in a wide variety of infections, safety, and potential for cost savings. Selection of third-generation cephalosporins poses a dilemma, however, particularly for clinicians who view the six antibiotics within this class as interchangeable. Choice of drug should be based on antimicrobial spectrum and other factors such as lack of resistance development and cost considerations. This review focuses on the distinguishing features of the parenteral third-generation cephalosporins. Such differences suggest the need for retiring the convenient \"generation\" classification system for cephalosporins in favor of a system that encourages recognition of clinically important features of each agent in this diverse group of cephalosporin antibiotics."}
{"id": "PMID:1468094", "title": "Deposition of loosely bound and firmly bound fluorides on tooth enamel by an acidic gel containing fluorosilicate and monocalcium phosphate monohydrate.", "content": "The amounts of loosely bound fluoride (F) deposited on human enamel by 4-min and 2-hour treatments with either acidulated phosphate fluoride (APF) or a monocalcium phosphate monohydrate and sodium hexafluorosilicate (MCPM-SHFS)-containing gel were measured with the use of a constant-composition F washing method. Enamel biopsies conducted before treatment and after washing were used to determine the firmly bound F uptake. The results showed that the MCPM-SHFS treatments produced significantly more loosely bound F than did the APF treatments. The 4-min treatment with either APF or MCPM-SHFS did not produce significant firmly bound F deposition, but the 2-hour treatments did, with that produced by MCPM-SHFS being significantly greater. The MCPM-SHFS gel, which had the same F content as APF and which may be applied to the proximal tooth surfaces in vivo without the use of a tray, has the potential to be more efficacious than APF because it deposits greater amounts of both loosely bound and firmly bound F."}
{"id": "PMID:1468089", "title": "Comparative effects of simvastatin and lovastatin in patients with hypercholesterolemia. The Simvastatin and Lovastatin Multicenter Study Participants.", "content": "The efficacy, safety profile, and tolerability of the HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors simvastatin and lovastatin were compared in a multicenter, randomized, double-blind study in patients with moderate hypercholesterolemia. Commonly prescribed doses of these two drugs were used by 544 men and women, who followed an American Heart Association phase I diet during a 6-week baseline period and for the 24 weeks of active treatment. Simvastatin 10 mg and lovastatin 20 mg produced statistically significant reductions in total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C). Patients receiving simvastatin 10 mg once daily and lovastatin 20 mg once daily experienced similar reductions in LDL-C and total cholesterol; however, simvastatin 20 mg was statistically superior to lovastatin 40 mg in decreasing these lipid fractions. For all treatment groups, increases in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol were inversely related to baseline levels. Moderate decreases in triglycerides occurred with all doses. Lipoprotein(a) levels, measured in a subset of patients, were similar before and after treatment. Both drugs were well tolerated."}
{"id": "PMID:1468085", "title": "Issues in drug-related performance impairment.", "content": "Performance impairment associated with alcohol, drugs, and medical disorders is of increasing concern to clinicians. Understanding and assessing performance impairment associated with a particular drug or condition is complex and requires careful, critical evaluation of the literature. Awareness of the issues involved enhances the ability of the clinician to assess risks for a given patient and of a given medical therapy. Important study variables are described that should be considered when evaluating the literature pertaining to performance impairment. The clinical relevance of the results of performance studies is also discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1468095", "title": "Fluoride concentrations in unerupted fluorotic human enamel.", "content": "Unerupted fluorotic human enamel was obtained from teeth surgically removed from patients with dental fluorosis. Fluoride was measured in samples produced by serial acid etching from the surface to the interior of blocks of buccal and lingual enamel. The severity of fluorosis, according to the TF index, was determined from the macroscopic and microradiographic appearance of the specimens. The shape of the fluoride profiles was not affected by the degree of severity of fluorosis, but the fluoride concentrations increased with increasing severity of lesions. Fluoride concentrations were similar to those previously recorded in erupted fluorotic enamel and were not related to the length of time the teeth had been present in the jaws. It was concluded that the fluoride content of erupted fluorotic enamel represents fluoride acquired during tooth formation and that further uptake prior to eruption may be negligible."}
{"id": "PMID:1468091", "title": "Therapy for pharyngitis and tonsillitis caused by group A beta-hemolytic streptococci: a meta-analysis comparing the efficacy and safety of cefadroxil monohydrate versus oral penicillin V.", "content": "A meta-analysis was conducted to compare the efficacy and safety of oral cefadroxil monohydrate (30 mg/kg QD or 15 mg/kg BID) with that of oral penicillin V (8, 10, or 15 mg/kg BID, TID, or QID) in the treatment of group A beta-hemolytic streptococcal (GABHS) pharyngitis and tonsillitis treated for 10 days. A simple random effects model was used for combining the efficacy and safety results of nine comparative trials performed in the United States. A total of 1646 patients aged < or = 19 years were considered evaluable; 1406 patients were evaluable using revised bacteriologic criteria, and 1499 patients were considered fully evaluable for safety. The results demonstrate significantly better response rates (P < 0.05) with cefadroxil monohydrate than with penicillin V for overall cure (91.8% versus 81.3%), bacteriologic cure (92.6% versus 81.4%), and bacteriologic recurrence (4.2% versus 10.5%); clinical cure rates were statistically similar (90.5% versus 90.2%). Revised bacteriologic criteria analysis revealed bacteriologic cure rates of 95.8% versus 88.7% (P < 0.05) and bacteriologic recurrence rates of 4.9% versus 7.1% (P = NS) for cefadroxil monohydrate and penicillin V, respectively. Adverse events related to drug administration occurred infrequently and did not differ significantly between treatment groups (P > 0.05). Compliance with cefadroxil monohydrate was at least as good as with penicillin V. Penicillin is currently the drug of choice in the treatment of GABHS pharyngitis and tonsillitis. Based on the information described in this large meta-analysis, cefadroxil monohydrate is an excellent alternative to oral penicillin V in the treatment of GABHS pharyngitis and tonsillitis."}
{"id": "PMID:1468096", "title": "Combined effects of laser irradiation and chemical inhibitors on the dissolution of dental enamel.", "content": "It has previously been shown that the susceptibility of human teeth to acid dissolution can be reduced by the presence of various chemical agents in the dissolution medium or by pretreatment of the teeth with laser irradiation. Now synergism between these two approaches to improving acid resistance has been demonstrated. Extracted human teeth were irradiated with a continuous-wave carbon dioxide laser at a wavelength of 10.6 microns. Energy doses of either 65 or 130 J/cm2 given over periods of 2 or 4 s, respectively, were applied and the teeth subjected to a severe acid challenge (0.1 M acetate buffer, pH 4.5, no calcium or phosphate common ion present) for 24 h. Mineral loss was assessed by measurement of mineral density profiles with quantitative microradiography. Experiments were carried out in the presence or absence of three chemical inhibitors with distinctly different mechanisms of action: ethane-1-hydroxy-1, 1-diphosphonic acid, fluoride, and dodecylamine HCl. Laser irradiation alone was found to lead to increased resistance of the teeth to acid challenge, with the higher energy dose being more effective than the lower dose. Each of the chemical inhibitors was effective on both lased and unlased teeth, with the percent reduction of dissolution greater when the inhibitors were applied to teeth lased with an energy dose of 130 J/cm2 which were already more resistant to acid challenge than were unlased teeth or teeth lased with a dose of 65 J/cm2.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1468097", "title": "Enamel and plaque fluoride following glass ionomer application in vivo.", "content": "Glass ionomer fillings have been suggested to act as a fluoride-releasing system in the mouth. The aim of the present study was to evaluate whether a glass ionomer slab applied on the enamel can increase the fluoride content of the enamel and plaque of adjacent teeth in real-life conditions with frequent exposure to fluoride from other sources. Twenty-five adults living in a town with fluoridated drinking water participated in the study. The initial enamel fluoride content on the buccal surface of the contralateral premolars was determined using the acid etch biopsy technique. A round glass ionomer slab was placed buccally on the first molar on a randomly chosen side of the mouth (test side). After 2 weeks, the enamel fluoride content of premolars on the test and control sides was again determined whilst avoiding the site of the first biopsy. In addition, one biopsy was made on a previously etched area. After 2 and 4 weeks, plaque was collected from three approximal surfaces both on the test and control side, and the total fluoride content of the plaque was analysed. There were no significant differences in the fluoride content of sound or etched enamel before and after placement of glass ionomer. The fluoride content of approximal plaque of teeth close to glass ionomer was not higher than that of the control teeth, either after 2 or 4 weeks. Using the present method, no increase in the fluoride level of teeth adjacent to glass ionomer could be demonstrated. This may be due to the masking effect of fluoride from other sources."}
{"id": "PMID:1468090", "title": "Effects of citicholine in subcortical dementia associated with Parkinson's disease assessed by quantified electroencephalography.", "content": "Two groups of patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease underwent quantified electroencephalography (EEGq) using fast Fourier transfer to assess the effects of treatment with citicholine. Evidence of cortical cognitive impairment was seen in one group but not in the other. Certain parameters were established which enabled the two groups to be distinguished by examining specific EEGq indices. Specifically, differences were found in the overall potentials of the delta and alpha bands, in the alpha/theta index, in posterior activity, in the anteriorization index of the delta and alpha rhythms, and in the spatialization index of the alpha rhythm. The implications of these differences in the potential involvement of the frontal lobes in subcortical dementia in Parkinson's disease are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1468098", "title": "Fluoride release from three glass ionomer materials and the effects of varnishing with or without finishing.", "content": "The release rates of fluoride from discs made from three glass ionomer products, Miracle Mix (MM), Ketac-Silver (KS) and Ketac-Bond (KB), into artificial saliva for 3 weeks were determined. The discs were either not varnished, varnished or varnished and finished. The release rates were not proportional to the fluoride concentrations of the products and were ordered: MM > KB > KS. The rates declined sharply as a function of time regardless of the product or treatment. Varnishing the discs caused a reduction of 61-76% depending on the product. Finishing the varnished discs produced a significant increase in the fluoride release from MM but had no effect on the release from KS or KB. In a separate study with MM, it was determined that the release rate of fluoride was inversely proportional to the powder: liquid ratio used to prepare the discs."}
{"id": "PMID:1468099", "title": "Secondary caries in situ around fluoride-releasing light-curing composites: a quantitative model investigation on four materials with a fluoride content between 0 and 26 vol%.", "content": "In the literature, secondary caries around composite restorations is reported often. Fluoridated composites are therefore interesting materials because they might reduce or inhibit secondary caries. In this article an in situ model investigation is presented in which the effect of F-releasing composites on enamel demineralisation around an artificial gap of 200 microns width was quantified after 1 month. The fluoride content of the composites varied between 0 and 26 vol%. The beneficial effect of the fluoride released was larger in the gap than at the outer enamel surface. In the gap, all fluoridated composites reduced the enamel demineralisation statistically significantly with respect to the non-fluoridated control. Microradiography showed a reduction of lesion depth values of 27-45%, and a reduction of mineral loss values of 25-56%. At the outer enamel surface next to the artificial gap, a beneficial fluoridation effect was measurable only near the most fluoridated composite. The results indicate that fluoridated composites may play a role in the future prevention of secondary caries."}
{"id": "PMID:1468100", "title": "Noncariogenicity of erythritol as a substrate.", "content": "Erythritol is a sugar alcohol produced by Aureobasidium sp. from glucose. It is 75-80% as sweet as sucrose and is also nonhygroscopic. The aim of this study was to evaluate this sugar substitute from a cariological point of view. Erythritol was neither utilized as a substrate for the lactic acid production nor for plaque formation of mutans streptococci (serotypes a-h) and certain oral microorganisms. It was not utilized for water-insoluble glucan synthesis or cellular adherence by glucosyltransferase from Streptococcus mutans PS-14 (c) and Streptococcus sobrinus 6715 (g). Finally, a significantly lower caries score (3.1 +/- 0.5; mean +/- SEM) was observed in specific pathogen-free rats infected with S. sobrinus 6715 and fed with a diet containing 26% erythritol, as compared to control rats fed with a diet containing 26% sucrose (60.5 +/- 2.0). Also, rats provided a diet containing 56% erythritol chocolate (23.8% erythritol) and challenged with S. mutans PS-14 exhibited a significantly lower caries score (6.7 +/- 0.8) compared to the sucrose chocolate group (82.8 +/- 2.8). The main conclusion from this study is therefore that erythritol is a promising sugar substitute from a cariological point of view."}
{"id": "PMID:1468093", "title": "Pharmaceutical research and development.", "content": "Some aspects of pharmaceutical research and development (R&D) are reviewed. The viability of major pharmaceutical manufacturers depends on their research and thus they commit substantial resources to R&D programs. Major pharmaceutical manufacturers in the United States employ about 40,000 R&D personnel, and worldwide pharmaceutical R&D expenditures reached $24 billion in 1990. The pharmaceutical industry is one of the most profitable; however, increasing prices of their products are often associated with increasing R&D costs, ignoring the many positive attributes of R&D. The Council on Competitiveness has recently proposed reforms in the approval process for new drugs, including accelerated approval, external review, and international cooperation. These reforms would help to preserve an R&D capability and a relatively unregulated pharmaceutical industry. Pharmaceutical R&D has made many important contributions, including increased life expectancy, the internationally competitive position of the US industry, and a positive balance of trade. However, a misunderstanding of the role of R&D could encourage development of policies and legislation detrimental to pharmaceutical R&D."}
{"id": "PMID:1468102", "title": "Urinary fluoride excretion in children using potassium fluoride containing salt or sodium fluoride supplements.", "content": "With the introduction of fluoridated domestic salt in France in 1986, questions have arisen with respect to its efficacy in caries prevention. It has been of interest to compare the urinary excretion of fluoride in children who consume fluoridated salt to that in children who take fluoride tablets. Ninety-three schoolchildren, 10-14 years of age, participated in the study and were divided into four groups: group I consumed fluoridated salt with every meal; group II ate at a school restaurant once a day and consequently consumed fluoridated salt at only their evening meal, as fluoridated salt is not authorized for use in collective restaurants; group III consisted of children taking fluoride tablets (1.0 mg F/day) exclusively, and group IV did not receive any systemic administration of fluoride for prevention and constituted a low-fluoride control group. Total 24-hour urine samples were collected from all subjects. The average daily urinary flow rates varied from 0.51 to 0.68 ml/min, but showed no statistically significant differences among the groups. The average urinary fluoride concentrations were 0.60, 0.30, 0.99, and 0.28 mg/l, respectively, for groups I-IV. The mean 24-hour urinary fluoride concentrations and excretion rates for children who consumed fluoridated salt at all meals (group I) were not statistically different from those using tables (group III). There were also no statistically significant differences between groups II and IV. The differences between urinary fluoride concentrations and excretion rates of groups I and III, as compared with group IV, were statistically significant."}
{"id": "PMID:1468101", "title": "Evaluation of the cariogenic potential of the intense natural sweeteners stevioside and rebaudioside A.", "content": "Stevioside and rebaudioside A, two intense natural sweeteners, that are constituents of the South American plant Stevia rebaudiana, were tested for cariogenicity in albino Sprague-Dawley rats. Sixty rat pups colonized with Streptococcus sobrinus were divided into four groups and fed stevioside, rebaudioside A or sucrose added to basal diet 2000 as follows: group 1, 30% sucrose; group 2, 0.5% stevioside; group 3, 0.5% rebaudioside A, and group 4, no addition. All four groups were sacrificed after 5 weeks. S. sobrinus counts were made and caries was evaluated according to Keyes' technique. There were no differences in food and water intake and weight gains between the four groups. There were significant differences in sulcal caries scores (p < 0.02) and S. sobrinus counts (p < 0.05) between group 1 and the other three groups. There were no significant differences between the stevioside, rebaudioside A and no-addition groups. It was concluded that neither stevioside nor rebaudioside A is cariogenic under the conditions of this study."}
{"id": "PMID:1468103", "title": "Exposure to low levels of fluoride and dental caries in deciduous molars of Tanzanian children.", "content": "In general, the prevalence of caries in African children may be classified as low to very low. In order to reduce this level even further, methods including the practice of good oral hygiene and administration of fluoride, e.g. water fluoridation, have been suggested. In 1984, 1986 and 1988, a mixed-longitudinal study amongst schoolchildren was carried out in a rural and urban area of Tanzania. In the rural area, shallow wells had been constructed at different periods in time in eight villages since the late 1970s. The drinking water in three of the villages contained fluoride in the range of 0.5-0.8 ppm (fluoridated) and contained less than 0.4 ppm fluoride in the remaining five villages (non-fluoridated). These fluoride levels were disclosed to the authors only during the course of the study. Thus the data were reanalysed to investigate the effects of fluoride and length of fluoride exposure on caries experience in the deciduous dentition. The study was carried out amongst 522 7- and 8-year-olds. Fluoride tablets were not used and toothpaste was virtually unavailable. Three periods of fluoride exposure were identified, i.e. 3, 5 and 7 years. The outcome variable was the mean dmft score in deciduous molars whereas the explanatory variables were age, length of fluoride exposure and year of investigation. Nutrition was considered a co-variate. Analysis of co-variance revealed a fluoride effect (p = 0.0004). Regression analysis did not show significant relationships between the mean dmft score and the three periods of fluoride exposure.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1468105", "title": "Location of dental erosion in a referred population.", "content": "The aim of the study reported here was to determine locations of dental erosion and whether or not it is possible to decide the cause of erosion from the location. One hundred and six patients with dental erosion, 54 men and 52 women, mean age of 33.6 years, were studied. Erosion was classified as one of three grades on buccal, lingual or occlusal/incisal surfaces. Dietary and gastric causes of erosion were identified by means of a questionnaire. Erosion was observed on all teeth, but was commonest on the upper incisors, canines and premolars, and severest on palatal surfaces. In both groups, in which erosion had gastric and dietary causes, there were cases of buccal, lingual and occlusal erosion, but the risk of lingual erosion was 1.9 times greater in the group in which erosion had a gastric cause than in the group in which erosion had a dietary cause. Our findings indicate, however, that the cause of dental erosion cannot reliably be identified by location of the lesion."}
{"id": "PMID:1468104", "title": "Caries incidence, mutans streptococci and lactobacilli in irradiated patients during a 12-month preventive programme using chlorhexidine and fluoride.", "content": "Radiotherapy (RT) near salivary glands results in changes in the oral flora in favour of cariogenic organisms and an increased susceptibility to caries. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of a 12-month preventive programme on caries incidence and on the levels of mutans streptococci (ms) and lactobacilli in tongue loop samples taken from patients before, during and after RT. The regime consisted of 2 x daily rinsing with 10 ml 0.2% chlorhexidine, diluted 1:1 with water, for 1 week before RT, during RT and for 4 weeks after RT. This was then substituted with a 0.05% NaF rinse daily. A saliva substitute containing 2 ppm F was used as required. Scaling was carried out before RT and dietary advice and oral hygiene instruction given. Appropriate radiographs were taken at baseline and after 6 and 12 months. Tongue loop samples for microbiology were taken in the middle and end of RT and subsequently at 6, 8, 12, 24, 40 and 52 weeks. Whenever levels of ms exceeded 2 x 10(5) cfu/ml sample, 1% chlorhexidine gel in custom-made applicator trays was applied by the subject for 5 min daily for 14 days. In 25 subjects completing the programme, there was a total of 3 new caries lesions after 12 months. Thirteen pre-existing enamel lesions were arrested. There were significant reductions (p < 0.005) in ms levels from baseline values during RT and 4 weeks after RT. There were no significant increases in ms levels throughout the study.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1468106", "title": "Prevalence of clinically undetected and untreated molar occlusal dentine caries in adolescents on the Isle of Wight.", "content": "The prevalence of clinically undetected occlusal dentine caries was determined in a group of adolescents living on the Isle of Wight by comparing data from clinical and radiographic examinations carried out in 1987. 6.3% of maxillary molars and 12.9% of mandibular molars which had been designated as clinically sound showed dentine caries on radiographs. Comparison of the radiographic data from 1975 and 1987 showed that there were more sound and fewer filled occlusal surfaces in 1987, but more primary occlusal caries. Approximately 50% of subjects examined in both 1975 and 1987 had at least one molar tooth with primary and/or secondary caries in dentine on radiograph."}
{"id": "PMID:1468107", "title": "Models for coronal caries and root fragments in an elderly population.", "content": "A random sample of 809 dentate, home-dwelling people 65 years of age or older participated in a study to determine the prevalence of dental diseases in the elderly. Part of the study investigated the determinants of coronal caries and root fragments in these older adults. Using a wide array of potentially explanatory variables available, logistic regression models were developed to identify relationships between these variables and coronal caries and root fragments. The variables with the most explanatory power in the coronal caries model were the presence of decayed root surfaces, lower salivary flow rate, lack of regular dental care and an interaction variable including race and a perception of financial well-being. When a subsequent model was created that did not include decayed root surfaces or root fragments as potential explanatory variables, an additional variable relating to self-perception of mouth appearance emerged. The strongest variables in the model for root fragments were episodic (vs. regular) dental visits, presence of root caries, lack of replacement for lost teeth, high levels of Streptococcus mutans and number of teeth present in the mouth."}
{"id": "PMID:1468108", "title": "The effect of protease inhibitors, leupeptin and E64d, on differentiation of C2C12 myoblasts in tissue culture.", "content": "Intracellular calcium levels play an important role in myofibril disintegration and regeneration of muscle fibers. Earlier studies have shown that the calcium activated protease, calpain, is involved in the removal of Z-discs from myofibrils of striated muscle and the tripeptide-aldehyde, leupeptin, which is an inhibitor of calpain, inhibits this activity. In the present communication, we demonstrate that leupeptin and another calpain inhibitor, E64d, inhibit the fusion of mouse skeletal muscle C2C12 myoblasts to form multinucleated myotubes in tissue culture."}
{"id": "PMID:1468109", "title": "The levels of vascular smooth as well as skeletal muscle actin mRNAS differ substantially among both myoblast and fibroblast lines with different skeletal myogenic potentials.", "content": "Little is known about the factors which regulate vascular smooth muscle (vsm) actin gene expression during skeletal myogenesis in culture. We have therefore looked for differences in the levels of accumulation of vsm actin mRNA among six mouse cell lines differing in apparent myogenic potential or in the complement of myogenesis determination genes which they express: NIH 3T3 and 10T1/2 non-myogenic fibroblasts and four myogenic lines--3T3-MyoD1 and 10EMc11s, MyoD/myogenin expressing sublines of the fibroblast lines, derived by transfer into the parent lines of a MyoD cDNA expression construct; C2C12, which expresses all four known myogenesis determination genes; and BC3H1, which expresses myf-5, myogenin, little herculin, and no MyoD. In differentiated cells of all four myogenic lines, vsm actin mRNA was expressed at levels dramatically higher than in growth-arrested NIH 3T3 cells, consistent with expression of vsm actin mRNA as an intrinsic part of the skeletal myogenic program somehow directed by myogenesis determination gene products. Interestingly, however, the level of vsm actin mRNA in growth arrested C3H10T1/2 fibroblasts was also dramatically higher than that in NIH 3T3. In view of these findings, and of the relative ease with which 10T1/2 as opposed to NIH 3T3 cells can be converted to myogenic lines, we hypothesize that factors which can act to regulate vsm actin gene expression in the absence of myogenesis determination gene expression may also influence the skeletal myogenic potential of the cells in which they are found. Among the myogenic lines, the ratio of vsm to skm actin mRNA was highest in BC3H1 cells, raising the possibility that were these cells forced to express MyoD and/or more herculin, as do the other myogenic lines, the ratio would decrease. Thus both fibroblast and myogenic lines will be useful for investigating the mechanisms controlling skeletal myogenesis and vsm and skm actin gene expression during myogenesis."}
{"id": "PMID:1468110", "title": "Cassia alata and the preclinical search for therapeutic agents for the treatment of opportunistic infections in AIDS patients.", "content": "In our search for therapeutic agents from natural sources with potential for the treatment of opportunistic infections in patients afflicted with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), we investigated antibacterial and antifungal activities of water extracts of Cassia alata (C. alata). The extracts are traditionally used in Ivory Coast, West Africa to treat bacterial infections caused by Escherichia coli (E. coli), and fungal infections caused by Candida albicans (C. albicans) and dermatophytes. Our working hypothesis was that the extract contains active ingredient(s) which can be isolated, identified and developed into useful antimicrobial/antifungal agents for the treatment of opportunistic infections in patients with AIDS. We used the broth dilution and agar dilution methods. Specifically, we focused on E. coli and C. albicans and the effectiveness of the extracts was evaluated relative to those of standard antibacterial agent chloramphenicol and antifungal agent amphotericin B. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) for the water extract of C. alata against E. coli were 1.6 mg/ml and 60 mg/ml respectively; corresponding data for chloramphenicol were 2 ug/ml. Similarly, the MIC and minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC) for the extract against C. albicans were 0.39 mg/ml and 60 mg/ml in contrast to 0.58 ug/ml and 0.98 ug/ml for amphotericin B. From the dose-response curve plots, the extract had an IC50 of 31 mg/ml for E. coli and 28 mg/ml for C. albicans. The data suggest that C. alata extracts contain agent(s) which have therapeutic potential and might be useful if isolated and developed for the treatment of opportunistic infections of AIDS patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1468111", "title": "High level expression and purification of peptide methionine sulfoxide reductase in Escherichia coli.", "content": "The enzyme peptide methionine sulfoxide reductase catalyzes the conversion of methionine sulfoxide residues in proteins to methionine. The 636 nucleotide coding region of the peptide methionine sulfoxide reductase gene has been amplified from a genomic clone using the polymerase chain reaction and the product was subcloned into plasmid pGEX-2T downstream of the glutathione S-transferase gene under control of the tac promoter. Escherichia coli XL1-Blue cells transformed with this plasmid and induced with isopropylthio-beta-galactoside expressed high levels of the fusion protein. The protein was soluble and was purified to homogeneity by affinity binding to a glutathione-agarose resin followed by cleavage of the fusion protein with thrombin. Both the fusion protein and the purified peptide methionine sulfoxide reductase protein showed high peptide methionine sulfoxide reductase activity."}
{"id": "PMID:1468113", "title": "Invertebrate and vertebrate neuroimmune and autoimmunoregulatory commonalties involving opioid peptides.", "content": "1. Evidence for bidirectional interrelationships between the nervous system and immune systems of vertebrates and invertebrates involving opioid peptides is briefly discussed. 2. The involvement of opioid peptides in autoimmunoregulatory communication also is discussed. 3. The presence of mammalian interleukin-like (1 & 6) and tumor necrosis factor-like molecules in invertebrates is reviewed as well as an apparent cascading system for these signal molecules. 4. The significance of ACTH and MSH in cellular immunosuppression and autoimmunoregulation is discussed in the context of a potential role in schistosomiasis and human immunodeficiency virus actions. 5. The review concludes with the hypothesis that the mammalian immune system has its origin in the invertebrate immune/defense system given the many similarities noted in the review based on new knowledge about the more \"primitive\" system."}
{"id": "PMID:1468114", "title": "Reduction of the acetylcholine-induced K+ current in identified Aplysia neurons by human interleukin-1 and interleukin-2.", "content": "1. Effects of bath-applied recombinant human interleukin-1 (rhIL-1) and interleukin-2 (rhIL-2) on the acetylcholine (ACh)-induced K+ current recorded from identified neurons (R9 and R10) of Aplysia kurodai were investigated with voltage-clamp and pressure ejection techniques. 2. Bath-applied rhIL-1 and rhIL-2 (10-40 U/ml) reduced the ACh-induced current in the neurons without affecting the resting membrane conductance and holding current. 3. The suppressing effects of these cytokines on the current were completely reversible. 4. Heat-inactivated rhIL-1 and rhIL-2 were without effect. 5. These results suggest that the immunomodulators, IL-1 and IL-2, can modulate the ACh-induced response in the nervous system."}
{"id": "PMID:1468115", "title": "Thymocytes express a mRNA that is identical to hypothalamic luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone mRNA.", "content": "1. A luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH)-like molecule produced by thymocytes is similar to hypothalamic LHRH in both bioactivity and antigenicity. 2. We determined whether this thymic LHRH is identical to or only homologous with hypothalamic LHRH by synthesizing and sequencing the cDNA of rat thymus LHRH. 3. The thymocyte and hypothalamic LHRH cDNAs are identical, indicating, that the amino acid sequences of LHRH produced in the hypothalamus and the immune system are also identical. 4. This is the first report showing conclusively that cell of the immune system transcribe the authentic mRNA for a hypothalamic releasing factor, LHRH."}
{"id": "PMID:1468116", "title": "Glial localization of interleukin-1 alpha in invertebrate ganglia.", "content": "1. Mytilus pedal ganglion contains a small population of glial cells that are immunopositive for interleukin-1 alpha. Positively stained fibers can also be seen in the neuropil of these sections. 2. The marine worm Nereis diversicolor also exhibits positive neural immunostaining for interleukin-1 alpha. 3. Both organisms contain hemocytes that contain immunoactivity for interleukin-1 alpha. The study suggests interleukin-1 alpha to be an ancient cytokine given its presence in organisms that evolved significantly earlier than mammals."}
{"id": "PMID:1468117", "title": "The macrophage-activating properties of growth hormone.", "content": "1. We compared the ability of growth hormone (GH) and a well-characterized macrophage-activating factor, interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) to activate highly purified populations of alveolar macrophages. Both GH and IFN-gamma primed macrophages triggered with opsonized zymosan to secrete superoxide anion (O2-) in vitro, but IFN-gamma was effective at a 40-fold lower concentration. Antibody blocking studies demonstrated that the priming activity of GH was independent of IFN-gamma, and the activity of IFN-gamma was distinct from that of GH. 2. Both IFN-gamma and GH increased the capability of macrophages to kill Pasteurella multocida in vitro. 3. Hypophysectomized rats challenged with Salmonella typhimurium were significantly protected by injections of either GH or recombinant rat IFN-gamma in vivo compared to vehicle-treated controls, and the protective effect of GH was increased by incorporation into liposomes. 4. Insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) also primed alveolar macrophages in vitro, which is consistent with the idea that the protective effects of GH in vivo might be mediated by augmenting the synthesis of IGF-I. These data support the concept of reciprocal systems of communication between the neuroendocrine and immune systems."}
{"id": "PMID:1468119", "title": "Evidence that basal secretion of relaxin by individual cultured large luteal cells is influenced by mobilization of intracellular calcium: analysis by a reverse hemolytic plaque assay.", "content": "Ca2+ redistribution from an intracellular site(s) is a key biochemical event associated with relaxin (RLX) secretion by large luteal cells (LLCs) of porcine origin. However, the functional significance of internal stores of Ca2+ to basal rates of RLX secretion is not well understood. In addition, the identity of the intracellular storage site(s) for Ca2+ within LLCs is not known, nor is it clear if all RLX-releasing LLCs are equally dependent on this pool. In the present study, release of RLX from 24 h cultured luteal cells derived from early pregnant swine was monitored by a reverse hemolytic plaque assay (RHPA). Incubation of cultures in the presence of graded concentrations of thapsigargin (1 nM-1 microM), a plant sesquiterpene lactone that inhibits endoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+)-ATPase and thereby increases cytosolic Ca2+ concentrations, resulted in a dose-related increase in basal RLX secretion. The stimulatory effect of thapsigargin on RLX production was not abrogated by culture in Ca(2+)-free medium. Suppression of Ca2+ release from the endoplasmic reticulum of LLCs, achieved by incubating monolayers in medium containing dantrolene (1-100 microM), resulted in dose-related inhibition of basal RLX release. Taken together, these results suggest that the endoplasmic reticulum serves as a major storage site for Ca2+ redistribution within LLCs and, furthermore, that mobilization from this site is functionally coupled to basal secretion of RLX."}
{"id": "PMID:1468120", "title": "Evidence for the presence of 7-hydroperoxycholest-5-en-3 beta-ol in oxidized human LDL.", "content": "Low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol is known to be oxidized both in vitro and in vivo giving rise to oxygenated sterols. Conflicting results, however, have been reported concerning both the nature and the relative concentrations of these compounds in oxidized human LDL. We examined the extracts obtained from Cu(2+)-oxidized LDL. Thin layer chromatography analysis showed that the sterol mixture became more complex with reaction time. Analysis of the components by thin layer chromatography and mass spectrometry allowed to establish that 7 alpha- and 7 beta-hydroperoxycholest-5-en-3 beta-ol (7 alpha OOH and beta OOH) are largely prevalent among the oxysterols at early times of oxidation. These hydroperoxy derivatives have not been previously identified in oxidized LDL. The concentration of 7-hydroperoxycholest-5-en-3 beta-ol decreased with oxidation time with a concomitant increase of cholest-5-en-3 beta, 7 alpha-diol (7 alpha OH), cholest-5-en-3 beta, 7 beta-diol (7 beta OH), cholesta-3,5-dien-7-one (CD) and cholest-5-en-3 beta-ol-7-one (7CO). After 24 h of oxidation a minor component of the LDL sterols was cholestan-3 beta-ol-5,6-oxide (EP)."}
{"id": "PMID:1468121", "title": "1,2-Dioleoylglycerol promotes calcium-induced fusion in phospholipid vesicles.", "content": "The effect of 1,2-dioleoyglycerol (1,2-DOG) on the promotion of Ca(2+)-induced fusion of phosphatidylserine/phosphatidylcholine (PS/PC) vesicles was studied. 1,2-DOG is able to induce the mixing of membrane lipids at concentrations of 10 mol% without mixing of vesicular contents. At concentrations of 20 mol% or higher, 1,2-DOG promotes fusion, lipid and content mixing, of LUV composed of an equimolar mixture of PS and PC, which otherwise are unable to fuse in the presence of Ca2+. Fusion was demonstrated by fluorescence assays monitoring mixing of aqueous vesicular contents and mixing of membrane lipids. Studies by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy provided evidence for a fusion mechanism different to that of Ca(2+)-induced fusion of pure PS vesicles. Final equilibrium structures were characterized by 31P-NMR and freeze-fracture electron microscopy. Ca(2+)-induced fusion of 1,2-DOG containing vesicles is accompanied by the formation of isotropic structures which are shown to correspond to structures with lipidic particle morphology. The possible fusion mechanisms and implications are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1468122", "title": "Photoelectrochemistry of dyes in phospholipid liposome.", "content": "The systems consisting of phenosafranin or thionine dye in the presence of phospholipid liposome in aqueous solution generate photovoltage when studied in a photoelectrochemical cell. A possible mechanism of photovoltage generation suggests the photoinduced electron transfer from phospholipid to dye in liposome through charge-transfer (CT) interaction. In these dye-phospholipid systems, a good correlation between the photovoltage (Voc) determined by photoelectrochemical studies and the equilibrium constant (Kc) determined by spectrophotometric studies, confirms the mechanism."}
{"id": "PMID:1468123", "title": "On the mechanism of cholesterol interaction with apolipoproteins A-I and E.", "content": "It is shown that cholesterol may interact with some substances containing the guanidine group (guanidine itself, arginine, metformin and dodecylguanidine bromide) and with arginine-rich proteins--apoproteins A-I and E. In the latter case the interaction produces the formation of cholesterol-apoprotein complexes. Analysis of such complexes has shown that one apo A-I molecule binds 17-22 and one apo E molecule binds 30-35 sterol molecules, which approximately corresponds to the amount of arginine residues in these proteins. Formation of cholesterol-apoprotein complexes has been suggested to occur due to: (1) formation of hydrogen bond and/or ion-dipole interaction between cholesterol hydroxyl and guanidine groups of the apoprotein arginine residues and (2) hydrophobic interaction of the cholesterol aliphatic chain with nonpolar side chains of the amino acids occupying the third position from arginine in the protein molecule."}
{"id": "PMID:1468124", "title": "Influence of Ca2+ and ethanol on the aggregation and thermal phase behaviour of L-dihexadecylphosphatidylcholine liposomes.", "content": "The influence of Ca2+ and ethanol on vesicle aggregation and thermal phase behaviour of the diether lipid 1,2-dihexadecylphosphatidylcholine (DHPC) was studied by light absorbance and DSC. At temperatures below the pretransition the ethanol-injected vesicles of L-DHPC were rapidly aggregated by Ca2+. Upon raising the cation concentration a biphasic increase in aggregation saturating at an approximate [Ca2+]/[lipid] ratio of 1.5:1 was observed. Further increase in [Ca2+] up to [Ca2+]/[lipid] stoichiometries exceeding 2.5:1 led to the loss of aggregation. Removal of ethanol by dialysis abolished Ca(2+)-induced aggregation. Ethanol-injected vesicles of the ester-linked L-dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (L-DPPC) or the racemic DL-DHPC were not aggregated by Ca2+ thus indicating the importance of the absence of ester carbonyls as well as the stereochemical configuration of the lipid in determining the mode of interaction of DHPC with Ca2+. Differential scanning calorimetry of multilamellar liposomes of L-DHPC showed an increase by 8 degrees in the pretransition temperature Tp in the presence of 250 mM ethanol. Both with and without ethanol, increasing concentrations of Ca2+ corresponding to [Ca2+]/[lipid] ratios of 1:1 to 20:1 caused a gradual decrease in Tp and finally the disappearance of the pretransition. Concomitantly a slight elevation in Tm occurred. No principal differences were observed in the thermal phase behaviour of the L-isomer and racemic DL-DHPC."}
{"id": "PMID:1468125", "title": "A facile synthesis of 1-O-alkyl-2-(R)-hydroxypropane-3-phosphonocholine (lyso-phosphono-platelet activating factor).", "content": "The synthesis of 1-O-alkyl-2-(R)-hydroxypropane-3-phosphonocholine is described. An efficient alkylation procedure using (NaH/DMSO) catalysis is also described and applied to the synthetic scheme. The key intermediate 1-O-alkyl-2-(R)-O-benzyl-3-bromopropane was phosphonylated using tris(methylsilyl)phosphite; the resulting phosphonic acid was coupled to choline using trichloroacetonitrile/pyridine or triisopropylbenzenesulfonyl chloride/pyridine followed by catalytic hydrogenation to yield 1-O-alkyl-2(R)-hydroxypropane-3-phosphonocholine."}
{"id": "PMID:1468126", "title": "Detection of protein mediated glycosphingolipid clustering by the use of resonance energy transfer between fluorescent labelled lipids. A method established by applying the system ganglioside GM1 and cholera toxin B subunit.", "content": "Glycosphingolipids labelled in the ceramide moiety with 3-(p-(6-phenyl)-1,3,5-hexatrienyl)phenylpropionic acid (DPH) or 6-(4-nitrobenz-2-oxa-1,3-diazole-7-yl)aminohexanoic acid (NBD) were incorporated into small unilamellar lecithin liposomes. They were used in resonance energy transfer (RET) experiments between the donor fluorophore DPH and the acceptor NBD to study glycosphingolipid distribution. In pure lecithin liposomes the fluorescent derivatives of GM1, GA1, galactosylceramide and sulfatide behaved almost identically and Ca2+ ions (5 microM or 150 mM) did not influence their transfer efficiencies. But cholera toxin B subunit (CTB) specifically clustered GM1 and enhanced the transfer efficiency. This RET-based method facilitated determination of binding specificity, complex stoichiometry (CTB/GM1 = 1:5), halftime of complex formation (5 s), cooperativity in binding and had a maximal sensitivity at a liposome dotation rate of just 0.25 mol%. In contrast to this, anisotrophy of the fluorophores and the excimer to monomer ratio of pyrene-GM1 were not affected by CTB. This demonstrates the advantage of the presented technique in detection of protein mediated glycosphingolipid clustering."}
{"id": "PMID:1468127", "title": "Effect of 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) and its toxic metabolites on the physicochemical property of the liposomal membrane in relation to their cytochrome P-450 inhibition.", "content": "The effects of the neurotoxin MPTP (1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine) and its toxic metabolites MPDP+ (1-methyl-4-phenyl-2,3-dihydropyridinium) and MPP+ (1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium) on liposomal membrane were assessed using fluorescence-polarization and carboxyfluorescein leakage studies as well as in biological membrane preparations. Of the three compounds, MPTP was found to cause the greatest perturbation of membrane followed by MPDP+ and then MPP+. The ability of the three toxins to inhibit cytochrome P-450 enzyme activity (a microsomal membrane-bound enzyme system) was also studied and their relative potency was again found to be MPTP > MPDP+ > MPP+. The changes in the physicochemical property of the liposomal membrane can be related to the ability of the neurotoxin's ability to inhibit cytochrome P-450 activity."}
{"id": "PMID:1468130", "title": "Aortic valve replacement in young patients: long-term follow-up.", "content": "Thirty-four young patients (28 male and 6 female) underwent aortic valve replacement between 1972 and 1988. Ages ranged from 11 to 20 years (mean 17.7 years). Including reimplantation in the follow-up period, 40 valves were implanted, among which were 17 (43%) St. Jude, 7 (16%) Bjork-Shiley, and 4 (10%) Carpentier-Edwards. Seven patients (18%) had tissue valve prostheses (4 Carpentier-Edwards, 3 Hancock valves). There was one hospital death (2.9%). Follow-up was obtained in 30 of the 33 hospital survivors, with a mean follow-up of 80 months. In the follow-up period, one patient (3%) had a major thromboembolic event and one patient (3%) had prosthetic valve endocarditis. Six patients (18%) required replacement of the implanted valve; three of these had received Hancock tissue valve prostheses. There were three late deaths, yielding 96% survival at 5 years and 84% at 10 years. Twenty-three of 30 survivors are currently New York Heart Association class I. Aortic valve replacement in young patients can be performed with low mortality and morbidity, and with excellent long-term results."}
{"id": "PMID:1468131", "title": "Transient osteoporosis of the hip: clinical and imaging features.", "content": "Transient osteoporosis of the hip is a form of reflex sympathetic dystrophy characterized by pain, limping, limitation of hip joint motion, and delayed radiographic patchy osteoporosis of the proximal femur. Spontaneous resolution is usually paralleled by radiographic recovery, usually within a few months. We present clinical and imaging features in seven cases of unilateral transient osteoporosis of the hip. In the appropriate clinical setting, conventional radiography will support the diagnosis. The role of more sensitive imaging techniques such as bone scintigraphy and magnetic resonance imaging in the early diagnosis of this disease has yet to be defined."}
{"id": "PMID:1468133", "title": "Mastectomy with immediate reconstruction: issues and answers.", "content": "Immediate breast reconstruction at the time of mastectomy, whether it involves prosthetic implantation or a myocutaneous flap procedure, has become a standard option for the care of breast cancer patients. The advantages of breast reconstruction are well understood: it helps to eliminate many of the psychological burdens with which mastectomy patients must contend and allows patients to participate in a normal lifestyle. Immediate breast reconstruction eases much of the initial psychological trauma of mastectomy. For patients who require postoperative radiation, reconstruction is often far less complex if done immediately than if delayed, even though radiation increases the chances of capsular contracture. The knowledge that immediate breast reconstruction is available may reduce patient's reluctance to seek medical advice when they find a breast lump."}
{"id": "PMID:1468132", "title": "Lipid and lipoprotein abnormalities in lower-extremity arteriosclerosis obliterans.", "content": "The prevalence of abnormal lipid and lipoprotein values was determined in 125 consecutive patients with lower-extremity arteriosclerosis obliterans, and the lipid and lipoprotein abnormalities in these patients were characterized. Only 13% of the patients had normal lipid/lipoprotein profiles. Forty-eight percent of patients had low levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. High-density lipoprotein cholesterol values were lower in patients with concomitant coronary heart disease compared with those without heart disease. High-density lipoprotein cholesterol values were inversely related to weight, to triglyceride values, and to diabetes mellitus. Twenty-eight percent of patients had \"desirable\" total cholesterol levels (< 200 mg/dL), and 32% had low-density lipoprotein cholesterol values less than 130 mg/dL. Following National Cholesterol Education Program guidelines may be misleading in patients with documented lower-extremity atherosclerosis; therefore, complete lipid/lipoprotein profiles should be performed in these patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1468134", "title": "Uses of hyperbaric oxygen therapy in the 1990s.", "content": "Hyperbaric oxygen can produce a variety of effects in addition to reducing air and gas embolism. It increases the killing ability of leukocytes and is lethal to certain anaerobic bacteria. It inhibits toxin formation by certain anaerobes, increases the flexibility of red cells, reduces tissue edema, preserves intracellular adenosine triphosphate, maintains tissue oxygenation in the absence of hemoglobin. In addition, it stimulates fibroblast growth, increases collagen formation, promotes more rapid growth of capillaries, and terminates lipid peroxidation. These actions of hyperbaric oxygen are useful in treating anaerobic infections that result in gas gangrene, as well as severe aerobic infections such as necrotizing fasciitis, malignant external otitis, and chronic refractory osteomyelitis. Hyperbaric oxygen can help preserve ischemic tissues and facilitates the rapid spread and arborization of new capillaries. It promotes healing in certain problem wounds. Adjunctive hyperbaric oxygen treatment is a new approach to the management of radionecrosis. Hyperbaric oxygen treatment reduces morbidity and mortality resulting from carbon monoxide poisoning. Protocols for hyperbaric oxygen therapy are at present mostly empirical; much additional research is needed to better define therapeutic indications."}
{"id": "PMID:1468138", "title": "The role of citrate complexes in preventing urolithiasis.", "content": "There is considerable clinical evidence that the oral administration of potassium citrate significantly reduces the incidence of calcium oxalate stone formation in the urinary tract. The effectiveness of citrate ions in preventing stone formation could be due to the reduction in the concentrations of calcium and oxalate ions caused by complex ion formation with the citrate ions and/or due to the inhibition of the crystallisation of calcium oxalate. This paper reports an experimental study aimed at elucidating the role of citrate complexes in preventing urolithiasis. An experimental method is described which allows the identification of two hitherto unknown complexes CaOx cit3- and (Ca cit2)4-. The stability constants of these complexes have been determined, respectively, as log K = 4.54 +/- 0.08 and beta 2 cit = 5.15 +/- 0.14 (25 degrees C, I = 0.16). The inclusion of these complexes in ion-equilibrium calculations led to the conclusion that the effectiveness of the citrate ion in preventing calcium oxalate stone formation is due to its inhibition of agglomeration or growth of calcium oxalate crystals rather than any significant reduction in the degree of supersaturation of urine."}
{"id": "PMID:1468139", "title": "Immunochemiluminometric assays (ICMA) specific for growth hormone releasing hormone 1-44 NH2 and 1-40 OH.", "content": "We describe specific two-site immunochemiluminometric assays able to directly measure human growth hormone-releasing hormone 1-44 NH2 and 1-40 OH concentrations in unextracted plasma. A common N-terminal antibody was purified from polyclonal rabbit antisera to growth hormone-releasing hormone 1-44 NH2 on a growth hormone-releasing hormone 1-29 NH2 linked affinity column and labelled with chemiluminescent acridinium ester. C-terminal specific monoclonal antibodies to growth hormone-releasing hormone 1-44 NH2 and 1-40 OH were raised in Balb/C mice and used as solid phase antibodies. Assay of fasting specimens from normal individuals gave medians (and ranges) of 23 pg/ml (2-200) and 30 pg/ml (3-134) for growth hormone-releasing hormone 1-44 NH2 and 1-40 OH, respectively. Samples from a series of acromegalics showed that most have values in the normal range though median values were higher, 56 pg/ml for growth hormone-releasing hormone 1-44 NH2 (P < 0.001) and 52 pg/ml for 1-40 OH (P < 0.001). Using these assays it will be possible for the first time to directly study the physiology and pathophysiology of these two peptides."}
{"id": "PMID:1468136", "title": "Empyema necessitatis: review of the manifestations of thoracic actinomycosis.", "content": "Actinomycosis is a relatively uncommon infectious process involving the chest. A case of thoracic actinomycosis mimicking an inflammatory breast carcinoma in an elderly woman is presented with a review of the literature. The authors suggest that considering this disease in the differential diagnosis of indolent pulmonary parenchymal and pleural lesions is essential if appropriate diagnostic tests are to be obtained and proper therapy initiated, thus avoiding unnecessary invasive procedures."}
{"id": "PMID:1468140", "title": "The inter-relationships between albuminuria, plasma albumin concentration and indices of glycaemic control in non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.", "content": "We studied the relationship between albuminuria (measured as albumin/creatinine ratio (alb/Cr) in a random urine sample) and measures of glycaemic control (fructosamine, HbA1 and glucose) in 470 patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). Albumin excretion was in the microalbuminuric range (alb/Cr ratio > 5.4-40.3) in 112 (23.8%) and in the macroalbuminuric range (alb/Cr ratio > 40.3 mg/mmol) in 89 patients (18.9%). Fourteen percent (n = 67) of patients had a normal plasma HbA1 (< or = 8.5%) while 27% (n = 127) had a normal plasma fructosamine concentration (< or = 2.2 mmol/l). Using stepwise multiple regression analysis, plasma fructosamine concentration was found to be independently and negatively associated with urine albumin/creatinine ratio (B = 0.24, P < 0.006) in the macroalbuminuric group. Further analysis of the relationship between plasma albumin concentration and indices of glycaemic control showed that plasma albumin concentration correlated negatively with random plasma glucose concentration in the normoalbuminuric patients (r = -0.16, P = 0.008) but not in microalbuminuric or macroalbuminuric groups. HbA1 was not correlated with plasma albumin concentration. Our results indicate that albuminuria has an effect on the plasma fructosamine concentration which is independent of plasma albumin concentration."}
{"id": "PMID:1468137", "title": "Intensive care management of acute hemorrhagic leukoencephalitis with favorable neurologic outcome.", "content": "A 36-year-old woman who presented with acute hemorrhagic leukoencephalitis survived with favorable neurologic outcome. The patient underwent evacuation of a right temporal hematoma, with aggressive postoperative management in the neurosurgical intensive care unit. Aggressive surgical and medical therapy, including high-dose corticosteroid therapy and continuous intracranial pressure monitoring may yield favorable outcomes in an entity previously associated with dismal neurologic prognosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1468141", "title": "Development and validation of a robust specific enzyme mediated assay for phenylalanine in serum.", "content": "The specificity of a phenylalanine dehydrogenase, particularly with respect to cross reactivity toward tyrosine, has been shown to be pH dependent, being minimal at high pH. The dehydrogenase step has been coupled to colorimetric detection of NADH using a tetrazolium salt. The assay shows no significant cross reactivity towards a range of amino acids or drugs and correlates well with an established HPLC technique."}
{"id": "PMID:1468149", "title": "Lipid peroxides in blood from patients with atherosclerosis of coronary and peripheral arteries.", "content": "Lipid peroxides in plasma were determined in 100 patients with coronary artery disease, in 100 patients with peripheral artery disease and in 100 persons without any clinical symptoms of coronary or peripheral artery disease. The concentrations of lipid peroxides were significantly higher in patients with atherosclerosis (both coronary and peripheral arteries) than in controls. There was no difference between lipid peroxides in patients with coronary and peripheral artery disease. Lipid peroxides in plasma were similar in subgroups of patients with coronary artery disease without a history of myocardial infarct and those who had had myocardial infarct. In subgroups of patients with peripheral artery disease divided according to the severity of peripheral atherosclerosis a positive association between the concentration of lipid peroxides in plasma and the severity of disease was observed. In all groups there was a significant correlation between the age of examined persons and lipid peroxides in plasma; however, the concentration of lipid peroxides in plasma was statistically higher in patients with atherosclerosis than in the control age matched group. The correlation between lipid peroxides and total cholesterol as well as triglycerides were weak and not statistically significant in most of the examined groups. The results of this study provide clinical support for experimental data indicating that peroxidation of lipids is an important factor in the formation of atherosclerotic changes. They also indicate that determination of plasma lipid peroxides may give important supplementary information in monitoring patients with clinical symptoms of atherosclerosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1468153", "title": "High levels of nervous system-specific proteins in cerebrospinal fluid in patients with early stage Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.", "content": "Concentrations of several proteins that are characteristic of the nervous system were time-sequentially analyzed by radio- and enzyme-immunoassay in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD). We found abnormally high levels of several proteins, such as neuron-specific enolase (NSE), S-100b protein, brain-type isozyme of creatine kinase (CK-BB) and alpha subunit of GTP binding protein G0 (G0 alpha) in the early stage of the disease. Generally, these protein levels were far higher in CJD patients than in normal controls and other neurological patients in the early stage before the typical clinical manifestations were evident. These levels increased to maxima when the disease activity was most prominent and returned to normal or mildly elevated levels in the terminal stage. The results imply that these protein levels can serve as biochemical markers for the presence of an active destructive process in CJD brain and provide us with a useful indicator for early diagnosis of CJD."}
{"id": "PMID:1468154", "title": "Renin assay using a fluorogenic substrate and high performance liquid chromatography.", "content": "Measurement of renin activity in human fluids using a fluorogenic substrate and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) is described. A nine amino acid peptide containing the fluorogenic residue, N-(2-pyridyl) glycine (Pg) is used as a substrate. The peptide sequence is homologous with the cleavage site of human angiotensinogen. This substrate is hydrolyzed by renin to generate fluorogenic and non-fluorogenic products. The amount of fluorogenic product is directly measured by reversed phase HPLC. Optimization of assay conditions and measurement of human serum renin levels are described. Assay results correlated well with those from radioimmunoassay. The method is simple, convenient, highly sensitive and can be used for routine clinical renin assays."}
{"id": "PMID:1468155", "title": "Isolation of acylcarnitines from urine: a comparison of methods and application to long-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency.", "content": "Carnitine esters from acetylcarnitine (C2 acyl chain) to octadecanoylcarnitine (C18 acyl chain) can be extracted from urine with recoveries of greater than 80%. However, to obtain such recoveries, it is important to choose the method of extraction appropriate to the acylcarnitines of interest. For acylcarnitines with acyl chain length C2 to C8 (acetylcarnitine to octanoylcarnitine), an ion-exchange procedure is recommended. Acylcarnitines with acyl chain length C8 to C12 (octanoylcarnitine to dodecanoylcarnitine) are best isolated from carefully acidified urine by solvent extraction with butan-1-ol. For long-chain acylcarnitines, C10 to C18 (decanoylcarnitine to octadecanoylcarnitine), solvent extraction of unacidified urine with hexan-2-ol is particularly simple and effective."}
{"id": "PMID:1468156", "title": "Glycation of human tissue and serum creatine kinase.", "content": "Human creatine kinase (CK) was demonstrated to be partly present as a glycated molecule. Sialic acid, galactose and sulfate were also found to be present on the molecule. The glycated forms were characterized by higher activation energies and were thermally unstable. Skeletal muscle CK showed lower relative binding towards the lectin concanavalin A (Con A) in comparison with the heart tissue forms. After skeletal muscle trauma, CK in serum was found to be less glycated than in tissue. After acute myocardial infarction (AMI), no glycated CK could be detected in serum. Following injury, it appears that the transfer from tissue to plasma is accompanied by a loss of glycated isoforms. High-voltage electrophoresis showed no differences in the distribution of CK isoforms between the glycated and non-glycated forms."}
{"id": "PMID:1468157", "title": "Serum apolipoproteins in heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia.", "content": "In order to characterize the abnormalities of the lipoprotein profile in familial hypercholesterolemia (FH), serum apolipoprotein AI, AII, B, CII, CIII, and E levels were determined by the turbidimetric immunoassay in 48 patients with heterozygous FH. Apolipoprotein B levels in FH were about 2.5 fold higher (203 +/- 48 mg/dl, mean +/- S.D.) than the 30 age-matched normolipidemic control subjects (84 +/- 13 mg/dl). Significant increments of apolipoprotein CII, CIII, and E levels were observed in FH (4.6 +/- 1.6, 11.0 +/- 3.6 and 6.4 +/- 1.7 mg/dl, respectively) as compared with those in normal subjects (3.0 +/- 0.9, 7.7 +/- 1.6 and 4.5 +/- 1.1 mg/dl, respectively). Apolipoprotein AI and AII levels in FH were 130 +/- 27 and 32 +/- 6.0 mg/dl, respectively, which were not significantly different from the levels in normal subjects (131 +/- 18 and 31 +/- 5.4 mg/dl, respectively). The ratio of low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol to apolipoprotein B was significantly higher in FH (1.3 +/- 0.3) than that in normal subjects (1.2 +/- 0.1). This indicates that the LDL of FH was cholesterol-rich in comparison with that of normal subjects. The ratio of high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol to apolipoprotein AI in FH (0.34 +/- 0.07) was significantly lower than that in normal subjects (0.39 +/- 0.05). This difference might possibly be produced by an abnormal HDL metabolism of FH patients, a topic which remains to be elucidated by further investigation."}
{"id": "PMID:1468158", "title": "De novo glomerulonephritis in patients during remission from Wegener's granulomatosis.", "content": "In a cohort of 20 consecutive patients with Wegener's granulomatosis and biopsy-proven pauci-immune crescentic glomerulonephritis three patients were in remission, but developed again a nephritic sediment without signs of systemic disease or positive ANCA titers. The second renal biopsy showed de novo mesangial IgA deposits 6, 17 and 28 months following admission for systemic disease and institution of immunosuppressive treatment. All patients were male, HLA-DR-2 positive and exhibited repeated upper respiratory tract infections. A fourth patient was admitted in end-stage renal failure with high titers of C-ANCA of the IgG isotype and proteinase 3 ab without clinical evidence of systemic manifestations of WG. Renal biopsy showed chronic sclerosing GN with marked IgA deposits. De novo development of IgA-GN is observed in a remarkable proportion of patients with WG and must be distinguished from exacerbation of the systemic disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1468159", "title": "Kidney transplantation in Alport's syndrome: long-term outcome and allograft anti-GBM nephritis.", "content": "Anti-glomerular basement membrane (anti-GBM) nephritis occurring in kidneys transplanted in patients with Alport's syndrome (AS) has been reported repeatedly. Therefore, we studied graft survival and course of renal function in all 30 AS patients grafted at Hannover Medical School and compared them with non-diabetic, age and sex matched patients, transplanted on the date closest to the transplantation of the AS patient. Serum creatinine, proteinuria, urinary sediment and anti-GBM antibodies were examined in all AS patients with functioning grafts. Cases of patient or graft loss in the AS group were analyzed retrospectively. One- and five-year patient survival was 100 and 91% in AS and 89 and 78% in controls (p > 0.05, respectively). One- and five-year first graft survival was 79 and 66% in both groups. Graft histology was available in 34 biopsies obtained from 21 kidneys in 15 AS patients. Anti-GBM nephritis was not detected in any of the biopsies. No graft was lost due to anti-GBM nephritis. Anti-GBM antibodies were detectable temporarily only in one AS patient. He also had linear IgG staining in his graft GBM, but no other signs of anti-GBM nephritis. We conclude that patient survival and graft survival in AS patients following kidney transplantation is not different from non-AS patients. Allograft anti-GBM nephritis is a rare complication in patients with Alport's syndrome."}
{"id": "PMID:1468160", "title": "Failure to detect unique reactivity to streptococcal streptokinase in either the sera or renal biopsy specimens of patients with acute poststreptococcal glomerulonephritis.", "content": "Using purified group A streptokinase (SKA) as the antigen, ELISA assays were carried out on the sera of normal unaffected children, acute poststreptococcal glomerulonephritis patients (APSGN) and acute rheumatic fever patients (ARF). The results demonstrate that antibody titers to SKA increase with age in normal children and by age 8 years the vast majority of children have antibodies to SKA. APSGN patients did not demonstrate unique reactivity to SKA when compared to ARF patients either at time of onset of disease or during convalescence. Polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies to SKA which recognize both group A and C streptokinase failed to detect the presence of streptokinase in the biopsy sections obtained from ten well-documented APSGN patients. We conclude that there is no unique reactivity to group A streptokinase in the sera of APSGN patients. Furthermore, we failed to demonstrate the presence of streptokinase in the biopsy specimens of an early case of APSGN patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1468161", "title": "Subtypes of acute postinfectious glomerulonephritis: a clinico-pathological correlation.", "content": "The case records and histopathology of 42 adults with the characteristic light and electron microscopic features of Acute Postinfectious Glomerulonephritis (APGN) were studied. The biopsies were divided into three subtypes depending on the form and distribution of subepithelial \"humps\" and other immune-complex deposits on electron microscopy (EM): the \"starry sky\", \"garland\" and \"mesangial\" patterns. There was no significant difference between the three subtypes with regard to age, hypertension, creatinine, anti-streptolysin 0 titer and low serum complement levels on presentation. The \"garland\" subtype had significantly more proteinuria than both the \"starry sky\" (p = 0.04) and \"mesangial\" (p = 0.003) subtypes. The \"mesangial\" pattern had a lesser degree of cellular proliferation and leukocytosis in the glomeruli than the other subtypes. The \"starry sky\" subtype was present in 4 of the 5 cases of crescentic nephritis and in 6 of the 7 patients with a chronic course. Our study suggests that the higher degree of proteinuria in the \"garland\" subtype and the chronic course of the \"starry sky\" subtype are the main clinical features that distinguish the three histological subtypes. Our patients, from a developing community with poor socio-economic conditions, had a poor prognosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1468162", "title": "Urinary Escherichia coli causing recurrent infections--a prospective follow-up of biochemical phenotypes.", "content": "Twenty-three women with non-obstructive acute pyelonephritis due to Escherichia coli were prospectively studied during 880 patient months, mean observation time 38 months. Each patient had between 1 and 4 new episodes of E. coli bacteriuria during the study period (altogether 49 recurrencies). All E. coli isolates were typed by biochemical fingerprinting. Twenty-six of the recurrencies were caused by an E. coli strain identical to one of those that had previously appeared. Sixteen of these infections were caused by a strain identical to the one that gave rise to the original acute pyelonephritis. Ten further recurrencies were due to an E. coli strain that had previously caused symptomatic or asymptomatic bacteriuria during the observation period. Despite appropriate treatment and repeated negative urine cultures post-treatment, infections caused by identical E. coli strains occurred up to 35 months after the initial episode of acute pyelonephritis. We suggest that the infecting E. coli strain may survive in the fecal flora or is harboured in the patient's surroundings, and after recolonizing the patient, these strains may give rise to further urinary tract infections."}
{"id": "PMID:1468163", "title": "Caroli's disease and congenital hepatic fibrosis associated with polycystic kidney disease. A case presenting with acute focal bacterial nephritis.", "content": "Congenital cystic dilatation of the intrahepatic biliary ducts (Caroli's disease), until recently, has been infrequently recognized. It is often associated with autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease (ARPKD) and congenital hepatic fibrosis (CHF). We hereby report a case with Caroli's disease, polycystic kidney disease (PKD), and CHF: This 24-year-old female patient initially presented with acute bacterial nephritis (ABN). Renal ultrasonography revealed bilateral enlarged kidneys with multiple cysts. Because her parents showed no renal cyst on ultrasonographic examination, she received further studies. Abdominal ultrasonography showed cystic dilatation of the biliary tree. Computed tomography (CT) with meglumine lotroxinate (biliscopin) infusion study and hepatobiliary scintigraphy confirmed the diagnosis of Caroli's disease. Liver biopsy revealed CHF: The radiographic and scintigraphic pictures are hereby illustrated and CT with biliscopin infusion study is emphasized. We conclude that if radiologic evidence of renal cystic lesions is absent in the parents of patients with PKD, the coexistence of Caroli's disease and CHF should be considered. The clinical pictures of ABN in this patient are also discussed. As far as we know, this is the first reported case of ABN in a patient with PKD and Caroli's disease, and it showed good response to antibiotic therapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1468164", "title": "Effect of prostaglandin synthesis inhibition on glomerular filtration rate in renal transplant recipients.", "content": "To determine the influence of prostaglandin (PG) synthesis inhibition on the renal function in renal transplant recipients, we carried out a crossover, double-blind, placebo controlled study of 18 ambulatory patients. Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) was measured using 51-Cr EDTA, before and after indomethacin (50 mgr. three times a day for three days), and placebo. Overnight urinary PGE excretion decreased 88.9 +/- SEM 4.81% after indomethacin, but remained unchanged following placebo. GFR decreased 15.3 +/- SEM 3.94% (p = 0.0139) after indomethacin. There was no correlation between PGE urinary excretion and GFR changes. Pre-existing renal functional impairment was not a significant risk factor. Caution should be exercised when using non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in renal transplant patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1468165", "title": "Effects of indomethacin and misoprostol on renal function in healthy volunteers.", "content": "We have examined the effects on renal function of indomethacin and misoprostol, alone and in combination. Eight healthy volunteers took indomethacin 50 mg tds for one week, and indomethacin plus misoprostol (a synthetic PGE1 analogue) 200 micrograms qds for one week in a crossover design. A separate group (n = 5) took misoprostol alone for one week. 51Cr EDTA GFR rose significantly from baseline after the combination of indomethacin and misoprostol (from mean +/- SD 117 +/- 7.1 to 123 +/- 8.0 mls/min/1.73 m2, p = 0.05). When indomethacin alone was given 51Cr EDTA GFR did not change significantly (120 +/- 9.0 to 117 +/- 9.0 mls/min/1.73 m2). However in 4 of these subjects 51Cr EDTA GFR fell (range 7-19 mls/min/1.73 m2); in each of these the reduction was reversed when the indomethacin was given together with misoprostol. In the whole group the change in 51Cr EDTA GFR, from baseline, after indomethacin plus misoprostol was significantly different from that after indomethacin alone (+6 +/- 8 vs -3 +/- 5 mls/min/1.73 m2 p = 0.05). Misoprostol alone had no effect on GFR. We conclude that misoprostol and indomethacin in combination increase GFR in healthy volunteers, and further studies are now warranted to determine whether misoprostol is beneficial in the prophylaxis and treatment of NSAID-induced renal impairment."}
{"id": "PMID:1468167", "title": "Seizures and fever: can we rule out meningitis on clinical grounds alone?", "content": "A study was done of 309 children seen in two ERs with a first seizure and fever to assess whether meningitis could be recognized using readily available clinical information. Among these children, 23 (7%) cases of meningitis were diagnosed. A group of 69 children with seizures and fever but no meningitis served as controls. Signs from ER examinations that discriminated between children with and those without meningitis were: petechiae, nuchal rigidity, coma, persistent drowsiness, ongoing convulsions, and paresis or paralysis; 21 cases were thus identified. Two children with a suspicious history but none of these signs proved to have meningitis. Children whose seizures showed no complex features and whose febrile illness revealed no suspicious features did not have meningitis. Our results indicate that based on available clinical data, meningitis can be ruled out in children presenting with seizures and fever; thus, there is no need for routine investigation of cerebrospinal fluid."}
{"id": "PMID:1468168", "title": "A probability nomogram to predict rectal temperature in children.", "content": "The relationship between rectal and peripheral-site temperature was investigated to achieve two objectives: 1) to evaluate a prevailing practice of intersite adjustment by use of an invariant temperature difference; and 2) to develop a statistical method for intersite temperature predictions in the individual child, especially for fever as defined by rectal measurement. Rectal, oral, axillary, left abdomen skin, and forehead skin temperatures (degrees F) were measured with an electronic thermometer in 257 children. Objective 1 was not achieved because a simple temperature difference between a peripheral site and the rectal site could not be used to predict rectal temperature reliably. For objective 2, intersite differences met three statistical criteria so that normal distribution theory could be used to derive the probabilities for occurrence of each difference. Accordingly, cumulative probability nomograms were constructed to estimate rectal-site fever from measurements at peripheral sites. This nomogram method produces a clinically reliable prediction of rectal-site fever from temperature measurement at peripheral sites, especially the oral and axillary sites. These predictions offer useful assessments of febrile illness severity when rectal temperature is not available."}
{"id": "PMID:1468169", "title": "A changing pattern of epiglottitis.", "content": "A case review of epiglottitis at Geisinger Medical Center over the past 12 years demonstrates a decrease in the number of pediatric patients with epiglottitis and an increase in the number of adults with epiglottitis. In the last five years, the number of epiglottitis patients younger than 10 years has fallen (0 cases), while the number of patients over 10 years of age has increased (6 cases). The cause of epiglottitis, Hemophilus influenzae type b, remains constant in the pediatric as well as in the adult population. There appears to be an increasing frequency of epiglottitis in adults and a decreasing frequency of epiglottitis in children."}
{"id": "PMID:1468170", "title": "Medical and developmental histories of maltreated children.", "content": "This paper represents a first attempt at delineating and summarizing the issues in a child's medical and developmental history associated with the probability of suffering abuse. The sample consisted of 96 children between 5 and 10 years of age, 61 of whom had been maltreated and 35 of whom served as controls. There were 22 items about which the medical and developmental histories of the maltreated children revealed a significantly greater risk than those of the controls. A factor analysis revealed that 78% of the variance in these items can be represented by eight independent factors. None of these factors was dominant; rather, each accounted for a significant amount of the variation among the original items. The individual items tended to load on the four strongest factors in a coherent, interpretable manner: Factor 1 represented behavior problems; factor 2, neonatal issues and failure to thrive; factor 3, familial disruption, with the child suffering mental illness and/or head injury; and factor 4, a \"difficult\" temperament during the first year of life. We conclude there are numerous independent factors in the medical and developmental histories of maltreated children which should be considered by pediatricians involved in cases of child abuse and neglect."}
{"id": "PMID:1468171", "title": "Urinary growth hormone and insulin-like growth factor I. Effects of growth-hormone injection schedule.", "content": "Urinary growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) excretion profiles were compared in children receiving biosynthetic GH. Group 1 included 18 healthy controls. Group 2 included nine children given biosynthetic GH three times a week. Group 3 included 14 children given daily GH injections. Overnight urine samples were collected for three consecutive nights in all groups. No significant day-to-day variation in urinary GH output was observed in group 1. In group 2, urinary GH output was significantly higher on day one following injection than on days two and three. Urine GH outputs in group 2 were significantly lower on days two and three than the values observed on all days in group 3. Throughout the three-day study, subjects in group 3 excreted similar amounts of GH significantly higher than those of controls. Urinary IGF-I output (nmol/kg) was similar on all three study days in groups 1 and 3. Group 2 had significantly lower urinary IGF-I output on day three compared with day one. Urinary IGF-I output on day three was also significantly lower in group 2 than in group 3. We conclude that urinary GH and IGF-I outputs are influenced by the frequency of GH administration."}
{"id": "PMID:1468173", "title": "Review of mupirocin ointment in the treatment of impetigo.", "content": "The introduction of mupirocin ointment gives the pediatrician a reliable topical alternative to oral antibiotic therapy for group A streptococcal and staphylococcal impetigo. It is as effective as oral antibiotics and is associated with fewer adverse effects. In superficial skin infections that are not widespread, mupirocin ointment offers several advantages. It is highly active against the most frequent skin pathogens, even those resistant to other antibiotics, and the topical route of administration allows delivery of high drug concentrations to the site of infection."}
{"id": "PMID:1468174", "title": "The newer radiographic contrast media.", "content": "The 1980s witnessed the development of many new contrast agents useful in radiographic and MRI to enhance the contrast discrimination between tissues and improve lesion conspicuity. In addition to improved efficacy, these agents are generally safer and cause less patient discomfort than older radiographic contrast media. The injection of any foreign material into the body always holds some risk, however, and it is the responsibility of clinicians and radiologists jointly to use these agents judiciously in the best interest of the patient."}
{"id": "PMID:1468182", "title": "Brain catecholamine concentrations in hyperosmolar diabetic and diabetic rats.", "content": "The concentration of brain catecholamines were measured and compared in the experimentally made hyperosmolar diabetic, diabetic and normal control rats in order to clarify the metabolic changes of the brain in these states. Diabetes was induced with streptozotocin and hyperosmolarity was achieved through deprivation of water for 50 hours prior to experimentation. Dopamine, norepinephrine and epinephrine concentrations were measured in the left cerebral cortex, hypothalamic-thalamic area, cerebellum and medulla oblongata. Dopamine and norepinephrine concentrations were significantly elevated in the cerebral cortex, hypothalamic-thalamic area and cerebellum of the dehydrated hyperosmolar-diabetic rats relative to those of normal controls (p < 0.01-0.05). In diabetes with high blood sugar level, the norepinephrine concentration was significantly elevated in the cerebral cortex, cerebellum and medulla oblongata, and these changes generally paralleled the increase in fasting blood glucose. It was concluded that hyperosmolarity due to dehydration contributed these changes. The findings of this study further suggest that changes in brain catecholamines may be involved in the nervous system disturbances that occur in the dehydrated hyperosmolar-diabetes and severe diabetes."}
{"id": "PMID:1468183", "title": "Effects of thymosin and insulin on suppressor T cell in type 1 diabetes.", "content": "In most studies the activity of suppressor T cells and the percentage of suppressor/cytotoxic T-lymphocyte subsets in type 1 diabetes have been found to be altered. To determine whether thymosin and insulin in vitro have a role in improving or normalizing these abnormalities, PBMC from 28 patients with type 1 diabetes of various durations were treated with thymosin or insulin and the activity and the percentage of suppressor T cells were detected by using the method of ConA-induced suppressor T cells and WuT8 (suppressor/cytotoxic) monoclonal antibody respectively. Both thymosin and insulin were found to have ability to improve and normalize the ConA-induced suppressor cell activity and the percentage of WuT8 cells in diabetic patients. Data have shown that the lower the activity and the percentage of suppressor T cells, the more intense the effects of both compounds. The strongest effects were found at the concentrations of 10 micrograms/ml thymosin and 10 ng/ml insulin. Thymosin was more effective than insulin. This experiment also suggested that the activated lymphocytes stimulated by mitogens (PHA or ConA) were required when insulin exerted a significant effect on suppressor T cells. We conclude that thymosin and insulin in vitro can exert immuno-regulatory or immunostimulating effects on suppressor T cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1468184", "title": "Blood and plasma viscosity in diabetes: possible contribution to late organ complications?", "content": "It has been postulated that an increased whole blood and plasma viscosity contribute to diabetic organ complications. Blood viscosity was measured in 30 controls and four groups of insulin-dependent diabetic patients at three shear rates: 70 sec-1, 0.5 sec-1 and 0.05 sec-1. Results were compared before and after correction for a haematocrit of 0.45. Twenty-five patients without organ complications, 21 with microalbuminuria, 13 with overt nephropathy and 12 patients with leg ulcerations were studied. Blood and plasma viscosity were normal in the patients without organ complications and with microalbuminuria. Plasma viscosity was significantly elevated in the diabetic patient with nephropathy and leg ulceration. After correction for haematocrit blood viscosity was also higher in these two groups, although this was only significant in the group with leg ulceration. In conclusion blood and plasma viscosity were only elevated in the patients with major organ complications and not in the patients without or with early complications. Therefore it is unlikely that an elevation of blood or plasma viscosity contributes early in the pathogenesis of diabetic organ damage."}
{"id": "PMID:1468185", "title": "On the influence of metabolic state of parents at conception and pregnancy on incidence and age at onset of diabetes in the progeny of BB/OK rats.", "content": "Thirty first and second litters of same parents of the BB/OK rat population were observed for diabetes occurrence up to an age of 200 days. The parents were nondiabetic at conception and pregnancy of their first litter (nd x nd) and either they remained nondiabetic up to an age of 200 days (nd x nd-->nd x nd) or the father (nd x nd-->d x nd) and the mother (nd x nd-->nd x d), respectively, were diabetic at conception of their second litter. There were no significant differences between first and second litters in incidence and age at onset of diabetes in the progeny, so that the genetic constitution of parents and not their metabolic state determines both traits. But, an influence of the maternal age on diabetes incidence of offspring was found. This influence, however, was not related to the metabolic state of mothers. This finding suggests that the age of mothers per se and not the metabolic state of mothers determines the diabetic disposition of the offspring in BB/OK rats."}
{"id": "PMID:1468186", "title": "Metabolic effects of aldose reductase inhibition in diabetic man.", "content": "The metabolic effects of 52 weeks treatment with the aldose reductase inhibitor ponalrestat were examined in 32 diabetic patients (16 insulin treated) in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Twelve hour metabolic profiles were performed on two separate occasions in each patient (a) during a single-blind placebo run-in period and (b) after 52 weeks treatment with either ponalrestat 600 mg/day or matching placebo. No effects attributable to ponalrestat were evident in glucose, pyruvate, or alanine metabolism. A significant overall treatment effect was observed for lactate concentration (ponalrestat vs. placebo 12 h least square mean at 52 weeks: 1.35 vs. 1.65 mmol/l, p = 0.024). For glycerol (p = 0.018), non-esterified fatty acids (p = 0.003) and total ketone bodies (p = 0.045) there was evidence for a variation of treatment with time between the insulin treated and non-insulin treated patients, although no statistically significant overall treatment effects were observed for any metabolite. Fasting total ketone body concentration at 52 weeks was significantly elevated in the insulin-treated patients receiving ponalrestat (antilog LS mean: 0.12 vs. 0.01 mmol/l, p = 0.01). In conclusion, ponalrestat has no effect on glucose metabolism in diabetic patients. A potentially beneficial effect on lactate metabolism was accompanied by a minor ketogenic effect in insulin-treated patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1468187", "title": "Calcium antagonists and hormone release. VIII. Effects of verapamil infusion on C-peptide to insulin molar ratio in normal subjects and obese subjects with normal glucose tolerance.", "content": "It is known that calcium-antagonist drugs can modify the insulin response to various secretagogues. In order to clarify whether calcium-antagonist effect was directed at the level of pancreatic insulin secretion or hepatic insulin extraction and further investigate the pathogenesis of hyperinsulinemia in obesity, an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) was performed in basal conditions and during a Verapamil infusion (VE, 5 mg/h x 3.5 h) in 12 normal subjects and 14 obese patients with normal glucose tolerance.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1468188", "title": "[Cocaine: the historical aspects].", "content": "The habitual use of drugs acting on the human mental faculties is very ancient. An overview on the history of cocaine, from the pre-Colombian populations of South-America to our days, is reported."}
{"id": "PMID:1468189", "title": "[The indications and need for diuretics in pregnancy].", "content": "The authors take into consideration specific cases of pregnancy with remarkable oedema caused by cardiac insufficiency, gestosis, pre-eclampsia and eclampsia. They emphasize that in these conditions and in other similar ones use of diuretics cannot be precluded. They report the case of a pregnant woman with severe cardiac insufficiency and considerable oedema observed at the Obstetric Clinical of Rome University. Thanks to diuretic therapy, the pregnancy could be followed through to full term."}
{"id": "PMID:1468190", "title": "[The use of interferon-beta in the treatment of essential mixed cryoglobulinemia].", "content": "The authors report two cases of essential mixed cryoglobulinemia (EMC) manifested by purpura, fatigue and arthralgia. After a corticosteroid treatment which proved a complete failure, beta-interferon therapy was started. This caused rapid improvement of the clinical picture without relevant side effects."}
{"id": "PMID:1468191", "title": "[Infective endocarditis].", "content": "The authors underline the recent increase in the incidence of infective endocarditis (IE) involving the right side of the heart, because of instrumental procedures and, above all drug-addiction. They describe the epidemiology, congenital and acquired predisposing heart diseases, the most common portals of entry of the infective agents, etiology, pathogenesis, pathology, cardiac and extracardiac clinical manifestations and complications, clinical and instrumental diagnosis, medical and surgical therapy, prognosis and prevention of disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1468192", "title": "[A case of beriberi on the threshold of the year 2000].", "content": "The authors report a case of beriberi due to a deficit in thiamine, which became apparent in a young Chinese woman with polyneuropathy, distal oedema and epigastralgia. Parenteral administration of thiamine lead to the virtually complete resolution of symptoms."}
{"id": "PMID:1468193", "title": "[Immunoglobulins in the treatment of herpes zoster].", "content": "We have treated 20 patients with Herpes Zoster with \"hyperimmune anti-Zoster immunoglobulins\" (Uman-VZIG) by intralesional administration, 20 patients with Uman-VZIG by intramuscular administration and 23 patients with acyclovir by intravenous administration. The results of treatment in both groups of patients treated with Uman-VZIG were clinically satisfactory with disappearance of fever, local pain and amelioration of cutaneous lesions after two days from the start of treatment and with a mean duration of disease of five days. In patients treated with acyclovir, signs and symptomatology of disease ameliorated slowly and we have observed a longer mean duration of disease (about 8 days). We concluded that Uman-VZIG, both by intralesional and intramuscular administration, is effective and safe in Herpes Zoster treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1468194", "title": "[Intravenous immunoglobulins. General features and the main clinical applications].", "content": "Intravenous immunoglobulins are stable pooled human IgG preparations for therapeutic use. Intravenous immunoglobulins are used for replacement therapy for patients with primary or secondary antibody immunodeficiency, and they are also beneficial in the prevention and treatment of certain viral infections, such as cytomegalovirus pneumonia and Varicella-Zoster; they may also have a synergistic effect with antibiotics in some bacterial diseases. Intravenous immunoglobulins have also been used successfully in the treatment of idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, Kawasaki disease and other autoimmune diseases such as Graves ophthalmopathy. Disadvantages of intravenous immunoglobulins include some frequent (10%) but usually not serious side effects and high cost; rarely has transmission of viral infections been reported."}
{"id": "PMID:1468195", "title": "[Preliminary results of intravenous immunoglobulins in treating patients with vasculitis].", "content": "Four patients affected with vasculitis syndrome (1 systemic vasculitis, 3 cutaneous vasculitis) were treated with \"intravenous immunoglobulin\" (IVIG). Two patients (1 systemic vasculitis, 1 cutaneous vasculitis) presented an improvement of clinical syndrome, while the other 2 patients presented a stable remission; in all patients biochemical amelioration or normalization was observed too. These data confirm that IVIG may be useful in treatment of systemic vasculitis and, for the first time to our knowledge, suggest that IVIG may be an effective treatment in cutaneous vasculitis."}
{"id": "PMID:1468196", "title": "[Changes in markers of autoimmunity in patients with Hashimoto thyroiditis treated with intravenous immunoglobulins. Preliminary results].", "content": "We have evaluated the variations of thyroid function, of thyroid autoantibodies titer, of non-organ specific autoantibodies and of other autoimmunity indices in 3 patients affected with Hashimoto's thyroiditis treated with \"high dose intravenous gammaglobulin\" (IVIG) (400 mg/Kg/day for 3 cycles of 5 days and subsequently 9-12 cycles of 1 day every 21 days). Before the starting of IVIG treatment patient 1 presented clinically evident hypothyroidism while patients 2 and 3 presented a preclinical form of hypothyroidism. At the end of IVIG treatment patients presented no variation of thyroid function, while patients 2 and 3 presented a normalization of T3, T4 and TSH circulating levels. Before the starting of IVIG treatment thyroglobulin antibodies (TgAb) were positive in 3/3 patients, microsomal antibodies (MAb) were positive in 3/3 patients adt TRAb were positive in 2/3 patients and MAb titre was decreased or negative in 0/3 patients. At the end of IVIG treatment Tg Ab titre was decreased or negative in 2/3 patients and MAb titre was decreased or negative in 2/3 patients. Anti-nuclear antibodies (ANA) 1/3 patients before the titre and in all these we observed a reduction or negativization of circulating titre during IVIG treatment. Anti-extractable nuclear antigen (ENA), anti-mitochondrial antibodies (AMA), C3, C4, CH50 and rheumatoid factors were negative or in the normal range in all the patients. In conclusion these data suggest that IVIG is effective in the treatment of preclinical hypothyroidism in patients with Hashimoto's thyroiditis and determine a stable immunosuppressive action on circulating thyroid and non organ specific autoantibodies."}
{"id": "PMID:1468197", "title": "[Autoimmune polyendocrine syndrome. Treatment with intravenous immunoglobulins].", "content": "We report the effect of \"intravenous gamma-globulin treatment\" (IVIG) in a patient with autoimmune polyglandular syndrome type II, with circulating organ specific autoantibodies, preclinical hypothyroidism, amenorrhea and Addison syndrome. During IVIG treatment we observed a normalization of thyroid function, the appearance of some non ovulatory menses, reduction of thyroglobulin, thyroidal microsomal, anti-parietal cell, adrenal and ovary antibodies. These data confirm that intravenous immunoglobulin may represent a new tool for treatment of autoimmune disorders and show, for the first time, an immunosuppressive effect of intravenous gammaglobulin treatment in immunological phenomena direct against ovary, adrenal and gastric mucosa."}
{"id": "PMID:1468198", "title": "[Parameters of organ-specific and non-specific autoimmunity in patients with Basedow's disease and Basedow's ophthalmopathy. Changes induced by IVIG treatment].", "content": "The aim of this study was to evaluate the variations of thyroid autoantibodies titre in a group of 15 patients affected with \"Graves' disease\" (G. D.) during the treatment with antithyroid drug (ATD) and \"high dose intravenous immunoglobulin\" (IVIG) for \"Graves' ophthalmopathy\". Before the starting of treatment thyroglobulin antibodies (TgAb) were positive in 10/15 patients, microsomal antibodies (MAb) were positive in 13/15 patients and TRAb were positive in 5/9 patients. At the end of treatment TgAb titre was decreased or negative in 7/10 patients, MAb titre was decreased or negative in 7/13 patients, TRAb titre was diminished or negativized in 5/5 patients. Anti-nuclear antibodies (ANA) and anti-smooth muscle antibodies (ASMA) were positive in 3/15 and 3/15 patients before the treatment and in all these we observed a reduction or negativization of circulating titre during IVIG treatment. Anti-extractable nuclear antigen (ENA)m anti-mitochondrial antibodies (AMA) and rheumatoid factors were negative in all the patients. Also in the 3 patients not treated with ATD we have observed a reduction or a negativization of circulating thyroid autoantibodies. In conclusion these data suggest that the reduction of thyroid and non organ specific autoantibodies might be due to a stable immunosuppressive action of IVIG treatment in patients with Graves' disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1468200", "title": "[Liver function tests, hepatitis A, B, C markers and HIV antibodies in patients with Basedow's ophthalmopathy treated with intravenous immunoglobulins].", "content": "Recent reports of transmission by intravenous gamma-globulin preparations of A, B, C and non-A non-B hepatitis (NANBH), including several cases that progressed to severe liver damage and death, have raised concerns about the safety of intravenous gamma-globulins. To assess this issue 15 patients treated with high-dose \"intravenous immunoglobulin\" (IVIG) for Graves' Ophthalmopathy had serial determination of glutamic pyruvic transaminase (GPT), glutamic oxalacetic transaminase (GOT), gamma glutamyltranspeptidase (gamma-GT), alkaline phosphatase and bilirubin that were performed regularly at interval of 3 weeks during IVIG treatment and 6 months after the end of the treatment. Hepatitis A, B, C and HIV markers were determined before, during and 6 months after the end of the treatment. The standard dosage was 400 mg per Kg body weight IVIG (3 cycles of 5 days and 12 of 1 day, every 21 days). Transient minor elevations were observed for GPT, for GOT, for gamma-GT and alkaline phosphatase. None of the elevations were considered indicative of NANBH or of any chronic hepatic disease. Transient presence of hepatitis A, B and C antibodies were observed in 6 patients. All patients remained negative for hepatitis B antigens throughout the study. HIV antibodies resulted always negative in all patients. In conclusion this study suggests the hepatitis and HIV safety of IVIG."}
{"id": "PMID:1468201", "title": "[Intravenous immunoglobulins in hematologic therapy].", "content": "The use of intravenous immunoglobulin (IgIV) increased in the last ten years. IgIV are used in three different groups of haematologic pathologies. The first group is formed by the immunodeficiencies: primaries (those that started the use of IgIV) and secondaries (from immunosuppressive agents and from deficit accessories of Ig). The second group is that of autoimmunity of the blood corpuscular elements (ITP, autoimmune neutrocytopenia and autoimmune haemolytic anaemias). The third group is represented by thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura. The right protocol and the optimal formulas of the dosages of IgIV are still to be tested. The same applies to its action mechanisms and its potential utilization in other diseases."}
{"id": "PMID:1468202", "title": "[The use of intravenous immunoglobulins in patients with severe burns].", "content": "The parenteral use of whole molecule immunoglobulins is an important instrument for immunotherapy which can be employed in a variety of morbid conditions characterized by immunodeficiency, and therefore also in the management of severe burns. In order to confirm this assumption, the effect of i.v. administration of immunoglobulins has been studied in a group of burn patients and has been compared with the results obtained in the same number of clinically homologous patients not submitted to this treatment. In view of the results obtained, i.v. immunoglobulins can be usefully employed for the control of inflammatory and septic phenomena with reduction of abnormal parameters and a positive influence on the recovery curve."}
{"id": "PMID:1468203", "title": "[Treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus with intravenous human immunoglobulins. Preliminary study].", "content": "Recently the availability of human immunoglobulin for intravenous use (IVIg) has been helpful in the treatment of some conditions characterized by autoimmune disorders and anecdotal reports have been suggested a favourable role in the therapy of SLE. We report our experience on 4 SLE patients in whom IVIg was administered. Our data suggest that IVIg may be considered an alternative regimen to treat selected patients affected by SLE."}
{"id": "PMID:1468204", "title": "Racemization of aspartic acid in human articular cartilage.", "content": "The rate of racemization of aspartic acid was measured in young and aged human femoral head cartilage. Normal femoral heads were obtained at postmortem, osteoarthritic specimens at operations for total hip replacement. In order to distinguish between the aspartic acid racemization in collagen from that in proteoglycan (PG), in addition to native tissue, we tested cartilage specimens from which PG had been enzymatically removed. Preliminary results indicate that there is only a very slow collagen turnover in normal adult cartilage. The same is true of residual cartilage from osteoarthritic femoral heads, indicating no rapid repair except where osteophytes are formed. Native, PG-containing cartilage, whether normal or osteoarthritic was found to have unexpectedly high racemization rates."}
{"id": "PMID:1468206", "title": "Elastin synthesis and accumulation in irradiated smooth muscle cell cultures.", "content": "Multilayer cultures of neonatal rat aortic smooth muscle cells, which were actively synthesizing elastin, were exposed to gamma-radiation. Elastin synthesis and accumulation was measured as a function of time after irradiation and compared to control (non-irradiated) cultures. Cells exposed to 50 Gy ceased to divide but continued to synthesize and accumulate elastin. The culture morphology suggested that the irradiated cells accumulated an extensive extracellular matrix between their cell layers. Interestingly, the amount of elastin accumulated in the irradiated cultures was nearly the same as in the controls despite the difference in cell number in the two cultures. Thus, on a per cell basis, the elastin accumulation was greater in the irradiated cultures than in the controls."}
{"id": "PMID:1468207", "title": "Monoclonal antibody BRL 12 reacts with bone keratan sulphate proteoglycan.", "content": "Our previous studies suggest that a monoclonal antibody, BRL 12, reacts with a specific product of differentiated cells of the osteoblastic lineage. In the present study, the bone constituent recognized by this antibody has been characterized by gel filtration, ion exchange chromatography, protein blotting and immunolocalization. Our findings show that the antibody reacts with an epitope associated with the core protein of rabbit keratan sulfate proteoglycan (KSPG), a molecule which shares considerable homology with the sialoprotein present in the bone tissue of other mammalian species."}
{"id": "PMID:1468208", "title": "Characterization of metalloproteinases and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases in human plasma.", "content": "In this study, we have identified and characterized metalloproteinases and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs) in human plasma. Treatment of plasma with trypsin or aminophenylmercuric acetate resulted in activation of latent gelatinolytic activity. Fractionation of plasma by gelatin Sepharose chromatography resulted in the isolation of 72 kDa and 92 kDa gelatinases/type IV collagenases. The 72 kDa gelatinase was purified by gel filtration chromatography. Stromelysin-1 was isolated from plasma by Matrex green A affinity chromatography. Immunoblotting of plasma fractions with antibodies to unique peptide regions of human gelatinases differentiated the 72 kDa gelatinase from the 92 kDa gelatinase. Antibodies to the amino terminal peptides of each enzyme were used to determine that plasma gelatinases circulate as latent proenzymes. Immunoblotting with antibodies directed against human stromelysin identified a 57 kDa stromelysin. TIMP-1 (28 kDa) and TIMP-2 (21 kDa) were also identified by immunoblotting of gelatin Sepharose bound plasma proteins using non-crossreacting antibodies to each protein."}
{"id": "PMID:1468209", "title": "Partial protein sequence of the globular domain of alpha 4(IV) collagen chain: sites of sequence variability and homology with alpha 2(IV).", "content": "The globular domain (NC) of alpha 4(IV) collagen chain was partially sequenced and compared with the NC domain of other collagen IV chains. The alpha 4(IV) NC domain was found to be most closely related to alpha 2(IV) NC domain but distinct from the NC domain of alpha 1(IV), alpha 2(IV), alpha 3(IV) and alpha 5(IV) collagen chains. Partial sequence, representing nearly one half of alpha 4(IV) NC domain, shows 56%, 69%, 51% and 54% identity with the corresponding NC domains of alpha 1(IV), alpha 2(IV), alpha 3(IV) and alpha 5(IV) collagen chains, respectively. A short, highly polar, region of variable sequence is found near the carboxy terminus of alpha 4(IV) NC domain. This sequence corresponds to a non-conserved region among NC domains, suggesting functional specialization at this site. It exhibits high surface probability with predicted structural differences among NC domains. These results confirm uniqueness of alpha 4(IV) NC domain and indicate its structural relatedness to other NC domains of collagen IV."}
{"id": "PMID:1468210", "title": "Mycobacterium fortuitum keratitis. Clinicopathologic correlates and corticosteroid effects in an animal model.", "content": "Mycobacterium fortuitum keratitis is an indolent infection of traumatized corneas in humans. To study this disorder in an animal model, 10(4) M fortuitum organisms (10 microliters) were inoculated into the stroma of both corneas of 16 New Zealand albino rabbits. Eight of the rabbits were also given bilateral subconjunctival injections of methylprednisolone acetate (20 mg in 0.5 ml) at the time of inoculation. Two corticosteroid-treated and two untreated rabbits were selected each week after inoculation for histopathological examination and quantitative cultures. Corneal lesions in corticosteroid-treated eyes were characterized clinically by indolent ulcerations and satellite lesions that slowly enlarged; on histopathologic examination at each week, acute inflammation and microorganisms were consistently present. Corneal lesions in untreated eyes were characterized clinically by small infiltrates that progressed little over time; at weeks 1 and 2, light microscopic examination showed intrastromal granulomatous and/or mixed acute and chronic inflammation with focal intrastromal necrosis, but at weeks 3 and 4 there was no evidence of active disease. Organisms could not be identified microscopically in corneas of any untreated rabbits. Mean values for quantitative cultures of corneas were higher in corticosteroid-treated rabbits after week 1, although standard deviations were large. These results suggest that M fortuitum keratitis in rabbits is made worse by corticosteroid use. Clinical and histopathologic changes were compared with human disease and found to be similar in corticosteroid-treated rabbits."}
{"id": "PMID:1468211", "title": "Mycobacterium fortuitum keratitis. A comparison of topical ciprofloxacin and amikacin in an animal model.", "content": "The effect of topical amikacin or topical ciprofloxacin on Mycobacterium fortuitum keratitis was studied in a rabbit model. Two strains of M fortuitum were used: ATCC-6841 [for which mean inhibitory concentrations (MICs) indicated in vitro sensitivity to both drugs] and a cutaneous isolate from a human infection (for which MICs indicated relative in vitro resistance to amikacin but in vitro sensitivity to ciprofloxacin). Both drugs reduced the number of organisms in eyes infected with either strain (all p values < or = 0.01), but in no cases were organisms eliminated from eyes after 4 days of treatment. Amikacin was more effective in reducing the number of organisms in corneas infected with ATCC-6841 than in corneas infected with the patient isolate (p = 0.004), whereas ciprofloxacin was equally effective for treatment of both strains (p > 0.10). These results suggest that topical amikacin or ciprofloxacin may be useful in the treatment of M fortuitum keratitis. However, neither drug was shown to be more effective for treatment of either strain studied (all p values > 0.3)."}
{"id": "PMID:1468212", "title": "HLA-DR alleles and sterile ulcerative keratitis.", "content": "Human leukocyte antigen-DR typing was performed on 18 unrelated white patients with sterile ulcerative keratitis (SUK) to determine whether these patients share common immunogenetic susceptibility genes. There was no statistically significant increase in any DR allele among the entire group of SUK patients. There was a trend in the frequency of DR1 in the rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients (5 of 8, 63%) versus the non-RA patients (1 of 10, 10%), which was not statistically significant, possibly due to the small number of patients in the study. Screening patients with RA without known SUK from our RA register revealed one DR1-positive patient with an inactive peripheral marginal melt. These findings suggest a possible relationship between DR1 and RA sterile corneal melting, which will need to be confirmed with a larger study."}
{"id": "PMID:1468213", "title": "Fluorophotometric assessment of tear turnover under rigid contact lenses.", "content": "To examine the effect of rigid contact lens design on tear turnover the left and right eyes of 25 healthy volunteers were randomly fitted with either a spherical or an aspherical contact lens. Tear turnover is defined as the percentage of decrease of fluorescein concentration in the tear film per minute as a result of tear flow after instillation of fluorescein and can be determined with a fluorophotometer. A drop of fluorescein (1 microliter, 2%) was instilled in each contact lens-wearing eye, whereafter the decrease of the fluorescein was measured for about 30 min. The test was repeated without contact lenses. No statistically significant difference was found between the tear turnover in the spherical, the aspherical, and the non-contact lens-wearing eyes (mean values +/- SD: 15.2 +/- 4.9, 15.6 +/- 5.9, and 16.9 +/- 6.8%/min, p > 0.20)."}
{"id": "PMID:1468214", "title": "Treatment of ocular surface disorders and dry eyes with high gas-permeable scleral lenses.", "content": "Extreme corneal surface disorders and dry-eye conditions cannot be adequately treated with corneal contact lenses. For these cases a scleral lens with a diameter of between 21 and 25 mm could be prescribed. In this study, high oxygen-permeable scleral contact lenses were fitted onto 50 eyes, of which 32 had a deviant corneal topography and 18 had dry-eye syndrome. A significant improvement of visual acuity and good lens tolerance were found. The large lens successfully created a moist atmosphere in front of the cornea with dry-eye circumstances. No signs of oxygen shortage were recorded. In three dry eyes (16.7%) immediate failure in fitting was found, due to lens binding. The new scleral lens provides a physiological condition of the cornea, which allows a revival in the application of such lenses."}
{"id": "PMID:1468215", "title": "Corneal graft rejection after neodymium-yttrium-aluminum-garnet laser posterior capsulotomy.", "content": "Neodymium-yttrium-aluminum-garnet (Nd-YAG) laser capsulotomy was performed in three patients with corneal graft. Acute corneal graft rejection was noted in these patients 4 weeks to 4 months after posterior capsulotomy. In one patient, enlargement of the capsulotomy opening was followed by a second episode of corneal graft rejection. We discuss the complications of Nd-YAG laser capsulotomy, and its possible role as a cause for corneal graft rejection."}
{"id": "PMID:1468216", "title": "A new fluorocarbon for keratoprosthesis.", "content": "Previous studies have demonstrated the potential use of microporous, biocompatible materials to improve the long-term stability of keratoprosthesis. To determine the factors that will influence corneal tissue ingrowth into biocompatible, microporous materials, we have compared three types of fluorocarbon polymers--Impra, Gore-Tex, and Proplast--after intrastromal implantation in rabbit corneas. Despite similar physicochemical structures, a great difference was observed in histologic and ultrastructural cross sections after 4- and 8-month follow-ups. For Gore-Tex, we observed extrusion of the implant and infiltration of necrotic and inflammatory cells. All implants of Proplast also led to significant corneal damage resulting in extrusion of the material. Through the use of electron and light microscopy and image analysis, this study demonstrates the presence of cell differentiation and collagen synthesis in the pores of the Impra implant. Apart from biocompatibility, this experiment demonstrates the influence of pore size, porous microorganization, and biomechanical factors on prosthetic corneal material. Only Impra offers satisfactory interface, allowing fibroblastic cells and neocollagen synthesis into its pores, and it can become transparent."}
{"id": "PMID:1468217", "title": "Topical cyclosporine A and corneal wound healing.", "content": "The effect of 2% topical cyclosporine A (CsA) ointment on corneal epithelial and stromal wound healing was evaluated in a masked, placebo-controlled study in rabbits. The difference in epithelial would healing rate in the treatment and placebo group was not statistically significant. There was also no difference in the values of bursting strength of 2-mm central penetrating wounds and in the measurement of hydroxyproline content in the central corneal buttons from the wounded area in both the groups. Clinical evaluation of the quality of regenerating epithelium, stromal edema, haze, and iritis did not reveal a difference between the two groups. There was a significantly higher incidence of conjunctival injection in the CsA-treated group. We conclude that topical cyclosporine A 2% does not significantly inhibit epithelial or stromal corneal wound healing."}
{"id": "PMID:1468218", "title": "Histopathological variation in keratoconus.", "content": "During examination of 131 penetrating keratoplasty specimens from patients with keratoconus obtained in an 11-year period, we observed two histopathologic variants based on the appearance of Bowman's layer and the corneal epithelium. \"Typical\" keratoconus specimens had multiple breaks in Bowman's layer and central epithelial thinning, whereas \"atypical\" corneas lacked breaks in Bowman's layer and had less thinning of the central epithelium. Ninety-five corneas were from patients who underwent grafting in only one eye. Seventy-six (80%) of these corneas were \"typical\" and 19 corneas (20%) were \"atypical\" in appearance. Both variants had similar degrees of central stromal thinning. Patients with \"typical\" and \"atypical\" corneas differed demographically by race only; 49% of \"typical\" and 95% of \"atypical\" corneas were from white individuals. Thirty-six corneas were from 18 patients who underwent bilateral penetrating keratoplasty. The histologic appearance of these corneal pairs was concordant in 13 patients and discordant (one \"typical\" and one \"atypical\" cornea) in five patients. Statistical analysis indicated that this distribution is not significantly different from that predicted by chance and suggests that \"typical\" and \"atypical\" corneas are manifestations of the same disease process."}
{"id": "PMID:1468219", "title": "Regional distribution of mammalian corneal aldehyde dehydrogenase and alcohol dehydrogenase.", "content": "The regional distribution of mouse aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) and alcohol dehydrogenase activities in mouse ocular tissues was examined using spectrophotometric and agarose-isoelectric focusing techniques. The results established that these enzymes are predominantly localized in the cornea. Biochemical and histochemical analyses of the localization of these enzymes in the corneas of common domestic mammals (pigs, sheep, and cattle) and in baboons revealed species differences, with high levels being reported in corneal epithelium (pigs and baboons) and endothelium (sheep and cattle). The presence of these enzymes in the corneal epithelium is consistent with their proposed catalytic role in the detoxification of ultraviolet (UV)-induced peroxidic aldehydes, and with the proposed role for corneal ALDH in UVB absorption."}
{"id": "PMID:1468220", "title": "Albumin in the cornea is oxidized by hydrogen peroxide.", "content": "The action of hydrogen peroxide on soluble proteins of the rat cornea has been evaluated. Two major corneal proteins are found to be oxidized by 10 mM hydrogen peroxide. Protein sequence and antibody recognition has shown one of the proteins to be albumin. Treatment of pure rat or human albumin with hydrogen peroxide oxidizes the protein and decreases its affinity for its antibody. Because albumin is a major protein in the cornea, its ready oxidation suggests that a role for albumin in this tissue may be to act as a native antioxidant, scavenging hydrogen peroxide and thus preventing more extensive damage by this toxin. These data are relevant to the evaluation of the safety of contact lens disinfectants containing hydrogen peroxide and suggest that further study of the action of this oxidant is warranted."}
{"id": "PMID:1468221", "title": "Indications and techniques of penetrating keratoplasties, 1985-1988.", "content": "Indications and surgical techniques for penetrating keratoplasties (PKs) were evaluated to determine present trends and suggest future directions for PK. Analyses were based on 3,941 PK cases, with questionnaires completed at the time of surgery by 638 surgeons receiving tissue through Tissue Banks International, Inc. between July 1, 1985, and December 31, 1988. The leading indications for PK were pseudophakic corneal edema (PCE) (23%), graft failure (17%), Fuchs' corneal dystrophy (13%), kerataconus (13%), keratitis/scar (12%), and aphakic corneal edema (10%). Indications for PK varied by age and sex. Anterior chamber (AC) lenses accounted for the majority (56%) of PCE cases. Penetrating keratoplasty for PCE occurred within 5 years of cataract surgery for 81% of patients with PC lenses and only 52% of patients with AC lenses. Intraocular lens exchange was performed in most AC and iris-fixed lens PCE cases (65% and 77%, respectively), but less frequently in PC lens cases (17%). A PC lens was placed in 29% of all PCE lens exchange cases. These data have confirmed and expanded observations from smaller studies about leading indications and surgical techniques for PK. Therefore, eye bank data may be useful in describing and monitoring future indications and trends for PK because they provide a broader base of information than that obtained through a single institution."}
{"id": "PMID:1468222", "title": "Clinical and pathologic findings of aphakic peripheral corneal edema: Brown-McLean syndrome.", "content": "Twenty-two patients (36 eyes) are reported with Brown-McLean syndrome, which consists of peripheral corneal edema associated with peripheral endothelial pigment deposits, usually after intracapsular cataract extraction. This group, the largest reported to date, had a spectrum of corneal alterations, those at the more severe end of the spectrum being both progressive and symptomatic. Some patients required medical and surgical treatment, including keratoplasty. Four corneas (two obtained surgically, two postmortem) were examined by light and electron microscopy (EM). Centrally, the corneas were relatively normal, but peripherally there were disintegrated endothelial cells with an abnormal posterior collagenous layer of Descemet's membrane. Scanning EM showed a somewhat distinct junction between the normal central endothelium and the diseased peripheral endothelium."}
{"id": "PMID:1468223", "title": "Multiple myeloma presenting as vortex crystalline keratopathy and complicated by endocapsular hematoma.", "content": "The crystalline keratopathy of multiple myeloma may involve the corneal epithelium, but has not previously been described in a vortex epithelial distribution. Endocapsular hematomas have been described in the period immediately after extracapsular cataract extraction, but not later on or in association with systemic disease. We report a pseudophakic patient who developed a vortex epithelial crystalline keratopathy as a presenting sign of multiple myeloma, and who subsequently developed a spontaneous endocapsular hematoma."}
{"id": "PMID:1468224", "title": "Inadvertent corneal button inversion during penetrating keratoplasty.", "content": "Inadvertent inversion of a corneal button during corneal transplantation for pseudophakic bullous keratopathy occurred with subsequent intense intraocular inflammation but a relatively compact graft. The diagnosis was made by a superficial corneal biopsy of Descemet's membrane, and a repeat corneal transplantation resulted in a clear graft and no evidence of epithelial downgrowth. Histology revealed the persistence of the donor epithelium on the inverted donor button but no residual endothelium on the externalized surface. Although laboratory attempts to duplicate an inversion of a corneal graft revealed that this occurs only with considerable difficulty, this operative complication may explain some of the unexpected primary graft failures reported in the literature."}
{"id": "PMID:1468225", "title": "Orbital cyst in a patient with Stevens-Johnson syndrome.", "content": "A 10-year-old girl with ocular complications of Stevens-Johnson syndrome developed a large superior orbital cyst above the right eye. When the cyst recurred after needle aspiration, it was removed surgically and the superior conjunctival fornix was replaced with a buccal mucous membrane graft. Histopathologically the lesion proved to be a clear cyst lined by nonkeratinizing epithelium compatible with conjunctival epithelium with rare goblet cells. The patient did well postoperatively. An orbital cyst is a rare ocular complication of the Stevens-Johnson syndrome."}
{"id": "PMID:1468226", "title": "Corneal opacity in LCAT disease.", "content": "Deficiency of lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase, LCAT disease, is one of the dyslipoproteinemias with characteristic lipid deposits in the cornea. The present report documents the clinicopathologic abnormalities of one case in which a full-thickness corneal specimen was obtained at the time of corneal transplantation. The characteristic clinical abnormality was a progressive corneal opacification with a peripheral arcus that extended into the sclera. The pathologic abnormality consisted of vacuoles prevalent in the anterior corneal stroma by light microscopy and containing extracellular, membranous deposits by electron microscopy. These observations confirm and supplement the previous six pathologic reports of corneal changes in LCAT disease and demonstrate, for the first time, histopathologic evidence of unesterified cholesterol in the corneal stroma of LCAT disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1468227", "title": "Corneal endothelial irregularity with long-term contact lens wear.", "content": "A case is presented of a 49-year-old woman who has worn hard contact lenses for 26 years. Specular microscopy of the central corneal endothelium revealed marked bilateral polymegethism and a large coefficient of variation in cell size. Of greater significance was the presence of clumps of small cells. This may be related to the way the corneal endothelium responds to long-term anoxia."}
{"id": "PMID:1468234", "title": "Aggression as a natural part of suicide bereavement.", "content": "This article analyzes anger as a phase in the process of bereavement after suicide. Anger is generally very difficult for the survivors to recognize, accept, and express. At the beginning of the survivors' group meetings, anger is repressed and denied. After the group has become more structured and more cohesive, the aggression is first expressed indirectly (through dreams) and directed at different objects (the environment, the survivor him- or herself). In the final group sessions, when the members support each other emotionally, both the group atmosphere and the therapist help them to recognize their anger and to vent their aggression toward their relative who committed suicide. If the survivors do not go through this phase, the bereavement process should not be considered completed."}
{"id": "PMID:1468239", "title": "Double-blind comparison of etodolac SR and diclofenac SR in the treatment of patients with degenerative joint disease of the knee.", "content": "An on-going multi-centre, double-blind, parallel-group study is being carried out to compare the efficacy and tolerability of sustained-release (SR) formulations of etodolac and diclofenac in patients with degenerative joint disease (osteoarthritis) of the knee. An interim analysis of the findings has been made for 64 patients from two centres which have now completed their part in the study. Thirty-two patients were randomly assigned to receive 600 mg etodolac SR once daily for 4 weeks; the remaining 32 patients received 100 mg diclofenac SR. Primary efficacy assessments rated on a 5-point categorical scale were patient and physician overall assessments of the patient's condition, night pain and pain intensity. Secondary efficacy parameters included weight-bearing pain, stiffness duration, joint tenderness on pressure, degree of swelling and erythema, degree of knee flexion and time to walk 15 metres. The results showed that for both etodolac SR and diclofenac SR treatment groups there was an improvement from baseline in all efficacy parameters at the last visit and no statistically significant difference was observed between treatments. However, although not statistically significant, the improvement rate in the patient's condition at Week 2 was slightly greater in the etodolac SR treatment group, suggesting that improvement may occur more rapidly with etodolac SR than with diclofenac SR. With regard to tolerability, 5 patients in the etodolac SR treatment group and 3 in the diclofenac SR group withdrew from the study because of adverse reactions. Two events (dyspepsia and mouth ulceration) in the etodolac SR group and 4 events (headache, glossitis, depression and insomnia) in the diclofenac SR group were considered to be definitely drug-related. Dyspepsia was reported by 3 patients (1 withdrawal) treated with etodolac SR and by 4 patients (2 withdrawals) treated with diclofenac SR. A statistically significant decrease was observed in haemoglobin and haematocrit values after 4 weeks of treatment in the diclofenac SR group, but this was not considered to be clinically important. In addition, there were no clinically significant changes in blood chemistry and urinalysis for either treatments. In conclusion, the results of the present study indicate that 600 mg etodolac SR once daily for 4 weeks is effective in the treatment of patients with degenerative joint disease of the knee, as is 100 mg diclofenac SR. In addition, both drugs have comparable tolerability profiles."}
{"id": "PMID:1468240", "title": "Comparison of the effects of etodolac SR and naproxen on gastro-intestinal blood loss.", "content": "A single-blind, open-label controlled study was carried out in 30 healthy male volunteers to compare gastro-intestinal blood loss before, during and after treatment with a new, sustained-release formulation of the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agent etodolac (etodolac SR) or with naproxen. Subjects remained at the study centre for 21 days and received placebo twice daily from Days 1 to 7 after which they were assigned at random to receive etodolac SR either as a single 600 mg or 1200 mg daily dose or naproxen (500 mg twice daily) for 7 days and then placebo again until the end of the study. There were 10 subjects in each of the three treatment groups. Gastro-intestinal blood loss was measured by the 51Cr-tagged erythrocyte method and was averaged for Days 4 to 7 (pre-treatment baseline), Days 11 to 14 (treatment period), and Days 17 to 20 (post-treatment period). The mean daily gastro-intestinal blood loss during the treatment period was significantly greater for the naproxen-treated group (1.20 ml/day) than for the 600 mg etodolac SR group (0.38 ml/day) and the 1200 mg etodolac SR group (0.45 ml/day). These results show that etodolac SR in doses of 600 mg and 1200 mg/day causes significantly less gastro-intestinal blood loss than does naproxen 500 mg twice daily."}
{"id": "PMID:1468241", "title": "A comparison of the efficacy of two ear drop preparations ('Audax' and 'Earex') in the softening and removal of impacted ear wax.", "content": "Thirty-six patients with symptoms of impacted ear wax were recruited to an open, randomized, parallel group study of 'Audax' ear drops and 'Earex' ear drops. Patients had had their symptoms for several weeks and they were assessed on entry for the degree of impaction in each ear. After using the drops, morning and evening for 4 days, they were assessed on the fifth day for degree of impaction, ease of syringing, side-effects or discomfort, and the investigator's and patient's own global impression of efficacy of the ear drops. A trend was seen showing less impaction post-treatment in the 'Audax' group than in the 'Earex' group although the difference did not reach statistical significance. A significant difference was seen in favour of 'Audax' for the frequency and ease of syringing (p < 0.005). No patients in the 'Audax' group reported any side-effect or discomfort although 1 patient using 'Earex' reported slight irritation whilst another found the smell unacceptable. The results of the investigators' and patients' own global impression of efficacy were significantly in favour of 'Audax' ear drops (p < 0.01)."}
{"id": "PMID:1468242", "title": "A single-blind, randomized study to compare the efficacy of two ear drop preparations ('Audax' and 'Cerumol') in the softening of ear wax.", "content": "A parallel group, single-blind, randomized study was carried out in a general practice to compare the effectiveness and tolerability of two ear drop preparations ('Audax' and 'Cerumol') in the softening of ear wax in 50 adult patients with impacted or hardened ear wax. Assessments were made on entry of the amount, colour and consistency of the ear wax, symptoms, and objective hearing. Patients were then allocated at random to receive one or other preparation and instructed to use the drops, morning and evening, for 4 days after which they were reassessed. Details were recorded of any side-effects or discomfort caused by the study medication and both physician and patients were asked to give their overall opinion of treatment efficacy. Both treatments were shown to be effective in the softening of ear wax and were well tolerated, there being no significant difference between the two groups in these parameters. However, patients who had abnormal hearing before treatment had a significantly greater improvement in objective hearing after treatment with 'Audax' ear drops compared to those patients treated with 'Cerumol' ear drops. There were no between-treatment differences in either either the physician's or patient's overall assessments of effectiveness."}
{"id": "PMID:1468243", "title": "Amiodarone dosage in older patients with atrial fibrillation: an open, multi-centre study.", "content": "An open, multi-centre study was carried out to assess the effectiveness and tolerability of amiodarone at a lower dose than routinely used in the clinical and symptomatic treatment of older patients with atrial fibrillation who were resistant to other therapy or in whom other therapy was either poorly tolerated or contraindicated. Suitable patients for dose adjustment were selected from a dosing survey population of those aged 60 years or over who were currently receiving amiodarone at a dosage of 200 mg or more daily. Periodic 100 mg dose reductions were made at 6-weekly intervals until there were signs of exacerbation or recurrence of the arrhythmia or until a daily dose of 100 mg was reached. Evaluation of the results from 167 patients showed that 156 (94%) were stabilized on a final dose of 100 mg daily and the remaining 11 (6%) on 200 mg daily. The majority of these patients were either in sinus rhythm or atrial fibrillation with a ventricular rate less than 100 beats per min. Twenty-one patients reported 22 adverse events. The majority of adverse events were not considered serious by the investigators, while approximately half were considered as 'probably unrelated' to amiodarone treatment. Six deaths were recorded during the treatment period but none was linked to amiodarone or 'probably related' to dose reduction."}
{"id": "PMID:1468244", "title": "The efficacy and tolerability of controlled-release dihydrocodeine tablets and combination dextropropoxyphene/paracetamol tablets in patients with severe osteoarthritis of the hips.", "content": "A double-blind, parallel group study was undertaken in general practice to compare the efficacy of and tolerability to controlled-release (CR) dihydrocodeine tablets and combination dextropropoxyphene/paracetamol tablets in patients with severe osteoarthritis of the hip(s). Eighty-six patients were randomly allocated to receive either CR dihydrocodeine (60 mg) tablets (1 tablet twice daily to 2 tablets daily) or combination dextropropoxyphene (32.5 mg)/paracetamol (325 mg) tablets (2 tablets 3-times daily to 2 tablets 4-times daily) for a period of 2 weeks. Patients recorded in a diary card 4 times a day the severity of their pain and each morning whether or not they woke during the night due to pain in their hip(s). On entry to the study, after the first week's treatment and at the final visit another week later, the investigator assessed the patient's severity of pain on passive movement of the hip and also noted the severity of any volunteered symptoms or side-effects. After 2-weeks' treatment, pain on passive movement of the hip joint was statistically significantly less severe on CR dihydrocodeine than on dextropropoxyphene/paracetamol (p = 0.02). Nausea and vomiting were more pronounced in the dihydrocodeine than in the dextropropoxyphene/paracetamol group after the first week's treatment but by the end of the study there was no significant treatment difference in any of the volunteered side-effects. Patients on CR dihydrocodeine developed some constipation as expected and the dextropropoxyphene/paracetamol patients suffered from impaired concentration. More patients withdrew on CR dihydrocodeine than on dextropropoxyphene/paracetamol but these withdrawals tended to occur early in the trial just after initiating therapy. Tolerance in terms of withdrawals or side-effect profile did not appear to the dosage of each preparation administered. It is concluded that after 2-weeks' treatment CR dihydrocodeine provided superior analgesia to dextropropoxyphene/paracetamol with no difference in side-effects. Furthermore, CR dihydrocodeine has the advantage of twice rather than 3 or 4-times daily dosing."}
{"id": "PMID:1468245", "title": "Therapeutic synergism between hyaluronic acid and dexamethasone in the intra-articular treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee: a preliminary open study.", "content": "In vitro studies on the effects of dexamethasone on human synovial cells have shown that with high concentrations of the steroid in the culture medium cellular activity was completely blocked whereas with low concentrations (10(-6)M), cellular density decreased but there was an increase in the synthesis of RNA, DNA, protein and hyaluronic acid. These data, coupled with clinical experience of using intra-articular hyaluronic acid to treat patients with osteoarthritis of the knee, prompted the investigators to carry out an open, randomized study of the use of very small doses of dexamethasone in association with hyaluronic acid in 40 osteoarthritic patients. Twenty patients received a weekly intra-articular injection of 20 mg sodium hyaluronate in 2 ml phosphate buffer for 5 weeks; the other 20 patients followed a similar treatment regimen, the only difference being the addition of 0.4 mg dexamethasone phosphate to the first injection. Clinical examination of the knee was made before each injection, 7 days after the fifth injection and 60 days after the start of the trial. Rating scale assessments were made at each visit of spontaneous pain, pain during the day, at night, weight bearing and whilst walking. The results showed that whilst a progressive decrease in all pain parameters was evident and persisted after the end of treatment in both patient groups, pain intensity decreased more rapidly and to lower levels in all but weight-bearing pain, as did improvement in joint mobility, in the combined treatment group. Local tolerance was good with both treatment regimens, with no untoward signs or symptoms at any time.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1468246", "title": "Sulodexide and the microcirculatory component in microphlebopathies.", "content": "A double-blind, placebo-controlled study was carried out in 36 patients, aged 30 to 50 years, to evaluate the effectiveness of oral sulodexide in the treatment of chronic venous insufficiency due to idiopathic varices. Patients were allocated at random to receive either oral sulodexide as 2 capsules (each containing 250 lipoproteinolipase releasing units) twice daily or 2 identical placebo capsules twice daily over a period of 45 days. Using strain gauge plethysmographic data, assessments were made of the microcirculatory effects of treatment by calculating the coefficient of capillary filtration from measurements made on both legs of each patient on entry and after 30 and 45 days of treatment. The coefficient is derived from the transmembranous flow values at the occlusive pressures of 60 and 40 mmHg, the difference between the two occlusive pressures examined and a corrective factor to calculate the capillary pressure based on the pressure in the venous circulation. Statistical analysis of the results showed that sulodexide produced a significant mean reduction from baseline values of the coefficient at both the 30 and 45 day examinations whereas the coefficient increased in the placebo group. The difference between the two groups was also statistically significant. These findings suggest that sulodexide has a positive influence on capillary permeability."}
{"id": "PMID:1468252", "title": "Perianal and intergluteal psoriasis.", "content": "Psoriasis of the perianal and intergluteal areas can cause pain and discomfort. Individualized therapeutic programs will reduce the morbidity. It is essential that optimal hygienic conditions be maintained in these regions to avoid itching and inflammation."}
{"id": "PMID:1468255", "title": "Mohs micrographic surgery for thin stage I malignant melanoma: rationale for a modern management strategy.", "content": "Mohs micrographic surgery is presented as a rational surgical management approach for thin malignant melanoma. Advantages of the Mohs micrographic surgery fresh-tissue technique include tissue conservation, low local recurrence rates, and outpatient reconstruction. It is likely that in the future many physicians and patients will choose Mohs micrographic surgery for the surgical treatment of thin malignant melanoma."}
{"id": "PMID:1468256", "title": "Risk classification of life and health insurance applicants with atypical melanocytic hyperplasia or malignant melanoma in situ.", "content": "Physicians may attempt to disguise malignant melanoma in situ from insurance companies by diagnosing atypical melanocytic hyperplasia instead. This study indicates that the insurance industry is not misled by atypical melanocytic hyperplasia and treats it equivalently to malignant melanoma in situ. In addition, physicians' failure to diagnose malignant melanoma in situ may result in underestimation of the incidence of malignant melanoma and may cause inadequate initial treatment and patient follow-up."}
{"id": "PMID:1468257", "title": "Photography for the early diagnosis of malignant melanoma in patients with atypical moles.", "content": "Several articles have been published that carefully describe techniques for obtaining reliable photographic series of patients with the atypical mole syndrome. Four common methods of total body photography are described. Follow-up studies of the effectiveness of photodocumentation for patients with the atypical mole syndrome are reviewed."}
{"id": "PMID:1468258", "title": "The Texas peer education sun awareness project for children: primary prevention of malignant melanoma and nonmelanocytic skin cancers.", "content": "Sixteen Texas elementary school students participated in a peer education sun awareness project. Upon completion of this program, student awareness about sun protection significantly improved. Peer education for elementary school students about skin cancer prevention may result in the primary prevention of future skin cancers."}
{"id": "PMID:1468259", "title": "Prevention of primary cutaneous malignant melanoma: increasing cure rate in the 1990's.", "content": "This review focuses on the epidemiology, risk factors, early detection, and metastatic risk of thin primary cutaneous malignant melanoma. Primary prevention strategies and the results of screening programs and public education campaigns are discussed. Recent advances in the development of noninvasive diagnostic devices for primary cutaneous malignant melanoma are summarized."}
{"id": "PMID:1468260", "title": "Possible role of adjuvant therapy for thin malignant melanoma.", "content": "Patients with thin (less than 0.75 mm) malignant melanoma generally have an excellent prognosis following adequate surgical resection. However, some patients will experience recurrent disease. Once features for a high risk of recurrence in patients with malignant melanoma can be reliably identified, adjuvant intervention will be offered. Two formidable challenges remain before this strategy is adopted: we cannot yet accurately predict the subgroup of patients with thin malignant melanoma who will experience disease progression and an effective, nontoxic adjuvant regimen for this subgroup is not currently available. Future prospects for the adjuvant management of thin malignant melanoma are reviewed."}
{"id": "PMID:1468261", "title": "Water-in-oil emollients as steroid-sparing adjunctive therapy in the treatment of psoriasis.", "content": "An open label study of ninety-six patients with chronic plaque-type psoriasis demonstrated the efficacy of the addition of water-in-oil emollients to a topical corticosteroid regimen. Twice daily application of betamethasone dipropionate cream and once daily application of both betamethasone dipropionate cream and either a water-in-oil based moisturizing cream or lotion were equivalent in efficacy (p = 0.05). Once daily application of both betamethasone dipropionate cream and either a water-in-oil based cream or lotion was significantly better than once daily application of betamethasone dipropionate cream alone (p = 0.05). Water-in-oil emollients are useful in the therapy of chronic, plaque-type psoriasis and provide a steroid-sparing effect."}
{"id": "PMID:1468265", "title": "A seven-year follow-up study of 343 adults with bronchial asthma.", "content": "A study of 343 urban adult outpatients with a history of bronchial asthma was initiated in 1981. Asthma was verified by a reversibility in airflow obstruction of at least 0.5 1 in forced expiratory volume (FEV1) (70%). The rest of the 343 patients was included because of diurnal variations of at least 100 l/min in peak expiratory flow (PEF) (22%), or because of a characteristic history of asthma (8%). In 1988, a follow-up study was performed. Two hundred-fourteen patients replied (80%), 100 women and 114 men. Fifty-four did not respond, but were known to be alive. Twenty-one had emigrated; of these, the fate of five was unknown. The mortality rate was significantly raised among the men (Standard mortality rate (SMR) = 1.55). In 19%, the cause of death was pulmonary. Seventeen percent were found dead. In these, no cause of death was obvious, and they may have died from an exacerbation of their pulmonary disease. One hundred and forty-four had non-allergic and 69 allergic asthma verified retrospectively by positive skin prick test in 1988. One was not tested and not classified. Seventy-five percent of the whole group were smokers. An annual decline of approximately 90 ml per year in FEV1 was found in both groups and was only partially explained by smoking and ageing. The remaining observed decline in lung function may be caused by asthma. Reversibility of 0.5 l in FEV1 was only maintained in the allergic group.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1468266", "title": "Social context, social abstention, and problem recognition correlated with adult female urinary incontinence.", "content": "The aim was to describe types of social contexts and abstention from social activity in women reporting urinary incontinence (UI); to identify social contexts and social abstention specifically associated with clinical UI subtypes; to relate clinical type of UI, social context and social abstention to individual problem perception. A self-administered postal questionnaire was sent to a random population sample comprising 3,114 women aged 30-59 in the Municipality of Aarhus, Denmark. RESPONDERS: A total of 2,631 women (84.5%) responded with a slight decrease in response rate by age. The present study group consists of 511 women (19.4% of the responders) who reported period prevalent UI for at least one of the years 1985-1987. Eighty-six percent of the study group members reported stress UI and 50% urge UI, so that 42% had both (mixed stress and urge UI) and 6% none of them (unspecific UI). Forty-six percent indicated the workplace and 66% the home as principal sites of UI occurrence. Thirty-one percent had experienced UI in specific situations such as during anxiety, sexual intercourse, or sleep. Nineteen percent had abstained from social activities, 17% from non-intimate social activity and 6% from sexual intercourse. Fourteen percent perceived UI as a social problem and 60% as a hygienic problem. Indicators of stress UI were associated with UI occurring at the work-place and during sexual intercourse which, in turn, both were correlates of abstention from non-intimate social activity. Urge UI was associated with episodes of UI occurring at home and in specific situations such as during anxiety and sleep. The experience of UI during sexual intercourse was related to all types of abstention. The perception of UI as a social or hygienic problem depended on the duration since first UI episode as well as social context and abstention. The everyday life consequences of UI are widespread and may cause serious relational problems for the individual. Stress UI manifests itself as a somatic condition leading to abstention from sport and other non-intimate social activities. Urge UI and the role of the experience of UI during sexual intercourse should be further investigated also from psycho-somatic and psycho-social coping points of view."}
{"id": "PMID:1468267", "title": "Thromboembolectomy in geriatric patients from long-stay wards.", "content": "The results of arterial embolectomy with the Fogarty balloon catheter in patients over 70 years of age with acute ischaemia of the lower limbs were evaluated. Twenty-three geriatric patients from long-stay wards, median age 81 years, range 70-92, were compared with 45 independent patients, median age 81 years, range 70-91, living in their own homes. The period of ischaemic symptoms before admission was on average shorter for patients coming from long-stay wards, but the outcome was less successful. Recurrent occlusion during the first postoperative month took place in 12 patients (52%) from long-stay wards as compared to eight (18%) among independent patients (p < 0.01). The mortality was 35% and 18% respectively (p > 0.2). After six months, only 35% of patients from geriatric institutions were alive with a functional extremity as compared to 62% in the independent group (p > 0.01)."}
{"id": "PMID:1468268", "title": "Hemophilus influenza infection of an implantable insulin-pump pocket.", "content": "To increase awareness of adverse events associated with the use of implantable insulin pumps. A descriptive case report of a pump implant infection. This is a case report of one implanted insulin pump-pocket infection among a series of 15 patients. After exposure to a child with a respiratory infection on PID 30, V.L.C. (the patient) developed a fulminant pump-pocket infection. H. influenza was recovered from it. Despite aggressive antibiotic therapy, the infection could not be controlled. Insulin delivery ceased, and the pump was explanted. The pump-pocket infection rapidly resolved with pump removal, permitting later reimplantation. We have adopted the American Heart Association indications and antimicrobial prophylaxis regimens recommended for prevention of endocarditis in patients with prosthetic values for patients with implanted insulin pumps."}
{"id": "PMID:1468269", "title": "Microalbuminuria immunoassay based on antibodies covalently conjugated to Eupergit C-coated beads.", "content": "To develop a reliable, simple, and sensitive assay for microalbuminuria, based on covalent attachment of anti-HSA to oxirane-bearing polymethylmethacrylate beads (Eupergit CB6200). Anti-HSA antibodies were coupled to CB6200 beads by reaction of their amino groups with the oxirane groups of the matrix. The capability of the beads to bind HSA from standard solutions or urine was evaluated and compared with the state of the art ELISA test. The new bead immunoassay is sensitive and linear in the range of 1-25 mg/L, which is considered the low microalbuminuria range. When HSA levels in urine were tested, the intra- and interassay CV values ranged between 2.7 and 3.9% and between 5.6 and 6.6%, respectively. The long-term storage stability of the antibodies covalently bound on the beads was higher than of the same antibodies adsorbed on ELISA plates. After 16 wk of storage, the CV was about 7.3% with the bead assay, compared with 14% obtained for the ELISA test under the same experimental conditions. A new procedure for microalbuminuria assay was developed, with Eupergit CB6200 beads as a solid support for covalent binding of the first antibody. Accuracy, sensitivity, reproducibility, and precision of the bead immunoassay were similar to those of commonly used immunoassays, as exemplified by the analysis of HSA in 53 clinical urine samples. The bead assay retains a low degree of variability over long storage periods, and the beads may be reapplied after a simple acid-washing procedure."}
{"id": "PMID:1468270", "title": "Family history of diabetes in relation to different types of obesity and change of obesity during 12-yr period. Results from prospective population study of women in G\u00f6teborg, Sweden.", "content": "OBJECTIVE--To assess the relationship between family history and different types of obesity and change in obesity in a longitudinal population study. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS--A longitudinal population study of 1462 randomly selected women (38-60 yr old) was conducted in G\u00f6teborg, Sweden, in 1968-69. The women were restudied after 12 yr. RESULTS--A family history of diabetes in mothers but not fathers showed, in univariate analysis, a significant positive association with obesity expressed as BMI. A family history of diabetes in the mothers was inversely related to body fat distribution expressed as WHR. No other association was observed between family history of diabetes and WHR. The association with BMI was independent of age, WHR, smoking habits, blood glucose, systolic blood pressure, serum cholesterol, serum triglycerides, maternal obesity, and the incidence of diabetes during the 12-yr follow-up period. Twelve years later, in 1980-1981, an independent association still existed between family history for diabetes and BMI measured at that examination, whereas there was no relationship with WHR. Women who had a family history of diabetes increased their BMI significantly more during the 12-yr follow-up compared with the women without a family history of diabetes, whereas there was no difference for the change of WHR. Family history of coronary heart disease and family history of cancer did not correlate to any kind of obesity. CONCLUSIONS--These findings indicate that family history of diabetes is related to overall obesity but not to abdominal adiposity per se."}
{"id": "PMID:1468271", "title": "Quality of life of pancreatic transplant recipients.", "content": "To comprehensively assess and compare pancreas/kidney transplant recipients' quality of life. This quasi-experimental comparative study of 31 successful and 13 failed pancreas transplant recipients collected data from persons who had received pancreas and kidney transplants > or = 6 mo prior at a university tertiary care center. Physical and social function, symptoms, mental state, and sense of well-being of the recipients were assessed. Groups did not differ significantly regarding age, gender, marital status, onset or length of diabetes, comorbidity, type of prior dialysis, current kidney function, length of time since transplant, physical activity, symptom burden, emotional state, feelings of well-being, and present quality of life and health. A significant time by group interaction occurred for quality of life (P = 0.0013) and health (P = 0.0001). The successful group indicated that both quality of life and health were significantly better than in the past, and continued improvement was expected. The unsuccessful group did not have this perception. Members of the failed group were significantly more satisfied with their social support. The unsuccessful group's major concerns related to diabetes, not immunosuppression. Recipients of successful pancreas transplants perceived their improvement in health and quality of life to be significantly greater than the unsuccessful recipients."}
{"id": "PMID:1468272", "title": "Epidemiology of insulin-using commercial motor vehicle drivers. Major variability of state licensing requirements in the U.S.", "content": "Licensing agencies in many areas, including the U.S., prohibit insulin-using individuals from driving CMVs or large trucks. This study examined the debate over the risks of licensing insulin-using individuals to drive CMVs as an occupation, and the variations in regulations of different states. As part of an ongoing review of the regulations governing interstate commerce in the U.S., we surveyed all 50 states and Washington, D.C. to determine the regulations concerning intrastate driving. We received responses from 48 states and D.C., representing 95% of the U.S. population. Only 9 states reported preventing insulin users from acquiring a CMV license, whereas 39 states and D.C. permitted licensing within state boundaries. Of the states allowing insulin users to drive, 26 placed special requirements on CMV licensing. The results indicate that, despite a standardized U.S. federal law for driving across states, enormous variability exists in the policies for driving within states, ranging from no restrictions to a complete ban on CMV driving for insulin users."}
{"id": "PMID:1468273", "title": "Metabolic effects of dietary fructose in diabetic subjects.", "content": "To assess the metabolic effects of chronic dietary fructose consumption in diabetic subjects. Six type I and 12 type II diabetic subjects consumed, in random order, two isocaloric study diets for 28 days. In one diet, 20% of energy was derived from fructose. In the other diet, < 3% of energy came from fructose, and carbohydrate energy was derived primarily from starch. Both study diets were composed of common foods. All meals were prepared in a metabolic kitchen where all foods were weighed during meal preparation. Mean plasma glucose, urine glucose, and serum glycosylated albumin values were lower during the fructose diet than during the starch diet, but the differences achieved only marginal statistical significance. The day-28 value for mean plasma glucose was 12.5% lower (P = 0.03) during the fructose diet than during the starch diet. At days 14, 21, and 28, fasting serum cholesterol and LDL cholesterol were both significantly higher during the fructose diet than during the starch diet. The day-28 values for serum cholesterol and LDL cholesterol during the fructose diet were 6.9% (P = 0.008) and 10.9% (P = 0.002) higher, respectively, than the corresponding values during the starch diet. No differences were observed between the study diets in fasting serum HDL cholesterol, fasting serum triglycerides, peak postprandial serum triglycerides, or fasting serum lactate. Peak postprandial serum lactate was significantly higher during the fructose diet. Type I and type II diabetic subjects responded to the diets in a consistent way, but type I subjects experienced significantly more hypoglycemia during the fructose diet than during the starch diet. A high-fructose diet may result in reduced glycemia in diabetic subjects but at the expense of increased fasting serum total and LDL cholesterol."}
{"id": "PMID:1468274", "title": "Dropout and relapse during diabetes care.", "content": "To determine factors associated with dropout and relapse during chronic diabetes care. Private practice outpatient treatment-education program for adult diabetes was surveyed. Retrospective analysis was done, involving 422 patients for up to 3 yr. Of the patients in the study, 12% dropped out after the initial visit, and 33% of the residual cohort dropped out during each subsequent 6-mo period. Factors associated with dropout included distance from home to clinic > 100 miles, lack of insulin treatment, and cigarette smoking. In patients who remained in follow-up, a significant decrease in HbA1C occurred during the first 6 mo, but 40% of the patients relapsed between 6 and 12 mo. Frequency of relapse declined as time passed. Relapse was more frequent in women. Dropout from treatment and relapse after temporary improvement account for a substantial amount of uncontrolled diabetes, and overcoming the obstacles of dropout and relapse has potential for significant improvement in diabetes care."}
{"id": "PMID:1468275", "title": "A multisite physician's office laboratory evaluation of an immunological method for the measurement of HbA1c.", "content": "To evaluate the clinical performance of a new immunological HbA1c method in physicians' office laboratories. Three physicians' offices participated in the evaluations. The clinicians routinely use HbA1c test results to monitor their patients' long-term blood glucose control. Precision and interlaboratory variability were assessed using three levels of lyophilized controls. Correlation of the method's results to currently available laboratory methods was made. Comparison of finger-stick (capillary) results to venous EDTA whole blood results was made on 134 patients. Physician and laboratory personnel input was evaluated with regard to the clinical utility of the system. The CVW and CVB were a maximum of 4.5 and 4.4% for the immunoassay system on three levels of control materials at the three sites. Interlaboratory variability among the control means was found to be 4.9-5.4, 8.0-8.3, and 11.7-12.0% HbA1c. Correlation coefficients (r) ranged from 0.95 to 0.99. There was a positive bias by the DCA 2000 compared with the in-house method at site 1. Minimal negative biases were seen by the DCA 2000 with comparative methods used at sites 2 and 3. Median percentage differences with the comparative methods were 12, -1.4, and -5.6%. Comparison of capillary to venous sample results, from the DCA 2000, showed no clinically significant differences. Operator and physician feedback were positive with respect to technical ease in performance of the test and accuracy of results. Precision was acceptable and interlaboratory variability was low. The immunological method correlated well with manual ion-exchange and automated HPLC methods. The small sample size and good comparison between capillary and venous sample results make fingerstick sampling acceptable. The method provided immediate test results (within 9 min) to the clinicians."}
{"id": "PMID:1468276", "title": "Short-term effects of alterations in dietary fat on metabolic control in IDDM.", "content": "Two experimental diets were evaluated to investigate the hypothesis that dietary fat has an independent influence on metabolic control in IDDM. The diets had similar CHO contents (26 and 22% of energy intake) but differed markedly in fat (53 vs. 16% energy) and protein (20 vs. 62% energy). We had 10 subjects follow the low-CHO, high-fat diet, and 8 subjects follow the low-CHO, low-fat, high-protein diet. In each case, markers of glycemic and lipid control obtained after adherence to the experimental diet for 2 wk were compared with corresponding data from a preceding control period during which subjects had followed their usual diet (protein 18-19%, CHO 41-46%, fat 33-37%). Despite the low CHO content of the high-fat diet, insulin requirements were unchanged relative to the control diet. Moreover, the glycemic response to a standard breakfast was elevated significantly (P < 0.001), suggesting that insulin resistance had either been induced or exacerbated. The small rise in total cholesterol concentration in response to the high-fat diet was accounted for by a rise in HDL cholesterol. Glycemic control and lipid metabolism were unchanged after the low-CHO, low-fat diet, although insulin requirements fell by an average of 6 U/day (P < 0.05) relative to those recorded during the 2-wk control period. Diets high in fat are deleterious to glycemic control in IDDM, but general applicability is limited by the small sample size and short duration of this study."}
{"id": "PMID:1468277", "title": "Nitrate levels in community drinking waters and risk of IDDM. An ecological analysis.", "content": "To investigate whether higher IDDM incidence rates occurred in areas with high nitrate levels in their potable water supplies. Incidence rates for the 63 counties in Colorado were calculated using the Colorado IDDM Registry of children diagnosed < 18 yr of age between 1978 and 1988 (n = 1280). A weighted average of the nitrate levels from each water district within each county was calculated using data collected by the Colorado Department of Health between 1984 and 1988. The rs between nitrate levels and IDDM incidence was 0.26 (P = 0.03). After controlling for differences in ethnicity, counties with water nitrate levels in the third tertile (0.77-8.2 mg/L) had a significantly increased risk of IDDM compared with those in the first tertile (0.0-0.084 mg/L) (rp = 0.29, P = 0.02). This ecological analysis suggests that low-level nitrate exposure through drinking water may play a role in the etiology of IDDM, perhaps as a promoter through the generation of free radicals."}
{"id": "PMID:1468278", "title": "Multicenter study of the prevalence of diabetes mellitus and impaired glucose tolerance in the urban Brazilian population aged 30-69 yr. The Brazilian Cooperative Group on the Study of Diabetes Prevalence.", "content": "To assess the prevalence of diabetes and IGT in the urban adult Brazilian population. We used a two-stage, multicenter, cross-sectional survey in a random sample of 21,847 individuals aged 30-69 yr from nine large cities. Subjects were first screened by FCG. All positive screenees (FCG > or = 5.6 mM/L) and every sixth consecutive negative screenee were administered a 75 g OGTT and classified as diabetic, IGT, or normal (nondiabetic) according to WHO recommendations. OGTT findings from the negative screenees were extrapolated to all negative screenees after adjustments for potential biases. The overall rates were 7.6 and 7.8% for diabetes and IGT, respectively. Men (7.5%) and women (7.6%) had similar rates of diabetes. Similar rates resulted with whites (7.8%) and nonwhites (7.3%). Diabetes prevalence increased from 2.7% in the 30-39-yr age-group to 17.4% in the 60-69-yr age-group. Diabetes was more prevalent among less educated people, but this difference disappeared after adjusting for age. Family history of diabetes was associated with a twofold increase in diabetes prevalence (12.5 vs. 5.8%); the same increase occurred with obesity (11.6 vs. 5.2%). Undiagnosed diabetes accounted for 46% of the total prevalence. Among previously diagnosed cases, 22.3% were not under treatment, 7.9% were on insulin, 40.7% were on oral agents, and 29.1% were on dietary treatment only. Self-reported diabetes prevalence was 0.1, 3.2, and 11.6% in the age groups < 30, 30-69, and > 70 yr, respectively. The prevalence of diabetes in Brazil is comparable with that of more developed countries, where it is considered a major health problem."}
{"id": "PMID:1468279", "title": "Analysis of early-phase insulin responses in nonobese subjects with mild glucose intolerance.", "content": "To study the possible contribution of a B-cell defect in the development of glucose intolerance in nonobese subjects. There were 41 normal, nondiabetic subjects; 18 subjects with IGT; and 21 patients with NIDDM. All subjects were nonobese (BMI < 27 kg/m2). Insulin secretory responses to an OGTT, IVGTT, and GST were studied. Early-phase insulin responses to OGTT and IVGTT were decreased in subjects with IGT to levels comparable with those in NIDDM patients, whereas the response to GST was preserved in the subjects with IGT compared with NIDDM patients. The insulinogenic index of OGTT correlated well (r = 0.78) with early-phase insulin response to IVGTT, suggesting that the insulinogenic index in OGTT is related to the early-phase insulin response to IVGTT in nonobese subjects. Impaired early-phase insulin response to glucose was associated with mild glucose intolerance, suggesting the importance of impaired insulin secretion in the development of glucose intolerance in nonobese subjects."}
{"id": "PMID:1468280", "title": "Residual left ventricular pump function after acute myocardial infarction in NIDDM patients.", "content": "Left ventricular remodeling occurs immediately after MI, involving structural changes in noninfarcted segment. However, the residual left ventricular pump function in NIDDM patients after acute MI has not been clarified. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the difference in the process of left ventricular remodeling between NIDDM and nondiabetic patients. Left ventricular regional EF images obtained by radionuclide angiography were investigated in 20 NIDDM and 29 nondiabetic patients the 3rd wk after acute MI. Regional EF of the noninfarcted area and P/V had a significant hyperbolic relation with left ventricular EDV in both groups of patients. Despite no difference in the extent of myocardial necrosis and the number of coronary vessels diseased between NIDDM and nondiabetic patients, regional EF of the noninfarcted area and P/V were significantly lower when left ventricular EDV increased in NIDDM patients compared with nondiabetic patients. Pathogenetic changes of the residual myocardium associated with NIDDM may adversely influence the process of left ventricular remodeling after MI, especially in patients with increased left ventricular EDV."}
{"id": "PMID:1468281", "title": "Leukocyte scanning with 111In is superior to magnetic resonance imaging in diagnosis of clinically unsuspected osteomyelitis in diabetic foot ulcers.", "content": "To compare the accuracies of MRI and leukocyte scanning in diagnosing clinically unsuspected osteomyelitis in diabetic foot ulcers. A prospective study of 16 diabetic foot ulcers in 12 patients, including both ambulatory and hospitalized patients, was performed at a university medical center. Pedal images were obtained by leukocyte scanning with [111In]oxyquinoline and MRI. Definitive diagnosis of osteomyelitis then was determined by bone biopsy for culture and histology. Biopsy-proven osteomyelitis was present in 7 (44%) of the 16 foot ulcers. The diagnosis was suspected clinically in 0%. Leukocyte scanning was 100% sensitive, whereas MRI was only 29% sensitive in diagnosing osteomyelitis in diabetic foot ulcers. Specificities were 67 and 78%, respectively. The positive and negative predictive values (70 and 100%, respectively) for the leukocyte scan also were greater than those of MRI (50 and 58%, respectively). Leukocyte scanning is superior to MRI in detecting clinically unsuspected osteomyelitis in diabetic foot ulcers."}
{"id": "PMID:1468282", "title": "Prevalence of Corynebacteria in diabetic foot infections.", "content": "Microbiological flora of diabetic foot infections are usually polymicrobial and frequently include bacteria of the Corynebacterium sp. (diphtheroids). The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of these bacteria in both deep and superficial cultures in diabetic patients with foot infections. The charts of 50 patients of successive admissions to the Orthopedic-Diabetes Service at our hospital were reviewed to obtain the following data: age, sex, ethnic origin, method of treatment of diabetes, blood glucose level, prior antibiotics, and reports of cultures taken from bedside and intraoperative sites. Data were analyzed to compare the prevalence of diphtheroids in reliable versus nonreliable cultures and the influence of other parameters on the presence of these organisms. Fourteen of 19 (74%) of the intraoperative specimens grew diphtheroids compared with 25 of 65 (39%) of the bedside cultures, a highly significant difference. In addition, there was a somewhat greater occurrence of diphtheroids in women compared with men. The likelihood that contamination is the cause for the presence of diphtheroids is highly unlikely, because one arm of the study included cultures derived from deep tissue at the time of the surgical procedure (i.e., the intraoperative cultures). Cultures always grew at least one other organism in addition to the diphtheroid. Corynebacteria, commonly known as diphtheroids, are present as a part of the polymicrobial flora in a large percentage of diabetic patients with foot infections. Because the diphtheroids were identified in culture material taken in the operating room or at the time of incision and drainage in a higher percentage of patients than in specimens from superficial cultures, it is highly unlikely that they are contaminants."}
{"id": "PMID:1468283", "title": "Chronic sulfonylurea therapy augments basal and meal-stimulated insulin secretion while attenuating insulin responses to sulfonylurea per se.", "content": "To examine changes in glycemia and insulin secretion in response to SU per se and in response to a standard diet plus OD or TD SU therapy during chronic GP and GB therapy. Randomized (between agents and in order of dosing regimens), prospective, open, crossover study among 14 NIDDM patients to compare glucose, insulin, and C-peptide responses to a standard diet and to 10 mg of oral GP or GB taken without food 1) after 2 wk without therapy, 2) after 4 wk of either GP (n = 7) or GB (n = 7) treatment OD, and 3) after 4 wk of TD therapy with the same agent. Each patient received the same drug for maintenance therapy and for assessment of the response to the drug alone. We observed a comparable reduction in overall glycemia with both agents, with more marked postprandial effects for GP. Similar glucose, insulin, and C-peptide profiles for both agents during OD and TD therapy. Augmented insulin secretion in response to meals contrasting with reduced insulinotropic effects of the drugs per se with chronic therapy. Therapeutic equivalence of OD and TD dosing with GP and GB during chronic therapy. In view of the improved insulin secretion in response to nutrient stimuli, the attenuation of responses to SU per se during chronic therapy does not imply impairment of beta-cell secretory capacity or represent a therapeutic disadvantage."}
{"id": "PMID:1468284", "title": "Impact of NIDDM on mortality and causes of death in Pima Indians.", "content": "To compare overall and cause-specific death rates for diabetic and nondiabetic Pima Indians. This community-based study determined overall and cause-specific death rates in persons with and without NIDDM in the Pima population. Underlying causes of death for the 10-yr period from 1975 to 1984 were derived from review of death certificates and medical records. Diabetes diagnoses were based on an ongoing diabetes study initiated by the National Institutes of Health in 1965. Of the 512 deaths, 241 were in Pima Indians with NIDDM; 203 (84%) of the deaths in diabetic subjects were attributed to natural causes (46 diabetic nephropathy, 35 IHD, 29 infections, 20 malignant neoplasms, 20 alcoholic liver disease, 18 stroke, 35 other causes). For natural causes, the overall age-sex-adjusted death rate in diabetic subjects was 1.7 times (95% CI 1.4-2.2) that in nondiabetic subjects. Longer duration of diabetes was significantly related to mortality, an association that was stronger in women than in men. Rates of death from diabetic nephropathy, IHD, and infections (but not stroke) were each significantly related to longer diabetes duration. Together, diabetic nephropathy and IHD accounted for 90% of the excess death rate among diabetic, compared with nondiabetic, Pimas. In Pima Indians, NIDDM has a significant adverse effect on death rates that is directly related to diabetes duration, especially for deaths from diabetic nephropathy, IHD, or infections. Among the Pima, diabetic nephropathy is the leading cause of death, and IHD ranks second--a variation from other populations (in which IHD ranks first), probably partly attributable to a much younger age of onset of diabetes among the Pima than in the U.S. white population."}
{"id": "PMID:1468285", "title": "Mexiletine in the treatment of diabetic neuropathy.", "content": "To prove the efficacy of mexiletine in painful diabetic neuropathy. Treatment was provided in three dosages. For pain measurements, a VAS and McGill's verbal rating scale were chosen. Ninety-five patients were included in the study. A global assessment of the VAS among patients showed no differences between mexiletine treatment and placebo. The total evaluation (PRIT) of the McGill scale fell just below the level of significance. More specific exploratory evaluations of subclasses of the McGill scale, representing different degrees of pain, gave remarkable differences between mexiletine and placebo in sensory and miscellaneous items. In special subgroups, which were formed according to types and courses of complaints compiled at the beginning of this evaluation, the substantial advantages of the mexiletine treatment were shown with both the VAS and the McGill scale. Evidence strongly indicates that, in particular, those patients with stabbing or burning pain, heat sensations, or formication will benefit most by mexiletine therapy. Concerning the dosage, a medium regimen of 450 mg/day seems to be appropriate. With an increase in the antiarryhthmic dosage level, the efficacy does not rise proportionally. Mexiletine proved to be a safe therapy with negligible side effects at the medium dose range, even less than placebo; and remarkably, no cardiovascular side effects were noted. Further studies should avoid global assessments and pay more attention to the variety of complaints and quality of life."}
{"id": "PMID:1468286", "title": "Epidemiology of childhood type I diabetes in Sudan, 1987-1990.", "content": "To determine the incidence of type I diabetes in children 0-14 yr of age in Khartoum, Sudan. Prospective registration of newly diagnosed patients in a hospital-based registry with independent validation of completeness of case ascertainment. Eligible patients were Sudanese children < 15 yr of age, who developed type I diabetes during the period 1 January 1987 through 31 December 1990, and who were living in Khartoum city at the time of diagnosis. The denominator is the stable childhood population of Khartoum city, as estimated by the National Bureau of Statistics. In 4 yr, 239 cases were notified in the primary source and 268 in the secondary source. Some 196 patients were registered in both sources. Using the capture-recapture method to correct for underascertainment, the estimated total number of cases was 327, and the overall degree of ascertainment was 95%. The incidence of type I diabetes in children 0-14 yr of age increased from 5.9/10(5) in 1987 to 10.1/10(5) in 1990 (P < 0.001). Girls exhibited slightly higher incidence rates than boys in the 10-14-yr age-group throughout the 4 yr, but the differences were not statistically significant. The age distribution at onset was bimodal with a clear peak at age 12 yr in girls and age 14 yr in boys and another smaller peak at age 7 yr in both sexes. The number of new cases was markedly higher in the cooler months of the year, with a peak in January and a nadir in June (P < 0.01). This trend was consistent over the period of observation. Childhood diabetes is increasing in Sudan. Our incidence figures are higher than those reported from other Arab countries and is similar to reports from France and Italy."}
{"id": "PMID:1468287", "title": "Effect of high carbohydrate intake on hyperglycemia, islet function, and plasma lipoproteins in NIDDM.", "content": "To study effects of high carbohydrate intake on hyperglycemia, islet functions, and plasma lipoproteins in patients with NIDDM. An attempt was made to induce hyperglycemia in 10 men with NIDDM by feeding them an isocaloric high-carbohydrate diet (65% of energy as simple carbohydrates [31% as glucose] and 20% as fat) for 28 days in a metabolic ward. Response to the high-carbohydrate diet was compared with that of feeding a diet rich in monounsaturated fat (45% of energy as fat [31% as monounsaturated fat] and 38% as carbohydrates) for 28 days in a cross-over manner. Islet functions were assessed by evaluating plasma glucose, insulin, C-peptide and glucagon responses to standard meal tolerance tests on days 0, 14, 21, and 28 of each dietary period. Fasting plasma lipoproteins were determined during the last week of each dietary period. The high-carbohydrate diet caused significant but modest accentuation of hyperglycemia, particularly in patients with moderately severe diabetes mellitus, whereas no change was observed with the high-monounsaturated fatty-acid diet. Accentuation of hyperglycemia was accompanied by an increase in plasma glucagon levels, but no significant change in insulin and C-peptide responses. In 1 patient, feeding the high-carbohydrate diet for 68 days produced marked hyperglycemia and caused definite suppression of insulin and C-peptide responses along with an increase in glucagon levels. Compared with the high-monounsaturated fat diet, the high-carbohydrate diet also raised plasma triglyceride and VLDL cholesterol concentrations. High-carbohydrate diets may cause accentuation of hyperglycemia and a rise in plasma glucagon levels in NIDDM patients. High-carbohydrate diets also adversely affect lipoproteins and therefore may not be desirable in all NIDDM patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1468288", "title": "Screening for microalbuminuria. A comparison of single sample methods of collection and techniques of albumin analysis.", "content": "To evaluate single-sample urine collections to determine their ability to screen patients for the presence of microalbuminuria. Microalbuminuria in patients with type I diabetes predicts the development of diabetic renal disease. Cross-sectional analysis of single-sample urine collection techniques (first morning void, random upright void) and methods of albumin analysis (RIA, reagent tablet) were compared with conventional 24-h urine collections (RIA). The study included 94 patients (45 males, 49 females; mean serum creatinine 88 microM) with type I diabetes, selected from a screened population of 301 patients from the University Hospital Subspecialty Clinics. A 24-hour urine collection RIA analysis for albumin revealed 36 normal patients (< 30 mg), 27 with microalbuminuria (30-300 mg), and 31 with albuminuria (> 300 mg). Random upright urine samples were more sensitive (RIA 89%, tablets 78%) for the detection of microalbuminuria than first morning void specimens (RIA 70%, tablets 60%). Specificity was > 80% with both random and first morning voids. Screening for microalbuminuria can be performed in the clinic by random upright single-sample urine collections. When reagent tablets were used, these results are available immediately. Patients who screen positive should be confirmed by 24-h or other timed urine collections."}
{"id": "PMID:1468289", "title": "Contraception in women with IDDM. An epidemiological study.", "content": "To study whether suitable contraceptive methods to women with diabetes mellitus in fact are applied. A questionnaire survey on the use of contraceptives in all 18-to-49-yr-old women (n = 261) with IDDM in Funen County, Denmark, and an age-comparable control group, (n = 287) was performed. Data were collected from 1987 to 1990. Response was achieved from 94% diabetic women and 88% control subjects. The overall use of contraception in diabetic women (77.1%) was almost identical to that of control subjects (73.6%). Compared with control subjects, significantly fewer diabetic women were using the OCP (P < 0.005) and partner sterilization (P < 0.05), whereas more diabetic women were sterilized (P < 0.0005). Among diabetic contraceptive users, the IUD, female sterilization, condoms, and the OCP each accounted for roughly 20%. Diabetic women using the OCP were predominantly young, and most had never been pregnant; approximately 20% of them used high-dose formulations. Sterilization was frequently used by older diabetic women, and most of these women had 2 or more children; 27% of the diabetic women using an IUD were nulligravidae. Further, 18% used a method with an unsuitable high failure rate. Our study demonstrates that diabetic women are not sufficiently advised concerning use of contraception."}
{"id": "PMID:1468290", "title": "Renal hemodynamics and albumin excretion rate in patients with diabetes secondary to acquired pancreatic disease.", "content": "OBJECTIVE--To assess kidney function and AER in patients with PD. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS--Thirty-three patients with PD (age 52 +/- 7 yr, duration of disease 11 +/- 6 yr, BMI 24 +/- 3 kg/m2) and 33 patients with IDDM were matched for sex, BMI, and duration of disease. GFR and RPF were determined by single injection of [51Cr]EDTA and [125I]hippurate. AER was measured by radioimmunoassay in a single timed overnight urine collection. RESULTS--GFR and RPF were, respectively, 113 +/- 35 and 441 +/- 145 ml.min-1.73 m2 in patients with PD and 123 +/- 30 and 549 +/- 94 (P < 0.001) in IDDM. FF was significantly higher in patients with PD (0.26 +/- 0.05 vs. 0.22 +/- 0.03; P < 0.001). Prevalence of hyperfiltration (GFR > 135 ml.min-1.1.73 m2) was similar in both groups (30% in patients with PD vs. 28% in those with IDDM). Geometric mean of urinary AER was 10.4 micrograms/min (range 1-186) in patients with PD and 11.2 (1-198) in IDDM patients. Some 30.3% of patients with PD and 18% of those with IDDM were microalbuminuric (AER > 20 micrograms/min). By multiple regression analysis, AER was significantly related to systolic (P < 0.04) and diastolic blood pressure (P < 0.01) and to BMI (P < 0.03) in patients with PD. Retinopathy was more frequent in microalbuminuric patients with PD than in those without elevated AER. CONCLUSIONS--We suggest that early renal abnormalities occur similarly in patients with PD and IDDM."}
{"id": "PMID:1468291", "title": "Randomized prospective double-blind trial in healing chronic diabetic foot ulcers. CT-102 activated platelet supernatant, topical versus placebo.", "content": "To assess the efficacy of topically applied CT-102 APST for treating diabetic neurotrophic foot ulcers. Thirteen patients entered a randomized, double-blind trial of topically applied CT-102 APST vs. placebo (normal saline) gauze dressings for the treatment of nonhealing diabetic neurotrophic foot ulcers. CT-102 APST (Curative Technologies, Setauket, NY) was prepared from homologous platelets and contained multiple growth factors including PDGF, PDAF, EGF, PF-4, TGF-beta, aFGF, and bFGF. Inclusion criteria for subjects included diabetes, ulcer of > 8 wk duration, peri-wound transcutaneous oxygen tension > 30 mmHg, platelet count > 100,000/mm3, and no wound infection. Wounds were excised before entry and were > 700 mm3 but < 50,000 mm3 in volume, < 100 cm2 in area, and involved subcutaneous tissue. In the CT-102 group, 5 of 7 ulcers were healed (100% epithelialized) by 15 wk, but only 1 of 6 ulcers was healed by 20 wk with placebo (P < 0.05). Average percent reduction in ulcer area at 20 wk was 94% for CT-102 vs. 73% for placebo. Daily reduction in ulcer volume was 73.8 +/- 42.4 mm3/day (mean +/- SE) for CT-102 vs. 21.8 +/- 8.1 mm3/day for placebo (P < 0.05). Daily reduction in ulcer area was 6.2 +/- 1.8 mm2/day for CT-102 vs. 1.8 +/- 0.4 mm2/day for placebo (P < 0.05). CT-102 significantly accelerated wound closure in diabetic leg ulcers when administered as part of a comprehensive program for the healing of chronic ulcers."}
{"id": "PMID:1468292", "title": "Prediction of infant birth weight by GDM screening tests. Importance of plasma triglyceride.", "content": "We measured plasma glucose, GHb, GPro, IRI and TG at 24-28-wk gestation to determine the extent of elevations in GDM and relationships to glucose intolerance and infant macrosomia. Plasma samples were obtained 1 h after ingestion of 50 g glucose after an overnight fast in 521 randomly selected negative screenees, 264 positive screenees with GTT-, and 96 positive screenees with GTT+ (GDM). Screening test values in GDM subjects exceeded the GTT- group, whose values exceeded those of negative screenees: glucose, 9.6*, 8.7*, 6.3 mM; GHb, 5.2*, 4.9*, 4.7%; GPro, 3.1*, 3.0*, 2.8%; IRI, 791*, 662*, 410 pM; and TG, 2.3*, 1.9, 1.9 mM, (*P < 0.005 vs. negative screenees). TG was the only test elevated in the GDM but not in the GTT- groups. Screening test values correlated with GTT values in the following order (strongest to weakest): glucose* > TG* > GHb* > IRI > GPro (*statistical significance). Plasma TG was the only screening test significantly associated with birth weight corrected for gestational age (birth-weight ratio) (r = 0.09-0.16) (P < 0.05 to < 0.01) and was of the same order as 1- and 2-h GTT associations with birth weight (r = 0.13 and 0.14, respectively) (P < 0.05 to < 0.01). Plots of TG/birth-weight ratio increased linearly to the 80-90th TG percentile in negative screenees and GTT- subjects. GDM subjects followed this trend but with more variation. Above the 90th percentile for TGs, birth-weight ratio trended lower, significantly so when the groups were combined (P < 0.05). In multivariate analysis, TG was associated with birth-weight ratio even when maternal prepregnancy weight and pregnancy weight gain associations with TG and birth-weight ratio were controlled (P < 0.019). Of the five screening tests evaluated, all were elevated in GDM, but TG is the best discriminator of GDM from the GTT- group, and it is the only test significantly related to birth-weight ratio--and to glucose intolerance besides glucose itself. The TG association with birth weight is not explained fully by maternal weight. The results suggest that plasma TG may be a physiological contributor to infant birth weight. Further evaluation of plasma TG in GDM screening is justified, but GHb, GPro, and IRI appear to hold less promise."}
{"id": "PMID:1468293", "title": "Early disturbances of ambulatory blood pressure load in normotensive type I diabetic patients with microalbuminuria.", "content": "To compare 24-h ABP in normotensive type 1 diabetic patients with and without microalbuminuria. The study was a retrospective comparison of cases and matched control subjects. The first phase included 35 type 1 diabetic patients, normotensive by OMS criteria. The 23 patients with normoalbuminuria (< 15 micrograms/min) were compared with 12 patients with microalbuminuria (> or = 15 micrograms/min). In the second phase, the 12 microalbuminuric patients were paired by sex- and age-matched with 12 normoalbuminuric patients and 12 nondiabetic healthy control subjects. We measured casual systolic and diastolic BP and HR, 24-h ABP and AHR (recorded with a Spacelabs automatic recorder), and microalbuminuria. No correlation between microalbuminuria and casual BP was observed. Microalbuminuria was correlated significantly with diastolic 24-h APR and nocturnal systolic and diastolic ABP (r = 0.35, 0.38, and 0.33, respectively; P < 0.05) and with AHR during all time periods (24-h, r = 0.46; day, r = 0.39; night, r = 0.39; P < 0.05). Normo- and microalbuminuric patients did not differ in casual BP and HR. However, microalbuminuric patients had a significant increase in systolic 24-h ABP (119.1 +/- 8.2 vs. 113.1 +/- 8.1, P = 0.05), diastolic 24-h ABP (74.9 +/- 7.5 vs. 70.2 +/- 5.7, P = 0.04), nocturnal systolic ABP (112.8 +/- 7.1 vs. 105.8 +/- 7.9, P = 0.01), and AHR during all time periods. The same results were observed when patients were paired by age and sex. Normotensive microalbuminuric type 1 patients, although strictly comparable with normoalbuminuric patients for casual BP and HR, have an increased ABP and HR, especially during the night. This difference might reflect dysautonomia. Ambulatory measurement of BP and HR is more appropriate than casual measurements in hemodynamic studies of incipient diabetic nephropathies and could be proposed as an interesting tool for an early prediction of diabetic nephropathy."}
{"id": "PMID:1468294", "title": "Diabetic retinopathy in Oklahoma Indians with NIDDM. Incidence and risk factors.", "content": "To determine the incidence rates and risk factors for development of diabetic retinopathy in Oklahoma Indians. Cohort follow-up study with baseline examination between 1972 and 1980 and follow-up examination between 1987 and 1991. Mean +/- SD follow-up time was 12.8 +/- 1.7 yr. Eleven Indian Health Service facilities (clinics and hospitals) in Oklahoma participated in the study. Study participants were a quasirandom sample of 1012 American Indians (379 men, 633 women) in Oklahoma with NIDDM, 927 of whom received a detailed eye examination at baseline. The mean age of participants was 52 yr with a duration of diabetes of 6.9 yr at baseline. The average quantum of Indian blood was 92% (77% full blood). At follow-up, 515 (55.6%) were alive, 408 (44.0%) were deceased, and 4 (0.4%) could not be traced. Of the living participants, 380 (73.8%) underwent an ophthalmoscopic examination. The incidence of retinopathy among the participants who were free of disease at baseline and who survived the follow-up interval was 72.3%. By multivariate analysis, significant independent predictors of retinopathy recorded at baseline were FPG level, therapeutic regimen, systolic blood pressure, and duration of diabetes. FPG levels > or = 11.1 mM (200 mg/dl) increased the risk of retinopathy 1.7 times that for levels < 7.8 mM (140 mg/dl). Insulin use was associated with a 20% greater incidence. Hypertension was a particularly significant risk factor for those with lower FPG levels. Given that NIDDM is reaching epidemic proportions in Oklahoma Indians and that most may be afflicted with retinopathy, frequent ophthalmological examinations are clearly indicated for this high-risk population. The role of intervention, namely glycemic and hypertensive control, deserves further study."}
{"id": "PMID:1468295", "title": "Use of premixed insulin among the elderly. Reduction of errors in patient preparation of mixtures.", "content": "To evaluate the accuracy of elderly patients in their mixing of regular and intermediate insulins, to assess the safety and efficacy of premixed insulins compared with extemporarily mixed insulins, and to determine patients' preferences. We conducted a crossover multicenter study of 5 mo duration. Premixed insulins and patient-mixed, human biosynthetic (rDNA) insulins were used among 64 insulin-treated patients with NIDDM. After a 4-wk run-in period, eligible patients were randomly assigned to treatment 1 (extemporarily mixed insulins) or treatment 2 (premixed insulins) for 8 wk. After that period, the two treatments were crossed for an additional 8-wk period. A blood glucose profile was recorded monthly and HbA1c was measured at the beginning and at the end of each treatment period. An in vitro skills test was performed to assess the accuracy and reproducibility of the patient preparation of insulin doses, and a questionnaire was used to determine their personal preferences for premixed versus extemporarily mixed insulin. In our study, the quality of the metabolic control was the same whether patients used self-mixed or premixed insulin. The differences in blood glucose profiles and HbA1c were negligible between type and periods of treatment. The overall number of hypoglycemic episodes increased during the trial in both groups, but the difference between treatments was not significant. The in vitro skills test, however, indicated that the accuracy in the preparation of insulin doses was significantly higher when patients aspirated from one vial compared with preparation from two vials (P < 0.001). The CVs were 3.7% when drawing up a single dose and 5.0% when preparing a mixture, but the ranges were rather elevated (0.1-20.7 and 0.6-35.8%, respectively). Forty-two patients described the preparation of their daily insulin dose as very easy and 21 described it as easy when using premixed insulins versus 11 and 43, respectively, when using extemporarily mixed insulins (P < 0.001). While the quality of the metabolic control was the same whether patients used self-mixed or premixed insulin, the in vitro skills test indicated that insulin preparation by elderly patients is highly inaccurate. In some patients, a modification of the contents of the insulin is likely to occur in a few days. The use of premixed insulins should lessen the errors that occur in mixing insulins and from the contamination of the second insulin vial. Draw-up errors could partially account for the lack of improvement of glucose control during the period when patients received premixed insulins. A longer observation period probably is needed to assess appreciable changes in the quality of diabetes control."}
{"id": "PMID:1468296", "title": "Depression in adults with diabetes.", "content": "Depression in diabetes is a prevalent and chronic condition. The etiology is unknown but is probably complex; and biological, genetic, and psychological factors remain as potential contributors. Several neuroendocrine and neurotransmitter abnormalities common to both depression and diabetes have been identified, adding to etiological speculations. Pharmacotherapy of depression may improve both mood and glucose regulation in diabetes, although controlled studies of the efficacy of psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy for depression in diabetes are not yet available. Depression has potential interactions with diabetes on multiple levels and remains an important clinical focus independent of the medical disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1468297", "title": "Psychosocial problems and interventions in diabetes. A review of the literature.", "content": "This article reviews and organizes the recent literature on psychosocial problems and interventions in diabetes to see if it is possible to identify effective modes of treatment for numerous different psychosocial problems. An attempt was made to review extensively the references on psychosocial problems and to review exhaustively the references on psychosocial interventions. The review was organized under four major headings: psychological sequelae of medical crises, psychopathology in diabetes, stress and hassles in living with diabetes, and family dysfunctions. Results of the literature review were similar for all areas: although some studies suggested that these problems are especially severe for people with diabetes, the best-designed studies suggested that this was not so. Regardless of the prevalence of these problems in the diabetic population at large, individuals who suffer from these problems are at special risk for reduced physical and emotional well-being, so they need psychosocial interventions that effectively resolve their difficulties. Unfortunately, the literature on psychosocial interventions in diabetes is meager, and it lacks the systematic, quantitative evaluations necessary to identify effective modes of treatment for different psychosocial problems. It is possible to state tentatively that certain interventions have been used for specific problems with some indication that they can be effective. Issues for future research are identified. Addressing these issues might provide a foundation for making decisions about areas ripe for clinical trials, and ultimately determining which intervention is best suited for treating any given psychosocial problem."}
{"id": "PMID:1468298", "title": "Methodological issues in diabetes research. Measuring adherence.", "content": "The prevalence of nonadherence in IDDM and NIDDM populations and conceptual and methodological issues relevant to measuring diabetes regimen adherence are reviewed. The prevalence of nonadherence varies across the different components of the diabetes regimen, during the course of the disease, and across the patient's life span. Although prevalence rates might be expected to differ between IDDM and NIDDM populations, this rarely has been evaluated. Conceptual problems in defining and measuring adherence include: the absence of explicit adherence standards against which the patient's behavior can be compared; inadvertent noncompliance attributable to patient-provider miscommunication and patient knowledge/skill deficits; the behavioral complexity of the diabetes regimen; and the confounding of compliance with diabetes control. Methods for measuring adherence include: health status indicators, provider ratings, behavioral observations, permanent products, and patient self-reports, including behavior ratings, diaries, and 24-h recall interviews. A measurement method should be selected on the basis of reliability, validity, nonreactivity, sensitivity to the complexity of diabetes regimen behaviors, and measurement independence from the patient's health status. The timing of measurements should be based on the stability of adherence behaviors and temporal congruity with other measures of interest (e.g., indexes of metabolic control). Directions for future research and suggestions for clinical practice are provided."}
{"id": "PMID:1468301", "title": "Interaction of insulin and exercise on glucose transport in muscle.", "content": "Glucose transport is the rate-limiting step for glucose utilization in muscle. In muscle and adipose tissue, glucose transport is acutely regulated by such factors as insulin and exercise. Translocation of glucose transporters (GLUT4) from an intracellular domain to the cell surface is the major mechanism for this regulation. Using immunocytochemistry, the intracellular distribution of GLUT4 under resting conditions is similar in adipocytes and myocytes. GLUT4 is concentrated in tubulovesicular structures either in the trans-Golgi region or in the cytosol, often close to the cell surface but not on the cell surface. After stimulation, cell surface GLUT4 labeling is increased by as much as 40-fold. GLUT4 is chronically regulated by altered gene expression. Neural and/or contractile activity regulates GLUT4 expression in muscle: 1) GLUT4 levels differ among muscles of different fiber type; 2) GLUT4 levels in muscle are increased with exercise training and decreased with denervation; and 3) cultured muscle cells, which lack an intact nerve supply, express very low levels of GLUT4. GLUT4 expression appears to be regulated in parallel with many oxidative enzymes in muscle, suggesting that there may be a unified developmental program that determines the overall metabolic properties of a particular muscle. Preliminary evidence suggests that impaired GLUT4 expression in muscle is not the primary defect associated with insulin resistance. Nevertheless, it is conceivable that the adaptive increase in muscle GLUT4 that is found with exercise training may have beneficial effects in insulin-resistant states such as non-insulin-dependent diabetes."}
{"id": "PMID:1468302", "title": "Effects of exercise on insulin sensitivity in humans.", "content": "Physical exercise is promoted as one of the primary therapeutic strategies available to increase insulin sensitivity in individuals deemed at risk from insulin resistance and its attendant hyperinsulinism. Subjects with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) and impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) represent the major clinical population in which physical training is promoted as a treatment modality to improve insulin sensitivity. This manuscript reviews both the acute effects of muscular contractions and the effects of physical training on insulin sensitivity in NIDDM and insulin-dependent diabetic (IDDM) human subjects. Additionally, the effects of localized (regional) muscular contractions on insulin-mediated glucose disposal in previously exercised and nonexercised muscle groups will be discussed briefly."}
{"id": "PMID:1468303", "title": "Persistence of glucose metabolism after exercise in trained and untrained soleus muscle.", "content": "We tested the hypothesis that increments in glucose metabolism in muscles from trained animals are caused by training adaptations in skeletal muscle and not by the residual effects of the last training session. The effects of a single bout of exercise on glucose metabolism (glycolysis and glycogenesis) were compared, against appropriate controls, in untrained (experiment 1) and trained (experiment 2) rat soleus muscles immediately (t = 0) and 3, 6, 24, 48, and 96 h after a standardized bout of exercise. [3H]Glucose incorporation into glycogen and glycolysis was measured in vitro in the absence and presence of insulin (0.1 and 10 nM). Experiment 1: A single bout of exercise provoked an increase in glycogenesis in the exercised, untrained muscles compared with the nonexercised, untrained muscles (0-96 h; P = 0.006). Glycolysis was not altered (0-96 h; P > 0.05). Experiment 2: In the exercised trained soleus, rates of glycolysis were greater than in the exercised, untrained soleus, at insulin concentrations of 0.1 nM (0-96 h; P = 0.005) and 10 nM (0-96 h; P = 0.01), but not in the absence of insulin (0-96 h; P > 0.05). No differences were observed in the rates of glycogenesis (0-96 h; P > 0.05). Therefore, acute exercise provokes increments in glycogenesis, whereas training increases glycolysis, in the presence of insulin, for some time after exercise. We speculate that insulin-dependent increments in glycolysis in trained muscles are a consequence of increased glucose transport caused by a greater pool of insulin-translocatable, intracellular glucose transporters."}
{"id": "PMID:1468304", "title": "Effects of physical training on the metabolism of skeletal muscle.", "content": "With moderate training (30-60 min daily at 70-80% of VO2 max, 3-5 times weekly), the trained muscles display a 40-50% increase in the content of mitochondrial oxidative enzymes. Concomitantly, the total number of muscle capillaries may increase by 50%, whereas the content of glycolytic enzymes is not, or only marginally, affected. The oxidative enzyme increase, which occurs over 6-8 wk, is lost in 4-6 wk if training is stopped. This loss occurs faster than the decrease in muscle capillarization and in the whole-body VO2 max. Trained muscles of athletes have 3-4 times higher oxidative enzyme levels and two- to threefold more capillaries per muscle fiber than untrained muscle. Extensive endurance training results in an enhanced percentage of slow-twitch fibers, but the time course of this change is not known. More extensive changes are observed in chronically stimulated rabbit muscle. In this case, enzymes of oxidation display large increases (6- to 12-fold), whereas there is a decrease of 70-90% in enzymes of glycolysis, glycogenolysis, gluconeogenesis, and high-energy phosphate transfer. There is a normal training response in mitochondrial enzyme activities in individuals with insulin-dependent and non-insulin-dependent diabetes, but the ability to form new skeletal muscle capillaries in response to physical training may be deficient in insulin-dependent diabetes. Training-induced changes in the metabolic character of skeletal muscle leads to an increased reliance on fat metabolism during exercise, with a lowered blood lactate concentration and a sparing of muscle glycogen."}
{"id": "PMID:1468305", "title": "Does training spare insulin secretion and diminish glucose levels in real life?", "content": "Compared with untrained subjects, in trained subjects the increased insulin sensitivity and decreased glucose induced insulin secretion will tend to promote health by decreasing glucose levels and insulin secretion, whereas the increased food intake will tend to increase these variables. To evaluate the net effect of training, we administered oral glucose loads making up identical fractions of daily carbohydrate intake (i.e., same relative glucose loads) to 8 athletes and 7 sedentary subjects (age: 25 +/- 1 vs. 24 +/- 1 yr [mean +/- SE] [NS]; body weight: 76.0 +/- 1.3 vs. 79.3 +/- 2.3 kg [NS]; maximal oxygen uptake: 76 +/- 2 vs. 48 +/- 1 ml O2.kg-1.min-1 [2P < 0.05], respectively). Furthermore, 24 h plasma concentration profiles of glucose, C-peptide, and insulin were determined during ordinary living conditions. Daily carbohydrate intake was higher (2P < 0.05) in athletes compared with sedentary subjects (678 +/- 34 vs. 294 +/- 18 g.day-1, respectively). In response to same relative oral glucose loads, glucose and C-peptide responses were similar in athletes compared to sedentary subjects. Twenty-four hour integrated glucose and C-peptide concentrations did not differ between athletes and sedentary subjects (7.4 +/- 0.2 vs. 7.3 +/- 0.6 mol.L-1.1440 min [2P > 0.05] and 923 +/- 99 vs. 1047 +/- 175 pM.ml-1.1440 min [2P > 0.05], respectively), and insulin concentrations tended to be lower in athletes compared with sedentary subjects (124 +/- 13 vs. 175 +/- 38 pM.ml-1.1440 min [2P > 0.05]).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1468306", "title": "Recent developments in metabolism that impinge on research into the nature and treatment of diabetes mellitus.", "content": "It has been established that adenosine, its agonists, or antagonists can cause dramatic changes in insulin sensitivity in isolated soleus muscle and, moreover, can modify changes in sensitivity caused by pathophysiological conditions. Addition of adenosine deaminase to the incubation medium, which is known to lower the concentration of adenosine, increases the sensitivity of glycolysis to insulin. Addition of an adenosine-receptor agonist decreases sensitivity by about 10-fold, whereas addition of an adenosine-receptor antagonist increases sensitivity by about 10-fold. The latter totally removes the resistance of glucose utilization to insulin in the isolated soleus muscle obtained from either the genetically obese rat or from the rat fed a high sucrose diet. These findings strongly support the view that changes in insulin sensitivity in muscle can be brought about either by acute changes in the local concentration of adenosine or in the affinity or number of receptors for adenosine in muscle. However, in many of the conditions investigated, in which insulin sensitivity in muscle is changed, there was no correlation between the change in the adenosine content of the muscle and altered insulin sensitivity. It has also been shown that prostaglandin E1 can increase dramatically the sensitivity of glycolysis to insulin and that this is a specific effect of prostaglandins of the E series. It is not produced by prostacyclins, thromboxanes, or leukotrienes. It is unclear if there is a relationship between the effects of adenosine and prostaglandins. Chronic elevation of catecholamines may increase the sensitivity of glucose utilization to insulin and also increase the rate of thermogenesis by substrate cycling.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1468307", "title": "Glucose turnover in type I diabetic subjects during exercise. Effect of selective and nonselective beta-blockade and insulin withdrawal.", "content": "To assess the effect of selective beta 1-blockade (atenolol and betaxolol) and nonselective beta-blockade (propranolol) on glucose turnover in subjects with insulin-dependent (type I) diabetes mellitus during moderate exercise. Five subjects with type I diabetes were infused with insulin and then exercised for 1 h, after pretreatment with each of the three drugs or saline and, on a separate day, after withdrawal of insulin. Glucose turnover was measured using tritiated glucose. Plasma glucose, initially 9.2 +/- 0.5 mmol/L (mean +/- SE) when insulin infused and 14.0 +/- 0.8 when insulin was withdrawn, fell on exercise by 3.4 +/- 1.1 mmol/L (P < 0.05) saline, 4.0 +/- 0.8 mmol/L (P < 0.01) with betaxolol, 3.8 +/- 0.7 mmol/L (P < 0.01) with atenolol, 5.0 +/- 0.6 mmol/L (P < 0.005) with propranolol, and 1.7 +/- 1.0 mmol/L (NS) when insulin was withdrawn. Propranolol, but not the other beta-blockers, caused a significantly greater fall in glucose on exercise than during the control study. Glucose appearance rate (Ra) was similar basally and rose to an almost identical level in all five groups during exercise. Glucose disappearance rate (Rd) rose similarly during exercise, except after propranolol when the rise was significantly greater than with saline (P < 0.01). Failure of glucose to change significantly during exercise when insulin had been withdrawn was associated with the smallest rise in Rd and the highest nonesterified fatty acid concentrations. Propranolol and betaxolol, but not atenolol, reduced nonesterified fatty acids. We conclude that the greater fall in glucose on exercise after beta-blocking drugs is probably largely a direct effect of beta 2-blockade on muscle, increasing the exercise-induced rise in Rd glucose. This offers support to the use of beta 1-specific drugs, where beta-blockade is necessary in type I diabetes."}
{"id": "PMID:1468308", "title": "Habitual physical activity in adult IDDM patients. A study with portable motion meters.", "content": "The objective of this study was to assess the habitual physical activity of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) patients on intensive insulin therapy. This case-control study consisted of 34 IDDM patients (14 on multiple injection therapy, 20 on continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion [CSII], and control subjects matched for sex, age, weight, height, body mass index, smoking behavior, and occupational status). Seven IDDM patients were studied before and after changing from multiple injection to CSII therapy. All patients were well controlled according to HbA1c. Portable motion meters were used to assess habitual physical activity during 7 consecutive days with appreciable reproducibility (coefficient of variation 1.24%) and agreement to standardized activity protocols (r = 0.96, P < 0.001). Habitual physical activity was similar in IDDM patients on injection treatment and in controls, respectively. CSII-treated patients exhibited on the average 17% less habitual physical activity than control subjects (P < 0.05). Changing from multiple injection therapy to CSII lowered habitual physical activity insignificantly in seven patients. There was no indication of decreasing physical exercise (e.g., sports) by CSII in this patient group. No correlations were found between habitual physical activity and HbA1c or body mass index, respectively. Habitual physical activity is similar in IDDM patients on multiple injection therapy and control subjects, but may decrease by CSII therapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1468309", "title": "Prevention of hypoglycemia during exercise in type I diabetes.", "content": "Insulin-dependent (type I) diabetic subjects who exercise for whatever reason do this at the risk of hypoglycemia. To enjoy physical activities without major metabolic complications, diabetic patients can take measures to prevent exercise-induced hypoglycemia. These measures basically include preventing accelerated insulin absorption, mimicking physiological insulin secretion during exercise, supplying additional carbohydrates during exercise, and providing effective diabetes education. When adapting the insulin dose, duration and intensity of the work load, time of day, prevailing insulin levels, and the state of nutrition must be considered. Additional carbohydrates can prevent hypoglycemia when exercise is spontaneous and insulin dose reduction is impossible. Prevention of exercise-induced hypoglycemia may be best achieved if patients participate in intensive and comprehensive teaching programs for self-management of diabetes."}
{"id": "PMID:1468310", "title": "Fuel and fluid homeostasis during long-term exercise in healthy subjects and type I diabetic patients.", "content": "This study was designed to examine metabolic and hormonal effects of long-term exercise in healthy subjects and insulin-dependent (type I) diabetic patients. Two studies were performed. First, 16 healthy males (32 +/- 3 yr) were studied during a semitriathlon competition (2 km swimming, 90 km biking, and 21 km running). Second, 9 type I diabetic males (41 +/- 2 yr) and 17 healthy matched control subjects were studied during a 75 km cross-country skiing race. Blood samples were taken before and immediately after exercise, and also during the ski race. During the semitriathlon race, serum insulin, C-peptide, glucagon cortisol, growth hormone ACTH, prolactin, and plasma renin activity increased two- to ninefold, whereas serum testosterone fell. Apart from a fall in magnesium, serum electrolyte concentrations remained unchanged. Before long-term skiing, patients reduced their insulin dose by 30-40%. They were hyperglycemic during the initial part of the race, but near normoglycemic thereafter. There were large interindividual variations in the increments of counterregulatory hormones, whereas serum testosterone and luteinizing hormone fell quite uniformly. Plasma renin activity and aldosterone concentrations rose similarly in diabetic and healthy subjects, whereas the rise in antidiuretic hormone was slightly greater in diabetic patients. During the initial part of the race, serum atrial natriuretic peptide fell in both groups. Severalfold increments in hormone concentrations contribute to the maintenance of fuel and fluid homeostasis during long-term exercise. With an appropriate adjustment of insulin dose and diet, also type I diabetic patients can participate in competitive long-term exercise."}
{"id": "PMID:1468311", "title": "Moderate exercise increases platelet function in type I diabetic patients without severe angiopathy and in good control.", "content": "The aim of this study was to investigate whether a 45-min moderate exercise, performed postprandially with a timing that partially prevented the risk of hypoglycemia, was able to modify platelet function in patients affected by insulin-dependent (type I) diabetes mellitus without severe late complications and in a good metabolic control. We submitted 6 male type I diabetic patients (27.2 +/- 3.4 yr; body mass index, 21.4 +/- 0.6 kg/m2; HbA1c, 7.6 +/- 0.9%) on a daily three-insulin injection regimen, without severe late complications of diabetes, to a 45-min moderate exercise (about 50% of maximal oxygen consumption) with a cycle ergometer, beginning 180 min after breakfast and 195 min after a subcutaneous shot of regular insulin. Serial venous blood samples were conducted to measure plasma glucose, free insulin, counterregulatory hormones (glucagon, growth hormone, cortisol, and catecholamines), platelet sensitivity to ADP, platelet activating factor and collagen, and plasma concentrations of the platelet-specific protein beta-thromboglobulin (a marker of the platelet release reaction in vivo). Exercise was accompanied by a decrease of plasma glucose (from 5.9 +/- 1.2 to 4.6 +/- 1 mmol/L, P = 0.067) and free insulin (from 180 +/- 36 to 114 +/- 30 pmol/L, P = 0.003), and by a significant increase of growth hormone (from 5 +/- 1 to 15 +/- 4 micrograms/L, P = 0.045), cortisol (from 240 +/- 30 to 406 +/- 69 nmol/L, P = 0.018), epinephrine (from 1005 +/- 240 to 5143 +/- 1753 pmol/L, P = 0.077), and norepinephrine (from 5.04 +/- 1.08 to 13.48 +/- 2.98 nmol/L, P = 0.009). Platelet sensitivity to the agonists and plasma concentrations of beta-thromboglobulin increased during the exercise period. In particular, ADP ED50 reached during exercise 61 +/- 16% of basal values (P = 0.048), platelet activating factor ED50 reached 73 +/- 11% (P = 0.043), and collagen ED50 reached 68 +/- 9% (P = 0.008). beta-Thromboglobulin rose from 24 +/- 2 to 32 +/- 3 micrograms/L (P = 0.007). Moderate exercise enhances platelet function in type I diabetic patients without severe angiopathy and in a good metabolic control."}
{"id": "PMID:1468312", "title": "Effect of diabetes on glucoregulation. From glucose transporters to glucose metabolism in vivo.", "content": "Peripheral resistance to insulin is a prominent feature of both insulin-dependent and non-insulin-dependent diabetes. Skeletal muscle is the primary site responsible for decreased insulin-induced glucose utilization in diabetic subjects. Glucose transport is the rate-limiting step for glucose utilization in muscle, and that cellular process is defective in human and animal diabetes. The transport of glucose across the muscle cell plasma membrane is mediated by glucose transporter proteins, and two isoforms (GLUT1 and GLUT4) are expressed in muscle. Insulin acutely increases glucose transport in muscle by selectively stimulating the recruitment of the GLUT4 transporter (but not GLUT1) from an intracellular pool to the plasma membrane. In skeletal muscles of streptozocin-induced diabetic rats, there is a decreased GLUT4 protein content in intracellular and plasma membranes. In these rats, insulin induced the mobilization of GLUT4 from the internal pool, but the incorporation of the transporter protein into the plasma membrane is diminished. Conversely, the content of the GLUT1 transporter increases in the plasma membrane of these diabetic rats. Normalization of glycemia with phlorizin fully restores the amount of GLUT1 and GLUT4 proteins to normal levels in the plasma membrane without altering insulin levels. This suggests that glycemia regulates the number of glucose transporters at the cell surface, GLUT1 varying directly and GLUT4 inversely, to glycemia. The regulatory role of glycemia also can be seen in diabetic dogs in vivo, where correction of hyperglycemia with phlorizin restores, at least in part, the defective metabolic clearance rate of glucose seen in these animals. In addition to acutely stimulating glucose transport in muscle, insulin controls exercise- and possibly stress-mediated glucose uptake in vivo, by preventing hyperglycemia and by restraining the effects of catecholamines on lipolysis and/or muscle glycogenolysis. Finally, we postulated a neural pathway that requires the permissive effect of insulin to increase glucose uptake by the muscle. Thus, insulin, glucose, and neural pathways regulate muscle glucose utilization in vivo and are, therefore, important determinants of glucoregulation in diabetes."}
{"id": "PMID:1468313", "title": "Metabolic responses to exercise. Effects of endurance training and implications for diabetes.", "content": "In this study, some important metabolic responses to exercise will be discussed, and aspects of particular interest for patients with diabetes mellitus will be emphasized. Alterations in the metabolic responses to exercise induced by physical endurance training and consequences of training for metabolism of plasma lipids and lipoproteins will be discussed. Glucoregulation during exercise is not perfect in normal subjects and is less so in patients with diabetes mellitus. For instance, during intense exercise, large increases in the plasma glucose concentration occur and a state of insulin resistance exists for a few hours after intense exercise. Even so, increased sensitivity to insulin is found the day after intense exercise and also shortly after more moderate intensity exercise, both in healthy subjects and in patients with diabetes mellitus. Increased sensitivity to insulin is also found after endurance training, whereas insulin sensitivity is decreased after inactivity. Exercise training increases the ability of muscle to take up and oxidize free fatty acids during exercise and also increases the activity of the enzyme lipoprotein lipase in muscle. The activity of lipoprotein lipase in muscle correlates with muscle insulin sensitivity. This might explain why insulin resistance is often associated with hypercholesterolemia, hypertriglyceridemia, and low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol."}
{"id": "PMID:1468314", "title": "Interaction of exercise and insulin in type II diabetes mellitus.", "content": "In skeletal muscle, at the level of glucose transport, insulin resistance appears to be a major alteration responsible for decreased glucose disposal rates in non-insulin-dependent (type II) diabetes mellitus. This study focuses on in vitro studies of the glucose transport process in human and rat skeletal muscle. Muscle strips from a group of lean type II diabetic patients demonstrated a 50% decrease in insulin responsiveness for glucose transport when compared with nondiabetic subjects. These findings indicate the presence of postreceptor defects in type II diabetic muscles. Furthermore, in an isolated muscle preparation, it could be demonstrated that epitrochlearis muscles from streptozocin-induced diabetic rats were not only resistant to insulin, but also to exercise-induced increase in glucose transport. However, both regular physical exercise and insulin therapy normalized the decreased capacity for glucose transport in the diabetic rat muscles. Therefore, it appears that regular physical exercise and, in some cases insulin therapy, would be advisable for type II diabetic patients with marked muscular insulin resistance to improve peripheral glucose disposal rates."}
{"id": "PMID:1468315", "title": "Efficacy of training in obese diabetic patients.", "content": "The consensus of studies in non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) seems to be that exercise has beneficial effects not only on glucose metabolism and insulin sensitivity, but also on elevated plasma lipids, blood pressure, and obesity frequently following NIDDM. Feasibility of effective physical training programs in subjects suffering from NIDDM seems, however, questionable on a large scale because NIDDM is found mainly in physically inactive subjects over the age of 50. In such individuals, cardiovascular complications may also prevent physical activity of sufficient intensity. Although direct information is limited, the possibility remains that regular exercise may prevent or postpone clinical NIDDM, particularly by preventing the development of obesity."}
{"id": "PMID:1468316", "title": "Diabetes, exercise, and atherosclerosis.", "content": "Regular exercise may diminish the risk for atherosclerotic vascular disease in patients with non-insulin-dependent (type II) diabetes and in the general population. The basis for this effect of exercise may be its ability to diminish or prevent hyperinsulinemia, insulin resistance, and/or increases in intra-abdominal adipose mass. These abnormalities are associated with premature atherosclerotic vascular disease, essential hypertension, type II diabetes, and certain dyslipoproteinemias, and most likely precede them. They also have been implicated in the pathogenesis of these disorders. We propose that the high prevalence of hyperinsulinemia and insulin resistance in individuals leading a western life-style accounts for the reported benefit of physical activity in preventing coronary heart disease in the general population. We also propose that exercise (and diet) are most likely to be effective when initiated in young individuals, before the onset of irreversible vascular alterations, and when life-style changes may be more acceptable. Early identification of such individuals may be possible on the basis of family history, the presence of components of the hyperinsulinemia-insulin resistance syndrome, and/or central obesity. One such group that may already have been identified is women with gestational diabetes."}
{"id": "PMID:1468317", "title": "Prevention of type II diabetes by physical training. Epidemiological considerations and study methods.", "content": "Disease prevention may be considered at three levels: primary (avoiding disease occurrence), secondary (early detection and reversal), and tertiary (prevention or delay of complications). Physical exercise could potentially contribute to all of these. Metabolic studies suggest the major effect of exercise is at the level of insulin sensitivity/resistance. Therefore, it may have the greatest benefit in primary prevention and in the early stages of the disease. Studies of migrants and of active and inactive professions support this notion. There is also provisional support for the benefit of exercise on metabolic control and prevention or delay of chronic complications in non-insulin-dependent (type II) diabetic patients. In designing a trial of exercise, aspects such as single/multifactorial intervention, the age range of subjects, and choice of outcome measures must be considered. The most widely used methodological tool in assessing physical activity levels in population studies is the activity questionnaire, which is nonreactive, practical, applicable, and accurate relative to other methods. A positive approach to exercise training for both the patient with type II diabetes and the general community appears to be warranted. However, trials examining the efficacy of activity intervention, with independent evaluation of both short- and long-term outcomes, are still needed."}
{"id": "PMID:1468318", "title": "Ten-year experience with an exercise-based outpatient life-style modification program in the treatment of diabetes mellitus.", "content": "Exercise is frequently recommended in the treatment of diabetes mellitus. Nevertheless, its use has been limited in clinical practice, and concerns about safety and efficacy persist. We have reviewed a 10-yr experience with 255 patients enrolled in a comprehensive diabetes program that emphasized physical training. A low maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) was found in patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus compared with sedentary control subjects. This was not accounted for by autonomic neuropathy and is unlikely to be due to subtle differences in life-style. Exercise-related proteinuria was common and occurred in 29% of patients and was associated with higher blood pressure levels at rest and during exercise, impaired VO2max, and decreased R-R interval variation. Regular exercise was associated with a modest decrease in resting and exercise blood pressure. Glycosylated hemoglobin levels and plasma triglycerides improved only in patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. Insulin requirements were significantly reduced in patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. Compliance for up to 3 mo in the program was acceptable but longer-term compliance was poor. Serious complications during the program were rare. Our experience suggests a program of regular aerobic training can be safely and effectively used in an outpatient population with diabetes mellitus for up to 3 mo."}
{"id": "PMID:1468319", "title": "I'm running on insulin. Summary of the history of the International Diabetic Athletes Association.", "content": "The changes that physical activity brings in the functioning of the human body have a special interest to active individuals with diabetes. Certain adjustments in dosing are necessary. Even today, with such an emphasis on healthy life-style, little information is available to assist an individual with diabetes to exercise safely. Granted, no easy formula exists. Many different factors influence blood glucose. Most often, individuals with diabetes learn by trial and error how to best manage their favorite activity. In 1985, Paula Harper founded the International Diabetic Athletes Association (IDAA) in hopes of educating people with diabetes about the benefits of regular exercise. For most individuals with insulin-dependent (type I) diabetes mellitus, it is not encouragement, but safety that is the issue. The IDAA offers great opportunities for sharing ideas at its annual meetings. These meetings attract an exceptional faculty of speakers and offer a mix of workshops led by experienced diabetic athletes on various sports. A quarterly newsletter is published that presents new information and recognizes success stories. IDDA chapters exist in the U.S., Canada, U.K., Germany, France, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Spain."}
{"id": "PMID:1468330", "title": "Fine-needle aspiration cytology of malignant nerve sheath tumors.", "content": "Precise preoperative diagnosis of three malignant nerve sheath tumors (MNST) was based on their remarkably uniform and highly characteristic cytologic appearance. The differential diagnosis with benign nerve sheath tumors and other spindle cell sarcomas is addressed, and the possibility of achieving confident diagnosis on cytologic material from at least some soft-tissue sarcomas is confirmed."}
{"id": "PMID:1468331", "title": "Helicobacter (Campylobacter) pylori in gastric brushing cytology.", "content": "Helicobacter (formerly Campylobacter) pylori is frequently associated with chronic gastritis and peptic ulcer and has been implicated as an etiologic agent. Identification of H. pylori is important for specific treatment with antibiotics and bismuth compounds. We studied 27 patients who presented with symptoms of gastritis or peptic ulcer on whom paired gastric biopsies and gastric brushings for cytology had been performed. Biopsies were stained with H & E and Warthin-Starry or Giemsa for H. pylori. Previously, Papanicolaou-stained brushings were restained with Giemsa and reviewed blindly by two cytologists. Cytologic examination revealed the characteristic 1-3 mu curved or spiral gram-negative bacilli embedded in mucus in 12 of 27 (44%) of cases. Biopsies showed H. pylori in 13 of 27 (48%) of cases. Cytology and histology were concordant in 22 of 27 (81%) of cases. Three cases were positive on biopsy, negative on cytology; two of these were unsatisfactory cytology specimens. Two cases were positive on cytology, negative on biopsy, apparently sampling artifacts. Papanicolaou-stained slides were scored for several morphologic parameters; numbers of acute and chronic inflammatory cells and degree of cytologic atypia. None of these were predictive of the presence of H. pylori. We conclude that Giemsa-stained gastric brushings are a useful complement to gastric biopsies in establishing the diagnosis of H. pylori."}
{"id": "PMID:1468332", "title": "Should we report cervical smears lacking endocervical component as unsatisfactory?", "content": "The purpose of the study is to correlate the accuracy of diagnosis of cervical smears with the presence/absence of an endocervical component. The referral smears and the smears obtained during colposcopic examination of 84 patients with biopsy-proven squamous lesions were evaluated for the presence of an endocervical component, and the cytologic interpretations were compared with the histologic findings. Of the 136 smears containing an endocervical component, 111 (81.6 percent) had good correlation with histology and 25 (18.4%) showed a discrepancy. Of the 30 smears lacking an endocervical component, 24 (80%) had good histologic correlation and 6 (20%) were discrepant. Our data showed no significant difference in the detection of squamous lesions in those smears with an endocervical component from those without. We conclude that, although the presence or absence of an endocervical component should be documented in the cytology report, its absence should not be an indication to report the cervical smears as unsatisfactory."}
{"id": "PMID:1468333", "title": "Pulmonary mycetomas in immunocompetent patients: diagnosis by fine-needle aspiration.", "content": "Mycetomas usually grow within preexisting cavities and frequently lead to pulmonary hemorrhage. We describe four males, aged 38 to 72 years, in whom myceotomas were diagnosed by FNA. Preexisting cavitary lesions resulted from tuberculosis, anaerobic abscess, and bullous lung disease (two cases). Fine needle aspiration yielded tangled mats of fungal hyphae (large and grossly visible in three cases) and acute inflammatory cells. The atypical cells often seen in the walls of such lesions were not identified. Cultures showed Aspergillus (3 cases) Pseudoallescheria boydii (1 case). The diagnosis was surgically confirmed in two cases. Two patients were too ill for surgery and the fourth refused. At 7 and 10 months, the two remaining individuals have pulmonary hemorrhage but no evidence of progression or malignancy. In poor surgical candidates, conservative management of mycetomas diagnosed by fine needle aspiration is appropriate. Excluding mycetoma secondary to cavitary lung carcinoma requires careful correlation of historical, clinical, radiographic, cytologic, and follow-up data."}
{"id": "PMID:1468334", "title": "Aspiration biopsy cytology of malignant papillary breast neoplasms.", "content": "Papillary carcinoma of the breast is a rare neoplasm characterized by a low grade of malignancy. From the files of the Department of Histopathology of Conegliano Veneto City Hospital, Conegliano Veneto, Italy, 16 cases of papillary breast carcinoma diagnosed by fine-needle aspiration cytology have been selected. A multiparametric morphologic study has been performed in order to contribute to the cytologic characterization of this rare group of breast malignancies. The authors believe that aspiration biopsy cytology is able to provide an accurate preoperative diagnosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1468335", "title": "Pulmonary aspergillosis: an unusual cytologic presentation.", "content": "Cytologic identification of Aspergillus is usually based on recognition of hyphal elements; conidia are rarely seen. We report a case of autopsy-proven pulmonary Aspergillosis which was studied antemortem by bronchoalveolar lavage. This mass arose in the clinical setting of chronic necrotizing pulmonary aspergillosis. The specimen contained numerous conidia, some of which exhibited germination. No hyphae were seen. This unusual cytologic expression of clinically significant fungal disease could be easily overlooked. Distinction of Aspergillus conidia from contaminating pollen is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1468336", "title": "Sinus histiocytosis with massive lymphadenopathy (Rosai-Dorfman disease): cytomorphologic analysis on fine-needle aspirates.", "content": "Cytomorphologic characteristics of smears from fine-needle aspirates (FNA) of three cases of sinus histiocytosis with massive lymphadenopathy (SHML) (Rosai-Dorfman disease) are described. All aspirates showed mature lymphocytes, plasma cells, and large pale histiocytes with well-preserved lymphocytes within the cytoplasm (lymphocytophagocytosis). The cases were confirmed by surgical biopsy, and the immunohistochemical findings suggested a macrophage origin for this lesion. The value of FNA analysis as an aid to diagnosis of SHML is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1468337", "title": "Fine-needle aspiration cytology of metastatic breast tumor originating from leukemia.", "content": "Two cases of metastatic breast tumor originating from leukemia are reported. Fine-needle aspiration (FNA) specimens showed a large number of isolated small-to-medium-sized atypical lymphocytic cells. It is difficult to distinguish metastatic breast tumors and primary breast cancers by physical findings alone. FNA cytology is an effective method for qualitative diagnosis. When atypical lymphocytic cells are obtained in aspiration materials of the breast, past history and general examination are necessary for diagnosis. In some cases of leukemia with breast involvement, good outcomes are obtained. Therefore, earlier detection is necessary in order to begin suitable therapy earlier and to avoid unnecessary excisional biopsy in patients with leukemia and breast tumors. To achieve this it is also necessary to first take into consideration the possibility of metastasis or infiltration of leukemia, and second to prepare two types of specimen for Papanicolaou stain and Giemsa stain before operation."}
{"id": "PMID:1468338", "title": "Leiomyosarcoma of the orbit: diagnosis of its recurrence by fine-needle aspiration cytology.", "content": "An 8 1/2-yr-old boy with proptosis was diagnosed to have low-grade leiomyosarcoma of the orbit following lateral orbitotomy and histology of an incompletely excised intraconal mass. He received chemotherapy but had recurrence of proptosis at the age of 12 yr. Ultrasonography revealed a solid mass and its fine-needle aspiration cytology features were consistent with recurrence of leiomyosarcoma. A year later, the cytodiagnosis was confirmed by histology of the excised tumor from a second lateral orbitotomy. Masson's trichrome stain confirmed the smooth muscle nature of the neoplasm and ultrastructural features were in favor of leiomyosarcoma. The patient received intermittent chemotherapy, and is clinically free from disease at the age of 17 yr."}
{"id": "PMID:1468339", "title": "Fine-needle aspiration of a periurethral Teflon-filled cyst following radical prostatectomy.", "content": "Periurethral Teflon injections are being used increasingly for the treatment of urinary incontinence after radical prostatectomy. We report a case of a man who developed increasing obstructive urinary symptoms and stress incontinence following radical retropubic prostatectomy. Six months earlier, he had undergone periurethral Teflon injections. On transrectal ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging, a 3.2-cm cystic lesion was noted at the prostatic bed near the bladder neck where the Teflon had been injected. Ultrasound-guided transperineal fine-needle aspiration of the cyst yielded a specimen with numerous birefringent crystalline Teflon particles. Although previous reports have described granulomatous tissue reaction, no multinucleated giant cells were present to suggest granuloma formation. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of Teflon cyst formation following periurethral Teflon injections. The patient's history, imaging studies, cytopathology, and review of the literature are presented in this report."}
{"id": "PMID:1468340", "title": "Rounded atelectasis: diagnosis by fine-needle aspiration cytology.", "content": "Rounded atelectasis, a rare, benign mass lesion, is most often seen in association with asbestos-related pleural changes. Often a presumptive diagnosis can be made on the basis of characteristic CT and chest radiographic findings. However, not infrequently radiographic imaging fails to differentiate rounded atelectasis from primary bronchogenic carcinoma, a disease which is seen with increased frequency in patients with asbestos exposure. We describe two cases where the diagnosis of rounded atelectasis was made by fine-needle aspiration (FNA) cytology. The cytologic features included abundant pulmonary parenchymal material with thickened alveolar walls containing pulmonary macrophages and connective tissue. It is important to realize that this is a useful positive finding indicating rounded atelectasis, rather than a negative finding suggesting the absence of neoplasm. Needles with a cutting action may be necessary to obtain sufficient material to make the diagnosis of rounded atelectasis."}
{"id": "PMID:1468341", "title": "Infantile cutaneous rhabdomyosarcoma (Li-Fraumeni syndrome): cytological presentation of fine-needle aspirate biopsy, report of a case.", "content": "We describe the cytopathological picture of a cutaneous rhabdomyosarcoma located in the left nasal furrow of a 4-mo-old girl, some of whose close relatives have died or suffered from different types of neoplasias (Li-Fraumeni syndrome). We believe that the cytological picture is highly characteristic and rules out other round cell tumours of childhood. We underline the usefulness of FNAC in dermatology and strongly advocate the introduction of this technique into the diagnostic armoury of every dermatologist."}
{"id": "PMID:1468342", "title": "Detection of numerical chromosomal abnormalities in malignant cells on body fluids by fluorescence in situ hybridization of interphase cell nuclei with chromosome-specific probes.", "content": "To detect numerical chromosomal abnormalities (NCA) in malignant cells on body fluids, Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) technique was tested in clinical specimens from patients with metastatic disease. Directly labeled DNA probes specific for chromosomes 8, 12, X, and Y (Imagenetics, Naperville, IL) were used for in situ hybridization to interphase cell nuclei. Fifteen body fluids (BF) from various sites were studied. Based initially on the Papanicolaou-stained slides, there were seven malignant and eight benign samples. Blind analysis (200 cells/sample) showed that all benign samples had a normal number of chromosomes, whereas six of seven malignant samples showed different NCA comprising 5-60% of the cell population ranging from three to 10 chromosome signals per cell. We conclude that interphase cytogenetic cell analysis of BF by FISH is: (1) feasible and gives superior signals for detection of NCA, (2) helpful in detecting malignant cells, (3) relatively simple with a turnaround time of less than 24 hr. This method may have diagnostic and prognostic application in the study of the biologic behavior of malignant neoplasms."}
{"id": "PMID:1468343", "title": "Peritoneal washing cytology in women: diagnostic pitfalls and clues for correct diagnosis.", "content": "The significance of peritoneal washing cytology in the management of patients with gynecologic cancer is well established. Its microscopic evaluation, however, is not always straightforward. Previous studies have identified some of the conditions that may result in misinterpretation of cytologic results. This report reviews the literature and describes other sources of diagnostic difficulties and clues for correct diagnosis. In addition, an outline for distinguishing endosalpingiosis from borderline and well-differentiated serous carcinoma is proposed."}
{"id": "PMID:1468344", "title": "Fibroadenoma of the breast: diagnostic pitfalls of fine-needle aspiration.", "content": "On fine-needle aspiration (FNA), fibroadenomas have a characteristic cytological appearance, although occasional cases are misinterpreted as carcinomas and vice versa. In a review of 521 breast aspirates correlated with the subsequent histology, six of 87 fibroadenomas (7%) were malignant or suspicious of malignancy on FNA (false positives). Following cytological review, four were still suspicious of malignancy because of cellular dyscohesion and prominent nucleoli, while two were fibroadenomas. On FNA, four of 145 carcinomas (3%) were diagnosed as fibroadenomas (false negatives). On review, three were malignant or suspicious of malignancy, while one was consistent with a fibroadenoma. Three false negative diagnoses were due to underappreciation of single malignant cells present between epithelial groupings typical of a fibroadenoma, while one was due to undersampling of the carcinoma. Cytologically, some fibroadenomas are sufficiently atypical that histological confirmation is necessary to exclude a malignancy. Misinterpreting carcinomas as fibroadenomas could be avoided by careful study of the morphology of isolated cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1468345", "title": "Management of hypertension.", "content": "To provide maximal protection against the cardiovascular complications that accompany hypertension, the disease must be managed in ways to minimize the total cardiovascular risk burden. These involve five major steps: (1) careful monitoring of the blood pressure in response to appropriate therapy; (2) assessment of concomitant cardiovascular risk factors; (3) institution of life-style modifications needed to control both hypertension and other risk factors; (4) use of antihypertensive drugs, chosen to best manage the individual patient's overall risk burden and provided in a manner that will lower the pressure gently while avoiding adverse reactions; and (5) identifying and reaching the goal of therapy: levels of blood pressure that are neither too high to avoid increased risks for cerebral and renal damage nor too low to avoid increased risks for coronary ischemia. This monograph builds on the 30-year experience of one of the leading clinical investigators in the field to translate the multiple advances made in the management of hypertension into practical guidelines for improved care of the many millions of patients with this disease. Particular emphasis is directed toward certain therapeutic challenges, including the elderly, diabetic patients, and resistant hypertensive patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1468346", "title": "Studies on the stability of the clinical electro-oculogram.", "content": "The electro-oculogram is variable as a clinical test, but the recording technique has not been standardized, and differences in the protocols for adaptation and stimulation among laboratories may contribute to the variability. To analyze some of these factors, we performed more than 100 electro-oculograms on a single subject under different conditions. Both the Arden ratio and the ratio of light peak amplitude to a stable dark-adapted baseline were independent of pupillary dilation but linearly related to retinal illumination measured in trolands. Between 3.0 and 4.0 log trolands, the values began to level off, but they were difficult to interpret because of subject discomfort above 3.5 log trolands. The Arden ratios were influenced by preadaptation light levels and were roughly 20% higher above 90 cd/m2 than below 45 cd/m2. There was a circadian rhythm in dark trough, baseline and light peak values, but the composite Arden ratio and light peak/baseline ratio showed little circadian effect. The light peak/baseline ratios were slightly more stable than the Arden ratios; the variability (defined as [standard deviation x 100]/mean) was 6.6% and 12.5%, respectively. Our results suggest that stimulus intensities for clinical electro-oculographic testing should be between 3.0 and 3.5 log trolands; pupil dilation is optional. This translates into light levels of 141-447 cd/m2 for a 3-mm pupil and 20-63 cd/m2 for an 8-mm pupil. The reduction in variability and independence from preadaptation achieved by using the light peak/baseline ratio instead of the Arden ratio must be weighed against the time required to achieve a stable dark baseline."}
{"id": "PMID:1468347", "title": "Electroretinographic oscillatory potentials in diabetic retinopathy. An analysis in the domains of time and frequency.", "content": "The oscillatory potentials of the electroretinogram in dark and light adaptation were evaluated by Fourier transform in 87 diabetics and 74 age-matched controls. The study consisted of four groups: normal control, no observable diabetic retinopathy, background diabetic retinopathy and proliferative diabetic retinopathy. A reduction in the amplitude of each oscillatory potential, the summed amplitudes, the area and the total power of the oscillatory potentials as well as delayed implicit time of each oscillatory potential peak in dark and light adaptation could be found in patients with background diabetic retinopathy and proliferative diabetic retinopathy. The amplitude of oscillatory potential 4 in dark adaptation and the total power of the oscillatory potentials in light adaptation seemed to be affected in patients with no observable diabetic retinopathy. The implicit time of oscillatory potential 2 in dark adaptation was valuable to distinguish between patients with no observable diabetic retinopathy and background diabetic retinopathy."}
{"id": "PMID:1468348", "title": "Comparison of preoperative 10-Hz visual evoked potentials to contrast sensitivity and visual acuity after cataract extraction.", "content": "Cataract patients whose surgical outcomes were in question were referred for testing by visual evoked potentials, elicited through closed eyelids by a luminance stimulus (flash) that appeared 10 times per second. Visual evoked potentials were rated as normal (predicted acuity of 20/50 or better) or abnormal (predicted acuity of 20/60 or worse). Postoperative Arden and Optronix contrast sensitivities and visual acuities were determined in 37 patients who had no intraoperative or early postoperative complications. Arden grating scores of less than 100 were rated as normal. The optimal and cutoff spatial frequency values were determined for the Optronix scores. Optimal and cutoff values of greater or equal to 1 c/deg and 12 c/deg, respectively, were rated as normal. Visual acuities were considered normal at 20/50 or better. Preoperative visual evoked potentials were quantitatively compared to the postoperative contrast sensitivities and visual acuities by 2 x 2 contingency tables. The accuracy of prediction was 79% for the visual acuities, 62% for the Optronix optimal values, 70% for the Optronix cutoff values and 62% for the Arden gratings."}
{"id": "PMID:1468349", "title": "Averaged steady-state visual evoked cortical potentials at artificially raised intraocular pressure.", "content": "By recording steady-state visual evoked cortical potentials while intraocular pressure is artificially increased, information can be obtained on the pressure tolerance of the optic nerve head. Such experiments have previously been performed by a vector voltmeter technique. We studied the visual evoked cortical potentials in 30 healthy volunteers with artificially increased intraocular pressure, but we used an averager instead of a vector voltmeter. The results were similar except that the noise level in averaging was higher than with the vector voltmeter technique. This observation confirms that the signal-to-noise ratio is much better with the vector voltmeter technique than with the averaging technique. Our results show that averaging can be used in pressure tolerance testing, but the amplitude cannot be observed as far down as in the vector voltmeter technique. This limits the clinical value of averagers in this application."}
{"id": "PMID:1468350", "title": "Visual evoked potentials during the early phase of optic nerve compression in the orbital cavity.", "content": "We obtained case histories and electrophysiologic recordings from four patients with transient vision impairment due to acute orbital compression. The visual evoked potentials (VEPs) displayed alterations that depended on the size and consistency of the compressing pathology and also on the duration of the compression. This study provides evidence of the utility of the VEP in the assessment of the severity and reversibility of optic nerve lesions. The case histories also emphasized the necessity to elucidate the pathologic process of compressive lesions of the optic nerve."}
{"id": "PMID:1468351", "title": "Clinical application of motion-onset visual evoked potentials.", "content": "The results of motion-onset visual evoked potentials and pattern-reversal visual evoked potentials were compared in 5 adults with amblyopia, in 13 patients with unilateral retrobulbar neuritis and in 62 patients with multiple sclerosis. While the pattern-reversal visual evoked potentials had reduced amplitudes and prolonged latencies in all amblyopic eyes, the motion-onset visual evoked potentials were normal. Thus, motion-onset visual evoked potentials cannot be used for diagnosis of amblyopia. In patients with retrobulbar neuritis, both types of visual evoked potentials were delayed on stimulation of the affected eye. The latency increase was, however, greater for pattern-reversal visual evoked potentials than for motion-onset visual evoked potentials. Examination of the patients with multiple sclerosis showed that the additional use of motion-onset visual evoked potentials increased the sensitivity of the investigation. In some patients, only the motion-onset visual evoked potentials had pathologic latency increases, whereas the pattern-reversal visual evoked potentials stayed within normal limits."}
{"id": "PMID:1468352", "title": "An optical stimulator for studying the topography of electrical and magnetic visual evoked responses.", "content": "Visual processing areas cover more than 50% of the cortex in primates, but in humans only about half of this area is projected on gyral crests and thus readily accessible to investigation by evoked potential mapping. However, neuromagnetometry does not reflect the activity of these radial dipoles, but instead it strongly represents tangential dipoles, which may arise from activity within the sulci. It follows that the full exploration of the visual areas can only be achieved by combining these complementary techniques. Software-controlled video stimulators are almost universally used for evoked potential recording, but they generate troublesome interference during neural magnetometry. A simple optical stimulator was therefore designed to project a stimulus into magnetically shielded rooms from a remote situation. The system is capable of providing a wide variety of visual stimuli, including pattern reversal, onset, movement and progressive adjustment of chromatic and achromatic contrast. Evoked responses to complex images and isoluminant colored gratings were studied to demonstrate the performance of this type of system."}
{"id": "PMID:1468353", "title": "Light-emitting diodes and half-cell electrodes in experimental recording of electroretinogram c-wave.", "content": "A method of electroretinogram c-wave recording in the rat was developed that uses a contact lens electrode connected through a saline bridge with a silver-silver chloride half-cell. A cluster of light-emitting diodes, regulated by an electronic light-emitting diode stimulator, was used as a light source. The method enables recordings of c-waves of 0.4-1.6 mV amplitude as well as other electroretinogram components in narrow limits of variation. The two main sources of response variability are voltage shunting and eyeball protrusion."}
{"id": "PMID:1468354", "title": "Scotopic versus photopic pattern onset-offset electroretinograms.", "content": "We investigated the contribution of rods and cones to the human pattern electroretinogram to onset and offset checkerboards of different spatial frequency and wavelength in a 39 degrees x 39 degrees field. Under strictly scotopic conditions, there was a negative potential at onset and a positive potential at offset, whereas under photopic conditions, there was a positive potential at onset and a negative/positive potential at offset. Thus, the waveform to pattern onset (offset) was that of the luminance electroretinogram to decreasing (increasing) luminances. For pattern onset, the sensitivity difference 486-601 nm under scotopic and photopic conditions closely followed the luminosity function of rods and cones. The amplitude of the scotopic onset response increased with check size up to 3 degrees 30' and that of the photopic onset response, up to 30'. With larger checks, the scotopic and photopic onset response markedly decreased. This indicates antagonistic center-surround organization of the receptive fields under both scotopic and photopic conditions. By contrast, the offset response monotonically increased with check size under scotopic and photopic conditions, which suggests a luminance component in the pattern electroretinogram. Consequently, the pattern electroretinogram to reversing checkerboards has to be regarded as a mixture of both pattern- (contrast) and luminance-specific components."}
{"id": "PMID:1468355", "title": "New noncorneal HK-loop electrode for clinical electroretinography.", "content": "A new noncorneal electrode for clinical electroretinography was developed. It consists of a thin wire forming a loop modeled to fit into the lower conjunctival sac. Electrical contact is made with the scleral conjunctiva through an exposed portion of otherwise insulated wire. The recorded pattern electroretinograms are in the same amplitude range as if recorded by the gold foil electrode, while the flash electroretinograms with the new electrode are of about two-thirds the amplitude of corneal electrodes. The new electrode is more durable and hence less expensive than gold foil electrodes and can likewise be used without topical anesthetic. Cleaning is easy and effective. The electrode rarely causes discomfort and produces stable responses for at least 2 hours. The electrode aims to match stability of skin electrodes with sensitivity of fragile foil and fiber electrodes."}
{"id": "PMID:1468382", "title": "Long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids and fetal growth.", "content": "Long chain polyunsaturated fatty acid composition of plasma choline phosphoglycerides has been measured at birth in 22 preterm infants. Positive correlations were found between both n-6 and n-3 fatty acids and measurements of growth and maturation. 20:4(n-6) and the sum of 20:3(n-6) + 20:4(n-6) correlated most strongly with weight and head circumference, while 22:6(n-3) showed strongest correlation with length of gestation. These findings are of relevance to understanding the role of nutrition in fetal growth and in establishing the group of infants most at risk of postnatal deficiency of essential fatty acids."}
{"id": "PMID:1468383", "title": "The relationship between the quantity and quality of prenatal movements in pregnancies complicated by intra-uterine growth retardation and premature rupture of the membranes.", "content": "In 17 fetuses with intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR), we studied the quantity of general movements and fetal breathing movements both cross-sectionally and longitudinally. In IUGR fetuses, cross-sectional comparisons were made between the quantity of fetal movements and (1) the fetal clinical condition and (2) the quality of general movements. In addition, the quantity of fetal movements in IUGR was compared with that in uncomplicated pregnancies and in pregnancies complicated by premature rupture of the amniotic membranes. In IUGR, the quantity of general movements declined from 25 weeks gestation onwards, whereas the quantity of fetal breathing movements increased. Longitudinal assessment of these parameters was obtained in four cases and showed a decline of general movements. No relationship between prenatal longitudinal data and neonatal outcome could be observed. Relating the quantity of general movements and breathing movements to the fetal condition, growth retarded fetuses were divided into three groups according to fetal deterioration. 1. Normal amount of amniotic fluid and normal fetal heart rate patterns. 2. Reduced amount of amniotic fluid. 3. Abnormal fetal heart rate patterns. The quantity of general movements as well as that of breathing movements was low in group 3, compared to group 1. In group 2 only the quantity of breathing movements and not of general movements was low. A similar pattern was found in the relation with the quality of general movements observed during fetal deterioration. Cross-sectional analysis of median values (28-31 weeks gestation) did not reveal differences in the quantity of general movements when IUGR, normal pregnancies and premature rupture of the membranes (with or without oligohydramnios) were compared. The quantity of fetal breathing movements was significantly lower in pregnancies complicated by IUGR and by premature rupture of the membranes with oligohydramnios compared to those of normal pregnancies and premature rupture of the membranes without oligohydramnios. In uncomplicated IUGR, the quantity of general movements and breathing movements is in the same range as in normal uncomplicated pregnancies. Similar to the quality of general movements, the quantitative variables were related to the fetal condition. However, in contrast to the quality of general movements, the quantity of general movements and breathing movements showed a high inter- and intraindividual variation. Therefore, the results of this study discourage the use of quantitative aspects of general movements and breathing movements as reliable indicators of the neurological condition in the individual fetus."}
{"id": "PMID:1468384", "title": "The influence of blood transfusion on brain blood flow autoregulation among stable preterm infants.", "content": "Prior to and 24 h following blood transfusion serial determinations of both cerebral artery flow velocity waveforms and mean arterial blood pressure have been used to reconstruct the autoregulatory curve and its upper blood pressure limit among five stable preterm infants. Prior to transfusion the autoregulatory range of cerebral blood flow (CBF) was narrow due to a relatively low-set upper blood pressure limit. At 24 h after transfusion each individual has been re-examined. Following correction of anemia both a significant reduction of CBF velocities as well as a concomitant rise of the Pulsatility Index (PI) occurred over the entire range of blood pressures indicating a reduction of CBF after transfusion. In addition a right-sided shift of the upper limit towards higher mean blood pressures occurred after transfusion and resulted in an extension of the autoregulatory plateau of CBF. These favourable effects of blood transfusion ameliorating autoregulation of brain blood flow particularly at higher blood pressures might well bear important therapeutic perspectives in our effort to prevent intracranial haemorrhage among sick preterm infants."}
{"id": "PMID:1468385", "title": "Normal auditory brain stem evoked responses in infants of diabetic mothers.", "content": "Auditory brain stem responses potentials were recorded from 71 newborns within the first 2 weeks after birth; conceptional age ranged from 37 to 41 weeks. Thirty-nine newborns were infants of diabetic mothers (IDMs) (17 White A, 22 White B-D) and 32 healthy term newborns served as control group. IDMs with additional high risk for cochlear or brain stem integrity were excluded. Birthweight for gestational age was significantly higher for IDMs. No differences in auditory brain stem responses wave latencies or amplitudes were observed between healthy infants of the control group and IDMs."}
{"id": "PMID:1468386", "title": "Effect of morphine and pancuronium on the stress response in ventilated preterm infants.", "content": "Ninety-five premature newborns who had hyaline membrane disease and were struggling against the ventilator were randomised to one of three treatment groups: morphine (group M), pancuronium (group P) or morphine with pancuronium (group M+P). The dose of morphine was 50 micrograms/kg per h but was increased to 100 micrograms/kg per h in group M infants if they continued to struggle. The dosage of pancuronium was 100 micrograms/kg given as required to inhibit spontaneous respiration. Plasma catecholamine levels were measured on entry and at 24 h. Blood pressure and ventilatory requirements were determined on entry and at 6 h. The clinical outcome of the infants was documented. Group M infants (n = 29) showed a significant reduction in noradrenaline levels (median change -2.2 nmols/l (range -47.2 to +7.2 nmols/l), although seven were withdrawn from this group because of failure to settle. Group P (n = 28) and group M+P (n = 38) showed no significant change in noradrenaline levels. Comparison between the groups showed that group M infants had a significant reduction in noradrenaline levels compared with group P. The immediate effects of treatment on blood pressure and ventilatory requirements were similar in the three groups. The clinical outcome did not differ for any of the measured parameters. When adequate sedation is achieved, morphine may reduce the stress of newborn intensive care."}
{"id": "PMID:1468387", "title": "Abnormal internal carotid and umbilical artery Doppler in the small for gestational age fetus predicts an adverse outcome.", "content": "Doppler studies of the internal carotid and umbilical arteries were performed in 29 women admitted to the antenatal ward with a diagnosis of being small for gestational age. The primary aim of the study was to determine whether an abnormal internal carotid waveform was associated with a poor perinatal outcome defined as: fetal distress, acidosis at birth or perinatal death. A poor perinatal outcome occurred in 18 pregnancies including six perinatal deaths. There was a highly significant association between an abnormal internal carotid waveform and a poor outcome and this was particularly so at a gestational age of < or = 34 weeks where the sensitivity, specificity and predictive values were all 100%. No baby with a normal internal carotid waveform had a poor outcome. Abnormal umbilical waveforms tended to occur earlier in pregnancy than abnormal internal carotid waveforms and were also predictive of an adverse perinatal outcome. Whether this information should be used clinically is not clear as abnormal umbilical artery and internal carotid waveforms were sometimes present for weeks before delivery occurred for fetal reasons."}
{"id": "PMID:1468388", "title": "Prospective study of laparoscopic cholecystectomy in two hundred and fifty patients.", "content": "Two hundred and fifty consecutive patients (151 women, 99 men, age 49.3 years) with symptomatic gallstones as diagnosed on ultrasonography underwent elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy over a 12-month period. Preoperative intravenous cholangiography (IVC) and endoscopic retrograde cholangiography (ERC) were also performed in 203 and 200 patients, respectively. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy was successfully performed on 248 of the 250 patients (99.2%). Two patients required conversion to open cholecystectomy because of a pin hole injury to the portal vein in one case, and because of technical difficulties with the dissection due to severe adhesions in the other patient. Procedure time in the initial 100 cases decreased from an average of 216 minutes for the first ten cases to 87 minutes for the last 30 cases, including the time required for intraoperative cholangiography (IOC). Bile duct stones were found in 4 cases on IOC which were diagnosed by preoperative ultrasonography, IVC and ERC in 0, 2 and 3 cases respectively. An intraabdominal drain was inserted for two days in all cases. The mean hospital stay was 8.6 days (range 4 to 19 days) with no readmissions. No complications were seen at short-term follow-up one month after discharge. Although there was a significant learning period, the procedure was safe and effective and could be performed with minimal risk. The results show that physicians with experience in both endoscopy and laparoscopy are well qualified to perform laparoscopic cholecystectomy after appropriate training."}
{"id": "PMID:1468389", "title": "Prospective evaluation of the use of endoscopic retrograde cholangiography prior to laparoscopic cholecystectomy.", "content": "Preoperative cholangiography and subsequent removal of bile duct stones may increase the efficacy of laparoscopic cholecystectomy and reduce the rate of conversion to open cholecystectomy. Since there is little data on the incidence of choledocholithiasis in this group of patients, we undertook a prospective study on the routine performance of ERC in 288 patients selected for laparoscopic cholecystectomy. ERC succeeded in 264 of the 288 patients (91.7%) and showed a normal bile duct system in 227 (86.0%). Atypical bile duct anatomy was seen in eight patients. Open cholecystectomy was performed in seven of them but was judged to be absolutely necessary in only two cases (one patient each with Caroli syndrome and Mirizzi syndrome). ERC also revealed bile duct stones in 29 of 264 patients (11.0%) which had not been suspected on the basis of clinical, laboratory and ultrasonographic findings in nine cases (3.4%). EPT succeeded in all of the 29 patients with choledocholithiasis but open cholecystectomy was subsequently performed in four patients due to incomplete bile duct clearance (n = 3) or temporary bleeding after EPT (n = 1). The rate of ERC/EPT-related morbidity was 2.8%. It is concluded from a risk-benefit analysis in these patients that ERC should be restricted to patients with suspected bile duct stones. Following this strategy, small ductal concrements and bile duct abnormalities will be missed in 6.4% of cases but the clinical relevance of these findings is still unclear. In patients with combined gallbladder and common bile duct stones, preoperative EPT plus subsequent laparoscopic cholecystectomy appears to be an effective and time-saving therapeutic regimen which should be compared with open cholecystectomy plus common bile duct exploration in future studies."}
{"id": "PMID:1468390", "title": "Preliminary experience using laparoscopic transcystic cholangioscopy for treatment of common bile duct stones.", "content": "Laparoscopic transcystic cholangioscopy (LTC) in combination with electrohydraulic lithotripsy may be an alternative treatment to ERCP and sphincterotomy in patients with both gallbladder and common bile duct stones undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Preliminary experience using LTC lithotripsy in 13 cases is reported. In 12 cases the stones were pushed out into the duodenum using the tip of the cholangioscope, in 8 of them stone disintegration via LTC lithotripsy also being required. In the remaining case the cholangioscope could not be inserted into the common bile duct via the cystic duct due to complete cystic duct obstruction. The average hospital stay was 9 days (range 6-16) in patients with LTC/lithotripsy, which did not differ significantly from 8.4 days (range, 4-19) (n = 330) in the group undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy alone. The patients usually resumed normal activity the day after discharge. LTC lithotripsy has the advantages over endoscopic sphincterotomy of a shorter treatment and preservation of a normal functioning sphincter of Oddi. Further technical improvements, especially the development of a cholangioscope for this purpose, are urgently required."}
{"id": "PMID:1468391", "title": "Long-term follow-up after laparoscopic cholecystectomy.", "content": "A five-year follow-up was performed in 93 of 94 patients who successfully underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy between 1985 and 1987. The results were compared to those in 130 of 136 patients of a non-randomized control group who had undergone open cholecystectomy during the same period. Patients characteristics and gallbladder findings were comparable in the two groups. Postoperative complications were infrequent and not significantly different in the two groups, whereas the mean hospital stay was shorter in the laparoscopic group. During follow-up, one patient in the laparoscopically treated group had a common bile duct stone which was treated surgically since he refused to undergo ERCP; this patient died of postoperative complications. Various abdominal complaints were reported in 27% and 25% of the patients undergoing laparoscopic and open cholecystectomy, respectively; in most cases no organic causes were found. Scar problems were less frequently reported in the laparoscopically treated group (2% versus 12%). It is concluded that the long-term results of laparoscopic cholecystectomy are as good as those of open cholecystectomy, however, the hospital stay is significantly shorter and the long-term cosmetic results are considerably better in laparoscopically treated patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1468392", "title": "In vitro fragmentation of gallstones with lithotriptors for use in laparoscopic cholecystotomy.", "content": "In preliminary in vitro experiments, five different lithotriptors for use in laparoscopic cholecystotomy were tested to determine the fragmentation time and rate of a defined group of gallstones. The Alexandrit laser and the ultrasonic lithotriptor were too ineffective to warrant further investigation. In phantom tests with pig gallbladders, the pulsed dye laser and the electrohydraulic lithotriptor had a fragmentation rate of 100%, but the rate of clearing of the gallbladder was 0% as stone debris always remained in the gallbladder. The clearing rate of the RotoLith mechanical lithotriptor was 84.6%. The RotoLith lithotriptor was the most effective device because the stones were ground into such small particles that they could easily be rinsed out of the gallbladder. As the RotoLith procedure does not need to be monitored optically, the opening of the gallbladder need not exceed 3 mm compared to 10 mm for the other lithotriptors. This makes closure of the gallbladder safer and it would seem feasible to perform the procedure using the RothoLith lithotriptor under local anaesthesia."}
{"id": "PMID:1468393", "title": "Evaluation of four commercial automatic endoscope washing machines.", "content": "Four commercially available endoscope washing machines (Pyser System 83, Wolf Fiberscope Disinfector, Olympus EW20, Keymed Auto-Disinfector) were evaluated. In most cases the machines were expensive, immobile and noisy, and could only wash one endoscope per cycle. Daily use involved repetitive chores and contact with glutaraldehyde. Disinfection procedures were flawed; no machine auto-disinfected adequately. In conclusion, these machines are unsatisfactory and represent a potential source of serious infection."}
{"id": "PMID:1468394", "title": "Hemodynamic changes during laparoscopic cholecystectomy in patients with heart disease.", "content": "Changes in the hemodynamics and urine output were investigated in 19 patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy, five of whom had heart disease with the New York Heart Association classification I (n = 1) and II (n = 4). Systemic blood pressure, central venous pressure, pulmonary capillary wedge pressure and cardiac output did not significantly change during the procedure including the establishment of pneumoperitoneum. Urine output 30-60 min after starting the pneumoperitoneum was significantly lower in the patients with heart disease compared to the values before and in the initial phase (0-30 min), and also to the values before and during the procedure in the control group. One patient suffered temporary cardiac decompensation following laparoscopic cholecystectomy which prolonged his hospital stay to seven days. The remaining four patients with heart disease could be discharged on the third or fourth day postoperatively. It is concluded that laparoscopic cholecystectomy is feasible in patients with heart disease but attention should be paid to the possibility of oliguria during prolonged pneumoperitoneum."}
{"id": "PMID:1468395", "title": "Preliminary experience using endoscopic ultrasonography in the diagnosis of choledocholithiasis.", "content": "Twenty patients with symptomatic cholelithiasis and suspected choledocholithiasis were evaluated in an ongoing prospective trial using endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS), standard abdominal ultrasonography (US) and ERCP for the detection of choledocholithiasis prior to laparoscopic cholecystectomy. EUS was used successfully to image the extrahepatic bile duct in all patients. EUS detected three of four proven bile duct stones and correctly identified 16 bile ducts as stone free, thus being more accurate than standard abdominal US. The preliminary results of this ongoing prospective trial and the experience reported by other authors suggest that EUS may be as sensitive as ERCP in the detection of choledocholithiasis."}
{"id": "PMID:1468400", "title": "Duodenal perforation after laparoscopic cholecystectomy.", "content": "A case is reported of duodenal perforation complicating laparoscopic cholecystectomy performed by laser dissection. The importance of investigating a patient with persistent shoulder-tip pain following this technique to exclude a subphrenic abscess is emphasised."}
{"id": "PMID:1468401", "title": "Successful treatment of an impacted common bile duct stone with intraoperative choledochoscopic electrohydraulic lithotripsy.", "content": "An impacted distal common bile duct stone which was encountered during supraduodenal common bile duct exploration could not be retrieved using stone forceps, a basket, normal saline flushing or a Fogarty catheter. Using intraoperative choledochoscopic electrohydraulic lithotripsy the stone was fragmented and successfully removed with a basket and normal saline flushing. The patient was well after a follow-up period of 18 months."}
{"id": "PMID:1468402", "title": "Endoscopic management of cystic duct fistulas after laparoscopic cholecystectomy.", "content": "Two patients are reported who developed bile ascites as a result of cystic duct fistulas following laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Both patients were successfully treated with endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography, utilizing sphincterotomy and nasobiliary tube placement. Characteristics of this syndrome and advantages of this form of therapy are emphasized."}
{"id": "PMID:1468403", "title": "Laparoscopic cholecystectomy in a patient with empyema of the gallbladder and situs inversus.", "content": "The successful performance of laparoscopic cholecystectomy in a patient with situs inversus viscerum and empyema of the gallbladder is reported. The 62-year-old man presented with pain in the left upper quadrant associated with fever, chills, nausea and vomiting. The abdomen was tender with guarding and a palpable globular mass in the same region. CT scan demonstrated a distended gallbladder with thick shaggy walls which contained a 2 cm gallstone in the neck and also revealed dextrocardia and situs inversus. The patient's postoperative recovery was uneventful."}
{"id": "PMID:1468409", "title": "Mouse hypersensitivity pneumonitis: depletion of NK cells abrogates the spontaneous regression phase and leads to massive fibrosis.", "content": "The contribution of natural killer cells (NK) in the progression of mouse hypersensitivity pneumonitis induced by repeated intranasal instillations with the thermophilic actinomycete Faeni rectivirgula was examined. These instillations determined a very large increase in the lung index (ca. twofold at 3 weeks), used as a measure of inflammation. In addition, this instillation was associated with a tenfold increase in the number of cells recovered in the bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) at 3 weeks and thereafter. Most of these cells were macrophages, whereas T lymphocyte numbers increased at 6 weeks and thereafter. The instillations were also associated with a substantial fibrotic response in the lungs, as seen by large increases in hydroxyproline levels in the lungs. This fibrotic response, however, diminished after 6 weeks of instillations. Similarly, examination of histological preparations of lungs of challenged mice showed that F. rectivirgula induced inflammatory infiltrates of macrophages, lymphocytes, and neutrophils. The severity of the lesions were reduced in mice given more than 6 weeks of the actinomycete challenge. The involvement of NK cells on the development of this pulmonary pathology was determined by infusing F. rectivirgula-challenged mice with anti-NK 1.1 antibody. The depletion protocol was validated by verifying that such treatments effectively blocked lung NK cell activity. Such NK cell-depleted mice responded to the F. rectivirgula challenge with an increased lung index at 9 and 12 weeks, compared to mice challenged with F. rectivirgula and given control antibody. NK cell-depleted mice also responded to the actinomycete with a superior cellular recruitment in the BAL, with this increase mostly mediated by macrophages. Similarly, NK cell-depleted mice developed a fibrotic response that was much higher than that seen in control challenged mice, at 6, 9, and 12 weeks after initiation of the transnasal instillations. This was corroborated by scoring the severity of the histopathological lesions, which showed that NK cell-depleted mice had more severe lesions than challenged control mice. The importance of NK cells was confirmed by demonstrating that mice given anti-NK 1.1, challenged with F. rectivirgula and reconstituted with Percoll gradient-enriched lung NK cells had hydroxyproline levels at 9 and 12 weeks that were comparable to that seen in intact mice, as well as a histopathological score similar to control challenged mice. Overall, this suggests that in the course of a pulmonary inflammatory response, NK cells exert a suppressive effect on cellular recruitment in the BAL, contribute to down-regulating the inflammatory response, and are involved in blocking the appearance of fibrosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1468410", "title": "Developmental regulation of surfactant-associated proteins in rabbit fetal lung in vivo.", "content": "The developmental regulation of the rabbit surfactant-associated proteins, SP-A, SP-B, and SP-C, was investigated using Northern blot analysis. These proteins comprise approximately 10% by weight of pulmonary surfactant, a lipoprotein secreted by type II cells that reduces surface tension at the air-alveolar interface. SP-A mRNA and SP-B mRNA were first detected in rabbit fetal lung at day 24 of gestation (term = 31 days), i.e., approximately two days prior to the appearance of lamellar bodies within differentiated alveolar type II cells. The relative abundance of SP-B mRNA detected on day 24 of gestation was greater than that of SP-A mRNA. Fetal lung SP-A mRNA and SP-B mRNA levels increased rapidly during the remainder of gestation, reaching a maximum at day 31 of gestation. The relative concentrations of SP-A mRNA and SP-B mRNA were decreased in day 2 neonatal and adult lung tissues when compared to the levels present in fetal lung tissue late in gestation. A 0.5-kb rabbit SP-C cDNA was generated using the reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction and was found to have high sequence homology to the human and rat SP-C cDNA nucleotide sequences. The predicted amino acid sequence for the rabbit SP-C cDNA revealed strong conservation of a hydrophobic region close to the amino terminus of the SP-C protein. Fetal lung SP-C mRNA was detected at day 19 of gestation, the earliest time point examined in this study. SP-C mRNA levels gradually increased in fetal lung tissue until day 28 of gestation and then remained level throughout the remainder of gestation and in the day 2 neonatal and adult rabbit lung tissue. These results suggest that the developmental pattern of induction of mRNA for the surfactant-associated proteins, SP-A, SP-B, and SP-C, differ from each other and are different in several respects from the developmental patterns observed in fetal lung tissue of the rat and human species."}
{"id": "PMID:1468415", "title": "Results of a multicentre European survey in 1991 of metronidazole resistance in Helicobacter pylori. European Study Group on Antibiotic Susceptibility of Helicobacter pylori.", "content": "In 1991 a multicentre survey on the prevalence of metronidazole resistance in Helicobacter pylori in vitro was carried out in 12 hospitals in 11 different European countries. The susceptibility of Helicobacter pylori to metronidazole was determined in each centre by measuring the MIC on agar with the PDM E-test (AB Biodisk) according to a standard procedure. Overall, 122 of 443 (27.5%) strains tested were resistant to metronidazole (MIC > 8 micrograms/ml). The level of resistance to metronidazole varied markedly between centres (from 7% to 49%) and was found to be substantially higher in Africans and other non-Caucasian subjects than in natives from European countries. The overall rate of resistance to metronidazole was higher in females (34.7%) than in males (23.9%), and varied according to the age group, being highest among women aged 20 to 39 (50%). Previous use of metronidazole was reported in only 16 patients, 11 of whom (68.8%) harboured resistant Helicobacter pylori strains. Although differences in the rate of metronidazole resistance in Helicobacter pylori most probably relate to variations in use of this drug in different populations, such use may frequently go unrecognized. This study emphasises the importance of monitoring the drug resistance of Helicobacter pylori on a local basis. Standardisation of the methods for testing the susceptibility of Helicobacter pylori in vitro is clearly needed for this purpose."}
{"id": "PMID:1468412", "title": "Inhibition of neutrophil adherence and movement by acute cigarette smoke exposure.", "content": "Peripheral blood neutrophils were harvested and exposed acutely in vitro to physiologically attainable levels of cigarette smoke. The adherence of radiolabeled neutrophils subsequently to alveolar epithelial cell monolayers was measured. In contrast to control cells, smoke-exposed neutrophils were significantly less adherent and failed to increase their adherence following stimulation with phorbol ester or f-met-leu-phe (fMLP). Flow cytometric analysis of the cell surface adhesion protein CD18 demonstrated no significant change in expression following in vitro smoke exposure and, furthermore, no increase in surface CD18 of smoke-exposed cells following consecutive fMLP stimulation was demonstrated. Acute in vivo cigarette smoking of up to 4 cigarettes also did not alter peripheral blood neutrophil CD18 expression. Cell spreading and chemokinesis, but not chemotaxis, was also impaired following in vitro smoke exposure. These data suggest that acute cigarette smoke may impair the crucial neutrophil functions of adherence and movement. However, the chronic effects of cigarette smoke exposure may clearly differ."}
{"id": "PMID:1468416", "title": "Patterns of multiple resistance to antibiotics in gram-negative bacteria demonstrated by factor analysis.", "content": "Principal component analysis was used to demonstrate the main associations between patterns of resistance to antibiotic drugs in 670 gram-negative bacteria consecutively isolated from blood cultures over a period of two years. Six factors were derived, which accounted for 84% of the total variance of the original matrix. Each factor represented an association between resistance to certain antibiotics as follows: factor 1: aztreonam, third generation cephalosporins and aminoglycosides; factor 2: first and second generation cephalosporins; factor 3: tetracycline and chloramphenicol; factor 4: ampicillin and ureidopenicillins; factor 5: trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole; factor 6: fluoroquinolones. On two-way analysis of variance the difference in the factor scores was significant between bacteria for all factors except factor 5. The difference in factor scores between community and hospital acquired strains was significant only for factors 1, 2 and 6. Only the score of factor 6 showed a clear trend to increase with time during the two-year study period. Patients who were treated with antibiotics prior to bacteremia had higher scores for all factors, the difference being most marked in patients treated with fluoroquinolones. Factor analysis can be used to describe phenotypic associations between resistance to antibiotics, and the factor score used to compare groups of isolates and to demonstrate temporal and other trends."}
{"id": "PMID:1468411", "title": "Alpha-naphthyl acetate esterase-1 (ANAE-1) secreted by epithelioid cells from induced rabbit lung granuloma showed MIF activity.", "content": "The function of alpha-naphthyl acetate esterase-1, whose isoelectric point values range from 5.15 to 5.45, was examined. A higher value of alpha-naphthyl acetate esterase-1 was detected in the extracts of epithelioid cells isolated from rabbit lung granuloma at 4 weeks after injection of Freund's complete adjuvant, compared to those values of alveolar macrophages isolated from the same lungs described above and of the normal lungs. Additionally, this enzyme activity was observed to be prominent in the culture supernatants of epithelioid cells. alpha-Naphthyl acetate esterase-1 was purified from lung granuloma as a single 62-kDa band by SDS-PAGE analysis. The purified enzyme showed a macrophage migration inhibition activity at concentrations over 20 nM, and its activity was dose-dependent. Moreover, when various amounts of the purified enzyme were added to lymphocyte-derived macrophage migration inhibitory factor, macrophage migration inhibition was significantly enhanced with a dose-dependent manner. The results suggest that alpha-naphthyl acetate esterase-1 secreted by granuloma macrophages, particularly by epithelioid cells, contributes to granuloma formation."}
{"id": "PMID:1468413", "title": "In vitro effects of hyperoxia on alveolar type II pneumocytes: inhibition of glutathione synthesis increases hyperoxic cell injury.", "content": "An in vitro model of alveolar epithelial oxidant injury was developed based on exposure to hyperoxia of cultured guinea pig type II pneumocytes using a biphasic cell culture system in aerobiosis. The present study investigates the roles of intracellular antioxidant enzymes and of glutathione in providing protection against hyperoxia. A 2-day type II cell culture in normoxia was associated with a significant decrease in protein, catalase, and Cu-Zn SOD cell content, whereas ATP cell content, Mn-SOD, and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activities did not change and glutathione cell content significantly increased. Exposure of type II cells to hyperoxia did not induce significant changes in cell content in protein, SOD, catalase, GPx, or glutathione cell content when compared to control cells (exposed to normoxia). With ATP cell content expressed as a cell injury index (CII), type II cell injury was found to increase with increasing O2 concentrations. Indeed, a 2-day 50% O2 and 95% O2 exposure resulted in a CII of -7.5 +/- 6.2% and 17.9 +/- 5.9%, respectively, LDH release by type II cells was not significantly increased after hypoxic exposure. Cell injury effects of hyperoxia did not correlate with the endogenous antioxidant enzyme activities (SOD, Mn-SOD, catalase). In marked contrast, there was a significant correlation between the CII and total glutathione content of type II cells (p < .01). This correlation was largely due to the close relationship between CII and reduced glutathione. Hyperoxic induced cell injury (as demonstrated by CII > 0) was clearly associated with significantly lower intracellular glutathione level when compared to experiments without hyperoxia induced cell injury (CII < 0). In addition, in the presence of buthionine sulfoximine (BSO), the ability of type II cells to synthetize new glutathione was severely impaired, whereas ATP cell content and cell antioxidant enzyme activities did not change. As a consequence, the reduction of intracellular glutathione significantly increased the susceptibility of cells to hyperoxia injury (p < .05). The results strongly support the hypothesis that the regulation of glutathione levels is an important mechanism in protecting hyperoxia-induced type II cell injury."}
{"id": "PMID:1468417", "title": "Scanning electron microscopy of bacterial biofilms on indwelling bladder catheters.", "content": "Fifty Foley bladder catheters that had been indwelling for periods ranging from 3 to 83 days (mean 35 days) were examined for the presence of bacterial biofilm. Scanning electron microscopy on freeze-dried cross-sections and fixed, critical point-dried longitudinal sections revealed biofilm formation on the luminal surfaces of 44 of the catheters. Culture of urine samples and sonicates from catheters revealed that the prevalence of bacteriuria was less than that of catheter colonization. A wide range of nosocomial species were found colonizing the catheters, Escherichia coli being most often isolated. The bacterial composition of the biofilms ranged from single species to mixed communities containing up to four species. There was no relationship between the length of time that the catheter had been in situ and the extent of biofilm formation. The biofilms varied in thickness from 3 to 490 microns and were visible as layers of bacterial cells up to about 400 cells deep, embedded in a matrix."}
{"id": "PMID:1468414", "title": "Complex cytokine modulation of a continuous line of mink lung epithelial cells (Mv1Lu).", "content": "The continuous mink lung epithelial cell line Mv1Lu has proven to be a sensitive reporter line in the bioassay for purified TGF-beta, exhibiting a sigmoid-shaped concentration-response relationship with an EC50 of 12 pM (0.3 ng/mL). Maximal inhibition of Mv1Lu cells generates a 75-95% decrement in the number of adherent cells. However, this bioassay is not specific for TGF-beta as originally claimed. Mv1Lu cells are sensitive to other cytokines and substances found in complex biological fluids. In this study the effects of other biological response modifiers in this assay were tested and several were found to have important growth modulatory capacities that confound the quantitation of TGF-beta. EGF, TGF-alpha, fibronectin, and IGF-I all induce Mv1Lu cell proliferation. In contrast, neither PDGF (-AA, -AB, -BB) nor endotoxin (< or = 10 micrograms/mL) affect Mv1Lu cell number. TGF-beta and TNF-alpha at high concentrations (> or = 10 ng/mL) are the only cytokines examined that inhibit Mv1Lu proliferation. TGF-beta decreases final cell number both by preventing mitosis and by inhibition of adherence of cells to the uncoated dish. Several strategies are suggested to assure the specificity of this otherwise convenient bioassay for TGF-beta."}
{"id": "PMID:1468418", "title": "Rapid detection of tuberculous and non-tuberculous mycobacteria by polymerase chain reaction amplification of a 162 bp DNA fragment from antigen 85.", "content": "A polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay was developed for detection of mycobacteria using amplification of a 162 bp region of the genes coding for the mycobacterial antigen 85 complex. Strains belonging to the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex were further differentiated from non-tuberculous mycobacteria by hybridization of the PCR derived Southern blot with an internal oligonucleotide probe and washing under stringent conditions. The method allowed rapid and sensitive detection of mycobacterial DNA in uncultured clinical samples. PCR results obtained for Mycobacterium tuberculosis in 206 specimens from 180 untreated patients gave a sensitivity of 93.9% and a specificity of 94.3% compared with the culture. PCR detected DNA from Mycobacterium tuberculosis in seven samples from patients with clinically evident tuberculosis in whom culture was negative. The results suggest that this PCR assay could be used for early and specific diagnosis of tuberculosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1468419", "title": "Use of genomic fingerprinting in the characterization of Neisseria gonorrhoeae isolated in Valencia, Spain.", "content": "Ninety-five Neisseria gonorrhoeae organisms isolated in Valencia, Spain, were characterized by antibiotic sensitivity testing, auxotyping, serotyping, plasmid analysis and restriction endonuclease fingerprinting (HindIII digestion). Cluster analysis of the restriction patterns revealed that 31 isolates (32.6%) formed 12 clearly defined clusters. Penicillinase-producing Neisseria gonorrhoeae strains formed four of these groups. Eight groups of gonococcal strains were identified by auxotyping, although 83% of isolates belonged to two auxotypes (Proto, Pro-). Twenty-three different serovars were identified by serotyping. The serovar pattern IB/rop was found in 38% of isolates. A 60% coincidence was found between gonococcal groupings obtained by combination of auxotyping, serotyping and plasmid analysis and those obtained with the restriction enzyme fingerprinting technique. The specificity of enzyme restriction patterns of Neisseria gonorrhoeae is confirmed to be of practical importance in the epidemiologic study of gonorrhoea."}
{"id": "PMID:1468420", "title": "Technique for calculation of the true costs of antibiotic therapy.", "content": "An in-house method for costing antibiotic therapy is presented which quantifies hidden costs including costs arising from intravenous administration, labour, serum antibiotic assay, monitoring of haematological and biochemical indices and disposal of sharp instruments. A study of various hospital procedures relating directly to antibiotic therapy was undertaken in an acute medical ward, which involved determination of staff members performing various procedures, consumables used and time taken. Results of this study facilitated accurate quantification of hidden costs of i.v. antibiotic therapy in this ward. Using these results, the cost of five-day courses of gentamicin, cefuroxime, penicillin G, flucloxacillin and erythromycin were calculated. The costing of adverse effects was not attempted. It is recommended that a costing technique of this sort is used in cost-benefit analysis of antibiotic use, as the cost of the drug alone is misleading."}
{"id": "PMID:1468421", "title": "Penetration of pefloxacin into maxillary sinus cavity and nasal secretions.", "content": "The ability of oral pefloxacin to penetrate into maxillary sinus cavity and nasal secretions was studied in 39 patients suffering from an exacerbation of chronic maxillary sinusitis. The mean levels of pefloxacin in sinus aspirate fluid 0, 3, 6, 9 and 12 h after the second oral dose of 400 mg were 2.30, 6.92, 3.74, 3.47 and 2.82 mg/l respectively. In sinus cystic fluid (macroscopically non-purulent) the mean pefloxacin levels were 2.30, 7.15, 4.20 and 4.15 mg/l respectively, and in nasal secretion 1.90, 9.05, 3.71, 3.20 and 2.85 mg/l respectively. The mean pefloxacin levels in serum obtained simultaneously were 1.50, 5.00, 3.10, 2.70 and 2.20 mg/l respectively. It is concluded that pefloxacin accumulates in inflamed sinus fluid at concentrations exceeding blood levels."}
{"id": "PMID:1468422", "title": "Infective endocarditis with involvement of the tricuspid valve due to Capnocytophaga canimorsus.", "content": "A case of endocarditis with vegetations on the tricuspid valve caused by Capnocytophaga canimorsus is described. Extensive diagnostic investigations preceded the diagnosis, including blood cultures, 34 of which were sterile. A possible role of the pulmonary circulation in the negative blood cultures is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1468423", "title": "Reactivation of Q fever following cardiac surgery.", "content": "To determine whether reactivation of Q fever occurs following cardiac surgery 43 patients who had antibodies to Coxiella burnetii were identified pre-operatively. Serum samples were collected 1, 4 to 6, and 24 weeks post-operatively. One patient had active Q fever endocarditis. Seven of the remaining 42 (17%) had a > or = fourfold rise in titres for antibodies to Coxiella burnetii post-operatively. Only two of these seven had an increase in antibody titres for other agents suggesting that the fourfold titre rise for Coxiella burnetii was not part of a polyclonal response. It is concluded that self-limited reactivation of infection may occur among Coxiella burnetii seropositive patients undergoing open heart surgery."}
{"id": "PMID:1468424", "title": "First reported case of Streptococcus pyogenes infection with toxic shock-like syndrome in Italy.", "content": "A 43-year-old male who sustained a superficial hand injury developed streptococcal toxic shock-like syndrome and died within 48 hours. The clinical course of the illness in this previously well patient was rapid and fulminant. The organism responsible was a group A beta-hemolytic streptococcus which was identified as opacity factor negative, M serotype 1, T type 1. The organism produced streptococcal pyrogenic exotoxins B and C, but no detectable exotoxin A although it carried speA, the gene for exotoxin A. This is the first case reported in Italy, and further emphasizes the virulence of these organisms and the rapidity with which the illness can progress."}
{"id": "PMID:1468425", "title": "Familial outbreak of agricultural anthrax in an area of northern Italy.", "content": "Three cases of cutaneous anthrax are reported which occurred in a farming family in northern Italy. Epidemiological studies revealed contact with an infected cow (delivery of a stillborn fetus and slaughter). The cow was slaughtered soon after the delivery; cultures of carcass specimens yielded growth of Bacillus anthracis. The origin of the animal infection was not known. Serum samples were obtained from all 11 members of the family group and randomly from 10 of the 75 cows on the farm, which appeared to be in good health. Tests for antibodies against protective antigen and lethal factor using EIA and Western blot techniques were positive in three subjects (in paired sera) with cutaneous anthrax and in one subject who neither had had direct contact with the infected cow nor showed any sign of anthrax."}
{"id": "PMID:1468426", "title": "Erysipelas-like skin lesions associated with Campylobacter jejuni septicemia in patients with hypogammaglobulinemia.", "content": "Three cases are reported of hypogammaglobulinemic males with recurrent Campylobacter jejuni septicemia and erysipelas-like cellulitis without diarrhoea. In one patient Campylobacter jejuni grew from skin biopsy specimens. The findings in another patient were strongly suggestive of osteomyelitis caused by Campylobacter jejuni. Since the susceptibility of hypogammaglobulinemic patients to infection with Campylobacter jejuni is probably related to a lack of serum bactericidal activity against Campylobacter jejuni due to lack of IgM, two patients in whom previous antimicrobial treatment failed were treated with plasma infusions. This regimen supplemented with imipenem resulted in cure of these relapsing infections. Campylobacter jejuni septicemia must be considered in hypogammaglobulinemic patients who present with periodic fever and cellulitis."}
{"id": "PMID:1468427", "title": "Prosthetic joint infection due to Candida parapsilosis in the UK: case report and literature review.", "content": "Candida infection of joint replacements is a rare but increasingly reported phenomenon. A case of Candida parapsilosis prosthetic knee joint infection occurring in the UK is described. Cure followed removal of the prosthesis and treatment, first with a combination of amphotericin and 5-fluorocytosine, then ketoconazole."}
{"id": "PMID:1468428", "title": "Improved detection of HIV p24 antigen in serum after acid pretreatment.", "content": "HIV-1 p24 antigen was detected in 554 sera (509 from HIV-1 seropositive individuals and 45 sera from seronegative controls) using a conventional method with acid pretreatment of the sample in order to separate the p24 antigen/anti-p24 antibody immune complexes. In asymptomatic individuals there was a substantial increase in antigen detection (48.2% vs 8.4%). Similar results were also observed in ARC (59.1% vs 12.2%) and AIDS patients (85.7% vs 37.1%). It can be concluded that the acid treatment improves the sensitivity of conventional techniques to detect HIV-1 p24 antigen."}
{"id": "PMID:1468429", "title": "Pharmacokinetics of loracarbef and interaction with acetylcysteine.", "content": "A study was conducted to evaluate the pharmacokinetics of loracarbef, a new synthetic oral carbacephem antibiotic, following administration of 400 mg in normal male volunteers. The influence of food and possible interaction with acetylcysteine, a commonly used mucolytic agent, was also studied. Twelve healthy volunteers participated in the study and randomly received an oral dose of 400 mg loracarbef in the fasting state, 400 mg loracarbef following a standard breakfast or 400 mg loracarbef together with 200 mg acetylcysteine in granular form. Serum and urine concentrations were determined over 24 h by means of a bioassay. Loracarbef was well tolerated. Four volunteers complained of mild, transient headache. The substance was well absorbed with a mean peak level of 19.21 +/- 3.94 mg/l in the fasting state; it was primarily excreted in active form via the kidneys (urine recovery/24 h: 86-92%). The elimination half-life ranged from 70.3 to 102.0 min. Acetylcysteine had no effect on the absorption of loracarbef. The intake together with food delayed the absorption time, but had no influence on the bioavailability."}
{"id": "PMID:1468430", "title": "Comparative in vitro activity of clarithromycin. Spanish Collaborative Group.", "content": "The activity in vitro of clarithromycin, a new macrolide, was compared to that of various antibiotics in tests using 3,880 clinical isolates. Clarithromycin was two times more active than erythromycin against Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis, Enterococcus faecium, streptococci of groups C, G and F, Brucella melitensis, Legionella pneumophila and Mycoplasma spp., 16 times more active against Ureaplasma urealyticum and 2 to 4 times less active against Campylobacter spp. In general, clarithromycin showed intrinsic activity 2 to 4 times higher than that of roxithromycin and 4 to 8 times higher than that of miocamycin. Cross-resistance was found between the macrolides. Clarithromycin was bactericidal against Streptococcus spp. and Haemophilus influenzae."}
{"id": "PMID:1468434", "title": "Lysosomal acid phosphatase is internalized via clathrin-coated pits.", "content": "The presence of lysosomal acid phosphatase (LAP) in coated pits at the plasma membrane was investigated by immunocytochemistry in thymidine kinase negative mouse L-cells (Ltk-) and baby hamster kidney (BHK) cells overexpressing human LAP (Ltk-LAP and BHK-LAP cells). Double immunogold labeling showed that at various stages of invaginating coated pits LAP colocalized with clathrin and plasma membrane adaptors (HA-2 adaptors). Quantitation of the immunogold label showed similar density of wild-type LAP in coated over non-coated areas of the plasma membrane, whereas an internalization-deficient, truncated mutant of LAP which lacks the cytoplasmic tail was less efficiently included into coated pits. Internalization of anti-LAP antibodies into endosomal vesicles was accompanied by rapid dissociation of the coat proteins as shown by an immunofluorescence assay. The role of clathrin-coated vesicles in internalization of LAP was further corroborated by microinjecting monoclonal antibodies against clathrin or HA-2 adaptors into BHK-LAP cells. Internalization of LAP as detected by an immunofluorescence assay was transiently blocked by microinjected antibodies against clathrin or HA-2 adaptors, whereas unrelated antibodies did not affect internalization. These data suggest that LAP is included into clathrin-coated pits of the plasma membrane for rapid internalization."}
{"id": "PMID:1468435", "title": "A novel fluorescence method to monitor the lysosomal disintegration of low density lipoprotein.", "content": "A novel fluorescence method to monitor the lysosomal disintegration of low density lipoprotein (LDL) particles in living cells has been developed. The method is based on the fluorescence resonance energy transfer (RET) between two fluorescent molecules incorporated into LDL particles. NBD-cholesterol linoleate (NBD-CL) and octadecyl rhodamine B (R18) were incorporated simultaneously into LDL, as a RET donor and a RET acceptor, respectively. In this preparation of LDL (RET-LDL), efficient RET was observed, and after the disruption of the LDL particle by a Triton X-100 treatment, the relief of the RET was observed. RET-LDL was endocytosed by CHO cells via LDL receptors, and the RET-LDL particles were disintegrated after the uptake. The resultant relief of the RET upon the disintegration of the LDL was monitored by flow cytometry, and the amount of intact LDL in cells was estimated by calculation. The disintegration occurred with an about 25 min lag, and was inhibited by several lysosomal inhibitors. These results indicate that the disintegration was not a nonspecific event, but took place at the level of lysosomes. Since living cells can be analyzed by the present method, when coupled to flow sorting, it would permit the isolation of cells having different properties in the endocytic pathway of LDL."}
{"id": "PMID:1468436", "title": "Immunolocalization of the intermediate filament-associated protein plectin at focal contacts and actin stress fibers.", "content": "The distribution of plectin in the cytoplasm of Rat1 and glioma C6 cells was examined using a combination of double and triple immunofluorescence microscopy and interference reflection microscopy. In cells examined shortly after subcultivation (less than 48 h), filamentous networks of plectin structures, resembling and partially colocalizing with vimentin filaments, were observed as reported in previous studies. In cells kept attached to the substrate without growth for periods of 72 h to 8 days (stationary cultures), thick fibrillary plectin structures were observed. These structures were located at the end of actin filament bundles and showed co-distribution with adhesion plaques (focal contacts), vinculin, and vimentin. Only relatively large adhesion plaques (dash-like contacts) were decorated by antibodies to plectin, smaller dot-like contacts at the cell edges remained undecorated. Moreover, in stationary Rat1 cells plectin structures were found to be predominantly colocalized with actin stress fibers. However, after treatment of such cells with colcemid, plectin's distribution changed dramatically. The protein was no longer associated with actin structures, but was distributed diffusely throughout the cytoplasm. After a similar treatment with cytochalasin B, plectin's association with stress fibers again was completely abolished, although stress fibers were still present. The association of plectin with focal contact-associated intermediate filaments was demonstrated also by immunogold electron microscopy of quick-frozen, deep-etched replicas of rat embryo fibroblasts. These data confirm previous reports suggesting a relationship between intermediate filaments on the one hand, and actin stress fibers and their associated plasma membrane junctional complexes, on the other. Furthermore, the data establish plectin as a novel component of focal contact complexes and suggest that plectin plays a role as mediator between intermediate filaments and actin filaments."}
{"id": "PMID:1468437", "title": "Circadian rhythm of heat resistance in cotton seedlings: synthesis of heat-shock proteins.", "content": "Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L. cv. Deltapine 50) seedlings grown under light-dark cycles of 12:12 h at 33 degrees C showed rhythmic changes in their resistance to heat shock of 53 degrees C for 40 min. The resistance was maximal at the middle of the light period and declined toward the end of the light period. One more peak of resistance developed in the middle of the dark period and declined toward the end of the dark period. Rhythmic changes in heat resistance persisted under continuous light for 3 cycles, indicating a circadian control. Under continuous light only one phase of resistance developed, lasting from the middle of the subjective night to the middle of the subjective day. The major heat shock proteins (HSPs) synthesized upon 30-min exposure to 40 degrees C, 49 degrees C or 53 degrees C were of 115, 89, 73, and 19 kDa. Their rate of synthesis depended on the inducing temperature, on previous exposure to high temperature and on the time in the light-dark cycle. The time dependency of the induction of certain HSPs persisted under continuous light, indicating a circadian control. No positive correlations was found between the rhythmic changes in heat resistance and the rhythmic changes in the synthesis of any HSP."}
{"id": "PMID:1468438", "title": "Low molecular mass heat-shock proteins of a light-resistant photoautotrophic cell culture.", "content": "Two low molecular mass heat-shock proteins (HSPs) of photoautotrophic cell culture (Chenopodium rubrum) have been cloned, sequenced and compared to published sequences. One of these HSPs (23.3 kDa) is posttranslationally transported into chloroplasts and shares homology with the other heat-shock proteins in the last third C-terminal region of the protein, but has a relatively unique sequence in the other two thirds. The correspondent small cytosolic protein of 18.3 kDa is related to all known small HSPs but has a unique DNA-binding domain that has not been described so far in the group of small cytosolic HSPs, it might represent a HSP which is translocated into the nucleus."}
{"id": "PMID:1468439", "title": "Further identification of the exoplasmic face particles on the freeze-fractured thylakoid membranes: a study using double and triple mutants from Chlamydomonas reinhardtii lacking various photosystem II subunits and the cytochrome b6/f complex.", "content": "About 20% of the exoplasmic face (EF) particles present in the freeze-fractured thylakoid membranes of the wild type strain of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii remain in mutants lacking photosystem II (PSII) because of the absence of either one of the two PSII subcomplexes CP43 or D1/D2/CP47. We show that about half of these residual EF particles can be accounted for by PSII subcomplexes still present in such mutants, and by cytochrome (cyt) b6/f complexes. Analysis of double mutants lacking both types of protein complexes points to an association of cyt b6/f complexes with PSII subcomplexes in some of these EF particles and to a requirement in cyt b6/f complexes for the translocation of each of the two PSII subcomplexes (the CP43 subunit and the D1/D2/CP47 subcomplex) from the unstacked to the stacked regions of the thylakoid membranes."}
{"id": "PMID:1468440", "title": "Epidermal growth factor receptor in chronic bile duct obstructed rats: implications for maintenance of hepatocellular mass.", "content": "Changes of the number and properties of the epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor occur during liver regeneration and may be of importance in the maintenance of hepatocellular mass in liver cirrhosis. We therefore studied the changes in the number and distribution of EGF receptor in the development of liver cirrhosis induced by bile duct ligation. Receptor binding assays demonstrated a marked decrease in the binding capacity of crude plasma membrane fractions from 45 +/- SD 16 to 19 +/- 10 fmol/mg protein (p < 0.001) in control and bile duct ligated livers, respectively while the Kd increased after 3 days of bile duct ligation from 0.5 +/- 0.2 to 1.4 +/- 0.6 nmol/l. Total receptor concentration in the same membrane fractions, as assessed by Western blot analysis, was not changed. The expression of EGF receptor mRNA was reduced to about one third of control levels after 28 days of bile obstruction. Immunohistochemistry, performed using monoclonal antibodies against EGF receptor, showed a strong labeling of cytoplasm (87 +/- 3% positive) and plasma membranes (84 +/- 24%) but no labeling of nuclei in control livers. In bile duct ligated rats, in contrast, cytoplasmic staining was decreased (15 +/- 12%) already after 3 days of bile obstruction; labeling of canalicular membranes and nuclei appeared after 14 days. The shift of EGF receptor from plasma membranes to nuclei supports the notion that EGF receptor is involved in the maintenance of hepatocellular mass in this model of liver cirrhosis. This concept is supported by the finding of decreased mRNA for EGF receptor presumably representing down-regulation as seen in regenerating rat liver."}
{"id": "PMID:1468441", "title": "Heritable paternal cytoplasmic organelles in alfalfa sperm cells: ultrastructural reconstruction and quantitative cytology.", "content": "Sperm cells within pollen grains and pollen tubes of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) were observed at the ultrastructural level, and their plastid DNA was detected by DAPI (4,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole) staining. One sperm pair within the pollen grain and three sperm pairs within pollen tubes were reconstructed in three-dimensions from serial ultrathin sections. The two sperm cells are linked by cytoplasmic bridges in both pollen grains and tubes, and the vegetative nucleus is closely associated with the sperm cells within the pollen tube. The number of plastids and plastid nucleoids (DNA aggregates) in the sperm cell pair, collectively, is not significantly different from that in the generative cell; however, over 60% of the sperm cell plastids contain no DNA detectable with DAPI. The mean number of mitochondria in sperm cells is reduced from that in the generative cell (from 54 to 17), which suggests that paternal mitochondrial inheritance probably does not occur in the genotype investigated. Sperm cells of a pair may vary in their shape within the pollen grain and tube, but the number of plastids and mitochondria is not significantly different between the sperm cells. Therefore, heterospermy is not a factor determining cytoplasmic inheritance patterns in this species."}
{"id": "PMID:1468442", "title": "Effects on water diffusion of inhibitors affecting various transport processes in human red blood cells.", "content": "The water permeability of human red blood cells has been monitored by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) following exposure to inhibitors of various transport processes across their membranes. No significant inhibition of water diffusion could be detected after the treatment of red blood cells with the anion exchange transport inhibitor dihydro-4,4'-diisothiocyano-stilbene-2,2'-disulfonate (H2DIDS) or the glucose transport inhibitors diallyl-diethyl-stilbestrol (DADES), cytochalasin B, or 30 mM iodoacetamide. It is for the first time that the effects of glucose transport inhibitors has been studied in detail by the NMR approach. A special case proved to be phloretin, an inhibitor of anion, nonelectrolyte and glucose permeability. A small but statistically significant inhibition of water permeability (around 12% at 20 degrees C) was induced by exposure to 2 mM phloretin (for 60 min at 37 degrees C); after a pretreatment of cells with 12 mM N-ethylmaleimide (NEM), for 60 min at 37 degrees C, the degree of inhibition induced by phloretin increased (becoming 17% at 20 degrees C). None of the inhibitors prevented or potentiated the strong inhibitory effect on water diffusion of a mercurial, p-chloromercuribenzene sulfonate (PCMBS). No increase in the activation energy of water diffusion occurred by treatment with the reagents used (exception the effect of PCMBS). The present results clarify some conflicting reports concerning the effects on water permeability of inhibitors of various transport processes in red blood cells and indicate that in addition to the drastic inhibition induced by mercurials other reagents may also have inhibitory effects."}
{"id": "PMID:1468445", "title": "Distribution and metabolism of fluorescent sphingosines and corresponding ceramides bearing the diphenylhexatrienyl (DPH) fluorophore in cultured human fibroblasts.", "content": "Fluorescent D-erythro-sphingosines bearing the diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatrienyl group (DPH) as fluorophore were synthesized for the first time. Two isomers, the DPH-4(E)- and DPH-4(Z)-sphingosine [(2S,3R)-2-amino-6-(p-(18-phenyl)-13,15,17(E,E,E)-hexatrienyl)phenylh ex- 4(E/Z)-en-1,3-diol], and the N-hexanoyl derivative of DPH-4(E)-sphingosine (C6-DPH-ceramide) were studied for their distribution and metabolism in cultured human skin fibroblasts. Both DPH-sphingosines (4-trans and 4-cis) were not significantly acylated to ceramide in living cells, but converted to ceramide in vitro by microsomal protein from mouse brain, although slower than natural D-erythro-sphingosine. DPH-4(Z)-sphingosine showed the same Km like D-erythro-sphingosine (155 microM), but had a lower Vmax value, 0.85 instead of 1.9 nmol/mgh. An even poorer substrate was DPH-4(E)-sphingosine with a Km of 220 microM and a Vmax of 0.81 nmol/mgh. In cultured human fibroblasts, C6-DPH-ceramide was rapidly anabolized mainly to sphingomyelin. In addition, small quantities of glucosylceramide were also formed. DPH-sphingosines were easily incorporated into plasma membranes of cultured fibroblasts and are likely to undergo flip flop since intracellular membranes also became labeled, when endocytosis was blocked at low temperature (7 degrees C). The N-hexanoyl-DPH-trans-sphingosine, C6-DPH-ceramide, like NBD-C6-ceramide (Lipsky, N. G., R. E. Pagano: Science 228, 745-747 (1985)) labeled intracellular membranes at 7 degrees C and predominantly Golgi membranes at 37 degrees C. Like NBD-C6-ceramide (Pagano, R. E., M. A. Sepanski, O. C. Martin: J. Cell Biol. 109, 2067-2079 (1989)) the C6-DPH-ceramide also stained the Golgi complex in prefixed cells whereas DPH-trans- and DPH-cis-sphingosine did not, indicating that it is the ceramide structure rather than the fluorophore itself which is responsible for this staining. DPH-sphingosine opens a way for chemical synthesis of DPH-glycolipids and DPH-sphingomyelin which would well serve as donors in fluorescence energy transfer experiments to study possible sphingolipid clustering in biological membranes."}
{"id": "PMID:1468446", "title": "Colocalization of a large heterodimeric proteoglycan with basement membrane proteins in cultured cells.", "content": "A novel large heterodimeric dermatan sulfate proteoglycan with core proteins of 460 and 300 kDa, respectively, had been described as a secretory product of human fetal skin fibroblasts (Breuer et al., J. Biol. Chem. 266, 13224-13232 (1991)). Pulse-chase experiments showed a preferential association of the proteoglycan with the cell membrane. Immunogold labeling indicated its localization in fibrils on the cell surface as well as in fibrillar extensions from the cell body. Immunofluorescence studies yielded a fibrillar and punctate staining pattern which was also seen in cultured human and porcine endothelial cells. Dot-like structures were observed in transformed human keratinocytes. Various immunocytochemical double-labeling experiments indicated a remarkable colocalization of the proteoglycan with fibronectin, laminin, perlecan, and type IV collagen whereas only occasionally a colocalization with chondroitin-6-sulfate was found. No evidence for an enrichment of the proteoglycan in vinculin-containing structures was obtained. These results suggest that the proteoglycan is a widely distributed macromolecule which can associate with basement membrane components. Preliminary findings in rat cornea supported this conclusion."}
{"id": "PMID:1468447", "title": "Interactions between thrombospondin and the small proteoglycan decorin: interference with cell attachment.", "content": "Decorin, a ubiquitous small interstitial dermatan sulfate proteoglycan, interacts with several extracellular matrix components, e.g., with type I collagen and fibronectin. Using a solid phase assay it is shown that the intact proteoglycan as well as its glycosaminoglycan-free core protein exhibits with KD values of about 5 nM and 2 nM, respectively, high affinity binding also to thrombospondin. However, the polysaccharide chain was required for an interaction with Sepharose-bound thrombospondin and served itself as ligand. In light of the results of binding studies with an N-terminal heparin-binding fragment of thrombospondin it is concluded that several structural features of thrombospondin and of decorin contribute to the mutual interaction of the two macromolecules. Thrombospondin substrata allowed attachment but prevented spreading of human skin fibroblasts. The addition of decorin or of its glycosaminoglycan-free core protein led to a considerable delay of cell attachment on a thrombospondin substrate. The strength of cell attachment appeared to be reduced. These data support the antiadhesive role of decorin regardless of whether subsequent cell spreading is supported or not."}
{"id": "PMID:1468448", "title": "Density-dependent accumulation of basic fibroblast growth factor in the subendothelial matrix.", "content": "Recent evidence indicates that basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), which lacks a conventional signal recognition sequence, is a component of the subendothelial matrix. However, the molecular mechanisms regulating its cellular release and subsequent matrix deposition remain equivocal. To examine the cellular and subcellular mechanisms regulating bFGF release and subendothelial sequestration, we generated polyclonal antibodies against a chemically cross-linked bFGF. We then used anti-bFGF IgG in conjunction with 3T3 cell [3H]thymidine incorporation assays, enzyme immunoassays and immunofluorescence to learn whether bFGF accumulation in the subendothelial matrix is dependent upon endothelial cell (EC)-cell contact, which coincides with growth arrest. In contrast to subconfluent cultures, which lacked any detectable extracellular matrix bFGF localization, bovine aortic and microvascular EC plated at confluent densities displayed a punctate extracellular staining pattern that was abolished when EC were pretreated with 10 micrograms/ml cycloheximide. Additionally, when EC were treated with either 1 mM beta-D xyloside, an inhibitor of proteoglycan assembly, or 100 micrograms/ml heparin, there was a 40% reduction in matrix-associated bFGF (quantified by image analysis of antibody stained cultures). 3T3 [3H]thymidine incorporation assays indicated that the beta-D xyloside-induced reduction of matrix-associated bFGF coincided with a significant increase in bFGF activity in the conditioned media. Neither sparsely-plated nor confluent EC cultures possessed specific bFGF localization of the nuclear compartment when cells were fixed using cold methanol; however, when EC were fixed in formaldehyde and lysed in isotonic buffers containing 0.1% Triton X-100 or absolute acetone, there was a marked decrease in anti-bFGF staining of the postconfluent extracellular matrix and a concomitant increase in nuclear fluorescence. Because bFGF-stimulated vascular cell growth has been implicated in controlling neointimal cell proliferation, we screened normal and atherosclerotic coronary blood vessels for bFGF, but we were unable to detect it either in lesioned or normal intima. In contrast, significant bFGF levels were observed in association with the EC and mesangial cells of the renal corpuscle, where heparan sulfate accumulates within the glomerular basement membrane. Our in vitro results suggest that bFGF accumulates within the proteoglycan-containing subendothelial matrix concomitant with the formation of cell-cell contacts. In situ, the composition of the microvascular matrix and the cellular phenotype may facilitate the selective accumulation of bFGF that we observed. This, in turn, may influence vascular morphogenesis and remodeling during angiogenesis."}
{"id": "PMID:1468449", "title": "The trans-Golgi network can be dissected structurally and functionally from the cisternae of the Golgi complex by brefeldin A.", "content": "TGN38, a transmembrane glycoprotein predominantly localized to the trans-Golgi network, is utilized to study both the structure and function of the trans-Golgi network (TGN). The effects of brefeldin A (BFA) on the TGN were studied in comparison to its documented effects on the Golgi cisternae. During the first 30 min of BFA treatment, the TGN loses its cisternal structure and extends as tubules throughout the cytoplasm. By 60 min, it condenses into a stable structure surrounding the microtubule-organizing center. By electron microscopy, this structure appears as a population of large vesicles, and by immunolabeling, most of these vesicles contain TGN38. TGN38 cycles to the plasma membrane and back, which is shown by addition of TGN38 luminal domain antibodies directly to cell culture media. This results in rapid uptake of antibodies which label the TGN within 30 min, both in its native and BFA-induced conformation. A number of transmembrane proteins have been shown to take this cycling pathway, but TGN38 is unique in that it is the only one predominantly localized to the TGN. To investigate the cycling of TGN38, the endocytic pathway was labeled by internalization of Lucifer Yellow, and in the presence of BFA there was partial colocalization with TGN38. Further studies were carried out in which microtubules were depolymerized, resulting in dispersal of Golgi elements and inhibition of transport from endosomes to lysosomes. TGN38 cycling continues in the absence of microtubules. Taken together, these studies indicate that TGN38 returns from the plasma membrane via the endocytic pathway. We conclude that the TGN is structurally and functionally distinct from the Golgi cisternae, indicating that different molecules control membrane traffic from the Golgi cisternae and from the TGN."}
{"id": "PMID:1468451", "title": "The prevalence of Helicobacter pylori serum antibodies in children with recurrent abdominal pain.", "content": "As part of a large, prospective study we investigated the prevalence Helicobacter pylori serum antibodies in children with recurrent abdominal pain (RAP). All patients suffered from recurrent bouts of abdominal pain for at least 6 months and ranged in age from 6 to 12 years. H. pylori antibodies were detected using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The prevalence of H. pylori antibodies in the RAP group was compared to that of a control group which consisted predominantly of pre-operative children. None of the control group suffered or had suffered from RAP. Antibodies to H. pylori were found in 7 of 82 (8.5%) RAP patients and in 2 of 39 (5.1%) control children. The latter difference is not significant and suggests that RAP is only rarely caused in children by H. pylori infection."}
{"id": "PMID:1468452", "title": "Chlorinated hydrocarbons in the bone marrow of children: studies on their association with leukaemia.", "content": "Concentrations of chlorinated hydrocarbons and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) were determined by capillary column gas chromatography in samples of bone marrow from 38 children with leukaemia (16 samples/pools) and 15 control (5 pools). The highest mean and median concentrations were detected for total PCB (mean = 3.568 mg/kg fat basis/median 2.904 mg/kg) followed by the sum of the dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane metabolites (1.775/1.059 mg/kg), hexachlorobenzene 0.354/0.260 mg/kg), the sum of the hexachlorocyclohexane isomers (0.133/0.093 mg/kg) and dieldrin (0.109/0.063 mg/kg). The CHC and PCB concentrations in bone marrow were two- to threefold higher than in fat tissue. Comparing children with and without leukaemia similar concentrations of CHC and PCB were found."}
{"id": "PMID:1468453", "title": "Chronic granulomatous disease 100% corrected by displacement bone marrow transplantation from a volunteer unrelated donor.", "content": "A boy whose chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) manifested in infancy, and whose elder brother had died at 7 years of age, had phagocytes with complete lack of functional cytochrome B-245 and which could not be induced by interferon gamma to achieve adequate staphylococcal killing. He underwent an elective displacement bone marrow transplant from a volunteer unrelated donor at the age of 8 months. This has achieved 100% replacement of the CGD granulocytes by those of the normal volunteer and the boy has since had a normal childhood for 3 years. Six previous transplants for CGD are briefly reviewed and illustrate that the host abnormal marrow must be completely displaced using an adequate dose of busulphan to ensure 100% stable engraftment of the donor's marrow and that this is best done under elective conditions before septic foci and irreversible organ damage have occurred. Criteria need to be developed to identify early those patients likely to have severe morbidity."}
{"id": "PMID:1468454", "title": "Insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus and severe atopic dermatitis in a child with adenosine deaminase deficiency.", "content": "We report a 2.3-year-old girl with complete lack of adenosine deaminase (ADA) activity who presented with severe atopic dermatitis and insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus but only mild recurrent infections. Abnormalities of immune function included profound depletion of CD8+ lymphocytes, hyperimmunoglobulinaemia E, and very low in vitro proliferative response to mitogens. Treatment with polyethylene glycol-conjugated ADA was followed by rapid amelioration of clinical and immunological conditions. The immunological and clinical features of this child suggest that the clinical spectrum of ADA deficiency may be broader than originally supposed."}
{"id": "PMID:1468455", "title": "Different syndromes associated with B19 parvovirus viraemia in paediatric patients: report of four cases.", "content": "The broad spectrum of clinical manifestations associated with B19 parvovirus often allows the infection to go unrecognized. We tested for the presence of B19 parvovirus and the specific serological response in serum from hospitalized patients submitted for viral investigations without any specific indications for B19 parvovirus. We diagnosed human parvovirus B19 infection in four paediatric patients showing different clinical manifestations. The patients, aged between 5 and 8 years, were admitted to hospital for: (1) petechial rash; (2) mononucleosis-like syndrome; (3) neurological syndrome; and (4) respiratory disease (in an immunodeficient patient)."}
{"id": "PMID:1468456", "title": "Biochemical diagnosis and outcome of 2 years treatment in a patient with combined methylmalonic aciduria and homocystinuria.", "content": "We describe a patient with methylmalonic aciduria and homocystinuria due to a defect in cobalamin metabolism of the Cbl-C type mutant (McKusick 277400). Our case was diagnosed within the first 2 months of life by amino acid analysis (ion-exchange chromatography) and by biochemical studies in cultured fibroblasts ([14C]propionate incorporation, methionine and serine formation). We discuss the clinical course and the biochemical evolution after 2 years of hydroxycobalamin treatment that led to an improvement in general clinical condition and neurological performance."}
{"id": "PMID:1468457", "title": "Osteopetrosis: brain ultrasound and computed tomography findings.", "content": "A case of osteopetrosis presenting with rare features of dysmorphism with proptosis due to hypoplasia of the orbits and the temporal bone is described. The case also had calcifications in the periventricular regions, the falx cerebri and the corpora colliculi. These features and sonographic findings of osteopetrosis have not been reported previously. The sensitivity and specificity of imaging modalities in the diagnosis of intracranial calcifications is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1468458", "title": "Ultrastructure and immunocytochemistry of hepatic peroxisomes in rhizomelic chondrodysplasia punctata.", "content": "Peroxisomes were studied in the liver of two rhizomelic chondrodysplasia punctata patients using electron microscopy and catalase cytochemistry. Immunoelectron microscopy was carried out on the liver of one of these patients using antibodies to catalase, acyl-CoA oxidase, bifunctional protein, 3-ketoacyl-CoA thiolase and a 68 kDa peroxisomal membrane protein, in conjunction with protein-A colloidal gold. Moderately to markedly enlarged, flocculent peroxisomes were found in both patients. In one patient they were very heterogeneous with regard to the number per hepatocyte. The peroxisomes had very low levels of catalase as indicated by cytochemistry and immunocytochemistry. The three beta-oxidation enzymes were localised normally within the peroxisomes. The 68 kDa membrane protein was localised to the peroxisomal membranes. Some extra membrane loops were also identified using this antibody."}
{"id": "PMID:1468459", "title": "Craniofrontonasal dysplasia.", "content": "We report on nine patients with craniofrontonasal dysplasia (CFND). Seven classical cases had facial features suggestive of frontonasal dysplasia and coronal craniosynostosis. Extracranial abnormalities such as brittle nails with prominent longitudinal grooves or syndactyly of fingers and toes were observed in individual patients. In two families the father of classical cases showed a milder pattern of abnormalities, consistent with the diagnosis. We present a 2- to 13-year follow-up on our patients. Hypotonia and laxity of joints are common and may necessitate supportive measures. Mild developmental delay was noted in three out of six classical cases studied in detail. Unlike almost all other X-linked disorders, clinical expression in CFND is generally much more severe in females than in males. In contrast to previous reports of this condition, one of our severely affected cases is a male."}
{"id": "PMID:1468460", "title": "Evaluation of triggering systems for patient triggered ventilation for neonates ventilator-dependent beyond 10 days of age.", "content": "The performance of two triggering systems was compared during patient triggered ventilation (PTV) of infants ventilator-dependent beyond 10 days of age. Ten infants were studied who had a median gestational age of 26.5 weeks and a postnatal age of 15.5 days. PTV was administered via the SLE ventilator and the two triggering systems, an airway pressure monitor and the MR10 respiration monitor, were used in random order each for 30 min. The airway pressure trigger had a superior performance in that, although it did not differ significantly in delivered inflation volume or sensitivity to the MR10 respiration monitor, it had a shorter trigger delay (P < 0.01). Oxygenation improved in eight of the ten infants on the airway pressure trigger, but only in three on the MR10 respiration monitor. The reduction in PaCO2 was greater during PTV with the airway pressure trigger compared with the MR10 respiration monitor (P < 0.01). We conclude that the airway pressure trigger has a superior performance compared to the MR10 respiration monitor trigger in infants who are ventilator-dependent beyond 10 days of age."}
{"id": "PMID:1468461", "title": "Dynamic lung inflation during high frequency oscillation in neonates.", "content": "The effects of high frequency oscillation (HFO) on dynamic lung inflation were examined in 22 neonates ventilated for respiratory disease. HFO was combined with conventional ventilation and a series of frequencies from 2-25 Hz was tested. Dynamic lung inflation was measured using a jacket plethysmograph which was converted to a measure of alveolar pressure using the compliance of the respiratory system obtained during conventional ventilation. The results showed an increase in dynamic lung inflation with frequency such that volume increased by 0.4 ml for each increase of 10 Hz. Alveolar pressure increased by 1.2 cm H2O for each increase of 10 Hz. Dynamic lung inflation also increased with increased volumes of oscillation."}
{"id": "PMID:1468462", "title": "Exchange transfusion: evaluating the use of a mixture of citrated red cells and heparinized plasma.", "content": "In 1987 a mixture for exchange transfusion was introduced in the Netherlands. It was composed of citrated red cells, heparinized plasma and third-party platelets if necessary. Selected biochemical and haematological properties of this mixture were compared to fresh heparinized whole blood, which was at that time the blood product of choice for exchange transfusion. The parameters of the mixture were less physiological than fresh heparinized whole blood. In addition, retrospective analysis of the same parameters was performed upon 149 blood samples from newborn infants who had undergone exchange transfusion. The bilirubin decreasing capacity of the mixture was adequate. Most other parameters did not change considerably and remained within the physiological range. This mixture may be an adequate product for exchange transfusion. However, to be certain of its safety and suitability, several other biochemical and haematological aspects must be studied in addition to the immunological and infectious risks."}
{"id": "PMID:1468463", "title": "Catecholamine levels and associated cardiovascular responses in infants with meconium-stained amniotic fluid.", "content": "Catecholamine levels and associated cardiovascular responses were determined in 21 control and 30 term infants with meconium-stained amniotic fluid (MSAF). Cord arterial blood was obtained for determination for norepinephrine (NE) and epinephrine (EPI) levels; cardiovascular measurements included heart rate and systolic blood pressure at 30 min. Pregnancy was uncomplicated in all cases. The total length of labor 964 +/- 402 versus 555 +/- 312 min (P < 0.001) and active phase of labor 300 +/- 261 versus 135 +/- 104 min (P < 0.001) were significantly longer in MSAF infants when compared to controls. The 1 min Apgar score was < 7 (range 1-6) in 11 of 30 MSAF infants versus 0 of 21 control infants; these 11 infants required positive pressure ventilation for approximately 60 s secondary to transient respiratory depression (RD). The 5 min Apgar score was > 7 in 49 of the 51 infants. Infants with MSAF exhibited a higher PaCO2 (6.89 +/- 1.17 vs 6.24 +/- 1.17 mmHg; P < 0.02) and lower pH (7.25 +/- 0.06 vs 7.29 +/- 0.05; P < 0.02) compared to controls. Infants with transient RD demonstrated the most marked arterial blood gas differences, i.e., PCO2 7.41 +/- 1.30 mmHg (P < 0.001), pH 7.21 +/- 0.07 (P < 0.001) and base deficit -6 +/- 4 versus -3 +/- 2.8 (P < 0.001) when compared to controls. NE and EPI levels were significantly higher in MSAF versus control infants, i.e., 12600 +/- 3040 versus 3740 +/- 1000 pg/ml (SEM) (P < 0.02) and 1550 +/- 250 versus 620 +/- 130 pg/ml (P < 0.001) respectively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1468464", "title": "Familial cavernous angiomas of the brain: observations in a four generation family.", "content": "A family with a history of cavernous angiomas of the brain was investigated by MRI. The disease was present in four generations of the family and is consistent with autosomal dominant inheritance. Among affected individuals, there was considerable variability in the extent of intraparenchymal cavernomas and neurological symptoms as a result of bleeding events. Three siblings manifested with seizures, two affected persons were symptom free at the time of investigation, and one sibling had neurological symptoms without certain correlation with cavernomas. The disease appeared to have an earlier onset in younger generations."}
{"id": "PMID:1468472", "title": "Pediatric urinary diversion: review and own experience.", "content": "New insights into the diseases of childhood, profound improvements and new developments in surgical techniques as well as the knowledge gained from long-term follow-up have altered the strategies and indications for urinary diversion in childhood. Continent urinary diversion is generally the method of choice. We are able to construct high capacity, low pressure reservoirs to protect the upper urinary tract and achieve continence. Nowadays, there is hardly any indication for permanent cutaneous urinary diversion. Temporary and intermediate cutaneous diversion are used only when serious conditions such as renal function deterioration occur. The possibility to convert any incontinent form of urinary diversion into a continent form changed the status of intermediate diversion. The indications for urinary diversion, the procedures available, the operative technique, a literature review, our own experience, contemporary strategies and controversies are described and discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1468473", "title": "Application of flexible renoureteroscope for antegrade urethroscopy in the treatment of congenital anterior urethral valve.", "content": "Antegrade urethroscopy was performed through a cystostomy using a 10.8-fr caliber flexible renoureteroscope in 4 children (aged 2 years and 8 months, 2 months, 14 years and 1 month) with anterior urethral valve. The anatomy of the valves as well as their destruction after transurethral resection (TUR) were well visualized by antegrade urethroscopy. This technique was helpful in performing TUR-valve, after which the findings of voiding cystourethrography in every case and the findings of uroflowmetry in the elder 2 cases showed remarkable improvement. This technique is relatively simple to perform and is thought to be one of the best methods to treat anterior urethral valve. This technique is also applicable to other lower urinary tract lesions in children."}
{"id": "PMID:1468474", "title": "Quantitation of urinary Tamm-Horsfall protein in children with urinary tract infection.", "content": "It has been suggested that urinary Tamm-Horsfall protein (THP) prevents colonization of the urinary tract by binding uropathogens. We tested the hypothesis that low urinary THP levels may predispose to urinary tract infection (UTI) by measuring THP levels in children. We studied a cohort of 35 girls with uncomplicated recurrent UTI (group 1) that was compared with 27 patients with myelomeningoceles undergoing clean intermittent catheterization (group 2) and 16 female controls (group 3). We measured urinary THP in both aggregated (aTHP) and disaggregated form (dTHP), leukocyte esterase activity, urine chemistries and culture. No significant differences in dTHP or aTHP levels were seen between groups 1 and 3, but group-1 patients had higher dTHP levels than group-2 patients (p < 0.008). History of reflux or the presence of bacteriuria or pyuria at the time of urine collection did not affect dTHP levels; in contrast, pyuria or bacteriuria at the time of sampling was associated with markedly lower aTHP levels when compared with sterile samples (p < 0.0001). For all groups, measured quantities of dTHP did not correlate with aTHP levels. We conclude that excretion of dTHP in children with history of recurrent UTI is not reduced. In contrast, concentrations of aTHP are profoundly depressed in children during times of UTI, suggesting a role for THP in the pathogenesis of UTI. Assaying THP in its aggregated form may prove valuable when studying its physiologic function and merits further investigation."}
{"id": "PMID:1468475", "title": "Renal cell carcinoma with extension into the inferior vena cava: problems in diagnosis, staging and treatment.", "content": "Management of renal cell carcinoma with extension into the vena cava is one of the highest challenges in urology. The delineation of the upper level of the endocaval thrombus, its possible extension into the hepatic veins and possible involvement of the caval wall are crucial points and dictate the operative strategy. From 1978 to 1989, at the Department of Urology of the University of Padua, 29 patients with renal cell carcinoma and caval extension were submitted to surgery. Seventeen patients were staged V2 according to the UICC TNM Staging System 1983, 2 patients V3 and 10 V4. The median patient age was 57 years and the male:female ratio was 1.9:1. A complete thrombus removal was accomplished in all patients. In 2 patients, a caval resection was necessary. Five patients died during the perioperative period. The patient survival rate was comparable to that of T3N0M0-staged cases. Survival rates at 1 and 4 years were, respectively, 96.8 and 40% for V2 cases, 100 and 100% for V3, 85.7 and 40% for V4. It seems, therefore, that in patients with locoregional disease and satisfactory conditions, the presence of vascular invasion did not lead to a worst prognosis. By itself, the extent of the caval thrombus seems not to influence the prognosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1468476", "title": "Prognostic significance of granular cell content in renal cell carcinoma.", "content": "The relation between survival and tumor cell type in renal cell carcinomas was reviewed in 79 cases. The mean follow-up period was 10 years. Tumors were classified into 5 groups according to the percentage of granular cells: group 1, 0-5%; group 2, 6-20%; group 3, 21-40%; group 4, 41-80%, and group 5, over 80%. Half of the patients (50.6%) revealed less than 5% of granular cells, and almost two thirds of the patients (64.64%) had less than 20% of granular cells. Our results showed a lack of correlation between the percentage of granular cell in the tumor and long-term survival (chi 2 p > 0.9 after 10 years). When the data were analyzed in groups of patients with the same clinical stage or nuclear grading, no significant correlation between the percentage of granular cells and long-term survival was found. However, the short-term survival, up to 3 years after diagnosis, was significantly higher for patients with tumors containing less than 20% of granular cells (64.6% in comparison to 46.4% survival for patients with over 20% granular cells; chi 2 p = 0.1). In addition, our data showed a significant correlation between the survival of patients and nuclear grading (chi 2 p < 0.003) as well as the surgical staging of the tumor (chi 2 p < 0.001)."}
{"id": "PMID:1468477", "title": "Bilateral asynchronous renal cell carcinoma. Computed tomography of the contralateral kidney 10-43 years after nephrectomy.", "content": "Computed tomography (CT) was carried out in 31 patients 10-43 years after surgery for renal cell carcinoma, 10 belonging to a consecutive series of patients operated upon at one urological department 10 years previously. Twenty-eight patients were symptomless, and 3 had flank pain, severe fatigue and hematuria, respectively. Cancers in the remaining kidney were found 13-21 years after nephrectomy in 4 of 31 patients (12.9%). The 3 patients with symptoms were among these 4. An adenoma was found in 1 patient 10 years after nephrectomy. The cancers were treated by renal resection in 2 patients, multiple tumors made nephrectomy necessary in 1 patient and 1 patient was not operated upon because of disseminated disease. The adenoma indicated future checkup by CT. Three of the 4 new cancers had a dismal outcome. The renal parenchyma was found to be essentially normal in all the other 26 patients, irrespective of the widely varying time interval between nephrectomy and CT. Asynchronous bilateral renal cell carcinoma has a poor outcome which presumably can be improved by early diagnosis and aggressive treatment. CT is the method of choice for early detection and follow-up of renal tumors. It should be carried out every other year after nephrectomy for renal cell carcinoma."}
{"id": "PMID:1468478", "title": "Colorectal cancer involving the urinary tract.", "content": "The survival rate among patients with colorectal cancer classified as Dukes' B or C who underwent extended resection due to infiltration of neighboring structures is significantly lower than among patients in the same Dukes' stage without infiltration of adjacent structures. Seventy-one patients with rectosigmoid cancer (37 primary and 34 recurrent tumors) involving the urogenital tract were retrospectively analyzed. Patients with primary tumors had a markedly higher mean survival rate after radical surgery (60.7 months) than after palliative procedures (28.2 months), while no such difference was seen among patients with recurrent tumors (17.6 or 14.1 months, respectively). From the urologic point of view, radical intervention is mandatory in cases of primary rectosigmoid carcinoma involving the urogenital tract. Aggressive surgery for recurrent tumors appears questionable, however; in these cases, priority should be given to improving the quality of life, recommending palliative surgery as the preferable approach."}
{"id": "PMID:1468479", "title": "Surgical treatment of acute epididymitis and its underlying diseases.", "content": "Two hundred and seventy of 1,031 patients (26%) treated for acute epididymitis between 1979 and 1989 underwent surgery for their disease. Eighty percent of these interventions were therapeutic, 20% diagnostic to exclude testicular torsion or tumor. Diagnostic procedures detected underlying diseases that required surgery in 278/1,031 patients (27%). Two hundred and sixteen of these diseases caused lower urinary tract obstruction and were potentially responsible for the acute epididymitis. There were striking differences in type and frequency of the surgery performed depending on the patients' age. Surgery of epididymitis was almost exclusively diagnostic in patients of a young age (exclusion of testicular torsion) and almost always therapeutic in patients of an old age (abscess, prolonged disease). The rate of surgery for underlying diseases was the same for the young (55%) and old (62%) age groups. Obstruction of the lower urinary tract was the predominant cause for surgical treatment of underlying diseases, being mainly due to malformation in the young age group and due to acquired obstructive diseases in the old."}
{"id": "PMID:1468480", "title": "Image analysis in the determination of ploidy and prognosis in renal cell carcinoma.", "content": "The usefulness of ploidy determination by flow cytometry in renal cell carcinoma is disputed. An alternative technique for DNA quantitation, computerised static image analysis, has several advantages over flow methods. Tissue from 90 cases of primary renal cell carcinoma was analysed by image analysis. Cases were assigned a histological grade and staged and stratified by the TNM system. Fifty-two cases were diploid, 28 were aneuploid and 9 were tetraploid (1 was unanalyzable). Heterogeneity of ploidy was noted in 4 cases. The degree to which nuclear DNA content exceeded that of normal nuclei from the same block was also calculated (5C exceeding rate). Stage and grade provided independent prognostic information. Aneuploidy was associated with higher mortality but neither ploidy nor 5C exceeding rate were prognostic indicators. Image analysis is a useful and accurate method for ploidy determination and provides additional data on DNA quantitation but this information is not predictive of the clinical outcome."}
{"id": "PMID:1468481", "title": "Muscle regeneration after endoureteropyelotomy?", "content": "Three specimens of ureteropelvic junction, obtained at dismembered pyeloplasty after successful endoureteropyelotomy, were studied. In the regenerative tissue, numerous cells were found with morphological, immunohistochemical and ultrastructural characteristics of mature smooth muscle cells; no regeneration of bundle arrangement was observed."}
{"id": "PMID:1468482", "title": "Human penile hemodynamics by Xenon-133 clearance method in physiological erection.", "content": "We measured penile blood flow during physiological erection using the Xenon-133 clearance method in order to diagnose the exact cause of impotence. In 16 patients, in whom complete erection was obtained after visual sexual stimulation, the mean penile blood flow during erection was apparently higher than that in the flaccid state. On the contrary, in 6 patients whose reaction to visual stimulation was poor, penile blood flow did not change before and after stimulation. We considered that increased arterial flow was indispensable, but complete venous outlet obstruction was not necessary to produce a rigid erection. In addition, in the flaccid state the mean penile blood flow in the poor response group was apparently higher than that in the response group. This means that some patients who fail to obtain sufficient erection after visual sexual stimulation have increased venous outflow from the corpus cavernosum in the flaccid state. Based on these findings, the main cause of erectile dysfunction in such cases is probably attributed to disorders of the venous outlet system in the cavernous body."}
{"id": "PMID:1468483", "title": "Laparoscopic nephrectomy in a porcine model.", "content": "Laparoscopic nephrectomy was performed in 15 male pigs, the procedure was successful in 14. Extraction of the intact kidney through a 5-cm lower abdomen incision was done in 7 animals; complete destruction and evacuation of the kidney was accomplished by a round-knife suction device through a 1-cm port in another 7 pigs. Grossly, the specimen consisted of sausage-like tubular renal tissue and a small amount of tissue debris. Pathology revealed that the glomerular and tubular structures were well preserved, no interstitial hematoma could be found. Four ports were usually used, one 1-cm umbilical camera port, one 0.5-cm port for ureter traction, and two 1-cm working ports along the midclavicular line. All the pigs recovered uneventfully. The average operation time was 3 h 20 min. The application of endo-GIA (United States Surgical Corporation) for renal hilum reduced the operative time to 2 h 20 min. Complications included renal vein tear during endoclip application and cutting in the first case, mild subcutaneous emphysema in 2 cases. This first pig received exploratory laparotomy for the repair and ligation of the renal vein. No more major complications occurred with increasing experience. From this porcine experiment, we conclude that the combination of laparoscopy, a tissue destroyer and an endobag for the entrapment of kidney seem to be a promising technique for clinical nephrectomy."}
{"id": "PMID:1468484", "title": "The appendix as a continence mechanism.", "content": "Although we have progressed very well in creating large capacity, low pressure reservoirs, the construction of a simple and reliable continent outlet still remains a problem. The appendix vermiformis serves well as a continence mechanism for either the bladder or intestinal reservoirs for urine. The different surgical techniques described in the literature are reviewed and discussed in this context. Moreover, we report on our clinical and experimental results of using the appendix during the Mainz pouch procedure for continent urinary diversion."}
{"id": "PMID:1468485", "title": "Hyperbaric oxygen therapy for control of intractable cyclophosphamide-induced hemorrhagic cystitis.", "content": "We report a case of intractable hemorrhagic cystitis due to cyclophosphamide therapy for Wegener's granulomatosis. Conservative treatment, including bladder irrigation with physiological saline and instillation of prostaglandin F2 alpha, failed to totally control hemorrhage. We then used hyperbaric oxygen at an absolute pressure of 2 atm, 5 days a week for 8 consecutive weeks. The bleeding ceased completely by the end of treatment and the patient remained free of hematuria thereafter. No side effect was noted during the course of therapy. In future, this form of therapy can offer a safe alternative in the treatment of cyclophosphamide-induced hemorrhagic cystitis."}
{"id": "PMID:1468486", "title": "Role of nitric oxide from the endothelium on the neurogenic contractile responses of rabbit pulmonary artery.", "content": "The effects of L-NG-nitro arginine (L-NO2Arg), a stereospecific inhibitor of nitric oxide formation, on the responsiveness of rabbit pulmonary artery to transmural electrical stimulation were studied. The contractile response evoked by electrical stimulation at 4 Hz was abolished by tetrodotoxin (10(-7) M) and depressed to approximately 10% by bunazosin (10(-6) M), an alpha 1-antagonist. Pretreatment with L-NO2Arg (10(-5) M) significantly potentiated the response to electrical stimulation without changing the resting tension. D-NO2Arg (10(-5) M) did not show such a potentiating action. In endothelium-denuded arteries, L-NO2Arg did not potentiate the response to electrical stimulation. The effect of L-NO2Arg on endogenous noradrenaline release in response to electrical stimulation was also examined by HPLC with electrochemical detection; L-NO2Arg did not affect noradrenaline release. The contractions induced by exogenous noradrenaline (10(-6)-10(-5) M) were enhanced by L-NO2Arg, but not by D-NO2Arg. These results suggest that the vasoconstriction induced by sympathetic nerve stimulation in the rabbit pulmonary artery is modulated by endogenous nitric oxide or nitric oxide-like substances released from endothelial cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1468487", "title": "(-)-Penbutolol as a blocker of central 5-HT1A receptor-mediated responses.", "content": "Brain 5-HT1A and 5-HT1B receptors are important targets for drug-induced modulation of 5-HT function in vivo. However, very few compounds are available that are effective antagonists at 5-HT1 receptors, thus hampering the progress of fundamental as well as clinical research in this area. The present study assessed the usefulness of the beta-adrenolytic agent (-)-penbutolol (and its (+)-counterpart) as a 5-HT1A receptor-blocking agent. The compound was found to counteract, in a stereospecific fashion, not only the behavioural and hypothermic but also the in vivo 5-HT synthesis/turnover-reducing effects of the specific 5-HT1A receptor agonist 8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin (8-OH-DPAT). These findings indicate that (-)-penbutolol is an antagonist at both postsynaptic receptors and somatodendritic autoreceptors of the 5-HT1A subtype. Thus, (-)-penbutolol represents a useful addition to the array of pharmacological tools available for the study of central 5-HT1 receptor-mediated functions."}
{"id": "PMID:1468488", "title": "gamma-Butyrolactone-sensitive and -insensitive dopamine release, and their relationship to dopamine metabolism in three rat brain regions.", "content": "Some data suggest dopamine (DA) release from neuronal terminals is partially independent of impulse flow. We examined the changes in tissue DA and its major metabolite levels 30 and 90 min after treatment with y-butyrolactone (750 mg/kg). Accumulation of 3-methoxytyramine within 10 min of pargyline injection (75 mg/kg) was used as an index of DA release. Thirty minutes after gamma-butyrolactone injection, DA content was increased maximally in the frontal cortex, nucleus accumbens and striatum (by 91%, 80% and 73%, respectively). 3-Methoxytyramine rates of accumulation were reduced by 77%, 77%, and 92%, respectively. Ninety minutes after the treatment, DA levels remained high in all three areas, while DA release was persistently low in the striatum and nucleus accumbens, but had returned to baseline in the frontal cortex. Changes in 3,4-dihydroxyphenyl-acetic acid and homovanillic acid levels were not synchronized with changes in DA release in the striatum and nucleus accumbens, and were absent in the frontal cortex. The data suggest that an impulse flow-independent mechanism contributes to approximately one tenth and one fourth of the basal DA release in the terminals of DA neurons originating in the substantia nigra and ventral tegmental area, respectively. The acidic DA metabolite levels become at best poorly associated with DA release during blockade of the DA neuronal firing, probably because of the increased in situ metabolism of newly synthesized DA."}
{"id": "PMID:1468489", "title": "Platelet activating factor interaction with tumor necrosis factor and myocardial depressant factor in splanchnic artery occlusion shock.", "content": "Anaesthetized rats, subjected to total occlusion of the superior mesenteric artery and the celiac trunk for 45 min, developed a severe shock state (splanchnic artery occlusion shock) resulting in a fatal outcome within 75-90 min after release of the occlusion. Shocked rats, treated with an intravenous bolus of L-659,989, a specific platelet activating factor (PAF) receptor antagonist (12.5, 25 or 50 nmol/kg, 4 min after reperfusion followed, 8 min thereafter, by a continuous infusion of 125, 250 or 500 nmol/kg for 30 min), maintained post-release mean arterial blood pressure at significantly higher values than did rats receiving the vehicle. Treatment with L-659,989 significantly increased survival rate, blunted the rise in plasma myocardial depressant factor activity and lowered serum and macrophage levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF-alpha). In addition, the drug completely restored macrophage phagocytosis, improved macrophage killing and significantly inhibited leukopenia. To investigate the interaction between PAF, TNF-alpha and myocardial depressant factor, the blood levels of these three mediators were evaluated: shocked rats exhibited increased PAF levels with a peak at 30 min. The plasma levels of PAF peaked earlier than did either serum TNF-alpha or plasma myocardial depressant factor. Both peaks occurred 75 min after the release of occlusion. The results of this study therefore suggest that PAF is a key mediator of splanchnic artery occlusion shock and plays a permissive role in inducing the release of other factors (i.e. TNF-alpha and myocardial depressant factor) that are relevant to shock."}
{"id": "PMID:1468490", "title": "The distribution of 5-HT1D and 5-HT1E binding sites in human brain.", "content": "Total 5-HT1, 5-HT1D and 5-HT1E binding sites were measured in homogenates of human frontal cortex, hippocampus, amygdala, globus pallidus, caudate and putamen. Combined 5-HT1D/1E sites were the predominant 5-HT1 subtype (66-95% of total 5-HT1 sites in all regions except hippocampus (38% of total 5-HT1 sites). Globus pallidus contained the highest density and the highest proportion of 5HT1D sites (74% of total 5-HT1 sites). 5HT1D sites in the other brain areas accounted for 19-27% of the total 5-HT1 sites. The highest densities and the highest proportions of 5-HT1E sites were in caudate (72%) and putamen (64%) and the lowest density and lowest proportion in hippocampus (16%)."}
{"id": "PMID:1468491", "title": "Effect of Rb+ on cromakalim-induced relaxation and ion fluxes in guinea pig trachea.", "content": "The effects of cromakalim, verapamil and salbutamol have been examined in guinea pig trachealis smooth muscle in both Krebs physiological salt solution and Krebs solution where K+ has been replaced by Rb+. Cromakalim-induced relaxation in the presence of Rb+ was reduced in extent and became transient, whilst the relaxation response to verapamil was enhanced and that to salbutamol unaffected. The transient relaxation occurring in Rb+ was blocked by quinidine and glibenclamide. The presence of extracellular Rb+ also prevented cromakalim-stimulated efflux of both 86Rb+ and 42/43K+. There was, however, no effect on cromakalim-stimulated 86Rb+ uptake. It is proposed that cromakalim is opening two populations of potassium channel in guinea pig tracheal smooth muscle, one of which is susceptible to blockade by Rb+ and one of which is not. The latter channel appears to play the dominant role in cromakalim-stimulated uptake, and is responsible for the transient relaxation response in the presence of rubidium, whilst the former is responsible for the maintained relaxation."}
{"id": "PMID:1468492", "title": "Tianeptine attenuates stress-induced morphological changes in the hippocampus.", "content": "Repeated 6-h daily restraint stress over 21 days reduces length and number of branch points of hippocampal CA3c pyramidal dendrites in the hippocampal formation of adult male rats. This effect is mimicked by daily injections of 40 mg/kg corticosterone. Daily treatment with tianeptine (15 mg/kg) prior to stress sessions or the corticosterone treatment prevented these effects of stress or corticosterone, respectively. Tianeptine treatment did not prevent the effects of stress to increase adrenal/body weight ratio, nor did it prevent the effects of stress to decrease body weight gain, indicating that its actions are not mediated solely by effects on stress-induced secretion of corticosterone. Because tianeptine is known to enhance neural uptake of serotonin, these results suggest that the serotonergic system may be involved in modulating stress and corticosterone effects on dendritic morphology."}
{"id": "PMID:1468493", "title": "Effects of velnacrine, tacrine and physostigmine on tetanic twitch responses at the rat neuromuscular junction.", "content": "The effects of velnacrine (1-hydroxytacrine), tacrine and physostigmine on indirectly elicited twitch at low and high stimulation frequencies were analyzed in the rat phrenic hemidiaphragm preparation. At 0.2 Hz, velnacrine and physostigmine behaved in a similar manner, the latter showing a higher potentiating effect. This potentiation was observed at 3-100 microM velnacrine, whereas a slight depression appeared at higher concentrations. When tetanic responses were studied, the drug concentrations needed to depress tetanic tension and tetanic fade were quite different in the case of velnacrine (depression of tetanic tension from 1 microM and tetanic fade from 170 microM), whereas physostigmine and tacrine were able to affect these parameters at very similar concentrations. The results suggest that some effects of velnacrine could differ from those of tacrine in spite of the chemical similarity."}
{"id": "PMID:1468494", "title": "No effect of D-myo-inositol-1,2,6-triphosphate on vasoconstriction evoked by neuropeptide Y and non-adrenergic sympathetic nerve stimulation.", "content": "The effects of the proposed neuropeptide Y (NPY) antagonist, D-myo-inositol-1,2,6-triphosphate (PP56), on vasoconstrictor responses evoked by NPY and non-adrenergic sympathetic nerve stimulation were investigated in the pig in vivo. Under control conditions, exogenous NPY evoked a dose-dependent increase in arterial blood pressure and vasoconstriction in spleen, kidney and skeletal muscle. After administration of PP56 (50 mg/kg), which transiently reduced systemic blood pressure by 18 +/- 5 mm Hg, the vascular responses evoked by NPY did not differ from those observed under control conditions. Stimulation of the splenic nerve and the lumbar sympathetic chain with 20-Hz burst activity in reserpine-pretreated pigs, which are devoid of their noradrenaline content, decreased splenic and hindlimb vascular conductance by 67 +/- 7 and 57 +/- 7%, respectively, under control conditions. In the presence of PP56 the nerve stimulation-evoked reductions in splenic and hindlimb vascular conductance were slightly but not significantly reduced to 59 +/- 9 and 48 +/- 7%, respectively. It is concluded that PP56 in the presently used high dose, which causes non-selective inhibition of vasoconstriction in the rat, cannot be used as an antagonist of vasoconstrictor responses evoked by NPY or non-adrenergic sympathetic nerve stimulation in the pig."}
{"id": "PMID:1468495", "title": "Modulation of vascular reactivity by vasoactive peptides in aortic rings from hypercholesterolemic rabbits.", "content": "The effect of moderate elevation in serum cholesterol on vascular reactivity to epidermal growth factor (EGF), endothelin (ET-1) and thrombin, vasoactive peptides present at sites of vascular injury, was examined in isolated aortic rings from rabbits fed either a casein-rich or a control diet for 10-12 weeks. In rings from hypercholesterolemic rabbits, development of maximal isometric tension to all peptide agonists was increased 22 +/- 0.6% while the EC50 for contraction was decreased. Vasorelaxant responses to nitroprusside, an endothelium-independent dilator, were largely intact, while those to A231897, an endothelium-dependent agent, were attenuated. These data suggest that elevation in serum cholesterol in the absence of atherosclerotic lesions is sufficient to increase vascular reactivity to peptide vasoactive mediators, an effect which may predispose arteries to vasospasm."}
{"id": "PMID:1468496", "title": "SDZ ENS 163, a selective muscarinic M1 receptor agonist, facilitates the induction of long-term potentiation in rat hippocampal slices.", "content": "The effect of SDZ ENS 163; (+)-(3S,cis)-3-ethyldihydro-4-[(1-methyl-1H-imidazol-5-yl)methyl-2 (3H)- thiphenonedihydrogenphosphate], a selective muscarinic M1 agonist, on long-term potentiation (LTP) was studied in a rat hippocampal slice preparation. LTP was induced by theta-burst stimulation (TBS) delivered to the Schaffer/commissural fibers. In untreated slices delivery of 8 or 10 trains at 100 Hz induced a 27 +/- 8.3 and 54 +/- 7.2% potentiation of the amplitude of the excitatory postsynaptic potential (epsp), respectively (calculated as percentage of the pre-LTP amplitude). In slices pretreated with SDZ ENS 163 (2 x 10(-6) M, -30 min) delivery of 8 or 10 trains at 100 Hz induced a 62 +/- 8.4 and 54 +/- 7.1% potentiation of the epsp amplitude, respectively. In addition, treatment with SDZ ENS 163 (2 x 10(-6) M) increased the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor-induced component of the epsp response to TBS from 21 +/- 3 (control) to 33 +/- 2%. Pretreatment with the muscarinic antagonist, scopolamine (6 x 10(-8) M), or with the M1 selective muscarinic receptor antagonist, pirenzepine (6 x 10(-8) M), did not affect LTP in untreated slices but inhibited the enhancement of LTP by SDZ ENS 163 (2 x 10(-6) M) completely. AF-DX 116 (10(-6) M, -60 min), a selective muscarinic M2 receptor antagonist did not affect LTP in control slices nor in slices treated with SDZ ENS 163 (2 x 10(-6) M). These data suggest that activation of muscarinic M1 receptors by SDZ ENS 163 facilitates the induction of LTP."}
{"id": "PMID:1468497", "title": "The antihypertensive effect of acute intracerebroventricular administration of captopril in Dahl salt-sensitive rats.", "content": "The ability of centrally administered angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors to lower mean arterial pressure (MAP) has been demonstrated in numerous animal models of hypertension. In the present study, we assessed the effect of intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) injection of the ACE inhibitor captopril (10 micrograms) on MAP in conscious, freely moving hypertensive inbred Dahl salt-sensitive (DS/JR) rats and their normotensive control inbred Dahl salt-resistant (DP/JR) rats. Both DS/JR and DR/JR rats were maintained on an 8% salt diet from 4 weeks of age until experimentation at 7-8 weeks of age, at which time DS/JR pressures were significantly elevated as compared to DR/JR rats (185 +/- 6 vs. 99 +/- 2 mm Hg, respectively). Following i.c.v. administration of captopril, a significant depressor response lasting for several hours was observed in DS/JR rats, with a maximum reduction of 17.6 +/- 4.1 mm Hg. The same treatment had no effect on the MAP of DR/JR rats. Mean arterial pressures in both groups were not significantly affected by i.c.v. administration of vehicle alone or by intravenous (i.v.) administration of 100 micrograms of captopril. These findings indicate that i.c.v. captopril lowers MAP in hypertensive DS/JR rats. Further studies will be necessary to elucidate the mechanism of this antihypertensive effect."}
{"id": "PMID:1468498", "title": "Drug discrimination analysis of ethanol as an N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonist.", "content": "Ethanol has been shown to antagonize N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor-mediated neurotransmission in a number of in vitro systems. Drug discrimination procedures in rats were used to evaluate ethanol as an antagonist of NMDA discrimination and for its ability to produce discriminative stimulus effects similar to those of competitive and noncompetitive NMDA antagonists. Ethanol (300-1500 mg/kg i.p.) failed to antagonize the stimulus effects of 30 mg/kg NMDA, nor did it substitute fully for either the competitive antagonist NPC 12626 nor the noncompetitive antagonist phencyclidine (PCP). A maximum average of 55.4% PCP-lever responding provided evidence for partial substitution in this model. The effects of ethanol on NMDA discrimination are distinct from those previously reported for competitive NMDA antagonists but similar to those of noncompetitive antagonists. On the other hand, ethanol can be distinguished from both competitive and PCP-like noncompetitive NMDA antagonists using drug discrimination procedures."}
{"id": "PMID:1468499", "title": "Adenine nucleotide analogues, including gamma-phosphate-substituted analogues, are metabolised extracellularly in innervated frog sartorius muscle.", "content": "The metabolism of adenine nucleotides and of their analogues by ecto-enzymes in the innervated frog sartorius muscle was investigated with HPLC. The breakdown of beta, gamma-methylene-ATP was also evaluated by studying the ability of the adenosine uptake inhibitor, dipyridamole, and of the adenosine receptor antagonist, 1,3-dipropyl-8-cyclopentylxanthine (DPCPX), to modify the effect of beta, gamma-methylene-ATP on nerve-evoked twitches. ATP-gamma-S at low (10 microM) but not at high (> or = 100 microM) concentrations was quickly metabolised into a compound with a higher negative charge. L-ATP, homo-ATP and 2-methylthio-ATP were metabolised into compounds with a lower negative charge. Beta-gamma-Imido-ATP and gamma-anilino-ATP were only metabolised slightly. As determined by HPLC, beta, gamma-methylene-ATP was not metabolised. In contrast, this ATP analogue inhibited nerve-evoked twitch responses, an effect which was potentiated by dipyridamole and antagonised by DPCPX. Alpha, beta-Methylene-ATP was dephosphorylated into alpha, beta-methylene-ADP, which was virtually resistant to metabolism in the absence of ATP. In the presence of ATP, alpha, beta-methylene-ADP was transiently phosphorylated into alpha, beta-methylene-ATP. Formation of ATP from ADP was observed even in the absence of an exogenous phosphate donor, and was prevented by the adenylate kinase inhibitor, P1P5-di-(adenosine-5')pentaphosphate (AP5A). AP5A caused only partial inhibition of AMP formation from ADP. The results suggest that some ATP analogues with substitutions in the gamma-phosphate, such as ATP-gamma-S and beta, gamma-methylene-ATP, are metabolised in the innervated frog sartorius muscle. The ADP analogue, alpha, beta-methylene-ADP, might be a substrate for an ecto-nucleoside diphosphate kinase. ADP, besides being dephosphorylated, is also a substrate for an ecto-adenylate kinase in innervated frog sartorius muscle."}
{"id": "PMID:1468500", "title": "Analogues of F8Famide resistant to degradation, with high affinity and in vivo effects.", "content": "Four analogues of Phe-Leu-Phe-Gln-Pro-Gln-Arg-Phe-NH2, a mammalian FMRFamide-like peptide with antiopiate properties, were synthesized with N-terminus modifications and were shown to have high affinity for F8Famide binding sites. The degradation rate of these analogues in mouse brain slices was 3 times lower than that of the natural peptide. One analogue, (2DME)Y8Fa (D.Tyr-D.Leu-[N-Me]Phe-Gln-Pro-Gln-Arg-Phe-NH2), produced a clear hyperalgic effect and inhibited morphine analgesia in the mouse tail-flick test at lower doses than did the parent compound. (3D)Y8Fa (D.Tyr-D.Leu-D.Phe-Gln-Pro-Gln-Arg-Phe-NH2) and (2D)Y8Fa (D.Tyr-D.Leu-Phe-Gln-Pro-Gln-Arg-Phe-NH2) in contrast did not decrease morphine analgesia but were analgesic alone. The analgesic effects of 22 nmol (2D)Y8Fa and (3D)Y8Fa were decreased by (1DME)Y8Fa (D.Tyr-Leu-[N-Me]Phe-Gln-Pro-Gln-Arg-Phe-NH2) or (2DME)Y8Fa and were reversed by naloxone. These results indicate opioid modulating properties of F8Famide. These analogues may prove to be useful tools for studying the modulation of pain by F8Famide."}
{"id": "PMID:1468501", "title": "Vasopressin receptors in the area postrema differentially modulate baroreceptor responses in rats.", "content": "This study examined the effects of microinjection of [Arg8]vasopressin (AVP) into the area postrema (AP) on baroreceptor reflex control of heart rate (HR) and sympathetic efferent discharge (SED) in anesthetized rats. Comparable increments in blood pressure evoked by systemic AVP, as opposed to phenylephrine, were associated with significantly greater reflex bradycardia. Similarly, AVP augmented the baroreflex-mediated sympathoinhibition; however, this effect was evident only with the lower increments in arterial pressure (< 45 mm Hg) i.e. following systemic administration of small doses of AVP. Beyond 45 mm Hg there was no further augmentation of baroreflex-mediated sympathoinhibition showing the non-linearity of the response compared to phenylephrine which was linear over a wide range of induced pressure increases. Microinjection of AVP into the AP produced a differential effect on HR and SED responses to baroreceptor activation by systemically administered phenylephrine, the baroreflex slope of HR response was attenuated whereas that of SED was enhanced. Microinjection of the V1 antagonist AVPX (d(CH2)5Tyr(Me)-AVP) into the AP abolished the inhibitory effect of AVP on the baroreceptor-HR response suggesting that V1 receptors are involved in this response. Further, AVPX inhibited the baroreceptor-SED response suggesting that V1 receptors in the AP are tonically involved in modulating the baroreceptor reflex control of SED. Qualitatively similar but smaller responses were obtained following microinjection of AVP into the nucleus tractus solitarii (NTS) suggesting involvement of neural input from the AP to the NTS in AVP-evoked responses in the AP. It is concluded that the AVP receptors in the AP differentially modulates the baroreceptor reflex control of HR and SED."}
{"id": "PMID:1468502", "title": "Relationship between tissue content of TC-81 and relaxation of rat aorta.", "content": "This study dealt with the relationship between the relaxant action of TC-81, a new Ca2+ antagonist, and its distribution in rat aorta depolarized by high K+ (65.4 mM). The inhibitory effect by TC-81 on K(+)-induced contraction and 45Ca2+ uptake was strongly time-dependent. TC-81 and nicardipine, each 10(-9) M, produced gradual relaxation of high-K(+)-induced contraction. The tissue contents of TC-81 and nicardipine increased with time courses that reflected decreasing tension. Both the maximum tissue content of TC-81 and the maximum relaxation were significantly greater than those for nicardipine. Also, the relaxations produced by TC-81 and nicardipine were correlated with the logarithm of the content of each drug in muscle tissues. However, the dissociation of TC-81 from the tissues was slower than that of nicardipine. The data suggest that the action of TC-81 is closely related to a gradual distribution of drug into muscle tissue, resulting in a slow onset of action. Also, the saturation time of TC-81 was longer than that of nicardipine, thereby accounting for the greater relaxation with TC-81."}
{"id": "PMID:1468503", "title": "Attenuation of ischemic and postischemic damage to brain metabolism and circulation by a novel Ca2+ channel antagonist, NC-1100, in spontaneously hypertensive rats.", "content": "We investigated the effect of a newly synthesized Ca2+ channel antagonist, NC-1100, on cerebral blood flow (CBF) and metabolism in spontaneously hypertensive rats. The rats received a bolus injection of 0.2 or 1.0 mg/kg NC-1100 i.v. and 1-h cerebral ischemia was then induced by bilateral carotid artery occlusion (group 1). The rats in group 2 were continuously infused with NC-1100 0.03 or 0.1 mg/kg per min, starting immediately after bilateral carotid artery occlusion, for the 1 h of ischemia and following 3-h recirculation. Group 1: during ischemia, CBF in all rats decreased to 6-8% of the resting values. At 1 h cerebral ischemia, brain tissue lactate increased 11.5-, 10.1- and 9.8-fold of the normal control given vehicle or NC-1100, 0.2 and 1.0 mg/kg, respectively. The ATP levels were better preserved by NC-1100 administration; 0.61 +/- 0.04 (mean +/- S.E.M.), 0.80 +/- 0.09 and 0.97 +/- 0.14 mmol/kg (P < 0.05 vs. vehicle), respectively. Group 2: during recirculation, CBF in NC-1100-treated rats returned to 83-90% of the resting values, but to only 65% in the vehicle group. Postischemic brain lactate at 3 h was less well preserved and ATP was dose dependently better preserved in NC-1100- than vehicle-treated rats. It is considered that pre- as well as postischemic administration of a Ca2+ channel antagonist, NC-1100, is beneficial to attenuate and also ameliorate the metabolic and circulatory derangement in the ischemic brain."}
{"id": "PMID:1468504", "title": "Protective effect of vinconate on ischemia-induced neuronal damage in the rat hippocampus.", "content": "The protective effect of vinconate, a vinca alkaloid derivative, on ischemia-induced neuronal damage was investigated using a model of rat forebrain ischemia caused by occlusion of four vessels. Hippocampal cell loss was observed histologically and neurochemically 5 days after 10 min of ischemia. Treatment with vinconate (50 and 200 mg/kg i.p.) before cerebral ischemia significantly suppressed neuronal cell loss in the hippocampal CA1 region and the decrease in the content of neuroactive amino acids in the hippocampus. The release of neuroactive amino acids in the hippocampus was significantly increased by cerebral ischemia. Pretreatment with vinconate (50 and 200 mg/kg i.p.) significantly attenuated the increased release of glutamic acid and aspartic acid, but not the release of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), taurine and glycine. This suppressive effect of vinconate was antagonized by scopolamine (10(-5) M). The addition of vinconate (10(-11)-10(-4) M) had no effect on the binding of [3H]MK-801. These results indicate that pretreatment with vinconate attenuates the ischemia-induced release of excitatory amino acids into the extracellular space of the hippocampus via the stimulation of presynaptic muscarinic acetylcholine receptors. The present results also suggest that this suppressive effect of vinconate on the release of excitatory amino acids (glutamic acid and aspartic acid) may play a crucial role in the protective action of this agent against ischemia-induced neuronal damage in the hippocampus."}
{"id": "PMID:1468505", "title": "Discharge dependencies of amygdala central nucleus neurons to the cardiac and respiratory cycle following local cocaine administration.", "content": "We examined dependencies of amygdala central nucleus neuronal discharge to the cardiac and respiratory cycles in freely behaving cats following local microinjection of cocaine (100 micrograms/0.2 microliter). Cross-correlation histograms showed cycle-by-cycle dependencies between neuronal discharge and the cardiac and respiratory cycles in 10 of 30 cells and 7 of 30 cells, respectively, during baseline periods. After cocaine delivery, the discharge rate of half of the central nucleus of the amygdala cells (16/30, 53%) were partly or completely inhibited in a reversible manner. Excluding cardiac- and respiratory-dependent neurons which ceased firing after cocaine, more than half (5/8) of the remaining cardiac and two-thirds (4/6) of respiratory-dependent neurons altered discharge dependencies following cocaine administration. Of the cells that did not exhibit cardiac and respiratory dependencies pre-cocaine, 2 of 20 developed cardiac correlations and 3 of 23 developed respiratory correlations following cocaine administration. We speculate that a portion of the cardiac and respiratory responses induced by cocaine may be mediated through the central nucleus of the amygdala."}
{"id": "PMID:1468506", "title": "Aggregation of human polymorphonuclear leukocytes by endothelin: role of platelet-activating factor.", "content": "The mechanisms by which endothelin-1 (ET-1) acts on polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) are insufficiently known. In this study, we assessed the hypotheses that ET-1 is a PMN-aggregating agent, and that platelet-activating factor (PAF) is the principal mediator of ET-1-induced PMN aggregation. ET-1 induced dose-related PMN aggregation, which started 1 min after ET-1 exposure. Two different specific PAF receptor antagonists blocked the effect of ET-1 on PMN aggregation. In addition, ET-1 induced a significant increase in the production of PAF by PMN after 2 to 5 min of ET-1 incubation. ET-1 induced PAF release from PMN rather than accumulation. This PAF production was dependent on intra- and extracellular Ca2+. In this regard, the PAF receptor antagonists significantly blunted the ET-1-induced peak in cytosolic free Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i). Our results, therefore, indicate that ET-1 is effective in causing aggregation of human PMN and that its action appears to be mediated by PAF production via a Ca(2+)-dependent mechanism."}
{"id": "PMID:1468507", "title": "NNC-711, a novel potent and selective gamma-aminobutyric acid uptake inhibitor: pharmacological characterization.", "content": "NNC-711 (1-(2-(((diphenylmethylene)amino)oxy)ethyl)-1,2,5,6-tetrahydro-3- pyridinecarboxylic acid hydrochloride) is a novel, potent and selective gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) uptake inhibitor. NNC-711 inhibited synaptosomal (IC50 = 47 nM), neuronal (IC50 = 1238 nM) and glial (IC50 = 636 nM) GABA uptake in vitro NNC-711 lacked affinity for other neurotransmitter receptor binding sites, uptake sites and ion channels examined in vitro. In vivo, NNC-711 was a potent anticonvulsant compound against rodent seizures induced by methyl 6,7-dimethoxy-4-ethyl-beta-carboline-3-carboxylate (DMCM) (ED50 (clonic) = 1.2 mg/kg i.p.), pentylenetetrazole (PTZ) (ED50 (tonic) = 0.72 mg/kg i.p., mouse; and ED50 (tonic) = 1.7 mg/kg, rat), or audiogenic (ED50 (clonic and tonic) = 0.23 mg/kg i.p.). At higher doses NNC-711 produced behavioral side effects characterized by inhibition of traction (ED50 = 23 mg/kg i.p.), rotarod (ED50 = 10 mg/kg i.p.) and exploratory locomotor activity (ED50 = 45 mg/kg i.p.) in the mouse. Following acute (3-h) in vivo pretreatment with NNC-711, behavioral tolerance developed to its motor impairing side effects (inhibition of traction, rotarod or exploratory locomotor activity) without corresponding tolerance to the anticonvulsant effects. These data suggest that NNC-711 will be useful for future in vitro and in vivo experiments to elucidate the role of the GABA uptake carrier in the central nervous system."}
{"id": "PMID:1468508", "title": "Regulation of the cellular transport and compactation of thyroglobulin.", "content": "The cellular transport ot thyroglobulin in thyrocytes is a TSH-regulated process and characterized by a bidirectional export-, storage- and recapture pathway. The regulation of single steps in this pathway is unclear, but a possible basis for this transport appeared to be the presence of the lysosomal targetting, signal mannose-6-phosphate (M6P), on porcine thyroglobulin and the detection of the cation-dependent M6P-receptor on the apical cell surface and the Golgi-complex in thyrocytes. The question arose, why thyroglobulin is not directed on an intracellular pathway to lysosomes thereby following the route characteristic of lysosomal enzymes. Recent observations have shown that the affinity of thyroglobulin to the M6P-receptor is very low and the receptor is presumably not effective in thyrocytes to direct thyroglobulin to lysosomes. Instead, a low affinity binding site for thyroglobulin has been found to operate on the surface of thyrocytes. This receptor is specific for thyroglobulin and is saturable at 8-13 mg thyroglobulin per ml (5-9 microM). The highest affinity of thyroglobulin was that to itself which is the basis for the positive cooperation observed during binding of thyroglobulin to thyrocyte membranes. The receptor has a relative molecular mass of 46 kDa but is not identical with the cation-dependent M6P-receptor. Because of the high-thyroglobulin-concentration in the follicle lumen (100-400 mg/ml) it has always been argued that there is no need for the presence of a thyroglobulin receptor.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1468509", "title": "G-protein mutations in thyroid tumors.", "content": "Tissue specific G-protein mutations have been found in differentiated thyroid cancer with a higher prevalence in tumors from German than from American patients. Since activating mutations of Gs are principally comparable to chronic TSH stimulation of these tumor-thyrocytes such mutations may predict changes in tumor development and patient prognosis. The fundamental background and recent results of studies on mutational activation of G-proteins are presented."}
{"id": "PMID:1468511", "title": "TSH-receptor and adhesion molecules in autoimmune thyroid disease.", "content": "Using a human TSH receptor (TSH-R) cDNA probe we investigated TSH-R expression levels in 20 human thyroid fragments by Northern blot analysis: 14 Graves' disease, 2 Hashimoto's disease, 3 endemic goiter and 1 healthy thyroid gland. TSH-R expression was low in those thyroids where expression of the major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC I), class II (MHC II) and intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1) was high, whereas expression of the endothelial leukocyte adhesion molecule 1 (ELAM-1) bore no relation to TSH-R expression. In situ hybridization showed that next to lymphocytes (MHC II), thyroid cells (MHC II, ICAM-1) and endothelial cells (ICAM-1, ELAM-1) were the source of transcripts of these T-cell activating antigens. We conclude that next to MHC I and II, the expression of additional T-cell activating antigens such as ICAM-1 and ELAM-1 play a role in the initiation of auto-immune thyroid disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1468512", "title": "Thyroid growth in vitro.", "content": "Whereas there is no doubt about the role of the growth factors EGF (epidermal growth factor) and IGF I (insulin like growth factor I) on thyroid cell proliferation, controverse results have been obtained in different in vitro studies with TSH (thyrotropin). Whereas in nearly all cell culture systems using thyroid cell monolayers TSH enhances cell proliferation, TSH inhibits cell growth induced by EGF in intact thyroid follicles. These differences are not due to species specificity, because i.e. growth of porcine thyroid cells or of human thyroid cells in monolayer cultures is stimulated by TSH, but growth of human or porcine thyroid follicles is not stimulated by TSH. In addition there is some evidence that IGF I is necessary for the growth stimulating effect of TSH and IGF I seems to be an autocrine growth factor, which is under the control of TSH and/or iodine deficiency within the thyroid cell."}
{"id": "PMID:1468513", "title": "Antagonists of the human TSH receptor: in vitro and in vivo studies of their functional and immunological effects.", "content": "We have developed and characterized a prototype of a TSH receptor antagonist derived from the hCG molecule. This may be used to block human TSH receptor both functionally and immunologically, particularly in the study of Graves' disease. Our hCG derived TSH receptor blocker compares favorably with other substances (e.g. deglycosylated forms of TSH, synthetic peptides of the alpha or beta subunit of TSH) that hare been reported to inhibit bTSH binding or bTSH-stimulated cAMP response (Joshi et al., 1981; Morris et al., 1988). It has a much higher affinity for human TSH receptor than the TSH subunit peptides and it is the only substance an efficacy of which has been proven in vivo so far. Recent progress in the synthesis of recombinant glycoprotein hormones should permit to biosynthetically produce this or a similar TSH receptor antagonist. With respect to Graves' disease, the data suggest that TSH receptor, in addition to its role in maintaining thyroid hyperfunction, plays also a role in propagating the thyroid autoimmune disease itself. Stimulation of TSH receptor by bTSH as well as TSAb enhances the expression of HLA class II antigens on the surface of thyrocytes, and a blockade of TSH receptor results in a substantial inhibition of this immunological key event. This could possibly explain why suppression of TSH by administering levothyroxine was found in a recent study by Hashizume and coworkers (1991) to decrease TSAb titers and to reduce relapse rate in patients with Graves' hyperthyroidism.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1468514", "title": "In vivo effects of TSH receptor antibodies in xenotransplanted human thyroid tissue.", "content": "From the data presented it can be concluded that the xenotransplantation model is well suited for studies concerning pathogenesis, diagnosis and therapy of AITD. Human thyroid transplants of Graves' disease tissue, depending upon extrinsic stimulators, lose all signs of hyperfunction after transplantation into athymic nude mice, but hyperfunction can again be induced in the transplants by injections of sera or immunoglobulin fractions from patients with active Graves' disease, containing stimulating TSH receptor antibodies. Our data demonstrate that thyroid function and growth are independent phenomena and can be differentiated by means of the xenotransplantation model. Furthermore the presented results indicate that TSH receptor antibodies are able to alter the expression of gene products in human thyroid transplants of Graves' disease, emphasising their important role in inducing/perpetuating immune phenomena related to AITD."}
{"id": "PMID:1468519", "title": "Selective decontamination of the digestive tract in intensive care.", "content": "Nosocomial infection in intensive care unit (ICU) practice is a common problem and is associated with abnormal carriage of Gram-negative aerobic bacilli in the gastrointestinal tract, resulting in endogenous infections. Selective decontamination of the digestive tract (SDD) is a regimen aimed at preventing or eradicating this abnormal carriage. A large number of trials examining SDD in ICU practice have been published, the vast majority showing a significant reduction in the incidence of nosocomial, Gram-negative infection. However, the impact on morbidity and mortality is much less certain. A recent meta-analysis has suggested a 10-20% reduction in mortality (3-6% absolute difference) with SDD. A discussion of these results is presented together with potential criticisms of SDD."}
{"id": "PMID:1468520", "title": "Selective decontamination in bone marrow transplant recipients.", "content": "Patients undergoing bone marrow transplantation become immunocompromised for various reasons. Deep granulocytopenia, induced by conditioning (chemotherapy and total body irradiation), renders the patient at risk for serious bacterial and fungal infections. Our strategy for prevention of these infections by selective decontamination (SD) is the result of more than 15 years of clinical experience and research. The combination of antibiotics, used as standard SD (neomycin, polymyxin B, pipemidic acid and amphotericin B), with the application of local antimicrobial agents eliminates aerobic Gram-negative rods, Staphylococcus aureus and Candida spp. from the mucosal surfaces of the digestive tract, while the majority of the anaerobic flora persist and support colonization resistance (CR). The antibiotics used either are not resorbed or do not yield therapeutic serum concentrations. Antibiotics which induce therapeutic serum concentrations, such as ciprofloxacin and cotrimoxazole, are only used for SD on a limited scale. When Gram-negative rods persist despite intake of the standard regimen, ciprofloxacin is given until these persisting rods are eliminated. If the patients cannot swallow the oral regimen, i.v. cotrimoxazole is given temporarily. Streptococcal infections are prevented by the i.v. administration of penicillin for 14 days starting on the first day after cytotoxic treatment (conditioning for bone marrow transplantation). The combination of SD and systemic prophylaxis has been shown to be adequate; the major problem then remaining is a relatively mild catheter-associated infection with coagulase-negative staphylococci."}
{"id": "PMID:1468522", "title": "The relationship between infecting dose and severity of disease in reported outbreaks of Salmonella infections.", "content": "The relationship between size of the infecting dose and severity of the resulting disease has been investigated for salmonella infections by reanalysis of data within epidemics for 32 outbreaks, and comparing data between outbreaks for 68 typhoid epidemics and 49 food-poisoning outbreaks due to salmonellas. Attack rate, incubation period, amount of infected food consumed and type of vehicle are used as proxy measures of infecting dose, while case fatality rates for typhoid and case hospitalization rates for food poisoning salmonellas were used to assess severity. Limitations of the data are discussed. Both unweighted and logit analysis models are used. There is no evidence for a dose-severity relationship for Salmonella typhi, but evidence of a correlation between dose and severity is available from within-epidemic or between-epidemic analysis, or both, for Salmonella typhimurium, S. enteritidis, S. infantis, S. newport, and S. thompson. The presence of such a relationship affects the way in which control interventions should be assessed."}
{"id": "PMID:1468523", "title": "An outbreak of Salmonella dublin infection in England and Wales associated with a soft unpasteurized cows' milk cheese.", "content": "An outbreak of Salmonella dublin infection occurred in England and Wales in October to December 1989. Forty-two people were affected, mainly adults, and most lived in south-east England. Microbiological and epidemiological investigations implicated an imported Irish soft unpasteurized cows' milk cheese as the vehicle of infection. A case-control study showed a statistically significant association between infection and consumption of the suspect cheese (p = 0.001). Salmonella dublin was subsequently isolated from cheeses obtained from the manufacturer's premises. Initial control measures included the withdrawal of the cheese from retail sale and a Food Hazard Warning to Environmental Health Departments, as well as a press release, from the Department of Health. Subsequently, a decision was taken by the manufacturer to pasteurize milk used in the production of cheese for the UK market and importation of the cheese resumed in June 1990."}
{"id": "PMID:1468524", "title": "An investigation into an outbreak of Salmonella enteritidis phage-type 4 infection and the consumption of custard slices and trifles.", "content": "Epidemiological investigation into an outbreak of food poisoning in 17 patients caused by Salmonella enteritidis phage-type 4 demonstrated a highly significant association with consumption of custard, retailed in custard slices and trifles from a bakery on one day. The bakery had changed their recipe for custard 2 weeks earlier to include fresh shell eggs and had not followed earlier national advice on cooking eggs for human consumption. The case-control study supports earlier work associating Salmonella enteritidis phage-type 4 infection with consumption of uncooked or lightly cooked shell eggs."}
{"id": "PMID:1468525", "title": "The identification of Salmonella enteritidis-infected poultry flocks associated with an outbreak of human salmonellosis.", "content": "In the summer of 1991 a human outbreak of Salmonella enteritidis infection occurred following a barbecue in which about 100 persons were involved. Eggs, supplied by one or more of 10 different layer farms, were the most probable source of the infection. To identify the S. enteritidis-positive flocks, an immunoassay was used to detect salmonella serogroup D-specific antibodies in the yolk of hens eggs. Antibody titres in the eggs from two layer farms, farm A and B, clearly exceeded the titres found in randomly collected eggs. Further investigation on farm A and B yielded high antibody titres in the eggs from flocks A1, A2 and B2, and low titres in the eggs from flock B1. S. enteritidis was isolated from the faecal samples of flocks A1, A2 and B2, whereas no salmonella was detected in the faecal samples of flock B1. The flocks present on both farms originated from the same breeder flock."}
{"id": "PMID:1468526", "title": "Occurrence of quinolone resistance in Staphylococcus aureus from nosocomial infection.", "content": "Among 63 Staphylococcus aureus isolates (one isolate per one patient) counted from infections (from August to November 1991) in hospital T., eight exhibited resistance to fluoroquinolones. Seven of these quinolone-resistant isolates were multiply- and methicillin-resistant S. aureus (QR-MRSA). The results of phage-, plasmid- and genotyping (pulsed field electrophoresis) revealed that six different strain-clones of these MRSA were spread in the hospital. In vitro spontaneous mutants resistant to fluoroquinolones are 10-100-fold more frequent in MRSA than in other S. aureus when selected on isosensitest-agar containing 1 microgram/ml of ciprofloxacin. However, the same mutant frequencies were found in strain 8325-4 with and without the mecA-determinant. The resistance phenotype was stable over 30 generations of subculture in nutrient broth as well in natural quinolone resistant MRSA as in mutants of other types of S. aureus selected in vitro. The phenotypic association of quinolone resistance and MRSA is rather likely due to a higher frequency of spontaneous resistant mutants which are present in natural populations of MRSA. Data of chemotherapy prior to the isolation of S. aureus show that three of seven patients from whom QR-MRSA were isolated were treated with a quinolone. In eight cases of infections with non-MRSA and quinolone treatment the isolated S. aureus strains were in vitro sensitive to quinolones."}
{"id": "PMID:1468527", "title": "A study of phenotypic variation of Staphylococcus epidermidis using Congo red agar.", "content": "This study examines a series of phenotypic variants of Staphylococcus epidermidis that were generated from a pair of parent variants, isolated from valvular tissue of a patient with prosthetic valve endocarditis. The variants were initially classified by examining their colonial morphology on Congo red agar. In addition to differences in Congo red binding and colonial morphology, they differed in the expression of several surface components and enzymes. Despite these phenotypic differences, all variants had the same restriction endonuclease profile of plasmid DNA. Examination of a collection of clinical isolates demonstrated that phenotypic variation is a common property of S. epidermidis. The ability to express different combinations of surface components and enzymes could contribute to the virulence of S. epidermidis strains by enabling these organisms to colonize a range of diverse environments."}
{"id": "PMID:1468528", "title": "A longitudinal study of Staphylococcus hyicus colonization of vagina of gilts and transmission to piglets.", "content": "High Staphylococcus hyicus colonization rates were found in vaginal samples of healthy breeding sows and in skin samples of their offspring. Twenty-two different phage types were identified among the 720 isolates of S. hyicus examined. Two to 13 different phage types were isolated per herd. Phage typing, as well as characterization of about 10% of the isolates by plasmid profiles and antibiogram patterns, showed that, several different clones of S. hyicus could be present simultaneously in vagina of gilts and also on skin of piglets. Generally isolates from the vagina of one animal were identical as regards to phage types, plasmid profiles, and antibiogram patterns during the entire investigation period. Isolates from the skin of piglets were of the same type as their mothers, indicating that vertical transmission had taken place. S. hyicus strains isolated from the skin of piglets within 24 h after birth were identical to strains isolated 3 weeks after birth from the same litter, indicating that the vaginal strains became part of a stable skin flora."}
{"id": "PMID:1468529", "title": "Secretor status and humoral immune responses to Neisseria lactamica and Neisseria meningitidis.", "content": "Non-secretors of ABO blood group antigens are over-represented among patients with meningococcal diseases. Lower levels of secretory IgA reported for non-secretors have been suggested to compromise mucosal defences. Total serum and salivary IgG, IgA and IgM and levels of these isotypes specific for Neisseria lactamica and five isolates of meningococci were determined by ELISA for 357 pupils and staff of a secondary school in which an outbreak of meningitis occurred. There were no differences in total or specific levels of serum IgG, IgA or IgM or salivary IgG or IgA of secretors compared with non-secretors. Non-secretors had significantly lower levels of salivary IgM (P = 0.022). A similar pattern was observed for levels of IgM specific for N. lactamica and five meningococcal isolates. The significance of these results is discussed with reference to the role of secretory IgM in protection of mucosal surfaces in infants."}
{"id": "PMID:1468530", "title": "High level resistance to trimethoprim, cotrimoxazole and other antimicrobial agents among clinical isolates of Shigella species in Ontario, Canada--an update.", "content": "A total of 598 isolates of Shigella species (24 S. dysenteriae, 254 S. flexneri, 30 S. boydii, 290 S. sonnei) submitted to the Ontario Public Health Laboratories in 1990 were tested for their susceptibility to 14 antimicrobial agents by the agar dilution method. Overall 79.6% of isolates were resistant to one or more antimicrobial agents and 52.0% were resistant to four or more. Trimethoprim resistance ranged from 26.7% among isolates of S. boydii to 39.4% among S. flexneri strains. The majority of the 224 TMP resistant isolates (88.8%) demonstrated high level resistance (MIC > 1000 mg/l) to trimethoprim. Resistance to cotrimoxazole increased from 3% in 1978 to between 26.7 and 37.6% in 1990. MICs for 90% of isolates (MIC90s) for ampicillin, ticarcillin and piperacillin were 128 to > 256 mg/l, > 256 for tetracycline and chloramphenicol, and > 2.0/38.0 for cotrimoxazole. These results from the Canadian Province of Ontario emphasize the need for prudent use of antimicrobial agents in the treatment of shigellosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1468531", "title": "Transferable high-level trimethoprim resistance among isolates of Escherichia coli from urinary tract infections in Ontario, Canada.", "content": "Of 1171 isolates of Escherichia coli isolated from urine samples at the Public Health Laboratory, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, between May 1990 and December 1991, 120 (10.3%) were resistant to trimethoprim (TMP), cotrimoxazole (TMP/SMX), sulfamethoxazole (SMX) and other antimicrobial agents; 110 of the 120 isolates (91.7%) were resistant to four or more agents. The majority of resistant isolates (91.7%) exhibited high-level resistance (MIC > 1000 mg/L) to TMP. The MIC of TMP/SMX for all 120 isolates was > 2.0/38.0 mg/L and for SMX > 1024 mg/L. High-level resistances were also present among the beta-lactam antimicrobials with MICs ranging from 16- > 256 mg/L. Forty-three of 120 TMP-resistant (35.8%) isolates conjugally transferred TMP-resistance to E. coli K-12. Co-transfer of several other resistances was observed. SMX cotransferred from 86% of the 43 donors and beta-lactams together with SMX cotransferred from 70%. Nalidixic acid resistance was present among 22 (18.3%) of the 120 resistant isolates, however, nalidixic acid resistance was not transferred to E. coli K-12."}
{"id": "PMID:1468532", "title": "Cockroaches as carriers of bacteria in multi-family dwellings.", "content": "The potential risk of bacterial dissemination due to the presence of cockroaches (Blattella germanica, Blattellidae) in low-income flats was investigated. Cockroaches can carry a great variety of bacterial species; we identified 30 different species from 52 different flats. Klebsiella oxycytoca, K. pneumoniae and Enterobacter cloacae were the most frequently found. Pathogenic and potentially pathogenic bacteria represented 54% of all the bacterial identifications. Bacteria were carried either on the cuticle or in the gut. Contamination through external contact is sufficient to insure bacterial diffusion. There was a very low level of overlap estimated by Pianka's index (a) between the bacterial flora of neighbouring blocks of flats, and (b) between bacterial flora of different flats in the same block."}
{"id": "PMID:1468533", "title": "Destruction of bacteria on fresh meat by hot water.", "content": "Strains of different bacterial genera; Escherichia coli (7), Salmonella serotypes (7), Enteropathogenic E. coli O 157 (2), Aeromonas hydrophila (4), Yersinia enterocolytica (1), Pseudomonas fragi (5), and Listeria monocytogenes (5), inoculated onto the surface tissues of pieces of fresh beef were found to be susceptible to the lethal action of hot water. On average, more than 3 log10 (99.9%) of these organisms were destroyed when water at 80 degrees C was applied for 10 or 20 s. Therefore, a hot water decontamination cabinet would be effective for destroying in situ any viable cells of these bacteria which might be present on the surface tissues of fresh beef carcasses."}
{"id": "PMID:1468534", "title": "Circulating antibodies against faecal bacteria assessed by immunomorphometry: combining quantitative immunofluorescence and image analysis.", "content": "A new technique to study the prevalence of circulating antibodies directed against different morphological groups ('morphotypes') of bacteria in fresh faeces is presented. The technique combines quantitative indirect immunofluorescence with digital image analysis. Plasma antibody titres and patterns of IgA, IgG and IgM isotype against morphotypes of faecal bacteria were determined in ten healthy individuals."}
{"id": "PMID:1468535", "title": "Factors influencing oral carriage of yeasts among individuals with diabetes mellitus.", "content": "A total of 439 individuals with diabetes mellitus were examined for carriage of yeasts by the oral rinse and palatal swab techniques. Eighteen genetic or environment variables were assessed for their contribution to carriage of yeasts. The factor contributing to palatal and oral carriage of yeasts among individuals with insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) was age (P < 0.01). The factor contributing to palatal carriage of yeasts among individuals with non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) was poor glycaemic control (glycosuria P < 0.01); carriage in the oral cavity as a whole was influenced additionally by non-secretion of ABH blood group antigens (P < 0.05). Introduction of a denture altered the above risk factors. For individuals with IDDM, oral carriage was associated with the presence of retinopathy (P < 0.05); palatal carriage was influenced by poor glycaemic control (HbA1P < 0.01, plasma glucose levels P < 0.05) and age (P < 0.05). For those with NIDDM, palatal carriage was associated with continuous presence of the denture in the mouth (P < 0.01); oral carriage was associated with plasma glucose levels (P < 0.05)."}
{"id": "PMID:1468536", "title": "Epidemiology of enteric adenovirus infection in prospectively monitored Argentine families.", "content": "To examine the role of enteric adenoviruses (EAV) in an urban area of Buenos Aires (Argentina), we prospectively studied faecal samples from 49 families of newborns. These were monitored weekly for diarrhoea for 2 years. A total of 180 samples from cases of diarrhoea and 766 samples obtained during diarrhoea-free periods were studied by dot-blot hybridization with an EAV-specific DNA probe. EAV were found in 6/180 (3.3%) cases of diarrhoea and 6/766 (0.8%) asymptomatic samples (P < 0.015). Incidence of EAV was 3.9 cases per 100 person-years in children < 60 months old. EAV-related diarrhoeas were slight and of short duration. In addition, 129 faeces from hospital out-patients, 1-30 months old, were also studied. EAV was identified in 7/129 cases (5.4%). These cases were 9.5 +/- 3.5 months old and the diarrhoea was mild or severe, of 3 +/- 1.5 days of duration. We suggest that EAV are low-risk causes of diarrhoea under natural conditions, although a few children may develop more severe diarrhoea. The diagnosis of EAV needs to be considered in these patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1468537", "title": "Comparison of the HA genes of type B influenza viruses in herald waves and later epidemic seasons.", "content": "From January 1985 to May 1991, herald strains of influenza B virus were isolated in 1987 and 1989 in Japan. In both cases, influenza epidemics caused by the same type followed in the next winter season. The HA gene sequences of the influenza B viruses isolated in Japan from 1987-91, which covers two herald waves of influenza B viruses, were analysed and located on the phylogenetic tree for influenza B viruses after the B/Singapore/64 strain. Co-circulation of at least two evolutionary lineages of the HA genes existed for influenza B viruses in Japan during the period of this study. The herald viruses in one wave (1987) were genetically close to the winter isolates and were considered to be the parental viruses for the following influenza season, while in the other wave (1989) winter isolates belonged to another lineage on which one of the herald viruses was located, but they were genetically and antigenically different from the herald viruses."}
{"id": "PMID:1468539", "title": "Use of etoposide in combination with cyclosporin for purging multidrug-resistant leukemic cells from bone marrow in a mouse model.", "content": "Cyclosporin (CsA) is a potent modulator of multidrug resistance (MDR) and has been combined with etoposide (VP-16) to purge MDR leukemic cells from human bone marrow (BM) in vitro. We studied the feasibility of this approach in an in vivo model for autologous BM transplantation using the murine leukemia cell line P388 and its MDR variant P388/ADR. Colony-forming assays with 2-h drug exposure revealed a tumor selectivity of VP-16 for P388 cells compared to normal murine marrow granulocyte-macrophage colony-forming units (CFU-GM), whereas P388/ADR cells were resistant to VP-16. Simultaneous incubation with CsA restored sensitivity in these cells. Almost 4 logs of cell kill were achieved by treating P388/ADR cells with 60 microM VP-16 plus 2.5 microM CsA (combination A) or 40 microM VP-16 plus 10 microM CsA (combination B), whereas there was a 2.5-log reduction of CFU-GM at these doses. Even though the myelotoxicity of VP-16 was increased by the addition of CsA, this effect was nonspecific as shown by a similar chemosensitization in sensitive P388 as well as in P388/VP 2.5 cells, an atypical MDR variant lacking P-glycoprotein. In vivo experiments addressed the ability of BM treated with VP-16 and CsA to rescue lethally irradiated mice and to purge leukemic cells. In total, 1/14 lethally irradiated mice died due to sepsis within 10 days after receiving 15 x 10(6) BM cells treated ex vivo with combination A in contrast to 1/4 for combination B. All 16 surviving animals demonstrated long-term engraftment. When simulated remission marrow contaminated with 0.1% P388/ADR was purged with VP-16 (60 microM) or CsA (2.5 microM) alone, all mice died from leukemia before day 16 after transplantation (median 14.3 and 12.2 days). In contrast, nine of ten animals receiving similar marrow purged with combination A survived > 60 days without any evidence of disease (p < 0.01). We conclude that combining VP-16 and CsA was effective in purging MDR leukemia cells from transplanted BM in this murine model."}
{"id": "PMID:1468540", "title": "Methylation status of c-myc oncogene in leukemic cells: hypomethylation in acute leukemia derived from myelodysplastic syndromes.", "content": "DNA methylation plays an important role in gene regulation. We have analyzed the methylation status of CCGG sites in and around the human proto-oncogene c-myc in blood cells from patients with acute and chronic leukemias and with myelodysplastic syndromes using restriction endonucleases. The 5' region of c-myc was unequivocally hypomethylated in all the 58 specimens studied, including 10 from normal bone marrow and 1 from human placenta. In contrast, the 3' region was hypermethylated in a great majority of cases. However, this region was hypomethylated in 1 of 12 patients with de novo acute myeloid leukemia, 1 of 6 patients with chronic myeloid leukemia, and 4 of 5 patients with acute myeloid leukemia preceded by a documented stage of myelodysplastic syndromes. One possible mechanism for the 3' region of c-myc to have remained hypomethylated may be a \"delayed methylation\" during transforming events toward a more aggressive stage of the disease, but the precise mechanism is unknown."}
{"id": "PMID:1468541", "title": "Composition and functional integrity of the in vitro hemopoietic microenvironment in acute myelogenous leukemia: effect of macrophage colony-stimulating factor.", "content": "In the present work, we have investigated the composition and hemopoietic supportive capacity of eleven normal and six acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) marrow-derived stromal adherent layers, established in the absence or in the presence of recombinant human colony-stimulating factor 1 (rhCSF-1, macrophage colony-stimulating factor). Two of six AML adherent layers were deficient in composition (i.e., no confluency, reduced numbers of macrophages and fibroblastic progenitors, and no fat cell formation), resulting in reduced CSF-1 production and a poor hemopoietic supportive capacity (assessed by the ability of an irradiated stroma to sustain the growth of myeloid, erythroid, and multipotential progenitors derived from a second innoculum of normal bone marrow). Four out of six AML adherent layers showed levels of macrophages, fibroblastic progenitors, fat cells, and CSF-1 similar to those observed in adherent layers from normal bone marrow; however, their capacity to sustain normal hemopoiesis was still significantly reduced. The deficient hemopoietic supportive capacity of all AML adherent layers correlated with the presence of a soluble activity in the culture supernatant that inhibited hemopoietic colony formation. Addition of rhCSF-1 during the establishment of AML adherent layers significantly increased their hemopoietic supportive capacity. In contrast, the hemopoietic supportive capacity of normal adherent layers was reduced by rhCSF-1. The opposite effects of rhCSF-1 on the hemopoietic supportive capacity of normal and AML adherent layers correlated with the levels of the soluble inhibitory activity, that is, increased levels in cultures containing rhCSF-1-treated normal adherent layers, and slightly reduced levels in cultures of rhCSF-1-treated AML layers. These results indicate that, despite a morphologically normal composition in most cases (four out of six), the hemopoietic microenvironment developed in long-term marrow culture (LTMC) from all AML marrows analyzed has a deficient hemopoietic supportive capacity, due, at least in part, to the production of hemopoietic inhibitor(s). Such a deficiency can be partially overcome by establishing the stroma layers in the presence of rhCSF-1."}
{"id": "PMID:1468542", "title": "Botrocetin agglutination of rat megakaryocytes: a rapid method for megakaryocyte isolation.", "content": "Botrocetin isolated from the venom of Bothrops jaracara has been shown by others to induce binding of von Willebrand Factor to glycoprotein Ib and thereby produce platelet agglutination in a wide range of animal species. We have found that botrocetin also facilitates the agglutination of megakaryocytes and have used this property to develop a method to isolate megakaryocytes from rat bone marrow. When botrocetin is added to a mixture of rat bone marrow, rat platelets, and rat plasma, coagglutination of megakaryocytes and platelets occurs. The agglutinated complexes, containing > 95% of the megakaryocytes, may then be separated from the remaining marrow cells by filtration. Megakaryocytes account for 39% (range 30%-48%) of the isolated cells and 83% (range 77%-88%) of the isolated cell mass. This method allows the virtually complete removal of megakaryocytes from bone marrow as well as their isolation to a high degree of purity. It should provide a useful, inexpensive, general method for the rapid isolation of megakaryocytes from multiple, small marrow samples from a wide range of species."}
{"id": "PMID:1468543", "title": "Cell cycle status of murine megakaryocyte and granulocyte-macrophage colony-forming cells in bone marrow and spleen.", "content": "The cell cycle status of megakaryocyte colony-forming cells (Meg-CFC) and granulocyte-macrophage colony-forming cells (GM-CFC) from the spleen and bone marrow of C57BL mice was evaluated by determining the effects of hydroxyurea (OHU) or cytosine arabinoside (Ara-C), both in vivo and in vitro, upon colony-forming cells (CFC). The concentrations of cells in culture (2 x 10(6) to 4 x 10(6)/ml for spleen and 0.25 x 10(5) to 1.0 x 10(5)/ml for bone marrow) did not alter cell cycle status of either Meg-CFC or GM-CFC. Determination of cell cycle status following in vivo administration of OHU indicated that 25.2% of Meg-CFC and 28.1% of GM-CFC in the spleen, and 26.0% of Meg-CFC and 29.5% of GM-CFC in the bone marrow, were in cycle. In vitro incubation of CFC with OHU showed that in the spleen 25.1% of Meg-CFC and 24.2% of GM-CFC were engaged in DNA synthesis, whereas in bone marrow 28.5% of Meg-CFC and 29.2% of GM-CFC were synthesizing DNA. Incubation with Ara-C, in vitro, gave similar results, with 26.0% of Meg-CFC and 26.2% of GM-CFC in the spleen, and 27.1% of Meg-CFC and 31.4% of GM-CFC in the bone marrow, in cycle. In summary, significant differences were not observed between the cell cycle status of Meg-CFC and GM-CFC, whether derived from spleen or bone marrow. In vitro and in vivo measurements (with OHU) and in vitro measurements with two cytotoxic drugs (OHU versus Ara-C) also provided similar results. The data suggest that the regulation of DNA synthesis in both Meg-CFC and GM-CFC in the murine spleen and bone marrow is similar."}
{"id": "PMID:1468544", "title": "Expression of stem cell inhibitor (SCI) gene in patients with bone marrow failure.", "content": "Stem cell inhibitor (SCI) has been shown to inhibit the proliferation of primitive progenitors. The inhibitor, a product of bone marrow macrophages, activated lymphocytes, and monocytes, is identical to macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP-1 alpha). We report homologous (SCI/hMIP-1 alpha) sequences in freshly isolated lymphocytes, monocytes, and granulocytes and have found that SCI mRNA can be induced in monocytes by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and interleukins 1, 2, and 6. In contrast, interferon gamma (IFN-gamma) decreases the expression of SCI/hMIP-1 alpha. Although only a low level expression of SCI/hMIP-1 alpha mRNA can be detected in normal human bone marrow nucleated cells (NCBM), very significant increases in the levels of SCI/hMIP-1 alpha RNA transcripts are observed in NCBM from patients with aplastic anemia (AA) and myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). These data suggest that the expression of SCI/hMIP-1 alpha in bone marrow may reflect dysregulated cytokine production and activation of the immune system that may possibly contribute to disease progression."}
{"id": "PMID:1468545", "title": "Production of interleukin 3 and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor from stimulated blood mononuclear cells in patients with aplastic anemia.", "content": "Blood cells from patients with aplastic anemia (AA) were evaluated for the ability to produce interleukin 3 (IL-3) and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) on stimulation with phytohemagglutinin (PHA) or antilymphocyte globulin (ALG) by the use of an IL-3-dependent cell-line, TF-1, and the GM-CSF-IRMA kit. The IL-3 levels in patients with active AA were significantly lower, both in PHA-stimulated conditioned medium (CM) and in ALG-CM, than those of normal healthy donors (HD; p < 0.01). The degree of reduced IL-3 production in AA patients correlated well with the severity of neutropenia; the level of IL-3 returned to normal after successful treatment with ALG plus methylprednisolone (ALG therapy). On the other hand, GM-CSF production in AA patients varied widely and was only significant in remission patients in PHA-CM; in this case production was higher than that in active AA patients (p < 0.05) or in HD (p < 0.01). Sensitivity to PHA or ALG stimulation was evaluated by the ratio of IL-3 concentrations in ALG-CM versus PHA-CM (ALG/PHA index). The index varied widely from < 0.1 to > 10 in AA patients, contrasting to the clustered values in HD. Seven of the eight patients who had an ALG/PHA index of > 1.0 showed a good clinical response to ALG therapy. However, 12 of the 14 patients who had a lower index (< 1.0) failed to respond. The ALG/PHA index might have an ability to predict the response to ALG therapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1468546", "title": "Adult and neonatal patterns of human globin gene expression are recapitulated in liquid cultures.", "content": "We have recently described a two-step liquid culture system that supports the proliferation and maturation of human erythroid progenitors. Several days after the addition of erythropoietin, the cultures undergo erythroid differentiation in a synchronized fashion. The purpose of the present study was to determine detailed kinetics of globin gene expression at the mRNA level in adult and newborn erythroid cells. Our results show that in cultures derived from normal adult peripheral blood, the mRNA levels of alpha- and beta-globin genes increased throughout most of the culture period, whereas gamma-globin mRNA remained at a low level. In contrast, high expression of all three globin genes, alpha, beta, and gamma, was observed in cultures derived from cord blood. The results demonstrate that the populations of erythroid progenitors in cord blood and in adult peripheral blood are fundamentally different, suggesting that this culture system recapitulates the normal pattern of globin gene expression, providing a valuable tool in the investigation of the regulation of the switch from fetal to adult hemoglobin."}
{"id": "PMID:1468547", "title": "Triggering of stem cell (CFU-S) proliferation after transplantation into irradiated hosts.", "content": "The paper demonstrates the beginning of increased proliferation of the bone marrow clonogenic cells, detected by the spleen colony technique, taken from normal mice and transplanted into syngeneic recipients, lethally irradiated 24 h previously. A lag period of about 10 h preceded the beginning of increased proliferation that was determined according to the sensitivity of transplanted cells to the lethal action of hydroxyurea."}
{"id": "PMID:1468548", "title": "A DNA fragment homologous to F1-ATPase beta subunit was amplified from genomic DNA of Methanosarcina barkeri. Indication of an archaebacterial F-type ATPase.", "content": "A 490 bp DNA fragment was amplified from Methanosarcina barkeri genomic DNA by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using oligonucleotide primers designed based on conserved amino acid sequences of the F1-ATPase beta subunits. The amino acid sequence deduced from the DNA sequence of this fragment was highly homologous to a portion of the F1-ATPase beta subunit. This indicates that this archaebacterium has a gene of F-type ATPase in addition to a gene of V-type ATPase."}
{"id": "PMID:1468549", "title": "Nucleotide sequence of the genes for ribosomal proteins HS15 and HSH from Haloarcula marismortui: an archaeon-specific gene cluster.", "content": "The nucleotide sequences of the genes for two ribosomal proteins, HS15 and HSH, from the archaeon Haloarcula marismortui, have been determined. The genes were found in a cluster together with another open reading frame with a probable regulatory function. HS15 and HSH have counterparts in eucarya. HS15 is significantly homologous to S19 from frog (Xenopus laevis). HSH is related to S37 from yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) and S27 from fly (Drosophila melanogaster), as well as to other members of the S27 family. Eubacterial counterparts were not found, suggesting that these proteins are 'extra proteins' that are absent in eubacterial ribosomes."}
{"id": "PMID:1468550", "title": "Molecular cloning of G protein alpha subunits from the central nervous system of the mollusc Lymnaea stagnalis.", "content": "The central nervous system of the pond snail, Lymnaea stagnalis, contains many large, identified neurons which can be easily manipulated making it an advantageous model system to elucidate in vivo the architecture of neuronal signal transduction pathways. We have isolated three cDNA clones encoding G protein alpha subunits that are expressed in the Lymnaea CNS, i.e. G alpha o, G alpha s and G alpha i. The deduced proteins exhibit a very high degree of sequence identity to their vertebrate and invertebrate counterparts. The strong conservation of G protein alpha subunits suggests that functional insights into G protein-mediated signalling routes obtained through the experimental amenability of the Lymnaea CNS will have relevance for similar pathways in the mammalian brain."}
{"id": "PMID:1468551", "title": "The amino acid sequence of a type I copper protein with an unusual serine- and hydroxyproline-rich C-terminal domain isolated from cucumber peelings.", "content": "We have determined the amino acid sequence of a small copper protein isolated from cucumber peelings. This cupredoxin contains 137 amino acids including a pyroglutamate as the first residue. The N-terminal 110 amino acid-long domain shows 30-37% identity to 2 other cupredoxins, stellacyanin and cucumber basic blue protein. A unique feature of this protein is a 27 amino acid-long C-terminal domain rich in 4-hydroxyproline and serine and resembling certain plant cell wall proteins. The prolines in this domain are hydroxylated to a different extent depending on the surrounding sequence."}
{"id": "PMID:1468552", "title": "Proteolytic processing of human intestinal lactase-phlorizin hydrolase precursor is not a prerequisite for correct sorting in Madin Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells.", "content": "Maturation of lactase-phlorizin hydrolase (LPH) (EC 3.2.1.23-62) requires proteolytic processing of precursor (pro-LPH) to mature microvillus membrane enzyme (m-LPH). Subcellular site and function of this processing are unknown. We studied the processing and sorting of human LPH expressed permanently in MDCK cells. LPH was inserted into the apical membrane and small amounts were found basolateral. Of the LPH immunoprecipitated from the apical membrane, 42% was in the mature, i.e. proteoytically processed form; on the basolateral membrane it was 20%. Thus, LPH-processing occurs after sorting and is not necessary for surface expression."}
{"id": "PMID:1468553", "title": "Inhibition of passive cutaneous anaphylaxis by synthetic human immunoglobulin E peptide fragments.", "content": "In an attempt to determine the regions responsible for type I immediate hypersensitivity, a total of 42 peptide fragments, which cover the CH3-CH4 domains in human immunoglobulin E (IgE), were chemically synthesized. Several peptide fragments located in the amino acid sequences Ala329-Thr357 and Arg419-Ala463, inhibited passive cutaneous anaphylaxis (PCA) in vivo. In order to pinpoint the sites responsible for the inhibition of the PCA reaction, various fragment peptides in these two regions were synthesized. As a result, residues Pro343-Leu348, Pro426-Thr433, and Ser456-Thr461 were suggested to be involved in type I immediate hypersensitivity."}
{"id": "PMID:1468554", "title": "Processing of the chloroplast transit peptide of pea carbonic anhydrase in chloroplasts and in Escherichia coli. Identification of two cleavage sites.", "content": "The chloroplast transit peptide (cTP) of pea carbonic anhydrase was shown to be processed at two different sites, giving protein subunits of two sizes. The cleavage sites were identified and found to be localized immediately before and after a highly charged part, containing 8 acidic and 6 basic residues, of the cTP. Properties of pea carbonic anhydrase produced in Escherichia coli show that folding, oligomerization and catalytic activity do not depend on the presence of the acidic part or the rest of the cTP. The pattern of processing of the cTP in E. coli indicates that cleavage at site I is specific for a chloroplastic stromal peptidase and that cleavage at site I prevents processing at site II."}
{"id": "PMID:1468555", "title": "DNA-specific antiidiotypic antibodies in the sera of patients with autoimmune diseases.", "content": "Blood sera of patients with autoimmune diseases scleroderma (Scl), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have been shown to yield a specific immune response to topoisomerase I, the product of expression of a cDNA fragment cloned into lambda gt11 and monoclonal antibodies (MAB) to the enzyme. The 'topoisomerase test' is not absolutely specific for Scl. The stable positive response of autoimmune sera to anti-topoisomerase monoclonal antibodies has a specific character and is associated with the interaction of the Fab fragment of MAB with the IgG fraction of autoimmune serum. The response observed indicates the induction of anti-idiotypic antibodies against topoisomerase. The anti-idiotype, isolated by HPLC and affinity chromatography demonstrated the following functional activities: (i) the immunological reaction against DNA; (ii) high-affinity DNA-binding with topoisomerase-specific consensus; (iii) ability to compete with the native enzyme for binding with DNA and MAB to topoisomerase; (iv) immunological reaction against MAB to topoisomerase."}
{"id": "PMID:1468556", "title": "Air saturation of the medium reduces the rate of phosphorylating oxidation of succinate in isolated mitochondria.", "content": "Rat brain mitochondria were isolated and their respiration was polarographically measured without contact with air oxygen. Gas-saturated experimental mixtures close to the in vivo partial oxygen pressure (normoxic) were compared with the air-saturated, i.e. hyperoxic, mixtures. The rate of phosphorylating oxidation of added succinate under normoxic conditions was found to be 70-100% higher compared with hyperoxic ones. The addition of succinate dehydrogenase activators results in a more than two-fold stronger stimulation of succinate oxidation under normoxia than under hyperoxia. Thiol group donors are shown to stimulate respiration under hyperoxia and not under normoxia. Hyperoxic conditions prevented oxidation of the low succinate concentrations corresponding to the physiological ones."}
{"id": "PMID:1468557", "title": "Investigation of the neighbour relationships between photosystem II polypeptides in the two types of isolated reaction centres (D1/D2/cytb559 and CP47/D1/D2/cyt b559 complexes).", "content": "The nearest neighbour relationships within the D1/D2/cyt b559 complex (PSIIRC) and the CP47/D1/D2/cyt b559 complex (RC-CP47) were investigated by using different length bifunctional crosslinking agents. The crosslinking products were identified by immunoblotting with polyclonal antibodies and by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. Seven products (CP47/D2, D1/D2/alpha, D1/D2, D2/alpha, D1/alpha, alpha/alpha, alpha/beta) have been revealed in both complexes. The crosslinking of both complexes does not increase their photostability. The photocrosslinking products (D1/alpha and D2/alpha) appeared under illumination of complexes with light of high intensity."}
{"id": "PMID:1468558", "title": "Diversion of the sign of phototaxis in a Chlamydomonas reinhardtii mutant incorporated with retinal and its analogs.", "content": "The blind mutant FN68 of the unicellular flagellate green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii is negatively phototactic in the presence of the native chromophore all-trans retinal. In contrast, analog chromophores such as a ring-acyclic retinal and those in which trans/cis isomerization about the C11 = C12 double bond was blocked induced predominantly positive phototaxis in the same strain under the same experimental conditions. These observations can be interpreted by assuming that the negative and the positive phototaxis is mediated distinctively by two rhodopsin species which differ in their affinities with the exogenous chromophores. However, a more reasonable explanation, which requires fewer assumptions, is that the sign of phototaxis depends on a delay in intracellular photosignal transduction. This novel view was deduced directly from the widely accepted hypothesis [1980, Microbiol. Rev. 44, 572-630] on phototaxis mechanisms."}
{"id": "PMID:1468559", "title": "The murine NPY-1 receptor gene. Structure and delineation of tissue-specific expression.", "content": "The murine gene for the NPY-1 receptor subtype for neuropeptide Y was characterized by DNA sequencing and expression studies. It comprises three exons with a 6,400 bp 5'-untranslated and a 80 bp internal intronic sequence. The 5'-flanking region of this gene lacks TATA or CCAAT consensus sequences in the proximity to the multiple transcription initiation sites. A 1,300 bp genomic fragment of the 5'-flanking region drives the expression of the lacZ reporter gene in NG108-15 cells and primary cultured neurons but not in glial and human embryonic kidney cells. In addition, it contains consensus sequences for various transcription factors including cAMP- and glucocorticoid-responsive elements."}
{"id": "PMID:1468560", "title": "Inhibition of epidermal growth factor receptor functions by tyrosine kinase inhibitors in NIH3T3 cells.", "content": "Epidermal growth factor (EGF) induces transformed phenotypes in EGF receptor-overexpressing NIH3T3 (ER12) cells. Tyrosine kinase inhibitors such as erbstatin and its stable analogue methyl 2,5-dihydroxycinnamate inhibited the EGF-induced phenotypic changes in these cells; while 5'-O-methylerbstatin, an inactive analogue, did not. Methyl 2,5-dihydroxycinnamate inhibited intracellular tyrosine kinase activity in EGF-treated ER12 cells. Methyl 2,5-dihydroxycinnamate also delayed the EGF-induced DNA synthesis from the quiescent phase ER12 cells without showing irreversible cytotoxicity. It inhibited the DNA synthesis most efficiently at the early G1 phase. Thus, tyrosine kinase inhibitors may modify malignant phenotypes in EGF receptor-overexpressing neoplasms."}
{"id": "PMID:1468561", "title": "Resonance Raman studies of the carbonmonoxy form of catalase. Evidence for and effects of phenolate ligation.", "content": "Resonance Raman spectra are reported for the carbon monoxide (CO) adduct of catalase formed from the reaction of peracetic acid or hydrogen peroxide with the azide adduct of catalase in the presence of CO. The expected three normal vibrations of the FE-CO fragment are detected at 1,908,593 and 543 cm-1 for the nu(C-O), delta(Fe-C-O) and nu(Fe-CO), respectively. The expected coordination of the phenolate group in this adduct is confirmed by the enhancement of an internal vibration of phenolate, nu 19a at 1,515 cm-1, and an extraordinary intensity enhancement of the nu(Fe-CO) mode."}
{"id": "PMID:1468562", "title": "Interdependence of respiratory NO reduction and nitrite reduction revealed by mutagenesis of nirQ, a novel gene in the denitrification gene cluster of Pseudomonas stutzeri.", "content": "An open reading frame, designated nirQ, was identified upstream of nirS, the structural gene for the respiratory nitrite reductase of Pseudomonas stutzeri ZoBell. Its derived gene product (275 amino acids, M(r) = 30,554) shows similarity to the NtrC protein family of transcriptional activators. Deletion-replacement mutagenesis of the nirQ gene resulted in the simultaneous loss of nitrite reduction and NO reduction in vivo. However, both reductases were still synthesized, with only nitrite reductase being active in vitro. NO reductase was overproduced by a factor of about 2. Our results indicate that the systems for nitrite reduction and NO reduction are functionally coupled."}
{"id": "PMID:1468563", "title": "Role of ADP-ribosylation in endothelial signal transduction and prostacyclin production.", "content": "ADP-ribosylation of proteins by the enzymatic transfer of ADP-ribose from NAD has been implicated in a number of biological processes. We report that inhibitors of ADP-ribosylation, most notably the novel inhibitor of arginine specific cellular mono(ADP-ribosyl) transferase, meta-iodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) as well as nicotinamide, L-arginine methyl ester (LAME) and guanyltyramine, inhibit histamine-induced endothelial production of inositol phosphates, release of arachidonic acid and production of prostacyclin (PGI2). Those same responses were unaffected by MIBG when triggered by thrombin or leukotriene C4. These findings suggest that ADP-ribosylation serves a role in histamine-induced production of prostacyclin and imply differences in transduction pathways employed by the different agonists."}
{"id": "PMID:1468564", "title": "A novel nuclear 42-kDa casein kinase identified in Chironomus tentans.", "content": "We have purified and characterised an apparently novel nuclear 42-kDa casein kinase from epithelial cells of Chironomus tentans which comigrates with a phosphoprotein associated with transcriptionally active salivary gland genes. The protein kinase promotes phosphorylation of casein and phosvitin, using either ATP or GTP as phosphate donors, and undergoes autophosphorylation. The casein kinase activity of the 42-kDa protein is sensitive to heparin, 5,6-dichloro-1-beta-D-ribofuranosylbezimidazole (DRB), spermine and spermidine indicating that it is a novel enzyme with similar but not identical properties to casein kinase II or nuclear protein kinase NII."}
{"id": "PMID:1468565", "title": "A novel ubiquinone reductase activity in rat cytosol.", "content": "Ubiquinone (UQ) reductase activity which reduces UQ to ubiquinol (UQH2) in rat tissues was roughly proportional to the UQH2/total UQ ratio in respective tissues. The highest activity was found in the liver, showing the highest UQH2/total UQ ratio. A greater part of liver UQ reductase activity was located in the cytosol. Within a week, the liver UQ reductase activity decreased by 80% even at -20 degrees C. The DT-diaphorase activity was stable. UQ reductase required NADPH as the hydrogen donor and was not inhibited by a less than 1 microM concentration of dicoumarol. There was no stimulation of UQ reductase in the presence of bovine serum albumin nor in Triton X-100. Yet, both stimulated DT-diaphorase. As a result, UQ reductase appeared to be a novel NADPH-UQ oxidoreductase and responsible for the UQ redox state in liver."}
{"id": "PMID:1468566", "title": "Photoreaction of N560 intermediate in the photocycle of bacteriorhodopsin.", "content": "Sophisticated measurements were made on the nanosecond time-resolved absorbance change of the purple membrane of Halobacterium halobium under cw background light irradiation (440-800 nm, 11-441 mW/cm2). A red-shifted transient species R660 (KN, Q) was found in alkaline conditions (pH > 9.3). Background light intensity effect shows that (i) R660 is photochemically formed from N560 intermediate which is accumulated under background light irradiation because of the elongated lifetime in alkaline suspension, and that (ii) the slow decaying M412 is not photochemically formed from N560 but from bR568."}
{"id": "PMID:1468567", "title": "Preferential binding of alpha-actinin to actin bundles.", "content": "At 37 degrees C, the alpha-actin-F-actin binding isotherm is anomalous. In 6.7% polyethylene glycol 6000, concomitantly with the formation of actin bundles, the binding isotherm becomes hyperbolic (Kdiss. = 11.3 microM). alpha-Actinin increases the rigidity of the networks formed by actin bundles in polyethylene glycol and by paracrystalline actin in 16 mM MgCl2 but not by F-actin. It is proposed that in the cell alpha-actinin functions are mostly carried on by interaction with actin bundles."}
{"id": "PMID:1468568", "title": "Pulsed magnetic field effects on calcium signaling in lymphocytes: dependence on cell status and field intensity.", "content": "The effect of 3-Hz, monopolar, quasi-rectangular magnetic field pulses on 45Ca2+ uptake in resting and mitogen-treated rat thymic lymphocytes was evaluated. A 30-min, non-thermal exposure to the pulsed magnetic field (Bpeak = 6.5 mT, Emax = 0.69 mV/cm, Jmax = 2.6 microA/cm2) reduced Concanavalin A-induced 45Ca2+ uptake by 45%. It was observed that (i) the induction of the 3-Hz field response depended on Ca2+ signal transduction activation; (ii) the response direction (stimulation or inhibition) depended on the level of lymphocyte mitogen responsiveness, and (iii) the field response magnitude increased with increasing magnetic field flux densities (Bpeak = 0, 1.6, 6.5 and 28 mT). Our results demonstrate field effects at Bmax nearly 10(4) greater than that of the average human environment for low-frequency magnetic fields and they are consistent with the independent results from other 3-Hz pulsed magnetic field studies with lymphocytes."}
{"id": "PMID:1468569", "title": "Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMP-2 and BMP-3) induce the late phase expression of the proto-oncogene c-fos in murine osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cells.", "content": "Here we report that bone morphogenetic proteins 2 and 3 (BMP-2 and BMP-3) induced marked expression of c-fos mRNA in a biphasic manner, i.e. the late phase (48 to 60 h) as well as the immediate-early phase (0.5 h), in murine osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cells in vitro. The BMP-induced late phase c-fos gene expression was temporally associated with the onset of marked expression of the genes for osteocalcin and alkaline phosphatase, differentiation markers of mature osteoblasts. In contrast, none of TGF-beta 1, 10% FBS, IGF-I and IGF-II, which induced only the immediate-early c-fos mRNA expression, stimulated the expression of osteocalcin and alkaline phosphatase genes. These data suggest that in osteoblasts BMP-2 and BMP-3 induce the late phase expression of c-fos, which may play a role in transcriptional activation of the genes involved in differentiation of osteoblasts."}
{"id": "PMID:1468570", "title": "Brefeldin A inhibits protein synthesis in cultured cells.", "content": "The fungal metabolite brefeldin A (BFA) is known to disrupt the Golgi apparatus resulting in redistribution of Golgi proteins to the endoplasmic reticulum and inhibition of protein secretion. BFA was found to inhibit protein synthesis in rat glioma C6 cells by up to 70% between 0.1 and 1 microgram/ml. Inhibition was both time-dependent and reversible. BFA inhibited protein synthesis to varying degrees in a number of other cell lines but not in BFA-resistant marsupial kidney cells. The same concentrations of BFA which inhibited protein synthesis, also blocked the inhibitory effects of Pseudomonas exotoxin and ricin on BFA-sensitive cells. BFA, however, was unable to block the inhibition of protein synthesis by the toxins in the resistant marsupial kidney cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1468571", "title": "The organisation of the mouse secretogranin II gene.", "content": "We have characterized the gene which encodes mouse secretogranin II (previously also referred to as chromogranin C), a tyrosine-sulfated secretory protein belonging to the granin (chromogranin/secretogranin) family which is found in secretory granules of most endocrine cells and neurons. The secretogranin II gene was found to contain 2 exons. In contrast to chromogranin A and chromogranin B, the two previously characterized granin genes, the entire secretogranin II protein is encoded by a single exon, exon 2, with exon 1 containing only a 5'-untranslated sequence. Consistent with previous data on the expression of secretogranin II, the putative promoter region was found to contain a cAMP-responsive element and a potential AP-1 binding site."}
{"id": "PMID:1468572", "title": "Presence and coding properties of 2'-O-methyl-5-carbamoylmethyluridine (ncm5Um) in the wobble position of the anticodon of tRNA(Leu) (U*AA) from brewer's yeast.", "content": "The unknown modified nucleoside U* has been isolated by enzymatic and HPLC protocols from tRNA(Leu) (U*AA) recently discovered in brewer's yeast. The pure U* nucleoside has been characterized by electron impact mass spectroscopy, and comparison of its chromatographic and UV-absorption properties with those of appropriate synthetic compounds. The structure of U* was established as 2'-O-methyl-5-carbamoylmethyluridine (ncm5Um). The yeast tRNA(Leu) (U*AA) is the only tRNA so far sequenced which has been shown to contain ncm5Um. The location of such a modified uridine at the first position of the anticodon restricts the decoding property to A of the leucine UUA codon."}
{"id": "PMID:1468573", "title": "Human urokinase contains GalNAc beta (1-4)[Fuc alpha (1-3)]GlcNAc beta (1-2) as a novel terminal element in N-linked carbohydrate chains.", "content": "Structural analysis of enzymically released N-linked carbohydrate chains of human urokinase (urinary-type plasminogen activator) by 1H NMR spectroscopy and FAB-MS demonstrated that the N-linked oligosaccharides on the only N-glycosylation site contain diantennary structures with the novel GalNAc beta (1-4) [Fuc alpha (1-3)]GlcNAc beta (1-2) element in the upper or the lower branch."}
{"id": "PMID:1468574", "title": "Effect of phosphoramidon on big endothelin-2 conversion into endothelin-2 in human renal adenocarcinoma (ACHN) cells. Analysis of endothelin-2 biosynthetic pathway.", "content": "The biosynthetic pathway of endothelin (ET)-2 was analyzed in cultured ACHN cells. In the supernatant, we detected three ET-2-related peptides, ET-2, big ET-2(1-38) and big ET-2(22-38). Phosphoramidon decreased the amount of ET-2 and increased that of big ET-2(1-38) dose-dependently. The amount of big ET-2(1-37) did not significantly change. These results suggest that big ET-2 is composed of 38 and not 37 amino acid residues, and that a putative ET-2-converting enzyme (ECE-2) should be classified as a phosphoramidon-sensitive neutral metalloprotease, bearing a resemblance to the putative ET-1-converting enzyme (ECE-1) in endothelial cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1468575", "title": "Altered response to growth factors in rat epithelial liver cells overexpressing human c-Fos protein.", "content": "Human c-fos cDNA was transfected into normal rat liver epithelial (REL) cells to identify cellular modifications associated with high expression of c-Fos protein. Responses to EGF and TGF beta were examined in the different cell lines, under anchorage-dependent and -independent conditions. Sensitivity to both factors was modified in transfected cells. While parental cells in monolayer did not respond to EGF, c-fos containing cells growth was stimulated by this factor. Overexpression of c-Fos protein led to an enhanced TGF beta-induced growth inhibition under anchorage dependent conditions, and TGF beta abolished spontaneous growth in soft agar of the cell lines containing c-fos oncogene. The mechanisms underlying the increased sensitivity to TGF beta in c-fos transfected cells are still to be determined."}
{"id": "PMID:1468576", "title": "Verapamil reverses the ultrastructural alterations in the plasma membrane induced by drug resistance.", "content": "Two P388 cell sublines with different levels of resistance to daunomycin (DNM), P388/20 and P388/100 cells (approximately 20- and 100-fold resistance, respectively), undergo a significant (approximately 2-fold) increase in the number of intramembrane particles (IMPs) present at their plasma membrane, as compared to that exhibited by the parental, drug-sensitive P388 (P388/S) cell line. Regardless of the level of resistance, incubation of drug-resistant cells with verapamil, a well known reverting agent of anthracycline resistance, restores the morphology of the plasma membrane in these cells, yielding a pattern in which the number and size distribution of IMPs at both leaflets of the bilayer, become undistinguishable from those displayed by drug-sensitive cells. Furthermore, verapamil did not affect the ultrastructural organization of the plasma membrane of drug-sensitive cells. It is possible that the alterations in the structural organization of the plasma membrane of the antineoplastic-resistant tumor cells, might represent a reliable 'marker' for early diagnosis of drug resistance."}
{"id": "PMID:1468577", "title": "Enhanced acetylcholine secretion in neuroblastoma x glioma hybrid NG108-15 cells transfected with rat choline acetyltransferase cDNA.", "content": "Neuroblastoma x glioma hybrid NG108-15 cells and mouse neuroblastoma N18TG-2 and N1E-115 cells were transiently transfected with the sense cDNA coding for rat choline acetyltransferase (ChAT). All transfected cell lines showed a high level of ChAT activity. ACh secretion was monitored by recording miniature end-plate potentials (MEPPs) in striated muscle cells that had been co-cultured with transfected cells. The number of muscle cells with synaptic responses and the MEPP frequency were higher in co-culture with transfected NG108-15 cells than with control or mock cells. No synaptic response was detected in muscle cells co-cultured with transfected N18TG-2 or N1E-115 cells. The results show that ACh secretion into the synaptic cleft was enhanced due to ChAT overexpression in NG108-15 hybrid cells but not in neuroblastoma cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1468578", "title": "The thermal stability of the tryptic fragment of bovine microsomal cytochrome b5 and a variant containing six additional residues.", "content": "Thermally induced denaturation has been measured for both oxidised and reduced forms of the tryptic fragment of bovine microsomal cytochrome b5 using spectrophotometric methods. In the oxidised state, the tryptic fragment of cytochrome b5 (Ala7-Lys90) denatures in a single cooperative transition with a midpoint temperature (Tm) of approximately 67 degrees C (pH 7.0). The reduced form of the tryptic fragment of cytochrome b5 shows a higher transition temperature of approximately 73 degrees C at pH 7.0 and this is reflected in the values of delta Hm, delta Sm and delta(delta G) of approximately 310kJ.mol-1, 900J.mol-1.K-1 and 5 kJ.mol-1. Increased thermal stability is demonstrated for a variant protein that contains the first 90 amino acid residues of cytochrome b5. These novel increases in stability are observed in both redox states and result from the presence of six additional residues at the amino-terminus. The two forms of cytochrome b5 do not differ significantly in structure with the results suggesting that the reorganisation energy (lambda) of the variant protein, as measured indirectly from redox-linked differences in conformational stability, is small. Consequently the reported subtle differences in reactivity between variants of cytochrome b5 may result from the presence of additional N-terminal residues on the surface of the protein."}
{"id": "PMID:1468579", "title": "Nucleolar and cytoplasmic localization of annexin V.", "content": "The subcellular localization of annexin V in cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells, epithelial cells and fibroblasts was examined. Indirect immunofluorescence and immunoblotting studies using affinity-purified anti-annexin V antibodies revealed that annexin V is located within the cytoplasm and nucleus of these cells. Further examination and direct binding studies showed that annexin V within the nucleus is associated with the nucleolus. These findings suggest that annexin V may play a role in a nucleolar function, such as ribosome assembly and transport."}
{"id": "PMID:1468580", "title": "Characterization of carbohydrate chains of C1-inhibitor and of desialylated C1-inhibitor.", "content": "Carbohydrate chains of C1-inhibitor were identified with a binding assay using different lectins. Lectins from Sambucus nigra (SNA) and Maackia amurensis (MAA) that are specific for sialic acids bound to C1-inhibitor. Lectin from Datura stramonium (DSA) reacted also with the inhibitor indicating complex and hybrid sugar structures. C1-inhibitor was enzymatically desialylated and reexamined for lectin binding. SNA and MAA did not react anymore, but in addition to DSA, peanut agglutinin, which can bind to carbohydrate chains after sialic acids are removed, bound to desialylated C1-inhibitor. C1-inhibitor contains about 30 sialic acid residues per molecule. SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis showed that desialylated C1-inhibitor had a faster mobility than native C1-inhibitor. The N-terminal sequence of desialylated C1-inhibitor was the same as of native C1-inhibitor and no change in the inhibition of human plasma kallikrein was observed."}
{"id": "PMID:1468581", "title": "Determination of the relative configuration of 5,6,7,8-tetrahydromethanopterin by two-dimensional NMR spectroscopy.", "content": "The relative configuration of the pterin moiety of 5,6,7,8-tetrahydromethanopterin 1, a coenzyme isolated from methanogenic archaea, has been determined by two-dimensional NMR spectroscopy of N5,N10-methenyl-5,6,7,8-tetrahydromethanopterin 2 to be rel-(6R; 7S; 11R). The complete proton resonance assignment of the pterin moiety of N5,N10-methylene-5,6,7,8-tetrahydromethanopterin 3 is described including the relative stereospecific assignment of the C(14a) methylene protons."}
{"id": "PMID:1468582", "title": "Soluble interferon-alpha receptor molecules are present in body fluids.", "content": "Soluble forms of the interferon-alpha receptor (sIFN-alpha R) were identified in human serum and urine by Western blotting with monoclonal antibodies (MAb) directed against IFN-alpha R, and by immunoprecipitation (Iptn) of a covalently cross-linked complex of IFN-alpha R and [125I]IFN-alpha with anti IFN-alpha MAb. Elevated levels of sIFN-alpha R were found in sera of hairy cell leukemia patients. The soluble receptor from serum migrated as a 55 kDa protein in SDS-PAGE, and, as expected, the cross-linked product migrated as a 75 kDa protein. The soluble receptor from urine was found to be a protein of mol. wt. 45 kDa and its cross-linked complex migrated as a 65 kDa protein. The calculated mol. wt. of the entire extracellular domain of the IFN-alpha R prior to post-translational modifications is 47,000. Since there are 12 potential glycosylation points in this extracellular domain, its actual mol. wt. may be as high as 70,000 Da. It is therefore concluded that sIFN-alpha R molecules, corresponding to truncated forms of the extracellular domain of the cell surface IFN-alpha R, are present in human serum and in normal human urine."}
{"id": "PMID:1468583", "title": "Intrinsic activity of precursor forms of HIV-1 proteinase.", "content": "The wild-type -Phe*Pro- bond located at the N-terminus of the mature aspartic proteinase of HIV-1 was replaced by -Ile-Pro- or -Val-Pro-. By this means, processing at this cleavage junction was prevented and so, extended or precursor forms of HIV-proteinase were generated. These constructs were expressed in Escherichia coli, purified therefrom, and their specificity, activity at different pH values and susceptibility to the potent inhibitor, Ro31-8959, was assessed. A hitherto unobserved cleavage junction (at approximately Ala-Phe*Leu-Gln approximately) in the frame-shift region of the gag-pol viral genome was identified and confirmed by demonstrating cleavage of a synthetic peptide corresponding to this region. The implications for viral replication of self-processing at neural pH by proteinase whilst still present (in a precursor form) as a component of the polyprotein are considered; such reactions, however, are still blocked even at pH values as high as 8.0 by Ro31-8959."}
{"id": "PMID:1468584", "title": "Studies of oxidative stress in cellular systems. The interaction of monocytes and erythrocytes.", "content": "1H spin echo NMR spectroscopy is used to follow the interaction of intact and viable erythrocytes and monocytes obtained from different sources in mixed cultures. After a lag time (270 min) erythrocyte glutathione is observed to become more oxidised. This result is believed to occur as a consequence of monocyte activation generating hydrogen peroxide or hypochlorous acid, which is targeted at the erythrocyte. The red cell in turn employs its sulphydryl system as an anti-oxidant defence."}
{"id": "PMID:1468585", "title": "The neuropeptide, neuromedin C, activates a potassium current in mouse macrophages.", "content": "Neuromedin C (NmC) induced an outward current (Io(NmC)) in macrophages. Reversal potentials were dependent on external K+ concentrations ([K+]o) and independent of [Cl-]o. Tetraethylammonium (TEA) and quinidine effectively suppressed Io(NmC). Charybdotoxin (ChTX) and apamin had little effect. Io(NmC) was abolished in Ca(2+)-free EGTA-containing solution. These results suggest that MnC activates a Ca(2+)-dependent K+ current (IK,Ca) and can modulate activities in macrophages."}
{"id": "PMID:1468586", "title": "Identification of a MAP kinase kinase kinase in phaeochromocytoma (PC12) cells.", "content": "A MAP kinase kinase kinase (MAPKKK) was identified in phaeochromocytoma (PC12) cells which reactivated homogeneous MAP kinase kinase (MAPKK) from rabbit skeletal muscle that had been inactivated by incubation with protein phosphatase 2A. Reactivation was accompanied by stoichiometric phosphorylation of MAPKK on a serine residue(s). Following stimulation of PC12 cells with nerve growth factor and chromatography of the extracts on Mono Q, MAP kinase and MAPKK were detected as active phosphorylated enzymes, whereas MAPKKK was inactive and only activated after prolonged storage at 4 degrees C. The results suggest that the activation of MAPKKK by growth factors is likely to occur by a non-covalent mechanism."}
{"id": "PMID:1468587", "title": "Role of liver-type glucose transporter (GLUT2) in transport across the basolateral membrane in rat jejunum.", "content": "To obtain information on the regulation of glucose transport across the basolateral membrane (BLM) of intestinal epithelial cells, we measured the number of [3H]cytochalasin B binding sites and the level of liver-type glucose transporter (GLUT2) protein in the BLM in the jejunum of rats (i) with diabetes (ii) given a high-carbohydrate diet or (iii) with experimental hyperglycemia (12 h infusion of a high-glucose solution). A glucose uptake and the number of D-glucose inhibitable [3H]cytochalasin B binding sites in BLM vesicles were significantly increased in all three conditions. Western blot analysis showed that the amount of GLUT2 protein in BLM vesicles was increased in rats with diabetes and those given a high-carbohydrate diet, but not in those with experimental hyperglycemia. These results suggest that there is a mechanism for rapid regulation of glucose transport in the BLM that does not depend on change in the amount of GLUT2."}
{"id": "PMID:1468588", "title": "Uptake and metabolism of fluorescent ceramide analogs by rat oligodendrocytes in culture.", "content": "We studied the metabolism of sphingolipids by oligodendrocytes derived from rat spinal cord by providing lipid vesicles with either N-lissamine-rhodaminyl-ceramide (LRh-Cer) or N-(7-nitrobenz-2-oxa-1,3-diazol-4-yl)-ceramide (NBD-Cer) to the cells cultured in a chemically-defined medium. With both probes the major fluorescent product turned out to be sphingomyelin (SM). Most of LRh-SM was not cell-associated but recovered from the culture medium, probably due to back-exchange to the lipid vesicles. The accumulation of LRh-SM, both in the cells and in the medium, was inhibited in the presence of monensin or brefeldin A, whereas the production of NBD-SM was much less affected by these Golgi perturbing drugs. With LRh-Cer as substrate, LRh-labelled fatty acid (FA), galactosyl- and sulfogalactosyl-ceramides (GalCer and SGalCer) were also formed. NBD-Cer, however, was metabolized to glucosylceramide (GlcCer) and GalCer but not to SGalCer or NBD-FA. These data demonstrate that chemical modifications of ceramide alter its metabolism in oligodendrocytes and that the metabolites of LRh-Cer reflect the glycolipid composition of myelin more closely than those of NBD-Cer."}
{"id": "PMID:1468589", "title": "The homodimeric hemoglobin from Scapharca can be locked into new cooperative structures upon reaction of Cys92, located at the subunit interface, with organomercurials.", "content": "In the cooperative, homodimeric hemoglobin from Scapharca inaequivalvis, HbI, the subunit interface is formed by the heme-carrying E and F helices and contains the only cysteine residue of the globin chain (Cys92, F2) in an area which changes from hydrophilic to hydrophobic upon oxygenation. Binding of organomercurials to HbI is cooperative and entails major quaternary rearrangements. The reaction of Cys92 with p-chloromercuri-benzoate (PMB) and p-nitro-o-chloromercuriphenol (PN), a sensitive reporter of the cysteine microenvironment at neutral pH values, has been followed in stopped flow experiments. Kinetic evidence for the cooperativity of mercurial binding has been obtained and the rate of the corresponding conformational transition has been estimated. As expected PN, but not PMB, is able to monitor the oxygen-linked change of the cysteine microenvironment. The modification of Cys92 with PN has unique functional effects. In PN-reacted HbI cooperativity is maintained, albeit to a different extent, depending on the ligation state of the protein during mercaptide formation. It may be envisaged that PN locks the protein into new, cooperative, quaternary structures stabilized by hydrogen bonding interactions between the ionized nitrophenol moiety and the contralateral subunit."}
{"id": "PMID:1468590", "title": "The binding of the fluorescent ATP analogue 2'(3')-trinitrophenyladenosine-5'-triphosphate to rat liver fatty acid-binding protein.", "content": "The less polar fluorescent analogue of ATP, 2'(3')-trinitrophenyl-5'-triphosphate bound to rat liver fatty acid-binding protein with high affinity (Kd 6.3 x 10(-6) M) and 1:1 molar stoichiometry. This probe bound to the fatty acid binding site of the protein and was displaced by oleic acid and oleoyl CoA. High concentrations of ATP did not cause significant displacement of the fluorescent ATP analogue. Since the anionic part of this molecule is the triphosphate group it is difficult to envisage this group being accommodated at an anion binding site within the non-polar core of this protein as is the case with other fatty acid binding proteins. Therefore it is anticipated that the ligand must bind to liver fatty acid-binding protein with this triphosphate group surface exposed. Caution must be exercised when using the more hydrophobic fluorescent analogue of ATP to investigate the ATP binding properties of proteins."}
{"id": "PMID:1468591", "title": "Evidence for receptor-linked activation of phospholipase D in rat parotid glands. Stimulation by carbamylcholine, PMA and calcium.", "content": "In order to test if phospholipase D (PLD) activity exists in the rat parotid gland, we took advantage of the fact that, in the presence of ethanol, PLD generates phosphatidylethanol (PEth) via a transphosphatidylation reaction. Lipid extracts of parotid acini prelabelled with [3H]myristic acid were analyzed by thin layer chromatography to determine [3H]phosphatidylethanol ([3H]PEth) formation. Carbamylcholine (1 mM) stimulated [3H]PEth formation in the presence of 2% ethanol, this effect was completely inhibited by atropine (10 microM). PMA (0.1-1 microM) and ionomycine (10 microM) also caused [3H]PEth generation. We conclude that a phospholipase D activity is present in the rat parotid gland and is regulated by muscarinic cholinergic receptors. Protein kinase C and calcium could also modulate this activity. This report provides the first evidence for the existence and receptor-linked regulation of phospholipase D in an exocrine gland, the rat parotid gland."}
{"id": "PMID:1468592", "title": "[Endogenous levels and dynamics of estrogen sulfates--physiological and pathological roles of estrone sulfate and estradiol 17-sulfate].", "content": "Plasma ethinylestradiol increases 47.6% when taken with ascorbic acid because of competition in producing sulfate conjugation. Thus the role of sulfates may be important. Serum and urinary estrone sulfate (E1-S) in pregnancy and non-pregnancy were analyzed. Its serum peak during the menstrual cycle was 2.67 +/- 0.37 ng/ml (mean +/- SE) and about ten times that of estradiol-17 beta. E1-S showed lower levels in malignant tissues of breast cancer and endometrial cancer. Increased sulfatase activity in the malignant tissue hydrolyzes E1-S to E1, which may develop the tumors. Serum estradiol 17-sulfate (E2-17-S) in pregnancy was first measured. As E2-17-S decreased, lipid peroxides increased. E2-17-S is converted to 2-OH or 4-OH E2-17-S, which act as lipid peroxide scavengers. Pregnancy-induced hypertension showed lower levels of E2-17-S. In vitro study using the human endothelial cell of the aorta, E2-17-S and 2-OH E2-17-S strongly suppressed lipid peroxidation, which precedes atherosclerotic change."}
{"id": "PMID:1468593", "title": "[Diagnosis and treatment of primary hyperparathyroidism].", "content": "Primary hyperparathyroidism is nowadays not uncommon in Japan. The incidence is considered to be one in every 2,500 to 5,000 persons. Many advances have occurred in diagnosis, localization study, and treatment of the disease. Surgery remains the treatment of choice for patients with primary hyperparathyroidism. Notwithstanding, there are still controversies concerning the management of primary hyperparathyroidism. One of the current disputable points is whether the use of localization study in patients who are undergoing and initial operation is justified or not. Another is whether unilateral exploration is justified or not. The basic reasons for these persistent controversies is the lack of consensus about incidence of multiglandular hyperplasia or double adenomas. Our observation implies that the incidence of hyperplasia or double adenomas among all the patients with primary hyperparathyroidism in Japan is lower than that in western countries. Since diagnostic accuracy of noninvasive localization studies has recently improved, it seems reasonable to adopt unilateral neck exploration in our country. It is also characteristic in Japan that the incidence of parathyroid carcinoma is relatively high (6%) compared with that reported in many other countries."}
{"id": "PMID:1468594", "title": "[Prediction of ovulation by urinary LH surge].", "content": "To investigate the usefulness of a semi-quantitative assay of urinary luteinizing hormone (LH) for predicting ovulation, the relationship among urinary LH, serum LH, serum estradiol (E2) and ultrasonographic observations of follicles were examined in 32 infertile women (35 cycles) at spontaneous (7), clomiphene (13) or cyclofenil (3) induced or hMG (12) induced cycles. Their urine samples were collected 3 times a day for LH assay, starting from about the 10th cycle day or when follicles having a diameter of 10mm or more were detected to the day of ultrasonographical confirmation of follicle ruptures. In the morning on these days, blood was taken twice daily for LH and E2 determination at intervals of 30 min. In spontaneous cycles, urinary LH was (P < 0.001) correlated to a significant extent with the serum LH and E2 levels, and follicle rupture was observed 1.9 days after the urine LH surge. In contrast, there was no significant correlation between the urine LH and serum LH or E2 levels in the ovulation induced cycles. In addition, the period from urine LH positive to follicle rupture was significantly (P < 0.05) prolonged in those cycles compared with that in spontaneous cycles. These results suggested that the urine LH determination was good for predicting ovulation in spontaneous cycles, but it was also necessary to monitor the follicle sizes by ultrasonography in ovulation induced cycles."}
{"id": "PMID:1468595", "title": "[Athyreotic congenital hypothyroidism in two sisters].", "content": "Two sisters with athyreotic congenital hypothyroidism are described. This is the fifth report on athyreotic congenital hypothyroidism in siblings. The elder sister is 14 years old and the younger one is 12. The parents have no consanguinity or family history of thyroid disease. Both of the patients were born before the start of neonatal screening tests for congenital hypothyroidism. After birth, they had jaundice, abdominal distention and constipation, which are typical symptoms of congenital hypothyroidism. Serum T4 levels were decreased, and the serum TSH levels were markedly increased. Therefore we diagnosed them as having congenital hypothyroidism. They have received replacement therapy with thyroxine since diagnosis and have shown normal development physically and psychologically. They were tested for thyroid scintigram when the elder sister was 9 years old and the younger one was 7. 123I thyroid uptakes were 0.69% and 0.64%, respectively. The thyroid scans demonstrated no focus of accumulation of 123I. They do not have trapping defect of iodine, because 123I ratio of saliva and serum were 41.3 and 46.3, respectively. From these results, we diagnosed them as having athyreotic congenital hypothyroidism. They and their mother do not have any antithyroid antibodies. We suppose that some genetic factor is responsible for the athyreotic congenital hypothyroidism."}
{"id": "PMID:1468596", "title": "[Studies on thyroid hormone autoantibody in two euthyroid cases with spuriously high value of serum free triiodothyronine].", "content": "Spuriously high value of serum free triiodothyronine (FT3: Amerlex free T3 kit, Amersham, UK.) was noted accidentally on routine laboratory examination of two clinically euthyroid patients (case 1: FT3; 18.5 pg/ml, FT4; 1.1 ng/dl, T3; 103 ng/dl, T4; 8.2 micrograms/dl, TSH; 1.74 microU/ml, case 2: FT3; 8.5 pg/ml, FT4; 1.1 ng/dl, T3; 137 ng/dl, T4; 8.9 micrograms/dl, TSH; 1.45 microU/ml), the former with poorly controlled diabetes (FBG 253 mg/dl, HbA1c 12.1%) and the latter with essential hypertension (184/108 mmHg). Although the hypertensive patient showed mild diffuse goiter, there was no evidence that the patients had autoimmune thyroid diseases because anti-thyroglobulin antibody tests measured by radioimmunoassay and MCHA, TGHA or TBII were all negative. Their serum levels of TBG were within the normal range. Further studies revealed that both patients' sera had unusual binding activity to labelled polyaminocarboxy T3 (125I-aT3) but not labelled T3 (125I-T3). Furthermore, this binding protein was precipitated by goat anti-human immunoglobulin G (IgG). The IgG purified from both patients' sera also showed strong binding activity to 125I-aT3, which was inhibited by unlabelled T3 in a dose dependent manner. In conclusion, we found anti-T3 antibody in two clinically euthyroid patients with no apparent evidence of complicating autoimmune thyroid diseases. The stronger binding activity to polyaminocarboxy T3 rather than T3 may lead to the spuriously high value of serum FT3. The mechanisms of the production of such autoantibodies in our cases should be further investigated."}
{"id": "PMID:1468597", "title": "[A case of Hashimoto's thyroiditis associated with renal tubular acidosis, Sj\u00f6gren syndrome and empty sella syndrome].", "content": "This report describes a 48-year old female patient with Hashimoto's thyroiditis, distal-type renal tubular acidosis (d-RTA), Sj\u00f6gren syndrome (SjS), and empty sella syndrome (ESS). She has been receiving replacement of thyroxine for Hashimoto's thyroiditis since 1967. She felt muscle weakness and numbness in the extremities and was found to have low serum potassium (2.9 mEq/l) in 1987. Since then she has been administrated potassium chloride orally. She was admitted to our hospital because of recurrence of muscle weakness and numbness of the extremities in November 1990. Laboratory examination revealed that her serum levels of antimicrosomal antibody and anti-thyroglobulin antibody were highly positive (MCHA: x 2(10) x 100, and TGHA: x 100). Furthermore, she was revealed to have 1) d-RTA by oral tolerance tests with the administration of NH4Cl and NaHCO3, 2) SjS by Schirmer test and sialography, and 3) ESS by computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging examinations of the pituitary. Association of Hashimoto's thyroiditis, d-RTA, SjS and ESS in this case may possibly be caused by common autoimmune mechanism."}
{"id": "PMID:1468598", "title": "Adrenal renin: regulation and function.", "content": "Extrarenal renin has been identified in a variety of tissues. All of the components of the renin-angiotensin system have been detected in some organs, including the adrenal gland. A number of hypotheses have been expressed regarding the physiological function of these extrarenal renin systems, but no specific function has been clearly identified. This review focuses on the renin system in the adrenal cortex. Renin has been found in a variety of species, including the human adrenal cortex and adrenal tumors. Our investigations have focused on the renin-angiotensin system in the adrenal cortex of the rat, and have shown that renin is mainly present and synthesized in the zona glomerulosa cells. Renin production is under physiological control and can be altered by changes in electrolyte intake, adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH), and the genetic background of the rat. In these experiments, a positive correlation between adrenal renin and aldosterone concentration is found. Furthermore, in primary culture of zona glomerulosa cells, a converting enzyme inhibitor can reduce the aldosterone stimulation by ACTH and potassium. However, these studies by themselves are not convincing evidence of the physiological role of the adrenal renin system. Further investigations are necessary to determine its role, if any, in adrenal function."}
{"id": "PMID:1468599", "title": "Immune-neuroendocrine circuits: integrative role of cytokines.", "content": "Several efficient autoregulatory mechanisms confer a certain degree of autonomy to the immune system. However, increasing evidence shows that immune processes operate in a coordinated fashion with other body systems. In this article, we discuss concepts and facts concerning interactions between immune and neuroendocrine mechanisms. There are clear examples that immune cells can be influenced by hormones, neurotransmitters, and neuropeptides and also by alterations in brain functions. Conversely, immune-derived products such as lymphokines and monokines can affect endocrine, autonomic, and central mechanisms. Neuroendocrine responses occur during the activation of the immune system. These responses can be elicited by innocuous antigens; they can also be detected during pathological conditions involving immune activation, and in many cases are dissociable from the effects of the disease itself and from the stress of being sick. On this basis, we emphasize the multidirectional nature of the communication processes between the immune, endocrine, and nervous systems. The role of lymphokines and monokines as messengers able to convey information to neuro and endocrine structures about the present state of activity of the immune system is stressed. The relevance of immune-neuroendocrine interactions for immunoregulation and host defenses is discussed as well as the active role of the immune system in mediating metabolic and homeostatic adjustments or derangements during the course of certain infectious, inflammatory, and neoplastic processes. The evidence available suggests that complex immune-neuroendocrine networks operate under both physiological and pathological conditions."}
{"id": "PMID:1468600", "title": "Neurotrophic factors and female sexual development.", "content": "The concept is proposed that polypeptide neurotrophic factors contribute to the developmental regulation of ovarian and hypothalamic function in mammals. Nerve growth factor (NGF) and neurotrophin-3, two members of the neurotrophin family, have been identified in the rat ovary and one of its receptors has been localized to the innervation and thecal cells of developing follicles. Although NGF supports the sympathetic innervation of the gland, the extent to which follicles are innervated appears to be defined by the differential expression of NGF receptors in the theca of developing follicles. The presence of NGF receptors in steroid-producing cells suggests a direct involvement of neurotrophins in the regulation of gonadal endocrine function. Evidence is beginning to emerge suggesting that development of the reproductive hypothalamus is affected by insulin-like growth factor 1 secreted by peripheral tissues, and transforming growth factor alpha (TGF alpha) produced locally. In the rat hypothalamus, TGF alpha appears to be synthesized in both neurons and glial cells. In glial cells it may interact with epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptors to further enhance TGF alpha synthesis and to, perhaps, stimulate eicosanoid formation. In turn, one of these eicosanoids, prostaglandin E2, may act on luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) neurons to stimulate the release of LHRH in a genomic-independent manner. This provides the basis for the notion that during development LHRH secretion is regulated by a dual mechanism, one that involves transsynaptic effects exerted by neurotransmitters, the other that requires a glial-neuronal interaction and that may predominantly regulate release of the neuropeptide. An increased expression of the TGF alpha and EGF receptor genes in reactive astrocytes is postulated to contribute to the process by which hypothalamic injury causes sexual precocity. Morphological maturation of the reproductive hypothalamus is thought to occur during sexual development. The process is accelerated by estradiol, which exerts its neurotrophic effects by enhancing the expression of genes encoding cytoskeletal proteins involved in neuronal development and regeneration. It is suggested that acquisition of functional competence by both the ovaries and the reproductive hypothalamus requires the participation of specific, but not similar, neurotrophic factors. The relevance of these concepts to the process of sexual development in other species, particularly primates, remains to be defined."}
{"id": "PMID:1468601", "title": "The 5 alpha-reductase in the brain: molecular aspects and relation to brain function.", "content": "All the classes of hormonal steroids physiologically produced in the body (androgens, estrogens, progestagens, and corticosteroids) are able to exert important effects on the brain, but the mechanisms of their actions are not always well understood. Steroids may interact with intracellular receptors to activate the genome, but some of their effects are probably extragenomic and involve interactions with cellular membranes. Moreover, not all the steroids act always in their native molecular form; a large group of them must actually be transformed into \"active\" metabolites. This may occur at the level of their respective target structures. For example, androgens are metabolized in the brain into estrogens and into 5 alpha-reduced androgens, like 5 alpha-androstan-17 beta-ol-3-one (dihydrotestosterone; DHT) and 5 alpha-androstan-3 alpha, 17 beta-diol (3 alpha-diol). Progesterone, and possibly corticosteroids, may also be transformed into their corresponding 5 alpha-reduced metabolites. Also the cellular target (neurons and/or glial cells) of the hormonal steroids in the brain is not always clear. This review analyzes in detail one of the two major enzymatic systems that transform steroids in the brain, namely the 5 alpha-reductase-3 alpha-(3 beta)-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase pathway. An active 5 alpha-reductase-3 alpha-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase system is widely distributed in practically all CNS structures in all phases of development. In the brain, this enzymatic system is not regulated by castration or sex steroid administration; furthermore, neural inputs seem to be ineffective at the hypothalamic level. A recent interesting finding is the presence of high concentrations of the 5 alpha-reductase in the white matter. This probably is due to the fact that the white matter is particularly rich in myelin membranes, with which the enzymatic activity appears to be associated. An active 5 alpha-reductase activity has also been shown to be present in peripheral myelinated nerves. The localization in myelin membranes may suggest a possible involvement of 5 alpha-reduced metabolites of the different steroids in the process of myelination. The presence of the 5 alpha-reductase was analyzed in neurons, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes isolated from the brains of male rats, as well as in neurons and glial cells grown in culture. Neurons appear to be more active than glial cells in converting testosterone into DHT. Only neurons possess aromatase activity.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1468602", "title": "Gonadotropin-releasing hormone neuronal cell lines.", "content": "Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) cell lines were developed by genetically targeted tumorigenesis in transgenic mice. The cell lines designated GT1 cells have a neuronal phenotype, express neuronal but not glial markers and express the GnRH gene at high levels. The GnRH prohormone is processed in the cells to multiple molecular forms including biologically active GnRH and GnRH-associated peptide. Basal secretion of GnRH from the cells is regulated in part by fast Na+ channels necessary for propagated action potentials. In many instances, basal GnRH release is pulsatile with an interpulse frequency similar to that seen in castrated rodents, suggesting that GnRH neurons are the pulse generator and are capable of synchronizing their secretion in vitro. The secretion of GnRH is stimulated by depolarization and by the neurotransmitter norepinephrine. In related studies we have demonstrated that expression of Simian virus 40 T antigen in GnRH neurons of transgenic mice leads to hypothalamic hypogonadism due to the inability of GnRH nerve terminals to organize in the median eminence. These findings support the use of genetically-directed tumorigenesis to establish highly differentiated GnRH neuronal cell lines that are a valuable model to study the cell biology and regulation of the neurons."}
{"id": "PMID:1468603", "title": "Long-term prognosis of patients with achalasia treated by cardial dilatation therapy.", "content": "The long-term prognosis of expanding bag dilatation therapy using a Matsuo pneumatic bag dilator was evaluated in 163 cases of esophageal achalasia treated by this method over the 26-year period from 1964 to 1989. In all these cases, one year or more had passed since therapy. Practically no correlation was found between the efficacy of the therapy and the grade of esophageal dilation prior to therapy, the previous history of symptomatic distress or the number of dilatations performed. The efficacy of expanding bag cardial dilatation was most obvious in the increase of body weight, 59 cases (36.2%) showing an increase of 1-5 kg and 48 cases (29.4%) showing an increase of 6-10 kg. The therapy was rated \"highly effective\" in 61 cases (37.4%) and \"effective\" in 60 cases (36.8%), i.e. it was effective in a total of 121 cases (74.2%). It was rated as being \"ineffective\" in 16 cases (9.8%) including 4.3% of cases in which an operation had been performed. This indicated that surgical operation of esophageal achalasia should be performed in those cases in which good long-term results were not obtained even after expanding bag dilatation therapy had been carried out several times."}
{"id": "PMID:1468604", "title": "Bowel preparation for the total colonoscopy by 2,000 ml of balanced lavage solution (Golytely) and sennoside.", "content": "One of disadvantages of the Golytely preparation is that examinees have to drink as much as 4,000 ml of Golytely. To overcome this disadvantage, we designed a modified preparation regimen in which examinees have to drink only 2,000 ml of Golytely by taking sennoside orally. Bowel preparation was carried out in 297 examinees by this modified method. Examinees ate their usual diet and took 36 mg of sennoside orally on the night before the examination. On the day of the examination, the examinees drank a total of 2,000 ml of Golytely. No severe complications were noted and 97% of the examinees were able to drink the dose of 2,000 ml. Subjects who had also experienced bowel preparation by the modified method of Brown were asked to compare the two regimens, and only 1% preferred Brown's method while 73% preferred bowel preparation by our Golytely method. The result of bowel preparation by this method was excellent or good in 90 to 97% of the subjects at all sites in the colon and rectum. We conclude that bowel preparation for total colonoscopy using 2,000 ml of Golytely and sennoside is superior because it is highly acceptable to the examinees and provides excellent gut irrigation."}
{"id": "PMID:1468605", "title": "Electron microscopic study of hepatitis B virus-associated antigens on the infected liver cell membrane in relation to analysis of immune target antigens in chronic hepatitis B.", "content": "To clarify the characteristics of cell surface Pre-S2 Ag, HBcAg and HBeAg immunohistochemically and to explore their relationship with a cellular immune target antigen, 31 liver biopsy specimens from chronic HBV carriers were examined by immunoperoxidase staining. By immune light microscopy, Pre-S2 Ag was detected on the liver cell membrane in 18 (58%) of the 31 cases, HBcAg in 4 cases (13%) and HBeAg in 4 cases (13%). Pre-S2 Ag frequently showed a honeycomb-like membrane expression pattern which was present regardless of liver inflammation, whereas HBcAg and HBeAg exhibited a scattered membrane expression pattern detected in areas of marked inflammation. Of the 18 cases showing a honeycomb-like Pre-S2 Ag expression, 3 concomitantly showed a scattered membrane expression pattern. Immunoelectron microscopy revealed these two distinct membrane expression patterns. In areas showing a honeycomb-like membrane expression pattern, Pre-S2 Ag was demonstrated in the intercellular space and on the basolateral membranes of hepatocytes, but was not detected on the cell membranes in areas of the intercellular space lacking an immunoreaction. Cytoplasmic expression of Pre-S2 Ag was less extensive in these hepatocytes. These findings suggest that the honeycomb-like membrane expression of Pre-S2 Ag results from attachment of extracellular antigen to the liver cell membrane. In contrast, in areas showing a scattered membrane expression pattern, Pre-S2 Ag, HBcAg and HBeAg were each detected as single-layered linear deposits along the cell membrane, but were absent in the intercellular space. Each antigen was also expressed abundantly in the cytoplasm, and the immunoproducts appeared to fuse with the cell membrane. These findings suggest that the scattered membrane expression of these antigens results from intrahepatic transfer of antigen synthesized in the liver cell to the cell membrane, possibly serving as a target for the host immune-mediated response in connection with inflammation."}
{"id": "PMID:1468606", "title": "Obliteration of portal systemic shunts as therapy for hepatic encephalopathy in patients with non-cirrhotic portal hypertension.", "content": "The effects of obliteration of portal systemic shunts (PSS) in 5 patients with non-cirrhotic hepatic encephalopathy is reported. All patients had a history of disturbance of consciousness for several years, and examinations revealed large PSS, most of which connecting the left gastric vein to the left renal vein. After the obliteration of PSS, portal vein pressure elevated, the shunt ratio of the portal blood flow decreased, the indocyanine green disappearance rate increased, and serum albumin increased. Blood ammonia (NH3) decreased significantly accompanied by disappearance of hepatic encephalopathy. This treatment may open a way to improve the quality of life in patients with large PSS without severe hepatic injury."}
{"id": "PMID:1468607", "title": "Carcinoma in situ of the gallbladder with superficial extension into the Rokitansky-Aschoff sinuses and mucous glands.", "content": "Twenty-four cases of carcinoma in situ of the gallbladder encountered over the past 29 years were evaluated histopathologically. Macroscopic classification disclosed 12 protruding types and 12 superficial types (7 elevated types and 5 flat types). Histologically, 18 cases had papillary growth and 6 had tubular patterns. Epithelial dysplasia of varying degrees was observed around the carcinoma in situ in all except one case and was seen more extensively in superficial type cases, although it was often hard to distinguish dysplasia from carcinoma in situ in some cases. Metaplasia of the mucous glands was observed in 20/24 cases (83.3%). Superficial extension of carcinoma in situ into the Rokitansky-Aschoff sinuses (located below the muscle layer) was observed in 11 cases (45.8%), and extension into the mucous glands was seen in 8 cases (33.3%). These results indicate that it is very important to be able to differentiate invasive carcinoma from cases with superficial extension of dysplasia and/or carcinoma in situ deep into the mucous glands or Rokitansky-Aschoff sinuses. Histological assessment should also be conducted carefully while considering these factors."}
{"id": "PMID:1468608", "title": "Leiomyosarcoma of the esophagus: report of a case and preoperative evaluation by CT scan, endoscopic ultrasonography and angiography.", "content": "A case of esophageal leiomyosarcoma, for which CT scan, endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) and angiography were employed for preoperative diagnosis is reported. CT scan identified an exophytic mass which had no rim-enhancement in the lower end of the esophagus. EUS revealed a homogeneous mass originating from the muscularis propria. Angiography showed a mildly hypervascular tumor. Histologically, the resected specimen was a leiomyosarcoma. These results suggest that the evaluation by EUS combined with CT scan and angiography is useful in differentiating smooth muscle tumors from other submucosal tumors."}
{"id": "PMID:1468609", "title": "Caroli's disease in three siblings.", "content": "Three sisters with cystic dilatation of the intrahepatic bile ducts (Caroli's disease) are reported. The index case, a 41-year-old woman with remittent high fever and right upper quadrant abdominal pain, was diagnosed as Caroli's disease with hepatic lithiasis and cholangitis based on findings of ultrasonography, computed tomography and endoscopic retrograde cholangiography. Her two older sisters were also examined and found to have the same disease without clinical symptoms. Their symptoms, locations of the dilated ducts and complications all varied. The hereditary mode of Caroli's disease in 13 families (32 cases) reported in the world literature including our study was examined. While Caroli's disease is thought to be an autosomal recessive disease, a conclusion on the hereditary mode of transmission could not be made in this study because of an insufficient investigation of family members, especially the parents."}
{"id": "PMID:1468612", "title": "Conjugal transfer of plasmid-borne bacteriocin production in Enterococcus faecalis 226 NWC.", "content": "Enterococcus faecalis 226 NWC, isolated from natural whey cultures utilized as starter in water-buffalo Mozzarella cheese manufacture, produces a bacteriocin, designated Enterocin 226 NWC, which is inhibitory to Listeria monocytogenes. Plasmid analysis of E. faecalis 226 NWC showed a single 5.2-kb plasmid, pEF226. In conjugation experiments, pEF226 was transferred into a plasmid-free strain of E. faecalis JH2-2. The transfer required direct cell-to-cell contact and was not inhibited by DNase. The identity of conjugation was confirmed by digestion with SmaI restriction endonuclease and subsequent pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) of the genomic DNA of E. faecalis 226, E. faecalis JH2-2 and of the isolates after the mating. The data indicate that the ability of E. faecalis 226 NWC to produce the bacteriocin is linked to the 5.2-kb conjugative plasmid pEF226."}
{"id": "PMID:1468613", "title": "Two different beta-lactamase genes are present in Streptomyces cacaoi.", "content": "Two beta-lactamase genes called blaL and blaU have been cloned independently in Li\u00e8ge and in Ume\u00e5, from Streptomyces cacaoi. Genes blaL and blaU were found to differ largely in their nucleotide sequences, although the encoded proteins both belonged to the class A of beta-lactamases (active-site serine penicillinases). DNA-hybridization and polymerase chain reaction assays have now demonstrated that both blaL and blaU genes were present in the S. cacaoi strains used in Li\u00e8ge and in Ume\u00e5."}
{"id": "PMID:1468614", "title": "Kinetic properties of Helicobacter pylori urease compared with jack bean urease.", "content": "The urease proteins of the jack bean (Canavalia ensiformis) and Helicobacter pylori are similar in molecular mass when separated by non-denaturing gradient polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, both having three main forms. The molecular mass of their major protein form is within the range 440-480 kDa with the other two lesser forms at 230-260 kDa and 660-740 kDa. These forms are all urease active; however, significant kinetic differences exist between the H. pylori and jack bean ureases. Jack bean urease has a single pH optimum at 7.4, whereas H. pylori urease has two pH optima of 4.6 and 8.2 in barbitone and phosphate buffers that were capable of spanning the pH range 3 to 10. The H. pylori Km was 0.6 mM at pH 4.6 and 1.0 mM at pH 8.2 in barbitone buffer, greater than 10.0 mM, and 1.1 mM respectively in phosphate buffer and also greater than 10.0 mM in Tris.HCl at pH 8.2. By comparison, the jack bean urease had a Km of 1.3 mM in Tris.HCl under our experimental conditions. The findings show that the urease activity of H. pylori was inhibited at the pH optimum of 4.6 in the phosphate buffer, but not in the barbitone buffer. This was shown to be due to competitive inhibition by the sodium and potassium ions in the phosphate buffer, not the phosphate ions as suggested earlier. Jack bean urease activity was similarly inhibited by phosphate buffer but again due to the effect of sodium and potassium ions."}
{"id": "PMID:1468615", "title": "Effect of flash photoreactivation on Escherichia coli recA induction by ultraviolet light.", "content": "Excision-deficient Escherichia coli, carrying the gene for the photolyase on a multicopy plasmid, were irradiated with ultraviolet (UV) light then photoreactivated by illumination delivered from a camera flash unit. Such instantaneous illumination monomerizes only cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers already bound by the photolyase. Whereas the lethal effect of UV light and the number of C-to-T transition-type mutations induced by UV irradiation were both significantly reduced by subsequent irradiation with a single flash of light, single-flash photoreactivation did not reverse the induction of the recA gene by UV light. The results indicate, therefore, that non-photoreactivable DNA lesions play a role in recA induction."}
{"id": "PMID:1468616", "title": "Correlation between cell-surface hydrophobicity of Candida albicans and adhesion to buccal epithelial cells.", "content": "Adhesion of four isolates of Candida albicans to buccal epithelial cells was determined after growth of the yeasts in defined medium containing 50 mM glucose or 500 mM galactose as the carbon source. With each isolate, adhesion of galactose-grown yeasts was significantly higher than that of glucose-grown organisms. Yeast cell-surface hydrophobicity was assessed by two methods, a modified hydrocarbon adhesion assay and a more sensitive polystyrene microsphere assay. All four isolates were significantly more hydrophobic after growth on 500 mM galactose than after growth on 50 mM glucose. Overall, a strong positive correlation between adhesion and surface hydrophobicity was observed (r = 0.965). These results are discussed in relation to the role of yeast-surface hydrophobicity in pathogenesis."}
{"id": "PMID:1468617", "title": "Cadmium-resistance plasmid in Staphylococcus lugdunensis.", "content": "Plasmids that confer resistance to cadmium (MIC > or = 125 microM), were found in 18 out of 30 independent Staphylococcus lugdunensis strains from clinical specimens. Variants that were cured of their plasmid were cadmium sensitive. Restriction endonuclease sites of a 3.2-kb cadmium-resistance plasmid of S. lugdunensis, designated pLUG10, were similar to those of pOX6, a S. aureus cadmium-resistance plasmid containing the cadB gene. Southern-blot hybridisation was performed with a probe intragenic to cadB. Hybridisation was found with the cadB probe in the cadmium-resistant S. lugdunensis isolates to the 2.9-, 3.2- and 3.7-kb plasmids. These findings suggest that cadmium-resistance in some S. lugdunensis strains is due to a gene sharing homology with the cadB gene of S. aureus."}
{"id": "PMID:1468618", "title": "The cloning and nucleotide sequence of the serine protease gene (aspA) of Aeromonas salmonicida ssp. salmonicida.", "content": "The gene for Aeromonas salmonicida serine protease has been cloned into phagemid pTZ18R in two restriction fragments, 2.0-kb PstI and 2.3-kb KpnI, of genomic DNA. The nucleotide sequences of the two fragments have been determined, in both directions, after subcloning, by double-stranded sequencing of nested deletions. An open reading frame of 1863 bp translated into a sequence of 621 amino acids, a 24-amino acid signal peptide and a 597-amino acid mature enzyme of molecular mass 64,173 Da. The consensus sequence, NGTS, of a serine protease substrate primary binding site was identified and a putative ribosome-binding site GGAG occurred 6 bp upstream of the ATG initiation codon."}
{"id": "PMID:1468619", "title": "Immunological characterization of a 17-kDa antigen from Cryptosporidium parvum recognized early by mucosal IgA antibodies.", "content": "Cryptosporidium parvum antigens were characterized by immunoblot analysis of sera and intestinal secretions of BALB/c mice orally infected with 10(5) oocysts. A major band at 17 kDa under non-reduced conditions and at 18 kDa under reduced conditions was recognized by anti-C. parvum IgA and IgG in serum and intestinal secretions from day 15 post-infection. This recognition persisted throughout the experiment (day 30). Mouse-serum antibodies raised against the 17-kDa purified antigen (P17) showed no cross-reactivity with other C. parvum antigens. Immunofluorescence study revealed that this antigen is located on the sporozoite. It is suggested that this antigen could be a good candidate for studies of mucosal immune response to C. parvum and for vaccination."}
{"id": "PMID:1468620", "title": "Inactivation of the fis gene leads to reduced growth rate.", "content": "The FIS protein (factor for inversion stimulation) is known to activate the transcription of rRNA and tRNA operons in Escherichia coli. In this report the growth behaviour of a fis bacterium was studied under steady-state conditions and in competition experiments with a wild-type bacterium in a chemostat. The growth rate of the fis bacterium was reduced as compared to that of an isogenic wild-type and this reduction increased linearly with increasing growth rate. A similar result was obtained in competition experiments in a chemostat, with the selection factor increasing linearly with the growth rate."}
{"id": "PMID:1468621", "title": "Detection of bacterial and mycoplasma contamination in cell cultures by polymerase chain reaction.", "content": "A fast and simple method to detect bacterial and especially mycoplasma contamination in tissue culture by means of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification is described. In a first step the universal primer pairs P1/P2 (190-bp fragment) and P3/P4 (120-bp fragment) directed to different conserved parts of the prokaryotic 16S rRNA gene are used. A positive signal after amplification on cell culture DNA with these primers provides an indication of bacterial infection. Using the internal primers IP1, IP3 and IP'3 complementary to a part of the V4 and V8 variable regions of the 16S rRNA gene, in combination with a universal primer, cultures contaminated with mycoplasma could be identified. Six mycoplasma species, typical contaminants in tissue cultures, were investigated: Mycoplasma orale, M. fermentans, M. arginini, M. hyorhinis, M. hominis and Aeromonas laidlawii. This mycoplasma test is an easy, specific and sensitive assay which should be extremely useful in any tissue culture setting."}
{"id": "PMID:1468623", "title": "N-terminal mutations modulate yeast SNF1 protein kinase function.", "content": "The SNF1 protein kinase is required for expression of glucose-repressed genes in response to glucose deprivation. The SNF4 protein is physically associated with SNF1 and positively affects the kinase activity. We report here the characterization of a dominant mutation, SNF1-G53R, that was isolated as a suppressor of the requirement for SNF4. The mutant SNF1-G53R protein is still responsive to SNF4 but has greatly elevated kinase activity in immune complex assays; in contrast, the activity is wild type in a protein blot assay. Deletion of the region N-terminal to the kinase domain (codons 5-52) reduces kinase activity in vitro, but the mutant SNF1-delta N kinase is still dependent on SNF4. The N terminus is not required for the regulatory response to glucose. In gel filtration chromatography, the SNF1, SNF1-G53R and SNF1-delta N protein showed different elution profiles, consistent with differential formation of high molecular weight complexes. Taken together, the results suggest that the N terminus positively affects the function of the SNF1 kinase and may be involved in interaction with a positive effector other than SNF4. We also showed that the conserved threonine residue 210 in subdomain VIII, which is a phosphorylation site in other kinases, is essential for SNF1 activity. Finally, we present evidence that when the C terminus is deleted, overexpression of the SNF1 kinase domain is deleterious to the cell."}
{"id": "PMID:1468624", "title": "XRS2, a DNA repair gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, is needed for meiotic recombination.", "content": "The XRS2 gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae has been previously identified as a DNA repair gene. In this communication, we show that XRS2 also encodes an essential meiotic function. Spore inviability of xrs2 strains is rescued by a spo13 mutation, but meiotic recombination (both gene conversion and crossing over) is highly depressed in spo13 xrs2 diploids. The xrs2 mutation suppresses spore inviability of a spo13 rad52 strain suggesting that XRS2 acts prior to RAD52 in the meiotic recombination pathway. In agreement with the genetic data, meiosis-specific double-strand breaks at the ARG4 meiotic recombination hotspot are not detected in xrs2 strains. Despite its effects on meiotic recombination, the xrs2 mutation does not prevent mitotic recombination events, including homologous integration of linear DNA, mating-type switching and radiation-induced gene conversion. Moreover, xrs2 strains display a mitotic hyper-rec phenotype. Haploid xrs2 cells fail to carry out G2-repair of gamma-induced lesions, whereas xrs2 diploids are able to perform some diploid-specific repair of these lesions. Meiotic and mitotic phenotypes of xrs2 cells are very similar to those of rad50 cells suggesting that XRS2 is involved in homologous recombination in a way analogous to that of RAD50."}
{"id": "PMID:1468625", "title": "Construction of a GAL1-regulated yeast cDNA expression library and its application to the identification of genes whose overexpression causes lethality in yeast.", "content": "We have constructed a galactose-inducible expression library by cloning yeast cDNAs unidirectionally under control of the GAL1 promoter in a centromeric shuttle vector. Eleven independent libraries were made each with an average size of about 1 x 10(6) clones, about 50 times larger than the reported mRNA population in a yeast cell. From this library, LEU2 and HIS3 cDNAs were recovered at a frequency of about 1 in 10(4) and in 12 out of 13 cases these were expressed in a galactose-dependent manner. Sequence analysis of leu2 and his3 complementing cDNAs indicates that they contain all the coding sequence and much of the 5' untranslated region. To test the utility of the library for the identification of genes whose overexpression confers a specific phenotype, we screened 25,000 yeast transformants for lethality on galactose. Among 15 clones that showed galactose inducible lethality were cDNAs encoding structural proteins, including ACT1 (actin), TUB2 (beta-tubulin) and ABP1 (actin-binding protein 1), and genes in signal transduction pathways, including TPK1 (a cAMP-dependent protein kinase) and GLC7 (type 1 protein phosphatase). cDNAs overexpressing NHPB (nonhistone protein B) and NSR1 (nuclear sequence recognition protein) were also found to be lethal. Among these, ACT1 was isolated four times, and NSR1 three times. The useful features of this library for cDNA cloning in yeast by complementation, and for the identification of genes whose over-expression confers specific phenotypes, are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1468626", "title": "Analysis of the Caenorhabditis elegans axonal guidance and outgrowth gene unc-33.", "content": "Mutations in the unc-33 gene of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans lead to severely uncoordinated movement, abnormalities in the guidance and outgrowth of the axons of many neurons, and a superabundance of microtubules in neuronal processes. We have cloned unc-33 by tagging the gene with the transposable element Tc4. Three unc-33 messages, which are transcribed from a genomic region of at least 10 kb, were identified and characterized. The three messages have common 3' ends and identical reading frames. The largest (3.8-kb) message consists of the 22-nucleotide trans-spliced leader SL1 and 10 exons (I-X); the intermediate-size (3.3-kb) message begins with SL1 spliced to the 5' end of exon V and includes exons V-X; and the smallest (2.8-kb) message begins within exon VII and also includes exons VIII-X. A gamma-ray-induced deletion mutation situated within exon VIII reduces the sizes of all three messages by 0.5 kb. The three putative polypeptides encoded by the three messages overlap in C-terminal sequence but differ by the positions at which their N termini begin; none has significant similarity to any other known protein. A Tc4 insertion in exon VII leads to alterations in splicing that result in three approximately wild-type-size messages: the Tc4 sequence and 28 additional nucleotides are spliced out of the two larger messages; the Tc4 sequence is trans-spliced off the smallest message such that SL1 is added 13 nucleotides upstream of the normal 5' end of the smallest message."}
{"id": "PMID:1468627", "title": "Dynamics of cytoplasmic incompatibility and mtDNA variation in natural Drosophila simulans populations.", "content": "In Drosophila simulans a cytoplasmically transmitted microorganism causes reduced egg hatch when infected males mate with uninfected females. The infection is rapidly spreading northward in California. Data on a specific mtDNA restriction site length polymorphism show that changes in the frequency of mtDNA variants are associated with this spread. All infected flies possess the same mtDNA allele, whereas the uninfected flies are polymorphic. Given that both paternal inheritance of the infection and imperfect maternal transmission have been demonstrated, one might expect instead that both infected and uninfected flies would possess both mtDNA variants. Our data suggest that imperfect female transmission of the infection (and/or the loss of the infection among progeny) is more common in nature than paternal transmission. A simple model of intrapopulation dynamics, with empirically supported parameter values, adequately describes the joint frequencies of the mtDNA variants and incompatibility types."}
{"id": "PMID:1468628", "title": "Characterization of Suppressor of fused, a complete suppressor of the fused segment polarity gene of Drosophila melanogaster.", "content": "fused (fu) is a maternal effect segment polarity gene of Drosophila melanogaster. In addition, fu females have tumorous ovaries. Two ethyl methanesulfonate mutageneses were carried out in order to isolate suppressors of the fu phenotype. A new gene, Suppressor of fused (Su(fu)), was identified. It is located in the 87C8 region of the third chromosome. Su(fu) displays a maternal effect and is also expressed later in development. Although Su(fu)LP is a complete loss-of-function mutation, it is homozygous viable and has no phenotype by itself. Su(fu) fully suppresses the embryonic and adult phenotypes of fu mutants. Su(fu) mutations are semidominant and a Su(fu)+ duplication has an opposite effect, enhancing the fused phenotype. It is proposed therefore that the Su(fu)+ product is involved in the same developmental step as the Fu+ kinase. Thus, a new gene interacting with the segment polarity pathway was identified using an indirect approach."}
{"id": "PMID:1468629", "title": "The distribution of spontaneous mutations on quantitative traits and fitness in Drosophila melanogaster.", "content": "Starting from a completely homozygous population of Drosophila melanogaster, two groups of 100 inbred lines each were established and maintained for 46 generations, by a single brother-sister mating and two double first cousin matings, respectively. Sternopleural bristle number, wing length and wing width were simultaneously scored in all lines every 4-5 generations. The means of four lines in each group departed significantly from the overall mean and, in each case, this was attributed to a single mutation of relatively large effect on at least one trait (0.3-1.4 environmental standard deviations in absolute value). Further analyses revealed widespread pleiotropy, similar gene action of a given mutation for all traits affected, and predominant additive action. No apparent association was found between the magnitudes of mutational effects on the traits and fitness. However, all recessive mutations were deleterious. The distribution of mutant effects was asymmetrical (positive for bristles and negative for wing measurements). Moreover, these distributions had a high variance and may be leptokurtic, due to the presence of major genes. Estimates of the ratio of new mutational variance to environmental variance ranged within (0.7-3.4) x 10(-3), those for wing measurements being generally larger. In agreement with theory, the rate of between-line differentiation was independent of population size."}
{"id": "PMID:1468630", "title": "Direct measurement of in vivo flux differences between electrophoretic variants of G6PD from Drosophila melanogaster.", "content": "Demonstrating that naturally occurring enzyme polymorphisms significantly impact metabolic pathway flux is a fundamental step in examining the possible adaptive significance of such polymorphisms. In earlier studies of the glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) polymorphism in Drosophila melanogaster, we used two different methods, exploiting both genotype-dependent interactions with the 6Pgd locus, and conventional steady-state kinetics to examine activity differences between the two common allozymes. In this report we use 1-14C- and 6-14C-labeled glucose to estimate directly genotype-dependent flux differences through the pentose shunt. Our results show that G6pdA genotype possesses statistically lower pentose shunt flux than G6pdB at 25 degrees. We estimate this to be about a 32% reduction, which is consistent with the two former studies. These results reflect a significant responsiveness of pentose shunt flux to activity variation at the G6PD-catalyzed step, and predict that the G6PD allozymes generate a polymorphism for pentose shunt flux."}
{"id": "PMID:1468631", "title": "The evolution of duplicate glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase genes in Drosophila.", "content": "In Drosophila melanogaster there are two genes which encode the enzyme glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), Gapdh-43E and Gapdh-13F. We have shown that Gapdh-43E codes for the GAPDH subunit with an apparently larger molecular weight while Gapdh-13F encodes the GAPDH subunit having an apparently smaller molecular weight. Immunoblots of sodium dodecyl sulfate gels were used to survey species from throughout the genus and results indicated that two classes of GAPDH subunits are present only in Drosophila species of the melanogaster and takahashi subgroups of the melanogaster group. Only the smaller subunit is found in species of the obscura group while all other species have only a large subunit. Drosophila hydei was analyzed at the DNA level as a representative species of the subgenus Drosophila. The genome of this species has a single Gapdh gene which is localized at a cytogenetic position likely to be homologous to Gapdh-43 E of D. melanogaster. Comparison of its sequence with the sequence of the D. melanogaster Gapdh genes indicates that the two genes of D. melanogaster are more similar to one another than either is to the gene from D. hydei. The Gapdh gene from D. hydei contains an intron following codon 29. Neither Gapdh gene of D. melanogaster has an intron within the coding region. Southern blots of genomic DNA were used to determine which species have duplicate Gapdh genomic sequences. Gene amplification was used to determine which species have a Gapdh gene that is interrupted by an intron. Species of the subgenus Drosophila have a single Gapdh gene with an intron. Species of the willistoni and saltans groups have a single Gapdh gene that does not contain an intron.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1468632", "title": "Germ line variable regions that match hypermutated sequences in genes encoding murine anti-hapten antibodies.", "content": "We asked whether there are germ line immunoglobulin variable (V) segments that match sites of hypermutation in V regions encoding murine antibodies. Murine germ line DNA was probed with a panel of short deoxyoligonucleotides identical in sequence to segments of hypermutated V regions from hybridomas generated in the BALB/c response to the hapten 2-phenyloxazolone (Ox). Germ line sequences that match mutations in both heavy and kappa light chain V regions were identified, and clones of some of these germ line V segments were obtained. Comparison of these clones with hypermutated V regions revealed regions of identity ranging in size from 7 to over 50 nucleotides. In an effort to separate the effects of antigen selection from the mutagenic process, we also searched for matches to a panel of silent mutations in VH regions from germinal center B cells. Fourteen silent mutations occur among a collection of 36 hypermutated VH regions from two separate germinal centers of C57BL/6 mice stimulated with the hapten 4-hydroxy-3-nitrophenyl. Matches to nine of these silent mutations can be found among published sequences of C57BL/6 VH regions of the J558 family. Taken together, these data are consistent with the possibility that a template-dependent mutational process, like gene conversion, may contribute to somatic hypermutation."}
{"id": "PMID:1468633", "title": "Identification of genetic factors contributing to heterosis in a hybrid from two elite maize inbred lines using molecular markers.", "content": "The use of molecular markers to identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs) affecting agriculturally important traits has become a key approach in plant genetics-both for understanding the genetic basis of these traits and to help design novel plant improvement programs. In the study reported here, we mapped QTLs (and evaluated their phenotypic effects) associated with seven major traits (including grain yield) in a cross between two widely used elite maize inbred lines, B73 and Mo17, in order to explore two important phenomena in maize genetics-heterosis (hybrid vigor) and genotype-by-environment (G x E) interaction. We also compared two analytical approaches for identifying QTLs, the traditional single-marker method and the more recently described interval-mapping method. Phenotypic evaluations were made on 3168 plots (nearly 100,000 plants) grown in three states. Using 76 markers that represented 90-95% of the maize genome, both analytical methods showed virtually the same results in detecting QTLs affecting grain yield throughout the genome, except on chromosome 6. Fewer QTLs were detected for other quantitative traits measured. Whenever a QTL for grain yield was detected, the heterozygote had a higher phenotype than the respective homozygote (with only one exception) suggesting not only overdominance (or pseudooverdominance) but also that these detected QTLs play a significant role in heterosis. This conclusion was reinforced by a high correlation between grain yield and proportion of heterozygous markers. Although plant materials were grown and measured in six diverse environments (North Carolina, Iowa and Illinois) there was little evidence for G x E interaction for most QTLs."}
{"id": "PMID:1468634", "title": "The evolution of tandemly repetitive DNA: recombination rules.", "content": "Variable numbers of tandem repeats (VNTRs), which include hypervariable regions, minisatellites and microsatellites, can be assigned together with satellite DNAs to define a class of noncoding tandemly repetitive DNA (TR-DNA). The evolution of TR-DNA is assumed to be driven by an unbiased recombinational process. A simulation model of unequal exchange is presented and used to investigate the evolutionary persistence of single TR-DNA lineages. Three different recombination rules are specified to govern the expansion and contraction of a TR-DNA lineage from an initial array of two repeats to, finally, a single repeat allele, which cannot participate in a misalignment and exchange process. In the absence of amplification or selection acting to bias array evolution toward expansion, the probability of attaining a target array size is a function only of the initial number of repeats. We show that the proportions of lineages attaining a targeted array size are the same irrespective of recombination rule and rate, demonstrating that our simulation model is well behaved. The time taken to attain a target array size, the persistence of the target array, and the total persistence time of repetitive array structure, are functions of the initial number of repeats, the rate of recombination, and the rules of misalignment preceding recombinational exchange. These relationships are investigated using our simulation model. While misalignment constraint is probably greatest for satellite DNA it also seems important in accounting for the evolution of VNTR loci including minisatellites. This conclusion is consistent with the observed nonrandom distributions of VNTRs and other TR-DNAs in the human genome."}
{"id": "PMID:1468637", "title": "[Translocation 11q;22q: a clinico-cytogenetic study].", "content": "Seven families with translocations t(11; 22) identified at our Institute and analysis of the literature showed that the imbalance resulted from such translocations is always due to nondisjunction 3:1. Nondisjunction occurs more often in the 1st meiotic division, and is more rare in the second one. Expressed prezygotic selection against spermia with an additional chromosome greatly increases the risk of having an imbalanced child for the women-carriers as compared to men-carriers. The phenotype of the patients with +der(22)t(11; 22) is composed of the features characteristic for trisomy 22q (cleft lip and palate, preauricular papillomas and fistulas, rectal atresia or stenosis) and trisomy 11q (long philtrum with the upper lip hanging over, renal al; asia and hypoplasia). Diaphragmatic hernias are found to be common for the patients with +der(22)t(11; 22)."}
{"id": "PMID:1468638", "title": "[Age and chromosome nondisjunction].", "content": "The parental age in 77 families of Down syndrome (DS) children with the known origin of extra chromosome 21 and in 12 families of DS children resulting from de novo translocation (more probable than not in 2 meiotic division) was studied. It was shown that when nondisjunction occurred in the 1st meiotic division, both in oogenesis (n = 30) and spermatogenesis (n = 12), mean parental ages and age distributions were different from that of control (400 couples with normal children). The mean age and age distribution were found to differ from control when nondisjunction occurred in the 2nd meiotic division of oogenesis (n = 19). On the basis of our information and the previously published data, lack of the effect of parental age on chromosome segregation in the Ist meiosis may be inferred. It is chromatid disjunction in the 2nd meiosis which is more probably age-dependent. The reasons preventing elucidation of real associations are under debate."}
{"id": "PMID:1468639", "title": "[Preparation and analysis of mutants of rhizospheric pseudomonads, resistant to toxic analogs of tryptophan and phenylalanine].", "content": "The absence of plasmids in strains of fluorescent pseudomonads characterized by high level of synthesis of phytohormone indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) as well as invariability of this feature in plasmid and non-plasmid variants of strain BSP8 suggests chromosomal control of IAA synthesis by the rhizosphere bacteria tested. Using toxic analogues of aromatic amino acids -5-fluorine-tryptophan and 5-methyl-tryptophan variants were obtained which synthesized and secreted only anthranilic acid. Mutants with resistance to p-fluorine-phenylalanine and capable of secreting tryptophan and/or phenylalanine were found. Testing of the secreting variants failed to reveal any differences between the levels of IAA biosynthesis in comparison with the wild-type strains."}
{"id": "PMID:1468640", "title": "[Characteristics of a positive regulatory element in the first intron of the mts1 gene].", "content": "The first intron of the mts1 gene, a gene which is selectively expressed in metastatic cells and in normal cells that are motile, was found to be highly homologous to the CD3 delta enhancer element. Because of the homology between the CD3 delta enhancer and the first intron of mts1, we analysed the first intron of the mts1 gene to determine whether it functions as a transcriptional regulatory element. Highly metastatic CSML-0 cells transfected with chloramphenicol acetyltransferase containing plasmids demonstrated the ability of the mts1 first intron to function as a positive regulatory element. In vitro footprinting analysis using extracts from CSML-0 cells (which express mts1 at low levels) of CSML-100 cells (which express mts1 at high levels) identified a protected 16 nucleotide element in the first intron of mts1, regardless of the extract used. However, in vivo footprinting analysis of the same region identified the protected 16 nucleotide fragment only in the mts1 intron from CSML-100 cells, not from CSML-0 cells. Differences in the methylation pattern of the mts1 gene in CSML-100 cells and CSML-0 cells are known to exist, and may in part be responsible for the mts1 footprinting differences observed in vivo from the different cells lines."}
{"id": "PMID:1468641", "title": "[Plasmid transduction using the D3112DeltaH miniphage in Pseudomonas aeruginosa cells].", "content": "Plasmid DNA transduction with mini-D3112 delta H, deletion derivative of phage D3112, which lost the genes essential for phage growth but retained the sites required for transposition and packaging was studied. Unlike D3112, mini-D3112 delta H element can transduce plasmids and plasmid markers at frequencies of 10(-5)-10(-8) in rec+ cells of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Plasmids R1162 and R388 of the size smaller than phage genome were transduced intact. Large plasmids, like RP4 and R151, were deleted under transduction. By this way, we isolated deletion derivatives of RP4. The smallest derivative pN2 contained a 4.5 kb fragment of RP4. Unlike the latter, pN2 plasmid had narrow host range and did not maintain in Escherichia coli cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1468642", "title": "[Distributive pairing of chromosomes and aneuploidy in man].", "content": "The up-to-date state of human cytogenetics allows to turn back to hypothesis of distributive pairing as a strongly fruitful for resolving a number of problems concerning etiology of chromosome aneuploidy. Distributive pairing could account for such phenomena as: 1. Prevalence of nondisjunction (ND) in the first meiosis, compared with the second; 2. Excess of males among children with the Down syndrome; 3. Recurrent cases of aneuploidy, including aneusomies for different chromosomes; 4. Appearance of individuals with double aneusomies; 5. High recurrent risk for young parents; 6. Increased chance of ND for chromosomes not involved in rearrangement in carriers of balanced translocations; 7. Increased frequency of ND of autosomes in individuals with quantitative and structural sex chromosome anomalies; 8. The role of heterochromatic regions in ND; 9. Increased frequency of spontaneous abortions in couples having children with chromosome anomalies and in persons with unusual heterochromatic variants. The hypothesis could predict: 1. Essential contribution of errors in gonial cells to the origin of aneuploidy; 2. Important role of the factors influencing the prophase; 3. The possibility of offering forecast for sex chromosome anomalies rate on the basis of trisomy 21 rate, due to the fact that both autosomal and gonosomal aneuploidies have to be induced by the same factors."}
{"id": "PMID:1468643", "title": "[Change in the genetic structure of an experimental population of Drosophila by electrophoretic locus under the effect of ecological conditions].", "content": "Dynamics of the genetic structure of experimental Drosophila populations being kept over 50 generations at 25 and 17 degrees C6 and on the medium with ethanol (12%) was studied. In all experimental populations alteration in allele frequencies of Adh, Gpdh, Hex and Est-6 loci took place in the first 20-25 generations on monitoring under the influence of the temperature and ethanol. Later on, an equilibrium relation between allele frequencies will be established."}
{"id": "PMID:1468644", "title": "[New genes interacting with the zeste gene in Drosophila melanogaster].", "content": "We have found that mutations in the enhancer of yellow, 1,2 and 3 loci strongly enhance the effect of zv77h-mutation (full inactivation of the zeste locus) on the white locus expression. Their effect is realized through the distal white enhancer which is located 1,1 kb upstream to the promoter. It is suggested that the protein products of enhancers of yellow 1,2 and 3 represent a family of proteins which, like zeste protein, are responsible for formation of contacts between elements located at a large distance in the genome."}
{"id": "PMID:1468645", "title": "[[A dual system of superinstability at the yellow and scute loci in Drosophila melanogaster].", "content": "We have characterized the phenomenon of super-unstability in yellow and scute loci of Drosophila melanogaster. A few derivatives with different combinations of yellow and scute phenotypes appeared after dysgenic cross between potentially super-unstable stock y2nsscme and P[ry+, (delta 2-3)] (99B). Essentially, the double alterations of yellow and scute phenotypes constitute more than 40% of all derivatives. Most frequently the mutations in both yellow and scute loci change coordinately giving rise to the y+nssc+ allele. Lethal derivatives were not observed. The spectrum and the frequency of the y2nsscme mutagenesis in females differ considerably from the analogous in males. Possibly, the neutral homologous chromosome in females changes contacts between two insertions, and because of that mutagenesis changes too. Thus, all alterations in the double super-unstable system seem to be connected with the recombination between two unstable insertions A genetic exchange may by initiated by a double-strand breaks induced by the transposase of the ends of insertions."}
{"id": "PMID:1468646", "title": "Supernova (spno), a new maternal mutant producing variable-sized cleavage nuclei in Drosophila.", "content": "This paper describes a new recessive maternal lethal which disrupts normal nuclear division and migration during cleavage in Drosophila. We have named this gene locus supernova. Deletion mapping and in situ hybridization have located this gene to 88 F9/89 A1 on the polytene chromosome map. The terminal mutant phenotype is characterized by the presence of many variable-sized nuclei scattered throughout the cytoplasm of the unhatched egg. Following fertilization, the initial cleavage divisions appear delayed and are often accompanied by the formation of ring-like association of chromosomes and/or chromosome bridges. Although the polymerization of tubulin into spindles occurs during the initial cleavage divisions, there appears to be both a spatial and temporal uncoupling of DNA replication from the formation and proper functioning of spindles. Eventually no functional spindles are formed, but nuclei continue to increase in size and number with increasing age of the embryo following fertilization."}
{"id": "PMID:1468647", "title": "Phenotypic plasticity for life-history traits in Drosophila melanogaster. III. Effect of the environment on genetic parameters.", "content": "We estimated genetic and environmental variance components for developmental time and dry weight at eclosion in Drosophila melanogaster raised in ten different environments (all combinations of 22, 25 and 28 degrees C and 0.5, 1 and 4% yeast concentration, and 0.25% yeast at 25 degrees C). We used six homozygous lines derived from a natural population for complete diallel crosses in each environment. Additive genetic variances were consistently low for both traits (h2 around 10%). The additive genetic variance of developmental time was larger at lower yeast concentrations, but the heritability did not increase because other components were also larger. The additive genetic effects of the six parental lines changed ranks across environments, suggesting a mechanism for the maintenance of genetic variation in heterogenous environments. The variance due to non-directional dominance was small in most environments. However, there was directional dominance in the form of inbreeding depression for both traits. It was pronounced at high yeast levels and temperatures but disappeared when yeast or temperature were decreased. This meant that the heterozygous flies were more sensitive to environmental differences than homozygous flies. Because dominance effects are not heritable, this suggests that the evolution of plasticity can be constrained when dominance effects are important as a mechanism for plasticity."}
{"id": "PMID:1468648", "title": "Lambdoid phages as elements of bacterial genomes (integrase/phage21/Escherichia coli K-12/icd gene).", "content": "The lambdoid phages are a group of related temperate bacteriophages that lysogenize by site-specific recombination with the bacterial chromosome. Various members of the group have different specific chromosomal insertion sites, despite the fact that the enzymes catalyzing the insertion (integrases) appear to be all descended from a common ancestor. Insertion sites are not located randomly on the E. coli chromosome but are restricted to one segment of the map; also, most prophages are oriented in the same direction along the chromosome. Lambdoid phage 21 inserts within the isocitrate dehydrogenase gene and introduces an alternative 165 bp 3' end for that gene. A defective element (e14) inserts at the same position. We suggest that this mode of insertion arose from insertion of an ancestral phage to the right of icd which then picked up part of the icd gene by abnormal excision and speculate that, at an earlier time, phages may have arrived at their present locations by a process of chromosomal walking."}
{"id": "PMID:1468649", "title": "The intracisternal A particle derived solo LTR promoter of the rat oncomodulin gene is not present in the mouse gene.", "content": "The rat gene encoding oncomodulin, a small calcium-binding protein related to parvalbumin, is under the control of a solo long terminal repeat (LTR) derived from an endogenous intracisternal A-particle (IAP). This gene was the first example of a mammalian gene regulated in normal cells by a promoter of retroviral origin (see also article by D. Robins and L. Samuelson in this volume). We show here that the oncomodulin LTR is a member of a small subset of sequence related solo LTR elements present in the rat genome and that a full length IAP genome containing LTRs of this type is no longer present in the rat genome. We have assayed the transcriptional activity of the oncomodulin LTR coupled to the human growth hormone gene as a reporter. Transfections in both Hela cells and 293 cells indicate the oncomodulin LTR promoter is sufficient to efficiently initiate transcription. In 293 cells (human embryo kidney cells transformed with human adenovirus type 5 DNA), the oncomodulin LTR is a strong promoter, capable of bidirectional transcription. Finally, we have determined the structure and the sequence of the mouse oncomodulin gene. Our results suggest that the integration of the IAP particle genome within the rat oncomodulin gene occurred after the rat and the mouse became distinct species."}
{"id": "PMID:1468656", "title": "[Hygienic substantiation of maximum allowable concentration of isatrin in the soil].", "content": "Isatrin (bioresmethrin) maximum allowable concentration in soil at level 0.05 mg/kg based on translocation and sanitary and toxicologic standardization is offered. Mathematical model taking account of soil factors (humidity, temperature and type of soil) and initial concentration of isatrin has been derived."}
{"id": "PMID:1468658", "title": "[Hygienic standardization of methyl salicylate in the air of workplace].", "content": "A complex toxicological study of methyl salicylate was done. Threshold level at 8 mg/m3, and maximum allowable concentration of methyl salicylate at 1 mg/m3 (2-nd class of chemical hazard, with remark of'harmful in contact with skin') for the air of working zone were estimated. Maximum single and daily average allowable concentrations in ambient air at level 0.01-0.005 mg/m3 were calculated."}
{"id": "PMID:1468672", "title": "[Environmental pollution and congenital abnormalities according to the data of environmental health monitoring].", "content": "Study of the environmental pollution (ambient air, drinking water, food and fodder) in southern Ukraine industrial region and study of congenital developmental defects were carried out. 78,678 newborns were examined. The most significant environmental factors responsible for congenital developmental defects, as authors proposed, were the ambient air pollution and environmental radioactivity."}
{"id": "PMID:1468685", "title": "Vascular cells under peroxide induced oxidative stress: a balance study on in vitro peroxide handling by vascular endothelial and smooth muscle cells.", "content": "Enzymes such as glutathione peroxidase and catalase play an important role in the cellular defence against (per)oxidative stress. Balance- and inhibitor-studies were undertaken with in vitro cultured human vascular endothelial cells (EC) and smooth muscle cells (SMC) to assay the relative importance of these enzymes in the handling of cumene hydroperoxide (Chp) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Low concentrations of Chp (up to 80 microM) could be removed to near completion within the first hour of incubation by stimulation of the hexose monophosphate shunt (HMS) of both cell types. The HMS activity reached a plateau upon incubation with higher concentrations of Chp (> 80 microM). The non-converted Chp in the higher concentrations could be detected quantitatively in the incubation solution. After inhibition of the glutathione reductase by 1,3-bis(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea (BCNU), incubation with Chp (40 microM) did not result in a stimulation of the HMS activity. Moreover the added Chp could be recovered from the medium. So Chp is exclusively handled by the GSH-redox cycle. When low concentrations of H2O2 (up to 80 microM) were added to EC or SMC approximately 50% of the peroxide loss could not be accounted for. Inhibitor studies with aminotriazole proved that catalase was responsible for the handling of this unaccounted H2O2. In both ECs and SMCs at lower concentrations of H2O2 the GSH-redox cycle was as effective as catalase and at higher H2O2 concentrations the catalase pathway plays the major role."}
{"id": "PMID:1468686", "title": "Application of methionine as a detector molecule for the assessment of oxygen radical generation by human neutrophils and endothelial cells.", "content": "Diverse cell types can generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) which are implicated in many disease processes and are ascribed both beneficial and deleterious roles. In vitro studies of this phenomenon indicate that properties of the microenvironment in culture influence the cells' behaviour with regard to ROS generation in vivo. To date, however, the assessment of cellular ROS generation has been limited to techniques which are invasive of the culture environment, or require cells to be in suspension. This study describes the application of NMR spectroscopy to the detection of ROS generation, a technique which is non-invasive of the cell culturing environment."}
{"id": "PMID:1468687", "title": "Effects of high fat-, cholesterol-enriched diet on the antioxidant defence mechanisms in the rabbit heart.", "content": "In 7 rabbits fed on hyperlipidic diet (0.5% cholesterol, 5% peanut oil and 5% lard) for 4 weeks, the ventricular myocardium was tested for antioxidant defences and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances. Seven age-matched rabbits served as controls. The hearts were previously subjected to 45 min Langendorff perfusion to study coronary flow, developed tension and resting tension; coronary effluent values of CPK activity, pH and UV absorbance at 250 nm (i.e., low molecular weight ATP catabolites) were also investigated. After 4 weeks of diet, a significant rise of plasma cholesterol (P < 0.0001) and triglycerides (P < 0.0001) was observed. Total superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione transferase activities underwent a significant increase (P < 0.05) in the hyperlipidemic animals. On the contrary, a depression of glutathione reductase (P < 0.01) and selenium-dependent glutathione peroxidase (P < 0.01) activities, associated with decreased levels of non proteic thiol compounds (P < 0.01), was assessed. The selenium-independent glutathione peroxidase activity was not detectable in both groups. Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances levels were significantly increased in the hyperlipidemic rabbit myocardium (P < 0.01). Even though heart hemodynamics, CPK release and perfusate pH did not differ in control and experimental animals, higher 250 nm absorbance values (P < 0.05) were detected in the myocardial effluent of hyperlipidemic rabbits. In conclusion, high fat-, cholesterol-enriched diet induces an imbalance in the rabbit heart antioxidant defences, some of which are increased, whereas others are depressed, eventually resulting in enhanced myocardial lipid peroxidation. These biochemical changes are associated with higher perfusate values of UV absorbance at 250 nm, but not with significant CPK leakage or myocardial hemodynamics derangement."}
{"id": "PMID:1468684", "title": "[Substantiation of maximum allowable concentration of p-chlorophenol in the ambient air of settlements].", "content": "A complex toxicological study of the p-chlorophenol was carried out. Single permissible p-chlorophenol MAC in the ambient air at level 0.015 mg/m3, and daily average one 0.003 mg/m3 were derived."}
{"id": "PMID:1468689", "title": "Molecular genetic changes in human epithelial ovarian malignancies.", "content": "The frequent finding of loss of heterozygosity (LOH) for a specific chromosomal marker in tumor DNA compared to normal DNA suggests the presence of a closely linked tumor-suppressor gene. Using Southern blot analysis, 34 primary ovarian epithelial tumors were examined for the presence of tumor-specific allelic losses, using six probes for chromosomes 6q, 11p, 13q, 16q, and 17p. A high incidence of LOH was observed on 11p, 13q, and 17p. LOH for 17p was present in 3 of 4 (75%) informative benign ovarian tumors, 1 of 5 (20%) borderline tumors, and 16 of 24 (67%) invasive ovarian cancers. Allelic loss with the H-ras1 probe on 11p was present in 10 of 19 (53%) invasive tumors but was not identified in 6 benign or borderline tumors. LOH on 13q was present in 18 of 31 (58%) informative cases including 8 of 10 (80%) Stage 1 tumors. This preliminary study suggests that loss of tumor-suppressor genes on chromosomes 13q and 17p may be early events in ovarian tumorigenesis and that changes on chromosome 11p are later events."}
{"id": "PMID:1468690", "title": "Lymph node sampling in patients with epithelial ovarian carcinoma.", "content": "Lymph node sampling is part of the FIGO staging of patients with ovarian carcinoma and is usually part of a meticulous second look operation. We analyzed the primary lymph node status of patients and compared this to the lymph node status at second look operation. From 3/86-3/91, 97 patients with epithelial ovarian tumors were treated at this institution. Seventy-one of the 97 patients (73.2%) had lymph node sampling at primary surgery. Thirty of the 71 patients had positive lymph nodes (42.2%) and 41 patients were lymph node negative (57.8%). Of the initial 97 patients, 58 were eligible for second look operation (59.8%), and 48 of these patients had lymph nodes sampled at second look operation. Nine of the 48 patients had positive lymph nodes (18.7%) and 39 had negative lymph nodes at second look operation (81.3%). Of the patients with negative lymph nodes at primary surgery, 25 patients had second look operation and 24 of these patients had lymph node sampling at second look operation. All patients with negative lymph nodes at primary surgery had negative lymph nodes at second look operation. Of the 30 patients with positive lymph nodes at primary surgery, 12 underwent second look operation. Four patients had persistent positive lymph nodes and 8 patients had negative lymph nodes. Our data suggest that patients with negative lymph nodes at primary surgery are unlikely to have positive lymph nodes at second look operation. Therefore, we believe that lymph node sampling under these circumstances is unnecessary."}
{"id": "PMID:1468691", "title": "Intraperitoneal P-32 is not an effective consolidation therapy after a negative second-look laparotomy for epithelial carcinoma of the ovary.", "content": "Thirty-four patients with epithelial carcinoma of the ovary were entered into a trial of adjuvant intraperitoneal P-32 following induction chemotherapy and a negative second-look laparotomy. The breakdown by initial Stage was Stage IC, 5; Stage II, 3; Stage III optimal, 22; and Stage III suboptimal, 4. Previous treatment consisted of 4-12 cycles (median 6) of cisplatin or carboplatin-based combination chemotherapy. Fifteen millicuries of P-32 were instilled via a Tenckhoff catheter placed at the time of second-look laparotomy. Because of a 22% incidence of bowel injury in the first 23 patients, the P-32 dose was reduced to 12 mCi in the last 11 patients. To date, there have been no bowel injuries at the lower dose. Eighteen of the 34 (53%) patients have relapsed with a median time to relapse of 20 months and a median follow-up for all patients of 31 months. There has been no difference in the relapse rate between a dose of 12 and 15 mCi. Intraperitoneal P-32 does not appear to reduce the relapse rate following a negative second-look laparotomy. The incidence of bowel injury is dose dependent and is higher than that seen in patients treated as an adjuvant following initial surgery without subsequent chemotherapy or second-look laparotomy."}
{"id": "PMID:1468692", "title": "Long-term follow-up of serous ovarian tumors of low malignant potential.", "content": "The biologic behavior of serous tumors of low malignant potential (LMP) is of significant interest, yet most large series lack extended follow-up. This study consists of 200 patients: 106 patients were diagnosed with serous tumors of LMP at our institution between 1979 and 1984 and an additional 94 patients were identified in the referred tumor registry. The patients ranged in age from 6 to 98 years (median, 34 years). The stage distribution was Stage I in 135 patients (67.5%), Stage II in 24 patients (12%), and Stage III in 41 patients (20.5%). Follow-up information from 4 to 27 years (median, 10 years; mean, 11.2 years) revealed 155 patients (77.5%) were alive without further evidence of disease and 11 patients (5.5%) died of unrelated conditions without recurrent tumor. Thirty-four patients (17%) developed recurrent neoplasms at 6 to 145 months (median, 26 months). Patients with Stage III disease developed recurrent neoplasms more commonly (54%) than did patients with Stage I or II disease (6 and 17%, respectively). Following treatment of recurrence, 15 patients are free of disease, 6 patients are alive with disease, and 13 (6.5% overall) patients have died of disease 1 to 15 years (median, 5 years) after their initial diagnosis. Mortality was also stage dependent: 0.7, 4.2, and 26.8% of patients with Stages I, II, and III disease, respectively, died secondary to tumors of LMP. Clinical life table analysis demonstrated 5-, 10-, and 15-, and 20-year survival rates for all stages of 97, 95, 92, and 89%, respectively. These findings confirm the excellent prognosis for patients with serous tumors of LMP, even when long-term follow-up is extended to 20 years. Additionally, these data suggest that those with more advanced or recurrent disease can enjoy extended survival."}
{"id": "PMID:1468693", "title": "The influence of cytoreductive surgery on recurrence-free interval and survival in small-volume stage III epithelial ovarian cancer: a Gynecologic Oncology Group study.", "content": "Gynecologic Oncology Group Protocol 52, a randomized trial of cisplatin and cyclophosphamide with or without doxorubicin in \"optimal\" Stage III epithelial ovarian cancer, failed to demonstrate a significant difference in the outcome in 349 evaluable patients. Additional review of the records was carried out to determine the influence of cytoreductive surgery on survival. Since eligibility for the study was the presence of residual cancer of 1 cm or less, the influence of cytoreductive surgery could be evaluated by comparing outcome in patients presenting with large-volume extrapelvic disease, but who were cytoreduced to small-volume disease. Factors evaluated were age, cell type, grade, size, and location of disease at exploration, size, and location of residual disease after cytoreduction, number of residual nodules, ascites, type of surgery, blood loss, and hospital days. Univariate analysis revealed that age, size of residual disease, mucinous or clear cell histologic type, histologic grade, and number of residual lesions were significant prognostic factors. By univariate analysis patients found to have extrapelvic disease of 1 cm or less had a better recurrence-free interval and survival than those patients with large-volume disease who were cytoreduced to disease of 1 cm or less. Multivariate analysis revealed that older age, histologic grades 2 and 3, and 20 or more residual lesions were unfavorable. The volume of initial extrapelvic disease remained significant when gross disease was present in the omentum and in other extrapelvic sites. This study failed to prove the hypothesis that initial cytoreductive surgery would allow a patient presenting with large-volume ovarian cancer to have the same chance for survival as a patient found to have small-volume disease. Factors other than cytoreductive surgery are important in predicting survival."}
{"id": "PMID:1468694", "title": "Endometrial adenocarcinoma: genetic analysis suggesting heritable site-specific uterine cancer.", "content": "Genetic factors are clearly integral to the etiology of neoplasia. A cancer family syndrome (Lynch syndrome II) consisting of uterine, colon, and ovarian cancer is recognized, but the heritability of isolated endometrial adenocarcinoma has not otherwise been thoroughly investigated. We have performed pedigree studies in index cases with endometrial adenocarcinoma, using spouses as controls. Preliminary results from 64 probands showed four families in which endometrial adenocarcinoma was diagnosed in at least one first-degree relative of the proband (mother, daughter, sister); none showed relatives with colon or ovarian cancer. In none of the 34 control pedigrees did either a mother or sister have endometrial adenocarcinoma. In four other families, multiple first- and second-degree relatives of probands had adenocarcinoma of the uterus, colon, or ovary, presumably representing a cancer family syndrome (Lynch syndrome II). Our preliminary data not only show familial and probably heritable tendencies for endometrial adenocarcinoma, but further suggest that there are at least two distinct forms: (1) the previously described Lynch syndrome II (cancer family syndrome), and (2) a heretofore unemphasized entity characterized by a tendency to endometrial adenocarcinoma alone."}
{"id": "PMID:1468695", "title": "Chemosensitivity to the new anthracycline pirarubicin and other chemotherapeutic agents in primary and recurrent ovarian tumors in vitro.", "content": "We analysed the in vitro sensitivity of 50 fresh gynecologic cancer specimens to the new anthracycline-analogue pirarubicin (Pira). Nine endometrial and cervical tumors were excluded from the evaluation in this study. The in vitro sensitivities of 41 ovarian cancer specimens to Pira were evaluated with the adenosine triphosphate chemosensitivity assay (ATP-CSA). The results were compared to the sensitivity of drugs used in gynecologic oncology: Adriamycin, cisplatin, and the metabolite of cyclophosphamide, 4-hydroxycyclophosphamide (4-HC). Sensitivity (S) is defined as > or = 70%, partial sensitivity as 50-69% ATP decrease compared to controls at 20% of the peak plasma concentration. In vitro response is defined as S + PS. Twenty-two primary ovarian tumors were assayed, with 77% response to Pira, 12% to Adriamycin, 29% to cisplatin, and 38% to 4-HC. In 19 recurrent ovarian tumors, Pira showed 53% response; Adriamycin, 25%; cisplatin, 8%; and 4-HC, 67%. The in vitro data are partly consistent with reported data from the literature. Pira reveals a significantly higher degree of cytotoxicity compared to the three drugs listed above. The IC50 of Pira is less than 20% of the peak plasma concentration achievable in patients and is significantly lower compared with the IC50s of other drugs. We conclude from our in vitro data that Pira is more active than Adriamycin, cisplatin, and 4-HC."}
{"id": "PMID:1468696", "title": "Comparison of U-73,975 and cisplatin cytotoxicity in fresh cervical and ovarian carcinoma specimens with the ATP-chemosensitivity assay.", "content": "U-73,975 (U-73), a closely related synthetic analogue of the antitumor agent CC-1065, acts by binding tightly in the minor groove of DNA. A comparison was made between the cytotoxicity of U-73 and cisplatin (DDP) on 11 fresh cervical and 7 fresh ovarian carcinoma specimens. The ATP-chemosensitivity assay as previously described (Sevin et al. Gynecol. Oncol. 31, 191-204, 1988) was used to determine the cytotoxic effect of U-73 and DDP. IC 50s were calculated using regression analysis. The mean IC 50s for U-73 and DDP were 519 pg/ml and 2918 ng/ml, respectively, for the cervical carcinoma specimens and 324 pg/ml and 2649 ng/ml, respectively, for the ovarian carcinoma specimens. Significance comparing U-73 and DDP for cervical and ovarian tissue was demonstrated with P < 0.001. U-73 was 4000 times as cytotoxic per unit of mass as DDP on cervical carcinoma compared to over 8000 times for ovarian carcinoma. Based on these in vitro data, U-73 appears to be a very promising antitumor agent for cervical and ovarian carcinoma."}
{"id": "PMID:1468697", "title": "Effects of radiation on TNF alpha-mediated cytolysis of cell lines derived from cervical carcinomas.", "content": "The effect of radiation, a primary mode of treatment for cervical malignancies, on the tumor necrosis alpha (TNF alpha)-mediated cytolysis of five cell lines derived from human cervical carcinoma cell lines (C-33 A, ME-180, HT-3, MS751, and SiHa) was analyzed. Results of this analysis showed that all of the cell lines were resistant to the cytolytic effects of TNF alpha. Although resistant when protein synthesis proceeds normally, ME-180, HT-3, MS751, and SiHa cells were sensitive to TNF alpha-mediated cytolysis in the presence of protein synthesis inhibitors. The cytolytic response of these cells to radiation was heterogeneous, with C-33 A cells being the most radiosensitive and SiHa cells being the least radiosensitive. The cell lines ME-180, MS751, and HT-3 were intermediate in their sensitivities to radiation. Because radiation is known to inhibit protein synthesis, the ability of radiation to enhance TNF alpha cytolytic activity was examined. The cell lines with intermediate sensitivities to radiation (ME-180, HT-3, and MS751) demonstrated statistically significant synergistic increases in cytolysis when exposed to TNF alpha in combination with radiation. Neither the radioresistant SiHa cell line nor the radiosensitive C-33 A cell line displayed increased cytolysis with increasing concentrations of TNF alpha at any dose of radiation. Possible mechanisms which may explain the synergy in ME-180, HT-3, and MS751 cells and lack of synergy in C-33 A and SiHa cells by TNF alpha and radiation are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1468698", "title": "The impact of subspecialty training on the management of advanced ovarian cancer.", "content": "A retrospective study was conducted to determine the influence of subspecialty training in gynecologic oncology as well as several other covariates on the feasibility, operative mortality, and survival benefits of cytoreductive surgery for 263 patients with stages IIIC and IVA epithelial ovarian cancer. Covariates most predictive of an optimal (< or = 1 cm) cytoreductive outcome were the diameter of the largest metastases before cytoreduction (< or = 10 cm vs > 10 cm, P < 0.001) and the specialty training of the physicians present at surgery (gynecologic oncologists vs other, P < 0.001). Age influenced operative mortality most (< 60 vs > or = 60, P < 0.001). Covariates found to most significantly influence survival time include the specialty training of the physicians present at surgery (gynecologic oncologists vs other, P < 0.0001), cytoreductive outcome (complete vs optimal, P = 0.001, optimal vs suboptimal, P < 0.0001), grade of tumor (grade 1 vs grades 2 and 3, P = 0.01), and pelvic disease status (frozen pelvis vs mobile primary tumor, P = 0.03). We conclude that patients with advanced epithelial ovarian cancer should undergo aggressive cytoreductive surgery by gynecologic oncologists, with the objective to remove all macroscopic disease. Subsequent treatment with platinum-based chemotherapy offers the best chance for long-term survival or cure."}
{"id": "PMID:1468699", "title": "Proposal of a modified (FIGO 1985) classification of stages I and II cancer of the uterine cervix.", "content": "A modified FIGO (1985) classification of cancer of the uterine cervix has been suggested. The changes refer to stages I and II of the disease. The already accepted system of cervical cancer staging has been used. Stages Ib, IIa, and IIb have been subdivided, similar to stage Ia. The criterion used in staging is the size of the tumor up to, or more than 2 cm (Ib 1 and Ib 2) and, for stage II, the extent of penetration into adjacent tissue. The condition of lymph nodes should be noted by LN(+) or LN(-) along with the stage of the disease. Such staging should demonstrate an objective evaluation of treatment results obtained by different methods and their combinations."}
{"id": "PMID:1468700", "title": "Clinical evaluation of radioimmunoimaging with 131I-C0C183B2 monoclonal antibody against ovarian carcinoma by intraperitoneal injection.", "content": "Forty-eight cases subjected to radioimmunoimaging (RII) by intraperitoneal injection with 131I-C0C183B2 monoclonal antibody (MAb) prepared in our laboratory were studied. Thirteen of 14 cases of proved primary ovarian carcinoma were positive. In 11 follow-up cases of ovarian carcinoma after initial surgery and chemotherapy, 5 recurrences were positive and 6 cases without recurrence were negative; all were confirmed histopathologically after a second operation. One false negative was ovarian mucinous adenocarcinoma, which also negatively stained with C0C183B2 by the peroxidase anti-peroxidase method. Twenty of 23 cases of nonepithelial or metastatic carcinoma of the ovary, benign tumors, and benign diseases were negative. The sensitivity and specificity were 94.7 and 89.7%, respectively. If patients had complications with ascites, the MAb which positively stained with the cancer cells in the ascites was chosen for RII. For follow-up cases PAP staining with the tumor tissue from the initial surgery and the MAb should be done before RII. These are the principal factors that increase the positive rate and accuracy of RII. The intraperitoneal route seems to be a valuable method for clinical staging and tumor localization as well as for follow-up use."}
{"id": "PMID:1468701", "title": "Ovarian cancer staging: does it require a gynecologic oncologist?", "content": "Forty-seven patients with presumed Stages I-II invasive ovarian epithelial carcinoma were treated with intravenous 50 mg/m2 cis-platinum, for 2-18 cycles (median, 9), 50 mg/m2 doxorubicin for 2-14 cycles (median, 9), and/or 600 mg/m2 cyclophosphamide for 2-14 cycles (median, 6) after surgical staging by a gynecologic oncologist or a nononcologic surgeon. Mean follow-up is 6.8 years. Cumulative 5-year actuarial survival is 73 +/- 6%; 75 +/- 12% for Stage I and 71 +/- 8% for Stage II disease. When screened for poor prognosticators, only the specialty of the operating surgeon was identified (P < 0.05). Five-year actuarial survival and disease-free survival, respectively, for Stages I-II patients surgically staged by a gynecologic oncologist were 83 +/- 7% and 76 +/- 8%, compared to 59 +/- 11% (P < 0.05) and 39 +/- 11% (P < 0.03) for the group operated upon by a nononcologist."}
{"id": "PMID:1468702", "title": "Incomplete pregnancies and ovarian cancer risk.", "content": "The role of spontaneous and voluntary abortions was assessed in a case-control study conducted in Milan, northern Italy on 953 cases of epithelial ovarian cancer (median age, 54) and 2500 control subjects (median age, 52) in hospital for acute diseases other than malignant, gynecological, or hormonal disorders. Overall the inverse relationship between total number of incomplete pregnancies and ovarian cancer risk was statistically significant, estimated relative risks (RRs) being, respectively, 0.9 (95% confidence interval (CI), 0.7-1.1) for one abortion and 0.8 (95% CI, 0.6-1.0) for two or more as compared to none. Furthermore, the protections afforded by spontaneous and voluntary abortions were well comparable (RRs 0.7 and 0.8 for > or = 2 spontaneous and voluntary abortions, respectively, versus none). While the protective effect of incomplete pregnancy was not explicable in terms of other characteristics of women nor significantly different across strata of reproductive factors or oral contraceptive use, it seemed more marked in women whose ovarian cancer occurred below age 50. Etiologically, these findings suggest that interrupted pregnancy per se and not predisposition to spontaneous abortion affects ovarian cancer risk."}
{"id": "PMID:1468703", "title": "Use of family history in a screening clinic for familial ovarian cancer.", "content": "We have estimated the risks of ovarian and other types of cancer in first-degree relatives of women who have developed the disease (the index patients). The number of deaths from each type of cancer was determined from pedigrees taken from 391 self-referred, asymptomatic women attending a screening clinic for familial ovarian cancer. These values were compared with the expected number of deaths for women in the general population (calculated from life tables), and the relative risks were used to estimate lifetime risks. The overall relative risk were 4.5, 1.4, 1.3, and 1.1 for ovarian, stomach, breast, and endometrial cancers, respectively. The risks were invariably higher if the index patient was < 55 years old. Ovarian cancer appeared to have no clear inheritance pattern in 290 pedigrees and there was no increased risk for the first-degree relatives. Eighty-two pedigrees were compatible with a diagnosis of a multiple-site cancer family syndrome and the relative risks were 6.1, 2.8, 3.7, and 2.7 for ovarian, breast, stomach, and colorectal cancer, respectively. There was evidence of site-specific ovarian cancer in 19 families; the relative risk for the first-degree relatives was 39.1 and the lifetime risk 1 in 2. We believe that family history can be used to identify women who are at a high risk of developing ovarian and certain other types of cancer. This information can be used to counsel women attending ovarian cancer screening clinics and to maximize the usefulness of current resources."}
{"id": "PMID:1468704", "title": "Correlation in ages at death from familial ovarian cancer among sisters.", "content": "The analysis of pedigrees taken from 97 of 1466 women attending a screening clinic for early familial ovarian cancer showed that there was a strong correlation in the ages at death from the disease among sisters (r = 0.68, confidence limits 0.51-0.82, P < 0.001), but not between mothers and daughters. This information can be used to help counsel women who are considering the appropriate time for more intensive screening or prophylactic oophorectomy."}
{"id": "PMID:1468705", "title": "Hypercalcemia and breast cancer related to parathormone-like secretion by liver metastases.", "content": "A premenopausal woman developed hypercalcemia 30 months after treatment for infiltrating breast cancer. After bone metastases had been excluded, primary hyperparathyroidism was suspected. A parathyroid adenoma was removed and histologically confirmed. Hypercalcemia, associated with low plasma phosphate and severely depressed plasma parathormone (PTH) levels, persisted. Further investigations showed liver metastases from the primary breast cancer and also secretion of a PTH-like substance. Antitumoral treatment was effective on the liver metastases and also normalized calcemia and the PTH-like substance, demonstrating the existence of a paraneoplastic syndrome related to the secretion of a PTH-like substance by disseminated liver metastases of primary breast cancer."}
{"id": "PMID:1468706", "title": "Aggressive angiomyxoma of the vulva.", "content": "A case of aggressive angiomyxoma (AAM) of the vulva is presented. The tumor presented as a slowly growing polypoid mass in the right labium minus near the clitoris. The tumor was treated by wide local excision. The microscopic appearance was that of spindle-shaped neoplastic cells widely separated by a loose myxoid stroma rich in collagen fibers, hyaluronic acid, and prominent irregular-shaped blood vessels. Aggressive angiomyxoma of the vulva must be distinguished from the more common benign and malignant myxoid tumors including myxoma, myxoid liposarcoma, myxoid variant of malignant fibrous histiocytoma, sarcoma botryoides, nerve sheath myxoma, and other soft tissue tumors with secondary myxoid changes. Local recurrence of AAM may be avoided by wide local excision."}
{"id": "PMID:1468718", "title": "Inactivation of factor Va by activated protein C on selected human tumor cell lines.", "content": "Previous studies have demonstrated that platelets or aortic endothelial cells provide an appropriate surface that augments the proteolytic inactivation of factor Va by activated protein C (APC). We have examined the ability of three human tumor cell lines (HepG2, CAPAN-2 and J82) to support the inactivation of human factor Va by human APC in the presence and absence of human protein S. APC-mediated factor Va inactivation on these tumor cell lines was assessed by measuring the ability of residual cell-bound factor Va to augment the proteolytic activation of prothrombin by factor Xa. Each of the tumor cell lines studied supported factor Va inactivation by APC in the presence of calcium ions. HepG2 cell monolayers supported this reaction most effectively, with CAPAN-2 and J82 cell monolayers exhibiting moderate and weak effectiveness, respectively. Although not essential for this reaction, protein S moderately enhanced the rate of factor Va inactivation by APC on these tumor cell lines. In addition, pretreatment of each tumor cell line with rabbit antihuman protein S IgG had little, if any, effect on its ability to support factor Va inactivation by APC. Our data suggest that these, and perhaps other, tumor cells can provide an appropriate phospholipid surface for promoting factor Va binding and rapid inactivation by APC."}
{"id": "PMID:1468719", "title": "Interferon-gamma-induced expression of tissue factor activity during human monocyte to macrophage maturation.", "content": "The expression of tissue factor (TF) during differentiation of human monocytes (MO) to macrophages (MAC) in vitro is investigated in this study. In MO, TF activity can be induced by the addition of lipopolysaccharides (LPS) as detected by Northern blot analysis and measured functionally as procoagulant activity (PCA), while IFN gamma alone has only marginal stimulatory activity. During in vitro differentiation of MO into MAC, however, there is a steady increase in IFN gamma-induced PCA with a maximum on day 7. While MO during the first 2 days in culture are more responsive to LPS, IFN gamma becomes the prominent stimulus for mature MAC. The response to IFN gamma is rapid with a peak within 6-8 h and a subsequent downregulation to baseline activity within 24 h. Our results demonstrate that IFN gamma can effectively induce TF in human MAC and that its expression is developmentally regulated during MO to MAC maturation in vitro."}
{"id": "PMID:1468720", "title": "Imbalance between thrombin and plasmin activity in disseminated intravascular coagulation. Assessment by the thrombin-antithrombin-III complex/plasmin-alpha-2-antiplasmin complex ratio.", "content": "We investigated the imbalance between thrombin and plasmin activity in vivo with various grades of severity of disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) in relation to the underlying diseases. Plasma thrombin-antithrombin-III complex (TAT) and plasmin-alpha 2-antiplasmin complex (PAP) levels were measured in 133 blood samples obtained from patients with DIC. The TAT/PAP ratio was higher in patients with sepsis or solid cancer than in those with hematologic malignancies. In acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL), the TAT levels were the highest, but the PAP levels were even higher and the TAT/PAP ratio was the lowest. As for the severity of DIC, in mild DIC, both thrombin and plasmin activities were increased. In moderate DIC, the TAT/PAP ratio increased, and thrombin activity was much more predominant. However, in severe DIC, the ratio decreased, and plasmin activity became excessive. In 3 patients with acute myeloblastic leukemia, APL and pancreatic cancer, respectively, the PAP level remained high during heparin therapy although the TAT level was decreased. When tranexamic acid was given, the PAP level was selectively reduced, and the TAT/PAP ratio was markedly decreased along with clinical improvement. These results indicate that monitoring of the TAT/PAP ratio may contribute to decisions regarding the institution and performance of combination therapy for DIC using anticoagulants and antifibrinolytic agents."}
{"id": "PMID:1468721", "title": "Increased plasminogen activator inhibitor activity in survivors of myocardial infarction is associated with metabolic risk factors of atherosclerosis.", "content": "To assess the relationship between the fibrinolytic system and coronary risk factors, several fibrinolytic parameters were measured in 72 male survivors of myocardial infarction and in 53 age-matched healthy controls. The coronary patients had significantly higher plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI) activity than the control subjects, while t-PA antigen did not differ between the groups. After stratifying the coronary patients in 14 diabetic and 58 nondiabetic patients, the elevated PAI activity remained limited to the diabetic group. PAI activity correlated significantly with systolic blood pressure, blood glucose, body mass index and LDL cholesterol. In multivariate regression analysis, significant associations persisted between PAI and diabetes, body mass index and LDL cholesterol. Coronary disease had no impact on the regression model. Our results suggest that the increased PAI-1 in selected groups of coronary patients is not a consequence of coronary disease itself, but is rather related to the metabolic risk factors of atherosclerosis, especially diabetes."}
{"id": "PMID:1468722", "title": "Magnetic resonance imaging of retracted and nonretracted blood clots during fibrinolysis in vitro.", "content": "Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of retracted blood clots embedded in nonretracted clots was used to follow their lysis with urokinase in a plasma milieu in vitro. The two types of clots that were imaged in the same plane differed in signal intensity on T2-weighted spin echo MR images throughout the 20-hour observation period. It was thus possible to delineate the contours of both clot types and measure their relative sizes by digital image processing. Lysis of retracted clots proceeded significantly slower than lysis of nonretracted clots. Our in vitro results suggest that MRI might prove useful in detecting thrombus retraction in vivo and in predicting the outcome of thrombolytic therapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1468723", "title": "Interaction of platelets with subendothelium in rats treated with PCA-4230, a new antithrombotic agent. Effect of PCA-4230 on experimental thrombosis.", "content": "The effects of a new antithrombotic compound, PCA-4230, versus ticlopidine were investigated using an experimental thrombosis and vascular endothelial injury model in rats. Both PCA-4230 and ticlopidine protected rat arteries from the formation of prominent thrombi and most of microthrombi without modifying the formation of a first platelet monolayer. Neither coagulation parameters nor fibrinolysis were modified by these antithrombotic drugs. Neither PCA-4230 nor ticlopidine affected thromboxane A2 production in rats, whereas unlike PCA-4230, ticlopidine inhibited ex vivo fibrinogen binding to the fibrinogen receptor found on the platelet membrane. In conclusion, PCA-4230 and ticlopidine inhibited thrombus formation in vivo by a platelet-dependent mechanism which may be different for one or the other drug in spite of the fact that the protective effect measured in this thrombosis model is quite similar for either PCA-4230 or ticlopidine. The above-mentioned results clearly show that PCA-4230 is a new potent agent with both antivascular-damaging and antiplatelet activities, and devoid of effects on coagulation and fibrinolytic systems."}
{"id": "PMID:1468724", "title": "Potential influence of observer variation in thromboprophylactic trials.", "content": "In order to investigate the influence of the interpretation of a postoperative venography, used as the scientific tool in a thromboprophylactic trial, twelve different evaluations of the same venography have been compared. Two hundred and nineteen patients, undergoing total hip replacement, fulfilled a randomized trial evaluating two different prophylactic regimens. Bilateral venography was performed 7-11 days after surgery, and the result of venography was defined as with or without deep venous thrombosis (DVT), irrespective of the location of a thrombus. The venograms were evaluated five times by different interpreters, and the criteria for the presence of DVT were recorded whether or not thrombi in minor veins were present. The incidences of DVT in the two prophylactic groups varied from 2.7 to 20.3% and from 13.5 to 34.2%, respectively, according to the diagnostic criteria. However, the risk reduction between the two groups was almost constant, no matter which type of evaluation was applied (7.9-15.1%), and was statistically significant at the 5% level in all but 4 of the 12 evaluations. It is concluded that despite uniformity in patient selection, the incidence of DVT is not uniform, even though it is stated that venography is used as the end point. The obvious interobserver variation did not change the conclusion when two regimens are compared in a specific randomized study."}
{"id": "PMID:1468725", "title": "Elastase activity in leukemic cells.", "content": "Elastase, a proteolytic enzyme which digests different clotting factors, has previously been isolated from monocytes, macrophages and granulocytes. In the present work, we have isolated leukemic cells from 1 patient with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and from 6 patients with acute nonlymphoblastic leukemia. Detectable elastase activity was found in the cells from all patients with acute nonlymphoblastic leukemia and ranged from 0.016 to 0.619 mukat/l/micrograms DNA. The highest elastase activity was found in 1 patient with promyelocytic leukemia (M3), and no activity was found in the cells from the patient with ALL. It is possible that elastase-mediated proteolysis of coagulation factors is the mechanism responsible for bleeding complications which are frequent in M3."}
{"id": "PMID:1468728", "title": "A new marker for estimation of bloodstain age by high performance liquid chromatography.", "content": "The applicability of a new marker for estimation of bloodstain age by reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) is described. Using a microBondasphere C18 column with a two step linear gradient of 10.5-46.25% acetonitrile in 0.1% trifluoroacetic acid, an intriguing peak (unidentified) at a retention time of about 5 min was observed on chromatograms from human adult bloodstains and designated as 'X'. The area of this peak, which could be detected in extracts of bloodstains, but not in their fresh whole blood, increased with time. The ratios of the X area to heme area in bloodstains stored at room temperature and 4 degrees C for up to 52 weeks old linearly correlated with stain age by plotting on a double logarithmic scale. In bloodstains exposed to fluorescent light at room temperature, the regression equation calculated from the ratios (Rx) and the ages of stains in weeks (W) is ln(1000.Rx) = 1.1084 + 0.3937.ln(7.W), and the coefficient of correlation (r) is 0.9776 (n = 144, P < 0.001). When stains were stored at 37 degrees C, the ratio transformed into logarithms correlated linearly with stain age. The regression equation describing the relationship in bloodstains exposed to fluorescent light at 37 degrees C is ln(1000.Rx) = 2.4477 + 0.0866.W (r = 0.9826, n = 144, P < 0.001). The results of the present study suggest that the HPLC method may be applicable to the estimation of bloodstain age."}
{"id": "PMID:1468729", "title": "Experiences with single locus DNA probes in casework.", "content": "DNA profiling in this laboratory has been employed primarily in cases of sexual assault and the largest category of items examined has been internal vaginal swabs. 79% of these gave a profile which was different from that of the victim. Results have been obtained from swabs taken up to 70 h after intercourse. In cases where DNA results were obtained, one or more suspects were excluded in 29% of the cases."}
{"id": "PMID:1468730", "title": "A new individualization marker of semen: deoxyribonuclease I (DNase I) polymorphism.", "content": "We describe a method for obtaining specific and reproducible deoxyribonuclease I (DNase I) typing from liquid semen. Isoelectric focusing of the enzymes on polyacrylamide gel (IEF-PAGE, pH 3.5-5) was accomplished using a 0.5-mm thick gel. The separated isozymes were visualized by a new activity staining method, dried agarose film-overlay (DAFO). Pretreatment of semen samples with neuraminidase markedly enhanced the isozyme-band resolution and sensitivity. The method was simple and reliable, with high resolution and sensitivity. The DNase I types in semen samples were correlated with the types found in corresponding blood and urine samples. DNase I typing could therefore provide an additional discriminant characteristic in the forensic examination of semen."}
{"id": "PMID:1468731", "title": "Tuberculous myocarditis presenting as sudden cardiac death.", "content": "A 71-year-old Chinese male presented as sudden death and autopsy revealed miliary tuberculosis with tuberculous myocarditis. Though miliary tuberculosis is not as common as in the past, it remains one of the possible causes of sudden cardiac death."}
{"id": "PMID:1468732", "title": "Strontium-90 as an indicator of time since death: a pilot investigation.", "content": "The results of a pilot investigation are presented. The study aimed to show that the presence of radioactive strontium-90 in human bone could be used as evidence of active uptake during life. In this way the time since death of the individual could be identified as occurring before or after the date when atmospheric levels of radioactive strontium were at a peak in the early 1960s. The results of this initial investigation were encouraging but further detailed analysis is required on a substantially larger sample of material spanning a more controlled time period."}
{"id": "PMID:1468733", "title": "HIV-1- prevalence among drug deaths in major cities of central and northern Europe.", "content": "Since 1985, a number of Institutes of Forensic Medicine in Germany have cooperated in a multicenter study, to provide a constant monitoring of HIV-1-prevalence among drug related deaths. In 1990/91, the Institutes in Copenhagen, Stockholm, Vienna and Z\u00fcrich also participated in this study. HIV-1-prevalence is decreasing in the German cities, whereas the epidemiological development is not uniform in the other major cities. Regional differences are obvious. In 1991, the prevalence rates were as follows: Berlin 15% (n = 220), Hamburg 4% (n = 179), Frankfurt 17% (n = 167), Munich 9% (n = 136), Stockholm 10% (n = 79), Copenhagen 14% (n = 130), Vienna 20% (n = 56), and Z\u00fcrich 23% (n = 84)."}
{"id": "PMID:1468734", "title": "Margaret Clitherow: skeletal identification of an historical figure?", "content": "This paper describes the use of physical anthropological methods of analysis in attempting to identify an historical figure in England. The historical background to the examination is detailed and reasons for the belief that the skeletal remains excavated from the site were those of a named person, Margaret Clitherow, are discussed. Analysis of age, sex and manner of death indicated that the remains were not those of Margaret Clitherow."}
{"id": "PMID:1468735", "title": "Anxiety in prisoners today.", "content": "Models based on modern theories of anxiety were used to develop a hypothesis concerned with the relationship of anxiety and/or the tendency to aggressive behavior and the tendency to depressive reactions in prisoners. Anxiety, aggression and depression scales were the instruments used in this study. Special emphasis was placed on the question as to whether there is a quantitative difference in anxiety and aggression in non-working as compared with working prisoners. Significant differences were found between working and non-working prisoners with regard to anxiety and depression. A difference was also calculated for the parameter of reactive aggression. In the following the far-reaching implications of these results for penological practice and perspectives for further studies are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1468740", "title": "[MRI as decisive diagnostic procedure in Perthes disease. Early diagnosis of femoral head necrosis in childhood].", "content": "In order to achieve better final results in Perthes disease, the diagnosis should be established as early and as accurately as possible. This is rarely achieved with conventional X-ray procedures. Since 1986, a total of 50 children with Perthes disease were submitted to MRI follow-up examinations employing T1 and T2-weighted coronary an sagittal sections and the results compared with the findings of conventional X-ray examinations. The authors developed their own MRI staging and typing scheme on the basis of the MRI extent of the necrosis. Catterall's group classification could not be translated to the MRI since the latter usually showed more extensive necrosis. Agreement was found only in group I. With the aid of MR imaging, it proved possible to diagnose a case of Perthes disease earlier, the total extent of the necrosis was established earlier, and also the final form of the epiphysis after completion of re-modelling was already predictable in stage II. The indication for treatment and intra-trochanteric osteotomy was established on the basis of the MR image. Further invasive investigations were not needed. In the case of Perthes disease, MRI should be given preference over other diagnostic procedures and, despite the greater expenditure of time and greater cost, should be routinely employed in this disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1468741", "title": "[Anorexia nervosa in boys--a case report].", "content": "In contrast to female adolescents, anorexia nervosa is rarely seen in male adolescents. In consequence, more comprehensive investigations are often carried out in the latter in a search of organic disease. A boy of thirteen-and-a-half years was referred for investigation of anorexia, loss of weight, constipation, loss of concentration and depression. Physical examination revealed bradycardia, low blood pressure, hypothermia and various endocrinological disturbances: reduced somatomedin C, tri-iodine thyronine and subnormal thyroxine levels, and delayed TSH peaking after TRH stimulation. Examination of peripheral blood revealed leukopenia with underlying hyperplastic bone marrow. A CT scan revealed widening of the ventricles of the brain, and echocardiography a mitral valve prolapse. Anorexia nervosa is accompanied by numerous pathological findings which, however, when weight is regained, return to normal without the need for further treatment. Before instituting invasive diagnostic measures in boys or male adolescents, consideration should be given to anorexia nervosa, and a psychiatric consultation sought."}
{"id": "PMID:1468743", "title": "[Prevention of recurrent infection of the upper and lower airways. Multicenter, open study over three months].", "content": "In a multicenter open study involving 620 patients suffering from recurrent infections of the upper and lower respiratory tract aged between 12 and 89 years, the tolerability of an oral bacterial lysate was investigated. On the basis of the nature and frequency (1.9%) of adverse effects, and an analysis of the laboratory investigations over an observation period of three months, overall tolerability was adjudged to be excellent. The frequency and severity of infections was reduced. In 75% of the cases, both physician and patient considered the augmentation of the body's defense mechanisms by immunoactivation to have been of benefit. The favourable risk-to-benefit ratio results in a high level of acceptance of immunotherapy, and 96% of the patients completed the study as planned."}
{"id": "PMID:1468744", "title": "[Sex-dependent differences in endogenous psychoses. A comparison between schizophrenic, schizoaffective and affective psychoses].", "content": "Sex differences in 355 patients with functional psychoses were investigated longitudinally (mean observation time more than 25 years). Using narrow criteria, 148 patients were diagnosed as having a schizophrenic disorder, 101 as having a schizoaffective and 106 as having an affective disorder. Similarities and differences between male and female patients in these three diagnostic groups were investigated and compared on four levels (premorbid and sociodemographic features, elements of course, symptomatology and the different aspects of outcome) using international standardised instruments of evaluation. A different sex distribution in the three groups was found. Female schizophrenic patients showed a better premorbid social adjustment and a better long-term psychopathological and social outcome than male patients. Differences between male and female schizoaffective patients were found only regarding premorbid personality and polarity, but not regarding symptomatology and outcome. In affective psychoses female patients showed a better social outcome than male patients, but no relevant differences regarding premorbid adjustment were found. Gender differences were found as an important variable for research in functional psychoses, but interactions with other variables have to be considered."}
{"id": "PMID:1468745", "title": "[Endo-neurotic depression. Necessity and irritation of a diagnostic concept].", "content": "The traditional system of diagnosis which differentiates clearly between endogenous depression on the one hand and psychogenic depression on the other, results in an dichotomy that limits our thinking and perception. This limitation is an obstacle to an open-minded realisation of the multidimensional cause-effect links underlying depressive syndromes. The historical development is outlined and the descriptive-psychiatrical and psychoanalytical-psychodynamical theoretical aspects are described. There is a definite need for an unequivocal terminology that covers both clinical observations and therapeutic assessments. The term endo-neurotic as a logical development of Weitbrecht's endo-reactive concept represents a verbal diagnostic instrument enabling the characterisation of a typical group among a multitude of \"multilayered\" depressions. Endogenous and neurotic factors carry the same weight in such depressions, and the phasewise course of the disease does not permit the patient to be classified as purely \"somatic\" or purely \"mental\" or \"psychological\". If endogenous phases having a triggering effect on depression fail to occur during psychotherapy, this may be due to minor penetration by either endogenous or psychogenic factors. A clinical case report shows how intensive psychotherapy of neurotic mechanisms increasingly improves the management of situations that were formerly critical in respect of triggering depressions. The patient feels that this is really so, and the therapist gains confidence that his therapy is progressing in the right direction. Of course such an experience cannot be proven by statistics. This highlights the well-known discrepancy between idiographic and nomothetic methods. Progress could be achieved by \"cutting more finely\", i. e. by a terminology that is more differentiated and eliminates the compulsion to arrive at a rough diagnosis which disregards the finer gradations of the colours that make up the entire picture. Thus the term endo-neurotic could be useful to define a certain part of the diagnostic spectrum of depression with greater clarity."}
{"id": "PMID:1468746", "title": "[Lesion of the brachial plexus caused by traumatic aneurysma spurium of the axillary artery--case report of two patients].", "content": "The indirect lesion of the brachial plexus by a traumatic false aneurysm of the axillary artery is a rare event. Clinical signs, diagnosis and follow-up of two patients are reported. Characteristic symptoms are persistent shoulder pain and progredient neurologic deficits with delayed onset. Examination for a jet phenomenon in the axillary region may confirm the suspected diagnosis. Colour duplex-sonography and magnetic resonance tomography are the most valid non-invasive radiological methods beside computerised tomography. Surgical treatment with resection of the aneurysm is recommended as soon as possible."}
{"id": "PMID:1468747", "title": "[The new euthanasia-discussion from the psychiatric viewpoint].", "content": "The practice to kill terminally ill patients on their own demand has resulted in the Netherlands in a decriminalisation of active euthanasia which thus has fundamentally changed the way to deal with dying patients. Sooner or later this development will extend to other European countries as well as to the USA. Involuntary euthanasia of severely handicapped newborn children or of demented persons is propagated by the practical ethics of P. Singer and other representatives of utilitarianistic philosophy. According to the standpoint of utilitarianism a human being should only have the right to live as long as he or she is a person, i. e. has rationality and self-consciousness. The next step toward the elimination of elderly people can easily be predicted. For economical reasons these persons may be withheld from life-saving medical treatment or may be supposed to commit suicide. A moral pressure is created to make a decision for suicide as soon as severe invalidity occurs. The consideration of such ideas shows that in today's debate on euthanasia the issue is no longer the right of a few severely and terminally ill human beings to their \"own death\". Instead, the right to live of a large group of handicapped and \"socially useless\" or \"unproductive\" persons is at stake. This is the danger of today's discussion of euthanasia."}
{"id": "PMID:1468748", "title": "Thymic pathology in primary and secondary immunodeficiencies.", "content": "For the sake of clarity and in agreement with the World Health Organization immunodeficiency classification, it is important to distinguish the congenital, inherited malformative lesions called generically 'thymic dysplasia' from the secondary, acquired changes, designated under the broad term of 'severe thymic atrophy'. Thymic dysplasia represents the archetype of thymic changes in cellular immunodeficiency, since there is no example of a thymic dysplasia associated with a normal T-cell function. Thymic dysplasia is observed in several inherited diseases, the most frequent of them being severe combined immunodeficiency. More than the depletion of lymphoid cells, the lack of differentiation of the thymic epithelium, responsible for the absence of Hassal's corpuscles, is the main and constant feature of this condition. Thymic dysplasia underscores the crucial role of the thymic epithelium in the normal differentiation of the T-cell population. Severe thymic atrophy is secondary to various causes, including prolonged protein malnutrition and immunosuppressive or cytotoxic drugs, graft versus host reaction and, chiefly today, chronic viral infection, especially with HIV-1. The morphological changes are similar and are characterized by a partial lymphoid depletion, involving mainly the CD1+ population, necrosis and calcification of epithelial cells, the frequent presence of plasma cells and, more significantly, fibrohyaline changes of the basement membrane of the vessels and thymic epithelium. The severity of the atrophic changes and the immunodeficiency-related manifestations depend on the duration of the aetiological factors and, more significantly, with their early occurrence, within the first months of life. The mechanisms underlying thymic atrophy are poorly understood. A primary impairment of lymphoid cells seems at present to be the most likely hypothesis."}
{"id": "PMID:1468749", "title": "Parathyroid hyperplasia in tertiary hyperparathyroidism: a pathological and immunohistochemical reappraisal.", "content": "Thirty-one parathyroid glands from 11 patients with tertiary hyperparathyroidism were examined histologically and immunohistochemically to characterize better the nature of the accompanying parathyroid hyperplasia. The parathyroids showed varying degrees of nodular and diffuse hyperplastic involvement as well as apparently normal background tissue. The nodules were usually multiple within any one gland and, together with diffuse hyperplastic tissue, showed a varied cyto-architectural pattern. All glands studied showed both cellular argyrophilia and parathyroid hormone immunoreactivity. The staining pattern for parathyroid hormone ranged from negative or weak to strong, and from patchy to diffuse in hyperplastic tissue from different glands and within the same gland, regardless of the cell type. Apparently normal areas usually showed only patchy weak to moderately strong parathyroid hormone positivity. From the data obtained the most striking feature of the parathyroid glands in tertiary hyperparathyroidism is their extreme variability, both morphological and functional, as indicated by parathyroid hormone immunoreactivity. Furthermore, the generally lesser degree of parathyroid hormone immunoreaction observed in apparently normal parathyroid tissue may reflect suppression of hormone synthesis, with accompanying morphological regression to normal of pre-existent diffuse hyperplasia by autonomous hyperfunctioning nodules associated with tertiary hyperparathyroidism."}
{"id": "PMID:1468750", "title": "Modes of Helicobacter colonization and gastric epithelial damage.", "content": "A total of 144 gastric biopsies colonized by Helicobacter-like organisms were studied under light and differential interference contrast microscopy for the modes of bacterial colonization. Biopsies were also graded for the degree of epithelial damage (epithelial-damage-grade: 0 to 6, in ascending order of severity) and density of Helicobacter-like organism (Helicobacter-grade: 0 to 6, in ascending order of bacterial density). Three modes of colonization were identified: free-in-mucus, surface-adhesion and intercellular colonization. Because light microscopy cannot definitely prove the presence of intracellular colonization, bacteria located between cells and below the apical cell border were counted together as intercellular colonization. Bacteria free-in-mucus were seen in all biopsies. Surface adhesion was seen in 50-87.9% of biopsies, without obvious correlation with the epithelial-damage- and Helicobacter-grades. The incidences of intercellular and intracellular colonization were directly proportional to the epithelial-damage- and Helicobacter-grades. Free-in-mucus as the predominant mode of colonization was mainly seen in biopsies with lower (1-3) epithelial-damage- and Helicobacter-grades. Conversely, biopsies with intercellular colonization as the predominant mode of colonization were mainly cases with higher (4-6) epithelial-damage- and Helicobacter-grades. In cases showing predominantly bacteria between cells, 69.2% had a gastric ulcer whereas only 38.8% of cases showing predominantly bacteria free-in-mucus showed ulceration (P < 0.01). These results indicate that Helicobacter-like organisms can invade and penetrate between epithelial cells. When free-in-mucus, Helicobacter-like organisms are less likely to induce epithelial damage. However, the more invasive modes of colonization (intercellular) were associated with severe epithelial damage and high Helicobacter density.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1468751", "title": "Epidermal damage in skin of allogeneic marrow recipients: relative importance of chemotherapy, conditioning and graft v. host disease.", "content": "The relative importance of previous chemotherapy, conditioning and graft v. host disease in producing the epidermal damage associated with allogeneic bone marrow transplantation was investigated by enumerating individually necrotic cells. A small number was seen in many pre-transplant biopsies and was related to the time interval between biopsy and the last dose of chemotherapy. Their presence did not predispose patients to develop graft v. host disease in the post-transplant period. In post-transplant patients without rashes the degree of epidermal damage at 14 days was similar to that seen in the pre-transplant period indicating that the effects of the conditioning regime were insignificant. In patients with rashes clinically classical of graft v. host disease, necrotic cells were increased above the pre-transplant levels even in the absence of a lymphocytic infiltrate. Lymphocytic infiltration was seen more frequently in biopsies taken later after transplantation and after the onset of the rash and was associated with the maximal amount of epidermal damage. Comparison of the degree of epidermal damage in pre- and post-transplantation specimens lacking a lymphocytic infiltrate resulted in the correct identification of the majority of patients with clinical evidence of graft v. host disease. This approach may, thus, be useful in diagnosing early graft v. host disease especially if combined with keratinocyte HLA-DR staining."}
{"id": "PMID:1468752", "title": "Intestinal pseudo-obstruction with deficient smooth muscle alpha-actin.", "content": "We describe a 48-year-old woman with chronic constipation since early childhood who has an intestinal myopathy associated with a hitherto undescribed absence by immunostaining of smooth muscle alpha-actin confined to the intestinal circular muscle. There were no abnormalities in other contractile proteins (myosin, tropomyosin, filamin, caldesmon or desmin) and despite the abnormality of a contractile protein isoform in the circular muscle, no significant morphological changes were identified by light microscopy or ultrastructural examination. A possible developmental mechanism for the observed change is proposed. The use of specific antibodies to isoforms of contractile proteins may have potential value in the study of intestinal myopathies."}
{"id": "PMID:1468753", "title": "Oestrogen and progesterone receptors in screen-detected breast carcinoma: an immunohistological study using paraffin sections.", "content": "The presence of oestrogen and progesterone receptors was studied in paraffin sections of 81 screen-detected breast carcinomas using the monoclonal antibodies ER-ICA and PgR-ICA (Abbott) and the immunoperoxidase technique. The immunohistological results were compared with the results of the standard dextran-coated charcoal biochemical assay in 28 tumours which were big enough to provide tumour tissue for this assay. Sixty-three cases (78%) were oestrogen receptor positive and 62 (77%) were progesterone receptor positive. There was no statistical difference between receptor positivity in palpable or impalpable, in situ or invasive tumours. In the 28 cases where the biochemical assay was carried out, the two methods gave similar results in 23 (82%) and 21 (75%) tumours for oestrogen and progesterone receptors respectively. The majority of the remaining tumours, with one exception, were positive with immunohistology and negative with biochemistry. A good correlation was also present between the mean numerical biochemical values and the semiquantitative histological scores for both receptors. It is concluded that assessment of receptor status of small screen-detected carcinomas is feasible using routinely processed paraffin sections. There is reasonably good correlation with the results obtained by the standard dextran-coated charcoal biochemical assay, but more genuine receptor positive cases are detected by immunohistology."}
{"id": "PMID:1468754", "title": "The histological features of splenosis.", "content": "This study presents a detailed histological analysis of two cases of splenosis, including one of the largest nodules to be reported. Splenosis may exhibit red and white pulp that appears histologically and immunohistochemically normal by routine methods, and a well-developed capsule and trabeculae may form. The capsule may be thicker than in the normal spleen but is otherwise indistinguishable and may contain fibrous, elastic and smooth muscle elements. These findings are in contrast to previously published works which have described poorly-developed white pulp, capsule and trabeculae in splenosis. The histological pattern may depend on the blood supply to the autotransplanted splenic tissue in the early days after implantation. The close resemblance that splenosis may show to an accessory spleen suggests that histological examination may have a limited role in the distinction between these two conditions."}
{"id": "PMID:1468755", "title": "The morphological spectrum of monocytoid B-cell lymphoma and its relationship to lymphomas of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue.", "content": "We report 10 cases of monocytoid B-cell lymphoma, five of which had extranodal lymphomas of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) type. In one patient the MALT lymphoma in the salivary gland was microscopic. In another, the small bowel lymphoma, which preceded the monocytoid B-cell lymphoma by 11 years, showed different clonal immunoglobulin gene rearrangements. Attention is drawn to the extreme degree of plasmacytic differentiation and epithelioid cell infiltration that may occur in monocytoid B-cell lymphoma. In addition to the cytological and immunophenotypic likeness of monocytoid B-cells and centrocyte-like cells, monocytoid B-cell and MALT lymphomas share a number of micro-anatomical and behavioural characteristics. These include the sharp separation of the monocytoid B-cells and plasma cells, follicular colonization and progression to high-grade lymphoma. It is suggested that the frequent association of monocytoid B-cell lymphoma with Sj\u00f6gren's syndrome may be due to the fact that the salivary glands drain to cervical lymph nodes that are part of the systemic, rather than the mucosal, lymphocyte circulation pathway."}
{"id": "PMID:1468756", "title": "Papillary carcinoma of thyroid with exuberant nodular fasciitis-like stroma.", "content": "We describe two cases of papillary carcinoma of the thyroid containing prominent nodular, fasciitis-like stroma. In one of the cases infiltration into the adjacent parathyroid gland and metastases to two cervical lymph nodes occurred. In the lymph nodes and the parathyroid gland the carcinoma grew without any fasciitis-like stroma. This unusual change in tumour stroma seems to be reactive in nature and confined only to the thyroid and adjacent soft tissues."}
{"id": "PMID:1468768", "title": "Evaluation of osteonectin as a diagnostic marker of osteogenic bone tumors.", "content": "Osteonectin (ON), a 32,000-kd glycoprotein involved in the early steps of mineralization of skeletal tissue, is a recognized differentiation marker of normal osteogenic cells. The expression of ON was evaluated in vitro and in tissue sections by the polyclonal antibody bON II. In different cell cultures immunocytochemistry and molecular biology displayed a nonspecific reaction for the antibody, which showed itself to be useless for the in vitro identification of cells of the osteoblastic lineage. The diagnostic use of bON II antibody was investigated by immunohistochemistry on a series of osteogenic and nonosteogenic bone tumors. A strongly positive stain of the entire neoplastic component of osteosarcoma and osteoblastoma and a weaker stain of the mononuclear component of giant cell tumor and chondroblastoma were observed. On the other hand, stains for chondrosarcoma, Ewing's sarcoma, fibrosarcoma, malignant fibrous histiocytoma, and brown tumor from hyperparathyroidism were entirely negative. Our results indicate that ON may be helpful in the histologic diagnosis of bone tumors, particularly in differentiating small cell osteosarcoma from other small round cell tumors."}
{"id": "PMID:1468769", "title": "Contribution of immunohistochemistry, electron microscopy, and cell culture to the characterization of nonfunctioning pituitary adenomas: a study of 40 cases.", "content": "We studied 40 endocrinologically inactive pituitary adenomas by immunohistochemistry, electron microscopy, and cell culture in order to determine the incidence of gonadotropic adenomas and to classify nonfunctioning adenomas. Immunohistochemical studies using a large panel of monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies identified the following nonfunctioning adenomas: 20 gonadotropic adenomas, four silent corticotropic adenomas, one plurihormonal adenoma, and 15 nonsecreting adenomas. Among nonsecreting adenomas, ultrastructural study of 13 cases identified seven null cell adenomas and six oncocytomas. Silent corticotropic adenomas were classified into subtypes I, II, and III according to Kovacs and Horvath. Most often, gonadotropic adenomas displayed a varying number of oncocytic cells, characteristic secretory granules, and a prominent Golgi apparatus. Postembedding immunoelectron microscopy was performed on eight gonadotropic or nonsecreting adenomas, but this technique did not provide any additional information. Six gonadotropic adenomas and 10 so-called nonsecreting adenomas were studied in primary cell cultures. The six gonadotropic adenomas and seven of the 10 nonsecreting adenomas released gonadotropins in the culture medium. The use of in vitro results as a supplementary diagnostic criterion allowed classification of the 40 nonfunctioning adenomas as follows: 27 gonadotropic adenomas, four silent corticotropic adenomas, one plurihormonal adenoma, and eight nonsecreting adenomas. These results demonstrate a high proportion of gonadotropic adenomas among nonfunctioning adenomas (67.5%) and the usefulness of several techniques in characterizing this type of pituitary adenoma."}
{"id": "PMID:1468770", "title": "Flow cytometric DNA analysis of carcinoid tumors of the ileum and appendix.", "content": "Although all carcinoid tumors are considered potentially malignant, the biologic behaviors of appendiceal and ileal carcinoids are distinctly different. Appendiceal carcinoids often behave in a benign fashion, whereas ileal carcinoids pursue an aggressive course with frequent metastasis. Whether differences in DNA ploidy are related to this disparity in tumor behavior was addressed in this study. Flow cytometric DNA analyses were performed on paraffin blocks from 11 ileal and seven appendiceal carcinoid tumor cases. The mean coefficient of variation for all samples was 3.4 +/- 0.7. DNA aneuploidy was seen in two of the appendiceal cases and in six of the ileal cases. Metastases were seen in one of the appendiceal carcinoid cases, and that tumor was aneuploid. In six cases of carcinoid of the ileum, metastases were seen; of these, five tumors were aneuploid. In the ileal cases, despite the low number of cases examined, the correlation between DNA aneuploidy and metastases nearly reached statistical significance (P = .07) and showed a much stronger correlation than tumor size and metastases (P = .4). Although no statistical significance was reached in this study, the results are highly suggestive of DNA aneuploidy being an important predictor of malignant behavior in carcinoids of the ileum."}
{"id": "PMID:1468771", "title": "Talc pneumoconiosis: a pathologic and mineralogic study.", "content": "Seventeen cases of \"talc pneumoconiosis\" were examined pathologically and mineralogically to ascertain whether a true talc pneumoconiosis existed and also to compare these results in primary, secondary, and tertiary exposures. Mineralogic analyses were performed on wet tissue or tissue blocks by a variety of techniques, including analytical transmission electron microscopy and x-ray diffraction. Overall, the pathologic appearance of the tissues was similar in primary, secondary, and tertiary exposures, although ferruginous bodies and foreign body giant cells were not always present in cases caused by secondary exposures. Mixed dust fibrotic lesions were found in two cases in which there were substantial quantities of quartz present. There was great variation in the minerals found within the lung tissues. Several cases showed significant quantities of mica and kaolin in addition to talc. One case consisted predominantly of mica and in fact could be regarded as \"mica pneumoconiosis\"; this diagnosis was correctly attributed because of the mineralogic findings. Tremolite fibers were found in only two cases. Substantial quantities of crocidolite and amosite fibers were found in one case. This study shows that \"talcosis\" frequently represents disease associated with a variety of minerals and that talc is a common denominator. It shows also the usefulness of lung dust mineral analysis, particularly in secondary industries, for evaluating the cause of a pathologic reaction when exposures are especially complex."}
{"id": "PMID:1468772", "title": "Transforming growth factor-alpha in normal and neoplastic human endocrine tissues.", "content": "Transforming growth factor-alpha (TGF-alpha) is a polypeptide growth factor that binds to the epidermal growth factor receptor and is though to stimulate cell proliferation. It has been believed to play a role in tumor initiation by inducing the reversible transformed phenotype; overexpression of TGF-alpha may be important for tumor progression via autocrine stimulation and oncogene overexpression. Expression of TGF-alpha and the epidermal growth factor receptor has been documented in several nontumorous tissues and in a variety of tumors. This study used immunohistochemistry to localize TGF-alpha expression in normal and neoplastic endocrine tissues. Transforming growth factor-alpha was found in nontumorous hypothalamus, pituitary, thyroid, parathyroid, adrenal cortex and medulla, and pancreatic islets. Immunoreactivity was detected in most benign and malignant tumors of these tissues, as well as in endocrine neoplasms of the lung and gastrointestinal tract. Hypothalamic gangliocytomas, pheochromocytomas, and adrenal cortical carcinomas showed consistently greater immunoreactivity than their normal counterpart, but there was no correlation between degree of reactivity and tumor grade, stage, or hormone content. These results suggest that in endocrine tissues, TGF-alpha is unlikely to prove useful as a tumor marker but that the growth factor may play a role in both normal physiology and tumorigenesis."}
{"id": "PMID:1468773", "title": "Immunoreactivity with monoclonal antibody A-80 and nuclear DNA content in benign and malignant human breast disease.", "content": "Immunohistochemical analysis with the monoclonal antibody (MoAb) A-80, recognizing a tumor-associated cytoplasmic mucin-type glycoprotein, and cytometric nuclear DNA assessment were performed on 314 surgical specimens of the human mammary gland. The series included 36 benign conditions, 34 epithelial hyperplasias, 40 carcinomas in situ, and 204 primary invasive carcinomas. Normal breast parenchyma, benign tumors, and other nonmalignant lesions were all of DNA diploid (euploid) type and rarely expressed the A-80 glycoprotein. Differences in MoAb A-80 immunoreactivity and nuclear DNA content were noted among subtypes of epithelial hyperplasias. Fifteen of 34 epithelial hyperplasias were of DNA aneuploid type and the majority were A-80 immunoreactive. Of these 15 immunoreactive aneuploid epithelial hyperplasias, atypical intraductal hyperplasia was the most common subgroup. None of the 19 epithelial hyperplasias of DNA euploid type immunoreacted. Most of the intraductal (33 of 40) and invasive (180 of 204) carcinomas immunostained with MoAb A-80. The majority of the A-80 immunoreactive malignant tumors were of DNA aneuploid type (26 of 33 carcinomas in situ and 108 of 180 invasive mammary carcinomas). The results suggest that expression of the A-80 glycoprotein occurs at an early stage of malignant transformation. Genetically stable (euploid) mammary tumors seem to immunoreact with MoAb A-80 less frequently than genetically unstable (aneuploid) tumor variants. Combined analysis with MoAb A-80 and of nuclear DNA content in premalignant and malignant mammary lesions could be a useful tool of differential diagnostic and prognostic value."}
{"id": "PMID:1468774", "title": "Mesangial deposition of type I collagen in human glomerulosclerosis.", "content": "The presence of type I collagen in both diffuse and nodular diabetic glomerular lesions has been examined using immunohistochemical and electron microscopic techniques. At the ultrastructural level, banded collagen fibrils were observed in the mesangium in all cases of nodular (Kimmelstiel-Wilson) sclerosis and in 60% of the diffuse sclerotic lesions. Antibodies against type I collagen were localized in the fibrotic interstitium and the mesangium in all cases examined. Staining with type I collagen antibodies occurred in glomeruli with intact Bowman's capsules, and was predominantly localized to areas immediately adjacent to mesangial cells. In cases of focal sclerosis of nondiabetic origin, banded collagen fibrils and staining with anti-type I collagen antibody were observed in all cases in which the segmental lesion was presented in the specimen. The pattern of antibody localization in both the diabetic lesions and focal sclerosis differed from that obtained using anti-type IV (basement membrane) collagen antibodies. These results demonstrate that type I collagen is among the extracellular matrix components that comprise the sclerotic glomerular lesions of both diabetic and nondiabetic origin. Furthermore, the spatial localization of this collagen type suggests mesangial cell origin."}
{"id": "PMID:1468775", "title": "Tissue invasion by Pneumocystis carinii: a possible cause of cavitary pneumonia and pneumothorax.", "content": "Pulmonary cavitation and pneumothorax may complicate severe cases of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia. Both complications likely result from tissue necrosis, although how such injury occurs is unknown. To investigate mechanisms of tissue destruction in P carinii pneumonia, histochemical, immunocytochemical, and electron microscopic studies were conducted in pulmonary wedge resections or autopsy specimens from patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (n = 7) or leukemia (n = 2). Tissue invasion, defined as Pneumocystis organisms in the interstitial compartment, was present in eight of nine cases. Organisms were found in alveolar septa (eight cases), pleura (six cases), and vessel walls (two cases). All cases with tissue invasion exhibited regional necrosis as well as extensive invasion of apparently viable parenchyma. Pulmonary cavitation occurred in seven of eight cases with tissue invasion, and six of these patients developed pneumothoraces. Despite extensive tissue invasion and necrosis there was little host inflammatory or stromal response. Ultrastructurally, both the tissue-invasive and intra-alveolar organisms were predominantly of the trophozoite form; they were present in much greater numbers than suggested by routine silver stains (which detect only cysts). Immunocytochemical techniques, which detect both trophozoite and cyst forms, were much more sensitive than silver stains. These results indicate that extensive tissue invasion by P carinii can occur in severe P carinii pneumonia. We hypothesize that such invasion is an important step in the development of pulmonary necrosis, cavitation, and pneumothorax."}
{"id": "PMID:1468776", "title": "Retinoblastoma and p53 gene product expression in breast carcinoma: immunohistochemical analysis and clinicopathologic correlation.", "content": "We examined 100 breast cancers for retinoblastoma (Rb) and p53 protein expression by immunohistochemistry using the PMG3.245 and PAb 1801 antibodies. We assessed percentages of reactive cells and their intensity, as well as staining patterns. The results were correlated with neu protein reactivity and a panel of variables, including age, tumor size and type, nuclear grade, estrogen receptor/progesterone receptor content, and lymph node status. Retinoblastoma protein negativity, either partial or complete, was noted in 47% of cases. Surprisingly, a relatively stronger Rb reaction was seen in some high nuclear grade tumors. p53 positivity was found in 23% of cases and was a significant predictor of Rb loss. p53 also was correlated with poorly differentiated (nuclear grade III) neoplasms and neu expression but not with negative ER status. Tissue distribution profiles for Rb-negative and p53-positive cells were variable in this series, with both uniform and heterogeneous patterns observed. This suggests that Rb and p53 alterations may represent early or late events in transformation. Our findings further implicate Rb and p53 derangements in mammary oncogenesis."}
{"id": "PMID:1468777", "title": "Distribution of the 72-kd type IV collagenase in nonneoplastic and neoplastic thyroid tissue.", "content": "The 72-kd type IV collagenase (matrix metalloproteinase-2 [MMP-2]) is a neutral metalloproteinase that initiates the degradation of type IV collagen in basement membranes. Its production by tumor cells has been correlated with the invasive and metastatic potential of neoplasms. Two recently developed affinity-purified antibodies against synthetic peptides from the amino terminus (H1) and an internal domain (Ab48) of the molecule were used to investigate immunohistochemically the distribution of this enzyme in a variety of thyroid tissues. All primary carcinomas (20 papillary, seven follicular, and three medullary) as well as nine of 11 metastases were positive, with the more aggressive tumors (tall cell variant of papillary carcinomas and invasive follicular carcinomas) tending to be more reactive than the low-grade tumors (classic and microinvasive papillary carcinomas and minimally invasive follicular tumors). Negative or minimal positivity was found in six cases of normal thyroid, one goiter, and two cases of Graves' disease. Immunoreactive follicular cells were seen focally in areas of inflammation, fibrosis, and distortion of normal follicles, and in Hashimoto's thyroiditis (four cases). Five of nine adenomas showed positive cells, but this could be related to previous trauma to the area. We conclude that there is increased production of the 72-kd type IV collagenase (MMP-2) in thyroid cancer; however, this enzyme also is elevated in benign conditions that are undergoing remodeling and repair."}
{"id": "PMID:1468778", "title": "Desmoplastic cerebral astrocytomas of infancy: a histopathologic, immunohistochemical, ultrastructural, and molecular genetic study.", "content": "The desmoplastic cerebral astrocytoma of infancy (DCAI) is a rare tumor that presents as a large hemispheric mass in infants. Despite an ominous histologic picture that may resemble a sarcoma, the tumor is astrocytic and has a good prognosis. We present two cases of DCAI, with histopathologic, immunohistochemical, ultrastructural, and molecular genetic data, and draw the following conclusions: (1) the diagnosis of DCAI requires a high index of suspicion and immunohistochemical or ultrastructural proof of astrocytic differentiation; (2) the data argue against nosologically equating these tumors with the desmoplastic infantile ganglioglioma, pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma, or gliofibroma; (3) the components of the extensive tumor basal lamina may be elaborated by the tumor cells themselves and may contribute in an autocrine fashion to the slow growth of these lesions; and (4) if the lack of allelic loss on chromosomes 17p (including the p53 tumor suppressor gene locus) and 10 seen in our cases is found in other cases of DCAI, this may further distinguish the DCAI from other astrocytomas."}
{"id": "PMID:1468779", "title": "Histologic predictors of survival in acquired immunodeficiency syndrome-associated Kaposi's sarcoma.", "content": "The relationship between 22 histologic variables and survival was investigated in 93 patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)-associated Kaposi's sarcoma (KS). All the patients were homosexual men in whom KS was the initial manifestation of AIDS. All patients were followed for at least 12 months or until death. Histologic specimens of the initial KS biopsy were reviewed in a blind manner by two of the authors and were evaluated for the presence of a number of histologic features. In a univariate analysis nodular lesions of KS (upsilon patch or plaque lesions), the absence of hemosiderin, the absence of irregular vascular spaces, and the presence of spindle cell nodules were all significantly associated with increased length of survival. Two variables previously shown to be related to survival (CD4:CD8 cell ratio, initial lesion on lower extremities) were included in a multivariate analysis (Cox model) in addition to the histologic variables. Complete data were available from 85 patients. In the multivariate analysis a higher helper to suppressor T-cell ratio, initial lesion on lower extremities, presence of spindle cell nodules, and nodular histology (upsilon patch or plaque histology) were all significantly associated with increased length of survival. These data suggest that in AIDS-associated KS, as in reticuloendothelial neoplasms, histologic features may be useful in identifying prognostically different subgroups of patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1468780", "title": "DNA ploidy analysis of myocardial hyperplasia.", "content": "A case of myocardial hyperplasia with numerous mitotic figures, caterpillar nuclei, and an abnormal DNA ploidy pattern is described in an 8-day-old full-term baby with uneventful gestation and sudden death."}
{"id": "PMID:1468786", "title": "[Health education and AIDS. A randomized controlled trial].", "content": "In 1987 a small health education research team in Montpellier became interested in AIDS prevention among high school students (15-19 years old). Studies at that time indicated that the majority of the youth were relatively well informed about AIDS, for example 99% of those questioned knew that the disease was transmitted by sexual intercourse or by the exchange of contaminated needles. Further studies indicated, however, that the young people did not feel that the subject concerned them personally--it was considered a problem like many others. The team decided therefore to design a programme which would involve the young people, and thus motivate them not only to question, but to look for answers and implicate themselves in the search for information. The programme design consisted in creating video workshops in selected high schools. Adults with different backgrounds were trained in video production and communication skills in order to develop sufficient staff for workshop supervision. A network of available specialists was recruited for consulting purposes and a specialized library which included audiovisual materials was created so that the young people would have sufficient resources available for their research. In order to incite the students to contemplate the subject of AIDS and all that it involves, a contest was held. The theme was simply, \"AIDS\" and the duration was the length of the 1988-89 school year. Eight workshops were created in eight different schools. The teams were created quite spontaneously and the dynamic of interrogation anticipated was realized. With the help of trained adult supervisors, each team started their project by designing a five minute video.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1468789", "title": "Lead exposure in indoor firing ranges.", "content": "Higher air lead levels (time-weighted average 660, range 112-2238 micrograms/m3) were measured in firing ranges where powder charges were employed than in ranges where air guns were used (4.6, range 1.8-7.2 micrograms/m3); levels in the latter were in turn higher than those in ranges used for archery (0.11, range 0.10-0.13 micrograms/m3). Twenty-two marksmen who used powder charges had significantly increased blood lead levels during the indoor shooting season (before: median 106, range 32-176 micrograms/l; after: 138; range 69-288 micrograms/l; P = 0.0001), while 21 subjects who mainly used air guns displayed no significant increase (before: median 91, range 47-179 micrograms/l; after: 84; range 20-222 micrograms/l). Thirteen archers had significantly lower levels than the pistol shooters before the season (P = 0.006), and showed a significant decrease during the season (before: median 61, range 27-92 micrograms/l; after: 56; range 31-87 micrograms/l; P = 0.04). At the end of the indoor season, there was a significant association between weekly pistol shooting time and blood lead levels."}
{"id": "PMID:1468790", "title": "Comparative evaluation of urinalysis and blood analysis as means of detecting exposure to organic solvents at low concentrations.", "content": "One hundred and forty-three workers exposed to one or more of toluene, xylene, ethylbenzene, styrene, n-hexane, and methanol at sub-occupational exposure limits were examined for the time-weighted average intensity of exposure by diffusive sampling, and for biological exposure indicators by means of analysis of shift-end blood for the solvent and analysis of shift-end urine for the corresponding metabolite(s). Urinalysis was also performed in 20 nonexposed control men to establish the \"background level.\" Both solvent concentrations in blood and metabolite concentrations in urine correlated significantly with solvent concentrations in air. Comparison of blood analysis and urinalysis as regards sensitivity in identifying low solvent exposure showed that blood analysis is generally superior to urinalysis. It was also noted that estimation of exposure intensity on an individual basis is scarcely possible even with blood analysis. Solvent concentration in whole blood was the same as that in serum in the case of the aromatics, except for styrene. It was higher in blood than in serum in the case of n-hexane, and lower in the cases of styrene and methanol."}
{"id": "PMID:1468791", "title": "An ecologic study of skin cancer and environmental arsenic exposure.", "content": "We conducted an epidemiologic study of skin cancer incidence rates for four counties in Montana. The two counties considered to be exposed to arsenic were Deer Lodge, containing the former Anaconda copper smelter, and Silver Bow, containing an open pit copper mine. Residents in these counties had potential exposure to arsenic and other heavy metals. Gallatin and Park counties served as controls. All histologically proven skin cancer cases during the period January 1980 through June 1986 were collected from pathology services and dermatologists in these four counties. In addition, all skin cancer cases from four dermatologists practicing in urban referral areas outside the counties were reviewed. Results were analyzed by individual as well as by two different definitions of anatomically distinct lesions: the National Cancer Institute (NCI) definition and the study definition. There were 1616 individuals with skin cancer in the four counties during the period under consideration, yielding 2252 (NCI definition) and 2451 (study definition) cases. The clinical features of the skin cancers in the exposed counties were not similar to those described for arsenic-related skin cancer. The age-adjusted annual skin cancer rates were higher for the two control counties as compared to either the county with the former smelter, Deer Lodge, or the county with the mine, Silver Bow. Our results cannot be explained by differences in ascertainment, latitude, or altitude. They can be partially explained by differences in both outdoor employment and medical practice. The overall skin cancer incidence rates for the exposed counties were well within the range of skin cancer rates observed for other locations in the United States."}
{"id": "PMID:1468792", "title": "Quantification of heat balance during work in three types of asbestos-protective clothing.", "content": "Three types of protective suits for asbestos removal work were tested in a climatic chamber at two ambient temperatures, 25 degrees and 36 degrees C. Four subjects performed 50 min of bicycle exercise at 90 W dressed in shorts, socks and sneakers (NoPS). The same test was carried out with three different types of asbestos-protective suits worn on top of NoPS. Suits were made of GoreTex (GT), polypropylene (PP) and Tyvek (TYV). At 25 degrees C, responses differed very little between suits and thermal strain was small. At 36 degrees C, strain was least with NoPS. TYV resulted in significantly higher physiological and thermal strain than did PP and GT. Evaporative heat loss was maintained at a similar level with less permeable ensembles, but at the expense of increased skin wetness and sweat rate. Measured values compared favourably with calculated values for skin wetness and sweat rate according to ISO 7933, when resultant, rather than standard, basic data for insulation and evaporative resistance of ensembles were used. Results indicate that differences between suits that may be of little importance at normal room temperature become significant at higher stress levels (increased activity and/or air temperature)."}
{"id": "PMID:1468793", "title": "Vibration syndrome among Finnish forest workers between 1972 and 1990.", "content": "A longitudinal study on vibration syndrome among professional forest workers was carried out in Finland from 1972 to 1990. In the course of the follow-up the weighted vibration acceleration of chain saws decreased from about 14 to 2 m/s2. The prevalence of vibration-induced white finger (VWF) decreased gradually from 40% to 5%. Numbness occurred mainly at night, and its prevalence decreased from 78% to 28%. During part of the follow-up period (1975-1990) the complaints of hand muscle weakness decreased from 19% to 9%. Disorders of the musculoskeletal system were considered to cause more disability than VWF. The decreased vibration acceleration and the lighter weight of chain saws were considered the main reasons for the decrease in the prevalence of vibration-induced symptoms."}
{"id": "PMID:1468794", "title": "Prevalence of respiratory allergy in a platinum refinery.", "content": "In a cross-sectional study, 65 workers in the chemical industry with exposure to platinum salts were investigated with regard to the prevalence to allergic respiratory tract diseases. A respiratory questionnaire, a skin-prick test with K2PtCl6 and environmental allergens, determination of total IgE, platinum-specific IgE and histamine release in basophilic granulocytes and lung function tests were applied before and after a Monday shift and after a Friday shift. Work-related symptoms of respiratory allergy were present in 23% of all workers, but were significantly more frequent in the most exposed group in the platinum refinery (52.4%). Of all workers, 18.7% had a positive skin-prick test with platinum salt. As compared to the other workers, the workers with work-related symptoms of respiratory allergy had significantly more positive skin-prick tests (64.3%) and a higher total IgE and platinum-specific IgE; they did not, however, show higher histamine release. In the course of the week, a significant fall in lung function, namely in FEV1 and FEF25, was recorded in the group of workers with work-related symptoms."}
{"id": "PMID:1468795", "title": "Chronic occupational exposure to organic solvents. XV. Glycol ether exposure during the manufacture of brakehoses.", "content": "Twenty-two persons (20 men and 2 women) were examined for their external and internal exposure to the glycol ether 1-methoxypropan-2-ol (PGME) during the production, leak testing and mounting of brakehoses. For the measurement of external exposure, personal air monitoring was the method of choice. Average concentrations of PGME of 82.2 mg/m3 (22.3 ppm), 68.6 mg/m3 (18.6 ppm) and 11.3 mg/m3 (3.1 ppm) were found in the air of the brakehose production, leak test and mounting areas, respectively. For the estimation of internal exposure to PGME, this glycol ether was measured in both urine and blood. The biological samples were taken post-shift. The highest internal exposure levels were found in the brakehose production section and in the leak test area. The average post-shift concentrations for PGME in workers in the brakehose production section were 4.6 mg/l in urine and 13.5 mg/l in blood; the corresponding figures for workers in the leak test area were 4.2 mg/l in urine and 11.0 mg/l in blood. In blood and urine samples of workers engaged in the mounting area, PGME levels were below the detection limits. The elimination kinetics of PGME were also studied in three highly exposed persons, and mean excretion half-lives of PGME of approximately 4.4 h were found. On the basis of our results we made a rough calculation of a future biological tolerance value: we would except that concentrations of 38-109 mg per litre of blood and 10-31 mg per litre of urine would correspond to the German MAK value for PGME (375 mg/m3)."}
{"id": "PMID:1468796", "title": "Internal exposure to organic substances in a municipal waste incinerator.", "content": "Fifty-three persons occupied in a municipal waste incinerator were examined with respect to their internal exposure to organic substances which may be produced during pyrolysis of organic matter. For this purpose the levels of benzene in blood, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and hexachlorobenzene (HCB) in plasma, and mono- (MCPs), di- (DCPs), tri- (TCPs), tetra- (TCEPs) and pentachlorophenol (PCP) and hydroxypyrene in urine were determined. For control purposes, 431 men and women were examined. Significantly higher values for the workers were found for the excretion of hydroxypyrene [median (m): 0.24 vs 0.11 microgram/l; non-smokers], 2,4/2,5-DCP (m: 10.5 vs 3.9 micrograms/l) and 2,4,5-TCP (m: 1.2 vs 0.8 micrograms/l) and for the HCB level in plasma (m: 4.4 vs 2.8 micrograms/l). For the concentrations of 4-MCP and 2,3,4,6/2,3,5,6-TECP, the controls had significantly higher concentrations in urine than did the workers in the incineration plant (m: 4-MCP 1.7 vs 1.2; 2,3,4,6/2,3,5,6-TECP: 1.2 vs 0.3 micrograms/l). No significant differences between workers and controls were detected with respect to benzene in blood (m: 0.20 vs 0.28 microgram/l; non-smokers), 2,4,6-TCP and PCPs in urine (m: 0.85 vs 0.60 and 2.2 vs 2.2 micrograms/l) or the levels of PCB congeners in plasma (m: sigma 138, 153, 180: 5.6 vs 4.1 micrograms/l). The elevated levels of hydroxypyrene, 2,4/2,5-DCP, 2,4,5-TCP and HCB in biological material may be related to the incineration of the waste. These elevations, however, are very small and are of interest more from the environmental than from the occupational point of view."}
{"id": "PMID:1468797", "title": "Aspects of granulocyte function in workers professionally exposed to pesticides.", "content": "Granulocyte function in 92 workers from a chemical plant for the production of pesticides was tested by means of the nitro-blue tetrazolium test (spontaneous and stimulated) and the phagocytosis test. Two opposite types of change were identified, namely increased and reduced functional activity. No reliable correlation between the studied parameters and length of service was found. In comparison with the routine hematological methods, the identified functional changes in polymorphonuclear neutrophil granulocytes serve as an early indicator of an impact on the leukocytes. The applied methods are accessible and may be used as an objective means of studying the dynamics of the unfavorable effect of zineb and of identifying groups at increased toxicological risk."}
{"id": "PMID:1468798", "title": "Medical wastage in shipyard welders: a forty-year historical cohort study.", "content": "A 40-year historical cohort study of medical wastage among about 550 shipyard welders and 1100 controls (shipwrights and engine fitters), all employed at the same shipyard, was carried out. The welders left their job 20% more often than the controls; the excess considerably increased with duration of employment. Wastage was particularly due to respiratory, cardiovascular, locomotor and mental disorders. Both welders and controls contributed considerably (about 20%) to permanent work disability. Medical wastage among welders because of respiratory diseases was more than four times higher than among controls, which could not be explained by differential smoking habits alone. The study raises concern about locomotor health hazards for shipyard workers. Moreover, it underscores the need to reduce the large excess risk of respiratory diseases among shipyard welders. The same may be true for welders in other large metal construction plants, e.g. in boiler production."}
{"id": "PMID:1468799", "title": "Effects of noise on mental performance with regard to subjective noise sensitivity.", "content": "Objective and subjective effects of moderate levels of recorded traffic noise [Leq = 55 dB(A) and 75 dB(A)] on mental performance were studied in a laboratory setting. A total of 45 subjects (23 males and 22 females) were investigated with respect to subjective noise sensitivity (SNS). Four cognitive tasks were applied involving different psychological functions: Short-Term Memory (STM), Search and Memory 5 (SAM 5) (vigilance), Hidden Figures (HF) (spatial reasoning) and Mental Arithmetic (MA) (parallel processing). Three groups of 15 subjects were defined according to their scores on Weinstein's Noise Sensitivity Scale as tolerant, moderately sensitive or highly sensitive to noise. A similar level of performance was observed in the three groups under quiet conditions [30 dB(A) Leq], but under noisy conditions significant differences (P < 0.05) were seen between them on the STM (words) and MA (total results) tasks, and the lowest performance accuracy was demonstrated by the noise-sensitive subjects. SNS was the primary factor responsible for these differences. There were no significant differences between the groups in respect of the SAM 5 and HF tasks, under either quiet or noisy conditions. Annoyance while performing tasks under noisy conditions was regularly and significantly higher among subjects judged to be noise sensitive on Weinstein's scale, as compared with those judged to have low or moderate SNS."}
{"id": "PMID:1468800", "title": "Chromosome and sister-chromatid exchange analysis in peripheral lymphocytes, and mutagenicity of urine in anesthesiology personnel.", "content": "Genotoxic effects of occupational exposure to anesthetic gases (halothane and nitrous oxide) were studied in 24 persons working at departments of anesthesiology and resuscitation (14 anesthesiologists and 10 anesthesiologic nurses). Frequencies of chromosomal aberrations were determined in 48-h cultures, and sister-chromatid exchanges (SCEs) in 72-h cultures of peripheral lymphocytes. In parallel, the mutagenetic potential of urine was tested using Ames tester Salmonella typhimurium strains TA98 and TA100 in both the presence and the absence of a metabolic activation system. The control group consisted of 30 healthy blood donors from the Clinic of Hematology and Blood Transfusion. Halothane concentrations in the working environment of operating rooms were determined using gas-liquid chromatography. Halothane exposure levels were far above the maximum allowable concentration in most countries, ranging between 9 and 490 mg.m-3. Cytogenetic analysis of peripheral lymphocytes revealed significantly increased frequencies of aberrant cells (ABCs) and SCEs in the exposed group as compared with the controls (3.84% vs 1.87% ABCs, 8.69 +/- 1.30 vs 7.86 +/- 1.07 SCEs per cell). Results of the urine mutagenicity test were negative."}
{"id": "PMID:1468802", "title": "Upper airway obstruction and the Robin sequence.", "content": "Both the etiology of Robin sequence and the mechanisms of upper airway obstruction are heterogeneous. As a result, generalizations about the care of newborns with the combination of micrognathia, cleft palate, and airway obstruction cannot be made. Management of the airway obstruction should be based on the results of direct endoscopic observation of the site of obstruction and not on the presumptive diagnosis of glossoptosis. It should not be assumed that \"catch-up growth\" of the mandible will occur and lead to spontaneous resolution of either the airway obstruction or the micrognathia. The presentation of the child with Pierre Robin sequence should not be the end of the diagnostic search, but rather the beginning."}
{"id": "PMID:1468803", "title": "Pharyngeal flap surgery: postoperative complications.", "content": "Using a protocol specifically designed to decrease the risk factors for postoperative morbidity and upper airway obstruction, we have essentially eliminated major complications after pharyngeal flap surgery while maintaining excellent speech results. The protocol includes inserting a short pharyngeal flap into a tissue \"sandwich\" and keeping an NP tube in place for 48 hours postoperatively. The complications reduced by use of this protocol include apnea and other upper respiratory complications, as well as bleeding. In addition, postoperative discomfort is decreased with the current protocol. Using this approach, pharyngeal flap surgery is highly effective in improving speech and is associated with low morbidity."}
{"id": "PMID:1468804", "title": "Flexible bronchoscopy in infants.", "content": "Flexible bronchoscopy is a useful diagnostic and sometimes therapeutic tool in small or premature infants, just as it is in older children. Special diligence is required to monitor the child before, during, and after the procedure, and to choose the appropriate instrument. Procedures must be completed rapidly, because most premature infants will be essentially apneic during the time the tip of a flexible bronchoscope is below the glottis. For some procedures, a rigid instrument may be a better choice, although for the majority of diagnostic procedures, flexible instruments are entirely satisfactory."}
{"id": "PMID:1468811", "title": "The effect of gastroesophageal reflux on the pediatric airway.", "content": "The child with airway signs and symptoms that may be associated with GER presents diagnostic challenges. A high index of suspicion may be needed to make the diagnosis of GER, because no one test gives consistently definitive results. Specialists from multiple disciplines, including otolaryngology, gastroenterology, pulmonology, pediatrics, critical care, anesthesiology, and pediatric surgery may ultimately need to work together to arrive at the correct diagnosis and implement appropriate therapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1468815", "title": "Autoperfusion balloon catheter for complicated coronary angioplasty: a prospective study with retrospective controls.", "content": "Prolonged angioplasty balloon inflation with an autoperfusion balloon for failed conventional coronary angioplasty, was compared with emergency surgery for this condition. Restenosis was assessed 6 weeks after successful intervention with the autoperfusion balloon. Forty consecutive patients with persistent acute occlusion and/or severe intimal dissection during conventional angioplasty, were treated with the autoperfusion balloon. They were candidates for emergency surgery if it failed. Total inflation time was significantly longer (p < 0.001) with the autoperfusion balloon (27.5; 10-180 min) than with the standard balloon (10; 1-20 min) (median; range). The number of inflations was significantly lower (p < 0.001) with the autoperfusion balloon (2; 1-5 times) than with the standard balloon (5; 2-14 times) (median; range). Two patients died, one before surgery could be performed. The autoperfusion balloon was successful in 26 patients (65%). After 6 weeks, 16 (62%) were asymptomatic without anti-anginal medication, 24 underwent repeat angiography, 10 (42%) had restenosis, 7 (27%) underwent elective bypass surgery. Emergency surgery remained necessary in 13 patients (33%), 9 received arterial grafts. In 31 retrospective controls, who had undergone immediate surgery for the same indication, only venous grafts could be used. Thus, prolonged autoperfusion balloon inflation was successful in 65% of the cases of failed, conventional angioplasty. The angiographic restenosis rate after 6 weeks was 42%. If emergency surgery remained necessary, the autoperfusion balloon facilitated the use of arterial bypass grafts."}
{"id": "PMID:1468816", "title": "Surgical treatment in tetralogy of Fallot diagnosed by echocardiography.", "content": "The purpose of this paper is to present the authors' 3-yr experience of echocardiographic examination of patients with the clinical diagnosis of tetralogy of Fallot, and their evaluation for surgical treatment without prior cardiac catheterization. Among the patients with the clinical diagnosis of tetralogy of Fallot 227 had a definite diagnosis made by M-mode, two-dimensional, Doppler and contrast echocardiography. For the diagnosis of tetralogy of Fallot, ventricular septal defect, pulmonary stenosis, and overriding of the aorta were considered to be fundamental. Ventricular septal defect could be seen easily in the subaortic region by two-dimensional echocardiography. However, in some patients whose ventricular septal defect was not seen clearly, peripheral vein contrast echocardiography was performed. The diameters of pulmonary artery, and main branches at a few millimeters distal to their origin were measured. These parameters were correlated with the aortic diameter for evaluation as to whether they were able to accept the total cardiac output. In patients whose left ventricular end-diastolic dimension was small, shunt operation was preferred. In 115 patients the pediatric cardiologist performing the echocardiography thought that cardiac catheterization was necessary. In these cases the reliability of echocardiography in detecting important cardiac abnormalities was evaluated. Detection of ventricular septal defect, presence of pulmonary valve, detection of stenosis on the pulmonary bifurcation and/or main branches revealed a high sensitivity. Two-hundred-and-one patients diagnosed by echocardiography underwent total correction. In all cases except one the preoperative diagnosis was confirmed by surgery.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1468817", "title": "Myocardial vitamin E is consumed during cardiopulmonary bypass: indirect evidence of free radical generation in human ischemic heart.", "content": "Although a role for free radicals in myocardial damage during cardiopulmonary bypass for open heart surgery has been postulated, direct evidence of free radical production as well as consumption of tissue antioxidants such as vitamin E is still lacking. Twenty patients (age 26-66 yr, mean 48) undergoing elective open heart surgery with moderate hypothermia, and cold crystalloid cardioplegia, were studied. Cardiopulmonary bypass time was 61.4 +/- 31.2 min. The specimens of atrial tissue collection before and after cardiopulmonary bypass, were immediately frozen in liquid nitrogen. Mean vitamin E atrial content, measured by reverse phase HPLC, was 355 +/- 249 pmol/mg of dry weight basally, 135 +/- 85 pmol/mg (p < 0.05) at the end of the ischemic period and 405 +/- 288 pmol/mg after the reperfusion period (p < 0.01). Microscopic examination of right atrial biopsies ruled out differences in fibrosis or cellular damage as the cause of vitamin E changes. Although a great basal variability in atrial vitamin E content was observed, which was independent of age, sex and clinical status, a reproducible and substantial decrease in atrial vitamin E content after cardiopulmonary bypass occurred (mean reduction 45 +/- 17% and 55 +/- 22%, respectively, after ischemia and after reperfusion). This was directly related to the aorta cross-clamping duration and partially to the minimum temperature achieved. In conclusion, apart from the great variability observed in basal vitamin E tissue content, vitamin E was always reduced during cardiopulmonary bypass, suggesting an oxidative stress on the myocardium during open heart surgery."}
{"id": "PMID:1468818", "title": "Microalbuminuria and other cardiovascular risk factors in nondiabetic subjects.", "content": "The association between urinary albumin:creatinine ratio and other cardiovascular risk factors such as age, blood pressure, obesity, glycemic indices, insulin and lipid profile was examined in a population in a Chinese community consisting of 795 men (mean age 35.8 +/- 8.8 yr) and 538 women (mean age 37.9 +/- 8.9 yr) with a normal glucose tolerance defined by WHO criteria. Men with a urinary albumin:creatinine ratio above the 90th percentile had higher systolic and diastolic blood pressures, fasting plasma glucose, 2-h glucose after a 75 g oral glucose load, and fasting serum insulin. Women with high urinary albumin:creatinine values had higher systolic and diastolic blood pressures, body mass index, waist-hip ratio, fasting insulin and triglycerides. Multivariate analysis showed that only systolic blood pressure and fasting glucose in men, and diastolic blood pressure and fasting insulin in women, independently contributed to urinary albumin:creatinine. When the effect of blood pressure was eliminated by excluding subjects with systolic blood pressure > 140 and diastolic > 90 mm Hg, only fasting insulin was associated with urinary albumin:creatinine in women. No associations were found for men. We conclude that microalbuminuria may be a marker for cardiovascular disease only because of its association with blood pressure in men, while in women, there is an additional independent association with fasting serum insulin."}
{"id": "PMID:1468819", "title": "Early diastolic left ventricular function as a marker of acute cardiac rejection: a prospective serial echocardiographic study.", "content": "Changes in left ventricular early diastolic time intervals are sensitive indicators of incipient left ventricular dysfunction. We tested the hypothesis that acute rejection in cardiac transplant recipients is associated with alteration of early diastolic myocardial function, as expressed by the time interval Te, a parameter derived from digitized M-mode echocardiograms. Te is defined as the time interval between maximal posterior wall contraction and the point of peak posterior wall endocardium retraction velocity, as determined by the nadir of the computed first derivative curve. In transplant patients without rejection (group A, n = 48), Te was prolonged compared to healthy individuals (group C, n = 35) (79.0 +/- 12.5 ms vs 64.0 +/- 7.9 ms; p < 0.0001). During acute rejection (group B, n = 18) transplant patients had significantly longer mean Te values compared to transplant patients without rejection (group A) (97.8 +/- 17.9 ms vs 79.0 +/- 12.5 ms; p < 0.0001). Longitudinal studies in individual patients (group D, n = 18) demonstrated that rejection is associated with prolongation of Te (94.5 +/- 16.0 ms during rejection vs 79.0 +/- 10.3 ms before rejection; p < 0.0002) and that Te returns to individual baseline values in response to treatment (79.2 +/- 9.4 ms after therapy vs 79.0 +/- 10.3 ms before rejection; NS). In a prospective study, Te changes in transplant patients (group E, n = 96) were correlated with myocardial biopsy results. Sixty-one biopsies showed acute rejection, and 115 biopsies were negative.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1468820", "title": "Accuracy of percussion of the left cardiac border.", "content": "The purpose of this study was to determine the accuracy of percussion of the left cardiac border. Sixty-six adult patients were studied. The left cardiac border as determined by percussion and marked with a calibrated lead marker was compared with that obtained by a chest X-ray. The error in locating the left cardiac border by percussion ranged from underestimating by 5.0 cm to overestimating by 5.5 cm. The mean absolute error was 1.6 cm (SD = 1.6 cm). In 74% (49/66) and 85% (56/66) of the patients the percussed border was within 1.0 and 2.0 cm, respectively, of that established by X-ray. In 24 of the 66 cases, a second examiner also independently percussed the left cardiac border. The differences between the location determined by the two observers ranged from 0 to 4 cm with a mean difference of 1.2 cm (SD = 1.0 cm). Percussion can accurately locate the left cardiac border in the adult patient and is a reproducible technique."}
{"id": "PMID:1468821", "title": "Anatomical origin of pressure-related ventricular ectopic rhythms.", "content": "In order to determine the origin of pressure-related ectopic rhythms, the main arteries were clamped in 11 anesthetized dogs, or the arteries or veins were transfused, while on or off metaraminol. The epicardial right atrial electrogram, the intracavity electrograms and the pressure of the two ventricles were recorded. Sinus rhythm was associated with 64/64 (100%) of the control periods off metaraminol, but only 19/50 (38%) of the clamping of the main arteries (P << 0.0005). In 14/27 aortic clampings ectopic beats appeared from the left ventricle and in 13/27 from the right one. In 4/23 clampings of the pulmonary artery ectopic beats appeared from the left ventricle and in 15/23 from the right one (P < 0.05). Sinus rhythm was associated with significantly lower left ventricular systolic pressure than any ventricular arrhythmia. The left ventricular systolic pressure associated with ectopic rhythms from the left ventricle was significantly (P < 0.005) higher than that associated with those from the right ventricle. The right ventricular systolic pressure during sinus rhythm was significantly (P < 0.005) lower than that during ectopic rhythm from any ventricle. It is concluded that a rise in the pressure of one ventricle tends to cause ventricular ectopic rhythms originating predominantly, but not exclusively, from this ventricle. The origin of ventricular ectopic rhythms from the right ventricle does not preclude that the arrhythmia may respond favorably to lowering of the systemic pressure."}
{"id": "PMID:1468823", "title": "Assessment of spatial and temporal velocity profiles distal of normally functioning Bj\u00f6rk-Shiley prosthesis by the Doppler method.", "content": "By Doppler echocardiography, the performance of heart valve prostheses is assessed with the aid of maximal transprosthetic velocities, which, however, may not be representative for the full spatial velocity profile in the vicinity of mechanical valve substitutes due to flow separation by the open occluder. The purpose of this study was to determine characteristics of velocity profiles downstream of a normally functioning Bj\u00f6rk-Shiley prosthesis. In a pulsatile flow apparatus, different flow rates of 6.3 and 8.4 l/min were delivered. Using a spatially and temporally resolving ultrasonic Doppler method, velocity profiles 20 and 30 mm distal from the prosthesis were registered and displayed in a three-dimensional grid. The spatial velocity profile was found to deviate substantially from a flat profile at these transducer positions at the two flow conditions. Distal to the minor orifice, velocities measured only 70 and 80% of those downstream of the major orifice. In between, a region of relatively slow moving flow was present. The shape of the profiles remained essentially unchanged during acceleration and deceleration of flow. Thus, spatially resolved velocity profiles downstream of mechanical prostheses can be registered by an ultrasonic Doppler device. These findings may be useful for the detection of beginning malfunction both in the experimental and the clinical setting."}
{"id": "PMID:1468822", "title": "Blood pressure changes during pregnancy in Nigerian women.", "content": "The purpose of this longitudinal study was to determine the pattern of blood pressure during pregnancy in Nigerian women. The blood pressure of 189 women from early pregnancy and up to term, during labor and 24 h after delivery were monitored. The mean systolic, diastolic and mean arterial blood pressure were computed and the blood pressure readings were correlated with parity and selected anthropometric and socioeconomic variables. The results showed a decline in blood pressure levels during the mid-trimester of pregnancy with a progressive increase towards term. The highest blood pressures were recorded during the third stage of labor. The mean (+/- 2 SD) of blood pressure was 130/80 mmHg. There was no significant correlation of blood pressure with parity but there was a significant positive correlation with maternal age and Quetelex index after 30 weeks of gestation. As compared to Caucasian women, Nigerian women showed higher levels of diastolic blood pressures. We conclude that: (1) the higher incidence of gestational hypertension in African women may be due to higher levels of resting baseline blood pressures in the women, and (2) pregnant women in our population with persistent elevation of blood pressures above 130/80 mmHg should be closely monitored."}
{"id": "PMID:1468824", "title": "Assessment of cardiac adrenergic supply in mitral valve prolapse using m-[123I]iodobenzylguanidine scintigraphy.", "content": "Presynaptic as well as postsynaptic adrenergic regulation abnormalities are reported in symptomatic patients with mitral valve prolapse. This study was undertaken to evaluate presynaptic sympathetic supply by m-[123I]iodobenzylguanidine scintigraphy in 17 preselected patients with mitral valve prolapse and symptoms suggestive of hyperadrenergic dysautonomia as compared to normal scintigraphic findings. Mitral valve prolapse was echocardiographically proven within the left parasternal long axis view. Percentual activity of m-[123I]iodobenzylguanidine in 33 sectors of all oblique slices along the short axis was calculated relative to the maximal uptake, set at 100%. In general, no significant differences of mean values of sectoral quantitative uptake of m-[123I]iodobenzylguanidine were detectable between patients and the control group. Only in two sectors of the basal anterolateral region P values < 0.01 were present. Thus, using m-[123I]iodobenzylguanidine scintigraphy as marker of cardiac adrenergic supply, no evidence of altered presynaptic hyperadrenergic supply was present in patients with mitral valve prolapse. These findings suggest postsynaptic regulation abnormalities to be preponderant in this condition."}
{"id": "PMID:1468825", "title": "Persistent truncus arteriosus--an autopsy study of 16 cases.", "content": "Sixteen specimens of heart with persistent truncus arteriosus were studied to evaluate the anatomic features. Using the Collet and Edwards classification, type I truncus arteriosus was the most frequent (62.5%). Using Van Praagh's classification type A1 was the most common (43.7%). There were two cases which could not be classified according to the Collet and Edwards classification. The truncal valve was tricuspid in 75% of the cases and bicuspid in the remaining 25%. In all 6 cases with interruption of the aorta, the truncal valve was committed to the right ventricle. The ventricular septal defect was subtruncal in all except 1 case. There was variation in the thickness of the posterior limb of the septal band and the ventriculo-infundibular fold. Absence of the ventriculo-infundibular fold in 3 cases led to truncal tricuspid continuity. Right-sided aortic arch and interruption of the aorta were frequently associated arch anomalies."}
{"id": "PMID:1468826", "title": "Enalapril and exercise-induced hyperkalemia. A study of patients randomized to double-blind treatment with enalapril or placebo after acute myocardial infarction.", "content": "During exercise a marked increase in plasma potassium in healthy subjects has repeatedly been demonstrated. In patients on treatment with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors this may be further augmented. Therefore, the aim of present study was to evaluate the effect of enalapril on exercise-induced hyperkalemia. This was done in patients with acute myocardial infarction randomized to double-blind treatment with enalapril 10-20 mg per day (n = 7) or placebo (n = 6) within 24 h of onset of chest pain, and the results were compared with data from healthy control subjects (n = 11). Baseline plasma potassium did not differ between the three groups; i.e. 4.2, 4.0, and 4.1 mmol/l, respectively. An incremental, symptom-limited, bicycle exercise test was done one month after the myocardial infarction, and blood samples were taken for determination of plasma potassium. The exercise-induced increase in plasma potassium was not higher in the enalapril group as compared to the placebo and control groups, and there was no difference between the enalapril and placebo group, the specific values being 0.6 vs. 0.6 and 0.7 mmol/l, respectively. No difference was observed in the slope (dK/dt) between the 3 groups. In conclusion, enalapril at a dosage of 10-20 mg per day does not provoke any augmentation of the increase in plasma potassium during exercise."}
{"id": "PMID:1468827", "title": "Calcitonin gene-related peptide: a haemodynamic study of a novel vasodilator in patients with severe chronic heart failure.", "content": "The haemodynamic and neurohumeral response to a novel vasodilator calcitonin gene-related peptide was assessed in 11 patients with severe chronic heart failure. To assess tolerance, a continuous 48-h infusion (n = 6) was compared with a regimen of two successive 8-h infusions (n = 5). Haemodynamic response profiles were similar for both regimens, though the continuous infusion was poorly tolerated. Reductions in afterload reflected by changes in systemic vascular resistance and systemic blood pressure led to increases in cardiac index of at least 24%. Increments in heart rate accounted for much of the increase in cardiac output, there being no significant change in stroke volume index. The response was maintained over the 48-h study period with no tachyphylaxis. Renin and angiotensin levels increased significantly after 24 h. Calcitonin gene-related peptide exerts a favourable haemodynamic response in patients with severe heart failure. The dose used in this study, however, caused troublesome side-effects, particularly when given by continuous infusion. Further studies are required to establish the therapeutic range of this new peptide."}
{"id": "PMID:1468828", "title": "Arrhythmias during dipyridamole test. Report of 3 cases.", "content": "The authors report three cases in which the dipyridamole test provoked: (1) junctional rhythm with AV dissociation; (2) sinus arrest; (3) 2:1 AV block. The three cases described above draw attention to the possible effect of dipyridamole on the AV conduction, which is not yet completely known. This unwanted effect suggests that careful ECG monitoring should be performed during the dipyridamole test."}
{"id": "PMID:1468829", "title": "Myocarditis: a rare complication during Legionella infection.", "content": "Legionella often causes systemic manifestations. The clinical spectrum now includes cardiac legionellosis. The first case of myocarditis was reported by Gross in 1981. To date few additional cases have been described. Myocardial involvement might be more frequent than supposed in legionnaires' disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1468830", "title": "Multiple intracavitary cardiac masses; an uncommon presentation of African Burkitt's lymphoma.", "content": "A 29-yr-old patient is described, who presented with rapid general deterioration and right heart failure. Two-dimensional echocardiography revealed massive intracardiac tumor involving the right atrium, the right ventricle and the left atrium. At histology the diagnosis of Burkitt's lymphoma was made. This report presents what we believe to be the first case of a patient with primary cardiac manifestations and multiple intracardiac masses in this disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1468832", "title": "Hypnosis: wherefore art thou?", "content": "The present paper focuses on the influences of social-political needs of various groups with interests in hypnosis (i.e., stage hypnotists, lay hypnotists, licensed practitioners, and researchers). While hypnosis is a specific topic of interest to groups with varying needs, it also serves as an example for other topics in psychology that may overlap the needs of other groups--especially practitioners and researchers. The identity given to hypnosis varies depending upon which particular group of persons is offering the identity, and the nature of the identity reflects each group's biases and needs. These various identities, however, are not always acceptable, in part or in whole, by the other groups, as the needs of one or more may be in conflict with those of others."}
{"id": "PMID:1468833", "title": "Theorizing about hypnosis in either/or terms.", "content": "The present paper addresses 3 issues raised by Coe (1992). First, it maintains that the \"altered state\" issue of the 1960s remains buried in current dichotomous classifications of hypnosis theories as involving either \"special processes\" or the social-psychological position. Given the current diversity of the field, it appears imprudent to classify theorizing in either/or terms; additionally, despite a history of using the term \"altered state\" in a circular way, it is not an inherently circular formulation. It can be used descriptively simply to point to the observation that some individuals in hypnosis report subjective alterations. A second issue broached concerns the metaphorical status of the term \"hypnosis\"; it is accepted as a misleading metaphor inherited from 19th century investigators such as Braid, Faria, Puys\u00e9gur, and Li\u00e9beault. Provided that is is recognized that this metaphor refers to a \"domain\" (E.R. Hilgard, 1973) of characteristically elicited behaviors, no problem ensues in retaining this metaphor derived from nocturnal sleep. A subsequent discussion of current conceptualizations of hypnosis indicates considerable agreement among investigators; there is much consensus that hypnosis is an individual differences phenomenon, in which imagination may, in some individuals, become so intense and so vivid, as to take on \"reality value,\" to the extent that a hypnotized person may have difficulty in distinguishing fantasy from reality. The S abilities of imagery/imagination, absorption, dissociation, and automaticity (which may be proved to be an index of dissociation) are proposed as being the main ingredients of the hypnotic experience. Finally, a synergistic approach is proposed as a means of progressing beyond the current impasse of either/or theorizing."}
{"id": "PMID:1468834", "title": "Imagination and dissociation in hypnotic responding.", "content": "A neodissociative model of mind is better equipped than a social-psychological model to deal with the complexities of hypnosis, and of human behavior generally. It recognizes, as Coe's (1992) model does not, that behavior can be more automatically activated than strategically enacted. In particular, Coe's emphasis on human behavior as purposeful and goal directed does not distinguish between goal-directed behavior that serves a purpose, and goal-directed behavior that is performed on purpose. It is this distinction that permits goal-directed behavior to be dissociated from a person's conscious plans and intentions. In addition to offering a critique of Coe's \"limited process\" view of hypnosis, 4 main points are made in the interest of developing a slightly modified, neodissociation view of hypnosis. First, it is argued that goal-directed fantasies are more limited in their ability to mediate hypnotic responding than is commonly appreciated; as well, they do not seem to account for the nonvolitional quality of hypnotic responding. Second, it is argued that hypnotic ability is not unidimensional, with compliance and social influence more apt to account for the low than for the high hypnotizable's responsiveness to suggestion. Third, compared to low hypnotizables, the hypnotic responsiveness of high hypnotizables seems more likely to result from dissociated control. In other words, for high hypnotizables, hypnotic suggestions may often directly activate subsystems of cognitive control. Consequently, the need for executive initiative and effort to produce hypnotically suggested behavior is minimized, and such responses are therefore experienced as nonvolitional. Fourth and finally, while goal-directed fantasies typically accompany hypnotically suggested responses, they are in many cases more a marker of dissociated control than a mediator of suggested effects."}
{"id": "PMID:1468835", "title": "Social constructions of hypnosis.", "content": "Both clinical and experimental views of hypnosis are social constructions that reflect the biases and interests of practitioners and scientists. Each perspective offers useful metaphors for hypnosis. Underlying clinical uses of the term hypnosis are states of mind associated with imaginative reverie and automatic behavior based on procedural knowledge. Social discourse and narratives shape hypnotic experience, but they are themselves influenced by mechanisms of attention and automaticity. Study of hypnosis must proceed on both social and psychological fronts to account for the experience and clinical efficacy of hypnosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1468836", "title": "Hypnosis: a sesquicentennial essay.", "content": "The present paper views Coe's (1992) reflections on the sociopolitical interests in clinical and experimental hypnosis against the background of Braid's Neurypnology of 1843. Topics considered are: the significance of the label \"hypnosis\"; the controversy over state; the tension between credulity and skepticism; the problem of dissociation and automaticity; current theoretical conflicts; and the relationships between practitioners and researchers."}
{"id": "PMID:1468837", "title": "The 1988-1989 measles epidemic in Hungary: assessment of vaccine failure.", "content": "Hungary has had a successful measles vaccination programme, achieving over 93% coverage in targeted groups. However, from September 1988 until December 1989, 17,938 measles cases were reported among the civilian population (attack rate [AR] = 169 per 100,000 population) with the majority of cases occurring in vaccinated people. National surveillance data were analysed to determine reasons for the outbreak and risk factors for vaccine failure. People born during 1971 and 1972 had been targeted for vaccination during campaigns in April and September of 1973 and had the highest AR (1332 and 1632 per 100,000, respectively). Epidemiological studies of vaccine efficacy conducted among secondary school students corroborated these findings. Among 754 secondary school students, those vaccinated during the April 1973 campaign were at highest risk compared with those vaccinated at routine health care after 1974 (relative risk = 10.9, 95% confidence interval [Cl]: 2.5-47.9). Among 341 primary school students, one-dose recipients were at higher risk compared with two-dose recipients controlling for age at and time elapsed since vaccination (P = 0.04)."}
{"id": "PMID:1468838", "title": "The measurement and interpretation of age-specific vaccine efficacy.", "content": "The age-specific efficacy of a vaccine depends upon the mechanism of vaccine action and the force of infection in the unvaccinated subpopulation. Consequently, inferences concerning the persistence of vaccine-induced immunity cannot in general be made directly from age-specific vaccine efficacy estimates. The definition, estimation and interpretation of age-specific vaccine efficacy measures are discussed using simple models of vaccine action. The methods are applied to data on measles and pertussis vaccines."}
{"id": "PMID:1468839", "title": "Risk factors for the development of persistent diarrhoea and malnutrition in Burmese children.", "content": "To identify socioeconomic and behavioural risk factors for development of persistent diarrhoea and malnutrition in children, a case-control study was carried out in Burma. Cases were 67 children 1-59 months old hospitalized for diarrhoea lasting > 14 days and complicated by severe malnutrition; for each case, a healthy control child was selected who was age- and sex-matched from the same neighbourhood. Homes of cases and controls were visited for interviews and for direct observation of household child-care practices. Risk factors were catalogued and calculations made for relative risk and etiologic fractions. Risk factors that were associated with persistent diarrhoea and malnutrition included low family income, low education of mothers, unhygienic latrines, flies in the house and on the child, dirty appearance of child and mother, mother not using soap and water when washing child's hands, defaecation of child on floor, breastfeeding on demand, child eating food from floor, not feeding recommended weaning foods, and lack of knowledge by mother about causes of diarrhoea and about foods that prevent malnutrition. These results indicated that persistent diarrhoea and malnutrition in Burma is caused by a complex of several interrelated socioeconomic factors, unsanitary behaviour pertaining to personal hygiene, the practice of demand breastfeeding and lack of certain weaning foods, and low education of mothers who showed less knowledge about causes of diarrhoea and prevention of malnutrition."}
{"id": "PMID:1468842", "title": "Intention-to-treat analysis: implications for quantitative and qualitative research.", "content": "Intention-to-treat analysis is an important aspect of randomized controlled trials of health care interventions. The concept is now widely accepted in theory, but not always implemented in practice. Failure to analyse by intention-to-treat can give misleading and indeed life-threatening interpretations. In some studies, a case is put for estimating the effect that would have been observed if all patients had received the allocated treatment. Situations where this is valid are rare, but an example is given of such an exceptional study. The relevance of the intention-to-treat concept is not always taken into account in qualitative research. Interviews with new mothers who delivered their babies at home in a hypothetical controlled trial of home versus hospital confinement would provide fascinating accounts of the pleasure of successful delivery at home. But by definition the interviews would exclude the hazard and drama of necessary transfers to hospital due to complications in late pregnancy and early labour. The intention-to-treat approach would avoid this bias."}
{"id": "PMID:1468843", "title": "Cigarette smoking and breast cancer.", "content": "An epidemiological case-control study was conducted in New York State, with 1617 primary breast cancer patients and an equal number of controls, to examine the relationship between cigarette smoking and breast cancer. Results showed no overall association between ever smokers versus never smokers and breast cancer risk (odds ratio [OR] = 1.03, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.90-1.19), nor was there any dose response trend observed with increased levels of smoking. In addition, no association was found with risk and age started smoking, age stopped smoking, amount smoked or total years smoked. Controlling for previously identified risk factors for breast cancer in the analysis did not significantly alter these relationships. Previous studies have found a difference in menopausal age among smokers compared to nonsmokers. The mean menopausal age was only slightly lower in smokers than in never smokers for both cases and controls. Breast cancer risk was observed to be close to unity for premenopausal women (OR = 0.97, 95% CI: 0.74-1.34) and postmenopausal women (OR = 1.06, 95% CI: 0.91-1.26). A recent study suggested breast cancer risk was more strongly related to starting smoking at a young age among women who smoked at least 25 or more cigarettes per day in the most recent year of smoking. This hypothesis was not supported by these data."}
{"id": "PMID:1468844", "title": "Cigarette smoking and body weight in the Cancer Prevention Study I.", "content": "To investigate the generality of the association of heavy cigarette smoking with increased body weight, the relation of number of cigarettes smoked per day to relative body weight was examined in baseline data for 891,589 participants in a prospective study initiated in 1959. Although the relative weight of cigarette smokers was consistently lower than that of never and exsmokers, men and women smoking two or more packs of cigarettes per day were more likely to be categorized as moderately or severely overweight and less likely to be categorized as underweight than those smoking 10-20 cigarettes per day, despite somewhat greater educational attainment by heavier smokers. These analyses offer support for the temporal generality of the relation between heavier cigarette smoking and greater body weight, and suggest that this phenomenon cannot be explained by historic trends in the socioeconomic stratification of smoking prevalence or smoking dose."}
{"id": "PMID:1468845", "title": "Cigarette smoking among junior high school students in Beijing, China, 1988.", "content": "Prevalence, behavioural patterns and risk factors of cigarette smoking were studied in a sample of 8437 junior high school students in Beijing in 1988. Smoking at least occasionally was reported by 34.4% of boys and 3.9% of girls, though the intensity tended to be low. Smoking prevalence increased with age among boys. Inhaling smoke into the lungs was practised by 68.2% of the boys who smoked and 37.3% of the girls. 'Believing that one looks elegant when smoking', 'trying to be fashionable' and 'seeking stimulation' were the most important reasons for smoking. Of the boys 83.5% and of the girls 86.5% usually smoked with friends or schoolmates. Many more boys (19.2%) than girls (1.7%) smoked at home. Examinations of risk factors for teenage smoking showed that it was associated with a combination of familial, psychological and socio-school factors, with peer group pressure being the most important one."}
{"id": "PMID:1468846", "title": "Smoking habits in Denmark from 1953 to 1991: a comparative analysis of results from three nationwide health surveys among adult Danes in 1953-1954, 1986-1987 and 1990-1991.", "content": "Changes in smoking habits in Denmark from 1953 to 1991 are described on the basis of data from three nationwide population surveys on health and morbidity. The data on smoking habits were collected at personal interviews with 34,018, 4753 and 4818 subjects aged more than 15 years in 1953-1954, 1986-1987 and 1990-1991, respectively. Among men, the proportion of smokers has fallen from 78% to 47%, but among women it has remained constant at around 40%. The greatest decrease occurred among younger men. The proportion of heavy smokers (> or = 15 g tobacco a day) has remained constant at around 25% in men, but in women it has increased from 3% to 14%. There is a correlation between occupational status and smoking; the proportion of smokers being highest among the unemployed, early retirement pensioners and unskilled workers, and lowest among upper-level salaried employees. Today, more smokers started smoking before the age of 15 years. Possible explanations of the changes include public debate, campaigns concerning the health risks of tobacco, and a change in the roles of the sexes. Since today's smokers are characterized by smoking onset before age 15 years it is proposed that future initiatives to reduce smoking must focus on the psychosocial factors related to early onset of smoking."}
{"id": "PMID:1468847", "title": "Mortality from ovarian cancer among women with many children.", "content": "The exposure range for number of children as a risk factor for ovarian cancer has been severely restricted in most studies. This study is the first to describe the effect of many children, i.e. six or more, on the risk for death from ovarian cancer. The association between number of children in the current marriage given at the Norwegian Census in 1970 and mortality from ovarian cancer was investigated in a prospective study of 800,814 women followed over 15 years. Among postmenopausal women a strong negative trend between number of children and mortality from ovarian cancer was found; women with 8-11 children had a relative risk (RR) of 0.30 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.17-0.54). For postmenopausal women the rate differences according to parity were constant across age strata indicating an additive model. No significant effect was found for age at first birth or social class. The study indicates that low parity could be the major risk factor for death from postmenopausal ovarian cancer."}
{"id": "PMID:1468848", "title": "Familial aggregation of oesophageal cancer in Yangcheng County, Shanxi Province, China.", "content": "Oesophageal cancer is the second most common cause of cancer death in China and is particularly prevalent in northern China. Genetic factors have been studied less than environmental factors in the aetiology of this disease. This study was conducted to evaluate familial aggregation of oesophageal cancer. All households in Yangcheng County were interviewed in 1979 to determine family history of oesophageal cancer. In 1989, vital status for all family members from three Yangcheng villages was determined and re-interviews were conducted among families who reported a positive family history of oesophageal cancer in 1979. Risk of oesophageal cancer was evaluated by comparing family and individual rates of oesophageal cancer during the 1979-1989 interval stratified by the number of family members with oesophageal cancer prior to 1979. More families with prior oesophageal cancer history reported new oesophageal cancer deaths during the follow-up period than families without prior history (19% versus 5%). Oesophageal cancer rates increased with increasing positivity of family history, and adjustment for other risk factors did not substantially alter this result. We conclude that these data provide evidence for familial aggregation of oesophageal cancer."}
{"id": "PMID:1468849", "title": "Trends in coronary risk factors in Italy. Responsible Investigators of the RF2, OB43 and MICOL Research Groups.", "content": "Three large-scale epidemiological surveys covering some major coronary risk factors were conducted in Italy in population samples of men and women aged 30-59 years. The first survey was carried out in 1978-1979 (RF2 study; nine samples in eight regions; 2561 men and 2912 women); the second in 1983-1984 (OB43 study; nine samples in the same eight regions; 2267 men and 2398 women); and the third one in 1985-1987 (MICOL study; 18 samples in 10 regions; 14,411 men and 12,611 women). Time trends in mean age standardized risk factors levels showed slight but systematic decreases in blood pressure, cigarette smoking (only in men), and body mass index (only in women); whereas no substantial changes were observed in serum cholesterol levels. The combined multiple coronary risk estimated by a model produced in a previous study, showed a decline between 1978-1979 and 1983-1984 of 5.5% in men and 13.4% in women. These changes were compared with the official coronary death rates between 1984 and 1987 in the whole country and in the regions where the samples were located. The expected/observed ratio computed in different ways ranged from 0.54 to 0.88 for men and was over 1 for women. Changes in the levels of major risk factors and changes in coronary mortality seem biologically coherent at least in men."}
{"id": "PMID:1468850", "title": "Serum lipids and their correlates in Chinese urban and rural populations of Beijing and Guangzhou. PRC-USA Cardiovascular and Cardiopulmonary Epidemiology Research Group.", "content": "In 1983 and 1984, surveys were conducted in four Chinese population samples, urban and rural for both Beijing and Guangzhou, as part of PRC-USA collaborative research in cardiovascular and cardiopulmonary epidemiology. Serum total cholesterol (TC), HDL-cholesterol (HDL-C), and triglycerides (TG) were measured in 4280 men and 4695 women aged 35-54 years, in laboratories standardized by the US Centers for Disease Control. Age-adjusted mean serum TC was higher in urban than rural samples and generally higher in Beijing than Guangzhou, ranging from 155 mg/dL for Guangzhou rural women to 187 mg/dl for Guangzhou urban women. Group mean values of HDL-C varied from 48 to 59 mg/dl, higher in Beijing than Guangzhou, and higher in women than men. TC/HDL-C ratio ranged from 3.05 to 3.82. Serum TG values were higher for Beijing than Guangzhou; the lowest group mean values of 78 mg/dl and 75 mg/dl were in rural Guangzhou men and women. Mean body mass index (BMI) was uniformly low, ranging from 20 kg/m2 for rural Guangzhou to 24 kg/m2 for urban Beijing. Multiple regression analyses showed that BMI was positively and independently related to serum TC, LDL-C, TG, and TC/HDL-C, and inversely related to HDL-C. Smoking was positively related in both sexes to TG and TC/HDL-C, and inversely related to HDL-C. Smoking was also positively related to TC and LDL-C in men. In men, alcohol was positively related to TC and HDL-C, and was inversely related to TG and TC/HDL-C. Heavy manual work was inversely related to TC, LDL-C, and TC/HDL-C in men, but not related to lipids in women. Thus, for these Chinese population samples, despite their lower serum TC and BMI, the correlates of serum lipids are similar to those in western populations. These variables accounted for only part of the observed urban-rural and north-south differences in serum lipids among these Chinese population samples. The significance of the relatively low serum TC and TG and high HDL-C in relation to low cardiovascular disease in Chinese populations is the object of further investigation in follow-up studies."}
{"id": "PMID:1468851", "title": "Sudden and unexplained deaths in sleep (Laitai) of young men in rural northeastern Thailand.", "content": "Sudden and unexplained death in sleep (SUDS) is a significant cause of death of young adults in several Asian populations, but its distribution and incidence are not well known. We conducted a survey by mail of SUDS (known as 'laitai' in the local dialect) that occurred in adults during 1988-1989 in 3867 villages in northeastern Thailand with a total population of 5.42 million. Headmen of 2651 villages (68.6%) returned the questionnaire and sudden deaths of adults 20-49 years old were reported in 396 of these villages. The validity of reports was assessed by interviewing next of kin and witnesses in a sample of 92 villages reporting sudden deaths; 60 of 127 reports of SUDS from these villages were verified (47.2%). Officials and villagers in seven villages that did not respond to the questionnaire were also interviewed and no cases of sudden death were found. The verified SUDS victims were all men wth a mean age of 35.9 years (SD 7.8). A family history of SUDS was reported in 40.3% of index cases and 18.3% had brothers who had died similarly; no such deaths were reported among sisters. The estimated annual rate of death from SUDS among men 20-49 years was 25.9 per 100,000 person years (95% confidence interval (CI): 21.0-30.7). The sudden deaths were seasonal with 38% occurring during March-May and 10% during September-October (chi 2 = 9.45, P = 0.02). Sudden death in sleep is a leading cause of death of young men in rural northeastern Thailand and the characteristics of Thai victims are similar to those of other Asian victims of this unexplained syndrome."}
{"id": "PMID:1468852", "title": "Early childhood mortality in a Brazilian cohort: the roles of birthweight and socioeconomic status.", "content": "The deaths of children aged 1-4 years were studied in a cohort of 5914 Brazilian liveborns. A total of 29 early childhood deaths were recorded (cumulative mortality risk of approximately 6 per 1000), 17 of which (59%) were due to infectious diseases. The death rate was highest in the second year. Deaths were highly concentrated in children from low income (< US $50/month) families, where the cumulative risk of early childhood death was about 10 per 1000; on the other hand, there were no deaths among the 616 children from families with a monthly income of US $300 or more. Birthweight was also associated with mortality: the cumulative risk of children weighing less than 2000 g at birth was 21 per 1000, compared to 4 per 1000 among those with birthweights of 3500 g or more. Simultaneous adjustment for income and birthweight did not substantially change these differentials. These findings confirm the strong association between early childhood mortality and socioeconomic conditions, but also make evident the long-term effects of low birthweight."}
{"id": "PMID:1468853", "title": "Classification of nutritional status as 'Z score' or per cent of reference median--does it alter mortality prediction in malnourished children?", "content": "The objective of the study was to evaluate, using a prospective cohort study, whether classification of nutritional status by 'Z score' or per cent of reference median alters the prediction of death in malnourished children. The subjects were children with diarrhoea requiring hospitalization due to moderate or severe dehydration and/or associated complications. There were 382 participants under 5 years of age, of whom 37 died (cases), 320 were discharged in a satisfactory condition (controls) and 25 left before diarrhoea was completely cured (lost to follow-up--excluded). Rehydrated weight and recumbent length (under 2 years) or standing height were recorded and the three indices (weight for age, height for age and weight for height) derived as both 'Z scores' and per cents of reference National Centre for Health Statistics (NCHS) medians. Logistic regression, sensitivity specificity curves and Zda test for normalized distances were used to compare the relative utility of these two classification methods in identifying children with a high risk of dying. The per cent of reference median and 'Z scores' were highly correlated (r = 0.9540, 0.9787 and 0.9667, respectively). Both methods yielded virtually identical results in predicting death of malnourished children for all the three indices. It was concluded that 'Z score' and per cent classification of nutrition are equally efficient in predicting death of malnourished children."}
{"id": "PMID:1468854", "title": "Foods predictive of nutrient intake in Chinese diet in Taiwan: I. Total calories, protein, fat and fatty acids.", "content": "Dietary consumption data obtained by food weighing for 539 households in Taiwan in 1980-1981 were used to search for foods predictive of nutrient intake. The average per capita nutrient intake in each household was calculated for total calories, protein, fat and fatty acids (saturated fatty acids, oleic acid and unsaturated fatty acids). Stepwise multiple regression analysis was carried out to reveal the relative importance of each of 405 food items in the dietary survey data for predicting nutrient intake. We found that as few as seven to 20 food items could account for a large proportion of the variability of macronutrient intake in this population. These lists of foods were the minimum needed to categorize an individual's nutrient intake for epidemiological studies in Taiwan. The types and amounts of cooking oils (important predictors of fat and calories) added to the dishes were found to vary from family to family, and should be considered in designing dietary questionnaires for Chinese in other societies."}
{"id": "PMID:1468855", "title": "Foods predictive of nutrient intake in Chinese diet in Taiwan: II. Vitamin A, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin C and calcium.", "content": "Dietary consumption data obtained by food weighing for 539 households in Taiwan in 1980-1981 were used to search for predictor foods of individual intake of several vitamins and calcium. Stepwise multiple regression analysis was carried out on food items that were univariately and significantly associated with nutrient intakes, to screen for the important predictors. Less than ten foods were enough to explain more than 90% of the interperson variation for vitamin A, vitamin B1, and vitamin B2. For vitamin C and calcium, 20 food items could explain only 87% of the variation. Salt, brown sugar, and soy bean sauce were selected among calcium predictors. The information on foods predictive of nutrient intake is useful in designing food frequency questionnaires and materials for nutrition education. Although this paper provides such information for Chinese living in Taiwan, some issues described (such as the need to assess spices) may have been overlooked and could be generalized to populations using stir-frying as a major cooking method."}
{"id": "PMID:1468856", "title": "Determinants of delayed initiation of breastfeeding: a community and hospital study from Guinea-Bissau.", "content": "A prospective study on the timing of breastfeeding start in Bissau was undertaken in a periurban community (n = 734), and at the Central Hospital (n = 414). Only single, full-term, healthy children born by the vaginal route were included, the purpose being to characterize mothers who delay breastfeeding start for reasons not related to disease. Multivariate failure-time analysis (Cox' regression) was used to relate the child's age at breastfeeding start to a set of independent variables. In the community, those tending to delay breastfeeding start were mothers from the largest ethnic group in the country, mothers who had given birth at times other than the evening hours (6-12 pm) and mothers who had not attended antenatal clinics. At the hospital, delayed initiation was found among young mothers and mothers from one sparsely represented ethnic group. The most important determinant of delayed breastfeeding start was negative cultural ideas about colostrum."}
{"id": "PMID:1468857", "title": "Maternal height and age: risk factors for cephalopelvic disproportion in Zimbabwe.", "content": "Maternal age and stature are among several factors used to screen pregnant women for potential risk of labour complications. In a population-based case-control study in Harare, Zimbabwe, multivariate analysis was carried out to evaluate the importance of maternal age and height as risk factors for cephalopelvic disproportion (CPD). Using data abstracted from the medical records of 203 women with operative deliveries due to CPD and 299 women with normal unassisted vaginal deliveries, multiple logistic regression models were developed. Although maternal age < 18 years was not a significant risk factor in this study (perhaps because there were few women in this age group), advanced maternal age (> or = 35 years) was associated with a relative risk of 2.7 compared to women 20-34, after adjusting for other demographic and obstetric factors. Maternal height < 160 cm was associated with a twofold increased risk of CPD as compared to taller women."}
{"id": "PMID:1468858", "title": "Association between glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency and neonatal jaundice: interaction with multiple risk factors.", "content": "This nonconcurrent cohort study was carried out to evaluate the association of neonatal jaundice with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G-6-PD) deficiency and its interactions with other risk factors. The G-6-PD enzyme activity of 12,379 neonates was screened by a semi-quantitative fluorometric assay and double-checked by a quantitative method to identify a G-6-PD deficient cohort of 333 neonates. Matched with these on birth date, sex and delivery hospital were a G-6-PD normal cohort of 653 neonates. Neonatal jaundice was defined by a peak serum bilirubin (PSB) level of > or = 15 mg/dl. A significant association between G-6-PD deficiency and neonatal jaundice was observed in male but not female neonates. There was an inverse dose-response relation between G-6-PD activity and neonatal jaundice among male neonates. Both hypoxia/asphyxia and maternal hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) carrier status were associated with an increased risk of neonatal jaundice among G-6-PD deficient but not G-6-PD normal male neonates. Based on multiple regression analyses, an additively synergistic effect on PSB level and severe jaundice (PSB > or = 20 mg/dl) was observed for G-6-PD deficiency and maternal HBsAg carrier status."}
{"id": "PMID:1468859", "title": "Dietary factors and fracture in postmenopausal women: a case-control study.", "content": "This case-control study examined the effect of diet on the risk of postmenopausal fracture of the hip and wrist. Cases, women aged 50-84 years, were admitted to one of four Metropolitan Toronto hospitals during the period September 1983 through May 1985. Controls were women of the same age, admitted to the same hospitals, and seen for orthopaedic or general surgical complaints. Data were collected through the use of a standardized structured questionnaire administered by trained female interviewers, and included dietary, sociodemographic, medical, and behavioural variables. Data analysis was conducted on 102 hip fracture cases, 154 wrist fracture cases, and 277 controls. Higher dietary calcium intake only slightly increased the risk of hip fracture; however, it was associated with a significantly decreased risk for fracture of the wrist, at the level > or = 1 g/day. Coffee and tea consumption appeared to be unrelated to fracture risk. Finally, alcohol intake was associated with a statistically nonsignificant increased risk in both fracture types. These findings point to the importance of dietary factors on fracture risk, and indicate a need for future studies to stratify analysis on the basis of fracture type."}
{"id": "PMID:1468860", "title": "Epidemiology of prostatic disorders in the city of Barcelona.", "content": "Although disorders of the prostate are among the most prevalent problems in elderly males, little is known about their epidemiological characteristics. The 1986 Barcelona Health Interview Survey (BHIS), a cross-sectional study of a random sample of the noninstitutionalized population of the city, was used to estimate the prevalence of prostatic disorders (PD) and to analyse sociodemographic characteristics, self-perceived health, and use of health services among males reporting PD. Ninety-eight out of 1218 males over 45 years old (8%) reported having PD, the prevalence increasing substantially with age. A pattern of increasing prevalence with decreasing occupational class was found. As compared to subjects not reporting PD, individuals reporting PD reported slightly more restricted activity days (prevalence odds ratio [POR] = 1.28; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.52-2.80), more chronic disorders (POR = 4.75; 95% CI: 2.04-13.53), and worse self-perceived health (POR = 1.55; 95% CI: 0.92-2.58). Medical visits and hospitalizations were also higher in the prostatic group (P < 0.05). Men reporting PD appear to constitute a subgroup with increased morbidity and health services use."}
{"id": "PMID:1468861", "title": "Reliability and validity of self-reported physical activity in Latinos.", "content": "The reliability and validity of six self-report physical activity measures were assessed in Latino adults. Validity was assessed by caltrac activity monitors, 'significant others', and construct analyses. Vigorous activity measures had higher reliability and validity (e.g. r > 0.40, P < 0.05) than moderate intensity measures. Though measures varied in their validity, the use of standard physical activity measures with Latinos was supported, and recommendations for specific measures were provided."}
{"id": "PMID:1468862", "title": "Personal factors related to the perception of occupational exposure: an application of a job exposure matrix.", "content": "Whether certain personal characteristics influence the perception of exposure to dusts, gases or fumes was assessed in 6803 men and 6765 women drawn from nonmanual worker households in seven French cities. Factors modifying the strength of the association between two estimates of exposure (here a job exposure matrix estimate and exposure reported by the subjects) are potential recall determinants of exposure. This association was significantly stronger in men than in women, suggesting a better perception of exposure in men. The strength of the association between both estimates of exposure increased significantly among men according to educational level. Smoking habits had no effect on the perception of exposure. The perception of exposure did not vary significantly according to respiratory symptoms in women. In men, subjects without chronic cough or chronic bronchitis had a significantly higher perception of exposure than the others, but no difference was shown for wheezing, dyspnoea or asthma."}
{"id": "PMID:1468863", "title": "Contraception and prevalence of sexually transmitted diseases among adolescents and young adults in Uganda.", "content": "The study is aimed at (i) exploring the knowledge and attitudes of adolescents (15-19 years old) and young adults (20-24 years old) towards sex and contraception (condoms) and (ii) determining their level of knowledge and attitudes towards sexually transmitted diseases (STD) as well as the prevalence of the latter among the sexually active adolescents and young adults. A sample of 4510 respondents (1545 males and 2965 females) aged 15-24 years from urban and rural areas were interviewed. The majority of adolescents and young adults surveyed have a negative attitude towards the use of condoms although most of them agreed that they prevent STD. Over 95% of the respondents have heard about STD and their level of knowledge is relatively high; slightly higher for urban residents and for young males. Approximately 21% of the male and 8% of the female respondents admitted having ever contracted STD. The gap between contraceptive knowledge and practice is rather wide. Only a small proportion of the respondents were using condoms at the time of the survey."}
{"id": "PMID:1468864", "title": "The effects of breastfeeding and presence of antibody to p40tax protein of human T cell lymphotropic virus type-I on mother to child transmission.", "content": "We examined the effects of various factors, including duration of breastfeeding, the status of mother's anti-p40tax, and titre of mother's anti-human T cell lymphototropic virus type-I (HTLV-I) on mother to child transmission of HTLV-I in 76 HTLV-I carrier mothers and 175 of their children. The overall prevalence of anti-HTLV-I among children was 16.0%. The prevalence of anti-HTLV-I among children breastfed for over 3 months was significantly higher (27.6%) than that of those breastfed for under 3 months (5.1%; P = 0.012). Of the 78 bottle-fed children, 10 (12.8%) were positive for anti-HTLV-I. In the children breastfed for over 3 months, the prevalence of anti-HTLV-I among 37 children of anti-p40tax positive mothers was 37.8% and that of 21 children of anti-p40tax negative mothers was 9.5%, a significant difference (P = 0.044). These data suggest that about 13% of bottle-fed children born to carrier mothers are infected with HTLV-I by routes other than breast milk, and that the mother's anti-p40tax can serve as a marker of infectivity of HTLV-I in the case of breastfeeding for over 3 months."}
{"id": "PMID:1468865", "title": "HTLV among Israeli intravenous drug abusers.", "content": "Since human T lymphotropic virus (HTLV) infection was recently described in Israel and other Middle Eastern countries, we have investigated the presence of HTLV type 1 and type 2 in a group of 299 intravenous (IV) drug abusers who were seen at a large methadone clinic in the Tel Aviv area in 1986-1987. We found that 1.3% were seropositive to HTLV. Further testing revealed that HTLV1 was the only HTLV serotype. In addition, no coinfection HIV1/HTLV1 and no HIV2 infection were detected. Since all HTLV seropositives were born in Middle Eastern countries, did not travel outside Israel and were not infected by HIV1 or by HTLV type 2, it is possible that the source of HTLV1 infection in that group was in an endemic reservoir of HTLV1 in Israel. The detection of HTLV1 among IV drug abusers and among other groups in Israel necessitates more extensive HTLV testing in at-risk populations."}
{"id": "PMID:1468866", "title": "The epidemiology of subacute sclerosing panencephalitis in England and Wales 1970-1989.", "content": "Two hundred and ninety cases of subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE) registered in England and Wales from 1970 to 1989 were followed at 6-monthly intervals. Male to female ratio was 2.8:1. Age at onset increased significantly over the period. Measles was recorded for 81% of cases; in nearly half this had occurred under 2 years. Measles vaccine was documented in 20 cases; in 10 measles was also documented and it could not be positively excluded in the remainder. The calculated risk of SSPE following measles was 4.0/100,000 cases compared with the risk after vaccine of 0.14/100,000 doses. Measles under 1 year carried a risk 16 times greater than measles over 5 years. There was an excess of cases in third and subsequent children. The incidence was higher in the northwest than in the southeast of the country. Survival time varied from 4 weeks to 16 years and was shorter when measles had occurred over the mean age of 2.5 years. Of the cases 9% had a history of mental retardation before the onset of SSPE. The incidence of SSPE has fallen following the reduction in measles resulting from vaccination. However, because of the median 8-year interval between measles and onset of SSPE, further cases arising from measles during the study period must still be expected, particularly in adolescents."}
{"id": "PMID:1468867", "title": "Measurement of visceral blood flow with magnetic resonance imaging.", "content": "With the increasing application of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and MR angiography in parenchymal liver disease, methods are becoming more widely available for noninvasive measurement of visceral blood flow. Amplitude-based (time-of-flight) and phase-based techniques have proved effective for measurement of portal blood flow, and phase-sensitive methods are applicable to arterial flow measurements. Because respiratory motion degrades the quality of examinations in the abdomen, it is desirable to use methods that can generate flow information in a breath-hold period. Although substantial technical difficulties persist for quantitative arterial flow measurements in the abdomen, the technical requirements for venous flow are less stringent, and important clinical information can be derived using straightforward techniques. The authors describe the principles of flow measurement using time-of-flight and phase methods in visceral arteries and veins, and discuss their practical implementation. Clinical applications are discussed, based on the experience of the authors and others working in the field."}
{"id": "PMID:1468868", "title": "Quantitative imaging of renal blood flow and function.", "content": "Noninvasive renal blood flow quantitation has been historically difficult, although radionuclide imaging methods for measuring related parameters of renal function such as glomerular filtration rate and effective renal plasma flow have been successful. Radionuclide methods have long played an important role in the evaluation of renal function, but recent advances in other modalities such as positron emission tomography (PET), computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have the potential to provide information not available with nuclear medicine techniques. The high spatial resolution provided by these modalities, coupled with dynamic imaging of contrast agents or radioactive tracers, potentially could allow detailed clinical evaluation of regional renal function and blood flow. A specialized MR technique, diffusion-weighted imaging, also shows promise for providing information not otherwise available concerning the renal microcirculation. This report provides a brief review of the available clinical techniques for the evaluation of renal blood flow and function as well as new methods under investigation."}
{"id": "PMID:1468869", "title": "Perfusion/diffusion quantitation with magnetic resonance imaging.", "content": "Quantitation of perfusion and diffusion in tissues using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques is an active area of research in many laboratories. Several different approaches have been taken to address the problem of determining microcirculatory flow or perfusion in the body with MRI. Methods have been developed that depend on pulse sequence designs to sensitize the acquisitions to proton movement that is part of physiologic perfusion. Other methods that are being studied take a different approach by using injected MR contrast agents coupled with high temporal resolution acquisitions to produce time-density curves that can be related to perfusion in the tissues of interest. Yet other approaches use blood as the tracer itself to provide a means of determining perfusion. All of these techniques and others provide quantitative information related to microcirculatory flow in tissues."}
{"id": "PMID:1468870", "title": "Perfusion quantitation by ultrafast computed tomography.", "content": "Flow measurements can be made with computed tomography (CT) scanners using iodinated, nonionic contrast media as a first-pass indicator. Ultrafast CT (UFCT) is an ideal machine to make these measurements because of its short scan time (50 mseconds) and interscan delay (< or = 0.6 seconds). Additionally, UFCT can acquire data at up to eight cross-sectional levels without moving the patient. Direct application of indicator dilution principles permit measurement of cardiac output and has been validated in both animals and humans. However, measurement of myocardial perfusion, an initial design goal of the UFCT scanner, has been difficult. Experiments in animals have consistently underestimated flow at high flow rates. Methods to improve accuracy include better accounting for tissue blood volume and minimizing image artifacts."}
{"id": "PMID:1468871", "title": "Perfusion quantitation using positron emission tomography.", "content": "Positron emission tomography (PET) is assuming increasing importance as a clinical and investigative functional imaging modality. Cerebral blood flow determination with PET is now more easily performed due to improvement in tomography design, increased speed and ease of data analysis, and improvement in radiopharmaceutical synthesis and delivery. This article reviews the historic development of the PET, the evolution of cerebral blood flow measurement techniques with PET, technical considerations in PET imaging, radiopharmaceuticals for cerebral blood flow determination, and tracer kinetic models used for cerebral blood flow determination. Representative examples of PET cerebral blood flow imaging are shown and the evolving applications to brain mapping are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1468872", "title": "Magnetic resonance angiography techniques.", "content": "After a radio frequency pulse, the decay of the magnetic resonance (MR) signal is described by two relaxation processes, T1 and T2. T1 describes the rate at which the magnetization realigns itself along the external magnetic field direction (ML), and T2 describes the rate of decay of the magnetization component along the transverse axis (MT). Magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) sequences have been developed that encode flow as changes in the apparent T1 or T2 of the moving blood relative to stationary tissues. MRA sequences typically use either time-of-flight (TOF) techniques to encode T1 or phase-contrast techniques to encode T2. TOF techniques encode flow as an apparent T1 shortening through the wash-in of fully relaxed blood from outside the image volume. The shorter T1 produces an enhancement of vascular structures relative to stationary tissues. TOF methods may use either sequential two-dimensional, three-dimensional, or multi-slab three-dimensional imaging sequences to produce a three-dimensional MRA data set. Phase-contrast methods use additional magnetic field gradients to encode flow as shifts in the phase of MT. Both TOF and phase-contrast methods use maximum intensity projection (MIP) images displayed in a cine format to aid in the visualization of three-dimensional vascular structures."}
{"id": "PMID:1468873", "title": "Intracranial magnetic resonance imaging.", "content": "Magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) is currently being incorporated into the routine MR evaluations of patients with suspected cerebrovascular disease. Currently, MRA serves as a useful adjunct to routine parenchymal spin-echo imaging of the head. Intracranial MRA is predominantly used as a screening test for cerebrovascular disease in situations where the clinical suspicion and/or the patient's physical condition does not warrant a conventional arteriogram. Clinical experience to date suggests that MRA can play a significant role in the evaluation of patients with suspected intracranial aneurysms, arteriovenous fistulae, large vessel occlusive disease, and dural sinus occlusion/thrombosis. MRA has not yet reached the point where it can replace conventional catheter angiography. This is most apparent when trying to evaluate 1) larger vessels which are typically difficult to visualize due to higher order motion terms (eg, carotid siphon); 2) the smaller cortical branches with relatively slow flow that would be necessary to see in patients with suspected vasculitis; and 3) any situation in which dynamic information is important such as with mass lesions or vascular malformations. These limitations must be taken into account when deciding on the appropriate imaging study for an individual patient. Large-scale, well-controlled prospective clinical trials will ultimately determine the role intracranial MRA will play in the evaluation of patients with suspected cerebrovascular disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1468874", "title": "Measurement of myocardial perfusion and cardiac output using intravenous injection methods by ultrafast (cine) computed tomography.", "content": "Ultrafast (or cine) computed tomography (CT) uses a novel scanning electron beam technology to obtain multi-level images of the beating heart in rapid succession. Recent investigations have demonstrated that it can be used to define the transit of iodinated contrast media through the cardiac chambers and myocardium. Using classical indicator dilution principles and rapid intravenous injection of iodinated contrast media, ultrafast CT can quantify cardiac output and, to a limited extent, myocardial perfusion. A caveat to the application requires that careful calibration be made on a subject-by-subject basis prior to quantification of cardiac output. Although global myocardial perfusion and flow reserve can be evaluated by ultrafast CT, spatially variable imaging artifacts may limit the application in all regions of the left ventricular myocardium. Advances in study design, image reconstruction and post-image processing continue. Ultrafast CT technology offers a means to define cardiac anatomy, function and flow in man rapidly, conveniently and accurately in a noninvasive fashion employing intravenous contrast media injection."}
{"id": "PMID:1468875", "title": "Functional brain mapping using magnetic resonance imaging. Signal changes accompanying visual stimulation.", "content": "Easily detectable (5%-20%) transient increases in the intensity of water proton magnetic resonance (MR) signals in human primary visual cortex were observed during visual stimulation in gradient echo images at 4-T field strength. The signal intensity increases were predominantly restricted to areas containing gray matter and were used to produce high-spatial-resolution human functional brain maps. Time dependence of the functional brain maps also was monitored during visual stimulation using images acquired every approximately 5 seconds; these images with high spatial and temporal resolution demonstrated that photic stimulation first resulted in signal increases in a large area of the visual cortex followed by a reduction in the size of the area, and that signal intensity increases in the gray matter were time dependent. Reducing the image acquisition echo times reduced the amplitude of the fractional signal change, suggesting that it is produced by a change in T2 or T2*. The amplitude, sign, and echo time dependence of these intrinsic signal changes are consistent with the idea that neural activation increases regional cerebral with the idea that neural activation increases regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) with a concomitant increase in venous blood oxygenation."}
{"id": "PMID:1468876", "title": "Magnetic resonance imaging mapping of brain function. Human visual cortex.", "content": "Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies of human brain activity are described. Task-induced changes in brain cognitive state were measured using high-speed MRI techniques sensitive to changes in cerebral blood volume (CBV), blood flow (CBF), and blood oxygenation. These techniques were used to generate the first functional MRI maps of human task activation, by using a visual stimulus paradigm. The methodology of MRI brain mapping and results from the investigation of the functional organization and frequency response of human primary visual cortex (V1) are presented."}
{"id": "PMID:1468877", "title": "Theoretical principles of perfusion imaging. Application to magnetic resonance imaging.", "content": "Perfusion magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) offers relative safety (no ionizing radiation), high spatial/temporal resolution, multi-orientation imaging capability, and relative low cost when compared with sophisticated techniques, such as positron emission tomography (PET). Several methods have been recently proposed to image perfusion. Some techniques mimic conventional nuclear medicine principles, but use radioactively inert tracers. Other approaches directly use blood as an endogenous natural tracer. Such methods are totally noninvasive, and offer original insights, for instance by monitoring variations in blood oxygenation in human brain cortex during activation tasks. These methods are presented and compared. Emphasis is given on advantages and drawbacks, and potential clinical applications."}
{"id": "PMID:1468878", "title": "Measurement of blood flow and perfusion in the cardiovascular system.", "content": "Complete evaluation of cardiovascular disease by a single imaging technique requires measurement of bulk flow in blood vessels and estimation of relative or ideally absolute perfusion at the tissue level. Magnetic resonance (MR) measurement of blood flow in arteries and veins has been done using the velocity-encoded phase cine gradient echo technique. This technique has been applied with cine MR to measure normal and pathologically high velocities. Measurement of relative perfusion in the myocardium has used the intravenous injection of T1 relaxation enhancing and magnetic susceptibility MR contrast media with rapid image acquisition using echoplanar imaging. MR images (MRIs) acquired during steady-state distribution or during the first passage of these contrast media have depicted ischemic myocardial regions."}
{"id": "PMID:1468879", "title": "Cardiopulmonary vascular imaging.", "content": "Magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) effectively maximizes the flow sensitivity of MR imaging (MRI) to display the body's vasculature. Although MRA has proven quite effective in imaging the intracranial and extracranial vessels, cardiopulmonary MRA faces several additional inherent challenges. Cardiorespiratory motion, vessel pulsatility, and irregular flow patterns all degrade image quality and necessitate appropriate compensation schemes. Although preliminary cardiopulmonary MRA methods appear promising, near instantaneous scan times may be necessary to fully maximize the potential of this technique. Multislice spin-echo and gradient-echo techniques have also proven effective. These methods may compensate for cardiac motion through either ECG-gating or referencing, and may maximize the signal characteristics from the intrinsic slow blood flow of the pulmonary vasculature. Phase velocity mapping techniques, which have proven capable of quantifying blood flow in the body, appear equally promising in preliminary studies in evaluating the cardiopulmonary vascular system. Because of the nature of blood flow dynamics in the cardiopulmonary vascular system, spin-echo (SE), gradient refocussed echo (GRE), and possibly phase mapping technique appear well suited for evaluating these regions."}
{"id": "PMID:1468880", "title": "Magnetic resonance angiography. Application to the peripheral circulation.", "content": "Magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) for application in the musculoskeletal system is progressing at a rapid pace. The clinical role of this new technique is still being developed, although a number of uses have already become well recognized, and MRA is diffusing into clinical practice. This article describes the basic fundamentals of MRA as it applies to the peripheral circulation and to the evaluation of potential clinical procedures."}
{"id": "PMID:1468881", "title": "Time-of-flight magnetic resonance angiography of the aorta and renal arteries.", "content": "The evaluation of the aorta and renal arteries with time-of-flight (TOF) magnetic resonance angiographic (MRA) techniques has been the subject of several recent investigations, with both sequential two-dimensional and three-dimensional methods described. Although the data are preliminary, these techniques appear to allow the noninvasive evaluation of a variety of vascular abnormalities, including renal artery stenosis and occlusion. This report outlines the theoretical considerations of TOF MRA of the abdomen, and discusses differential characteristics of the available techniques along with their advantages and limitations."}
{"id": "PMID:1468882", "title": "Magnetic resonance angiography of the pelvis and lower extremities. Works in progress.", "content": "Two-dimensional time-of-flight (TOF) magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) of the lower extremities has recently been rediscovered as a technique that can be used to find small vessels in the foot and leg for surgical revascularization in patients with severe peripheral vascular disease. The purpose of this article is to acquaint the reader with some of the common problems that may be encountered in this imaging technique and to show their derivations and solutions were applicable. In addition, the authors show receiver operator curve analysis of one radiologist's ability to determine the location and patency of arteries using this technique to be outstanding (AZ, 0.9737). This represents a promising new technique for imaging the arterial system in patients with severe peripheral vascular disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1468883", "title": "Magnetic resonance angiography and measurement of blood flow in the peripheral vessels.", "content": "Peripheral vascular disease has been evaluated using conventional imaging techniques such as contrast angiography to demonstrate the morphology and duplex sonography to evaluate the hemodynamic significance of a stenosis. Two-dimensional time-of-flight (TOF) magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) provides useful anatomic information in both normal and diseased popliteal and tibioperoneal vascular segments, whereas corresponding velocity-encoded cine MR determined velocities and waveforms correlate well with those determined using color-coded sonography and showed excellent interstudy reproducibility. Velocity-encoded cine MR may be useful in assessing the hemodynamic significance of a peripheral vascular stenosis whose severity might be overestimated by using MRA alone. When two-dimensional TOF MRA is combined in a complementary manner with velocity-encoded cine MR, the anatomic information from contrast angiography and the physiologic information from duplex sonography can be obtained during the course of one MR examination."}
{"id": "PMID:1468887", "title": "Radiosensitivity and responsiveness to recombinant interleukin-2 of effector cells of graft vs. host disease and mixed lymphocyte reaction in mice.", "content": "Synergistic effects of recombinant interleukin-2 (IL-2) or irradiated spleen cells were investigated in vivo and in vitro. Irradiated (750 cGy) C57BL/6 spleen cells infused to sublethally irradiated (500 cGy) BALB/c mice treated with IL-2 (1,000 U 3 times/day) caused graft vs. host-like disease (GVHD) in 3 of 11 mice. Similarly irradiated allogenic spleen cells caused no GVHD in irradiated recipients not administered IL-2. No sign of autologous GVHD was found in mice that received irradiated syngeneic spleen cells with IL-2. Addition of recombinant IL-2 in vitro to mixed lymphocyte reactions (MLR) using irradiated (500 cGy) allogeneic responder spleen cells augmented the 3H-TdR uptake fourfold compared to cultures without IL-2, but was 44-fold below the allogeneic response of nonirradiated C57BL/6 spleen cells. Il-2-induced cell proliferation was also noted in syngeneic MLR, but did not lead to GVHD in in vivo experiments. The data suggest that IL-2 may potentiate GVHD and alloreactivity induced by an adequate number of irradiated, nondividing but viable allogeneic spleen cells and/or that secretion of IL-2 by alloactivated T lymphocytes, supplied exogenously in the present study, may play a role in the GVHD syndrome. Since neither viable but nonreplicating T cells nor IL-2 alone caused GVHD, it is suggested that endogenously produced IL-2 by alloactivated T lymphocytes may be important in the development of the GVHD syndrome, independent of its main function of enhancing T lymphocyte proliferation. On the other hand, the lack of GVHD following administration of high numbers of irradiated or nonirradiated syngeneic spleen cells with IL-2 implies that allogeneic T lymphocytes and not IL-2 activated MHC-nonrestricted cytotoxic cells play a role in inducing the GVHD syndrome in vivo."}
{"id": "PMID:1468888", "title": "Mycobacterium xenopi, a potential human pathogen.", "content": "Mycobacterium xenopi is infrequently recognized as a cause of pulmonary disease. During a 12-year survey (1978-89),. 108 strains of this Mycobacterium were isolated from 90 persons and 6 hot water samples. From 87 patients 89 occasional strains of M. xenopi were isolated, and 3 patients were diagnosed as having pulmonary mycobacteriosis caused by it. The treatment and the response in these three cases were variable, depending on clinical conditions and sensitivity to drugs. Most of the strains isolated came from patients hospitalized at the Barzilai Hospital, Ashkelon, therefore a local environmental contamination was suspected. The suspicion was confirmed by the isolation of this thermophile organism from the hot water samples of the above hospital."}
{"id": "PMID:1468889", "title": "Causes of death in patients with end-stage renal disease treated by dialysis in a center in Israel.", "content": "The causes of death in 84 end-stage renal failure patients, treated with dialysis, who died during a 66-month period were reviewed retrospectively. Cardiac and infectious diseases were the main cause of death (27% each). These two constituted 44% of causes of death in hemodialysis and 75% in continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis patients. Malignant disease (7%) and hyperkalemia (5%) were responsible for death only in hemodialysis patients. Patients who died following hyperkalemia were younger than 50 years old. Patients who died from malignant disease were dialyzed for more than 3 years. In summary, the mode of dialysis therapy, age at start of therapy, time on dialysis, and previous cardiac disease may play a role in determining the causes of death in dialysis patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1468890", "title": "Delayed operation for acute pancreatitis.", "content": "A retrospective study of 72 patients with acute biliary pancreatitis admitted to our department between 1982 and 1988 was carried out to evaluate our policy of delaying surgery in such cases. Of the 57 patients who underwent surgery, 17 were operated upon within 1 to 14 days of admission (\"early operation\"), and 40 patients were managed conservatively and readmitted for elective surgery about 6 weeks after resolution of the acute attack. Higher mortality and morbidity rates were observed in the \"early operation\" group (18% and 18% compared to 0% and 10%, respectively, P < 0.05). However, all deaths occurred in septic patients over the age of 70 who were operated on due to failure of maximal intensive medical therapy. Advanced age and early operation were found to be significant predictors of hospital mortality (P < 0.01). The two groups had similar mean hospital stay; 12 patients (30%) suffered an attack while waiting for elective surgery, however in only 3 (8%) the second attack occurred within 4 weeks of discharge from hospital. We conclude that a \"delayed\" operation for biliary pancreatitis is an acceptable option, and that recurrent attacks of acute pancreatitis in the time interval before the operation are avoidable if the operation is performed within 6 weeks of the initial acute attack."}
{"id": "PMID:1468891", "title": "Prevalence of asthma in Israeli schoolchildren. A comparative study of Jewish and Arab populations.", "content": "The prevalence of asthma in 2,160 schoolchildren from Arab and Jewish rural and urban communities in central Israel, was determined by means of questionnaire. For the purposes of the study, asthmatic children were defined as those suffering from two or more asthmatic episodes which had been diagnosed by their physicians and had necessitated anti-asthmatic therapy. Doubtful cases were classified after personal interviewing and physical examination. The overall prevalence of asthma was 6.38%. In the Arab rural sample, it was 2.86%, significantly lower than the other groups studied: Arab urban 6.63% (P < 0.001), Jewish urban 9.2% and Jewish rural 8.66% (P < 0.001). The relatively low prevalence in the Arab rural sample is in accordance with the rarity of asthma reported from less advanced societies in other countries. The reasoning for the low asthmatic morbidity found in this group is not clear."}
{"id": "PMID:1468903", "title": "Low concentrations of lithium and cyclooxygenase inhibitors enhance endothelin-1 (ET-1)-induced contractions in human temporal artery, but not in porcine ophthalmic artery.", "content": "Endothelins are a recently discovered group of potent vasoconstrictor peptides synthesized by endothelial cells and other tissues in various species, which seem to participate in the regulation of vascular tonus. Abnormalities in vasoactivity in the head may be an important event in headache pathophysiology, although the mechanisms responsible for such constrictions and/or dilations are not known. The endothelium and its constrictor peptide, endothelin, may play a key role in such mechanisms. Of the various drugs used in the treatment of headache, lithium is an accepted treatment for cluster headache, and indomethacin is the drug of choice for the associated condition chronic paroxysmal hemicrania. The mechanism of action of these drugs in these headaches is not known. Due to the possible involvement of endothelin in headache disorders, the objective of this study was to verify the effects of lithium and cyclooxygenase inhibitors (indomethacin, acetylsalicylic acid and naproxen) on endothelin-1 (ET-1)-induced contractions in isolated human temporal arteries and porcine ophthalmic arteries. It was found that all drugs increased the (ET-1)-induced contractions in human temporal arteries. Conversely, there were no significant changes induced by the drugs in porcine ophthalmic arteries. These results are consistent with the variation of activity often seen in different vascular beds and between species. The potential importance of such reactions for the understanding of vascular changes putatively involved in headache development and treatment is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1468904", "title": "5-HT2 serotonin receptor on blood platelet of migraine patients.", "content": "Several lines of evidence have previously suggested that platelets might play a primary or secondary role in migraine pathogenesis, and that in addition serotonin receptors on human platelets might be involved in those processes. By using [3H]-spiperone as a radioligand and ketanserin to determine the non-specific binding, the numbers of 5-HT2 serotonin receptors on platelet membrane obtained from normal healthy and migraine subjects were determined. We found a significant decrease (p < 0.02) in the maximal receptor numbers (Bmax) on platelet membrane of migraine patients (Bmax = 33.01 +/- 5.57 fmol/mg protein) when compared to the normal healthy group (Bmax = 86.59 +/- 9.09 fmol/mg protein) whereas the dissociation equilibrium constant (Kd) values (2.47 +/- 0.44 nM and 3.41 +/- 0.95 nM for the normal and migraine subjects, respectively) remained unchanged. The platelet response showed a higher degree of aggregability in migraine subjects, whereas the platelet counts were the same. This finding implies that serotonin receptors on the platelet may reflect some aspect of the pathogenesis of migraine headache."}
{"id": "PMID:1468905", "title": "MRI of intracranial arteries in nitroglycerin induced cluster headache attacks.", "content": "Eight patients with episodic cluster headache, five in active episode, three out of episode, were investigated as to diameters of intracranial arteries before and after nitroglycerin (NG) administration. The diameter of all intracranial carotids were increased about 10 minutes after NG, although more in the patients in episode than in patients out of episode. The dilatation remained for the next 60 minutes in the patients who did not get a cluster headache attack. There was a normalization of the diameters of the internal carotid arteries compared to the initial values, at maximum pain in all patients who got a cluster headache attack. Similar changes were also found in the basilar arteries. The findings support the hypothesis of a constriction of intracranial arteries at maximum pain in cluster headache attacks to stop the pain."}
{"id": "PMID:1468906", "title": "SUNCT syndrome: VII. Ocular and related variables.", "content": "SUNCT is a unilateral headache syndrome with shortlasting attacks, accompanied by e.g. conjunctival injection and lacrimation on the painful side. Intraocular pressure (IOP), corneal indentation pulse (CIP) amplitudes, episcleral venous pressure, and corneal, tympanic, and facial temperature have been studied in 6 SUNCT patients. IOP and CIP amplitudes increased on the painful side during headache paroxysms, while episcleral venous pressure remained unchanged. Corneal temperature seemed to increase during attack on both sides. However, the number of observations during attacks is scanty. Outside of attacks, the corneal temperature on the symptomatic side seemed to be higher when compared with the non-symptomatic side (generally > or = 0.5 degrees C), provided that the attack frequency was high. The facial temperature seemed to be even on both sides or slightly higher on the symptomatic than on the non-symptomatic side in the periocular area. This pattern seems to be different from the one in trigeminal neuralgia, in which the temperature has been reported to be lowest on the painful side of the face. During attacks, there seemed to be a tendency for the temperature to increase in the periocular area, but not over the mandible or in the neck. The results obtained could be caused by increased blood supply to the eye (and the surrounding skin) on the symptomatic side because of vasodilatation during repeated pain attacks. As far as the ocular changes are concerned, probably the arteriolar side of the vascular bed is involved."}
{"id": "PMID:1468907", "title": "Posttraumatic headache: permanency and relationship to legal settlement.", "content": "In our increasingly litigious society there is persistence of an attitude that posttraumatic headache (or other injuries) will either improve or disappear following resolution of a claim. In some states (Florida) in order for a person to initiate a claim, an injury must be considered permanent. This is often a difficult task with a subjective symptom. This retrospective study was performed to evaluate the reliability of criteria used to diagnose a \"permanent\" posttraumatic headache and whether these headaches stay \"permanent\" after legal settlement. Data was obtained by a structured telephone interview of fifty adult outpatients diagnosed as having permanent posttraumatic headache and their litigation settled at least one year previously. Patients with previous headaches, other accidents or head injuries were excluded. The average length of time from settlement to interview was 23 months. Forty-six had been in automobile accidents and four either had falls or blunt trauma to the head. (Eight cases involved Workman's Compensation). Criteria used at this clinic for determining permanency were either posttraumatic headache persisting for longer than one year with no evidence of further improvement (43 patients) or patients with headaches persisting longer than 6 months with a plateau (no change) in their pattern for three months or more with an adequate trial of treatment (in our judgement). These criteria did seem reliable. All fifty patients interviewed continued to report persistent headache symptoms one year or more following legal settlement. Improvement in headache pattern after legal settlement was only reported by four patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1468908", "title": "The relationship of anger, depression, and perceived disability among headache patients.", "content": "Depression is a common concomitant of headache. Conflict with regard to anger or the expression of anger has also been discussed in terms of its relationships to headache. The direction of the relationship between headaches and depression and/or anger is not clear from available research literature. Thus, the present study proposed to examine the interrelationships among measures of anger expression, depression and self-reported disability in a sample of chronic headache patients. It was predicted that there would be significant correlations between depression and perceived disability, and anger held in and perceived disability. Finally, it was predicted that anger held in would be shown to impact perceived disability by way of its relationship to depression. Path analysis was employed to investigate the relationships among the variables. Results showed a significant and positive relationship between depression and perceived disability, which supported the first hypothesis. Anger expression was not significantly related to perceived disability. Therefore, the second hypothesis was not supported. Anger-in, however, was strongly and positively related to depression. Although the causal direction of the relationships cannot be stated with certainty, the suppression of anger appears to be a moderating variable that amplifies the experience of depression among chronic headache patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1468909", "title": "Cluster headache following head injury: a case report and review of the literature.", "content": "A relation between head trauma and cluster headache is frequently described in the literature. The percentage of cluster patients with a history of head injury is approximately 16.5 when several large studies are reviewed. The present paper reports another case where there is close proximity between head injury and the onset of cluster headache. A review of the literature attempts to document the supposition that there is indeed a causal or precipitous role for head injury in cluster cephalgia pathogenesis."}
{"id": "PMID:1468910", "title": "MRI in migraineurs.", "content": "Forty-six migraineurs and 69 age- and sex-matched controls referred for MRI scans of the brain were evaluated for the incidence of intracranial pathology. Axial long TR/short TE and long TR/long TE and sagittal short TR/short TE scans were performed in all patients. Enhancement with Gd-DTPA was performed in all controls and in nine migraineurs. Six of 46 (13%) of the migraineurs had white matter lesions versus three of 69 (4.3%) of the controls. The white matter lesions in migraineurs were seen in a younger age group than in the controls. These findings agree with recent MRI studies. Ischemia or an immune-based white matter demyelination are possible mechanisms for the white matter lesions."}
{"id": "PMID:1468911", "title": "Tizanidine in chronic tension-type headache: a placebo controlled double-blind cross-over study.", "content": "The efficacy of tizanidine in chronic tension-type headache was compared with placebo in a randomized, double-blind and cross-over study in 37 women aged 20 to 59 years with a history of headache for 7 months to 30 years (median 5 years). The treatment periods were 6 weeks with an intervening 2 week wash-out period. The treatment was started with 6 mg/day divided into three doses, and the daily dose could be increased to 18 mg/day depending on the treatment response. The effect of the treatment was measured by visual analogue scale, verbal rating scale, number of days free of headache, number of analgesics needed, and the dose of trial medication needed. In all these measurements, tizanidine was statistically significantly more effective than placebo. The pre-trial Beck Depression Inventory score did not predict the response to treatment, neither did the level of electromyographic activity of the trapezius muscle. Side-effects, drowsiness and dry mouth were significantly more common during tizanidine treatment but they were usually mild. The results of the present trial suggest that tizanidine is effective in the treatment of chronic tension-type headache in women."}
{"id": "PMID:1468912", "title": "Management of acute intractable headaches using i.v. therapy in an office setting.", "content": "Twenty-seven consecutive patients with acute intractable headaches were treated in an office setting with an intravenous protocol of an antiemetic, hydrocortisone sodium succinate, and dihydroergotamine (DHE). All patients had significant pain relief within 45 minutes. Patients who were not pain-free post-treatment uniformly reported decreasing pain at the time of departure from the office. No patients required further treatment (including narcotic medication) for acute headache. All patients were followed for at least 24 hours. Adverse reactions were transient and mild. Akathisia was not uncommon and has probably been underestimated in previous studies."}
{"id": "PMID:1468914", "title": "Overexpression of p53 in head and neck cancer.", "content": "The putative tumor suppressor gene p53 plays a key role in the regulation of cell proliferation. Functional loss of p53 protein through mutation or viral oncogene-complexing can result in p53 protein overexpression detectable by immunocytochemistry, which in turn has been associated with markers of poor prognosis in some cancers. We report here an analysis of p53 overexpression in fixed, embedded specimens from 81 prospectively collected head and neck tumors, both benign and malignant, including 55 squamous cell carcinomas, using monoclonal pAb1801. Sixty-two percent of the squamous cell carcinomas from the head and neck region overexpressed p53, whereas none of the benign tumors or adjacent normal tissues overexpressed p53. Overexpression of p53 was strongly associated (p < 0.01, two-tailed chi-square) with a histologic malignancy grading scale previously shown to have prognostic capabilities. We conclude that p53 overexpression is one of the most common abnormalities identified in head and neck cancer, and may be a useful marker in the study of multistep progression of tumorigenesis."}
{"id": "PMID:1468916", "title": "Dual free flap transfer using forearm flap for mandibular reconstruction.", "content": "To reconstruct a composite mandibular defect, we have simultaneously transferred a vascularized bone graft or osteocutaneous flap together with a forearm flap. The radial forearm flap, being thin, pliable, and having a long vascular stalk, served as mucosal lining and/or an interpositional flap acting as a vascular bridge. Between 1982 and 1989, we used this procedure in 17 patients with a mandibular defect or deformity which developed following treatment of oral cancer. Our clinical experience has demonstrated that this dual free tissue transfer has many advantages. It is useful for obtaining a good alveolar ridge in patients with a composite mandibular defect. It is applicable in cases where only a single pair of recipient vessels are present and may be useful when the recipient vessels are positioned some distance from the defect."}
{"id": "PMID:1468918", "title": "DNA ploidy analysis of squamous cell head and neck cancer to identify distant metastasis from second primary.", "content": "We conducted an investigation by flow cytometry to determine whether lung cancer in eight patients with oral cancer represented a metastasis or a second primary. One patient had the same aneuploid cell population at both sites which indicated the lung lesion to be a metastasis. Two patients had a diploid lesion at both sites. In these patients, a second primary could not be distinguished from a distant metastasis because (notwithstanding both lesions being diploid) the tumors may have a different DNA content but at a level too low for flow cytometric detection. Five cases had differing DNA indices, which could represent a second primary as well as the emergence of a new clone during tumor progression and metastasis. It appears that DNA flow cytometry can identify tumors that are the same if both have the same aneuploid pattern, but it cannot prove that they are different."}
{"id": "PMID:1468915", "title": "Epithelial membrane antigen and S-100 protein-labeled cells in primary and metastatic laryngeal carcinomas.", "content": "Immunohistochemical studies were done on the expression of S-100 protein-labeled cells in human laryngeal carcinoma of epithelial membrane antigen (EMA) and on the population density. EMA was detected in 65 of 76 (86%) squamous cell carcinomas and was usually more extensively positive in well and moderately differentiated carcinomas. Thus, EMA can serve as a marker of malignancy in laryngeal carcinomas. The population density of S-100 protein-labeled cells was high in well-differentiated tissues. In the metastatic tumors, the number of S-100 protein-labeled cells decreased as compared to findings in the primary tumors. As a statistically significant difference in survival curve was noted between groups with low and intermediate density of S-100 protein-labeled cells, the infiltration of S-100 protein-labeled cells seems to be associated with a better prognosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1468917", "title": "Metastatic thyroid cancer as an incidental finding during neck dissection: significance and management.", "content": "Occult thyroid cancer is an occasional incidental finding during surgery for other indications and is usually considered of minor clinical significance; however, the appropriate approach for incidentally found metastatic thyroid cancer is less clear especially when it occurs in the context of another malignancy that has more aggressive potential. Among 2,855 patients treated for squamous cancer of the tongue at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, eight patients had coexisting differentiated thyroid cancer metastatic to cervical lymph nodes which was found incidentally during regional lymph node dissection. The eight patients included three women and five men with a median age of 47 years (range, 32-62 years); tumors were of the papillary variety in four patients and follicular in the other four. In one patient, no gross or microscopic primary tumor could be identified after thyroidectomy; in another patient, no gross tumor was evident, but whole organ section revealed an area of fibrosis consistent with a primary lesion. Two patients had primary lesions less than 1 cm in maximal diameter. In four patients who had no surgery, physical exam and radiologic evaluation failed to show any intrathyroidal lesions. Clinically relevant thyroid cancer did not develop in any of those patients during the duration of documented follow-up (1-15 years). Three patients died of progressive tongue cancer, one patient of unrelated pulmonary disease, and four patients remain alive without evidence of disease for 1 to 15 years of available follow-up.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1468919", "title": "Pathogenesis and surgical treatment of migraine and neurovascular headaches with rhinogenic trigger.", "content": "Patients (299) with various types of headaches (migraines, cluster headaches, and so-called idiopathic headaches) were operated on between 1973 and 1991. Septal correction, resection of the middle concha, ethmoidectomy, and sphenoidectomy on the corresponding headache side or occasionally on both sides were carried out. Most patients (235; 78.5%) were totally asymptomatic postoperatively; 34 (11.5%) had a sensation of pressure in the head on rare occasions but no further migraines, and 30 (11%) continued to experience headaches that occurred only rarely and were mild and of short duration."}
{"id": "PMID:1468921", "title": "Esthesioneuroblastoma and neck metastasis.", "content": "Esthesioneuroblastoma (ENB) is a rare malignant neoplasm arising from the cribriform olfactory epithelium. Its aggressive biologic behavior is characterized by inapparent submucosal spread, local recurrence, atypical distant metastases, and poor long-term prognosis. Historically, the suspicion of neck metastasis has not been associated with ENB. A retrospective review of all ENB patients treated at the University of North Carolina Hospitals since 1972 has revealed an unusually high incidence of cervical metastases (four of four patients). This prompted a review of the ENB surgical literature. All English-literature series published since the widespread use of craniofacial surgery with accruals of eight or more patients were examined for reports of neck metastasis. Although the cumulative cervical metastatic rate reached 27% (55 of 207 patients), most authors failed to recognize the potential risk of cervical metastasis in ENB. Furthermore, in patients suffering from Kadish stage C disease, the cervical metastatic rate climbed to 44% (25 of 57 Kadish stage C patients). This further emphasizes the importance of the neck as a high-risk metastatic site. These findings suggest that cervical metastases may be an important consideration in the evaluation and treatment of patients suffering from ENB. Strategies for evaluation and management of the neck are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1468924", "title": "Temporomandibular arthritis in familial Mediterranean fever.", "content": "Temporomandibular joint arthritis is a rare manifestation of familial Mediterranean fever and should be considered in patients of Mediterranean origin. Recently we treated four patients suffering from this condition, and intra-articular corticosteroid injection resulted in rapid resolution of the pain and disability in two. Computed tomography confirmed the usefulness of this therapeutic modality."}
{"id": "PMID:1468929", "title": "[Mechanism of the interaction of leukocytes and dermal endothelial cells in cutaneous inflammation].", "content": "The infiltration of specific leucocyte populations into inflamed cutaneous tissue is dependent on their interactions with dermal endothelial cells. The dynamic multistep process of vasodilatation, adhesion, transendothelial migration, and penetration through the basal membrane is controlled by a considerable number of soluble mediators and cell adhesion molecules. In this process, dermal endothelium plays a critical role as a gate-keeper who regulates adhesion and penetration of neutrophils, lymphocytes, or monocytes by selection and activation of specific leucocyte subpopulations. In this review, the presently known functions of the involved cell adhesion molecules of the integrin, selectin, and immunoglobulin superfamily, as well as their interactions and their regulation by cytokines and other mediators are summarized."}
{"id": "PMID:1468920", "title": "Sister chromatid exchange frequencies in carcinoma of the human oral cavity: effect of treatment.", "content": "Spontaneous and mitomycin-C-induced sister chromatid exchange frequencies were studied in the lymphocytes of 25 oral cancer patients. For these patients, the mean spontaneous SCE value was 8.31 (+/- SD), which was significantly higher than the value of 6.60 (+/- SD) obtained for the controls (p < 0.001). But there was no significant difference between the Mitomycin C induced mean SCE values of oral cancer patients and controls. Seven of these 25 oral cancer patients were selected for second sampling after surgical removal of the tumor. Six of these seven patients showed a decrease in mean SCE/cell value following surgery, which was almost equal to the SCE values obtained for the controls. This indicates that the increased spontaneous SCE rates in oral cancer patients might be due to the metabolic stress imposed by the tumor on the host body or by some clastogenic product of the malignant cells. Surgical removal of the tumour might have resulted in normalization of the lymphocytic SCE rates in postoperatively studied patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1468922", "title": "Fine-needle aspiration of parotid gland lesions.", "content": "The results of 49 specimens obtained by fine-needle aspiration biopsy of parotid gland lesions were compared with the pathologic diagnoses of the surgically resected specimens. Cytologically, 33 lesions were diagnosed as benign, with 30 of these confirmed histologically and three false-negative results. Fourteen cytologic specimens were called malignant or suspicious for malignancy, with 11 of these confirmed histologically and three false-positive results. The concurrence rate for distinguishing benign from malignant disease was 87.2%. The sensitivity for malignancy was 78.6% and the specificity 90.9%. The pathology of the misdiagnosed lesions will be reviewed. Based on our data and a review of the literature, we conclude that fine needle aspiration biopsy of parotid gland masses, with the observation of certain caveats, is a helpful adjunctive test for diagnosis and treatment planning."}
{"id": "PMID:1468930", "title": "[Cyclosporin A in the therapy of inflammatory dermatoses].", "content": "The experience reported in the literature with cyclosporin A (CyA) in the treatment of various inflammatory and autoimmune dermatological diseases is reviewed and compared with the authors' own experience of treating 36 patients presenting with psoriatic arthritis [8], generalized pustular psoriasis [2], palmoplantar pustular psoriasis [12], Beh\u00e7et's disease [2], disseminated circumscribed scleroderma [2], acrodermatitis continua suppurativa [2], pemphigus vulgaris [1], lupus erythematosus [3], pyoderma gangrenosum [1], severe atopic eczema [2], and actinic reticuloid [1]. On the basis of the authors' own experience and the reported results, treatment with CyA appears to be primarily indicated in pyoderma gangrenosum, circumscribed scleroderma, psoriatic arthritis and acrodermatitis continua suppurativa. In diseases such as actinic reticuloid, Beh\u00e7et's disease, localized and generalized pustular psoriasis, treatment with CyA leads to good results with an acceptable risk-benefit ratio. In our view, it is doubtful whether treatment with CyA alone is indicated in alopecia areata, lichen ruber, dermatomyositis, atopic eczema, systemic scleroderma, bullous diseases, and lupus erythematosus, and in the last two it should be given only in combination with systemic steroids. Literature reports provide no support for the use of CyA in ichthyosis vulgaris, pityriasis rubra pilaris, and cutaneous T-cell lymphomas. The risk-benefit ratio of CyA treatment should be carefully considered, especially in diseases that are not life-threatening."}
{"id": "PMID:1468923", "title": "Double skin island pectoralis major myocutaneous flap with nipple-areola complex preservation: a case report.", "content": "A horizontal double skin island pectoralis major myocutaneous flap with preservation of nipple-areola complex is described, a different modification used to reconstruct a complex defect following radical resection of a locally advanced gingival carcinoma. The skin islands are horizontally separated by a distance of 2.5 cm but rely on one vascular pedicle for their blood supply. The muscle between the skin islands provides the soft tissue bulk between the internal mucosal and external skin lining. The need for a separate segmental flap or a split-thickness skin graft for mucosal lining was eliminated."}
{"id": "PMID:1468926", "title": "Thoracic duct cyst: an unusual supraclavicular mass.", "content": "Lesions of the thoracic duct may occur either in the neck or the mediastinum. The majority of lesions that present in the neck consist of chylous fistulae and are secondary to neck surgery. Cysts of the thoracic duct are very rare and are usually reported as a disease entity of the mediastinum. There are only two reported cases in the literature of thoracic duct cysts occurring in the neck. The third case of a thoracic duct cyst located primarily in the neck is reported. Thoracic duct cysts in the neck must be differentiated from other cysts of the neck, because not recognizing the inferior attachment to the thoracic duct, may result in the disastrous consequence of a chylothorax. Diagnosis can easily be made by fine-needle aspiration with biochemical analysis. Computerized axial tomography (CAT) is useful in defining the anatomic boundaries. A weakness in the wall of the thoracic duct, either on a congenital or degenerative basis, has been postulated as the etiology. The natural history of these lesions remains unknown. Smaller lesions may be followed at routine intervals. Larger lesions should be surgically removed because of the possible complications that may ensue as a result of traumatic rupture or inflammation."}
{"id": "PMID:1468931", "title": "[Combination therapy with interferon alfa 2a and PUVA in cutaneous T-cell lymphoma].", "content": "Eleven patients with cutaneous T-cell lymphoma stages Ib-IV a were treated with a combination of interferon alfa-2a and photochemotherapy. The diagnosis was confirmed by histological and immunohistological investigations. During the initial treatment, interferon alfa-2a was given at a maximum dose of 9 million IU 3 times a week. Few patients received for a short time 9 million IU daily s.c. The total dose amounted to an average of 125 million IU. Simultaneously, photochemotherapy with a maximum single dose of 2 J/cm2 was applied. The total dose ranged between 7 and 62.9 J/cm2, which corresponds to an average dose of 22.6 J/cm2. After achieving a complete or partial remission the dose of interferon was reduced to 1.5 or 3 million IU, which was then maintained for long-term treatment 2 or 3 times a week. Photochemotherapy was given twice weekly for a minimum of 2 months and then stopped, depending on the course of the disease. The success of therapy was judged from the clinical and histological picture. The combination treatment was well tolerated and led to complete remission in 5 patients (45%) and a partial remission in 6 patients (55%) after the initial therapy which lasted for an average of 48 days. During the follow-up period, which now amounts to 2-13 months with under 1.5 or 3 million IU interferon, three patients have shown disease progression. One patient responded well to newly applied photochemotherapy and in two patients local tumors regressed after radiation."}
{"id": "PMID:1468925", "title": "Spontaneous rupture of the common carotid artery: a case report.", "content": "Spontaneous rupture of the common carotid artery is an extremely rare vascular disorder in the head and neck region. Pseudoaneurysm can be formed by arterial rupture, presenting clinically as an expanding mass lesion. A 37-year-old fisherman suffered from the spontaneous rupture of the left common carotid artery and resultant pseudoaneurysm was radiologically recognized. Surgical exploration revealed a 0.5-cm rent in the common carotid artery, 2 cm proximal to the bifurcation. The lesion was successfully managed with polypropylene sutures during temporary clamping of the carotid artery. The literature is reviewed and the principles of management are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1468932", "title": "[Lichen ruber hypertrophicus with verrucous carcinoma].", "content": "A 51-year-old patient presented with aggregated papules and with a central, partly erosive plaque on the left lower leg. Histological examination revealed hypertrophic lichen planus peripherally and a verrucous carcinoma within the centre. The lesion was removed surgically. Shortly after wards an atrophic lichen planus developed exclusively within the skin graft, which was effectively treated with topical steroid cream. The patient remained disease-free for 2 years. The literature relating to malignant transformation of cutaneous lichen planus was reviewed. In most cases, as in the present one, the hypertrophic form of lichen planus and the verrucous type of carcinoma (Ackerman) are reported. Recent investigations have revealed human papilloma virus types 6 and 11 within such lesions."}
{"id": "PMID:1468933", "title": "[Hypertrichosis lanuginosa acquisita in ulcerative colitis with colon cancer].", "content": "Hypertrichosis lanuginosa acquisita is regarded as an obligatory cutaneous paraneoplasm and is defined as the sudden and excessive appearance of lanugo hairs on the entire integument associated with malignant neoplasm of internal organs. We observed such a case of hypertrichosis in a 30-year-old man with a long history of ulcerative colitis who developed carcinoma of the caecum with lymph node metastasis."}
{"id": "PMID:1468934", "title": "[Cutis marmorata teleangiectatica congenita (Van Lohuizen syndrome)].", "content": "The 2-year spontaneous course of a case of cutis marmorata teleangiectatica congenita in a girl is reported. The child had typical cutis marmorata, with teleangiectasis, phlebectasias and ulceration particularly on parts of the left leg and in the anogenital region, with no further anomalies. During symptomatic therapy over 2 years the lesions faded spontaneously."}
{"id": "PMID:1468928", "title": "Fibrous dysplasia.", "content": "The controversy is this case centers around the management of this lesion, not the differential diagnosis. All the consultants agreed that the history, physical, and CT findings were consistent with various fibroosseous lesions, the most likely being fibrous dysplasia. The need for additional tests varied with a bone scan (Dr. Kearns), a bone scan and CT scan (Dr. McGill), and MRI, MRI angiogram, bone survey, BUN, creatinine, calcium, and phosphorus (Dr. Potsic). Cosmetic and functional changes were considered priorities for the consultants, with orbital compression, malocclusion, tooth eruption, nasal obstruction, and sinusitis (Dr. Kearns), nasolacrimal duct obstruction and orbital compression (Drs. McGill and Potsic) being the concerns. Because this lesion is benign and slow-growing, the consensus is that surgery should be reserved for functional or cosmetic compromise. But how aggressive should one be and what approach should be used? The approaches varied with midface degloving or lateral rhinotomy (Dr. Kearns), midface degloving (Dr. McGill), or a Caldwell-luc and lateral rhinotomy (Dr. Potsic). Assessment of this tumor postoperatively should be with patient examinations and serial CT scans. None of the consultants worried about sarcomatous changes in this tumor."}
{"id": "PMID:1468945", "title": "Primary prevention of haemophilus influenzae type b.", "content": "Routine immunisation of infants against Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) has the potential to prevent up to 1200 cases of serious infection and 60 deaths every year in the United Kingdom. Sara Hodgson reports the findings of a study in the Oxford region to determine the safety and immunogenicity of the Hib conjugate vaccine PRP-T when given to British infants in concurrence with primary immunisations, according to the accelerated schedule of two, three and four months of age."}
{"id": "PMID:1468946", "title": "HIB. Educating parents and professionals.", "content": "A totally new immunisation (Hib) offers protection against the commonest cause of bacterial meningitis in the under fives. Judith Moreton describes the development and implementation of health education programmes in Oxfordshire to achieve a 90 per cent take-up in the first year, even among traveller gypsies, who are recognised as generally having poor immunisation uptake."}
{"id": "PMID:1468947", "title": "HIB. Assessing information needs.", "content": "Planning the launch of the new Haemophilus influenzae b vaccine in October of this year has challenged health educators involved with child immunisation, writes Christine McGuire of the Health Education Authority (HEA). Here she outlines the findings from initial research commissioned to explore parental and professional information needs."}
{"id": "PMID:1468948", "title": "Marketing: Part 1 of 4. Promoting the health visiting profession.", "content": "Despite its long history, health visiting still suffers a low public and professional profile; few people know what health visitors do. In the first of a four-part series LIZ DAY argues that health visitors should adopt commercial marketing strategies to 'sell' their services to the public, to NHS managers and to primary health care colleagues. She suggests ways to adapt these commercial sales techniques to an NHS context."}
{"id": "PMID:1468950", "title": "Continuing your education ... with CATS.", "content": "MIKE McMANUS and ANNE DEAN discuss the credit accumulation and transfer scheme (CATS) and consider many of the common questions regarding the system: how to accredit current professional qualifications; use of credited learning, and potential continuing education pathways open to health visitors. Finally, the authors discuss the validity of such awards."}
{"id": "PMID:1468951", "title": "Are groups for parents of children with sleep problems effective?", "content": "Sleep groups are increasingly being used to support parents who have children with sleep problems. JANINA SZYNDLER and GEORGINA BELL present a model of sleep groups developed by clinical psychologists in Kingston and Esher and examine the effectiveness of this approach."}
{"id": "PMID:1468955", "title": "White Paper. I. Crossing the health divide.", "content": "The health of the nation white paper has been widely welcomed as a clear shift in NHS policy towards health promotion. But will the strategy achieve real improvements in the health of those who need help most? What part can health visitors and school nurses expect to play?"}
{"id": "PMID:1468956", "title": "GP fundholders. Guidance a 'mixed blessing'.", "content": "The Government has taken further steps along the road of making GP fundholders the main gatekeepers of primary care with guidance on how to 'buy in' health visiting and other community services from units or trusts."}
{"id": "PMID:1468957", "title": "Comparing need with resource allocation.", "content": "In a study of health visitor caseloads in Bristol and Weston health authority, 16,000 families were assessed against 26 criteria known by health visitors to affect long term health. Considerable variations were found in the long term risk to the health of individual families. Families with high levels of health risk were concentrated in the caseloads of some health visitors and in a few geographical localities. The results suggest that there is a serious misallocation of health visiting resources and that steps should be taken to adjust resources to reflect more closely the patterns of need."}
{"id": "PMID:1468959", "title": "Marketing: Part 2 of 4. Shaping and selling the health visiting image.", "content": "Integral to the marketing process is the image projected to the consumer of the product s/he is being asked to buy. In the second of this series of articles on marketing health visiting, ANNE KELLY examines past and present images of health visiting and suggests ways to market a new image in keeping with clients' needs and health policies."}
{"id": "PMID:1468967", "title": "Home care nursing orientation model: content and strategies.", "content": "Orientation for the home healthcare nurse consists of specific content areas that are organized into a comprehensive program. The teaching strategies used to deliver the content are just as important as the information included in the orientation program."}
{"id": "PMID:1468966", "title": "Comprehensive discharge planning: a hospital-home healthcare partnership.", "content": "Shorter hospital stays place new demands on the discharge planning process. A research study that evaluated discharge planning outcomes reveals a critical need for comprehensive discharge planning involving both hospital and home healthcare agencies."}
{"id": "PMID:1468968", "title": "Deceptive documentation in home healthcare nursing.", "content": "Home healthcare nurses are sometimes faced with a dilemma that is unique in nursing. Should they document client needs and health status so that reimbursement for nursing care is assured, even when the client does not meet all criteria for reimbursement? The discussion that follows examines this question by applying traditional principles of healthcare ethics to an individual case and offers one resolution to a dilemma that has not been addressed previously in the nursing literature."}
{"id": "PMID:1468969", "title": "When orientation is not enough: a group approach for new home healthcare nurses.", "content": "New home healthcare nurses have learning needs that do not become evident until after formal orientation is completed. This agency designed a group support and education program to meet these needs."}
{"id": "PMID:1468970", "title": "The documentation dilemma: an integrated solution.", "content": "Every home healthcare manager must contend with the demands of documentation. One approach to ensure quality and address staff concerns is presented."}
{"id": "PMID:1468971", "title": "A comparison of Foley catheter types in home care use.", "content": "Quality assurance activities routinely track problem-prone areas of patient care. Foley catheter management may be such an area for many agencies."}
{"id": "PMID:1468972", "title": "Outcomes of care from the professional's perspective.", "content": "Patient satisfaction is considered an important indicator of the quality of care provided by a home healthcare agency. Increased emphasis is now placed on patient outcomes of care by certification and accreditation standards. This detailed analysis of the outcomes of care by the patient, the family, and the professionals through the use of unsolicited patient letters of commendation and the clinical record did not reveal any specific pattern. The visiting nurse association's home care services are available on a nondiscriminatory basis. This fact is noted in the agency's literature and policy manual. The data analysis for this project supports this policy statement. Patients, family members, and a physician wrote letters of commendation regardless of the LOS, payer source, total charges, time spent with the patient, and personnel who provided the care."}
{"id": "PMID:1468977", "title": "Cochinmicins, novel and potent cyclodepsipeptide endothelin antagonists from a Microbispora sp. I. Production, isolation, and characterization.", "content": "Cochinmicins I, II, III are novel peptolides produced in submerged-fermentation cultures of Microbispora sp. ATCC 55140. These closely related compounds are separated by HPLC and are novel competitive endothelin antagonists. Cochinmicins II and III are stereoisomeric to each other. Cochinmicin I is the deschloro analog of cochinmicin III."}
{"id": "PMID:1468978", "title": "Cochinmicins, novel and potent cyclodepsipeptide endothelin antagonists from a Microbispora sp. II. Structure determination.", "content": "Cochinmicins I, II, and III are competitive endothelin antagonists produced by Microbispora sp. ATCC 55140. The cochinmicins are cyclic depsipeptides containing six alpha-amino acids and a pyrrolecarboxylic acid. Based upon MS, 1D and 2D NMR, and LC data, the structures and absolute stereochemistries of the cochinmicins have been assigned. All three components have the same basic sequence and contain one equivalent each of D-allo-threonine, D-alanine, L-phenylalanine, D-phenylalanine, 5-chloropyrrole-2-carboxylic acid (or pyrrole-2-carboxylic acid in cochinmicin I), plus two equivalents of 3,5-dihydroxyphenylglycine (DHPG). The phenylalanine residues were differentiated via a methanolysis product which contained only one of the phenylalanine residues. Both DHPG residues have the D configuration in the more active cochinmicins I and III. Cochinmicin II contains both D- and L-DHPG and these residues have been differentiated in the sequence based upon 1H NMR data."}
{"id": "PMID:1468979", "title": "Matlystatins, new inhibitors of typeIV collagenases from Actinomadura atramentaria. I. Taxonomy, fermentation, isolation, and physico-chemical properties of matlystatin-group compounds.", "content": "During the course of a screening for inhibitors of typeIV collagenases, new metabolites, designated matlystatins, have been isolated from an actinomycete strain, which was identified as a strain of Actinomadura atramentaria. Matlystatins were composed of five congeners, which were separated and purified by n-butanol extraction and chromatography."}
{"id": "PMID:1468980", "title": "Antifungal anthracycline antibiotics, spartanamicins A and B from Micromonospora spp.", "content": "Spartanamicins A and B, two antifungal antibiotics, were produced by a culture of Micromonospora spp. strain No. MSU-43097 (ATCC 53803), isolated from a potted soil containing asparagus (Asparagus officinalis L.) plants. The antibiotics were isolated from the mycelial cake using organic solvents. The structures of spartanamicins A and B were determined by spectral and chemical means. Spartanamicin B is more active as an antifungal compound than it's analogue, A. The minimum inhibitory concentration for spartanamicin B on Candida albicans and Aspergillus, Cladosporium, Cryptococcus, Rhodotorula and Staphylococcus spp. ranged from 0.2 to 1 microgram/ml. It was not active against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Citrobacter spp. but some strains of S. aureus were sensitive."}
{"id": "PMID:1468981", "title": "Epoxomicin, a new antitumor agent of microbial origin.", "content": "An actinomycete strain No. Q996-17 produced a novel compound, epoxomicin, which exhibited in vivo antitumor activity against B16 melanoma. Structural studies indicated that it is a new member of the epoxy-beta-aminoketone group, and is closely related to eponemycin."}
{"id": "PMID:1468982", "title": "APHE-1 and APHE-2, two new antimicrobial and cytotoxic antibiotics. I. Taxonomy, fermentation, isolation and biological activity.", "content": "APHE-1 and APHE-2 are two new antibiotics produced by Streptoverticillium griseocarneum NCIMB 40447. They exhibited a remarkable cytotoxic activity against several tumor cell lines from different origin. Furthermore, they showed weak antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive bacteria, filamentous fungi and yeasts."}
{"id": "PMID:1468983", "title": "APHE-1 and APHE-2, two new antimicrobial and cytotoxic antibiotics. II. Physico-chemical properties and structure elucidation.", "content": "Two new pyrazolo-isoquinolinone antibiotics, APHE-1 and APHE-2, have been isolated from the culture filtrate and mycelia of Streptoverticillium griseocarneum NCIMB 40447. Molecular formulae were established as C13H12N2O for APHE-1 and C14H14N2O for APHE-2, by elemental analysis, NMR and mass spectra. 2D NMR techniques (1H-1H COSY-45 and 1H-13C correlated spectroscopy) have been applied to establish their structures."}
{"id": "PMID:1468984", "title": "Production of bellenamine and new metabolites in a synthetic medium.", "content": "A streptomyces antibiotic, bellenamine has been produced in a simple synthetic medium consisting of D-galactose, dextrin, ammonium sulfate and calcium carbonate. Three new minor metabolites, N-(aminomethyl)succinamic acid, 1'-N-acetylbellenamine and D-beta-lysinamide have been isolated from the synthetic medium culture. They showed no antibiotic activity."}
{"id": "PMID:1468985", "title": "Biosynthesis of benastatin A.", "content": "The biosynthesis of benastatin A, produced by Streptomyces sp. MI384-DF12, has been studied by feeding experiments with 14C- and 13C-labeled compounds followed by measurement of radioactivity and 13C NMR analysis. The results indicate that benastatin A is derived from two methionine units and fourteen acetate units, condensed in the \"head-to-tail\" fashion of typical polyketide biosynthesis."}
{"id": "PMID:1468986", "title": "Isolation and identification of 3-propylidene-delta 1-pyrroline-5-carboxylic acid, a biosynthetic precursor of lincomycin.", "content": "An accumulated lincomycin intermediate in UC 8292, a lincomycin nonproducing strain of Streptomyces lincolnensis, has been isolated and purified by employing an assay system based on complementation of UC 11066, another lincomycin nonproducing strain of S. lincolnensis. The structure of the purified intermediate is shown to be 3-propylidene-delta 1-pyrroline-5-carboxylic acid, or 1, 2, 3, 6-tetradehydro-propylproline by mass spectrometry and NMR spectroscopic studies. Based on the structure of this newly found intermediate, a biosynthetic pathway for propylproline is proposed as tyrosine-->L-3-hydroxytyrosine (Dopa)-->-->-->-->3-propylidene-delta 1-pyrroline-5-carboxylic acid-->3-propyl-delta 2-pyrroline-5-carboxylic acid-->propylproline."}
{"id": "PMID:1468987", "title": "Enhancement by ubenimex (bestatin) of host resistance to Candida albicans infection.", "content": "Ubenimex is a low molecular weight microbial metabolite which has been demonstrated to have antitumor and immunomodulatory activities. In this study, the protective effect of ubenimex on Candida albicans infection was investigated in normal and immunosuppressed mice. In normal mice, treatment with ubenimex at 0.5, 5 and 25 mg/kg for 5 days prior to infection prolonged survival time in a dose-dependent manner. In immunosuppressed mice treated with a single dose of cyclophosphamide 4 days prior to infection, ubenimex treatment at 5 mg/kg for 5 days significantly increased the number of survivors. Ubenimex-treated mice had a significant increase in number of peritoneal exudate cells with neutrophils as well as enhanced functions, including phagocytosis and active oxygen production. These results suggest the potential usefulness of ubenimex as a prophylactic agent for the management of patients with opportunistic fungal infections."}
{"id": "PMID:1468995", "title": "Gender and the relationship between perceived fairness of pay or promotion and job satisfaction.", "content": "Brockner and Adsit (1986) found that satisfaction with an exchange relationship was more strongly related to perceptions of equity among men than women. Kahn (1972) reported that men were more likely than women to distribute outcomes to individuals in direct proportion to their input. We evaluated potential gender differences among 12,979 personnel in 30 different organizational systems in (a) correlations between fairness and job satisfaction scores and (b) standardized group differences in the perceived amounts of pay and promotion fairness and expressed levels of facet and global job satisfaction. The fairness-satisfaction relationship was not higher for men, and there were no practical differences in fairness perceptions and job satisfaction between men and women."}
{"id": "PMID:1468996", "title": "Comparing traditional and integrative learning methods in organizational training programs.", "content": "Previous research and anecdotal reports have suggested that when certain teaching approaches are used, students not only learn more but also experience greater satisfaction with the training process. This study examined the effects of integrative-learning-based (IL) training in relation to lecture-based training. Employees enrolled in a 3-day manufacturing resource planning training course were randomly assigned to either IL or traditional training. Subjects reacted more favorably to IL-based training. Trained subjects performed significantly better than those in a no-treatment control group, but no differences were noted between training interventions."}
{"id": "PMID:1468997", "title": "Development of physical ability tests for police officers: a construct validation approach.", "content": "A construct validation approach was followed to affirm that 8 physical ability test events were significantly related to two important constructs underlying the job performance of police officers: strength and endurance. A sample of 115 incumbent police officers took 8 physical ability tests and were rated by supervisors on their physical performances in their job. LISREL methods were used to test the model specified, and a reasonable fit was achieved. Portions of the model were tested on an independent sample of 161 applicants; the fit of the model was again acceptable. A nomological network of relationships, in which strength and endurance factors correlated in expected directions with other physiological and demographic variables, was hypothesized and tested. Finally, the data were examined for potential gender differences and bias. Considerable differences were shown between men and women on both test and performance variables, and women would be overpredicted if a common regression line were used for selection purposes."}
{"id": "PMID:1468998", "title": "Developing a support system for teaching and assessing clinical competence.", "content": "Primary care medical school faculty, in partnership with the faculty and staff of a Department of Biomedical Communications (Office of Medical Education) developed a teaching and logistical support system using standardized patients. The patients are used to teach history and physical examination skills to students in an introductory clinical medicine course. Having both clinical assessment team members, who are skilled biomedical communicators, and designated clinic rooms for standardized patients provides the foundation necessary for this growing area in medical education. Improved student performance, as measured by an Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE), and students' positive ratings and comments in the evaluation of the course demonstrated the efficacy of using standardized patients in teaching and assessing clinical performance."}
{"id": "PMID:1468999", "title": "Multimedia for clinical education in myocardial perfusion imaging.", "content": "Interactive multimedia has many advantages as a presentation medium for diagnostic imaging case studies, particularly for teaching digital imaging techniques such as myocardial perfusion imaging. Multimedia documents may incorporate interactive audiovisual presentations, sophisticated diagnostic images, anatomical illustrations, and text in medical instructional materials. The article describes a multimedia teaching atlas of SPECT and planar myocardial perfusion imaging delivered on Apple Macintosh II microcomputers, and discusses some of the advantages of delivering medical educational materials with interactive multimedia techniques."}
{"id": "PMID:1469000", "title": "Satellite system addresses rural health problems.", "content": "The University of Nebraska Medical Center uses the recently established NEB*SAT state-owned satellite television system to transmit several types of educational presentations to rural Nebraska. The system represents the latest in a series of pioneering two-way television activities which have opened educational opportunities to students and professionals off-campus. Compressed video, transmitted via the NEB*SAT system, allows us to share credit courses in nursing and medical technology, administrative meetings, case conferences, and continuing education programs."}
{"id": "PMID:1469001", "title": "Ernest W. Beck: 1991 Association of Medical Illustrators Lifetime Achievement Award.", "content": "On August 15, 1991, the Association of Medical Illustrators bestowed its highest honor, the Lifetime Achievement Award, on Ernest W. Beck. Ernie has been a pioneer in the profession, who has selflessly contributed his time and energy toward the advancement of the AMI. Ernie serves as an inspiration and example for the young illustrators today who seek to find their way in the profession, maintaining the highest level of professional conduct and ethical business practice. It is altogether fitting and proper that the Association of Medical Illustrators has recognized Ernie's unselfish contributions to its success."}
{"id": "PMID:1469003", "title": "Vascularized bone transfer.", "content": "We evaluated the results of reconstruction of a skeletal defect with use of a vascularized bone graft from the iliac crest or fibula in 160 patients who had been managed consecutively between 1979 and 1989. The indications for the procedure were a skeletal defect including non-union, resulting from resection of a tumor; traumatic bone loss; osteomyelitis; or a congenital anomaly. The average duration of follow-up was forty-two months (range, twelve to 112 months). For the entire series, the rate of union after the primary procedure was 61 per cent and the over-all rate at the latest follow-up examination (including the patients who had a secondary procedure) was 81 per cent. In a subgroup of seventy-six patients who had union after the primary procedure and did not have additional treatment, the average interval until union was six months and the average interval until full activity was sixteen months. The results were more favorable for the patients who had had reconstruction for resection of a tumor (of sixty-nine patients, fifty-six had union), for a congenital anomaly (of six patients, five had union), or for a non-union without infection (of twenty-five patients, twenty-three had union). The results were less satisfactory for patients who had had the reconstruction for bone loss due to osteomyelitis (of sixty patients, forty-six had union). Our data suggest that vascularized bone transfer for the reconstruction of large skeletal defects is a valuable procedure in appropriately selected patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1469004", "title": "Pudendal nerve palsy complicating intramedullary nailing of the femur.", "content": "A prospective study of 106 patients who had static interlocking nailing of the shaft of the femur was performed to determine the relationship between the duration and magnitude of intraoperative traction and the development of a pudendal nerve palsy. A strain-gauge, mounted in the countertraction post, measured the magnitude of the perineal pressure over time. All nailings were performed with the patient in the supine position. Postoperatively, the patients were interviewed by one of us, who had been blinded from the results of the recordings of intraoperative pressure, for a history of erectile dysfunction and changes in labial, scrotal, or penile sensation. A light-touch sensory examination of the genitalia was performed on all patients. Ten patients (six men and four women) had a pudendal nerve palsy: nine had sensory changes only, and one complained of erectile dysfunction. The symptoms had resolved at the three-month follow-up evaluation in all patients except one man who complained of dysesthesia six months postoperatively. The patients in whom a palsy did not develop had been positioned on the fracture-table and the perineal post for an average of 2.6 hours (range, 1.4 to 5.2 hours) compared with an average of 2.8 hours (range, 2.0 to 4.3 hours) for those in whom a palsy did not develop (p = 0.15). The magnitude of the total traction forces averaged 34.9 kilogram-hours for the patients who did not have a palsy compared with 73.3 kilogram-hours for those who did (p < 0.03). Adduction of the hip, as well as manipulations for reduction of the fracture, significantly increased the traction forces.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1469005", "title": "The effect of a composite of polyorthoester and demineralized bone on the healing of large segmental defects of the radius in rats.", "content": "The effect of a composite of demineralized bone mixed with polyorthoester on the healing of large segmental defects in the rat radius was studied. Sixty male Wistar rats were divided into four groups, A through D, and an osteoperiosteal diaphyseal defect of 50 per cent of the length of the bone was made in the right radius of each rat. In Group A, the defect was filled with polyorthoester and demineralized bone; in Group B, demineralized bone; and in Group C, polyorthoester. No material was implanted in the defects in the Group-D rats. The rats were killed fifty days postoperatively. The formation of bone in the defects was quantified with computer-assisted measurements of the area on radiographs. The host-tissue response was evaluated with light microscopy. Defects that had been filled with the composite of polyorthoester and demineralized bone or with demineralized bone alone showed regeneration of bone corresponding to 93.6 and 77.6 per cent of the area of the defect, respectively. Defects that had no implant or that had been filled with polyorthoester alone showed significantly less formation of bone. No inflammation was seen with light microscopy, and only traces of the polyorthoester could be detected in the defects that had been filled with the composite or with polyorthoester alone."}
{"id": "PMID:1469006", "title": "The effects of controlled mechanical loading on group-II, III, and IV afferent units from the lumbar facet joint and surrounding tissue. An in vitro study.", "content": "An in vitro model was developed to investigate the responses of afferent units in the lumbar spine to controlled loading as measured by a load-cell. The neuronal discharge was recorded simultaneously with loading. Three types of neuronal responses were observed. The first type of response involved phasic-type mechanoreceptors, which responded to movement, regardless of direction or initial position. The response did not outlast the movement phase of loading. These units may serve as velocity detectors. The second type of response was seen in slowly adapting low-threshold mechanoreceptors, which tended to respond to loading in the 0.3 to 0.5-kilogram range with an immediate and sustained increase in the rate of firing. This type of response appears to be associated with the activation of low-threshold group-II and group-III fibers, which were located in muscles and tendons inserting into the facet joint. The third type of response involved slowly adapting high-threshold mechanoreceptors, which could not be activated until a threshold of three to five kilograms had been exceeded. It appears that this type of response is at least partially due to the activation of high-threshold group-III and group-IV capsular afferent units, which may signal noxious mechanical stimulation."}
{"id": "PMID:1469007", "title": "The transverse carpal ligament. An important component of the digital flexor pulley system.", "content": "The effect of release of the transverse carpal ligament on the mechanics of the flexor tendons was investigated with use of a fresh-frozen cadaver model. A 25 per cent increase in the amount of excursion of the tendons that was consumed by motion of the wrist was demonstrated for the digitorum profundus tendons after transection of the transverse carpal ligament, and a 20 per cent increase was noted for the digitorum superficialis tendons (p < 0.001). These values represent 5.4 +/- 1.2 and 5.5 +/- 1.3 millimeters of bow-stringing for each group of tendons."}
{"id": "PMID:1469008", "title": "Radio-ulnar dissociation. A review of twenty cases.", "content": "The results of treatment were reviewed for twenty patients who had sustained concomitant injuries of the lateral compartment of the radiohumeral joint and the ipsilateral distal radio-ulnar joint. The ages of the patients ranged from eight to seventy-four years (average, thirty-five years) and the duration of follow-up ranged from four months to twenty-seven years (average, 113 months). In fifteen patients, the injury of the wrist was diagnosed after a mean delay of seven years and eleven months (range, one month to twenty-six years). In all fifteen, the radial head injury was treated by excision, either initially or after some delay. After excision of the radial head, all fifteen patients complained of severe pain at the distal radio-ulnar joint. The results, on the basis of elbow and wrist scores of fair or better without complications, were satisfactory in only three patients. In the remaining five patients, in whom the injuries of both the elbow and the wrist had been identified at the initial evaluation, the radial head was either preserved or replaced. The results, on the basis of elbow and wrist scores of fair or better, were graded as satisfactory in four of these patients. Our data show that any injury to the lateral side of the elbow should prompt a careful evaluation of the ipsilateral distal radio-ulnar joint for associated instability."}
{"id": "PMID:1469009", "title": "Fractures adjacent to humeral prostheses.", "content": "In a review of records and radiographs from 1974 through 1988, we identified seven patients who had a humeral fracture after either a total shoulder replacement or a shoulder hemiarthroplasty. All seven patients had complications after the fracture, and five fractures did not unite until an operation was done. All of the fractures that were treated operatively healed without sequelae. Four patients who were managed operatively had satisfactory relief of pain and one had fair relief. One patient who had a non-union refused further treatment for medical reasons. The one fracture that united without operative treatment healed with the tip of the prosthesis outside of the humeral shaft, but persistent pain led to a revision total shoulder replacement. The average time to union after the operation was approximately five months (range, four to seven months). There was a permanent decrease in the motion of the shoulder from preinjury levels in five of the six patients who had union of the fracture."}
{"id": "PMID:1469010", "title": "Operative treatment of failed repairs of the rotator cuff.", "content": "Thirty-one patients had a repeat repair after a failure of a previously performed repair of the rotator cuff, and the causes of the original failure and the results of the repeat repair were analyzed. The clinical situation was complex, with multiple factors contributing to the failures. A large or massive tear of the cuff in thirty patients (97 per cent) and persistent subacromial impingement in twenty-eight patients (90 per cent) were the most common factors associated with failure. The over-all result of the repeat repair was satisfactory in sixteen patients (52 per cent) and unsatisfactory in fifteen (48 per cent). Twenty-five patients (81 per cent) had satisfactory relief of pain. However, fourteen patients (45 per cent) had persistent weakness that led to an unsatisfactory result. The factors that were associated with a better result were an intact acromion, an intact origin of the deltoid muscle, and the finding that the remaining tissue of the rotator cuff was of good quality. The factors that were associated with an inferior result were a previous lateral acromionectomy, a previously detached origin of the deltoid muscle, and the finding that the tissue of the rotator cuff that was available at the time of the repeat operation was of poor quality. Persistent pain is the primary indication for a repeat repair. The functional results are not as predictable, especially when the tissue of the cuff is poor and the deltoid origin has been detached previously."}
{"id": "PMID:1469011", "title": "The inferior capsular-shift procedure for multidirectional instability of the shoulder.", "content": "Thirty-eight patients (forty-three shoulders) who had disabling multidirectional instability of the shoulder were managed with an inferior capsular-shift procedure through an anterior approach. All of the patients were followed for a minimum of two years. The postoperative range of motion of the shoulders was well maintained. The mean forward elevation was 172 degrees; external rotation, 77 degrees; and internal rotation, to the level of the eighth thoracic vertebra. Four patients (four shoulders) had recurrence of symptomatic and disabling multidirectional instability, but thirty-nine (91 per cent) of the shoulders continued to function well with no instability. Nine patients (24 per cent) continued to have episodes of apprehension, which correlated with the residual inferior and posterior translations found at the postoperative physical examination. Thirty-four patients (thirty-nine shoulders) stated that they were subjectively satisfied with the status of the shoulder, but four patients, in whom the instability had recurred, were not satisfied. Thirty-seven (86 per cent) of the shoulders were judged to have been improved by the procedure, the initial postoperative stability had been maintained, and the result had not deteriorated with time. Six shoulders, however, including the four with recurrent instability, were thought by the patient to have deteriorated with the increased duration of follow-up. It was our experience that if non-operative treatment of multidirectional instability of the shoulder failed, the inferior capsular-shift procedure provided satisfactory objective and subjective results. Failures and recurrences of symptomatic instability occurred early in the postoperative period. There appeared to be no deterioration of the results with follow-up to seventy-one months."}
{"id": "PMID:1469012", "title": "Treatment of slipped capital femoral epiphysis with a spica cast.", "content": "Thirteen patients who had seventeen slipped capital femoral epiphyses were managed with a spica cast between 1984 and 1986. The average time in the plaster cast was three months. Complications were noted in fourteen of the hips. Three pressure sores developed in two patients. Further slipping developed in three hips once the cast had been removed, and chondrolysis developed in one of these hips. Chondrolysis developed in eight additional hips, and the lesion was transient in four of them. Degenerative changes developed in all nine hips with chondrolysis, regardless of whether the chondrolysis was transient or permanent. The degenerative changes were Iowa Grade I in three of these hips, Grade II in two hips, and Grade III in four. Chondrolysis developed in six of the eight black patients and in four of the five black boys. Chondrolysis developed in six of the nine hips that had a Grade-II or III slip. These findings have led us to abandon the use of a spica cast as a mode of treatment for slipped capital femoral epiphysis."}
{"id": "PMID:1469013", "title": "Geographic variations in the rates of elective total hip and knee arthroplasties among Medicare beneficiaries in the United States.", "content": "We analyzed the variations in the rates of elective total hip and total knee arthroplasties for 1988 in the United States to determine whether the rates correlated with the numbers of surgeons. There were 56,204 total hip arthroplasties and 68,491 total knee arthroplasties, performed in the home states of the patients among all of the Medicare beneficiaries. Medicare beneficiaries include most people who are more than sixty-five years old in the United States and a small proportion of younger people who are eligible for Medicare for other reasons. Seventy-nine per cent of the patients who had had a total hip arthroplasty and 89 per cent of those who had had a total knee arthroplasty had been managed with the operation because of osteoarthrosis. Both operations were most common in the seventy to seventy-four-year age-group. We calculated the rate of operations per 100 beneficiaries for each state and age-adjusted the results. Across all of the states, bilateral procedures constituted 1.6 per cent of the total hip arthroplasties and 4.8 per cent of the total knee arthroplasties. The in-hospital rates of mortality were 0.72 per cent for total hip arthroplasties and 0.45 per cent for total knee arthroplasties. The destinations after discharge from the hospital were similar for the two groups of patients, with more than 65 per cent of the patients being discharged directly to their homes. There were no significant differences among states in terms of the length of stay in the hospital or reimbursement of the hospital.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1469023", "title": "Serum calcitonin may be a marker for inhalation injury in burns.", "content": "One of the principal causes of death from burns is inhalation injury. The pulmonary neuroendocrine cell contains and secretes immunoreactive calcitonin (iCT), and, under the influence of various irritative stimuli, can be induced to secrete iCT in excess. A prospective study of serum iCT levels in 41 patients with burns was undertaken. Mean serum iCT levels were four times normal values at the time of admission and reached 31 times normal values by 24 hours after injury. These levels did not correlate specifically with burn size. However, serum iCT had a very strong positive correlation with mortality, and in addition, was highest in patients who died early after injury compared with those who died late after injury. Patients who were clinically suspected to have pulmonary injury and who died had markedly higher levels of iCT than those who survived. In addition, serum iCT correlated positively with the need for mechanical ventilation and the amount of pulmonary shunting. Although other factors may also play a role in hypercalcitoninemia, serum iCT may be an important marker for the presence of inhalation injury, as well as a prognostic indicator."}
{"id": "PMID:1469024", "title": "Effects of rat interleukin-2 and rat interferon on the natural killer cell activity of rat spleen cells after thermal injury.", "content": "The natural killer cell activity of splenocytes from rats with scald injury was observed to be significantly suppressed at 7 days after injury compared with that of normal nonburned controls. Incubation of splenocytes from normal rats or rats with burn injury with either rat interleukin-2 or rat interferon (IFN-alpha and IFN-beta) significantly increased the natural killer cell activity. Addition of a rabbit anti-rat interferon antibody to spleen cells incubated with interleukin-2 did not produce any significant alteration in interleukin-2-related enhancement of natural killer cell activity. These results suggest that enhancement of natural killer cell activity after incubation of splenocytes with interleukin-2 is not due to interferon production but is an independent event. Preincubation of spleen cells with a mouse monoclonal antibody to rat interleukin-2 receptor was observed to abolish the interleukin-2-related enhancement of natural killer cell activity completely, whereas it partially blocked the interferon-related enhancement. These results were also confirmed by enhancement of natural killer cell activity of burned rats after in vivo administration of interleukin-2. Our studies thus indicate that after thermal injury, the observed decrease of natural killer cell activity can be enhanced by both interleukin-2 and interferon independently of each other. The decreased natural killer cell activity may be due to a decrease in interleukin-2 production or availability and not to an interleukin-2 receptor defect. These studies thus point toward a potential therapeutic significance of interleukin-2 in enhancing immune function after thermal injury."}
{"id": "PMID:1469025", "title": "Carbon monoxide and pulmonary circulation in an ovine model.", "content": "The direct pulmonary vasoconstrictive effects of inhaled carbon monoxide were evaluated in chronically instrumented and anesthetized sheep (1.7% halothane in air) (n = 8). The response to carbon monoxide (2%), which was applied for 8 minutes through a double-lumen tube alternately to the left or right lung of each animal, was compared with baseline values. The induced carboxyhemoglobin level (65%) led to increases in cardiac output, pulmonary arterial pressure, stroke volume index, and heart rate. Systemic vascular resistance decreased, and pulmonary vascular resistance and mean arterial pressure were unchanged. The changes in pressure and flow were equivalent no matter which lung was exposed to carbon monoxide. No diversion of blood from one lung to the other was observed during the test period. We conclude that carbon monoxide does not have a direct pulmonary vasoconstrictive effect. The increase in pulmonary arterial pressure is a result of the decrease in mixed venous oxygen content (stimulus for hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction) and the increase in cardiac output."}
{"id": "PMID:1469026", "title": "An in vitro model for studying the effect of the subcutaneous tunnel and the skin exit site on the accuracy of central venous catheter tip cultures.", "content": "The diagnosis of central venous catheter-related sepsis depends on a positive culture obtained from the distal intravascular portion of the catheter. The effects of the subcutaneous tunnel and the skin exit site on the accuracy of cultures obtained from the catheter are unknown. We have developed an in vitro model to study the effect of these variables. By inoculating polyethylene catheters embedded in agar with Pseudomonas aeruginosa, we were able to show that: (1) capillary action occurs along catheters in an agar tunnel, (2) organisms that are growing on the distal segment (tip) of the catheter can be dislodged from the surface of the catheter when it is pulled through the agar tunnel, and (3) pulling a catheter through a contaminated area results in distal contamination."}
{"id": "PMID:1469027", "title": "Core body temperature responses immediately after cutaneous thermal injury in rats.", "content": "Internal temperatures were continuously measured in rats that received 20% or 40% body surface area cutaneous scald injuries in 25 degrees C and 38.5 degrees C environments. In animals that received thermal injuries in the 25 degrees C environment, intraperitoneal, intraesophageal, and intrarectal temperatures rapidly rose to 40 degrees C within 5 minutes but returned to normal values within 15 minutes after injury. When 20% body surface area injuries were induced in a 25 degrees C environment, all of the animals survived. In the 25 degrees C environment, neither acute core body temperature elevations nor use of fluid resuscitation predicted survival. In contrast, in a 38.5 degrees C environment core body temperatures rapidly exceeded 41 degrees C with the 20% injury, and all of the animals died within minutes in spite of fluid resuscitation. These studies suggest that the ambient environmental temperature may significantly influence a thermally injured animal's ability to rapidly eliminate absorbed heat of injury and result in an elevated core body temperature, which may contribute to the immediate lethality of the injury."}
{"id": "PMID:1469028", "title": "Diagnosis of local infection of a burn by semiquantitative culture of the eschar surface.", "content": "The purpose of this study was to determine whether semiquantitative surface cultures of the burn eschar are as reliable or useful as the classic invasive biopsy culture method. We used eschars from patients with burns in an in vitro system. Lyophilized pigskin was used to validate our methodology. Because of its simplicity and high degree of sensitivity and specificity as compared with quantitative biopsy culture, semiquantitative surface culture has a place in burn wound surveillance."}
{"id": "PMID:1469029", "title": "Advances in burn care management: role of the speech-language pathologist.", "content": "Because the inclusion of the speech-language pathologist in a burn management team is not widely practiced, we discuss our successes as members of a burn team. We also review speech-language evaluation and treatment strategies and present two patients with head and neck burns who gained from our intervention."}
{"id": "PMID:1469030", "title": "A new compound curved needle for skin and skin-graft closure.", "content": "A new compound curved needle has been developed for skin and skin-graft closure from a unique stainless steel alloy, American Society for Testing Materials (ASTM) 45500. This needle has a short, straight, sharpened point with a reverse cutting edge and a curved distal section. In spite of its geometry, it exhibits sharpness and resistance to bending and breakage similar to that of a needle with a single radius of curvature that is manufactured from the same alloy. The design of this new needle enables the surgeon to pass it through the skin with greater accuracy to a controlled depth and length of bite."}
{"id": "PMID:1469031", "title": "The status of burn rehabilitation services in the United States: results of a national survey.", "content": "A survey to determine the status of burn rehabilitation services in the United States was developed and sent to 186 burn treatment facilities. The facilities were divided into four groups based upon number of admissions per year (0 to 80, 81 to 120, 121 to 200, and 200+). Completed surveys were received from 114 facilities. Results indicated that burn facilities of different sizes were consistent with respect to the severity of burn injuries treated, the length of hospitalization for acute injuries, and the duration of physician follow-up after discharge. Burn facilities with more admissions were more likely to report (1) organized outpatient burn rehabilitation programs, (2) available specialized burn rehabilitation personnel, (3) regular interdisciplinary inpatient staffing conferences and outpatient clinics, and (4) structured educational activities for staff and Full-time equivalent burn rehabilitation personnel were equally represented across facilities of different sizes. The overall results suggest that there have been substantial improvements in the comprehensiveness of burn rehabilitation care since a previous survey in 1983. Minimum guidelines for burn rehabilitation are suggested based upon the relative consistency between burn facilities indicated by the survey results."}
{"id": "PMID:1469032", "title": "Technical considerations in the use of external condom catheter systems.", "content": "Since the advent of rehabilitation engineering new advances have been made that have revolutionized condom catheter drainage systems (CCDS). An innovative CCDS has been designed that ensures unobstructed urine flow. Its condom catheter has several unique design features. It has a double row of convolutions near the catheter tip that prevent kinking and twisting so that the pathway remains open. The condom catheter features a unique inner flap that fits snugly on the glans to prevent backflow of urine on the shaft. This condom catheter is connected to a vented leg bag that eliminates the development of a partial vacuum in the connecting tube. This vacuum can create siphoning, which in turn interferes with urine flow into the leg bag. In addition, a new rechargeable battery-operated clipper has been developed that makes nick-free hair removal from the genitals exceptionally easy. This atraumatic hair removal eliminates the pubic hair that becomes trapped under the condom catheter. The clinical impact of these new advances in CCDS requires further investigation."}
{"id": "PMID:1469033", "title": "A pressure prevention device for burned ears.", "content": "Full-thickness burns to the external ear can produce loss of skin and cartilage and can result in severe cosmetic deformity. Even partial-thickness burns render the ear vulnerable to tissue loss if the helix is subjected to pressure from pillows, dressings, or straps that are used to secure endotracheal tubes. Because of the incidence of burned ear deformities and the difficulty in reconstructing the external ear, an ear protection device has been designed. The bilateral ear protection device, referred to as \"headgear\", is fitted to all patients in the burn center who require intubation for an inhalation injury; it is worn continuously until extubation. During a 15-month period 39 consecutive critically burned patients were fitted with the headgear because of the need for ventilator support and/or for protection of the burned ear(s). Pressure necrosis of ear tissue was prevented in all 33 survivors."}
{"id": "PMID:1469034", "title": "A nasal trumpet orthosis to maintain nares openings and respiratory function for patients with facial burns: a case report.", "content": "Management of facial burns is a challenge to the burn team because it may lead to functional and cosmetic compromise. Severe scarring of the nares may lead to nasal occlusion. This article introduces a method of maintaining nasal patency that allows respiratory exchange through the use of a custom-fabricated, semirigid tubular orthosis. The technique for fabrication is reviewed, and the use of the device is addressed through a case report. This inexpensive, readily available device is useful in preventing nasal occlusion that results from scar formation."}
{"id": "PMID:1469036", "title": "Caloric and nitrogen balances as predictors of nutritional outcome in patients with burns.", "content": "Measurement of energy expenditure with indirect calorimetry allows determination of caloric balance. The present study was done to determine the predictive value of caloric and nitrogen balances for nutritional outcome. Energy expenditure was obtained weekly and interpolated between measurements for daily caloric balance. Nitrogen balance was obtained weekly. Because nitrogen output fluctuated, interpolation of daily values was not possible. Nutritional outcome was defined by whether body weight was lost or maintained and by levels of visceral proteins (albumin, prealbumin, and transferrin). The study group included 12 patients with 7% to 82.5% total body surface area burns. Eleven patients survived their burn injuries, and one died of congestive heart failure at 38 days, after her burn wounds had healed. Nine patients had good nutritional outcomes (group 1) and three had poor nutritional outcomes (group 2) (including the one who died). Nitrogen balance was 1.3 +/- 1.0 gm/day in group 1 and 4.5 +/- 1.7 gm/day in group 2 (mean +/- SEM; p > 0.10). Caloric balance was 515 +/- 130 kcal/day in group 1 and -667 +/- 140 in group 2 (p < 0.001). Caloric balance was significantly different between the two groups, whereas nitrogen balance was not. Caloric intake correlated positively with nitrogen intake (r = 0.92). Nitrogen intake was 16% of total caloric intake. Nitrogen intake from blood products was appreciable and averaged 15% of total nitrogen intake (range, 0% to 47%); 11.3 +/- 1.6 gm/day in group 1 and 14.8 +/- 3 gm/day in group 2 (p > 0.10).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1469037", "title": "Evaluation of a burn prevention program in a public school system.", "content": "The \"Learn Not to Burn\" prevention program is a burn prevention curriculum sponsored by the North Carolina Jaycee Burn Center, the State Department of Public Instruction, and the North Carolina Department of Insurance Fire and Rescue Division. The goal of the program is to reduce burn-related deaths and injuries in North Carolina through burn prevention education by making the \"Learn Not to Burn\" curriculum available to primary school children across the state at no cost to the schools. The curriculum instrument is a reusable notebook that provides a means for teachers to integrate burn prevention into regular class subject areas. At the time of initiation of this study approximately 70% of the school systems in North Carolina had been provided with the \"Learn Not to Burn\" curriculum."}
{"id": "PMID:1469038", "title": "Psychiatric referral pattern in a burn center.", "content": "Patients with burn injuries have unique psychologic problems that frequently require psychiatric care. However, little research has been done on specific patterns of psychiatric referral in burn units. This article addresses the pattern of psychiatric referral for 28 patients over a period of 1 year in a regional burn treatment center. Demographics and characteristics of the patient population are summarized, and reasons for psychiatric referral are noted."}
{"id": "PMID:1469041", "title": "Expression of c-fos and AP-1 activity in senescent human fibroblasts is not sufficient for DNA synthesis.", "content": "Human fibroblasts have a limited replicative life span when maintained in culture after which they become unresponsive to treatment with mitogens, a phenomenon most commonly called senescence. Experiments indicating that serum does not induce expression of the c-fos proto-oncogene in senescent fibroblasts raised the issue of a potential central role for c-fos in the phenotype of sustained growth arrest. This was directly tested by microinjection of oncogenic c-Ha-ras protein into senescent fibroblasts. While ras injection was found to induce marked nuclear c-fos expression and functional AP-1 transcription activity, this did not lead to DNA synthesis. These results suggest that the senescence phenotype cannot be solely attributed to the absence of c-fos expression and that the proliferative block in these cells is either independent of AP-1 transcriptional activity, downstream of it, or involves multiple molecular mechanisms."}
{"id": "PMID:1469042", "title": "A human centromere protein, CENP-B, has a DNA binding domain containing four potential alpha helices at the NH2 terminus, which is separable from dimerizing activity.", "content": "The alphoid DNA-CENP-B (centromere protein B) complex is the first sequence-specific DNA/protein complex detected in the centromeric region of human chromosomes. In the reaction, CENP-B recognizes a 17-bp sequence (CENP-B box) and assembles two alphoid DNA molecules into a complex, which is designated complex A (Muro, Y., H. Masumoto, K. Yoda, N. Nozaki, M. Ohashi, and T. Okazaki. 1992. J. Cell Biol. 116:585-596). Since CENP-B gene is conserved in mammalian species and CENP-B boxes are found also in mouse centromere satellite DNA (minor satellite), this sequence-specific DNA-protein interaction may be important for some kind of common centromere function. In this study we have characterized the structure of CENP-B and CENP-B-alphoid DNA complex. We have shown by chemical cross-linking that CENP-B formed a dimer, and have estimated by molecular weight determination the composition of complex A to be a CENP-B dimer and two molecules of alphoid DNA. The DNA binding domain has been delimited within the NH2-terminal 125-amino acid region containing four potential alpha-helices using truncated CENP-B made in Escherichia coli cells. We have shown that CENP-B had sites highly sensitive to proteases and that the DNA binding domain was separable from the dimerizing activity by the proteolytic cleavage at 20 kD from the COOH terminus of the molecule. Thus, CENP-B may organize a higher order structure in the centromere by juxtaposing two CENP-B boxes in the alphoid DNA repeat through both the DNA-protein and protein-protein interactions."}
{"id": "PMID:1469043", "title": "High resolution scanning electron microscopy of the nuclear envelope: demonstration of a new, regular, fibrous lattice attached to the baskets of the nucleoplasmic face of the nuclear pores.", "content": "The nuclear envelope (NE) of amphibian oocytes can be readily isolated in relatively structurally intact and pure form and has been used extensively for structural studies. Using high resolution scanning electron microscopy (HRSEM), both surfaces of the NE can be visualized in detail. Here, we demonstrate the use of HRSEM to obtain high resolution information of NE structure, confirming previous data and providing some new information. NEs, manually isolated from Triturus cristatus oocytes, have been mounted on conductive silicon chips, fixed, critical point dried and coated with a thin, continuous film of chromium or tantalum and viewed at relatively high accelerating voltage in a field emission scanning electron microscope with the sample within the objective lens. Both nucleoplasmic and cytoplasmic surfaces of the nuclear pore complexes (NPC) have been visualized, revealing the cytoplasmic coaxial ring, associated particles, central plug/transporter and spokes. The nucleoplasmic face is dominated by the previously described basketlike structure attached to the nucleoplasmic coaxial ring. In Triturus, a novel, highly regular flat sheet of fibers, termed the NE lattice (NEL) has been observed attached to the distal ring of the NPC basket. The NEL appears to be distinct from the nuclear lamina. Evidence for the NEL is also presented in thin TEM sections from Triturus oocytes and GVs and in spread NEs from Xenopus. A model is presented for NEL structure and its interaction with the NPCs is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1469044", "title": "Yeast Kex1p is a Golgi-associated membrane protein: deletions in a cytoplasmic targeting domain result in mislocalization to the vacuolar membrane.", "content": "We have investigated the localization of Kex1p, a type I transmembrane carboxypeptidase involved in precursor processing within the yeast secretory pathway. Indirect immunofluorescence demonstrated the presence of Kex1p in a punctate organelle resembling the yeast Golgi apparatus as identified by Kex2p and Sec7p (Franzusoff, A., K. Redding, J. Crosby, R. S. Fuller, and R. Schekman. 1991. J. Cell Biol. 112:27-37). Glycosylation studies of Kex1p were consistent with a Golgi location, as Kex1p was progressively N-glycosylated in an MNN1-dependent manner. To address the basis of Kex1p targeting to the Golgi apparatus, we examined the cellular location of a series of carboxy-terminal truncations of the protein. The results indicate that a cytoplasmically exposed carboxy-terminal domain is required for retention of this membrane protein within the Golgi apparatus. Deletions of the retention region or overproduction of wild-type Kex1p led to mislocalization of Kex1p to the vacuolar membrane. This unexpected finding is discussed in terms of models involving either the vacuole as a default destination for membrane proteins, or by endocytosis to the vacuole following their default localization to the plasma membrane."}
{"id": "PMID:1469045", "title": "Trafficking of malarial proteins to the host cell cytoplasm and erythrocyte surface membrane involves multiple pathways.", "content": "During the asexual stage of malaria infection, the intracellular parasite exports membranes into the erythrocyte cytoplasm and lipids and proteins to the host cell membrane, essentially \"transforming\" the erythrocyte. To investigate lipid and protein trafficking pathways within Plasmodium falciparum-infected erythrocytes, synchronous cultures are temporally analyzed by confocal fluorescence imaging microscopy for the production, location and morphology of exported membranes (vesicles) and parasite proteins. Highly mobile vesicles are observed as early as 4 h postinvasion in the erythrocyte cytoplasm of infected erythrocytes incubated in vitro with C6-NBD-labeled phospholipids. These vesicles are most prevalent in the trophozoite stage. An immunofluorescence technique is developed to simultaneously determine the morphology and distribution of the fluorescent membranes and a number of parasite proteins within a single parasitized erythrocyte. Parasite proteins are visualized with FITC- or Texas red-labeled monoclonal antibodies. Double-label immunofluorescence reveals that of the five parasite antigens examined, only one was predominantly associated with membranes in the erythrocyte cytoplasm. Two other parasite antigens localized only in part to these vesicles, with the majority of the exported antigens present in lipid-free aggregates in the host cell cytoplasm. Another parasite antigen transported into the erythrocyte cytoplasm is localized exclusively in lipid-free aggregates. A parasite plasma membrane (PPM) and/or parasitophorous vacuolar membrane (PVM) antigen which is not exported always colocalizes with fluorescent lipids in the PPM/PVM. Visualization of two parasite proteins simultaneously using FITC- and Texas red-labeled 2 degrees antibodies reveals that some parasite proteins are constitutively transported in the same vesicles, whereas other are segregated before export. Of the four exported antigens, only one appears to cross the barriers of the PPM and PVM through membrane-mediated events, whereas the others are exported across the PPM/PVM to the host cell cytoplasm and surface membrane through lipid (vesicle)-independent pathways."}
{"id": "PMID:1469046", "title": "Myosin light chain-2 mutation affects flight, wing beat frequency, and indirect flight muscle contraction kinetics in Drosophila.", "content": "We have used a combination of classical genetic, molecular genetic, histological, biochemical, and biophysical techniques to identify and characterize a null mutation of the myosin light chain-2 (MLC-2) locus of Drosophila melanogaster. Mlc2E38 is a null mutation of the MLC-2 gene resulting from a nonsense mutation at the tenth codon position. Mlc2E38 confers dominant flightless behavior that is associated with reduced wing beat frequency. Mlc2E38 heterozygotes exhibit a 50% reduction of MLC-2 mRNA concentration in adult thoracic musculature, which results in a commensurate reduction of MLC-2 protein in the indirect flight muscles. Indirect flight muscle myofibrils from Mlc2E38 heterozygotes are aberrant, exhibiting myofilaments in disarray at the periphery. Calcium-activated Triton X-100-treated single fiber segments exhibit slower contraction kinetics than wild type. Introduction of a transformed copy of the wild type MLC-2 gene rescues the dominant flightless behavior of Mlc2E38 heterozygotes. Wing beat frequency and single fiber contraction kinetics of a representative rescued line are not significantly different from those of wild type. Together, these results indicate that wild type MLC-2 stoichiometry is required for normal indirect flight muscle assembly and function. Furthermore, these results suggest that the reduced wing beat frequency and possibly the flightless behavior conferred by Mlc2E38 is due in part to slower contraction kinetics of sarcomeric regions devoid or partly deficient in MLC-2."}
{"id": "PMID:1469047", "title": "Primary structure and cellular localization of chicken brain myosin-V (p190), an unconventional myosin with calmodulin light chains.", "content": "Recent biochemical studies of p190, a calmodulin (CM)-binding protein purified from vertebrate brain, have demonstrated that this protein, purified as a complex with bound CM, shares a number of properties with myosins (Espindola, F. S., E. M. Espreafico, M. V. Coelho, A. R. Martins, F. R. C. Costa, M. S. Mooseker, and R. E. Larson. 1992. J. Cell Biol. 118:359-368). To determine whether or not p190 was a member of the myosin family of proteins, a set of overlapping cDNAs encoding the full-length protein sequence of chicken brain p190 was isolated and sequenced. Verification that the deduced primary structure was that of p190 was demonstrated through microsequence analysis of a cyanogen bromide peptide generated from chick brain p190. The deduced primary structure of chicken brain p190 revealed that this 1,830-amino acid (aa) 212,509-D) protein is a member of a novel structural class of unconventional myosins that includes the gene products encoded by the dilute locus of mouse and the MYO2 gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We have named the p190-CM complex \"myosin-V\" based on the results of a detailed sequence comparison of the head domains of 29 myosin heavy chains (hc), which has revealed that this myosin, based on head structure, is the fifth of six distinct structural classes of myosin to be described thus far. Like the presumed products of the mouse dilute and yeast MYO2 genes, the head domain of chicken myosin-V hc (aa 1-764) is linked to a \"neck\" domain (aa 765-909) consisting of six tandem repeats of an approximately 23-aa \"IQ-motif.\" All known myosins contain at least one such motif at their head-tail junctions; these IQ-motifs may function as calmodulin or light chain binding sites. The tail domain of chicken myosin-V consists of an initial 511 aa predicted to form several segments of coiled-coil alpha helix followed by a terminal 410-aa globular domain (aa, 1,421-1,830). Interestingly, a portion of the tail domain (aa, 1,094-1,830) shares 58% amino acid sequence identity with a 723-aa protein from mouse brain reported to be a glutamic acid decarboxylase. The neck region of chicken myosin-V, which contains the IQ-motifs, was demonstrated to contain the binding sites for CM by analyzing CM binding to bacterially expressed fusion proteins containing the head, neck, and tail domains. Immunolocalization of myosin-V in brain and in cultured cells revealed an unusual distribution for this myosin in both neurons and nonneuronal cells.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1469048", "title": "Spectrin redistributes to the cytosol and is phosphorylated during mitosis in cultured cells.", "content": "Dramatic changes in morphology and extensive reorganization of membrane-associated actin filaments take place during mitosis in cultured cells, including rounding up; appearance of numerous actin filament-containing microvilli and filopodia on the cell surface; and disassembly of intercellular and cell-substratum adhesions. We have examined the distribution and solubility of the membrane-associated actin-binding protein, spectrin, during interphase and mitosis in cultured CHO and HeLa cells. Immunofluorescence staining of substrate-attached, well-spread interphase CHO cells reveals that spectrin is predominantly associated with both the dorsal and ventral plasma membranes and is also concentrated at the lateral margins of cells at regions of cell-cell contacts. In mitotic cells, staining for spectrin is predominantly in the cytoplasm with only faint staining at the plasma membrane on the cell body, and no discernible staining on the membranes of the microvilli and filopodia (retraction fibers) which protrude from the cell body. Biochemical analysis of spectrin solubility in Triton X-100 extracts indicates that only 10-15% of the spectrin is soluble in interphase CHO or HeLa cells growing attached to tissue culture plastic. In contrast, 60% of the spectrin is soluble in mitotic CHO and HeLa cells isolated by mechanical \"shake-off\" from nocodazole-arrested synchronized cultures, which represents a four- to sixfold increase in the proportion of soluble spectrin. This increase in soluble spectrin may be partly due to cell rounding and detachment during mitosis, since the amount of soluble spectrin in CHO or HeLa interphase cells detached from the culture dish by trypsin-EDTA or by growth in spinner culture is 30-38%. Furthermore, mitotic cells isolated from synchronized spinner cultures of HeLa S3 cells have only 2.5 times as much soluble spectrin (60%) as do synchronous interphase cells from these spinner cultures (25%). The beta subunit of spectrin is phosphorylated exclusively on serine residues both in interphase and mitosis. Comparison of steady-state phosphorylation levels of spectrin in mitotic and interphase cells demonstrates that solubilization of spectrin in mitosis is correlated with a modest increase in the level of phosphorylation of the spectrin beta subunit in CHO and HeLa cells (a 40% and 70% increase, respectively). Two-dimensional phosphopeptide mapping of CHO cell spectrin indicates that this is due to mitosis-specific phosphorylation of beta-spectrin at several new sites. This is independent of cell rounding and dissociation from other cells and the substratum, since no changes in spectrin phosphorylation take place when cells are detached from culture dishes with trypsin-EDTA.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1469049", "title": "Zyxin and cCRP: two interactive LIM domain proteins associated with the cytoskeleton.", "content": "Interaction with extracellular matrix can trigger a variety of responses by cells including changes in specific gene expression and cell differentiation. The mechanism by which cell surface events are coupled to the transcriptional machinery is not understood, however, proteins localized at sites of cell-substratum contact are likely to function as signal transducers. We have recently purified and characterized a low abundance adhesion plaque protein called zyxin (Crawford, A. W., and M. C. Beckerle. 1991. J. Biol. Chem. 266:5847-5853; Crawford, A. W., J. W. Michelsen, and M. C. Beckerle. 1992. J. Cell Biol. 116:1381-1393). We have now isolated and sequenced zyxin cDNA and we report here that zyxin exhibits an unusual proline-rich NH2-terminus followed by three tandemly arrayed LIM domains. LIM domains have previously been identified in proteins that play important roles in transcriptional regulation and cellular differentiation. LIM domains have been proposed to coordinate metal ions and we have demonstrated by atomic absorption spectroscopy that purified zyxin binds zinc, a result consistent with the idea that zyxin has zinc fingers. In addition, we have discovered that zyxin interacts in vitro with a 23-kD protein that also exhibits LIM domains. Microsequence analysis has revealed that the 23-kD protein (or cCRP) is the chicken homologue of the human cysteine-rich protein (hCRP). By double-label indirect immunofluorescence, we found that zyxin and cCRP are extensively colocalized in chicken embryo fibroblasts, consistent with the idea that they interact in vivo. We conclude that LIM domains are zinc-binding sequences that may be involved in protein-protein interactions. The demonstration that two cytoskeletal proteins, zyxin and cCRP, share a sequence motif with proteins important for transcriptional regulation raises the possibility that zyxin and cCRP are components of a signal transduction pathway that mediates adhesion-stimulated changes in gene expression."}
{"id": "PMID:1469050", "title": "Directional instability of microtubule transport in the presence of kinesin and dynein, two opposite polarity motor proteins.", "content": "Kinesin and dynein are motor proteins that move in opposite directions along microtubules. In this study, we examine the consequences of having kinesin and dynein (ciliary outer arm or cytoplasmic) bound to glass surfaces interacting with the same microtubule in vitro. Although one might expect a balance of opposing forces to produce little or no net movement, we find instead that microtubules move unidirectionally for several microns (corresponding to hundreds of ATPase cycles by a motor) but continually switch between kinesin-directed and dynein-directed transport. The velocities in the plus-end (0.2-0.3 microns/s) and minus-end (3.5-4 microns/s) directions were approximately half those produced by kinesin (0.5 microns/s) and ciliary dynein (6.7 microns/s) alone, indicating that the motors not contributing to movement can interact with and impose a drag upon the microtubule. By comparing two dyneins with different duty ratios (percentage of time spent in a strongly bound state during the ATPase cycle) and varying the nucleotide conditions, we show that the microtubule attachment times of the two opposing motors as well as their relative numbers determine which motor predominates in this assay. Together, these findings are consistent with a model in which kinesin-induced movement of a microtubule induces a negative strain in attached dyneins which causes them to dissociate before entering a force-generating state (and vice versa); reversals in the direction of transport may require the temporary dissociation of the transporting motor from the microtubule. The bidirectional movements described here are also remarkably similar to the back-and-forth movements of chromosomes during mitosis and membrane vesicles in fibroblasts. These results suggest that the underlying mechanical properties of motor proteins, at least in part, may be responsible for reversals in microtubule-based transport observed in cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1469051", "title": "Dynein from Dictyostelium: primary structure comparisons between a cytoplasmic motor enzyme and flagellar dynein.", "content": "We report here the cloning and sequencing of a cytoplasmic dynein heavy chain gene from the cellular slime mold Dictyostelium discoideum. Using a combination of approaches, we have isolated 14,318 bp of DNA sequence which contains an open-reading frame of 4,725 amino acids. The deduced molecular weight of the polypeptide predicted by this reading frame is 538,482 D. Overall, the polypeptide sequence is 51% similar and 28% identical to the recently published sequences of the beta-dynein heavy chain from sea urchin flagella (Gibbons, I. R., B. H. Gibbons, G. Mocz, and D. J. Asai. 1991. Nature (Lond.). 352: 640-643; Ogawa, K. 1991. Nature (Lond.). 352:643-645). It contains four GXXXXGKT/S motifs that form part of a consensus sequence for ATP-binding domains; these motifs are clustered near the middle of the polypeptide. The distribution of the regions sharing sequence similarity between the Dictyostelium and sea urchin heavy chain polypeptides suggests that the amino termini of dyneins may contain domains that specify axonemal or cytoplasmic functions."}
{"id": "PMID:1469052", "title": "Mutations in yeast calmodulin cause defects in spindle pole body functions and nuclear integrity.", "content": "Yeast calmodulin (CaM) is required for the progression of nuclear division (Ohya, Y. and Y. Anraku. 1989. Curr. Genet. 15:113-120), although the precise mechanism and physiological role of CaM in this process are unclear. In this paper we have characterized the phenotype caused by a temperature-sensitive lethal mutation (cmdl-101) in the yeast CaM. The cmdl-101 mutation expresses a carboxyl-terminal half of the yeast CaM (Met72-Cys147) under the control of an inducible GAL1 promoter. Incubation of the cmdl-101 cells at a nonpermissive temperature causes a severe defect in chromosome segregation. The rate of chromosome loss in the cmdl-101 mutant is higher than wild-type cell even at permissive temperature. The primary visible defect observed by immunofluorescence and electron microscopic analyses is that the organization of spindle microtubules is abnormal in the cmdl-101 cells grown at nonpermissive temperature. Majority of budded cells arrested at the high temperature contain only one spindle pole body (SPB), which forms monopolar spindle, whereas the budded cells of the same strain incubated at permissive temperature all contain two SPBs. Using the freeze-substituted fixation method, we found that the integrity of the nuclear morphology of the cmdl-101 mutant cell is significantly disturbed. The nucleus in wild-type cells is round with smooth contours of nuclear envelope. However, the nuclear envelope in the mutant cells appears to be very flexible and forms irregular projections and invaginations that are never seen in wild-type cells. The deformation of the nuclear becomes much more severe as the incubation at nonpermissive temperature continues. The single SPB frequently localizes on the projections or the invaginations of the nuclear envelope. These observations suggest that CaM is required for the functions of SPB and spindle, and the integrity of nucleus."}
{"id": "PMID:1469053", "title": "Phorbol esters alter cell fate during development of sea urchin embryos.", "content": "Protein kinase C (PKC) has been implicated as important in controlling cell differentiation during embryonic development. We have examined the ability of 12-O-tetradecanoyl phorbol-13-acetate (TPA), an activator of PKC, to alter the differentiation of cells during sea urchin development. Addition of TPA to embryos for 10-15 min during early cleavage caused dramatic changes in their development during gastrulation. Using tissue-specific antibodies, we have shown that TPA causes the number of cells that differentiate as endoderm and mesoderm to increase relative to the number that differentiate as ectoderm. cDNA probes show that treatment with TPA causes an increase in accumulation of RNAs specific to endoderm and mesoderm with a concomitant decrease in RNAs specific to ectoderm. Treatment of isolated prospective ectodermal cells with TPA causes them to differentiate into endoderm and mesoderm. The critical period for TPA to alter development is during early to mid cleavage, and treatment of embryos with TPA after that time has little effect. These results indicate that PKC may play a key role in determining the fate of cells during sea urchin development."}
{"id": "PMID:1469054", "title": "Cell surface acetylcholinesterase molecules on multinucleated myotubes are clustered over the nucleus of origin.", "content": "Multinucleated skeletal muscle fibers are compartmentalized with respect to the expression and organization of several intracellular and cell surface proteins including acetylcholinesterase (AChE). Mosaic muscle fibers formed from homozygous myoblasts expressing two allelic variants of AChE preferentially translate and assemble the polypeptides in the vicinity of the nucleus encoding the mRNA (Rotundo, R. L. 1990. J. Cell Biol. 110:715-719). To determine whether the locally synthesized AChE molecules are targeted to specific regions of the myotube surface, primary quail myoblasts were mixed with mononucleated cells of the mouse muscle C2/C12 cell line and allowed to fuse, forming heterospecific mosaic myotubes. Cell surface enzyme was localized by immunofluorescence using an avian AChE-specific monoclonal antibody. HOECHST 33342 was used to distinguish between quail and mouse nuclei in myotubes. Over 80% of the quail nuclei exhibited clusters of cell surface AChE in mosaic quail-mouse myotubes, whereas only 4% of the mouse nuclei had adjacent quail AChE-positive regions of membrane, all of which were located next to a quail nucleus. In contrast, membrane proteins such as Na+/K+ ATPase, which are not restricted to specific regions of the myotube surface, are free to diffuse over the entire length of the fiber. These studies indicate that the AChE molecules expressed in multinucleated muscle fibers are preferentially transported and localized to regions of surface membrane overlying the nucleus of origin. This targeting could play an important role in establishing and maintaining specialized cell surface domains such as the neuromuscular and myotendinous junctions."}
{"id": "PMID:1469055", "title": "Nerve growth factor withdrawal-induced cell death in neuronal PC12 cells resembles that in sympathetic neurons.", "content": "Previous studies have shown that in neuronal cells the developmental phenomenon of programmed cell death is an active process, requiring synthesis of both RNA and protein. This presumably reflects a requirement for novel gene products to effect cell death. It is shown here that the death of nerve growth factor-deprived neuronal PC12 cells occurs at the same rate as that of rat sympathetic neurons and, like rat sympathetic neurons, involves new transcription and translation. In nerve growth factor-deprived neuronal PC12 cells, a decline in metabolic activity, assessed by uptake of [3H]2-deoxyglucose, precedes the decline in cell number, assessed by counts of trypan blue-excluding cells. Both declines are prevented by actinomycin D and anisomycin. In contrast, the death of nonneuronal (chromaffin-like) PC12 cells is not inhibited by transcription or translation inhibitors and thus does not require new protein synthesis. DNA fragmentation by internucleosomal cleavage does not appear to be a consistent or significant aspect of cell death in sympathetic neurons, neuronal PC12 cells, or nonneuronal PC12 cells, notwithstanding that the putative nuclease inhibitor aurintricarboxylic acid protects sympathetic neurons, as well as neuronal and nonneuronal PC12 cells, from death induced by trophic factor removal. Both phenotypic classes of PC12 cells respond to aurintricarboxylic acid with similar dose-response characteristics. Our results indicate that programmed cell death in neuronal PC12 cells, but not in nonneuronal PC12 cells, resembles programmed cell death in sympathetic neurons in significant mechanistic aspects: time course, role of new protein synthesis, and lack of a significant degree of DNA fragmentation."}
{"id": "PMID:1469056", "title": "Restricted tissue distribution of a 37-kD possible adherens junction protein.", "content": "A major polypeptide of M(r) 37,000 was purified from a desmosome-enriched citric acid-insoluble pellet of pig tongue epithelium. The polypeptide was solubilized from the 4-M urea-insoluble pellet with 9 M urea, and extracts were separated by carboxymethyl cellulose and gel filtration chromatography. The 37-kD protein was obtained in milligram quantities as a single band on two-dimensional gels in 30% yield after 21-fold purification from the citric acid-insoluble fraction. The protein is not glycosylated and has a pI of approximately 8.7. Although isolated from a fraction rich in desmosomes, the 37-kD protein is not a desmosomal protein. Indirect immunofluorescence analysis of frozen sections of tongue and other tissues demonstrated that antibodies raised to the 37-kD protein bound only to suprabasal cell layers at punctate regions of the periphery of the cell and was absent from most regions of epidermis, whereas antibodies to desmoplakins I and II, desmosomal proteins, bound similarly but in all epidermal layers. Immunoelectron microscopy localized the 37-kD protein to the cell periphery in regions between, but never in, desmosomes. By immunofluorescence, the 37-kD protein colocalized with actin as well as with vinculin and uvomorulin in oral tissues. Like the 37-kD protein, vinculin and uvomorulin were absent from the basal layer. Based on its appearance, localization, and solubility properties, the 37-kD protein is probably a component of adherens junctions; its restriction to suprabasal cells and exclusion from the epidermis are unique."}
{"id": "PMID:1469057", "title": "A23187-induced translocation of 5-lipoxygenase in osteosarcoma cells.", "content": "In a previous study, osteosarcoma cells expressing both 5-lipoxygenase (5-LO) and 5 lipoxygenase-activating protein (FLAP) synthesized leukotrienes upon A23187 stimulation (Dixon, R. A. F., R. E. Diehl, E. Opas, E. Rands, P. J. Vickers, J. F. Evans, J. W. Gillard, and D. K. Miller. 1990. Nature (Lond.). 343:282-284). Osteosarcoma cells expressing 5-LO but not expressing FLAP were unable to synthesize leukotrienes. Thus, it was determined that FLAP was required for the cellular synthesis of leukotrienes. To examine the role of FLAP in A23187-induced translocation of 5-LO to a membrane fraction, we have studied the A23187-stimulated translocation of 5-LO in osteosarcoma cells expressing both 5-LO and FLAP, and in osteosarcoma cells expressing 5-LO only. We demonstrate that in cells expressing both 5-LO and FLAP, 5-LO translocates to membranes in response to A23187 stimulation. This 5-LO translocation is inhibited when cells are stimulated in the presence of MK-886. In osteosarcoma cells expressing 5-LO but not expressing FLAP, 5-LO is able to associate with membranes following A23187 stimulation. In contrast to the cells containing both 5-LO and FLAP, MK-886 is unable to prevent 5-LO membrane association in cells transfected with 5-LO alone. Therefore, we have demonstrated that in this cell system, 5-LO membrane association and activation can be separated into at least two distinct steps: (1) calcium-dependent movement of 5-LO to membranes without product formation, which can occur in the absence of FLAP (membrane association), and (2) activation of 5-LO with product formation, which is FLAP dependent and inhibited by MK-886 (enzyme activation)."}
{"id": "PMID:1469058", "title": "Molecular isoforms of murine CD44 and evidence that the membrane proximal domain is not critical for hyaluronate recognition.", "content": "We previously found that the CD44 glycoprotein on some lymphocytes can mediate adhesion to hyaluronate (HA) bearing cells. However, many questions remain about the molecular heterogeneity of CD44 and mechanisms which control its recognition of this ligand. In vitro mutagenesis and DNA sequencing have now been used to investigate the importance of the membrane proximal region of murine CD44 for recognition of soluble or cell surface HA. CD44 with an 83 amino acid deletion in this region mediated binding to soluble ligand and the apparent avidity increased markedly in the presence of a particular antibody to CD44, IRAWB14. The shortened CD44 was however inefficient in mediating adhesion of transfected cells to HA immobilized on cell surfaces. Four new murine isoforms of CD44 were isolated from a carcinoma line by use of the polymerase chain reaction. Only two of them correspond to ones recently discovered in rat and human cells. The longest variant nearly doubled the length of the extracellular portion of the molecule and introduced an additional 20 potential sites for glycosylation. When expressed on T lymphoma cells, all four of the new murine CD44 isoforms were capable of mediating adhesion to HA bearing cells. This result contrasts with a report that a related human CD44 isoform lacks this ability when expressed on B lineage lymphoma cells. The new murine isoforms also conferred the ability to recognize soluble HA and were very responsive to the IRAWB14 antibody. A brief survey of normal murine cell lines and tissues revealed that the hemopoietic isoform was the most abundant species. These findings indicate that the NH2-terminal portion of CD44 is sufficient for HA recognition and that this function is not necessarily abrogated by variations which occur in the membrane proximal domain. They add to the known molecular diversity of CD44 and provide another experimental model in which isoform specific functions can be investigated."}
{"id": "PMID:1469059", "title": "Recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein 2B stimulates PC12 cell differentiation: potentiation and binding to type IV collagen.", "content": "Bone morphogenetic protein 2B (BMP 2B, also known as BMP 4) induces cartilage and bone morphogenesis in ectopic extraskeletal sites. BMP 2B is one of several bone morphogenetic proteins which along with activins and inhibins are members of the transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) family. Both BMP 2B and activin A, but not TGF-beta 1, induce rat pheochromocytoma PC12 neuronal cell differentiation and expression of VGF, a nervous system-specific mRNA. PC12 cells exhibited approximately 2,500 receptors per cell for BMP 2B with an apparent dissociation constant of 19 pM. Extracellular matrix components, including fibronectin, laminin, and collagen type IV potentiated the activity of BMP and activin A, with the latter being the most active. Direct experiments demonstrated that radioiodinated BMP 2B bound to collagen type IV better than to either laminin or fibronectin. These data demonstrate a common neurotrophic activity of both BMP 2B and activin A, and suggest that these regulatory molecules alone and in conjunction with extracellular matrix components may play a role in both the development and repair of nervous tissue."}
{"id": "PMID:1469060", "title": "Cancer-related urinary proteinase inhibitor, EDC1: a new method for its isolation and evidence for multiple forms.", "content": "During the past several years, numerous laboratories have reported isolation and purification of proteinase inhibitors from human urine. Many of these molecules were incompletely characterized and some of them may have been artifacts in part because of harsh procedures used for their isolation. Consequently, there is disagreement and confusion regarding the biochemical characteristics of these inhibitors. We previously reported the isolation of a proteinase inhibitor, EDC1, from the urine of a leukemic patient. This molecule, M(r) 30 kDa, was antigenically related to plasma inter-alpha-trypsin inhibitor (IATI) and inhibited the growth of a virally transformed B cell line. Immunoreactive EDC1 was also the major component of low molecular weight proteinuria observed in cancer patients. We now report a new method for the isolation of EDC1 from urine of patients with adenocarcinomas of colon and lung and melanoma and compare its partial amino acid sequence with that of HI 30, a proteinase inhibitor previously isolated from pooled normal urine by Hochstrasser et al. [Hoppe-Seyler's Z Physiol Chem 357:153-162, 1976]. Our method involves i) a batchwise cation exchange, ii) gel filtration chromatography, iii) anion exchange chromatography on FPLC, and iv) reverse phase C18 chromatography on HPLC. This method is mild and results in an overall yield of 0.4 to 1.2 mg of EDC1/liter urine. On the basis of the partial N-terminal amino acid sequence of its N terminal (38 residues) and middle regions (29 residues), EDC1 appears to be identical with HI30. Surprisingly, during this isolation procedure, another proteinase inhibitor, M(r) 22 kDa, which cross-reacted with antisera to EDC1 and IATI, was also isolated. The 22 kDa molecule was a major component of the IATI related urinary molecules and was identical with the 30 kDa EDC1 in which first the 15 N terminal residues were clipped. The lower M(r) inhibitor was not an artifact formed during storage or isolation procedure because the Western blot analysis of fresh cancer and normal urine revealed the 30 and 22 kDa molecules. Thus, both the 30 kDa EDC1 (or HI30) and its clipped variant, the 22 kDa molecule, are physiologic components of IATI related urinary proteinase inhibitors and excretion of both forms may be increased in patients with advanced cancer."}
{"id": "PMID:1469061", "title": "Phosphorylation of vinculin in human platelets spreading on a solid surface.", "content": "Vinculin is a cytoskeletal protein believed to be involved in linking microfilaments to the cell membrane. It is a substrate for the Ca(2+)- and phospholipid-dependent protein kinase C. We show here that when human platelets attach and spread on a solid surface, the alpha isoforms of vinculin become phosphorylated at serine and/or threonine residues. Phosphorylation is dependent on adhesion to a surface, since suspended, unattached platelets can produce filopodia but no phosphorylation of vinculin. Phosphorylation is also dependent on actin polymerization, as it does not occur when platelets had been pretreated with cytochalasin B. Most likely, protein kinase C is responsible for the phosphorylation of vinculin, since phosphorylation also occurs when platelets are treated with a phorbol ester, which activates protein kinase C, and is blocked by treatment with a staurosporine derivative which inhibits this enzyme. These results suggest that phosphorylation plays a role in anchoring vinculin at sites of microfilament-membrane interaction."}
{"id": "PMID:1469062", "title": "Growth-regulated expression of vimentin in hamster fibroblasts is a result of increased transcription.", "content": "We have previously shown that vimentin is a growth-regulated gene whose mRNA levels increase after serum stimulation of quiescent hamster fibroblasts. In this study, the control of the growth-regulated expression of vimentin was determined in ts13 cells induced to proliferate by serum. Both transcriptional and post-transcriptional mechanisms of regulation were examined by determining transcriptional rates, cytoplasmic transcript abundance, transcript stability, and protein abundance. We observed a fourfold increase in vimentin transcripts in the cytoplasm of serum-stimulated ts13 cells. Since transcripts are stable in both quiescent and stimulated cells, this induction of vimentin expression is a result of a fivefold increase in vimentin-specific transcriptional activity. As a result of this increased transcript availability, the abundance of polymerized vimentin protein increased following serum stimulation of quiescent fibroblasts. Overall, the induction of vimentin expression in fibroblasts by serum is a consequence of increased vimentin-specific transcriptional activity. The significance of this with regard to cytoskeletal organization and cell division is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1469063", "title": "Density-dependent modulation of vascular smooth muscle alpha-actin biosynthetic processing in differentiated BC3H1 myogenic cells.", "content": "The expression of vascular smooth muscle (VSM) alpha-actin mRNA during BC3H1 myogenic cell differentiation is specifically stimulated by conditions of high cell density. Non-proteolytic dissociation of cell-cell and cell-matrix contacts in post-confluent cultures of BC3H1 myocytes using EDTA promotes loss of the differentiated morphological phenotype. EDTA-dispersed myocytes exhibit an undifferentiated fibroblastoid appearance and contained reduced levels of both VSM and skeletal alpha-actin mRNA. Muscle alpha-actin mRNA levels in EDTA-dispersed myocytes were not restored to that observed in confluent myocyte preparations by experimental manipulation of cell density conditions. Pulse-labeling techniques using L-[35S]cysteine to identify muscle actin biosynthetic intermediates revealed that EDTA-dispersed myocytes expressed nascent forms of both the VSM and skeletal muscle alpha-actin polypeptide chains. However EDTA-dispersed myocytes were less efficient in the post-translational processing of immature VSM alpha-actin compared to non-dispersed myocytes. Simple cell-to-cell contact may mediate VSM alpha-actin processing efficiency since high-density preparations of EDTA-dispersed myocytes processed more VSM alpha-actin intermediate than myocytes plated at low density. The actin isoform selectivity of the response to modulation of intercellular contacts suggests that actin biosynthesis in BC3H1 myogenic cells involves mechanisms capable of discriminating between different isoform classes of nascent actin polypeptide chains."}
{"id": "PMID:1469064", "title": "HMG-like chromosomal proteins in Trypanosoma cruzi.", "content": "HMG-like chromosomal proteins from Trypanosoma cruzi were studied. Four HMG-like proteins, designated HMG A, HMG-B, HMG-C, and HMG-E, were isolated and found to have molecular weights of 35.5 kd, 27.5 kd, 21.8 kd and 10.4 kd, respectively. Immunological relatedness was demonstrated between the mammalian HMG 1,2 and the HMG-A and HMG-B from T. cruzi. The relative amounts of HMG-C and HMG-E proteins vary in T. cruzi depending to the proliferative stage of the cells. HMG-E protein is increased in proliferating cells when compared to its level in non-proliferating cells. HMG-C is increased in the non-proliferating cells. Probably, the shifts observed in the relative amounts of HMG-like proteins are related to the proliferating cells of this flagellate. The results are consistent with those described for other lower eukaryotes where the HMG-like proteins isolated are similar but not identical to HMG proteins from vertebrates."}
{"id": "PMID:1469065", "title": "Transforming growth factor-beta 1 induces expression of statin during differentiation of human promonocytic leukemia cells.", "content": "Transforming growth factor-Beta (TGF-beta) is a potent growth inhibitor for several cell types including epithelial cells and hematopoietic progenitor cells. Using a human promonocytic leukemia cell line, THP-1, we have shown that TGF-beta inhibits their proliferation and promotes differentiation into cells exhibiting macrophage-like properties. Therefore, a key question is whether TGF-beta influences the expression of genes associated with proliferation and/or growth inhibition. TGF-beta treatment of THP-1 cells results in downregulation of expression of c-myc. We also observe that TGF-beta 1-treated cells express reduced levels of the cell cycle regulated histone, H2B, but express elevated levels of an RNA splicing variant of this histone that has been observed to be upregulated in growth inhibited and terminally differentiated cells. In addition, a nuclear protein associated with senescence and withdrawal of cells from the cell cycle, statin, is also expressed by THP-1 cells in response to TGF-beta 1 treatment. These results suggest that TGF-beta 1 is capable of inducing expression of specific nuclear proteins associated with differentiation and/or cessation of proliferation that may result in changes in nuclear organization and altered gene expression. Such changes in nuclear organization may be incompatible with continued proliferation of the cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1469066", "title": "Nucleoproteins derived from subnuclear RNA polymerase complexes of metastatic large-cell lymphoma cells possess transcription activities and regulatory properties in vitro.", "content": "Intact nuclei derived from poorly or highly liver-metastatic murine large-cell lymphoma cell line RAW117 were digested to discrete subchromatin deoxyribonucleoprotein/ribonucleoprotein (DNP/RNP) complexes with Msp-I. The DNP/RNP complexes were composed of DNP/RNPs which were derived from the DNP/RNP complexes by incubation in the presence or absence of DNase-I and subsequent isolation by two-dimensional [isoelectric focusing/sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS)] polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE), electroelution from the gel, and removal of SDS. Approximately 450 DNP/RNPs in the two-dimensional gels corresponding to discrete spots or in some cases streaks were analyzed for the presence of v-abl, p53, c-neu, c-H-ras, beta-casein, 18s rDNA, and mu-chain immunoglobulin genes using a hybridization technique. Ten DNP/RNP complexes contained tightly associated p53 DNA, whereas six contained c- or v-abl, four contained mu-chain gene, two contained c-H-ras, one contained dot-blot beta-casein, two contained 18s rDNA, and c-neu was found in one of the DNP/RNPs. The DNP/RNPs were also analyzed for in vitro RNA polymerase and primase activities. To assess the potential transcription abilities of the isolated DNP/RNPs, individual DNP/RNPs or DNP/RNP mixtures (reconstituted after SDS-PAGE separation) were examined for RNA polymerase initiation and synthesis. When RNA products were formed, these were purified by extracellulose chromatography and used as back-hybridization probes for the genes of interest. The RNA products were also analyzed by RNA gel electrophoresis. RNA formation was inhibitable by actinomycin D, and the RNAs formed ranged in size from approximately 80 kbp to approximately 1 kbp. By mixing various DNP/RNP complexes together, different patterns of RNA synthesis were found. For example, one DNP/RNP of M(r) approximately 140,000, isoelectric point (pl) approximately 5.8 synthesized a high molecular weight RNA in vitro that hybridized with beta-casein cDNA, but beta-casein is not expressed in RAW117 cells, suggesting that the silencing of the beta-casein gene was negated by isolation of the DNP/RNP. Mixing this DNP/RNP with two other specific DNP/RNPs again inhibited the synthesis of beta-casein RNA, suggesting that interactions between DNP/RNP complexes can result in differential RNA expression or regulation of RNA polymerases in vitro."}
{"id": "PMID:1469067", "title": "Differential expression of the histone H1 zero gene in U937 and HL-60 leukemia cell lines.", "content": "The expression of the human H1 zero histone gene and of a main type H1 gene was analyzed in two human leukemia cell lines. The main type, replication dependent H1 gene expression reflected the state of proliferation of both cell lines. No H1 zero mRNA was detected in the promyelocytic HL-60 line, whereas the monocytic U937 cells showed low steady-state levels of 1H zero mRNA. Stimulation of HL-60 with several known inducers of differentiation failed to induce any accumulation of H1 zero mRNA. Treatment of U937 with phorbol ester or butyrate, on the other hand, led to an increase of the H1 zero mRNA concentration."}
{"id": "PMID:1469068", "title": "Pericellular substrates of human mast cell tryptase: 72,000 dalton gelatinase and fibronectin.", "content": "Migrating cells degrade pericellular matrices and basement membranes. For these purposes cells produce a number of proteolytic enzymes. Mast cells produce two major proteinases, chymase and tryptase, whose physiological functions are poorly known. In the present study we have analyzed the ability of purified human mast cell tryptase to digest pericellular matrices of human fibroblasts. Isolated matrices of human fibroblasts and fibroblast conditioned medium were treated with tryptase, and alterations in the radiolabeled polypeptides were observed in autoradiograms of sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gels. It was found that an M(r) 72,000 protein was digested to an M(r) 62,000 form by human mast cell tryptase while the plasminogen activator inhibitor, PAI-1, was not affected. Cleavage of the M(r) 72,000 protein could be partially inhibited by known inhibitors of tryptase but not by aprotinin, soybean trypsin inhibitor, or EDTA. Fibroblastic cells secreted the M(r) 72,000 protein into their medium and it bound to gelatin as shown by analysis of the medium by affinity chromatography over gelatin-Sepharose. The soluble form of the M(r) 72,000 protein was also susceptible to cleavage by tryptase. Analysis using gelatin containing polyacrylamide gels showed that both the intact M(r) 72,000 and the M(r) 62,000 degraded form of the protein possess gelatinolytic activity after activation by sodium dodecyl sulphate. Immunoblotting analysis of the matrices revealed the cleavage of an immunoreactive protein of M(r) 72,000 indicating that the protein is related to type IV collagenase. Further analysis of the pericellular matrices indicated that the protease sensitive extracellular matrix protein fibronectin was removed from the matrix by tryptase in a dose-dependent manner. Fibronectin was also susceptible to proteolytic degradation by tryptase. The data suggest a role for mast cell tryptase in the degradation of pericellular matrices."}
{"id": "PMID:1469069", "title": "Changes in annexin (lipocortin) content in human amnion and chorion at parturition.", "content": "Arachidonic acid is mobilized from fetal membrane phospholipids at parturition leading to increased production of oxytocic prostaglandins which may initiate or maintain myometrial contractions. Phospholipid mobilization requires activation of phospholipase A2 or C, both of which require calcium for activity. The annexins (lipocortins) are a superfamily of proteins which bind to calcium and phospholipids and thereby may alter phospholipase activity through two mechanisms: modulation of intracellular free Ca2+ concentrations or regulation of the accessibility of phospholipids to hydrolyzing enzymes. Using Western immunoblotting with monospecific polyclonal antibodies, annexins I-VI were identified in human amnion and chorion/decidua at term in tissues obtained from patients in labor or not in labor. Each annexin was present in two distinct pools: a pool which only associated with the membrane in the presence of calcium (calcium-dependent pool) and a calcium-independent pool that remained membrane bound in the presence of calcium chelators. Annexin I was present as two species, resolving at 36 kDa and 68 kDa. The total concentration of annexin I in both amnion and chorion/decidua was significantly decreased with labor, while the total concentration of annexin V in chorion significantly increased with labor. The size of individual pools of annexins also changed with labor: the calcium-dependent pool of annexins I and II in both amnion and chorion significantly decreased; the calcium-dependent pool of annexin V increased in chorion; and calcium-independent pools of annexin I in amnion and annexins I, II, and V in chorion significantly decreased with labor. The decrease in total annexin I concentration with labor in amnion reflects a substantial decrease (80-90%) in the pool tightly bound to the membrane in a calcium-independent manner. This striking change distinguishes annexin I as a potential candidate inhibitor which is specifically downregulated at parturition, potentially leading to increased access of phospholipases to substrate phospholipids and increased prostaglandin production at labor."}
{"id": "PMID:1469070", "title": "A human histone H2B.1 variant gene, located on chromosome 1, utilizes alternative 3' end processing.", "content": "A variant human H2B histone gene (GL105), previously shown to encode a 2300 nt replication independent mRNA, has been cloned. We demonstrate this gene expresses alternative mRNAs regulated differentially during the HeLa S3 cell cycle. The H2B-Gl105 gene encodes both a 500 nt cell cycle dependent mRNA and a 2300 nt constitutively expressed mRNA. The 3' end of the cell cycle regulated mRNA terminates immediately following the region of hyphenated dyad symmetry typical of most histone mRNAs, whereas the constitutively expressed mRNA has a 1798 nt non-translated trailer that contains the same region of hyphenated dyad symmetry but is polyadenylated. The cap site for the H2B-GL105 mRNAs is located 42 nt upstream of the protein coding region. The H2B-GL105 histone gene was localized to chromosome region 1q21-1q23 by chromosomal in situ hybridization and by analysis of rodent-human somatic cell hybrids using an H2B-GL105 specific probe. The H2B-GL105 gene is paired with a functional H2A histone gene and this H2A/H2B gene pair is separated by a bidirectionally transcribed intergenic promoter region containing consensus TATA and CCAAT boxes and an OTF-1 element. These results demonstrate that cell cycle regulated and constitutively expressed histone mRNAs can be encoded by the same gene, and indicate that alternative 3' end processing may be an important mechanism for regulation of histone mRNA. Such control further increases the versatility by which cells can modulate the synthesis of replication-dependent as well as variant histone proteins during the cell cycle and at the onset of differentiation."}
{"id": "PMID:1469071", "title": "Post-transcriptional regulation of collagenase and stromelysin gene expression by epidermal growth factor and dexamethasone in cultured human fibroblasts.", "content": "Epidermal growth factor (EGF) is a ubiquitous fibroblast mitogen which also stimulates the synthesis of the extracellular matrix degrading metalloproteinases, collagenase, and stromelysin. Using primary cultures of human skin fibroblast, we show that these metalloproteinase mRNAs are coordinately up-regulated by EGF; and that dexamethasone, a potent inhibitor of collagenase and stromelysin synthesis, coordinately down-regulates these EGF-induced mRNAs. Nuclear run-on assays showed that EGF increased transcription of collagenase and stromelysin approximately 2-fold over the untreated control, while repression by dexamethasone was difficult to detect. However, steady state mRNA levels were induced approximately 10-fold by EGF and co-treatment with dexamethasone decreased them to below control levels, suggesting modulation of mRNA stability. Thus, we measured the half-life of these mRNAs using \"pulse-chase\" methodology. Typically, the half-life of EGF-induced collagenase and stromelysin mRNAs was approximately 30 h, and co-treatment with dexamethasone decreased the half-life of these mRNAs by 30-50%. Additionally, we found that the transcription inhibitor DRB stabilized EGF-induced metalloproteinase mRNAs, suggesting an mRNA degradation pathway which requires transcription. Thus our data demonstrate that collagenase and stromelysin are coordinately regulated by EGF and by dexamethasone, primarily at the level of metalloproteinase mRNA stability."}
{"id": "PMID:1469072", "title": "Glucocorticoid regulation of alkaline phosphatase, osteocalcin, and proto-oncogenes in normal human osteoblast-like cells.", "content": "In humans, glucocorticoids are known to have marked effects on bone metabolism and function, including the significant regulation of osteoblast cells. To aid in the understanding of the mechanism of glucocorticoid action on normal human osteoblasts (hOB), confluent cells were analyzed for the presence of glucocorticoid receptors (GR) as well as for the effects of the glucocorticoid dexamethasone (Dex) on the expression of both the rapid responding nuclear proto-oncogenes and the late responding structural genes for bone matrix proteins. The interactions between Dex and 1,25 dihydroxy vitamin D3 (1,25 D3) on the gene expression in these cells were also examined. Using a functional receptor assay, a mean of 11,600 functional nuclear bound glucocorticoid receptors (range 6,000-22,000) was measured in fifteen separate cell strains. Northern blot analysis with a cDNA probe to the human GR was used to demonstrate the presence of a 7Kb transcript which is a candidate mRNA for GR in these cells. In agreement with previous studies, treatment of the hOB cells with Dex increased the steady state mRNA levels for alkaline phosphatase (AP) but displayed little or no effect on the mRNA levels for osteocalcin (OC) and glyceraldehyde phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH). Interestingly, the 1,25 D3 inductions of mRNA levels for OC were blocked by Dex but enhanced for AP. The above effects of Dex on AP and OC gene expression, including the interaction with 1,25 D3, were also shown to occur at the level of protein. The effect of Dex on the mRNA levels of the nuclear proto-oncogenes c-myc, c-fos, and c-jun was also investigated, since the oncoproteins (Fos/Jun) appear to play a role in the delayed glucocorticoid regulation of structural genes. Interestingly, Dex increased the steady state levels of c-myc, c-fos, and c-jun mRNAs in nonproliferating (confluent) hOB cells by 3.5-, 10-, and 2.0-fold, respectively, over control (untreated cells) values within one h of steroid treatment. The Dex-induced mRNA levels were transient and returned to basal values within 24 h of the steroid treatment. A reduced but qualitatively similar pattern of response was found in proliferating hOB cells. The pattern of response of these genes to glucocorticoids in hOB cells mimics the response in avian liver cells but not in reproductive cells. These results support the theory that hOB cells are target cells for glucocorticoids, and that as a primary event glucocorticoids rapidly regulate the expression of the nuclear oncoproteins Fos/Jun in these cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1469073", "title": "Glucocorticoids promote development of the osteoblast phenotype by selectively modulating expression of cell growth and differentiation associated genes.", "content": "To understand the mechanisms by which glucocorticoids promote differentiation of fetal rat calvaria derived osteoblasts to produce bone-like mineralized nodules in vitro, a panel of osteoblast growth and differentiation related genes that characterize development of the osteoblast phenotype has been quantitated in glucocorticoid-treated cultures. We compared the mRNA levels of osteoblast expressed genes in control cultures of subcultivated cells where nodule formation is diminished, to cells continuously (35 days) exposed to 10(-7) M dexamethasone, a synthetic glucocorticoid, which promotes nodule formation to levels usually the extent observed in primary cultures. Tritiated thymidine labelling revealed a selective inhibition of internodule cell proliferation and promotion of proliferation and differentiation of cells forming bone nodules. Fibronectin, osteopontin, and c-fos expression were increased in the nodule forming period. Alkaline phosphatase and type I collagen expression were initially inhibited in proliferating cells, then increased after nodule formation to support further growth and mineralization of the nodule. Expression of osteocalcin was 1,000-fold elevated in glucocorticoid-differentiated cultures in relation to nodule formation. Collagenase gene expression was also greater than controls (fivefold) with the highest levels observed in mature cultures (day 35). At this time, a rise in collagen and TGF beta was also observed suggesting turnover of the matrix. Short term (48 h) effects of glucocorticoid on histone H4 (reflecting cell proliferation), alkaline phosphatase, osteopontin, and osteocalcin mRNA levels reveal both up or down regulation as a function of the developmental stage of the osteoblast phenotype. A comparison of transcriptional levels of these genes by nuclear run-on assays to mRNA levels indicates that glucocorticoids exert both transcriptional and post-transcriptional effects. Further, the presence of glucocorticoids enhances the vitamin D3 effect on gene expression. Those genes which are upregulated by 1,25(OH)2D3 are transcribed at an increased rate by dexamethasone, while those genes which are inhibited by vitamin D3 remain inhibited in the presence of dexamethasone and D3. We propose that the glucocorticoids promote changes in gene expression involved in cell-cell and cell-extracellular matrix signaling mechanisms that support the growth and differentiation of cells capable of osteoblast phenotype development and bone tissue-like organization, while inhibiting the growth of cells that cannot progress to the mature osteoblast phenotype in fetal rat calvarial cultures."}
{"id": "PMID:1469074", "title": "Localization of the cleavage sites on fibronectin following digestion by urokinase.", "content": "Urokinase (u-PA) proteolytically cleaves both human plasma (pFn) and cellular (cFn) dimeric fibronectin (M(r) 440,000) into four major polypeptides of approximately M(r) 210,000, 200,000, 25,000, and 6,000. Amino acid sequence analysis of the polypeptide fragments indicated that the enzymatic cleavage of Fn occurs at two sites: 1) between an arginine/alanine peptide bond located C-terminal to residue 259; this cleavage liberates the N-terminal M(r) 25,000 fragment and the M(r) 210,000 and M(r) 200,000 polypeptides derived from the A and B chains of Fn, respectively; and 2) between an arginine/threonine peptide bond located C-terminal to residue 2,299, thereby yielding an M(r) 6,000 dimeric fragment containing the C-terminal interchain disulfide bonds. Predigestion of Fn with u-PA increased the molecule's vulnerability to further attack by the enzymes plasmin and cathepsin D. These data provide further biochemical evidence for the proteolytic cleavage of fibronectin by plasminogen activators and substantiate that u-PA digestion of Fn may be an initial event in the local degradation of the extracellular matrix by malignant cells, possessing elevated levels of these enzymes."}
{"id": "PMID:1469075", "title": "Specific changes in lymphocyte subpopulations: a potential mechanism for stress-induced immunomodulation.", "content": "The mechanisms by which stressors alter immune function are not well understood. One hypothesis for stress-induced immunomodulation is that since immune responses require cooperation of different cell types, stress-induced shifts in cell populations might affect an organism's ability to mount an immune response. We sought to determine if inescapable shock (IS) could alter lymphocyte subpopulations and if so, whether this could be a mechanism for shock-induced immunomodulation. Our results suggest that IS produces changes in lymphocyte subpopulations and that these shifts could be responsible for modulation of in vivo antibody production. Exposure to IS resulted in an increase in the percent of CD4+ mesenteric lymphocytes and a decrease in the percent of CD8+ mesenteric lymphocytes when examined immediately after the cessation of IS. The stressor reduced antibody production to antigen processed at the altered mesenteric nodes, but did not alter antibody production to antigen processed at other sites. No measurable shifts were found in other compartments examined. The changes in CD4+ and CD8+ mesenteric lymphocytes resulted in an increased CD4+/CD8+ ratio that persisted for 1-24 h after stressor termination, becoming absent 48 h after IS termination. The stress-induced reduction in antibody production occurred only when antigen was given immediately prior to but not when antigen was given 48 h post stress. These findings suggest that the effects of a stressor could be specific to the manner in which the antigen enters the body, and that the stress-induced decrease in antibody production could be due to altered lymphocyte subpopulations as reflected by an increased CD4+/CD8+ ratio."}
{"id": "PMID:1469076", "title": "Chronic inflammatory effects of interleukin-1 on the blood-retina barrier.", "content": "The chronic effects of human recombinant IL-1 (hrIL-1) on the specialized vasculature of the central nervous system (CNS) and on the CNS itself have been examined over a 35-day period in the rabbit retina. A single intraocular injection of physiological levels of hrIL-1 (300 units) induced a biphasic inflammatory reaction with well-defined acute and chronic phases in the challenged eye. Quantitative histopathological examination of the vascularized portion of the retina in the IL-1-challenged eye documented a persistent mononuclear (MN) cell response that peaked 7-14 days post-challenge. Included in the MN cell count were perivascular plasma cells. Elevated protein levels in the vitreous persisted throughout the time points studied and alterations in vascular permeability of the epiretinal vessels were demonstrated by tracer leakage at 2 weeks post-challenge. The results show that exposure of the CNS-vasculature to IL-1 induces long-lasting inflammatory changes typical of a chronic inflammatory reaction."}
{"id": "PMID:1469077", "title": "Inhibition of chronic relapsing experimental allergic encephalomyelitis in the Biozzi AB/H mouse.", "content": "Chronic relapsing experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (CREAE) can be reproducibly induced in Biozzi AB/H mice following injection of spinal cord homogenate (SCH) emulsified in complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA). Active clinical disease is associated with mononuclear cell infiltration of the central nervous system (CNS), mainly the spinal cord. Whole brain homogenate (BH), however, failed to induce clinical or histological disease. In contrast, substituting sciatic nerve homogenate in the inoculum induced experimental allergic neuritis (EAN). Clinical disease was manifest earlier (13.1 +/- 0.3 days) than CREAE (16.2 +/- 1.4) and was accompanied by mononuclear infiltration of the peripheral nervous system (PNS). In comparison to CREAE induction, pretreating mice with SCH or BH in incomplete Freund's adjuvant (IFA) suppressed the development of SCH-induced disease. The BH was more tolerogenic than the SCH and this hyporesponsiveness was CNS antigen-specific as PNS tissue failed to inhibit the course of CREAE. Tolerance induced by pretreatment with SCH or BH in IFA was reversed by a single injection of 200 mg/kg cyclophosphamide, 2 days prior to CREAE induction. This suggests that IFA-induced hyporesponsiveness is actively regulated, possibly via the action of suppressor cells. In addition, treatment with neuroantigens in IFA appears to be mainly afferent acting as it serves to prevent initial disease induction. This treatment after immunization for CREAE, however, fails to prevent disease progression. Furthermore, treatment with CNS antigens emulsified in IFA during the post-acute remission stage appeared to synchronize and induce (32 +/- 1 days) the onset of clinical relapse, compared with untreated controls (41 +/- 5 days). This indicates that such IFA treatment has minimal value in controlling an ongoing immune disease of the CNS."}
{"id": "PMID:1469078", "title": "Ig-secreting cells pass the blood-brain barrier: studies on kappa and lambda light chain secreting cells in plasma cell dyscrasia.", "content": "To study if immunoglobulin (Ig)-secreting cells actively pass the blood-brain barrier (BBB), 15 patients with monoclonal gammopathy underwent bonemarrow (BM) iliac crest aspiration biopsy, peripheral blood (PB) sampling and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis. With an enzyme-linked immunospot assay we investigated the number and ratio of mononuclear cells secreting Ig with kappa and lambda light chains in the three different compartments. A statistically significant (P < 0.05) correlation between the ratio of Ig kappa/lambda-secreting cells in CSF, PB and BM was found. The frequency of kappa and lambda (i.e. Ig in total) secreting mononuclear cells, of the same Ig class as the paraprotein, per 10(4) mononuclear cells was higher in BM (median 2.16%, range 0.43-9.28%) compared to CSF (median 0.44%, range 0.05-9.25%) and in CSF compared to PB (median 0.12%, range 0.02-0.96%). The proportion of all mononuclear cells with Ig kappa and lambda light chain (i.e. Ig) secretion was on average 5-fold greater in CSF compared to PB and 11-fold greater in BM compared to PB. The present study indicates that paraprotein-secreting cells preferentially pass from PB to CSF."}
{"id": "PMID:1469079", "title": "Afferent and efferent arms of the humoral immune response to CSF-administered albumins in a rat model with normal blood-brain barrier permeability.", "content": "Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum antibody responses to albumin administered into CSF or muscle have been compared with respect to titer, isotype profile and complement-fixing activity in a rat model with normal brain barrier function. CSF/serum titer ratios and the ratio of IgG subclasses, IgG1/IgG2, were both elevated following CSF immunization. In contrast, there was no difference in complement-fixing activity between antibodies elicited by the two routes of immunization. It is suggested that intrathecal antibody synthesis accounts for the elevated CSF antibody titers in CSF-immunized rats, providing the first example of central nervous system antibody synthesis in an animal with normal brain barrier permeability."}
{"id": "PMID:1469080", "title": "Phenotypes and alloantigen-presenting activity of individual clones of microglia derived from the mouse brain.", "content": "To clarify the origin and function of the microglia residing in the central nervous system, we cloned brain cells from newborn and adult mice in soft agar containing the macrophage-specific growth factor, colony-stimulating factor-1 and expanded the cells from individual colonies in liquid culture medium. The results of molecular, immunophenotypic and functional analyses showed that the clones consisted of microglia derived from the macrophage family of cells. For instance, the microglia contain mRNA transcripts for the receptor for colony-stimulating factor-1 and truncated CD4 transcripts similar to those found in mouse macrophages but not T helper cells. About a third of the microglial progenitors gave rise to progeny that constitutively induced the selective proliferation of naive allogeneic CD8+ T cells in a CD4+ T cell-independent manner, a response that was inhibited by monoclonal antibodies to major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecules on the microglia. Since all microglia expressed similar levels of MHC class I molecules, the basis for the alloantigen presentation likely resides in the ability of some clones of microglia to synthesize co-stimulator molecules that are required for CD8+ T cell proliferation. Thus, at least some microglia in mouse brain arise from endogenous progenitors and appear capable of specialized functions."}
{"id": "PMID:1469081", "title": "Differential expression of heat shock proteins by human glial cells.", "content": "Heat shock proteins (HSP) have been implicated in the interactions between the gamma delta T lymphocyte population and target tissues. gamma delta T cells are found in increased numbers in multiple sclerosis (MS) plaques compared to their proportion in peripheral blood, co-localizing with oligodendrocytes (OGC) expressing HSP. We have demonstrated that such gamma delta T cells can induce in vitro lysis of human adult-derived OGC. Using immunohistochemical and flow cytometry techniques, we examined the constitutive and/or inducible expression of HSP in or on adult human-derived glial cell cultures in vitro. HSP70 was expressed in OGC maintained at basal temperature, but the expression of the inducible HSP70 protein was upregulated by a prior 43 degrees C heat exposure. HSP70 could not be detected within astrocytes (GFAP+ cells), whether heat stress was applied or not. Constitutive expression of HSP60 could be discerned on the surface of all OGC under non-stressed culture conditions. Only some astrocytes demonstrated minor punctate surface HSP60 staining, whereas the remainder did not express HSP60 constitutively. These observations raise the possibility that OGC, by virtue of their differential expression of HSP compared to other glial cells, may be particularly prone to interaction with HSP-reactive gamma delta T cells. Such findings may further implicate gamma delta T cells in the pathogenesis of MS, a putative autoimmune disease in which immune-mediated injury is directed specifically against the oligodendrocyte-myelin unit within the central nervous system."}
{"id": "PMID:1469082", "title": "Interaction of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa secretory products pyocyanin and pyochelin generates hydroxyl radical and causes synergistic damage to endothelial cells. Implications for Pseudomonas-associated tissue injury.", "content": "Pyocyanin, a secretory product of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, has the capacity to undergo redox cycling under aerobic conditions with resulting generation of superoxide and hydrogen peroxide. By using spin trapping techniques in conjunction with electron paramagnetic resonance spectrometry (EPR), superoxide was detected during the aerobic reduction of pyocyanin by NADH or porcine endothelial cells. No evidence of hydroxyl radical formation was detected. Chromium oxalate eliminated the EPR spectrum of the superoxide-derived spin adduct resulting from endothelial cell exposure to pyocyanin, suggesting superoxide formation close to the endothelial cell plasma membrane. We have previously reported that iron bound to the P. aeruginosa siderophore pyochelin (ferripyochelin) catalyzes the formation of hydroxyl free radical from superoxide and hydrogen peroxide via the Haber-Weiss reaction. In the present study, spin trap evidence of hydroxyl radical formation was detected when NADH and pyocyanin were allowed to react in the presence of ferripyochelin. Similarly, endothelial cell exposure to pyocyanin and ferripyochelin also resulted in hydroxyl radical production which appeared to occur in close proximity to the cell surface. As assessed by 51Cr release, endothelial cells which were treated with pyocyanin or ferripyochelin alone demonstrated minimal injury. However, endothelial cell exposure to the combination of pyochelin and pyocyanin resulted in 55% specific 51Cr release. Injury was not observed with the substitution of iron-free pyochelin and was diminished by the presence of catalase or dimethyl thiourea. These data suggest the possibility that the P. aeruginosa secretory products pyocyanin and pyochelin may act synergistically via the generation of hydroxyl radical to damage local tissues at sites of pseudomonas infection."}
{"id": "PMID:1469083", "title": "Insulin-like growth factor-I improves glucose and lipid metabolism in type 2 diabetes mellitus.", "content": "Hyperglycemia, hyperinsulinemia, and insulin resistance cause vascular disease in type 2 diabetes mellitus. Dietary treatment alone often fails and oral drugs or insulin enhance hyperinsulinemia. In previous studies, an intravenous bolus of recombinant human insulin-like growth factor-I (rhIGF-I) caused normoglycemia in insulin-resistant diabetics whereas rhIGF-I infusions lowered insulin and lipid levels in healthy humans, suggesting that rhIGF-I is effective in insulin-resistant states. Thus, eight type 2 diabetics on a diet received on five treatment days subcutaneous rhIGF-I (2 x 120 micrograms/kg) after five control days. Fasting and postprandial glucose, insulin, C-peptide, proinsulin, glucagon, triglyceride, insulin-like growth factor-I and -II, and growth hormone levels were determined. RhIGF-I administration increased total IGF-I serum levels 5.3-fold above control. During the control period mean (+/- SD) fasting glucose, insulin, C-peptide, and total triglyceride levels were 11.0 +/- 4.3 mmol/liter, 108 +/- 50 pmol/liter, 793 +/- 250 pmol/liter, and 3.1 +/- 2.7 mmol/liter, respectively, and decreased during treatment to a nadir of 6.6 +/- 2.5 mmol/liter, 47 +/- 18 pmol/liter, 311 +/- 165 pmol/liter, and 1.6 +/- 0.8 mmol/liter (P < 0.01), respectively. Postprandial areas under the glucose, insulin, and C-peptide curve decreased to 77 +/- 13 (P < 0.02), 52 +/- 11, and 60 +/- 9% (P < 0.01) of control, respectively. RhIGF-I decreased the proinsulin/insulin ratio whereas glucagon levels remained unchanged. The magnitude of the effects of rhIGF-I correlated with the respective control levels. Since rhIGF-I appears to improve insulin sensitivity directly and/or indirectly, it may become an interesting tool in type 2 diabetes and other states associated with insulin resistance."}
{"id": "PMID:1469084", "title": "Age-dependent HLA genetic heterogeneity of type 1 insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.", "content": "The association of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) with certain HLA alleles is well documented in pediatric patients. Whether a similar association is found in adult-on-set IDDM is not clear, although the disease occurs after the age of 20 in 50% of cases. HLA class II DRB1, DQA1, and DQB1 alleles were studied in 402 type I diabetics and 405 healthy controls (all Caucasian) using oligonucleotide typing after gene amplification. Alleles DRB1*03, DRB1*04, DQB1*0201, DQB1*0302, DQA1*0301, and DQA1*0501 were indeed enriched in diabetics and the highest relative risk was observed in patients carrying both the DRB1*03-DQB1*0201 and the DRB1*0402 or DRB1*0405-DQB1*0302 haplotypes. However none of these alleles, or specific residues, could alone account for the susceptibility to IDDM. Furthermore, there were major differences in HLA class II gene profiles according to the age of onset. Patients with onset after 15 yr (n = 290) showed a significantly higher percentage of non-DR3/non-DR4 genotypes than those with childhood onset (n = 112) and a lower percentage of DR3/4 genotypes. These non-DR3/non-DR4 patients, although presenting clinically as IDDM type 1 patients, showed a lower frequency of islet cell antibodies at diagnosis and a significantly milder initial insulin deficiency. These subjects probably represent a particular subset of IDDM patients in whom frequency increases with age. The data confirm the genetic heterogeneity of IDDM and call for caution in extrapolating to adult patients the genetic concepts derived from childhood IDDM."}
{"id": "PMID:1469085", "title": "Entactin stimulates neutrophil adhesion and chemotaxis through interactions between its Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) domain and the leukocyte response integrin.", "content": "Entactin is an integral component of basement membranes that plays a major role in basement membrane assembly through its ability to bind avidly to both laminin and type IV collagen. Because neutrophil (PMN) interactions with entactin have not been examined, we investigated the ability of natural and recombinant entactin to mediate PMN adhesion and chemotaxis. With both forms of entactin, we observed that entactin-coated surfaces promoted PMN adhesion and that entactin stimulated PMN chemotaxis. The increase in adhesion to entactin over control was two to threefold whereas the chemotactic response to 15 ng/ml (1 x 10(-10) M) entactin was equivalent to the chemotactic response elicited with 1 x 10(-8) M formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (fMLP). HL-60 cells, after differentiation with dimethylsulfoxide, also demonstrated adhesion and chemotaxis to entactin. A synthetic peptide of the Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) domain in entactin, SIGFRGDGQTC (S-RGD), mediated PMN adhesion and chemotaxis, and preexposure of PMN to S-RGD blocked PMN adhesion and chemotaxis induced by entactin without diminishing the adhesive and chemotactic activities of fMLP. In contrast, preexposure to peptides SIGFRGEGQTCA or SIGFKGDGQTCA had no effect. The findings with synthetic peptides were confirmed with a recombinant entactin mutant in which aspartic acid at residue 674 was replaced with glutamic acid, thus converting the RGD sequence of entactin to RGE. RGE-entactin was neither adhesive nor chemotactic for neutrophils. Monoclonal antibodies to the leukocyte response integrin (LRI) and the integrin-associated protein blocked entactin-mediated adhesion and chemotaxis whereas monoclonal antibodies to beta 1 and beta 2 integrins had no effect and PMN from an individual with leukocyte-adhesion deficiency adhered normally to entactin-coated surfaces. These data demonstrate that entactin mediates biologically and pathologically important functions of PMN through its RGD domain and that LRI, which has been shown previously to mediate RGD-stimulated phagocytosis, is also capable of mediating RGD-stimulated PMN adhesion and chemotaxis."}
{"id": "PMID:1469086", "title": "O-linked carbohydrate of recombinant von Willebrand factor influences ristocetin-induced binding to platelet glycoprotein 1b.", "content": "By transfecting the full-length cDNA for human von Willebrand factor (vWf) into a line of Chinese hamster ovary cells with a defect in carbohydrate metabolism, we have prepared recombinant vWf specifically lacking O-linked carbohydrates. We have compared this under-glycosylated protein to fully glycosylated recombinant vWf with respect to several structural and binding properties. vWf deficient in O-linked glycans was synthesized, assembled into multimers, and secreted in an apparently normal manner and was not prone to degradation in the extracellular milieu. It did not differ from fully glycosylated vWf in ability to bind to heparin or to collagen type I but did interact less well with glycoprotein 1b on formalin-fixed platelets. This decreased interaction was evidenced in both a lessened overall binding to platelets and in diminished capacity to promote platelet agglutination, in the presence of ristocetin. In contrast, no difference was seen in platelet binding in the presence of botrocetin. These data indicate a possible role for O-linked carbohydrates in the vWf-glycoprotein 1b interaction promoted by ristocetin and suggest that abnormalities in carbohydrate modification might contribute to the altered ristocetin-dependent reactivity between vWf and platelets described for some variant forms of von Willebrand disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1469087", "title": "Human pancreatitis-associated protein. Messenger RNA cloning and expression in pancreatic diseases.", "content": "A human pancreatic cDNA library was screened with the cDNA encoding rat \"pancreatitis-associated protein\" (PAP). The selected clone encoded a secretory protein structurally related to rat PAP. The protein had the same size as rat PAP and showed 71% amino acid identity, the six half-cystines being in identical positions. Domains of the proteins showing homologies with calcium-dependent lectins were also conserved. In addition, expression in pancreas of the genes encoding the human protein and rat PAP showed similar characteristics: both were expressed at very low levels in control tissue and overexpressed during the acute phase of pancreatitis, contrary to most secretory products. The human protein was therefore named human pancreatitis-associated protein (PAP-H). Antibodies raised to a synthetic peptide of PAP-H detected a single band with an M(r) compatible with PAP-H in Western blot analysis of proteins extracted from a pancreas presenting with acute pancreatitis. In that tissue, the protein could be immunolocalized to the apical regions of acinar cells. An immunoassay was also constructed to quantify the protein in serum. Elevated PAP-H levels were observed in patients with acute pancreatitis and in some patients with chronic pancreatitis. Values were close to background in healthy subjects and in patients with other abdominal diseases. These results confirm that PAP-H synthesis increases during inflammation and suggest a possible use of the protein as biological marker of acute pancreatitis."}
{"id": "PMID:1469088", "title": "Anomalous rearrangements of the immunoglobulin heavy chain genes in human leukemias support the loop-out mechanism of class switch.", "content": "Discrete rearrangements of immunoglobulin genes are characteristic of lymphoproliferative diseases of B cells and provide direct evidence of their clonal nature. In addition, because leukemic transformation and growth may amplify B cell clones regardless of selection by antigen, analysis of rearranged Ig genes in leukemic clones may give insight into molecular events taking place during the ontogenesis of normal B cells. We have tested DNA samples from patients with chronic B cell leukemias in search for abnormal rearrangements of the Ig heavy chain gene region. By Southern blot analysis we found an unexpected break in the JH-C mu region in 7 out of 118 cases. Two of these cases were investigated in detail by constructing from each a phage genomic library and isolating the phage clones containing the break points. In both cases the JH-C mu separation was confirmed. Further analysis demonstrated that in both cases the abnormality was an inversion of the Ig heavy chain gene between C mu and one of the C gamma segments. This inversion structure strongly suggests that, as has been demonstrated in murine cell lines and in splenocytes stimulated in vitro, class switching in human B lymphocytes occurs in vivo via a loop-out deletion mechanism. The frequency of abnormal events may be as high as 15%. Our data indicate that a proportion of cases of chronic B cell leukemia arise from a cell which has attempted an Ig class switch."}
{"id": "PMID:1469089", "title": "Adenosine triphosphate-dependent taurocholate transport in human liver plasma membranes.", "content": "Transport systems involved in uptake and biliary secretion of bile salts have been extensively studied in rat liver; however, little is known about these systems in the human liver. In this study, we investigated taurocholate (TC) transport in canalicular and basolateral plasma membrane vesicles isolated from 15 human livers (donor age 6-64 yr). ATP stimulated the uptake of TC into both canalicular and basolateral human liver plasma membrane vesicles (cLPM and blLPM, respectively). Considerable interindividual variations in the transport velocity were observed in the different membrane preparations used: 9.0 +/- 1.3 (mean +/- SEM, n = 17; range 1.6-18.0) and 9.3 +/- 2.0 (range 1.1-29.8) pmol TC.mg protein-1.min-1 at 1.0 microM TC for cLPM and blLPM, respectively. TC transport was temperature sensitive and showed saturation kinetics with a high affinity for TC (Km 4.2 +/- 0.7 microM and 3.7 +/- 0.5 microM for cLPM and blLPM, respectively). Transport was dependent on the ATP concentration and saturable (Km 0.25 +/- 0.03 mM, n = 3). Neither nitrate, which reduces membrane potential, nor the protonophore FCCP strongly inhibited ATP-dependent TC transport, indicating that membrane potential and proton gradient are not involved in this process. TC transport was significantly inhibited by the classical anion transport inhibitor 4,4'-diisothiocyanostilbene-2,2'-disulfonate (250 microM) and the glutathione conjugate S-(2,4-dinitrophenyl)glutathione (100 microM). In conclusion, high affinity ATP-dependent TC transport is present in human liver at both the canalicular and the basolateral sides of the hepatocyte."}
{"id": "PMID:1469090", "title": "Detection, characterization, and bioavailability of membrane-associated iron in the intact sickle red cell.", "content": "It is hypothesized that membrane-associated iron in the sickle red cell is of pathophysiologic importance, but the actual existence of such iron in the intact cell has been questioned. Using a strategy whereby membrane iron can be detected through its bioavailability for catalyzing peroxidation, we used phospholipid exchange protein to load membranes of intact erythrocytes (RBC) with approximately 2% phosphatidylethanolamine hydroperoxide (PEOOH) and monitored the development of peroxidation by-products during subsequent incubation. Normal RBC loaded with PEOOH developed very little peroxidation, but vitamin E-replete sickle RBC showed an exuberant peroxidation response that was not seen in cells loaded with control nonoxidized phosphatidylethanolamine. Ancillary studies of sickle RBC revealed that the catalytic iron included both heme iron and free iron located at the bilayer inner leaflet. Significantly, these studies also revealed that peroxidation after PEOOH loading is promoted by cellular dehydration and inhibited by hydration, thus identifying a dynamic interaction between hemoglobin (sickle >> normal) and membrane lipid. High-reticulocyte control RBC and sickle trait RBC behaved exactly like normal RBC, while HbCC RBC and RBC having membranes gilded with hemoglobin iron because of prior exposure to acetylphenylhydrazine showed an abnormal peroxidation response like that of sickle RBC. Indeed, the peroxidation response of RBC loaded with PEOOH paralleled amounts of iron measured on inside-out membranes prepared from them (r = 0.783, P < 0.01). These studies corroborate existence of membrane-associated heme and free iron in the intact sickle cell, and they document its bioavailability for participation in injurious peroxidative processes. That association of cytosolic sickle hemoglobin with membrane lipid is modulated by cell hydration status provides a mechanism that may help explain increased development of oxidative membrane lesions in abnormally dehydrated sickle RBC regardless of the mechanism underlying their formation."}
{"id": "PMID:1469091", "title": "Insulin sensitivity of protein and glucose metabolism in human forearm skeletal muscle.", "content": "Physiologic increases of insulin promote net amino acid uptake and protein anabolism in forearm skeletal muscle by restraining protein degradation. The sensitivity of this process to insulin is not known. Using the forearm perfusion method, we infused insulin locally in the brachial artery at rates of 0.00 (saline control), 0.01, 0.02, 0.035, or 0.05 mU/min per kg for 150 min to increase local forearm plasma insulin concentration by 0, approximately 20, approximately 35, approximately 60, and approximately 120 microU/ml (n = 35). L-[ring-2,6-3H]phenylalanine and L-[1-14C]leucine were infused systemically, and the net forearm balance, rate of appearance (Ra) and rate of disposal (R(d)) of phenylalanine and leucine, and forearm glucose balance were measured basally and in response to insulin infusion. Compared to saline, increasing rates of insulin infusion progressively increased net forearm glucose uptake from 0.9 mumol/min per 100 ml (saline) to 1.0, 1.8, 2.4, and 4.7 mumol/min per 100 ml forearm, respectively. Net forearm balance for phenylalanine and leucine was significantly less negative than basal (P < 0.01 for each) in response to the lowest dose insulin infusion, 0.01 mU/min per kg, and all higher rates of insulin infusion. Phenylalanine and leucine R(a) declined by approximately 38 and 40% with the lowest dose insulin infusion. Higher doses of insulin produced no greater effect (decline in R(a) varied between 26 and 42% for phenylalanine and 30-50% for leucine). In contrast, R(d) for phenylalanine and leucine did not change with insulin. We conclude that even modest increases of plasma insulin can markedly suppress proteolysis, measured by phenylalanine R(a), in human forearm skeletal muscle. Further increments of insulin within the physiologic range augment glucose uptake but have little additional effect on phenylalanine R(a) or balance. These results suggest that proteolysis in human skeletal muscle is more sensitive than glucose uptake to physiologic increments in insulin."}
{"id": "PMID:1469092", "title": "The HLA-DRB1 locus as a genetic component in giant cell arteritis. Mapping of a disease-linked sequence motif to the antigen binding site of the HLA-DR molecule.", "content": "Giant cell arteritis (GCA) is a granulomatous vasculitis affecting persons over 50 years of age. The inflammatory infiltrate, which is targeted at the aorta and its proximal branches, includes activated CD4+ helper T cells, histiocytes, and giant cells. To investigate whether the genetic polymorphism of the HLA-DRB1 genes contributes to the local accumulation of activated T cells, we have analyzed both HLA-DRB1 alleles in a cohort of 42 patients with biopsy-proven GCA. The majority of patients (60%) expressed the B1*0401 or B1*0404/8 variant of the HLA-DR4 haplotype, both of which also represent the major genetic factors underlying the disease association in RA. GCA patients negative for the disease-linked HLA-DR4 alleles were characterized by a nonrandom distribution of HLA-DRB1 alleles. Sequence comparison among the allelic products identified in the GCA cohort demonstrated heterogeneity for the sequence polymorphism of the third hypervariable region (HVR), but homology for the polymorphic residues within the HVR2 of the HLA-DRB1 gene. The GCA patients shared a sequence motif spanning amino acid positions 28-31 of the HLA-DR beta 1 chain. In the structural model for HLA-DR molecules, this sequence motif can be mapped to the antigen-binding site of the HLA complex, suggesting a crucial role of antigen selection and presentation in GCA. In contrast, the sequence polymorphism linked to RA has been mapped to the HVR3 of the HLA-DRB1 gene and translates into a distinct domain of the HLA-DR molecule, the alpha-helical loop surrounding the antigen-binding groove. A consecutive case series study demonstrated that GCA and RA rarely co-occurred, supporting the interpretation that distinct functional domains of the HLA-DR molecule are implicated in the pathomechanisms of these two autoimmune diseases."}
{"id": "PMID:1469093", "title": "Gas exchange by intratracheal insufflation in a ventilatory failure dog model.", "content": "Respiratory insufficiency patients who need only partial ventilatory support are, nevertheless, intubated and connected to a respirator. In search of a partial respiratory assistance method we evaluated the gas exchange, mechanisms, and hemodynamic effects of intratracheal insufflation (ITI) via a narrow (0.2-cm) catheter. The effects of flow rate (0.05-0.2 liter/min per kg), catheter tip position (carina, bronchus, and trachea), and superimposed chest vibration at 22 Hz were studied in seven anesthetized and partially paralyzed dogs. ITI in the carina induced CO2 removal (VCO2) of 48 +/- 16 ml/min in the periods between breaths, which was 39% of the control VCO2. CO2 removal rates between breaths with ITI in a bronchus and in the trachea were 63 and 28% of control, respectively (P < 0.05). ITI at 0.15-0.2 liter/min per kg augmented total VCO2 by > 50% over control (P < 0.05) and decreased PaCO2 by 10% (P < 0.05) despite a 28% fall in VE and 32% lower work of breathing (P < 0.05). Adding vibration to ITI at 0.15 liter/min per kg induced VCO2 of 162 +/- 34 ml/min, which was significantly greater than control, while PaCO2 fell from 69 +/- 24 to 47 +/- 6 mmHg (P < 0.05), despite complete cessation of spontaneous breathing. ITI with or without vibration did not cause any hemodynamic changes, except for a fall in the shunt fraction from 14.6 +/- 9.9% to 5.8 +/- 2.8% with vibration. Thus, ITI at low flow rates can support respiration with no hemodynamic side effects. Adding chest vibration further enhances gas exchange and can provide total ventilation."}
{"id": "PMID:1469094", "title": "Pleiotropic effects of antithrombin strand 1C substitution mutations.", "content": "Six different substitution mutations were identified in four different amino acid residues of antithrombin strand 1C and the polypeptide leading into strand 4B (F402S, F402C, F402L, A404T, N405K, and P407T), and are responsible for functional antithrombin deficiency in seven independently ascertained kindreds (Rosny, Torino, Maisons-Laffitte, Paris 3, La Rochelle, Budapest 5, and Oslo) affected by venous thromboembolic disease. In all seven families, variant antithrombins with heparin-binding abnormalities were detected by crossed immunoelectrophoresis, and in six of the kindreds there was a reduced antigen concentration of plasma antithrombin. Two of the variant antithrombins, Rosny and Torino, were purified by heparin-Sepharose and immunoaffinity chromatography, and shown to have greatly reduced heparin cofactor and progressive inhibitor activities in vitro. The defective interactions of these mutants with thrombin may result from proximity of s1C to the reactive site, while reduced circulating levels may be related to s1C proximity to highly conserved internal beta strands, which contain elements proposed to influence serpin turnover and intracellular degradation. In contrast, s1C is spatially distant to the positively charged surface which forms the heparin binding site of antithrombin; altered heparin binding properties of s1C variants may therefore reflect conformational linkage between the reactive site and heparin binding regions of the molecule. This work demonstrates that point mutations in and immediately adjacent to strand 1C have multiple, or pleiotropic, effects on this serpin, leading ultimately to failure of its regulatory function."}
{"id": "PMID:1469095", "title": "Estrogen receptors and biologic response in rat parathyroid tissue and C cells.", "content": "The expression of the PTH and calcitonin genes is dramatically decreased by 1,25(OH)2D3 in vivo, and the PTH gene expression is increased by hypocalcemia. We have now studied the effect of estrogens on the expression of these genes in vivo. 17 beta-Estradiol, given to ovariectomized rats, led to a fourfold increase in PTH mRNA and calcitonin mRNA levels. These effects occurred 24 h after single injections of 37-145 nmol estradiol, or after constant infusions of 12 pmol/d for 1 or 2 wk, where there was no effect on serum calcium levels. The estrogen receptor mRNA was demonstrated in the thyroparathyroid tissue by polymerase chain reaction. The estrogen binding was localized to the parathyroid and C cells by immunohistochemistry. Uterus weight was increased by repeated larger doses (73 nmol/d x 7) of estradiol, but not by the small doses (12 pmol/d for 1 or 2 wk) which were effective on the PTH and calcitonin genes, suggesting a sensitive endocrine effect. These results confirm that the parathyroid and C cells are target organs for estrogen, leading to an increased expression of PTH and calcitonin, which by their combined anabolic effect on bone would help prevent osteoporosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1469096", "title": "Impaired secretion of the elongated mutant of protein C (protein C-Nagoya). Molecular and cellular basis for hereditary protein C deficiency.", "content": "Genetic analysis of a heterozygous protein C-deficient patient revealed a novel deletion of a single guanine residue (8857G) among four consecutive guanine nucleotides [380Trp(TGG)-381Gly(GGT)] in exon IX, which encodes the carboxyl-terminal region of protein C. This deletion results in a frameshift mutation and substitution of the last 39 amino acids (381Gly-419Pro) with 81 abnormal amino acid residues, and we have designated this elongated variant as Protein C-Nagoya. A mutagenic primer was designed which replaced the third guanine residue upstream from the deletion with cytosine, thereby creating a new AvaI site in an otherwise normal allele. Analysis of the polymerase chain reaction products derived from this mutagenic primer showed that the abnormal allele has been inherited in this family. To elucidate how this molecular abnormality leads to protein C deficiency, an expression plasmid containing this mutation was transfected into COS 7, BHK, and psi-2 cells, and the secretory process of the expressed Protein C-Nagoya was analyzed. ELISA and immunoprecipitation analysis with [35S]methionine labeling indicated that the mutant protein C, which was larger in size than normal, was mostly retained within the cells, and only a small portion of it was secreted into the medium. These results suggest that most of Protein C-Nagoya undergoes degradation within the producing cells, and this frameshift mutation apparently leads to protein C deficiency by impairment of secretion of the elongated protein C into plasma."}
{"id": "PMID:1469097", "title": "Chronic metabolic acidosis increases the serum concentration of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D in humans by stimulating its production rate. Critical role of acidosis-induced renal hypophosphatemia.", "content": "Chronic metabolic acidosis results in metabolic bone disease, calcium nephrolithiasis, and growth retardation. The pathogenesis of each of these sequelae is poorly understood in humans. We therefore investigated the effects of chronic extrarenal metabolic acidosis on the regulation of 1,25-(OH)2D, parathyroid hormone, calcium, and phosphate metabolism in normal humans. Chronic extrarenal metabolic acidosis was induced by administering two different doses of NH4Cl [2.1 (low dose) and 4.2 (high dose) mmol/kg body wt per d, respectively] to four male volunteers each during metabolic balance conditions. Plasma [HCO3-] decreased by 4.5 +/- 0.4 mmol/liter in the low dose and by 9.1 +/- 0.3 mmol/liter (P < 0.001) in the high dose group. Metabolic acidosis induced renal hypophosphatemia, which strongly correlated with the severity of acidosis (Plasma [PO4] on plasma [HCO3-]; r = 0.721, P < 0.001). Both metabolic clearance and production rates of 1,25-(OH)2D increased in both groups. In the high dose group, the percentage increase in production rate was much greater than the percentage increase in metabolic clearance rate, resulting in a significantly increased serum 1,25-(OH)2D concentration. A strong inverse correlation was observed for serum 1,25-(OH)2D concentration on both plasma [PO4] (r = -0.711, P < 0.001) and plasma [HCO3-] (r = -0.725, P < 0.001). Plasma ionized calcium concentration did not change in either group whereas intact serum parathyroid hormone concentration decreased significantly in the high dose group. In conclusion, metabolic acidosis results in graded increases in serum 1,25-(OH)2D concentration by stimulating its production rate in humans. The increased production rate is explained by acidosis-induced hypophosphatemia/cellular phosphate depletion resulting at least in part from decreased renal tubular phosphate reabsorption. The decreased serum intact parathyroid hormone levels in more severe acidosis may be the consequence of hypophosphatemia and/or increased serum 1,25-(OH)2D concentrations."}
{"id": "PMID:1469098", "title": "Estrogen status and heredity are major determinants of premenopausal bone mass.", "content": "To analyze their relative effects on premenopausal bone mass, we have studied the impact of lifelong estrogen exposure, assessed by an estrogen score (ES; computed on age at menarche, average length of menstrual cycles since menarche, and use of birth control pills), heredity, and some environmental factors on vertebral bone density (VBD), of 63 premenopausal women (age, 19-40 yr). Compared with women with normal bone density (Z score > -1), subjects with low VBD (Z score < -1) had significantly lower ES (15.1 +/- 3.9 vs. 18.7 +/- 2.4, P = 0.001), higher age at menarche (13.8 +/- 1.7 vs. 12.6 +/- 1.4 yr, P = 0.005), and lower serum estradiol (46.9 +/- 37 vs. 86.6 +/- 57 pg/ml, P = 0.023) and estrone levels (107.4 +/- 60 vs. 178.8 +/- 9.0 pg/ml, P = 0.05). Likewise, women in the lowest quartile for VBD had significantly lower ES (15.3 +/- 4.5 vs. 18.1 +/- 2.7, P = 0.006) and higher age at menarche (13.9 +/- 1.9 vs. 12.8 +/- .4, P = 0.02) than those in the upper three quartiles. A higher proportion of subjects with irregular menses (52 vs. 23%, P = 0.03) and a positive family history of osteoporosis (86 vs. 61%, P = 0.04) was found in the low VBD group compared with subjects with normal VBD. VBD correlated positively with ES (r = 0.44, P = < 0.001) and negatively with age at menarche (r = -0.30, P = 0.03) by simple linear regression, whereas no correlation was found between VBD and age, body mass index, parity, lactation, physical activity, sunlight exposure, and dietary calcium and vitamin D intakes. The correlation between VBD and ES improved after correcting for the effect of all the other variables by partial correlation analysis (Pearson partial r = 0.57, P = < 0.01), which also disclosed a significant contribution of dietary calcium to VBD. However, ES was the only significant independent determinant of VBD, by stepwise multiple regression analysis (R2 = 0.24). Therefore, premenopausal estrogen exposure, and possibly genetic predisposition, rather than environmental factors, are the major determinants for the development of peak bone mass before menopause."}
{"id": "PMID:1469099", "title": "Germline variable region gene segment derivation of human monoclonal anti-Rh(D) antibodies. Evidence for affinity maturation by somatic hypermutation and repertoire shift.", "content": "To date, there has been no systematic study of the process of affinity maturation of human antibodies. We therefore sequenced the variable region genes (V genes) of 14 human monoclonal antibodies specific for the erythrocyte Rh(D) alloantigen and determined the germline gene segments of origin and extent of somatic hypermutation. These data were correlated with determinations of antibody affinity. The four IgM antibodies (low affinity) appear to be derived from two germline heavy chain variable region gene segments and one or two germline light chain variable region gene segments and were not extensively mutated. The 10 IgG antibodies (higher affinity) appear to be derived from somatic hypermutation of these V gene segments and by use of new V gene segments or V gene segment combinations (repertoire shift). Affinity generally increased with increasing somatic hypermutation; on average, there were 8.9 point mutations in the V gene segments of the four IgM antibodies (Ka = 1-4 x 10(7)/M-1) compared with 19 point mutations in the V gene segments of the 10 IgG antibodies. The four highest affinity antibodies (Ka = 0.9-3 x 10(9)/M-1) averaged 25.5 point mutations. The use of repertoire shift and somatic hypermutation in affinity maturation of human alloantibodies is similar to data obtained in inbred mice immunized with haptens."}
{"id": "PMID:1469100", "title": "Prepubertal increases in gonadotropin-releasing hormone mRNA, gonadotropin-releasing hormone precursor, and subsequent maturation of precursor processing in male rats.", "content": "Changes in gonadotropins and gonadal steroids during sexual maturation in rats and humans are well documented but little is known about hypothalamic gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) gene expression in relation to these events. This study measured hypothalamic proGnRH mRNA, GnRH precursor, and fully processed GnRH from postnatal day 8 until day 62 in male rats. GnRH precursor increased on day 22, reached a peak on day 24, declined on day 25 and returned to infantile levels by day 28. A secondary rise in precursor occurred at about day 40 when testosterone levels increased. GnRH mRNA increased on day 22 and remained elevated over the study period to day 26. GnRH increased on day 24 and remained at this level until a secondary rise occurred coincident with the testosterone rise at about day 40. The ratio of GnRH precursor to GnRH was high until day 24 and was low from day 26 onwards, reflecting a maturation of the processing enzyme system between these 2 d. Thus, an abrupt increase in GnRH gene transcription (mRNA) occurs early in juvenile male rats (day 22), well before the onset of puberty. An increase in GnRH precursor accompanies these early changes and this is followed by the maturation of processing as evidenced by the rapid decline of precursor and increase in GnRH from day 24 onward."}
{"id": "PMID:1469101", "title": "Formation of novel non-cyclooxygenase-derived prostanoids (F2-isoprostanes) in carbon tetrachloride hepatotoxicity. An animal model of lipid peroxidation.", "content": "These studies examine the in vivo formation of a unique series of PGF2-like compounds (F2-isoprostanes) derived from free radical-catalyzed nonenzymatic peroxidation of arachidonic acid. We have previously shown that levels of these compounds increase up to 50-fold in rats administered CCl4. To understand further the formation of these compounds in vivo, we carried out a series of experiments assessing factors influencing their generation. After CCl4 (2 ml/kg) was administered to rats, plasma F2-isoprostanes increased 55-fold by 4 h. Levels declined thereafter, but at 24 h, they were still elevated 21-fold, indicating continued lipid peroxidation. Pretreatment of rats with isonicotinic acid hydrazide and phenobarbital to induce cytochrome P-450 enhanced the production of F2-isoprostanes after CCl4 administration eightfold and fivefold, respectively, whereas inhibition of the cytochrome P-450 system with SKF-525A and 4-methylpyrazole decreased formation of F2-isoprostanes after CCl4 by 55 and 82%, respectively. Further, the glutathione-depleting agents buthionine sulfoximine and phorone augmented the F2-isoprostane response to CCl4 by 22- and 11-fold, respectively. F2-isoprostanes are formed in situ esterified to lipids and, in addition to increases in levels of free F2-isoprostanes in the circulation, levels of F2-isoprostanes esterified to lipids in various organs and plasma also increase sharply during CCl4 poisoning. The measurement of F2-isoprostanes may facilitate investigation of the role of lipid peroxidation in human diseases."}
{"id": "PMID:1469102", "title": "CD10/neutral endopeptidase 24.11 in developing human fetal lung. Patterns of expression and modulation of peptide-mediated proliferation.", "content": "The cell membrane-associated enzyme CD10/neutral endopeptidase 24.11 (CD10/NEP) functions in multiple organ systems to downregulate responses to peptide hormones. Recently, CD10/NEP was found to hydrolyze bombesin-like peptides (BLP), which are mitogens for normal bronchial epithelial cells and small cell lung carcinomas. Growth of BLP-responsive small cell lung carcinomas was potentiated by CD10/NEP inhibition, implicating CD10/NEP in regulation of BLP-mediated tumor growth. BLP are also likely to participate in normal lung development because high BLP levels are found in fetal lung, and bombesin induces proliferation and maturation of human fetal lung in organ cultures and murine fetal lung in utero. To explore potential roles for CD10/NEP in regulating peptide-mediated human fetal lung development, we have characterized temporal and cellular patterns of CD10/NEP expression and effects of CD10/NEP inhibition in organ cultures. Peak CD10/NEP transcript levels are identified at 11-13 wk gestation by Northern blots and localized to epithelial cells and mesenchyme of developing airways by in situ hybridization. CD10/NEP immunostaining is most intense in undifferentiated airway epithelium. In human fetal lung organ cultures, inhibition of CD10/NEP with either phosphoramidon or SCH32615 increases thymidine incorporation by 166-182% (P < 0.025). The specific BLP receptor antagonist, [Leu13-psi(CH2NH)Leu14]bombesin abolishes these effects on fetal lung growth, suggesting that CD10/NEP modulates BLP-mediated proliferation. CD10/NEP expression in the growing front of airway epithelium and the effects of CD10/NEP inhibitors in lung explants implicate the enzyme in the regulation of peptide-mediated fetal lung growth."}
{"id": "PMID:1469103", "title": "Inhibition and stimulation of nitric oxide synthesis in the human forearm arterial bed of patients with insulin-dependent diabetes.", "content": "Patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus have an increased mortality and morbidity due to vascular complications. Nitric oxide from the vascular endothelium contributes to the control of normal vascular tone, and endothelial dysfunction has been implicated in the pathogenesis of diabetic vascular disease. In this study we have examined basal and stimulated nitric oxide-mediated vasodilatation in insulin-dependent diabetics and age- and sex-matched healthy controls. Drugs were infused locally into the brachial artery and forearm blood flow measured using venous occlusion plethysmography. Noradrenaline and NG-monomethyl-L-arginine produced similar reductions in resting forearm blood flow in healthy controls. However, in the diabetics, NG-monomethyl-L-arginine was significantly less effective than noradrenaline. Comparing between groups, the response to NG-monomethyl-L-arginine was also significantly less in the diabetics compared with the healthy controls. The response to sodium nitroprusside was significantly less in the diabetics compared with the healthy controls, whereas the responses to both acetylcholine and verapamil were the same in the two groups. The results provide evidence for an abnormality of basal nitric oxide-mediated dilatation in the forearm arterial bed of patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, and suggest that the vascular smooth muscle is less sensitive to nitric oxide."}
{"id": "PMID:1469104", "title": "Human Toxoplasma gondii-specific secretory immunoglobulin A reduces T. gondii infection of enterocytes in vitro.", "content": "Whey from 17 women (four acutely infected with Toxoplasma gondii, eight chronically infected, and five uninfected) was studied. T. gondii-specific secretory IgA antibodies were demonstrated by ELISA in whey from acutely infected and one of eight chronically infected women. Such antibodies to tachyzoite proteins of < or = 14, 22, 26-28, 30, 46, 60, 70-80, and > 100 kD (eliminated by protease but not periodate or neuraminidase treatment) were demonstrated in whey from acutely infected subjects when Western blots were probed with their whey and antibodies to human secretory IgA or IgA or secretory piece. Secretory IgA from four of eight chronically infected women recognized the 46- and 69-kD epitopes. Other whey samples were negative. Incubation of T. gondii tachyzoites with whey or purified secretory IgA from acutely infected (but not seronegative) women caused 50-75% reduction in infection of enterocytes in vitro. Whey reactive with the 46-kD epitope from three of six chronically infected women caused less (> or = 40%) inhibition. Whey and purified secretory IgA from two of three acutely infected women agglutinated tachyzoites. Whey did not result in complement-dependent lysis of T. gondii. These results indicate that it may be possible to produce human secretory IgA to T. gondii capable of reducing initial infection of enterocytes, as such IgA is present during natural infection. They also demonstrate candidate epitopes for such protection."}
{"id": "PMID:1469105", "title": "60- and 72-month follow-up of children prenatally exposed to marijuana, cigarettes, and alcohol: cognitive and language assessment.", "content": "Cognitive and receptive language development were examined in 135 60-month-old and 137 72-month-old children for whom prenatal exposure to marijuana, cigarettes, and alcohol had been ascertained. Discriminant Function analysis revealed an association between prenatal cigarette exposure and lower cognitive and receptive language scores at 60 and 72 months. This paralleled and extended observations made with this sample at annual assessments at 12 to 48 months of age. Unlike observations made at 48 months, prenatal exposure to marijuana was not associated with the cognitive and verbal outcomes. Relatively low levels of maternal alcohol consumption did not have significant relationships with the outcome variables. The importance of assessing subtle components rather than global cognitive and language skills to detect potential behavioral teratogenic effects of the drugs being examined is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1469106", "title": "Medical illness in school-age Kenyans in relation to nutrition, cognition, and playground behaviors.", "content": "Because medical illness is associated with malnutrition, it might contribute to the poor outcomes seen in malnourished children. This study explored relations between frequency of mild illness and development in 133 mild-to-moderately malnourished school-age Kenyan children. Morbidity information was collected for one year. Concurrent assessments of cognitive status and playground behaviors were obtained. Nutritional and environmental variables were also assessed. Girls with more reported days of mild illness performed less well on developmental measures than did their healthier female peers. They were less cognitively advanced, and, on the playground, girls with more mild illness were less active, happy, and social. Furthermore, relations between frequency of mild illness and playground behaviors (but not cognitive score) in the girls remained statistically significant when other variables, such as socioeconomic status, parental literacy, food intake, and anthropometry, were considered. For the boys, frequency of mild illness was not related to cognition or play behaviors."}
{"id": "PMID:1469107", "title": "Developmental reading disorder: predictors of outcome in adolescents who received early diagnosis and treatment.", "content": "In this study of the course of developmental reading disorder, 40 Caucasian children, who were diagnosed and began reading therapy at 7-years-old were followed-up at 14-years-old. A variety of methodological concerns were addressed by careful screening of the subjects, by attempting to include a representative population, by comparing standardized measures statistically at initial and follow-up testing, and by using a homogeneously delayed population. It was found that 40% of the subjects were reading appropriately at follow-up. Improvement and recovery were significantly related to parents' educational status, especially to IQ, and not to gender of subject or to having a speech articulation or hyperactivity problem. It was concluded that for those who receive early diagnosis and treatment of developmental reading disorder (1) IQ may be a good predictor of recovery potential and (2) remedial efforts for the low IQ dyslexic child may be optimal if cognitive therapy is included in addition to reading therapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1469108", "title": "Medical stress, appraised stress, and the psychological adjustment of mothers of children with myelomeningocele.", "content": "This study investigated the relationship between medical severity, stress appraisals, and psychological symptoms in a representative sample of mothers of children with myelomeningocele. Although these mothers may be at risk for the development of depression and anxiety problems, substantial variability in their psychological adjustment exists, perhaps due to differences in illness severity and stress appraisals. A sample of 66 mothers answered several questionnaires, including the Stress Questionnaire and SCL-90-R. Medical indexes reflecting severity were obtained from medical charts. Correlational analyses indicated no relationship between medical indexes and maternal adjustment. Appraised illness stress was not related to medical indexes but was significantly related to adjustment. Regression analyses including demographic, medical, and appraised stress variables accounted for 32% of the variance in adjustment. The findings suggest the importance of cognitive appraisal of stress as opposed to objective medical severity in the explanation of maternal psychological adjustment to myelomeningocele."}
{"id": "PMID:1469109", "title": "The effect of very low birth weight and social risk on neurocognitive abilities at school age.", "content": "We tested the hypothesis that very low birth weight (VLBW < 1.5 kg) children would have significantly poorer neurocognitive abilities at school age than would normal birth weight full-term age mates, that differences would persist after control for neurologic impairment and social risk, and that VLBW would interact with social risk. Two hundred forty-nine VLBW children and a randomly selected sample of 363 normal birth weight age mates born 1977 through 1979 were tested at 8 years. A neurologic examination and tests of intelligence, language, speech, reading, mathematics, spelling, visual and fine motor abilities, and behavior were performed. Twenty-four (10%) VLBW had a major neurologic abnormality compared with none of the controls. VLBW had significantly poorer scores on all tests, with the exception of speech and the total behavior score. These differences persisted among VLBW children without major neurologic abnormality, with the exception of social competence, reading, and spelling. Even normal IQ, neurologically normal VLBW had significantly poorer scores than did controls in expressive language, memory, visuomotor, and fine motor function, and measures of hyperactivity. When social risk was controlled in multiple regression analyses, VLBW still had an adverse effect on all outcome measures with the exception of speech. Social risk was, however, the major determinant of outcome. We found an interaction between VLBW and social risk only in verbal IQ and in the opposite direction than hypothesized."}
{"id": "PMID:1469110", "title": "The neurobehavioral organization of Efe (pygmy) infants.", "content": "The neurobehavioral organization of 16 Efe Mbuti (pygmy) infants was examined over the first weeks of life using the Brazelton Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale. Mbuti infants are the smallest well-grown, full-term infants in the world, i.e., length and weight below the 10th percentile but ponderal index above the 50th percentile. The Efe infants are a relatively isolated population that allows for an evaluation of ethnic differences in newborn behavior; their small stature permits the examination of the relations among size, neurobehavioral organization, and morbid processes. The neurobehavioral organization of the Efe was compared with three groups of full-term infants: two full-statured, well-grown groups of infants, one African, one United States; and a group of symmetrically growth-retarded infants whose weight and length were proportionally compromised in utero. The behavioral organization of the Efe infants was found to be similar to the neurobehavior of the well-grown infants and superior to the group of growth-retarded infants. No unique neurobehavioral features were found compared with the other groups. These findings suggest that neurobehavioral organization has a universal form and that expected small size per se does not compromise infant behavior."}
{"id": "PMID:1469112", "title": "Distribution and structure of identified tonic and phasic synapses between L-neurones in the locust ocellar tract.", "content": "The ultrastructures and distributions of the discrete anatomical synapses which constitute two distinct types of output connections made by individual ocellar L-neurons, L1-3, are described. Outputs to neurones L4-5 are excitatory and transmit tonically, whereas reciprocal connections among the three L1-3 neurones are inhibitory and incapable of transmission for longer than a few milliseconds. The tonically transmitting synapses are located in the lateral ocellar tract and are made between the axons of L1-3, which do not receive inputs, and short branches of L4-5, which make no outputs. Each excitatory connection is composed of a few hundred discrete anatomical synapses, each characterised by a bar-shaped presynaptic density which is 0.15-1.5 microns in length and associated with a large number of round synaptic vesicles. Two postsynaptic profiles are apposed to each presynaptic density. Associated with tonic synapses are abundant invaginations of the presynaptic membrane. Synapses of the reciprocal, inhibitory, phasic connections occur in the protocerebral arbors of L1-3, among numerous output synapses of these neurones. Each phasic connection is composed of a few tens of discrete anatomical synapses. Each bar-shaped presynaptic density is associated with two postsynaptic profiles, and is 0.1-1.0 microns long. Compared with the tonic, excitatory connection, there are fewer vesicles and fewer invaginations of the presynaptic membrane associated with each synapse."}
{"id": "PMID:1469113", "title": "Development of commissural neurons in the embryonic rat spinal cord.", "content": "Little is known about the development of the various populations of interneurons in the mammalian spinal cord. We have utilized the lipid-soluble tracer DiI in fixed tissue to study the migration and dendritic arborization of spinal neurons with axons in the ventral commissure in embryonic rats. Crystals of DiI were placed in various locations in the thoracic spinal cord in order to label commissural neurons within the dorsal horn, intermediate zone, and ventral horn at E13.5, E15, E17, and E19. Seven different groups of commissural interneurons are present in the spinal cord by E13.5. Migration is relatively simple with groups occupying a position along the dorsoventral axis roughly corresponding to their position of origin along the neuroepithelium. By E15, commissural cells are near their final locations and exhibit characteristic morphology. One striking feature is the tendency of cells with similar morphology to cluster in distinct groups. By E19, at least 18 different types of commissural interneurons can be identified on morphological grounds. Although the situation is complex, some generalities about dendritic morphology are apparent. Commissural neurons located in the dorsal horn are small and have highly branched dendrites oriented along the dorsoventral axis. In more ventral regions, commissural neurons are larger and possess dendritic arbors oriented obliquely or parallel to the mediolateral axis with long dendrites extending toward the lateral and ventral funiculi. The number of primary dendrites of most groups is set by E15 and dendritic growth occurs in the transverse plane by lengthening and branching of these primary processes. This study demonstrates that a large number of classes of commissural interneurons can be recognized on the basis of characteristic morphologies and locations within the dorsal horn, intermediate zone and ventral horn of the embryonic rat spinal cord. This finding is consistent with the fact that commissural neurons project to many different targets and mediate a variety of different functions. The demonstration that dendritic arbors of spinal interneurons with characteristic morphologies can be conveniently labelled with DiI should prove useful in future studies on the development of specific circuits in the mammalian spinal cord."}
{"id": "PMID:1469114", "title": "Cellular localization of the neural cell adhesion molecule L1 in adult rat neuroendocrine and endocrine tissues: comparisons with NCAM.", "content": "The tissue distribution and cellular localization of the neural cell adhesion molecule L1 was determined by immunocytochemistry at the optical and ultrastructural levels in adult rat neuroendocrine tissues and pancreatic endocrine cells. L1 was found to be abundant in the neurohypophysis but undetectable in the rest of the pituitary gland. It was barely detectable in the normal rat endocrine pancreas, but a rat pancreatic insulinoma cell line was found by immunofluorescence to express low levels of L1. In the adrenal medulla, it was present on a sub-population of chromaffin cells and its density appeared to be lower on surfaces exposed to the extracellular matrix. Double immunolabelling showed this sub-population to consist of noradrenergic chromaffin cells. Adrenergic chromaffin cells were found not to express L1. In addition, the tissue distribution and cellular localization of NCAM mRNAs was determined by in situ hybridization, extending our previous studies on the cellular expression of NCAM proteins in endocrine and neuroendocrine tissues. This confirmed that the NCAM message has a wider cellular distribution than L1 within the hypophysis and the adrenal gland. In addition to secretory cells, L1 immunoreactivity was detected in glial cells, in particular in the pituicytes of the neurohypophysis, which further distinguishes them from astrocytes, their counterparts in the central nervous system. These data are discussed in terms of the different embryological origins of the various endocrine tissues examined and also in terms of the specific design constraints imposed on these tissues during their development."}
{"id": "PMID:1469115", "title": "Biphasic retinal neurogenesis in the brush-tailed possum, Trichosurus vulpecula: further evidence for the mechanisms involved in formation of ganglion cell density gradients.", "content": "We investigated cell generation in the retina of the brush-tailed possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) by using tritiated (3H)-thymidine labelling of newly generated cells. Animals aged between postnatal day (P) 5 and 85 each received a single injection of 3H-thymidine. Following autoradiographic processing, maps of labelled cells were constructed from retinal sections. Retinal cell generation takes place in two phases, the first is concluding in the retinal periphery at P53 as the second is seen to commence in midtemporal retina. In the first phase, cells in central retina are generated earlier than those in peripheral regions. In the second phase, cells complete their final division in midtemporal retina first and in the periphery last. Cells generated in the first phase comprise virtually all cells in the ganglion cell layer, amacrine cells, horizontal cells, and cones. Ganglion cells are produced at a slightly earlier stage than displaced amacrine cells, horizontal cells, or cones. Amacrine cells in the inner nuclear layer are the final cells produced in the first phase. When ganglion cells and amacrine cells are pooled, their combined rate of production matches that of the other cell types. These data indicate that the ratio of displaced amacrine cells: horizontal cells: cones: combined ganglion cells and amacrine cells does not change throughout development. However, the ratio of ganglion cells:macrines changes steadily as development proceeds to favour amacrine cells. In the second phase, sparse numbers of nonganglion cells in the ganglion cell layer and large numbers of bipolar and M\u00fcller cells are produced along with all rods. The two phases in the possum are similar to those seen in the wallaby, the quokka. However, fewer cells are added in central retina in the possum than in the quokka and cell addition continues for a more extended period in the periphery in the possum. We suggest that this difference in cell addition could account for the development of a more pronounced visual streak of retinal ganglion cells in the possum than in the quokka. A comparison of possum retinal cell generation with that of other marsupials adds support for the \"homochrony theory.\""}
{"id": "PMID:1469116", "title": "Nerve growth factor-induced sprouting of mature, uninjured sympathetic axons.", "content": "The infusion of nerve growth factor (NGF) into the lateral ventricle of the mature rat brain elicits a sprouting response from axons associated with the intradural segment of the internal carotid artery. Using electron microscopic techniques, we observed a three-fold increase in the total number of perivascular axons. This NGF-elicited response is characterized by a dramatic reduction in glial cell ensheathment similar to that observed during development and by the presence of profiles devoid of organelles that may represent newly formed sprouts. In spite of the increase in axon number, no significant changes in the percentage of small, medium, or large axons were observed. The three-fold increase in the total number of axons was accompanied by an increase in the number of axons/fascicle but no change in the number of fascicles. This, along with the observation that a majority of sprouted axons were associated with other axons, supports the idea that the sprouted axons tend to associate preferentially with other axons. Bilateral superior cervical ganglionectomies following cytochrome C infusion indicate that approximately 60% of the axons associated with the internal carotid artery arise from the superior cervical ganglion and that the majority of axons contacting the smooth muscle layer arise from this ganglion. Sympathectomy following NGF infusion resulted in a 79% reduction in the total number of perivascular axons, demonstrating overwhelmingly that the majority of sprouted axons are sympathetic fibers. These results demonstrate that infusion of NGF into the mature rat brain results in the preferential sprouting of sympathetic axons associated with the internal carotid artery. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that NGF normally plays a role in the regulation of autonomic cerebrovascular innervation in the adult animal and that mature, uninjured sympathetic neurons remain responsive to NGF."}
{"id": "PMID:1469117", "title": "Selective retrograde transport of nipecotic acid, a GABA analog, labels a subpopulation of gerbil olivocochlear neurons.", "content": "Perfusion of the gerbil cochlea with micromolar quantities of 3H-gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) results in rapid, selective labeling of 50-60% of the olivocochlear (OC) efferent terminals on afferent dendrites beneath the inner hair cells, and all of the efferent terminals beneath the outer hair cells. In order to identify the neurons from which these GABA-accumulating terminals originate, the cell bodies were localized by using retrograde transport of 3H-nipecotic acid, a metabolically inert GABA analog. With survival times of 6-30 hours after cochlear injection, myelinated OC efferent fibers and cell bodies were well labeled, with the greatest number being labeled at 12-18 hours. All of the labeled neurons belonged to the medial OC system, and no lateral OC neurons were labeled. It is concluded that the GABA-accumulating endings in the gerbil cochlea arise from medial OC neurons, and therefore that medial OC efferent neurons in this species project to both inner and outer hair cell regions."}
{"id": "PMID:1469118", "title": "Distribution of nerve growth factor-like immunoreactive neurons in the adult rat brain following colchicine treatment.", "content": "Using immunohistochemical techniques, we have previously localized nerve growth factor (NGF)-like immunoreactivity in the normal adult rat central nervous system (CNS) exclusively in the hippocampal mossy fiber region and within basal forebrain cholinergic neurons--a cell population believed to be primary NGF consumers within the CNS. In the present investigation, we have attempted to identify potential producers of NGF by pretreating animals with colchicine. Such a treatment would be expected to block microtubule-assisted neuritic transport mechanisms, thus preventing the accumulation of antigens normally obtained by retrograde transport and forcing the accumulation of cell products normally exported anterogradely. Forty-eight hours after colchicine administration within their innervation territories, basal forebrain cholinergic neurons showed a marked loss of NGF-like immunoreactivity. Conversely, following colchicine treatment, many new populations of NGF-like immunoreactive cells were detected, several of which have been previously observed with in situ hybridization techniques for NGF mRNA. Many NGF-like immunoreactive populations, however, were not previously recognized by in situ hybridization methods, including cells of the striatum, reticular thalamic nucleus, paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus, supraoptic nucleus, lateral and medial septum, substantia innominata, and nucleus basalis. Furthermore, evidence is provided that colchicine-blocked, NGF-like immunoreactive neurons within the basal forebrain are not cholinergic, thus reinforcing the hypothesis that trophic support for these NGF-dependent neurons may be derived from distant and local sources. The distinctive distribution of NGF-like immunoreactive cells observed in this study strongly correlates with the reported distribution of NGF mRNA in CNS neurons, thus suggesting that our antibodies are uniquely recognizing NGF and not other related neurotrophins."}
{"id": "PMID:1469119", "title": "Sympathetic nerves in adult rats regenerate normally and restore pilomotor function during an anti-NGF treatment that prevents their collateral sprouting.", "content": "We have used anti-nerve growth factor (anti-NGF) [corrected] administration to study the NGF dependency of the reinnervation of denervated skin by sympathetic nerves in the adult rat. Sympathetic pilomotor fields were revealed by electrical stimulation of selected dorsal cutaneous nerves; the affected skin rapidly assumed a \"gooseflesh\" appearance, sharply demarcated from surrounding unstimulated skin. Examined 2-5 days after section of neighboring nerves, the \"isolated\" pilomotor field of the spared nerve was found to be coextensive with an area of amine-fluorescent fibers that were associated with pilomotor muscles and blood vessels. After its isolation, a pilomotor field begins to expand into the surrounding deprived territory, reaching a maximum size at approximately 40 days. Fluorescence studies confirmed that new sympathetic fiber growth had occurred into the expanded regions of such fields. Daily injections of polyclonal anti-NGF serum completely prevented these pilomotor field expansions. Following termination of the anti-NGF treatment, expansion proceeded normally. Finally, if the onset of anti-NGF treatment was delayed until pilomotor field expansion had already commenced, further expansion was halted. Regeneration of sympathetic fibers was evoked by crushing a selected nerve. Recovery of pilomotor function in the totally denervated skin was first detected at about 20 days postcrush, and the field progressively enlarged over the next 40 days. Although the imposed NGF deprivation is known to cause a demonstrable shrinkage, and presumably atrophy, of sympathetic ganglia, the anti-NGF treatment appeared to impair neither the restoration of a pilomotor field after nerve crush, nor its continued expansion into skin regions well beyond that originally supplied by the nerve, i.e., into territory whose invasion by collateral sprouts would have been totally prevented by the treatment. During such NGF deprivation, fluorescent regenerating fibers were visualized in the nerve trunk. We conclude that even though the regenerating and collaterally sprouting sympathetic fibers probably utilise the same degenerating dermal pathways to reach and functionally reinnervate the same denervated targets, only the collateral sprouting of the uninjured axons is dependent upon endogenous NGF. These findings extend the results described earlier for nociceptive fibers, and suggest that the contrasting dependencies upon growth factors of sprouting and regeneration might apply throughout the adult nervous system."}
{"id": "PMID:1469120", "title": "Thalamic connections of the vestibular cortical fields in the squirrel monkey (Saimiri sciureus).", "content": "The afferent thalamic connections to cortical fields important for control of head movement in space were analysed by intracortical retrograde tracer injections. The proprioceptive/vestibular area 3aV, the neck-trunk region of area 3a, receives two thirds of its thalamic projections from the oral and superior ventroposterior nucleus (VPO/VPS), which is considered as the proprioceptive relay of the ventroposterior complex (Kaas et al., J. Comp. Neurol. 226:211-240, 1984). The parieto-insular vestibular cortex (PIVC, area retroinsularis, Ri) receives its main thalamic input from posterior parts of the ventroposterior complex and from the medial pulvinar. Anatomical evidence is presented that the posterior region of the ventroposterior complex is a special compartment within this principal somatosensory relay complex. The parietotemporal association area T3, mainly involved in visual-optokinetic signal processing, receives a substantial input from the medial, the lateral, and the inferior pulvinar. Dual tracer experiments revealed that about 5% of the thalamic neurons projecting to 3aV were spatially intermingled with neurons projecting to areas PIVC or T3. This spatial intermingling was distributed over small but numerous, circumscribed thalamic regions, called \"common patches,\" which were found mainly in the intralaminar nuclei, the posterior group of thalamic nuclei, and the caudal parts of the ventroposterior complex. The \"common patches\" may indicate a functional coupling of area 3aV with the PIVC or area T3 on the thalamic level. In control experiments thalamic projections to the granular insula Ig and the anterior part of area 7, two cerebral structures connected with the vestibular cortical areas, were studied. Some overlap in the thalamic relay structures projecting to these areas with those projecting to the vestibular cortices was found. A quantitative evaluation of thalamic regions projecting to different cortical structures was performed by constructing so-called \"thalamograms.\" A scheme was developed that describes the afferent thalamic connections by which vestibular, visual-optokinetic, and proprioceptive signals reach the vestibular cortical areas PIVC and 3aV."}
{"id": "PMID:1469121", "title": "Growth and regression of thalamic efferents in the song-control system of male zebra finches.", "content": "A serial forebrain pathway in the songbird brain plays a critical role in vocal learning; Area X of the parolfactory lobe (X) projects to the medial portion of the dorsolateral nucleus of the anterior thalamus (DLM), which in turn projects to the lateral magnocellular nucleus of the anterior neostriatum (IMAN). Lesions of this pathway in juvenile birds disrupt vocal development, whereas identical lesions in adult birds do not influence the production of already learned song. During the course of vocal learning, IMAN undergoes a phase of massive neuronal loss, whereas the neuronal population of X more than doubles. In the present study, the development of neuron number in DLM was analyzed and found not to change during the course of vocal learning. Anterograde DiI labeling of DLM efferent fibers was then used to analyze the morphological development of this projection in relation to both the loss of neurons from lMAN and the loss of the ability of X-DLM-lMAN lesions to influence vocal production. We found that DLM axons arrive within lMAN by 15 days of age, prior to both the loss of neurons from lMAN and the onset of vocal production. The volume of anterograde DiI label over lMAN did not change between 15 and 20 days of age, but this volume more than doubled between 20 and 35 days of age. During this phase of exuberant growth, anterograde label matched the dorsal border of lMAN but extended beyond all other borders of lMAN into a surrounding \"shell\" of parvicellular neurons.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1469122", "title": "Analysis of low affinity nerve growth factor receptor during pulpal healing and regeneration of myelinated and unmyelinated axons in replanted teeth.", "content": "Nerve regeneration was examined in rat molars that were briefly extracted and then replanted in the socket for 1-90 days. Immunocytochemistry was used to evaluate neural and nonneural immunoreactivity (IR) for low affinity nerve growth factor receptor (p75-NGFR) and for laminin and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP). Three different types of pulpal response to replantation were found. Type I: Some replanted teeth had mild injury and still contained coronal odontoblasts and associated fibroblasts that retained p75-NGFR-IR; they continued regular dentin formation and had excellent reinnervation. Type II: Teeth with intermediate injury lost most or all of the coronal pulp tissue, but they regenerated odontoblast-like cells that formed irregular dentin, they had numerous dispersed p75-NGFR-IR fibroblasts in crown pulp during early regeneration, and they had excellent reinnervation. Type III: Severely injured teeth lost their original pulp; they filled with dense connective tissue and bone and had poor reinnervation. After Type I or II injury the Schwann cells around degenerating myelinated and unmyelinated axons had increased expression of p75-NGFR by 1-3 days. By 7-10 days those Schwann cells had formed hollow tubes (bands of Bungner) along the degenerating axon tracks. They maintained their increased p75-NGFR-IR during and after regeneration of unmyelinated axons, whereas Schwann cells involved in remyelination lost p75-NGFR-IR at that stage. The number of CGRP-IR axons in the regenerating pulp increased from 7 to 90 days. Laminin-IR increased in all replanted teeth at 3-10 days and only returned to normal patterns in teeth with Type I or Type II response at 20-90 days. The special p75-NGFR-IR of pulpal fibroblasts of adult rat molars did not usually persist in regenerated, reinnervated pulp. The extensive depletion of fibroblast p75-NGFR-IR and the continuing enhanced p75-NGFR-IR in unmyelinated nerve fibers at 90 days show that altered growth factor conditions characterize regenerated pulp of replanted teeth."}
{"id": "PMID:1469124", "title": "Autonomic neurone degeneration in equine dysautonomia (grass sickness).", "content": "Histological investigations were undertaken on four sympathetic autonomic ganglia and on the myenteric and sub-mucosal plexuses of the jejunum in healthy animals, in naturally occurring cases of acute, sub-acute and chronic equine dysautonomia and in ponies in which neuronal damage had been induced by the injection of acute grass sickness sera. The degree of neuronal damage is related to the type of dysautonomia. The coeliac-mesenteric ganglion reacts differently from other ganglia and is less severely damaged in cases of short duration. Extensive experimentally induced damage to the coeliac-mesenteric ganglion, even when jejunal damage is also present, is not associated with clinical illness. It is proposed that the rate of autonomic neurone loss and the extent of the damage may both influence the clinical manifestations of grass sickness."}
{"id": "PMID:1469125", "title": "Cooperioides antidorca from intestinal nodules in Gazella thomsoni and G. granti in Kenya.", "content": "Examination of nodules from the intestine of Gazella thomsoni and G. granti in Kenya revealed the presence of the trichostrongylid nematode Cooperioides antidorca. Nodules from the two hosts were histologically similar and took the form of chronic inflammatory lesions extending through the wall of the gut from the submucosa into the muscular layers. There was some necrosis around the parasite located in the centre of the nodule, a varying population of inflammatory cells and a varying degree of fibrous tissue encapsulation. One nodule possessed an aperture into the lumen of the gut and there was also evidence of serosal proliferation, probably due to the parasitic lesion penetrating the deeper layers of the wall. The morphology of Cooperioides antidorca recovered from the nodules was examined by scanning electron microscopy and is briefly described."}
{"id": "PMID:1469126", "title": "Upper motor neurone and descending tract pathology in bovine spinal muscular atrophy.", "content": "The extent of neuropathology in a recently reported disease of Brown Swiss cattle, spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), was investigated with light and electron microscopy. Many regions of the central nervous system were sampled from 10 SMA-affected and three normal Brown Swiss calves. In addition to extensive necrosis of lower motor neurones there was extensive upper motor neurone degeneration and descending tract pathology. Since these abnormalities are also hallmarks of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), SMA may be an animal model for that disease. There was also considerable vacuolar degeneration, which is a feature of the wobbler mouse and murine type C RNA virus-induced paralytic disease models of ALS."}
{"id": "PMID:1469127", "title": "Histopathological and morphometric studies on the hooves of dairy and beef cattle in relation to overgrown sole and laminitis.", "content": "In dairy cattle, histopathology of the outer hind claws with overgrown sole revealed arteriosclerosis of blood vessels at the ulcer site in the sole. The laminae did not show any hyperplasia of the epidermis and thrombi were not seen in the blood vessels. Partial or complete disappearance of onychogenic substance was observed in the sole as well as in the wall epidermis. In beef animals, typical changes suggestive of chronic laminitis were seen: these included hyperplasia of the epidermis of the laminae, thrombus formation, arteriosclerosis in the corium of the sole, the abaxial wall and the coronary corium. Morphometric analysis quantified measurements of hooves of normal, beef and dairy cattle. It may be concluded that the changes associated with overgrowth of the sole in dairy cattle are localized to the sole without involvement of the laminae and that the term laminitis is not appropriate in the condition seen in dairy cattle."}
{"id": "PMID:1469128", "title": "A pathogenesis study of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus H5N2 in chickens, using immunohistochemistry.", "content": "Eighteen specific pathogen-free chickens (nine hens older than 1 year and nine 15-week-old males) were inoculated with highly pathogenic avian influenza virus A/Chicken/Pennsylvania/1370/1983 (H5N2). Birds were serially killed and tissues collected for histological and immunohistochemical evaluation. In the group of older hens, disease was acute or peracute. By immunohistochemistry, antigen was abundant in capillary endothelium in multiple organs, and staining for antigen in parenchymal cells was marked in brain and heart. In the group of younger male birds, disease was subacute. Immunohistochemical staining of capillary endothelium was less pronounced and viral antigen staining was evident in the parenchymal cells of the heart, brain and kidney."}
{"id": "PMID:1469129", "title": "Demodicidosis in a child with leukemia.", "content": "A 2-year-old girl developed acute lymphoblastic leukemia at the age of 9 months. She was treated successfully with chemotherapy but developed a pruritic, papulopustular facial eruption that was caused by Demodex folliculorum. The eruption cleared after treatment with one overnight application of 5% permethrin cream. Demodicidosis should be included in the differential diagnosis of facial eruptions in children who undergo chemotherapy and in those with congenital or acquired immunodeficiency."}
{"id": "PMID:1469130", "title": "Minocycline-induced Sweet's syndrome.", "content": "This is the second reported case of minocycline-induced Sweet's syndrome (and the first such case to appear in the American literature). The syndrome developed in a 32-year-old man 10 days after minocycline therapy for acne was begun and resolved rapidly after discontinuation of the medication and start of oral prednisone therapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1469131", "title": "Pyoderma gangrenosum, polycythemia rubra vera, and the development of leukemia.", "content": "A patient with long-standing, well-controlled polycythemia rubra vera developed recurrent episodes of bullous pyoderma gangrenosum followed by the transformation of his hematologic disease into a rapidly progressive acute myeloid leukemia. This case, together with previously described patients, indicates that the appearance of bullous pyoderma gangrenosum in a patient with polycythemia rubra vera is often of ominous prognostic significance."}
{"id": "PMID:1469132", "title": "Q-switched ruby laser treatment of labial lentigos.", "content": "The Q-switched ruby laser causes selective damage to pigmented cells in the skin. This laser, which has a wavelength of 694 nm and a pulse duration of 40 nsec, has shown very promising results in the treatment of both amateur and professional tattoos. Less data are available on its ability to treat benign pigmented lesions of the skin. Three patients who had labial lentigos were treated with the Q-switched ruby laser, and dramatic clearing occurred after one or two treatments with a fluence of 10 J/cm2."}
{"id": "PMID:1469133", "title": "Hyperkeratosis lenticularis perstans (Flegel's disease). Ultrastructural study of lesional and perilesional skin and therapeutic trial of topical tretinoin versus 5-fluorouracil.", "content": "Lesional and perilesional skin samples from a 57-year-old man who had hyperkeratosis lenticularis perstans (HLP) (Flegel's disease) were studied by light and electron microscopic examination. Keratohyalin granules were diminished at the center of a fully-developed lesion. In contrast, keratohyalin appeared normal and membrane-coating granules were found in reduced numbers at the edges of the HLP lesion and were easily detected in normal numbers in clinically normal, perilesional skin. The inflammatory infiltrate in the HLP lesion was composed of small lymphocytes, which often displayed nuclei with deep infoldings resembling S\u00e9zary cells, and larger histiocytic cells, many of which were in close contact with the lymphocytes. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells did not show an abnormal ultrastructural appearance. Treatment with topical 5-fluorouracil cream led to the disappearance of the HLP lesions, whereas topical tretinoin was ineffective."}
{"id": "PMID:1469134", "title": "Congenital neonatal herpes simplex virus infection.", "content": "Intrauterine-acquired neonatal herpes simplex virus infection is a severe, often life-threatening infection that has a wide spectrum of clinical presentations. We describe a 31-week-gestation male who had a rarely reported epidermolysis bullosa-like clinical presentation. He acquired herpes simplex virus type II in utero secondary to a primary maternal infection that occurred on the knee. A review of the infection, the need for early therapy, and the prognosis are presented."}
{"id": "PMID:1469135", "title": "Churg-Strauss syndrome.", "content": "A 62-year-old woman who had a history of asthma and allergic rhinitis developed bilateral pulmonary infiltrates and marked eosinophilia. A transbronchial biopsy specimen did not help clarify the diagnosis. She later developed erythematous nodules on her feet; results of a biopsy specimen revealed necrotizing extravascular granulomas and marked infiltration of the dermis with eosinophils consistent with a diagnosis of Churg-Strauss syndrome. Skin manifestations are often nonspecific in this syndrome and occur in approximately two thirds of cases."}
{"id": "PMID:1469136", "title": "Failure of reticular erythematous mucinosis to respond to cyclosporine.", "content": "We describe a 48-year-old woman who had worsening psoriasis, photosensitive reticular erythematous mucinosis (REM), and acne rosacea. The psoriasis was unresponsive to etretinate, and the REM was unsuccessfully treated with hydroxychloroquine. Cyclosporine (6 mg/kg/day) successfully cleared the psoriasis in 8 weeks but did not improve the REM and acne rosacea. Possible causes for the lack of response of the REM to cyclosporine are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1469137", "title": "Autoerythrocyte sensitization syndrome (psychogenic purpura).", "content": "A case of autoerythrocyte sensitization syndrome is reported. This syndrome most often appears in young women who have an underlying emotional disorder; features include bizarre, tender ecchymotic lesions, which are most commonly located on the arms and legs. Systemic symptoms often accompany the onset of these lesions. A diagnosis of autoerythrocyte sensitization syndrome may be made in a patient who has the typical history and clinical picture of the syndrome and in whom a skin test with use of the patient's blood reveals a positive reaction."}
{"id": "PMID:1469138", "title": "Features of an autoimmune process in mid-dermal elastolysis.", "content": "Mid-dermal elastolysis is a rare disorder that is manifested clinically by wrinkling and histologically by the selective absence of elastic fibers in the mid dermis. We describe a young woman who developed abnormal wrinkling after augmentation mammoplasty with silicone implants. Histologic examination confirmed the diagnosis of mid-dermal elastolysis. In addition, a positive antinuclear antibody titer and a false-positive Lyme titer were subsequently detected. In a previously reported case a patient who had mid-dermal elastolysis also had an unusual false-positive pattern for Lyme disease. Silicone mammoplasty has been associated with connective tissue diseases. This report adds mid-dermal elastolysis to the list of diseases associated with augmentation mammoplasty and, along with the presence of autoantibodies, supports autoimmune involvement in mid-dermal elastolysis."}
{"id": "PMID:1469139", "title": "Petechial glove and sock syndrome caused by parvovirus B19.", "content": "The petechial glove and sock syndrome is a recently described febrile dermatosis characterized by acral pruritus, edema, pain, petechiae, and an enanthem of petechiae and erosions; these features suggest a viral origin. We report a typical case in a 36-year-old woman. IgM antibodies to human parvovirus B19 (PVB19) were present, and acute and convalescent IgG antibodies demonstrated seroconversion, which suggested recent infection with PVB19. Results of tests for other viral and bacterial agents were negative. These results strongly implicate PVB19 as an etiologic agent in the petechial glove and sock syndrome."}
{"id": "PMID:1469140", "title": "Successful treatment of musk ketone-induced chronic actinic dermatitis with cyclosporine and PUVA.", "content": "We describe a patient with chronic actinic dermatitis whose photopatch tests revealed reactions to musk ketone and musk ambrette, both of which were found in his aftershave lotion. Minimal erythema doses of UVA and UVB were decreased. After initial unsuccessful treatment with PUVA therapy the patient was successfully treated with a combination of cyclosporine and PUVA."}
{"id": "PMID:1469141", "title": "Long-term management of basal cell nevus syndrome with topical tretinoin and 5-fluorouracil.", "content": "The case of a child with basal cell nevus syndrome whose condition was successfully managed for 10 years with a combination of topical 5-fluorouracil and tretinoin is reported. The concurrent use of these two agents prevented the development of new tumors, inhibited the growth of existing tumors, and caused the regression of superficially invasive basal cell carcinomas."}
{"id": "PMID:1469142", "title": "Adult T-cell leukemia with regression of erythroderma and simultaneous emergence of leukemia.", "content": "A patient with smoldering adult T-cell leukemia had refractory erythroderma. Concomitant with the development of acute leukemia, the cutaneous lesions disappeared spontaneously. This suggests an extensive release of tumor cells from the skin to the blood."}
{"id": "PMID:1469143", "title": "Dermatomyositis pemphigoides: a case with coexistent dermatomyositis and bullous pemphigoid.", "content": "We describe a patient with coexistent dermatomyositis and bullous pemphigoid; both appeared within a few weeks. Protein blotting showed binding of the patient's serum to the classic 220 kd bullous pemphigoid antigen. Because of the close temporal association of the two disorders, we believe that they are almost certainly etiologically linked. One possibility is that exposure of basement membrane antigens by dermatomyositis led to exposure of bullous pemphigoid antigen and subsequent antibody formation."}
{"id": "PMID:1469144", "title": "Linear arrangement of multiple congenital melanocytic nevi.", "content": "A 28-year-old man had numerous slightly papillomatous melanocytic nevi that were arranged in a linear pattern on his right arm. Their distribution was reminiscent of the lines of Blaschko. The nevi had been present since birth and were in part covered with terminal hair. Histopathologic examination showed typical features of congenital melanocytic compound nevi. In addition, the blue-eyed patient showed an iris bicolor in the form of a sectorial brown pigmentation of his right iris. This unusual case may provide a clue to the genetic basis of pigmented nevi."}
{"id": "PMID:1469145", "title": "Hairy leukoplakia with involvement of the buccal mucosa.", "content": "Oral hairy leukoplakia occurs mainly on the tongue of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected persons. An HIV-infected patient with hairy leukoplakia involving the tongue and buccal mucosa was studied by light and electron microscopic methods, in situ hybridization, and polymerase chain reaction. Our findings indicate that hairy leukoplakia may involve the buccal mucosa and should be considered in the differential diagnosis of white oral lesions in HIV-positive patients. Epstein-Barr virus particles were found in the epithelial cells of both buccal and tongue mucosa."}
{"id": "PMID:1469146", "title": "Epidermolysis bullosa acquisita in a 3 1/2-year-old girl.", "content": "A 3 1/2-year-old girl had a subepidermal bullous eruption with immunopathologic features that were consistent with epidermolysis bullosa acquisita or bullous systemic lupus erythematosus. This report highlights the difficulty encountered in distinguishing between epidermolysis bullosa acquisita and other bullous disorders that involve the dermoepidermal junction and the need for modern immunologic investigations in the diagnosis of bullous diseases in children."}
{"id": "PMID:1469147", "title": "Localized pretibial pemphigoid and pemphigoid nodularis.", "content": "We describe a 75-year-old woman with a chronic, blistering eruption on the left leg whose clinical and immunopathologic features were consistent with a diagnosis of localized pretibial pemphigoid. After a disease-free interval of 5 years she developed a generalized prurigo nodularis-like eruption. Immunofluorescence studies revealed deposition of IgG and C3 along the dermoepidermal junction, and circulating autoantibodies against the dermoepidermal junction were demonstrated. Indirect immunoelectron microscopic examination of saponin-treated skin samples showed deposits of immunoreactants over the intracellular part of the hemidesmosomes. By Western immunoblotting the 230 kd bullous pemphigoid antigen was recognized by circulating autoantibodies. Thus our patient had two unusual clinical variants of bullous pemphigoid: localized pretibial pemphigoid and pemphigoid nodularis."}
{"id": "PMID:1469148", "title": "Pyoderma gangrenosum-like ulcer in a patient with large granular lymphocytic leukemia.", "content": "Large granular lymphocytic leukemia refers to a clonal expansion of lymphocytes that have abundant cytoplasm and azurophilic granules. The disease is characterized clinically by chronic neutropenia and it may be associated with recurrent pyogenic infections. Except for these infections, cutaneous manifestations of this disease have not been well characterized. We describe a patient with large granular lymphocytic leukemia, which was confirmed by molecular genetics studies, who had a pyoderma gangrenosum-like ulcer on his leg. Results of an evaluation of the histologic characteristics and the leukocytic immunophenotype of a skin biopsy specimen from the ulcer demonstrated large granular lymphocytes within the blood vessels. Cutaneous ulceration may be a manifestation of large granular lymphocytic leukemia, and this disease should be considered when diagnosing patients with otherwise unexplained pyoderma gangrenosum-like ulcers of the skin."}
{"id": "PMID:1469149", "title": "Lymphomatoid granulomatosis.", "content": "Lymphomatoid granulomatosis or angiocentric T-cell lymphoma is a systemic disease that affects multiple organs. The histopathologic findings include a characteristic infiltrate that is both angiocentric and angiodestructive. The prognosis is poor but may be improved by early recognition and aggressive chemotherapy. We report a case of cutaneous lymphomatoid granulomatosis and emphasize that dermatologists play an important role in the early diagnosis of this disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1469150", "title": "Noninflammatory bullae associated with epsilon-aminocaproic acid infusion.", "content": "Three patients who had cardiac surgery developed a transient, noninflammatory subepidermal bullous eruption on the legs after epsilon-aminocaproic acid infusion. Fibrin thrombi were demonstrated in papillary dermal vessels. The use of epsilon-aminocaproic acid as an antifibrinolytic agent may predispose patients to cutaneous vascular thromboses."}
{"id": "PMID:1469151", "title": "Aneurysm in the skin: arterial fibromuscular dysplasia.", "content": "We describe a pulsatile aneurysm in the skin of 16-year-old boy that was found to be a sign of a systemic vascular disease, that is, arterial fibromuscular dysplasia. The patient had aneurysms in the renal, cerebral, coronary, and other arteries; he developed renovascular hypertension and had a cerebrovascular accident and acute myocardial infarction at 17 years of age. This disease has not been previously reported in the dermatologic literature."}
{"id": "PMID:1469152", "title": "Necrobiotic xanthogranuloma in a human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 carrier.", "content": "A 67-year-old man who had necrobiotic xanthogranuloma associated with paraproteinemia is described. He was a human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) carrier who had a high titer of circulating anti-HTLV-1 antibodies and neurologic abnormalities that suggested HTLV-1-associated myelopathy. The patient's necrobiotic xanthogranuloma and neurologic symptoms improved after he received four 5-day courses of melphalan, 2 mg/day, and prednisolone, 20 mg/day, at 4-week intervals."}
{"id": "PMID:1469153", "title": "Oral and cutaneous lichen planus pemphigoides.", "content": "Lichen planus pemphigoides is a rare bullous disorder characterized by tense bullae on lichen planus lesions and on clinically uninvolved skin. A diagnosis of lichen planus pemphigoides is made on the basis of clinical, histologic, and immunopathologic evaluation. We describe a patient who had lichen planus pemphigoides of the skin and oral mucosa and briefly review the literature on this uncommon entity."}
{"id": "PMID:1469154", "title": "Crohn's disease presenting as unilateral labial hypertrophy.", "content": "We describe a child who had unilateral hypertrophy of the vulva, a rare extraintestinal manifestation of Crohn's disease. A biopsy specimen revealed a noncaseating granuloma. Flexible sigmoidoscopic examination revealed punctate 1 mm lesions with surrounding erythema in the rectum and sigmoid colon. Response to treatment with sulfasalazine was excellent. Gastrointestinal symptoms developed 1 year later when sulfasalazine was discontinued."}
{"id": "PMID:1469155", "title": "Effects of fasting and food restriction on sympathetic activity in brown adipose tissue in mice.", "content": "The activity of the sympathetic nervous system in mice that were either fed ad libitum, food restricted or fasted was estimated by measuring the accumulation of dopamine following the inhibition of dopamine beta-hydroxylase activity. Mice in each group were injected with the dopamine beta-hydroxylase inhibitor 1-cyclohexyl-2-mercaptoimidazole and were exposed to either 30 degrees C (warm) or 4 degrees C (cold). Mice were killed 1 h after the injection. Both heart and brown adipose tissue were then quickly removed and homogenized in ice-cold perchloric acid. Dopamine and noradrenaline were determined using high performance liquid chromatography. Regardless of whether mice were warm or cold exposed, both content and concentration of brown adipose tissue and dopamine were predictably higher in 1-cyclohexyl-2-mercaptoimidazole-injected mice than in non-injected animals. In mice fed ad libitum, post-injection content and concentration of dopamine in both brown adipose tissue and heart were higher in cold-exposed mice than in warm-exposed animals. In food-restricted and fasted mice, post-injection concentrations of dopamine in brown adipose tissue were higher in cold-exposed mice than in warm-exposed animals. In food-restricted and fasted mice there was no difference between warm- and cold-exposed animals with respect to post-injection contents and concentrations of dopamine in heart tissue. In fasted mice there was no difference between warm- and cold-exposed animals in post-injection content of dopamine in brown adipose tissue. This study provides further evidence that fasting, in contrast to food restriction, may blunt the tissue sympathetic nervous system response in brown adipose tissue of cold-exposed mice."}
{"id": "PMID:1469156", "title": "Dependence of oxygen uptake on ambient PO2 in isolated perfused frog skin.", "content": "Rates of O2 uptake across isolated perfused skin of bullfrogs (Rana catesbeiana) were measured in relation to blood flow at three levels of ambient O2 tension: normoxia (O2 tension = 152 torr), hypoxia (12% O2, 87 torr) and hyperoxia (42% O2, 306 torr). At bulk perfusion rates ranging from 3.4 to 10.1 microliters.cm-2 x min-1, O2 uptake was positively correlated with hemoglobin delivery rate in both normoxia and hyperoxia, but was independent of delivery rate in hypoxia. Mean O2 uptake in normoxia was 3.8 nmol O2 x cm-2 x min-1 at a delivery rate of 9.8 nmol.cm-2 x min-1 and 6.5 nmol O2 x cm-2 x min-1 at a delivery rate of 28.3 nmol.cm-2 x min-1. At any given bulk perfusion rate, oxygen uptake averaged about 49% lower in hypoxia than in normoxia, decreasing in proportion to the reduction of O2 tension difference between medium and blood. In hyperoxia, O2 uptake did not increase proportionally with the difference in O2 tension between blood and medium, averaging only 50% higher at a 2.4-fold greater O2 tension difference. Cutaneous diffusing capacity for O2 averaged 0.041 nmol O2 x cm-2 x torr-1 x min-1 during the first hour of perfusion in normoxia, and was not affected by reduction of ambient O2 tension. The results indicate that cutaneous O2 uptake in hypoxia is highly diffusion limited, and consequently, increases in cutaneous perfusion can not effectively compensate for reduction of ambient O2 tension. In hyperoxia, O2 uptake may be substantially perfusion limited because of reduced blood O2 capacitance at high O2 saturations."}
{"id": "PMID:1469158", "title": "Assessment of changes in body water by bioimpedance in acutely ill surgical patients.", "content": "To evaluate the relationship between changes in body bioelectrical impedance (BI) at 0.5, 50 and kHz and the changes in body weight, as an index of total body water changes, in acutely ill surgical patients during the rapid infusion of isotonic saline solution. Prospective clinical study. Multidisciplinary surgical ICU in a university hospital. Twelve male patients treated for acute surgical illness (multiple trauma n = 5, major surgery n = 7). stable cardiovascular parameters, normal cardiac function, signs of hypovolemia (CVP < or = 5 mmHg, urine output < 1 ml/kg x h). After baseline measurements, a 60 min fluid challenge test was performed with normal saline solution, 0.25 ml/kg/min [corrected]. Body weight (platform digital scale), total body impedance (four-surface electrode technique; measurements at 0.5, 50 and 100 kHz) and urine output. Fluid retention induced a progressive decrease in BI at 0.5, 50 and 100 kHz, but the changes were significant for BI 0.5 and BI 100 only, from 40 min after the beginning of the fluid therapy onwards. There was a significant negative correlation between changes in water retention and BI 0.5, with individual correlation coefficients ranging from -0.72 to 0.95 (p < 0.01-0.0001). The slopes of the regression lines indicated that for each kg of water change, there was a mean decrease in BI of 18 ohm, but a substantial inter-individual variability was noted. BI measured at low frequency can represent a valuable index of acute changes in body water in a group of surgical patients but not in a given individual."}
{"id": "PMID:1469159", "title": "Evaluation of indexes predicting the outcome of ventilator weaning and value of adding supplemental inspiratory load.", "content": "To assess the diagnostic accuracy of several measured and calculated indexes for early prediction of weaning outcome, and to study the value of supplemental inspiratory load in improving the accurate prediction of successful weaning. Prospective study. ICU of a University Hospital. Thirty consecutive patients under prolonged mechanical ventilation and without chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Forty weaning trials were performed. Data were recorded at 15, 30 (adding inspiratory flow resistance), 60 and 120 min. The threshold values and the accuracy of three indexes were determined: Inspiratory airway occlusion pressure at 0.1 sec. (P01) to maximum inspiratory pressure ratio (P01/MIP), inspiratory effort quotient (IEQ), and the ratio of respiratory frequency to tidal volume (F/Vt). All three were useful predictors for weaning success with a diagnostic accuracy between 82%-87%. At 15 min of spontaneous breathing, a P01/MIP ratio < 0.14 predicts weaning success with a sensitivity of 82% and specificity of 83%. In our group of patients no reintubation was necessary. The application of mechanical inspiratory load significantly increased P01 values (3.16 +/- 1.22 to 3.60 +/- 1.19, p < 0.001). The degree of the P01 increase did not provide prediction of weaning outcome. a) P01/MIP, IEQ and F/Vt ratio were accurate, early predictors of weaning outcome. b) The addition of a moderate mechanical inspiratory load did not enhance the diagnostic accuracy of P01 measurements. c) In our patients, a period of two hours seemed to be sufficient for development and detection of weaning failure."}
{"id": "PMID:1469160", "title": "Continuous arteriovenous haemofiltration and respiratory function in multiple organ systems failure.", "content": "To determine what change in respiratory function occurred following prolonged and efficient continuous arteriovenous haemofiltration (CAVH) in a group of patients with multiple organ systems failure (MOSF). A retrospective assessment using patient notes and ICU charts. The Intensive Care Unit of a large University Teaching Hospital. All ICU patients satisfying the following criteria: (i) Failure of more than one organ system; (ii) Treatment with CAVH; (iii) Removal of more than 10 l of ultrafiltrate per day; (iv) Continuous haemofiltration for at least 5 days. Thirteen patients satisfied these criteria and 14 episodes of CAVH were analyzed. All data were recorded from the patient notes and ICU charts apart from the A-aDO2 and PaO2/FiO2 (PF) ratio which were calculated from available values. A mean of 3.5 different organ systems failed during the period of stay. The mean daily ultrafiltrate volume obtained was 23.7 (SD 0.95) l and the mean duration of treatment 9.6 (SD 4.3) days. Significant improvements occurred in the values for the PF ratio and ventilatory modality (p < 0.05), and the FiO2 and A-aDO2 (p = 0.001). The mean PEEP value remained unchanged at 4.8 cmH2O. Ten of the 13 patients subsequently died (77% mortality). A significant improvement in respiratory function occurred in patients with MOSF who had undergone a prolonged period of intensive CAVH. Haemofiltration may therefore be a useful treatment for respiratory failure in this patient group. Unfortunately the overall mortality of the group remained high."}
{"id": "PMID:1469161", "title": "An experimental randomized study of five different ventilatory modes in a piglet model of severe respiratory distress.", "content": "To characterize different modes of pressure- or volume-controlled mechanical ventilation with respect to their short-term effects on oxygen delivery (DO2). Furthermore to investigate whether such differences are caused by differences in pulmonary gas exchange or by airway-pressure-mediated effects on the central hemodynamics. After inducing severe respiratory distress in piglets by removing surfactant, 5 ventilatory modes were randomly and sequentially applied to each animal. Experimental laboratory of a university department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care. 15 piglets after repeated bronchoalveolar lavage. Volume-controlled intermittent positive-pressure ventilation (IPPV) with either 8 or 15 cmH2O PEEP; pressure-controlled inverse ratio ventilation (IRV); pressure-controlled high-frequency positive-pressure ventilation (HFPPV) and pressure-controlled high frequency ventilation with inspiratory pulses superimposed (combined high frequency ventilation, CHFV). The prefix (L) indicates that lavage has been performed. Measurements of gas exchange, airway pressures, hemodynamics, functional residual capacity (using the SF6 method), intrathoracic fluid volumes (using a double-indicator dilution technique) and metabolism were performed during ventilatory and hemodynamic steady state. The peak inspiratory pressures (PIP) were significantly higher in the volume-controlled low frequency modes (43 cmH2O for L-IPPV-8 and L-IPPV-15) than in the pressure-controlled modes (39 cmH2O for L-IRV, 35 cmH2O for L-HFPPV and 33 cmH2O for L-CHFV, with PIP in the high-frequency modes being significantly lower than in inverse ratio ventilation). The mean airway pressure (MPAW) after lavage was highest with L-IRV (26 cmH2O). In the ventilatory modes with a PEEP > 8 cmH2O PaO2 did not differ significantly and beyond this \"opening threshold\" MPAW did not further improve PaO2. Central hemodynamics were depressed by increasing airway pressures. This is especially true for L-IRV in which we found the highest MPAW and at the same time the lowest stroke index (74% of IPPV). In this model, as far as oxygenation is concerned, it does not matter in which specific way the airway pressures are produced. As far as oxygen transport is concerned, i.e. aiming at increasing DO2, we conclude that optimizing the circulatory status must take into account the circulatory influence of different modes of positive pressure ventilation."}
{"id": "PMID:1469162", "title": "Haemodynamic effects of selective positive end-expiratory pressure after unilateral pulmonary hydrochloric acid-aspiration in dogs.", "content": "We investigated 1) the effects of HCl-mediated acute left lung injury on regional juxtacardiac pressures and 2) the haemodynamic effects of different modes of ventilation before and after induction of left lung injury. The study was done in 7 mechanically ventilated, anaesthetized dogs. Juxtacardiac pressures and haemodynamic variables were recorded during 1) differential ventilation (DV) with zero positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP = 0) and 2) DV with general (G) PEEP and selective right (R) and left (L) lung PEEP. Left lung injury increased left, but not right pleural pressure of pericardial pressure. Pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) and pulmonary artery pressure (PAP) were increased moderately. Cardiac output (CO) did not change. GPEEP reduced LV filling and cardiac output markedly and by approximately the same degree before and after lung injury. The haemodynamic effects of LPEEP were minor before as well as after the induction of lung injury. RPEEP, which had only moderate haemodynamic effects during control, caused a marked reduction in cardiac function after the induction of left lung injury. The transmission of airway pressure to the pleura was reduced in the diseased lung. These results suggest that serious haemodynamic side effects may be avoided by applying PEEP selectively to the diseased lung."}
{"id": "PMID:1469163", "title": "Reversal of neurological deficit with naloxone: an additional report.", "content": "We report the repeated improvement in neurological function following naloxone administration in a patient who developed acute hemiplegia after an intracranial neurological procedure. The mechanisms responsible for the neurological deficit and for its reversal by naloxone are discussed. A review of the literature suggests that the beneficial effect of naloxone can result from an improvement in haemodynamic status or from metabolic effects that could be favorable during cerebral ischaemia."}
{"id": "PMID:1469164", "title": "An uncommon cause of acute right ventricular failure and high mixed venous oxygen saturation.", "content": "Ruptured sinus of Valsalva aneurysms are rare. We report a case in which the usual clinical manifestations were not present and the patient was initially treated as an acute pulmonary embolus. Despite three negative echocardiograms an intra-cardiac shunt was suspected because of a persistently elevated mixed venous oxygen saturation. Cardiac catheterisation confirmed the diagnosis. Surgical repair was performed and post operative recovery was uneventful."}
{"id": "PMID:1469165", "title": "The utility of MRI in acute stage of carbon monoxide poisoning.", "content": "Intracranial abnormalities by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in acute carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning have been described in two cases. Edematous bilateral lesions have been demonstrated in the globus pallidus. Findings correspond with the pathological changes described in literature. In our experience MIR is a more sensitive examination compared to serial computed tomography (CT) in acute CO poisoning."}
{"id": "PMID:1469166", "title": "Treatment of neonatal hyperbilirubinaemia by plasmapheresis.", "content": "A term baby developed severe hyperbilirubinaemia in association with group-B streptococcal sepsis. Haemodynamic instability deterred us from performing exchange transfusion, and so plasmapheresis was used to lower the bilirubin level. The procedure was very effective and well tolerated."}
{"id": "PMID:1469167", "title": "Successful treatment of fungal right atrial thrombosis complicating central venous catheterization in a critically ill child.", "content": "A 9-year-old boy was admitted to our pediatric intensive care unit after multiple trauma. On the 17th day post trauma, he developed catheter-related sepsis with candidemia. After removal of the catheter and 6 days of unsuccessful intravenous antifungal therapy, conventional and transesophageal two-dimensional echocardiography was performed revealing a large right atrial thrombus. Surgical thrombectomy under cardiopulmonary bypass was performed and the patient recovered within a few days. Fungal right atrial thrombus is a rare, life-threatening complication of central venous catheterization. Two-dimensional echocardiography is a simple and effective diagnostic technique that should be performed when candidemia is detected. The proper therapeutic response depends on the findings of this examination. For a symptomatic patient with a large, mobile thrombus, we strongly recommend thrombectomy. Surgery not only allows removal of the mass and thus elimination of the mechanical complication but is also a key to management of infection."}
{"id": "PMID:1469168", "title": "Intravenous xylene poisoning.", "content": "A 30-year-old man injected intravenously 8 ml of xylene in a suicidal attempt. After 10 min he developed acute pulmonary failure requiring intubation, controlled ventilation with PEEP and high FiO2. Combined hemoperfusion and hemodialysis were carried out for 4 h. By 8 days later the patient was weaned from the ventilator and after 14 days transferred to the Department of Psychiatry with normal blood gases. Pulmonary failure threatened the patient's life, therefore treatment of this was dominant in the therapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1469176", "title": "Methanol poisoning.", "content": "Methanol ingestion is an uncommon form of poisoning that can cause severe metabolic disturbances, blindness, permanent neurologic dysfunction and death. While methanol itself may be harmless, it is converted in vivo to the highly toxic formic acid. The diagnosis is sometimes elusive and requires a high index of suspicion. Because antidotal treatment is available it is important to recognize methanol poisoning promptly. The presence of metabolic acidosis associated with an increased anion gap and increased osmol gap are important laboratory findings. Specific therapeutic measures include correction of the metabolic acidosis with sodium bicarbonate and administration of enteral or parenteral ethanol to competitively inhibit the metabolic breakdown of methanol to formic acid. Hemodialysis accelerates the elimination of both methanol and formic acid and also assists in correction of the metabolic acidosis. Experimental data suggests that administration of folic acid may be of benefit by hastening the metabolism of formic acid to carbon dioxide. Prompt institution of specific therapy can probably decrease the morbidity and mortality associated with this form of poisoning."}
{"id": "PMID:1469177", "title": "Prevention of nosocomial infection in critically ill patients by selective decontamination of the digestive tract. A randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled study.", "content": "To evaluate the effect of a method of Selective Decontamination of the Digestive Tract (SDD) on colonization, nosocomial infection (NI), bacterial resistance, mortality and economic costs. Randomized, double blind, placebo controlled study. Polyvalent intensive care unit (ICU) of a tertiary care hospital with 27 beds. 101 patients with > 3 days of mechanical ventilation and > 5 days of stay, without infection at the start of the study. 47 belonged to the Treated Group (TG) and 54 to the Placebo Group (PG). The TG was given Cefotaxime i.v. (6 g/day) for the first four days and an association of Polymyxin E, Tobramycin and Amphotericin B at the oropharyngeal and gastrointestinal level throughout the whole stay. In the TG, colonization by gram-negative agents at oropharyngeal, tracheal and gastrointestinal level fell significantly. There was a significant drop in the overall, respiratory and urinary NI (26% vs 63%, p < 0.001; 15% vs 46%, p < 0.001; 9% vs 31%, p < 0.01). The overall mortality and NI related mortality was less in the TG (21% vs 44%, p < 0.05; 2% vs 20%, p < 0.01). The economic costs, mechanical ventilation time and length of stay were similar. The percentage of bacterial isolations resistant to Cefotaxime and Tobramycin was greater in the TG (38% vs 15% and 38% vs 9%, p < 0.001). colonization by gram-negative bacilli, NI and the mortality related to it can be modified by SDD. Continuous bacteriological surveillance is necessary."}
{"id": "PMID:1469178", "title": "A fibre optics system for the evaluation of airway pressure in mechanically ventilated patients.", "content": "The present study was intended to evaluate the \"in vivo\" endotracheal (ET) tube resistance and respiratory mechanics in mechanically ventilated patients with respiratory failure by using fiber optic catheters. Two fiber optic catheters, consisting of a thin probe with a pressure transducer on the tip, were used. The first was placed at the proximal side of the ET tube and the second was positioned distally beyond the end. A low compliant air-filled catheter connected to a traditional pressure transducer was placed close to the proximal fiber optic device to compare the pressure values obtained with both systems. The study was performed in the General Intensive Care Unit of Rome \"La Sapienza\", University Hospital. Seven patients admitted for the management of acute respiratory failure of different etiologies were included in the protocol. All the patients were intubated and mechanically ventilated for at least 48 h prior to the investigation. The endotracheal tube resistance was obtained both by the end-inspiratory occlusion method and measuring pressure proximally and distally to the ET tube. The measurement of respiratory mechanics was obtained proximally and distally to the ET tube. Different flows and tidal volume changes were performed. The results showed that the fiber optic device gives an adequate evaluation of airway pressure and the possibility for an easy detection of obstructions and/or deformations of the ET tube. The area described by inspiratory and expiratory pressure recorded at both sides of the ET tube showed a positive relationship between the surface and flows while no surface changes were shown when the tidal volumes were modified. Thoraco-pulmonary compliance measured proximally and distally to the ET tube gave rise to a small and statistically insignificant difference. This study confirms that 48 h after the positioning of ET tubes the airflow resistance is significantly higher than might be expected from the \"in vitro\" data. The presence of the endotracheal tube can interfere with the evaluation of thoraco-pulmonary mechanics, particularly in dynamic conditions. The fiber optic system represents an interesting and simple tool for the evaluation of ET tube resistance and pulmonary mechanics in patients undergoing mechanical ventilation."}
{"id": "PMID:1469179", "title": "Diagnostic value of the blind brush in mechanically ventilated patients with nosocomial pneumonia.", "content": "To check on the accuracy of a new protected blind brush (BB) inserted through an endotracheal tube to collect respiratory secretions to be used in the diagnosis of nosocomial pneumonia (NP) in ventilated patients. Prospective study of patients who had undergone both BB and plugged telescoping catheter via fiberoptic bronchoscopy (PTC-FB) sample collection sessions. Intensive Care Unit of a referral-based University Hospital. All patients (n = 37) mechanically ventilated for more than 3 days with clinical and radiological criteria of NP between July 1990 and March 1991. Randomized BB and PTC-FB sample collection sessions carried out less than 30 min apart. The two sampling procedures resulted in similar findings with both cultures either negative or positive and identified the same organism and colonies in 31 patients (83.7%). Agreement was 90% when the patients with right or bilateral pulmonary infiltrates were grouped together and 100% when only the right field was considered. Complications arising from BB sampling were much lower than those from the conventional PTC-FB technique. Our results, pending confirmation by other prospective studies, indicate that BB sampling is useful in the diagnosis of NP in ventilated patients with radiological evidence of either right or bilateral pulmonary infiltrates and that it could stand in for PTC-FB in ICU settings where this procedure is not available."}
{"id": "PMID:1469180", "title": "Isoflurane for prolonged sedation in the intensive care unit; efficacy and safety.", "content": "To compare isoflurane with midazolam for prolonged sedation in ventilated patients. Randomised controlled study. General intensive care unit in university teaching hospital. Sixty patients aged 17-80 years who required mechanical ventilation for more than 24 h. Sedation with either 0.1-0.6% isoflurane in an air-oxygen mixture (30 patients) or a continuous infusion of midazolam 0.02-0.20 mg/kg/h (30 patients). Sedation was assessed initially and hourly thereafter on a six point scale. The trial sedative was stopped when the patient was ready for weaning from ventilatory support. Measurements were made of haemodynamic, respiratory and biochemical variables regularly during the period of sedation and for a week after stopping the sedative agent. There was no difference in any of the physiological or biochemical variables recorded between the two groups. Patients sedated with isoflurane recovered more rapidly and were weaned from mechanical ventilation sooner than those sedated with midazolam. Isoflurane is a useful agent for prolonged sedation of ventilated patients and does not have any adverse effect on the cardiorespiratory system or on hepatic, renal or adrenal function."}
{"id": "PMID:1469181", "title": "Low dose amiodarone pulmonary toxicity in a patient with a history of pneumonectomy.", "content": "A case of amiodarone pulmonary toxicity (APT) is described following a low dosage of amiodarone (200 mg/day) with serious respiratory insufficiency in a patient after right pneumonectomy. The patient was successfully treated by discontinuation of amiodarone, mechanical ventilation and prednisolone (40 mg/day). A literature study indicates that APT is a dose related toxicity. In our opinion a higher pulmonary drug concentration of amiodarone could exist from a change in pharmacokinetics because of a low fat storage in a thin patient and compensatory growth of the remaining lung which occurs after pneumonectomy. Given these findings we suggest that if amiodarone is indicated in such patients both loading and maintenance doses should be adapted."}
{"id": "PMID:1469182", "title": "Myasthenia gravis and steroid-induced myopathy of the respiratory muscles.", "content": "We report a case of corticosteroid-induced myopathy with involvement of respiratory muscles observed in a myasthenic patient. A 37-years-old woman, under corticosteroid treatment for two years for typical myasthenia gravis was admitted to ICU for acute myasthenic respiratory failure. Weaning from mechanical ventilation remained impossible despite 4 plasma exchanges and azathioprine. The patient exhibited a progressive 12 kg weight loss with muscular weakness and atrophy. Peripheral and diaphragmatic electromyography as well as histological study were consistent with a steroid-induced myopathy. Discontinuation of corticosteroid treatment was followed by a rapid weight gain with general improvement and allowed weaning from mechanical ventilation with a complete recovery. This case provides evidence that corticosteroid-induced myopathy may be observed in myasthenia gravis and may involve the respiratory muscles as well as the peripheral musculature."}
{"id": "PMID:1469183", "title": "Latent dystrophic myopathy revealed by unsuccessful weaning from mechanical ventilation.", "content": "We report a patient who had difficulty in weaning from mechanical ventilation which was due to an unsuspected latent dystrophic myopathy. The association of latent dystrophic myopathy and unsuccessful weaning has not been previously reported."}
{"id": "PMID:1469184", "title": "Fulminant primary Pseudomonas aeruginosa pneumonia and septicaemia in previously well adults.", "content": "We report two cases of primary, community acquired, Pseudomonas aeruginosa pneumonia, occurring in previously well adults without any recognisable environmental risk factors. Both patients died within 36 h of the onset of symptoms, despite broad spectrum antibiotics and aggressive supportive care. In neither case was the diagnosis considered in life and neither patient received adequate anti-pseudomonas therapy. Heightened awareness of this rare, fulminant, variant of primary Pseudomonas pneumonia is required if specific anti-pseudomonas therapy is to have any impact on outcome."}
{"id": "PMID:1469186", "title": "Ciprofloxacin levels in a patient undergoing veno-venous haemodiafiltration.", "content": "Haemofiltration is a popular technique for removal of fluid and small to medium size molecules in critically ill patients. Whilst there is often good information on drug disposition in chronic renal failure, there is a lack of information available to guide Intensivists on how to prescribe drugs in patients in acute renal failure undergoing haemofiltration or haemodiafiltration."}
{"id": "PMID:1469185", "title": "Symmetrical peripheral gangrene: association with noradrenaline administration.", "content": "The syndrome of symmetrical peripheral gangrene is characterised by distal ischaemic damage in two or more extremities, without large vessel obstruction. Four patients with bilateral pedal ischaemia are described and their haemodynamic profiles presented. In all four cases the syndrome developed in association with noradrenaline administration, sepsis and DIC, despite a high cardiac output and a low calculated systemic vascular resistance index. Early treatment with epoprostenol was instituted in the final case and was successful."}
{"id": "PMID:1469187", "title": "Treatment of a patient with severe digitoxin intoxication by Fab fragments of anti-digitalis antibodies.", "content": "A massive digitoxin (DGTX) intoxication in a 36-year-old man (35 mg DGTX) was treated by prolonged and repeated i.v.-infusions of Fab fragments of anti-digitalis antibodies (FAB). Blood and urine samples were collected over a 98 h period for monitoring the efficacy and adequacy of FAB treatment. DGTX concentrations were determined after protein precipitation (release of FAB-bound and protein-bound DGTX) in unprocessed serum and urine samples, and after aliquots of these samples had been dialysed in vitro against DGTX-free buffer (elimination of DGTX not bound to FAB). The difference in DGTX concentration between the unprocessed and dialysed samples was the amount of DGTX bound to plasma proteins and the small fraction of unbound DGTX being relevant for the therapeutic and toxic effects of the drug. Before FAB therapy was started, the total serum DGTX concentration was 535 nmol/l. The first FAB infusion (320 mg) was started 11 h after drug ingestion. Since this amount of FAB was insufficient to bind all DGTX present in the serum, cardiac DGTX toxicity (total AV-block) persisted. During a second FAB infusion (400 mg) the patient reverted to regular AV-conduction. At this time most of the DGTX in serum was FAB-bound. Toxic symptoms (sinus arrest) reappeared twice and were accompanied by increasing amounts of non-antibody-bound DGTX in the serum. Additional application of FAB (2 x 80 mg) resulted in the immediate disappearance of arrhythmia. During FAB-treatment total DGTX serum concentrations and renal DGTX clearance rose, indicating redistribution of drug from tissue to serum and urinary elimination of FAB-bound DGTX, respectively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1469204", "title": "Documenting medication use in adult dental patients: 1987-1991.", "content": "The authors surveyed 5,002 dental outpatients to determine the prevalence and patterns of drug use. They found that drug use increased significantly with age and that a significant number of patients took medications that had potential for adverse dental effects. Thus, dentists should be aware of patient medications and the effects those drugs have on dental treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1469205", "title": "A year of chronic TMPDS: evaluating patients' pain patterns.", "content": "In 136 women with TMPDS observed for one year, pain was highly variable. No respondent had a consistent pattern of pain increase or decrease."}
{"id": "PMID:1469206", "title": "Incidence of cleft lips, palates rising.", "content": "About 1:700 live human births are affected by cleft lip and palate. Socio-economic factors--teenage pregnancies, pregnancies in women older than 35, increased consumption of teratogens during early months of pregnancy--have resulted in increased numbers of congenital malformations in the United States."}
{"id": "PMID:1469207", "title": "Initial preparations for amalgam restorations: extending the longevity of the tooth-restoration unit.", "content": "Tradition has dictated cavity preparation and tooth restoration since the turn of the century. The authors discuss material and technique options that challenge tradition and extend the longevity of restorations."}
{"id": "PMID:1469208", "title": "Panoramic radiographs: necessary for edentulous patients?", "content": "With recent concern about the cumulative effects of radiation exposure, routine radiographic examination of edentulous patients is being questioned. While the present study reports a lower incidence of positive findings than previous panoramic surveys, we still find potentially complicating conditions. Radiographic examination of new edentulous patients still appears warranted."}
{"id": "PMID:1469209", "title": "Preserving avulsed teeth for replantation.", "content": "We performed a retrospective study of 34 replanted avulsed teeth placed in an EPTS before replantation. Even when extraoral time was 120 minutes or more, 91 percent of the teeth showed excellent or moderate success for follow-up periods ranging from three to 30 months. We think that the success of a replanted avulsed tooth is increased by use of a prefabricated tooth preserving and protecting system as described."}
{"id": "PMID:1469214", "title": "Occult fractures of the talus.", "content": "A case presentation of a severe ankle sprain in which the patient was nonresponsive to routine therapies is presented. Repeat radiographs and computerized axial tomographic scans (CAT Scans) lead to the final diagnosis of a sagittal plane fracture of the talus. The clinical and radiographic evaluation leading to the diagnosis will be presented, and the surgical and postoperative managements will be discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1469215", "title": "Postoperative cellulitis of the foot and lower leg following coronary bypass.", "content": "Greater saphenous vein grafts are standardly used for coronary artery bypass grafting. Recurrent acute cellulitis of the saphenous vein-donor extremity is an infrequently reported complication. The authors present a protocol designed to reduce the incidence of the recurrent cellulitis through proper preoperative assessment and postoperative management."}
{"id": "PMID:1469216", "title": "Multiple ruptures of the tendo Achillis.", "content": "An abundance of literature has been published regarding rupture of the tendo Achillis. Certain studies review various options for management, while others focus on the mechanisms and pathogenesis of injury. There are, however, significant differences in the outcomes of these studies. This article reviews the basic anatomy of the tendo Achillis, as well as the various parameters relating to the spontaneous rupture of this tendon. A case study of a recurrent tendo Achillis rupture is also presented, to illustrate principles of management of recurrent ruptures."}
{"id": "PMID:1469217", "title": "The offset \"V\" bunionectomy using cortical screw and buried Kirschner wire fixation.", "content": "The offset \"V\" bunionectomy with cortical screw and buried Kirschner wire fixation offers advantages over previously described distal metatarsal procedures for correction of hallux abducto valgus. The ability to correct an increased intermetatarsal angle (IMA) as well as a proximal articular set angle (PASA) deviation allows for the eradication of postoperative deforming forces, which often lead to recurrence of the deformity. Complete soft tissue release and repair allows for the repositioning of the sesamoidal apparatus, and also reduces the tendency for recurrence. The authors have performed approximately 500 of these procedures in the past 7 years and found it to provide extremely satisfying results. Gaining experience in the aforementioned techniques has lessened the need for base osteotomies and more unstable types of distal osteotomies. The criterion for the use of this osteotomy continues to broaden as the authors gain experience with its use. The offset \"V\" osteotomy is now utilized as either a primary or ancillary procedure in approximately 90% of the hallux valgus patients upon whom the authors operate."}
{"id": "PMID:1469213", "title": "Sonographic analysis of Morton's neuroma.", "content": "A prospective study was performed whereby 73 patients exhibiting clinical symptoms of 109 Morton's neuromas were examined using ultrasound. Reproducible hypoechoic densities were identified as neuromas if they measured greater than 5 mm. in transverse dimension, with those 4 mm. or less in dimensions called \"suspicious\" if they were well-defined and if the patient had marked pain in the examined interspace. Sixty of the neuromas were surgically excised, with 49 being managed conservatively. Of the surgical cases, all but three (95%) of the neuromas were positively identified on sonographic examination and all excised masses demonstrated pathological findings consistent with Morton's neuroma. Thirty-nine percent of the conservatively treated neuromas were negative on sonogram. The average sonographic size of the resected neuromas was 6.2 mm., while the size of those not resected averaged 4.9 mm. This study provides evidence that preoperative sonography is an additional aid in the evaluation of Morton's neuroma, and reaffirms previous evidence that symptomatic neuromas are likely to be at least 5 mm. in diameter on sonogram."}
{"id": "PMID:1469219", "title": "Calcaneal ostectomy for Haglund disease.", "content": "From 1967 to 1987, operative treatment was performed on 28 feet in 22 patients with retrocalcaneal bursitis due to prominent posterior superior margin of the calcaneus (Haglund disease). Through a lateral or medial approach, the prominent bone was removed. The results indicated that excision of the retrocalcaneal bursa was not necessary. Preoperative planning and intraoperative examination was necessary in order to remove an adequate amount of bone, which was the key for a successful result."}
{"id": "PMID:1469220", "title": "The interpositional arthroplasty procedure in treatment of degenerative arthritis of the second metatarsophalangeal joint.", "content": "A description of subjective and objective results in patients that received an interpositional arthroplasty procedure of the second metatarsophalangeal joint is presented. The authors evaluated nine patients using an observational, descriptive design. An independent examiner administered a subjective questionnaire at the same time a physical examination was performed. The average follow-up period was 35.5 months, with a range of 7 to 142 months. All patients showed an improvement in postoperative pain and activity. All but one of the patients rated their results as good or excellent. Additionally, the patient population demonstrated limited motion of the second metatarsophalangeal joint without pain or crepitus postoperatively. The subjective and objective results from this small case series were consistently good."}
{"id": "PMID:1469226", "title": "[The prevalence of female urinary incontinence in general practice].", "content": "To determine the prevalence of urinary incontinence, a questionnaire was administered to 2,911 women by 60 general practitioners, in April and May 1989. The first 50 women seen by the physician in his practice were included in the study. 1,075 women out of 2,911 (37%) declared the presence of episodes of incontinence. Among these 1,075 women, 77% had genuine stress incontinence, 60% urge incontinence, 35% spontaneous leakage. One out of five had these three conditions together. 12% of women with incontinence were less than 31 years of age, 36% were between 31 and 51 years, 20% between 51 and 70 years, and 31% above 70 years. Incontinent women were more frequently post-menopausal; 83% had children (74% for those without incontinence), but the parity was comparable in the two groups. Perineal tears, use of forceps for delivery, high-birth-weight children (above 3,500 g) were more frequently found in incontinent women; but not episiotomy. Incontinent women had more urinary infections, were more often obese, were slightly older at their first childbirth. Post-partum incontinence was found more frequently in incontinent women. A positive association is found with the presence of diabetes, neurological diseases, and chronic bronchitis and cough. Incontinent women more frequently underwent a gynecological surgical procedure, particularly hysterectomies. Incontinence had been present for more than 5 years in 34% of cases, one year in 77% of cases. Only 47 women out of 2,911 (1.6%) consulted specifically for their incontinence.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1469221", "title": "Evaluation of lower extremity ulcerations.", "content": "The authors provide a simplified system for the initial approach and diagnostic evaluation of the more commonly occurring ulcerations encountered by the Podiatric physician. This system provides a logical basis for evaluation, identification, and therapeutic intervention of lower extremity ulcers."}
{"id": "PMID:1469218", "title": "Magnetic resonance arthrography of the ankle.", "content": "Magnetic resonance (MR) arthrography is a useful technique in evaluating the articular structures of the ankle. With intra-articular administration of gadolinium-DTPA (Gd-DTPA), visualization and delineation of anatomic structures, that would not be depicted by other traditional imaging techniques, are achieved. It is a technique that proves to be advantageous as it does not require the use of ionizing radiation, nor iodinated contrast material as other conventional diagnostic modalities. MR arthrography also allows multiplanar imaging and provides excellent resolution."}
{"id": "PMID:1469227", "title": "[Role of male factors in habitual abortion].", "content": "Paternal factors may play some role in habitual abortion in connection with teratospermia, antibodies against spermatozoa, and with chromosome abnormalities in karyotype or in spermatozoa. The role of paternal age and of environmental factors in abortions are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1469228", "title": "[Recipients of oocytes donated anonymously. Psychological aspects].", "content": "This study concerns fifty patients who were investigated after a semi-directed interview. Several factors came to light: the type of couples who use assisted reproductive techniques (diagnostic and psychological profiles); the stability of the couple when failure and when success occurred; the hope of having a child and their ideas concerning the child's future; secrecy, questions that were asked concerning the practice of anonymity and non-anonymous donation of oocytes; the relationships between the recipients and the donors as well as the specific relationships that develop between the couples and their physicians. The conclusion reached from the studies show that the diagnoses of the various causes for sterility give rise to different problems. Donor anonymity makes it possible for the recipient to stamp their own pattern of identity on the child about to be born and make him part of their family history. Bringing the technique into conception of the child does not seem to interfere with the relationship between the couple and with their desire to have a child. The upbringing of the child is the responsibility of the couple."}
{"id": "PMID:1469223", "title": "Structural metatarsus adductus deformity, surgical case report.", "content": "Structural metatarsus adductus deformity may be corrected through the use of closing abductory base wedge osteotomies of all five metatarsals. Although technically demanding, surgical precision is increased through the use of oblique wedges and a combination of screw and cerclage wire fixation. In the severe case, an opening wedge osteotomy of the inner cuneiform (Fowler procedure), with homogenous bone implantation, may be concomitantly used. Both techniques are described in this brief case presentation."}
{"id": "PMID:1469229", "title": "[Four years of screening cervical smears of cervical lesions].", "content": "Twelve thousand two hundred and eighty nine Pap smears were collected from public hospitals and from private practices during a four year period (January 1987 to December 1990). 4.2% of Pap smears exhibited condylomatous or dysplastic lesions. 94.5% of such lesions were encountered in Pap smears taken from the transformation zone and which contained endocervical cells. Therefore, these smears represent the only adequate sample for cervical cancer screening. In our study, a close concertation between biologists and clinicians results in an improvement of the smear quality. The percentage of those containing endocervical cells increased from 49% in 1987 to 72% in 1990. Then, more cervical lesions were encountered on smears of patients from a low socio-economic level. New techniques such as detection of human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA on routine Pap smears by in situ hybridization would allow to improve the cytological diagnosis of HPV infections, mainly for non specific cytological alterations (11% in our series for 1990) and for cytological aspects of dysplasia only. These results point out how a cervical cancer screening can be better carried out."}
{"id": "PMID:1469230", "title": "[Low grade malignant ovarian carcinomas. A retrospective study of 132 cases].", "content": "to estimate the frequency, the age, the size, the bilaterality and the prognosis for \"borderline\" tumours according to the type of cell found. MATERIAL STUDIED: 132 low grade malignant tumours found in 845 primary ovarian carcinomas diagnosed between 1975 and 1984 in the Institute of Pathology in Strasbourg. borderline serous carcinomas (63 cases) were 16.9% of cases were serous neoplasias. The mean age at which the diagnosis was made was 50.3 years of age, and the tumour measured 10 cm. They were bilateral in 20% of the cases and the mean age of survival was 134.7 months. The borderline mucinous carcinomas (68 cases) were 18.2% of mucinous neoplasias. The intestinal sub-variety was found at the mean age of 50 years and was 15.3 cm in diameter. It was rarely bilateral and in some cases was accompanied by peritoneal pseudomyxomatosis. The endocervical sub-variety (18 cases) was diagnosed at a mean age of 41.5 years with a mean size of 13.5 cm. It was rarely bilateral. The two varieties of borderline mucinous carcinomas had a mean survival rate of 154 months. Only one borderline endometrioid carcinoma was found among the 54 endometrioid carcinomas, and none had clear cells, Brenner cells or mixed cells. under the heading of \"borderline\" carcinoma are different types of tumour with different prognoses. Only serous mucinous varieties which are more frequent, have a low potential for becoming malignant. Endometrioid types and clear cell or Brenner types which have a similar architecture are usually found out to be benign."}
{"id": "PMID:1469225", "title": "The offset V modification of the Chevron bunionectomy: a retrospective study.", "content": "This is a retrospective study of two different types of fixation for the offset-V modification of the Chevron (Austin) bunionectomy for correction of hallux abducto valgus deformity. Both screw fixation and Kirschner wire fixation were evaluated radiographically for hallux abductus angle, intermetatarsal angle, proximal articular set angle, tibial sesamoid position, and first metatarsal length. In addition, charts were reviewed for complications selective to each type of fixation. Radiographically, there was no apparent difference in preoperative and postoperative measurements between the two types of fixation. However, chart review led the authors to conclude certain advantages to screw fixation, in terms of clinical results and patient satisfaction."}
{"id": "PMID:1469231", "title": "[Ovarian remnant syndrome. A case report of a malignancy].", "content": "We operated on a patient who had already had total abdominal hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy who developed a pelvic mass. The Pouch of Douglas was filled with a friable cystic mass of which the anatomo-pathological diagnosis was of a borderline serous cyst adenoma that probably was ovarian in origin. The case is interesting because of the radiopathological hypotheses that are brought up and by the various ways of treatment that have been suggested."}
{"id": "PMID:1469222", "title": "Propofol (Diprivan)--a new intravenous anesthetic with applications for outpatient ambulatory surgery.", "content": "A review of the literature pertaining to propofol (Diprivan) is presented. An overview of the drug's pharmaceutical aspects, pharmacokinetic, and pharmacodynamic properties, as well as its side effect profile are discussed. The qualities of Propofol make it an appealing alternative intravenous anesthetic for outpatient ambulatory surgery."}
{"id": "PMID:1469232", "title": "[Catamenial rectal bleeding and sigmoid endometriosis].", "content": "We describe a case of menstrual rectal bleeding due to sigmoid endometriosis. The history led us to the diagnosis and since a small biopsy of the lesion and scanning could not help us to a conclusive diagnosis we carried out histological examination of a piece removed at operation. This case has led us to estimate the incidence, the difficulties of diagnosis and the present therapeutic measures."}
{"id": "PMID:1469224", "title": "Transformation of plantar verruca into squamous cell carcinoma.", "content": "The authors present a case study of a long standing plantar verruca undergoing malignant transformation to a squamous cell carcinoma. This case depicts the rapid change in a plantar verruca of some 20 years' duration without any prior symptomatology. Such malignant change, while rare, can occur and any change in the color, shape, size, or sudden onset of pain in a benign lesion should constitute the consideration of possible malignancy."}
{"id": "PMID:1469233", "title": "[Malignant hypercalcemia after treatment of breast cancer].", "content": "A premenopausal woman developed hypercalcemia 30 months after treatment for infiltrating breast cancer. After bone metastases had been excluded, primary hyper parathyroidism was suspected. A parathyroid adenoma was removed and histologically confirmed. Hypercalcemia persisted, associated with low plasma phosphate and severely depressed plasma parathormone (PTH) levels. Further investigations showed liver metastases from the primary breast cancer and also secretion of a PTH-like substance. Anti-tumoral treatment was effective on the liver metastases and also normalized calcemia and the PTH-like substance, demonstrating the existence of a paraneoplastic syndrome related to the secretion of a PTH-like substance by disseminated liver metastases of primary breast cancer."}
{"id": "PMID:1469234", "title": "[Ultrasonic estimation of fetal weight. Value of measuring limb fat].", "content": "Many ultrasound models for estimating fetal weight have been proposed and for two reasons have not proved to be very successful. First, the weight of the future newborn baby is not necessarily the principal element of neonatal prognosis. Second, the different methods of measurements are so often inaccurate. Many studies dealing with estimates of fetal weight were based on traditional measurements and were therefore not very precise. We suggest a new method based on ultrasound fetal fat measures on a transverse section. This prospective study was made from 274 measurements of which half were used to establish the basic calculation formula and half for the purpose of statistical analysis. The overall accuracy (the median of departure from the means), is 6.3%. This model is particularly good in the case of small foetuses: 6.9% in the 1,000 to 1,500 grams group. Fetal fat seems to be more apt to provide information concerning weight. This measure is inherently a good one for estimating growth and should prove to be particularly interesting in the screening of small for date fetuses."}
{"id": "PMID:1469235", "title": "[Pelvic hydatid cyst and pregnancy. Four cases].", "content": "The association of pelvic hydatid cyst with pregnancy is rare. We collected 4 cases between 1981-1990. Our incidence is of 1/30000 deliveries. The diagnosis was suggested in 3 cases by the patient's country of origin and previous history of extra-pelvic hydatid disease. It is confirmed by ultrasonography, which is still the first choice examination. During the 3 pregnancies managed to term, we did not find any modification in the cyst. One patient had vaginal delivery twice; however complications, sometimes fatal, are reported in the literature. The time for surgery and the mode of delivery are discussed because of the rarity of this association."}
{"id": "PMID:1469239", "title": "The neuropathology of pediatric acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.", "content": "Central nervous system disease has emerged as an important manifestation of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome in both the adult and pediatric populations, with neurologic abnormalities occurring in up to 90% of pediatric patients in some series. Neuropathologic studies, based primarily on the autopsy, have provided valuable insights into the spectrum and pathogenesis of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome-associated neurologic disorders, including primary human immunodeficiency virus encephalopathy and as the spectrum of infectious, neoplastic, and cerebrovascular diseases that may complicate the course of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. Progressive encephalopathy represents the single most common neurologic disorder in pediatric acquired immunodeficiency syndrome and appears to be caused in most cases by direct infection in brain parenchyma by human immunodeficiency virus. Central nervous system lymphoma and cerebrovascular disease continue to account for most focal central nervous system lesions in the pediatric population. In contrast to adults with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, opportunistic central nervous system infections remain relatively uncommon in the pediatric population. Our understanding of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome-associated neurologic disease remains far from complete. A plea is made for regular postmortem examination of the central nervous system in all patients dying with human immunodeficiency virus infection."}
{"id": "PMID:1469240", "title": "Spinal muscular atrophy: new thoughts on the pathogenesis and classification schema.", "content": "We have established the first prospective, collaborative study of spinal muscular atrophy, the second most common neuromuscular disease of childhood. One hundred and forty-one patients have been evaluated on at least four occasions over a 3-year period. The patients have been grouped by age of onset, as well as by function at the time of initial evaluation. The muscle strength of 96 patients aged 5 years or older was evaluated at 6-month intervals using a fixed myometry system. The new observations made are: (1) The present classification schema is not valid; for example, 49 patients with onset of weakness before 6 months of age (type I or Werdnig-Hoffmann disease), whose life span is said to be only 2 to 4 years, participated in the study and are 4 months to 31 years of age. (2) Thirty-seven patients were evaluated over an 18-month period. None lost strength during this time but four lost function. Although the period of observation was short, the results suggest that the loss of function in patients with spinal muscular atrophy might be explained by a process other than cell death that allows patient strength to be maintained and simultaneously prevents the motor unit from achieving its normal adult potential."}
{"id": "PMID:1469241", "title": "Lead neurotoxicity and disorders of learning.", "content": "Preventable and treatable causes of disorders of learning caused by lead exposure can be recognized by heightened awareness of this potential hazard. The Centers for Disease Control using data from many studies of neurobehavioral effects of lead in children and animals, has redefined the lead exposure threshold for clinical and social intervention from 25 micrograms/dL to 10 micrograms/dL. This article reviews the pertinent studies that provide evidence of the effects of lead exposure on development of the nervous system, effects on neural structures involved in memory and learning, and the impact of early lead encephalopathy on adolescent and adult learning skills and cognitive performance. Physicians, teachers, and child care personnel are responsible for identifying children with behavioral signs of subclinical lead intoxication as early as possible. Screening programs and preventive strategies, such as the multitier Centers for Disease Control approach referred to in this article, are necessary. It is no longer reasonable to assume that lead-exposure children not demonstrating severe encephalopathy will recover completely, without residual brain damage after removal from exposure. Sufficient evidence now exists to clearly demonstrate measurable effects of low levels of lead body burden on behavioral and intellectual performance, resulting in learning disorders."}
{"id": "PMID:1469242", "title": "Atypical presentations of spinal cord tumors in children.", "content": "Pain is a frequent presenting symptom of spinal cord tumors in children and usually manifests as local spinal pain in the bony segments overlying the tumor. Two pediatric patients are presented in whom the diagnosis of intramedullary spinal cord tumors was delayed for many months because their pain was atypical. One had recurrent abdominal pain diagnosed as irritable bowel syndrome. The other had very abrupt paroxysmal but infrequent attacks of arm pain and no neurologic abnormalities. Possible mechanisms of their pain, as well as the other features that might have suggested the diagnosis, are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1469243", "title": "Nonprogressive type II hereditary sensory autonomic neuropathy: a homogeneous clinicopathologic entity.", "content": "Two different clinical subtypes were previously identified within hereditary sensory autonomic neuropathy (HSAN) type II: a stable congenital form and a progressive one. This paper discusses two clinicopathologic cases of nonprogressive HSAN type II with morphometric correlations. In addition, a retrospective literature search was carried out to locate other cases where an accurate histologic examination, including ultrastructural features, was available in order to relate clinical and pathologic aspects of the disease. The combined data support the individualization of this neuropathic form as a homogeneous disease, as has been suggested during the last century and underline the clinical importance of this concept for the prognosis and investigation of sensory, auditory, autonomic, and motor functions in children with sensory neuropathies."}
{"id": "PMID:1469244", "title": "Abnormal magnetic resonance images in hemorrhagic shock and encephalopathy syndrome.", "content": "Hemorrhagic shock and encephalopathy syndrome is an acute childhood illness that involves the rapid onset of multisystem failure, including central nervous system, renal, cardiovascular, hepatic, and hematologic dysfunction, and often leads to death or serious neurologic damage. We report the first case of a child with hemorrhagic shock and encephalopathy in which magnetic resonance imaging was used to define the cortical hemorrhagic involvement."}
{"id": "PMID:1469245", "title": "Emotional adjustment of children with hydrocephalus and of their parents.", "content": "Emotional and behavioral adjustment after infantile hydrocephalus were investigated. Children's and parents' adjustments were assessed by means of questionnaires (PIC-R, SCL-90-R) in a sample of 48 children with shunted hydrocephalus. The PIC-R patterns of the children were mostly reflective of their anomalous physical and cognitive development, but there was no evidence for a specific \"hydrocephalic personality\" pattern. Discriminant analyses revealed that there were no strong relationships between distress of the parents (as assessed by the SCL-90-R) and a variety of physical and psychosocial variables, despite the fact that many parents were significantly distressed. It was concluded that the majority of children with hydrocephalus do not present with a specific psychiatric profile, that clinically significant levels of distress are quite common in their parents, and that such distress is typically not related to the hydrocephalus per se."}
{"id": "PMID:1469246", "title": "Predictive value of electromyography in diagnosis and prognosis of the hypotonic infant.", "content": "To investigate the diagnostic validity of electromyography in the hypotonic infant, 79 children aged 0 to 12 months, seen over a 20-year period, were studied retrospectively. The diagnoses using clinical, muscle biopsy, and laboratory characteristics were: 25 central hypotonia, 20 spinal muscular atrophy, 20 myopathy, four myotonic dystrophy, four benign congenital hypotonia, two congenital muscular dystrophy, two myasthenia gravis, one infantile inflammatory myopathy, and one arthrogryposis multiplex congenita. Using strict criteria, electromyography accurately predicted the final diagnosis in 65% of infants with spinal muscular atrophy and was consistent with the diagnosis in another 25%. In contrast, electromyography accurately predicted the final diagnosis in only 10% of infants with myopathy and was normal in 88% of infants with central hypotonia. In infants with spinal muscular atrophy, there was no difference in the predictive value of electromyography when performed in the newborn compared to older infants. Normal distal nerve conduction velocities in infants with spinal muscular atrophy may predict prognosis, since these infants had a longer survival. Electromyography thus has a high predictive value for infantile spinal muscular atrophy but not for myopathy."}
{"id": "PMID:1469247", "title": "Rostral transfontanel herniation.", "content": "Upward transtentorial herniation as a result of mass effect in the posterior fossa has been described in adults by several authors. We report the case of a premature infant, small for gestational age, who experienced rostral herniation of a portion of frontal lobe through the anterior fontanel as the result of a hemorrhagic cerebellar infarction followed by a large parieto-occipital intracerebral hemorrhage."}
{"id": "PMID:1469248", "title": "Clinical imitators of infantile spasms.", "content": "We report 53 infants who by clinical history were thought to have infantile spasms but who video-electroencephalograms showed were having other episodes that closely mimicked infantile spasms. Nine patients had other types of seizures. Forty-five patients had episodic symptoms that were not seizures: 11 patients had spasticity, four had gastroesophageal reflux, and the other patients had nonepileptic myoclonus, including 19 patients with benign neonatal sleep myoclonus. Three patients had more than one type of symptom. Infantile spasms imitators occurred in neurologically normal or abnormal infants, in patients with normal or abnormal interictal electroencephalograms, and in patients who also had previous or current infantile spasms. Differentiation of these episodes from infantile spasms prevented the initiation or continuation of anticonvulsant treatment appropriate for infantile spasms but inappropriate for these other behaviors."}
{"id": "PMID:1469249", "title": "An index for proportion of head size to body mass during infancy.", "content": "The index \"head circumference (cm)3/body weight (g)\" gave an almost constant average (about 10) and standard deviation (about 1) in more than 2000 children at birth and at 4, 10, and 18 months. Application of this index to the data previously published confirms that the average is almost constant throughout the period from birth to 18 months, irrespective of sex or race. Head circumference cubed and body weight correlate significantly. This index seems to be useful to assess the proportion of head size to body mass during infancy, and to contribute to early diagnosis of diseases such as hydrocephalus or microcephaly."}
{"id": "PMID:1469250", "title": "Alterations of urinary acetylcarnitine in valproate-treated rats: the effect of L-carnitine supplementation.", "content": "Urinary excretion of acetylcarnitine was measured by high-performance liquid chromatography in two experimental groups of valproate-treated rats. In the urine of mature rats weighing 180 to 200 g treated with valproate (500 mg/kg/day), acetylcarnitine levels were higher than those in controls on days 4 and 7, while L-carnitine-supplemented rats showed lower levels than the valproate group. The valproate-treated rats showed an increased acetylcarnitine/acylcarnitine ratio on and after day 4, while the L-carnitine-supplemented rats showed no significant change compared to the controls on any days. In the urine of immature rats weighing 80 to 90 g treated with valproate (50 mg/kg/day), acetylcarnitine levels were increased after the 14th day of treatment. These results suggest that an increase in urinary acetylcarnitine occurs when small doses of valproate are administered for a longer time. We speculate that increased acetylcarnitine is not a product of beta-oxidation in mitochondria, because L-carnitine supplementation decreases the acetylcarnitine levels. Although the mechanism of acetylcarnitine excretion during valproate administration is not clear, L-carnitine supplementation is effective in decreasing the level of urinary acetylcarnitine and keeping the acetylcarnitine/acylcarnitine ratio normal."}
{"id": "PMID:1469251", "title": "Functional interhemispheric asymmetries at birth as demonstrated by somatosensory evoked potentials.", "content": "Functional cerebral hemispheric asymmetries detectable at birth have been suggested by a number of neuroanatomic, neuroradiologic, and clinical neurophysiologic modalities. The aim of this study was to determine whether functional interhemispheric asymmetries can be identified using electrophysiologic measures. As part of a prospective study, somatosensory evoked potentials following median nerve stimulation were recorded in nine healthy full-term newborns on day 2 or 3 of life, and somatosensory evoked potentials were repeated at 2 and 6 months of age. These children were subsequently examined at 1 and 3 years of age by a pediatric neurologist and all had normal examinations. Handedness was determined at 3 years by questioning the parent and by clinical observation. Three of nine were left-handers. All three left-handers had clearly identifiable neonatal N19 parietal potentials over the right hemisphere. Following right median nerve stimulation, contralateral parietal potentials were absent on two of the three and questionable in the third. Asymmetries were not clearly present in right-handers although only one showed an increased maturation of the right hemisphere relative to the left. At 2 months of age, interhemispheric differences were no longer clearly evident. This data suggests that preferential hemispheric asymmetries are masked by 2 months of age. This differential rate of development demonstrated by neonatal somatosensory evoked potentials may be an early indicator of ultimate handedness."}
{"id": "PMID:1469252", "title": "Magnetic resonance imaging evaluation of delayed myelination in Down syndrome: a case report and review of the literature.", "content": "Magnetic resonance imaging has been found to be useful in assessing brain myelination and provides information on brain maturation. The normal pattern of brain myelination conforms to a fixed sequence, with good pathologic and MRI correlation. Neuropathologic analysis of myelination has shown delayed central myelination in Down syndrome. Delayed myelination on MRI in Down syndrome has not previously been reported. We report a case of Down syndrome with a significant delay in myelination as demonstrated on MRI. This 18-month-old infant had brain myelination equivalent to that expected for an 11-month-old infant. To determine the relative incidence, extent of delayed myelination, and time for recovery to full myelination in Down syndrome, more cases require examination and assessment. Magnetic resonance imaging has the advantage of serial assessment of myelination during brain maturation."}
{"id": "PMID:1469253", "title": "A note on the occurrence of unusual electroencephalographic sleep patterns in selected normal children.", "content": "Polysomnographic recordings were performed in 50 children free from any familial or personal history of seizure or neurologic diseases to evaluate the frequency of epileptiform and unusual electroencephalographic patterns in a normal population. A 9-year-old boy exhibited focal spikes that became bilateral with a density of 24% to 32% during slow wave sleep, and another boy showed a few spikes during slow wave sleep. In seven cases, 14- and 6-Hz rhythms were recorded, mostly in rapid eye movement sleep. A right rhythmic and temporal discharge was observed in one girl. Epileptiform electroencephalographic patterns are not infrequent, and 14- and 6-Hz rhythms during rapid eye movement sleep are common in normal children."}
{"id": "PMID:1469254", "title": "Occipital encephalocele associated with a dermoid cyst.", "content": "The case of a neonate with a dermoid cyst originating within an occipital encephalocele is reported. The finding of the tumor was made during the routine repair of the meningoencephalocele. To our knowledge this is the first time that this association has been described."}
{"id": "PMID:1469258", "title": "The mouse as a suitable host for an isolate of Schistosoma haematobium from Niger.", "content": "The host-parasite relationships of a Schistosoma haematobium isolate, originating from Niger, and the white mouse are described. Swiss OF1 albino mice were exposed individually to 200 cercariae and worms were recovered 9, 12, 16 and 20 weeks post infection. The mean worm returns ranged between 10.54 and 13.05% and did not alter significantly between 9 and 20 weeks post infection. The sex ratio of worms was always in favour of males; from 7.09:1 at 9 weeks after infection it decreased regularly to 3.28:1 at 20 weeks. Male worms reached a mean length of 8.72 mm at 20 weeks. From the 12th week post infection, a high number of eggs was found in the liver and gut. At 20 weeks, eggs were also found in the bladder. Viable eggs and infective miracidia were obtained. The infection of Bulinus truncatus from Niger succeeded with a mean rate of 61% after the first passage through mice. The isolate of S. haematobium was maintained in the laboratory during 3 successive passages through mice. These entirely new results are very probably linked to genetic characteristics peculiar to the S. haematobium populations from Niger."}
{"id": "PMID:1469259", "title": "On the biological and biochemical nature of cloned populations of Strongyloides ratti.", "content": "Seven geographically varied isolates of Strongyloides ratti were cloned. Each clone was examined for the degree of homogonic development of the free-living generation and by enzyme electrophoresis. Considerable variation was found between the clones in the degree of development that was homogonic. In contrast, the clones were indistinguishable by enzyme electrophoresis."}
{"id": "PMID:1469260", "title": "Life cycle of Gnathostoma nipponicum Yamaguti, 1941.", "content": "The life cycle of Gnathostoma nipponicum was examined by field survey and by experimental infection of animals with the larvae. Naturally infected larval G. nipponicum were found in loaches, catfish, and snakes. Experimentally, loaches, killifishes, frogs, salamanders, mice, and rats were successfully infected with the early third-stage larvae of G. nipponicum obtained from copepods (the first intermediate host), whereas snakes, quails, and weasels were not. Frogs, snakes, quails, and rats were experimentally infected with the advanced third-stage larvae (AdL3) from loaches. These results reveal that some species of fishes, amphibians and mammals can act as the second intermediate host and that some species of reptiles, birds and mammals can act as a paratenic host. The life cycle was completed in weasels, the definitive host, which were infected with AdL3 from loaches and started to evacuate eggs of G. nipponicun in faeces on days 65-90 postinfection."}
{"id": "PMID:1469261", "title": "Seasonal variation in the prevalence and intensity of canine Gnathostoma spinigerum infection in northeastern Thailand.", "content": "Gnathostoma spinigerum was found in gastric nodules in 4.1% of 2940 dogs surveyed in northeastern Thailand. The prevalence and worm burden of G. spinigerum exhibited a seasonal fluctuation. The parasites were more abundant in the rainy season and the early winter (August-December) than in the summer (April-March). Most parasites were sexually mature between August and December while immature worms were observed during March and April. The distribution of gnathostomes within the sampled dogs was highly dispersed and few animals were found to harbour more than five worms."}
{"id": "PMID:1469262", "title": "Seroprevalence of Toxocara canis antibodies in humans in northern Jordan.", "content": "Sera of 699 individuals, aged between 5-24 years, from the Irbid area, Jordan, were tested for Toxocara canis antibodies using an ELISA-IgG test. Crude prevalence was 10.9% (76 of 699) but age-adjusted prevalence was 14.3%. The highest prevalence was observed in females aged 5-9 years, 23.3% (7 of 30), and males of 15-19 years of age, 19.5% (16 of 82). The lowest prevalence was observed in females aged 20-25 years, 5.2% (8 of 155). Significant differences (P < 0.05) between the prevalences of the toxocaral antibodies in males and females were observed in the age groups 5-9, 15-19 and 20-24 years. The trend of prevalence in relation to age was different according to sex."}
{"id": "PMID:1469266", "title": "Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in U.S. hospitals, 1975-1991.", "content": "Analyze changes that have occurred among U.S. hospitals over a 17-year period, 1975 through 1991, in the percentage of Staphylococcus aureus resistant to beta-lactam antibiotics and associated with nosocomial infections. Retrospective review. The percentage of methicillin-resistant S aureus (MRSA) was defined as the number of S aureus isolates resistant to either methicillin, oxacillin, or nafcillin divided by the total number of S aureus isolates for which methicillin, oxacillin, or nafcillin susceptibility test results were reported to the National Nosocomial Infections Surveillance (NNIS) System. NNIS System hospitals. Of the 66,132 S aureus isolates that were tested for susceptibility to methicillin, oxacillin, or nafcillin during 1975 through 1991, 6,986 (11%) were resistant to methicillin, oxacillin, or nafcillin. The percentage MRSA among all hospitals rose from 2.4% in 1975 to 29% in 1991, but the rate of increase differed significantly among 3 bed-size categories: < 200 beds, 200 to 499 beds, and > or = 500 beds. In 1991, for hospitals with < 200 beds, 14.9% of S aureus isolates were MRSA; for hospitals with 200 to 499 beds, 20.3% were MRSA; and for hospitals with > or = 500 beds, 38.3% were MRSA. The percentage MRSA in each of the bed-size categories rose above 5% at different times: in 1983, for hospitals with > or = 500 beds; in 1985, for hospitals with 200 to 499 beds; and in 1987, for hospitals with < 200 beds. This study suggests that hospitals of all sizes are facing the problem of MRSA, the problem appears to be increasing regardless of hospital size, and control measures advocated for MRSA appear to require re-evaluation. Further study of MRSA in hospitals would benefit our understanding of this costly pathogen."}
{"id": "PMID:1469267", "title": "A comparison of clinical virulence of nosocomially acquired methicillin-resistant and methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus infections in a university hospital.", "content": "To compare the clinical virulence of nosocomially acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and methicillin-sensitive S aureus (MSSA) infections in 1989. A retrospective comparison of host factors, in-hospital exposures, sites of infections, and outcomes of patients with nosocomial MRSA and MSSA infections. University of Illinois Hospital, Chicago, Illinois. Forty-four adult patients with nosocomial S aureus infections. The 22 MRSA-infected and 22 MSSA-infected persons were similar regarding mean age, gender, underlying diseases, and exposure to surgery. Before developing infection, MRSA-infected persons were more likely to have received antibiotics (73% compared with 27%, odds ratio = 7.1, 95% confidence interval [CI95] = 2.0-25.8 p = .003) and to have stayed in the hospital > 2 weeks (64% compared with 18%, odds ratio = 7.9, CI95 = 2.0-31.6, p = .002). Bacteremia was the most common presentation in the MRSA and MSSA groups (55% and 59%, respectively). Infectious complications and death were infrequent in both groups. MRSA and MSSA strains infect patients with similar demographic features and underlying diseases, but MRSA infections are significantly more common among patients with previous antibiotic therapy and a prolonged preinfection hospital stay. Clinical presentations and outcomes did not differ significantly between the 2 groups. Thus, similar to studies in the early 1980s, our findings do not suggest greater intrinsic virulence of MRSA."}
{"id": "PMID:1469268", "title": "Investigation of a computer virus outbreak in the pharmacy of a tertiary care teaching hospital.", "content": "A computer virus outbreak was recognized, verified, defined, investigated, and controlled using an infection control approach. The pathogenesis and epidemiology of computer virus infection are reviewed. Case-control study. Pharmacy of a tertiary care teaching institution. On October 28, 1991, 2 personal computers in the drug information center manifested symptoms consistent with the \"Jerusalem\" virus infection. The same day, a departmental personal computer began playing \"Yankee Doodle,\" a sign of \"Doodle\" virus infection. An investigation of all departmental personal computers identified the \"Stoned\" virus in an additional personal computer. Controls were functioning virus-free personal computers within the department. Cases were associated with users who brought diskettes from outside the department (5/5 cases versus 5/13 controls, p = .04) and with College of Pharmacy student users (3/5 cases versus 0/13 controls, p = .012). The detection of a virus-infected diskette or personal computer was associated with the number of 5 1/4-inch diskettes in the files of personal computers, a surrogate for rate of media exchange (mean = 17.4 versus 152.5, p = .018, Wilcoxon rank sum test). After education of departmental personal computer users regarding appropriate computer hygiene and installation of virus protection software, no further spread of personal computer viruses occurred, although 2 additional Stoned-infected and 1 Jerusalem-infected diskettes were detected. We recommend that virus detection software be installed on personal computers where the interchange of diskettes among computers is necessary, that write-protect tabs be placed on all program master diskettes and data diskettes where data are being read and not written, that in the event of a computer virus outbreak, all available diskettes be quarantined and scanned by virus detection software, and to facilitate quarantine and scanning in an outbreak, that diskettes be stored in organized files."}
{"id": "PMID:1469275", "title": "6-H3 thymidine uptake in the central nervous system of newt following lesion and cold shock.", "content": "The uptake of 6-H3 thymidine in the optic tectum and the forebrain of the newt following injury to one of the two nervous areas, shows a marked proliferative response in the telencephalon in the presence of a lesion on the right optic tectum, and a poor response of the optic tectum after a lesion on the right telencephalic lobe. A similar proliferative response is also obtained when the specimens received only the cold shock. In both experimental conditions maximum uptake is obtained after 7 days. It is assumed that the matrix cells of the forebrain and the undifferentiated cells of the optic tectum respond differently to the regeneration factor released by the nervous tissue following a lesion or a cold shock."}
{"id": "PMID:1469276", "title": "Endocytotic activity of the presynaptic membrane and the morphometric differences of cortical synapses during the excitability changes in the initial phases of kindling.", "content": "Cortical sensorimotor areas of the laboratory rats was repeatedly stimulated at 10 min intervals. It led to progressive lengthening of the self-sustained after discharges (SSAD). Ten minutes after termination of the third SSAD the synapses of type I were examined. The ten minutes interval corresponds in electrophysiological experiments with a marked increase of excitability of the investigated cortical area. At the some time, it coincides with the intensification of endocytotic activity on the presynaptic membrane, and with an increase of complex and dense-core vesicles. The exocytotic activity was not changed. The area of the presynaptic elements increased together with their perimeter and maximal diameter. Mitochondria within the presynaptic bags had larger section area. Also the postsynaptic elements became larger, their section area, perimeter and maximal diameter increased. We consider the theory of presynaptic membrane recycling, ion permeability changes, activity of proteosynthesis and the role of contractile proteins during the repeated hyperfunction."}
{"id": "PMID:1469278", "title": "Pineal \"synaptic\" ribbons evolution over a 24 hour period during two different photoluminous seasons, a comparative and statistical analysis.", "content": "A comparative statistical analysis of \"synaptic ribbons\" evolution over a 24 hour period during two different photoluminous seasons (September, and winter) is carried out. Seventy male rats were used. Statistical analysis involved the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, variance analysis, the Student t-test and Pearson's correlation test. The results show that \"synaptic ribbons\" evolve during the circadian phase and through two different seasons, with a clear and marked influence of point-time (p < 0.0001) and season (p < 0.0001)."}
{"id": "PMID:1469279", "title": "Effect of gamma butyrolactone on the hypothalamo-neurohypophyseal system of the gerbil brain after ischemic injury.", "content": "The effect of exogenous gamma butyrolactone (GBL) on hypothalamo-neurohypophyseal system of the gerbil brain after ischemic injury was studied by electron microscopy. It was mentioned that GBL hasn't a protective action against ischemically induced injury. We postulate that neurosecretory process is slightly disturbed as a result of irreversible damage of some tissue elements; neurons of supraoptic and paraventricular nuclei, glial cells and axonal endings in neurohypophysis."}
{"id": "PMID:1469280", "title": "Do dentate area transplants take the function of damaged dentate area neurons in the rat brain after having replaced them?", "content": "Colchicine eliminates selectively dentata area granular cells after topical microinjections. In rats treated this way it was impossible to evoke field potentials by perforant parth stimulation and the animals were unable to learn if perforant path stimulation was used as conditioned signal. After colchicine lesion neonatal dentate area tissue was grafted into the lesioned region. Between 4 and 10 weeks after grafting it was again possible to evoke potentials after perforant path stimulation and the rats were able to learn, whereas colchicine-treated rats without grafts failed. The histological investigation showed well on grown neurons within the grafts. The grafts were well integrated. It was shown that the mossy fibers from the grafts innervated the deserted CA3 sector, and that the grafted neurons were innervated by nervous fibers from the recipient brain. It can be supposed that the granular cells from the grafts were able to taken the function of the damaged granular cells of the colchicine treated dentate area."}
{"id": "PMID:1469281", "title": "Nerve cell rearrangement in neocortical layers of MAM treated foetal mice.", "content": "In this study we examined the changes in cortical layers when Methylazoxymethanol-acetate (MAM) was injected on 13th, 15th and 17th day of gestation (MAM13, MAM15, MAM17). Prenatal MAM administration prevents neuron precursor proliferation; the subsequent cell number decrease is followed by an increase in size of surviving cells. When MAM was injected on 13th or 15th day of gestation the significant decrease in cell density, in II and III zone (MAM13) and in the upper layers (MAM15), was compensated by a proportional increase in cell size and synaptic density. When MAM was injected on 17th embryonal day it did not cause a significant change in the neuron density and soma size was not altered while the distribution of cell size among layers showed significant differences with respect to the controls. Our findings of some area and synaptic density show that the cell surface increase is proportional to the decrease in cell number and that in the surviving cells there is a rearrangement in synaptic connections that compensate for the cellular density decrease."}
{"id": "PMID:1469282", "title": "Unusual glial cells in sensory ganglia.", "content": "Unusual glial cells not related with perikarya or fibres were observed with the electron microscope in dorsal root spinal ganglia. These interstitial cells were very electron dense, with big and irregularly shaped nucleus and scanty organelles. They occurred immersed in the endoneurial space tissue, with no basal lamina and presented no contacts with other cells. In addition to these interstitial cells present both in kittens and adult cats, younger kitten sensory ganglia contained refringent glial cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1469283", "title": "Skin inflammation: reactive oxygen species and the role of iron.", "content": "Superoxide and hydrogen peroxide are reactive oxygen species (ROS) primarily produced by phagocytic cells as a consequence of the process of phagocytosis. This defensive role, may, however, become one of attack when production of ROS is excessive and overwhelms cellular scavenging systems. This happens in situations such as acute inflammation and results in host cell membrane damage, which is particularly prevalent in the presence of transition metal catalysts such as iron and copper. The skin is uniquely vulnerable to this attack being rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids and exposed to high oxygen tensions and ultraviolet light, both of which promote production of ROS. Additionally, the respiratory burst of infiltrating polymorphonuclear leukocytes and macrophages in inflamed skin will produce high local levels of superoxide that can release \"catalytic iron\" from storage proteins such as ferritin. The role of iron and ROS in the pathogenesis of inflammatory skin disease is discussed as is the possibility of novel therapeutic strategies based on their removal."}
{"id": "PMID:1469284", "title": "Noncollagenous (NC1) domain of collagen VII resembles multidomain adhesion proteins involved in tissue-specific organization of extracellular matrix.", "content": "Type VII collagen (C7) is a stratified squamous epithelial basement membrane protein composed of three identical alpha chains, each consisting of a 145-kDa amino-terminal noncollagenous (NC1) domain and a 145-kDa carboxyl-terminal collagenous domain. Morphologic and biochemical studies have shown that tissue-specific aggregates of C7 dimers called anchoring fibrils may contribute to epithelial basement membrane organization and adherence by interacting with extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins such as type IV collagen. In this study, we cloned a cDNA encoding most of the NC1 domain of C7. The deduced amino acid sequence revealed motifs characteristic of multidomain ECM proteins that contribute to the tissue-specific organization of ECM including a region of 7 1/2 sequential fibronectin type III (Fn III) homology repeats, a potential collagen-binding region homologous to the A domain of von Willebrand factor (vWf) and an RGD sequence. A purified C7 fusion protein containing these motifs specifically bound to type IV collagen in a functional assay. These results suggest that regions within the NC1 domain of C7 mediate interactions with lamina densa and dermal ECM proteins including type IV collagen. Structural mutations and autoepitopes in these regions may represent mechanisms for the development of defective basement membrane organization and adherence in genetic and autoimmune forms of epidermolysis bullosa."}
{"id": "PMID:1469285", "title": "In vitro model of essential fatty acid deficiency.", "content": "The polyunsaturated fatty acids linoleic acid (18:2, n-6) and arachidonic acid (20:4, n-6) are essential for normal skin function and structure, both as eicosanoid precursors and as components of lipids forming cell membranes. Adult human keratinocytes grow optimally in serum-free medium (MCDB 153) that contains no fatty acids. These keratinocytes expand rapidly and produce normal epidermis upon in vivo grafting. Analysis of lipid extracts of epidermis and of cultured keratinocytes was done to determine the fatty acid composition of cells grown in essential fatty acid (EFA)-deficient medium. Gas chromatography and high-performance liquid chromatography analyses were done of the fatty acids in the entire cell and in a thin-layer chromatography separated fraction containing those lipids that form cellular membranes. Comparison of snap-frozen epidermis and epidermal basal cell suspensions to passage 1 to 4 cultures shows that the cells are in an extreme essential fatty acid-deficient state by the first passage. The amount of the saturated fatty acids 16:0, 18:0, and 14:0 is unchanged by culture. The polyunsaturated fatty acids are found to be significantly decreased, the cells balancing their lack with a significant increase in the relative abundance of the monounsaturated fatty acids, 18:1 and 16:1. Greater than 85-90% of the fatty acids was found in lipids associated with membranes and no unusual fatty acids were detected. Because the serum-free medium is fatty acid free and the cells cannot synthesize essential fatty acids, the rapid division of the cells results in the predominance of an extreme EFA-deficient cell type. The essential fatty acid-deficient keratinocyte is an excellent adult, normal epidermal cell model that can be used to study EFA deficiency and the effect of the eicosanoid and fatty acids on cell function and structure."}
{"id": "PMID:1469286", "title": "Collagenase in wound healing: effect of wound age and type.", "content": "Collagenase is believed to be important for cell migration and collagen remodeling during tissue repair and regeneration. We have investigated collagenase concentrations in different types of surgically inflicted wounds in pigs. Collagenase was extracted from tissue homogenates of wounds by heating to 60 degrees C for 6 min in 0.1 M CaCl2. The molecular weight of latent collagenase was about 52 kDa. Activated collagenase produced the characteristic 3/4 fragment of collagen. Collagenase was assayed by the use of radiolabeled telopeptide-free collagen. To detect maximal collagenase activity, extracts were reduced and alkylated to destroy inhibitors, then activated with aminophenylmercuric acetate. Sutured incisions showed peak collagenase content on postoperative day 1 and thereafter steadily declining concentrations. Granulation tissue from non-sutured large defect full-thickness wounds showed high collagenase content on postoperative day 5 and then a sharp decline to day 7 followed by a slowly declining curve to postoperative day 21. Partial-thickness wounds exhibited a different time course, with collagenase increasing to peak concentrations on postoperative days 3-5; however, a large proportion of the detected collagenase was due to the adherent scab. By day 7 collagenase concentrations approached the low concentrations of normal skin when epithelialization was complete and the scab rejected. In general, collagenase shows an early maximum and then declines with postoperative time, with the sharpest decline occurring when epithelialization is complete."}
{"id": "PMID:1469287", "title": "Effect of aging and habitual sun exposure on the genetic response of cultured human keratinocytes to solar-simulated irradiation.", "content": "Aging and chronic sun exposure are known to be associated with decreased cutaneous immune function, changes in the balance between epidermal proliferation and differentiation, and a greatly enhanced risk of photocarcinogenesis. However, their specific effects on the response of human keratinocytes to ultraviolet (UV) irradiation are unknown. We therefore asked whether aging and photoaging modulate the response at the mRNA level to UV-inducible genes implicated in immunomodulation and/or growth control. Cultured human keratinocytes derived from newborn, young adult, and old adult donors were exposed to a single physiologic dose of solar-simulated UV or sham irradiation and harvested at 1, 4, 8, 24, and 48 h post-irradiation for northern blot analysis. Specific mRNA was detected using cDNA probes encoding the proto-oncogenes c-fos and c-myc and the growth-arrest and DNA damage (GADD153) gene, all recently shown by our laboratory to be modulated by UV in newborn keratinocytes; interleukin (IL)-1a, IL-1b, and the IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra), two keratinocyte cytokines and their competitive inhibitor, implicated in the immunomodulatory effect of UV; and SPR2, a recently cloned gene known to be induced during normal keratinocyte differentiation and by lethal UV-C irradiation. Our data suggest that aging alone strikingly increases the baseline expression of SPR2 and IL-1ra but has relatively little effect on the response to UV for the other genes examined. In contrast, the combination of aging and habitual sun exposure, so-called photoaging, markedly increases c-fos inducibility and decreases baseline expression of SPR2 and IL-1ra relative to that in cells from sun-protected skin of the same donors. The implied alterations in signal transduction and differentiation state observed in cells derived from habitually sun-exposed sites of old adults may explain in part the predisposition to photocarcinogenesis in photoaged skin."}
{"id": "PMID:1469288", "title": "Demonstration of clonal immunoglobulin gene rearrangements in cutaneous B-cell lymphomas and pseudo-B-cell lymphomas: differential diagnostic and pathogenetic aspects.", "content": "Twenty-five patients with a benign or malignant cutaneous B-cell lymphoproliferative disease, including seven cutaneous pseudo-B-cell lymphomas, eight primary cutaneous B-cell lymphomas (CBCL), and 10 secondary cutaneous B-cell lymphomas, were investigated for the presence of clonal immunoglobulin (Ig) gene rearrangements using Southern blot hybridization analysis. The selection of pseudo-B-cell lymphomas was based on the presence of polyclonal light-chain expression with immunohistochemical analysis. All cases of CBCL demonstrated monotypic light-chain expression or absence of detectable Ig on CD20+ B cells. Clonal rearrangements of one or more Ig genes were demonstrated in four of seven cases of cutaneous pseudo-B-cell lymphomas, six of eight cases of primary CBCL, and in all cases of secondary CBCL. The observation that cutaneous pseudo-B-cell lymphomas as defined by immunohistochemical criteria often contain occult monoclonal B-cell populations implies that differentiating between pseudo-B-cell lymphomas and CBCL is not always possible by means of gene-rearrangement analysis. These findings may support the concept that cutaneous pseudo-B-cell lymphomas and primary CBCL are part of a continuous and progressive spectrum of B-cell lymphoproliferative skin disorders."}
{"id": "PMID:1469289", "title": "Membrane structural abnormalities in the stratum corneum of the autosomal recessive ichthyoses.", "content": "Congenital ichthyosiform erythroderma (CIE) and classic lamellar ichthyosis (LI) are autosomal recessive disorders of cornification (DOC), distinguished previously by clinical, histologic, ultrastructural, and cell kinetic criteria. Whether there is further heterogeneity within the CIE group is uncertain. To address the issue of genetic heterogeneity, and to study the pathogenesis of these DOC, skin biopsies from eight CIE, three LI, and six normal subjects were assessed by electron microscopy, including ruthenium tetroxide postfixation with optical diffraction, to visualize and quantitate intercellular membrane domains. We found abnormal lamellar bodies in CIE and distinctive alterations in intercellular lamellar bilayer architecture among patients with CIE and three patients with LI. Two biopsies from two patients at different sites demonstrated the consistency of these findings. Moreover, in both CIE and the three LI patients, desmosomes persisted throughout the outer layers of the SC, indicative of impaired degradation. Our ultrastructural observations support the previously reported phenotypic distinction between CIE and LI, and the further likelihood of genetic heterogeneity within CIE. However, these studies do not support the division of the autosomal recessive ichthyoses into three subgroups based upon cytosolic structural abnormalities. Finally, these studies provide new insights into the pathogenesis of the autosomal recessive DOC."}
{"id": "PMID:1469290", "title": "Comparison of calmodulin gene expression in human neonatal melanocytes and metastatic melanoma cell lines.", "content": "The qualitative and quantitative expression of three calmodulin genes (CAM I, CAM II and CAM III) was characterized in human neonatal melanocytes and metastatic melanoma cell lines in the absence and presence of serum, other growth modulators, and/or 12-O-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate (TPA). Results indicated that the qualitative expression in melanocytes was the same as that of melanomas, that is, CAM I gene expressed two transcripts, 4.4 kb and 2.1 kb, whereas CAM II and CAM III expressed one transcript each, 1.95 kb and 2.37 kb, respectively. Differential quantitative expression was seen particularly with CAM I. The average levels of both CAM I transcripts in melanomas were less than one-half those of melanocytes. Serum and other growth modulators (including Ca++, isobutyl methyl xanthine, bovine pituitary extract, and insulin) enhanced CAM I and CAM II gene expression in melanocytes; in contrast, the net effect of serum in melanomas was to decrease expression of CAM I and CAM III. This effect was most prominent in melanoma C81-46C. TPA markedly inhibited expression of all three CaM genes in melanocytes; however, in melanomas the net effect of TPA was to increase their expression. CAM I in melanoma C81-46C was the most sensitive to TPA stimulation."}
{"id": "PMID:1469291", "title": "Three-dimensional reconstruction and stereometric analysis of Langerhans cells in mouse epidermis.", "content": "In the presented studies stereometric analysis and spatial reconstruction was performed on two Langerhans cell (LC) types. One was free of LC-I and the other contained LC-II Birbeck granules in the perinuclear space. The presented stereometric analysis demonstrated significant differences between the so-distinguished two cell types. Differences were observed not only in the number and distribution of Birbeck's granules but also in the areas of smooth and rough endoplasmic reticulum, in the area of vesicles surrounding Golgi apparatus, in the volume of cisterns of the apparatus, and in the ratio of cell nucleus area to its volume. Differences noted between the two cell types were of quantitative character. They might result from different stages of differentiation of the cells from their precursors in the epidermis or from distinct functional stages of the cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1469292", "title": "Mitotic activity in the dermis of mice during graft versus host disease: the role of fibroblast replication in dermal fibrosis.", "content": "When immunocompetent cells are transferred to an allogeneic, immunologically compromised host a complex series of cellular events are initiated, referred to as graft versus host disease. This results in widespread organ damage with fibrosis being a prominent feature. The pathologic fibrosis may result from an increase in fibroblast numbers, an increase in collagen produced from individual fibroblasts, or a combination of the two processes. The relative contribution of fibroblast replication to the pathologic fibrosis seen in graft versus host disease has not been directly determined previously, and this is the main object of this paper. Graft versus host disease was induced by the transfer of lymphoid cells from B10D2 mice to irradiated Balb/c recipients. In order to study the mitotic activity of dermal cells following bone marrow transplantation, a thymidine anologue, bromo-deoxyuridine (BrDU), was administered to mice using an osmotically driven, implantable infusion device. The labeled cells were visualized immuno-histochemically and studied at weekly intervals. There is intense mitotic activity in the basal layer of the epidermis and the acrosyringal epithelium from the second week. Evidence of increased mitotic activity in the epidermis persisted until the fifth week post-transplantation. Fibroblast replication was seen from the end of the third post-transplant week. Dermal collagen deposition also occurred at this time. Peak mitotic activity was present at the end of the fourth week and was less pronounced by the fifth week. It was especially evident in the upper dermis where the developing collagen layer was being deposited. To our knowledge this is the first direct demonstration of fibroblast proliferation in an immunologically mediated fibrotic disorder. It is concluded that fibroblast replication is an important mechanism leading to the pathologic fibrosis seen in graft versus host disease and, by analogy, probably other types of immunologically mediated fibrosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1469293", "title": "Topically applied verapamil hydrochloride inhibits tuberculin-induced delayed-type hypersensitivity reactions in human skin.", "content": "Calcium channel antagonists have been reported to possess inhibitory effects on lymphocyte migration and activation in vitro, and on cell-mediated immune reactions in the skin of experimental animals. We have therefore studied the effects of topically applied 8% (w/v) verapamil hydrochloride in propylene glycol on tuberculin-induced delayed-type hypersensitivity reactions in the skin of normal human volunteers. There was significant inhibition of the tuberculin reactions by the verapamil preparation compared to vehicle controls, as determined by forearm skin fold thickness measurement and assessment of the density of mononuclear cell infiltrates in skin biopsies. The precise mechanism of action of verapamil hydrochloride remains unclear, but could include effects on T-cell migration and activation, on antigen-presenting cells, and/or on other cells. The potential for the use of topical calcium channel antagonist preparations in inflammatory skin diseases warrants further study."}
{"id": "PMID:1469294", "title": "Molecular mechanisms of human melanocyte attachment to fibronectin.", "content": "In this report we show that fetal and neonatal melanocyte attachment to fibronectin (FN) is inhibited by antibodies to the beta 1 integrin subunit, suggesting a role for these molecules in melanocyte attachment to FN. The VLA-5 integrin was shown to be the predominant receptor for fetal melanocyte attachment to FN, in contrast with neonatal melanocytes in which the very late antigen (VLA)-5, VLA-3, and alpha v integrins each contributed to melanocyte attachment to FN. Peptides containing the arginyl-glycyl-aspartyl-serine (RGDS) sequence inhibited fetal and neonatal melanocyte attachment to FN by a maximum of 48% and 85%, respectively. The almost complete inhibition of neonatal melanocyte attachment to FN by RGDS-containing peptides suggests that the central cell-binding domain of FN is the primary recognition site for neonatal cell attachment to FN. Fetal and neonatal melanocytes showed a concentration-dependent attachment to two proteolytically derived fragments of the FN molecule: a 75-kD fragment, which contains the central cell-binding domain, and 33/66-kD fragments of the FN molecule, which encompass the heparin-binding domains V and VI. Antibodies to the beta 1 subunit inhibited fetal and neonatal melanocyte attachment to the 33/66-kD fragments by a maximum of only 15% and 24%, respectively, suggesting that other, non-integrin, receptors are involved in melanocyte recognition of this portion of the FN molecule. We propose that human fetal and neonatal melanocytes attach to FN by different complements of receptors and ligand target sequences, and that these differences may direct melanocyte interactions with FN during development."}
{"id": "PMID:1469295", "title": "Effective enrichment of murine epidermal Langerhans cells by a modified(mismatched) panning technique.", "content": "A method for the enrichment of murine epidermal Langerhans cells (LC) is described in detail. It is based on positive selection of LC from pre-enriched fresh or cultured epidermal cell suspensions derived from ear skin by a modified panning technique. The method uses the interspecies cross-reactivities of anti-immunoglobulin antibodies: when LC in an epidermal cell suspension are labeled with mouse anti-major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II antibodies they bind to petri dishes coated with anti-rat immunoglobulin antibodies. We therefore call this method \"mismatched panning.\" After rinsing off non-adherent cells, the adherent LC can easily be dislodged by adding excess amounts of rat immunoglobulins, which effectively compete with the LC-bound mouse anti-MHC class II antibodies for binding to the petri dish. Using this modified panning technique, both fresh and cultured LC could be enriched up to more than 90% purity. From one ear, 2.0-3.0 x 10(4) fresh LC and 3.0-4.5 x 10(4) cultured LC could be obtained. Of all LC present in a primary, unenriched epidermal cell suspension, 40-60% were recovered when panned immediately after isolation of the epidermal cells and 50-75% when panned after 3 d of epidermal cell culture. Viability of panned LC was consistently more than 90%. Antigen presenting and T-cell-stimulating capacity of LC and responses to the cytokines granulocyte/macrophage colony-stimulating factor and tumor necrosis factor-alpha were not impaired by this panning procedure. The major advantage of this method compared to pre-existing panning techniques is the ease with which adherent LC can be dislodged from the panning dishes. Because the elution procedure is very gentle, virtually all panned LC are viable. As a consequence, good yields of highly enriched LC can be obtained in a reasonable time."}
{"id": "PMID:1469296", "title": "Preclinical system for evaluating topical podofilox treatment of papillomas: dose-response and duration of growth prior to treatment.", "content": "The objective of the present study was to assess the utility of Shope rabbit papillomas as an animal model system for studying topical podofilox treatment and to evaluate dose-response relations and influence of duration of papilloma growth prior to treatment. New Zealand White rabbits received inoculations of cottontail rabbit papillomavirus (CRPV) virions of two dilutions at four sites total on the dorsum. Two papillomas on the left side were treated with podofilox (Oclassen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., San Rafael, CA). The drug was given topically twice each day, 5 d per week, for 21 d. We evaluated the effects of drug dose and the duration of papilloma growth prior to treatment. Results indicated that treatment beginning on day 28 with both 0.5 and 2.5% (w/v) podofilox inhibited papilloma growth, but 5.0% was more effective. In a separate experiment, papillomas were treated at 7, 21, or 60 d after virus inoculation. At 7 d, the untreated lesions were latent (not visible). At 21 d after infection, they were about 2.5 mm in diameter. At 60 d, papillomas were about 25 mm. Treatment with 5.0% podofilox beginning on any of those days strongly inhibited papilloma growth. Neither Southern blots nor PCR detected CRPV DNA in cured sites of previous virus infection. Antibody production to CRPV virion was not affected by drug treatment. 5.0% podofilox irritated normal skin adjacent to papillomas as evidenced by inflammation, induration, and superficial erosion. However, healing was satisfactory and no scarring resulted. We concluded that the Shope papilloma was a good model system for studying podofilox treatment because the lesions responded to drug across a broad range of drug concentrations and papilloma sizes."}
{"id": "PMID:1469297", "title": "Use of the polymerase chain reaction in quantification of interleukin 8 mRNA in minute epidermal samples.", "content": "Quantitative studies of cytokine gene expression in vivo are necessary in order to properly describe the cytokine network and to elucidate its role in skin inflammation. Ideally, one should be able to follow cytokine gene expression in epidermal, dermal, and blood compartments. However, such studies are limited by small amounts of available material. Here we report a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) cDNA amplification protocol useful for quantification of specific mRNAs in small skin samples. We found that analysis of dilution series of each sample permitted establishment of quantitative PCR amplification conditions using only picogram to nanogram amounts of total RNA. Cytokine mRNA amounts could then be measured relative to an internal standard species, co-reverse transcribed, and co-amplified with the cytokine species as a measure of cDNA input. Large numbers of samples can be screened rapidly with initial short dilution series identifying cytokine-positive samples and the correct dilution range for each, followed by closer analysis in this range. Epidermal samples obtained through curettage of a small skin area, 2-mm dermal biopsies from the scraped sites, and a few blood drops from the biopsy sites all yielded sufficient RNA for analysis by this protocol. Any mRNA of known sequence can be studied. We analyzed interleukin 8 mRNA levels in more than a hundred epidermal samples from patients and normal test persons and found a variation over several orders of magnitude that seemed to follow the degree of inflammation of the skin."}
{"id": "PMID:1469298", "title": "Constitutive synthesis of a 92-kDa keratinocyte-derived type IV collagenase is enhanced by type I collagen and decreased by type IV collagen matrices.", "content": "Human keratinocytes synthesize interstitial collagenase, a 72-kDa gelatinase, and a recently described 92-kDa gelatinase/type IV collagenase. We examined the synthesis of this novel enzyme by basal keratinocytes apposed to plastic, basement membrane collagen (type IV), and interstitial dermal collagen (type I). Samples of conditioned medium were electrophoresed on a 10% polyacrylamide, gelatin-ladened zymogram. Protein bands with gelatin-cleaving properties were identified by clarification of the gel and quantified by densitometry. A 92-kDa band had marked gelatinolytic activity and increased in culture over 72 h. The identification of this 92-kDa band as type IV collagenase was demonstrated by Western immunoblotting using monospecific antibody to the 92-kDa type IV collagenase. Keratinocytes apposed to type I collagen exhibited a threefold increase in the synthesis of the 92-kDa enzyme compared to cultures apposed to type IV collagen and a 1.5-times increase compared to plastic. The specificity of this enhancement was shown by constant levels of other proteins (e.g., the 72-kDa gelatinase). This study demonstrates that cell-matrix interactions modulate the synthesis of a recently described, keratinocyte-derived, 92-kDa gelatinase and that specific collagen types (I versus IV) have opposite effects upon the synthesis of this enzyme."}
{"id": "PMID:1469299", "title": "Selective expansion of V delta 1 + T cells from leprosy skin lesions.", "content": "T cells bearing gamma delta T-cell receptors (TCRs) are prominent residents of murine epidermis and appear to be important participants in the immune response to infection in human skin. The Mitsuda reaction in leprosy, induced by intradermal challenge with Mycobacterium leprae, provides an opportunity to study the cellular events that mediate a form of delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) in skin. T cells bearing gamma delta TCRs comprise a significant proportion of the T-cell population in these DTH reactions. Presently we have generated T-cell lines from Mitsuda reactions in vitro and compared their TCR repertoire to that found in situ. gamma delta T cells comprised 20-40% of lines derived from these skin lesions, but < 10% of lines derived from the peripheral blood of the same individuals. Flow-cytometric analysis of variable (V) chain usage in T-cell lines derived from skin lesions indicated that V delta 1 was predominant. Evaluation of the TCR repertoire using PCR indicated that V delta 1-J delta 1 and V gamma 2-J gamma P gene rearrangements were prevalent. In comparison, V delta 2-J delta 1 gene rearrangements predominated in situ. Furthermore, nucleotide sequence analysis of the V-J junction of one T-cell line revealed limited genetic diversity of the gamma delta TCR. These findings suggest that the V delta 1 subpopulation of gamma delta T cells in Mitsuda skin reactions selectively outgrows from leprosy skin lesions in vitro. Such V delta 1 + T-cell lines should be useful for determining the relevant antigens and restriction elements in this response to a pathogen in skin."}
{"id": "PMID:1469300", "title": "Molecular heterogeneity of the fourth component of complement (C4) and its genes in vitiligo.", "content": "In view of evidence suggesting vitiligo is an autoimmune disease, we investigated whether vitiligo is associated with inherited deficiencies of the fourth (C4) and second (C2) component of complement and with certain human leukocyte antigens (HLA). Analysis of functional activities of C4 and C2 in sera of patients with vitiligo (n = 42) showed that 17% of them had a heterozygous C4 deficiency and 5% had a heterozygous C2 deficiency. In the normal control group (n = 30), 3% had a heterozygous C4 deficiency and none had a C2 deficiency. C4 typing by Western blot analysis showed the frequency of the C4A*Q0 allele in the vitiligo patient group to be close to normal. However, the frequency of one C4B*Q0 allele was three times higher, and that of two C4B*Q0 alleles five times higher in the vitiligo patient group than the reported frequencies in normal control groups. Southern blot analysis of Taq1 digests of DNA using C4 and 21-hydroxylase probes showed that two patients with two C4B*Q0 alleles had a deletion of a 21-OHA-C4B segment. In the other patients, having one or two C4B*Q0 alleles, these null alleles probably occurred due to a loss of C4 gene expression. HLA analysis did not show any allelic association of C4A*Q0 or C4B*Q0 with any HLA antigen in vitiligo, but confirmed the previous findings of a negative association with HLA-DR3 and a positive association with HLA-DR4. These results suggest that abnormalities of the C4B gene and the above-mentioned associations with HLA antigens may be some of the risk factors in vitiligo."}
{"id": "PMID:1469301", "title": "Characterization of the oxidative stress initiated in cultured human keratinocytes by treatment with peroxides.", "content": "Cultured human keratinocytes were treated with H2O2, Fe++/Fe , H2O2 + Fe++/Fe , t-butylhydroperoxide (tBHP), or cumene hydroperoxide (CHP). Fe++ +/- Fe was without effect on cell viability. Neither CHP, tBHP, nor H2O2 at 200 microM led to alteration of trypan blue exclusion, but with 700 microM CHP or tBHP there was uptake of trypan blue after 20 min and lysis of cells beginning at 4 h of treatment. Lysis occurred even if the organic hydroperoxide was removed from the media after 1 h. Treatment with 700 microM H2O2 resulted in half of the cells becoming permeable to trypan blue by 60 min, but > 80% of the cells remained intact and functional, and eventually recovered their impermeability to trypan blue. No concentration of H2O2, tBHP, or CHP produced significant thiobarbituric acid (TBA)-reactive material, and Fe++/Fe , H2O2 + Fe++/Fe , and CHP + Fe++/Fe led to the formation of only small amounts of TBA-reactive material. This was attributed to a lack of polyunsaturated lipid in cells cultured in synthetic media. The activity of glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) is sensitive to oxidative damage and thus was used as an indicator of oxidative stress along with the ratio of reduced/oxidized glutathione (GSH/GSSG). Using these two criteria, we found that CHP or tBHP treatment led to an oxidative stress that was more protracted as compared with the effect of H2O2. The organic peroxides also led to depletion of total glutathione, an effect not found with H2O2. It was also found that H2O2 was more rapidly metabolized than the organic peroxides. In summary, cultured human keratinocytes treated with peroxides underwent a number of changes, which included inactivation of GAPDH, a decrease in the ratio GSH/GSSG, and a loss of trypan blue exclusion. However, as long as the duration of this oxidative stress was short, these changes were reversible and the cells survived. Prolonged oxidative stress led to irreversible damage and cell death. H2O2 was rapidly metabolized and relatively well tolerated by keratinocytes. On the other hand, organic hydroperoxides were metabolized more slowly and were lethal at sub-millimolar concentrations. The relative toxicity of organic hydroperoxides is hypothesized to be related to their non-polar nature."}
{"id": "PMID:1469302", "title": "Breast-cancer-associated stromelysin-3 gene is expressed in basal cell carcinoma and during cutaneous wound healing.", "content": "Ten cases of basal cell carcinoma (BCC), including nine of the nodulo-ulcerative type and one of the morphea-form type, were investigated for stromelysin-3 (ST3) gene expression by in situ hybridization. The ST3 gene, which codes for a putative matrix metalloproteinase expressed in stromal cells of invasive breast carcinomas, was also expressed in stromal cells of BCCs when they displayed active local invasiveness. ST3 RNA was specifically detected in fibroblastic cells of tumor areas exhibiting loss of peripheral palisading in cancer cell islands. This pattern of expression was characteristic of the ST3 gene and was not observed with any of the other matrix metalloproteinase genes tested. We suggest that ST3 gene expression, which was also observed in fibroblasts during cutaneous scar formation, corresponds to a normal wound-healing response that has been subverted in carcinomas."}
{"id": "PMID:1469332", "title": "The effects of recombinant human erythropoietin on the cell mediated immune response of renal failure patients.", "content": "Recombinant human erythropoietin (rHuEpo) is now widely employed in correction of the anemia of end stage renal disease (ESRD). Recent reports suggest that rHUEpo, in addition to its effect on CFU-E and burst-forming-unit-erythroid (BFU-E), may stimulate granulocyte/macro-phage production and pluripotential progenitors of the myeloid and monocyte lineage. Furthermore, there is now data which demonstrate that ESRD patients who received rHuEpo have enhanced cytokine production. Taken together, these observations suggest that the administration of rHuEpo may augment the diminished immune response of renal failure patients. To evaluate the effects of rHuEpo therapy on cell-mediated immunity in hemodialysis patients, a prospective controlled study was conducted. Two parameters of immune function were tested. One was natural killer cell (NK) activity, and the other proliferation in response to the T cell mitogen concanavalin A (Con-A). NK activity of the ESRD patients was comparable with that of normal controls at the start of the study and was unaffected by rHuEpo therapy. In contrast to this, anemic ESRD patients initially demonstrated impaired mitogen driven proliferation (initial stimulation index (S.I.) = 42.5 +/- 11.9) which significantly improved following rHuEpo therapy (final S.I. = 73.3 +/- 14.7, p < 0.05). The later value exceeded the mitogen response in less anemic ESRD patients who did not receive rHuEpo (initial S.I. = 60.7 +/- 16.5, final S.I. = 61.0 +/- 16.7), but did not reach values seen in normal controls. The data suggest that rHuEpo therapy may be associated with enhanced immune responses in patients with ESRD."}
{"id": "PMID:1469333", "title": "Cardiac neurosis: interactions between cardiac arrhythmias and symptoms using ambulatory ECG monitoring.", "content": "To investigate interactions between cardiac arrhythmias and subjective complaints and the background, ambulatory electrocardiographic (ECG) monitoring and a mental test [Cornell Medical Index (CMI)] were performed on 32 patients who complained of anxiety due to palpitation and/or tachycardic feelings without organic heart disease. The patients were classified into two groups according to the Holter ECG. In one group symptoms corresponded with cardiac arrhythmias (Group C; n = 15); and the other group lacked corresponding arrhythmias in spite of their significant symptoms (Group B; n = 17). From psychological view points, 65% of Group B and 40% of Group C patients showed grades III or IV of CMI tests, whereas only 5% showed grade III in normal volunteers (Group A; n = 20). Patients suffering symptoms without associated cardiac arrhythmias may have psychophysiologic backgrounds, at least in a part. It might be necessary in the treatment of these patients to pay attention to the factor of cardiac neurosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1469334", "title": "Effects of flunoxaprofen, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agent, on the cardiovascular system.", "content": "The effects of flunoxaprofen (FL) were investigated using anesthetized normotensive and spontaneously hypertensive (SHR) young and old rats. The animals were divided into two groups. One group received a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agent at doses significantly inhibiting prostaglandin (PG)-cyclooxygenase; the other received no non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Oral pretreatment of anesthetized rats with flunoxaprofen (6.6, 11.5, and 19.9 mg/kg/day in the feed for 560 days) significantly increased the following responses: occlusion of the common carotid arteries, and reactivity to L-noradrenaline (NA) (i.v.), and angiotensin II (Ang) (i.v.). Pressor responses also increased in normotensive and in SHR rats treated with FL (20 mg/kg/day for seven days). The effects were more intense in the SHR rats. Moreover, oral pretreatment of normotensive rats with FL (20 mg/kg/day for seven days) partially yet significantly reduced the antihypertensive activity of etozolin (ET), a diuretic and antihypertensive drug. Our data confirm the important role of prostaglandins in the regulation of the cardiovascular system, and an increase in arachidonic acid metabolite biosynthesis with vasodilatory effects being part of the mechanism of action of some antihypertensive drugs."}
{"id": "PMID:1469335", "title": "Dramatic improvement with clonidine in acute pancreatitis with elevated catecholamine and cortisol plasma levels: report of five cases.", "content": "We report five cases of patients with acute pancreatitis (AP) resistant to conventional treatment who improved dramatically with clonidine. All patients showed greatly elevated plasma levels of noradrenaline (norepinephrine) (NA), adrenalin (epinephrine) (Ad) and cortisol (CRT), physiologic indicators of stress, which decreased abruptly upon initiation of clonidine therapy. The clonidine test performed in the patients showed a hyper-response in all, a reaction consistent with uncoping stress situations. Therefore, we postulate that stress might play a role in the pathogenesis of pancreatic inflammatory disease in these patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1469336", "title": "Tuberculous peritonitis with extraordinarily high serum CA125.", "content": "A 74-year-old woman who was admitted for the evaluation of ascites showed a marked elevation of serum CA125 level. Laparoscopy revealed the presence of numerous white modules (approximately 5 mm diameter) on the peritoneum suggestive of tuberculomas. A biopsy specimen showed epithelioid cells and Langhans-type giant cells. Following the administration of diuretics, the level of serum CA125 decreased concomitantly with the decrease in the volume of peritoneal fluid. The level of CA125 decreased further with the administration of antituberculosis agents. Clinical specimens were negative for mycobacteria. We conclude that the elevated serum level of CA125 was due to peritoneal tuberculosis and consequent ascites. Thus, tuberculous peritonitis should be considered in the presence of an unexplained, abnormally elevated serum level of CA125."}
{"id": "PMID:1469337", "title": "A long-term survivor with malignant thymoma accompanied with pure red cell aplasia.", "content": "A 56-year-old woman with malignant thymoma lived for 19 years after diagnosis and died of superior vena cava syndrome. An autopsy showed invasion of the thymoma to the right lung and metastasis to the left lung. The pathologic diagnosis was epithelial thymoma (spindle cell dominant) accompanied with pure red cell aplasia (PRCA). However, this was well controlled with steroid therapy. She was the longest survivor with malignant thymoma at this time. Her long-term survival may be the result of good control of the PRCA."}
{"id": "PMID:1469338", "title": "Paraspinal autonomic ganglion distortion due to vertebral body osteophytosis: a cause of vertebrogenic autonomic syndromes?", "content": "Preliminary histological investigation to determine whether vertebral body osteophytosis can compromise adjacent paraspinal autonomic structures. Histological sections of the L4 to S1 vertebral bodies were cut in the coronal plane at a thickness of 200 microns for morphological studies using transmitted light microscopy. Morphological evidence is presented which supports the hypothesis that vertebral body osteophytes appear to compromise adjacent paraspinal autonomic structures. Motion segment osteophytosis may affect viscera via the autonomic nervous system."}
{"id": "PMID:1469339", "title": "Intersegmental sagittal motion in the lower cervical spine and discogenic spondylosis: a preliminary study.", "content": "The object of this investigation was to identify any correlation between discogenic spondylosis and the type of motion (normal, hypomobility, hypermobility, paradoxical motion) found in the sagittal plane of the intervertebral motion units of the lower cervical spine. A case control study was performed from the files of 100 patients (ages 15-73) with cervical spine-related symptomatology at the Anglo-European College of Chiropractic Clinic. The cases were randomly selected from a cohort of patients with normal radiographic anatomy who attended the clinic from 1987-1990 and were known to have cervical spine neutral, flexion and extension lateral radiographs taken. Extended chi 2 was used to test the observed data. The findings from both the flexion and extension films suggested that intervertebral motion units with and without varying severities of discogenic spondylosis did differ with respect to the type of motion exhibited there (flexion: chi 2 = 39.399, p < .001; extension: chi 2 = 45.7424, p < .001). Intervertebral motion units which had discogenic spondylosis had a greater likelihood of exhibiting motion abnormalities (flexion: chi 2 = 5.665, p < .01; extension: chi 2 = 6.178, p < .01), and all types of motion seemed to be dependent on its severity (flexion: chi 2 = 16.464, p < .01; extension: chi 2 = 15.954, p < .02). In general, normal motion occurred approximately 60% of the time when there was absent or mild discogenic spondylosis and decreased precipitously as moderate and severe amounts of discogenic spondylosis appeared. In global cervical flexion, when there was either little or no discogenic spondylosis and abnormal motion was present, intersegmental hypermobility was predominant. Hypomobility became predominant overall as moderate and severe discogenic spondylosis was found. In global cervical extension, for all severities of discogenic spondylosis when there was abnormal motion, intersegmental hypomobility was predominant. Also of note was the presence of paradoxical motion, which occurred in 11% of the intervertebral motion units without discogenic spondylosis [usually at the C7-T1 intervertebral motion unit (86%)]. From the data it can be concluded that there are trends which occur with differing amounts of discogenic spondylosis when considering intersegmental cervical sagittal motion. However, additional detailed study is required to corroborate the findings and determine what their clinical significance is."}
{"id": "PMID:1469340", "title": "Asymmetry of the occipital condyles: a computer-assisted analysis.", "content": "To ascertain the incidence of asymmetry of the occipital condyles. The a priori hypothesis of symmetry (which is pervasive both in the determination of \"subluxation\" and in the means chosen for correction) was tested. Data set design was used with a convenience sample. The condyles were chosen for convenience of visualization from plain film radiographs. The study was retrospectively designed, albeit with prospective implications for analytic investigation. The research department of Cleveland Chiropractic College, Kansas City, MO. One hundred fifty-one submentovertex radiographs were examined using a computer-assisted digitizer. The radiographs were randomly obtained from the patient files of two doctors of chiropractic who routinely use this type of radiograph in their patient analysis. The study was a side-to-side comparison of the condyles, which were subject to neither intervention nor change. Surface area of left and right condyles for 151 examined pairs. Analysis with Pearson's correlation coefficient implied a lack of symmetry between condyles (r = .37; p < .0001). The scatterplot revealed values widely dispersed about the regression line, and the standard error of the estimate was 36.7. The data suggest that the underlying premise of symmetry in chiropractic analysis needs to be reexamined."}
{"id": "PMID:1469341", "title": "The immediate effect of manipulation versus mobilization on pain and range of motion in the cervical spine: a randomized controlled trial.", "content": "The main objective of this study is to compare the immediate results of manipulation to mobilization in neck pain patients. The patients were compared in a randomized controlled trial without long-term follow-up. The study was conducted at an outpatient teaching clinic on primary and referred patients. One hundred consecutive outpatients suffering from unilateral neck pain with referral into the trapezius muscle were studied. Fifty-two subjects were manipulated and 48 subjects were mobilized. The mean (SD) age was 34.5 (13.0) yr for the manipulated group and 37.7 (12.5) yr for the mobilized group. Sixteen subjects had neck pain for less than 1 wk, 34 subjects had pain for between 1 wk and 6 mo and 50 subjects had pain for more than 6 mo. Seventy-eight subjects had a past history of neck pain. Thirty-one subjects had been involved in an injurious motor vehicle accident and 28 subjects had other types of minor trauma to the neck. There were no significant differences between the two treatment groups with respect to history of neck pain or level of disability as measured by the Pain Disability Index. The patients received either a single rotational manipulation (high-velocity, low-amplitude thrust) or mobilization in the form of muscle energy technique. Prior to and immediately after the treatments, cervical spine range of motion was recorded in three planes, and pain intensity was rated on the 101-point numerical rating scale (NRS-101). Both pre- and post-test measurements were conducted in a blinded fashion. The results show that both treatments increase range of motion, but manipulation has a significantly greater effect on pain intensity. Eighty-five percent of the manipulated patients and 69% of the mobilized patients reported pain improvement immediately after treatment. However, the decrease in pain intensity was more than 1.5 times greater in the manipulated group (p = .05). This study demonstrates that a single manipulation is more effective than mobilization in decreasing pain in patients with mechanical neck pain. Both treatments increase range of motion in the neck to a similar degree. Further studies are required to determine any long-term benefits of manipulation for mechanical neck pain."}
{"id": "PMID:1469342", "title": "Leg length inequality.", "content": "The (Pacific) Consortium for Chiropractic Research has taken the initiative to research, investigate and provide information directed toward health care accountability, including evaluation of health care measures and practices. This article is a review of the literature pertaining to leg length inequality (LLI). Leg length measures are utilized by various health care providers as an indicator of biomechanical imbalance and necessity for care. Following the overview of the incidence, classifications and clinical significance, emphasis was placed on methods of evaluation, especially the visual \"quick\" leg length measurement procedure. Finally, a brief section on conservative care has been provided. The information and studies reviewed were obtained from Medline, the Index to Chiropractic Literature, Chiropractic Research Archives Collection, Physiotherapy Index, Chiropractic Literature Analysis and Retrieval System, various technique manuals, personal communication with technique research advisors, proceedings and dissertations. REFERENCE SELECTION: In spite of the widespread use of leg length measures, there is still much controversy associated with LLI, its biomechanical significance and the reliability of the various measurement systems employed. Therefore, the 182 references utilized were selected on the basis of applicable information, especially studies that provided a detailed methodological design with statistical analysis regarding evaluation procedures. There appears to be a lack of agreement concerning incidence, classification and point of clinical significance. However, the manifestations or consequences of LLI demonstrate greater accordance. Of the three most commonly utilized evaluation methods, radiographic measures such as the scanograms are recognized as the most reliable procedure for the evaluation of anatomical LLI. Much controversy exists with some of the clinical orthopedic methods and the visual \"quick\" leg check. Because there is such a vast range in estimates of reliability, few if any definitive conclusions can be made regarding these methods. Given this, it is evident that more research is needed before the use of certain orthopedic and visual checks are considered reliable and valid."}
{"id": "PMID:1469343", "title": "Short lever, specific contact articular chiropractic technique.", "content": "To identify what has been theorized and/or written about the manual techniques generically classified as direct, but using specific contacts on short levers while using forces that may vary in speed and amplitude. A search of the MEDLINE bibliographic database using MeSH key words (chiropractic/methods; osteopathic manipulation) was conducted. The Index to Chiropractic Literature and Chiropractic Research Abstracts Collection were searched through the past 10 yr using the key terms of chiropractic-methods; chiropractic techniques; manipulation, chiropractic; manipulation, osteopathic, manipulation, spinal; and manipulation, joint. A hand search of text-books was undertaken as well as review of the references included in books, monographs and collected papers. Studies in English were included, but it must be noted that these include publications that are not peer reviewed or refereed in any way. Descriptions that discussed aspects of manipulative procedures with the appropriate characteristics were extracted by a single author. Very little was found or accessible using traditional methods of literature retrieval. Lack of common terminology as well as multiple technique systems developed in isolation contributed to the problem. Descriptions of characteristics for the attributes of techniques which use specific contacts on short levers are provided. The high-velocity, low-amplitude thrust technique is presented as one of the oldest and most widely used forms of manual medicine and remains one of the most frequently used forms of manual medicine. Derivation of applied forces as well as speculation as to the roll of specificity are discussed. This type of review is considered the first step in the evaluative process for a chiropractic technique procedure. It demonstrates that very little has been written in an accessible fashion relative to techniques which use specific contacts on short levers while applying forces that may vary in speed and amplitude. Statements made concerning the appropriateness or effectiveness consist of opinions only, with no reference to any form of injury or testing. The need for clinical trials and studies comparing different techniques is great."}
{"id": "PMID:1469344", "title": "Treatment of Bell's palsy by mechanical force, manually assisted chiropractic adjusting and high-voltage electrotherapy.", "content": "Bell's palsy is a relatively common, painful, unilateral facial paralysis of unknown etiology. While often claimed to be successfully treated by chiropractic methods, no standard treatment approach is generally recognized within the profession, nor has any report of chiropractic treatment of this condition been reported in the literature. This article discusses two cases of Bell's palsy successfully treated by mechanical force, manually assisted chiropractic adjusting technique combined with high-voltage electrotherapy. While these two cases do not necessarily represent any rule for the chiropractic treatment of Bell's palsy by the methods used, or for other chiropractic methods that may be used, they do represent an initial time/treatment \"baseline\" by which future inter- and intratechnique comparisons may be made for the determination of relative effectiveness."}
{"id": "PMID:1469345", "title": "Magnetic resonance imaging of the wrist: occult osseous lesions.", "content": "This article illustrates the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features of occult osseous lesions in three different patients. All three patients suffered from a history of wrist trauma, but had negative plain film radiographs. The three types of occult lesions (bone bruise, microfracture and chronic osseous damage) are described, and their MRI characteristics are demonstrated by proton density and T2 weighted images. MRI proved to be the diagnostic modality of choice for the detection of posttraumatic intrinsic marrow changes."}
{"id": "PMID:1469349", "title": "Distinct signals in human immunodeficiency virus type 1 Pr55 necessary for RNA binding and particle formation.", "content": "The human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) gag gene product Pr55 self-assembles to form virus-like particles when expressed in Spodoptera frugiperda cells using recombinant baculoviruses. The particles resemble immature HIV and are released from the infected cell into the culture medium. Using this system we have progressively truncated the gag open reading frame from the C terminus and examined each deleted gag protein for its particle-producing capability. We show that deletion of Pr6 and deletions that progressively remove the distal region of the Pr7 domain, including one Cys-His box thought to function as an RNA capture signal, do not affect particle formation. However deletion of two Cys-His boxes causes production of slightly larger particles with altered sedimentation properties. Sequence-specific North-Western assays using an RNA probe representative of the HIV-1 packaging signal revealed specific RNA binding by all mutants that maintained both Cys-His boxes. However, deletion of one Cys-His box reduced RNA binding substantially and loss of two Cys-His boxes abolished binding entirely. We conclude that HIV-1 gag particle formation per se does not require viral RNA encapsidation, but that it may act as a cofactor in the condensation of the immature core. Further deletion of gag sequences upstream of the Cys-His boxes led to the abolition of particle-forming ability, and we show that one boundary of the gag sequence necessary for particle formation lies within eight amino acids spanning one of the known protease cleavage sites at the C terminus of Pr24."}
{"id": "PMID:1469350", "title": "Strain-specific selection of genome segments in avian reovirus coinfections.", "content": "To determine whether selection of genome segments in coinfections is strain-specific, chicken embryo fibroblasts were coinfected with avian reovirus strain 883 and one of three other avian reovirus strains (176, S1133 and 81-5). Viral progeny from each coinfection (883 x 176, 883 x S1133 or 883 x 81-5) was serially passaged at a low m.o.i. The electropherotypes of the coinfection progeny and those of the plaque-derived clones obtained from passages 1 and 20 were analysed. Two 883 segments (M2 and S2) were found to be selected in the 883 x 176 coinfection, three 883 segments (M2, M3 and S2) in the 883 x S1133 coinfection, and only one 883 segment (M3) in the 883 x 81-5 coinfection, i.e. different 883 genome segments were selected in the three coinfections. It was, therefore, concluded that selection of genome segments in a coinfection of a given cell line is virus strain-specific. The selection of genome segments in coinfections was shown to be due to enhanced infectivity of the reassortants that were formed in the coinfections. In addition, defective interfering particles that lack the S1 segment were identified in the 883 x 81-5 coinfection progeny following serial passage. Selection of genome segment(s) in coinfections as described herein may have potential importance on the effect and production of divalent or multivalent vaccines."}
{"id": "PMID:1469351", "title": "Nucleotides 9 to 11 of the influenza A virion RNA promoter are crucial for activity in vitro.", "content": "The 12 nucleotide conserved sequence at the 3' end of influenza A virion RNA is sufficient to function as a promoter in vitro. By introducing point mutations in all 12 positions of this promoter in model RNA templates and studying the efficiency of RNA synthesis in vitro, we show that only three nucleotides, residues 9, 10 and 11, are crucial for activity, although other nucleotides play a significant but less important role. Additions or deletions within the promoter are tolerated, resulting in either an increase or a decrease in promoter activity, depending on the mutation introduced; in some cases premature termination is caused. Taking these observations into account, a model for RNA polymerase binding and copying of the promoter is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1469352", "title": "Activation of protein kinase C inhibits adenovirus VA gene transcription in vitro.", "content": "We report here that activation of protein kinase C (PKC) results in the inhibition of adenovirus virus-associated (VA) gene transcription in vitro. The involvement of PKC in this inhibition is supported by the fact that the addition of PKC inhibitors to transcription reactions in which the PKC cofactor phosphatidyl serine (PS) was present resulted in increased levels of transcription compared to those in reactions in which PKC activity was stimulated in the absence of PKC inhibitors. Furthermore, based on these in vitro studies we propose that the inhibition of VA gene transcription is possibly due to the inability of the VA gene to form an active transcription complex following the activation of PKC. This conclusion was drawn from in vitro data which demonstrated that PS stimulation of endogenous PKC present in cell extracts resulted in failure to isolate a fully initiated, stable transcription complex."}
{"id": "PMID:1469353", "title": "Molecular basis of hepatitis B virus serotype variations within the four major subtypes.", "content": "Amino acid residues 101 to 180 of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) were predicted by sequencing the corresponding part of the S gene of hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA in 46 HBsAg-positive sera, which had been subtyped by immunodiffusion with respect to d/y, w/r, w1 to w4 and q. The sequences of the nine different HBV serotypes defined by these specificities were found to be homogeneous proving that they represent consistent variations of HBV at the genomic level. Residue 127 was found to be important as were Pro, Thr and Leu for w1/w2, w3 and w4, respectively. Five residues were found to differ between ayw1 and ayw2. These were at positions 134 (Phe instead of Tyr), 143 (Thr instead of Ser), 159 (Ala instead of Gly), 161 (Tyr instead of Phe) and 168 (Val instead of Ala). However, all these residues were shared by ayw1 and adw2, implying that Arg122 was also important for w1 expression. All genomes expressing r, apart from one ayr strain, had an Ile126, which might explain the pseudo-allelism of w1 to w4 in relation to r, since this substitution might influence the w epitope. There were two regions where adw4q- and adrq- differed from all the q+ subtypes. These were located at residues 158 and 159, and at residues 177 and 178, where both the q- subtypes had amino acid substitutions in adjacent positions. The mapping of the epitopes defining these antigenic specificities will help to link information on the world-wide distribution of HBsAg subtypes to future molecular epidemiology with regard to HBV."}
{"id": "PMID:1469354", "title": "Phenotypic characterization of three temperature-sensitive mutations in the vaccinia virus early gene transcription initiation factor.", "content": "Vaccinia virus gene D6R encodes the small subunit of the virion early gene transcription initiation factor. Three temperature-sensitive mutations have been mapped to this gene. The biochemical phenotype exhibited by each mutation was examined. All mutants displayed altered viral protein synthesis in pulse-labelling analyses at both the permissive and non-permissive temperatures. The onset of early protein synthesis was delayed, and the rate of early protein synthesis was reduced in each case. Furthermore the shut-off of both host and early protein synthesis was delayed. In pulse-chase experiments, the stability of the D6R protein in E93- or C46-infected cells was shown to be reduced at 40 degrees C relative to that at 31 degrees C. Early mRNA was quantified in cells at 2 h post-infection and shown to be reduced substantially. The ability of each mutant virus to support transcription in vitro was examined at both temperatures and, of the three mutants, only S4 transcription was shown to exhibit reversible temperature sensitivity."}
{"id": "PMID:1469355", "title": "Characterization of the nucleotide sequence of the Lymantria dispar nuclear polyhedrosis virus DNA polymerase gene region.", "content": "The DNA polymerase gene of the Lymantria dispar multinucleocapsid nuclear polyhedrosis virus (LdMNPV) was cloned and sequenced. The predicted DNA polymerase protein (1113 amino acids, 115.9K) was found to have an amino acid identity of 48% with the corresponding gene of the Autographa californica MNPV (AcMNPV). It contains five domains associated with substrate binding, primase interaction, and pyrophosphate hydrolysis and three domains associated with 3'-->5' exonuclease activity common to other DNA polymerases. A region with a conserved TATA promoter and a CAGT mRNA start site sequence motif was identified and shown to be transcribed by RNA polymerase II, indicating that the LdMNPV DNA polymerase gene is expressed as an early gene. An open reading frame possibly expressed as a late gene, oriented in the opposite direction and overlapping the N-terminal coding region of the DNA polymerase gene was found in the LdMNPV sequence and was shown to be conserved in the same position in AcMNPV."}
{"id": "PMID:1469356", "title": "Equilibrium and kinetic analysis of Autographa californica nuclear polyhedrosis virus attachment to different insect cell lines.", "content": "The kinetic and equilibrium attachment of Autographa californica nuclear polyhedrosis virus (AcMNPV) to seven insect cell lines was evaluated. Kinetic experiments revealed differences of up to 10-fold in the infection rates among cell lines. Equilibrium binding also varied between cell lines and was saturable. The Tn 5B1-4 and Tn F cell lines had the highest virus binding affinities and infection rates and exhibited diffusion-limited attachment. The rate of infection appears to be limited by the rate of attachment. For the Tn 5B1-4 cells the physical to infective particle ratio for AcMNPV was 5.3. From the Scatchard analyses, the cell lines Tn 5B1-4 and Tn F displayed affinities of 2.35 x 10(10) M-1 and 1.60 x 10(10) M-1, respectively, with 6000 and 13,700 binding sites per cell. The insect cell line Hz 1075, which is not susceptible to AcMNPV infection, displayed a much lower, but saturable, binding of AcMNPV with 900 sites/cell and an affinity of 1.1 x 10(10) M-1. Unlabelled AcMNPV, but not Lymantria dispar MNPV could compete with labelled AcMNPV for binding sites. There were 93 to 96% reductions in virus cell binding following pretreatments of cells with three proteases, suggesting the involvement of a cellular protein component in virus binding. Tunicamycin, an inhibitor of N-linked glycosylation and expression of some membrane proteins on the cell surface, reduced virus binding in a dose-dependent manner suggesting a role for glycoprotein(s) in binding. However there was no evidence for the direct involvement of oligosaccharides in attachment. Metabolic inhibitors of oligosaccharide trimming and competition binding assays using simple sugars caused no measurable reductions in virus binding. These findings suggest that AcMNPV attachment to insect cells is receptor-mediated via a glycoprotein component(s); the direct involvement of oligosaccharide moieties in binding is unlikely."}
{"id": "PMID:1469357", "title": "Protein synthesis in pupae of the silkworm Bombyx mori after infection with nuclear polyhedrosis virus: resistance to viral infection acquired during pupal period.", "content": "Protein synthesis has been studied in pupae of the silkworm Bombyx mori (Bm) infected with nuclear polyhedrosis virus (BmNPV) at various stages of the pupal period. Nascent proteins were labelled by injection of [35S]methionine into pupae and then analysed by SDS-PAGE. Temporal regulation of synthesis of infected cell-specific proteins (ICSPs) in pupae was demonstrated by electrophoretic analysis of the proteins labelled at different times post-infection (p.i.). The rate of ICSP synthesis reached a maximum at 4 to 5 days p.i., exceeding the rate of synthesis of cellular proteins in uninfected pupae by about twofold. The viral proteins p10 and polyhedrin were the most abundant products synthesized late in the infection. Both proteins were found to be associated with the nuclear matrix after fractionation of nuclei from infected pupae. Two virus-induced phosphoproteins, pp35 and ppB, were found to be the major acceptors of labelled phosphate from [gamma-32P]ATP during in vitro phosphorylation of proteins in pupal homogenates, nuclei and nuclear extracts. These proteins had electrophoretic mobilities comparable to those of structural phosphoproteins of BmNPV virions with M(r)s of 35K and 11K to 16K, respectively. The latter polypeptide was identified as the major DNA-binding protein of the virus. The susceptibility of silkworms to BmNPV decreased markedly during the pupal period. Following injection of BmNPV all young pupae acquired polyhedrosis and finally died whereas most of the older pupae did not exhibit disease and completed metamorphosis normally. Moreover, the later in the pupal period the silkworms were infected, the lower the production of polyhedrin in diseased pupae."}
{"id": "PMID:1469358", "title": "The nucleotide sequence of parsnip yellow fleck virus: a plant picorna-like virus.", "content": "The complete sequence of 9871 nucleotides (nts) of parsnip yellow fleck virus (PYFV; isolate P-121) was determined from cDNA clones and by direct sequencing of viral RNA. The RNA contains a large open reading frame between nts 279 and 9362 which encodes a polyprotein of 3027 amino acids with a calculated M(r) of 336212 (336K). A PYFV polyclonal antiserum reacted with the proteins expressed from phage carrying cDNA clones from the 5' half of the PYFV genome. Comparison of the polyprotein sequence of PYFV with other viral polyprotein sequences reveals similarities to the putative NTP-binding and RNA polymerase domains of cowpea mosaic comovirus, tomato black ring nepovirus and several animal picornaviruses. The 3' untranslated region of PYFV RNA is 509 nts long and does not have a poly(A) tail. The 3'-terminal 121 nts may form a stem-loop structure which resembles that formed in the genomic RNA of mosquito-borne flaviviruses."}
{"id": "PMID:1469359", "title": "The nucleotide sequence of RNA-1 of raspberry bushy dwarf virus.", "content": "Raspberry bushy dwarf virus (RBDV) has isometric, 33 nm diameter particles and a bipartite RNA genome. Sequencing of the larger component (RNA-1) showed that it consists of 5449 nucleotides and contains one large open reading frame encoding a putative translation product with a calculated M(r) of 190,000. Comparisons of this polypeptide with non-structural proteins of other plant viruses revealed significant homologies with those of alfalfa mosaic virus (AlMV), brome mosaic virus (BMV), cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) and tobacco mosaic virus (TMV). Thus RBDV belongs to the supergroup of 'Sindbis-like' plant viruses. The translation product of RBDV RNA-1 contains motifs characteristic of proteins with polymerase, methyltransferase and helicase activities, suggesting that this protein is involved in the replication of the viral RNA. Thus in RBDV, as in TMV, all three functional domains are combined in the single protein, whereas in AlMV, BMV and CMV these domains are distributed over the proteins encoded by RNA-1 and RNA-2. These findings support the idea that RBDV should be placed in a distinct virus genus for which the name idaeovirus has been proposed."}
{"id": "PMID:1469360", "title": "Resistance to phloem transport of potato leafroll virus in potato plants.", "content": "A 'double-graft sandwich' technique in which sections of potato stem from different potato cultivars were grafted between a susceptible healthy stock plant and a potato leafroll virus (PLRV)-infected scion was used to study the rate of phloem transport of PLRV in cultivars differing in resistance to PLRV infection (IR) and accumulation (AR). Resistance to phloem transport (i.e. delayed PLRV systemic movement) was found in Bismark cultivar (IR A(S)). This was independent of IR and AR as the rate of movement in Bismark cultivar was markedly slower than that in Omega and Spunta (IR AR), Delaware (I(S) AR), and Desiree and Renova (I(S) A(S)) cultivars. It operated in Bismark cultivar stems of two different ages, but did not operate against potato virus X (PVX) and was not influenced by previous infection with this virus. Aphid vector (Myzus persicae) feeding preferences and colonization rates differed between cultivars, but the cultivar characteristics responsible were unrelated to IR, AR or resistance to phloem transport. Delayed systemic movement of PLRV out of leaves inoculated with viruliferous aphids was independent of AR and resistance to phloem transport, and remained unaffected by previous infection with PVX. It was also independent of cultivar factors causing different aphid feeding preferences and colonization rates, but may be linked to IR."}
{"id": "PMID:1469361", "title": "The nucleotide sequence of tomato mottle virus, a new geminivirus isolated from tomatoes in Florida.", "content": "A new geminivirus, tomato mottle virus (TMoV), affecting tomato production in Florida has been cloned and sequenced. Sequence analysis of the cloned replicative forms of TMoV revealed four potential coding regions for the A component [2601 nucleotides (nt)] and two for the B component (2541 nt). Comparisons of the nucleotide sequence of the TMoV genome with those of other whitefly-transmitted geminiviruses indicate that TMoV is a typical bipartite geminivirus of the New World and is closely related to but distinct from abutilon mosaic virus."}
{"id": "PMID:1469362", "title": "Induction of a novel protein kinase in pupae of the silkworm Bombyx mori after infection with nuclear polyhedrosis virus.", "content": "Protein kinases induced by Bombyx mori nuclear polyhedrosis virus in pupae of the silkworm B. mori were examined by activity gel analysis using phosvitin as a protein substrate. The method involved PAGE of the soluble fraction from pupae under native conditions and in the presence of SDS, followed by in situ renaturation of proteins and recovery of protein kinase activity in the intact gel. A novel protein kinase able to phosphorylate phosvitin was detected in the infected pupae from 2 days post-infection. This enzyme was not present in uninfected silkworms at any stage of the pupal period. The novel kinase activity was found by SDS-PAGE to be associated with a single polypeptide with an apparent M(r) of 50K. However, on electrophoresis under native conditions its activity was associated with a set of polypeptides with similar but not identical electrophoretic mobilities. Microheterogeneity of the catalytically active polypeptides suggests that the virus-induced protein kinase undergoes post-translational modification during the course of infection."}
{"id": "PMID:1469363", "title": "Comparison of the thymidine kinase genes from three entomopoxviruses.", "content": "The entomopoxviruses (insect poxviruses) of eastern spruce budworm (Choristoneura fumiferana), two year cycle spruce budworm (C. biennis) and the Indian red army worm (Amsacta moorei) are being studied in our laboratory for their potential as biological insecticides and expression vectors. These viruses characteristically replicate in the cytoplasm of insect cells and produce occlusion bodies that serve to protect the virion from the environment. By analogy to mammalian poxviruses, they should also contain a viral thymidine kinase (TK) that functions in viral DNA synthesis. The replication of the A. moorei entomopoxvirus was inhibited by bromodeoxyuridine whereas the baculovirus of Autographa californica was insensitive to this drug. This result was a biochemical indication that entomopoxviruses contained a kinase that phosphorylated this nucleoside analogue and thus viral DNA synthesis was inhibited. TK genes from the three different insect poxviruses were identified, cloned and sequenced. The sequences of the TK genes of the entomopoxviruses were closely related and exhibited 63.2% identity and 9.9% similarity at the protein level. However, there was only 36.7% identity and 13.6% similarity when these enzymes were compared to their mammalian poxvirus counterpart in vaccinia virus. Finally, one entomopoxvirus TK gene was expressed in Escherichia coli mutants lacking the enzyme. These bacteria were converted to a phenotype that could incorporate radioactive thymidine into their chromosomal DNA. The results presented in this paper provide impetus for the design of a recombinant entomopoxvirus expression system in which foreign genes could be introduced into the viral TK locus under selective pressure from bromodeoxyuridine."}
{"id": "PMID:1469364", "title": "A myxoma virus intergenic transient dominant selection vector.", "content": "The purpose of this study was to construct an intergenic transfer vector which can be used for the generation of recombinant myxoma viruses (MVs) expressing a foreign gene insert. Recombinant MVs expressing the Escherichia coli lacZ gene were constructed in vitro by transfection of MV-infected rabbit cells with a transfer expression vector, and isolated under growth conditions selecting for transient expression of the E. coli gpt gene. The effect of inserting foreign DNA sequences between the viral thymidine kinase gene and open reading frame MF8a upon the transcription of these genes was investigated."}
{"id": "PMID:1469365", "title": "Human immunodeficiency virus type 1-infected HL-60 cells are capable of both monocytic and granulocytic differentiation.", "content": "We have used the human myelomonocytic cell line HL-60 as a model system to determine whether human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection affects differentiation of myeloid progenitor cells. HL-60 cells were infected with three HIV-1 isolates (IIIB, NL4-3 and PM213). HIV-1 antigen expression and cytopathicity in HL-60 cells infected with each of the three isolates was delayed by approximately 15 days as compared to those in the prototypic T cell line, H9. Chronically infected HL-60 cells and clonal lines derived from them were treated with dimethyl formamide (DMF) and induced to differentiate into granulocytes. Approximately the same percentage of these cells as of DMF-treated, uninfected HL-60 cells differentiated. Superoxide production by infected and uninfected DMF-induced cells was similar. Likewise, approximately the same percentage of cells in infected and uninfected cultures became adherent and were positive for non-specific esterase when monocytic differentiation was induced. The data demonstrate that HL-60 cells infected with HIV-1 are capable of morphological and functional granulocytic and monocytic differentiation."}
{"id": "PMID:1469366", "title": "Murine gammaherpesvirus 68 establishes a latent infection in mouse B lymphocytes in vivo.", "content": "Murine gammaherpesvirus 68 (MHV-68) is able to persist in spleen cells of infected mice. To determine the cell type harbouring persistent virus, spleen cells from infected animals were separated into immunoglobulin (Ig)-positive (B cell-enriched), Ig-negative (T cell-enriched) and plastic-adherent (macrophage-enriched) fractions. These cells were co-cultivated with permissive BHK-21 cells in an infectious centre assay. The consistent recovery and enrichment of infectious centres in the Ig-positive fraction clearly demonstrates that B cells are a major site of virus persistence/latency. This observation indicates that MHV-68 is biologically similar to Epstein-Barr virus and other members of the B cell lymphotropic gammaherpesvirus 1 subgroup."}
{"id": "PMID:1469367", "title": "Sequence analysis of bovine adenovirus type 3 early region 3 and fibre protein genes.", "content": "The DNA sequences of the early region 3 (E3) and fibre protein genes of bovine adenovirus type 3 (BAd3) have been determined and the amino acid sequences predicted to be encoded by their open reading frames (ORFs) compared to those of the fibre and E3 proteins from other Ads. One of the BAd3-E3 proteins contains a region homologous to the 14.7K E3 protein of human Ad5 (HAd5). The putative BAd3 fibre protein contains a number of regions homologous to the HAd2 fibre protein sequence, but is predicted to be 244 amino acids longer owing to an increase in the number of repeating structural motifs of hydrophobic amino acid residues in the shaft region. Sequences to the left of the BAd3-E3 gene region contained the 3' end of another ORF with extensive identity with the hexon-associated protein precursor (pVIII) of HAd2. Like mouse Ad1 and canine Ad1, the BAd3 E3 gene is approximately 1.5 kb, about half the size of the E3 region of HAd2 and HAd5."}
{"id": "PMID:1469368", "title": "Molecular evidence for the origin of the widespread Venezuelan equine encephalitis epizootic of 1969 to 1972.", "content": "Venezuelan equine encephalitis (VEE) virus is a mosquito-borne pathogen that has caused encephalitis in equine species and humans during sporadic outbreaks in the western hemisphere. The last, and most widespread, VEE outbreak occurred in South America, Central America, Mexico and the U.S.A. (Texas) during 1969 to 1972. We have cloned and sequenced the genome of a virulent VEE subtype I-AB virus, strain 71-180, isolated in Texas in 1971. Thirty-four nucleotide differences were detected between the genome of 71-180 virus and that of the subtype I-AB Trinidad donkey (TRD) virus isolated during the 1943 VEE epizootic in Trinidad. Fifteen nucleotide changes occurred in the non-structural genes, 16 in the structural genes and three in the 3' non-coding region. Only six of the nucleotide differences resulted in amino acid substitutions: one change in each of non-structural proteins nsP1 and nsP3, two in the E2 envelope glycoprotein, one in the 6K polypeptide and one in the E1 envelope glycoprotein. The close genetic relationship between 71-180 virus and TRD virus, commonly used for production of formalin-inactivated VEE vaccines, suggests that incompletely inactivated virulent vaccine virus may have been the source of this and other VEE outbreaks. Use of formalized virulent virus was discontinued during the 1969 to 1972 panzootic. No VEE epizootics have been reported since the introduction of the live attenuated TC-83 vaccine virus."}
{"id": "PMID:1469369", "title": "In vitro culture for the detection of infectious human parvovirus B19 and B19-specific antibodies using foetal haematopoietic precursor cells.", "content": "The inability to culture human parvovirus B19 in standard cell lines has rendered investigation of clinical samples for the presence of infectious virus problematic. Using haematopoietic precursors derived from first trimester foetal liver as targets for infection, and non-isotopic in situ hybridization to detect intracellular viral DNA, we have assessed infectivity in stored serum samples taken from nine volunteers at different stages following intranasal inoculation with parvovirus B19. Infectious virus was detected as early as 3 days after inoculation, the cessation of infectivity correlating with the rise in specific IgM. In all but two samples, infectivity correlated with the detection of B19 DNA by dot-blot hybridization, although in vitro culture was 10-fold more sensitive than dot-blot hybridization. B19 DNA was detected by the polymerase chain reaction in serum from one volunteer up to 36 days after inoculation, although samples containing specific antibody were non-infectious. Infection of erythroid precursors was completely inhibited by preincubation of virus with serum containing high titre B19-specific IgM and IgG. Unexpectedly, this was associated with a strong B19 DNA hybridization signal within the cytoplasm of phagocytic macrophages. This culture and detection system is a rapid and sensitive means of detecting infectious virus in serum samples, and of assessing the neutralizing ability of B19-specific antibodies."}
{"id": "PMID:1469370", "title": "Binding of influenza A virus NS1 protein to dsRNA in vitro.", "content": "The non-structural protein NS1 of influenza A virus exhibits two modes of RNA-binding activity. One is sequence-specific binding to minus-sense virus RNA with either a 5'- or 3'-terminal common sequence as reported previously. The other was identified as binding to dsRNA and this activity did not show sequence specificity. The affinity of binding to dsRNA was much higher than that to ssRNA. A short miniature virion RNA forming a panhandle structure by pairing between the 5'- and 3'-terminal common sequences bound NS1 with higher affinity and stability than did a dsRNA of similar sequence and length."}
{"id": "PMID:1469372", "title": "War zone traumas and posttraumatic stress disorder symptomatology.", "content": "The diagnosis and clinical understanding of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) rests upon the explicit identification of traumatic experiences that give rise to a well-defined constellation of symptoms. Most efforts to investigate the characteristics of these experiences have attempted to specify war zone stressors as objectively as possible. In this study, we add specification of the psychological meaning of war zone stressors to their objective specification. Eleven traumas are organized in terms of four roles that veterans played in the initiation of death and injury; namely, target, observer, agent, and failure. These roles can be ordered in terms of the degree of personal responsibility involved in the initiation of death and injury. The relationships of these roles to current symptomatology were examined in combination with a set of objective measures of war zone stressors. The sample consisted of the first 1709 Vietnam theater veterans who were assessed in a national evaluation of the PTSD Clinical Teams initiative of the Department of Veterans Affairs. Results show that having been a target of others' attempts to kill or injure is related more uniquely than any other role to symptoms that are diagnostic criteria for PTSD. On the other hand, having been an agent of killing and having been a failure at preventing death and injury are related more strongly than other roles to general psychiatric distress and suicide attempts.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1469374", "title": "Chronic posttraumatic stress disorder and diagnostic comorbidity in a disaster sample.", "content": "Research has indicated significant comorbid psychopathology with chronic posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in samples of war veterans. The present paper examines the issue of comorbidity in a disaster sample to learn whether findings from veterans generalized to this event. A total of 193 subjects exposed to the Buffalo Creek dam collapse of 1972 were examined 14 years later using diagnoses derived from the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-III (SCID). Past and present PTSD was found in a significant portion of the sample. Major depression was the next most common diagnosis and was highly related to PTSD. Anxiety disorders were also common. The overlap with other diagnoses was quite similar to that found in a sample of Vietnam veterans we studied earlier, except that the disaster sample had fewer dysthymic disorders, substance abusers, and antisocial personality disorders. Possible explanations for comorbidity in chronic PTSD were discussed and it was suggested that the morphology of PTSD may be quite stable in at least some other nonveteran trauma populations."}
{"id": "PMID:1469375", "title": "Malignant memories. Reluctance to utilize mental health services after a disaster.", "content": "This report describes the reluctance of individuals exposed to a man-made disaster to utilize formal mental health services. Measures were obtained in an initial screening 6 months after a shooting for 24 exposed school personnel. Data from the initial screening were compared for those who did not participate in a follow-up screening 12 months later (N = 11) and those who did (N = 13). Follow-up nonparticipants reported: more posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms, especially avoidance; recall of life threat during the event; feeling depressed; and an increase in positivity toward victims but not about their work or mental health professionals. The authors conclude that some individuals may avoid formal mental health services because they serve as cues for malignant memory retrieval and discuss implications for service delivery."}
{"id": "PMID:1469376", "title": "Persecutory delusions and the self-serving bias. Evidence from a contingency judgment task.", "content": "The self-serving attributional bias was studied in matched groups of patients with persecutory delusions, patients with major affective disorder, and normal controls, (N = 14 in each group). On a preprogrammed computer task, subjects mainly won points in one condition and mainly lost points in the other. Subjects were asked to estimate the degree of control they thought they had over winning or losing in the two conditions. In comparison with the normal subjects and the psychiatric controls, the deluded subjects showed a greater self-serving bias, as evidenced by their perceived greater control over outcomes in the win condition. These findings are interpreted as consistent with the hypothesis that persecutory delusions function as a defense against low self-esteem."}
{"id": "PMID:1469378", "title": "History of the discovery of neuronal death in embryos.", "content": "The German anatomists, M. Ernst and A. Gl\u00fccksmann, deserve credit for the discovery of widespread cell death in embryonic tissues, including the nervous tissue. In 1934, V. Hamburger described a significant hypoplasia in dorsal root ganglia (DGR) and lateral motor columns, following the extirpation of limb buds in chick embryos. In the early 1940s, Dr. Rita Levi-Montalcini in Turin (Italy) repeated the experiment and suggested that the hypoplasia might result from the death of young differentiated neurons. In a joint reinvestigation, published in 1949, large numbers of degenerating neurons were described in brachial DRG, following wing bud extirpations. In the same embryos, Dr. Levi-Montalcini observed massive neuronal death in cervical and thoracic DRG which had not been affected by the operation. This was the discovery of naturally occurring neuronal death. Long after the discovery of Nerve Growth Factor (NGF) it was recognized that NGF and natural neuronal death are two sides of the same coin: the latter results from an insufficient supply of the former by the target tissues."}
{"id": "PMID:1469379", "title": "The role of target size in neuronal survival.", "content": "A loss of about half of the trochlear motor neurons occurs during the course of normal development in duck and quail embryos. The role of the size of the target muscle in controlling the number of surviving motor neurons was examined by making motor neurons innervate targets either larger or smaller in size than their normal target. In one experiment the smaller trochlear motor neuron pool of the quail embryo was forced to innervate the larger superior oblique muscle of the duck embryo. This was accomplished by grafting the midbrain of a quail embryo in the place of the midbrain of a duck embryo. Results indicated that no additional quail trochlear motor neurons were rescued in spite of a considerable increase in target size. In another experiment the larger trochlear motor neuron pool of the duck embryo was made to innervate the smaller superior oblique muscle of the quail embryo. This resulted in loss of some additional neurons; however, the number of surviving motor neurons was not proportionate to the reduction in target size. These experiments failed to provide support for the hypothesis that the size of the target muscle controls the number of surviving motor neurons. Although contact with target is necessary for survival of neurons, factors other than the number or size of target cells are involved in the control of motor neuron numbers during development."}
{"id": "PMID:1469380", "title": "The relationship of intramuscular nerve branching and synaptogenesis to motoneuron survival.", "content": "The target has been considered for some time to play a major role in allowing neurons to survive the period of naturally occurring cell death. For the motoneurons that innervate the chick limb, evidence is presented that suggests access to target-derived trophic factor via intramuscular nerve branches and synapses may be important in regulating neuronal survival. Alterations in branching and synapse formation produced by activity blockade as well as by alteration of adhesion molecule function are shown to result in changes in motoneuron survival consistent with the proposed hypothesis. The relevance of these observations to the numerical-matching hypothesis of vertebrate neuronal cell death is also considered."}
{"id": "PMID:1469381", "title": "Neuron death in the developing avian isthmo-optic nucleus, and its relation to the establishment of functional circuitry.", "content": "The present review covers all the published data on neuron death in the developing avian isthmo-optic nucleus (ION), which provides a particularly convenient situation for studying the causes and consequences of neuron death in the development of the vertebrate central nervous system. The main conclusions are as follows: The naturally occurring neuron death in the ION is related both temporally and causally to the ION's formation of afferent and efferent connections. The ION neurons need to obtain both anterograde and retrograde survival signals in order to survive during a critical period in embryogenesis. They may compete, at least for the retrograde signals, but the nature of the competition is still unclear. The retrograde signals are modified by action potentials. Neurons dying from a lack of anterograde survival signals can be distinguished morphologically from ones dying from a lack of retrograde signals. The neuron death refines circuitry by selectively eliminating neurons with \"aberrant\" axons projecting to the \"wrong\" (i.e., ipsilateral) retina or to the \"wrong\" (topographically inappropriate) part of the contralateral retina."}
{"id": "PMID:1469382", "title": "Cell death and the creation of regional differences in neuronal numbers.", "content": "Regional variations in cell death are ubiquitous in the nervous system. In the retina, cell death in retinal ganglion cells is elevated in the retinal periphery and may be important in setting up the initial conditions that produce central retinal specializations such as an area centralis or visual streak. In central visual system structures, pronounced spatial and spatiotemporal inhomogeneities in cell death are seen both in layers and regions of the lateral geniculate nucleus and superior colliculus; similar indications of inhomogeneities are seen in those nonvisual structures that have been examined. Cell death in the cortex is highly nonuniform, by layer and by cortical area. A variety of possible functions for these regional losses are proposed, in the context of a uniform mechanism for cell death that allows it to assume multiple functions."}
{"id": "PMID:1469383", "title": "Matters of life and death in the songbird forebrain.", "content": "Male zebra finches learn a specific vocal pattern during a restricted period of development. They produce that song in stereotyped form throughout adulthood, and are unable to learn new song patterns. Development of the neural substrate for song learning and behavior is delayed relative to other brain regions, and neural song-control circuits undergo dramatic changes during the period of vocal learning due to both loss of neurons as well as incorporation of newly generated neurons. In contrast, canaries do learn new song patterns in adulthood and modify their vocal repertoires each breeding season. Adult canaries also maintain a large population of dividing cells in the ependymal zone of the telencephalon, and vast numbers of newly generated neurons migrate out to become incorporated into functional circuits and replace older neurons. We review the relationships between cellular and behavioral aspects of song learning in both zebra finches and canaries, as well as the role of gonadal hormones in regulating diverse aspects of the song-control system."}
{"id": "PMID:1469384", "title": "Regulation of motoneuron death in the spinal nucleus of the bulbocavernosus.", "content": "A sexual dimorphism in the number of motoneurons in the spinal nucleus of the bulbocavernosus (SNB) of rats is engendered by a sex difference in ontogenetic cell death. Testicular secretions, specifically androgenic steroids, reduce SNB motoneuron death in males. The fate of the target muscles generally mirrors that of the motoneurons, and androgens appear to exert their effects upon the target muscles, sparing the motoneurons as a secondary consequence. Treatment with ciliary neurotrophic factor can also spare SNB motoneurons in newborn females, raising the possibility that this factor normally mediates androgen's effect upon motoneuron survival. The ontogeny of calcitonin gene-related peptide immunoreactivity is delayed in SNB cells compared with other motoneurons and is further delayed in the SNB cells of females. In both sexes, calcitonin gene-related peptide is detected after the period of SNB motoneuron death is complete. A sex difference in motoneuron number is also seen in the human homologue of the SNB and, because ontogenetic death of motoneurons in humans overlaps the period of androgen secretion, may arise in a manner similar to that in the rat SNB."}
{"id": "PMID:1469385", "title": "Cell death in the oligodendrocyte lineage.", "content": "We have recently found that about 50% of newly formed oligodendrocytes normally die in the developing rat optic nerve. When purified oligodendrocytes or their precursors are cultured in the absence of serum or added signalling molecules, they die rapidly with the characteristics of programmed cell death. This death is prevented either by the addition of medium conditioned by cultures of their normal neighboring cells in the developing optic nerve, or by the addition of platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) or insulin-like growth factors (IGFs). Increasing PDGF in the developing optic nerve decreases normal oligodendrocyte death by up to 90% and doubles the number of oligodendrocytes, suggesting that this normally occurring glial cell death might result from a competition for limiting amounts of survival signals. These results suggest that competition for limiting amounts of survival factors is not confined to developing neurons, and raise the possibility that a similar mechanism may be responsible for some naturally occurring cell deaths in nonneural tissues."}
{"id": "PMID:1469387", "title": "Mechanisms of neuronal death in brain aging and Alzheimer's disease: role of endocrine-mediated calcium dyshomeostasis.", "content": "This paper reviews evidence that brain aging and Alzheimer's disease (AD) are somehow closely related and that the hippocampus (CA1) is highly vulnerable to cell loss under both conditions. In addition, two current lines of evidence on the mechanisms of hippocampal cell loss with aging are considered, including studies of neuronal calcium dysregulation and studies of cumulative glucocorticoid (GC) neurotoxicity. Moreover, recent electrophysiological studies have shown that excess glucocorticoid activation of hippocampal neurons increases the influx of calcium through voltage-activated calcium channels. Second messenger systems may mediate the steroid modulation of calcium channels. Therefore, it is hypothesized that excess glucocorticoid activation and neuronal calcium dysregulation may be two phases of a single process that increases the susceptibility of neurons to neurodegeneration during aging and Alzheimer's disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1469389", "title": "Programmed neuronal death in insect development.", "content": "Programmed death in the developing nervous system of insects serves to remove obsolete neurons, generate segmental specializations and sexual dimorphism, as well as adjust neuronal number. This diversity is also reflected in the mechanisms which control the death of these neurons. In general, but not without exception, these deaths occur independent of target fate, while endocrine cues, segmental identity, and neural signalling often play critical roles. In addition, the programmed death of at least some neurons can be delayed by behavioral feedback. The study of neuronal death in Drosophila and the cloning of an ecdysteroid receptor bring the promise of understanding the genetic factors and molecular events that regulate this phenomenon."}
{"id": "PMID:1469390", "title": "Insect muscle as a model for programmed cell death.", "content": "Programmed cell death (PCD) is a fundamental component of development in virtually all animals. Despite the ubiquity of this phenomenon, little is known about what tells a cell to die, and less still about the physiological and molecular mechanisms that bring about death. One system that has proven to be very amenable for the study of PCD is the intersegmental muscle (ISM) of the tobacco hawkmoth Manduca sexta. These giant muscle cells are used during the eclosion (emergence) behavior of the adult moth, and then die during the subsequent 30 h. This review uses the ISMs as a model system to address questions that are basic to any cell death system, including the following: (1) how do cells know when to die; (2) what physiological changes accompany death; (3) what are the molecular mechanisms that mediate death; and (4) do all cells die by the same process? For the ISMs, the trigger for PCD is a decline in the circulating titer of the insect molting hormone, 20-hydroxyecdysone (20-HE). During cell death there are rapid decreases in both the myofibrillar sensitivity to intracellular calcium and the resulting force of fiber contraction. The ability of the ISMs to undergo PCD requires the repression and activation of specific genes. Two of the repressed genes encode actin and myosin. One of the upregulated presumptive cell-death genes encodes polyubiquitin, which appears to play a critical role in the rapid proteolysis that accompanies ISM death.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1469391", "title": "Molecular genetics of cell death in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans.", "content": "In C. elegans, cell death can be readily studied at the cellular, genetic, and molecular levels. Two types of death have been characterized in this nematode: (1) programmed cell death, which occurs as a normal component in development; and (2) pathological cell death, which occurs aberrantly as a consequence of mutation. Analysis of mutations that disrupt programmed cell death in various ways has defined a genetic pathway for programmed cell death which includes genes that perform such functions as the determination of which cells die, the execution of cell death, the engulfment of cell corpses, and the digestion of DNA from dead cells. Molecular analysis is providing insight into the nature of the molecules that function in these aspects of programmed cell death. Characterization of some genes that mutate to induce abnormal cell death has defined a novel gene family called degenerins that encode putative membrane proteins. Dominant alleles of at least two degenerin genes, mec-4 and deg-1, can cause cellular swelling and late onset neurodegeneration of specific groups of cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1469393", "title": "Typical absence seizures in adults: clinical, EEG, video-EEG findings and diagnostic/syndromic considerations.", "content": "Eighteen women and five men had typical absences. These included 10% of a consecutive hospital series of 200 adult patients with epileptic disorders. The absences began between the ages of seven and 46 years and varied in type and severity. Twenty patients also had generalised tonic-clonic seizures, ranging in frequency from one in a lifetime to one per month. Myoclonic jerks of the limbs occurred in 11 patients but were not associated with the absence attacks. Eyelid myoclonus consistently occurred with absence attacks in four patients and perioral myoclonus in two patients. Absence status occurred in five patients. Absence seizures were frequently unrecognised or misdiagnosed as complex partial seizures. Satisfactory control was achieved with sodium valproate. Electroencephalography, particularly video-electroencephalography, was invaluable in the diagnosis, but focal abnormalities in seven patients might have been erroneously interpreted as indicating partial seizures. This series showed that clinical and EEG manifestations are often syndrome-related and that there are more epileptic syndromes with typical absences than those presently recognised."}
{"id": "PMID:1469394", "title": "The dopaminergic response in multiple system atrophy.", "content": "Fifteen of 23 pathologically confirmed cases of multiple system atrophy (MSA) showed some initial response to levodopa and eight of these remained at least partially responsive at the time of death. Eleven developed motor oscillations, and drug-induced dyskinesias, often involving the face and jaw, were also seen in 11 cases. Acute levodopa and apomorphine challenges were administered to 11 patients with clinical MSA who were considered levodopa responsive. A short duration relatively small amplitude response with associated dyskinesias occurred in six and a further three developed dyskinesias without any motor response. Following levodopa withdrawal, a delayed deterioration occurred after three to six days in six patients, five of whom had shown no short duration motor response to the acute challenges. The occurrence of levodopa-induced dyskinesias without a concomitant motor response and delayed deterioration several days after levodopa withdrawal may be more typical of patients with MSA than Parkinson's disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1469395", "title": "Impaired joint mobility in Guillain-Barr\u00e9 syndrome: a primary or a secondary phenomenon?", "content": "Three patients with Guillain-Barr\u00e9 syndrome had significant residual impairment of joint mobility. Pain in the limbs and axial skeleton was a prominent early feature, as were autonomic disturbances and bulbar involvement resulting in prolonged mechanical ventilation. All three patients developed marked joint stiffness and contractures despite having physiotherapy from the outset. The skeletal problems and complications became major components of disability despite improving neurological status."}
{"id": "PMID:1469396", "title": "Reduced regional cerebral blood flow in Huntington's disease studied by SPECT.", "content": "Regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) was studied in 18 patients with Huntington's disease (HD) and 19 age- and sex-matched controls with high resolution single photon emission computerised tomography (SPECT), using Tc-99m-HMPAO. Significant reductions in tracer uptake were found in the caudate and lentiform nuclei (20 and 8%) and in the cerebral cortex, especially in the frontal and parietal areas (11-13%). No significant reductions were found in the thalamus, mesial temporal cortex, and occipital cortex. Fourteen patients had neuropsychological testing. Relationship between rCBF and cognitive function was tested by regression analysis. A linear relationship was found between test scores of Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, Picture Arrangement Test and blood flow in the caudate nucleus. Other tests of cognitive function (Block Design Test, Face and Word Recognition Test, Street Fragmented Pictures Test, and Similarities Test) correlated better with flow in the cortical regions believed to be involved in solving those particular tests. These findings indicate, that blood flow is reduced in both cortical and subcortical structures in symptomatic HD, and that both reductions in cortical and subcortical blood flow may be related to cognitive function in HD."}
{"id": "PMID:1469397", "title": "Beginning-of-dose motor deterioration following the acute administration of levodopa and apomorphine in Parkinson's disease.", "content": "Six Parkinsonian patients on long term levodopa therapy complained of short-lived deterioration of Parkinsonian symptoms immediately after levodopa intake. After withdrawal of the drug overnight, and following an oral challenge with levodopa/carbidopa (250/25) in all six cases, and with subcutaneous apomorphine (3 mg) in two, deterioration below base line levels of disability were observed which would not be explained by loss of sleep benefit. This occurred 10-20 minutes after levodopa challenge and lasted for 10-20 minutes. The latency and duration of this phenomenon were shorter with apomorphine but the characteristics were similar. This phenomenon may be due to an inhibitory effect of levodopa acting via presynaptic dopamine receptors."}
{"id": "PMID:1469398", "title": "F response and somatosensory and brainstem auditory evoked potential studies in HMSN type I and II.", "content": "To evaluate conduction along the proximal and distal segments of motor and sensory long limb nerves, as well as along the very short acoustic nerve, F response and somatosensory and brainstem auditory evoked potential were studied in a series of patients with hereditary motor and sensory neuropathy (HMSN) types I and II. A diffuse and comparable slowing of conduction in proximal and distal nerve segments, as well as along the acoustic nerve, seems to favour a primary myelin defect in HMSN I. F response and motor conduction velocity showed a similar derangement in both proximal and distal motor segments. Latencies of somatosensory evoked potentials were symmetrically prolonged and correlated with motor nerve impairment. Central conduction times were normal. Studies of brainstem auditory evoked potentials showed a high incidence of acoustic nerve involvement, the most evident abnormality being a statistically significant increase in the latency of the I wave. Our data seem to support the presence of primary myelinopathic damage in HMSN I."}
{"id": "PMID:1469399", "title": "Prevalence of sleep apnoea in patients over 40 years of age with spinal cord lesions.", "content": "Twenty two patients over the age of 40 with stable spinal cord damage underwent overnight sleep studies to investigate the prevalence of sleep apnoea. Ten patients had some evidence of obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA). Hypoxic events were scored as number of dips of SaO2 more than 4% below the preceding 10 minute average (> 4% SaO2 dip rate). All the patients had more than five such dips per hour and six had clearly abnormal dip rates of more than 15 per hour. Two other patients had dip rates above 10 per hour without apnoeas but periods of central hypoventilation mainly during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. OSA appears to be more common in older patients with spinal cord injury than in the general population. Possible relevant factors include patient selection, reduced ventilatory function secondary to spinal cord damage, sleep posture and medication."}
{"id": "PMID:1469400", "title": "Cerebral cavernous angioma: a potentially benign condition? Successful treatment in 16 cases.", "content": "Cerebral cavernous angioma (cavernoma) has previously been treated by resection for all presentations when surgically resectable. In this retrospective series of 16 cases, it is demonstrated that, for those patients presenting with epilepsy alone, surgery is often unnecessary. Diagnosis can be made radiologically and excellent seizure control can be obtained with medications. In the authors' experience, those cavernomas symptomatic as epilepsy rarely cause major haemorrhage and the need for surgery as prophylaxis against bleeding in this group is unproven."}
{"id": "PMID:1469401", "title": "Hysteria following brain injury.", "content": "Of 167 patients referred to a unit treating severe behaviour disorders after brain injury, 54 showed clinical features closely resembling those of gross hysteria as described by Charcot. Close correlation was found with very diffuse insults (hypoxia and hypoglycaemia), but not with severity of injury or with family or personal history of hysterical or other psychiatric disorder. The findings may have implications for the understanding of the nature of hysteria."}
{"id": "PMID:1469402", "title": "Fluctuating cognitive abnormalities and cerebral glucose metabolism in neuropsychiatric systemic lupus erythematosus.", "content": "Brain imaging techniques such as MRI and PET have the potential for identifying central nervous system involvement in SLE. They may also help elucidate the mechanisms giving rise to the widely diverging manifestations of CNS involvement in SLE. This report documents an intensive longitudinal study of three women with neuropsychiatric SLE. PET and neuropsychological evaluation were both used to examine the co-occurrence of behavioural/cognitive deficits with alterations in regional brain glucose metabolism. In all three patients, FDG uptake indicated abnormalities which were not identified on CT scan, but corresponded well with localisable cognitive deficits. Changes in each patient's cognitive profile on reassessment paralleled changes on PET. These findings support the suggestion that cognitive deficits in SLE patients reflect primary CNS involvement."}
{"id": "PMID:1469403", "title": "Visuo-spatial neglect: qualitative differences and laterality of cerebral lesion.", "content": "From a large sample of patients who sustained a first stroke, 98 patients were selected with unilateral left brain damage and 92 with unilateral right brain damage. Examined on a visual search task (Star Cancellation) approximately four years after onset, we found a comparable incidence of visual inattention in the two groups. Despite this quantitative similarity, the qualitative pattern of performance was different in the two impaired samples. Patients with right brain damage showed a distinctive linear relationship whereby omission errors increased from right to left across the stimulus page. Within the left brain damaged sample, two subgroups could be discerned. As expected, one subgroup showed more contralesional than ipsilesional errors, but the other subgroup was comparable to the sample with right hemisphere damage. The reasons are discussed for these qualitative differences, drawing particular attention to the importance of motor/manual factors in the determination of performance on visual search tasks."}
{"id": "PMID:1469404", "title": "Transient musical hallucinosis of central origin: a review and clinical study.", "content": "A 52 year old, right handed, hearing impaired woman was admitted with headache and neck stiffness. The only neuropsychological symptom was transient auditory perceptions in the left ear, which were musical, seemed familiar and were not influenced by verbal communication. CT and MRI showed a right subarachnoid haemorrhage, while brainstem auditory evoked potentials failed to reveal a brainstem lesion. In patients with organic cerebral disease, unilateral auditory hallucinations (AHs) may indicate a lesion in the contralateral hemisphere. However, according to this review the type of AHs (verbal versus musical) is not consistently associated with a cerebral lesion on either side."}
{"id": "PMID:1469405", "title": "Acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase activities in cerebrospinal fluid from different levels of the neuraxis of patients with dementia of the Alzheimer type.", "content": "Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE) activities of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) collected post mortem from the lateral ventricles, cisterna magna, and lumbar regions of the spinal cord of patients with a histologically confirmed diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease were compared with those of normal, age matched control patients, patients with dementia of non-Alzheimer aetiology, and patients with non-dementing neurological disorders. The AChE activity of the ventricular CSF of patients with Alzheimer's disease was 48% lower (p < 0.005) than that of age matched controls or patients with other types of dementia, and the AChE activity of CSF sampled from the basal cistern was 40% lower (p < 0.005) in patients with Alzheimer's disease. There were no significant differences between the AChE activity in Alzheimer's disease and control patients in CSF collected from the lumbar cistern. AChE activity was lower in CSF sampled from the basal and lumbar cistern of patients with dementia of non-Alzheimer aetiology, while ventricular activity was in the normal range. BuChE activity in ventricular CSF of Alzheimer's disease patients was 41% lower than normal (p < 0.05) and in the normal range in all other samples. The secretion of AChE from forebrain and hindbrain regions is reduced in Alzheimer's disease patients, leading to decreased ventricular and cisternal levels of the enzyme. Secretion from more caudal regions of the central nervous system seems to be unaffected by the disease, resulting in AChE in the lumbar CSF of patients with Alzheimer's disease being in the control range. Such altered secretion of AChE in the brain could have profound implications not only for cholinergic transmission in these patients but also for the proposed noncholinergic modulatory actions of AChE."}
{"id": "PMID:1469406", "title": "Pseudoaxonal Guillain-Barr\u00e9 syndrome: severe demyelination mimicking axonopathy. A case with pupillary involvement.", "content": "A patient with fulminant Guillain-Barr\u00e9 syndrome developed pupillary denervation, loss of all brain stem reflexes and a complete flaccid quadriparesis. Pathological studies confirmed this was due to a primarily demyelinating process and not an axonal form of Guillain-Barr\u00e9 syndrome."}
{"id": "PMID:1469407", "title": "Diagnosis by axilla skin biopsy in an early case of Lafora's disease.", "content": "Myoclonus, seizures and progressive dementia are the main clinical features in Lafora's disease. This is the first reported case in which the diagnosis has been made by axillary skin biopsy in a patient with myoclonus but no other neurological symptoms."}
{"id": "PMID:1469408", "title": "Propriospinal myoclonus in multiple sclerosis.", "content": "The clinical and electrophysiological features of segmental myoclonus affecting the right arm and upper trunk are described in a patient with multiple sclerosis. Electrophysiological studies suggested that the myoclonus was propagated from a generator site in the cervical cord, where lesions were found using MRI. The spread of electromyographic activity in each myoclonic jerk was slow and variable. These findings are characteristic of propriospinal myoclonus, which has not been associated with multiple sclerosis previously."}
{"id": "PMID:1469409", "title": "\"Isolated\" postinfectious myoclonus.", "content": "Two cases are reported who developed myoclonus as the only manifestation of a post-infectious syndrome without evidence of encephalitis or the opsoclonus-myoclonus syndrome. Case 1 had generalised myoclonus following an influenza-like illness, while case 2 had right upper limb segmental myoclonus following uncomplicated chicken pox. Neither had any localising neurological signs or abnormality on investigation. Both recovered completely within six months of the onset. Similar cases are reviewed from the literature and it is suggested that such cases be called \"isolated\" post-infectious myoclonus."}
{"id": "PMID:1469410", "title": "Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in a recipient of human pituitary-derived gonadotrophin: a second case.", "content": "A 44 year old female presented with a progressive cerebellar disturbance approximately 13 years after receiving human pituitary derived gonadotrophin injections as a treatment for infertility. The patient died approximately nine months later. Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease was confirmed at necropsy. This is the second reported case of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in a recipient of human derived gonadotrophin."}
{"id": "PMID:1469417", "title": "Treatment of lower urinary tract dysfunction in patients with multiple sclerosis. Committee of the European Study Group of SUDIMS (Sexual and Urological Disorders in Multiple Sclerosis)", "content": "Bladder symptoms in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) are common and usually arise as a result of spinal lesions which interrupt the neural pathways connecting the pontine micturition centre to the sacral spinal cord. Thus these symptoms are particularly likely to occur in those with lower limb neurological deficits. Fortunately bladder dysfunction in MS is rarely associated with serious upper tract disease so that the problem is usually one of symptomatic management. Lower urinary tract symptoms may be both \"irritative\" or \"obstructive\" in nature and can be explained in terms of underlying detrusor hyperreflexia and incomplete bladder emptying. Treatment is aimed at minimising both these effects. Oral anticholinergic medication can be effective in reducing detrusor hyperreflexia and intermittent catheterisation is used to reduce abnormally high post micturition residual volumes. With this simple treatment, often used in combination, many less severely affected patients with MS can gain considerable improvement in controlling urinary continence."}
{"id": "PMID:1469418", "title": "Motor recovery after acute ischaemic stroke: a metabolic study.", "content": "The metabolic changes occurring after ischaemic stroke were measured to investigate the functional anatomy of clinical motor recovery. Positron emission tomography (PET) and the steady-state 15O technique was used to compare resting relative metabolic distributions at the onset of functional deficit with those following recovery. Ten patients were studied with repeat scans. Motor recovery was associated in some patients with an increase of relative oxygen metabolism in anatomical structures normally involved in motor function in the affected hemisphere, particularly in the cortical motor areas. In those patients without such metabolic changes in the cortex of the diseased hemisphere, relative increases in cortical metabolism in the contralateral hemisphere were associated with better motor recovery than in patients with no relative cortical metabolic increase in either hemisphere. There was no correlation between the degree of improvement in motor function and the severity of motor deficit at onset, the size and site of the lesion and the metabolic changes in the infarcted zone. No particular pattern of global metabolic changes was observed after recovery. Thus different relative patterns of metabolic recovery were seen in patients with different lesions and evidence was found for the participation of contralateral structures in the recovery process in some patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1469420", "title": "Striatal dysfunction in Rolling mouse Nagoya: an electrophysiological study.", "content": "To elucidate the neuronal mechanism of the motor disturbances of the Rolling mouse Nagoya (rolling, genotype rol/rol), an experimental neurologic mutant mouse, we studied the physiological characteristics of neurons of the globus pallidus (GP) in rolling, comparing them with those of the behaviorally normal heterozygotes (+/rol) and normal controls (+/+). Forty-nine units in rolling, 41 in heterozygotes and 48 in controls were recorded under urethane anesthesia. The group mean of the interspike interval (ISI) of the spontaneous unit discharges was significantly shorter in rolling (42.2 +/- 2.6 msec, mean +/- SEM) than that of controls and of heterozygotes (55.4 +/- 2.4 msec, P < 0.001 and 50.4 +/- 2.6 msec, P < 0.05, respectively), indicating a significantly higher rate of spontaneous unit activity in the GP of rolling. In the controls and heterozygotes, about 60% of the GP neurons responded to striatal (ST) electrical stimulation with a predominantly inhibitory response, whereas a significantly smaller number of the GP neurons (22%, P < 0.001) exhibited inhibitory responses in rolling. The positive field potentials recorded in the GP evoked by ST stimulation were significantly smaller in amplitude in rolling (1.04 +/- 0.10 mV, mean +/- SEM) than that of the controls and heterozygotes (1.78 +/- 0.15 mV, P < 0.001 and 1.97 +/- 0.17 mV, P < 0.001, respectively). These results are in agreement with our previously reported findings of increased glucose metabolism and reduced concentration of GABA in the GP and substantia nigra pars reticula (SNr) in rolling.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1469421", "title": "Somatic motor efferents in multiple system atrophy with autonomic failure: a clinico-pathological study.", "content": "The myelinated fibers in the corticospinal tracts, ventral spinal roots, and the neurons in the ventral spinal horns were quantitatively examined in 8 autopsied cases of multiple system atrophy associated with autonomic failure. In these structures consisting of the somatic motor efferents, the main pathological feature was the size dependent-involvement of predominantly small-sized fibers and neurons. The small myelinated fibers were significantly depopulated, while the large myelinated fibers were well populated in the corticospinal tract. Neurons in the ventral horns were also involved, but those with a small diameter and located in the intermediate zone (Rexed's lamina VII, VIII) were markedly diminished. In the ventral spinal roots, in the fourth lumbar segments containing essentially no autonomic efferents, small myelinated fibers were also preferentially involved. These pathological changes in the small-sized fiber and neuron loss were examined in relation to the somatic and autonomic motor symptoms, particularly of pyramidal signs."}
{"id": "PMID:1469422", "title": "Characterisation of the distribution of choline acetyltransferase messenger RNA in human spinal cord and its depletion in motor neurone disease.", "content": "We have characterised the distribution of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) mRNA in spinal cord from normal and motor neurone disease/amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (MND) subjects by in situ hybridisation. High concentrations of ChAT-mRNA were detected in 4 main regions of spinal cord, layer IX of the ventral horn, layer III of the dorsal horn, the intermediate grey matter and layer X around the central canal. ChAT mRNA was most highly concentrated in layers IX and III. Substantial decreases in ChAT mRNA were detected in ventral grey matter (layer IX) of cervical and lumbar cord in all cases of MND. Smaller and more variable changes in ChAT mRNA were seen in MND in other regions of spinal cord which indicates that these changes may arise as secondary processes. The value of this technique in understanding the pathophysiology of MND is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1469423", "title": "Analysis of the CAG repeat region of the androgen receptor gene in a kindred with X-linked spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy.", "content": "Herein we describe a family with X-linked spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA or Kennedy's disease), an adult onset neuromuscular disease characterized by slow progression, predominant proximal and bulbar muscle weakness. One frequent association is the appearance of gynecomastia. This disorder was previously shown to be linked to the locus DXYS1 on the proximal long arm of the X chromosome. Recently, a report implicated a mutation at the N-terminus of the androgen receptor gene involving amplification of CAG repeats as the cause of X-linked SBMA. We studied this region of the androgen receptor in a kindred clinically suspected but not confirmed of having X-linked SBMA by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) followed by Southern analysis and DNA sequencing. The mutated allele was found to have an increased number of 51 CAG repeats confirming the clinical diagnosis of SBMA. Normal individuals revealed 23 repeat numbers within the normal range, while another unrelated X-linked SBMA patient had an enlarged CAG repeat region. The carrier or disease status could be established or confirmed in 12 individuals of this family on the basis of detecting normal and disease alleles reflected by the number of CAG repeats."}
{"id": "PMID:1469424", "title": "Somatosensory and motor evoked potentials in the assessment of cerebrotendinous xanthomatosis before and after treatment with chenodeoxycholic acid: a preliminary study.", "content": "We studied two unrelated patients with cerebrotendinous xanthomatosis, in whom clinical examination revealed central nervous system long tract involvement. Brain and spinal cord magnetic resonance imaging showed no signs supporting the involvement of the long pathways. Somatosensory and motor evoked potentials demonstrated central sensory and motor conduction abnormalities, which suggested distal degeneration of longer fibers, rather than scattered focal lesions in the CNS. In one of the patients the neurophysiological study was repeated 6 and 12 months after the beginning of treatment with chenodeoxycholic acid, showing a progressive improvement. Therefore, our data suggest that central motor and sensory conduction studies may be useful in the assessment of the disease and in monitoring treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1469425", "title": "TRH analogue, TA-0910 (3-methyl-(s)-5,6-dihydroorotyl-L-histidyl-L-prolinamide) enhances neurite outgrowth in rat embryo ventral spinal cord in vitro.", "content": "We have studied effects of TRH analogue, TA-0910 (3-methyl-(s)-5,6-dihydroorotyl-L-histidyl-L-prolinamide) (from Tanabe, Osaka, Japan) on explanted ventral and dorsal spinal cord cultures from 13- and 14-day-old rat embryos. TA-0910-treated cultures had significantly increased neurite outgrowth with cultures of ventral spinal cord, but not with cultures of dorsal spinal cord. The effect was dose-dependent. A possible role for TRH in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis remains to be defined."}
{"id": "PMID:1469426", "title": "Electron microscopic features of skin in neurometabolic disorders.", "content": "Skin biopsy may contribute to the clinical diagnosis of neurometabolic disorders. It is an easy and much less traumatic procedure than brain, rectal, peripheral nerve and skeletal muscle biopsies. The method is informative and not too time-consuming for an experienced examiner. Differential diagnosis is possible in most storage disorders since the ultrastructure of the storage is virtually typical in lysosomal and in nonlysosomal diseases. The storage has a particular distribution with characteristic ultrastructural patterns in the various cell types. Skin biopsy plays a major diagnostic role when clinical features are atypical for a storage disorder, to discover new phenotypic variants of known enzymatic deficiencies or when the biochemical defect has not yet been determined. It can be used as a screening procedure to orientate the investigations, to suggest specific biochemical assays on cultured fibroblasts or other tissues or body fluids. It can be applied to detect \"presymptomatic\" patients in affected families. Other disorders of the nervous system should be investigated in the future to ascertain whether skin biopsies could possibly be used for diagnostic purposes. Thorough knowledge of the morphological features of these disorders may also improve the understanding of their pathogenesis, shed some light on the underlying basic defects and control the results of therapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1469427", "title": "Anti-sulfatide antibodies in neurological disease: binding to rat dorsal root ganglia neurons.", "content": "Increased titers of anti-sulfatide antibodies were detected by ELISA in 5 of 200 patients and control subjects. All 5 patients had sensory impairment; 4 had neuropathy, and one had multiple sclerosis. Of the patients with neuropathy, 2 had a clinical syndrome of small fiber sensory neuropathy with normal electrophysiological or nerve biopsy studies, 1 had a sensorimotor axonal neuropathy associated with IgM monoclonal gammopathy, and 1 had sensorimotor neuropathy with multifocal motor conduction block and anti-GM1 antibodies. The anti-sulfatide antibodies bound to the surface of unfixed rat dorsal root ganglia neurons and human neuroblastoma cells, and to fixed sections of central and peripheral myelin. No binding was detected following intraneural injection into rat sciatic nerves. Pre-absorption with sulfatide but not with galactocerebroside eliminated the tissue binding activity. These findings indicate that increased titers of anti-sulfatide antibodies are found in patients with sensory impairment but are not restricted to a particular neurological syndrome or type of neuropathy. The significance of anti-sulfatide antibodies is uncertain although sulfatide on dorsal root ganglia neurons may be a target antigen."}
{"id": "PMID:1469428", "title": "Immunosuppression in nerve allografting: is it desirable?", "content": "Immunologically incompatible sciatic nerve grafts were inserted into the severed sciatic nerves of Wistar rats. In an attempt to induce graft tolerance, low-dose cyclosporin A (CsA) was administered to some animals for 20 weeks, then gradually withdrawn. Behavioural, electrophysiological and histological studies indicated that some degree of regeneration took place in all animals regardless of treatment. Neither a daily dose of 5 mg/kg nor 10 mg/kg was sufficient to prevent the rejection and subsequent disruption of allograft structure, and as a consequence reinnervation of the distal stump was limited. This was manifest both in the poor functional recovery of the denervated foot, and in the large number of regenerated axons found outside of the perineurial membranes of the transplanted fascicles. Therefore, tolerance was not induced at these doses. Furthermore, the significant decrease in the amplitude of electromyographs recorded from experimental and unoperated (control) animals suggests CsA may have a deleterious effect on unlesioned nerve even at these low doses. It would be prudent, therefore, to exercise caution in the combined use of nerve allografts and CsA immunosuppression, until the neurotoxicity of CsA has been investigated further. This is particularly important since CsA is sometimes used in the treatment of certain neuropathic autoimmune diseases."}
{"id": "PMID:1469429", "title": "Alterations in the contractile properties of motor units within the ageing rat medial gastrocnemius.", "content": "The decline in muscle force accompanying senescence is associated with a loss of motor nerves which provides some opportunity for collateral reinnervation and alterations in the mechanical properties of surviving motor units. The contribution of the different motor unit types to this neuromuscular reorganization was investigated by determining the isometric contractile properties of single motor units within the medial gastrocnemius of rats aged 791 +/- 39 days. These were compared with a group of similarly isolated and classified units within young adult rats aged between four and five months. The estimated number of units decreased significantly from 93 +/- 28 in young adults to 66 +/- 19 in senescent animals. There was a preferential loss of fast motor units and a significant loss of myelinated axons within the muscle nerve. The maximum tetanic force developed by FF motor units decreased with age while that of the more fatigue resistant FI and FR motor units increased. Other contractile properties were unaltered and there was no change in any contractile parameter for S unit types. Alterations in the cross-sectional areas and proportions of histochemically classified muscle fibres reflected these changes. The proportion of FG fibres declined with age and there was evidence of denervation, particularly within the peripheral rim of fast type fibres. The number of muscle fibres within the medial gastrocnemius decreased with age. These results indicate that fast motor units are most severely affected during the early stages of senescence. Within this population the FF motor units which have the largest innervation ratios in the young adult may suffer preferential degeneration."}
{"id": "PMID:1469430", "title": "Effect of partial denervation on motor units in the ageing rat medial gastrocnemius.", "content": "The ageing neuromuscular system is thought to undergo a continual process of reorganization as motoneurones are lost and surviving motor nerves reinnervate neighbouring denervated muscle fibres. However, the extent to which collateral reinnervation is able to compensate for neural deficits in the ageing individual is unknown. The ability of the senescent motoneurone to increase the size of its peripheral field was therefore investigated following transection of the right L5 ventral root in male Sprague Dawley rats aged 775 +/- 50 days. This procedure resulted in an extensive partial denervation of the right medial gastrocnemius muscle. After a recovery period of between 28 and 31 days the isometric contractile properties of surviving motor units were compared to control motor units from both the contralateral muscle and a group of unoperated control animals aged 791 +/- 39 days. Motor unit force was found to be unchanged after partial denervation and the absence of any alteration in motor unit size was confirmed by histological analysis. However, the time course of the isometric twitch was significantly longer for both fast and slow motor unit types and the conduction velocity of motoneurones innervating fast units was decreased following partial denervation. These results demonstrate that senescent motor nerves are unable to substantially increase the size of their peripheral fields by extensive collateral reinnervation."}
{"id": "PMID:1469431", "title": "Effects of leukaemia inhibitory factor and other cytokines on murine and human myoblast proliferation.", "content": "It has been shown previously that leukaemia inhibitory factor (LIF) and transforming growth factor-alpha (TGF-alpha) stimulate proliferation of primary cultures of murine myoblasts. We now show that human myoblasts respond in a similar manner to LIF and TGF-alpha. These responses occur over a range of growth conditions. There are total additive effects in both human and murine myoblasts between LIF and TGF-alpha and LIF and fibroblast growth factor-beta (FGF-beta), but not between LIF and interleukin-6 (IL-6) or insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1). The LIF response is initiated by a short exposure to the cytokine and is maintained for prolonged periods in its absence."}
{"id": "PMID:1469432", "title": "Multifocal motor nerve conduction abnormalities in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.", "content": "Motor nerve conduction in motor neuron disease is considered normal until the terminal stages of the disease, a notable exception being lower motor neuron syndrome associated with anti-glycolipid antibodies. We reviewed the electrophysiological findings in all our patients who were diagnosed as having amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) during the last 6 years. Six patients, clinically indistinguishable from \"classical\" ALS patients, out of 31 (19%) displayed motor nerve conduction abnormalities. The most consistent finding, occurring in all 6, was prolonged distal latency or reduced conduction velocity in the distal segment of the median nerve, with normal sensory conduction, suggesting possible pressure proneness of motor nerve fibers in ALS. Additional abnormalities included multifocal motor conduction slowing (3 patients), and conduction blocks (4 patients). None of the patients had paraproteinemia and anti-GM1 and anti-GD1a antibodies were not detected. Thus, a subgroup of clinically indistinguishable ALS patients may have multifocal motor nerve conduction abnormalities, indicating motor nerve fiber involvement. The etiology and pathogenesis of the peripheral nerve involvement are presently unknown."}
{"id": "PMID:1469433", "title": "Enhanced proliferative response of myasthenic thymus cells in mixed lymphocyte reaction.", "content": "To determine the functional diversity of thymic lymphoid cells in patients with myasthenia gravis (MG), we evaluated mixed lymphocyte reactions (MLR) using thymus cells in 7 MG patients and 8 controls. In the MLR, we used thymus cells as responder cells and mitomycin C-treated peripheral non-T cells as stimulator cells. In an autologous MLR test, a low proliferative response was observed in both the MG patients and controls. In an allogeneic MLR test, in which thymus cells were co-cultured with allogeneic non-T cells, the thymus cells from MG patients showed an increased proliferative response to stimulator cells, whether they were from MG patients or the controls. However, thymus cells from the controls showed a low proliferative response to any allogeneic stimulator cells. The enhanced allo-reactivity of thymus cells from MG patients thus suggests that there is an increase in the number of functionally mature T lineage cells in the MG thymus."}
{"id": "PMID:1469434", "title": "Suppression of experimental autoimmune myasthenia gravis with new immunosuppressants: 15-deoxyspergualin and actinobolin.", "content": "In the search for a new drug to treat myasthenia gravis, we studied the efficacy of new immunosuppressants on experimental autoimmune myasthenia gravis (EAMG). 15-Deoxyspergualin (15-DSP), bactobolin and actinobolin were administered to some groups at the time of immunization and to other groups 10 days after. The most effective results were achieved with doses of 2.5 mg/kg daily of 15-DSP and 30 mg/kg daily of actinobolin administered from day 1. In both groups, the body weights of the rats increased as normally as those of controls and signs of myasthenia were mild. Immunoelectron microscopic examination of the neuromuscular junctions in rats treated with 2.5 mg/kg of 15-DSP appeared normal, even in the chronic phase (induced by a booster at week 4). Levels of anti-acetylcholine receptor antibodies were almost completely suppressed. Although the effects of these drugs were more remarkable when administered from day 1 than from day 10, the results suggest that they may prove useful in treating myasthenic patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1469435", "title": "Effects of Guillain-Barr\u00e9 sera containing antibodies against glycolipids in cultures of rat Schwann cells and sensory neurons.", "content": "Serum samples from 52 patients with the acute Guillain-Barr\u00e9 syndrome (GBS), 19 patients with other neurological disorders, and 18 healthy volunteers were tested for cytotoxicity in cultures of rat Schwann cells and dorsal root ganglion neurons. The samples were also examined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for IgG and IgM antibodies against various acidic and neutral glycolipids. Samples from 16 of the 52 (31%) acute GBS patients and from 1 of the 6 patients with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy produced myelin breakdown in culture. Although 10 of the 16 cytotoxic acute GBS serum samples contained anti-glycolipid immunoglobulins, there was no correlation in individual samples between cytotoxic activity and the presence of antibodies against specific glycolipids. While our results do not exclude a role for anti-glycolipid antibodies in the pathogenesis of the acute GBS, the cytotoxic effects of acute GBS serum in cultures of Schwann cells and sensory neurons are probably not due to these antibodies alone."}
{"id": "PMID:1469436", "title": "Serum levels of zinc and copper in patients with Parkinson's disease.", "content": "Several recent studies have shown decreased copper and increased zinc concentrations in the substantia nigra and increased copper concentrations in the cerebrospinal fluid of Parkinson's disease patients. To elucidate whether changes in serum levels of these trace elements may increase the risk of developing Parkinson's disease (PD), we assessed serum levels of zinc and copper by flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry, and albumin and ceruloplasmin, in 32 (Zn) and 39 PD patients (Cu), respectively, with their spouses as the control group. Serum zinc, albumin, copper and ceruloplasmin levels and the zinc/albumin and copper/ceruloplasmin ratios, did not differ significantly between the two groups and were not influenced by antiparkinsonian therapy in the PD patients. Serum zinc/albumin ratio (r = 0.43), ceruloplasmin (r = -0.36) and copper/ceruloplasmin ratio (r = 0.36) correlated significantly with age, but not with age of onset, duration of the disease, scores of the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale and Hoehn and Yahr staging in PD patients. These values did not correlate with age in the control group. These results suggest that serum levels of zinc and copper do not play any role as risk factors for PD."}
{"id": "PMID:1469437", "title": "Treatment with triiodothyronine decreases the abundance of the alpha-subunits of Gi1 and Gi2 in the cerebral cortex.", "content": "Treatment of rats for 3 days with T3 halved the abundance of the alpha-subunits of Gi1 and Gi2 in synaptosomal membranes isolated from the cerebral cortex. It is suggested that these changes could contribute to behavioural abnormalities in hyperthyroidism. Similar T3 treatment did not alter abundance of Gi1 alpha or Gi2 alpha in the medulla oblongata nor did it alter abundance of G(o) alpha-subunits in three tested brain regions."}
{"id": "PMID:1469438", "title": "Experimental superficial siderosis of the central nervous system: biochemical correlates.", "content": "The pathogenesis of superficial siderosis of the central nervous system (CNS) may be examined by the repeated intracisternal injection of washed autologous red blood cells (RBC). In rabbits, the injections cause the accumulation of iron in the cytoplasm of microglial cells and astrocytes of cerebellar and cerebral cortices. Immunocytochemistry for ferritin reveals enhanced reaction product mainly in microglia but hemosiderin occurs only after extending the injections to 6 months. In an effort to determine the biochemical correlates of these morphological changes, iron, ferritin, ferritin subunits and the ferritin repressor protein (FRP) were quantitated. There was no increase of total iron or ferritin in the exposed cortical areas. However, the injections of RBC caused dramatic shifts of the relative contributions by heavy (H-) and light (L-) ferritin subunits. The initial response was a prompt increase of the H/L ratio to over 4.0 from the normal ratio near 1.0. Extended injections caused the ratio to drop to below unity, and the predominance of L-ferritin at 6 months coincided with the appearance of granular hemosiderin. This investigation also confirmed the presence of FRP in rabbit brain cytosols but the induction of experimental superficial siderosis did not change its levels or in vitro affinity for the iron-responsive element in ferritin messenger ribonucleic acid. It is proposed that the incrustation by hemosiderin which characterizes superficial siderosis of the CNS in humans occurs when prolonged exposure to hemoglobin produces persistent shifts of the H/L-ratios by accumulation of L-ferritin."}
{"id": "PMID:1469439", "title": "DNA repair mechanisms in neurological diseases: facts and hypotheses.", "content": "DNA repair mechanisms usually consist of a complex network of enzymatic reactions catalyzed by a large family of mutually interacting gene products. Thus deficiency, alteration or low levels of a single enzyme and/or of auxiliary proteins might impair a repair process. There are several indications suggesting that some enzymes involved both in DNA replication and repair are less abundant if not completely absent in stationary and non replicating cells. Postmitotic brain cell does not replicate its genome and has lower levels of several DNA repair enzymes. This could impair the DNA repair capacity and render the nervous system prone to the accumulation of DNA lesions. Some human diseases clearly characterized by a DNA repair deficiency, such as xeroderma pigmentosum, ataxia-telangiectasia and Cockayne syndrome, show neurodegeneration as one of the main clinical and pathological features. On the other hand there is evidence that some diseases characterized by primary neuronal degeneration (such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and Alzheimer disease) may have alterations in the DNA repair systems as well. DNA repair thus appears important to maintain the functional integrity of the nervous system and an accumulation of DNA damages in neurons as a result of impaired DNA repair mechanisms may lead to neuronal degenerations."}
{"id": "PMID:1469440", "title": "Relationship between corpus callosum atrophy and cerebral metabolic asymmetries in multiple sclerosis.", "content": "Corpus callosum (CC) atrophy by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a common finding in multiple sclerosis (MS). In order to examine the relationship between CC atrophy and cortical brain metabolism, we compared the cerebral metabolic rates for glucose (CMRglc), measured by positron emission tomography (PET), of 8 MS patients with evidence of CC atrophy on midsagittal MRI, 8 MS patients without CC atrophy and 10 healthy controls. Results showed no significant differences in supratentorial CMRglc absolute values between the three groups, although a slight metabolic reduction was observed in both MS groups compared with normal controls. By contrast, only patients with CC atrophy showed greater directional metabolic asymmetry than normals, the left frontal, temporal and parietal association cortices being significantly lower than the right. Predominant left hemispheric metabolic reductions were not accompanied by a corresponding left-sided predominance in the extent of MRI-detected demyelinating lesions. Therefore our data suggest that CC atrophy interfers more with left than with right metabolic function."}
{"id": "PMID:1469441", "title": "Familial Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in Chile is associated with the codon 200 mutation of the PRNP amyloid precursor gene on chromosome 20.", "content": "We have found the codon 200Lys mutation in 6 Chilean CJD families, including a family in the rural case cluster in Chill\u00e1n. Thus, all 3 of the known clusters of CJD, in Slovakia, Libyan-born Israeli Jews, and Chile, are linked to the presence of the same mutation. The phenotypic features of the disease in these families are similar to those reported for other clustered or individual families elsewhere in the world. The heterogeneous genetic composition of the Chilean population interpreted in light of historical migration patterns suggests that the mutation may have entered Chile by Jewish emigration from Spain."}
{"id": "PMID:1469442", "title": "Astrocytosis, beta A4-protein deposition and paired helical filament formation in Alzheimer's disease.", "content": "Alzheimer's disease (AD) temporal cortex (Brodmann area 22) was investigated using stains for astrocytes (GFAP immunohistochemistry), paired helical filaments (Gallyas silver impregnation) and beta A4-protein deposition (beta A4-protein immunohistochemistry). Paired helical filament formation (PHF), as demonstrated by neurofibrillary tangle (NFT) and neuritic plaque (NP) density, was greatest in the pyramidal cell layers III and V. beta A4-protein deposition was greatest in layer III but was present in all neocortical layers. In a regression analysis, astrocyte density was significantly correlated with beta A4-protein deposition (R2 = 0.35, P = 0.02). Astrocyte density was also positively correlated with PHF formation as measured by NFT (R2 = 0.16, P = 0.14) and NP (R2 = 0.25, P = 0.06) density, but this was less significant. This quantitative study demonstrates that both beta A4-protein deposits and PHF formation are positively correlated with the severity of astrocytosis and that damage to the brain parenchyma in temporal cortex in AD may be slightly more strongly associated with beta A4-protein deposition than paired helical filament formation. These results demonstrate the close association of astrocytes with beta A4-protein deposition and neuritic change in AD."}
{"id": "PMID:1469443", "title": "Magnetic stimulation of motor cortex in relation to fastest voluntary motor activity in neurologically asymptomatic HIV-positive patients.", "content": "Forty-two HIV-positive patients of various CDC stages without clinically evident neurological deficits were examined with transcranial magnetoelectrical stimulation (TMS). Cortical as well as cervical and lumbar root stimulation was performed after excluding peripheral neuropathies in comparison to an age- and sex-matched control group. Whereas central conduction times were normal, conduction between cervical or lumbar roots and muscle was prolonged. Results were correlated to those of a motor test battery, which revealed slowing of fast alternating movements similar to findings in extrapyramidal disorders. Data indicate that proximal parts of the peripheral nervous system and extrapyramidal structures are subclinically involved in early HIV infection whereas the fastest corticospinal projections remain intact."}
{"id": "PMID:1469444", "title": "Smooth-pursuit eye movements: alterations in Alzheimer's disease.", "content": "Smooth-pursuit eye movements induced by targets moving at constant velocities (from 5 to 100 deg/sec) were recorded from 13 patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and from 11 healthy subjects. Four variables were evaluated to quantify the patients' response to the eye movement tests: (1) average peak velocity of smooth-pursuit; (2) percent target matching index after saccade removal (percent ratio between the area of the velocity curve of smooth-pursuit eye movement after saccade removal and the area of target velocity) which is related to the eye performance for each value of target velocity; (3) total amplitude of anticipatory saccades; (4) total number of anticipatory saccades. Compared to the controls, AD patients were found to have significantly lower values of average peak velocity of smooth pursuit and of percent target matching index and a significantly increased number and amplitude of anticipatory saccades. A discriminant stepwise analysis indicated that 5 oculographic variables were significantly associated with the patient's clinical condition (healthy volunteer or AD patient). These statistics yielded an equation for predicting the patient's status according to which the percentage of cases classified correctly was 82.6% in the overall group (n = 23). The predictive performance was similar between the healthy volunteers subgroup (81.8%, n = 11) and the AD subgroup (83.3%, n = 12). The discriminant score was significantly correlated with the score resulting from the MiniMental test (r = 0.67). A significant correlation was also found between the MiniMental score and the number of anticipatory saccades (r = -0.61). No significant correlation was present between the gain of smooth pursuit and the patients' cognitive decline.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1469445", "title": "Dopa-responsive dystonia with depigmentation of the substantia nigra and formation of Lewy bodies.", "content": "The patient, who died at 23 years of age, was first diagnosed when she was 12 year old as having a dopa-responsive dystonia with decreased concentrations of monoamine metabolites in the cerebrospinal fluid. Also the concentrations of other neurotransmitters including somatostatin, substance P and metenkefalin were lowered indicating a more widespread damage of the cerebral neurotransmitter systems. At autopsy the brain was essentially intact except for pronounced gliosis and extreme loss of melanotic nerve cells in the substantia nigra. Several remaining nerve cells showed the presence of Lewy bodies."}
{"id": "PMID:1469446", "title": "Convulsive action and toxicity of uremic guanidino compounds: behavioral assessment and relation to brain concentration in adult mice.", "content": "Four guanidino compounds that are known to accumulate in uremia, namely creatinine, guanidine, guanidinosuccinic acid and methylguanidine, were administered intraperitoneally and intracerebroventricularly to adult albino mice and the compounds epileptogenic and toxic properties were behaviorally assessed. After intraperitoneal injection, brain concentration of the compounds as a function of injected dose was monitored additionally. Guanidino compound brain concentration was determined by cation exchange chromatography with fluorescence ninhydrin detection. After systemic administration, especially guanidinosuccinic acid and methylguanidine induced long-lasting generalized convulsions which gradually increased in severity. Increasing the dose injected intraperitoneally resulted in linear increase in brain concentration of the injected compounds, in parallel with increase in proportion of animals presenting with convulsions and/or severity of convulsions. Guanidinosuccinic acid brain concentration increased more slowly than that of the other 3 compounds and guanidinosuccinic acid also exerted its effect later than the others. Since none of the other metabolically related guanidino compounds determined was significantly increased in the brains of the injected animals, the observed behavior was most certainly induced by the compounds injected and not by some secondary metabolite. Epileptogenic properties of the four compounds were markedly and qualitatively different in systemic administration, but rather similar in intracerebral administration. A tentative epileptogenic potency order was inferred from the combined behavioral and biochemical results. All 4 of the compounds tested displayed the ability to induce full-blown clonic-tonic convulsions and they did so in a dose-related manner. Guanidinosuccinic acid appeared to be slightly more potent than methylguanidine, but both guanidinosuccinic acid and methylguanidine were considerably more potent than guanidine. Creatinine was many times less potent than the other 3 guanidino compounds. Revised epileptogenic potency order on the basis of guanidino compound brain concentration after systemic administration as well as potency order after intracerebral administration paralleled the potency order of these compounds in their GABA antagonism reported earlier. It was therefore postulated that the GABA antagonism of uremic guanidino compounds could underlie their epileptogenic character. Moreover, these compounds could very likely be at the basis of the neurological complications including epilepsy of uremic patients in whom they accumulate in physiological fluids and brain."}
{"id": "PMID:1469448", "title": "A 31P-NMR study of muscle exercise metabolism in mdx mice: evidence for abnormal pH regulation.", "content": "We have studied exercise metabolism in vivo in the mdx mouse model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy with 31P-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Intracellular pH, ratios of phosphocreatine (PCr) to ATP and PCr to inorganic phosphate (P(i)) expressed as PCr/ATP and PCr/(PCr+P(i)) as well as tension generated at the Achilles tendon were measured during sciatic nerve stimulation. Tension was similar between the mdx and control strain C57Bl/10ScSn at 10 Hz stimulation but slightly higher than the control at 100 Hz. The PCr/ATP and PCr/(PCr+P(i)) ratios were significantly reduced in mdx vs. control muscle during exercise. Although resting muscle pH in mdx mice is more alkaline than normal muscle, the pH of mdx muscle during exercise is reduced relative to controls, as is the rate of pH recovery. Total lactate is not elevated in the cells and so it is argued that there is a reduction in the capacity to export proton equivalents in muscles of mdx mice which could be caused by an elevation in intracellular sodium. This provides more evidence of impaired ionic regulation in dystrophic muscle and could be used as an index for the evaluation in vivo of therapeutic interventions such as myoblast transfer or gene replacement therapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1469449", "title": "Experimental simvastatin-induced myopathy in rabbits.", "content": "We induced experimental myopathy in rabbits by giving simvastatin, a 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitor. After oral administration of simvastatin (50 mg/kg/day) for 2 weeks, serum CK was elevated in 5 of 7 rabbits; degenerating or necrotic fibers were seen in 3 rabbits. Using electromyography, myotonic discharges were found in the 2 rabbits examined. The combination of myotonic discharges, necrosis and raised serum CK levels suggests that the myopathy was induced by lesions of the muscle surface membrane."}
{"id": "PMID:1469450", "title": "Hereditary motor and sensory neuropathy with calf muscle enlargement.", "content": "We report three related patients with autosomal dominant hereditary motor and sensory neuropathy (HMSN). An unusual and characteristic feature was calf enlargement, caused by muscle fiber hypertrophy predominantly of type 1 fibers. None of the family members showed atrophy of the legs. Sural nerve pathology disclosed marked loss of myelinated fibers and numerous onion bulb formations. While cases of HMSN with calf muscle hypertrophy have been reported, the present pedigree was different from that in any of the previous cases in that no family member showed clinically apparent leg atrophy."}
{"id": "PMID:1469451", "title": "Oculomotor and vestibular anomalies in Pelizaeus-Merzbacher disease: a study on a kindred with 2 affected and 3 normal males, 3 obligate and 8 possible carriers.", "content": "Two males suffering from Pelizaeus-Merzbacher disease were examined, one at the age of 1 year 4 months and at the age of 7 years, and the other at the age of 7 years 8 months. The former had spontaneous vertical pendular nystagmus. He also showed horizontal \"micronystagmus\", present only at the age of 1 year, which might be similar to \"voluntary nystagmus\". Both males had jerky bilateral gaze-evoked nystagmus, defective smooth pursuit and optokinetic responses and a hyporeactive vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR). All three obligate carriers exhibited typical VOR disinhibition in the two horizontal nystagmus directions, which may be a distinctive feature. This feature was also found in one of the 7 possible carriers examined and was not observed in the 3 non-affected males, who had normal oculomotor responses."}
{"id": "PMID:1469452", "title": "HLA-DR2 negative narcolepsy in Australian Caucasians: clinical features, serology and sequence specific oligonucleotide typing.", "content": "An almost invariable association with HLA-DR2 and DQw1 has previously been reported in Japanese and caucasian narcoleptics. We performed HLA typing in 18 Australian narcoleptics using serological techniques and sequence specific oligonucleotide probes. HLA-DQw1 was present in 15 patients and DR2 in 12; 3 patients with cataplectic narcolepsy were DR2-negative. The serological haplotype most strongly associated with narcolepsy was DRw15 (a subtype of DR2), DQw1. DRw15-positive patients were positive for the alleles DRB1*1501 and DQB1*0602 defined with oligonucleotide probes. We conclude that the association of narcolepsy with DR2 and DQw1 is not as strong as previously reported and the absence of DR2 or DQw1 does not preclude the diagnosis of classical narcolepsy, at least in caucasians. Secondly, DR2-positive narcoleptics possess characteristic serological subtypes and alleles defined with oligonucleotide probes that are also found in normals. Thirdly, the occurrence of DR2-negative cataplectic narcoleptics points to the existence of more than one narcolepsy susceptibility gene."}
{"id": "PMID:1469453", "title": "Are medium and long latency reflexes a screening tool for early Parkinson's disease?", "content": "We have studied whether assessment of medium latency (ML) and long latency (LL) reflex amplitudes may serve as a marker for early Parkinson's disease. Twenty-three patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease (Hoehn and Yahr stage 1 to 4) and 24 controls received 20 4 degrees toe-up rotations of a platform upon which they were standing. All antiparkinsonian medication was withheld for at least 12 h before the study. ML reflexes in the stretched gastrocnemius muscle and LL reflexes in the shortened tibialis anterior muscle were recorded from both legs. ML responses were significantly enhanced in patients compared to controls. In contrast to previous studies which studied patients who continued their usual treatment, we observed that LL responses were significantly reduced in patients compared to controls. For the purpose of individual analysis, we subsequently determined the optimal specificity and sensitivity using various criteria for abnormality. The presence of either enhanced ML responses or reduced LL responses (or both) in at least one leg yielded a maximum sensitivity of 65.2% with a specificity of 75.0% (positive likelihood ratio 2.6; negative likelihood ratio 0.5). Abnormal reflexes were almost exclusively present in patients with advanced and long-standing Parkinson's disease. These results show abnormalities of ML and LL responses in advanced Parkinson's disease, but render it unlikely that these abnormalities are a suitable screening tool for early stages of the disease. The fact that LL responses were reduced in patients taken off antiparkinsonian medication raises the possibility that this reflex is under supraspinal dopaminergic control."}
{"id": "PMID:1469454", "title": "Is early onset cerebellar ataxia with retained tendon reflexes identifiable by electrophysiologic and histologic profile? A comparison with Friedreich's ataxia.", "content": "An electrophysiologic and histologic study was performed on 18 patients affected by early onset cerebellar ataxia with retained tendon reflexes (EOCA). Sensory and motor conduction velocity (SCV, MCV) was measured along peripheral nerves in all patients, somatosensory (SSEP) and brainstem auditory evoked potentials (BAEP) were recorded in 13; cortical stimulation (CS) in 12, and sural nerve biopsy in 4 patients were also performed. The results as a whole allow a division of EOCA patients into 2 groups: with (7 patients) and without (11 patients) peripheral neuropathy. Among EOCA patients with neuropathy a differential diagnosis with Friedreich's disease patients was not possible according to BAEPs and CS, while SSEPs could differentiate 2 out 5 patients in whom they were performed."}
{"id": "PMID:1469455", "title": "Evaluation of IL-2, sIL2R, IL-6, TNF-alpha, and IL-1 beta levels in serum and CSF of patients with optic neuritis.", "content": "Optic neuritis (ON) is characterized by immune-mediated demyelination of the optic nerve. In this study we addressed the question of cytokine signalling as part of activation of the immune system. 20 patients with first episode of acute idiopathic unilateral ON, prolonged visual evoked potentials, but normal 1.5 tesla MRI of the brain, and normal somatosensory evoked potentials were included into the study. Paired cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum samples of these patients were analyzed for the presence of interleukin (IL-)-2, soluble IL-2R (sIL2R), IL-6, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, and IL-1 beta by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (IL-2, sIL2R, TNF-alpha, IL-1 beta) or a bioassay (IL-6). IL-2 was significantly elevated in the CSF (P < 0.01), whereas sIL2R (P < 0.01) and IL-6 (P < 0.01) were significantly increased in serum. TNF-alpha could not be detected in CSF or serum, and IL-1 beta was negative in serum in all but one sample and positive in only low amount (mean 9 pg/ml) in the CSF of 6/20 patients. This cytokine pattern in ON indicates an activation of the immune system within and outside the central nervous system with a predominance of T-cell activation."}
{"id": "PMID:1469456", "title": "Hereditary spastic dystonia with Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy: neuropathological findings.", "content": "Neuropathological findings in a 59-year-old male case of hereditary spastic dystonia with Leber's hereditary optic atrophy included: marked depletion of myelinated nerve fibres in the posterior funiculi, corticopontine tracts and striatum; practically complete neuronal depletion in the putamen and lateral part of the caudate, and mild cell loss in the substantia nigra. The putamina had changed into a spongy fibrillary scar, the pallidal fibres and laminae were practically all degenerated. Moreover, there was generalised mild fibre degeneration of the white matter. The optic nerve showed marked, predominantly central, loss of nerve fibres with demyelination."}
{"id": "PMID:1469457", "title": "Pupillary constriction in response to light in rodents, which does not depend on central neural pathways.", "content": "We show here that the widely held belief that reflex constriction of the mammalian pupil in response to light depends exclusively upon neural pathways between eye and brain is in need of revision. We investigated the response of the pupil to light in dark-adapted rodents (golden hamsters; hooded rats; albino rats) subjected to a variety of surgical and pharmacological interventions designed to destroy or block all of the neural pathways and structures through which the reflex could be mediated. The interventions included bilateral intraorbital optic nerve section, or unilateral intracranial optic nerve section with enucleation of the contralateral eye, combined in some cases with bilateral removal of the superior cervical ganglia and/or pinealectomy; topical application of atropine; intraocular injection of tetrodotoxin (TTX). Golden hamsters and hooded rats, but not albino rats, retained an effective constriction of the pupil in response to light after all of these interventions, although the constriction was less and slower than in normal animals. These findings show that hamsters and hooded rats have both a neurally mediated fast light reflex that can be eliminated by severing connections between eye and brain, by blockade of cholinergic transmission to iris smooth muscle, and by blockade of action potentials by TTX; and a local, slower constriction in response to light, which remains after all these procedures. We have also confirmed previous observations of Bito and Turansky (1975) that pupillary constriction in response to light occurs in isolated in vitro anterior chamber preparations of hamster and hooded rat eyes.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1469458", "title": "Neuropathologic and morphometric effects of aminoguanidine on rat nerves.", "content": "Aminoguanidine prevents some pathophysiologic changes typical of streptozocin diabetes and, therefore, might be efficacious in prevention or treatment of human diabetic polyneuropathy. In order to evaluate the possible toxicity of aminoguanidine on peripheral nerves, Sprague-Dawley rats received aminoguanidine intraperitoneally in dosages of 0, 50, 100, and 300 mg/kg per day for 3 months. Only rats receiving the highest dosages developed acute and chronic behavioral changes and had decreased weight gain. Minor hepatic dysfunction also was observed in this group. Teased-fiber abnormalities were not significantly more frequent in the highest dosage group than in controls. Likewise, a significant morphometric abnormality was not found for the peroneal nerve. Mild changes were found in the highest dosage group compared to the control group in the sural nerve (increased fiber density, decreased myelin area). We interpret the small morphometric differences for the sural nerve as due to maldevelopment. We found no evidence that aminoguanidine at a high dosage (300 mg/kg per day) caused fiber degeneration or demyelination."}
{"id": "PMID:1469459", "title": "Reciprocal inhibition of forearm flexor muscles in spasmodic torticollis.", "content": "Reciprocal inhibition between forearm extensor and flexor muscles was tested by means of an H-reflex technique in patients with spasmodic torticollis and normal controls. In both, patients and controls three different phases of reciprocal inhibition could be demonstrated with maximal inhibition at conditioning test intervals of 0 ms, 15 ms and 100 ms, respectively. However, the quantitative amount of this inhibition was different for the patients and the controls. Significantly less inhibition was found for the second and the third phase of reciprocal inhibition in the patient group. Discriminant analysis showed a clear separation between normal subjects and patients if the amount of reciprocal inhibition of the second and third phase were taken into account. We were not able to detect any side differences neither for the patients nor for the controls. The findings demonstrate a functional disturbance of motor control mechanisms of a clinically unaffected extremity in spasmodic torticollis. This is believed to reflect a bilateral disturbance most likely within the basal ganglia or their outflow. Therefore, our data support the idea, that spasmodic torticollis is associated with or even due to a generalized rather than a focal disturbance of motor control mechanisms."}
{"id": "PMID:1469460", "title": "Analyses of mitochondrial respiratory chain function and mitochondrial DNA deletion in human skeletal muscle: effect of ageing.", "content": "The analysis of human skeletal muscle mitochondria revealed a progressive decline in mitochondrial respiratory chain function with age. The activities affected to the greatest extent were those of complexes I and IV which were decreased by 59% and 47% respectively between the ages of 20-30 years and 60-90 years of age. Quantitation of the 5 kb 'common' deletion of mtDNA using PCR revealed a progressive accumulation with age, from approximately 1 in 100,000 at 21 years to 1 in 10,000 at 56 years and 1 in 5000 at 78 years of age. The low absolute levels of this mutation are unlikely to contribute significantly to the observed mitochondrial dysfunction."}
{"id": "PMID:1469461", "title": "Bidirectional signals between Trypanosoma brucei brucei and dorsal root ganglion neurons.", "content": "The extracellular haemoflagellate Trypanosoma brucei brucei releases a factor, which can induce CD8+ T-cells to produce interferon-gamma. Interferon-gamma derived from these cells promotes proliferation of the trypanosomes. We now report that these trypanosomes can interact with small neurons in cultures of rat dorsal root ganglia, which contain an interferon-gamma like immunoreactive molecule. Cultures of dorsal root ganglia were able to promote the proliferation and survival of the trypanosomes and this growth promoting effect was blocked by monoclonal antibodies against the trypanosome-derived lymphocyte triggering factor, interferon-gamma and CD8+ and by Fab-fragments of these antibodies. Living trypanosomes and the factor induced an increase in expression of major histocompatibility complex class I antigens in the cultures; this induction was blocked by Fab fragments of the interferon-gamma antibody, indicating that it is mediated by release of the neuronal interferon-gamma-like immunoreactive molecule. These data suggest, that the interferon-gamma-like immunoreactive molecule in small dorsal root ganglion neurons mimics certain physiological effects of lymphocyte derived interferon-gamma. Furthermore, the trypanosomes and small sensory neurons seem to interact bidirectionally by release of the trypanosome-derived lymphocyte triggering factor and the neuronally derived interferon-gamma-like molecule, whereby, perhaps, neuronal disturbances may be elicited and trypanosome proliferation regulated."}
{"id": "PMID:1469462", "title": "Immunolocalization of B-50 (GAP-43) in the mouse olfactory bulb: predominant presence in preterminal axons.", "content": "Because the growth-associated protein B-50 (GAP-43) has been implicated in neurite outgrowth as well as in synaptic plasticity, we studied its light and electron microscopical distribution in the mouse olfactory bulb, an area of the nervous system which exhibits a high degree of synaptic plasticity. Immunofluorescent staining with monospecific affinity-purified anti-B-50 antibodies revealed that B-50 is most abundantly expressed in the olfactory nerve fibre layer and the granule cell layer neuropil, while little staining was observed in the external plexiform layer and in cell bodies. B-50 is absent from dendrites and myelinated axons as indicated by double labelling with monoclonal antibodies against microtubule-associated protein 2 and the large neurofilament protein, respectively. Using post-embedding immunogold labelling on ultrathin Lowicryl sections, B-50 was found to be highly concentrated in presumed growth cones in the olfactory nerve fibre layer and in thin unmyelinated axons and presynaptic terminals in the granule cell layer neuropil. Near background immunolabelling was seen in perikarya, dendrites and myelinated axons. In view of the implication of B-50 in plasticity-related phenomena, its abundance in the thin unmyelinated preterminal axons suggests that these are potential sites of extrasynaptic plasticity."}
{"id": "PMID:1469463", "title": "The taiep rat: a myelin mutant with an associated oligodendrocyte microtubular defect.", "content": "This report describes a new inherited disorder of myelination in the rat, named taiep, in which failure of normal myelination of the CNS and subsequent demyelination result in a progressive neurological disturbance. At two months of age, myelin is present throughout the spinal cord, but is immature in the fasciculus gracilis and corticospinal tracts despite the presence of abundant oligodendrocytes. By 12 months, myelin has largely been lost in these spinal cord tracts and also in more rostral parts of the CNS, such as the cerebellum and optic nerves. Other funiculi of the spinal cord show a more diffuse lack of myelin. Oligodendrocytes develop a unique cellular abnormality, most obviously in older rats, which is characterized by the accumulation of microtubules throughout their cytoplasm. As the mutant rats age, there is a continued protracted breakdown of myelin throughout the CNS, with evidence suggesting either persistent hypomyelination or attempts at remyelination of affected axons. It is proposed that the microtubular defect in oligodendrocytes results in a disruption of the normal myelination process in certain areas of the CNS of this mutant, and eventually leads to failure of maintenance of the myelin sheath."}
{"id": "PMID:1469464", "title": "Childhood brain tumors that occupy more than one compartment at presentation. Multiple compartment tumors.", "content": "Children whose brain tumor involves two or more compartments at presentation differ clinically and pathologically from children whose brain tumor is confined to one compartment. In this study of 3,291 children with a brain tumor, at least 10% had a tumor that occupied two or three compartments at first hospitalization. Infratentorial tumors occupying multiple compartments were 1.7 times more likely to involve the cervicomedullary junction than the mesodiencephalic junction. Younger children (1-3 years) were more likely to have had multiple compartment tumors than older children. Children whose tumor was limited to the infratentorial compartment had a longer survival than children whose tumor also occupied other compartments. Ependymoma, anaplastic ependymoma, and astrocytoma (nos) were over represented among infratentorial multiple compartment tumors. Pilocytic astrocytoma, primitive neuroectodermal tumor (medulloblastoma), and desmoplastic medulloblastoma were less likely to have occupied multiple compartments at the time of the first surgical exploration. The distributions of histologic features in tumors at the cervicomedullary junction differed from those in tumors limited to the posterior fossa or to the spinal canal. Seizures were more likely if the tumor was confined to the supratentorial compartment, whereas nausea or vomiting and headache were more likely if the tumor was confined to the infratentorial compartment. Children whose tumor was confined to the spinal canal were significantly more likely to have bladder symptoms and back and/or abdominal pain than those whose tumor also involved compartments above the foramen magnum. We conclude that brain tumors apparently confined to one compartment at presentation are biologically and structurally different from tumors evident in two or more compartments."}
{"id": "PMID:1469465", "title": "Therapy-related myelodysplastic syndrome in children with medulloblastoma following MOPP chemotherapy.", "content": "Between 1978 and 1988, 20 children with medulloblastoma (MB) of the brain were treated postoperatively with MOPP (nitrogen mustard, vincristine, prednisone, and procarbazine). All but one received post-operative radiation prior to MOPP. Eight of 20 patients remained in continuous complete remission from MB, two of whom eventually developed myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). Following resection of MB at age 12 months, one patient was treated with 24 courses of MOPP over 2 years without radiation therapy. She developed pancytopenia, and MDS was diagnosed 19 months after the completion of MOPP. Analysis of unstimulated bone marrow (BM) chromosomes showed structural abnormalities involving chromosomes 7, 10, 17, and 21. Eight months later, MDS evolved into acute myeloid leukemia. The second patient was diagnosed with MB at age 7 years and received postoperative craniospinal radiation followed by 12 courses of MOPP over one year. Five months after completion of MOPP, she developed MDS with monosomy 7 on chromosome analysis of bone marrow cells. Therapy-related MDS may be a complication of MOPP chemotherapy for MB in young children."}
{"id": "PMID:1469466", "title": "Combined intra-arterial chemotherapy followed by radiation in astrocytomas.", "content": "Seventy-five patients harboring astrocytomas received 4 cycles of infra-ophthalmic carotid injections of BCNU, combined with vincristine intravenously and procarbazine orally. All of the patients thereafter, received radiation therapy. The five year survival was 73% for all patients. The age of the patients had no significant impact on survival. The treatment results were compared with the results of 57 patients with astrocytomas who were treated with surgery followed by radiation in the same period. These 57 patients had a 5 year survival of 45% with a five year survival in patients < or = 40 years and patients > 40 years of 70% and 22%, respectively (p < 0.05). In multivariate survival analysis of the BCNU group and radiation group together, treatment group and corticosteroid dependency were the only prognostic factors. No leukoencephalopathy was seen during the treatment or in the follow-up of the patients. We conclude that pre-radiation intra-arterial chemotherapy can be given without significant morbidity and produces an improvement in survival in patients older than 40 years."}
{"id": "PMID:1469467", "title": "Metabolic changes of glioma following chemotherapy: an experimental study using four PET tracers.", "content": "To shed light on the metabolic changes in glioma following therapy, uptake changes among 18F-fluoro-2'-deoxyuridine (18FUdR), 14C-thymidine (dThd), 14C-methionine (Met) and 3H-deoxyglucose (DG) in glioma model after chemotherapy were studied, as a means for interpreting clinical PET results, together with the changes in the bromodeoxyuridine (BUdR) labeling index. 1-(4-amino-2-methyl-5-pyrimidinyl)methyl-3-(-2chloroethyl)-3-nitro sourea hydrochloride (ACNU) was administered intraperitoneally in the tumor-bearing rats and uptake of the tracers or BUdR labeling index in tumor tissue were measured. The metabolic response following chemotherapy was a sharp fall immediately for 14C-dThd and 18FUdR and a moderate fall for 14C-Met whereas there was a fall in 3H-DG from 1 week after chemotherapy. The changes of BUdR labeling index paralleled that in the uptake for dThd and FUdR. These result indicate that PET scans using a variety of tracers in conjunction could be used for clinical diagnosis and evaluation of therapy in glioma cases. 18FUdR is a promising tracer of nucleic acid metabolism to evaluate the proliferative potential of brain gliomas."}
{"id": "PMID:1469468", "title": "Intraneoplastic application of metrizamide-containing liposomes: kinetic studies with computed tomography.", "content": "Liposomes may serve as drug carriers not only for systemic chemotherapy but also for intraneoplastic drug therapy because they show a sustained drug release. In the present study, the in vivo kinetics of intraneoplastic deposits of large multilamellar vesicles containing metrizamide was followed up in a rat tumor model with computed tomography. The influence of four different lipid compositions on the retardation capacity of large multilamellar liposomes was investigated. By comparing the dynamic data of X-ray attenuation and volume of liposome deposits, a rank order for the in vivo stability of metrizamide containing multilamellar vesicles could be established: the least stable liposomes were made of pure dimyristoyl-phosphatidyl-choline, the most stable type was made of equimolar parts of stearoyl-palmitoyl-phosphatidyl-choline and cholesterol. Of intermediate stability were liposomes made of equimolar parts of dimyristoyl-phosphatidyl-choline and cholesterol, and those made of pure stearoyl-palmitoyl-phosphatidyl-choline. The addition of 50% cholesterol increased the membrane stability of both dimyristoyl-phosphatidyl-choline and stearoyl-palmitoyl-phosphatidyl-choline liposomes. No diffusion of large multilamellar liposomes away from the injection site was observed. The in vivo stability of the liposomes was considerably less than that observed in vitro, suggesting active degradation processes. It is concluded that large, multilamellar liposomes may be suitable carriers for intraneoplastic chemotherapy. The present model is easily adaptable to be transferred into clinical conditions, and may allow direct monitoring of intraneoplastic liposome-mediated chemotherapy in human brain tumors."}
{"id": "PMID:1469469", "title": "Lumbar root compression by a gas-containing cyst in the extradural space. Case report.", "content": "The case report describes a patient with acute sciatica of three months duration, resulting from lumbar root compression by a gas containing cyst in the extradura space. This condition is related to vacuum disc phenomenon, because the gas appears to have originated from within the adjacent disc space."}
{"id": "PMID:1469470", "title": "Isolated oculomotor nerve palsy following apoplexy of a pituitary adenoma.", "content": "An isolated oculomotor nerve palsy is very rarely the presenting sign of a pituitary adenoma. It may occur slowly due to mechanical compression or rapidly, secondary to pituitary apoplexy. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with and without gadolinium DTPA enhancement provides excellent anatomical detail and is useful in the planning of the operative procedure. When correctly diagnosed and treated, the third nerve dysfunction appears to be reversible. We report a case of a pituitary adenoma presenting with an isolated, partial oculomotor nerve palsy in the setting of apoplexy. The pathophysiology, prognostic factors and MRI findings of this entity are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1469472", "title": "Extra-foraminal prolapsed lumbar disc: a possible cause of recurrent sciatica in failed low-back surgery patient. Case report.", "content": "The present report describes the case of a 48 year-old woman who had undergone two separate lumbar laminectomies for a L4-L5 disc. She was admitted for a recurrent sciatica of 6-months duration, which failed to respond to conservative treatment. Myelogram on admission was negative. However CT showed a far laterally placed bulging L4-L5 disc. The patient was successfully reoperated on using a paramedian posterolateral approach on the side of the lesion. The rationale for this approach is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1469471", "title": "Isolated aspergillosis of the sphenoid sinus. Case report.", "content": "The Authors report a rare case of isolated sphenoid sinus aspergillosis in a 69-year-old man. The patient had a complete recovery. The preoperative CT-scans and the preoperative and postoperative MRI are shown. The incidence, the pathology, the various clinical presentations, the prognosis and the management of this disease are debated."}
{"id": "PMID:1469473", "title": "Spontaneous cervical epidural hematoma with Brown-S\u00e9quard syndrome and spontaneous resolution. Case report.", "content": "Spontaneous spinal epidural hematoma (SSEH) is an un common cause of cord compression. It is non-traumatic in origin and usually produces a severe neurological deficit. We report a case of SSEH that caused a Brown-S\u00e9quard syndrome and resolved spontaneously following myelography."}
{"id": "PMID:1469474", "title": "Cervical epidural abscess: approaches to diagnosis.", "content": "We report on two cases of cervical epidural abscess (CEA). Their clinical presentation included fever, neck pain and symptoms of neural compression, and the presence of epidural abscess was documented by surgery. Several imaging methods were used to establish a prompt diagnosis of CEA in both patients. Magnetic Resonance image provided a noninvasive means of visualize both extent in the spinal canal and paravertebral locations. None of the other currently used imaging modalities could provide the same information alone. The role of these techniques in diagnosing this condition is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1469481", "title": "Nurse administrators in job transition: stories from the front.", "content": "Nurse executives continually experience legal and ethical dilemmas that affect their personal and professional lives. An issue facing increasing numbers of nurse executives is turnover, whether voluntary or involuntary. The next several columns will explore the nurse administrator in job transition, with the goal of increasing their understanding of their legal rights and responsibilities when dealing with this aspect of their professional practice."}
{"id": "PMID:1469475", "title": "The role of real time B-mode ultrasonography in the follow-up of patients submitted to carotid endarterectomy.", "content": "Sixty-eight patients submitted to carotid endarterectomy for carotid stenosis have been studied periodically by B-mode real time ultrasonography. This non-invasive investigation allows to detect not only a recurrent stenosis, but also minor changes following endarterectomy, including suture, lesions from clamps, myointimal proliferation, and intimal flaps. We think that all patients submitted to carotid endarterectomy must be explored periodically by duplex scanning, in order to follow-up the normal and pathological changes of the arterial wall."}
{"id": "PMID:1469476", "title": "Optic nerve injury in children. A prospective study of 35 patients.", "content": "Thirty-five children under 15 years of age with optic nerve injury are prospectively studies for their clinical presentation, radiological findings, visual evoked potentials and outcome. Over 50% were under 10 years of age. In half of the children, injury was due to fall from a height. Fracture of the skull was recorded in a third of the patients, and optic canal fracture was seen only in three children. Visual Evoked Potentials (VEP) were record in 30 children and were repeated several times in first three weeks. All the patients received corticosteroids and optic canal decompression was not carried out routinely. Overall spontaneous visual recovery was observed in 12 patients. Among the 30 children in whom Veps were recorded, 17 children had repeatedly absent VEP, and none of the children showed wave formation, 10 (77%) had visual recovery. Only in 5 patients an optic canal decompression was carried out several weeks after injury. This study brings out the role of VEP in children with optic nerve injury."}
{"id": "PMID:1469483", "title": "Different systems, different costs? An examination of the comparability of workload measurement systems.", "content": "This study examines the equivalence of the hours of care estimates of four patient classification/workload measurement systems. Although the hours of care estimates of the systems were similar, differences between the estimates could be as great as 4.53 hours per day for the same patient. The researchers developed relational statements that made hours of care estimates equivalent for all systems studied. System differences can have a profound impact on nursing unit and department budgets, if not adjusted."}
{"id": "PMID:1469478", "title": "A new prospect on the approach to open, complex, craniofacial trauma.", "content": "Complex craniofacial trauma has been traditionally managed in three stages: urgent craniotomy, secondary orbitofacial repair and delayed cranioplasty. Departing from this conventional approach, we employ an early single-stage neuro and plastic-surgical reconstruction for patients presenting open cranial wounds of the frontobasilar region coexisting with orbitofacial fractures. Neurological outcome does not seem to be affected by the additional operating time, nor is the incidence of infection raised, although bone fragments are repositioned, primary bone grafting is employed, and metallic material is used for fixation. Adequate direct exposure followed by reduction and rigid internal fixation results in primary bone healing and permits to avoid the difficult complications related to soft tissue contracture over misaligned bone. Compared with the conventional staged approach, immediate reconstruction appears functionally and aesthetically preferable, as well as technically easier."}
{"id": "PMID:1469484", "title": "Public health service administration and academia. A joint venture.", "content": "Joint ventures between service and academia are designed to enhance the quality of client services, enrich faculty teaching experiences and skills, and strengthen communication channels. The joint venture described in this article is an example of how public health nursing services and academia can be united through faculty participation in administration. Included in the discussion are the impetus for the project, the contract negotiations, the positive outcomes and disadvantages of the venture, and questions that should be raised when a similar venture is considered."}
{"id": "PMID:1469485", "title": "A registered nurse-licensed vocational nurse partnership model for critical care nursing.", "content": "The development, implementation, and evaluation of a program that incorporates a registered nurse and licensed vocational nurse partnership model into the critical care practice setting is described. This model can be used by nurse executives to alleviate some of the immediate consequences of the nursing shortage and potentially to achieve a longer-range solution by expanding the pool of registered nurses. Evaluation of the program revealed statistically significant increases in nurse job satisfaction; perceptions of reduced workload and stress; a perception by registered nurses and physicians of increased nursing care quality; decreased registered nurse turnover and sick time; and a positive perception of the role of the licensed vocational nurse in the critical care unit."}
{"id": "PMID:1469486", "title": "Referral sources in home healthcare.", "content": "Home health agencies are dependent on referrals for survival, and sources for referrals are limitless. It is imperative that administrators have systems in place to accept referrals, including all data that are pertinent to the care of the patient, collect and maintain referral source data to use as one aspect of the agency's internal evaluation process, and target its marketing efforts. A home health agency must have approved policies and procedures available that address criteria for admission, continuation, and discharge from service. These must be shared with the personnel of the referral sources. The admission criteria should state the types of referrals that are not appropriate for service and how these referrals will be handled. As part of the overall management of the agency, administrators must also be aware of seasonal trends and how they may affect staffing and total budget. A positive relationship between the staff of the home health agency and the referral source is one way to generate needed referrals. The end result will benefit the patient, the agency, and the referring source."}
{"id": "PMID:1469487", "title": "Unit-based shared governance. Nurturing the vision.", "content": "Once a unit-based shared governance counselor model is established, the evolution from establishing the structure of shared governance toward the process of initiating goal-oriented activities begins. Nurturing staff participation, empowerment, and effective communication patterns are vital. The author shares strategies to address these issues and accelerate development of the transformational vision of shared governance."}
{"id": "PMID:1469488", "title": "Implementation issues in home healthcare universal precautions.", "content": "Universal precautions in home healthcare are essential, yet cost and compliance monitoring are major barriers to their implementation. To help administrators ensure adherence to universal precautions, the authors present specific strategies, including management commitment, a comprehensive training program sensitive to the educational level of the employee, and participation of employees in the continuing implementation and evaluation of the universal precautions policy."}
{"id": "PMID:1469477", "title": "Non operative management of acute extradural hematomas in children.", "content": "The Authors have reported a series of 15 patients with acute epidural hematomas (EDHs) that were not evacuated surgically. These EDHs were diagnosed 6 hours after injury and were followed by serial CT scanning. All patients showed resolution of the hematoma on CT scanning over a period of 2 to 5 weeks. Factors that influence outcome of medical treatment have been discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1469489", "title": "Autonomous staff selection teams.", "content": "Although some other organizations encourage staff input into employee selection, the advanced care department at Bellin Hospital in Green Bay, Wisconsin has taken this concept to a new level by implementing an autonomous interview team. This team is empowered to make hiring decisions for all positions within the department without management influence or interference."}
{"id": "PMID:1469491", "title": "The 'temporomandibular pain dysfunction syndrome' personality: fact or fiction?", "content": "It is widely accepted that abnormal personality traits are important factors in the aetiology and maintenance of the temporomandibular pain and dysfunction syndrome (TMPDS). However, the foundation upon which this paradigm rests is largely based on clinical lore rather than evidence. The continued belief in the stress theory has onerous implications. First of all, clinicians could be lulled into a false sense of security about the efficacy of traditionally sanctioned treatments. Second, and potentially more important is the chilling effect on research that results from the premature and unsupported conclusions voiced by many, that certain issues regarding the diagnosis and treatment of TMPDS are solved. Such conclusions will lead not only to problems of patient care but may forge an unstable foundation for future research. Three theories are examined for convergent evidence in support of the putative relationship between personality and TMPDS. They are the 1) psychosomatic 2) coping and 3) psychophysiological theories. Currently evidence lacks for all three theories although there is partial support for the latter. It has not been demonstrated that TMPDS cases are characterized by a specific premorbid personality."}
{"id": "PMID:1469493", "title": "Filler particle size and composite resin classification systems.", "content": "The currently used composite resin classification systems need review if they are to continue to serve as descriptives and quantitative parameters denoting the filler particle content of these materials. Examination of the particles in 12 composite resins using a technique of washing the filler particles from the matrix of the composite resin was presented as yet another method of grouping composites according to filler particle content. Light microscopic examination of the filler particles that remained provided a separation of the 12 materials into four easily distinguished groups based on filler particle sizes. The wear of the 12 composite resins determined in a previous study was examined in relation to the classification of the materials by the currently available systems. The wear values were also examined using the groupings of the materials according to their filler particle sizes as determined by separating the particles from the matrix by the washing technique. Grouping composites on the basis of the filler particle sizes found after washing was easily correlated with wear and supported the suggestion that composites with smaller filler particles wear less."}
{"id": "PMID:1469494", "title": "Longitudinal study on occlusal force distribution in lower distal-extension removable partial dentures with circumferential clasps.", "content": "In this study, longitudinal changes of the occlusal force distribution ratio were examined in lower distal extension removable partial dentures with cast circumferential clasps. Occlusal force applied to the denture base and forces transmitted to the retainers were measured on several separate occasions from the insertion of new dentures to about 4 months after. Two rates of loading were chosen. One was simulated mastication (fast loading rate) and the other was 10 Ns-1 (slow loading rate). Location of the loading points were first premolar (P1), second premolar (P2) and first molar (P3) of the denture. The occlusal force distribution ratio to the retainers was calculated when a load of 20N was applied to the loading point. The results are summarized as follows: (1) The occlusal force distribution ratio at fast loading rate on P1 and P2 was changed until 1 or 1 1/2 months after the insertion of the new dentures, and then became constant. This constant value was 30% on P1, 20% on P2 and 10% on P3. (2) Slow loading rate produced a greater ratio than the fast loading rate on P2 and P3 while there were no remarkable differences in the ratio between both loading rates on P1."}
{"id": "PMID:1469495", "title": "The recording and analysis of EMG and jaw tracking. I. The recording procedure.", "content": "A computer-based system is described which records and analyses electromyographic (EMG) signals and tracking data for mandibular movements during function. EMG signals were obtained bilaterally from six muscles and a Sirognathograph monitored the position of the lower incisor teeth in three dimensions. Directed jaw movement tasks by subjects were monitored. These data were continuously sampled at a rate of 1 KHz per channel over an operator controlled period. Analysis of the data was performed off-line following the experiment. Individual chewing cycles associated with masticatory function were identified and the timing and dimensions of each chewing envelope established. Corresponding EMG values were also determined and displays of EMG and jaw movement were plotted on a common time base. An average chewing cycle and correlated EMG activity could also be displayed on a high resolution monitor and plotted for a hard copy to enable a comparison to be made between subjects with and without jaw dysfunction."}
{"id": "PMID:1469496", "title": "Bending strength of Fuji and Ketac glass ionomers after sonication.", "content": "Glass ionomer cements mixed by conventional methods contain voids that can decrease their overall strength. This study evaluated the effect of sonication on the reduction of air entrapment by measuring the bending strength in glass ionomer cements (Fujj-II and Ketac-fil). Glass ionomer cement was placed in identical-test vials and sonicated for 45s, 10s, or 0s. The bending strengths were measured (0.005 in min-1) after setting times of 1 or 2 weeks. Mean bending strengths (MPa +/- SD) for the 12 treatment both cements (P < 0.001) and sonication times (P < 0.001). The effect of setting time produced minimal increases in bending strength (P < 0.218). The sonication of freshly mixed glass ionomer cements is a possible solution for reducing voids to increase bending strength."}
{"id": "PMID:1469497", "title": "Physics and the sounds produced by the temporomandibular joints. Part II.", "content": "In clinical dentistry, the solidborne vibrations (tissue pressure waves) produced by the temporomandibular joints (TMJ) may signify dysfunction or disease of the mandibular locomotor system. This article discusses aspects of the applied mathematics and electronic recording of solidborne vibrations of the TMJ (electrovibratography)."}
{"id": "PMID:1469498", "title": "An in vitro study of the influence of X-ray beam angulation on the radiographic images of the amelocemental junction and simulated alveolar crest.", "content": "The aim of this in vitro study was to determine the effect of X-ray beam angulation on the radiographic images and relative positions of the amelocemental junction and alveolar crest. Using an artificial model to represent the tooth/bone relationship, radiographs were taken of a total of 15 extracted premolar teeth which had been divided into three distinct groups on the basis of the contour (configuration) of their approximal amelocemental junction. Radiographs of the tooth/bone units were taken at baseline and with a range of horizontal and vertical X-ray beam angulations from 5 degrees to 20 degrees. Analysis of the radiographs revealed that when using the ideal horizontal angulation the radiographic image of the amelocemental junction was dependent upon its contour and was not always represented by its mid-point bucco-lingually. Changing the horizontal angulation of the X-ray beam altered substantially that part of the junction visible on the film regardless of contour. Variation in the vertical angulation of the X-ray beam had little influence on the distance between the radiographic images of the amelocemental junction and a point representative of the approximal crest of the alveolar bone. It is concluded that the contour of the approximal amelocemental junction has an influence on its radiographic appearance and that films taken with an inappropriate horizontal angulation never provide an image of its mid-point bucco-lingually."}
{"id": "PMID:1469499", "title": "Bite-force endurance in patients with temporomandibular joint osteoarthrosis and internal derangement.", "content": "The aim of this study was to investigate the potential clinical relevance of testing bite force endurance in patients with articular temporomandibular disorders. The endurance of a 50 N bite force was measured in 51 patients with painful temporomandibular joint disorders. The results were compared to those of a control group of 20 subjects. The force exerted was sustained until this task could not be continued because of intolerable pain or fatigue. The endurance test was repeated following therapy. Testing bite force endurance could be reliably carried out (paired t-test not significant, product-moment correlation coefficient 0.87). The mean endurance time in the patient group was significantly different from that of the control group (t = 7.43, df = 69, P < 0.01). The 95% confidence intervals for patients and controls did not show any overlap. No difference in endurance time between diagnostic subgroups could be detected (F = 1.30, df = 4,46, P < 0.28). Following treatment, all patients showed a significant increase of endurance time (t = 8.09, df = 50, P < 0.01) and reported a decrease in post-test pain. The mean difference between pre- and post-treatment endurance was 60s. Subjects of the control group stopped the biting effort predominantly because of muscle fatigue. By contrast, the main reason of the patients to cease the effort was TMJ pain. The results of this study indicate that the discriminatory power of the test is sufficient to justify its utility as a complementary tool in assessing the functional capacity of the masticatory system."}
{"id": "PMID:1469500", "title": "Contribution of the mucosal tactile information to the mandibular position sense in patients wearing dentures.", "content": "The effects of mechanical stimulation of denture-bearing mucosa on the perception of mandibular position was tested in five patients wearing dentures. In order to produce mucosal stimulation of different intensities, five types of a punctate stimulus plate each having a different number of raised points was used. A hydraulic vertical displacement meter was also used so as to vary mandibular position. The mandibular position sense altered with changes in the physical stimulus intensity to the denture-bearing mucosa within a limit of jaw separation (less than 2.3 mm). In addition, the increases of the stimulus intensities stabilized the response regarding the mandibular position discrimination. From these results, it has been suggested that the tactile information from the denture-bearing mucosa regulates the neural mechanism concerning the mandibular position discrimination."}
{"id": "PMID:1469501", "title": "Level of accuracy and degree of precision in attempting to maintain steady levels of biting force.", "content": "The primary purpose of this study was to assess the level of accuracy (bias) and degree of precision for a group of 24 normal subjects attempting to maintain a constant biting force at levels of 100 gm, 500 gm, 1000 gm and 2000 gm for a period of 10 s each. Accuracy is defined as the difference between subjects' actual level of biting force and the target value they were trying to achieve. Precision is the level or range of variability demonstrated by the subjects while attempting to bite with a constant level of force. Subjects' performance relative to accuracy and precision was also compared when using the central incisors vs. the first permanent molars. Assessment of bite force was measured using a specially designed strain gauge scale which permitted subjects to visually monitor when their biting force equalled a preset resistance. Each subject was instructed to bite on the end of a plastic sheathed steel beam with enough force to activate the indicator needle on the voltage meter to its central position and to try to maintain a constant level of biting force (by attempting to keep the indicator needle steady in its central position). No significant (P > 0.05) differences were found in mean accuracy in bite force for gender or specific teeth used in the biting task. However, a significant difference (P < 0.0001) in mean accuracy in bite force was found to exist between the target levels.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1469502", "title": "The effect of splint therapy on TMJ position measured by the Gerber Resiliency Test.", "content": "The Gerber Resiliency Test is a clinical approach to possible evaluation of compression or distraction in the temporomandibular joints. In this study the same principle was used to check the tendency of mechanical responses of joints to the use of bite-splints. Sequences of tests were performed on 18 adult patients of the UTHSCSA clinical pool who had been previously treated for splint therapy. From this population nine patients presented one or more symptoms of TMD and nine were free of symptoms. Separation of the molars with the use of one thickness of tin foil indicated tendency to compression in the joints and three or four thicknesses to distraction. The tests were performed during delivery of the appliance and 1 week later. One sample chi-square statistical test was performed and did not show any statistically significant difference between dysfunction and non-dysfunction groups (P < .05). At delivery, there was a higher frequency of distraction in both left and right joints (P < .05) when the splint was inserted. Compression was present at very low frequency. One week later, the joints did not stay distracted in the same frequency."}
{"id": "PMID:1469503", "title": "Hemifacial microsomia and hypodontia: a case report.", "content": "A 6-year-old girl with hemifacial microsomia was examined. Abnormalities found were: severely malformed pinna of the right ear, right malar hypoplasia and unilateral mandibular hypoplasia. Dental examination revealed normal intraoral soft tissues with all deciduous teeth present. Radiographic examination disclosed that the maxillary and mandibular right and left second premolars were not developing. The mandibular ramus was short in length and the mandibular condyle had not developed on the right. The patient had no renal, cardiac or skeletal anomalies and her hearing was normal. No previous publications have been located which report the association of hypodontia and hemifacial microsomia."}
{"id": "PMID:1469505", "title": "Autoradiographic localization of endothelin-1 binding sites in human colonic cancer tissue.", "content": "Endothelin-1, a potent vasoconstrictor, has been reported to stimulate mitogenesis in various types of normal and neoplastic cells and to be involved in neurotransmission. Recently, many human cancer cell lines, including those from the human colon, have been shown to produce endothelin. In this study, the occurrence of endothelin-1 binding sites was investigated in human colonic cancer tissues using in vitro autoradiography. Specific [125I]endothelin-1 binding sites were identified over tumour vessels and stromal tissues surrounding cancer cell nests. The distribution was heterogeneous, and dense silver grains were localized, especially over clusters of fibroblasts adjacent to the cancer cell nests. Endothelin binding was minimal in the cancer cells, as in the normal crypt epithelium. Quantitative analysis of the autoradiographs demonstrated high affinity (Kd = 0.50 +/- 0.06 nM; mean +/- SEM) binding sites, with a maximum binding capacity (Bmax) of 40 +/- 3.2 amol/mm2 in the cancer tissues. Our results provide evidence that specific endothelin-1 binding sites are expressed in the stromal tissues including tumour vessels, fibroblasts, and nerve fibres. Endothelin-1 may play a modulatory role in blood supply, mitogenesis, and neurotransmission in a paracrine fashion through the stromal components in human colonic cancers."}
{"id": "PMID:1469506", "title": "Expression of the c-fos oncogene in chemically-induced mouse tumours and in human skin tumours.", "content": "Using a polyclonal antibody to fos oncoprotein and an immunofluorescent technique, we investigated expression of the fos oncogene in chemically-induced mouse tumours and human premalignant and malignant skin lesion. In the chemically induced tumours, the nuclei of almost all carcinoma cells stained uniformly with this antibody, while positive cells were observed in the outermost layers in the benign papillomas. In human tumours, a greater degree of nuclear staining was observed in cases of squamous cell carcinoma than in tissues from patients with Bowen's disease. Basal cell carcinoma and malignant melanoma with histological evidence of invasiveness of the tumour cells showed a higher expression of the fos gene product than that seen in histologically circumscribed tumour nests. Thus, a higher expression of the fos oncogene is closely related to the malignant progression of tumour cells, in particular, the extent of invasiveness."}
{"id": "PMID:1469507", "title": "L-CAM expression in normal, premalignant, and malignant colon mucosa.", "content": "L-CAM is a cell adhesion molecule which is expressed at the intercellular borders of most epithelial cells. L-CAM has been demonstrated to act as an invasion suppressor in carcinoma cell lines. In order to determine whether or not L-CAM expression might distinguish between invasive and non-invasive or metastatic and non-metastatic colon neoplasms, we studied L-CAM expression in normal colon mucosa, colon adenomas with various degrees of dysplasia, and colon carcinomas by immunohistochemistry, using the 6F9 monoclonal anti-L-CAM antibody. Normal mucosa showed evenly distributed distinct L-CAM immunoreactivity along intercellular borders. In adenomas and carcinomas, a similar though weaker expression was observed. This pattern showed a tendency to decrease in parallel with decreasing differentiation. However, no correlation was found with Dukes stage or area within the tumour. In some carcinomas, L-CAM was expressed at the luminal surface of the cells. In others, L-CAM expression was not found. These results suggest that L-CAM expression is disregulated or lost as an early event in the development of colon neoplasia and indicate that L-CAM expression does not correlate with invasive or metastatic potential."}
{"id": "PMID:1469508", "title": "Histological preservation after in situ hybridization to archival solid tumour sections allows discrimination of cells bearing numerical chromosome changes.", "content": "In this study, non-isotopic in situ hybridization (ISH) was used for the cytogenetic and histological examination of urological (prostatic adenocarcinoma) and endocrine (phaeochromocytoma) tumour cell nuclei in 4 microns paraffin-embedded tissue sections. In order to investigate preservation of tissue morphology, standard heat denaturation was compared with a mild enzymatic treatment for the production of single-stranded (ss)-DNA for ISH. Numerical analysis by ISH with chromosome-specific repetitive DNA probes for chromosomes 1, 7, and 11 revealed overrepresentation of chromosome 7 in the phaeochromocytoma (P < 0.01). The constitutional underrepresentation of the Y chromosome was easily detected in the prostate tumour (P << 0.01) when probed for chromosomes 7, 16, and Y. The enzymatic treatment appeared superior to heat denaturation with respect to tissue architecture in the phaeochromocytoma, while no clear difference was observed in the prostatic cancer. ISH probe patterns were similar for the two types of denaturation in both tumours (P > or = 0.20). We conclude that (1) ISH can be used for the identification of numerical cytogenetic changes in solid tumour cell nuclei within archival tissue sections; and (2) mild 'denaturation' protocols, replacing heat, are preference in retaining tissue architecture in fragile tumour specimens."}
{"id": "PMID:1469509", "title": "Changes in hepatic lymph vessels in endotoxaemia.", "content": "This study was undertaken into rats to investigate changes in the hepatic lymph vessels and the space of Disse in endotoxaemia and to examine their relationship with the development of endotoxin-induced hepatic injury. Lymph stasis, namely dilatation of the lymph vessels and oedema, developed rapidly in the medium-sized portal canals, the large portal canals, and the liver hilum after endotoxin injection, but not in the small portal canals. Such changes reached their maximum 4-8 h after endotoxin injection and had recovered markedly by 16 h after the injection. The space of Disse remained within normal limits during this period. These findings suggest that the intrahepatic lymph stasis in endotoxaemia may be caused by a reduction in the pumping activity of the extrahepatic and the intrahepatic large lymph vessels rather than by an increase of lymph formation in the liver lobules. There was no evidence suggesting a direct relationship between the disturbance of hepatic lymph flow and the development of hepatic injury in endotoxaemia."}
{"id": "PMID:1469510", "title": "Effect of cholesterol on the position of segmental lesions in unilaterally nephrectomized rats.", "content": "Different positions of segmental lesions within glomeruli may correspond to different pathogenetic mechanisms. The effect of a high cholesterol diet on the position of lesions had not previously been investigated. This was studied in rats following unilateral nephrectomy, as a change in position would suggest a different mechanism of damage. Thirty-two female WAG/ola rats had unilateral nephrectomy. Half the rats were given a diet supplemented with 4 per cent cholesterol and 1 per cent cholic acid. At death, six at 10 weeks after nephrectomy and the rest at 24 weeks, kidney sections were examined microscopically. There were significantly more segmental lesions in the cholesterol-fed rats than in the controls, and these lesions were almost entirely at the glomerular hilum in both groups. Significantly more glomeruli contained foamy cells in the cholesterol-fed group, both within lesions and away from them. These findings confirmed that in reduced renal mass, segmental lesions are mainly hilar. The diet increases the number of glomeruli affected by lesions, but these are still mainly hilar. Therefore one possibility is that hypercholesterolaemia worsens the hyperfiltration effect on glomeruli. The diet also produces foamy cells scattered throughout the glomeruli but these do not appear to develop into segmental lesions."}
{"id": "PMID:1469511", "title": "Polycystic kidney disease in the CBA/N immunodeficient mouse.", "content": "We describe a polycystic lesion of the kidney in the CBA/N mouse with an X-linked recessive immunodeficient syndrome. There is progressive cystic dilatation affecting all parts of the nephron. The cyst lining is composed of a single layered epithelium with focal nuclear crowding and the formation of micropapillary structures. The cystic epithelial cells show subnuclear vacuolation. Focal basement membrane thickening is also a feature. There is no significant inflammatory infiltrate present within these kidneys. Electron microscopic examination reveals that the subnuclear vacuolation is due to loss of the membrane infoldings at the basal pole of the epithelial cell with fluid accumulation within the extracellular space. The basement membrane thickening is due to expansion of the lamina densa. These changes are not present at birth but develop progressively with age. The finding of a polycystic kidney lesion in these mice offers an opportunity to investigate the relationship between the immune system and renal cyst formation."}
{"id": "PMID:1469512", "title": "DNA cleavage photoinduced by new water-soluble zinc porphyrins linked to 9-methoxyellipticine.", "content": "Two hybrid molecules based on a water-soluble zinc porphyrin covalently linked to 9-methoxyellipticine, 1 and 2, were studied as photoactivable DNA cleavers. The behaviour and efficiency of these photosensitizers were compared with the constitutive units of the hybrid molecules: meso-tetrakis(4-N-methylpyridiniumyl)porphyrinato-zinc(II) tetraacetate (ZnTMPyP, 3) and 9-methoxy-N2methylellipticinium acetate (9-OMe-NME, 4). On irradiation at 436 nm, the efficiency of these hybrids is similar to that of ZnTMPyP and 50-fold greater than that of haematoporphyrin derivative (HPD). This photoinduced DNA cleavage is markedly reduced in the absence of oxygen and also depends on the DNA base pair to porphyrin ratio. It is inhibited by N-acetylhistidine and sodium azide, unaffected by mannitol and superoxide dismutase (SOD) and enhanced when changing H2O for D2O. The same scavenger effects are observed on irradiation at 514 nm. At 313 nm, the efficiency of hybrids 1 and 2 is intermediate between those of ZnTMPyP and 9-OMe-NME. In these conditions, a slight inhibitory effect of mannitol is observed, suggesting the participation of radicals probably derived from partial decomposition of the porphyrins. At these three wavelengths, singlet oxygen seems to be the main species responsible for DNA cleavage. In contrast with expectation, the great affinity of these molecules for DNA does not enhance their efficiency as DNA cleavers. This effect is discussed taking into account the long lifetime of singlet oxygen which may be generated far from the target. These molecules which are only photoactivable in the presence of DNA appear to be an efficient \"molecular light switch\"."}
{"id": "PMID:1469513", "title": "Comparative pharmacokinetic and photodynamic studies with zinc(II) phthalocyanine in hamsters bearing an induced or transplanted rhabdomyosarcoma.", "content": "Comparative pharmacokinetic studies in hamsters bearing an induced or first-generation transplanted rhabdomyosarcoma that were injected with liposome-incorporated zinc(II) phthalocyanine (ZnPc) show a higher drug concentration in the induced tumour. The selectivity of tumour targeting is underlined by the fact that, 24 h after injection, larger amounts of ZnPc are found in the tumour than in the liver. Photodynamic therapy investigations were carried out using 673 nm light from an argon-dye laser. On the basis of different assessment criteria (changes in mean tumour diameter with time, tumour mass regression, survival time of the treated groups of animals, and histological determination of the necrotic tissue) the photosensitizing effect of ZnPc appears to be comparable for both kinds of tumour in spite of the higher uptake of photosensitizer by the induced tumour."}
{"id": "PMID:1469516", "title": "Evaluation of liquid or powdered fortification of human milk on growth and bone mineralization status of preterm infants.", "content": "Thirty-five preterm (< 1500 g) infants were fed preterm human milk (PHM) supplemented with either powdered fortifier (PF) or liquid supplement (LS). Bone mineral content (BMC) of the distal third radius was measured by photon absorptiometry. Biochemical indices of nutritional and bone status were obtained every 2 weeks. The initial BMC for both feeding regimens were similar. BMC did not change over the study period for infants fed LS. Infants fed PF had BMC values greater than LS infants at weeks 2 and 4 of study. Only infants fed PF had BMC values that demonstrated a consistent increase. Serum total protein and phosphorus values were greater for PF infants at week 4 than LS infants. Weight, length, occipital-frontal circumference (OFC) gains, serum albumin, alkaline phosphatase, calcium, and vitamin D levels were similar in both groups. We conclude that products used to \"enrich\" PHM are adequate to meet the growth needs of the preterm infant. However, we found that infants fed the powdered fortified preterm human milk had higher bone mineralization than those fed the liquid supplemented human milk."}
{"id": "PMID:1469517", "title": "Plasma vitamin E concentrations of older infants fed cow's milk or infant formula.", "content": "Nutrition of older infants, though important for optimal brain development, is inadequately studied. The beverage choice markedly influences nutrient intake, but little is known regarding nutrition status of older infants, particularly for vitamin E. This study assessed vitamin E intakes and plasma tocopherol concentrations in two groups of healthy infants, 8 to 13 months of age, who had consumed either cow's milk (n = 45) or milk-based formula (n = 55) for a minimum of the 3 preceding months. Mean (+/- SEM) vitamin E intake was significantly lower (p < or = 0.001) by the infants who had consumed cow's milk (CMF) than by infants who had consumed formula (FF); 4.1 +/- 0.25 mg/day and 10.9 +/- 0.57 mg/day, respectively. Mean (+/- SEM) intake of linoleic plus linolenic acids was significantly lower (p < or = 0.005) by CMF infants (3.4 +/- 0.2 g) than by FF infants (9.9 +/- 1.0 g), although mean (+/- SEM) dietary vitamin E to polyunsaturated fat ratio (E/PUFA ratio) was the same in both FF and CMF infants (1.3 +/- 0.1). Plasma alpha-tocopherol concentration (mean +/- SD) was significantly lower (p < or = 0.005) in CMF than in FF infants (0.86 +/- 0.28 mg/dl vs. 1.14 +/- 0.42 mg/dl, respectively). Dietary vitamin E intakes were positively correlated (p < or = 0.05) with plasma alpha-tocopherol concentrations. No correlations were found between plasma alpha-tocopherol concentrations and total fat intake, dietary E/PUFA ratios, erythrocyte polyunsaturated fatty acids > or = C18:2, or number of hours postprandial that blood was drawn.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1469519", "title": "Production of short chain fatty acids by the intestinal microflora during the first 2 years of human life.", "content": "We have followed the establishment of one group of intestinal microflora-associated characteristics, namely, the production of short chain fatty acids (SCFAs), in 30 healthy children, by gas chromatography analysis of fecal samples taken at 0, 1, 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, and 24 months of age. Acetic and propionic acids were the principal SCFAs at 1 and 3 months. Successively, the production of iso- and n-butyric, valeric, and caproic acids was established. At 2 years, the absolute amounts of all SCFAs with the exception of n-valeric acid had reached adult values. However, not all children had achieved a typically adult range of stool SCFAs by the end of the study. Both absolute and relative amounts of SCFAs were influenced by exposure to foods other than breast milk and exposure to antibiotic therapy. After standardization for exposure to foods other than breast milk, a positive age factor could be seen between 0 and 1 month of age for total amounts produced of SCFAs, acetic, propionic, and n-butyric acids. After this time, however, no clear age factor could be distinguished."}
{"id": "PMID:1469520", "title": "Parasitic infection of the gut and protein-losing enteropathy.", "content": "Parasitic infection of the gut is highly prevalent in developing countries and contributes to the severe malnutrition associated with persistent diarrhoea in children. Using random faecal alpha 1-antitrypsin measurements as an index of protein-losing enteropathy, we examined children with and without parasitic infection of the gut. Seventeen percent of children with persistent diarrhoea had evidence of protein-losing enteropathy. This was found to be associated with hypoalbuminaemia in children infected with Strongyloides stercoralis. Only a minority (2 of 17) of children infected with Giardia lamblia had raised faecal alpha 1-antitrypsin excretion and this was not associated with hypoalbuminaemia. This study emphasises the need for rapid diagnosis and treatment of Strongyloides infection in children with persistent diarrhoea and severe nutrition."}
{"id": "PMID:1469521", "title": "Malabsorption of different lactose loads in children with human immunodeficiency virus infection.", "content": "Thirty children infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) (18 P1 and 12 P2, according to the classification system of the Centers for Disease Control) and 54 noninfected children were evaluated for lactose malabsorption with use of the hydrogen breath test after different lactose loads. Lactose malabsorption after load of 2 g/kg occurred in 75% of P2, 67% of P1, and in 46% of noninfected children. With a lower lactose load (1 g/kg), the prevalence of malabsorption was significantly higher among P2 children than P1 and noninfected cases. A similar figure was obtained after the lowest load (0.5 g/kg). Infected children with lactose malabsorption were significantly younger than noninfected malabsorbers (mean age +/- SD; 50.3 +/- 22 vs. 63.5 +/- 20.9 months) when the load of 2 g/kg was used. The use of lower lactose loads seems to be helpful in finding the dose that can be tolerated. This finding could have nutritional importance and could lead to better dietary management."}
{"id": "PMID:1469522", "title": "Increased serum IL-2R levels in coeliac disease are related to CD4 but not CD8 antigens.", "content": "Forty-three coeliac children, ranging from 1 year and 3 months to 14 years and 9 months, were studied. Twenty-eight patients were in an active phase of the disease, and 15 were in remission. The criteria of coeliac disease (CD) activity were established according to the results of IgA anti-endomysial antibodies (IgA-AEm). Interleukin 2 receptor (IL-2R) and CD4 and CD8 antigens were measured in serum samples by an ELISA technique using two noncompetitive monoclonal antibodies. Antigliadin antibodies of IgG (IgG-AGA) and IgA (IgA-AGA) classes were also measured. The AEm-positive coeliac patient group showed values of 1,860 +/- 948 U/ml for IL-2R, 430 +/- 228 U/ml for CD8, and 36.8 +/- 25.1 U/ml for CD4. AEm-negative patients showed values of 980 +/- 436 U/ml, 350 +/- 243 U/ml, and 24.1 +/- 20 U/ml, respectively. IL-2R levels were the only ones significantly elevated (p < 0.005) in the active coeliac group. On the other hand, IgG-AGA and IgA-AGA were both clearly increased (p < 0.001). IL-2R levels in active coeliac patients correlated with CD4 levels (p < 0.05), but not with CD8, IgG-AGA, and IgA-AGA levels. We also found a surprising negative correlation between AEm antibodies of IgA2 class with both IL-2R (r = 0.471; p < 0.05) and CD8 (r = 0.616; p < 0.05). The results show that in CD there is a lymphocyte activation affecting mainly CD4+ cells and not correlated with serum AGA levels, suggesting an independence of both immunological phenomena and probably with different locations of origin."}
{"id": "PMID:1469523", "title": "Gastroesophageal reflux with drifting onset in infants: a phenomenon unique to sleep.", "content": "We have characterized the gastroesophageal reflux (GER) episodes which occurred during sleep in 28 infants with pathologic gastroesophageal reflux and 10 symptomatic age-matched controls without gastroesophageal reflux. We describe three kinds of episodes during the sleeping period-awake episodes which occur completely during electroencephalogram (EEG)-defined wakefulness associated with clinical evidence of the waking state (62 episodes), episodes occurring during EEG-defined sleep which have a rapid drop in pH at their onset (119 episodes), and episodes occurring during EEG-defined sleep in which the esophageal pH drifts down slowly over a period up to 30 min (113 episodes). Only 9 of the 10 control subjects experienced any reflux episodes during monitoring. The total number of episodes of reflux in controls (34) was less than the total number in reflux subjects (260). Controls did, however, experience all three types of reflux episode. Awake episodes all had a rapid drop in pH at their onset and were characterized by a short acid clearance time (2.0 +/- 0.3 min in reflux patients and 1.0 +/- 0.2 min in controls). The sleep episodes with rapid onset had longer mean acid clearance time than the awake episodes, significantly so in GER subjects (20.1 +/- 6.8 min in reflux subjects and 2.6 + 1.3 min in controls). Body movement was noted at the onset of 93.4% of rapid-onset sleep episodes in reflux subjects and 88.9% in controls. Body movement was also common at the termination of rapid-onset sleep episodes (77.8% of rapid-onset episodes in reflux subjects and 80.0% in controls).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1469524", "title": "Esophageal stricture in children: fiber-optic endoscopy and dilatation under fluoroscopic control.", "content": "We made a retrospective analysis of the efficacy and complication rate of 268 esophageal dilatation procedures performed under fluoroscopic control using the fiber-optic endoscope in 45 children with esophageal stricture. Antegrade and retrograde stricture dilatation was performed under general anesthetic, mainly as an outpatient procedure. Thirty-six children had an esophageal stricture following tracheoesophageal fistula and/or esophageal atresia repair, and nine children had severe corrosive stricture of the esophagus following lye ingestion. The procedure was well tolerated and effective."}
{"id": "PMID:1469536", "title": "Phospholipid composition and subcellular distribution in yeast and mycelial forms of Candida albicans.", "content": "Lipids were found to constitute 3.9% and 4.7% of the dry weight of yeast and mycelial forms of Candida albicans, respectively. Phospholipids were localized mainly in the microsomal fraction of both growth forms and phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylserine and cardiolipin were the major phospholipids. Myristic acid and palmitic acid were the predominant fatty acids in the yeast form while the mycelial form contained palmitic, palmitoleic and oleic acid as major fatty acids. Yeast forms showed significantly higher specific activities of intracellular phospholipase A and lysophospholipase when compared with mycelial forms. No significant difference in the specific activity of extracellular phospholipase A was seen in either morphogenic form while the activity of extracellular lysophospholipase was higher in the yeast form. These results are discussed in the context of the virulence of this fungus."}
{"id": "PMID:1469537", "title": "Activity of fluconazole against Candida albicans isolates from HIV+ patients in a digestive candidosis turkey model.", "content": "Fluconazole activity against four strains of Candida albicans (three isolates from AIDS patients and one azole-resistant isolate, NCPF 3363) was studied in a turkey crop infection model. Isolate NCPF 3363 showed confirmed azole resistance in vitro and in vivo. Two isolates from AIDS patients were susceptible to fluconazole in vitro and in vivo. The third isolate was resistant to fluconazole in vitro (MIC = 100 micrograms ml-1), insensitive to 2.5 mg kg-1 but sensitive in vivo to a 5 mg kg-1 daily dose."}
{"id": "PMID:1469538", "title": "Glucan synthesis and its inhibition by cilofungin in susceptible and resistant strains of Candida albicans.", "content": "The lipopeptide antimycotic agent, cilofungin, at a dose of 20 micrograms ml-1, inhibited beta 1-3 glucan synthesis in a drug-susceptible strain (3153; minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) < 1 microgram ml-1) as well as in a drug-resistant strain of Candida albicans (CA-2, derived from 3153 by nitrosoguanidine mutagenesis; MIC > 50 micrograms ml-1). This was demonstrated for both whole cells under growing and non-growing conditions, and during protoplast regeneration. However, time-effect experiments, during growth of a CA-2 culture initially exposed to an inhibitory dose of cilofungin, showed that this strain was able to progressively regain both glucan synthesis and a growth rate comparable to that of cultures that had not been treated with the drug. This recovery was not attributable to cilofungin instability or degradation within the CA-2 culture. Our study suggests the existence of an as yet unknown drug-related and/or cell-related factor(s) modulating the inhibition of glucan synthesis, and then contributing to the actual inhibitory effects of cilofungin in C. albicans."}
{"id": "PMID:1469539", "title": "Comparison of amphotericin B lipid complex with amphotericin B and SCH 39304 in the treatment of murine coccidioidal meningitis.", "content": "To assess the efficacy of amphotericin B lipid complex (ABLC) in the treatment of coccidioidal meningitis, we compared a wide range of doses (0.35-15 mg kg-1, intravenously (IV)) of ABLC with amphotericin B deoxycholate (AmB) (0.3-7 mg kg-1, intraperitoneally (IP)) and (IV) and a new triazole, SCH 39304 (SCH), in an experimental murine model. Survival data showed high dose ABLC to be of equal efficacy to IV and high dose IP AmB and SCH. Quantitative studies confirmed this outcome. No acute toxicity with ABLC, at the doses employed, was found. We conclude that ABLC is effective in the treatment of murine coccidioidal meningitis."}
{"id": "PMID:1469540", "title": "Induction of stress protein synthesis in Histoplasma capsulatum by heat, low pH and hydrogen peroxide.", "content": "It is well known that some micro-organisms synthesize proteins when stressed by heat or other factors. The function of these proteins is not yet clear, but some of them are believed to be related to resistance against a hostile environment. Histoplasma capsulatum is an intracellular pathogenic fungus that multiplies inside macrophages and resists macrophage microbicidal mechanisms. To study the defense mechanisms of H. capsulatum and mimic the hostile environment the fungus may encounter during infection, we investigated protein synthesis by H. capsulatum (isolate G217B) when stressed by heat (40 degrees C), low pH (pH 4), or oxidative products (H2O2) using [35S]-methionine labelling. Analysis of cytosol proteins by SDS-PAGE and fluorography disclosed that H. capsulatum increased synthesis of six constitutive proteins and decreased synthesis of six proteins when stressed at 40 degrees C. When stressed by pH 4 or H2O2, H. capsulatum increased the synthesis of eight and five constitutive proteins, respectively, and decreased the synthesis of three proteins. Estimation of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase enzymatic activity in cytosols from stressed H. capsulatum did not reveal an increase of these enzymatic activities compared to cytosols from non-stressed H. capsulatum. These results suggest that H. capsulatum increases the synthesis of some constitutive proteins when stressed by heat, low pH or H2O2, which might relate to pathogenicity, and are thus worthy of further study. These induced proteins are apparently different from SOD or catalase."}
{"id": "PMID:1469541", "title": "Isolation of Cryptococcus neoformans var. gattii from an Asian patient in France: evidence for dormant infection in healthy subjects.", "content": "We report the first case of cryptococcosis due to Cryptococcus neoformans var. gattii in France. This Cambodian, non-AIDS patient had been living in France for 23 years when he developed cryptococcosis due to C. neoformans serotype B in 1985. It is possible that he was infected back in Asia or several months before, in Zaire, where he lived between 1981 and 1984. To our knowledge, this is the second case providing clinical evidence for reactivation of latent infection with C. neoformans. The mechanism is probably similar to that for C. neoformans var. neoformans."}
{"id": "PMID:1469542", "title": "Primary cutaneous zygomycosis due to Absidia corymbifera in a patient with AIDS.", "content": "A case of primary cutaneous zygomycosis due to Absidia corymbifera in a patient with AIDS is described. The lesions, which were located on the forehead, jaw and chest, were intradermal, extending into the subcutaneous fat and did not appear to be associated with any trauma. No deep-seated infection was evident suggesting that the superficial lesions were exogenous in origin. The possible aetiology of this infection is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1469543", "title": "Filamentous forms of Sporothrix schenckii in material from human lesions.", "content": "This paper reports the observation of the mycelial form of Sporothrix schenckii, including conidia, in dried-up purulent material from a cutaneous lesion of the face of a patient with sporotrichosis of over a year's duration."}
{"id": "PMID:1469544", "title": "Environmental isolation of Cryptococcus neoformans var. gattii from Eucalyptus tereticornis.", "content": "As an extension of the previously established association between Cryptococcus neoformans var. gattii and Eucalyptus camaldulensis (River red gum) we have now found a similar relationship between C. neoformans var. gattii and the closely related Eucalyptus tereticornis (Forest red gum). The global distribution of E. tereticornis is similar to that of E. camaldulensis."}
{"id": "PMID:1469545", "title": "Dormancy of Trichophyton mentagrophytes arthroconidia.", "content": "Arthroconidia of Trichophyton mentagrophytes demonstrated an exogenous type of dormancy under environmental conditions unsuitable for germination, provided that these conditions were not lethal. Germination did not occur at 4 degrees C unless arthroconidia were shifted up to 37 degrees C. At 45 degrees C germination was inhibited even when arthroconidia were shifted down to 37 degrees C. Germination was dependent on humidified incubation conditions. The presence of human corneocytes enhanced the germination of arthroconidia in the presence of moisture."}
{"id": "PMID:1469546", "title": "Fetus in fetu in the liver: case report and review of the literature.", "content": "Fetus in fetu is an extremely rare cause of abdominal mass in infancy, which most likely arises from inclusion of monozygotic diaminiotic twin. This entity is distinguished from teratoma by the presence of vertebral axis with limb bud or any other appropriately situated bones or organs. It occurs predominantly in the upper retroperitoneum, less frequently in the pelvis and ileal mesentery. Unlikely sites of occurrence such as the cranial cavity and the scrotum have been reported. In the present case the sac that contains the fetus was found in the right lobe of the liver, a site which has not been reported before. To our knowledge, and as far as the available literature is concerned, we believe this is the first report of such a case."}
{"id": "PMID:1469547", "title": "Fetus in fetu or giant epignathus protruding from the mouth.", "content": "A huge and extremely organoid mass, protruding from the mouth of a newborn and causing respiratory embarrassment, was resected. It was difficult to make a clear distinction whether this mass was fetus in fetu or a highly organoid epignathus dealing with the findings obtained from its gross and histological examination of the mass."}
{"id": "PMID:1469548", "title": "Pilomatricoma: report of two cases in children.", "content": "Two children with pilomatricoma are reported. The characteristics of this benign tumor and general principles of treatment (surgical excision) are described."}
{"id": "PMID:1469549", "title": "Choristoma of the submandibular gland: a rare cause of cervical swelling.", "content": "A case of choristoma of the submandibular gland excised from a 4-week-old female infant is reported. The differential diagnosis is discussed and suggestions are made for the possible etiology of the lesion."}
{"id": "PMID:1469550", "title": "Pyriform sinus cyst and fistula in the newborn: the value of endoscopic cannulation.", "content": "A case of pyriform sinus cyst and fistula presenting in the neonatal period is described. Endoscopic cannulation of the fistula tract was used to confirm the diagnosis and to simplify the resection."}
{"id": "PMID:1469551", "title": "Hungry bone syndrome in a child following parathyroid surgery.", "content": "The rare hungry bone syndrome was encountered in a 15-year-old child after the removal of a parathyroid adenoma. Contrary to the hypocalcemias caused by the removal of all parathyroid glands or transient ischemia after parathyroid surgery, in which the serum inorganic phosphorus level is usually normal, both serum calcium and inorganic phosphorus levels are decreased in hungry bone syndrome in the early postoperative period. Vigorous calcium supplementation and vitamin D are required for prolonged periods."}
{"id": "PMID:1469552", "title": "Giant cystic hygroma associated with venous aneurysm.", "content": "Complete excision of giant cystic hygroma requires meticulous dissection of the multilocular lymphatic cysts from the adjacent vascular and neural structures. The association of venous aneurysms with cystic hygroma is extremely rare. We report two infants with cystic hygroma in whom preoperative diagnosis of venous aneurysm was helpful in planning complete excision of the lymphatic lesions."}
{"id": "PMID:1469553", "title": "Kasabach-Merritt syndrome in two neonates.", "content": "Two neonates with a giant hemangioma associated with thrombocytopenia (Kasabach-Marritt syndrome) have been managed at Kure National Hospital. The first case was initially difficult to distinguish from overwhelming infection or other tumors but improved after radiotherapy. The second case was resistant to radiation and steroid therapy. Magnetic resonance imaging determined a tumor extending into the surrounding soft tissues better than did enhanced computed tomography. Subtotal excision of the tumor and various drugs were effective only transiently and 51Cr-labeled platelets sequestrated into the residual hemangioma. Severe thrombocytopenia persisted for approximately 15 months requiring extra care for head and body contusions, but finally improved by treatment with platelet-active drugs such as acetylsalicylic acid, dipyridamole, and pentoxifylline."}
{"id": "PMID:1469554", "title": "Primary neonatal cricopharyngeal achalasia: a case report and review of the literature.", "content": "Primary cricopharyngeal achalasia is a rare cause of dysphagia in the pediatric population. In a review of the literature, only 11 well-documented cases were discovered. We report the case of a newborn with cricopharyngeal achalasia who was successfully treated with a myotomy of the upper esophageal sphincter. A review of the literature is presented and treatment options are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1469555", "title": "Aerocele, an unusual complication of anterior cricoid split.", "content": "Since its introduction, the anterior cricoid split has proven to be a safe and effective procedure for the management of infants with acquired subglottic stenosis. In this article we report an unusual complication--an aerocele, which occurred on the 14th day following an anterior cricoid split on a 9-month-old child. The possible etiology and successful management of the aerocele are reviewed."}
{"id": "PMID:1469556", "title": "Chordoma presenting as a posterior mediastinal mass in a pediatric patient.", "content": "Chordomas are slow-growing malignant tumors that arise from fetal notochord cells. They are commonly found at the cranial or caudal ends of the spinal cord, but can be seen infrequently in other areas of the cord. Thoracic chordomas can present as either a posterior mediastinal mass or with cord compression symptoms. The tumors present most frequently in the 4th to 5th decade of life. It is extremely rare to see thoracic chordoma in a child. The treatment of choice for chordomas is surgery. The tumors should be totally excised when possible. If the tumor is large or invasive, debulking is indicated. Adjuvant therapy is controversial. Chordomas are very resistant to radiotherapy but there have been several reports of increased survival with high-dose radiotherapy (7,500 rad). Chemotherapy is unproven in the treatment of chordomas. Chordomas tend to recur locally quite frequently and occasionally with distant metastases. Survival ranges from 10% to 30% at 5 years."}
{"id": "PMID:1469557", "title": "Life-threatening respiratory distress caused by a mediastinal teratoma in a newborn.", "content": "Mediastinal teratomas rarely cause symptoms in newborns. Case reports drawing attention to this presentation have appeared in the literature. A 2-day-old baby with respiratory distress treated by intubation and mechanical ventilation underwent an urgent thoracotomy to alleviate tracheal compression that was caused by a teratoma. The clinical, radiological, and surgical features related to this case are reported."}
{"id": "PMID:1469558", "title": "An expandable prosthesis for stabilization of the infant mediastinum following pneumonectomy.", "content": "One possible complication in infant pneumonectomy is mediastinal shift that can fatally kink or compress airways and vessels. Rigid prostheses have been used to prevent these problems; however, they cannot be adjusted as the child grows. We report a case of expandable prosthesis implantation in a 24-day-old infant. During the 18 months postimplantation, the prosthesis was periodically injected with a saline/contrast solution to maintain the mediastinum in a midline position as the child grew. At 24-month follow-up the prosthesis was still in place, and midline position of the mediastinum maintained."}
{"id": "PMID:1469559", "title": "Traumatic pneumatocele.", "content": "Traumatic pneumatocele is a recognized but uncommon complication of blunt thoracic trauma. Its clinical relevance lies in the difficulty the attending surgeon encounters in differentiating the x-ray appearances from more serious pathology requiring urgent surgical intervention. We document this case because it is important that surgeons be aware of this condition and of its benign course so as to avoid unnecessary diagnostic or operative procedures."}
{"id": "PMID:1469560", "title": "Fibrothorax associated with a ventriculopleural shunt in a hydrocephalic child.", "content": "Ventriculopleural (VPL) shunts are considered a safe alternative to peritoneal shunts in the management of hydrocephalus. Occasionally, however, they are associated with persistent pleural effusion. We report a child, aged 3 1/2 years, who developed severe fibrothorax following the use of a VPL shunt. The shunt was removed and decortication had to be performed to alleviate his respiratory symptoms. This serious complication, never reported previously, should be borne in mind when the pleural cavity is chosen for deviation of the cerebrospinal fluid in hydrocephalic children."}
{"id": "PMID:1469561", "title": "Esophageal atresia with triple congenital tracheoesophageal fistulae.", "content": "The surgical management of an infant with esophageal atresia and three (2 proximal and 1 distal) congenital tracheoesophageal fistulae is described. The pitfalls in the diagnosis of proximal fistulae are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1469562", "title": "Delayed primary reconstruction of an esophageal atresia with distal esophagotracheal fistula in an infant weighing less than 500 g.", "content": "Delayed primary reconstruction of an esophageal atresia (Vogt IIIb) was undertaken in an extremely small-for-date baby (second twin, 36th week) with a birth weight of 445 g. After initial insertion of a gastrostomy under local anesthesia on the 29th day of life, ligation of the fistula and end-to-end anastomosis were performed by transpleural access (weight then, 535 g). There were no complications related to the operative procedure. The baby weighed 1,600 g at the age of 8 months."}
{"id": "PMID:1469563", "title": "Pneumatic perforation of the esophagus in children.", "content": "The excessive pressure in a carbonated beverage-containing plastic bottle, released by the teeth of an 11-year old boy, caused perforation of his lower pharynx. The possible mechanism is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1469564", "title": "Pyloric stenosis in a premature infant.", "content": "Workup of a case of hypertrophic pyloric stenosis in a premature infant showed absence of ultrasonic criteria for diagnosis. Transpyloric intubation for enteral feeding may delay the diagnosis of this disorder and has been thought to play a role in its development."}
{"id": "PMID:1469565", "title": "Prolapsed hyperplastic gastric polyp causing gastric outlet obstruction, hypergastrinemia, and hematemesis in an infant.", "content": "An infant presented with hematemesis and gastric outlet obstruction. Preoperative diagnosis of duodenal duplication cyst was based on a collaboration of radiological studies. At exploration the patient was found to have a gastric polyp that had intussuscepted into the duodenum leading to obstruction and hypergastrinemia secondary to gastric mucosa in the duodenal alkaline environment."}
{"id": "PMID:1469566", "title": "Heterotopic gastric mucosa and pancreatic tissue in the skin of the abdominal wall.", "content": "A lesion in the upper abdominal wall of a 10-year-old boy had been excised twice at the age of 3 years at another hospital but the lesion recurred shortly thereafter. We completely excised this lesion and histological examination showed the presence of heterotopic gastric mucosa and pancreatic tissue in the skin of the abdominal wall."}
{"id": "PMID:1469567", "title": "Mercury absorption following button battery ingestion.", "content": "A case of button battery ingestion with resulting disintegration of the battery, mercury spillage, and absorption of elemental mercury from the colon is reported. In the light of this case and other recorded complications following button battery ingestion, a plan of management is suggested."}
{"id": "PMID:1469568", "title": "Traumatic chylous ascites: conservative management.", "content": "Traumatic chylous ascites is very rare. In the majority of cases, the diagnosis is made by laparotomy. The case of a 5-year-old girl with traumatic chylous ascites is presented. The authors give their experience in nonoperative management."}
{"id": "PMID:1469569", "title": "Primary (retractile) mesenteritis in a child.", "content": "We report a case of primary retractile mesenteritis presenting as acute abdominal pain requiring surgery in a 3-year-old boy. At laparotomy, a hemoperitoneum was discovered and the diagnosis of primary mesenteritis was made with the aid of frozen section biopsy of the small bowel mesentery. No resection was necessary, and he made an uneventful recovery and remains well on follow-up."}
{"id": "PMID:1469570", "title": "Late fatal hemorrhage in pediatric liver trauma.", "content": "The cumulative evidence supports nonoperative management of hepatic trauma in children who are hemodynamically stable and who require less than 50% blood volume replacement to maintain a stable blood count. This management approach, based on the use of either serial computed tomography scans, liver/spleen scans, or ultrasonography to diagnose the injury and document resolution, achieves results that exceed those of operative management for all injuries. Late complications, which may be seen in nonoperated patients, include hemobilia, bile peritonitis, abscesses and bleeding, occur with less frequency than operated patients. We report the first case of late exsanguinating hemorrhage of a resolving hepatic injury."}
{"id": "PMID:1469571", "title": "Inflammatory pseudotumor of the liver in children: report of cases and review of the literature.", "content": "Two pediatric cases of inflammatory pseudotumor of liver were reported and compared with seven previously reported cases. Clinical presentation was variable but often consisted of fever and vague abdominal symptoms. These two cases were considered to be clinically malignant because angiographically one showed hypervascularity and the other showed the portal vein draining into the lesion to be occluded. There are four previous reports of similar cases complicated with occlusive phlebitis within and around the lesion. All but two of the reported cases underwent major hepatectomy or liver transplantation. However, because of the benign nature of the lesion, the treatment might be more conservative after adequate diagnostic procedures, including needle biopsy, are applied."}
{"id": "PMID:1469572", "title": "Isolated hepatic granuloma mimicking congenital simple cyst of the liver possibly caused by tuberculosis.", "content": "A case of hepatic granuloma resembling a simple cystic lesion of the liver in computed tomography with clinical manifestation of erythema nodosum is presented. The causes of hepatic granulomas and the importance of liver biopsy or exploratory laparotomy in their diagnosis are discussed with a review of the literature."}
{"id": "PMID:1469573", "title": "An unusual case of choledochal cyst causing hepatic failure requiring orthotopic liver transplantation.", "content": "The authors describe a case of orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) in a patient with an infantile form of choledochal cyst that progressed to severe hepatic failure. Choledochal cyst must be included in the differential diagnosis of extrahepatic biliary obstruction in infants; it represents an additional reason to consider early exploratory laparotomy, both for diagnosis and to perform definitive excision. In the event that end-stage liver disease develops, OLT should be considered."}
{"id": "PMID:1469574", "title": "Septate gallbladder with cholelithiasis: a cause of chronic abdominal pain in a 6-year-old child.", "content": "This report describes the case of a 6-year-old girl with septate gallbladder and cholelithiasis without cholecystitis, an uncommon condition associated with chronic abdominal pain. The absence of smooth muscle components within the gallbladder septae supports an embryogenic abnormality that may have occurred early during the maturation of the gallbladder lumen. In concert with other predisposing factors, the septa may have induced gallstones and, thus, the patient's symptoms. Although rare, gallbladder abnormalities may cause abdominal pain in children and should be included in the differential diagnosis. Early ultrasound should be obtained as part of a workup if gallbladder abnormalities are suspected. Elective cholecystectomy is curative."}
{"id": "PMID:1469575", "title": "Discordance for anomalous pancreaticobiliary ductal junction and congenital biliary dilatation in a set of monozygotic twins.", "content": "A pair of monozygotic twins, 2-year-old Japanese girls, discordant for both anomalous pancreaticobiliary ductal junction and congenital biliary dilatation, are reported. The pathogenesis of the disease is discussed in relation to the occurrence of discordant monozygotic twins."}
{"id": "PMID:1469576", "title": "Simultaneous correction of biliary atresia and small bowel atresia in the neonate.", "content": "The coexistence of biliary atresia and small bowel atresia has been described. However, attempts to correct the biliary atresia at the same time as small bowel atresia repair have not been detailed. In 1986, a 2,170-g female was delivered at 36 weeks' gestation. Postpartum, duodenal obstruction was suspected after oral feedings were not tolerated. At 37 hours after birth, laparotomy showed unsuspected biliary atresia in addition to intestinal malrotation, duodenal web, and type IIIb jejunal atresia with an apple-peel configuration of the upper jejunum and mesentery supplied by the superior mesenteric artery with normal small bowel length and normal ileal mesentery. A modified Roux-en-Y hepatic portoenterostomy was performed using the blind end of the apple-peel configuration of jejunum, with a side-to-side duodenojejunostomy 25 cm from the portoenterostomy. Microscopic examination of the fibrous extrahepatic biliary tissue showed a disarray of small bile ductules. The maximal ductal size at the portoenterostomy site was 600 microns. A liver biopsy specimen showed normal architecture with eosinophils infiltrating the portal triads and periductal areas. Postoperatively, she has maintained normal growth and development with no episodes of cholangitis. Liver biopsies at 1 year and 3 years were normal. At 4 years, total and conjugated bilirubin, serum proteins, liver enzymes, coagulation factors, and trace elements were normal. We conclude that simultaneous correction of biliary atresia and small bowel atresia can be accomplished in the neonate with excellent early results."}
{"id": "PMID:1469577", "title": "Cystadenoma of the pancreas in a newborn.", "content": "Cystadenoma of the pancreas is a rare entity. In the pediatric population, three cases have been reported. We present a case of cystadenoma of the pancreas in a newborn. The tumor involved the head and body of the pancreas. Subtotal pancreatectomy with preservation of the duodenum, common bile duct, and pancreatic tail was performed."}
{"id": "PMID:1469578", "title": "Pancreatoblastoma resected by delayed primary operation after effective chemotherapy.", "content": "A case of pancreatoblastoma resected successfully after effective chemotherapy is discussed. Preoperative chemotherapy may be useful in patients with advanced unresectable pancreatoblastoma to permit complete resection of the tumor."}
{"id": "PMID:1469579", "title": "Intrapancreatic duodenal duplication associated with pancreatic pseudocysts.", "content": "A rare case of intrapancreatic duodenal duplication causing pancreatitis is reported. At 2 years of age, the patient presented with a recurrent pancreatic pseudocyst. Intraoperative pancreatogram showed the presence of cystic duodenal duplication in the aberrant lobe of the pancreas communication with the pancreatic duct. Since the resection of the duplication, she has been free from recurrence of pancreatitis. In this case, intraoperative pancreatography was of great value."}
{"id": "PMID:1469580", "title": "Obstructive jaundice associated with polysplenia syndrome in an older child.", "content": "Polysplenia syndrome includes malrotation and various forms of heterotaxy. Associated with this and malrotation are extrahepatic biliary anomalies. Actual obstruction, other than in associated biliary atresia, is extremely rare, and rarer still in older children. An 11-year-old girl presented with obstructive jaundice, malrotation, and heterotaxy, which were found in association with common bile duct anomalies and intermittent common bile duct obstruction. This case illustrates that the differential diagnosis of obstructive jaundice, even in older children, should include congenital anomalies, and that biliary anomalies should be considered in cases of malrotation and heterotaxy."}
{"id": "PMID:1469581", "title": "Conservative management of splenic abscesses in children.", "content": "Splenic abscesses are rare in children. The recommended treatment for this entity has been a combination of total splenectomy and appropriate antibiotic therapy. We report on the successful conservative management of two children with splenic abscesses. The patients were a girl with a single splenic abscess and a boy with multiple splenic lesions. Both were managed by parenteral antibiotic therapy followed by oral chemotherapy. Regression of the lesions was documented by repeated abdominal ultrasonographic examinations. Considering the good outcome of these patients and the importance of splenic preservation in children, we propose that management of children with single or multiple splenic abscesses should begin by a course of vigorous antibiotic therapy, reserving more aggressive surgical procedures for those who do not respond to conservative treatment or have clinical deterioration."}
{"id": "PMID:1469582", "title": "Primary tubercular abscess of the spleen.", "content": "A 12-year-old boy with localized tubercular abscess of the spleen is presented. The diagnosis was established on histopathologic examination. Treatment consisted of splenectomy and postoperative antitubercular therapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1469583", "title": "Endoscopic laser resection of a duodenal membrane.", "content": "This report documents the first resection of a duodenal membrane by laser. Subsequently, however, a laparotomy was required because of an annular pancreas. Nevertheless, it demonstrates that the laser endoscopical resection of a duodenal membrane is technically feasible."}
{"id": "PMID:1469584", "title": "Partial situs inversus: duodenal obstruction in a neonate with isolated levocardia.", "content": "An unusual case of duodenal obstruction in an infant with isolated levocardia is described. The following anatomic features were shown preoperatively: (1) duodenal obstruction; (2) right-sided stomach and spleen; (3) left-sided liver; (4) totally right-sided located colon in mirror image nonrotation; and (5) levocardia without any defect or dysfunction. The mentioned findings were verified intraoperatively and the cause of the duodenal obstruction was found to be an aberrant vessel. This case is a rare one regarding the lack of heart and spleen defects and the cause of duodenal obstruction. It also demonstrates the necessity of meticulous investigation and precise description of the anomaly and suggests individualization as far as the management of these cases is concerned."}
{"id": "PMID:1469585", "title": "Retroperitoneal jejunal diverticulum: cause of intestinal obstruction.", "content": "A 3-week-old boy presented with repeated episodes of vomiting and constipation. At laparotomy a jejunal diverticulum arising from its antimesenteric border and extending retroperitoneally was found. The narrow neck of diverticulum caused a situation similar to a Richter's hernia. The fundus of diverticulum was attached to the upper pole of left kidney. A retroperitoneal jejunal diverticulum is a new addition to the cause of neonatal intestinal obstruction."}
{"id": "PMID:1469586", "title": "Giant Meckel's diverticulum.", "content": "A case of incomplete intestinal obstruction caused by a giant Meckel's diverticulum in a 13-year-old girl is reported. Short resection of the ileum with the diverticulum and end-to-end anastomosis was carried out. The possibilities of diagnosis and treatment as well as the controversial classification of this rare congenital anomaly are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1469587", "title": "Chronic intussusception associated with Yersinia enterocolitica mesenteric adenitis.", "content": "An unusual case of chronic intussusception, without any digestive sign, secondary to mesenteric lymphadenitis caused by Yersinia enterocolitica is reported. Operative reduction by taxis was performed but ileopexy and antibiotic treatment were also carried out to reduce chances of recurrent intussusception."}
{"id": "PMID:1469588", "title": "Brown bowel syndrome: a late complication of intestinal atresia.", "content": "Two children, aged 11 years, who originally had jejunal atresia corrected in the neonatal period, developed massive dilatation of the proximal small intestine. This resulted in circular muscular hypertrophy with lipofuscin deposits giving the typical appearance of \"brown bowel.\" The condition was associated with malnutrition and vitamin E deficiency. Because of relatively short bowel, the condition was treated by limited resection and extensive tapering of the dilated segment, end-to-end reanastomosis, vitamin E supplementation, and intensive nutritional support."}
{"id": "PMID:1469589", "title": "Association of Hirschsprung's disease and M\u00fcllerian inhibiting substance deficiency.", "content": "An infant who presented with Hirschsprung's disease was found to also have the clinical features of persistent M\u00fcllerian duct syndrome and on testing to have M\u00fcllerian inhibiting substance deficiency. This association has not been previously reported. While this may be a coincidence, recent reports indicate intersex conditions can be associated with Hirschsprung's disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1469590", "title": "Anorectal anomalies associated with Kabuki make-up syndrome.", "content": "A case report of a 3-year-old girl with Kabuki make-up syndrome (KMS) associated with anovestibular fistula is presented. To our knowledge, 62 patients with KMS have been reported in the literature, three of whom were described as having an anorectal anomaly. Including the present patient, all four KMS patients were females with anovestibular fistula."}
{"id": "PMID:1469592", "title": "Heterotopic hindgut duplication: a cloacal remnant associated with exstrophy of the bladder.", "content": "Lower hindgut duplications, although very rare, usually present as a cystic mass located posterior to the rectum and confined to the pelvis. Hindgut duplications are often associated with genitourinary or spinal anomalies. We describe a neonate with a previously unreported heterotopic colonic duplication presenting as an exophytic perineal mass associated with classic bladder exstrophy. The embryonic significance of these anomalies is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1469593", "title": "Neuroblastoma masquerading as a retroperitoneal Salmonella abscess.", "content": "Symptomatic Salmonella infections usually manifest as self-limited gastrointestinal distress. Patients with chronic systemic illnesses or those who are immunosuppressed may rarely present with Salmonella infection as distant suppurative abscesses. We present a previously healthy Armenian boy who came to medical attention with abdominal pain, fever, and anemia. Abdominal computed tomography (CT) scan showed a cystic suprarenal mass that was surgically explored and found to be a retroperitoneal Salmonella abscess. Postoperative CT scan showed resolving inflammation. A 6-month follow-up CT showed a large suprarenal tumor, which at exploration was found to be neuroblastoma. To our knowledge, Salmonella has never been reported presenting as a solitary retroperitoneal abscess, and neuroblastoma has not been described presenting as a Salmonella abscess. The patient is also unusual because the abscess contained a species unusual for suppurative salmonellosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1469594", "title": "Locally invasive aspergillosis of the bowel.", "content": "Locally invasive aspergillosis of the bowel and peritoneal cavity is a rare complication of immunosuppression, broad-spectrum antibiotic therapy, and corticosteroid administration. We present the case of a 9-year-old boy with acute lymphocytic leukemia who presented with a small bowel obstruction. Surgical treatment of the aspergillosis required multiple aggressive resections of all involved bowel segments. Parenteral nutrition and intravenous Amphotericin B and 5-Fluorocytosine therapy were also instituted. Achievement of a hematologic remission is another prerequisite for cure."}
{"id": "PMID:1469595", "title": "Intrauterine perineal tear: a rare birth injury.", "content": "A rare case of birth injury having intrauterine complete perineal tear is presented. Defunctioning sigmoid colostomy was undertaken because of bad perineal condition. The baby died of Pseudomonas septicemia on the 15th day before definitive surgical procedure could be undertaken."}
{"id": "PMID:1469596", "title": "Perinatal ovarian cyst: a nonsurgical approach.", "content": "A case of an ovarian cyst diagnosed antenatally by ultrasound and showing spontaneous resolution within 5 months after birth is presented. On the basis of this case and others reported in the literature, we recommend expectant follow-up of such lesions with operation recommended only for cysts with solid or complex components or cysts causing symptoms from large size or torsion."}
{"id": "PMID:1469597", "title": "Agenesis of posterior urethra in a male child and its operative reconstruction.", "content": "An 8-year-old boy passing urine through both fecal and urinary outlets since birth is reported. Investigations showed absence of the posterior urethra. A surgical procedure for reconstruction of the posterior urethra is described. The embryological explanation is also discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1469598", "title": "Identity style and coping strategies.", "content": "This study examined the relationship between identity style and strategies used to cope with stressors that potentially threaten one's sense of identity. Identity style refers to differences in the way individuals construct and revise or maintain their sense of identity. An informational style involves actively seeking out, evaluating, and utilizing self-relevant information. A normative style highlights the expectations and standards of significant others. A diffuse/avoidant style is characterized by procrastination and situation-specific reactions. Late-adolescent college subjects were administered measures of identity style, ways of coping with academic stressors, and test anxiety. Within this self-as-student context, subjects with diffuse and normative identity styles employed avoidant-oriented coping strategies (wishful thinking, distancing, and tension reduction). An informational style was associated with deliberate, problem-focused coping. Findings are discussed in terms of a process model of identity development."}
{"id": "PMID:1469599", "title": "The impact of self-presentations on self-beliefs: effects of social identity and self-presentational context.", "content": "To examine the impact of self-presentations on private self-appraisals, subjects were induced to characterize themselves positively or negatively during a face-to-face interview, during a written interview, or on a private questionnaire. As hypothesized, subjects high in Social Identity (the tendency to root identity in social sources of experience) shifted their self-appraisals in the direction of their positive or negative role after a face-to-face interaction, but were less affected by role in their private self-characterizations. In contrast, subjects low in Social Identity were primarily affected by a private, positive self-characterization. The latter subjects were not indifferent to how they appeared to others, as indicated by their attempts to rationalize negative, face-to-face self-presentations; they simply did not define themselves in terms of their public appearance."}
{"id": "PMID:1469600", "title": "[Enzymes involved in metabolic activation of carcinogenic chemicals and their hormonal regulation].", "content": "Mechanisms of metabolic activation of carcinogenic chemicals, especially arylamines, are discussed together with characteristics of enzymes involved in the activation in the liver and extrahepatic tissues. In rodents, drug and carcinogen metabolizing activities often show clear age- and sex-related differences and also vary in diseased states. The current understanding of the roles of pituitary growth hormone and thyroid hormone on changes of hepatic drug metabolizing enzymes is shown in relation to the developmental changes and alteration in patho-physiological conditions."}
{"id": "PMID:1469601", "title": "[Synthesis of new antirusty disinfectants. I].", "content": "New quaternary ammonium salts [N-alkyl-N-2-hydroxyethyl-N,N-dimethylammonium ethyl phosphate (21, 22), isopropyl phosphate (23), n-butyl phosphate (24) and N-alkyl-N-2-hydroxy-3-phenoxypropyl-N,N-dimethylammonium ethyl phosphate (25, 26), isopropyl phosphate (27), n-butyl phosphate (28) and bis(N-alkyl-N-2-hydroxy-3-phenoxypropyl-N,N-dimethylammonium) malate (29), fumarate (30), succinate (31), adipate (32) and N-alkyl-N-2-hydroxy-3-phenoxypropyl-N,N-dimethylammonium tartrate (33)] were synthesized by alkylation of the corresponding trialkylammonium salts with various epoxy compounds. The new quaternary ammonium salts showed much greater bactericidal activities and antirusting effects than those of benzalkonium chloride. They had also good compatibilities since no precipitate was observed if the solution of any anionic surface active agents were added to the solution of these new quaternary ammonium salts. This property is the same as that of amphoteric surface active agents."}
{"id": "PMID:1469602", "title": "[Synthesis and antimicrobial properties of 3-O-alkyl and 3-O-haloalkyl-D-glucoses].", "content": "A series of 3-O-alkyl and 3-O-haloalkyl-D-glucoses were prepared from 1,2:5,6-di-O-isopropylidene-alpha-D-glucofuranose and their antibacterial activities were evaluated. The compounds with C12 and C14-alkyl chains were the most effective in vitro antibacterial screening, among 3-O-alkyl and 3-O-haloalkyl derivatives. The 3-O-alkyl derivatives were more effective than 3-O-haloalkyl derivatives."}
{"id": "PMID:1469603", "title": "[Studies on as-triazine derivatives. XVIII. Synthesis of 5,6-diaryl-1,2,4-triazine derivatives as blood platelet aggregation inhibitors].", "content": "5,6-Diphenyl-, 3,5-diphenyl-, and 3,6-diphenyl-1,2,4-triazine (as-triazine) derivatives were evaluated for inhibitory activity towards arachidonic acid-induced aggregation of rabbit blood platelet in vitro. Among the isomers, 5,6-diphenyl-as-triazine derivatives were active, therefore a phenyl substituent on the as-triazine ring at the 5- and 6-position was essential for the inhibitory activity. Thus, various 3-substituted 5,6-diaryl-as-triazines were synthesized by the nucleophilic substitution reaction of 5,6-diaryl-3-methylsulfonyl-as-triazines with O,N,C-nucleophiles. In the case of as-triazines having different aryl groups at the 5- and 6-positions, the compounds were prepared by the step-wise addition reaction of Grignard reagents with 3-methylthio-as-triazine. Among these compounds, ethyl 5-(4-methoxyphenyl)-6-phenyl-as-triazine-3-acetate (24a) and ethyl 5,6-bis(4-methoxyphenyl)-as-triazine-3-acetate (24f) showed the most potent inhibitory activity, which was almost equal to the activity of anitrazafen."}
{"id": "PMID:1469604", "title": "[Transport of drugs through human erythrocyte membrane. Structure-activity relationship of benzoic acid and its derivatives between membrane transport and partition coefficient].", "content": "The transport properties of benzoic acid and its eighteen derivatives such as o-, m- or p-hydroxybenzoic acid (o-, m- or p-HBA), aminobenzoic acid (o-, m- or p-ABA), toluic acid (o-, m- or p-TA), fluorobenzoic acid (o-, m- or p-FBA), chlorobenzoic acid (o-, m- or p-CBA) and bromobenzoic acid (o-, m- or p-BBA) through human erythrocyte membranes were examined. The drugs having a hydrophilic ortho-substituent and those having a hydrophobic meta- or para-substituent showed higher transport. The ratio of free drugs in erythrocytes, fuR, did not relate to the partition coefficient (P). However, fuM (the ratio of free drugs in the plasma) and Kp (the ratio of partition between erythrocytes and plasma) related to the P: fuM = -0.3128 x log P + 0.9727 (R2 = 0.8722***), Kp = -0.2558 x log P + 0.8642 (R2 = 0.8413***). In p-nitrophenol-glycosides, the fuM and the Kp that were predicted from these equations were compatible with the experimental results. It was suggested from these results that the fuM and the Kp may be predictable from the P."}
{"id": "PMID:1469605", "title": "[Behaviors of crystalline waters of (RS)-7-(2-aminomethylmorpholino)-1- cyclopropyl-6,8-difluoro-1,4-dihydro-4-oxo-3-quinolinecarboxylic acid].", "content": "Physicochemical characteristics of crystalline water of (RS)-7-(2-aminomethylmorpholino)-1-cyclopropyl-6,8-difluoro-1,4-di hydro-4-oxo-3-quinoline-carboxylic acid were studied by thermal analyses and powder X-ray diffractometry. The dihydrate of the compound was stable under ambient or humidified conditions. The dihydrate converted to a monohydrate on drying under mild conditions. The mono- and dihydrates transformed into alpha-type anhydrate at 110 degrees C. These three kinds of crystals were convertible each other under appropriate conditions. At 165 degrees C, the hydrates and the alpha-anhydrate converted to beta-type anhydrate. The compressed effects on the crystalline waters were also discussed for the dihydrate by kinetic analyses."}
{"id": "PMID:1469606", "title": "[The effect of stationary time of punch in the process of compression on dividing properties of scored tablets].", "content": "The significance of the stationary time of punch in the process of compression on the dividing properties of scored tablets was investigated in several tablets prepared from lactose, corn starch, hydroxypropyl starch, synthetic aluminum silicate, microcrystalline cellulose or Perfiller. The dividing strength of scored tablets was not affected by the stationary time of punch. The effect of the stationary time of punch on the coefficient of variation of divided tablet weight differed in the compacting characteristics and compaction profiles of powders. In case of tablets prepared from microcrystalline cellulose, the effect of stationary time of punch was not observed. However, in the other excipients, there existed a specific stationary time of punch to minimize the coefficient of variation of divided tablet weight. The time was different due to the change of compression pressure. The coefficient of variation of divided tablet weight showed minimum at the longer stationary time of punch when tablets were compressed at the low compression pressure, and the time showed a tendency to become short with the increase of compression pressure. These results suggested that the effect of the stationary time of punch on the coefficient of variation of divided tablet weight was concerned with the compaction structure of powders produced by the movement of punch in the process of compression."}
{"id": "PMID:1469607", "title": "[Micellar formation and micellar structure of poly(oxyethylene)-hydrogenated castor oil].", "content": "The effects of the oxyethylene chain length of poly(oxyethylene) hydrogenated castor oil (HCOn) on the micellar formation and on the micellar structure were investigated. Some physicochemical properties of HCOn (critical micelle concentration cmc, surface tension at cmc, free energy of micellization, and surface excess) concerning surface-activity were measured. These physicochemical properties were little affected by the oxyethylene chain length of HCOn. In addition, several physical techniques have been used to study the micellar structure of HCOn. It was found that HCOn micelles were spherical or nearly spherical, and that an increase in the oxyethylene chain length led to an increase in the looseness of HCOn micelle."}
{"id": "PMID:1469608", "title": "[Synthesis of 6-alkylaminopyridazine-3-carboxylic acid derivatives as dopamine beta-hydroxylase inhibitors].", "content": "A series of 6-alkylaminopyridazine-3-carboxylic acid derivatives was tested for dopamine beta-hydroxylase inhibitory activity in vitro according to the method of Kruse et al. Methyl 6-alkylaminopyridazine-3-carboxylates (4) were synthesized through the reaction of methyl 6-chloropyridazine-3-carboxylate (1) with ammonia followed by the condensation with primary amines, and by the methanolysis of the resulting 6-alkylaminopyridazine-3-carboxamides (3) in methanol in the presence of boron trifluoride etherate. Among tested compounds, 6-benzylaminopyridazine-3-carboxylic acid was found to have the most potent inhibitory activity, which was in the same level of the activity of fusaric acid."}
{"id": "PMID:1469609", "title": "[Research and development of clarithromycin].", "content": "A series of O-alkylated derivatives of erythromycin (EM) has been prepared and their biological properties were evaluated. Among them, clarithromycin (CAM, 6-O-methylerythromycin) exhibits most potent in vitro and in vivo antibacterial activities, higher acid-stability than EM and favorable pharmacokinetic properties as an antibiotic. CAM was originally synthesized via methylation of 2'-O,3'-N-bis(benzyl-oxycarbonyl)-N-demethylerythromycin in low yield, because of the less selectivity of 6-O-methylation. The selective 6-O-methylation was achieved using the erythromycin 9-oxime derivative as a key intermediate. By the further investigation on the protective groups of 9-oxime and desosamine moiety, the production process of CAM on an industrial scale has been established via methylation of 2',4''-O-bis(trimethylsilyl)erythromycin 9-[O-(1-isopropoxycyclohexyl)oxime] in more than 45% overall yield. CAM has the same antibacterial spectra as EM and is active against aerobic Gram-positive bacteria, some Gram-negative bacteria, anaerobic bacteria, Mycoplasma and Chlamydia. The activity of CAM against clinical isolates was 1 to 16 times higher than that of EM. The efficacies of CAM were 6 to 15 times superior to those of EM against systemic infections due to Gram-positive bacteria in mice. CAM also showed more potent therapeutic efficacies than EM against respiratory tract infections caused by S. pneumoniae and H. influenzae. CAM was well absorbed after oral administration, and its distribution to various tissues was significantly higher than that of EM in animals. The level of CAM in the lung was extremely high, which accounted 69 times that of EM. CAM was found to be distributed predominantly in the alveolar wall, especially in the alveolar epithelial cells, by microautoradiography. After oral administration in human, the serum level and urinary excretion of CAM were 5 and 20 times higher than those of EM, respectively. The major and active metabolite of CAM in human, (14R)-14-hydroxyclarithromycin, existed in significant quantity in the serum and urine, suggesting that the metabolite contributes to the excellent clinical efficacy of CAM. This paper describes the synthesis, structure-activity relationships, antibacterial activities, metabolism and clinical efficacies of CAM, a new macrolide antibiotic."}
{"id": "PMID:1469610", "title": "[Orally active cephalosporins. I. Synthesis and structure-activity relationships of 7 beta-[2-(R)-amino-2-phenylacetamido]-3-(1H- 1,2,3-triazol-4-yl)alkylthiomethyl-3-cephem-4-carboxylic acid and related compounds].", "content": "The synthesis, antibacterial activity and oral absorbability of 7 beta-[2-(R)-amino-2-phenylacetamido]-3-(1H-1H-1,2,3-triazol- 4-yl)methylthiomethyl-3-cephem-4-carboxylic acid (1a) and related compounds (1b-p and 2) are described. The replacement of 1,2,3-triazole at the C-3 position of 1a with other heteroaromatics such as 1,2,4-triazole, imidazole and so on decreased its oral absorbability in mice (1b-j). The oral absorbability was also influenced by the spacer length between C-3 of cephem nucleus and C-4 of 1,2,3-triazole. The quantitative relationship between the bioavailability and the spacer length of cephalosporins (1a and 1k-p) is discussed. These results suggest that 1,2,3-triazole in the side chain at the C-3 position of cephems plays an important role in good oral absorption through its interaction with the transport system of small intestine."}
{"id": "PMID:1469611", "title": "[Studies on the baths with crude drug: the effects of Senkyu extract as skin penetration enhancer].", "content": "The effects of Senkyu (Cnidii Rhizoma and Ligustici chuanxiong Rhizoma) on the drug skin penetration were studied to clarify its effectivity as the baths. Ether and methanol extracts, and some essential oils of Senkyu (i.e. ligustilide, neocnidilide and butylidenephthalide) enhanced remarkably the skin penetration of benzoic acid. Furthermore, an appreciable correlation between the enhancing ratio and the skin/donor partition coefficient of benzoic acid was observed. These facts suggest that the constituents of Senkyu influence the skin penetration by enhancing the partition coefficient."}
{"id": "PMID:1469612", "title": "[Stomachic principles in ginger. II. Pungent and anti-ulcer effects of low polar constituents isolated from ginger, the dried rhizoma of Zingiber officinale Roscoe cultivated in Taiwan. The absolute stereostructure of a new diarylheptanoid].", "content": "By using the effects on HCl/ethanol-induced gastric lesions in rats, beta-sesquiphellandrene (2), beta-bisabolene (3), ar-curcumene (4) and 6-shogaol (5) were isolated as anti-ulcer active principles in ginger, the dried rhizoma of Zingiber officinale Roscoe (Shokyo in Japanese) which was cultivated in Taiwan, together with nine known compounds and a new diarylheptanoid. The absolute stereostructure of the diarylheptanoid was characterized as (3S,5S)-dihydroxy 1-(4'-hydroxy-3',5'-dimethoxyphenyl)-7-(4''-hydrox y-3''-methoxyphenyl)heptane (15) on the basis of chemical and spectroscopic evidence which included the application of the benzoate chirality method. The pungent effects of several constituents isolated from ginger were examined."}
{"id": "PMID:1469613", "title": "[Cell growth inhibitory compound from the culture of intestinal lactic acid bacteria].", "content": "The influence of the culture supernatants of 1000 strains of intestinal lactic acid bacteria on the growth of HeLa cells was examined. The compound from Enterococcus faecium 3463 showing the strongest cell growth inhibiting effect in these strains was isolated and identified as tyramine. The effect of tyramine was activated by the newborn bovine sera (NBS), but weakly by the fetal bovine sera (FBS). Benzylamine and beta-phenethylamine also showed the NBS-dependent cell growth inhibitory effect against HeLa cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1469614", "title": "[Synthesis and antitumor activities of conjugates of mitomycin C-polysaccharide from Tremella fuciformis].", "content": "The conjugates of mitomycin C (MMC) with glucuronoxylomannan (AC) from Tremella fuciformis were synthesized by the use of spacers (glycine, glycylglycine, glycylglycylglycine). In i.p.-i.p. system the antitumor activity of the conjugates (MMC-G-ACP, MMC-GG-ACP, MMC-GGG-ACP) against P388 leukemia in mice was slightly lower than that of MMC by the evaluation of life span, ILS (%). In s.c.-i.p. system the antitumor activity of the conjugates against sarcoma 180 solid tumor in mice was similar to that of MMC, except for MMC-G-ACP. The reduction of the number of leukocytes caused by MMC was suppressed by attaching MMC to AC. The conjugates did not lower the cytotoxicity of MMC against L1210 mouse leukemia cells in vitro. The release rate of MMC from the conjugates in vitro (half time of MMC release: MMC-G-ACP, 8.8 h; MMC-GG-ACP, 3.1 h; MMC-GGG-ACP, 2.9 h) was much faster than that of MMC-dextran, and differed in the length of the spacer. The results would give useful information on macromolecular carriers in drug-delivery system."}
{"id": "PMID:1469615", "title": "[Effects of temperature and pH on hydrolysis of monoacetoacetin in an aqueous phase].", "content": "The kinetics of hydrolysis of monoacetoacetin (MAA; 1,2-dihydroxy-3-acetoacetyloxypropane) in 300 mM phosphate buffer was studied by means of high performance liquid chromatography. MAA was hydrolyzed to glycerin (Glyc) and acetoacetate (AA), the latter of which furthermore decomposed to acetone (Acet) and CO2 at high temperature. The rate constant, k1, for the reaction of MAA-->AA+Glyc increased with increases in temperature and pH. On the other hand, another one, k2, for the reaction of AA-->Acet+CO2 increased with an increase in temperature but showed a minimum around pH 7.5 when pH was changed at a given temperature. The activation energy for k1 was almost constant in the range of studied pHs (5-8) but the pre-exponential factor, k1,0, increased with an increase in pH. It was concluded that the decomposition reaction of MAA is consecutive in a sequence of MAA-->AA-->Acet. Calculated concentrations of MAA, AA, and Acet through the obtained k1 and k2 together with a given initial concentration of MAA (= 40 mM) were compared with those experimentally observed on the time course of the hydrolysis. They were in good agreement with each other."}
{"id": "PMID:1469616", "title": "[Pharmacological studies on leaf of Arctostaphylos uva-ursi (L.) Spreng. V. Effect of water extract from Arctostaphylos uva-ursi (L.) Spreng. (bearberry leaf) on the antiallergic and antiinflammatory activities of dexamethasone ointment].", "content": "Effects of water extract (UW-ext) from the leaf of Arctostaphylos uva-ursi (L.) Spreng (Bearberry leaf) on the antiallergic and antiinflammatory activities of dexamethasone ointment were investigated. One or 2% UW-ext ointment did not inhibit the ear swelling by picryl chloride-induced contact dermatitis (PC-CD) and carrageenin-induced paw edema. UW-ext augmented the inhibitory effect of dexamethasone ointment (0.005 or 0.025%) on these allergic and inflammatory models, but not the side effect of it. These results suggest that Bearberry leaf increases the inhibitory effect of dexamethasone on the allergic and inflammatory models."}
{"id": "PMID:1469617", "title": "Marked interanimal differences in susceptibility of Sprague-Dawley rats to diquat-induced oxidative stress in the liver: correlation with hepatic uptake of diquat.", "content": "Biliary excretion of oxidized glutathione (GSSG) is used as an index of oxidative stress. We observed a marked interanimal difference in susceptibility to diquat-induced oxidative stress. When diquat injections (120 mumol/kg, i.v.) were administered to rats, a 60-fold increase in the biliary excretion of GSSG was observed in 40% of the rats (responders); however, diquat failed to increase the biliary excretion of GSSG in 60% of the animals (nonresponders). This interanimal variation is not due to differences in the hepatic metabolism or hepatobiliary transport of GSSG, as no interanimal difference was observed in the biliary output of GSSG after administration of another oxidative stress-inducing agent, t-butyl hydroperoxide (1.4 mmol/kg, i.v.). We then examined the hepatobiliary disposition of diquat (120 mumol/kg, i.v.) using a high-performance liquid chromatography procedure to quantitate diquat in blood, liver and bile. No differences in blood or biliary concentration of diquat were noted between responders and nonresponders. However, a marked difference was observed in the hepatic concentration of diquat in responders and nonresponders. The responders exhibited a 4-fold higher hepatic diquat concentration than the nonresponders (65 or 15 nmol/g, respectively) 30 min after diquat administration. In conclusion, this study demonstrates a marked interanimal variation in the susceptibility of Sprague-Dawley rats to oxidative stress produced by diquat, which appears to be due to interanimal difference in the hepatic accumulation of diquat."}
{"id": "PMID:1469618", "title": "Effects of social isolation on pentobarbital activity in mice: relationship to racemate levels and enantiomer levels in brain.", "content": "The effects of social isolation on hypnotic actions induced by pentobarbital (PB) were investigated pharmacokinetically in isolated and aggregated mice and rats. Animals were administered i.p. 50 mg/kg of sodium (+-)-PB, S(-)-PB or R(+)-PB. Experiments in mice indicated that the duration of sleep induced by sodium (+-)-PB was reduced in the isolated mice, while the onset of sleep or the (+-)-PB brain levels at the time of awakening did not differ significantly between isolated and aggregated mice. These results suggest that changes in pharmacokinetics of PB may underlie the difference in duration of sleep between isolated and aggregated mice. In additional experiments in mice, brain concentrations of (+-)-PB, S(-)-PB or R(+)-PB were determined at predetermined intervals after injection. These experiments demonstrated that the brain concentrations of (+-)-PB, as well as those of S(-)-PB, at each predetermined timepoint in mice sacrificed before awakening were significantly lower in the isolated mice. The brain R(+)-PB levels in the isolated mice were also significantly lower as compared with those in the aggregated mice at each timepoint after injection. Experiments in rats indicated that urinary 3'-hydroxypentobarbital (major metabolite) concentrations were higher in the isolated rats at 0 to 6 hr after injection, suggesting an increased rate of hepatic drug metabolism in the isolated rats. Take together, these findings suggest that an increased rate of metabolism of PB, especially that of the S(-)-enantiomer which is responsible for hypnotic action, in isolated rodents may be involved in the shorter duration of sleep time induced by sodium (+-)-PB."}
{"id": "PMID:1469619", "title": "Effects of alcohol on the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis in the developing male rat.", "content": "The ontogeny of the effects of alcohol on serum testosterone levels was examined in male rats throughout sexual maturation (25-70 days). Alcohol decreased serum testosterone levels in rats 45 days or older as expected. In contrast to these results, we found precisely the opposite effects in prepubescent male rats (25-30 days old): namely, a marked stimulation of serum testosterone. Alcohol produced dose-dependent increases in serum testosterone levels in the prepubescent animal with increases of over 300% observed. In contrast to the biphasic effects of alcohol on serum testosterone levels in the developing animal, we found either no changes or modest decreases in serum luteinizing hormone levels at all ages tested. These data indicate that the increase in testosterone occurred independently of changes in luteinizing hormone in the prepubescent animal. Thus, it appears that the primary site of action of alcohol on the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis in prepubescent male rats is the testes and that alcohol acts to directly stimulate testosterone's biosynthesis. In contrast, alcohol appears to act at both central and testicular sites in rats 45 days or older to depress the synthesis and release of testosterone. The mechanisms underlying these age-dependent, biphasic effects of alcohol on serum testosterone levels are unknown at the present time, but it seems unlikely that differences in the biodisposition of alcohol were involved.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1469620", "title": "Oxidant-evoked release of acetylcholine from enteric neurons of the rat colon.", "content": "In the presence of halides, granulocytes generate hypochlorous acid and, subsequently, chlorinated amines (chloramines). These lipophilic, potent reactive oxygen metabolites may contribute to the mucosal pathophysiology associated with inflammatory bowel disease. A common symptom of inflammatory bowel disease is mucosal secretion of fluid and electrolytes, leading to diarrhea. Because acetylcholine (Ach) can stimulate colonic fluid secretion, we determined the effect of monochloramine (NH2Cl) on Ach release by mucosal/submucosal nerves. Mucosa from the rat colon was separated from outer muscle layers and minced before incubation with [14C]choline to label stores of Ach in cholinergic neurons. Release of [14C]Ach was evoked with NH2Cl in the absence and presence of 5-aminosalicylic acid, glutathione, nordihydroguaiarectic acid or the cyclooxygenase inhibitor piroxicam. NH2Cl produced concentration-related increases in [14C] Ach release into the medium; greater than 100% over base line was observed at 0.5 mM. Glutathione inhibited the NH2Cl-evoked release in a concentration-dependent fashion. Release induced by 0.1 mM NH2Cl was abolished by 5-aminosalicylic acid and significantly inhibited by nordihydroguaiarectic acid. Piroxicam also prevented the effect of NH2Cl on release of [14C] Ach. None of these agents alone had any effect on base line [14C]Ach release. Tetrodotoxin (5 microM) did not significantly inhibit the NH2Cl-evoked transmitter release. We conclude that NH2Cl, at concentrations believed to exist in inflamed tissue, causes the release of Ach from mucosal/submucosal nerves primarily through nonspecific neural membrane injury. Endogenous prostaglandins, possibly liberated as a consequence of the injury, may be involved in the Ach release process."}
{"id": "PMID:1469621", "title": "Role of endothelin-1 and big endothelin-1 in modulating coronary vascular tone, contractile function and severity of ischemia in rat hearts.", "content": "The effect of endothelin-1 (ET-1) and big ET-1 on coronary flow and contractile function was determined in isolated nonischemic and ischemic rat hearts. Both ET-1 (IC50 = 12 pMol) and big ET-1 (IC50 = 2 nMol) reduced coronary flow in a concentration-dependent manner, although ET-1 was > 100-fold more potent. Both compounds decreased contractility, an effect which was lost when coronary flow was held constant, indicating that ET-1 and big ET-1 decrease contractility secondary to reducing coronary flow. Mechanical reduction in coronary flow to levels equivalent to those seen for ET-1 or big ET-1 caused similar reductions in contractility. Both 30 pMol ET-1 and 10 nMol big ET-1 pretreatment significantly reduced the time to contracture in globally ischemic rat hearts, suggesting a proischemic effect. Phosphoramidon (100 microM, endothelin-converting enzyme inhibitor) and BQ-123 (0.3 microM, ETA receptor antagonist) abolished the preischemic increase in coronary perfusion pressure induced by big ET-1 as well as its proischemic effect, whereas only BQ-123 abolished the cardiac effect of ET-1. Neither phosphoramidon nor BQ-123 had an effect on severity of ischemia when given alone. Phosphoramidon was also given i.v. to rats subjected to coronary occlusion and reperfusion and was found to significantly reduce infarct size 24 hr postischemia. Thus, in isolated rat hearts, big ET-1 appears to be converted to ET-1 and is a potent coronary constrictor.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1469622", "title": "Potassium channel openers dilate large epicardial coronary arteries in conscious dogs by an indirect, endothelium-dependent mechanism.", "content": "Cromakalim and pinacidil, two potassium channel openers, dilate both large and small coronary arteries in conscious dogs. Because flow-mediated dilation of large arteries is endothelium-dependent, the consequences of in vivo endothelium removal (balloon denudation) on the response of large epicardial coronary arteries to cromakalim (10 micrograms/kg) and pinacidil (30 micrograms/kg) were investigated in six dogs chronically instrumented for the measurement of arterial pressure, left circumflex coronary artery diameter and coronary blood flow. Endothelium removal abolished the dilation of large coronary arteries induced by acetylcholine (endothelium-dependent dilation) and reactive hyperemia (flow-mediated dilation), but only slightly reduced (-18%) that induced by nitroglycerin. Before endothelium removal, both cromakalim and pinacidil induced a significant decrease in coronary resistance (-71 +/- 2 and -63 +/- 2%, respectively) and a significant increase in coronary diameter (8.5 +/- 1.3 and 6.7 +/- 0.9%). After endothelium removal, the decreases in coronary resistance were unaffected, but the increases in coronary diameter were reduced by 93 and 98% as compared to predenudation responses with cromakalim and pinacidil, respectively (both P < .01). In contrast, in vitro studies performed in isolated large epicardial coronary arteries obtained from five additional dogs showed that cromakalim evoked relaxations that were not affected by prior in vivo endothelium removal. Thus, despite the presence of potassium channels in isolated denuded large coronary arteries, our data demonstrate that cromakalim- and pinacidil-induced dilation of large arteries in vivo is an indirect, flow-mediated effect which is entirely endothelium-dependent."}
{"id": "PMID:1469623", "title": "Induction of peroxisomal enzyme activities by di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate in thyroidectomized rats with parathyroid replants.", "content": "Previous studies suggest that thyroid hormones are involved in the mechanism of peroxisome proliferation. However, those studies utilized either surgically thyroidectomized animals, which are also parathyroidectomized, without calcium supplementation, or animals pretreated with antithyroid drugs, which are known to produce metabolic as well as morphometric changes in the liver. Therefore, these animal models confound conclusions drawn in previous studies. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the role of thyroid hormones in peroxisomal proliferation by the phthalate ester plasticizer, di-(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP) in thyroidectomized rats with parathyroid replants. Using this model, it was found that DEHP-induced hepatomegaly was partially dependent on thyroid hormones. DEHP produced a thyromimetic effect, inducing the activity of malic enzyme and carnitine acetyltransferase in the absence of thyroid hormones. Additionally, DEHP-induced activities of catalase were shown to be dependent on thyroid hormones, whereas the thyroid status of the animal had no effect on DEHP-induced activities of the peroxisomal beta-oxidizing enzymes. These data further confirm that endocrine factors play variable roles in the process of induction of various peroxisomal enzymes caused by peroxisome proliferators."}
{"id": "PMID:1469624", "title": "Characterization of YM060, a potent and selective 5-hydroxytryptamine3 receptor antagonist, in rabbit nodose ganglion and N1E-115 neuroblastoma cells.", "content": "The 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT)3 receptor blocking properties of YM060, [(R)-5-[(1-methyl-3-indolyl)carbonyl]-4,5,6,7-tetrahydro-1H- benzimidazole hydrochloride], were examined by electrophysiological and radioligand binding studies. Results were compared with those for ondansetron, granisetron and the enantiomer (S-form) of YM060. 5-HT and 2-methyl-5-HT, a selective 5-HT3 receptor agonist, induced dose-dependent depolarizations of rabbit nodose ganglion with ED50 values of 24.0 (19.9-29.1) and 40.1 (30.9-52.1) nmol, respectively (geometric mean, 95% CL). YM060, ondansetron, granisetron and the S-form dose-dependently inhibited 5-HT-induced depolarizations with IC50 values of 3.85 (2.47-5.98), 1.55 (1.26-1.91), 1.45 (1.18-1.79) and 13.5 (11.2-16.2) nM, respectively. Methysergide, a 5-HT1-like and 5-HT2 receptor antagonist, at a concentration of 10(-5) M had no effect on responses to 5-HT. YM060 up to 10(-5) M produced no significant depression of depolarizing responses to 1,1-dimethyl-4-phenylpiperazinium iodide and gamma-aminobutyric acid. YM060, ondansetron, granisetron and the S-form displaced specific binding of [3H]GR65630 to N1E-115 neuroblastoma cell membranes with Ki values of 0.091 (0.086-0.097), 7.03 (5.96-8.01), 2.02 (1.74-2.30) and 10.3 (9.96-10.6) nM, respectively. These results show that YM060, compared with ondansetron and granisetron, has considerably higher affinity for 5-HT3 receptors in N1E-115 cells and slightly less potent 5-HT3 receptor antagonistic activity in rabbit nodose ganglion. Moreover, the isomeric activity ratio (R-form/S-form) was approximately 112 in N1E-115 cells and no greater than 4 in the ganglion.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1469625", "title": "Inhibition of outflow facility and accommodative and miotic responses to pilocarpine in rhesus monkeys by muscarinic receptor subtype antagonists.", "content": "The muscarinic receptor subtype antagonists 4-diphenylacetoxy-N-methylpiperidine methobromide (4-DAMP), 11-[(2-[diethylamino)methyl]-1- piperidinyl)acetyl]-5,11-dihydro-6H-pyrido[2,3- b][1,4]benzodiazepine-6-one (AF-DX 116) and pirenzepine were used to inhibit the outflow facility and accommodative and miotic responses to near-maximal intracameral doses of pilocarpine in the living rhesus monkey eye. The pharmacologic M3 antagonist 4-DAMP was the most potent inhibitor of all three responses, with IC50 values of 41.7 nM for outflow facility (vs. 40.9 microM pilocarpine), 19.8 nM for accommodation (vs. 40.9 or 81.8 microM pilocarpine) and 3.2 nM for miosis (vs. 4.1 microM pilocarpine). The M1 antagonist pirenzepine was at least 30-fold less potent, with IC50 values of 2.2 microM for outflow facility, 1.4 microM for accommodation and 0.1 microM for miosis. The M2 antagonist AF-DX 116 was the least potent by far, with IC50 values of 15.5 microM for outflow facility, 14.2 microM for accommodation and 1.5 microM for miosis. The results suggest that these three functional responses to pilocarpine are all mediated through an M3 receptor subtype."}
{"id": "PMID:1469626", "title": "Cerebrospinal fluid transport and disposition of the quinolones ciprofloxacin and pefloxacin in rats.", "content": "The disposition of ciprofloxacin and pefloxacin in the rat cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) was investigated after i.v. and i.c.v. administration. After injection into the lateral ventricle, the terminal half-life of pefloxacin was shorter than that of ciprofloxacin. After i.v. infusions, the relative CSF exposure, expressed as CSF: area under the plasma concentration time curve ratio, were found to be 10.4 +/- 2.8% for ciprofloxacin and 42.4 +/- 3.0% for pefloxacin. The unit impulse response methodology was applied in order to assess the CSF transport profile. The plasma-CSF transport clearance of pefloxacin and the total amount of drug transported into the CSF were significantly higher compared with ciprofloxacin. Although pefloxacin exhibited a linear CSF transport profile, the plasma-CSF transport clearance of ciprofloxacin was found to be nonlinear at the dose level studied. Pefloxacin was converted in the brain to the active metabolite norfloxacin (N-desmethyl pefloxacin). The difference in CSF exposure of both quinolones and the presence of active metabolites of N-methylated quinolones in the CSF may be of clinical relevance in the treatment of CNS infections, but differences in antimicrobial activity have to be taken into account as well."}
{"id": "PMID:1469627", "title": "The role of adenosine in glycine-induced glomerular hyperfiltration in rats.", "content": "Ingestion of a high-protein diet or infusion of amino acids induces glomerular hyperfiltration and hyperemia. We have investigated the role of endogenous adenosine in glycine-induced hyperfiltration. Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and effective renal plasma flow (ERPF) were measured in conscious chronically instrumented rats. Glycine (3.7 mg/min, i.v.; n = 6) significantly increased GFR and ERPF from 0.92 +/- 0.07 to 1.13 +/- 0.08 and 3.28 +/- 0.24 to 3.69 +/- 0.19 ml/min.100 g, respectively. In the presence of adenosine deaminase (ADA, 2 U/kg.min, n = 6), glycine-induced glomerular hyperfiltration and hyperemia were blunted. The small changes in GFR (from 0.86 +/- 0.06 to 0.90 +/- 0.10 ml/min.100 g) and ERPF (from 3.60 +/- 0.57 to 3.83 +/- 0.53 ml/min x 100 g) were not statistically significant. Erythro-9-(2-hydroxy-3-nonyl) adenosine hydrochloride (100 micrograms/kg.min, n = 6), an ADA inhibitor, reversed the effect of ADA. Injection of 8-phenyltheophylline (10 mg/kg, n = 6), an adenosine A1 receptor antagonist that alone did not affect GFR, abolished the glycine-induced glomerular hyperfiltration (GFR from 1.02 +/- 0.08 to 0.93 +/- 0.08 ml/min.100 g, P > .05). 8-phenyltheophylline, which itself decreased ERPF, also significantly decreased the ERPF response to glycine (3.47 +/- 0.26 to 2.78 +/- 0.14 ml/min x 100 g). Thus, endogenous adenosine, acting at adenosine A1 receptors, plays an important role in the glomerular hyperfiltration and hyperemia induced by glycine."}
{"id": "PMID:1469628", "title": "Evidence for the interaction between antacid and gastric mucosa using an \"artificial stomach\" model including gastric mucosa.", "content": "In light of evidence that certain aluminum-based antacids adhere to the gastric mucosa, we modified our previously described \"artificial stomach\" (AS) model by including a piece of hog stomach and compared the antacid activity of six aluminum-containing antacid products in the model with and without gastric mucosa. The activity of three of these, Maalox, Riopan and Supralox, was not significantly different in the two systems. In contrast, the activity of the other three, Aludrox, Phosphalugel and Simeco, was significantly greater with mucosa. Antacid activity of one product from each set (Supralox, Phosphalugel) was evaluated in two in vivo methods in human volunteers. For both antacids, results in vivo were similar to those obtained with the AS-containing mucosa. Without mucosa, in vivo and in vitro results were dissimilar for Phosphalugel, thus validating the modified AS. The difference between the two sets of antacids can be explained by 1) the fact that the Al:Mg ratio in the set affected by mucosa is greater than that of unaffected antacids, and 2) a weaker antacid load than in unaffected Supralox. We suggest that in an acid milieu, aluminum ions in antacids like Aludrox, Phosphalugel and Simeco are bound to sialic acid residues in mucus glycoproteins, thus retarding the transit of these antacids through both the AS and the real stomach and prolonging their activity in both situations. When the Al:Mg ratio is low or when the amount of antacid salts is large, aluminum ions tend to be buried in complexes, giving them less chance to interact with gastric mucus, so they transit the stomach more quickly."}
{"id": "PMID:1469629", "title": "Neuropeptide Y potentiates selectively the N-methyl-D-aspartate response in the rat CA3 dorsal hippocampus. I. Involvement of an atypical neuropeptide Y receptor.", "content": "Neuropeptide Y (NPY) has been reported to potentiate N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)-induced neuronal activation in the rat CA3 region of the dorsal hippocampus in vivo. Three types of NPY receptors, denoted Y1, Y2 and Y3, have been identified thus far. The present studies were undertaken to characterize the type of NPY receptor involved in this effect of NPY on the neuronal response to NMDA. NPY, its analogs [Leu31, Pro34]NPY and desamido-NPY, the related peptides pancreatic polypeptide (PP) and peptide YY (PYY) and the C- and N-terminal NPY fragments, NPY2-36, NPY11-36, NPY13-36, NPY16-36, NPY18-36 and NPY1-24CONH2, were tested. The peptides NPY (which is active at Y1, Y2 and Y3 receptors), [Leu31, Pro34]NPY (a selective Y1 agonist) and NPY13-36 (which mimics the effects of NPY in Y2 models) dose dependently enhanced NMDA-induced activation of CA3 dorsal hippocampus pyramidal neurons, but did not alter the activation of the same neurons by quisqualate. In contrast, PYY (which mimics NPY on Y1 and Y2 receptors, but has no activity or elicits an effect opposite to that of NPY in Y3 models) and NPY18-36 (which has been reported to exert an antagonistic or a partial agonistic action at Y3 receptors) did not modify by themselves the NMDA response, but antagonized the potentiating effect of NPY on NMDA-induced activation. Additionally, the C-terminal desamido form of NPY, which has little or no activity at Y1 and Y2 receptor subtypes, reduced the neuronal response to NMDA and quisqualate.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1469630", "title": "Neuropeptide Y potentiates the N-methyl-D-aspartate response in the CA3 dorsal hippocampus. II. Involvement of a subtype of sigma receptor.", "content": "In an in vivo electrophysiological paradigm, we have shown in the companion paper that neuropeptide Y (NPY) potentiates N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)-induced neuronal activation via a non-Y1, non-Y2, non-Y3 receptor subtype, in the rat CA3 dorsal hippocampus. Because sigma ligands have also been shown to potentiate NMDA-induced activation and because NPY and peptide YY have been reported to have high affinity for sigma binding sites, the present study was carried out to assess the possibility that the modulation of the NMDA response by NPY might be mediated by a sigma receptor. In the same electrophysiological paradigm, low doses of haloperidol and alpha-(4-fluorophenyl)-4-(5-fluoro-2- pyrimidinyl)-1-piperazine butanol, two antagonists of sigma receptors, reversed the potentiation of the NMDA response induced by NPY, [Leu31, Pro34]NPY or NPY13-36 and blocked the suppressant effect of desamido-NPY on the NMDA response. In contrast, spiperone, which has low affinity for sigma sites, was ineffective in suppressing NPY, as well as desamido-NPY-induced modulation of the NMDA response. In our model, peptide YY, which acts as a NPY antagonist by suppressing the potentiation of the NMDA response induced by NPY, also antagonized the potentiation of the NMDA response induced by the administration of low doses of di(2-tolyl)guanidine and (+)N-cyclopropyl-methyl-N-,methyl-1,4- diphenyl-1-ethyl-but-3-en-1-ylamine hydrochloride, two high-affinity sigma agonists.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1469631", "title": "Involvement of adrenergic and angiotensinergic receptors in the paraventricular nucleus in the angiotensin II-induced vasopressin release.", "content": "The role of hypothalamic paraventricular adrenoceptors and angiotensin II (ANG II)-AT 1 receptors in mediating the vasopressin (AVP) release into the plasma in response to i.c.v. and local paraventricular ANG II injections was investigated in conscious chronically instrumented rats. Noradrenaline (NA) administered bilaterally into the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) dose-dependently stimulated AVP release. Bilateral PVN microinjections of the alpha 1 adrenoceptor agonists methoxamine and phenylephrine, or of the alpha2 adrenoceptor agonist clonidine, did not affect plasma AVP when given alone, but increased plasma AVP when methoxamine and clonidine were given in combination. In contrast, PVN microinjections of both the beta 1 adrenoceptor agonist dobutamine and the beta 2 adrenoceptor agonist salbutamol significantly reduced basal plasma AVP. Bilateral PVN pretreatment with the alpha 1 and alpha 2 adrenergic antagonists prazosin, idazoxan and rauwolscine, but not of the beta 1 and beta 2 adrenoceptor antagonists atenolol and ICI 118 551, significantly attenuated the i.c.v. ANG II-induced AVP release. ANG II injected bilaterally into the PVN dose-dependently increased plasma AVP. Bilateral PVN pretreatment with the specific ANG II-AT 1 receptor antagonist losartan partially inhibited the i.c.v. ANG II-induced AVP release. We conclude: 1) Beta 1 and beta 2 adrenoceptors in the PVN exert an inhibitory action on basal AVP secretion. 2) ANG II can release AVP by directly stimulating its ANG II-AT 1 receptors in the PVN. 3) PVN mediated AVP release in response to periventricular ANG II-AT 1 receptor stimulation is at least partially effected through ANG II-AT 1 receptors in the PVN impinging on alpha adrenergic terminals."}
{"id": "PMID:1469632", "title": "Limitation of myocardial injury with the potassium channel opener cromakalim and the nonvasoactive analog U-89,232: vascular vs. cardiac actions in vitro and in vivo.", "content": "Cromakalim has been shown to have anti-ischemic properties, but it also produces profound hypotension upon systemic administration. We hypothesized that U-89,232, a cromakalim analog, would reduce infarct size in an ischemia-reperfusion injury model without hemodynamic alteration. Twenty-four anesthetized, open chest New Zealand White rabbits were instrumented for occlusion of a marginal branch of the left coronary artery. All animals were subjected to coronary artery occlusion (30 min) and reperfusion (2 hr). Study animals received either cromakalim (20 micrograms/kg, i.v.) or U-89,232 (20 micrograms/kg, i.v.), which was given as a pretreatment 30 min before occlusion. Control animals (n = 10) received vehicle (10% dimethyl sulfoxide). At termination of the experiment, the necrotic area and the area at risk were determined with tetrazolium and India ink staining, and infarct size was calculated using planimetry. Treatment with cromakalim produced profound hypotension (greater than 30% decrease in mean arterial pressure), whereas U-89,232 had no such hemodynamic effect. With comparable areas at risk, infarct size (as a percent of risk area) in the control animals was 46.8 +/- 3.4%. Treatment with cromakalim or U-89,232 reduced infarct size to 33.1 +/- 4.4 and 24.4 +/- 4.0%, respectively (P < .05, both compared to control). In vitro studies demonstrate that although both of these compounds shorten the duration of the cardiac action potential, only cromakalim is active in vascular smooth muscle. We conclude that U-89,232 exhibits myoprotection without hypotension, and that its mechanism of action is most likely due to ability to affect cardiac electrophysiology."}
{"id": "PMID:1469633", "title": "Allosteric interactions between the binding sites of receptor agonists and guanine nucleotides: a comparative study of the 5-hydroxytryptamine1A and adenosine A1 receptor systems in rat hippocampal membranes.", "content": "The ternary complex formed between agonist, receptor and guanine nucleotide binding protein and its destabilization by guanine nucleotides (GN) was utilized to study early events in signal transduction, by characterizing the allosteric interactions between agonist and GN binding to the receptor/guanine nucleotide binding protein, G complex for adenosine A1 and 5-hydroxytryptamine1A receptors. The functional interaction between the ternary complex and GTP was examined by assaying adenylyl cyclase activity. Binding of a full adenosine A1 agonist ([3H]-R-(-)-N6-(2-phenylisopropyl)adenosine), and a full [(+-)-[3H]-8-hydroxydipropylaminotetralin] and partial ([3H]-8-[2-[4-(2-methoxyphenyl)-1-piperazinyl]ethyl]-8- azaspirol[4.5]-decane-7,9-dione) 5-hydroxytryptamine1A agonist was examined in relation to the binding of GN. The amount of ternary complex formed depended upon receptor type and drug relative efficacy. The ratio between the drug's EC50 value (adenylyl cyclase) and dissociation constant (binding) was also receptor and drug relative efficacy dependent. 5'-Guanylylimidodiphosphate (100 microM) caused an approximately 50% decrease in the Bmax for all drugs without affecting Kd values. 5'-Guanylylimidodiphosphate and guanosine 5'-O-(3-thiotriphosphate) attenuated [3H]-agonist binding in a concentration-dependent and saturable manner, with IC50 values increased 2- to 6-fold with increasing receptor occupancy. IC50 values were approximately one-tenth lower at the 5-hydroxytryptamine1A receptor than adenosine A1 receptor; similar values were obtained for inhibition of (+-)-[3H]-8-hydroxydipropylaminotetralin and [3H]-8-[2-[4-(2-methoxyphenyl)-1-piperazinyl]ethyl]-8- azaspirol[4.5]-decane-7,9-dione binding, suggesting an independence of agonist efficacy. We propose that the stabilization of the ternary complex by hormone binding, measured by Bmax values, is related to drug-relative efficacy, thus the amount of ternary complex available for destabilization by GN is greater for the more efficacious agonist. This is translated into greater relative efficacy observed in the maximal inhibition of adenylyl cyclase."}
{"id": "PMID:1469634", "title": "Clearance and diffusion of locally applied dopamine in normal and 6-hydroxydopamine-lesioned rat striatum.", "content": "Studies of dopamine (DA) clearance and diffusion were carried out after unilateral destruction of striatal DA afferents using intraparenchymal injection of 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA). Rats were screened for the extent of DA depletion by testing for contralateral rotations induced by 0.05 mg/kg of apomorphine. Exogenous DA clearance and diffusion were determined using rapid (5 Hz) in vivo chronoamperometry with Nafion-coated carbon-fiber electrodes. Local applications of DA by pressure ejection from micropipettes into the lesioned vs. nonlesioned striata, with dose adjusted to elicit roughly equivalent amplitudes of electroactive signals, manifested a much prolonged clearance time on the lesioned side. A second protocol involved administration of equal volumes (amounts) of DA into lesioned vs. nonlesioned striata. In such cases, a volume of DA which manifested no detectable signal on the intact side produced a pronounced electrochemical signal on the lesioned side. When nomifensine, a high-affinity DA uptake inhibitor, was locally applied into the intact striatum, a subsequent ejection of DA produced a much larger signal than when the same volume was given before nomifensine. Very little or no effects of nomifensine were seen in 6-OHDA-lesioned striata. Taken together, these data indicate a much prolonged clearance time of DA in 6-OHDA-denervated striata. Moreover, the data also suggest that the primary mechanism underlying this effect is the loss of high affinity neuronal uptake. Thus, such changes in DA clearance may help account for some of the well documented compensatory phenomena which occur after DA-depleting lesions in animals and in man."}
{"id": "PMID:1469635", "title": "Differential effects of diazoxide, cromakalim and pinacidil on adrenergic neurotransmission and 86Rb+ efflux in rat brain cortical slices.", "content": "The effects of diazoxide, cromakalim and pinacidil on depolarization-evoked tritium overflow from the rat brain cortical slices preloaded with [3H]noradrenaline were studied. Diazoxide inhibited both transmural nerve stimulation (TNS)- and 25 mM K(+)-evoked tritium overflows more potently than cromakalim. Diazoxide effects were only partially antagonized and cromakalim ones were totally reversed by 1 microM glibenclamide. Diazoxide, but not cromakalim, reduced the 45 mM K(+)-evoked tritium overflow, which was not antagonized by glibenclamide. Both diazoxide and cromakalim stimulated 86Rb+ efflux to a similar extent, the effects being completely abolished by glibenclamide. Glibenclamide (> or = 3 microM) by itself enhanced the TNS-evoked tritium overflow. Pinacidil increased both TNS- and K+ (25 and 45 mM)-evoked tritium overflows with little effect on 86Rb+ efflux. Pinacidil-induced increase in the TNS-evoked tritium overflow was still observed in the presence of cocaine or hydrocortisone. Pinacidil failed to affect the inhibitory action of xylazine on the TNS-evoked tritium overflow, whereas phentolamine attenuated it. These results indicate that ATP-sensitive K+ channels are present in the adrenergic nerve endings of rat brain. These channels seem to be pharmacologically different from those reported for vascular smooth muscles and pancreatic beta-cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1469636", "title": "The novel natural product YM-26567-1 [(+)-trans-4-(3-dodecanoyl-2,4,6- trihydroxyphenyl)-7-hydroxy-2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)chroman]: a competitive inhibitor of group II phospholipase A2.", "content": "(+)-trans-4-(3-dodecanoyl-2,4,6-trihydroxyphenyl)-7-hydroxy-2-(4- hydroxyphenyl)chroman (YM-26567-1), a novel natural product isolated from the fruit of Horsfieldia amygdaline, dose-dependently inhibited group II phospholipase A2 (PLA2) prepared from rabbit platelet with an IC50 value of 6.7 microM (4.6-9.6 microM, n = 4). In contrast to irreversible PLA2 inhibitors such as manoalide and p-bromophenacyl bromide, the PLA2 inhibition of YM-26567-1 was independent of preincubation time. Lineweaver-Burk analysis revealed that YM-26567-1 behaved as a competitive inhibitor of rabbit platelet PLA2 with a Ki value of 1.6 +/- 0.3 microM (n = 5). Although YM-26567-1 also competitively inhibited group I PLA2 derived from porcine pancreas, the Ki value was approximately 10-fold greater for porcine pancreas than for rabbit platelet PLA2. In vivo, topical application of YM-26567-1 to the mouse ear inhibited 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (1 micrograms/ear)-induced mouse ear edema in a dose-dependent manner with a 50% effective dose of 28 micrograms/ear (13-63 micrograms/ear, n = 10/dose), but did not improve arachidonic acid (4 mg/ear)-induced mouse ear edema at 1 mg/ear. These results suggest that YM-26567-1 is a competitive PLA2 inhibitor showing a higher affinity for group II than group I PLA2, and that it may act as a potent anti-inflammatory compound through its direct inhibition of PLA2."}
{"id": "PMID:1469637", "title": "Whole body and brain distribution of [3H]cyclic [D-Pen2,D-Pen5] enkephalin after intraperitoneal, intravenous, oral and subcutaneous administration.", "content": "The route of administration of a given drug can have a significant influence upon whole body distribution. The present study examined whole body distribution of the delta opioid receptor-selective peptide [3H]DPDPE in male CD1 mice after administration by several routes. Additionally, we describe regional brain distribution of [3H]DPDPE after i.v. administration with and without pretreatment with naloxone or the selective delta receptor antagonist naltrindole. Finally, characterization of the inherent enzymatic stability of DPDPE was also examined. Intravenous administration results in a significantly large amount of [3H]DPDPE in the small intestine and flush at 15 and 30 min postadministration, suggesting rapid biliary excretion. The highest level in the brain after i.v. administration occurred at 60 min (0.08%). After i.p. and s.c. administration, large amounts of [3H]DPDPE were found in the small intestine and flush, but not until 60 min postadministration, suggesting a slower rate of absorption from the site of administration. The i.p. and s.c. groups' brain levels peaked at 120 min (0.07 and 0.09%, respectively). The highest levels in the brain after p.o. administration were seen at 240 min (0.03%). Examination of regional brain distribution data showed no significant difference in the levels of [3H]DPDPE between brain regions at any time point studied. However, naloxone pretreatment resulted in significant reductions of [3H]DPDPE in all brain regions at 5 and 10 min. Naltrindole pretreatment resulted in significant reductions in the frontal cortex and striatum at 5 and/or 10 min postadministration, but had no effect on [3H]DPDPE levels in cerebellum, hippocampus or brain stem.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1469638", "title": "Pardaxin induces exocytosis in bovine adrenal medullary chromaffin cells independent of calcium.", "content": "Pardaxin, an excitatory neurotoxin, is a new tool for studying the machinery of neurotransmitter secretion. At noncytotoxic concentrations (< 1 x 10(-5) M), pardaxin stimulated exocytosis, as assessed by the concomitant release of catecholamines, ATP and dopamine-beta-hydroxylase from bovine adrenal medullary chromaffin cells in the presence or absence of extracellular calcium. At higher concentrations (> 2 x 10(-5) M), pardaxin was increasingly cytotoxic, as inferred from trypan blue uptake, release of lactate dehydrogenase and 51Cr (ED50 = 100 microM). The role of intracellular calcium ([Ca++]i) homeostasis in pardaxin action was investigated by using the fluorescent calcium indicator Fura-2. In the presence of extracellular calcium, addition of noncytotoxic concentrations of pardaxin yielded a steady, concentration-dependent rise in [Ca++]i (ED50 = 1 microM). Depolarization of chromaffin cells by high K+ reduced pardaxin binding and abolished the pardaxin-evoked rise in [Ca++]i. In the absence of extracellular calcium, pardaxin failed to elicit an elevation of [Ca++]i. These data suggest that, in the presence of extracellular calcium, pardaxin might cause elevations in [Ca++]i and neurotransmitter release, concomitant with inducing transmembranal Ca++ influx. However, the complex concentration dependence of [Ca++]i and the fact that pardaxin stimulated secretion without a rise of [Ca++]i suggest that the toxin, in addition to being a pore-forming molecule, might directly affect exocytosis in a Ca(++)-independent way. In proposing a pharmacological working model, we hypothesize that pardaxin might present a molecular structure which mimics an essential step in the endogenous docking mechanism between secretory granules and the plasma membrane."}
{"id": "PMID:1469639", "title": "Increase of the extracellular magnesium concentration reduces cardiac glycoside toxicity in the human myocardium.", "content": "We studied the influence of magnesium on contractility and on force-frequency-relationship as well as on the positive inotropic and toxic effects of ouabain (OUA) on electrically driven human right auricular trabeculae. Radioligand binding experiments were performed with myocardial tissue from nonfailing and from terminally failing patients. Magnesium produced a concentration-dependent negative inotropic effect (P < .05). In contrast, OUA (0.03-0.1 mumol/l) concentration-dependently increased isometric force of contraction. The maximal positive inotropic effect of OUA (5.9 +/- 0.9 mN; 1 mmol/l of magnesium) was unchanged after increasing magnesium from 1 to 2 mmol/l (5.8 +/- 0.9 mN). OUA was as effective as Ca++ (15 mmol/l; 6.7 +/- 0.5 mN). OUA (0.05 and 0.03 mumol/l) exerted toxic effects after 2 hr and 0.08 or 0.1 mumol/l of OUA after 30 min, respectively. Time until toxic effects occurred after OUA (0.1 mumol/l) was significantly longer with 2 mmol/l of magnesium compared to 1 mmol/l of magnesium. In right auricular trabeculae, the force of contraction increased with increasing frequency (0.5-1 .5 Hz) of stimulation. The force-frequency-relationship becomes negative after elevation of extracellular Ca++ (2.4 mmol/l of Ca++) (2 Hz: 92 +/- 5.5% basal). Magnesium restored the force-frequency-relationship in the presence of enhanced Ca++ concentration (2.4 mmol/l of Ca++; 2 mmol/l of Mg++; 2 Hz: 145 +/- 16.9% basal). The receptor-density and affinity measured by [3H]OUA binding was not different in nonfailing and failing myocardium. Magnesium increased concentration-dependently the affinity of [3H]OUA to its receptor.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1469640", "title": "Positive inotropic effects of RP 62719, a new pure class III antiarrhythmic agent, on guinea pig myocardium.", "content": "The mechanical effects of RP 62719 [(-)1-[-2-(3,4-dihydro-2H-1- benzopyran-4-yl)ethyl]-4-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)-piperidine] were tested in vitro on guinea pig left ventricular papillary muscle. RP 62719 is a novel pure class III antiarrhythmic agent known to prolong the cardiac action potential duration by selectively blocking the inward rectifying K+ current. Mechanical parameters were determined from contraction and relaxation phases under isotonic and isometric conditions. At a concentration of 0.02 microM, RP 62719 did not produce significant effects on inotropy or lusitropy. At 0.2 and 2 microM, the drug improved contraction under both heavy and low loading conditions, as evidenced by a 30% increase in maximum unloaded shortening velocity (Vmax, P < .001), peak amplitude of shortening (delta L, P < .001), peak isometric active force normalized per cross-sectional area (AF/s, P < .001) and positive peak of the force derivative per mm2 (+dF/s, P < .001). At the same concentrations, positive lusitropic effects were evidenced by an increase in maximum lengthening velocity (maxVr) and negative peak of force derivative per mm2 (-dF/s, P < .001). At a higher concentration (20 microM), effects of RP 62719 on inotropy and lusitropy were less marked, thus accounting for the bell-shaped form of the dose-response curve. An increase in the extracellular Ca++ concentration from 2.5 to 3.75 mM improved inotropy to a similar extent (+30-50%) as did 2 microM RP 62719. However, lusitropy and mechanical coupling between contraction and relaxation were not modified in the same proportion under RP 62719 and under 3.75 mM Ca++.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1469641", "title": "Quantitative autoradiography of muscarinic cholinergic receptor binding in the rat brain: distinction of receptor subtypes in antagonist competition assays.", "content": "Prior studies have suggested the presence of muscarinic acetylcholine receptor (MAChR) subtypes within the mammalian central nervous system on the bases of functional ligand binding or molecular biologic evidence. Autoradiographic differentiation of MAChR subtypes in ligand binding assays has previously relied on the use of agonists, results of homogenate binding assays to determine relative subtype binding affinities or both. In the present study, the binding of [3H]scopolamine to intact slide-mounted tissue sections is characterized. The rapid binding kinetics of the ligand permit autoradiographic saturation experiments. Autoradiographic competition assays utilizing [3H]scopolamine and the unlabeled subtype-selective ligands pirenzepine, 11-((2-[(diethylamino)methyl]-1-piperidinyl)acetyl)-5,11,-dihydro-6H-pyr ido (2,3-b)(1,4)benzodiazepin-6-on (AF-DX 116) and 4-diphenylacetoxy-N-methylpiperidine methiodide reveal evidence for the presence of multiple MAChR subtypes distributed heterogeneously throughout the brain. High-affinity pirenzepine MAChR (putative M1 subtype) predominate in the telencephalon. High-affinity AF-DX 116 MAChR (putative M2 subtype) are widely distributed, but are quantitatively minor populations, with the exception of motor cranial nerve nuclei and the basal pons, where they represent the dominant MAChR fractions. Evidence for relative enrichment of M3 receptors was obtained in the thalamus, the superficial layer of the superior colliculus, the periqueductal region, the substantia nigra pars reticulata and the pons. The autoradiographic assays developed in this work may assist in defining altered receptor populations arising in pathologic conditions or resulting from drug therapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1469642", "title": "[125I]-labeled forskolin analogs which discriminate adenylyl cyclase and a glucose transporter: pharmacological characterization and localization of binding sites in rat brain by in vitro receptor autoradiography.", "content": "Aminoalkylcarbamate derivatives of forskolin have been synthesized at the 6- and 7-hydroxyl positions which have different selectivity for adenylyl cyclase and a glucose transporter, respectively. They were radioiodinated using the Bolton-Hunter reagent to yield [125I]-2-[3-(4-hydroxy-3-iodophenyl)propanamido]-N-ethyl-6- (aminocarbonyl)forskolin ([125I]6-IHPP-Fsk) and [125I]-2-[3-(4-hydroxy-3-iodophenyl)(propanamidol]-N-ethyl-7- (aminocarbonyl)-7-desacetylforskolin ([125I]7-IHPP-Fsk) and tested as autoradiographic probes for adenylyl cyclase and a glucose transporter. In slide-mounted rat brain sections [125I]6-IHPP-Fsk binding was potently inhibited by 1 microM 6-HPP-Fsk (95%) but unaffected by 500 mM D-glucose. In contrast, [125I]7-IHPP-Fsk was only partially inhibited by 1 microM 6-HPP-Fsk (37%), but residual [125I]7-IHPP-Fsk binding was further inhibited 56% by 500 mM D-glucose. These data suggest that while [125I]6-IHPP-Fsk binds exclusively to adenylyl cyclase, a significant fraction of [125I]7-IHPP-Fsk is binding to a glucose transporter in brain. Autoradiographic patterns of [125I]6-IHPP-Fsk and glucose-sensitive [125I]7-IHPP-Fsk binding were different. [125I]6-IHPP-Fsk binding was heterogeneously distributed and resembled [3H] forskolin binding. Highest densities of binding sites were noted in olfactory tubercle, caudate putamen, nucleus accumbens, pyramidal and granule cell layers of hippocampus, molecular layer of cerebellum and substantia nigra. In contrast, of glucose-sensitive [125I]7-IHPP-Fsk, binding appeared more homogeneous and similar to [3H]cytochalasin B, a compound which inhibits glucose transport. Highest densities of binding were noted in caudate putamen, nucleus accumbens, cerebral cortex and molecular layer of cerebellum.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1469643", "title": "Baroreflex control of heart rate in rats with heart failure after myocardial infarction: effects of captopril.", "content": "Activation of the renin-angiotensin and sympathetic nervous systems in heart failure may result in altered baroreflex control of heart rate. To determine the specific effects of treatment with captopril on baroreceptor dysfunction in heart failure, baroreflex control of heart rate was measured in conscious rats with heart failure 6 weeks after ligation of the left coronary artery. Plasma norepinephrine was measured as a reflection of sympathetic nervous system activity. After bolus injections of phenylephrine (2-50 micrograms/kg) and nitroprusside (2-50 micrograms/kg), the arterial baroreflex was analyzed by fitting percentage of mean arterial pressure changes and heart rate changes to a logistic regression function. There were no differences in baroreflex function between normal and sham-operated rats. Plasma norepinephrine was increased (P < .05) in the heart-failure rats and did not change with captopril treatment. In untreated rats, heart failure increased (P < .05) the centering point by 900%, threshold by 243% and saturation by 89%, whereas decreasing (P < .05) the operational point by 73%. There was a decrease (P < .05) in the nitroprusside-related gain and an increase (P < .05) in phenylephrine-related gain, but the overall baroreflex gain was not changed. In heart-failure rats, captopril increased (P < .05) threshold, saturation and centering point and decreased (P < .05) operational point and nitroprusside- and phenylephrine-related gain abnormalities. The increase in operational point and decreases in threshold, saturation, centering point and phenylephrine-related gain were the results of a specific interactive effect of captopril in heart failure (P = .0033, .0176, .0509, .0217 and .0567, respectively).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1469644", "title": "Olfactory toxicity of beta,beta'-iminodipropionitrile in the rat.", "content": "Following a pilot study which revealed olfactory epithelial degeneration induced by beta,beta'-iminodipropionitrile (IDPN), dose-response and time-course analyses were undertaken to further characterize the effects of IDPN on the olfactory system. Male rats were sacrificed at multiple time points ranging from 24 hr after a single dose to 56 days after three consecutive daily doses of IDPN (0-400 mg/kg i.p.). Nasal cavities were fixed, decalcified and embedded in paraffin; 5 microns sections were stained with hematoxylin and eosin, middle neurofilament protein antibody or olfactory marker protein antiserum. Olfactory bulbs were removed for slot blot analyses of glial fibrillary acidic protein, synapsin I and p38. Another group of rats was treated with saline or IDPN and perfused 6 hr or 1, 2, 3, 7, 14 or 28 days after the last dose. Olfactory bulb axonal degeneration was visualized using a modified Gallyas technique. Twenty-four hours after treatment with 200 or 400 mg/kg IDPN, there was severe, highly site-specific mucosal degeneration in the dorsal-medial nasal cavity; regeneration was incomplete 8 weeks later. IDPN increased olfactory bulb glial fibrillary acidic protein, peaking 7 days after three daily 400 mg/kg doses, and remaining significantly elevated 8 weeks after treatment. Olfactory bulbs contained substantial silver deposition in afferent axon bundles in the glomerular layer, beginning 24 hr after the first dose and persisting for 14 days after dosing. Although only a portion of the olfactory epithelium was damaged by IDPN, all axon bundles entering the olfactory bulb were involved, suggesting the lack of a clear topographic arrangement of sensory endings in the olfactory bulb."}
{"id": "PMID:1469645", "title": "Determinants of the in vitro interaction of polyaspartic acid and aminoglycoside antibiotics.", "content": "The in vitro interaction of polyaspartic acid (PAA) with aminoglycosides was evaluated using double diffusion in agar, dialysis chambers and changes in the optical density of test solutions. The results document a reversible, presumably electrostatic interaction that is optimized at a pH of approximately 5.0, by the absence of proteins over 800 Da, and at a 20:1 or 10:1 molar ratio of aminoglycoside to PAA. The PAA-aminoglycoside complex lost antibacterial activity and the ability to inhibit pronase E enzymatic activity. These results allow generation of a hypothesis as to the mechanism whereby PAA prevents aminoglycoside experimental nephrotoxicity."}
{"id": "PMID:1469646", "title": "Regulation of cytochrome P450IA1 gene expression in a human intestinal cell line, Caco-2.", "content": "The expression and inducibility of cytochrome P450IA1 isozyme was investigated in the human carcinoma cell line Caco-2 cultured between days 7 and 35 in the absence or the presence of various enzyme inducers such as 3-methylcholanthrene, beta-naphthoflavone (beta NF), dioxin, isosafrole, rifampycin, dexamethasone or phenobarbital. 7-Ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase activity (EROD) was maximal at day 25 when the differentiation of Caco-2 cells, characterized by the level of the brush border associated enzymes such as sucrase isomaltase and alkaline phosphatase, was higher. The inducibility of this enzyme activity was found to be maximal when cells were treated between days 7 and 10. After a 3-day treatment of Caco-2 cells with 50 microM beta NF, EROD achieved 36.6 +/- 14.6 pmol/min/mg compared to 2.5 +/- 1.1 pmol/min/mg in untreated cells. This enzyme activity appeared to be supported only by P450IA1 isozyme because: 1) EROD was quantitatively inhibited by alpha-naphthoflavone, a P450IA1-specific inhibitor; otherwise, phenacetin O-deethylation was completely abolished in the presence of alpha-naphthoflavone and not by furafylline, a P450IA2-specific inhibitor; 2) EROD was induced after treatment with 3-methylcholanthrene, beta NF and dioxin, which are P450IA1 inducers, but not by isosafrole, a P450IA2-specific inducer; 3) cytochrome P450IA1 apoprotein could be immunodetected by antibodies directed against rabbit cytochrome P450-LM6, orthologous to P450IA1, in polycyclic hydrocarbon-treated cells; 4) under the latter conditions, P450IA1 mRNA accumulation was specifically detected, but not P450IA2 mRNA.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1469647", "title": "Angiotensin II influences the renal hemodynamic response to blockade of thromboxane A2 and prostaglandin H2 receptors.", "content": "This study was designed to examine the influence of angiotensin II on the renal hemodynamic response to blockade of thromboxane A2 and prostaglandin H2 receptors with SQ29548 (2 mg/kg, i.v. bolus, plus 2 mg kg-1 hr-1 infusion) in anesthetized rats. In control rats without any pretreatment, SQ29548 did not change blood pressure, but increased renal blood flow from 7.0 +/- 0.4 to 7.7 +/- 0.4 ml min-1 g kidney weight-1 (P < .05) and decreased renal vascular resistance from 18.1 +/- 1.0 to 16.2 +/- 0.8 mm Hg/ml min-1 g kidney weight-1 (P < .05). In contrast, SQ29548 was without effect on renal blood flow or renal vascular resistance in rats pretreated with saralasin or captopril to block angiotensin II actions and formation, respectively. SQ29548 also increased renal blood flow and decreased renal vascular resistance in rats pretreated with captopril in which the plasma concentration of angiotensin II was fixed at elevated levels by concurrently infusing the peptide at doses ranging from 5 to 80 ng/min. In this experimental setting, the administration of SQ29548 reduced preglomerular vascular resistance selectively. Because, according to previous studies, SQ29548 does not interfere with the direct vasoconstrictor actions of angiotensin II, the renal vasodilatory effect of SQ29548 in rats with elevated plasma angiotensin II is attributable to interference with the operation of mechanisms of vasoconstriction mediated by activation of thromboxane A2-prostaglandin H2 receptors. We conclude that the status of the renin-angiotensin system is a determinant of the renal vasodilatory response to SQ29548.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1469648", "title": "Vasoconstrictor and vasodilator effects of serotonin in the isolated rabbit kidney.", "content": "The renal vascular effects of serotonin (5-HT) in vivo vary among preparations, which may reflect that this autacoid can modulate the vascular response to certain spasmogens. We investigated this phenomenon in the isolated rabbit kidney perfused under constant flow (5 ml/min) with Krebs-bicarbonate buffer. Dose-response experiments to 5-HT were conducted before and during an infusion of half-maximal effective doses of norepinephrine (NE), phenylephrine (PE) or endothelin-1 (ET-1). Each infusion was varied to raise the perfusion pressure (PP) from a baseline of 18-28 mm Hg to a level of 80-100 mm Hg. In the absence of infused NE, PE or ET-1, bolus injections of 5-HT had little or no effect. However, in the presence of NE, 5-HT injections of 20 pmol to 20 nmol caused a dose-dependent increase in PP; higher doses (0.4-4 mumol) of 5-HT caused a dose-dependent decrease in PP. Similar results with 5-HT were obtained in the presence of an infusion of PE. However, in the presence of ET-1, 5-HT injections elicited only a modest increase in PP, which was significantly less than the increase in the presence of NE; and they did not have the vasodilator effect on the isolated perfused kidney. Histamine injections only increased but did not decrease the PP in PE-precontracted renal vasculature. Infusion of 5-HT at 20 nmol/min potentiated the dose-dependent effect of NE on PP, but 5-HT infusion of 1 mumol/min attenuated the effect of NE on PP.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1469649", "title": "NPC 15669 inhibits the reversed passive Arthus reaction in rats by blocking neutrophil recruitment.", "content": "NPC 15669, N-carboxy-L-leucine,N-[(2,7-dimethylfluoren-9-yl)methyl]ester, has been shown to inhibit several inflammatory reactions that depend upon recruitment of neutrophils into the primary lesion. In the present study we examined the effects of NPC 15669 in the reversed passive Arthus reaction, an inflammatory reaction occurring in the skin of rats in response to intracutaneous injection of antigen followed by intravenous administration of antibody. In this model, immune complex formation activates complement, resulting in rapid recruitment of neutrophils to the site, which releases free radicals and proteases that damage capillaries, resulting in plasma leak. NPC 15669 inhibited the increased capillary permeability occurring in the reversed passive Arthus reaction in a dose-dependent manner, with an ED50 of 4 mg/kg. The agent similarly inhibited the recruitment of radiolabeled neutrophils as well as the accumulation of myeloperoxidase, a neutrophil marker. NPC 15669 in vitro inhibited the adherence of formyl-L-Met-L-Leu-L-Phe- or human recombinant C5a-activated neutrophils to endothelium, with IC50 values of 15 to 30 microM (ca. 4-9 micrograms/ml). Measurement of plasma NPC 15669 showed that at the ED50 dose, the average circulating concentration of drug was 5 micrograms/ml, consistent with the hypothesis that NPC 15669 exerts its anti-inflammatory effects by inhibiting neutrophil adherence to endothelium and recruitment into the inflammatory lesion."}
{"id": "PMID:1469650", "title": "Glomerular hemodynamics of the clipped kidney: effects of captopril and diltiazem.", "content": "Glomerular hemodynamics of the clipped kidney in two kidney-one clip Goldblatt-hypertensive rats were studied by micropuncture techniques after administration of either captopril (20 mg/kg of b.wt./day p.o.) or diltiazem (3 mg/kg of b.wt./hr i.v.). Both drugs decreased mean arterial and poststenotic renal arterial pressure to comparable levels. Total kidney glomerular filtration rate was not significantly different in the three groups (0.78 +/- 0.09 in hypertensive controls, 0.62 +/- 0.11 after captopril and 0.74 +/- 0.07 ml/min/g of kidney weight after diltiazem). Glomerular capillary pressure fell significantly in both treated groups but was lower in captopril-treated animals (60 +/- 2 in hypertensive controls, 45 +/- 2 after captopril and 53 +/- 1 mm Hg after diltiazem, both P < .05 vs. hypertensive controls). Afferent arteriolar resistance was lowered in both treatment groups to the same extent, whereas only captopril decreased efferent arteriolar resistance. Single nephron filtration rate of cortical nephrons was not altered significantly by captopril due to a 96% increase in the ultrafiltration coefficient and a 58% rise in glomerular plasma flow, whereas diltiazem increased ultrafiltration coefficient by 62% but did not affect glomerular plasma flow. These studies indicate that, despite of decreased effective filtration pressure, glomerular filtration rate is well preserved after converting enzyme inhibition. Captopril and diltiazem have different effects on glomerular hemodynamics within the stenosed kidney."}
{"id": "PMID:1469651", "title": "Possible involvement of hyperinsulinemia and adrenergic activation in the pathogenesis of indomethacin-induced antral ulcers in nonfasted hamsters and refed rats.", "content": "Subcutaneous doses of indomethacin (IND) produced mainly antral ulcers in refed rats, almost exclusively corpus erosions in fasted rats, but no antral or corpus mucosal insult in nonfasted rats. In contrast, IND-treatment in nonfasted hamsters caused antral ulcers but minimal corpus erosions. Mild and severe hyperinsulinemia were observed in refed rats and nonfasted hamsters, respectively. The hyperinsulinemia and antral ulcers in the animals were significantly attenuated by a pretreatment (80 mg/kg, i.v., in rats, 60 mg/kg, i.p., in hamsters) of streptozotocin. Furthermore, the antral ulcers were dose-dependently attenuated by prazosin, an adrenergic alpha-1 antagonist, and yohimbine, an adrenergic alpha-2 antagonist, but not by propranolol, an adrenergic beta antagonist. The large doses of atropine (3.2-10 mg/kg, p.o.) also attenuated the ulcers. The histamine H2 receptor antagonist, famotidine (1-10 mg/kg, p.o.), significantly attenuated the antral ulcers in nonfasted hamsters, but not in refed rats. The latter two drugs exhibited greater inhibition of the corpus erosions in fasted rats compared with the antral ulcers in refed rats and nonfasted hamsters. The corpus erosions were more extensive after streptozotocin treatment (80 mg/kg, i.v.) and were aggravated significantly by yohimbine, whereas they were hardly affected by prazosin or propranolol. It is thus concluded that hyperinsulinemia and adrenergic activation are commonly involved in the etiology of the IND-induced antral ulcers in refed rats and nonfasted hamsters. Vagal activity, which plays a crucial role in the etiology of the corpus erosions in fasted rats, may play a part in the antral ulcer formation in nonfasted hamsters, but not in refed rats."}
{"id": "PMID:1469652", "title": "Effects of Losartan, a nonpeptide angiotensin II receptor antagonist, on norepinephrine overflow and antidiuresis induced by stimulation of renal nerves in anesthetized dogs.", "content": "We examined the role of endogenous angiotensin II on renal noradrenergic neurotransmission in anesthetized dogs, using Losartan, a nonpeptide angiotensin II receptor (angiotensin subtype 1) antagonist. The renal nerve stimulation caused a frequency-dependent increase in renal norepinephrine secretion rate. The low frequency renal nerve stimulation (0.5-2.0 Hz) significantly decreased urine flow and urinary excretion of sodium, without affecting renal hemodynamics. The high frequency renal nerve stimulation (2.5-5.0 Hz) produced a more potent antidiuresis and a renal vasoconstriction that resulted in reductions of renal blood flow and glomerular filtration rate. Intrarenal arterial infusion of Losartan (10 and 100 micrograms/kg/min) did not affect the basal levels of norepinephrine secretion rate, although increased urine formation with some renal vasodilation were observed during infusion of the drug. The administration of Losartan had an inhibitory action on the decreased urine formation, renal vasoconstriction and enhanced norepinephrine secretion rate, in response to renal nerve stimulation. Based on these findings, we suggest that endogenous angiotensin II seems to regulate renal noradrenergic neurotransmission by facilitating norepinephrine release, through the prejunctional angiotensin subtype 1 receptor."}
{"id": "PMID:1469653", "title": "Transport of glutathione at blood-brain barrier of the rat: inhibition by glutathione analogs and age-dependence.", "content": "We showed previously that glutathione (GSH) may cross the blood-brain barrier intact by a saturable low affinity transport process (Km approximately 6 mM) (Kannan et al., J. Clin. Invest. 85: 2009-2013, 1990). In the present report, breakdown and resynthesis of GSH as the mechanism of apparent GSH uptake were excluded further because > 87% of injected 35S-cysteine taken up at the blood-brain barrier remained unchanged with negligible incorporation into GSH. In an effort to characterize further this GSH transport system, we have studied the influence of a number of potential inhibitors on brain uptake index (BUI) of GSH in rats pretreated with a gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase inhibitor, acivicin. The BUIs of tracer 35S-GSH uptake in the presence or absence of 1 to 20 mM cysteine, glutathione disulfide, gamma-glutamylglutamate, gamma-glutamyl-p-nitroanilide and 2-aminobicyclo(2,2,1)heptane-2-carboxylic acid did not differ significantly from each other. However, S-alkyl glutathiones (hexyl and octyl), sulfobromophthalein-glutathione, glutathione monoethyl ester, probenecid (5 mM) and ophthalmic acid (10 mM) inhibited GSH uptake significantly. Inhibition of GSH uptake by sulfobromophthalein-glutathione and GSH-monoethyl ester was concentration-dependent with apparent Ki approximately 0.016 and 0.083 mM, respectively. There was a decline in GSH-BUI as a function of age in both acivicin and nonacivicin-pretreated rats during the growth and developmental period from 25 to 135 days of age (100-500 g b.wt.). The decrease in BUI with age was specific for GSH; cysteine uptake did not change and no difference in diffusible (H2O) and nondiffusible (sucrose) components was found in this age range.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1469654", "title": "Targeted delivery of human recombinant superoxide dismutase by chemical modification with mono- and polysaccharide derivatives.", "content": "Four types of superoxide dismutase (SOD) derivatives such as SOD-carboxymethyl dextran conjugate, SOD-diethylaminoethyl dextran conjugate, galactosylated SOD and mannosylated SOD were synthesized and their potential for selective targeting to organs or cells was evaluated in mice by pharmacokinetic analysis. All SOD derivatives retained 50 to 80% of the original enzymatic activity and were stable during incubation with mouse serum retaining enzymatic activity greater than 80% for 3 hr. After intravenous injection, native SOD was rapidly excreted into urine and no significant accumulation was observed in the organs except the kidney. SOD-carboxymethyl dextran conjugate gave a long plasma half-life because of impaired glomerular filtration and tissue interaction. By contrast, galactosylated-SOD and mannosylated-SOD were very rapidly eliminated from the circulation and taken up by parenchymal and nonparenchymal cells of the liver, respectively, via receptor-mediated endocytosis. These uptake processes were nonlinear and hepatic uptake clearance decreased as the dose increased, although almost complete extraction was obtained at a dose of 0.1 mg/kg. Furthermore, the accumulation in kidney of both glycosylated SODs was drastically decreased due to reduced renal proximal tubular reabsorption and also enhanced hepatic clearance. SOD-diethylaminoethyl dextran conjugate also rapidly disappeared from plasma and distributed into liver, but its accumulation occurred due to electrostatic interaction and was nonspecific in cellular distribution. These results suggest the possibility of controlling the in vivo fate of SOD at a cellular level by chemical modification utilizing sugar moieties with varied physicochemical and/or biological characteristics."}
{"id": "PMID:1469655", "title": "Induced release of acetylcholine from guinea pig ileum longitudinal muscle-myenteric plexus by anatoxin-a.", "content": "Anatoxin-a (ANTX), a nicotinic agonist, has been shown to induce contraction of guinea pig ileum, which was abrogated by the muscarinic antagonist atropine and the nicotinic antagonists tubocurarine and hexamethonium. We showed here that the ganglionic nicotinic antagonist mecamylamine was a better inhibitor of the contraction of ileum induced by ANTX. The sodium channel blocker tetrodotoxin also abolished ANTX-induced contraction. In contrast, alpha-bungarotoxin, the muscle type nicotinic receptor blocker, had no effect on ANTX-induced contraction of guinea pig ileum. Longitudinal muscle-myenteric plexus prepared from guinea pig ileum, labeled with [3H]choline and then incubated with ANTX was shown for the first time to release [3H]acetylcholine (ACh) in a dose-dependent manner. Pretreatment of longitudinal muscle-myenteric plexus with tubocurarine, hexamethonium or mecamylamine blocked ANTX-induced release of [3H]ACh. In contrast, atropine was without effect. Mecamylamine was the most potent antagonist. As observed in ileum contraction, tetrodotoxin completely and potently blocked the release of [3H]ACh induced by ANTX. Neither alpha-bungarotoxin nor the neuromuscular junction blockers conotoxin G1 or M1 could inhibit the [3H]ACh release. Taken together, these results suggested that ANTX activated nicotinic receptors on ganglionic interneurons to trigger a release of ACh, which next stimulated muscarinic receptors and induced ileum contraction."}
{"id": "PMID:1469663", "title": "Diversity of form in the amphibian papilla of Puerto Rican frogs.", "content": "In modern frogs, the amphibian papilla exhibits a caudal extension whose shape, relative length, and proportion of hair cells vary markedly from species to species. Tuning in the caudal extension is organized tonotopically and evidently involves the tectorium. In terms of the proportion of amphibian-papillar hair cells in the caudal extension, we report more diversity among 8 species of a single genus (Eleutherodactylus) on a single island (Puerto Rico) than has been found so far among all of the (more than 50) other modern anurans examined for this feature from around the world. These 8 Puerto Rican species have overlapping habitat and conspicuous diversity in the male advertisement call. For 7 of the 8 species, we report that the call has transient spectral components in the frequency range of the amphibian papilla, and that the proportion of caudal extension hair cells and the frequency distribution of those components are correlated. Thus one might conclude that the selective pressures that led to diversity of calls among the 8 species also led to diversity in form of the amphibian papilla."}
{"id": "PMID:1469664", "title": "Output connections of a wind sensitive interneurone with motor neurones innervating flight steering muscles in the locust.", "content": "The output connections of a bilaterally symmetrical pair of wind-sensitive interneurones (called A4I1) were determined in a non-flying locust (Schistocerca gregaria). Direct inputs from sensory neurones of specific prosternal and head hairs initiate spikes in these interneurones in the prothoracic ganglion. The interneurone with its axon in the right connective makes direct, excitatory connections with the two mesothoracic motor neurones innervating the pleuroaxillary (pleuroalar, M85) muscle of the right forewing, but not with the comparable motor neurones of the left forewing. The connections can evoke motor spikes. The interneurones also exert a powerful, but indirect effect on the homologous metathoracic pleuroaxillary motor neurones (muscle 114), and a weaker, indirect effect on subalar motor neurones of the hindwings. No connections or effects were found with other flight motor neurones, or motor neurones innervating hindleg muscles, including common inhibitor 1 which also innervates the pleuroaxillary muscle. One thoracic interneurone with its cell body in the right half of the mesothoracic ganglion and with its axon projecting ipsilaterally to the metathoracic ganglion receives a direct input from the right A4I1 interneurone. These restricted output connections suggest a role for the A4I1 interneurones in flight steering."}
{"id": "PMID:1469665", "title": "Structure and function of the cochlea in the African mole rat (Cryptomys hottentotus): evidence for a low frequency acoustic fovea.", "content": "The cochlea of the mole rat Cryptomys hottentotus was investigated with physiological and anatomical methods. In order to reveal the place-frequency map of the cochlea, iontophoretic HRP-applications were made in the cochlear nucleus at physiologically characterized locations. Subsequent HRP-transport in auditory nerve fibres and labeling patterns of spiral ganglion cells within the cochlea were evaluated. A cochlear place-frequency map was constructed from 17 HRP-applications in the cochlear nucleus at positions where neurons had characteristic frequencies between 0.1 and 12.6 kHz. As in other mammals, high frequencies were found to be represented at the cochlear base, low frequencies at the cochlear apex. The place-frequency map had three distinct parts which were characterized by their different slopes. A clear over-representation of the frequencies between 0.6 and 1 kHz was revealed, in this frequency range the slope of the place-frequency map amounted to 5.3 mm/octave. As calculated from the regression analysis, below 0.6 kHz the slope of the cochlear place-frequency map amounted to 0.24 mm/octave, above 1 kHz to 0.9 mm/octave. As in other mammals width of the basilar membrane (BM) increased from the cochlear base towards the cochlear apex. Also in concordance with the findings in other mammals, BM-thickness decreased from the cochlear base to the apex. However, it was remarkable to find that there was no or little change in BM-width and thickness between 40 and 85% BM-length. It was also revealed that scala tympani was only 1/10th the size found in the rat or other mammals of similar body size.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1469666", "title": "Temporal coding of pheromone pulses and trains in Manduca sexta.", "content": "We investigated the ability of pheromone-sensitive olfactory receptors of male Manduca sexta to respond to 20-ms pulses of bombykal, the major component of the conspecific pheromonal blend. Isolated pulses of bombykal elicited a burst of activity which decreased exponentially with a time constant of 160-250 ms. Trains of pulses delivered at increasing frequencies (0.5-10 Hz) elicited temporally modulated responses at up to 3 Hz. Concentration of the stimulus (1, 10, 100 ng per odor source) had a marginal effect on the temporal resolution of the receptors. Within a train, the responses to individual pulses remained constant, except for 10-Hz trains (short-term adaptation). A dose-dependent decline of responsiveness was observed during experiments (long-term adaptation). Although individual neurons may not respond faithfully to each pulse of a train, the population of receptors sampled in this study appears to be capable of encoding the onset of odor pulses at frequencies of up to at least 3 Hz."}
{"id": "PMID:1469667", "title": "Spectral selectivity of FM-FM neurons in the auditory cortex of the echolocating bat, Myotis lucifugus.", "content": "1. Spectral sensitivity was examined in delay-sensitive neurons in the auditory cortex of the awake FM bat, Myotis lucifugus. FM stimuli sweeping 60 kHz downward in 4 ms were used as simulated pulse-echo pairs to measure delay-dependent responses. At each neuron's best delay, the pulse and/or echo were divided into 4 FM quarters (Ist, IInd, IIIrd, and IVth), each sweeping 15 kHz in 1 ms, and quarters essential for delay sensitivity were determined for both pulse and echo. 2. For the pulse, the IVth quarter was essential for delay sensitivity in the majority of neurons. For the echo, the essential quarter for most neurons was the IInd, IIIrd, or IVth. 3. Different quarters of the pulse and echo were essential for delay sensitivity in 68% of the neurons examined. 4. This study provides neurophysiological evidence linking both spectral and temporal processing in delay-sensitive neurons of Myotis. Since spectral cues can provide target-shape information, sensitivity to both spectral and temporal parameters in single neurons may endow these neurons in FM bats with the potential for target analysis other than echo-ranging."}
{"id": "PMID:1469668", "title": "Circadian nature of the photoperiodic clock in Japanese quail.", "content": "The photoperiodic clock in quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) is based upon a rhythm of photoinducibility (phi i) but the extent to which this rhythm is circadian remains unclear. Two types of experiment investigated this situation. In the first, gonadectomized quail were adapted to live in periods of darkness by training them on a schedule containing one short day and 3 days of darkness (SD/DD/DD/DD). They were then exposed to a single pulse of 6 or 10 h of light at different times across 3 days of darkness. The photoperiodic response, measured by the increase in LH secretion, showed clear rhythmicity, demonstrating unequivocally the circadian nature of phi i. The second set of experiments employed Nanda-Hamner cycles and varied the length of the photoperiod from 6 to 11 h. Responsiveness in a 36 h or a 60 h cycle was highly dependent upon the length of the photoperiod, something not predicted from theory. For instance, LD 6:30 was not photoperiodically inductive but LD 10:26 was clearly inductive. Close analysis of patterns of LH secretion indicated an unexpected delay before induction occurred and then a rapid rise to a stable level of induction. When LH was measured in every pulse under LD 10:26 there was no evidence that LH levels alternately increased and decreased. This is not consistent with the simplest interpretation of Nanda-Hamner experiments where alternate pulses of light are thought to \"entrain\" the rhythm or \"induce\" a photoperiodic response by coinciding with phi i. It is concluded that the quail's photoinducible rhythm is indeed based on a circadian rhythm but one that is only weakly self-sustaining.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1469669", "title": "The functional role of GABA and glycine in monaural and binaural processing in the inferior colliculus of horseshoe bats.", "content": "The functional role of GABA and glycine in monaural and binaural signal analysis was studied in single unit recordings from the central nucleus of the inferior colliculus (IC) of horseshoe bats (Rhinolophus rouxi) employing microiontophoresis of the putative neurotransmitters and their antagonists bicuculline and strychnine. Most neurons were inhibited by GABA (98%; N = 107) and glycine (92%; N = 118). Both neurotransmitters appear involved in several functional contexts, but to different degrees. Bicuculline-induced increases of discharge activity (99% of cells; N = 191) were accompanied by changes of temporal response patterns in 35% of neurons distributed throughout the IC. Strychnine enhanced activity in only 53% of neurons (N = 147); cells exhibiting response pattern changes were rare (9%) and confined to greater recording depths. In individual cells, the effects of both antagonists could markedly differ, suggesting a differential supply by GABAergic and glycinergic networks. Bicuculline changed the shape of the excitatory tuning curve by antagonizing lateral inhibition at neighboring frequencies and/or inhibition at high stimulation levels. Such effects were rarely observed with strychnine. Binaural response properties of single units were influenced either by antagonization of inhibition mediated by ipsilateral stimulation (bicuculline) or by changing the strength of the main excitatory input (bicuculline and strychnine)."}
{"id": "PMID:1469671", "title": "The efficacy of a peptide-nucleic acid solution (Reticulose) for the treatment of hepatitis A and hepatitis B--a preliminary controlled human clinical trial.", "content": "To complete this preliminary study 53 patients were chosen. All patients were screened, diagnosed for Hepatitis A or Hepatitis B and separated into treatment and control groups. All of the patients selected were in the early onset stage of their infection, and diagnosed for Hepatitis A or B by appropriate laboratory tests with special attention to Anti-HAV, IGM and HepB surface Antigen to carefully differentiate those with A from those with B. The treated patients received Reticulose for a 15 day period and the control patients received placebo injections of physiological saline. Reticulose patients with Hepatitis showed positive. 18 patients with Hepatitis B and 9 patients with Hepatitis A were treated with Reticulose, compared to 17 control patients with Hepatitis B and 9 control patients with Hepatitis A treated with placebo. Based upon laboratory findings of several parameters; Prothrombin times, Serum bilirubin, white blood cell (WBC count) and clinical observations; Reticulose treated patients appeared to show significant improvement. The bilirubin levels of 83% of patients with Hepatitis B, treated with Reticulose for 15 days were in normal range in 30 days. None of the control patients were within normal range after 30 days with placebo treatment. Of Hepatitis A patients treated with Reticulose, 100% showed normal bilirubin after 30 days. Of control patients with Hepatitis A, only 22% were in normal range after 30 days. The findings in this preliminary trial lead to the conclusion that Reticulose appears to significantly reduce the recovery time and return to normal for patients with an acute episode of Hepatitis A or B. Further study is indicated."}
{"id": "PMID:1469672", "title": "Dietary habits of technical and vocational students in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia--Part II. Eating between meals.", "content": "Dietary habits of 452 young adult male students at 6 technical institutes and vocational training centres in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia were investigated as part of a nutritional assessment survey. The eating-between-meals habit was found to be common among the majority (72.3%) of those students. The association between this habit and age cohorts, marital status, accommodation status, self assessment of weight and exercising are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1469673", "title": "Road traffic injuries in Al-Ain City, United Arab Emirates.", "content": "Road traffic injuries are the second major cause of death in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). A retrospective study for a 1 year period of all road traffic accidents and injuries was conducted in Jimi Hospital for the period 1 January to 31 December, 1990. A total of 1197 injuries were encountered at the Hospital Emergency Department. The majority of victims were males and under the age of 35 years. During the Ramadan (fasting month), the number of persons who were injured by traffic accidents was slightly higher than during other months. Excessive speed was closely related to traffic accidents and injuries. Most of the accidents and injuries occurred from 8.00 am to 2.00 pm. Head injury was the most frequently noted type of injury (40.5%), followed by limbs injury (22.1%) and chest, abdomen and pelvic injuries (14.7%). These findings suggest that there is a need to take a comprehensive approach on both excessive speed and driving habits."}
{"id": "PMID:1469674", "title": "Crohn's disease & aflatoxins.", "content": "An investigation to examine the relationship between Crohn's disease and aflatoxins, a group of structurally related toxic and carcinogenic metabolites, was carried out on 24 patients. Extracts of serum and urine from the patients were assayed qualitatively by thin layer chromatography and the Aflatest method, and quantitatively by fluorimetry. There was evidence that some patients suffering from Crohn's Disease, together with some having coeliac disease and ulcerative colitis, did have varying amounts of aflatoxins in their serum and urine. The presence of aflatoxins may have been due to exposure to food containing these toxins or inability of the patient to excrete aflatoxins on account of some gastro-intestinal derangement. Only long-term investigation would establish the link between dietary history and the presence of aflatoxins in these patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1469675", "title": "The effect of selected health education schemes on knowledge and attitude of the Kanuri towards certain parasitic diseases.", "content": "The effect of 3 types of intervention schemes on the scientific knowledge and attitude of Kanuri towards malaria, diarrhoea and dysentery and intestinal worms was assessed using the Likert scale response type statements. 1383 respondents in our identical Kanuri villages were used in the study. The effect of still pictures and card games (Goramari), drama songs, storytelling and discussions (Yerimari) and a combination of both (Shetimari) on knowledge and attitude was tested. Gotimari was used as the control. Quarterly assessment of changes in knowledge and attitude showed that Goramari was the least effective while Yerimari and Shetimari were the most effective. Women were more influenced than men by health education schemes which involve drama songs and stories while card games and still pictures had very little effect on them (women). The implication of these findings on disease management through health education is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1469676", "title": "Zimbabwe's success story in education and health: will it weather economic structural adjustment?", "content": "The beginning of the 1980s saw the birth of Zimbabwe as a result of a protracted liberation war. It coincided with global interest in primary health care, the concept of universal primary school education and, unfortunately, moves towards economic stabilization and structural adjustment programmes. Economic structural adjustment was adopted by several sub Saharan African countries with dire consequences for the poor and vulnerable. Zimbabwe's commitment to social justice and to equitable distribution of resources demonstrated a practical move away from the culture of rhetoric so characteristic of many governments and non-governmental organisations and agencies. This commitment has been translated into impressive improvements in health and education. Current evidence shows that education has had a positive impact on health and related areas like contraceptive use, child mortality and the nutrition status of children. Conversely nutrition and health conditions among school children are important determinants of educational outcomes. Hitherto Zimbabwe's economy has been sufficiently strong to avoid excessive dependence on the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and other foreign financial institutions. Unfortunately, however, the current economic recession together with economic structural adjustment programmes are beginning to have a negative impact on health and education. Will true synergism between health and education weather these structural problems? It seems that the people and government of Zimbabwe have the capacity and resolve to weather such a storm."}
{"id": "PMID:1469678", "title": "Building materials and environmental health: radon in Hong Kong.", "content": "The origin and health effect of radon are first identified. In Hong Kong, the main contribution to the indoor radon concentration comes from building materials. The relatively high radium content in building materials used in Hong Kong explains the high indoor radon concentrations measured. Using risk analysis and established data, radon induced lung cancer deaths have been estimated and remedial measures have been recommended. The variations with age of building and type of ventilation are stated to be additional controlling factors. The possible effects of radon solubility in water are also explored."}
{"id": "PMID:1469686", "title": "Synthesis and structure-activity relationships of acetylcholinesterase inhibitors: 1-benzyl-4-(2-phthalimidoethyl)piperidine and related derivatives.", "content": "Following the discovery of a new series of 1-benzyl-4-[2-(N-benzoyl-N-methylamino)ethyl]piperidine (2) derivatives with a potent anti-acetylcholinesterase (anti-AChE) activity, we extended the structure-activity relationships (SAR) to rigid analogues (4) and 1-benzyl-4-[2-(N-benzoyl-N-phenylamino)ethyl]piperidine derivatives (3). Introduction of a phenyl group on the nitrogen atom of the amide moieties resulted in enhanced activity. The rigid analogue containing isoindolone (9) was found to exhibit potent anti-AChE activity comparable to that of 2. Furthermore, replacement of the isoindolone with other heterobicyclic ring systems was examined. Among the compounds prepared in these series, 1-benzyl-4-[2-[4-(benzoylamino)phthalimido]ethyl]piperidine hydrochloride (19) (IC50 = 1.2 nM) is one of the most potent inhibitors of AChE. Compound 19 showed a definite selectivity to AChE over the BuChE (about 34700-fold) and, at dosages of 10-50 mg/kg, exerted a dose-dependent inhibitory effect on AChE in rat brain."}
{"id": "PMID:1469687", "title": "2-(N'-alkylidenehydrazino)adenosines: potent and selective coronary vasodilators.", "content": "The reaction of aliphatic aldehydes and ketones with 2-hydrazinoadenosine under relatively mild conditions (at room temperature or in refluxing methanol) formed 2-(N'-alkylidenehydrazino)-adenosines, 5-22, in good yields. Two kinds of adenosine receptors regulate cardiac and coronary physiology. In supraventricular tissues an A1AR coupled to muscarinic K channels mediates the negative chronotropic, dromotropic, and inotropic actions of adenosine, and an inhibitory A1AR coupled to adenylate cyclase mediates the \"antiadrenergic\" action of adenosine. One or more kinds of A2 receptors mediate coronary vasodilation. Bioassays employing a guinea pig heart Langendorff preparation showed that 5-22 weakly retard impulse conduction through the AV node (negative dromotropic effect), but several analogues were very active coronary vasodilators. The coronary vasoactivity of the (n-alkylidene- and of the (isoalkylidenehydrazino)adenosines paralleled the length of the alkyl chain, the EC50s of the of the most active n-pentylidene (8) and isopentylidene (18) congeners being 1 nM. The EC50s of the cyclohexylmethylene (9), cyclohexylethylidene (10), and cyclohex-3-enylmethylene (12), analogues were likewise < 1 nM, but the cyclohex-1-enylmethylene congener 12 was 10 times less active than 9. The unselective adenosine receptor antagonist 8-(p-sulfophenyl)theophylline (0.1 mM) raised the EC50s of the negative dromotropic effects of 8, 9, and 18 by 5-28-fold and the EC50s of coronary vasodilation of 22-90-fold. Catalytic reduction of 9 increased the hydrophobicity and changed the UV spectrum, suggesting reduction of the --CH = N-- bond. The product darkened on exposure to air and so was not characterized further. A new method for preparing 2',3',5'-tri-O-acetyl-2,6-dichloropurine riboside, a precursor in the synthesis of 2-hydrazinoadenosine, consists of the addition of tert-butyl nitrite to a mixture of 2',3',5'-tri-O-acetyl-6-chloroguanosine and CuCl in CHCl3 saturated with Cl2."}
{"id": "PMID:1469688", "title": "2-(N'-aralkylidenehydrazino)adenosines: potent and selective coronary vasodilators.", "content": "This study aimed at the development of 2-(N'-aralkylidenehydrazino)adenosines as coronary vasodilators. The reaction of aromatic aldehydes or ketones with 2-hydrazinoadenosine in refluxing methanol formed the target compounds 2-27 as crystalline products in good yields. Two kinds of receptors mediate the actions of adenosine on the heart. Retardation of impulse conduction through the atrioventricular node, the negative dromotropic action, is an example of adenosine's action at an A1 receptor (A1AR) and coronary vasodilation reflects adenosine's action at an A2 receptor (A2AR). Accordingly, bioassays employing guinea pig heart Langendorff preparations assessed the selectivity of 2-27 as coronary vasodilators. Analogues 2-27 were weak negative dromotropic agents; the EC50 of the most active analogue, 2-[N'-(1-naphthylmethylene)hydrazino]-adenosine, 23, was 0.8 microM, several orders of magnitude less than many A1AR agonists. Some of the analogues were quite active coronary vasodilators; 2-(N'-benzylidenehydrazino)adenosine, 2, and several of its para-substituted derivatives, namely, the fluoro (7), methyl (13), methoxy (16), and tert-butylcarbonylethyl, 31, had EC50s for coronary vasodilation in the range 1.7-3.2 nM. The selectivity ratios, EC50 (negative dromotropic)/EC50 (coronary vasodilatory), of these five analogues ranged between 5100 (analogue 31) and 43,000 (analogue 2). Phenyl ring substitutions of other kinds or at other positions, replacement of the phenyl ring by other aryl or heteroaryl groups, or the replacement of the benzylic H by a methyl group lowered coronary vasoactivity significantly. The unselective adenosine receptor antagonist 8-(p-sulfophenyl)theophylline raised the EC50 of the negative dromotropic activities of 2, 16, and 2-[N'-(2-naphthylmethylene)hydrazino]adenosine, 24, by 3-, 18-, and 7-fold, and raised the EC50s of coronary vasoactivity by 11-, 3-, and 30-fold, respectively evidence that vasoactivity was receptor-mediated."}
{"id": "PMID:1469689", "title": "Dihydroxynitrobenzaldehydes and hydroxymethoxynitrobenzaldehydes: synthesis and biological activity as catechol-O-methyltransferase inhibitors.", "content": "A series of nitro derivatives of dihydroxy- and hydroxymethoxybenzaldehyde was synthesized and tested as potential inhibitors of partially purified pig liver catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT). All the dihydroxynitrobenzaldehydes prepared were potent inhibitors of COMT, but only one hydroxymethoxynitrobenzaldehyde (3-hydroxy-4-methoxy-5-nitrobenzaldehyde) showed activity as a COMT inhibitor. Although previously reported data showed that the presence of electron-withdrawing substituents at position 5 seemed to be very important for activity as COMT inhibitor, our results suggest that the requirement necessary to enhance the activity of the dihydroxyni-trobenzaldehyde derivatives toward COMT is the presence of the nitro group in a position ortho with respect to one hydroxyl group. The assayed compounds showed a reversible inhibition of COMT, which was mixed for all the dihydroxynitro derivatives but noncompetitive for 3-hydroxy-4-methoxy-5-nitrobenzaldehyde when pyrocatechol was the variable substrate and uncompetitive in all the inhibitors with respect to S-adenosyl-L-methionine."}
{"id": "PMID:1469690", "title": "Structure-activity relationships of imidazo[4,5-f]quinoline partial structures and analogs. Discovery of pyrazolo[3,4-f]quinoline derivatives as potent immunostimulants.", "content": "Structure-activity studies have been carried out on a series of imidazo[4,5-f]quinoline derivatives reported to have potent in vivo immunostimulatory activity. This activity has been confirmed, and subtle structure-activity relationships have been uncovered which resulted in the identification of novel analogs (pyrazolo[3,4-f]quinoline derivatives, 7a,b) with potent in vivo effects in a mouse protection model. Regioisomeric pyrazolo[4,3-f]quinoline derivatives (6a,b) were shown to be inactive. Data are presented which support the notion that the in vivo activity is mediated by an immunostimulatory mechanism."}
{"id": "PMID:1469691", "title": "Quisqualic acid analogues: synthesis of beta-heterocyclic 2-aminopropanoic acid derivatives and their activity at a novel quisqualate-sensitized site.", "content": "Hippocampal CA1 pyramidal cell neurons are sensitized over 30-fold to depolarization by L-2-amino-4-phosphonobutanoic acid (L-AP4) following exposure to L-quisqualic acid. This phenomenon has been termed the QUIS effect. In the present study several novel L-quisqualic acid analogues have been synthesized and tested for their interaction with the different components of the QUIS-effect system. Replacement of the oxadiazolidinedione ring of L-quisqualic acid with several other types of heterocyclic rings yielded the following quisqualic acid analogues: maleimide 2, N-methylmaleimide 3, N-(carboxymethyl)maleimide 4, succinimides 5A and 5B, and imidazolidinedione 6. None of these analogues were able to mimic the effects of L-quisqualic acid and sensitize hippocampal CA1 neurons to depolarization by L-AP4. Also, unlike L-serine O-sulfate, L-homocysteinesulfinic acid, or L-alpha-aminoadipic acid, none of the analogues were able to preblock or reverse the QUIS effect. However, when the IC50 values for inhibition of the CA1 synaptic field potential of analogues 2-6 were determined both before and after hippocampal slices were exposed to L-quisqualic acid, the IC50 values of analogues 3 and 4 were found to decrease more than 7-fold. Thus, these two compounds behave like L-AP4 rather than L-quisqualic acid in this system in that they exhibit increased potencies in slices that have been pretreated with L-quisqualic acid even though they cannot themselves induce this sensitization. Compounds 3 and 4, therefore, represent the first non-phosphorus-containing compounds to which hippocampal neurons become sensitized following exposure to L-quisqualic acid. No change in the IC50 values was observed for 5A or 5B. Analogues 2 and 6, on the other hand, displayed a high potency for inhibition of the evoked field potential even prior to treatment of the slices with L-quisqualic acid."}
{"id": "PMID:1469692", "title": "Novel spirosuccinimides with incorporated isoindolone and benzisothiazole 1,1-dioxide moieties as aldose reductase inhibitors and antihyperglycemic agents.", "content": "Compounds from two novel series of spirosuccinimides were prepared. Analogs of series 2 possessed a spiro-fused isoindolone moiety while those of series 3 contained a spiro-fused benzisothiazole S,S-dioxide group. These compounds were evaluated as aldose reductase inhibitors (ARI) in vitro by their ability to inhibit glyceraldehyde reduction using a partially purified bovine lens aldose reductase preparation and in vivo as inhibitors of galactitol accumulation in the lens, sciatic nerve, and diaphragm of galactose-fed rats. Many members from the isoindolone series 2, particularly those containing an isoindolone N-methyl moiety, showed good in vitro and in vivo potency. The most potent member, the 6-chloro analog 32, was resolved, and aldose reductase activity was found to reside almost exclusively in the (+)-enantiomer. Compound 32 was approximately equipotent in the sciatic nerve of the galactose-fed rat to other cyclic imide ARI's of similar in vitro activity, namely sorbinil and ADN-138 and also to tolrestat, an acetic acid-based ARI (ED50's 4-8 mg/kg). Compounds from both series, 2 and 3, were also found to lower plasma glucose levels of genetically obese db/db and ob/ob mice with potency similar to that of ciglitazone. However, members from these series failed to lower insulin levels of the ob/ob mouse at the doses tested."}
{"id": "PMID:1469695", "title": "NMR studies on YSPTSPSY: implications for the design of DNA bisintercalators.", "content": "NMR (600 MHz) studies on YSPTSPSY (1), the heptad repeat unit of RNA polymerase II with an extra tyrosine added to the N-terminus, show that the peptide is partially structured in aqueous solution. Peptide 1 contains two overlapping SPXX sequences and has been reported to bind to DNA by bisintercalation (Suzuki, M. Nature 1990, 344, 562-565). In 90% H2O solution at pH 3.2, the major species, which is present in > 90%, contains Pro3 and Pro6 in the trans conformation. At low temperature (4 degrees C), NOE connectivities are consistent with the presence of beta-turn structures in equilibrium with unfolded forms of the peptide. A strong dNN connectivity between Thr4/Ser5, a d alpha N connectivity between Pro3/Thr4, and a medium-range NOE between Pro3 alpha and Ser5 NH indicate the presence of a beta-turn formed by (i) Ser2-Pro3-Thr4-Ser5. A strong dNN connectivity between Ser7/Tyr8 and weaker dN delta NOE connectivities between Ser2/Pro3 delta and Ser7/Pro6 delta were also detected. The solution conformation of the peptide appears to have a crucial role in determining the interaction of the peptide with DNA, given that only bisintercalation has been reported in DNA-binding studies on 1 (Suzuki, M. Nature 1990, 344, 562-565). On the basis of these results, the peptide unit--SPTSPS--(3) has considerable potential as a structured linker in the preparation of DNA bisintercalators of the general structure Xaa-SPTSPS-Zaa (2) with improved selectivity properties."}
{"id": "PMID:1469696", "title": "A novel orally active inhibitor of IL-1 generation: synthesis and structure-activity relationships of 3-(4-hydroxy-1-naphthalenyl)-2-propenoic acid derivatives.", "content": "A new series of 3-(4-hydroxy-1-naphthalenyl)-2-propenoic acids was prepared and the inhibitory activities of its members on IL-1 generation were evaluated both by in vitro systems using human monocytes and/or rat exudated macrophages stimulated with LPS, and by an in vivo system using the rat CMC-LPS air-pouch model. Many compounds in this series were found to be potent inhibitors of IL-1 generation both in vitro and in vivo. Structure-activity relationships indicated that in the rat CMC-LPS air-pouch model by oral administration the (Z)-2-substituted propenoic acids with 3-alkoxy, 5-alkyl, and 4-hydroxy substituents on the naphthalene ring exhibit optimal inhibition. Among the compounds evaluated, (Z)-3-(5-ethyl-4-hydroxy-3-methoxy-1-naphthalenyl)-2-methyl-2-propeno ic acid (20a), which inhibited IL-1 generation from human monocytes with an IC50 value of 3.0 microM and had an IC50 value of 1.4 microM for rat exudated macrophages, showed the most potent inhibitory activity in the rat CMC-LPS model by oral administration. Compound 20a also showed antiinflammatory effects in animal models of inflammation."}
{"id": "PMID:1469697", "title": "Radiosynthesis, cerebral distribution, and binding of [125I]-1-(p-iodophenyl)-3-(1-adamantyl)guanidine, a ligand for sigma binding sites.", "content": "An analog of 1,3-di-o-tolylguanidine (DTG), [125I]-labeled 1-(p-iodophenyl)-3-(1-adamantyl)guanidine (PIPAG), was synthesized as a potential ligand for cerebral sigma binding sites. Data from in vitro binding experiments and in vivo experiments on brain distribution suggested that PIPAG binds to sigma binding sites with high affinity (Kd in low nanomolar range) as determined by Scatchard analysis and relative potencies of sigma-specific drugs. Haloperidol had the highest potency to inhibit [125I]PIPAG binding. It was followed by DTG, BMY 14802, and (+)-N-allylnormetazocine. Compounds with high affinities for dopamine receptors (but low affinity for sigma binding sites), for opioid receptors, for nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, and for phencyclidine receptors were ineffective inhibitors of [125I]PIPAG binding."}
{"id": "PMID:1469698", "title": "Synthesis and biological evaluation of novel potent antagonists of the bombesin/gastrin releasing peptide receptor.", "content": "This paper reports the synthesis and antagonist activity of 20 C-terminal analogues of gastrin releasing peptide (GRP). The ability of each analogue to inhibit bombesin (BN) stimulated amylase release from rat pancreatic acini was determined, and those showing antagonist activity were further evaluated for their ability to inhibit BN-stimulated [3H]thymidine uptake in serum-starved 3T3 cells. The assays also included two known peptide antagonists, C (Leu14,psi 13,14]BN) and H (N-pivaloyl-GRP20-25-(R)-2-methyl-4-nonylamide) as positive controls. On the basis of these assays we suggest that a des-Met27,Leu26-psi[CH2NHCOCH3]GRP C-terminal octapeptide imparts antagonist activity. The two most active compounds are peptides 14 ([D-Phe19,Leu26-psi(CH2NHCOCH3)]GRP19-26) and 18 ([D-Phe19,Gln20,Leu26-psi(CH2NHCOCH3)]GRP19++ +-26). In their ability to inhibit BN-stimulated [3H]thymidine uptake, the IC50 of peptides C, H, 14, and 18 were 43.2, 31.2, 2.7, and 32.5 nM, respectively. In conclusion, the novel C-terminal psi[CH2NHCOCH3] bond promises to be a useful peptide backbone modification for imparting antagonism in GRP/BN analogues."}
{"id": "PMID:1469699", "title": "Synthesis, configuration, and activity of isomeric 2-phenyl-2-(N-piperidinyl)bicyclo[3.1.0]hexanes at phencyclidine and sigma binding sites.", "content": "The novel semirigid derivatives (+)-cis-1-[2-phenyl-2-bicyclo[3.1.0]hexyl]piperidine [(+)-8], its enantiomer (-)-8, and (+-)-trans-1-[2-phenyl-2-bicyclo[3.1.0]hexyl]piperidine [(+/-)-9] were synthesized as probes to investigate the mode of interaction of phencyclidine (PCP) with its binding site on the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor complex. Each target compound was obtained in five steps starting from cyclopent-2-enone. (+)- and (-)-8 were obtained in greater than 98% optical purity through three recrystallizations from ethanol of the (S)-(+)- and (R)-(-)-mandelate salts of intermediate (+-)-cis-2-phenyl-2-bicyclo[3.1.0]hexylamine ([(+/-)-16]. Crystallization of the (R)-(-)-mandelate salt afforded (1R,2R,5S)-(-)-16, whereas the (S)-(+)-mandelate salt afforded (1S,2S,5R)-(+)-16; the absolute configuration was determined by single-crystal X-ray analysis of (-)-16.(R)-(-)-mandelate. Single-crystal X-ray analysis of (+/-)-9-picrate confirmed its trans configuration and provided conformational data. (+)- and (-)-8 and (+/-)-9 were examined for their ability to interact with PCP and sigma binding sites in vitro using [3H]TCP and [3H]pentazocine as radioligands. The binding was compared with that of PCP and contrasted with the rigid symmetrical phencyclidine derivatives cis- and trans-1-[3-phenyl-3-bicyclo[3.1.0]hexyl]piperidines (6 and 7). The results of the study indicated that the conformations of PCP represented by 6-9 are not optimal for potent interaction at either of these sites. Affinities ranged from 582 nM [(+/-)-9] to 29,000 nM [(+)-8] at PCP binding sites and from 1130 nM [(-)-8] to 16,300 nM (7) at sigma sites. In this assay, PCP exhibited affinities of 64.5 nM at PCP and 1090 nM at sigma sites. Qualitative correlation between the sigma and PCP binding data suggests some similarities between these binding sites. An axial phenyl and equatorial piperidine ring with the nitrogen lone pair of electrons antiperiplanar to the phenyl ring has been postulated as the receptor-active conformation of PCP-like ligands at the PCP binding site. Comparison of the binding data of 7-9 with that of the previously described methylcyclohexyl-PCP derivatives allowed its rationalization in terms of this model. It is likely that the lowered affinity in this bicyclo[3.1.0]hexane series is a consequence of nonoptimal geometry (pseudoequatorial phenyl or pseudoboat) for binding as opposed to the presence of steric bulk which proved deleterious in the methylcyclohexyl-PCP derivatives."}
{"id": "PMID:1469700", "title": "Synthesis and antiviral activity of deoxy analogs of 1-[(2-hydroxyethoxy)methyl]-6-(phenylthio)thymine (HEPT) as potent and selective anti-HIV-1 agents.", "content": "The effect of substitution in the acyclic structure of 1-[(2-hydroxyethoxy)methyl]-6-(phenylthio)-thymine (HEPT) on anti-HIV-1 activity was investigated by synthesizing a series of deoxy analogs and related compounds. Preparation of 1-[(2-alkyloxyethoxy)methyl]-6- (phenylthio)thymine (2-4) derivatives was carried out based on alkylation of HEPT with primary alkyl halides. Preparation of the 1-[(alkyloxy)methyl]-6-(phenylthio)thymine (26-31) and 1-[(alkyloxy)methyl]-6-(arylthio)-2-thiouracil (32-45) derivatives was carried out on the basis of LDA lithiation of 1-[(alkyloxy)-methyl]thymine (9-14) and 1-[(alkyloxy)methyl]-2-thiouracil (15-25) followed by reaction with diaryl disulfides. The oxidative hydrolysis of the 2-thiouracil derivatives gave 1-[(alkyloxy)methyl]-6-(arylthio)uracil derivatives (46-57). 1-Alkyl-6-(phenylthio)thymine (59-61) derivatives were prepared on the basis of alkylation of 6-(phenylthio)thymine (58). Methylation of the hydroxyl group of HEPT did not affect the anti-HIV-1 activity of HEPT. Substitution of the 1-(2-hydroxyethoxy)methyl group by ethyl, butyl, methoxymethyl, (propyloxy)methyl, and (butyloxy)-methyl groups somewhat improved the original anti-HIV-1 activity of HEPT. Substitution with ethoxymethyl and (benzyloxy)methyl groups further potentiated the activity [EC50: 1-(ethoxy-methyl)-6-(phenylthio)thymine (27), 0.33 microM; 1-[(benzyloxy)methyl]-6-(phenylthio)thymine (31), 0.088 microM]. When the 5-methyl group of 27 and 31 was replaced by an ethyl or an isopropyl group, the anti-HIV-1 activity was improved remarkably [EC50: 5-ethyl-1-(ethoxymethyl)-6-(phenylthio)-uracil (46), 0.019 microM; 5-ethyl-1-[(benzyloxy)methyl]-6-(phenylthio)uracil (52), 0.0059 microM; 5-isopropyl-1-(ethoxymethyl)-6-(phenylthio)uracil (55), 0.012 microM; 5-isopropyl-1-[(benzyloxy)methyl]-6-(phenylthio)uracil (56), 0.0027 microM]. Introduction of two m-methyl groups into the phenylthio ring also potentiated the activity."}
{"id": "PMID:1469701", "title": "Structural alterations in desferrioxamine compatible with iron clearance in animals.", "content": "The design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of amideless desferrioxamine analogues are described. The design concept is predicated on the idea that a low molecular weight desferrioxamine analogue would represent a better pharmacophore from which to construct an orally effective or more efficient trihydroxamate than the parent chelator. The study demonstrates that (1) the monohydroxamate units of desferrioxamine must be linked to promote iron clearance, (2) the N-propanoyl-N-pentyl fragments of desferrioxamine can be replaced with smaller, e.g., C-5, methylene units without compromising the analogue's iron-clearing properties, and (3) a delicate balance exists between the molecule's iron-clearing efficiency and its lipophilicity."}
{"id": "PMID:1469702", "title": "Fluoroquinolones: relationships between structural variations, mammalian cell cytotoxicity, and antimicrobial activity.", "content": "Fluoroquinolones are potent inhibitors of bacterial topoisomerase II (DNA gyrase). They can also inhibit eukaryotic topoisomerases, which could possibly lead to clastogenicity and/or cellular toxicity. Recent studies have demonstrated a correlation between mammalian cell cytotoxicity of the fluoroquinolones and the potential of these compounds to induce micronuclei, a genetic toxicity endpoint. In an effort to identify potent nontoxic quinolone antibacterials, we have examined the structural features of the fluoroquinolones associated with mammalian cell cytotoxicity. An investigation of a wide variety of substituents at the 1, 5, 7, and 8 positions of a quinolone nucleus was conducted. The results indicate that no one position has a controlling effect on the observed cytotoxicity. Instead, a combination of the various substituents contributes to the effects seen. Certain trends were apparent, such as the fact that compounds with pyrrolidines at the R-7 position were more cytotoxic than those with piperazines, and halogens at R-8 (X-position) were associated with more cytotoxicity relative to hydrogen. A general trend also existed between the cytotoxicity of the compounds and their Gram-positive antibacterial activity. A detailed comparison between the various groups and positional variations as they controlled the cytotoxicity and antibacterial activity is presented."}
{"id": "PMID:1469703", "title": "Dihydropyrimidine angiotensin II receptor antagonists.", "content": "The discovery of the nonpeptide angiotensin II (AII) receptor antagonist losartan, previously called DuP 753, has stimulated considerable interest in the synthesis of novel analogs of this compound. Our efforts in this area have resulted in the discovery of dihydropyrimidines as potent AII receptor antagonists. The chemistry leading to this novel class of AII antagonists and their biological properties are reported in this publication. Structure-activity studies showed that a variety of substituents are tolerated on the dihydropyrimidine ring, indicating that the AII receptor is permissive in accepting this region of the nonpeptide antagonists. As reported for imidazole-based AII antagonists, the tetrazolyl dihydropyrimidine analogs were found to be more potent than the corresponding carboxylic acids. Our studies show that dihydropyrimidine analogs 2-butyl-4-chloro-1,6-dihydro-6-methyl-1-[[2'-(1H-tetrazol-5-yl)[1, 1'-biphenyl]-4-yl]methyl]pyrimidine-5-carboxylic acid, ethyl ester (Ki = 8.3 nM), 2-butyl-4-chloro-1,6-dihydro-6-methyl-1- [[2'-(1H-tetrazol-5-yl)[1,1'-biphenyl]-4-yl]methyl]-5- pyrimidinecarboxylic acid (Ki = 1.0 nM), and 2-butyl-6-chloro-1,4-dihydro-4,4-dimethyl-1-[[2'-(1H-tetrazol-5-yl )[1,1'- biphenyl]-4-yl]methyl]-5-pyrimidinecarboxylic acid, ethyl ester (Ki = 1.1 nM), display affinities for the AII receptor which are comparable to or better than losartan (Ki = 9.0 nM). One of these derivatives, 2-butyl-4-chloro-1,6-dihydro-6-methyl-1-[[2'-(1H-tetrazol-5- yl)[1,1'-biphenyl]-4-yl]methyl]pyrimidine-5-carboxylic acid, ethyl ester, showed antihypertensive activity on oral administration to spontaneously hypertensive rats. These results demonstrate that the imidazole of losartan can be successfully replaced with a dihydropyrimidine ring."}
{"id": "PMID:1469705", "title": "A naphthyl analog of the aminostyryl pyridinium class of potentiometric membrane dyes shows consistent sensitivity in a variety of tissue, cell, and model membrane preparations.", "content": "The fast potentiometric indicator di-4-ANEPPS is examined in four different preparations: lipid vesicles, red blood cells, squid giant axon, and guinea pig heart. The dye gives consistent potentiometric responses in each of these systems, although some of the detailed behavior varies. In lipid vesicles, the dye displays an increase in fluorescence combined with a red shift of the excitation spectrum upon hyperpolarization. Similar behavior is found in red cells where a dual wavelength radiometric measurement is also demonstrated. The signal-to-noise ratio of the potentiometric fluorescence response is among the best ever recorded on the voltage-clamped squid axon. The dye is shown to be a faithful and persistent monitor of cardiac action potentials with no appreciable loss of signal or deterioration of cardiac activity for periods as long as 2 hr with intermittent illumination every 10 min. These results, together with previously published applications of the dye to a spherical lipid bilayer model and to cells in culture, demonstrate the versatility of di-4-ANEPPS as a fast indicator of membrane potential."}
{"id": "PMID:1469706", "title": "Rapid Ca2+ extrusion via the Na+/Ca2+ exchanger of the human platelet.", "content": "This communication reports the kinetics of the Na+/Ca2+ exchanger and of the plasma membrane (PM) Ca2+ pump of the intact human platelet. The kinetic properties of these two systems were deduced by studying the rate of Ca2+ extrusion and its Na+ dependence for concentrations of cytoplasmic free Ca2+ ([Ca2+]cyt) in the 1-10-microM range. The PM Ca(2+)-ATPase was previously characterized (Johansson, J.S. Haynes, D.H. 1988. J. Membrane Biol. 104:147-163) for [Ca2+]cyt < or = 1.5 microM with the fluorescent Ca2+ indicator quin2 (Kd = 115 nM). That study determined that the PM Ca2+ pump in the basal state has a Vmax = 0.098 mM/min, a Km = 80 nM and a Hill coefficient = 1.7. The present study extends the measurable range of [Ca2+]cyt with the intracellular Ca2+ probe, rhod2 (Kd = 500 nM), which has almost a fivefold lower affinity for Ca2+. An Appendix also describes the Mg2+ and pH dependence of the Kd and fluorescence characteristics of the commercially available dye, which is a mixture of two molecules. Rates of active Ca2+ extrusion were determined by two independent methods which gave good agreement: (i) by measuring Ca2+ extrusion into a Ca(2+)-free medium (above citation) or (ii) by the newly developed \"ionomycin short-circuit\" method, which determines the ionomycin concentration necessary to short circuit the PM Ca2+ extrusion systems. Absolute rates of extrusion were determined by knowledge of how many Ca2+ ions are moved by ionomycin per minute. The major findings are as follows: (i) The exchanger is saturable with respect to Ca2+ with a Km = 0.97 +/- 0.31 microM and Vmax = 1.0 +/- 0.6 mM/min. (ii) At high [Ca2+]cyt, the exchanger works at a rate 10 times as large as the basal Vmax of the PM Ca2+ extrusion pump. (iii) The exchanger can work in reverse after Na+ loading of the cytoplasm by monensin. (iv) The PM Ca2+ extrusion pump is activated by exposure to [Ca2+]cyt > or = 1.5 microM for 20-50 sec. Activation raises the pump Vmax to 1.6 +/- 0.6 mM/min and the Km to 0.55 +/- 0.24 microM. (v) The Ca2+ buffering capacity of the cytoplasm is 3.6 mM in the 0.1 to 3 microM range of [Ca2+]cyt. In summary, the results show that the human platelet can extrude Ca2+ very rapidly at high [Ca2+]cyt. Both the Na+/Ca2+ exchanger and Ca2+ pump activation may prevent inappropriate platelet activation by marginal stimuli."}
{"id": "PMID:1469707", "title": "Activation of amino acid diffusion by a volume increase in cultured kidney (MDCK) cells.", "content": "When MDCK cells are cultured in MEM, they maintain a high concentration of three amino acids: glutamate (25 mM), taurine (19 mM) and glycine (9 mM). With incubation of the cells in hypotonic media, the contents of these amino acids measured by HPLC are reduced in different time courses: taurine decreases most rapidly, followed by glutamate and glycine. All these losses are Na+ independent. To determine the transport mechanism activated by the hypotonic media, increasing external concentrations reaching 60 mM for nine different amino acids in Na(+)-free media were tested separately. For the five neutral (zwitterionic) amino acids, taurine, glycine, alanine, phenylalanine and tryptophan, cell contents increased linearly with external concentrations in hypotonic media, whereas in isotonic media only a slight rise was observed. The two anionic amino acids, glutamate and aspartate, were also increased linearly with their external concentrations in hypotonic media, but the changes were lower than those found for neutral amino acids. The presence of a negative membrane potential was responsible for this behavior since, using a K+ hypotonic medium which clamps the potential to zero, the glutamate content was found to increase linearly with an amplitude similar to the one observed for neutral amino acid. When external concentrations of two cationic amino acids, arginine and lysine, were increased in hypotonic media, only a small change, similar to that in isotonic media, was observed. These results indicate that a diffusion process for neutral and anionic amino acids is activated by a volume increase and it is suggested that an anion channel is involved."}
{"id": "PMID:1469708", "title": "Acyl-CoA-binding protein/diazepam-binding inhibitor gene and pseudogenes. A typical housekeeping gene family.", "content": "Acyl-CoA-binding protein (ACBP) is a 10 kDa protein isolated from bovine liver by virtue of its ability to bind and induce the synthesis of medium-chain acyl-CoA esters. Surprisingly, it turned out to be identical to a protein named diazepam-binding Inhibitor (DBI) claimed to be an endogenous modulator of the GABAA receptor in brain membranes. ACBP/DBI, or proteolytically derived polypeptides of ACBP/DBI, have also been implicated in the control of steroidogenesis in mitochondria and glucose-stimulated insulin secretion. Thus, it appears that ACBP/DBI is a remarkable, versatile protein. Now we have molecularly cloned and characterized the ACBP/DBI gene family in rat. The rat ACBP/DBI gene family comprises one expressed gene and four processed pseudogenes of which one was shown to exist in two allelic forms. The expressed gene is organized into four exons and three introns. There is a remarkable correspondence between the structural modules of ACBP/DBI as determined by 1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and the exon-intron architecture of the ACBP/DBI gene. Detailed analyses of transcription of the ACBP/DBI gene in brain and liver were performed to map transcription initiation sites and to examine if transcripts from the ACBP/DBI gene were subject to alternative processing. In both brain and liver, transcription is initiated from two major and multiple minor initiation sites. No evidence for alternative splicing was obtained. The promoter region of the ACBP/DBI gene is located in a CpG island and lacks a canonical TATA box. Thus, the ACDB/DBI gene exhibits all the hallmarks of a typical housekeeping gene."}
{"id": "PMID:1469709", "title": "Mathematical characterization of Chaos Game Representation. New algorithms for nucleotide sequence analysis.", "content": "Chaos Game Representation (CGR) can recognize patterns in the nucleotide sequences, obtained from databases, of a class of genes using the techniques of fractal structures and by considering DNA sequences as strings composed of four units, G, A, T and C. Such recognition of patterns relies only on visual identification and no mathematical characterization of CGR is known. The present report describes two algorithms that can predict the presence or absence of a stretch of nucleotides in any gene family. The first algorithm can be used to generate DNA sequences represented by any point in the CGR. The second algorithm can simulate known CGR patterns for different gene families by setting the probabilities of occurrence of different di- or trinucleotides by a trial and error process using some guidelines and approximate rules-of-thumb. The validity of the second algorithm has been tested by simulating sequences that can mimic the CGRs of vertebrate non-oncogenes, proto-oncogenes and oncogenes. These algorithms can provide a mathematical basis of the CGR patterns obtained using nucleotide sequences from databases."}
{"id": "PMID:1469710", "title": "Construction of a microphage variant of filamentous bacteriophage.", "content": "The intergenic region in the genome of the Ff class of filamentous phage (comprising strains fl, fd and M13) genome constitutes 8% of the viral genome, and has essential functions in DNA replication and phage morphogenesis. The functional domains of this region may be inserted into separate sites of a plasmid to function independently. Here, we demonstrate the construction of a plasmid containing, sequentially, the origin of (+)-strand synthesis, the packaging signal and a terminator of (+)-strand synthesis. When host cells harboring this plasmid (pLS7) are infected with helper phage they produce a microphage particle containing all the structural elements of the mature, native phage. The microphage is 65 A in diameter and about 500 A long. It contains a 221-base single-stranded circle of DNA coated by about 95 copies of the major coat protein (gene 8 protein)."}
{"id": "PMID:1469711", "title": "Pyrrolidine ring puckering in cis and trans-proline residues in proteins and polypeptides. Different puckers are favoured in certain situations.", "content": "In a set of proteins studied at high resolution by X-ray crystallography over a half of all cis and trans-proline residues could be unambiguously assigned to one of the two forms of pyrrolidine ring puckering, called UP and DOWN. Of these, 89% of the cis-proline residues exhibit the DOWN pucker, while the trans-proline residues, on average, are about evenly distributed between the two forms. Of trans-proline residues found in alpha-helices, 79% have the UP ring pucker. trans-proline residues occurring in other situations are more equally distributed between the two forms of pucker, although further generalizations may be possible. Proline residues in a set of crystal structures of short polypeptides were also examined. As in the protein sample, a tendency for the cis-proline residues to have the DOWN pucker was observed, but the effect was less pronounced."}
{"id": "PMID:1469712", "title": "Analysis of the role of phosphate oxygens in the group I intron from Tetrahymena.", "content": "We have developed a quantitative substitution interference technique to examine the role of Pro-Rp oxygens in the phosphodiester backbone of RNA, using phosphorothioates as a structural probe. This approach is generally applicable to any reaction involving RNA in which the precursor and reaction products can be separated. We have applied the technique to identity structural requirements in the group I intron from Tetrahymena thermophila for catalysis of hydrolysis at the 3' splice site; 44 phosphate oxygens are important in 3' splice site hydrolysis. These include four or five oxygens previously observed to be important in exon ligation. Although phosphate oxygens having a functional significance can be found throughout the intron, the strongest phosphorothioate effects are closely associated with positions in the highly conserved intron core, which are likely to be involved in tertiary interactions, substrate recognition and catalysis."}
{"id": "PMID:1469713", "title": "Differential binding of wild-type and a mutant RepA protein to oriR sequence suggests a model for the initiation of plasmid R1 replication.", "content": "DNA replication of the enterobacterial plasmid R1 is initiated by RepA protein. We have developed a new procedure for the purification of RepA from inclusion bodies, which involves CHAPS-mediated solubilization. This method has been also used for the thermosensitive mutant protein RepA2623. The nucleoprotein complexes obtained with both proteins and oriR, the origin of replication, are studied in this paper. DNaseI and hydroxyl-radical footprinting suggest the presence in oriR of two sites with different affinity for RepA separated by eight helical turns. The pattern of hypersensitive sites in the footprints indicates that the oriR sequence, when complexed with RepA, is curved. The binding of RepA molecules to oriR is co-operative and this co-operativity is defective in the thermosensitive protein. Band-shift analysis of RepA-oriR complexes revealed the existence of a species with an anomalously high electrophoretic mobility that appears after formation of the first RepA-oriR complex and requires the sequential interaction of RepA with its two distal binding sites. These features lead us to propose that protein-protein interactions between RepA bound to both distal sites could be responsible for oriR looping. This model represents a novel mechanism that results in activation of an origin in a replicon that does not contain iterons."}
{"id": "PMID:1469714", "title": "In vitro evolution of intrinsically bent DNA.", "content": "DNA fragments which are intrinsically bent or curved migrate anomalously during electrophoresis through polyacrylamide gels. Starting with an initial population of approximately 10(12) unique DNA sequences, DNA which exhibited the kind of anomalous mobility associated with DNA bending was selected and enriched using a variation of the SELEX procedure. After seven rounds of selection and amplification, the vast majority of the remaining population of DNA fragments migrated as bent DNA. Cloning and sequencing of 30 individual sequences from this population has yielded information regarding the relationship between DNA sequence and bending. Some of the previous conclusions on DNA bending have been confirmed while others have been modified, by the results presented here. In addition, the dinucleotide base step CA/TG, which had not been thought to be a major factor in DNA bending, appears to be important."}
{"id": "PMID:1469715", "title": "Mutational spectra in human B-cells. Spontaneous, oxygen and hydrogen peroxide-induced mutations at the hprt gene.", "content": "To test the hypothesis that reactive species in the oxygen cascade are responsible for spontaneous mutation, we examined the spectra of oxygen and hydrogen peroxide-induced mutations at the hprt locus in a human B-lymphoblastoid cell line. We compared these spectra with the spontaneous mutational spectrum. Large gene alterations were studied by Southern analysis of individual TGR clones. A combination of high fidelity polymerase chain reaction, denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis and direct DNA sequencing were used to detect and identify point mutations in exon 3 of hprt. With regard to spontaneous mutations, a previous study showed that 39% of the spontaneous TGR clones had large gene alterations. In the present study, the analysis of spontaneous point mutations within exon 3 revealed two hotspots. A one base-pair deletion (-A) at base-pair 256 or 257 and a two base-pair deletion (-GG) at base-pair 237 and 238, were detected in triplicate cultures. Each of the hotspots comprised about 1% of the TGR mutants. The analysis of individual oxygen-induced TGR clones (48 h, 910 microM-O2) showed 43% had large gene alterations similar to the spontaneous TGR clones. However, none of the spontaneous point mutation hotspots was found among triplicate oxygen-treated cultures. Two point mutations in common with H2O2-treated cultures were found in one of the three oxygen-treated cultures. Hydrogen peroxide-induced mutations (1 h, 20 microM) also differed from spontaneous mutations. Only 24% of the hydrogen peroxide-induced TGR clones had large gene alterations. The analysis of point mutations showed three hotspots within exon 3 of hprt. An AT to TA transversion at base-pair 259 had an average frequency of 3% of all TGR mutants (present in all of 3 H2O2-treated cultures). Two GC to CG transversions at base-pairs 243 and 202 were present at a frequency of 0.6% and 0.4%, respectively. A five base-pair deletion (base-pair 274 to 278) was present at an average frequency of 0.3%. The latter three mutations were detected in two of three H2O2-treated cultures. Thus, the point mutation spectra of both oxygen and hydrogen peroxide were significantly different from the spontaneous spectrum. The oxygen and hydrogen peroxide-induced spectra shared some features, suggesting that oxygen and hydrogen peroxide share some but not all pathways for induction of mutations within the DNA sequence studied here.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1469716", "title": "Structure analysis of the 5' external transcribed spacer of the precursor ribosomal RNA from Saccharomyces cerevisiae.", "content": "Full-length precursor ribosomal RNA molecules were produced in vitro using as a template, a plasmid containing the yeast 35 S pre-rRNA gene under the control of the phage T3 promoter. The higher-order structure of the 5'-external transcribed spacer (5' ETS) sequence in the 35S pre-rRNA molecule was studied using dimethylsulfate, 1-cyclohexyl-3-(2-morpholinoethyl)-carbodiimide metho-p-toluenesulfonate, RNase T1 and RNase V1 as structure-sensitive probes. Modified residues were detected by primer extension. Data produced were used to evaluate several theoretical structure models predicted by minimum free-energy calculations. A model for the entire 5'ETS region is proposed that accommodates 82% of the residues experimentally shown to be in either base-paired or single-stranded structure in the correct configuration. The model contains a high degree of secondary structure with ten stable hairpins of varying lengths and stabilities. The hairpins are composed of the Watson-Crick A.T and G.C pairs plus the non-canonical G.U pairs. Based on a comparative analysis of the 5' ETS sequence from Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Schizosaccharomyces pombe, most of the base-paired regions in the proposed model appear to be phylogenetically supported. The two sites previously shown to be crosslinked to U3 snRNA as well as the previously proposed recognition site for processing and one of the early processing site (based on sequence homology to the vertebrate ETS cleavage site) are located in single-stranded regions in the model. The present folding model for the 5' ETS in the 35 S pre-rRNA molecule should be useful in the investigations of the structure, function and processing of pre-rRNA."}
{"id": "PMID:1469717", "title": "Fate of the SpoIIID switch protein during Bacillus subtilis sporulation depends on the mother-cell sigma factor, sigma K.", "content": "Sporulation of Bacillus subtilis involves the differentiation of two cell types, the mother cell and the forespore. Two key regulators of mother-cell gene expression are SpoIIID, a DNA-binding protein that activates or represses transcription of many different genes, and sigma K, a subunit of RNA polymerase that directs the enzyme to transcribe genes encoding proteins that form the spore coat. Previous studies showed that SpoIIID is needed to produce sigma K, but suggested that SpoIIID represses sigma K-directed transcription of genes encoding spore coat proteins. Here we show that a feedback loop connects the levels of sigma K and SpoIIID, such that production of sigma K leads to a decrease in the level of SpoIIID. The existence of the feedback loop was demonstrated by using antibodies prepared against SpoIIID to measure the level of SpoIIID during sporulation of wild-type cells, mutants defective in sigma K production, and a mutant engineered to produce sigma K earlier than normal. The feedback loop operates at the level of synthesis and/or stability of spoIIID mRNA, as demonstrated by measuring the level of spoIIID mRNA during sporulation of wild-type cells and mutants defective in sigma K production. Our results suggest that a rise in the level of sigma K during the stage (IV) of spore cortex formation causes a decrease in the level of SpoIIID, which, at least in part, establishes the switch to the stage V (spore coat formation) pattern of mother-cell gene expression."}
{"id": "PMID:1469718", "title": "Tetrahymena gene encodes a protein that is homologous with the liver-specific F-antigen and associated with membranes of the Golgi apparatus and transport vesicles.", "content": "The F-antigen is a prominent liver protein which has been extensively used in studies on natural and induced immunological tolerance. However, its intracellular localization and biological function have remained elusive. It has generally been assumed that the F-antigen is confined phylogenetically to vertebrates. Now we have cloned and characterized a gene from the ciliated protozoan Tetrahymena thermophila encoding a protein which clearly is homologous with the rat F-antigen. The coding region of the Tetrahymena F-antigen (TF-ag) gene specifies a 46,051 M(r) protein and is interrupted by three introns. In accordance with the predicted molecular mass of the TF-ag protein, antibodies raised against a cro-lacZ'-TF-ag fusion protein specifically recognized a 45,000 M(r) protein in Western blots of total T. thermophila protein. Immunoelectron microscopy demonstrated that the TF-ag is associated with membranes of the Golgi apparatus and transport vesicles pointing to a role of TF-ag in membrane trafficking. Transcription of the TF-ag gene, as determined by run-on analyses, was only detectable in growing cells, and following transfer to starvation condition pre-existing TF-ag mRNA was rapidly degraded. The abundance of the TF-ag protein, however, declined only moderately during prolonged periods of starvation demonstrating that extensive release of the TF-ag did not take place. In combination these results suggest that the TF-ag protein is a recycled constituent of the intracellular membrane network in T. thermophila."}
{"id": "PMID:1469719", "title": "Selection of high affinity RNA ligands to the bacteriophage R17 coat protein.", "content": "RNA ligands with high affinity for the bacteriophage R17 coat protein were isolated from a pool of random RNA molecules using SELEX. Of the 38 ligands isolated, 36 were found to contain a hairpin very similar to the naturally occurring coat protein binding site in the R17 genome. The common features of these 36 sequences provide a consensus binding site and predict components of a hairpin that promote favorable interaction with the coat protein. These include a tetraloop of primary sequence AUCA and a variable-length stem with a bulged adenosine residue at a specific stem position. The predicted consensus agrees well with the highest-affinity RNA binding site of the R17 coat protein, identified through classical but laborious techniques. These results demonstrate the value of SELEX as a tool for isolating high affinity RNA ligands to a specific target protein, and the further value of those ligands to point the researcher toward natural sequences for that target protein."}
{"id": "PMID:1469720", "title": "Conformational changes of a viral capsid protein. Thermodynamic rationale for proteolytic regulation of bacteriophage T4 capsid expansion, co-operativity, and super-stabilization by soc binding.", "content": "We have used differential scanning calorimetry in conjunction with cryo-electron microscopy to investigate the conformational transitions undergone by the maturing capsid of phage T4. Its precursor shell is composed primarily of gp23 (521 residues): cleavage of gp23 to gp23* (residues 66 to 521) facilitates a concerted conformational change in which the particle expands substantially, and is greatly stabilized. We have now characterized the intermediate states of capsid maturation; namely, the cleaved/unexpanded, state, which denatures at tm = 60 degrees C, and the uncleaved/expanded state, for which tm = 70 degrees C. When compared with the precursor uncleaved/unexpanded state (tm = 65 degrees C), and the mature cleaved/expanded state (tm = 83 degrees C, if complete cleavage precedes expansion), it follows that expansion of the cleaved precursor (delta tm approximately +23 degrees C) is the major stabilizing event in capsid maturation. These observations also suggest an advantage conferred by capsid protein cleavage (some other phage capsids expand without cleavage): if the gp23-delta domains (residues 1 to 65) are not removed by proteolysis, they impede formation of the stablest possible bonding arrangement when expansion occurs, most likely by becoming trapped at the interface between neighboring subunits or capsomers. Icosahedral capsids denature at essentially the same temperatures as tubular polymorphic variants (polyheads) for the same state of the surface lattice. However, the thermal transitions of capsids are considerably sharper, i.e. more co-operative, than those of polyheads, which we attribute to capsids being closed, not open-ended. In both cases, binding of the accessory protein soc around the threefold sites on the outer surface of the expanded surface lattice results in a substantial further stabilization (delta tm = +5 degrees C). The interfaces between capsomers appear to be relatively weak points that are reinforced by clamp-like binding of soc. These results imply that the \"triplex\" proteins of other viruses (their structural counterparts of soc) are likely also to be involved in capsid stabilization. Cryo-electron microscopy was used to make conclusive interpretations of endotherms in terms of denaturation events. These data also revealed that the cleaved/unexpanded capsid has an angular polyhedral morphology and has a pronounced relief on its outer surface. Moreover, it is 14% smaller in linear dimensions than the cleaved/expanded capsid, and its shell is commensurately thicker."}
{"id": "PMID:1469721", "title": "Terminating a macromolecular helix. Structural model for the minor proteins of bacteriophage M13.", "content": "Analysis of the results of X-ray diffraction, electron microscopy and s sequence studies of filamentous bacteriophage M13 are used to construct structural models for the minor proteins gp7 and gp9 at the end of the virus assembled first, and a portion of gp6 at the end of the virus that binds host. Comparison of the sequence of the major coat protein, gp8, with those of gp7, gp9 and gp6 indicates that significant portions of these three proteins have sequences similar to that of gp8. Assuming that sequence similarity is indicative of structural similarity, gp7, gp9 and portions of gp6 are modeled based on what is known about the structure of gp8. These molecular models are analyzed to predict the packing of the minor proteins with the terminal gp8 proteins (the last gp8 proteins at either end of the helix). This analysis indicates that the gp8 proteins integrated into the virus first may have a structure distinct from those in the body of the virus particle. The gp8 proteins at the end assembled last appear to have a conformation very similar to that of the integral coat proteins. These models place specific constraints on models for the process of viral assembly."}
{"id": "PMID:1469722", "title": "Crystal structure of a sweet tasting protein thaumatin I, at 1.65 A resolution.", "content": "The crystal structure of thaumatin I, a potently sweet protein isolated from the fruits of the West African shrub, Thaumatococcus danielli Benth, has been refined at a resolution better than 1.65 A using a combination of energy minimization and stereochemically restrained least-squares methods. The final model consists of all 207 amino acids, 28 alternate amino acid conformers and 236 waters, with a crystallographic R-factor of 0.145 for 19,877 reflections having F > 4 sigma F between 10.0 A and 1.65 A (R = 0.167 for all 24,022 reflections). The model has good stereochemistry, with root-mean-square deviations from ideal values for bond and angle distances of 0.014 A and 0.029 A, respectively. The estimated root-mean-square co-ordinate error is 0.15 A. The current model confirms the previously reported 3.1 A C alpha trace in both main chain connectivity and disulfide topology, including two disulfide bonds, that differed from the earlier reported biochemical determination. The structure contains three domains. The core of the molecule consists of an eleven-stranded, flattened beta-sandwich folded into two Greek key motifs. All beta-strands in this sandwich are antiparallel except the parallel N-terminal and the C-terminal strands. The average hydrogen bond length in this sandwich is 2.89 A, with an angle of 155.1 degrees. Two beta-bulges are found in one of the sheets. The second domain consists of two beta-strands forming a beta-ribbon and connected by an omega-loop, and contains a proline residue in cis conformation. This structural motif folds back against the main sandwich to form a smaller sandwich-like structure. The third domain is a disulfide-rich region stretching away from the sandwich portion of the molecule. It contains one alpha-helix and three short helical fragments. Two of the helical segments are connected by an unusually sharp turn, stabilized by a disulfide bridge. One of the three disulfide bonds in this domain takes on two conformations."}
{"id": "PMID:1469723", "title": "Taming cut-off induced artifacts in molecular dynamics studies of solvated polypeptides. The reaction field method.", "content": "In this paper we present a model system of a solvated polypeptide, which is a suitable reference platform for the systematic exploration of methods for taming artifacts introduced by an incorrect treatment of long-range Coulomb forces. The essential feature of the system composed of an alpha-helical peptide and 1021 water molecules is the strict neutrality of all charge groups. The dynamical properties of the peptide, i.e. unfolding or maintenance of the helix, already give first hints on the influence of boundary effects. A rigorous and deeper insight is gained, however, if analyzing the system by means of the generalized Kirkwood g-factor, which projects the net dipole moment of concentric spheres onto the respective dipole moment of the reference charge group. The g-factor is a global measure for, and a sensitive probe of, the orientational structure, which in its turn reflects even the smallest inconsistencies in the treatment of long-range forces. While the cut-off scheme failed the g-factor test, the \"reaction field\" method, the simplest cut-off correction scheme, enables a consistent description. In other words, with the aid of the reaction field, the correct orientational structure is restored. As a consequence, the helix stability is regained and we were able to calculate the dielectric constant epsilon approximately 55 to 60 for our system, which is slightly below the corresponding value epsilon SPC = 66 of the pure solvent."}
{"id": "PMID:1469724", "title": "Analysis of sequence variation among legume lectins. A ring of hypervariable residues forms the perimeter of the carbohydrate-binding site.", "content": "Twelve plant lectins from the Papilionoideae subfamily were selected to represent a range of carbohydrate specificities, and their sequences were aligned. Two variability indices were applied to the aligned sequences and the results were analysed using the three-dimensional structures of concanavalin A and the pea lectin. The areas of greatest variability were located in the carbohydrate-binding site region, forming a perimeter around a well-conserved core. These residues are inferred to be specificity determining, in the manner of antibodies, and the most variable position corresponded to Tyr100 in concanavalin A, a known ligand contact residue. In addition to the five peptide loops known to form the binding site from crystallographic studies, a sixth segment with variable residues was located in the binding-site region, and this may contribute to oligosaccharide specificity. In their overall composition, the lectin sites resemble those of the sugar-transport proteins rather than antibodies. The prospects for modelling lectin binding sites by the methods used for antibodies were also assessed."}
{"id": "PMID:1469725", "title": "Isolation, crystallization, crystal structure analysis and refinement of B-phycoerythrin from the red alga Porphyridium sordidum at 2.2 A resolution.", "content": "The light-harvesting pigment-protein complex B-phycoerythrin from the red alga Porphyridium sordidum has been isolated and crystallized. B-Phycoerythrin consists of three different subunits forming an (alpha beta)6 gamma aggregate. The three-dimensional structure of the (alpha beta)6 hexamer was solved by Patterson search techniques using the molecular model of C-phycocyanin from Fremyella diplosiphon. The asymmetric unit of the crystal cell (space group P3, with a = b = 111.2 A, c = 59.9 A, alpha = beta = 90 degrees, gamma = 120 degrees) contains two (alpha beta) monomers related by a local dyad. Three asymmetric units are arranged around the crystallographic 3-fold axis building an (alpha beta)6 hexamer, as in C-phycocyanin. The crystal structure has been refined by energy-restrained crystallographic refinement and model building. The conventional R-factor of the final model was 18.9% with data to 2.2 A resolution. The molecular structures of the alpha and beta-subunits resemble those of C-phycocyanin. Major changes in comparison to phycocyanin are caused by deletion or insertion of segments involved in protein-chromophore interactions. The singly linked phycoerythrobilin chromophores alpha-84, alpha-140a, beta-84 and beta-155 are each covalently bound to a cysteine by ring A. The doubly linked chromophore beta-50/beta-61 is attached at cysteine beta-50 through ring A and at cysteine beta-61 through ring D. B-Phycoerythrin contains additionally a 30 kDa gamma-subunit, which is presumably located in the central cavity of the hexamer. It is disordered, as a consequence of crystal and local symmetry averaging."}
{"id": "PMID:1469726", "title": "Recognition of distantly related protein sequences using conserved motifs and neural networks.", "content": "A sensitive technique for protein sequence motif recognition based on neural networks has been developed. It involves three major steps. (1) At each appropriate alignment position of a set of N matched sequences, a set of N aligned oligopeptides is specified with preselected window length. N neural nets are subsequently and successively trained on N-1 amino acid spans after eliminating each ith oligopeptide. A test for recognition of each of the ith spans is performed. The average neural net recognition over N such trials is used as a measure of conservation for the particular windowed region of the multiple alignment. This process is repeated for all possible spans of given length in the multiple alignment. (2) The M most conserved regions are regarded as motifs and the oligopeptides within each are used to train intensively M individual neural networks. (3) The M networks are then applied in a search for related primary structures in a databank of known protein sequences. The oligopeptide spans in the database sequence with strongest neural net output for each of the M networks are saved and then scored according to the output signals and the proper combination that follows the expected N- to C-terminal sequence order. The motifs from the database with highest similarity scores can then be used to retrain the M neural nets, which can be subsequently utilized for further searches in the databank, thus providing even greater sensitivity to recognize distant familial proteins. This technique was successfully applied to the integrase, DNA-polymerase and immunoglobulin families."}
{"id": "PMID:1469727", "title": "Unique side-chain conformation encoding for chirality and azimuthal orientation in the molecular packing of skin collagen.", "content": "We used molecular mechanics to study the role of gly X-Y+ sequences, where X- was Asp or Glu and Y+ was Lys or Arg, in the molecular packing of type I collagen. In the minimal energy conformation of a triply stranded molecule having a coiled-coil configuration, the side-chains of these sequences segregated into two oppositely charged groupings of the forms X-Y+X- and Y+X-Y+. Groupings having the same net charge were clustered along two complementary azimuthal edges of the molecule. Intermolecular interactions, through these oppositely charged edges, align the molecules appropriately for the formation of the HHL crosslink of skin. This alignment also can account for the axial periodicity and chiral appearance of skin collagen fibrils."}
{"id": "PMID:1469728", "title": "Crystallization and preliminary X-ray analysis of a fungal endoglucanase I.", "content": "An endoglucanase I (EG1) from a fungal source (Humicola insolens) has been crystallized in a number of forms suitable for X-ray diffraction analysis. Four crystal forms have been grown from various precipitants using vapour phase diffusion methods in hanging drops. Three of these crystal forms diffract to beyond 2.5 A resolution. Two forms, obtained from ammonium sulphate at pH 5.4, or 8.0, grow as tetragonal bipyramids in space group P4(1)22 or P4(3)22, with approximate cell dimensions a = b = 102 A, c = 282 A. The other crystal forms were grown from polyethylene glycol 8000 at pH 8.0. One grows as monoclinic plates, space group P2(1), with cell dimensions a = 66.9 A, b = 75.2 A, c = 86.9 A and beta = 102.9 degrees and the other as long hexagonal rods in space group P6(1)22 or P6(5)22, with cell dimensions a = b = 119 A, c = 83 A."}
{"id": "PMID:1469729", "title": "Preliminary crystallographic studies of the amino terminal half of human lactoferrin in its iron-saturated and iron-free forms.", "content": "The amino terminal half of human lactoferrin (LfN) produced from transfected baby hamster kidney cells has been crystallized in its iron-saturated and iron-free forms. The crystals of glycosylated LfN and deglycosylated LfN are monoclinic, space group C2, with cell dimensions a = 133.0 A, b = 58.3 A, c = 58.3 A, alpha = 90.0 degrees, beta = 114.7 degrees, gamma = 90.0 degrees, and one molecule per asymmetric unit. Crystals of apo LfN have also been prepared using deglycosylated protein. These crystals are tetragonal, space group P4(1)2(1)2 (or P4(3)2(1)2), with cell dimensions of a = b = 58.4 A and c = 217.2 A and one molecule per asymmetric unit. Both the iron-saturated and the iron-free crystals are suitable for high resolution X-ray analysis."}
{"id": "PMID:1469730", "title": "Crystallization of murine major histocompatibility complex class I H-2Kb with single peptides.", "content": "X-ray quality crystals of a soluble murine class I H-2Kb molecule complexed with three different peptide antigens were grown in several forms by streak seeding and macroseeding methods. Co-crystals with VSV-8 (RGYVYGQL), OVA-8 (SIINFEKL) and SEV-9 (FAPGNYPAL) peptides were grown either from NaH2PO4/HPO4 or from polyethylene glycol 4000 within the pH range 5.0 to 7.5, with the use of 4-methyl-2-pentane diol (MPD) as an additive. The VSV-8 crystals grew in space groups P1, with cell dimensions a = 63.1 A, b = 69.1 A, c = 72.0 A, alpha = 89.9 degrees, beta = 77.1 degrees, gamma = 123.3 degrees and P2(1)2(1)2, with a = 138.1 A, b = 88.6 A, c = 45.7 A, and diffract to 2.9 and 2.3 A, respectively. Crystals of the SEV-9 complex grew from similar crystallization conditions to those of the orthorhombic VSV-8 complex with similar cell parameters and diffract to at least 2.5 A resolution. Crystals of the OVA-8 complex were obtained from either phosphate (space group C2, a = 118.7 A, b = 61.6 A, c = 85.3 A, beta = 108.4 degrees) or polyethylene glycol (space group P1, a = 64.5 A, b = 71.0 A, c = 66.3 A, alpha = 89.7 degrees, beta = 95.7 degrees, gamma = 123.3 degrees) and diffract to 3 A resolution. The crystallization procedures used here significantly increased the rate and production of X-ray quality crystals."}
{"id": "PMID:1469731", "title": "Purification, crystallization and preliminary X-ray analysis of toxic shock syndrome toxin-1 from Staphylococcus aureus.", "content": "High yields of toxic shock syndrome toxin-1, from Staphylococcus aureus, have been purified (> 99%) using a novel, simple, two-step procedure involving dye ligand chromatography. Crystals suitable for X-ray diffraction work were obtained by vapour diffusion using ammonium sulphate and polyethylene glycol as precipitants. They belong to the orthorhombic space group C222(1), with unit cell dimensions a = 108.6 A, b = 177.6 A and c = 97.5 A, with three molecules per asymmetric unit. The crystals diffract to at least 2.5 A resolution and are suitable for three-dimensional X-ray structural analysis."}
{"id": "PMID:1469732", "title": "Crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction studies of pancreatic spasmolytic polypeptide.", "content": "Pancreatic spasmolytic polypeptide (PSP) isolated from porcine pancreas has been crystallized by the hanging drop vapour diffusion method. The crystals belong to the space group I222 or I2(1)2(1)2(1) with cell dimensions a = 181.9 A, b = 54.5 A, c = 72.9 A. The crystals diffract to at least 2.5 A resolution and the asymmetric unit contains two molecules (Vm = 3.9 A3/Da) with a solvent content of 68% as determined by density measurements of the crystals. The self-rotation function suggests that the two molecules within the asymmetric unit are related by a 2-fold axis at either 30 degrees or 60 degrees from a in a plane perpendicular to the b axis."}
{"id": "PMID:1469733", "title": "Nucleotide sequence and organization of an H2-uptake gene cluster from Rhizobium leguminosarum bv. viciae containing a rubredoxin-like gene and four additional open reading frames.", "content": "The nucleotide sequence of a 3.2 kb region following the hydrogenase structural operon (hupSLCDEF) in the H2-uptake gene cluster from Rhizobium leguminosarum by viciae strain 128C53 has been determined. Five closely linked genes encoding products of 16.3 (HupG), 30.5 (HupH), 8.0 (HupI), 18.4 (HupJ) and 38.7 (HupK) kDa were identified 166 bp downstream from hupF. Transposon insertions into hupG, hupH, hupJ and hupK suppress the H2-oxidizing capability of the wild-type strain. The amino acid sequence deduced from hupI contains two Cys-X-X-Cys motifs, characteristic of rubredoxins, separated by 29 amino acid residues showing strong sequence homology with other bacterial rubredoxins. The amino acid-derived sequence from hupG and hupH showed homology to products from genes hyaE and hyaF of the operon encoding hydrogenase 1 from Escherichia coli, and hupJ and hupK were related to open reading frames identified in Rhodobacter capsulatus and Azotobacter vinelandii hydrogenase gene clusters. An involvement of the hupGHIJK gene cluster in redox reactions related to hydrogenase synthesis or activity is predicted on the basis of the function as electron carrier attributed to rubredoxin."}
{"id": "PMID:1469734", "title": "Overview of the red eye.", "content": "Markedly reduced vision and a shallow anterior chamber suggest acute glaucoma. A mucopurulent discharge suggests conjunctivitis. An abnormal cornea may suggest acute glaucoma or keratitis. An abnormal pupil is seen with both acute glaucoma and iritis."}
{"id": "PMID:1469736", "title": "A challenge for the 1990s: patient education.", "content": "The goal of health education is assisting patients to adapt to their illness, assuming responsibility for their therapeutic regimen, and working towards attaining their maximum level of wellness. There are three domains of learning behavior: cognitive (knowledge and information), affective (attitudes, values, and beliefs), and psychomotor (skills and performance). The use of these results in behavioral change. Effective nurse educators take advantage of every interaction to teach their patients. It is the nurse's responsibility to present information to the patient in such a way that it motivates, stimulates, and allows the patient to appreciate learning."}
{"id": "PMID:1469737", "title": "Corneal edema and bullous keratopathy.", "content": "The normally functioning cornea is in a relatively dehydrated or deturgesced state, which maintains the compact anatomic relations of the stroma and epithelium. The corneal endothelium functions as both a barrier and a pump to maintain corneal deturgescence. Even minimal epithelial edema can cause a significant decrease in visual acuity."}
{"id": "PMID:1469738", "title": "OSHA regulations: how they relate to ophthalmic practice.", "content": "The OSHA regulations, which took effect March 6, 1992, require that all employees be trained in infection control practices when they are hired, their job description changes, or the standards for universal precautions are revised. An explanation, provided to inform employees where a copy of the OSHA standard can be reviewed should be available at each clinical and surgical site, and OSHA regulation definitions must also be posted. The OSHA regulation applies to any clinical, housekeeping, or administrative staff that has any potential risk of exposure to blood or other potentially infectious substances."}
{"id": "PMID:1469743", "title": "Targeting of gonadotropin-releasing hormone axons from preoptic area grafts to the median eminence.", "content": "Implantation of normal GnRH neurons can reverse many of the reproductive deficiencies that characterize hypogonadal (hpg) mice. Since the GnRH axons follow a stereotyped trajectory to their target we investigated the possibility that host brain regions adjacent to the graft might provide signals that induced this directional growth. The role of the adenohypophysis in GnRH axonal outgrowth was studied in mice with co-grafts of fetal preoptic area (POA) and pituitary and in hypophysectomized hosts. When fetal pituitaries were grafted together with the POA, immunoreactive GnRH fibers did enter the glandular tissue but they also grew into the host median eminence. Surgical removal of the pituitary of hpg hosts prior to POA graft placement was also compatible with GnRH innervation of the host median eminence although in some individuals that innervation pattern was confined to the more caudal aspects. The results of these two experiments suggest that the anterior pituitary gland may be an attractive target for GnRH axons but that this tissue is not essential for directed GnRH axonal outgrowth to its target. To determine if the median eminence itself could direct the growth of GnRH axons, co-grafts of POA and a fetal medial basal hypothalamic (MBH) block, which was predominantly median eminence, were made. Immunocytochemistry showed that an intragraft mini-median eminence was formed with a highly organized and robust GnRH innervation. Ultrastructural analysis indicated that these axons terminated near fenestrated capillaries. However, even under these conditions some GnRH axons exited into the host median eminence. It now seems likely that a cellular component of the median eminence can provide a signal to attract GnRH axons. Whether this signal is produced by the specialized ependymal cells, by the endothelia, or by meningeal (pial) components must now be tested."}
{"id": "PMID:1469735", "title": "Central serous chorioretinopathy associated with pregnancy.", "content": "Central serous chorioretinopathy is an infrequent but benign complication of pregnancy that is found largely in the minority population. White subretinal exudates and multiple recurrences are frequently seen with the central serous chorioretinopathy of pregnancy. Central serous chorioretinopathy usually spontaneously resolves with minimal sequelae without intervention after delivery of the baby."}
{"id": "PMID:1469739", "title": "Red-green duochrome test.", "content": "The red-green duochrome test is based on a monocular endpoint in which each eye is tested separately. It is a subjective test that requires responses from the patient and is used to refine the spherical endpoint. Chromatic aberration, the basis of the test, occurs because different wavelengths of light are bent to a different extent. The longer wavelength (red) is refracted less than the shorter (green). If the letters on the red side stand out more, add minus power; if the letters on the green side stand out more, add plus power. Neutrality is reached when the letters on both backgrounds appear equally distinct."}
{"id": "PMID:1469744", "title": "Neuromuscular junctions contain NP185: the multifunctional protein is located at the presynaptic site.", "content": "The NP185 polypeptide (AP3) is a multifunctional component isolated from brain endocytic vesicles, which binds to tubulin and clathrin light chains, decoated vesicles, synaptic vesicles, and the synaptosomal plasma membrane (Su et al., 1991). The NP185 molecules are expressed during avian cerebellar synaptogenesis and appear to function in CNS regions rich in synaptic terminals (Perry et al., 1991). In this report we describe double-labelling experiments with avian embryonic striated muscle fibers demonstrating the exclusive presence of the brain-specific protein at the neuromuscular junction. We used indirect rhodamine immunofluorescence labeling with a monoclonal antibody (mAb-8G8) to mark the location of NP185 in muscle combined with fluorescein-alpha-bungarotoxin to mark the postsynaptic location of the acetylcholine receptors (AChRs). We show that the distribution of both NP185 and AChRs has an overall correlation, but the location of NP185 is circumscribed to presynaptic structures adjacent but not overlapping with postsynaptic structures displaying the AchRs. To confirm the identity of NP185, the molecule was extracted from both tissues, partially purified, immunoprecipitated, and identified in Western blots with the mAb 8G8. The mAb reacted with an identical 185 kD protein band purified from both tissues. Based on its properties and specific neuronal location, the NP185 molecule may function in motor nerve terminals by screening membrane proteins, identifying areas of the synaptic plasma membrane, and to anchor these elements with structural proteins for their recycling and transport within the neuronal cellular compartments."}
{"id": "PMID:1469745", "title": "Amygdala neurons in vitro: neurite growth and effects of estradiol.", "content": "Dissociated cell cultures from embryonic rat medial amygdala were studied using sequential photography and immunocytochemical staining for cytoskeletal proteins and substance P (sP). Cultures were seeded with cells taken from fetuses grouped by sex; experimental cultures were raised in medium containing 17-beta-estradiol (E2). Forty-eight hours after plating a few neurons begin to define their morphological polarity by the differentiation of an axon-like process; at 5 days in vitro (DIV) almost all neurons had developed an axon. Tapering, daughter branch ratio and branch power coefficient coincided with identification of dendrites which could be confirmed by retrospective analysis of immunocytochemically stained cultures: at 5 DIV MAP-2 was restricted to dendrites whereas Tau immunoreactivity was differentially localized with a clear predominance in the axon. At 21 DIV neuronal shape parameters were strikingly like those of amygdaloid neurons in vivo. It was demonstrated in living neurons that E2 increased total dendritic length and that this is due to increased ramification of third or higher order dendritic segments whose individual lengths are not different from controls. Densitometric measurement of MAP-2 stained neurons showed a highly significant increase of immunoreactive material in cells grown in the presence of E2; readings for alpha-tubulin were not different between controls and E2 treated cultures. The effect of E2 on dendritic length was just as manifest in sP-positive as in sP-negative neurons. No sexual differences in morphological parameters, growth characteristics or effects of E2 were found in neurons taken from female fetuses versus neurons from male fetuses. The significance of these results for the generation of sexual differences in the amygdala in vivo is discussed and contrasted with reported results on the effects of E2 in cultures of different neural regions."}
{"id": "PMID:1469746", "title": "Beta-oxidation of [1-14C]palmitic acid by mouse astrocytes in primary culture: effects of agents implicated in the encephalopathy of Reye's syndrome.", "content": "beta-Oxidation of [1-14C]palmitic acid was examined in homogenates of astrocytes cultured from neonatal mouse brain. Under optimal reaction conditions (< or = 50 micrograms protein, 10 min at 37 degrees C), oxidation increased as a function of palmitate concentration (15 microM to 2 mM) and reached a maximum rate of 1.98 +/- 0.29 nmol/min/mg protein (mean +/- SEM) at 0.2 mM substrate. Eadie-Hofstee analysis of data from four experiments yielded apparent values for Vmax of 1.87 nmol/min/mg protein, and for Km, 35-40 microM. There were no dramatic changes in the oxidation rate in cells between 10 and 36 days in culture. During the 10-min assays, less than 0.05% of the radioactivity was converted to 14CO2 by the astrocytes; water-soluble products accounted for 1-2% of the total substrate added. Studies with KCN indicated that 60-70% of the total activity occurred in the mitochondria. We have been studying the structural and functional changes associated with the cerebral encephalopathy of Reye's syndrome (RS). Three-week-old astrocytes exposed to serum from RS children for the final 7 days of culture exhibited minor mitochondrial pleomorphism and had increased numbers of other intracellular organelles. Examination of the effects of agents implicated in RS indicated that oxidation of [1-14C]palmitate was not altered by Na+ salicylate (1-3 mM), but was inhibited by the industrial surfactant, Toximul MP-8 (> or = 10 micrograms/ml), 4-pentenoic acid (> or = 0.1 microM), or with 4 days' exposure to ammonia (10 nM). The latter treatment also resulted in an increase in protein synthesis, cell volume, and malondialdehyde formation. These results suggest that some of the \"toxins\" implicated in RS inhibit fatty-acid oxidation in the astrocytes and produce other lipid-related abnormalities that could be related to encephalopathy."}
{"id": "PMID:1469747", "title": "Anomalous phosphorylated neurofilament aggregations in central and peripheral axons of hens treated with tri-ortho-cresyl phosphate (TOCP).", "content": "Previous biochemical studies demonstrated a dramatic increase in phosphorylation of cytoskeletal proteins that occurs early in organophosphorus ester-induced delayed neurotoxicity (OPIDN). In this report we present immunohistochemical evidence that there is anomalous aggregation of phosphorylated neurofilaments within central and peripheral axons following organophosphate exposure. The morphology, location, and time of appearance of these aggregations are consistent with the hypothesis that the aberrant phosphorylation of cytoskeletal elements is an antecedent to the focal axonal swelling and degeneration characteristic of OPIDN."}
{"id": "PMID:1469748", "title": "Interaction of ganglioside GM1 with the B subunit of cholera toxin modulates intracellular free calcium in sensory neurons.", "content": "The B subunit of cholera toxin, which binds specifically to GM1 ganglioside on cell surfaces, has previously been shown to modulate intracellular calcium levels and growth in several cell types. To explore a role for such changes in calcium in the growth regulatory function of cell-associated GM1 in neurons, dissociated neurons from chicken embryonic day 8 dorsal root ganglia were exposed to the B subunit. To enhance sensitivity to B subunit, some neurons were also enriched with added GM1 (100 microM) and then exposed to B subunit. Incubation of naive cultures with 1 microgram/ml of the B subunit was sufficient to produce modest increases in intracellular free calcium above basal levels in a minor percentage of cells for at least 5 min, as measured by fura-2 fluorescence imaging. Pretreatment of the cells with GM1 for 48 hr increased even further the elevations in intracellular free calcium and the percentage of responding neurons observed after B subunit exposure. These increases in intracellular calcium required the presence of external Ca2+, but were not inhibited by calcium channel blockers. Such changes in calcium were accompanied by fine alterations in morphology affecting mostly the branching of neurites and were more pronounced in the presence of GM1. However, the morphological changes did not result in altered neurofilament protein expression. Immunogold electron microscopy using anti-choleragenoid depicted extensive aggregations of immunoreactive gold particles on neuronal surfaces, which were more extensive in cells treated with GM1. The results demonstrate that cell incorporated GM1 may modulate calcium fluxes, perhaps accounting for the growth regulatory functions of GM1 in both neuronal and other cell types."}
{"id": "PMID:1469749", "title": "Leukemia inhibitory factor promotes the neuronal development of spinal cord precursors from the neural tube.", "content": "Recent evidence from our laboratory has shown that leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) can act early in peripheral nervous system development. We have investigated a potential role of LIF in the developing spinal cord. In explants and dissociated cultures of spinal cord primordium, LIF stimulated a profuse neurite outgrowth. To determine if these effects were related to neuronal differentiation, cells were plated at low cell density and stained for neurofilament. LIF stimulated an increase in the number of newly differentiated neurons, without inducing proliferation of the precursors. Given that LIF has previously reported effects as a cholinergic switching factor for sympathetic neurons, we investigated whether LIF had similar effects in these spinal cord cultures. LIF increased the number of cholinergic neurons in proportion to its overall effect on the stimulation of all neurofilament positive neurons in the culture. These data show that LIF stimulates the generation of spinal cord neurons from their precursors and further implicates a role for LIF in nervous system development."}
{"id": "PMID:1469750", "title": "Development of the ostiomeatal unit in childhood: a radiological study.", "content": "The role of surgery in the management of sinus disease is in a state of evolution. With the advent of the endoscope, functional sinus surgery has become a reality. This type of surgery is recently being utilized as a therapeutic modality for sinus disease in children. The sinus surgeon should be aware of the differences between adult and pediatric sinus anatomy. This study utilizes the CT scanner to chart the anatomy and development of the ostiomeatal unit area in childhood, from the age of one through 16. This study may provide a more comprehensive understanding of the ostiomeatal unit in the pediatric population."}
{"id": "PMID:1469751", "title": "Augmentation of skeletal muscle survival in the latissimus dorsi porcine model using acute ischemic preconditioning.", "content": "Reconstruction of head and neck defects commonly involve local and distal muscle transplants. Ischemic flap necrosis is a well recognized complication of autogenous muscle transplants. Research in the field of myocardial survival has recently shown that repeated brief periods of ischemia followed by reperfusion result in improve muscle survival when the cardiac muscle is subsequently subjected to prolonged ischemia. This is called preconditioning and the mechanism is unknown. The concept is discussed in this paper and presented as a potential new, non-pharmacological strategy to reduce skeletal muscle ischemic necrosis. A review of the development and application of preconditioning in myocardial muscle survival is presented, and causes of ischemic muscle necrosis are discussed. Potential mechanisms of preconditioning in muscle are also presented. The extrapolation of the concept of preconditioning is discussed with an examination of a potential experimental model to test this concept: the latissimus dorsi flap in the pig. The results of our investigations into the effect of preconditioning on skeletal muscle and its possible mechanism are discussed. Preconditioning may prove to be a useful method to improve skeletal muscle tolerance to sustained normothermic global ischemia. This may have important clinical benefits in muscle transplantation. To our knowledge, this is the first publication to discuss the application of preconditioning in skeletal muscle."}
{"id": "PMID:1469752", "title": "Tissue clay: an experimental model to evaluate its performance in soft tissue augmentation and its biologic fate.", "content": "Tissue clay (a mixture of autologous whole blood and microfibrillar collagen--Avitene) has been proposed as a medium for reconstruction in cosmetic and reconstructive deformities of the face. Its performance and biologic fate has not been evaluated experimentally. The current study employs a model using the rabbit pinna to determine, histologically, the fate of a tissue clay implant."}
{"id": "PMID:1469753", "title": "Presbycusis: correlations of clinical audiology with morphological changes in the cochlea and the ventral cochlear nucleus.", "content": "Five cases of presbycusis are presented. Analysis included audiological tests, cochlear hair cell and ganglion cell counts, assessment of degree of strial atrophy, and ventral cochlear nucleus neuron counts. One case showed a reduction in cochlear nucleus neuron counts without significant cochlear changes, indicating that this pattern of pathological changes is a possible cause of high tone sensorineural deafness."}
{"id": "PMID:1469754", "title": "Long-term results of uvulopalatopharyngoplasty for snoring.", "content": "Snoring is a disease of listeners and one which can cause significant disruption in an otherwise peaceful household. Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP) was initially described in 1981 for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea, and since that time only one large series has evaluated it as a treatment for snoring. Various therapeutic strategies have been described for the treatment of snoring, but UPPP seems to hold the most promise. A retrospective review was undertaken of over 100 patients undergoing UPPP since 1984 to evaluate the efficacy of the procedure in controlling the symptom of snoring. The group of patients who will benefit most from this procedure is identified."}
{"id": "PMID:1469755", "title": "Chondrosarcoma of the larynx: a histo-radiologic analysis.", "content": "Chondrosarcoma of the larynx is a rare malignant cartilaginous neoplasm. To date, the serial sectioned laryngeal specimens of this disease have not been correlated with the pre-operative computed tomographic findings. A retrospective analysis of 833 serially sectioned laryngeal specimens found chondrosarcoma in six cases (0.72%), of which four cases had a pre-surgical computed tomography (CT). Radiologic axial sections were compared with microscopic sections in the same plane. Whole organ sections showed the tumor to have an expansile growth pattern, showing little impulse to infiltrate adjacent cartilage. CT scanning successfully predicted the diagnosis of a cartilage neoplasm prior to surgery, and accurately reflected the site and extent of laryngeal involvement. We conclude that CT is a reliable method of evaluating chondrosarcoma of the larynx, thereby predicting the feasibility of partial laryngeal resection."}
{"id": "PMID:1469756", "title": "Bilateral vocal cord palsy: the alternative to tracheostomy.", "content": "Bilateral abductor vocal cord paralysis remains a difficult management problem for otolaryngologists. The techniques currently used fall into four main types: arytenoidectomy, cordectomy, cord lateralization and laryngeal re-innervation. These techniques invariably require a tracheostomy either prior to or at the time of the main procedure. A technique for managing patients without performing a tracheostomy which is as effective as the previously mentioned procedures and with no greater morbidity in terms of voice production was initially described by Ejnell, et al (1984). The results in three patients using this technique which involves vocal cord lateralization under endoscopic control confirms its ease and efficacy. All three patients were relieved of their presenting dyspnea and had satisfactory postoperative voice production. This appears to be an effective technique for the treatment of patients with bilateral abductor laryngeal paralysis which obviates the need for tracheostomy and its attendant complications."}
{"id": "PMID:1469757", "title": "Oral leukoplakia caused by cinnamon food allergy.", "content": "An oral leukoplakic lesion that was clinically thought to be a squamous cell carcinoma is presented. The cinnamon component of chewing gum was discovered to be the etiologic agent. The case is unusual because of the leukoplakia noted; all other previously reported cases described erythematous patches only. The role of food allergy in the pathophysiology of the lesion is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1469759", "title": "Unusual presentation of verrucous carcinoma of maxillary antrum.", "content": "Verrucous carcinoma is a rare type of squamous cell carcinoma that is most often seen in the oral cavity and larynx. This paper describes a case report of a rare tumor with an unusual presentation. This patient presented with recurrent pyoceles and was diagnosed by chance. Carcinoma of maxilla is rarely diagnosed until the bony walls are eroded. This condition should be kept in mind in patients presenting with recurrent pyocele and a biopsy carried out from the maxilla."}
{"id": "PMID:1469763", "title": "Experience of haemodialysis at the Kidney Centre.", "content": "Seventy-nine patients of end stage renal disease (ESRD) on maintenance haemodialysis were studied. Most of the cases were in their prime of life. The disease was equally common in both sexes and all ethnic groups. Chronic glomerulonephritis was the commonest cause followed by diabetes mellitus. Hypertension was the commonest associated illness. All patients were screened for hepatitis B surface antigen and antibody and those found negative were vaccinated. A-V fistula in the upper extremity was used as the vascular access in 93% cases. In 68% cases dialyzer was reused without any ill effect. Amongst the complications observed, hypotension was seen in 65%, psychological disorders in 52%, followed by nausea, vomiting, itching and cramps. Technical complications were related to A-V fistula in 45% cases. Forty three percent patients were maintained without blood transfusion and 88% showed improvement in their quality of life."}
{"id": "PMID:1469764", "title": "Non-specific reactive hyperplasia of cervical lymph nodes: a follow-up.", "content": "Non-specific reactive hyperplasia (NSRH) accounted for 20% patients of cervical lymphadenopathy collected over a period of 1-1/2 years. The disease affected comparatively younger people of both sexes equally. Routine investigations offered little diagnostic help. The disease resolved spontaneously in 1/3rd of patients, 1/4th developed specific entities, while in the rest it continued as a prolonged ailment. Lymph node biopsy should be planned meticulously to avoid missed diagnosis. If the lymphadenopathy of NSRH does not subside spontaneously within two months, a re-biopsy is advised to pick up a specific ailment."}
{"id": "PMID:1469765", "title": "Byssinosis in ginning factories of rural Sindh.", "content": "Frequency of byssinosis in 276 workers from 5 ginning factories of rural Sindh are described. Twenty-four (9%) had byssinosis, 178 were asymptomatic and the remaining 74 had other respiratory symptoms. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease was present both in symptomatic and asymptomatic workers and was equally distributed amongst smokers and non-smokers. A possible involvement of some factors other than cigarette smoking is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1469778", "title": "[The signal transduction mechanism responsible for interferon-gamma-inducible indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) gene expression in T98G cells].", "content": "The interferon (IFN)-gamma-induced indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) is implicated in the inhibition of intracellular pathogens, e.g. Chlamydia psittaci and Toxoplasma gondii. The intracellular signaling molecules responsible for the induction of IDO gene expression were investigated by the quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The gene expression was inhibited by a tyrosine kinase inhibitor, genistein. Being consistent with this, IFN-gamma induced increased tyrosine phosphorylation and this was inhibited by genistein. The transcription of IDO gene was not inhibited by protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitors, H-7 and staurosporine, or a calmodulin inhibitor, W-7. Irrelevance of PKC in IDO gene expression was supported by the failure of PMA or PMA + A23187 to induce IDO gene expression. These results all suggest that the tyrosine phosphorylation is a critical event in IFN-gamma-inducible IDO gene expression and PKC is not involved in the gene expression."}
{"id": "PMID:1469780", "title": "[Prevalence and pathogenesis of iron deficiency in Japanese women (1981-1991)].", "content": "Iron deficiency anemia is the most prevalent among form of anemia in the world. In Japan, there is no overall report concerning prevalence and pathogenesis of iron deficiency. We estimated the prevalence of iron deficiency from the results of a survey of 3,015 Japanese women. The reference range for hemoglobin was derived from the average value of subjects with normal iron status (> or = 16% of transferrin saturation and > or = 12 ng/ml of serum ferritin). Using these reference standards, the prevalence of iron deficiency anemia, latent iron deficiency, storage iron deficiency, normal and others were 8.5%, 8.0%, 33.4%, 43.6% and 6.5%, respectively. The prevalence of iron deficiency anemia increased beginning in early lower teen girls, was highest in high teen-girls and, young women and decreased in elderly women. In elderly women, the cause of iron deficiency was often obvious associated with anemia of chronic disorders. The strategy for iron deficiency was discussed concerning iron fortification, mega-ingestion of vitamin C and low dose administration of iron tablets in the higher incidence group."}
{"id": "PMID:1469781", "title": "[Evaluation of hypercoagulable state in patients with malignancies by using prothrombin fragment F1 + 2].", "content": "In order to elucidate the activation of the coagulation cascade in patients with malignant neoplasms, we measured the levels of plasma prothrombin fragment F1 + 2, which is liberated in the process of thrombin generation. Twenty healthy adults (Group A), 29 patients with malignancies not complicated with DIC (Group B) and 4 patients with DIC (Group C) were evaluated. The values of F1 + 2 in Group C (2.38 +/- 0.55 nmol/l) were significantly higher (p < 0.01) than those in Group A (0.52 +/- 0.19 nmol/l) and B (0.86 +/- 0.68 nmol/l). Many patients in Group B showed higher levels of F1 + 2 compared to normal subjects, however, no significant differences were found between Group A and B. With respect to other coagulation molecular markers such as TAT, D-Dimer and PIC, F1 + 2 levels revealed positive correlation to those levels. Concerning the clinical course of DIC, elevated levels of F1 + 2 normalized much rapidly than those of TAT and D-Dimer by continuous administration of heparin. In conclusion, the measurement of plasma F1 + 2 is important in monitoring the activation of coagulation system in patients with malignancies, especially with respect to early detection and treatment of DIC."}
{"id": "PMID:1469782", "title": "[Differentiating effect of oral administration of retinol palmitate (Chocola-A) for an aged AML (M3) with severe complications].", "content": "A 74 year-old woman, who had been diagnosed as AML (M3) in poor condition, was treated with Retinol Palmitate (Chocola-A, 150,000 unit/m2 per os, after informed consent. An increase of white blood cells (neutrophil) counts was observed after 7 days. After 4 weeks, WBC counts were increased to 20,700/microliters (neutrophil counts 6,400/microliters) Maturation tendency of leukemic cells was also proved in the bone marrow. In vitro studies showed that morphological differentiation was recognizable in cultured leukemic cells treated with 10(-6)M all-trans retinoic acid after 6 days, but not in controls. Responses in the NBT reduction test were slightly less than in the clinical study. The administration of Retinol Palmitate may be a new regimen to treat AML (M3) in aged patients in poor condition."}
{"id": "PMID:1469783", "title": "[Extramedullary diseases as presenting features of aleukemic acute monocytic leukemia].", "content": "We present a case of acute monocytic leukemia presenting with extramedullary disease clinically resembling lymphoma. A 36 year-old man presented with arthralgia and was found to have skin eruption, nasopharyngeal mass, hepatosplenomegaly and superficial lymphadenopathy. The biopsies of those lesions as well as bone marrow revealed infiltration of CD45 positive large atypical cells and were interpreted as malignant lymphoma. At that time blood film showed leuko-erythroblastic picture, but no atypical cells were noted. He was treated with CHOP followed by VEPA chemotherapy and achieved partial remission. Four months later headache and double vision occurred with the same atypical cell in the cerebrospinal fluid. The cells were identified as monoblasts by cytochemistry and immunophenotype. The diagnosis of aleukemic acute monocytic leukemia was made and its CNS involvement was successfully treated with chemotherapy with DHAP and intrathecal MTX. However, two months later, blasts finally appeared in the peripheral blood and the patient died of multiorgan failure eight months after presentation. The blasts were positive for T cell markers (CD2, 4, 8) and NK marker (NKH-1) as well as monocytic markers. This finding, together with those by other investigators, may indicate the association between these immunophenotypes and extramedullary manifestations of acute monocytic leukemia."}
{"id": "PMID:1469784", "title": "[Hairy cell leukemia successfully treated with deoxycoformycin].", "content": "A 45-year-old male was hospitalized on September 2, 1989 with chief complaints of general fatigue and fever. Physical examination revealed hepatomegaly and massive splenomegaly. Laboratory tests on admission showed Hb of 7.5g/dl, PLT 4.8 x 10(4)/microliters and WBC 9,610/microliters with 81% hairy cells. Bone marrow aspirate demonstrated 55.1% hairy cells and moderate myelofibrosis. Cytochemically, hairy cells were positive for tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP). Surface markers were SmIg G+ A+ kappa +, CD11b+, CD11c+, CD19+, CD20+, CD21-, CD25+, HC2+, HLA-DR+. From these findings, a diagnosis of hairy cell leukemia (HCL) was made. After administration of deoxycoformycin (DCF) at a dose of 5.0mg/m2 1-2 times monthly, splenomegaly disappeared, as did hairy cells from the peripheral blood. Hematological level returned to within normal range except for the presence of 1.2% hairy cells and mild myelofibrosis in bone marrow aspirates. DCF has so far been effective for this patient. While DCF has been reported to be effective in the treatment of HCL in the West, it has not been determined in Japanese patients with HCL, who have different hematologic features from those of HCL patients in the West."}
{"id": "PMID:1469785", "title": "[Iron deficiency anemia and hypoproteinemia induced by fresh cow's milk].", "content": "We reported two patients who developed severe iron deficiency anemia and hypoproteinemia which were induced by excessive drinking cow's milk. Case 1, a 23-month-old girl, had started drinking 800-1,000ml of cow's milk everyday since the age of 9 months. She developed generalized edema at the age of 23 months and visited Saga Medical School for Treatment. Case 2, a 14-month-old girl began to drink cow's milk at the age of 6 months. She drank 1,500ml cow's milk every day at the age of 14 months. She was, referred to our hospital by her physician because of severe anemia. Hypoproteinemia and severe iron deficiency anemia in both of these patients were improved by oral iron intake and prohibiting of cow's milk. Although many children at their age usually drink more than 500ml cow's milk every day, manifestations of symptoms such as iron deficiency anemia and hypoproteinemia do not occur frequently. Thus some investigations suggest that genetic defects as well as other factors related to this disease may be important factors."}
{"id": "PMID:1469786", "title": "[Successful treatment with combination of methylprednisolone, antilymphocyte globulin and cyclosporine in two cases of aplastic anemia].", "content": "Two children with severe and moderate aplastic anemia received combination treatment with methylprednisolone, antilymphocyte globulin and cyclosporine. One child (severe type) was given 2 courses of high dose methylprednisolone during the last 4 weeks without improvement prior to this combination therapy. The other child (moderate type) was not previously treated. Both patients showed complete response within 3 months following this therapy. Serious side effects were not observed. Combination therapy of these three drugs may be beneficial for patients with aplastic anemia."}
{"id": "PMID:1469787", "title": "[Primary myelofibrosis successfully treated with allogeneic bone marrow transplantation].", "content": "A 31-year-old man with primary myelofibrosis initially received low dose Ara C. Splenomegaly decreased but pancytopenia continued. Allogeneic bone marrow transplantation from his sister was then performed. Busulfan and cyclophosphamide were used as a preconditioning regimen, which included neither irradiation nor splenectomy. As the bone marrow was hypoplastic after transplantation, G-CSF was given. It was useful for systemic infection. After transplantation, leukoerythroblastosis and tear drop poikilocytosis disappeared in peripheral blood. Finally, bone marrow fibrosis disappeared and hemopoiesis to normal limits recovered 17 months later. These results demonstrate that bone marrow transplantation is effective for primary myelofibrosis for which there is no otherwise curative therapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1469788", "title": "[Primary macroglobulinemia with hypercalcemia, renal failure and systemic amyloidosis].", "content": "This report deals with an unusual case of primary macroglobulinemia with hypercalcemia, chronic renal failure and systemic amyloidosis. In May 1990, a 63-year-old male was transferred to our hospital because of hypercalcemia (13.5 mg/dl) and renal failure. Clinical examinations showed anemia, macroglossia, lymph node swellings and hepatomegaly. Laboratory findings included Bence-Jones (kappa type) proteinuria (0.8 g/day), a monoclonal gammopathy of the IgM-kappa type (2.8 g/dl), a proliferation of lymphoid cells in the peripheral blood (5%) and the bone marrow (59.6%), and lymphomatous involvement of an inguinal lymph node. Serum creatinine concentration was 8.5 mg/dl. The serum levels of parathormone and vitamin D3 metabolites were normal. The roentgenogram of bones showed a compression fracture of the lumbar spine and systemic osteoporosis. The treatment included eel calcitonin, prednisolone and the CHOP regimen, followed by hemodialysis and plasmapheresis. The serum level of IgM increased to 4.6 g/dl. The patient died three months later and postmortem examination demonstrated marked systemic amyloidosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1469789", "title": "[Vincristine played a pivotal role in hematological remission of thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (T.T.P.)].", "content": "A case of thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP), in which vincristine (VCR) administration played a pivotal role in achieving the hematological remission, is presented. A 40-year-old woman with a chief complaint of purpura was transferred for detailed examination of thrombocytopenia. The presence of hemolytic anemia, schistocytosis, febrile clinical course, renal dysfunction and neurological abnormalities made the basis of a diagnosis of TTP. Twelve courses of consecutive plasma exchange and plasma infusion, which amounted to a total of 120l of fresh frozen plasma, were performed without obvious hematological improvement. Therefore, VCR (2 mg) was infused in addition to the plasma exchange. Three days later, platelets responded remarkably. After 10 days of hematological improvement, relapse occurred. VCR was reinfused. However, the second VCR infusion alone was not able to elevate platelets. With concomitant use of significant amounts of plasma, the platelet count responded gradually. Hematological remission was obtained and has continued until now. The exact role of VCR for TTP is still unknown; however, VCR is suggested to be effective for TTP as in the case presented here."}
{"id": "PMID:1469790", "title": "[Chronic cold agglutinin disease terminating in primary macroglobulinemia after a 10 year history].", "content": "A 60-year-old man was admitted with general fatigue and jaundice of one year's duration in February, 1981. The hemoglobin (Hb) was 11.4 g/dl and reticulocytes were 1.7%. A diagnosis of chronic cold agglutinin disease (CCAD) was made from the presence of cold agglutinin (CA) 1:2,048, increased serum IgM 267 mg/dl and indirect bilirubin 1.4 mg/dl. His Hb was approximately 11 g/dl in summer and 9 g/dl in winter for the subsequent ten years without therapy. In July, 1990, he was readmitted because of exacerbation of anemia and hepatosplenomegaly. The Hb was 4.6 g/dl, indirect bilirubin 3. 1 mg/dl, CA titer 1:232,144 and reticulocytes were 20%. Serum IgM was 1,065 mg/dl, and immunoelectrophoresis showed IgM-kappa M-protein. Peripheral blood lymphoid cells expressed surface membrane immunoglobulin (SmIg) M and kappa. The bone marrow showed an increased number of lymphoid cells which also expressed SmIg M and kappa. These findings were compatible with those of the features of primary macroglobulinemia (PMG). The M-2 protocol resulted in decrease in serum IgM and CA, but he died of heart failure in February, 1991. The relationship between CCAD and PMG in relation to the pathogenesis was discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1469791", "title": "[Two cases of acute promyelocytic leukemia in pregnancy and the effect of anthracyclines on fetal development].", "content": "Two patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) in 2nd and 3rd trimester of pregnancy are reported on. Case 1: 38-year-old female consulted our hospital because of bleeding tendency and pancytopenia in April, 1988. She was diagnosed as having APL with disseminated intravascular coagulopathy (DIC) and was found to be in the 14th week of gestation. Combined chemotherapy (BHAC-DMP) including the total dose (440 mg) of daunorubicin (DNR) resulted in intrauterine fetal death at 19 weeks of gestation. The fetus was severely anemic and the bone marrow was hypoplastic. Case 2: A 27-year-old female was diagnosed as having APL with DIC at 29 weeks of gestation. BHAC-DMP including 440 mg DNR achieved complete remission. At 35 weeks of gestation, she delivered a normal infant by Caesarean section. The child had normal hematological findings and showed normal growth. Both cases developed APL accompanied by DIC during pregnancy and were treated with a similar regimen including high dose of anthracyclines. Case 2 treated in the late period of gestation delivered a normal infant, while fetal death resulted in case 1, treated in the early period of gestation. We reviewed the literature regarding chemotherapy using anthracyclines during pregnancy."}
{"id": "PMID:1469792", "title": "[Multiple myeloma with a mass formation in a pacemaker pocket].", "content": "A 74-year-old female was diagnosed as having multiple myeloma in August 1989 and was treated with combined vincristine, melphalan and prednisolone. Subsequently, she was followed followed up in the outpatient clinic using interferon-alpha. On August 6, 1990, she had a transvenous demand pacemaker inserted because of severe atrioventricular block. The pulse generator was placed in a subcutaneous pocket in the left pectoral area. On February 3, 1991, she developed a mass overlying the pulse generator. This tumor was diagnosed as plasmacytoma by histological examinations. A myelogram showed 5.1% plasma cells with 5.5 x 10(4) nucleated cells/microliter. The amounts of serum protein and IgA M protein were 6.8 g/dl and 1.8 g/dl, respectively. The tumor responded to combined chemotherapy, but reenlarged to the initial size 3-4 weeks later. On August 6, 1991, this tumor, including the pulse generator was removed. By October 1991, the patient had systemic subcutaneous tumors and a right maxillary tumor suggesting the aggressive phase. On December 19, 1991, she died due to cardiac failure. In this paper the discussion focussed on the etiopathogenesis of plasmacytoma arising in the region of pulse generator pockets."}
{"id": "PMID:1469793", "title": "Common phenotypic expression of gangliosides GM3 and GD3 in normal human tissues and neoplastic skin lesions.", "content": "The expression of gangliosides in non-malignant tissues (epidermis and pigmented nevus) and neoplastic lesions (melanoma, squamous cell carcinoma [SCC] and basal cell carcinoma [BCS]) of the human skin was analyzed immunohistochemically and biochemically to characterize the features associated with malignancy. Immunohistochemical staining with an anti-II3NeuAc-LacCer (GM3) monoclonal antibody (M2590 mAb) and an anti-II3(NeuAc)2-LacCer (GD3) mAb (R24) showed the expression of the gangliosides GM3 and GD3 to vary among the different tissues. M2590 clearly stained epidermal keratinocytes and the tumor cells of BCC and SCC, and strongly stained melanocytes and melanoma cells. In contrast, R24 did not stain epidermal keratinocytes and only faintly stained SCC cells, while it clearly stained BCC cells, and intensely stained melanocytes and melanoma cells. GM3 showed a similar level of staining among the tissue specimens, while the level of GD3 staining was quite variable among the tumor specimens. Biochemical analysis by thin-layer chromatography (TLC) with resorcinol staining and TLC immunostaining with either M2590 or R24 showed both GM3 and GD3 to be commonly expressed by both the normal and malignant skin tissues, including SCC. There was no close correlation between the intensity of immunohistochemical staining and the biochemically detected amounts of these gangliosides. This may have been partly due to the so-called cryptic expression of cell membrane gangliosides. Our results thus suggest that analysis of the tumor-associated expression of gangliosides requires several methods, since the sensitivity of the methods used may have a considerable effect on the diagnostic value of gangliosides as skin cancer markers."}
{"id": "PMID:1469794", "title": "Urinary excretion of parathyroid hormone-related protein as a predictor of hypercalcemia in patients with adult T-cell leukemia.", "content": "Hypercalcemia with adult T-cell leukemia (ATL) is chiefly caused by an excessive production by tumor cells of parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP). We have previously reported hypercalcemic patients with solid tumors to excrete a large amount of the C-terminal fragments of PTHrP (C-PTHrP) into their urine. To elucidate whether PTHrP production correlates with or predicts the development of hypercalcemia, we studied the urinary excretion of C-PTHrP in 36 ATL patients. The urinary excretion of C-PTHrP was in the normal range (< 0.40 nmol equivalent to PTHrP (109-141)/g creatinine) in HTLV-1-positive carriers (n 3), ATL patients in complete remission (n 2) and chronic type ATL patients (n 2). It was marginally increased in seven patients in partial remission, and gradually increased as the disease progressed. In 20 patients who died without or with hypercalcemia, it was increased to 1.98 +/- 0.69 (n 9) and 7.6 +/- 2.1 nmol/g creatinine (mean +/- SD, n 11, P < 0.01), respectively. Urinary C-PTHrP excretion was significantly correlated with serum calcium and LDH levels as well as with CD25-positive cells in the peripheral blood. In four patients whose urinary excretion had been serially determined, it increased prior to the development of hypercalcemia. The findings suggest the urinary excretion of C-PTHrP to be of use as a predictor of the development of hypercalcemia in ATL patients. In ATL patients whose urinary excretion of C-PTHrP is progressively increasing, the serum calcium concentration should be carefully monitored to prevent hypercalcemic crisis."}
{"id": "PMID:1469795", "title": "Surgical treatment of adrenal diseases at Nara Medical University and affiliated hospitals.", "content": "The effect of advanced diagnostic imaging on the surgical treatment of adrenal diseases was examined in 86 cases of adrenal disease surgically treated at the Department of Urology, Nara Medical University, and affiliated hospitals from August, 1962, to July, 1991. The number of cases included in the present study was 16 for the period before the introduction of CT (from 1962 to 1978), and 70, including 13 cases of adrenal incidental tumor, after the introduction of CT in 1979. There were no malignant tumors histopathologically, among the 13 cases of incidental tumor. Accurate localization of functioning adrenal disease was possible at a rate of 100% with angiography, including selective venous blood sampling, 98.6% with CT and 84.5% with ultrasonography. The rate was 100% with magnetic resonance imaging which was carried out on 19 cases (20 adrenal glands). Signs of malignancy were observed in the removed tissue of three cases from the pheochromocytoma group. As the diagnostic imaging technique has improved, the use of a flank approach has increased in the surgery for adrenal disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1469796", "title": "Prognosis of osteosarcoma treated by limb-salvage surgery: the ten-year intergroup study in Japan.", "content": "We report the prognoses for 107 patients treated by limb-salvage surgery and 147 treated by amputation or disarticulation, during the period 1980-1985, at 22 university hospitals, cancer centers and national hospitals in Japan. In this multi-institute non-randomized study, the five-year cumulative survival rate was 70% for the former group and 49% for the latter. The prognosis was more favorable among patients who responded to preoperative chemotherapy than among those who did not. Limb-salvage surgery was feasible for most of the surgical stage IIB patients with small extraosseous tumor extensions who had responded to preoperative chemotherapy. Local tumor recurrences were seen in 15 (14%) of the 107 patients in the limb-salvage surgery group, nine of whom died of the metastasis. While limb-salvage surgery is being increasingly used in Japan, present indications show the procedure not to reduce survival rate for osteosarcoma patients. The survival rate of patients with wide-with-marginal margins was similar to that of patients with wide margins. Taking into account the long-term survival of osteosarcoma patients, limb-salvage surgery can be recommended when the osteosarcoma responds to preoperative chemotherapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1469797", "title": "Estimating a summarized odds ratio whilst eliminating publication bias in meta-analysis.", "content": "Publication bias is a recognized phenomenon, i.e. studies with statistically significant results are more likely to be published than those finding no difference between the groups studied. Summarized odds ratio calculated from odds ratios of published studies in a meta-analysis may be overestimated because of publication bias. This is a significant problem in research areas involving weak associations between causes and results. The magnitude of publication bias in a given research area cannot be determined directly. The present study enables us to calculate the summarized odds ratio of hypothetical unpublished studies from odds ratios of published studies indirectly, employing a moment method by assuming the natural logarithm value of the odds ratio to be distributed normally. We can then estimate summarized odds ratio in all studies, which include not only those published but also those unpublished. When these studies are homogeneous in quality and their odds ratios homogeneous in quantity, the method can eliminate publication bias."}
{"id": "PMID:1469798", "title": "An ileal neobladder for a female patient after a radical cystectomy to ensure voiding from the urethra: a case report.", "content": "An ileal neobladder construction realizing normal micturition was successfully performed after a total cystectomy, with preservation of the urethra, for a 69-year-old female patient with invasive bladder cancer. Approximately 60 cm of terminal ileum was selected, detubularized and re-sutured to create an oval-shaped intestinal pouch to which the bilateral ureters were anastomosed. The bottom of the pouch was anastomosed to the urethral remnant. Three months after surgery, the patient achieved daytime continence, and now enjoys almost the same lifestyle as before. This is the first case of successful neobladder construction to be precisely reported for a female patient. For normal micturition, the ileal neobladder will be one of the possible choices for urinary diversion in not only selected male, but also female, patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1469812", "title": "Supraventricular tachycardia in an infant.", "content": "Treating this 1-month-old infant with SVT with adenosine was extremely effective and resulted in no observable side effects to the patient. More research needs to be performed and documented regarding the effectiveness and safety of this drug in pediatric patients. Emergency nurses should familiarize themselves with adenosine and should suggest its use in pediatric patients with SVT that does not respond to vagal maneuvers."}
{"id": "PMID:1469813", "title": "Complete heart block in the pediatric patient.", "content": "Care for the pediatric patient with CHB focuses on signs and symptoms associated with respiratory failure and shock. Differences in size among pediatric patients--and in anatomy, physiology, and possible causes--should be considered. In children, cardiac arrest is usually secondary to respiratory arrest. Respiratory arrest should be anticipated in a pediatric patient with (1) decreased level of consciousness, (2) poor muscle tone, (3) increased respiratory rate or respiratory effort (nasal flaring, intercostal, subcostal, and suprasternal retractions); or (4) cyanosis. Shock is the failure of the cardiovascular system to perfuse vital organs adequately. Organ perfusion is determined by cardiac output, which in turn results from the heart rate times stroke volume. In CHB the slowing of heart rate can significantly decrease cardiac output, so the signs and symptoms of shock--especially level of consciousness, peripheral circulation, and blood pressure--must continually be reassessed."}
{"id": "PMID:1469815", "title": "Abuse, neglect, abandonment, violence, and exploitation: an analysis of all elderly patients seen in one emergency department during a six-month period.", "content": "Vulnerable individuals in society seem to be even more vulnerable as they age. Our data suggest that during the next decade members of our aging society may well tax our adult protective service systems to a greater degree than heretofore imagined. We have an opportunity to be proactive in this regard."}
{"id": "PMID:1469820", "title": "Specialized services for psychiatric patients in the emergency department.", "content": "The care of the psychiatric patient in the emergency department offers yet another opportunity for emergency nurses to draw on specialty nursing resources or to create expanded roles for emergency practitioners themselves. As our emergency departments continue to encounter increasing numbers of patients, the need for concise and expeditious psychiatric consultation protocols becomes even more clear."}
{"id": "PMID:1469822", "title": "Triage assessment tool.", "content": "The Triage Assessment Tool, although not meant to replace clinical judgment and experience, is designed to augment the decision making skills of the triage nurse. This is attained by focusing the user on the importance of sequence, and examination of pertinent data, thus ensuring a precise triage decision."}
{"id": "PMID:1469825", "title": "[Local corticosteroid therapy in childhood].", "content": "Various dermatoses require the application of topical glucocorticoids (gc) already in childhood. There are mostly inflammatory and frequently chronic skin diseases. In necessary long-term therapy the risk of topical and/or systemic side effects increases. This depends among others on special features of the children's skin, the potency of the gc and the mode of application. To avoid side effects, variations of a discontinuous therapy and so called weak gc should be used."}
{"id": "PMID:1469826", "title": "[The kinetics of vaccine antibodies against tetanus toxoid, diphtheria toxoid, measles virus, poliomyelitis virus and pneumococcus after allogeneic and autologous bone marrow transplantation and revaccination. 3: The kinetics of vaccine antibodies against tetanus toxoid and diphtheria toxoid after allogeneic and autologous bone marrow transplantation and combined revaccination against diphtheria and tetanus].", "content": "The 3rd part of the paper deals with the results of a combined revaccination against diphtheria and tetanus in a group of 25 children after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT) with and without graft versus host disease (GvHD) and after autologous transplantation. It can be shown that in the allogeneic transplanted groups with and without GvHD it is possible to build up a tetanus and diphtheria antitoxin titre in a safe protective cause by a 2nd basic immunisation consisting of 3 single vaccinations starting about 9 to 12 months later. For autologous transplanted children only 1 to 2 vaccinations at a later term than for the allogeneic transplanted children may possibly be sufficient."}
{"id": "PMID:1469827", "title": "[Hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia as the cause of recurrent hyperthermia in a young infant].", "content": "Fever--the most frequent symptom of diseases in children--points diagnostically to an infection. We report on a child who presented with recurrent high fever of unknown origin. Infectious diseases could be excluded. During a general medical checkup the results of repeated pilocarpine iontophoresis attracted attention by the minimal secretion of sweat. The diagnosis of hypohydrotic ectodermal dysplasia could be confirmed by dermal biopsy since all integumentary appendages were missing. Only 300 cases of this rare hereditary dysplasia can be found in the literature."}
{"id": "PMID:1469828", "title": "[The renal effects of dopamine therapy in premature infants in the first week of life].", "content": "It is known that Dopamine therapy induces loss of water and sodium on the first or second days of life. On the other hand, no studies have been published on renal function under long-term therapy. In our study we could prove an altered excretion of water and sodium as well as fractional sodium excretion in preterm infants who received dopamine for at least the first week of life. Conclusions for clinical practice are drawn."}
{"id": "PMID:1469834", "title": "[Laser angioplasty in the staged surgical treatment of patients with combined and multiple lesions of different arterial basins].", "content": "Percutaneous laser angioplasty was attempted in 30 patients with occlusive lesions of the main arteries of the lower extremities and the branches of the aortic arch. Most patients had either combined affection of the branches of the aortic arch and arteries of the lower extremities (56%), or involvement of several vascular segments on one extremity into the process (74%), or involvement of arteries of both lower extremities (85%). Seven patients underwent stage correction of circulatory cerebral disorders and restoration of patency of arteries of both lower extremities. Excimer laser on a wave length of 308 nm was used for angioplasty. Adequate operations were carried out in all cases without any complications in the postoperative period."}
{"id": "PMID:1469837", "title": "[Immunological disorders of homeostasis and the methods of their correction for the programmed and preoperative treatment of patients with nonspecific aorto-arteritis].", "content": "The authors examined 29 patients with aorto-arteritis of unspecific origin of different duration and variants of affections of the major vessels. The patients were divided into groups with active and inactive course of the inflammatory process. The changes of immunological values and the phagocytosis data were more marked in the group with the active phase of the disease. These changes correlated with the data on unspecific inflammation and the clinical picture. Twenty-two patients were treated by hemosorption and immunocorrective measures. The fibrinogen concentration reduced, the ESR was normalized, and C-reactive protein became negative. The concentration of circulating immune complex and immunoglobulins diminished, the phagocytosis values became close to normal. It is concluded that hemosorption is an effective method of correction of immunological disorders in unspecific aorto-arteritis, both as an independent therapeutic method and as a measure of preoperative management."}
{"id": "PMID:1469838", "title": "[Atherosclerotic aneurysm of the iliac arteries].", "content": "Operations were performed on 5 patients with isolated atherosclerotic aneurysms of the iliac arteries, who accounted for 10.9% of patients with aneurysms of vessels treated at the Vascular Department of the Novgorod Regional Hospital from 1983 to 1990. In 4 patients the aneurysm of the iliac artery was an operative finding, in one patient it was found only on postmortem examination. The diagnostic errors and causes of a fatal outcome in 2 patients are discussed. The authors claim resection of the aneurysm with reconstruction of the aorto-ilio-femoral segment to be the operation of choice in aneurysm of the iliac artery."}
{"id": "PMID:1469840", "title": "[The assessment of the efficacy of surgical treatment in critical ischemia of the lower extremities by the forming of arteriovenous anastomoses].", "content": "The authors show the significance of radionuclide angiography in evaluating the efficacy of surgical treatment of lower limb critical ischemia by formation of an arteriovenous anastomosis on the side of the affection. An operation for formation of an arteriovenous anastomosis on the lower third of the leg or the foot was found to be most effective. Increased perfusion of the ischemic limb on the level of balanced mixing of the blood flow was revealed in most patients, which the authors believe to be caused by venous stasis in the lower limb due to reduced difference in pressure in the arterial and venous bed. The highest percentage of favorable late--term results of the operation was revealed among this contingent of patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1469841", "title": "[Vasotonometry in the episcleral arteries in the diagnosis of stenotic lesions of the extracranial sections of the carotid arteries].", "content": "The object of the work was evaluation of the method of vasotonometry (VTM) in the episcleral arteries in recognizing stenoses of the extracranial part of the internal carotid artery (ICA). The examination was conducted by means of a specially designed vasotonometer in patients suffering from ischemic type cerebral circulatory disorders. The authors examined 98 patients and 20 healthy volunteers. The parameters of the diagnostic sensitivity of the method in various degrees and forms of the stenotic lesions of the ICA were determined. The correct diagnosis of a hemodynamically significant ICA stenosis was established in 85% of patients. The results of the examination were confirmed by angiography and operation."}
{"id": "PMID:1469836", "title": "[Surgery of the major vessels in cancer patients].", "content": "The article generalizes 25-year experience in various vascular surgical interventions conducted on 159 oncological patients. Planned operations were conducted after thorough angiographic study in 42 patients (arteriolysis and phlebolysis in 11, thrombectomy in 13, plastics of the vessels in 18). Two patients died after thrombectomy. Embolization of the renal arteries was undertaken in 55 patients with renal carcinoma; there were no fatal outcomes. Various operations for iatrogenic injury to the vessels were carried out in 60 patients (lateral suture in 28, circular suture in 3, ligation of vessels in 18). In this group 11 patients (18.3%) died. The authors claim that large oncological centers should be equipped with the appropriate angiographic apparatuses and have trained angio-surgeons on their staff."}
{"id": "PMID:1469842", "title": "[The role of thermography in the diagnosis of obliterating vascular diseases of the lower extremities].", "content": "The authors undertook comparative evaluation of the various methods of diagnosis of obliterative diseases of the lower limb vessels in 32 patients with II-III stage arteriosclerosis obliterans. Comparison of the results of arteriography, ultrasonic dopplerography, and objective examination with those of thermovision examination led to the conclusion that the method is valuable in revealing the condition of the collateral bed and microcirculation and the compensatory mechanism of circulation on the whole. In similar treatment in groups of patients formed according to the level of obliteration of the vessels and the thermographic picture, the best results were produced in those groups in which the intensity of the infrared rays was higher, which allowed the conclusion that thermography possesses not only diagnostic but also prognostic significance."}
{"id": "PMID:1469843", "title": "[The transfascial excision of indurated subcutaneous fat in the postthrombophlebitic syndrome].", "content": "The authors came to the conclusion that in surgical treatment of the postthrombophlebitic syndrome it is necessary in some cases to excise the indurated fatty tissue on the leg during the operation on the veins. It should be carried out transfascially through a Felder incision in combination with ligatin of the perforating veins on the leg. The suggested method produces better results than those of excision of the changed fatty tissue through a cut made in the skin overlying it. Excision of the indurated fatty tissue removes the focus of chronic infection and autoallergy."}
{"id": "PMID:1469844", "title": "[The pathogenesis of acute thrombophlebitis of the lower extremities].", "content": "It is emphasized in the discussed problem that several factors participate simultaneously in the mechanism of thrombogenesis. At the same time, local hemodynamic disorders (congestion, turbulent flow, local hypoxemia) lead to pathological changes of blood platelet hemostatic properties in these regions, which is conducive to local thrombus formation. Inflammation develops as a consequence of the response of the venous wall to stimulators of infectious, autoimmune or neoplastic character arriving along the lymphatic vessels, capillaries and perivascular spaces."}
{"id": "PMID:1469845", "title": "[The role of functional phlebography in the diagnosis of chronic postphlebitic venous insufficiency of the lower extremities].", "content": "The work deals with the description of methods for phlebography of the lower extremities with the patient in a vertical pos position with the use of various functional, loading, and pharmacological tests. Such examination makes it possible to recognize the pathological changes, reveal precisely the architectonics of the venous system and the localization of the most changed areas of the venous system, and determine the rate of the venous blood flow. Much attention is paid to preventive measures during phlebographic examination. The efficacy of the phlebography method is proved on a rich clinical material and the indications and contraindications for it are specified."}
{"id": "PMID:1469848", "title": "[The concentration of carbon dioxide at the end of expiration as an index of hemodynamic status in open-heart operations].", "content": "The interrelationship of the cardiac index (CI) and carbon dioxide concentration measured at the end of respiration (CO2ER) was studied in 258 patients, aged from 5 to 71 years, during operations on the open heart. Statistical analysis of the stage of revision of the left ventricular posterior wall showed that CO2ER decreases from 29.9 +/- 0.7 mm Hg to 24.9 +/- 1.4 mm Hg in parallel with reduction of CI from 2.81 +/- 0.19 l/min/m2 to 1.62 +/- 0.13 l/min/m2. At the end of this manipulation the CI and CO2ER were restored to the initial level. Marked parallel dynamics of CO and CO2ER was revealed in continuous appraisal of the cardiac output (CO), determined by the method of catheter flow measurement, at the stage of parallel circulation and blood pumping from the extracorporeal circulation apparatus before CO2ER stabilization. The correlation coefficient of these parameters varied in this stage in various patients from +0.73 to +0.96. Analysis of the mass of data (n = 161) collected in 14 patients showed that the CI--CO2ER relation was exponential in character and could be expressed by the equation CI (l/min/m2) = e (-0.99 + 0.065 x CO2ER); standard determination error +/- 0.42 l/min/m2. Analysis of the \"CO2ER-venous pressure\" relation in these 14 patients showed it to be similar to the \"cardiac index-venous pressure\" relation. The coefficients of correlation between CVD and CO2ER at this stage ranged in various patients from +0.74 to +0.96 and those between VP and CI from +0.58 to +0.97. Transition of the relations to the plateau occurred at equal CVP values."}
{"id": "PMID:1469846", "title": "[The diagnosis and surgical treatment of ischemic heart disease in patients with occlusive arterial lesions of the lower extremities].", "content": "Concomitant ischemic heart disease was encountered in every 5 patients among 840 patients who underwent operation for occlusive lesions of the arteries of the lower limbs. Coronary cardiosclerosis increases the incidence of fatal myocardial infarction in the early and late-term postoperative periods. The presence of a clinical picture of ischemic heart disease and ECG changes require the performance of loading tests and, if their results are positive, the accomplishment of coronary ventriculography so as to solve the question of preventive revascularization of the myocardium. Preventive aortocoronary shunting excludes the risk of the development of cardiogenic complications in reconstruction of the great arteries of the lower limbs."}
{"id": "PMID:1469849", "title": "[The diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary artery thromboembolisms].", "content": "The article discusses experience in the diagnosis and methods of treatment of thromboembolism of the pulmonary arteries at the Department of Surgery of the Vessels of the Scientific Research Institute of Experimental Surgery. There were 238 patients under observation. A complex of modern diagnostic methods were applied, including, besides the routine methods of examination, angiopulmonography with measurement of blood pressure in the pulmonary trunk and right heart chamber and scanning of the lungs. Thus, comparison of the modern antipulmonological and isotope examinations allow a correct intravital diagnosis of thromboembolism of the pulmonary artery to be established. Administration of thrombolytics into the focus of affection by catheterization of the pulmonary artery is the most effective method of nonoperative treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1469847", "title": "[Balloon catheter mitral valvuloplasty in pregnant women].", "content": "Catheter balloon mitral valvulotomy was performed in two patients with rheumatic mitral stenosis on the 28th and 24th weeks of pregnancy. The operation in the first patient was carried out at the onset of pulmonary edema. The results of treatment were good in both cases. The area of the mitral orifice in the patients increased from 1.5 and 1.6 to 3.2 and 3.5 cm2, the pressure gradient between the left atrium and the left ventricle reduced from 40 and 30 to 6 and 4 mm Hg. This was attended by disappearance of diastolic murmur and clinical manifestations of pulmonary congestion in both patients. Mitral regurgitation did not develop after the operation. Roentgenoscopy lasted 20 and 33 minutes. Screens were used to protect the fetus from the direct effect of X-rays. Pregnancy terminated in both patients by spontaneous at term delivery. They gave birth to two healthy girls. Catheter balloon mitral valvuloplasty does not yield to closed mitral commissurotomy in efficacy. Due to its low traumatizing property and no need for general anesthesia this intervention is preferable for pregnant females suffering from mitral stenosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1469851", "title": "[The accelerated training of skin-fascia flaps].", "content": "The suggested method for training cutaneofascial flaps is based on the results of histological studies, it can be applied in the early postoperative period, and reduces the intervals between the stages of plastic surgery with flaps. Training is possible in any localization of the cutaneofascial flap."}
{"id": "PMID:1469850", "title": "[The complications of puncture catheterization of the subclavian vein and their diagnosis].", "content": "The authors describe 21 complications which occurred in puncture catheterization of the subclavian vein in 1,276 (1.65%) patients. They varied widely in character--hemothorax, pneumothorax, thrombosis of the subclavian vein, etc. The case record of one patient with traumatic pneumothorax after puncture catheterization of the subclavian vein is discussed in detail."}
{"id": "PMID:1469863", "title": "[Special methods of examination and their role in the selection of the extent and type of surgical intervention in patients with pelvic osteomyelitis].", "content": "The article analyses the results of radiological and computer methods of examination applied in 117 patients with chronic osteomyelitis of the pelvis to determine the site and activity of the process and choose the most rational surgical approach. The localization of the process is determined by radiography, fistulography (if a fistula exists), scanning of the skeleton, and computer tomography. Scanning of the skeleton makes it possible to determine the activity of the process. The optimal operative approach and volume of operation are chosen by comparing the radiological findings (radio- and fistulography) and the results of computer tomography. The success of surgical treatment of patients with chronic osteomyelitis of the pelvis is determined to a great measure by the informativeness of the results of preoperative examination of the patient. With this in view, the most optimal combinations of the range of modern diagnostic measures should be used more widely."}
{"id": "PMID:1469864", "title": "[Wound healing after vacuum drainage].", "content": "Vacuum therapy was applied in the management of 63 patients with postoperative ventral hernias, 101 patients with a similar pathological conditions were treated by the traditional method for wound healing. From analysis of the results of treatment and with due consideration for the results of additional methods of examination it was established that vacuum prevents accumulation of exudate and blood clots in the wound cavity and removes the risk medium for the development of pyo-inflammatory complications. Moreover, by promoting the coming together of the wound edges and liquidation of the wound cavity, vacuum therapy affects the metabolic reorganizations in the tissues and leads to stabilization of the regeneration mechanisms. The use of vacuum therapy in the postoperative period creates the possibility of regulating the reparative reactions through an active effect on the healing of the wound in the phase of inflammation, protecting in this manner the biology of the wound process and preventing infectious complications."}
{"id": "PMID:1469865", "title": "[Effective forms of surgical dressing materials produced by the Paul Hartman firm].", "content": "From study of gauze dressings produced by the Paul Hartman firm the authors analyse the approaches to their elaboration. It is shown that the use of industrially sterilized gauze dressing-material creates the condition for fruitful work of the surgeon and ensures economy of the gauze. Concrete problems of the production of modern gauze dressing material by Soviet industry are defined."}
{"id": "PMID:1469862", "title": "[Prognosis and prevention of infection in emergency surgery].", "content": "The results of treatment of 176 patients with sepsis at the department of urgent surgery in 1985-1990 are discussed. The authors suggest a stage complex program of acute surgical sepsis prevention, which consists of purposeful measures applied in the pre-, intra-, and postoperative period and includes the following recommendations: conduction of skin tests, preoperative injection of antibiotics, preoperative immunization of patients, immunological methods for the choice of antibiotics, methods for rational immunologic correction, phagotherapy. Besides, the authors developed and introduced into practice an individual method for prognosticating the course and outcome of acute surgical sepsis based on E. V. Gubler's (1978) mathematical method. It is concluded that the suggested methods are very effective, with their application the sepsis mortality rate reduced from 75% to 37.5%, i.e. by half."}
{"id": "PMID:1469866", "title": "[Sulfhydryl groups and succinate dehydrogenase of blood lymphocytes in patients with inflammatory processes].", "content": "Patients with pyo-inflammatory processes were found to have a reduced SH-group content and SDH activity of peripheral blood lymphocytes. A clear dependence between the severity and extent of the pyo-inflammatory process and the SH-group and SDH values. Lymphocyte SDH is more sensitive than the SH-groups to the pyo-inflammatory process and responds by reduced activity. Study of SDH activity and SH-group content of lymphocytes in dynamics are sensitive tests for the severity of the pyo-inflammatory process, unspecific reactivity of the organism, and the efficacy of the applied treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1469869", "title": "[Surgical treatment of extensive defects of the tissues and trophic ulcers in the area of the heel tendon using an L-shaped flap].", "content": "Operations were conducted on 22 patients with defects in soft tissues and trophic ulcers of cicatrix in the region of the calcaneal tendon. In 16 patients with extensive cicatricial lesions occupying two distal thirds or the whole region, an L-shaped flap of skin and fat was used, it was formed on the postero-lateral distal third of the leg, in the zone of the lateral malleolus and the lateral surface of the foot. The flap measured 20-22 cm in length and 6-7 cm in width. The ratio of the vertical part of the flap to the horizontal part was 3:1, 2:1, or 1:1 depending on the level of the defect and the area of the wound. The flap is mobilized strictly along the fascia so as not to injure the subcutaneous fat. The sural nerve is included in the flap to preserve its sensitivity, the rich venous network of the small saphenous vein provides for drainage, while the perforating arteries of the anterior tibial and fibular arteries, entering the base of the flap, ensure a sufficiently stable collateral circulation. Necrosis of the end of the flap occurred in 2 among 16 patients, in obliteration of the leg arteries (1) and cutting of tissues in the zone of the flap base (1) during previous surgical intervention. Complete healing was achieved in all cases; there were no recurrences in follow-up periods of 6 months to 8 years. The L-shaped flap retained its normal properties, the deformity of the donor site was negligible."}
{"id": "PMID:1469868", "title": "[Treatment of suppurative wounds in patients with diabetes mellitus by magnetic field and laser irradiation].", "content": "The efficacy of including a magnetic field, low-intensity laser beam, and their combination in the complex of therapeutic measures was studied in 119 patients with suppurative wounds and diabetes mellitus. With the use of magnetic field or laser beam intoxication diminished, the organism's immunological status was stabilized within a shorter time, the wound process followed a quicker course, and treatment took less time. The magnetic-laser effect has advantages over separate use of these factors."}
{"id": "PMID:1469870", "title": "[Plastic surgery of combined cutaneo-osseous defects of the hand].", "content": "The article analyses modern methods for the restoration of of defects in the metacarpal bones, based on microsurgical techniques. A case is described in which a new method for one-stage reconstruction of the hand in combined traumatic defect in the first and second metacarpal bones and an extensive defect in the soft tissues on the back of the hand was used. The hand was reconstructed by means of a vascularized complex autograft on a common vascular pedicle which included two separate fragments of the scapula and a fascial flap of the scapular region. With the application of the described method successful functional rehabilitation of the injured hand was achieved in a short period. A good cosmetic effect of the plastic repair was also noted."}
{"id": "PMID:1469867", "title": "[Diagnosis and treatment of septicemia].", "content": "There were 52 patients with sepsis, 61.6% were over 60 years of age (63.3% of patients had septicemia, 36.7% had septicopyemia). The disease was caused by ++pyo-inflammatory diseases of the vessels in 34.6% and the urinary system in 17.3% of cases. Microbial causative agents were isolated from the blood in 83.3% of patients (monoculture in 46.6%, associations of microorganisms in 36.6%; staphylococcus in 59.7%, gram-negative microflora in 46.7%). The most frequently encountered disorders of the immunological status were reduction of the number of lymphocytes and their T- (85%) and B-population (62.9%), increase of the level of immunoglobulins M (81.5%) and A (55.6%), decrease of the number of accessory T-cells (73.6%) and the ratio of accessory and suppressant T-cells (52.6%). Along with the application of antibacterial therapy, which relieved the microcirculatory blockage, and detoxication measures in the treatment of the purulent foci, much attention was paid to immunologic correction for the removal of primary and secondary insufficiency (endobulin, ++T-activin, isoprinosin). Blocking of the immunological reaction was relieved in 65.5% of patients by discrete plasmapheresis with compensation for the deficiency with endobulin, quick-frozen plasma, and rheopreparations. In the group of 52 patients 12 died (mortality 23.1%)."}
{"id": "PMID:1469871", "title": "[Stable extraosseous compression osteosynthesis in fractures of the crural bones].", "content": "The article deals with the main principles of the conception of stable extraosseous compression osteosynthesis, the necessary conditions for its successful application. Operations were conducted on 87 patients for diaphyseal fractures of the leg bones by means of methods, instruments, and fixators suggested by the Osteosynthesis Association (OA, Switzerland). The late-term results of treatment were followed-up in 80 patients, 8 of them had complications (fracture and migration of the plate, nonunion of the fragments, osteomyelitis, recurrent fractures)."}
{"id": "PMID:1469872", "title": "[Treatment of femoral neck fractures using carbon implants].", "content": "The article generalizes the experience in the use of endoprostheses of carbon materials in fractures of the femoral neck in elderly individuals. Twenty-seven cases are discussed, the average age of the patients was 76 years. Owing to the possibility of forming from carbon materials a device which meets the functional demands of the organs and tissues, such widely encountered complications in endoprosthesis as stretching of the implant's pedicle and destruction of the device were avoided."}
{"id": "PMID:1469874", "title": "[Zonography in solitary bone cysts].", "content": "The zonography method is gaining more and more users today and arouses a definite interest of specialists in medicine. This is due to the peculiarities of the method and the tremendous clinical possibilities which make it possible to improve and accelerate the diagnosis not only of diseases of the lungs and kidneys, but also of some segments of the bone system. The availability of zonography allows it to be used successfully in the diagnosis of various, pathological among others, types of bone fractures, tumors of the skeleton and, therefore, makes it possible to watch the reparative manifestations and the development of the process. Radio-sonographic comparisons of long tubular bones and large joints in 2,500 cases made it possible to reveal in 15 patients, aged from 17 to 80 years, solitary rarely encountered bone cysts not complicated by fractures. Their existence was suspected due to scrupulous collection of the medical history with consideration for the localization of the pain syndrome, in the absence of abnormalities in the blood and urinary tests. A fine, ++non-ectatic, regularly sclerosed capsule was seen in the 15 cases, the septa between the cavities were clearly contrasted and demonstrated better than on ordinary radiographs, and there were no infractions or pathological fractures."}
{"id": "PMID:1469875", "title": "[A surgical method in the complex treatment of metastatic bone tumors].", "content": "The article deals with the results of operations applied in the system of complex treatment of 83 patients (86 operations) with metastases of malignant tumours in the skeletal bones. Fourteen patient had carcinoma of the lung, 23--carcinoma of the breast, 28--carcinoma of the kidney, 8--carcinoma of the thyroid gland, and 10 patients had other malignant tumors. Operative interventions in the form of resection of the articular end or total removal of a tubular bone with endoprosthesis in affection of a long tubular bone and its pathological fracture or the threat of such fracture were substantiated. In the presence of special indications, osteosynthesis of the pathological fracture or amputation (exarticulation) of the limb may be undertaken. Laminectomy is indicated in metastatic lesion of the spine with the development of neurological disorders. Four (5%) patients died in the postoperative period. Average survival in the group of patients was 35 months, in the separate groups it was as follows: lung carcinoma metastases--9 months, kidney carcinoma metastases--31 months, thyroid carcinoma metastases--37 months, breast carcinoma metastases--40 months, metastases of other forms of malignant tumors--30 months. Longest survival--7.5 years. Average value of life quality according to Karnovsky was 30% before operation and 67% after it."}
{"id": "PMID:1469876", "title": "[Organization of surgical services for disaster victims].", "content": "The principal problems of the organization of surgical aid to the injured were considered from the analysis of the elimination of the consequences of large catastrophes which happened in the country in the recent years. The role and significance of rendering mutual and self-assistance are shown and methods for their study and mastering are suggested. At the stages of qualified and specialized aid priority is given to the work of medical service teams. Variants of their formation, financing, and working regimen are discussed. The author also discusses questions dealing with the organizational structures of the base medical institutions rendering qualified and specialized surgical service."}
{"id": "PMID:1469873", "title": "[Treatment of fractures of long bones associated with extensive skin avulsion].", "content": "The work analyses the experience in the treatment of 46 patients with fractures of long tubular bones and extensive wounds with avulsion of the skin at the department of emergency traumatology from 1983 to 1988. The method of choice in the treatment of fractures of the long tubular bones in this category of patients is functionally-stable osteosynthesis mainly with external fixation apparatuses on a nail or rod basis. A rational succession of the manipulations for surgical debridement of the extensive wound was determined, which made the surgeon's work much easier and reduced the time needed for the operation. The skin defects in extensive wounds were repaired by Krasovitov's method in 16 patients, in 30 patients reimplantation of the skin was carried out by means of a split avulsed graft measuring 0.3-0.5 mm in thickness. A complex approach to the treatment of patients of bot groups was applied in the postoperative period, which improved the outcome of the treatment considerably. From comparative analysis of the immediate and late-term results of healing of the reimplanted grafts the authors conclude that dermatomic (0.4-0.5 mm) plastics with a split avulsed graft is preferable."}
{"id": "PMID:1469879", "title": "[Key problems of the pathogenesis of infection].", "content": "The authors analyse the results of clinico-immunological studies in 452 patients with various forms of pyogenic surgical infection; 292 of the patients had surgical sepsis. It is proved that the condition of the primary and secondary purulent foci determines the course of the wound process and the occurrence and progress of sepsis. Radical surgical debridement of the wound leads to early optimization of the condition of the immune system and creates conditions for effective immunologic correction and intensive therapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1469877", "title": "[Microbial contamination of wounds and prevention of suppurative complications].", "content": "A specially elaborated punch card was used to study 1,784 case records of patients with pyogenic complications of wounds of various origin: pyogenic complications after cavitary operations, purulent surgical diseases; pyogenic complications of injuries, injections, and trophic ulcers. It was established that each type of wound is characterized by its own microflora. A follow-up showed that surgical intervention in combination with various antiseptics differ in their effect on microbial dissemination. Nontraditional methods (physiotherapy combined with volumetrically charged by an electrochemical method activated water with a pH of 2.5) have the best effect on the wound infection. Such an approach to the problem made it possible to reduce the expenditures on antiseptics considerably and improve the results of treatment and gain an economical effect."}
{"id": "PMID:1469880", "title": "[Surgical treatment of post-burn cicatricial deformities of the anterior surface of the thorax].", "content": "Operations were carried out on 11 patients with postburn keloidal cicatrix of the anterior chest wall the area of which ranged from 27 to 240 cm2. To, correct the deformity, extensive mobilization of the skin-fat layers of the axillae, subclavicular, region' anterior surface of the shoulder joints, and lateral surfaces of the chest is conducted. After excision of the cicatrix the layers are transposed to the wound and the skin covering is restored. Peripheral necrosis occurred in two patients but did not influence the outcome of the plastic procedures. Tailoring flaps from the mobilized layers causes a poorer cosmetic effect. Study of the results in follow-up periods of 2 to 18 months showed a good esthetic outcome in all patients, which allows the method to be recommended for the management of cicatricial deformities of the anterior chest surface."}
{"id": "PMID:1469878", "title": "[Classification of complications of combined injuries of abdominal organs and long tubular bones in traffic accidents].", "content": "The outcomes of treatment of 386 victims with abdominal trauma and fractures of the long tubular bones were studied. The authors systematized the typical complications developing after the trauma, both on the part of the injured organs of the abdominal cavity and true pelvis and the fractures of the long tubular bones. This allowed the developed complications to be divided according to time into early, late, and sequelae of trauma. The early complications of injuries to the organs of the abdomen and true pelvis are as follows: suppuration of postoperative wounds, postoperative wound dehiscence with or without eventration, recurrent intracavitary hemorrhage, progressing local peritonitis, incompetence of anastomoses, intestinal obstruction, abdominal abscesses and infiltrates, abscesses and infiltrates in the true pelvis, intestinal paresis, large hematomas, phlegmons of the anterior abdominal wall. The late complications are: sluggish wounds of the anterior abdominal wall, formation of ligature fistulas, postoperative ventral hernias, suppuration of intraorganic and interstitial hematomas, subclinical forms of sepsis and sepsis, thrombophlebitic complications, chronic venous insufficiency, persistent wounds, and other complications. The sequelae of injury to the organs of the abdominal cavity and true pelvis are: intestinal fistulas, functional intestinal disorders, gastric disease, the dumping syndrome, cicatricial changes of the anterior abdominal wall, posttraumatic disease, venous insufficiency, pneumosclerosis, chronic pneumonia, pulmonary emphysema, chronic vascular insufficiency, etc. The early complications in fractures of long tubular bones in the group of studied patients: suppuration of osteomuscular wounds, recurrent displacement of bone fragments, bone necrosis in open type IIIC, IIID fractures, gangrene of the limb consequent upon crushing of skin and subcutaneous tissue, subluxations, secondary subluxations of limbs.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1469887", "title": "Serum bile acid monitoring as an early indicator of allograft function in canine orthotopic liver transplantation.", "content": "This study was undertaken to elucidate the correlation between early graft function and serum bile acids profile in canine orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT). The recipient dogs were categorized into four groups: group A (n = 5); bile output over 10 ml during initial 6 hours, group B (n = 4); bile output less than 1 ml during the same period, group C (n = 5); transplanted immediately after graft harvesting, and group D (n = 5); transplanted after 7-hour ice-cold preservation in lactated Ringer's solution. In all cases serum total bile acid (TBA) was markedly elevated during anhepatic phase, the value being 49.4 +/- 48.5 mumol/L. However, in group A, TBA decreased promptly after revascularization, the value at 4-hour being 14.7 +/- 12.7 mumol/L. In contrast, the corresponding TBA level in group B was 62.3 +/- 27.5 mumol/L 4 hours later (p < 0.01 vs group A). In group C, TBA also decreased immediately after reperfusion. Furthermore, in comparison between groups C and D, TBA level was significantly different 4 and 6 hours after reperfusion (p < 0.01). In the reduction rate of TBA (value at each time point after reperfusion the value immediately before reperfusion), the significant difference was observed after 2 hours between groups A and B (p < 0.05). In addition, significant difference was recognized at 30 minutes between groups C and D (p < 0.05). Although the changes of most bile acid fractions were proportional to the changes of TBA in all four groups, the detection of lithocolic acid at 6 hours was characteristic of both groups B and D. In conclusion, there was strong correlation between the TBA level and the graft function during early postoperative period. Therefore, TBA will be a specific and early indicator to differentiate the quality of the transplanted grafts in OLT."}
{"id": "PMID:1469888", "title": "The computed tomographic evaluation of patellofemoral joint in patellar fractures treated with open reduction and internal fixation.", "content": "In this study, we examined 97 patella fractures in which open reduction and internal fixation had been performed at the 1st Orthopaedics and Trauma Clinic of Social Security Ankara Hospital between January 1983 and December 1988. After 24 to 96 months, on an average of 48.4 months follow-up period, the cases were evaluated clinically for knee function complaints and by CT and roentgenography for patellofemoral articulation. In 11 of the patients (11.5) there was patellar displacement, 2 of the patients had patellar tilt (2.1%) and in 14 patients (14.5%) there was malalignment in which 1 patient (1.1%) had both patellar tilt and displacement. This data was obtained by measuring femoral trochlear angle (FTA) and patellar tilt angle (PTA) by CT at various degrees of knee flexion. Thirty-three patients (34%) had slight and 19 patients (19.6%) had severe degenerative changes in the patellofemoral articulation. It is found that there is close relation between the variability of the pain complaints of the patients and the type of the fracture and the time of management and the postoperative rehabilitation."}
{"id": "PMID:1469881", "title": "[Osteosynthesis of crural bone fractures using bone plates with pegs].", "content": "A metal plate with pegs for osteosynthesis was designed and introduced into practice for the treatment of diaphyseal fractures of the leg bones. Studies for appraising the tension-deformity condition proved that installation of 20 cone-shaped pegs on the inner surface of the plate increases the stability of fixation 3.6-fold. Besides, the cone-shaped pegs facilitate maintenance of intactness of the vessels of the periosteum and soft tissues as a result of which the conditions for healing of the fractures improve. Operations were carried out on 43 patients, in 41 with good outcomes. External immobilization was not applied in the postoperative period, early restorative treatment was conducted."}
{"id": "PMID:1469889", "title": "A [14C]2-deoxy-D-glucose study of brain structures related to conditioned emotional response in the rat.", "content": "We used [14C]2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG) to determine activated brain structures related to conditioned emotional response (CER) in rats. The experimental groups were conditioned with paired conditioned-stimulus (CS; flickering light and clicking sound) and unconditioned-stimulus (US; foot-shock) for either 25 or 50 trials. The control groups were also exposed to the same stimuli but in unpaired or random sequence. Two days after conditioning, rats were intravenously injected with [14C]2-DG and then exposed to the CS alone (CER test) in a shock box. Mean optical densities of 44 brain structures were measured with an autoradiogram, and their optical density ratios were compared by 2-by-2 (paired vs unpaired and 25 vs 50 trials) analysis of variance. Those brain structures were of 2 types; the first type showed similar changes of 2-DG uptake in both paired and unpaired groups (Areas 7 and 40 of the cerebral cortex, the habenula and the colliculus inferior), while the second type showed that 2-DG uptake increased in the paired groups but decreased in the unpaired groups (Areas 24, 10, 6, 4 and 3 of the cerebral cortex), as a function of number of trials. Because changes of 2-DG uptake in the first type structures and in Areas 3, 4 and 6 of the second type structures are regarded to reflect learning-nonspecific effects and task- or stimuli-related symmetrical activation, respectively, we concluded that Areas 24 (anterior cingulate cortex) and 10 (prefrontal cortex) were specifically related to conditioned emotional response."}
{"id": "PMID:1469890", "title": "Gastrointestinal cancer: pathogenesis, risk factors and the development of intermediate biomarkers for chemoprevention studies.", "content": "Dietary, environmental and genetic factors contribute to the etiology, pathogenesis and risk for gastrointestinal cancers. Measurements of cell proliferation and differentiation further identify abnormal cellular properties associated with increased susceptibility to gastrointestinal cancer. In precancerous esophagus, the proliferative compartment increases in size, increased ploidy and dysplasia develop, and epithelial cells express abnormal cytokeratins and ectopic tumor-associated antigens. In precancerous stomach, increased proliferative activity and metaplasia develop. Intestinal enzymes and mucins are expressed and normal gastric antigens are replaced by intestinal or embryonic antigens. In flat colonic mucosa and in colonic adenomas, expansions of the proliferative compartment occur. Gene expression is modified, gene deletions occur and blood group-related antigens are modified as the cells undergo abnormal differentiation and develop into adenomas and carcinomas. Chemopreventive regimens are now being tested to determine whether they modify such intermediate biomarkers toward normal levels characteristic of lower risk for neoplasia. It is anticipated that the utilization of intermediate biomarkers in chemoprevention studies may permit more novel chemopreventive regimens to be tested in human subjects than heretofore was possible."}
{"id": "PMID:1469891", "title": "Lectin reactivities as intermediate biomarkers in premalignant colorectal epithelium.", "content": "Normal colonic epithelial cells undergo maturation as they traverse the crypt to the lumenal surface. The binding of lectins to goblet cell mucins and other glycoconjugates changes as the cells migrate and differentiate. Additional stepwise modifications in glycoconjugate expression occur in premalignant and malignant neoplasms that may be detected by lectin binding studies. The lectins Dolichos biflorus agglutinin (DBA) and soybean agglutinin (SBA) have been developed as markers of differentiation in normal-appearing colonic epithelium. Using a quantitative biometric system to score tissues, reduced levels of lectin binding have been found in rectal tissue from patients with familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) and hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer. The lectin Amaranthus caudatus agglutinin (ACA) binds to a cytoplasmic glycoconjugate expressed at the base of the colonic crypt and serves as a possible proliferation marker in the distal, but not proximal, colon. ACA binding increases in tandem with increased levels of proliferation (using BrdU incorporation) in neoplastic tissues. Binding by the peanut lectin (PNA) occurs late in the adenoma-to-carcinoma sequence--in larger adenomas and in cancers--and serves as a marker of advancing neoplasia. Lectins identify the stepwise changes that occur during normal differentiation, proliferation and in advancing neoplasia. By selecting the appropriate probe, biomarkers may be developed for early, intermediate, and late events in colorectal cancer."}
{"id": "PMID:1469892", "title": "Oncogenes as markers for early detection of cancer.", "content": "Oncogenes are formed in human tumors as a result of mutations or DNA rearrangements leading to the abnormal expression or function of proto-oncogenes. Approximately 20 different oncogenes are reproducibly activated in malignancies of several types, including breast, colon, lung, pancreatic, and thyroid carcinomas, leukemias, and lymphomas. The potential utility of these oncogenes as markers for early detection of cancer is dependent on the stage of tumor development at which they are activated, and on whether the mutated oncogenes are readily distinguished from the corresponding proto-oncogenes by assays that are sufficiently sensitive to detect precancerous lesions."}
{"id": "PMID:1469893", "title": "Suppressor gene alterations in the colorectal adenoma-carcinoma sequence.", "content": "Tumorigenesis is thought to be a multistep process in which genetic alterations accumulate to bring about the neoplastic phenotype. Colorectal tumors appear to arise as a result of the mutational activation of oncogenes coupled with the inactivation of several tumor suppressor genes. We have found frequent allelic deletions of specific portions of chromosomes 5, 17, and 18 which presumably harbor suppressor genes. The target of allelic loss events on chromosome 17 has been shown to be the p53 gene, which is frequently mutated not only in colon cancer but in several other tumor types as well. Candidate suppressor genes have also recently been identified on chromosomes 18 and 5. The DCC gene on chromosome 18q encodes a protein with significant sequence similarity to neural cell adhesion molecules and other related cell surface glycoproteins. Alterations of this gene may interfere with normal cell growth and differentiation by disrupting cell-cell or cell-substrate interactions. Two genes (MCC and APC) on chromosome 5q have also recently been identified and partially cloned. These genes are located in a region tightly linked to familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP). While MCC mutations have been found only in sporadic colon tumors, APC mutations have been identified in sporadic tumors as well as the germline of patients with FAP. Studies are currently in progress to increase our understanding of how alterations of these genes affect colorectal tumor cell growth."}
{"id": "PMID:1469894", "title": "Abnormal DNA content as a biomarker of large bowel cancer risk and prognosis.", "content": "Aneuploid cell populations can be defined as those that contain an abnormal number of chromosomes or an abnormal amount of DNA. Aneuploidy can be reliably detected by flow cytometric analysis of DNA content. This technique not only identifies aneuploid cell populations but can also quantify the percent of cells in various phases of the cell cycle, thus giving an indication of the proliferative activity of a tissue. Aneuploidy occurs in approximately 60% of established colorectal cancers, and many studies have demonstrated that patients with aneuploid tumors have a poorer prognosis than patients with diploid colon cancers. Some studies have suggested that the proliferative rate of tumors, as assessed by the percent of cells in S phase, also has prognostic significance. Until recently, aneuploidy was thought to occur only in malignant tissues, but it has been clearly shown that aneuploid cell populations can be identified in benign adenomatous polyps as well as in non-neoplastic-appearing mucosa of patients with chronic ulcerative colitis and Barrett's esophagus. In chronic ulcerative colitis, aneuploidy occurs more frequently in patients with dysplasia or cancer than in those with no evidence of neoplasia. Similarly, dysplastic and malignant biopsies are more commonly aneuploid than non-neoplastic biopsies. Patients who have undergone colectomy for cancer or dysplasia in the setting of chronic ulcerative colitis frequently have multiple areas of aneuploidy throughout the remainder of their colon. Whether aneuploidy can be useful as a marker of cancer risk in patients with chronic ulcerative colitis deserves further investigation."}
{"id": "PMID:1469895", "title": "Intermediate biomarkers of precancer and their application in chemoprevention.", "content": "The Chemoprevention Branch of the National Cancer Institute has established a program for the development of safe and effective cancer chemopreventive agents. This program includes identification of new agents, testing for efficacy in vitro and in animals, studies in animals to model clinical use, and preclinical toxicity and metabolism evaluation. Ultimately, the most promising agents progress to clinical trials. The long period required for cancer onset presents a significant challenge to the design of clinical trials for chemoprevention. Phase III trials in which cancer reduction is the endpoint require large subject groups (tens of thousands) and follow-up duration of more than five years. Because of these requirements, the cost of such trials are high. The Chemoprevention Branch is addressing this challenge by expansion of the preclinical and Phase II clinical efficacy efforts to include intermediate biomarkers of carcinogenesis as study endpoints. The Chemoprevention Branch's studies focus on the development of biomarkers with high reliability and predictive value for cancer. Both single markers and batteries of complementary and parallel markers are evaluated. Among the criteria for biomarkers for chemoprevention studies are the following: (1) differential expression in normal and high risk tissue, (2) appearance early in carcinogenesis (the earlier a reliable biomarker appears, the greater is the chance for successful intervention with a chemopreventive agent), (3) high sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy relative to cancer, (4) ease of measurement (use of non-invasive techniques and small tissue samples is preferable), (5) demonstration of modulation by chemopreventive agents, and (6) correlation of modulation with decreased cancer incidence."}
{"id": "PMID:1469896", "title": "Molecular and endocrine biomarkers in non-involved breast: relevance to cancer chemoprevention.", "content": "The animal models for chemoprevention of breast cancer have provided important experimental systems to evaluate the efficacy of tumor suppression by dietary macro- and micronutrients. In the initiation/promotion cascade, early occurring premalignant changes constitute less extensively examined aspects of disease progression. Molecular, endocrine and cellular biomarkers may provide clinically relevant endpoints for prevention of breast cancer that focus on downregulation of preneoplastic transformation. In vitro models derived from non-involved murine and human mammary tissues are utilized to identify molecular, endocrine and cellular markers that are perturbed in response to such diverse initiators as viruses and chemical carcinogens. This upregulation was manifested as persistent Ras p21-GTP binding, altered C16 alpha/C2 hydroxylation of estradiol, and hyperplasia preceding tumorigenesis. Prototypic chemopreventive agents such as n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, retinoids, and indole-3-carbinol were capable of downregulating all of the preneoplastic markers perturbed by initiators. Experimental modulation of these biomarkers in murine and human mammary tissue prior to the expression of a fully transformed tumorigenic phenotype is suggestive of their potential clinical application in chemopreventive intervention for breast cancer."}
{"id": "PMID:1469897", "title": "Prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia: a premalignant lesion.", "content": "Putative premalignant changes in the prostate have been recognized for a number of years. A variety of synonyms have been given to the most commonly described lesion, characterized by proliferation and dysplasia of the normal two cell layers lining prostatic acini and ductules; prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN) is the term most often used. A premalignant prostatic lesion should have morphologic features similar to invasive carcinoma (CA), a spatial association with microinvasive cancer arising from the lesion, and should occur at a greater frequency, severity and extent in organs harboring CA. Most definitively, progression from the premalignant lesion into CA should be observed over time. PIN fulfills all but the last of these requirements. High grade PIN is cytologically indistinguishable from prostate carcinoma (CAP). The major differentiating feature between PIN and CAP is the presence, although frequently disrupted, of the basal cell layer in the former. We have studied the basal cell layer in PIN using antibodies to high molecular weight cytokeratins and have found a correlation between PIN grade and the percent disruption of the basal cell layer. The cells making up PIN are phenotypically similar to those of CAP. We have used a variety of markers including cytokeratins, vimentin and the lectin Ulex euroapaeus to demonstrate this similarity. Additionally, we and others have noted decreased PIN immunoreactivity with antibodies directed against prostate specific antigen (PSA) and prostatic acid phosphatase. Other investigators have noted additional phenotypic similarities between PIN and CAP, including the ABH and Lewis antigens. PIN incidence and grade correlate well with the presence of CAP elsewhere in the prostate.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1469898", "title": "Indicators of increased breast cancer risk in humans.", "content": "Specific atypical histological patterns of epithelial hyperplasia (AH) indicate a medically relevant risk of breast cancer development in 5-10% of women with otherwise benign biopsies. This risk is about four times that of similar women, i.e., of the same age and at risk for the same length of time. These relative risks are not stable with time and fall 10-15 years after detection. Absolute risk for invasive breast cancer after AH is about 10% in 10-15 years after biopsy and is most certain for perimenopausal women. Proliferative disease without atypia predicts only a slight elevation of risk with a relative risk (RR) of 1.5 to 2 times that of the general population. There is such a strong interaction between family history and AH that it is relevant to consider women with atypical hyperplasia who have a positive family history (FH) of breast cancer separately from those who do not. The absolute risk of breast cancer development in women with AH without a FH was 8% in 10 years (RR about 4), whereas those with a positive family history experienced a risk of about 20% at 15 years (RR of about 10). This interaction of AH and FH has also been observed in other recent studies. Low replacement doses of conjugated estrogen after menopause do not further elevate risk beyond that identified by histology.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1469899", "title": "Candidate biomarkers for application as intermediate end points of lung carcinogenesis.", "content": "The need for validated intermediate end point markers to facilitate lung cancer chemointervention research is compelling. Three major classes of lung markers are relevant for this application. Since lung cancer includes four distinct histologies, markers that map degrees of histologic differentiation are important. Many of the markers for squamous differentiation overlap with the candidates for application in the study of head and neck cancer. Production of tissue-specific cell products especially for surfactant or CEA is of interest, because the gene structure is known and many differentiation-related polymorphisms exist. This strategy would be useful for adenomatous type tissue. A second type of marker is the broad group of differentiation markers. The carbohydrate or blood group-like antigens comprise a representative example. Carbohydrate structures are expressed in a specific sequence during fetal processes, and this sequence appears to reverse with the development of a cancer. Retrodifferentiation of specific differentiation markers is the basis of a major effort to effect earlier lung cancer detection using sputum immunocytochemistry. The final class includes markers which affect either positive or negative aspects of growth. Candidates in this area include growth factors or their receptors, or genes that regulate growth. If the intermediate end point marker reflects tumor biology and that biology is in the causal path of tumor progression, serial observation of that parameter should indicate the success of the intervention. In all three of these examples, the clinical material to be analyzed could be sputum specimens, bronchial biopsies or resected lung tissue. Systematic analysis of these markers in context of intervention trials is required to validate their utility.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1469900", "title": "Precancerous lesions of the human esophagus: multiparametric study of esophageal biopsies from a high-risk population in Linxian, China.", "content": "Histopathology, morphometry, tritiated thymidine incorporation and immunohistochemistry were studied in 221 esophageal biopsies from subjects with cytologica hyperplasia in Linxian, China. A spectrum of 7 morphologic entities were found: (1) normal/near normal (NN); (2) basal cell hyperplasia 0 (BHO); (3) simple hyperplasia (SH); (4) mixed basal and spinous cell hyperplasia (MBS); (5) basal cell hyperplasia 1 (BH1); (6) dysplasia (D); and (7) non-proliferative lesion (NP). Forty percent of the biopsies had combinations of histologic types. The thickness of the epithelium was increased in SH, MBS, and BH1, but not in BHO and NP. Elongation of papillae was frequently seen in SH, MBS, BH1, and D. Papillary bleeding was very prevalent in the esophageal specimens studied. A variety of cellular changes were found in peripapillary areas especially when bleeding occurred. [3H]-thymidine labeling index was dramatically increased in the entire epithelium in dysplasia, and also increased in cell layer 3 of MBS, BH1 and D. Blood group antigen LeY and lectin WGA showed consistent positivity in cellular membranes of the squamous cells, and these changes occurred before gross morphologic alterations. These findings provide a hypothesis for the sequence of pathogenetic events leading to esophageal carcinoma, and define each step with corresponding biomarkers for cancer prevention studies."}
{"id": "PMID:1469901", "title": "The natural history of intraepithelial neoplasia: relevance to the search for intermediate endpoint biomarkers.", "content": "The development of carcinomas, defined as invasive epithelial neoplasms, is preceded by a preinvasive stage termed intraepithelial neoplasia that typically lasts for years. Intraepithelial neoplasia is the target tissue for the action of chemopreventive agents and the site where biomarkers frequently develop. The term \"dysplasia\" refers to the morphological alterations that characterize intraepithelial neoplasia and, according to many authors, consists of seven basic changes that are the same for the majority of epithelia. These are increased nuclear size, abnormal nuclear shape, increased nuclear stain uptake, nuclear pleomorphism (increased variation in size, shape, and stain uptake), increased mitoses, abnormal mitoses, and disordered or absent differentiation. Clonal evolution appears to begin early in the neoplastic process during intraepithelial neoplasia. The use of intraepithelial neoplasia as an intermediate endpoint biomarker requires that effective chemopreventive agents cause it to regress. Two examples are the regression of dysplastic oral leukoplakia produced by beta-carotene and the regression of colonic polyps in familial polyposis patients following treatment with the nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug sulindac. There is a critical need to identify and develop biomarkers that correlate with the appearance and regression of intraepithelial neoplasia."}
{"id": "PMID:1469902", "title": "Statistical validation of intermediate markers of precancer for use as endpoints in chemoprevention trials.", "content": "Using an intermediate marker of precancer as an endpoint for evaluating agents that may prevent cancer involves a presumption that the modification of the marker will be accompanied by a modification of cancer incidence. This presumption can hold only if the marker is on or very closely linked to a causal pathway. Epidemiologists have discussed the nature of evidence required to infer causal relationships, and we briefly survey their work. Studies relating exposure (E) to marker (M) provide only indirect evidence for causality. Those relating marker (M) to disease (D) are more relevant. We propose a new validation criterion based on an analysis of the three-way relationship of exposure (E), marker (M) and disease (D). We discuss the level of evidence required for using intermediate markers as endpoints for Phase II and Phase III trials, and propose very stringent criteria for Phase III trials. For Phase II trials, we propose less stringent criteria, but still recommend that the marker (M) should have been shown to have a strong association with disease (D)."}
{"id": "PMID:1469903", "title": "Intermediate biomarkers in upper aerodigestive tract and lung chemoprevention trials.", "content": "Chemoprevention trials in lung and upper aerodigestive tract (UADT) cancer are guided by the field cancerization hypothesis. Inhaled carcinogens place the entire epithelial lining at risk for the development of cancer. The hypothesis is supported by the occurrence of premalignant lesions, such as leukoplakia or squamous metaplasia, and multiple primary tumors within the field. The concept of carcinogenesis as a multistep process suggests the possibility of blocking or reversing the progression to invasive cancer with systemic treatment. A series of ongoing clinical trials will determine the efficacy of retinoid chemoprevention and will attempt to develop intermediate biomarkers. Biomarkers which reliably reflect progression towards cancer could be used to dramatically improve the efficiency of chemoprevention trials and also would aid in screening potential chemoprevention agents. Genomic biomarkers include non-specific estimates of ongoing DNA injury, such as micronuclei, as well as development of aneuploidy and alterations in oncogenes. A class of biomarkers of increasing importance assess proliferation and growth regulation, and include proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), TGF-beta, EGFR and retinoid receptors. Other markers, such as the blood group antigens, reflect differentiation and may be associated with the development of premalignant lesions. Preliminary data from several of these markers has suggested an association with carcinogenic exposures and premalignant lesions, but none of these markers either alone or in panels have yet been validated as a reliable surrogate for the development of invasive cancer."}
{"id": "PMID:1469904", "title": "Ulcerative colitis and colon cancer: biology and surveillance.", "content": "The risk of colorectal carcinoma is increased among patients with longstanding ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. The development of cancer in inflammatory bowel disease is hypothesized to evolve by a multistep process involving genetic instability, clonal expansion and the development of a malignant phenotype. The contribution of nutritional factors such as folate deficiency is of great interest; molecular genetic mechanisms are under study. In contrast to sporadic colorectal carcinoma, carcinomas in ulcerative colitis are associated with a long prior history of chronic inflammation and the subsequent development of epithelial dysplasia. Dysplasia is defined as an unequivocal neoplastic alteration of the colonic mucosa. The object of surveillance is prevention of death from cancer by detection at a premalignant or early curable stage. Patients at greatest risk of cancer who customarily undergo endoscopic surveillance are those with extensive colitis of more than 8 years duration. Dysplastic epithelium may occur in flat mucosa, and may produce a plaque or a nodular/villiform appearance. Dysplasia is not present in all patients with cancer in colitis. It is important to develop more sensitive and specific markers for the presence of precancer or cancer in colitis. Under study are proliferation-associated markers detected by immunohistochemistry, lectin binding, flow cytometry and laser-induced fluorescence coupled with endoscopy."}
{"id": "PMID:1469905", "title": "Growth kinetics and chemoprevention of aberrant crypts in the rat colon.", "content": "Single and multiple colonic crypts exhibiting dysplasia that are detectable in situ by staining of rat colon with methylene blue are called aberrant crypts (AC) and may serve as an intermediate marker for colon cancer. In a characterization study, we have established the kinetics of AC growth and development over a period of 20 d following injection of rats with the carcinogen azoxymethane (AOM). AC are not present at 5 d post-injection, but are a constant feature at 10 d and thereafter. Multiple AC, presumably clonal, begin to evolve at 10 d and are consistent by 20 d, forming incipient microadenomata. We have examined 20 candidate chemopreventive agents for inhibition of AC. All agents were given in AIN-76 diet, at two dose levels, with injections of AOM. AC were measured after 5 weeks of growth. Among the most active AC-inhibiting agents were BHA, DFMO, quercetin, diallyl sulfide, 18 beta-glycyrrhetinic acid, and ascorbyl palmitate. In a post-initiation study, the differentiating agent sodium butyrate was ineffective, but piroxicam was highly effective in modulating AC growth. Further, piroxicam inhibited AC development at all stages of growth from single to polycryptal clusters of AC. The AC assay shows marked sensitivity and specificity for screening agents for chemoprevention of colon cancer."}
{"id": "PMID:1469906", "title": "Intermediate biomarkers of increased risk for colorectal cancer: comparison of different methods of analysis and modifications by chemopreventive interventions.", "content": "Intermediate biomarkers of abnormal cell growth and development have recently been used in chemoprevention trials in attempts to identify the efficacy of chemopreventive agents in human subjects. Measurements carried out include those related to cell proliferation, differentiation, and gene structure and expression in the colon. Among modified patterns of cell proliferation identified by microautoradiographic or immunoperoxidase assays, a characteristic expansion in the size of the proliferative compartment has been observed in normal-appearing colorectal mucosa of human subjects with disease increasing cancer risk; the same patterns have been induced by chemical carcinogens in rodents. Moreover, this intermediate biomarker has been modulated by chemopreventive agents in both rodents and humans. Newer intermediate biomarkers being studied for application to human chemopreventive programs include normal and abnormal patterns of expression of mucins, intermediate filaments and cytoskeletal proteins, and the structure and expression of a variety of genes associated with normal and abnormal cell development. The application of these various intermediate biomarkers to chemoprevention studies is increasing the ability of investigators to analyze the effects of novel chemopreventive agents in the colon and in other organs."}
{"id": "PMID:1469907", "title": "Cell proliferation biomarkers in the gastrointestinal tract.", "content": "Measurements of epithelial cell proliferation in the mucosa of the gastrointestinal tract pointed out the existence of cell kinetic abnormalities which can be involved in the first steps of carcinogenesis. In particular, an increase in the cell proliferation rate and an abnormal distribution of proliferating cells were found both in animals exposed to carcinogens and in human subjects at high risk of gastrointestinal cancer. In some diseases which predispose to cancer (i.e., chronic atropic gastritis, hereditary gastrointestinal cancer, sporadic colorectal neoplasia, chronic ulcerative colitis) we observed an expansion of the proliferative compartment even when the mucosa was not affected by morphological abnormalities. This proliferative feature seems to be associated with the presence of defects in cell differentiation. The abnormality is well detected by the histological examination of the proliferative pattern using microautoradiography after incorporation of tritiated thymidine, or using immunohistochemistry after bromodeoxyuridine uptake. The literature, and our own results, indicate that the search for abnormalities of epithelial cell proliferation can be useful in studying the earliest mechanisms leading to gastrointestinal cancer, in detecting subjects at high cancer risk, and for pilot chemoprevention studies using these abnormalities as intermediate biomarkers of gastrointestinal cancer risk."}
{"id": "PMID:1469908", "title": "Cell proliferation in colorectal tumor progression: an immunohistochemical approach to intermediate biomarkers.", "content": "Cell renewal in the large intestine mucosa is normally tied to a rigidly compartmentalized model. Immunohistochemical identification of cells in S phase through uptake of bromodeoxyuridine is the method of choice for detailed compartmental mapping of proliferation, while immunohistochemical detection of proliferation-associated antigens (Ki-67, PCNA, DNA polymerase alpha) provides information in advanced tumor cases. Mucosal hyperproliferation due to inflammation may be transient (self-limited colitis, Crohn's disease, acute radiation damage) or lasting (ulcerative colitis). Progressive shifting of the proliferation zone to the crypt surface (Stage II abnormality) is a late feature of irradiated rectal mucosa and subgroups of ulcerative colitis patients at high risk for cancer. Hyperproliferation and Stage II abnormality coexist in the mucosa of patients with colorectal neoplasia, but are mutually independent and correlated to different clinical and pathological features of the disease. These cytokinetic abnormalities are highly predictive markers of the adenoma-carcinoma sequence, but are not associated with de novo adenocarcinoma. Proliferation increases progressively in the subsequent steps of this sequence, except in early cancer."}
{"id": "PMID:1469909", "title": "Altered glycosylation of mucin glycoproteins in colonic neoplasia.", "content": "Considerable alteration of cellular carbohydrates such as glycolipids and glycoproteins occurs in colonic neoplasia. Some of these changes are also observed at certain embryonic stages of differentiation and are, therefore, considered onco-developmental changes. In colon cancer cells, many of the phenotypic markers for malignancy have been found on carbohydrate moieties, and some have been found on the peptide portion of mucin glycoproteins. The changes in carbohydrate antigens include altered expression of core region carbohydrates, extension of backbone structures and modification of peripheral carbohydrate structures that may arise due to abnormal glycosylation processes. Altered glycosylation may also result in the exposure of the peptide moiety of the mucin glycoprotein. Therefore, these altered mucin glycoprotein structures may serve as tumor markers. However, it remains to be determined whether they will be useful as intermediate endpoint markers."}
{"id": "PMID:1469910", "title": "Blood group-related carbohydrate antigen expression in malignant and premalignant colonic neoplasms.", "content": "Cell surface glycoconjugates of colonic epithelial cells carry certain carbohydrate antigens related to blood group substances. During the progression to malignancy, these oligosaccharide immunodeterminants undergo specific types of alterations. In colon cancers, the blood group antigens A, B, H, and Le(b), which are normally expressed only in the proximal colon, can be re-expressed in distal colon cancers or deleted in proximal colon cancers. Also, an antigen which is incompatible with the individual's blood type can be expressed. Similar alterations occur in adenomatous polyps, but with reduced frequency. The simple form of blood group-related Le(x) and Le(y) antigens found in normal mucosa can undergo modification by oligosaccharide elongation, internal fucosylation, and sialylation into novel structures found in carcinomas as well as in adenomas with greatest malignant potential. Finally, antigens representing the first steps of glycosylation, Tn, T, sialosyl-Tn (STn), which are normally cryptic in the colon, can be unmasked due to incomplete glycosylation in adenomatous polyps and cancers. Several of these antigens, such as extended Le(x), extended Le(y), T, and sialosyl-Tn, are quite cancer-specific in that they are rarely expressed in normal mucosa or hyperplastic polyps, but preferentially occur in adenomas of greatest malignant potential. As such, these antigens might be useful as candidate intermediate endpoint biomarkers."}
{"id": "PMID:1469911", "title": "The Seventh K Prathap Memorial Lecture. The pathogenesis of autoimmune immune complex disease.", "content": "It has been proposed that autoimmune immune complex disease, of which SLE is the type example, is caused essentially by a failure to properly metabolise immune complexes and that this allows the establishment of feedback cycles which cause more immune complexes to be formed. The essential genetic predisposition to this disease is complement deficiency of the components of the early classical pathway and some degree of genetic complement deficiency, particularly of C4a, is found in more than half the patients. It seems likely that acquired complement deficiencies, possibly present at the time of initiation of the disease, may be important in many of the other cases."}
{"id": "PMID:1469912", "title": "In-house microcomputer software package for management of histopathology reports.", "content": "A system for computerising histopathology records developed in-house using dBASE IV on IBM-compatible microcomputers in a local area network is described. The software package uses a horizontal main menu bar with associated pull-down submenus as interface between the machine and the user. It is very easy to use. The package provides options for selecting databases by years, entering/editing records, browsing data, making multi-characteristics searches/retrievals, printing data, and maintaining databases that includes backing-up and repairing corrupted databases."}
{"id": "PMID:1469913", "title": "Oesophagostomiasis in man: report of the first Malaysian case with emphasis on its pathology.", "content": "This paper describes the first Malaysian case of oesophagostomiasis. The patient was an 8-year-old Malay boy who presented to Ipoh General Hospital, Perak with abdominal pain and weight loss. Examination revealed multiple cavitated pseudotumours of the colon. A hemicolectomy was performed. Examination of the lesions revealed Oesophagostomum worms in the necrotic centres. The differential diagnoses and the pathology caused by Oesophagostomum are discussed. A brief review of the available literature is presented."}
{"id": "PMID:1469914", "title": "Biphenotypic hybrid acute leukaemia detected by two colour flow cytometry.", "content": "Immunophenotypic studies using immunofluorescent flow cytometry were performed on the blast cells of 36 patients with acute leukaemia using a panel of eight monoclonal antibodies. Six patients had blasts which co-expressed markers for lymphoid and myeloid differentiation, and which were therefore defined as biphenotypic hybrid acute leukaemia. Of the six, three patients were in the paediatric age group (below 12 years old) while the other three were more than 12 years old. Peripheral blood counts were variable; however, bone marrow infiltration was extensive (blasts > or = 75% in all). At the time of study, remission was achieved in only two patients. The authors' data show that biphenotypic hybrid acute leukaemia is not rare in Malaysia. This represents a subgroup of acute leukaemia identifiable by immunophenotyping but not by the French-American-British classification based on morphological and basic cytochemical studies alone. The recognition of this subgroup is important for both practical and theoretical reasons. There are implications for treatment of the individual patient because treatment directed at a single lineage may not be effective. The two colour flow cytometry proved to be a useful tool for diagnosis and classification of acute leukaemia."}
{"id": "PMID:1469915", "title": "Immunolabelling of prolactin at ultrastructural level using the protein A-gold technique on Epon-embedded tissue.", "content": "The use of the colloidal-gold technique in electron microscopy immunocytochemistry has provided important information on the in situ localisation of intracellular antigens. We have developed a post-embedding technique for prolactin localisation on resin-embedded human pituitary tissue sections by the use of the protein-A gold conjugate. Human pituitary tissue obtained at autopsy was processed for electron microscopical study without post-osmication and then embedded in Epon. The indirect immunoperoxidase method was used for light microscopical targetting of lactotroph cells for subsequent electron microscopical antigen localisation. Ultra-thin sections were labelled with human anti-human prolactin followed by protein-A gold conjugate. Specific labelling was observed over secretory granules with a density of 15-30 particles per granule, as determined by the Quantimet 570 image analysis system. This technique provides a means of studying the pathophysiology of hormonal secretion at ultrastructural level and can be a useful tool in diagnostic and research investigations."}
{"id": "PMID:1469916", "title": "Strychnine poisoning: a case report.", "content": "A teenage male was admitted to a hospital in the United Kingdom following the ingestion of strychnine. The typical spasms of strychnine poisoning were observed and he died during the fourth convulsion. The post mortem findings are presented, and strychnine poisoning is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1469917", "title": "Bacteriology turnaround time in seven Malaysian general hospitals.", "content": "A turnaround time study was conducted for bacteriological culture tests in seven Malaysian general hospitals. The turnaround times were determined using a specially designed form that was completed by the ward staff. Doctors at these hospitals were also polled to find out whether they were satisfied with the promptness of bacteriological test reporting in their hospitals. The turnaround times obtained from this survey were found to be satisfactory taking into account the constraints of laboratory methods employed. Nevertheless only about a third of doctors expressed satisfaction with the timeliness of the bacteriological test reporting. Doctors and microbiologists should get together and agree on acceptable standards of turnaround times that are practical and reasonable."}
{"id": "PMID:1469918", "title": "A morphological and immunohistochemical study of plasma cell proliferative lesions.", "content": "Monoclonal plasma cell proliferative diseases such as multiple myeloma and plasmacytoma can involve extramedullary sites at the time of first presentation, or subsequently in the course of the disease. Under such circumstances, they can mimic primary or metastatic carcinomas, neuroendocrine or neuroectodermal tumours and lymphomas, and the pathologist often has to resort to immunohistochemistry as an aid to diagnosis. We studied the morphology and immunohistochemical properties of 10 cases of previously confirmed monoclonal plasma cell proliferative lesions retrieved from the files of the Department of Pathology, University of Malaya. Serial 4u thick paraffin sections were stained with H&E, the Unna-Pappenheim technique for nucleic acid and a panel of antibodies using a standard immunoperoxidase technique. Light chain restriction was demonstrable in most of the cases. Seven (70%) showed kappa and 2 (20%) lambda light chain restriction. The remaining case was not stainable with most of the antibodies in the panel. The majority (80%) of cases showed accompanying IgG heavy chain in the cytoplasm, while 1 case had IgA. Seven (70%) showed membrane positivity with antibody to epithelial membrane antigen (EMA) and 7 (70%) cytoplasmic positivity with antibody to vimentin. This study enhances our awareness that neoplastic plasma cells can be positive for EMA and vimentin, and cautions us from misinterpreting these lesions as carcinomas or sarcomas. Notwithstanding that, immunohistochemical staining for kappa and lambda light chains can be helpful in differentiating monoclonal plasma cell proliferations from polyclonal ones."}
{"id": "PMID:1469919", "title": "Sudden death in a young adult due to coronary artery aneurysm secondary to suspected Kawasaki disease.", "content": "A healthy 17-year-old Chinese male suddenly collapsed and died during a game of badminton. The autopsy examination revealed a solitary calcified aneurysm of the left common coronary artery with marked stenosis of the orifices of the anterior descending and circumflex branches. Histology of the aneurysm was non-specific with hyalinised scar tissue and foci of calcification. The only illness of significance in the past was an episode of 'pyrexia of unknown origin' at the age of 8 months. A review of the notes of that hospital admission revealed that the illness was most probably Kawasaki disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1469921", "title": "Assessing the validity of the dimensions of prenatal attachment.", "content": "Prenatal attachment has been considered a multidimensional construct. The Maternal-Fetal Attachment Scale (MFAS) was developed to measure prenatal attachment. Five subscales were incorporated into the MFAS to represent the dimensions. The purpose of this study was to examine the validity of the dimensions of prenatal attachment as represented by the MFAS subscales. A content analysis of parental remarks about the fetus was conducted. The categories generated from this analysis did not correspond to the MFAS subscales. Therefore, while the results support prenatal attachment as multidimensional, they did not support the specific dimensions represented by the MFAS."}
{"id": "PMID:1469922", "title": "A comparison between adolescent and adult women on prenatal anxiety and self-confidence.", "content": "The purpose of this study was to investigate anxiety and self-confidence in adolescent and adult pregnant women. Thirty-five adolescents, ages 13 to 16, and 58 adult women, ages 21 to 33, participated in this study. The majority of the sample was black and unmarried, and all attended a low-risk prenatal clinic for a first pregnancy. Spielberger's State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and Pharis' Self-Confidence Scale were administered during the women's second trimester of pregnancy. Results indicated significant negative correlations for both state and trait anxiety during pregnancy and self-confidence for all women, but no significant differences in anxiety and self-confidence between the two groups. Results indicate the need for nurses to develop and implement plans for decreasing anxiety and enhancing self-confidence of all pregnant women."}
{"id": "PMID:1469923", "title": "Women's views of postpartum sibling visitation.", "content": "The purpose of this study was to identify women's views of postpartum sibling visitation. Fifty-eight Lamaze-prepared, married multigravidae expressed their views on sibling visitation in a semistructured interview conducted during their postpartum hospitalization. The majority of women (84%) chose to have their children visit. Women identified positive and negative aspects of sibling visitation, explained reasons for not having siblings visit, and discussed reactions to separation from their children. The women believed both siblings and mothers benefitted emotionally from the visit. Negative aspects of sibling visitation included emotional reactions of mothers and siblings, lack of control between siblings and infants, and inconvenient location for the visit."}
{"id": "PMID:1469924", "title": "3-(Phenylamino)alanine, a novel aniline-derived amino acid associated with the eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome: a link to the toxic oil syndrome?", "content": "The eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome (EMS) is an inflammatory disease that occurred in epidemic proportions in the United States during 1989. Cases of EMS were also reported in Europe and elsewhere. Clinically, EMS resembles the Spanish toxic oil syndrome. EMS has been associated with ingestion of manufactured L-tryptophan and, more specifically, with lots of tryptophan that contained the trace contaminant 1,1'-ethylidenebis(tryptophan) (EBT). Another trace contaminant (\"peak UV-5\") has been reported, but the strength of its association with EMS has not been demonstrated. Herein we report independently that peak UV-5 is 3-(phenylamino)alanine (PAA). Patients with EMS ingested significantly greater amounts of both PAA and EBT than did control tryptophan users. PAA is chemically similar to 3-phenylamino-1,2-propanediol, an aniline derivative isolated from samples of oil that were consumed by persons in whom the toxic oil syndrome developed. The discovery of an aniline-derived contaminant in tryptophan raises the possibility that EMS and toxic oil syndrome may have a common etiologic trigger."}
{"id": "PMID:1469925", "title": "Contribution of a measure of disease complexity (COMPLEX) to prediction of outcome and charges among hospitalized patients.", "content": "Attention has been focused on the need to adjust hospital reimbursement and outcomes of hospital care for level of illness. Extant measures of disease severity, however, fail to consider the contribution of disease complexity. We developed an easily retrievable measure of disease complexity (COMPLEX) by modifying an existing severity system, computerized Disease Staging. The contribution of COMPLEX (the number of body systems affected with a Disease Staging score of 2 or more) to the prediction of outcome was assessed in two studies: (1) a population-based analysis of readmission and mortality after hospitalization and (2) an analysis of hospital charges among patients who were in an intensive-care unit. The amount of variation in mortality explained by factors included in the Health Care Financing Administration model was significantly improved when COMPLEX was added to the model (adjusted odds ratio per body system, 1.83; 95% confidence interval, 1.61 to 2.08). A significant association was also observed between COMPLEX score and hospital readmission after adjustment for age, sex, case-mix, and disease severity (adjusted odds ratio, 1.31; 95% confidence interval, 1.20 to 1.44). When COMPLEX was added to case-mix and disease severity in a model for predicting hospital charges, the percentage of variation in hospital charges explained by the model increased from 25% to 38%. These findings demonstrate the important contribution of disease complexity to the analysis of outcome of medical care and utilization of resources. Outcome or reimbursement models that do not incorporate disease complexity may negatively affect institutions with a high proportion of patients who have complex conditions."}
{"id": "PMID:1469926", "title": "Effect of megestrol acetate on the human pituitary-adrenal axis.", "content": "A few previous reports have suggested that megestrol acetate, a synthetic progestational agent frequently used as an antineoplastic drug, suppresses serum cortisol concentrations in humans. To explore this concept further, we prospectively performed several measurements of the pituitary-adrenal axis in patients receiving megestrol acetate (160 or 800 mg/day). The data from these evaluations demonstrate that megestrol acetate reversibly decreases serum cortisol concentrations in humans and that this effect seems to originate from a suppression of the pituitary-adrenal axis. Additional studies should be conducted to determine the implications of the low levels of serum cortisol."}
{"id": "PMID:1469927", "title": "Ciprofloxacin versus trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole: treatment of community-acquired urinary tract infections in a prospective, controlled, double-blind comparison.", "content": "In this study, we determined the safety and efficacy of the treatment of adults with urinary tract infection with ciprofloxacin hydrochloride (250 mg twice daily for 10 days) in comparison with trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (160 mg of trimethoprim and 800 mg of sulfamethoxazole twice daily for 10 days). Patients with signs and symptoms of urinary tract infection were randomized to receive ciprofloxacin (98 women and 5 men) or trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (92 women and 8 men). The success rate of therapy was 91% for both treatment arms of the study. Among seven failures after ciprofloxacin therapy, three were due to relapse of infection and two to side effects that necessitated a change in medication; in addition, two patients had persistent symptoms and required hospitalization. Among the six failures associated with trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole therapy, four were due to relapse, one to persistence of infection, and one to a side effect that necessitated a change in medication. Among the patients treated with trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, 32% had mild or moderate adverse reactions; in comparison, 17% of the ciprofloxacin-treated patients had adverse reactions (P = 0.026). For the treatment of urinary tract infection in adult patients in this study, ciprofloxacin and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole were equally effective, but ciprofloxacin was associated with fewer adverse reactions."}
{"id": "PMID:1469928", "title": "Measurement of small bowel and colonic transit: indications and methods.", "content": "In this article, we review the currently available techniques for measuring small intestinal and colonic transit. In addition, we describe the characteristics of an ideal test that provided the rationale for the development and validation of a gastrointestinal and colonic transit test at the Mayo Clinic. This new technique assesses regional transit of solid radiolabeled particles of the same size through the entire digestive tract and provides further insights into motor physiologic processes of the gut. By means of a delayed-release methacrylate-coated capsule, isotopically labeled pellets are delivered to the colon as a single bolus; thereby, dispersion of isotope throughout the small bowel is avoided because of the gradual emptying of chyme from the stomach. Similar pellets labeled with a different isotope can be used to assess gastric and small bowel transit. These new methods for measuring transit have also led to insights into the pathogenesis of unexplained gastrointestinal symptoms and disease states. Thus, we demonstrated that in healthy subjects, ileocolonic transfer of chyme occurs in boluses; this transfer is impaired in patients with myopathic pseudo-obstruction. The emptying rate of the proximal colon is an important determinant of the pathophysiologic features of colonic disease; thus, colonic transit is delayed in cases of severe idiopathic constipation. In contrast, rapid emptying of the proximal colon influences stool weight in diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome. An integrated approach for studying gastric, small bowel, and colonic transit by using the same radiolabeled particle provides a useful, clinically applicable method for evaluating gastrointestinal symptoms and for measuring motor function of the entire digestive tract without need for intubation; cost and radiation exposure are acceptable."}
{"id": "PMID:1469929", "title": "Colonic cancer during pregnancy: case report and review of the literature.", "content": "Colonic cancer during pregnancy is rare. Herein we describe a case of adenocarcinoma of the transverse colon in a 29-year-old pregnant patient. Early diagnosis is difficult because the initial symptoms of colorectal cancer, such as abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, constipation, and abdominal distention, are often attributed to a normal pregnancy. Management of colonic cancer during pregnancy depends on gestational age and operability of the tumor. Medical and surgical management considerations are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1469931", "title": "Understanding vascular ultrasonography.", "content": "The technology of imaging has progressed rapidly; thus, physicians must stay abreast of the principles of utilization and the interpretation of these new tests. Most of the information about this technology is presented in subspecialty literature that is not readily accessible or easily interpretable by nonspecialists. Herein we review the current literature on vascular ultrasonography and present the information in a simple, practical manner. The safety, utility, and accuracy of the ultrasound devices are delineated for the study of various vascular conditions."}
{"id": "PMID:1469936", "title": "[Infection caused by the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 in prostitutes and risk factors].", "content": "Women dedicated to prostitution constitute a group at risk of acquiring the human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1). This study was designed with the aim of knowing the frequency of this infection in prostitutes and the factors associated to the same. A descriptive transversal study with analytic components including 444 women who voluntarily attended an AIDS prevention center from 1986-1991 was carried out. The HIV-1 antibody test was performed in 440 of the subjects. All the subjects were interrogated on sociodemographic variables and risk of infection. Of the 440 women studied, 24 had HIV-1 antibodies with a global prevalence (1986-1991) of 5.5% with confidence intervals of 3.4, and 7.6% at 95% (CI 95%). During the study period the prevalence remained stable: 6.8% (1986-87), 5.5% (1988), 4.3% (1989) and 4.3% (1990-91). No positive association was found between HIV-1 infection and education, time in prostitution and the use of condoms. HIV-1 infection was strongly associated to the use of drugs, adjusted odds ratio by logistic regression OR = 26.9 (CI 95%: 8.9; 9/1). Positive associations were also observed with greater number of sexual partners and syphilis but these did not reach statistical significance. The percentage of prostitutes who used condoms with more than 33% of their clients increased from 44.5% in 1986-87 to 85.9% in 1990-91. In this study no considerable changes were found with respect to the prevalence of infection by the human immunodeficiency virus-1 in prostitutes in Spain. Similarly, this collective has increased its use of preventive measures although they remain insufficient, indicating that more energetic preventive strategies are necessary. These measures should be particularly active with the group of young prostitutes."}
{"id": "PMID:1469937", "title": "[Incidence of cancer of the breast and the female genital system in the province of Zaragoza, 1975-1984].", "content": "Cancer of the breast and female genital organs represents 40% of the tumors found in women. Registers of cancer on a population base constitutes a basic source of information for measuring the incidence of these tumors in the population. The magnitude of cancer of the breast and female genital organs was analyzed in the province of Zaragoza during the period 1975-1984 according to the different geographic areas in the province. The rate of incidence, accumulated incidence and the rate of incidence adjusted by age were calculated. The source of information used was the Register of Cancer of Zaragoza. The rate of incidence observed for these tumors was found to be 84 per 100,000 women/year with breast cancer representing 58% of the cases. The truncated rates were higher than the rates of incidence except for the localization of other genital organs indicating a greater frequency of these tumors at intermediate ages. In Zaragoza, the capital city, an excess of incidence was found for most of the localizations studied. This may be explained by the existence of greater frequency of these tumors in urban areas. In the capital this excess was not observed for unspecified cancer of the uterus. This may be due to the greater precision of diagnosis in the capital than in the rest of the province because of the availability of health care centers. In the province of Zaragoza, cancer of the breast is most frequent than cancer of any of the other female genital organs. The greatest frequency of these neoplasms was found at an intermediate age. In Zaragoza city, a greater frequency of cancer was registered than in the rest of the province. These results are of interest for the proposal of programs for prevention and control."}
{"id": "PMID:1469940", "title": "[Self care of common health disorders: results of a telephone survey of the general population].", "content": "Self-care of health problems including self-medication, constitutes the most frequent response to the most common acute symptoms in several studies carried out in other countries. Indeed there are few data concerning the scope of self-care in Spain. A telephone survey was carried out by a questionnaire of response limited to a sample of 660 homes in the city of Barcelona. In each home response was required by only one person between the ages of 15 and 80 on the common symptoms experienced within the previous 30 days and their behavior in response to the same. In 448 homes response was obtained from adults on the habits of self-care or medical consultation in episodes of headache, lumbalgia, colds, diarrhea, fever or dysmenorrhea registered the previous month. The global rate of response was 70% with a higher number of refusals among men. Headache (42.8%), lumbalgia (41.7%) and colds (34.4%) were the most frequent symptoms with self-medication including physical and home remedies being the most common response. Self-care for minor health problems is frequent in the population studied. The type of symptom in addition to age and sex appear to be the most important determining factors in this behavior."}
{"id": "PMID:1469951", "title": "Experimental conditions determine effects of ascorbic acid on reperfusion injury: comparison of tissue damage with hemodynamic parameters in rat isolated hearts.", "content": "Restoration of coronary blood flow after myocardial ischemia is always a matter of urgency, but the resulting surgical or drug-induced reperfusion of ischemic tissue is often associated with myocardial functional disturbances and tissue injury. The present study was carried out to select experimental conditions under which optimal effects of antioxidants can be observed on the adverse effects of reperfusion of ischemic myocardium. The release of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and changes in hemodynamic parameters were compared in two models of cardiac reperfusion injury in rat isolated hearts. LDH release from electrically-stimulated hearts perfused under constant flow and with initial (5 min) reperfusion in calcium-free buffer was greater than that from hearts perfused under constant pressure in which ischemia was induced by reduced flow. Combined SOD+catalase was a weak inhibitor of LDH release in both models, ascorbic acid being more potent under constant pressure than under constant flow conditions. A longer ischemic period enhanced the inhibitory effect of ascorbate. Contractility and ventricular end-diastolic pressure recovered slowly during perfusion under constant flow and brief calcium removal, but remained unphysiological under constant pressure. SOD+catalase had no effect on hemodynamic parameters. Ascorbic acid exacerbated ischemia+reperfusion-induced changes in contractility, ventricular pressure, heart rate and coronary flow under constant pressure, but facilitated recovery of contractility on reperfusion under constant flow and brief calcium removal. In studies on antioxidants, different experimental conditions appear to be necessary to observe beneficial effects on tissue damage on the one hand and on hemodynamics on the other. Mild to moderate ischemia, with sustained pacemaker activity, appears to be the condition under which antioxidants provide hemodynamic improvement. In isolated rat hearts, biochemical parameters of tissue damage may be misleading for the effects of antioxidants."}
{"id": "PMID:1469950", "title": "In vitro inhibition of adenosine deaminase by flavonoids and related compounds. New insight into the mechanism of action of plant phenolics.", "content": "The effects of 20 flavonoids, anthocyanes and other phenolic compounds of plant origin have been tested in vitro for their inhibitory effect on the enzyme adenosine deaminase (ADA). Significant effects were obtained with most compounds at concentrations between 0.0001 and 0.1 mg/mI. Thus, plant phenolics can be considered as natural ADA enzyme inhibitors. It is assumed that they also increase the actual adenosine (Ado) concentration in vivo. This may explain many of the pharmacological activities of these compounds on a molecular basis."}
{"id": "PMID:1469952", "title": "Comparison of vasodilator effects on human middle cerebral artery constriction induced by vasoconstrictors or activated platelets.", "content": "Experiments were performed on de-endothelized perfused human middle cerebral artery constricted with noradrenaline, serotonin, prostaglandin F2 alpha and collagen-aggregated platelets, all of which provoked similar vasoconstriction; however, the ability of dipyridamole, prostacyclin and nifedipine to reduce the constriction was significantly less marked when induced by activated platelets. The decrease in drug antispasmatic effects was less marked for nifedipine than for other vasodilators. It was suggested that the resistance of platelet-induced vasoconstriction to vasodilator action depends on platelets ability to release several vasoactive substances simultaneously."}
{"id": "PMID:1469953", "title": "Dehalogenation and N-dealkylation of chlorpromazine as revealed by plasma concentrations of metabolites in a population of chronically medicated schizophrenics.", "content": "Dehalogenaton and N-demethylation of chlorpromazine (CPZ) were studied in twelve psychotic inpatients orally treated for four weeks with a daily CPZ dose of 6.4 +/- 1.1 (S.E.) mg/kg body weight (1.5-14.1, range). Weekly drug and metabolite plasma concentrations were measured by a gas liquid chromatography-nitrogen/phosphorus detector method (GLC/NPD). Plasma concentrations of the parent compound CPZ, of the dehalogenated metabolite promazine (PZ) and of the N-dealkylated metabolites N-monodemethylated chlorpromazine (CPZ-nor1) and N-didemethylated chlorpromazine (CPZ-nor2) had already reached a steady state by the end of the first week of treatment. During the entire treatment period the major plasma component was found to be PZ. Patients (N = 6) on a low dose regimen (3.7 +/- 0.2 mg/kg body weight) showed significantly lower mean plasma concentrations of CPZ and nor metabolites than patients (N = 6) on a higher dose regimen (8.6 +/- 0.7 mg/kg body weight). PZ mean plasma concentrations, however, were not significantly different in the two groups of patients, indicating that the yield of the CPZ dechlorination pathway, as opposed to that of the N-demethylation pathway, was already maximal at the CPZ concentrations attained under the low dose regimen. Male patients (N = 5) exhibited significantly higher mean PZ plasma concentrations over the 4 week period of the study than female patients (N = 7)."}
{"id": "PMID:1469954", "title": "Pethidine pharmacokinetics after intramuscular dose: a comparison in Caucasian, Chinese and Nepalese patients.", "content": "The pharmacokinetics of pethidine after a single intramuscular injection were studied in 30 male patients of Caucasian, Chinese and Nepalese extraction. There were no significant differences between the three ethnic groups in the mean time for maximum absorption (tmax) and peak plasma concentration (Cmax) of pethidine. The mean (+/- S.D.) elimination half life (t1/2) of pethidine was shorter in Caucasians (4.5 +/- 1.3 h) compared with Nepalese (6.3 +/- 1.6 h) and Chinese (8.1 +/- 3.1 h) (p < 0.01). The plasma clearance of pethidine was greater in Caucasians (14.2 +/- 4.8 ml.min-1.kg-1) than in Nepalese (12.6 +/- 2.9 ml.min-1.kg-1) and Chinese (10.0 +/- 2.9 ml.min-1.kg-1) (p < 0.05); yet the apparent renal clearance was similar (64.1 +/- 22.9, 86.7 +/- 44.5 and 61.4 +/- 30.1 ml.min-1.kg-1, respectively, for the Chinese (n = 6), Caucasian (n = 6) and Nepalese (n = 9) patients). No apparent ethnic differences were found in the tmax and Cmax of norpethidine which emerged as the major metabolite in the plasma in the three races. An apparently higher area under plasma concentration-time curve (AUC infinity [symbol: see text]) and longer elimination t1/2 of the metabolite were observed in the two Asian patient groups. It appears that both the Chinese and Indian groups did not eliminate pethidine as effectively as the Caucasians after a single intramuscular injection, which may be the result of interethnic variability in the metabolism of pethidine. Caution may be required on multiple dosing of pethidine in Asian patients due to the possible accumulation of the parent drug and its toxic metabolite, norpethidine."}
{"id": "PMID:1469955", "title": "Functional and non-functional liver blood flow in patients with liver cirrhosis measured by indocyanine green.", "content": "Indocyanine green administration was used in a group of ten patients with liver cirrhosis with portal hypertension to estimate hepatic extraction, liver blood flow and the degree of blood shunting. Extraction coefficients obtained by the hepatic catheterization were well correlated with the pharmacokinetic method. Values of the total liver blood flow measured by the classical method based on Fick's principle were always higher than those evaluated by the pharmacokinetic analysis estimating the functional liver blood flow only. Estimates of the degree of shunting varied between 32.0-78.9% of the total liver blood flow. A statistically significant correlation (r = 0.79) was found between the percentage of the functional fraction of the total liver blood flow and albuminemia. It is suggested that in liver cirrhosis with portal hypertension the reduction of the functional fraction of total liver blood flow is combined with partial impairment of hepatic cell metabolism in the remaining functional areas of the liver. In such a case neither the \"intact\" nor the \"sick hepatocyte\" hypotheses are appropriate in their strict sense for the interpretation of the findings."}
{"id": "PMID:1469956", "title": "Calcium modulators and the gut: an update.", "content": "Calcium is critical for stimulus-secretion coupling at the cellular level in the gut. Recent experimental evidence suggests a role for calcium modulating compounds in vivo. Specifically, calcium channel blocking drugs of the dihydropyridine class exert potent anti-secretory and anti-stress ulcer effects. However, these same compounds exacerbate ethanol-induced gastric mucosal injury. Calcium chelating compounds, including EDTA and EGTA, reduce both forms of experimental ulcer as well as gastric secretion. Mechanisms underlying the gastroprotective effects of calcium modulating agents include neural, hormonal, peptide and enzymatic activity and these compounds represent a viable avenue of research for future therapeutic development."}
{"id": "PMID:1470006", "title": "Hepatic endoplasmic reticulum storage diseases.", "content": "Endoplasmic Reticulum Storage Diseases (ERSD) represent a novel group of inborn errors of metabolism affecting secretory proteins and resulting in hepatocytic storage and plasma deficiency of the corresponding protein. The hepatocellular storage is due to a molecular abnormality hindering the translocation of the abnormal protein from the rough (RER) to the smooth endoplasmic reticulum (SER). The molecular abnormality is genetically determined; hence it is hereditary, congenital, familial and permanent. The storage is selective and exclusive for the mutant protein and predisposes to the development of chronic cryptogenic liver disease. ERSD include alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency, fibrinogen storage and alpha-1-antichymotrypsin deficiency. Basically, the diagnosis of ERSD is a morphological one: immunohistochemistry and electron microscopy are essential tools for their identification."}
{"id": "PMID:1470007", "title": "Liver changes in reactive haemophagocytic syndrome.", "content": "Hepatomegaly and deranged liver functions are common findings in reactive haemophagocytic syndrome (RHS). We report the findings of 12 fatal cases of RHS in which histological materials of the liver are available for study. The underlying diseases of these patients included lymphoma/leukaemia (6 cases), disseminated undifferentiated carcinoma of the ovary (1 case), disseminated nasopharyngeal carcinoma complicated by tuberculosis (1 case), adenovirus pneumonia (1 case), pneumococcal pneumonia (1 case), typhoid fever (1 case), and possible drug intoxication (1 case). Ten patients had involvement of the liver by the underlying disease process which contributed to the marked hepatic derangement. Non-specific reactive hepatitis, sinusoidal dilatation and steatosis resulting from systemic or local effects of the associated diseases and the haemophagocytosis also added to the high incidence of liver abnormalities. A diffuse Kupffer cell hyperplasia with haemophagocytosis is characteristic of the syndrome, as all the cases showed increased numbers of bland-looking histiocytes within the hepatic sinusoids and haemophagocytosis which was moderate to marked in 8 cases and mild in 4. Thus the finding of Kupffer cell hyperplasia with prominent haemophagocytosis in liver biopsy is indicative of an element of RHS and warrants clinical monitoring. Differential diagnoses of haemophagocytosis in liver are also discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1470008", "title": "Vitamin A abuse: development of cirrhosis despite cessation of vitamin A. A six-year clinical and histopathologic follow-up.", "content": "We report the case of a 35-year-old man who contracted vitamin A-induced liver cirrhosis. Five years before, he had been investigated for vitamin A-induced non-cirrhotic portal hypertension. In this case, the clinical and histopathologic evolution from non-cirrhotic portal hypertension to cirrhosis was documented. In spite of the cessation of pharmaceutical vitamin A intake, the disease progressed. Therapy with colchicine and phenobarbital apparently did not influence evolution to cirrhosis. This suggests that vitamin A can trigger largely unknown mechanisms of liver fibrosis which seem to be self-perpetuating."}
{"id": "PMID:1470009", "title": "Analysis of lymphoid follicles in liver of patients with chronic hepatitis C.", "content": "Using immunohistological methods, we studied the lymphoid follicles in liver biopsy specimens obtained from patients with chronic hepatitis C(CH-C) to determine whether they represented an autoimmune manifestation. In 84 specimens obtained by liver biopsy from 76 patients positive for C-100 antibody, we assessed the presence or absence of lymphoid follicles within the portal areas, and then compared the clinical and immunohistological profiles of the two groups defined on this basis. There were no significant differences in the serological and clinical profiles of the two groups, but the T4:T8 cell ratio within the portal areas differed significantly. A T4:T8 cell ratio > 1.0 was more common in the specimens containing lymphoid follicles. This finding resembled the distribution of T cell subpopulations in the portal areas of patients with autoimmune hepatitis, and suggested that lymphoid follicles may be worth investigating to elucidate the relationship between chronic hepatitis C and autoimmune hepatitis."}
{"id": "PMID:1470010", "title": "Arterial blood ketone body ratio as a possible indicator for predicting fulminant hepatitis in patients with acute hepatitis.", "content": "Encephalopathy and severe coagulopathy in patients with acute hepatitis (AH) are good markers for the diagnosis of fulminant hepatitis (FH), which occurs in only about 1% of AH patients. However, even if patients show severe coagulopathy, it is quite difficult to predict FH before the onset of encephalopathy. The ratio of acetoacetate/beta-hydroxybutyrate in arterial blood (KBR) has been reported to reflect the cellular energy charge level in hepatocytes. In our previous report, KBR was quite low in FH patients and was an excellent marker for predicting the prognosis. KBR of normal subjects is distributed in a range of 1.0-2.1 (1.54 +/- 0.26, mean +/- SD). In this study, we assessed KBR serially in 15 AH patients with severe coagulopathy (hepaplastin test (HPT) < 40%), including seven patients who developed FH, to see if we could predict FH by using KBR as a marker. Seven patients with KBR < 0.6 of long duration (4 days or more) were complicated with hepatic encephalopathy (HE) and it took 3 or more days of KBR below 0.6 before HE appeared. The other eight patients with KBR < 0.6 of short duration (less than 4 days) were not complicated with HE. These data suggest that AH patients with HPT < 40% and a 3-day duration of KBR < 0.6 are at serious risk of FH."}
{"id": "PMID:1470011", "title": "Delayed treatment of a malreduced distal femoral epiphyseal plate fracture.", "content": "Fractures of the epiphyseal plate are considered rare when compared with the more prevalent injuries found in competitive sports, but the complications associated with this type of trauma are a major concern. The factors affecting the success or failure of healing include the severity of injury, patient age, and the type and expedience of treatment. This case study examines the clinical presentation and treatment of a 15-yr-old high school football player who sustained a displaced, distal femoral epiphyseal Salter II fracture. Primary treatment consisted of nonmanipulative, nonweight bearing knee immobilization. The treatment resulted in malunion, pain, decreased range of motion and physical deformity; therefore, the patient sought a second opinion. On physical exam, the displacement and rotational deformity of the fracture site were unacceptable. The fracture was treated 20 days post-injury via open reduction with internal fixation. On follow-up, the athlete demonstrated radiographic healing, normal physical exam, and no significant leg length discrepancy or deformity. The athlete successfully returned to full competitive sport activity."}
{"id": "PMID:1470012", "title": "Case report: bilateral ankle pain in an aerobic dancer.", "content": "A 32-yr-old female presented to Sports Clinic with bilateral ankle pain and swelling following the initiation of an aerobic dance program 3 months earlier. Physical exam revealed bilateral ankle edema and the recent appearance of discrete tender nodules on her anterior tibias, consistent with erythema nodosum (EN). As part of her evaluation, chest radiographs were performed and demonstrated bilateral hilar adenopathy. This case discusses the evaluation of the patient with joint involvement, EN, and hilar adenopathy. The increased accessibility of sports medicine clinics makes it incumbent on the physician to be familiar with a wide range of differential diagnoses."}
{"id": "PMID:1470013", "title": "Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in a college athlete.", "content": "The greatest catastrophy in sports is an athlete's unexpected sudden death. Identifying those athletes at risk remains a great challenge to physicians performing preseason examinations. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is the most common cause of nontraumatic sudden death in athletes. Most cases of this diseased heart are diagnosed easily by echocardiography. The case presented exemplifies the attention to detail required to differentiate the borderline diseased heart from the conditioned athletic heart. Once a diagnosis of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is made, further participation in intense physical exercise is discouraged. This recommendation is necessary despite the unknown relative sudden death risk for the minimal criteria cases."}
{"id": "PMID:1470014", "title": "Effect of different modalities of exercise and recovery on exercise performance in subjects with sickle cell trait.", "content": "The sickle cell trait (HbAS) does not seem to affect exercise performance. It remains unclear, however, whether the capability to sustain repeated brief maximal effort and recovery by HbAS subjects, is also preserved. To study this, nine HbAS and nine matched controls underwent on two different occasions, a series of four, approximately 2-min duration, maximal cycle exercise tests separated by 20-min recovery periods of either absolute rest (P) or light pedaling (A) as well as an incremental test to exhaustion. In all tests, work performed, heart rate, blood hematocrit, lactate, and serum creatine kinase (CK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and aspartate aminotransferase (GOT) were measured. Performances were similar in HbAS and HbAA subjects in both the predominantly anaerobic and aerobic exercise series. There were no observable differences in work, power, or heart rate in the two groups both during peak exercise or recovery periods. A significant hemoconcentration was observed during P, with hematocrit increasing in HbAS from 46.4 +/- 0.7% to 48.3 +/- 0.4% at the end of the last recovery period. Similar changes were seen in HbAA. Significantly greater fluid losses were found during A (1.3 +/- 0.2 l in A and 0.6 +/- 0.1 l in P for HbAS; P < 0.001), but fluid losses were similar in each type of recovery in the two groups. Despite similar performance, significantly lower blood lactate concentrations were consistently found in HbAS in each of the three exercise series (P < 0.001). Lower lactate levels in HbAS were observed only at exercise loads above the lactate threshold during the incremental test (P < 0.05).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1470015", "title": "Anaerobic exercise causes transient changes in leukocyte subsets and IL-2R expression.", "content": "There is evidence that the stress of intense athletic competition and training depresses cellular immunity and predisposes athletes to increased infection. This paper reports changes in circulating leukocyte subsets of trained (group I: VO2max = 67.2 +/- 5.4 ml.kg-1min-1; age = 22.0 +/- 6.2 yr) and untrained (group II: VO2max = 55.0 +/- 4.9 ml.kg-1min-1; age = 21.4 +/- 2.0 yr) males following 1 min of bicycle ergometry at maximum effort. Significant post-exercise increases in concentrations of total leukocytes, monocytes, lymphocytes, CD3+, CD4+, CD8+ lymphocytes were observed in both groups (all P < 0.01). The CD4/CD8 ratio decreased significantly (P < 0.01) but the granulocyte concentration was not altered (P > 0.05). Despite groups I and II not differing in either peak power or total work performed during the exercise test (P > 0.05), group II had a significantly greater concentration and percentage of CD8+ lymphocytes immediately after exercise (P < 0.01). All of the early changes were transient, with normalization occurring within 1 h. Only trained subjects showed a significant decrease in the percentage of CD25+ lymphocytes following PHA stimulation of whole blood obtained 6 h post-exercise. Alterations in leukocyte subpopulations found in response to predominantly anaerobic exercise appear to be associated with a significant, but possibly transient, alteration in the mitogenic responsiveness of lymphocytes that is restricted to aerobically trained subjects."}
{"id": "PMID:1470016", "title": "Effects of brief, heavy exertion on circulating lymphocyte subpopulations and proliferative response.", "content": "Ten healthy males (mean age 22.3 +/- 0.8 yr) pedaled with maximal effort for 30 s against a workload adjusted prior to the start of the test to 0.98 N.kg body mass-1. Blood samples were collected before, and 3 min and 1 h following exercise. Peak and average power mean values were 1020 +/- 51 and 738 +/- 34 W, respectively. Total leukocytes increased 40% in response to the exercise bout, but were 16% below pretest levels after 1 h of recovery (F = 123, P < 0.001). Neutrophils and lymphocytes represented approximately 60% and 30% of the leukocytosis, respectively. Lymphocytes increased 30% following exercise, but were 36% below pretest levels after 1 h recovery (F = 56.4, P < 0.001). The post-test lymphocytosis can be explained primarily from the 176% increase in natural killer cells (NK) and 28% increase in cytotoxic/suppressor T cells, while the 1-h recovery lymphopenia occurred because of a sharp decrease in total T cells and a moderate decrease in NK cells. No significant changes in lymphocyte proliferative response or serum immunoglobulin levels were found when appropriate adjustments for changes in plasma volume or lymphocyte subset changes were made. Plasma epinephrine increased 300% in response to the exercise bout, and best explains the measured changes in circulating levels of lymphocyte subsets. These results demonstrate that changes in circulating levels of leukocyte and lymphocyte subsets, especially NK cells, occur rapidly in response to 30 s of brief, heavy exertion."}
{"id": "PMID:1470017", "title": "Growth hormone, IGF-I, and testosterone responses to resistive exercise.", "content": "It has been suggested that growth hormone (GH), testosterone (T), and insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) play large roles in muscle tissue growth; however, in only two investigations IGF-I responses to resistive exercise have been examined. Eight young males who had not weight trained for a minimum of 5 months participated in the study. Three sets of bench press (BP), lat-pull (LP), leg extension (LE), and leg curl (LC) exercises were performed at a 10-RM load for 10 repetitions or until failure. Blood samples were collected from an IV catheter before exercise (-30 min and -10 min), after each individual exercise (BP, LP, LE, LC), and after the exercise session (+5, +15, +25, +35, +95 min; +5:35, +22:30, and +23:30 h). GH, IGF-I, and T determinations were corrected for plasma volume change. GH significantly increased (P < 0.05), but IGF-I did not change. Correction for plasma volume accounted for significant increases in T, but did not account for GH and IGF-I results. These data suggest that moderate resistive exercise may increase GH concentrations, whereas elevated T levels can be accounted for by exercise-induced alteration of plasma volume."}
{"id": "PMID:1470018", "title": "Plasma amino acid concentrations in the overtraining syndrome: possible effects on the immune system.", "content": "Overtraining and long-term exercise are associated with an impairment of immune function. We provide evidence in support of the hypothesis that the supply of glutamine, a key fuel for cells of the immune system, is impaired in these conditions and that this may contribute to immunosuppression. Plasma glutamine concentration was decreased in overtrained athletes and after long-term exercise (marathon race) and was increased after short-term, high intensity exercise (sprinting). Branched chain amino acid supplementation during long-term exercise was shown to prevent this decrease in the plasma glutamine level. Overtraining was without effect on the rate of T-lymphocyte proliferation in vitro or on the plasma levels of interleukin-1 and -6, suggesting that immune function is not impaired in this condition. Given the proposed importance of glutamine for cells of the immune system, it is concluded that the decrease in plasma glutamine concentration in overtraining and following long-term exercise, and not an intrinsic defect in T lymphocyte function, may contribute to the immune deficiency reported in these conditions."}
{"id": "PMID:1470019", "title": "Pulmonary function changes following exercise.", "content": "Many studies have documented differing changes in forced vital capacity (FVC) following various intensities and durations of exercise. This investigation used three different intensities and durations of treadmill running, with subjects who were active runners, with the intent of finding an intensity or duration that might elicit changes in FVC and if these changes are related to respiratory muscle fatigue. Intensities and durations included a graded maximal test to exhaustion (7-14 min); a 7-min test at 90% of maximal VO2, and a 30-min test at 60% of maximal VO2 (intensity). Maximal inspiratory pressures (MIP), maximal expiratory pressures (MEP), forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1.0) and FVC were measured pretest, and 5, 10, and 30 min post-test (time). MIP was not different across time or intensities. The decrease in MEP approached significance at 10-min post-exercise compared to pretest values (P = 0.0569), with no differences found between intensities. FVC was different between times (P = 0.0117) but not between intensities. FVC was decreased at 5 and 10 min post-test compared with pre and 30 min. FEV1.0 was significantly reduced at 5 and 10 min post-test compared with pretest. These data suggest that a combination of duration and intensity may be necessary to elicit pulmonary function changes after exercise and that expiratory muscle fatigue may be a factor that results in a reduced FVC."}
{"id": "PMID:1470020", "title": "Dynamic and steady-state ventilatory and gas exchange responses to arm exercise.", "content": "Previous studies have suggested that, for the same power output, arm exercise requires higher oxygen uptake (VO2), carbon dioxide output (VCO2), and ventilation (VE) than leg exercise and that response kinetics are slower. To evaluate these differences, four healthy subjects performed a total of 95 arm cranking tests. Each subject performed several tests at each of three or four power outputs spaced evenly below the maximum the subject could sustain (average = 53 W). Breath-by-breath responses to identical stimuli were averaged. End-exercise blood lactate was determined at each power output. Responses were compared to leg exercise responses in these subjects (J. Appl. Physiol. 67:547-555, 1989). For power outputs unassociated with lactic acidosis, differences between steady-state VO2, VCO2, and VE responses for arm and leg exercise were not significant. At higher power outputs, the higher VO2, VCO2, and VE during arm exercise were well correlated with higher lactate. For power outputs not engendering lactic acidosis, the time constants (tau) for VO2, VCO2 and VE were not greatly different for arm than for leg exercise. For each variable, at higher power outputs tau became longer by an amount correlated with higher lactate level. Like leg exercise, the slower kinetics of VO2 and VE (but not VCO2) at higher power outputs were well described as a superimposed slower component. We conclude that both dynamic and steady-state responses of VE and gas exchange to arm exercise do not differ substantially from those to leg exercise so long as the power output does not elevate blood lactate."}
{"id": "PMID:1470021", "title": "Viscoelastic stress relaxation in human skeletal muscle.", "content": "Viscoelastic stress relaxation refers to the decrease in tensile stress over time that occurs when a body under tensile stress is held at a fixed length. The purpose of this study was to demonstrate viscoelastic stress relaxation in human skeletal muscle. Resistance to stretch (tensile force), hip flexion range of motion (ROM), and reflex contractile activity (IEMG) of the hamstring muscle group were measured during a passive straight leg raise. The testing protocol involved a first stretch to the maximum tolerated ROM with the lower extremity held at that point for 45 s (test 1). All 15 subjects tested (9 men, 6 women) had a stretch induced EMG response. The onset of a sustained EMG response occurred at a specific hip flexion angle in 10 subjects. These 10 subjects (6 men, 4 women) underwent a second straight leg raise stretch (test 2) to a ROM 5 degrees below the ROM at which the onset of EMG activity occurred in test 1. The stretch was held at this hip flexion angle for 45 s. There was a significant decrease in force at final ROM during the 45 s in test 1 (11.35 +/- 1.75 N, P < 0.0001) and in test 2 (4.2 +/- 1.55 N, P < 0.05). The percent decrease from the force at the respective final ROM was not significantly different between the tests (14.4 +/- 2.2% in test 1 and 13 +/- 2.3% in test 2). In test 1 there was a significant decrease over time in IEMG of 59.71 +/- 16.01 microV.s (P < 0.01) which was not significantly correlated to the decrease in force.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1470022", "title": "Effect of pelvic position and stretching method on hamstring muscle flexibility.", "content": "Hamstring muscle strain represents a significant injury to the athlete participating in sporting activities. Lack of hamstring flexibility has been correlated to hamstring muscle injury. There is, however, conflict concerning the most efficient hamstring stretching technique. The purpose of this study was to compare static stretch (SS) and proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) hamstring stretching techniques while maintaining the pelvis in two testing positions: anterior pelvic tilt (APT) or posterior pelvic tilt (PPT). Two groups of 10 subjects were randomly assigned to either an APT or PPT position. Each subject then performed eight sessions using PNF on one leg and SS on the other leg while maintaining the pelvis in the assigned position. Hamstring flexibility was assessed with the hip positioned at 90 degrees while actively extending the knee, i.e., active knee extension test (AKET). A two-way ANOVA comparing stretching technique and pelvic position revealed that the APT group significantly increased hamstring flexibility (P = 0.0375). There was not a significant difference between SS or PNF stretching technique in the APT position. There was not a significant increase in hamstring flexibility in the PPT group with either stretching technique (P > 0.05). The results suggest that APT position was more important than stretching method for increasing hamstring muscle flexibility."}
{"id": "PMID:1470023", "title": "Heel movement within a court shoe.", "content": "Lateral movements of the leg and foot were filmed from behind to evaluate court shoes. Inversion/eversion may be an indicator of potential injuries, but estimates of actual inversion/eversion have typically been measured as the angular displacement of marker pairs on the lower leg and on the shoe. The purpose of this study was to measure the shoe movement versus the heel movement inside the shoe in order to determine the appropriateness of using shoe markers to represent the heel position. Two windows were cut into the heel counter of the shoe to show the heel position in addition to shoe position. The subjects were filmed from behind during a lateral side-stepping movement. The difference between the shoe and heel position was [corrected] statistically significant. The average maximum change in heel inversion inside the shoe was 13.3 +/- 3.8 degrees, compared with 30.7 +/- 6.2 degrees for the shoe. In addition, the maximum change in heel inversion in a barefoot movement was 10.1 +/- 3.1 degrees. The results suggest that for a lateral movement shoe markers do not accurately represent the position of the heel, and heel movement inside a shoe is similar to a barefoot movement. Skin markers on the heel as observed through windows in the shoe give a better indication of the actual position of the calcaneus than do markers placed directly on the shoe."}
{"id": "PMID:1470024", "title": "Estimates of mechanical work and energy transfers: demonstration of a rigid body power model of the recovery leg in gait.", "content": "Many studies concerning the mechanical work and efficiency of human motion have used models based on segmental energy. It has been shown theoretically that such work estimates may be in error due to offsetting compensations in power sources underlying the energy profiles. Further, mechanical energy transfers calculated from these energy models have been interpreted as metabolic energy-saving mechanisms. This paper examines the use of mechanical power analysis to calculate work and energy transfer estimates, using the motion of the recovery leg in walking and running for one subject as a demonstrative example. Work and energy transfer estimates from both energy and power models are compared and contrasted. The energy model underestimates the work of the recovery leg in both walking (54% of power model estimate) and running (38%), due to muscle powers at joints opposing each other in energy generation and absorption. Energy transfers calculated with energy models are shown to suffer the same problem of offsetting power sources. In contrast, the power model identifies four energy transfer mechanisms (pendulum, whip, tendon, and joint force transfers), which contribute to energy change within the leg in varying amounts. For the recovery leg, the joint force and whip transfer mechanisms have the greatest magnitude, while the pendulum and tendon transfers are much smaller. These energy transfers can be observed on a time-varying basis throughout a motion sequence and illustrate differences in energy distribution between walking and running. These power-based transfers are discussed in terms of their nature regarding metabolic energy cost and mechanical energy distribution within a multisegmented system. It is suggested that the work and energy transfers calculated from the power analysis are more accurate than those calculated from mechanical energy models and are more useful for understanding performance."}
{"id": "PMID:1470026", "title": "Environmental effects of genotoxins (eco-genotoxicology).", "content": "Genotoxic chemicals can damage the genetic material of humans as well as that of organisms living in the environment. With respect to adverse effects, alterations induced in the germ line, leading to alterations in the genetic make-up of populations, are of primary concern in ecosystems, because somatic changes, even if they lead to a loss of individuals, will not be critical in populations with a large reproductive surplus. This is different in human toxicology where genetic alterations in germ cells as well as in somatic cells of any individual are of concern. Increased frequencies of mutations and related genetic alterations in the gene pools of individual species or populations in ecosystems have to be judged against the background of spontaneous mutations that have enabled species to survive and adapt in changing environments since the beginning of life on our planet, and which have played an important role as the substrate for evolutionary developments. Examples of the selection of altered phenotypes (and genotypes) in response to environmental pollution and environmental stress are melanism in moth populations, metal resistance in plants, insecticide resistance in insects and malaria resistance in humans. Pollution, in general, can represent a stress factor selectively leading to a change in genetic make-up. In addition, environmental genotoxins can directly alter gene pools. A change in the genetic constitution may be advantageous for certain populations living in stressful conditions, but may present a disadvantage for others, including man.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1470027", "title": "Comparison of 32P-postlabelling and cytogenetic analysis of human blood treated in vitro with melphalan.", "content": "Various 32P-postlabelling methods have been evaluated for the detection of melphalan-DNA (mel-DNA) adducts in melphalan treated calf thymus DNA and human blood treated in vitro with melphalan. When the butanol extraction procedure was used for the postlabelling studies, increasing adduct levels were seen between 0.01 and 1.0 micrograms/ml melphalan (maximum adduct value = 3.29/10(8) nucleotides at 1.5 micrograms/ml melphalan). The labelling efficiency, however, was thought to be low. Human blood treated in vitro with a dose range of melphalan from 0.01 to 1.5 micrograms/ml was analysed for micronuclei, sister chromatid exchanges, chromosome aberrations and DNA adducts. A correlation was seen between mel-DNA adducts and cytogenetic damage for each of the endpoints studied."}
{"id": "PMID:1470028", "title": "Relationships between in vitro mutagenicity assays.", "content": "This paper analyzes the mutagenicity results reported by the US National Toxicology Program (NTP), relative to 41 chemicals assayed with four in vitro short-term tests [Salmonella typhimurium (STY), Chromosomal aberrations in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells (CHA), Sister chromatid exchange in CHO cells (SCE), mutation in L5178Y mouse lymphoma cells (MLY)] and puts this database in perspective with respect to other databases. It is shown that the test relationships pointed out by the experiments on the 41 chemicals are in substantial agreement with those indicated by a previous NTP report on 73 chemicals, and that the same test relationships were also indicated by the results on the International Program for the Evaluation of Short-Term Tests for Carcinogens (IPESTTC). The NTP and IPESTTC databases consistently indicated that there is a gradual increase in the sensitivity to the genotoxins in the following order: STY < CHA < SCE < MLY. On this scale, SCE and MLY show a great degree of similarity of responses to the chemicals, as does STY with CHA. The overall evidence provided by these results, and by the general pattern of IPESTTC and NTP genotoxicity profiles, does not support the notion that the genotoxic chemicals have genetic end point specificity. Moreover, a mathematical simulation analysis demonstrated that MLY and SCE--the two most sensitive assays of those studied by NTP--are not more subject to erratic results than other assays, and that they form--together with STY and CHA--a consistent family of genotoxicity assays."}
{"id": "PMID:1470029", "title": "Metsovo-tremolite asbestos fibres: in vitro effects on mutation, chromosome aberration, cell transformation and intercellular communication.", "content": "Samples of Metsovo-tremolite asbestos, previously found to be the causative agent of endemic pleural calcification and an increased level of malignant pleural mesothelioma in a rural area of north-western Greece (Metsovo area), were tested in various in vitro toxicity test systems. It was found that asbestos fibres of this type were strong inducers of micronuclei and numerical chromosomal abnormalities while they induced low levels of chromosomal aberrations in mammalian cells in culture. Furthermore, this type of asbestos can induce a low level of in vitro transformation of Syrian hamster embryo cells. The fibres had no effect on gap-junctional cell-cell communication (followed by the dye-transfer method) and did not induce any mutations in the Salmonella typhimurium strain TA102 which is known to be sensitive to the action of various oxidative agents. These results support the hypothesis generated from studies on other types of asbestos that such fibres induce tumours by causing chromosomal mutations."}
{"id": "PMID:1470030", "title": "Chlorophyllin is both a positive and negative modifier of mutagenicity.", "content": "The mechanism responsible for the modification of mutagenicity by chlorophyllin has been investigated using mutagenic compounds with different mechanisms of action, including the monofunctional alkylating agents, N-methyl-N'-nitrosourea (MNU) and ethylmethanesulphonate (EMS); nitrosamines related to tobacco products, i.e. dimethyl-nitrosamine (DMN), N-nitrosonornicotine (NNN) and 4-(N-methyl-N-nitrosoamino)-1-(3-pyridinyl)-2-butanone (NNK); the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) and two of its metabolites, i.e. (-)-7 beta,8 alpha-dihydroxy-7,8-dihydrobenzo[a]pyrene (7,8-diol) and (+)-7 beta,8 alpha-dihydroxy-9 alpha,10 alpha-oxy-7,8,9,10- tetrahydrobenzo[a]pyrene (BPDE); and a complex mutagenic mixture, an extract and subfractions of Swedish moist oral snuff (SMOS). Mutagenicity was monitored with the Ames Salmonella/microsome assays (STY) and hprt V79 point mutation assay (V79). The effects of chlorophyllin on the mutagenicity of the nitrosamines in the STY assays were found to be complex. In the presence of either NNN or NNK, low concentrations of chlorophyllin actually potentiated the mutagenicity > 2-fold. However, at higher, but still non-toxic concentrations, chlorophyllin decreased the mutagenicity of both compounds. The same type of dose-response relationship for chlorophyllin was indicated in the V79 assay system with DMN, although the effect was much weaker. The results with STY were further confirmed by replacing chlorophyllin with another porphyrin compound, hemin. In contrast, biliverdin, a porphyrin structure without the central metal ion, was unable to potentiate the mutagenicity of NNK in STY.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1470033", "title": "Computerized electrocardiogram diagnosis: fuzzy approach.", "content": "This paper investigates the computerized analysis of electrocardiographic signals. The biological variability, the lack of standards in the definition of measurements and of diagnostic criteria make the classification problem a complex task. Two basic methods of the diagnostic process are described: the statistical model and the deterministic approach. In particular, a model for ECG classification will be illustrated where the imprecise knowledge of the state of cardiac system and the vague definition of the pathological classes are taken care of by means of the fuzzy set formalism."}
{"id": "PMID:1470035", "title": "On the detection of the number of signals in multi-lead ECGs.", "content": "New methods which have been developed in the field of signal processing to detect the number of intrinsic source signals in a set of multiple signals have been studied in their application to the analysis of multilead ECGs (body surface maps). All these methods are based on the analysis of the eigenvalues of the covariance matrix related to the observed data. By using artificial multilead ECGs in which the properties of the signal and noise parts were known, the effect of taking into account these properties was investigated. It was found that the method based on information-theoretic criteria was superior in detecting the number of signal components, in the case that the noise in the data is non-white, as compared to a simple threshold method."}
{"id": "PMID:1470036", "title": "The performance of information-theoretic criteria in detecting the number of independent signals in multi-lead ECGs.", "content": "Three different methods to detect the number of independent signals in multilead ECGs were evaluated by using different ECG realizations with known specifications for signal and noise: a threshold method (TM), the minimum description length (MDL) and Akaike's information criterion (AIC). The fundamental assumption in this kind of signal processing is that both the signal and the noise stem from independent stochastic generators. The consequence is that the detection of the number of signals is only possible if the noise is white, or if the noise properties have been specified. The evaluation was performed with respect to the QRS complex of individual multilead ECG simulations and to the entire ensemble. In the simulated ECGs the number of independent signals was fixed (eight). It was found that, out of the three methods studied, the performance of MDL was the best, especially when the number of available observations in the noise (used to estimate the noise specifications) was moderate."}
{"id": "PMID:1470037", "title": "Simple computer-assisted diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction in patients with acute thoracic pain.", "content": "In order to minimize the initial diagnostic uncertainty in patients suspected of having acute myocardial infarction, we prospectively extracted predictive variables from previous history, ECG, and clinical chemical parameters of 87 patients, who were admitted for acute thoracic pain. The variables thus extracted were: Thoracic pain in previous history, duration of pain, white blood cell count, blood glucose, creatine-kinase, and S-T elevation in the ECG. These parameters were used for formulating a mathematical model based upon univariate and multivariate statistical methods. The sensitivity of the model in the study population was 95% and the specificity 77%. Correct classification was achieved in 89% of cases. In a second phase, the prognostic index was prospectively evaluated in a second set of 122 consecutive patients. In this test population, the sensitivity was 89% and the specificity 86%. 87% of patients were classified correctly."}
{"id": "PMID:1470038", "title": "Structured reporting of medical findings: evaluation of a system in gastroenterology.", "content": "A system using structured reporting of findings was developed for the preparation of medical reports and for clinical documentation purposes in upper abdominal sonography, and evaluated in the course of routine use. The evaluation focussed on the following parameters: completeness and correctness of the entered data, the proportion of free text, the validity and objectivity of the documentation, user acceptance, and time required. The completeness in the case of two clinically relevant parameters could be compared with an already existing database containing freely dictated reports. The results confirmed the hypothesis that, for the description of results of a technical examination, structured data reporting is a viable alternative to free-text dictation. For the application evaluated, there is even evidence of the superiority of a structured approach. The system can be put to use in related areas of application."}
{"id": "PMID:1470039", "title": "Study and applications of an informational measure of dependence in survival models.", "content": "In survival models, when the factor of interest is a continuous variable or is expressed through a group of several variables, the classical measures of risk, i.e. relative risk and odds ratio, are not appropriate and there is no standard measure of dependence between survival and the considered factor. The Information Gain has been proposed by Linfoot (1957) and Kent (1983), giving any parametric model as a generalization of the squared product-moment correlation coefficient of the linear regression model with normal errors. By using simulation methods, we studied the statistical properties of the information gain as a measure of dependence, in the particular case of survival regression models. We suggest several efficient applications of this informational concept to some classical problems of regression analysis and prognostic analysis. Our ideas are illustrated through an example on the prognosis of idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy."}
{"id": "PMID:1470040", "title": "LIED--liver: information, education and diagnosis.", "content": "In this paper we describe LIED (Liver: Information, Education and Diagnosis), a diagnostic expert system devoted to medical education in the field of hepatology. LIED combines the facilities of a traditional expert system for clinical diagnosis with several modules designed for educational purposes. The goal of such modules is to train physicians, in particular as regards the improvement of their problem solving ability (at the end of their curricula students in medicine usually lack experience in organizing an efficient and accurate diagnostic process). Training on real and simulated cases has been widely recognized as a proper approach to clinical experience. The architecture of the diagnostic system is introduced, which forms the core of LIED, and which has been derived from our previous experience, and the various educational functions are discussed that were developed on top of the basic architecture."}
{"id": "PMID:1470041", "title": "Health program effectiveness measurement: a case of degenerative disease.", "content": "An administrator of a Health Program aiming at the control of a specified disease has a need for a quantitative evaluation of the consequences of the Program's realization. On the population level, Lifetime Lost (LTL) figures calculated for both target and reference populations might be used for this purpose. The LTL methodology provides a user with a new procedure for medical data processing. It allows to estimate the LTL values from mortality data only, without the laborious procedure of registration of the morbidity episodes in target and reference populations. This approach is valid for a special case of degenerative diseases."}
{"id": "PMID:1470042", "title": "Graphic summaries of expert knowledge for the medical curriculum: an experiment in second-year nephrology.", "content": "This study was conducted to test the effects of Concept Graphics on learning in clinical nephrology. Second-year medical students were exposed to summaries of the major renal pathologies presented as text with, or without Concept Graphics for 30 minutes, followed by a quiz. Concept Graphics summarize diagnoses using icons that are metaphors of objects or processes. Of nine quiz questions, five were classified as correlation questions and four as memorization questions. The experimental group (n = 39) performed better than the controls (n = 33) in answering the correlation questions (p = 0.018). The experimental group mentioned more frequently than the controls two pathogonomic criteria of the nephritic syndrome (p = 0.02). Results of an opinion poll of the students, comparing sources used in their studies of nephrology were treated by correspondence analysis; the Concept Graphics ranked closest to the classification \"very useful\"."}
{"id": "PMID:1470043", "title": "The menopause, urinary incontinence and other symptoms of the genito-urinary tract.", "content": "In a study on incontinence and other symptoms of the genito-urinary tract in postmenopausal women covering their prevalence, consequences and predisposing factors, the prevalence of incontinence was found to be 26.4%. Daily incontinence was present in postmenopausal women more than twice as often as before the menopause (P < 0.05). The frequency of medical consultation for such incontinence was low; only 26.1% of the postmenopausal women had ever seen their doctor about it. Urgency, nocturia and dyspareunia were more prevalent in postmenopausal women, while vaginal itching and discharge were more frequent in premenopausal women (P < 0.05). The prevalence of incontinence and the other genito-urinary symptoms was higher after surgical than after natural menopause. Multivariate analysis showed the menopause to be the only factor that contributed significantly to the onset of incontinence (P < 0.001)."}
{"id": "PMID:1470044", "title": "Low-dose oestradiol in the treatment of urogenital oestrogen deficiency--a pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic study.", "content": "Twenty-four postmenopausal women with vaginal atrophy due to oestrogen deficiency were treated with 17 beta-oestradiol administered as vaginal tablets containing 10 and 25 micrograms, respectively, in a slow-release system (Vagifem, Novo Nordisk, Denmark). All the women were treated for 2 weeks with each dose in a double-blind, cross-over study. Plasma concentrations of unconjugated oestradiol and unconjugated oestrone were measured at regular intervals for 24 h on days 1 and 14 of each treatment regimen. Cytological and clinical evaluations of the vaginal and urethral epithelium were also carried out. Initially, when the epithelium was still atrophic, dose-dependent absorption of oestradiol was demonstrated. After 14 days of treatment maturation of the vaginal epithelium was seen with both regimens and the absorption of oestradiol then declined significantly on both the 10 and the 25 micrograms dose. Oestrone levels remained unchanged and gonadotrophin levels were unaffected during treatment. Vaginal cytology showed maturation on both the 10 and the 25 micrograms dose, whereas urethral cytology showed a reduction in parabasal cells that was significant only on 25 micrograms. Clinical and subjective improvement was apparent on both doses and acceptance of treatment was good."}
{"id": "PMID:1470045", "title": "Estrogens, progestins and breast cancer risk in post-menopausal women: state of the ongoing controversy in 1992.", "content": "During the past 10 years an extensive literature has been generated concerning the risks and benefits of hormonal replacement therapy in post-menopausal women. Although some of the questions have been answered during this period, controversy about the risk of breast cancer continues. This paper attempts to evaluate the risk of breast cancer in the light of epidemiological, experimental and histological findings. An interpretation of the available data and practical therapeutic recommendations are given. It is concluded that no change in the currently recommended schedule of combined sequential estrogen progestin therapy is necessary at this stage."}
{"id": "PMID:1470046", "title": "Reproductive and general lifestyle determinants of age at menopause.", "content": "Determinants of age at menopause were evaluated using data of control subjects collected in the framework of a case-control study on breast and female genital tract neoplasms. After exclusion of women with surgical or pharmacological menopause, a total of 863 post-menopausal women aged 55-74 years admitted to a network of general and university hospitals for non-neoplastic, non-gynecological, non-endocrine-related acute conditions were considered for this analysis. No relationship emerged between cohort of birth, marital status and mean age at menopause. No association was observed with education, but women with 12 years of schooling or more reported a slightly later mean age at menopause (50.2 years vs. 49.3 for < 7 years of schooling). There was a strong, statistically significant association with smoking, mean age at menopause being more than 1 year earlier in ever-smokers than in never-smokers. Nulliparous women tended to report an earlier age at menopause (49.0 years) than parous ones (49.5) and mean age at menopause rose with number of births, being 49.8 in women reporting three or more births. This trend was of borderline statistical significance. No association emerged between age at menopause and number of spontaneous abortions, lifelong menstrual pattern and age at menopause. The significant association between smoking, parity and age at menopause observed in the univariate analysis was confirmed after taking into account the potential confounding effects of age and education in multivariate analysis."}
{"id": "PMID:1470047", "title": "Can we improve compliance with long-term HRT?", "content": "In order to increase awareness of strategies to prevent osteoporosis and heart disease we designed a clinic offering education and screening to all women aged 40-60 years on our practice list of 8600 patients, starting in January 1988. Screening and supervision of HRT users occurred at a weekly clinic run by the doctor and nurse. Audit in August 1991 showed that there were 260 present users of HRT (20%) of our population of 1322 women aged 40-60 years. Seventy-eight percent had taken HRT for over a year and 15% for more than 5 years. Ex-users totalled 117, of whom 52% had taken HRT for over a year and 14% for over 5 years. Examination of the clinic registers and responses to postal questionnaires showed that 681 (51.5%) of patients attended the health education clinic. Of the clinic attenders, 25% took HRT compared with 10.8% of non-attenders. Compliance with long-term therapy measured by audit of repeat prescriptions varied between 84% and 92% over a period of 5 years. Reasons for stopping treatment were anxiety over possible side-effects, especially breast cancer and dislike of bleeding."}
{"id": "PMID:1470048", "title": "Nutritional and physiological factors affecting germination of heterothallic Saccharomyces cerevisiae ascospores.", "content": "Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain AP-3 was examined with respect to those nutritional requirements and physiological conditions which influence its germination rate. It was found that glucose as a carbon source supported the most rapid rate of germination for this heterothallic strain. In contrast, strain AP-3 spore germination was supported the least by the carbon sources potassium acetate and lactose. Of the nitrogen sources tested in culture medium containing glucose, the complex nitrogen sources peptone and casein hydrolysate appeared to be capable of stimulating germination better than a control culture containing ammonium sulphate. None of the amino acids screened were found to stimulate strain AP-3 germination compared with ammonium sulphate. The optimal culture medium pH for ascospore germination was 4.5 although spore germination could still be initiated by glucose between pH 3.0 and pH 7.5. Germination initiation by glucose was observed over a temperature range from 25 degrees C to 50 degrees C, but the optimal temperature appeared to be 40 degrees C."}
{"id": "PMID:1470049", "title": "Extracellular dextranase from Streptococcus oralis.", "content": "A human dental plaque organism, Streptococcus oralis (S. mitior), was cultivated in a dextran-free, dialysed medium, and dextranase activity was isolated from the cell-free, culture supernatant. The lyophilized, crude enzyme preparation, optimum pH 6, was subjected sequentially to anion exchange and gel filtration fast protein liquid chromatography (FPLC). The dextranolytic fraction from gel filtration FPLC produced a symmetrical, baseline resolved peak. The dextranolytic enzyme was purified 1,126-fold with a yield of 2.4%. Amino acid analysis revealed a large proportion of alanine and an abundance of acidic amino acids. This extracellular enzyme isolated from S. oralis is constitutive and has a relative molecular mass of 45 kD. Further investigation of the possible structural and biochemical effects of endogenous bacterial glucanases in human dental plaques is necessary."}
{"id": "PMID:1470050", "title": "Sensitivity of Pseudomonas stutzeri to EDTA: effects of growth parameters and test conditions.", "content": "EDTA is highly toxic for Pseudomonas stutzeri. The bactericidal effect is not significantly attenuated by treatment of the cells at 0 degrees C rather than 25 degrees C, nor by osmotic stabilisation of the treated cells. The few surviving cells are not genetically resistant, but resistance to EDTA (and to some cationic antibiotics) can be induced by growing organisms in magnesium-limited media. Under these conditions, there is increased production of a protein of molecular mass about 20 kD. Comparable results have been reported for Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The mode of action of EDTA on these pseudomonads is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1470051", "title": "[Local infiltration thrombolysis of arterial occlusions with tissue plasminogen activator].", "content": "Only few reports deal with local low dose thrombolysis of peripheral arterial occlusions by the infiltration technique with recombinant human tissue plasminogen activator (rTPA). We report the treatment of 45 cases (38 patients, 13 times women and 32 times men, aged 33 to 86 years). The patients suffered from thrombotic occlusions of the femoropopliteal artery (n = 39), a femoro-popliteal PTFE bypass (n = 3), a femorocrural bypass graft (n = 2) or a popliteal embolus (n = 1). The thrombus was infiltrated with 2.5 mg rTPA/hour attenuated to 30 ml normal saline solution. In the mean 7.1 mg rTPA was given. The rate of recanalisation was 76% during the days the patient stayed in hospital. The rate of recanalisation was higher (88%) in 16 cases suffering from acute arterial occlusion (< 24 hours). Even in those cases with undetectable or absent peripheral arterial runoff, therapeutic success was achieved at 92%."}
{"id": "PMID:1470052", "title": "[Correlation studies of the validity of hemodynamic measuring techniques in peripheral arterial occlusive diseases].", "content": "With the aim of validating the methodology employed for Fontaine's classification, haemodynamic correlation investigations were carried out on a group of 35 patients suffering from stage I to IV peripheral arterial occlusive disease and in six healthy patients. These investigations showed that the measurement of tcPO2 at +44 degrees C, capillaroscopy in the foot, measurement of the arterial blood pressure in the ankle by Doppler ultrasound, and measurement of peak flow in the lower limb using venous plethysmography are suitable for distinguishing normal from abnormal blood flow states. A comparison of the various methods made it clear that determination of Fontaine's stages is best achieved by a combination of arterial systolic blood pressure measurement at the ankle with Doppler ultrasound and vital capillaroscopy in the foot. Used alone, vital capillaroscopy, tcPO2 measurement and plethysmography all failed to differentiate Fontaine's stages with adequate reliability."}
{"id": "PMID:1470053", "title": "[How are tumor markers used in diagnosis and in after-care of gastrointestinal cancers? Results of a nation-wide German survey].", "content": "To obtain appropriate information about the present use of tumor-associated antigens (TAA) in diagnosis and follow-up of gastrointestinal carcinomas, an inquiry into 102 German university and non-university hospitals was performed. 97 answers to ten standardized questions were available for evaluation. TAA are generally used in gastrointestinal carcinomas by 98.5% and 92.6% of internists (i) and surgeons (s), respectively. Preoperatively, serum concentrations of TAA are determined in 63.9% (i) and 84% (s) of gastric carcinomas. The corresponding rates in colorectal carcinomas are 93.8% and 92.6%. TAA are a routine part of postoperative care in 68.8% (i) and 76% (s) of gastric and in 100% (i) and 96.2% (s) of colorectal cancers. Interest is almost exclusively focused on CEA and CA 19-9. Other tumor associated antigens are rarely investigated in these diseases. Increasing serum concentrations of TAA induce intensive diagnostic procedures in 82.4% and 95.7% of internists and surgeons. However, an indication for a second-look operation solely based on increasing TAA concentrations is only seen by 30.6% of internists and 37% of surgeons. In gastric cancer the course of TAA concentrations is used for determining the effects of chemo- or radiotherapy in 36.4% (i) and 71.4% (s). The corresponding rates for colorectal carcinomas vary between 66.6% (i) and 80% (s). The results of this nation-wide inquiry confirm the wide use of CEA and CA 19-9 in gastrointestinal carcinomas. There are obvious differences with respect to diagnostic or therapeutic consequences based on postoperatively increasing serum levels of TAA.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1470054", "title": "[Memento intestinal tuberculosis].", "content": "We report the history, symptoms and diagnostic procedures of eight patients (four female, four male; mean age 44.5 years) with abdominal tuberculosis. In all cases differential diagnosis was complicated by an inadequate interpretation of chest X-rays. Only two patients were immigrants. Chemotherapy of tuberculosis was successful in seven patients, one 65-year old female with miliary tuberculosis and ileus died."}
{"id": "PMID:1470100", "title": "Measles surveillance--United States, 1991.", "content": "A total of 9,643 measles cases was reported from the United States in 1991, a 65.3% decrease from the 27,786 cases reported in 1990. The overall incidence of measles was 3.9 cases per 100,000 population. The highest age-specific incidence was among children < 12 months of age (46.9/100,000) and 1-4 years of age (19.6/100,000). Incidence rates among American Indians, Hispanic, and black children < 5 years of age were 19, 6, and 4 times that for non-Hispanic white children, respectively. More than 61% of all cases were reported from seven large outbreaks, which involved predominantly unvaccinated preschool-age children in large urban areas. Although reported measles cases decreased in 1991 compared with 1989-1990, only a sustained effort to provide age-appropriate vaccination will prevent another resurgence of measles."}
{"id": "PMID:1470101", "title": "Years of potential life lost before age 65, by race, Hispanic origin, and sex--United States, 1986-1988.", "content": "A substantial proportion of mortality among young persons is preventable. National vital statistics were used to establish a baseline for the surveillance of rates of years of potential life lost before age 65 (YPLL < 65) in the United States. Rates of YPLL < 65 were calculated for 1986 through 1988 for leading causes of preventable death, by race, Hispanic origin, and sex. U.S. racial and ethnic populations differed widely in YPLL < 65. Among males, the rate (per 1,000 population < 65 years) of YPLL < 65 was highest for non-Hispanic blacks (140.0), followed by American Indians/Alaskan Natives (100.9), Hispanics (74.3), non-Hispanic whites (68.3), and Asians/Pacific Islanders (38.2). Among females, the rate was highest for non-Hispanic blacks (73.7), followed by American Indians/Alaskan Natives (52.0), non-Hispanic whites (35.7), Hispanics (32.9), and Asians/Pacific Islanders (23.2). For non-Hispanic blacks, the high rate of YPLL < 65 was due to increased rates for all causes of death considered, particularly homicide. The high rate for American Indians/Alaskan Natives was due principally to deaths from four causes: unintentional injuries, cirrhosis, suicide, and diabetes. Asians/Pacific Islanders had low rates for most causes of death. In setting health-care priorities and prevention strategies to reduce the large racial-ethnic gap in early deaths, it is essential to recognize the differences in causes of premature mortality among sex, racial, and ethnic populations. Periodic reassessment of YPLL < 65 among these groups provides a simple, timely, and representative means of conducting surveillance to measure the impact of intervention strategies on a national basis."}
{"id": "PMID:1470102", "title": "Group B streptococcal disease in the United States, 1990: report from a multistate active surveillance system.", "content": "Group B streptococcal (GBS) disease is the most common cause of neonatal sepsis and meningitis in the United States. It is also an important cause of morbidity among pregnant women and adults with underlying medical conditions. Because most states have not designated GBS disease as a reportable condition, previous estimates of the incidence of GBS disease were based on studies from single hospitals or small geographic areas. This report summarizes the results of population-based active surveillance for invasive GBS disease in counties within four states that had an aggregate population of 10.1 million persons in 1990. A case of GBS disease was defined as isolation of group B streptococcus from a normally sterile anatomic site in a resident of one of the surveillance areas. Age- and race-adjusted projections to the U.S. population suggest that > 15,000 cases and > 1,300 deaths due to GBS disease occur each year. The projected age- and race-adjusted national incidence is 1.8/1,000 live births for neonatal GBS disease and 4.0/100,000 population per year for adult GBS disease. Intrapartum chemoprophylaxis for pregnant women at risk for delivering infants with GBS disease is the most effective strategy available for prevention of neonatal disease. Development of effective GBS vaccines may prevent GBS disease in both infants and adults. Ongoing surveillance for GBS disease is important for targeting preventive measures and determining their effectiveness."}
{"id": "PMID:1470103", "title": "[Early and late results of coronary artery bypass grafting and percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty].", "content": "The indication of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) and percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) for coronary artery disease, especially for multivessel disease, remains controversial. We examined the characteristics and outcomes of the CABG group (799 consecutive patients) and the PTCA group (944 patients) from 1984 to 1991. The proportion of 3-vessel and left main disease in the CABG group was 77% and that of single-vessel in the PTCA group was 92%. The characteristics between 2 groups were distinct. But the results were good respectively. The occurrence of hospital death was similar (1.3% vs 0%). The early graft patency rate in the CABG group was 91% and primary success rate in the PTCA group was 90%. And over a 5-year follow-up the cumulative survival rate of 3-vessel disease undergoing CABG and single-vessel disease patients undergoing PTCA was 96% versus 98%, respectively. It is concluded that PTCA is suitable for single-vessel and 2-vessel without totally occluded artery disease patients, whereas CABG for other multivessel disease patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1470104", "title": "[Comparative study of CABG following PTCA and PTCA following CABG].", "content": "Forty-five cases of PTCA with prior CABG and 14 cases of CABG with prior PTCA were studied on their pathogenesis and results. Ninety-four PTCA procedures were performed electively after CABG on 45 patients and 145 lesions. Lesion success rates were 95.8% in stenosis and 55.6% in occluded vessel. The mortality was none and no emergent surgery was needed. Causes of PTCA following CABG included the progression of coronary artery disease (13.1%), graft stenosis (15.0%), graft occlusion (31.0%), incomplete revascularization (13.8%), restenosis after the initial procedure (26.2%). Especially percentage of the progression of coronary artery disease was increased with a lapse of time, and it was 31.7% in PTCA group over 3 years after CABG. Fourteen patients with prior PTCA were received CABG because of unsuccessful PTCA (50.0%), progression to LMCD (21.4%), restenosis (21.4%), and PTCA complication (7.1%). Both interventions were appropriate and useful to reduce the recurrent ischemia and cardiac events with each other. Myocardial revascularization should not be considered either PTCA or CABG, but PTCA and CABG. In conclusion the strategy that much more benefits can be obtained from supplementary use of PTCA and CABG makes it possible to reduce the mortality and morbidity associated with intervention."}
{"id": "PMID:1470105", "title": "[Initial and follow-up results of PTCA and PTMC].", "content": "On the bases of the initial and follow-up results of patients who underwent percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) and percutaneous transvenous mitral commissurotomy (PTMC), the proper applications of these interventional therapies were discussed. The efficacy of PTMC on valvotomy was comparable to open mitral commissurotomy and the procedural safety was noticed. Our results supported the use of PTMC for patients with plicable mitral valve. Despite the good and acceptable results of elective PTCA, low initial success rate and high incidence of major cardiac events including mortality was noted in the group of urgent PTCA for patients with multivessel lesions. The urgent use of PTCA for refractory unstable angina should be restricted to selected patients without high-risk multivessel lesions."}
{"id": "PMID:1470106", "title": "[Comparison of long-term outcome of closed mitral commissurotomy (CMC) versus open mitral commissurotomy (OMC) and mitral valve replacement (MVR)].", "content": "To predict the late result of percutaneous mitral balloon valvotomy (PMV), we studied long term outcome of CMC which is similar to PMV in terms of closed heart technic, comparing with those of OMC and MVR. 226 patients with mitral stenosis were studied. 117 patients had CMC, 72 had OMC and 37 had MVR. The cumulative follow up period in these groups were 1892 patient year, 632 patient year and 200 patient year respectively. Postoperative actual survival rate at 5, 10, 15 years in CMC patients were 95 +/- 2%, 91 +/- 3%, 86 +/- 3% respectively. No operative or late death was seen in OMC or MVR patients. Postoperative event free rate at 10 years in OMC or MVR patients (97 +/- 2%, 90 +/- 6%, respectively) were higher than that in CMC patients (79 +/- 4%). Thromboembolism developed in 7 (6%) CMC patients, and 4 of these patients died from cerebral embolism. No patient in OMC or MVR group had thromboembolism. Reoperation was done for mitral restenosis or regurgitation in 40 CMC patients. 15 (38%) of these patients were associated with pulmonary hypertension, and 22 (55%) patients had secondary tricuspid regurgitation. On the other hand, only 1 OMC patient and 1 MVR patient had reoperation due to restenosis or thrombosed artificial valve. These results suggest that PMV should be indicated for restricted cases of mitral stenosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1470107", "title": "[Percutaneous transvenous, mitral commissurotomy versus open mitral commissurotomy].", "content": "Effects of PTMC (percutaneous transvenous mitral commissurotomy) were evaluated retrospectively in 34 patients with mitral stenosis and compared with those of OMC (open mitral commissurotomy) in 28 patients. PTMC resulted in a decrease in transmitral pressure gradient from 11 +/- 6 to 6 +/- 4 mmHg (p < 0.001) and an increase in cardiac index from (2.4 +/- 0.4 to 2.7 +/- 0.5 L/min.m2 and mitral valve area from 1.0 +/- 0.3 to 1.7 +/- 0.4 cm2 (p < 0.001). Mitral valve area remained increased (1.6 +/- 0.4 cm2) after a mean follow-up period of 19 +/- 11 months. Death, cerebro-vascular accident, or sever mitral regurgitation (> III degrees) did not occur. NYHA class improved from 2.28 +/- 0.63 to 1.44 +/- 0.50 (p < 0.001). OMC resulted in a greater increase in mitral valve area (from 1.1 +/- 1.4 to 2.0 +/- 0.5 cm2, p < 0.001) and greater improvement of NYHA class (2.25 +/- 0.65 to 1.11 +/- 0.34, p < 0.001). Thus OMC surpasses PTMC in hemodynamic effects and symptomatic improvement. However, PTMC may still be the first choice for the treatment of mitral stenosis because of its excellent safety and efficacy."}
{"id": "PMID:1470108", "title": "[Surgical versus nonsurgical therapy of fatal tachyarrhythmias].", "content": "Interventional treatment is necessary for fatal drug-refractory tachyarrhythmias. Thirty-three, 33 and 16 patients (pts) with intractable ventricular tachycardia (VT) and/or fibrillation (VF) were managed with cryosurgery (CS), electrical catheter ablation (EA) and implantable pacer-cardioverter-defibrillator (PCD), respectively. Seventy-six and 43 pts with sudden death risk in the Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome (WPW) also underwent CS and EA, respectively. CS success rates were 85% in VT/VF and 95% in WPW. Those of EA were 48% and 81%, respectively. EA success rates were 100% (6/6) in idiopathic verapamil-sensitive VT originated from LV, 0% (0/2) in VT following TOF repair and 0% (0/2) in idiopathic VT originated from right ventricular outflow tract. A new VT developed in 5 of 11 pts with arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia (ARVD) following EA. PCD was effective for prevention from sudden death in idiopathic VF and pleomorphic VT. All of pharmacologic, EA and CS therapies were relatively effective in ischemic heart disease without low EF. In conclusion, the decision of VT-VF therapy may be affected by the underlying heart disease and EA may be established as an initial intervention for high risk WPW."}
{"id": "PMID:1470109", "title": "[Current treatment of Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome and ventricular tachycardia: surgical ablation versus catheter ablation?].", "content": "From November 1973, 454 patients with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome underwent surgical ablation of accessory pathways. Overall curative rate was 94% in our series including 65 cases of simultaneous surgical repair for combined heart diseases. In recent months, radiofrequency catheter ablation was applied in 7 cases. There has been 2 failures, which have taken more than 2 hours of radiation exposure and have required surgery. There has been 47 patients who underwent surgical ablation for non-ischemic ventricular tachycardia. Forty cases (85%) had a successful outcome of surgical ablation and another 2 cases required DC catheter ablation postoperatively to eliminate ventricular tachycardias. In conclusion, radiofrequency ablation of WPW syndrome in patients without combined heart disease or multiple accessory pathways is feasible. Surgical ablation is effective and safe technique compared with catheter ablation in patients with ventricular tachycardia."}
{"id": "PMID:1470110", "title": "[Combined medical and surgical treatment of 74 cases of acute type III aortic dissection].", "content": "In the early period up to 1986, our treatment of acute type III dissection was anti-hypertension drug therapy as a rule, and Collins operations were performed in two cases of progressive hemothorax. Among 21 patients receiving medical therapy, five died of rupture, and three operated cases died of multiple organ ischemia, and then the hospital mortality was 40%. Since 1987, we have selected hypotensive treatment of strictly maintaining blood pressure less than 120mmHg for the completely thrombosed type of the dissected lumen, and the emergency operation of ringed intraluminal graft insertion (RIG operation) for the blood-flow type and aneurysm formation type of the dissected lumen, diagnosed by the emergency cine-angiography. As the result, among 51 cases having hypotensive therapy, one died of respiratory failure. In the 23 operated cases, in which RIG operation and/or arterial reconstruction was performed, four died of multiple organ ischemia. The hospital mortality was 8%, which was significantly improved compared with that of the early period."}
{"id": "PMID:1470111", "title": "[The controversy on the treatment of aortic dissection].", "content": "It is obvious that there are many controversies regarding to the treatment of aortic dissection. In this report, we discuss following points such as 1) classification, 2) thrombosed type dissection, and 3) simultaneous graft replacement of ascending and aortic arch with the reconstruction of cervical branches. From the patho-morphological status, dissection will be classified into two types, localized and extended types. From the anatomical and surgical points of view, it will be also classified as 1) ascending-arch, 2) descending-thoracoabdominal, and 3) abdominal. With the combination of these two, dissection will be classified more clearly. The thrombosed type will be incorporated into localized type. We have experienced 76 cases of this dissection, and clinical features and outcome by medical treatment only are presented. The simultaneous reconstruction of ascending aorta and aortic arch for the dissection at ascending-arch type was undertaken in total of 35 patients. The surgical results as well as follow up data are presented and the benefit of this extended procedure is presented as well."}
{"id": "PMID:1470112", "title": "[Principle of treatment of intermittent claudication due to arteriosclerosis obliterans--reconstruction or conservative treatment].", "content": "Two hundred and one patients of arteriosclerosis obliterans (ASO) with intermittent claudication (IC) were studied. Improvement of IC, score of return to social life, change of life condition and prognosis were compared between the two groups of reconstructive and conservative treatment. Improvement of IC was seen in 88.0% of the patients in the group of reconstruction and only 30.4% in the conservative treatment group. In the reconstructive group, the score of return to social life improved from 2.10 to 1.31 and the score of life condition also improved from 2.71 to 1.66. However in the conservative treatment group these score showed no significant improvement. Moreover the long term mortality rate was lower in the treatment group of reconstruction. The arterial reconstruction for IC is significant for improving the quality of life and exerts a favorable effect on life prognosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1470113", "title": "[The fate of patients with intermittent claudication-comparison of surgical and non-surgical treatment].", "content": "The purpose of this study was to determine the operative indication for patients with intermittent claudication because of arteriosclerosis obliterans, and to compare the late result of the surgical treatment group (182 cases, 250 limbs) with that of the non-surgical treatment group (35 cases, 43 limbs). There were 3 operative deaths and 34 late deaths in the surgical group, and 14 late deaths in the non-surgical group. The number one cause of death was heart failure, including ischemic heart disease, in both groups. The 4-year cumulative patency rates were 91% in the aorto-iliac, 71% in the femoro-distal and 79% in the aorto-femoro-distal arterial reconstructions. Long term symptom free rates of the surgical group and the non-surgical group, except fatal case, were 83% and 44% in the aorto-iliac, 79% and 27% in the femoro-distal, 87% and 33% in the aorto-femoro-distal arterial regions, respectively. Late result of intermittent claudication in the surgical group was better than that in the non-surgical group. We concluded that intermittent claudication should be considered to be the indication for surgery, except for the cases with high risk diseases or malignant diseases."}
{"id": "PMID:1470114", "title": "[Indication and results of surgical treatment of intermittent claudication].", "content": "In order to clarify the propriety of surgical treatment for intermittent claudication caused by arteriosclerosis obliterans (ASO), indication for vascular reconstruction and efficacy of surgery on patient's quality of life were investigated. Bypass surgery or laser angioplasty (PTLA) was undertaken in 149 of 188 ASO patients. Because of high risk factors (renal failure, ischemic heart disease, cerebro-vascular disturbance or malignant tumor), 39 patients were treated conservatively. Intellectual dysfunction in aged patient was evaluated by Okabe's brief mental scale test. Coronary artery disease was revealed by coronary angiography performed next to routine dipyridamole-loaded ECG in 19 to 78 patients. CABG or PTCA was performed prior to peripheral vascular reconstruction in 3 patients with serious coronary disease. Extra-anatomical bypass or PTLA was indicated mainly in patients with coronary artery disease or intellectual dysfunction. The anatomical bypass and the extra-anatomical bypass were undertaken in 88 and 61 patients respectively. Graft occlusion was observed in 8 cases. Patency rate of the anatomical bypass was 96.6% and that of the extra-anatomical bypass was 91.8%, at 32 months of postoperative mean follow-up period. The operative mortality rate was 2.7%. There was no major amputation due to graft occlusion."}
{"id": "PMID:1470115", "title": "[Comparison of long-term patency rates of transluminal angioplasty and bypass grafting].", "content": "We have applied transluminal angioplasty (TAP) and bypass grafting (BG) to the lower-limb ischemia for ten years since 1982. We have treated 176 cases (194 limbs) by TAP and 250 cases (323 limbs) by BG. The TAP treated group was divided into two groups. The first was classified as a stenotic artery group (TAPs) and the other was as an obstructive artery group (TAPs). BG was also divided into two groups, the first belonged to a ringed graft (RPTFE) while the other was a bypass with a saphenous vein (BG sv). The registered patent rates for TAP and TAPs are 61.2%, 75.1% recorded after 5 years and 51.4%, 57.0% after 7 years, respectively. The patent registry rates for BG and RPTFE are evaluated as being 64.2%, 82%, after 5 years and 48.2%, 82% after 7 years, respectively. The results showed that the patent registry rate for BG is significantly better than that of the TAP but the results indicate similarities between TAPs and RPTFE. As a conclusion, we recommend the use of TAP for the stenotic lesion of the artery and RPTFE for obstructive lesion of arteries."}
{"id": "PMID:1470116", "title": "[Conservative treatment of acute deep vein thrombosis of lower extremities].", "content": "To evaluate conservative treatment for acute deep vein thrombosis (DVT) of lower extremities, 56 limbs of 53 patients (29 men and 24 women, age ranging 20 to 77 years, mean age of 50.1 years) were reviewed. Only three patients underwent thrombectomy of restricted iliac venous regions by Fogarty catheter within 24 hours of the onset and their symptoms were relieved immediately after operation with good follow-up condition. Forty-five limbs were treated conservatively. Among 45 limbs, 15 limbs were treated within 7 days of symptom's onset using heparin and urokinase for 6-10 days followed by oral anticoagulant. Forty-seven percent of the patients were freed from their symptoms within one year. However 30 limbs received conservative therapy after 7 days of the onset showed 23% recovery from their symptoms within one year and in extensive thrombosis recovery was only 14%. We concluded that conservative treatment for DVT was effective if it was started within 7 days of the onset, and thrombectomy of ilio-femoral regions might be more effective than conservative treatment under the same condition."}
{"id": "PMID:1470117", "title": "[The treatment of choice in deep vein thrombosis of the lower extremity].", "content": "Of 67 patients with acute deep vein thrombosis of the lower extremity (DVT), 43 patients were treated by venous thrombectomy and 24 patients were managed by conservative treatment. The clinical effect of thrombectomy was evaluated by analyzing follow-up results in the 2 groups. The cumulative incidences of pigmentation and stasis ulcer at the 5th year were 2.7% and 0% respectively in the thrombectomy group, and 24.3% and 10% respectively in the conservative treatment group. Pigmentation and stasis ulcer were significantly more frequent in the conservative treatment group (p < 0.01). It is concluded that venous thrombectomy is superior to conservative treatment to prevent late postthrombotic sequelae. Protein C, protein S and plasminogen were assayed in 40 DVT patients to determine the incidence of hypercoagulable state in DVT. Congenital deficiency or abnormality were found in 15 patients (37.5%). In such DVT patients with thrombophilia anticoagulant prophylaxis should be continued to decrease a risk of rethrombosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1470118", "title": "[Controversy in the treatment of superficial esophageal carcinoma--indications and problems of the procedures].", "content": "In our institution, 152 cases have been treated, which are 24.3% of total 626 cases with esophageal carcinomas. Analysis of these 152 cases revealed that neither intraepithelial cancer (ep), nor mm2 cancer, in which the lesion is limited within the upper two-thirds of the proper mucosal layer, had any vessels invasion and lymph node metastases. In addition, only 25% of the cases with mm3 cancer, limited within the deeper one-third of the proper mucosal layer, had vessels invasion without lymph node metastases. The 5-year survival of the cases less than sm1 was as good as 100%. However, those of sm2 and sm3 patients were 58.9% and 54.2%, respectively. Thus, we made the treatment strategy for superficial esophageal cancer as follows: 1. For ep to mm2 cases, endoscopic mucosal resection could be applied. 2. For the cases whose lesions widely spread in the esophagus, blunt resection would be indicated. 3. For the cases with mm3 to sm3 cancer, thoracotomy and laparotomy with wide lymph node dissection from neck to abdomen should be employed. Since a radical operation for esophageal cancer has high operative risk and poor postoperative quality of life, we should properly pick up and apply more cases with mucosal carcinoma for endoscopic mucosal resection."}
{"id": "PMID:1470119", "title": "[Evaluation of endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) as a curative therapy against early gastric cancer].", "content": "This study investigated the effectiveness of EMR as a curative therapy against early gastric cancer, comparing with that of radical operation. In 256 radical operation cases, five year survival rates were 97.5% in m-cancer and 93.2% in sm-cancer. In these cases, postoperative complications occurred in 7.8%, with operative mortality being 0.78%. In 56 EMR cases, nine encountered slight bleeding, which was controlled by ethanol injection under endoscopy. Regarding prognosis of EMR, cancer recurrences occurred in 45.8% of cases with stump involvement in the resected mucosa (stump (+)). In cases without stump involvement in the resected mucosa (stump (-)), no recurrence were found except one case, in which distance from the cancer edge to the stump was only 0.6 mm, suggesting that enough distance (2mm) to the stump is required for curative EMR. Stump (-) rate was high (81.2%) in cases of small cancer less than 1 cm in diameter, but was low in cases of cancer greater than 2 cm and those located in upper body or lesser curvature. To establish EMR as a curative therapy, it must be performed by single collection to check remaining cancer. In conclusion, although radical operation is still the standard curative therapy, EMR should be considered as an alternative therapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1470120", "title": "[Controversy between endoscopic and surgical treatment against early gastric and colorectal cancer].", "content": "Although endoscopic treatment against the patients with early cancer in gastrointestinal tract is an excellent method especially in high aged or poor risk patients, there still exists controversy about the indication for endoscopic treatment because of deeper invasion of the cancer or lymph node metastases. In order to clarify whether the patient has a possibility of nodal involvement or not, we made the clinicopathological analysis concerning 220 cases with early gastric cancers and 118 cases with colorectal cancers. Our retrospective analysis shows that endoscopic resection can be indicated for small polypoid cancer less than 10 mm in size, excluding IIa + IIc type. As to small depressed type, this procedure should be applied for IIc type which is well differentiated adenocarcinoma without ulcer formation (U1 (-)). Regarding early colorectal cancer there has been many discussion how to treat the patients with sm-cancer. Based on our analysis of 39 cases with sm-cancer, we led to the conclusion that the characteristics of sm-cancer with lymph node metastases are i) massive invasion into submucosal layer, ii) positive lymphatic permeation, or iii) \"de novo\" cancer. As a result, a decision of further surgery should be made even in small lesions less than 10 mm, taking the fact into consideration of the possibility of nodal involvement of sm-cancer."}
{"id": "PMID:1470121", "title": "[Controversy on therapeutic modality to early colorectal carcinomas from the viewpoint of histopathological features].", "content": "We have investigated prognostic factors of early colorectal carcinoma mainly based on pathological aspects. We have experienced 175 lesions of early colorectal carcinomas, in which 116 lesions were obtained by operation and 59 lesions were endoscopically resected. Histologically, well differentiated adenocarcinoma was subclassified into two types, pure type and combined type. We expressed extent of submucosal invasion by sm depth and sm width. We represented specific pathological features in the invasive margin as single cell infiltration (SCI) and mucinous component (MUC), which were indicating biological invasiveness of submucosal invasive carcinomas. As a result of this research, we concluded that minimal submucosal invasion of early colorectal carcinoma should be defined as carcinoma having sm depth less than 1 mm and sm width less than 5 mm, on the contrary, sm massive invasion as sm depth above 1 mm or sm width above 5 mm. We guessed that SCI was good parameter of lymphatic invasion because of their correlation to other adverse prognostic factors. We make a policy that subsequent intestinal resection should be performed to early colorectal carcinomas, which having SCI or MUC concomitant with the degree of submucosal invasion more than our standard despite of absence of vascular permeation."}
{"id": "PMID:1470122", "title": "[Controversy--surgical vs. medical management of inflammatory bowel disease].", "content": "The controversy in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease is how to decide surgical vs. medical management in each case. Of 309 patients with ulcerative colitis in our department, 63 (20%) patients had received surgical treatment. The mean age was 33.5 +/- 13.7 years old and the mean duration from onset to operation was 6.72 +/- 5.51 years. The indications for surgical treatment were 47 (75%) resistant cases against medical treatment, 9 (14%) severe cases and 7 (11%) cancer or dysplasia cases. In surgical cases compared with medical ones, the ratio of total duration (months)/number of admission showed below 10, and the total amount of used steroid was over 300 mg per month. These ratios were considered to be the useful markers for surgical indication. Operative procedures were 15 total proctocolectomy+ileostomy, 29 total colectomy+ileorectal anastomosis, 13 total proctocolectomy+ileoanal anastomosis and 6 others. Restorative proctocolectomy using double stapling method with two stage operation was chosen in 8 patients because of easier and safer operative procedure and a few complications. We conclude that early surgical treatment for the patients resistant against medical management is considered to improve the patients' quality of life."}
{"id": "PMID:1470123", "title": "[Surgical and non-surgical treatments of gallstones].", "content": "Comparisons were made of therapeutic modalities for gallstones. Four-hundred thirty-five patients with gallstones were operated on with the mortality rate of 0.7%. Extracorporeal shock-wave lithotripsy (ESWL) was performed in 84 patients with gallbladder stones. Complete stone disappearance rate at 1 year was 31% in patients with one to three radio-lucent stones not larger than 3cm in diameter and 57% in solitary stones up to 2cm with the US pattern of Ia or Ib. There was no major complication. Endoscopic sphincterotomy (EST) was performed in 131 patients with common bile duct stones. The success rate was for stone extraction, was 97%. Immediate complications occurred in 8% cases, yielding the mortality rate of 0.8%. Common bile duct stones recurred in 2 of 113 patients (3%). Acute cholecystitis was experienced in 2 of 43 patients with the gallbladder left in situ; 2 of 12 with and none of 31 without gallbladder stones. In conclusion, ESWL is a safe and effective treatment in selected patients. EST can be the first-choice modality in the treatment of not only the post-cholecystectomy cases but also the patients with the gallbladder without stones."}
{"id": "PMID:1470124", "title": "[Clinical significance of endoscopic sphincterotomy compared with surgical common bile duct exploration and surgical sphincterotomy].", "content": "Records of 940 patients with endoscopic sphincterotomy (ES) and 100 patients with choledochotomy for stone removal were compared. Those with ES were characterized by older mean age (65.9 vs. 60.6, p < 0.001), similar frequency of operative risks (36% vs. 45%), and a less complication rate (8.2% vs. 53%, p < 0.001) as compared with the surgery group. Complications of ES included cholangitis, pancreatitis, bleeding, and basket impaction. One patient each with cholangitis and pancreatitis died, thus a mortality rate of 0.2%. Complications of choledochotomy occurred in 53 patients with no death. Most of them were associated with anesthesia, laparotomy, wound and immobilization. The complications of ES should decrease due to recent development of lithotripsy instruments and endoscopic stenting to prevent cholangitis. Follow-up of 74 patients 15-21 years after surgical sphincterotomy revealed recurrent stones in 3.5%, which was lower than a recurrence rate of 10.3% in 290 patients 5-14 years after ES. However, that rate may be an underestimate, because the follow-up was obtained in only 79% of those with surgical sphincterotomy as compared with 99% of ES. Ninety percent of those with recurrence after ES underwent endoscopic treatments again, whereas 10% had surgery. Easy repetition at the time of recurrence is one of major advantages of the endoscopic treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1470125", "title": "[Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy for choledocholithiasis].", "content": "By the advent of extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL), the plan to manage choledocholithiasis has changed greatly. As a non-operative treatment, endoscopic sphincterotomy (EST) is intensively performed, but ESWL is much safer than EST in invasiveness and complications. Without EST, 5 Fr endoscopic naso-biliary drainage (ENBD) and percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage (PTBD) aiming at preservation of the function of the papilla Vater were inserted to make drainage first for the patients with choledocholithiasis with obstructive jaundice who visited our hospital. After the cholangitis subsided, ESWL was performed under the direct cholangiography through ENBD and PTBD and excellent results were obtained which are herein reported. ENBD has been performed on 98 cases of choledocholithiasis over the past 4 years. ESWL has been performed on 42 cases (ENBD 36 cases and PTBD 6 cases). Choledocholithiasis completely disappeared in 31 cases (73.8%). For unsuccessful cases, EST, percutaneous transhepatic cholangioscopy (PTCS), or laparotomy was performed."}
{"id": "PMID:1470126", "title": "[Evaluation of urgent treatment for impacted bile duct stones].", "content": "One hundred and forty-four urgent treatments for acute obstructive suppurative cholangitis (AOSC), acute obstructive cholangitis (AOC), or/and acute pancreatitis caused by impacted bile duct stones were performed for eight years from 1984 to 1991. The breakdown of these treatments are as follows. [table: see text] It was not easy to diagnose every severe case of AOSC. As a result, however, endoscopy was very effective both in diagnosis and treatment. Concerning patients with thinner bile duct, endoscopic drainage was useful than percutaneous drainage. We prefer ENBD to EST followed by basket extraction of bile duct stones in an emergency state. ENBD is a rather easy technique even for beginners of ERCP, and is less invasive. The life-saving effect of ENBD is not inferior to that of EST."}
{"id": "PMID:1470127", "title": "[Selection of treatment in primary hepatolithiasis (PHL)].", "content": "Two hundred and three patients with PHL were encountered for the last 10 years. In order to select treatment of PHL, we classified PHL on the basis of atrophy of hepatic parenchyma (AHP), existence of extrahepatic gallstone and dilatation of extrahepatic bile duct (DEBD). For the case with AHP hepatic resection must be performed, because there is often chronic proliferating cholangitis and improvement in hepatic function can not be expected in view of AHP. For the case with extrahepatic gallstone without AHP hepatic resection. For the case with DEBD and without AHP extrahepatic gallstone must be removed. For the patient with extrahepatic gallstone and DEBD without AHP, indication of the removal of stones, depends on the existence of symptoms. Twenty-two cases treated by biliary drainage procedure often had some complications in postoperative course, that is 5 patients had cholangitis and 7 patients liver abscess. It was suggested, therefore, that biliary drainage procedure was contraindicated in PHL."}
{"id": "PMID:1470128", "title": "[Balloon plasty for biliary strictures associated with choledochal cysts].", "content": "Balloon plasty with a Meditec balloon dilatation catheter was performed in thirteen patients who had choledochal cysts with intrahepatic biliary strictures. The age of the patients ranged from one to 28 years. Eleven were female, and two were male. The site of the biliary stricture was both the right and left hepatic duct in eight patients, the left hepatic duct in four, and the right hepatic duct in one. Balloon plasty was performed postoperatively through the fistula of the percutaneous transhepatic drainage tube in seven patients and during the operation in six. Dilatation was adequate in ten patients but insufficient in three. The preoperative imaging character of the biliary strictures in the successful cases was membranous stenosis of less than 2mm in length. In contrast, the strictures of the patients with insufficient dilatation were long stenoses of more than 5mm in length."}
{"id": "PMID:1470129", "title": "[Diagnosis and management of benign biliary strictures with percutaneous transhepatic cholangioscopy (PTCS)].", "content": "From January 1981 through March 1991, we encountered twenty four cases of benign biliary strictures. In 10 cases of anastomotic stricture, percutaneous dilatation was carried out in 1 patient under fluoroscopy and in 3 patients under PTCS without recurrence. Endoprosthesis with silicone or polyurethane catheters was carried out under PTCS in 5 patients. One of them died of hepatic failure due to clogging of the catheter, and in other four patients the endoprosthetic catheter was dislodged spontaneously or removed by PTCS because of dislodgement or obstruction of the catheter, and PTCS revealed that the anastomotic stricture had improved. Reoperation of cholangiojejunostomy was carried out in 1 patient, who died of hepatic failure 5 years later due to recurrent of stricture. In 8 cases of the iatrogenic and 1 case of traumatic stricture, percutaneous dilatation was carried out (1 under fluoroscopy and 4 under PTCS) without recurrence. Cholangiojejunostomy was carried out in 3 cases without anastomotic stricture. PTCS was performed for 5 cases of the inflammatory stricture of the hepatic hilus due to cholecystitis to confirm the histological findings by cholangioscopic biopsy. And all cases could be managed by cholecystectomy. Authors recommend that PTCS should be used for the diagnosis and treatment of benign biliary stricture."}
{"id": "PMID:1470130", "title": "[Management of biliary tract malformations in childhood--long-term survival and reoperation].", "content": "During the past 32 years, 67 of 145 cases of biliary tract malformations survived for 8-30 years as the result of various types of management from childhood. Controversies regarding management were analyzed. The majority of the patients with biliary tract malformation required radical operation initially. Regarding postoperative complications, however, non-surgical managements; PTCD, endoscopic lithotomy for remaining calculi, endoscopic injection sclerotherapy for esophageal varices or PSE (partial splenic embolization) for portal hypertension, are preferred. The optimal time to treat the patients; biliary atresia--within 2 mo. for Kasai operation, choledochal cyst depends on the patient's symptom-onset, but extrahepatic biliary tract perforations may occasionally occur in infants, then antenatal ultrasonography (US) is necessary. Five infants out of 8 patients with choledochal dilatation due to congenital duodenal obstruction and annular pancreas were successfully treated following duodenal surgery alone, however a 18 yr-old female with this lesion underwent biliary tract reconstruction because of irreversible biliary tract dilatation. The preferred management we recommend; 1) pre-or intraoperative diagnosis using US, cholangiography or intraoperative direct probe survey of the biliary or pancreatic duct, 2) accurate surgery with complete excision of the cyst or biliary stenosis plasty with adequate anastomosis, 3) a sustained long-term follow-up study utilizing US."}
{"id": "PMID:1470131", "title": "[Therapeutic modality for esophago-gastric varices analyzed by endoscopic ultrasonography].", "content": "For 64 cases with portal hypertensive disease, we investigated the intramural and extramural structure of the stomach and esophagus by endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS). Variously developed intra- or extra-mural vascular structures had a relationship to the endoscopic variceal form, and the communicating (inflow) vessels to varices were found in 35 of 50 primary treated cases (70%). We classified the esophago-gastric varices into three types according to the vascular structure, such as the esophageal type, the esophago-gastric type and the solitary gastric type. From the analyses of these collateral structures, we should select a treatment as follows. In the esophageal type which has a few inflow vessels, it is easy to eliminate the varices by obturating the inflow vessels by endoscopic injection sclerotherapy (EIS). In the esophago-gastric type, which has many enlarged inflow vessels, the Hassab operation is effective to devascularize extramural inflow vessels, and the combination of EIS is necessary to sclerous the intramural varices. In the solitary gastric type which is a part of the downward porto-systemic shunt, Hassab operation is recommended to prevent the rupture of varices for the subtype with intramural running vessels, but conservative therapy is enough for the subtype without intramural running vessel."}
{"id": "PMID:1470132", "title": "[Significance of embolization therapy for esophagogastric varices].", "content": "To evaluate the efficacy of the embolization therapy (Emb) for varices, we performed endoscopic injection sclerotherapy (EIS) alone and EIS combined with Emb. Various embolizations such as percutaneous transhepatic obliteration, splenic artery embolization and left gastric artery embolization have been employed. The efficacy rates were 76.5% of the patients in the EIS alone and 87.5% in the EIS with Emb group (EIS+Emb). The cumulative percentages of rebleeding at one year and 3 years were 23.1%, 34.6% in EIS alone, and 10.7%, 25.0% in EIS+Emb respectively. Especially in the patients with the Child C, there was significant difference in the efficacy rates: 60.0% (EIS alone) versus 88.9% (EIS+Emb), and recurrence rates within one year: 41.7% (EIS alone) versus 12.5% (EIS+Emb) (p < 0.05) and length of treatment free periods: 9.7 months versus 17.5 months (p < 0.01). After the treatments, improvement of Child's criteria was seen to be better in EIS+Emb than in EIS alone. The similar results have been obtained in the patients with hepatocellular carcinoma and with gastric varices. These results suggest that EIS should be combined with Emb to increase durability and to improve general condition."}
{"id": "PMID:1470133", "title": "[Clinical evaluation of endoscopic injection sclerotherapy and esophageal transection].", "content": "We investigated the effects of EIS and esophageal transection on treatment of esophageal varices and the late result of EIS treatment group with that of surgical treatment group. One hundred and forty-seven patients underwent esophageal transection and 244 patients injection sclerotherapy in our institute. 1. The 5-year cumulative survival rate in patients with EIS was 58%, while 62% in those with transection. 2. Judging from the findings of varices after treatment which showed the negative red color sign, or changes from F2 or F3 to F1, the effect of two methods were 72% in operation group and 73% in EIS group, respectively. 3. There was no significant difference in the rates of rebleeding between EIS (7.8%) and operation (10.2%) groups. 4. Prognosis of esophageal varices treated with EIS or operation was considered to depend on the Child's classification. We conclude that endoscopic sclerotherapy should be considered to be the first choice of treatment for esophageal varices."}
{"id": "PMID:1470134", "title": "[Surgical versus non-surgical treatment in patients with esophageal varices--a prospective randomized study].", "content": "In Japan, non-shunting procedures and selective shunt such as esophageal transection (ET), and distal splenorenal shunt (DSRS) have been widely performed. A prospective randomized trial was done to assess the effects of EIS and DSRS for treating patients with esophageal varices. Ninety-six Japanese with good liver function (Child A or B) and large esophageal varices were randomly assigned to one of three groups given different treatments; (EIS, n = 32), (ET, n = 32) and (DSRS, n = 32). Five patients (15.6%) of the DSRS group has to be excluded from this study, because of severe chronic pancreatitis. No patient died within 30 days of the treatments. The 5-year cumulative bleeding rates were 0%, 4.3% and 12.1% in the EIS, ET and DSRS groups, respectively, with no statistical significances. In no case in the three groups did the death occur because of variceal bleeding. Nineteen patients died mainly due to the underlying liver disease; 5 in the EIS, 5 in the ET and 9 in the DSRS group. There was no statistically significant difference in the survival rates among the three groups. We conclude that EIS is a satisfactory alternative to ET or DSRS for the management of patients with large esophageal varices."}
{"id": "PMID:1470135", "title": "[Results of non-decompression surgery for esophago-gastric varices--postoperative disappearance, recurrence, rebleeding rate of varices, and cumulative survival rate].", "content": "A total of 508 patients had an non-decompression surgery for esophago-gastric varices in our department, from September 1979 to December 1991. These patients consisted of 387 cases of transthoracic esophageal transection with para-esophagogastric devascularization, 40 cases of transabdominal esophageal transection, and 81 cases of Hassab procedure. The original diseases were cirrhosis in 432 patients, IPH in 35, extrahepatic-portal occlusion in 24, primary biliary cirrhosis in 6, Budd-Chiari syndrome in 4, and others in 7. Operative mortality rate was 5.3%. By thoracic approach, esophageal varices completely disappeared. Postoperative cumulative variceal recurrence and bleeding rates at 10 years were 12% and 7%, although recurrence occurred more often than not in cases with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Cumulative survival rates at 5, 10 years were 69%, 46% in liver cirrhosis without HCC. Present study confirmed that our non-decompression surgery is effective in controlling esophagogastric varices in long term of periods."}
{"id": "PMID:1470136", "title": "[The current role of devascularization and transection procedures in portal hypertension].", "content": "It is not clear which theory should be used in patients with bleeding esophageal varices that are not controlled by emergency endoscopic sclerotherapy. Definitive hemostasis is the key to successful therapy of variceal bleeding. Recurrence of haemorrhage in patients with portal hypertension is the most feared life threatening complication. Based on our management of 658 patients with esophageal varices and the availability of treatment options at our institution, the strategy of management of uncontrollable variceal haemorrhage by endoscopic sclerotherapy has evolved. Bleeding was controlled in 64 liver cirrhosis (100%) by devascularization and transection procedures and 50 patients (78%) survived to leave the hospital including 43 of 64 patients (67%) with Child grade C liver cirrhosis. Cumulative rebleeding rate at 10 years following emergency surgery was 3% (2/64). It is associated with a lower morbidity and mortality as well as a lower incidence of subsequent encephalopathy. We suggest that emergency transection and devascularization is an effective salvage treatment for the endoscopic sclerotherapy failed group."}
{"id": "PMID:1470137", "title": "[Long-term results of terminal esophago-proximal gastrectomy for esophageal varices].", "content": "Between 1973 and 1991, 193 patients underwent terminal esophagoproximal gastrectomy (TEPG) for esophageal varices. One hundred and sixty patients (84%) were cirrhotics. Ten patients (5.2%) were died within hospital stay. In 116 elective patients who had been free from hepatocellular carcinoma during therapeutic courses, the 5- and 10-year survival rates were 77% and 62% in Child A, and 62% and 38% in Child B, respectively. There was a significant difference between the two groups (p < 0.05). Postoperative rebleeding from esophageal varices was infrequent within 5 years but increased after 5 years especially in Child B and Child C. For patients with these recurrent varices, endoscopic injection sclerotherapy was very effective and improved the prognosis. The survival rate of patients with extremely decreased platelet counts was not different from that of patients without. There were no other severe complications after TEPG. We conclude that TEPG would be indicated firstly for elective or prophylactic cases unless they have severe hepatic damage."}
{"id": "PMID:1470138", "title": "[Choice of left gastric vena caval shunt for esophageal varices--its rationale and clinical results].", "content": "We have surgically treated esophageal varices, particularly by left gastric vena caval shunt (LGCS) as the first choice in patients with good liver function (n = 40). The correlation between clinical outcomes and preoperative splanchnic hemodynamics, and therapeutical plans were evaluated: 1) Operative mortality was nil with recurrence rate of 15.0% and rebleeding noted in only one case. 2) The liver function according to Child's classification showed no significant changes before and after operation. Survival rate was more than 70% with good rehabilitation rate (over 90%). 3) The presence of hyperdynamic splanchnic circulation (left gastric venous flow and gastric wall microcirculation) lead to successful clinical results. 4) Combined use of sclerotherapy was efficacious in case of persistent and recurrent varices. We conclude that LGCS is successful in treating esophageal varices in the setting of hyperdynamic portal circulation with acceptable liver function."}
{"id": "PMID:1470139", "title": "[The usefulness of extended radical mastectomy in patients with breast carcinoma].", "content": "Extended radical mastectomy (EXT) in 1, 137 patients with breast carcinoma was devised to eradicate all possible sites of local nodal metastases including internal mammary chain during the years 1962 through 1990. The tumors had to be mainly any T located in medial-half, central (excluding less 1.0 cm or histologic type with good prognosis) and T size measuring 3.0 cm or more in lateral-half. Prognostic outcomes were analysed by the presence or absence of nodes involved. The 10-year relapse free survival in patients with internal mammary node (IMN) only invaded and both axillary (AX) & IMN invaded were 47.8% and 40.1%, respectively. The incidence of relapse free survival at 10 years in relation to the number of positive AX and IMN indicated virtually favorable--1 positive: 71.4%, 2 or 3 positive: 61.3% and 4-9 positive: 53.7%. In our study, the frequency of IMN involvement calculated 24.1% from all quadrants of the breast. In comparison of nonrandomized series with medial-half and lateral-half tumors which involved positive IMN, comprising 95 and 28 patients of the total (n = 495), relapse free survivals at 15 years were 36.5% and 17.5%, respectively. It was presumed that the benefit of EXT would be found in medial-central tumors."}
{"id": "PMID:1470140", "title": "[Attempt for modified radical mastectomy in the treatment of early breast cancer].", "content": "Until five years ago the Aichi Cancer Center had adopted the standard radical mastectomy where breast, major and minor pectoral muscles, and axillary adipose tissues were resected en bloc. In case tumor was found at the inner half or the center of the breast, parasternal lymph node dissection was concomitantly carried out. Recently, however, we begin to perform Auchincloss by which major and minor pectoral muscles can be conserved, as an attempt for modified radical mastectomy. In some cases, furthermore, breast conserving operation is made. The reasons why we changed the operation methods are: 1) Due to the advancement of diagnostic imaging and widespread self examination, percentage of early breast cancer has considerably increased. 2) Postoperative adjuvant therapy, especially adjuvant endocrine therapy, has remarkably progressed."}
{"id": "PMID:1470141", "title": "[The spread of breast cancer and indications of breast preserving operation].", "content": "Pathological investigations for intramammary spread of breast cancer of 205 partially resected specimens were performed by making continuous section every 5 mm width of the whole specimen. The materials were 167 quadrantectomized and 38 lumpectomized specimens. The results showed that the margin of 15.6% of quadrantectomized and 28.9% of lumpectomized specimens were positive for cancer, main causes of which were intraductal spread of cancer occupying 65% of positive margin in quadrantectomy and 91% in lumpectomy, multiple cancer, interstitial spread of cancer and so on. Multiple cancers were found in eleven (6.6%) quadrantectomized and in one (2.6%) lumpectomized specimens. Second cancers were 11 noninvasive ductal and 3 invasive cancers, including two triple cancers. Fifteen cases of quadrantectomy and 4 of lumpectomy were changed to be mastectomized because of positive margin or nodal involvements. Radiotherapy was performed for 33 cases. The median 31 months follow-up results of 186 partially mastectomized breast in 184 patients were as follows; one local recurrence in lumpectomy, two new cancers in residual breast, two distant metastases and one death for other cause of death. Quadrantectomy plus axillary dissection without radiotherapy assured of pathological complete resection was safe enough at the present."}
{"id": "PMID:1470142", "title": "[Breast preserving operation for early breast cancer--clinical implications and biological aspects of residual tumor].", "content": "Among the 93 surgical specimens of stage I breast cancer treated by breast preserving operation, surgical margins were less than 10mm in 23 (25%) cases because of intraductal spread. Such tumors with extensive intraductal component, however, were frequently positive for estrogen receptor (ER). Possible risk factors for local failure have been studied in an attempt to exclude high-risk patients not suitable for breast preserving operation. The results so far obtained suggest that biological markers such as c-erb B-2 or PS2 proteins may provide useful informations to select patients who are most likely to recur. In addition, adjuvant endocrine therapy may be recommended for the patients treated by breast preserving operation."}
{"id": "PMID:1470143", "title": "[Surgery in the treatment of stage I, II breast cancer].", "content": "Stage I and II breast cancer is thought to be operable cancer. Possible surgical methods for such breast cancer could be grossly divided total mastectomy and breast preserving surgery (BPS) with axillary node dissection. In is necessary to obtain clear surgical margin after performing BPS. However it is difficult to know preoperatively the exact resected margin which is either clear or not. In order to select the cases performing BPS, we intended to compare the degree of coexisting intraductal component with histologic types and some factors such as DNA ploidy. ER and expression of cerb B-2 which is concerned in the malignant potential of breast cancer. Intraductal component is more frequently seen in papillotubular carcinoma. Diploid tumor is increased with increasing intraductal component in breast cancer. Precise postoperative microscopic study of resected specimen and tight observation of the patients received PBS for long period should be emphasized. We used methylsalicylate packed method on 2mm slice in thick by Wellings for postoperative histological study and investigated the intraductal architectural spreading under the dissecting microscope. This method is useful to define the three-dimensional architecture of spreading of intraductal carcinoma. After proving clear surgical margin by this analysis, we usually do not recommend the radiation therapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1470144", "title": "[Breast conservation treatment of early breast cancer--eight-year experience].", "content": "In the period between 1983 and 1991, we experienced 80 cases of early breast cancer treated by conservative surgery and postoperative radiotherapy. Our indications for breast conservation treatment are the size of tumor (less than 2 cm), the location (more than 3 cm away from the nipple) and no palpable axillary nodes. Our surgical procedures of quadrantectomy and level I and II axillary dissection are presented. The shape of the skin incision should be elliptical with the major axis radial from the nipple for good cosmetic results. The entire quadrant of the breast containing the primary carcinoma is radically removed with the superficial pectoralis fascia. At present, one breast recurrence and two distant metastases have developed. A further follow up study is needed to prove the safety of breast conservation treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1470145", "title": "[Application and technique of breast conservative treatment of breast cancer].", "content": "In patients with breast cancer who had undergone breast conservative treatment involving lumpectomy, axillary lymph node dissection and irradiation, the surgical results and risk factors for remaining cancer foci in the conserved breast were investigated. This form of surgery was performed in 25 patients with T1,N0,-Ia,M0 breast cancer. The cut end of the resected specimen was histopathologically positive for cancer cells in 48% of the patients, but there has been no local or distant recurrence in any patient to date with a mean follow-up period of 17.2 months after surgery. In most breasts resected after lumpectomy, slight cancer foci remained in mammary glands at the sites within 1.0cm distant from the cut end. Extensive remaining cancer lesions were found among cases with advanced intraductal spread or central necrosis in the intraductal foci. The above findings indicate that breast conservative treatment by lumpectomy may result in histopathologically remaining cancer foci, although these can be controlled by irradiation therapy. However, application for this treatment requires much caution when severe intraductal spread or central necrosis is present in the intraductal foci, because extensive cancer foci may remain postoperatively in such cases."}
{"id": "PMID:1470146", "title": "[Conservative surgery and radiotherapy of early breast cancer].", "content": "Radiation dose-effect relationship is reviewed. In conservative treatment of early breast cancer, necessity of radiation is discussed and surgery with radiotherapy technique in our hospital is presented. Our procedures consist of lumpectomy which is removal of 1 cm of normal tissue containing primary breast cancer and complete axillary dissection and postoperative radiotherapy of 46 Gy with 9 Gy of electron boost. Since November 1987, 51 patients treated by this procedure have shown a good local control and a satisfactory cosmetic results. We can conclude that the positive aspects of radiotherapy in the management of conservative therapy for early breast cancer are overwhelming."}
{"id": "PMID:1470147", "title": "[Postgraduate education in surgery and surgical specialties].", "content": "Accreditation system of postgraduate training in surgery was started by the Japan Surgical Society (JSS) in 1979, and since then more than 6,800 surgeons has been certified by examination performed by JSS in general surgery. This accreditation system has greatly contributed to the improvement of postgraduate training in general surgery in Japan; since the start of this system operative experiences of surgical residents have increased by 40% and reached to the level of 580 during the 4-year period. In order to further improve the level and quality of surgical care of the patients in Japan, it may be necessary to reform and adjust the accreditation system of postgraduate training in clinical specialties which was started quite separately by each medical specialty society. Probably, to establish a board for each medical specialties should become necessary in the near future to be officially recognized in the medical system of Japan."}
{"id": "PMID:1470148", "title": "[Recent progress in endocrine surgery: more refined and rational interventions for varied endocrine diseases].", "content": "Better understanding of pathogenesis and natural history of various endocrine diseases along with development of new and sensitive assays for accurate measurement of hormones and of modern image diagnostic procedures for clear demonstration of pathological tissues has enabled us to detect many kinds of endocrine diseases much more frequently than before and to perform a more refined and rational surgical intervention. Endocrine surgery is now a challenging and fascinating field of general surgery. This fact is best exemplified as follows: (1) different therapeutic approaches for intrathyroidal and extrathyroidal papillary carcinomas of the thyroid, (2) early detection and 131I treatment of clinically occult hematogenous metastasis of follicular carcinoma of the thyroid, (3) clinical usefulness of the serum calcitonin and CEA concentrations as sensitive tumor markers in the treatment of medullary thyroid carcinoma, (4) rational use of preoperative localization test and unilateral neck exploration for parathyroid adenoma, and specific surgical intervention for metastatic parathyroid carcinoma, (5) how to treat adrenal incidentalomas and a trial of subclassification of pheochromocytomas into epinephrine- and norepinephrine-secreting tumors, and (6) intraoperative localization of insulinoma by ultrasound and newly developed surgical approaches for gestrinoma."}
{"id": "PMID:1470149", "title": "[Infection of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in patients with cardiovascular operations: four years' clinical analysis of the effect of strategy of prophylactic and treatment].", "content": "To evaluate the effect of strategy to reduce the rate and outcome of MRSA infection, 940 patients with cardiovascular operations from 1988 to 1991 were analyzed in aspect of the infection rate and outcome per year. Prophylactics and treatments which have been done during recent four years were) to use the inhalation of vancomycin for MRSA carriers, to quit the intravenous administration of prophylactic antibiotics on third postoperative day, to limit medical staffs to treat the patient with MRSA infection, to choose the most susceptible combination of two antibiotics for MRSA in each patients by periodical checking of bacterial cultures. The percentages of patients with infection to all patients detected with MRSA per year were decreased from 80% in 1988, to 66% in 1989, 31% in 1990, and 30% in 1991. The numbers of patients who died from MRSA infection were 4 in 1988 and only one in 1989 and 1991. MRSA infection in cardiovascular surgery could be reduced by sophisticated methods of prophylactics and treatments."}
{"id": "PMID:1470150", "title": "[Postoperative infection with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and its control measures in patients with esophageal cancer--prediction of high risk patients].", "content": "Whether or not compromised host defense prior to surgical treatment is related to development of infection with methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) following major surgery was examined. Of 22 patients undergoing esophagectomy for cancer between 1989 and 1990, 5 were free from MRSA colonization and infection (group I) while 8 had MRSA colonization without infection (group II) and 9 had MRSA infection (group III). Levels of neutrophil cytocidal functions, complements, immunoglobulins and cell-mediated immunity were not significantly different among these three groups. The mean of anti pneumococcal polysaccharide (PPS)-IgG was significantly lower in group III than in group I (p < 0.05) and tended to be lower than in group II (P = 0.08). All infected patients showed a titer < 600 EU while all but one non-infected patient did so > 600 EU. Serum IgG2 levels positively correlated with anti-PSS IgG levels. Thus, we concluded that a preoperative evaluation of antibody response against polysaccharides and serum IgG2 levels can serve to predict development of MRSA-related infection following esophageal surgery."}
{"id": "PMID:1470151", "title": "[Managements of hospital MRSA infections in digestive tract surgery].", "content": "1444 cases if digestive tract surgery in our department were studied for the prevention of postoperative MRSA infections, during the period from September 1987 to February 1992. They were divided into nine stages each six months. There were no significant differences in incidence of postoperative MRSA infections, after some managements for hospital infection among each stage. We used the antibiotics as follows; the first generation of cefem families was used for the upper digestive tract operations and the second generation of cefem families was used for the lower digestive tract operation, and the incidence of postoperative MRSA infections were diminished significantly. This study showed that managements for hospital infections and appropriate selection of antibiotics for the purpose of postoperative prophylactic use are effective for the prevention of MRSA infections."}
{"id": "PMID:1470152", "title": "[Prevention and treatment of MRSA infection in emergency surgical ward].", "content": "During two years of 1990 and 1991, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains were isolated from 121 patients who were admitted to our emergency ward with infection rate of 7% (121/1843). The end results were miserable and the mortality rate was 28%. The infection rate was significantly higher than that of general surgical ward (2%). Specimens of respiratory tract such as coughed-up sputum and tracheal secretion showed high rate of MRSA isolation, especially in patients who underwent tracheal intubation or tracheostomy. All of these MRSA strains were strongly resistant to antibiotics and were typed as coagulase II. MRSA strains were isolated from nostril of medical staff and in-ward patients while admission with rate of 9% and 3%, respectively. Meanwhile, the MRSA strains were also isolated from the materials surrounding the infected patients such as bed, door, gowns and hands of in-charge nurses. To prevent inter-patient transmission, the infected patients were placed in isolation room and cared with isolation technique. Handwashing with benzalkonium chloride-alcohol is strongly recommended. Intravenous injection of IPM and CEZ or VCM is indicated. Local use of MINO was reported to be useful. In conclusion, MRSA infection often occurs in the immunodepressive patients and is hard to cure."}
{"id": "PMID:1470153", "title": "[Hospital acquired infection in surgical field and its countermeasure present situation of anaerobes, P. aeruginosa and MRSA infection].", "content": "The important organisms of hospital acquired infection in surgical field are anaerobes, P. aeruginosa and MRSA. From 1977, isolation frequency of anaerobes from pus has been increasing remarkably and it became 60% in 1978. The isolation rates of P. aeruginosa increased 20 to 30%. Since 1988, the incidence of isolation of MRSA has increased markedly. Almost of all the coagulase typing of MRSA were type II, and it suggested the possibility of hospital infection. In 1988, high antimicrobial activity against MRSA was observed with vancomycin, imipenem, minocycline and new quinolones, but in 1990 the multiresistant strains against imipenem, minocycline and new quinolones were increased. Among the various antimicrobial agents examined, vancomycin demonstrated the strongest activity to MRSA. The symptomatic infections were postoperative enterocolitis, respiratory infection, biliary tract infection and wound infection. The most severe symptom was observed in MRSA enterocolitis. We conducted a nation wide questionnaire of postoperative enterocolitis from January 1988 to June 1990. 169 institutes replied, and 126 cases were involved in postoperative MRSA enterocolitis in 53 institutes. Eighteen cases died, and mortality rate was 14.3%. In the treatment of MRSA infection vancomycin was the most effective antibiotics. It is the most important to prevent nosocomial infection."}
{"id": "PMID:1470154", "title": "[Investigation on central venous catheter related sepsis].", "content": "We made an investigation on central venous catheter related sepsis (CRS) in recent 5 years (1987-1991). The incidence of CRS was high; 16.0% (125 out of 782 cases) or 13.1% (135 out of 1029 catheters). CRS occurred frequently during 2-3 weeks after catheter insertion. The incidence of CRS was not affected by the kind of disease (malignant or benign), complication (diabetes, liver cirrhosis, collagen disease) operation or administration of antibiotics. Eight percent out of 91 organisms isolated from culture of catheter tips were so-called resistant strains; multi-drug resistant Staphylococci (16), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (5), fungi (49), etc. Complications (shock, acute renal failure, secondary pneumonia, fungal endophthalmitis) broken out in 18 patients (14.4% out of 125 CRS). Fungi were isolated from 14 out of 18 complicated cases, furthermore fungi were isolated alone in 11 cases. No complication were seen among cases from which gram positive cocci were isolated alone. Body temperature and white blood cell count of complicated cases were significantly higher than those of uncomplicated cases. The duration until removal of catheter from outbreak of fever in complicated cases was significantly longer than that in uncomplicated cases."}
{"id": "PMID:1470155", "title": "[Rapid detection of mecA gene by nested PCR for diagnosis of methicillin resistance in Staphylococcus aureus].", "content": "In recent years, the most common causative organism of hospital infections has been methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The major mechanism of beta-lactam resistance in MRSA is attributed to the production of a specific penicillin binding protein (PBP2'), which is a product of mecA gene, with extremely low binding affinities to beta-lactams. In the present study, we have established a rapid identification method of MRSA by sensitive detection of mecA gene using nested PCR. Nested PCR method amplifying the target DNA in two steps enhanced the efficiency of the second round amplification. By means of this method, mecA gene was successfully detected in clinical samples, such as blood, pus, sputum and feces within 3-4 hrs. Rapid diagnosis of MRSA-bacteremia is particularly important for prevention of sever systemic infection. There are some strains of S. aureus which possess mecA gene in spite of low minimal inhibitory concentration of DMPPC. In these strains expression of mecA gene is induced by contact of beta-lactams and they obtain methicillin resistance. Using nested PCR method, these latent MRSA are rapidly and certainly detectable. This method should be useful for early and effective detection of MRSA hospital infections."}
{"id": "PMID:1470156", "title": "[Early diagnosis and management against perioperative fungus infection].", "content": "Candida spp. is frequently detected from perioperative patients, especially from those requiring central venous catheter (CVC) management. CAND-TEC could detect the blood fungus infection easily and quickly. We analyzed 438 specimens from 57 patients requiring perioperative CVC management for more than three weeks, and investigated usefulness of CAND-TEC comparing with other serological methods. The dilution rate of CAND-TEC showed a positive correlation with amount of beta-D-glucan which was measured by Toxicolor test and Endotoxin-specific assay. It also showed a positive correlation with amount of D-arabinitol. When blood samples diluted more than four times were positive with CAND-TEC, the patients were considered to be infected, and accumulative infection rate was up to 84.2% three weeks after introduction of CVC management. CAND-TEC would be useful in detecting Candida infection compared with conventional methods, and the fungus infection was much more frequent incidence than ever expected. It is important to detect fungus infection early and respond immediately to avoid nosocomial infection."}
{"id": "PMID:1470157", "title": "[Hospital infection and our policy to control].", "content": "Since we organized the committee to control hospital infection in April 1980, we have adopted various investigations and strategies. When wide spread of infection caused by Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa was recognized in 1981 our strategies were set up of water faucets with footpedal, frequent to wash of hands and use of disposable paper towels. Investigation of HBV markers revealed that the positive rate of HBV antibody was 21% in scrub and ward nurse group. Vaccination was performed to our HVB antibody negative members to protect them from the infection of HBV antigen. After HBV antigen positive patients were operated, we sterilized the operating room using our ultraviolet ray irradiation apparatus. In 1990, 50 cases infected with MRSA were detected bacteriologically, which occupied 68.5% of all those infected with Staphylococcus aureus. Therefore, we cultured MRSA from nose swabs and investigated numbers of bacteria in the air which were gathered with air sampler in the operating rooms and wards."}
{"id": "PMID:1470158", "title": "[A study of progression in hepatocarcinogenesis using cell transplantation system].", "content": "It is important to distinguish a precancerous lesion and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with diploidy or aneuploidy nuclear DNA pattern, not only in clinical cases but also in experimental carcinogenesis models. Using liver perfusion technique, we detected early HCC from persistent hyperplastic nodules (HN) which were induced in Wistar rats by intermittent 5-6 months administration of 2-acetylaminofluorene. This investigation was undertaken to assess both promotive and progressive effects of liver regeneration following partial hepatectomy (PH). Results are as follows: 1) Isolated hepatocytes of precancerous HN, which were transplanted into the spleen, didn't develop to HCC by 2 months after 70% PH of host liver. 2) Diced tissues of HCC, which were transplanted into the liver via portal vein, grew many metastasis in 10/10 by 7 weeks after PH, while 5/19 in control. 3) Nuclear DNA patterns of early HN-late HCC in rat liver were diploidy at the rate of more than 90% each. But it changed to aneuploidy, when inoculation of HCC for one month was repeated 7 times in the spleen."}
{"id": "PMID:1470159", "title": "[Mode of origin of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma--serial histopathologic and immunohistochemical studies].", "content": "I. Serial histopathologic study of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. A review of 335 cases of squamous cell carcinoma disclosed 55 cases (16.4%) with glandular components in addition to the ordinary component of squamous cell carcinoma, suggesting that this type of esophageal tumor had originated not only from the covering squamous epithelium but from esophageal gland or ductal epithelium. Intra-epithelial carcinoma concomitant with squamous cell carcinoma was seen in 95 cases (28.4%). The incidences of coexistence in such lesion were higher in the groups of early stage esophageal cancer. These observations support the concept of field carcinogenesis of esophageal cancer. II. Histopathologic study of squamous epithelial dysplasia. Among 91 cases without preoperative treatment, there were 40 dysplastic lesions in 23 cases (25.3%). The continuity of dysplasia to the carcinoma was 48.3% and it was often encountered in severe dysplasia rather than in moderate or mild dysplasia, suggesting some relationship between the severity of dysplasia and carcinoma. III. Immunohistochemical study of EGF and c-myc. Among 27 cases, EGF was positive in 10 (37.0%). c-myc was positive in 18 (66.7%) not only cancer but normal epithelium suggesting that some change of products of oncogene occurred also in the normal epithelium of the patients of esophageal cancer."}
{"id": "PMID:1470160", "title": "[Significance of p53 gene abnormalities in carcinogenesis of human gastrointestinal tract].", "content": "Allelic loss and mutation of the p53 gene are common events of esophageal, gastric and colorectal cancers occurring from an early stage. Moreover, p53 mutation takes place in intestinal metaplasia and adenoma of the stomach. p53 mutation spectra differ among esophageal, gastric and colorectal cancers suggesting exposure to different endogenous and exogenous mutagens. The in vivo and in vitro results indicate that the clonal expansion of p53 mutant cell may be associated with tumor progression. Although wild type p53 transfection technique may provide for cancer therapy, there is a rather serious problem about it."}
{"id": "PMID:1470161", "title": "[Cellular and molecular biological study of the laminin-binding protein and its clinical application].", "content": "Tumor invasion and metastasis involve the interaction between tumor cells and basement membrane, which is mediated in part by laminin receptors. To search for tumor-associated-genes which can be used as new markers in colon cancers with known poor prognosis, cDNA libraries from a colon cancer cell line and colonic tissues were constructed and screened. We selected a cDNA clone which encodes 32-kD laminin-binding protein (LBP-32), and showed increased mRNA expression of LBP-32 in colon carcinoma. This mRNA expression was also correlated with clinical tumor staging. Furthermore, to investigate the role of LBP-32 in cancer invasion and metastasis, cell adhesion assays and in vitro invasion assays were performed, using anti-sense RNA of LBP-32 to block the synthesis of LBP-32. Results showed that anti-sense RNA of LBP-32 inhibits tumor cell attachment and invasiveness in vitro in transfectants of a colon cancer cell line. These data suggest that LBP-32 may play an important role in colon cancer progression, and that LBP-32 may be used as a marker of biological aggressiveness. These findings also imply that laminin receptors may provide a target for novel therapeutic strategies: modulating LBP-32 expression by anti-sense RNA or monoclonal antibodies may have clinical application in colorectal cancer therapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1470162", "title": "[A new method of in vitro chemosensitivity test using multicellular spheroids of cholangiocarcinoma cell line cocultured with fibroblasts].", "content": "We applied the multicellular spheroids which consist of cholangiocarcinoma cell line (MEC) and human dermal fibroblasts (HDF) to in vitro chemosensitivity test. Five-day multicellular spheroids were incubated with 1.5 micrograms/ml of mitomycin C (MMC) for 24 hrs. Then, cell kinetics of MEC and HDF in a spheroid was determined by flow cytometric analysis. Twenty four hrs after treatment with MMC, both MEC and HDF were accumulated on S phase. Seven-day after treatment, DNA histogram in MEC returned to normal, but that of HDF was disappeared. These results showed that the multicellular assay could be more like on in vivo like chemosensitivity test."}
{"id": "PMID:1470163", "title": "[Insulin receptor Arg1131-->Gln: a novel mutation in the catalytic loop of insulin receptor observed in insulin resistant diabetes].", "content": "A novel mutation Arg1131-->Gln in the catalytic loop of insulin receptor (IR) associated with insulin resistant diabetes was detected. A 56-year-old male with hyperinsulinemia (fasting IRI 92 microU/ml) showed moderate impairment in glucose tolerance (HbAlc 7.0%, fructosamine 258 mumol/l, fasting glucose 119 mg/dl, maximum value of blood glucose during 75 g OGTT 220 mg/dl). While insulin binding to erythrocytes IR was normal, the insulin-induced autophosphorylation of the patient's erythrocytes IR in vivo showed marked decrease, suggesting this patient had some defect in the kinase domain (exon 17-21) of IR. PCR-SSCP analysis of kinase domain with a genomic DNA obtained from the patient's leucocytes indicated the presence of some mutations in exon 19. Sequencing analysis in M13 revealed a heterozygous mutation at a position 1131 (CGG-->CAG) substituting Gln for Arg. Four people of patient's family analyzed are revealed to have an identical missense mutation at the same position with the patient."}
{"id": "PMID:1470164", "title": "[Therapeutic inventions of perioperative metabolic care in diabetic patients].", "content": "Perioperative metabolism was evaluated in diabetic patients and animal models. Experimental model of diabetes mellitus (DM) model was obtained by streptozotocine injection. Each 14C-labeled substrates and combination of carbohydrates mixture was administered intravenously in a dose of 1 g/kg before and after laparotomy and cumulative curves of expired 14CO2 was calculated. Biochemical analysis in the liver, blood and urine were performed following infusion of two different solutions, GFX (glucose, fructose, xylitol) solution, 4:2:1 ratio by weight vs. glucose solution, with 12% amino acids solution. In a clinical study, incidence of DM in digestive surgery was examined in 3481 cases. Retrospective evaluation of GFX solution was performed in cases after total gastrectomy. Incidence of DM was 14% and it has been increased recently, Glucose metabolism in DM rats was disturbed after surgery. Amino acids (alanine and valine) and lipid metabolism was slightly suppressed after surgery in DM rats. The best combination of carbohydrate mixture was determined as GFX solution in animal and clinical experiments. GFX solution improved not only glucose metabolism but also lipid and amino acid metabolism in DM rats. Decreased insulin requirement and increased total caloric intake were observed in DM and borderline DM cases treated by GFX solution."}
{"id": "PMID:1470165", "title": "[Management of patients with impaired glucose tolerance following esophagectomy in carcinoma of the esophagus].", "content": "We demonstrated the effectiveness of the \"sliding scale\" insulin infusion in diabetic patients undergoing esophagectomy. Fifty-eight patients were followed after esophagectomy to clarify differences in energy expenditure and caloric contributions of substrates. Energy expenditure was measured by indirect calorimetry on the 1st, 3rd, 5th, and 7th days after esophagectomy. Out of 58 patients, 7 were divided into diabetic (D), 30 into borderline (B), 21 into normal (N), according to a 75 g oral glucose tolerance test, preoperatively. Forty-four patients underwent esophagectomy by means of right thoracotomy, and blunt esophagectomy was done on 14 patients. The results were as follows: 1) No relation was found between postoperative morbidity and severity of glucose intolerance. 2) There was no significant difference in changes in energy expenditure following operation among groups D, B, and N. No difference was found in ratio of caloric intake to energy expenditure among groups D, B, and N. Caloric contributions of substrates seemed to be comparable among groups D, B, and N. These results suggest that \"sliding scale\" insulin infusion with total parenteral nutrition enable us to control not only blood glucose level but energy metabolism following esophagectomy in diabetic patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1470166", "title": "[Diabetes mellitus and coronary artery bypass surgery].", "content": "To determine the influence of diabetes mellitus on the results of coronary artery bypass surgery, a review of 163 diabetic patients operated on during 8 years, of whom 146 were receiving no drugs or receiving oral hypoglycemic agents, and 17 were receiving insulin. They were compared with 337 nondiabetic patients operated on over the same period. Higher incidences of hypertension and cerebrovascular disease for the diabetic group were found. The extent of coronary artery disease as judged angiographically was significantly greater in the diabetic group than in the nondiabetic group. Perioperative mortality was similar in the two groups. The incidence of perioperative myocardial infarction, sternotomy complication, neurological complication, and renal insufficiency was equal in the two groups. Early graft patency was comparable in the two groups. Overall 8-year actuarial angina free ratios were 88.5% for the diabetic group, 93.2% for the nondiabetic group. Overall 8-year survival rates were 95.6% for the diabetic group, 98.6% for the nondiabetic group. Results indicate that diabetic patients have quantitatively more coronary artery disease than the non-diabetic patients but have no higher perioperative morbidity and mortality than nondiabetic patients. Long-term results revealed a lower angina free rate in diabetic patients than in nondiabetic patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1470167", "title": "[Problems and management in kidney transplant recipients with impaired glucose metabolism].", "content": "Fourty two (12%: Group-I) out of 358 kidney transplant (Tx) recipients showed impaired glucose tolerance in pre-Tx O-GTT and the other 49 (14%: Group-II) showed that only after Tx. Insulin therapy was more frequently required and earlier started after Tx in Group-I than in Group-II, and total dosages of steroids before the initiation of insulin therapy were also smaller in Group-I. These trends were more markedly observed in the patients treated with ciclosporin (CsA) than in those with the conventional therapy. Poor graft survival rate of Group-I in long-term follow-up (> 5 years) was demonstrated. Thus, pre-Tx impaired glucose tolerance and the subsequent immunosuppressants, especially steroids and CsA, were the key factors for deteriorating glucose metabolism after Tx, and meticulous controls of drug doses and glucose levels are needed in diabetic patients, since diabetes could change the fate of kidney grafts."}
{"id": "PMID:1470168", "title": "[Combined pancreas and kidney transplantation for IDDM patients with diabetic renal failure].", "content": "We performed 7 cases of pancreas transplantation (PTX), simultaneous pancreas and kidney transplantation in 4 cases, and PTX after kidney transplantation in 3 cases. The pancreas and kidney were extirpated after in situ perfusion using UW solution and stored in UW solution. The pancreas was transplanted in the left iliac fossa with bladder drainage, and the kidney was placed in the contralateral iliac fossa. The immunosuppressive regimen consisted of cyclosporine, methylprednisolone, azathioprine and antilymphocyte globulin. Gabexate mesilate (30-40 mg/kg/day) and PGE1 (5 ng/kg/min) was administered intravenously to prevent the vascular thrombosis. The original diseases of 7 patients were insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) with chronic renal failure, retinopathy and neuropathy. Six out of 7 patients became insulin-free after PTX, while one patient developed the vascular thrombosis in the pancreatic graft which was removed after 12 hours after the transplantation. All patients became dialysis-free and serum creatinine was ranging from 1.5 to 2.0 mg/dl. HbAlc remained within normal range in 6 out of 7 patients, who showed normal to borderline glucose tolerance in 75g oral glucose tolerance test. Although further investigation will be required, PTX from cardiac-arrest donor will be promising as one of the therapeutic modalities for IDDM patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1470170", "title": "[Site-specific mutagenesis of residue Lys-172 of phage T7 RNA polymerase: characterization of transcription properties of mutant proteins].", "content": "Lys-172 residue of bacteriophage T7 RNA polymerase (T7RP) was substituted for Leu and Gly and Lys-172, Arg-173 were deleted by the site-directed mutagenesis using synthetic oligonucleotides. The specific activity of all mutant enzymes did not differ significantly from that of the wild-type (w.t.) T7RP while for Gly-172 mutant (G172) it was somewhat lower. Leu-172 (L172) and deletion (DEL172-3) mutants were able to direct RNA synthesis on the templates lacking the T7 promoter. DEL172-3 was not able to synthesize extraneous RNA sequences in addition to the expected run-off transcripts. L172 and DEL172-3 mutants revealed altered template specificity toward various DNA templates and showed the lower stability of enzyme-promoter complexes. The possible role of Lys-172 likely belonging to an interdomain \"stretch\" is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1470169", "title": "[Stably bent and low-melting DNA sequences at the origin of replication of chicken alpha-globulin gene domains].", "content": "The distribution of specific DNA sequence elements in a 2.9 kb HindIII fragment of chicken DNA containing the replication origin and the upstream matrix attachment site of the alpha-globin gene domain has been studied. The fragment was shown to contain the CR1-type repetitive element and two stable bent DNA sequences."}
{"id": "PMID:1470173", "title": "[Rare codons and gene expression in Escherichia coli].", "content": "Influence of rare codons upon gene expression in E. coli was investigated. The chimeric gene was created combining CAT gene and a fragment of the gene, encoding for alpha-domain of beta-galactosidase. The synthetic oligonucleotides were inserted in different parts of the chimeric gene. The constructed synthetic oligonucleotides encoded the same amino acid sequences and contained arginine codons AGG, AGA and CGT in various combinations. It was shown that the presence of rare arginine codons AGG and AGA in the template and their mutual arrangement significantly influence the level of gene expression. At the same time the presence of leucine, isoleucine, glycine and proline rare codons does not cause such an effect. Translation of AGGAGG and AGAAGA sequences was found to lead to the formation of a considerable amount of polypeptides of incomplete length. It was shown that the presence of such a cluster of rare codons effects on the length of specific mRNA."}
{"id": "PMID:1470171", "title": "[Enzymatic cleavage of superhelical DNA in a liquid crystal state].", "content": "Superhelical pBR322 DNA molecules form liquid-crystalline dispersions in water-salt solutions containing poly(ethyleneglycol). The formation of the liquid-crystalline dispersions from superhelical DNA molecules results in the appearance of two sites inside the DNA molecules that are split by Micrococcal nuclease. The first site of digestion does not differ from the standard site split by this enzyme in water-salt solutions, whereas the second one represents a new site specific only for the DNA molecules forming liquid-crystalline dispersions. Splitting of the DNA molecule through the first site is accompanied by formation of its linear form; splitting of a new site results in the formation of two linear DNA fragments with molecular masses equal to half of the initial DNA molecules. Enzyme digestion of superhelical DNA molecules forming liquid-crystalline dispersions induces a reformation of the \"nonspecific\" space organization of dispersions to the cholesteric one. A hypothetic model for packing of the superhelical DNA molecules inside liquid-crystalline dispersions and its transformation under enzyme action is suggested."}
{"id": "PMID:1470172", "title": "[A comparative study of chromatin from lymphocyte nuclei upon activation of transcription by irradiation from an He-Ne-laser or phytohemagglutinin].", "content": "The influence of He-Ne laser radiation (632.8 nm, 56 J/m2, t = 10 s) and phytohaemagglutinin (PHA, 2 micrograms/ml) on chromatin structure in human lymphocytes was studied by electron microscopy using ultrathin cell sections. Morphometric analysis of extranuclear condensed chromatin masses was performed 1 h after the irradiation or after the beginning of PHA treatment. In the irradiated cells the following insignificant changes were revealed: decrease in the relative area of the nucleoplasmic chromatin, increase in the relative area of decondensation zones as well as increase in the number of clumps of nucleoplasmic chromatin and relative length at their boundary with nucleoplasma. The tendency of these morphological changes may be interpreted as functional activation of extranucleolar RNA synthesis in response to irradiation by red laser light. Action of PHA results in significant changes of the surfaces of chromatin clumps, namely increase in relative length of nucleoplasmic chromatin boundary and decrease in relative length of perimembranous chromatin boundary with nucleoplasma as well as some less expressed delamination of the chromatin masses from the nuclear membrane. These essential changes may reflect chromatin activation by proliferative stimulus. Peculiarities of the ultrastructural reorganisation in the condensed chromatin after irradiation and PHA-treatment probably reflect the differences in the processes of gene activation caused by the two agents."}
{"id": "PMID:1470174", "title": "[The effect of intracellular concentrations of tRNA, corresponding to the rare arginine codons AGG and AGA, on the gene expression in Escherichia coli].", "content": "Influence of increased arginine concentrations of tRNA's corresponding to rare codons AGG and AGA was studied in the model system constructed earlier. The model system is a chimeric gene consisting of CAT gene fragment, part of the gene encoding for alpha-domain of beta-galactosidase E. coli and a series of synthetic inserts enriched with codons AGG and AGA. In order to increase the intracellular tRNA concentration the natural gene of AGA-specific tRNA and the artificial gene of AGG-specific tRNA were cloned in plasmid under the control of p15A ori compatible with co1EI ori and used for maintaining the model gene. It was shown that the artificial AGG-specific tRNA gene produces a functionally active tRNA. A steep rise in the synthesis of polypeptide encoded by the model template containing rare codons was demonstrated when the genes of tRNAs recognizing these codons were propagated in the multicopy plasmid. It was shown that AGA-specific tRNA efficiently translates both AGA and AGG codons while AGG-specific tRNA - only AGG codons."}
{"id": "PMID:1470175", "title": "[Design and expression of a diphtheria toxin hybrid protein and human interleukin-2 gene in Escherichia coli].", "content": "Recombinant fusion proteins consist of the N-terminal 488 or 513 amino acids of diphtheria toxin joined to human interleukin 2. Initially those fusion proteins were expressed in E. coli under the control of the tox promotor. Western blot analyses showed that E. coli strains bearing the hybrid genes produce 68 kDa or 72 kDa fusion proteins that retain the immunological determinants of both the diphtheria toxin component and the interleukin 2 component. The fusion protein with mol. mass 72 kDa was partially purified by affinity chromatography. The expression of the fusion proteins under the control of the strong promotors was increased (100-fold for tac- promotor) compared to that under the control of the tox promotor. DT-IL2 might be a useful cytotoxic agent in the treatment of diseases involving IL2 receptor-positive cells, such as allograft rejection, graft-versus-host disease, multiple sclerosis et al."}
{"id": "PMID:1470177", "title": "[Adducts of 3'-azido-2,3'-dideoxythymidine 5'-phosphate or 5'-phosphonate as inhibitors of cytopathic effect and transformation of cells under the influence of retroviruses in cell culture].", "content": "Inhibition of HIV-1- or HIV-2-induced cytopathicity and (Moloney) murine sarcoma virus (MSV)-induced cell transformation by amino acid and amino alcohol adducts of either 3'-azido-2',3'-dideoxythymidine 5'-monophosphate (AZTMP) or 5'-hydrogenphosphonate (AZTHP) were investigated. Both types of nucleotide adducts inhibited replication of HIV-1 and HIV-2 in MT-4 cells at a 1.5- to 3-fold higher EC50 (50% effective concentration) than AZT; and, also, selectivity indexes of these adducts were approximately 1.5 to 3-fold lower than that of AZT. The activity of the AZTMP and AZTHP adducts against MSV-induced transformation of C3H/3T3 cells was equal to or only slightly inferior than that of AZT, but their toxicity was 10-fold lower, so that their selectivity indexes were 2- to 7-fold higher. The nature of the aminoacyl component of the adducts significantly influence the antiretroviral activity of the test compounds."}
{"id": "PMID:1470176", "title": "[The mechanism of action of pressure on intramolecular protein dynamics].", "content": "The physical mechanisms of pressure influence on the protein dynamics and parameters of Mossbauer spectra were investigated. The pressure effects measured for human serum albumin using Rayleigh Scattering of Mossbauer Radiation techniques were described using the model of local diffusion. Parameters of this model were determined by analysing the experimental data. As a result an estimation of approximate values for activation volumes was performed. It was shown that the obtained values are well consistent with the previous experimental results."}
{"id": "PMID:1470179", "title": "[Tandem DNA repeats in the vertebrate genome: structure, possible mechanisms of formation and evolution].", "content": "Possible models for the generation and the evolution of tandem repeats are discussed. The model of A.J. Jeffreys and co-workers as well as facts, supporting or contradicting this model are discussed. Facts supporting the hypothesis of the generation of the tandem repeats as the result of mitotic recombination are described. On the basis of an analysis of the structure of the tandem repeats containing loci, it is supposed that there exist space and time relations between the multimerization of the tandem repeats and tandem gene duplication. On the basis of this supposition, the generation of majority of the tandem repeated gene as a result of sister chromatids recombination in mitosis is proposed. Factors determining the existence of recombination hotspots of are discussed. Some specific features of the evolution of tandem repeats of the coding region are also described."}
{"id": "PMID:1470180", "title": "[Nuclear envelope of frog diplotene oocytes has telomere-binding activity].", "content": "A telomere-binding activity was found in the nuclear envelope of frog oocytes Rana temporaria by methods of binding on nitrocellulose filters and retardation. At present it is hardly possible to detect the proteins responsible for this activity. However, the results of this study allowed us to identify a specific mechanism of DNA-protein interaction, which provides the binding of the telomere to the envelope in meiotic cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1470184", "title": "[Renal cell cancer in childhood].", "content": "Renal cell carcinoma is a rare disease in children and difficult to distinguish from Wilms-tumor before surgery. We present case histories of two children with renal cell carcinoma and discuss the problems of differential diagnosis versus nephroblastoma, therapy and prognosis. In contrast to Wilms-tumors, the most common kidney-tumor in children occurring mostly in young infants, renal cell carcinoma is rare in childhood and predominantly manifests in school-age. Only a few cases of renal cell carcinoma in younger children are described in the literature. Diagnostic imaging cannot reliably distinguish renal cell carcinoma from other neoplasm of the kidney. However, hematuria in patients with small tumors or no response to preoperative chemotherapy may indicate the presence of renal cell carcinoma rather than nephroblastoma. The determination of \"tumor-associated trypsin inhibitor\" (TATI) might give further contribution of differential diagnosis. It was measured only in one of our patients and was markedly elevated. Complete surgical resection (nephrectomy with lymphadenectomy) is a curative therapy in patients with tumors limited to the kidney. Chemotherapy and irradiation show no convincing effect. In metastatic tumors therapy with interleukin 2 may be successful."}
{"id": "PMID:1470185", "title": "[Neonatal diabetes mellitus and microcephaly. Indications for autosomal recessive inheritance].", "content": "Still, there are a lot of questions about the pathogenesis of neonatal diabetes mellitus. In the author's opinion neonatal diabetes mellitus is a distinct entity which differs from the well-known types of diabetes in children (type 1 diabetes, MODY-diabetes) and transient neonatal hyperglycemia regarding pathogenesis, pathophysiology and prognosis. Casuistics of three children two of whom were sibs are reported in detail to demonstrate the characteristics of neonatal diabetes mellitus. Regarding the reported sibs we suppose genetic origin of the disease. Autosomal-recessive mode of inheritance must be assumed."}
{"id": "PMID:1470181", "title": "[Formation of two types of enzyme-substrate complexes during the interaction of EcoRII restriction enzyme with synthetic DNA-duplexes].", "content": "Binding of EcoRII restriction endonuclease to synthetic oligodeoxyribonucleotide substrates of 11-30 base pairs long was investigated by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis under nondenaturing conditions in the absence of Mg2+ ions. Irrespective of the length of a substrate, two types of specific DNA-protein complexes were shown to be formed. Their mobility in gel was close to that of the monomer (45 kDa) and dimer (90 kDa) of marker protein, ovalbumin. The ratio of these complexes in solution depended on that of the molar concentrations of EcoRII restriction endonuclease and DNA duplexes. The possible structure of the complexes is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1470186", "title": "[Extrapyramidal movement disorders after \"Isostar Cocktail\"].", "content": "Two children developed extrapyramidal symptoms after taking an electrolyte drink. There was a good response to Biperidon (Akineton). Only exact investigations showed that both children had accidentally been poisoned by a neuroleptic drug which was added to the electrolyte mixture."}
{"id": "PMID:1470182", "title": "[A method of isolation and properties of DNA-dependent DNA-polymerase epsilon from human placenta].", "content": "DNA polymerase epsilon was purified to near homogeneity from human placenta. The enzyme has one subunit (170 kDa, sedimentation coefficient 8.2S), intrinsic 3'-5'-exonuclease activity, it is independent on PCNA and high processivity on poly(dA)-oligo(dT) template-primer without PCNA. It was shown, that the enzyme incorporates 3'-amino-2',3'-dideoxythymidine 5'-triphosphate in DNA, after that synthesis is stopped. Simultaneously DNA polymerase alpha was purified."}
{"id": "PMID:1470187", "title": "[Trichobezoar. A rare cause of recurrent upper abdominal pain].", "content": "Recurrent abdominal pain in a two years old toddler and a sixteen years old girl were caused by huge trichobezoars, which in one case had a weight of 412 g and provoked a gastric ulcus. Removal was possible only by gastrotomy. Deprivation in infancy and childhood in combination with slight mental retardation had led the teenager to trichtillomania and -phagia for years and finally to a bezoar. A short historic survey of the variety and therapy of bezoars is added."}
{"id": "PMID:1470178", "title": "[Complex characteristics of the alterations of oncogenes HER-2/ERBB-2, HER-1/ERBB-1, HRAS-1, C-MYC and antioncogenes p53, RB1, as well as deletions of loci of chromosome 17 in colon carcinoma].", "content": "Abnormalities of some oncogenes, antioncogenes and losses of heterozygosity (LOH) of chromosome 11p, 17p, and 17q in colorectal carcinomas (CC) was studied. Amplification of ERBB-1/HER-1 oncogene was detected in 2 of 56 cases; ERBB-2/HER-2- in 4 of 62. There was a lack of evidence for C-MYC oncogene amplification (67 cases). LOH of chromosome 11p (HRAS-1 probe) was found in 2 of 37 informative (heterozygous) cases; such events were not accompanied by point mutations in \"hot\" codons (12th or 61st) in the remaining allele. Prevalence of A3 and A4 alleles of HRAS-1 oncogene (68 cases) as compared to healthy donors was noted. RB-1 (41 cases) and p53 (62 cases) suppressor genes did not show any alterations in Southern-blot analysis. LOH of chromosome 17p (YNZ-22 probe) was found in 15 of 26 heterozygous CC; 17q (THH-59 probe)--in 4 of 16. Analysis of 175th codon of p53 gene revealed only one case of mutation in 35 CC studied. Finally, we were able to detect genetic alterations in 23 of 40 (58%) CC, that were studied on each parameter using Southern-blot. We failed to find any correlation between various molecular abnormalities or clinical characteristics. The data obtained are in disagreement with the view concerning frequent involvement of p53 antioncogene in chromosome 17p deletions."}
{"id": "PMID:1470188", "title": "[Fructose malabsorption and dysfunctional gastrointestinal manifestations].", "content": "Individuals with impaired intestinal absorption of fructose may exhibit recurrent abdominal discomfort after the ingestion of fructose-containing foods. We report on patients with this disorder in whom the diagnosis was made by the fructose hydrogen breath test. We investigated 293 patients with recurrent abdominal pain, meteorism or diarrhea in connection with the ingestion of fruits, apple juice or soft drinks. Mixed expired air was collected before and at 30 minute intervals after a fructose load and analysed thereafter by a hydrogen sensitive electrochemical cell. Incomplete absorption of fructose was defined as a peak rise in breath hydrogen of > 20 ppm. 108 out of 293 patients showed an abnormal peak rise after fructose (mean 71.8 ppm, SD 31.4). This malabsorption of fructose was associated with clinical symptoms in 79 of them. Sensitivity and specificity of the fructose hydrogen breath test were 98 or 86 per cent respectively. 19 patients with an abnormal breath test and symptoms following fructose were reexamined after a load with equimolar concentrations of glucose and fructose. Hydrogen breath test was normal in all of them, none developed abdominal discomfort. A considerable number of individuals suffer from dysfunctional gastrointestinal problems due to fructose malabsorption. The fructose hydrogen breath test is a simple, sensitive and noninvasive method for the diagnosis for this disorder. Possible means of treatment are dietary fructose restriction or a modification of the diet in which fructose-containing foods are exchanged for those with equal concentrations of glucose and fructose."}
{"id": "PMID:1470189", "title": "[Hyaline membrane syndrome. Evaluation of sonographic criteria].", "content": "In preterm infants with hyaline membrane disease an echo increase above the diaphragm can be demonstrated by parasagittal sonography of the lower thorax using the liver or spleen as an acoustic window. In order to study the clinical practicability of this observation we made 145 investigations in 101 infants. The ultrasonographic evidence of an increased echo above the diaphragm could be found in all 85 infants with a clinically defined hyaline membrane disease. Ultrasonographic criteria have proved to be useful and reliable in assessing the severity of hyaline membrane disease. This method is also suitable for documenting the success of surfactant administration. Using sonography hyaline membrane disease can quickly be differentiated from other pulmonary diseases. Although sonography cannot serve as a substitute for chest X-ray it may be able to give valuable additional information for the differential diagnosis of respiratory disorder in the premature infant."}
{"id": "PMID:1470190", "title": "[Diagnosis and nosology of glycanosis CDG (\"carbohydrate deficient glycoprotein syndrome\")].", "content": "The \"Carbohydrate-deficient glycoprotein syndrome\" is a recently discovered inborn error of complex carbohydrate metabolism. The disease involves a number of organ systems and various deficient glycoproteins. An abnormal isoform of serum transferrin is of diagnostic value. We analysed the glycoprotein alpha-1-antitrypsin of two affected infants and their clinically healthy parents using high resolution isoelectric focusing technique. Besides normal isoforms of alpha-1-antitrypsin, we found an abnormal cathodic isoform (\"CDG-alpha-1-antitrypsin\") which represented almost half of the total amount of alpha-1-antitrypsin of the patients. This new marker-glycoprotein suggests a defect of the production of biantennary and of triantennary N-glycans during an early step of their synthesis, resulting in monoantennary N-glycans. Also this marker-glycoprotein seems to be a specific biochemical diagnostic tool for discovering glycanosis CDG (Carbohydrate-deficient glycoprotein syndrome). The mode of inheritance is probably incomplete autosomal dominant. The same genetic defect of N-glycan synthesis may be present in more than one type of the hybrid molecule glycoprotein, and was also found in transferrin, resembling a \"genetic back-pack\", that might explain the multitude of clinical symptoms. In view of these findings, we present novel systematics of those diseases that are due to inborn errors of N-glycan synthesis, and which we suggest to call \"glycanoses\"."}
{"id": "PMID:1470191", "title": "[Bilateral pheochromocytoma. Is there stimulation of an extra-adrenal adrenaline liberation after bilateral adrenalectomy?].", "content": "In order to determine plasma and urine epinephrine levels after bilateral adrenalectomy, we examined a 16 year old young man with bilateral pheochromocytoma. Bilateral removal of the adrenals was performed because of a left sided pheochromocytoma relapse. An extra-adrenal pheochromocytoma could be excluded by scintigraphy. Macroscopically all adrenal tissue was removed during surgery. A modified radioenzymatic determination of the free catecholamines epinephrine, norepinephrine and dopamine was used according to Peuler and Johnson. Sulfoconjugated catecholamines were measured after addition of 60 microU arylsulfatase type VI. Urine catecholamine levels were determined fluorometrically. The elevated plasma andurine norepinephrine levels before surgery returned to normal after surgery. In contrast, plasma epinephrine levels returned to subnormal values thereafter but increases 5-fold at the end of anesthesia suggesting an extra-adrenal source of epinephrine. Urine epinephrine levels remained in the lower normal range. An insulin induced hypoglycemia was performed resulting in adrenergic symptoms of hypoglycemia and a subnormal increase of epinephrine. We conclude, that epinephrine mediated physiological regulations occur inspite of bilateral adrenalectomy probably by a regulated extra-adrenal source of epinephrine. The kidney could be the site of extra-adrenal epinephrine production."}
{"id": "PMID:1470192", "title": "[Minimally invasive surgery of sinugenic orbital complications in childhood].", "content": "Orbital complications of acute sinusitis are classified into inflammatory edema, orbital cellulitis, subperiostal abscess and orbital abscess. The diagnosis is based on endoscopy of the nose, computed tomography of sinuses and orbit and an ophthalmological examination. Endonasal sinus surgery improves drainage and ventilation of sinuses and is free of long-term complications as observed with previous surgical techniques. Thus, the early surgical treatment of orbital complications is indicated even in children. Inflammatory edema and orbital cellulitis will still be treated conservatively. Subperiostal abscess and orbital abscess are treated surgically."}
{"id": "PMID:1470193", "title": "Testifying in criminal court: emotional effects on child sexual assault victims.", "content": "Child victims must cope not only with the emotional consequences of criminal acts but also with the potentially traumatizing effects of legal involvement. Dramatic increases in the reporting of child sexual abuse are bringing greater numbers of children into contact with the criminal justice system, raising fears that child victims of sex crimes will be further harmed by the courts. In the present study, the effects of criminal court testimony on child sexual assault victims were examined in a sample of 218 children. From this sample, the behavioral disturbance of a group of \"testifiers\" was compared to that of a matched control group of \"nontestifiers\" at three points following testimony: 3 months, 7 months, and after prosecution ended. At 7 months, testifiers evinced greater behavioral disturbance than nontestifiers, especially if the testifiers took the stand multiple times, were deprived of maternal support, and lacked corroboration of their claims. Once prosecution ended, adverse effects of testifying diminished. In courthouse interviews before and after testifying, the main fear expressed by children concerned having to face the defendant. Children who appeared more frightened of the defendant while testifying were less able to answer the prosecutors' questions; and later, after the cases were closed, they were more likely to say that testifying had affected them adversely. The two most pervasive predictors of children's experiences in the courtroom, however, were age and severity of abuse. Despite relevant laws, few innovative techniques were used to help the children testify. The results are discussed in relation to children's ability to cope with stressful situations, the interaction of the legal system with the child/family system, and debates about the need to protect child victims who testify in criminal court."}
{"id": "PMID:1470194", "title": "Turns-amplitude analysis of the electromyographic recruitment pattern disregarding force measurement. I. Method and reference values in healthy subjects.", "content": "We used turns-amplitude analysis to characterize the EMG recruitment pattern disregarding force measurement. The electrical muscle pattern of the brachial biceps (BB), abductor pollicis brevis (APB), medial vastus (MV), and anterior tibial (AT) muscles was analyzed during progressive increase in force from rest to maximum using the mean amplitude as an indicator of the force of the muscle. The following parameters were obtained on-line: the maximal ratio of turns to mean amplitude (peak-ratio, PR), the mean amplitude, and the number of time intervals (TI) between turns at PR and at near maximum force (NMF). The highest PR values were obtained in BB, the lowest in MV. Analysis of the distribution of the TI between turns at different degrees of voluntary contraction showed fewer spikes with short duration and small amplitude at high force compared with low force."}
{"id": "PMID:1470195", "title": "Turns-amplitude analysis of the electromyographic recruitment pattern disregarding force measurement. II. Findings in patients with neuromuscular disorders.", "content": "Turns-amplitude analysis of the electromyographic recruitment pattern was performed on-line in the brachial biceps muscle of 46 patients with neuromuscular disorders using the mean amplitude as an indicator of force. The parameters, peak-ratio (PR) and number of time intervals (TI) from 0 to 1.5 ms, were increased in patients with myopathy. In patients with neurogenic involvement, the characteristic pattern was a decreased PR and a decreased incidence of TI between 0 and 1.5 ms. The results indicate that the two parameters supplement each other as some of the patients were identified only by one or the other. In patients with myopathy, the method had a higher diagnostic yield than the individual motor unit action potential analysis. The method is objective, fast, and reliable."}
{"id": "PMID:1470196", "title": "Lambert-Eaton syndrome: antigen-antibody interaction and calcium current inhibition in chromaffin cells.", "content": "Plasma and IgG obtained from 10 Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LES) patients (5 with carcinoma, 5 without associated cancer), 6 healthy subjects, and 1 patient with small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) were examined in their ability to recognize chromaffin cell antigens on Western blots. The pattern of antigen recognition was compared with the magnitude of inhibition of voltage-dependent calcium and sodium currents recorded with the patch-clamp technique from chromaffin cells. Eight of the 11 patients with LES and/or SCLC recognized plasma membrane proteins and 9 of the patients' IgG interacted with cytoplasmic antigens with no apparent pattern of antigen recognition between patients. Also, there was no obvious band pattern distinguishing patients with LES from those with LES and concurrent SCLC. Eighty percent of the LES patients' antibodies were capable of reducing the calcium current (ICa) in chromaffin cells. One of the novel findings of this study is that 30% of the patients had produced antibodies which were able to inhibit both calcium and sodium currents (INa). The heterogeneous response of the IgG on the Western blots does not appear to correlate with the efficacy of reducing the inward currents."}
{"id": "PMID:1470197", "title": "Sensory testing versus nerve conduction velocity in diabetic polyneuropathy.", "content": "We sought to evaluate the utility of quantitative sensory testing (QST) and nerve conduction velocity (NCV) studies as measures of distal symmetric polyneuropathy (DSP). We studied 36 diabetic patients divided into four clinical categories of increasing severity. QST included thermal testing and vibration thresholds. NCV studies included median, peroneal, and sural nerves. Results of QST and NCV were compared among clinical groups using survival methodology. The log-rank statistic showed significant differences among the groups; the direction of the differences were consonant with clinical severity. For each diabetic patient, the result of each measurement was classified as normal or abnormal; more diabetic patients had abnormal NCV than either vibration tests or thermal tests. In conclusion, findings of QST and NCV are in keeping with clinical categorization of patients, QST and NCV are complementary tests, and the sural sensory study is the best single predictor of DSP."}
{"id": "PMID:1470198", "title": "Differential effects of amitriptyline on sudomotor, cardiovagal, and adrenergic function in human subjects.", "content": "Tricyclic antidepressants, especially amitriptyline (AMI), are widely used by patients who require tests of autonomic function. AMI effects autonomic function, but its quantitative and differential effects are not known. We prospectively evaluated the effect of AMI on sudomotor (M3 receptor), cardiovagal (M2) and adrenergic functions in 6 subjects, aged 20-40 years before, during, and 48 hours after AMI 75 mg/d. M3 receptor function was evaluated using QSART (quantitative sudomotor axon reflex test) recordings from four sites, M2 receptor function from cardiovagal studies [HR response to deep breathing (HRDB) and the Valsalva ratio (VR)], and adrenergic function from an analysis of beat-to-beat BP responses to tilt and the Valsalva maneuver. Plasma AMI was determined from blood samples obtained within 2 hours of autonomic testing. QSART volume was reduced by 47% by AMI (P = 0.01), and recovered to 81% of baseline following a 48-hour washout. HRDB was unaffected by AMI (P > 0.05). VR was increased by 10% (NS) with AMI and by 14% (P < 0.05) with washout. The percent change in hemodynamic parameters by AMI were: orthostatic reduction in SBP, 62% (NS); orthostatic HR increment, 66%, (P = 0.03); and phase IIe SBP decrement, 665%, (P = 0.02). We conclude that AMI in the moderate doses used, resulted in greater inhibition of M3 than M2 receptors. The BP, HR, and beat-to-beat BP alterations likely reflect adrenergic inhibition resulting in a reduction in effective plasma volume. A washout of 48 hours is adequate for muscarinic but not adrenoreceptors."}
{"id": "PMID:1470199", "title": "The silent period in pure sensory neuronopathy.", "content": "\"Normal\" electromyographic silent periods (SPs), produced by electrical stimulation of digital nerves, were recorded in the voluntarily contracting abductor pollicis brevis (APB) muscle of a patient with pure sensory neuronopathy and absent sensory nerve action potentials (SNAPs). Such findings implicate the smaller, slower conducting fibers in the genesis of the cutaneous silent period. These same fibers may be activated during more proximal stimulation to contribute to the latter portions of the mixed nerve silent period."}
{"id": "PMID:1470200", "title": "Evidence for new isoform of fast myosin heavy chain in rat skeletal muscle.", "content": "The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the previously demonstrated heterogeneity of myosin heavy chain (MHC) in type 2B fibers of the superficial portion of the lateral gastrocnemius (SLG) muscle of the rat may be due to presence of type 2D/X fibers. Immunohistochemical identification of MHC heterogeneity, histochemical identification of appendicular 2D/X muscle fibers, and immunoblotting of myosins were used. It was found that some, but not all, of the heterogeneity of rat SLG is correlated with the presence of type 2D/X fibers. Immunoblots with MHC from several muscles revealed the presence of at least two antigenically distinct isoforms of MHC with the same electrophoretic mobility as the \"2B\" band. These results show that a previously undetected type of MHC is expressed in rat skeletal muscle and raise the possibility that there may be as yet undetected MHC isoforms in human muscle which may be clinically important."}
{"id": "PMID:1470201", "title": "Recurrent potentials in human peripheral sensory nerve: possible evidence of primary afferent depolarization of the spinal cord.", "content": "To study slowly conducted components of the orthodromic compound sensory action potential (CSAP), the response evoked at the lateral malleolus in the sural nerve was recorded through near-nerve needles at two to four sites along the nerve at midcalf. When 500 to 2000 responses were averaged at high gain, components with latencies of 30 to 80 ms were often recorded. In contrast to the main component and late components with latencies of less than 15 to 20 ms, the latencies of these extremely late components diminished the closer to the spinal cord that they were recorded. This suggested that the components were conducted antidromically from proximal to distal. This assumption was supported by abolishing the components by local anesthesia of the nerve proximal to the recording electrodes. These antidromic potentials therefore appear to be due to recurrent discharges in the sural nerve. Recurrent discharges were recorded from 65% of 60 subjects (18 normal subjects and 42 patients with peripheral or central nervous system disorders). The latencies of the recurrent discharges allowed conduction to and back from the spinal cord. Although the origin of these potentials remains unknown, we suggest that they are due to dorsal root reflexes within the spinal cord. In this case, the responses may be a direct expression of primary afferent depolarization (PAD) seen in presynaptic inhibition, and may be of value in further studies on the physiology and pathophysiology of presynaptic inhibition of cutaneous fibers in man."}
{"id": "PMID:1470202", "title": "Perineurial cell hypertrophic mononeuropathy manifesting as carpal tunnel syndrome.", "content": "A 42-year-old man showed signs and symptoms suggestive of carpal-tunnel syndrome, but EMG showed an isolated motor axon-loss lesion affecting the right median nerve distally. After the MRI revealed a mass in the median nerve, surgical exploration showed a diffusely swollen median motor branch. Biopsy showed a lesion with marked onion-bulb formation composed of perineurial cells as identified by immunohistochemical analyses and electron microscopic examination. Although we previously coined the term \"perineurioma\" for this condition, re-reviews of our cases do not support the idea that the onion-bulb lesion is a benign tumor; instead, it appears to be reactive hyperplasia. Although rare, electromyographers and neurologists need to be aware of this problem because it is self-limited and does not require surgical resection."}
{"id": "PMID:1470210", "title": "Historical influences affecting the behavioral actions of abused drugs.", "content": "The studies summarized briefly in this chapter provide several examples of experiments in which a behavioral or pharmacologic history produced profound changes in the effects of an abused drug. In many instances these changes were qualitative, that is, the direction of the effects that drug usually has on behavior was modified dramatically. AMPH and cocaine--both of which may normally decrease a particular behavior--will, after a suitable history, produce large increases in the behavior under study. If the behavioral effects of a drug are related to the abuse potential of that drug, then any condition that alters the behavioral effects of that drug could be an important component underlying vulnerability to drug abuse. A noteworthy aspect of the studies that have been described is the lasting influence that prior experience can have on behavior and the behavioral effects of drugs in the absence of overt changes in behavior itself. The traces of past experience may not be apparent in ongoing behavior until a drug is administered. This feature makes drugs an important tool for studying behavioral processes and raises several related questions pertaining to the mechanisms responsible for these effects (Barrett 1986). Although at present there is little information available to answer the several questions raised by these experiments, newer techniques available in the neurosciences promise to help reveal the neurobiological correlates of these changes that should be of general importance in understanding both behavioral and pharmacologic processes."}
{"id": "PMID:1470212", "title": "Cocaine self-administration: pharmacology and behavior.", "content": "I would like to stress several major points. The first is that CNS pharmacology is important in drug self-administration. In the case of cocaine, the necessary effect seems to be blockade of reuptake of DA rather than blockade of reuptake of NE or 5-HT or local anesthetic effects. An action of that DA on the D2 subtype of DA receptors appears to play an important role. The second point is that increased DA in synapses in the CNS is not sufficient to explain drug-maintained behavior. The schedule of reinforcement critically determines rates and patterns of drug-maintained behavior. Barrett (this volume) has presented convincing evidence that behavioral history, i.e., the sequential exposure to alternative behavioral conditions, can dramatically alter drug effects. What I hope to have made clear is that the simultaneous opportunity to engage in other behaviors can dramatically alter the reinforcing effects of drugs. Indeed, under appropriate conditions, a drug can function as both a positive and a negative reinforcer simultaneously in the same animal. The drug-choice studies I have described emphasize the dynamic nature of the interaction between behavioral and pharmacologic variables. The frequency of choosing to self-administer cocaine varied with the magnitude of the dose of cocaine (a pharmacologic variable) and the magnitude of an alternative positive reinforcer that was available (a behavioral variable). Increasing the magnitude of the alternative reinforcer decreased cocaine choice, but increasing the magnitude of the cocaine dose reestablished drug preference. In a sense, this is not a surprising result. The rhetoric of the times, however, would have it that drug self-administration, particularly cocaine self-administration, is somehow a different class of behavior that is not subject to the usual laws governing the behavior of organisms. As our understanding of drug self-administration evolves, however, that position will become increasingly untenable. These experimental findings challenge simple neurobiological assumptions about the determinants of drug self-administration. Clearly, a reinforcing effect, like any other behavioral effect of a drug, is not simply an immutable effect of a pharmacologic property of the drug. Given the pivotal role of reinforcing effects in drug abuse, this realization is critical to a comprehensive understanding of drug abuse. Any complete neurobiological model of drug abuse will have to account for these effects. Apparently, increasing the concentration of DA in synapses in the brain is not sufficient to account for drug-maintained behavior.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1470216", "title": "Brain-stimulation reward: a model for the study of the rewarding effects of abused drugs.", "content": "The robustness of the findings of the BSR effects of abused substances indicates that almost any technique used to measure these effects will be useful. The simplest procedure, however, of selecting a single intensity of stimulation and determining the effects of drugs on the rate of response for that selected intensity is fraught with difficulty in interpretation. More than 25 years ago the interpretation of changes in response rate as a reflection of changes in the reward value of the stimulation was challenged (Hodos and Valenstein 1962). Today it is rare to see a single stimulation intensity used in a published manuscript. However, most studies still use procedures of which rate of response is an integral part. Because animals will press a lever more than 80 times per minute and--on a continuous reinforcement schedule--receive as many as 80 stimulations a minute, conclusions about the specificity of the effects of drugs are difficult. The results of BSR experiments on mechanisms of action of abused substances clearly indicate that the reinforcing effect of most, if not all, such substances is probably the result of activation of a reward system that originates in the cell bodies of the ventral tegmental area and courses rostrally to the limbic and frontal projection sites of the mesocortical system. Thus, we believe, the technique has clearly fulfilled its promise as a \"window on the brain\" (Olds 1977)."}
{"id": "PMID:1470218", "title": "G protein-mediated receptor-receptor interaction: studies with chemotactic receptors in membranes of human leukemia (HL 60) cells.", "content": "Differentiated human leukemia (HL 60) cells contain high numbers of receptors for the chemotactic factors, N-formylmethionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (fMet-Leu-Phe) and complement component 5a (C5a), both coupled to pertussis toxin-sensitive guanine nucleotide-binding regulatory proteins (G proteins). Agonist activation of either receptor stimulated binding of the GTP analog, guanosine 5'-[gamma-thio]triphosphate (GTP[S]), to membrane G proteins and by a similar extent in a non-additive manner. The possible interaction of the two receptors was studied by measuring agonist binding to one receptor in the presence of the other receptor agonist. fMet-Leu-Phe and C5a had no effects on [125I]C5a and fMet-Leu-[3H]Phe receptor binding, respectively, when studied in the absence of regulatory ligands. Similarly, the inhibitory effects of NaCl and GDP on agonist receptor binding were not altered in the presence of the other receptor agonist. In contrast, in the presence of the GTP analogs, GTP[S] and guanosine 5'-[beta,gamma-imino] triphosphate, fMet-Leu-Phe and C5a reduced the binding of [125I]C5a and fMet-Leu-[3H]Phe, respectively, in a concentration-dependent manner. The potencies of the GTP analogs to inhibit binding of [125I]C5a and fMet-Leu-[3H]Phe was increased about 3-fold by fMet-Leu-Phe and C5a, respectively. The data presented suggest that fMet-Leu-Phe and C5a receptors share the same G protein pool in membranes of HL 60 cells and that activation of these G proteins by one of the two receptors decreases the availability of G proteins for the other receptor."}
{"id": "PMID:1470219", "title": "5-Hydroxytryptamine increases contractile force in porcine right atrium but not in left ventricle.", "content": "Positive chronotropic as well as inotropic effects of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) have been observed in pig atrial tissue, but no data are available about the direct effects of 5-HT on ventricular tissue. In the present study we investigated inotropic effects of 5-HT on atrial and ventricular trabeculae obtained from hearts of 3 months old pigs. The baseline isometric contractile force was significantly higher in ventricular (4.14 +/- 1.25 mN) than in atrial tissue (0.47 +/- 0.11 mN). A noradrenaline concentration-response curve (0.01 to 10 mumol/l) was used to check contractile responsiveness of the tissue and all responses were expressed as percentage of the response to 10 mumol/l noradrenaline. Noradrenaline caused a concentration-dependent increase in contractile force in both atrial and ventricular trabeculae. In contrast, though 5-HT (0.01 to 100 mumol/l) did increase force of contraction in atrial tissue (maximum: 72 +/- 20% of the response to noradrenaline 10 mumol/l), the contractility of ventricular trabeculae was not significantly affected (maximum: 12 +/- 6%). The present data show that, in contrast to atrial tissue, contractile force of ventricular tissue could not be significantly affected by 5-HT. To our knowledge, this is the first study to show that an agent which increased force of contraction in the atrium, did not have a corresponding effect on the ventricle. These findings may have important implications for a better understanding of the physiology and pharmacology of cardiac contractility."}
{"id": "PMID:1470220", "title": "Effects of serotonin and noradrenaline on superficial hand veins in patients with primary hypertension and in healthy volunteers.", "content": "In vitro and animal experiments suggest that a constitutional increase in vascular responsiveness to serotonin (5-HT) may play a role in the development of essential hypertension. We have studied the potential alterations in vascular responsiveness to the direct and catecholamine-potentiating effects of exogenous 5-HT in patients with essential hypertension, by comparing in vivo responsiveness of superficial hand veins to local infusions of 5-HT or to coinfusions of 5-HT and noradrenaline in unmedicated hypertensive patients and in healthy control subjects. The dorsal hand vein compliance technique was employed. There was no significant difference between patients and control subjects in the maximal 5-HT-induced venoconstriction or in the doses required for half-maximal venoconstriction (ED50) for 5-HT. Coinfusions of a constant dose of 5-HT caused a significant leftward shift in the dose response curve for noradrenaline as compared with noradrenaline alone. This was indicated by a 9.7 +/- 13.7 fold and a 10.4 +/- 13.8 fold increase in the ED50 for noradrenaline in the patient and control groups, respectively (p = 0.89 between study groups). Our results argue against a generalized increase in responsiveness to the direct or catecholamine-potentiating effect of 5-HT in vivo in vascular smooth muscle, associated with hypertension."}
{"id": "PMID:1470221", "title": "A component of 5-HT-evoked depolarization of the rat isolated vagus nerve is mediated by a putative 5-HT4 receptor.", "content": "This study describes a component of 5-HT-evoked depolarization of the rat isolated vagus nerve which was unaffected by the 5-HT3 receptor antagonist ondansetron. A grease-gap extracellular recording technique was used. Ondansetron (10-100 nmol/l) displaced the 5-HT concentration-response curve to the right yielding a pA2 value of 8.6 (8.5-8.8), consistent with 5-HT3 receptor antagonism, and revealing a component of the 5-HT response which was resistant to ondansetron blockade. In the presence of ondansetron (100 nmol/l) the maximum depolarization in the resistant phase was 15.5 (12.6-19.2)% of the initial maximum response to 5-HT and the pEC50 value was 7.0 (6.7-7.3). The mechanism of the ondansetron-resistant component of the 5-HT response resembled a 5-HT4-receptor-effect in being absent in preparations equilibrated with 5-methoxytryptamine (10 mumol/l) and antagonised by ICS 205930 (tropisetron, pA2 6.4). 5-Methoxytryptamine alone was an agonist in the vagus nerve with a maximum response similar to that of the ondansetron resistant phase of the 5-HT response. Similarly renzapride alone evoked small depolarizations of this preparation but antagonized the ondansetron resistant phase of the 5-HT response (pA2 7.3-7.4). These effects of 5-methoxytryptamine and renzapride are also consistent with a 5-HT4 receptor mechanism. Ketanserin (1 mumol/l) and methysergide (1 mumol/l) had little effect on responses to 5-HT. The depolarization evoked by this putative 5-HT4 receptor mechanism was small but prolonged and appears to mask and after-hyperpolarizing phase of the 5-HT response in this tissue."}
{"id": "PMID:1470222", "title": "Stimulation of the nigrostriatal dopamine system inhibits both heat production and heat loss mechanisms in rats.", "content": "The effects of stimulating the pars compacta of the substantia nigra (SNC) on thermoregulation were assessed in normal rats, in rats with chemical lesion of the SNC dopamine (DA) pathways and in rats with striatal DA receptor blockade. Electrical stimulation of the SNC produced hypothermia, decreased metabolism and/or cutaneous vasoconstriction in rats at ambient temperatures (Ta) below 22 degrees C, as well as hyperthermia and cutaneous vasoconstriction in rats at Ta of 30 degrees C. Microinjection of an excitotoxic amino acid (kainic acid) at the same brain sites also produced the same thermal responses. In vivo voltammetric studies revealed that electrical or chemical stimulation of the SNC produced an increase in striatal DA release. The enhanced striatal DA release induced by SNC stimulation was attenuated in rats after selective destruction of the nigrostriatal DA pathway by administration of 6-hydroxydopamine into the medial forebrain bundle. In addition, the magnitude of the thermal responses produced by the SNC stimulation in the cold was attenuated by selective bilateral destruction of the nigrostriatal DA pathways or selective blockade of the striatal DA produced by intrastriatal infusion of haloperidol, a DA receptor antagonist. The results indicate that stimulation of the SNC inhibits both heat production and heat loss mechanisms in the rat."}
{"id": "PMID:1470223", "title": "Pituitary adenylate cyclase activating peptide, a novel VIP-like gut-brain peptide, relaxes the guinea-pig taenia caeci via apamin-sensitive potassium channels.", "content": "Effects of pituitary adenylate cyclase activating peptide (PACAP-(1-27)) and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) on the guinea-pig taenia caeci were studied in the presence of guanethidine and scopolamine. Both peptides (1 nmol/1-1 mumol/l) concentration-dependently relaxed the smooth muscle of the taenia. PACAP-(1-27) and VIP were nearly equipotent. Apamin (30 nmol/l), a selective blocker of calcium-activated potassium channels, abolished the relaxation induced by PACAP-(1-27) whereas the effect of VIP remained unaffected. PACAP-(1-27) may be a candidate for the noncholinergic, non-adrenergic inhibitory neurotransmitter which induces apamin-sensitive relaxation in the intestinal tract."}
{"id": "PMID:1470224", "title": "Inhibition of aconitase by alloxan and the differential modes of protection of glucose, 3-O-methylglucose, and mannoheptulose.", "content": "Alloxan inhibited aconitase with a half maximal inhibitory concentration of 0.5 mM in sonically disrupted and 2.3 mM in intact isolated liver mitochondria. For dialuric acid the half maximal inhibitory concentrations were 1.1 mM and 2.5 mM, respectively. Ninhydrin and N-ethylmaleimide (NEM) also inhibited aconitase with half maximal inhibitory concentrations in the submillimolar range and t-butylhydroperoxide (BuOOH) in the millimolar range, which, however, were not different for disrupted and intact mitochondria. Only the aconitase substrate citrate, but not glucose provided protection of the enzyme against inhibition. In intact liver cells the half maximal inhibitory concentration for alloxan was 6.8 mM. Again, dialuric acid and BuOOH were less potent inhibitors while ninhydrin and NEM were more potent inhibitors of aconitase in intact liver cells. In intact liver cells, glucose and 3-O-methylglucose, but not mannoheptulose and citrate provided protection against alloxan inhibition. The results show that aconitase is not an enzyme particularly sensitive towards alloxan inhibition and thus apparently not a primary site for mediation of alloxan toxicity as it is the glucokinase. This makes a primary site of alloxan action in the mitochondria extremely unlikely. On the other hand the results demonstrate that both the intact mitochondrial and plasma membrane as uptake barriers provide protection against alloxan toxicity. In addition the results clearly show, that 3-O-methylglucose provides protection against alloxan action only at the level of the plasma membrane through inhibition of alloxan uptake into the cell, while the site of protection of mannoheptulose is only the sugar binding site of the glucokinase. In contrast, glucose is shown here to be the only sugar with a dual protective effect both through inhibition of alloxan uptake through the plasma membrane like 3-O-methylglucose and through protection of the glucokinase sugar binding site against alloxan inhibition of the enzyme like mannoheptulose. In the light of these results the unique protective potency of glucose as compared to that of other sugars is not surprising."}
{"id": "PMID:1470225", "title": "Three levels of dietary calcium-effects on blood pressure and electrolyte balance in spontaneously hypertensive rats.", "content": "The effects of three levels of calcium intake on blood pressure (BP) and electrolyte balance were studied for 12 weeks in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR): the chow of the SHR-1 group contained 1.1% calcium, and that of the supplemented groups 2.1% (SHR-2) and 3.1% (SHR-3) calcium. Wistar-Kyoto rats on a 1.1% calcium diet (WKY-1) served as normotensive controls. After 10 and 12 weeks BP was significantly lower in both calcium-supplemented groups than in the SHR-1 group, the SHR-2 and SHR-3 groups not deviating from each other. Platelets and lymphocytes were used as experimental cell models to study the effects of the calcium diets on intracellular free calcium ([Ca2+]i) level, which was measured by the fluorescent indicator quin-2. At the end of the study [Ca2+]i was lower in both cell types in SHR-2 and SHR-3 than in SHR-1, the supplemented groups being comparable to each other. In platelets [Ca2+]i still remained higher in the calcium-treated than the WKY-1 group, while in lymphocytes the levels were similar between SHR-2, SHR-3 and WKY-1. Plasma sodium, calcium and magnesium levels did not differ in the SHR groups, but plasma potassium was higher in both supplemented groups than in SHR-1. Plasma renin activity was comparable in SHR-1, SHR-2 and WKY-1, but was suppressed in the SHR-3 group. Creatinine clearance in the SHR-3 group was higher than in SHR-1 and SHR-2, but still remained lower than in WKY-1.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1470226", "title": "Photochemically induced thrombosis of the rat coronary artery and functional evaluation of thrombus formation by occurrence of ventricular arrhythmias. Effects of acetylsalicylic acid and a thromboxane A2 synthetase inhibitor of thrombus formation.", "content": "During i.v. infusion of rose bengal (48 mg/kg/h), the proximal portion of the rat left coronary artery was illuminated from the outside of the myocardium by green light (540 nm) to produce a transluminal thrombus subsequent to endothelial damages. The primary endothelial damages within the illuminated vascular portion, which resulted from the photochemical reaction between the dye and green light, and the subsequent formation of transluminal platelet-rich thrombus, were easily revealed by both light and electron microscopy. The establishment of the thrombus was accompanied in all cases by the occurrence of ventricular arrhythmias due to myocardial ischaemia. The times required to initiate ventricular premature beats (VPBs) and ventricular tachycardia (VT) were 381 +/- 96 s and 444 +/- 114 s (mean +/- SEM, n = 10), respectively. Pretreatment of the rat with acetylsalicylic acid (3 and 10 mg/kg, i.v.) before the initiation of illumination had no effect on the times required to exhibit the first VPBs and VT, the incidences of both types of arrhythmias were not reduced, and the thrombus was finally formed. On the other hand, pretreatment with Y-20811, a novel thromboxane A2 synthetase inhibitor (0.3, 1 and 3 mg/kg, i.v.), delayed the onset of both VPB and VT in a dose-dependent manner. The incidences of VPBs and VT were significantly reduced at 1 and 3 mg/kg, and the thrombus formation was prevented. The formation of a transluminal thrombus in the left coronary artery by the present technique was highly reproducible and could be functionally evaluated by the occurrence of ventricular arrhythmias."}
{"id": "PMID:1470228", "title": "Cardiac effects of R 79595 and its isomers (R 80122 and R 80123) in an acute heart failure model. A new class of cardiotonic agents with highly selective phosphodiesterase III inhibitory properties.", "content": "R 79595 (N-cyclohexyl-N-methyl-2-[[[phenyl (1,2,3,5-tetrahydro-2 oxoimidazo [2,1-b]-quinazolin-7-yl) methylene] amin] oxy] acetamide) and its isomers represent a novel class of compounds with phosphodiesterase (PDE) inhibitory and cardiotonic (positive inotropic) actions. The cardiac effects of this class of compounds were investigated in the hexobarbital-depressed heart-lung preparation of the guinea-pig. After induction of heart failure (reduction of cardiac output to 25% of the initial value) cumulative addition of R 79595 or its isomers R 80122 (E-isomer) and R 80123 (Z-isomer) concentration-dependently reversed the cardiac depressant effects of hexobarbitone-Na. With regard to reconstitution of contractility and cardiac function R 80122 (E-isomer) was 10 fold more potent than R 79595 (1:1 mixture of the isomers) and nearly 100 fold more potent than R 80123 (Z-isomer). Furthermore, the cardiotonic action of the most potent isomer (R 80122) was compared to the effects of several positive inotropic reference compounds. The order of cardiotonic potency was as follows: (-)-adrenaline > R 80122 = adibendan > digitoxin > milrinone = enoximone > theophylline. Adibendan (EC50 value: 6.7 +/- 1.8 x 10.-8 mol/l), which showed cardiotonic effects in the same concentration range as R 80122 (EC50 value: 6.1 +/- 1.3 x 10(-8) mol/l), was significantly (p < 0.01) less effective than R 80122 with respect to the maximally induceable increase in cardiac output (CO). The cardiotonic effects of R 80122 could be observed in the low concentration range of 3 x 10(-8) to 1 x 10(-6) mol/l, whereas enoximone (EC50 value: 1.2 +/- 0.1 x 10(-5) mol/l) and milrinone (EC50 value: 8.9 +/- 3.5 x 10(-6) mol/l) elicited positive inotropic effects at 100 fold higher concentrations. Digitoxin was 10 fold less and theophylline was 300 fold less potent than R 80122 with regard to reconstitution of heart function. The cardiotonic effects of R 80122 were not accompanied by an increase in heart rate as found with milrinone, theophylline or (-)-adrenaline in this model. Furthermore, the PDE inhibitory effect of R 79595 and its E-isomer R 80122 were investigated in partially purified isoenzymes from guinea-pig ventricles. The IC50 values of R 79595 and R 80122 on PDE I-IV were compared to the IC50 values of adibendan, milrinone, enoximone and theophylline. The selectivity of an inhibitor for PDE III was evaluated by division of its IC50 values on PDE I, II and IV by the IC50 value on PDE III. R 80122 was the most potent and selective PDE III inhibitor.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1470227", "title": "Electrophysiologic and anticholinergic effects of pirmenol enantiomers in guinea-pig myocardium.", "content": "Since it has been reported that several class I drugs stereoselectively block sodium channels, potassium channels and muscarinic receptors in cardiac tissues, electrophysiologic and anticholinergic effects of enantiomers of pirmenol, a class I antiarrhythmic drug, were examined. Both (+) and (-) pirmenol depressed the maximum upstroke velocity (Vmax) of the action potential in a concentration-dependent manner in guinea-pig papillary muscles driven at 1.0 Hz, and there was no significant difference in the potency of the class I effect between the enantiomers. The onset rates of use-dependent block (UDB) of Vmax at 2.0 Hz for 10 mumol/l (+) and (-) pirmenol were 0.30 +/- 0.03 and 0.29 +/- 0.01 per action potential, and the recovery time constants from UDB for (+) and (-) pirmenol were 27.0 +/- 2.7 and 27.7 +/- 1.9 s, respectively, indicating no difference in the binding and unbinding kinetics to the sodium channel between the enantiomers. Both (+) pirmenol and (-) pirmenol prolonged action potential duration (APD) at low concentrations (1-10 mumol/l) and shortened it at high concentrations (30-100 mumol/l). Again, there was little difference with respect to the effects on APD between the enantiomers. However, in the isolated guinea-pig left atria (-) pirmenol more potently antagonized the negative inotropic effect of carbachol than (+) pirmenol, and the pA2 values for (+) and (-) pirmenol were 6.41 and 6.71, respectively. The functional study was supported by the radioligand binding experiments using [3H]N-methylscopolamine ([3H]NMS) in guinea-pig left atrial membranes.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1470229", "title": "Effects of the triazole derivative loreclezole (R72063) on stimulus induced ionic and field potential responses and on different patterns of epileptiform activity induced by low magnesium in rat entorhinal cortex-hippocampal slices.", "content": "Effects of loreclezole (R72063), a triazole derivative with anticonvulsant properties, were studied on field potentials in rat hippocampal slices and on different patterns of low Mg(2+)-induced epileptiform activity in combined entorhinal cortex-hippocampal slices. Lowering extracellular Mg2+ induced recurrent (10-60/min), short (40-80 ms) discharges in hippocampal areas CA1 and CA3. In the entorhinal cortex (EC) up to 90 s long ictaform events associated with large negative field potential and changes in the neuronal microenvironment were generated. These seizure like events changed their characteristics after one to two hours to recurrent discharges of 0.8 to 10 s. 20 microM loreclezole blocked the seizure like events in the entorhinal cortex completely 30-80 min after onset of application. The recurrent short discharges in the hippocampus were reliably blocked by 40 muM loreclezole 60-90 min after bath application with incomplete recovery after washout of several hours. The recurrent discharges in the entorhinal cortex were reliably blocked by 80 microM loreclezole applied for 80-100 min. Decreases in [Ca2+]o and associated slow field potentials evoked by repetitive stimulation of the stratum radiatum were depressed in a dose dependent manner, while similar changes induced by alvear stimulation remained almost unaffected. A paired pulse stimulus paradigm used to test for effect of loreclezole on synaptically evoked transient field potentials in normal medium revealed interference with mechanisms involved in frequency potentiation. While responses to alvear stimulation were largely unaffected, the response to a paired pulse stimulus to stratum radiatum was depressed over the whole range of tested stimulus intervals (15 to 150 ms). The findings suggest that loreclezole has effects on different patterns of epileptiform activity induced by extracellular low Mg2+ possibly by interfering with processes leading to frequency potentiation."}
{"id": "PMID:1470230", "title": "Pentylenetetrazol-induced seizures in rats: an ontogenetic study.", "content": "A quantitative description of motor seizures induced by pentylenetetrazol (PTZ, metrazol) was performed. Seizures were induced by PTZ in doses from 40 to 120 mg/kg s.c. in 477 male albino rats of the Wistar strain 7 to 90 days old. Two patterns of seizures were elicited: minimal, i.e. predominantly clonic seizures of facial and forelimb muscles with preserved righting ability, and major, i.e. generalized tonic-clonic seizures with a loss of righting reflex. Minimal seizures could be reliably elicited since the age of 18 days; the CD50 for these seizures did not significantly differ with age. Major seizures were elicited regularly at all developmental stages studied. Their CD50 did not significantly differ among 7-, 12- and 25-day-old rat pups but the value for 18-day-old rats was smaller and for adult animals larger than these three age groups."}
{"id": "PMID:1470242", "title": "[Initial results of the Netherlands Cancer Registration. Work group annual report Netherlands Cancer Registration].", "content": "Since the early 1980s a new set-up for a nation-wide cancer registry in the Netherlands has been developed. Recently, the 1989 incidence rates were published in the first national report. A total of 55,500 invasive tumours were registered (29,500 in males and 26,000 in females). After correction for age according to the European standard population figures, the incidence rates for all malignancies were 443 per 100,000 males and 309 per 100,000 females (excluding basal cell carcinomas of skin). Over 70% of all patients were 60 years of age or older. The most common cancers were lung cancer in males and breast cancer in females, accounting for 24% and 31% of the total cancer incidence by sex, respectively. The incidence rates of lung cancer and other tobacco related cancers in males were relatively high, as compared to those in other Western European countries. The Netherlands Cancer Registry offers new opportunities for clinical and epidemiological research."}
{"id": "PMID:1470243", "title": "[Individualized hemodilution in acute brain infarct using a 20% albumin solution and physiological saline solution].", "content": "To determine the effect of normovolaemic haemodilution in patients after a cerebrovascular accident. Prospective, randomized clinical trial. St Lucas Hospital, Amsterdam. Normovolaemic haemodilution was achieved by means of bloodletting and administration of a 20% solution of albumin plus crystalline infusion fluids under haemodynamic and rheological monitoring during the acute phase of the cerebral infarction. All patients were subjected to general intensive care and monitoring with a pulmonary artery catheter. This custom-tailored fluid therapy was guided by a pulmonary wedge pressure of 12 mm Hg (SD 3) and a haematocrit (Ht) of 0.32 l/l (SD 0.02). The control group only received individually dosed rehydration with crystalline infusion fluids. Endpoints of the study after 3 months were mortality and dependence/independence concerning everyday functioning. The results in the total haemodilution group and the control group did not differ significantly. However, in the subgroup with normal Ht (< 0.45 l/l; n = 201) there was a significant reduction (p < 0.05) of the mortality after 3 months (27% and 16%, respectively) and an increase of independence at home (35% and 48%, respectively) due to a reduction of the viscosity by means of haemodilution with albumin (a specific viscosity effect in the normovolaemic group). In the control group with raised Ht (dehydration; Ht > or = 0.45 l/l; n = 50) there was a significant decrease (p < 0.005) of the mortality after 3 months (27% and 8%, respectively) and an increase of independence at home (35% and 59%, respectively) compared with the control group with normal Ht without signs of dehydration (Ht < 0.045 l/l; n = 102), due to rehydration exclusively with crystalline infusion fluids (a specific rehydration effect in the dehydrated group). In cerebrovascular accident patients haemodilution should be adjusted individually; in normovolaemic patients haemodilution should be carried out with an albumin solution; the higher the Ht, the more rehydration with crystalline infusion fluids is to be carried out."}
{"id": "PMID:1470244", "title": "[AIDS in a Zambian district].", "content": "During the years 1990 and 1991 data were collected of all 231 patients fulfilling the WHO clinical criteria for the diagnosis of AIDS in the three hospitals of Sesheke, a rural Zambian district. The group of 231 consisted of 46.3% male and 53.7% female patients. Mean age for women was significantly lower than for men (25.2 and 31.1 years, p < 0.001). A total of 185 patients could be tested for HIV-1 antibodies. There were 151 (81.6%) positive results, 19 (10.3%) negative results and in 15 (8.1%) cases the results were not clear. Most important signs were weight loss, chronic cough, prolonged fever and chronic diarrhoea. Seroprevalence figures for HIV-1 in the same period were 16% for blood donors and 41% for patients attending the clinic for sexually transmitted diseases. Most patients with AIDS in Sesheke district present with a wasting syndrome. Tuberculosis, the incidence of which has increased dramatically, has to be excluded in those cases. The outlook for the population in Sesheke and Zambia is dim with the current high seroprevalence figures."}
{"id": "PMID:1470245", "title": "[Acute subdural hematoma following minor head injury].", "content": "A 73-year-old patient is described who developed tentorial herniation after a minor head trauma. The initial neurological examination was normal and she had no skull fracture. The cause turned out to be a subdural haematoma of arterial origin, without cerebral contusion or oedema. Prompt surgical intervention resulted in a excellent outcome. The authors conclude that a special form of acute subdural haematoma should be distinguished, which after minor head injury and a lucid interval results in sudden neurological deterioration, especially in the elderly. It has to be treated by prompt surgical intervention."}
{"id": "PMID:1470246", "title": "[Loss of taste sensation in terbinafine administration].", "content": "Terbinafine is a new antifungal agent for oral treatment of dermatomycosis. Seven patients are reported who developed taste loss after treatment with terbinafine. In four of them, taste loss was complete while one patient was still able to taste sweet products, and a second and third patient no longer tasted salty and sweet products, respectively. In all patients, the onset of the adverse reaction occurred 4-8 weeks after starting treatment. As far as known, taste loss is a transient effect which disappears within 3-6 weeks after discontinuation of terbinafine."}
{"id": "PMID:1470255", "title": "[Menstruation pattern and month of birth].", "content": "By using the Nijmegen data base on breast cancer we attempted to determine whether a relationship exists between menstrual pattern and month of birth and if so, if its agreed with the hypothesis of Seasonal Preovulatory Overripening Ovopathy (SPrOO). On the basis of the birth curve of women who participated in the Nijmegen breast cancer screening programme (1975) risk months for SPrOO and reference months were defined. We found that more women born in a risk month had an early menarche (< or = 11 years), a long menstrual cycle (> or = 5 weeks; QI: 20-25 kg/m2), menorrhagia, and an early (35-40 years) or late (> or = 56 years) menopause age. This relationship was in line with the predictions according to the SPrOO hypothesis. In all, a positive (but not always significant) relationship appeared to exist in 12 of the 15 associations studied. We conclude that there is a relationship between menstrual pattern and month of birth, which can be explained by the SPrOO hypothesis."}
{"id": "PMID:1470256", "title": "[Spontaneous regression of cancer; a description of 7 cases].", "content": "To trace and describe patients with spontaneous regression of cancer (SRC) in the Netherlands. The Helen Dowling Institute for biopsychosocial medicine. Descriptive. Informal collection and collection by means of calls in two local medical journals. In these calls colleagues were asked to suggest possible candidates to contact the investigator. Upon contact permission was obtained to collect the medical data. When SRC could be established an interview was conducted with the patient and with persons in his environment. Seven patients with spontaneous regression of cancer were traced. These spontaneous regressions concerned adenocarcinoma (2 cases), non-Hodgkin lymphoma (2 cases), mesothelioma, undifferentiated carcinoma or sarcoma (liver) and choriocarcinoma (1 case each). A call for cases in two local medical journals for colleagues proved to be a fast and inexpensive searching method. None of these cases had been published previously. The frequency of SRC in the period of 1980 upto and including 1989 in the Netherlands can be estimated to be at least 1:100,000."}
{"id": "PMID:1470257", "title": "[Pregnancy during residency].", "content": "The number of female residents in the Netherlands has steadily increased in recent years. Due to the increased time on waiting lists to enter residency programmes and to the increased duration of training, female residents will be older during their residencies. This will probably result in an increased number of pregnancies during residencies. A questionnaire regarding pregnancy during residency was sent to 191 residents in two university hospitals in the Netherlands. The response rate was 74.3%. Fifty percent of the male and only 19% of the female residents had children. No negative effects of a pregnancy on their training were experienced or anticipated by the residents. However, a negative effect on the functioning of the department was expected. No formal provisions, like replacements were available and many solutions to replace pregnant colleagues depended on the flexibility of the colleagues. The wish to have children was high and equally distributed among male and female residents, 92% and 96%, resp. Given the difficulty to seek a permanent position and to have children after residency, the choice of many female residents will be to have their children during residency. This increase in number of pregnancies requires anticipation of the residency programme directors. They should take the lead in proposing adequate regulations."}
{"id": "PMID:1470258", "title": "[A newborn infant with a tail].", "content": "A case of a male baby with a tail is described. The tail was surgically removed. Histopathological investigation showed that it was covered with hairless skin. It contained adipose and fibrous tissue, arteries, veins and nerves, but no cartilage, bone or muscle. In most cases of these caudal appendages surgical excision is sufficient, although an underlying anomaly should be excluded radiographically."}
{"id": "PMID:1470261", "title": "[The Reformed Church in Aduard: the oldest hospital in The Netherlands].", "content": "The present Dutch Reformed Church building in Aduard (near Groningen) is the only remnant of a large Cistercian monastery founded on June 5, 1192. Typological and archaeological investigations indicate that the church building represents originally the hospital facility for the lay brothers of the monastery, which according to the chronicle of the monastery was built in the beginning of the 14th century. This date is confirmed by the architectural style of the building and corresponds to the date of the original tiled floor which showes some sacred patterns. These findings mark this building as the earliest known hospital facility in the Netherlands, ranking among the earliest buildings of its kind in Europe."}
{"id": "PMID:1470262", "title": "[The medal collection of the Tijdschrift].", "content": "A short survey is presented of academic and medical medals, with specimens dating from the 17th century onward, in the collection of the Society 'Nederlands Tijdschrift voor Geneeskunde'. With respect to the old medals, the existing clusters of interest (academical and medical medals) are served by selective acquisition rather than by the quest for completeness. The evolution of medical science, medical institutes and practice in and after World War II merits documentation by extending the collection to the present days. The motives to commemorate, to celebrate and to honour facts or persons still stand, and Dutch artists are clearly interested and able to express these sentiments in medals."}
{"id": "PMID:1470269", "title": "[The status of Italian psychiatric reform: the example of Lombardy in comparison with Switzerland].", "content": "In Italy, the worldwide reduction in numbers of psychiatric beds since the fifties had led already by 1971 to a much lower per capita rate of beds than in most European countries. In Northern Italy the psychiatric reform of 1979 speeded up the ongoing reduction of beds, ameliorated conditions for hospitalized patients and built up ambulatory care. A comparison with three Swiss cantons shows that, in Lombardy, the largest and economically most developed Italian Region, the rate of patient contacts with outpatient services has probably reached or surpassed the level found in Switzerland. Contacts by home visits are much more frequent than in Switzerland. The number of psychiatric beds per 1,000 inhabitants is 0.7 in Lombardy and thus has been reduced to one third the Swiss bed-ratio. Comparisons of Italian with Dutch and Danish psychiatric register data show that the Italian psychiatric service as a whole reaches a considerably smaller segment of the severely disordered patients. The Region of Lombardy has recently been trying to increase the psychiatric bed-ratio by agreements with private hospitals. The shortage of beds is not compensated by the ambulatory services and is leading to increasing stress for the families of the severely disordered."}
{"id": "PMID:1470270", "title": "[How does the schizophrenic nuclear syndrome arise? Results of the Bonn transition series study and Anglo-American models--a comparison].", "content": "The value of neurobiological theories of schizophrenia depends in the long run on their usefulness when the genesis of diagnostically relevant features is to be made plausible. That is why in recent Anglo-American research on schizophrenia more and more subtly differentiated models have been developed to explain even highly complex psychotic changes of experiences in terms of neurobiologically founded cognitive deficits. Empirical testing, however, was hardly possible, since there did not exist any studies dealing with the hypothesized connections between psychosis and psychological deficit. This situation has now changed with the Bonn study of sequences of transition from experiences of deficiency to first rank symptoms. Its overall result permits an empirically based assessment of the genesis of all elements constituting the schizophrenic nuclear syndrome according to the \"Present State Examination\". In the present contribution the results concerning the genesis of thought insertion, -withdrawal, -broadcasting, and first rank verbal hallucinations are singled out and compared to the corresponding Anglo-American models. The summary results in a sweeping confirmation, yet it also reveals the insufficiency of a simply \"rationalistic\" view of the symptom genesis."}
{"id": "PMID:1470271", "title": "[Empirical findings with arson offenders].", "content": "Forensic, psychological and psychopathological findings on 40 arsonists, who were investigated in our psychiatric department between 1980 and 1990, are presented. The findings indicate that arsonists represent a diagnostically heterogeneous group of offenders. On the other hand, some common psychodynamic patterns can be seen; in particular, a high degree of suicidal and autoaggressive behaviour. As reported by other authors, arsonists appear to suffer from a disorder of impulse control. A historical review illustrates that since the mid-19th century a purely psychopathological model of pyromania has been found unsatisfactory, and suggests that psychodynamic aspects should not be over-emphasized. Analysis of the different motivation and abnormalities of arsonists could render the term pyromania obsolete. This requires however a radical reappraisal of the significance of psychiatric diagnosis within an anthropological framework."}
{"id": "PMID:1470273", "title": "[Somnambulism and pavor nocturnus--review and case report].", "content": "A case of night terror with sleepwalking in an adult patient is described. Sleep polygraphic data are presented. The literature related to sleepwalking, night terror and its treatment is reviewed. The psychopathologic patterns of sleepwalking and night terror are illustrated and the differentiations of parasomnias and epileptic seizures discussed. The clinical applications of these findings are described and practical recommendations made for the management of NON-REM parasomnia."}
{"id": "PMID:1470274", "title": "[Successful treatment of seasonal compulsive syndrome with phototherapy].", "content": "We report the case of a 40-year-old woman with a seasonal form of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) which was usually accompanied by obsessions and occurred only in autumn or winter. Frequently, the OCD symptomatology was accompanied by depression. After a 12-day treatment with full spectrum bright light (3000 lux; 2 hours a day between 9 and 11 am) without changing the long-term antidepressive medication (125 mg amitriptyline/day) there was a complete remission of OCD symptomatology, with no relapse during the next months."}
{"id": "PMID:1470277", "title": "Tubeless tests of exocrine pancreatic function in patients with cystic fibrosis.", "content": "In order to determine the value of non-invasive tests in the analysis of exocrine pancreatic function in cystic fibrosis, 14 older cystic fibrosis patients were studied by a set of non-invasive tests. The tests comprising trypsin, total amylase, pancreatic isoamylase, lipase and pancreatic polypeptide (PP) in fasting serum, PP in postprandial serum, and p-aminobenzoic acid (PABA) excretion in urine, were compared to faecal fat excretion after discontinuation of pancreatic enzyme supplementation. Eleven of the 14 patients were found to have a faecal fat excretion of more than 7 g per day. Serum levels of trypsin, pancreatic isoamylase and lipase and the urinary excretion of PABA showed significant negative correlations with faecal fat excretion. Although serum trypsin, postprandial PP and urinary PABA excretion were the most sensitive tests for severe exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, the differences in sensitivity were rather modest. Therefore, the type of test to be selected for clinical use is mainly dependent upon factors as accessibility, simplicity, patient's acceptability and costs."}
{"id": "PMID:1470278", "title": "New modalities in the treatment of exocrine pancreatic insufficiency in cystic fibrosis.", "content": "Pancreatic insufficiency is the second most important pathophysiological expression of cystic fibrosis (CF) and occurs in the majority of patients. It leads to fat malabsorption and high energy losses in the stools and is one of the major causes of malnutrition often seen in CF. Although the development of enteric-coated enzyme preparations offers a dramatic improvement in therapy, it is still difficult to achieve complete correction of fat malabsorption. The cause for this treatment failure is the relative acidic environment in the duodenum induced by a decreased pancreatic bicarbonate output. To improve the efficacy of enteric-coated preparations the dissolution of these preparations in the duodenum must be optimised in order to achieve a high intraduodenal enzyme concentration. With the aim to increase intraduodenal pH, additional therapy with H2-antagonists and oral prostaglandins has been tested without unequivocal success. Omeprazole, a gastric acid inhibitor with more potency and duration of action compared to H2-antagonists, improves the efficacy of enteric-coated capsules of pancreatin dramatically. With a daily dose of 20 mg in addition to Pancrease (3 x 4 capsules) near normalization of faecal fat excretion will be reached in most CF patients with persistent steatorrhoea."}
{"id": "PMID:1470279", "title": "Cystic fibrosis: genetics and intestinal secretion.", "content": "The identification of the cystic fibrosis (CF) gene and within that gene the most frequent mutation is of major importance. The genotype/phenotype relationships in large study populations give a better insight in the clinical variability of CF. Variability between different CF patients is also detected in the intestinal chloride secretion capacity. Further research might be of value for a better understanding of the pathophysiological basis of the clinical heterogeneity in this disease. Diagnostic difficulties are present now that CF patients are being diagnosed with normal sweat chloride levels and the diagnostic value of mutation analysis fails in most of these atypical patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1470280", "title": "Liver disease in cystic fibrosis.", "content": "Liver disease associated with cystic fibrosis (CF) is considered a secondary effect of the basic defect of the disease, leading to obstruction of bile ductules by abnormal mucoid secretions; additional factors have been involved in the pathogenesis, such as abnormalities in bile acid metabolism, nutritional deficiencies, drug hepatotoxicity, stenosis of the common bile duct by the fibrotic pancreas. Clinical presentation of liver disease in CF is rare during the first few years of life, although neonatal cholestasis can be occasionally the first manifestation of the disease. Isolated massive steatosis has been reported in less than 5% of cases as a consequence of malnutrition. Focal biliary cirrhosis is the pathognomonic hepatic lesion and is present in 25-30% of CF patients, most of whom are asymptomatic. The focally distributed lesions can extend leading to multi-lobular biliary cirrhosis with occurrence of signs and symptoms of cirrhosis and portal hypertension. Early diagnosis of CF-associated liver disease is difficult since liver function tests may be normal even in cases of overt cirrhosis: no test has proved to be sufficiently sensitive and specific and even liver biopsy is of questionable relevance due to the focal distribution of hepatic lesions. Clinical examination is of major importance, since the presence of hepatomegaly seems to correlate well with the histologic finding of fibrosis. The rationale for the use of the choleretic non-toxic bile acid ursodeoxycholic acid in CF-associated liver disease is to reduce the viscosity of bile and to replace toxic bile acids which accumulate in the hepatocyte.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1470281", "title": "Gallbladder disease in cystic fibrosis.", "content": "Among the various gastrointestinal manifestations observed in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF), gallbladder abnormalities occur frequently. These include a high prevalence of nonfunctioning gallbladders (30%), micro-gallbladders (8-30%), and gallstones (4-30%). The underlying pathophysiology for this increased prevalence in patients with CF is not completely understood, due to contradictory findings. These findings concern: (1) abnormalities in bile acid metabolism resulting in bile that is supersaturated with cholesterol, (2) an impaired nucleation time, and (3) biliary stasis, due to bile duct abnormalities and/or impaired gallbladder motility. The diagnosis of gallbladder disease in CF may be obscured by other common gastrointestinal complications, resulting in a long delay between onset of symptoms and the diagnosis. Cholecystectomy in CF is the treatment of choice, provided they are carefully managed in the pre- and perioperative period. The operative morbidity and mortality, even with intensive management of pulmonary disease, amounted to 10% and 5%, respectively. Therefore, alternative options, like laparoscopic cholecystectomy are of interest and require further investigation, especially for CF patients with severe pulmonary disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1470282", "title": "Malnutrition and age-specific nutritional management in cystic fibrosis.", "content": "Malnutrition is recognised as a major prognostic factor adversely affecting survival in cystic fibrosis (CF) and is the result of an unfavourable energy balance in these patients. A high resting energy expenditure, dependent on the patient's genotype, in addition to pulmonary infection play an important role in producing anorexia and weight loss. Nutritional management with the aim to gain weight and catch up with growth is age-specific. It is important to repair nutritional status as early as possible after diagnosis. In infancy breast feeding is advised with, if necessary, supplemental feeding with predigested formulae such as Pregestimil. In childhood nutritional management must be aimed towards a normal weight gain and growth velocity. The latter is the best guide of nutritional adequacy. If weight gain falters the first principle is to treat any associated respiratory infection, the second is to ensure adequate enzyme therapy and control of steatorrhoea, and only then should dietary energy supplements be introduced. When oral hypernutrition fails, nocturnal naso-gastric tube feeding of a non-elemental formula may be considered. Parenteral nutrition is rarely indicated and should be reserved as a last solution for CF-patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1470283", "title": "Nutritional state and lung disease in cystic fibrosis.", "content": "The life expectancy of patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) is largely dependent on the severity and progress of the pulmonary involvement associated with the disease. Many data support the view that malnutrition and deterioration of lung function are closely interrelated and interdependent, with each affecting the other, leading to a spiral decline in both. The occurrence of malnutrition appears to be associated with poor lung function and poor survival, and conversely prevention of malnutrition appears to be associated with better lung function and improved survival. Nutritional intervention may lead to an improvement in body weight, lung function and exercise tolerance, provided that the intervention is combined with exercise training in order to increase both respiratory and other muscle mass. These improvements can be preserved when patients have the stamina to continue with a high-energy, high-fat diet and daily exercise training at home."}
{"id": "PMID:1470285", "title": "Effectiveness of low dose cyclosporine in acquired aplastic anaemia with severe neutropenia.", "content": "Six patients with acquired aplastic anaemia were treated with cyclosporine (5 mg/kg/day) either alone or in combination with corticosteroids. A favourable response was observed in 4, including 2 patients presenting with an absolute granulocyte count of less than 0.2 x 10(9)/l. The 6th patient showed no effect after 6 wk of therapy and was thereafter successfully treated with anti-thymocyte globulin (ATG). Side effects of cyclosporine therapy were minimal (maximum follow-up 20 months). Temporary discontinuation of the drug in 1 patient resulted in a relapse which responded to reinstitution of therapy. Our results indicate that cyclosporine may be an effective, well-tolerated agent in acquired aplastic anaemia even in previously untreated patients with severe neutropenia."}
{"id": "PMID:1470286", "title": "Prevalence of Raynaud's phenomenon.", "content": "Studies that present prevalence rates for Raynaud's phenomenon show great variation. Figures range from a few to more than 20%. In this study, 508 patients who attended their general practitioner filled in a questionnaire dealing with symptoms of Raynaud's phenomenon. When strict criteria (cold digits, numbness and at least a biphasic discolouration) were applied, prevalence was 0.5% in males and 2.9% in females. When a monophasic white discolouration was included, prevalence rates increased by 5.4% in males and by 7.5% in females. The respective percentages became 10.4% and 21.2% when subjects with cold digits and at least a monophasic white or blue discolouration were included. Complaints of cold digits were present in 22.7% of the males and in 35% of the females. We conclude that a great deal of the variation in prevalence of Raynaud's phenomenon can be explained by differences in its definition."}
{"id": "PMID:1470287", "title": "Psychogenic periodic fever.", "content": "The present report concerns a 35-yr-old Caucasian male who had suffered from episodic fever of unknown origin over a period of 13 yr. Extensive investigation covering all the known causes of fever of unknown origin did not yield a diagnosis. Finally, a psychogenic cause was considered, and treatment with a psychotropic drug and relaxation therapy led to complete disappearance of the febrile periods."}
{"id": "PMID:1470288", "title": "A case of recurrent adrenocortical carcinoma, with observations on long-term o,p'-DDD therapy and complications.", "content": "This report describes a patient with a recurring, one stemline-aneuploid, adrenocortical carcinoma. The condition showed a number of unusual characteristics over a period of 22 yr. It changed from a biochemically functioning, low-grade malignant tumour into a non-functioning malignancy with pronounced mitotic activity, accompanied by an ovarian carcinosarcoma 1 yr before death. Quality of life was reasonable for many years despite chemotherapy, consisting of a total of almost 10 kg of o,p'-DDD administered over a period of 8 yr, and the subsequent side effects (e.g. low T4; increased bleeding time). A reduced mineralocorticoid activity, induced by o,p'-DDD, was reversed after discontinuation of o,p'-DDD treatment. During o,p'-DDD administration the substitution requirements for both hydrocortisone and fludrocortisone acetate increased, leading to periods of hypoadrenocorticism with prerenal uraemia."}
{"id": "PMID:1470289", "title": "Pathophysiology and therapy of heart failure, new insights and developments. Part I.", "content": "During the last decades heart failure has become a syndrome of major concern. Despite a decline in the occurrence of coronary artery disease and improved treatment of systemic hypertension, its primary aetiologic factors, the incidence of heart failure has been ever increasing. It is estimated that in the U.S.A. and most of western Europe approximately 1% of the population suffers from congestive heart failure. Its importance is directly related to its very adverse prognosis with an annual mortality rate as high as 50-60% in the advanced stages of failure. Although treatment with certain vasodilators or converting enzyme inhibitors may improve survival to some extent, the remaining mortality rate still remains high. As it is also extremely difficult to improve the clinical well-being of heart failure patients, emphasis is now on the early phase of failure and in particular on the preceding stage of asymptomatic ventricular dysfunction. Recent animal and human data indicate the significance of myocardial hypertrophy as a first step towards progressive myocardial muscle dysfunction superimposed on the initial cardiac event which leads to asymptomatic ventricular dysfunction. Moreover, there is evidence that neurohumoral activation occurs before heart failure has developed. Although available data only relate to circulating neurohormones, early alterations in local paracrine or autocrine acting systems may well be at issue. Also, whereas heart failure is generally considered a cardiac disorder, there is accumulating evidence that peripheral systems such as the skeletal musculature and the kidney are markedly involved. Changes in peripheral tissue function are not necessarily related to a reduction in cardiac pump function and tissue perfusion, but may be intrinsic of nature. Thus, significant abnormalities in skeletal muscle oxidative metabolism occur which are not secondary to regional flow disturbances. The recognition of cardiac and peripheral changes before or during the early phases of heart failure are likely to alter the current strategies in the treatment of this syndrome."}
{"id": "PMID:1470291", "title": "Pathophysiology of the pancreas in cystic fibrosis.", "content": "Pancreatic insufficiency occurs in the majority of cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. Deficient fluid secretion is apparent at all levels of pancreatic function and leads to pancreatic protein hypersecretion which may in turn result in protein precipitation and ductal plugging. An impaired chloride and bicarbonate secretion appears to account for this fluid secretion deficit. A minority of CF patients have sufficient preservation of pancreatic function to prevent steatorrhoea. These patients are diagnosed at a later age, experience milder symptoms and have a far superior overall prognosis than patients with pancreatic insufficiency (PI). Patients who are homozygous for delta F508 have a high frequency of PI (99%), whereas patients with other genotypes are more often pancreatic sufficient (PS). In 538 patients with CF DNA analysis was performed and related with pancreatic function. The most striking observation was that nearly all given genotypes were associated with either PI or PS and not with both. In addition, we were able to classify mutations as \"severe\" and \"mild\" with respect to pancreatic function."}
{"id": "PMID:1470293", "title": "[Disturbances of lipid metabolism during nephrotic syndrome: physiopathology and treatment].", "content": "Both increased synthesis and decreased catabolism of lipoproteins may account for the severe hyperlipidemia which frequently occurs in patients with the nephrotic syndrome (NS). Nevertheless the complex relation between hyperlipidemia and proteinuria remains unclear and still debated. Increased levels of serum total cholesterol, of low-density lipoprotein and of apolipoprotein B are the most characteristic reported abnormalities placing these patients at high risks for atherosclerotic vascular disease. Moreover recent experiments have suggested that hyperlipidemia may also play a role in the progression of renal disease. Thus the reasons for using hypolipemic treatment are now growing in number and recent trials with lipid lowering medication have been successful without major side effects."}
{"id": "PMID:1470294", "title": "[Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty for vascular access in hemodialysis. Apropos of 53 operations].", "content": "Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty as stenosis treatment in hemodialysis arterio venous fistulae. About 53 cases. Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty was used 53 times to dilate 75 stenoses in 37 hemodialysed patients. Rate success was 85% without vascular access loss. This kind of surgery is atraumatic and permits a future \"opened surgery\"."}
{"id": "PMID:1470295", "title": "[Cyclosporine and idiopathic extramembranous glomerulopathy. Hypothesis, facts and questions in 1992].", "content": "The survey of open trials of Cyclosporin (CyA) in membranous nephropathy demonstrates that low dose CyA (4-5 mg/kg/day) given for a long term therapy (more than a year) can induce remission in 60-70% of the patients. Shorter therapy must be avoided because of the high rate of relapse after CyA withdrawal. Antiproteinuric effect of CyA does not seem to be related to an haemodynamic mechanism. Relapse of the nephrotic syndrome after CyA withdrawal after long term therapy can be observed but is far less frequent than in corticodependent nephrosis or in short term therapy with CyA. Further studies are needed to evaluate the risk of long-term nephrotoxicity and to determine what kind of patients should be treated. Controlled trials of CyA in membranous nephropathy against reference treatments are also warranted."}
{"id": "PMID:1470296", "title": "[Should adult nephrotic syndrome secondary to idiopathic extramembranous glomerulonephritis be treated? An approach by decisional analysis].", "content": "Treatment of nephrotic syndrome (without renal insufficiency) due to idiopathic membranous glomerulonephritis in adults is not clearly defined. A decisional analysis was done from data published in literature in order to define the best therapeutic choice. Three therapeutic strategies were studied: corticosteroids (either 125 mg/48 h or 30 to 60 mg/24 h), alternate therapy according to Ponticelli protocol (corticosteroids and chlorambucil), abstention of therapy. The data were divided in two groups according to the time of follow-up. The first group allows a decisional analysis for a short period of time (16 to 37 months), the second group allows this analysis for a longer period of time (54 to 65 months). The results differed according to the length of post treatment follow-up. For the shorter follow-up, corticosteroids or the association corticosteroids and chlorambucil appeared to be better than no treatment. For longer follow-up, any treatment shows an advantage in comparison to abstention of therapy. Our tentative conclusion is to propose only symptomatic treatment for this disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1470299", "title": "The aromatic amino acid decarboxylase inhibitor, NSD-1015, increases release of dopamine: response characteristics.", "content": "Addition of the aromatic amino acid decarboxylase inhibitor, NSD-1015 (10 microM), to Krebs'-Ringer phosphate (KRP) superfusion medium, significantly increased the release of dopamine in vitro from superfused corpus striatum tissue fragments of male rats. A dose-dependent increase in release of dopamine was obtained in response to increasing concentrations of NSD-1015, with 1.0 microM being the minimally effective dose. In addition to the striatum, NSD-1015 also increased the release of dopamine from superfused hypothalamic tissue fragments. This capacity of NSD-1015 to increase release of dopamine was calcium-independent, appeared to be somewhat specific and could apparently increase the release of dopamine in vivo, as indicated by increases in the release of the metabolite of dopamine, DOPAC, under conditions of push-pull perfusion. Although the putative role of NSD-1015 is as an aromatic amino acid decarboxylase inhibitor, the present results demonstrate that, either as a result of this function and/or in addition to this role, NSD-1015 is a potent activator of the release of dopamine."}
{"id": "PMID:1470300", "title": "Abstinence from U-50,488H, a kappa-opiate receptor agonist, decreases the binding of [3H]DPAT to 5-HT1A receptors in the hypothalamus of the rat.", "content": "The effect of trans-(+/-)-3,4-dichloro-N-methyl-N-[2-(1-pyrrolidinyl) cyclohexyl]-benzene-acetamide methane sulfonate (U-50,488H), a kappa-opiate agonist-induced tolerance and abstinence on 5-HT1A receptors was determined in regions of the brain and spinal cord of the rat. The administration of U-50,488H (25 mg/kg, i.p., twice daily) to male Sprague-Dawley rats for 4 days resulted in the development of almost complete tolerance to its analgesic and hypothermic effects. On day 5, the animals were divided into tolerant and abstinent groups and sacrificed. The brain and spinal cord were excised from all groups of rats and the brain was dissected into 6 regions, namely, amygdala, hypothalamus, striatum, midbrain, pons+medulla and cortex. The 5-HT1A receptors were characterized by using [3H]8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin ([3H]DPAT) as the ligand. The binding constants (Bmax and Kd values) of [3H]DPAT in regions of the brain and spinal cord of rats tolerant to U-50,488H and vehicle did not differ. However, the Bmax value of [3H]DPAT in the hypothalamus of U-50,488H-abstinent rats was decreased but the Kd value did not change. In the other regions of the brain and spinal cord of U-50,488H-abstinent rats, the Bmax and Kd values of [3H]DPAT were unaffected. Subcutaneous administration of DPAT produced hypothermic response in vehicle- and U-50,488H-treated rats. The intensity of this effect was more marked in U-50,488H-abstinent group. It is concluded that 5-HT1A receptors are down-regulated in the hypothalamus of U-50,488H-abstinent rats but the hypothermic response to 5-HT1A agonist is intensified."}
{"id": "PMID:1470301", "title": "The comparison of benzodiazepine derivatives and serotonergic agonists and antagonists in two animal models of anxiety.", "content": "The present paper compares the effects of different serotonergic agonists and antagonists with benzodiazepine derivatives in two animal models of anxiety; the Vogel's and the open-field tests. In the Vogel's conflict test, both diazepam and midazolam produced an anti-punishment action. The drugs 8-OH-DPAT (0.025 and 0.05 mg/kg), buspirone (0.62 mg/kg), gepirone and ipsapirone (0.3 and 0.62 mg/kg, respectively) increased punished intake of water. Ritanserin disinhibited the behaviour of rats at the doses of 2.5 and 5.0 mg/kg and ICS 205-930 (0.001 and 0.01 mg/kg) exerted a marked increase in punished drinking, while ondansetron was active only after the largest dose (1.5 mg/kg). In the open-field test, all drugs increased the number of entries into the central area, as well as the time spent in the central sector of the open-field. The present data indicate similar but not identical spectra of pharmacological sensitivity of both ethologically-oriented and conflict tests, for various classes of anxiolytic drugs. The 5-HT1A receptor agonists and 5-HT2 receptor antagonist have been shown to have similar anxiolytic-like profile to the benzodiazepines but in a narrower dose-range. The 5-HT3 receptor antagonists appeared to be unique in respect to their very strong anti-emotional activity (ICS 205-930), devoid of any clear-cut general inhibitory properties upon locomotion."}
{"id": "PMID:1470302", "title": "The non-competitive NMDA receptor antagonist (+)MK-801 counteracts the long-lasting attenuation of the hypothermic response induced by acute doses of 8-OH-DPAT in the rat.", "content": "The effects of acute doses of 8-hydroxy 2-(di-n-dipropylamino)tetralin (8-OH-DPAT) on the hypothermic response, induced by a challenge dose of 8-OH-DPAT, were examined in rats. Acute doses of 8-OH-DPAT (1.0 or 0.5 mg/kg, s.c.) significantly attenuated the hypothermic response induced by 8-OH-DPAT (0.05 mg/kg, s.c.). The response to 8-OH-DPAT was almost abolished between 4 hr and 4 days and the attenuation of the response lasted for 21 days. On day 28 the response had returned to the control level. The non-competitive N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist, (+)-5-methyl-10,11-dihydro-5H-dibenzo-(a,d)cyclohepten-5,10-imine [(+)MK-801], blocked this long-lasting attenuation of the 8-OH-DPAT-induced hypothermic response. Given on its own, (+)MK-801 did not reduce body temperature, at the doses used in the experiments but the drug did block the acute effects of 8-OH-DPAT, at the same doses which blocked the attenuation of the hypothermic response. The present data suggest that stimulation of glutamate NMDA receptors may underlie the long-lasting effect of acute injections of 8-OH-DPAT."}
{"id": "PMID:1470303", "title": "Antagonism of the toxicity of cocaine by MK-801: differential effects in spontaneously hypertensive and Wistar-Kyoto rats.", "content": "A putative role for endogenous excitatory amino acid systems in the mediation of the cardiovascular and toxic responses to acute administration of cocaine, was examined in spontaneously hypertensive and normal Wistar-Kyoto rats. Conscious, restrained, male hypertensive and normal rats (12 weeks of age) received either the non-competitive excitatory amino acid receptor antagonist, MK-801 (0.01-10 mg/kg, i.v.) or vehicle, 30 min prior to initiation of infusion of cocaine hydrochloride (1.25 mg/kg min, i.v.). Administration of MK-801 produced increases in mean blood pressure and heart rate in both hypertensive and normal rats. Resting rectal temperature was reduced by MK-801 only at the largest dose tested (10 mg/kg). Infusion of cocaine caused convulsions and death at doses of 27.8 +/- 2.3 and 48.2 +/- 5.7 mg/kg, respectively in the normals, and 21.2 +/- 2.5 (P < 0.05) and 31.1 +/- 3.4 (P < 0.05) in the hypertensive rats. Pretreatment with MK-801 abolished the enhanced sensitivity of the hypertensive rats to the toxicity of cocaine. The doses of cocaine required to cause death were significantly increased, in the hypertensive rats at doses > or = 0.05 mg/kg, an effect which was not evident, at any dose, in the normals. The maximally effective dose of MK-801 (0.5 mg/kg) increased the dose of cocaine required to cause lethality by 272% (P < 0.05) in the hypertensive rats; the increase produced by MK-801 in the normals (163%) was not significant. Cocaine-induced convulsions were abolished in both hypertensive and control rats with doses of MK-801 > 0.1 mg/kg.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1470304", "title": "Antioxidant and free radical scavenging activities of Gastrodia elata Bl. and Uncaria rhynchophylla (Miq.) Jacks.", "content": "Gastrodia elata Bl. (GE) and Uncaria rhynchophylla (Miq.) Jacks (UR) are two traditional Chinese medicinal herbal drugs, used for the treatment of convulsions and epilepsy. Their antioxidant effects in vivo and their free radical scavenging effects in vitro were investigated. Epileptogenic foci in the lateral brain of the rat were induced by the injection of ferric chloride into the lateral cortex. Both extracts significantly inhibited the increase in levels of lipid peroxide in the ipsilateral cortex, at all times observed. In addition, the two extracts also induced an early increase of activity of superoxide dismutase in the mitochondrial fraction of the ipsilateral cortex. In in vitro experiments, the two extracts exhibited significant dose-dependent scavenging effects on free radicals, using electron spin resonance spectroscopy. These results suggest that the proposed antiepileptic effects of GE and UR may be attributable to the antioxidant activity of the active components in these two medicinal herbs."}
{"id": "PMID:1470306", "title": "Antinociceptive and thermoregulatory actions of vasopressin are sensitive to a V1-receptor antagonist.", "content": "The involvement of arginine vasopressin (AVP) has been investigated in cold water swim (CWS) stress-induced antinociception (SIA) and CWS-induced hypothermia. The antinociceptive action of AVP (0.5 micrograms, i.c.v.) pre-CWS was antagonized by d(CH2)5Tyr(Me)AVP (0.5 micrograms, i.c.v.) but not by naloxone (5 micrograms, i.c.v.). CWS produced SIA on the hot-plate which was initially naloxone-insensitive. Neither AVP nor its antagonist had any significant effect on CWS SIA. AVP-induced increase in body temperature, during recovery from CWS-induced hypothermia, was significantly (P < 0.001) reduced in the presence of its antagonist. These findings suggest that the antinociceptive and thermoregulatory actions of AVP may be mediated via V1-receptors."}
{"id": "PMID:1470307", "title": "Resistance to insulin-induced hyperphagia in fat-preferring rats.", "content": "Outbred male Sprague-Dawley rats were screened for their macronutrient (fat, carbohydrate and protein) preference profile and divided into two groups, the low- and high fat-preferring groups each deriving 23% and 72% of its total caloric intake from fat respectively. Subcutaneous administration of bovine insulin (6U/kg) resulted in an increase in total caloric intake in the low, but not the high fat-preferring group. Furthermore, the increased caloric intake in the low fat-preferring group was entirely due to increased carbohydrate consumption. These data suggest a defect in the action of insulin in fat-preferring rats."}
{"id": "PMID:1470308", "title": "Benextramine-neuropeptide Y (NPY) binding site interactions: characterization of 3H-NPY binding site heterogeneity in rat brain.", "content": "Pre-incubation of rat brain membranes with 200 microM benextramine followed by extensive dilution and washing to remove unbound ligand reduced Bmax for N-[propionyl-3H]-NPY (3H-NPY) specific binding by 61% relative to control membranes treated identically but in the absence of benextramine. When rat brain membranes were co-incubated with 3H-NPY and 57 microM benextramine, there was a significant shift to the right; the apparent Kd for 3H-NPY binding increased two-fold relative to control membranes. These data are consistent with the hypothesis that benextramine is a competitive and irreversible ligand for a population (60-65%) of rat brain NPY binding sites. 'Paired tube' assays were then used to determine the selectivity of these benextramine-sensitive and insensitive 3H-NPY binding site populations. PYY, NPY and NPY13-36 each displaced 100% of 3H-NPY from rat brain membrane binding sites both in the absence and presence of 1 mM benextramine. In contrast, [Leu31,Pro34]NPY displayed the same binding site selectivity as benextramine in displacing 65% of 3H-NPY from specific binding sites on untreated rat brain membranes, and it failed to displace 3H-NPY from membranes treated with 1 mM benextramine. Thus the selectivity of the benextramine-insensitive 3H-NPY binding site population--PYY > = NPY > NPY13-36 >> [Leu31,Pro34]NPY--is characteristic of a Y2-like NPY binding site population, while the benextramine-sensitive 3H-NPY binding sites appear to be a Y1-like binding site population."}
{"id": "PMID:1470309", "title": "Positive inotropic effects of CGRP and isoprenaline: analogies and differences.", "content": "In guinea-pig isolated left atria, electrically stimulated at 1 Hz, isoprenaline and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) induced a positive inotropic effect in the same concentration range (0.3-100 nM). The increase in contractile tension induced by both agonists was associated with a reduction in time to peak tension and relaxation time. However CGRP was more active than isoprenaline in reducing the time to peak; this effect was more evident when the bath temperature was reduced from 30 degrees to 24 degrees C. The positive inotropic effects of isoprenaline and CGRP were potentiated by forskolin (30 nM), a direct activator of adenylcyclase; on the other hand, cholera toxin (1 microgram/ml), which irreversibly ribosylates Gs protein, did not modify the effect of CGRP, while antagonizing the concentration-response curve for isoprenaline. It is concluded that the increase in atrial contractile tension produced by isoprenaline and CGRP are linked to the adenylcyclase system in a different manner."}
{"id": "PMID:1470310", "title": "Thyroliberin (TRH) increases thymus cell proliferation in rats.", "content": "The effects of thyroliberin (TRH), a TRH-like tripeptide colon mitosis inhibitor (CMI), a somatostatin analog SMS 201-995 and metoclopramide (dopamine receptor antagonist enhancing prolactin secretion) on rat thymus cell proliferation were investigated. The incorporation of bromodeoxyuridine (BrDU) into thymic cell nuclei was used as an index of the proliferation. It was found that TRH, but not other compounds investigated herein, increased the thymus cell proliferation 12 hours after the injection."}
{"id": "PMID:1470311", "title": "Meningiomas of Meckel's cave.", "content": "A series of 16 patients with meningiomas of Meckel's cave is reported. Trigeminal neuralgia, typical or atypical, was the initial symptom in 10 patients (62.5%). At admission, trigeminal signs and symptoms were present in 15 patients (93.7%); in 7 patients (43.7%), trigeminal dysfunction was combined with the impairment of other cranial nerves. On retrospective analysis, these patients fall into two clinical groups that differ also in prognosis. Group 1 comprises eight patients with trigeminal signs and symptoms only. These patients had small meningiomas strictly affecting Meckel's cave. Total removal of the tumor was achieved in seven of eight patients, without adjunctive postoperative neurological deficits. In this group, there were no tumor recurrences. Group 2 comprises the other eight patients in whom trigeminal dysfunction was combined with impairment of other cranial nerves. These patients had large tumors arising from Meckel's cave and secondarily invading the cavernous sinus (five patients) or extending into the posterior fossa (two patients) or largely growing into the middle fossa (one patient). Total removal was achieved in only one patient, and a worsening of the preoperative neurological status was observed in four patients; there were three cases of tumor progression. A subtemporal intradural approach (used in the past in every case) is still used for the small tumors of Group 1 with good results. Since 1985, for tumors involving the cavernous sinus, we have employed a frontotemporal craniotomy with extradural clinoidectomy and superior and lateral approach to the cavernous sinus. When the tumor extends toward the posterior fossa, we use a combined temporosuboccipital-transpetrosal approach.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1470312", "title": "The transsphenoethmoid approach to the sphenoid sinus and clivus.", "content": "Surgical access to the sphenoid sinus and clivus for the resection of benign and malignant disease is difficult and is often associated with significant morbidity. The transsphenoethmoid approach, an extension of a familiar otolaryngological procedure, with or without a limited medial maxillectomy, allows access to this region with little morbidity and excellent cosmetic results. Since 1988, the transsphenoethmoid approach has been used in 15 patients at our institution for resection of primary and recurrent chordomas, chondrosarcomas, pituitary macroadenomas, repair of cerebrospinal fluid leaks, and drainage of petroclival cysts. In most instances, an ipsilateral approach is most satisfactory. When necessary, a contralateral transsphenoethmoid approach is used when the tumor is posterolateral to the internal carotid artery and as far lateral as the abducens nerve."}
{"id": "PMID:1470313", "title": "Significance of different levels of the Edinburgh 2 coma scale calculated from the outcome of neurosurgical patients.", "content": "In the management of patients with acute cerebral disturbances, it is essential to determine precisely the degree of impaired consciousness. In order to secure the accuracy of observations, one must use a reliable coma scale. We have evaluated the Edinburgh 2 coma scale (E2CS) and explored the relationship between levels of the E2CS and the final outcome. Case notes and observation charts of the past 7 years were reviewed, covering neurosurgical operations on 406 patients, in each of whom the postoperative course was evaluated periodically by the E2CS and the outcome was determined by the Glasgow outcome scale. By matching the outcome with each level of impaired consciousness, about 22,000 pairs of data were obtained. In order to quantify the morbidity rate, different stages of the Glasgow outcome scale were rated from 100 through 0, arbitrarily. It was proved that levels of the E2CS were arranged in the correct order in respect to both mortality and morbidity rates. It was shown at the same time that each level has different prognostic significance and that the distance between each level is not identical. The recommendation is made to separate the levels on a chart not by an ordinal number but by the distance calculated on the basis of either mortality or morbidity rates. This will make it possible to get a rough estimate of the patients' prognoses by simply looking at a daily clinical chart."}
{"id": "PMID:1470314", "title": "Force, fatigue, and the cross-sectional area of wrist extensor muscles after radial nerve grafting.", "content": "The force and fatigue of the wrist extensor muscles during maximal voluntary and tetanic contractions were measured and compared in the injured and noninjured extremities of 11 patients with radial nerve gap injury and in 9 normal volunteers. The cross-sectional area (CSA) of the wrist extensor muscles was determined by magnetic resonance imaging and was correlated with force. In the patient group, an average of three (range, 2-4) sural nerve cable grafts, measuring 11.5 +/- 5 cm (range, 5-20 cm) in length, were sutured to the nerve stumps at least 9 years before this study. Differences in the CSA values of the injured and noninjured arms were compared, and a ratio was established (CSAR). The mean CSAR was 82.9% +/- 14.3. These differences were not statistically significant (P > 0.10, paired t-test). Despite very well-recovered muscular mass, the maximal voluntary contraction force was found to be incompletely recovered by up to 62.7% +/- 23, when compared with the noninjured side (P < 0.05, paired t-test). The fraction maximal voluntary contraction force/CSA had decreased by up to 76.4% +/- 25.5 (P < 0.05, paired t-test). An increased fatigability of the affected muscles persisted in all patients. The patients' noninjured extremity behaved in the same way as that of the dominant extremity of normal volunteers with regard to force, lever, and CSA values.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1470315", "title": "Selective cooling of brain using profound hemodilution in dogs.", "content": "A new method of selective cooling of the brain was studied under profound hemodilution in 17 dogs. The carotid and vertebral arteries were bilaterally exposed, and the right vertebral artery was destroyed to provide an infusion route for cold solution for brain cooling. After the other three cerebral arteries were clamped simultaneously in the neck under low-dose heparinization, cold Ringer's lactate solution was immediately perfused into the right vertebral artery. Brain temperatures fell gradually in two dogs, and the experiments were terminated. In 10 dogs, the brain temperature fell to 28 degrees C within 4.4 +/- 1.5 minutes and was maintained at 27.0 +/- 1.0 degrees C for 60 minutes. During this interval, the body temperature was 33.9 +/- 1.6 degrees C, the stump pressure of the vertebral artery was 58 +/- 15 mm Hg, and the hematocrit value of cerebral venous blood was 7.2 +/- 4.2%. Inspection of the brain during infusion revealed paleness of the cortical vessels and no evidence of swelling. All animals survived in good condition until the time of death at 10 weeks. Histological examination of the brain revealed no evidence of ischemic injury. In a control study of five dogs, Ringer's solution at 38 degrees C was infused in the same manner as the cold solution. None of these dogs recovered from anesthesia. It is concluded that selective cooling of the brain under profound hemodilution has a protective effect on cerebral ischemia and provides a relatively bloodless operative field."}
{"id": "PMID:1470316", "title": "The effect of mild hypothermia on permanent focal ischemia in the rat.", "content": "The effect of mild hypothermia on cerebral injury was evaluated in a rat model of permanent middle cerebral artery (MCA) and ipsilateral carotid artery occlusion. The MCA occlusion was performed in rats at temporalis muscle temperatures of 30 degrees C, 33 degrees C, 34.5 degrees C and 36.5 degrees C (n = 10, 8, 10, and 13, respectively). The animals were kept at the desired temperature for 1 hour and rewarmed to 36.5 degrees C. In a separate group of animals (n = 11), the temperature was decreased to 33 degrees C 1 hour after performing the arterial occlusion at normothermia. These animals were rewarmed to 36.5 degrees C after another hour with side by side controls (n = 9) kept at 36.5 degrees C throughout the experiment. Twenty-four hours after the MCA occlusion, rats were killed and the percentage of infarcted right hemisphere was determined in coronal brain sections with 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride. The percentage of infarcted volume at 30 degrees C, 33 degrees C, and 34.5 degrees C (9.3 +/- 2.1%, 8.2 +/- 2.2%, and 8.4 +/- 2.2%) (SEM) was significantly smaller than at 36.5 degrees C (19.6 +/- 1.6%, P < 0.01). There were no significant differences between the hypothermic groups. When rats were cooled to 33 degrees C 1 hour after the arterial occlusion, the percentage of infarcted volume was also significantly smaller than the control group (8.0 +/- 1.8% vs. 17.4 +/- 2.1%) (P < 0.01).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1470317", "title": "Failure of cerebral blood flow-metabolism coupling after acute subdural hematoma in the rat.", "content": "We have used a recently introduced cerebral blood flow tracer, technetium-99-DL-hexamethylpropylene amine oxime, to map regional cerebral blood flow simultaneously with measurements of glucose metabolism ([14C]-2-deoxyglucose technique) using autoradiography. The technique was used to compare the acute effects of middle cerebral artery occlusion with the more complex events that occur after induction of an acute subdural hematoma (SDH) in the rat. Previous studies with this SDH model have shown that an infarction is induced in the cortex under the hematoma. In both models, the core of the infarct zone was associated with a reduction in both flow and metabolism to less than 15% of control values. In both models, the infarct core was surrounded by a band of tissue in which glucose metabolism increases by 60 to 70% and blood flow is reduced by the same amount. Global blood flow after the SDH was reduced by 14%, but remained unchanged after middle cerebral artery occlusion. In the hippocampus, a massive increase in metabolism (up to 157%) after SDH was accompanied by a paradoxical decrease in blood flow (32%). This discrepancy between blood flow and metabolism indicates loss of flow-metabolism coupling and provides a mechanism for infarct recruitment and delayed hippocampal damage after SDH."}
{"id": "PMID:1470318", "title": "Gravimetric measurements of cerebral edema in a rabbit brain tumor model.", "content": "The development of tumor-induced cerebral edema was studied in rabbits to establish a data base for future work using this brain tumor model to correlate the degree of edema with other functional and morphological parameters. The VX-2 carcinoma was implanted into the brains of New Zealand White rabbits. Animals were killed 9 and 13 days later, and gravimetric analysis was used to measure the specific gravity of gray and white matter in both the tumor-bearing implanted and contralateral nonimplanted hemispheres. Studies were conducted in untreated tumor-bearing rabbits as well as in those receiving dexamethasone daily for 4 days before death. Tumor tissue and peritumoral gray and white matter and contralateral gray and white matter were analyzed. In all cases, at both 9 and 13 days after tumor cell implantation, tumor tissue exhibited extremely high specific gravity values exceeding the range detectable by the assay procedure. Compared with controls, specific gravity values in tumor-bearing animals generally increased in gray matter and decreased in white matter as a function of tumor growth. This trend was seen in both peritumoral gray and white matter as well as in contralateral gray and white matter areas. However, in most cases, the changes in specific gravity values as compared with controls were not statistically significantly different. The primary exception to this was in peritumoral white matter, in which mean specific gravity values at both 9 and 13 days after implantation were statistically significantly lower than for the corresponding site in control non-tumor-bearing animals.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1470319", "title": "Improvement of cortical morphology in infantile hydrocephalic animals after ventriculoperitoneal shunt placement.", "content": "As a sequel to our previous descriptions of the pathological changes induced by hydrocephalus in the infantile cerebral cortex, the study presented here has evaluated the effects of surgical decompression on cortical cytology and cytoarchitecture. Hydrocephalus was induced in 14 kittens by the intracisternal injection of kaolin at 4 to 11 days of age. Nine of these hydrocephalic animals received low-pressure ventriculoperitoneal shunts at 9 to 15 days after kaolin injection; these animals were monitored preoperatively and postoperatively by ultrasound and were killed at various postshunt intervals up to 30 days. Five normal or saline-injected animals served as age-matched controls. At the time of shunt placement, the ventricular index confirmed that all recipient animals had attained moderate or severe degrees of ventriculomegaly. Within 3 days after shunt placement, the size of the lateral ventricles had decreased to control levels and was accompanied by rapid and dramatic improvements in behavior and skull ossification. When the animals were killed, gross inspection revealed that about half of the animals exhibited mild to moderate ventriculomegaly, with cortical mantles 50 to 80% their normal thickness. Tissue from frontal (primary motor), parietal (association), and occipital (primary visual) cortical areas was processed for light microscopic analysis. Pyknotic or dark shrunken neurons, which are found typically in hydrocephalic brains, were observed only occasionally in the cortex of shunted animals. Gliosis and mild edema were prevalent, however, in the periventricular white matter. The laminae of the cerebral cortex could be identified in all shunted animals. In those animals with mild residual ventriculomegaly, the entire cortical mantle was somewhat compressed, as evidenced by an increased packing density of neurons. Furthermore, the somata of some neurons were disoriented. Overall, these results indicate that most of the morphological characteristics of the cerebral cortex are preserved after surgical decompression and suggest that ventriculoperitoneal shunts may prevent neuronal damage and/or promote neuronal repair."}
{"id": "PMID:1470320", "title": "Pull-out strength of Caspar cervical screws.", "content": "Anterior cervical instrumentation as an adjunct to bone fusion has an important role in cervical spine surgery. Posterior vertebral body cortex purchase is strongly recommended in the use of the Caspar system, although few biomechanical data exist to validate this requirement. In this study, Caspar screws were placed in 43 human cadaveric cervical vertebral bodies, either putting them into the posterior vertebral cortex as identified radiographically or penetrating it by 2 mm as recommended in the literature. Pull-out tests were conducted with tension applied to a connected plate at 0.25 mm/s, and force-deformation data were obtained. Failure typically occurred with clean pull-out; in most instances, cancellous bone remained attached to screw threads. Mean load without posterior cortical purchase was 375 +/- 53 N; with penetration it was 411 +/- 70 N. These differences were nonsignificant. Average deformation to failure was 1.41 +/- 0.10 mm in the group without posterior cortical penetration. In the posterior penetration group, mean deformation was 1.56 +/- 0.16 mm. Again, differences were not significant. Posterior cortical penetration does not improve the pull-out strength of Caspar screws in an isolated vertebral body model, but other biomechanical studies need to be done before insertion methods are altered."}
{"id": "PMID:1470321", "title": "Intraorbital ophthalmic artery aneurysm: case report.", "content": "A rare case is presented of a nonruptured aneurysm of the intraorbital ophthalmic artery in which successful resection of the aneurysm resulted in improvement of preoperative progressive signs caused by the mass effect of the aneurysm. The surgical management of this rare entity is discussed with special attention given to the collateral circulation of the ophthalmic artery from the external carotid artery."}
{"id": "PMID:1470322", "title": "Focal dystonia secondary to cavernous angioma of the basal ganglia: case report and review of the literature.", "content": "The case of a young woman with focal dystonia of the hand due to a cavernous angioma of the basal ganglia is presented. The lesion involved the anterior third of the lentiform nucleus and a large portion of white matter anterior to this nucleus and lateral to the head of the caudate, as shown by magnetic resonance imaging; it was completely removed through a computed tomography-assisted stereotactic craniotomy by microsurgical technique, resulting in the cure of the patient. These facts support the pathophysiological hypothesis of a disruption of the striatopallidothalamic projection to the premotor cortex as the cause of symptomatic dystonia. A review of the reported cases of cavernous angiomas of the deep cerebral gray nuclei shows that this is the first case of cavernous angioma associated with movement disorder."}
{"id": "PMID:1470323", "title": "Histologically benign recurrent meningioma metastasizing to the parotid gland: case report and review of the literature.", "content": "This report presents a very rare case of metastatic meningioma of the parotid gland from a recurring intracranial lesion. The primary tumor, intracranial residues, and parotid metastasis were histologically benign. Meningiomas rarely metastasize; even rarer are cases in which both the primary and the secondary tumors have benign histological characteristics. The 11 cases reported in the literature have been critically reviewed. The case we present is noteworthy also for the exceptional localization of the metastasis in the parotid gland."}
{"id": "PMID:1470324", "title": "Reversibility of cerebral atrophy after head injury in children.", "content": "Reversible cerebral atrophy in humans has been documented by computed tomography in alcoholics and has been described as an incidental finding after head injury in children. Two children were studied who had sustained a severe closed head injury, 1 and 5 years previously, after which cerebral atrophy had developed, according to subacute computed tomography. Reversible cerebral atrophy was seen on magnetic resonance images of both patients. Despite normal appearance on magnetic resonance images more than 1 year after injury, both patients exhibited residual neuropsychological impairment on a broad range of cognitive and memory tests."}
{"id": "PMID:1470325", "title": "Segmental neurofibromatosis of the sciatic nerve: case report.", "content": "A case of rare segmental neurofibromatosis is presented. Multiple neurofibromas along the right sciatic nerve were found. Other typical manifestations of neurofibromatosis were absent. By microsurgical dissection, it was possible to remove the neurofibromas from the nerve trunks and to preserve all motor and sensory functions. Classification of the different neurofibromatosis types is briefly reviewed. The problems of resection of benign major nerve trunk tumors in neurofibromatosis are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1470326", "title": "En bloc resection of an ethmoid carcinoma involving the orbit and medial wall of the cavernous sinus.", "content": "The involvement of the cavernous sinus by malignant tumors has limited their surgical treatment. We report here a successful en bloc resection of an invasive ethmoid carcinoma involving the cavernous sinus in a 46-year-old man. To prepare for surgery on this patient, a cadaver study was performed to investigate the feasibility of en bloc cavernous sinus resection and reconstruction. The preoperative evaluation, operative approach, and postoperative management are presented."}
{"id": "PMID:1470327", "title": "e-PTFE ventricular shunt catheters.", "content": "The perfect polymer surface for implantation should resist the adhesion of bacteria while producing no reaction in surrounding tissues. Silicone elastomer is a common material used for medical implantation devices. This material is superior to most available for implantation because of its flexibility and low, but detectable, tissue reaction. We have evaluated a flexible, expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (e-PTFE) ventricular catheter for cerebrospinal fluid shunting and have found that although e-PTFE is safe for cerebral implantation, the porosity of the material allows tissue ingrowth that obstructs the lumen. Our limited clinical evaluation of 5-microns internodal distance e-PTFE revealed that this open-cell structure, allowing tissue ingrowth, apparently is a poor candidate to replace silicone elastomer in cerebrospinal fluid shunting devices. However, further investigation may provide a polymer superior to silicone elastomer to create a cerebrospinal fluid shunt."}
{"id": "PMID:1470333", "title": "Clinical analysis of a series of vertebral aneurysm cases.", "content": "We reviewed 38 cases of aneurysms of the vertebral artery treated over the last 10 years: 26 (68%) located at the junction of the vertebral and posterior inferior cerebellar arteries, 10 (26%) at the vertebral artery, and 2 (5%) at the vertebrobasilar union. There were three distinct forms of aneurysms: 20 saccular (53%), 10 fusiform (26%), and 8 dissecting (21%). Among these 38 aneurysms, 33 (87%) had ruptured: 18 of the saccular aneurysms (90%), all 10 of the fusiform aneurysms (100%), and 5 of the dissecting aneurysms (63%). Computed tomography of the 28 ruptured aneurysms revealed diffuse subarachnoid hemorrhage in the basal cistern combined with intraventricular hemorrhage in 24 cases (86%). Magnetic resonance imaging was useful for differentiating between fusiform and dissecting aneurysms. Abnormalities such as a double lumen of the vertebral artery were demonstrated in four of the dissecting aneurysms. The overall surgical results were good for 22 of the 27 surgically treated cases (81%). New bleeding was observed in 8 (24%) of the 33 ruptured aneurysms. The rate of new bleeding was high (60%) in the patients with dissecting aneurysms, and occurred mostly in the acute stage. The incidence of vasospasm was 27%, and only two patients suffered permanent neurological deficits. These findings indicate that the rate of new bleeding tends to be high in patients with saccular and dissecting aneurysms, and thus, they should be treated as early as possible. A preoperative balloon occlusion test should be conducted if proximal occlusion of the vertebral artery is necessary, since proximal occlusion is not always safe, despite angiographic evidence of sufficient contralateral arterial flow."}
{"id": "PMID:1470334", "title": "Saccular aneurysms of the distal anterior cerebral artery and its branches.", "content": "We report a series of 84 consecutive patients (41 women) with 92 distal anterior cerebral artery aneurysms (DACAA). All aneurysms were saccular. Four different locations of DACAAs were found: proximal, 5 aneurysms; frontobasal, 8; genu corporis callosi, 72; and distal, 7. Sixty-five patients presented with subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), the rest were incidental findings in patients with multiple aneurysms. Forty-five patients had single DACAAs. Multiple aneurysms (a total of 117) were found in 39 patients (46.4%), and DACAAs were responsible for SAH in 20 patients. Of the 65 patients with SAH, 54 underwent mainly early direct surgery, and 46 (85%) of these had good outcomes 1 year after surgery. Three patients remained severely disabled, and five patients (9%) died. All of the poor surgical results were obtained in patients with severe preoperative deficits. Exact measurements of DACAA sizes and necks were smaller than those of cerebral aneurysms in other locations. Aside from localization, microsurgery of these aneurysms presented no special difficulties, as compared with surgery of aneurysms in other locations."}
{"id": "PMID:1470335", "title": "Personal and extrapersonal space: a case of neglect dissociation.", "content": "Dissociation between personal and extrapersonal neglect has rarely been observed in man. In this study we present a case of severe personal neglect in the absence of a deficit for extrapersonal space. An extensive neuropsychological assessment demonstrates the absence of cognitive impairments in visuo-spatial processing and confirms the selective presence of a severe representational deficit of the left side of the body."}
{"id": "PMID:1470336", "title": "Inflexibility of mental planning: a characteristic disorder with prefrontal lobe lesions?", "content": "Inflexibility of mental planning processes has repeatedly been discussed to represent a specific disorder resulting from human frontal lobe lesions. Patient groups suffering from acute or chronic unilateral frontal (medial, lateral) or retrorolandic (temporal, parietal) lesions and nonbrain-damaged controls were requested to mirror and to reverse mentally a maze structure that had been learned by the covered maze presentation technique (KARNATH et al., Neuropsychologia 29, 271-290, 1991). The patients with acute frontal lesions were impaired to adapt the acquired mental plan to the new (but related) problem and made more errors than those with acute temporal or parietal lesions and controls. However, no impaired plan modification was detected in patients with chronic frontal brain lesions. The difference of task performance in the acute and chronic (recovered) stage of frontal brain damage is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1470337", "title": "Defensive responses to looming visual stimuli in monkeys with unilateral striate cortex ablation.", "content": "A number of residual visual functions including detection, localization and discrimination of visual stimuli, have been demonstrated in the \"blind\" fields of monkeys and human patients following damage to striate cortex. We report here that avoidance movements of the head can also be elicited from monkeys with unilateral striate cortex ablations when a \"looming\" stimulus is presented within the hemianopic and presumably \"blind\" field. The possible role of the retinofugal projection to superior colliculus in the mediation of these defensive head movements is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1470338", "title": "Dichotic listening: what does it measure?", "content": "Auditory lateralization was investigated in 26 right-handed and 26 left-handed, normal subjects using seven different dichotic listening tests in each proband (free recall of digit lists, free recall of consonant-vowel (CV) syllables, four different CV syllable monitoring paradigms, and free recall of Morse codes). Reliabilities calculated with the formula of Spearman-Brown were low for digit recall (0.29, corrected for test length: 0.50), but good for CV recall (0.83), CV monitoring (0.75-0.88), and Morse code recall (0.50, corrected for test length: 0.88). Nevertheless, interest correlations were low, both for right- and left-handers (negative correlations ranging from -0.44 to -0.05, positive correlations ranging from 0.01 to 0.51). Only 38-77% of the right-handed and left-handed subjects retained one direction of ear advantage across any combination of two tests. The data suggest that different dichotic tests reveal different results. This may be due to psychometric, procedural, or phonetic properties. We conclude that individual predictions of language dominance are not justified using the dichotic tests evaluated in the present study."}
{"id": "PMID:1470339", "title": "Parallels between asymmetries of Planum temporale and of hand skill.", "content": "Relationships between the skill of each hand and differences between the hands are described for a sample of 14-15-year-olds representative of the general population. The description is modelled on the account of Galaburda et al. (Neuropsychologia 25, 853-868, 1987) of relationships between asymmetries of the Planum Temporale (PT) and measures of PT area on each side, in order to show parallels between findings for the two types of asymmetry. For both PT and hand skill, the extent of asymmetry appears to depend on the greater variability of the weaker side rather than of the larger or \"better\" side. The findings are also described as a replication of the study of hand skill in children by Annett and Manning (Br. J. Psychol. 80, 213-226, 1989). As no score transformations were needed in the present sample, the grounds for doubt raised by Bishop (Handedness and Developmental Disorder, Blackwell, Oxford, 1990) about the earlier sample are removed. Repetition of the analyses for right-handed and left-handed writers separately demonstrates very close similarities for findings in the two hand preference groups. Theories about the mechanisms responsible for asymmetries appear to require the presence of factors which reduce brain area and hand skill on one side. For most people the reduction is to the right PT and to the left hand."}
{"id": "PMID:1470340", "title": "Factor analysis and the cerebral hemispheres: temporal, occipital and frontal functions.", "content": "Three experiments are reported that use a number of lateralized tasks believed to draw on processes localized to the temporal, occipital or frontal lobes. Oblique factor analyses of the resultant asymmetries indicate the existence of nine lateralized functions, characterized as auditory lexical, facial figural, facial motive, spatial attentive, spatial positional, spatial quantitative, tactile figural, visual lexical, and visual phonetic in nature. Most functions are uncorrelated, but as in an earlier report (Boles, Neuropsychologia 29, 59-91, 1991), both positive and negative correlations are observed. These outcomes continue to be consistent with neurodevelopmental theory, and inconsistent with lateralization strength, hemisphericity, and independence views of individual differences in lateralization."}
{"id": "PMID:1470341", "title": "Early rightwards orienting of attention on simple reaction time performance in patients with left-sided neglect.", "content": "A specific disruption in the ability to automatically disengage attention from its previous focus has been hypothesized to account for the extinction phenomenon often observed in the unilateral spatial neglect syndrome. Recent literature, however, also brings out the role played in neglect by an imbalance in the attentional orienting systems, resulting in an early shift of attention towards the side of space ipsilateral to the brain lesion. In the present study we hypothesized that this attentional bias in orienting of attention might be demonstrated in a paradigm of simple reaction time to lateralized visual stimuli by contrasting the presence vs the absence on the computer screen of the square boxes used to facilitate position expectancy. A main prediction was made that patients with neglect would show a significant increase in reaction time to contralateral visual stimuli in the presence of bilateral reference boxes as compared to conditions in which no boxes were displayed. The right-sided box was in fact expected to exert an early attraction on the patient's attention, thus modifying the pattern of reaction times to the proper targets. This prediction was confirmed in right brain-damaged patients with moderate to severe neglect."}
{"id": "PMID:1470346", "title": "Effect of oat bran consumption on total serum cholesterol levels in healthy adults.", "content": "The effect of oat bran on total nonfasting serum cholesterol levels in healthy adults was studied. Twenty volunteers whose cholesterol levels were greater than 200 mg/dl consumed 3 ounces of oat bran daily for 93 days in addition to their normal dietary intake. Rescreenings were conducted at days 31, 62, and 93. Repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed no significant difference in total serum cholesterol levels over the four consecutive screenings (a = 0.05, p = 0.054), although ANOVA for polynomial trends revealed a significant difference in total serum cholesterol levels across time (a = 0.05, p = 0.007) (quadratic effect). The interaction of gender with time revealed no significant difference. Thus, it is concluded from this study that daily addition of oat bran to the diet does not significantly lower total cholesterol levels for a sustained period of time."}
{"id": "PMID:1470347", "title": "The costing out of operational expenses between the Veterans Administration and the Air Force at the New Mexico Regional Federal Medical Center.", "content": "The purpose of this pilot study was to identify the cost of providing care to Veterans Administration (VA) and Department of Defense (DOD) patients eligible for care in the Emergency Department of the New Mexico Regional Federal Medical Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Medical records for the Emergency Department (N = 456) were reviewed for individual medical supply item and medication usage. Cost data were then tabulated for each item and each group, respectively. The results indicated that the DOD and VA shared equally in the consumption of expendable medical supply and medication funds in the Emergency Department."}
{"id": "PMID:1470348", "title": "Prodromal signs and precipitating factors in attempted suicide.", "content": "What characterizes the presuicidal phase of suicide attempters in a military population? And what precipitates their suicidal action? These questions were investigated in a sample of 112 male suicide-attempting conscripts serving in the Norwegian Armed Forces. One-half of the subjects had shown behavioral signs such as isolation or aggression, over 80% displayed psychiatric symptoms. A majority verbally expressed their psychic problems, but few had explicitly stated suicidal ideas. Two major clusters of suicide precipitants were identified. Loss traumas were recorded in one-third of cases, some sort of conflict situation in 40% of cases. Implications for suicide preventive measures are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1470349", "title": "Syncope in military formations: a persistent problem.", "content": "Syncope of personnel standing in ranks during a military ceremony is an all too common occurrence. An episode of syncope can have serious and sometimes long-lasting medical consequences in addition to disrupting the ceremony and causing embarrassment for the individual involved. This article will discuss the pathophysiology and contributing factors, common injuries which can result, immediate on-scene treatment, and recommendations as to how this phenomenon might be prevented."}
{"id": "PMID:1470350", "title": "Seroprevalence of hepatitis A, B, and C in a United States military recruit population.", "content": "One thousand five hundred thirty-eight U.S. Navy and Marine Corps enlisted recruits were tested for hepatitis A, B, and C serologic markers. The recruit population (mean age, 19 years) was 91% male, 69% white, 17% black, 9% Hispanic, 2% Filipino, and 2% \"other\" racial/ethnic group. Anti-HAV was found in 129 (8.4%) recruits, anti-HBc in 35 (2.3%), HBsAg in 5 (0.3%), and anti-HCV in 4 (0.3%). For recruits born in the U.S., the prevalence of anti-HAV and anti-HBc was 5.5% and 1.3%, respectively; for the 7% of recruits born outside the U.S., the prevalence was 44.9% and 14.0%, respectively. By logistic regression analysis, seropositivity for hepatitis A and B was independently associated with age, nonwhite racial/ethnic groups, and birth outside of the U.S. This study indicates that there is a relatively low risk of hepatitis A, B, and C infection among Navy and Marine Corps recruits."}
{"id": "PMID:1470351", "title": "Experience with a partnership program for cardiac surgery at a regional military medical center.", "content": "A Partnership Program between USAF Medical Center, Wright-Patterson (WPAFB) and Miami Valley Hospital (MVH), Dayton, Ohio, was created through CHAMPUS to provide cardiac surgical services for eligible patients. During the first year of this program, 82 patients underwent 89 percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) procedures. Sixty-one patients underwent cardiac surgery at WPAFB, 50 were referred to MVH due to ineligibility or other reasons, and five were referred to other military or civilian hospitals. The program has been successful with low morbidity and mortality (3%). Cost savings for PTCAs was $241,853 and for cardiac surgery was $462,046."}
{"id": "PMID:1470352", "title": "An educational report: the mechanics of geriatric assessment in a military community-based family practice residency.", "content": "Over the past several years, increasing emphasis has been placed on geriatric training in family practice residency programs. Because geriatric assessment is an important educational concept, we elected to start an inpatient geriatric assessment program at our community-based military family practice residency. Our experience is outlined here."}
{"id": "PMID:1470353", "title": "The effect of an increased index of suspicion on the diagnosis of pneumothorax in the critically ill.", "content": "The impact of specialized training in critical care producing a heightened index of suspicion for the diagnosis of pneumothorax in intensive care unit (ICU) patients was prospectively examined. During a 12-month period, 28 ICU patients were found to have a pneumothorax. Nine of the 28 patients with pneumothorax (32%) were initially misdiagnosed by physicians who neither received specialized training in critical care nor routinely cared for critically ill patients. Six of these nine initially misdiagnosed pneumothoraces (67%) were correctly diagnosed by a physician with specialized training and experience in critical care medicine prior to any clinical deterioration in the condition of the patients. This study suggests that specialized training and experience in the management of critically ill patients can significantly improve upon the diagnosis of pneumothorax in these patients and limit the occurrence of tension pneumothorax in the same patient population."}
{"id": "PMID:1470354", "title": "The content of outpatient family practice care in an Army community hospital: one physician's three-year experience.", "content": "The purpose of this pilot study was to describe the 3-year experience of ambulatory medical care provided by one family physician in an Army community hospital. Data collected at each outpatient visit included the patient's age, race, gender, problems actively addressed, and procedures. There were 7,895 outpatient visits, representing 3,665 patients and 2,292 families. Of the 13,158 problems recorded, the 10 most frequent were pregnancy care, general medical examination, alcohol and tobacco use, hypertension, depression/anxiety, contraception, otitis media, acute upper respiratory infection, vaginitis, and headache. Further studies should be done to validate this pilot study."}
{"id": "PMID:1470355", "title": "Rapid host nation medical deployment.", "content": "Rapid development of land-based units in Operation Desert Shield/Storm presented critical needs for medical support. Integration of small Navy mobile medical teams in Bahrain and a larger United States Army Hospital unit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, at host nation hospitals presented an innovative method of providing this support. The success of these ventures in convenience and quality of care establishes the host nation interaction with military medical professionals as a workable, satisfying, and important adjunct to standard military medical care."}
{"id": "PMID:1470356", "title": "Multi-institutional privileging: a pilot demonstration project of the United States Navy and the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations.", "content": "The U.S. Navy and the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations have undertaken a 3-year multi-institutional privileging project. The concept involves granting privileges in one Navy facility that are recognized throughout the system during the staff appointment period. It entails: (1) use of specialty-specific standardized privilege lists, (2) designation of one authority at a time to grant the appointment with privileges, (3) use of a single credentials file during the practitioner's career, and (4) medical staff bylaws applicable to the entire system. The concept is potentially useful in other armed services, the Veterans Administration, and some civilian systems."}
{"id": "PMID:1470357", "title": "Nursing research priorities for the care of the naval hospital patient: a Delphi survey.", "content": "The purpose of this study was to identify priorities for nursing research in a naval hospital using the Delphi technique. A general objective was to provide empirically based information to guide the development of a nursing research program at a regional medical treatment facility. Via a three-round Delphi survey, priority research questions were identified for the nursing department of a naval regional medical treatment facility. A serendipitous result was the identification of nursing research priorities within a deployed naval fleet hospital."}
{"id": "PMID:1470358", "title": "Female health care during Operation Desert Storm: the Eighth Evacuation Hospital experience.", "content": "Little has been published concerning female soldiers' health care during combat. Therefore, a retrospective review of the Eighth Evacuation Hospital's gynecological records was performed while involved in Operation Desert Shield/Storm. Additionally, a health care survey was distributed to female soldiers. This review revealed that a large part of the hospital's gynecological resources during this conflict were employed treating preventable conditions. These problems could have been avoided if appropriate measures had been taken prior to deployment. It was concluded that all female soldiers should be required to undergo a gynecological health care screen prior to deployments."}
{"id": "PMID:1470359", "title": "Vocal cord dysfunction during wartime.", "content": "Vocal cord dysfunction (VCD) often masquerades as asthma. The diagnosis is rarely suspected, but should be considered in cases of asthma that present atypically or that fail to respond to standard therapy. The frequency of VCD would be expected to increase during times of stress, including periods of war, since it is thought to be a conversion reaction. A high level of suspicion for VCD is essential to make the diagnosis so as to avoid unnecessary, potentially toxic medications and to direct the patient to prompt psychiatric care, which along with speech therapy, is the cornerstone of care."}
{"id": "PMID:1470360", "title": "Gastric Hodgkin's disease: recurrence after autologous bone marrow transplant.", "content": "Gastric involvement in Hodgkin's disease is rare. A case of gastric Hodgkin's disease occurring after autologous bone marrow transplantation is presented. A retrospective review of 339 cases of Hodgkin's disease in the Tumor Registry at Brooke Army Medical Center revealed six additional cases of documented gastric involvement. These six cases plus the case report are reviewed as well as the available literature on gastric Hodgkin's disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1470362", "title": "Intracerebral hematoma localization and removal using intraoperative ultrasound.", "content": "Intraoperative ultrasound can be used to localize central nervous system lesions such as hematomas, abscesses, aneurysms, and tumors. High-resolution transducers can differentiate between the echogenic pattern of the normal brain parenchyma and the abnormal pattern of the lesion. When removal of the lesion is necessary, ultrasound can provide an accurate means of localization and immediate evaluation of the surgical site. The following case is presented as an example of the growing use of ultrasound in neurosurgery."}
{"id": "PMID:1470370", "title": "Military operations at moderate altitude: effects on physical performance.", "content": "The purpose of this study was to examine changes in select anaerobic and aerobic dependent physical performance tasks in U.S. Marines exposured to field operations at moderate altitude. The subjects (N = 16) completed Wingate anaerobic power, submaximal aerobic cycle ergometry, hand grip strength, and push-up tests on three separate occasions. Testing sessions occurred at sea level, at altitude after a 10-day acclimatization period (immediately before field operations), and at altitude immediately after 4.5 days of field operations. Anaerobic power was significantly (p < 0.05) reduced after the field operations at altitude. In contrast, the aerobic cost of doing submaximal exercise was slightly elevated (p < 0.05) after the altitude field operations. No physiologically significant effect was noted for hand grip or push-up results. The findings of this study indicate that field operations at moderate altitude do result in slight, but significant, anaerobic-aerobic performance decrement in U.S. Marines."}
{"id": "PMID:1470371", "title": "Heightened anxiety in Army Reserve nurses anticipating mobilization during Operation Desert Storm.", "content": "Research was conducted in January 1991 to compare anxiety levels of Army Reserve and civilian registered nurses and to identify factors contributing to high anxiety. It was predicted that anxiety would be greater in reservist nurses who were anticipating mobilization during Operation Desert Storm. This hypothesis was supported through the examination of t test statistical analyses and stepwise multiple regression, which demonstrated that years of military service, gender, and the presence and number of children in nurses' families related to higher anxiety levels. Army Reserve nurses identified separation from loved ones and financial concerns as the largest contributors to anxiety, while significant interventions for alleviating anxiety included detailed and consistent information from Army commands."}
{"id": "PMID:1470372", "title": "Psychiatric hospitalization: treatment or triage?", "content": "We examined the outcome of active duty psychiatric inpatients (N = 101) 2 years after admission. Most patients were young with minor diagnoses (adjustment disorders), yet only 20% were still on active duty 2 years later. This compared poorly with national retention rates for all lengths of time in service (p < 0.0001). Longer time in service and low severity of diagnosis predicted a better outcome. We discuss implications of these findings."}
{"id": "PMID:1470373", "title": "Tobacco habits, lifestyle, and reactions to smoking restrictions among Norwegian military officers.", "content": "A 1989 cross-sectional study revealed that Norwegian army and air force officers smoked considerably less than civilian men. The prevalence of smokeless tobacco use, on the other hand, was higher than among civilians and similar to that of conscripted soldiers. Reactions to new smoking restrictions were largely neutral, but smokers were more negative than non-smokers. A majority of the officers reported low compliance with smoking regulations. Smokers generally belonged to the oldest cohorts and had less education, higher alcohol consumption, less physical activity, and more unhealthy dietary habits than the other subjects, whereas snuff use was more common among the youngest and more healthy officers. This indicates that the health hazards of prolonged snuff use are underestimated, and that this habit may gain increased popularity if nothing is done to prevent it. Intervention strategies are suggested."}
{"id": "PMID:1470374", "title": "Comparisons of wartime and peacetime disease and non-battle injury rates aboard ships of the British Royal Navy.", "content": "Disease and non-battle injury rates were computed for ships of the British Royal Navy which were deployed during wartime and peacetime operations. The wartime sick list admission rates were lower aboard carriers, battleships, and cruisers when compared with their counterparts deployed in peacetime; rate differences for battleships and cruisers were statistically significant (p < 0.05). Several categories of disease also yielded significant differences in the wartime/peacetime contrasts. Infections and parasitic disorders aboard carriers, skin diseases aboard battleships, and skin diseases, injuries, and generative system disorders occurring on cruisers were all lower during wartime than on peacetime deployments. Illness rates also varied by ship type, with the lowest rates evidenced aboard carriers."}
{"id": "PMID:1470375", "title": "Childhood physical and sexual abuse and failure to complete military basic training.", "content": "Forty percent of a group of 25 military basic trainees discharged from training for mental health reasons admitted histories of childhood physical and/or sexual abuse. In a control group of 25 successful trainees, only 1 gave a history of abuse. Consistent with published studies of childhood abuse in psychiatric patient samples, women in our discharge group were more likely to report abuse histories than men. Perpetrators were usually reported as non-biological male family members of the respective victims. The authors conclude that adult survivors of childhood abuse appear to be less able to tolerate the stresses of military basic training, and discuss the need for identifying and therapeutically assisting these individuals during their training."}
{"id": "PMID:1470376", "title": "Upper respiratory disease in deployed U.S. Navy shipboard personnel.", "content": "A study was conducted to determine the risk of upper respiratory disease among deployed U.S. Navy shipboard personnel. Between January and June 1989, a Patient Encounter Form was used to collect disease information from 10 U.S. Navy ships. Patients with a diagnosis of upper respiratory infection (URI) on initial sick-call visit were used in this study. Information on time spent in various ports and time at sea for each of the 10 ships was also collected. A classification scheme was developed to permit daily estimates of URI rates and to indicate whether the ship was in port or at sea. Of 967 cases of URI, 64.4% occurred while at sea, with an average daily rate of 0.5/1,000 crew members; 35.4% of the cases occurred while in port, with an average daily rate of 0.4/1,000 crew members. There was an increase in URI rates after 9 days at sea or in port. These data suggest that there are defined periods of increased transmission of upper respiratory infections aboard ships, both at sea and in port."}
{"id": "PMID:1470377", "title": "Color vision testing for the U.S. Naval Academy.", "content": "Normal color vision is a prerequisite for admission to the United States Naval Academy. The Farnsworth Lantern (FALANT) is the Navy's definitive test for color vision. A FALANT is not available at many locations where candidates are examined, so satisfactory performance on pseudoisochromatic plates has been considered an acceptable alternative. Until recently, the Farnsworth Dichotomous Test Panel D-15 had also been used as an alternative test, but is now considered unacceptable. In the summer of 1991, a large number of candidates reported for induction who were unable to pass the FALANT. Since their screening physical examinations had been reported to show normal color vision, a shadow of doubt was cast upon the ability of the alternative tests to predict performance on the FALANT. Four hundred subjects were then tested on several color vision tests to determine if these tests could predict FALANT success. The results of this study and recommendations are presented."}
{"id": "PMID:1470378", "title": "Training resident surgeons in combat: an experience during the Persian Gulf War.", "content": "The Persian Gulf War necessitated the activation of many Army Reserve and National Guard physicians, including a number in residency training. No prototype existed for the continued training of resident surgeons in a combat setting. The 159th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital (MASH) deployed in support of the Allied invasion of Iraq. A structured training program for two general surgery residents attached to the 159th MASH was developed and implemented. This program combined supervised operating room experience, perioperative management, morbidity and mortality conferences, and orthopedic grand rounds, all with careful professional documentation. A planned reading program could not be realized, due to the physical setting of wartime. Residents and attending staff interacted positively and the residents were able to continue their formal training as an integral part of the hospital. The model developed by the 159th MASH is a practical method of continuing structured resident training in a combat setting."}
{"id": "PMID:1470379", "title": "Position change: effects on electrocardiograms in COPD patients.", "content": "The effects of the supine and the 45 degrees angle position were tested for the effect of electrocardiograms of 28 COPD patients. No significant differences were found in five EKG parameters: AXIS, PR interval, QRS duration, QT interval, and diagnostic interpretation. A comfort scale was administered to the sample population. Most (89.2%, N = 25) of the patients preferred the 45 degrees angle position; 17.2% (N = 2) felt the supine position to be more comfortable. Implications for research, theory, and practice are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1470381", "title": "Important AMSUS anniversaries.", "content": "The article discusses important upcoming anniversaries of the historical development of the modern day Association of Military Surgeons of the United States (AMSUS) and its medical journal Military Medicine. It does this through chronicling the successive, antecedent military medical and dental associations and their journals which amalgamated to form AMSUS. It follows the development of the Association and the journal from the oldest constituent society."}
{"id": "PMID:1470382", "title": "War crimes during the Persian Gulf War.", "content": "Evidence of violations of the 1949 Geneva Conventions by Iraq's military personnel during Desert Shield and Desert Storm are described and adverse effects on the Kuwaiti health care delivery system are discussed. New diplomatic and military initiatives that include education and accountability are needed to ensure better compliance with international conventions designed to protect victims of war."}
{"id": "PMID:1470383", "title": "Exuberant local tissue reaction to intramuscular injection of nandrolone decanoate (Deca-Durabolin)--a steroid compound in a sesame seed oil base--mimicking soft tissue malignant tumors: a case report and review of the literature.", "content": "We present an unusual pseudotumor that formed in reaction to self-administered intramuscular injections of an anabolic steroid, nandrolone decanoate (Deca-Durabolin) in a young soldier. The histopathologic features which closely mimicked several malignant neoplasms could have led to an incorrect diagnosis of malignancy and unnecessary extensive surgery. To our knowledge, this phenomenon has not been previously reported."}
{"id": "PMID:1470384", "title": "Successful treatment of multiple organ system failure in a wartime environment: a case report from Operation Desert Storm.", "content": "Military weapons produce massive traumatic injuries. Multiple organ system failure can be expected to occur frequently as a result of such injuries. This case report from the recent conflict with Iraq is representative of wartime injuries and complications and the positive impact of modern intensive care capability on such injuries. Availability of critical care in future conflicts is essential."}
{"id": "PMID:1470385", "title": "The traumatic bone cyst: review of literature and report of two cases.", "content": "The traumatic bone cyst, seen by clinicians both physician and dentist alike, is a well recognized yet poorly understood entity whose pathogenesis remains obscure. Generally asymptomatic, this lesion is most often found as an incidental finding on routine radiographic survey. Its diagnosis, however, is important to rule out more significant pathology. A brief review of pertinent literature and two new cases of traumatic bone cyst have been presented, including an infrequently reported case of traumatic bone cysts occurring bilaterally in the mandible."}
{"id": "PMID:1470386", "title": "Parapneumonic pleural effusions and empyemas: a plea for early drainage.", "content": "Parapneumonic effusions are relatively common sequelae of pneumonias. Occasionally, parapneumonic effusions will lead to empyemas. If these fluid collections are not aggressively drained in a timely manner, they will become loculated, placing the patient at risk for septic complications. Two cases of parapneumonic empyemas with delayed drainage eventually requiring thoracotomy and decortication are presented. These cases illustrate the need for early, complete drainage of parapneumonic empyemas to avoid septic complications and unnecessary surgery."}
{"id": "PMID:1470387", "title": "Dermatobia hominis infestation: a case report.", "content": "The hazards presented by the Central American tropical environment are myriad. We report a case of cutaneous myiasis caused by the human botfly, Dermatobia hominis, in a soldier who had participated in military operations in Central America. The clinical presentation, treatment, and unique life cycle of the human botfly is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1470389", "title": "[The atheromatous-fibrous plaque studied by cytofluorimetry].", "content": "Atherosclerosis is the most frequent disease in the majority of cardiovascular arteries. It is a complex disease with peculiar characteristics, including its principal localisation in the inner stratum of the artery (the intima). The paper examines 36 atherosclerotic lesions in elderly patients in which the presence of stenosing atherosclerotic plaque had been diagnosed. The presence of replicating DNA was demonstrated using flow cytometry together with a proliferative phenomenon within the fibrous-atherosclerotic plaque due to an hypothesised migration of smooth muscle cells inside the intima, leading to the final result, a gradual restriction of the arterial gauge and consequent alteration to blood flow. The plaques examined were localised at the bifurcation of the carotid artery, an area in which it is easier to find the physical and biochemical factors facilitating platelet adhesion, which together with other cells produce mitogenic activity since they release growth factors and create the conditions for the proliferation of fibrous tissue."}
{"id": "PMID:1470388", "title": "[Mitral prolapse and the ergometric findings].", "content": "In evaluating the significance of arrhythmias and ECG changes during exercise, 42 consecutive patients (pts) with mitral valve prolapse (MVP) underwent a symptom-limited cycloergometer Exercise Stress Test (EST) with load increase of 25 watts every 3 minutes. Eight patients (19%) were positive for anamnestic cardiopalm. The patients were divided in 2 groups, according to echocardiographic evidence of the MPV: group A (12 patients, mean age 32 +/- 13) with prolapse of one mitral leaflet and group B (30 patients, mean age 30 +/- 13) with prolapse of both mitral leaflets. Exercise duration doesn't differ significantly in the two groups. No arrhythmias during EST were found in group A, while arrhythmias were present in 6 patients (20%) in group B. A strong correlation was found between anamnestic cardiopalm and arrhythmias during EST (6/8 = 75%). Three of four patients (75%) with ST impairment during EST, showed at thallium myocardial scintigraphy a non reversible perfusion defect after exercise. These data showed a higher incidence of arrhythmias during EST in patients with MVP of both leaflets and good relationship with symptomatology of cardiopalm."}
{"id": "PMID:1470396", "title": "[In vitro and in vivo evaluation of the blood-biomaterial interaction].", "content": "The Authors, after a short description of the phenomena following the interaction between blood and biomaterials, take into consideration the different methods used in studying the in vitro, in vivo and ex vivo hemocompatibility, as well as the problems involved by each method and its contribution to the knowledge of hemocompatibility. The Authors report their experience on the in vitro study of the effects induced by some biomaterials on platelets and coagulation factors."}
{"id": "PMID:1470392", "title": "[Longevity in tetralogy of Fallot. The natural history of a 63-year-old man living without surgery].", "content": "We report the natural history, the clinical, radiological, echocardiographic and hemodynamic pattern of a living sixty-three year old man with tetralogy of Fallot and cyanosis since birth. We discuss the possible circulatory adaptations which allowed exceptional survival up to the seventh decade: it is the sixth case reported in the literature."}
{"id": "PMID:1470397", "title": "[Plasma-erythrocyte viscosity and evaluation of several pro- and anti-aggregating factors in NIDDM patients in metabolic decompensation state].", "content": "In NIDDM diabetic subjects, the microcirculatory damage shows a double aspect: an alteration of the vascular wall, particularly of the arteriolar capillary, and a hemorheological alteration at the level of the capillary district. In the microcirculation, because of the low velocity of the flow and the inverse relationship between capillary size and RBC diameter, the viscosity has an important role with its components: RBC viscosity and deformability. Even the erythrocyte aggregation has a key role as resultant of the attracting and repulsing forces, among which the plasma-RBC viscosity and the deformability play opposite role. Our method allows to evaluate the erythrocyte, the whole blood, the plasma and the plasma-RBC viscosity, and the deformability. Studies from this laboratory in NIDDM subjects show an increase in the blood viscosity, a decrease in the erythrocyte deformability and plasma-RBC viscosity. It is suggested that in microcirculatory district the flow reductions are particularly of hemorheological type and that the sludged blood is an \"optical\" phenomenon with poor meaning. We consider some hematological parameters, namely the Hgb A1c %, Hgb concentration, RBC count, MCV, etcetera."}
{"id": "PMID:1470391", "title": "[Recurrent bacterial endocarditis on mitral and aortic biological prostheses in young drug addicts. The role of transthoracic cardiac echo-Doppler in the diagnosis and assessment of postendocarditis dysfunction].", "content": "Bioprosthetic infective endocarditis is a very serious complication since both medical and surgical treatment is associated with a high mortality. We describe a case of a young drug addict who presented 3 recurrent episodes of bacterial endocarditis of mitral and aortic bioprosthetic valves, caused by different virulent germs. All 3 episodes were resolved by medical therapy, but the residual aortic bioprosthetic dysfunction was important and the patient died before surgical replacement. Which was not considered an emergency since the patient was asymptomatic, did not present heart failure and left ventricular function was preserved. Color-Doppler echocardiography permitted us to visualize the vegetations and to establish and follow the evolution of residual bioprosthetic dysfunction."}
{"id": "PMID:1470398", "title": "[Relations between plasma-erythrocyte viscosity factors and ESR].", "content": "The ESR is usually put in relationship: to the real density of the RBCs (erythrocytes) (difference between the RBC specific gravity and the plasma one), and to the resistance that the RBCs meet moving in a medium, which is due to the plasma viscosity and to the total external RBC surface. When the RBCs take shape of aggregates, their external surface is decreased and ESR increases. The most important plasma factor causing changes in ESR is the fibrinogen level followed by the plasma globulins and by the products arising from the tissue damage. The resistance that the RBCs meet moving in the plasma is well expressed by the measurement of the plasma-RBC viscosity considering that is inclusive of both factors that are the plasma viscosity and the external RBC surface. The plasma-RBC viscosity is the resultant of several factors: Fa = Fb - Fe - Fs - Fm, were: Fa is the resultant, Fb the attracting forces due to the proteic macromolecules, Fe the repulsing forces due the negative charges. Fs the repulsing forces due to the shear-stress, Fm the force which opposes itself against the surface tension of the aggregation; it depends on the RBC morphology and on the RBC rigidity. The ESR has been recently used like an index of the RBC aggregation. The Authors study the relationship between several hemorheological parameters and the ESR in infective and inflammatory processes.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1470394", "title": "[The echocardiographic findings of cardiac rhabdomyomas in a female patient with tuberous sclerosis and Down's syndrome].", "content": "This report described the case of a patient with cardiac rhabdomyomas and tuberous sclerosis (TS), associated with Down's syndrome. Diagnosis of TS was made subsequently to sebaceus adenomas, peri-ungual fibromas and ash leaf macules, mental retardation, epilepsy, renal and cerebral calcification findings. Physical examination, ECG and Holter ECG monitoring revealed normal cardiac findings. Two dimensional echocardiography disclosed the presence of two areas of increased acoustic density; one of which was at the level of postero-medial papillar muscle and the second appeared to be adherent to ventricular septum. Left ventricular size, function and intracavitary blood flow were normal."}
{"id": "PMID:1470399", "title": "[High-resolution electrocardiography evaluation of late potentials. A comparison between Frank XYZ orthogonal leads and standard precordial electrocardiographic leads].", "content": "High-resolution electrocardiography has been used as a non-invasive method for the study of delayed potentials in order to evaluate the risk of the onset of ventricular arrhythmia first in ischaemic cardiopathy and then in various cardiopathies, generally using XYZ orthogonal derivations. The aim of this study was to compare the results obtained with those using standard precordial leads, in particular V4 and V6 leads. A group of 28 patients, males and females, aged between 15 and 55 years of age, was examined. All patients were suffering from different cardiopathies. Subjects with delayed right and left ventricular activation on the surface ECG tracing were excluded from the study. A 60-200 Hertz bandpass filter and time averaging of 300 consecutive complexes were used to analyse tracings. Dual recordings were performed for each patient. The following parameters were examined: total duration of filtered QRS complex and root-mean-square voltage of potentials in the last 40 msec of filtered QRS (RMS). In particular, the comparison between RMS using Frank's method and those obtained using V4 and V6 precordial leads provided a coefficient of correlation of r = 0.91 with p < 0.001 and r = 0.92 with p < 0.001 respectively, and the comparison between QRS obtained using the same method and that obtained using V4-V6 precordial leads gave a coefficient of correlation of R = 0.80, p < 0.001 and r = 0.77 and p < 0.001 respectively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1470390", "title": "[The ultrasonographic assessment of carotid plaques in relation to cerebral events and damage over 3 years].", "content": "Three hundred carotid plaques (stenosis 45 to 65%) in 300 asymptomatic patients were included into a follow-up study considering three ultrasound types of plaques: type 1, non echogenic; type 2 intermediate, partially echogenic and type 3 highly echogenic. Types 1 and 2 had regular contour/surface while type 3 was irregular and in some patients associated with ultrasonographic signs of ulceration and intra-plaque haemorrhage. Patients were clinically evaluated for 3 years, randomly selected subgroups were studied with cerebral CT or magnetic resonance (MR) scanning to evaluate brain damage. There were no signs of cerebral damage in type 1 plaque patients. The incidence of signs and symptoms were higher in type 2 and 3 plaque patients. This was associated with an increased incidence of CT lesions and an even higher incidence of MR lesions in plaque type 3. In conclusion type 3 plaques are associated both with more clinical problems and evidence of CT/MR brain damage. Furthermore MR reveals more brain lesions than CT."}
{"id": "PMID:1470400", "title": "[Diabetes and atherosclerosis: a follow-up echographic study of atherosclerotic carotid lesions].", "content": "A two years follow up on 105 diabetic patients and 50 normal subjects was carried out by high resolution real time echotomography, aiming to evaluate the prevalence and the evolutionary trends of carotid atherosclerotic plaques. The prevalence of atherosclerotic lesions was higher in diabetic patients than in normal subjects, and the most part of them showed an \"intermediate\" echographic pattern, minimal stenosis and regular surface. The results of the two years follow up indicate that the \"soft\" and the \"hard\" plaque types were those showing a more significant progression toward to the \"mixed\" type. \"Hard\" and \"mixed\" plaques, particularly those showing irregular surface, resulted most associated with higher degree of vessel stenosis. Four diabetic patients experienced three minor and one major ischemic events during the follow up; however all the patients had shown plaques with \"intermediate\" pattern, regular surface, and no signs of vessel stenosis progression. Further studies, performed for longer period of time with a higher number of patients are needed to evaluate the evolutionary trends of carotid plaques in diabetic patients and their relationship with clinical ischemic events."}
{"id": "PMID:1470395", "title": "[Reciprocating tachycardias in pregnancy. A clinical case report].", "content": "The paper describes the case of a patients suffering from a pre-excitation syndrome who underwent numerous episodes of reciprocal tachycardia during pregnancy. The clinical implications and various methods of therapy used are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1470401", "title": "Echocardiographic study in acromegalic patients.", "content": "To assess left ventricular function in acromegaly, M-mode echocardiograms were obtained from 25 patients with acromegaly (A). Echocardiographic tracings of the septum, posterior wall and anterior mitral valve leaflet were analyzed by computer and compared with those of 25 age matched normal subjects (C). Acromegalic patients had a marked increase of the septum, posterior wall thickness and left ventricular muscular mass (p < 0.001). Furthermore, in A an increased change of left ventricular dimension during isovolumic relaxation period (IRP) (p < 0.001), e prolongation of the duration of the IRP (p < 0.001 and a reduction of the percentage dimension change during the rapid filling period (p < 0.01) were shown. We suggest that impairment of some aspects of diastolic function is common and may be the primary abnormality in left ventricular function in acromegaly."}
{"id": "PMID:1470393", "title": "[Ectopic atrial tachycardia persisting from childhood. Its conservative treatment and long-term follow-up].", "content": "Chronic ectopic atrial tachycardia in an uncommon form of arrhythmia which is rarely complicated by congestive cardiomyopathy, ictus, sudden death. This possibility has led many authors to ascertain the need of an aggressive diagnostic and therapeutic approach. In need of an aggressive diagnostic and therapeutic approach. In this study the Authors describe the case of one patient who, at the age of 10 years, presented this form of arrhythmia. Due to its benign aspects (relatively low rate, few symptoms, no signs of anatomic-functional heart deterioration), the authors chose a non-aggressive approach. The arrhythmia, which was persistent during the following 3 years, at puberty became intermittent. Now, 4 years later, the subject is asymptomatic and the arrhythmia is beginning to regress spontaneously."}
{"id": "PMID:1470402", "title": "[Electric alternans of QRS: its electrophysiologic significance in narrow QRS supraventricular paroxysmal tachycardia].", "content": "The results of 22 patient's transesophageal electrophysiologic studies were analyzed to value the meaning of QRS alternans during narrow QRS tachycardia. Standard ECG showed ventricular pre-excitation in eight patients. QRS alternans were in six of them: heart rate was included between 230 and 374 m/sec (301.8 +/- 42 m/sec); in the remaining 16 patients, heart rate was included between 240 and 450 m/sec (350.0 +/- 42 m/sec). Our findings suggest that QRS alternans is related to the rate of tachycardia rather than to the presence of an accessory pathway."}
{"id": "PMID:1470403", "title": "[An update on surgical laparoscopy].", "content": "It is reported a 15-year research experience in the laparoscopic field. General and emergency surgery have been improved by new methods. Further scientific innovations, such as video-laparoscopes, fibrin glues, instruments for the performance of hemostasis, led to carry out real surgical operations, so that laparoscopy may be considered as an alternative method compared with traditional surgery."}
{"id": "PMID:1470404", "title": "[Congenital cysts of the liver. Their instrumental diagnosis and the indications for surgical treatment].", "content": "The authors report their experience of 8 cases of congenital cysts of the liver describing instrumental examinations used for diagnosis and different surgical operation performed. The Authors believe that the choice of surgical procedure, performed in symptomatic patients and large cysts, has to be according to different parameters as morphology and localization of the cysts and coexisting pathologies. Being non-malignant pathology, conservative surgery often avoids the complications of liver resection."}
{"id": "PMID:1470405", "title": "[Acute intestinal ischemia. Our experience].", "content": "Acute intestinal ischemia is a pathology which is relatively often encountered in elderly patients where the concomitance of other diseases make its prognosis more severe, especially since diagnosis is usually late. Laboratory tests and imaging techniques are not of great value to diagnosis since they do not provide pathognomonic data, but together with a careful anamnesis they contribute a series of findings which, taken as a whole, lead to the diagnosis of intestinal ischemia. The sole therapy is surgery--when still possible and the best results are obtained when surgery is performed at an early stage. The authors report a series of 12 cases of acute intestinal ischemia and underline the difficulty of diagnosing this subtle pathology and the advantages of aggressive surgical techniques."}
{"id": "PMID:1470406", "title": "[Intestinal occlusions in the elderly patient].", "content": "After reviewing the literature on this topic, the authors examine all patients admitted to the Institute of Surgical Pathology in Pavia with a diagnosis of intestinal occlusion from 1-1-1974 to 31-12-1990. Of these, only those aged over 65 were included in the study and were in turn subdivided into 3rd and 4th age groups. The etiopathogenesis of this disorder is also discussed, stressing that it may be non-neoplastic (Group I) or neoplastic (Group II). The treatment used is also examined (surgical in the majority of cases) together with postoperative complications occurring in these patients. From the results obtained it is concluded that the method used in the pre-, intra- and postoperative stages provided satisfactory results, also in relation to the postoperative mortality rate which relatively low compared to other published reports."}
{"id": "PMID:1470407", "title": "[Congenital diaphragmatic hernias].", "content": "Based on their personal experience the authors affirm that if treated early congenital diaphragmatic hernia may be resolved provided no congenital anomalies are present. Pulmonary hypoplasia is secondary to the presence of viscera in the thorax, but excellent results can be obtained if early surgery is performed and provided negative-pressure thoracic drainage and correct anesthesia are ensured. Mortality is due to associated visceral malformations."}
{"id": "PMID:1470408", "title": "[Percutaneous needle aspiration biopsy in intrathoracic lesions].", "content": "The authors report their experience of transthoracic needle biopsy of the lung based on 68 consecutive cases from 1984 to 1990. In 55 cases significant data has been found: in 44 cases the diagnosis was exact, instead in other 11 cases it was only indicative. The overall complications were 11.7% and in particular were as follow: pneumothorax in 5 cases, hemoptysis in 2 cases and a temporary Horner syndrome in one case. The authors conclude by confirming the utility of transthoracic needle biopsy of intrathoracic tumors in which there is not other way to obtain a diagnosis. This technique is reliable and its complications can be disregarded."}
{"id": "PMID:1470409", "title": "[Drainage in surgery on the thyroid].", "content": "The authors report their experience of 534 thyroid operations and underline the importance of neck drainage in this type of surgery. Drainage positioning is very important for the prevention and immediate indication of hemorrhaging complications. Some correct indications, like large goiters, hyperthyroidism, reoperation and the lack of vascular ligature, are considered and discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1470410", "title": "[The influence of the clinical course and diagnosis on the length of surgical stays].", "content": "The length of stay (LOS) is one of the major determinants of rising costs in surgical patient care. We studied the timing of the diagnostic procedures performed in 323 surgical patients admitted to 8 surgical departments of a large hospital. Of these: 50 underwent gastrectomy, 28 colectomy, 90 biliary tract (BT) operation, 94 appendectomy and 61 saphenectomy. The average total and preoperative LOS were respectively 27 and 11 days in the gastrectomy group, 26 and 10 in the colectomy group, 10 and 4 in the appendectomy group, 20 and 11 in the BT group, 12 and 6 in the saphenectomy group. The LOS was not affected by the presence of a benign or malignant lesion in gastrectomy and colectomy. In the appendectomy and BT groups, patients admitted from the emergency room had a significantly lower total LOS when compared to elective admissions (8 vs 12 and 9 vs 21 days respectively, p < 0.01). The multiple regression model showed that global and preoperative LOS were influenced by the number of instrumental exams (contrastographic, endoscopic, echographic)."}
{"id": "PMID:1470411", "title": "[The prevention of venous thromboembolism in Italy].", "content": "A questionnaire concerning the prophylaxis of venous thromboembolism was filled in by 326 surgical departments in Italy. In 58% the prophylaxis was routinely used and in 29% more than one method was used. The most used method of prevention was subcutaneous heparin followed by elastic compression. In 51% of the centers the prophylaxis was used only in high risk patients and in 22% it was not used at all. The most relevant risk factors in the development of thrombosis were considered age, tumors and obesity. Finally in a questionnaire sent to 350 vascular laboratories it was found that--according to the operators--76% of all documented thromboses were possibly consequent to surgical procedures (in 86% no prophylaxis had been used)."}
{"id": "PMID:1470413", "title": "[A case of ureteral stenosis and ureterorectal fistula secondary to sigmoid diverticulitis].", "content": "The paper reports a case of ureteral [correction of urethral] stenosis with ureterorectal [correction of urethro-rectal] fistula due to diverticulitis of the sigmoid [correction of sigma] which resolved following reconstruction of the urinary tract by ureterocystostomy [correction of urethrocystotomy] using a modified version of Boari's technique, with satisfactory renal functional recovery. On the basis of an analysis of the literature, the authors comment on ureteral [correction of urethral] stenosis and its etiological diagnosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1470414", "title": "[Adrenal myelolipoma. A case report and review of the literature].", "content": "Myelolipoma is a rare benign neoplasm of the adrenal gland, histologically characterized by the presence of mature fat cells and bone marrow elements. In the international literature were reported 126 cases of adrenal myelolipoma surgically treated. The indications to surgical removal of this tumor are the presence of large symptomatic tumours, high risk of spontaneous haemorrhage, and suspicion of malignant neoplasms. The authors present a case of adrenal myelolipoma, preoperatively identified with an abdominal MNR, and surgically removed."}
{"id": "PMID:1470415", "title": "[Cervical thymic cysts. A clinical case report].", "content": "The presence of thymic residues in a laterocervical site is very rare, as is cystic degeneration. The paper reports the case of a six-year-old boy who presented a swelling in a left laterocervical site; preoperative tests (especially echography and fine needle aspiration) identified the cystic nature of the swelling which was then confirmed intraoperatively; histological test diagnosed a thymic cyst. The paper analyses the embryological, anatomopathological and clinical aspects of these formations and underlines the difficulty of making a differential diagnosis from other neck pathologies, especially branchial cysts. In conclusion, preoperative tests can only determine the cystic component but not the thymic origin of these formations which can only be confirmed by final histological tests."}
{"id": "PMID:1470418", "title": "Assessment of myocardial viability with 201Tl SPET and reinjection technique: a quantitative approach.", "content": "The definition of viable myocardium after an acute myocardial infarction (MI) is important as it will determine which therapeutic option will be best for the patient. In 201Tl scintigraphy it has been shown that late redistribution (8-24 h) or reinjection may help to identify viable myocardium which does not appear to reperfuse on the 4 h redistribution image. In a prospective study 20 patients with a persistent defect seen on both stress and redistribution images were imaged after reinjection of 201Tl. On visual analysis a total of 180 segments were studied, 85 were normal, 18 reperfused at redistribution and a further nine (in six patients) after reinjection. Bull's-eye analysis at stress demonstrated a mean defect size of 279 pixels, S.D. +/- 74. After redistribution, there was no significant change in mean defect size (227 +/- 96 pixels). At reinjection, there was a significant reduction in mean defect size (189 +/- 107 pixels) (P < 0.05, paired 't'-test). Quantification shows a significant reduction in defect size between stress and reinjection. The use of the 201Tl reinjection technique in patients with a fixed perfusion deficit on stress and redistribution images improves the detection of viable myocardium and is to be preferred to a method of redistribution analysis alone."}
{"id": "PMID:1470419", "title": "Rapid myocardial perfusion imaging with 99Tcm-teboroxime and a three-headed SPECT system: a comparative study with 201Tl.", "content": "99Tcm-teboroxime is a new myocardial perfusion agent with a high first pass extraction and rapid myocardial washout. The usefulness of 99Tcm-teboroxime was evaluated for detection of myocardial ischaemia using a three-headed single photon emission tomography (SPECT) system which allows for rapid data acquisition. The subjects consisted of 14 patients, including seven with ischaemic heart disease, four with cardiomyopathy and three others. After the 99Tcm-teboroxime injection, dynamic data was collected every minute for 15 min with continuous rotation. High-quality SPECT images could be obtained by reconstructing the serial scans from 2 to 8 min. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of the 99Tcm-teboroxime study for the detection of the ischaemic region were not significantly different from those of the 201Tl study. Myocardial clearance was slow in the ischaemic lesion and in the myocardium of cardiomyopathy patients, while the coronary angiograms did not show any abnormality. These results therefore indicate that the rapid SPECT imaging and myocardial clearance of 99Tcm-teboroxime obtained with a three-headed SPECT system were useful for the detection of myocardial ischaemia."}
{"id": "PMID:1470420", "title": "Radiation doses from nuclear medicine patients to an imaging technologist: relation to ICRP recommendations for pregnant workers.", "content": "The ICRP has now recommended that the dose limit to the surface of the mother's abdomen during the declared term of pregnancy is reduced to 2 mSv. Direct measurements of the radiation dose to technologists carrying out a variety of imaging studies were made. The average dose ranged from 0.3 micro Sv for a liver scan to 5.3 micro Sv for a brain scan. Using national data for the frequency of nuclear medicine studies, a weighted average figure of 1.5 micro Sv per study was derived. A technologist could therefore perform approximately eight imaging studies per day during the declared term of her pregnancy and remain within the proposed limit. Generally, there should be no need to alter a technologist's duties during her pregnancy, and these findings should be helpful in allaying any anxiety."}
{"id": "PMID:1470421", "title": "99Tcm-HMPAO-labelled leucocyte scintigraphy in suspected chronic osteomyelitis related to an orthopaedic device: clinical usefulness.", "content": "Thirty-five patients with suspected chronic osteomyelitis related to an orthopaedic device had 50 99Tcm-HMPAO-labelled leucocyte scans (LS). The scan appearances were compared with the bacteriological or clinical results and gave a sensitivity and specificity of HMPAO-LS of 83 and 100%, respectively. Bacteriological examination is often inaccurate in the diagnosis of osteomyelitis and therefore we assessed the clinical utility of HMPAO-LS. When the clinical, biological and radiological data were clearly suggestive of osteomyelitis (16/50) LS was unhelpful or even misleading when falsely negative (3/16). When the clinical, biological and radiological data were poorly suggestive of osteomyelitis (20/50) or conflicting (14/50) LS was misleading in only one patient (false negative). It is concluded that HMPAO-LS should only be performed to assist in the diagnosis of chronic osteomyelitis when there is no preexisting strong suspicion based on clinical, biological and radiological signs."}
{"id": "PMID:1470422", "title": "Pulmonary granulocyte margination is increased in patients with inflammatory bowel disease.", "content": "The pulmonary granulocyte content of the lung was quantified in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) after injection of 111In-labelled granulocytes and compared with patient controls, who, on the basis of their negative white cell scans, were not considered to have active inflammation. The mean ratios of lung:liver count rates per pixel on the posterior gamma camera image in patient controls was 0.34 (S.D. 0.16, n = 8) at 1-1.5 h after injection of the cells, and 0.29 (S.D. 0.14, n = 18) at 2-4 h. This ratio was higher in patients with active IBD at both imaging times: 0.45 (0.13, n = 13, P > 0.05) and 0.44 (0.1, n = 19, P < 0.001). Patients with inactive IBD also had increased ratios at both imaging times: 0.6 (0.14, n = 7, P < 0.01) and 0.54 (0.15, n = 12, P < 0.001), respectively. In a further group of 12 patients with active IBD, there was no correlation between the lung:liver ratio and the severity of the IBD as assessed by whole-body 111In retention at 4-6 days after labelled cell injection. These patients were treated for 3 weeks with an oral, non-absorbable corticosteroid, after which there was a significant decrease in disease activity but no significant change in the lung:liver ratio. Inflammatory bowel disease appears to be associated with abnormal pulmonary granulocyte accumulation. It is not apparently related to disease activity but may be the result of an associated pulmonary abnormality."}
{"id": "PMID:1470423", "title": "Quantification of regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) using 99Tcm-HMPAO and SPECT: choice of the reference region.", "content": "The effects of the choice of the reference region in determining the relative regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) using 99Tcm-hexamethylpropylene amine oxime (HMPAO) single photon emission tomography (SPECT) have been studied in order to establish or exclude it as a cause of inconsistencies in these studies. Relative rCBF was estimated by normalizing the regional count densities to two reference regions, the cerebellum and the whole slice, in 35 patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD), 25 patients with chronic schizophrenia (SCH) and the same number of matched normal volunteers. The statistical significance of the differences in rCBF between patients and their matched normals varied in the two sets of rCBF data. Smaller differences were highly significant while some larger differences were of less significance with whole slice normalization. The results suggest that the choice of reference region is one of the causes resulting in discrepancies in the results from various centres. The need to use a standard reference region is indicated."}
{"id": "PMID:1470424", "title": "Gastro-oesophageal and bile reflux--simultaneous quantitative assessment with gastric and gallbladder emptying evaluation: clinical applicability of a new computerized gammagraphic method.", "content": "The aim of this study was to develop a new computerized gammagraphic method to evaluate gastrooesophageal (GER), bileo-oesophageal (BER) and bileogastric reflux (BGR) simultaneously with gastric and gallbladder emptying: a long duration (60 min) and a dual energy detection (113Inm-sulphur colloid and 99Tcm-HIDA) test of the different refluxes during slow gastric emptying of an enteric feeding liquid meal. Forty patients with oesophagitis and 18 normal volunteers were evaluated. Good reproducibility of all the quantified parameters was found with r Spearman between 0.75 (P < 0.05) and 1.0 (P < 0.001). Patients with oesophagitis have a tendency for slower gastric emptying patterns (gastric emptying T1/2, GT1/2 P < 0.05). The calculated specificity for gallbladder emptying parameters was 77.8% for the gallbladder T1/2 BT1/2) and 94.4% for gallbladder residue at 60 min (BR60). The calculated accuracy for the GER index was 90%. The predictability for positive values was 95%, owing to a 90% sensitivity and 89% specificity. The predictability for negative values was 80%. The mean GER index in oesophagitis was greater than in controls (P < 0.001). The calculated specificity for BGR was 94.4% and reflux was detected in 12 out of 40 patients. The calculated specificity for BER was 83.3% for a '+' index and 94.4% for a '++' BER index. In 14 patients a positive BER index has been determined ('+' in three and '++' in 11 cases).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1470425", "title": "Crossed cerebello-cerebral diaschisis: a SPECT study.", "content": "A scintigraphic single photon emission computed tomographic (SPECT) evaluation of frontal perfusion alteration was performed in five patients with known cerebellar lesions but with normal supratentorial computed tomographic (CT) or magnetic resonance (MR) scans. A clearly evident asymmetry was found in prefrontal areas in the four subjects with acquired cerebellar damage. The fifth subject, who had congenital left cerebellar hypoplasia, did not show any frontal flow asymmetry. The data support the growing clinical evidence that the cerebellum contributes to the cognitive processes of the frontal lobes and suggest a possible role for SPECT examination in the assessment of functional cognitive impairment in patients with acquired cerebellar lesions."}
{"id": "PMID:1470426", "title": "Feasibility of fractionating MAG3 cold kit for cost reduction.", "content": "99Tcm-MAG3 is the first 99Tcm-labelled radiopharmaceutical with a renal clearance similar to that of 131I-OIH. The cost of a unit dose of 99Tcm-MAG3 is comparatively less expensive than the cost of a combined 99Tcm-DTPA and 131I-OIH study dose. However, this cost-saving is dramatically reduced when only a few doses are withdrawn from a 99Tcm-MAG3 kit. Our goal in this study was to subdivide the MAG3 kit into fractions to reduce expense. By dissolving the lyophilized ingredients of MAG3 kits with either 5 or 10 ml N2-purged normal saline, the resultant liquid was divided into 1-ml aliquot vials filled with N2. The MAG3 aliquot vials were then frozen at -70 degrees C for future use. The radiochemical purity (RCP) of each vial was evaluated using the recommended Sep-Pak C18 column chromatography at different time periods. Over the entire 28-day evaluation period, the average RCP of the 5:1 dilution MAG3 vials after reconstitution with 3.7 GBq 99Tcm was maintained at 95.6 +/- 2.7% (n = 100) for 6 h, whereas the 10:1 fractionation MAG3 kits after labelling with 740 MBq 99Tcm showed an average RCP value of 98.4 +/- 2.1% (n = 100) for 6 h. Based upon these results, it is concluded that the fractionation of MAG3 kits and frozen storage in an N2 atmosphere not only maintains the stability of MAG3 but also provides a cost-effective method for using 99Tcm-MAG3."}
{"id": "PMID:1470427", "title": "Dosimetry assessment of 81Krm peripheral venous infusion studies.", "content": "Calculation of S factors for 81Krm for a full range of target organs from each source organ relevant in 81Krm peripheral venous infusion imaging has been performed. Typical equilibrium activities in the source organs have been measured using quantitative planar gamma camera imaging for a generator with a mean activity at imaging time of 468 MBq eluted at 10 ml min-1. Based on the above measurements and assuming a 10 min infusion period, the mean effective dose equivalent for 81Krm infusion imaging in the assessment of right heart function in adults was found to be 0.365 mSv."}
{"id": "PMID:1470428", "title": "Correlation of splenic function with the splenic uptake rate of Tc-colloids.", "content": "The splenic uptake rate of Tc-sulphur colloid or Tc-tin colloid was measured and found to correlate well with splenic function. The normal tracer uptake rate was 0.0002/s-0.0006/s (measured uptake rate divided by measured injected activity). Lower values indicated hyposplenism (sensitivity = 0.97, specificity = 0.95), and values over 0.0006/s indicated hypersplenism (sensitivity = 0.96, specificity = 0.97). Higher values of splenic uptake were associated with proportional reductions in the white blood cell and platelet counts, and to a lesser extent the haemoglobin concentration in peripheral blood. Patients with rheumatoid arthritis had increased tracer uptake, but still below the criteria for hypersplenism, whereas patients with Felty's syndrome had tracer uptake rates in the 'hypersplenic' range."}
{"id": "PMID:1470436", "title": "Office management of the draining ear.", "content": "Otorrhea is one of the most common ear complaints and is usually responsive to office treatment. The various causes of this condition are discussed and appropriate treatment options are detailed in this article. Topics include otorrhea from typanostomy tubes, chronic otitis media, external otitis and otorrhea, otorrhea after trauma, congenital anomalies and otorrhea, and neoplastic otorrhea."}
{"id": "PMID:1470437", "title": "Office management of the dizzy patient.", "content": "This article has attempted to set out in a logical, step by step fashion the approach to a dizzy or vertiginous patient. All that has been said will not apply to every patient. The investigator must above all be patient and thorough in obtaining the history--this is by far the most important step in the process. The physical examination is tailored to the complaint. Investigations include examinations of hearing, balance, serum chemistry, and radiology. Most otolaryngologists limit themselves to the diagnosis and limited medical management of dizziness and vertigo. It is required, however, that any physician treating dizzy patients have an understanding of the larger medical and surgical picture. A systematic and thorough approach to the dizzy patient will often yield the diagnosis, exclude otologic causes for imbalance, and ultimately set the patient on a proper course of treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1470438", "title": "Office pediatric otology.", "content": "Office pediatric otology requires the management of some of the most common acute and chronic conditions of childhood. Some of these conditions include eustachian tube dysfunction, otorrhea, granulation polyps, extruded tubes, otitis media, trauma, otalgia, and sudden hearing loss. An approach that recognizes the concerns of the child and parent facilitates the examination and treatment with minimal discomfort."}
{"id": "PMID:1470439", "title": "Nasal endoscopy in the outpatient clinic.", "content": "The introduction of the nasal endoscope has greatly advanced the diagnostic and therapeutic capability of otolaryngologists in the office setting. With continued technologic developments in endoscopic equipment and topical intranasal anesthesia, further advances are expected that undoubtedly will expand endoscopic diagnosis treatment in the office setting. Presently otolaryngologists are beginning to use endoscopes in the evaluation and treatment of nasolacrimal duct obstruction, and we are aware of one case of cerebrospinal fluid leak that has been repaired in the office setting with nasal endoscopic technique. (Lanza D: personal communication, 1991)."}
{"id": "PMID:1470440", "title": "Office evaluation of nasal obstruction.", "content": "It is evident from the foregoing that the evaluation of such a common complaint as nasal obstruction can be extremely complex. If a thorough history and examination are undertaken, however, only a small number of these investigations (if any) may be required. In each individual, it is always worth considering possible predisposing factors. Good clinical practice dictates that we attempt to quantify problems and measure our success in treating them. Until recently, rhinology has not been overendowed with such investigative tools, so it behooves us to use those now available when unraveling the cause of deceptively simple nasal obstruction."}
{"id": "PMID:1470441", "title": "Office management of taste and smell disorders.", "content": "Chemosensory disorders have been receiving increasing clinical attention but remain a difficult diagnostic problem. With the development of several well-standardized testing methods, taste or smell loss can now be verified, and this has added to knowledge concerning the common causes of dysfunction. Diagnosis typically rests upon the history and physical examination, but, except in the case of obstructive nasal and sinus pathologic conditions, therapy usually remains elusive."}
{"id": "PMID:1470442", "title": "Office evaluation and management of the sore throat.", "content": "Most sore throats are caused by viral infections; bacterial infections should be ascertained by laboratory testing and treated aggressively. The wide variety of etiologies demands a thorough history and physical examination to identify unusual causes of sore throat."}
{"id": "PMID:1470443", "title": "Office evaluation of dysphonia.", "content": "The office evaluation of dysphonia is complex. Proper medical care requires an in-depth history and comprehensive physical examination. Diagnosis and treatment are aided by objective assessment and quantification of voice function. Scientific and technologic advances over the last decade have resulted in substantial advances in the medical evaluation of dysphonia."}
{"id": "PMID:1470444", "title": "Office evaluation of pediatric upper airway obstruction.", "content": "The otolaryngologist who is called on to uncover the cause of a child's airway obstruction is a treasured consultant. Continuing technologic advances in office-based equipment have made it easier to discover pathology with a minimum of complications. However, the physician who does not do a thorough history and physical examination or is unable to develop a bond of trust with the patient and family will be without the essential tools of the profession and will be unable to make an accurate diagnosis and implement a treatment plan."}
{"id": "PMID:1470445", "title": "Recognition of craniomandibular disorders.", "content": "Craniomandibular disorders often mimic diseases related to the ear, nose, and throat, so patients often seek the care of an otolaryngologist for these problems. After ruling out otolaryngologic disease, craniomandibular disorders should be considered in the differential diagnosis. If a clinical diagnosis is supported by history, symptoms, and clinical evidence, the patient should be referred in a timely manner to a dentist who is competent to manage the patient. In addition to dentists, other health care practitioners may be called on by the primary treating physician to aid in the diagnosis and treatment. These can include a neurologist, radiologist, ophthalmologist, physiatrists, physical therapist, and internist. With recent advances in imaging techniques (computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging), precise bioelectronic measurement of mandibular movement and electromyography of masticatory function, and conservative orthotic and dental restorative treatments as well as surgical techniques including arthroscopic examination of the TMJ, craniomandibular disorders can be objectively and precisely diagnosed and treated (Figs. 10 through 16)."}
{"id": "PMID:1470446", "title": "B-mode ultrasonography of the paranasal sinuses compared with CT findings.", "content": "Ultrasound as a diagnostic aid in the evaluation of the sinuses has been a controversial issue. Sensitivities have been reported from 29% to 100% and specificities from 55% to 99%. These wide variations in results from previous studies may have resulted from technical differences. However, the \"gold standard\" most often used for comparison has been a Water's view radiograph, which has been shown to correlate poorly with intraoperative and CT scan findings. To our knowledge, no one in the English language literature has evaluated sonography of the sinuses with computed tomography as the gold standard. In addition, evaluation of the ethmoid sinus has been neglected by previous studies that have primarily assessed the maxillary sinus. We report the results of a blinded, prospective trial comprised of 41 patients examined by B-mode ultrasound with comparison to computed tomography. Frontal and maxillary sinuses were examined with traditional sonographic techniques and the ethmoid sinuses were scanned with a transglobe technique not previously evaluated in the English language literature. Excluding isolated mucous retention cysts and focal minimal mucosal thickening (defined as < 4 mm), sensitivities for ultrasound of the maxillary, frontal, and ethmoid sinuses were 100% each. Specificities were 98% for the maxillary sinus, 100% for the frontal sinus, and 94% for the ethmoid sinus. Technical aspects and implications of this and previous reports will be discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1470447", "title": "The versatile melolabial flap.", "content": "The melolabial flap is a versatile technique for reconstruction of defects of the central face. Variations of this flap may be used to reconstruct the lower eyelids, the nose, the upper and lower lip, chin, and malar regions. Regional anatomy, indications, technical considerations, and avoidance of complications are discussed on the basis of 10 bilateral cadaver dissections of the melolabial area, in conjunction with 70 reconstructive cases that used this flap. Statistical analysis of the results reveals that flap viability is compromised by previous radiation and smoking. Consequently, alternate methods of reconstruction of the central face should be used in patients who have a history of these problems."}
{"id": "PMID:1470448", "title": "The role of computed tomography in the management of peritonsillar abscess.", "content": "Twenty-four patients who fulfilled the clinical criteria for peritonsillar abscess (PTA) were randomized into two groups over a 6-month period. Group A (n = 13) underwent CT with contrast, whereas group B (n = 11) was managed without radiologic investigation. In group A, CT with contrast enabled differentiation of PTA from peritonsillar cellulitis in all 13 cases (100%) and demonstrated abscesses in 11 patients (85%), thereby allowing drainage at first attempt. Two patients with peritonsillar cellulitis were successfully managed with antibiotics only. In group B, all patients underwent needle aspiration. In seven patients (64%), pus was found after needle aspiration at first attempt and in one patient after needle aspirations at two locations. In three patients (27%), no pus was found after needle aspirations at three different locations. We conclude that CT enhances diagnostic accuracy, obviating unnecessary drainage procedures, and reduces patient morbidity."}
{"id": "PMID:1470449", "title": "Use of electrocochleography to monitor antigenic challenge in Meni\u00e8re's disease.", "content": "Allergy has been reported as a cause of Meni\u00e8re's disease. King et al. have established the validity of the provocative food test (PFT) for the diagnosis of food allergy. When the PFT is used to test patients with Meni\u00e8re's disease, the test is considered positive if the patient develops aural fullness, hearing loss, increased tinnitus, or dizziness during challenge with the offending food and relief of these symptoms during neutralization. Ferraro et al. have shown that electrocochleography (ECoG) provides an objective indication of subjective symptoms in Meni\u00e8re's disease by demonstrating an increased SP/AP amplitude ratio when the symptoms of aural fullness and hearing loss are present. We present several patients with Meni\u00e8re's disease in whom measurement of the SP/AP amplitude ratio was compared with symptom production during antigenic challenge and neutralization."}
{"id": "PMID:1470450", "title": "Selection of surgical approaches for meningiomas affecting the temporal bone.", "content": "The varied locations of meningiomas within the temporal bone require a wide array of neurotologic approaches to accomplish complete resection with minimal morbidity. We reviewed 56 consecutive patients with temporal bone meningiomas. The six surgical approaches are described with regard to site of lesion, morbidity of procedure, and long-term patient outcome. Recommendations are made for selection of surgical approach. Hearing preservation was attempted in 25%. Middle fossa tumor removal was performed in nine patients (16%), retrosigmoid (suboccipital) in five patients (9%), translabyrinthine in 24 patients (43%), transcochlear in 15 patients (27%), infratemporal fossa in two patients (4%), and retrolabyrinthine in one patient (2%). Overall, meningioma surgery has higher morbidity, poorer facial nerve outcome, and higher recurrence rates than acoustic neuroma surgery. Thirteen percent of patients were unable to resume full preoperative activities after their surgery. Facial nerve transection occurred in 9% of the cases, and 83% of cases with more than 1 year followup had satisfactory or intermediate facial function (grades I to IV). Meningiomas of the temporal bone are insidious and aggressive lesions. Particular care is required to select the surgical approach appropriate for location, level of hearing, and the anatomic structures involved. Patients must be realistically counseled about the surgical morbidity and long-term outcome associated with each approach."}
{"id": "PMID:1470451", "title": "Epidemiology and pathogenesis of paranasal sinus mycoses.", "content": "In a prospective study, 50 cases of paranasal sinus mycoses were diagnosed in 2 years out of 119 clinically suspected patients from north India. Young men from rural areas were most commonly afflicted. Patients with paranasal sinus mycoses could be grouped in three clinical varieties: noninvasive, 31; invasive, 17; allergic, 2. Maxillary and ethmoid were the common sinuses concurrently involved in these patients, whereas sphenoid and frontal sinuses were also affected in invasive variety. Aspergillus flavus (80%) was the most common isolate, followed by A. fumigatus (6%). Alternaria species was identified in two patients with noninvasive granuloma. In invasive variety, Rhizopus arrhizus and Candida albicans were the causative agents in two patients and one patient, respectively. Regarding pathogenesis besides epidemiologic factors, the immunologic factors were also evaluated. It was found that presence or absence of precipitating antibody against antigens from the etiologic agents correlates well with disease progression. Allergic factor was found in all varieties, though presence of cell-mediated immunity was demonstrated in 29% patients with noninvasive granuloma only. The combination of skin test against aspergillin and precipitin demonstration at the outset will therefore help in preliminary screening."}
{"id": "PMID:1470452", "title": "Palatal extension of middle meatal antrostomy.", "content": "The palatine bone is an important posterior landmark in the performance of ethmoidectomy. This usually unrecognized structure forms the posterior one third of the lateral nasal wall. Resection of a portion of the palatine bone completes the marsupialization of the sphenoethmoidal recess and medial maxilla. It is a major landmark for localization of the sphenopalatine artery at its entrance into the nose. Middle meatal antrostomy is enhanced by removal of the part of the palatine bone that forms the posterior medial wall of the maxillary sinus. In 1110 consecutive sphenoethmoidectomies, marsupialization of the maxillary sinuses has included partial removal of the perpendicular plate of the palatine bone. Patency has been maintained in all of these antrostomies. Pertinent anatomy and surgical technique are reviewed."}
{"id": "PMID:1470453", "title": "Seropositivity, adenoid hypertrophy, and secretory otitis media in adults--a recognized clinical entity.", "content": "Otolaryngologic manifestations of AIDS have been described in the past. In this study, I had examined 14 adults with nasal obstruction and mouth breathing. Nine patients also reported deafness--unilateral in three of them and bilateral in six. All of them revealed a mass in the nasopharynx, either on the posterior rhinoscopy or the x-ray neck-lateral view. To exclude nasopharyngeal malignancy, all of the patients underwent examination of the nasopharynx while under general anaesthesia and biopsy. The histopathologic diagnosis in every patient was nonspecific, reactive lymphoid hyperplasia, which has been described in the background of HIV infections. Four were already confirmed HIV-positive and 10 were found positive on the HIV antibody test. A strong association was established between seropositivity, adenoid hypertrophy, and secretory otitis media in adults."}
{"id": "PMID:1470454", "title": "Prevention of early otorrhea in ventilation tubes.", "content": "The incidence of early postoperative otorrhea after placement of ventilation tubes ranges from 12% to 40%. This prospective randomized study of 430 children, ages 6 months to 15 years, examined the efficacy of sulfacetamide/prednisolone otic drops used for 3 days postoperatively in reducing the incidence of otorrhea at 1 week after the placement of Donaldson tubes. Subjects were randomized into two groups--drops and no drops. Preoperative diagnosis and intraoperative findings were correlated with findings. The incidence of otorrhea among all patients was 11.9%. The use of sulfacetamide/prednisolone drops for 3 days after insertion of ventilation tubes failed to reduce the incidence of otorrhea in the overall study population. The drops did demonstrate a trend toward reducing the incidence of otorrhea in certain subpopulations, including children under 3 years of age, blood at the myringotomy site, and thick middle ear effusions. Subpopulations associated with a higher incidence of otorrhea were also identified."}
{"id": "PMID:1470455", "title": "Effect of irradiation on guinea pig ABR thresholds.", "content": "A significant number of patients undergo irradiation to the temporal bone for malignancies. Conflicting reports exist regarding the effects of irradiation on hearing thresholds. Although radiation-induced otitis media and osteoradionecrosis of the ossicles with resultant conductive hearing loss are well-documented, there is disagreement regarding the effect of irradiation on sensorineural hearing. Previous animal models, relying only on behavioral tests and reflex thresholds, have failed to reveal consistent threshold shifts after irradiation. However, with the advent of auditory brainstem response (ABR) testing, a reliable objective measurement of hearing in animals is available. Hearing thresholds were determined bilaterally by ABR testing in 21 albino guinea pigs. The left temporal bones of sixteen animals were then irradiated with a total dose ranging from 5750 to 7000 cGy over 7 weeks. The right ears of these animals, plus both ears of five nonirradiated guinea pigs, served as controls. Follow-up threshold ABRs were obtained immediately post-irradiation (RT), and at 6 and 12 months post-RT. Average thresholds in all groups increased over time: 60 dB in the control group; 53 dB in the control ears of the irradiated animals; and 46 dB in the irradiated ears. There were no statistically significant increases in ABR thresholds for irradiated ears vs. control ears. At the 6-month followup, hearing was actually better in the irradiated ears than the control ears and this difference between ears was significantly greater than the difference at baseline (p < 0.026). Overall, there was no evidence that irradiation produces changes in ABR thresholds."}
{"id": "PMID:1470456", "title": "Induction of heat shock protein in interdental cells by hyperthermia.", "content": "The effect of hyperthermia on induction of the 72 kilodalton (kDa) heat shock protein (HSP72) was examined in interdental cells of the guinea pig cochlea. After being immersed in a water bath of either normal body temperature (37 degrees C, control condition) or 43 degrees C (hyperthermic condition), animals were killed either 0, 1, 2, 6, or 18 hours later. Cochlear sections were incubated with a monoclonal antibody raised against HSP72 and relative staining densities were quantified with a light microscopic image analysis system. Optical densities of the interdental cell region of animals receiving hyperthermia treatment were significantly greater than those of animals in the control group. Further analysis revealed that levels of HSP72 immunoreactivity began increasing by 1 hour after hyperthermia and continued to increase thereafter, to reach maximal levels at 6 hours. The maximal levels were maintained for the rest of the experiment--18 hours. The results indicate that hyperthermia leads to an increase in the synthesis of HSP72 in guinea pig interdental cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1470457", "title": "Arterial chemoreceptor influences on the laryngeal chemoreflex.", "content": "Prolonged apnea and cardiovascular changes have been elicited in infant animals by the application of water to the laryngeal mucosa. Previous reports have produced conflicting evidence in regard to the possible role of arterial chemoreceptors in modulating this reflex. The present study was designed to determine the effect of carotid body stimulation or suppression on the duration of apnea and severity of cardiovascular changes in response to water in the larynx of piglets. The role of swallowing in terminating the apnea was also investigated. Hypoxia and isoproterenol, both carotid body stimuli, caused decreased apnea duration. Hyperoxia was associated with prolonged apnea duration; however, dopamine, which inhibits carotid body chemoreceptors, produced no significant change. Hypotension and bradycardia were only observed after prolonged apnea or chemoreceptor stimulation, supporting the concept that the cardiovascular component of the laryngeal chemoreflex is a result of changes in blood gas concentration rather than a direct response to laryngeal chemostimulation. The interval between water application and initiation of swallowing was not significantly affected by hypoxia or carotid body stimulation and swallowing did not always occur before resumption of breathing."}
{"id": "PMID:1470463", "title": "Overview: the allergic reaction and site-based therapy.", "content": "The successful management of upper respiratory tract allergy is based on a triad of interdependent approaches that, with rare exceptions, must all be considered in every allergic patient. They consist of allergen avoidance with environmental control measures, pharmacotherapy with use of a step-care approach, and immunotherapy. Environmental control measures should be used to prevent events that trigger and sustain the condition. Once started, the allergic reaction includes the release of mediators of inflammation that produce well-known symptoms of allergic rhinitis. Treatment should consist of a step-wise, rational approach that includes site-based therapy with one or more drugs acting at different sites. The drugs used are antihistamines, decongestants, cromolyn sodium, and corticosteroids. Immunotherapy should be considered at any step, because it offers the only curative approach."}
{"id": "PMID:1470464", "title": "Environmental control.", "content": "Environmental control measures help eliminate triggers that initiate the allergic reaction and reduce the conditions that sustain it. The most frequent offenders are the ubiquitous dust mites, which are ideally suited to living in the home environment. Control measures consist of minimizing their reservoirs in the patient's bedding, carpets, and upholstered furniture; decreasing humidity; and using acaricides. Cats are the source of another important indoor allergen that becomes and stays airborne as small particles. Removal of the animal (or washing it weekly) and the use of high-efficiency particulate air filters for air ducts and vacuum cleaners are useful in reducing dust mite and cat allergens. Dogs and rodents also produce allergens offensive to the sensitized patient and should be removed or relegated outdoors. Cockroaches have become an increasingly prevalent source of allergens responsible for asthma and rhinitis. Their removal is the focus of research, because current control measures are usually inadequate. Molds, which thrive in any moist environment, produce allergens. Closed windows prevent further influx of outdoor molds and pollens, whereas those harbored indoors, including those residing on plants, should be eliminated."}
{"id": "PMID:1470465", "title": "Diagnosis and management of sinusitis in the allergic patient.", "content": "Allergy is often associated with sinusitis because the inflamed nasal mucosa may block ostial drainage from the sinus and the resulting stasis in the sinuses encourages development of infection. The new tools of nasal evaluation, endoscopy and computed tomographic scanning, are becoming essential in the evaluation of patients who have acute and chronic sinusitis. Nasal endoscopy provides a view of the nose, nasopharynx, sphenoethmoidal recess, and middle meatus to detect areas of inflammation or pathologic drainage. This examination should be followed by computed tomographic scanning, which reveals the fine structures and disease of the area. First-line treatment includes antibiotics and decongestants to control the infection, reduce tissue edema, facilitate drainage, and maintain ostial patency. Topical steroids (or cromolyn sodium) are helpful to reduce the mucosal swelling, particularly in allergic patients. Antihistamines are indicated to reduce the rhinorrhea in allergic patients but not in those with suppurative sinusitis. Functional endoscopic sinus surgery to facilitate drainage and permit appropriate ventilation should be reserved for patients no longer responsive to pharmacotherapy and those with anatomic deformities."}
{"id": "PMID:1470466", "title": "Corticosteroids in the management of upper respiratory allergy: the emerging role of steroid nasal sprays.", "content": "Corticosteroids are undoubtedly the pharmacotherapeutic agents with the broadest application for the treatment of many types of rhinitis, not just those of atopic origin. However, this potent class of drugs also has the greatest potential for adverse effects and complications. Proper use requires that they be used only after failure of more conservative measures, at the smallest effective dose, for the shortest possible time, and preferably should be administered by the topical intranasal route. Topical corticosteroids, concentrated at the area involved, offer significant relief to patients with allergic rhinitis, and although only a relatively small amount of drug is taken up systemically, cautions for proper use are important. Topical steroids should be used only after accurate diagnosis. They must adequately contact the nasal mucosa, and patients should be properly instructed in their use and monitored for local and systemic side effects. Currently available topical preparations--dexamethasone, beclomethasone, flunisolide, and triamcinolone--have differing characteristics. The use of a preparation with a high margin of safety reduces the risk of undesirable systemic effects."}
{"id": "PMID:1470467", "title": "Immunotherapy: rationale and mechanisms.", "content": "Immunotherapy is defined as the controlled exposure to known allergens to reduce the severity of the allergic response. Although available since 1910, its exact mechanisms of action is not known but may involve an increase in allergen-specific IgG antibodies, a decrease in IgE synthesis, and alteration in T-lymphocyte activity. Immunotherapy is indicated in patients with proven allergy who have significant symptoms. It may be used together with pharmacologic measures but is relatively contraindicated in patients receiving beta-blocker therapy. Immunotherapy may be continued during pregnancy and should not be initiated in patients with autoimmune diseases or in human immunodeficiency virus-positive patients. Selection of appropriate diagnostic tests is important. Before immunotherapy is considered, there are two recommended in vivo tests (combined prick and intradermal skin test, and skin end point titration) and two recommended in vitro tests (radioallergosorbent test [RAST] and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays [ELISA]), all equally safe and sensitive. After appropriate test interpretation, treatment is initiated with slowly escalating doses of allergen. Effects are often apparent in 3 to 6 months and, after continuation for 3 to 5 years, patients usually achieve lasting benefit."}
{"id": "PMID:1470476", "title": "A theoretical framework for the immunoepidemiology of helminth infection.", "content": "Field studies of parasitic helminths in endemically infected human communities have provided quantitative information on the relationships between parasite burdens, immune responses and age. There are considerable difficulties in the interpretation of these immunoepidemiological data due to the complexities of the biological processes generating the observed patterns. In this paper simple mathematical models are used to explore the expected patterns of variation with host age in parasite burdens, the aggregation of parasites among hosts, levels of immune response, and the correlation between parasite burdens and immune responses. These relationships reflect rates of infection, rates of parasite mortality, the strength of the immune response, and the duration of immunological memory. The models generate some complex and counterintuitive patterns. The analysis suggests that some of these patterns might serve to (i) distinguish effects due to acquired immunity from effects due to age-dependent exposure, (ii) identify potentially protective immune responses, and (iii) identify the parasite stages important in the development of acquired immunity. The results imply that previous analyses of immunoepidemiological data may have been overly simplistic and, especially, that patterns believed to be inconsistent with protective immunity may have been incorrectly interpreted."}
{"id": "PMID:1470477", "title": "The destruction of virulent Entamoeba histolytica by activated human eosinophils.", "content": "Unlike normal (i.e., non-activated) human eosinophils that are unable to destroy virulent Entamoeba histolytica even in the presence of antibodies and complement, activated eosinophils effectively destroy the parasite in vitro without the help of opsonins, yet increase this capacity with their assistance. Many activated eosinophils succumb in the process as well, probably victims of toxic products released by dying amoebae. Human activated eosinophils thus behave more like activated macrophages than like neutrophil polymorphonuclear leucocytes that are notoriously incompetent in dealing with virulent amoebae. As a regular constituent of early inflammatory reactions, and notwithstanding the absence of blood and tissue eosinophilia in invasive amoebiasis, the activated eosinophil may play a role in the defence against E. histolytica."}
{"id": "PMID:1470478", "title": "Plasma leakage in skin of sheep selected for resistance or susceptibility to fleece rot and fly strike.", "content": "The leakage of plasma into skin following injection of histamine, bradykinin, activated complement, platelet-activating factor and serotonin was measured in sheep bred for resistance or susceptibility to fleece rot and fly strike. Genetically susceptible sheep had significantly greater plasma leakage to activated complement than genetically resistant sheep, and for all mediators there was a trend for plasma leakage to be greater in susceptible sheep. Within each genotype there was also a tendency for plasma leakage to be positively correlated with fleece rot score. In a flock of sheep of different genetic background not selected for resistance or susceptibility to fleece rot and fly strike, positive phenotypic correlations were also noted between fleece rot and plasma leakage. Plasma leakage provides nutrition for the first instar larvae of Lucilia cuprina, the major cause of primary blowfly strike in Australia. Diminished leakage of plasma following release of endogenous permeability mediators may be one component of the mechanism that confers resistance in animals bred for resistance to fleece rot and fly strike."}
{"id": "PMID:1470479", "title": "Potent immunosuppression by secretory/excretory products of larvae from the sheep blowfly Lucilia cuprina.", "content": "Secretory/excretory products (sec/ex) of parasitic larvae of the sheep blowfly Lucilia cuprina potently inhibited proliferation of peripheral blood leucocytes stimulated by mitogens in vitro. Suppression of proliferation was not due to irreversible damage because cells cultured for 24 h in high concentrations of sec/ex appeared viable (assessed by Trypan blue exclusion) and did not show impaired proliferation after washing. Furthermore, suppression induced by sec/ex could be overcome by increasing concentrations of mitogen. The inhibitory activity could be demonstrated in cultures where sec/ex was added at different times during the culture period. Inhibitory activities in sec/ex were heat-labile and sensitive to treatment with trypsin. In addition to effects in vitro, sec/ex was strongly immunosuppressive in vivo. Sheep given combined injections of myoglobin and sec/ex had markedly lower anti-myoglobin antibody levels in sera than sheep that received injections of myoglobin alone. There was no significant antibody response to sec/ex itself. Immunosuppressive moieties in sec/ex produced by blowfly larvae may promote parasite survival by inhibiting the immune response of host sheep."}
{"id": "PMID:1470480", "title": "Effects of recombinant tumour necrosis factor on antibody-dependent eosinophil-mediated damage to Schistosoma japonicum larvae.", "content": "Human recombinant tumour necrosis factor (rTNF) enhanced monoclonal IgE-dependent eosinophil-mediated cytotoxicity to schistosomula of Schistosoma japonicum in a dose-dependent manner. The enhancing effect of rTNF was also observed for the antibody-dependent cytotoxicity of a human eosinophilic leukemia cell line, EoL-3, but not of another cell line, EoL-1. Observation by a slow-motion movie camera demonstrated that activated EoL-3 cells adhered to the surface of schistosomula by 6 h after incubation, which triggered intracellular movement of eosinophil granules. The granules were concentrated toward the surface of the larvae and then degranulation started. The cell membrane was left as a balloon-like remnant. Cell sorting analysis by FACStar indicated that the expression of receptors for C3bi (CR3) and low affinity FcR for IgE (Fc epsilon RII) increased on the surface of EoL-3 cells after stimulation with rTNF, while this was not observed for EoL-1 cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1470481", "title": "Isotypic variation in antibody responses in a community in Papua New Guinea to larval and adult antigens during infection, and following reinfection, with the hookworm Necator americanus.", "content": "The natural infection of a community with the hookworm Necator americanus induces a vigorous humoral response to both larval and adult parasite antigens. This response occurs in all five human antibody isotypes, and data are presented to show that, at the population level, isotypes respond differently, following chemotherapy and during reinfection, to changes in antigen stimulation. The differential response probably reflects the fact that the parasite, during the course of its life cycle, presents different amounts of antigens at different anatomical locations. It is suggested that IgG and IgM responses against adult excretory-secretory (ES) products most accurately reflect the efficacy of chemotherapy, and the load of resident adult infection, while IgG responses against larval somatic antigens reflect continuous exposure to infection. These hypotheses should now be tested, at the level of the individual, in a longitudinal manner using more closely spaced sampling intervals. This repetitive sampling, and the inclusion of a measure of the exposure of the population to infective stages, will allow more definitive conclusions to be made about the role of the immune response in controlling worm burdens."}
{"id": "PMID:1470482", "title": "Vaccination of young Dorset lambs against haemonchosis.", "content": "Six Dorset Horn lambs were each vaccinated at age 7 weeks and 9 weeks with 50 micrograms of glycosylated integral membrane proteins, particularly enriched in the protein H11 from the intestinal brush border of adult Haemonchus. At 11 weeks of age the lambs were infected with 10,000 infective third stage Haemonchus larvae. Compared with the average for the control group the vaccinated group of lambs had a 78% reduction in parasite egg output over the patent period, with four of the six better than 93% protected. At autopsy 35 days post-infection the mean total worm burden of the vaccinated lambs was 83% reduced compared with the controls. The serum antibody titres to H11 correlated with the degree of protection."}
{"id": "PMID:1470483", "title": "Fasciola hepatica in the rat: immune responses associated with the development of resistance to infection.", "content": "F. hepatica infections were established in rats and immune responses were monitored during primary and challenge infections. Antibody levels peaked at 3 weeks post-primary infection and at 6 days post-challenge infection. No significant correlation was found between antibody titre and number of flukes recovered at autopsy. Immunoblotting revealed a limited number of immunogenic polypeptides. When antibodies from these reactive bands were eluted and tested by IFA they all gave identical binding patterns: on juvenile fluke sections tegumental syncytium, tegumental cells and gut cells were labelled, while on adult sections the same antibodies labelled gut cells, reproductive tissue, excretory ducts and flame cells. This suggested that these tissues shared a common epitope or range of epitopes. A pronounced eosinophilia was observed throughout the infection period studied and infected liver sections showed massive cellular infiltration. Histochemical and immunocytochemical investigation of infected liver revealed the presence of large numbers of eosinophils, neutrophils, lymphocytes and phagocytes. The implications of these findings, to an understanding of concomitant immunity in the rat are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1470484", "title": "Immune response of Clun Forest sheep to vaccination with membrane glycoproteins from Haemonchus contortus.", "content": "Clun Forest lambs were injected with a fraction containing integral membrane glycoproteins derived from the intestinal microvilli of Haemonchus contortus in two equal doses of 0.5, 5, 50 or 500 micrograms protein and then challenged with 10,000 infective larvae. The time-course of serum specific antibody responses were determined. Compared to the adjuvant control group, the animals injected with 1000 micrograms protein were better than 84% protected and those injected with 100 micrograms, better than 95% protected by all criteria. For these two groups parasite egg output was reduced 99% on average over the patent period. Two of the animals injected with 10 micrograms protein were partially protected, with 86% reduction in egg output. Two animals in the group injected with 1 microgram protein also showed partial protection. Antibody level correlated with protection."}
{"id": "PMID:1470487", "title": "Understanding the physical and psychosocial stressors of the child who is homeless.", "content": "Children now constitute the largest segment of the population of persons who are homeless. Their unique needs offer a special challenge to the pediatric nurse. Understanding the physical and psychosocial stressors of homelessness provides the foundation for planning comprehensive nursing care."}
{"id": "PMID:1470486", "title": "Children and poverty: America's future at risk.", "content": "Growing numbers of America's children are living in poverty, deprived of their most basic needs for security, support, and a healthy future. Nurses can become part of the solution to this urgent problem by identifying poverty as a practice concern."}
{"id": "PMID:1470488", "title": "Childhood lead poisoning: shifting to primary prevention.", "content": "Childhood lead poisoning remains a serious public health problem for millions of American children. Although adverse health effects related to elevated blood levels have been reported in children from all socioeconomic groups, the prevalence of serious lead poisoning remains highest among poor children in urban areas. The Centers for Disease Control has revised guidelines for intervention with an emphasis on primary prevention."}
{"id": "PMID:1470489", "title": "Play intervention strategies for the Hispanic toddler with separation anxiety.", "content": "Constructive, therapeutic play is an effective nursing intervention for helping the toddler deal with separation anxiety, but, the play must transcend cultural barriers. Using Bowlby's theoretical framework to understand the response of separation anxiety in the toddler, culturally sensitive interventions of play that allow the Hispanic toddler to work through fears and express issues of separation are examined."}
{"id": "PMID:1470490", "title": "Antecedents to nonorganic failure-to-thrive.", "content": "Using a retrospective cohort design with a randomly selected control group, this study investigated the relationship between selected maternal, infant, and environmental variables, and the development of nonorganic failure-to-thrive. The groups differed significantly on sex of infant and incidence of breastfeeding."}
{"id": "PMID:1470492", "title": "Understanding hearing loss in children.", "content": "At some point in their career, nurses will care for a child with a hearing loss. Understanding how to work best with these children necessitates an in-depth knowledge of how the hearing loss impacts both the child and family. Each component is interrelated. Knowing, for example, that the child has a profound sensorineural hearing loss tells the nurse much about the child's potential prognosis for improvement, use of amplification, communication style, and parental and family stress. While many variables impact on these basic features, they set the foundation for a deeper understanding and the formation of a stronger, trusting bond between the nurse and patient. As in all professional fields, issues related to deafness continue to change. There are new and improved forms of amplification as well as various effective communication methodologies. Most importantly, there is a change in attitude. The deaf do not view themselves as disabled. Instead they have a sense of pride in sharing a culture and a common language. Through this understanding, respect for one another can be achieved."}
{"id": "PMID:1470491", "title": "Intervention studies in pediatric nursing research: a decade of review.", "content": "This article examines the pediatric nursing research published in seven refereed nursing research journals and pediatric practice journals over the past decade. Of the 319 research articles published, 16.6% were intervention studies that evaluated the outcomes of nursing care. Concerns are raised and suggestions made to strengthen the practice-research-theory link in the nursing care of children and their families."}
{"id": "PMID:1470497", "title": "Parental noncompliance in home care.", "content": "Parental noncompliance with the medical regime may lead to serious injury in the pediatric home care patient. Home care providers must understand the liability associated with parental noncompliance and establish policies that will protect them from allegations of negligence."}
{"id": "PMID:1470498", "title": "Family impact of home apnea monitoring: an overview of research and its clinical implications.", "content": "To determine the clinical applicability of research findings related to home apnea monitoring. A critical review of descriptive and explanatory research on family impact of home apnea monitoring. Strengths and limitations of the research are identified. Clinical practice implications of the research findings are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1470500", "title": "Fulminant meningococcemia in pediatric patients: nursing considerations.", "content": "The mortality rate of children with fulminant meningococcemia is high, and early recognition and intervention by the health care team is crucial for patient survival. Critical care nurses who have knowledge in the cause and treatment of this catastrophic disease and current trends in therapy will be able to provide essential care to these patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1470499", "title": "Prevention of childhood injuries. Part II: Recreational injuries.", "content": "This is the second of two articles on the prevention of childhood injuries. Here, interventions to reduce death and disability among children from recreational injuries are identified. The major categories of recreational injury are listed, the magnitude of the problem defined, the risk factors described, and selected interventions of the National Committee for Injury Prevention and Control summarized. Recommendations for practice are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1470537", "title": "Principles of adhesion.", "content": "Understanding interfacial phenomena has been of direct relevance and practical benefit to extending the use of dental adhesives. Both surface physics, which describes properties of the inorganic materials' interfacial zones from their actual phase boundaries toward the bulk phases of the solids, and surface chemistry, which describes phenomena at the solid/biological interface and beyond it into the variable organic environment, have been important. High-energy materials include solids that are very hard, have high melting points, strong intermolecular forces, and basically crystalline structures, such as dental enamel. Low-energy materials, such as dentinal collagen, salivary films, and the organic resins of restorative materials, are softer, lower melting, and have weaker intermolecular forces, poorer crystallinity, and surface energies generally less than 100 ergs/cm. It has been a properly renewed emphasis on wetting of dental surfaces and their modification by primer coats, displacing or mixing with water and adsorbed proteinaceous films, that has promoted the success of many recently developed fourth-generation dentin adhesives. Their improved wettability for biological phases correlates directly with their better infiltration and anchoring of composites."}
{"id": "PMID:1470530", "title": "Allocation of healthcare resources: the case for health promotion.", "content": "The issue of healthcare resource allocation is examined from the macro perspective with the view to building a case for health promotion and prevention. The author suggests a health promotion framework as an alternative, or at least a complementary approach, to resource allocation, with the potential, over the long term, to slow the growth of healthcare costs. Supportive and opposing arguments are presented for the case of health promotion. The author concludes with a synthesis of a new perspective for nursing in the struggle to allocate healthcare resources in a fair and just manner."}
{"id": "PMID:1470529", "title": "Reevaluation of a nursing diagnosis: spiritual distress.", "content": "The purpose of this paper is to reevaluate the nursing diagnosis of spiritual distress in relation to Marjory Gordon's criteria of discriminatory power, generality, flexibility, usefulness, and inclusiveness. The author suggests that nursing's perspective of the spiritual dimension and spiritual distress is both narrow and inadequate in today's multicultural, multidimensional healthcare setting. Views of spirituality from multiple disciplines are discussed to illustrate the diversity of the phenomenon and contrast views that primarily emphasize religiosity and psychosocial factors. Reevaluation of spiritual distress and spirituality must come in the form of holistic and humanistic approaches in nursing education and research, integration of the spiritual dimension within nursing curricula, and recognition of multidisciplinary, global perspectives of the spiritual phenomenon. The author stresses the importance of the spiritual dimension and its impact upon a person as a multidimensional being."}
{"id": "PMID:1470540", "title": "Factors affecting adhesion to mineralized tissues.", "content": "The objective of this paper is to review the literature concerning factors affecting adhesion to mineralized tissues. Factors related to the physicochemical structure of the adherents and to the inherent properties of composite restorative materials, along with the postulated bonding mechanisms of current adhesive systems, are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1470541", "title": "Adhesive bonding with 4-META.", "content": "Research into improved adhesion of resins to tooth substrates has found that methacrylates with both hydrophobic and hydrophilic groups, like 4-methacryloxyethyl trimellitate anhydride (4-META), enhance monomer penetration into dentin pretreated with 10% citric acid and 3% ferric chloride (10-3). Scanning and transmission electron microscope (SEM and TEM) examinations revealed the formation of a transitional zone of resin-reinforced dentin, termed the hybrid layer. The 4-META adhesive resin impregnated the exposed collagen bundles with which it entangled to create the hybrid, essential to attaining high tensile bond strengths."}
{"id": "PMID:1470531", "title": "Stress-coping-adaptation: concepts for nursing.", "content": "Nursing has arrived at acceptance of several and diverse paradigms in conceptualization of its phenomena, research methodologies, and guidance of the discipline. Scholars and clinicians recognize the interaction of the person with the environment. Some implicitly focus on the experiences of stress, human responses, or efforts to cope with stress and movement toward adaptation or integrity of function. Stress-coping-adaptation is a complex conceptual framework with features powerful enough to explain nursing's phenomena of concern. Discourse dealing with stress-coping-adaptation as integral in nursing theory, research, practice, and education is warranted at this time."}
{"id": "PMID:1470535", "title": "A reexamination of euthanasia: issues raised by Final Exit.", "content": "The debate over euthanasia continues to be a concern for nurses and consumers of health care. The recent publication of Final Exit, a book addressing euthanasia and how to commit suicide, has stirred much controversy. The authors present an examination of the current legal, religious, and professional issues surrounding euthanasia. Nursing implications are described in relation to caring for terminally ill patients and responding to patients' need for information and possible requests for assisted suicide."}
{"id": "PMID:1470543", "title": "Interactions of conditioners on the dentin surface.", "content": "The distinction between dentin conditioners and primers has become blurred as agents have been combined to simplify the steps required in dentin bonding. Most bonding systems use acidic conditioners designed to remove the smear layer and demineralize the dentin surface. It would seem desirable to reduce the acid concentration and/or application time to the minimum required to obtain maximum bond strengths and minimum microleakage. The pulpal effects of acidic conditioners seem to be minimal if the subsequently placed bonding agents and resin composites truly seal dentin. Several systems have been designed to be bonded to smear layers, including the new light-cured glass-ionomer cements. More research is needed to develop methods of strengthening smear layers and the bonds between them and adhesive resins."}
{"id": "PMID:1470547", "title": "Dentin extracellular matrix and dentinogenesis.", "content": "The formation of dentin involves secretion of matrix proteins by odontoblasts, prior to the deposition of apatite crystals. These matrix proteins probably play a role in transformation of predentin to dentin. The physical and chemical properties of dentin collagen, similar to those of bone, are especially adapted for binding matrix proteins and as a grid for mineral deposition. Phosphophoryns, polyanionic, and dentin-specific proteins are secreted at the mineralization front and are involved in some way in the mineralization process of circumpulpal dentin. Dentin sialoprotein is specifically made by odontoblasts and pulp cells and may be in the family of bone proteins known to promote cell attachment. Several proteins originally isolated from bone are also found in dentin and are expressed by odontoblasts. Although the mechanisms of dentinogenesis have not been elucidated, detailed studies of dentin matrix proteins should give valuable insights into this process."}
{"id": "PMID:1470548", "title": "Clinical applications of glass-ionomer cements.", "content": "The use of glass-ionomer cements in clinical dentistry is now well established. They have a number of unique properties, including adhesion to moist tooth structure, biological compatibility, and anticariogenic properties due to their fluoride release. Their use in treating early carious or erosion lesions has been widely investigated. Established techniques include fissure filling and sealing, restoration of class 5 erosion lesions without cavity preparation, and the internal occlusal fossa or tunnel restoration. The \"sandwich\" technique using glass-ionomer cements as \"dentin substitutes\" has enabled composite restorations to be used with greater safety where pulpal damage may occur. The future probably lies in using a laminate technique where materials that attach to dentin and form a biological seal can be covered by tougher and harder enamel veneers, thus mimicking the structure of the tooth. The deficiencies of glass-ionomer cements are well known, including lack of toughness, early water sensitivity, low abrasion resistance, and porosity leading to poor surface polish. Solving these problems is formidable, since inherently the strength of these cements is related to their water content. The clinician should be aware of these deficiencies and stay within the parameters of the techniques outlined in this paper. In particular, clinical success depends upon early protection of the cement from hydration or dehydration, and the current use of light-cured bonding agents has largely solved this problem."}
{"id": "PMID:1470551", "title": "The chemistry of adhesive agents.", "content": "The chemical aspects of dental adhesive systems are reviewed and discussed. Adhesive agents must have the ability to wet and then to adhere to hard dental tissues. Several dental bonding systems are available. They are characterized by containing monomers that have hydrophilic and hydrophobic groups. The polymerized adhesive system should provide a stable link between the tooth structure and the bulk of the restoration. Some adhesive systems provide initial acceptable adhesion, but the long-term bonding to dentin is questionable."}
{"id": "PMID:1470553", "title": "Laboratory evaluation of adhesive systems.", "content": "Adhesive bonding of resin materials to acid-conditioned enamel is a clinically proven technique in preventative, restorative, and orthodontic procedures. Laboratory evaluations of etched-enamel resin bonding have shown excellent bond strengths and the virtual elimination of marginal microleakage. Adhesion to dentin has been more of a challenge. Earlier-generation dentin bonding systems did not yield high bond strengths in the laboratory or prevent marginal microleakage. Newer-generation adhesive systems generally use a dentin conditioner to modify or remove the smear layer and a subsequent application of an adhesive resin bonding agent. Laboratory evaluations of newer systems have shown bond strengths that approach or actually exceed that of etched enamel resin bonding. Bond strengths have improved with the evolution of dentin bonding systems, and microleakage from the cementum/dentin margin has been significantly reduced or prevented with the newer systems. Although laboratory testing of adhesive systems provides a mechanism to screen and compare newly developed systems, clinical trials are essential to document long-term clinical performance."}
{"id": "PMID:1470554", "title": "Microleakage in various dentin bonding agent/composite resin systems.", "content": "One important consideration in the selection of a dentin bonding agent/composite resin system is its resistance to marginal leakage. The purpose of this study was to compare both the extent and the pathways of marginal leakage for four currently available dentin bonding agent/composite resin systems. Class 5 restorations were placed in the buccal and lingual surfaces of 20 extracted human teeth. Specimens were subjected to thermal stress before being placed in silver nitrate solution. They were then sectioned longitudinally and observed under a light microscope. Selected samples were further studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive x-ray analysis (EDX). Different systems exhibited different leakage patterns. Findings suggest that the smear layer should be either conditioned or removed prior to dentin bonding agent application to provide optimal resistance to microleakage."}
{"id": "PMID:1470556", "title": "Development of an adhesive bonding system.", "content": "Building on findings concerning adhesion to enamel, R L Bowen and his colleagues at the Paffenbarger Research Center, National Institute of Standards and Technology began addressing and solving problems associated with (1) silicate cements and unfilled resins, (2) bonding in an aqueous environment, and (3) the development of an adhesion system for both dentin and enamel that could withstand various stresses. This article reviews the development of an adhesion system for bonding dental composites to dentin and enamel."}
{"id": "PMID:1470559", "title": "Antidepressant effect of carbamazepine--the role of dopaminergic and noradrenergic agents.", "content": "Fourteen days of treatment with 20 mg/kg/day carbamazepine (CBZ) reduced the immobility time in the behavioral \"despair\" test in rats. Two blockers of dopaminergic receptors: haloperidol (0.5 mg/kg) and sulpiride (100 mg/kg) antagonized the reduction of immobility caused by CBZ. The anti-immobility effect of CBZ was also counteracted by clonidine (0.1 mg/kg) an agonist of presynaptic alpha 2 adrenoreceptors and propranolol (5 mg/kg) beta-adrenolytic drug."}
{"id": "PMID:1470561", "title": "Basic central pharmacological properties of thiophosphoric acid alkaloid derivatives from Chelidonium majus L.", "content": "The effects of thiophosphoric acid alkaloid derivatives from Chelidonium majus L. (Ukrain, UKSR-222) on the central nervous system (CNS) of mice and rats was studied. Intraperitoneal (ip) administration of Ukrain in doses of 9.5 and 19 mg/kg for mice depressed spontaneous motor activity, decreased body temperature and potentiated the action of hexobarbital. Only in a dose of 19 mg/kg Ukrain produced analgesic action in the hot plate test. It had no protective effect against electroshock or pentetrazol-induced seizures. In rats, ip administration of Ukrain in dose of 14 and 28 mg/kg potentiated the action of amphetamine and apomorphine but had no effect on catalepsy induced by haloperidol. Ukrain used in dose 9.5, 14, 19 and 28 mg/kg antagonized the head twitches induced by 5-HTP and hyperthermia-induced by m-CPP. Biochemical studies indicated that Ukrain did not affect the NA and DA concentrations in the whole rats' brain and did not affect the 5-HT and 5-HIAA concentrations in the whole brain of rats. These findings demonstrate that the central action of Ukrain involves the stimulation of the dopaminergic system and the inhibition of the serotoninergic system."}
{"id": "PMID:1470563", "title": "Functional interaction between 5-HT1B and 5-HT1A or 5-HT2 receptors in mice.", "content": "To investigate a possible functional interaction between 5-HT1B and 5-HT1A or 5-HT2 receptors we studied the effects of 5-HT1A selective agonists 8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin (8-OH-DPAT) and gepirone, of a 5-HT1A/5-HT2 agonist 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine (5-MeODMT) and of a putative 5-HT2 agonist (+/-)1-(2,5-dimethoxy-4-iodophenyl)-2-amino-propane (+/- DOI) on the 5-HT1B receptor-mediated hypothermia induced by m-trifluoromethylphenylpiperazine (TFMPP) (25 mg/kg) or m-chlorophenylpiperazine (m-CPP) (20 mg/kg) in mice. 8-OH-DPAT (1.25-5 mg/kg), gepirone (1.25-5 mg/kg), 5-MeODMT (2-8 mg/kg) and (+/-)DOI (0.5-2 mg/kg) reduced dose-dependently the TFMPP- or m-CPP-induced hypothermia. At the same time 8-OH-DPAT (2.5 and 5 mg/kg, but not 1.25 mg/kg) and gepirone (1.25-5 mg/kg) themselves decreased the body temperature in mice, while 5-MeODMT (2-8 mg/kg) and (+/-)DOI (0.5-2 mg/kg) did not affect it. The present results suggest that a functional interaction exists between 5-HT1B and 5-HT1A or 5-HT2 receptors."}
{"id": "PMID:1470560", "title": "The effects of combined treatment with MK-801 and antidepressant drugs in the forced swimming test in rats.", "content": "We found previously that combined administration of imipramine, citalopram and, to a lesser extent, mianserin with MK-801, a non-competitive NMDA receptor antagonist, reduced the immobility time in the forced swimming test in rats more potently than administration of the antidepressant or MK-801 alone. In present paper we examined the effect of other antidepressants in this model. (+)-Oxaprotiline and (-)-oxaprotiline which, when given alone, showed a weak positive effect, increased the action of MK-801. Fluoxetine, inactive when given alone, markedly increased the effect of MK-801. Moreover, the positive effect after combined treatment was found in the experiments in which antidepressants and MK-801 given separately were inactive. A reduction in the immobility time was also observed in those experimental paradigms in which the locomotor activity was not increased. The effects of combined treatment with the antidepressants studied + MK-801 were antagonized by haloperidol, but not by prazosin. The obtained results indicate that mainly a dopamine mechanism seems to be involved in the synergistic action of MK-801 and the antidepressants in the forced swimming test."}
{"id": "PMID:1470565", "title": "The influence of C-terminal cholecystokinin fragments in the circulatory system of rats.", "content": "The effects of C-terminal unsulfated cholecystokinin octapeptide (CCK-8US) and its fragments C-terminal heptapeptide (CCK-7), C-terminal hexapeptide (CCK-6) and C-terminal pentapeptide (CCK-5) were studied on the arterial blood pressure and the isolated rat heart. CCK-8US had only slight hypertensive and no cardiac effects. CCK-5, CCK-6 and CCK-7 had no effect on the arterial blood pressure, the cardiac contraction amplitude and the heart rate. Only CCK-7 increased coronary outflow of the isolated rat heart. CCK-8US and C-terminal fragments; CCK-7 have little effect on the circulation of the rat."}
{"id": "PMID:1470564", "title": "The anxiolytic-like effects of 5-hydroxytryptamine3 (5-HT3) receptor antagonists.", "content": "The effect of six 5-HT3 receptor antagonists: ondansetron (0.01-3 mg/kg ip), granisetron (0.01-1 mg/kg ip), zacopride (0.01-3 mg/kg ip), tropisetron (0.001-0.1 mg/kg ip), MDL 72222 (0.01-3 mg/kg ip) and DAU 6215 (0.01-3 mg/kg sc) were examined in the conflict drinking test (Vogel test) and in the elevated plus-maze test in rats. Ondansetron (0.1-0.3 or 1 mg/kg), zacopride (0.1-1 mg/kg) and tropisetron (0.01 mg/kg) increased the punished responding in the Vogel test and showed anxiolytic effects in the elevated plus-maze test. Their effects were limited to a narrow dose range and were not dose-dependent. Granisetron (0.1 mg/kg) exhibited an anti-conflict activity, but was ineffective in the elevated plus-maze test. MDL 72222 and DAU 6215 were ineffective in both those tests. On the other hand, diazepam (2.5-10 mg/kg), used as a reference drug, was active in either procedure and its effects were dose-dependent. These results indicate that an anxiolytic-like activity is not a common characteristic of 5-HT3 receptor antagonists. Moreover, even the anxiolytic action of drugs which were active in the experimental models used should be accepted with caution."}
{"id": "PMID:1470571", "title": "Complications of polycythemia in patients who have cyanotic congenital heart disease.", "content": "A 13-mo-old child is brought to his pediatrician following sudden onset of left-sided hemiplegia. The pediatrician accompanies the child and family to the emergency room. The pediatrician has been following the child, who has a diagnosis of possible cyanotic congenital heart disease. The child has never been known to have had a hypercyanotic episode. Oxygen saturation determinations by pulsed oximeter had been in the range of 84% to 88%. On one occasion, when the child was very upset, a reading of 78% was observed. At his 1-year visit, his hemoglobin level was 13 g/dL. On admission to the emergency department, a computed tomographic scan of the head was ordered. It demonstrated a right-sided nonhemorrhagic cerebrovascular lesion."}
{"id": "PMID:1470562", "title": "The role of accumbens serotonin in stress-induced locomotor suppression in rats.", "content": "The effect of post-footshock injections of serotonergic agonists into the nucleus accumbens on formation of the open field deficit, has been studied in rats. It was found that the deficient open field behavior, examined 24 h after learned helplessness training, was not modified by local injection of serotonin, buspirone, ipsapirone and ICS 205 930, as well as by peripherally administered citalopram. It is concluded that accumbens serotonin system does not seem to contribute to the balance in the activity of local dopaminergic and GABAergic neurotransmitter mechanisms, previously shown to mediate some behavioral effects of stressors."}
{"id": "PMID:1470572", "title": "Depressant substances in adolescent medicine.", "content": "The benzodiazepines have replaced widespread use of barbiturates and other sedatives. They are effective, safe medicines used to treat a variety of disorders associated with excessive CNS excitability. Although many physicians avoid prescribing benzodiazepines to adolescents, there is little evidence to support this practice. Unless an adolescent has a history of substance abuse/dependence and suicidal ideation, the benzodiazepines are safe. Benzodiazepine toxicity rarely occurs unless another CNS depressant, especially alcohol, is used concurrently."}
{"id": "PMID:1470568", "title": "Synthesis and some central pharmacological properties of new 5(1H)oxo-2,3-dihydroimidazo[1,2-a]pyrimidine-6-carboxylic esters.", "content": "Six new 5(1H)oxo-2,3-dihydroimidazo[1,2-a]pyrimidine-6-carboxylic ethyl esters bearing an aromatic substituent in position 1 or 2 were obtained. Pharmacological studies on the central action of these derivatives were carried out on mice and rats. The highest activity showed compounds 1 and 2 which produced analgesic effects in mice."}
{"id": "PMID:1470566", "title": "Effects of peptide YY on pancreatic blood flow and oxygen consumption.", "content": "Peptide YY (PYY) is a recently discovered polypeptide which has been proposed as physiological inhibitor of pancreatic exocrine secretion. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of exogenous PYY on pancreatic blood flow and oxygen consumption. In anesthetized dogs, the superior pancreatico-duodenal artery blood flow (SPBF), pancreatic microcirculatory blood flow (PBF) and pancreatic oxygen consumption (PVO2) were determined. Control values for SPBF, PVO2 and PBF averaged 43.3 ml/min, 1.8 ml/min, and 57.5 ml/min/100g of tissue, respectively. Following iv injection of PYY at doses of 200 and 400 pmol/kg the values of SPBF decreased by 12 +/- 1% and 22 +/- 2%, respectively. PVO2 was reduced by those doses of PYY by 9 +/- 1 and 17 +/- 3%, respectively. PBF was also reduced by 16 +/- 2 and 34 +/- 2%, respectively after those doses of PYY. Pretreatment with phentolamine reversed the blood flow and PVO2 responses to PYY because SPBF, PVO2 and PBF were significantly increased above the control level. However, after additional pretreatment with propranolol the pancreatic vascular and metabolic responses to PYY were abolished. The above pancreatic responses to PYY were also significantly reduced after acute adrenalectomy. The experimental data indicate that adrenergic pathway is involved in the mechanism of action of PYY on the pancreatic circulation."}
{"id": "PMID:1470567", "title": "Mutagenic and clastogenic activity of the chloro-nitroimidazole radiosensitizer P40 in vitro and in vivo.", "content": "The hypoxic radiosensitizer 1-(2-hydroxy-3-methoxypropyl)-2-chloro-4-nitroimidazole [P40] was investigated for its mutagenic activity in bacterial Ames test as well as for genotoxic activity in micronucleus assay in vivo. This nitroimidazole showed the weak mutagenicity towards TA100 strain (base pair substitution) and towards TA98 strain (frameshift) only in the highest concentration. P40 induced also a significant increase in the frequency of micronucleated polychromatic erythrocytes (PCEs) at the doses of 0.6 mg/g and 1.2 mg/g. The maximum time response was at 48 h. The decrease of percentage of PCEs suggested the possible cytotoxicity on bone marrow cells after treatment with P40. Positive results in this battery short-term tests provide evidence of clastogenic activity of P40."}
{"id": "PMID:1470577", "title": "[Laboratory problems of chemotherapy of viral infections in humans].", "content": "The following problems are presented and discussed: scientific and epidemiologic basis of chemotherapy, relations of antiviral activity in vitro and in vivo especially important when new-drugs are developed and evaluated, inhibitors used in medical treatment and mechanisms of their antiviral functions, genesis and nature of virus resistance, possible role of interfering defective particles. The paper is addressed both to laboratories involved in new drugs construction as well to clinical ones performing etiologic diagnostic procedures."}
{"id": "PMID:1470578", "title": "[Effect of antifolates and folates on the antineoplastic action of fluoropyrimidines].", "content": "The influence of folate and antifolate on the cytostatic activity of fluoropyrimidines has been examined extensively. From all of present work, it is apparent that methotrexate can be synergistic or antagonistic in its interaction with 5-fluorouracil, depending on the sequence used and the metabolic machinery present in the target cell. The interaction between commonly administered 5-fluorouracil and leucovorin may enhance carcinostatic efficacy of 5-fluorouracil in patients with colon carcinoma."}
{"id": "PMID:1470579", "title": "[Proteolytic enzymes of the digestive tract in ethanol poisoning].", "content": "The present paper reviews the literature on changes of proteolytic enzymes activity, disorders of protein digestion and absorption of protein degradation products from digestive tract in ethanol intoxication. Magnitude of the change depends on concentration, dose and time of ethanol consumption. Acute ethanol intoxication causes increase in gastric and pancreatic proteolytic enzymes secretion and reduces amino acids and peptides absorption. Chronic ethanol consumption results in reduced synthesis and secretion of gastric and pancreatic proteinases."}
{"id": "PMID:1470580", "title": "[Factors regulating growth processes in the ovary].", "content": "This paper summarizes the recent knowledge on the factors stimulating or inhibiting the ovarian growth. In the present review the following factors influencing growth processes in the ovary are discussed: gonadotropins, sex steroids, prolactin, renin, angiotensin II, atrial natriuretic factor (ANF), growth hormone, insulin, prostaglandins, pineal indoleamines, tissue growth factors and others. The role of nervous system is also described in the study. Not only gonadotropins and other stimulatory factors but also inhibitory agents, e.g., melatonin should be considered in the ovarian growth regulation. The hypertrophic and/or hyperplastic processes in the ovary seem to be dependent on either the excess of stimulatory agents or the deficit of the growth inhibitors."}
{"id": "PMID:1470581", "title": "[The role of glycosphingolipids in the expression of neoplastic phenotype. III. Changes in glycosphingolipids related to the capacity of neoplastic cells for metastasis and tumor growth in vivo].", "content": "The role of glycosphingolipids in the expression of neoplastic phenotype. III. Alterations in glycosphingolipids of tumor cells related to their metastatic potential and tumorigenicity. This review describes changes in glycosphingolipids related to metastatic and tumorigenic properties of malignant cells. The possible effects of such alterations on malignant behavior of cells is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1470582", "title": "[Beta 2-microglobulin--its role in renal failure and hemodialysis therapy].", "content": "A review of existing knowledge of beta 2M-microglobulin and their origin, physicochemical structure, metabolism and clinical significance with particular allowance of renal insufficiency patients in chronic hemodialysis was conducted. The probably important participation of beta 2-microglobulin in the development of later complications, especially dialysis-related amyloidosis, occurring in hemodialysis patients was discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1470583", "title": "Ascites in broilers. 2. Disturbances in the hormonal regulation of metabolic rate and fat metabolism.", "content": "Effects of different broiler stocks, ambient temperatures (Ta), dietary energy content (AME), and dietary levels of unsaturated fat on plasma thyroid and growth hormone concentrations and energy metabolism were studied. An experiment with a 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 factorial split-plot arrangement of treatments with 96 groups of 12 male broilers each was performed. Blood samples were taken at 3, 4, and 5 wk of age. Energy metabolism parameters were determined over an entire period from 1 to 5 wk of age. Chickens from a line selected for fast growth rate and low feed conversion ratio but also more sensitive to heart failure syndrome (HFS) and ascites (Line SS) than commercial birds (Line BC) exhibited the greatest responses to experimental factors. Differences in levels of plasma thyroxine (T4), triiodothyronine (T3), reverse triiodothyronine (rT3), and growth hormone (GH) between stocks at different ages were highly dependent on Ta and dietary fat content. Differences in heat production per metabolic weight, percentage of retained fat energy in retained energy, and efficiency of AME intake for retained energy between stocks corresponded to differences in hormone levels. High-fat diets (polyunsaturated fatty acids) inhibited the extra thyroidal conversion of T4 to T3 in both stocks. Differences between stocks in T3 and rT3 levels in plasma indicated that BC birds (in contrast to SS birds) were better able to compensate for an inhibited T4 conversion to T3 by producing more T4. Overall results suggest that the occurrence of HFS and ascites in SS birds could be initiated independently by different factors. These factors might be a limited thyroid hormone production and a lower capacity for oxygen consumption. An inverse relationship between T3 and GH levels found in particular combinations of experimental factors, together with changes in fat deposition, support published concepts about the positive effects of T3 on lipogenesis and GH on lipolysis."}
{"id": "PMID:1470584", "title": "Divergent selection for exponential growth rate at fourteen or forty-two days of age. 1. Early responses.", "content": "Athens-Canadian randombred chickens were divergently selected for exponential growth rate (EGR) to 14 or 42 days of age, resulting in four unique populations: 14L, 14H, 42L, and 42H. Exponential growth rate was calculated as: EGR = [ln b-ln a] + t; where a = hatching weight; b = weight at age of selection; and t = age of selection. In the S4 generation, 14H chicks had significantly greater EGR than 42H chicks at 14 but not 42 days. Chicks from the 42H line had significantly greater EGR than 14H chicks from 14 to 42 days. This meant that 14H chicks were significantly heavier than 42H chicks at 14 but not 42 days. Indeed, 14H chicks were consistently 5 to 10% heavier than the 42H chicks in each generation. Selection for EGR at 14 days was at least as effective in altering 42-day body weight as selection for growth rate at that age during the early generations of selection. Evidence of asymmetry existed for selection for EGR at 14 but not 42 days. Realized heritability of fast EGR14 was .29 +/- .08 (SE) whereas that of fast EGR42 was .15 +/- .09. Genetic correlation between fast EGR14 and fast EGR42 was 1.45, whereas the converse genetic correlation was .67. This would suggest that all the genes that influence 14-day growth influence 42-day growth, but not vice versa. Growth curve analysis supported the general hypothesis of growth, in that instantaneous growth rate was fastest in the 14H line, as was the decay of growth. Indeed, 14H birds were smaller at and beyond sexual maturity than 42H chickens."}
{"id": "PMID:1470585", "title": "Effects of low, normal, and high temperatures on slaughter yield of broilers from lines selected for high weight gain, favorable feed conversion, and high or low fat content.", "content": "Male and female broiler chicks from five different broiler crosses (WI = Israeli chicks selected for increased body weight; LF and HF = Israeli chicks selected for low and high abdominal fat, respectively; FC and WN = Dutch chicks selected for improved feed conversion and increased body weight, respectively) were raised at low, normal, or high temperature. Slaughter yield, amount of breast meat, and abdominal fat were determined at 6 wk of age in all groups and at a body weight of 2,360 g for males and 1,965 g for females in the low- and normal-temperature groups, and at 8 wk in the high-temperature groups. Temperature, genotype, and sex influenced both absolute and relative weights of carcass, breast meat, and abdominal fat. Temperature had a negative effect on breast meat yield. Males were affected more by high temperature than females. A significant interaction between temperature and sex for breast meat yield was caused by a low yield for males at the high temperature. A similar interaction for proportion of abdominal fat was caused by a high fat content in males reared at the high temperature. Slaughter yield and especially yield of breast meat were highest in FC chickens in all comparisons."}
{"id": "PMID:1470586", "title": "Effect of two-day temperature exposure of neonatal broiler chicks on growth performance and body composition during two weeks at normal conditions.", "content": "Newly hatched chicks were allotted to five different climatic treatment groups (28 to 32, 32 to 34, 34 to 35, 35 to 37, and 37 to 40 C) for 2 days after hatch during which feed and water were withheld. Their performance was measured for 2 wk and compared with control chicks kept under normal conditions. During the 2 days of climatic treatment, chicks lost weight of 5.3, 5.4, 6.7, 8.5, and 10.1 g, respectively, but control chicks grew 16.0 g. During 14 days of feed intake, chicks of the highest treatment group grew significantly less (217.5 g) than controls (267.7 g). Also, feed intake was significantly lower (292 versus 386 g). In the group exposed to 37 to 40 C, feed conversion decreased significantly from 1.43 to 1.37 g:g and mortality increased to more than 49%. Body composition of DM, protein, fat, and ash was also estimated. Chicks previously exposed to 37 to 40 C had significantly lower values for the gain in body components: DM (18.49 g), protein (7.13 g), fat (8.75 g), and ash (2.62 g) per chick at 2 wk. The ratios water:protein gain and fat:protein gain after posthatching heat exposure were decreased from 3.82 to 3.45 g:g and .76 to .67 g:g, respectively, whereas the ratio of gain in energy retention:weight gain was similar to that of controls."}
{"id": "PMID:1470587", "title": "Effect of anaerobic cecal microflora and dietary lactose on Salmonella colonization in bobwhite quail (Colinus virginianus).", "content": "The effect of oral inoculation with anaerobic cultures of cecal microflora from adult broiler chickens and dietary lactose on Salmonella typhimurium cecal colonization was evaluated in bobwhite quail chicks. One-day-old chicks were divided into four groups and provided 1) no anaerobic cultures, no lactose (control); 2) anaerobic cultures; 3) 2.5% lactose (wt/vol) in drinking water; or 4) anaerobic cultures and lactose. All groups were challenged orally with 10(4) S. typhimurium at 2 days of age. Salmonella growth in the cecal contents was significantly decreased (P < .05) at 15 days of age in each of the three treatment groups as compared with controls. Protection against Salmonella colonization was highest in the treatment group provided anaerobic cultures only. The results indicated that cecal flora from adult chickens enhances Salmonella colonization resistance in quail chicks."}
{"id": "PMID:1470588", "title": "Calcium and carbonate supply in the shell gland of hens laying eggs with strong and weak shells and during and after a rest from lay.", "content": "The concentration of calcium-binding protein (CaBP) and the activities of calcium adenosine triphosphatase (Ca(2+)-ATPase) and carbonic anhydrase (CA) were determined in the shell gland mucosa of hens in two experiments. In Experiment 1, laying hens on a proprietary layer mash were compared with hens rested from lay by the feeding of whole grain barley. In Experiment 2 comparisons were made of laying hens fed the proprietary layer mash and producing eggs with either strong or weak shells. These latter comparisons were also made when the shell gland was quiescent or active with respect to daily eggshell formation. Feeding whole grain barley reduced egg production to zero after 11 days. This reduction in rate of lay was accompanied by significant reductions in all three markers, the effect on Ca(2+)-ATPase and CaBP being less than for CA. Control values were regained between 10 and 16 days after the barley was replaced with the layer mash. Relative shell strength and the physiological status of the shell gland with respect to time of daily eggshell formation had no significant effect on any marker in Experiment 2."}
{"id": "PMID:1470589", "title": "Response of broilers to feed restriction or diet dilution in the finisher period.", "content": "Two experiments were conducted to study the response of 35- to 49-day-old male broilers to either feed restriction or diet dilution. In Experiment 1, after being fed conventional starter-grower diets to 35 days of age, birds consumed either a conventional finisher diet ad libitum, or 10, 20, 30, 40, or 50% less of this diet to 49 days of age. Performance and carcass characteristics were measured from 35 to 42 days and 42 to 49 days. There was a linear relationship between nutrient intake and 42- and 49-day body weight (P < .01). However, as a percentage of the control birds, weight gain was reduced less from 42 to 49 days (64%) than from 35 to 42 days (86%) for the 50% restricted group. Thus, there was apparently an adaptation in the period from 42 to 49 days. In a second comparable experiment, birds were offered a conventional finisher diet or one with either 10, 20, 30, 40, or 50% dilution with a 50:50 (wt:wt) mixture of sand:oat hulls. Growth rate was only slightly reduced, thus demonstrating the remarkable ability of the broilers at this age to increase feed intake in response to energy density of the diet. Although birds were of comparable weight, diet dilution resulted in a linear reduction in size of abdominal fat pad, whereas breast weight was not affected. The present data suggest that broiler chickens are far from eating to physical capacity, at 35 days of age, because they were able to exhibit up to a 70% increase in feed intake relative to the control birds."}
{"id": "PMID:1470590", "title": "Correlation of biological value of feed phosphates with their solubility in water, dilute hydrogen chloride, dilute citric acid, and neutral ammonium citrate.", "content": "Relative biological values (BV) of 36 feed phosphates were determined with female turkeys in bioassays of 21-day duration using three response criteria: weight gain, tibia ash percentage, and gain:feed ratio. Calcium phosphate, dibasic dihydrate (United States Pharmacopeia) was the reference standard. Nine mono-dicalcium phosphates (M-DCP, 21.0% phosphorus), 13 di-monocalcium phosphates (D-MCP, 18.5% phosphorus), and 14 defluorinated phosphates (DFP, 18.0% phosphorus) were evaluated. The average relative BV for M-DCP, D-MCP, and DFP samples were 97.6, 94.6, and 90.8%, respectively. Solubility of phosphates was determined by four recognized methods. The solvents were water, .4% HCl, 2.0% citric acid (CA), and neutral ammonium citrate (NAC). Water solubility of M-DCP samples was greater (67.5%) than that of D-MCP (38.8%) and DFP (8.9%) samples. Correlation of water solubility of phosphates to their relative BV was quite low, and water solubility was a poor indicator of BV. When .4% HCl was the solvent, correlation coefficients (r) were .55, .33, and .72 for M-DCP, D-MCP, and DFP, respectively. Based on these results and prediction equations, .4% HCl solubility would be inappropriate for estimating BV of M-DCP and D-MCP samples. Solubility of feed phosphates (mainly D-MCP and DFP) in 2.0% CA or NAC was positively correlated with BV; the r values were .87 to .95. Both of these solubility tests provided a good index of BV. However, it would seem inappropriate and risky to replace bioassays totally with these tests. Feed phosphate users could perform either the 2.0% CA or NAC solubility test easily as a screen for BV along with other quality control procedures (i.e., phosphorus, calcium, sodium, and fluoride determinations)."}
{"id": "PMID:1470591", "title": "Vitamin profiles of eggs as indicators of nutritional status in the laying hen: vitamin B12 study.", "content": "Hens of a type used for egg production were fed a corn and soybean meal diet supplemented with no vitamin B12 or with vitamin B12 levels to provide one, two, or four times the National Research Council (1984) breeding hen requirement of 4 micrograms/kg diet for 27 wk. All hens were placed on a recovery diet containing one and one-half times the requirement level of vitamin B12 from Weeks 27 through 30. Egg yolk vitamin B12 concentrations were determined frequently by radioisotope dilution analysis. Egg production records were kept continuously, and eggshell thickness, egg weight, hatchability of eggs, and hen body weights were measured at selected times. Although egg yolk vitamin B12 concentrations were high at the outset, they decreased markedly in 2 wk from hens fed the two lowest dietary levels. After 12 wk on the diets, egg concentrations of vitamin B12 stabilized and were proportional to the amount of vitamin added to the diet. Egg concentrations of vitamin B12 between 1.3 and 2.6 micrograms/100 g yolk appeared to be needed to support maximum hatchability and egg weight. Egg production was reduced after 12 wk on the diets in the hens fed the two lowest vitamin B12 levels. As vitamin B12 level increased, shell thickness decreased and egg weight, hen weight, and hatchability increased. Maximum egg production, egg weight, hen weight, and hatchability were obtained when the diet contained 8.0 micrograms/kg of vitamin B12. Egg yolk vitamin B12 concentrations respond rapidly to dietary changes in the level of this vitamin and are indicative of the vitamin B12 status of the hen."}
{"id": "PMID:1470592", "title": "The effect of photoperiodic history on egg laying in dwarf broiler hens.", "content": "An experiment was conducted in dwarf broiler breeders to determine whether the decrease in egg production towards the end of a laying year is due to the development of photorefractoriness or to age per se. The birds were reared on short days (8 h light/day) and subjected to dietary restriction to prevent BW exceeding the minimum required to support egg production. They were transferred at 22 wk of age to long days (20 h light/day) while controls were maintained on short days for a further 2, 14, or 30 wk. At the end of these periods, dietary restriction was relaxed to stimulate egg production, and the control short-day birds were transferred to long days. The number of days to the onset of egg laying after lifting dietary restriction was less in short-day controls than in hens exposed to long days for 14 wk [19.5 +/- .5 (SE) versus 24.0 +/- 1.1 days, P < .01] or 30 wk (26.4 +/- 1.3 versus 41.2 +/- 1.1 days, P < .001). The number of eggs laid during the 12 wk after first oviposition in hens exposed to long days for 2, 14, or 30 wk before relaxing dietary restriction was not significantly different from that of the short-day controls. The numbers of eggs laid during the 12 wk after first oviposition decreased (P < .001) as the hens became older irrespective of photoperiodic history. These observations indicate that in dwarf broiler breeders, photoperiodic history, and therefore the development of photorefractoriness, is less important than age per se in maintaining intensity of egg laying in the 1st laying yr."}
{"id": "PMID:1470593", "title": "Effects of age at lighting on reproduction of turkey hens.", "content": "Two experiments were conducted to evaluate age at photostimulation on subsequent reproductive performance of Large White turkey hens. All hens were exposed to short daylengths [8 h light (L):16 h dark (D)] for a minimum of 8 wk immediately prior to photostimulation with long day-lengths (16L:8D). Photostimulation started at either 24, 26, 28, or 30 wk of age during January and February (Experiment 1) or July and August (Experiment 2). Data were collected for body weight, time to onset of lay, egg production, and livability in both experiments. In addition, egg quality, broodiness, floor egg production, and poult weight data were obtained in Experiment 2. An inverse relationship occurred between initiation of egg production and the age at lighting up to 30 wk of age. However, peak egg production level and the number of eggs produced per hen during the first 20 wk of egg laying were similar among treatment groups in both experiments. The number of soft-shelled or shell-less eggs produced was also similar among treatment groups. Hens photostimulated at 30 wk of age in Experiment 2 laid the heaviest eggs throughout 20 wk of egg production. Poult weight was reduced when hens were photostimulated at 24 or 26 wk of age, but this only occurred in the first 11 wk of lay. Even though Large White hens responded to photostimulation at 24 wk of age, the results do not support advancing the age at photostimulation to 28 wk or earlier."}
{"id": "PMID:1470594", "title": "Research note: effect of high ambient temperature on dietary metabolizable energy values in genetically lean and fat chickens.", "content": "Effect of high ambient temperature (32 versus 22 C) on dietary ME value was investigated in 32 genetically lean and fat 8-wk-old male chickens. Lean broilers exhibited higher AME and TME values than fat chickens. Hot climatic conditions significantly increased AME and TME values, particularly in leaner birds. Protein retention efficiency was enhanced by selection for leanness and increased with ambient temperature. Correction for nitrogen balance (AME(n) and TMEn) reduced the effect of temperature but lean genotypes still revealed higher TMEn values than fatter ones."}
{"id": "PMID:1470595", "title": "Research note: an assessment of egg yolk structure using magnetic resonance imaging.", "content": "The purpose of the present experiment was to examine the inner structure of the egg using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Proton images of fertile and infertile eggs and eggs from hens fed a corn-based or a flax-based diet were generated using a Spectroscopy Imaging Systems unit. Phantom eggs, made from homogenized albumen and homogenized yolk in a plastic shell, were imaged as controls. Eggs were imaged individually on their side, in the sagittal plane. A single image was generated through the center of the yolk. Images clearly distinguished the eggshell, air space, albumen, and yolk. Within the yolk of both fertile and infertile eggs, the latebra, the neck of the latebra, and four to six pairs of concentric yolk rings were visible, although the rings were less clearly defined in eggs from hens fed the flax-based diet. The embryo was not visible after 24 h of incubation but yolk stratification could still be resolved. Rings were not evident in the phantom eggs. It was concluded that MRI can be used successfully in assessing the microanatomy of eggs."}
{"id": "PMID:1470596", "title": "Research note: failure of hippocampal lesions to influence feed and water intake in the chick.", "content": "Damage to the hippocampal region has shown varying effects on feed and water intake in rats. Three experiments were conducted to determine whether hippocampal ablation influences feed and water intake in the chick. Thirteen to 20 chicks in each trial were assigned randomly to lesioned or sham-operated control groups. Feed and water intake was monitored for 24 or 48 h following recovery from the surgical procedure. No differences were noted in either parameter measured. The current studies indicate that hippocampal ablation has no effect on ingestive behavior in the chick."}
{"id": "PMID:1470597", "title": "Research note: automated droplet application of a competitive exclusion preparation.", "content": "An automatic dosing cabinet similar to that used for infectious bronchitis vaccination was used to treat newly hatched chicks with a commercial competitive exclusion product, BROILACT. Randomly selected boxes of treated and untreated (control) chicks were taken to the laboratory and challenged with either Salmonella infantis or Salmonella enteritidis (PT4) using the seeder bird technique. Three experiments were carried out with each serotype. Twelve days after challenge, the ceca of the chicks and, in one experiment, also pooled samples of other organs were examined for Salmonella. Automatic droplet application of BROILACT protected the chicks effectively in all six trials. The average number of Salmonella was about 10 cfu/g of cecal contents in the treated groups and 1,000,000 cfu/g in control groups. The pooled organ samples were found to be free from Salmonella in the treated groups whereas virtually all organs from the control groups tested positive for Salmonella."}
{"id": "PMID:1470598", "title": "Research note: variability in preincubation embryonic development in domestic fowl. 2. Effects of duration of egg storage period.", "content": "Embryos of eggs from Single Comb White Leghorn hens were analyzed to determine whether duration of egg storage significantly affects embryonic development prior to incubation. Eggs were gathered over a period of 5 days from 25-wk-old hens that were naturally inseminated and housed in floor pens. Within 1 h of oviposition the eggs were collected and assigned randomly to one of five storage treatment groups of 0, 4, 7, 14, or 21 days. Fresh egg weight was recorded and the eggs were placed on plastic egg flats and stored at 14 C. Weight of each egg was measured after storage to determine amount of weight lost during storage. A total of 500 embryos were examined after storage. Viable embryos were staged for development using a modified Eyal-Giladi and Kochav classification. The incidence of embryonic mortality was noted. Duration of storage (P = .5815) collection date (P = .5815), and fresh egg weight (P = .3789) did not affect embryonic development significantly. A significant linear relationship was observed between duration of the storage period and loss of egg weight (P = .0001). Embryonic mortality was significantly related to loss of egg weight (P = .0001). Mortality was highest in eggs that were stored for a longer period of time. The data from the current study indicate that storing fertile eggs below physiological zero inhibits embryonic development. One of the reasons for the increased incidence of embryonic mortality in eggs that were stored for longer periods may be related to the increased egg weight loss in these eggs."}
{"id": "PMID:1470599", "title": "[The limits of Bruno Bettelheim's milieu therapy].", "content": "In this essay a position is taken concerning the reproaches against Bruno Bettelheim. Shortly after his death grave reproaches were risen by a former client of him. The reproaches cannot be refuted. But they have to be discussed in connection with Bruno Bettelheim's activities at the Orthogenic School of Chicago. By this example the authors tries to demonstrate the problem of over-taxing in psychiatric activities."}
{"id": "PMID:1470600", "title": "[Anxiety and adolescence].", "content": "Based on a single-case study an adolescent patient with an hysterical anxiety syndrome the importance of the integration of age-specific experiences in the phase of late adolescence is described. Here the separation from primary objects as well as the (renewed) coming-up of transitory objects serve as models for untieing of bonds between adolescent and parents. Further the relevance of anxiety in promoting the development at that threshold is described."}
{"id": "PMID:1470601", "title": "[Experiences with the revisions of the classification systems for psychiatric disorders (ICD-10 and Axis 5 MAS)].", "content": "In our study clinical experiences in 1990 and 1991 with the new installed ICD-10 and the new version of the fifth axis of the MAS for registering abnormal psychosocial conditions are presented. The strictly descriptive proceeding of these two new systems meets problems of acceptance in a department, whose tradition emphasizes strongly the importance of individually etiological relevant factors in the \"Biographische Anamnese\" for the psychiatric diagnosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1470602", "title": "[Family constellations in theory and practice: on symmetry and complementarity].", "content": "The concepts of \"symmetry\" and \"complementary\" of social systems in Bateson and Toman are compared. Bateson describes self-reinforcing cycles of formation of equality and inequality of social systems, whereas Toman means compatibility and incompatibility of social systems according to sibling positions of individuals involved. His concept is important to an empirical family psychology, family diagnosis and family therapy. A family diagnostic case-study shows the practical application."}
{"id": "PMID:1470603", "title": "Ultrastructural localization of pregnancy-specific beta 1-glycoprotein (SP1) and cathepsin B in villi of early placenta of the macaque.", "content": "Pregnancy-specific beta 1-glycoprotein (SP1) is found in maternal serum very early in gestation in both human and non-human primates. As judged by light microscopic immunocytochemistry, the major source of SP1 is the syncytial trophoblast, but little is known of the subcellular localization of SP1 indicative of the cellular pathway involved in secretion of the hormone. To study subcellular distribution of SP1, we used electron microscopic immunocytochemistry carried out on macaque placental villi from early (3-4 weeks) gestation. Both light and electron microscopic results confirmed localization confined to syncytial trophoblast in the villi. Within syncytial trophoblast labeling was predominantly over small granules in the apical cytoplasm. The Golgi complex also showed labeling, and light labeling was associated with the endoplasmic reticulum. For comparison, we also localized cathepsin B, a lysosomal protease. By way of contrast this enzyme was localized primarily in large cytoplasmic granules. The results are consistent with a secretory pathway including synthesis in the ER, processing by the Golgi complex, and exocytotic release into maternal blood in the intervillous space."}
{"id": "PMID:1470604", "title": "Immunoreactive prostaglandin G/H synthase content increases in ovine cotyledons during late gestation.", "content": "In this study, using gel electrophoresis and Western blotting, we have demonstrated that the content of irPGHS in ovine placenta increases during late gestation prior to the onset of labour. This increase in PGHS tissue content may contribute to the corresponding increased production of prostaglandins by the ovine placenta during this period of pregnancy. Although the mechanism by which PGHS tissue content is elevated at this time remains to be established, one possibility which is currently being investigated in our laboratory is that increased PGHS content reflects an increased level of PGHS gene expression."}
{"id": "PMID:1470605", "title": "Villous culture of first trimester human placenta--model to study extravillous trophoblast (EVT) differentiation.", "content": "During implantation and subsequent placentation the human extravillous trophoblast (EVT) cells invade the endometrium and maternal vasculature within the uterus. The origin of the EVT and signals triggering its differentiation, migration and invasion are poorly understood. First and second trimester human chorionic villi explants were used as a source of EVT and a variety of substrates which resemble extracellular matrix (ECM) in vivo have been tested to induce EVT differentiation and migration. The obtained results demonstrate that villous explants from both 5-7 and 8-10 weeks of gestation give rise to EVT cells in vitro if maintained on the surface of Matrigel or decidual extract supplemented collagen gel. Fetal calf serum (FCS) supplemented media was essential for EVT differentiation and villous trophoblast viability. Immunostaining of both EVT cells and cells from the cytotrophoblastic column with monoclonal antibody Ki67 (cell proliferation marker) indicate that EVT cells differentiate in vitro by proliferation from the tip of anchoring villi. These mononucleated, round-shaped, migrating cells are HLA-A,B,C class I antigen (W6/32) antibody and low molecular weight cytokeratin positive, and do not immunostain with PAI-1 (plasminogen activator inhibitor) and HPL antibodies. Differentiation of EVT was restricted to first trimester villous tissue; explants from second trimester placentae did not give rise to EVT. Tissue viability as monitored by glucose utilization, lactate, progesterone and hCG production rates correlated with EVT differentiation. The production rates for hCG demonstrated significant variation among individual placentae and was maintained constant for 10 days consistently only in explants cultured on decidual extract supplemented collagen matrix. The described villous tissue culture system may be, therefore, a unique in vitro model to study proliferation and differentiation of EVT from cytotrophoblastic columns, the regulation of EVT proliferation and differentiation, the role of ECM in the induction of the migration and the interaction of extravillous and villous trophoblast at the level of the cytotrophoblastic column."}
{"id": "PMID:1470611", "title": "[Transluminal coronary angioplasty in patients over 75 years of age. Immediate and long-term results].", "content": "Over a 4-year period, 120 transluminal coronary angioplasties were performed in 102 patients older than 75 years. There were 56 men and 46 women aged from 75 to 89 years (mean: 78 +/- 3 years) presenting with the following characteristics: left ventricular ejection fraction 60 +/- 11 percent; severe angina (class III or IV) 86 percent; history of myocardial infarction 43 percent; one-vessel lesion 39 percent; 66 percent of the arteries dilated were calcified. Altogether, 158 vessels (1.3 per procedure) were dilated: 1 vessel in 74 percent of the patients, 2 in 20 percent and 3 in 6 percent. The primary success rate was 80 percent per lesion (126/158 lesions) and 77 percent per procedure (92/120 procedures). This primary success rate was significantly higher when the stenosis dilated was not calcified (88 versus 75 percent, P < 0.05) and in cases with stenosis rather than complete occlusion (83 versus 53 percent, P < 0.01). Three patients died (3 percent) and 9 (7.5 percent) developed infarction with Q wave, but no emergency bypass was needed. The first 79 patients could be followed up for a mean period of 23 +/- 13 months (range: 8-61 months), and no patient was lost sight of. During that period, 11 patients died (including 7 of cardiac cause), 2 had a non-lethal infarction, 7 underwent distant aortocoronary bypass and 18 had a second angioplasty for restenosis. The long-term survival rate (Kaplan-Meier) was 83 +/- 6 percent at 4 years (90 percent when the angioplasty was successful and 73 percent when it failed; P < 0.02). Among the 65 survivors, 73 percent no longer had angina, 96 percent are in the New York Heart Association class I or II, and 92 percent are still on oral anti-angina therapy. Thus, transluminal coronary angioplasty can be performed in very old patients with good efficacy and an acceptable complication rate. The improvement obtained persists for a long time when the angioplasty is successful."}
{"id": "PMID:1470607", "title": "Galactose alpha 1-3 galactose and anti-alpha galactose antibody in normal and pathological pregnancies.", "content": "The galactose alpha 1-3 galactose (Gal alpha 1-3 Gal) residue is a carbohydrate widely distributed in many non-human mammals. Since Gal alpha 1-3 Gal residues are described on the cell surface of tumor cells, we have examined the possibility of their expression on human trophoblastic cells at different stages of placental implantation and in various pregnancy-associated conditions. Using immunohistochemical methods, Gal alpha 1-3 Gal was demonstrated on interstitial and vascular trophoblast during pregnancy. For villous trophoblast, the staining disappeared in second trimester pregnancies. The density of staining for Gal alpha 1-3 Gal was increased in highly invasive trophoblast (mole and choriocarcinoma) and decreased in poorly invasive specimens (spontaneous abortion, XO monosomia). No cells displaying Gal alpha 1-3 Gal at their surface were identified in some segments of spiral arteries from pre-eclamptic women. The anti-Gal antibody titer increased in the first trimester of pregnancy and in the sera of pre-eclamptic and eclamptic patients. These findings suggest that Gal alpha 1-3 Gal residues could be considered as markers for trophoblast invasive capacity and that the binding of maternal anti-Gal antibodies to the trophoblast could contribute to limit trophoblastic invasion and thus participate to the immunological control of implantation."}
{"id": "PMID:1470612", "title": "[Pure cerebellar infarction. Thirty cases].", "content": "Infarcts in the territory of cerebellar arteries, often involving both brainstem and cerebellum, have been well recognized in recent pathological and clinicoradiological studies. To evaluate the situation of pure cerebellar infarcts (PCI) we studied 30 consecutive cases of symptomatic PCI (22 men and 8 women, mean age 58 +/- 17 years) admitted over a 5-year period and selected on the basis of brain computed tomography completed by magnetic resonance in 20 cases and angiography in 15 cases. PCIs accounted for 53 percent of cerebellar infarcts, 10 percent of vertebrobasilar infarcts and 3.2 percent of all cerebral infarcts. The arterial territories involved were the superior cerebellar artery (SCA) in 13 cases (alone in 8 cases), the anterior inferior cerebellar artery in 2 cases, the posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA) in 17 cases (alone in 13 cases) and border areas in 5 cases (associated with SCA or PICA). The symptoms were the same in the arterial territories involved (SCA versus PICA), except for dysmetria and vestibular syndrome which were more frequent respectively in SCA territory infarction (P < 0.001) and in PICA territory infarction (P < 0.01). Certain or presumed causes were cardiogenic embolism (23 percent), atherosclerosis (43 percent) and other identified causes, such as oral contraceptives or temporal arteritis (10 percent). They remained undetermined in 24 percent of the cases. Although most patients were severely disabled in the acute stage (Barthel index < 60 in 21 cases), 90 percent recovered subsequently (Barthel index about 100 and 0-2 score on modified Rankin scale). Our findings indicate that symptomatic PCIs are rare; their main causes (cardioembolism and atherosclerosis) do not differ in frequency from those of all cerebral infarcts collected in stroke registries and their functional prognosis is good in almost all cases."}
{"id": "PMID:1470613", "title": "[Malignant endocrine tumor of the pancreas associated with high blood thyrocalcitonin levels].", "content": "A case of thyrocalcitonin-secreting endocrine tumour of the pancreas is reported. Endocrine pancreatic tumours are neoplasias evolving over a long period; most of them are multisecreting, usually with a predominant secretion responsible for clinical symptoms. In this particular case the retrospective diagnosis of a thyrocalcitonin-secreting tumour of the pancreas was made by immunocytochemical study of the pancreatectomy specimen. One year after pancreatectomy, the persistence of clinical signs and a plasma thyrocalcitonin level higher than 25,000 pg/ml led to the discovery of a liver metastasis. An immunocytochemical study of the segmental hepatectomy specimen showed a single population of thyrocalcitonin-secreting cells identical with those found in the pancreatic tumour. In this context, radioimmunological assays of peptides and immunocytochemistry seem to be the best diagnostic methods."}
{"id": "PMID:1470606", "title": "Subcellular localization and properties of adenosine diphosphatase in human placenta.", "content": "It was found that mitochondria from human placenta exhibited an ADPase activity with the following characteristics. The enzyme responsible for this activity was associated with the inner mitochondrial membrane. It was not released by treatment of the submitochondrial particles with solutions of high ionic strength. Maximal ADP hydrolysis was reached at pH 8. Specific inhibitors for alkaline phosphatase (L-phenylalanine), myokinase (P1,P5-di(adenosine-5')pentaphosphate), or 5'-nucleotidase (concanavalin A) did not decrease ADP hydrolysis. ATP synthesis from ADP by myokinase was about 13 nmol/mg/min, whereas ADP hydrolysis reached values around 500 to 550 nmol/mg/min, indicating that a myokinase-H+ATPase combination could not account for the observed rates of ADP hydrolysis. The activity was stimulated by Mg2+, but high concentrations of this cation produced inhibition. High ADP concentrations did not inhibit ADPase activity. Kinetic measurements of the activity in the submitochondrial particles showed that the true substrate was ADP-Mg. The kinetic studies showed V(app) values of 476 and 270 nmol/mg/min, and Kmapp values of 416 and 8.7 microM."}
{"id": "PMID:1470614", "title": "[Insulin administration systems. Possibilities and difficulties].", "content": "Conventional insulin therapy, particularly when intensive, dose not provide all the comfort and effectiveness desired. The new insulin therapy methods that are, or will soon be, available are described in this review paper. The new types of subcutaneous insulin administration include the so-called \"fountain-pens\"--in fact ready-to-use syringes--and portable insulin pumps, which are helpful to some patients. Pancreas and islets transplantations are limited by the problem of tissue harvesting and by the necessity of chronic immunosuppression. Nasal insulin sprays will replace rapid insulin injections when the problem of bioavailability is solved and the lack of toxicity is demonstrated. The implantable artificial pancreas is still awaiting the development of long-term reliable glucose sensors, but one of its elements, the implantable insulin pump, is already operational; its safety and reliability have now been proven; its effectiveness seems to result from a better stabilization of blood glucose level variations; it will not supersede conventional injections, but it is the only alternative for patients with poor glycaemia control and notably for those at high risk of hypoglycaemia."}
{"id": "PMID:1470608", "title": "Anion transport by human placenta: a study of chloride and sulphate efflux from isolated placental tissue fragments.", "content": "The efflux of radiolabelled sulphate and chloride from fragments prepared from normal human term placentae has been examined so that a comparison between the transport properties of whole tissue and isolated placental membranes may be made. Sulphate efflux was found via a temperature- and DIDS sensitive mechanism. External chloride and sulphate were able to trans-accelerate the egress of labelled sulphate from tissue fragments via a DIDS-inhibitable route. These results are consistent with sulphate transport being mediated via an anion-exchange process. Chloride efflux from fragments of placenta was via a system which could be trans-stimulated by external Cl-: this moiety of transport was inhibited by DIDS. Several differences between the characteristics of placental tissue anion transport and isolated membrane vesicles were noted and are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1470609", "title": "From 13 weeks to term, the trophoblast of human placenta grows by the continuous recruitment of new proliferative units: a study of nuclear number using the disector.", "content": "A method is presented for obtaining assumption-free estimates of the number of nuclei in the trophoblast of the human placenta and for defining the size of the trophoblast proliferative unit (TPU). The method relies on the disector, a stereological device for counting arbitrary particles in 3-dimensional space using pairs of parallel sections separated by a known distance. It is applied to investigate factors which contribute to trophoblast growth from 13 weeks of gestation to term. Physical disectors were sampled systematically using adjacent 4-4.6 microns thick paraffin sections. Nuclei in the trophoblast (syncytial and cellular) were counted if they appeared in an unbiased counting frame on one section but were absent from the adjacent section. Nuclear packing densities were converted to absolute numbers of nuclei by using placental volume as the reference space. At 37-39 weeks, the average placenta contained 6.4 x 10(10) trophoblast nuclei of which 90 per cent were located within the syncytium and the remainder in the cytotrophoblast. From a knowledge of total trophoblast volume, it was found that each nucleus is associated with 970 microns3 of trophoblast and each cytotrophoblast cell with 11,000 microns3. The latter may be regarded as the volume of a TPU. From 13 weeks of gestation to term, there was a ninefold increase in nuclear number but the trophoblast volumes associated with nuclei, including the size of the TPU, remained constant. Growth of trophoblast is purely hyperplastic and occurs by recruitment of new TPUs."}
{"id": "PMID:1470622", "title": "[Results of myocardial revascularization in patients aged 70 years and over].", "content": "The purpose of this study was to bring up-to-date the immediate risks and long-term benefits of coronary surgery in elderly people. The results obtained in a series of 475 patients in their seventies suffering from coronary disease who underwent myocardial revascularization alone or combined with heart valve replacement at the La Piti\u00e9 Hospital, Paris, between 1984 and 1989 were analyzed. Coronary disease was associated with heart valve disease in two-thirds of the cases. The mean number of bypasses was 2.3 per patient. Aortic valve replacement was performed in 119 cases and mitral valve replacement in 12 cases. The operative mortality rate was 10.8 percent in patients with stable angina who underwent elective surgery. The factors which increased the mortality rate were: age (19.6 percent over 75 versus 13 percent under 75, P = 0.05); sex (23.5 percent in women versus 13.2 percent in men, P = 0.01) and emergency (25.8 percent, P = 0.02). No significant difference in mortality was noted between patients who had and those who did not have aortic valve replacement (15.8 versus 10.8 percent, P = 0.14). Fifteen patients (3.1 percent) developed perioperative myocardial infarction. During the follow-up, period myocardial infarction occurred in 7 patients. Out of 29 late deaths, 8 were of cardiac origin (infarction in 5, terminal heart failure in 3). The survival rate at 4 years was 76 percent. Among the patients who could be followed up, 80 percent are now asymptomatic, 15 percent are in stage I or II and 5 percent in stage III or IV of the Canadian Cardiovascular Society classification. Thus, despite a non negligible operative risk the functional improvement and survival rates obtained justify an increase in the indications for myocardial revascularization in elderly patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1470623", "title": "[Diffusion of amikacin into the sinuses in patients with nosocomial sinusitis. Administration of a single dose per day].", "content": "Twenty mechanically ventilated patients with nosocomial sinusitis were treated with amikacin 15 mg/kg administered either once a day (group 1 patients) or twice a day (group 2 patients). Amikacin was assayed in serum and in the liquid drained from the sinuses 8 times over a 24 hours' period (group 1) or 7 times over a 12 hours' period (group 2). The amikacin concentration peak was 10.9 mg/l in group 1 and 5.1 mg/l in group 2. It is concluded that amikacin can be used to treat patients with nosocomial sinusitis. High amikacin concentrations are reached with the once a day dosage."}
{"id": "PMID:1470624", "title": "[Bacillary epithelioid angiomatosis in AIDS. Two cases].", "content": "Bacillary angiomatosis is a newly recognized multisystem opportunistic infection seen in the human immunodeficiency virus infection. The disease is marked by papular and nodular vascular skin lesions that clinically resemble Kaposi's sarcoma. Histologically, the lesions are different and show clusters of bacteria showing the structure of Gram negative bacilli staining with Warthin-Starry stain. Transmission electron microscopy shows that the organisms (1 to 2 microns) have a trilamellar wall structure. Treatment with oral erythromycin (2 to 3 g a day) for 2 to 4 weeks rapidly leads to resolution."}
{"id": "PMID:1470625", "title": "[Bacillary angiomatosis].", "content": "Bacillary angiomatosis (BA) is a recently described infection usually found in patients with human immunodeficiency virus disease. BA is caused by a Gram-negative coccobacillus. This organism is primarily responsible for skin lesions of the pseudo-botryomycoma type or inflammatory nodules, but it also produces fever, degradation of the general condition and visceral lesions involving the lymph nodes, the liver, the spleen and the bones. Histology shows vascular proliferation with turgid endothelial cells and mostly neutrophilic inflammatory infiltrates. BA is susceptible to many antibiotics. The authors describe the history of the disease and its clinical and histological features, discuss its differential diagnosis and principally deal with the relationship between BA and cat-scratch disease and between BA and verruca peruana. They also present the molecular biology technique which enables a genotypic diagnosis of the disease to be made, replacing a deficient phenotype."}
{"id": "PMID:1470626", "title": "[Treatment of primary cancer of the breast in elderly women. Role of hormone therapy].", "content": "About 40 percent of newly diagnosed breast cancers occur in women older than 65. Hormonotherapy plays an important role as adjuvant treatment of primary cancers in post-menopausal women because of their great hormone-dependence. The drug of choice is tamoxifen which is very well tolerated. Its beneficial effect appears to be related to the duration of administration. It also seems to be particularly promising in the initial treatment (neoadjuvant) of elderly women and potentially beneficial in the breast cancers said to be of good prognosis when the axillary nodes are not involved."}
{"id": "PMID:1470628", "title": "Effectiveness of oral health care--some Danish experiences.", "content": "The paper presents an overview of the oral health situation in Denmark with consideration to the effectiveness of dental health care services to children, adolescents, and adults. According to the Act on Dental Health consolidated in 1986, the Municipal Dental Service provides systematic preventive and curative care free of charge to the child population and adolescents. The adults are responsible for a substantial part of the payments at the private dental practitioners but some of the payments, in particular the curative services, are covered by the National Health Insurance Scheme. The Municipal Dental Service is attended by nearly 100%. In order to plan and evaluate the service, a standardized recording system has been established. Thereby, national oral epidemiological data have been provided since 1972. Partly due to the preventive approach, a general decrease over-time in the prevalence of dental caries has been documented for children and adolescents. For example, in 1972 children in first class had a mean caries experience of 12.4 def-s against 3.9 def-s in 1990. Moreover, the distribution of dental caries has become even more skewed which means that an increasing number of the children are free of caries while a limited number of the children still show a significant caries experience. According to interview data from 1987, 72% of the adult population 16 years of age and above reported regular dental visits at least once a year. The proportion of regular dental visitors were high in 16-24-years-old (92%) but lower in the age group 65-74 (35%). In 1982, clinical epidemiological data were collected as part of a national oral health survey. The results indicated that the amount of untreated dental caries and the number of missing teeth were significantly lower among regular dental visitors than irregulars. As to periodontal health, treatment needs were also prominent among regular dental visitors. In a longitudinal survey, over-time changes in the occurrence of denture wearers have been observed. In 1976, 30% of the 35-44-year-olds were denture wearers against 11% in 1986. One important finding from this survey was that social inequality in oral health seems to be reduced in younger adults. Finally, experiences from implementation of health education and preventive dental care in industrial settings are discussed, and the health outcome of a comprehensive public dental health care programme for old-age pensioners is reviewed."}
{"id": "PMID:1470629", "title": "Iatrogenesis in the treatment of dental caries.", "content": "Traditional restorative dental treatment has many shortcomings and has not been shown to be an effective method for managing caries. In spite of this, many dentists continue to be powered by an aggressive restorative approach which, in the light of changing \"rules\" of operative dentistry, must now be seen as inappropriate and as a form of iatrogenesis. Many things have changed in recent years, including: the prevalence of caries; understanding of the science of the caries process; a fuller appreciation of the problems inherent in restoring teeth; cavity design; restorative materials; and the demands of patients. Dental practice needs to change very dramatically if iatrogenesis is truly to be reduced to a minimum and dentistry is to provide the sort of preventive-based care the modern consumer is increasingly realising makes most sense."}
{"id": "PMID:1470630", "title": "Use of oral health services and adult oral health in Finland.", "content": "This paper describes changes in use of oral health services and oral health in Finnish adults. The figures are taken from the Mini-Finland study of people aged 30 years or over (1980), a study of the oral health of persons aged 35 to 64 years old in the J\u00e4ms\u00e4 Health Centre region (1990), and a study on the oral health of people aged 65 or over in the Varkaus region (1990). In 1980 one-third of Finnish adults aged 30 years or over visited a dentist at least once every two years. In 1990, 41% of the population between 35 and 64 years old visited a dentist at least once every two years. Among those aged 65 or over, however, most subjects visited a dentist only if they had an acute dental problem. An oral health check-up was the reason given for their last dental visit by 25% of adults in 1980. The percentage was slightly greater in 1990. Regular use of oral health services was reflected in better oral health. Occurrence of dental caries correlated strongly with use of oral health services. In 1980 only 4% of Finnish adults had a healthy periodontium. There was no marked improvement in 1990 in periodontal health. The most radical positive development was observed in relation to degree of periodontal loss. Despite some positive development, the association between oral health and use of oral health services has remained unchanged. The results support encouragement of an oral health check-up at least once every two years."}
{"id": "PMID:1470631", "title": "Evaluation of the correlation box (Segner) for characterization of the facial skeleton.", "content": "The convenience of the so-called harmonious combinations of five basic radiographic cephalometric measurements (Segner), derived from multiple regressions and presented in the form of a correlation box, as a means of diagnosing skeletal malocclusion has been evaluated statistically. The study involved 55 untreated orthodontic patients 7-14 years old with Angle's Class I malocclusion. The correlation box was built stepwise on the basis of four linear regressions computed between five angular measurements (SNA, SNB, NSL/ML, NSL/NL, and NSAr). The regression analyses indicated that the correlation box was not accurate enough. The coefficients of determination for the regressions varied between 0.26 (for NSL/NL) and 0.63 (for SNB). Most part of the variation in NSL/ML, NSL/NL, and NSAr angles remained unexplained. Individual norms indicated by the box for the ANB angle seemed doubtful in many cases. The correlation box seemed to show the statistically most probable associations between measurements used. The combinations may be harmonious but the existence of other harmonious combinations cannot be excluded."}
{"id": "PMID:1470632", "title": "Experience with a carbon dioxide laser for removal of benign oral soft-tissue lesions.", "content": "Fifty-six patients with 86 benign oral soft-tissue lesions were treated with CO2 laser surgery during a period of 48 months. The lesions removed included hyperplasias, papillomas, haemangiomas, mucoceles, lichen planus, fibromas, condylomas and lingual frenula. All clinical diagnoses except that of lingual frenulum were verified histopathologically. The lesions were excised using the laser to obtain biopsy specimens. However, in some cases it was felt more appropriate to excise biopsy material from the most characteristic part of the lesion first, then to destroy the rest of the lesion. Treatment was undertaken in one session under local anaesthesia without premedication. No patient received antibiotics or anti-inflammatory drugs after operation. The lesions were operated on freehand using a handpiece and laser power ranging from 6 to 10 W in continuous mode. The beam in focus was 0.2 mm in diameter, which allowed fine dissection. There was no bleeding from the laser wounds, and no need for suturing. Removal of the lesions using the laser was fast and easy. Healing took place with minimal post-operative discomfort, and without visible scarring. The results of this study suggest that use of a CO2 laser leads to a level of precision similar to and sometimes better than that of a scalpel in the treatment of benign oral soft-tissue lesions. The laser beam could be used to obtain biopsy specimens without tissue destruction."}
{"id": "PMID:1470633", "title": "Evaluation of oral health services for adults.", "content": "Evaluation is carried out to ascertain the value of something, or to compare accomplishments with some standard. Its purpose is to judge and improve the quality, effectiveness and efficiency of services. Oral health services for adults have been dominated by demand-led private practice arrangements. Classic programme evaluation, including assessment of appropriateness, adequacy, effectiveness, efficiency and side-effects has not been possible because neither objectives, nor activities to attain them have been defined. After presenting some evaluative studies of the past, this paper outlines one monitoring and evaluative strategy based on the mixed-scanning theory of planning. The strategy consists in defining a few oral health status and behavioural goals for four selected age groups of adults. Information concerning background and outcome variables is then collected at predetermined intervals of time from random samples of the adult population using a comparatively simple survey strategy. In order to keep the work-load and resource expenditure within reasonable limits, the periodic monitoring surveys would need to be supplemented by ad hoc studies for specific health services research purposes. The periodic surveys would be used to show the extent of goal attainment at predetermined points in time; the ad hoc studies for testing hypothesis about causal associations."}
{"id": "PMID:1470634", "title": "How to optimize drug penetration through the skin.", "content": "The main problem of the therapy with drugs applied to the skin is the high diffusional resistance of the intact stratum corneum. To increase the flux of a given drug the selection of the vehicle is of utmost importance. Incorporation of the drug at its maximal thermodynamic activity leads to the maximal possible flux, as in vivo studies show with different drugs. The formation of supersaturated solutions and dissociation equilibria as well as drug-vehicle interactions and drug depletion also result from the vehicle selection and influence the flux. The resistance of the stratum corneum is not a constant parameter. It may be reduced by specific vehicle effects, penetration enhancers and hydration. Examples for the increase of drug fluxes are given."}
{"id": "PMID:1470635", "title": "Interaction of preservatives with macromolecules: Part I--Natural hydrocolloids.", "content": "Antibacterial activity of methyl-p-hydroxybenzoate against Ps. aeruginosa was evaluated in the presence of varying concentrations of acacia, tragacanth, sodium alginate, guar gum and carrageenin. All these hydrocolloids reduced the antibacterial activity to varying degrees. Tragacanth and guar gum inhibited the activity to a greater extent than acacia, sodium alginate and carrageenin. Hydrocolloids reduce the antibacterial activity of preservatives in two ways. Interaction of the preservative with hydrophilic macromolecules and subsequent reduction in the availability of preservative appears to be the predominant mechanism by which tragacanth and guar gum reduce the activity of methyl-p-hydroxybenzoate. Acacia, sodium alginate and carrageenin apparently act by offering physical protection to microbial cells from the action of the preservative. It is also probable that these hydrocolloids provide more favourable media for microbial growth thereby increasing the preservative requirement for adequate preservation."}
{"id": "PMID:1470640", "title": "CT reconstruction algorithm for a dental panoramic x-ray unit.", "content": "A variable Jacobian and weighted backprojection algorithm, used for medical CT, was adapted to perform CT reconstructions on data obtained with a dental panoramic x-ray unit. A detector array, fitted to the unit for the purpose of acquiring digital panoramic radiographs, was used to collect the data. Compensations were made for the incomplete (230 degrees) rotation of the panoramic x-ray unit, the non-fixed centre of rotation, the irregular rotation of the x-ray target and detector, and the resulting variances in magnification. The algorithm was tested on mathematically simulated phantoms and on acquired data. Reconstruction of simulated data proved the success of the algorithm. Real data reconstructions showed some defects as a result of inaccuracies in quantifying the experimental panoramic device."}
{"id": "PMID:1470641", "title": "Prototype of dual energy x-ray tomodensimeter for lumbar spine bone mineral density measurement: choice of the reconstruction algorithm and first experimental results.", "content": "A dual-energy x-ray tomodensimeter adapted for the determination of bone mineral density (BMD) of the lumbar vertebrae has been directly developed from a typical dual-energy x-ray absorptiometer. This apparatus consists of two fundamental parts: a dual energy x-ray tube, and a multidetector made by an array of 24 NaI(T1) crystals. It provides both tomographic and non-tomographic (anteroposterior, lateral etc) measurement. The detection area is limited to 132 mm. In this condition, the choice of the best reconstruction algorithm in order to give a direct BDM is considered. Preliminary studies based on numerical simulated projections and hydroxyapatite phantoms demonstrated the superiority of algebraic reconstruction algorithms, such as conjugated gradient, in order to resolve the problems of (i) the impossibility of defining an internal calibration, and (ii) the potential for reconstruction errors due to the presence of bone structures located out of the detection area. The accuracy of BMD measurement is within 2%, with in vitro precision approximately 1%, and linearity characterized by a standard error of estimation (SEE) of 2 mg cm-3 in the range of lumbar BMD (less than 400 mg cm-3). Experimental data derived from two volunteers are presented."}
{"id": "PMID:1470642", "title": "Stratospheric ozone depletion and the risk of non-melanoma skin cancer in a British population.", "content": "Quantitative estimation of the increased risk of non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) in British people that may result from depletion of the stratospheric ozone layer is given for the present generation of British people. For adults alive today continuing ozone depletion at current rates is predicted to result in a relatively small additional lifetime risk (< 5%) of NMSC, assuming no changes in climate, time spent outdoors, behaviour or clothing habits. The lifetime risk incurred by today's children, however, is 10%-15% greater than expected in the absence of ozone depletion. However, if the production and use of substances which deplete ozone are reduced, as expected under the current provisions of the Montreal Protocol, the increased lifetime risk of skin cancer is likely to be less than this estimate. These predicted increases in risk, resulting from greater solar ultraviolet exposure, can be offset by adopting changes to behaviour during the summer months which may involve spending less time outdoors, wearing appropriate clothing including wide-brimmed hats, applying topical sunscreens, or a combination of these."}
{"id": "PMID:1470644", "title": "A feasibility study of the in vivo measurement of aluminium in peripheral bone.", "content": "In summary, it is feasible to construct a neutron source, using the 3H(1H,n)3He reaction and the Dynamitron accelerator, which is suitable for the measurement of aluminium in vivo. It is useful to compare this system with other published data for in vivo aluminium measurement. The important parameters are presented in table 2 where MDL represents the minimum detectable level for the stated local dose. The figures in table 2 are very encouraging since the system described in this paper is at a very early stage of development. Significant improvements in sensitivity (detected 28Al counts per unit dose) should be expected from the combined effects of: (i) Increased NaI detector sizes. (ii) Neutron transport calculations to optimise the irradiation cavity. (iii) Experiments to determine the optimum source energy more precisely. (iv) Better dose delivery (giving the same dose in a shorter time). (v) More sophisticated spectroscopic data reduction. Published data on the amounts of aluminium typically found in hands of patients with renal disease (Ellis and Kelleher 1987) show that aluminium levels are likely to be in the 0.3 to about 15 mg range. Any improvements in system performance could largely be used to reduce the patient dose since the measurement sensitivity reported here is already close to that required for meaningful clinical measurements."}
{"id": "PMID:1470645", "title": "[Structural and functional anatomical bases of deep venous insufficiency of the lower limbs].", "content": "The authors consider the Extent of the several anatomical structures which constitute the deep venous network, and the part they can take in the case of deep venous insufficiency. Congenital Vascular diseases are called back in mind when considering Embryology, and point out the extent of the deep venous state; such veins can gather in periarterial plexus, at the muscular Level, and in going past all along main arterial axes. Among all the critical points of these axes, we must keep the popliteal veins, the femoral crossing, and the iliocaval one and elsewhere, the important question of venous valves and communicating and perforating veins. The part of the lymphatic network must be pointed out, because of its extent in the stasis phenomenons."}
{"id": "PMID:1470646", "title": "[Morphologic anatomy of the valves of the lower limbs].", "content": "This study reports a useful technique, in particular at the magnifications of 16, 25 and 40 fresh cadaver: the great saphenous vein contains approximately 7 to 8 valves with a variable, though small, percentage of atrophic valves; regarding deep veins, study includes that of the ostial valves of the great and small saphenous veins and of the bicuspid valves distributed in the femoro-popliteal and leg veins. Varicose veins, obtained by long stripping of the great saphenous (or, more rarely, of the small saphenous) have been used to study: the number of valves (far less in varicose vein sufferers) and the incidence of atrophic valves; possible changes in the structure of valves (or cusps); intermediate pillars between two cusps; the position of the valve in relation to varicose ectasia and to collaterals; the possibility of actual trabecular modifications in the wall (but, most often, valves are typical). The valves of collaterals are bicuspid in the lumen, but the ostial valve is usually unicuspid. Perforating veins generally have a single cusp exterior to passage through the fascia. This study enables interesting comparisons with recent endoscopic findings (and in particular work from the department of Professor Cloarec)."}
{"id": "PMID:1470647", "title": "[Clinical aspects of deep venous varicose insufficiency].", "content": "Attention is paid to the set of problems connected with the non-thrombotic insufficiency of the conducting veins of the leg. Phlebographic and X-ray morphometric investigations of the last years were able to prove that the primary varicosis does not exclusively represent a disease of the superficial and perforating fasciae venous system, but that the subfascial venous system (system of conductive veins) is without doubt also included in the pathogenetic reactive process. Two casuistic descriptions of cases with phlebographically and Doppler-sonographically ascertained insufficiency of the conductive veins of the leg are demonstrated. It is referred to the diagnostic, clinical and therapeutic problems of the isolated non-thrombotic insufficiency of the conductive veins. Leading diagnostic criteria of the isolated ectasic (varicose) insufficiency of the conducting veins of the leg are: symptomatology of subjective complaints, such as sensation of tension, feeling of heaviness of the legs, inclination to swelling, pains, epifascial freedom from varices, phlebographic evidence of the ectasia of conductive veins and sonographic confirmation of reflux."}
{"id": "PMID:1470649", "title": "[A dynamic model of the muscular pump of the calf in deep venous insufficiency].", "content": "The dynamic model described in 1989 is characterised by the emptying of blood from perforators into the deep venous column (DVC) during a muscle contraction. Muscular squeezing and convective acceleration favor such emptying. In 1990, using dynamic venous endoscopy, it was possible to define the following for a saphenous vein: an outer (or deep) surface, an inner (or superficial) surface and two edges. In 1992, it can be said that the deep veins also have two surfaces and two edges. Anatomically, valve commissures are on the edges of the veins which are also known as commissural lines. Physiologically, this zone (edge of the vein) is potentially less collapsible. Diagrams of models of muscle pumps require modification: valve commissures and orifices of perforators must be aligned. Fluid flow (flux and reflux) is more durable along the edges of the vein."}
{"id": "PMID:1470651", "title": "[A study of valve dynamics using endoscopy. Does functional valve insufficiency exist?].", "content": "The authors refer to findings concerning the valve systems of deep veins and the great saphenous, obtained by application of the Echo-Color-Doppler and endoscopic method. The authors noted that healthy valve structures tended to turn downwards as the loading pressure increased, subsequently returning to a normal morphological and functional state. Slow motion study also stressed the presence of apparently active valve movements, including participation by the vein wall. The term \"parieto-valvular functional unit\" could be used. The authors suggest the existence of a form of transitory functional valve prolapse responsible for the origin of valve insufficiency, also functional. The healthy valve could thus cede to high pressure, also avoiding any structural damage."}
{"id": "PMID:1470652", "title": "[The action of deep venous insufficiency at the popliteal level on the junction of the external saphenous vein and the gemellary veins].", "content": "Duplex-ultrasound and colour-ultrasound have enabled successful close study of valve patency and function by the analysis of hemodynamic changes: direction, velocity, circulatory conditions. Direction by colours: red attributed to arriving flow and blue to outflow. Circulatory velocity by the intensity and brilliance of colours. Circulatory conditions by the colour green revealing the existence of a turbulent flow, with anterograde turbulent flow coloured yellow and retrograde turbulent flow turquoise. A so-called mosaic pattern occurs when turbulent flow has a high circulatory velocity. Investigation of the popliteal vein: patient in ventral horizontal and standing positions. Normal morphological characteristics: Course essentially straight. Valve system proximal to the junction of the small saphenous. Anteroposterior diameter: less than 1 cm in horizontal position, less than 1.5 cm standing. Totally compressible by external pressure and partially by hyperextension of the ring of soleus. Characteristics of popliteal insufficiency: increased calibre--positive compressibility--duplication of standing calibre--pulsed Doppler with a biphasic wave--colour--ultrasound with reflux red--turbulent conditions and mosaic pattern may be present. Investigation of the small saphenous vein: enables determination of morphological characteristics, the site of the junction, detection of reflux and measurement of its degree. Valve insufficiency of the popliteal vein may form part of a syndrome of overall insufficiency of the deep system, primary or secondary, depending upon one valve only, located proximal to the junction of the small saphenous. When this functions badly, special reflux circuits develop, with the outcome depending on the course which these circuits may take."}
{"id": "PMID:1470653", "title": "[What complementary examinations to demand in chronic venous insufficiency?].", "content": "The diagnosis of chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) is first of all a clinical diagnosis. Subsequent investigations are useful to elucidate the underlying abnormalities in the venous system and to quantify their severity. Continuous wave doppler ultrasound is the basis test. Duplex scanning is useful for the study of popliteal and tibial veins reflux. The others non invasive techniques aim to investigate patients with severe CVI. But it seems necessary to be very careful with the methodologies used with these tests, and there is a need for a test of the whole calf venous pump function. Venographic studies are performed only if it is necessary to complete the non invasive tests data, before surgical treatment of a postthrombotic syndrome or of congenital deep venous reflux, or when a rare form of CVI is suspected. Venography remains the better test for the study of the anatomy of the venous system, but it is no longer the gold standard for the investigation of CVI."}
{"id": "PMID:1470650", "title": "[Postural obstruction of the popliteal vein. Its role in deep venous insufficiency of the legs].", "content": "Postural or, more generally, positional obstruction of the popliteal vein occurs either in complete extension of the leg, or in powerful flexion of the order of 90 degrees. It is sometimes constitutional and sometimes acquired, as a result of dystrophy of the venous wall. Abnormal phlebographic appearances vary according to the position of the leg and the level of the obstruction: signs of narrowing or axis displacement with the knee in extension; plications, sinuousities, stenosis, curved imprints with the knee in flexion. The actual existence of circulatory slowing has been confirmed by Doppler. Hemodynamic consequences appear to be all the more severe when the obstruction is tighter, situated higher and when the great saphenous itself is narrowed at the level of the popliteal crease. Despite its intermittent nature, positional obstruction must be kept under consideration: in hospital medicine, because of the potential danger of venous stasis which it causes, with the risk of underlying thrombosis; in everyday phlebology, since it explains, to a certain extent, the mechanisms of chronic venous insufficiency occurring after standing upright or sitting for prolonged periods. Awareness of this possibility forms the basis of a number of general rules concerning good venous health, certainly by no means original but rarely observed."}
{"id": "PMID:1470660", "title": "Gastric cytoprotective anti-ulcerogenic actions of hydroxychalcones in rats.", "content": "The preventive effects of hydroxychalcone derivatives on ulcer formation induced by severe necrotizing agents such as 60% ethanol in 150 mM HCl (HCl-ethanol) and 0.2 N NaOH in rats were examined. Among the compounds tested, 2',4'-dihydroxychalcone gave the strongest activity in both experimental models and protected the gastric mucosa from the insult of either necrotizing agent at oral doses ranging from 1 to 10 mg/kg, as evidenced by a dose-related reduction in the ulcer index. The mucosal protective activity of 2',4'-dihydroxychalcone was not affected by pretreatment with indomethacin (5 mg/kg, s.c.). To investigate the detailed mechanism of the mucosal protective action of 2',4'-dihydroxychalcone, its inhibitory effects on the decrease in the hexosamine content from the gastric mucus induced by HCl-ethanol were studied by using it in combination with a dye, Alcian blue. As a result, 2',4'-dihydroxychalcone at an oral dose of 10 mg/kg inhibited the decrease in the dye-recovery from the gastric mucus induced by HCl-ethanol. PGE2 at an oral dose of 0.1 mg/kg exhibited a similar action. These results established that 2',4'-dihydroxychalcone is a potent cytoprotective agent similar to PGE2 effectively preventing gastric ulcer formation induced by strong necrotizing agents and seems to suggest that this compound protects the stomach against its own peptic secretions by reinforcement of gastric resistances. In fact, 2',4'-dihydroxychalcone prevented ulcer formation induced by water-immersion stress in rats and also showed a marked enhancement of the healing of acetic acid-induced gastric ulcers in rats."}
{"id": "PMID:1470654", "title": "[Theory and practice of hemodynamic treatment of deep venous insufficiency caused by valve absence].", "content": "HDDVI is a form of surgical treatment which, using a series of selective ligatures, is aimed at curing deep venous insufficiency due to valve absence. There are two fundamental principles: an incompetent vein ensures no venous return in standing position and is the site of reverse circulation; this ineffective vein develops a collateral circulation because of the increased pressure which it produces. However, this parallel circulation is in fact neutralised by the diseased vein which forms a retrograde shunt. Section ligatures are suggested taking into account single main veins with minimal collaterals (popliteal vein, femoral vein, external iliac vein) for which patency is essential. This novel theory is based upon physical, and anatomical and functional clinical arguments. The strategy is discussed in terms of the hemodynamic map of the deep veins obtained by orthostatic duplex Doppler. Confirmation that the theory is well-founded appears to be provided by the first cases treated."}
{"id": "PMID:1470661", "title": "Choleretic effects of alpha-iridodiol on experimentally induced intrahepatic cholestasis.", "content": "When a lymphokine, the cholestatic factor, was intravenously injected into rats through a mesenteric vein, a remarkable reduction in bile flow was observed. Using this experimentally induced intrahepatic cholestasis model, we studied the choleretic effects of alpha-iridodiol, an iridoid compound. When alpha-iridodiol was administered 30 min before, at the same time, or 30 min after injection of the cholestatic factor, the reductions in bile flow and bile acid excretion were significantly inhibited. Remarkable choleretic effects were also noted when it was administered to normal rats. These results suggested that alpha-iridodiol may be effective in the treatment of intrahepatic cholestasis."}
{"id": "PMID:1470656", "title": "[Surgical reconstruction in deep venous insufficiency].", "content": "Deep venous insufficiency is present clinically in post-phlebitis syndrome (PPS), above all at the stage of incompetence, after venous recanalisation, and in primary deep venous insufficiency (PDVI). Its different anatomical and pathological patterns lead to a varied management approach. Venous bypass procedures (using the techniques of Palma, Warren-Hushi, etc.) have been used in PPS at the obstructive stage but have now been virtually abandoned. In PPS at the stage of incompetence, after recanalisation, transposition of the incompetent vein to a competent vein has been suggested together with the grafting of a segment of valve-bearing vein. This is associated with many technical difficulties. In contrast, venous reconstruction surgery appears more promising in the case of PDVI. At the first stage, with a dilated vein and valve borders merely detached, it has been possible to obtain good results from external valvuloplasty by bandaging of the vein. The authors' experience at this stage involves a series of 54 operations with a follow-up of 4 to 63 months. At the late stage of PDVI, with frankly prolapsed valve borders, very useful results have been obtained form internal valvuloplasty, using various methods. Authors have recently been working on the artificial venous valve (Spiegowski, Taheri, Garcia-Rinaldi and ourselves) with uncertain results. We are currently studying a heterologous (metal and/or polymer) prosthetic device."}
{"id": "PMID:1470655", "title": "[Results of reconstructive surgery in deep venous reflux at the subinguinal stage. Apropos of 93 interventions].", "content": "This study is a retrospective analysis of results of 93 interventions performed between 1984 and 1991 with an uniform indication: deep venous valvular reflux. Out of these 93 procedures, fifty (54%) have been undertaken in post-thrombotic syndrome (PTS), thirty-seven (40%) in deep primary vein incompetence (DPVI). Technically speaking, 46 valvuloplasties, 26 transplantations, 12 transpositions and 9 Psathakis procedures have been performed. Sixty one patients have a follow-up from 2 to 7 years (mean 44 months). In majority, valvuloplasties have been done in DPVI. Clinical and hemodynamic results in this group are good in 80% of patients controlled. Conversely transpositions, transplantations and Psathakis procedures have been undertaken essentially in PTS. Results obtained in this group are less satisfactory in terms of clinical findings and particularly in hemodynamics. Each group is analysed in details."}
{"id": "PMID:1470662", "title": "Effects of Skeletonema costatum extracts on the central nervous system.", "content": "We report the effects of aqueous extracts of the microalga Skeletonema costatum Greve (Cleve) (Bacillariophyceae) on spontaneous motor activity, rectal temperature, motor coordination, amphetamine-induced hypermotility, exploratory behaviour, muscle relaxation, catalepsy, conditioned avoidance responses, oxotremorin-induced cholinergic syndrome, and pentylenetetrazole-induced convulsions. The S. costatum extract at dosages of 310 and 620 mg/kg works like an antidopaminergic drug with anticholinergic properties, that does not induce catalepsy and with a notable muscle relaxing activity."}
{"id": "PMID:1470658", "title": "[Value of echo-marking in the surgical treatment of varicose veins (outside the CHIVA treatment)].", "content": "It is in fact only the cutaneous reflection of venous cartography established by echo-doppler investigation. The procedure is pre-surgical. Its chief value is the more accurate identification of hemodynamic and anatomical data, in particular when they are sub-clinical. Such data can then be actually used by surgeons, who are able to perform a procedure precisely suited to the individual patient. This greater accuracy enables the following aims to be achieved:--correction of all leak points;--excision of all pathological veins;--avoidance of any damage to healthy areas;--esthetic results;--prevention of recurrences, etc. However, it remains for angiologists and surgeons to evaluate and validate this method by prospective trials."}
{"id": "PMID:1470657", "title": "[Pressure therapy using elastic stockings].", "content": "Elastic stockings raise problems of two types: prescribing for the physician and compliance for the patient. The prescription must contain five pieces of information: the name of the stocking, its compression strength, its size, its height and its length. Compression strength should be noted either in mmHg, corresponding to the type of disease requiring treatment, or directly in terms of the suffix of the stocking. A table listing the majority of elastic stockings available in France and showing their compression strength facilitates prescribing. It is equally important to take the time to convince each patient of the value of this type of compression, to review the technical difficulties associated with the putting on and taking off of the stockings and the possibilities of superimposition. Compliance with prescribed treatment is the key to success."}
{"id": "PMID:1470663", "title": "Effects of Phaeodactylum tricornutum and Dunaliella tertiolecta extracts on the central nervous system.", "content": "Continuing work on the effects of aqueous extracts of the microalgae Phaeodactylum tricornutum Bohlin (Bacillariophyceae) and Dunaliella tertiolecta Butcher (Chlorophyceae) on the central nervous system, we report their effects on spontaneous motor activity, rectal temperature, exploratory behaviour, muscle relaxation, catalepsy, and conditioned avoidance responses. Both extracts showed activity as a CNS depressant and a potential muscle relaxant, the latter more marked in the case of P. tricornutum."}
{"id": "PMID:1470664", "title": "In vitro virucidal effects of Allium sativum (garlic) extract and compounds.", "content": "Garlic (Allium sativum) has been shown to have antiviral activity, but the compounds responsible have not been identified. Using direct pre-infection incubation assays, we determined the in vitro virucidal effects of fresh garlic extract, its polar fraction, and the following garlic associated compounds: diallyl thiosulfinate (allicin), allyl methyl thiosulfinate, methyl allyl thiosulfinate, ajoene, alliin, deoxyalliin, diallyl disulfide, and diallyl trisulfide. Activity was determined against selected viruses including, herpes simplex virus type 1, herpes simplex virus type 2, parainfluenza virus type 3, vaccinia virus, vesicular stomatitis virus, and human rhinovirus type 2. The order for virucidal activity generally was: ajoene > allicin > allyl methyl thiosulfinate > methyl allyl thiosulfinate. Ajoene was found in oil-macerates of garlic but not in fresh garlic extracts. No activity was found for the garlic polar fraction, alliin, deoxyalliin, diallyl disulfide, or diallyl trisulfide. Fresh garlic extract, in which thiosulfinates appeared to be the active components, was virucidal to each virus tested. The predominant thiosulfinate in fresh garlic extract was allicin. Lack of reduction in yields of infectious virus indicated undetectable levels of intracellular antiviral activity for either allicin or fresh garlic extract. Furthermore, concentrations that were virucidal were also toxic to HeLa and Vero cells. Virucidal assay results were not influenced by cytotoxicity since the compounds were diluted below toxic levels prior to assaying for infectious virus. These results indicate that virucidal activity and cytotoxicity may have depended upon the viral envelope and cell membrane, respectively. However, activity against non-enveloped virus may have been due to inhibition of viral adsorption or penetration.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1470665", "title": "Influence of the 70% methanolic extract from red ginseng on the lysosome of tumor cells and on the cytocidal effect of mitomycin C.", "content": "The influence of the 70% methanolic extract (RMe) from Red Ginseng on the lysosome of tumor cells and on the cytocidal effect of mitomycin C (MMC) was investigated. RMe treatment showed an inhibitory effect on the solid form of Ehrlich ascites carcinoma but had no effect on the ascites form. MMC combined with RMe showed stronger antitumor effects, at the same time, the activity of lysosomal enzymes in tumor cells was also increased in comparison with that treated with MMC alone. Furthermore, RMe promoted the uptake of MMC into the tumor cells and enhanced in vitro the cytotoxicity of MMC against the cultured tumor cells. From these results it was concluded that RMe labilized the lysosomes of tumor cells in vivo, and increased the uptake of MMC into the tumor cells, and that the cytocidal effect of MMC was enhanced by concomitant treatment with RMe."}
{"id": "PMID:1470666", "title": "Cytotoxic activity of cardenolides from Beaumontia brevituba stems.", "content": "Five known cardenolides, digitoxigenin (1), oleandrigenin (2), digitoxigenin alpha-L-cymaroside (3), digitoxigenin beta-gentiobiosyl-alpha-L-cymaroside (4), and delta 16-digitoxigenin beta-D-glucosyl-alpha-L-cymaroside (5), were isolated from the stems of Beaumontia brevituba Oliver by cytotoxicity-directed fractionation monitored by a cultured human lung cancer cell line. The cytotoxic activity of these compounds was evaluated with a panel of twelve human and murine cancer cell lines. The lignan glycoside, syringaresinol beta-D-glucoside, was obtained for the first time in the form of its levo-enantiomer."}
{"id": "PMID:1470667", "title": "Anti-ulcer activity and mode of action of the polysaccharide fraction from the leaves of Panax ginseng.", "content": "The effects of a weakly acidic polysaccharide fraction, GL-4, from the leaves of Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer on various experimental gastric ulcer models in mice and rats have been studied. Oral administration of GL-4 at doses of 50 to 200 mg/kg inhibited the formation of the gastric lesions induced by necrotizing agents such as HCl/ethanol and ethanol in a dose-dependent manner. This protective effect was observed not only upon oral but also upon subcutaneous administration of GL-4 (50-100 mg/kg). GL-4 also inhibited the formation of gastric ulcers which were induced by water immersion stress, indomethacin, or pylorus-ligation. The contents of prostaglandin E2 in the gastric juice from rats were not influenced by oral administration of GL-4. The protective action of GL-4 against HCl/ethanol-induced gastric lesions was not abolished by pretreatment with indomethacin. When GL-4 (100 mg/kg, p.o.) was administered into pylorus-ligated rats, both gastric acidity and pepsin activity in the gastric juice decreased significantly."}
{"id": "PMID:1470668", "title": "Evaluation of plant extracts for antileishmanial activity using a mechanism-based radiorespirometric microtechnique (RAM).", "content": "Extracts of eleven plants used in Nigerian traditional medicine have been evaluated for possible antileishmanial activity using a radiorespirometric microtest technique based on in vitro inhibition of catabolism of 14CO2 from a battery of 14C-substrates by promastigotes. Of 13 methanol extracts tested, 5 from Gongronema latifolia, Dorstenia multiradiata, Picralima nitida, Cola attiensis, and Desmodium gangeticum, were active at concentrations of 50 micrograms/ml or less against a visceral Leishmania isolate."}
{"id": "PMID:1470669", "title": "Purification of an anti-ulcer polysaccharide from the leaves of Panax ginseng.", "content": "Water-soluble and alkaline-soluble crude polysaccharides which were separated from the roots or leaves of Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer, were compared for their anti-ulcer activity. Of these four polysaccharide fractions, the water-soluble crude polysaccharide fraction (GL-2) from the leaves and the alkaline-soluble crude polysaccharide fraction (GRA-2) from the roots prevented HCl/ethanol-induced ulcerogenesis in mice potently. The most potent fraction, GL-2, was further fractionated into four polysaccharide fractions by precipitation with cethyltrimethylammonium bromide, and the weakly acidic polysaccharide fraction, GL-4, showed the most potent inhibition of gastric lesion formation. The activity of GL-4 decreased after treatment with periodate or digestion with endo-polygalacturonase, indicating that the carbohydrate moiety may contribute to the expression of the activity. GL-4 was further purified by anion-exchange chromatography and gel filtration, and the most active purified polysaccharide, GL-4IIb1III was obtained. GL-4IIb1III (average relative molecular mass, 16,000 d) had the nature of a pectic polysaccharide, and was composed mainly of galactose and galacturonic acid with small proportions of rhamnose, arabinose, mannose, glucose, and glucuronic acid. GL-4IIIb1III prevented HCl/ethanol-induced ulcerogenesis in mice dose dependently."}
{"id": "PMID:1470672", "title": "Interpersonal behavior of children at risk for schizophrenia.", "content": "Investigations of the childhood antecedents of adult schizophrenia may clarify our understanding of the etiology of the disease, provide guidelines for meaningful classification of subtypes of schizophrenic illness, point to strategies for identifying those individuals in need for early intervention, and suggest appropriate techniques for early intervention. Among the more salient characteristics of schizophrenic illness are disturbances in interpersonal relations, especially withdrawal from normal social interaction."}
{"id": "PMID:1470673", "title": "Family dynamics, adolescent delinquency, and adult criminality.", "content": "Family and offending is probably the theme most researched in criminology. A comprehensive array of characteristics of family life have been linked to offending since the beginning of this century. This theme has been approached from two directions: a bivariable point of view, in which one characteristic of the family is related to a measure of offending, and a multivariate point of view, in which some family characteristics are used to explain offending. The literature is dominated by bivariable studies and although there are a few multivariate studies no specific theoretical perspective is proposed. In this paper we choose a control theory perspective and a comprehensive set of family variables to answer the following question: Can the explanation of offending be improved by a dynamic system family control theory? Additionally, the literature is principally focused on adolescent delinquency; in consequence we will study the following question: Are the family characteristics that explain most efficiently juvenile delinquency the same ones for the explanation of adult criminality?"}
{"id": "PMID:1470674", "title": "Identification of children at risk at the police station and the prevention of delinquency.", "content": "In 1978 the World Health Organization suggested that the efficient use of health resources in a global context means paying special attention to those in greatest need. The aim of community health services should be, among other activities, to identify those \"at risk\" as early as possible in their lives and to intervene directly to reduce that risk (Skuse 1987). In the area of behavioral development, problems are frequently reported: In the Netherlands about 26% of all children appear to have some difficulties with behavioral development (Verhulst 1985). Set in the context of the WHO recommendation, these figures stress the point that early intervention with regard to children at risk should receive high priority from community educational health services."}
{"id": "PMID:1470675", "title": "Multiple-risk cohorts and segmenting risk as solutions to the problem of false positives in risk for the major psychoses.", "content": "This paper briefly reviews the past promise, current results, and problems that have resulted from application of the risk group approach to understanding the etiology of the major psychoses. The ultimate objective is to stimulate a change in methods that it is hoped will lead to the knowledge required to warrant intervention. Methods of intervention are not reviewed because it is considered more important at this time to improve our understanding of the life course of these disorders. Interventions can be justified when a body of well-agreed-upon findings has accumulated indicating the developmental pathways to the major psychoses, including the situational contexts. It is assumed that the timing and mode of intervention will be evident when these pathways have been delineated."}
{"id": "PMID:1470676", "title": "Defense behavior and coping in an autistic savant: the story of Temple Grandin, PhD.", "content": "The causal factors in the behaviorally defined syndrome of autism remain unclear, although the past decade has brought to bear two significant developments that shape our view of the disorder. The first of these developments is a growing body of biomedical research that indicates there are multiple etiologies associated with the disorder. This research has allowed for the formation of subgroups based upon neuroanatomical, neurobiological, and neurophysiological abnormalities (Damasio 1984; Piggot 1979; Ritvo et al. 1990). The second is neuropsychological research indicating that the socioemotional deficits are primary to the disorder and may underlie much of the behavioral symptomatology (Fein et al. 1986). These areas of concern undoubtedly have enhanced our understanding of the disorder, yet in their achievements they may too easily absorb what we know about autistics who experience a chronic state of physiological hyperarousal, evidence of which has been found in neurophysiological studies (Delius 1967; Hutt et al. 1965), neurochemical studies (Lake et al. 1977), psychopharmacologic studies (Ratey et al. 1987a), and behavioral studies (Kinsbourne 1980; Kootz et al. 1982; Tinbergen and Tinbergen 1972; Zentall and Zentall 1983). These individuals, perhaps constituting a subgroup of their own, experience an inner state of disorganization that markedly impairs their functioning (Sands and Ratey 1986)."}
{"id": "PMID:1470677", "title": "Creatine kinase and enolase: intracellular enzymes serving as markers of central nervous system damage in neuropsychiatric disorders.", "content": "A frequently used method to assess cellular dysfunction and damage in humans is to document the presence of uniquely intracellular proteins in extracellular spaces. Thus, increased plasma levels of transaminases generally reflect hepatocellular damage (Lieber 1978), increases in the cardiac fractions of creatine kinase (CK, or CPK for creatine phosphokinase) or lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) are diagnostic for myocardial infarction (Armstrong et al. 1979; 1982), and increases of skeletal muscle fractions of CK may indicate myopathy (Goto 1974; Ford 1984). Similarly, a number of enzymes and proteins serve as tumor markers in a variety of malignant cancer (e.g., Concannon et al. 1974; Foti et al. 1977)."}
{"id": "PMID:1470678", "title": "A mathematical model of the self.", "content": "I attempt here briefly to sketch a mathematical structure with properties analogous to key features of the self. This structure, while not easy to envision, is nonetheless as plausible a basis for theory as any science requires. I hope in this way to account for some aspects of the self that have long impeded systematic thinking on the subject."}
{"id": "PMID:1470681", "title": "Cohesion and desquamation of epidermal stratum corneum.", "content": "This article attempts to provide a comprehensive review on the roles of various classes of molecules in the cohesion and desquamation of the stratum corneum. In the first part of this monograph we review the field of epidermal differentiation in vivo and vitro, describing the expression and functions of a number of key structural molecules that characterize the process. In the second part we emphasize terminal differentiation and the biogenesis of the stratum corneum. The stratum corneum is a cell layer unique to fully differentiated squamous epithelia such as skin. While it is a dead stratum, it nevertheless is in a homeostatic process of continual shedding and renewal in synchrony with basal cell replication. It is also a degradative layer containing many proteinases and glycosidases in which a variety of intracellular and intercellular macromolecules are degraded. We highlight the molecules localized within the intercorneal matrix that are most likely to play a role in cohesion and desquamation, including: glycoproteins, lipids and enzymes. Because it is difficult to study the stratum corneum and desquamation in the native tissue, we discuss a number of model systems that have been used. The stratum corneum can be dispersed into single squames in different ways; these include mechanical dispersion as well as agents such as detergents and enzymes. The solubilized molecules and the structures remaining can then be studied as to their specific roles in desquamation. Using this approach it is possible to reconstitute multilayered structures that resemble a real stratum corneum. We have shown that glycoproteins play a key role in squame reaggregation and that this process can be modulated with amino sugars in a lectin-like fashion. Cohesion and desquamation can also be studied in tissue culture. Depending on the culture system, the extent of terminal differentiation and squame accumulation varies. Yet desquamation does not normally occur. It can be induced however by the inclusion of exogenous agents such as IFN-gamma which are found in the native epidermis but are absent in vitro. Modulation of desquamation by other exogenous agents is likely to yield further knowledge of how shedding occurs in vivo. Insight has also come from studies of scaling skin disorders. The glycoprotein and lipid profiles are altered in the stratum corneum in many diseases of aberrant terminal differentiation. A number of abnormalities in the levels of cytokines and growth factors have also been reported in the lesional tissue of such diseases.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1470682", "title": "Fatty acid modulation of tumor cell adhesion to microvessel endothelium and experimental metastasis.", "content": "Tumor cell interaction with the endothelium of the vessel wall is a rate limiting step in metastasis. The fatty acid modulation of this interaction was investigated in low (LM) and high (HM) metastatic B16 amelanotic melanoma (B16a) cells. 12(S)-HETE increased the adhesion of LM cells to endothelium derived from pulmonary microvessels. All other monohydroxy and dihydroxy fatty acids were ineffective. LTB4 induced a modest stimulation but LTC4, LTD4, LTE4 as well as LXA4 and LXB4 were ineffective. The 12(S)-HETE enhanced adhesion of B16a cells was inhibited by pretreatment with 13(S)-HODE but not by 13(R)-, 9(S)-HODE or 13-OXO-ODE. 13(S)-HODE decreased adhesion of HM B16a cells to endothelium. 12(S)-HETE enhanced surface expression of integrin alpha IIb beta 3 and monoclonal antibodies against this integrin but not against alpha 5 beta 1, blocked enhanced but not basal adhesion to endothelium. Intravenous injection of 12(S)-HETE treated LM cells resulted in increased lung colonization (experimental metastasis). This effect was specific for 12(S)-HETE and was inhibited by 13(S)-HODE but not by other HODE's. 12(S)-HETE also enhanced lung colonization by HM cells and 13(S)-HODE decreased lung colonization by HM cells. Our results suggest a highly specific bidirectional modulation of metastatic phenotype and lung colonization by 12(S)-HETE and 13(S)-HODE."}
{"id": "PMID:1470683", "title": "Effect of the progesterone antagonist RU486 on human myometrial spontaneous contractility and PGI2 release.", "content": "We studied the effect of antiprogesterone RU 486 on spontaneous uterine contractility and PGI2 release with human myometrial strips superfused \"in vitro\". A decrease of PGI2 release into the superfusion medium was observed after 20 min superfusion. The inhibition was dose-dependent and reversible. After 20 min washing with tyrode medium without RU 486, the uterine strips recovered their initial rate of release. R5020, a progesterone agonist, did not affect PGI2 release nor dexamethasone and testosterone. Parallel to the decrease of PGI2 observed during RU 486 superfusion, the uterine spontaneous contraction frequency decreased, while the amplitude and duration of contractions increased. The alteration of uterine contractility was also rapid, dose-dependent and reversible. Modification of uterine strip spontaneous contractility, similar to those induced by RU 486, were also observed with superfusions of R5020 at concentrations as low as 10(-9)M, dexamethasone (10(-8)M), but not with superfusions of testosterone. These observations are not in favour of a progesterone-receptor mediated effect of RU 486 in our model. The mechanism of action may be related to the antiprogesterone specific structure i.e. the bulky substituent at the C-11 position. The RU 486 effect on uterine strip contractility, mimicked by other steroids, could point to a non-specific lipid/membrane interaction. However, the fact that testosterone did not affect motility, may indicate a possible specificity of steroids having a 3 oxo pregnene structure."}
{"id": "PMID:1470684", "title": "The effect of progesterone and human interferon alpha-2 on the release of PGF2 alpha and PGE from epithelial cells of human proliferative endometrium.", "content": "Progesterone and interferon-like trophoblastic proteins modulate prostaglandin (PG) synthesis from endometrium in early ovine and bovine pregnancy. Enriched epithelial cells were prepared from human endometrium removed in the proliferative phase of menstrual cycle (n = 8). Progesterone at a concentration of 1 microM suppressed PGE release from the cells during the first 24 hours in culture. After 48 hours in culture progesterone at a dose of 100 nM and 1 microM suppressed both the release of PGF2 alpha and PGE from the cells and this suppression was maintained for a further two days. Addition of exogenous 30 microM arachidonic acid (AA) abolished this effect of progesterone on both PGF2 alpha and PGE release. Interferon alpha-2 did not suppress the basal release of PGF2 alpha nor PGE. In the presence of progesterone, interferon alpha-2 attenuated the progesterone mediated suppression of PGF2 alpha but not PGE release from endometrial cells. These findings suggest that progesterone suppresses the basal release of PGs from human endometrium, but unlike the sheep, interferon alpha-2 does not exert this action on human endometrium."}
{"id": "PMID:1470685", "title": "[The psychodynamics of anti-Judaism in the historical perspective].", "content": "In the author's view, anti-Jewishness is the expression of covert anti-Christianism, which in its turn conceals an unconscious revolt against Christ. Unconscious aggression is unleashed against the Jews, who thus become scapegoats against whom three constantly recurring accusations are levelled: the killing of Christ; the desecration of the Host; and the ritual murder of children. The author traces the history of these accusations from the Middle Ages to the present. The search for scapegoats is a universal phenomenon not limited to anti-Jeweshness but encountered more generally in situations of social and political uncertainty. To substantiate his claims, the author draws upon historical documents from the Second World War dealing with the threat to China from Japan's armed forces, and also makes reference to the race riots in Los Angeles early this year."}
{"id": "PMID:1470691", "title": "Cosmetic and functional outcomes of breast conserving treatment for early stage breast cancer. 1. Comparison of patients' ratings, observers' ratings, and objective assessments.", "content": "The cosmetic and functional results of breast conserving therapy were evaluated in a sample of 76 patients with early stage breast cancer, treated by wide local excision, axillary dissection and postoperative radiotherapy between 1975 and 1985. A comparison was made between patients' ratings, independent ratings by two observers (an oncology nurse and a radiation oncologist) and objective measurements. In approximately 40% of the cases, moderate to large differences in the appearance of the treated versus the untreated breast were reported by patients and clinical observers alike. When evaluated on an individual level, the observers' ratings showed relatively high inter-rater agreement (kappa = 0.64), but low levels of concordance were found between the patients' and observers' ratings (kappa < 0.10). Approximately half of the patients reported limited arm or shoulder function, generally mild in nature. Compared to the patients', the observers' ratings of arm edema were significantly lower, indicating 20% mild and 5% more severe swelling. Objective measures of cosmesis and function correlated moderately with the observers' and patients' ratings. Both cosmetic and functional results were found to be significantly related to time elapsed since treatment, with patients treated longer ago exhibiting more problems. The cosmetic and functional outcomes were not related to the patients' age. The results suggest that the patients' opinion can provide important additional information in the evaluation of cosmetic and functional results of breast conserving treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1470692", "title": "Cosmetic and functional outcomes of breast conserving treatment for early stage breast cancer. 2. Relationship with psychosocial functioning.", "content": "The relationship between cosmetic and functional results of breast conserving therapy and psychosocial functioning was examined in a sample of 76 patients with early stage breast cancer, who received treatment between 1975 and 1985. The patients were interviewed at their homes regarding breast cosmesis, arm functioning and psychosocial health, and subsequently attended the hospital for independent assessment of cosmetic and functional outcomes by clinical observers. High levels of psychological distress, disturbance of body image, and decreased sexual functioning were noted in approximately one-quarter of the study sample. About half of the patients expressed heightened concern with disease recurrence and their future health. Psychosocial problems were only modestly associated with treatment-related cosmetic and functional outcomes, as determined by clinical ratings and objective assessments. The patients' own ratings of breast cosmesis and arm functioning exhibited somewhat higher correlations with self-reported psychosocial functioning. In particular, a significant association was noted between the patients' ratings of overall cosmesis and arm edema and their body image (r = 0.48 and r = 0.43, respectively). The association between cosmetic and functional results and self-reported psychosocial health was strongest among those patients younger in age and treated longer ago. These findings suggest that, in order to evaluate the impact of breast conserving therapy on the patients' quality of life, the patients' own assessments of cosmetic and functional outcomes should be used as a primary source of information."}
{"id": "PMID:1470693", "title": "Multidisciplinary treatment approach to locally advanced non-inflammatory breast cancer using chemotherapy and radiotherapy with or without surgery.", "content": "Between April 1982 and December 1987, 82 locally advanced non-metastatic and non-inflammatory breast cancers were treated (42 stage IIIA, 40 stage IIIB). The median follow-up is 70 months from the beginning of the treatment. The initial treatment consisted of 4 courses of chemotherapy (doxorubicin, vincristine, cyclophosphamide, 5-fluorouracil) followed by irradiation (45 Gy to the breast and nodal area). A fifth course of chemotherapy was given after radiation therapy. Three different locoregional approaches were proposed depending on the tumoral response. In 32 patients (39%) with residual tumor larger than 3 cm in diameter or located behind the nipple or with multifocal tumors, mastectomy and axillary dissection were performed. Fifty other patients (61%) benefited from conservative treatment: 32 patients (39%) achieved complete remission and received a boost to the initial tumor bed; 18 patients (22%) who had a residual mass less than or equal to 3 cm in diameter were treated by tumorectomy and axillary dissection followed by a boost to the tumorectomy site. After completion of local therapy, all patients received a sixth course of chemotherapy. A maintenance adjuvant chemotherapy regimen without anthracycline was prescribed (12 monthly cycles). Three- and 5-year disease-free survival rates were 81.7% and 72% respectively. Five-year locoregional relapse rate (with or without other sites of failure) was 8.8%. In a multivariate analysis, disease-free survival was significantly influenced by the N-stage (p < 0.0001), initial tumor size (p = 0.01), and tumor response after initial chemotherapy (p = 0.02). Five-year breast conservation probability was 58.4%.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1470694", "title": "Pathological features predictive of local recurrence after management by conservation of invasive breast cancer: importance of non-invasive carcinoma.", "content": "The pathological features of 236 clinical stage I and II invasive breast carcinomas treated by conservation were reviewed. On follow-up (minimum 2 years) 13 patients (6%) have developed breast relapse, 10 (4%) regional lymph node relapse and 26 (11%) distant metastases. Nineteen patients have died from breast carcinoma. On univariate analyses lymph node metastases, increasing amounts of non-invasive carcinoma and multiple foci of invasion were significant risk factors for breast relapse. A Cox's multivariate analysis showed the first two of these to be independently significant. The results are in agreement with other published series and confirm that assessment of non-invasive carcinoma is important. The study compares simple quantitation with the original method reported to define cases with an \"extensive intraduct component\"."}
{"id": "PMID:1470695", "title": "Disappearance of the in situ component: a criterion predictive of metastasis in breast cancer after local relapse.", "content": "Local recurrence after conservative treatment of breast cancer is associated with a significant risk for metastasis. In order to identify criteria predictive of metastasis in this subset of women, we analyzed a series of 35 patients with local relapse among 512 consecutive patients treated with tumorectomy and radiotherapy. When relapse occurred within 2 years of initial treatment, overall 2-year survival from the time of local relapse was 39.5%. When local relapse occurred more than 2 years from initial therapy, 2-year survival was 80.5% (p < 0.001). Pathological slides of both initial and recurrent tumors were reviewed and compared. In 17 patients, local relapse and initial tumor had the same morphological features, with an in-situ component either absent or present in the same proportion. Metastasis occurred in two of these patients. In contrast, 9 of 12 patients in whom the proportion of non-invasive carcinoma had decreased at the time of local recurrence developed metastasis. Overall 2-year survival from the time of relapse was significantly better in the former group of patients (93.3% versus 52.5%, p < 0.05). We concluded that early relapses have a poor prognostic significance and that disappearance of the in-situ component or increase of the invasive component at the time of relapse is a feature predictive of tumor-related death and that more intensive therapy might benefit to this subset of women."}
{"id": "PMID:1470696", "title": "The management of carcinoma of the anal canal by external beam radiotherapy, experience in Vancouver 1971-1988.", "content": "From 1971 to 1988 72 cases of carcinoma of the anal canal were treated by external beam radiotherapy, most commonly by 5000 cGy in 20 fractions given over 4 weeks. The actuarial survival at 5 years was 66% and the disease specific survival 78%. Nine patients had inguinal node metastases at diagnosis; their 5-year disease specific survival was 75%. 63 patients were inguinal node negative at presentation; their 5-year disease specific survival was 78%, by UICC 1987 staging: T1 71%, T2 88%, T3 41%, T4 42%. 17 patients developed local recurrence; 10 were suitable for abdominoperineal (AP) resection which was successful in 7. The probability of local control was related to T stage. 13 patients were left with a colostomy because of recurrence, 2 had a colostomy for radiation damage and 4 had their local recurrence managed palliatively, without a colostomy. As a result, 53 of the 72 patients (74%) were left with a functional anus. Severe late complications occurred in 6 (8%)."}
{"id": "PMID:1470697", "title": "Postoperative radiotherapy for rectal and rectosigmoid cancer: the impact of total dose on local control.", "content": "Between 1984 and 1988, 206 patients were treated with pelvic radiotherapy after macroscopically complete surgery for rectal or (recto)sigmoid cancer. Depending on an estimation of the amount of small bowel in the intended treatment volume a total dose was, in general, 45 or 50 Gy. An additional boost of 10 Gy was given to 6 patients because of microscopically involved surgical margins. For tumor stage B a statistically significant trend (p = 0.017) for higher local control with higher total dose was observed comparing patients treated with a total dose of 45 Gy or less, with more than 45 Gy but less than 50 Gy or with a total dose of 50 Gy or more. This finding illustrates the impact of total dose on local control for postoperative radiotherapy for rectal carcinoma."}
{"id": "PMID:1470698", "title": "Radiotherapy of germinomas involving the basal ganglia and thalamus.", "content": "Nine patients with histologically confirmed germinomas of the basal ganglia and thalamus (GBT) were treated by radiotherapy. The average dose of 52.5 Gy was delivered to the tumor bed, 37 Gy to the whole brain and 24.8 Gy to the CNS axis. The local control, which was verified by CT scan, was achieved in all patients. All patients are alive 11 to 96 months after radiotherapy. As with other intracranial germinomas, geminomas of the basal ganglia and thalamus respond well to radiotherapy and the prognosis is good after treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1470704", "title": "Skin anergy and tuberculosis.", "content": "In our experience tuberculin skin anergy (negative response to 10 TU Mantoux) occurs in 8% of patients with tuberculosis. In this study we compare 81 patients with skin anergy and proven tuberculosis with a background reactive population of patients with tuberculosis. Patients with skin anergy and tuberculosis were older and had fewer symptoms--less cough, less sputum production, less haemoptysis, less malaise, less chest pain--than patients with skin reactivity. There was no difference with respect to male/female ratio, marital status, smoking habits, coexistent major illness, prescribed medications at diagnosis, nor the proportion of patients with extrapulmonary tuberculosis, previous history of BCG vaccination or past history of tuberculosis. Comparison of chest radiographs showed more advanced, more bilateral and more miliary disease in the anergic patients. Pyrexia and elevated ESR at diagnosis were also more common in this group. Fewer of the anergic group of patients were consistently culture negative after 1 month's treatment compared to the background population. Mortality was higher in the anergic group, but this excess mortality occurred from causes other than tuberculosis. Repeat Mantoux testing was performed in 20 of the 81 anergic patients, after a minimum of 3 months of antituberculous chemotherapy, and 14 had become tuberculin positive, suggesting that tuberculin skin anergy may be a temporary phenomenon."}
{"id": "PMID:1470705", "title": "Pulmonary eosinophilia with systemic features: therapy and prognosis.", "content": "Of 65 patients presenting with pulmonary eosinophilia to one Respiratory Unit during a 20-year period, 12 (18%) had systemic features associated with their pulmonary disease. Eleven had fever, three night sweats, three arthralgia, three vasculitic rashes and two weight loss. Anaemia, myalgia, peripheral neuropathy, mononeuritis, pericardial effusion and photosensitivity rash were each recorded in single patients. None had evidence of hypersensitivity to drugs, helminthes or other allergens. Ten of the 12 patients could be classified as cryptogenic pulmonary eosinophilia and two as Churg Strauss syndrome. Ten were female. The maximum recorded eosinophil counts were higher in the 12 patients with systemic features compared with the remaining 53 patients [mean (SD) 5613 (3883) vs. 2359 (3046) x 10(6) 1(-1), P < 0.02], whereas both asthma and recurrent episodes of eosinophilia were significantly less common. Steroid therapy achieved a good clinical response and radiological clearing in the majority of patients. All 12 patients were treated with prolonged duration oral prednisolone [mean (SEM) dose 8.5 (3.8) mg day-1 duration 5.5 (1.3) years]. The two patients with Churg Strauss syndrome required azathioprine in addition to long-term prednisolone. There were no deaths and currently four patients are off all steroids and six receive less than 5 mg day-1. During a median follow-up period of 11 years, there was no significant decline in FEV1 or VC, measured as percent predicted values. Persistent radiographic abnormalities consistent with fibrosis or bronchiectasis were not seen.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1470706", "title": "AIDS, i.v. drug use and mycobacterial disease: the Dublin experience.", "content": "In the period 1980-1985, we treated 1641 patients for tuberculosis of whom two were known to be intravenous drug users (IVDU) and none had HIV infection. Of the next 1000 patients treated for tuberculosis (January 1986-December 1989), six were HIV-negative intravenous drug users (IVDU), 18 patients were HIV-positive (12 IVDU; six homosexual/bisexual). Statistical analysis (chi 2) showed a numerically small but statistically significant (P < 0.00001, d.f. = 1, chi 2 = 20.38) increase in intravenous drug users with a diagnosis of tuberculosis. The HIV-positive patients who completed treatment responded well to anti-tuberculous drugs. The importance of tuberculosis in the context of HIV infection is that it is preventable, treatable and is the only bacterial infection to which HIV subjects are prone which can be readily transmitted to a non-HIV infected subject."}
{"id": "PMID:1470707", "title": "High dose inhaled steroid therapy and the cortisol stress response to acute severe asthma.", "content": "Systemic absorption of inhaled corticosteroids taken in high doses (> or = 1500 micrograms beclomethasone dipropionate or budesonide daily), may cause suppression of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis. Patients taking long-term high dose inhaled steroid therapy might therefore be at risk of adrenal crisis at times of stress. Plasma cortisol levels were measured in 24 adults with severe acute asthma who had not received treatment with systemic corticosteroids prior to hospital attendance. Seven were not taking inhaled steroids, four were taking 600-1200 micrograms and 13 were taking 1500-2400 micrograms beclomethasone dipropionate or budesonide daily. Plasma cortisol levels in these 13 (median 594 nmol l-1, interquartile range 399-620 nmol l-1) were similar to levels in those taking lower dose/no inhaled steroids (median 512 nmol l-1, interquartile range 287-1050 nmol l-1): there was no relationship between inhaled steroid dose and cortisol level. Nine of the 24 patients failed to achieve plasma cortisol values > 500 nmol l-1 (the normal response to an insulin stress test). When compared with the remaining 15, they had less severe asthma as indicated by higher arterial oxygen tension (P < 0.01) and peak expiratory flow (P < 0.03). Patients taking long-term high dose inhaled corticosteroids appear to be able to mount an appropriate adrenocortical response to the stress of severe acute asthma."}
{"id": "PMID:1470708", "title": "Audit of the use of erythromycin in the treatment of community-acquired lower respiratory infections.", "content": "The British Thoracic Society (BTS) guidelines for the treatment of community-acquired pneumonia recommend initial therapy with a betalactam antibiotic, with the addition of erythromycin if there are features of an atypical pneumonia. To see if these guidelines were being followed, a prospective study was undertaken of all adult patients admitted to hospital over a 3-month period who were given erythromycin for a community-acquired lower respiratory tract infection. Erythromycin was given to 62 patients who could be fully assessed. Continued prescription of erythromycin was justified in 10 (16%)--two patients with penicillin allergy, two with M. catarrhalis infection and one patient with legionnaires disease. Five patients had infections severe enough on admission to warrant combined therapy in line with the BTS recommendations. Five patients had erythromycin stopped on day 2. Erythromycin was prescribed on admission and continued unnecessarily in 47/62 patients, showing that the BTS recommendations are not being followed correctly."}
{"id": "PMID:1470709", "title": "The benefits of exercise combined with physiotherapy in the treatment of adults with cystic fibrosis.", "content": "The impact of exercise, physiotherapy, and combinations of exercise and physiotherapy upon sputum expectoration were compared in 18 adults with cystic fibrosis. Any treatment which included physiotherapy either alone or in combination with exercise produced a significantly higher sputum weight during treatment time than did exercise alone (P < 0.01). This trend was true for both high (greater than 35 g in 24 h) and low (less than 35 g in 24 h) sputum producers (P < 0.05). There were no significant changes in FEV1 and FVC 30 min after any treatment. The treatment option preferred by patients to continue at home was exercise followed by physiotherapy (P < 0.001). Exercise alone was less productive than the other three modalities in clearing sputum (P < 0.001)."}
{"id": "PMID:1470718", "title": "[Unexpected hypoglycemia in hospitalized patients].", "content": "We analyze 40 episodes of unsuspected hypoglycemia (glycemia < or = 3.30 mmol/l) in 36 in patients during seven months in a tertiary hospital. Only 22% of them were diabetics, the rest had other risk-factors such as malnutrition (47%), infections (47%), liver diseases (22%), renal failure (19%) or neoplasias (17%). Only 14% of the subjects had symptoms related to hypoglycemia, and only 27% received treatment. There were no significative differences between those patients over 65 years and the younger ones. Hypoglycemia was not the apparent cause of death in any of the patients, but hospital mortality of these patients was 25%, and it was related with the number of risk factors. We conclude that hypoglycemia in hospitalized patients is often unnoticed, as it appears with diseases other than diabetes, and that it is related with a high mortality in patients with severe diseases."}
{"id": "PMID:1470719", "title": "[Short-term effects of respiration with external negative ventilation --shield-type respirator-- on the pulmonary function in COPD].", "content": "With the objective to test the effect of intermittent and short term rest in respiratory muscles in patients with COPD and maintained hypercapnia we have studied 34 patients in a stable condition: 23 were part of the study group (Group I) and 11 were the control group (Group II). After a complete functional basal study, patients in Group I were treated with intermittent rest of their respiratory muscles, through a negative pressure external respirator--shield type--during three consecutive days. We got, in this study group, a significative improvement in the maximum inspiratory pressure measured at residual volume (PI max RV), which went from 66.6 +/- 15.9 to 71.2 +/- 15.2 (p < 0.005), as well as a lowering, also significative, of partial pressure of CO2 in arterial blood (PaCO2) and in expired air (EFCO2), which went from 55.2 +/- 7.2 to 52.3 +/- 3 (p < 0.0002) and 3.3 +/- 0.5 to 3.1 +/- 0.5 (p < 0.01), respectively. Maximum inspiratory pressure measured to functional residual capacity (PI max FRC) experienced an increase in the limit of statistical signification. Rest of the parameters did not significantly change. These results back the hypothesis that in stabilized COPD with CO2 retention, a chronic fatigue of respiratory muscles could exist, and that intermittent rest of these muscles could mean an hypercapnia diminution, due to the improvement in the function of respiratory muscles."}
{"id": "PMID:1470720", "title": "[Pancreatic changes associated with acute gastroenteritis].", "content": "A retrospective study is discussed, in which the disorder of pancreatic enzymes in hospitalized patients because of an acute infectious gastroenteritis is analyzed. Of 30 cases, 15 showed a raise in lipase levels, being over 1,000 IU in five of them. There was no associated raise in amylase levels. Patients with high lipase levels did not show more fever, leucocytosis nor disorders on the hepatic enzymes, in comparison with those patients with normal lipase levels. Mean age was slightly lower in patients with high lipase levels than in those with normal lipase. Chronic diseases are not a predisposing factor to suffer pancreatic complications in patients with gastroenteritis. There was no case with intense abdominal pain which would suggest a pancreatitis, and a raise in lipase did not modify the evolution of the gastroenteritis."}
{"id": "PMID:1470721", "title": "[Complications of Gaucher's disease].", "content": "We discuss two cases of Gaucher's disease of the adult with neurological complications. First of the patients came to Hospital due to sudden pain in dorso-lumbar region and motor weakness of lower extremities. In the neurological exploration there were no concluding objective deficit signs except an unstable deambulation. After several hours of rest, symptoms disappeared progressively. In the radiology of the raquis a crushed in the last three dorsal vertebral was seen; this finding together with the clinic the patient showed, suggested a mild and transitory medullar compression. Second patient suffered an intraparenchymatous brain hemorrhage on the course of a platelet depletion and with other mild coagulation disorders. This type of complication have never been described in Gaucher's disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1470722", "title": "[Varicella pneumonia in adults. Study of 13 cases].", "content": "Clinical and therapeutic features of 13 adult patients, diagnosed of Pneumonia Varicellosa are retrospectively reviewed, for the last ten years period, at Valle de Hebron General Hospital, Barcelona. Most of them had a cigarette consumption of over 20 per day, three of them showed simple chronic bronchitis criteria, and two had antibodies against HIV. Respiratory symptomatology, and dry cough, was present in 9 (75%), dyspnea in 7 (53%) and pleuritic pain in 6 (46%). Thorax radiology showed a bilateral interstitial pattern. IV aciclovir treatment was begun in patients with respiratory symptoms and hypoxemia (53%) with good therapeutic response."}
{"id": "PMID:1470723", "title": "[Carbon monoxide poisoning. Report of 13 cases].", "content": "From November 1990 to February 1991 was had, in the Emergency Unit of Clinical University Hospital San Carlos, Madrid, 13 documented cases of intoxication due to Carbon Monoxide (CO), in patients with unspecific cephalalgia and asthenia and a possible CO source (total 19 affected people living together, because some of them did not came to hospital to consult). We consider that CO intoxication shall be always be beared in mind when doing the diagnosis at the Emergency Unit, especially during winter months, and that appropriate resources should be available to perform promptyl the analytical confirmation."}
{"id": "PMID:1470725", "title": "[Validity of the final diagnosis in the discharge reports of deceased patients in a teaching department of internal medicine].", "content": "In a transversal study with an observation period from January 1982 to December 1988, final diagnostics validity in discharge from hospital reports was analyzed, in those patients deceased in a Teaching Internal Medicine Department. We underline the use of terms such as \"cardiorespiratory stop\" or \"possible, probable or could not be ruled out\" as final diagnosis in 28.81% on the discharge from hospital reports in 812 deceased patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1470737", "title": "[Percutaneous mitral valvuloplasty. Immediate results with the 30 mm diameter dilatation balloon].", "content": "Percutaneous balloon dilatation of the mitral valve is a promising alternative to surgical treatment for patients with mitral stenosis. We analysed echocardiographic and haemodynamic results in 62 consecutive patients who underwent mitral dilatation with a big and one chamber balloon (30 mm diameter). The relationship between the dilatation balloon area and body surface was 4.2 (in 98% of patients it was bigger than 3.5). In the whole series we get significant improvements in the haemodynamic parameters and mitral areas (0.91 cm2 versus 1.78 cm2)(p < 0.005). According to the echocardiographic score, patients were divided in two groups. Good results (mitral area > 1.5 cm2, and final, valve area 50% greater than the initial area), were obtained in 93% of patients with a score of 8 or less, and in 45% of patients with a score bigger than 8. Seventy-five percent of patients with bad results (mitral area < 1.5 cm2) were in atrial fibrillation versus 37% of patients where we get a good results. Mortality of procedure was nulle, and two patients required surgery because of procedure failure for mitral insufficiency. We can conclude: percutaneous mitral valvuloplasty with single balloon is valid alternative, and good results can be expected if there is a good relationship between the area of balloon and patient's body-surface. The echocardiographic score and presence of atrial fibrillation can predict immediate results of this technique."}
{"id": "PMID:1470738", "title": "[Follow-up study after percutaneous mitral valvuloplasty. The COR-PAL experience].", "content": "Mitral balloon valvulotomy has proven to be an effective method for the treatment of patients with mitral stenosis. Although several factors determining an optimal immediate result have been described, there is few information regarding the longterm follow-up as well as factors influencing late success after the procedure. In this article, we analyzed our series of 311 patients treated by mitral balloon valvulotomy who were clinically followed between 3 months and 5 years (mean 23 +/- 11 months). At least, one echo-Doppler follow-up study was obtained in 260 patients, 20 +/- 10 months after. Hemodynamic re-evaluations were performed in 63 patients after 20 +/- 11 months. Late success was defined as the patient being in functional class I-II and free of major events (death, restenosis or valve surgery). Restenosis was defined as the loss of 50% of initial gain in terms of valve area, confirmed always hemodynamically. Major events during follow-up period occurred in 19 patients (10 deaths, 8 restenosis and 11 mitral valve surgery). We performed a multivariate study using the Cox-regression model. In the analysis, all variables with or near statistic significance in the univariate analysis (Mantel-Haezel) were included. The only significant independent predictors of late success were the presence of sinus rhythm (p < 0.04) and the absence of calcium at the valve (p < 0.001). In conclusion, the best results 5 years after mitral balloon valvulotomy are observed in patients with non calcified valve and sinus rhythm."}
{"id": "PMID:1470740", "title": "[Usefulness of transesophageal echocardiography in the critical patient].", "content": "To assess the usefulness and safety of transesophageal echocardiography in critically ill patients, we analysed the transesophageal echocardiography studies in 60 of such cases (age: 58 +/- 11 and 38 males). Every patient underwent a previous transthoracic echocardiogram, that was considered inadequate for diagnostic purposes. Thirty patients (50%), were on mechanical ventilation and 17 patients (28%) showed hypotension and/or shock. Forty patients (66%) were at special care units and in 31 (52%) of them, pulmonary and systemic pressures, and continuous analysis of venous pressure of oxygen were available. Indications for study were: 17 patients with clinical suspicion of aortic dissection (confirmed in 5 cases): 9 patients infective endocarditis (4 cases showed valvular vegetations); 6 patients with mitral prosthesis dysfunction (confirmed in 4 cases); complicated acute myocardial infarction (MI) in 8 patients (2 cases with mitral insufficiency, 3 with left ventricular dysfunction, 1 with right ventricular MI, 1 with left ventricular pseudoaneurysm and other with isolated inferior MI); in 11 patients the study was performed to evaluate the result of cardiac transplantation immediately (< 4 h) and it showed 2 cases of left ventricular dysfunction; 3 patients were studied for severe cardiac dysfunction of unknown etiology (a dilated cardiomyopathy was confirmed in one and ruled out in the other, and one patient showed signs of restrictive situation); there were other causes in the rest. The procedure could be completely performed in all cases. In conclusion in critically ill patients the transesophageal echocardiography has a great usefulness and minimal complications."}
{"id": "PMID:1470741", "title": "[Echocardiographic study of hypertrophic myocardiopathy in children. Distribution and changing morphological course].", "content": "Thirty-eight children with diagnosis of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy were analyzed by M-Mode, two-dimensional and Doppler. The patients ranged in age from 7 days and 20 years (average 5 years). Three groups appear, based in morphologic myocardial affection. Patients with biventricular involvement ranged in age from 20 days and 6 months (group 1), patients aged until 6 years with left ventricular concentric morphology by echocardiographic examination (group 2), and the older in age group (group 3) with localized mid-ventricular hypertrophy in the same ventricle. A certain degree of obstruction was detected in 15 cases (46.8%). In both this aspect and systolic anterior motion of mitral valve and mitral regurgitation, the highest frequency was obtained in group 3. With respect to others echocardiographic parameters, like isovolumetric relaxation time and left ventricle short fraction, no variations have been observed between the three groups. Very interesting is the fact that one third of the patients of group 1 improved markedly, and another third of cases died. In conclusion, the echocardiography permits identify three groups in the hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in children, according to age and anatomic region affected. The variability of evolution in the youngest group of patients, suggest that certain cases are not true myocardiopathies, but myocardial hypertrophies secondaries to other problems. Only the oldest group supply the classics parameters of the adult hypertrophic cardiomyopathy."}
{"id": "PMID:1470742", "title": "[Interventricular rupture following myocardial infarction. Surgical treatment and long-term follow-up].", "content": "The natural course of post myocardial infarction ventricular septal defect is towards cardiogenic shock and death. 50% in the first week, over 90% a year latter. Between 1973-1989, 28 patients where operated on. Before surgery 14 patients (53%) where in Killip IV, 5 patients (19%) in III, 5 patients (19%) in II and 2 patients in I. The repair was accomplished under hypothermia and cardioplegia, with the insertion of a Teflon patch to close the defect in 20 patients (70%). Complementary procedures (CABG, Pacemaker, repair of dissections) were performed in 12 patients (47%). Three patients (10%) could not be weaned from the pump; another 10 (36%) died before discharge: 2 with multisystem failure and sepsis, the other 8 with cardiogenic shock (4 with residual VSD). The only independent predictor of operative mortality, by univariate analysis, was preoperatory cardiogenic shock. All 15 survivors (100%) where followed between 5 months and 14.5 years (mean 104.5 months). Two patients died at 4 years, one at 10, another at 10.5 years. The actuarial probability of being alive after discharge was 100% at 4 years, 75% at 5, and 50% at 10 years. At last follow up only 2 patients had mild dyspnea, the remaining where asymptomatic. Surgical treatment provides an opportunity to improve this otherwise dismal survival and offers a surprising good long term result. An early diagnosis and efficient repair, before the onset of cardiogenic shock, should provide better results."}
{"id": "PMID:1470744", "title": "[Cervical aortic arch associated with cardiopathy].", "content": "We report five children affected with cervical aortic arch associated with tetralogy of Fallot (2), pulmonary atresia with interventricular septal defect (2) and pulmonary branch stenosis (1). Their ages were between one day and three months when they were diagnosed. With regard to one patient, the diagnosis was clinically suspected before catheterism. In four patients it was an angiographic finding since they didn't present the clinical signs when they underwent catheterism. One of these four patients showed such signs later. Only two cases can be inserted in Haughton classification; the other three can be included in the \"unclassified group\". Children's present clinical conditions are independent from this very rare anomaly and they depend on the associated heart malformations."}
{"id": "PMID:1470745", "title": "[Ebstein's anomaly with pulmonary hypoplasia. Diagnosis with Doppler color echocardiography in the fetus].", "content": "A case of Ebstein's anomaly with pulmonary hypoplasia diagnosed in utero by color Doppler echocardiography in a 26 weeks fetus is presented. We emphasize the importance of ultrasound in the early detection of this congenital abnormality that allowed our medical team to offer correct assistance to a severe ill child at birth."}
{"id": "PMID:1470746", "title": "[Swallowing syncope in a patient with diffuse esophageal spasm].", "content": "We present a patient with swallowing syncope. The esophageal manometric examination showed a diffuse spasm. This induces a vagovagal reflex mediated by tensoreceptors from the esophageal wall, which block the AV and/or sinus nodes."}
{"id": "PMID:1470747", "title": "[Supravalvular aortic stenosis and coronary aneurysm].", "content": "A 32-year old woman, with endocarditis caused by Streptococcus mitis, and systolic murmur is presented. The Doppler examination was found a systolic gradient of 150 mmHg. Aortography showed a multiple membranous supravalvular aortic stenosis, with aneurysmal dilatation of the left main coronary artery and circumflex artery, associated with bicuspid aortic valve and mild aortic insufficiency. The patient died suddenly by cardiac arrest in stand by to cardiac surgery. Anatomic comprobation was not possible. The coronary artery anomalies associated with the supravalvular aortic stenosis syndrome are reviewed."}
{"id": "PMID:1470748", "title": "[Let's stop using packet-years as expression of tobacco consumption].", "content": "It has become standard practice to describe the consumption of cigarettes by the number of \"pack-years\" obtained by multiplying number of packs per day by number of years. This leads conveniently to a single number summarising the overall tobacco consumption of an individual. Unfortunately, this summary is not relevant to the study of the effect of tobacco on health since it assumes identical effects of dose and duration, when the effect of duration is much larger than the effect of dose. If tobacco consumption must be summarised by a single number, the relevant figure is the duration of exposure to tobacco, ignoring the dose."}
{"id": "PMID:1470749", "title": "[Nitrosourea-induced lung diseases].", "content": "Nitrosoureas belong to the group of alkylating agents, and are increasingly used in the treatment of brain malignancies, due to their excellent penetration through the hemo-meningeal barrier. Since 1976, pulmonary toxicity from nitrosoureas has emerged as a significant problem, especially with BCNU, and 72 cases are available in the literature for review. While it is difficult to ascertain the exact prevalence of nitrosourea lung (estimate range between 1 and 20%), it is now clear that a direct relationship exists between cumulated exposure to the nitrosourea, and the likelihood of developing pulmonary toxicity. The clinical picture is that of a diffuse, severe fibrosis with hypoxemia. Histopathology, available in 55 reports, showed diffuse bland fibrosis. The outcome is poor with 67% of the patients dead by the time of publication. While we feel that corticosteroids should be tried for any possible beneficial effect, they seem to be of limited help."}
{"id": "PMID:1470750", "title": "[Evaluation of the extent of intra-thoracic lymph nodes. Role of mediastinoscopy].", "content": "Mediastinoscopy is a technique which enables palpation, inspection and biopsy of superior mediastinal glands. When this examination is done routinely in patients suffering from lung cancer which is presumed to be operable, 25-30% are found to have a positive gland and the greater part of these individuals become inoperable on account of significant invasion. The specificity of mediastinoscopy is 100% and this specificity ensures that no potentially operable patient would be refused a surgical cure. Anterior mediastinoscopy and an extended cervical mediastinoscopy are complementary techniques which enable the anterior mediastinum to be explored in patients suffering from cancer of the left upper lobe. In experienced hands, these techniques are safe and lead to little or no morbidity."}
{"id": "PMID:1470751", "title": "[Effects of coffee on the respiratory system].", "content": "The consumption of coffee is a very old and popular habit. It is possible that it may have an effect on the respiratory system and on the regulation of respiration. Apart from the manifestations of hypersensitivity linked to the handling of green coffee, the consumption of coffee can have different effects. On the one hand it has a beneficial effect on bronchospasm. On the other hand its consumption has been suspected of contributing to the development of chronic airflow obstruction (COPD) and also in the genesis of bronchial cancer, without, however, its responsibility being proven in a clear fashion. In fact, in these two latter pathological circumstances, the causal relationship is probably indirectly linked to the fact that there is a strong positive correlation between the consumption of coffee and of tobacco. Finally the consumption of coffee increases ventilatory frequency in normal subjects and also in the course of COPD, and if taken in large quantities by pregnant women, there is an increased risk of neonatal apnoea in the newborn, by an abrupt cessation in the caffeine level."}
{"id": "PMID:1470752", "title": "[Prognostic factors in survival of patients with obstructive respiratory insufficiency treated by long-term oxygen therapy. Data from the ANTADIR registry].", "content": "Prognostic survival factors in COPD patients obtaining long-term oxygen therapy (LTO) through 25 french associations were studied using data from the ANTADIR register. Selection criteria included age (50 to 79 yr), FEV1/VC < 60%, PaO2 < 60 mmHg and start of therapy between beginning 1984 and end 1988. A total of 1,775 patients were selected (1,462 men, 313 women, mean age 66.1 yr). PaO2 was 50.9 +/- 5.8 mmHg, PaCO2 47.1 +/- 5.8 mmHg, FEV1 8.81 +/- 0.31 l (30.4 +/- 11.1% of predicted values) and FEV1/VC 37.7 +/- 10.1%. Overall survival was 81.6% at 1 yr, 68.6% at 2 yrs, 55.7% at 3 yr, 44.9% at 4 yr and 37.3% at 5 yr (survival median 3.5 yr). Age was the most predictive survival factor (5 yr survival 48.8% for 50-59 yr-old patients vs 27.3% for 70-79). Survival was longer in women (49% at 5 yr vs 34.9% for men). After stratification by age, FEV1, FEV1/VC, PaO2, PaCO2 and Body Mass Index (BMI) were all significant predictive factors for men. FEV1/VC was the only prognostic factor for women. For all the population multivariate analysis showed that age, sex and BMI were the most significant variables. A prognostic score determined from the final Cox model and based on sex, age, BMI, FEV1, PaO2 will be validated in an independent patient series. Our data confirm the influence of age, airways obstruction and hypoxemia on survival of COPD patients under LTO. Furthermore they demonstrate a poorer survival in men, in underweight patients and in non hypercapnic patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1470753", "title": "[Amiloride hydrochloride nebulized by oxygen in the treatment of mucoviscidosis].", "content": "Bronchial inhalation of amiloride chlorhydrate has been suggested for a number of years in the treatment of the pulmonary disease in cystic fibrosis. However, physiotherapy remains invaluable in the struggle in containing pulmonary infections in this disorder. Physiotherapy may lead to a transient fall in the arterial oxygen as can sessions of nebuliser therapy which precedes physiotherapy. The originality of the system studied and proposed here for the administration of medication depends on an electronic control which guarantees that there is the nebulisation of a constant volume of medication with each inspiration. Triggered by inspiration the active principle nebulised is perfectly co-ordinated to the inspiratory cycle. A comparative chromatography carried out in this slides of silica-gel have enabled us to verify the absence of any degradation of the active principle contained in the nebuliser solution during the ten minutes period of aerosol therapy. Thus a quantification of the administered dose of Amiloride Chlorhydrate is made possible. In association with oxygen it enables an efficacious preparation of respiratory physiotherapy to children. As the expiratory tubing ends in a filter the fraction of the oxygen inhaled by the patient remains very high; 80% (V/V) of the medication is emitted in the form of liquid particles whose diameter lies between 0.5 and 5 micrometers. In practice in order to humidify the sputum and to restore the oximetry before the physiotherapy sessions, it seemed to us an interesting possibility to administer Amiloride Chlorhydrate and oxygen simultaneously. This is achieved in hospital by using wall-mounted oxygen (at a gas pressure of 3.5 bars).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1470754", "title": "[An experimental anatomopathological study of pleural talcosis].", "content": "The aim of this work was to study the anatomical and pathological reaction and the mechanism of the formation of the pleural symphysis during pleural talcosis. The experiment was performed on fifteen dogs of similar breed, divided into three groups of five subjects each. After thoracoscopy under general anaesthesia, 2 ml of intrapleural physiological saline were injected in group I (controls) and 2 or 4 ml of talc granules in group II and III. A drainage tube was positioned at the end of the examination. One dog in each group was sacrificed on the 1st, 2nd, 7th, 15th, and 30th days post-thoracoscopy. At autopsy a detailed macroscopic study was carried out and some biopsies were taken for histology. In the control group, the inflammatory reaction was very moderate and rapidly disappeared whereas in the groups treated with talc, the talc led to an exudate of several millimeters, the exudate of inflammatory reaction was acute and early (J1) and involved the pleural in particular on the costal surface and was more moderate on the visceral surface and only involved the lung to a thickness of 2 or 3 mm and a few peripheral alveolar spaces. The granulomatous reaction occurred later (from the 3rd day) and was accompanied by the formation of a symphysis by the deposition and coagulation of fibrin which continued from the 7th to the 15th day, and became solid on the 30th day post-thoracoscopy. There was no significant difference between the two groups treated with talc, implying that the reaction was linked to the talc and was independent of the dose used."}
{"id": "PMID:1470755", "title": "[Tracheobronchial lesions after closed thoracic injuries].", "content": "We report the clinical picture and the outcome after medical and surgical treatment of eleven patients who had a traumatic rupture of the tracheobronchial tree between 1971 and 1990. The lesions occurred after a blunt chest trauma. All patients but one had evidence of extrapulmonary air leak on admission; one patient complained of hemoptysis. Seven patients underwent a fibroscopy on admission, which confirmed the rupture. One of them was operated immediately for tracheal rupture; four presented a small lesion which was medically treated; two were operated later on for secondary stenosis. Four patients didn't undergo a fibroscopy at first examination, one of them being asymptomatic. All four were operated secondarily. Of the six patients operated for secondary stenosis, three were operated within one month after the accident. This reflects the importance of other priorities at the initial stage. Of the three patients operated later on two didn't have a fibroscopy and it is impossible to assess the importance of the primary lesion. For the last patient operation was delayed because of the peripheral location of the lesion. The long term evolution was satisfactory in all cases."}
{"id": "PMID:1470756", "title": "[Pleural amyloidosis: thoracoscopic diagnosis and physiopathological approach].", "content": "The authors report a case of pleural amyloidosis presenting as a generalised primary amyloidosis with immunological disturbance, in which the diagnosis was made at thoracoscopy. Bronchopulmonary disease during the course of generalised amyloidosis is frequent, but there are only thirteen cases of histologically proven pleural amyloidosis which have been reported in the literature. Using pleuroscopy the histology obtained enables a pathophysiological approach to this disease, taking account of the cells and enzymes found in the pleura, the inflammatory reactions suggests a local production at the pleura level and this would explain the exudative character of some effusions, although a transudate is most often described and is directly linked to congestive cardiac failure. The deposit of fibrin by occluding the stomas of Wang, explains the failure of the absorptive properties of the pleura and also the recurrent nature of these effusions. The pleural disease is without doubt, under-estimated in generalised amyloidosis and the character of the effusions variable. Most often there are transudates secondary to congestive cardiac failure, although exudates occur as a result of local inflammatory phenomena. Amyloidosis should be remembered as a possible cause of exudative pleurisy."}
{"id": "PMID:1470757", "title": "[Acute pneumopathy caused by exposure to zinc oxide].", "content": "The authors report the case of an acute lung reaction due to an accidental exposition to zinc oxide. This episode showed features of metal fume fever. The bronchoalveolar lavage showed an increased cellularity (1,300 cells/mm3) with 28% neutrophils and 25% eosinophils. The characteristics of pulmonary disease associated with fever associated to exposure to zinc, as well as its pathogenic mechanism are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1470758", "title": "[Interstitial fibrosing pneumopathy and dermatomyositis. Pulmonary histology and prognosis].", "content": "The authors describe a case of interstitial lung disease associated with dermatomyositis. Alveolar-interstitial shadowing on the initial chest X-ray, lymphocytosis on the broncho-alveolar lavage fluid, absence of anti-JO1 antibodies and presence of intra-alveolar buds on the open lung biopsy were observed. Our patient died of acute respiratory failure, 34 months after symptoms onset. Intra-alveolar buds found at an early stage of dermatomyositis interstitial lung disease, were associated with minimal interstitial cellularity, markedly interstitial fibrosis, poor prognosis and poor response to steroid therapy. In contrary, bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia noted at an early stage of interstitial lung disease associated with both dermatomyositis and polymyositis, seems to have better prognosis and response to corticosteroid, especially if associated with polymyositis."}
{"id": "PMID:1470759", "title": "[Value of magnetic resonance imaging in the detection of intramedullary metastases of bronchial epidermoid carcinoma].", "content": "A 68 year old female presented with an intramedullary metastasis which was found to be caused by an epidermoid bronchial carcinoma. This type of metastasis is a rare complication and a diagnosis is difficult. The authors stress the importance of nuclear magnetic resonance as a non-aggressive diagnostic method which is very sensitive in detecting this type of pathology."}
{"id": "PMID:1470760", "title": "[The multifocal form of bronchocentric granulomatosis].", "content": "Bronchocentric granulomatosis is a rare entity and has only recently been characterised. We report a case of a forty-three year old man presenting with multifocal bronchocentric granulomatosis which was revealed following some oto-rhino-laryngological and bronchopulmonary symptoms. The open lung biopsy confirmed the diagnosis. Treatment was by bolus doses of corticosteroids (30 mg/kg) and of methotrexate in low dosage (7.5 mg/week, then 15 mg/week) which checked the initially unfavourable outcome."}
{"id": "PMID:1470761", "title": "[Mediastinal-pulmonary sarcoidosis with unilateral pseudotumorous presentation. Apropos of a case].", "content": "We report a case of a patient of forty two years who was admitted with a chronic cough and had a left hilar \"tumour\". Scanning showed a hilar opacity with an air bronchogram. Fibreoptic bronchoscopy did not succeed in achieving a precise diagnosis, the biopsies showed no sign of malignancy. An open lung biopsy was necessary to establish the diagnosis of pulmonary mediastinal sarcoidosis with a pseudo-tumoral presentation and localised unilateral disease involving a segmental bronchus and the left upper lobe. There was a rapidly favourable outcome after treatment with steroids."}
{"id": "PMID:1470767", "title": "Basic principles of laboratory medicine.", "content": "In order to successfully apply laboratory tests to the solution of clinical problems, a clinician needs to select tests that are appropriate to the suspected disease, collect and submit the necessary specimens, and recognize sources of variation that affect test results. The clinician must have confidence in the accuracy and precision of analytical methods used to produce results. An understanding of reference ranges and test performance in healthy and diseased animals is necessary for accurate interpretation and clinical decision making."}
{"id": "PMID:1470772", "title": "Specialized hematology tests.", "content": "In conclusion, many specialized tests for the evaluation of anemia and RBC abnormalities can readily be performed in-house or by commercial laboratories. Tests include RBC indices, examination of blood smears (for morphological changes, infectious agents, basophilic stippling, and polychromasia), reticulocyte counts, iron stains, serum iron determinations, Heinz body counts, and methemoglobin tests. These diagnostic tests should routinely be used for the evaluation of hematologic abnormalities that are detected by a CBC. Accurate interpretation of test results will provide vital information on the pathophysiological and/or etiologic mechanisms of disease and point the way to successful therapeutic intervention. Failure to adequately resolve some hematologic abnormalities, particularly in breeds in which heritable disease is a consideration, may require additional tests, including serum haptoglobin, ferritin and erythropoietin measurement, or assays for RBC enzymes, such as methemoglobin reductase, PK, and PFK. These tests usually are available only through research laboratories or hematology specialists, and it is advisable to consult with a veterinary clinical pathologist for referral to the appropriate individual or laboratory."}
{"id": "PMID:1470776", "title": "Levels of plasma lipid peroxides before and after choledocholithotomy in patients with obstructive jaundice.", "content": "Plasma lipid peroxide levels were measured in a group of 40 healthy controls and 11 patients with jaundice. In the case of these 11 patients, we checked the plasma lipid peroxide concentrations prior to and after choledocholithotomy. Before choledocholithotomy, there were significantly higher mean concentrations of plasma lipid peroxides and bilirubin in patients with jaundice than in the control cases (11.8 +/- 2.3 vs. 2.0 +/- 0.1 nmol/ml and 10.3 +/- 1.82 vs. 0.7 +/- 0.03 mg/dl, respectively, P < 0.05). In addition, patients with jaundice had lower plasma vitamin E levels in comparison to the controls (8.2 +/- 0.6 vs. 12.2 +/- 0.5 micrograms/ml, P < 0.05). In patients with jaundice, the increased plasma lipid peroxides were clearly related to the serum levels of bilirubin (r = 0.87, P < 0.05). After surgery, the higher plasma levels of lipid peroxide and bilirubin were reduced markedly (11.8 +/- 2.3 vs. 3.7 +/- 0.4 nmol/ml and 10.3 +/- 1.82 vs. 3.1 +/- 0.47 mg/dl, respectively, P < 0.05) with the restoration of bile flow which was associated with improvement in liver function tests. Consequently, these results suggest that there is an involvement of lipid peroxidation in liver cells damaged by obstructive jaundice in patients with cholelithiasis, and that these high plasma lipid peroxide levels may correlate with the severity of the disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1470777", "title": "[The significance of obesity in UOEH medical students--multiple regression analysis of the annual physical checkup data in 1991].", "content": "For the purpose of evaluating the significance of obesity in a young population as a risk factor toward various chronic diseases, a multiple regression analysis was performed on the data from the annual physical checkup of medical students of UOEH in 1991. The following results were obtained. (1) The average obesity index of the students showed a progressive and significant increase in the past 13 years from 1979 to 1991. (2) A close correlation between the obesity index and serum GPT was recognized by elevation of the standard partial regression coefficient of serum GPT to obesity index and that of obesity index to serum GPT when the data from all 617 students was analysed in one group. This finding was intensified in 142 obese students with an obesity index of over 10%, but it was not seen in the remaining non-obese students. (3) The correlation between the obesity index and serum GPT was found solely in the group of students with constant obesity; i.e., whose obesity index was always more than 10% during a maximum of 9 years in the past. (4) Systolic blood pressure was related to the red blood cell count rather than to the obesity index in this young population. (5) No particularly close correlation to serum cholesterol was found with any of 10 representative items examined in this physical checkup, including the obesity index, indicating that the other factors should be related to serum cholesterol levels. From the above findings, it can be concluded that constant obesity in students is related to liver dysfunction, probably due to fatty liver frequently seen in the precise examination of these individuals."}
{"id": "PMID:1470778", "title": "[Determination of common esterase D phenotypes by HPLC].", "content": "The analysis of blood Esterase D (ESD) phenotypes was performed by using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The hemolysate was first treated with a cation exchanger to remove hemoglobin, injected into HPLC on a weak anion exchange column, and developed to become fluorescent with reaction reagent. The chromatogram of each ESD phenotype was distinct from those of the other phenotypes. ESD protein was confirmed by isoelectric focusing in the HPLC fraction that was referred for ESD typing. This HPLC method can be used to determine the common ESD phenotypes in blood."}
{"id": "PMID:1470779", "title": "[Sarcomatoid liver carcinoma diagnosed clinically as hemangioma].", "content": "This is a case report of a 69-year-old woman with sarcomatoid hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), which was diagnosed clinically as hemangioma. She was first admitted to our university hospital, complaining of general fatigue in December, 1988, and cholelithiasis and liver cirrhosis with hepatic tumor in Segment 8 were diagnosed. The serum AFP level was within normal range, and the tumor was diagnosed as hemangioma radiologically. She underwent only cholecystectomy and was well without any therapy for the liver tumor up until March in 1991 when she was readmitted to our university hospital due to rapidly progressive liver dysfunction. The size of the liver tumor was unchanged. Despite intensive care, she died of hepatic failure due to cirrhosis in a decompensation state. At autopsy, a well defined yellowish white tumor of 3 cm in maximum diameter was seen in the cirrhotic liver. Although the largest part of the tumor revealed necrosis and hyalinization, a sarcomatoid part composed of spindle-shaped cells was noted in the peripheral portion. In addition, some necrotic ghost cells, probably hepatocellular carcinoma, were also noted. Low molecular cytokeratin, which is always found in HCCs, was seen in spindle-shaped sarcomatoid cells. The liver tumor was diagnosed as sarcomatoid HCC from these pathological findings. We report this histologically unusual HCC with an immunohistochemical study."}
{"id": "PMID:1470792", "title": "Swimming and asthma. Benefits and deleterious effects.", "content": "Swimming is a common pastime activity and competitive sport for patients with asthma. One reason for such popularity may be the low asthmogenicity of swimming compared with landbased activities. Review of available evidence suggests that swimming induces less severe bronchoconstriction than other sports. The mechanisms for this protective effect of swimming are not clear, but there is some experimental evidence intimating that it results in part from the high humidity of inspired air at water level, which reduces respiratory heat loss (and possibly osmolarity of airways mucus). Beneficial roles of horizontal posture and of water immersion have been tested but not confirmed. Swimming poses two potentially deleterious effects to the patient with asthma. One is the exaggerated parasympathetic tone due to the 'diving reflex', that has been shown to trigger bronchoconstriction. The other is airway irritation because of chlorine and its derivatives. Swimming as a training modality has definite benefits for the patient with asthma. These include an increase in aerobic fitness and a decrease in asthma morbidity. There is no conclusive evidence, however, that swim training causes a decrease in the severity or frequency of exercise-induced bronchoconstriction."}
{"id": "PMID:1470791", "title": "Aging and muscle function.", "content": "Most of the available data on the aging of muscle function are cross-sectional in type. Static and dynamic muscle strength seem well preserved to about 45 years of age, but performance deteriorates by about 5% per decade thereafter. There is a parallel loss of lean tissue. Because muscle biopsy specimens are not always representative of an entire muscle, it is unclear whether there is a general hypotrophy or atrophy of the muscle fibres or a selective hypoplasia and degeneration of type II fibres associated with a loss of terminal sprouting. Other influences may include a deterioration of end-plate structures with impaired excitation-contraction coupling and impaired fibre recruitment. Both contraction time and half-relaxation time are prolonged with aging, and there is a decrease of maximal contraction velocity, more marked in the legs than in the arms. On the other hand, endurance at a fixed fraction of maximal force is increased. Potential factors leading to the enhanced endurance include a poorer maximal effort and an increased proportion of type I fibres; however, there is little evidence that muscle capillarity is altered. The loss of function is generally less in the arms than in the legs, but it remains unclear whether this is an inherent biological difference, or merely a reflection of differential changes in activity patterns between the upper and the lower limbs. The male/female strength ratio does not seem to change with age, but substantial slowing or reversal of the aging process is possible through appropriate activity programmes. The preservation of muscle function has important implications for the quality of life in the frail elderly, counteracting dyspnoea, stabilising joints and extending the period of independent living by up to 20 years."}
{"id": "PMID:1470793", "title": "Acute and chronic adaptations of muscle proprioceptors in response to increased use.", "content": "Acute adaptations to use have been shown to occur in both the muscle spindle and Golgi tendon organ pathways. This short term activation adaptation increases the excitability of the motoneuron pool, thereby potentially providing a nonvoluntary increase in the excitation of subsequent contractions. It is thought that the intrafusal muscle fibres reset to a higher gain after contraction and that the tendon organ pathway undergoes a brief desensitisation. These phenomena could be important clinically when trying to stretch muscles, i.e. a contraction before a stretch should make the stretch more difficult. Also, this could affect the amount of muscle force generated, thereby altering motor behaviours requiring fine accuracy. Research on the adaptations of proprioceptors during free movement, using locomotion as a model, has found that the hypothesis of consistent alpha-gamma coactivation during motor behaviours is much more complicated and adaptable, depending on the environmental circumstance and the specific motor task. These research findings support the use of selective training, i.e. training to the task, for optimal motor learning. The results of the relatively limited research on chronic adaptations of proprioceptors due to exercise has shown that on a microlevel, the intrafusal muscle fibres may show some metabolic changes but do not show any hypertrophy. However, on a more macro level, with extended training, the latency of the stretch reflex response is found to be decreased and the amplitude is found to be increased in both animals and humans. Through classical conditioning research, proprioceptors may also be necessary for motor learning. Lastly, both primates and humans have been shown to be able to up- or down-grade their stretch reflex responses using operant conditioning techniques and many practice sessions. These findings have important implications both for rehabilitation of persons with abnormal reflex activity and in the training of athletes. This review provides some consolidation of the recent research findings, but much more research needs to be done in order to fully understand the purpose and importance of the proprioceptive sensory system."}
{"id": "PMID:1470794", "title": "Leg length inequality. Implications for running injury prevention.", "content": "Leg length inequality is a relatively common musculoskeletal malalignment related to structural, postural and environmental factors. The inequality is a plausible aetiological factor in the development of a variety of overuse injuries because it alters the magnitude and distribution of mechanical stress within the body. Leg length inequality has been linked with lower extremity stress fractures, low back pain, hip pain and vertebral disk problems of runners. The appropriateness of using inshoe lifts to reduce or eliminate the inequality has not been rigorously evaluated. Further research is needed to quantify the biomechanical effects of leg length inequality as it interacts with other factors related to running injury."}
{"id": "PMID:1470795", "title": "[Lissencephalia syndromes].", "content": "Lissencephaly is in most cases a genetic anomaly of the brain development with agyria and/or pachygyria. It causes severe psychomotor retardation and epilepsy, which is often resistant to therapy. Some patients with type-I lissencephaly show cranial and facial dysmorphism and a deletion of chromosome 17p13.3 (Miller-Dieker syndrome). The isolated lissencephaly sequence occurs without these features. Patients with type-II lissencephaly present additional malformations of the posterior fossa and of the eyes (Walker-Warburg syndrome) and in some cases muscular dystrophy (cerebro-oculomuscular syndrome). Lissencephaly can be suspected with a high probability by its typical EEG. It is proved by imaging techniques. Therapeutic success is limited, the life expectancy is strongly reduced."}
{"id": "PMID:1470796", "title": "[Progressive supranuclear palsy].", "content": "Progressive supranuclear palsy, first described as clinical entity by Steele, Richardson and Olszewski, is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system. Besides progressive supranuclear oculomotor disturbances, other characteristic signs are pseudobulbar paresis, axial rigidity, gait disturbances and subcortical dementia. Misinterpretation in the early stage as Parkinson's disease is frequently seen. A causal therapy is still missing."}
{"id": "PMID:1470797", "title": "[Ischemic cerebrovascular seizure: when and how should one search for a cardiac embolism source?].", "content": "Cerebral embolism originating from the heart accounts for approximately 15 to 20% of ischemic strokes. By far the most important source for cardiac embolism is associated with atrial fibrillation; in these patients immediate anticoagulation with no further echocardiographic diagnostic is recommended. The majority of the remaining cardiac sources of embolism--they originate from the left ventricle and the valves--can be suggested by clinical signs. In these cases a documentation by echocardiography is indicated. In contrast, embolism originating from the left atrium is rare and commonly not detectable by simple clinical means. The semi-invasive transesophageal echocardiography is able to visualize atrial pathologies with a high accuracy, but this investigation should be performed routinely only in patients less than 45 years old with no evidence for cardiac disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1470798", "title": "[Cerebrovascular complications in cardiac surgery].", "content": "Mortality and physical impairment in patients undergoing cardiac surgery are to a large extent due to cerebro-vascular complications that are second in frequency only to cardiopulmonary incidents. In spite of the extracorporeal circulatory support as well as progress in cardiac surgery that have improved the perioperative conditions, neurologic complications mainly of embolic nature are still common after extracorporeal circulatory assistance."}
{"id": "PMID:1470799", "title": "[Assessment of cerebral autoregulation using transcranial Doppler sonography under lower body negative pressure].", "content": "A novel technique for transcranial Doppler sonographic assessment of cerebral autoregulation was tried out in 20 healthy volunteers, ten of them right-handed and ten left-handed. A fall in arterial blood pressure was produced through lower body negative pressure (LBNP) of -50 mmHg during 1 min. The Doppler shift signal of both middle cerebral arteries was recorded simultaneously and analyzed digitally to obtain mean Doppler shift frequency and Doppler signal power. Their product, as an index of volume flow, was calculated on-line. By positioning and coupling of the transducers and keeping the position of the head stable throughout the test, spurious readings due to the effects of gravity or head movement were excluded. With an average fall of mean arterial blood pressure of 10.3 +/- 7.7 mmHg, the TCD flow index as averaged over the entire period of LBNP was 103.6 +/- 19.5% of the value measured under atmospheric pressure, demonstrating a physiological autoregulation. In the right-handed subjects the flow index during LBNP was significantly higher on the right than on the left side. In only one of the ten right-handed individuals the side difference was reversed, while this was the case in five of the ten left-handed subjects."}
{"id": "PMID:1470800", "title": "Epidemiology of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.", "content": "Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is the most common organic disorder of excessive daytime somnolence. In cross-sectional studies the minimum prevalence of OSAS among adult men is about one per cent. Prevalence is highest among men aged 40-65 years. The highest figures for this age group indicate that their prevalence of clinically significant OSAS may be 8.5% or higher. Habitual snoring is the most common symptom of OSAS (70-95%). The most significant risk factor for OSAS is obesity, especially upper body obesity. Other risk factors for snoring, and for OSAS, are male gender, age between 40 and 65 years, cigarette smoking, use of alcohol, and poor physical fitness. Upper airway obstruction with snoring or sleep apnea are commonly seen in children of all ages. Snoring is very common among infants and children with Pierre Robin syndrome and among infants with nasal obstruction. Snoring and obstructive sleep apnea are also very common in men with acromegaly. Many other syndromes or diseases exist in which the upper airway is narrowed. Prevalence of snoring and sleep apnea is increased in all such situations. It has been suggested that sleep apnea may be one mechanism contributing to sleep-related mortality. The prevalence of every night snoring seems to decrease after the age of 65. However, more than 25% of persons over 65 have more than five apneas per hour of sleep. It remains to be seen whether this finding has clinical significance. Partial upper airway obstruction, even without apneas, may influence pulmonary arterial pressure and may cause daytime sleepiness and some health consequences.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1470801", "title": "From obstructive sleep apnea syndrome to upper airway resistance syndrome: consistency of daytime sleepiness.", "content": "Some patients with excessive daytime sleepiness who do not present the features of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) present a sleep fragmentation due to transient alpha EEG arousals lasting between three and 14 seconds. These transient EEG arousals are related to an abnormal amount of breathing effort, indicated by peak inspiratory esophageal pressure (Pes) nadir. In the studied population, these increased efforts were associated with snoring. Usage of nasal CPAP, titrated on Pes nadir values, for several weeks eliminated subjective daytime sleepiness and improved Multiple Sleep Latency Test scores from baseline evaluations. Patients suspected of CNS hypersomnia should be asked about continuous snoring, and their clinical evaluation should include a good review of maxillo-mandibular and upper airway anatomy."}
{"id": "PMID:1470802", "title": "Neurobehavioral manifestations in obstructive sleep apnea syndrome before and after treatment with continuous positive airway pressure.", "content": "Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is characterized by recurrent apneas during sleep, resulting in repetitive hypoxemic episodes and a constant interruption of the normal sleep pattern. Vigilance impairment and neuropsychological deficits are among the main symptoms seen in this condition. One of the major questions in this field concerns the reciprocal interactions between nocturnal hypoxemia, sleep disruption, excessive daytime sleepiness and cognitive deficits. Results of this study suggest that vigilance impairment is attributable mostly to nocturnal hypoxemia. However, in cognitive deficits, hypoxemia seems to play a major role in executive and psychomotor tasks, whereas attention and memory functions appear to be related to vigilance impairment. After treatment, hypoxemia-related deficits and some degree of sleepiness persist. These results raise the possibility of an irreversible anoxic central nervous system (CNS) damage in severe OSAS."}
{"id": "PMID:1470803", "title": "Sleep-related hemodynamics and hypertension with partial or complete upper airway obstruction during sleep.", "content": "Many different hemodynamic changes can be observed during obstructive apneas in the nocturnal sleep period. The most significant changes are observed whenever apneas occur in rapid succession. Systemic, pulmonary, and wedge pressure are modified. Many of these changes are mediated through cholinergic mechanisms. The mechanical effort of breathing against a partially or completely obstructed airway may also have an impact on hemodynamics. This impact must be dissociated from the impact of hypoxemia and blood gas changes. It has been questioned whether obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) has any significant role in the development of 24-hour hypertension. In support of this theory, we found that tracheostomy does eliminate hypertension in obstructive sleep apneic children. In adults the issue is more complicated. Hypertension was eliminated in a subgroup of our patients treated with tracheostomy or nasal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), although the total group had no statistically significant blood pressure differences. Many variables that might dissociate treatment responders from nonresponders are not available. Hypertensive patients whose blood pressure normalized with OSAS treatment were significantly less overweight than the nonresponders in our series. Patients who remained hypertensive after treatment did, however, develop a normal circadian blood pressure trough during nocturnal sleep."}
{"id": "PMID:1470804", "title": "Sleep apnea syndromes (SAS) of specific etiology: review and incidence from a sleep laboratory.", "content": "Sleep apnea syndrome (SAS) results from modification in the control of respiration and of upper airway caliber during sleep. Although there is some overlap between central (CSAS) and obstructive (OSAS) sleep apnea syndromes, each syndrome has specific pathological associations. The first part of this review concerns the pathophysiology of OSAS, including periodic breathing and upper airway collapse. In the second part, each specific etiology is examined, and the respective contribution of anatomic narrowing and neuromuscular dysfunction of the upper airway is mentioned. Our experience with about 375 patients with sleep-related breathing disorders is also reported, with regard to the specific etiologies of CSAS and OSAS."}
{"id": "PMID:1470805", "title": "Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and sleep apnea syndrome.", "content": "The term \"overlap syndrome\" was introduced by Flenley to describe the association of sleep apnea syndrome (SAS) with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Epidemiologic data on the prevalence of the overlap syndrome are not available, but the frequency of an associated COPD in SAS patients has been emphasized in almost all the studies analyzing the development of respiratory insufficiency in SAS patients. In a large series (n = 264) of unselected SAS patients who had undergone detailed pulmonary function tests, we observed an obstructive ventilatory defect (FEV1/VC < 60%) in 30 of 264 patients (11%). These patients had lower daytime PaO2 and higher PaCO2 than the other patients and they had higher resting and exercising pulmonary artery mean pressure (right heart catheterization was performed in 215 of 264 patients). We conclude that the risk of developing respiratory insufficiency and cor pulmonale is higher in overlap patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1470806", "title": "Clinical and therapeutic aspects of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome in infants and children.", "content": "Sleep related increases in respiratory resistive loads in infants and children may or may not be associated with complete obstruction, i.e. obstructive apneas. Nevertheless, important clinical symptoms, both nocturnal and diurnal, may be present and should be taken into consideration. A thorough investigation must be performed to select the most appropriate therapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1470807", "title": "Sleep apnea syndrome in the elderly.", "content": "Sleep apnea syndrome (SAS) is a well established sleep disorder with high morbidity and mortality. Patients are most often middle-aged men. SAS occurs in at least 1% of the adult population. Several studies have suggested that SAS is extremely frequent in the elderly, its prevalence ranging from 18 to 73% in this group. However, the generalization of these results to elderly cohorts is questionable because of several limitations of these studies, including lack of standard selection criteria, variation in recording techniques, the night to night variability of sleep apnea and the use of a moderate level of sleep disordered breathing (SDB) to define SAS (5 apneas per hour). The study best designed for valid extrapolation to the whole aged population estimates the frequency of SAS at 18%. However, most of these patients reported satisfactory sleep, and epidemiologic criteria for a causal association between SAS in the elderly and cardiovascular disease have not been satisfied. The conclusions of numerous studies dealing with impairment in cognitive function and SAS in the elderly are controversial. In fact, if the diagnostic threshold is increased from 5 apneas to 10 apneas plus hypopneas per hour, elderly SAS patients have more sleep disturbances, are more depressed and have cognitive deficits as compared to normal old persons. When an appropriate diagnostic index is used, SAS in the elderly resembles SAS described in the middle-aged population. In addition, a high apnea plus hypopnea index is an ominous predictor of mortality in the elderly population, and a very high level of SDB is an extremely significant risk factor for mortality during sleep phase in these patients.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1470808", "title": "Long-term compliance with nasal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) in obstructive sleep apnea patients and nonapneic snorers.", "content": "In a prospective study aimed at evaluating objectively the compliance with nasal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment, 233 obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) (apnea index, > 10 apneas/hour) patients and 36 nonapneic snorers were studied. The compliance to treatment was measured by the mean rate of use of the CPAP device, obtained from a built-in time counter. The follow-up period was 874 +/- 48 in OSA patients and 675 +/- 83 in snorers. CPAP was proposed to all OSA patients but only to those snorers who felt improved after an initial laboratory night on CPAP. Nineteen OSA patients refused CPAP. Of the 214 OSA patients who accepted CPAP, 181 are still on treatment, with a mean daily rate of use of 5.6 +/- 0.1 hours (mean +/- SEM); 22 patients stopped CPAP after a variable period of time; 10 patients died and one acromegalic patient was considered cured after hypophysectomy for a pituitary adenoma. Depending upon the definition of acceptable compliance, the compliance rate in this group was between 77% and 89%. The mean rate of use was correlated with indices of disease severity (apnea index, apnea+hypopnea index, minimal SaO2 during sleep, daytime PaO2, pulmonary artery pressure). Thirty-six nonapneic snorers accepted CPAP. In this group, 26 are still on CPAP, with a mean daily rate of use of 5.4 +/- 0.5 hours; one patient died; one underwent uvolopalatopharyngoplasty without follow-up; and eight stopped CPAP. The compliance rate in this group was between 58% and 78%. This study shows that CPAP is reasonably accepted by OSA patients as well as by nonapneic snorers.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1470809", "title": "Mechanisms of the effectiveness of continuous positive airway pressure in obstructive sleep apnea.", "content": "Nasal continuous positive airway pressure (NCPAP) is considered the most effective treatment of obstructive sleep apnea. Its beneficial effects are related to the normalization of breathing during sleep and to the prevention of nocturnal desaturations. NCPAP interacts with the pathophysiologic mechanisms of sleep apnea onset and with the consequences of these apneas. Upper airway patency is maintained with NCPAP by a pneumatic splinting effect while changes in lung volume and pre-apnea SaO2 level may be implicated in the improvement of apnea-related desaturations. An improvement in central chemosensitivity could account for the improvement in diurnal oxygenation observed with long term NCPAP therapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1470810", "title": "Respiratory monitoring in sleep apnea syndrome.", "content": "This review provides a critical analysis of current respiratory monitoring techniques in diagnosis of sleep apnea syndrome. The correct analysis of polysomnography requires knowledge of the limitations of the means of recording used. These limitations, for invasive and noninvasive techniques, are discussed in terms of calculation, differentiation and scoring of respiratory events. Aims and means are stated for monitoring and scoring in research as well as in clinical practice."}
{"id": "PMID:1470811", "title": "Evaluation of the upper airway in sleep apnea syndrome.", "content": "The upper airway is the final common site for abnormalities in respiratory control and neuromuscular function leading to sleep apnea. This review summarizes the information that pharyngeal assessment provides for understanding upper airway pathophysiology and selecting treatment. The applications and limitations of both static and dynamic techniques are examined in awake and sleeping patients. The effects of posture on the upper airway and the usefulness for predicting treatment efficiency are examined."}
{"id": "PMID:1470812", "title": "Assessment of uvulopalatopharyngoplasty for the treatment of sleep apnea syndrome.", "content": "Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP) consists in the surgical removal of the uvula, part of the muscular portion of the soft palate and redundant palatal and pillar mucosa, and the tonsils. Since 1981, UPPP has been proposed for the treatment of sleep apnea syndrome. Polysomnographic studies have shown that in about half of the patients submitted to UPPP there is a 50% or greater reduction in apnea index. Attempts to identify presurgically those patients more likely to benefit from UPPP have yielded inconsistent results. Limited retrospective follow-up data suggest that UPPP does not modify the increased mortality associated with moderate and severe sleep apnea syndrome. Patients submitted to UPPP report subjective improvement, irrespective of the objective polysomnographic postsurgical results. It is suggested that polysomnographic evaluation of UPPP results should be mandatory; that any patient with 20 or more apnea/hypopneas per hour of sleep or sleep fragmentation after UPPP should be considered a treatment failure and be offered alternative therapy; and that UPPP should be performed only as part of prospective clinical trials including long-term follow-up."}
{"id": "PMID:1470813", "title": "Surgical alternatives to uvulopalatopharyngoplasty in sleep apnea syndrome.", "content": "Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP) is the surgery most often performed for sleep apnea syndrome (SAS). However, good results with UPPP, demonstrated by polysomnography, have been reported in only 50% of cases. Failure of UPPP may be caused by: 1) bad management of the SAS, which is better treated in some patients with nasal CPAP than with surgery; and 2) an airway obstruction located not only at the palatopharynx (PP) level. Other surgical procedures to enlarge other sites of obstruction are described. Retro-tongue-base-pharynx (RTBP) surgery is emphasized, including mandibular advancement, hyoid bone suspension, and tongue base reduction. Maxillomandibular advancement is the most efficient technique but also the most complicated."}
{"id": "PMID:1470814", "title": "Alternative therapeutic approaches in sleep apnea syndrome.", "content": "A number of therapeutic alternatives to continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) and surgery have been proposed to treat sleep apnea syndrome. Nasopharyngeal intubation may provide an immediate, simple and cost-effective means of bypassing upper airway obstruction during sleep. Tolerance is good in small children but is lower, between 30 and 40%, in adults. Clinical improvement is reported by more than half of the patients treated with this device and is confirmed by polysomnography. However, in most of these subjects, breathing during sleep is only partially corrected and sleep remains fragmented. Nasopharyngeal intubation should be proposed in infants, in patients who do not tolerate CPAP or as a therapeutic substitute for CPAP during holidays or traveling. The tongue retaining device and variants of orthodontic appliances have been proposed in order to increase upper airway patency. Tolerance is low, efficacy is usually incomplete and limited to patients with moderate forms of SAS, and long-term follow-ups are scarce. Sleep position training has been advocated as a means of reducing time spent in the supine position. Long-term efficacy has not been proven. Weight loss by caloric restriction or surgical procedures produces a variable improvement of sleep architecture and breathing during sleep. It should be proposed to all patients with SAS, as cure has been achieved in a few patients with the adjunction of weight loss and another treatment modality."}
{"id": "PMID:1470815", "title": "Ambulatory diagnosis of sleep-related breathing disorders.", "content": "Ambulatory diagnosis of sleep-related breathing disorders (SRBD) is necessary due to their high prevalence and to the limited capacities of sleep centers. Categories of SRBD which must be diagnosed and differentiated are defined. Indications for ambulatory diagnosis are given. A selection of systems on the market in Europe are given and described in terms of their parameters. The correct system for diagnosis in a specific patient must be selected according to the specific question. The issue of ambulatory diagnosis of SRBD has gained importance in Germany because beginning in spring 1992 physicians will be reimbursed if they continuously record respiratory signals, heart rate, oxygen saturation and movement in their patients and if they qualify by attending a one-week training course."}
{"id": "PMID:1470816", "title": "[Angiosarcoma of the breast: 4 case reports and review of the literature].", "content": "Four cases of angiosarcoma of the breast, including three previously unpublished, form the starting point for a brief descriptive review of this extremely rare but fearsome tumour which accounts for only 0.04 per cent of breast malignancies. The contrast between the initially totally benign clinical appearance of this sarcoma and the dramatic prognosis of its advanced or metastatic forms against which adjuvant chemotherapy remains of only relative usefulness, leads the authors to chiefly discuss a diagnostic approach likely to speed recognition (histological diagnosis) and treatment (simple mastectomy) of a tumour with two troublesome features: its powerful metastatic potential being matched only by its extreme rarity which may cause clinicians, radiologists and histopathologists to use valuable time."}
{"id": "PMID:1470817", "title": "[Malignancy of uterine sarcoma in comparison with suspect leiomyoma. An anatomo-clinical study of 16 cases].", "content": "Sarcoma of the uterus accounts for less than 1 per cent of uterine neoplasms but is responsible for more than 15 per cent of deaths. However, histological or clinical malignancy features are poorly understood, in particular those which differentiate sarcomas from leiomyomas. This study involved 16 cases, seen during 8 years in two gynecology clinics in Iasi (Rumania) and chosen according to histological diagnosis. Ten leiomyomas were also chosen for comparison of symptomatology. The malignancy criteria studied--vascular invasion, cellular density, number of mitoses and histological type (most often leiomyosarcoma: 8 out of 16)--were used to compare sarcomas with suspect leiomyomas. The mean age was 50, 7 cases being diagnosed after the menopause. The commonest symptom was metromenorrhagia (11 cases out of 16), but pain was more frequent in leiomyomas (9 out of 10). Treatment was above all surgical, total hysterectomy having the best prognosis (3 deaths out of 8 patients operated upon). Other methods (in particular radiotherapy) not being used immediately after surgery, they could not be studied. In terms of its difficult diagnosis and its high degree of malignancy (9 deaths out of 16), sarcoma must remain an argument in favour of total hysterectomy."}
{"id": "PMID:1470818", "title": "[Value of clinical gynecological examination in understanding sexual problems. Apropos of 40 case reports].", "content": "The author reports, in the context of gynecological practice, 40 sexology cases involving a superimposition of Oedipus complex and castration complex. A complex is a mismatch between reality and actions: the Oedipus complex involves an adult (reality) with the affect of a child (actions); the castration complex involves normal genital anatomy, the urethro-clitoro-vulval entity (reality), and abnormal sexuality (actions). The usefulness of clinical examination with palpation of the urethral sphincter (G point), which should be routine (notably for seeking the existence of chronic chlamydia urethritis), is to enable: better resolution of the two complexes, by superimposition of anatomical findings on psychological findings; distinction between subcortical castration complex (known sensitivity) and sub-limbic castration complex (previously unrecognised desirable vaginal sensitivity); identification of certain organic disorders of the urethral sphincter with urinary and sexual manifestations (notably post-partum)."}
{"id": "PMID:1470819", "title": "[Cordocentesis and evaluation of fetal wellbeing in a very high-risk population (a very reliable index)].", "content": "In a population of 57 very high-risk pregnant women (severe clinical history and/or compromised fetus). A total of 240 tests for antepartum fetal evaluation were performed: baseline cardiotocography (CTG), biophysical profile scoring (BPS), doppler-velocimetry of umbilical artery and determination of blood gas analysis in venous umbilical cord blood obtained by cordocentesis. The results of the CTG, BPS, and umbilical artery doppler velocimetry showed a significant relation with those of pH and pO2. The sensitivity, specificity, false-abnormal value, and false-normal value of the CTG, PBS, and doppler velocimetry, used for the diagnosis of fetal acidosis, hypoxia, and asphyxia were comparable. The rate of fetal (asphyxia) was high if present severe/terminal CTG (85.0%), abnormal (4) BPS (82.0%), or absent-end diastole in umbilical artery doppler velocimetry (74.0%). The immediate complication rate due to cordocentesis procedure was minimal."}
{"id": "PMID:1470820", "title": "[Outcome of pregnancies obtained by fertilization in vitro. Experience at the V. Olivier Ward (department of Professor Monnier, Lille University Hospital Center) and review of the literature].", "content": "The outcome of 87 pregnancies obtained by fertilisation in vitro and progressing beyond 20 weeks of amenorrhea monitored in the Victor-Olivier Ward (Prof. Monnier, Lille Teaching Hospital Group) was analysed. Results were compared with those in the literature. The group was characterised by three features: age, the number of primipara and above all the multiple pregnancy rate. One quarter of FIV pregnancies are multiple pregnancies and almost two newborn out of live are the result of multiple pregnancies. Almost 70 per cent of clinical pregnancies progressed beyond six months. Pregnancy pathology was represented by a marked worsening of the prematurity rate and by a slightly increased risk of fetal under-development. The cesarean section rate was very markedly increased. Sex ratio, and perinatal mortality, malformation and chromosomal aberration rates were similar to those for spontaneous pregnancies. Results are reassuring overall, the pathology being encountered in pregnancies of this type being only partially explained by age, the number of primipara and the multiple pregnancy rate. This pathology could possibly be explained by the underlying situation in which sterility occurred."}
{"id": "PMID:1470821", "title": "[Hydrometra. Apropos of 6 cases].", "content": "Six cases of hydrometra are reported. The diagnosis could be confirmed only by ultrasonography. Histology revealed two cases of hyperplasia and three of endometrial atrophy. Culture of curettage material remained negative. Blood count was normal."}
{"id": "PMID:1470822", "title": "[Chickenpox and pregnancy].", "content": "The authors report a case of chickenpox exposure during the first three months of pregnancy. Ultrasonographic monitoring of the fetus revealed signs of fetal infection starting from 32 weeks of amenorrhea (hepatomegaly, ascites, pleural effusion) but clinical examination of the child at birth showed nothing abnormal. The diagnosis was confirmed by the development of herpes zoster in the child after birth. The difficulty of determining a fetal prognosis during pregnancy is emphasised."}
{"id": "PMID:1470823", "title": "[Gynecology and obstetrics in Ancient Rome].", "content": "Gods and Goddesses were invoked by the Romans for the termination of a good delivery. Diana, Juno, Lucina and Cybele were the preferred ones. Sterility was sometimes treated by the whip of the Lupercali of ministers of Pan. The first doctors in Rome were coming from Greece. Celsus, Pliny the Elder were encyclopedists, Rufus an anatomist, Dioscorides a pharmacologist. Archigenes, Aretaeus and Antyllus surgeons. Soranus from Ephesus, was the first to recommend podalic version. His works was a long time buried in a profound oblivion and discovered by scholars during the nineteenth century. Galen was looked as the most famous medical man after Hippocrates. During the Roman Empire of Occident (Byzantine Empire), Oribasius, Aurelianus Caelius, Moschion and above all Aetius and Paul of Aegina wrote many works which were many times plagiarized. Roman laws concerning public health were severe. Midwives took an important action in the care of pregnant women. Roman poets as Plautus, Terence, Lucilius, Catullus, Virgil, Tibullus, Ovid and Martial were many times concerned in their writings with gynecologic or obstetric subjects. Children were easily forsaken. Three Emperors, Trajan, Marcus-Aurelius and Alexander Severius, a writer, Aulu-Gelles, and a rhetor, Quintilian, took protection of them."}
{"id": "PMID:1470824", "title": "[A randomized prospective study comparing supplementation of the luteal phase and early pregnancy by natural progesterone administered by intramuscular or vaginal route].", "content": "Deficiency in the luteal phase has been shown during stimulated cycles using a protocol involving a GnRH agonist. The authors undertook a randomised prospective trial of supplementation by progesterone of the luteal phase and of early pregnancy in two hundred and seventy two patients requiring fertilisation in vitro (FIV), gamete inter-fallopian transfer (GIFT) or zygote inter-fallopian transfer (ZIFT). Either progesterone in solution in oil (50 mg/day) administered by intramuscular injection or micronized progesterone administered intra-vaginally (600 mg/d) were used as support for the luteal phase. Administration of progesterone in association with estradiol valerate was started on the day prior to oocyte puncture and was continued until the 12th week of pregnancy. The implantation rate was very close to the threshold of significance (P = 0.07) in favour of the patients given vaginal progesterone. There was a higher rate of clinical pregnancies (33.6 versus 26.7 p. cent) in the latter group, though this was not significant. While plasma progesterone (Pg) levels were lower in patients using vaginal progesterone, the abortion rate during the first three months was lower in this group (P < 0.05). Micronized progesterone administered vaginally was well tolerated by all patients. During stimulated cycles, notably by GnRHa, it thus proved to be more effective than Pg administered by intramuscular injection with regard to implantation and abortion rates."}
{"id": "PMID:1470825", "title": "The nasal response to exercise in patients with cystic fibrosis.", "content": "This study has evaluated the nasal response to exercise in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF), a genetic disease in which factors such as chronic lung disease and/or nasal polyposis might be anticipated to modify nasal function responses. Measurements of nasal resistance (NAR) by posterior rhinomanometry and specific airway resistance (sRAW) were made before and 1, 5, 10, and 30 min after a 4-min period of exhausting legwork exercise (50% predicted maximal) in 19 CF patients (aged 11-29 years) and 10 healthy subjects (aged 11-31 years). One minute after exercise, healthy subjects showed a 54 +/- 5% (mean +/- SEM; standard error of the mean) relative fall from baseline in NAR and CF patients showed a 31 +/- 8% relative fall from baseline (p < 0.05). There were no significant differences in the magnitude or pattern of recovery in NAR after exercise (1 to 30 min) between the groups, largely because of the variability in NAR responses in CF patients. Exercise did not result in significant changes in sRAW in either group. We also found that a history or presence of nasal polyposis does not significantly affect functional nasal responses to exercise. Our conclusion is that the CF genotype and its airway sequelae do not substantively affect the control of the nasal response to exercise."}
{"id": "PMID:1470826", "title": "Incidence of medico-surgical treatment for nasal polyps on the development of associated asthma.", "content": "The surgical treatment of nasal polyps (in asthmatic patients) is still controversial today because of the contradictory, inconsistent, and unforeseen results reported in the literature. The 50 patients included in this study (mean age 49 years, range 25-67 years) came for a check-up on an average of 18 months (lower limit 12 months, upper limit 40 months) after a radical endoscopic intranasal ethmoidectomy. Thirty patients suffered from polyps and bronchial hyperreactivity; 12 patients in this group also suffered from aspirin intolerance. Twenty patients suffered from nasal polyps alone, and served as a control series. The following parameters were methodically noted relative to the date of ethmoidectomy: 1) the frequency of attacks and possible intervals of respiratory difficulty, pre- and postoperatively; 2) the basic treatment for the asthma, and the difference in size of the therapeutic doses necessary and/or the elimination of one or more therapeutic classes; 3) bronchospasticity, evaluated pre- and postoperatively by auscultation for wheezing and peak flow measurements. A bronchial challenge with carbamyl choline and a four-doses aspirin challenge over two days (10 mg, 50 mg, 100 mg, 400 mg) were carried out pre-and postoperatively in the absence of contra-indications. Ninety-one per cent of the patients have improved and now live in less discomfort. The factors studied show a lower frequency of attacks, a distinct decrease of respiratory difficulty, less need for anti-asthmatic medication and especially less oral corticoids, and a marked improvement in functional respiratory test. The carbamyl choline test confirms these data and even shows the totally reversible nature of nonspecific bronchial hyperreactivity in 30% of these patients. This series is too limited for us to say that intolerance to aspirin is reversible; perhaps only the reactivity threshold changes. In the 20 subjects with nasal polyps alone, no case of asthma have been recorded since the operation. Improvement of the asthmatic condition may be partly dependent upon a global diagnosis and treatment of the patient by the pneumo-immunoallergologist and the ENT-specialist. However, the nature of the surgical act seems to be of prime importance, and we must insist on the need for a radical marsupialization of the paranasal sinuses."}
{"id": "PMID:1470827", "title": "Relationships between vital capacity, height and nasal airway resistance in asymptomatic volunteers.", "content": "Nasal airway resistance (NAR), vital capacity and height were measured in 76 asymptomatic volunteers aged between 18 and 71, mean age 28 +/- 1.4 years. Total NAR ranged from 0.15-0.39 Pa/cm3/s, with a mean total NAR of 0.23 +/- 0.006 Pa/cm3/s. Despite a good correlation between vital capacity and height in these subjects (r = 0.76) no relationships were found between either total NAR and vital capacity or total NAR and height. Physiological NAR is not related to vital capacity or height in normal healthy individuals."}
{"id": "PMID:1470828", "title": "Allergic rhinoconjunctivitis: diagnostic and clinical assessment.", "content": "In allergic rhinoconjunctivitis not only the nasal mucosa but also the conjunctiva and, in severe cases, the cornea are affected by reactive phenomena. This pathological process is often encountered in clinical practice, its incidence ranging from 10% to 30% of the whole population, as reported by many authors. Up to now, the pathogenetic mechanisms of allergic reactivity are not completely understood. In our opinion this is due to insufficient standardization of the diagnostic procedures; even the clinical picture of such a pathological process seems to be insufficient, especially with regard to the analogies between the nasal and conjunctival pathologies. To a great extent this depends on the different clinical pictures both in otorhinolaryngology and ophthalmology. Our study has been carried out on 98 patients suffering from rhinoconjunctivitis, and presents an accurate documentation with regard to the existence of analogies in reactivity at the immunoallergic level, in both the nose and conjunctiva. These are evident when we refer not only to specific routine allergological tests but, mainly, to local examinations. The evaluation of the selected data enables us to formulate a single classification of allergic rhinoconjunctivitis, taking into account the common reactive phenomena."}
{"id": "PMID:1470829", "title": "Clinical evaluation of the nasal dilator Nozovent. The effect on snoring and dryness of the mouth.", "content": "When the lateral walls of the nostrils are dilated with Nozovent, inhalation requires less force, thus reducing the risk of vibrations of the soft palate creating the snoring sound. There is also less need for mouth-breathing. When 17 patients were tested during 10 nights, every second night using Nozovent, the sleeping partners noted significantly less snoring these nights than during the nights without Nozovent. The patients themselves also noted significantly less dryness of the mouth when they dilated the nostrils with Nozovent, being able to avoid mouth-breathing."}
{"id": "PMID:1470830", "title": "A comparative study of detection methods for evaluation of microfilaremia in lymphatic filariasis control programmes.", "content": "The evaluation of microfilaremia (mf) was performed in 96% of the population aged 15 years or more in a village of Moorea, one of the Society Islands in French Polynesia. Finger-prick and venous blood samples were collected simultaneously from 782 individuals in order to compare the results obtained by the standard blood film method and the membrane filtration technique. Of the 782 blood-sampled inhabitants 69 (8.8%) were found mf positive. 39 (5%) were mf positive by both methods and 30 were mf positive by the membrane filtration technique only. In these latter 30 carriers the geometric mean mf count was 19.7 mf/ml, significantly lower than that of 651.1 mf/ml in the 39 carriers positive by both techniques. Using the membrane filtration technique, the mf carrier prevalence rate increased from 1.9% in the youngest age group (15-19 years) to 16.9% in the oldest (< or = 60 years) while using the blood film method, it increased from 1.3% to 12.7%. Roughly, when using the membrane filtration technique, the mf carrier prevalence rate was 1.77 higher than that found using the blood film method, considering either the whole population or successive age-groups. Moreover, when using the blood film method in the 40 years and more age group, the mf carrier prevalence rate was 10%, a proportion similar to the 8.8% prevalence rate determined by the membrane filtration technique in the whole population. Further studies are planned to assess whether the last finding may be confirmed in other Polynesian populations.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1470831", "title": "Repeatability and reproducibility of egg counts of Schistosoma haematobium in urine.", "content": "Egg output in urinary schistosomiasis can be influenced by several factors, such as time of collection of urine, day to day variations, seasonal variations and environmental conditions. Additionally there are unavoidable random errors inherent in every test procedure. To assess the precision of Schistosoma haematobium egg counts, carried out after paper filtration, two measures are determined, namely repeatability (r) and reproducibility (R). 10 aliquots of 10 urine samples are examined by 5 microscopists and values for r and R are calculated following the methods of the British Standards Institution (BSI, 1987). Results show unexpectedly high values for the 2 measures in relation to the overall means in all 10 urine samples, and analyses of variance confirm that there are large variations between aliquots of equal volume drawn from the same urine specimen, highly significant in all 10 urine specimens; variations between microscopists are considerably lower and only highly significant in one urine specimen. The Poisson heterogeneity test for all urine samples refutes in 9 out of 10 cases the hypothesis that aliquots of equal volume taken from a well mixed urine sample could reasonably be drawn from a Poisson distribution. It is therefore concluded that egg counts are very valuable for community studies and should always be performed, but results must be interpreted with more caution than before and great care taken in analyzing counts (especially in longitudinal studies), in classifying them and in relating them to morbidity.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1470832", "title": "Effects of Schistosoma haematobium infection on mental test scores of Kenyan school children.", "content": "Adverse effects of Schistosoma haematobium infection on mental activities were studied at a primary school in rural Kenya, where the intensity of infection was light (the average egg count: < 50/10 ml of urine). The school children received three kinds of mental tests, which examine attentiveness and concentration, before and a month after treatment with a single dose of praziquantel. A pretreatment analysis showed that test scores became worse as egg counts of children increased. The praziquantel treatment improved the scores of all three tests among children who got high scores in the first tests. The study showed that even the light infection caused adverse effects on mental activities, which were detectable using simple mental tests."}
{"id": "PMID:1470833", "title": "Identification of Schistosoma mansoni, S. rodhaini, S. bovis, S. haematobium, and S. intercalatum cercariae using segmentation analysis.", "content": "Cercariae of five species of schistosomes identified with certainty were fixed in boiled alcohol and mounted in glycerol-alcohol mixture. The cercarian body (Cbl) and tail-furcae lengths (Ctl) were measured, the values of which were treated using a computer. Even mean values allowed partly identification of the present species, the segmentation analysis gave better informations for separating any cercaria taken at random, with a given probability (p). Thus, five classes (A, B, C, D, E) have been established: class A: Cbl > 139 microns and Ctl, > 236 microns, p = 0.59 to be considered as S. bovis; class B: Cbl > 139 and Ctl < 236, p = 0.86 to be considered as S. haematobium; class C; Cbl < 114 microns, p = 0.75 to be considered as S. intercalatum; class D: 114 < Cbl < 125 microns, p = 0.57 to be considered as S. mansoni; class E: 125 < Cbl < 139 microns, p = 0.57 to be considered as S. rodhaini. Two groups of schistosome have been established on basis of cercarian morphometry with S. intercalatum, S. mansoni and S. rodhaini from one side, S. haematobium and S. bovis to the other side."}
{"id": "PMID:1470834", "title": "Schistosoma mansoni in Pachwach, Nebbi District, Uganda, 40 years after Nelson.", "content": "Human- and snail-related aspects of the transmission of schistosomiasis mansoni was studied in the Amor Parish community located at the western bank of the River Nile in the Nebbi District, north-western Uganda. A cross sectional survey involving 642 people revealed an overall prevalence of infection among males and females of 81.6% and 81.3%, respectively. The prevalence of infection peaked in the 10-14 years age group, being 93.2% and 93.6% in males and females, respectively, but the prevalence remained high also in older age groups. Intensity of infection peaked in the 10-14 years age group in males and in the 15-19 years age group in females, reaching 768 and 482 eggs/g faeces, respectively. Intensity of infection diminished only to a moderate extent with increasing age with the infection intensity in the 40+ years age group being 270 and 241 eggs/g faeces in males and females, respectively. Observations on the human water contact pattern revealed a community having a very intensive water contact persisting into old age. Interviews revealed a high level of awareness of the disease schistosomiasis, and 87.2% had a history of passing blood in stool. The total set of observations point to intestinal schistosomiasis being of public health importance in Amor Parish. Studies on snail-related aspects of transmission revealed that Biomphalaria stanleyi was by far the most important snail host in the area. A tendency was seen for B. stanleyi snail numbers to be reduced during the rainy season."}
{"id": "PMID:1470835", "title": "Persistence of IgG, IgM, and IgE antibodies in human trichinosis.", "content": "An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to detect serum IgG, IgM, and IgE antibodies against Trichinella spirals s. str. following an outbreak of human trichinosis in 1989 in Chiang Rai Province, Thailand, for two years and seven months in order to observe diagnostic sensitivity of ELISA as well as the persistence of antibodies. It was found that the sensitivity of IgG-ELISA, as determined from biopsy-positive cases, reached 100% on the 50th day of infection. For IgM-ELISA, peak sensitivity was 93.33% at the 57th and IgE-ELISA 100% at the 85th day of infection. Two years and seven months after infection, the diagnostic sensitivity of IgG-ELISA was 88.24%, and that of IgE-ELISA was 47.06%, while the sensitivity of IgM-ELISA was only 11.76%. It was suggested from the data that IgM-ELISA is a helpful indicator of infection within three years. Other two groups of trichinosis cases, i.e., high-titer and seroconversion cases, were also studied. Antibody response curves were constructed from mean ELISA values from each group. It was revealed that all curves were similar in shape, independent of the group studied. The only exception was IgG-antibody response in the high-titer group, which showed the highest antibody level at the first collection of blood samples, i.e., 23 days after infection."}
{"id": "PMID:1470836", "title": "Trypanosomal antigen and antibody levels in field camels following treatment with two trypanocidal drugs.", "content": "The efficacy of treatment in 61 naturally trypanosome-infected camels was evaluated by antigen and antibody detection. Following treatment of 14 infected field camels with an arsenical drug (RM110) no trypanosomal antigens could be detected in the animals which were treated with 0.6 mg/kg body weight and 1.2 mg/kg body weight, 90 days thereafter. In two out of three camels treated with 0.4 mg/kg body weight no trypanosomal antigens could be detected by day 90 post-treatment. However, there was evidence of trypanosomal antigens in camels treated with 0.2 mg/kg body weight and untreated positive controls. Antibody levels were still high in all the 14 camels, 90 days post-treatment. In another group of 55 field camels, of which 47 camels were parasite-positive and eight parasite-negative, trypanosomal antigens could not be detected in 42 camels, 28 and 48 days post-treatment with Quinapyramine Prosalt. However, antigen levels were still high in five parasite-positive camels, 48 days post-treatment. In all the parasite-positive camels, antibody levels were still high 48 days after treatment. In the eight parasite-negative camels, antigens were detected in four camels before treatment. By day 48 post-treatment, all the four camels were antigen-negative. However, four of the eight parasite-negative camels were still antibody-positive by day 48 post-treatment. These observations indicated that antigen-detection could be used to evaluate the success of therapeutic trials where trypanosome detection tests may fail to pick low patent infections."}
{"id": "PMID:1470837", "title": "Child morbidity and mortality due to cerebral malaria in Brazzaville, Congo. A retrospective and prospective hospital-based study 1983-1989.", "content": "This study was conducted in all four hospitals of Brazzaville, the capital of the Congo in order to assess the trend in malaria morbidity, the frequency of cerebral malaria and the related mortality between 1983 and 1989 in Brazzaville children. For the period 1983 to 1987 the study was retrospective, based on records. For the period 1988 and 1989 a prospective study was carried out in the two main hospitals in which a system for reporting cases of cerebral malaria was set up. This was completed by a retrospective analysis of data similar to that carried for the previous years. The population of Brazzaville children aged between 0 and 14 years and the distribution by district were estimated from the 1984 official census taking the annual demographic growth to be 5%. The results show a marked increase in hospitalizations for malaria, noticeable since 1985, and which now account for about 50% of the overall non-surgical hospitalizations. The number of cases of cerebral malaria and related deaths have probably increased. However, these severe forms of malaria were relatively rare. Indeed, in 1988 and 1989, for the 0-4, 5-9 and 10-14 year age groups, the annual incidence rates of cerebral malaria were estimated at respectively 240, 61 and 13 per 100,000 and the related mortality rates at respectively 58, 5 and 1 per 100,000. No obvious relationship was found between the intensity of malaria transmission, which varied considerably according to the district, and the level of mortality from cerebral malaria."}
{"id": "PMID:1470838", "title": "Infant and child mortality and malaria in the Congo. The trend in the suburbs of Brazzaville between 1981 and 1988.", "content": "This survey was carried out on a cohort of children born between 1st January 1981 and 30th June 1987 in the maternity department of the hospital in Linzolo, a village situated 25 km south-west of Brazzaville, the capital of the Congo. The mothers of the children resided in the suburbs of Brazzaville at the time of delivery. In this region, the rate of transmission of Plasmodium falciparum malaria is high without marked seasonable variations. The mothers and children were traced in the second quarter of 1989 in order to assess the rates and, where possible, the causes of mortality. Information on 75% of the recorded births (2424 children) was obtained directly by interviewing the mothers in the home. Between 1981 and 1988, the infant mortality rate varied overall between 33 and 52 per thousand, and in the 1-2 year age group, between 7 and 25 per thousand (1981 to 1987). The number of deaths attributable to malaria was relatively low although resistance to amino-4-quinolone is well established since 1985. During this period, no particular trend was observed in the mortality at 0-2 years, or at 0-5 years."}
{"id": "PMID:1470839", "title": "Plasmodium vivax and P. falciparum epidemiology in Gambella, south-west Ethiopia.", "content": "Plasmodium vivax and P. falciparum epidemiology were studied for parasitological and entomological samples collected during the period 1989 and 1990, respectively, from Gambella, South West Ethiopia. Of the total population examined (n = 1091), 147 (13.5%) were found to be positive for malaria parasites. Prevalence rates among males and females were 13.8% and 13.1%, respectively. Differences in the prevalence rates of malaria in the eleven villages were observed, the highest (33.3%) being in Ukuna 2 and the lowest (3.9%) in Ukuna 22. The dominant species of malaria found were both P. falciparum and P. vivax. 88.9% and 11.1% of the malaria cases of the general population were due to these parasites, respectively. It was also recognized that P. falciparum and P. vivax were prevalent in 81.6% and 18.4% of the Anuak population, respectively. The mosquito species responsible for malaria transmission were the indoor-resting A. gambiae s. l. and A. pharoensis. The parasite infection rates of these species were 0.76% and 0.46% and they were found to be the exclusive vectors of P. falciparum and P. vivax, respectively. The present findings are not in accord with the study results previously reported twenty years ago by Armstrong (1972) and Krafsur (1971). The most probable contributing factors for such switch of malaria transmission patterns were, the rehabilitation and resettlement programmes and agricultural activities undertaken in Gambella for the past 10 years that may have brought changes of the socio-economic situation and environmental factors."}
{"id": "PMID:1470840", "title": "Detection of Bartonella bacilliformis in cultures, blood, and formalin preserved skin biopsies by use of the polymerase chain reaction.", "content": "A polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is described for the detection of Bartonella bacilliformis, the etiologic agent of bartonellosis, which cannot be identified biochemically. Amplification of a genomic 231 bp Bartonella DNA sequence permitted specific identification of 12 Bartonella isolates from Peruvian bartonellosis patients as well as detection of Bartonella DNA in blood samples and formaldehyde preserved skin biopsies. Specificity of amplification products was confirmed by restriction fragment analysis. No positive results were obtained with Brucella abortus, phylogenetically closely related to B. bacilliformis, and several other bacterial, fungal, and protozoal species. PCR appears as a promising technique for specific identification of B. bacilliformis in cultures and in clinical materials with further applications in taxonomic studies and in the investigation of Bartonella-like isolates obtained outside South America."}
{"id": "PMID:1470841", "title": "A bioassay for derivatives of qinghaosu (artemisinin).", "content": "A sensitive bioassay was developed for measuring the serum antimalarial activity for qinghaosu (artemisinin) derivatives. This should assist in the formulation of optimum regimens for the treatment of P. falciparum malaria."}
{"id": "PMID:1470842", "title": "Susceptibility of African isolates of Plasmodium falciparum to artemisinin (qinghaosu).", "content": "We studied in vitro susceptibility of 79 African strains of Plasmodium falciparum to artemisinin, chloroquine, quinine, mefloquine and halofantrine and the potential cross-resistance among the drugs. Most strains presented an 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) of artemisinin below 26 nmol/liter. A positive correlation between IC50S of artemisinin and those of quinine, mefloquine and halofantrine was observed. Cross resistance between artemisinin and other antimalarials may limit its use as a replacement drug."}
{"id": "PMID:1470843", "title": "Is the prevalence of HTLV-1 infection higher in Strongyloides carriers than in non-carriers?", "content": "To assess the concomitance of strongyloidiasis and HTLV-1 infection, an epidemiological survey was conducted in Okinawa, Japan, using the agar-plate culture, a highly sensitive method for detection of Strongyloides stercoralis. No significant difference in the positive rate of anti-HTLV-1 antibody was found between Strongyloides carriers and non-carriers. This result suggests that these two infections occur independently."}
{"id": "PMID:1470844", "title": "Isolation of an immunodiagnostic Taenia solium coproantigen.", "content": "Antigens of Taenia solium can be demonstrated by ELISA technique in stool samples of tapeworm carriers. In order to isolate these immunodiagnostic components from stool, fecal samples of known T. solium carriers were subject to chromatographic purification procedures: immunoaffinity chromatography and a subsequent two-step high performance liquid chromatography yielded a 60-kDa protein that was shown to react in a Western blot with polyclonal anti-T. solium IgG. The protein isolated appeared to be the major antigenic component excreted with the feces of parasite hosts."}
{"id": "PMID:1470857", "title": "[Development of reference standards for preferential evaluation of odors].", "content": "The easy to handle and usefull portable standard for hedonic judgement of odors should consist of 5-6 microencapsulated various odorants to comparisons with evaluated odor in practice. In present study the 14 odorants were investigated on purpose to select the 6 ones. The group of judges was engaged and each odorant several times was classified as more or less unpleasant then one from 13 others. The set of individual preference relations was analyzed by two ways. First, the best acceptable sequence of all 14 considering odorants was computed and divided into 6 clusters. The single optional representative of each cluster was included in designed standard. The alternative approach bases on the best acceptable sequences of only 6 odorants from 14 considering ones. Thus, circa 50 primary solutions were obtained. Then the elimination from practical and medical points of view were executed and finally two follow standards are recommended: 1) anethole, 2) n-butyl alcohol, 3) acetone, 4) tetralin or indole, 5) isobutyric acid, 6) 2-mercaptoethanol."}
{"id": "PMID:1470858", "title": "[Comparison of results for evaluating calcium and phosphorus content in children's daily diets obtained by analytical methods and calculations].", "content": "The results of two methods for the estimation of calcium and phosphorus in daily rations of children aged up to 1 year were compared by simple statistical tests. Ca and P contents were determined by the analytical method; moreover, the theoretical Ca and P contents were calculated from the bills of fare menus and food composition tables. The analytical procedure was accepted as reference method. Ca and P contents determined by the analytical method accounted, on the average, for ca. 90% of those obtained by the calculation method. The coefficients of correlation between the results obtained by both methods (x and y) amounted to: rCa = 0.456 and rP = 0.786. There were significant differences between Ca and P contents obtained by both methods at significance level alpha = 0.05."}
{"id": "PMID:1470859", "title": "[Nutritive value of daily food rations reproduced in several regions of Poland. Part VII. Evaluation of cobalt, chromium, nickel and selenium intakes].", "content": "On the basis of the data of the Chief Census Bureau, concerning the consumption of more than 80 food products, we reproduced in years 1987 and 1988 in Lublin, Olsztyn, Pozna\u0144, Warszawa and Wroc\u0142aw the food rations characteristic of manual workers' families and of other families with medium incomes. In samples of these diets, chromium, cobalt and nickel were determined by the ASA method, and selenium-spectrophotometrically. Daily intakes were: for cobalt 15-32 micrograms, chromium 65-187 micrograms, nickel 138-316 micrograms and selenium 93-233 micrograms. It was found that the investigated food rations cover the requirements of these elements, and create no risk of their excess in food. The present results indicate that the levels of the investigated elements are mainly related to the kind of food products and to their composition, whereas they depend to a lesser extent on the region in which the food ration has been reproduced."}
{"id": "PMID:1470860", "title": "[Studies about the values of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in oils used in production of plant protective agents].", "content": "Determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) contents in oils used in agriculture and forestry as additives to plant protection agents was made. PAH were isolated from oil samples by column chromatography, and TLC was applied for their identification and determination. PAH (fluoranthene, perylene, phenanthrene) were present in three oil samples, whereas they were not detected in three subsequent samples. The sensitivity of the method is +/- 0.1 ppm."}
{"id": "PMID:1470861", "title": "[The effect of selected xenobiotics and low protein diet on reproduction and offspring of rats. Part I. The course and condition of rat exposure to tobacco smoke].", "content": "The effect of tobacco smoke and low-protein diet on rat reproducibility and offspring was investigated in six litters of white rats. Smoke concentration was controlled by determining the air carbon oxide content which averaged 1000 mg/m3. During the experiments blood carboxyhemoglobin level was measured; by the end of exposure, each generation displayed closely similar concentrations amounting to 23.9-26.6%. There were no diet-related differences in blood carboxyhemoglobin concentrations."}
{"id": "PMID:1470862", "title": "[The effect of carbaryl poisoning on noradrenaline (NA) levels in rat brain].", "content": "The influence of acute (50% and 20% LD50), subacute (10% LB50) and 12-week (5% LD50) intoxication with carbaryl on NA level in rat brain was investigated. The level of NA was decreased by about 40% of the control level (p > 0.001) after acute and subacute intoxication. In the subchronic study (5% LD50 for 12 weeks) carbaryl significantly decreased the NA level (p < 0.001), but after 2-week intoxication only. During the next weeks NA content remained on control level (p > 0.05). These results indicate that carbaryl causes noradrenergic alterations in rat brain, which may lead to neurotoxic action."}
{"id": "PMID:1470863", "title": "[Combined effect of administering amberlite 252 together with hydrocortisone or diuretics on elimination of radiocesium from the rat].", "content": "It was shown that diuretics: diuramid and furosemide enhance elimination of radiocesium by organic ion exchanger Amberlite 252 from the rat. Administration of Amberline 252 together with hydrocortisone is more effective in radiocesium elimination than administration Amberline only. Using mentioned-above agents 2 hours after administration of radiocesium and even 9 days after contamination cause significant reduction of radioisotope retention period in rat organism."}
{"id": "PMID:1470864", "title": "[Attempts at measuring low radioactivity using a Tristan-1024 spectrometer].", "content": "A method for measurement of cesium and potassium-40 in environmental samples with the use of a gamma Tristan-1024 spectrometer was presented. The method involves taking into account the influence of the Compton effect on the shape of the observed spectrum, and then counting of the impulses in appropriate energetic intervals. The results showed that it is possible to rapidly measure K-40 activities exceeding 30 Bq/kg as well as the activities of Cs-137 and Cs-134 isotopes of an order of several Bq/kg in so-called \"fresh\" sample, with no need for applying expensive preparative treatment. The low cost of measurements, as compared with radiochemical methods, is an advantage of the presented method."}
{"id": "PMID:1470865", "title": "[Determination of raffinose type sugars in seeds of leguminous plants by high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC)].", "content": "A method was developed for the determination of galacto-sugars: raffinose, stachiose and verbascose, in bean and broad bean seeds by high-pressure liquid chromatography. The effect of various concentrations of the ethanolic extraction solvent and of other solutions (methanol and acetonitrile) on the effectiveness of sugar extraction from bean was investigated. The optimal composition of the mobile phase was established. It was found that the effectiveness of raffinose and stachiose extraction from bean seeds was highest when 40-60% ethanol was the extraction solvent, and when the proportion of bean to the extraction solvent by weight was 2:25. The presented HPLC technique, as compared with gas chromatography, allows for threefold shortening of the duration of one chromatographic analysis."}
{"id": "PMID:1470866", "title": "[Determination of histamine content in canned fish products determined by the colorimetry method of Hardy and Smith].", "content": "The content of histamine in 79 samples of imported canned fish products (sardines, mackerel) was determined. Histamine was assayed by colorimetric method of Hardy and Smith. In 18% of tested products (sardines) levels of histamine were exceeded 20 mg/100 of product. Usefulness of this method in routine quantitative determination of histamine content in canned fish products was documented."}
{"id": "PMID:1470867", "title": "[Evaluation of school noise by teachers and assessment of its effect on health and general feeling].", "content": "Internal noise related mainly to the activities and overcrowding of schools is the main source of teachers' discomfort. It causes negative feelings and generates various hindrances at work in 80.2% of women and 67% of men. for a substantial part of the teachers' milieu (42.1% of women and 32.3% of men), noise is the dominant element among the whole complex of adverse professional factors. In schools with a higher noise level, the number of teachers assessing negatively the acoustic climate of schools increases, and the intensity of discomfort is enhanced. This is associated with awareness of excessive vocal effort, as well as with intensification of discomfort symptoms and of negative emotions. The group of teachers working under more adverse acoustic conditions is characterized by higher incidence of irritation states, deconcentration of attention, sleepiness, tiredness, depression and headaches. Moreover, there are symptoms on the part of the cardio-vascular, upper respiratory and digestive system, as well as signs of neurosis. Some of these health problems are intensified in smokers."}
{"id": "PMID:1470868", "title": "[Hygienic and health conditions at scout camps].", "content": "In 1990, 230 scout camps organized throughout the whole of Poland (except for the Legnica and L\u00f3d\u017a voivodeships) were inspected. In co-operation with the staff of the children's and youth hygiene departments of the provincial sanitary-and-epidemiological stations, the data concerning the hygienic and health conditions at scout camps collected. Moreover, information on medical care, health state and nutrition at these camps was obtained. The data showed that in the period under survey, despite some exceptions, the hygienic and health conditions at scout camps could be regarded as satisfactory, when making allowances for the current limited organizing, financial and staff-related possibilities of scouting. In the present difficult economic situation of Poland, when the standard of living of many families is low, special attention has to be given to balanced nutrition of children, which is decisive of their normal psychophysical development."}
{"id": "PMID:1470869", "title": "Endothelin reduces blood flow in experimental skin flaps.", "content": "An island buttock flap based on the deep circumflex iliac artery and vein was raised in four pigs. Cutaneous laser Doppler blood flow (LDF) and total venous outflow (VO) from the flaps were measured. Intra-arterial infusion of endothelin-1 (0.3-2.5 nmol) through a branch of the deep circumflex iliac artery induced a pronounced and long lasting decrease in both LDF and VO. The maximal mean reductions being 95.3% and 73%, respectively, were seen within 5 minutes of the infusion. Intra-arterial infusions of endothelin in the circumflex iliac artery on the contralateral side caused a considerable reduction in intact skin LDF. Endothelin has potent vasoconstricting properties and its possible release and effect must be considered in reconstructive surgery."}
{"id": "PMID:1470870", "title": "Dependence of traumatic vasospasm on blood flow in the central artery of the ear in rabbits.", "content": "The effect of total obstruction of blood flow on traumatically induced vasospasm was studied in the central arteries of rabbits' ears. All side branches were ligated along a 7 cm segment of the artery. Obstruction of blood flow was achieved by ligation of the central artery distal to this segment. The inner diameter of the artery was measured microscopically after transillumination. A standardised injury was induced with a clip applying forceps. The duration, intensity (reduction of diameter) and severity (integrated change in diameter over time) of the resulting spasm were assessed. Spasm induced after cessation of blood flow lasted significantly less time (mean (SEM), 6.0 (2.0) minutes compared with 18.1 (2.5) min) and was less severe than spasm induced when the blood flow was intact (1.6 (0.6) mm/min compared with 6.2 (0.6) mm/min). The results may be explained by local accumulation of vasodilating substances in the injured segment of the vessel in the absence of blood flow."}
{"id": "PMID:1470871", "title": "Reduction of capsular formation around silicone breast implants by D-penicillamine in rats.", "content": "In a controlled study in 109 female rats we evaluated the effect of soluble D-Penicillamine in doses of 10 mg/ml or 100 mg/ml on capsular formation around semipermeable 2 cm3 mini-prostheses. This was compared with methylprednisolone 1 mg/ml or 10 mg/ml, and a group given saline served as controls. The drugs were injected into the lumen. Capsular wet weight and capsular tensile strength were measured after a period of 40 days. Rats given D-Penicillamine showed a significant, dose-dependent, reduction in wet weight and tensile strength compared with the saline group. There was no significant difference between the groups given D-Penicillamine and those given steroids. Topical treatment with diffused D-Penicillamine can significantly reduce the amount of capsular formation around silicone implants. This drug, which is highly specific for the systemic treatment of fibrotic diseases, should be evaluated further to use in reducing capsular formation."}
{"id": "PMID:1470872", "title": "Intercalary flexor tendon grafts. A morphological study of intrasynovial and extrasynovial donor tendons.", "content": "Intercalary intrasynovial and extrasynovial flexor tendon graft donors were placed within the synovial sheaths of the medial and lateral forepaw digits of 22 dogs and treated with early controlled passive mobilization. Specimens were studied by light and transmission electron microscopy at 10 and 21 days. Early repair in the extrasynovial tendons occurred by an ingrowth of connective tissue from the digital sheath. Adhesions obliterated the gliding surface and occupied the space between the tendon's gliding surface and surrounding tissues. There was no epitenon response noted in the extrasynovial tendon grafts. While there was considerable new collagen fibril formation within the repair site at the ultrastructural level, there was a lack of longitudinal remodeling. In contrast, the intrasynovial tendon grafts showed early healing, with minimal adhesion formation, by a proliferation and migration of cells from the epitenon. These cells showed greater cellular activity and collagen production at 10 and 21 days compared to cells in extrasynovial tendons at the same intervals. The findings of this study suggest that the use of intrasynovial autogenous tendon graft donors, coupled with early controlled motion, stimulates an intrinsic repair process in both the tendon stump and autogeneous tendon graft. These findings differ significantly from the experimental findings in which extrasynovial, paratenon-covered grafts are used."}
{"id": "PMID:1470873", "title": "Reinnervation of muscles in rats after repair of transsected sciatic nerves with Y-shaped and X-shaped silicone tubes. Muscle reinnervation after nerve repair.", "content": "Reinnervation of the gastrocnemius and anterior tibial muscles was assessed by measurements of tetanic force after repair of sciatic nerves with Y-shaped or X-shaped silicone tubes in rats. The transsected proximal stump of either the tibial or the peroneal fascicle was introduced into the opening of a Y-shaped silicone tube, or both fascicles were introduced into an X-shaped tube. The distal tibial and peroneal fascicles were inserted into the distal outlets of the tubes leaving a gap of 4 mm between proximal and distal stumps. In the X-shaped tubes the proximal inserts were placed opposite or adjacent to their respective distal parts. Sixteen weeks later reinnervation was evaluated by measurements of tetanic force of the gastrocnemius and anterior tibial muscles after electrical stimulation of the fascicles. There was preferential reinnervation in both types of tubes. In Y-shaped tubes about 90% of the tetanic force could be recorded from both muscles after stimulation of the peroneal and tibial fascicles, respectively. Recovery was lower in the X-shaped tubes, amounting to about 75%. Contractions evoked by misrouted fibres were similar (roughly 40%) in both models. We conclude that motor axons preferentially, but not exclusively, selected a path to reinnervate their original target muscle."}
{"id": "PMID:1470874", "title": "Pain drawing as an investigative tool in hand surgery.", "content": "Fifty consecutive patients referred to the departments of hand surgery in Malm\u00f6 and Lund were asked to chart their pain on a diagram of the body before their first visit to the clinic. Three patients never answered the questionnaire and were excluded. The drawings were evaluated separately by a senior hand surgeon without access to the case records. In 19 of 47 cases (40%) the evaluation of the pain drawings agreed with the clinical diagnosis. In another 17% (8 of 47), in which the pain drawings had indicated a condition not related to hand surgery, clinical examination failed to establish a diagnosis. The evaluation of the drawings had a false negative rate of 4% (2 of 47). In the remaining 18 cases pain drawings did not give enough information for diagnosis because of the variety of symptoms. Pain drawing seems to be valuable in the evaluation of patients with chronic pain in the upper extremity."}
{"id": "PMID:1470875", "title": "Dimensions of capsular collagen fibrils: image analysis of rapid compared with slow tissue expansion for breast reconstruction.", "content": "Thirty women who were to undergo breast reconstruction by tissue expansion were randomly divided into two groups. Those in the first group were to undergo expansion once a day (rapid expansion) and the second group once a week (slow expansion). When the expanders were replaced by permanent prostheses, biopsy specimens were taken from the capsules around the expanders, and were examined by transmission electron microscopy at a magnification x 22,000. The diameters of the collagen fibrils in the capsules were analysed by an interactive image analysis system and measured. An analysis of variance was performed on a test series to optimize the sample. Ninety fibrils from each patient (two patients were excluded), were analysed and there were no significant differences in collagen fibrillar diameters (about 50 nm) between those who had undergone rapid or slow expansion, or between patients who had also undergone radiotherapy to the chest wall and those who had not. These results indicate that the collagen fibrils may still be in a transitional stage, and that further longer term studies are desirable. It is difficult, however, to see how they could be justified ethically in patients who are otherwise well."}
{"id": "PMID:1470876", "title": "Melanoma of palms, soles, and nail-beds.", "content": "The clinical and histological characteristics of palmar, plantar, and subungual melanomas treated in the division of plastic surgery of Helsinki University Hospital between 1970 and 1984 were analysed. The peak incidence was during the seventh decade of life, and the mean delay between the onset of symptoms and the diagnosis was one year. The delay was as much the fault of the physician as of the patient. The observed and relative five-year-survival rates for all 31 patients were 60% and 67%, and the 10-year-survival rates 39% and 49%, respectively. There were 15 cases of the acral lentiginous subtype, and the observed and relative five-year-survival rates were 65% and 71%, and the 10-year-survival rates 48% and 64%, respectively. For the nodular melanomas (n = 11) the survival rates were 53% and 60%, and 39% and 53%, respectively. For the three superficial spreading melanomas they were 50% and 52%, and 25% and 28%, respectively. Microstaging criteria (Breslow and Clark) were both good prognostic indicators. The series was too small for multivariate analysis."}
{"id": "PMID:1470877", "title": "Magnetic resonance imaging in the assessment of craniosynostosis.", "content": "Modern interest in craniosynostosis began when clinicians, regardless of their individual specialty but united in their interest in the problems raised by patients with this condition, first realised that if treatment was confined simply to opening up the fused sutures of the skull vault, success in terms of both function and the restoration of a more normal appearance was likely to be limited. Indeed, the grouping together of such specialists into formal craniofacial units was tacit recognition of this, as was the acceptance that many affected children had evidence of clinical problems that could not be explained on simple mechanical grounds alone. It is not surprising, therefore, that the advent of any new method of investigation has been welcomed by craniofacial surgeons eager to learn anything that might lead to an improvement in management, particularly of the more complex syndromes."}
{"id": "PMID:1470878", "title": "Nasalance scores in patients with a modified Honig velopharyngeal flap before and after operation.", "content": "Nasalance scores were measured with a model 6200 Nasometer in 28 patients with cleft palates and 8 patients with signs of velopharyngeal insufficiency but no cleft palate, both before and after a modified Honig velopharyngeal flap operation. The nasalance measurements were compared with subjective speech assessments. Patients were assessed as normal or borderline if their scores were < 30, and as having hypernasal speech if the score was > 29. The overall scores were improved by operation from a mean (SD) of 47 (13) to 26 (12). It was concluded that a modified Honig velopharyngeal flap is effective in eliminating hypernasality as defined by the nasalance scores."}
{"id": "PMID:1470879", "title": "Tongue posture in cleft palate patients with a pharyngeal flap.", "content": "Position of the tongue was studied in lateral cineradiographic pictures of 15 patients with cleft palate and velopharyngeal incompetence, and from ten unaffected reference subjects. The patients were examined before and after pharyngoplasty. Before operation there was no difference in the degree of tongue/velum contact between the patients and the reference subjects, but after the operation, contact was lost in 13 of the 15 patients because the tongue was lowered and the velum raised by the pharyngeal flap. This contradicts the previous theory that the position of the tongue should be expected to be higher to maintain the posterior oral seal. The tongue was in a more posterior position in the patients than in the reference subjects both before and after operation. After operation the tip of the tongue retracted into the anterior oral cavity. The posterior and downward change in position of the tongue may account for part of the posterior and downward growth pattern of the lower third of the face which occurs in children after pharyngoplasty. A loss of tongue-lip balance around the premaxilla may be one of the factors that causes the maxillary retrusion that has been reported after pharyngoplasty in patients with cleft palates."}
{"id": "PMID:1470880", "title": "Craniofacial development in children with unilateral clefts of the lip, alveolus, and palate treated according to three different regimes. Assessment of nasolabial appearance.", "content": "From extraoral photographs taken from the front and in profile of 61 16-year old children with unilateral cleft lip, alveolus, and palate (UCLAP) who had been treated by three different treatment regimes, the nasolabial appearances were assessed by a panel. The photographs were masked, leaving only the mid face including the nose and lips. The following features were assessed using a five point scale: nasal form, symmetry of the nose, vermilion of the upper lip, shape of the vermilion border, total symmetry of upper lip, and nasal profile including the upper lip. The number and type of secondary operations required were recorded. Intraobserver reliability was good but interobserver agreement was poor, some observers systematically scoring more severely than others. A panel of six was therefore set up to establish an acceptable mean assessment. The treatment regime that included secondary bone grafting, and the one that included primary bone grafting and presurgical orthopaedic-T-traction, scored better on all features assessed compared with the group that underwent primary bone grafting but no T-traction. The latter group required fewer secondary revisionary procedures, however, which could explain these results."}
{"id": "PMID:1470881", "title": "Clinical results in 87 patients treated for asymmetrical breasts. A follow-up study.", "content": "A retrospective study was made of 87 patients operated on between 1984 and 1990 for asymmetrical breasts. Thirty-two patients had 36 implants (13 also had breast reduction or mastopexy of the contralateral breast). Capsular contraction, Baker grade II-IV, was found in a third of the implants. The remaining 54 patients underwent reduction mammaplasty or mastopexy alone. 90% of the patients were satisfied with the result. There was no significant difference in the overall satisfaction between the patients who did or did not have implants. We nevertheless think that mammary implants should be avoided whenever possible in the correction of breast asymmetry. Even though there is no difference in patients' satisfaction, it is our experience that those with implants have more frequent follow-up consultations and are subject to more postoperative procedures than those corrected without implants."}
{"id": "PMID:1470882", "title": "Vulvar reconstruction with an abdominal flap.", "content": "There are many procedures for vulvar reconstruction after excision for cancer. The aim of which is to provide cosmetic and functional results with minimal secondary deformity. A patient presented with gross fibrous contracture and vaginal ectropion after radical vulvectomy and groin dissection for cancer. We used the pendulous lower abdominal tissue to reconstruct the vulva and mons pubis. There was no secondary deformity."}
{"id": "PMID:1470884", "title": "An unusual cause of carpal tunnel syndrome. Case report.", "content": "A 38 year old woman with carpal tunnel syndrome of the right hand was treated with operative decompression, initially successfully. Subsequently, she developed a compartment syndrome after an injury. On re-exploration, an accessory palmaris longus muscle was encasing the median nerve at the distal forearm and passing through the flexor sheath, underneath the flexor retinaculum, inserted into the deep palmar fascia."}
{"id": "PMID:1470887", "title": "Application of BANA during experimental gingivitis. Application of N-alpha-benzoyl-DL-arginine 2 naphtilamide (BANA) hydrolysis to identify periodontopathic environments during experimental gingivitis in man.", "content": "This study evaluates the accuracy of the PerioScan reagent card kit which uses BANA hydrolization to detect the presence of P. gingivalis, T. denticola, and B. forsythus in dental plaque during an experimental gingivitis in man. 32 healthy subjects underwent a phase of optimal oral hygiene before they abolished all oral hygiene practices for 21 days, but rinsed twice daily with a slurry of three different toothpastes. On days 0, 7, 14, and 21, full mouth Plaque and Gingival Index scores were assessed and, in addition, on days 0 and 21, sulcular plaque samples were obtained from the mesiobuccal aspects of the second premolars. The samples were placed on BANA reagent cards (PerioScan), and the result of the trypsin-like activity read after 15 minutes. Subsequently, the samples were processed for the detection of P. gingivalis, T. denticola and B. forsythus using ELISA. The Gingival Indices on day 21 indicated a development towards gingival inflammation. The frequencies of detection of the three periodontopathogens revealed by ELISA showed increased presence of P. gingivalis, B. forsythus and T. denticola on day 21. Changes in the composition of the microbiota were also indicated by the higher rate of positive BANA results at the end of the experimental gingivitis. Without considering further clinical diagnostic tests such as \"bleeding on probing\", this clinically simple test does not provide a prognostic indicator for the eventual onset of disease in cases with gingival inflammation. However, specificity was only 61% and the sensitivity was 41.7%."}
{"id": "PMID:1470888", "title": "[The microbial colonization of implant elements made of plastics and titanium].", "content": "12 edentate subjects wearing lower complete dentures stabilized by an IMZ-implant-supported Dolder bar took part in the experiment. Elastic (POM) and titanium connection parts were alternatingly inserted. After the removal of 24 POM and titanium elements from each of the patients, a qualitative analysis of the microbial flora was performed. Except for actinomycetes, aerobic as well as anaerobic microorganisms were found less frequently with titanium than with POM elements."}
{"id": "PMID:1470889", "title": "[The therapy of the postextraction syndrome with Taurolin. A controlled clinical study].", "content": "In a controlled clinical study with a total of 200 patients the broad spectrum agent and antitoxin taurolidine (Taurolin) was clearly superior to conventional medication with the broad spectrum antibiotic chlortetracycline (Aureomycin) when applied topically to treat the postextraction syndrome. Thus, the mean duration of therapy (primary target criterion) with Taurolin (group A) was 5.6 days compared to 8.2 days with the standard therapy (group B). In statistical terms this difference was highly significant (p < 0.0001). Compared with the conventionally treated patient group, the clinical control parameters such as pain, swelling, secretion, tenderness to pressure and remission (secondary target criteria) in the Taurolin group exhibited not only a markedly more rapid normalisation of the score-data during the initial phase, but also an appreciably shorter interval until the patients were symptom-free. Age, gender, localisation of the lesion or facultative systemic antibiotic or analgetic administration had no demonstrable effect on the course of the treatment, although the patients in the reference group required concomitant medication with antibiotics (p = 0.007) and analgetics (p = 0.01) considerably more often than those in the Taurolin group."}
{"id": "PMID:1470890", "title": "[Caries intensity in Turkish children in Germany and in Turkey].", "content": "This study compares oral hygiene, dental care, dietary habits and caries prevalence among German and Turkish children in Germany with the Turkish children in Turkey. Although German children have better oral hygiene and dental care habits than the Turkish children, the caries prevalence of the Turkish children in Turkey is significantly lower because of their dietary habits."}
{"id": "PMID:1470900", "title": "[Acute lead poisoning in calves: clinical, pathological and toxicological findings].", "content": "We present a case of acute lead poisoning in 10 calves. All calves died with few or no clinical signs prior to death. The clinical signs included neurologic and gastrointestinal symptoms but were of an unspecific nature. Several painted iron girders, stored on a field close to the farm, were determined as the source of the poisoning. Postmortem findings were minimal. Some animals presented acid-fast, intranuclear inclusion bodies in the renal tubules. A chemical analysis of some frozen parts of the liver and kidney revealed levels of lead as high as 12 ppm in the liver and 63 ppm in the kidney on a wet-weight basis. This article discusses the etiology, clinical signs, postmortem findings and diagnosis of lead poisoning in calves with special emphasis on the chemical analysis."}
{"id": "PMID:1470901", "title": "[Clinico-chemical blood parameters in foals in the first two months of life].", "content": "Eighteen healthy foals were studied from birth until 2 months of age. Blood samples were obtained at the following times: presuckle, 30 hours, 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9 weeks of age. Changes in serum P, Mg, Ca, Na, K, Cl, iron, AP, ASAT, ALAT, GGT, GLDH, CK, lipase, urea, creatinine, cholesterol, triglyceride, uric acid, protein and fibrinogen and in plasma total solids were examined and the values compared to reference values of adult horses. There were characteristic age related changes in several parameters. Single measurements should be interpreted cautiously to allow for individual variations."}
{"id": "PMID:1470902", "title": "[An outbreak of infectious chicken anemia in fattening chickens in Switzerland].", "content": "An outbreak of infectious anaemia in 46 broiler flocks due to chicken anaemia agent (CAA) is described. The vertically acquired infection led to increased mortality (3.6-19.8%) in 16 to 24 day-old broiler chickens. At necropsy severe atrophy of thymus and anaemia with pale bone marrow was observed. The histologic findings were depletion of cortical thymocytes and of hematopoietic cells in the bone marrow. The CAA was isolated from 15 of 35 examined broiler flocks."}
{"id": "PMID:1470913", "title": "Selection of a ribozyme that functions as a superior template in a self-copying reaction.", "content": "The sunY ribozyme is derived from a self-splicing RNA group I intron. This ribozyme was chosen as a starting point for the design of a self-replicating RNA because of its small size. As a means of facilitating the self-replication process, the size of this ribozyme was decreased by the deletion of nonconserved structural domains; however, when such deletions were made, there were severe losses of enzymatic activity. In vitro genetic selection was used to identify mutations that reactivate a virtually inactive sunY deletion mutant. A selected mutant with five substitution mutations scattered throughout the primary sequence showed greater catalytic activity than the original ribozyme under the selection conditions. The sunY ribozyme and its small selected variant can both catalyze template-directed oligonucleotide assembly. The small size and reduced secondary structure of the selected variant results in an enhancement, relative to that of the original ribozyme, of its rate of self-copying. This engineered ribozyme is able to function effectively both as a catalyst and as a template in self-copying reactions."}
{"id": "PMID:1470914", "title": "Components of sterol biosynthesis assembled on the oxygen-avid hemoglobin of Ascaris.", "content": "The parasitic nematode Ascaris infests a billion people worldwide. Much of its proliferative success is due to prodigious egg production, up to 10(6) sterol-replete eggs per day. Sterol synthesis requires molecular oxygen for squalene epoxidation, yet oxygen is scarce in the intestinal folds the worms inhabit. Ascaris has an oxygen-avid hemoglobin in the perienteric fluid that bathes its reproductive organs. Purified hemoglobin contained tightly bound squalene and functioned as an NADPH-dependent, ferrihemoprotein reductase. All components of the squalene epoxidation reaction--squalene, oxygen, NADPH, and NADPH-dependent reductase--are assembled on the hemoglobin. This molecule may thus function in sterol biosynthesis."}
{"id": "PMID:1470915", "title": "Cryobiological preservation of Drosophila embryos.", "content": "The inability to cryobiologically preserve the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster has required that fly stocks be maintained by frequent transfer of adults. This method is costly in terms of time and can lead to loss of stocks. Traditional slow freezing methods do not succeed because the embryos are highly sensitive to chilling. With the procedures described here, 68 percent of precisely staged 15-hour Oregon R (wild-type) embryos hatch after vitrification at -205 degrees C, and 40 percent of the resulting larvae develop into normal adult flies. These embryos are among the most complex organisms successfully preserved by cryobiology."}
{"id": "PMID:1470916", "title": "Cellular proteins bound to immunodeficiency viruses: implications for pathogenesis and vaccines.", "content": "Cellular proteins associated with immunodeficiency viruses were identified by determination of the amino acid sequence of the proteins and peptides present in sucrose density gradient-purified human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1, HIV-2, and simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV). beta 2 microglobulin (beta 2m) and the alpha and beta chains of human lymphocyte antigen (HLA) DR were present in virus preparations at one-fifth the concentration of Gag on a molar basis. Antisera to HLA DR, beta 2 m, as well as HLA class I precipitated intact viral particles, suggesting that these cellular proteins were physically associated with the surface of the virus. Antisera to class I, beta 2m, and HLA DR also inhibited infection of cultured cells by both HIV-1 and SIV. The specific, selective association of these cellular proteins in a physiologically relevant manner has major implications for our understanding of the infection process and the pathogenesis of immunodeficiency viruses and should be considered in the design of vaccines."}
{"id": "PMID:1470917", "title": "Protective effects of a live attenuated SIV vaccine with a deletion in the nef gene.", "content": "Vaccine protection against the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and the related simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) in animal models is proving to be a difficult task. The difficulty is due in large part to the persistent, unrelenting nature of HIV and SIV infection once infection is initiated. SIV with a constructed deletion in the auxiliary gene nef replicates poorly in rhesus monkeys and appears to be nonpathogenic in this normally susceptible host. Rhesus monkeys vaccinated with live SIV deleted in nef were completely protected against challenge by intravenous inoculation of live, pathogenic SIV. Deletion of nef or of multiple genetic elements from HIV may provide the means for creating a safe, effective, live attenuated vaccine to protect against acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)."}
{"id": "PMID:1470918", "title": "Targeted degradation of c-Fos, but not v-Fos, by a phosphorylation-dependent signal on c-Jun.", "content": "The proto-oncogene products c-Fos and c-Jun heterodimerize through their leucine zippers to form the AP-1 transcription factor. The transcriptional activity of the heterodimer is regulated by signal-dependent phosphorylation and dephosphorylation events. The stability of c-Fos was found to also be controlled by intracellular signal transduction. In transient expression and in vitro degradation experiments, the stability of c-Fos was decreased when the protein was dimerized with phosphorylated c-Jun. c-Jun protein isolated from phorbol ester-induced cells did not target c-Fos for degradation, which suggests that c-Fos is transiently stabilized after stimulation of cell growth. v-Fos protein, the retroviral counterpart of c-Fos, was not susceptible to degradation targeted by c-Jun."}
{"id": "PMID:1470919", "title": "Isolation and structure of a brain constituent that binds to the cannabinoid receptor.", "content": "Arachidonylethanolamide, an arachidonic acid derivative in porcine brain, was identified in a screen for endogenous ligands for the cannabinoid receptor. The structure of this compound, which has been named \"anandamide,\" was determined by mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and was confirmed by synthesis. Anandamide inhibited the specific binding of a radiolabeled cannabinoid probe to synaptosomal membranes in a manner typical of competitive ligands and produced a concentration-dependent inhibition of the electrically evoked twitch response to the mouse vas deferens, a characteristic effect of psychotropic cannabinoids. These properties suggest that anandamide may function as a natural ligand for the cannabinoid receptor."}
{"id": "PMID:1470920", "title": "Direct visualization of the dendritic and receptive fields of directionally selective retinal ganglion cells.", "content": "Optical methods were used to locate the cell bodies of directionally selective ganglion cells in isolated rabbit retinas. These neurons detect the direction in which images move across the retinal surface and transmit that information to the brain. The receptive field of each identified cell was determined, after which the cell was injected with Lucifer yellow. An image of the receptive field border was then projected onto the fluorescent image of the dendrites, allowing precise comparison between them. The size of the receptive field matched closely the size of the dendritic arbor of that cell. This result restricts the types of convergence that can be postulated in modeling the mechanism of retinal directional selectivity."}
{"id": "PMID:1470921", "title": "Prevention of programmed cell death in Caenorhabditis elegans by human bcl-2.", "content": "Programmed cell death is a physiological process that eliminates unwanted cells. The bcl-2 gene regulates programmed cell death in mammalian cells, but the way it functions is not known. Expression of the human bcl-2 gene in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans reduced the number of programmed cell deaths, suggesting that the mechanism of programmed cell death controlled by bcl-2 in humans is the same as that in nematodes."}
{"id": "PMID:1470922", "title": "Neutrophil recruitment by tumor necrosis factor from mast cells in immune complex peritonitis.", "content": "During generalized immune complex-induced inflammation of the peritoneal cavity, two peaks of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) were observed in the peritoneal exudate of normal mice. In mast cell-deficient mice, the first peak was undetected, and the second peak of TNF and neutrophil influx were significantly reduced. Antibody to TNF significantly inhibited neutrophil infiltration in normal but not in mast cell-deficient mice. Mast cell repletion of the latter normalized TNF, neutrophil mobilization, and the effect of the antibody to TNF. Thus, in vivo, mast cells produce the TNF that augments neutrophil emigration."}
{"id": "PMID:1470924", "title": "Coagulation abnormalities in malignancy: a review.", "content": "As outlined in this review, patients with cancer may harbor many alterations of hemostasis. These are multifaceted and must be taken into account when trying to control hemorrhage or thrombosis in cancer patients. Often, hemorrhage or thrombosis is the final fatal event in many patients with metastatic solid tumor or hematologic malignancies. Patients with malignancy present a major clinical challenge in this new era of oncologic awareness and more aggressive care, which has led to prolonged survival for patients and a longer time frame during which these complications may develop. Therefore, these complications are occurring more commonly. It is important to realize that these alterations of hemostasis exist and must be approached in a sequential and logical manner with respect to diagnosis; only in this way can responsible, efficacious, and rational therapy be delivered to patients. By far the most common alteration of hemostasis in malignancy is that of hemorrhage associated with thrombocytopenia, either drug-induced, radiation-induced, or from bone marrow invasion. However, hemorrhage resulting from DIC is also quite common and may present as hemorrhage, thrombosis, thromboembolus, or any combination thereof. Many antineoplastic drugs and radiation therapy may lead to or significantly enhance hemorrhage in patients with malignancy. Thrombosis, also commonly seen in patients with malignancy, is often a manifestation of low-grade DIC, conspicuous as an intravascular thrombotic or thromboembolic event instead of an intravascular proteolytic (hemorrhagic) event. When suspecting this, confirmatory laboratory evidence must be sought and the patient treated appropriately. When approaching the patient with malignancy and either hemorrhage or thrombosis, all the potential defects in hemostasis must be taken into account, defined from the laboratory standpoint, and treated in as precise and logical manner as possible."}
{"id": "PMID:1470926", "title": "Use of platelets and other transfusion products in patients with malignancy.", "content": "The need for blood components for oncology patients is small compared with the need for patients with hematologic malignancies. Appropriate use of blood components is necessary, not only medically, but also because of limited supply and availability. Agreement on when to use components is extremely important. In fact, at the time of this writing, the Transfusion Practices Committee of the AABB is conducting an extensive survey on the use of platelets in the oncology and hematology cancer patients (Questionnaire on Institutional Policy on Platelet Transfusion Practice for Hematology/Oncology Patients). The results will, it is hoped, provide a consensus on the proper times and counts that require prophylactic use of components for these patients. Since these patients use the vast majority of components (see Table 15), their proper use is imperative to maintaining an adequate platelet and frozen plasma supply. Transfusion support in cancer patients is vital for their survival. Platelets, in particular, are necessary to prevent serious bleeding. However, refractoriness to platelet transfusions can develop. It must be appreciated that refractoriness is not a general problem and need not require the expensiveness of a universal decision for handling all platelet transfusions in the same manner. Total refractoriness probably occurs in 15 to 20% of patients frequently transfused. In patients in whom frequent platelet transfusion is anticipated, that is, bone marrow transplantation, the development of platelet refractoriness may be reduced by using SDPC and administering them through leukocyte filters. Patients who become refractory to either random or SDPC can either be cross-matched for single-donor platelets that are compatible or can be given HLA-A,B matched platelets. Certainly, the success of platelet transfusion in leukemic patients cannot be denied, since only a small number of these patients now die because of bleeding due to platelet refractoriness. Most of the serious bleeding still seen is associated with sepsis. The risks from transfusion must always be considered. Fortunately, with increased monitoring of the blood supply, they have been reduced. As with any therapeutic regimen, these risks must be weighed against the benefit the patient may gain. Transfusion should always be used prudently."}
{"id": "PMID:1470927", "title": "Platelets and cancer metastasis: more than an epiphenomenon.", "content": "In this review we have presented overwhelming evidence that platelets play an important enhancing role in tumor cell-vasculature interactions and cancer metastasis. Tumor cells employ a host of mechanisms to induce platelet aggregation; vice versa, platelets make use of a spectrum of mechanisms to modulate tumor cell-EC and tumor cell-ECM interactions. Various COX and LOX metabolites are closely involved in this bidirectional modulation, thus providing us with a very promising therapeutic avenue by modifying the actions of these metabolites. On the other hand, adhesion molecules are mediators of tumor cell-platelet-EC interactions; therefore interference with these adhesion molecules and various adhesive processes either by soluble peptides, nonpeptidic analogues, or specific antibodies holds great investigational and clinical appeal."}
{"id": "PMID:1470939", "title": "Marry in haste, repent at leisure: women, bureaucracy and the post office, 1870-1920.", "content": "Between these two extremes [of caring for children and manual labour] there lies what may be called a neutral or debatable ground of labour requiring the exercise of qualities which are the exclusive property of neither sex. It is in this neutral field ... [that] the activities of women are confined to those departments of the labour market into which men do not care, or actively object, to enter. Thus, if there were no question of economic competition, it seems to me that the invasion by woman of these departments ... formerly monopolized by men would be bound to awaken a certain amount of opposition; since her consequent desertion of the dull, unpleasant, and monotonous tasks assigned to her, might mean that these tasks would have to be performed by those who had hitherto escaped the necessity by shifting it on to her shoulders. Hence a natural and comprehensible resentment."}
{"id": "PMID:1470957", "title": "Disseminated histoplasmosis in patients with AIDS.", "content": "Disseminated histoplasmosis (DH) is recognized as an opportunistic infection in patients with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), especially in regions where histoplasmosis is endemic. At the Kansas University Medical Center 148 patients were hospitalized with the diagnosis of AIDS from December 1983 to March 1991; 23 of these patients (16%) had disseminated histoplasmosis. The charts of these 23 patients were reviewed. Clinical signs and symptoms included fever (91%), cough (65%), and weight loss (48%). Splenomegaly, hepatomegaly, or lymphadenopathy was present in 52% of all patients. Anemia (39%), leukopenia (65%), and thrombocytopenia (52%) were common, and 22% had pancytopenia. Diagnosis was made by peripheral smear examinations (organisms visualized on 7 of 22 smears [32%]), blood cultures (positive for H capsulatum in 16 of 20 patients, [80%]), bone marrow cultures (positive in 14 of 15 patients, [93%]), and bone marrow aspirate and biopsy examinations (organisms seen on 18 of 21 stains, [86%]). The combination of these four tests revealed the diagnosis of DH in 23 of 23 patients (100%). Induction and maintenance amphotericin B therapy was given to all but 2 patients, and currently 8 of the 23 are alive. DH is a common opportunistic infection in AIDS patients from regions endemic for histoplasmosis. When DH is suspected, a peripheral smear examination, blood cultures, bone marrow cultures and bone marrow aspirate and biopsy should be done to make the diagnosis, since suppression of the disease is possible with appropriate therapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1470958", "title": "Pleural effusions in right-sided endocarditis: characteristics and pathophysiology.", "content": "The incidence, characteristics, and pathogenesis of pleural effusions in patients with right-sided endocarditis (RSE) are poorly defined. We have recently observed four patients with a history of intravenous drug abuse and bacteremia due to Staphylococcus aureus who had pleural effusions during an episode of RSE. We report the pleural fluid characteristics of five effusions in these four patients and attempt to define the pathogenesis of each. We found that (1) an exudative, sterile, serosanguineous, or bloody effusion is common in RSE, (2) empyema occurred in only one patient, and (3) transudative effusions due to CHF were not observed. Possible mechanisms of pleural fluid formation in RSE include parapneumonic effusion, septic pulmonary emboli with or without infarction, and empyema. Congestive heart failure does not appear to be a common cause of pleural effusion in pure right-sided endocarditis."}
{"id": "PMID:1470959", "title": "Unrecognized association of sleep disorders and depression with chronic pelvic pain.", "content": "Assessment of cases of chronic pelvic pain presents a challenging problem, and many physicians overlook the association of sleep disorders and depression with such pain. We examined these linkages in our chronic pelvic pain clinic, using a questionnaire that assists in diagnosis and management of these cases. To date, the cases of 72 patients (both physician- and self-referred) with pelvic pain have been evaluated. Of these patients, 51 of 71 (72%) reported sleep disorders, and 37 of 72 (51%) had clinical depression, as determined by the Beck Depression Inventory. After adjustment for a sleep-related item on the Beck scale, these two measures showed a positive correlation of .355 (P < .01). The scores of pain patients differed significantly from those of a control group of asymptomatic patients on the depression and sleep disorder measures. By being aware and using a simple questionnaire, the clinician may readily identify overlooked factors, such as sleep disorders and depression, when assessing cases of chronic pelvic pain."}
{"id": "PMID:1470960", "title": "Swing bed program in a small rural hospital: discharge outcome.", "content": "Swing beds contribute significantly to inpatient rehabilitation and skilled nursing care of the rural elderly, but little information is available in the general clinical literature regarding the types and outcomes of patients admitted to these programs. All swing bed admissions to a small rural hospital for the 1989 fiscal year were identified and the records were reviewed. The mean age of the patients was 81 years, and the average length of stay was 13 days. Most patients were admitted because of acute problems necessitating short-term rehabilitation or because no bed was available in an appropriate skilled-care nursing home. At discharge, 40% of patients were able to return home. Information regarding the availability and appropriate use of swing beds needs to be disseminated to physicians who care for the elderly. More study is needed to determine optimal use of and requirements for swing beds on a national level."}
{"id": "PMID:1470961", "title": "Is the pediatric preoperative hematocrit determination necessary?", "content": "The usefulness of the preoperative hematocrit determination as a screening test before outpatient pediatric surgical procedures has been questioned. It has been suggested that a careful history and physical examination are of greater importance than routine laboratory tests in determining a child's fitness for surgery. We evaluated the utility of preoperative measurement of hematocrit as a screening test for surgical fitness in healthy children having a variety of elective outpatient surgical procedures."}
{"id": "PMID:1470962", "title": "Vascular surgery: possible adverse effect on extent of subsequent lower limb amputation.", "content": "The influence of previous vascular surgery on the level of amputation was examined retrospectively in 345 amputations (66 bilateral) in 279 patients with peripheral vascular disease. Seventy-two patients (38% diabetic) had previous vascular surgery on 74 limbs and 207 (65% diabetic) had no history of vascular surgery on 271 limbs. In patients with previous vascular surgery, above-knee amputation was done on 55% of limbs versus 71% of limbs in patients with no previous vascular surgery (P < .05), despite a lower incidence of diabetes in the former group. We conclude that although reconstructive vascular surgery is an effective treatment for vascular insufficiency, occasionally it not only fails, but is associated with an increased incidence of above-knee amputation."}
{"id": "PMID:1470963", "title": "Zygomatic fractures: reduction with the T-bar screw.", "content": "The prominent zygomatic bone is one of the most commonly fractured. Fracture with displacement of the bone results in a cosmetic and functional deformity. The fractured zygomatic bone is usually dislocated in an inferomedial and posterior direction, which results in a cosmetic deformity with loss of ipsilateral malar prominence, possible depression of the zygomatic arch, asymmetry of the bony orbital circumference, and possible enophthalmos. Fracture of the zygomatic bone may result in ocular, maxillary antral, and mandibular dysfunction; diplopia, restricted extraocular muscle movement, or intraocular injuries; infection or obstruction of the maxillary antrum; and restricted mandibular function and malocclusion. Various surgical methods have been used to reduce the displaced fractured zygomatic bone. Our preferred method for reduction is the T-bar (Carroll-Girard) screw. This clinical study reviews 30 cases of zygomatic complex fractures, outlines the surgical technique used, illustrates the proper use of the T-bar screw with anatomic schematics and clinical cases, and presents illustrative case summaries."}
{"id": "PMID:1470964", "title": "Thallium poisoning: an outbreak in Florida, 1988.", "content": "In October 1988, five of seven members of a Florida family were poisoned with thallium, constituting the largest outbreak of acute thallium poisoning in the United States since thallium was banned as a rodenticide in 1972. Three patients had an acute severe neuropathy with respiratory depression; one died. The other two had no symptoms. No cases were identified among nonhousehold relatives or friends, or in the community. Of the more than 100 environmental specimens collected at the family household and tested by atomic spectroscopy, three empty and four unopened glass soft drink bottles of the same lot number yielded thallium in a concentration fatal to humans. All family members who consumed the soft drink were poisoned (5/5) as compared with none of those who did not (0/2). Because poisoning was clustered to the family and police investigators provided evidence that the poisoning was deliberately targeted to the family, it was assumed that no other soft drink bottles contained thallium, and it was decided not to recall all soft drink bottles with the same lot number. A year later a neighbor of the family was arrested and convicted of the murder."}
{"id": "PMID:1470965", "title": "Pharmacologic considerations in the treatment of substance abuse.", "content": "Drug and alcohol abuse continue to be commonly encountered problems in most patient populations. To deal effectively with these problems, the primary care physician must have a thorough knowledge of the pharmacology of commonly abused drugs and the adjunctive agents used in treatment. Management of alcoholism may involve a range of medical interventions, including the treatment of alcohol intoxication, the use of benzodiazepines for alcohol withdrawal, and possibly the short-term administration of disulfiram to maintain sobriety. Successful management of cocaine or amphetamine abuse requires an understanding of the powerful reinforcing properties of these drugs and the unique problems that arise in the recovery period. Barbiturate intoxication and withdrawal are potentially life-threatening events requiring skilled in-patient treatment. Prolonged use of benzodiazepines can lead to drug dependence; successful withdrawal involves gradual dosage reduction. Acute intoxication from marijuana or hallucinogenic drugs may occasionally result in adverse reactions requiring medical intervention, but significant withdrawal reactions are rare. Management of opioid overdose, whether illicit or iatrogenic, requires the prompt and skillful use of opioid overdose, whether illicit or iatrogenic, requires the prompt and skillful use of opioid antagonists. Promising new pharmacologic approaches are now being successfully applied to the management of opioid dependence. An acceptance of nicotine as the addictive component of tobacco smoke has led to the development of nicotine gum as substitution therapy for cigarette smoking. Successful pharmacologic management of overdose or withdrawal is often the prerequisite for effective long-term treatment and recovery."}
{"id": "PMID:1470966", "title": "Postsplenectomy infections.", "content": "Serious postsplenectomy infection is a significant threat to patients. Although the incidence of such infection is low, the resultant mortality is extremely high. This susceptibility to infection and ensuing mortality results from multiple immunologic changes that occur after splenectomy. These changes include alteration in immunoglobulin levels, loss of serum opsonizing proteins, and alterations in antigen clearance and cellular immunity."}
{"id": "PMID:1470969", "title": "Charles Drew: dispelling the myth.", "content": "The name Charles Drew is synonymous with blood transfusions, but his life encompassed many other areas of work. A native of Washington, DC, Drew attended Dunbar High School and Amherst College, and went to medical school at McGill University in Montreal. All during his schooling he was a highly regarded athlete (track and football). Drew spent 2 years in postdoctoral training in Montreal and 3 years in Washington, DC, followed by 2 years in New York City, working on a doctorate in medicine in blood banking. He was instrumental in the Blood for Britain program in 1940 and helped establish the future Red Cross blood bank in the United States. Finally, at Howard University, where he taught from 1941 to 1950, he trained a generation of black surgeons. He died, at age 45, of injuries received in a car accident in 1950 in North Carolina. Controversy surrounding his death, involving numerous erroneous claims, has served unfortunately to detract from the significance of his achievements."}
{"id": "PMID:1470972", "title": "Heterotopic ossification and deep venous thrombosis: concurrence (?), bleeding complications, and caval interruption.", "content": "Diagnosis and treatment of apparent deep venous thrombosis in a patient with spinal cord injury can be difficult. Heterotopic ossification in the paralyzed limbs of such patients can mimic deep venous thrombosis and can even produce false-positive findings on venograms. Anticoagulation, in turn, can be associated with soft tissue hemorrhage that may resemble thrombophlebitis and further confound interpretation of venograms. We have presented a case in which all these phenomena were present and in which a remaining risk of embolism was successfully managed through placement of a Greenfield filter."}
{"id": "PMID:1470973", "title": "Trichosporon beigelii: a potential cause of sepsis in premature infants.", "content": "Trichosporon beigelii is an emerging pathogen, often resistant to amphotericin B, that causes disseminated infection in immunocompromised patients. Early identification of this organism and knowledge of sensitivity patterns to antifungal agents may decrease the high mortality rate for immunocompromised patients with disseminated trichosporosis. I have reported a case of septicemia associated with T beigelii in a premature twin infant who had been granulocytopenic since birth."}
{"id": "PMID:1470974", "title": "Primary cerebral lymphoma manifested by dementia.", "content": "Primary cerebral lymphoma (PCL) accounts for less than 1% of intracranial neoplasms. In immunocompromised patients, multicentric lymphoma of the brain is typically manifested by focal neurologic deficits. In the immunocompetent individual, PCL involves leptomeninges and presents meningeal signs. Leptomeningeal lymphoma manifested by dementia has not been previously reported and should be included in the differential diagnosis of patients with Alzheimer's disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1470975", "title": "Disappearing breast calcifications: mammographic-pathologic discrepancy due to calcium oxalate.", "content": "We have reported a case in which breast biopsy was done to study suggestive microcalcifications that were confirmed by specimen radiography but were not evident with standard light microscopy. Examination of the specimen under polarized light revealed calcium oxalate crystals. Awareness of this potential pitfall should minimize the number of radiologic-pathologic discrepancies."}
{"id": "PMID:1470976", "title": "Gastrografin-induced aspiration pneumonia: a lethal complication of computed tomography.", "content": "A 43-year-old man with dysphagia and a tendency to aspirate was found to have squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus. Curative surgery was planned and preoperative computed tomography of the chest and abdomen was ordered. A ward nurse administered Gastrografin according to a \"standing\" order, 4 hours before the CT was to be done. The patient aspirated about 50 mL of Gastrografin, and went into cardiorespiratory arrest caused by pulmonary edema. He sustained severe brain damage and died. This is a first report of lethal aspiration of Gastrografin, given in preparation for CT. We advise alerting nurses who administer Gastrografin, especially to patients with dysphagia or impaired consciousness about the grave consequences that can result if the contrast agent is aspirated by the patient. We further advise that responsibility for using contrast agents in radiologic procedures be assumed by the radiologist and not by medical house staff."}
{"id": "PMID:1470977", "title": "Pancoast tumor: use of MRI for tumor staging.", "content": "Pancoast tumors (superior sulcus tumors) are apical lung cancers that may cause any or all of the symptoms originally described in 1932 as Pancoast's syndrome. We have presented a case report and a review of pertinent literature on the treatment of this tumor. Our patient was treated with preoperative radiation and en bloc tumor resection, the current standard of care for cure of Pancoast tumor. We support an aggressive approach in the treatment of this tumor, as radiation followed by radical tumor resection offers good palliation and the best chance for cure. Magnetic resonance imaging has emerged as the procedure of choice to assess the local extent of tumor, and in our patient, MRI accurately predicted that the tumor was resectable."}
{"id": "PMID:1470986", "title": "[Several results of the experiment on improving public health management in a city].", "content": "The experimental approbation of new conditions of economic activities revealed a discrepancy between the development of health service network and manpower potential and needs of population in medical care, the possibility of priority development of primary health care, promotion in the development of \"semi-hospital\" forms of medical care organization, the excessive level of hospital care, the interest among workers in increasing the volume of work and increase of effectiveness in the utilization of resources under normalization of economic relations in public health."}
{"id": "PMID:1470988", "title": "[Main goals of the activities of family physicians and general practitioners].", "content": "The activity of a new category of general practitioners and their role in the delivery of medical care for the population are analysed. The functional structure of the computer system for information supply of family doctor is considered. The flow chart of a unified primary information document of the given automated system is presented."}
{"id": "PMID:1470989", "title": "[Ways of improving health care of industrial workers of Kazakhstan].", "content": "The health of industrial workers should be considered from the point of view of broad social positions and primarily from the working and living conditions and the state of health services. Environmental factors should also be taken into consideration. Periodic medical check-ups of industrial workers indicate that their health is improving. Despite the success achieved, this problem in Kazakhstan is not being adequately solved, there are only 61 health units. Hospital beds in these institutions do not have necessary specialization corresponding to the profile of industrial enterprises. Numerous industrial enterprises, oil-and-gas extracting works pollute the environment, which has been confirmed by respective examples. The authors provide evidence for the necessity of economic education for the population. Preliminary results of experimental introduction of a new economic mechanism and medical insurance in Kazakhstan are being considered as factors contributing to the improvement of public health financing resources."}
{"id": "PMID:1470992", "title": "[Characteristics of home injuries in Kursk].", "content": "Today home injuries, as evidenced by a current survey, constitute 21.53 +/- 0.58% in the pattern of all referrals to traumatological care units. New and objective data have been obtained by age and sex, place of accident, circumstances and mechanisms of occurrence of home injuries, which present a certain interest for working out preventive measures and medical care organization. The materials are submitted for consideration to the city health department."}
{"id": "PMID:1470996", "title": "[Work of a district pediatric service for young children: analysis, problems, solutions].", "content": "The study data are provided on the volume of curative and preventive care for 1740 infants at the outpatient department and at home, an analysis is made of the working time spent by a district pediatrician in two polyclinics of Nizhniy Novgorod. It has been shown that most of his time is devoted to sick children. Practically no time is spent on follow-up group of children pertaining to the populations \"at risk\". To improve preventive work among children of the first three years of life it is proposed to establish departments for young children in the territorial children's polyclinics. The organization of these departments makes it possible to improve the main qualitative indicators of child health."}
{"id": "PMID:1470998", "title": "[Assessment of qualifications of physicians].", "content": "A methodology of estimating the professional level of physicians with the help of tariff scale is described. The tariff coefficients are determined by the correlation between the official salaries of physicians, having a qualification category, and a background monthly salary taken as a unity. The mean tariff coefficient of physicians can serve for public health bodies and insurance organizations as an assessment indicator of professional possibilities of an institution, complexity of the work performed, the cost and quality of medical services. For the leading staff of the institution the methodology is supplemented by the estimates of a number of intermediate indicators and their integral assessment which helps analyse the basic factors influencing the general level of physicians qualification."}
{"id": "PMID:1470999", "title": "[Several aspects of improvement in the training of surgeons at medical institutes].", "content": "This paper summarizes the experience gained in the training of surgery specialists at a medical institute and determines the main shortcomings of undergraduate and postgraduate specialization. A sociological survey carried out in the groups of subinterns indicated low effectiveness of preinstitute and intrainstitute professional orientation. Great emphasis is being placed on increasing the quality of training on fundamental sciences and preclinical disciplines. A positive appreciation is being given to the long application of the unified methodological system of specialists training, the use of the syndrome method of training at the graduate year, which is based on maximum activation of clinical thinking, motivated approach to the development of practical knowledge and skills. The important role of continuity in the training of surgeons in the subinternship and internship is stressed."}
{"id": "PMID:1471001", "title": "The effect of surgical intervention on rehabilitation time in patients with thoracolumbar and lumbar spinal cord injuries.", "content": "One hundred forty-seven patients with unstable low thoracic and lumbar fractures were examined. All patients had significant neurologic injuries. Ninety-one patients exhibited incomplete lesions whereas fifty-six had complete lesions. Age, sex, cause of injury, fracture location, fracture mechanism, and complications were recorded and analyzed. The average follow-up was 25 months (range 2-148). Incomplete neurologic lesions demonstrated a significant increase in ASIA motor points if both decompression and stabilization were performed at the same operative sitting. When decompression was performed before stabilization a decrease in improvement was noted. Patients with complete lesions demonstrated a significant reduction in rehabilitation time if stabilization was augmented with sublaminar wires rather than Drummond wires or Harrington rods alone."}
{"id": "PMID:1471002", "title": "Blood conservation in spinal surgery. Review of current techniques.", "content": "The potential dangers of homologous blood transfusions are well known. Among the more serious complications of such therapy are hepatitis and acquired immune deficiency syndrome. As a result, blood conservation has become a topic of great interest to both physicians and patients. Numerous studies exist documenting the effectiveness of preoperative autologous blood donation, intraoperative autologous transfusion, hypotensive anesthesia, and postoperative blood salvage. Perioperative recombinant human erythropoietin is a promising new adjunct to these techniques. Careful surgical technique is crucial to the success of these complex modalities. In the absence of tumor, systemic infection, or gross wound contamination, these modalities should be considered when a spinal procedure is planned in which homologous blood may be required."}
{"id": "PMID:1471003", "title": "The form and structure of the extruded disc.", "content": "There are no detailed data in literature concerning the histologic nature of the sequestered (extruded) lumbar disc, and on the frequency with which an extruded fragment, a prolapse or a protrusion are found at surgery. A prospective analysis of 100 consecutive cases of sequestered lumbar disc herniation submitted to surgical treatment revealed this group to represent 28.6% of all cases operated on for lumbar disc herniation. Patients (both male and female) with sequestered lumbar discs are significantly older than those with prolapsed (P < 0.01) and protruded (P < 0.001) discs. Single extruded fragments (n = 68) were twice as frequent as multiple ones (n = 32). The general belief that a 'sequestered (extruded) disc' is almost invariably composed of nucleus pulposus is not substantiated by this study: In 54 cases the extruded fragment consisted predominantly of nucleus material, whereas in 44 cases it consisted mainly of end-plate material. Multiple as well as recurrent sequestered fragments almost always consist of end-plate material. These findings may reflect the result of metabolic alterations in the course of disc degeneration."}
{"id": "PMID:1471004", "title": "Cauda equina syndrome in patients undergoing manipulation of the lumbar spine.", "content": "Cauda equina syndrome has been implicated as a potential complication of spinal manipulation. A review of the literature from 1911 to 1989 revealed ten reported cases of cauda equina syndrome in patients undergoing manipulation without anesthesia. This article presents three new cases where a temporal association was found between the onset of cauda equina symptoms and lumbar manipulation. The type of manipulation administered and the relationship between the treatment and symptoms is reviewed. In each of these cases both the chiropractic practitioner and the emergency room physician failed to comprehend the nature of the problem and take appropriate action. As a consequence, the patients went untreated for several days. This may have led to residual symptomatology. It is concluded that patients who present with bowel or bladder disturbances, leg weakness, or rectal and genital sensory changes after manipulation, be recognized as experiencing a cauda equina syndrome."}
{"id": "PMID:1471005", "title": "Chronic donor site pain complicating bone graft harvesting from the posterior iliac crest for spinal fusion.", "content": "To explore the relationship between surgical approach and chronic posterior iliac crest donor site pain, 151 bone graft harvests with follow-up periods longer than 1 year were evaluated using a detailed questionnaire and follow-up clinical visits. There was no difference in the incidence of chronic donor site pain between harvests performed through the primary midline incision versus a separate lateral oblique incision (28 vs 31%). Twice as many donor sites harvested for reconstructive spinal procedures were reported as having chronic pain as compared with those harvested for spinal trauma, regardless of approach used (39 vs 18%). The association of chronic donor site pain with residual back pain was also greater in the spinal reconstructive group. Thus, it appears that incidence of chronic donor site pain is more dependent on diagnosis than on surgical approach."}
{"id": "PMID:1471006", "title": "The back pain of bus drivers. Prevalence in an urban area of California.", "content": "A stratified random sample of 195 subjects was selected from the membership of an urban transit union in California, two thirds consisting of motor coach operators and one third serving as a nondriving comparison group. Based on an orthopaedic medical history and physical examination, 80.5% of drivers were found to be experiencing back or neck pain at the time of examination, in contrast with 50.7 percent of nondrivers, itself a sizable percentage. For both groups, most pain was mild, (53.9 and 29.9%, respectively). The amount of severe pain was essentially the same in the two groups (10.2% and 9.0%). Both groups were most subject to low back pain. Drivers were most distinctive for movement-related pain in the cervical spine. They were also more subject in any part of the spine to postural pain. The latter finding suggests the need to introduce ergonomic and scheduling changes in the work of operating a motor coach. Drivers more than nondrivers struggled against their pain by doing exercise, seeking professional treatment, and taking medications, indicating that spinal disorders constitute a prominent health concern for workers in this occupation."}
{"id": "PMID:1471007", "title": "Lumbar surgery for 56 limbus fractures emphasizing noncalcified type III lesions.", "content": "The clinical, radiologic, and surgical procedures performed for 56 out of 59 patients with Type I-IV fractures of the vertebral limbus were reviewed, stressing the diagnostic and operative management of noncalcified Type III (NC III) lesions. Forty-four calcified Type I-IV (CA I-IV) limbus fractures, interpreted as routine disc herniations on magnetic resonance imaging scans, were correctly identified as limbus fragments on computed tomographic and myelographic/computed tomographic studies, whereas 15 NC III lesions were mistaken for disc herniations alone on all three radiographic examinations. The preoperative recognition of the CA I-IV and NC III fracture types proved essential to the successful resection of five Type I, five Type II, 36 Type III, and ten Type IV fragments through extended laminotomies, hemilaminectomies, and laminectomies with the down biting curette, tamp, and mallet technique. In the absence of routine disc herniations, expanded standard dissectomies to the superior or inferior pedicular levels allowed for the identification and removal of NC III fractures."}
{"id": "PMID:1471008", "title": "Effect of reduced frequency of training and detraining on lumbar extension strength.", "content": "To investigate the effect of reduced frequency of training and detraining on lumbar extension strength, 50 subjects (34 men, aged 34 +/- 11 yrs; and 16 women, aged 33 +/- 11 yrs) were recruited from ongoing strength training programs. Initial training consisted of 10 or 12 weeks of variable resistance lumbar extension strength exercise to volitional fatigue 1, 2, or 3 times a week. After the initial training, subjects reduced the frequency of training to once every 2 weeks (n = 18) or once every 4 weeks (n = 22) for 12 weeks. Only the frequency of training was changed; the mode, volume, and intensity of exercise remained constant for both reduced frequency of training groups. An additional ten subjects terminated training and acted as controls (detraining group). Isometric lumbar extension strength was evaluated at seven angles through a 72 degree range-of-motion before training, after training, and after reduced frequency of training or detraining. Analysis of variance with repeated measures indicated that lumbar extension strength improved (P < or = 0.05) for all groups after the initial 10 or 12 weeks of training. After 12 weeks of reduced training, the once every 2 weeks and once every 4 weeks groups showed no significant reduction in lumbar extension strength at any angle tested, whereas the detraining group demonstrated an average 55% reduction in strength. These findings indicate that isometric lumbar extension strength can be maintained for up to 12 weeks with a reduced frequency of training as low as once every 4 weeks when the intensity and the volume of exercise are maintained."}
{"id": "PMID:1471009", "title": "The arcuate foramen. Variability in distribution related to race and sex.", "content": "The occurrence, varieties, and distribution by race and sex of the arcuate foramina observed in 1,000 consecutively seen cervical spine radiographs are reported. The complete foramen is significantly more common in males, without any racial predilection. The partial foramen is commonest in white females. The rate of occurrence seems independent of age."}
{"id": "PMID:1471010", "title": "Lumbar posterior marginal node (LPMN) in adults. Report of fifteen cases.", "content": "This report concerns 15 adults (nine men and six women) who experienced lumbar and sciatic pain associated with an unusual defect of the edges of the vertebral bodies together with a small bony ridge protruding into the spinal canal. This lesion was well demonstrated by computed tomography and easily differentiated from the posterior longitudinal ligament or herniated disc calcifications, as well as from posterior degenerative ridge osteophytes. This lesion looked like the so-called lumbar posterior marginal node. First described in adolescents, this entity was considered as a traumatic fracture of the posterior ring apophysis. Recently, identical cases were noted in young adults in the absence of previous trauma, which were a particular type of marginal cartilaginous node. In the cases reported here, the computed tomographic scans suggested several mechanisms of formation of the vertebral lesion: a variant of marginal cartilaginous nodes; traumatic avulsion; avulsion related to disc herniation; and fusion of the avulsed bony fragment with the vertebral body."}
{"id": "PMID:1471022", "title": "Comparison of individual characteristics and death rates of disabled-worker beneficiaries entitled in 1972 and 1985.", "content": "The many changes to the Disability Insurance (DI) program that took place during the early 1980's suggest that there may be significant differences in the characteristics of newly awarded beneficiaries over time. This study compares two cohorts of newly entitled beneficiaries--one from 1972 and the other from 1985--in order to assess changes in individual characteristics and death rates between the pre-1980's and the late 1980's. The 1985 cohort had a greater percentage of beneficiaries with mental impairments and a lower percentage with diseases of the circulatory system. The 1985 cohort was also younger, more educated, had higher primary insurance amount levels, and had greater percentages of women and black beneficiaries. Although the death rates and survival curves for both cohorts were very similar, differences in the curves occurred for some covariate subgroups. When the populations were standardized, the estimated percentages of beneficiaries who survived 5 years after entitlement were 78 percent for the 1972 cohort and 77 percent for the 1985 cohort."}
{"id": "PMID:1471023", "title": "The economic status of the aged.", "content": "This article discusses what is known about the economic status of the aged. Numerous complexities involved in the assessment of their status are discussed. Compared with most other recent assessments, this study finds a less favorable status for the aged relative to other age groups. The focus is on an examination of detailed age groups, rather than summary aged and nonaged groups--thus providing a more complete picture of age differences. More than most other assessments, this study stresses uncertainty about the relative status of the aged and emphasizes what we do not know. It stresses that better adjustments for differences in needs among age groups and other subgroups of the population are necessary. It emphasizes that consistency between the definition of resources and the specification of needs is essential. Also discussed is the vulnerability of the aged to economic risks. Major findings include: Median cash income is highest for middle-aged family units and lowest for the oldest and youngest units. The poverty rate for aged persons is above the rates for other adult age groups, but below the rate for children. When noncash income is considered in addition to cash income, the income of the aged tends to improve relative to that of the nonaged, but serious measurement problems exist. When wealth is considered in addition to cash income, the economic status of the aged improves relative to that of the nonaged."}
{"id": "PMID:1471024", "title": "Workers' compensation: 1984-88 benchmark revisions.", "content": "About 93.1 million workers were covered under workers' compensation laws in 1988--an increase of 11 percent from the 1984 total. Benefit amounts totaled $30.7 billion--an increase of about 56 percent since 1984. Of the total payments made under the workers' compensation program, $17.6 billion went to disabled workers, $1.6 billion to their survivors, and $11.5 billion for medical care. The Social Security Administration (SSA) is interested in measuring economic security in the United States, and workers' compensation plays a large role in that measurement. This article represents one part of our overall effort to determine the roles the various income-maintenance programs play in helping citizens of the United States achieve economic security. The figures presented here provide readers with an opportunity to review workers' compensation program operations during much of the 1980's. Workers' compensation is also important to SSA because that program is directly related to the Social Security Disability Insurance program. Since 1965, Social Security disability benefits have been subject to reduction if the beneficiary also receives workers' compensation and the combined benefits exceed 80 percent of previous earnings. In addition, SSA has been directly involved in providing income maintenance for disability from work-related diseases since 1969 when the Federal Black Lung benefits program was established."}
{"id": "PMID:1471069", "title": "Neutralization of the antithrombotic effects of heparin and Fraxiparin by protamine sulfate.", "content": "In general, the in vitro anti Xa activity of low molecular weight heparins is neutralized to a lesser degree than the anti Xa activity of unfractionated heparin. To determine whether these differences occur in vivo, a rabbit stasis thrombosis model and a rat laser-induced thrombosis model were utilized. In the laser model, a similar degree of neutralization of the antithrombotic activity of heparin and Fraxiparin was obtained. However, in the stasis thrombosis model, significant antithrombotic activity of Fraxiparin remained after equigravimetric protamine administration. Ex vivo APTT, thrombin time, Heptest, amidolytic anti Xa and anti IIa assays were performed. A coefficient (r = .806) was obtained for the correlation of Heptest activity to antithrombotic effect in the stasis thrombosis model, while the coefficients obtained for the other tests ranged from .152-.570. However, after neutralization by protamine, the thrombin time exhibited the highest correlation coefficient (r = .685) between ex vivo activity and residual antithrombotic effect. Since Fraxiparin retains antithrombotic activity after protamine administration, clinical benefit may be observed for this low molecular weight heparin as compared to unfractionated heparin after neutralization."}
{"id": "PMID:1471070", "title": "Does Lp(a) lipoprotein inhibit the fibrinolytic system?", "content": "Lp(a) lipoprotein contains a unique apolipoprotein, apolipoprotein (a), that has a striking homology with plasminogen. This homology has brought forward speculations as to an inhibitory effect of Lp(a) lipoproteins on fibrinolysis. The present investigation was undertaken to study the influence of Lp(a) lipoprotein on the fibrinolytic system. In an in vitro model, we have studied the influence of purified Lp(a) lipoprotein on plasminogen activation by tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) in the presence of soluble fibrin. Increasing concentrations of Lp(a) lipoprotein (0-32 mg/dl) did not inhibit plasminogen activation by t-PA in the presence of thrombin or bathroxobin digested fibrinogen. When purified Lp(a) lipoprotein was added to whole blood, the degree of fibrin degradation obtained following standardized coagulation, as evaluated by the generation of D-dimer, was not reduced. D-dimer levels in plasma and in serum after standardized coagulation, as well as conventional parameters for evaluation of the fibrinolytic system, were determined in 10 individuals with high and 10 individuals with low levels of Lp(a) lipoprotein. No differences in the fibrinolytic parameters were observed between the groups. Thus, we found no evidence that Lp(a) lipoprotein interferes with the fibrinolytic process in the present experiments."}
{"id": "PMID:1471071", "title": "Interaction of heparin with myosin ATPase: possible involvement with the hemorrhagic activity and a correlation with antithrombin III high affinity-heparin molecules.", "content": "Up to 50% of [35S]-heparin molecules prepared from rat skin bind to rabbit muscle myosin ATPase, in a concentration dependent manner, producing a stable complex with a dissociation constant of 3 x 10(-7) M. The [35S]-heparin in the complex has a distinct electrophoretic behaviour and is precipitated by TCA together with myosin. Other [35S]-glycosaminoglycans, namely, heparan sulfate, dermatan sulfate and chondroitin sulfate also prepared from rat tissues are unable to form complexes with the enzyme. Among the sulfated glycosaminoglycans obtained from different sources only heparin is able to displace the bound [35S]-heparin from the ATPase. Heparin with high affinity for antithrombin III, prepared by antithrombin-affinity chromatography, dislodges up to 90% of the bound [35S]-heparin. Furthermore, antithrombin III-high affinity heparin shows a high affinity for myosin ATPase when compared to antithrombin III-low affinity heparin which shows a low affinity for the enzyme. It is also shown that myosin ATPase inhibits the \"in vitro\" plasma anticoagulant activity of heparin. These are suggestive that the special structure of the heparin molecules needed for the binding to antithrombin and myosin ATPase bears important similarities. The mechanism of the hemorrhagic effect of heparin is discussed in view of these interactions."}
{"id": "PMID:1471072", "title": "Reversibility of fibrinogen fragment D1 binding to human platelets: comparison with native fibrinogen.", "content": "To gain further insight into the mechanism responsible for rendering fibrinogen bound to stimulated platelets irreversible to dissociation by EDTA or excess unlabeled fibrinogen, the present study compared the reversibility of platelet interactions with fibrinogen and its plasmic degradation product, fragment D1. Like fibrinogen binding, the binding of fragment D1 became progressively less sensitive to dissociation by EDTA, PGE1, or excess unlabeled fibrinogen. Thus in the presence of EDTA, 70 +/- 19% and 55 +/- 24% (mean +/- S.D., n = 9) of bound fragment D1 failed to dissociate from platelets 60 min after stimulation with 0.15 U/ml thrombin or the combination of 5 microM ADP and 5 microM epinephrine, respectively, compared to 75 +/- 8% and 52 +/- 17% of platelet-bound, intact fibrinogen. In contrast, platelet stimulation with chymotrypsin or Zn+2 failed to support the development of irreversible fragment D1 or fibrinogen binding. Only 8 +/- 6% and 9 +/- 3% of bound fragment D1 remained associated with chymotrypsin- or Zn+2-treated platelets, respectively, compared to 7 +/- 11% and 15 +/- 6% (mean +/- S.D., n = 3) of platelet-associated fibrinogen. These observations suggest that irreversible fragment D1 and fibrinogen binding to platelets occurs by a similar mechanism that requires neither fibrinogen alpha chain 95-97 or 572-574 RGD sequences nor multivalent ligand-receptor interactions."}
{"id": "PMID:1471073", "title": "Characterization of a Ca (II)-independent monoclonal antibody that lacks reactivity with Gla-domainless human factor VII.", "content": "Eight murine monoclonal antibodies to human factor VII have been produced and characterized. As tested by direct ELISA, all antibodies bound to immobilized factor VII and this interaction did not require Ca(II). On immunoblotting three antibodies reacted only with native factor VII and activated factor VII (rFVIIa), two with native factor VII, activated factor VII and with the light chain of reduced activated factor VII and three with reduced activated factor VIIa (light chain) only. When coupled to Sepharose five antibodies were capable of immunodepleting factor VII from normal plasma and inhibited coagulant activity with varied potencies. Among these antibodies, one (10C12.2) had peculiar characteristics, lacking reactivity with Gladomainless FVII and with the Ca(II)-dependent conformation. This antibody has been used to develop a two-site ELISA which appears to measure native factor VII but not poorly carboxylated, inactive forms of the molecule."}
{"id": "PMID:1471074", "title": "Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay of human factor VII based upon a monoclonal antibody that recognizes the native conformation of the protein.", "content": "An enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA) was developed for measuring human factor VII antigen using two monoclonal antibodies, one of them reacting only with fully carboxylated factor VII. This assay permits to measure factor VII antigen in concentrations ranging from 0.78 to 100 ng/ml, with within- and between-assay coefficients of variation of less than 7%. In 53 normal subjects, 32 patients with liver cirrhosis, 21 pregnant women and 53 patients on oral anticoagulant therapy the plasma levels of FVII antigen were very similar to those of factor VII coagulant activity measured with a bioassay. The ELISA also gave very similar values of factor VII antigen in plasma and in serum, and in plasma before and after exposure to cold, indicating that the assay is not affected by factor VII activation. In five of 8 patients with severe congenital deficiency of factor VII values of factor VII antigen were higher than those of factor VII activity. The close concordance of factor VII values obtained by ELISA and bioassay in the majority of plasmas, including those from patients on oral anticoagulant therapy, indicates that the assay measures native factor VII and can perhaps replace the bioassay systems in clinical conditions associated with normal or high levels of factor VII."}
{"id": "PMID:1471075", "title": "Hemostatic effects of ephedrine.", "content": "The effects of ephedrine on coagulation and on fibrinolysis were studied in six healthy volunteers. Six volunteers, matched by age and sex, served as untreated controls. Ephedrine was found to significantly prolong mean bleeding time by 2 minutes. Ephedrine has been proposed to activate fibrinolysis, but we found no increased tPA activity. The platelet count, APTT, factor VIII and von Willebrand factor remained constant. In an in vitro study ephedrine was found to inhibit platelet aggregation induced by adrenaline and, to some extent, also by ADP. The inhibition was competitive and not mediated via beta 2 adrenoceptor stimulation. It is concluded that there are hemostatic effects of ephedrine and that these may be of clinical relevance, the drug being very commonly used in connection with procedures where blood loss as well as venous thromboembolism are considerable problems."}
{"id": "PMID:1471082", "title": "[Serious complications related to use of corn starch powder on surgical gloves].", "content": "Cornflour has been used as a lubricant on surgical gloves since 1947. Serious complications have been reported after deposition of cornflour powder in the human body. The best known complication is granulomatous peritonitis, but cornflour granulomas have also been found in the heart, the kidneys and the central nervous system. Maltesercross, when seen in polarized light in the microscope, is pathognomonic. Malignancy and other granulomatous inflammations are actual differential diagnoses. Nowadays gloves free of lubricating powder are commercially available."}
{"id": "PMID:1471083", "title": "[4-year experiences with nasal continuous pressure in the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome].", "content": "We investigated the compliance, effects and side effects of nCPAP in 27 patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome, 26 of whom filled in a mailed questionnaire. Mean treatment time was 20 months (range 1-46 months). 24 patients (92%) still used their nCPAP. 15 patients (63%) used nCPAP six or seven nights per week, and 19 patients (79%) at least three nights per week. The effect was best and the use more frequent in patients with more than nine oxygen desaturations per hour during one night. Mean body weight was reduced from 103.5 to 100.9 kg (p = 0.01). Improved professional performance and interpersonal relationships were reported, each in ten persons. 19 patients stopped snoring and no longer felt sleepy during the day. The main reasons for interruption of treatment were travelling and nasal congestion. Some help was needed to treat skin irritation and mucosal dryness. In conclusion, most patients accepted nCPAP as long term treatment and reported improvement in quality of life."}
{"id": "PMID:1471084", "title": "[Quality control of leukocyte filtration of blood products].", "content": "Quality control of leucocyte depleted blood products has become a problem since the introduction of bedside leucocyte filtration. At our Blood Centre, this problem has been circumvented by testing a sample taken as the filtration is completed by sealing off a 10 cm piece of tubing just under the filter. We have tested four brands of erythrocyte filters, Pall RC100, Erypur Optima b, Sepacell R-200A and Sepacell R-500A(II) using two erythrocyte concentrates for each filter. We have tested two brands of thrombocyte filters, Pall PL100 with 6-8 thrombocyte concentrates, and Sepacell PL-5A with 2-6 concentrates. No transfusion should give more than 5 x 10(6) leucocytes. Pall PL100, Pall RC100 and Sepacell R-500A(II) met the criteria."}
{"id": "PMID:1471085", "title": "[Hearing loss in autoimmune diseases].", "content": "Several autoimmune disorders are associated with inner ear involvement. The resulting sensorineural loss of hearing may be improved by treatment with immunosuppressive agents. We describe a patient with oral ulcerations, systemic vasculitis, iridocyclitis and bilateral sudden deafness. After a course of systemic steroid treatment the hearing improved. Atypical Cogan's syndrome is the most likely diagnosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1471086", "title": "[Compulsory reporting of accidents and injuries in somatic hospitals. Is the existing system adequate for quality assurance?].", "content": "Doctors in Norway are obliged by law to submit reports to central authorities about injuries and risk of injury arising from medical equipment and drugs. Deaths following health care procedures must be reported to the police, and major injuries to the County Medical Officer. Most hospitals have their own rules requiring health care providers to report all incidents resulting in injury or risk of injury. The author contends that fewer than 5% of the injuries are reported. Neither the law, nor the hospital rules, require that the incidents in general are evaluated, with feed-back to the care providers. Most incidents do not seem to be evaluated. There is much left to do, both in building a set of regulations and in implementing better hospital practice, by using records of injuries and mishaps to identify and prevent further mishaps."}
{"id": "PMID:1471087", "title": "[Medical ethics and quality assurance].", "content": "Quality in medicine is by definition an ethical aim. In its common form the programme of quality control is directed at the accurate measuring of the output of health care. This programme has a good ethical foundation. We ought to know much more about results and complications, both of diagnostic and of therapeutic procedures. However, the quality assessment programme, also has potential dangers from an ethical point of view. The main problem is that it may tend to focus on simple, technical, measurable short-term indices, giving insufficient attention to important human and ethical factors. Therefore the quality control programme needs to be supplemented by other methods."}
{"id": "PMID:1471088", "title": "[Being a patient--patients' view on the quality of treatment].", "content": "The technical quality of medical treatment in Norway is generally high, whereas the functional quality of the same medical treatment varies considerably. This becomes quite apparent from complaints from patients on treatment and care. Patients expect health care services to be of consistently high quality. They increasingly expect good quality medical treatment, just like they, as consumers, expect quality goods and services elsewhere in society. Realization of the Norwegian Medical Association's resolution on medical quality assurance is an important measure, both in assuring and improving the overall quality of the care and treatment of patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1471089", "title": "[Drug therapy of Parkinson disease].", "content": "The author reviews the various strategies for treatment of Parkinson's disease by modern drugs. Either levodopa or a levodopa agonist is recommended for treatment of early Parkinson's disease. For long-term treatment, a combination of levodopa and levodopa agonist is preferable, since combined treatment appears to cause fewer side effects and motor fluctuations than does high dose monotherapy. Selegeline may be added, both in initial and long-term treatment. However, it is still uncertain whether selegeline acts only as a dopamine agonist, or also has a neuroprotective effect."}
{"id": "PMID:1471090", "title": "[Prevention of unwanted pregnancies in adolescents in a suburb--is it valuable?].", "content": "By counting cases of induced abortion among girls aged 15-19 years from 1988 to 1990 in Stovner district, Oslo, we evaluated a programme to prevent unwanted pregnancies among young women. The programme consists of several approaches, including free health services for teenagers at a special youth clinic, more education, at school and at youth clubs etc, in the use of contraceptives, and alcohol-free weekend arrangements. From 1988 to 1990 the number of abortions decreased from 35/1000 to 15/1000. Although this difference is significant (p < 0.01), one must be careful in drawing conclusions, owing to the small size of the sample."}
{"id": "PMID:1471091", "title": "[High-cost therapy. Ethical principles of allocation of scarce resources].", "content": "This article raises some ethical problems concerning high-cost therapy for malignant haematological diseases. The problem of setting priorities is discussed within the framework of utilitarianism, right-based theories and the contractarian theory of John Rawls. It is argued that utilitarianism can provide precise answers, based on the principle of allocative efficiency. However, this is not the only objective of a public health care system. The right-based approach is discussed, but sufficiently precise definitions seem hard to formulate. The contractarian approach is regarded as interesting, since it tries to address the question of trade-offs between objectives of allocative efficiency and distributive fairness."}
{"id": "PMID:1471103", "title": "[Drug therapy of depression in general practice].", "content": "The authors advocate use of the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale in general practice as a screening instrument for depression. A score of 20 and above for more than two weeks indicates a need for treatment with antidepressant drugs. The treatment should continue with full dosage for at least two months after the patient has been cured. In order to maintain the patient's quality of life, reduce risk of drug-related toxicity and improve compliance, we recommend alfa-2-receptor blocker, a selective 5HT-re-uptake inhibitor or a selective monoamino-oxidase A inhibitor as the first drug choice for treatment of depression by general practitioners. Monitoring serum levels of the drug may be helpful, especially in persons who do not respond to treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1471104", "title": "[Sexual contacts between psychotherapists and patients. A review of recent American literature].", "content": "According to research in the USA, most psychotherapists reported sexual attraction to one or more of their patients during their career. Only a small minority, however, engaged in sex with their patients. There is a subgroup among offenders (i.e. repeaters) whose views on therapist-patient sex are distorted and grossly at variance with standard professional ethics. Nine of ten patients who have been involved in sex with their therapists are harmed by it. The clinical problems they present resemble those of incest and rape victims. In terms of prevention it seems worthwhile to train students and psychotherapist trainees in ethics and in how to handle sexual feelings. Efforts to rehabilitate offenders have met with little success so far. Prevalence of doctor-patient sex does not seem to differ across most clinical medical specialties."}
{"id": "PMID:1471105", "title": "[A project on eating disorders. Increasing of competence within mental health services in treating severe eating disorders].", "content": "We describe a two-year education programme for health workers treating patients with eating disorders. The intention of the programme was partly to increase the knowledge and ability of the participants themselves, and partly to spread this knowledge to other health workers not directly involved in the programme. The programme attracted 66 participants. It was composed of theoretical lectures, group supervision, clinical work with patients with eating disorders and individual supervision as needed. Evaluation at the end of the programme showed a greater feeling of competence and more positive attitudes towards treating these particular patients. More than 80% of the participants had supervised other health workers outside the programme, and nearly 50% had held lectures on the treatment of eating disorders."}
{"id": "PMID:1471106", "title": "[Bulimia nervosa and self-reported symptoms. A questionnaire study among 32 women with bulimia nervosa].", "content": "Persons who contacted the Anorexia/Bulimia Association of Norway for information and stated that they had an eating disorder were asked to participate in this questionnaire study. The answers from the 32 women who fulfilled the DSM-III-R criteria for bulimia nervosa are presented. Usually the women's eating problems had started in the teens after a period of voluntary dieting. The mean duration of bulimia nervosa was six years. 31% had a history of anorexia nervosa. At the time of the study almost all had normal body weight, but nevertheless felt overweight. 78% practised self-induced vomiting, 22% used laxatives and 16% used diuretics to reduce weight. Depressive and anxiety symptoms were common in connection with the overeating episodes, but also more generally, which interfered with everyday life. Somatic symptoms (abdominal pain, diarrhoea, constipation, dyspepsia, headache, dry mouth and eyes, parotid gland swelling, muscular symptoms, fatigue, and oligomenorrhoea) were also common."}
{"id": "PMID:1471107", "title": "[Quality assurance in clinical medicine--from theory to practice].", "content": "So far, in Norway, quality assurance methodology has been applied mainly within medical technology, and it is now high time to involve clinical medicine. In order to develop quality assurance as a continuous process in clinical departments there is a need for clinical data programmes. Moreover, leaders of health institutions and departments must make available the necessary funds. Greater efforts must be made to develop quality standards and indicators. Clinicians need to improve their knowledge of quality assurance methods, and develop guidelines for practice, different methods of consensus, medical audits and quality circles. It is proposed that education in quality assurance be included in postgraduate training programmes."}
{"id": "PMID:1471108", "title": "[Quality assurance in a surgical department].", "content": "The quality of a given service in a surgical department depends on many factors. Most important are adequate resources, training of the surgeons and nurses and time for follow-up and clinical research. Quality standards should be defined in accordance with the international literature and results should be continuously surveyed to ensure that the agreed goals are met. This article describes various general rules and routines which have been established in our department, as well as the specific systems used to measure the quality of our surgical service in three special fields: Care of patients with tumour mammae, care of patients with gallstone disease, and prospective registration of complications for all gastroenterological patients in our surgical department."}
{"id": "PMID:1471109", "title": "[Quality assurance in an emergency department--what is it?].", "content": "To date, the medical profession has worked mainly on the improvement of medical treatment and has concentrated less on the methods used and the information given to patients and colleagues. The different aspects of quality in the daily routines are described, and some of these are used as examples of how a system for quality assurance can be developed. It is important that each department develop its own system of quality assurance adapted to local difficulties and different specialties."}
{"id": "PMID:1471110", "title": "[Knowledge about the attitude to mental disorders. An interview study prior to last autumn's TV-action].", "content": "In June 1992 a random sample of 1,191 Norwegians were interviewed about their knowledge concerning mental disorders and psychiatric research, and their attitudes in this connection. The study shows that people tend to underestimate the prevalence of mental illness, and they are less willing to talk freely about a mental disorder in the family than about cancer. People have a relatively good understanding of the aetiology of mental disorders. They are less willing, however, to support psychiatric research financially compared with cancer research."}
{"id": "PMID:1471111", "title": "[Attitude to psychiatric patients. How do people look upon alcoholics, drug addicts and psychiatric patients without addictive problems?].", "content": "This study examines the public's attitudes towards the rights of alcoholics, drug addicts and psychiatric patients without addiction problems. Positive and negative statements about these patient groups were presented to 806 Norwegian employees. The public's attitudes are far more restrictive towards alcoholics and drug addicts than towards psychiatric patients without addiction problems. The attitudes towards the latter seem to to be quite tolerant, and not very different from the attitudes concerning the rights of somatic patients. While the views on alcoholics and drug addicts are stereotyped, the attitudes towards psychiatric patients without addiction problems seem to be formed more openly, not necessarily on a group basis. Attitudes of acceptance towards alcoholics and drug addicts are more prevalent among younger than among older people."}
{"id": "PMID:1471112", "title": "[Health education in municipal health services--status 1991].", "content": "The organization and level of activity of health education were examined in a national survey among the Norwegian municipal health services in 1991. The results were compared with a similar survey conducted in 1987. In 1991, 32% of the municipalities had local health education committees compared with 24% in 1987, and 59% had budgets for health education (1987: 52%). Compared with 1987, more of the municipalities took part in national health education campaigns, but locally initiated activities had become less common. Health promotion initiatives involving the public as active participants were clearly more common than in 1987. Local health education did not depend on the size of the population or other features of the municipality. However, the level of health promotion planning and budgeting were reflected in the health education activities. Cooperation with non-governmental organizations seemed to be the most crucial factor for municipal health education for primary health personnel."}
{"id": "PMID:1471125", "title": "[Oxygen conserving nasal catheters. Oxymizer pendant].", "content": "The Oxymizer pendant consists of a 40 ml pendulating reservoir bag which is connected to the prongs by two tubes. Both reservoir and tubes serve as oxygen reservoirs. We wanted to examine if it was possible to save oxygen by changing from the usual nasal cannula to Oxymizer pendant. 11 patients with hypoxaemia due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were examined. We were able to reduce the oxygen requirement by approximately 65% without significant changes in SaO2. All 11 patients evaluated the Oxymizer pendant to be more comfortable than the usual nasal cannula."}
{"id": "PMID:1471126", "title": "[Regional anesthesia in emergency cesarean section. Quality of epidural and spinal anesthesia].", "content": "From 1987 to 1989, 97.8% of non-elective caesarean sections at Innherred general hospital were performed under regional anaesthesia (N = 271). A retrospective analysis showed that the mean time from giving the anaesthetic until start of surgery was 28.1 min. with epidural anaesthesia and 12.7 min. with spinal anaesthesia. Mean time was 25.9 and 9.3 min. respectively in cases of suspected asphyxia. In eight women primary anesthesia was unsuccessful; six received further spinal anaesthesia and two general anaesthesia. Regional anaesthesia is considered safe for the purpose, but in cases of serious asphyxia there is some controversy as to whether spinal or general anaesthesia is to be preferred."}
{"id": "PMID:1471127", "title": "[Lovastatin in primary hypercholesterolemia. A Norwegian multicenter study].", "content": "266 patients with primary hypercholesterolaemia were followed for 48 weeks at 27 different centres to evaluate the safety, tolerability and effect on plasma lipids of lovastatin ranging from 20 to 80 mg/day. Mean change from baseline after 12 weeks of treatment with lovastatin was -34% (CI:33-35) for total cholesterol, -42% (CI:40-43) for LDL-cholesterol, +14% (CI:12-17) for HDL-cholesterol and -14% (CI:10-18) for triglycerides. Combination therapy with cholestyramine (8-24 g/day) was optional, and was started in 89 patients from week 13. At week 48 only 25% of all patients had obtained the second objective of the study: a total cholesterol value below 5.2 mmol/l. At the same time 60% of all patients had a total cholesterol below 6.2 mmol/l. Four patients dropped out of the study owing to adverse clinical experience. Only three of these events were probably related to lovastatin. Six patients were withdrawn because of adverse laboratory experiences. One patient showed clinical signs of myositis and increase of CK. In severe primary hypercholesterolaemia combination therapy with lovastatin and a resin such as cholestyramine is required to obtain total cholesterol values below 5.2 mmol/l."}
{"id": "PMID:1471128", "title": "[Hyponatremia during therapy of von Willebrand's disease. A life threatening complication after desmopressin (Minitrin) infusion].", "content": "We describe a patient with moderate von Willebrand's disease who developed severe hyponatremia during prophylaxis with 1-deamino-8D-arginine vasopressin (desmopressin) to prevent bleeding in connection with surgery. This is a rare complication to desmopressin treatment in adults. Our present policy is to restrict administration of desmopressin to three 12-hourly infusions, to measure serum sodium before and during the treatment period, to determine body weight daily and to restrict administration of fluids."}
{"id": "PMID:1471129", "title": "[Quality assurance of municipal health services].", "content": "The article describes what can be done to improve quality in the Norwegian primary health services, seen from the point of view of the municipal health officer. Quality assurance is particularly important in the primary health services for the following reasons: They, i.e. the primary health services constitute a major part of the total health services, and they are unique by being a basic front-line service consisting of many small units. Compared with the rest of the health services, many of the personnel employed at these units are not fully qualified. As a consequence, we argue that setting quality standards and ensuring and improving quality in patient care must be an integrated part of the work of all primary health care personnel. Ensuring quality has been a major issue for the national health authorities in recent years, but has not yet been incorporated as a routine in the services. We give six examples where quality assurance is relevant, with references from research."}
{"id": "PMID:1471130", "title": "[Supervision as quality assurance--examplified on the continuous education in psychiatry].", "content": "Regular supervision is now compulsory for all medical specialties. This provides a good opportunity to follow the interns through their entire period of specialization, and could therefore be a good tool for quality assurance. If supervision is to function as quality assurance, firm frameworks will have to be established. The content must cover learning of practical skills and improve possibilities for reflection about one's own work and about ethical choices. The supervisor must be competent to understand the supervision as a pedagogic process, not only as an extension of knowledge nor as a purely control function. The supervisor must be open to mutual evaluation and take the responsibility to evaluate the intern's fitness for the specialty. The psychiatric specialist education is used as an example of the different aspects of supervision."}
{"id": "PMID:1471131", "title": "[Complaints--a source of quality assurance even in primary health care].", "content": "In this article we discuss the handling of complaints from consumers of primary health care. We present data from municipalities on the frequency of complaints and the ways of handling them. In primary health care complaints are not handled systematically, and are seldom referred to in internal meetings. We conclude that complaints and other reactions from consumers should be used in quality control in primary health care."}
{"id": "PMID:1471132", "title": "[Treatment of bacterial meningitis in children].", "content": "The treatment of children with bacterial meningitis includes many aspects, such as fluid and antibacterial therapy, treatment of convulsions, and prophylactic use of dexamethasone. This report focuses in particular on the prophylactic use of dexamethasone together with cefalosporines in order to reduce inflammation and neurological sequelae in this disease. Probably this approach is now justified in the treatment of meningitis caused by Haemophilus influenzae. Modern principles for fluid therapy and treatment of increased intracranial pressure are also discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1471133", "title": "[Emergency services in Norway. A questionnaire study].", "content": "A questionnaire survey of primary health care emergency services in Norway (1991) covered 71 municipalities organized into 43 regions containing about 15% of the Norwegian population. The large cities are excluded. Long distances to travel and frequent duty periods cause some problems, but not for the majority of the population or doctors who participated in the survey. In several regions, a significant part of the service is covered by locums. Written directives for the services are rare. The availability of the doctor on duty falls short several places, owing to lack of satisfactory routines and the occasional need to accompany a patient to hospital. In more than half the regions communication systems are unsatisfactory and will have to be upgraded. In almost half the regions emergency telephone calls are sometimes answered by staff without a medical background. A code of practice or central regulation are suggested as possible ways of improving the services."}
{"id": "PMID:1471134", "title": "[Information systems for health and social care planning. Information basis and information channels in the municipalities].", "content": "The Norwegian Government has started to develop a new system for a better exchange of information between the central and the local authorities when planning health and social services. The plan is to base the system on nationwide collection and delivery of standardized indicators which will signal trends and enable comparisons. Several conclusions from an interview survey indicate that the new information system will not be particularly useful. Local authorities believe that their information is good enough already, and have little confidence in statistics prepared by the central authorities. On the other hand many of them called for more statistics that would enable comparisons between neighbouring municipalities, and several had themselves taken the initiative to collect data on various local needs and activities."}
{"id": "PMID:1471142", "title": "Effect of an anti-HLA class I monoclonal antibody on the antigenic and transcriptional expression of HLA class I genes in U937 cells.", "content": "The phenomenon of antigenic modulation was studied in the histiocytic lymphoma line U937. A redistribution of cell surface HLA antigen after incubation of U937 cells with the monomorphic anti-HLA class I monoclonal antibody W6/32 was demonstrated by immunofluorescence analysis. As assessed by hybridization of RNA obtained from W6/32-treated U937 cells with a probe corresponding to the alpha 3 domain of HLA Cw3, prolonged W6/32 incubation (24 to 72 hours) induced a decrease in HLA class I transcript abundance. This decrease was about 25% as compared with untreated control cells. These data indicate that W6/32 incubation can induce changes in HLA class I gene expression not only at the antigenic but also at the transcriptional level. Possible implications for the molecular basis of antigenic modulation are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1471143", "title": "HLA structure of the Sardinian population: a haplotype study of 551 families.", "content": "A study on the HLA structure of the Sardinian population was carried out on 551 healthy unrelated families representing all of the island districts. Altogether 2202 HLA-A, B, Cw, DR individual haplotypes and 853 different haplotypes were determined. Cavalli-Sforza and Edwards' genetic distance index for the total of 62 tested alleles showed a modest heterogeneity between one district and another (0.09-0.16). The genetic distance between Sardinians and the rest of the Italian population was 0.23 (0.22-0.26) and progressively increased in comparisons with caucasoids (0.26), negroids (0.34) and mongoloids (0.41). Sixty-three two-locus haplotypes with a high positive linkage disequilibrium were observed in our family sample. The percentages of two-locus haplotypes in LD shared with other populations turned out to be 45% with caucasoids, 20% with negroids and 10% with mongoloids. The distribution of the A, B, Cw, DR haplotypes is shown with 673 of them represented only once or twice, and 10 (1.2%) 14-322 times each. Of the latter, 8 are extended haplotypes, 6 of which characterize the Sardinian population. The analysis of our data suggests that the present-day Sardinian population is the result of a superposition of different populations, mainly consisting of caucasoids on a pre-caucasoid paleo-Mediterranean substratum."}
{"id": "PMID:1471144", "title": "Analysis of HLA-DR types of unexplained recurrent spontaneous aborters in the Japanese population by oligonucleotide-DNA typing.", "content": "To examine whether unexplained recurrent spontaneous abortion (URSA), defined as 2 or more consecutive spontaneous abortions, is correlated with a particular DR type in the Japanese population, we determined the HLA-DR types of 82 primary aborters and 21 secondary aborters by DNA typing utilizing the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and hybridization with sequence-specific oligonucleotides (SSOs). The DR gene frequencies of the patient group were compared with those of a normal group at three different levels of DR-definition (27, 13 and 11 DR types). At none of the three levels of comparison was any particular DR type with a frequency differing significantly between the patient and normal groups detected in Japanese URSA patients. Furthermore, we examined whether URSA was correlated with the degree of compatibility of HLA-DR antigen within patients and their husbands. Comparison of the DR compatibility between patients and normal couples was made in two different ways, i.e., comparison of the numbers of couples with mismatches and comparison of the average number of mismatches. For either of these two comparisons, we observed no difference in DR compatibility between patients and normal couples. Our results suggest that URSA is not correlated with any particular DR type and that the condition cannot be explained simply by DR compatibility between husband and wife."}
{"id": "PMID:1471146", "title": "Dendritic cells and cutaneous immune responses to chemical allergens.", "content": "This article reviews the role of epidermal Langerhans cells (LC) in the development of cutaneous immune responses to chemical allergens. Following topical exposure to sensitizing chemicals, LC, many of which bear allergen, are induced to migrate from the skin, via the afferent lymphatics, to the draining lymph nodes. The phenotypic and functional changes to which LC are subject during this process and their development into active immunostimulatory cells closely resembling lymphoid dendritic cells is discussed. The migration and maturation of LC following skin sensitization is of critical importance to the effective presentation of chemical allergens to T lymphocytes and the induction of allergic responses. Evidence is reviewed which suggests that these events are initiated and regulated by epidermal cytokines. The conclusion drawn is that an early event during the induction of skin sensitization is the production by keratinocytes of cytokines which stimulate the migration of LC from the skin and which also result in the functional maturation of LC into potent antigen-presenting cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1471147", "title": "Alterations in the morphology and functional activity of bone marrow phagocytes following benzene treatment of mice.", "content": "Benzene is a well-established hematotoxin that affects developing leukocytes and erythrocytes as well as bone marrow stromal cells. In the present studies we analyzed the effects of benzene on the morphology and functional activity of bone marrow phagocytes. Male Balb/c mice were treated with benzene (660 mg/kg) once per day for 3 days. Bone marrow cells were then isolated and fractionated by density gradient centrifugation. Using highly sensitive techniques in flow cytometry/cell sorting, we found that we could separate three distinct populations of bone marrow cells that differed with respect to size and density. Monoclonal antibody binding and cell sorting revealed a large, dense population that consisted predominantly of granulocytes, a smaller, less dense population of lymphocytes, and a population of intermediate size and density consisting of mononuclear phagocytes and precursor cells. Differential staining of sorted mononuclear phagocytes revealed that benzene treatment of mice caused a marked increase in the number of mature, morphologically activated macrophages in the bone marrow. Benzene treatment of mice also resulted in enhanced chemotaxis and production of hydrogen peroxide by bone marrow granulocytes and mononuclear phagocytes. In contrast, treatment of mice with the combination of hydroquinone and phenol (50 mg/kg each, 1 x/day, 3 days), two metabolites of benzene, resulted in a significant (p < or = 0.02) depression of granulocyte chemotaxis and had no effect on hydrogen peroxide production by bone marrow phagocytes compared to cells from control animals. Taken together these results demonstrate that benzene causes increased differentiation and/or activation of phagocytes in the bone marrow."}
{"id": "PMID:1471148", "title": "In vitro and in vivo effect of methyl isocyanate on rat liver mitochondrial respiration.", "content": "Previous work has shown that irrespective of the route of exposure methyl isocyanate (MIC) caused acute lactic acidosis in rats (Jeevaratnam et al., Arch. Environ. Contam. Toxicol. 19, 314-319, 1990) and the hypoxia was of stagnant type due to tissue hypoperfusion resulting from hypovolemic hypotension in rabbits administered MIC subcutaneously (Jeevarathinam et al., Toxicology 51, 223-240, 1988). The present study was designed to investigate whether MIC could induce histotoxic hyperoxia through its effects on mitochondrial respiration. Male Wistar rats were used for liver mitochondrial and submitochondrial particle (SMP) preparation. Addition of MIC to tightly coupled mitochondria in vitro resulted in stimulation of state 4 respiration, abolition of respiratory control, decrease in ADP/O ratio, and inhibition of state 3 oxidation. The oxidation of NAD(+)-linked substrates (glutamate + malate) was more sensitive (five- to sixfold) to the inhibitory action of MIC than succinate while cytochrome oxidase remained unaffected. MIC induced twofold delay in the onset of anerobiosis, and cytochrome b reduction in SMP with NADH in vitro confirms inhibition of electron transport at complex I region. MIC also stimulated the ATPase activity in tightly coupled mitochondria while lipid peroxidation remained unaffected. As its hydrolysis products, methylamine and N,N'-dimethylurea failed to elicit any change in vitro; these effects reveal that MIC per se acts as an inhibitor of electron transport and a weak uncoupler. Administration of MIC sc at lethal dose caused a similar change only with NAD(+)-linked substrates, reflecting impairment of mitochondrial respiration at complex I region and thereby induction of histotoxic hypoxia in vivo."}
{"id": "PMID:1471149", "title": "Dynamic changes in the distribution of the calcium-activated neutral protease in human red blood cells following cellular insult and altered Ca2+ homeostasis.", "content": "Mechanistic studies were conducted to examine the relationship between oxidative membrane protein damage, altered Ca2+ homeostasis, and changes in the levels of plasma membrane-bound Ca(2+)-activated neutral protease, microCANP. Alterations in the levels of plasma membrane-bound microCANP in erythrocytes and hemolysate following cumene hydroperoxide (CHP) insult were monitored using SDS-PAGE and immunoblot analyses. Free radical scavengers, antioxidant and EGTA effects on membrane-bound microCANP levels in CHP-treated cells and hemolysate were also examined. CHP (2 mM) addition to red cells caused a significant decrease/loss in intensity of numerous protein bands in the SDS-PAGE pattern, to include bands 1, 2, 2.1, 4.1, 4.2, and an approximately 60-kDa protein. N-acetylcysteine (20 mM), dithiothreitol (50 mM), and dimethylthiourea (50 mM) diminished CHP-mediated membrane protein damage; in contrast, dimethylfuran (50 mM) exacerbated CHP-mediated membrane protein damage. Dimethylsulfoxide (50 mM) was without significant effect. The free radical scavengers and antioxidants differentially affected membrane-bound microCANP levels largely in parallel with their ability to modulate membrane protein damage. Immunoblot analysis of 1 mM CHP-treated red cells revealed a time-dependent loss of membrane-bound microCANP, with a complete loss of microCANP monitored at 8 hr. Treatment of erythrocytes with CHP also resulted in concentration-dependent alterations in the level of membrane-bound microCANP: at 0.5 or 1.0 mM CHP a decreased level of membrane-bound microCANP was detected relative to control, whereas an increase in the level of bound enzyme was monitored from 2 to 4 mM CHP. CHP addition to hemolysate produced a decrease in membrane-bound microCANP levels comparable to that observed with erythrocytes; addition of the Ca2+ chelator EGTA or Calpain Inhibitor I (N-acetyl-leucyl-leucyl-leucyl-nor-leucinal) to hemolysate effectively inhibited this decrease. In contrast, treatment of erythrocytes with Ca2+ in the presence of the Ca2+ ionophore A23187 resulted in change in the SDS-PAGE protein bands and membrane-bound microCANP levels that were comparable to those produced by CHP. Inclusion of EGTA in this system prevented microCANP binding. These data provide evidence for membrane damage and concomitant dynamic alterations in membrane-bound microCANP levels in the red cell or hemolysate following oxidative insult, and show that this process can be modulated by free radical scavengers and antioxidant, simulated by treating cells with Ca2+ in the presence of ionophore, and inhibited by EGTA or Calpain Inhibitor I."}
{"id": "PMID:1471150", "title": "Use of cholinesterases as pretreatment drugs for the protection of rhesus monkeys against soman toxicity.", "content": "Purified fetal bovine serum acetylcholinesterase (FBS AChE) and horse serum butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) were successfully used as single pretreatment drugs for the prevention of pinacolyl methylphosphonofluoridate (soman) toxicity in nonhuman primates. Eight rhesus monkeys, trained to perform Primate Equilibrium Platform (PEP) tasks, were pretreated with FBS AChE or BChE and challenged with a cumulative level of five median lethal doses (LD50) of soman. All ChE-pretreated monkeys survived the soman challenge and showed no symptoms of soman toxicity. A quantitative linear relation was observed between the soman dose and the neutralization of blood ChE. None of the four AChE-pretreated animals showed PEP task decrements, even though administration of soman irreversibly inhibited nearly all of the exogenously administered AChE. In two of four BChE-pretreated animals, a small transient PEP performance decrement occurred when the cumulative soman dose exceeded 4 LD50. Performance decrements observed under BChE protection were modest by the usual standards of organophosphorus compound toxicity. No residual or delayed performance decrements or other untoward effects were observed during 6 weeks of post-exposure testing with either ChE."}
{"id": "PMID:1471151", "title": "An in vitro model for assessing muscle irritation of antibiotics using rat primary cultured skeletal muscle fibers.", "content": "This study examined the possibility of using rat primary cultured skeletal muscle fiber to estimate the muscle irritation of antibiotics. The cells were exposed to cefaloridine (CER), cefazolin sodium (CEZ), flomoxef sodium (FMOX), cefamandole sodium (CMD), latamoxef sodium (LMOX), or cefalotin sodium (CET) at concentrations of 0 (control), 31.25, 62.5, 125, and 250 mg/ml in culture medium for 1 hr on Day 11 of culture. Cellular creatine kinase (CK) activity was measured as an indication of cell injury. The concentration of the antibiotic, at which CK activity decreased to 50% of the control (depletion concentration 50%, DC50), was utilized as an index of cytotoxicity. DC50s of CER, CEZ, FMOX, CMD, LMOX, and CET were estimated to be 406.7, 311.1, 211.6, 132.7, 114.2, and 56.5 mg/ml, respectively. There was a good correlation between DC50 obtained in the present in vitro test and the irritation volume in the in vivo test. These results suggest that the in vitro system using rat primary cultured skeletal muscle fibers is a useful alternative model for in vivo rabbit study to evaluate muscle irritation."}
{"id": "PMID:1471152", "title": "Nephrotoxicity of the 1:1 acrolein-glutathione adduct in the rat.", "content": "Previous metabolic studies in rats have suggested in vivo formation of the acrolein-glutathione (acrolein-GSH) adduct following administration of the highly reactive alpha, beta-unsaturated aldehyde acrolein. Early studies by several investigators demonstrated that similar compounds such as alpha, beta-unsaturated aldehyde-cysteine adducts have toxic (carcinostatic) activity against Ehrlich ascites tumor cells implanted in mice. The current studies investigated the in vivo toxicity associated with the acrolein-GSH adduct in the male Sprague-Dawley rat. The 1:1 acrolein-GSH adduct was synthesized and characterized by physical-chemical methods. Rats given the acrolein-GSH adduct intravenously at 0.5 or 1 mmol/kg developed nephrotoxicity characterized by glucosuria, proteinuria, elevation in serum urea nitrogen, and gross and histologic changes of the kidney. The toxicity was not affected by pretreatment of rats with pyrazole, an alcohol dehydrogenase inhibitor; disulfiram, an inhibitor of aldehyde dehydrogenases; or probenecid, a renal organic anion transport inhibitor. Administration of a similar but nonaldehydic glutathione conjugate, S-n-propylglutathione, did not result in nephrotoxicity in the rat. The nephrotoxicity induced by the acrolein-GSH adduct was inhibited by acivicin, a gamma-glutamyl-transpeptidase inhibitor. These results indicate that the acrolein-GSH adduct requires processing through the first step of the renal mercapturic acid synthesis pathway to be activated to a toxic species."}
{"id": "PMID:1471153", "title": "Dapsone-induced hemolytic anemia: effect of N-hydroxy dapsone on the sulfhydryl status and membrane proteins of rat erythrocytes.", "content": "Dapsone hydroxylamine (DDS-NOH), a known metabolite of dapsone, has recently been shown to be a direct-acting hemotoxin responsible in part for dapsone-induced hemolytic anemia in the rat. The effect of DDS-NOH on the morphology, sulfhydryl status, and membrane skeletal proteins of the rat red cell has been investigated. Exposure of rat red cells to a TC50 of DDS-NOH induced transformation of about 50% of the cells to an extreme echinocyte morphology. Reduced glutathione content of the cells was rapidly lost with concomitant increase in the formation of mixed disulfide between glutathione and the soluble protein of the cell. Oxidized glutathione content of the cells did not increase at any time during exposure to DDS-NOH. Examination of the skeletal membrane proteins by SDS-PAGE indicated that DDS-NOH caused the apparent loss of band 4.2, decrease in peaks 1, 2.1, and 3, and the appearance of new bands at about 16, 27, 40, and 54 kDa. Bands 4.1 and 7 appeared unchanged. Treatment of DDS-NOH altered proteins with dithiothreitol, reversed the protein changes, and indicated that the observed alterations were due to the formation of disulfide-linked adducts between hemoglobin and the various skeletal proteins as well as between hemoglobin monomers. The possible significance of the parallel changes in cell morphology and in membrane skeletal proteins for the premature splenic sequestration of the injured rat red cells is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1471154", "title": "Local application of neuropathic organophosphorus compounds to hen sciatic nerve: inhibition of neuropathy target esterase and peripheral neurological impairments.", "content": "Diisopropyl phosphorofluoridate (DFP), mipafox, cresylsaligenyl phosphate, and phenylsaligenyl phosphate were applied to a 1.5-cm segment of the common trunk of the sciatic nerve in adult hens. At doses of 18-182 micrograms mipafox and 9-110 micrograms DFP, inhibition of neuropathy target esterase (NTE) for the treated segment was over 80%, whereas for the adjacent distal and proximal segments inhibition was under 40%, 15 min after application. NTE was not affected in the peripheral distal terminations arising from the common sciatic nerve (peroneal branches), contralateral sciatic nerve, brain, and spinal cord. A 24-hr study suggested a displacement of the activity-free region toward more distal segments of the nerve. All animals treated with 55 and 110 micrograms DFP or 110 micrograms mipafox lost a characteristic avian retraction reflex in the treated leg 9-15 days after dosing, suggesting peripheral neurological alterations. Only hens dosed at the maximum dose in both extremities presented alterations in motility (Grade 1 or 2 on a 0-8 scale), suggesting no significant central nervous system alterations. Electron microscopy of peroneal branches showed axon swelling and accumulation of smooth endoplasmic reticulum similar to animals dosed systemically (s.c.) with 1-2 mg/kg DFP. The branches also contained granular and electron-dense materials, as well as some intraaxonal and intramyelinic vacuolization. Clinical effects were not observed in animals protected with a 30 mg/kg (s.c.) dose of phenylmethanesulphonyl fluoride. It is concluded that the peripheral neurological effects of local dosing correlate with the specific modification of NTE in a segment of sciatic nerve and that the axon is a more likely target than the perikaryon or nerve terminal in the triggering mechanism of this axonopathy."}
{"id": "PMID:1471155", "title": "Examination of potential mechanism(s) of metallothionein induction by diethyl maleate.", "content": "Diethyl maleate (DEM) is a glutathione-depleting agent that can increase the levels of the sulfhydryl-rich protein metallothionein (MT) in liver. The purpose of the present study was to examine the mechanism(s) by which DEM increases mouse hepatic MT levels. DEM appears to be an indirect MT inducer as suggested by the lack of increase in MT levels when cultured mouse hepatocytes were exposed to DEM. Four possible mechanisms by which indirect MT inducers may cause an elevation in MT concentrations in liver were examined. Zn levels did not increase prior to the increase in hepatic MT, thus, a Zn redistribution to the liver is not the cause of the liver MT induction by DEM. The adrenal gland products were not required for MT induction in liver, as adrenalectomy did not abolish the increase in hepatic MT caused by DEM. The elevation in liver MT does not appear to be due solely to the decrease in liver glutathione (60%) in the initial hour after DEM, because phorone, which decreases liver glutathione (80%), produced only a fourfold increase in hepatic MT. Activation of macrophages does not seem to account for the rise in liver MT levels, as there was no increase in abundance of cytokine mRNAs for TNF-alpha, IL-1 beta, or IL-6 in the liver. These data suggest that the induction of hepatic MT by DEM does not occur in response to (1) an increase in liver Zn that precedes the increase in liver MT, (2) release of adrenal gland products, (3) decrease in liver glutathione, or (4) increased cytokine gene expression."}
{"id": "PMID:1471156", "title": "Induction of hepatic metallothionein by paraquat.", "content": "Paraquat, a frequently used contact herbicide, produces oxidative stress by undergoing redox cycling and generating reactive oxygen species. Paraquat is also effective at increasing hepatic levels of metallothionein (MT). The mechanism(s) by which agents that induce oxidative stress produce increases in MT concentrations is not yet known. Therefore, the goal of the current study was to characterize the elevation in hepatic MT produced by paraquat administration to mice and to examine potential mechanism(s) of this increase. A dose-response study for increases in MT showed that administration of 0.1 to 0.5 mmol/kg of paraquat, sc, increased hepatic MT with a maximal increase of 36-fold. Subsequent studies were carried out with paraquat at a dose (0.3 mmol/kg, sc) that caused oxidative stress, as shown by a 35-fold increase in the biliary excretion of oxidized glutathione. There were coordinate elevations of both hepatic MT-I and MT-II mRNA of approximately 5-fold with peaks at both 6 and 24 hr after paraquat. The time course for the elevation in hepatic MT protein following paraquat treatment showed that MT levels had a maximal increase of 18-fold obtained at 36 hr. Paraquat appears to be an indirect MT inducer, in that there were no elevations in MT when cultured mouse hepatocytes were exposed to paraquat. No rise in liver Zn was observed prior to the increase in hepatic MT, thus, a Zn redistribution to the liver did not cause the increase in hepatic MT following paraquat administration. Adrenalectomy did not abolish the increase in MT produced by paraquat, suggesting that adrenal gland products are not required for the increase in MT produced by paraquat. In conclusion, the chemical mediator responsible for the increase in hepatic MT after paraquat was not determined, but the elevation in MT concentration appears to be due to increased transcription."}
{"id": "PMID:1471157", "title": "Accumulation and degradation of the protein moiety of cadmium-metallothionein (CdMT) in the mouse kidney.", "content": "Of major concern in Cd toxicity is its ability to produce renal damage after chronic exposure in humans and experimental animals. Renal injury affects predominantly the proximal tubules and more specifically the first segments of these tubules. Similar toxic effects to the kidneys are observed after administration of cadmium bound to metallothionein (CdMT). Therefore, CdMT was used in this study as a model to understand the mechanism(s) of Cd nephrotoxicity. It has been recently demonstrated that Cd from CdMT was preferentially taken up by the proximal convoluted tubules. Therefore, the purpose of these studies was to determine if the organic portion of the complex was also accumulated in these tubules. [35S]CdMT prepared from rat liver was administered intravenously to mice at a nonnephrotoxic dose (0.1 mg Cd/kg). The radioactivity in the kidney showed maximum level (80% of the dose) 15 min after the injection. This preferential renal uptake was also observed after administration of various doses of [35S]CdMT. In contrast to the earlier observed persistency of 109Cd in the kidney after 109CdMT administration, 35S disappeared rapidly (with a half-life of approximately 2 hr), and 24 hr after injection of [35S]CdMT, there was very little 35S left in the kidneys. These observations indicate that the protein portion of CdMT is rapidly degraded after renal uptake of CdMT and the released Cd is retained in the kidney. Within the kidney, 35S distributed mainly to the cortex. Light microscopic autoradiography showed that [35S]CdMT preferentially distributed to the proximal convoluted tubule (S1 and S2), which is the site of nephrotoxicity. Within the S1 and S2 segments, a greater distribution of 35S to the apical portion of the cells was observed after administration of both a nonnephrotoxic (0.1 mg Cd/kg) and a nephrotoxic (0.3 mg Cd/kg) dose. 109Cd administered as 109CdMT also distributed to the apical portion of the S1 and S2 cells. Therefore, both the organic (35S) and inorganic (109Cd) portions of CdMT are rapidly and efficiently taken up by the S1 and S2 cells of the proximal tubules, the site of nephrotoxicity. These observations support the concept that CdMT is readily taken up by the proximal tubular cells as a complex, and then its protein portion is rapidly degraded to release Cd that binds permanently to intracellular sites and produces nephrotoxicity."}
{"id": "PMID:1471158", "title": "A putative lectin-binding receptor mediates cadmium-evoked calcium release.", "content": "Nanomolar concentrations of cadmium (Cd2+) produce an immediate rise in free Ca2+ in human dermal fibroblasts, which is mostly caused by the release of stored Ca2+ via inositol trisphosphate. Here we have used lectins to evaluate the hypothesis that a cell surface glycoprotein mediates the response to Cd2+. A prior incubation with wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) or certain other lectins inhibited calcium release evoked by Cd2+. WGA reversibly inhibited Cd(2+)-evoked calcium release as indicated by measurements of cytosolic free Ca2+ and 45Ca2+ efflux. WGA half-maximally inhibited Ca2+ release at 1.2 x 10(-7) M. The Kd for the binding of fluoresceinylated WGA was 2.8 x 10(-7) M. Chitotriose dissociated fluoresceinylated WGA from the cells and restored cadmium responsiveness. WGA inhibited Cd(2+)-evoked 45Ca2+ efflux similarly at 18 and 37 degrees C. A brief incubation with chitotriose at 18 or 10 degrees C reversed the inhibition by WGA. WGA neither bound 109Cd2+ nor affected 109Cd2+ uptake by the cells. Succinylated WGA, which binds N-acetylglucosamine but not N-acetylneuraminic acid, failed to inhibit Ca2+ release evoked by Cd2+. WGA probably inhibits Ca2+ release produced by Cd2+ by binding to N-acetylneuraminic acid in the external domain of a plasma membrane receptor."}
{"id": "PMID:1471159", "title": "Incorporation of [35S]sulfate into glomerular membranes of rats chronically exposed to cadmium and its relation with urinary glycosaminoglycans and proteinuria.", "content": "The aim of the present work was to assess the effects of long-term exposure to Cd on the sulfatation of glomerular membranes and their relation with proteinuria and urinary glycosaminoglycans (GAG). For this purpose the in vitro incorporation of [35S]sulfate was investigated in female Sprague-Dawley rats given 100 ppm of Cd in drinking water for 7 months. When compared with their controls, glomeruli from Cd-treated rats showed a 12.8% decrease in the incorporation of the label into glomerular membranes. This effect, which was not explained by differences in viability or in sulfate uptake by the glomeruli, suggests that sulfatation of glomerular membranes is impaired in Cd-treated rats. In support of this, in another independent experiment, a decrease, 17.4% on average, of the sulfate content of glomerular membranes was observed in long-term Cd-treated rats (100 ppm in drinking water for 4 months). This effect was significantly correlated with albuminuria and transferrinuria but not with beta 2-microglobinuria, suggesting that a loss of heparan sulfate of the glomerular capillary wall could be involved in the Cd-induced glomerular proteinuria. On the other hand an enhanced urinary excretion of GAG, negatively correlated with the sulfate content of glomerular membranes, was also observed in Cd-treated rats. Moreover GAG excretion was associated with tubular and glomerular proteinuria, which suggests that GAG might be a useful marker of Cd-induced nephrotoxicity."}
{"id": "PMID:1471160", "title": "Isolation and structure determination of natural analogues of the mycotoxin ochratoxin A produced by Aspergillus ochraceus.", "content": "Three new natural mycotoxins, analogues of ochratoxin A, in which the phenylalanine moiety is replaced by serine, hydroxyproline or lysine, were isolated from cultures of Aspergillus ochraceus by TLC followed by HPLC column chromatography. Their structures were determined after acidic hydrolysis by the characterisation of both their amino acid moieties and of ochratoxin alpha, the chlorinated dihydroisocoumarin moiety of ochratoxin A. These structures were confirmed by mass spectrum analysis."}
{"id": "PMID:1471161", "title": "Differences of draining lymph node cell proliferation among mice, rats and guinea pigs following exposure to metal allergens.", "content": "Contact sensitivities of three well known metal allergens (nickel sulfate, potassium dichromate and cobalt chloride) were examined using the local lymph node assay in CBA/N mice, F344 rats and Hartley guinea pigs. The effect of various species sera on lymph node cell (LNC) proliferation was also investigated. Exposure to potassium dichromate and cobalt chloride induced significant LNC proliferative responses in the three species. The LNC responses to potassium dichromate in the rats were higher than those in the mice and guinea pigs. Mice exhibited the highest response to cobalt chloride among the three species, whereas, exposure to nickel sulfate failed to induce a marked LNC proliferation. Increased draining lymph node weights and LNC numbers were also observed following exposure to the metal salts. However, these parameters were less sensitive compared with the LNC proliferative response. There was a large difference in the lymph node weight between individual guinea pigs. The [methyl-3H]thymidine incorporation into LNC of each species cultured in the presence of the homologous serum in vitro was lower than in the presence or absence of fetal calf serum. However, there was no significant difference in stimulation indices among the different culture conditions. The local lymph node assay may be performed in rats as well as in mice for the detection of metal allergens."}
{"id": "PMID:1471162", "title": "Cholesterol and mevalonic acid modulation in cell metabolism and multiplication.", "content": "Cholesterol in animals is a major structural component of cell membranes. It may therefore play a functional role in the modulation of cell osmolarity, the process of pinocytosis and the activities of membrane-associated proteins such as ionic pumps, immune responses, etc. A major relationship exists between the cell-growth processes and the cholesterol biosynthetic pathway. The cholesterol needed for new membranes may be derived either from endogenous synthesis or from exogenous sources, principally plasma low-density-lipoproteins (LDL) which enter the cells by receptor-mediated endocytosis. Both these pathways are enhanced in rapidly growing cells. Conversely, if synthesis is inhibited and no exogenous cholesterol is available, cell growth is blocked. The 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl CoA (HMGCoA) reductase (the rate-limiting reaction in cholesterol biosynthesis) is the enzyme which catalyzes the conversion of HMGCoA to mevalonic acid. It has been suggested that mevalonate may play an important role in cell proliferation. All cells need at least two products synthesized from mevalonate in order to proliferate, and the only one yet identified is cholesterol. Other melavonate-derived potential candidates as cell-cycle and cell-survival products include the dolichols ubiquinone side chains, isopentenyladenosine derivatives, etc. Furthermore, it has recently been shown that membrane association appears to be an important function in mevalonate-derive modifications of several important proteins such as cellular membrane G proteins, those coded for by oncogenes (ras proteins) and lamins (nuclear proteins). In recent years the development of cholesterol-synthesis-inhibiting drugs, for lowering plasma cholesterol levels has mainly been centred on the control of HMGCoA reductase activity (vastatins). However, because mevalonic acid is the precursor of numerous metabolites, any reduction of such activity may potentiate pleiotropic effects. Vastatins are now, therefore, receiving increased attention as potential pharmacological tools for the control of abnormal cell growth in pathological situations, i.e. tumours and vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation under atherogenic conditions. In our laboratories, we have demonstrated that simvastatin can prevent arterial myocyte proliferation both in vivo and in vitro. Simvastatin can also inhibit in vitro the rate of human glioma cell growth, since it shows a strong synergistic inhibitory effect on cell proliferation when used in association with anticancer agents such as Carmustine or beta-interferon. Both simvastatin-induced cell growth inhibition and the synergy observed with these drugs can be completely reversed by incubating cells with mevalonate. This shows that the effect of simvastatin of cell proliferation is due to its specific inhibitory activity on intracellular mevalonate synthesis."}
{"id": "PMID:1471163", "title": "The popliteal lymph node assay: a tool for studying the mechanisms of drug-induced autoimmune disorders.", "content": "Whereas it is still impossible to predict the risk for organ-specific drug-induced autoimmune disorders in animals, a large body of evidence suggests that the popliteal lymph node assay (PLNA) in mice or rats is instrumental to predict systemic drug-induced autoimmune disorders. Metabolites may be involved instead of the parent molecules in a few instances as shown by studies using animals pretreated with enzyme inducers. Histological examination can help distinguish primary irritants, contact sensitizers and 'autoimmunogenic' compounds. That a Graft-vs-Host (GvH)-like mechanism may be involved was further substantiated by the finding that histological features of a positive PLNA response to, e.g. streptozotocin, were quite similar to those of a 'true' local GvH response. In addition, this model is expected to be useful to improve our understanding of the mechanism(s) involved in systemic autoimmune reactions by studying the profile of PLN lymphocyte subpopulations and of released cytokines."}
{"id": "PMID:1471164", "title": "Molecular basis for differences in susceptibility to toxicants: introduction.", "content": "Many toxicants depend upon metabolism for their elimination and/or conversion to the toxic species. As a consequence, differences in metabolism can have a profound influence on interspecies and interindividual susceptibility to toxicity. Until relatively recently, the molecular basis for such differences were not known. However, over the past decade and a half, our understanding of the factors controlling the expression and regulation of the enzymes of drug metabolism has increased dramatically. Thus, the molecular basis of the common polymorphisms of drug metabolism in man, in CYP2D6 (debrisoquine 4-hydroxylase) and NAT2 (arylamine N-acetyltransferase) has been determined, and considerable progress has been made in elucidating the regulatory control of inducible enzymes such as CYP1A1 and CYP4A1. The number of drug metabolising enzymes subject to genetic polymorphism in man is not known, but rare genetic differences in enzymes such as epoxide hydrolase are increasingly being implicated in susceptibility to toxicants previously attributed to idiosyncrasy Indeed, the whole concept of idiosyncrasy in reactions to toxicants is being rendered obsolete by such advances. As information on the basis of differences in susceptibility accrues, the challenge is to apply this knowledge in identifying the \"at risk\" population. Although much progress has been made in this area, there are still many unanswered questions. What controls the tissue, and indeed cell, selective expression of some enzymes of drug metabolism? What is the molecular basis of species differences in specificity? And most importantly, what factors beyond metabolism are involved in determining susceptibility, and how do these interact with differences in metabolism?"}
{"id": "PMID:1471165", "title": "Genetically determined differences in drug metabolism as a risk factor in drug toxicity.", "content": "Drug metabolizing enzymes are of paramount importance in drug detoxification as well as chemical mutagenesis, carcinogenesis and toxicity via metabolic activation. Thus genetically determined differences in the activity of these enzymes can influence individual susceptibility to adverse drug reactions, drug induced diseases and certain types of chemically induced cancers. The genetic polymorphisms of three human drug metabolizing enzymes, namely N-acetyltransferase and two cytochrome P-450 isozymes (P-4502D6: debrisoquine/sparteine polymorphism, P-4502C8-10: mephenytoin polymorphism) have been firmly established. Based on the metabolic handling of certain probe drugs, the population can be divided into two phenotypes: the rapid acetylator/extensive metabolizer and slow acetylator/poor metabolizer. These polymorphisms have provided useful tools to study the relationship between genetically determined differences in the activity of drug metabolizing enzymes and the risk for adverse drug reactions and certain types of chemically-induced diseases and cancers. With regard to the susceptibility of the two phenotypes, drug mediated toxicity for the following scenarios can be anticipated. (1) The toxicity of the drug is caused by the parent compound and the elimination of the drug proceeds exclusively via the polymorphic enzyme. No alternate pathways of biotransformation are available. Thus the slow acetylator/poor metabolizer phenotype will be more prone to such a type of toxicity since, at the same level of exposure, this phenotype will accumulate the drug as a result of impaired metabolism (e.g. isoniazid polyneuropathy, perhexiline polyneuropathy, pesticide induced Parkinsons disease). (2) The polymorphic pathway is a major route of detoxification. Impairment of this pathway shifts the metabolism to an alternate pathway via which a reactive intermediate is being formed. In such a situation the slow acetylator/poor metabolizer phenotype constitutes a major risk factor for toxicity (e.g. isoniazid hepatotoxicity). (3) The toxicity is mediated by a reactive intermediate generated by a polymorphic enzyme. Hence extensive metabolizers are at a much higher risk than poor metabolizers to develop toxicity or cancer (e.g. bronchial carcinoma in smokers, not chemically induced aggressive bladder cancer)."}
{"id": "PMID:1471166", "title": "Acetyltransferases and susceptibility to chemicals.", "content": "Arylamine chemicals inflict a number of toxicities including cancer. Metabolic activation (i.e., oxidation) is required in order to elicit the toxic actions. Acetylation is an important step in the metabolic activation and deactivation of arylamines. N-acetylation forms the amide derivative which is often nontoxic. However, O-acetylation of the N-hydroxyarylamine (following oxidation) yields an acetoxy arylamine derivative which breaks down spontaneously to a highly reactive arylnitrenium ion, the ultimate metabolite responsible for mutagenic and carcinogenic lesions. Human capacity to acetylate arylamine chemicals is subject to a genetic polymorphism. Individuals segregate into rapid, intermediate, or slow acetylator phenotypes by Mendelian inheritance regulated by a single gene encoding for a polymorphic acetyltransferase isozyme (NAT2). Individuals homozygous for mutant alleles are deficient in the polymorphic acetyltransferase and are slow acetylators. A second acetyltransferase isozyme (NAT1) is monomorphic and is not regulated by the acetylator genotype. Several human epidemiological studies suggest an association between slow acetylator phenotype and urinary bladder cancer. In contrast, a few studies suggest a relationship between rapid acetylator phenotype and colorectal cancer. The basis for this paradox may relate to the relative importance of N- versus O-acetylation in the etiology of these cancers. Conclusions drawn from human epidemiological data are often compromised by uncontrolled environmental and other genetic factors. Our laboratory recently completed construction of homozygous rapid, heterozygous intermediate, and homozygous slow acetylator congenic Syrian hamsters to be homologous in greater than 99.975% of their genomes. The availability of these acetylator congenic lines should eliminate genetic variability in virtually all aspects of arylamine carcinogenesis except at the acetylator gene locus. Ongoing studies in these congenic hamster lines should provide unequivocal information regarding the role of genetic acetylator phenotype in susceptibility to arylamine-related cancers."}
{"id": "PMID:1471167", "title": "Inherited defects in DNA repair and susceptibility to DNA-damaging agents.", "content": "Since all organisms are continuously exposed to exogenous and endogenous DNA damaging agents, mechanisms of repair of DNA lesions are necessary to maintain the integrity of the genome. Studies of the cellular defects in human inherited diseases with deficiencies in DNA repair have given new insights into these processes. Nucleotide excision repair is an important DNA repair pathway in which several types of DNA lesions are removed by a multi-step enzymatic process. This repair mechanism is deficient in the rare disease xeroderma pigmentosum (XP), which results in extreme sensitivity to ultraviolet light (UV) and development of UV-induced skin tumors at an early age. There are several genetic complementation groups of XP. The genes that are mutated in some of the XP complementation groups have been cloned and the functions of the encoded proteins are being characterised. Several types of DNA lesions are removed more rapidly from active genes than from other regions of DNA. This preferential repair of active genes is deficient in Cockayne's syndrome, which is characterised by developmental abnormalities and UV-sensitivity but no marked increase in cancer incidence. Other syndromes associated with increased sensitivity to certain DNA damaging agents where no defect in DNA repair has been defined include Fanconi's anemia (sensitivity to DNA cross-linking agents), hereditary dysplastic nevus syndrome (sensitivity to UV) and ataxia-telangiectasia (sensitivity to ionizing radiation)."}
{"id": "PMID:1471168", "title": "Are newer scientific concepts in regulatory toxicology used timely and appropriately?", "content": "Laws regulating toxicology (e.g. toxic thresholds allowed, poison classes or definition of necessary preclinical testing) might improve health and save lives. Scientific facts will always serve as a mandatory base for political decision-making, but there will also be additional influences (perception and acceptance of risks, possible benefits, economic considerations etc.). These latter factors may vary considerably from one society to another. The Delaney clause prohibited the marketing of any product which was found to be carcinogenic in animals. Due to their benefits, exceptions were made for drugs. In other countries, too, other chemicals could be an exception due to a different perception of the risk or different scientific evaluation. Clear cases of major events always trigger changes in legislation. When in 1937 a newly-marketed sulfanilamide elixir led to severe kidney damage and 70 deaths, the FDA quickly endorsed the propositions of the investigation team set up by the American Medical Association: animal testing in two species with histopathologic examination before a marketing authorization could be granted became mandatory. A similarly rapid reaction followed in Europe when it was detected that Thalidomide was responsible for malformations in the offspring of mothers who had taken the drug in early pregnancy. When the effects are more difficult to link to a chemical, there may be time delays in regulatory actions. However, a sophisticated evaluation system was introduced for better monitoring of drug and chemical hazards. Some examples will be given in order to discuss the difficulties of timely and appropriate use of scientific findings."}
{"id": "PMID:1471169", "title": "New approaches to the assessment of eye and skin irritation.", "content": "Assessment of eye and skin irritation potential is an important part of any comprehensive toxicology programme for new chemicals and consumer products. The original skin and eye irritation assessment methods described by Draize et al. are still widely used for regulatory purposes with only slight modification. These methods have been re-evaluated in the light of the modern approach to toxicological testing requiring refinement of protocols, reduction in animal numbers, and replacement of in vivo tests by in vitro assays. A refinement in the original Draize skin irritation test accepted by regulatory authorities is reduction of test substance exposure time from 24 to 4 h. This makes the test less stressful. The Low Volume Eye Irritation Test is also a less stressful, more predictive refinement of the Draize eye irritation procedure. Many in vitro models are being developed for use in the assessment of eye and skin irritation potential in the hope that the animal tests may some day be replaced. In order for alternative tests to be incorporated into safety assessment, they must undergo a defined evaluation that allows toxicologists to determine whether the new procedures provide relevant information. As the validity of the methods is determined, the new procedures can be incorporated into safety assessment using a tier assessment process. The first step in tier testing is a thorough analysis of existing in-house and published data on the test substance or similar material. A review of physical/chemical characteristics can also provide valuable information. If more data are needed in order to complete the safety assessment, the next step is to evaluate the test substance in in vitro assays. The in vitro data may provide sufficient information to make a safety assessment. If additional information is required, then in vivo testing may be conducted using a limited number of animals or human clinical studies. If alternative procedures are to be ultimately accepted for use in safety assessment, regulatory authorities must become active participants in programmes designed to assess and validate the new tests."}
{"id": "PMID:1471170", "title": "Classification of chemicals as sensitisers based on new test methods.", "content": "For the last decade, classification schemes worldwide have recognised that certain chemicals may need to be categorised as skin or respiratory sensitisers. Although differing in detail, the schemes use similar criteria for designating materials as sensitisers, based on either direct evidence from exposed humans or the results of predictive guinea pig tests. In the case of respiratory sensitisation, however, there are currently no acceptable animal test methods. With an increasing understanding of cellular immunology in general, and of immune responses in skin and respiratory sensitisation in particular, several laboratories have recently been developing more objective, immunologically-based tests. For skin sensitisation, the two most promising methods are the murine local lymph node assay (LLNA) and the mouse ear swelling test (MEST). Both assays have undergone inter-laboratory validation and it has been shown that they are able to detect reliably moderate to strong sensitisers. The 1992 update of the OECD test guideline for skin sensitisation suggests the use of the LLNA or MEST as a first stage of testing; if a positive result is seen in either assay, a chemical may then be designated (and classified) as a potential sensitiser and it may not be necessary to conduct a guinea pig test. However, if a negative result is obtained, a guinea pig test must be performed. For respiratory sensitisation, although certain guinea pig models of asthma appear to be predictive of the known human response to sensitisers such as diisocyanates and acid anhydrides, the measurement of changes in serum IgE antibodies in mice treated topically with chemicals may represent a simpler and more accurate method of designating chemicals as respiratory sensitisers."}
{"id": "PMID:1471171", "title": "Assessment of accumulated body burden of metals.", "content": "Knowledge of the body burden of a metal is important for evaluation of exposure and risk. Traditionally, the burden has been estimated through levels in blood, urine, hair, or shed teeth, or by mobilization tests. However, all these methods have limitations. In vivo methods for determination of cadmium in kidney by neutron activation analysis or X-ray fluorescence (XRF) reflect the burden, long-term exposure, and risk of toxic effect. In vivo determination by XRF of lead in fingerbone, tibia, or calcaneus reflect the long-term exposure, and should become a valuable tool in epidemiological studies, especially of chronic effects."}
{"id": "PMID:1471172", "title": "Classification of chemicals for carcinogenic and mutagenic properties.", "content": "In the framework of the EC labelling guide, three categories were devised for carcinogenic as well as for mutagenic chemicals. In short, category 1 is for compounds shown to produce these effects in man, whereas category 2 is meant to contain substances that should be regarded as such, generally on the basis of sufficient experimental data. Category 3 is for compounds that cause concern but for which the evidence is not sufficient for 1 or 2. These general statements have been implemented, both for carcinogenicity and mutagenicity, by a set of criteria and considerations of the group of \"specialized experts\" who are supporting the \"national experts\" in deciding upon the classification of individual compounds. Essentially, this classification relies on the strength of the experimental or epidemiological evidence rather than on considerations of risk. In other words, it is based on proven intrinsic properties of the substances. Compared to the IARC classification for carcinogens, the EC criteria rely more on mechanistic data and on qualitative considerations concerning the relevance for man, and less on a strict count of the amount of positive experimental evidence. Difficulties of this (and any) classification system include: (1) the problem of classifying with limited data and (2) the fundamental problem involved in forcing sets of multi-facetted, and often unsatisfactory, scientific data into a simple one-dimensional scheme that may have huge economic consequences."}
{"id": "PMID:1471173", "title": "The European Community classification of chemicals for reproductive toxicity.", "content": "The classification and labelling of dangerous substances was first introduced in 1967 in the European Community with Council Directive 67/548/EEC known as the Dangerous Substances Directive. The \"6th Amendment\" to this directive in 1979 introduced a notification procedure and a requirement for labelling chemicals for toxicity. Three special categories for labelling were for \"Carcinogenicity, Mutagenicity and Teratogenicity\". The teratogenicity classification was restricted to chemicals inducing \"teratogenic\" effects in the classical sense of the word ie. producing only gross structural malformations. Discussions by expert advisors to the European Commission over several years has lead to a widening of concern in this area of toxicology and under the forthcoming \"7th Amendment\" the classification of \"Teratology\" will be changed to \"Toxic to Reproduction\". This will include adverse effects on fertility, pre- and postnatal development and lactation and will encompass not only structural but also functional deficits. This will bring about a major change in the testing requirements to allow adequate classification of chemicals for these other aspects of reproductive toxicity."}
{"id": "PMID:1471174", "title": "Public health problems of organic solvents.", "content": "Selected topics of public health importance in toxicology of organic solvents are reviewed. Organic solvents are commonly used as mixtures rather than individual solvents, except for the case of degreasers. Nevertheless, toxicity of mixtures remain mostly to be studied. Among the solvents in general, toluene is apparently the most popular. Narcotic effects are common with all solvents (independent of chemical structure) at high concentrations, and result in an increased incidence of various CNS-related subjective symptoms at concentrations in excess of current occupational exposure limits. Chronic toxicity, teratogenicity and carcinogenicity seems to be related to a given chemical structure. Among the recently reported effects are blindness of \"sniffers\" by methanol inhalation and teratogenicity of ethylene glycol derivatives in experimental animals. In environmental health, pollution of ground water as well as the general atmosphere by chlorinated hydrocarbons has provoked serious public concern. In addition, emission of certain chemicals including chlorofluorocarbons is recognized to deplete ozone in stratosphere, which may result in human health effects."}
{"id": "PMID:1471175", "title": "Methodology in neurotoxicology--activities within the World Health Organization and International Programme on Chemical Safety.", "content": "For many years, the potential deleterious effects of environmental factors on the human nervous system has been examined by several programmes within the World Health Organization (WHO). This presentation will concentrate on the development of methodology to determine the health risks from chemical exposures both in the work place, as well as, the general environment. IPCS as a scientifically based cooperative programme of the United Nations Environment Programme, International Labour Organisation, and WHO, has as one of its goals the development and use of methods to assess human health and environmental risks from chemicals. In this presentation, emphasis will be given to the development by IPCS of an integrated multidisciplinary approach for assessing the neurotoxic potential of chemicals and the risks to human health. The complexity of the nervous system and the variety of effects caused by chemicals will demand several tests in a multidisciplinary approach if the neurotoxic risk of any chemical is to be adequately characterized. Efforts by IPCS to evaluate the use of in vitro and neurobehavioural tests for screening purposes will be discussed as will the roles played by pathology, biochemistry, and neurophysiology in the characterization of neurotoxic risk. Finally, the WHO neurobehavioural core battery developed within the Occupational Health Programme will be described briefly."}
{"id": "PMID:1471176", "title": "Principles of identifying and characterizing neurotoxicity.", "content": "There is currently considerable interest in the neurotoxic effects of environmental pollutants. Some of this interest is due to epidemiological, clinical and laboratory studies showing that the nervous system is a target for many toxic substances. The interest is also due to a realization of how little is actually known about the neurotoxicity of most environmental pollutants. Laboratory research in neurotoxicology can be viewed as having two distinct approaches that focus on either the identification or the characterization of neurotoxic substances. Research on the identification of neurotoxicity deals mainly with the screening of chemicals for neurotoxicity. There has been a long-standing tradition of screening chemicals for neurotoxicity. There have, however, been several recent developments that are likely to improve our ability to identify neurotoxic substances, including more detailed assessments of a variety of behavioral and neurological functions. Research on the characterization of neurotoxicity deals mainly with efforts to discover the mechanism(s) of action of neurotoxic substances. This type of research has in some cases significantly advanced our knowledge of neurotoxic effects (e.g., acrylamide, n-hexane). Characterization-based research addresses many of the extrapolation issues of concern in toxicology (e.g., acute to chronic, high-dose to low-dose), and specifically attempts to interrelate the cellular, molecular and functional (neurophysiological, neurobehavioral) effects of toxic substances. These two research approaches represent critical elements of a tiered testing approach that could ultimately lead to more efficient testing protocols and a more comprehensive understanding of pollutant-induced neurotoxic risk in human populations."}
{"id": "PMID:1471177", "title": "International validation of a neurobehavioral screening battery: the IPCS/WHO collaborative study.", "content": "A neurobehavioral screening battery consisting of a functional observational battery (FOB) and an automated measure of motor activity is the subject of an international collaborative study. Eight laboratories (four in Europe, four in the U.S.) are participating in this study, which is sponsored by the International Programme on Chemical Safety within the World Health Organization. Representatives from each laboratory received training on testing procedures and the study protocol during a 2-day workshop. Each laboratory then conducted studies using positive control chemicals to demonstrate their proficiency with the techniques. For motor activity studies, each laboratory had to show acute increases and decreases in activity produced by triadimefon and chlorpromazine, respectively. Using the FOB, each laboratory had to detect certain neurological syndromes: tremorigenic activity of a single dose of p,p'-DDT, cholinergic signs with parathion, and neuromuscular deficits with short-term (1-2 weeks) repeated administration of acrylamide. In the formal studies, the effects of seven chemicals are currently being determined following both acute and 4-week exposures. The chemicals include triethyl tin, acrylamide, parathion, p,p'-DDT, toluene, lead acetate, and N,N'-methylene bisacrylamide. All chemicals were provided to the laboratories from a single supplier. Each laboratory is conducting the studies under their standard conditions, using their own strain of rat and testing equipment. Each laboratory also determines a maximum-tolerated dose for each compound as well as the time of peak effect following acute exposure. A simple algorithm is then used to select doses for the formal acute and repeated-exposure experiments. These studies will provide information regarding the reliability and robustness of neurobehavioral screening methods over a wide range of laboratory conditions."}
{"id": "PMID:1471178", "title": "Integration of behavioral and neurophysiological approaches in neurotoxicology.", "content": "The validity of behavioral and neurophysiological models can only be assessed with respect to the type of the modelled effect: for acute changes in activation level as well as for chronic motor or sensory deficits both approaches are equally prone to misinterpretation. Validation of behavioral criteria supported by neurophysiological correlates and vice versa is the best protection. In the cognitive and emotional sphere, a shift to testing of the readiness (\"fluidity\") dimension seems to be promising both in human and animal studies, permitting also more reliable extrapolations and efficient cooperation of behavioral and neurophysiological approaches."}
{"id": "PMID:1471179", "title": "Developmental aspects of neurobehavioural toxicity.", "content": "Previous work on the developmental aspects of neurobehavioural toxicity in rats and mice has shown the reliability of a variety of procedures aimed at assessing changes that may have widespread functional consequences, for example: (i) modified Fox batteries to study the maturation of various reflexes and responses after birth, (ii) activity/habituation and analgesia tests with age-specific profiles of reactivity to selected drug challenges, and (iii) simple learning tasks such as active and passive avoidance [1]. We will now summarize more recent work on other portions of the behavioural repertoire which deserve to be thoroughly assessed in \"higher-tier\" studies."}
{"id": "PMID:1471180", "title": "Extrapolation from animals to humans: scientific and regulatory aspects.", "content": "The necessity to protect humans from the adverse effects of chemicals on structure and function of the developing and/or mature nervous system is increasingly recognized among regulatory bodies throughout the world. Whereas structural changes dominated much of neurotoxicological research in the past, functional markers of neurotoxicity are gaining acceptance as early signs of insult. Among the more ambitious protective efforts are legal requirements of premarket testing for \"behaviour-disrupting properties\" of chemicals. Assumed or proven validity of cross species extrapolation underlies the use of animals in primary or secondary screening schemes. Two steps must be distinguished here. The first step is endpoint-base or qualitative, whereas the second one is dose-based or quantitative. Species comparisons in terms of endpoints is typically done within a framework of broad functional categories, such as sensory, motivational, cognitive, motor or social functions. Dose-based extrapolation requires knowledge about species differences in terms of toxicokinetics or metabolism in order to arrive at valid translations of dose-response contingencies. Principles of cross-species extrapolation in neurotoxicology will be exemplified by means of representative neurobehavioural and neurophysiological findings for neurotoxic chemicals of environmental concern, for which an adequate data base is available for comparative purposes, such as inorganic lead and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB)."}
{"id": "PMID:1471181", "title": "Molecular biology approaches to biological monitoring of genotoxic substances.", "content": "Genetic testing is subdivided into genetic monitoring (evaluation over time of induced genetic changes) and genetic screening (detection of inherited traits). Genetic factors in relation to susceptibility to environmental agents are briefly examined, as well as mutation assays suitable for use in genetic monitoring, techniques for identifying specific DNA lesions, and oncogene products as biomarkers. In vitro studies with AS52 Chinese hamster ovary cells indicate that the distribution of lesions (e.g., point mutations or segment deletions) at the xanthine-guanine phosphoribosyl transferase (gpt) gene in mutants generated by exposure to nickel compounds show some substance specificity. This ability is viewed as a promising development for the molecular epidemiology of occupational and environmental cancers. It is concluded that technical limitations pertaining to specificity and sensitivity, as well as ethical and legal implications, need to be resolved before routine application of genetic monitoring and screening is feasible."}
{"id": "PMID:1471182", "title": "Pre-hospital strategy for therapeutic intervention of fire victims.", "content": "Fire victims are exposed to the triple threat of thermal injury (skin and lungs), smoke toxicity (toxic or irritant gases and soots) and even trauma whose occurrences are somewhat independent one from the other but whose addition does sharply increase the probability of death of the victims. As the different victims of the same fire may not suffer from the same injuries, this triple threat must be looked for in each fire victim."}
{"id": "PMID:1471183", "title": "Hospital treatment of victims exposed to combustion products.", "content": "Combustion toxicology is complex so, although victims exposed to combustion products are mainly treated symptomatically, it is important to identify those situations when specific therapeutic measures might be of importance. Victims presenting respiratory symptoms including severe cough, bronchoconstriction, hypoxia and respiratory distress should be given oxygen and ventilatory assistance or support. Furthermore, bronchoconstriction should be treated with bronchodilators (beta-2-adrenoreceptor agonists, theophylline). Corticosteroids should be considered both for inhalation and systemically due to the risk of developing toxic pulmonary oedema that may appear after a symptom-free interval that might last up to 48-72 h. Victims with impaired consciousness should be regarded as being exposed to carbon monoxide and cyanides. Apart from oxygen and optimal symptomatic treatment hyperbaric oxygen therapy should be considered in carbon monoxide poisoning. Certain cyanide antidotes, namely those with low intrinsic toxicity (as sodium thiosulphate, hydroxocobalamin) should be given liberally in these situations. Other specific therapeutic measures that might be considered when appropriate are administration of organophosphate antidotes (atropine, oximes), heavy metal chelators (e.g. dimercaptopropane sulfonate, dimercaptosuccinic acid) and methemoglobinemia antidotes (methylthionine, toluidine blue). Inhalation of hot fumes may cause upper respiratory tract oedema (e.g. laryngeal oedema) necessitating orotracheal intubation and ventilatory support."}
{"id": "PMID:1471184", "title": "Progress and challenges in the preclinical assessment of cytokines.", "content": "This presentation focuses on the history and status of the preclinical toxicologic assessment of recombinant proteins. Cytokines and growth factors are used as examples. There has been an evolution of thought over the past dozen years on the testing of these substances that has ranged from their being considered nontoxic, human-specific proteins for which no predictive testing could be done in animals, to the present view that they can be toxic, relevant testing may be possible in animals, and assessment approaches should be science-based and case-by-case. The challenge of appropriate testing of recombinant proteins has caused toxicologists in both industry and in regulatory authorities to reconsider not only testing procedures but the purpose of preclinical assessment. The form of regulatory guidelines (guidance vs. inflexible testing protocols) has been questioned, and the need for interaction between scientists in industry and regulatory agencies has been strengthened. This process has advanced the science of toxicology."}
{"id": "PMID:1471185", "title": "Preclinical evaluation of recombinant human interleukin-4.", "content": "Recombinant human IL-4 (rhuIL-4) is primate-specific and produces multiple biologic effects on lymphoid cells involved in protection against cancer. RhuIL-4 was evaluated in the cynomolgus monkey to support clinical studies for the immunotherapy of cancer. Administration of rhuIL-4 to monkeys by SC injection of 0, 0.5, 2.5 or 12.5 micrograms/kg BID for one-month (with two-week recovery) resulted in alterations in clinical chemistry and hematology (CCH) parameters consistent with a consumptive coagulopathy. Histomorphologic evaluation revealed increased granulopoiesis, testicular atrophy, and proliferative and inflammatory vascular lesions (VL). IVL principally affected the arterial tree with some proliferation of medial smooth muscle. During the latter part of the treatment and recovery period. CCH parameters approached or returned to pretreatment values, the former finding attributed to the production of antibody to rhuIL-4. At final necropsy, bone marrow appeared normal, and IVL decreased in incidence and severity. ELISA studies of serum indicated 50-90% of the monkeys developed antibody titers > 1000 by Day 22 (not observed in man). The frequency and severity of adverse effects due to rhuIL-4 in the clinic appear to be does-related and reversible with few objective responses to therapy observed. Common toxicities included milk to moderated fever and fatigue and an occasional change in hematopoietic, hepatic and renal function. The monkey predicted hematologic findings, but not all target organ effects."}
{"id": "PMID:1471186", "title": "Pathology induced by interleukin-6.", "content": "Interleukin 6 (IL-6) is a multi-functional cytokine which plays an important role in the immune response, hemopoiesis and host defense. Recombinant human IL-6 (rhIL-6) was administered at high doses to mice, rats and non-human primates. In all species IL-6 had an immunostimulatory and hemopoietic (especially on megakaryocytes) effect. An acute phase response was most pronounced in non-human primates, which was not, however, associated with any major histopathological liver change. Finally, no evidence of glomerular pathology was found. Neutralising antibodies were detected within 10 days of rhIL-6 administration in all species."}
{"id": "PMID:1471187", "title": "Utilization of homologous proteins to evaluate the safety of recombinant human proteins--case study: recombinant human interferon-gamma (rhIFN-gamma).", "content": "Interferon-gamma is an immunomodulatory cytokine that has an extremely restricted host range of activities. RhIFN-gamma was one of the first species-specific recombinant proteins to be assessed in conventional safety models typically utilized for xenobiotics. Acute, subchronic and Segment I and II reproductive studies in rats revealed no evidence of toxicity at any of the doses tested; these results were not predictive of clinical toxicity, which is not unexpected since rodents are known to be pharmacologically nonresponsive to rhIFN-gamma. In contrast, 4- and 13-week multidose toxicity studies in cynomolgus monkeys with rhIFN- were predictive of many of the dose-limiting clinical toxicities. RhIFN- is active on non-human primate cells, though not at the same level as on human cells. In addition, qualitative similarities were observed between toxicity studies employing rhIFN-gamma in the cynomolgus monkey and recombinant murine interferon-gamma (rmuIFN-gamma) in the mouse. These results suggest that in situations where a high degree of species specificity is encountered, studies employing a recombinant protein in a homologous species may provide a useful test system for preclinical safety assessment. This information should be evaluated in conjunction with data from studies conducted with the human protein in pharmacologically responsive animal models when possible."}
{"id": "PMID:1471188", "title": "Experience with the preclinical assessment of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF).", "content": "Repeated intravenous administrations were carried out in cynomolgus monkeys and rats (S.D.) for a maximum of 4 weeks at doses of 1, 10 and 100 micrograms/kg/day in stable formulation. Three main target organs were identified: red blood cells (RBC), kidney glomeruli (KG) and bone at the top dose level. RBC: Normochromic normocytic anaemia started in rats and monkeys during the second week of treatment (decrease in red blood cell production). The kinetics of this anaemia, as well as its recovery, will be discussed. Bone: Dramatic hyperostosis in rats was present by day 10 in long or spongious bone. This became marked on day 29 and regressed after treatment was stopped. KG: In the rat glomerular lesions were present starting from day 16. They consisted of enlargement and vacuolation of podocytes with loss of foot processes and adhesions between glomerular tuft and Bowman's capsule. Proteinuria was a striking feature. In the monkey the lesions were hyperplasia of the parietal epithelium of Bowman's capsule which involved replacement of normally flattened epithelium by cuboidal cells, with some pseudostratification. Proteinuria also occurred in monkeys, accompanied by a lowering of serum protein (albumin). In two animals, death (by day 15) was preceded by high levels of urea and blood creatinine. The above lesions (KG) disappeared almost completely over a recovery period. It is suggested that these phenomena are not the expression of direct toxicity in the form of lethal insults, but rather a manifestation of a change in cell activity."}
{"id": "PMID:1471189", "title": "Monitoring of early nephrotoxic effects of industrial chemicals.", "content": "Long-term exposure to certain industrial chemicals (e.g. heavy metals, some halogenated hydrocarbons) may cause progressive degenerative changes in the kidney, possibly leading to renal insufficiency. The screening tests most widely used to assess the integrity of the kidney (i.e. serum creatinine or BUN and the quantitative or semi-quantitative measurement of total proteinuria) lack sensitivity; they do not permit the detection of renal disturbances at a stage when removal from exposure may prevent progression of the disease process and are not suitable to determine the no-effect levels of potentially nephrotoxic chemicals. During the last decades new markers have been proposed for the early detection of structural and/or functional changes at various sites of the renal parenchyma. Some tests mainly attempt to assess the integrity of the glomerulus (e.g. high Mr proteinuria such as transferrinuria and albuminuria; increased excretion of some components of the glomerular basement membrane or the mesangium matrix, increased plasma concentration of low Mr proteins such as beta 2-microglobulin and free retinol binding protein), the proximal tubule (e.g. urinary excretion of several low Mr plasma proteins, tubular enzymes and antigens), the loop of Henle and distal tubule (e.g. excretion of various prostanoids). Currently, the majority of these tests are of limited value at the individual level because their health significance, even when they are persistently abnormal, has not yet been sufficiently studied. In workers exposed to Cd, however, it has been shown that a persistent low Mr proteinuria is predictive of an exacerbation of the age-related decline of the GFR; this biological change should be considered as an adverse effect. Currently, the principal application of these tests lies in the framework of epidemiologic studies designed to assess permissible exposure levels to nephrotoxic pollutants. The study of dose-effects/response relationships based on a large battery of renal markers has allowed the better determination of the internal dose of Cd, which is not associated with significant renal risk."}
{"id": "PMID:1471190", "title": "Current guidelines for the preclinical safety assessment of therapeutic proteins.", "content": "Guidelines concerning the preclinical safety assessment of therapeutic proteins are available, e.g. in the European Community (EC Notes for Guidance). Unlike rather rigidly prescribing test systems such as those known for chemical substances, it is agreed that for biotechnologically-produced products, testing may be quite different. Those guidelines which allow for a true case-by-case development have been considered the best; however, regulatory authorities are expected to disagree ex post with the approach chosen earlier. To allow for a scientific rationale, which includes the freedom to deviate from the expected norm, guidance must include an offer for discussion of requirements. This combination of recommendations (not requirements) with optional discussions has been the European approach. Although the American approach is known to be somewhat more case-by-case oriented, and the Japanese approach is known to be somewhat more strict, the outcome of drug development, i.e. the application of guidance, in the three regions has been strikingly similar. This underlines the importance of a pharmaceutical manufacturer and his ability to interpret the rules in the light of the product to be developed."}
{"id": "PMID:1471191", "title": "Difficulties in conceiving and applying guidelines for the safety evaluation of biotechnologically-produced drugs: some examples.", "content": "Pharmaceutical companies and regulatory authorities need guidelines for the safety evaluation of all drugs. Nevertheless, new types of drugs, e.g. biological products produced by novel biotechnological processes (as recombinant DNA methods), induce new problems for this evaluation. The following points will be assessed: (1) As a postulate, safety is highly dependent on the industrial process and on the controls. (2) To conceive guidelines, it is necessary to take into account the structure of the pharmaceutical product compared with the natural biological product (identical or not), the therapeutical use and the relevance of the classical toxicological investigations: for example single dose toxicity gives poor results for target organs, repeated dose toxicity is related to immunogenicity, mutagenicity testing is debatable. (3) To apply guidelines is still more difficult, for example to select animal models (animal models of diseases), define dose levels, evaluate immunogenicity, conceive the design of reproduction studies and the feasibility of cancerogenicity studies. Therefore, common sense and a case-by-case approach are necessary (guidance vs. guidelines) for the safety evaluation of drugs produced by biotechnology, and an early collaboration between all the partners (companies, experts and regulatory authorities)."}
{"id": "PMID:1471192", "title": "Structural and functional aspects of the thyroid follicular epithelium.", "content": "The thyroid epithelium is morphologically and functionally polarized, with an apical surface facing the follicular lumen containing colloid and a basolateral surface facing the interstitium. Iodination and thyroid hormone synthesis occur in the colloid at the apical plasma membrane. The introduction by Mauchamp et al. of primary cultures of porcine thyroid cells grown as a polarized, confluent monolayer on a filter in a bicameral chamber system has now made it possible to study in more detail the barrier function and vectorial ion transport in the thyroid epithelium. The follicular cells form a very tight monolayer (transepithelial resistance > 6000 ohm cm2) and establish a transepithelial potential difference (apical medium negative) of about 20 mV. These parameters are rapidly influenced by TSH, mainly by an action on apical sodium channels, and by EGF. The integrity of the barrier is, as in other epithelia, dependent on extracellular calcium. A calcium-dependent cell adhesion molecule, uvomorulin, is expressed at the lateral plasma membrane surface. EGF induces cell proliferation as well as migration of some of the epithelial cells to a position below the monolayer, which however maintains its polarity and barrier function. In contrast, during TPA-induced proliferation the barrier function is disrupted. Iodide is vectorially transported in basoapical direction while the epithelial layer is virtually impermeable for iodide transfer in the opposite direction. Iodide is concentrated in the cell by the basolateral \"iodide-pump\" and its efflux across the apical plasma membrane is rapidly and selectively increased by TSH via cAMP. EGF inhibits vectorial basoapical iodide transport mainly by reducing the iodide permeability of the apical plasma membrane. Together, these recent observations indicate that the ion content of the follicular lumen is strictly controlled by the thyroid epithelium."}
{"id": "PMID:1471193", "title": "Cell proliferation and thyroid neoplasia.", "content": "The classic experimental model of thyroid neoplasia using radiation as a mutagen followed by long-term goitrogen treatment gives rise to multiple tumours in rats. Radiation alone, with suppression of TSH produces no tumours, TSH-induced growth alone causes a low level of tumorigenesis. Cell proliferation in this model is therefore critical. Epimutation as well as mutation is important. Rodent and human thyroid tumours show a clear stepwise progression, associated with both morphological and oncogene changes. In experimental animals the finding that monoclonal adenomas and carcinomas induced in the presence of long-term high TSH retain TSH dependency suggests that the step in the tumour progression requiring the development of TSH independent growth is bypassed, explaining the frequency of tumour development in this model. Normal thyroid follicular cell growth is limited, and a genotoxic effect before the growth plateau is more effective in carcinogenesis than a genotoxic effect after a period of growth. These observations will be interpreted in relation to the importance of thyroid tumours in regulatory toxicology and the pathobiology of thyroid tumours in man."}
{"id": "PMID:1471194", "title": "Chemical carcinogenesis in the thyroid gland.", "content": "Chemical carcinogens and promoters in thyroid carcinogenesis may be divided into two types, one having goitrogenic effects, the other not having these effects e.g. phenobarbital, 4,4'-diaminodiphenylmethane. The influence of sex hormones like estrogen and testosterone remains unclear, although some thyroid tumors have estrogen receptors. Further studies in this area are necessary."}
{"id": "PMID:1471195", "title": "Individual susceptibility to toxicity.", "content": "Individual variation in susceptibility to chemical toxicity may be due to differences in toxicokinetic patterns or effect modification. Well-documented interspecies genetic differences in susceptibility to chemicals had lead to studies of such variation also within species. Epidemiological evidence now suggests that common variations, particularly in the P-450 enzymes, may play a major role in determining individual susceptibility to chemically-induced disease. Physiologic factors are involved in the particular susceptibility of the fetus, the newborn, and the old. Constitutional susceptibility is also affected by acquired conditions, including chronic disease, such as diabetes mellitus. Perhaps the most complex area relates to the increase in vulnerability caused by previous or contemporary exposure to other factors, thus eliciting, e.g., synergistic effects. Although amply demonstrated by experimental studies, epidemiological or clinical confirmation is generally lacking. One hypothesis suggests that a chemical exposure may affect the reserve capacity of the body, though not resulting in any immediate adverse effect. Subsequently, the body becomes unable to compensate for an additional stress, and toxicity then develops. Epidemiological approaches are available and need to be expanded. Research in this area has potential ethical implications which should be dealt with in an open, informed forum."}
{"id": "PMID:1471196", "title": "Second messengers in cholinergic-induced convulsions and neuronal injury.", "content": "Acetylcholine (ACh) is a powerful excitatory neurotransmitter in the brain. Stimulation of brain cholinergic muscarinic receptors (mAChR) cause persistent tonic-clonic convulsions. mAChRs are coupled to G-protein which mediates the receptor stimulation to phospholipidase C (PLC). PLC hydrolyses phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate (PI), a membrane phospholipid, into two second messengers, inositol-1,4,5-trisphosphate (Ins(1,4,5)P3), and diacylglycerol (DAG). Both messengers cause neuronal stimulation and when in excess, may contribute to neuronal injury. Indirect cholinergic agonists organophosphates (OPs) such as soman, paraoxon, and malaoxon, and direct cholinergic agonists, such as pilocarpine, are powerful convulsants. They stimulate brain mAChR-coupled to PI signalling as indicated by decreased brain inositol and increased brain inositol monophosphates, metabolites in PI turnover, and indirectly reflect the activity of the brain PI system. In rats, during cholinergic convulsions, brain inositol decreases, and inositol monophosphates increase prior to and during convulsions. Persistent convulsions cause neuronal injury especially in the hippocampus and cortex, and associated increase in brain Ca2+. The mechanisms of convulsions and associated neuronal have remained open, but both in vitro and in vivo data provide evidence that facilitated PI signalling and increases in free intracellular Ca2+ may have an important role in these events. Age and female sex amplify the effects of cholinergic brain stimulation and convulsions."}
{"id": "PMID:1471197", "title": "Field studies of aflatoxin exposure, metabolism and induction of genetic alterations in relation to HBV infection and hepatocellular carcinoma in The Gambia and Thailand.", "content": "The relative contribution of aflatoxins (AF) and hepatitis B virus (HBV) to the aetiology of liver cancer remains to be determined, as does the mechanism of any interaction between these two factors. Methods to measure individual exposure to AF permit the assessment of this possible interaction in field studies. The measurement of AF covalently bound to albumin in peripheral blood has been particularly useful in this respect. In east and west African countries the majority (75-100%) of individuals has been found positive (> 5 pg AFB1-lysine eq./mg albumin) for the AF-albumin adduct with levels ranging up to 720 pg/mg. Levels of adduct to date have been age- and sex-independent, although marked seasonal variations were seen in The Gambia. Exposure also occurs in utero, with the AF-adduct being found in umbilical cord blood. In a study in The Gambia involving 323 children (age 3-8 years) the AF-albumin adduct levels were examined with respect to HBV infection and ethnic group. Over 95% of all sera contained detectable adduct but children positive for HBV surface antigen (HBsAG) had significantly higher adduct levels than children with markers of past infection or who had never been infected (mean (log) AF-albumin adduct levels 4.41 +/- 0.95, 4.04 +/- 0.99, and 4.05 +/- 1.03 respectively, p = 0.04). In addition, there were highly significant differences in adduct levels between the three major ethnic groups (Wollof 4.41 +/- 0.69: Fula 4.05 +/- 1.1; Mandinka 3.7 +/- 1.14). Wollof children were also more likely to be HBsAg positive than the other two groups. These data suggest that ethnic group and HBV infection can influence AF metabolism and this is being examined in this population with respect to genetic polymorphisms in cytochrome P450 and glutathione-S-transferase enzymes. In addition, these biomarkers are being compared to the nature and frequency of mutations in somatic and tumour cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1471198", "title": "The use of biomarkers in epidemiology: the example of bladder cancer.", "content": "Epidemiological studies have suggested that genetically based polymorphism for N-acetylation of arylamines might play an important role in the susceptibility to bladder cancer induction. However, these studies show large differences in the extent of such susceptibility. We have undertaken collaborative investigations (with IARC, MIT, NCI and NCTR) which couple internal dosimetry among smokers (measurement of hemoglobin and DNA adducts of arylamines) with the assessment of metabolic polymorphism. In one of these studies, hemoglobin adducts of 14 arylamines (including 2-naphthylamine and 4-aminobiphenyl) were analysed in a group of 86 subjects (smokers and non-smokers) in order to establish whether the inter-individual variability left unexplained by tobacco smoking could be attributed to differences in individual metabolic patterns. In another investigation on 100 smokers and non-smokers, metabolic polymorphism for N-acetylatransferase was assessed by measuring five different urinary metabolites of caffeine, after timed urine collection following coffee consumption. Arylamine-hemoglobin adducts were also measured. 4-Aminobiphenyl-hemoglobin adducts were found to be related to both the quantity and the type of tobacco smoked, as well as to the acetylator phenotype (independently of smoking habits)."}
{"id": "PMID:1471199", "title": "Advantages and limitations of laboratory methods for measurement of carcinogen-DNA adducts for epidemiological studies.", "content": "In molecular epidemiological studies, the measurement of carcinogen-DNA adducts in human tissues can provide direct evidence of current exposure to chemical carcinogens. Moreover, data on steady state DNA adduct levels and the rate of cell proliferation can be related not only to carcinogen-target tissue dosimetry but may also be useful in assessment of human cancer risk. Thus far, laboratory methods for adduct detection have primarily utilized 32P-postlabelling, immunoassays, and mass spectrometry. However, accurate quantitation of DNA adducts requires knowledge of the structural identity and chemical properties of carcinogen-base adducts, the availability of synthetic standards for recovery determinations, and the development of complementary methods to corroborate analytical findings."}
{"id": "PMID:1471200", "title": "Expression of pulmonary cytochrome P4501A1 and carcinogen DNA adduct formation in high risk subjects for tobacco-related lung cancer.", "content": "Cigarette smoking is the strongest risk factor for lung cancer (LC), but genetically determined variations in pulmonary metabolism of tobacco-derived carcinogens may affect individual risk. Results from a case-control study on LC patients demonstrated the pronounced effect of tobacco smoke on pulmonary xenobiotic metabolism and prooxidant state, and suggested the existence of a metabolic phenotype at higher risk for tobacco-associated LC: LC patients who were recent smokers had significantly induced BP-3-hydroxylase (AHH) and ethoxycoumarin O-deethylase (ECDE) activities in lung parenchyma, when compared with smoking non-cancer patients. In recent smokers, lung AHH activity was positively correlated with the level of tobacco smoke-derived DNA adducts as determined by 32P-postlabelling. Pulmonary AHH activity also showed a good correlation with the intensity of immunohistochemical staining for cyt. P4501A by a monoclonal Ab in lung tissue sections: smoking and peripheral type of lung cancers were positively related to high levels of this cyt. P450 species, probably reflecting high rates of induction. These results suggest that high pulmonary CYP1A1 expression (controlling in part carcinogen DNA-adduct formation) in tobacco smokers, appears to be associated with LC risk. High risk subjects may thus be identifiable through genotyping assays for CYP1A1 polymorphism."}
{"id": "PMID:1471201", "title": "Use of biomarkers in epidemiology: quantitative aspects.", "content": "Cancer initiators (mutagens) present, due to the absence of definable no effect threshold, a special problem in toxicology, requiring a high sensitivity of detection methods. Disease epidemiology aiming at identification of carcinogens and quantification of associated risks has a low resolving power, the detectable incidence or mortality increments being often orders of magnitude larger than those which are of public concern. Other drawbacks of disease epidemiology is the long latency times and the influence of confounders. The use of genetic endpoints as biomarkers suffers from low cause specificity, although this drawback seems to be overcome, partly at least, by emerging methods for determination of mutation spectra at the DNA level. Proximal cancer initiators/mutagens are electrophilic compounds or metabolites that can react with nucleophilic atoms in nucleic acids and proteins. These reactions lead to 'adducts' that can be identified and quantified, e.g. in lymphocytes and erythrocytes in blood samples. The shift from biological observations to chemical analysis permits sufficient sensitivity, and measurement can be done shortly after onset of exposure. The well-defined life span of the adducts to hemoglobin (Hb) offer possibilities of dose calculation and risk estimation. For these reasons the measurement of adducts to Hb and DNA constitutes a powerful epidemiological tool, applications of which has been initiated in work environments and the general environment and also in the search for a priori unknown carcinogens."}
{"id": "PMID:1471202", "title": "Hazard assessment of chemical contaminants in soil.", "content": "Disposal practices, accidental spills, leakages and local aerial deposition occurring in the past have led to local soil pollution in many cases. Especially in situations where people live on or nearby such locations this has created concern about possible adverse effects on human health. A stepped approach to the hazard assessment of polluted soil, as developed by a Task Force from the European Chemical Industry Ecology and Toxicology Centre (ECETOC), is described. In an early phase in the assessment process the potential exposure of humans is estimated. The Human Exposure to Soil Pollutants (HESP) model can be applied for this purpose. The model calculates the total exposure of adults and children resulting from pollutants present in soil, via 10 different exposure routes. The estimated exposure can be used to indicate the potential significant exposure routes and to carry out a preliminary hazard assessment. The model is also able to predict pollutant concentrations in soil which do not exceed accepted maximum exposure levels for humans in both standardised and site specific situations. The stepped approach is cost-effective and provides an objective basis for decisions and priority setting."}
{"id": "PMID:1471203", "title": "Hazard assessment in freshwater ecosystems.", "content": "Hazard assessment of chemicals in freshwater environments depends on comparing concentrations that are expected to occur in water and sediment, i.e. expected environmental concentrations (EEC), with those that are estimated to have no biological effects, i.e. the no-observed effect concentrations (NOEC). The difference between these two estimates is the margin of safety. The EEC can be estimated from data for chemical release rates, physicochemical properties and environmental parameters that affect transport and transformation. The NOEC can be estimated from the results of toxicity tests using aquatic plants, invertebrates and fish. When making these estimates it may be necessary to extrapolate from relatively limited laboratory data to the real world. Inevitably, this involves some degree of uncertainty. Such uncertainty can often be resolved by carrying out controlled field tests, using small, outdoor enclosures (microcosms), relatively large, outdoor ponds (mesocosms) and experimental streams. In this paper the advantages and disadvantages of various experimental approaches and systems will be reviewed."}
{"id": "PMID:1471204", "title": "Advances in prediction of exposure for organic chemicals.", "content": "In the late 1970s new legislation was set up in industrialized countries to protect the environment. This has led to the definition of a new branch of science: ecotoxicology. The main objective of applied ecotoxicological research is the elucidation of indications of toxicity to be utilized for risk assessment and hazard evaluation for the management of potentially harmful chemicals. The development of predictive approaches for the hazard assessment of chemical substances has given an increased relevance to exposure evaluation. This paper discusses methods and processes used to estimate and assess the environmental distribution and fate of chemicals for the ultimate purpose of determining exposure of the general population via soil, water, food or air. Parameters useful for the assessment of risk for different time and space scales are discussed. A collaboration between toxicologists and ecotoxicologists is proposed to improve the management of chemical substances."}
{"id": "PMID:1471205", "title": "Biochemical responses as indicators of toxic effects of chemicals in ecosystems.", "content": "Biochemical responses of animals to environmental chemicals (biochemical biomarkers) can give measures of exposure, and sometimes also toxic effect. They are particularly valuable where they can be used to measure the toxic effects of chemicals in the field, employing non-destructive sampling methods. Measurements of exposure are useful in the case of non-persistent chemicals (e.g. organophosphorus, carbamate, or pyrethroid insecticides) which are difficult or impossible to detect by chemical analysis. They can also be useful to provide an integrated measure of the level of exposure to a group of related chemicals. Biochemical biomarkers are likely to provide a measure of toxic effect, where they are based upon a molecular mechanism which underlies toxicity. A widely-used biochemical biomarker is cholinesterase depression, which may involve destructive sampling (brain acetylcholinesterase) or non-destructive sampling (serum butyrylcholinesterase). For genotoxic chemicals, techniques which measure DNA damage (e.g. detection of DNA adducts) provide a powerful tool in measuring environmental effects. The detection of biochemical changes caused by anticoagulant rodenticides (e.g. abnormal levels of clotting proteins in blood) provides another example of this approach. In general, the development of simple, sensitive, and specific assays that are 'user-friendly' would open the way for much wider use of biochemical biomarkers in environmental monitoring."}
{"id": "PMID:1471206", "title": "Evaluation of adverse effects in the standard-setting process.", "content": "Occupational exposure limits (OELs) were first introduced more than a century ago in Germany [1]. They were based on observations of people exposed at the workplace, and on experimental exposures of humans and animals, all accompanied by analytical determination of airborne occupational toxicants. The \"acceptable concentrations for short-term and long-term exposure\" were derived using crude subjective criteria (humans), or gross pathological alterations (animals). Over the years considerable refinement of these criteria has been achieved, both in their type and number, starting from overt histological derangements, going on to the physiological and biochemical level, and even to subtle psychological parameters. This development has taken place in parallel with, and has been considerably influenced by changes in the definition of health and the perception of effects detrimental to health. Differences in the elementary philosophy of health and in the activities aimed at preventing damage to health in different societies have complicated all the efforts to harmonize standard-setting processes at the international level."}
{"id": "PMID:1471207", "title": "Environmental hazard classification of chemicals.", "content": "Information on the environmentally dangerous properties of chemicals is of fundamental importance if the users of chemicals are to take account of the risks to the environment in their choice of chemical products, and to organize the use of chemicals and waste disposal in an environmentally safe manner. In order to assist suppliers of chemicals in setting out their product information and to ensure its consistency, it is important to have rules on classification and labelling. Such rules must be based on criteria for environmental hazard classification. During the 1980s specific classification criteria for the aquatic environment were developed in the Nordic countries and by the Commission of the European Communities. These criteria now form the basis for the regulations on classification and labelling of chemical substances in both the EC and EFTA countries. The regulations entered into force in the EC on 1 July 1992 and will be enforced in the EFTA countries as soon as possible. Besides labelling there are several other areas, e.g. transport regulations, where classification criteria are or will be applied on a national or international scale. International harmonization of criteria at this early stage is highly desirable as it will prevent the development of divergent systems which will require harmonization at a later stage. To this end, the OECD initiated a Clearing House activity on the feasibility of elaborating harmonized approaches to environmental hazard classification. The Clearing House recommended adoption of the current classification criteria, joint development of criteria for other sections of the environment and joint development of procedures for updating and methodologies for classification of chemical preparations. Further international work in this area will be coordinated by IPCS. Harmonization of classification is also a programme area under Chemical Forum with IPCS as coordinator as agreed at UNCED 92."}
{"id": "PMID:1471208", "title": "Mechanisms of cytotoxicity caused by antitumour drugs.", "content": "Although the nature of the interaction between a drug or toxin and its target is of critical importance in determining the fate of a cell, we have argued here that the biological outcome of that interaction will also be determined by the nature of cellular events \"downstream\" of the initial interactions. We suggest that some type of coupling must take place between the formation of a drug-target interaction (the stimulus?) and the response of the cell. That response will depend upon the phenotypically determined repertoire of response open to the cell as well as upon the quantitative and qualitative measures of the events that the drug induces (DNA or protein damage, inhibition of growth etc.). For example we have described how the HL-60 cell appears to respond to low levels of toxins by engaging a programme of terminal differentiation whilst at greater concentrations apoptosis becomes engaged. Consideration of the cellular response to a toxic insult may provide valuable insights into the selective toxicity of agents as well as providing avenues for the discovery of toxins which might be useful in the treatment of cancer."}
{"id": "PMID:1471209", "title": "Thiol modification and cell signalling in chemical toxicity.", "content": "Exposure of cells to thiol oxidizing agents can result in the modification of key proteins involved in cell signalling. Such changes have been shown to affect agonist-stimulated phosphoinositide metabolism, activation of protein kinases and intracellular Ca2+ signals, which result in abnormalities in cell metabolisms and growth. Here, we show that moderate levels of oxidants potentiate growth signals and either enhance cell proliferation or facilitate cell differentiation, whereas inhibition of growth signals by higher oxidant concentrations can block cell proliferation and activate programmed cell death (PCD). Finally, a general alteration of multiple signalling pathways associated with increased catabolic reactions results in cell death by necrosis. Our data suggest that oxidant interaction with cell signalling systems may exert opposite effects, depending on the dose, and that oxidative reactions may either mimic growth factor stimulation and stimulate cell proliferation or inhibit growth signals and activate PCD, in the same cell systems."}
{"id": "PMID:1471210", "title": "Programmed cell death and its protective role with particular reference to apoptosis.", "content": "Apoptosis is a type of programmed cell death involved in growth control of tissues. It is considered as a cellular suicide functionally opposite to mitosis. It may serve to remove \"unwanted\" damaged or dangerous, e.g. precancerous, cells. Chemical compounds can interfere with the regulatory network which controls apoptosis and can thereby stimulate or prevent cell death. Both induction or inhibition of apoptosis may result in various diseases such as of the immune system, malformation or tumor development. The protective role of apoptosis against carcinogenesis is described in some detail. Tumor formation seems to occur through several stages, namely initiation, promotion, progression, and involves formation and growth of premalignant cell populations. At least in some model systems initiated cells and premalignant cell populations have been found to exhibit enhanced cell replication, but also enhanced apoptotic activity as compared to the normal tissue. Therefore, initiated cells may be eliminated by apoptosis. Tumor promoters can inhibit apoptosis in putative preneoplastic cells and thereby accelerate tumor development. Furthermore, in hormone-dependent cancers malignant cells may undergo massive apoptosis in response to hormone withdrawal or antihormone treatment. Finally, the regulation of apoptosis will be addressed. Our results suggest that transforming growth factor beta 1, a negative regulator of epithelial tissue growth, is a signal inducing apoptosis of liver cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1471211", "title": "Protection from oxidative damage in mouse liver cells.", "content": "Paracetamol toxicity in mouse hepatocytes involved oxidative stress initiated by the formation of NAPQI. This oxidative component of paracetamol injury is associated with the latter stages of the poisoning process. Ebselen, a drug with GSH-peroxidase activity, was effective in ameliorating these oxidative events."}
{"id": "PMID:1471212", "title": "The toxic oil syndrome (TOS, 1981): from the disease towards a toxicological understanding of its chemical aetiology and mechanism.", "content": "In Spain early in May 1981, 20,000 people became ill with a severe acute respiratory illness. The eosinophilia and subsequent myalgia, scleroderma and muscle wasting indicated a unique disease entity. Epidemiological evidence linked the disease with the consumption of oils containing \"refined\" aniline denatured rape seed oil. Ten years after the explosive appearance of this disease (approximately 350 deaths and over 1000 in the chronic phase) the clinical and pathological description is now well established. The aetiological agent(s) in the food oil are unknown and the mechanism(s) of pathogenesis are uncertain. There is no experimental animal model. A new disease, Eosinophilia Myalgia Syndrome (EMS) which appeared late in 1989 in the USA, is due to the consumption of impure 1-tryptophan. There may be similarities between the diseases and the aetiological agents for TOS and EMS: possibilities for future research will be discussed. Underlying the time lag for solution of this problem is a lack of knowledge of the basic biology involved."}
{"id": "PMID:1471213", "title": "Interaction and distinction of genotoxic and non-genotoxic events in carcinogenesis.", "content": "Multistage carcinogenesis involves genotoxic as well as non-genotoxic mechanisms. The importance of genotoxic events in human carcinogenesis is apparent from the analysis of tumours: for example, five to six genetic alterations can be found in most malignant colorectal tumours. While such measurable \"footprints\" (e.g. ras, p53 mutations) can be left in tumours by genotoxic events, non-genotoxic events cannot directly generate them. Thus, the lack of specific indicators of non-genotoxic events in carcinogenesis makes the identification of non-genotoxic carcinogens difficult. It is also important to emphasize that apparent \"genotoxic\" endpoints (mutations, chromosome aberrations) could be induced by \"non-genotoxic\" agents through indirect mechanisms (e.g. induced cell proliferation and/or genomic instability, oxidative damage, deamination of 5-methyl cytosine). This emphasizes the need for differentiating \"events\" from the actual \"activities\" of chemicals and the difficulty of classification of carcinogens into genotoxic and non-genotoxic. One of the best models for the study of interaction of genotoxic and non-genotoxic mechanisms during carcinogenesis is a two-stage carcinogenesis system using mouse skin, rat liver or cultured cells. Molecular analysis of tumours produced on mouse skin by the classical initiation-promotion protocol indicates that the mutation spectra of oncogenes, e.g. Ha-ras, are determined by initiating (genotoxic) and not by promoting (non-genotoxic) agents. However, since usually no tumours appear without the application of tumour-promoting agents, the manifestation of genotoxic events (Ha-ras mutation) is dependent on the action of non-genotoxic agents. Using a BALB c 3T3 two-stage cell transformation system, we have now succeeded in confirming this and have quantitated the initiation and promotion events. These studies may help us not only in understanding mechanisms of carcinogenesis but also in developing molecular quantitative risk assessment in terms of multistage carcinogenesis."}
{"id": "PMID:1471214", "title": "Prediction of non-genotoxic carcinogenesis.", "content": "The distinction between genotoxic and non-genotoxic mechanisms of chemical carcinogenesis is now generally accepted. This acceptance implies a revised approach to the definition and measurement of genotoxicity. It is proposed that genotoxicity should be assessed as part of the overall evaluation of the toxicity of chemicals, not as a separate and isolated activity. The level and duration of dosing plays a critical role in the observation of genotoxic phenomena, and such parameters should assume greater importance in the interpretation of genotoxicity data. Toxic events associated empirically with the non-genotoxic aspects of chemical carcinogenicity are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1471215", "title": "Pathological markers for non-genotoxic agent-associated carcinogenesis.", "content": "A variety of positive or negative enzyme altered foci have been proposed as preneoplastic marker lesions in the rat liver. Frozen sections are required in some cases. We have compared the suitability of various histochemically or immunohistochemically demonstrated markers and concluded that immunohistochemically-stained glutathione S-transferase placental form (GST-P) positive foci are particularly useful for practical application in risk assessment. Advantages include ease of quantitative foci analysis on a number of samples since acetone or formalin-fixed paraffin blocks can be used and clear contrast of foci against the surrounding liver tissue facilitates recognition. We have established a liver medium-term bioassay model of 8 weeks' duration using diethylnitrosamine as an initiator and GST-P positive foci as the endpoint lesions. At present, 58 non-genotoxic chemicals for which carcinogenicity data are available have been examined and many carcinogenic agents, mostly liver carcinogens, have been satisfactorily detected as having carcinogenic potential. Exceptional examples are two peroxisome proliferators, clofibrate and DEHP. For these chemical, several peroxisomal enzymes such as catalase and enoyl CoA hydratase have been tested as markers."}
{"id": "PMID:1471216", "title": "Non-genotoxic factors in the carcinogenetic process: problems of detection and hazard evaluation.", "content": "In the classical two-stage models of carcinogenesis, initiation has been usually related to a DNA-damage/gene-mutation event, while promotion has been related to the non-genotoxic effects of clonal expansion of preneoplastic cells and/or modulation of cell differentiation. It is now clear that the process of carcinogenesis is linked to more than one irreversible alteration in the genome. Likewise, we can envisage that non-genotoxic events can take place after perhaps 0, 1, 2 or more irreversible alterations in the genome. Initiating and promoting activities of a chemical can be considered clearly separated in theory, but in practice, the chemicals we work with only rarely will be purely of the genotoxic or non-genotoxic type. We will discuss an empirical approach to classify genotoxic or prevalently non-genotoxic chemical carcinogens. For prevalently non-genotoxic carcinogens we will analyze what fraction of them can be detected as promoters of in vivo rat liver carcinogenesis. We will analyze carcinogenic potency of genotoxic and non-genotoxic carcinogens."}
{"id": "PMID:1471217", "title": "Risk assessment of non-genotoxic carcinogens.", "content": "Rates of cell proliferation, cell death, and cell differentiation affect the risk of cancer profoundly. An increase in cell proliferation rates leads to an increase in mutation rates per unit of time, which, in turn, leads to an increase in the risk of cancer. An increase in cell division rates relative to death or differentiation rates may lead to an increase in the population of critical target cells, which, again, leads to an increase in cancer risk. These fundamental principles are well illustrated by the rodent liver model for carcinogenesis. In this paper, we shall briefly discuss some of the consequences of incorporating cell proliferation kinetics into quantitative models of cancer risk assessment. Consideration of cell kinetics can shed light on apparently paradoxical observations such as, e.g. the observation that the administration of two different promoters may lead to the same volume fraction in the rodent liver, with one promoter giving rise to a large number of small foci, and the other to a small number of large foci. Some consequences of explicitly considering cell proliferation kinetics in malignant foci are briefly discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1471218", "title": "Chemicals classified by IARC: an investigation of some of their toxicological characteristics.", "content": "Chemicals classified by the IARC to its Groups 1, 2A, 2B and 3 were examined in an attempt to identify characteristics of their behaviour in experimental studies of carcinogenicity, genotoxicity and acute, mammalian toxicity that correlate with those categories. Only those agents for which carcinogenic potency information was available were studied. For both mice and rats, greater proportions of chemicals were potent carcinogens if they had been categorized in Group 1 (human carcinogens) than if they had been put into one of the other categories. Not surprisingly, there was a weak association between carcinogenic potency and acute toxicity. Mice were especially sensitive to tumour induction by halides, while the lower sensitivity of rats to any carcinogenic effect of halides could be due in part to the higher systemic toxicity of halides in this species: a reduced differential of toxic and carcinogenic doses decreases the dose window in which carcinogenic effects may be demonstrated. It was notable that the human carcinogens were active in those genotoxicity tests with higher specificity for identifying rodent carcinogens. Predictive assays for carcinogenicity considered to have high specificity were in vivo cytogenetic, hepatocyte unscheduled DNA synthesis and Salmonella (5 commonly used strains) and mammalian cell hprt locus mutation assays. None of the relationships was strong enough to form the basis of a simple categorization process, but they could serve to alert investigators to chemicals of special toxicological interest and importance."}
{"id": "PMID:1471219", "title": "Problems and opportunities in toxicity testing arising from species differences in xenobiotic metabolism.", "content": "The processes of metabolism and disposition have a major bearing upon the biological properties of xenobiotics, determining both the chemical natures and target concentrations of the compound-derived materials in the body. The occurrence of major quantitative and qualitative differences between animal species in the metabolism of xenobiotics is well documented. Interspecies differences in metabolism represent a major complication in toxicity testing, being responsible for important differences both in the nature and magnitude of toxic responses. As such, they may be both help and hindrance and this presentation will illustrate both these possibilities with appropriate examples. In particular, these differences represent probably the single greatest complicating factor in the use of animal toxicity data as an indication of potential human hazard. Although it is considered desirable to identify a species which metabolizes the test compound like man, this ideal is generally not attainable. While metabolic and toxicokinetic data should be used in the selection of animal species, in reality the choices are constrained by other major factors such as availability, background pathological knowledge and regulatory acceptability. On the other hand, species differences in metabolism may present exploitable opportunities for insights into mechanisms of toxicity and with appropriate supporting data may thereby increase confidence in the animal-to-human extrapolation. The application of the new technologies of transgenesis to the creation of animals expressing the genes for human drug metabolizing enzymes offers the promise of increasing the opportunities and minimizing the problems presented by species differences in xenobiotic metabolism."}
{"id": "PMID:1471220", "title": "Sex-specific cytochrome P450 as a cause of sex- and species-related differences in drug toxicity.", "content": "Male rats are the most frequently used experimental animals in drug toxicity tests. However, there are clear sex-related differences in toxicity of various drugs and chemicals in rats. These differences, in most cases, are closely connected with the sex-related differences in hepatic drug metabolisms. Recent studies indicate the existence of sex-specific cytochrome P450, such as P450-male (2C11) and P450-female (2C12) and P450(6) beta (3A2) in rat livers, and also show that their expression levels are markedly different between male and female rats. The expressions of sex-specific P450s are regulated by growth hormone, thyroid hormone, sex hormones and other chemicals. On the other hand, there are no or few cytochrome P450s that show the sex-related differences in species other than rats and mice. Although there are orthologous cytochrome P450s in viewpoints of amino acid sequence and substrate specificity in experimental animal species and humans, their expressions are not regulated by hormonal factors in most of the species. These differences may cause clear species differences, if male animals are used, in the toxicity caused by various drugs and chemicals. Thus we can predict the sex-related difference in drug toxicity on the basis of difference in the expression levels of sex-specific cytochrome P450s."}
{"id": "PMID:1471221", "title": "Dose-dependent metabolism and dose setting in chronic studies.", "content": "Because of the expense involved in conducting chronic studies, limited numbers of animals and dose groups are used. This has given rise to the practice of including as one of the dose groups the \"Maximum Tolerated Dose\" (MTD). This dose is operationally defined as the highest dose which can be administered to animals without adversely affecting their survival through effects other than cancer. Since many detoxification systems in animals are capacity-limited, they frequently become saturated in MTD studies. This may lead to difficulties in interpreting the results of MTD studies, particularly when it is necessary to estimate the hazard for human populations whose exposure is typically much lower than the MTD. For this reason, it is important to characterize the dose-dependency of absorption, distribution, metabolism, and elimination (pharmacokinetics) of test substances prior to the initiation of a chronic study. This provides a basis for determining the number and spacing of doses to be used in a chronic study. If the appropriate information is collected it may also be possible to develop a physiologically based pharmacokinetic model which facilitates extrapolation of the toxicity results between different species and routes of administration as well as between high and low doses. For instance, methylene chloride and vinyl chloride are predominantly metabolized by saturable oxidative pathway(s) at low exposure concentrations. In each case, the oxidative pathway saturates at exposures much lower than the MTD. Knowledge of the pharmacokinetic behavior of these substances provided a basis for appropriately interpreting the chronic studies which have been conducted with these materials."}
{"id": "PMID:1471222", "title": "Metabolic studies as a basis for the interpretation of metal toxicity.", "content": "The toxicity of metal compounds has traditionally been regarded as a function of dose and potency of the metal itself. In recent years, however, it has become clear that several metals and metalloids undergo transformations in mammalian tissues and that metabolism may have important implications in clinical pharmacology, toxicology, and environmental health. In this paper, data obtained from recent metabolic studies are reviewed as a basis for the interpretation of biological effects and kinetic patterns of metals of major importance as environmental pollutants."}
{"id": "PMID:1471223", "title": "Characterization of the effects of aluminum on luciferase biosensors for the detection of ecotoxicity.", "content": "Luciferase-based biosensors are becoming increasingly used for environmental monitoring. A transcriptional fusion of the Vibrio harveyi luxAB genes (encoding bacterial luciferase) to the fliC gene of Escherichia coli was constructed and luminescence shown to be induced (in liquid media) in the presence of 1-10 micrograms/ml aluminum, but not copper, iron or nickel. Moreover, luminescence is markedly increased at pH 5.5, where aluminum is more soluble than at pH 7.0. However, aluminum also stimulated luciferase activity when the luxAB genes were located in the xyl operon. This suggests that aluminum stimulates luciferase enzyme activity in vivo. These results are specific to E. coli, as no such aluminum stimulation was observed in the luminescent bacterium V. harveyi. These results have important implications in the generalized use of these clones for environmental monitoring, where aluminum can be present at elevated concentrations."}
{"id": "PMID:1471224", "title": "Cell injury and death caused by bacterial protein toxins.", "content": "Bacterial protein toxins, such as Clostridium difficile toxin A and the Escherichia coli cytotoxic necrotizing factor 1 are known to exert their cytotoxic action via a modification of some cytoskeletal components. The changes in actin organization caused by these toxins appear to be the primary events in the mechanism leading to cell death."}
{"id": "PMID:1471225", "title": "Toxicity in animals and safety in humans: the predictive value of animal studies.", "content": "Up to the beginning of the 1980s the surveys on adverse reactions to uro-angiographic, iodinated contrast media administered intravenously failed to recognize any significant correlation between the incidence of such reactions and the type and/or dose of administered compound. Consequently the role of pharmaco-toxicological characteristics of the different iodinated molecules was considered negligible in comparison with the individual risk factors causing for the systemic adverse reactions. More recent surveys have shown that the risk of severe adverse reactions is about six times lower with non-ionic than with ionic compounds. These clinical results confirm the findings of animal studies that showed a two- to three-fold greater safety margin for non-ionic compounds than ionic compounds. In view of these data, the predictive value of pre-clinical safety assessment of iodinated contrast agents is re-examined. The interspecies scaling approach is considered useful owing to the well-known and very simple pharmacokinetic behaviour of these compounds both in humans and in animals."}
{"id": "PMID:1471226", "title": "Qualitative and quantitative experimental models to aid in risk assessment for immunotoxicology.", "content": "We have previously reported on the design and content of a screening battery using a \"tier\" approach for detecting potential immunosuppressive compounds in mice [1]. This battery was composed of various immune function, immunopathology and host resistance tests, the results of which could help establish the potential of chemical and biological agents to cause immunosuppression. The data from these studies, which now encompass over 50 compounds, have been analyzed in an attempt to improve future testing strategies and provide information to aid in the risk assessment process. Specifically, the following two issues will be addressed; what are the likelihood(s) for each of the individual tests and testing configurations to accurately identify immunotoxic compounds? and what are the quantitative and qualitative relationships between the immune tests and host resistance assays?"}
{"id": "PMID:1471227", "title": "Epidemiology of adverse reactions to intravascular iodinated contrast media.", "content": "Non-ionic contrast media cause fewer acute reactions than ionic media but there is insufficient data on mortality rates. An international reference centre is suggested for histological assessment of fatal reactions. Risk factors, delayed reactions, renal, neural, haemic and other miscellaneous reactions are briefly discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1471228", "title": "The profile evolution of acute severe poisoning in Spain.", "content": "About 5% of the patients admitted to emergency departments with poisonings are seriously ill and need admission to intensive care units (ICUs). This paper presents the result of three multicentric studies carried out in Spain during the last ten years. A study was made of 6 ICUs in 1980, 41 in 1987 and 15 in 1990 with a total of 596 patients. The average age (36) remained stable throughout, but the number of female cases decreased each time. The most frequent cause (79%) was attempted suicide. The products used most frequently were therapeutic drugs (82, 71 and 58%) followed by drugs of abuse, and then agricultural, household and industrial products. We observed a progressive decrease in barbiturates (54, 15 and 2%) and an increase in benzodiazepines and cyclic antidepressants. Therapeutic methods used were mostly gastric lavage (64%), activated charcoal (35%), forced diuresis (43%), extracorporeal therapy (11%) and antidotes. The mortality rate fluctuated between 6.4 and 9.1%, being significantly higher with poisoning by non-therapeutic drugs. In conclusion, the most common poisoning admitted to our ICUs was by psychoactive drugs in suicide attempts. We observed the under-use of activated charcoal and an excessive usage of kidney and extracorporeal methods. The prognosis was worse for poisonings with non-therapeutic drugs."}
{"id": "PMID:1471229", "title": "Rapidly developing cocaine-induced peripheral portal liver damage.", "content": "Cocaine administration to phenobarbitone treated DBA/2Ha mice caused scattered peripheral portal cell necrosis within 2 h. At 3 h, when this initial lesion had become more widespread, and plasma membrane integrity had been compromised, 15-fold elevations in plasma levels of liver enzymes were observed. Biochemical analysis of liver microsomes showed no changes in the levels of total cytochrome P-450 during the development of hepatic damage, and there was no correlation between microsomal malondialdehyde (MDA), an indicator of lipid peroxidation, and liver damage. These results indicate that as liver damage occurs only 2 h after cocaine administration, prompt action is warranted when cocaine overdose is suspected."}
{"id": "PMID:1471230", "title": "A dual effect of some 5-HT3 receptor antagonists on cisplatin-induced emesis in the pigeon.", "content": "In the present study, the emetic effect of the anticancer drug cisplatin, and protective effects of 5-HT3 receptor antagonists against cisplatin emesis were investigated in the pigeon. The experimental setting involved the i.v. administration of drugs and subsequent observation of the percentage of vomiting animals and number of emetic episodes per vomiting animal over a period of 5 h. In some experiments, the 5-HT and 5-HIAA content in tissues was estimated by the HPLC technique. It was observed that cisplatin (2.5-10 mg/kg) is able to induce dose-dependent emesis in the pigeon. 5-HT3 receptor antagonists (500 micrograms/kg) afford partial protection against cisplatin emesis, although some of them, i.e. indolic derivatives and zacopride, display intrinsic emetic activity at doses of 50-500 micrograms/kg. A serotonergic mechanism appears to be involved in both cisplatin- and 5-HT3 receptor antagonist-induced emesis, since pretreatment with an inhibitor of 5-HT synthesis, para-chlorophenylalanine (300 mg/kg x 3 days), is able to hamper vomiting induced by either cisplatin or 5-HT3 receptor antagonists. It is concluded that the intrinsic emetic effects of 5-HT3 receptor antagonists in the pigeon provide pharmacological evidence of species differences in the properties of 5 HT3 receptors."}
{"id": "PMID:1471231", "title": "Production of lipid hydroperoxides and depletion of reduced glutathione in liver mitochondria after acute ethanol administration to rats.", "content": "It has been found that acute ethanol (EtOH) intoxication to rats caused approximately 40% depletion of mitochondrial reduced glutathione (GSH). A GSH reduction of similar extent was also observed after the administration to rats of buthionine sulfoximine (BSO), a specific inhibitor of GSH synthesis. The combined treatment of EtOH plus BSO induced a further mitochondrial GSH decrease up to 70% with respect to control. The presence of lipid hydroperoxides in the mitochondrial membrane was observed whenever an additional oxidative stress was associated to a condition of GSH depletion as in the case of EtOH or EtOH plus BSO. Under these conditions a severe derangement in mitochondrial oxidative functions occurred."}
{"id": "PMID:1471232", "title": "Plasma glutathione level in paracetamol daily abuser patients. Changes in plasma cysteine and thiol groups after reduced glutathione administration.", "content": "Since plasma reduced glutathione (GSH) seems to reflect liver GSH content, we have assessed plasma GSH in patients using paracetamol daily. In these patients a significant lower plasma GSH concentration was found with respect to controls. After the i.v. administration of GSH free plasma cysteine was 12 fold higher than in basal condition and all the pattern of plasma thiol groups was modified. This work suggests that the possible protective effect of GSH administration is due to the availability of plasma thiol compounds that enter the cell rather than GSH itself."}
{"id": "PMID:1471233", "title": "Properties of bolesatine, a translational inhibitor from Boletus satanas Lenz. Amino-terminal sequence determination and inhibition of rat mitochondrial protein synthesis.", "content": "Bolesatine is a toxic monomeric glycoprotein of Mr 63,000 isolated from the mushroom Boletus satanas Lenz. Its N-terminal amino acid sequence was established: NH2-Thr-Trp-Arg-Ile-Tyr-Leu-Asn-Asn-Gln-Thr-Val-Lys-Leu-Ala-Leu-Leu-Leu- Pro- Asn-Gly.... It inhibits protein synthesis in isolated rat mitochondria. After 90 min of preincubation with bolesatine, the incorporation of [14C]-leucine into mitochondrial proteins was inhibited with an IC50 of 530 nM."}
{"id": "PMID:1471234", "title": "Molecular basis for differences in susceptibility to coal workers' pneumoconiosis.", "content": "It is generally accepted that there are differences among workers in susceptibility towards the effects of mineral dusts such as silica, coal dust and asbestos. Basic research continues to find new factors involved in the process of pulmonary fibrosis caused by these minerals. In this paper, two hypotheses implicitly generated by recent findings were tested in two case-control studies among coal miners: generation of tumour necrosis factor (TNF) by blood monocytes of miners with coal workers' pneumoconiosis (CWP) and serum type III procollagen peptide (PIIIP) in CWP. Our data indicate that both parameters can be used as biological markers for early diagnosis of CWP. A follow-up study is described in which the predictive power of increased TNF release and serum PIIIP as risk factor to develop lung fibrosis will be assessed."}
{"id": "PMID:1471235", "title": "Behavioral toxicity of guanidinosuccinic acid in adult and young mice.", "content": "Guanidinosuccinic acid (GSA), a guanidino compound found to be greatly increased in uremia, was administered by intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection to adult albino mice and to young mice 7, 14 and 21 days old. Epileptogenic and toxic properties were assessed and GSA brain levels following i.p. injection were determined. In adult mice, GSA induced long-lasting generalized clonic and clonic-tonic convulsions in a dose-dependent manner with a CD50 (and 95% confidence interval) of 363 (287-458) mg/kg (n = 35), and an LD50 of 579 (445-756) mg/kg. The CD50 of GSA corresponded with a brain concentration of 56 nmol/g tissue. Electrocorticographic recording in five adult mice revealed epileptiform discharges (spikes, spike-waves, and polyspike-waves) which appeared concomitant with the convulsions. When young mice were i.p. injected with a (for adults) subconvulsive dose of GSA (250 mg/kg), an age-dependent decrease was noted in GSA-induced convulsions and in the resulting brain concentration. The presented findings suggest that GSA could be an important uremic toxin which could contribute to the epileptic symptomatology in uremia."}
{"id": "PMID:1471236", "title": "Three-generation reproductive studies of a synthetic pyrethroid--cyhalothrin.", "content": "The present study was carried out to understand the effect of cyhalothrin, a synthetic pyrethroid, on reproduction in mice. The study was designed as a three-generation reproduction study. Mice were given 2.5 and 5.0 ppm cyhalothrin/kg body weight orally. Daily cumulative body weight of the pregnant mice, number of pups, and cumulative body weight of pups were noted during the study. Compared with the control, body weight gain of cyhalothrin-treated parent mice of the first generation (for both concentrations) was less. As per Dunnet t-test, the weights of treated mice were comparable with control or were statistically nonsignificant. The other two generations did not show significant changes in body weight gain. Cyhalothrin fed orally did not affect the body weight gain of the pups in any of the generations. There was no significant difference in the viability index in any of the generations. Survival of the pups of dams given cyhalothrin was similar to that in the control."}
{"id": "PMID:1471237", "title": "Safety/risk assessment of pesticides: principles, procedures and examples.", "content": "The principles and procedures for the assessment of the safety/risk of chemical used by the relevant WHO and EPA expert groups are outlined. The assessment in terms of acceptable daily intakes (ADIs) and reference doses (RfDs) of 25 pesticides is listed. The pesticides assessed are acephate, alachlor, amitrole, azinphos-methyl, benomyl, biphenthrin, bromophos, chlordane, chlorthalonil, cyhalothrin, DDT, EPTC, ethion, folpet, fosetyl-al, glyphosate, isofenphos, methomyl, methyl mercury, paraquat, phosphamidon, systhane, terbutyn, tribultyltin oxide, and vinclozin. In addition, their critical effects, the no-observed-effect levels and the size of the safety/uncertainty factors used are also listed to illustrate the diversity of the toxic effects and the resulting assessments. Furthermore, the enormous amount of data reviewed and the complex scientific judgement involved are also indicated. Considering the various uncertainties existing, the ADIs and RfDs do not differ appreciably in most instances. However, marked differences exist between the ADIs and RfDs of DDT and chlordane. It is suggested that re-evaluation be done on these, and perhaps other, chemicals."}
{"id": "PMID:1471238", "title": "The mechanisms and evaluation of chemically induced allergy.", "content": "Many chemicals are able to induce contact allergy, a delayed-type hypersensitivity reaction. Some of these have, in addition, the potential to cause respiratory allergy, an immediate hypersensitivity reaction effected by IgE antibody. The characteristics of immune responses provoked by chemical allergens determine the type of hypersensitivity reaction which will predominate. Recent evidence indicates that contact and respiratory allergens stimulate qualitatively different immune responses in mice consistent with the selective activation of T helper (TH) cell subpopulations. Contact allergens which lack the potential for respiratory sensitization preferentially activate TH1 cells which effect delayed-type hypersensitivity reactions. A soluble product of TH1 cells, interferon gamma (IFN-gamma), inhibits IgE antibody responses, and thereby the induction of respiratory sensitization. Conversely, chemical allergens which are known to cause respiratory hypersensitivity stimulate preferentially TH2-type responses. TH2 cells promote the development of respiratory allergy through the production of interleukin 4 (IL-4), a cytokine which is required for the initiation and maintenance of IgE responses. Although the molecular basis for the selective activation by contact and respiratory allergens of TH1 and TH2 cells, respectively, awaits clarification, these qualitative differences in immune response provide opportunities for the identification and evaluation of chemical sensitizers."}
{"id": "PMID:1471239", "title": "Athymic experimental animals in pharmaco-immunological research.", "content": "Immunodeficient animals--the nude mouse and the nude rat--allow studies of drug action and possible side effects without interference from the immune system. Comparative investigations in athymic and euthymic animals allowed us to elucidate the role of T-lymphocytes in the pathogenesis of streptozotocin-induced diabetes mellitus in mice, and the importance of NK-cells as effectors in guanethidine-induced sympathectomy in the rat. It is suggested that immunodeficient animals should be included in toxicological studies of xenobiotics."}
{"id": "PMID:1471240", "title": "Cellular and humoral mechanisms of immunotoxicological tissue manifestations induced by immunotoxic drugs.", "content": "The adverse effects on the immune system resulting from acute and subchronic exposure to immunotoxic compounds can be divided into the following three categories. One is the tissue manifestations induced by either immunosuppressive or immunomodulative compounds through the interactions of the drug or its metabolites with cellular/humoral constituents directly or indirectly. For the detection, the functional tests especially NK activity in short-term administration were found to be valuable in the assessment of immunotoxicity of drugs in comparison with hematological and morphological alterations. The second is manifested as an allergic reaction, consisting of three sequential events: (1) sensitization by the exposure of a drug primarily recognized as an antigen; (2) the interaction of antigen and antibody and/or sensitized mononuclear cell (M), and its sequelae, which initiate the chain of events leading to tissue injury: and (3) tissue injury and inflammation. The third is manifested as autoimmunity. Of these, in the first two reactions, a primary manifestation seems to be cellular injury. In this experiment, the morphological and biochemical changes occurring in the cultured cells were analyzed when the compound was added to cultured cells obtained from (a) normal animals, (b) drug-sensitized animal models prepared by using drug-protein conjugates, and (c) animals administered drugs at the dosage equivalent to therapeutic dose. When a test compound was added to short cultured sensitized M, morphological responses observed were characterized by either diffuse swelling of the cells and decrease of pseudopod movement, or gradual shrinking. No such changes were observed in non-sensitized M. In contrast, when immunosuppressants or immunomodulators were used, increases of pseudopod movement and pinocytosis, and excitation of cytoplasmic movement, were observed in both sensitized and non-sensitized M if compounds were cytotoxic. In both cases, inflammatory cytokines responsible for tissue damage were released from the M. Little release of these factors was observed from the non-stimulated cells. For the third category, an attempt is being made to analyze autoimmune disorders immunotoxicologically by using experimentally induced MDP-arthritis in rodents."}
{"id": "PMID:1471243", "title": "Increased detection of hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected blood donors by a multiple-antigen HCV enzyme immunoassay.", "content": "A new, multiple-antigen enzyme immunoassay (EIA-2) for hepatitis C virus (HCV) antibodies was evaluated in parallel with the previously available c100-3 HCV EIA (EIA-1) in 14,068 volunteer blood donors as well as in 25 cases of transfusion-associated hepatitis C for which recipient and donor samples were available. When compared to EIA-1, the EIA-2 was more sensitive in detecting HCV-infected blood donors. The EIA-2 detected an additional 1 in 1000 EIA-1-negative, surrogate marker-negative donors who were infected with HCV as demonstrated by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The specificity of the EIA-2 was comparable to that of the EIA-1, but the two tests appear to detect different populations of false-positive donors. Recombinant immunoblot assay-indeterminate donors were detected five times more frequently by the EIA-2; PCR demonstrated that 21 percent of these donors were infected with HCV. The greater sensitivity of EIA-2 was also found in 25 transfusion recipients with non-A, non-B hepatitis; however, in 16 percent of these cases of posttransfusion HCV infection, the EIA-2 failed to detect an HCV-seropositive donor. These data indicate that EIA-2 testing will significantly reduce, but probably not eliminate, the risk of transfusion-associated HCV infection; we estimate this residual per-unit risk to be 1 in 2000 to 1 in 6000 units transfused. On a national level, it is projected that the replacement of the anti-HCV EIA-1 with the EIA-2 will initially prevent up to 40 additional cases of transfusion-associated hepatitis C per day."}
{"id": "PMID:1471245", "title": "Promotion of high school blood donations: testing the efficacy of a videotaped intervention.", "content": "\"Life to Life,\" an 11-minute videotape based on social learning principles, was used by 10 blood centers in presentations to 4970 high school students one week before school blood drives. At each school, some students saw the videotape and others attended a blood center's customary presentation. Students also completed a brief questionnaire assessing donation attitudes, donation history, and intent to donate. The videotape accounted for a relative increase of 18.7 percent in donations even when other factors were not controlled for. Results were analyzed with logistic models and showed a consistently positive effect over all models used. For students who had never donated, the estimated odds ratio for actual donation (videotape:control) was 1.528. When the model included both type of presentation and ethnicity, the relative increase in donation over that after the blood centers' usual presentation was 69.8 percent for first-time donors. Among previous donors considered alone, the effect on donation was not significant. Whatever their donor history, students who viewed the videotape showed significantly more positive attitudes toward donation and had greater intention to donate than students who saw the blood centers' standard presentations. These results suggest that this videotape is a useful tool for recruitment of high school blood donors."}
{"id": "PMID:1471244", "title": "Frequency of delayed hemolytic transfusion reactions following antibody screening and immediate-spin crossmatching.", "content": "In view of the continuing controversy regarding the use of immediate-spin crossmatch procedures in preparing blood for transfusion to patients in whom unexpected clinically significant antibodies have not been found by antibody screening by the indirect antiglobulin test (IAT), a review of 8 years' experience with such a policy was conducted. In that period, 54,725 units of packed red cells or whole blood were transfused to 10,146 patients. Four clinically overt delayed hemolytic transfusion reactions and 18 clinically silent delayed serologic transfusion reactions were found. In 3 of the 22 patients, the offending antibody(ies) were detectable in the pretransfusion serum by an enzyme IAT, but none was detectable by routine saline IAT against either a three-cell screening panel or the transfused cells. Thus, the incorporation of saline indirect antiglobulin crossmatch would not have prevented the delayed reactions. It can be concluded that the use of a saline indirect antiglobulin crossmatch offers no significant advantage over the current policy of using only immediate-spin crossmatch for those patients whose pretransfusion serum gives negative results in a three-cell screen using a saline IAT."}
{"id": "PMID:1471246", "title": "Immunohematologic complications of ABO-unmatched liver transplants.", "content": "Transplantation of ABO-unmatched livers has been associated with the development of donor-derived antibody (DDAb) and hemolysis. Nine (22%) of 41 consecutive patients undergoing liver transplantation at our institution received 10 ABO-unmatched livers. Five (56%) of nine patients developed DDAbs and hemolysis. All five patients were group A1 and received group O livers. DDAbs appeared a mean of 9.2 +/- 2.8 (1 SD) days after surgery and persisted for 15.2 +/- 10.3 days. All patients with DDAbs developed hemolysis. During the period when DDAbs were demonstrable, the hemoglobin dropped by a mean of 4.8 g per dL (48 g/L), and the patients were transfused with a mean of 7.8 +/- 2.3 units of group O red cells. One patient with hemolysis underwent exchange transfusion for acute renal failure. Patients with hemolysis required significantly more red cells postoperatively (15.0 vs. 6.9 units, p = 0.04) than did ABO-matched patients. None of the parameters examined (age, recipient or donor gender, secretor status, rejection, or donor isoagglutinin titers) were predictive of DDAb or hemolysis, although hemolysis occurred in three of four cases in which donor serum IgG anti-A titers were > or = 128, as opposed to one of four cases in which titers were < 128. Because recipients of ABO-unmatched livers are at high risk for transiently developing DDAb and hemolysis with associated morbidity, the prophylactic use of donor-type red cells for surgery and after operation is justified."}
{"id": "PMID:1471248", "title": "HLA antibody enhancement by double addition of serum: use in platelet donor selection.", "content": "The identification of HLA class I alloantibodies is important for organ transplantation and platelet transfusion in alloimmunized patients. Because microcytotoxicity testing against frozen trays of lymphocyte panels is rapid and efficient for determining specificities of unknown antibodies, a simple method was devised to increase test sensitivity to weak antibodies. Standard anti-human globulin (AHG)-facilitated microcytotoxicity was modified by the insertion of a double addition-of-serum (DAS) step, and reagent and patient's sera were evaluated by both methods. DAS modification increased antibody titers and, more significantly, made the identification of weak specificities easier because of the twofold to threefold increase in reactivity rates (29-42% for AHG vs. 75-82% for DAS) of panel cells that were expected to be positive, while low (approx. 1%) \"extra\" reaction rates were maintained for cells that were expected to be negative. DAS was relatively unaffected by variations in serum volumes or target cell preparation, and its use did not significantly increase test time or costs. In a program of platelet donor selection driven by donor antibody rather than donor-recipient antigen matching, DAS greatly facilitated platelet transfusion support for alloimmunized patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1471255", "title": "Enter a new post-translational modification: D-amino acids in gene-encoded peptides.", "content": "The post-translational processing of peptides plays a key role in conferring biological activity on those peptides. Recently, ribosomally made peptides that contain D-amino acids at specific positions have been discovered in microorganisms as well as in vertebrates and invertebrates. This points to yet another strategy of circumventing stereochemical limitations imposed by the genetic code and conveying biological activity to otherwise inert molecules."}
{"id": "PMID:1471247", "title": "Expression of the Tn antigen in myelodysplasia, lymphoma, and leukemia.", "content": "Expression of the normally cryptic blood group antigen Tn has occasionally been reported in hematologic disease, but the true frequency of this change is not known. A mouse monoclonal antibody (FBT3) and immunohistochemistry were used to examine expression of the Tn antigen. Expression was not detected in 35 normal bone marrow aspirates examined, but it was detected in 5 of 725 abnormal bone marrow aspirates, including 2 (3.6%) of 55 cases of de novo acute nonlymphocytic leukemia and 2 cases that terminated in acute nonlymphocytic leukemia. In two patients, one with acute myeloblastic leukemia and the other in blast transformation of chronic myeloid leukemia, the Tn antigen was expressed on 2 percent of blast cells. In one case of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, 4 percent of normal myeloid cells expressed the antigen. In the other two cases, one of acute myelomonocytic leukemia and the other of myelodysplasia, only 2 to 8 percent of myeloid and erythroid cells initially were Tn positive. Subsequent serial immunohistochemical studies of bone marrow aspirates and peripheral blood in these two cases showed increasing numbers of Tn-positive erythroid and myeloid cells 8 to 12 months before polyagglutination was detected serologically. Tn-positive cells increased to > 90 percent in the terminal phase in both cases of both diseases. The results suggest that Tn expression in these two patients may have conferred a growth advantage to the cells and could be related to disease progression."}
{"id": "PMID:1471249", "title": "A serologic relationship among the NFLD, BOW, and Wu red cell antigens.", "content": "A survey of sera containing antibodies to multiple low-incidence antigens revealed a variety of patterns of reactions with NFLD+, BOW+, and Wu+ red cell samples. Although NFLD, BOW, and Wu are distinct antigenic determinants (International Society of Blood Transfusion numbers 700.37, 700.46, and 700.13, respectively), their ability to absorb and elute \"crossreactive\" antibodies indicates a serologic and possibly a genetic relationship among the three."}
{"id": "PMID:1471256", "title": "Did the ancestral globin gene of plants and animals contain only two introns?", "content": "All vertebrate globin genes contain two introns, while plant globin genes contain three. It is widely thought that the plant gene structure reflects the structure of the primordial globin gene and that a common ancestor of all animals lost the central intron shortly after the divergence of plants and animals more than one billion years ago. The recent discovery of a discordant central intron in some animal globin genes suggests that this model is incorrect. We propose that the typical vertebrate two-intron gene structure is the primordial eukaryotic form, and that following the divergence of plants and animals, a common ancestor of plants gained a central intron in the globin gene."}
{"id": "PMID:1471251", "title": "A therapeutic, highly purified factor XI concentrate from human plasma.", "content": "A highly purified factor XI (FXI) concentrate was prepared from human plasma by a process comprising a filter adsorption step and chromatography on a cation exchange resin. The freeze-dried FXI, which solubilized quickly, had high specific activity (130-150 U/mg protein), high potency (approx. 100 U/mL), and excellent stability for at least 24 hours at room temperature in the liquid state. The overall recovery was about 220 U of FXI per liter of plasma. Minor protein contaminants (C1-inhibitor, fibronectin, IgG, and alpha-2-macroglobulin) were found to be between 0.13 and 0.46 mg per 1000 U of FXI. Fibrinogen and relevant coagulation factors (factors II, V, VII, IX, X, XII, XIII, and VIII/von Willebrand factor) were undetectable, as evidenced by immunologic and immunoelectrophoretic data. Components of the kinin system were present in trace amounts or were undetectable. No evidence of activated factors such as factors Xa and IXa was found. Proteolytic activity, as assessed by S-2288 chromogenic substrate, was negligible and thrombin was undetectable. A solvent-detergent treatment was included prior to chromatographic purification to enhance viral safety against lipid-enveloped viruses. In vitro and in vivo animal studies demonstrated the absence of thrombogenic, hypotensive, or toxic effects. No thrombogenic activity was found in the Wessler model in rabbits at doses of 900 to 1100 U of FXI per kg of body weight. This FXI preparation could be beneficial in substitution therapy of congenital or acquired FXI deficiency, especially as a way to avoid the use of fresh-frozen plasma."}
{"id": "PMID:1471257", "title": "Evolution by acquisition: the case for horizontal gene transfers.", "content": "One of the most debated questions in the field of molecular evolution is the possible role of horizontal transfer in evolution. Of all the claims that have been made over the years, those reporting transfers between eukaryotes and prokaryotes are the most controversial. Here we present the cases for and against several such possible gene acquisitions."}
{"id": "PMID:1471250", "title": "Direct identification of Yersinia enterocolitica in blood by polymerase chain reaction amplification.", "content": "Primers based on the nucleotide sequence of the virF gene in the pYV plasmid and the chromosomal ail gene were used in polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplifications to directly identify Yersinia enterocolitica in blood. Approximately 500 bacteria seeded into 100 microL of blood can be extracted and amplified by PCR to yield positive results. PCR analyses of seven Y. enterocolitica isolates previously implicated in blood contaminations showed that only one isolate harbored the plasmid-borne virF gene; however, all seven isolates were identified effectively by the PCR product amplified from the chromosomal gene. The PCR assay has the potential for use in the identification of Y. enterocolitica contamination in stored units of blood or in the rapid diagnosis of transfusion-related bacteremia caused by Y."}
{"id": "PMID:1471260", "title": "14-3-3 proteins: a highly conserved, widespread family of eukaryotic proteins.", "content": "A family of proteins known as 14-3-3 is currently receiving increased attention by investigators studying a broad range of biological systems, including plants and invertebrates. The outstanding feature of this family is the extraordinarily high sequence conservation observed. Current thinking indicates that these proteins may function as regulators in signal transduction/phosphorylation mechanisms."}
{"id": "PMID:1471261", "title": "Regulation of sugar utilization by Saccharomyces cerevisiae.", "content": "There are several kinds of regulation that enable microbes to cope with rapidly changing supplies of nutrients. This is exemplified by sugar metabolism in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Some readily reversible controls affect the activity of enzymes, either by allosteric activation and deactivation, which often occur within seconds, or by covalent modification, within minutes. Other controls regulate the amount of enzyme present in the cells, either by irreversible proteolytic inactivation of the enzyme, or by influencing enzymic synthesis. The nomenclature of these processes is often confused."}
{"id": "PMID:1471273", "title": "[Pelvic insufficiency during pregnancy. Is pelvic girdle relaxation an unambiguous concept?].", "content": "Pelvic insufficiency during pregnancy, pelvic girdle relaxation, is defined as a condition with pain at the pubic symphysis and/or the sacroiliac joint developing in connection with pregnancy or delivery. No unambiguous criteria for the diagnosis of pelvic girdle relaxation exist but the following findings occur: Direct tenderness at the pubic symphysis and/or sacroiliac joint, waddling gait, pain on change of position, positive Trendelenburg's sign, iliac compression test, iliac gapping test and sacral pressure test. The frequency is 7.6-18.5 per 1000 deliveries. The incidence is increased in multiparae and women with occupations which strain the back. Recurrence occurs in 41-77%. The condition appears for the first time usually in the 5th-8th months of pregnancy. The majority of patients recover shortly after delivery but in some a condition of prolonged pain persists. The cause of pelvic girdle relaxation is unknown. Hormonal and biomechanical factors are considered to be of significance. No increased mobility in the pelvic joints nor general hypermobility have been demonstrated. Treatment is symptomatic and consists of information, instruction in relief and psychosocial support. Exercises and a trochanter belt may be useful. No controlled investigations of the value of treatment are available."}
{"id": "PMID:1471274", "title": "[Closed anesthetic systems].", "content": "Anaesthesia with closed anaesthetic systems demands knowledge of the physiology of the patients and of how the various anaesthetic gases behave in the organism as only the gases which the patients produces and absorbs are eliminated and replaced. The system is educational as it provides knowledge of the genuine absorption of oxygen and anaesthetic gases. The method is favourable to the environment as only the gases which are used are supplied and it is thus economical in use although investment in monitoring equipment is necessary. In practice, induction and waking of the patient are complicated with this system and it requires an anaesthetist who constantly adjusts the gases in the circuit."}
{"id": "PMID:1471275", "title": "[Low-flow anesthesia systems].", "content": "At present, when economy and environment receive high priority, the ideal anaesthesia system with inhalation anaesthetics is a closed circle system in which only the gases which the patient consumes or produces are replaced or eliminated. Low-flow (LF) anaesthesia in which the fresh gas flow which is employed in a closed system, provides a stable system compares with closed anaesthesia systems. Compared with open systems and circler systems with considerable fresh gas flow, the LF system provides advantages as regards economy, environment and exposure of staff to inhalation anaesthetics. The special conditions involved in LF anaesthesia are described in detail with the hope that the method will obtain more widespread distribution than is the case in Denmark today. If greater safety under anaesthesia is desired, eg by monitoring the concentrations of CO2, O2 and inhalation anaesthetics which the patients inspire and expire, this monitoring equipment can be financed by introduction of LF anaesthesia."}
{"id": "PMID:1471276", "title": "[A marked decline in the mortality from ischemic heart disease among middle aged Danish men in the 1980's and simultaneous changes of mortality because of other causes].", "content": "The mortality from ischaemic heart disease (IHD) in 35-64 year old Danish men has declined by 27% from 1981 to 1989. In the same period, a lesser increase in mortality from all other causes was observed. However, this is a heterogenous phenomenon, since the mortality from (in particular) infectious diseases (AIDS), diabetes mellitus, and a number of diseases related to heavy drinking has increased, whereas the suicide rate and mortality from lung cancer (in 1985-89) have decreased. It is not possible to evaluate the contribution of improved treatment of IHD cases and a decreasing incidence of disease, respectively, to the decline in mortality from IHD. A decreasing incidence is very probable, however, since both the percentage of smokers and the plasma cholesterol levels in middle-aged men have declined significantly since mid-1970s and leisure time physical activity has increased. The trend in IHD mortality in the 1980s points to a sustained decline in the 1990s and a levelling off in the increase in mortality from other causes. Thus total mortality is expected to decrease more rapidly in the 1990s, resulting in an increase in life expectancy of Danish men."}
{"id": "PMID:1471277", "title": "[Why do patients change physicians?].", "content": "The purpose of this investigation was to describe why patients change their general practitioners (GP) by the means of questionnaires. Questionnaires were given 357 patients who had changed GPs in 1990 and 206 (58%) returned the questionnaire. The most common reasons were dissatisfaction with the quality of the service provided, too little time allowed or lack of communication between patient and doctor. Women accounted for approximately 75% of the total number and preferred female GPs, whereas men who changed doctors probably did so because they wanted to have the same GP as their families. The frequency of change was about 1% and most of the patients had stuck to the same GP for several years before changing."}
{"id": "PMID:1471278", "title": "[Acceptance of ambulatory laser conization under local anesthesia by Danish women].", "content": "The aim of the study was to evaluate the acceptability of CO2 laser excisional conization for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia under local anaesthesia in an outpatient setting. Seventy-seven patients, who underwent this procedure, were interviewed three months later concerning pain during treatment, pain and bleeding in the immediate postoperative period, and their general opinion about this procedure. The median duration of surgery was 11 minutes. The postoperative median observation time was 90 minutes. Seventy-one women experienced no discomfort during treatment. Thirty-one patients needed mild analgesics for an average of three days. Bleeding continued for a mean of 7.7 days after treatment and 73% experienced the bleeding as less, 8% as more as compared to menstrual bleeding. Ninety-two percent of the women would prefer this procedure if they had to undergo conization once again. In conclusion, we found a high acceptability in women treated with CO2 laser excisional conization under local anaesthesia in an outpatient setting."}
{"id": "PMID:1471279", "title": "[Treatment of central facial nerve paralysis with electromyography biofeedback and taping of cheek. A controlled clinical trial].", "content": "We studied 35 patients with facial palsy after stroke, admitted to a rehabilitation hospital. We examined the patients on admission and after one, two and six months with 1) clinical evaluation of the facial function using a modified House-Brackmann scale, 2) photographs of patients with six different facial expressions; these photos were evaluated by \"blinded\" observers using the modified House-Brackmann scale, 3) questionnaire about patients emotional reactions to the facial paralysis and 4) facial sensation. No differences were found between a control group of 12 and a group of patients (23) training facial function 2-3 times a week, each session of 15 minutes, with EMG-biofeedback and cheek taped between training sessions. A significant improvement in facial function occurred spontaneously after one month in rehabilitation unit in the total group. After six months 2/3 of the patients had normal facial function or mild dysfunction. Patients with right-sided facial palsy showed a significantly better improvement at six months as compared to patients with left-sided facial palsy. The questionnaire showed that only half of the patients were aware of the asymmetric face. We cannot recommend training with EMG-biofeedback to patients with facial paralysis after stroke. Spontaneous remission is to be expected."}
{"id": "PMID:1471280", "title": "[Lateral cervical cysts as primary manifestation of tonsillar cancer].", "content": "Of 59 patients with tonsillar carcinoma, eight presented with a cervical cyst which was judged to be a branchial cyst clinically and after fine needle aspiration. In all cases, the cyst was removed and microscopic examination revealed malignancy. The correct diagnosis, carcinoma of the tonsil with cystic lymph node metastasis, was revealed during the primary operation in two cases, in four cases the diagnosis was made at a second operation where ipsilateral tonsillectomy was performed and in two cases the diagnosis was first made several years later. It is concluded that, in patients who are over the age of 40 years, the diagnosis of branchial cyst should not be accepted primarily even if fine needle aspiration does not give any suspicion of malignancy."}
{"id": "PMID:1471281", "title": "[Focal myositis].", "content": "Focal myositis is a rare benign pseudotumor of skeletal muscle, of unknown cause. Clinically it presents as an enlarging mass within a muscle, usually in en extremity. Biopsy shows characteristic histological changes of inflammation, focal degeneration and regeneration. The natural course of this disorder is spontaneous regression. This report describes the case of a 17-year-old boy with focal myositis of the thigh and a review of the relevant literature."}
{"id": "PMID:1471287", "title": "[Doppler ultrasonography in arteriosclerosis of the lower extremities].", "content": "Arteriography, which requires resources and is not entirely without risk, has hitherto been a prerequisite for reconstructive surgery in cases of symptom-producing arteriosclerosis in the lower limbs. As an alternative, indirect Doppler ultrasonic examination has been employed but does not appear to be suitable in the clinical routine. On the basis of a review of the literature, it is suggested that, employing a combination of ultrasonic picture scanning and Doppler ultrasonic duplex scanning, it may be possible to diagnose significant solitary stenoses or short occlusions in the aorto-iliac segment and in the femoral artery but that this does not appear to be employable at present in cases of multiple lesions. Examination of the popliteal artery is still too unreliable and reasonably certain assessment of the crural arteries is not possible with the present technique. Duplex scanning can thus not replace arteriography as yet for examination of patients with ischaemia in the lower limbs."}
{"id": "PMID:1471288", "title": "[Relationship between distal systolic blood pressure and wound healing. A retrospective study of patients with crural ulcers].", "content": "To anticipate the need for ensuring quality in treatment of patients with ulceration of the lower leg and complicating arterial occlusive disease, three authors examined the files of 56 patients with systolic digital blood pressure (SDBP) below 60 mmHg, all admitted to the geriatric in-patient department over a 11-year period in a retrospective study. In 40 patients (71%) the ulcer healed. Eight patients (14%) required amputation, six patients (11%) died and two patients (4%) were unsolved. We found a significant correlation between SDBP and ulcer healing (p = 0.006). In patients with SDBP < or = 35 mmHg, healing on conservative pharmacotherapy was demonstrated even with critical ischaemia."}
{"id": "PMID:1471289", "title": "[Can Doppler ultrasound replace strain gauge in the measurement of ankle blood pressure?].", "content": "Traditionally, strain gauge technique is used in Denmark to measure ankle blood pressure, a method requiring both time and well-trained personnel. In a study involving 90 limbs in 45 patients, this method was compared with ultrasonic technique using a portable 5 MHz Doppler. The reproducibility of Doppler ankle pressure measurement was similar to that found in strain gauge based studies. Two consecutive measurements may differ by 20 mmHg or in terms of ankle-brachial index by 0.15 before this is considered significant. No systematic variation was found between the two methods. Increasing difficulties were encountered with the Doppler technique at pressures below 50 mmHg. It is concluded that Doppler is a good alternative to strain gauge for measurement of ankle blood pressure."}
{"id": "PMID:1471290", "title": "[Psychosocial factors and breast cancer. A review].", "content": "Cancer of the breast is the commonest from of cancer of women in Denmark and the incidence is increasing. At present, a series of risk and prognostic factors are recognised. These are primarily related to the endocrine system. Other factors, including the significance of psychological and social factors, have been investigated. A review of the literature concerning the significance of psychological and social factors as risk and prognostic factors, respectively, reveals that the methodological problems in these investigations are considerable and multifarious. On the basis of a review of the literature, it is concluded, that there is no proof that psychosocial factors influence the disease of cancer of the breast. Nevertheless, certain evidence exits in the literature suggesting a connection between inhibition of aggression and an introverted personality and the development of cancer of the breast while, in some investigations, ability to cope has a certain significance as a prognostic factor. Investigations of psychosocial intervention as the actual antineoplastic treatment are very few and the results are difficult to interpret. It may be concluded that no basis exists to justify employment of psychosocial intervention as an actual form of treatment with the object of improving survival."}
{"id": "PMID:1471292", "title": "[Fatal traffic accidents among the elderly in the county of Ringk\u00f8bing].", "content": "The cases of all persons aged 70 years or more who were killed in traffic accidents in the County of Ringk\u00f8bing during the period 1.1.1983-31.12.1990 were reviewed on the basis of the death certificates and the police reports. A total of 58 deaths were involved and this was significantly greater than in the age group 0-69 years (p < 0.01). Twenty-eight of the accidents (48.3%) were car accidents. The commonest cause of these car accidents was that \"give way\" signs had not been respected and there were thus no solo accidents. The next most frequent type of accident consisted of knocking down of pedestrians (25.9%), followed by bicycle accidents (15.5%) and moped accidents (8.6%). Out of the total of fatal accidents, only one of the fatally injured persons was under the influence of alcohol (1.7%). If passengers in motor vehicles were excluded, a total of 39 of the fatally injured persons (88.6%) were themselves the cause of the accident concerned. It is concluded that fatal traffic accidents among elderly persons in the County of Ringk\u00f8bing constitute a great problem and that the driving abilities of elderly persons should be investigated further."}
{"id": "PMID:1471293", "title": "[Why young women apply for abortion without permission from their parents].", "content": "Review of all of the abortion consultations from 1986 revealed that 46 of the young women under the age of 18 years utilised the possibility of applying for abortion without permission from their parents which the Danish legislation on termination of pregnancy in 1973 permits. Forty-two of the young women were granted permission for abortion without permission from the parents as it was considered that the relationship between the girl and her parents would otherwise deteriorate. This was not considered to be the case in the four girls for whom application for termination of pregnancy was refused. This material, which is focussed on a problem which has not previously been illustrated, is too limited to permit drawing of any conclusions but there is no information about whether the requirement of parental permission is beneficial or deleterious for the parent/daughter relationship. Relevant investigations are required."}
{"id": "PMID:1471294", "title": "[Demonstration of bacteriuria in elderly hospitalized patients. Comparison between leukocyte and nitrite strips and culture].", "content": "The purpose of this study was to assess the accuracy of test strips for urinary nitrite and leucocytes for detection of bacteriuria in elderly patients. The material consisted of 213 urine samples from 85 women and 26 men (median age 79 years, range 60-93 years) within the first two days in hospital. The results of the test strip reactions were read in the department and in the laboratory. The strip test results and symptoms of UTI were compared with culture results. 27% of the samples showed significant bacteriuria on culture (> or = 10(5) colonies/ml urine). 21% of the 102 patients who had submitted two urine samples within the first two days had significant bacteriuria in both samples. Less than half of these patients had symptoms of UTI. The false negative rate of test strips (defined as the number of proven laboratory UTIs not demonstrated by the test strips, expressed as a percentage of the total number of proven UTIs) was 29% in the department and in the laboratory it was 13%. 15% of the test strips at the laboratory failed to detect significant E. coli infections which were predominant. In conclusion, we found that it is advisable to perform urine culture if symptoms of urinary tract infections are present."}
{"id": "PMID:1471295", "title": "[UV cured acrylates--potent contact allergens in the occupational environment].", "content": "Allergic contact dermatitis is still an important disease in occupational medicine. Acrylic compounds are known to be potent contact sensitizers causing allergic eczema after occupational exposure. To illustrate the problem and the need for preventive arrangements the authors present an unusual clustering of allergic contact dermatitis in three technicians who produced hearing aids using ultraviolet cured akrylate compounds. All three technicians developed eczema on their fingers few months after introduction of the new acrylate compounds in the production. Skin patch testing with the products confirmed that sensitization."}
{"id": "PMID:1471300", "title": "[Injuries due to fireworks].", "content": "This investigation is a review of the injuries due to fireworks seen in five casualty departments in Denmark over a period of four years. These casualty departments have a total catchment population of 675,000 (13% of the population of Denmark). The review is based on data from the Danish section of EHLASS-project. (Europea Home and Leisure Accident surveillance system). During the period of observation, 358 injuries due to fireworks were observed. 60% of the injuries occurred in persons under the age of 18 years. In 51%, the mechanism of the injury consisted of direct heat while 33% of the patients were hit by flying fireworks and 10% had small foreign bodies in the eye. The regions most frequently injured were the hands/fingers (40%) or the eyes (24%). 6% of the patients required admission to hospital. The estimated number of injuries due to fireworks in Denmark is 690 annually. The majority of injuries due to fireworks were due to incorrect use of fireworks of absence of protective measures."}
{"id": "PMID:1471301", "title": "[Burns due to fireworks. A 4-year study of the incidence and causes with suggestions for prevention].", "content": "During the period around New Year 1991-1992, significantly more patients were admitted to the burns units in Denmark with burns caused by fireworks, compared to the previous three years. All patients were males and 88% under 18 years of age. The areas burned were localized primarily to the thighs and the front of the body. The main causative fireworks were whistles. Analyses revealed the fuses to be highly combustible. New directives have been issued, requiring whistles to be equipped with safety fuses. Although 70% of the patients were aware that fireworks should not be carried close to the body, the message has not been sufficiently stressed. A campaign for the oncoming New Year, informing about burns, eye and hand injuries caused by fireworks is under preparation. Although sale of fireworks to persons under 18 years of age is prohibited, more than 80% of the children had purchased the fireworks themselves. We recommend reinforcement of the law."}
{"id": "PMID:1471303", "title": "[Genetic counseling. Past time, present time, future].", "content": "Recent literature concerning the effects of genetic counselling is reviewed. Although the vast increase in our knowledge about the human genome has opened new possibilities for genetic diagnosis, few scientific investigations consider the questions of the social and individual impact. In general, there is an international consensus that genetic counselling is and should be non-directive, and analyses of reproductive decisions following counselling conclude that it seems to reinforce decisions already made by the families, and that objective genetic risks only play a limited role for the decisions, but the availability of prenatal diagnosis may contribute to the families' desire to have more children."}
{"id": "PMID:1471304", "title": "[Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor. Treatment of patients with highly malignant lymphomas and acute lymphoblastic leukemias after autologous bone marrow transplantation].", "content": "We have evaluated the effect of intravenous infusions of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) in ten patients undergoing autologous bone marrow transplantation after total body irradiation (11 Gy) and cyclophosphamide (120 mg/kg) conditioning for malignant lymphomas or acute lymphoblastic leukaemias. Mild side effects related to GM-CSF were seen in six patients, of whom one chose to discontinue treatment. Compared to a historic control group consisting of six patients treated with an identical conditioning regimen, a tendency was seen towards a more rapid neutrophil regeneration and a decreased need for erythrocyte transfusions. Moreover, a statistically significant improvement in thrombocyte related parameters was demonstrated. In contrast, there were no significant differences in severe toxicity, days on i.v. antibiotics, septic episodes or duration of hospitalization. In conclusion, it seems that GM-CSF treatment is of value in patients undergoing AKMT."}
{"id": "PMID:1471306", "title": "[Prevention of postoperative thromboembolism in Denmark. A questionnaire study on principles of prevention of thrombosis at hospital surgery departments].", "content": "In a questionnaire survey among surgical hospital departments in Denmark (1990), we assessed the attitudes and practices of use of postoperative thrombosis prophylaxis (TP). Replies were obtained from 92% of departments. Otological and odontological departments seldom used TP. Among departments performing major surgery a total of 88% used TP routinely (general surgery: 91%, orthopedic surgery: 94%, gynecology: 84%). 68% of these departments used TP according to written instructions. Indications for TP, and methods used, are in accordance with the literature, except for the use of TP in emergency surgery (routine in 36% of departments only), or for the continued use of aspirin for TP in 13% of departments."}
{"id": "PMID:1471305", "title": "[Pernicious anemia. A study of initial forms of the disease and diagnostic significance of determination of the intrinsic factor antibody and parietal cell antibody].", "content": "In a prospective study of thirty five consecutive patients with decreased plasma cobalamine (P-Cbl), twenty-two (63%) were diagnosed as having pernicious anaemia (PA) (no age or sex differences) on basis of the B12-absorption test and/or megaloblastic changes in the bone marrow. In this group ten patients were anaemic (six of whom were characterized as macrocytic), sixteen of nineteen examined had megaloblastic changes in the bone marrow, and all of thirteen examined had achlorhydria with positive correlation to Parietal Cell Antibodies (PCA). Two patients with PA had normal Cbl-absorption and two had malabsorption at the time of diagnosis. Twenty-one patients (95%) had PCA and thirteen (59%) were Intrinsic Factor Antibody (IFAb) positive. Three patients IFAb-seroconverted within a year. Among the remaining thirteen patients (37%), one had PCA but not IFAb and three were IFAb-positive all of whom had normal Cbl-absorption. Of the three patients with IFAb one had also PCA, one IFAb-seroconverted within three months, and one had microcytic anaemia with iron depleted bone marrow due to coecal cancer. Among twenty two healthy adult controls four (18%) had PCA while none had IFAb. This investigation shows that at the debut half of PA patients (55%) do not have anaemia, some have normal Cbl-absorption and some have malabsorption. 95% have PCA and 59% have IFAb. So, IFAb-negative PA is often seen (41%) and seroconversion can take place. Diagnosis is even more reliable, when achlorhydria is present in PCA-positive persons. Healthy PCA-positive persons are probably predisposed to develop PA. Patients with cbl-deficiency, IFAb and/or PCA must be considered as having latent PA even if they have normal haemoglobin and normal Cbl-absorption. These patients should be followed and, in case of anaemia or signs of neuropathia, treated.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1471307", "title": "[Beh\u00e7et's syndrome: an unusual cause of genital erosion].", "content": "A case of incomplete mucocutaneous Beh\u00e7et's disease is presented. In spite of weekly to monthly attacks of genital pain for fifteen years, this diagnostic entity had been ignored. We wish to emphasize that Beh\u00e7et's disease may be the cause of otherwise unexplained genital erosions. A set of clinical criteria according to an international study group serves to establish the diagnosis. Treatment is controversial. This case has been successfully treated with systemic tetracycline for more than six months."}
{"id": "PMID:1471310", "title": "Tubuglomerular feedback control in long-looped nephrons. Topical minireview.", "content": "The tubuloglomerular feedback mechanism is highly activated in juxtamedullary nephrons and considered to play a major role in intrarenal regulation of glomerular filtration rate. The vasculature of juxtamedullary nephrons is highly vasoreactive with a high ability for vasodilation. This vasoreactivity is a prerequisite for an important influence of the tubuloglomerular feedback mechanism on the medullary blood flow and its regulation."}
{"id": "PMID:1471311", "title": "Airway pressures during positive pressure ventilation with superimposed oscillations before and after lung injury in the cat.", "content": "This study was made to determine how oscillations superimposed on intermittent positive pressure ventilation (IPPV) influence the arterial blood gases, pH and the airway pressures during adequate alveolar ventilation i.e. at inhibition of inspiratory activity, before and after experimentally induced lung injury in the anaesthetized cat. Two IPPV frequencies were studied. The lung was injured by instillation of xanthine oxidase into the upper airways during IPPV. The peak, mean and end-expiratory intrapleural and airway (intratracheal) pressures at two levels were measured and the arterial blood gases and pH were determined at inhibition of inspiratory activity with and without superimposition of oscillations on the ventilatory pattern. Before lung injury, superimposed oscillations lowered the airway pressures only at an IPPV rate of 15 breaths per minute (b.p.m.). After lung injury, such oscillations increased the airway pressures only at 15 b.p.m. The airway pressures were always lower at 60 than at 15 b.p.m."}
{"id": "PMID:1471312", "title": "Afferent activity in pulmonary stretch receptors before and after lung injury.", "content": "This study was undertaken to determine the effect of a lung-injury on the activity of slowly adapting pulmonary stretch receptors. Comparisons of receptor activity were made at inhibition of inspiratory (phrenic nerve) activity. The inspiratory activity of these receptors was found to be decreased after lung-injury."}
{"id": "PMID:1471313", "title": "Airway obstruction, obesity and CO2 ventilatory responsiveness in the sleep apnea syndrome.", "content": "In 32 patients with sleep apnea syndrome (SAS), pulmonary function, blood gases and the ventilatory response to CO2 (CO2 VR) were studied before and 6 months after uvulopalatopharyngoplasty. Nine of the SAS patients had airway obstruction (AO-SAS), defined as FEV1.0 < or = 72% of the predicted value. They had a significantly higher PaCO2, lower PaO2 and a lower CO2 VR than the remaining SAS patients. Preoperatively 4 SAS patients were hypercapnic (PaCO2 > 5.8 kPa) and compared with the normocapnic ones they were more obese; in 3 of them FEV1.0 was < or = 72%. The hypercapnic SAS patients had a significantly lower CO2 VR. The CO2 VR was significantly correlated to AO and the degree of oxygen desaturation during sleep, but not to the number of episodes of apnea and hypopnea nor their length. The VR to CO2 did not predict the postoperative outcome. Postoperatively 2 hypercapnic obese AO-SAS patients showed a large decrease in episodes of apnea and hypopnea and an increase in CO2 VR, and became normocapnic. Other patients showed no consistent changes in CO2 VR postoperatively."}
{"id": "PMID:1471314", "title": "Intravenous theophylline after beta 2-agonist treatment in severe acute asthma. Effect on patients who are not pre-treated with theophylline.", "content": "The effect of i.v. theophylline after high-dose beta 2-agonist treatment in severe acute asthma was studied in 30 patients from a multicentre study who reported not having taken theophylline during the last 24 hours. One hour after the start of inhaled or i.v. salbutamol treatment, all patients received 6 mg/kg of i.v. theophylline. The plasma concentration 30 minutes after the start of the theophylline infusion was 78 +/- 13 mumol/l (mean +/- SD). The mean change (delta) in peak expiratory flow (PEF) was 8 +/- 6% of the predicted 30 minutes after the theophylline infusion and 7 +/- 5% 60 minutes after it. The increase in PEF was greater in this patient group than in a group of 101 patients from the same multicentre study who were on theophylline medication and were therefore given a reduced dose (3 mg/kg) (7 +/- 5 vs. 4 +/- 6% of the predicted value, p < 0.01). The proportion of patients with an increase in PEF of > or = 10% of the predicted at discharge was 27% (8/30) in the patient group in this investigation and 14% (14/101) in the group who was on theophylline treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1471315", "title": "Effects of omeprazole and ranitidine on plasma gastrin concentration and stomach gastrin content in rats.", "content": "Prolonged fasting and longer time between dosing and sampling reduced the plasma gastrin concentrations after omeprazole (80 mumol/kg x 2 for 14 days) treatment in male rats whereas the amounts of tissue gastrin were essentially unchanged during these initial experiments. After 28 days omeprazole (80 mumol/kg x 2) or ranitidine (375 mumol/kg x 4) that produced corresponding inhibition of acid secretion, increased the tissue gastrin content by 114 and 59%. A low dose of omeprazole (20 mumol/kg x 2) also raised the gastric gastrin content (41%), whereas no change was noted on treatment with a low dose of ranitidine (125 mumol x 4). Following recovery for 28 days no significant increases in gastrin were observed. 1, 3, 7, 14 or 28 days of treatment with omeprazole (80 mumol/kg x 2) gradually increased the gastric gastrin content being significantly raised already after 3 days. We conclude that a) measuring the tissue gastrin content may be the preferable method when changes in gastrin following long-term treatment with acid inhibiting drugs are to be determined, b) the amount of gastrin in the stomach increases rapidly following treatment with omeprazole and is approximately doubled following 28 days of treatment and c) after treatment for 28 days omeprazole was found to cause greater elevations in the tissue gastrin content than ranitidine despite similar degrees of basal acid inhibition."}
{"id": "PMID:1471316", "title": "Treatment of non-union after tibial shaft fracture with a full cortical thickness inlay bone graft.", "content": "Twenty-seven non-infected delayed union or non-union fractures of the shaft of the tibia in 26 patients were operated on with a full cortical thickness inlay graft taken from the injured leg. The initial trauma was moderate in 9 fractures and severe in 18. Fifteen fractures were closed injuries and 12 open. The fracture pattern was longitudinal in 5 cases, transverse in 11 and communited in 11. Surgery was performed 12 to 72 weeks (mean: 30 weeks) after the fractures had been sustained. All fractures healed after the bone grafting procedure. The time until union was established after surgery ranged from 6 to 37 weeks (mean: 17 weeks). The healing time was neither influenced by the initial type of fracture pattern (p > 0.05) nor by the fracture age at surgery (r = -0.21). Of 13 patients re-examined 8 to 16 years after surgery, the clinical results were classified as excellent in 8, as fair in 2, and as poor in 3 patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1471317", "title": "Sternocostoclavicular hyperostosis. Presentation and long-term follow-up of three cases.", "content": "Sternocostoclavicular hyperostosis is a rare disease characterized by recurrent pain and skeletal swelling in the upper part of the chest. The clinical manifestations are closely linked to pustulosis palmo-plantaris but the etiology is still obscure. We present three cases of sternocostoclavicular hyperostosis with a follow-up period of 9-22 years at our department."}
{"id": "PMID:1471318", "title": "Pulse pressure, mean blood pressure and impaired glucose tolerance--a study in middle-aged subjects.", "content": "In a study of 695 middle-aged subjects, without antihypertensive agents, and without more pronounced obesity, both pulse pressure (PP) and mean blood pressure (MBP) were strongly related to 2-h blood glucose in 75 g OGTTs (p < 0.001). All hypertensives (DBP > or = 90 mm Hg) were separated into 39 with higher PP (> or = 60 mm Hg) and 137 with lower PP (< 60 mm Hg). The high PP hypertensives, compared with the low PP hypertensives and all 519 normotensives, had higher frequency of impaired glucose tolerance (IGT; WHO-criteria), 33%, 6%, and 4%, respectively (p < 0.001), and also higher mean 2-h blood glucose, 5.9, 4.5, and 4.2 mmol.l-1, respectively (p < 0.001). These differences were independent of MBP levels. Similarly, all 54 hypertensives with higher MBP (> or = 110 mm Hg) had more IGT and higher 2-h glucose than the 122 hypertensives with lower MBP (< 110 mm Hg) or the normotensives, 30%, 5% and 4%, respectively (p < 0.001), and 5.8, 4.4, 4.2 mmol.l-1, respectively (p < 0.001), independently of PP. Thus, both high PP and high MBP were related to IGT, independently of each other."}
{"id": "PMID:1471319", "title": "The diagnosis of abdominal neuroblastoma: relative roles of ultrasonography, CT, and MRI.", "content": "Abdominal neuroblastoma is reviewed in terms of its diagnosis, including in utero, at birth, and through infancy into childhood. Age at diagnosis remains the best predictor of survival, with infants under 1 year of age having almost 100% cure. Ultrasonography and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are the recommended diagnostic modalities to stage the abdominal primary, although computed tomography (CT) (including myelography) is still widely and efficiently used. Examples are given of each stage."}
{"id": "PMID:1471320", "title": "Magnetic resonance imaging for diagnosis and follow-up of genitourinary, pelvic, and perineal rhabdomyosarcoma.", "content": "Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging, ultrasound, and computed tomography (CT) were performed for diagnosis and follow-up of rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) arising from the genitourinary tract in five children, pelvic musculature in one, and the perineum in three others. MR imaging performed at 1.0 T included the following: spin-density-, T1-, and T2-weighted images in all nine patients; gadopentatate dimeglumine (Gd-DTPA)-enhanced T1-weighted images in five; and short TI inversion recovery (STIR) images in two children. Longitudinal T1-weighted images were of additional help in localizing the primary tumor at diagnosis and detecting local spread. Residual or recurrent disease within the bladder was best detected by spin-density images. Gd-DTPA enhancement improved contrast in two studies, but paramagnetic artifacts obscured intravesical lesions in three other studies. STIR images disclosed pelvic and retroperitoneal lymphadenopathy. MR imaging is recommended as the key method of diagnosis and follow-up of pelvic RMS."}
{"id": "PMID:1471321", "title": "Imaging the pediatric pelvis: the normal and abnormal genital tract and simulators of its diseases.", "content": "Imaging of the pediatric pelvis has proven of great use in defining the normal and abnormal genital tracts. Sonography is the key screening tool and often the only tool necessary for the diagnosis of problems related to ambiguous genitalia, ovarian and uterine masses, amenorrhea, and abdominal and pelvic pain. Computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have key roles in the global assessment of the pelvis particularly with regard to the assessment of tumor spread."}
{"id": "PMID:1471322", "title": "Renal cystic disease in infants and children.", "content": "Renal cystic disease is a common abnormality of the kidney in the pediatric age group. Cystic disease may occur as a sporadic dysplasia or, somewhat more commonly, represent a genetic disorder. Establishment of an accurate diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment requires a broad approach to the problem, including radiologic imaging, renal function testing, and occasionally surgical biopsy. Interpretation of the imaging studies requires understanding of the patterns of renal cystic disease in the pediatric age group."}
{"id": "PMID:1471323", "title": "Primary megaureter in infants and children: a review.", "content": "Primary megaureter is a common cause of obstructive uropathy in children. The imaging studies and records of 75 infants and children with primary megaureter seen at Children's Hospital were reviewed. We describe our findings and illustrate the clinical presentations, diagnosis, and treatment of this entity."}
{"id": "PMID:1471324", "title": "Ambiguous genitalia: diagnosis, evaluation, and treatment.", "content": "The pediatric radiologist plays a significant role in the evaluation and the treatment of infants with ambiguous genitalia. On the first day of life, an investigation should be initiated that includes studies, in particular a sonogram, to demonstrate the presence or absence of a uterus, and a genitogram to define the presence of a vagina. Once gender assignment has been made, information regarding the size of the vagina and its position in regard to the urogenital sinus becomes essential to the pediatric urologist when planning a course for reconstruction. Herein we break down intersex states into four major categories: female pseudohermaphroditism, male pseudohermaphroditism without m\u00fcllerian structures, and male hermaphroditism with m\u00fcllerian structures and true hermaphroditism. The role of the radiologist in each of these states is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1471325", "title": "Radiographic and radionuclide lung perfusion imaging in healthy calves and calves naturally infected with bovine respiratory syncytial virus.", "content": "Nine calves between three and 18 weeks old with serologically confirmed natural bovine respiratory syncytial virus infection were examined clinically, radiographically and by radionuclide lung perfusion imaging. The results were compared with those from seven healthy calves. The diseased calves were euthanased and examined pathologically, virologically and bacteriologically. The clinical signs indicated that the disease was in an acute stage. Radiography of the diseased animals revealed cysts, corresponding morphologically with bullous emphysema, and infiltrations roughly corresponding in distribution with atelectatic and, or, pneumonic areas. Radionuclide lung perfusion imaging revealed no perfusion shifts between the left and right lungs and a normal perfusion pattern in five of the nine diseased calves. The abnormalities in the perfusion patterns of three calves were probably caused by anatomical disorders such as cysts and pleural adhesions, but no cause of the abnormality could be found in one calf. These findings suggest that in calves infected with bovine respiratory syncytial virus, the normal perfusion pattern is maintained until anatomical disorders occur. The pathological examination and radiography revealed that the cranioventral lung fields were particularly poorly ventilated. This finding and the normal perfusion pattern indicate that these parts of the lungs are probably the sites where shuntings and perfusion-ventilation mismatchings occur."}
{"id": "PMID:1471326", "title": "Risk factors associated with hydropericardium syndrome in broiler flocks.", "content": "A prospective study was undertaken to identify the epidemiological factors associated with the development and spread of the hydropericardium syndrome in broiler flocks. Data were collected between July 1989 and April 1990 from 131 flocks in 105 broiler production units pertaining to their demography, management practices, prophylactic procedures and concurrent diseases. The incidence rate of the syndrome in the whole population was 46.6 per cent. There were significant associations between the incidence in a flock and visits by a poultry vaccination crew (P = 0.014), the number of flocks raised (P = 0.004) and the source of light and heat (P = 0.007). Flocks that had one or more visits by a poultry crew were 15 times more likely to be affected by the syndrome than flocks that had no such visits. Premises where one flock was raised were nearly three times more likely to be affected than premises where two flocks were raised, and the use of electricity as a source of light and heat entailed a much lower risk of hydropericardium syndrome than kerosene oil."}
{"id": "PMID:1471327", "title": "Corticoid production by four dogs with hyperfunctioning adrenocortical tumours during treatment with mitotane (o,p'-DDD).", "content": "In two dogs with hyperadrenocorticism due to an adrenocortical tumour, treatment with o,p'-DDD was started. Their hormonal response was monitored by measurements of the urinary corticoid/creatinine ratio. In one dog, two courses of 10 days treatment with o,p'-DDD were ineffective, whereas in the other dog the urinary corticoids decreased to very low levels after only six days of treatment, and corticosteroid supplementation had to be started. Two other dogs received o,p'-DDD according to a protocol used for the treatment of pituitary-dependent hyperadrenocorticism which aims at the complete destruction of the adrenal cortices, with substitution for the induced hyperadrenocorticism. Both dogs made a good recovery and their urinary corticoid/creatinine ratio decreased to within the reference range. In one of them the tumour had decreased considerably in size by five weeks after the start of the treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1471339", "title": "[The epidemiological surveillance of HIV infection in Russia in 1987-1991].", "content": "The data on the occurrence of HIV in Russia in 1987-1991 are presented and the effects of the epidemiological surveillance system used at that time on the epidemiological process of HIV infection in the Russian Federation is evaluated. The most important features of that system included the centralized registration of all cases of HIV infection irrespective of the degree of clinical symptoms, large-scale obligatory examination of the population for antibody to HIV, epidemiological investigation of all reported cases of HIV infection. The occurrence of HIV infection in 1987-1991 in Russia remained very low, 0.335 per 100,000, showing no trend for increase. Owing to that system of the epidemiological surveillance of HIV infection in the USSR, nosocomial outbreaks were discovered which gave a rise in the number of recorded cases in 1989. In 1990-1991, changes in the structure of the epidemic process occurred. In those years, HIV transmission among homosexuals became most important, increasing from 22.4% to 47.8% which characterized the beginning of a new stage of the epidemic. On the whole, the epidemiological surveillance system for HIV in the USSR, 1987-1991, was effective, although it needs improvement including reconsideration of the population groups to be obligatorily examined for HIV antibody."}
{"id": "PMID:1471341", "title": "[The prevalence of the markers of viral hepatitis B and delta among the population in regions differing in the level of morbidity].", "content": "From two regions differing by the levels of incidence of hepatitis B, 2019 blood serum specimens from normal population were examined for markers of HBV infection. In Moscow, among 1040 samples examined HBsAg was found in 2.0%, anti-HBs in 10.0%, anti-HBc in the absence of HBsAg and anti-HBs in 4.5%. In the Osh Province of Kirgizstan, among 979 subjects examined the same markers were found in 10.3%, 22.4%, and 14.0%, respectively. In this area, HBsAg was detected most frequently among infants (14.9% in infants under 1 year), in whom HBs-antigenemia was combined with the presence of HBeAg in 54.5% and with anti-HBc-IgM in 69.2%. Antibody to delta antigen (anti-delta) was found in 24 (25.8%) out of 93 HBsAg-positive subjects in the Osh Province but in none of 21 subjects with HBs-antigenemia in Moscow."}
{"id": "PMID:1471342", "title": "[The experimental infection of bats with lyssavirus serotypes 1 and 4].", "content": "The results of intramuscular inoculation of 111 bats (Myotis daubentoni, Myotis brandtii) with three strains of Lyssaviruses--Yuli, Stade, and 1150 are presented. Bats were found to have low susceptibility, especially to strains of serotype 4. After infection with serotype 4 viruses, fewer bats died but within shorter periods than after infection with serotype 1. After inoculation with strain 1150, 60% of bats yielded virus, whereas only 9-24% did after inoculation with type 4 strains. The survival time after inoculation was 32.2 and 19.0 days, respectively. Manifestations of the disease, virus distribution in viscera, and the results of examinations of specimens from bats by express methods are described."}
{"id": "PMID:1471347", "title": "Unilateral seminal vesicle cyst presenting as hematospermia; diagnosis established by transrectal prostatic ultrasound.", "content": "A case report of a unilateral seminal vesicle cyst presenting as painless hematospermia in a 44-year-old patient is presented. Ultrasound-guided needle aspiration of the cyst demonstrated a markedly elevated LDH level in the cyst fluid of unknown significance. Antibiotic injection under ultrasound guidance into the seminal vesicle cyst was accomplished. Laboratory evaluation on the cyst fluid is suggested."}
{"id": "PMID:1471340", "title": "[The comparative characteristics of the peroxidase conjugates used in Soviet immunoenzyme test systems for detecting HIV antibodies].", "content": "Five lots of peroxidase conjugates were studied in enzyme immunoassay systems \"Recombinant-HIV\" and \"Peptoscreen-2\" for detection of antibody to HIV. The conjugates differed from each other by the source of generation and methods of preparation. The conjugates were studied in biochemical tests and ELISA. When panels of sera from HIV-infected children and adults were employed, the advantages of using the anti-immunoglobulin conjugate over protein A-peroxidase conjugate were demonstrated, as the former increased the sensitivity of the test systems to HIV antibody detection."}
{"id": "PMID:1471367", "title": "Empowering physicians to respond to domestic violence.", "content": "Despite the progress of the last 15 years in combating family violence, some individuals, community agencies and institutions still support a man's \"right\" to control, and they often disregard the physical violence he uses. Because threats and assault are in fact against the law, a man who physically or sexually assaults his wife or girlfriend couldn't keep doing it without this support from the very people who are supposed to enforce the law and help the victims of crime-namely, police, prosecutors, judges, clergy, psychologists, social workers and doctors. Some let him get away with it, look the other way, or--unsure of what to do to stop it--do nothing at all. Thus, they reinforce his \"right\" to use force, even if they never say, \"Go ahead, hit her.\" The police officer who walks a man around the block or fails to show up when called, the clergyman who advises a woman to go home and pray, the doctor who gently patches her injuries but avoids asking who inflicted them, all cooperate with the abusive man in several ways. He comes to understand that no one will stop him from doing what he does. He learns that there are no consequences to his actions--even his violent actions. He can beat up \"his woman\" if he wants to and get away with it."}
{"id": "PMID:1471369", "title": "A needs assessment survey of HIV-infected patients.", "content": "Few studies have surveyed HIV-infected patients to determine how adequately medical, legal, psychological, social service, and financial needs are being met through current treatment services. Fifty HIV-infected men seen at a county medical facility were surveyed to determine which of 17 needs were being met and the importance rating attributed to those needs. Five needs were reported by more than 30% of the sample as not being met: 1) being able to talk about fears of the future, illness, or death; 2) being occupied and having things to do; 3) having up-to-date information about HIV; 4) having someone to help them with their feelings of depression, helplessness, anxiety, or anger; and 5) help for the patient's family. Three of these five needs involve better access to psychological services. Although patients felt they had knowledgeable medical staff and good health care, they wanted more up-to-date information on HIV treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1471370", "title": "A multi-institutional analysis of perinatal cocaine use.", "content": "The frequency of cocaine abuse in pregnant women has increased markedly in the United States during the last decade. This increased abuse has lead to recognition of potentially negative perinatal outcomes. The purpose of this study is to determine the incidence of positive cocaine-specific screens in pregnant women and delivered infants at two Milwaukee area sites: an urban teaching hospital with a delivery base of 5,500 births annually and a suburban hospital with a delivery base of 1,700 births. A prospective, blinded analysis of urine specimens was performed at both sites over a 3-month period. All delivered infants, all women who presented to the labor and delivery unit and were discharged undelivered, and women who presented to the urban hospital's obstetrical clinic had urine samples obtained for toxicology analysis. Demographic data was also collected to include age, race, gestational age, and history of drug abuse. Results of the urine screen and demographic data were analyzed for frequency distribution. The overall incidence of positive cocaine screens was 3.5% in the urban population and less than 1% in the suburban population."}
{"id": "PMID:1471371", "title": "Lack of correlation between aortic calcification and bone density.", "content": "Previous radiographic studies have suggested a positive relationship between two degenerative processes associated with aging: calcification of the abdominal aorta and osteoporosis. Such a relationship has not been studied using modern quantitative densitometry. Aortic calcification was quantified on spinal radiographs from 112 elderly men. Bone mineral density was determined at six scanning sites using photon densitometry. There was no significant correlation between aortic calcification and bone mineral density at any of the scanning sites when the effect of age was held constant in the statistical analysis."}
{"id": "PMID:1471382", "title": "Dose-range finding study with the proton pump inhibitor pantoprazole in acute duodenal ulcer patients.", "content": "Pantoprazole is a newly developed benzimidazole derivative with strong inhibitory actions on gastric acid secretion by blocking H(+)-K(+)-ATPase. This randomized double-blind multicenter trial investigated the efficacy of 20 mg, 40 mg and 80 mg pantoprazole o.m. on ulcer healing and symptomatic relief in 219 out-patients with endoscopically assessed acute duodenal ulcer. After 2 weeks complete ulcer healing was achieved in 58%, 89% and 82% of the patients with 20 mg, 40 mg and 80 mg pantoprazole o.m., respectively. After 4 weeks, corresponding figures were 93%, 99% and 100%; the difference of the healing rates between the 20 mg and 40 mg groups at 2 weeks was statistically significant (p < 0.0001). A rapid pain relief was achieved in all treatment groups: 72% of the 20 mg group, 89% of the 40 mg group, and 84% of the 80 mg group were pain-free after 2 weeks. The difference between 20 mg and 40 mg was statistically significant (p < 0.05). Pantoprazole was well tolerated. Adverse events occurred in 13 patients; headache, skin alterations, and diarrhea were reported most frequently. Severity and frequency of adverse events did not reveal any dose-dependence. In conclusion, pantoprazole provides fast healing of acute duodenal ulcer as well as rapid improvement of ulcer symptoms. For further clinical trials in peptic ulcer disease a daily dose of pantoprazole 40 mg o.m. is recommended."}
{"id": "PMID:1471383", "title": "Two weeks treatment with amoxicillin/omeprazole for eradication of Helicobacter pylori.", "content": "In an open study, 62 patients with Helicobacter pylori-associated ulcer disease or functional dyspepsia were treated for two weeks with 2 x 20 mg omeprazole preprandially and 4 x 500 mg amoxicillin suspension one hour before meals and at night. 57 patients (active ulcer disease: n = 53, functional dyspepsia: n = 4) completed the study without contravening the protocol. The rate of eradication of the bacteria at least 4 weeks after cessation of study medication was 82.5% (47/57 patients). Three patients experienced side effects during the treatment period (stomatitis, self-limiting diarrhea, allergic exanthema). In one case allergic exanthema led to discontinuation of therapy. 11 patients with H. pylori-associated ulcer disease received 2 x 20 mg omeprazole for two weeks. In this group no eradication of bacteria was observed."}
{"id": "PMID:1471384", "title": "Repeated isovolemic large-volume erythrocytapheresis in the treatment of idiopathic hemochromatosis.", "content": "In order to assess the effectiveness of cytapheresis as a possible alternative therapy for iron depletion, we performed a prospective study on eight unrelated patients with idiopathic hemochromatosis (HC). Isovolemic large-volume erythrocytapheresis (EA) (1000 ml apherisate) was carried out every four weeks until serum ferritin levels dropped below 300 micrograms/l (initial therapy). In all patients iron depletion was achieved after a mean of 8.5 months (8.9 EA with a total removal of 9.41 RBC). Serum ferritin levels decreased during initial therapy from 2596 +/- 399 to 168 +/- 83 ug/l. Serum iron level (240 +/- 35 to 125 +/- 48 ug/dl) and transferrin saturation (91 +/- 6 to 19 +/- 10%) declined accordingly. Clinical reexamination after initial therapy revealed improvement of clinical symptoms, normalization of hepatic iron, but liver histology remained unchanged. Reaccumulation of iron was prevented by maintenance EA therapy every five to six months (follow-up 18-36 months). Isovolemic large-volume EA is an effective, fast and safe method to remove excessive stored iron in patients with HC. Compared to phlebotomy, EA can selectively remove RBC, while saving plasma proteins, platelets, and clotting factors. Although, the need for special equipment and trained personnel as well as the relatively high costs are limiting factors of EA so far, it can be of crucial advance in some patients with HC."}
{"id": "PMID:1471385", "title": "[Liver function tests in a clinical comparison].", "content": "Various liver function tests were evaluated in regard to a quantitative estimation of the impairment of liver function related to the Child-Pugh classification in 32 patients with cirrhosis. Only the ICG-test revealed significant differences between healthy subjects and cirrhotic patients in stadium Child A, B and C. When ICG-dye retention values were plotted as a function of the individual score units of the Child-Pugh classification, a linear relationship with a correlation coefficient of 0.7 was obtained. In contrast to the ICG-test, the MEGX- and galactose elimination capacity (GEC)-test as well as static parameters of liver function (cholinesterase activity, prealbumin concentration, coagulation factor V and VII) resulted in less significant differentiation of the various Child classes. The MEGX-test, GEC, concentration of prealbumin, coagulation factor V and VII were only weakly correlated to the score units of the Child-Pugh index. The results of this study indicate that of all evaluated parameters only the ICG-test is suitable for objective and graduated analysis of liver function in patients with cirrhosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1471386", "title": "[Differential diagnostic value of occult blood in stool in hookworm infection in the Third World. Study from Papua New Guinea].", "content": "In 633 persons of the Madang province in Papua-New Guinea hookworm-infection, blood hemoglobin and the presence of blood in stools were studied. 60% of the subjects were infected with hookworm (Necator americanus). There was a significant linear correlation between the intensity of hookworm infection and blood haemoglobin level. The Colo-Rectal test gave positive results in 17% of the cases without worm-infection. In infected persons, the Colo-Rectal test gave an increasing rate of positive results as the parasite infection increased: 24% for subjects with low levels of infection, and 57% and 67% for moderate and high levels, respectively. The mean blood-haemoglobin level was lower in persons with positive Colo-Rectal-Test and hookworm infection (11.8 g%) than among those with negative Colo-Rectal-Test and hookworm infection (15.0 g%, p < 0.01). In young populations with a known high prevalence of hookworm infection, Colo-Rectal test is therefore suitable for the detection of moderate or severe hookworm infections. It may serve as a simple and useful method to work up anaemia is such populations."}
{"id": "PMID:1471387", "title": "Splenic lesion as a complication of laparoscopy. Case report.", "content": "A case of splenic lesion is reported in a 48-year-old female patient who underwent an uneventful diagnostic laparoscopy. Symptoms suggesting massive intraabdominal bleeding occurred 5 hours later. Intraoperatively, a small posterior splenic lesion was found, which could be repaired using fibrin glue. This protracted complication must have occurred while establishing the pneumoperitoneum; its cause is unclear, but distortion and stretching of small adhesions of the spleen with the abdominal wall may have played a role. Although rare, this complication should be considered when a patient deteriorates after an uneventful laparoscopy."}
{"id": "PMID:1471388", "title": "[Jejunogastric invagination--a rare complication of stomach surgery].", "content": "The jejunogastric intussusception is a rare complication of gastric surgery. An acute and a chronic form of intussusception can be distinguished. Three anatomical types of jejunogastric invagination have been classified. Endoscopy is the diagnostic procedure of choice, early operative desinvagination the therapy of choice. The effectiveness of different operative procedures to prevent reinvagination is contested."}
{"id": "PMID:1471389", "title": "[Oxygen radicals and acute pancreatitis].", "content": "Oxygen-derived free radicals mediate an important step in the initiation of experimental acute pancreatitis. Thereby these reactive oxygen metabolites are generated at an early stage of disease. The source of the enhanced production of oxygen radicals remains unclear. Experimentally, the efficiency of scavenger treatment varied between different models, whereby these differences were depending on the experimental model and not on the form of pancreatitis which was induced. Most studies pretreated the experimental animals before inducing acute pancreatitis. This does not mirror the clinical reality, since patients are admitted to the hospital after onset of the disease. It was shown in Cerulein-pancreatitis, however, that scavenger treatment also mitigated the pancreatic tissue damages after induction of acute pancreatitis. Moreover, antioxidant treatment also attenuated the extrapancreatic complications, thus improving the final outcome of the disease. The first indirect observations also suggest that in human acute recurrent and chronic pancreatitis oxygen free radicals are generated and add to the damages seen. Therefore, well-defined controlled clinical studies with patients suffering from acute pancreatitis are needed to validate the role of oxygen radicals in this disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1471394", "title": "[Successful high-frequency current ablation of three accessory conduction pathways in a single session].", "content": "A case is presented of a 25-year-old symptomatic male with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome and three overt accessory atrioventricular connections which were all diagnosed and ablated during the same session. A discordant preexcitation pattern between delta wave and QRS axis was found on the surface electrocardiogram, indicating the presence of two or more accessory pathways. During atrial pacing the appearance of a changing QRS morphology and alternating delta wave suggested the presence of an additional left-sided pathway. After ablation of a right anteroseptal pathway, a second pathway was found located in the left lateral position and was successfully ablated. The final pathway became evident only after the ablation of the first two and was found to be located in a right midseptal position. This pathway was also ablated during this session. There were no complications and the patient remained asymptomatic during an 11-month follow-up."}
{"id": "PMID:1471395", "title": "[Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome: regional endocardial potential and efficacy of high frequency ablation].", "content": "The aim of the study was the evaluation of results of radiofrequency (RF) catheter ablation in relation to characteristics of regional endocardial potential morphology. 418 RF current deliveries in 26 patients with anterogradely conducting left-sided accessory pathways (AP) were investigated. A large regional atrial deflection (> 1/4 of ventricular potential) prior to RF discharge is a prerequisite for ablation success using the ventricular approach. A failing or extremely short (< 10 ms) isoelectric interval between atrial and ventricular deflections of the regional potential predicts a block of the AP. A persistent block can be expected if the regional electrogram contains an AP potential and the AP block occurs early (< 5 s) during onset of RF current."}
{"id": "PMID:1471396", "title": "[Myocardial function before and after reopening of chronic coronary occlusion].", "content": "To assess the myocardial function before and after reopening of chronic coronary artery occlusions, 20 patients were investigated at rest and during exercise with ECG and equilibrium radionuclide ventriculography. The recanalisation of the chronically occluded vessel was carried out by means of Rotacs-catheter in 17 patients, of a guide wire enforced by recanalisation-catheter in 2 patients and of a thin guide wire alone in 1 patient, always followed by conventional balloon angioplasty. After successful PTCA the average coronary artery stenosis diameter decreased from 100% to 34 +/- 6%. Angina pectoris and/or dyspnea observed during exercise were improved in 83% of the patients. The radionuclide global left ventricular ejection fraction at rest increased from 55 +/- 9% to 59 +/- 10% (p < 0.05), and during exercise from 52 +/- 12% to 61 +/- 12% (p < 0.05). The improvement in global ejection fraction at rest was more pronounced in 5 patients, who suffered from angina pectoris at rest before PTCA (from 56 +/- 4% to 65 +/- 9%, p < 0.05). It is concluded that reopening of chronically occluded coronary arteries in properly selected patients leads to a significant improvement of the global left ventricular function at rest and during exercise."}
{"id": "PMID:1471397", "title": "[Hibernation, stunning, ischemic preconditioning--new paradigms in coronary disease?].", "content": "Myocardial ischemia has traditionally been characterized as an imbalance between energy supply and demand. In the initial seconds after a sudden reduction of coronary blood flow, myocardial energy demand most certainly exceeds the reduced energy supply. This temporary mismatch, however, is an inherently unstable condition because regional contractile dysfunction ensues. The mechanisms responsible for the rapid reduction in contractile function of the acutely ischemic myocardium are still poorly understood. If some residual blood flow exists, a state of \"perfusion-contraction matching\" can be maintained without the development of irreversible damage. The metabolic status of such hypoperfused myocardium improves as myocardial lactate production is attenuated and creatine phosphate, after an initial reduction, returns towards control values. The hypoperfused myocardium can respond to inotropic stimulation by dobutamine with increased function. The recruitment of an inotropic reserve implies increased energy utilization. In fact, the partially normalized lactate production is again increased, and creatine phosphate is decreased again. Apparently, the inotropic challenge once again precipitates a supply-demand imbalance which had been at least partially corrected by the ischemia-induced decrease of regional contractile function. A situation of chronic contractile failure in viable myocardium which normalizes upon reperfusion has been termed myocardial \"Hibernation\". Myocardial \"Stunning\" is characterized by a reversible post-ischemic contractile dysfunction despite full restoration of blood flow. The underlying mechanisms are not clear in detail. An inadequate energy supply and an impaired sympathetic neurotransmission have been excluded. Potential mechanisms, which are not mutually exclusive, may include (1) damage of membranes and enzymes by free radicals, (2) an increase in free cytosolic calcium during ischemia and reperfusion, and (3) a decrease of the calcium sensitivity of the myofibrils. The equally pronounced increases in regional contractility in normal and \"stunned\" myocardium during intracoronary calcium infusion, postextrasystolic potentiation and the infusion of the calcium-sensitizing agent AR-L-57, however, suggest an unchanged calcium sensitivity of reperfused myocardium. Interventions to reduce free radical formation or to increase their elimination attenuate myocardial stunning. Likewise, pretreatment with calcium antagonists before ischemia attenuates myocardial stunning. This effect is probably related to an attenuated myocardial calcium overload during early ischemia. The potential benefit from calcium antagonists when given after established reperfusion remains controversial.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1471398", "title": "[Left ventricular dimensions and functions in the acute and chronic phase after myocardial infarct--comparison of cine-magnetic resonance tomography, angiocardiography, 2D-echocardiography and technetium ventricular scintigraphy].", "content": "To study left ventricular morphological and functional changes in the first six months after acute myocardial infarction, 37 patients (28 male, 9 female, age 42-78 years) underwent cardiac Cine-MRT 1 week, 4 weeks and 6 months after their first myocardial infarction. MR-tomograms were oriented to left ventricular true long and short axis. For comparison, contrast angiocardiographic, radionuclide and echocardiographic left ventricular studies were performed. LV-volume was calculated with the Simpson method for long axis images and by summation of slices for short axis images. Cine MRT results showed the following correlation to angiocardiography: in long axis r = 0.945 for LVEDVI, r = 0.958 for LVESVI, r = 0.869 for LVEF and r = 0.885 for cardiac index; in short axis r = 0.956 for LVEDVI, r = 0.965 for LVESVI, r = 0.917 for LVEF and r = 0.844 for cardiac index. For LVEF correlation to technetium radionuclide ventriculography was r = 0.760 in long and r = 0.861 in short axis. Correlation between Cine-MRT and echocardiography was poor as a consequence of the great variance of echogenity in the study patients. We conclude that Cine-MRT is an excellent method for morphological and functional left ventricular investigation, still limited in clinical praxis by costs and duration. As known from earlier investigations the development of left ventricular dilatation and functional disturbance was influenced by the size and location of the infarction with infarct size being the primary factor in the early and infarct location in the late post-infarction period. Outcome was worst following large anterior infarction."}
{"id": "PMID:1471399", "title": "[Noninvasive quantification and classification of the severity of aortic stenosis using Doppler echocardiography].", "content": "The exact determination of the severity of valvular heart disease represents the basis for the indication for surgery. Apart from the clinical findings, the estimation of the severity has, up to now, been based on the chest x-ray, the electrocardiogram, and the carotid pulse curve. By means of cardiac catheterization, the aortic valve gradient is determined and the aortic valve area is calculated using the Gorlin equation. Doppler echocardiography allows for a noninvasive gradient assessment. The peak and mean pressure gradients as well as the aortic valve area can be calculated. Echocardiography provides additional information about the severity of the left-ventricular hypertrophy, the heart size, as well as about secondary complications. Doppler echocardiography was performed in 95 patients to determine the peak pressure gradient. This Doppler-derived gradient correlated well with the catheterization-derived invasive gradient. The correlation coefficient was r = 0.81, for the mean gradient r = 0.77, and for the aortic valve area r = 0.87. Based on the classical determination of the severity of aortic stenosis by means of cardiac catheterization, a Doppler-derived mean pressure gradient > 54 mm Hg or a peak pressure gradient > 89 mm Hg and an aortic valve area > 0.7 cm2 are specific for severe aortic stenosis. A mean pressure gradient between 40 and 54 mm Hg or a peak pressure gradient of 67 and 89 mm Hg and an aortic valve area of 0.7 and 1.3 cm2 indicate moderately aortic stenosis.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1471400", "title": "[Doppler echocardiography imaging of construction-induced regurgitation of technical heart valve prostheses].", "content": "The normal leakage flow in modern technical heart valve prostheses can be visualized by color-coded Doppler-echocardiography, provided that an adequate ultrasonic image quality can be achieved. Sometimes it may be difficult, however, to distinguish such a normal leakage flow from pathological regurgitation. We therefore mounted new specimens of five different types of prostheses (Bj\u00f8rk-Shiley monostrut, Medtronic-Hall, Omnicarbon, Saint Jude Medical, Duromedics) into an invitro model, where the leakage flows could directly be visualized as emerging water jets. When the system was completely filled, the jets could also be registered by two-dimensional Doppler-echocardiography. For each valve, characteristic patterns for the localization of the principal jets were found. Besides the relative broad central jet in the Medtronic-Hall valve, all other jets arose mainly at the ring. They were detected at the hinges or the basis of the larger struts, respectively, and with asymmetrical mono-disc valves at the side of the smaller opening. The length and the orientation of the jets were found to change significantly with minimal variations of the position of the closing discs. This variability could be confirmed, when in a separate model the overall leakage flows were repeatedly measured. For patient examinations it seems useful to refer mainly to the localization of the jet origins. The comparison with reference values of jet-dimensions in Doppler images will rarely enable the examiner to distinguish between normal and pathological jets."}
{"id": "PMID:1471401", "title": "[Malignant hemangioendotheliosarcoma in the area of the right coronary artery: imaging by selective coronary angiography].", "content": "We report on a case of a malignant hemangioendotheliosarcoma in the right coronary artery. The first manifestation was a pericardial tamponade from a hemorrhagic pericardial effusion. The diagnosis was established only by selective coronary angiography of the right coronary artery, other imaging procedures did not lead to the diagnosis. During follow-up, multiple angiosarcoma developed in the liver, the spleen and, finally, in the lungs. Despite multichemotherapy, the patient died 7 months after the first manifestation."}
{"id": "PMID:1471407", "title": "European Vaccine Manufacturers: present status and future trends.", "content": "The majority of the vaccines used in the world are supplied by companies grouped in the European Vaccine Manufacturers, a specialized group within the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries Associations. The vast supplies of vaccine to developing nations now represent too large a fraction of output, sold at low prices, that causes a drag on profitability. This situation needs to be addressed, to allow vaccine manufacturers to continue to provide quality vaccines at reasonable prices, and to foster research and development for improved and new vaccines."}
{"id": "PMID:1471408", "title": "Contribution to rabies prevention.", "content": "After the end of the Second World War, an outbreak of fox rabies invaded Europe. For the immunization of human populations and domestic animals against the risk of rabies transmitted by infected wild animals, it appeared necessary to replace the first generation of rabies vaccines (nerve tissue vaccines) by more potent and safer vaccines. The European vaccine manufacturers, in close collaboration with the research institutes engaged in rabies research, soon and quickly developed a second generation of rabies vaccines, produced in cell cultures including continuous cell lines grown in bioreactors of industrial scale. The third generation of rabies vaccines is already available: the vaccinia-rabies glycoprotein recombinant vaccine is presently applied on a large scale in some European countries for immunization of wildlife. The canarypox recombinant vaccine has already been considered and successfully tested for human immunization."}
{"id": "PMID:1471409", "title": "Contribution to hepatitis B prevention.", "content": "Hepatitis B is widely recognized as an important public health problem. The only effective way to control hepatitis B is by vaccination. First generation plasma-derived hepatitis B vaccines have limitations. Advances in recombinant DNA technology have led to the development of yeast-derived recombinant hepatitis B vaccine which is now used extensively in the developed world. This article reviews the development of this new generation vaccine and the efforts to facilitate universal vaccination programmes particularly in the developing world. The issue of the cost of new generation vaccines, in relation to the major investment required for research and development and also the quality of the final product, is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1471410", "title": "The Children's Vaccine Initiative and vaccine supply: the role of the public sector.", "content": "'Children represent the most vulnerable segment of every society--and they are our present and future. Good health, especially of children, promotes personal and national development. Scientific progress, matched with improved capacities of all countries to immunize their children, provides an unparalleled opportunity to save additional lives and prevent additional millions of disabilities annually through a Children's Vaccine Initiative.' (The Netherlands Minister for Development Co-operation.)"}
{"id": "PMID:1471411", "title": "An oral B subunit: whole cell vaccine against cholera.", "content": "During the last decade there has been a rapid progress in the development of new, much improved vaccines against cholera. These vaccines, which are given orally to stimulate the gut mucosal immune system, are based on either a combination of purified cholera toxin B (binding) subunit and killed cholera vibrios of Inaba and Ogawa serotypes and El Tor and classical biotypes (B subunit-whole cell vaccine, B-WC) or on a live attenuated mutant strain of Vibrio cholerae producing the B subunit (CVD 103-HgR). The safety of the oral B-WC cholera vaccine and the immunogenicity and protective efficacy of this vaccine against both cholera and diarrhoea caused by enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli have been extensively documented, e.g. in a large randomized, placebo-controlled field trial in 90,000 persons living in a cholera endemic area. The potential for inexpensive large-scale manufacturing of the B-WC vaccine has recently been much facilitated by the introduction of recombinant DNA technology for production of the B subunit component. This now gives promise that this vaccine could become a useful, cost-effective tool in future strategies to control cholera both in endemic situations and in relation to acute epidemic outbreaks."}
{"id": "PMID:1471412", "title": "Immunopotentiating reconstituted influenza virosomes (IRIVs) and other adjuvants for improved presentation of small antigens.", "content": "Synthetic peptides, purified subunits or inactivated small virus particles require immunopotentiation if they are to be effective vaccines. A large range of procedures to enhance immunogenicity has evolved over the last decades: aluminium salts, proteosomes, immunostimulating complexes (ISCOMs), liposomes, conjugation with bacterial products or derivatives, combination with surface-active agents or application of cytokines have been the most described classes of adjuvants. We describe here the design of an inactivated hepatitis A vaccine adjuvanted with immunopotentiating reconstituted influenza virosomes (IRIVs). The formalin-inactivated hepatitis A particles are attached to reconstituted protein-lipid complexes consisting of a mixture of phospholipids and influenza virus glycoproteins. With this new vaccine design we combined different immunostimulating effects: immunopotentiation by phospholipid vesicles, recognition of the haemagglutinin (HA) epitopes by the immune system, binding capacity of HA to sialic acid-containing receptors of macrophages and immunocompetent cells and mediation of entry into the cytoplasm of macrophages by a membrane-fusion event triggered by HA. Hepatitis A seronegative human volunteers received one intramuscular injection with this new vaccine. There were only few mild local reactions and 14 days after vaccination 100% of the subjects were seropositive. Among the individuals (control group) who received an alum-adsorbed vaccine, 88% developed local reactions. The seroconversion rate was 44%. We conclude from these results that the IRIVs provide a new approach to the future design of adjuvanted vaccines."}
{"id": "PMID:1471413", "title": "Strategies for the development of an antimalarial vaccine.", "content": "Susceptible Aotus monkeys were immunized with Escherichia coli-derived fusion proteins containing partial sequences of the proteins MSAI, SERP, HRPII and with a group of three recombinant antigens isolated by screening with an antiserum raised against the protective 41 kDa protein band. HRPII, the combination of the fusion proteins of the 41 kDa group and a mixture of two sequences of SERP conferred significant protection against a challenge infection with Plasmodium falciparum blood stages. Based on the protective capacity of these recombinant antigens we have expressed two hybrid proteins (MS2/SERP/HRPII and SERP/MSAI/HRPII) in E. coli containing selected partial sequences. In two independent immunization trials it was shown that immunization of Aotus monkeys with either of the two hybrid proteins can protect the animals from an experimental P. falciparum infection."}
{"id": "PMID:1471414", "title": "The concept of herd immunity and the design of community-based immunization programmes.", "content": "The paper focuses on the concepts of transmission success and herd immunity and their relevance to the design of community-based immunization programmes for the control of infectious diseases. Recent work in a number of areas is reviewed, including the influence of mass vaccination on the average age of infection and the incidence of morbidity due to infection and vaccination, the age window of susceptibility and the problems of vaccine programme design in developing countries, the interaction between vaccine efficacy and vaccine safety and the design of vaccination programmes for the control of sexually transmitted infections. Discussions centre on the interplay between an understanding of the transmission dynamics of an infection and the design of community-based control programmes."}
{"id": "PMID:1471415", "title": "Benefits and costs of vaccination.", "content": "Vaccination programmes supported by the WHO and other organizations have dramatically reduced disease in developing countries, but there remains a need to extend coverage rates and expand the number of vaccines included. In industrialized countries, where paediatric vaccination is almost universal, there will be an increasing opportunity to protect against diseases which occur in later years."}
{"id": "PMID:1471416", "title": "EPI for the 1990s. The Expanded Programme on Immunization Team.", "content": "This paper highlights the achievements, lessons learned, goals, policies, strategies and approaches for the Expanded Programme on Immunization for the 1990s. The Programme's Global Advisory Group endorsed the paper in October 1991, together with actions proposed for the 1990s. Figures showing immunization coverage and estimates of prevented and current mortality and morbidity are included."}
{"id": "PMID:1471417", "title": "The cold chain from manufacturer to vaccinator: experiments and experiences.", "content": "Biological substances are temperature sensitive. Most vaccines must be constantly kept at temperatures between +2 to +8 degrees C (cold chain). To test the conditions of a long distance transport of vaccines in an 80 l cool box the temperature in the correctly packed box was monitored. The temperature remained between zero and +8 degrees C for more than 90 h, the ambient temperature during this test reached 37 degrees C for 5 h. It can be concluded that the currently used transport boxes are well suited for safe transport of sensitive products such as vaccines."}
{"id": "PMID:1471418", "title": "Availability of vaccines of an assured quality.", "content": "In establishing standards of quality for vaccines used in vaccination programmes, it is necessary to protect the recipients without demanding unnecessarily high specifications and standards of purity. Such standards reduce profitability, jeopardizing further vaccine supplies and future research, and also diminish the probability of vaccine manufacture outside the industrialized countries. Funds will be needed to encourage research and local manufacture, and internationally accepted procedures of quality assurance must be established."}
{"id": "PMID:1471419", "title": "The countries' point of view.", "content": "Several important factors in the supply of quality vaccines to developing countries are explained. These include central purchasing, establishment of a National control authority and local vaccine production."}
{"id": "PMID:1471420", "title": "Availability of quality vaccines: the industrial point of view.", "content": "Availability of vaccines may be temporarily affected by sudden peak demand, coming on top of the vast increases of regular demand that the world has witnessed; this must be addressed by sound planning, and flexibility both from manufacturers and users. Temporary shortages are not structural in nature, and capacity is at hand to meet demand. Transfer of technology to developing nations is not likely to make the supply of vaccines of good quality any easier, faster or substantially cheaper, as the constraints that determine vaccine manufacture will not change merely by locating a production unit in a developing nation."}
{"id": "PMID:1471421", "title": "Availability of quality vaccines: policies of a non-government organization.", "content": "The availability of vaccines, or any other health service, depends upon, first, the existence of a reliable system of delivery, and the effective management of this system to reach the target population and, second, the acceptance by parents or guardians of the value of the vaccine in preventing death and disability in young children and their mothers. This system must be fully funded and resourced for the foreseeable future if the service is to be sustainable. Today the major obstacles to effective immunization of young children in developing countries is the inadequate, insecure and unpredictable availability of funds and their management. Unless these problems are addressed and solved, the immunization targets set by the World Health Assembly (WHA) will not be met."}
{"id": "PMID:1471422", "title": "Biostatistical manual (BIOSTAT) for potency control and for evaluation of effectiveness of the WHO-EPI vaccines: software for personal computers.", "content": "In accordance with WHO requirements, a specialized software has been developed for personal computers to analyse the potency data of the EPI vaccines and to evaluate the effectiveness of the vaccination. The software has three parts and allows users to create files from control data (BIOSTAT), to check the function of the software and statistical formulae (BIOSDEMO), and to understand the logic and structure of the data processing system and the statistical models (BIOSDOC)."}
{"id": "PMID:1471423", "title": "Synthetic immunoadjuvants: application to non-specific host stimulation and potentiation of vaccine immunogenicity.", "content": "It is well recognized that immunoadjuvants mainly play two roles; non-specific stimulation of host resistance against infections and cancer, and the potentiation of vaccine immunogenicity. This article reviews the recent results of the development of synthetic immunoadjuvants in our laboratory with special reference to muramyldipeptide (MDP), trehalose dimycolate (TDM), lipid A, chitin and their related compounds. The usefulness of MDP derivative MDP-Lys(L18), which has recently gone on the market as a haematopoietic agent for restoration of leukopenia in cancer patients treated with radiotherapy and chemotherapy, is reviewed. The various approaches to application of synthetic immunoadjuvants to the potentiation of vaccine immunogenicity, including adjuvant formulation, are also discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1471424", "title": "Progress towards the development of new vaccines against whooping cough.", "content": "Acellular vaccines against whooping cough are in the final stage of clinical testing and are likely to become available for mass immunization in the near future. Over a dozen vaccines of similar composition have been developed by vaccine companies and research laboratories; all of them contain a detoxified form of pertussis toxin (PT) that may be present alone or combined with one or more other non-toxic proteins, such as filamentous haemagglutinin (FHA), pertactin (69 kDa), and the agglutinogens (AGG). Most of the vaccines contain a PT that has been inactivated by chemical treatment, a process that reduces the immunogenicity of the molecule and may not completely eliminate the risk of reversion to toxicity. To avoid these problems, we have constructed by genetic manipulation a mutant of Bordetella pertussis that produces a non-toxic form of PT. This molecule (PT-9K/129G) contains two amino acid substitutions in the S1 subunit (Arg9-->Lys and Glu129-->Gly) which abolish the enzymatic activity of the S1 subunit and all the toxic properties of PT, without changing the immunological properties of the wild-type toxin. Following extensive preclinical studies, which have shown that PT-9K/129G is safe and more antigenic than the toxin treated with chemical agents, this molecule was tested for safety and immunogenicity in adult volunteers, 18-month-old children and 2-month-old infants. The molecule has been tested alone, combined with FHA and pertactin and also combined with diphtheria and tetanus toxoids.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1471425", "title": "Pertussis: the trials and tribulations of old and new pertussis vaccines.", "content": "The mortality from pertussis in unvaccinated infants is significantly greater than that reported. Most present day whole-cell pertussis vaccines are efficacious. Although they cause frequent reactions, studies during the last 15 years reveal no evidence that they cause brain damage. Acellular pertussis vaccines have been used successfully in Japan since 1981. In spite of this, five vaccine efficacy trials in three countries are presently in progress. Of the six vaccines being studied, three seem to be less than optimal choices for study because they are similar to the two vaccines evaluated in the original Swedish efficacy trial which had disappointing efficacy. The lessened reactions associated with acellular pertussis vaccines make routine adult booster immunization possible. A future immunization programme with vaccines that elicit antibodies which completely block bacterial attachment to ciliary epithelial cells, and which includes universal childhood immunization and adult booster doses can be expected to have a dramatic effect upon disease incidence and the circulation of Bordetella pertussis in the community."}
{"id": "PMID:1471426", "title": "Impediments, imponderables and alternatives in the attempt to develop an effective vaccine against AIDS.", "content": "A personal view is presented that current successful vaccines against 'ordinary' viruses do not provide the guidelines needed for development of effective vaccines against the 'extraordinary' viruses that cause AIDS. Present 'candidate' AIDS vaccines fail to recognize the special attributes that are needed to make them successful. There is an urgent need for intensive studies of pathogenesis to seek and find the clues needed for vaccine attack that are at present unknown. Also needed is a targeted Research and Development organization comprising a cadre of capable scientists of requisite disciplines in adequate facilities, dedicated solely to the development of a vaccine against AIDS. The urgency imposed by the AIDS pandemic merits a new dedication to targeted basic research discovery and an effectively concentrated and coordinated applied research initiative."}
{"id": "PMID:1471428", "title": "Bacterial vaccines: old and new, veterinary and medical.", "content": "Developments in veterinary and medical bacterial vaccines are outlined. In the former case, economic considerations are paramount, and cruder, less purified products of proven efficacy continue to be employed. For human use, however, safety and absence of side effects are increasingly demanded. Various examples of human and veterinary vaccines are discussed, and interaction between the two fields is illustrated by reference to the pig-bel disease in New Guinea and the possible aetiology of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome."}
{"id": "PMID:1471429", "title": "Synthetic approaches to vaccines for infectious and autoimmune diseases.", "content": "The development is outlined of some synthetic vaccines against infectious diseases, in particular cholera, shigella and influenza. In the last case, use of the synthetic adjuvant MDP in combination with a haemagglutinin peptide has led to a synthetic vaccine with built-in adjuvanticity. The production of vaccines both by chemical synthesis and genetic engineering is described. The successful use of the synthetic amino acid copolymer COP-1 as an immunomodulatory vaccine to suppress the onset of allergic encephalomyelitis in experimental animals has led to clinical trials with patients suffering from exacerbating remitting multiple sclerosis. T-cell vaccination is an alternative approach to immunization against autoimmune diseases."}
{"id": "PMID:1471430", "title": "[Possibilities and limits of daily coping with illness by patients with chronic polyarthritis].", "content": "A central problem of persons with chronic polyarthritis is the necessary adaptation to deteriorating health in everyday activities. Difficulties and burdens of this adaptation are parts of the study undertaken in the Unna Model, which was part of the research on \"Local Services for CP-Patients\". In the first part two female patients are described with regards to these everyday problems of \"normalization\", i.e., including health conditions resp. daily activities. An important element is the microsocial context: mutual expectations and support in the family and at the work place. In the second part some quantitative results of interviews with 93 cP-patients are presented. They show the importance that is given by these interviewed persons to these daily adaptations, self help, and support."}
{"id": "PMID:1471431", "title": "[Developing occupational integration of patients with chronic polyarthritis during productive years].", "content": "Rheumatoid arthritis is a common disorder that depends on the activity of the disease, the severeness of the functional losses, and the degree of suffering from pain. In a study of 817 RA patients it could be shown that the occupational status depends as much on the severing of the disease as on the job status, educational status, and income."}
{"id": "PMID:1471432", "title": "[The role of the family physician in cooperation and coordination management of chronic rheumatic patients].", "content": "Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a disease that confronts the primary care practitioner with medical and organizational problems. There are only few experiences in diagnosis and therapy of (early) RA because of the low prevalence rate. Especially in rural districts there is a deficit in physiotherapists, ergotherapists, and psychologists with knowledge in rheumatology. The cooperation with rheumatologists is an organizational problem. In a study of 817 RA patients it could be shown that organizational help and, the offer of complementary therapy in the vicinity of a patient's home led to an increase of well-being and decrease in costs and severity of the disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1471433", "title": "[\"Mobile occupational therapy\" for rheumatic patients: development of the service, utilization and management with aids and braces].", "content": "The development and utilization of occupational therapy as a home care service for patients with rheumatic diseases is examined. This new service was implemented in Schleswig-Holstein by local branch of the German League against Rheumatism, an organization devoted to the promotion of help and self-help for patients. The data for this study are based on standardized documentations within a comprehensive evaluation of model-intervention, and also accounting records. From July 1, 1986 until June 31, 1991, there were 1120 prescriptions issued by 293 physicians at 86 locations. 529 patients could be served with a total amount of 6778 time-units of care. The development of the service shows a slowly but steady and region wide growing acceptance by the practitioners and, accordingly, an increasing utilization associated with an increasing inclusion of non-rheumatic diagnoses. The supplies of support devices (included in 55% of all prescriptions) and braces (included in 26% of all prescriptions) are described separately, since patient counseling and assistance--particularly in connection with support devices and aids for everyday life--are of great importance."}
{"id": "PMID:1471434", "title": "[The \"Hannover Chronic Polyarthritis School\": development of a curriculum and implementation of a controlled study for educating patients with chronic polyarthritis].", "content": "Patient education is an important and necessary tool to facilitate coping with a chronic disease. The existing studies about new approaches to patient education and their effects are reviewed and discussed. The interdisciplinary team of the MRH tried to improve the deficient situation concerning patient education in rheumatology in Germany. They elaborated the \"cP-Schule Hannover\", a curriculum for patient education in small groups in an outpatient clinic setting. The courses include eight sessions taught by a psychologist and performed by a team of health professionals. Four groups with a total of 31 RA-sufferers have been evaluated in a controlled prospective study over 3 months. The significant effects of this patient education program were an increase of knowledge and satisfaction which were still evident after a follow-up period of 3 months. Negative side-effects like worsening of psychological status were not observed. Based on these positive experiences and results a \"patient education\" working group was founded in late 1989. This working group is a member of the German Association of Rheumatology. It focuses on the elaboration of a structured, supra-regional standardized patient education program for rheumatoid arthritis consisting of several modules."}
{"id": "PMID:1471435", "title": "The outcome of traditional or comprehensive outpatient care for rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Results of an open, non-randomized, 2-year prospective study.", "content": "This work presents results of a quasiexperimental prospective cohort study of the medium-term course of chronic rheumatoid arthritis (RA) under two different conditions of care. During 1984-1986 a total of 262 patients was recruited. All were new referrals to a university outpatient department. 121 came from the city of Hannover, FRG, and were assigned to comprehensive team care (cc) provided by two rheumatologists, a nurse, physician's assistant, occupational therapist, psychologist, and social worker; 141 came from outside Hannover and received care from a physician in training for internal medicine/rheumatology and a nurse, supervised by a senior registrar (TC). The patients in the first group were significantly older (57 vs 51 years), had more active disease (ESR 44 vs 31 mm/h), were more disabled (functional capacity 69 vs 78%), more often lived alone (27 vs 10%) and were more depressed compared with patients in the second group. There were no significant differences in gender (80% female), number of Rome criteria (5.2), and disease duration (6 years) between the two groups. 179 patients were followed for 2 years. There was no demonstrable difference between those who dropped out and those who continued in the study. Patients from both groups showed significant and clinically important improvements in ESR and number of swollen joints, whereas functional capacity and pain intensity did not change. Depression and patients' global self-rating improved only in the CC-group. Analyses adjusting for differences between the two groups were unable to show a different efficacy for either form of care.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1471436", "title": "[The mobile rheumatoid health unit--an ambulatory consultation from the viewpoint of the physician and patient].", "content": "The acceptance of a university-based outpatient department (Department of Rheumatology, Hannover Medical School, FRG) has been investigated. Ninety-five former patients with RA, previously treated in the department were interviewed by phone. 312 general practitioners from the city of Hannover received a mailed questionnaire. Patients were asked why they had left outpatient department care; questions for general practitioners dealt with types of referral. Despite high satisfaction with the outpatient unit in both groups, we found several shortcomings which possibly might influence discontinuation of treatment and non-utilization of the department: patients and physicians criticized the scheduling system and waiting times. Both groups complained of frequently changing doctors. The general practitioners wanted more contact with the department and more information about the unit. A small group of patients and referring physicians expressed resignation."}
{"id": "PMID:1471437", "title": "[Special problems of young rheumatic patients with occupational placement].", "content": "In a study initiated by the German League against Rheumatism, 433 young patients with rheumatic disorders (mean age 27 years, disease duration 7.5 years, 60% female, 40% male) were questioned in 1989 for the first time to ascertain disease-related problems encountered at school or during professional training. Their self-reported diagnoses were 68.2% chronic arthritis and 23.6% Ankylosing spondylitis (definite or probable diagnosis). From 181 patients who had been affected at school age, 84.5% reported the following main problems: absence related to illness, exclusion from excursions and school-related activities. Nevertheless, a majority of the patients (60.5%) reached a qualified graduation. 25.3% of the study sample was still attending school, 50.3% were employed, 8.6% were unemployed, and 4.5% had been retired early. Only 37.7% of the Arthritis patients and 22.3% of the Spondylitis patients had sought advice and help from the labour exchange services; 26.9% of the arthritis patients and 21.9% of the Spondylitis patients assessed this advice to be helpful. Regarding vocational guidance, the patients main criticism was a lack of knowledge about rheumatic disorders. There is a demand for an adjustment of the individual physical abilities and the requirements of the respective jobs, and continuous supervision by a rheumatologist is necessary."}
{"id": "PMID:1471438", "title": "[Population epidemiologic evaluation of the Hannover Mobile Rheumatoid Health Service].", "content": "The aim of the study was the evaluation of a potential selection process for patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) referred to the Mobile Service for Rheumatics in Hannover (MSRH). The MSRH is the only referral center for patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases in Hannover. A comparison of the health status was made between 58 individuals with RA identified in a population study, and 103 RA patients from the MSRH. The following disease parameters were less favorable in the clinical group: duration of morning stiffness, functional capacity, number of swollen joints, rheumatoid factor, ESR, disease activity, and classical RA according to the Rome-criteria. Only 22% of the individuals with RA identified in the population study have been referred to the MSRH. These patients more frequently had definite or classical RA (statistically not significant: p = 0.17, p = 0.11, respectively). It was shown that the clinical group comprised more severe RA cases. Thus, data from such patients may not be generalized for the entire group of RA cases in the population."}
{"id": "PMID:1471439", "title": "Isolation of promoter sequences from Brevibacterium sp. R312.", "content": "Promoter sequences recognized by Escherichia coli RNA polymerase were isolated from Brevibacterium sp. R312, a coryneform strain producing nitrile hydratase and amidase. Ten Escherichia coli clones containing promoter sequences were selected for their ability to grow with chloramphenicol concentrations of up to 1500 micrograms/ml. The strength of these promoter sequences was determined. We carried out a preliminary study of the strongest promoter having a chloramphenicol acetyl-transferase/beta-lactamase activities ratio of 18.4."}
{"id": "PMID:1471440", "title": "Keratinolytic fungi in Egyptian soils. I. Baited with hair and wool.", "content": "150 soil samples were collected, 90 from Nile Valley and Delta, 36 from desert and 24 from salt marshes. Human, buffalo and cow hair and sheep wool were used as baits at three incubation temperatures. Forty-four species which belong to twenty-one genera at 27 degrees C and forty-two which belong to twenty-two genera at 37 degrees C were collected. We isolated the following keratinophilic fungi Chrysosporium tropicum, C. keratinophilum, C. indicum, C. pannicola, C. queenslandicum, Trichophyton terrestre, T. mentagrophytes and Microsporum gypseum. Several other saprophytic fungi were isolated. No fungi were isolated at 45 degrees C."}
{"id": "PMID:1471441", "title": "Anaerobic facultative bacteria isolated from the gut of rabbits fed different diets.", "content": "Anaerobic facultative bacteria colonizing the intestinal tract of conventional rabbits fed three different diets (standard pellet, hay and pellet/hay mixture) were enumerated in brain heart infusion agar. Colony counts recovered from homogenized samples of small intestine, caecum and rectum differed with reference to the diet given. Among anaerobic groups, identified from rabbit fed pellet/hay mixture, Enterococci (E. faecalis, E. avium, E. faecium and E. durans) represented the predominant flora. Enterobacters (E. cloacae and E. aerogenes) accounted for about 10 to 25% of the bacteria in the rectum and colon respectively, whereas Staphylococci (S. intermedius, S. epidermidis and S. lentus) represented 11% of the bacteria isolated from colon."}
{"id": "PMID:1471442", "title": "Bacillus species associated with wheat and sorghum dusts from combine harvester.", "content": "14 species and one species variety belonging to genus Bacillus were collected from wheat and sorghum dusts of combine harvester on either nutrient agar (NA) or sheep blood agar (SBA) at 30 degrees C (14 spp.), 45 degrees C (13 spp.) and 55 degrees C (5 spp.). The flora of Bacillus on both substrates and on the two isolation media were basically similar and the most common species were B. brevis, B. cereus, B. circulans, B. coagulans, B. licheniformis, B. stearothermophilus and B. subtilis. The total viable count of airborne bacteria in the two atmospheres were lower in wheat than in sorghum hay sites. The percentage count of haemolytic bacteria on SBA comprised 10% and 15% of the total viable count, respectively."}
{"id": "PMID:1471443", "title": "Purification and general properties of xylanase from Aspergillus terreus.", "content": "Aspergillus terreus THOM produced appreciable yield of xylanase on medium containing acid pretreated rice straw as sole carbon source. The enzyme was purified approximately 25-fold by ammonium sulfate precipitation, gel filtration through Sephadex G-50 and ion-exchange chromatography on DEAE-cellulose with a yield of about 23% and specific activity of 15.38 units/mg protein. Optimum activity against xylan was at 45 degrees C and pH 4.5. Relative stability of the enzyme was recorded at pH range of 4-5.5. Heating the enzyme preparation at 60 degrees C for one hour resulted in a 82.61% loss of activity. After exposing to 90 degrees C for 10 minutes xylanase retained 4.28% of its original activity. The purified enzyme lost 25% of the original activity after keeping at 4 degrees C for 9 months in 0.05 M acetate buffer (pH 4.5). The Km value of the enzyme was found to be 0.83 mM. Zn2+ was the most enhancing agent for xylanase activity. Cu2+ followed by Co2+ and K+ were the more deterrent cations. Xylanolytic activity of A. terreus was strongly inhibited by HgCl2, 2,4-dinitrophenol (DNP), phloridzin and ethylene diamino tetra acetic acid (EDTA)."}
{"id": "PMID:1471444", "title": "[Experiences with 216 manual esophageal anastomoses and with mechanical single and double row suture technique (SPTU, EEA, ILS) in stomach cancers].", "content": "From 1973 to 1990 we have performed 216 anastomoses of the oesophagus after resection of gastric malignancy. Both resection due to a carcinoma of the oesophagus and subtotal gastric resection due to distal carcinoma of the stomach have not been considered. In a retrospective study we present the results of our oesophageal anastomoses performed by hand-suture and stapling. The perioperative complications are shown with special regard to the insufficiency rate of the oesophageal anastomosis and the resulting mortality. In 70 by hand suturing performed anastomoses (1973-80) we have seen 3 (4.4%) leaks of the oesophagojejuno-/oesophagogastrostomy, in 146 stapled anastomoses (1980-90) 6 (4.2%) insufficiencies were seen. Two of 3 dehiscences in the hand-sewn group and one of the 6 leaks in the stapler group had a lethal outcome. The overall hospital mortality could be reduced from 18.5% to 6.9%."}
{"id": "PMID:1471445", "title": "[Boerhaave syndrome in pyloric hyperplasia].", "content": "Boerhaave's-syndrome is a rare illness, usually caused when sudden intense vomiting leads to a spontaneous rupture of the healthy esophagus. Alcoholism and neurological diseases are considered to be the main predisposing factors. Because the complaint is so rare the casuistic of Boerhaave's-syndrome is described in connection with pyloric stenosis. In order to confirm the diagnosis the following practice is recommended: During gastrografin swallowing the pylorus should be examined in order to remedy the possible cause of the complaint when the operative therapy is carried out."}
{"id": "PMID:1471446", "title": "[Pedicle torsion of the accessory spleen within the scope of the \"polysplenia-asplenia complex\" as a rare differential diagnosis of acute abdomen].", "content": "A 25 year old female patient with a painful palpable tumour in the right flank was admitted to our hospital presenting signs and symptoms of an acute abdomen. During explorative laparotomy unexpected haemorrhagic infarction of a splenula caused by a volvulus of the vascular pedicle was found. In spite of the documentation of multiple positional abnormalities of visceral organs preoperative diagnostic imaging techniques were unable to point to the diagnosis because of an uncommon rightsideness of the polysplenism. In the case of an indefinite rightsided abdominal mass defects of embryonic morphogenesis should be always taken into consideration."}
{"id": "PMID:1471449", "title": "Constitutional delay of growth and adolescence. Results of short-term and long-term treatment with GH.", "content": "During recent years numerous reports on the favourable results of short-term trials with GH in patients with constitutional delay of growth and adolescence (CDGA) have been published, but it has been unclear whether such treatment affects final height. In the present study, the results of long-term therapy with GH in replacement doses have been evaluated in 15 patients who were treated with GH for several years (three years on average). At the start of treatment, 10 of the children were prepubertal and 5 were in puberty. All patients were followed up until final height was reached. Mean final height of the 13 male patients was 170.0 +/- 4.4 cm, i.e. -1.58 SDS. In the two female patients, final height was 150.0 cm (-3.5 SDS) and 164.0 cm (-0.8 SDS), respectively. Adult height of the patients lagged behind target height by 5.4 +/- 3.2 cm (mean +/- SD). Measured adult height corresponded to adult height as predicted prior to treatment. In conclusion, GH treatment of patients with CDGA did not increase final height."}
{"id": "PMID:1471450", "title": "In vitro synthesis of glycosaminoglycans in endocrine ophthalmopathy.", "content": "The effects of humoral and cell-mediated immunity on the glycosaminoglycan synthesis of retrobulbar fibroblasts was evaluated in patients with endocrine ophthalmopathy. After incubation with IgG and sera, secreted glycosaminoglycans, radiolabeled with D-6-3H-glucosamine and 35sulfate, were precipitated with cetylpyridinium chloride and ethanol. Hyaluronic acid synthesis of human retrobulbar fibroblasts after incubation with sera and IgG and after co-culture with lymphocytes was assessed by means of a radiometric test. Patients' IgG, compared to controls', accounted for a higher secretory stimulation of porcine retrobulbar fibroblasts (as measured by cetylpyridinium chloride precipitation) after 24 and 48 h. Contrasting with 24 h incubation time, glycosaminoglycan values after 48 h were increased two to threefold. Patients' and controls' sera caused earlier and stronger, yet indistinguishable glycosaminoglycan production. Non-sulfated hyaluronic acid was the preponderant glycosaminoglycan secreted into the media by retrobulbar fibroblasts. As assessed with the radiometric test, incubation with patients' and controls' sera and IgG did not reveal a significant difference in stimulating the hyaluronic synthesis of patients' and controls' retrobulbar fibroblasts. When measuring the hyaluronic acid synthesis of controls' and patients' retrobulbar fibroblasts after co-cultivation of lymphocytes, however, patients' lymphocytes had a marked ability to increase the hyaluronic acid concentration compared to controls' lymphocytes. The hyaluronic acid concentration after incubation of a patient's retrobulbar fibroblasts with autologous lymphocytes was markedly more elevated than the intrinsic hyaluronic acid production of retrobulbar fibroblasts.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1471451", "title": "Adrenal hormones in human follicular fluid.", "content": "Considerable evidence indicates that adrenal hormones may affect gonadal function. To assess the role of some adrenal hormones in human follicular fluid and their relationship with the ability of the oocyte to be fertilized and then to cleave in vitro, cortisol and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate were measured in follicular fluid obtained at the time of oocyte recovery for in vitro fertilization from cycles stimulated by clomiphene citrate, human menopausal gonadotropin and human chorionic gonadotropin. Thirty-six follicular fluid containing mature oocyte-corona-cumulus complexes and free of visible blood contamination were included in this study. There was no significant difference in follicular fluid dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate concentration between follicles with oocytes which did or did not fertilize (5.1 +/- 1.1 vs 5.8 +/- 2.0 mumol/l). However, follicular fluid from follicles whose oocytes were not fertilized had levels of cortisol significantly higher than those in follicular fluid from follicles containing successfully fertilized oocytes (406.0 +/- 75.9 vs 339.2 +/- 37.0 nmol/l; p < 0.005). No significant correlations were found between rates of embryo cleavage and cortisol and dehydroepiandrosterone levels in follicular fluid. We conclude that cortisol levels in follicular fluid may provide an index of fertilization outcome, at least in stimulated cycles by clomiphene citrate, human menopausal gonadotropin and human chorionic gonadotropin."}
{"id": "PMID:1471452", "title": "TSH-dependent production of T4 and T3 by metastases of a thyroid carcinoma.", "content": "A patient with T4 and T3 production by metastases of a follicular thyroid carcinoma leading to TSH suppression is described. During a period of three years, plasma T4, T3 and TSH levels were measured in the substitution-free periods before the successive iodine-131 retention measurements and iodine-131 therapies, when the patient was at least two weeks without thyroid hormones. From the presented data it can be derived that the production of thyroid hormones by metastases was enhanced by endogenous TSH."}
{"id": "PMID:1471453", "title": "Effect of dopamine injection into the anteroventral third ventricular region and the paraventricular nucleus on vasopressin secretion in conscious rats.", "content": "To investigate the role of dopamine receptors situated in the paraventricular nucleus and the anteroventral third ventricular region in regulating vasopressin release, responses of plasma AVP and its controlling factors to injections of dopamine into these regions and the lateral cerebral ventricle were examined in conscious rats. The injections of 156 nmol (30 micrograms) dopamine into the cerebral ventricle produced transient rises in plasma AVP 5 min later. When the dose of dopamine was reduced to 26 nmol (5 micrograms), the increase in plasma AVP was not provoked any more. However, injections of 26 nmol dopamine into the paraventricular nucleus greatly augmented plasma AVP 5 and 15 min later. This dose of dopamine was without effect on plasma AVP when injected into the anteroventral third ventricular region, including the organum vasculosum lamina terminalis, median preoptic nucleus, medial preoptic area and the periventricular preoptic nucleus. These dopamine administrations in the cerebral ventricle, paraventricular nucleus and the anteroventral third ventricular region did not significantly change AVP-controlling factors such as plasma osmolality, sodium and arterial pressure. On the basis of these results, we conclude that dopamine receptors in the paraventricular nucleus may function to facilitate AVP secretion, whereas those in the anteroventral third ventricular region may not play an important role in the regulation of AVP release."}
{"id": "PMID:1471454", "title": "Iodide and T4 kinetics in plasma, thyroid gland and skin of 10-day-old rats: effects of iodine deficiency.", "content": "The effects of iodine deficiency on the peripheral metabolism of thyroid hormone in immature rat were evaluated by measuring the kinetics of iodide and thyroxine (T4) in control and iodine-deficient 10-day-old rats. Iodine-deficient pups were obtained by giving the mother drinking water containing perchlorate; this anion is not transferred but prevents iodine transfer in the mother's milk. Labelled iodocompounds were measured in plasma, thyroid and skin for 48 h following intravenous injection of Na131I plus [125I]T4. Data were interpreted by compartmental analysis. The iodide plasma clearance rate, plasma equivalent distribution volume, plasma concentration, production and iodine thyroid content of iodine-deficient rats were significantly lower (-29%, -31%, -84%, -89% and -87% respectively) than in control 10-day-old rats. The iodide thyroid uptake was reduced (-47%) but remained higher than the release of iodine as T4. Cutaneous iodine was lost much more quickly by iodine-deficient pups than by control pups, explaining the decreased iodide distribution volume. The parameters of T4 metabolism were not changed by iodine deficiency, except for a slight but significant reduction of the thyroxinemia and T4 pools (-13%). Thence, T4 production was not significantly changed (about 8 pmol/h in control and iodine-deficient rats). The labelled T4 curves in iodine-deficient and control skin were superimposed and the patterns of labelled T3 derived from [125I]T4 were identical. Thus, the skin of immature rats converts T4 to T3; this process was not disturbed by iodine deficiency. The thyroid function of immature rats is particularly resistant to iodine deficiency, but the mechanisms remain unknown."}
{"id": "PMID:1471455", "title": "Effects of metyrapone infusion on corticotropin-releasing factor and arginine vasopressin secretion into the hypophysial portal blood of conscious, unrestrained rams.", "content": "The effects of rapid changes of circulating cortisol levels on ACTH secretion and on corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) and arginine vasopressin (AVP) concentrations into hypophysial portal blood were studied in six adult rams. Pharmacological adrenalectomy was obtained by 3 h metyrapone infusion (100 mg.kg-1.h-1). Blockade of cortisol synthesis induced a tenfold increase of plasma ACTH levels accompanied by a moderate increase of CRF secretion (150% vs preinjection levels) and a large increment of AVP secretion (535% vs preinjection levels). ACTH levels remained high during the 3 h following the end of metyrapone infusion. During the same period, CRF secretion was still elevated (231% vs preinjection levels), while AVP secretion was further stimulated (2,151% vs preinjection levels). Subsequent hydrocortisone infusion (66 micrograms.kg-1.h-1) for 2 h induced a rapid decrease of both ACTH and AVP secretion, while CRF levels in hypophysial portal blood still remained elevated. These data suggest that changes in ACTH secretion induced by acute modifications of the negative glucocorticoid feedback are, in addition to the well documented direct effect of cortisol on the corticotropes, mainly mediated by variations of hypothalamic AVP secretion."}
{"id": "PMID:1471456", "title": "Re-expression of thyroxine-binding globulin in post-weaning rats during protein or energy malnutrition.", "content": "Thyroxine-binding globulin, the highest affinity thyroid hormone binder of rat serum, was studied during 28 days of dietary protein restriction (6% protein vs 18% protein in isocaloric control diet) or energy restriction (60% intake of control diet). Studies were performed on male rats aged four weeks at the beginning of experiments: the animals had reached the ontogenic stage when the thyroxine-binding globulin had declined, after its high postnatal surge, to undetectable levels. Short-term administration (seven days) of one or the other restricted diet similarly induced resynthesis of the protein. Its serum concentrations reached 26-46% of those measured in eight-day pups (peak of the neonatal surge) and its liver mRNAs showed corresponding enhanced signals. Serum T4 binding activities were increased, although concomitantly transthyretin, second specific T4 carrier of the rat serum, decreased markedly (65-75% of controls) in response to the dietary restrictions. Longer-term diet administration (14 or 28 days) resulted in the further increase of the thyroxine-binding globulin in the protein-restricted rats, in contrast to its decline and eventual disappearance in the energy-restricted animals. Protein restriction was associated with increased total and free T3 serum concentrations, in contrast to energy restriction which little affected these parameters. These studies reveal rat thyroxine-binding globulin as a positive (increasing), highly sensitive reactant of malnutrition, able to discriminate between energy deficiency and composition dysequilibrium of diets. They suggest that up-regulation of its synthesis in the two dietary models involves differential mechanisms."}
{"id": "PMID:1471457", "title": "Development of gonadal feedback regulation of gonadotropin gene expression and secretion in female rats.", "content": "The postnatal development of the gonadal negative feedback control of gonadotropins was studied in female rats. Neonatal (5-day-old) and randomly cycling young (60-day-old) and more mature (180-day-old) adult rats were ovariectomized, and half of them received Silastic implants containing the synthetic estrogen, diethylstilbestrol. The neonatal rats were killed 5, 10 or 15 days, and the adult rats 7 days after the operation. Age-matched and sham-operated animals served as controls. There were no statistically significant responses of serum LH or FSH concentrations or of the pituitary gonadotropin subunit mRNA levels to ovariectomy at any of the neonatal ages. A marked increase (p < 0.01) after ovariectomy was seen in serum gonadotropins and in the cognate mRNA levels at both adult ages. In spite of the weak feedback response of the neonatal rats to ovariectomy, diethylstilbestrol suppressed the basal pituitary gonadotropin concentrations and the specific LH and FSH beta-chain mRNAs (p < 0.01-0.05). These results demonstrate that the gonadal negative feedback regulation of gonadotropin synthesis and secretion is not fully developed in neonatal and prepubertal female rats before 20 days of age. This is probably due to the steroidogenic quiescence of the ovaries in early life. However, the capability of the pituitary to respond to negative estrogen feedback has developed in the neonatal female, as demonstrated by the suppressive effects of diethylstilbestrol treatment on gonadotropin secretion."}
{"id": "PMID:1471458", "title": "Evidence for specific binding and stimulatory effects of recombinant human erythropoietin on isolated adult rat Leydig cells.", "content": "The presence of specific binding of recombinant human erythropoietin and its effect on testosterone production were evaluated in isolated intact adult rat Leydig cells. Maximal specific binding was observed after 135 min incubation at 34 degrees C. Scatchard analysis of the binding data revealed two distinct classes of binding sites for [125I]-recombinant human erythropoietin with dissociation constant of (Kd1) 1.9 x 10(-10) mol/l and (Kd2) 1.37 x 10(-8) mol/l respectively and binding capacity of (Bmax1) 12.3 fmol/10(6) cells and (Bmax2) 42.8 fmol/10(6) cells, respectively. GnRH, hCG, IGF-I and EGF did not induce any modification of recombinant human erythropoietin-specific binding. Recombinant human erythropoietin added to isolated adult rat Leydig cells exerted a stimulatory effect on testosterone production reaching its maximal effect at the dose of 10(-10) mol/l (testosterone production from 14.9 +/- 1.7 to 45.1 +/- 6.2 pmol/10(6) cells/3 h). Addition of anti-recombinant human erythropoietin serum completely blocked the recombinant human erythropoietin-stimulated testosterone production. These results show that purified adult rat Leydig cells possess recombinant human erythropoietin specific binding, and suggest that this glycoprotein directly influences rat Leydig steroidogenesis."}
{"id": "PMID:1471459", "title": "Effect of adenosine analogues on plasma corticosterone concentration in rats.", "content": "In this study we examined the effect of the adenosine analogues: N6-cyclohexyladenosine, L-N6-phenylisopropyladenosine and 5'-N-ethylcarboxamidoadenosine on the plasma corticosterone concentration in rats. It was found that N6-cyclohexyladenosine (0.1-3.0 mg/kg), L-N6-phenylisopropyladenosine (0.1-1.0 mg/kg) and 5'-N-ethylcarboxamidoadenosine (0.01-1.0 mg/kg) dose-dependently increased the plasma corticosterone level. The effects of N6-cyclohexyladenosine (0.1 mg/kg) and L-N6-phenylisopropyladenosine (0.1 mg/kg) were completely blocked in animals pretreated with dexamethasone (3 x 1 mg/kg), as well as in animals with a pharmacological blockade of the release of hypothalamic corticotropin-releasing factor induced by chloropromazine (10 mg/kg), morphine (20 mg/kg) and nembutal (25 mg/kg), whereas the corticosterone response to 5'-N-ethylcarboxamidoadenosine (0.01 mg/kg) was blocked in dexamethasone-pretreated rats only. On the other hand, the adenosine receptor antagonists: 8-(p-sulfophenyl)-theophylline (30 mg/kg), 8-phenyltheophylline (10 and 30 mg/kg), 1,3-dipropyl-8-(2-amino-4-chloro)-phenylxanthine (1 and 3 mg/kg) and 1,3-dipropyl-7-methylxanthine (1 mg/kg) did not affect the corticosterone response to N6-cyclohexyladenosine, L-N6-phenylisopropyladenosine or 5'-N-ethylcarboxamidoadenosine. The obtained results indicate that N6-cyclohexyladenosine and L-N6-phenylisopropyladenosine stimulate the corticosterone secretion at the hypothalamic level, whereas 5'-N-ethylcarboxamidoadenosine is likely to act at the pituitary level. Although the effects produced by the adenosine analogues show that both A1 and A2 receptors are involved in the corticosterone response, negative results of the interaction studies with adenosine receptor antagonists indicate that further experiments are necessary to elucidate this problem."}
{"id": "PMID:1471460", "title": "Malignant prolactinoma.", "content": "Malignant prolactinoma is a rare entity and only a few cases have been published. The diagnostic criteria and the clinical course remain unclear. We present a case of malignant prolactinoma in a woman with a 30-year duration of the disease. In the terminal stage of the disease the prolactinoma metastasized to the left eye, the prolactin level reaching 196000 mU/l. Bromocriptine in high doses was not effective. The response to pergolide was good in the first two years of treatment; thereafter an escape effect was observed. The patient died in a comatose state. A review of previously published cases follows."}
{"id": "PMID:1471464", "title": "[Memory disorders and symptoms of frontal dysfunction in 29 patients operated on for an aneurysm of the anterior communicating artery].", "content": "Twenty-nine patients operated for an aneurysm of the anterior communicating artery have been submitted to short-term and long-term memory tests and to tests said to be sensitive to frontal lobe dysfunction; anosognosia was also studied. Their performance, as compared to that of 29 matched control subjects, revealed: (a) that this neurological condition induces often memory deficits (with anosognosia) and, even more often, signs of frontal dysfunction; (b) that these deficiencies are not homogeneous, however; and (c) that the classical amnesic syndrome can be observed in some cases. It appears useful to make an in-depth analysis of memory deficits of this kind of patients to reach a better understanding of normal memory processes."}
{"id": "PMID:1471465", "title": "[Intracranial plasmocytoma manifesting multiple myeloma: apropos of a case].", "content": "Neurological complications of myeloma are multiple and various. Cranial and intracranial locations have been rarely reported. They can be classified into three clinical groups: (1) cranial nerve palsies secondary to single or multiple lesions in the base of the skull, (2) intraorbital tumors, (3) intracranial tumors, either cranial myeloma extending intracranially or pure intracranial tumor (dural and/or cerebral). In our case, macroscopic and microscopic examination of the brain showed dural and cerebral involvement, confirmed by immunohistochemical studies. The radiological features are discussed (CT scan, MRI, angiography). To our knowledge, a single report of intracranial plasmacytoma documented by MRI has been reported in the literature."}
{"id": "PMID:1471466", "title": "Factitious hemiplegia and Munchausen's syndrome.", "content": "We report a case of a thirty-year-old woman suffering from chronic factitious disorder with hemiplegia. Such a pathomimia is very uncommon in Munchausen's syndrome. Indeed, most often, the clinical picture is characterised by acute abdominal pain, fainting, haemoptysis, precordialgia, hematemesis or dermatological lesions."}
{"id": "PMID:1471467", "title": "[Non-ischemic borderline brachial paralysis].", "content": "Non ischemic anterior borderzone brachial paralysis. Anterior borderzone brachial paralysis (ABBP) is a hemodynamic ischemic syndrome of the watershed zone between the anterior and middle cerebral arteries. Two cases of non ischemic reversible ABBP are reported. The first suffered from multiple sclerosis; a CT-scan showed a lesion of the corona radiata, at the level of the anterior hemispheric borderzone. The second suffered from lung adenocarcinoma. A CT-scan showed multiple metastases, one being surrounded with oedema at the level of the anterior borderzone. According to its reversibility, the ABBP was reported to the inflammatory-oedematous reaction and not to a demyelinating or metastatic lesion itself. As ABBP may occur unilaterally, the name \"one-armed man syndrome\" should be used instead of \"man-in-the-barrel syndrome\" (which always implies a bilateral paralysis)."}
{"id": "PMID:1471468", "title": "In situ hybridization with digoxigenin-labeled probes: sensitive and reliable detection method applied to myelinating rat brain.", "content": "A method for in situ hybridization of digoxigenin-labeled cDNA and cRNA probes to myelin protein mRNA is described. This technique has dual advantages of high structural resolution and high sensitivity and avoids problems associated with handling of radioactive materials. Furthermore, it can be readily combined in double labeling with immunocytochemical protein detection. We have used this technique to detect and locate mRNA for myelin basic protein (MBP), proteolipid protein (PLP), 2',3'-cyclic nucleotide 3'-phosphodiesterase (CNPase) and myelin-associated glycoprotein (MAG) in oligodendrocytes of 7-day-old and adult rat brains. PLP and MAG mRNA were restricted to the perinuclear cytoplasm, whereas MBP and CNPase mRNA was additionally present in peripheral oligodendrocyte processes."}
{"id": "PMID:1471469", "title": "The microglial reaction in the rat hippocampus following global ischemia: immuno-electron microscopy.", "content": "Transient arrest of the cerebral circulation leads to neuronal cell death in selectively vulnerable regions of the central nervous system. It has recently been shown at the light microscopical level that neuronal necrosis is accompanied by a rapid microglial reaction in ischemia (Gehrmann et al. (1992) J. Cereb. Blood Flow Metab. 12:257-269). In the present study we have examined the postischemic microglial reaction in the dorsal rat hippocampus at the ultrastructural level using immuno-electron microscopy. Global ischemia was produced by 30 min of four-vessel occlusion and the microglial reaction then studied after 8, 24 and 72 h. In sham-operated controls microglial cells were not phagocytic; they were randomly distributed throughout the neuropil and occasionally made contacts with other structures such as dendrites in CA1. Ultrastructural signs of activation were observed from 1 day postlesion onward. Reactive microglial cells were consistently seen to phagocytose degenerating neurons particularly in the CA1 stratum pyramidale and in the CA4 sector. They were sometimes interposed between two morphologically distinct types of CA1 neurons, i.e., \"dark\" (degenerating) and \"pale\" (surviving) types of neurons. Phagocytic microglial cells also became positive for major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II antigens at these locations from 1 day after ischemia onward. Furthermore, activated microglial cells were frequent along degenerating dendrites in the stratum radiatum of CA1. After survival times of up to 72 h microglial cells, but not astrocytes, were occasionally observed to undergo mitosis. In addition to their random distribution across the neuropil, microglial cells were frequently observed in a perivascular position under normal conditions.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1471470", "title": "Exudation of fibronectin and albumin after spinal cord injury in rats.", "content": "Spinal cord of the rat was investigated immunohistochemically to detect signs of extravasation of fibronectin in animals in which the cord was subjected to different degrees of compression trauma. Immunohistochemistry was performed after survival periods of 4 and 24 h and parallel sections were incubated for albumin immunoreactivity to detect signs of breakdown of the blood-spinal cord barrier. Extravascular reaction products indicating the presence of fibronectin were found within and in the vicinity of the compression provided that bleeding had occurred in the spinal cord, i.e., in rats with severe trauma. Immunoreactive material indicating extravascular albumin was present in the traumatized region and in many segments of the cord located away from the compressed part. Such material was seen both proximal and distal to the primary injury and even in rats with a low magnitude of compression. Generally, with more severe trauma and longer survival periods extravascular albumin was more extensively distributed along the cord. No signs of fibronectin antigen were detected in spinal cord segments away from the compression even though such regions showed albumin immunoreactivity outside the vessels. The results indicate that within and close to the primary injury of compressed spinal cord exudation of fibronectin may occur from the plasma of microvessels provided that the impact is severe enough to cause intramedullary hemorrhages."}
{"id": "PMID:1471471", "title": "Intraventricular infusion of N-methyl-D-aspartate. 1. Acute blood-brain barrier consequences.", "content": "The purpose of this study was to document the early cerebrovascular consequences of excessive N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor activation. Five microliters of NMDA (100 nmol/microliters) or vehicle was infused over a 15-min period into the lateral ventricle of adult rats. The protein tracer horseradish peroxidase (HRP) was injected intravenously for blood-brain barrier (BBB) studies. The intraventricular infusion of vehicle (n = 5) caused no alterations in arterial blood pressure or microvascular damage away from the intraventricular probe tract. In contrast, NMDA infusion (n = 8) led to a gradual increase in arterial blood pressure (mean 36 mm Hg). Multifocal regions of HRP extravasation were observed bilaterally throughout the neuraxis following NMDA infusion. Sites of BBB disruption and hemorrhage included brain regions bordering ventricular spaces. In addition, isolated foci of protein extravasation were commonly detected in the cerebral cortex, thalamus, basal forebrain, septum and cerebellum. Pretreatment with the noncompetitive NMDA antagonist MK-801 (2 mg/kg) substantially reduced the BBB responses to NMDA. However, microvascular abnormalities were seen in NMDA-infused rats where blood pressure elevations were inhibited by blood removal. In addition to neurons, cerebral blood vessels are also acutely affected by NMDA receptor activation. Blockage of NMDA receptor channels following brain injury may potentially provide protection by attenuating BBB breakdown and subsequent brain edema."}
{"id": "PMID:1471472", "title": "A morphometric and immunohistochemical study of the vestibular nuclear complex in bovine spongiform encephalopathy.", "content": "A morphometric and immunohistochemical study of the vestibular nuclear complex was performed on five bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) and five control cow brains. Neurons of the lateral and superior vestibular nuclei were counted at 500-microns intervals in 10-microns-thick sections, using an image analysis system comprising a projection microscope and digitising pad linked to a computer. A bimodal distribution of neuron diameters was recognised in the brains of normal cattle. One population of neurons had a mean diameter of 30 microns and the other had a mean diameter of 60 microns. The vestibular nuclei from BSE cattle had an approximately 50% reduction in total numbers of neurons when compared with controls (P < 0.01). Cattle which were clinically diseased longer had the fewest number of neurons preserved. Diminished numbers of neurons were detected throughout the area studied and affected neurons of all diameters. Immunohistochemical staining for synaptophysin, a protein present in synapses throughout the CNS, showed no significant reduction in axon terminals synapsing with vestibular neurons, including vacuolated neurons of BSE brains, when controls and BSE brains were compared. This suggests that de-afferentation of neurons is not the cause of neuronal loss. Prion protein was detected in the neuropil of the vestibular nuclear complex of BSE brains but not control brains. These studies show that previously unsuspected neuronal loss is a significant feature of BSE."}
{"id": "PMID:1471473", "title": "Adult onset lysosomal storage disease in a Tibetan terrier: clinical, morphological and biochemical studies.", "content": "We describe a novel late-onset lysosomal lipid storage disease affecting a Tibetan terrier. The principal clinical manifestations include visual loss, progressive cerebellar ataxia and dementia. A necropsy of an affected 10-year-old dog demonstrated cerebellar atrophy. Histological analysis revealed extensive loss of retinal ganglion cells and cerebellar Purkinje cells, and mild to moderate loss of neurons in the cerebrum, basal ganglia and spinal cord. There were generalized neuronal hypertrophy and multifocal neuronal necrosis associated with the presence of enlarged macrophages. Neurons and perineuronal macrophages contained cytoplasmic granules that stained with PAS, luxol fast blue and several lectins. The granules were sudanophilic and autofluorescent. Electron microscopic analysis revealed lysosomes laden with lamellated membrane structures in neurons, pancreatic ductal and centroacinar cells and in cultured fibroblasts. These findings indicate lysosomal storage of both lipid and carbohydrate. Biochemical analysis of brain lipids and numerous lysosomal enzyme assays of leukocytes and cultured fibroblasts were unsuccessful in elucidating the underlying enzyme defect, although a generalized increase of brain gangliosides was noted."}
{"id": "PMID:1471474", "title": "Morphology of cerebral plaque-like lesions in hereditary cerebral hemorrhage with amyloidosis (Dutch).", "content": "We studied the presence and morphology of plaque-like lesions in the frontal cortex of six patients, aged 40 to 76 years, with hereditary cerebral hemorrhage with amyloidosis--Dutch type (HCHWA-D), using beta/A4 immuno-, silver, Congo red and thioflavin S staining. Two types of beta/A4 immunoreactive and Congo red-negative plaques were detected. The first type was composed of argyrophilic fibrous material in periodic acid-methenamine silver (PAM) and modified Bielschowsky staining and lacked silver-stained degenerating neurites. Therefore, this type of plaque has the same staining properties as the diffuse plaque described in Alzheimer's disease, Down's syndrome and nondemented elderly. The second type of plaque, occurring only in the three oldest patients and numerically increasing with age, consisted of a spherical non-argyrophilic area of granular texture with a rim of PAM-positive material. The PAM-positive fibrous material of both types of plaques was mingled with coarser and compact, irregular-shaped argyrophilic structures in the oldest patient. The described plaques did not show bright fluorescence with thioflavin S staining. These results indicate, that the morphology of plaques, encountered in HCHWA-D, is diverse and changes with age."}
{"id": "PMID:1471475", "title": "Cerebral granular cell tumors: report of a case and a note on their nature and expected behavior.", "content": "A case of cerebral granular cell tumor (GCT) is reported. Histologically, the growth was composed of benign astrocytes, granular cells and transitional forms between both elements. Glial fibrillary acidic protein was detected in the glial component and, to a lesser extent, in the granular cells. Alpha-1-antichymotrypsin was demonstrated in the latter component only. Ultrastructural study also supported the evidence that neoplastic astrocytes became granular cells. The survey of the literature and our own results suggest that GCTs in this particular location, even when histologically benign, seem to have a worse prognosis than the low-grade supratentorial astrocytomas."}
{"id": "PMID:1471476", "title": "The coexistence of Alzheimer's disease and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in a patient with dementia of long duration.", "content": "We report here a 75-year-old-male with a slowly progressive dementia of 5-year duration along with a rapid exacerbation of symptoms in the terminal 3 months. Neuropathological examinations revealed findings consistent with conspicuous Alzheimer's disease and mild Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD). The plaque amyloid was exclusively composed of beta-protein. The immunohistochemistry of prion protein using hydrolytic autoclaving pretreatment showed diffuse gray matter stainings in the sections of both the cerebral and cerebellar cortices. This method was thus considered useful in confirming the diagnosis of CJD for this case."}
{"id": "PMID:1471477", "title": "Long-term kinetic vitreous fluorophotometry.", "content": "Fluorophotometric measurements of vitreous and plasma fluorescence were performed in 14 normal subjects up to 24 h after injection of a single intravenous dose of sodium fluorescein. The data were subjected to a kinetic two-compartmental analysis, including the determination of the transfer rate constants between the central and the peripheral compartment (K12 and K21) as well as between the central and vitreous compartment (K(in) and K(out)). In the central compartment (plasma) a mean terminal disposition rate constant (beta) of free fluorescein of 0.23 h-1 was found, corresponding to a half-life of 3.01 h. The vitreous fluorescence reached a maximum 2-5 h after the injection and then declined monoexponentially and very slowly (t1/2 = 9.6 h). The rate constant of permeation into the eye (K(in)) was found to be 0.66 h-1, while the rate constant of elimination of fluorescein from the vitreous was 0.072 h-1 (K(out)). Kin was found to be significantly higher than K12, presumably indicating an active transport mechanism for fluorescein located at the blood-ocular barrier. K(out) was significantly lower than K21, reflecting a slow vitreous elimination of fluorescein. A permeability index defined as the percentage ratio between the areas under the vitreous and the plasma concentration curves was found to be 3.5%, illustrating the poor penetration of fluorescein into the vitreous. Kinetic long-term fluorophotometry appears to be a promising new tool in the study of the blood-ocular barrier."}
{"id": "PMID:1471478", "title": "Long-term kinetic vitreous fluorophotometry in normal and diabetic subjects.", "content": "Nine normal and 24 diabetic subjects were examined by long-term vitreous and plasma fluorescein fluorophotometry and the observed concentration profiles were described by biexponential time courses. The rate constant of elimination of fluorescein from the body (K10) was significantly decreased in diabetics with background and proliferative retinopathy, presumably caused by affection of the liver and possibly representing alterations in membranes of liver cells. Increased kidney albumin excretion was observed with increasing degree of retinopathy. The apparent rate constant of fluorescein penetration into the eye (Kin) was found significantly decreased in background as well as in proliferative retinopathy; while the permeability index, calculated as areas under vitreous and plasma fluorescein curves, was significantly increased. In the normal subjects Kin was significantly higher than the rate constant of fluorescein transfer (K12) from the apparent central to the peripheral tissue compartment, whereas in the diabetics this difference was only found in the group with background retinopathy. The findings seem compatible with the concept that the breakdown of the blood-ocular barrier could be caused at least partly by affection of an active transport system for fluorescein, but thickening and compositional changes of the basement membranes in the eye might also be of importance."}
{"id": "PMID:1471479", "title": "Excimer laser refractive keratectomy for high myopia. 6-month follow-up of patients treated bilaterally.", "content": "Both eyes of twenty patients were treated for myopia with refractive keratectomy using an excimer laser (193 nm), and followed for six months. The 40 eyes were divided into Group I (22 eyes) with an attempted refraction change of 5-8 diopters; and Group I (18 eyes) with 9-12 diopters of attempted refraction change. In Group I the corrected visual acuity improved or was unchanged in 16/22 eyes. Two eyes with high preoperative corrected visual acuity had experienced a significant loss in corrected visual acuity after 6 months. In Group II, the corrected visual acuity decreased in 10/18 eyes, in 4 eyes significantly. Among the 40 eyes, 39 had a refraction change less than intended after 6 months. Overcorrection was seen in only 1 eye. In Group I, 20/22 eyes were corrected up to 2.5 diopters less than attempted. In Group II, 9/18 eyes were more than 2.5 diopters from the attempted correction. All eyes developed subepithelial opacification ('haze'), which, in spite of steroid treatment, was still present after 6 months. The haze was more severe in eyes treated with 9-12 diopters of attempted refraction change. The achieved refraction change in the two eyes of the same patient was found to be correlated, possibly due to an individual factor in corneal wound healing."}
{"id": "PMID:1471480", "title": "Critical frequency of photic driving: which part of the visual pathway do we examine?", "content": "Studies on critical frequency of photic driving were performed on patients with optic atrophy, moderately expressed suprachiasmal lesions and normal subjects. A reduction was present only in optic atrophy patients. The critical frequency of photic driving showed significant correlations with visual acuity and differential light sensitivity of the areas located within 15 degrees from the fixation point. The correlation proved higher for foveal sensitivity expressed in non-logarithmic rather than in logarithmic units, the opposite being the case for the sensitivity of parafoveal areas. It may be concluded that critical frequency of photic driving is conditioned by the cortical projection zones and visual pathways corresponding to the central 15 degrees of the visual field, but with predominant role of foveal projections."}
{"id": "PMID:1471481", "title": "Scotopization and pseudoprotanomaly in blue-yellow/colour vision defects.", "content": "With a routine clinical colour vision test battery we found scotopization in 32% of retinal diseases presenting with pseudoprotanomaly as sign of an acquired type III blue-yellow colour vision defect. In blue-yellow colour vision defects of retinal origin scotopization is a transient phenomenon, present in early stages of the disease, but it is not an obligatory finding. There is no evident relationship between visual acuity and scotopization."}
{"id": "PMID:1471482", "title": "Visual impairment in Nordic children. III. Diagnoses.", "content": "The diagnoses, according to type and site and the degree of visual impairment, responsible for severe visual impairment in children below the age of 18, were analyzed in a material compiled from the national registers of visually impaired in Denmark, Finland, Iceland and Norway. Among 2527 children the predominant causes of visual impairment are ascribed to congenital malformations, neuro-ophthalmological diseases and retinal diseases. Optic atrophy is the leading single cause of severe visual impairment when all diagnoses are compared, and this also applies when all categories of visual impairment are included. Retinopathy of prematurity is the second principal cause of severe visual impairment, while cerebral amblyopia rates as the third most significant cause. Congenital cataract is also of considerable importance when all categories of visual impairment are compared. The differences registered between the Nordic countries were found to be within reasonable limits, except for a preponderance of neuro-ophthalmological diseases in the Danish material. This could be explained by a better medical supervision of mentally retarded patients in Denmark. Additional impairments occur in a large percentage of patients, but are unevenly distributed in the disease groups. A high frequency of additional impairments are found in the neuro-ophthalmological group and in the groups with congenital malformations, emphasizing the importance of a multidisciplinary evaluation when dealing with the visually impaired child."}
{"id": "PMID:1471483", "title": "Visual impairment in Nordic children. IV. Sex distribution.", "content": "A Nordic study group of ophthalmologists, NORDSYN, has compiled registers in Denmark, Finland, Iceland and Norway of 2527 visually impaired children aged 0-17 years. This paper is concerned with the sex-distribution in the registers and has documented a statistically significant excess of males in two of the registers (Denmark and Finland). The dominance of males seems to be related to two main conditions: 1. Genetic factors. 2. Perinatal factors. The genetic factors are mainly concerned with X-linked inheritance. The fact that perinatal influences involve visual impairment in males more than in females is difficult to account for. It may be conjectured, that the basis for perinatal visual damage is determined by unknown prenatal, possibly genetic, factors."}
{"id": "PMID:1471484", "title": "Contrast sensitivity deficits in subjects with glaucoma-like discs using an oscilloscope-based method.", "content": "The central visual function of 20 subjects with glaucoma-like discs, normal intraocular pressures and normal visual fields and 20 age-matched normal subjects was assessed by measuring contrast sensitivity using an oscilloscope technique. The subjects with glaucoma-like discs exhibited a significant reduction in contrast sensitivity compared to the age-matched normal; these differences were greatest at spatial frequencies of 2 and 4 cdeg-1."}
{"id": "PMID:1471485", "title": "Prevalence of retinitis pigmentosa and allied disorders in Denmark. III. Hereditary pattern.", "content": "A national epidemiological study revealed 1301 prevalent cases of retinitis pigmentosa (RP) in the Danish population on January 1, 1988. The corresponding number of 974 families were analyzed with respect to Mendelian inheritance groups. Thirty families, comprising 6.9% of the prevalent RP-cases, were categorized with an autosomal dominant inheritance pattern. In 187 families, 22.6% of RP-cases, autosomal recessive heredity was encountered. X-linked heredity was found in 45 families, 10.8% of the RP-cases. Simplex RP-cases comprised 562 persons (43.2% of RP-cases). About a fourth of the non-systemic X-linked cases were females. Half of these had an age at onset after 30 years, but a third had their first RP-symptoms before age 18 years. A representative fraction of parents to non-systemic autosomal dominant, autosomal recessive, X-linked, and simplex cases were evaluated concerning their age at the time they had their first affected child. Mothers of the male simplex cases were of statistically significant higher age than mothers of the other inheritance groups. This may imply a high rate of new mutations among simplex cases, especially on the X-chromosome."}
{"id": "PMID:1471486", "title": "Immunofluorescence localization of cystatins in human lacrimal gland and in the exorbital lacrimal gland of the rat.", "content": "Cystatins are widely distributed natural inhibitors of cysteine proteinase. They occur both intra and extracellularly in various cells and tissue fluids including tears. Using an immunofluorescence technique with antibodies against rat cystatin S, an inhibitor of submandibular gland origin, cystatin-like immunoreactive material was demonstrated in the acinar cells of the exorbital lacrimal gland of the rat. Administration of the cholinergic agonist carbachol caused a depletion of cystatin from the acinar cells. This depletion was followed by a partial restitution in 6-8 h. Administration of the beta-adrenergic agonist isoproterenol for 4 days, which caused a marked hypertrophy of the submandibular gland, had no effect on the structure, weight, or cystatin content of the exorbital lacrimal gland. After such treatment, however, single large cells with intense staining for cystatin were encountered. Cystatin-like immunoreactive material was also demonstrated in human lacrimal gland using antibodies against human cystatin S. These data suggest the notion that tear cystatins are secreted by the lacrimal glands."}
{"id": "PMID:1471487", "title": "Results of pneumatic retinopexy with air.", "content": "Although scleral buckling yields good results in retinal reattachment surgery, we search for less laborious methods which could give the same high cure rate. Fifty-one consecutive patients with phakic, rhegmatogenous retinal detachment and breaks within 60 degrees of the upper retinal quadrants were treated by retino-cryopexy, drainage of subretinal fluid (under an operating microscope), and intravitreal injection of air (0.8 to 2.0 ml). Follow-up examinations (after 6 to 12 months) disclosed retinal reattachment in 44 of 51 eyes (86%). Cases with macular detachment showed good visual recovery, and 15 of 23 eyes (65%) achieved 0.5 (20/40) or more in visual acuity. Postoperatively, new retinal breaks occurred in 6%, proliferative vitreoretinopathy in 2%, and macular pucker also in 2%. Pneumatic retinopexy with air is an easy procedure, it is associated with few complications, and enables rapid postoperative recovery."}
{"id": "PMID:1471488", "title": "Topical anesthesia and adjustable sutures in strabismus surgery.", "content": "Our experience with the use of topical anesthesia and adjustable sutures in a one-stage operation for treatment of strabismus is discussed, and selected cases are presented. In addition to using the method in recession, we have also developed a method for using adjustable sutures in resection of muscles. We have also found the method useful in reoperations and in operations on paretic muscles."}
{"id": "PMID:1471489", "title": "Limbus-based versus fornix-based conjunctival flap in glaucoma filtering surgery.", "content": "Eighteen consecutive patients suffering from the same type of glaucoma in both eyes were treated with bilateral trabeculectomy. Surgery with both fornix-based and limbus-based flap was performed on each patient, one procedure in each eye. Pre- and postoperative intraocular pressure, morphology of the fistulation bleb, anterior chamber depth and need for additional treatment were recorded. Half a year after surgery, the fornix-based flap procedure was superior (p < 0.05) concerning high success rate, little additional therapy and good morphology of the bleb."}
{"id": "PMID:1471490", "title": "Trabeculectomy and gelatin implants. A retrospective, long-term follow-up study.", "content": "In a retrospective follow-up study including 60 eyes with simple or capsular glaucoma, the results obtained by using a gelatin implant under the scleral flap during trabeculectomy were compared with those obtained without such implants. One month postoperatively the mean IOP was significantly lower in the gelatin group than in the control group (15.0 mmHg and 17.9 mmHg, respectively) (p = 0.024). At the long-term follow-up, however, the mean IOP in the two groups were very similar (13.6 mmHg and 14.8 mmHg, respectively)."}
{"id": "PMID:1471491", "title": "Intravitreal silicone and fluorosilicone oils: pathologic findings in rabbit eyes.", "content": "The effects of medical-grade intraocular silicone and commercial-grade fluorosilicone oils were studied in rabbit eyes. The experimental model consisted of lensectomized and vitrectomized eyes that did not undergo further treatment (Group 1), and three groups of lensectomized and vitrectomized eyes that were injected intravitreously 3 months earlier with medical-grade silicone oil of 1000 cs (Group 3), and 10,000 cs (Group 4). The silicone oil-injected eyes developed proliferative membranes. The fluorosilicone oil caused an intravitreous inflammatory reaction with vacuolated macrophages present around the oil that may have been due to the higher concentration of low-molecular-weight components found in the oil."}
{"id": "PMID:1471492", "title": "Visual dysfunction in type II diabetic patients revealed by a hyperacuity test.", "content": "Displacement thresholds for an oscillating bar, which fall into the hyperacuity range, were determined in 21 subjects with non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus and 19 age-matched visually normal controls. The diabetic subjects were classed as either having minimal or no retinopathy. Whilst thresholds for the diabetic group were significantly raised above those of the normal group, there were no significant differences in thresholds between the diabetic subgroup with retinopathy and the subgroup without. Greater thresholds tended to be found at higher frequencies of oscillation as the known duration of the diabetes increased."}
{"id": "PMID:1471493", "title": "Association of reliability with reproducibility of the glaucomatous visual field.", "content": "We studied 207 glaucoma patients (207 eyes) who had two successive visual tests on the Humphrey Field Analyzer to determine the association of unreliability (> 10% incidence of a missed catch trial test) with threshold variation. We found that in patients where one visual field showed > 30% false negative or positive errors, and the other visual field also was unreliable, a significant increase in the variance of the mean defect existed from reliable patients (p < 0.05). Of patients who had only one of two visual fields which was unreliable (from false negative errors), only those with marked glaucomatous visual field loss (< -15 dB depth of defect) showed a greater variance in mean defect between examinations over reliable patients (p < 0.05). In total, 41 patients (19.8%) had unreliable visual fields associated with statistically increased threshold variation. This study suggests that patient reliability should be considered when interpreting changes in threshold between automated visual field examinations."}
{"id": "PMID:1471494", "title": "Weighting according to location in computer-assisted glaucoma visual field analysis.", "content": "In recent years several aids for automated interpretation of visual field data have been suggested. We believed that incorporation of thorough knowledge of normal visual field variability would allow improvements in the performance of such aids since more attention would be paid to field results in areas with low physiological variability. Two visual field models for classification of fields in glaucoma based on comparisons of sensitivity values in the upper and lower hemifields and on analysis of test point clusters with diminished sensitivity were compared. Both models were constructed using logistic regression analysis in 101 normal eyes and 101 eyes with glaucoma. The first, more traditional model assumed Gaussian distributions of deviations from age-corrected normal thresholds and constant variability across the field (non-weighted model). The second model took into account empirically determined variability of pointwise threshold results and of cluster volumes in various visual field regions (weighted model). The two models were subsequently tested on an independent material of 163 normal eyes and 76 eyes with glaucoma. The weighted model gave significantly better classification of the fields in both materials. Accounting for physiological threshold variability can offer significant advantages in the construction of perimetric analysis aids for detection of glaucoma."}
{"id": "PMID:1471495", "title": "Spatial analyses of glaucomatous visual fields; a comparison with traditional visual field indices.", "content": "Interpretation of numeric automated threshold visual field results is often difficult. A large amount of data is obtained for every single field tested. Various approaches to summarize this data have been suggested, most commonly the mean and standard deviation of departures from age-corrected normal threshold values. These visual field indices differ substantially from subjective field interpretation where spatial relationships are important. We have previously devised two methods for automated field interpretation which take spatial information into account--regional up-down comparisons and arcuate cluster analysis. We now studied the merits of using these new spatial methods and compared them to traditional visual field indices for discrimination between normal and glaucomatous field results. Central static 30 degree field results in 101 eyes of 101 normal subjects and 101 eyes of 101 patients with glaucoma were discriminated using logistic regression analysis. The best field classification was obtained with a spatial visual field model combining up-down differences and arcuate clusters. The advantages of the spatial model were confirmed in an independent material of 163 eyes of 163 normal subjects and 76 eyes of 76 patients with glaucoma where eyes with large field defects had been removed. In this material the spatial model gave 87% sensitivity and 83% specificity while the best non-spatial model gave 82% sensitivity and 80% specificity. Visual field interpretation in glaucoma may be significantly enhanced if detection is focused on circumscribed field loss rather than on averages of differential light sensitivities and similar indices which do not take spatial relationships into consideration."}
{"id": "PMID:1471496", "title": "Choroidal melanoma responses after brachytherapy treatment.", "content": "Serial ultrasonic measurements performed on 85 melanoma patients who were treated with radioactive plaques and followed for up to 141 months revealed that no 2 patients had identical patterns of change. Eighty-two of the patients were categorized into one of four patterns after treatment: Type D (decrease in height, 57 patients), Type S (same height, 12 patients), Type I (increase in height, 9 patients), and Type RG (tumour regrowth, 4 patients). The calculated mean total change in tumor height for Type D was 1.92 mm at 6 months, 2.58 mm at 12 months, 2.97 mm at 24 months and 3.61 mm at 48 months. For Type I, the mean total change in tumor height was 0.80 mm at 6 months, 0.95 mm at 12 months, 2.28 mm at 24 months, and 3.0 mm at 48 months."}
{"id": "PMID:1471497", "title": "Birdshot retinochoroidopathy in monozygotic twins.", "content": "Birdshot retinochoroidopathy is a rare ocular disorder which was named and delineated as a separate clinical entity by Ryan & Maumenee in 1980. We diagnosed birdshot retinochoroidopathy in a monozygotic pair of twins, who were affected with a time interval of 12 years, respectively. These are the first with birdshot retinochoroidopathy to be reported from the Nordic countries and the first report on this disorder in monozygotic twins. Due to night-blindness, visual field defects and a severely affected electroretinogram one of our cases initially was diagnosed as a choroidoretinal dystrophy. Birdshot retinochoroidopathy should be kept in mind as a differential diagnosis in retinitis pigmentosa-like disorders with widespread choroidal involvement. Our cases substantiated the evidence of a strong correlation with the presence of HLA-A29 antigen."}
{"id": "PMID:1471498", "title": "Acanthamoeba keratitis; report of the first Norwegian cases.", "content": "Two patients with therapy resistant keratitis are described. There were no predisposing diseases. Both patients had been using rigid contact lenses for more than 10 years and both cleaned their lenses in cold tap water. The patients presented with keratitis of several weeks duration resistant to antibacterial and antiviral treatment and not responding to high doses of corticosteroids. Ultimately, after the possibility of a protozoan aetiology had been considered, culture of corneal scrapings from both patients yielded growth of Acanthamoeba trophozoites. Acanthamoeba keratitis is very rare in northern European countries and has never before been diagnosed in Norway. The present cases show that Acanthamoeba should be added to the list of possible pathogenic agents even in northern low temperature areas."}
{"id": "PMID:1471499", "title": "Recurrent choroidal detachment following timolol therapy in previously filtered eye. Choroidal detachment post filtering surgery.", "content": "A 64-year-old patient with open-angle glaucoma was treated with timolol following two unsuccessful filtering procedures. While on timolol therapy, she developed three episodes of choroidal detachment, hypotony and shallow anterior chamber. These findings resolved upon cessation of timolol and reappeared on 3 occasions shortly after reinstitution of the beta blocker therapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1471500", "title": "Immunologic studies of nonunited fractures.", "content": "We studied tissue samples of noninfected delayed union or nonunion of diaphyseal bones in 10 patients immunopathologically and neuroimmunologically 4 to 25 months after the primary injury. Samples mostly consisted of vascularized connective tissue of varying density with the proline-4-hydroxylase-containing fibroblast as the major cell type. Most inflammatory cells were CD4 T-lymphocytes and their number was always twice that of the CD8 positive cells. Staining for CD11b positive monocyte/macrophages showed in all samples positive cells scattered in the connective tissue stroma with perivascular enrichments. Mast cells were absent or very rare. Our findings suggest that delayed union and nonunion tissue consists of vascularized connective tissue, which mostly contains 5B5 fibroblasts, CD11b macrophages and vascular endothelial cells with only few immigrant recently recruited monocytes or lymphoid cells. Almost all resident cells seem to be involved in tissue remodeling as suggested by their content of fibroblast-type MMP-1 and its proteolytic activator MMP-3 or stromelysin. The most striking finding was the paucity or total lack of peripheral innervation, which may have to do with the nonunion of the fracture."}
{"id": "PMID:1471501", "title": "Lengthening of anterior cruciate ligament graft. Roentgen stereophotogrammetry of 32 cases 2 years after repair.", "content": "32 patients with old anterior cruciate ligament injuries were operated on with patellar tendon-prepatellar tissue-quadriceps tendon graft over the top without and with augmentation (Kennedy-LAD). The anteroposterior (AP) laxity was assessed preoperatively, and at 6, 12, and 24 months after the operation with roentgen stereophotogrammetry. 6 months postoperatively the instability had decreased 5.4 mm in the nonaugmented and 1.9 mm in the augmented group, but not to normal values. During the following 18 months the AP laxity increased and returned to the preoperative level. At 2 years, 28 of the 32 patients were considered good or excellent, according to the Lysholm score. There was a lack of correlation between AP laxity and functional tests."}
{"id": "PMID:1471502", "title": "Instability after anterior cruciate ligament rupture. Measurements of sagittal laxity compared in 11 cases.", "content": "Manual tests and 2 external devices were used together with roentgen stereophotogrammetry (RSA) and an active weight-bearing radiographic method to measure the sagittal laxity in 11 knees with anterior-cruciate-ligament rupture. In 5 knees no ligament surgery had been performed (unstable knees) and in 6 knees a reconstruction had been performed one year before the examination (stable knees). There were positive correlations between all methods, including the manual tests when all knees, both stable and unstable, were analyzed together. However, the mean values of the total displacement differed between the methods, especially when comparing the weight-bearing radiographs with the three other methods. Some knees with substantial displacement during passive loading did not show any displacement when weight bearing; the measurements thus depended on both the ligamentous laxity and the patient's neuromuscular control of the joint. When the stable knees were analyzed separately, higher mean values were recorded with the external devices than with RSA using 180 N load. This could be explained by an error from soft tissue deformation which added to the skeletal displacement when the external devices were used."}
{"id": "PMID:1471503", "title": "Bone formation after distraction osteotomy of the radius in sheep.", "content": "Gradual distraction by external fixation was performed one week after osteotomy of the radius in 12 sheep. Bone regeneration in the distraction area was studied by light and electron microscopy. One week after starting the distraction the gap was composed of hematopoietic cells and fibroblasts. The collagen production had already started and it continued actively throughout the distraction period. The collagen produced by the fibroblasts in the central interzone of the gap was organized according to the direction of the distraction. The osteoblasts were lined up along the collagen bundles and osteoid formation was most active around the capillaries. Mineralization started two weeks after the beginning of the distraction. After cessation of the distraction, separate groups of cartilaginous cells were found in some specimens among the newly formed bone. Our findings suggest that osteogenesis as a result of gradual distraction occurs through the whole distraction area with preceding formation of organized collagen matrix. The bone structure in the distracted segment represents an organized lamellar structure at an early stage of the osteogenesis."}
{"id": "PMID:1471504", "title": "Delayed distraction in bone lengthening. Improved healing in lambs.", "content": "We compared delayed distraction (DD) with immediate distraction (ID) in bone-lengthening. Open femoral diaphyseal osteotomy was performed on 24 three-month-old lambs, and external distractor fixators were applied. In the ID group (n 12), distraction commenced on the first postoperative day; in the DD group (n 12), distraction was delayed until the tenth day after surgery. In all the animals, the femur was lengthened by 2 cm at the rate of 1 mm/day. The animals were killed 1, 2, and 3 months postoperatively. Radiography and densitometry of the lengthened callus showed that DD, compared with ID, improved the quality of the callus with quicker, denser, and more homogeneous bone formation."}
{"id": "PMID:1471505", "title": "Effects of short-term treatment with corticosteroids and indomethacin on bone healing. A mechanical study of osteotomies in rats.", "content": "We studied the effects of short-term therapy with methylprednisolone and indomethacin on healing of intramedullary pinned osteotomies of the femur in rats. When the osteotomy was complete and healing occurred under unstable conditions with callus formation, indomethacin inhibited healing when estimated by mechanical tests of bending moment, energy expenditure before refracture, and bending rigidity 6 weeks after surgery. No inhibitory effects were seen following corticosteroid treatment. When the osteotomy was incomplete and healing occurred under stable conditions, similar tendencies were observed. Thus, short-term medication with indomethacin inhibits fracture healing. This was not the case with short-term methylprednisolone."}
{"id": "PMID:1471506", "title": "Fracture healing monitored with strain gauges. External fixation of 7 humeral neck fractures.", "content": "We measured healing in 7 cases of surgical neck fracture of the humerus by applying a strain gauge measuring bar between the external fixation pins. Repeated measurements provided a healing curve for the individual cases. The gradual decrease in deflection of the fracture zone reached a plateau of about 50 percent after 2 to 4 weeks in 6 cases. Removal of the frame at this time proved safe, as solid healing occurred. In one fracture no such decrease was seen and nonunion developed."}
{"id": "PMID:1471507", "title": "Calcitonin effects on rabbit bone. Bending tests on ulnar osteotomies.", "content": "30 adult male New Zealand white rabbits underwent osteotomy and plate fixation of the left ulna for 6 or 12 weeks. The right ulna served as control. In half of the rabbits 6 IU calcitonin was given daily until death, and in the other half placebo injections in the same manner. A three-point bending test was performed on both ulnae. Sections of bone, covered or uncovered by the plates, were examined histologically. Long-term administration of calcitonin increased the mechanical properties of both fractured and intact bones and reduced porosity of the cortex under the plate."}
{"id": "PMID:1471508", "title": "Bone morphogenetic protein induces bone in the squirrel monkey, but bone matrix does not.", "content": "Demineralized bone matrix (DBM) reproducibly induces extraskeletal bone formation in rodents, but its effects in dogs and primates are negative or uncertain. In previous studies on the squirrel monkey, DBM did not induce bone, although the same implants were effective in nude rats. In the present study, the DBM was augmented with recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2). Bone was formed in 10 of 12 monkeys, as verified by histology and calcium content. However, in 4 monkeys, the induced bone mass appeared smaller than the original implant. DBM controls induced microscopic amounts of bone in 2 out of 10 monkeys. In the nude rats, all DBM controls and augmented implants induced bone. The difficulties in achieving bone induction in higher animals may be overcome, at least partially, by using a higher concentration of the inductive protein than is present in DBM."}
{"id": "PMID:1471509", "title": "Effect of local prostaglandin E2 on periosteum and muscle in rabbits.", "content": "We assessed the target tissue for the stimulatory effect of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) on bone formation previously observed during fracture healing. PGE2 was infused into tibial periosteal tissue in the right leg of 7 rabbits and into the anterior tibial muscle in the right leg of 7 other rabbits for 6 weeks. Solvent solution was infused into the left leg. PGE2 infusion at the periosteum caused the formation of primitive woven bone with large amounts of connective tissue; solvent infusion caused small amounts of normal periosteal bone formation. In the neighboring cortical bone, remodeling was increased after PGE2 infusion compared to solvent infusion. In the muscle, PGE2 infusion caused the formation of connective tissue with small amounts of woven bone. Thus, the major effects of PGE2 infusion at the site of the periosteum was the formation of primitive woven bone and in muscles the formation of connective tissue."}
{"id": "PMID:1471510", "title": "Indomethacin for prevention of ectopic ossification in cementless hip arthroplasties. A prospective 1-year study of 100 cases.", "content": "In a prospective series of 100 patients we investigated the effect of indomethacin for 6 weeks in the prophylaxis of ectopic bone formation in hip replacements with cementless fixation. Indomethacin prophylaxis reduced (P < 0.0001) ectopic bone formation compared to a retrospective control group of equal size. Side-effects occurred in one-fifth of the patients, but most of these could continue the medication for at least 4 weeks."}
{"id": "PMID:1471511", "title": "No effect of piroxicam on achilles tendinopathy. A randomized study of 70 patients.", "content": "70 consecutive adult, nonrheumatic patients with a painful achilles tendinopathy were randomized to treatment with either a nonsteroid antiinflammatory drug (piroxicam) or placebo. Both groups received adjunct treatment with a period of rest combined with stretching and strengthening exercises. 52/70 cases were engaged in various sports, notably running. All subjects were evaluated on days 3, 7, 14, and 28 with respect to pain, tenderness, swelling, ankle joint movement and muscle strength. Results were judged from residual symptoms and an overall assessment of the efficacy. No differences were seen between the groups at any time during the study. The overall result was identical with a rate of success slightly better than 50 percent which corresponds to the placebo response reported in other studies."}
{"id": "PMID:1471512", "title": "Hip fracture patients may be vitamin B6 deficient. Controlled study of serum pyridoxal-5'-phosphate.", "content": "Deficiency of vitamin B6 in rats may result in defective bone formation, possibly due to decreased activity of the enzyme ornithine decarboxylase which requires pyridoxal-5'-phosphate (PLP) as a co-factor and is responsible for production of intracellular putrescine, a metabolic regulator. We studied 3 groups of patients (62 fit ambulant out-patients, 21 elective arthroplasty patients, and 20 hip fracture patients) and assayed their PLP status by high performance liquid chromatography. The reference range derived from the out-patients was 13-106 nmol/L. 3 of the arthroplasty group and 10 of the fracture group had serum PLP concentrations less than 13 nmol/L (P < 0.01). We conclude that PLP may be an etiologic factor in hip fracture by virtue of its role in the activity of a key regulatory protein."}
{"id": "PMID:1471513", "title": "Prediction of disturbed healing in femoral neck fracture. Radiographic analysis of 149 cases.", "content": "To determine factors predictive of early healing disturbances after fixation of femoral neck fracture, the radiographic and clinical data of 149 patients were subjected to a logistic regression analysis comparing them with the results 3 months postoperatively. As in previous studies, fracture reduction distinguished between fractures with or without healing disturbances. The following signs in the preoperative radiographs were predictive of unfavorable outcome: small head fragment, comminution of the calcar femorale, and varus angulation of the head. Fractures with negative predictive signs may be selected for primary arthroplasty."}
{"id": "PMID:1471514", "title": "Survival after trochanteric fracture. Biological factors analyzed in 270 patients.", "content": "Factors that influence mortality were analyzed in 270 patients operated on for trochanteric hip fracture. Survival was closely related to age and medical condition at the time of injury; methods of treatment had little influence on survival."}
{"id": "PMID:1471515", "title": "Motion of the bipolar hip prosthesis components. Friction studied in cadavers.", "content": "It has been postulated that most hip motion occurs at the inner bearing in bipolar hip prosthesis. However, radiography and cineradiography analyses have shown that the inner bearing is not always the primary articulation. We studied the frictional behavior of bipolar prosthesis and Austin-Moore prostheses and the motion of the bipolar prosthesis using a pendulum apparatus. The primary articulation was altered according to the amount of loading. When a load of 10 kg was applied to the joint, motion occurred at both bearings with friction coefficients 0.061 at the inner bearing and 0.026 at the outer bearing. With loads of over 20 kg, the outer bearing was the primary articulation. The inner bearing was the dominant articulation only when the acetabular cartilage had been removed. Our results suggest that the motion of bipolar prostheses occurs mainly at the outer bearing during normal walking, and that this prosthesis cannot be expected to reduce wear of articular cartilage."}
{"id": "PMID:1471516", "title": "Ultrasonography for diagnosis of slipped capital femoral epiphysis. Comparison with radiography in 9 cases.", "content": "In 7 of 8 patients with non-acute slipped capital femoral epiphysis, the slip was visualized by ultrasound. The mean epiphyseal displacement was 6.0 mm, measured on an anterior ultrasound scan. Grading of slip severity by ultrasound was consistent with the radiographic assessment. Two patients had a moderate hip joint effusion which did not affect the final outcome, whereas one patient with an acute slip had a pronounced effusion, and necrosis of the epiphysis occurred. The anteversion angles of the affected hips were reduced as compared to those of the normal hips. It was concluded that ultrasonography was reliable in detecting pronounced and mild degrees of epiphyseal slips, whereas minimal slips could be missed. The detection of hip effusion is important because a tamponade may cause vascular impairment of the epiphysis, unless aspirated."}
{"id": "PMID:1471517", "title": "Piroxicam spares buprenorphine after total joint replacement. Controlled study of pain treatment in 81 patients.", "content": "In a blinded, placebo-controlled study, the nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug piroxicam, in combination with the partial morphine agonist/antagonist buprenorphine, was compared with buprenorphine alone for analgesic effect and side-effects in a 10-day period following total replacement of the hip or knee. 117 patients entered and 81 completed the study. The patients receiving piroxicam consumed less buprenorphine. There were no differences concerning side-effects between the two treatment groups, apart from a tendency towards less nausea after the third postoperative day in the group receiving piroxicam."}
{"id": "PMID:1471518", "title": "Increased resistance of bacteria after adherence to polymethyl methacrylate. An in vitro study.", "content": "The pathobiology of total joint prosthesis infection was investigated in vitro. Discs of polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) were exposed to a suspension containing cells of 10(8) per mL Staphylococcus epidermidis E-46. After 12 hours, exposed discs were rinsed with phosphate-buffered saline and placed in brain heart infusion broth containing antibiotics (2.5 mg per mL of Cephaloridine). After gentle shaking for 24 hours at 37 degrees C, the bacteria on the PMMA surface were detached and washed with phosphate-buffered saline to remove the antibiotics. Compared with the free bacteria which were detached from the PMMA by sonication immediately after exposure to the antibiotic solution, those allowed to remain adhered to the PMMA surface were more resistant to antibiotics. Scanning electron microscopy showed accumulation of bacteria surrounded by slime on PMMA discs exposed for 12 hours. Our results indicate that resistance of bacteria to antibiotics is increased after adherence to the biomaterial and formation of a slime layer."}
{"id": "PMID:1471519", "title": "Perioperative factors associated with septic arthritis after arthroplasty. Prospective multicenter study of 362 knee and 2,651 hip operations.", "content": "Perioperative factors associated with late septic arthritis after knee and hip arthroplasties were prospectively investigated. All patients received a short course of perioperative cefuroxime. After a follow-up of 1 year, septic arthritis was diagnosed in 9/362 patients (2.5 percent) after knee arthroplasty and in 17/2651 patients (0.64 percent) after hip arthroplasty. For the knee, factors associated with septic arthritis after arthroplasty were rheumatoid arthritis, wound infection, an unhealed wound, and a painful, limited knee function at discharge from the hospital. For the hip, corresponding risk factors were diabetes, failed fracture osteosynthesis, a breakdown of sterility during operation, wound infection, postoperative urinary tract infection, and an unhealed wound at discharge from the hospital or a difficult rehabilitation course. Reoperation after knee and hip arthroplasty was also clearly associated with a higher incidence of septic arthritis."}
{"id": "PMID:1471520", "title": "Timing of physiodesis in limb length inequality. The Straight Line Graph applied in 30 patients.", "content": "In a prospective study 30 children underwent 33 physiodeses for lower limb length inequality (LLI). Timing of surgery was based on (bi)annual orthoradiographic measurements and skeletal age, and in accordance with Moseley's Straight Line Graph. The mean predicted LLI was 5.2 (3.0-11) cm and the mean LLI at the end of growth was 1.4 (0.0-4.3) cm. In 9 patients final LLI exceeded 1.5 cm, and one of these patients was operated on twice. In total, secondary operations were performed three times. After analysis of the failures it is concluded that the accuracy of the Straight Line Graph is mainly limited by the pattern of skeletal maturation. Recommendations to prevent failures from other causes are given."}
{"id": "PMID:1471521", "title": "Nutrition as a prognostic indicator in amputations. A prospective study of 47 cases.", "content": "The nutritional status was evaluated prospectively in 47 consecutive patients who were amputated for lower extremity ischemia. It was good in 13 patients, reduced in 18, and poor in 16. Malnourished patients had a higher frequency of impaired wound healing, and an increased risk of postoperative cardiopulmonary and septic complications; all 6 deaths occurred in these groups."}
{"id": "PMID:1471523", "title": "Synovitis of the knee after intraarticular fracture fixation with Biofix. Report of two cases.", "content": "We report two cases of severe aseptic synovitis of the knee 8 and 13 weeks after biodegradable internal fixation (Biofix rods) of a fracture of the intercondylar eminence. Both knees were treated by surgical revision and synovectomy. Histologic examination revealed a severe foreign-body type of reactive synovitis in the absence of infection. It is not advisable to use Biofix intraarticularly."}
{"id": "PMID:1471524", "title": "Peroneal tendon subluxation in a case of anomalous peroneus brevis muscle.", "content": "We report a case of peroneal tendon subluxation as a result of an anomalous extension of the peroneus brevis muscle into the fibular groove, causing an encroachment phenomenon, stretching-out of the superior peroneal retinaculum, longitudinal splitting of the peroneus brevis tendon, subluxation of the peroneal tendons, and peroneal tenosynovitis. We describe a simple surgical technique for tendon stabilization, after decompression of the fibular groove."}
{"id": "PMID:1471527", "title": "Mitochondrial enlargement and basement membrane thickening of renal proximal tubules, possible initiators of microalbuminuria in non-insulin-dependent diabetics (NIDDM).", "content": "To clarify the morphological changes in renal proximal tubules at the onset of diabetic nephropathy, we observed 177 biopsy samples from patients with Non-Insulin-Dependent Diabetics (NIDDM) using light and electron microscopy. Group I had no proteinuria (p.u.), group II had p.u. < or = 0.5 g/day, group III had p.u. > 0.5 g/day, group IV had serum creatine level (Cr) > 1.5 mg/dl. Twenty age-matched normal patients and 80 patients with IgA nephropathy were used as controls. In groups I and II, the following features were significantly different from those in the controls: spherical enlargement of mitochondria (MT) in proximal tubule cells, hypertrophy of proximal tubule cells and their nuclei, and thickening of both the proximal tubule basement membrane (TBM) and the glomerular basement membrane (GBM). Among the histological changes observed in group I, the thickness of the GBM and TBM indicated that the disease would lead to diabetic nephropathy. MT enlargement was positively correlated with nuclear and cytoplasmic enlargement of the proximal tubule cells in diabetic patients (p < 0.05), but was not correlated with other morphological changes or disease prognosis. Glomerular nodular lesions, glomerular sclerotic change, and cortical tubulointerstitial fibrosis became evident in groups III and IV. From the above, we concluded that MT enlargement and thickening of the TBM are possible causes of reduced active transport in the proximal tubules, causing microalbuminuria in diabetics, and initial impairment of post-tubule transport."}
{"id": "PMID:1471528", "title": "Appearance of Ulex europaeus agglutinin-1 and Griffonia simplicifolia agglutinin-1 binding sites on cancer cells in sigmo-rectal polyps.", "content": "Ninety-three polypectomized cases from the sigmo-rectal region were examined by lectin histochemistry. On the apical surface, the UEA-1 binding sites were positive in 24/29 carcinomas and in 25/62 adenomas; while the GSA-1 binding sites were positive in 16/29 carcinomas and in 0/62 adenomas. In 2 non-neoplastic polyps, only one case was UEA-1 positive; none was GSA-1 positive. In neighbouring regions, adenomas adjacent to carcinomas were UEA-1 positive in 9/27 cases and GSA-1 positive in 3/37 cases. Thus, the GSA-1 binding sites were expressed more specifically on carcinomas. In the Golgi area, none of the polyps was UEA-1 positive while most of the cells showing GSA-1 positivity were apt to do so within the cells without showing GSA-1 positivity on the apical surface. There were no correlations between the positive rate of the lectin binding sites on the apical surface and the stage of cancer development or the histology of the adenoma on which a cancer developed. The meaning of this restricted appearance of the GSA-1 binding sites on the cancer cell surface was discussed in relation to observations previously reported in the literature."}
{"id": "PMID:1471529", "title": "An autopsy case of mitochondrial encephalomyopathy (MELAS) with special reference to extra-neuromuscular abnormalities.", "content": "An autopsy case of a 37-year-old man with mitochondrial encephalomyopathy is reported. Ragged-red fibers and crystalline inclusions in mitochondria were revealed by biopsy of the striated muscle of the patient. Mitochondrial myopathy, encephalopathy, lactic acidosis and stroke-like episodes (MELAS) was diagnosed clinically. In addition to severe atrophy and degeneration of the generalized striated muscles and many foci of laminar necrosis of the cerebral cortex, the following abnormalities were observed: 1) hypertrophy of the myocardium, 2) fatty change of the liver, 3) focal sclerosis of the glomeruli and dilatation of the tubules of the kidneys, 4) hyalinous degeneration of the Langerhans' islands of the pancreas and 5) wavy change of the smooth muscle fibers of the muscularis propria of the gastrointestinal tract. We suggest that mitochondrial encephalomyopathy affects various organs and tissues, among which susceptibility of the muscular tissues--skeletal muscle, myocardium and smooth muscle--is high."}
{"id": "PMID:1471530", "title": "Diffuse Mallory bodies in the liver, diffuse Lewy bodies in the brain and diffuse fat replacement (lipomatous pseudohypertrophy) of the pancreas in a patient with juvenile Parkinson's disease.", "content": "A 38-year-old male patient with the juvenile variant of Parkinson's disease, in whom onset had occurred at the age of 24 yr, was autopsied. There were no clear symptoms of pancreatic or hepatic insufficiency during the entire clinical course. The only notable features were a slightly delayed decrease of the blood glucose level in an oral glucose tolerance test, slightly elevated levels of serum alkaline phosphatase and serum lactate dehydrogenase, and episodic loose stools. Autopsy revealed uniform enlargement of the pancreas due to massive fat replacement (lipomatous pseudohypertrophy): the exocrine glandular elements showed marked atrophy and loss, while the islets of Langerhans were preserved. The liver exhibited a histology closely mimicking alcoholic hepatitis associated with the diffuse presence of Mallory bodies (MBs), possibly indicative of a disturbance of protein metabolism. The nervous system showed the diffuse presence of Lewy bodies (LBs) in the cerebrum in addition to the ordinary lesions of Parkinson's disease. Although the etiopathogenesis of none of these three lesions has been well elucidated, common epitopes of MBs and LBs have recently been demonstrated. Therefore, the present case study suggests that a specific underlying toxic agent may cause diffuse LBs in the brain on the one hand, and diffuse MBs in the liver and lipomatous pseudohypertrophy of the pancreas on the other."}
{"id": "PMID:1471531", "title": "An autopsy case of invasive pituitary adenoma (prolactinoma) with rapid fatal clinical course due to streptococcal meningitis.", "content": "A 44-year-old male suffered epistaxis and headache of sudden onset and was diagnosed as having suppurative meningitis due to streptococci. Four days after the onset of symptoms, he died despite treatment with antibiotics. Destruction and ballooning of the sella turcica was revealed by a plain head X-ray examination during the clinical course. At autopsy, a massive tumorous lesion extended from the ballooned sella turcica to the paranasal cavities, nasopharynx and facial bone, and this had resulted in suppurative meningitis. The tumor was also disseminated to the basal skull. The tumor cells possessed prominent nuclear atypia and were immunohistochemically positive for prolactin. This was diagnosed as a case of pituitary adenoma with markedly invasive pathological findings and a rapid and fatal clinical course."}
{"id": "PMID:1471532", "title": "An autopsy case report of diffuse esophageal intramural pseudodiverticulosis.", "content": "A case report of diffuse esophageal intramural pseudodiverticulosis (EIPD) we encountered at autopsy is described. The pseudodiverticula represented dilated excretory ducts of esophageal submucosal glands with squamous metaplasia of the epithelium. They contained keratin flakes, mucin and/or inflammatory cells which were mainly neutrophils. Submucosal chronic inflammation surrounding the glands was prominent. The findings suggested that the ductal dilatation resulted from obstruction of the ducts by inflammatory material, mucus and desquamated epithelium. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first autopsy report of diffuse EIPD in Japan."}
{"id": "PMID:1471533", "title": "A case of adenocarcinoma of the lung with a spindle cell component.", "content": "We report a 60-year-old man, who was admitted to the hospital with complaints of cough and sputum. His chest x-ray showed an abnormal mass in the right upper lobe. After admission he noticed the painful gingival tumor. Right upper lobectomy and resection of the gingival tumor were performed. Their histological features showed that the tumor consisted of a papillary and tubular adenocarcinoma mixed with a component of spindle cells. Immunohistochemical study demonstrated a positive reaction in the epithelial component for keratin and epithelial membrane antigen, and not only these epithelial markers but also vimentin were expressed in some spindle tumor cells. Electron microscopic study confirmed the biphasic pattern, showing gland formation and undifferentiated cells. We diagnose this case as adenocarcinoma of the lung with a spindle cell component and the gingival tumor was metastatic. Autopsy showed that metastatic lesions were found in the left adrenal gland and in the left kidney. The tumor cells in the left adrenal gland were composed of spindle cells and the tumor in the left kidney showed gland formation. Immunohistochemical and electron microscopic findings of surgical and autopsy specimen suggest that this tumor is of epithelial origin, and the spindle cells are derived from immature mesenchymal cell transformation of epithelial cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1471535", "title": "Anorexia nervosa and bulimia: a prevalence study.", "content": "We determined the prevalence of anorexia nervosa and bulimia in a large sample of students attending a secondary school on the island of S\u00e3o Miguel (Azores) using the Diagnostic Interview for Children and Adolescents, which enabled us to collect the information necessary to make DSM-III diagnoses. Although the prevalence of anorectic and bulimic behaviour was rather high, the partial syndrome of anorexia nervosa was found in only 0.48% of the students (0.76% for girls and 0.17% for boys) and the syndrome of bulimia in only 0.16% (0.30% of the girls; there were no boys with bulimia). The overall prevalence of eating disorders, including partial syndromes, was rather low (0.64%). These results stand in sharp contrast to reports that eating disorders are common and probably getting more common. The low prevalence found in the present survey is probably due to the absence of sociocultural pressures to control eating and weight."}
{"id": "PMID:1471536", "title": "Paroxetine and imipramine in the treatment of depressive patients in psychiatric practice.", "content": "A total of 151 outpatients with endogenous or mixed endogenous and reactive depression were included in a 6-week double-blind study, with extension for up to 1 year, in psychiatric practice. The results showed trends in efficacy variables and a statistically significant difference in a benefit-risk ratio in favour of paroxetine (Seroxat, Paxil) compared with imipramine. Efficacy was largely maintained in both groups during long-term treatment. The frequency and severity of side effects in paroxetine patients declined markedly from short-term to long-term treatment, whereas changes in imipramine patients were less pronounced. Significantly more imipramine patients gained weight during long-term treatment. In conclusion, paroxetine is an effective and well tolerated antidepressant, well suited for outpatients in psychiatric practice."}
{"id": "PMID:1471537", "title": "Does case management reduce the rehospitalization rate?", "content": "It was expected from deinstitutionalization that outpatient care could replace hospital care. But many empirical studies proved that the number of admissions to psychiatric hospitals rose when community-based care developed. This might be due to the lack of coordination and cooperation of extramural services. The concept of case management therefore originated in the last few years. In this study the effect of case management on the rehospitalization rate is examined by analyzing the data of 4 social-psychiatric services responsible for defined catchment areas. During the evaluation period of 2.5 years, 162 patients dismissed from psychiatric hospitals were referred to those services. For each of these index patients a matched control patient was identified, each identical in diagnosis, sex, age, living conditions and number of previous inpatient episodes. The results of a survival analysis show that there are no significant effects of case management on the rate of rehospitalization nor on the length of time in hospital in case of a rehospitalization."}
{"id": "PMID:1471538", "title": "Aldosterone responses to angiotensin II in anorexia nervosa.", "content": "Patients with anorexia nervosa (AN) tend to have renin-angiotensin-aldosterone (RAA) abnormalities caused by abnormal behaviors such as strict dieting, fasting, vigorous exercise, self-induced vomiting and abuse of laxatives and/or diuretics. Adrenal responsiveness to angiotensin II (A II) was studied in 13 AN patients before and after therapy and in 6 normal sex- and age-matched controls: adrenal responses to postural change (1 h of walking following 1 h in a supine position) and to exogenous A II injection (A II: 10 ng/kg/min intravenous infusion for 30 min). The 24-h urine sodium concentration was significantly lower in AN patients before therapy than after therapy. Plasma aldosterone secretory response to A II was significantly higher in AN patients before therapy in both postural change and exogenous A II injection tests compared with after therapy response and that of controls. On the other hand, there was no significant difference in adrenal response to postural change or to exogenous A II between AN patients after therapy and controls. In conclusion, increased A II sensitivity caused by chronic sodium deficiency in AN patients normalized over time as the patients recovered."}
{"id": "PMID:1471539", "title": "Study of chronic schizophrenics using 31P magnetic resonance chemical shift imaging.", "content": "Phosphorus-31 chemical shift imaging showed regional abnormalities of in vivo 31P NMR spectra in the brains of chronic schizophrenic patients. In the left temporal region, the level of % phosphodiesters (PDE) was increased and the level of % gamma alpha beta-ATP (obtained by summation of gamma-ATP, alpha-ATP, and beta-ATP) was decreased. In the basal ganglia, the levels of % PDE were decreased and the level of % phosphomonoesters was increased. The levels of % gamma alpha beta-ATP were increased in the right basal ganglia. The level of % phosphocreatine was decreased in the frontoparietal region. These findings may represent different patterns of dysfunction of membrane phospholipid bilayers and high-energy phosphate metabolism in the specific cerebral regions."}
{"id": "PMID:1471540", "title": "Persistent auditory hallucinations correlate with the size of the third ventricle in schizophrenic patients.", "content": "In a study of psychotherapy in schizophrenic patients, the existence of certain clinical and anamnestic variables, such as persistent auditory hallucinations, was found to correlate with a negative outcome. To test whether these clinical variables could be a sign of organic brain abnormality, the records of 33 schizophrenic patients who had been examined by computerized tomography (CT) were investigated regarding the occurrence of these symptoms. A significant correlation was found between width of the third ventricle and the occurrence of such auditory hallucinations, which also persisted between acute phases. No correlation was found between the CT measures and other clinical characteristics, including hallucinations rated at admission by the Comprehensive Psychopathological Rating Scale (CPRS). The results are interpreted to suggest a disturbance of diencephalic brain regions in a subgroup of schizophrenic patients that are further characterized by persistent auditory hallucinations and a lack of response to psychodynamic psychotherapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1471541", "title": "The Meta-Contrast Technique--a projective test predicting suicide.", "content": "Sixty-nine inpatients who had attempted suicide were studied by means of the Meta-Contrast Technique (MCT), a projective test measuring personality factors, especially defensive strategies. The patients were divided into 3 subgroups, one of which was defined as stereotypy only, which denotes stereotypy (perceptual retardation) without any other coded defenses. At follow-up 7 of 8 completed suicides belonged to this subgroup and they matched various main diagnoses according to DSM-III-R. When the MCT findings of all patients were compared with 99 depressed inpatients from a previous study, the latter group more often had mature defensive strategies. In both investigations most completed suicides were found in the stereotypy only group. Our findings indicate that, regardless of psychiatric diagnosis, stereotypy without other defenses in MCT predicts suicide."}
{"id": "PMID:1471542", "title": "Evaluation of the effects of total sleep deprivation on cerebral blood flow using single photon emission computerized tomography.", "content": "HMPAO-single photon emission computerized tomography (SPECT) is a useful technique in studying cerebral blood flow (CBF). This method is suitable to evaluate the differences of CBF with reference to total sleep deprivation (TSD) within 24 h because of the short half-life of the radiopharmaceutical compound. In the present study, CBF before and after TSD was analysed in patients suffering from major depression. The morning before and after TSD, Tc-HMPAO-SPECT was performed in 20 patients. Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression scores and subjective ratings were obtained daily. Eleven patients responded to TSD; 9 were nonresponders. The main finding was a significant left temporal and mainly right parietal increase of CBF, which was observed in the responders only. CBF values and the severity of depression correlated inversely."}
{"id": "PMID:1471543", "title": "Reliability of ICD-10 research criteria: an Arab perspective.", "content": "Within a broader World Health Organization (WHO) collaborative research around the ICD-10 diagnostic criteria for research, the Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean (EMRO) ICD-10 research coordinating center at the Ain Shams Institute of Psychiatry presented the data collected from 8 Arab centers, which investigated a total of 233 patients using the local psychiatric interview schedules and diagnosed according to ICD-10 criteria. Interrater reliability was found to range between an almost perfect (0.81-1) to substantial agreement (0.61-0.80) (using the kappa coefficient) in diagnosing organic mental disorders, substance use disorders, schizophrenic, schizotypal and delusional disorders, affective disorders and neurotic and stress-related disorders. The categories of psychological development and child and adolescent disorders were diagnosed less frequently and the agreement between raters was lower. Though no culture-bound syndromes were encountered in any of the centers, difficulties in diagnosis using the research criteria were identified in the domain of simple schizophrenia and dissociative versus conversion disorders. These difficulties are discussed in consideration of the experience of our psychiatrists."}
{"id": "PMID:1471544", "title": "Recent life events and their role in suicide as seen by the spouses.", "content": "The occurrence of recent life events during the last 3 months and their significance in the suicide process as subjectively perceived by the surviving partners were studied among a subpopulation of suicide victims (n = 400) who had a spouse or a cohabitant as the informant. This subpopulation was drawn from a total suicide population (n = 1397) of 1 year in Finland. According to the partners' reports, life events during the last 3 months were reported in 85% of the suicides. Job problems (33%), family discord (32%) and somatic illness (29%) were most commonly reported. More male than female victims had experienced recent life events, and the mean number of events was higher among men than among women. There were differences between single life events in terms of how often the partners perceived them as precipitants of suicide. Separation was seen as the most critical event: in 68% of suicides with reported separation during the last 3 months the partner also rated it as a precipitant, followed by somatic illness in 57%, family discord in 44%, financial trouble in 44%, unemployment in 34%, death in 29%, job problems in 19% and illness in family in 14%."}
{"id": "PMID:1471545", "title": "Participation in group psychotherapy in a therapeutic community for acute patients.", "content": "A total of 2090 treatment episodes from 1977 to 1990 at a therapeutic community for acute patients were assessed for group psychotherapy participation and its associations with some patient and program characteristics, based on polytomous logistic regression analysis. Nonparticipation (4% of all episodes) or passivity (14%) were associated mainly with the program properties (such as the quality of the ward policy, first treatment episode and short treatment time), a diagnosis of personality disorder or typical schizophrenia and inferior outcome (assessed by attainment of treatment goals). The associations of moderate activity (45%) were very active (37%) as a reference, mainly personal properties (such as male gender, young age, low social and professional background and a diagnosis of schizophrenia) and inferior outcome. The results suggest that group participation, therapeutic program, patient properties and attainment of treatment goals are interrelated. The therapeutic program and leaders' skills should be developed to facilitate individualized group participation."}
{"id": "PMID:1471547", "title": "A review of the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of disulfiram and its metabolites.", "content": "After ingestion, disulfiram (DSF) is rapidly converted, probably in the stomach, to its bis (diethyldithiocarbamato) copper complex. Consequently, absorption and distribution via the gastrointestinal mucosa into the blood might involve both the parent drug and its copper complex. In the blood, both compounds are rapidly degraded to form diethyldithiocarbamic acid (DDC), which is unstable and is further degraded to form diethylamine and carbon disulphide. DDC is also a substrate of phase II metabolism, which involves formation of diethyldithiomethylcarbamate (Me-DDC) and the glucuronic acid of DDC. Me-DDC also undergoes oxidative biotransformation to diethylthiomethylcarbamate (Me-DTC), which is further oxidized to its corresponding sulphoxide and sulphone metabolites. Me-DTC may to act as a suicide inhibitor with a preference for the mitochondrial low Km isozyme of aldehyde dehydrogenases (ALDH 1), whereas the two S-oxidized metabolites, especially the sulfone metabolite, are more potent inhibitors not only of ALDH 1, but also of the cytosolic high Km isozyme of ALDH (ALDH 2). The inhibitory reaction between the enzyme and each of the three metabolites is characterized by a covalent adduct formation, probably with the cysteine residue at the active site of the enzymes. The adduct formed is nonreducible at a physiological concentration of glutathione, and inactivation in the presence of this endogenous tripeptide was increased by action in vitro of the sulphoxide and sulphone metabolites. Those findings are all in concordance with the in vivo observations made on DSF. In human volunteers treated with increasing doses of DSF and challenged with ethanol between each of the dosage periods, the mean plasma concentrations of Me-DTC at steady state were proportional to the DSF doses given. There was also a close relationship between increased oxidative metabolic formation of Me-DTC, high oxidative formation of acetaldehyde, and the full complements of a valid disulfiram ethanol reaction (DER). Consequently, Me-DTC in plasma may not only serve as a marker of the oxidative metabolic function of the liver, but also of the therapeutic effectiveness of the treatment in subjects at steady state. Obviously, there is a need for individual dose-titration regimens. In patients with alcohol-related severe hepatocellular damage, the oxidative P 450 catalyzed formation of the Me-DTC and probably also of its sulfoxide and sulphone metabolites is impaired, and thus inactivation of ALDH activity in the liver appears to be delayed or even completely absent. The consequence for the patient may be an insufficient DER.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1471548", "title": "Depot preparations of disulfiram: experimental and clinical results.", "content": "Patient compliance with disulfiram is a troublesome clinical problem. Several strategies have been proposed as a solution to the problem, including subcutaneous implantation of disulfiram. However, well controlled studies of alcoholics and healthy volunteers have failed to discover a pharmacological effect of implanted disulfiram. A major reason for this failure appears to be poor absorption from an inadequate dose. Assessment of new sustained release formulation of depot disulfiram has been found to provoke a mild disulfiram-ethanol reaction (DER). Only a more severe DER would be expected to deter further drinking. If problems with absorption and appropriate dosing of disulfiram can be resolved or a depot preparation of the active metabolite of disulfiram can be prepared, implants might find continued clinical use."}
{"id": "PMID:1471549", "title": "Lack of bioequivalence between disulfiram formulations. Exemplified by a tablet/effervescent tablet study.", "content": "A comparison of the bioavailability of disulfiram (DSF) after administration of non-effervescent Antabuse tablets (CP Pharmaceuticals, UK) and Antabuse effervescent tablets Antabuse (A/S Dumex, DK) has been made in two cross-over studies. The first study included 6 volunteers who were given 400 mg DSF after an overnight fast. The bioavailability of DSF after administration of non-effervescent was found to be only 27% of that achieved with effervescent tablets. The second study included 24 volunteers who were given 800 mg DSF after a light standardized meal. The relative bioavailability of DSF after administration of non-effervescent compared with effervescent tablets was found to be only 34%. In addition to the difference in bioavailability of DSF after administration of the two preparations, a considerable difference was seen between the two studies. A light meal seems both to increase the bioavailability of DSF and to reduce the interindividual variation. A two to threefold increase in the bioavailability of DSF was found. Thus, the bioavailability of DSF appears to depend on both the formulation (preparation) and the mode of administration. A lack of bioequivalence between the two investigated DSF preparations was found."}
{"id": "PMID:1471550", "title": "Antabuse treatment for excessive users of alcohol.", "content": "Antabuse treatment has mostly been applied to alcohol dependent patients although the heavy users of alcohol are responsible for the major parts of alcohol related problems in our societies. The heavy users of alcohol should be identified both by the general practitioners and the hospital doctors in any field and the first intervention should be a health interview connected with a biological monitoring of alcohol damages and thereby many patients would be motivated for moderate drinking. If this is not the case, heavy users should be encouraged to a 6 or better a 12 months supervised treatment with Antabuse. This treatment has especially been effective in employees with work-related alcohol problems."}
{"id": "PMID:1471551", "title": "Long-term Antabuse treatment of alcohol-dependent patients.", "content": "Antabuse taken under supervision is effective and useful in the treatment of selected patients in the very long term. Relapses during treatment are the rule rather than the exception as is also illustrated in five case reports, but Antabuse treatment contributes to longer periods of sobriety. Continued support by nurses is necessary in the treatment of alcohol dependent patients and appointments with a psychiatrist are important for patients with alcohol dependence and psychiatric disorders. The personal perception of the severity of the drinking problem seems to be of decisive importance for compliance with the treatment. A high degree of motivation to stop drinking leads to long-term use of Antabuse, a stronger internal locus of control and a favourable outcome. Measurements of liver enzymes are useful for monitoring the treatment outcome as well as for detecting toxic effects on the liver."}
{"id": "PMID:1471552", "title": "Long-term Antabuse treatment: tolerance and reasons for withdrawal.", "content": "We studied 210 alcoholics, who were re-admitted to a disulfiram treatment programme after having voluntarily discontinued disulfiram therapy, primarily to ascertain whether illness, hospitalization, or serious adverse effects were the cause of the withdrawal. A simple 9-item questionnaire was used. About 70% of the patients gave either \"a wish to drink again\" or \"no need for further treatment\" as the reason. Withdrawal in the remaining patients was in no case related to adverse effects of disulfiram. The low incidence of adverse effects was confirmed in another group comprising 93 patients treated under supervision with disulfiram 600-800 mg twice a week for at least a year (i.e. total dose at least 70 g disulfiram). They were monitored by standard laboratory blood and urine tests. There were no clinically significant changes in the measures used. Indeed, many of the patients improved during the year of abstinence. These two studies add weight to the evidence that disulfiram is not a drug with a high incidence of adverse effects."}
{"id": "PMID:1471553", "title": "Controlled trials of Antabuse in alcoholism: the importance of supervision and adequate dosage.", "content": "Methods of using Antabuse have changed since its introduction over 40 years ago. Several randomised controlled trials have shown that Antabuse can make a statistically and clinically significant contribution to treatment outcome in alcoholism but only if its administration is carefully supervised. The recent literature is reviewed. Adequate dosage is important and the recommended maximum in some countries is often insufficient. Both prescribers and supervisors of Antabuse need to be aware of the ways in which some patients try to evade medication."}
{"id": "PMID:1471554", "title": "Disulfiram therapy--adverse drug reactions and interactions.", "content": "Adverse drug reactions (ADR) to disulfiram treatment have been reported as single cases, but few systematic investigations exist. In this study we analysed the spontaneous ADR reports to the Danish Committee on Adverse Drug Reactions during 1968-1991. In that period 154 ADRs to disulfiram were reported, mainly of hepatic, neurological, skin, and psychiatric reactions, in decreasing order of frequency. The safety of disulfiram, estimated on the amount produced and the number of reactions reported, corresponds to an intermediate rate of adverse reactions (1 per 200-2000 treatment year). Over the 23-year period, 14 deaths were reported in Denmark and this corresponds to a rate of 1 per 25,000 treatment year; the chief cause was liver toxicity. Reports to the WHO collaborating Centre for International Drug Monitoring in Uppsala, Sweden, showed the same ADR profile, although with a higher rate of neurological and psychiatric and a lower rate of hepatic reactions. The latency time from the start of treatment to the manifestation of the ADR differed according to organ. Hepatitis occurred with a distinct peak after 2 months of treatment, skin reactions peaked after 2 weeks, and the rate of neurological ADR increased with duration of therapy. The relation of skin reactions and hepatitis to nickel allergy is discussed, as is the dose-dependency of neuropathy. Concomitant disulfiram treatment affects the metabolism of several drugs and the dynamics of others, leading to a number of clinically important drug interactions. The disulfiram drug interactions are reviewed."}
{"id": "PMID:1471555", "title": "Influence of alcohol on several physiological functions and its reversibility: a surgical view.", "content": "Alcohol intake influences several physiological functions, including the haemostatic system, the cellular immune defence and the cardiac function, but to a different degree depending on the drinking habits. Restoration of these functions after withdrawal seems time related. The haemostatic imbalance normalizes within two or three weeks of soberness while the immune system requires about two months to recover. Recent studies have showed very increased postoperative morbidity after surgery in alcohol abusers, which may be explained by alcohol-induced physiological dysfunctions. Theoretically, two months of abstinence before a surgical procedure would diminish the increased postoperative morbidity among alcohol abusers. However, further investigation is necessary to establish a clinical effect of preoperative withdrawal from alcohol."}
{"id": "PMID:1471556", "title": "The pharmacology and toxicology of disulfiram and its metabolites.", "content": "Disulfiram (Antabuse) is one of several aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) inhibitors that raise the plasma level of acetaldehyde following ethanol ingestion. The usually pleasant reaction to ethanol is thereby changed to an unpleasant one, owing to a number of bodily reactions to acetaldehyde. Populations showing genetic polymorphism with a lack of some isozymes of ALDH have exhibited an intolerance to ethanol similar to that seen with disulfiram. A normal isozyme pattern seems to be a prerequisite for the development of alcoholism, which supports the principle of disulfiram treatment. Disulfiram is an irreversible ALDH inhibitor when administered in vivo. Diethylthiomethylcarbamate (Me-DTC) is formed from disulfiram in three metabolic steps. This compound and two further oxidized metabolites appear to be active metabolites of disulfiram. Measurements of plasma Me-DTC or the reduction of leucocyte ALDH 1 activity may be valuable markers for the proper dose titration of disulfiram and the rational use of this drug. Some toxicological points are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1471557", "title": "The relative autonomy of schools and educational interventions for substance abuse prevention, sex education, and gender stereotyping.", "content": "This paper evaluates intervention programs in schools using the theoretical framework of the critical sociology of education, and most specifically, the extent to which schools are autonomous from the larger society. Three different types of intervention programs are reviewed: drug abuse prevention, sex education, and programs to change gender stereotypes, all of which were found to have limited effectiveness. Schools appear unable to change behaviors which are prevalent in a culture because they themselves are strongly influenced by that culture, and because adolescents are influenced by forces outside school. To be effective, such interventions would seem to require governmental agencies, community groups, and the media to work with the schools in order to influence the culture and thus produce behavioral changes in individuals."}
{"id": "PMID:1471558", "title": "Depression in Guatemalan adolescents.", "content": "A sample of 339 adolescents from the school population of three social classes in Guatemala City were administered a modified version of the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale for Children (CES-DC-M). Of the total sample, 35.1% were found to be depressed. A two-way analysis of variance (gender by social class) showed differences which approached statistical significance and reflected a significant main effect of gender but not social class. Implications of the findings are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1471559", "title": "The Adolescent Life Change Event Scale: its development and use.", "content": "A variety of instruments have been used by researchers from several disciplines to assess life change events in adolescents. Most instruments have not been tested for validity and reliability, and have been used in one-time studies, with limited effort to synthesize all studies using the particular instrument. Because of the number of requests, over more than a decade, to use the Adolescent Life Change Event Questionnaire, the authors have attempted to review all known studies using this instrument as a preliminary step toward further testing of the questionnaire for validity and reliability. Twenty-five studies, involving a total of 4,024 adolescent subjects from nine states, were reviewed. Findings included gender and age differences in number of events experienced and the perceived stressfulness, and a relationship between events experienced and suicidal ideation. Recommendations are made regarding future development and use of the instrument."}
{"id": "PMID:1471560", "title": "A longitudinal evaluation of computer-assisted instruction on contraception for college students.", "content": "This study assessed changes in contraceptive knowledge of 58 white female undergraduate college students following use of a computer-assisted instruction (CAI) program on contraceptive methods. The CAI program consisted of a personal-computer-based instructional lesson covering facts about and appropriate use of oral contraceptives and barrier methods, and myths about sexuality and sexually transmitted diseases. Baseline contraceptive knowledge was first compared with 171 white female undergraduate students. This comparison indicated that, overall, there were knowledge deficits regarding the safety of oral contraceptives and what to do if oral contraceptives are not used correctly. At immediate posttest, significant knowledge gains were observed for danger signs associated with using oral contraceptives, the rationale for triphasic and biphasic pills, potential medication synergism, health benefits of using oral contraceptives, potential contraceptive effect of withdrawal, and the reasons women stop using the pill. At six-month follow-up, students evidenced long-term knowledge gains on duration of pill use, the rationale for triphasics and biphasics, appropriate contingencies for missing two days of the pill, danger signs associated with using contraceptives, medication synergism, and health benefits of using oral contraceptives. The results of the evaluation are considered in the context of the widely held assumption that young women's contraceptive failure is unrelated to knowledge deficits about methods of birth control."}
{"id": "PMID:1471561", "title": "An empirical investigation of adolescent suicidal ideation.", "content": "Four hundred nine high school students were surveyed to determine the percentage who had experienced suicidal ideation. The sample was then divided into high- and low-suicidal-risk groups. High-risk subjects were found to have significantly poorer quality friendships, lower self-esteem, and had experienced more life stress in the previous year."}
{"id": "PMID:1471562", "title": "Identity formation and social maladaptation in foster adolescents.", "content": "The literature on identity formation in individuals from socially devalued racial and ethnic groups in the United States is summarized. Implications are discussed for a particular segment of at-risk adolescents--those in foster care residential group homes--who have received little published attention. The majority, in large urban centers, are African-American or Latino. These young people bear a disproportionate burden of such societal problems as unintended pregnancy and childbearing, academic underachievement and early educational discontinuation, substance abuse, and, ultimately, homelessness and more individually and socially costly forms of dependency (criminal justice, welfare, or mental health systems). It is postulated that their social maladaptation is reflective of identity disturbances created by the negative images of African-Americans and Latinos perpetuated by the dominant society and unfiltered by optimal parental racial socialization."}
{"id": "PMID:1471563", "title": "Eating disorders among adolescent female athletes: influence of athletic participation and sport team membership.", "content": "Female athletes have been identified as a potential risk group for the development of eating disorders. Although adolescents in general are particularly vulnerable to the onset of eating disorders, little research has examined the problem among high school female athletes. The present study explored this population by comparing female athletes and nonathletes in terms of (a) behavioral and psychological traits associated with eating disorders and (b) use of pathogenic weight control techniques (laxatives, vomiting, fasting, and diet aids). Sport-by-sport comparisons were also investigated to determine if athletes in specific sports were more at risk. Moreover, in an attempt to link athletic participation and eating disordered behavior, the gender-role orientation of athletes was examined. Results indicated that (a) athletes were more likely than nonathletes to possess certain behavioral and psychological correlates of eating disorders, (b) there were few differences among the various sport teams, and (c) gender-role orientation was generally not a critical variable. Although group comparisons yielded limited significant differences, athletes nevertheless reported traits associated with eating disorders as well as use of pathogenic weight control techniques. The unique contributions of the sport context and coaching practices exacerbating disordered eating are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1471564", "title": "Coming of age in a heterosexist world: the development of gay and lesbian adolescents.", "content": "The general developmental struggles of gay and lesbian adolescents are described as delineated in recent research. Three developmental areas were selected as a focus: the consolidation of sexual identity and the effects of both parental and peer relationships on gay adolescents' development. Weaknesses are noted in current research and theory, and suggestions are offered which could facilitate the development of both homosexual and heterosexual youth."}
{"id": "PMID:1471565", "title": "Satanism as a response to abuse: the dynamics and treatment of satanic involvement in male youths.", "content": "Male youths from abusive family environments may be particularly vulnerable to recruitment into satanic cults. Families that are abusive, devalue or invalidate the abused child's feelings, blame the child for the family's problems, and view the world in rigidly moralistic terms create environments in which the youths are likely to identify with the aggressor and label themselves as evil. These youths, who may have poor social skills and feelings of anger, low self-esteem, self-blame, depression, powerlessness, and isolation as a result of the abuse, may use satanic involvement as a means of legitimizing their experience and differentiating from a negatively enmeshed and/or abusive family system. In this paper, the etiological factors and treatment approaches of ten hospitalized boys who had voluntarily involved themselves in repeated group satanic activities during their adolescence are described, and two case illustrations are given. Recommendations for understanding and treating such cases are provided."}
{"id": "PMID:1471566", "title": "Psychosocial factors associated with teenage pregnancy in Jamaica.", "content": "The self-esteem and perceived maternal care and control of 134 Jamaican schoolgirls and 108 pregnant adolescents and teenage mothers were compared. The girls were 14 through 17 years of age, from working-class backgrounds, and living in rural and urban areas. Adapted versions of the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory and the Parental Bonding Instrument were administered. Results indicated that the two groups did not differ in perceived maternal care and control. However, the self-esteem of urban schoolgirls was significantly higher than that of their once-pregnant counterparts. This was also true of the total sample. Urban teenagers without father figures were nearly 2.7 times more likely to have been pregnant than were those living with adult male relatives. Thus, father-figure absence and low self-esteem may combine as risk factors for teenage pregnancy in urban Jamaica."}
{"id": "PMID:1471567", "title": "Arresting youth crime: a review of social skills training with young offenders.", "content": "Social skills training has become a popular means of providing treatment for young offenders. This paper reviews the literature on social skills training with delinquent populations, with specific consideration of six questions. It was concluded that there is a lack of information on social skills training with young offenders in an outpatient setting. Future directions for research are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1471568", "title": "Satanism among adolescents: empirical and clinical considerations.", "content": "This paper reviews the literature on adolescent involvement in satanism. Results from a pilot study are presented along with a case study to illustrate factors that may alert practitioners to adolescents who are susceptible to satanic influences. Interventions for dealing with this adolescent subpopulation are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1471569", "title": "The relationship between parenting styles and young adults' self-concepts and evaluations of parents.", "content": "In the present study, 123 college students were surveyed in order to assess their self-concepts, evaluations of parents, and perceptions of their parents' parenting styles. Notably, the students' self-concepts were found to vary directly with perceived level of parental warmth, but did not vary as a function of their parents' level of restrictiveness. Fathers and mothers were found to be rated more highly if they were perceived as being warm and permissive rather than hostile and restrictive. Finally, opposite-sex parents' level of warmth also correlated with how each parent was evaluated. Some explanations for these findings are offered."}
{"id": "PMID:1471570", "title": "The Pre-Adult Health Decision-Making Model: linking decision-making directedness/orientation to adolescent health-related attitudes and behaviors.", "content": "In light of the broad consequences of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) epidemic, as well as the increased rates of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), pregnancy, and alcohol and drug abuse among adolescents, there is a great need to understand how adolescents make health decisions. This paper presents a model for adolescent health behavior, the Pre-Adult Health Decision-Making Model (PAHDM), which takes into account the differential information processing from peer sources, parent sources, or through critical or reflexive self-analysis. Also presented is a review of the large corpora of psychological and sociological literature on adolescent development, adolescent health behaviors, and, more specifically, AIDS and other STDs as a public health problem. The need for additional research in the area of adolescent health decision-making, and for a health behavior model that is specific to the \"lifeworld\" of the adolescent, is stressed."}
{"id": "PMID:1471571", "title": "The association between adolescents' attitudes toward suicide and their psychosocial background and suicidal tendencies.", "content": "The present study examined the relationship between adolescents' attitudes toward suicide and their psychosocial background. It also evaluated the association between attitudes toward suicide and the subjects' own suicidal tendencies. A questionnaire assessing these issues was administered to 525 Israeli adolescents. Results indicated that significantly more females, nonreligious adolescents, those exposed to suicidal behavior, and those with increased suicidal risk held more accepting attitudes. Ethnic origin, socioeconomic status, and living in intact/nonintact families were not associated with adolescents' attitudes toward suicide."}
{"id": "PMID:1471572", "title": "Sexuality in youth culture: identity and change.", "content": "The sexual decisions of adolescents are, as Brooks-Gunn and Furstenberg have suggested, filtered through at least three culturally determined screens: the meaning of sexuality, the process of male-female negotiations, and adolescents' perception of danger. In making sexual choices today, young people must consider not only issues of identity, personal growth, and relationships, but also the growing danger of AIDS. A ten-year study of the sexual behavior of college students in Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada, shows that students choose among three sexual subcultures: celibacy, monogamy, and free experimentation. Since 1980, there has been some shift away from casual sex toward committed partnerships, but the basic outlines of this sexual \"plural society\" have remained unchanged. Despite AIDS, most students have not adopted careful sexual practices, either in number of partners or use of condoms. North American data suggest that this pattern is typical of most colleges and universities throughout Canada, although students on many U.S. campuses have become more careful. This study explored the reasons behind sexual choices, and investigated whether the possibility of contracting AIDS will eventually lead adolescents to better balance their needs for sex, love, freedom, and self-preservation. Working against the choice of caution is the fact that, in our culture, sexual expression is an important element of becoming an adult."}
{"id": "PMID:1471573", "title": "Social sensitivity in adolescents and adults with learning disabilities.", "content": "This study investigated social sensitivity and self-concept in students with learning disabilities (LD) and their non-learning-disabled (non-LD) peers. Thirty students each from public junior and senior high schools and a community college participated in the study; at each grade level, half were identified as learning disabled and half experienced no learning problem. Students were individually assessed in 30-minute interviews for their accuracy in interpreting the thoughts and feelings of actors in tape-recorded stories depicting two adults in happy angry, anxious, and sad interactions. A questionnaire assessing four dimensions of self-concept in learning situations (motivation, task orientation, problem-solving ability, and class membership) was also administered. LD students at all grade levels were significantly less accurate at interpreting social situations than were their non-LD peers, and had significantly lower self-concepts. These results support the need for remediation efforts specifically aimed at social skills for overcoming social deficits in adulthood."}
{"id": "PMID:1471575", "title": "Longitudinal diagnosis of memory disorders.", "content": "Early referral for specialist assessment is becoming more common with memory disorders and dementia: the mean Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score of new patients at our clinic rose from 18.7 to 20.7 between 1986 and 1990. The clinical diagnosis of mild to moderate dementia has been recognized to be difficult, but several studies have reported cross-sectional diagnosis. We examined the number of visits required to establish a clinical diagnosis of dementia in the first 125 patients attending a Memory Disorders Clinic who had at least two visits (six months apart) and the stability of the diagnoses. Just under half of the patients required at least two visits to establish the clinical diagnosis. The MMSE was not a good guide to the number of visits required but the diagnosis at the first visit remained stable in all patients who scored < or = 10/30. Sixteen per cent of patients interchanged between the categories of Alzheimer's, mixed and vascular dementias. Possible age-associated memory impairment progressed to dementia in six of eight cases, and depression to dementia in three cases. The diagnosis of mild to moderate dementia should not be restricted to a cross-sectional approach, but should involve serial clinical, psychological and affective assessments."}
{"id": "PMID:1471576", "title": "Age and blood pressure measurement: experience with the TM2420 ambulatory blood pressure monitor and elderly people.", "content": "The accuracy of the TM-2420 ambulatory blood pressure monitor was assessed in elderly people. Ninety-four subjects (44 men and 50 women), aged 60-94 with systolic blood pressure (SBP) of 97-208 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) of 45-109 mmHg, including 23 with isolated systolic hypertension, were studied in three centres. The monitor was compared simultaneously with pairs of observers using the Hawksley random zero sphygmomanometer. The standard deviation of the difference (SDD) between observers was 4.2 mmHg (SBP), 2.9 mmHg (DBP). The mean difference was 0.49 mmHg (SBP) and 0.27 mmHg (DBP). The SDD between the monitor and the average of the observers' readings was 6.7 mmHg (SBP), 5.5 mmHg (DBP); the mean differences were 4.4 mmHg (SBP) and 4.8 mmHg (DBP). There were no significant differences between the two versions of the monitor used (5 and 7) or between the three pairs of observers. The monitor was equally accurate in isolated systolic hypertension (SDD observers and monitor 6.2 mmHg for SBP, 3.9 mmHg for DBP, mean differences 4.3 mmHg for SBP, 4.5 mmHg for DBP). Twenty-four-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring was carried out in 129 subjects aged 60-79; 89% of the monitoring attempted were successful with error rates of < 10%. The mean error rate was 3.8%. The device was well tolerated with only 4.7% of the subjects not completing a monitoring."}
{"id": "PMID:1471577", "title": "Misclassification of dementia by the mini-mental state examination--are education and social class the only factors?", "content": "The 1988 Melton Mowbray Study of the Elderly comprised an initial screen with the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) followed by a detailed clinical assessment using the Cambridge Mental Disorders of the Elderly Examination (CAMDEX) for all those scoring 21 and under on the MMSE, a one in two sample of those scoring 22 or 23 and a one in ten of the remainder. A total of 1579 subjects completed the initial screen with 438 subjects undergoing the CAMDEX assessment. Analysis of those subjects who were found to be free of dementia at the clinical assessment (n = 155) demonstrated that the very elderly, those from the manual social classes and subjects with visual impairments had an increased chance of being misclassified as demented by the MMSE. Low educational level and various measures of physical disability also showed a tendency to result in misclassification as falsely positive by the MMSE when viewed alone but these effects appeared to be due solely to their association with extreme age and/or manual social class."}
{"id": "PMID:1471578", "title": "Spinal dural arteriovenous malformations--a treatable cause of progressive paraparesis in elderly people.", "content": "Spinal dural arteriovenous malformations (SDAVMs) were first described in 1977. They present with a progressive paraparesis, principally in men aged 60 years and over. They are usually dorsolumbar in situation and are thought to be acquired lesions which produce symptoms by obstructing the venous drainage of the spinal cord. There are no pathognomonic clinical features and diagnosis depends on a high level of clinical suspicion and myelography extended into the dorsal region. The condition is probably underdiagnosed and may be quite a common cause of progressive leg weakness in elderly people. Surgical treatment is relatively simple, safe, and if carried at an early stage can lead to dramatic neurological recovery. This paper reports nine cases seen over a period of 7 years. All the patients showed marked neurological improvement after surgery."}
{"id": "PMID:1471579", "title": "The association of age with the activity of alcohol dehydrogenase in human liver.", "content": "Ethanol is principally oxidized in the liver by the cytosolic enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH). We have examined the effect of age and sex on alcohol dehydrogenase activities in human liver obtained from 16 healthy subjects, age range 45-88 years. There was no correlation between ADH activity, whether expressed as activity per mg cytosolic protein or per gram wet weight liver, and age. Activities were similar in men and women. These results suggest that, in common with activities of other hepatic drug metabolizing enzymes, age has no effect upon the activity of ADH in human liver."}
{"id": "PMID:1471580", "title": "Caring for elderly dependents: effects on the carers' quality of life.", "content": "This study describes a survey of 256 informal carers and elderly people they support, and examines the impact of the caring role upon quality of life. Carers reported that many aspects of their physical and mental health as well as their social and family lives were affected by their caring. For many the caring activity was unremitting. Overall, daughters were the most likely to report deleterious effects on their lives. Dominant factors associated with stress were the relationship between carer and dependent, sex of the carer and effects on social and family life. While relationship and sex were also associated with anxiety, loneliness was the dominant factor associated with anxiety and depression. Older age of the dependent was associated with stress, carer's disability was associated with anxiety, and depression in the elderly person was associated with depression in carers. These findings indicate that community services and future policies should be oriented towards the needs of carers and their families and not solely to the needs of frail elderly people. In particular there is a need to consider an increase in the provision of flexible planned respite care."}
{"id": "PMID:1471581", "title": "Registered private nursing homes in Scotland: referral and assessment practice.", "content": "The results on referral to and assessment for nursing homes, taken from a national survey of all registered private nursing homes in Scotland, are reported in this paper. The findings challenge the view that nursing homes do little by way of assessing potential candidates and that what is done is somehow at variance with the type of assessments carried out in the public long-stay sector. The implications for the future of the traditional view of which professionals should be involved in the assessment of candidates for nursing homes are discussed as are the criteria they might use to make their assessments."}
{"id": "PMID:1471582", "title": "Impact of vitamin A supplementation on the incidence of infection in elderly nursing-home residents: a randomized controlled trial.", "content": "The aim of this study was to determine if vitamin A supplementation reduces the incidence of bacterial infections among elderly nursing-home residents. One hundred and nine patients were enrolled into a double-masked, placebo-controlled trial at an academically affiliated nursing home. Fifty-six patients received a single capsule containing 1,000 IU of vitamin A (placebo) and 53 received a single capsule containing 200,000 IU of vitamin A. Antibiotic-treated infections were enumerated for 90 days after dosing and infection rates were expressed per 1000 days of follow-up. There were 42 antibiotic-treated infections altogether, 21 in each group. The infection rates in the vitamin A and placebo groups were 4.7 and 4.3 per 1,000 days of follow-up, respectively (relative risk 1.1; 95% CI 0.6, 2.0). The findings of this study do not support a role for vitamin A supplements for the prevention of infections among frail elderly nursing-home patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1471583", "title": "Aortic stenosis in elderly people: an evaluation of clinical and echocardiographic diagnosis.", "content": "In a prospective study to assess the sensitivity and specificity of clinical diagnosis against echocardiographic diagnosis in elderly people, 41 patients were studied in two 6-month periods. Overall clinical and echo diagnosis agreed in 75% of cases, but the clinical diagnosis of aortic stenosis was poor in the initial period. Adapting the lessons which were learnt in this initial period in a repeat of the study, the sensitivity of clinical diagnosis of aortic stenosis improved from 0.38 to 0.75. Additional information was gained in 50% of cases by echocardiography, and enabled the clinician to modify treatment in 50% of cases. Aortic stenosis in elderly people may be without clinical signs. Routine echocardiography increases the sensitivity of the clinical diagnosis, and may have major therapeutic implications for the elderly patient."}
{"id": "PMID:1471584", "title": "Geriatric follow-up by home visits after discharge from hospital: a randomized controlled trial.", "content": "The aim of this prospective, randomized and controlled trial was to carry out and evaluate a model for follow-up by home visits after discharge from hospital of persons aged 75 years or more. The trial was a feasibility study in which hospital staff, district nurses, and general practitioners already working within the hospital and the primary health sector participated, with changes in the usual organization. On the day after their discharge from hospital, 163 patients were visited in their homes by the district nurse. Two weeks later, they were evaluated at home by their general practitioner. For 181 control patients, discharge took place according to the usual procedures. Endpoints were evaluated one year after discharge. Significantly more patients from the control group had been admitted to nursing homes as compared with the trial group (25/10, p < 0.05); the control patients stayed 2700 days at institutions, the trial group 1950 days. It is proposed that this simple and practicable follow-up routine be introduced in connection with discharge of elderly persons from hospital."}
{"id": "PMID:1471585", "title": "Legionnaires' disease in elderly people: the first sign of an outbreak in the community?", "content": "Legionella pneumophila is responsible for up to 5% of cases of community-acquired pneumonia and mainly affects people aged over 50 years. The confirmation of legionellosis in two elderly patients living close to each other prompted a search for other cases. A total of eleven subjects with legionnaires' disease was recognized. The clinical findings are described and the diagnosis of legionellosis is discussed. Environmental investigations pointed to a cooling tower in the local town centre as the probable source of infection."}
{"id": "PMID:1471588", "title": "The career status of deaf women. A comparative look.", "content": "Discrepancies in labor force, occupation, and earnings outcomes were observed between men and women in a follow-up study of 4,900 deaf high school graduates who had responded to annual surveys conducted from 1982 to 1989. Reasons for the disparities were sought by further examination of the postsecondary programs undertaken, degrees earned, labor force activities, jobs held, and socioeconomic status. Despite efforts to expand career awareness and postsecondary programs for deaf people, deaf women continue to pursue a relatively narrow range of programs, leading to stereotypical female careers. Moreover, when women earn less than a bachelor's degree, they experience high underemployment and unemployment relative to deaf men and hearing peers. Without concerted intervention, this condition may be exacerbated as the labor market demands that workers be more professionally and technically trained in career areas where deaf females are yet underrepresented."}
{"id": "PMID:1471589", "title": "Deaf adolescents' metacognitive knowledge about school-related reading.", "content": "Twenty-nine prelingually and profoundly deaf adolescents were interviewed individually to assess their metacognitive knowledge about school-related reading. A descriptive analysis of the data indicated that the students' schemata for school-related reading were largely skill-based and passive. The schemata apparently lacked mature metacognitive knowledge that would enable the students to gain the most from their reading instruction and become more sophisticated independent readers. Further research on classroom reading instruction is needed."}
{"id": "PMID:1471590", "title": "Complete Signed and Cued French. An original signed language-cued speech combination.", "content": "Over the past 11 years, the Center Comprendre et Parler and the associated Ecole Int\u00e9gr\u00e9e of Brussels have developed an original combination of Cued Speech and signs called Complete Signed and Cued French (CSCF). CSCF uses the advantages of both methods while avoiding their drawbacks. The purpose of this practice is to enable deaf children to progress simultaneously in signed and spoken language. The approach is flexible, respects each child's learning rhythm, and ensures that expressive skills do not lag too far behind comprehension abilities. It avoids polemical issues and irrational choices of exclusivity (oralism vs. signs) and prepares access to bilingualism."}
{"id": "PMID:1471591", "title": "The effects of adjunct questions in prose for deaf and hearing students at different reading levels.", "content": "In two studies, the author investigated interactions among adjunct question position, reading ability, and direct versus indirect learning outcomes for deaf postsecondary and hearing middle-school students. Adjunct questions were inserted immediately preceding or following brief sections of instructional prose for the purpose of focusing and cognitively activating the readers. Different effects were observed for deaf and hearing readers and for different levels of assessed reading ability. The findings are discussed in terms of reading ability, adjunct activities while reading prose, and direct versus indirect instructive effects."}
{"id": "PMID:1471592", "title": "Let's talk about it. Using conversation to facilitate language development.", "content": "For centuries, educators have searched for the best way to teach language to deaf students. Throughout this time period, no one specific approach has emerged. In this article, we examine and justify the use of conversational approaches to teach language to deaf students. Classrooms for deaf students are often not conducive to conversation. We suggest that to promote conversation in classrooms, teachers must reexamine how they teach as well as how they structure their classrooms and curriculums. The article closes with descriptions of activities that teachers can use to encourage conversation in their classrooms."}
{"id": "PMID:1471593", "title": "The ability of deaf students to understand text. A comparison of the perceptions of teachers and students.", "content": "Sixteen deaf high school students and nine of their teachers, two deaf and seven hearing, were interviewed for their perceptions of the interest and difficulty of three types of text. Students read and retold the texts and reported on their use of metacognitive strategies and comprehension monitoring and assessment. In this paper, we compare the perceptions of the teachers and students. The teachers in this study underestimated the extent to which their students could comprehend independently, often based on insubstantial evidence. The text perceived to be most difficult by both teachers and students was also considered the most interesting to students, but not to teachers. This text also fostered the greatest use of a variety of metacognitive strategies, suggesting that difficult materials should not be avoided or simplified for deaf students."}
{"id": "PMID:1471594", "title": "Intuitive parenting as a model for understanding parent-infant interactions when one partner is deaf.", "content": "This paper reviews the concept of intuitive parenting, with particular focus on its applicability to parent-infant dyads in which the parent or child is deaf. Although the conceptual model discussed in this paper was developed primarily from observations of hearing dyads, it has the potential to contribute to our understanding of early adaptive processes in other populations as well. Examples of nonconscious or intuitive parental behaviors are presented in terms of the ways they help infants adapt to the postnatal environment and in the later transition from preverbal to verbal stages of development. In addition, implications are drawn for difficulties in parent-infant interactions that may occur as a result of deafness in the parent or child."}
{"id": "PMID:1471595", "title": "Protective glove material permeation by organic solids.", "content": "A method has been developed for the determination of permeation characteristics of glove materials by organic solids. The system employs a stainless steel exposure cell and allows rapid and uniform contact of either solid disks or powders with minimal membrane bowing. A gas chromatograph equipped with a flame ionization detector was used for monitoring the permeation process, which provided detection limits of 0.9-1.2 ng for the organic solids evaluated. By using an automated system for instrument control and data collection, breakthrough times, steady-state times, and steady-state permeation rates have been determined for five common glove materials when exposed to nine organic solids."}
{"id": "PMID:1471596", "title": "Heat stress of women doing manipulative work.", "content": "Six women were exposed to nine environmental conditions, ranging from 26.0 to 35.8 degrees C effective temperature (ET), in a climatic chamber. They were involved in manipulative work in a seated position for a duration of 3 hr. The O2 uptake, heart rate, deep body (Tc) and skin temperature (Tsk), sweat loss, and perception of thermal comfort were noted. The O2 uptake increased with the time of exposure at different heat levels. The work energy demand, which was 19% of VO2max at 26 degree C ET, increased to 35% of VO2max at 35.8 degrees C ET. However, the work output declined with the increase in ET. Thus, the elevated metabolic demands were the results of the thermal stimuli. The Tsk was greatly influenced by the environmental heat; the Tc changes were gradual. The highest mean Tsk attained was 37.3 degrees C at 33.8 degrees C ET when the gradient of Tc-Tsk was only 0.5 degrees C. The rate of change in mean Tsk for 31.6 to 33.8 degrees C ET was much faster compared to the range between 26.0 and 31.6 degrees C ET. From 32.1 degrees C ET onward the Tc and heart rates rose rapidly, while the sweating rate tended to fall, indicating some hindrance for evaporative cooling. Also, thermal sensations were noted as extremely hot for the conditions 32.1 to 35.8 degrees C ET with the increase in exposure duration."}
{"id": "PMID:1471597", "title": "The effect of contaminant source momentum on a worker's breathing zone concentration in a uniform freestream.", "content": "Several factors affecting breathing zone concentration were examined in a paint spray booth by using a tracer gas method. The variables in the study include contaminant momentum, the presence of a flat plate downstream of the worker, the distance between the contaminant source and the body, and the worker's motion. A dramatic reduction in breathing zone concentration was observed when the spray gun emitted contaminants with high momentum. Reductions of 30-50% were observed because of the other variables. The source momentum effect was studied, subsequently, in a wind tunnel by measuring the breathing zone concentration of a mannequin with various flows through jets of different diameter, at varying freestream velocities. A functional relationship was determined between nondimensional breathing zone concentration and contaminant source momentum. This relationship is supported by numerical simulations. The effect of contaminant momentum on the near-wake flow field is discussed in conjunction with results from the numerical simulations."}
{"id": "PMID:1471598", "title": "Penetration of several filter materials by asbestos as a function of fiber dimensions.", "content": "The purpose of this research was to determine the penetration of several filter materials commonly used in building air-handling systems by asbestos fibers. An airstream containing tremolite asbestos fibers was passed through these materials and the upstream and downstream fiber concentrations were measured by membrane filtration and scanning electron microscopy. The penetration of these materials was determined as a function of asbestos fiber diameter and length at two typical air velocities. For glass fiber filter materials, the maximum penetrations were 3.5% and 0.1% compared with American Society for Testing and Materials dust spot efficiency ratings of 80% and 90%, respectively. Thus, the glass fiber filters appear to be capable of greatly reducing the concentration of asbestos fibers in a building air-handling system. Roll and panel filter materials consisting of polyester fibers exhibited penetrations from 15% to nearly 90%. Thus, roll and panel filters tested are not recommended for this purpose."}
{"id": "PMID:1471599", "title": "A new sampling technique that allows quantitative fit testing by using the employee's own respirator.", "content": "A new, in-mask sampling technique has been developed that enhances current quantitative respirator fit test methods. This new sampling technique eliminates the need for a permanently modified (probed) respirator for conducting fit tests. With this new technique, a sample was drawn from the breathing zone inside the respirator by means of a sampling adapter, which was temporarily attached between one of the air-purifying filters and the facepiece before a fit test was performed. To ensure that the performance of the respirator was not altered, the sampling adapter was designed so that all major functional aspects of the respirator were unchanged. This new sampling technique was evaluated on human test subjects by simultaneous sampling from a probed respirator by using two quantitative respirator fit test instruments. One instrument sampled through a conventional respirator probe; the other used the new method. Test results show that equivalent fit test data were obtained with both sampling techniques."}
{"id": "PMID:1471600", "title": "Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors as cardioprotective agents.", "content": "This discussion of documented and possible cardioprotective effects of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors examines the variety of sites along the pathway to end-stage heart disease at which they might intervene. In addition to their antihypertensive activity, their effects on left ventricular hypertrophy, lipid profiles, and insulin sensitivity are discussed in comparison to the effects of other classes of antihypertensive agents on these risk factors. The ability of ACE inhibitors to prevent the progression of congestive heart failure and reduce mortality is documented and a summary of data demonstrating benefits of their use in postmyocardial infarction patients with low ejection fraction is presented."}
{"id": "PMID:1471601", "title": "Thrombolytic, antiplatelet, and antithrombotic agents.", "content": "The relative efficacy and safety of individual thrombolytic agents, administered alone and with antiplatelet and antithrombotic drugs, in the treatment of acute myocardial infarction are presented. The clinical benefits and risks of treatment choices are discussed in relation to the mechanisms of the formation and prevention of thrombus and thrombolysis. It is concluded that streptokinase, tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA), and anisoylated plasminogen-streptokinase activator complex (APSAC) significantly reduce mortality and improve left ventricular function equally, despite differences in the rate at which they achieve vascular patency, their durations of action, and the extent to which their use is associated with adverse events. The questions of how best to minimize reocclusion/reinfarction, bleeding, and stroke are discussed, with particular focus on the beneficial use of aspirin and the unresolved issue of how best to use heparin."}
{"id": "PMID:1471602", "title": "Cholesterol-lowering drugs as cardioprotective agents.", "content": "A detailed overview of the various forms of hyperlipidemia/dyslipidemia that constitute a major risk factor for coronary heart disease and a detailed discussion of the various types of cholesterol-lowering drugs are presented. The importance of identifying the type of dyslipidemia with respect to the choice of treatment is emphasized, as is the use of nonpharmacologic intervention, i.e., diet, exercise, and weight loss. The appropriate use and benefits of bile acid sequestrants, nicotinic acid, fibric acids, 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitors, and probucol are individually discussed, whereas nonpharmacologic approaches used in conjunction with the drugs are recommended emphatically."}
{"id": "PMID:1471603", "title": "A view from Europe.", "content": "The pharmacologic approach to coronary protection, defined here as the prevention or delay of sudden death and myocardial infarction (without negatively affecting noncardiac mortality), is critically discussed. The value of pharmacologically treating mild hypertension and mild hypercholesterolemia is questioned, and the need for well-designed, randomized clinical trials with definitive endpoints to determine a drug's cardioprotective capability is emphasized. Based on such studies, it is concluded that some (but perhaps not all) beta-receptor antagonists as well as aspirin have been shown to protect against sudden cardiac death. Trials of thiazide diuretics, calcium antagonists, and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors have not shown a reduction in sudden cardiac death, despite having individual benefits with respect to other aspects of cardiovascular disease. The demonstration that some beta blockers are cardioprotective is discussed in terms of the pathophysiology of sudden cardiac death, and differences in the pharmacokinetic profiles of individual agents."}
{"id": "PMID:1471604", "title": "Calcium antagonists as cardioprotective agents.", "content": "The potential role that calcium antagonists play toward enhancing cardioprotection is discussed, while recognizing that they are much more heterogeneous than other classes of antihypertensive or antianginal agents. Similarities and differences between the mechanisms of action and clinical effects of individual drugs are discussed. Among these is the ability of some of them to reduce left ventricular hypertrophy rapidly while simultaneously and uniquely increasing right ventricular wall thickness. Although the clinical importance of this as a potential cardioprotective effect is undetermined, the renal protective effect of some calcium antagonists is discussed in detail."}
{"id": "PMID:1471606", "title": "The anti-tumor effect of a small polypeptide from Coriolus versicolor (SPCV).", "content": "A new small polypeptide was isolated from the crude extraction of polysaccharide peptide of Coriolus versicolor (Cov-1) by HPLC and CIEF. It has a smaller molecular weight (10K) compared with that of PSP (100K) and was named small peptide of Coriolus versicolor, SPCV. It was found that SPCV possesses potent cytotoxic effect on human tumor cell lines of HL-60, LS174-T, SMMU-7721, and SCG-7901. The IC50 of SPCV on HL-60 was 30 micrograms/ml. The inhibition rates of leukemia cells and SCG-7901 were significantly higher in SPCV treated group than that in PSP and PSK groups. SPCV also has immunopotentiating effect as it increased WBC and IgG levels. Pretreatment of SPCV for two weeks decreased the incidence of tumor mass in nude mice inoculated with tumor cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1471607", "title": "Immunomodulatory activity of various fractions derived from Physalis angulata L extract.", "content": "The immunomodulatory effects of Physalis angulata L. extract fraction VII (PA-VII), PA-VII-A, PA-VII-B and PA-VII-C were investigated in this study. The results showed that PA-VII and PA-VII-C strongly enhanced blastogenesis response, PA-VII-B had moderate activity, and PA-VII-A exerted only slight effect on cell proliferation. A synergistic effect was observed when the suboptimal dosage of phytohemagglutinin (PHA) or lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was added to the culture. Furthermore, PA-VII and PA-VII-C possessed stimulatory activity on B cells and less effect on T cells. The antibody responses were also augmented by PA-VII, PA-VII-B and PA-VII-C, but not by PA-VII-A. The enhancement of antibody response could be observed both in BALB/c and C3H/HeJ mice."}
{"id": "PMID:1471608", "title": "Pharmacological actions of \"kyushin,\" a drug containing toad venom: cardiotonic and arrhythmogenic effects, and excitatory effect on respiration.", "content": "The cardiotonic and arrhythmogenic effects, and the excitatory effect on respiration of \"Kyushin,\" a drug containing toad venom, were studied in comparison with those of digoxin. In anesthetized rabbits, the maximum rate of rise of left ventricular systolic pressure (max dP/dt) was measured as an index of cardiotonic effect, and the respiratory flow was measured as an index of respiratory function. Intraduodenal (i.d.) administration of 80 mg/kg \"Kyushin\" produced a cardiotonic effect and an excitatory effect on respiration, but i.d. administration of 16 mg/kg digoxin produced only a cardiotonic effect, and conversely inhibited respiration. In anesthetized open-chest guinea pigs, myocardial contractile force was measured as an index of cardiotonic effect and the arrhythmogenic effect was evaluated from the appearance of arrhythmic myocardial contraction. By i.d. administration of a 20% ethanol suspension or solution, \"Kyushin\" and digoxin showed a cardiotonic activity with doses higher than 40 mg/kg and 0.25 mg/kg, respectively. The arrhythmogenic doses of \"Kyushin\" and digoxin by i.d. administration were 2560 mg/kg and 2 mg/kg, respectively, suggesting that the safety margin of \"Kyushin\" is broader than that of digoxin."}
{"id": "PMID:1471609", "title": "Pharmacological and pathological studies on hepatic protective crude drugs from Taiwan (V): The effects of Bombax malabarica and Scutellaria rivularis.", "content": "Bombax malabarica DC and Scutellaria rivularis B. were extracted in boiling water and concentrated into 1g/ml solution to investigate their hepatoprotective effect. Carbon tertrachloride (CCL4) was injected into rat subcutaneously with a dose of 3.0 ml/kg to induce experimental acute hepatotoxicity in the animal. The activities of serum glumtamic-oxaloacetic transaminase (SGOT) and serum glutamicpyruvic transaminase (SGPT) were measured after 72 hours of CCL4 administration. The hepatopathological changes of the liver tissue were observed simultaneously with liver enzyme activities determination. The pharmacological effect of B. malabarica and S. rivularis of Taiwan was compared with that of the Bupleurum chinense from mainland China. B malabarica (p < 0.001), S. rivularis (p < 0.001) and B. chinense (p < 0.05) all demonstrated a significant reduction in the CCL4-induced SGOT and SGPT. Pathological studies of these three drugs extracts demonstrated a marked hepato-protective effects on CCL4-induced liver fatty degeneration and cell necrosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1471610", "title": "Effects of Tokishakuyakusan, Keishibukuryogan and Unkeito on DNA polymerase alpha activity in PMS-treated immature rat uterus incubated in vitro.", "content": "We have recently found that Tokishakuyakusan (TS), Keishibukuryogan (KB) or Unkeito (UT) inhibits in vivo DNA polymerase alpha activity in the rat uterus stimulated by PMS. In this study, uteri resected 24 h after injection of PMS on day 27 of age were incubated in vitro with 20 micrograms/ml of extract of TS, KB or UT for 4 h. The DNA polymerase alpha activity in uteri tended to decrease after the addition of TS, KB or UT with significant difference (P < 0.05) compared with TS-, KB- and UT-untreated control groups. These results suggest that TS, KB or UT, especially KB, tends to inhibit directly the enzyme activity in rat uterus."}
{"id": "PMID:1471611", "title": "Crude drugs used for the treatment of diabetes mellitus in Taiwan.", "content": "A survey of hypoglycemic effective crude drugs in the market in Taiwan revealed 24 species of crude drug prescriptions, 34 kinds of crude drugs derived from 48 species of medicinal plants belonging to 25 families, all concerned with the treatment of diabetes mellitus. This paper updates a list of anti-diabetic crude drugs used as a remedy for the treatment of diabetes mellitus in Taiwan by means of ethnobotanical and pharmacological studies. Results showed that many of these crude drugs have hypoglycemic effects. Further investigation will be made."}
{"id": "PMID:1471612", "title": "Pyrrolizidine alkaloid composition of three Chinese medicinal herbs, Eupatorium cannabinum, E. japonicum and Crotalaria assamica.", "content": "The pyrrolizidine alkaloid composition of three Chinese herbs, \"pei lan\", \"cheng gan cao\" and \"zi xiao rong,\" identified respectively as Eupatorium cannabinum, Eupatorium japonicum (Compositae) and Crotalaria assamica (Leguminosae), were studied by fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry and gas chromatography-electron impact mass spectrometry. Viridiflorine, cynaustraline, amabiline, supinine, echinatine, rinderine and isomers of these alkaloids were found in the Eupatorium species. Monocrotaline was the only pyrrolizidine alkaloid detected in the Crotalaria species."}
{"id": "PMID:1471613", "title": "Astragalus membranaceus stimulates human sperm motility in vitro.", "content": "Poor sperm motility is an important cause of male infertility. In an attempt to identify Chinese medicinal herbs that might improve human sperm motility in vitro, we screened water extracts of 18 herbs with a trans-membrane migration method which measured the percentage of sperm that moved across the 5 micron pores of a Nucleopore membrane from a semen-drug mixture into phosphate buffered saline during 2 hours incubation. Astragalus membranaceus was the only herb that showed a significant stimulatory effect. At 10 mg/ml, it increased the motility of sperm in semen to 146.6 +/- 22.6% of control. It also increased the motility of washed sperm to 138.2 +/- 13.8% of control. Purification of the active component(s) from this herb as well as its application in assisted reproduction technology await further investigation."}
{"id": "PMID:1471614", "title": "The effect of Ninjinyoeito on Werner's syndrome skin fibroblasts.", "content": "The effect of Ninjinyoeito on three cases of Werner's syndrome fibroblasts was investigated. In all three cases, groups which were treated with Ninjinyoeito showed improved life-span doubling levels compared to groups which were not treated with Ninjinyoeito. Also, all of the treated group in all three cases showed significantly higher values in the rates of DNA synthesis including two cases which showed significantly higher rates of protein synthesis."}
{"id": "PMID:1471615", "title": "Pharmacotherapeutic effects of kuei-chih-fu-ling-wan (keishi-bukuryo-gan) on human uterine myomas.", "content": "Kuei-chih-fu-ling-wan (Keishi-bukuryo-gan; KBG), a traditional Chinese herbal remedy contains five components: bark of Cinnamomum cassia Bl. (Lauraceae), root of Paeonia lactiflora Pall. (Paeoniaceae), seed of Prunus persica Batsch. or P. persiba Batsch.var.davidiana Maxim. (Rosaceae), carpophores of Poria cocos Wolf. (Polyporaceae), and root bark of Paeonia suffruticosa Andr. (Paeoniaceae). This prescription has been frequently used in the treatment of gynecological disorders such as hypermenorrhea, dysmenorrhea and sterility. We previously reported that KBG might act as a LH-RH antagonist and a weak anti-estrogen on the uterine DNA synthesis in immature rats. In the present study, we investigated the effects of KBG on 110 premenopausal patients with uterine myomas. Clinical symptoms of hypermenorrhea and dysmenorrhea were improved in more than 90% of the cases with shrinking of uterine myomas in roughly 60% of the cases."}
{"id": "PMID:1471616", "title": "A case report of Moyamoya disease: successfully treated with Chinese medicine.", "content": "The incidence of Willis' ring obstruction (Moyamoya disease) in Japan is higher than in Europe and North America. The therapeutic technique usually employed is either surgery or Western drug treatment. But these methods are still not satisfactory. We attempted to apply Chinese medicinal treatment to a patient with Moyamoya disease. This patient was referred to our department because of the ineffectiveness of Western drug treatment. The patient made satisfactory progress with Gui-Zhi-Fu-Ling-Wan and Xiao-Xu-Ming-Tang. We also noticed the improvement of the \"stagnated blood condition.\" Whole blood viscosity was decreased and the blood flow rate in the bulbar conjunctiva was increased."}
{"id": "PMID:1471617", "title": "Acupuncture in gonarthrotic pain--\"Bachmann's knee program\".", "content": "In a retrospective study 35 patients with gonarthrotic pain were treated with acupuncture at the outpatient unit of the Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care in the University of Vienna. The subjective effectiveness of the treatment using a standard method on the knee demonstrated that patients reported an explicit improvement of their ailments. Therefore, we can unreservedly recommend this program, which was only augmented through additive \"locus dolendi\" treatment if indicated."}
{"id": "PMID:1471618", "title": "Acupuncture and the nervous system.", "content": "Acupuncture is based on neuroanatomy and neurophysiology. At each acupuncture point, there are peripheral nerves and terminals. Acupuncture will be useful for further understanding of the nervous system. A conceptual view of acupuncture's physiology is presented."}
{"id": "PMID:1471635", "title": "Changing relationship between pharmacists and physicians.", "content": "The changing professional relationship between pharmacists and physicians in the United States from the beginning of the nineteenth century to the present is described. Throughout the nineteenth century, physicians intruded heavily on the pharmacist's domain, and medicine often viewed pharmacy with condescension. Toward the century's end, pharmacists gained more respect and recognition as the medical and pharmaceutical sciences grew and physicians found themselves relying on pharmacists. Hundreds of years of friction were not easily forgotten, though, and the two professions continued to hurl charges and countercharges and vie for power. With the emergence of the pharmacist as a full member of the health-care team and the crush of medical information in the twentieth century, greater cooperation is occurring, although irritations persist, especially in the areas of physician dispensing and therapeutic interchange. Improvements in the relationship between pharmacists and physicians were driven by growth in their fields and the trend toward specialization. As tensions ease, patient care should benefit."}
{"id": "PMID:1471636", "title": "Prospective physician review of orders for colony-stimulating factors.", "content": "A program is described in which physicians prospectively review orders for the use of colony-stimulating factors (CSFs) at a tertiary-care private teaching hospital. Hospital officers and administrators and the heads of medical subspecialties were presented with three options for managing the use of CSFs. Prospective review by physicians was selected, and a task force of medical subspecialists was established to develop criteria for use and to review orders. Initially, every order was prospectively reviewed, but criteria were developed under which some orders do not require physician review. CSF use is documented retrospectively by a drug-use evaluation pharmacist and reviewed for appropriateness by the physician task force. Between March and October 1991, 115 patients were given courses of CSFs, and the use of the physician review system resulted in appropriate use of the drugs for 98% of the oncology patients and 61% of the patients infected with the human immunodeficiency virus. The prospective physician reviewer system has been accepted by the medical staff at the facility and has helped to ensure appropriate use of CSFs."}
{"id": "PMID:1471637", "title": "Peer review as a quality assurance mechanism in three pharmacist-run medication-refill clinics.", "content": "A peer-review system for monitoring pharmacists' practice in medication-refill clinics is described. Pharmacist practitioners trained in pharmacology, therapeutics, and physical assessment provide services in three medication-refill clinics associated with a 350-bed Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical center. The clinics serve patients who have exhausted their prescribed drugs before their next appointment with a physician. During a clinic visit, the pharmacist assesses the patient and the drug therapy and either consults an attending physician or writes new prescriptions. The pharmacist documents his or her activities in the medical record. The peer-review mechanism involves quarterly audits in which the chart notes written by the pharmacists are reviewed by other pharmacists. Five indicators of the quality of care are used in the peer reviews. The results are presented to the ambulatory-care and quality assurance pharmacy committees for analysis and discussion. The peer-review system has resulted in better compliance by the pharmacists with the quality indicators and clinic procedures, suggesting that the quality of care has also benefited. Peer review is used successfully to evaluate and monitor the care provided by pharmacists in medication-refill clinics associated with a VA medical center."}
{"id": "PMID:1471638", "title": "Obtaining drugs from foreign markets.", "content": "Guidelines are presented for pharmacist coordination of the importation for use by institutionalized patients of drugs not currently approved by the FDA. A prerequisite for importation of foreign drugs is that traditional therapies have failed or are not an option. Steps that are required for drug importation and administration include completing an investigational new-drug application, obtaining institutional review board approval, obtaining informed consent, contacting a customs broker or the local FDA district import program manager, arranging for drug shipment, and documenting receipt and administration of the drug. Conditions are described under which portions of this process may be waived. By helping to ensure compliance with FDA requirements, pharmacists can expedite drug importation for institutionalized patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1471639", "title": "Computer-based patient simulations: hospital pharmacists' performance and opinions.", "content": "The performance of pharmacists in using an interactive computer-based patient simulation program and their attitudes toward the simulations are reported. The Institutional Patient Medication Simulation program is designed to enhance and evaluate the medication problem-solving skills of pharmacists. Each simulation consists of patient data-gathering, case question, and therapy decision modules with initial assessment and monitoring nodes. Five simulations were tested: gout, urinary-tract infection, congestive heart failure, antimicrobial prophylaxis in surgery, and hypertension. Pharmacists from nine hospitals were recruited for the study. Participants were asked to perform the simulations within a specified period and to complete attitudinal questionnaires. Of the 91 pharmacists who volunteered, 72 (79%) completed the simulations and the questionnaires. The practitioners indicated that the simulations adequately tested their knowledge and that they would recommend them to colleagues. Performance scores for data gathering were less than 70%, with no significant differences among the simulations. Case question scores exceeded 80% and again were consistent among simulations, whereas therapy decision scores were more variable, with the lowest scores being recorded for antimicrobial-related simulations. Pharmacists with more hospital experience tended to perform better. Pharmacists completing a patient simulation program found the simulations to be worthwhile. Performance scores indicated some difficulty in gathering patient data and showed that correct therapeutic decisions may not always occur even if adequate information is obtained."}
{"id": "PMID:1471640", "title": "Investigational drug information through a hospitalwide computer system.", "content": "A hospitalwide computer system that combines protocol-specific information on investigational drugs with order entry is described. A large university teaching hospital had in place a computerized clinical information system. Among other uses, physicians used the system for direct entry of total parenteral nutrient solution orders and associated laboratory tests; labels are produced automatically. Personnel from the pharmacy and information services departments met to discuss how to apply the computer system to investigational drug information. The application they designed has three components: protocol information, order entry, and patient monitoring. Protocol information, including all the standard drug data plus regulatory and investigator information, is displayed as a report on the user's terminal. The order-entry pathway allows the research pharmacist to predesign medication labels that are specific to each study and include all required information. This saves time, ensures accurate labeling, and provides a means for generating patient charges. The patient-monitoring component provides information to the research pharmacist in a daily report to assist in locating subject patients and to monitor compliance with protocols. The system has improved the access of health-care professionals to investigational drug information and decreased the time pharmacists spend dispensing these agents. The system has been well received, although up to three weeks is needed to bring the information online. A hospitalwide information system is effective in disseminating information on investigational drugs and facilitating order entry."}
{"id": "PMID:1471641", "title": "Fat emulsion particle-size distribution in total nutrient admixtures.", "content": "The fat particle-size distribution in and physical stability of two commercially available lipid emulsions before and after their use in total nutrient admixtures (TNAs) are reported. Four TNAs without electrolytes and four TNAs with electrolytes were prepared; each type of TNA was prepared with Liposyn II and with Intralipid. Particle size was measured in the < 1-micron range by using photon correlation spectroscopy and in the 2-60-microns range by using light blockage. Admixtures with or without electrolytes were stored for two or nine days at 4 degrees C followed by one day at 25 degrees C. For the fraction of fat particles of < 1 micron in diameter, Intralipid and Liposyn II had a mean particle size of 374 and 313 nm, respectively. The admixtures containing electrolytes showed a decrease in mean particle size of about 7%. Admixtures with Intralipid contained 2 x 10(7) particles larger than 2 microns per milliliter (1.7% of total fat), compared with 1 x 10(6) particles per milliliter (0.05-0.15% of total fat) for admixtures with Liposyn II. The addition of electrolytes increased the particle counts for Liposyn II-containing admixtures. Upon storage, Intralipid-containing admixtures with electrolytes showed an initial increase followed by a decrease in the mean diameter of particles of < 1 micron. All the admixtures were stable in terms of pH and visual appearance. Intralipid-containing admixtures with electrolytes showed a decrease in the number of particles in the 2-60-microns size range, while Liposyn II-containing admixtures with electrolytes showed an increase.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1471642", "title": "Stability of ceftazidime (with arginine) and of cefuroxime sodium in infusion-pump reservoirs.", "content": "The stability of ceftazidime (with arginine) and cefuroxime sodium was studied after storage in infusion-pump reservoirs at freezing and refrigerated temperatures and subsequent simulated administration over 24 hours at near-body temperature. Polyvinyl chloride reservoirs and glass vials were filled with ceftazidime (with arginine) or cefuroxime sodium at various concentrations, diluted in sterile water. Three reservoirs each of ceftazidime 30 and 60 mg/mL and of cefuroxime 22.5, 30, 45, and 60 mg/mL were stored for various times and at various temperatures. Three glass vials each of ceftazidime or cefuroxime 30 and 60 mg/mL were stored for 30 days at -20 degrees C, followed by 4 days at 3 degrees C and 24 hours at 30 degrees C. Samples obtained periodically during storage and during simulated administration were analyzed with high-performance liquid chromatography. Both drugs maintained at least 90% of their initial concentration under all of the test conditions except simulated administration at 30 degrees C, during which degradation accelerated. In portable infusion-pump reservoirs, ceftazidime 30 and 60 mg/mL and cefuroxime 30 and 60 mg/mL were stable for 30 days at -20 degrees C followed by 4 days at 3 degrees C; ceftazidime 30 and 60 mg/mL was stable for 10 days at 3 degrees C; and cefuroxime 22.5 and 45 mg/mL was stable for 7 days at 3 degrees C. However, the drugs may need to be administered over less than 24 hours when the pump reservoir is worn on the patient's body."}
{"id": "PMID:1471643", "title": "Stability of ceftazidime in plastic syringes and glass vials under various storage conditions.", "content": "The stability of ceftazidime solutions (100 and 200 mg/mL) in plastic syringes and glass vials under various storage conditions was examined. Solutions of ceftazidime 100 and 200 mg/mL in sterile water were placed in polypropylene plastic syringes or glass vials and stored (1) at 21-23 degrees C for up to 8 hours, (2) at 4 degrees C for up to 96 hours, (3) at -20 degrees C for 28 days and then 21-23 degrees C for up to 8 hours, (4) at -20 degrees C for 28 days and then 4 degrees C for up to 96 hours, (5) at -20 degrees C for 91 days and then 21-23 degrees C for up to 8 hours, or (6) at-20 degrees C for 91 days and then 4 degrees C for up to 96 hours. Samples were withdrawn from each syringe and vial at designated times and assayed by high-performance liquid chromatography. Solutions were judged to be stable if drug concentrations remained above 90% of the initial values. The number of particles in each container under each storage condition was also evaluated. Ceftazidime was stable under all storage conditions. In all containers, particulate matter was within USP specifications for small-volume injections, with no change in particle count as a result of the freezing and thawing. Ceftazidime in sterile water in either glass vials or plastic syringes is stable for 8 hours at room temperature or 96 hours at 4 degrees C when such storage occurs (1) immediately after constitution, (2) after 28 days of frozen storage, or (3) after 91 days of frozen storage."}
{"id": "PMID:1471644", "title": "Stability of ranitidine hydrochloride with aztreonam, ceftazidime, or piperacillin sodium during simulated Y-site administration.", "content": "The stability of ranitidine hydrochloride after being mixed with commonly used i.v. beta-lactam antibiotics and administered by simulated Y-site injection was studied. Solutions of ranitidine 1 mg/mL (as the hydrochloride salt), aztreonam 16.7 mg/mL, ceftazidime 20 mg/mL (with sodium carbonate), and piperacillin 30 mg/mL (as the sodium salt) were prepared by reconstitution in i.v. mini-bags. To simulate Y-site injection, 2 mL of ranitidine hydrochloride was mixed with 2 mL of each antibiotic in glass test tubes. These admixtures were prepared in triplicate and stored at room temperature under fluorescent light. Concentrations of each drug in each admixture were determined by stability-indicating high-performance liquid chromatography immediately and after one, two, and four hours. Aztreonam, ceftazidime, and piperacillin each retained more than 95% of the original concentration for at least four hours when mixed 1:1 with ranitidine. Ranitidine retained more than 90% of its original concentration for at least four hours when combined with each of the other drugs. Ranitidine 1 mg/mL (as the hydrochloride salt) and aztreonam 16.7 mg/mL, ceftazidime 20 mg/mL (with sodium carbonate), or piperacillin 30 mg/mL (as the sodium salt) were stable for at least four hours during simulated Y-site administration."}
{"id": "PMID:1471654", "title": "Association of intrauterine fetal growth retardation and learning deficits at age 9 to 11 years.", "content": "We examined the association of fetal and newborn complications, socioeconomic status, and home environment with learning deficits as assessed between 9 and 11 years of age. A total of 218 high-risk newborns have been assessed at 1, 4, and 9 to 11 years of age. Fetal and newborn complications included 77 newborns with growth retardation. Socioeconomic variables included parental occupation and education. Outcome measures at 9 to 11 years included the Woodcock Reading Mastery Test and the Wide Range Achievement Test. Motor and cognitive development was assessed by a neurologic examination, the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency, and the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children. Behavior was assessed with the Achenbach Child Behavior Check List and Connor's Teacher Rating Scale. Learning deficits were identified in 77 of the 218 children (35%). Children with learning deficits had lower full-scale IQ scores and behavioral problems of inattention and anxiety. Both fetal growth retardation and the father's occupation score were independently associated with these learning deficits. Fetal growth retardation, socioeconomic status, and behavioral characteristics of inattention and anxiety are associated with less favourable academic achievement at 9 to 11 years of age."}
{"id": "PMID:1471655", "title": "Asphyxial complications in the term newborn with severe umbilical acidemia.", "content": "Our purpose was to determine the relationship of umbilical acid-base status and Apgar score to neonatal asphyxial sequelae in infants with severe acidemia (pH < 7.00). The obstetric and neonatal course of 129 term, nonanomalous singleton infants with umbilical pH < 7.00 was reviewed. There were three stillbirths (failed resuscitation). Seventy-two of 126 (57%) were admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit. Thirty-eight percent had pulmonary dysfunction, 26% renal dysfunction, 31% cardiac dysfunction, and 31% hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (seizures and hypotonia, n = 29; seizures only, n = 3; hypotonia only, n = 10). There were five neonatal deaths. In 109 cases umbilical arterial values were available, and among these infants there was a significant increase in the incidence of seizures with declining pH from 9% (5/57), with a pH of 6.90 to 6.99, to 80% (8/10), with a pH of 6.61 to 6.70. Respiratory acidemia (PCO2 > 65, base deficit < 10) was identified in 28 of 109 (26%), all but six occurring in the pH range above 6.90. Compared with infants with comparable umbilical artery pH, infants with respiratory acidemia did not differ significantly with respect to asphyxial end-organ injury in general (8/35 vs 6/22), but there was a trend toward a lower incidence of hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (6/35 vs 1/22, p = 0.06). All infants with definite abnormal outcome (five neonatal deaths and 10 severe neurologic deficit) had seizures, hypotonia, and at least one other organ system dysfunction. Twenty-four of 29 infants (83%) who developed seizures had a 5-minute Apgar score < 7, but only 12 of 29 (41%) had a 5-minute Apgar score of < or = 3. Two infants with Apgar scores of 6 and 7 at 5 minutes and no evidence of nonasphyxial comorbidity subsequently manifested profound neurologic deficit. Infants with severe umbilical acidemia can be separated with regard to risk of hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy and abnormal neurologic outcome by consideration of the severity and composition of the acidemia and evidence of other end-organ dysfunction. Even in this pH range the Apgar score is not highly predictive of asphyxial complications."}
{"id": "PMID:1471656", "title": "Morbidity of failed labor in patients with prior cesarean section.", "content": "The aim of our study was to determine whether the reported increased morbidity associated with failed attempted vaginal birth after cesarean section is attributable to the presence of a uterine scar alone or to labor preceding a cesarean section. Primiparous women (N = 237) who underwent repeat cesarean section after a failed trial of vaginal birth after cesarean section were retrospectively compared with 1582 nulliparous women who underwent a primary cesarean section after a failed trial of labor. There were no significant differences in maternal or neonatal morbidity between the two groups except for an increase in the prevalence of thin meconium in patients undergoing primary cesarean section. Our results suggest that the presence of a previous cesarean section scar does not increase the overall baseline morbidity associated with cesarean section after labor."}
{"id": "PMID:1471657", "title": "Effect of recreational exercise on midtrimester placental growth.", "content": "The purpose of our study was to test the hypothesis that regular recreational exercise increases the rate of growth in placental volume in the midtrimester of human pregnancy. Serial measurements of placental volume were obtained between the fourteenth and twenty-sixth gestational week in 18 subjects who exercised regularly throughout the midtrimester and in 16 matched controls with an ultrasonographic system equipped with a fixed-base, articulated-arm, 3.5 MHz B-mode transducer. Placental volumes were significantly greater in the women who maintained a regular exercise regimen throughout the midtrimester. At 16 weeks (mean +/- SD) volumes were 141 +/- 34 cm3 and 106 +/- 18 cm3 in the two groups. This difference increased at 20 weeks (265 +/- 67 cm3 vs 186 +/- 46 cm3) and again at 24 (410 +/- 87 cm3 vs 270 +/- 58 cm3) weeks' gestation because of a significant between-group difference in the rate of growth in placental volume over this time interval (34 +/- 8 cm3/wk vs 21 +/- cm3/wk). We conclude that the hypothesis is correct and speculate that the change in growth rate represents an adaptive response to the intermittent stimulus of a reduction in regional blood flow."}
{"id": "PMID:1471658", "title": "Rapid prenatal diagnosis by fluorescent in situ hybridization of chorionic villi: an adjunct to long-term culture and karyotype.", "content": "This series was designed to assess in a pilot study the feasibility of using fluorescence in situ hybridization on chorionic villi. We constructed probes derived from specific subregions of human chromosomes 21, 18, 13, X, and Y that give a single copylike signal when used in conjunction with suppression hybridization. In a blind series of 47 samples all, including one trisomy 21, were correctly identified. The samples were correctly classified as disomic for five chromosomes. The combination of chromosome-specific probe sets composed primarily of cosmid contigs and optimized hybridization and detection allowed accurate chromosome enumeration in uncultured human chorionic villi; these results are consistent with those obtained by traditional cytogenetic analysis and suggest a use for fluorescence in situ hybridization as an adjunct to karyotyping when rapid results are needed."}
{"id": "PMID:1471659", "title": "The smaller than expected first-trimester fetus is at increased risk for chromosome anomalies.", "content": "Intrauterine growth retardation associated with fetal chromosome anomalies is usually documented on ultrasonography late in the second trimester. However, we believe and attempt to document here that the impact of aneuploidy on fetal growth is evident much earlier (i.e., the aneuploid fetus may appear smaller than dates on ultrasonography even in the first trimester). For the population referred to our center for chorionic villus sampling from January 1988 to July 1991, we compared gestational age as calculated from the last menstrual period to that derived from fetal size as measured by crown-rump length. A cutoff of 7 days was chosen to select the study group. The remainder of our chorionic villus sampling population in which fetal size was expected was used as controls. We also divided those chorionic villus sampling patients by when a fetal death was observed by size. In the study period 3194 chorionic villus sampling procedures were performed and in 277 (8.7%) fetal length was smaller than expected by at least 7 days. Sixty (1.9%) chromosome anomalies were diagnosed by first trimester chorionic villus sampling in the study period. The frequency of chromosome anomalies was 4.3% in the study group and 1.7% in controls (p < 0.004). The more aberrant the karyotype on \"postmortem chorionic villus sampling,\" the greater the growth retardation tended to be. In our chorionic villus sampling population a fetal crown-rump length smaller than dates is associated with a significant increase in risk of chromosome anomalies. Moreover, the larger the size-dates discrepancy, the higher the possibility that the aneuploidy affecting that pregnancy is of the severe or lethal type."}
{"id": "PMID:1471660", "title": "Measurement of amniotic fluid volume: accuracy of ultrasonography techniques.", "content": "Our purpose was to determine amniotic fluid volume by the dye-dilution technique and compare it with the amniotic fluid index, largest vertical pocket, and two-diameter pocket (defined as vertical x horizontal of the largest vertical pocket). This prospective study involved 40 women undergoing amniocentesis in late pregnancy to detect fetal lung maturity or evidence of chorioamnionitis. The amniotic fluid volume was quantified ultrasonographically by means of the amniotic fluid index, largest vertical pocket, and two-diameter pocket. During amniocentesis the fluid volume was calculated by the dye-dilution technique of Charles and Jacoby. Ultrasonographic measurements by amniotic fluid index, largest vertical pocket, and two-diameter pocket correctly predicted normal amniotic fluid and hydramnios (74%). A new measurement, two-diameter pocket, gave a significantly more accurate estimate of oligohydramnios than did amniotic fluid index (p < 0.002) or largest vertical pocket (p < 0.0003). All three indices are moderately accurate in identifying normal amniotic fluid volume and hydramnios. Two-diameter pocket is the most accurate test to predict oligohydramnios."}
{"id": "PMID:1471661", "title": "Hepatic histopathologic condition does not correlate with laboratory abnormalities in HELLP syndrome (hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, and low platelet count)", "content": "Our objective was to categorize the histologic findings in the liver in patients with HELLP syndrome (hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, and low platelet count) and to correlate these findings with the severity of clinical laboratory abnormalities. Eleven patients with laboratory criteria for HELLP syndrome who required cesarean delivery underwent needle biopsy of the liver under direct visualization. Eight patients had periportal hemorrhage, and six had fibrin deposition. Fatty infiltration was seen in four, one with large-droplet fat, three with microvesicular fat. There was no statistically significant correlation between the severity of the histologic findings of periportal hemorrhage and fibrin deposition and the clinical laboratory findings. Fatty infiltration did not correlate with the severity of the HELLP syndrome's histologic condition, but, in contrast, did correlate with thrombocytopenia and aminotransferase elevations. Laboratory abnormalities do not accurately reflect the severity of the underlying histopathologic condition in HELLP syndrome. We propose that all patients with HELLP syndrome, regardless of the degree of their laboratory abnormalities, be treated aggressively, primarily with delivery."}
{"id": "PMID:1471662", "title": "The immunoglobulin G fraction from plasma containing antiphospholipid antibodies causes increased placental thromboxane production.", "content": "Our objective was to evaluate whether the immunoglobulin G fraction from plasma containing high levels of antiphospholipid antibodies alters the production of prostacyclin or thromboxane when incubated with normal human placental tissue. The immunoglobulin G fraction was prepared from the pooled plasma of five volunteers with normal obstetric histories and no antiphospholipid antibodies. The immunoglobulin G fraction was prepared similarly from a patient with the antiphospholipid antibody syndrome. Doses of these immunoglobulin G fractions ranging from 0.3 to 3.0 mg were incubated with placental explants obtained from eight normal pregnancies, and prostacyclin and thromboxane production was assessed over 48 hours. Placental prostacyclin production was unaltered by incubation with either immunoglobulin G fraction at any of the doses tested. Placental thromboxane production tripled by 32 hours with the addition of 0.6, 1.5, and 3.0 mg of the antiphospholipid antibody fraction (p < 0.05) compared with baseline production but was unaltered by the addition of the normal pooled plasma fraction at any dose. The increase in thromboxane production with antiphospholipid antibody immunoglobulin G appeared to be dose related. The immunoglobulin G fraction prepared from plasma containing antiphospholipid antibodies caused increased placental thromboxane production without altering prostacyclin production."}
{"id": "PMID:1471663", "title": "The effect of magnesium sulfate on maternal retinal blood flow in preeclampsia: a randomized placebo-controlled study.", "content": "Our purpose was to determine the effect of a 6 gm intravenous bolus of magnesium sulfate on maternal retinal blood flow velocity waveforms in patients with preeclampsia. Twenty-two patients were randomized to two groups and were studied with color flow Doppler before and immediately after infusion of either 6 gm of magnesium sulfate or placebo. The central retinal and posterior ciliary arteries were studied. Magnesium sulfate significantly reduced the pulsatility index (p < 0.005) in both vessels (change in pulsatility index = 0.26 +/- 0.23 for central retinal and -0.22 +/- 0.15 for posterior ciliary) when compared with placebo (change in pulsatility index = 0.02 +/- 0.10 for central retinal and -0.03 +/- 0.09 for posterior ciliary). These data suggest that magnesium sulfate dilates the vessels distal to the central retinal and posterior ciliary arteries. Changes in pulsatility index in the retinal arteries may be indicative of similar changes in other cerebral vessels."}
{"id": "PMID:1471664", "title": "Effect of magnesium sulfate on plasma endothelin-1 levels in normal and preeclamptic pregnancies.", "content": "We attempted to determine the effects of magnesium sulfate on: (1) endothelin-1 concentration in preeclampsia, preterm labor, and term pregnancy and (2) endothelin-1 release from human umbilical cord endothelial cells. Plasma samples were prospectively collected from eight women with preeclampsia, six preterm labor patients, and eight term patients undergoing external cephalic version before and 2 hours after magnesium sulfate infusion. Supernatants were collected from human umbilical cord endothelial cells exposed to magnesium sulfate and controls. All samples were assayed with a specific radioimmunoassay for endothelin-1. Paired Student t test and analysis of variance were used for statistical analysis. Magnesium sulfate infusion in preeclampsia lowered endothelin-1 levels compared with preinfusion values (6.6 +/- 3.81 before and 4.75 +/- 2.28 after infusion, p < 0.02). Magnesium sulfate did not have an effect on endothelin-1 concentration in preterm and term pregnancies. Magnesium sulfate did not alter the endothelin-1 release from human umbilical cord endothelial cells. A significant reduction of endothelin-1 plasma levels after magnesium sulfate therapy is limited to preeclampsia. In contrast, this lowering effect was not exhibited in women without preeclampsia or in normal endothelial cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1471665", "title": "Correlation of nocturnal increase in plasma oxytocin with a decrease in plasma estradiol/progesterone ratio in late pregnancy.", "content": "Our purpose was to determine whether plasma oxytocin concentrations show a daily rhythm. Ten women between 37 and 39 weeks of gestation volunteered for the study. They were admitted 1 to 2 days before the experiment. Three blood samples were taken with 2-minute intervals each time, at 8 AM, 4 PM, and 12 midnight. Oxytocin, 17 beta-estradiol, progesterone, and cortisol were measured by radioimmunoassay with highly specific antibodies. Statistical analysis of variance by Friedman's test was followed by multiple range testing, and p < 0.05 was considered significant. Significant daily rhythm was found for plasma cortisol, progesterone, and oxytocin and for the estradiol/progesterone ratio. Oxytocin showed a nocturnal peak and a strong negative correlation with the estradiol/progesterone ratio. The daily rhythm in plasma oxytocin parallels the rhythm in uterine activity (shown by others), suggesting a causal relationship between the two. Both may in turn be related to the ratio of circulating estradiol and progesterone."}
{"id": "PMID:1471666", "title": "Lack of normal increase in saliva estriol/progesterone ratio in women with labor induced at 42 weeks' gestation.", "content": "Saliva specimens were collected approximately every 6 hours from day 280 to day 294 by 16 women who labored on day 294. There was a normal rise in the mean saliva estriol/progesterone ratio in the six who went into labor spontaneously but no change in the 10 whose labor was induced."}
{"id": "PMID:1471667", "title": "HLA-DQ beta 57 in Hispanic patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.", "content": "The purpose of our study was to investigate the distribution of HLA-DQ beta-chain amino acid residue 57 (HLA-DQ beta 57) as a genetic marker of susceptibility for insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus in the Hispanic population. Fifteen patients of Puerto Rican descent with juvenile-onset insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus underwent human leukocyte antigen typing for HLA-DQ beta 57 by polymerase chain reaction amplification of the target genomic DQ sequence followed by hybridization of the polymerase chain reaction product to phosphorus 32-labeled allele-specific oligonucleotide probes. A control group of 44 Hispanic adults without diabetes who were undergoing human leukocyte antigen typing for tissue donation were concurrently typed for comparison. The Hispanic insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus group showed a significant increase in homozygosity for a non-aspartate amino acid (p = 0.023) over a control group of Hispanic subjects without diabetes. A high rate of heterozygosity for aspartate (53.3%) is found in Hispanic subjects with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus as well. HLA-DQ beta 57 in the Hispanic population has a distribution distinct from HLA-DQ beta 57 in the Caucasian population. A single aspartate is not protective against insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus in Hispanic subjects."}
{"id": "PMID:1471668", "title": "Changes in T-lymphocyte subpopulations during pregnancy complicated by human immunodeficiency virus infection.", "content": "We describe changes in T-lymphocyte subpopulations in pregnancies complicated by human immunodeficiency virus infection. T-lymphocyte counts were performed every trimester and post partum on all patients with human immunodeficiency virus infection. Patients with a CD4 count < 500 cells/mm3 were offered zidovudine after the first trimester. We performed a regression analysis of repeated measures on the total lymphocyte, CD4, and CD8 counts. Twenty-three patients were studied, 10 (43%) of whom took zidovudine. CD4, CD8, and total lymphocyte counts decreased in patients not taking zidovudine but remained stable in patients receiving zidovudine. The differences were not statistically significant. CD4 and CD8 counts may decrease during pregnancies complicated by human immunodeficiency virus infection, primarily because of decreases in the total lymphocyte count. The use of zidovudine may prevent this decline. The clinical use of absolute CD4 counts during pregnancy requires further study."}
{"id": "PMID:1471669", "title": "Use of esterase inhibitors and zone electrophoresis to define bacterial esterases in amniotic fluid.", "content": "The purpose of our study was to define further the role of bacterial esterases in amniotic fluid obtained from women with chorioamnionitis. Amniotic fluid samples from 39 patients with chorioamnionitis were submitted for bacterial cultures and in vitro assay. Esterase inhibitors diisopropyl fluorophosphate and iodoacetic acid were added and the degree of inhibition calculated. These results were compared with the amniotic fluid culture results. Chi square analysis was performed to compare the results of the esterase assay and the inhibition assay between the uninfected and infected amniotic fluid samples. Thirty-one patients had positive bacterial cultures, with 21 being infected with gram-negative organisms. All samples showed significant inhibition (range 55% to 82%) with diisopropyl fluorophosphate. There was partial inhibition with iodoacetic acid (range 10% to 30%) in the gram-negative samples but no inhibition in the gram-positive and uninfected samples. Six infected and two uninfected samples were analyzed by using zone electrophoresis with human plasma as a control. Minimal esterase motility was noted in the amniotic fluid samples as compared with that in plasma. The esterases in amniotic fluid appeared to be of bacterial, not human, origin. Furthermore, different groups of bacteria appeared to produce different esterases in infected amniotic fluid."}
{"id": "PMID:1471670", "title": "Amniotic fluid tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin-1 in a rabbit model of bacterially induced preterm pregnancy loss.", "content": "The objective of this study was to determine whether the cytokines tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-1 alpha, and interleukin-1 beta were produced in the amniotic fluid of the rabbit after intracervical inoculation with Escherichia coli. Timed pregnant rabbits on day 21 (70% of gestation) were inoculated with a hysteroscope intracervically with 10(4) to 10(5) colony-forming units Escherichia coli or sterile saline solution. Escherichia coli-inoculated animals (N = 16) were put to death at 4, 8, 12, and 16 hours after inoculation. Control animals (N = 6) were put to death at similar intervals. At death, cultures were taken from endometrium, amniotic fluid, peritoneum, and blood. Amniotic fluid was collected and assayed for tumor necrosis factor bioactivity by a modified fibroblast cytotoxic assay in L929 cells, for interleukin-1 alpha, and interleukin-1 beta with a specific radioimmunoassay, and for prostaglandin E2 and prostaglandin F2 alpha by radioimmunoassay. Levels of amniotic fluid tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-1 alpha, and interleukin-1 beta were elevated as early as 4 hours after inoculation in some animals and by 12 to 16 hours after inoculation in all. Levels of all three cytokines correlated significantly with time from intracervical inoculation with Escherichia coli (p < 0.05). Levels of amniotic fluid prostaglandin E2 and prostaglandin F2 alpha correlated significantly with time from intracervical inoculation with Escherichia coli (p < 0.05). Levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-1 alpha, interleukin-1 beta, prostaglandin E2 and prostaglandin F2 alpha are elevated in the amniotic fluid of rabbits after intracervical inoculation with Escherichia coli. Similarity exists between elevations of amniotic fluid cytokines in this model and in cases of intraamniotic infection and preterm labor unresponsive to tocolytics in humans. Modulation of cytokines may offer a strategy for improvement of outcome in this experimental model of infection-induced pregnancy loss."}
{"id": "PMID:1471671", "title": "Association of cervicovaginal infections with increased vaginal fluid phospholipase A2 activity.", "content": "The purpose of this study was to determine if phospholipase A2 was detectable within vaginal fluid and to correlate its presence with the presence of common lower genital tract infection or microbial conditions. Pregnant women were examined at the first prenatal visit with standard clinical evaluations and microbiologic cultures or tests. Vaginal fluid samples were evaluated for phospholipase A2 activity by means of a standardized enzyme fluorometric assay. Data were stratified to control for coexisting infections. Phospholipase A2 activity was detected among 29.8% of women and was independently associated with the presence of bacterial vaginosis (p < 0.001), Trichomonas. vaginalis (p < 0.04), and Chlamydia trachomatis (p < 0.02). The percentage of women with phospholipase A2 activity and the level of activity was increased in the presence of more than one infection. Elevated reproductive tract phospholipase A2 concentrations among pregnant women may play roles in the pathogenesis of preterm labor and birth. Identification of pregnant women with increased concentrations in vaginal fluid may allow for development of effective intervention strategies to reduce the risk of preterm birth."}
{"id": "PMID:1471672", "title": "Transfer of Timentin (ticarcillin and clavulanic acid) across the in vitro perfused human placenta: comparison with other agents.", "content": "In vitro perfusion of human placentas was used to quantify the net placental transfer of ticarcillin and clavulanic acid. Placentas were obtained from uncomplicated pregnancies at term. The maternal and fetal circulations were reestablished at flow rates of 17.5 ml/min and 5 ml/min, respectively. Open circulations were used to evaluate steady-state pharmacodynamics and transplacental gradient formation. Drug levels were measured by high-pressure liquid chromatography. The clearance index of ticarcillin was 0.037 +/- 0.004. The fetal/maternal ratio was 0.91. Therapeutic concentrations of clavulanate (2 to 6 micrograms/ml) in the maternal media resulted in undetectable transfer to the fetal compartment. By using higher levels of clavulanate, a clearance index of 0.061 +/- 0.001 (mean +/- SEM) and 1:1 fetal/maternal gradient was obtained. These data correspond to relatively low transfer of ticarcillin with a cord/maternal ratio of < 1. Clavulanate transfer is slightly greater. Agents with similar activity and superior transfer would optimize intrauterine treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1471673", "title": "Nitric oxide and prostacyclin inhibit fetal platelet aggregation: a response similar to that observed in adults.", "content": "We evaluated the relative importance of two endothelium-derived substances, prostacyclin and nitric oxide, in their ability to inhibit aggregation of fetal and maternal platelets. The effects of various concentrations of prostacyclin and S-nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine (which releases nitric oxide) on platelet aggregation were studied by means of platelet-rich plasma from at least five to six subjects per group. Fetal blood was collected from umbilical vein at delivery. Maternal venous blood was collected within 4 hours of delivery. Platelet aggregation was monitored with a platelet aggregation profiler. Adenosine diphosphate was used as the aggregating agent. Statistical differences between means were evaluated with two-way analysis of variance or Student t test. Prostacyclin and S-nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine inhibited aggregation of fetal and maternal platelets, but prostacyclin was more potent. Fetal platelets were more sensitive than maternal platelets to prostacyclin and S-nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine. Prostacyclin appears to be more important in preventing aggregation of platelets in the feto placental circulation."}
{"id": "PMID:1471674", "title": "Peripheral magnesium sulfate enters the brain and increases the threshold for hippocampal seizures in rats.", "content": "Our objectives were to determine whether magnesium sulfate crosses the blood-brain barrier and whether it has central anticonvulsant action. In experiment 1 34 female Long-Evans rats were divided into six groups: control (n = 7); single magnesium sulfate injection and evaluation after 20 minutes in 3 conditions: normal rats (n = 7), sham-operated animals (n = 5), and after electrical stimulation by hippocampal electrode (n = 5); single injection and evaluation after 2 hours (n = 5); and prolonged (2 hours) serum magnesium elevation (n = 5). Serum, cerebrospinal fluid, and specific brain areas were analyzed for magnesium concentrations. In experiment 2 threshold for electrical seizure was measured in eight rats before and after intraperitoneal injections of magnesium sulfate versus saline solution. In experiment 1 there was a significant correlation between blood and cerebrospinal fluid magnesium concentrations (r = 0.80, p < 0.0001). Magnesium concentrations were increased in the cortex and hippocampus, with the largest changes occurring after two hours of sustained serum magnesium concentrations (p < 0.01). Induction of hippocampal seizure activity resulted in further elevations in cerebrospinal fluid magnesium concentrations but did not change brain concentrations. In experiment 2 magnesium sulfate increased the electrical threshold required to induce seizures by 34% (p = 0.01). Magnesium sulfate enters the cerebrospinal fluid and brain and has a central anticonvulsant effect."}
{"id": "PMID:1471675", "title": "Prenatal exposure to phenobarbital and quantifiable alterations in the electroencephalogram of adult rat offspring.", "content": "Our purpose was to measure central nervous system insult from prenatal phenobarbital by quantified electroencephalographic evaluation of mature rat offspring. Twenty-four adult female rats were given phenobarbital as 0, 20, 40, or 60 mg/kg/day subcutaneously between 9 and 10 AM for 28 days before breeding and throughout gestation. The electroencephalograms of 90-day-old offspring were sampled over 24 hours and converted to the power spectra. Female offspring exposed prenatally to 20 mg and males exposed prenatally to 40 mg displayed an increase in delta and a decrease in alpha and middle-beta waveform activities. Females exposed prenatally to 40 mg and males exposed prenatally to 60 mg displayed decreases in delta, theta, alpha, and middle-beta activities. Prenatal phenobarbital exposure produced dose- and sex-dependent changes in the electroencephalogram of mature offspring consistent with a generalized deficit in the neuronal synchronization mechanisms that are critical for normal sleep and learning."}
{"id": "PMID:1471676", "title": "Fetal catecholamine, cardiovascular, and neurobehavioral responses to cocaine.", "content": "Although maternal cocaine administration results in fetal cardiovascular and behavioral alterations, these responses have been attributed to hypoxia resulting from reduced uteroplacental blood flow. We studied the fetal catecholamine, cardiovascular, and neurobehavioral responses to direct fetal cocaine administration. Cardiovascular, electrocortical, and electroocular responses and plasma catecholamines were monitored in chronically catheterized fetal sheep (n = 7), 127 +/- 2 days' gestation, during a control period and after intravenous fetal injections of cocaine 0.5 and 1.0 mg/kg. Intravenous cocaine caused prompt increases in fetal plasma norepinephrine (372 +/- 73 to 531 +/- 112 and 842 +/- 233 pg/ml), epinephrine (27 +/- 7 to 46 +/- 13 and 49 +/- 11 pg/ml), and systolic blood pressure (46 +/- 2 to 53 +/- 2 and 55 +/- 2 mm Hg). Low-voltage electrocortical activity decreased from 61.7% +/- 3.0% to 38.4% +/- 3.9% in the first hour after the cocaine 0.5 mg/kg dose but recovered to baseline values during the second hour. After the cocaine 1.0 mg/kg dose, low-voltage electrocortical activity decreased to 40.7% +/- 2.0% and did not recover thereafter. Fetal blood gas values did not change. Direct fetal cocaine administration increases fetal plasma catecholamine levels and fetal blood pressure and suppresses low-voltage electrocortical activity. Chronic cocaine exposure may hamper central nervous system maturation and alter postnatal development."}
{"id": "PMID:1471677", "title": "Fetal hemodynamic response to maternal intravenous nicotine administration.", "content": "Our study was designed to test the hypothesis that maternally administered nicotine has significant effects on fetal hemodynamics and umbilical systolic/diastolic ratios. Nine pregnant ewes received maternal intravenous infusions of 10, 20, and 30 micrograms/kg/min of nicotine. Maternal and fetal blood pressure, heart rate, and uterine and umbilical blood flow were recorded. Maternal intravenous administration of nicotine (10, 20, and 30 micrograms/kg/min of maternal body weight) produced significant (p < 0.05) increases in fetal blood pressure (2%, 11%, and 25%, respectively), decreases in fetal heart rate (0%, 8%, and 12%), and decreases in umbilical blood flow (0%, 0%, and 19%). Umbilical systolic/diastolic ratios increased slightly at the 30 micrograms/kg/min dose of nicotine, but these changes did not reach significance. Maternal blood pressure increased (10%, 25%, and 53%), and uterine vascular resistance increased (5%, 64%, and 344%) significantly (p < 0.05); uterine blood flow increased at the 10 micrograms/kg/min dose (+5%) and decreased by 23% and 42% at the highest two doses of nicotine. Maternal nicotine administration in late-term pregnant sheep produced significant increases in fetal arterial blood pressure and umbilical vascular resistance, decreased fetal heart rate, and umbilical blood flow but did not significantly alter systolic/diastolic ratios."}
{"id": "PMID:1471678", "title": "The concentration of estrogen receptors in rabbit uterine myocytes decreases in culture.", "content": "The purpose of this study was to determine whether the concentration of estrogen receptors in cultured myocytes is preserved after dispersion. Primary myocytes were prepared from rabbit myometrium by collagenase dispersion after removing the endometrium and were isolated with Percoll density gradients. The cells were assayed for estrogen receptor concentration at intervals after dispersion by means of a whole-cell binding assay. Unpaired t test was used for comparisons. The concentration of estrogen receptors on the first day after dispersion was 12,058 +/- 1096 sites per cell (mean +/- SEM) and decreased to 4389 +/- 1223 site per cell within 9 to 14 days after dispersion (63% decline, p < 0.001). A similar decrease was observed when 2 nmol/L estradiol was present in the medium. The concentration of estrogen receptors in isolated rabbit uterine myocytes decreases after dispersion. This may partly explain the difficulty of demonstrating in vitro estrogen effects on myocytes, which are well established in vivo."}
{"id": "PMID:1471679", "title": "Myometrial contractile responsiveness to oxytocin after dexamethasone suppression of circadian uterine activity in pregnant rhesus macaques during late gestation.", "content": "This study was designed to determine if dexamethasone alters myometrial responsiveness to oxytocin or oxytocin secretion. Studies were conducted in rhesus macaques (n = 6), between 144 and 148 days' gestation (term 167 days). The first study was conducted at 9 AM and repeated 36 hours later at 9 PM. At 9 AM the following morning a continuous maternal dexamethasone infusion (15 micrograms/kg/hr given intravenously) was initiated, and the study was repeated at 9 PM, 60 hours later. Four doses of oxytocin (500, 1000, 2000, and 4000 pg/kg/min) were administered as 1-minute pulses every 5 minutes for 30 minutes. The number of contractions per pulse (contraction/pulse ratio) was used to determine differences in myometrial responsiveness. Before dexamethasone infusion there was a circadian rhythm in uterine activity with peak contractile events between 8 and 10 PM (p < 0.01), whereas during infusion the rhythm was ablated. At oxytocin dose 1, the 9 AM contraction/pulse ratio (0.3 +/- 0.1) was lower than that for 9 PM (0.6 +/- 0.2) and for 60 hours later (0.6 +/- 0.1) (mean +/- SE, p < 0.05). Similar results were observed at dose 2, whereas no differences in the contraction/pulse ratio were noted at dose 3. Basal plasma oxytocin concentrations were unaffected by dexamethasone treatment, whereas plasma estradiol and cortisol concentrations were reduced compared with control values (p < 0.01). (1) There is a differential sensitivity to oxytocin between morning and evening and (2) the dexamethasone-induced loss of the uterine contractile rhythm is not the result of a loss of myometrial sensitivity to oxytocin or to a suppression of plasma oxytocin concentrations."}
{"id": "PMID:1471680", "title": "Effect of endothelin-1 on the uterine vasculature of the pregnant and estrogen-treated nonpregnant sheep.", "content": "This study was designed to evaluate the uterine vascular responses to endothelin-1 in pregnant and estrogen-treated nonpregnant sheep. Seven pregnant and five nonpregnant oophorectomized ewes received local uterine artery infusions of endothelin-1, norepinephrine, and phenylephrine. Arterial blood pressure, heart rate, and uterine blood flow were recorded. Endothelin-1 (0.01 to 3.0 micrograms/min), norepinephrine (0.1 to 3 micrograms/min), and phenylephrine (0.1 to 10 micrograms) produced significant dose-related decreases in uterine blood flow and increases in uterine vascular resistance. On a nanomoles infused per minute basis, endothelin-1 was much more potent than norepinephrine and phenylephrine as a uterine artery vasoconstrictor in both pregnant and nonpregnant sheep. The uterine vascular responses to norepinephrine and phenylephrine were similar in pregnant and nonpregnant ewes, whereas response to endothelin-1 was blunted in pregnancy. Endothelin-1 is an extremely potent uterine vasoconstrictor in both pregnant and nonpregnant ewes, but the uterine vascular responsiveness to endothelin-1 is decreased in pregnancy."}
{"id": "PMID:1471681", "title": "The comparative effects of big endothelin-1, endothelin-1, and endothelin-3 in the human fetal-placental circulation.", "content": "This study compared the effects of big endothelin-1, endothelin-1, and endothelin-3 and whether endothelin-converting enzyme was present in the human fetal-placental circulation. Single cotyledons of term placentas were dually perfused in vitro, and increases in fetal-placental perfusion pressure to bolus injections of big endothelin-1, endothelin-1, and endothelin-3 (8 x 10(-10) to 1 x 10(-7) mol/L) were recorded. Responses to big endothelin-1 (10(-7) mol/L) were measured in the same placenta before and after perfusion of the fetal-placental circulation with the neutral metalloprotease inhibitor phosphoramidon (10(-5) mol/L), which acts as an endothelin-converting enzyme inhibitor. All experiments were performed in at least five separate placentas. Significant concentration-dependent increases in fetal-placental perfusion pressure were seen with endothelin-1 (p < 0.0005), endothelin-3 (p < 0.0256), and big endothelin-1 (p < 0.0034, analysis of variance). Big endothelin-1 always elicited transient vasodilatation before constriction. Phosphoramidon significantly inhibited the vasoconstrictor effect of big endothelin-1 (p < 0.039, paired t test). The three endothelins tested are vasoconstrictors, and endothelin-converting enzyme is present in the fetal-placental circulation."}
{"id": "PMID:1471682", "title": "Decrease in annexin I messenger ribonucleic acid expression in human amnion with labor.", "content": "Annexins are a superfamily of proteins that are thought to inhibit phospholipase A2 activity and hence inhibit prostaglandin production. The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that annexin I concentration in human amnion is reduced with labor and that this reduction is mediated by a decrease in annexin I messenger ribonucleic acid expression. Amnion and choriodecidua were collected from term singleton pregnancies, eight after spontaneous vaginal delivery and eight from elective cesarean section without labor. Annexin I protein was quantitated by Western blotting. Ribonucleic acid was isolated from amnion, and then annexin I messenger ribonucleic acid was identified by Northern hybridization and quantitated by slot blotting. Annexin I (35 kd) was identified in amnion tissue. The concentration in the group undergoing labor (320 +/- 45 integrated optical density units, mean +/- SE) was significantly reduced (p < 0.05) compared with that in the group not undergoing labor (635 +/- 65 units). The size of the annexin I messenger ribonucleic acid was approximately 1.8 kb. The mean integrated optical density for the labor group (840 +/- 139 units, mean +/- SE) was significantly reduced (p < 0.05) compared with that of the nonlabor group (1912 +/- 464 units). There is a significant decrease in annexin I messenger ribonucleic acid expression in human amnion with labor, corresponding to a significant decrease in annexin I protein concentration. This may contribute to the increased phospholipase A2 activity, arachidonic acid mobilization, and prostaglandin production at labor in humans."}
{"id": "PMID:1471683", "title": "Validation of noninvasive fetal renal artery flow measurement by pulsed Doppler in the lamb.", "content": "Our objective was to evaluate the accuracy of quantitative measurement of blood flow of the left renal artery in the fetal lamb by means of range-gated, two-dimensional pulsed Doppler ultrasonography. Doppler measurements were compared with invasive measurements obtained with a perivascular flow probe (Transonic) placed on the fetal renal artery. Renal blood flow was manipulated acutely either by volume expansion or depletion or by means of pharmacologic agents. With each manipulation values of the left fetal renal artery blood flow were obtained with both methods. The size of the fetal renal artery was determined by postmortem examination. A total of 36 paired flow measurements were obtained on five fetuses. One fetus had only Transonic determination of renal blood flow. Pulsed Doppler ultrasonography blood flow and transit-time ultrasonography blood flow estimations were correlated (F = 82.4, R2 = 0.73, p < 0.001). This study suggests that two-dimensional pulsed Doppler can reliably estimate renal blood flow in the fetal lamb."}
{"id": "PMID:1471684", "title": "Effects of maternal administration of 3% carbon dioxide on umbilical artery and fetal renal and middle cerebral artery Doppler waveforms.", "content": "The null hypothesis is that umbilical, middle cerebral, and renal artery pulsed Doppler velocity waveforms in the normal term fetus may be affected during short-term maternal inhalation of 3% carbon dioxide gas mixture. Seventy-two observations were made on 14 term fetuses before and during maternal 3% carbon dioxide gas mixture inhalation. The umbilical, middle cerebral, and renal arteries of these fetuses were sampled with pulsed Doppler velocity waveforms and recorded on a strip chart at a preset speed of 50 mm/sec. Doppler waveforms were analyzed for differences in the systolic peak to end-diastolic velocity ratio for these three vascular beds. Peak flow velocity and time velocity integral were also analyzed for the cerebral and renal vascular beds. The data were analyzed with the paired t test. A significant decrease in the systolic-to-diastolic-velocity ratio of the middle cerebral artery occurred with 3% carbon dioxide inhalation (p < 0.02). The other vascular beds had no demonstrable change. Transient maternal breathing of 3% carbon dioxide gas mixture selectively causes a decrease in resistance in the fetal cerebral circulation."}
{"id": "PMID:1471685", "title": "Differential effects of intravenous hydralazine on myoendometrial and placental blood flow in hypertensive pregnant ewes.", "content": "The differential vasoactive effects of hydralazine on the uteroplacental vascular bed were studied. After control measurements were taken, near-term chronically prepared pregnant sheep were continuously infused with angiotensin II. Maternal arterial pressure was increased by 32 mm Hg. Hydralazine was then administered; the effects on regional resistance and blood flow were evaluated with a radionuclide-labeled microsphere technique. Analysis of variance for repeated measures was used to compare observations. When compared with the hypertensive state, hydralazine caused the following changes by 40 minutes (mean +/- SEM): Although maternal blood pressure fell 31% +/- 5% (p = 0.0005), placental blood flow was unchanged, total uteroplacental blood flow increased 24% +/- 8% (p = 0.03), total uteroplacental resistance decreased 43% +/- 4% (p = 0.0002), placental resistance decreased 19% +/- 9% (p = 0.01), myoendometrial blood flow increased 390% +/- 82% (p = 0.0005), and myoendometrial resistance decreased 82% +/- 4% (p = 0.0005). In angiotensin II-induced hypertensive ewes, hydralazine is an effective dilator of the uteroplacental vascular bed and can maintain placental blood flow while blood pressure."}
{"id": "PMID:1471686", "title": "Endogenous modulation of the blunted adrenergic response in resistance-sized mesenteric arteries from the pregnant rat.", "content": "We tested the hypothesis that during pregnancy the endothelium mediates the blunted response to adrenergic vasoconstriction. Mesenteric resistance arteries from late pregnant (n = 6) and age-matched virgin control (n = 6) Sprague-Dawley rats were studied in a myograph. Arteries from pregnant rats were 35% less sensitive to phenylephrine vasoconstriction than were those from nonpregnant rats (mean effective concentration that produced a 50% response 2.26 vs 1.48 mumol/L, pregnant vs nonpregnant, p < 0.01). Meclofenamate had no effect on the vasoconstrictor response in arteries from either group. Inhibition of endothelium-derived relaxing factor with N(o)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester or endothelial cell removal had a similar twofold increase in phenylephrine sensitivity in arteries from both the pregnant and nonpregnant rats (mean effective concentration that produced a 50% response 2.26 vs 1.11 mumol/L for pregnant rats and 1.48 vs 0.72 mumol/L for nonpregnant rats, p < 0.01). However, methacholine relaxation response was potentiated in pregnant versus nonpregnant rats (mean effective concentration that produced a 50% response 0.030 vs 0.049 mumol/L, p < 0.01). Although the potential for endothelium-dependent relaxation is augmented in mesenteric arteries of the pregnant rat, the decreased sensitivity to phenylephrine during pregnancy is not modulated acutely by endothelium-derived relaxing factor or by prostaglandin products of the cyclooxygenase pathway."}
{"id": "PMID:1471687", "title": "A unique hypertonic response to hypotonic infusion in the pregnant ewe.", "content": "The purpose of this study was to compare the responses of the maternal ewe to intravenous volume expansion with either sufficient lactated Ringer's solution to elevate maternal venous pressure or sufficient hypotonic fluid to reduce blood osmolality. Chronically catheterized pregnant sheep were intravenously infused over 4 hours with either commercial lactated Ringer's solution (5.55 +/- 0.50 L/hr, 255 mOsm/kg, mildly hypotonic) or diluted Ringer's solution (2.04 +/- 0.27 L/hr, 150 mOsm/kg, markedly hypotonic). Data were statistically analyzed with two- and three-factor analyses of variance and bivariate regression analysis. During the mildly hypotonic infusion (n = 8) the maternal blood osmolality changes were -5.1 +/- 1.2, +2.7 +/- 1.0 and +6.8 +/- 1.1 mOsm/kg at 1 and 4 hours of infusion and 1 hour after the infusion. In four of the eight animals in this group profuse diarrhea developed. During the markedly hypotonic infusion (n = 11) the maternal blood osmolality changes were -9.9 +/- 1.1, -15.9 +/- 2.5, and -10.4 +/- 2.2 mOsm/kg at 1 and 4 hours of infusion and 1 hour after the infusion. Although urine osmolalities were significantly less than the osmolality of the infusate in both groups, only during the mildly hypotonic infusion was there a net loss of free water by the kidneys. The renal free water loss, the venous pressure increase, and the blood osmolality decrease were not significantly different whether diarrhea did or did not develop. The infusion of large volumes of mildly hypotonic Ringer's solution to the pregnant ewe produces a paradoxic increase in maternal plasma osmolality as a result of the excretion of large volumes of free water by the kidneys, and if the venous pressure is increased more than about 6 mm Hg with this infusion, diarrhea develops in the animals."}
{"id": "PMID:1471688", "title": "Dehydration increases the renal response to atrial natriuretic peptide in fetal sheep.", "content": "In sheep, maternal water deprivation results in urinary natriuresis in spite of suppression of plasma atrial natriuretic factor levels. Near-term fetal sheep also have a urinary natriuresis without change in plasma atrial natriuretic factor during maternal dehydration. This study was designed to explore the role of plasma atrial natriuretic factor levels in fetal dehydration-natriuresis. Eight chronically instrumented preterm (113 +/- 1 days) ovine fetuses received two atrial natriuretic factor infusions (3 and 15 ng/kg/min) in a euhydrated state and after 48 +/- 1 hours of maternal water deprivation. Dehydration significantly increased maternal plasma osmolality (302 +/- 2 to 313 +/- 2 mOsm/kg water), sodium (148.1 +/- 0.8 to 154.3 +/- 0.4 mEq/L), chloride (112.4 +/- 0.6 to 116.8 +/- 0.9 mEq/L), and arginine vasopressin (4.2 +/- 1.2 to 23.0 +/- 4.0 pg/ml) and significantly decreased plasma atrial natriuretic factor (36 +/- 6 to 19 +/- 4 pg/ml) concentrations. Fetal plasma osmolality (296 +/- 1 to 308 +/- 2 mOsm/kg), atrial natriuretic factor (128 +/- 16 to 241 +/- 36 pg/ml), and arginine vasopressin (3.5 +/- 0.8 to 12.3 +/- 4.8 pg/ml) concentrations and urine osmolality (170 +/- 10 to 253 +/- 10 mOsm/kg), osmolar clearance (0.80 +/- 0.02 to 0.14 +/- 0.02 ml/kg/min), and fractional sodium excretion (3.3% +/- 1.7% to 8.5% +/- 2.1%) increased significantly with dehydration, whereas the plasma atrial natriuretic factor clearance decreased from 127 +/- 27 to 63 +/- 10 ml/kg/min. Dehydration had no effect on fetal hematocrit, vascular pressures, glomerular filtration rate, urine flow, or free water clearance. In euhydrated fetuses plasma atrial natriuretic factor increased from 128 +/- 16 to 287 +/- 46 pg/ml with sequential atrial natriuretic factor infusion, and no significant increases were observed in urine flow, fractional sodium excretion, and glomerular filtration rate. In contrast, atrial natriuretic factor infusion to dehydrated fetuses significantly increased urine flow (0.17 +/- 0.03 to 0.32 +/- 0.07 ml/kg/min), osmolar clearance (0.14 +/- 0.02 to 0.28 +/- 0.06 ml/kg/min), and fractional sodium excretion (8.5% +/- 2.1% to 14.8% +/- 4.0%). These results demonstrate that in the fetus at 113 days' gestation plasma atrial natriuretic factor levels increase with dehydration, probably a result of decreased plasma atrial natriuretic factor clearance, and the fetal renal responsiveness to atrial natriuretic factor infusion increases during maternal dehydration."}
{"id": "PMID:1471689", "title": "Ovine maternal and fetal renal vasopressin receptor response to maternal dehydration.", "content": "Arginine vasopressin secretion increases in response to increased plasma osmolality or hypovolemia. Dehydration-induced increases in plasma arginine vasopressin levels have been shown to down-regulate arginine vasopressin V2 receptors in adult rat kidneys. Our study determined ovine maternal and fetal renal arginine vasopressin receptor characteristics and receptor response to maternal dehydration. Eight pregnant ewes (113 +/- 1 days) were dehydrated for 72 hours; eight animals served as controls. Renal medullary tissue was isolated from maternal and fetal kidneys, and arginine vasopressin receptor characteristics determined with saturation and competition assays using tritiated arginine vasopressin, arginine vasopressin, and arginine vasopressin analogs. Euhydrated maternal and fetal renal medullary arginine vasopressin receptor dissociation constant (3.0 +/- 0.3 and 1.9 +/- 0.3 nmol/L) and maximal binding capacity (149 +/- 15 and 111 +/- 33 fmol/mg protein) values were similar. Pharmacologic profiles with selective agonists indicated a predominance of V2 receptors. Dehydration significantly increased maternal and fetal plasma osmolalities (304 +/- 2 to 320 +/- 2; 296 +/- 1 to 319 +/- 3 mOsm/kg water, respectively) and arginine vasopressin levels (3.8 +/- 1.4 to 29.3 +/- 4.6; 4.4 +/- 1.0 to 16.9 +/- 5.0 pg/ml, respectively) but had no effect on arginine vasopressin receptor binding. Specific, saturable, single-site tritiated arginine vasopressin binding is present in ovine maternal and fetal renal medullary membranes. Ovine maternal and fetal renal arginine vasopressin receptors do not down-regulate in response to dehydration-induced elevations in plasma arginine vasopressin levels."}
{"id": "PMID:1471690", "title": "Indomethacin-induced urinary flow rate reduction in the ovine fetus is associated with reduced free water clearance and elevated plasma arginine vasopressin levels.", "content": "The purpose of our study was to explore the urinary responses of the ovine fetus to indomethacin levels comparable with those used therapeutically in the human fetus. After a 1-hour control period, chronically catheterized ovine fetuses between 125 and 139 days of gestation were given an intravenous bolus of indomethacin (0.05 mg/kg estimated fetal weight) followed by a 0.0025 mg/kg/min continuous infusion for 5 hours. The experimental group (n = 9) was compared with a vehicle-only infusion group (n = 10). There was a sustained 55.7% +/- 9.5% (mean +/- SEM) decrease in urinary output by 2 hours of indomethacin infusion (p < 0.00001, analysis of variance). Urinary osmolality, potassium, and chloride concentrations underwent sustained increases during the infusion period (p < 0.005). Free water clearance decreased by 67.5% +/- 12.0% (p < 0.001). Fetal arterial pressure increased only transiently (p < 0.05), and increases in venous pressure (p = 0.013) and heart rate (p < 0.0001) were sustained. Fetal plasma arginine vasopressin concentration increased during indomethacin infusion (p < 0.05) and was correlated with the fall in urinary flow rate and free water clearance (p = 0.002). During vehicle infusion no significant changes were observed in any of the variables. Our data indicate that the fetus undergoes antidiuresis when exposed to low levels of indomethacin and that the observed antidiuresis is mediated by a decrease in free water clearance. The reduction in free water clearance may be mediated by increases in plasma arginine vasopressin concentrations."}
{"id": "PMID:1471691", "title": "Amniotic fluid composition changes during urine drainage and tracheoesophageal occlusion in fetal sheep.", "content": "Recently an intramembranous pathway was reported in the ovine fetus as a route for the rapid exchange of water, ions, and molecules between the amniotic fluid and the fetal blood that perfuses the fetal surface of the placenta and the fetal membranes. Our study was designed to test the hypothesis that the amniotic fluid composition would gradually equilibrate with fetal plasma when the major flows to and from the amniotic compartment were eliminated. Eleven near-term fetal sheep underwent ligation of the urachus to eliminate the allantoic fluid. An inflatable cuff was placed around the esophagus and trachea, and catheters were placed in the fetal urinary bladder, fetal circulation, and maternal circulation. At > or = 5 days after surgery the animals were subjected to either a control experiment or a continuous urine drainage plus tracheoesophageal occlusion for 8 hours. During the urine drainage plus occlusion study, amniotic fluid osmolality (p < 0.0001), Na+ (p < 0.0001), K+ (p < 0.01) Cl- (p < 0.001), and lactate (p < 0.001) increased compared with the control experiment. These corresponded to 50% reductions in the gradients for osmolality and Na+ between fetal plasma and amniotic fluid; the K+ gradient increased, and the Cl- gradient reversed. The percentage increases in amniotic Na+, K+, Cl-, and lactate were all 10% at 8 hours. These observations suggest that water is absorbed from the amniotic fluid through the intramembranous pathway into the fetal circulation at a rate of 1.25% of the total amniotic volume per hour or approximately 240 ml/day."}
{"id": "PMID:1471692", "title": "Rapid intramembranous absorption of water infused into the ovine allantoic cavity.", "content": "Previously we found that water infused into the ovine amniotic cavity was rapidly absorbed into the fetal circulation through the vascularized fetal membranes and fetal surface of the placenta (i.e., the intramembranous pathway). The purposes of this study were to (1) estimate the conductance of the intramembranous pathway from the allantoic cavity and (2) determine if the conductance is adequate to offset the inflow of urine, which may be up to 500 ml/day in the near-term ovine fetus. Seven chronically catheterized fetal sheep averaging 132 +/- 2 (+/- SE) days' gestation underwent an infusion of warmed distilled water into the allantoic cavity at 6 ml/min. The infusions were continued until steady states were obtained in allantoic and amniotic fluid and in fetal and maternal blood osmolalities. During the steady state the conductance of the intramembranous pathway was estimated as the ratio of osmotic gradient to infusion rate. The allantoic and amniotic fluid and the fetal and maternal blood osmolalities decreased by 188 +/- 14, 36 +/- 8, 13 +/- 2, and 3 +/- 1 mOsm/kg, respectively, at steady state. From the fetal-allantoic osmolality gradients the conductance of the intramembranous pathway was 1.72 +/- 0.14 or 0.53 +/- 0.08 microliter/min/mm Hg/kg fetal weight. Assuming a similar conductance during the preinfusion period, the next volume movement would equal 0.67 ml/min (965 ml/day). The conductance of the intramembranous pathway in combination with the normal osmotic gradient is sufficient to remove the large volume of fetal urine that may enter the allantoic cavity each day."}
{"id": "PMID:1471693", "title": "Vascularization of the ovine amnion and chorion: a morphometric characterization of the surface area of the intramembranous pathway.", "content": "The purpose of this study was to characterize the vascularization of the ovine amnion, allantois, and chorion. A white silicone vascular casting material was infused into both umbilical arteries of nine fetal sheep ranging in age from 58 to 142 days' gestation. A morphometric analysis of photomicrographs of the membranes was then performed with computerized image analysis techniques. After removal of the uterus, the fetus was surrounded by a layer of white silicone-filled microvessels in the chorion. The amniotic membrane after separation from the chorion was covered by a fine mesh of microvessels, whereas the allantois was avascular. The amniotic membrane readily separated into an outer vascularized layer and an inner, avascular layer containing the amnion. Approximately 50% of the surface of the chorionic membrane was covered by microvessels; this appeared independent of gestational age. At midgestation 30% of the surface of the amnion was covered by microvessels, and this decreased to 17% at 142 days. Relative to fetal weight, the amniotic and chorionic vascular surface areas decreased from 6 to 0.3 and from 15 to 1.5 cm2/gm fetal weight, respectively, over the last half of gestation. There is an extensive network of microscopic fetal blood vessels within the ovine chorion and covering the outer surface of the amnion. These vessels appear to be ideally situated to facilitate a direct exchange of water and solutes between amniotic or allantoic fluids and fetal blood through the intramembranous pathway."}
{"id": "PMID:1471694", "title": "Increased lymphatic pumping ability in pregnant ewes.", "content": "Daily the lymphatic system returns several liters of fluid to the systemic circulation. Unlike blood, lymph is pumped against a pressure gradient. Because vessels in the systemic circulation are hyporesponsive to vasoconstrictor hormones during pregnancy, we decided to assess whether lymphatic pumping ability was decreased during pregnancy. Ten pregnant ewes were chronically catheterized in the left thoracic duct and jugular vein. Four days after surgery thoracic duct pumping ability was determined by measuring the lymph flow rate as a function of outflow pressure by varying the height at which lymph flow drains in an open-flow system. Lymph flow was plotted against outflow pressure, and the value at which lymph flow decreases is defined as the \"breaking point.\" The outflow pressure at which lymph flow equals zero is the \"stopflow\" pressure; this value defines the pumping ability. The pregnant ewes had a breaking point of -1 +/- 2.7 versus 14.4 +/- 3.0 mm Hg (mean +/- SD) for the nonpregnant sheep. Stopflow pressures were 62 +/- 7.3 versus 23.9 +/- 4.7 mm Hg (mean +/- SD) for the nonpregnant ewes (p < 0.05). The ability of the lymphatic system to generate pressure is increased during pregnancy, but the breaking point is diminished. Alterations of lymphatic pumping ability could explain fluid retention under pathophysiologic conditions."}
{"id": "PMID:1471695", "title": "Prediction of fertilization in vitro with human gametes: is there a litmus test?", "content": "The objectives of this study were as follows: (1) to evaluate the relationships between sperm concentration, morphologic pattern, motion parameters, and sperm-zona pellucida binding capacity and (2) to assess their ability to predict fertilization outcome under in vitro fertilization conditions. Semen samples from 44 infertile men were prospectively evaluated for density, morphologic pattern (strict criteria), computerized motion parameters (motility, velocity, and linearity), and hemizona assay (outcome expressed as hemizona assay index), and results were correlated with fertilization outcomes of preovulatory oocytes during in vitro fertilization. Of all sperm parameters, morphologic pattern was the best predictor of the ability of the sperm to bind to the zona pellucida. Hemizona assay index was the best predictor of fertilization rate. Stepwise regression analysis provided a model of hemizona assay index plus motility with highest predictability (R2 = 53.4%). (1) The influence of sperm morphologic pattern as a prognosticator of fertilization outcome is established in major part as a determinant of sperm binding ability to the zona pellucida; (2) the hemizona assay provides a robust index that is highly predictive of the potential of human gametes to achieve fertilization and highlights its use in infertility and contraception testing."}
{"id": "PMID:1471696", "title": "Gonadotropins enhance HLA-DR antigen expression in human granulosa cells.", "content": "To determine whether HLA-DR expression in the human ovary is controlled by endocrine or immune mediators, we examined the effects of several lectins, lymphokines, and hormones on granulosa cells in vitro. HLA-DR antigens were detected by indirect immunofluorescence on granulosa cells obtained at oocyte retrieval for in vitro fertilization. When cultured with concanavalin A, pokeweed mitogen, phytohemagglutinin, interleukin-1, or interleukin-2, granulosa cells failed to express HLA-DR antigens. Both interferon alfa and interferon beta induced only a modest expression of HLA-DR molecules (4.1% +/- 0.9% and 2.5% +/- 0.8%, respectively) in comparison with the marked increase in HLA-DR expression (25.2% +/- 2.8%), when granulosa cells were exposed to interferon gamma. The gonadotropins follicle-stimulating hormone and human chorionic gonadotropin alone were unable to induce HLA-DR antigens, but acted synergistically with interferon gamma to enhance expression in a dose-dependent manner. The addition of 0.1 and 10 IU/ml of follicle-stimulating hormone with 10,000 IU/ml of interferon gamma significantly increased expression by 11.5% +/- 2.5% and 15.5% +/- 2.7%, respectively, over that of interferon gamma alone. Similarly, 1 and 10 IU/ml of human chorionic gonadotropin produced a 7.8% +/- 2.0% and 12.4% +/- 2.2% increase in HLA-DR expression over baseline. These studies demonstrate that factors from both the immune and endocrine systems can interact to control HLA-DR expression in the ovary."}
{"id": "PMID:1471697", "title": "A human endometrial explant system: validation and potential applications.", "content": "Our objective was to describe an in vitro explant system to study the regulation of prostaglandin production by human endometrium. Segments of late-luteal-phase endometrium were obtained aseptically at the time of endometrial sampling. The endometrium was cut into 1 mm3 pieces and applied to the polycarbonate membrane of tissue-culture-well inserts for 12-well plates (Costar Transwell cell culture chamber inserts, 0.4 microns pore size). After placing the well inserts, culture medium was carefully applied. The explants were incubated at 37 degrees C in 5% carbon dioxide in air, and the culture medium was changed daily. Electron microscopic examination and lactate dehydrogenase determinations of the explants revealed cellular viability for < or = 5 days of culture. Endometrial explants responded to treatment with interleukin-1 beta and tumor necrosis factor by a concentration-dependent increase in the production of prostaglandin E2. Costimulation of late luteal endometrial explants with interleukin-1 beta (10 ng/ml) and progesterone (10(-6) mol/L) resulted in variable production of prostaglandin E2, suggesting that the histologic examination of the endometrium does not necessarily reflect the functional properties of the endometrium. Our data show that when used with human endometrial tissue this explant system maintains tissue viability and responsiveness for < or = 5 days. This approach to explant methods is simple and provides a flexible model to study the regulation of the production of bioactive substances by human endometrial tissue."}
{"id": "PMID:1471698", "title": "Effects of chronic nocturnal opiate antagonism on the menstrual cycle.", "content": "Opioids generally suppress gonadotropin secretion. We investigated whether chronic opiate antagonism would affect the occurrence or timing of menstrual cycle events. Opiate blockade was maintained in nine normal volunteers from cycle days 1 through 13 with naltrexone. A double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover design was used. Serum estradiol and progesterone were measured daily. Vaginal ultrasonography was performed daily beginning cycle day 10. Endometrial biopsies were performed 10 to 12 days after ovulation. Nonparametric paired data analysis was used. No significant differences in the following menstrual cycle parameters were detected between naltrexone and placebo cycles: cycle length (25.4 +/- 0.9 vs 25.7 +/- 0.5 days), maximum follicle size (21.5 +/- 1.0 vs 20.8 +/- 1.1 mm), peak serum progesterone (15.8 +/- 1.8 vs 15.2 +/- 2.2 ng/ml), or integrated serum progesterone (108.1 +/- 12.8 vs 101.2 +/- 14.6 ng/ml/day). Histologic endometrial development was normal in all subjects during naltrexone cycles. These data suggest that naltrexone-suppressible opioid activity does not play a significant role in the regulation of follicular events in normal women."}
{"id": "PMID:1471699", "title": "Cocaine impairs gonadotropin secretion in oophorectomized monkeys.", "content": "Our objective was to determine whether cocaine alters gonadotropin secretion in oophorectomized monkeys. Oophorectomized monkeys with elevated gonadotropin levels were chronically cannulated to allow blood sampling every 15 minutes. Monkeys received either saline solution or 2 or 4 mg/kg cocaine hydrochloride as an intravenous bolus. Other oophorectomized monkeys were pretreated with either saline solution or 4 mg/kg cocaine 2 hours before bolus gonadotropin-releasing hormone administration, and plasma luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone levels were measured every 15 minutes for 3 hours. Monkeys were also given either saline solution or 4 mg/kg of cocaine with gonadotropin-releasing hormone simultaneously, and plasma gonadotropin levels were measured every 15 minutes for 3 hours. Serum luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone levels were measured by radioimmunoassay. Both doses of cocaine resulted in a significant decrease in luteinizing hormone levels compared with controls. Follicle-stimulating hormone levels were significantly decreased only with the 4 mg/kg dose of cocaine. There was no difference in luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone responses to gonadotropin-releasing hormone in the cocaine-treated monkeys compared with saline solution-treated monkeys by using repeated-measures analysis of variance. These findings demonstrate that acute cocaine administration to oophorectomized primates inhibits basal luteinizing hormone-follicle-stimulating hormone secretion but not gonadotropin-releasing hormone-stimulated luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone release. In the absence of an effect on gonadotropin-releasing hormone-stimulated gonadotropin release, we conclude that the impaired luteinizing hormone-follicle-stimulating hormone secretion after cocaine administration is due in part to a direct effect of cocaine on gonadotropin-releasing hormone neurons or on hypothalamic neurotransmitter modulation of gonadotropin-releasing hormone release."}
{"id": "PMID:1471700", "title": "Absence of the testicular determining factor gene SRY in XX true hermaphrodites and presence of this locus in most subjects with gonadal dysgenesis caused by Y aneuploidy.", "content": "The purpose of our study was to discover whether the testicular determining factor gene SRY (sex-determining region on Y) is present or absent in XX true hermaphrodites and in subjects with gonadal dysgenesis caused by Y aneuploidy. We screened five XX true hermaphrodites and 24 subjects with gonadal dysgenesis caused by Y aneuploidy for the presence or absence of SRY. With the polymerase chain reaction technique, the sequence coding the 80 amino acid-conserved motif was amplified. The 0.9 kb Hincll pY53.3 subclone, which covers the open reading frame of SRY, serves as a probe for Southern blot analysis. Test results for all five XX true hermaphrodites were negative for SRY. Conversely, 22 of the 24 individuals with 45,X/46,XY gonadal dysgenesis were positive for SRY, including the 10 subjects with only bilateral streak gonads. The absence of SRY in XX true hemaphrodites and the presence of SRY in 10 subjects with 45,X/46,XY constitution who harbored only bilateral streak gonads seem to indicate that multiple genes are involved in gonadal differentiation."}
{"id": "PMID:1471701", "title": "Increased risk for polycystic ovary syndrome associated with human leukocyte antigen DQA1*0501.", "content": "The objective of this investigation was to identify genes that confer susceptibility to polycystic ovary syndrome. Nineteen subjects with polycystic ovary syndrome, hirsutism, and elevated plasma androgen levels and 46 fertile, female control subjects were studied. Alleles at the human leukocyte antigen DQA1 locus were identified with dot-blot hybridizations with allele-specific oligonucleotide probes. Associations between human leukocyte antigen DQA1 alleles and polycystic ovary syndrome were examined with logistic regression analysis. The frequency of the human leukocyte antigen DQA1*0501 was 0.50 and 0.26 in subjects with polycystic ovary syndrome and control subjects, respectively (corrected for multiple comparisons, p = 0.067). Homozygosity for this allele was also increased among subjects with polycystic ovary syndrome (p = 0.054). The odds ratios for having polycystic ovary syndrome associated with the *0501 allele and the *0501/*0501 homozygous genotype were 2.8 and 5.8, respectively. These data suggest that a polycystic ovary syndrome susceptibility allele is linked to human leukocyte antigen and that the susceptibility allele is recessive."}
{"id": "PMID:1471702", "title": "Does ethnicity influence the prevalence of adrenal hyperandrogenism and insulin resistance in polycystic ovary syndrome?", "content": "Our purpose was to determine the prevalence of adrenal hyperandrogenism and insulin resistance in patients with hyperandrogenic chronic anovulation, also called polycystic ovary syndrome, living in the United States, Italy, and Japan. Seventy-five women with polycystic ovary syndrome, 25 each from the United States, Italy, and Japan, and 10 ovulatory controls were studied. Hirsutism, obesity, and the presence of cystic ovaries were assessed, as were blood levels for estrogen, luteinizing hormone, testosterone, adrenal androgens, and insulin. All patients received an insulin tolerance test to assess insulin resistance. Women from Japan were less obese (p < 0.05) and did not have hirsutism, although the percentage of cystic ovaries (68% to 80%) was comparable. Serum luteinizing hormone, testosterone, and estradiol were similar, but levels of 3 alpha-androstanediol glucuronide, which was elevated in women from the United States and Italy, was normal in women from Japan. The adrenal androgens, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate and 11 beta-hydroxyandrostenedione were elevated in 48% to 64% of the patients and by a similar percentage in the three groups. Fasting insulin was elevated in all groups, but was significantly higher in women from the United States and Italy compared with women from Japan (p < 0.05). However, insulin resistance as assessed by dissociation constant of insulin tolerance test values was significantly elevated but similar in the three groups and occurred in 68% to 76% of patients. In polycystic ovary syndrome, although obesity and hirsutism vary according to dietary, genetic, and environmental factors, the prevalence of adrenal androgen excess and insulin resistance appear to be fairly uniform. These results suggest that these factors may be involved in the pathophysiologic features of the disorder."}
{"id": "PMID:1471703", "title": "Lipoprotein abnormalities in hirsute women. II. Compensatory responses of insulin resistance and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate with obesity.", "content": "The purpose of our study was to further understand interrelationships between insulin, androgens, obesity, and apolipoprotein metabolism. In this University cross-sectional observational study for hypothesis generation, 53 women with hirsutism-hyperandrogenism were ternately divided according to body mass index into the following groups: 22 to 28 (n = 17), 29 to 36 (n = 19), 37 to 61 (n = 17), and 16 controls. Mean hormone and clinical parameters were compared by using the Student t test, analysis of variance, and Pearson correlation. Dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate correlated negatively with fasting insulin (r = 0.4, p < 0.05) and reached significance in those most obese. Unbound testosterone concentrations were 24.7, 38.9, and 31.9 ng/dl, respectively. Dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate concentrations were 2.8, 2.3, and 2.3 micrograms/dl, respectively; their ratios were 13.4, 18.6, and 20.4, respectively, even though mean fasting insulin concentrations (reflecting insulin resistance) were 13.0, 20.4, and 42.6 microU/ml, respectively. Although more atherogenic apolipoprotein profiles and higher fasting insulin concentrations were found with greater body weight, lipid-insulin interrelationships may reflect dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate interaction. We hypothesize that dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate dampens the effect of insulin resistance, which in turn is reflected in apolipoprotein profiles in women with hirsutism/hyperandrogenism."}
{"id": "PMID:1471704", "title": "Increased circulating levels of immunoreactive beta-endorphin in polycystic ovary syndrome is not caused by increased pituitary secretion.", "content": "Our purpose was to investigate the source and role of elevated levels of immunoreactive beta-endorphin in polycystic ovary syndrome. We wished to determine whether immunoreactive beta-endorphin secretion in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome is influenced by body weight and whether the pituitary release of immunoreactive beta-endorphin with corticotropin-releasing hormone is related to luteinizing hormone levels or adrenal androgen secretion. Eighteen patients with polycystic ovary syndrome and 10 ovulatory controls were studied. Each subject received 1 microgram/kg intravenous corticotropin-releasing hormone and an oral glucose tolerance test on alternate days. Levels of plasma immunoreactive beta-endorphin, corticotropin, luteinizing hormone, cortisol, adrenal androgens, and insulin were measured. Although immunoreactive beta-endorphin levels were elevated in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (p < 0.01), incremental responses after corticotropin-releasing hormone were similar to controls and were not influenced by body weight. Serum luteinizing hormone levels were not affected by corticotropin-releasing hormone and did not correlate with immunoreactive beta-endorphin levels. Adrenal androgen responses after corticotropin-releasing hormone were increased in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (p < 0.01) but were not correlated with immunoreactive beta-endorphin secretion. After oral glucose was given, elevated fasting insulin levels increased significantly in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (p < 0.01), as did immunoreactive beta-endorphin levels (p < 0.05). The increases in insulin and immunoreactive beta-endorphin levels were correlated (p < 0.05). Pituitary secretion of immunoreactive beta-endorphin is normal in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome, and pancreatic secretion appears to be increased. Corticotropin-releasing hormone does not influence luteinizing hormone levels, and adrenal androgen sensitivity is not influenced by immunoreactive beta-endorphin secretion."}
{"id": "PMID:1471705", "title": "Increased bioactive luteinizing hormone levels in postmenopausal women with endometrial cancer.", "content": "The purpose of our study was to investigate the secretion of immunoactive and bioactive luteinizing hormone in postmenopausal women with endometrial cancer. Seventeen postmenopausal women with endometrial cancer and nine without cancer were studied. Blood samples were collected at 15-minute intervals for 360 minutes. All samples were assayed for bioactive luteinizing hormone by rat interstitial cell testosterone assay and for immunoactive luteinizing hormone by radioimmunoassay. Serum pooled from 6-hour sampling was assayed for follicle-stimulating hormone, total estradiol, unbound estradiol, and estrone. Patients with endometrial cancer had significantly (p < 0.01) higher bioactive luteinizing hormone levels (mean +/- SE 276 +/- 26 IU/L) as compared with those of control women (144 +/- 18 IU/L). Bioactive/immunoactive ratios of luteinizing hormone were significantly higher (p < 0.01) in women with cancer (5.8 +/- 0.7) than in those without cancer (2.5 +/- 0.5). There was a significant (p < 0.001) positive correlation (r = 0.582) between unbound estradiol levels and bioactive luteinizing hormone concentrations. There is an increase in bioactive luteinizing hormone secretion in postmenopausal women with endometrial cancer. This could lead to an increase in ovarian androgen production resulting in increased prehormone availability for estrogen formation from peripheral conversion."}
{"id": "PMID:1471706", "title": "Behavioral stress responses in premenopausal and postmenopausal women and the effects of estrogen.", "content": "Our purpose was to determine the pattern of reactivity to stress in premenopausal and postmenopausal women and to assess the effects of estrogen. A behavioral stress test was given to premenopausal (n = 13) and postmenopausal women (n = 36). Biophysical and neuroendocrine responses were measured during and on completion of the stress test. The postmenopausal women were then randomized to placebo or transdermal estradiol treatment for 6 weeks, at which time another behavioral stress test was given. Stress reactivity to math and speech tasks elicited significantly greater systolic blood pressure responses in postmenopausal women compared with premenopausal women (p < 0.05). On retesting, significant biophysical responses that were present during the initial stress testing were still present (p < 0.05) in the placebo group but were blunted with estrogen treatment. Plasma corticotropin, cortisol, androstenedione, and norepinephrine increased during testing to a similar degree in premenopausal and postmenopausal women; this response was maintained after placebo treatment. Postmenopausal women treated with estrogen had blunted responses. Significant differences in responses to psychologic stress exist in premenopausal and postmenopausal women. The lack of adaptation may account in part for the increased risk of cardiovascular disease in postmenopausal women. Estrogen appears to blunt the stress-induced response."}
{"id": "PMID:1471707", "title": "Aldose reductase inhibition prevents galactose-induced ovarian dysfunction in the Sprague-Dawley rat.", "content": "Our objective was to determine whether impaired ovarian function induced by short-term creation of a galactosemic state in the rat might be prevented by the coadministration of an aldose reductase inhibitor. Prepubertal Sprague-Dawley rats were fed four different diets including (1) control, (2) 40% galactose, (3) 40% galactose and an aldose reductase inhibitor, and (4) an aldose reductase inhibitor with the control diet. Percentage germinal vesicle breakdown, postovulatory oocyte quantities, hormonal parameters, ovarian histologic evaluation, and ovarian galactitol concentrations were determined. The galactose-fed animals (group 2) had decreased germinal vesicle breakdown (47%) versus control (69%, p < 0.05). Galactose-exposed animals had significantly decreased quantities of postovulatory eggs (6.4 per animal) after menotropin ovarian stimulation in comparison with controls (14.1, p < 0.01). In rats exposed to high dietary levels of galactose (group 2) ovarian galactitol concentrations were significantly higher (protein 42.12 mumol/gm versus 0.0 for controls, p < 0.005). When galactose-fed animals received the aldose reductase inhibitor, ovarian accumulation of galactitol was significantly reduced and the observed detrimental effects on the oocyte were prevented. Galactitol accumulation or metabolic flux through aldose reductase in galactosemic rodents may be involved in the demonstrated ovarian dysfunction."}
{"id": "PMID:1471708", "title": "Immunologic tests in the evaluation of reproductive disorders: a critical review.", "content": "The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical usefulness of immunologic assays proposed to assist in the diagnosis of alloimmune causes of recurrent spontaneous abortion. Human leukocyte antigen typing, maternal antipaternal lymphocytotoxic antibody testing, and mixed lymphocyte culture assays were performed on 609 couples with recurrent spontaneous abortion, 92 infertile couples, and 43 fertile couples. The frequency of HLA antigen sharing and the presence of lymphocytotoxic antibodies and mixed lymphocyte culture inhibitors was compared among the populations. Sharing of two or more HLA-A, HLA-B, HLA-C, or HLA-DR antigens was observed in 41% (252/609) couples with recurrent spontaneous abortion and in 34% (31/92) with infertility compared with 63% (27/43) of fertile couples. The frequency of lymphocytotoxic antibodies to paternal cells was significantly greater in the fertile population (27/143, 63%) (p < 0.0001) than in couples with recurrent spontaneous abortion (160/609, 26%) and in infertile couples (7/92, 8%). Mixed lymphocyte culture inhibitors were also more prevalent in sera from fertile women (19/43, 44%) compared with those with recurrent spontaneous abortion (122/609, 20%) and infertile women (4/92, 4%). Human leukocyte antigen sharing does not predict pregnancy outcome, and the presence of lymphocytotoxic antibodies and mixed lymphocyte culture inhibitors is a function of the number and duration of pregnancies. More sensitive and specific assays are needed to identify alloimmunologic causes of reproductive disorders."}
{"id": "PMID:1471709", "title": "Photodynamic therapy of human ovarian epithelial carcinoma, OVCAR-3, heterotransplanted in the nude mouse.", "content": "Our objective was to develop an animal model for the study of photodynamic therapy in the treatment of human ovarian epithelial carcinoma. The human ovarian carcinoma OVCAR-3 was heterotransplanted into nude, athymic mice and treated with photodynamic therapy consisting of the hematoporphyrin derivative Photofrin II 10 ng/kg and argon-pumped dye laser light at 630 nm (200 J/cm2). Growth of tumors on one side of seven mice (treated tumors, n = 7) was compared with contralateral tumors (control tumors, n = 8) not exposed to laser. Hematoporphyrin derivative uptake was determined in tumor and other tissues. Photodynamically treated tumors were completely ablated, and all remained absent. Hematoporphyrin derivative uptake was nonselective for tumor compared with other tissues. This model provides reproducible parameters for the study of photodynamic therapy in the treatment of gynecologic malignancies and demonstrates the need for methods to increase selective uptake of hematoporphyrin derivatives."}
{"id": "PMID:1471710", "title": "Endometrial ablation by means of photodynamic therapy with photofrin II.", "content": "Photodynamic therapy is a technique in which tissue is irradiated with light after the use of a photosensitizing drug that produces singlet oxygen, which has a cytotoxic effect. The feasibility of using photodynamic therapy with photofrin II for endometrial ablation was studied. Fifty-eight rabbits were studied. Preferential uptake of photofrin II by endometrial tissue, compared with the myometrium, was established by drug extraction and fluorescence microscopy after administration of photofrin II intravenously. Dosimetry for endometrial ablation was established by administering photofrin II in 1, 2, 5, and 10 mg/kg doses and laser light (630 nm) at radiant exposures of 100 and 200 J/cm2. Histologic examination was performed at 24 hours, 5 days, and 10 days after treatment. There were two control groups. One group received laser light but no photofrin II, and the other received photofrin II without laser light. The concentration of photofrin II was three times higher in the endometrium than in the myometrium at doses of 1 and 2 mg/kg. Fluorescence microscopy of frozen sections of endometrium and myometrium showed a predominantly perivascular fluorescence from photofrin II. A dose of 1 and 2 mg/kg and a flow of 100 J/cm2 was adequate for endometrial ablation in rabbits. At 24 hours after treatment there was extensive hemorrhage and evidence of cell death in the entire endometrium and mild hemorrhage in 10% to 50% of the inner circular layer of the myometrium. At 5 days after treatment necrosis of the entire endometrium and the inner half of the myometrium was seen, but the outer half of the myometrium and the serosa were normal. There were no cases of uterine perforation. Similar results were seen at 10 days after treatment, except for the additional presence of inflammatory cells. Neither control group (drug without light, light without drug) showed any injury to the endometrium at 24 hours. We conclude that endometrial ablation can be effectively achieved in rabbits by means of photodynamic therapy with photofrin II without significant complications."}
{"id": "PMID:1471711", "title": "Quantitation of tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-1 beta, and interleukin-6 in the effusions of ovarian epithelial neoplasms.", "content": "Our objective was to determine the presence and quantities of multifunctional cytokines in cyst and ascites fluids obtained from patients with ovarian cancer. Cyst and ascites fluids obtained from 35 patients with ovarian epithelial neoplasms were analyzed for the multifunctional cytokines tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-1 beta, and interleukin-6. The fluids were classified on the basis of the pathologic diagnosis of the tumor tissue. Data were evaluated by analysis of variance. The fluids from patients with papillary forms of adenocarcinoma had high levels of all three cytokines when compared with all other pathologic groups. Interleukin-6 was significantly higher than tumor necrosis factor-alpha or interleukin-1 beta in fluids from all diagnostic categories (p < 0.01). Interleukin-6 levels were significantly higher in fluids from patients with papillary serous cystadenocarcinoma (817 +/- 137 pg/ml) and papillary adenocarcinoma (838 +/- 171 pg/ml) (p < 0.01). Interleukin-1 beta was significantly elevated (p < 0.01) in neoplastic effusions from papillary serous cystadenocarcinomas (53 +/- 8 pg/ml), mucinous cystadenomas (51 +/- 12 pg/ml), and endometrioid carcinomas (54 +/- 18 pg/ml). Tumor necrosis factor-alpha was highest in fluids from patients with papillary adenocarcinoma (46.2 +/- 22.8 pg/ml); however, these levels were not significantly different from the mean quantities of tumor necrosis factor-alpha in other fluids. The detection of interleukin-1 beta and interleukin-6 in neoplastic effusions provides possible evidence for a host immune response to ovarian cancer. These multifunctional cytokines have been implicated in growth stimulation and cytotoxicity of ovarian tumor cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1471712", "title": "Telomere reduction in endometrial adenocarcinoma.", "content": "Some of the genomic instability that is observed in solid tumors may be due to the loss of telomeric sequences. These experiments were designed to compare the number of telomeric repeat sequences in endometrial adenocarcinoma with that found in adjacent normal tissue. Deoxyribonucleic acid was extracted from normal and malignant uterine tissue of 11 patients undergoing hysterectomy for treatment of endometrial adenocarcinoma and also from five endometrial carcinoma cell lines. The relative number of telomeric repeat sequences in each sample was measured by hybridization of these deoxyribonucleic acids to a probe specific for the human telomeric repeat. Hybridization signals were quantified by autoradiography and a beta-particle detection system. A reduction of telomeric repeat sequences in tumor versus normal tissue was found in 10 of 11 cases. Telomere reduction was also seen in endometrial carcinoma cell lines. Telomere reduction is a genetic characteristic of many endometrial tumors. Telomere reduction may contribute to the genesis and progression of endometrial carcinoma, or it may be a secondary effect of the tumorigenesis process."}
{"id": "PMID:1471713", "title": "Culture characteristics of human endometrial glandular epithelium throughout the menstrual cycle: modulation of deoxyribonucleic acid synthesis by 17 beta-estradiol and medroxyprogesterone acetate.", "content": "The purpose of this study was to evaluate the culture characteristics and cell proliferation of human endometrial glandular epithelial cells in primary culture on extracellular matrix and to evaluate sex steroid modulation of this process. We examined the culture characteristics in 53 endometrial gland preparations obtained throughout the menstrual cycle and determined the incorporation of tritiated thymidine in endometrial epithelial cells as a measure of deoxyribonucleic acid synthesis (cell proliferation) in the presence and absence of 17 beta-estradiol and medroxyprogesterone acetate. Good culture maintenance of endometrial epithelial monolayers on extracellular matrix was observed from glands derived from proliferate phase endometrium (21 of 23), whereas poor adherence and culture maintenance was observed in all 30 of specimens from the secretory phase. With 17 beta-estradiol treatment for 22 hours, tritiated thymidine incorporation was not different from control, but medroxyprogesterone acetate treatment for 22 hours was associated with diminished tritiated thymidine incorporation by 36% (p < 0.004). When 17 beta-estradiol (10(-8) mol/L) was included in the incubation medium from the time of initial culture, tritiated thymidine incorporation on day 4 was 40% of control (p < 0.006), and tritiated thymidine was not suppressed further by 22 hours of treatment with medroxyprogesterone acetate (10(-7) mol/L). In spite of cellular spread of endometrial epithelial cells to subconfluence, deoxyribonucleic acid content per well did not increase over time in culture. We conclude that exposure of endometrial glands to progesterone in vivo inhibits adherence and the establishment of cell monolayers cultured on a thin layer of extracellular matrix. Because 17 beta-estradiol treatment in culture for 22 hours does not increase tritiated thymidine incorporation, it is possible that 17 beta-estradiol exerts its proliferative effect on the endometrial epithelium by an indirect action mediated by stromal cells. The effects of 17 beta-estradiol and medroxyprogesterone acetate on deoxyribonucleic acid synthesis in endometrial epithelial cells may represent an action on a stem cell population of dividing cells or a terminally differentiated cell population that undergoes programmed cell death."}
{"id": "PMID:1471714", "title": "Beta-carotene levels in exfoliated cervicovaginal epithelial cells in cervical intraepithelial neoplasia and cervical cancer.", "content": "The purpose of this study was to measure beta-carotene levels in exfoliated epithelial cervicovaginal cells collected by a lavage technique in normal women and patients with histopathologically diagnosed cervical intraepithelial neoplasia and cervical cancer. In a cross-sectional sampling of women (n = 105), cervicovaginal cells and plasma beta-carotene levels were assayed with high-pressure liquid chromatography. In addition, beta-carotene levels were measured in exfoliated epithelial samples of cervicovaginal cells obtained from women (n = 24) enrolled in an ongoing oral beta-carotene supplementation clinical trial. Cervicovaginal cells and plasma beta-carotene levels were found to be significantly decreased in women with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia and cervical cancer as compared with controls (p < 0.0001, analysis of variance). Retinol levels in cervicovaginal cells were undetectable. The beta-carotene levels in cervicovaginal cells were markedly increased in the majority of patients (79%) after oral supplementation as compared with baseline levels in women enrolled in the beta-carotene clinical trial. The study demonstrates that changes of in situ cellular beta-carotene concentrations are measurable in samples of exfoliated epithelial cells obtained by a noninvasive saline lavage harvesting technique. The current findings further support our previous hypothesis that beta-carotene deficiency may have an etiologic role in the pathogenesis of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia and/or cervical cancer."}
{"id": "PMID:1471715", "title": "Factors influencing the exfoliation of cervicovaginal epithelial cells.", "content": "Our objective was to investigate the association of smoking and exfoliation of cervicovaginal epithelial cells while controlling for other factors that may potentially influence cell exfoliation (e.g., presence of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia or koilocytes, the use of oral contraceptives, age, and the phase of the menstrual cycle). Cervicovaginal lavage specimens and epidemiologic questionnaires were obtained with informed consent from 190 women. The cervicovaginal lavage samples were processed to separate other contaminants. The number of squamous epithelial cells counted was expressed as cells per milliliter of lavage. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that the number of exfoliated epithelial cells was significantly higher in smokers (p < 0.01) and also in women with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (p < 0.05). The other studied variables had no detectable effect. The findings suggest that smoking or the presence of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia may induce an acceleration in the exfoliation of cervicovaginal epithelial cells. This may alter cell maturation and may be a factor in the oncogenic process."}
{"id": "PMID:1471723", "title": "Cytoskeletal immunohistochemistry of central neurocytomas.", "content": "Central neurocytomas are rare intraventricular tumors. Patients with such tumors have a favorable prognosis after surgical removal. These tumors may be misdiagnosed as neuroblastomas or gliomas, risking the complications of adjuvant therapy. Diagnosis of central neurocytoma requires that the tumor shows the ultrastructural features of mature neuronal differentiation, including the presence of synapses and dense-core and clear vesicles in addition to profiles of neuritic processes with microtubules. The cytoskeletal phenotype of central neurocytomas has not been previously characterized, but it may facilitate their definitive recognition when ultrastructural examination is not possible. Ten central neurocytomas were examined by immunohistochemistry for phosphorylation-dependent/independent neurofilament epitopes, neuron-associated class III beta-tubulin, microtubule-associated proteins (MAP2, tau), and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP). The neuronal nature of all neoplasms was documented by immunoreactivity for synaptophysin in nine tumors and for phosphorylation-independent neurofilament-H/M in the remaining case. Electron microscopy in four cases showed synapses and dense core vesicles. All tumors were immunoreactive for class III beta-tubulin and MAP2, which were seen in cytoskeletal structures by immunoelectron microscopy. Two thirds of the cases were immunohistochemically positive for neurofilament epitopes. None of the tumor cells displayed GFAP immunoreactivity, although reactive astrocytes were present. These data suggest that central neurocytomas may be recognized by synaptophysin immunoreactivity and that the expression of cytoskeletal epitopes indicates that these tumors are well-differentiated neuronal neoplasms."}
{"id": "PMID:1471724", "title": "Acinic cell carcinoma of the lung (\"Fechner tumor\"). A clinicopathologic, immunohistochemical, and ultrastructural study of five cases.", "content": "The clinical, pathological, immunohistochemical, and ultrastructural features in five cases of primary acinic cell carcinoma of the lung are presented. The patients' ages ranged from 44 to 75 years (mean, 56); four were women and one a man. The lesions were discovered incidentally on routine chest x-ray and ranged from 1.2 to 4 cm in greatest diameter. Three tumors were located in the right middle lobe, one in the right upper lobe, and one in the left upper lobe. In three cases, the lesions presented as asymptomatic subpleural nodules in proximity to secondary bronchi, one case presented as an endobronchial tumor that led to obstructive symptoms, and one case as a well-circumscribed deep parenchymal nodule. Histologically, the tumors were composed of clear cells with abundant granular cytoplasm growing as solid sheets with focal acinar, microcystic, and papillocystic areas. Immunohistochemical stains showed strong positivity of the tumor cells for low-molecular-weight cytokeratins and epithelial membrane antigen (EMA). Focal weak cytoplasmic positivity was observed in three cases with alpha-1-antichymotrypsin and in one case with amylase. Stains for vimentin, S-100 protein, chromogranin, and lysozyme were negative in all cases examined. Electron microscopy performed in four cases showed abundant zymogen-type cytoplasmic granules of variable electron density characteristic of acinar-type secretory cells. All patients were treated by lobectomy alone. Follow-up of 3 to 10 years in four cases revealed that all patients were alive and well, with no evidence of recurrence or metastases. Because of their relatively indolent behavior and favorable prognosis, primary acinic cell carcinoma of the lung must be distinguished from other primary and metastatic clear cell tumors of the lung."}
{"id": "PMID:1471725", "title": "Well-differentiated liposarcoma (atypical lipoma) of deep soft tissue of the extremities, retroperitoneum, and miscellaneous sites. A follow-up study of 92 cases with analysis of the incidence of \"dedifferentiation\".", "content": "Ninety-two cases of well-differentiated liposarcoma of deep soft tissue of the extremity, retroperitoneum, and groin with follow-up information of at least 2 years and no evidence of dedifferentiation at the time of diagnosis were studied to determine their long-term behavior. The tumors occurred most commonly in the muscles of the extremity (46 cases), followed by the retroperitoneum (23 cases), groin (14 cases), and miscellaneous sites (nine cases). Tumors in the retroperitoneum recurred in nearly all cases (21 of 23 cases), occasionally caused patient death, and dedifferentiated in four cases (median time to dedifferentiation, 8 years). Tumors in the groin had a similar high recurrence rate (11 of 14 cases), caused death of patients (two of 14 cases), and dedifferentiated (four of 14 cases). In contrast, those in the extremity recurred less frequently (20 of 46 cases) and had no disease-related mortality. Three of 46, however, underwent dedifferentiation (median time to dedifferentiation, 7 years). Of the 11 cases that underwent dedifferentiation, the interval between diagnosis and dedifferentiation ranged from 2 to 18 years (median time, 9 years; average time, 11 years). Six of the 11 patients showed dedifferentiated foci in the first recurrence, and three died of metastatic disease. Our study indicates that the behavior of well-differentiated liposarcomas is strongly influenced by location. Although the prevailing view is that dedifferentiation is restricted to tumors of the retroperitoneum, our study indicates that it is not a site-specific phenomenon, but is more likely a time-dependent phenomenon seen in situations with a high likelihood for clinical persistence of disease for a long period. Dedifferentiation identifies a tumor that is potentially more aggressive; yet the progression of the disease following dedifferentiation may be highly variable and probably depends on a number of factors, including the amount of dedifferentiation and type of therapy. Although atypical lipoma is an acceptable term for well-differentiated liposarcomas of the subcutis, it fails to convey the potentially life-threatening properties of retroperitoneal tumors. For these lesions as well as those in the deep soft tissues of the extremity, retention of the term well-differentiated liposarcoma is advocated."}
{"id": "PMID:1471726", "title": "Aggressive angiomyxoma. A report of four cases occurring in men.", "content": "Aggressive angiomyxoma is a distinctive, locally aggressive but nonmetastasizing soft tissue tumor of the pelvic soft tissues and perineum. This rare tumor occurs almost exclusively in adult women. We report four cases occurring in adult men, one each located in the scrotum, inguinal region, spermatic cord, and pelvis. The tumors were infiltrative, and were composed of fibromyxoid matrix sparsely populated by bland-looking spindled and stellate cells with delicate cytoplasmic processes. There were haphazardly scattered small and large blood vessels, some of which exhibited hypertrophy or hyalinization of the wall. Immunohistochemically, the stromal cells stained consistently for vimentin and variably for muscle-specific actin, but not alpha-smooth muscle actin, desmin, and S-100 protein. None of the four tumors recurred in follow-up times from 11 months to 6 years, although two previously reported cases in men recurred. This uncommon tumor occurring around the genital region in men merits wider recognition because of its potential for recurrence. It should be distinguished from benign tumors with low risk of recurrence on one hand, and from malignant myxoid tumors with metastatic potential on the other."}
{"id": "PMID:1471727", "title": "Plasmacytic differentiation in parafollicular (monocytoid) B-cell lymphoma. A study of 12 cases.", "content": "Parafollicular (or monocytoid) B-cell lymphoma (PBCL) is a recently described low grade lymphoma. The relationship of parafollicular B cells to other B lymphocytes is not known, but the authors observed plasmacytic differentiation in the initial case of PBCL. In this report 12 cases of PBCL were studied by light microscopy and immunophenotypic analysis, and plasmacytic differentiation was found in four cases. This plasmacytic differentiation and the anatomic relationship of the neoplastic cells to reactive follicular centers suggest a functional relationship between these cell types."}
{"id": "PMID:1471728", "title": "Prethymic adult lymphoblastic lymphoma. A clinicopathologic and immunohistochemical analysis.", "content": "The clinical, histologic, and immunohistologic features of three cases of pre-T-cell (CD7+/CD2-) lymphoblastic lymphoma in adults are reported. The patients were adults over age 50 years who had a relatively indolent nodal disease, partial involvement of lymph nodes, and primitive immunophenotype. The phenotype of the three cases was TdT+, HLA-DR+, CD34+, CD71+, CD38+, and CD7+, most resembling the normal prothymocyte, and in contrast to normal thymocytes, which generally coexpress CD1+, CD4+, and CD8+. The prethymic T-cell character was further supported by germline T-cell receptor beta and gamma chain genes. In contrast to most reported cases with this early immunophenotype, these patients had nodal disease but not peripheral blood involvement. Two of the three cases were associated with Langerhans' cell histiocytosis (histiocytosis X), a previously unreported association. Because of the Langerhans' cell histiocytosis and the relatively indolent clinical presentation, the differential diagnosis in all cases included both a benign process and a lower-grade lymphoma. Recognition of this unusual form of adult lymphoblastic lymphoma is essential for correct diagnosis and treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1471729", "title": "Uterine carcinomas simulating microglandular hyperplasia. A report of six cases.", "content": "Six uterine adenocarcinomas, one cervical and five endometrial, that simulated microglandular hyperplasia histologically are described. The cervical neoplasm occurred in a 34-year-old woman who had been taking oral contraceptives. The five endometrial cancers occurred in postmenopausal patients 57 to 69 years of age; two of them were receiving, or had been receiving, premarin and provera and two were receiving only premarin. The patient with the cervical neoplasm had an abnormality observed on pelvic examination. The five postmenopausal patients presented because of vaginal spotting, bleeding, or discharge; their carcinomas were discovered in endometrial curettage specimens. On initial pathologic examination two specimens were misinterpreted as benign and in the remaining four cases there was uncertainty as to whether the lesion was benign or malignant. All the neoplasms had conspicuous microglandular patterns, with the gland lumens typically containing eosinophilic mucinous secretion and numerous acute inflammatory cells, which were also characteristically prominent in the stroma. Subsequent hysterectomies in all the cases showed residual adenocarcinoma with more typical features. Three of the endometrial tumors were mucinous adenocarcinomas and two mixed mucinous and endometrioid adenocarcinomas; the cervical tumor was a moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma of endocervical type. These cases illustrate that microglandular hyperplasia should be diagnosed with caution in a postmenopausal patient, particularly if lesional tissue is present in an endometrial curettage specimen, and, rarely, cervical adenocarcinomas have foci that simulate microglandular hyperplasia."}
{"id": "PMID:1471730", "title": "Pancreas rejection. Significance of histopathologic findings with implications for classification of rejection.", "content": "To determine the significance of various histopathologic features of pancreatic rejection, we reviewed the pathology of 53 biopsies taken to rule out rejection [32 bladder drained, (BD); 18 non-BD]. Twenty-six biopsies from 23 patients with allografts which ultimately failed (FLD) (7 BD, 16 non-BD) were compared with 27 biopsies from 27 patients with allografts which continue to function (FXN) (25 BD, 2 non-BD). The groups are similar in regard to age, sex, and time after transplant to biopsy. The mean follow-up is 13 months for FLD grafts versus 35 months for FXN grafts (p < 0.0001). In BD grafts, decreases in urine amylase usually led to biopsy, while in non-BD grafts, hyperglycemia usually prompted biopsy. More patients with ultimately FLD organs (17 of 26) presented with elevated blood glucose (BG) than patients with FXN grafts (2 of 27) (p < 0.0001). Multiple histologic features were examined related to the acinar tissue, pancreatic ducts, islets, vessels, and nerves. Features which strongly correlated with a negative outcome included moderate to severe inflammation of acinar tissue (p < 0.0001), acinar tissue loss and fibrosis (p < 0.0087) and vascular luminal narrowing due to chronic rejection (p < 0.003). Twenty-one pancreases showed chronic rejection and were treated with OKT3 or anti-lymphocytic globulin (ALG), six of these continue to function 1.6-9 years after biopsy, including two who presented with elevated BG levels. A normal biopsy was found in nine pancreases, all of which continue to function. Vasculitis was only seen in biopsies with moderate to severe inflammation, whereas endothelialitis was also seen in association with mild inflammation, suggesting that vasculitis is a more aggressive lesion. A rejection classification is proposed with endothelialitis partly defining mild rejection and vasculitis defining severe rejection. We conclude that several biopsy features and elevation of BG are strongly correlated with a high probability of failure; however, antirejection therapy is justified because recovery of function occurs in some cases. A normal biopsy obviates the need for therapy and predicts a good outcome, as do mild histological findings of rejection."}
{"id": "PMID:1471732", "title": "Basic epidemiology of tuberculosis in Peru: a prevalence study of tuberculin sensitivity in a Pueblo joven.", "content": "Tuberculosis continues to cause significant morbidity and mortality in developing nations. As a first step in defining the magnitude of the problem in Peru, we determined the prevalence of tuberculin sensitivity in an age-stratified, community-based population on the outskirts of Lima in December 1990. The overall prevalence of 10 mm or more induration in 368 individuals was 34%. When stratified by age, the prevalence was 12% in the 0-1-year-old group, 18% in the 2-4-year-old group, 24% in the 5-14-year-old group, 60% in the 15-24-year-old group, and 68% in the > or = 25-year-old group. Vaccination with bacillus Calmette-Guerin (87% of the study population) caused significant increases in weak (5-9 mm) reactions to purified protein derivative, but did not cause strong (10 mm or more) reactions. The prevalence of tuberculous infection in this population is higher than that previously reported in Peru and in most other high-risk populations. Unfortunately, the current political and economic situation in Peru makes it difficult to implement public health measures to prevent infection and progression of infection to disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1471733", "title": "Detection of Borrelia burgdorferi in ticks by species-specific amplification of the flagellin gene.", "content": "We developed a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) that specifically amplifies a fragment of the flagellin gene (fla) of Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme disease. This fla target, amplified with nested primers, was conserved among all 80 strains of B. burgdorferi tested. Strains examined included cultures from ticks, humans, and rodents from major B. burgdorferi-endemic regions of the United States and parts of Europe and Asia. Templates from B. hermsii, B. parkeri, B. turicatae, and B. coriaceae were not amplified, nor were eukaryotic DNAs from three tick genera. Several host DNAs potentially present in a tick blood meal also were not amplified. Approximately six B. burgdorferi per PCR reaction could be detected by ethidium bromide staining of amplified DNA. Colony-raised Ixodes dammini were used to evaluate the method. One infected nymph in a pool of 40 ticks was routinely detected. The specificity of the assay for detecting B. burgdorferi-infected ticks in pools was 94% (29 of 31). This protocol should prove useful for assessing infection rates in other putative arthropod vectors."}
{"id": "PMID:1471734", "title": "Serodiagnosis and screening of canine visceral leishmaniasis in an endemic area of Corsica: applicability of a direct agglutination test and immunoblot analysis.", "content": "For effective control of visceral leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania infantum in the Mediterranean area, the detection of infected dogs is of utmost importance. To assess the suitability of a direct agglutination test (DAT) and immunoblot analysis in serodiagnosis and screening of infected dogs under field conditions, a study was performed on 113 dogs in an endemic area of Corsica. Twenty one of 22 parasitologically confirmed cases were correctly diagnosed by both tests, and 100% specificity was found when 11 dogs with other diseases were examined. Interestingly, eight of 80 apparently healthy dogs from the same area were found to be parasite-positive by the DAT test as well as by the immunoblot. Although both tests were equally sensitive and specific, based on both the feasibility of its application in field conditions and ease of performance, we consider the DAT to be more suitable for serodiagnosis and large-scale screening of infected dogs."}
{"id": "PMID:1471735", "title": "The population dynamics in mosquitoes and humans of two Plasmodium vivax polymorphs distinguished by different circumsporozoite protein repeat regions.", "content": "The population dynamics of two Plasmodium vivax polymorphs were studied over a two-year period in a village in a hyperendemic area of Papua New Guinea in both the mosquito and human populations. Strains of P. vivax were distinguished by different circumsporozoite (CS) protein repeats, the VK210 (classic) and the VK247 (variant) polymorphs. In 1986, 34% of P. vivax CS protein-positive mosquitoes were of the VK247 type. Although the proportion of P. vivax sporozoite antigen-positive mosquitoes compared with all sporozoite-positive mosquitoes did not change from 1986 to 1987, the proportion of P. vivax-positive mosquitoes of the VK247 polymorph decreased significantly from 34% to 11% (5 of 45) in 1987. In 1986, 61% (47 of 77) of humans tested had IgGs that recognized the VK247 CS repeat, while only 26% (22 of 84) had IgGs that recognized the VK210 CS repeat. The observed fluctuation in the proportion of the two P. vivax CS protein polymorphs recorded in the mosquito population from 1986 to 1987 is consistent with a hypothesis of selection by humoral immune pressure on the VK247 strain."}
{"id": "PMID:1471736", "title": "Treatment of patients with recrudescent falciparum malaria with a sequential combination of artesunate and mefloquine.", "content": "A sequential combination of artesunate followed by mefloquine was evaluated prospectively in 24 patients with acute recrudescent falciparum malaria. The sequential combination was used to minimize possible side effects and to take advantage of the ability of artesunate to rapidly clear parasitemia and the prolonged effect of mefloquine to clear residual parasites. All patients had experienced one or more treatment failures with one or more courses of the following drugs (administered alone or in combination): quinine, tetracycline, mefloquine, artesunate, and sulfadoxine/pyrimethamine. Sequential treatment with artesunate (600 mg over five days) followed by mefloquine (750 mg and 500 mg six hours apart) cured all 24 patients. Each patient was followed for 28 days and 10 were observed for at least 35 days without clinical or parasitologic evidence of recrudescence. Fever and parasite clearance times after treatment with the sequential combination were 32.8 +/- 19.3 hr (mean +/- SD) and 40.0 +/- 16.2 hr, respectively. Susceptibility testing of selected parasite isolates indicated that all of the isolates tested were resistant to one or more antimalarial drugs. These results suggest that sequential treatment with artesunate followed by mefloquine is effective and well-tolerated in patients with recrudescent falciparum malaria."}
{"id": "PMID:1471737", "title": "Use of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to detect anti-adherence protein antibodies in sera of patients with invasive amebiasis in Cairo, Egypt.", "content": "We used enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to detect IgG antibodies to the Entamoeba histolytica galactose-inhibitable adherence protein in the sera of 50 uninfected controls, 50 cases with asymptomatic cyst passage, 100 patients with amebic colitis, and six patients with amebic liver abscess from Cairo, Egypt, and in 50 healthy controls from the United States. When the mean + 3 SD value above that of the controls from the United States was used as a criterion for a positive ELISA result, 100% of those with invasive amebiasis, 80% of those with asymptomatic infection, and 64% of the Egyptian controls had anti-adherence protein antibodies. However, when the mean + 2 SD value of Egyptian control sera (optical density = 0.094) was used as the criterion for positivity, 33 (89%) of 37 sera from individuals with invasive amebiasis having symptoms for at least one week were antibody positive, in contrast to only 12% of asymptomatic cyst passers (P < 0.01). In a highly endemic area such as Cairo, Egypt, detection of serum anti-adherence protein antibodies by ELISA may have greatest diagnostic use in patients with symptomatic invasive amebiasis of greater than one week duration."}
{"id": "PMID:1471738", "title": "A clinical and epidemiologic study of 292 cases of lance-headed viper bite in a Brazilian teaching hospital.", "content": "The records of 292 patients who were admitted to a teaching hospital from 1984 to 1990 in Uberlandia in southeastern Brazil after being bitten by snakes of the genus Bothrops were retrospectively surveyed. The patients were from 42 municipalities in three states of Brazil. Most (42%) bites occurred between 4:00 PM and 10:00 PM. Fourteen percent of the bites occurred in the month of April. In 54 (18%) of the cases, the snakes were captured and identified as belonging to the following species: B. moojeni (29), B. neuwiedi (18), and Bothrops species (7). A diagnosis was made based on clinical findings in 238 (82%) cases. The lower limbs were the commonest site of bite (74%). The median time interval between bite and admission to the hospital was 3 hr. Fang marks were recorded in 58% of the cases and swelling was recorded in 82%. Clotting time was greater than 15 min in (142 of 264) 54% of the cases. A tourniquet was used on 44 cases. The mean +/- SD dose of specific antivenom used was 187.48 +/- 93.44 mg. The complications that occurred included abscess formation in 18% of the cases, necrosis in 16%, and renal failure in 5%. Amputation was performed in three (1%) cases. The case fatality rate was also 1% (three cases). When all cases were analyzed, the chi-square test for trend showed an increased susceptibility of renal failure with age (P < 0.04). Clotting time greater than 15 min was associated with the development of abscesses (P < 0.02).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1471739", "title": "Perianal mass and recurrent cellulitis due to Enterobius vermicularis.", "content": "A unique case of enterobiasis presenting as recurrent cellulitis and a perianal mass in a six-year-old girl is reported. Complicated perianal lesions due to Enterobius are unusual. Only 10 previous cases are known, with unclear pathogenesis in most of them, although mucosal breaches and perianal crypt or gland entry have been postulated. The association of the mass in this case with a deep crypt, and the histopathologic finding of squamous epithelium focally surrounding the granulomatous reaction to the Enterobius eggs suggest that the worm entered the perianal tissues via a crypt. Local secondary bacterial infection can cause significant morbidity. Surgical excision of such granulomatous mass lesions is necessary in symptomatic or complicated cases."}
{"id": "PMID:1471740", "title": "Pyridinoline, a mature collagen cross-link, in fibrotic livers from Schistosoma mansoni-infected mice.", "content": "The amount of pyridinoline, a cross-linking amino acid found in mature collagen, was measured in murine liver for a period of up to 40 weeks following Schistosoma mansoni infection. The pyridinoline level (expressed as pmol per 100 micrograms of liver) markedly increased in the course of murine schistosomiasis, and the number of pyridinoline residues per collagen molecule was also higher in the livers of infected mice than that of control livers. This increase in the extent of intermolecular collagen cross-linking might play a role in the modulation of collagen catabolism as an auxiliary mechanism of extracellular matrix accumulation during fibrogenesis."}
{"id": "PMID:1471741", "title": "The role of IgG antibodies from irradiated cercaria-immunized rabbits in the passive transfer of immunity to Schistosoma mansoni-infected mice.", "content": "Antibodies of the IgG subclass isolated from the sera of rabbits immunized with cercariae subjected to 50 kilorads of gamma irradiation passively provided partial immunity against Schistosoma mansoni challenge in C57B1/6J mice. These mice exhibited reductions in adult worm burdens of 43-61% compared with recipients of normal rabbit antibodies. Passively transferred IgG antibodies were most effective when given 4-7-days postchallenge; they were less effective when given just before challenge, and were totally ineffective when given 15 days postchallenge. It was also shown that the Fc portion of the IgG molecule was important for passive transfer of immunity. Finally, we observed that although some antibodies from irradiated cercaria-immunized rabbits recognized keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH), these KLH cross-reacting antibodies were not necessary for successful passive transfer of immunity. Antibodies from a KLH-immunized rabbit also failed to passively protect mice."}
{"id": "PMID:1471742", "title": "Strongyloides stercoralis infection in IgA-deficient dogs.", "content": "Two litters of eight-week-old, IgA-deficient pups, each including one normal littermate control, were infected with 5,000 infective third-stage Strongyloides stercoralis larvae per pup. No significant differences between the dogs deficient in serum and mucosal IgA and the normal control dogs were observed in any of the parasitologic parameters measured during the course of infection. The time required to reach patency, the maximum number of larvae shed in the feces, the number of days postinfection at which larval shedding was at its maximum, and the time required to eliminate shedding were similar in the two groups. Once larval shedding ceased, there was no recrudescence, even though serum and fecal IgA were absent or low throughout the seven-month course of the investigation. All dogs remained asymptomatic, with complete blood counts and clinical chemistries within normal ranges. In addition, serum IgM and IgG levels were within the normal range for both groups of infected dogs. All dogs from which necropsy samples were obtained harbored low numbers of adult female worms, some of which were barren. An IgA deficiency apparently does not affect the course or severity of S. stercoralis infection in the dog."}
{"id": "PMID:1471743", "title": "Low immunogenicity of a Plasmodium vivax circumsporozoite protein epitope bound by a protective monoclonal antibody.", "content": "The repeat region of the Plasmodium vivax circumsporozoite (CS) protein contains 20 copies of the nine-amino acid sequence DRA A/D GQPAG. A monoclonal antibody that passively protects monkeys against sporozoite challenge recognizes a four-amino acid linear sequence AGDR included within this nonamer, but when monkeys were immunized with a vaccine, NS1(81)V20, which contains 20 copies of the nonamer, they failed to produce antibodies to AGDR. To determine if natural exposure to sporozoites induces antibodies to AGDR, we tested sera from 176 individuals from a malaria-endemic area in Flores, Indonesia. Seventy-one percent of the adults had antibodies to the P. vivax repeat region; only 18% had detectable antibodies to AGDR. None of the subjects had antibodies to the P. vivax variant repeat ANGAGNQPG. We next tested sera from six human volunteers immunized with NS1(81)V20 and found that the vaccine, despite inducing antibodies against the nonamer, as it did in the monkeys, did not induce antibodies against AGDR. To further test our ability to raise anti-AGDR antibodies using synthetic peptides, we immunized Aotus monkeys and BALB/c mice with AGDR. Sera from the mice reacted strongly with both AGDR and a recombinant protein containing the 20 copies of the nonamer. Sera from the monkeys reacted only minimally with a protein (VIVAX-1) that contains monomeric AGDR within its sequence. Sera from the mice also bound air-dried P. vivax sporozoites, while sera from the monkeys did not.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1471744", "title": "Biochemical characterization and zymodeme classification of Leishmania isolates from patients, vectors, and reservoir hosts in Kenya.", "content": "A total of 407 Leishmania and other Leishmania-like isolates obtained from patients, other vertebrates, sand fly vectors, and other arthropods from Kenya and other countries were characterized and compared with several World Health Organization and other well-characterized reference strains of Leishmania, Trypanosoma, Crithidia, Herpetomonas, and Leptomonas by cellulose acetate electrophoresis (CAE), using 20 enzyme systems. Analysis of the isoenzyme banding patterns (IBP) of the isolates generated isoenzyme profiles that were resolved as zymodemes and tabulated. Isolates that produced similar isoenzyme profiles in all 20 enzyme systems were placed into a particular Leishmania isoenzyme taxon, with the zymodeme designated numerically as Zn. A total of 66 zymodemes were recorded for the 407 isolates studied. To obviate the need to draw all 66 representative IBP for each of the 20 enzyme systems, the 66 zymodemes (Z1-Z66) were again placed into similarity groups represented by pattern number or Pn. This resulted in 23-50 IBP (Pn) per enzyme system. The highest number of IBP scored was for malate dehydrogenase (MDH) (P1-50) and the lowest score was for glucose-6-phosphate isomerase (GPI) (P1-23). From these different isoenzyme profiles or zymodemes, IBP of 14 (MDH, GPI, nucleoside hydrolase, phosphoglucomutase, malic enzyme, isocitrate dehydrogenase, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, mannose-6-phosphate isomerase, 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase, glutamate oxaloacetate transferase/aspartate aminotransferase, glutathione reductase, superoxide dismutase, fumarase, and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase) of the 20 enzyme systems were selected for computer-calculated numerical taxonomy. Consistent individual isoenzyme bands with similar relative mobilities of the 14 enzyme systems were scored into groups (allelomorphs, allozymes, or electromorphs) and used in cluster analysis. For each pattern in every profile, the presence of a consistent band was entered as 1 and its absence as 0. A total of 419 allozyme characters (variables) were scored for the 14 enzyme systems. Lastly, all different zymodemes sharing a particular IBP (Pn) within an enzyme system were counted and the total number was shown as a zymodeme frequency (Zf). Final analysis of the CAE isoenzyme profiles and cluster-dendrograms resulted in the identification of several potentially new species and subspecies of Leishmania and other Leishmania-like isolates from patients, sand flies, and animal reservoir hosts collected from Kenya and other locations in Africa. Zymodeme analysis of the Kenyan visceral and cutaneous leishmaniasis isolates resulted in the identification of 11 subpopulations of the L. donovani species complex and six subpopulations of the L. tropica species complex endemic to different geographic areas of Kenya."}
{"id": "PMID:1471745", "title": "Use of genetic polymorphisms detected by the random-amplified polymorphic DNA polymerase chain reaction (RAPD-PCR) for differentiation and identification of Aedes aegypti subspecies and populations.", "content": "Amplification of random regions of genomic DNA using 10-base primers in the random-amplified polymorphic DNA polymerase chain reaction (RAPD-PCR) was used to differentiate and identify mosquito populations based on genetic variation. Genomic DNA was extracted from individual mosquitoes from 11 geographic populations of Aedes aegypti and amplified in PCR reactions using single primers of arbitrary nucleotide sequence. Discriminant analysis of the population frequencies of RAPD fragments produced using three different primers allowed accurate discrimination between the geographic populations in 89% of individuals and between subspecies (Ae. aegypti aegypti versus Ae. aegypti formosus) in 100% of mosquitoes tested. The genetic relatedness of the populations was estimated using three different statistical methods, and unknown populations were correctly classified in a blind test. These results indicate that the RAPD-PCR technique will be useful in studies of arthropod molecular taxonomy and in epidemiologic studies of the relatedness of geographic populations and vector movement."}
{"id": "PMID:1471746", "title": "Papulonecrotic tuberculid. Identification of Mycobacterium tuberculosis DNA by polymerase chain reaction.", "content": "Sections from 22 formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded skin biopsies from 12 patients with papulonecrotic tuberculid (PNT) were examined for the presence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis DNA with use of the polymerase chain reaction. All patients had a positive tuberculin skin test and a compatible clinical picture and responded to antituberculous therapy. Histological examination showed the typical morphology of PNT lesions with dermal necrosis surrounded by an ill-formed granulomatous infiltrate. Mycobacterial DNA was detected in 11 of the 22 biopsies. None of the negative controls showed positive DNA identification by amplification. Great care was taken in avoiding false-positive results due to contamination. After reviewing the literature, we believe this is the first time that PNT lesions have been investigated by PCR for the presence of mycobacterial DNA. These findings provide direct proof that mycobacterial products are present in PNT lesions and support the theory that this organism is in some way responsible for the development of PNT."}
{"id": "PMID:1471747", "title": "Immunohistochemical localization of cytokines in nevi.", "content": "Eight common nevi and 11 dysplastic nevi were evaluated for the presence of basic fibroblast growth factor, platelet-derived growth factor, transforming growth factor-alpha, interleukin-1-alpha, and interleukin-1-beta by immunohistochemical labelling with highly specific monoclonal antibodies. Basic fibroblast growth factor was abundant in the nevus cells and keratinocytes of nevi. Dysplastic nevus cells on average stained less intensely for basic fibroblast growth factor than did common nevus cells. In both types of nevi, basic fibroblast growth factor was identified in the basement membranes at the dermoepidermal junction and surrounding nevus cell nests and individual nevus cells. Labelling of nevus cells for transforming growth factor-alpha was variable, while there was moderate labelling for platelet-derived growth factor and light labelling for interleukin-1-alpha. Only two nevi, both dysplastic, stained (very faintly) for interleukin-1-beta. It is possible that these cytokines, especially basic fibroblast growth factor, act in autocrine fashion to maintain nevocellular growth and may also contribute to the epidermal hyperplasia and fibrosis frequently observed in nevi."}
{"id": "PMID:1471748", "title": "True histiocytic lymphoma (monocytic sarcoma)", "content": "The clinical, histological, immunophenotypic, and genotypic characteristics of two cases of cutaneous genuine histiocytic lymphoma are described. Both cases presented as cutaneous lesions. Both patients remain alive and free of disease at 26 and 10 months after the diagnosis and after having been treated with polychemotherapy. Neither peripheral blood nor bone marrow infiltration was detected in either case. Histological and immunophenotypic examination showed dense, diffuse dermic infiltrates of mononuclear cells with positive macrophage-associated markers (CD11c, CD68), and negative T- or B-cell-associated antigens. A germline configuration of both T-cell receptor and immunoglobulin genes was observed in gene rearrangement studies. Although most of the cases that have been diagnosed as histiocytic lymphoma or malignant histiocytosis in the past turned out to be B- or T-large-cell lymphomas, a small number of cases (two in our consecutive series of 350 cases) show characteristics of monocyte-macrophage tumors. We stress the importance of the CD68 marker in the diagnosis of true histiocytic lymphoma, suggest a therapeutic approach based on similarities with monocytic leukemia, and propose the use of the term monocytic sarcoma for this clinicopathological presentation."}
{"id": "PMID:1471749", "title": "Follicular mucinosis in alopecia areata.", "content": "The pathological features of alopecia areata were described in association with those of follicular mucinosis in the scalp pathology of an 18-year-old woman. The immunohistochemical picture of the inflammatory infiltrate showed a high CD4/CD8 ratio (25:1), which was significantly different from the CD4/CD8 ratio in patients with alopecia areata. The abundance of helper/inducer cells along with the involvement of the upper part of the hair follicles might explain the development of follicular mucinosis in this case. Different possibilities were discussed, but the clinical presentation and the follow-up favored the clinical and pathological interpretation of alopecia areata with incidental findings of follicular mucinosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1471750", "title": "Linear morphea with secondary cutaneous mucinosis.", "content": "Secondary mucinosis is a common finding in connective tissue diseases, especially in lupus erythematosus and dermatomyositis, but is seen only rarely in morphea. We report the case of a 9-year-old boy who presented with linearly arranged, flesh-colored to erythematous, indurated, very tender plaques on his right arm. He had similar lesions on his midchest and upper back. Histopathology revealed the characteristic findings of morphea and mucin deposition between thickened collagen bundles. This is an unusual case of linear morphea with hyaluronic acid deposition."}
{"id": "PMID:1471751", "title": "Giant cell fibroblastoma with a dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans component.", "content": "We describe a unique case of giant cell fibroblastoma that contained a component of dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans in the left inguinal region of a 37-year-old man. Our case adds further proof of the close histogenetic relationship between these two tumors."}
{"id": "PMID:1471752", "title": "Merkel cell tumor masquerading as granulation tissue on a teenager's toe.", "content": "Merkel cell tumor (MCT) typically occurs on the head or neck of elderly patients. A case is presented of a teenage girl with an MCT on her toe. The diagnosis was made 5 years after an ingrown nail on the toe was avulsed. During the interim 5 years, the periungual skin looked like granulation tissue and thus no biopsy was performed. This case of MCT is unique in three aspects: (a) extraordinarily young age, (b) atypical site, and (c) deceptive clinical appearance. Awareness of the possible occurrence of MCT in younger patients and in unusual locations will facilitate earlier diagnosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1471754", "title": "Horace and medicine.", "content": "The Roman poet Horace, who died 2,000 years ago, achieved fame in his own lifetime as a gentle satirist and writer of odes of inimitable lyrical beauty. Posterity honors him for his solid common sense and the aptness and elegance of his language. This article briefly reviews his life and quotes a number of passages from his works that refer to contemporary medicine and hygiene."}
{"id": "PMID:1471756", "title": "Low platelet gamma-aminobutyrate aminotransferase and monoamine oxidase activities in chronic alcoholic patients.", "content": "The activities of gamma-aminobutyrate aminotransferase (GABA-T) and monoamine oxidase (MAO) were estimated in blood platelets from 25 male chronic alcoholics and from 27 healthy male volunteers without histories of alcohol abuse. Based on clinical criteria, the alcoholics were classified into type 1 or type 2 alcoholism. The activity of GABA-T was found to be lower both in type 1 and type 2 alcoholics than in healthy volunteers. With regard to MAO, the platelet activity was found to be significantly lower only in type 2 alcoholics in concordance with previous reports. No significant correlation was found between the activities of GABA-T and MAO in the blood platelets of healthy volunteers. The inhibitory effect of 400 mM ethanol on the platelet MAO activity increased with decreasing concentrations of the substrate phenylethylamine. The degree of inhibition of ethanol on the platelet MAO activity, however, did not differ significantly between alcoholics and controls."}
{"id": "PMID:1471757", "title": "Techniques to enhance compliance with disulfiram.", "content": "Pharmacodynamic benefits of disulfiram in the treatment of alcoholism have yet to be clearly demonstrated. Nevertheless, research does suggest that disulfiram may well have positive effects on drinking if medicational compliance procedures are employed. This paper reviews research on four strategies for enhancing disulfiram compliance: implants, incentives, contracts, and patient information. Generalizations about the strategies are drawn and needs for future research are briefly addressed."}
{"id": "PMID:1471758", "title": "Family history, alcohol use and dependence symptoms among young adults in the United States.", "content": "Drawing upon data from the National Longitudinal Survey of young adults, this paper examines the effects of family history of alcoholism and current alcohol use by the young adults. A multivariate analysis of the data from the study indicates that there are both main and interaction effects of family history and current alcohol use on dependence symptoms among the young adults."}
{"id": "PMID:1471759", "title": "Do women develop alcoholic brain damage more readily than men?", "content": "Chronic alcoholism is related to brain damage (i.e., volume changes) in both men and women. There is an open question whether the brains of women are more vulnerable than those of men to alcohol toxicity. The present follow-up study focuses on a direct comparison of sex-related differences in alcoholic brain shrinkage and its reversibility. In a prospective design, a random sample of 65 alcoholics of both sexes (51 males and 14 females) was studied. Computerized tomography brain scans before and after a 6-week inpatient treatment program with controlled abstinence revealed a significant re-expansion of the brain as assessed by linear measurements. By controlling for moderating variables such as age, mean daily alcohol consumption, liver dysfunction, etc. the degree of brain shrinkage was found to be similar in men and women despite significantly shorter ethanol expositions in the women. These findings corroborate the hypotheses of other investigators about basic biological differences between the two sexes as to the effects of alcohol. The hypothesis of an enhanced vulnerability of women to acute and chronic complications of alcoholism is supported."}
{"id": "PMID:1471760", "title": "Serum type I collagen propeptide and severity of alcoholic liver disease.", "content": "We assessed the relationship of serum type I collagen propeptide concentrations with various severity indices of alcoholic liver disease, including clinical and morphological severity, the amount of alcohol consumption, and the serum levels of other components of connective tissue. The serum concentration of the carboxyterminal propeptide of type I procollagen (PICP) was measured with a new radioimmunoassay that is devoid of a crossreaction caused by type III procollagen-derived fragments. A significant correlation was found between serum PICP and the Combined Clinical and Laboratory Index (CCLI) (rs = 0.58, p < 0.001) and the Combined Morphological Index (CMI) (rs = 0.57, p < 0.01). However, PICP was elevated less frequently than serum type III collagen propeptide (PIIINP), type IV collagen or laminin, and the correlations with the latter three parameter with both the CCLI (PIIINP: rs = 0.80, type IV collagen: rs = 0.80; and laminin: rs = 0.81) or CMI (PIIINP: rs = 0.75, type IV collagen: rs = 0.72; and laminin rs = 0.61) were all stronger than that of PICP. Furthermore, although during a follow-up period of 6 months, the mild or moderately drinking patients had a significant decrease in PIIINP and the heavily drinking patients had no improvement. PICP was, however, found to improve in both the mild and heavy drinkers. These results point to differences in handling of type I and type III collagen propeptides in alcoholic liver disease. The latter appears to be a more sensitive indicator of disease severity, presence of alcoholic hepatitis, and the amount of alcohol intake."}
{"id": "PMID:1471761", "title": "DSM-III-R and proposed DSM-IV alcohol abuse and dependence, United States 1988: a nosological comparison.", "content": "The purpose of the present study was to compare DSM-III-R and the proposed DSM-IV (options 1 and 2) diagnostic criteria for alcohol abuse and dependence in a representative sample of the United States general population. Alcohol abuse and dependence diagnostic categories were contrasted in terms of prevalence and overlap. The prevalences of DSM-III-R and DSM-IV diagnoses of alcohol abuse and dependence combined were remarkably similar. However, disaggregation of abuse and dependence diagnoses showed that there were major discrepancies between the classification systems. Reasons for these discrepancies are discussed in terms of differences in the number of diagnostic criteria and the content of the DSM-III-R and DSM-IV abuse and dependence categories, the requirement for physiological dependence in DSM-IV classifications, the relationship between the abuse and dependence categories, and the impact of the duration criteria."}
{"id": "PMID:1471762", "title": "Brain gray and white matter volume loss accelerates with aging in chronic alcoholics: a quantitative MRI study.", "content": "Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used to study in vivo the brains of 49 patients with chronic alcoholism, 3 to 4 weeks post-withdrawal, and 43 normal healthy controls, all right-handed male veterans between the ages of 23 and 70 years. MRI scans were analyzed using a semi-automated procedure, which allowed the subcortical regions to be segmented into cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and brain tissue and the cortical regions to be segmented into CSF, gray matter, and white matter. An age regression model was used to examine the effects of alcohol on brain structure, over and above that expected from the normal aging process. The alcoholics exhibited decreased tissue and increased CSF after correcting for aging. In the cortex, there was significant loss of both gray matter and white matter volume. In this sample of alcoholics, no particular cortical region was preferentially affected or spared. Furthermore, brain tissue volume loss increased with advanced age in the alcoholics. In this group of alcoholics there was no relationship between length of illness and age, i.e., the younger alcoholics had as heavy alcohol use histories as did the older alcoholics. Thus, the increased brain tissue loss with advanced age is interpreted as evidence for age-related increase in brain vulnerability to chronic alcohol abuse."}
{"id": "PMID:1471763", "title": "Prolonged QT interval in alcoholic autonomic nervous dysfunction.", "content": "QT prolongation on electrocardiography is related to sudden cardiac death and is frequently found in alcoholics. We studied QT prolongation in relation to the function of cardiac autonomic nerves assessed by the coefficient of variation of the R-R interval (CVRR) in three age-matched groups of men: 32 alcoholics with autonomic nervous dysfunction (AN), 32 alcoholics without AN, and 32 healthy controls. The QTc interval and CVRR were measured at rest on the 30th day of abstinence, when electrolyte imbalance had disappeared. Subjects with arrhythmia, conduction abnormality, cardiomegaly, ischemic heart disease or diabetes mellitus were excluded. A CVRR of less than 80% of standard predicted value was judged to represent AN. In alcoholics, QTc correlated negatively with the ratio of CVRR to its standard value (r = -0.49, p < 0.0001). The incidence of QTc prolongation was higher in alcoholics with AN (46.9%) than in alcoholics without AN (21.9%, p < 0.05). QTc prolongation was not observed in healthy controls. The QTc interval was significantly (p < 0.01) longer in alcoholics with AN (444 +/- 20 msec) than in alcoholics without AN (426 +/- 17) and in healthy controls (398 +/- 18). These results suggest that alcoholism causes dysfunction of the autonomic nerves as well as worsening QT prolongation, and this may predispose such patients to sudden cardiac death."}
{"id": "PMID:1471764", "title": "The identification and partial characterization of acetaldehyde adducts of hemoglobin occurring in vivo: a possible marker of alcohol consumption.", "content": "Chromatographic, peptide mapping and mass spectrometric analysis were used to examine hemoglobin (Hb) from heavy drinkers and abstainers for alcohol consumption-related modifications. Heavy drinker and abstainer hemoglobin samples contained similar amounts of glycosylated Hb and significantly different (p < 0.05) amounts of \"fast\" hemoglobin. The presence of higher amounts of \"fast\" Hb in heavy drinker relative to abstainer samples suggested the presence of alcohol-consumption related modifications. To further examine Hb for modifications, tryptic peptides of the \"fast\" hemoglobin HbA1c were isolated and analyzed by plasma desorption mass spectrometry (PDMS). [14C]acetaldehyde (AcH)-Hb was synthesized in vivo for use as a standard. Specific peptides were chosen based on co-migration with radiolabeled peptides from a tryptic digest of the [14C]acetaldehyde-Hb. The masses obtained by PDMS for two heavy drinker peptides were identical to two radiolabeled peptides; the two pairs of peptides co-migrated on HPLC. A comparison of the observed mass for the peptides with the theoretical masses for acetaldehyde-modified Hb peptides suggested that the peptides were AcH-modified alpha and beta chain N-termini of Hb. The modified peptides were found in five of six heavy drinker samples. This is the first description of site-specific AcH-Hb adducts occurring in vivo. The routine detection of such adducts has potential for characterizing usual alcohol intake."}
{"id": "PMID:1471765", "title": "Drinking patterns and problems: a comparison of ER patients in an HMO and in the general population.", "content": "The purpose of this study was to compare drinking patterns and alcohol-related problems and associations of these variables with casualties in an emergency room (ER) population and in the general population from which these patients come. A probability sample of patients seen in all three health maintenance organization (HMO) hospital ERs in one U.S. county (N = 986) and a household probability sample of those living in the same county who reported belonging to the HMO (N = 735) were interviewed. The ER sample was more likely to report consequences related to drinking, less likely to report feeling they should cut down on their drinking, and more likely to report greater use of the ER than the general population sample. Similar associations were found between injured and noninjured in the two samples. These data lend support for the generalizability of findings of associations of alcohol and casualties obtained from ER studies to the larger general population."}
{"id": "PMID:1471766", "title": "Ambient temperature effects on taste aversion conditioned by ethanol: contribution of ethanol-induced hypothermia.", "content": "Six experiments examined the effects of low (5-10 degrees C), normal (21 degrees C), or high (32 degrees) ambient temperature on conditioned taste aversion and body temperature changes produced by ethanol, lithium chloride, or morphine sulfate. Fluid-deprived rats received five to seven taste conditioning trials at 48-hr intervals. On each trial, access to saccharin at normal ambient temperature was followed by injection of drug or saline and placement for 6 hr into a temperature-controlled enclosure. Exposure to low ambient temperature facilitated, whereas exposure to high ambient temperature retarded acquisition of ethanol-induced conditioned taste aversion. The ability of an alteration in ambient temperature to influence conditioned taste aversion varied as a function of ethanol dose and was related to ambient temperature's effect on ethanol-induced hypothermia. More specifically, strength of conditioned taste aversion was negatively correlated with core body temperature after ethanol injection. Alterations in ambient temperature alone did not affect ingestion of a paired flavor solution in the absence of drug. Moreover, alterations in ambient temperature did not appear to influence conditioned taste aversion by changing ethanol pharmacokinetics. Finally, high and low ambient temperature did not affect development of taste aversion conditioned by lithium chloride or morphine sulfate. The overall pattern of data presented by these experiments supports the hypothesis that ambient-temperature influences strength of ethanol-induced conditioned taste aversion by altering the hypothermic response to ethanol. More generally, these data support the suggestion that body temperature change induced by ethanol is related to ethanol's aversive motivational effects and may be involved in modulating ethanol intake."}
{"id": "PMID:1471767", "title": "Localization of protein-acetaldehyde adducts on cell surface of hepatocytes by flow cytometry.", "content": "Acetaldehyde, a highly reactive intermediate of ethanol metabolism, has been shown to form adducts with liver proteins (e.g., a cytosolic 37 kDa protein and the microsomal cytP450IIE1) in rats fed alcohol chronically. In this study, flow cytometry was utilized to test for the presence of protein-acetaldehyde adducts (-AAs) on the surface of hepatocytes and immunotransblot was used to detect for the 37 kDa protein-AA in cytosol as was previously described. For flow cytometric analysis, rabbit anti-hemocyanin-AA IgG and fluorescein isothiocyanate-conjugated goat anti-rabbit serum IgG were used as the primary and secondary antibodies to label surface protein-AAs on hepatocytes at 0 degrees to 4 degrees C. After labeling and washing, hepatocytes were fixed with paraformaldehyde-cacodylate and analyzed with a flow cytometer. In an experiment wherein hepatocytes isolated from rats pair-fed liquid diets with and without ethanol were treated by adding both the primary and secondary IgGs, some hepatocytes from both alcohol-fed and control rats exhibited positive fluorescence but no significant difference in fluorescence intensity was noted. In another experiment, hepatocytes were isolated from rats pair-fed cyanamide (a selective aldehyde dehydrogenase inhibitor) with and without ethanol. The number of hepatocytes showing positive fluorescence in the presence of both primary and secondary IgGs was significantly higher in rats fed cyanamide plus ethanol than in rats fed cyanamide only. Of note, the 37 kDa protein-AA could be detected by immunotransblot in liver cytosol of alcohol-fed rats but not in the controls of both experiments with and without cyanamide supplementation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1471768", "title": "Effects of ethanol and control liquid diets on the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis of male Fischer-344 rats.", "content": "The effects of a high dextrose liquid diet containing ethanol and two different control liquid diets on serum and brain thyroid axis hormones and liver and brain deiodinase activities were studied in groups of adult male Fischer-344 (F-344) rats. Rats received either lab chow, ad libitum; a nutritionally complete 10% (w/v) ethanol liquid diet, ad libitum; a volume of either a high carbohydrate (HC) or a high fat (HF) isocaloric control liquid diet equal to the volume of diet consumed by rats given the ethanol diet; or the HC control diet, ad libitum. Consumption of liquid diets was measured daily and body weights recorded every other day throughout the study. Hormones were measured after 2, 4, or 8 weeks and deiodinase activities after 4 or 8 weeks. Also, groups of rats were given the 10% ethanol diet, ad libitum, or pair-fed the HC control diet intermittently for 8 weeks, and thyroid hormones and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) response to thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) were determined. Within 2 weeks rats became accustomed to all diets and thereafter weight gain was comparable in all groups. Small differences between serum thyroid hormones of rats fed the ethanol diet and pair-fed HC or HF controls may have been caused by lower T4 secretion in ethanol-fed rats. Marked differences in free and total T4 and T3 between F-344 rats fed liquid diets for 4 or 8 weeks and rats fed lab chow probably resulted from higher liver 5'-deiodinase activity in rats fed liquid diets.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1471769", "title": "Tolerance to adenosine's accentuation of ethanol-induced motor incoordination in ethanol-tolerant mice.", "content": "Our previously published reports have provided data that have supported a functional correlation between ethanol-induced changes in the characteristics of adenosine receptor, adenosine uptake and release in the brain, and ethanol-induced motor incoordination. The present data demonstrated a cross-tolerance between ethanol and adenosine further supporting the hypothesis that brain adenosine modulates the motor impairing effects of ethanol. Mice that received (-)-N6-cyclohexyladenosine (CHA) [0.25 mg/kg/day, intraperitoneally (ip)] for 10 days exhibited marked attenuation (cross-tolerance) to acute ethanol-induced motor incoordination compared with chronic saline (ip) controls. The attenuation of acute ethanol-induced motor incoordination was essentially same in animals that received CHA (25 ng/5 microliters/day for 10 days) by the intracerebroventricular (icv) route as opposed to the controls that chronically received artificial cerebral spinal fluid by the same route. Similarly, tolerance was exhibited to acute CHA (0.125 mg/kg ip and 12.5 ng/5 microliters icv) by animals fed liquid ethanol (19.5 g/kg/24 hr) for 10 days compared with none in the pair-fed sucrose controls. Scatchard plots using cerebellar tissue homogenates from animals given chronic CHA or chronic ethanol indicated no change in Bmax and/or Kd values for CHA binding when compared with CHA binding in tissues from their respective controls. However, a lack of any change in the binding characteristics cannot rule out the involvement of adenosine receptors in the observed cross-tolerance between ethanol and CHA. The results may suggest desensitization of adenosine A1 receptors due to chronic CHA and ethanol as an alternate possible explanation in the development of cross-tolerance between adenosine (CHA) and ethanol."}
{"id": "PMID:1471770", "title": "Proopiomelanocortin messenger RNA is decreased in the mediobasal hypothalamus of rats made dependent on ethanol.", "content": "It is thought that certain actions of ethanol involve an interaction with endogenous opioids, including proopiomelanocortin-derived peptides such as beta-endorphin. To examine this possibility, we used a sensitive and specific assay for proopiomelanocortin mRNA to obtain an estimate of the activity of the endorphinergic system in the mediobasal hypothalamus and the pituitary of rats exposed for 10 days in an inhalation chamber to either ethanol or water. This protocol causes dependence in the ethanol-exposed group, as demonstrated by the presence of withdrawal seizures after cessation of treatment. While ethanol treatment did not affect proopiomelanocortin mRNA levels in the pituitary, the level in hypothalamus was significantly lower in the ethanol-treated animals than in controls. These results suggest that some effect of ethanol may involve the hypothalamic endorphinergic system."}
{"id": "PMID:1471771", "title": "Membrane biogenesis in the presence of ethanol.", "content": "To investigate the effect of ethanol on the intracellular transport in gastric epithelial cells, the in vitro system, generating transport vesicles which transfer mucus glycoprotein apopeptide (apomucin) from rough endoplasmic reticulum (RER) to Golgi, was assembled. The vesicles, generated from gastric mucous cell RER microsomes and labeled with [3H]palmitic acid, were isolated from the maternal RER and characterized. The electron microscopy revealed that these RER products consisted of 80 to 100 nm smooth membrane vesicles, while the immunochemical analyses showed that they contain apomucin but were devoid of the characteristic integral proteins of the RER membrane. Incubation of apomucin transporting vesicles with Golgi in the presence of UDP-[3H]galactose resulted in the formation of glycosylated mucin and fusion of the vesicles with Golgi. Formation of ER transport vesicles was dependent on the supply of lipid precursors, and the activity of phosphoglyceride and sphingolipid synthesizing enzymes. In the presence of 60 and 120 mM ethanol, the vesicles were formed, but their lipid composition was modified. The results suggest that ethanol-induced membrane alterations are initiated at the early stages of the membrane biogenesis and are first reflected in the lipid composition of the intracellular transport vesicles."}
{"id": "PMID:1471772", "title": "Regional distribution of low-Km mitochondrial aldehyde dehydrogenase in the rat central nervous system.", "content": "To clarify the regional capacity of the brain to oxidize biogenic aldehydes and ethanol-derived acetaldehyde, a quantitative immunohistochemical study of the microregional and cellular expression of low Km mitochondrial aldehyde dehydrogenase (mALDH; EC 1.2.1.3) in the rat central nervous system was undertaken, using antiserum raised in rabbit against low-Km aldehyde dehydrogenase purified from rat liver mitochondria. mALDH-specific immunoreactivity (IR) was observed to various extent in the majority of structures in all brain and spinal cord areas. Staining was strong in the extranuclear cytoplasm of neuronal and glial cell bodies but less pronounced in their processes and terminals, the conducting tracts, white matter and neuropile and in blood vessels. Immunostaining density was 2 to 3 times higher in neuronal perikarya as compared with neuropile. mALDH-positive neurons were found in all brain regions, being strongest in the inferior olive and hippocampus stratum pyramidale and weakest in substantia nigra. The percentage of morphologically identifiable ALDH-positive neurons ranged from 40% in the arcuate hypothalamic nucleus to 88% in the cerebellar Purkinje cells. A comparison of the heterogeneous expression of mALDH in various rat CNS regions and cells, as observed in the present study, with the corresponding previously published distributions of the potential acetaldehyde-producing enzymes ADH and cytochrome P450 2E1 indicates major differences, which may help in understanding potential acetaldehyde-mediated CNS effects of ethanol. Knowledge of the regional distribution of high-affinity aldehyde dehydrogenase should also throw light on the neurophysiological role of local regulation of the metabolism of biogenic aldehydes in the brain."}
{"id": "PMID:1471773", "title": "Effect of chronic alcohol ingestion on the binding of high density lipoproteins to rat hepatic membranes: involvement of apolipoprotein E.", "content": "Feeding alcohol to rats produces high density lipoproteins (HDL) particles that exhibit lowered apolipoprotein (apo) E:apo A1 ratio. In this study, we have carried out experiments to compare the abilities of apo E-deficient HDL particles of the alcohol-fed rat and apo E-sufficient HDL particles of the control rat to bind to hepatic membranes. When rat hepatic membranes were incubated with rat serum HDL of physiological concentrations (< or = 200 micrograms HDL-apo A1/ml), binding of HDL to hepatic membranes showed concentration dependent on HDL-apo A1. Polyclonal antibodies that specifically recognize apo A1 and apo E inhibited HDL binding to hepatic membrane while the antibody against apo AIV did not. The binding of 125I-apo A1-HDL was diminished by adding excess amount of unlabeled HDL to the incubation mixture. Apo E-deficient serum HDL obtained from alcohol-fed rats competed less efficiently against radiolabeled HDL for binding to rat hepatic membrane than normal HDL from control animals. The defect in apo E-deficient serum HDL obtained from alcohol-fed rats can be corrected by preincubation with added purified apo E. We hypothesize that this weaker binding may result in slower degradation of apo E-deficient HDL particles by the liver and in part explains the higher plasma HDL levels found in alcohol-drinking animals."}
{"id": "PMID:1471779", "title": "Diffuse pulmonary infiltrates in hypogammaglobulinemia.", "content": "This is the first case report of lymphangitic carcinomatosis from adenocarcinoma of the stomach presenting as interstitial lung disease in a patient with CVH. Adenocarcinoma of the stomach occurs with increased frequency and at an earlier age in CVH as compared with the normal population. This diagnosis should be kept in mind during evaluation of patients with CVH. Periodic examinations of stool for occult blood should be performed. Aggressive diagnostic evaluation should be undertaken in any CVH patient with gastric complaints, as well as careful follow-up in patients with pernicious anemia, atrophic gastritis, or achlorhydria with regard to cancer screening."}
{"id": "PMID:1471780", "title": "Evidence of cross-reactivity between olive, ash, privet, and Russian olive tree pollen allergens.", "content": "In a clinical investigation, 103 Michigan residents with symptoms suggestive of allergic rhinitis or asthma were skin tested with olive (Olea europaea) pollen extract. Nineteen had positive reactions. Since the olive tree is not native to nor grown in Michigan, this study was undertaken to determine whether the skin test reactivity was the result of cross-reactivity among tree pollen allergens. ELISAs were developed to measure olive, ash (Fraxinus americana), privet (Ligustrum vulgare), and Russian olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia) specific IgE antibodies. Inhibition studies were performed to determine whether pollen extracts from each of these tree species could inhibit IgE antibody binding to olive extracts. Eleven of the 19 skin test-positive patients were olive-ELISA positive, eight either were ELISA-positive to ash, seven to privet and ten to Russian olive. There were significant correlations between the ELISA results to olive and each of the other three pollens. The inhibition studies demonstrated that all three of the tree pollens were capable of inhibiting the binding of IgE to olive extract in a dose-response fashion. IgE-immunoblot studies demonstrated several proteins common to olive, ash, and privet. Twelve of the olive skin test-positive patients were contacted and 75% were exposed to one or more of the studied trees in their yards. Five patients had traveled to areas where olive trees are grown. We conclude that there is a high degree of cross-reactivity among allergens from native Michigan trees and from olive trees. This cross-reactivity is the most likely reason for skin test reactivity to olive pollen extract in Michigan."}
{"id": "PMID:1471781", "title": "IgE-mediated inhalant allergy in inhabitants of a building infested by the rice weevil (Sitophilus oryzae).", "content": "The rice weevil (Sitophilus oryzae) is known as a stored product pest. Occupants living in a factory used previously as a granary and known to be contaminated by the rice weevil developed rhinitis and asthma. To study the role of the potential insect allergens, extracts were prepared from whole body and a grain dust of the rice and grain weevil (Sitophilus granarius). The extracts were coupled to cyanogen bromide-activated paper disks. Skin prick tests (SPT) were performed using common inhalant allergens as well as the insect allergen preparations. In cases of a positive SPT, specific serum IgE to the insect products was measured. Histamine release studies with peripheral leukocytes (HR) and studies using immunoblot techniques were performed. Fifteen of 39 subjects living in the infested rooms demonstrated positive SPT to the extracts of insect origin. Histamine equivalent wheal size induced by the whole body extract of the rice weevil required 3-160 micrograms protein/mL. Five of 15 subjects (with positive SPTs) had elevated specific IgE-levels to the insect material. RAST-inhibition studies indicated cross allergenicity between rice and grain weevils, and also between the frass of both beetles. Five of 15 subjects were positive in the HR assay (Ag30, allergen concentration for 30% HR for the whole body extract: range, 10(-3) to 400 micrograms protein/mL, maximum release: 26% to 89%). IgE binding was detected after SDS-PAGE by immunoblot techniques at different locations: 35-38, 54, 67, 70, and > 94 kD.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1471782", "title": "Cough variant asthma: usefulness of a diagnostic-therapeutic trial with prednisone.", "content": "Cough variant asthma is characterized as a persistent, nonproductive cough with minimal or no wheezing and dyspnea. The diagnosis can be overlooked or misdisagnosed. We describe the severity of cough, the misery of some patients who have this syndrome and the usefulness of a diagnostic-therapeutic trial in ten patients with cough variant asthma. We evaluated ten patients whose chief complaint was persistent nonproductive cough. During the course of evaluation, all patients received a diagnostic-therapeutic trial of prednisone for cough variant asthma after other major causes of cough had been excluded. The duration of cough ranged from 2 months to 20 years. Some patients had significant side effects from coughing including interference with social life, work and sleep, urinary incontinence, stool incontinence, hoarseness, and vomiting. After a diagnostic-therapeutic trial with prednisone, nine patients reported significant improvement of cough in three days. One patient required 2 weeks of therapy for optimal improvement. All were subsequently controlled primarily with inhaled conticosteroids. The diagnosis of cough variant asthma may not be made for a prolonged time. A short course of prednisone as a diagnostic-therapeutic trial can establish a diagnosis and be followed by an effective method of control of cough by inhaled corticosteroids."}
{"id": "PMID:1471783", "title": "Bird antigen persistence in the home environment after removal of the bird.", "content": "Hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP) secondary to bird exposure is treated with glucocorticosteroids and avoidance. Despite therapy, symptoms may persist for a prolonged time. Just as cat antigen, Fel d 1, may persist for greater than 20 weeks after cat removal, there may be persistent bird antigen to explain prolonged symptoms in bird HP. It was the intent of this study to determine household distribution and persistence of bird antigen after removal of the bird from the patient's home. The homes of patients with birds were followed serially after bird removal with multiple samples collected using a hand-held vacuum cleaner. Bird antigen levels were determined by an inhibition enzyme-linked immunoassay. In five homes the antigen declined gradually despite extensive environmental control measures, with high levels still detectable at 18 months in one home. This data suggests that high levels of bird antigen can be detected for prolonged periods of time after bird removal and environmental cleanup. The antigen may account for the persistence of disease in some patients with HP. In severe HP, the preferred therapy may be temporary relocation of the patient away from the room in which the bird was housed, in addition to corticosteroids, until the patient's environment is demonstrated to be relatively bird antigen-free."}
{"id": "PMID:1471784", "title": "Comparison of three normal breathing techniques to assess reversibility of airway obstruction.", "content": "Measurement of forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) is generally used to assess airway obstruction. Function tests during normal breathing are used as complementary tests as well as alternatives. Studies have been done comparing the esophageal pressure method with body plethysmography, and respiratory acoustical impedance with body plethysmography. We have not found any other studies comparing all three methods in the same subject. It is not clear whether those tests contribute to the assessment of reversibility of airways obstruction. We addressed the following questions: (1) How does the response of FEV1 to an inhaled beta agonist (400 micrograms fenoterol) relate to the response of lung function tests during normal breathing? (2) Are values obtained with three normal breathing techniques comparable in assessing severity of obstruction? We collected these data in 17 patients. A significant correlation was found between airway resistance measured with any of the three methods. The scatter was large, both before and after bronchodilation. The reversibility by the three methods expressed as absolute values (before and after inhalation) were comparable. In order of preference it appears that acoustical impedance is to be preferred to esophageal pressure because of less discomfort to the patient, and to body plethysmography because of the lower cost of the apparatus. Acoustical impedance can be used to assess acute changes in bronchomotor tone."}
{"id": "PMID:1471785", "title": "Four-year experience with bronchial asthma in a pediatric intensive care unit.", "content": "Charts of all children with severe acute asthma admitted to the Pediatric Intensive Care unit (PICU) of this hospital between January 1987 and December 1990 were reviewed retrospectively. There were 47 admissions for life threatening asthma to the PICU over this period, representing about 2% of all acute asthma admissions to our hospital. The mean duration of symptoms in these patients before admission was 54 hours. Only 55% of the PICU admissions had received bronchodilators before coming to our hospital emergency room from where they were admitted. From arterial blood gas analysis, 57% of the patients had hypercapnia (PaCO2 > 45 mmHg). All the patients received nebulized salbutamol frequently as well as intravenous aminophylline and hydrocortisone. Mechanical ventilation was used in only 8.5% of the patients. Only two patients developed pneumothorax, neither of whom had been mechanically ventilated, but they did not require surgical intervention for drainage. There was only one death in a patient who was known to have sickle cell anemia and developed sagittal sinus thrombosis. We conclude from our series that the mortality for children with life threatening asthma admitted to PICU is very low if bronchodilators and steroids are used optimally in their management, along with judicious selection of those requiring mechanical ventilation."}
{"id": "PMID:1471786", "title": "Allergy to lysozyme/egg white-containing vaginal suppositories.", "content": "Seven patients who received a lysozyme, nystatin, and tetracycline containing vaginal suppository because of suspected vaginal infection, developed local or systemic allergic reactions. The coincidence of the symptoms with the repeated use of the suppository as well as skin and lymphocyte transformation tests indicated that the lysozyme in the suppository was responsible for the allergic reactions. This lysozyme preparation contained additional egg proteins, which contributed to the allergic reaction in certain patients: three patients with a previous history of egg allergy and serologic and/or skin test evidence for egg-white sensitization developed the allergic reaction after the first suppository. Four patients had urticaria or anaphylaxis after treatment for at least three days; none of these four patients developed egg allergy. Five of seven individuals had positive skin tests (prick or scratch) to ovomucoid and lysozyme, but none of the patients had lysozyme-specific IgE in the circulation. All seven patients, with or without egg allergy, showed vigorous T cell responses to purified lysozyme and partly to other egg-white proteins in the lymphocyte transformation test, which was absent in controls. Vaginal suppositories that contain lysozyme and other contaminating egg white proteins can either elicit allergic reactions in patients with a preexisting egg white allergy or induce sensitization to lysozyme and other egg white components."}
{"id": "PMID:1471787", "title": "Immediate and delayed type hypersensitivity to malathion.", "content": "Between December 1989 and June 1990, 1,874 reports of alleged malathion application related illness from repeated spraying of a mixture of malathion corn syrup bait to eradicate a Mediterranean fruit fly infestation in Southern California were received by the Toxics Epidemiology Program of Los Angeles County. Among these complaints were 47 reports of urticaria, 38 reports of angioedema and 213 reports of a nonspecific skin rash. In order to determine whether these alleged skin reactions were the result of an immediate or delayed type of hypersensitivity reaction to malathion or to the corn syrup bait we studied ten subjects referred for testing by the local health department. All ten subjects had no reaction on patch testing. One child exhibited a positive reaction to the bait and one child had irritant reactions to malathion and to the bait. This study documented one case of a possible immediate IgE reaction to malathion bait. Due to the low participation rates in this study, no specific conclusions concerning the rate of sensitivity in the population can be drawn, although it appears that such reactions are uncommon."}
{"id": "PMID:1471788", "title": "Adrenal function of children with bronchial asthma treated with beclomethasone dipropionate.", "content": "The function of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis was investigated in nine asthmatic children treated by inhalation of beclomethasone dipropionate (300 micrograms/day) for 12 weeks. The trial was designed as a prospective study. The 24-hour urinary free cortisol, serum cortisol, response to ACTH, and nocturnal serum cortisol followed by 20-minute sampling were measured before and after the study period. No significant changes were found, suggesting that inhaled beclomethasone, in a daily dose of 300 micrograms, does not cause suppression of the HPA axis."}
{"id": "PMID:1471813", "title": "A structured approach to occupational hygiene in the design and operation of fine chemical plant.", "content": "In order to ensure appropriate occupational hygiene controls can be incorporated in the design and operation of fine chemical plant, a structured scheme has been developed based upon the intrinsic hazard of the materials in use. The scheme provides guidelines for managing the inherent risks to health presented by the operation of such plant, including basic recommendations on the selection and operation of selected plant equipment. Although the scheme has focused on a carcinogenic ranking system for aromatic amines and nitro compounds, with suitable modifications its underlying philosophy and principles should be capable of application to any toxicological scheme for ranking the relative hazard of chemical substances."}
{"id": "PMID:1471812", "title": "Determination of potential dermal exposure during application of crop protection products by boom spraying.", "content": "The margin of safety is an increasingly important index relating to crop protection products. It relates the available toxicological evidence for the chemical to exposure when the material is used. Determination of potential dermal exposure is an essential element in the calculation of the margin of safety. In the early 1980s a considerable amount of work was done by the British Agrochemicals Association Limited (B.A.A.) on potential dermal exposure. Since that research was undertaken the results obtained have often been used as a model to estimate potential dermal exposure for other crop protection products. This paper presents the findings of a study of potential dermal exposure during boom spraying of an oil-seed rape crop. The conclusions of this study are two-fold. For the application technique studied, the data for mixing and loading generated in the 1980s are inappropriate for prediction of operator exposure and consequent calculation of margin of safety for a product. Also, in future exercises, exposure data should be collected during equipment washing after spraying."}
{"id": "PMID:1471814", "title": "Measurements of the efficiency of respirator filters and filtering facepieces against radon daughter aerosols.", "content": "The filtration efficiencies of respirator filters and filtering facepieces have been tested against radon daughters in a fluorspar mine. The test method involved the use of sampling filters exposed to natural radon daughters in air filtered by the test respirators. Respirators with a filtration efficiency high enough for them to be considered suitable for use against toxic dusts generally reduced radon daughter levels by 90% or more, though nuisance dust masks were ineffective. The measured penetration of radon daughters through the former types of filter correlated reasonably well with the penetration of 0.1 microns neutralized monodisperse aerosols, and with that of the BS 4400 sodium chloride aerosol, measured in the laboratory. To simulate exposure in working conditions mine air containing radon daughters was drawn through the test filters for 8 h, but their performance was not affected and they were not measurably radioactive as a result."}
{"id": "PMID:1471815", "title": "Exposure to sulphuric acid and sulphur dioxide in the manufacturing of titanium dioxide.", "content": "An assessment of exposure to sulphuric acid and sulphur dioxide was performed in the French titanium dioxide manufacturing industry. The three plants use the sulphuric acid process, with potential exposure mainly to sulphur dioxide and sulphuric acid. The exposures found were below the French limit values, except for some employees using the Moore filtration process in one plant. For sulphuric acid sampling, a comparison was made between thoracic particulate mass and inhalable particulate mass, from samples taken with a Marple cascade impactor. This comparison shows that the suggested new limit value (0.1 mg m-3 in thoracic particulate mass) would be much more severe than the present one (1.0 mg m-3 with no restriction as to the droplet size)."}
{"id": "PMID:1471816", "title": "Developments in occupational health and safety qualifications.", "content": "Standards of competence for health and safety practitioners are being developed by the Occupational Health and Safety Lead Body (OHSLB) within the overall context of the national changes in vocational training. These changes focus on the development of National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) and Scottish Vocational Qualifications (SVQs)."}
{"id": "PMID:1471817", "title": "European initiatives and the occupational hygiene profession.", "content": "This paper summarizes the development of occupational hygiene in Europe where the recognition of this profession is still not adequate especially at the political and governmental level. The role of international organizations or associations such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Occupational Hygiene Association (IOHA) is emphasized and illustrated by a few examples. Although not promoting the occupational hygiene profession as such, the European Community is playing a significant role in the development of this discipline by its active policy in the field of health and safety at work. The other relevant actors in this respect are the International Labour Office (ILO) and the dynamic and proficient national societies such as the Italian Association of Industrial Hygienists and the British Occupational Hygiene Society. A few of the most relevant challenges in the development of this indispensable discipline are finally presented. One of the highest priorities is training and education since a profession cannot evolve and continue to grow without fresh blood."}
{"id": "PMID:1471819", "title": "The suitability of the urinary metabolite 1-hydroxypyrene as an index of poly nuclear aromatic hydrocarbon bioavailability from workers exposed to carbon black.", "content": "Levels of airborne dust have been measured in the breathing zone of five warehouse packers in a carbon black manufacturing plant on consecutive days over 1 week. Post-shift urine samples were collected on individuals over the week and the concentration of the pyrene metabolite 1-hydroxypyrene have been measured. A questionnaire was used to assess the likelihood of potential confounding factors, such as direct exposure to feedstock oil, as well as smoking and diet. The arithmetic mean both of airborne dust and of excreted 1-hydroxypyrene for each individual have been correlated (a) with the constraint that the regression line pass through the origin, and (b) without this constraint. The slope of the regression through the origin was significant and that of the second regression (not through the origin) was not. The statistical test to determine whether excretion on days after Monday was higher than that on Monday itself proved highly significant. The results suggest that 1-hydroxypyrene may be a useful indicator of exposure to the PNAs adsorbed onto carbon black."}
{"id": "PMID:1471820", "title": "Atypical retinitis pigmentosa: a report of three cases.", "content": "We report three cases of patients with atypical retinitis pigmentosa (RP): sector bilateral, sector unilateral, and inverse. Clinical and functional features of perimetry, color vision testing, adaptometry, electroretinography, fluorangiography, and audiometry are described. One patient had isolated RP; the others had syndromic RP, combined with defective hearing and celiac disease. Two of these patients were followed for three years and one for 13 years. Their disease courses during the period of observation are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1471821", "title": "Acute retinal necrosis after chickenpox in a healthy adult.", "content": "A healthy man had acute retinal necrosis (ARN) two weeks after diffuse varicella eruption. Treatment with acyclovir and corticosteroids was associated with a favorable clinical outcome. To our knowledge, there are no reported occurrences of permanent visual loss or retinal detachment in healthy patients with postvaricella ARN."}
{"id": "PMID:1471822", "title": "Physician participation in a randomized clinical trial for ocular melanoma.", "content": "One substudy of the Collaborative Ocular Melanoma Study (COMS) is a randomized trial examining surgery versus radiation therapy for ocular melanoma. To understand the perspective of the physician investigators, a survey of the 101 COMS physicians from 29 major institutions in the United States and Canada was completed before randomization of the first patient. A 95% response rate was obtained, and follow-up interviews were conducted with 87% of the physicians. The study found that (1) COMS physicians identified significant differences between incentives and disincentives to participate in any trial compared with participating in COMS, (2) COMS physicians could be differentiated and had a stronger clinical rather than research orientation, and (3) COMS physicians exhibited a high intention to recruit an identifiable subset of eligible patients. These data suggest that continued support of individual investigators and a close examination of incentives and disincentives to physician participation would be useful in enhancing accrual in this study. A follow-up of this group is planned throughout the anticipated ten-year duration of patient recruitment of this COMS trial."}
{"id": "PMID:1471823", "title": "Immunohistochemical staining techniques of intraocular tumors.", "content": "The peroxidase-antiperoxidase staining technique for the antigens S-100, neuron-specific enolase, and alpha 1-antichymotrypsin (alpha 1ACT) was applied to 57 intraocular tumors: 46 malignant melanomas of the uvea, seven retinoblastomas, and four tumors metastasizing to the eye. The staining characteristics of the different intraocular tumors were compared. Staining for S-100 in a fine-needle aspiration biopsy sample taken from a malignant melanoma of the choroid before enucleation of the globe was attempted. The positive staining of a few cells thus obtained suggested that this technique may be helpful in the diagnosis of melanomas. The alpha 1ACT stain used in this study has not been used previously in ophthalmology to our knowledge. We found 60% of malignant melanomas of the choroid stained positively. Another finding was the staining of the retinal pigment epithelium with alpha 1ACT in 30% of eyes with malignant melanoma of the uvea."}
{"id": "PMID:1471825", "title": "[Synthesis and structure of substituted bromo and nitrobenzyl benzylidene imidazolidinediones and thiazolidinediones].", "content": "Synthesis and physico-chemical properties of five bromobenzyl-benzylidene-imidazolidinediones and five nitrobenzyl- or benzyl-benzylidene-thiazolidinediones are described. The microbiological activity of bromobenzyl-benzylidene-imidazolidinediones against microorganisms such as Candida albicans, Neurospora crassa and Mycobacterium smegmatis are evaluated."}
{"id": "PMID:1471826", "title": "[Multiple drug addiction].", "content": "The \"polydrug use\" well known at the USA, has sprayed in France and Europe during the last ten years. Harms of polydrug use were pointed out by some specialized centers. The aim of this work is to emphasize the dangers of the abuse of some drug associations. Animal pharmacology, clinical observations and epidemiology are the main research method involved animal in the study of \"polydrug use\". These methods are often difficult to perform in elderly persons and in pregnant women. It is not easy to extrapolate from animals to man. The pharmacokinetics of drugs often differs from a species to another. Animal models are nevertheless useful for studies dealing with drug interactions, especially with enzyme metabolism. Clinical studies will be dependent on the ethical questions. Some examples are mentioned. Alcohol use develops in many drug addicts, particularly in those on methadone maintenance. The association of cocaine and other amphetamine-type stimulants with morphinics or cannabis is very dangerous. Other associations are quite frequent including various hypnotics or cough suppressants (even nomorphinic). \"Polydrug use\" generally increase mortality in drug addicts. The medical profession is not well informed on this subject. Further research must be led on the harmful effects of drug associations and on the reasons leading drug addicts to multiplicate drug associations in an almost epidemic way."}
{"id": "PMID:1471827", "title": "[Skin absorption promotors].", "content": "Transdermal penetration of drugs is currently much studied because it presents several attractive aspects, avoiding first past effects and offering means of immediate breaking of the therapeutic in case of hitch. But it must overcome the very efficient hindrance of the epidermal barrier. Few among the molecules have prerequisite structural and pharmacodynamical aspects necessary to this way of penetration. Substances belonging to diverse chemical families enhance sometimes largely this passage; they are named \"penetration enhancers\". In this review are listed the ideal properties of enhancers, the chemical structure of the currently more used ones, the possible interaction with other components of the formula in the case of TTS and towards the patient."}
{"id": "PMID:1471828", "title": "[Determination of an intrinsic value of diffusion coefficient of active principle in polymeric matrix for the formulation of a controlled release system].", "content": "The study of diffusion in a polymeric system often poses difficult experimental problems, notably when the rate of release is determined in a liquid receptor phase which can interact with the system. In this publication, we propose two experimental methods to determine the diffusion coefficient by a gel-gel kinetic release study, in which the receptor is a same gel unloaded initially. The first method is based on the use of radioactive tracers and a multi-channel radioactivity counter to obtain, at different times, the concentration profiles in the diffusion medium. The theoretical model is given for a gel donor with the concentration C0 of diffusing molecules is below or above the solubility Cs. The second method is based on the measurement of the displacement of solubility front during the diffusion within the system in the case C0 > Cs. The theoretical model shows that this displacement is a function of square root of t. For illustration, two experimental determinations of testosterone diffusion coefficient on the one hand in a silisic acid gels and on the other hand in an acrylic acid gels are given."}
{"id": "PMID:1471829", "title": "[Immunoenzymatic assay of dyes used in affinity chromatography of proteins].", "content": "Immobilized reactive dyes are frequently used in pseudoaffinity chromatography since it has been evidenced that they could specifically interact with some biologicals of interest, and, as a consequence, be separated and purified by this way. This specificity was so high in some cases, that a single step purification process was possible. In addition to these features, the wide variety of dye molecules available associated to their chemical stability and low cost make possible their use as ligands for industrial applications. Nevertheless, one drawback of the use of dye sorbents for protein purification is the possible leakage of dye molecules, with a risk of biological properties alteration of the purified product. We describe a new quantitative assay method for dyes that could contaminate biologicals separated through special affinity columns. This method based on the specific recognition of dyes by antibodies showed a high specificity and a much better sensitivity than the classical spectrophotometric approaches. It has been applied to the quantification of dyes used in affinity chromatography (Cibacron Blue F3-GA, Basilen Bleue E3-G and Procion Red HE-3B) in the presence of proteins having a special affinity for these dyes. This immunoenzymatic assay is also easily applicable to the detection of leachables from dye affinity columns submitted to drastic regeneration treatments."}
{"id": "PMID:1471831", "title": "Gunshot wounds of the colon: role of primary repair.", "content": "This is a prospective study of 100 patients with bullet injuries of the colon. Primary repair was performed except in cases of severe colonic damage requiring colectomy or in the presence of disseminated gross peritoneal contamination. Primary repair was performed in 76% with an incidence of abdominal sepsis of 11.8%. The remaining 24% of the patients had a colostomy and the incidence of abdominal sepsis was 29.2% (P < 0.05). Left-sided colonic injuries, multiple colonic perforations, shock on admission, delay > 6 h, more than two associated intra-abdominal injuries, high Injury Severity Score (ISS), and high Penetrating Abdominal Trauma Index (PATI), are not in themselves contraindications for primary repair."}
{"id": "PMID:1471832", "title": "Perianal abscess in children.", "content": "The records of 16 children presenting with a diagnosis of perianal abscess, over a 5-year period, were reviewed. The clinical and microbiological features of paediatric perianal abscesses are similar to those found in adults, although the incidence of associated diseases is higher in paediatric patients. Perianal abscesses in children are best treated by incision and drainage. The presence of an underlying contributing disease should be excluded."}
{"id": "PMID:1471833", "title": "Two types of colorectal carcinoma in Crohn's disease.", "content": "Fourteen examples of carcinoma developing in the colon or rectum were encountered in a series of 1008 patients with Crohn's disease treated in Aberdeen during the 34-year period, 1955-1988. Seven patients were under 55 years of age at the time of onset of Crohn's disease, and had a long history of the disease before carcinoma supervened. Older patients had short histories and a better prognosis. One squamous carcinoma may have arisen in relationship to a fistula in ano."}
{"id": "PMID:1471834", "title": "Which surgeons avoid a stoma in treating left-sided colonic obstruction? Results of a postal questionnaire.", "content": "There is now good evidence to indicate that the majority of patients with large bowel obstruction can be safely managed by resection and immediate anastomosis, but have surgeons embraced this policy? A postal survey has been performed to ascertain the opinions of consultant general surgeons within the Wessex region regarding the management of left-sided large bowel obstruction. Of 47 questionnaires sent, 42 replies could be analysed. In patients of good anaesthetic risk, 90% would perform resection with primary anastomosis if the lesion was at the splenic flexure, and 62% would adopt this policy for a rectosigmoid obstruction. In patients of higher anaesthetic risk these figures fell to 71% and 31%, respectively. Surgeons with a gastrointestinal interest were more likely to recommend resection with primary anastomosis. However, this trend reached statistical significance only for splenic flexure and descending colon lesions in good-risk patients. Most surgeons would avoid a stoma in the presence of liver metastases, and only three would be more likely to create a stoma in this situation."}
{"id": "PMID:1471835", "title": "The 'Jaykay' stoma flange cutter.", "content": "One of the many difficulties associated with stoma management is that of cutting the hole in the appliance to fit neatly and precisely around the mucocutaneous border. A new stoma flange cutter has been designed which facilitates the cutting or the enlargement of holes in stoma flanges to the exact size required. This equipment may be of use to partially sighted or manually disabled patients as well as to those able patients who would prefer an easier method of cutting the hole in their stoma flange. It may also be of use in operating theatres to enable theatre nurses to cut flanges more accurately and quickly for patients with colostomies, ileostomies or urinary conduits."}
{"id": "PMID:1471836", "title": "A prospective comparison of laparoscopic versus open cholecystectomy.", "content": "In one surgical unit, 115 patients undergoing cholecystectomy were studied to compare patient recovery, subjective and objective pain experienced and complications after laparoscopic and open cholecystectomy. The data were collected prospectively where allocation to open or laparoscopic cholecystectomy was by consecutive attendance. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy was feasible in 90% of patients presenting with symptomatic gallstones. Compared with the open operation, laparoscopic cholecystectomy was safe with less peroperative and postoperative morbidity, was more cost-effective and was associated with faster patient recovery as documented by less postoperative pain, earlier return to diet, earlier full mobilisation and discharge home. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is superior to open cholecystectomy and should be available to all patients requiring elective cholecystectomy."}
{"id": "PMID:1471837", "title": "Audit of an oesophageal unit.", "content": "We report an audit of 786 oesophageal procedures, including 53 oesophagectomies, performed during 1990 in a specialist oesophageal unit. Apart from assessing morbidity and mortality, audit allows a review of cost efficiency and justification for certain practices with regard to patient management. The data reported here may provide a framework against which individual surgeons may assess their own results and compare costs of procedures with a similar outcome."}
{"id": "PMID:1471838", "title": "Costs can and must be a component of surgical audit.", "content": "The cost of running a surgical firm at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge was assessed over a 1 month period in May 1989. The total of 97,380 pounds was much more than expected for a firm of one full-time and one part-time consultant. It related to the month's workload of 101 admissions, 656 inpatient days, 92 operations and 442 outpatient visits. The derivation of a simple formula enabled individual patient episodes to be costed; from this new data and information stored routinely on the firm's audit system. It has been used to cost patients undergoing procedures commonly performed by the firm and also to illustrate the effect of complicated surgery on resources. Audit has been shown to have potential in a clinician's assessment of his resource use. Its future development in this role is strongly advocated."}
{"id": "PMID:1471839", "title": "Beneficial effects of continuous passive motion after total condylar knee arthroplasty.", "content": "A randomised, controlled study of the use of postoperative continuous passive motion (CPM) and immobilisation regimen after total condylar knee arthroplasty was performed. CPM resulted in a significant increase in both the early and late range of knee flexion. This increase occurred in both rheumatoid and osteoarthritic patients. The improvement of 10 degrees at 12 months allowed additional important function to be attained. CPM resulted in significantly earlier discharge from hospital. It did not increase the clinical incidence of wound healing problems, nor did it significantly increase the postoperative fixed flexion deformity or the extension lag. CPM can be recommended as a safe and effective modality to achieve more rapid and more successful postoperative rehabilitation after knee arthroplasty."}
{"id": "PMID:1471840", "title": "Activity analysis: measurement of the effectiveness of surgical training and operative technique.", "content": "All surgical procedures are characterised by a sequence of steps and instrument changes. Although surgical efficiency and training in operative technique closely relate to this process, few studies have attempted to analyse it quantitatively. Because efficiency is particularly important in day surgery and lower third molar removal is a high-volume procedure, the need for which is responsible for particularly long waiting-lists in almost all UK health regions, this operation was selected for evaluation. A series of 80 consecutive procedures, carried out for 43 day-stay patients under general anaesthesia by seven junior staff (senior house officers and registrars: 39 procedures) and four senior staff (senior registrars and consultants: 41 procedures) were analysed. Median operating time for procedures which required retraction of periosteum was 9.5 min (range 2.7-23.3 min). Where these steps were necessary, median time for incision was 25 s (range 10-90 s); for retraction of periosteum, 79 s (range 5-340 s); for bone removal, 118 s (range 10-380 s); for tooth excision, 131 s (range 10-900 s); for debridement, 74 s (range 5-270 s); and for suture, 144 s (range 25-320 s). Junior surgeons could be differentiated from senior surgeons on the basis of omission, repetition and duration of these steps. Juniors omitted retraction of periosteum in 10% of procedures (seniors 23%) and suture in 13% (seniors 32%). Juniors repeated steps in 47% of operations; seniors, 14%. Junior surgeons took significantly more time than senior surgeons for incision, bone removal and tooth excision. No significant differences between junior and senior surgeons were found in relation to the incidence of altered lingual and labial sensation at 7 days. It was concluded that activity analysis may be a useful measure of the effectiveness of surgical training and the efficiency of operative technique."}
{"id": "PMID:1471841", "title": "Clinical evaluation of percutaneous insertion and long-term usage of a new cuffed polyurethane catheter for central venous access.", "content": "A new, long-term venous access catheter was evaluated in clinical practice and the insertion time, complication rate and prospective follow-up recorded. Fifty novel polyurethane catheters (Cuff-Cath) were inserted in 48 patients, for cytotoxic chemotherapy in 36, long-term total parenteral nutrition in five and miscellaneous indications in seven. All catheters were inserted by a percutaneous technique under local anaesthesia. The mean insertion time was 18 min. There were three insertion complications; failure to cannulate, pneumothorax and malposition. Seven catheters required removal (sepsis in five, subclavian vein thrombosis in two) and one catheter fell out. Total catheter days to date has been 6607 (mean 132, range 18-831 days). Eleven catheters are still in use a mean of 154 days (range 38-490 days) after insertion. Furthermore, a new technique has been described which prevents inadvertent displacement. This new catheter combines the mechanical advantages of polyurethane, together with those of a Dacron cuff. Early results suggest that this catheter may be a useful alternative to silicone catheters of the Hickman/Broviac type for long-term central venous access."}
{"id": "PMID:1471842", "title": "A 5-year review of carotid endarterectomy in a vascular unit using a computerised audit system.", "content": "BIPAS, a computerised vascular audit has been used to analyse the results of 203 carotid endarterectomies performed over a 5-year period in a vascular unit. In addition, all but two patients have been followed up with regular duplex scans. The indications and surgical techniques have remained similar over the study period though preoperative carotid arteriography is no longer considered essential and intraoperative monitoring with transcranial Doppler insonation is becoming routine. There were six perioperative deaths and 20 postoperative neurological defects. However, only three survivors had any long-term disability. It was not possible to identify any particular patients at high risk of perioperative stroke, although simultaneous major surgery and significant bilateral carotid endarterectomy seemed to be more hazardous. Routine follow-up using duplex scanning identified patients with late occlusion (5%) and restenosis (8%), but only three patients (1.5%) suffered a late stroke. Once the perioperative hazards of death and permanent stroke (4.4% in this series) have been overcome, carotid endarterectomy provides good protection against subsequent stroke."}
{"id": "PMID:1471854", "title": "[The urinary metabolites of niacin during the course of pellagra].", "content": "The three main metabolites of niacin have been measured in urine of 10 Mozambican women living in refugee camps in Malawi and displaying clinical symptoms of pellagra. This study, in which a control group was included, showed that the ratio 6PYR/N1MN is well correlated to the occurrence of clinical symptoms of niacin deficiency and constitutes a reliable indicator of vitamin PP status in subjects at risk of this deficiency."}
{"id": "PMID:1471855", "title": "Postprandial pattern of triglyceride-rich lipoprotein in normal-weight humans after an oral lipid load: exaggerated triglycerides and altered insulin response in some subjects.", "content": "In 13 healthy, male nonsmokers (mean age: 25.7 +/- 2.4 years) with normal fasting triglycerides we investigated postprandial changes of triglycerides in several lipoprotein fractions. After a 12-hour overnight fast they ingested a standardized lipid load (1,017 kcal) including 30,000 IU retinyl palmitate. Postprandially, total triglycerides increased significantly (p < 0.001) to a peak value of 221 +/- 81 mg/dl at 5 h. Two subjects had an exceptionally strong triglyceride response (peak values: 363 and 390 mg/dl). They had the highest levels of retinyl palmitate in the chylomicron and the nonchylomicron fraction, and one of them showed elevated intermediate-density lipoprotein values throughout the test period. In addition, they showed an altered early and an increased late postprandial insulin response. Thus, our data provide evidence that an exaggerated postprandial triglyceride response may point to an increased atherogenic risk even in healthy subjects with normal fasting triglycerides."}
{"id": "PMID:1471856", "title": "Zinc status in anorexia nervosa.", "content": "Some aspects of zinc nutritive status in patients suffering from anorexia nervosa were evaluated. Basic anthropometric measurements, Zn levels in serum, urine and hair as well as serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH; Zn-dependent enzymes) and delayed dermal hypersensitivity were tested both in patients and in control subjects. The patients showed higher Zn levels in serum (123%), hair (85%) and urine (215%) than controls, whereas ALP and LDH values were 38 and 21%, respectively, lower than those from the control group. Half of the patients showed hypoergy, and less than 50% of them were able to show a normal immune response. These results suggest that Zn-dependent functions may be impaired in anorexia nervosa as a consequence of Zn unavailability."}
{"id": "PMID:1471857", "title": "Effect of vitamin D deficiency on testicular function in the rat.", "content": "To study the effect of vitamin D deficiency on testicular function, 30-day-old male rats were put on a vitamin-D-deficient diet. At 120 days of age, the testicular function of these animals was compared with that of rats of the same age group fed, ad libitum, a diet containing vitamin D and rats fed on a restricted amount of diet with vitamin D. In vitamin-D-deficient rats, there was a significant reduction in the total body weight, testicular and epididymal sperm count and testicular glutamyl transpeptidase activity (an index of Sertoli cell function) as compared to control group rats, but there was no difference in the testicular lactate dehydrogenase activity (an index of germ cell function). Histological examination of the testis in vitamin-D-deficient rats revealed a significant reduction in the Leydig cell count along with degenerative changes in the germinal epithelium. Histological examination of the tibia revealed excess of osteoid in vitamin-D-deficient rats only. On the other hand, in undernourished rats given a normal amount of vitamin D, the only significant change was a reduction in total body weight. These results suggest that vitamin D deficiency retards spermatogenesis by interfering with the function of Sertoli and Leydig cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1471858", "title": "Micronutrient status in females during a 24-week fitness-type exercise program.", "content": "Thiamin, riboflavin, vitamin B6, magnesium, iron and zinc status, assessed from blood samples, was studied during a 24-week fitness-type exercise program. Subjects in exercise (n = 21) and control (n = 18) groups were female university students, aged 18-33 years. Erythrocyte (E) transketolase and glutathione activation coefficient, serum magnesium, zinc and ferritin, blood hemoglobin concentration and mean corpuscular volume were similar in both groups throughout the entire study. E-aspartate aminotransferase activation coefficient (vitamin B6 status) increased (4%) in exercise and decreased (7%) in control groups (p = 0.04), respectively. E-magnesium was stable in exercise but decreased (4%) in control groups (p = 0.004%). E-zinc increased (9%) in exercise subjects but remained stable in controls (p < 0.0001). A marginally altered vitamin B6 status was the only negative change found in exercise subjects."}
{"id": "PMID:1471859", "title": "Comparison of food intakes of selected populations in former East and West Germany: results from the MONICA Projects Erfurt and Augsburg.", "content": "The intakes of selected food groups in former East and West Germany were compared, based on data from the dietary surveys of the MONICA project Erfurt 1987 and of the MONICA project Augsburg 1984/85. Three-day records from 132 middle-aged men from the city of Erfurt (response 73%) and 3-day records from 424 middle-aged men from the city of Augsburg (response 70%) could be included in the comparison. The differences in the consumption of animal products were rather small. The intake of bread and baked goods, potatoes and cooked vegetables was higher in Erfurt, whereas the intake of raw vegetables was lower. The most striking differences appeared in the consumption of fat."}
{"id": "PMID:1471860", "title": "Effect of the antiprotozoal agent metronidazole (Flagyl) on absorptive and digestive functions of the rat intestine.", "content": "Metronidazole (Flagyl), an antibiotic commonly used in treating intestinal infections, when administered orally at a dose level of 100 mg/kg body weight daily for 7 days to rats brought about a significant elevation of the uptake of end-product nutrients like D-glucose, L-alanine, L-aspartic acid and L-leucine in the intestinal segments. Brush border membrane-bound hydrolytic enzymes, i.e. sucrase, lactase, maltase, alkaline phosphatase and leucine aminopeptidase levels, were also elevated. Substrate kinetic analysis of the uptake of nutrients as well as the enzymes indicated that the drug increased the maximum of apparent initial velocity, while the substrate affinity constants did not change. Studies of the temperature-dependent parameters of the nutrient uptake and the enzyme activity revealed that metronidazole did not induce any shift in the transition temperature (T(o)) for the uptake but the energy of activation (Ea) was reduced in all the cases except those of maltase and leucine aminopeptidase, which registered an increase in Ea and a marginal shift in T(o), respectively. A significant elevation was seen in the levels of membrane cholesterol, phospholipid, ganglioside and plasmalogen in metronidazole-treated animals, while triglycerides and the non-esterified fatty acids remained unaffected. The effects produced by metronidazole treatment persisted in the animals, which were allowed a recovery period of 7 days after the drug regimen."}
{"id": "PMID:1471862", "title": "Multiple sclerosis in 54 twinships: concordance rate is independent of zygosity. French Research Group on Multiple Sclerosis.", "content": "In a large population-based multiple sclerosis (MS) sample (n = 7,951), 116 twins were identified (1.4%), of which it was possible to contact 97. In 27 pairs, the twin of the patient with MS was dead. Among the 70 remaining pairs, 16 were excluded because either the index patient or their twin did not accept protocol requirements. The final sample included 54 pairs. Twin zygosity was determined by DNA fingerprint analysis. We found 17 monozygotic pairs and 37 dizygotic pairs. One of the 17 monozygotic pairs (5.9%) and 1 of the 37 dizygotic pairs (2.7%) were concordant for MS. In 42 of the clinically unaffected twins, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain was performed, and 9 scans were classified as indicative of MS. Three of these 42 patients had abnormal visual-evoked potentials, but all 3 had normal MRI scans. The overall proportion of pairs in which the co-twin had some form of clinical, radiological, or electrophysiological abnormality was approximately 30%; this proportion was independent of zygosity."}
{"id": "PMID:1471863", "title": "Increased levels of neuronal thread protein in cerebrospinal fluid of patients with Alzheimer's disease.", "content": "Neuronal thread protein is a recently characterized, approximately 20-kd protein that accumulates in brains with Alzheimer's disease (AD) lesions. This study examined whether concentrations of neuronal thread protein (NTP) were also increased in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of individuals with probable (clinically diagnosed) and definite (histopathologically proved) AD. Using a highly sensitive three-site monoclonal antibody-based immunoradiometric assay, we measured NTP concentrations in CSF from 84 patients with probable AD and mild dementia (duration, 4.05 +/- 0.36 years), 45 with Parkinson's disease and minimal or no dementia (duration, 4.73 +/- 0.78 years), 73 with multiple sclerosis, and 73 nondemented control subjects. NTP concentrations were also measured in postmortem ventricular fluid and temporal lobe neocortex extracts from 31 subjects with histopathologically proved AD and 14 age-matched control subjects. The mean concentration of NTP in the CSF was higher in AD (4.15 +/- 0.25 ng/ml; 95% confidence interval [CI] limits, 3.65-4.65) than in Parkinson's disease (1.96 +/- 0.16 ng/ml; 95% CI, 1.65-2.27), multiple sclerosis (1.6 +/- 0.14 ng/ml; 95% CI limits, 1.33-1.88), or control subjects (1.27 +/- 0.06 ng/ml; 95% CI limits, 1.15-1.40) (p < 0.001). In addition, 70% of the patients with probable AD had concentrations of NTP in CSF that were higher than 2.5 ng/ml (> upper 99% CI limit in the control group), compared with 23% of Parkinson's disease patients, 11% of multiple sclerosis patients, and 4% of control subjects. The mean concentrations of NTP in the ventricular fluid and brain tissue from individuals with documented AD and end-stage dementia were threefold higher than the levels detected in the CSF from the remaining patients with probable AD and mild dementia. Moreover, of 9 patients with AD, postmortem brain and CSF manifested 5- to 50-fold higher levels of NTP compared with the CSF samples obtained an average of 6 years earlier. These findings demonstrate that NTP levels are elevated in the CSF of individuals with AD and that NTP levels in the CSF increase strikingly with progression of dementia and neuronal degeneration."}
{"id": "PMID:1471864", "title": "Decrease of D2 receptors indicated by 123I-iodobenzamide single-photon emission computed tomography relates to neurological deficit in treated Wilson's disease.", "content": "Single-photon emission computed tomography with 123I-iodobenzamide, a dopamine D2 receptor antagonist, was employed to study dopamine D2 receptor densities in 17 patients with biochemically proved Wilson's disease and stable neurological status with therapy and in 5 age-matched control subjects. Of the 17 patients with Wilson's disease, 5 were neurologically asymptomatic, 3 had cerebellar signs, 1 exhibited a mild parkinsonian syndrome, 7 showed a parkinsonian syndrome and cerebellar signs, and 1 had generalized dystonia and a parkinsonian syndrome. In 5 age-matched control subjects specific isotope binding as calculated by the basal ganglia to frontal cortex ratio was 1.57 +/- 0.04 (mean +/- standard deviation). The ratio in patients with Wilson's disease ranged from 1.56 +/- 0.05 (n = 5, asymptomatic patients) to 1.17 +/- 0.02 (n = 4, marked neurological impairment). We observed an almost linear correlation between the reduction of 123I-iodobenzamide (IBZM) binding and the severity of neurological signs at the time of IBZM-SPECT (correlation coefficient, -0.84; p < 0.01). We suggest that the reduction of postsynaptic striatal dopamine D2 receptors as detected by IBZM-SPECT reflects striatal neuronal damage in Wilson's disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1471865", "title": "Impaired activation of the supplementary motor area in Parkinson's disease is reversed when akinesia is treated with apomorphine.", "content": "Using positron emission tomography (PET) we previously showed that activation of the putamen, supplementary motor area, and cingulate cortex is impaired in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) when they are off treatment and perform volitional motor tasks. Evidence suggests that these areas are involved in the generation of internally cued movements in normal subjects. We have now studied the effect of the dopamine agonist apomorphine on cerebral activation when used to treat the akinesia of PD. Regional cerebral blood flow was measured using C15O2 PET in PD patients at rest and when performing paced joystick movements with the right hand in one of four freely chosen directions. All patients used apomorphine regularly, and were studied before treatment, while still \"off\" but receiving a subcutaneous apomorphine infusion, and when switched \"on\" with apomorphine. Significant increases in regional cerebral blood flow were determined using statistical parametric mapping. Under resting conditions apomorphine had no effect on focal or global cerebral blood flow. Seven patients with PD performed the motor task adequately in the \"off\" and \"on\" states. This group of subjects demonstrated impaired activation of the supplementary motor area and contralateral putamen in the \"off\" state. Activation of the supplementary motor area significantly improved when the akinesia was reversed with apomorphine. We conclude that the concomitant improvement of supplementary motor area activation and motor function in apomorphine-treated patients with PD provides further evidence for the role of this structure in generating motor programs."}
{"id": "PMID:1471866", "title": "Using gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging lesions to monitor disease activity in multiple sclerosis.", "content": "The highly variable clinical course and the lack of a direct measurement of disease activity have made evaluation of experimental therapies in multiple sclerosis (MS) difficult. Recent studies indicate that clinically silent lesions can be demonstrated by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in patients with mild relapsing-remitting MS. Thus, MRI may provide a means for monitoring therapeutic trials in the early phase of MS. We studied 12 patients longitudinally for 12 to 21 months with monthly gadolinium (Gd)-enhanced MRIs. The data have been used to identify the most effective design of a clinical trial using Gd-enhanced lesions as the outcome measure. Frequent ( > 1/mo) Gd-enhancing lesions were observed in 9 of the 12 patients, indicating that the disease is active even during the early phase of the illness. The frequency of the lesions was not constant; there was marked fluctuation in lesion number from month to month. However, the magnitude of the peak number of lesions and the frequency of the peaks varied among patients. Because of this variability, the most effective use of Gd-enhancing lesions as an outcome measure in a clinical trial was a crossover design with study arms of sufficient duration to allow accurate estimation of lesion frequency. Monitoring Gd-enhancing lesions may be an effective tool to assist in the assessment of experimental therapies in early MS."}
{"id": "PMID:1471867", "title": "Early childhood hepatocerebral degeneration misdiagnosed as valproate hepatotoxicity.", "content": "Four unrelated children were thought to have valproate-associated hepatotoxicity. They presented with recurrent partial secondarily generalized status epilepticus and epilepsia partialis continua followed by mental and motor regression. Despite treatment with multiple antiepileptic medications, they continued to have seizures. After initiation of valproic acid (VPA), all 4 manifested liver failure within 3 months. Two of these children each had 1 sibling who was not exposed to VPA, but who developed the same clinical picture including liver failure. At the time of autopsy, all 6 children had similar neuropathological findings with focal areas of spongiosis and neuronal loss, diffuse gliosis, and Alzheimer type II cells. One VPA-treated patient underwent a successful liver transplantation only to die from relentlessly progressive neurological deterioration. We propose that many of the reported patients with VPA-associated hepatotoxicity represent undiagnosed patients with early childhood hepatocerebral degeneration, the Huttenlocher variant of Alpers' syndrome. This disease manifests by obstinate partial seizures, recurrent partial secondarily generalized status epilepticus, epilepsia partialis continua, psychomotor deterioration, and hepatic dysfunction that is exacerbated by VPA administration. The accelerated demise from liver failure in the nontransplanted patients before the central nervous system pathology fully evolves makes the diagnosis of this rare condition difficult. The occurrence of disease in the unexposed siblings suggests recessive inheritance."}
{"id": "PMID:1471868", "title": "Continuous lisuride effects on central dopaminergic mechanisms in Parkinson's disease.", "content": "Effects of the long term, continuous administration of a dopamine agonist on motor response complications attending levodopa therapy were studied in 7 patients with advanced Parkinson's disease under controlled conditions. After a 3-month round-the-clock infusion of lisuride, the duration of antiparkinsonian action of levodopa increased by approximately 90%, and the therapeutic window for the acutely administered dopamine precursor widened by > 300%. These benefits were more than three times greater than those produced by 9 days of continuous levodopa administration. In contrast to the effects on levodopa pharmacodynamics, the continuous infusion of lisuride did not prolong its action, suggesting a lisuride effect on presynaptic as well as postsynaptic dopaminergic mechanisms. These results lend further support to the view that continuous dopamine replacement ameliorates motor fluctuations and peak-dose dyskinesias that complicate standard levodopa regimens. Our findings further suggest that alterations at both presynaptic and postsynaptic levels contributing to these motor complications tend to normalize with the more physiological stimulation afforded by continuous replacement strategies, especially when given chronically."}
{"id": "PMID:1471869", "title": "Platelet mitochondrial function in Parkinson's disease. The Royal Kings and Queens Parkinson Disease Research Group.", "content": "There is increasing evidence that defective function of the mitochondrial enzyme NADH CoQ reductase (complex I) is involved not only in 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) toxicity, but also in idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD). Complex I deficiency has been identified in PD substantia nigra and appears to be disease-specific and selective for the substantia nigra within the central nervous system. We describe a method for preparation of an enriched mitochondrial fraction from 60 mL blood. Using this technique, we analyzed respiratory chain function in 25 patients with PD and 15 matched control subjects. We confirm a previous report of a specific complex I deficiency in PD platelet mitochondria. Although there was a statistically significant decrease in complex I activity in the PD group compared with the control group (p = 0.005), the defect was mild (16%); it was not possible to distinguish PD from control values on an individual basis. This deficiency is not detectable in platelet whole-cell homogenates, presumably reflecting the relative insensitivity of this preparation and the limited decrease in complex I activity in PD. The presence of a mild complex I defect in platelets together with a more severe defect in substantia nigra suggests either that the pharmacological characteristics shared by these two tissues render them susceptible to a particular toxin or toxins, or that the defect is widely distributed and other biochemical events enhance the deficiency in substantia nigra.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1471870", "title": "Temporal lobectomy for uncontrolled seizures: the role of positron emission tomography.", "content": "We evaluated the role of positron emission tomography (PET) with [18F]deoxyglucose (FDG) (FDG-PET) for planning surgery in 53 patients who had temporal lobectomy for uncontrolled seizures at National Institutes of Health from 1981 to 1990. Investigators blinded to PET data used results of telemetered video-electroencephalographic ictal monitoring and other standard criteria to decide whether subdural electrodes (22 patients, i.e., the \"invasive\" group) should be implanted or surgery performed. PET scans were analyzed using a standard regional template. Mean lateral but not mesial temporal asymmetry was significantly higher in patients who became seizure free (p < 0.03). Patients with > or = 15% hypometabolism were significantly more likely to be seizure free in the entire study population and the invasive subgroup. Visual identification of hypometabolism was less accurate. When a clear temporal ictal surface electroencephalographic focus was present, FDG-PET provided less additional information. FDG-PET may be particularly valuable if the surface electroencephalographic scan is nonlocalizing. In addition to helping to identify the seizure focus, it may allow limitation of invasive electrode placement to those necessary for functional mapping. When PET is used to identify epileptic foci, quantitative measurements of asymmetry should be made."}
{"id": "PMID:1471871", "title": "The antiparkinson efficacy of deprenyl derives from transient improvement that is likely to be symptomatic.", "content": "We undertook an analysis of the hazard functions derived from results published by the Parkinson Study Group following their investigation of deprenyl. Our findings indicate that the action of deprenyl is transient rather than sustained. We also infer that this effect may be mediated through alleviation of symptoms rather than by neuroprotection."}
{"id": "PMID:1471872", "title": "The free radical hypothesis in idiopathic parkinsonism: evidence against it.", "content": "The free radical hypothesis for the pathogenesis of idiopathic parkinsonism (Parkinson's disease) has many similarities to the argument invoking an autoimmune mechanism. In both cases, cellular and molecular machinery that might be involved in neuronal destruction have been demonstrated. In recent years, the free radical hypothesis has become particularly fashionable; several workers have reported observations which, they infer, support the notion that damage by free radicals is a major factor in the underlying disease process. There is, however, no conclusive evidence that free radicals play a prominent role in the causal chain of events that leads to idiopathic parkinsonism; several findings may be construed as evidence against such a contention."}
{"id": "PMID:1471873", "title": "The oxidant stress hypothesis in Parkinson's disease: evidence supporting it.", "content": "Oxidant stress, due to the formation of hydrogen peroxide and oxygen-derived free radicals, can cause cell damage due to chain reactions of membrane lipid peroxidation. Because the substantia nigra is rich in dopamine, which can undergo both enzymatic oxidation via monoamine oxidase and nonenzymatic autoxidation, hydrogen peroxide and oxyradicals (superoxide anion radical and hydroxyl radical) are generated in this midbrain nucleus. Although proof that oxidant stress actually causes the loss of monoaminergic neurons in patients with Parkinson's disease is lacking, there is a considerable body of evidence from studies in both animals and humans that support the concept. (1) Neurotoxins that selectively destroy the dopaminergic neurons in the nigra, such as 6-hydroxydopamine and 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP), appear to act via oxidant stress. (2) The substantia nigra of patients with Parkinson's disease reveals evidence of oxidant stress by the findings of increased lipid peroxidation and decreased reduced glutathione. (3) Total iron is increased and ferritin is reduced in the substantia nigra pars compacta in patients with Parkinson's disease. This combination suggests that this transition metal is in a low molecular weight form, capable of catalyzing nonenzymatic oxidative reactions, especially the conversion of hydrogen peroxide to hydroxyl radical, which is the most reactive of the oxygen radicals. (4) Neuromelanin, a product of dopamine autoxidation, can serve as a reservoir for iron, promoting the generation of oxyradicals. (5) Antioxidant defense mechanisms appear to be reduced in the parkinsonian substantia nigra with the findings of decreased activities of glutathione peroxidase and catalase.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1471875", "title": "Expression of 65-kd heat shock proteins in the inflammatory myopathies.", "content": "In normal muscle, 65-kd heat shock proteins (hsp) were detected on capillary endothelial cells, the mural elements of larger vessels, and some intracellular organelles, probably mitochondria. In the inflammatory myopathies, the 65-kd hsp were detected on inflammatory cells, degenerating and regenerating fibers, and on many but not all nonnecrotic muscle fibers invaded by T cells. The expression of the 65-kd hsp may be an immune-nonspecific response to cellular \"stress,\" but hsp determinants could possibly also serve as autoantigen(s) recognized by autoreactive T cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1471876", "title": "Familial rectal pain: a type of reflex epilepsy?", "content": "We studied 2 members of a family suffering from paroxysmal attacks elicited by tactile stimuli. The attacks consist of burning pain of the stimulated body part, followed by either complete collapse or tonic posturing. Noxious stimuli provoke episodes regardless of their somatic location, whereas it is only necessary for nonnoxious stimuli to be applied to specific trigger zones, such as the rectum, to provoke attacks. Episodes are most commonly precipitated by bowel movement, leading to extreme fear of defecation and resultant fecal retention. An ictal electroencephalographic video recording revealed only slowing of the background; however, serum prolactin was significantly elevated postictally. The attacks were completely suppressed by carbamazepine and resumed on discontinuing the medication. These attacks may represent a form of reflex epilepsy manifested by autonomic nervous system dysfunction."}
{"id": "PMID:1471877", "title": "Chronic encephalitis (Rasmussen's syndrome) and ipsilateral uveitis.", "content": "Two children are reported with acute uveitis during the early progressive phase of chronic encephalitis (Rasmussen's syndrome). In both children, the side of the uveitis was ipsilateral to the side of cerebral inflammation, although in 1 child there were milder inflammatory changes in the contralateral eye. This association adds weight to the viral hypothesis of chronic encephalitis and raises the possibility of primary ocular infection and neurotropic spread to the brain."}
{"id": "PMID:1471883", "title": "Psychological effects of sodium valproate and carbamazepine in epilepsy.", "content": "Information from standardised tests of intelligence, school attainments, attention, memory and visuomotor function, together with parent and teacher questionnaire information about various aspects of behaviour, was obtained for 63 schoolchildren with newly diagnosed epilepsy before treatment with sodium valproate or carbamazepine, and again at intervals for a total period of 12 months. The same information was collected on 47 matched controls. The children with epilepsy represented those under non-specialised paediatric care. The result showed that both drugs were effective in most cases at modest dosage without causing notable psychological effects 12 months into treatment. Modest and temporary adverse cognitive effects seen earlier in treatment could have been the result of uncontrolled seizure discharge. Improved function was the same in children with epilepsy and controls. Some psychological abnormalities in the children with epilepsy were evident before treatment suggesting early unwanted effects of the epileptic process itself."}
{"id": "PMID:1471884", "title": "Foregut motor function in chronic renal failure.", "content": "In children with chronic renal failure (CRF) anorexia, nausea, and vomiting are common yet poorly understood symptoms. We studied oesophageal and gastric motor function in 12 children (age 7 months-6.8 years) with severe CRF not undergoing dialysis who had persistent anorexia and vomiting. Eight of 12 patients had significant gastro-oesophageal reflux (reflux index 5.2% to 21.9%, mean 11.3%; controls < 5%), 7/10 had altered gastric half emptying times (T1/2) for 5% glucose or milk (glucose meal--controls: 8-14 min, two CRF patients: 18-25 min; milk meal--controls: 48-72 min, five CRF patients 27, 28, 82, 83, and 110 min). Gastric antral electrical control activity was abnormal in 6/11 patients, with different types of gastric dysrhythmias whereas the remainder and controls showed a regular dominant frequency of 0.05 Hz. In 7/9 patients fasting serum gastrin concentration was raised (53 to > 400, mean 168 pmol/l, controls < 40 pmol/l). All CRF patients with anorexia and vomiting had one or more disorder of foregut motility. The nature and variety of the motor disorders and the raised concentrations of circulating gastrin suggest that the normal environment generated by CRF affects the function of the smooth muscle of the foregut."}
{"id": "PMID:1471885", "title": "Ultrasonographic assessment of the extent of hepatic steatosis in severe malnutrition.", "content": "Ultrasonographic, blinded assessment was made of the extent of hepatic steatosis in 55 children with severe malnutrition: undernutrition (n = 6), marasmus (n = 18), marasmickwashiorkor (n = 17), and kwashiorkor (n = 14). The children were examined on admission, in early recovery (considered as baseline), and again at discharge. Eleven healthy control children and eight of the previously malnourished children were studied as comparison groups. Both oedematous and non-oedematous malnourished children had significantly more steatosis than the comparison groups at each time. Children with oedematous malnutrition had significantly greater steatosis than non-oedematous children at admission. Half of the non-oedematous malnourished children had appreciable hepatic steatosis at both admission and at baseline. Hepatic fat was only slowly mobilised. The rate constant was 1.4 +/- 0.3%/day. One quarter of the children did not change steatosis grades during the period they were in hospital. There was no overall correlation between the extent of steatosis and liver size. Hepatic steatosis in childhood malnutrition is not confined to oedematous children: it is frequently present in marasmic and undernourished children. Its extent is not necessarily related to the degree of hepatomegaly and accumulated lipid is only slowly mobilised."}
{"id": "PMID:1471886", "title": "Adult height in constitutionally tall stature: accuracy of five different height prediction methods.", "content": "The accuracy of height predictions at various ages based on five different methods (Tanner-Whitehouse mark I; Tanner-Whitehouse mark II; index of potential height; Bayley-Pinneau; Roche-Wainer-Thissen) was compared at yearly intervals with final height achieved in 32 boys (78 predictions) and 100 girls (227 predictions) with constitutionally tall stature. The boys were initially seen at a mean (SD) chronological age of 12.5 (3) years whereas the mean chronological age in girls was 11.8 (2.1) years. In tall boys Tanner-Whitehouse mark II gives a good estimation of final height up to the bone age of 13 years with a mean overestimation of 1 cm. The overestimation of final height is higher in the bone age groups 13-14 years (2.7 cm) and 14-15 years (3.4 cm) mainly due to the tall boys with a height greater than 3 SD scores. Up to the bone age of 12 years the final height is massively overestimated by the Bayley-Pinneau method but this method give relatively accurate estimations thereafter. The estimated confidence limits are large (+/- 8 cm) for the two methods up to a bone age of 15 years. In tall girls the Tanner-Whitehouse mark II method was accurate from bone age nine to 12 years but overestimated final height in the bone age groups 12-13 years and 13-15 years by a mean of 1.8 and 1.4 cm respectively. The Bayley-Pinneau method overestimated final height in the bone age groups 12-14 years whereas the height predictions are accurate thereafter. Up to a bone age of 13 years the estimated confidence limits for the two methods are large, +/- cm, but tend to improve thereafter. It is concluded that there is no best or most accurate method for predicting adult height in tall children. There are methods of first choice differing with respect to sex and bone age. In addition, correcting factors may improve their accuracy and correct their tendency to overestimate or underestimate adult height."}
{"id": "PMID:1471887", "title": "Incidence of hepatic hamartomas in tuberous sclerosis.", "content": "Hepatic hamartomas were thought to be a rare finding in patients with tuberous sclerosis. The purpose of this study was to assess their incidence in children with tuberous sclerosis and to review the literature. During 1984-90 we examined 51 children by ultrasonography; there were 25 boys and 26 girls. Their age ranged from 3 months to 18 years. Liver hamartomas were seen in 12 (23.5%) of the children, more often in girls than boys (5:1). Their incidence increased with age reaching 45% in children over the age of 10. They did not produce any symptoms of hepatic dysfunction. Our study and review of reported cases prove that hepatic hamartomas are a common finding in patients with tuberous sclerosis and may be very helpful in providing a more accurate diagnosis and consequently help in genetic counselling."}
{"id": "PMID:1471888", "title": "Increased resting energy expenditure in childhood asthma: does this contribute towards growth failure?", "content": "In order to determine whether or not there was a relationship between disorders of growth in children suffering from asthma and either increased resting energy expenditure or inadequate energy intake, a group of 34 children suffering from perennial symptoms were studied. A control group matched with the asthmatic children for sex and fat free mass were similarly studied. The children kept seven day records of weighed food intake. Basal metabolic rate was measured on one occasion in the fasted state by means of indirect calorimetry using the ventilated hood technique. The asthmatic children kept a 28 day record of peak expiratory flow rates, asthma symptoms, and medication usage. The asthmatic children expended significantly more energy at rest than their matched controls in absolute terms (14%). There was no correlation between height or height SD score and any parameter of energy balance. The causes of these finding are as yet speculative."}
{"id": "PMID:1471889", "title": "Defective alloantigen-presenting capacity of 'Langerhans cell histiocytosis cells'.", "content": "The functional activity of skin cells derived from an infant who died of multisystem Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) was examined. Involved and non-involved skin was obtained at postmortem examination within three hours of death; normal epidermal Langerhans cells and 'LCH cells' were separated by means of dispase digestion. The functional activity of different populations of CD1a positive cells was assessed using the conventional six day allogeneic mixed cell reaction. Compared with Langerhans cells from a healthy control, LCH cells showed minimal functional activity. However, Langerhans cells from non-involved skin showed normal and Langerhans cells overlying involved skin showed augmented functional activity. These findings suggest that LCH is a disease in which abnormal Langerhans cells accumulate and/or proliferate in various tissues but it does not affect the entire Langerhans cell population."}
{"id": "PMID:1471890", "title": "Interleukin-2 in relation to T cell subpopulations in rheumatic heart disease.", "content": "Interleukin-2 (IL-2) and T cell subpopulations were evaluated in children with rheumatic heart disease (RHD). Three groups were included: 13 patients with active RHD, 12 with non-active RHD, and 14 control children. Serum IL-2 and T cell subpopulations were measured by radioimmunoassay and monoclonal antibodies respectively. Patients with active RHD showed a significant increase in IL-2 concentrations and helper:suppressor (H:S) ratio compared with controls with a mean (SEM) IL-2 of 3.48 (0.62) v 1.26 (0.16) U/ml and H:S ratio 2.31 (0.14) v 1.66 (0.04). There was a significant decrease in T suppressor (CD8+) and pan T (CD3+) cells compared with controls with a mean (SEM) for CD8+ of 23.75 (1.19) v 32.23 (0.56)% and CD3+ of 79.55 (0.94) v 85.00 (0.11)%. Patients with non-active RHD showed a significant decrease only in the CD3+ cells (78.20 (0.20)%) when compared with controls. A deficiency of CD3+ cells is a constant finding in patients with RHD, whether the disease is active or not. There was a significant increase in IL-2 concentration with a significant decrease in CD8+ cells in patients with active RHD in comparison with the non-active group (mean (SEM) IL-2 of 3.48 (0.62) v 1.85 (0.24) U/ml and CD8+ of 23.75 (1.19) v 28.83 (1.91)%). Thus an increase in IL-2 and a decrease in CD8+ cells may be related to rheumatic activity. T helper (CD4+) cells did not differ significantly between groups."}
{"id": "PMID:1471891", "title": "Bronchoscopy in lipoid pneumonia.", "content": "Forcible administration of rendered animal fat to infants is a tradition in south western Saudi Arabia. Accidental inhalation may result in a resistant form of lipoid pneumonia. A series of 24 cases of lipoid pneumonia, 22 of which were diagnosed by bronchoscopy with bronchial lavage and microscopic examination of the aspirate, are reported. The technique is described briefly and the results analysed. A high index of suspicion together with bronchoscopy and bronchial lavage of all cases of resistant or recurrent pneumonia is essential in areas such as ours for diagnosis of this condition."}
{"id": "PMID:1471892", "title": "Causes of death in children diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma between 1974 and 1985.", "content": "An investigation has been undertaken of 479 deaths occurring up to the end of 1990 among 883 patients diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma from 1974 to 1985 who were included in the population based National Registry of Childhood Tumours. The objectives were to perform a descriptive analysis looking particularly at the deaths not directly due to non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, to determine the frequency of the different causes of death and to study the trends over time. Among the 476 patients with sufficient information for the cause of death to be established, these were: non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, 377 (79%); treatment related (other than second primary tumour), 86 (18%); second primary tumour, 10 (2%); and other, three (1%). The proportion of all deaths not directly due to non-Hodgkin's lymphoma increased from 15% for those diagnosed during 1974-6 to 32% for those diagnosed during 1983-5. Among the 86 treatment related deaths, the more precise causes were bacterial infections, 26 (30%); viral and other infection, 14 (16%); metabolic, 19 (22%); renal, eight (9%); anaesthetic related, seven (8%); respiratory, four (5%); cardiac, three (3%); graft versus host disease, three (3%); and other, two (2%). Treatment related deaths from infection accounted for 27 (6%) of all patients diagnosed in 1974-9, and 13 (3%) in 1980-5. Treatment related deaths not due to infection occurred in 23 (5%) of those diagnosed in 1974-9 and 23 (6%) in 1980-5. Five treatment related deaths, including four anaesthetic related deaths, were identified as avoidable. Some of the deaths from metabolic and renal disease may also have been avoidable. Only 11 deaths have been recorded more than five years after diagnosis, six being due to second primary tumours. As follow up is relatively short for patients diagnosed more recently, further deaths from second malignancies and treatment related cardiovascular problems may well occur. A substantial number of children with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma die to treatment related causes. Deaths from infection have decreased in line with the overall improvement in survival rates. Other treatment related mortality has remained constant. Further improvements in survival for childhood non-Hodgkin's lymphoma will depend on maintaining the fine balance between the therapeutic value of intensive treatment and its potential harmful effects."}
{"id": "PMID:1471893", "title": "Antiphospholipid antibody associated thrombosis in juvenile chronic arthritis.", "content": "A child with systemic onset juvenile chronic arthritis (JCA) who developed a bilateral femuropopliteal vein thrombosis after plaster immobilisation following a tibial fracture is described. When the thrombosis was diagnosed, antiphospholipid antibodies detected either as lupus anticoagulant and anticardiolipin antibodies were found. This suggests that short term prophylatic antithrombotic treatment should be considered in antiphospholipid antibody positive JCA patients who require immobilisation after fractures of demineralised bones."}
{"id": "PMID:1471894", "title": "Severe anaemia and ileocolic anastomotic ulceration.", "content": "Two children are described with anaemia from ileocolic anastomosic ulceration as a late complication of surgery in the newborn period. The anastomosis was revised in each case but in one child there was early recurrence of ulceration."}
{"id": "PMID:1471895", "title": "Intercurrent illness in inborn errors of intermediary metabolism.", "content": "Metabolic decompensation may occur in patients with disorders of intermediary metabolism during intercurrent illness. To prevent complications it is normal practice to change the diet to an 'emergency regimen'. The mainstay of this is a high carbohydrate intake, using soluble glucose polymer, given as frequent drinks by day and during the night. Additional therapy is given for some disorders. Practical details of the treatment are outlined."}
{"id": "PMID:1471896", "title": "Treatment of delinquents.", "content": "The medical role in the treatment of delinquency is a limited one. There is conflicting evidence as to whether treatment aims should be directed towards the individual, to the family, the institution, or the therapist. Nevertheless there seems to be a consensus of opinion that short term, focused therapies aimed at improving educational, vocational and social skills, possibly from a preschool age, are the most effective. Any treatment gains achieved while in residential care appear to be short lived. It therefore seems that this should be reserved for those individuals who commit repeated, violent crimes and for those from very damaging family backgrounds who repeatedly abscond or absent themselves from community based programmes."}
{"id": "PMID:1471910", "title": "Maternal immunization by husband's leukocytes for repeated fetal death associated with mild pre-eclampsia--case report with successful outcome.", "content": "We report a case of repeated fetal death at 31 gestational weeks associated with mild non-proteinuric pre-eclampsia and intrauterine growth retardation. After double intradermal immunisation with paternal leukocytes, a third pregnancy proceeded uneventfully until it ended at 38 weeks. Maternal anti-paternal blocking antibody activity was assessed by the erythrocyte antibody inhibition (EAI) test. Serologic testing revealed that the couple did not share HLA class I antigens. The mechanisms underlying the likely benefit from immunotherapy are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1471911", "title": "Listeria monocytogenes. The role of transabdominal amniocentesis in febrile patients with preterm labor.", "content": "Two women with preterm labor and intraamniotic infection with Listeria Monocytogenes are presented. In both patients, the prenatal diagnosis of Listeriosis was made by transabdominal amniocentesis. The immediate prominent observation was meconium staining of the amniotic fluid. We propose that an amniocentesis should be performed in women with premature labor and fever. If the amniotic fluid is meconium stained and the Gram stain examination reveals Gram positive rods, Listeria Monocytogenes should be suspected and the patient should be treated accordingly until the culture results are obtained."}
{"id": "PMID:1471912", "title": "An endoscopically assisted technique for construction of a neovagina.", "content": "The specific disadvantage of the commonly used Vecchietti method for reconstruction of the vagina in cases of vaginal agenesis is the need for laparotomy. We now describe a successful endoscopically assisted construction of a neovagina by a variation of the Vecchietti method. The method causes relatively little stress to the patient."}
{"id": "PMID:1471913", "title": "Density and distribution of Langerhans cells in the human uterine cervix.", "content": "Using a combination of immunohistochemistry and planimetric observation we report the density and distribution of Langerhans cells (LCs) in epithelium from the normal ectocervix and from the normal transformation zone (TZ). The density of LCs increased towards the basement membrane. Dendritic LCs aspect was more prominent in the superficial layers."}
{"id": "PMID:1471914", "title": "Structural changes of a devascularizated colonic graft when its replaces the rat uterine horn.", "content": "A one centimeter length of the left uterine horn in two groups of Wistar rats (n = 10) was replaced with normal (VAS group) or with denervated and devascularizated (NVAS group) colonic grafts. All animals maintained pregnancy in the right control horns but not in the grafted horns. At 40, 60 and 90 days after surgery, the light microscopic appearance of the autografts was studied. In the VAS group, and with respect to the last period, the number (5.5 +/- 0.7) and height (1.0 +/- 0.1 mm, P < 0.05 ANOVA) of the folds, the intestinal glands height (160.2 +/- 21.2 mu, P < 0.05 ANOVA) and the number of globet cells per gland (26.6 +/- 4.2, P < 0.05 ANOVA) had decreased in relation to the colon control (6.0 +/- 0.7, 1.4 +/- 0.1, 251.7 +/- 31.8, 42.6 +/- 5.2 respectively). A similar intestinal structure to that described above was observed in the anastomosis areas of the NVAS group, and therefore a decreased mucus production was maintained in this areas. No folds or intestinal glands were observed, but a monoestratified cubic epithelial cells type was observed along 63.7 +/- 4.1% of the NVAS colonic graft center. Under this epithelium a connective tissue, like a non-glandular submucosa, was obtained."}
{"id": "PMID:1471915", "title": "A controlled study of maternal serum concentrations of lipoproteins in pregnancy-induced hypertension.", "content": "Seventeen women with pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH) and 17 controls with uncomplicated pregnancy who were matched for maternal and gestational age were investigated for lipid concentrations in whole serum and lipoprotein fractions. The triglyceride level in the low-density lipoprotein fraction was higher in PIH patients than in controls (P < 0.03). The differences between values of other parameters did not attain the level of statistical significance, although the tendency of the results was consistent with findings reported in other studies. The differences observed were small and the data exhibited wide variation. Therefore, it appears unlikely that serum lipid and lipoprotein concentrations could gain major clinical importance as diagnostic parameters in PIH."}
{"id": "PMID:1471916", "title": "Survey of computerized obstetric information systems in Austria.", "content": "The aim of this study was to evaluate obstetric electronic data processing (EDP) in Austria and to analyse its problems, advantages and acceptance in a single big obstetric department. We sent questionnaires to every obstetric department in the country. The overall response rate was 77% (73 departments). Only 24 (33%) were using computer aided documentation, but these covered 63% of deliveries in Austria. The proportionate times spent on documentation were 57% for physicians and 43% for midwives, with physicians playing a bigger role in larger departments using electronic documentation. Sixty-five percent of physicians and 31% of midwives readily accepted computerization. We also studied an obstetric department with over 3000 births per year. Twenty-five percent of the medical staff did not believe that computerization saved time, although they appreciated its value to administration and for producing printouts. Advantages in completeness (92%) and accuracy (76%) were recognized. After 6 month's use acceptance of EDP documentation improved significantly."}
{"id": "PMID:1471917", "title": "The relation between the results of cytophotometric examination of endometrial carcinoma and clinical course of these disease.", "content": "We made a prospective cytophotometric study of 48 cases of endometrial carcinoma. Thirty-two (66.7%) of the cases had diploid DNA content and the proportion of non-diploid tumors increased with the staging of tumors, lack of differentiation and depth of myometrial invasion. DNA content (AE), DNA malignancy grade (DNA-MG) and 5c exceeding rate were statistically significant in relation to the clinical course of the disease and the histological grade of differentiation. DNA parameters appear to be especially suitable for the objective assessment of malignancy."}
{"id": "PMID:1471918", "title": "Treatment of lymphangioleiomyomatosis by ovariectomy, interferon alpha 2b and tamoxifen--a case report.", "content": "The gender-specific prevalence of lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) in premenopausal women suggests a hormonal etiology. Despite the antiestrogenic treatment (ovariectomy, tamoxifen) this disease is often refractory to therapy and almost inevitably leads to the patient's death. We describe a case where the antiproliferative effect of systemically applied interferon alpha 2b was successfully employed in addition to ovariectomy and the patient reached complete remission."}
{"id": "PMID:1471920", "title": "Expression of epidermal growth factor receptor after partial pancreatectomy in adult rats: an immunohistochemical study.", "content": "The expression and localization of epidermal growth factor (EGF) were investigated immunohistochemically using an anti-EGF receptor antibody in the pancreas of partial pancreatectomized and sham-operated adult rats. In the sham-operated pancreas, immunoreactive products against EGF receptor were only slightly positive in the pancreatic acinar cells. In the partial pancreatectomized pancreas on the fifth day after operation, EGF receptor immunoreactivity was intensely positive in the acinar cells, in some cells lining the intercalated ducts and some basal cells of the acinus, but it was not detected in the pancreas when exogenous EGF was given to the rat after partial pancreatectomy for three days. The present results suggest that EGF receptor is expressed in the regenerating pancreatic tissue, and EGF could be involved in the mechanism of pancreatic regeneration in rats."}
{"id": "PMID:1471921", "title": "[Study on 27 surgical cases of hypertrophic pyloric stenosis at Kyoto City Hospital].", "content": "Twenty-seven patients of hypertrophic pyloric stenosis operated on at our hospital between 1977 and 1991 were reviewed. The patients consisted of 22 boys and 5 girls, with males accounting for 81%. Seventeen of the 27 patients were the first children of their mothers. Vomiting was first noted between 10 and 58 days after birth with a mean of 26.5 days, and neonatal onset was observed in 67% of all patients. The body weight decreased after the onset in 17 patients, including 1 in which it decreased below the birth weight. Hypochloremia was the most frequent preoperative electrolyte imbalance, being observed in 41% of all patients. Alkalosis was noted in 17 of the 22 patients in which arterial blood gas analysis could be performed. The olive was palpated preoperatively in 24 (89%) of the 27 patients. The body weight increased in all patients after operation, and the mean daily increase was 26.7 g. The mean period of hospitalization after operation was relatively short at 8.3 days. Postoperative vomiting was observed in 16 patients (59%), with its mean duration being 26 days. All patients showed normal growth after operation, and no postoperative complications were noted."}
{"id": "PMID:1471922", "title": "Variations in warfarin concentration in blood and coagulant factors after artificial valve replacement.", "content": "A proper dosage of warfarin after artificial cardiac valve replacements has been determined as an indication of coagulation activity. In some cases, the coagulation activity cannot be maintained within the therapeutic range because Prothrombin time (PT) values deviated from Thrombotest (TT) values. Here we studied each relationship between warfarin concentrations in blood, coagulation activity, vitamin Ks and other coagulation-related agents which were measured in patients administered warfarin after artificial cardiac valve replacements and whose coagulation activity was maintained within a therapeutic range, and in patients whose PT values deviated from TT values. The obtained results were interpreted as follows. 1) There was a high correlation between values from Thromborel S (a clot method) and values from Chromoquick (a method using a synthesized substrate). Since TT values had little variations compared to PT values, the former was an excellent indication of coagulation activity. 2) There was no correlation between warfarin concentrations in blood and coagulation activity in the group in which warfarin concentrations in blood vary within a day (Group B); but there was highly reverse correlation in the group in which warfarin concentrations in blood vary with days (Group A). 3) There was good correlation between warfarin concentrations and PIVKA-II concentrations in blood in Group A. Further, the concentration of Gla-Protein C was one microgram/ml or less on the fourth day from the initiation of warfarin administration. 4) For example, a patient whose PT value of 67% deviated from TT value of 19% on the eleventh day from the initiation of warfarin administration had vitamin K1-epoxide concentration of 2.68 ng/ml and MK-7 concentration of 1.26 ng/ml on the same day, respectively, which were higher levels than those in Group A."}
{"id": "PMID:1471923", "title": "Effects of warfarin at beginning doses on patients with valve replacement.", "content": "Warfarin administered to patients with valve replacement at a dose of 0.1 mg/kg for 2 days after surgery, and blood levels of warfarin, TT, PT, HPT, total vitamin K and vitamin K1-epoxide were determined at various time intervals after the administration of the drug. The measurements were obtained from 15 patients: 8 patients with AVR, 6 patients with MVR, and 1 patient with DVR. The blood levels of warfarin reached a peak of 462 +/- 160 ng/ml 6 hours after the administration, TT, PT and HPT were 40% of the initial values 24 hours after the administration, and vitamin K1-epoxide was 1.28 +/- 0.30 ng/ml 24 hours after the administration. It is clear from the results that warfarin exhibits sufficient anticoagulant effects at a beginning dose of 0.1 mg/kg after surgery to prevent a sudden decrease in blood coagulation."}
{"id": "PMID:1471924", "title": "The efficacy of gemfibrozil therapy for raising high density lipoprotein levels.", "content": "Thirty subjects, 5 normotriglyceridemic (NTG) with low HDL cholesterol (HDL-C < 35 mg/dl) and 25 hypertriglyceridemic (HTG) with low and high HDL-C (HDL-C > 35 mg/dl) were selected fo this study. They were treated with gemfibrozil (600 mg BID) for 12 weeks. In both groups, gemfibrozil significantly reduced serum TG levels (p < 0.005), yet HDL-C increased significantly only in HTG patients (p < 0.005). The changes in HDL-C levels were highly variable (-40 to 50%) and appeared to be dependent on the levels of serum TG achieved during treatment. Based on post-treatment serum TG, the HTG patients were divided into 2 groups. Group 1 with serum TG of < 100 mg/dL and Group 2 with serum TG levels > 100 mg/dl. Significant post treatment increases in HDL-C were seen only in Group 1 (p < 0.005). The two groups had similar pretreatment serum TG and HDL-C levels but the LDL-C was significantly higher in Group 1 (p < 0.025). Pretreatment serum LDL-C also correlated positively with the increases in HDL-C during treatment (r = 0.51, p < 0.01, n = 25). Consequently, the patients were divided into three groups based on their initial serum LDL-C levels (Group 1: LDL-C < 130 mg/dl. Group 2: LDL-C, 130-159 mg/dl and Group 3: LDL-C > 160 mg/dl). The HDL-C levels increased significantly upon treatment only in Group 3. Pretreatment levels of serum TG and HDL-C were not significantly different among the three groups. Initial body weight (r = -0.43 p < 0.025, n = 30) and percent change in body weight during treatment (r = -0.47, p < 0.025, n = 30) correlated negatively with the percent reduction in serum TG. The change in body weight also showed significant negative correlation with the changes in HDL cholesterol (r = -0.48, p < 0.25, n = 30). We conclude that gemfibrozil is most effective in reducing serum triglycerides, LDL-C and increasing serum HDL-cholesterol in HTG patients who also have comparatively high initial LDL cholesterol levels (Fredrickson's type IIb phenotype). For effective improvement of HDL-cholesterol in most HTG patients, serum TG levels need to be lowered below 100 mg/dl. Furthermore, the benefit of gemfibrozil therapy may be significantly enhanced by weight loss during treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1471925", "title": "[Morphologic changes of the brain in intracranial metastatic tumors].", "content": "18 brains of patients who died of intracranial metastases at the age of 27 to 72 years were morphologically studied. Pronounced oedema and the lack of noticeable macro- and microglia proliferation were found out at the border of metastases. Groups of cancer cells were observed at the distance from the main metastatic focus; these groups were considered as micrometastases."}
{"id": "PMID:1471926", "title": "[Morphology of bronchiolo-alveolar cancer].", "content": "The criteria of the morphological diagnosis of bronchiolo-alveolar carcinoma are presented on the material of 140 cases. Three main histological types are distinguished: clear-cell, dark-cell, polymorphic-cell. Anatomical forms of tumour growth are also identified: nodular, pneumonia-like, disseminated."}
{"id": "PMID:1471927", "title": "[Mucous membrane of the jejunum in allergy to cereal protein].", "content": "Biopsies of the jejunum from 61 children, 6 months-4 years of age, including 35 with allergy to corn protein, 18 with celiac disease and 8 children without stomach and intestine pathology were studied. Biopsies were fixed in 10% formalin or in Carnois fixative, the sections were stained with hematoxylin and eosin, 0.5% toluidine blue (pH 0.5), and immunoperoxidase method was used for revealing IgA. The structure of the mucosa was not changed in the allergic patients, the content of the granulated and ungranulated labrocytes was increased, their number being decreased in the elimination diet. The number of plasma cells was diminished, and in only few of them IgA was found in children with severe alimentary malabsorption. A selective deficiency of IgA was diagnosed which determines the therapy of such children. Hyperregenerative atrophy of the mucous membrane and predominance of degranulated cells over undergranulated were noted in celiac disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1471928", "title": "[Morphology of tuberculous meningitis in children].", "content": "25 observations of tuberculosis meningitis in children who died at the age from 3 months to 6 years with a clinical course from 5 days to 6.5 months were analyzed. Meningitis was not diagnosed clinically in 6 children. The inflammation was of an exudative or exudative-necrotic type at all periods of the disease. Specific features were: long-lasting macrophagal reaction, the presence of numerous plasma-cells (particularly at late stages of the disease), predominance of diffuse rather than granulomatous inflammation. Combination of delayed and immediate hypersensitivity reactions and possible organ specificity of the process may be involved in the pathogenesis of the disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1471929", "title": "[Morphologic features of the liver in sarcoidosis].", "content": "Granulomatous hepatitis with non-caseous epithelioid-cell granulomas (43 cases, 86%) and non-specific reactive hepatitis (7 cases, 14%) were observed in liver biopsies of 50 patients with sarcoidosis. Three types of granulomas are distinguished: macrophagal, florid and fading epithelioid-cell granulomas which are consequent stages of the granuloma transformation. Fibrosis arises in the macrophagal granuloma, is increasing in both epithelioid-cell granulomas and is ended by a formation of a small scar. Nonspecific liver changes were also found (hydropic and fat hepatocyte degeneration, hypertrophy and proliferation of the stellate reticulo-endotheliocytes, sinuses capillarization, lymphoid-histiocytic infiltration of the intralobular stroma and portal tract, step-like necrosis which are probably induced by the action of the sarcoidosis unknown etiological factor."}
{"id": "PMID:1471930", "title": "[Characteristics of primary glomerulonephritis (on the basis of kidney biopsies of the Pathology Department, I. M. Sechenov Moscow Medical Academy, from 1980 to 1989)].", "content": "On the basis of 1263 observations a relative incidence and clinical manifestations of main morphological forms of primary glomerulonephritis (PGN) are studied. Alterations in the clinical and morphological structure of primary glomerulonephritis are noted with nephrotic forms becoming more frequent and mesangiocapillary glomerulonephritis among patients with nephrotic and nephrotic-hypertension syndrome becoming somewhat less frequent. A bimodal pattern of distribution of patients with membranous nephropathy depending on the age at the beginning of the disease indicating possibly the change of etiological factors in the age groups was established. Minimal alterations, focal-segmentary glomerulosclerosis, membranous nephropathy manifested most frequently by nephrotic syndrome or subnephrotic proteinuria. Mesangioproliferative and mesangiomembranous glomerulonephritis manifested by nephrotic, proteinuric-hematuric syndrome and were the main cause of the PGN hematuric form. The highest incidence of pronounced tubulointerstitial changes in mesangiocapillary and diffuse fibroplastic glomerulonephritis is noted this explaining a considerable lowering of the kidney function in these two forms of PGN."}
{"id": "PMID:1471931", "title": "[Color television system for the microscope].", "content": "The characteristics of colour TV system made on the basis of microscope MBI-15 with the use of imported details are presented. The system can be used for clinico-anatomical conferences, scientific lectures, in teaching, and allows to avoid laborious preparing of colour slides. The design made it possible to keep information (images) in form of figures (for example, by means of a personal computer) and video-cassettes. This may be used in computer morphometry and quantitative analysis in histochemistry."}
{"id": "PMID:1471932", "title": "[Mechanisms of arrhythmias and heart fibrillation in myocardial ischemia and the possible role of Purkinje cells in their origin].", "content": "Morphological, metabolic and functional features of the heart subendocardial areas under normal conditions and at early periods of myocardial ischemia are considered in this review. It is suggested that the arrhythmias and fibrillation developing at early stages of ischemia arise in the subendocardium. The initiators of this process may be altered Purkinje's cells as precisely these cells in ischemia acquire certain characteristics necessary for the development of ectopic foci, namely: cells remaining viable should have a lowered threshold of excitability and a capacity for automatism. Further study of Purkinje's cells is particularly important for understanding of causes and prevention of a high lethality at acute phase of the myocardial infarction."}
{"id": "PMID:1471933", "title": "[Morphology of hairy-cell leukemia].", "content": "Trepanobiopsies from 62 patients are studied and histological features of hairy-cell leukemia in the bone marrow are characterized; the criteria of its differentiation from other lymphoproliferative diseases are given. Morphological changes in the spleen, liver, lymph nodes are described on the basis of clinical and post-mortem data. An important role of trepanobiopsy in hairy-cell leukemia diagnosis is shown."}
{"id": "PMID:1471934", "title": "[Alterations of nucleoli and nucleolar organizers in proliferative cystitis and transitional cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder].", "content": "The values of the nucleolar and granular rates as well as the number of Ag-granules were increased during the process of malignancy of transitional epithelium in proliferative chronic cystitis and transitional cell bladder carcinoma, including invasive tumours at both ultrastructural and light microscopic levels. The results may serve as additional criteria in the assessment of the risk of bladder mucosa malignancy and prognosis of the transitional cell bladder carcinoma."}
{"id": "PMID:1471935", "title": "[Morphofunctional basis for disturbances of transport-trophic myocardial function in hypercholesterolemia].", "content": "Adaptive and pathologic changes limiting the myocardial circulation and changing the microvessel circulation are described in rabbits with alimentary hypercholesterolemia. The most important changes were the sludge-syndrome, multifactorial endotheliocyte deformity and capillary compression in the perivascular oedema, sclerosis and cardiomyocyte damage. Dyslipoproteinemia is shown to initiate the circulatory hypoxia and diffuse cardiosclerosis beyond the direct connection with atherosclerotic damage of the main heart arteries."}
{"id": "PMID:1471936", "title": "[Age-related dynamics of aortic atherosclerosis of various ethnic groups of the male population of Andizhan].", "content": "Quantitative study of the aortic atherosclerosis was performed in 587 males of the indigenous (IP) and in 149 males of non-indigenous population (NIP) at the age of 20 to 59 years in the city of Andizhan according to the WHO program. The course of atherosclerosis was more severe in NIP persons although at the age of up to 40 years the differences in the mean surface of atherosclerotic changes were lacking. The surface of lipid spots was similar in both groups or was somewhat lower in NIP, but these spots in NIP persons were thicker and contained more foam cells and more areas of diffuse lipid deposition. The rate of the surface increase of prominent lesions drastically increased in the 5th decade of life in both groups. The frequency of rhythmical structures in the aorta was the same in both groups; their incidence was higher in cases of pronounced atherosclerosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1471937", "title": "[Functional state of the adrenals in various forms of arterial hypertension].", "content": "The study of structural changes and changes of the aldosterone content (AC) in the surgically removed adrenals of patients with different clinical variants of combination of the arterial hypertension (AH), low--renin hyperaldosteronism and space--occupying lesions in the adrenals found by CT was carried out. In 15 of 20 patients after adrenalectomy the diagnosis of the primary aldosteronism (PA) was established, in 4 cases diagnosis of the hypertension, 2B degree, and in one case the diagnosis of Cushing disease. The functional state was evaluated according to AC in the adenomas and macronodes and in the adjacent cortex as well as by nuclei size of cells producing aldosterone. The aldosterone hyperproduction was shown to be associated with local adenoma in some cases and with hyperactive cortex in the others this being reflected in the course of AH and in the adrenalectomy hypotensive effect."}
{"id": "PMID:1471938", "title": "[Prevalence of atherosclerosis of the aorta and major arteries in female inhabitants of Tashkent].", "content": "Atherosclerosis of the aorta and of practically all major arteries, including internal iliac arteries in females is studied for the first time. Visual-planimetric evaluation of the atherosclerosis degree of the arteries stained with Sudan IV in Tashkent females 20-89 year-old with regard to the age, ethnic and cause of death is performed. The highest incidence was observed in the age period of 40 to 59 years. Indices of the atherosclerotic damage considerably differed in various arterial regions being higher in males and in non-indigenous population. More severe course of atherosclerosis in Tashkent females was noted in the last decades."}
{"id": "PMID:1471939", "title": "[Status and prospects for the development of a pediatric pathology service in the Russian Federation].", "content": "The paper presents the main points of the reports made at the constituent conference of the Russian Society of Pathologists. Some urgent measures for improving this service are suggested including the creation of independent pediatric bureaus of pathology and some others."}
{"id": "PMID:1471940", "title": "[Status and prospects for the development of a pathology service in the Russian Federation].", "content": "General crisis in the country exerts a negative influence on the pathology service in Russian Federation. There is a lack of pathologists--only 58.6% of the vacancies were filled in 1989. About 17% of the buildings are in need of emergency repairs, 30% require major repairs. The supply of microscopes, instruments, reagents, etc., is unsatisfactory. The number of autopsies in the hospitals decreased by 19.4% in 1989 compared to 1986. Centralization of the pathology service is a positive element, and 22 bureaus of pathology functioned in Russian Federation in 1989. Transition to the market economy will place new problems concerning skilled staff, modern equipment and finances."}
{"id": "PMID:1471943", "title": "[Progression of tumors: etiologic, morphologic and molecular-biological aspects].", "content": "Two aspects can be distinguished in multistage carcinogenesis: etiological one (every stage is induced by a specific for this stage agent) and morphobiological aspect (every stage is characterized by specific morphological, genetic and other properties). The schema of the multistage carcinogenesis is presented in which morphological stages (diffuse and focal hyperplasia, benign tumours, dysplasia, carcinoma in situ, various phases of malignant tumour progression) are placed against genetic alterations. L. Foulds concept of tumour progression is discussed with special emphasis on precancerous stages, possibilities of cancer development de novo, and independent progression of different tumour characters. The following types of carcinogenesis are listed on the basis of interrelationship between etiological and genetic factors: 1) carcinogenesis induced by genotoxic agents; a) one agent is acting at high dose and for a long time thus ensuring the activation of protooncogenes and all stages of tumour progression (initiation, promotion, various phases of malignant tumour); b) those acting during a very short time, however sufficient for developing the genetic program working automatically without further exposure to known carcinogens (irradiation in case of the atomic bomb explosion or effect of short-living alkylating agents): in this case there is no stage of promotion; 2) carcinogenesis by non-genotoxic carcinogens (their mode of action is still unclear, the only human example is carcinogenesis by hormones); 3) development of tumours in frane of the two (or three) stage carcinogenesis when every stage is provoked by its own etiological factor, no human examples are known as yet; 4) development of tumours due to the genetic mechanism making the organism highly susceptible to the minimal doses of carcinogens as is the case with skin cancer by ultraviolet light in patients with xeroderma pigmentosum, the genetic damage in itself has nothing to do with tumour formation; 5) genetic damage leading to the development of tumour without visible participation of any known carcinogens or promoters (gene Rb in retinoblastoma, gene Wt in Wilms tumour, etc.)."}
{"id": "PMID:1471945", "title": "Program design for adult learners.", "content": "The voice of adult learners is often overlooked in the design of programs that are specifically constructed to meet their learning needs. This article portrays the design of a midwifery re-registration program that commenced with a survey of non-practising midwives. The organisation of the course, together with the processes involved in curriculum building are explained. The adult learner, particularly in a situation where previous knowledge, skills and experience are vital inputs to the design of programs, have been highlighted."}
{"id": "PMID:1471946", "title": "My room--not theirs! A case study of music during childbirth.", "content": "The more holistic goals of midwifery are emphasised in this paper through the therapeutic application of music. Material resulting from an interview with a mother after the birth of her first child is used to demonstrate many of the psychological and socio-psychological benefits of listening to music during labour. Several of these benefits were experienced not only by the mother-to-be but also by her partner and the hospital staff. In the outlining of numerous advantages for employing music listening in birthing situations--in particular, comfort and security, self-esteem, socialisation and personal control--the importance of music as a nursing intervention is stressed."}
{"id": "PMID:1471949", "title": "An in vitro study of polymorphonuclear leucocyte-mediated injury to human gingival keratinocytes by periodontopathic bacterial extracts.", "content": "Human gingival keratinocytes were cultured and, after the first passage, subjected to cell detachment assays with polymorphonuclear leucocytes (PMNs) and/or sonic extracts from Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans Y4, and Eikenella corrodens 1073. The effector-to-target cell ratio was 30:1. Bacterial extracts alone caused no disruption of keratinocyte monolayers. PMNs alone also caused only minimal detachment after 14 h incubation. Adding A. actinomycetemcomitans to the PMN-keratinocyte co-cultures at the concentration of 100 micrograms/ml caused dramatic cell detachment. The effect of A. actinomycetemcomitans was heat labile and not inhibited by polymyxin B. Cell detachment was inhibited by alpha 1-antitrypsin, whereas catalase and superoxide dismutase could not prevent it. No lysis of keratinocytes was observed after incubation, as judged by 51Cr release. E. corrodens had little effect even at the concentration of 1000 micrograms/ml. H2O2 and partially purified PMN elastase also caused detachment of keratinocytes. These data indicate that PMNs can cause non-lytic detachment of keratinocytes when interacting with certain bacteria."}
{"id": "PMID:1471950", "title": "Activation of sympathetic fibres in the pulp by electrical stimulation of rat incisor teeth.", "content": "Previous studies of the sympathetic nerve supply of the rat mandibular incisor pulp have shown conflicting results. Here, the neurovascular control of the rat lower incisor pulp was investigated by stimulating the tooth crown and the cervical sympathetic trunk electrically and monitoring blood-flow changes in the pulp by laser Doppler flowmetry. In addition the presence of noradrenaline (NA) in the pulp and gingiva was examined biochemically in untreated and sympathectomized animals by high-performance liquid chromatography. The tissue concentrations of NA in the pulp were 11-fold greater than those of gingiva. Surgical sympathectomy significantly reduced the NA content in the pulp by 76%. Monopolar electrical stimulation of teeth (25-50 microA) for 1 min resulted in a frequency-dependent reduction followed by an increase in pulpal blood flow. At 16 Hz the reduction in blood flow was 65% and the subsequent increase was 9%. After intravenous administration of the alpha-adrenoceptor antagonist phentolamine, the stimulation-induced reduction in pulpal blood flow was diminished by 94% while the increase was significantly enhanced (from 9 to 40%). Infusion of the beta-adrenoceptor antagonists propranolol and timolol significantly reduced this increase in blood flow by 53 and 55%, respectively. Preganglionic sympathetic nerve stimulation also induced a frequency-dependent reduction followed by a slight increase in pulpal blood flow. This reduction in blood flow was almost abolished after alpha-adrenergic blockade and there was no subsequent increase. These findings suggest that there are sympathetic nerve fibres in rat incisor pulp and that they are activated upon monopolar electrical stimulation of teeth resulting in alpha- and beta-adrenoceptor mediated blood-flow responses."}
{"id": "PMID:1471951", "title": "Association between the expression of murine 72 kDa type IV collagenase by odontoblasts and basement membrane degradation during mouse tooth development.", "content": "In situ hybridization was used to study the expression of the 72 kDa type IV collagenase gene and its association with morphogenesis and cell differentiation during advancing mouse tooth development. The epithelia were completely negative during all developmental stages. The dental mesenchyme was uniformly positive during the early stages of tooth morphogenesis, and no association of type IV collagenase with morphogenetic events was observed. However, at the bell stage the expression increased in differentiating preodontoblasts. Expression was intense in the odontoblasts during secretion of the first predentine matrix. The expression was, however, transient; it decreased around the time when mineralization of dentine started until it completely ceased. Transcripts for 72 kDa type IV collagenase also gradually disappeared from the dental pulp. The expression of 72 kDa type IV collagenase was also strong in the osteoblastic cell lineage. The preosteoblasts at the beginning of the formation of mandibular bone as well as the osteoblasts of the alveolar bone expressed more 72 kDa type IV collagenase than did other mesenchymal cells. The increased gene expression in the odontoblasts correlates with the disappearance of the dental basement membrane as shown by immunolabelling with antibodies against type IV collagen. The onset of increased expression in the odontoblasts preceded the disappearance of the basement membrane and at the time when type IV collagenase transcripts were lost from all odontoblasts the basement membrane was completely removed. It can be speculated that during early stages of tooth development the 72 kDa type IV collagenase acts as a gelatinase whereas during later stages, when odontoblasts and ameloblasts differentiate and the deposition of predentine and enamel matrix is initiated, the enzyme may act as a type IV collagenase and contribute to the degradation of the dental basement membrane."}
{"id": "PMID:1471952", "title": "The effect of periodontal disease on sulphated glycosylaminoglycan distribution in the sheep periodontium.", "content": "The glycosylaminoglycan (GAG) distribution in the soft periodontal tissues of the sheep was investigated topographically in healthy tissue and the changes associated with periodontal disease determined and correlated with increasing disease severity. Total sulphated GAG content was determined spectrophotometrically and the proportions of individual GAGS measured after separation by cellulose acetate electrophoresis. In healthy tissue, total sulphated GAG distribution was found to mirror that described previously for collagen, being highest in the gum-pad region and adjacent to alveolar bone. This changed markedly in relation to periodontal disease. Early disease-related changes in GAGs were first detected adjacent to alveolar bone. In severely diseases tissue, an overall increase in sulphated GAG, particularly in the gum-pad region, was present. Increasing disease severity was accompanied by a decrease in dermatan sulphate and a concomitant increase in the proportion of chondroitin-4-sulphate. These changes may be due to the combined effects of chronic inflammation and alterations to the mechanical loading of the tissue owing to loss of attachment."}
{"id": "PMID:1471953", "title": "Dental morphology of 45,XO human females: molar cusp area, volume, shape and linear measurements.", "content": "A three-dimensional analysis of the maxillary first molars of five 45,XO females and comparison with normal females and males demonstrated a reduction of cusp areas and volumes in the 45,XO females. Mesiodistal and faciolingual dimensions were also reduced. The reductions in basal area and volume were greater in the later developing, distal cusps. In normal females the second X chromosome apparently does not exert an effect on the cusp height but increases the basal area. The results further indicate that the Y chromosome in normal males increases both cusp height and basal area. The steepest cusps were found in 45,XO females while the shallowest were in the control males. Both sex chromosomes thus seem to affect the shape of the cusp but the resulting phenotypes differ."}
{"id": "PMID:1471954", "title": "Comparison of phosphoprotein isolated from mature and immature human tooth roots.", "content": "Mature (average patient age = 29.5 yr, closed apical foramen) and immature (average patient age = 17.5 yr, open apical foramen) root shards were placed in dialysis tubing and demineralized to completion using either 10% disodium EDTA plus protease inhibitors or 0.6 N HCl. The demineralized shards were re-extracted (five times) with 0.05 M tris-HCl, 1.0 M NaCl and then collagenase digested. No major differences were observed in chromatograms of extracts, re-extracts or collagenase digests from root shards demineralized in either way. In contrast, chromatograms of immature and mature roots showed qualitative differences. Chromatograms of mature roots demineralized in either way showed broader protein peaks and less organic phosphorus than those from immature tooth roots. A distinct band amid degraded phosphoprotein (150 K) was found in SDS-PAGE gels (7.5%) from EDTA-extracted immature tooth roots but not from mature tooth roots. Electroelution of this band revealed a typical phosphoprotein amino-acid profile containing increased aspartic acid and serine residues. Comparison of the total phosphoprotein and amino acid composition of extracts, re-extracts and collagenase digests revealed that phosphoprotein, serine and to a lesser extent aspartic acid were recovered in greater quantities from immature roots than mature tooth roots. These data suggest that the degree of maturation is crucial to the isolation of an intact phosphoprotein and provides additional evidence that human dentine phosphoprotein undergoes amino acid compositional changes during maturation."}
{"id": "PMID:1471955", "title": "Effects of clonidine on the calcium content and morphology of rat salivary glands.", "content": "These effects were examined with and without pretreatment of animals with reserpine and the adrenergic antagonists prazosin (alpha 1), yohimbine (alpha 2) and propranolol (beta). The effects of clonidine on glandular concentrations of norepinephrine and dopamine also were examined. These effects were compared with those of xylazine, a presynaptic alpha 2-adrenergic agonist. A single, high dose of clonidine followed by an overnight fast caused marked increases in calcium content and acinar secretory granules in the submandibular and sublingual glands, similar to those caused by reserpine. However, the calcium content of the parotid gland was not altered by clonidine, although there seemed to be a modest increase in acinar secretory granules. The clonidine-induced increase in submandibular calcium content could not be attributed to any adrenergic receptor activity since it was not blocked by either alpha- or beta-adrenergic antagonists. Unlike reserpine, clonidine did not affect catecholamine concentrations in the parotid and submandibular glands. Pretreatment with reserpine did not significantly alter the clonidine-induced increase in submandibular calcium content. It is likely that the greater accumulation of acinar secretory granules is related to the increased calcium stores of the glands in clonidine- and/or reserpine-treated rats. The large differences in calcium content among the three glands might be attributable, in part, to differences in the calcium-binding capacity of their secretory granules. Possible mechanisms for the clonidine effects on salivary-gland calcium include disturbances in membrane-associated pools or gating mechanisms for calcium, which need further study."}
{"id": "PMID:1471956", "title": "Microfibrillar components in dental pulp: presence of both type VI collagen- and fibrillin-containing microfibrils.", "content": "Microfibrillar elements were isolated from developing and formed bovine dental pulp by a procedure involving bacterial collagenase tissue digestion and chromatography on Sepharose CL-2B. Two microfibrillar assemblies could be demonstrated. Type VI collagen microfibrils with a characteristic periodicity of about 100 nm appeared as long, thin, flexible filaments. In a number of cases these structures aggregated by lateral association. Microfibrils of 10-14 nm dia were identified as containing fibrillin on the basis of their distinctive, periodic, beaded morphology. In addition to long, single strands there were instances of chains coalescing to give amorphous aggregates. No differences in the type of microfibrillar assemblies were evident between developing and formed pulp, although fibrillin-containing microfibrils were more abundant in formed pulp."}
{"id": "PMID:1471957", "title": "Quantitative electron-microscopic analyses of pulpal nerve fibres in the mouse lower incisor after neonatal capsaicin treatment.", "content": "A single dose of capsaicin (50 mg/kg) was injected subcutaneously into four mice on day 2 of life; four untreated mice were used as controls. Six months later, a drop of 30 microM capsaicin was instilled on to the cornea of all the mice and the number of times the eyes were wiped was counted to assess the effect of capsaicin on trigeminal sensory neurones. Ultrathin cross-sections were made of the apical pulp of the incisors on both sides of control (n = 8) and capsaicin-treated animals (n = 8). Electron micrographs of pulp nerves were taken and enlarged to a final magnification of x34,000. The numbers of unmyelinated axons in the pulps of all 16 incisors and of unmyelinated axons per Schwann cell in the pulps of four incisors each from the control and capsaicin-treated groups were counted. The short diameters of unmyelinated axons were measured with a computer-operated image analyser. The number of eye wipings was eight-fold less in the capsaicin-treated than in the normal group. This finding clearly indicated that capsaicin irreversibly affected the chemogenic nociceptive trigeminal neurones. The mean number of unmyelinated axons was 345 in controls and 217 (37.1% reduction) in capsaicin-treated animals. The number of unmyelinated axons of less than 0.6 microns dia was 41.5% less in capsaicin-treated mice than in controls. Thus, fine unmyelinated axons in the mouse incisor pulp are capsaicin sensitive, and they are assumed to be nociceptive fibres conveying pain stimuli from the tooth. Capsaicin affected Schwann cells, even those with few unmyelinated axons.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1471958", "title": "Occurrence of a postpermanent mandibular fourth premolar in a moose bull (Alces alces L.).", "content": "By a number of diagnostic criteria a supplemental premolar in the right hemimandible of a 6-yr-old moose bull from Bielorussia was identified as a postpermanent fourth premolar. Its development, which must have started at least 3 yr after the permanent fourth premolar had reached its functional position, resulted in rotation of the P4 by 80 degrees, as well as extensive resorption on both root and crown."}
{"id": "PMID:1471959", "title": "Characterization of amelogenin mRNA from secretory- and maturation-stage rat incisor enamel.", "content": "Amelogenins are extracellular matrix proteins expressed at the secretory and the maturation stages of enamel formation. To characterize amelogenin transcripts from these two stages, rat incisor enamel-organ mRNA was hybridized to a mouse amelogenin cDNA. Northern analysis of the mRNA showed four amelogenin transcripts at the secretory stage. Two of these were larger than previously described, and would code for high molecular-weight amelogenins (> 40 kDa). These transcripts were similar in size to at least three bovine amelogenin mRNAs. At the maturation stage, one transcript slightly smaller than the major amelogenin transcript from the secretory stage was apparent. These differences may indicate a selective splicing of amelogenin mRNA in the maturation stage as compared to the secretory stage of enamel development."}
{"id": "PMID:1471960", "title": "Bite-force development, metabolic and circulatory response to electrical stimulation in the canine and porcine masseter muscles.", "content": "The development of fatigue was investigated by electrical stimulation in 15 domestic pigs (1 yr old, 70-90 kg body weight) and seven adult dogs (3 yr old, 45 kg body weight). After anaesthesia, silver electrodes were implanted in the anterior and posterior parts of the right masseter muscles. The contralateral muscle was used as control. The bite force was measured. Muscle biopsies were obtained from the anterior, central and posterior parts, and were immediately frozen in liquid nitrogen. A fluorometrical analysis by enzymatic methods for glycogen, glucose, creatine phosphate, NAD, NADH, lactate and pyruvate was made. Blood flow was measured by 133Xe wash-out; oxygen consumption was monitored with an oxygen electrode. The porcine masseter was continuously stimulated for 60 min (100 V, 4 Hz and 2 ms). The canine masseter was intermittently stimulated (100 V, 20 Hz and 2 ms). The contraction was repeated four times, with a 10-min rest between. The porcine masseter could sustain longer endurance times than the canine masseter, which was easily fatigued. A marked substrate depletion was evident. The precontractional contents of glycogen, glucose and creatine phosphate were reduced. Lactate accumulation was evident (2-4 times more in the porcine and 4-8 times more in the canine masseter). The NADH concentration increased and the NAD content decreased. Blood-flow impairment (80% reduction in the dog, 60% in the pig) was observed. After the contraction phase, there was a hyperaemia (58% elevation of blood flow in the pig masseter, 45% in the canine). The oxygen tension followed in magnitude and time the blood-flow changes. These circulatory variables returned to normal after recovery. The high degree of substrate depletion, blood-flow impairment and a simultaneous decrease in oxygen transport to the contracted muscle, in combination with a prominent lactate accumulation, may induce a decrease in bite-force production."}
{"id": "PMID:1471961", "title": "The effect of density on the 10MV photon beam penumbra.", "content": "An investigation into the density dependence of the penumbra of the Varian Clinac 18/10 10MV photon beam has been carried out. A water/lung phantom was constructed of polystyrene (r = 1.04 g cm-3) and cork (r = 0.23 g cm-3), in which interfaces exist both parallel and perpendicular to the beam axis. The irradiation of the phantom was also simulated using the EGS4 Monte Carlo system with a cartesian voxel geometry. Experimental (TLD) and Monte Carlo dose profiles are in close agreement, and show a large degree of penumbral broadening in the lung region. This broadening is due primarily to lateral electronic disequilibrium occurring at a larger distance from the geometric beam edge in lung than in water. This disequilibrium can also cause the dose in lung to drop below the dose in water at the same depth and off axis distance, even though the radiological depth is less in lung. Monte Carlo simulations were also performed where the dose is separated into primary and scattered components, for homogeneous media of densities 0.25, 0.50, 0.75 and 1.00 g cm-3. The penumbral width of the primary dose profile was found to be almost constant with depth for a point source of photons (after the initial build-up region), where the lateral distances from the 95-50% and 50-5% dose levels on the dose profile (normalised to the dose at the central axis) are equal in all cases. Also, primary penumbra width was found to be almost inversely proportional to density. The primary penumbra for a unit density material can be fitted accurately by an exponential forming function with empirical determined coefficients. The penumbral shape for the lower densities can then be closely fitted by scaling the coefficients in proportion to density. This scaling method has application in treatment planning, where the predicted primary penumbra shape should take account of inhomogeneities, and is particularly important in matching adjacent fields. When the scattered dose component is added to give the total dose, penumbral width increases because the scattered dose penumbra is wider than that of the primary dose. Also, the inverse proportionality of the penumbra width with density does not hold for the scattered dose. The relative contribution of the scattered dose increases with density. Therefore, the inverse proportionality of penumbra width with density does not hold for the total dose."}
{"id": "PMID:1471962", "title": "A flexible automated data acquisition system for ophthalmic electrophysiology.", "content": "An automated system for performing VER, ERG and EOG measurements has been developed and is now in clinical use. Considerable effort has been made to retain the flexibility of non-automated systems while providing an easily followed procedure for standard tests which can be undertaken by staff with minimal training. Clinical experience has shown that the standard parameters for data acquisition which are optimal for normal subjects are not always suitable for patients who are uncooperative or have poor vision. These parameters are under software control and can be amended interactively if necessary. The five main functions of the software, namely data acquisition, data selection and commentary, report generation, patient database operation and waveform archiving are written as separate modules and called as required. During data acquisition the software rejects gross artefacts and in the case of EOG's warns of patient non-cooperation. After an ERG or VER has been acquired the operator identifies features in the waveforms and the computer measures them whereas for EOG's the measurement process has been automated. When the waveforms are subsequently reviewed by the operator they are presented in a logical sequence, a sequence which does not depend on the order in which they were acquired, and this sequence is maintained when they are printed out later in the completely automated report phase."}
{"id": "PMID:1471963", "title": "An efficient algorithm for MR image reconstruction and compression.", "content": "In magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), the original data are sampled in the spatial frequency domain. The sampled data thus constitute a set of discrete Fourier transform (DFT) coefficients. The image is usually reconstructed by taking inverse DFT. The image data may then be efficiently compressed using the discrete cosine transform (DCT). We present here a method of using DCT to treat the sampled data, which combines two procedures, image reconstruction and data compression. This method may be particularly useful in medical picture archiving and communication systems (PACS) where both image reconstruction and compression are important issues."}
{"id": "PMID:1471964", "title": "Radiotherapy x-ray dose distribution beyond air cavities.", "content": "Radiation oncologists are particularly concerned about tumours growing on the surface of air cavities in the head and neck regions, which involve treatment with small x-ray fields. An inhomogeneous dose distribution exists within and beyond the cavity. This is caused by the loss of electron equilibrium and the attenuation of both the primary and scattered photons is altered. The scatter function photon beam models for tissue inhomogeneity, such as the ETAR correction algorithm, currently implemented in commercial treatment planning systems do not predict the dose distribution accurately in many situations where lateral electron equilibrium does not exist. Using a Markus ionization chamber and different solid water slabs to simulate different air cavities, it is found that internal body cavities, depending upon their sizes, experience underdose or overdose on the distal surfaces of the cavities when compared with the results predicted by an ETAR correction method for 6 MV and 18 MV x-ray beams. For an infinitely long air passage of dimensions 2 cm x 2 cm, the error in the ETAR correction for a 6 MV x-ray beam is 4.8%, 0.5% and 1.1% for the field size of 5 cm x 5 cm, 7 cm x 7 cm and 10 cm x 10 cm respectively. The ETAR correction is accurate to within 1.6% for a 6 MV x-ray beam provided that the field size is 5 cm across the cavity and greater than 7 cm along it."}
{"id": "PMID:1471965", "title": "Survey and risk assessment of radium contamination in a historic desk.", "content": "For many years the Physics Department of The University of Adelaide has owned a fine cedar desk which dates from before 1900. It was used by professors, including Sir Kerr Grant, for many years and probably Sir William Bragg. In April 1991, approximately 80 kBq of radium contamination was found in parts of the desk. Because of concern for the health of those who had used the desk, a thorough study was made of the nature and extent of the contamination and the risks to health from radon and from ingesting some of the radioactive material from contact with articles such as pencils, stamps and envelopes kept in the drawer. The risks have been shown to be small compared to other acceptable risks in modern society. The desk has been decontaminated and restored."}
{"id": "PMID:1471969", "title": "[Intravenous infusion of volatile fatty acids as a metabolic loading test for the evaluation of the possible effects of butafosfane on the energy metabolism of cattle].", "content": "In 10 German Black and White heifers metabolic stress reactions were induced by intravenous infusion of propionate and butyrate to demonstrate possible effects of prior medication with butafosfane. This investigation included a preliminary feeding period, followed by 18 hours of feed withdrawal, premedication with butafosfane or placebo and infusion of volatile fatty acids. Reactions were assessed by monitoring biochemical and clinical parameters. A total of 19 blood samples per series were taken in which the concentrations of glucose, free fatty acids, volatile fatty acids, beta-hydroxybutyrate, cortisol and insulin were measured. Clinical parameters recorded included heart rate and respiratory rate. During loading with propionate effects of butafosfane on plasma levels of cortisol and insulin could be demonstrated. The differences noted in the other parameters were only insignificant. The loading test chosen is suitable for the demonstration of effects of butafosfane on metabolic parameters which could hardly be influenced by this substance in unstressed animals."}
{"id": "PMID:1471970", "title": "[Natural behavior--a natural concept?].", "content": "Animal behaviour is a function of both endogenous and exogenous stimuli. To survive, the animal registers, predicts and tries to control its environment. This leads to a certain behaviour pattern. A disturbed behaviour and a state of deteriorated health is the consequence if the behaviour pattern is obstructed."}
{"id": "PMID:1471971", "title": "[Seroepidemiological studies of the detection of leptospires of the sejroe group in cattle in middle Thuringia].", "content": "From 1983 to 1989 14,361 head of cattle from the middle Thuringia region were investigated by means of microagglutination test for the presence of Leptospira serovars hardjo, saxkoebing and sejroe. 4,484 samples from cattle with abortion (1983-1985) and a random sample of 5,284 cattle sera (1985) were investigated giving priority to L. hardjo. Furthermore 3,293 samples from cattle with abortion (1986/87) and a random samples test of 1,300 cattle sera (1989) were tested giving priority to L. saxkoebing. 2.5 percent of the cows having aborted and 10.3 percent of cattle tested out of the whole livestock showed antibodies against L. hardjo. The test for presence of L. saxkoebing demonstrated in cattle with abortion a seroprevalence of 14 percent and in the random samples tests a portion of reagents of 11.3 percent. The degree of infection differed regionally, the highest degree was found in livestocks of the northern part of the Thuringia forest. The prevalence of L. saxkoebing in cattle with abortion from large dairy farms was 18.6 percent, which is higher than the average in the region examined. Antibodies against hardjo and sejroe were interpreted as caused by cross reactivity."}
{"id": "PMID:1471972", "title": "[Possibilities for the establishment of pneumonia-free swine herds by immunization and administration of cefquinome].", "content": "The application of Bordetella and Pasteurella inactivated and adsorbed vaccines together with cefquinome to sows, piglets and weaners led to a significant reduction of the incidence of rhinitis atrophicans and pneumonia. The frequency of positive isolates of P. multocida, H. parasuis and A. pleuropneumoniae out of nasal swabs was reduced during the treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1471973", "title": "[The effect of Eperythrozoon suis infection on the osmotic fragility of erythrocytes].", "content": "Osmotic fragility of erythrocytes was tested in weaned pigs experimentally infected with Eperythrozoon (E.) suis. Acute eperythrozoonosis of splenectomized pigs led to an increase of osmotic fragility. It is supposed that E. suis infection causes a structural change in erythrocyte membrane. Possible mechanisms of this cell membrane injury are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1471974", "title": "[The selection of Salmonella gallinarum, Salmonella pullorum and Escherichia coli in chickens after chloramphenicol administration].", "content": "The effect of a chloramphenicol administration was examined on the selection of E. coli of the chicken intestinal flora, and of the infectious S. gallinarum and S. pullorum strains. On the other hand, an effort was made to detect the frequency of the resistance transmission of E. coli to above mentioned sensitive salmonella strains. Fourteen chicken, 12 infected and 2 negative controls were used. It was found that the enteric E. coli strains became resistant in a week's time. Besides, the strains that were used for infecting the chicken neither were selected through the chloramphenicol administered nor did they take the E. coli resistance, via R-factor transmission."}
{"id": "PMID:1471975", "title": "Cell-shape-associated transcriptional activation of the p52(PAI-1) gene in rat kidney cells.", "content": "The microfilament-disrupting agent cytochalasin D (CD) increased (by 10-22-fold) the synthesis de novo and extracellular matrix deposition of plasminogen-activator inhibitor type-1 [p52(PAI-1)] in normal rat kidney (NRK) cells. Transition from a flat to a round phenotype occurred concomitantly with, and may actually precede, p52(PAI-1) induction; both the morphological and p52(PAI-1) responses were dose-dependent. Augmented synthesis became evident between 4 and 5 h of treatment of NRK cells with 100 microM-CD, correlating with a transition from 25 to more than 60% rounded cells. CD-associated increases in p52(PAI-1) mRNA abundance and protein biosynthesis were maximal between 6 and 8 h of continuous CD exposure, declined by 50% thereafter, but remained elevated (by at least 6-21-fold respectively over control values) for 24 h. Changes in p52(PAI-1) mRNA abundance at this 24 h point reflected an approx. 5-fold increase in p52(PAI-1)-gene transcription. These data confirm previous suggestions, based on actinomycin D-sensitivity of the inductive response [Higgins & Ryan (1992) Biochem. J. 284, 433-439], that CD-mediated increases in p52(PAI-1) expression are at least partly due to transcription-level events. Since CD also augments specific cellular responses to growth factors or cytokines, the potential effectiveness of this inducer was evaluated both in the presence and absence of serum growth factors using quiescent NRK cells [a growth state in which p52(PAI-1) is not expressed] as a model system. Induction of p52(PAI-1) synthesis and matrix deposition in CD-stimulated quiescent NRK cells was as efficient under growth-factor-deficient conditions as when CD was added simultaneously with serum. CD alone is thus a complete inducer of p52(PAI-1) expression in NRK cells, an observation that supports the contention that cell shape is an important regulatory element in p52(PAI-1)-gene control."}
{"id": "PMID:1471976", "title": "Isolation and characterization of different C-terminal fragments of dystrophin expressed in Escherichia coli.", "content": "Dystrophin, the protein product of the Duchenne muscular dystrophy gene, is thought to belong to a family of membrane cytoskeletal proteins. Based on its deduced amino-acid sequence, it is postulated to have several distinct structural domains; an N-terminal region; a central, rod-shaped, domain; and a C-terminal domain [Koenig, Monaco & Kunkel (1988) Cell 53, 219-228]. The C-terminal domain is further divided into two regions; the first has some sequence similarity to slime mould alpha-actinin, and is rich in cysteine residues; this is followed by the C-terminal amino-acid sequence that is unique to dystrophin. Dystrophin is very difficult to purify in quantities sufficient for detailed studies of the structure/function relationships within the molecule. Therefore, in this study, we have expressed selected fragments of the C-terminal region of dystrophin, as fusion proteins, in Escherichia coli. Importantly, we describe the first successful purification, from E. coli lysates, of large quantities of fragments of dystrophin in a soluble form. The first fragment, termed CT-1, encodes the C-terminal 201 amino acids of the protein; the second, termed CT-2, spans the cysteine-rich region of the C-terminal domain. These fusion proteins were identified by their mobility in SDS/PAGE, by their interaction with appropriate affinity columns and by their reactivity with anti-dystrophin antibodies. The fragment CT-2, which spans a region containing putative EF-hand-like sequences, was found to bind Ca2+ in 45Ca2+ overlay experiments. In addition, we have discovered that the fragment CT-1, but not fragment CT-2, interacts specifically with the E. coli DnaK gene product [analogue of heat shock protein 70 (hsp70)]. This interaction is disrupted, in vitro, by the addition of ATP. Our results indicate that the two C-terminal fragments of dystrophin have differing biophysical properties, indicating that they may play distinct roles in the function of the protein."}
{"id": "PMID:1471977", "title": "Site-directed mutagenesis and substrate-induced inactivation of beta-lactamase I.", "content": "The substrate-induced inactivation of beta-lactamase I from Bacillus cereus 569/H has been studied. Both the wild-type enzyme and mutants have been used. The kinetics follow a branched pathway of the type recently analysed [Waley (1991) Biochem. J. 279, 87-94]. The substrate cloxacillin (a penicillin) formed an acyl-enzyme (characterized by m.s.), and it was probably the instability of this intermediate that brought about inactivation. A disulphide bond was introduced into beta-lactamase I (the wild-type enzyme lacks this bond) by site-directed mutagenesis: Ala-77 and Ala-123 were replaced by cysteine. Spontaneous oxidation yielded the disulphide. The activity of this newly cross-linked enzyme was a little diminished, but the stability towards inactivation by cloxacillin was not increased. A second mutant of beta-lactamase I was studied: this mutant lacked the first 17 residues, i.e. the first alpha-helix. The mutant had reduced activity towards ordinary (non-inactivating) substrates and no hydrolysis of cloxacillin could be detected. These mutant enzymes were expressed in Bacillus subtilis, and were purified from the extracellular medium."}
{"id": "PMID:1471978", "title": "Sheep 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase. Revised protein sequence based upon the sequences of cDNA clones obtained with the polymerase chain reaction.", "content": "Sheep liver 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (6-PGDH) is an enzyme of the pentose phosphate pathway. Evidence has appeared which suggests that the 6-PGDH protein sequence determined previously by direct analysis of the protein isolated from ovine liver is incorrect. Determining the enzyme's DNA sequence was considered to be the best way of solving the problem. In the first instance, a degenerate forward and a degenerate reverse primer were designed on the basis of the known protein sequence, and a partial-length cDNA clone was isolated from total sheep liver cDNA using the polymerase chain reaction. The clone encoded the expected part of the protein sequence. The clone was unsuccessfully used as a prime-cut probe to screen a sheep liver library and a bovine heart library. As a result, the polymerase chain reaction was utilized again to successfully generate a family of overlapping cDNA clones encoding a mature protein of 482 amino acids. The mature protein sequence encoded by the cDNA differs significantly from the sequence derived by direct analysis of the protein, but on closer examination the fundamental difference is caused by the incorrect placement of three enzyme fragments obtained by cyanogen bromide cleavage during the direct sequence analysis of the protein. Placing the fragments in the correct order results in the two sequences being virtually identical except for some minor amino acid changes between the amide and acid forms, and a small number of deletions and insertions."}
{"id": "PMID:1471983", "title": "A red cell band 3 variant with altered stilbene disulphonate binding is associated with the Diego (Dia) blood group antigen.", "content": "1. We have shown that the Dia antigen of the Diego blood group system is associated with the presence of red cell band 3 Memphis, but not all band 3 Memphis samples carry the Dia antigen. 2. The band 3 Memphis associated with the Dia antigen was covalently labelled by 4,4'-di-isothiocyanato-1,2-diphenylethane-2,2'-disulphonic acid (H2DIDS) more readily than was normal band 3 or band 3 Memphis not associated with the Dia antigen. This altered reactivity with H2DIDS has previously been noted for a band 3 Memphis sub-type designated variant 2. 3. This is the first example of a band 3 polymorphism associated with an antigenic change in the extracellular region of the band 3 polypeptide and with altered H2DIDS binding."}
{"id": "PMID:1471984", "title": "Modulation of aggrecan and link-protein synthesis in articular cartilage.", "content": "The addition of serum or insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) to the medium of explant cultures of bovine articular cartilage is known to stimulate the synthesis of aggrecan in a dose-dependent manner. The half-life of the pool of proteoglycan core protein was measured in adult articular cartilage cultured for 6 days in the presence and absence of 20 ng of IGF-I/ml and shown to be 24 min under both sets of conditions. The half-life of the mRNA pool coding for aggrecan was also determined and shown to be approx. 4 h in cartilage maintained in culture with or without IGF-I. The pool size of mRNA coding for aggrecan core protein increased 5-6-fold in cartilage explants maintained in culture in medium containing 20% (v/v) fetal-calf serum; however, in tissue maintained with medium containing IGF-I there was no increase in the cellular levels of this mRNA. This suggests that aggrecan synthesis is stimulated by IGF-I at the level of translation of mRNA coding for the core protein of this proteoglycan and that other growth factors are present in serum that stimulate aggrecan synthesis at the level of transcription of the core-protein gene. Inclusion of serum or IGF-I in the medium of cartilage explant cultures induced increases in the amounts of mRNA coding for type II collagen and link protein, whereas only serum enhanced the amount of mRNA for the core protein of decorin."}
{"id": "PMID:1471985", "title": "The control of cellular shape and motility. Mg2+ and tropomyosin regulate the formation and the dissociation of microfilament bundles.", "content": "At pH 7.14 and 37 degrees C, in 7.2% (w/v) poly(ethylene glycol) 6000, tropomyosin-regulated actin filaments are converted into filament bundles by increasing the free Mg2+ concentration to 1.7-2.0 mM. When free Mg2+ concentration is decreased below 1.7 mM, bundles dissociate back into tropomyosin-regulated actin filaments. Pure actin filaments are insensitive to this mechanism of control and are found as filament bundles in all the range of free Mg2+ concentrations tested (1.37-2.2 mM). The mechanism of regulation described above is likely to operate in the cell, where the concentration of free Mg2+ is linked to the energy charge of the adenine nucleotide system."}
{"id": "PMID:1471986", "title": "A comparison of the effects of calponin on smooth and skeletal muscle actomyosin systems in the presence and absence of caldesmon.", "content": "Thiosphosphorylated smooth muscle myosin and skeletal muscle myosin, both of which express Ca(2+)-independent actin-activated MgATPase activity, were used to examine the functional effects of calponin and caldesmon separately and together. Separately, calponin and caldesmon inhibited the actin-activated MgATPase activities of thiophosphorylated smooth muscle myosin and skeletal muscle myosin, calponin being significantly more potent in both systems. Calponin-mediated inhibition resulted from the interaction of calponin with actin since it could be reversed by increasing the actin concentration. Caldesmon had no significant influence on the calponin-induced inhibition of the smooth muscle actomyosin ATPase, nor did calponin have a significant effect on caldesmon-induced inhibition. In the skeletal muscle system, however, caldesmon was found to override the inhibitory effect of calponin. This difference probably reflects the lower affinity of skeletal muscle actin for calponin compared with that of smooth muscle actin. Calponin inhibition of skeletal muscle actin-activated myosin MgATPase was not significantly affected by troponin/tropomyosin, suggesting that the thin filament can readily accommodate calponin in addition to the troponin complex, or that calponin may be able to displace troponin. Calponin also inhibited acto-phosphorylated smooth muscle heavy meromyosin and acto-skeletal muscle heavy meromyosin MgATPases. The most appropriate protein preparations for analysis of the regulatory effects of calponin in the actomyosin system therefore would be smooth muscle actin, tropomyosin and thiophosphorylated myosin, and for analysis of the kinetic effects of calponin on the actomyosin ATPase cycle they would be smooth muscle actin, tropomyosin and phosphorylated heavy meromyosin, due to the latter's solubility."}
{"id": "PMID:1471987", "title": "Intracellular Ca2+ rise in human platelets induced by polymorphonuclear-leucocyte-derived cathepsin G.", "content": "Cathepsin G, a serine protease released by polymorphonuclear-leucocyte azurophilic granules upon stimulation, activates human platelets, inducing an increase in intra-platelet Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) in a concentration-dependent manner (50-200 nM). The [Ca2+]i rises elicited by low (50-80 nM) cathepsin G concentrations in fura-2-loaded platelets showed a biphasic mode, with a first small peak followed by a greater and more prolonged Ca2+ transient. Higher (100-200 nM) cathepsin G concentrations induced a monophasic increase in intracellular Ca2+. Acetylsalicylic acid, nordihydroguaiaretic acid and ketanserin did not affect platelet activation by cathepsin G, whereas the ADP-scavenger system phosphocreatine/creatine kinase significantly decreased Ca2+ mobilization, platelet aggregation and 5-hydroxytryptamine secretion by cathepsin G. Preventing cathepsin G-induced platelet aggregation with the synthetic peptide RGDSP (Arg-Gly-Asp-Ser-Pro) did not significantly affect cathepsin G-induced Ca2+ transients. Ni2+ (4 mM), a bivalent-cation-channel inhibitor, decreased the cathepsin G-induced fluorescence rise by more than 90%. This effect was reversed by either decreasing Ni2+ or increasing cathepsin G concentration. Preventing Ca2+ influx across the plasma membrane with 4 mM-EGTA totally abolished Ca2+ transients. However, EGTA also strongly decreased catalytic activity of cathepsin G, which is essential for platelet activation. Evidence of a rapid and sustained bivalent-cation channel opening in the platelet membrane was obtained by adding Mn2+ to the platelet suspension 30 s or 3 min after cathepsin G. No accumulation of InsP3 could be detected when platelets were stimulated with cathepsin G. All these data indicate that cathepsin G induces a [Ca2+]i increase mainly through an influx across the plasma membrane. This massive Ca2+ entry is probably due to opening of receptor-operated channels and is amplified by endogenous ADP release."}
{"id": "PMID:1471988", "title": "Alteration in proportions of histone H1 variants during the differentiation of murine erythroleukaemic cells.", "content": "We have investigated the changes in the relative amounts of histone H1 zero and all five H1 variants during the differentiation in vitro of Friend erythroleukaemic cells. Three different agents were used as inducers of differentiation: dimethyl sulphoxide, hexamethylenebisacetamide and sodium butyrate. By applying a combination of reverse-phase h.p.l.c. and one-dimensional gel electrophoresis we observed that, during differentiation in vitro, (1) the relative amount of each subtype changes upon induction and that (2) dimethyl sulphoxide and hexamethylenebisacetamide produce a similar histone H1 pattern with a strong increase in histones H1 zero and H1c, a modest increase in histone H1e and a decrease in the relative amounts of histone H1a, H1b and H1d, whereas butyrate induces a different pattern, particularly with respect to both histones H1c and H1e: H1c increased slightly, and H1e strongly, during differentiation. These results are compared with changes in the histone H1 pattern during differentiation in vivo in the mouse [Lennox & Cohen (1983) J. Biol. Chem. 258, 262-268] and in the rat [Pina, Martinez & Suau (1987) Eur. J. Biochem. 164, 71-76], and similarities and deviations are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1471989", "title": "Identification of amino acid changes affecting yeast uroporphyrinogen decarboxylase activity by sequence analysis of hem12 mutant alleles.", "content": "The molecular basis of the uroporphyrinogen decarboxylase defect in eleven yeast 'uroporphyric' mutants was investigated. Uroporphyrinogen decarboxylase, an enzyme of the haem-biosynthetic pathway, catalyses the decarboxylation of uroporphyrinogen to coproporphyrinogen and is encoded by the HEM12 gene in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The mutations were identified by sequencing the mutant hem12 alleles amplified in vitro from genomic DNA extracted from the mutant strains. Four mutations leading to the absence of enzyme protein were found: one mutation caused the substitution of the translation initiator Met to Ile, a two-base deletion created a frameshift at codon 247 and two nonsense mutations were found at codons 50 and 263. Four different point mutations were identified in seven 'leaky' mutants with residual modified uroporphyrinogen decarboxylase activity; each of three mutations was found in two independently isolated mutants. The nucleotide transitions resulted in the amino acid substitutions Ser-59 to Phe, Thr-62 to Ile, Leu-107 to Ser, or Ser-215 to Asn, all located in or near highly conserved regions. The results suggest that there is a single active centre in uroporphyrinogen decarboxylase, the geometry of which is affected in the mutant enzymes."}
{"id": "PMID:1471990", "title": "Comparative behaviour of calpain and cathepsin B toward peptidyl acyloxymethyl ketones, sulphonium methyl ketones and other potential inhibitors of cysteine proteinases.", "content": "Peptidyl acyloxymethyl ketones, previously established as potent inactivators of the lysosomal cysteine proteinase cathepsin B, were evaluated against smooth-muscle calpain, a member of the family of Ca(2+)-dependent cysteine proteinases. Only modest rates of time-dependent inhibition could be achieved, even with peptidyl affinity groups optimized for calpain and linked to a carboxylate leaving group of very low pKa [2,6-(CF3)2PhCOO-, pKa 0.58]. Selective inactivation of cathespin B versus calpain was consistently observed with this type of inhibitor. Examination of other potential inhibitors revealed a rank order of potency against calpain to be: peptidyl sulphonium methyl ketones > fluoromethyl ketones, diazomethyl ketones >> acyloxymethyl ketones, an order which differs sharply from that found for cathespin B."}
{"id": "PMID:1471991", "title": "The activities of acyl-CoA:1-acyl-lysophospholipid acyltransferase(s) in human platelets.", "content": "The activities of acyl-CoA:1-acyl-lysophospholipid acyltransferases (EC 2.3.1.23) have been studied in human platelet lysates by using endogenously formed [14C]acyl-CoA from [14C]fatty acid, ATP and CoA in the presence of 1-acyl-lysophosphatidyl-choline (lysoPC), -ethanolamine (lysoPE), -serine (lysoPS) or -inositol (lysoPI). Linoleic acid as fatty acid substrate had the highest affinity to acyl-CoA:1-acyl-lysophospholipid acyltransferase with lysoPC as variable substrate, followed by eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and arachidonic acid (AA). The activity at optimal conditions was 7.4, 7.3 and 7.2 nmol/min per 10(9) platelets with lysoPC as substrate, with linoleic acid, AA and EPA respectively. EPA and AA were incorporated into all lyso-forms. Linoleic acid was also incorporated into lysoPE at a high rate, but less into lysoPS and lysoPI. DHA was incorporated into lysoPC and lysoPE, but only slightly into lysoPI and lysoPS. Whereas incorporation of all fatty acids tested was maximal for lysoPC and lysoPI at 200 and 80 microM respectively, maximal incorporation needed over 500 microM for lysoPE and lysoPS. The optimal concentration for [14C]fatty acid substrates was in the range 15-150 microM for all lysophospholipids. Competition experiments with equimolar concentrations of either lysoPC and lysoPI or lysoPE resulted in formation of [14C]PC almost as if lysoPI or lysoPE were not added to the assay medium."}
{"id": "PMID:1471992", "title": "Expression of active octameric chicken cardiac mitochondrial creatine kinase in Escherichia coli.", "content": "Sarcomeric mitochondrial creatine kinase (Mib-CK) of chicken was expressed in Escherichia coli as a soluble enzyme by using an inducible phage-T7 promoter. Up to one third of the protein in E. coli extracts consisted of soluble recombinant Mib-CK in an enzymically active form. Approx. 20 mg of nearly-homogenous Mib-CK was isolated in a two-step isolation procedure starting with 1 litre of isopropyl beta-D-thiogalactopyranoside-induced E. coli culture, whereas previous attempts to express other CK genes in E. coli have resulted in 20-fold lower yields and inclusion-body formation. Selection of the Mib-CK expression plasmid on media containing kanamycin rather than ampicillin extended the time period of maximal Mib-CK expression. Recombinant Mib-CK displayed an identical N-terminal amino acid sequence, identical Km for phosphocreatine and Vmax. values, the same electrophoretic behaviour and the same immunological cross-reactivity as the native enzyme isolated from chicken heart mitochondria. The recombinant Mib-CK had the same molecular mass as native chicken Mib-CK in m.s. analysis, indicating that post-translational modification of the enzyme in chicken tissue does not occur. As judged by gel-permeation chromatography and electron microscopy, recombinant enzyme formed predominantly octameric oligomers with the same overall structure as the chicken heart enzyme. Furthermore, the enzymes isolated from both sources formed protein crystals of space group P42(1)2, when grown in the absence of ATP, with one Mi-CK octamer per asymmetric unit. The indistinguishable X-ray-diffraction patterns indicate identical structures for the native and recombinant proteins."}
{"id": "PMID:1471993", "title": "Agonist-induced inhibition of phosphatidylserine synthesis is secondary to the emptying of intracellular Ca2+ stores in Jurkat T-cells.", "content": "The biosynthesis of phosphatidylserine (PtdSer) by the serine base-exchange enzyme system, in Jurkat T-lymphocytes, was inhibited in intact cells maintained in low-Ca(2+)-containing buffer (< 10 microM-Ca2+) by using Ca2+ ionophores (A23187 or ionomycin). The rise in cytosolic Ca2+ concentration under these experimental conditions was only due to the release of Ca2+ from intracellular compartments, suggesting that the inhibition of PtdSer synthesis was correlated with the emptying of intracellular Ca2+ pools. This was further studied in saponin-permeabilized cells, in which PtdSer synthesis was found to be inhibited by EGTA, Ca2+ ionophores (A23187 or ionomycin) and Ca(2+)-ATPase inhibitors [thapsigargin or 2,5-di-(t-butyl)-benzohydroquinone]. Since Ca(2+)-ATPase inhibitors impaired refilling of the Ca2+ stores with Ca2+, and since in CD3-activated Jurkat T-cells the Ca2+ stores remained empty after 1 h of treatment with anti-CD3 monoclonal antibodies, we suggest that PtdSer synthesis is mainly regulated by the level of Ca2+ in the intracellular compartments and that the Ca(2+)-dependent serine base-exchange system responsible for PtdSer synthesis is probably located within or close to a Ca(2+)-storage organelle."}
{"id": "PMID:1471994", "title": "Modulation of the low-density-lipoprotein-receptor-related protein and its relevance to chylomicron-remnant metabolism.", "content": "Hepatic levels of the low-density-lipoprotein (LDL)-receptor-related protein (LRP) and the LDL receptor were measured in rats subjected to treatments known to affect the expression of the LDL receptor. Propylthiouracil decreased both hepatic LRP and LDL receptor expression by 30-40%. Thyroxine treatment increased LDL receptor levels by 3-fold without altering LRP levels. In contrast, 17 alpha-ethinyloestradiol decreased LRP by 50%, whereas the LDL receptor was increased 5-fold. Plasma chylomicrons and their remnants were decreased to insignificant levels with this treatment. In rats fed with cholesterol there was a significant increase in these particles in plasma (1.21 +/- 0.4 versus 5.71 +/- 0.4 mg/dl), whereas the expression of LRP was unaltered. In Watanabe heritable hyperlipidaemic and cholesterol-fed rabbits, in which the LDL receptor expression is absent or decreased, the expression of LRP was not significantly different from that in normal rabbits. These results suggest that the expression of hepatic LRP can be modulated by changes in the hormonal status of the rat and that this modulation is not tightly co-ordinated with that of the LDL receptor. Moreover, LRP does not appear to have a significant role in chylomicron-remnant clearance, whereas the LDL receptor is actively involved in this process."}
{"id": "PMID:1471995", "title": "Glutamine is a good substrate for glycogen synthesis in isolated hepatocytes from 72 h-starved rats, but not from 24 h- or 48 h-starved rats.", "content": "In isolated hepatocytes from 24 h-starved rats, no glycogen synthesis was observed in the presence of glutamine. By contrast, glutamine was the best gluconeogenic substrate to induce glycogen synthesis in isolated hepatocytes from 72 h-starved rats. The effect of glutamine on glycogen synthesis was not accompanied by parallel changes in glucose or lactate production. Glutamine activated glycogen synthase independently of the starvation period; however, the extent of synthase activation was 2-fold higher in isolated hepatocytes from 72 h-starved rats than in hepatocytes from 24 h-starved rats. This increase in synthase activation was associated with increased cell swelling. The rate of glutamine transport was not significantly different in hepatocytes from 24 h- and 72 h-starved rats. By contrast, the intracellular glutamate concentration was 1.5-fold higher after 3 days of starvation in hepatocytes incubated with 5 mM-glutamine. We propose that glutamine may play a key role in the glycogen synthesis observed in vivo after 3 days of starvation."}
{"id": "PMID:1471996", "title": "Partial purification of Golgi-bound arabinosyltransferase and two isoforms of xylosyltransferase from French bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.).", "content": "The purification of glycosyltransferases involved in wall matrix polysaccharide synthesis has been attempted. A number of activities readily demonstrated in isolated Golgi membranes are lost following detergent solubilization. However, solubilization releases pyrophosphorylases and phosphatases that hydrolyse the substrate in enzyme assays, whether UDP-glucose, -arabinose or -xylose is used. This hydrolysis, which cannot be completely inhibited, appears to be the major factor in the apparent loss of activity. Separation of this hydrolytic activity during further purification by ion-exchange and gel exclusion leads to recovery of glycosyltransferase activity. Thus two xylosyltransferases and one arabinosyltransferase could be partially purified. These appeared to be differentially expressed. The arabinosyltransferase of apparent M(r) 70,000 on size-exclusion chromatography was isolated from cells undergoing rapid growth and division. A xylosyltransferase of apparent M(r) 38,000 on size-exclusion chromatography was associated with cell expansion and primary wall synthesis. A second xylosyltransferase, which was purified to near homogeneity with M(r) 40,000, showed a peak of activity during the period of maximum secondary wall synthesis."}
{"id": "PMID:1471997", "title": "Purification, characterization and function of dihydrolipoamide dehydrogenase from the cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. strain P.C.C. 7119.", "content": "A dihydrolipoamide dehydrogenase (dihydrolipoamide: NAD+ oxidoreductase, EC 1.8.1.4) (DLD) has been found in the soluble fraction of cells of both unicellular (Synechococcus sp. strain P.C.C. 6301) and filamentous (Calothrix sp. strain P.C.C. 7601 and Anabaena sp. strain P.C.C. 7119) cyanobacteria. DLD from Anabaena sp. was purified 3000-fold to electrophoretic homogeneity. The purified enzyme exhibited a specific activity of 190 units/mg and was characterized as a dimeric FAD-containing protein with a native molecular mass of 104 kDa, a Stokes' radius of 4.28 nm and a very acidic pI value of about 3.7. As is the case with the same enzyme from other sources, cyanobacterial DLD showed specificity for NADH and lipoamide, or lipoic acid, as substrates. Nevertheless, the strong acidic character of the Anabaena DLD is a distinctive feature with respect to the same enzyme from other organisms. The presence of essential thiol groups was suggested by the inactivation produced by thiol-group-reactive reagents and heavy-metal ions, with lipoamide, but not NAD+, behaving as a protective agent. The function and physiological significance of Anabaena DLD are discussed in relation to the fact that 2-oxoacid dehydrogenase complexes have not been detected so far in filamentous cyanobacteria. Glycine decarboxylase activity, which might be involved in photorespiratory metabolism, has been found, however, in cell extracts of Anabaena sp. strain P.C.C. 7119 as the present study demonstrates."}
{"id": "PMID:1471998", "title": "Butyric acid-induced differentiation of HL-60 cells increases the expression of a single lysophospholipase.", "content": "Treatment of HL-60 cells with 0.5 mM-butyric acid resulted in morphological changes, including the formation of cytoplasmic granules, nuclear condensation and segmentation. These differentiated cells had an elevated phospholipase A2 activity and an increased capacity to synthesize a variety of eicosanoids, including both lipoxygenase and cyclooxygenase products. Phospholipase A2-mediated release of arachidonic acid is accompanied by an equimolar production of potentially cytotoxic lysophospholipid. In association with the differentiation process, there was a 2-3-fold increase in lysophospholipase activity. Subsequent studies were undertaken to identify and characterize the lysophospholipases in this cell system, with 1-[1-14C]palmitoyl-2-hydroxy-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine as substrate. Hydrophobic chromatography of both undifferentiated and differentiated cell extracts revealed three peaks of enzyme activity. Extracts of differentiated cells contained a dramatic increase in activity contained in peak 2. The increase in enzymic activity of peak 2 appeared to account for the increase in total lysophospholipase activity found in the differentiated cell homogenates. The lysophospholipases contained in peaks 2 and 3 were purified to homogeneity and were 20 and 22 kDa respectively, as determined by denaturing polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis. Peaks 2 and 3 were similar on the basis of amino acid composition, but had distinctive C-terminal peptide amino acid sequences. Enzymic characterization of these proteins demonstrated that there was no detectable level of non-specific esterase, acyltransferase or transacylase activity associated with these proteins. We concluded that peak 2 lysophospholipase is regulated by differentiation in HL-60 cells and may play an important role in protecting these cells from the cytolytic effects of the lysophospholipids produced by the activation of phospholipase A2."}
{"id": "PMID:1471999", "title": "Purification and properties of 6-methylsalicylic acid synthase from Penicillium patulum.", "content": "6-Methylsalicylic acid synthase has been isolated in homogeneous form from Penicillium patulum grown in liquid culture from a spore inoculum. The enzyme is highly susceptible to proteolytic degradation in vivo and in vitro, but may be stabilized during purification by incorporating proteinase inhibitors in the buffers. The enzyme exists as a homotetramer of M(r) 750,000, with a subunit M(r) of 180,000. 6-Methylsalicyclic acid synthase also accepts acetoacetyl-CoA as an alternative starter molecule to acetyl-CoA. The enzyme also catalyses the formation of small amounts of triacetic acid lactone as an oligatory by-product of the reaction. In the absence of NADPH, triacetic acid lactone is the exclusive enzymic product, being formed at 10% of the rate of 6-methylsalicylic acid. The enzyme is inactivated by 1,3-dibromopropan-2-one, leading to the formation of cross-linked dimers similar to that observed with type I fatty acid synthases. Acetyl-CoA protects the enzyme against the inactivation and inhibits dimer formation. An adaptation of the purification method for 6-methylsalicylic acid synthase may be used for the isolation of fatty acid sythase from Penicillium patulum."}
{"id": "PMID:1472000", "title": "Regulation of phospholipase D by sphingosine involves both protein kinase C-dependent and -independent mechanisms in NIH 3T3 fibroblasts.", "content": "Previously, the protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitor sphingosine was found to stimulate phospholipase D (PLD)-mediated hydrolysis of both phosphatidylethanolamine (PtdEtn) and phosphatidylcholine (PtdCho) in NIH 3T3 fibroblasts [Kiss & Anderson (1990) J. Biol. Chem. 265, 7345-7350]. Here we examined the possible relationship between the opposite effects of sphingosine on PKC-mediated protein phosphorylation and PLD activation. After treatments for 3-5 min, sphingosine (25 microM) and the PKC activators phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) (100 nM), bryostatin (100 nM) or platelet-derived growth factor (50 ng/ml) synergistically stimulated the hydrolysis of both PtdEtn and PtdCho in NIH 3T3 fibroblasts prelabelled with [14C]ethanolamine or [14C]choline. Inhibition of PMA-induced phospholipid hydrolysis could also be elicited by sphingosine, but this process required prolonged (60 min) treatments of fibroblasts with 40-60 microM-sphingosine. Similarly to sphingosine, the protein phosphatase inhibitor okadaic acid also had either potentiating or inhibitory effects on PMA-stimulated PLD activity, depending on the length of incubation time and the concentration of PMA. Consistent with the presence of an inhibitory component in the overall action of PKC, the PKC inhibitor staurosporine and down-regulation of PKC activity by prolonged (24 h) treatment with PMA similarly enhanced PLD activity. Data suggest that (a) sphingosine may enhance PMA-mediated phospholipid hydrolysis by neutralizing the action of an inhibitory PKC isoform, and that (b) the stimulatory PKC isoform is less sensitive to the inhibitory action of sphingosine."}
{"id": "PMID:1472001", "title": "Isolation and kinetic properties of acetohydroxy acid isomeroreductase from spinach (Spinacia oleracea) chloroplasts overexpressed in Escherichia coli.", "content": "Acetohydroxy acid isomeroreductase catalyses a two-step reaction, an alkyl migration and a NADPH-dependent reduction, in the assembly of the carbon skeletons of branched-chain amino acids. Detailed investigations of acetohydroxy acid isomeroreductase aimed at elucidating the biosynthetic pathway of branched-chain amino acids and at designing new inhibitors of the enzyme having herbicidal potency have so far been conducted with the enzymes isolated from bacteria. To gain more information on a plant system, the gene encoding the mature acetohydroxy acid isomeroreductase from spinach (Spinacia oleracea) leaf chloroplasts has been used to transform Escherichia coli cells and to overexpress the enzyme. A rapid protocol is described that allows the preparation of large quantities of pure spinach chloroplast acetohydroxy acid isomeroreductase. Kinetic and structural properties of the plant enzyme expressed in Escherichia coli are compared with those reported in our previous studies on the native enzymes purified from spinach chloroplasts and with those reported for the corresponding enzymes isolated from Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhimurium. Both the plant and the bacterial enzymes obey an ordered mechanism in which NADPH binds first, followed by substrate (either 2-acetolactate or 2-aceto-2-hydroxybutyrate). Inhibition studies employing an inactive substrate analogue, 2-hydroxy-2-methyl-3-oxopentanoate, showed, however, that the binding of 2-hydroxy-2-methyl-3-oxopentanoate and NADPH occurs randomly, suggestive of some flexibility of the plant enzyme active site. The observed preference of the enzyme for 2-aceto-2-hydroxybutyrate over 2-acetolactate is discussed with regard to the contribution of acetohydroxy acid isomeroreductase activity in the partitioning between isoleucine and valine biosyntheses. Moreover, the kinetic properties of the chloroplast enzyme support the notion that biosynthesis of branched-chain amino acids in plants is controlled by light. As judged by analytical-ultracentrifugation and gel-filtration analyses the overexpressed plant enzyme is a dimer of identical subunits."}
{"id": "PMID:1472002", "title": "Effect of tumour-promoting phorbol ester, thrombin and vasopressin on translocation of three distinct protein kinase C isoforms in human platelets and regulation by calcium.", "content": "Protein kinase C (PKC) acts in synergy with Ca2+ mobilization for the activation of platelets. Three different PKC subtypes that specifically react with antibodies to alpha- beta- and zeta-PKC have been detected in human platelets. We have compared the subcellular redistribution of these isoforms in platelets after exposure to the tumour-promoting phorbol ester phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) and to two physiological agonists, thrombin and vasopressin. In the presence of PMA, beta-PKC is most rapidly translocated to membranes, followed by zeta-PKC and alpha-PKC [membrane contents of 39 +/- 6, 31 +/- 4 and 24 +/- 4% (means +/- S.E.M.) respectively after 2 min incubation]. In contrast, both thrombin and vasopressin induced a biphasic translocation of PKC isoforms. For both agonists, the first phase of translocation occurred within 1 min and was identical for the three isoforms. However, during the second phase, the translocation of zeta-PKC by thrombin and vasopressin differed [membrane contents (mean +/- S.E.M.) of 24 +/- 3 and 46 +/- 4% respectively after 10 min]. These results suggest a differential activation of zeta-PKC by vasopressin and thrombin. PMA-induced translocation of alpha-PKC was decreased from 278 +/- 27 to 198 +/- 24 (mean +/- S.E.M., P = 0.02; percentage increase over control value) in the presence of 1 mM-EDTA, whereas chelation of intracellular Ca2+ by Quin2-AM does not influence this response. These results suggest that the PMA-induced translocation of alpha-PKC depends on the presence of 1 mM concentration of extracellular Ca2+. In addition, the chelation of either extracellular or intracellular Ca2+ inhibited both vasopressin- and thrombin-induced translocation of all three isoforms, suggesting that Ca2+ is an important requirement for the translocation of alpha-, beta- and zeta-PKC by physiological agonists. In conclusion, the translocation of PKC varies between different isoforms and between different agonists."}
{"id": "PMID:1472003", "title": "Characterization of the cytotoxic effect of extracellular ATP in J774 mouse macrophages.", "content": "Extracellular ATP (ATPo) is known to be cytotoxic to many cell types through a mechanism which is largely unknown. Very recently this nucleotide has been shown to cause cell death by apoptosis, probably by interacting with specific cell-surface receptors. In the present study we have investigated the mechanism of ATPo-dependent cytotoxicity in the macrophage-like mouse cell line J774. It has been previously reported that in this cell type ATPo activates trans-membrane Ca2+ and Na+ fluxes and a drastic increase in the plasma-membrane permeability to hydrophilic solutes smaller than 900 Da. These changes are followed by cell swelling and lysis. We show in the present study that, although this nucleotide triggers a rise in the cytoplasmic Ca2+ concentration, neither cell swelling nor lysis is Ca(2+)-dependent. Furthermore, cell lysis is not dependent on Na+ influx, as it is not prevented by iso-osmotic replacement of extracellular Na+ with choline or N-methylglucamine. On the contrary, ATPo-dependent cytotoxicity, but not the ATPo-dependent increase in plasma-membrane permeability, is completely abrogated in sucrose medium. Under our experimental conditions ATPo does not cause DNA fragmentation in J774 cells. We conclude from these findings that ATPo does not cause apoptosis of J774 macrophages and promotes a Ca(2+)- and Na(+)-independent colloido-osmotic lysis."}
{"id": "PMID:1472004", "title": "Cloning and functional expression of the canine anaphylatoxin C5a receptor. Evidence for high interspecies variability.", "content": "A cDNA clone, DTJP03, encoding an orphan receptor, was isolated from a canine thyroid library, and found to exhibit 68.6% amino-acid identity with the recently described human C5a receptor. This relatively low similarity first suggested that DTJP03 encoded either a C5a receptor subtype, or the presumably related C3a receptor. Binding studies performed on membranes from COS-7 cells expressing the recombinant receptor demonstrated that DTJP03 encoded a high-affinity C5a receptor, with a Kd of 1.2 nM. C3a was unable to compete for C5a binding. Intracellular free calcium concentrations were measured by Quin-2 fluorescence assays in Chinese hamster ovary cells stably transfected with the canine C5a receptor. C5a addition elicited an increase in the intracellular calcium concentration. Extracellular EGTA partially prevented this response, suggesting that activation of the C5a receptor promotes both the release of calcium from intracellular stores, and the influx of extracellular calcium. Genes encoding C5a-receptor subtypes were subsequently searched for by PCR in genomic DNA from human, canine, rat and bovine sources. The result was the amplification of a single gene fragment from each species, with about 70% identity between any two of them. The canine C5a receptor has therefore to be considered as orthologous to the human C5a receptor described previously. The low similarity between C5a receptors from different mammalian species is quite unusual for a G-protein-coupled receptor."}
{"id": "PMID:1472005", "title": "Cytosolic calcium as a second messenger for collagen-induced platelet responses.", "content": "We showed previously that direct platelet activation by collagen involves an increase in the platelet cytosolic free Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) but that this increase is not required for the adhesion of platelets to collagen. We now report that collagen-induced arachidonic acid liberation, myosin phosphorylation and 5-hydroxytryptamine secretion are dependent on increases in [Ca2+]i, as they were markedly inhibited in platelets loaded with the acetoxymethyl ester of the Ca2+ chelator BAPTA but not in cells loaded with the acetoxymethyl ester of the non-chelating diazo-3. BAPTA also partially inhibited the rate of collagen-induced phosphatidic acid (PtdA) formation but had little effect on increases in phosphorylation of pleckstrin (47 kDa protein; P47). From these results we infer that collagen-induced increases in [Ca2+]i are required for dense granule secretion and arachidonic acid liberation, but are not necessary for stimulation of the protein kinase C pathway."}
{"id": "PMID:1472006", "title": "Amino-acid sequence and predicted three-dimensional structure of pea seed (Pisum sativum) ferritin.", "content": "The iron storage protein, ferritin, is widely distributed in the living kingdom. Here the complete cDNA and derived amino-acid sequence of pea seed ferritin are described, together with its predicted secondary structure, namely a four-helix-bundle fold similar to those of mammalian ferritins, with a fifth short helix at the C-terminus. An N-terminal extension of 71 residues contains a transit peptide (first 47 residues) responsible for plastid targetting as in other plant ferritins, and this is cleaved before assembly. The second part of the extension (24 residues) belongs to the mature subunit; it is cleaved during germination. The amino-acid sequence of pea seed ferritin is aligned with those of other ferritins (49% amino-acid identity with H-chains and 40% with L-chains of human liver ferritin in the aligned region). A three-dimensional model has been constructed by fitting the aligned sequence to the coordinates of human H-chains, with appropriate modifications. A folded conformation with an 11-residue helix is predicted for the N-terminal extension. As in mammalian ferritins, 24 subunits assemble into a hollow shell. In pea seed ferritin, its N-terminal extension is exposed on the outside surface of the shell. Within each pea subunit is a ferroxidase centre resembling those of human ferritin H-chains except for a replacement of Glu-62 by His. The channel at the 4-fold-symmetry axes defined by E-helices, is predicted to be hydrophilic in plant ferritins, whereas it is hydrophobic in mammalian ferritins."}
{"id": "PMID:1472007", "title": "Calf chymosin as a catalyst of peptide synthesis.", "content": "Calf chymosin was shown to catalyse peptide synthesis optimally over the range pH 4-5, giving satisfactory yields of methyl esters or p-nitroanilides of benzyloxycarbonyl tetra- to hexa-peptides, provided that hydrophobic amino-acid residues form the new peptide bonds. The effectiveness of the enzyme depends also on the nature of adjacent amino-acid residues. As an aspartate-proteinase with a characteristic specificity pattern chymosin would be useful for the synthesis of middle-length peptides."}
{"id": "PMID:1472008", "title": "Neurosteroid metabolism. 7 alpha-Hydroxylation of dehydroepiandrosterone and pregnenolone by rat brain microsomes.", "content": "Two 'neurosteroids', dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and pregnenolone (PREG), are converted by rat brain microsomes into polar metabolites, identified as the respective 7 alpha-hydroxylated (7 alpha-OH) derivatives by the 'twin ion' technique of g.l.c.-m.s. with deuterated substrates. The enzymic reaction requires NADPH and is stimulated 2-4-fold by EDTA. Under optimal conditions (pH 7.4, 0.5 mM-NADPH, 1 mM-EDTA), the Km values for DHEA and PREG are 13.8 and 4.4 microM respectively, and the Vmax. values are 322 and 38.8 pmol/min per mg of microsomal protein respectively. Trace amounts of putative 7 beta-OH derivatives of DHEA and PREG are detected. Oestradiol, at a pharmacological concentration of 5 microM, inhibits DHEA and PREG 7 alpha-hydroxylation. Formation of 7 alpha-hydroxylated metabolites is low in prepubertal rats and increases 5-fold in adults. Derivatives of PREG and DHEA, such as PREG sulphate, DHEA sulphate, progesterone and 3 alpha-hydroxy-5 alpha-pregnan-20-one, are known to be neuroactive. Therefore the quantitatively important metabolism to 7 alpha-OH compounds may contribute to the control of neurosteroid activity in brain."}
{"id": "PMID:1472009", "title": "Evidence for the regulation of guinea-pig heart microsomal phosphatidylcholine-hydrolysing phospholipase A1 by guanosine 5'-[gamma-thio]triphosphate.", "content": "We have recently characterized lysophospholipase A2 activities in guinea-pig heart microsomes and postulated that these enzymes act sequentially with phospholipases A1 to release fatty acids selectively from phosphatidylcholine (PC) and phosphatidylethanolamine, thus providing an alternative route to the phospholipase A2 mode of release. In a further investigation of the postulated pathway, we have characterized the PC-hydrolysing phospholipase A1 in guinea-pig heart microsomes. Our results show that the enzyme may have a preference for substrates with C16:0 over C18:0 at the sn-1 position. In addition, although the enzyme cleaves the sn-1 fatty acid, the rate of hydrolysis of PC substrates with C16:0 at the sn-1 position was influenced by the nature of the fatty acid at the sn-2 position. The order of decreasing preference was C18:2 > C20:4 = C18:1 > C16:0. The hydrolyses of the molecular species were differentially affected by heating at 60 degrees C. An investigation into the effect of nucleotides on the activity of the enzyme showed that guanosine 5'-[gamma-thio]triphosphate (GTP[S]) inhibited the hydrolysis of PC by phospholipase A1 activity, whereas GTP, guanosine 5'-[beta-thio]diphosphate (GDP[S]), GDP, ATP and adenosine 5'-[gamma-thio]triphosphate (ATP[S]) did not affect the activity. The inhibitory effect of GTP[S] on phospholipase A1 activity was blocked by preincubation with GDP[S]. A differential effect of GTP[S] on the hydrolysis of different molecular species was also observed. Taken together, the results of this study suggest the presence of more than one phospholipase A1 in the microsomes with different substrate specificities, which act sequentially with lysophospholipase A2 to release linoleic or arachidonic acid selectively from PC under resting conditions. Upon stimulation and activation of the G-protein, the release of fatty acids would be inhibited."}
{"id": "PMID:1472010", "title": "Temperature- and acceptor-specificity of cell-free vesicular transfer from transitional endoplasmic reticulum to the cis Golgi apparatus.", "content": "The temperature dependence and specificity of transfer of membrane constituents from donor transitional endoplasmic reticulum to the cis Golgi apparatus were investigated using a cell-free system from rat liver. The radiolabelled transitional endoplasmic reticulum donors were prepared from slices of rat liver prelabelled with [14C]leucine. The acceptor Golgi apparatus elements were unlabelled and immobilized on nitrocellulose. When Golgi apparatus stacks were separated by preparative free-flow electrophoresis into subfractions enriched in cisternae derived from the cis, medial and trans portions of the stack respectively, efficient specific transfer was observed only to cis elements. Trans elements were devoid of specific acceptor capacity. Similarly, when transfer was determined as a function of temperature, a transition was observed in transfer activity between 12 degrees C and 18 degrees C similar to that seen in vivo for formation of the so-called 16 degrees C cis Golgi-located membrane compartment. Transfer at temperatures below 16 degrees C and transfer to trans Golgi apparatus compartments at temperatures either above or below 16 degrees C was similar and unspecific. The unspecific transfer at low temperature was pH independent, whereas specific transfer was greatest at the physiological pH of 7, and was reduced to 10% and 18% of that occurring at pH 8 and pH 5.5 respectively. These findings show that the cell-free system derived from rat liver exhibits a high degree of fidelity to transfer in vivo, an efficiency approaching that observed in vivo, and a nearly absolute acceptor specificity for cis Golgi apparatus. The acceptor-, temperature- and pH-specificity of the cell-free transfer, as well as the saturation kinetics exhibited with respect to acceptor Golgi apparatus, support the concept of transition-vesicle-specific docking sites of finite number associated with cis Golgi apparatus cisternae."}
{"id": "PMID:1472011", "title": "Glutathione S-transferase pi in an arsenic-resistant Chinese hamster ovary cell line.", "content": "A glutathione S-transferase (GST) was purified from an arsenic-resistant Chinese hamster ovary cell line, SA7. The SA7 GST was shown to catalyse the conjugation of glutathione and ethacrynic acid, a specific substrate for Pi class GST. Its N-terminal amino-acid sequence has 80% identical residues to that of rat GST P and human GST pi. Thus, the GST purified from SA7 cells belongs to the Pi family. Treatment with Cibacron Blue or ethacrynic acid, which are GST inhibitors, significantly decreased the resistance of SA7 cells to sodium arsenite. On the other hand, pretreatment of SA7N cells, a partial revertant of SA7 cells, with sublethal doses of sodium arsenite, cadmium acetate or zinc sulphate resulted in re-elevation of GST activities and the cells regained the arsenic resistance. The regained arsenic resistance was well correlated with the levels of GST pi which were induced dose-dependently by zinc sulphate. Heat-shock treatment (45 degrees C for 10 min) did not increase GST pi expression or arsenic resistance of SA7N cells. The results indicate that GST pi is possibly involved in the mechanism of arsenic detoxification."}
{"id": "PMID:1472012", "title": "Expression of high levels of nitrobenzylthioinosine-sensitive nucleoside transport in cultured human choriocarcinoma (BeWo) cells.", "content": "We have examined binding of [3H]nitrobenzylthioinosine (NBMPR) and influx of [3H]thymidine in adherent cultures of human choriocarcinoma (BeWo) cells and, for comparison, cervical-carcinoma (HeLa) cells. Specific association of NBMPR with BeWo cells at 22 degrees C required 1.5 h to reach an equilibrium between free and bound ligand, whereas association with HeLa cells required 20-30 min. Scatchard analysis of NBMPR binding to low-density cultures of BeWo cells revealed a total of 27 x 10(6) sites per cell, consisting of two distinct populations that differed in their affinities for NBMPR. One population bound NBMPR with 'high' affinity (Bmax.1 15.0 pmol/10(6) cells; Kd1 0.6 nM) and the other, larger, population bound NBMPR with 'low' affinity (Bmax.2 29.0 pmol/10(6) cells; Kd2 14.5 nM). By contrast, HeLa cells possessed only 4.1 x 10(5) sites per cell, and these sites all bound NBMPR with the same affinity (Bmax. 0.7 pmol/10(6) cells; Kd 0.5 nM). Interaction of NBMPR with both populations of sites in BeWo cells could be blocked by nitrobenzylthioguanosine (NBTGR), dilazep or dipyridamole. Concentration-effect relationships for dilazep inhibition of binding of 1 nM- and 25 nM-NBMPR to BeWo cells were monophasic, with virtually complete inhibition achieved at 0.1 microM and 1 microM respectively. Plasma-membrane preparations from BeWo cells also had high numbers of NBMPR-binding sites, and u.v. irradiation of site-bound [3H]NBMPR in such preparations labelled polypeptides that migrated in electrophoretograms as a broad band with a peak M(r) of 60,000. The concentration-effect relationship for NBMPR inhibition of thymidine transport by BeWo cells was biphasic, with an IC50 for inhibition of the 'NBMPR-sensitive' component of 1.6 nM and a substantial (15-20%) component of flux that was not inhibited by 10 microM-NBMPR and was thus 'NBMPR-insensitive'. Vmax. values for thymidine transport by BeWo cells were 20-30-fold larger than the corresponding values for transport by HeLa cells. Elimination of the Na+ gradient had no effect on initial rates of thymidine fluxes measured in either the presence or the absence of NBMPR. Our results demonstrate that BeWo cells have an unusually large capacity for NBMPR-sensitive nucleoside transport, apparently resulting from high levels of expression of 'erythrocyte-like' transport elements, identified by their high-affinity interaction with NBMPR. The relationship of the low-affinity binding sites to NBMPR-sensitive transporter elements is uncertain."}
{"id": "PMID:1472013", "title": "A unique aromatase (P-450AROM) mRNA formed by alternative use of tissue-specific exons 1 in human skin fibroblasts.", "content": "Aromatase mRNA in human skin fibroblasts was greatly increased in the presence of dexamethasone. Aromatase cDNA was prepared depending on mRNA of dexamethasone-treated fibroblasts by the PCR method including the rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) protocol. The isolated cDNA had the same sequence as placental aromatase cDNA in the region encoded by exons 2-10. However, all 5'-fragments obtained from fibroblast aromatase cDNA contained a unique sequence in the region encoded by exon 1. A unique sequence was also deduced for the region between exons 1 and 2 of the placental aromatase gene from its cDNA, indicating that this region is used as an exon 1 by alternative splicing in skin fibroblasts. Tissue-specific use of multiple exons 1 in the splicing of aromatase transcripts was demonstrated by the mRNAs obtained from various tissues."}
{"id": "PMID:1472014", "title": "Targeting aequorin to the endoplasmic reticulum of living cells.", "content": "The photoprotein aequorin has been engineered with an ER targeting sequence at the N-terminus, with and without KDEL at the C-terminus, so that it locates in the ER-secretory pathway. For the first time the free Ca2+ has been quantified inside the ER and shown to be 5-20 times that in the cytosol. In COS cells free Ca2+ in the ER ranged from 1-5mM at 37 degrees C, decreasing 2-5-fold within 1 min of exposure to the Ca2+ ionophore ionomycin in the absence of external Ca2+."}
{"id": "PMID:1472015", "title": "Induction of leukotriene C4 synthase activity in differentiating human erythroleukemia cells.", "content": "Leukotriene (LT)C4 synthase is a membrane-bound, specific glutathione transferase which catalyzes the transformation of LTA4 to LTC4. It was originally shown to be present in rodent mastocytoma and basophilic leukemia cells as well as in macrophages. Recently, expression of human LTC4 synthase was demonstrated in platelets (S\u00f6derstr\u00f6m, M., et al. (1992) Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 294, 70-74). The present report describes the induction of LTC4 synthase activity during differentiation of human erythroleukemia (HEL) cells by the protein kinase C stimulator 12-O-tetradecanoyl phorbol 13-acetate (TPA), ligands of the steroid-thyroid hormone receptor superfamily: all-trans-retinoic acid (RA) and 1 alpha, 25-dihydroxy-vitamin D3 and in addition dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO). TPA was the most powerful inducer of enzyme activity followed by 1 alpha, 25-dihydroxy-vitamin D3 and DMSO. RA did not induce LTC4 synthase activity."}
{"id": "PMID:1472016", "title": "The importance of arginine 102 for the substrate specificity of Escherichia coli malate dehydrogenase.", "content": "The malate dehydrogenase from Escherichia coli has been specifically altered at a single amino acid residue by using site-directed mutagenesis. The conserved Arg residue at amino acid position 102 in the putative substrate binding site was replaced with a Gln residue. The result was the loss of the high degree of specificity for oxaloacetate. The difference in relative binding energy for oxaloacetate amounted to about 7 kcal/mol and a difference in specificity between oxaloacetate and pyruvate of 8 orders of magnitude between the wild-type and mutant enzymes. These differences may be explained by the large hydration potential of Arg and the formation of a salt bridge with a carboxylate group of oxaloacetate."}
{"id": "PMID:1472017", "title": "Lengths of truncated forms of apolipoprotein B (apoB) determine their intestinal production.", "content": "Most truncations of apoB associated with hypobetalipoproteinemia (HBL) result from frame shift mutations of the apoB gene that give rise to premature stop codons and truncations of C-terminal sequences. The \"natural\" truncation, apoB-48, arises from a stop codon by cotranscriptional editing of intestinal apoB-100 mRNA. We hypothesized that mutant apoB mRNA would be normally edited and that only those apoB truncations shorter than apoB-48 would be expressed in enterocytes, because translation of mRNAs giving rise to longer truncations would be interrupted by the apoB-48 stop codon. Duodenal mucosal biopsies from HBL and normolipidemic subjects were incubated with [35S]methionine, apoB was immunoprecipitated and bands were visualized by autoradiography. Biopsies of three subjects heterozygous for apoB-54.8 or apoB-89 synthesized virtually only apoB-48. By contrast, the biopsy of a subject heterozygous for apoB-40 synthesized both apoB-48 and apoB-40. Thus, enterocytes in HBL edit the mutant mRNAs similarly to the apoB mRNA of normal enterocytes and the small intestine of heterozygotes with truncations longer than apoB-48 produce only apoB-48, as the apoB-48 stop codon terminates translation proximal to the mutant stop codon. By contrast, intestines of heterozygotes with truncations shorter than apoB-48 produce the truncated apoB because the mutant stop codon stops translation before the apoB-48 stop codon. In conclusion, only the liver secretes apoB truncations larger than apoB-48, whereas shorter truncations are secreted by both liver and intestine."}
{"id": "PMID:1472018", "title": "Depression of catalase gene expression in the liver of tumor bearing nude mice.", "content": "Based on the classical observation that catalase activity is reduced in the liver of a tumor bearing host, we studied this phenomenon from the aspect of gene expression. Northern blot analysis on the livers of mice with a rat tumor showed that the catalase gene expression is lowered in a tumor size-dependent fashion. Decreased gene expression was also seen irrespective of tissue or species origin of tumors transplanted. Removal of the implanted tumor resulted in restoration of the reduced gene message to the normal level. The tumor effect on the catalase gene expression was shown to be controlled at the transcriptional level. These results strongly suggest that the reduction of liver catalase activity in the tumor bearer may be due to down regulation of the catalase gene induced in the liver by a certain humoral factor(s) from the transplanted tumor."}
{"id": "PMID:1472019", "title": "The amyloid beta-protein of Alzheimer's disease is chemotactic for mononuclear phagocytes.", "content": "The cellular pathology of Alzheimer's disease includes an accumulation of microglia surrounding the amyloid plaques. We report that human amyloid beta-protein is chemotactic for murine resident peritoneal macrophages and rat microglia, which may account for the increased density of microglia in plaques. A maximal chemotactic response was observed at 1-10nM, with a 2.5 fold increase in activity over controls for both classes of mononuclear phagocytes. The neurotoxic peptide fragment (25-35) of amyloid beta-protein is similarly chemotactic, while a control scrambled version and the precursor protein are not chemotactic. These results indicate that beta-protein may influence plaque formation via the recruitment of phagocytes, with consequent implications for the future development of treatments for Alzheimer's disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1472020", "title": "argJ mutations are highly inducible by ethidium bromide in proB strains of Streptomyces lividans: implication of pathway interactions.", "content": "Spontaneous Arg- mutants arose at high frequencies in Streptomyces lividans. Exposure to ethidium bromide increased the frequency of arg instability. In Pro+ strains the induced arg mutants were mainly argG, but in the proB mutants, a new mutation, argJ, prevailed which lacked ornithine acetyltransferase activity and required ornithine for growth. Introduction of the cloned proB gene of Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2) into the proB argJ mutants not only complemented the proB mutation but also suppressed the argJ mutation. The proB mutation was also suppressed by adding ornithine to the medium. These results indicated crossfeeding(s) between the arginine and proline pathways in S. lividans, which presumably circumvented the detection of argJ mutations in Pro+ strains."}
{"id": "PMID:1472021", "title": "Isolation and amino acid sequence of the TRH-potentiating peptide from bovine hypothalamus.", "content": "A neuropeptide termed TRH-potentiating peptide, which potentiates TRH-evoked thyrotropin secretion by antehypophysis in vitro, was isolated from an acetonic powder of bovine hypothalamus. The peptide was purified to homogeneity by a 3-step protocol involving molecular sieve filtration, ion-exchange chromatography and reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography. The complete amino acid sequence of the decapeptide was determined as Ser-Phe-Pro-Trp-Met-Glu-Ser-Asp-Val-Thr by automated Edman degradation with a solid-phase sequencer. Bovine TRH-potentiating peptide is structurally identical to Ps4, a decapeptide which was deduced from the cDNA encoding the rat TRH precursor. This study provides for the first time a direct chemical evidence for the existence of non-TRH peptides originating from posttranslational processing of the TRH precursor in vivo."}
{"id": "PMID:1472022", "title": "Combinatorial crosstalk of transacting factors binding to the L-type pyruvate kinase promoter elements analysed in vitro.", "content": "Five Dnase 1 footprints, termed boxes L1 to L5, have been characterized in the 280 bp upstream from the cap site of the L-type pyruvate kinase (L-PK) gene. They bind from 3' to 5', the factors HNF1, HNF4, MLTF, and a non-identified protein referred to as L5 binding factor (L5-BF). These elements, individually or variably combined, were tested by cell-free transcription. The L1 box stimulates both L-PK and TK promoters, but in the context of L-PK promoter, it cooperates with the L3 element to reach a high level of transcriptional activation. The L3 and L4 elements exhibit weaker influences, increased by homologous or heterologous interactions. The L5 box behaves as a promoter-dependent negative regulatory element."}
{"id": "PMID:1472023", "title": "Inactivation and oxidative modification of Cu,Zn superoxide dismutase by stimulated neutrophils: the appearance of new catalytically active structures.", "content": "Bovine superoxide dismutase (SOD) was inactivated during incubation with phorbol myristate acetate-stimulated neutrophils. In addition, stimulated neutrophils were able to disrupt the SOD structure. Inactivation and structural damage were dependent on the action of hypochlorous acid, an oxidant generated by the myeloperoxidase-hydrogen peroxide-chloride system of neutrophils. Incubation of SOD with stimulated neutrophils lead to long-wavelength fluorescence (ex, 350 nm; em, 450 nm) and the appearance of new structural forms with other isoelectric points. These additional forms possess catalytic activity. Generation of catalytically active new forms of SOD demonstrates the inaccessibility of the active centre of SOD to hypochlorite and may be a reason for the successful application of SOD during anti-inflammatory therapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1472024", "title": "Synthetic peptide of the sequence 632-642 on myosin subfragment 1 inhibits actomyosin ATPase activity.", "content": "A synthetic peptide corresponding to a sequence 632-642 (S632-642) on the myosin subfragment 1 (S-1) heavy chain and spanning the 50/20 kDa junction of S-1 binds to actin in the presence and absence of S-1. The binding of 1.0 mole of peptide per actin causes almost complete inhibition of actomyosin ATPase activity and only partial inhibition of S-1 binding to actin. The binding of S632-642 to the N-terminal segment of actin is supported by competitive carbodiimide cross-linking of S-1 and S632-642 to actin and the catalytic properties of cross-linked acto-S-1 and actin-peptide complexes. These results show that the sequence 632-642 on S-1 is an autonomous binding site for actin and confirm the catalytic importance of its interactions with the N-terminal segment of actin."}
{"id": "PMID:1472025", "title": "Dissociation of complexes between 70 kDa stress proteins and presecretory proteins is facilitated by a cytosolic factor.", "content": "Members of the 70 kDa stress protein family were shown previously to facilitate the posttranslational translocation of presecretory proteins into the endoplasmic reticulum and protein precursors into mitochondria. To identify proteins that interact with 70 kDa stress proteins during the early steps of posttranslational translocation, polyclonal antibodies were raised against purified yeast cytosolic stress proteins. They were used to immunoprecipitate complexes between 70 kDa stress proteins and a radiolabeled presecretory protein, prepro-alpha-factor, that was translated in vitro. Complexes between prepro-alpha-factor and 70 kDa stress proteins were stable, but could be dissociated in the presence of ATP and crude cytosolic extracts from yeast. These results are consistent with the idea that 70 kDa stress proteins act as molecular chaperones in translocation by binding to precursor proteins before or during their passage across membranes."}
{"id": "PMID:1472026", "title": "Post-translational processing of gastrin in neoplastic human colonic tissues.", "content": "Gastrin has been postulated to stimulate proliferation in colorectal neoplasms. Although gastrin mRNA has been demonstrated to be present in colon cancer cell lines, the intact peptide had not been recovered from human colorectal neoplasms. We demonstrate that gastrin and its precursors are present in both colorectal neoplasia and adjacent normal-appearing colonic mucosa. In colonic tissue, the glycine-extended precursor form of the peptide is over 10-fold more abundant than the amidated gastrin, and progastrin is more than 700-fold more abundant. In contrast, amidated gastrin in the human antrum is the predominant form of gastrin by a factor of 10. Furthermore, the ratio of gastrin precursors to gastrin is significantly increased in neoplastic colonic mucosa when compared with normal colonic tissue. These data suggest that the processing of gastrin is unique in the human colon and that further differences in processing occur in neoplastic colonic tissue."}
{"id": "PMID:1472027", "title": "Molecular genetic analysis of the catalytic site of Streptococcus mutans glucosyltransferases.", "content": "In the present communication molecular genetic approaches have been utilized to confirm the nature of the catalytic site of Streptococcus mutans glucosyltransferases (GTF)s. Site-directed mutagenesis was used to convert the putative sucrose binding Asp-451 of the GTF-I enzyme from S. mutans GS5 to Glu, Asn, and Thr. All three of the resulting mutated enzymes displayed no detectable sucrase or GTF activities. By contrast, mutation of nearby Asp residues did not markedly reduce enzymatic activity. The inactive enzymes also appear to bind acceptor dextrans as well as the parental enzyme. These results confirm the essential role of Asp-451 of the GTF-I from strain GS5 and analogous Asp residues in other related GTFs in enzymatic activity."}
{"id": "PMID:1472028", "title": "Contraction-induced translocation of the glucose transporter Glut4 in isolated ventricular cardiomyocytes.", "content": "Field stimulation of isolated adult ventricular cardiomyocytes was used to study the effect of contractile activity on 3-O-methylglucose transport and the subcellular distribution of Glut4. Cells contracting at a frequency of 1 Hz for 30 min exhibited unaltered basal and insulin-stimulated rates of glucose transport when compared to resting cells. However, at 5 Hz 3-O-methylglucose transport increased to 224% of control after 5 min. Under these conditions insulin was unable to produce a significant additional stimulation of glucose transport. Immunoblotting with an anti-Glut4 polyclonal antibody showed that both insulin and contraction (5 Hz) increased the amount of Glut4 in a plasma membrane fraction by about 8-fold with a parallel decrease in an intracellular membrane fraction by 60-65%. These data suggest the existence of an identical insulin- and contraction-recruitable Glut4 transporter pool in cardiomyocytes."}
{"id": "PMID:1472029", "title": "Cloning and characterization of a human cDNA encoding a novel putative cytoplasmic protein-tyrosine-phosphatase.", "content": "We have cloned and characterized a human cDNA encoding a new member of the family of cytosolic type protein-tyrosine-phosphatase (PTP), designated as PTPG1, from an adult colon tissue cDNA library by using the PCR product as probe. We obtained 5 cDNA clones, which cover the predicted open reading frame encoding a 88-kDa protein composed of 780 amino acids, and it had no apparent signal or transmembrane sequences, suggesting that it is a cytosolic protein. The N-terminal region had a PTP catalytic domain that is 30-40% identical to previously reported human PTPs. This revealed that the enzyme composes an additional family of human PTPs. PTPG1 was characterized by a long non-enzymatic domain located at the C-terminus, including PEST sequences which are characteristic for short half-life proteins in eukaryotes. Northern blot analysis of PTPG1 mRNA showed a 4.6-kb transcript that was detected in a wide variety of cell lines to suggest its extensive expression."}
{"id": "PMID:1472030", "title": "The effect of active vitamin D3 analogs and dexamethasone on the expression of osteocalcin gene in rat tibiae in vivo.", "content": "We tested the effects of 1 alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25-(OH)2D3), 2 beta-(3-hydroxypropoxy)-1 alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (ED-71) and dexamethasone on osteocalcin mRNA levels in rat tibiae in vivo. Northern blot analysis showed that both 1,25-(OH)2D3 and ED-71 caused an increase in osteocalcin mRNA levels in bone: 1,25-(OH)2D3 induced a transient increase in the mRNA levels followed by a decrease in the control level by 12 h post administration. In contrast, ED-71 caused a persistent increase in osteocalcin mRNA level for seven days post administration. Serum osteocalcin levels paralleled the osteocalcin mRNA level in bone in both groups. Dexamethasone caused a marked reduction in both osteocalcin mRNA and serum osteocalcin levels. Suppressive effect of dexamethasone on osteocalcin expression was persistent for seven days at higher dose. Our results represent the first demonstration of the effect of active vitamin D and corticosteroid on the expression of osteocalcin mRNA in bone in vivo."}
{"id": "PMID:1472031", "title": "Triflavin, an RGD-containing antiplatelet peptide, binds to GpIIIa of ADP-stimulated platelets.", "content": "Triflavin, an Arg-Gly-Asp-containing snake venom peptide, inhibits platelet aggregation through the blockade of fibrinogen binding to the activated platelets. It binds to fibrinogen receptors associated with the glycoprotein IIb/IIIa complex with a Kd value of 7 x 10(-8) M. In this report, a chemical cross-linking approach was used to further characterize the binding components of triflavin on platelet membrane. 125I-triflavin binding was performed with the aid of a chemical cross-linking reagent, DTSSP. Analysis of the cross-linked products by SDS-PAGE (7.5% gel) and subsequent autoradiogram revealed that 125I-triflavin was cross-linked specifically to a protein with an apparent molecular weight of 1.1 x 10(5), and this reaction was inhibited by GRGDS and excess of non-labeled triflavin. This 110 KDa component was identified to be GpIIIa, recognized by AP3, a mAb against GpIIIa, by immunoblotting technique. These results indicate that the triflavin-binding sites on platelets reside at a site in close proximity to GpIIIa."}
{"id": "PMID:1472032", "title": "Circular dichroic evidence for regulation of enzymatic activity by nonsubstrate hydrophobic ligand on glutathione S-transferase P.", "content": "1-Anilinonaphthalene-8-sulfonic acid (ANS) noncompetitively inhibited enzyme activity of glutathione S-transferase P for both glutathione and 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene (Ki = 30 microM). Dissociation constant for ANS.GST-P complex calculated from the binding study was 15 microM. From the similar values of the inhibition constant and the dissociation constant, it was concluded that specific ANS binding caused the loss of enzyme activity. In the protein structural analysis by circular dichroism, the secondary structures remarkably changed by ANS binding in accordance with the decrease of enzymatic activities. The conformational change of the protein and the decrease in enzymatic activity were reversed by dissociation of ANS. This fact strongly suggested that the enzymatic activity was regulated by a nonsubstrate hydrophobic ligand."}
{"id": "PMID:1472033", "title": "Generation of specificity-variant antibodies by alteration of carbohydrate in light chain of human monoclonal antibodies.", "content": "A hybridoma line, C5TN, produced human monoclonal antibody of which light chain had N-linked carbohydrate chain within the variable region. Some molecular-weight variants of light chain of the antibody were produced by C5TN variants resistant to cytotoxic effect of concanavalin A. The variant antibodies significantly altered the original cross-reactivity with antigens or lost the ability of antigen binding. The variants variously trimmed their carbohydrate chains by glycosidases, showed the changed reactivity or acquired the ability to bind for antigens. The carbohydrate-deficient antibodies from tunicamycin-treated C5TN and the variant clones behaved in a similar manner on antigen-binding reactivity. Furthermore, comparison of antibodies of which light chains have carbohydrate chains sensitive and resistant to some glycosidases showed that carbohydrate chain in variable region of light chain can influence their reactivity with antigen."}
{"id": "PMID:1472034", "title": "Comparison of three forms of antigens in the demonstration of cell-mediated immune response in murine toxoplasmosis.", "content": "Mice were chronically infected with cysts of ME49 strain of Toxoplasma gondii. At different periods post-infection, their spleens were removed and single cell suspensions were made. Lymphocyte transformation experiments were performed on the lymphocyte suspensions using three different kinds of antigens of ME49 strain of T. gondii, namely soluble, excretory/secretory and cystic forms. The results showed that the pattern of lymphocyte responsiveness was dependent on the kind of antigen employed for induction of the blastogenesis. Using soluble and cystic forms of the antigen, different periods of lymphocyte suppression and lymphocyte proliferation were demonstrated. However, with the use of excretory/secretory antigen, no significant suppression of lymphocyte stimulation was noted throughout the course of infection. Thus excretory/secretory antigen may be the best form of antigen for stimulation of the cell-mediated immune response and hence it appears to be a good candidate for vaccine in toxoplasmosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1472035", "title": "Elevation of hepatic levels of metallothionein and zinc in mice bearing experimental tumors.", "content": "A tumor growth-dependent elevation in the hepatic levels of Zn and metallothionein (MT), without a change in the level of Cu, was found in mice and rats bearing solid tumors in the inguinal region. The levels of Zn and MT thus elevated gave a significant correlation (r = 0.95) between them. Nevertheless, when tumor-bearing mice and rats were fed a Zn-deficient diet, the hepatic levels of Zn and MT did not increase. In mice in which inflammation was induced at the same region, on the other hand, hepatic levels of Zn and MT increased transiently after the injection of turpentine or carrageenan even when they were fed the Zn-deficient diet. These results suggest that the elevation of MT and Zn levels can be a helpful marker for detecting malignancy."}
{"id": "PMID:1472036", "title": "Identification of a disulfide bridge connecting the alpha-subunits of the extracellular domain of the insulin receptor.", "content": "The alpha 2 beta 2 structure of the insulin receptor has previously been shown to involve one disulfide bridge between the alpha-subunits in the region containing Cys435, Cys468 and Cys524. We have digested the soluble extracellular domain of the insulin receptor with succinylated trypsin, partially separated the resulting peptides, and sequenced a number of fractions. The peptides containing Cys435 and Cys468 appeared in the same fraction, indicating that these two form a disulfide bond, and in another fraction we found the sequence of the peptide containing Cys524. Since it has been shown that the extracellular domain of the insulin receptor has no free thiols and since no other sequences containing cysteine were found in these fractions, we conclude that Cys524 forms a disulfide bond to the Cys524 in the other alpha-subunit."}
{"id": "PMID:1472037", "title": "Surfactant-producing rabbit pulmonary alveolar type II cells synthesize and secrete an antiinflammatory protein, uteroglobin.", "content": "Neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) caused by surfactant deficiency is a common disorder in premature infants. Exogenous surfactant therapy improves survival in infants with RDS. However, the phospholipid component of the surfactant has been suggested to be inactivated by a phospholipid hydrolyzing enzyme, phospholipase A2 (PLA2). Although alveolar type II cells produce the surfactant, it is not known whether these cells have any mechanism to protect surfactant from PLA2 hydrolysis. Since alveolar Clara cells express uteroglobin (UG), a PLA2 inhibitory and antiinflammatory protein, and since it has been suggested that alveolar type II cells are derived from Clara cells, we sought to elucidate whether type II cells are also capable of expressing UG gene. By using radioimmunoassay, immunoprecipitation and Western blotting techniques we demonstrate for the first time that type II cells, isolated from mature rabbit lungs, synthesize and secrete UG. The transcription of the UG gene was detected by in situ hybridization using rabbit UG cDNA probe. These results imply that UG, synthesized by type II cells, may protect both endogenous and exogenous surfactant from PLA2 hydrolysis. Moreover, the antiinflammatory properties of UG may prevent the development of chronic inflammatory lung disease, a frequent complication of RDS."}
{"id": "PMID:1472038", "title": "Ginsenosides protect pulmonary vascular endothelium against free radical-induced injury.", "content": "We studied the actions of saponin (ginsenosides) from Panax ginseng on free radical-induced pulmonary endothelial injury which is manifest as reversal of the normal vasodilator response to acetylcholine in perfused, vasoconstricted lungs. 50 or 200 micrograms/ml ginsenosides prevented this injury response and also reduced the pulmonary edema which follows free radical injury but did not alter the normal ACh-induced vasodilation in intact lungs. In control perfused lungs preconstricted with U46619, the ginsenoside mixture or purified ginsenosides Rb1 and Rg1 caused vasodilatation. This effect was eliminated by 100 microM nitro-L-arginine, an inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase. In cultured bovine aortic endothelial cells, ginsenosides (10 micrograms/ml) stimulated the conversion of [14C]-L-arginine to [14C]-L-citrulline. These data indicate that GS may cause vasorelaxation and prevent manifestations of oxygen free radical injury by promoting release of nitric oxide."}
{"id": "PMID:1472039", "title": "Domains for G-protein coupling in angiotensin II receptor type I: studies by site-directed mutagenesis.", "content": "To delineate domains essential for G-protein coupling in angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT1), we mutated the receptor cDNA in the putative cytosolic regions and determined consequent changes in the effect of GTP analogs on angiotensin II (Ang II) binding and in inositol trisphosphate production in response to Ang II. Polar residues in targeted areas were replaced by small neutral residues. Mutations in the second cytosolic loop, carboxy terminal region of the third cytosolic loop or deletional mutation in the carboxyl terminal tail simultaneously abolished both the GTP-induced shift to the low affinity form and Ang II-induced stimulation of inositol trisphosphate production. These results suggest that polar residues in the second cytosolic loop, the carboxy terminal region of the third cytosolic loop, and the carboxy terminal cytosolic tail are important for G-protein coupling of AT1 receptor."}
{"id": "PMID:1472040", "title": "Isolation and identification of C-type natriuretic peptide in human monocytic cell line, THP-1.", "content": "In a survey for unknown bioactive peptides in mammalian cell lines, we isolated peptides exhibiting a strong relaxant effect on chick rectum from a phorbol ester-supplemented culture medium of the human monocytic cell line, THP-1. The peptide was deduced to be a C-terminal 29-residue peptide derived from a human C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP) precursor. CNP mRNA was also detected in the THP-1 cells, and expression of CNP gene and CNP concentration in the culture medium was found to be highly augmented by the stimulation of phorbol ester. Production of CNP in THP-1 cells suggests that CNP also functions as a local regulator in the blood cell-vascular system, although CNP has previously been recognized as a neuropeptide functioning in the central nervous system."}
{"id": "PMID:1472041", "title": "Spectral and sequence similarity between vasoactive intestinal peptide and the second conserved region of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 envelope glycoprotein (gp120): possible consequences on prevention and therapy of AIDS.", "content": "Recently, in sera of HIV infected individuals, antibodies recognizing nonimmunogenic C-terminal domain of the second conserved region of HIV-1 gp120 were identified (1). These antibodies are significantly more prevalent in asymptomatic carriers than in AIDS patients (1). Here we reported striking spectral and sequence homologies between human vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) and the conserved peptide derived from HIV-1 gp120 which binds these antibodies. The possible consequences of these findings on therapy and prevention of AIDS are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1472042", "title": "NG-hydroxy-L-arginine and hydroxyguanidine potentiate the biological activity of endothelium-derived relaxing factor released from the rabbit aorta.", "content": "We investigated the effects of NG-hydroxy-L-arginine (L-HOArg) and hydroxyguanidine (HOG) on the synthesis and vasorelaxant activity of endothelium-derived relaxing factor (NO) released from the rabbit aortic endothelium. Both L-HOArg (10 microM) and HOG (10 microM) equally potentiated the vasorelaxant activity of NO released by Ach (0.1 or 0.3 microM) from the luminally perfused rabbit aorta and bioassayed using the superfused strips of the endothelium-denuded rabbit aorta. This potentiation was caused by the generation of a more stable vasodilator during the chemical reaction of L-HOArg or HOG with NO and it was abolished by NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NO2Arg, 10 microM). In contrast, in organ baths, L-HOArg (10 microM) or HOG (10 microM) did not affect the relaxations of intact rabbit aortic rings induced by Ach (0.01-1 microM). At concentrations higher than 10 microM, both L-HOArg and HOG were endothelium-independent vasorelaxants. However, L-HOArg (100 microM) prevented the inhibition by L-NO2Arg (10 microM) of Ach-induced relaxations of bathed aortic rings which indicates that L-HOArg is still a substrate for the NO synthase in the endothelium of the rabbit aorta."}
{"id": "PMID:1472043", "title": "Partial purification of a GTPase-activating protein for rap2b from bovine brain membranes.", "content": "Rap2b is a ras-related GTP-binding protein isolated from a human platelet cDNA library. It shares 90% similarity to the previously described rap2a and is closely related to rap1a (Krev-1, smgp21), which has been shown to possess reversion of transformation activity in Kirsten ras transformed 3T3 cells. In this study we have partially purified a protein from bovine brain membranes which stimulates the GTPase activity of rap2b. This rap2b GTPase-activating protein (GAP) activity is not immunoreactive with antibodies specific for rap1 GAP or ras GAP, yet displays limited GTPase stimulatory activity toward rap1. This result differs from the previously described rap1 GAP which is highly specific for rap1. When the rap2 GAP activity is analyzed by coomassie staining, an enrichment of a approximately 55 kDa protein is observed providing further evidence of a distinct rap2 GAP."}
{"id": "PMID:1472044", "title": "Effect of phosphate ion on the activity of bovine plasma amine oxidase.", "content": "The system bovine plasma amine oxidase-polyamine-phosphate ion was investigated by activity measurements and 31P NMR spectroscopy. Lineweaver-Burk plots showed that phosphate ion, under physiological conditions, is an apparent competitive inhibitor of bovine plasma amine oxidase. While NMR measurements of the T1 of 31P do not suggest the binding of phosphate to/or near the paramagnetic Cu(II) sites of bovine plasma amine oxidase, the chemical shift dependence of 31P on spermidine concentration indicates the formation of a spermidine-phosphate complex. The value of the dissociation constant of this complex was found 18.5 +/- 1.4 mM, at pH 7.2, by NMR, in good agreement with the value 17.0 +/- 0.8 mM calculated from activity measurements, assuming the enzyme activity is proportional to the free amine concentration, under second order conditions. Our data suggest that the decrease of the free spermidine, due to the binding of phosphate ion, is responsible of the observed inhibition of bovine plasma amine oxidase."}
{"id": "PMID:1472045", "title": "A novel membrane associated carbonyl reducing enzyme is present in smooth endoplasmic reticulum of mouse liver.", "content": "Evidence supporting the existence of two distinct carbonyl (metyrapone) reducing enzymes which differ in subcellular localization and immunological homology has been provided. A soluble enzyme, designated as carbonyl reductase (EC 1.1.1.184) is located in the cytosol. The distribution of the second, membrane associated, MPON-reductase shows an excellent linear correlation to NADPH-cytochrome c reductase and, on the other hand, is reciprocal to the RNA/protein ratio of submicrosomal preparations. This indicates that the membrane associated MPON-reductase is exclusively located in the smooth endoplasmic reticulum. Using antibodies against the purified membrane associated enzyme the extent of immunological crossreaction corresponds well to the specific activities of MPON-reductase in the granular fractions, thus further confirming the localization of this enzyme within this organelle. The absence of antigenic crossreaction to cytosolic MPON-reductase indicates differences also in terms of the immunological relationship between the two enzymes."}
{"id": "PMID:1472046", "title": "Cleavage of hepatitis B virus RNA by three ribozymes transcribed from a single DNA template.", "content": "Hepatitis B virus is a DNA virus which replicates asymmetrically through reverse transcription of an RNA intermediate (pregenomic RNA). As a first step toward an antiviral strategy, a single synthetic oligodeoxynucleotide coding for 3 ribozyme motifs directed against three adjacent sites within the pregenomic RNA was synthesized, cloned and transcribed in vitro. Experiments utilizing 5' and 3' end labeling of RNA demonstrated that the three ribozymes accurately cleaved hepatitis B virus substrate RNA. Cleavage efficiency was similar to that of single ribozyme constructs. These results demonstrate that hepatitis B virus RNA is susceptible to ribozyme induced cleavage and illustrate that three ribozymes were simultaneously active when transcribed from a single DNA template. The expression of multiple ribozyme motifs may offer an advantage if there is high viral target sequence variability."}
{"id": "PMID:1472047", "title": "Metabolism of 22-oxacalcitriol by a vitamin D-inducible pathway in cultured parathyroid cells.", "content": "Catabolism of 22-oxacalcitriol (OCT) in parathyroid cells was compared to that of the parent hormone, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 [1,25-(OH)2D3]. Catabolism of both compounds was greatly accelerated by pretreatment of the cells with 1,25-(OH)2D3 or OCT. The rate of degradation of OCT was slightly greater than that of 1,25-(OH)2D3. Excess unlabeled OCT or 1,25-(OH)2D3 inhibited metabolism of both tritiated substrates. Ketoconazole, a cytochrome P450 inhibitor, blocked catabolism of both compounds. The major OCT metabolite appeared to be 1,20-dihydroxy-22,23,24,25,26,27-hexanor-vitamin D3 which was not active in suppressing PTH secretion. We conclude that OCT appears to be metabolized by the same vitamin D-inducible side chain oxidation pathway that catabolizes other vitamin D compounds and that its higher than expected suppression of PTH secretion is not due to slower cellular metabolism."}
{"id": "PMID:1472048", "title": "The role of transferrin in heme transport.", "content": "Porphyrin accumulation by proliferating cells, e.g., those associated with cancers or wounds, tends to correlate with increased transferrin receptor density. To determine whether transferrin might be implicated in porphyrin transport, fluorescence and absorption spectroscopy were used to study the interaction of porphyrins with transferrin. A single high-affinity binding site for heme and other porphyrins (Kd approximately 20-25 nM) was detected by fluorescence spectroscopy. Difference spectroscopy revealed three additional heme-binding sites. These sites were distinct from the iron-binding sites: 1) Apotransferrin and diferric transferrin bound porphyrins with equal affinity; 2) 59Fe was not displaced from transferrin by porphyrins. Murine erythroleukemia cells incubated with [59Fe]hemin-[125I]transferrin internalized both labels concomitantly. Accumulation of [59Fe]hemin could be blocked by a 100-fold excess of diferric transferrin but not by apotransferrin. These results indicate that cells can internalize exogenous heme, and possibly porphyrins, bound to transferrin via its receptor."}
{"id": "PMID:1472049", "title": "Free haemoglobin interferes with detection of endothelin peptides.", "content": "High levels of endothelin-like immunoreactivity were detected in red blood cells from rat, pig and man. When characterized on HPLC the immunoreactivity coeluted with haemoglobin, however. Thus, the high levels of endothelin-like immunoreactivity did not reflect occurrence of endothelin peptides but rather the interference of haemoglobin in the RIA. Free haemoglobin > 0.8 g/l (which may occur in haemolytic samples) increased measured plasma \"endothelin-like immunoreactivity\". SepPak extraction of plasma samples markedly reduced this interference, although some effect still remained at high haemoglobin concentrations. The influence of microperoxidase in the RIA suggests that the interference is related to the haeme portion of haemoglobin and thus may be extended to other haeme-containing proteins, e.g. cytochrome c or guanylate cyclase. The present findings emphasize the importance of characterizing endothelin-like immunoreactivity with HPLC, especially in haemolytic samples."}
{"id": "PMID:1472050", "title": "Isolation of a DNA endonuclease complex in XPD cells which is defective in ability to incise nucleosomal DNA containing pyrimidine dimers.", "content": "A DNA endonuclease complex which recognizes predominantly pyrimidine dimers in UVC irradiated DNA has been isolated from the chromatin of normal human and xeroderma pigmentosum, complementation group D (XPD) lymphoblastoid cells. The activity of the normal complex on UVC irradiated DNA was increased approximately 2.5 and 1.5 fold over activity on damaged naked DNA, when core (histones H2A, H2B, H3, H4) and total (core+histone H1) nucleosomal DNA, respectively, was used. In contrast, the XPD complex showed no increase in activity on UVC irradiated total and only a 1.4 fold increase on UVC irradiated core nucleosomal DNA, indicating that the XPD complex is defective in its ability to incise UVC irradiated nucleosomal DNA. The normal complex was able to correct this defect in the XPD complex at the nucleosomal level."}
{"id": "PMID:1472051", "title": "Insect immunity: two proteinase inhibitors from hemolymph of Locusta migratoria.", "content": "Two protease inhibitors were isolated from the plasma of Locusta migratoria and sequenced. They were 35 and 36 amino acids long and revealed very little similitude for the protease inhibitors isolated from other arthropods. They inhibit the proPhenoloxidase Phenoloxidase proteolytic activation cascade in hemocyte extracts of the same insect. This inhibiting activity resulted in a lower production of PO, a key enzyme for the defence mechanism in arthropods. Both peptides however showed a strong in vitro inhibiting activity toward alpha-chymotrypsin and elastase, LMCI I inhibits the human leukocyte enzyme while LMCI II mostly the pancreatic one, a difference explainable on the basis of the active site sequence changes."}
{"id": "PMID:1472052", "title": "Vitamin E inhibits protein oxidation in skeletal muscle of resting and exercised rats.", "content": "It is well known that exercise induces lipid peroxidation in skeletal muscle and that vitamin E prevents exercise-induced lipid damage. In this study we show for the first time, an increase in protein oxidation in skeletal muscle after a single bout of exercise, related to an exercise-induced decrease in lipophilic antioxidants, and substantial protection against both resting and exercise-induced protein oxidation by supplementation with various isomers (alpha-tocopherol, alpha-tocotrienol) of vitamin E."}
{"id": "PMID:1472053", "title": "Zinc binding by retroviral integrase.", "content": "Zinc binding by integrase from Moloney murine leukaemia virus and a protein A fusion protein containing integrase from human immunodeficiency virus type 1 was demonstrated by a zinc blotting technique using 65ZnCl2. Autoradiography revealed a clear band that was absent from the appropriate controls. This band co-migrated with the major band in Coomassie-stained gels and in immunoblots. This binding activity was retained in the presence of competing divalent cations and was sensitive to oxidation. This is the first demonstration of zinc binding by intact retroviral integrase."}
{"id": "PMID:1472054", "title": "Structure of serum transferrin in carbohydrate-deficient glycoprotein syndrome.", "content": "The structure of the defective transferrin in carbohydrate-deficient glycoprotein syndrome was characterized. Structurally abnormal sugar chains were not found in reversed phase chromatograms of pyridylaminated derivatives from the transferrin of two patients in different families. Electrospray ionization mass spectrometry of the whole transferrin molecules revealed an abnormal species that was smaller than normal tetrasialotransferrin by 2,200 daltons, just the size of the disialylated biantennary sugar chain. These data indicated that the disialotransferrin specifically found in this syndrome is missing either of two N-linked sugar chains, suggesting a metabolic error in the early steps of protein glycosylation."}
{"id": "PMID:1472055", "title": "In vitro interactions of the histone-like protein IHF with the algD promoter, a critical site for control of mucoidy in Pseudomonas aeruginosa.", "content": "The ability of the histone-like element Integration Host Factor (IHF) to interact with the algD promoter was investigated. IHF from Escherichia coli was found to bind to the algD promoter and to form multiple protein-DNA complexes in gel mobility shift DNA binding assay. The highest affinity binding site for IHF was mapped by DNaseI footprinting analysis. This site spanned nucleotides -50 to -85 relative to the algD mRNA start site and overlapped a sequence matching the IHF consensus sequence WATCAANNNNTTR in 12 out of 13 base pairs. Previous studies have shown that deletion of sequences including a portion of this site adversely affects algD promoter activity. IHF binding to the algD promoter induced DNA bending. Western blot analysis with antibodies against E. coli IHF detected a cross-reactive protein of a similar molecular mass in Pseudomonas aeruginosa, suggesting the presence of an analogous factor in this organism."}
{"id": "PMID:1472056", "title": "A novel anti-HIV synthetic peptide, T-22 ([Tyr5,12,Lys7]-polyphemusin II).", "content": "Tachyplesin and polyphemusin are antimicrobial peptides recently isolated from the hemocytes of horseshoe crabs (Tachypleus tridentatus and Limulus polyphemus). We synthesized them and their analogs and examined their antiviral activity against human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) type 1 in vitro. The infection of human T cells with the virus was markedly inhibited by some of them at low concentrations. In this structure-activity study, we found that [Tyr5,12, Lys7]-polyphemusin II, which was designated as T22, had extremely high anti-HIV activity. Its 50% inhibitory concentration (EC50) was 0.008 micrograms/ml, while its 50% cytotoxic concentration (CC50) was 54 micrograms/ml and these values were comparable to those of AZT. This result indicates that T22 would be a potential candidate for the therapy of HIV infection."}
{"id": "PMID:1472057", "title": "Mutations in the Pit-1 gene in children with combined pituitary hormone deficiency.", "content": "Pit-1 is a pituitary-specific transcription factor that binds to and transactivates promoters of growth hormone and prolactin genes. In three unrelated Japanese children with combined pituitary hormone deficiency, we identified three point mutations in the Pit-1 gene, Pro24Leu, Arg143Gln, and Arg271Trp, located on the major transactivation region, POU-specific domain, and POU-homeodomain, respectively."}
{"id": "PMID:1472058", "title": "Escherichia coli tRNA(Asp) recognition mechanism differing from that of the yeast system.", "content": "Various tRNA transcripts were constructed to study the identity elements of Escherichia coli tRNA(Asp). Base substitutions from G34 to U34 at the first position of the anticodon, and from U35 to A35 at the second, severely impaired the aspartate charging activity. The activity was also decreased, but in a more moderate fashion, by base changes at G2-C71, C36 and C38. Identity nucleotides of tRNA(Asp) are distributed in a different fashion between E. coli and yeast, which occur at the second base pair of the acceptor stem, G10-U25 base pair in the D-stem and 3' half of the anticodon loop."}
{"id": "PMID:1472059", "title": "Expression of transcripts of complement components and their receptors during differentiation of embryonal carcinoma cell lines.", "content": "Based on our previous finding that TNF-alpha and TNF-beta can be expressed constitutively during early embryonal development [1], we extended our work to identify factors which are generally known to take part in inducing inflammation in adults. They can be regarded as candidate molecules involved in ontogenic inflammation during embryonal development. In this study, we chose the factors which are constituents of either a classical or an alternative pathway of a complement system and found that mRNAs corresponding to those of C2, C3, C4, C5 and to those of receptors CR1 and CR2 were expressed. Among them, mRNA expression of C3, C4, and CR1 was especially constitutive. Contrary to these observations, expression of two kinds of scavenger receptors (SR-I, SR-II) proved to be negative. In this report, the framework of ontogenic inflammation as a regulatory mechanism in embryonal development at the molecular level is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1472060", "title": "The chimeric gene linked to glucocorticoid-suppressible hyperaldosteronism encodes a fused P-450 protein possessing aldosterone synthase activity.", "content": "Glucocorticoid-suppressible hyperaldosteronism (GSH) is one variety of primary aldosteronism with hypertension and is inherited in an autosomal dominant mode. A recent report has indicated that GSH is caused by a gene duplication arising from unequal crossing over between the two genes, CYP11B1 and CYP11B2, encoding P-450(11 beta) and P-450C18, respectively (Lifton et al. Nature (1992) 355, 262-265). The nucleotide sequence analysis in the present study has demonstrated that unequal crossing over in the chimeric gene formed by the gene duplication occurs within the region from the 3'-portion of exon 4 through the 5'-portion of intron 4 in Australian GSH patients. Namely, the chimeric gene encodes a fused P-450 protein consisting of the amino-terminal side of P-450(11 beta) (encoded by exons 1-4 of CYP11B1) and the carboxyl-terminal side of P-450C18 (encoded by exons 5-9 of CYP11B2). When a cDNA corresponding to the chimeric gene is transfected into COS-7 cells, the fused P-450 protein expressed in the mitochondria exhibits steroid 18-hydroxylase or aldosterone synthase activity. These results provide the molecular genetic basis for the characteristic biochemical phenotype of GSH patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1472061", "title": "Clonal dental pulp cells (RDP4-1, RPC-C2A) synthesize and secrete osteopontin (SPP1, 2ar).", "content": "Dental pulp cells play an important role in maintaining dental mineralized tissue throughout life. Supplementary mineralization such as reparative dentin and pulp stone frequently occurs after primary dentin formation. Dental pulp cells are thought to be closely associated with such mineralization. We found that clonal rat dental pulp cells, RDP4-1 and RPC-C2A, produce and secrete osteopontin, but do not synthesize phosphophoryn which is a major noncollagenous protein found in dentin. The dental pulp osteopontin was highly phosphorylated and identified by thrombin susceptibility and immunoprecipitation with osteopontin/2ar antibody. Osteopontin synthesis markedly increased by 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) as observed in many osteoblastic cells. This study indicates that these cells can produce osteopontin as a major phosphoprotein and suggests that the synthesis of osteopontin could be used as a characteristic marker of dental pulp cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1472062", "title": "Hepatic microsomes from beer fed rats contain a cytochrome P-450 metabolic intermediate complex.", "content": "Cytochrome P450 (CYP450) 2E1 (CYP2E1) is induced by pure ethanol following its chronic administration, and commercial alcoholic beverages, whose major constituent is ethanol, are generally assumed to have a similar effect on this isoform of CYP450. Recently, we serendipitously discovered that beer administered to rats for six weeks had only a minimal inductive effect on hepatic microsomal CYP2E1 activity, while rats on 10% ethanol had CYP2E1 levels five-fold greater than controls. The daily ethanol intake levels for the beer fed and 10% ethanol fed rats were equivalent. In addition, CYP450 spectral features of microsomes from beer fed and ethanol fed rats were markedly different. Spectral examination of microsomes from beer fed rats revealed that about 40% of the total CYP450 content existed in the form of a metabolic intermediate (MI) complex, while no evidence was found for MI complex formation in microsomes of ethanol fed rats. We conclude that beer contains an unidentified component(s) that apparently blocks the typical ethanol induction of CYP2E1 and form an MI complex with CYP450."}
{"id": "PMID:1472063", "title": "The carboxy terminal 110 amino acid portion of the insulin receptor is important for insulin signalling to pyruvate dehydrogenase.", "content": "Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) had no detectable effect on pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) in NIH 3T3 cells that stably overexpressed normal human IGF-1 receptors. Insulin stimulated PDH activity 3-4--fold in cells that overexpressed normal human insulin receptors, but not in cells expressing TMI receptors, composed of the ligand binding domain of the insulin receptor coupled to the transmembrane and intracellular components of the IGF-1 receptor, or CEX receptors, in which the carboxy terminal 110 amino acid portion of the insulin receptor was exchanged for the corresponding portion of the IGF-1 receptor. In contrast, insulin stimulated glucose uptake in the control cell line and in each of the chimeric receptor-expressing lines with similar dose-response characteristics. These findings suggest the carboxy terminal portion of the IR may play a role in mediating the stimulation of PDH activity."}
{"id": "PMID:1472064", "title": "Apparent noncompetitive antagonism of muscarinic receptor mediated Ca2+ mobilization by some muscarinic antagonists.", "content": "Ca2+ mobilizations in SH-SY5Y and IMR-32 human neuroblastoma cell lines were measured using the fluorescent Ca2+ indicator fura-2. A variety of antagonists (atropine, pirenzepine, 4-DAMP and N-methyl-scopolamine) inhibited carbamyl choline-induced transient Ca2+ mobilization both in a competitive and a noncompetitive manner. The apparent noncompetitive inhibition constants were lower in IMR-32 than in SH-SY5Y cells even when the competitive inhibition constants were similar. This may relate to the previously reported differential expression of muscarinic receptor subtypes in these cell lines."}
{"id": "PMID:1472065", "title": "Vanadate and insulin stimulate gene 33 expression.", "content": "Vanadate and insulin stimulated gene 33 expression in rat H4 hepatoma cells. Vanadate (10(-3) M) maximally increased gene 33 transcription 4-fold at 15 min. The maximal insulin induction (3-4-fold) was observed using 5 x 10(-9) M insulin for 30 min. Both vanadate and insulin increased cytoplasmic mRNA levels in a dose-dependent manner, with maximal effects observed by 60 min. These effects on gene 33 mRNA accumulation were greater than those on transcription. Vanadate (10(-3) M) maximally stimulated gene 33 mRNA levels 10-12-fold. The vanadate and insulin effects were not synergistic. Thus, high concentrations of vanadate regulate gene 33 expression in an insulin-like manner and, like insulin, vanadate probably controls transcriptional as well as post-transcriptional events."}
{"id": "PMID:1472066", "title": "The parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP) gene preferentially utilizes a GC-rich promoter and the PTHrP 1-139 coding pathway in normal human amnion.", "content": "Parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP) is an oncofetal protein that is widely expressed in mammalian tissues. The PTHrP gene is a complex with three transcriptional start-sites, two TATA boxes and a GC-rich region, and three predicted polypeptide products, PTHrP 1-141, PTHrP 1-139, and PTHrP 1-173. The originally discovered form of PTHrP, PTHrP 1-141, and the classical TATA box promoters are generally assumed to be the major pathways of PTHrP gene expression. We have used the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to study PTHrP gene expression in the human amnion. Our studies demonstrate that the GC-rich promoter is preferentially used and that PTHrP 1-139 is the major PTHrP mRNA expressed in human amnion. PTHrP 1-139 lacks the carboxy-terminal arginine and histidine residues of PTHrP 1-141; these two basic amino acids could have significant effects on the biological activity of PTHrP. These preferential pathways for PTHrP gene expression are shared by malignant and normal human tissues."}
{"id": "PMID:1472067", "title": "Recombinant rabbit muscle casein kinase I alpha is inhibited by heparin and activated by polylysine.", "content": "The casein kinase I (CKI) family consists of widely distributed monomeric Ser/Thr protein kinases that have a preference for acidic substrates. Four mammalian isoforms are known. A full length cDNA encoding the CKI alpha isoform was cloned from a rabbit skeletal muscle cDNA library and was utilized to construct a bacterial expression vector. Active CKI alpha was expressed in Escherichia coli as a polypeptide of Mr 36,000. The protein kinase phosphorylated casein, phosvitin and a specific peptide substrate (D4). The enzyme was inhibited by the isoquinolinesulfonamide CKI-7, half-maximally at 70 microM. Heparin inhibited phosphorylation of the D4 peptide or phosvitin by CKI alpha. Polylysine activated when the D4 peptide was the substrate but had no effect on phosvitin phosphorylation. It is becoming clear that the individual CKI isoforms have different kinetic properties and hence could have quite distinct cellular functions."}
{"id": "PMID:1472068", "title": "Nonphorbol tumor promoters okadaic acid and calyculin-A induce membrane translocation of protein kinase C.", "content": "The cell-permeable inhibitors of type 1 and 2A protein phosphatases, okadaic acid and calyculin-A, induced a redistribution of protein kinase C (PKC) activity and immunoreactivity (40 to 60%) from cytosol to membrane in some cell types. Calyculin-A was 100-fold more potent than okadaic acid and required only 5 to 10 nM concentrations to induce this PKC translocation. The concentration of these agents required to induce the redistribution of PKC correlated with the potency of these agents to inhibit both type 1 and 2A protein phosphatases. There was a lag period of 15 to 30 min before the onset of PKC translocation, as this process might have been induced by indirect cellular events triggered by inhibitions of protein phosphatases (1 and 2A). Taken together these results suggest that although the okadaic acid class of tumor promoters and phorbol ester-related agents bind to two different cellular receptors having counteracting enzymic activities, they share a common mechanism of action, namely the induction of cytosol to membrane translocation of PKC."}
{"id": "PMID:1472069", "title": "Characterization of a rat insulin-like growth factor I gene promoter.", "content": "Rat IGF-I mRNAs contain one of two alternative 5'-untranslated regions which are encoded by alternative exons (exons 1 and 2) and whose expression is controlled by alternative promoter elements. We investigated the ability of fragments of DNA which contain exon 1 and its 5'-flanking region to regulate transcription of a luciferase reporter gene in transient transfection assays. Maximal promoter activity was obtained with a construct which contained 412 bp of 5'-flanking region, while constructs which contained 1120 and 1690 bp of 5'-flanking region induced approximately 50% less enzymatic activity. Mapping of transcription start sites by RNase protection assay demonstrated that native start sites were used by these constructs, although the relative use of different start sites was different from start site usage by the endogenous gene. These data demonstrate that the 5'-flanking region of exon 1 is capable of regulating transcription of IGF-I mRNAs."}
{"id": "PMID:1472070", "title": "Age-associated oxygen damage and mutations in mitochondrial DNA in human hearts.", "content": "Some mutations in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) causing a number of neuromuscular diseases are suggested to arise spontaneously during the life of an individual. To substantiate the extent and the rate of these somatic mutations, mtDNA specimens from post-mortem human heart muscles of subjects in differing age groups were hydrolyzed. 8-Hydroxy-deoxyguanosine (8-OH-dG), a hydroxyl-radical adduct of deoxyguanosine, in mtDNA, was quantitatively determined using a micro high-performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry system. In each specimen, the mtDNA with a 7.4 kilo base-pair deletion was quantified by the kinetic polymerase chain reaction method. In association with age, the 8-OH-dG content accumulated exponentially up to 1.5% with a correlative increase in the content of the deleted mtDNA up to 7%. Clear correlation between the 8-OH-dG content in mtDNA and the population of mtDNA with a deletion (r = 0.93, P < 0.01) gives insight into the mechanism for the generation of a large deletion. These results indicate that accumulation of somatically acquired oxygen damage together with age-associated mutations in mtDNA which lead to bioenergetic deficiency and the heart muscle weakness are inevitable in human life."}
{"id": "PMID:1472071", "title": "Irradiation increases levels of GM-CSF through RNA stabilization which requires an AU-rich region in cancer cells.", "content": "Granulocyte/macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) is a hematopoietic growth factor that stimulates a wide range of myeloid hematopoietic cells; RNAs coding for many oncogenes and cytokines including GM-CSF have a very short half-life. The motif of AUUUA is a highly conserved sequence in the 3'untranslated regions (3'UTR) of these transcripts and is repeated a number of times in these short-lived cytokines and oncogenes. These sequences play a major role in controlling stability of these transcripts. Human cancer cells were transfected with a chimeric rabbit beta-globin gene linked to either a 58 bp sequence of the AT-rich region from GM-CSF or a control sequence. We have found that irradiation stimulates accumulation of GM-CSF, interleukin-6 (IL-6), and IL-1 beta RNAs. In addition, this accumulation of GM-CSF was at least, in part, a result of increased stabilization of GM-CSF transcripts. Further experiments showed that irradiation increased levels of the chimeric beta-globin transcripts containing AUUUA sequences from GM-CSF, but not those containing the control sequences. Our results suggest that irradiation increases expression of GM-CSF RNA and that posttranscriptional stabilization requiring AUUUA sequences probably is in part one of the mechanisms producing the increased levels of GM-CSF RNA by irradiation."}
{"id": "PMID:1472072", "title": "Chemotaxis of human blood monocytes toward endothelin-1 and the influence of calcium channel blockers.", "content": "The adherence of monocytes to the arterial endothelium followed by its migration into the arterial intima is the earliest event in atherogenesis. The vasoconstrictive peptide, Endothelin-1 (ET-1), is elevated in patients with atherosclerosis. We were interested to know whether ET-1 was a chemoattractant for blood monocytes. Using the modified membrane filter technique for chemotaxsis assessment, ET-1 increased monocyte chemotaxis in a dose-dependent manner. Ca2+ channel blockers, Nifedipine, Diltiazem and Verapamil (5 microM), reduced ET-1 chemotaxsis more than 60% (P < 0.001). Aspirin and Indomethacin (1 mM and 100 microM, respectively) reduced migration by 23% (P < 0.05). Alpha-Lipoic acid, Probucol and Neomycin (100 microM) were also migration inhibitory (37%, P < 0.01). These results suggest that ET-1 is a strong chemoattractant for blood monocytes; Ca2+ influx is probably the major stimulus for the accelerated migration induced by ET-1."}
{"id": "PMID:1472073", "title": "Speculations on the substrate structure-activity relationship (SSAR) of cytochrome P450 enzymes.", "content": "This brief review attempts to define the SSAR of two families of cytochrome P450. With P4502D catalytic competence is achieved by tight ionic binding which gives the enzyme high regioselectivity. In contrast P4503A achieves catalytic competence by a flexible binding site relying on hydrophobic forces that allow chemically vulnerable sites to be the principal sites of metabolism. In general, the different binding mechanism should be reflected in the enzyme, such that substrates of P4502D should have lower Km values than substrates of P4503A. Thus, routes of metabolism catalysed by P4502D may be saturated at substrate concentrations lower than routes catalysed by P4503A. The apparent differences between P4502D and P4503A in terms of substrate specificity bring into question what relationships govern other families of cytochrome P450. Our analysis of data suggests that the other principal form involved, generally, in the metabolism of pharmaceuticals in humans is P4502C9 (possibly 2C8 and 2C10). The enzyme is responsible for the metabolism of phenytoin, tolbutamide, tienilic acid [4], naproxen, ibuprofen, diclofenac [38], the 7-hydroxylation of S-warfarin [39] and the 7-hydroxylation of delta 1-tetrahydrocannabinol [40]. These compounds all have areas of strong hydrogen bond [4] forming potential (Fig. 8), all distanced 5-10A from the site of metabolism. Moreover the carboxylic acid function of naproxen, ibuprofen and diclofenac (pKa 4.5) and the sulfonylurea of tolbutamide (pKa 5.4) render the compounds ionized at physiological pH. The ionised group is positioned 7-11A from the site of metabolism. It is likely, therefore, that hydrogen bonding and possibly ion-pair interactions play a major role in determining the SSAR of the P4502C isoenzymes. These interactions would suggest that the P4502C enzymes are analogous to P4502D rather than P4503A. In this regard it is noteworthy that P4502C9 is selectively and potently inhibited by sulfaphenazole (IC50 of 0.6 microM), a compound that is structurally related (Fig. 8) to the substrates in terms of potential hydrogen bonding regions [4, 41]. Simplistically we suggest that the SSAR of the various P450 enzymes ranges from the highly selective enzymes dealing with endogenous substrates, through the enzymes metabolising exogenous substrates with narrow substrate structure requirements such as P4502D to P4503A with its broad substrate structure range. It would seem logical that animals and humans would evolve such combinations of isoenzymes to deal with the vast array of exogenous xenobiotics."}
{"id": "PMID:1472074", "title": "Effects of altered calcium homeostasis on the expression of glutathione S-transferase isozymes in primary cultured rat hepatocytes.", "content": "The effects of altered Ca2+ homeostasis on glutathione S-transferase (GST) isozyme expression in cultured primary rat hepatocytes were examined. Isolated hepatocytes were cultured on Vitrogen substratum in serum-free modified Chee's essential medium and treated with Ca2+ ionophore A23187 at 120 hr post-plating. GST activity increased slightly, albeit significantly, in a concentration-dependent manner in A23187-treated hepatocytes relative to untreated controls. Western blot analysis using GST class alpha and mu specific antibodies showed an approximately 1.6- and 1.5-fold increase in the class alpha, Ya and Yc subunits, respectively, whereas no significant increase (approximately 1.2-fold) in class mu GST expression was observed following A23187 treatment. Northern blot analysis revealed an approximately 5-fold increase in GST class alpha and an approximately 7-fold increase in class mu GST mRNA levels in ionophore-treated hepatocytes compared to untreated cells. Results of the Western and Northern blot analyses of the ionophore-treated hepatocytes were compared with those obtained for tert-butyl hydroperoxide-treated cells. Immunoblot analysis showed a significant increase in the expression of GST class alpha, Ya and Yc subunits, approximately 1.8- and 1.7-fold, respectively, for tert-butyl hydroperoxide-treated hepatocytes as compared to controls, with little or no increase in class mu GSTs. Northern blot analysis showed approximately 3- and 2-fold increases, respectively, in class alpha and mu GST mRNA levels, following the tert-butyl hydroperoxide treatment. The results of the present investigation show that alterations in Ca2+ homeostasis produced by either Ca2+ ionophore A23187 or tert-butyl hydroperoxide treatment of hepatocytes enhanced the expression of GST isozymes in primary cultured rat hepatocytes."}
{"id": "PMID:1472075", "title": "Inhibition of alloxan-induced hyperglycaemia by compounds of similar molecular structure.", "content": "In this study we have shown that a range of compounds that are structurally similar to alloxan are able to protect mice against the diabetogenic effect of alloxan. The compounds include a group of five barbiturates, a group of five hydantoins, the methylxanthines caffeine and theophylline, the related compound uric acid, and ethosuximide. They were injected intraperitoneally prior to intravenous injection of alloxan, and blood glucose concentration was used as an index of alloxan toxicity. The salient structural feature possessed by all of these protective compounds is a pair of carbonyl oxygen atoms separated by a distance of 4.5 A and projecting from an approximately planar heterocyclic five- or six-membered ring; in all cases the carbonyl groups are separated by a ring nitrogen. We suggest that this feature is required for the protective effect of these compounds. In order to test further the requirement for two ring carbonyl groups, we also examined the effects of two compounds containing hydroxyl groups projecting from a six-membered ring, inositol and glucuronic acid. In agreement with previous studies on hexoses, we found that the effects of compounds such as these are unpredictable, with inositol protecting against alloxan toxicity but glucuronic acid not. We are unable to identify the critical difference in structure between these two compounds."}
{"id": "PMID:1472076", "title": "Studies on the uptake of low molecular weight monomeric tris-galactosyl conjugates by the rat liver.", "content": "We have attempted to direct low molecular weight compounds to the liver via the internalizing asialoglycoprotein receptor on parenchymal cells by conjugation to a monomeric triantennary galactosyl cluster. Acetate and a hypolipidaemic ansamycin were derivatized and the biodistribution of the conjugates was determined 250 sec and 30 min after administration to Wistar rats. The ansamycin conjugate (CGH46) was rapidly cleared from the circulation by the liver; after 250 sec, 64% of the radiolabelled dose was found in the liver compared to 18% in the blood. However, the distribution of the conjugate did not differ significantly from that of unconjugated ansamycin (CGH45). Tris-galactosyl acetate showed no capacity to localize in the liver, with only 2% recovered from that organ 250 sec after administration compared to 38% in the blood and 13-18% in the kidneys, skin and muscle. Extraction efficiency of CGH46 by isolated perfused rat livers was almost 20% of the administered dose and this value was not significantly changed by co-administration of specific inhibitors of the uptake process. It is concluded that derivatization of low molecular weight molecules with monomeric triantennary galactosyl residues is unlikely to increase their affinity for the liver."}
{"id": "PMID:1472077", "title": "Relationships between thermotolerance, oxidative stress responses and induction of stress proteins in human tumour cell lines.", "content": "Thermotolerance, resistance to oxidative stress and induction of stress proteins were examined in a panel of 10 human tumour cell lines. An inverse relationship was indicated between intrinsic thermotolerance (cell survival after treatment at 43.5 degrees for 3 hr) and thermotolerance induced by pretreatment at 42.5 degrees for 30 min. Similar levels of induction of hsp 70 were found in cell lines with high or low levels of intrinsic thermotolerance; induction of other stress proteins could not be detected. Cell survival following treatment with H2O2 correlated with that following streptonigrin treatment (P < 0.05). Pretreatment with buthionine sulphoximine or diamide synergistically increased the toxicity of heat, H2O2 and streptonigrin whereas reduced glutathione had the reverse effect. No direct correlation was found, however, between tolerance to heat and to oxidative stress, and hsp 70 was not induced by the latter. The stress protein heme oxygenase, detected by immunoblotting with the monoclonal antibody HO, was induced by H2O2 in melanoma cell lines but not in HeLa. Cadmium and arsenite ions, however, readily induced heme oxygenase in HeLa, indicating that in these cells induction of heme oxygenase by oxidative stress involves a different mechanism. Overall, the results suggest that tolerance to heat or oxidative stress in these cell lines may not necessarily be associated with the induction of heat shock proteins or heme oxygenase but that cell survival after both types of stress depends to a certain extent on cellular sulphydryls."}
{"id": "PMID:1472078", "title": "Characterization of apoptosis in thymocytes isolated from dexamethasone-treated rats.", "content": "The induction of apoptosis by glucocorticoids in isolated thymocytes has been studied extensively. However, it is not known whether or not the same changes occur after in vivo glucocorticoid treatment. In order to investigate this, we have studied the changes occurring in thymocytes isolated from rats, from 2-24 hr after a dose of dexamethasone (1 mg/kg), which caused 50% thymic atrophy. Thymocytes were separated into four fractions by isopycnic Percoll gradients. A loss of cells occurred within 2-8 hr, primarily in only one of the two major fractions of normal thymocytes. This loss of normal thymocytes coincided with the appearance of small dense cells with characteristic features of apoptosis including condensed chromatin, increased DNA fragmentation, internucleosomal DNA cleavage and a \"hypodiploid\" peak on flow cytometric analysis. Striking differences occurred in the cellular composition of the different Percoll fractions with time. Initially (up to 4 hr), the pattern of changes occurring in vivo resembled those found in vitro. However, at later times, the complex fate of apoptotic cells in vivo, such as phagocytosis, are not observed in the in vitro studies."}
{"id": "PMID:1472079", "title": "Mechanism of cadmium-decreased glucuronidation in the rat.", "content": "In isolated rat hepatocytes, cadmium (0-200 microM) decreased the overall glucuronidation of both isopropyl N-(3-chloro-4 hydroxyphenyl)carbamate (4-hydroxychlorpropham, 4-OHCIPC) and 4-nitrophenol in a concentration-dependent manner. In contrast, in native rat liver microsomes, glucuronidation of 4-OHCIPC was increased by cadmium through activation of microsomal 4-OHCIPC glucuronosyl transferase. In addition, in rat microsome incubations, the net amount of 4-OHCIPC glucuronide was also indirectly increased by cadmium through a reduction in the activity of beta-glucuronidase. As the effect of cadmium on the activity of 4-OHCIPC glucuronosyl transferase could not account for the decrease in glucuronide formation in intact hepatocytes, the influence of cadmium on the availability of UDP-glucuronic acid (UDPGA) was investigated further. In isolated rat hepatocytes, cadmium depleted the UDPGA content in a dose-dependent manner without a change in the UDP glucose (UDPG) content. Cadmium did not increase the breakdown of UDPGA by microsomal UDPGA pyrophosphatase but strongly decreased (30-66%) the synthesis of the cofactor in the cytosol by inhibiting UDP-glucose dehydrogenase (UDPGDH). Cadmium (10-50 microM) was found to inhibit the purified enzyme from bovine liver (EC 1.1.1.22) non-competitively. In vivo in the absence of a substrate undergoing glucuronidation, cadmium administration, 1.5 and 2.5 mg Cd/kg i.v., to normally fed rats resulted in a 15 and 30% decrease of hepatic UDPGA, respectively. However, in the liver, neither the NAD+/NADH ratio nor the UDPG content was significantly changed following cadmium treatment. Both in vitro and in vivo results support the conclusion that in intact cells the reduction in overall 4-OHCIPC glucuronidation caused by cadmium was due to a decrease in UDPGA availability which results from the inhibiting effect of cadmium on UDPGDH."}
{"id": "PMID:1472080", "title": "Cytotoxicity of dichloromethane diphosphonate and of 1-hydroxyethane-1,1-diphosphonate in the amoebae of the slime mould Dictyostelium discoideum. A 31P NMR study.", "content": "Two pyrophosphate analogues, dichloromethane diphosphonate (Cl2MDP), and 1-hydroxyethane-1,1-diphosphonate (EHDP), at concentrations of 0.5-1 mM, efficiently inhibited the growth of amoebae of the slime mould Dictyostelium discoideum. Cell viability decreased markedly upon incubation with the diphosphonates. The mechanism of toxicity was investigated by in vivo 31P NMR spectroscopy and the formation of analogues of ATP [adenosine 5'-(beta, gamma-dichloromethane triphosphate) and adenosine 5'-(beta, gamma-1-hydroxyethane triphosphate)] was demonstrated. These two compounds were identified from their 31P NMR spectra in perchloric acid extracts prepared from amoebae poisoned with Cl2MDP or EHDP and may have been synthesized by reversible pyrophosphate exchange catalysed by cytosolic aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases."}
{"id": "PMID:1472081", "title": "The consequences of doxorubicin quinone reduction in vivo in tumour tissue.", "content": "A clear role for quinone reduction in the mechanism of action of doxorubicin has still to be established. There are three possible outcomes of this form of doxorubicin metabolism: (1) drug free radical formation, redox cycling and generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) resulting in lipid peroxidation and DNA damage; (2) covalent binding of reactive drug intermediates to DNA; and (3) formation of an inactive 7-deoxyaglycone metabolite. In this work, the occurrence of each of these pathways has been studied in vivo in a subcutaneously growing rat mammary carcinoma (Sp 107). Doxorubicin was administered by direct intratumoural injection either as the free drug or incorporated in albumin microspheres (10-40 microns diameter). There was no evidence of an increase in lipid peroxidation over background after either treatment at any time point studied. In fact, doxorubicin administration resulted in a statistically significant reduction in lipid peroxidation at the later time points studied compared to control (no drug treatment), e.g. 24 hr: control, 21.7 +/- 2.8 SD nmol malondialdehyde/g tissue; free doxorubicin (70 micrograms drug), 14.5 +/- 4.0 SD nmol/g (P < 0.01 Student's t-test) and doxorubicin microspheres (70 micrograms drug), 17.4 +/- 1.1 nmol/g (P < 0.05). Covalent binding to DNA was measured by a 32P-post-labelling technique. Low levels of four putative drug-DNA adducts were detected; however, there were no qualitative or quantitative differences in profiles between free drug and microspheres. High 7-deoxyaglycone metabolite concentrations comparable to the parent drug itself were detected after administration of microspheres (3.0 micrograms/g +/- 1.7 SD at 24 hr and 3.1 micrograms/g +/- 1.1 SD at 48 hr). In contrast, these metabolites were present at levels close to the limit of detection of our HPLC assay after free drug (0.04 microgram/g +/- 0.03 SD at 24 hr and 0.02 microgram/g +/- 0.03 SD at 48 hr). Thus, 7-deoxyaglycone metabolite formation can occur in tumour tissue (indicating active drug quinone reduction) without concomitant increases in the level of lipid peroxidation or the levels of drug-DNA adducts. In conclusion, the main biological consequence of doxorubicin quinone reduction in vivo in tumour tissue would appear to be drug inactivation to a 7-deoxyaglycone metabolite rather than drug activation to DNA reactive species or ROS."}
{"id": "PMID:1472082", "title": "The enzymology of doxorubicin quinone reduction in tumour tissue.", "content": "We have reported previously that enzymes present in the Sp 107 rat mammary carcinoma catalyse doxorubicin quinone reduction (QR) to 7-deoxyaglycone metabolites in vivo [Willmott and Cummings, Biochem Pharmacol 36: 521-526, 1987]. In order to provide insights into the role of QR in the antitumour mechanism of action of doxorubicin, we have attempted in this work to identify the enzyme(s) responsible. NAD(P)H: (quinone acceptor) oxidoreductase (DT-diaphorase) was the major quinone reductase in the tumour accounting for approximately 70% of all the activity measured in microsomes and cytosols (microsomal activity, 28.4 +/- 4.6 nmol/min/mg; cytosolic activity, 94.3 +/- 11.9 nmol/min/mg). Its presence was confirmed by western blot analysis. Low levels of NADH cytochrome b5 reductase (15.6 +/- 6.3 nmol/min/mg) and NADPH cytochrome P450 reductase (14.5 +/- 4.0 nmol/min/mg) were detectable in microsomes. The presence of the latter was confirmed by western blot analysis. Pretreatment of tumours with doxorubicin (48 hr) at a therapeutic dose decreased the level of activity of all the reductases studied by at least 2-fold (P < 0.01, Student's t-test). Doxorubicin was shown not to be a substrate for purified rat Walker 256 tumour DT-diaphorase with either NADH or NADPH as co-factor and utilizing up to 20,000 units of enzyme/incubation but was confirmed to be a substrate for purified rat liver cytochrome P450 reductase. 7-Deoxyaglycone metabolite formation by purified cytochrome P450 reductase had an absolute requirement for NADPH as co-factor, was inhibited by molecular oxygen and dicoumarol (IC50 approx. 50 microM), and modulated by specific reductase antiserum. Reductive deglycoslation of doxorubicin to 7-deoxyaglycones was localized to the microsomal fraction of the Sp 107 tumour, with negligible activity being found in cytosols (NADH, NADPH and hypoxanthine as co-factors) and mitochondria (NADH and NADPH). The tumour microsomal enzyme had an absolute co-factor requirement for NADPH, was inhibited by oxygen and dicoumarol, and modulated by cytochrome P450 reductase antiserum. These data indicate strongly that NADPH cytochrome P450 reductase is the principal enzyme responsible for catalysing doxorubicin QR in the Sp 107 tumour."}
{"id": "PMID:1472083", "title": "Sequential changes in activities of superoxide dismutase and catalase in brain regions and liver during (-)deprenyl infusion in male rats.", "content": "A continuous s.c. infusion of (-)deprenyl in young male rats at a dose of 2.0 mg/kg/day for 1 week significantly increased total superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities due to increases in both Cu Zn-SOD and Mn-SOD activities in certain brain regions such as the substantia nitra and striatum, but not in the hippocampus or cerebellum, or in the liver. With continuing infusion, enzyme activities of SOD were further increased in the following weeks, reaching a plateau at 3 weeks. In some cerebral cortices the increase became significant at 3 weeks. In contrast to SOD activities, an increase in catalase (CAT) activity became significant only after 2 weeks of infusion, and only in the brain regions where SOD activities were increased earlier. The delay in the increase in CAT activity following deprenyl infusion suggests that this increased CAT activity is an adaptive response to the earlier increase in deprenyl-induced SOD activities rather than a direct effect of deprenyl on CAT activity, although the latter possibility cannot be excluded."}
{"id": "PMID:1472084", "title": "Comparison of ascorbic acid and ascorbic acid 2-O-alpha-glucoside on the cytotoxicity and bioavailability to low density cultures of fibroblasts.", "content": "Ascorbic acid 2-O-alpha-glucoside (AA-2G) is a stable ascorbate derivative which has vitamin C activity in vivo and in vitro. We studied whether AA-2G exerts a prooxidant action in cultured fibroblasts from chick embryo and human skin, as does ascorbic acid. At concentrations of 0.1-1.0 mM, ascorbic acid markedly reduced the viable cell number of low density cultures within 24 hr, whereas AA-2G had no such effect. The ascorbate cytotoxicity was dependent on the cell density at the time of its addition and it was characteristic of low density cultures. This cytotoxicity was completely prevented by catalase and partially by an Fe3+ ion chelator, desferrioxamine. In the early culture stage at which a morphological change in the fibroblasts began to occur, intracellular ascorbate concentrations in low density cultures after addition of ascorbic acid were much higher than in high density cultures. However, at the same concentrations, AA-2G did not cause an elevation even in low density cultures and it was also effective on collagen synthesis at high and medium densities. These results suggest that the abnormally accumulated ascorbic acid in the cells cultured at low density possibly amplifies the generation of oxygen radicals through the reduction of Fe3+ ions and subsequent oxidative reactions, leading to cell death. Therefore, it is concluded that AA-2G which supplies an adequate amount of ascorbic acid during culture period is a bioavailable ascorbate source without cytotoxicity."}
{"id": "PMID:1472085", "title": "Synergism in vitro of lovastatin and miconazole as anti-leishmanial agents.", "content": "The antifungal drug miconazole and the cholesterol-lowering agent lovastatin (mevinolin) were used in combination to assess their potency as anti-leishmanial agents. The drug combination was synergistic, being more potent in terms of inhibition of promastigote proliferation, macrophage infection and amastigote numbers. In promastigote cultures the effect was more marked in Leishmania amazonensis than L. donovani. Analysis of the sterol compositions of both promastigote and amastigote cultures revealed the inhibition of sterol 14 alpha-demethylation by miconazole and showed some apparent evidence of inhibition of sterol biosynthesis by lovastatin."}
{"id": "PMID:1472086", "title": "Protective effects of the calcium antagonists diltiazem and TA3090 against hepatic injury due to hypoxia.", "content": "Recent work has shown that dihydropyridine-type calcium channel blockers such as nitrendipine protect against ischemic liver damage in the rat in vivo (Thurman RG, Apel E and Lemasters JJ, J Cardiovasc Pharmacol 12: S113-S116, 1988), suggesting that calcium antagonists may have clinical value in preventing ischemic and hypoxic hepatic injury. This study was designed to examine the effects of two benzothiazepine-type calcium channel blockers, diltiazem and TA3090, in the hypoxic perfused rat liver. Livers were isolated and perfused briefly with oxygen-saturated buffer, followed by perfusion for 80 min with nitrogen-saturated buffer with diltiazem or TA3090 (20-200 microM), and concluding with 20 min of perfusion with oxygen-saturated buffer. In control preparations, maximal lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release into effluent perfusate following hypoxia averaged about 1100 U/L. Diltiazem and TA3090 decreased LDH release at all concentrations studied; both drugs were most effective at the 100 microM concentration (71 and 73% inhibition, respectively). Oxygen uptake by control livers decreased 78% following hypoxia; diltiazem and TA3090 reduced this effect markedly, with maximal effectiveness again observed with 100 microM (O2 uptake was decreased by 22% with 100 microM diltiazem and by only 9% with 100 microM TA3090). Histological examination for nuclear uptake of the vital dye trypan blue revealed necrosis of parenchymal cells along with cell shrinking and consequent expansion of the sinusoids in control livers. Perfusion with diltiazem markedly reduced parenchymal cell death but did not alter the pattern of cell damage observed. In contrast, livers perfused with TA3090 during hypoxia had virtually no parenchymal cell damage, although moderate damage to nonparenchymal cells in the sinusoids occurred. The difference in mechanisms responsible for the phenomena which occur with diltiazem and TA3090 is not completely understood; however, these and other calcium antagonists clearly have powerful hepatoprotective effects against ischemia and hypoxia."}
{"id": "PMID:1472087", "title": "Effects of inhibitors of gluconeogenesis on weak organic acid uptake in rat renal tubules.", "content": "Using inhibitors of gluconeogenesis (phenylpyruvate, alpha-cyano-4-hydroxycinnamate, quinolinate, D-malate, aminooxyacetate), we analysed mechanisms by which the gluconeogenic substrates, lactate and pyruvate, as well as a short-chain fatty acid, acetate, stimulate the uptake of a weak organic acid, fluorescein, in the rat kidney. We have shown that these inhibitors modified both the rate of glucose production from lactate and pyruvate in the renal cortex fragment suspension and the stimulatory effects of the metabolic substrates on fluorescein uptake in superficial proximal tubules in the renal cortex slices. The peculiarities of the effects of lactate and pyruvate on the uptake were correlated with the partial divergence of the pathways of gluconeogenesis from these precursors. The linkage of the weak organic acid uptake with gluconeogenesis is interpreted in terms of the hypothesis that the uptake is controlled by the cytoplasmic pyridine nucleotide redox potential, which is maintained with the participation of certain processes involved in glucose synthesis."}
{"id": "PMID:1472088", "title": "Detection of new metabolites of trifluridine (F3TdR) using 19F NMR spectroscopy.", "content": "The metabolism of 5-trifluoromethyl-2'-deoxyuridine (trifluridine, F3TdR) in male BALB/C mice has been studied by 19F NMR spectroscopy. Contrary to previous reports, a number of fluorinated metabolites were observed in urine, whole livers and blood samples taken from mice after i.p. injection of F3TdR. The present study describes the identification of two new metabolites in mouse urine using the 19F NMR technique. The NMR of crude urine showed the presence of F3TdR 5-trifluorothymine (F3T), the newly-identified metabolites, 5-trifluoromethyl-5,6-dihydrouracil (DHF3T) and 5-trifluoromethyl-5,6-dihydroxyracil (DOHF3T), and several new, as yet unidentified fluorinate metabolites. These two new metabolites were characterized by comparison to authentic compounds prepared synthetically from F3T."}
{"id": "PMID:1472089", "title": "Effect of epinephrine on glucose metabolism and hydrogen peroxide content in incubated rat macrophages.", "content": "The effects of epinephrine on glucose metabolism and hydrogen peroxide content were examined in incubated rat macrophages. An increase in the activities of hexokinase and citrate synthase and a reduction in that of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase was found in resident, inflammatory and activated macrophages incubated for 1 hr in the presence of epinephrine. Glucose utilization by incubated resident, inflammatory and activated macrophages was augmented markedly by the addition of epinephrine, whereas lactate formation was depressed. Under the same conditions, there was a 2.6-fold increment of hydrogen peroxide content and of [U-14C]glucose decarboxylation in activated macrophages incubated for 40 min. Similar results were obtained when pyruvate and oxoglutarate was substituted for glucose. These findings suggest that epinephrine may increase hydrogen peroxide production in activated macrophages possibly through a mitochondrial mechanism other than the pentose-phosphate pathway. Between 40 and 90 min of incubation, the content of hydrogen peroxide decreased markedly, and there was no detectable glucose utilization in the presence of epinephrine. These observations are consistent with the idea that this catecholamine stimulates both hydrogen peroxide production and metabolism, the first process being dependent on mitochondrial fuels."}
{"id": "PMID:1472090", "title": "Deconjugating activity for sulfoconjugated dopamine in homogenates of organs from dogs.", "content": "To clarify the possibility that sulfoconjugated dopamine (DA) may play a physiological role by being converted to active free DA, we examined the deconjugating activity in homogenates of organs from dogs. Each tissue homogenate was incubated with sulfoconjugated DA, and the deconjugating activity of the organs was compared. The kidney and liver exhibited the highest deconjugating activities. In contrast, the intestine and heart showed lower arylsulfatase activities, and almost no activity was found in the brain or skeletal muscle. Moreover, in the heart, the deconjugating activity for sulfoconjugated DA was higher in the atrium than the ventricle. These results indicate that sulfoconjugated DA is converted to active free DA in homogenates of organs from dogs and that the deconjugating activity varies between different parts of an organ. Sulfoconjugated DA must be looked upon as a possible precursor or reservoir for the production of active free DA."}
{"id": "PMID:1472091", "title": "Clotrimazole-induced modulation of hepatic cytochrome P450 enzymes in Syrian and Chinese hamsters.", "content": "Clotrimazole, an imidazole antifungal drug, is known to induce cytochrome P450 isozymes of the P450IIIA and P450IIB subfamilies in rats. This agent modulated hepatic cytochrome P450 enzymes differently in golden Syrian and Chinese hamsters and also in hamsters and rats. Clotrimazole at a daily intraperitoneal dose of 100 mg/kg for three days increased the amount of cytochrome P450 in the livers of the two hamster strains. In Syrian hamsters, clotrimazole significantly induced the activities of 7-pentoxyresorufin O-dealkylase, coumarin 7-hydroxylase, benzphetamine N-demethylase and testosterone 15 alpha- and 16 alpha-hydroxylases, but reduced those of testosterone 15 beta-, 7 alpha-, 6 beta-, 2 alpha- and 2 beta-hydroxylases. In Chinese hamsters, clotrimazole markedly stimulated the activities of coumarin 7-hydroxylase and testosterone 15 alpha, 16 alpha- and 2 alpha-hydroxylases as well as the formation of androstenedione. Western blot analysis revealed that clotrimazole treatment induced mainly cytochrome P450 isozymes immunorelated to the P450IIB and P450IIA subfamilies in Syrian hamsters and isozymes immunorelated to the P450IIA subfamily in Chinese hamsters. In contrast, in both hamster strains, clotrimazole did not induce the isozymes corresponding to the P450IIIA subfamily."}
{"id": "PMID:1472092", "title": "EB1089: a new vitamin D analogue that inhibits the growth of breast cancer cells in vivo and in vitro.", "content": "EB1089 is a novel vitamin D analogue which has been tested for its effects on breast cancer cell growth in vitro, using the established human breast cancer cell line MCF-7, and in vivo on the growth of established rat mammary tumours. Both EB1089 and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25-(OH)2D3) inhibited MCF-7 cell proliferation with the synthetic analogue being at least an order of magnitude more potent than the native hormone. In vivo anti-tumour effects were investigated using the N-methyl-nitrosourea-induced rat mammary tumour model. Oral treatment with EB1089 was tested at three doses. With the lower dose, significant inhibition of tumour growth was seen in the absence of a rise in serum calcium. The same dose of 1,25-(OH)2D3 had no effect on tumour growth but caused hypercalcaemia. With the higher dose of EB1089, striking tumour regression was seen although serum calcium rose. This report demonstrates that EB1089 possess enhanced anti-tumour activity coupled with reduced calcaemic effects relative to 1,25-(OH)2D3 and thus may have therapeutic potential as an anti-tumour agent."}
{"id": "PMID:1472093", "title": "Enzymatic basis for the non-linearity of hepatic elimination of propranolol in the isolated perfused rat liver.", "content": "Propranolol (PL) metabolism was studied in the isolated perfused rat liver under single-pass and steady-state conditions. An attempt was made to predict the data observed in the isolated rat liver perfusion at PL infusion rates of 89-1317 nmol/min using the microsomal kinetic parameters obtained in our previous paper (Ishida et al., Biochem Pharmacol 43: 2489-2492, 1992) and the unbound PL fractions in rat liver microsomes and the perfusion medium. The values of kinetic parameters obtained in rat liver microsomes were corrected for the whole liver. Two groups of cytochrome P450 isozymes having high (Km < 0.5 microM)- and low (Km > 20 microM)-affinities participate in the metabolism of PL and sudan III pretreatment induces the low-affinity enzymes rather than the high-affinity enzymes in control rats. Of high-affinity isozyme(s) PL 4-hydroxylase and 7-hydroxylase made a major contribution to the overall activity, while for low-affinity isozymes PL 4-hydroxylase and N-desisopropylase did. A nonlinear relationship between the PL concentrations entering and leaving the liver was predicted from these corrected kinetic parameters using the venous equilibrium model. The outflow concentrations and the metabolic rates of PL for the predicted curves were over-estimated at higher inflow PL concentrations and under-estimated at higher substrate concentrations, respectively. On the other hand, the prediction for them was successfully carried out for the livers whose intrinsic clearance was altered due to the induction of low-affinity enzymes in PL metabolism by sudan III pretreatment. The outflow rates of 4-hydroxypropranolol showed a downward curvature at lower substrate concentrations, followed a linear rise in the livers from control rats, while the outflow rates of 5- and 7-hydroxypropranolol exhibited their respective limiting values. The outflow rates of 4-hydroxypropranolol and N-desisopropylpropranolol were enhanced markedly with increasing the outflow unbound concentration of PL by sudan III pretreatment. These results indicate that non-linear PL first-pass metabolism is due to the saturation of the reactions for the high-affinity enzymes among enzymes engaging in PL ring hydroxylations."}
{"id": "PMID:1472094", "title": "The bioactivation of 5-(aziridin-1-yl)-2,4-dinitrobenzamide (CB1954)--I. Purification and properties of a nitroreductase enzyme from Escherichia coli--a potential enzyme for antibody-directed enzyme prodrug therapy (ADEPT).", "content": "A nitroreductase enzyme has been isolated from Escherichia coli B. This enzyme is an FMN-containing flavoprotein with a molecular mass of 24 kDa and requires either NADH or NADPH as a cofactor. Partial protein sequence analysis showed extensive homology with the \"classical nitroreductase\" of Salmonella typhimurium and a nitroreductase induced in Enterobacter cloacae. In common with the Salmonella enzyme, the E. coli B enzyme is capable of reducing nitrofurazone. The E. coli nitroreductase is also capable of reducing the anti-tumour agent CB1954 [5-(aziridin-1-yl)-2,4-dinitrobenzamide], a property shared with the mammalian enzyme DT diaphorase [NAD(P)H dehydrogenase (quinone)] as isolated from Walker cells. The reduction of CB1954 by the E. coli enzyme results in the generation of cytotoxic species. Both enzymes also share the properties of being able to reduce quinones and are both inhibited by dicoumarol. The nitroreductase is a more active enzyme against CB1954 (kcat = 360 min-1) than Walker DT diaphorase (kcat = 4 min-1) and also has a lower Km for NADH (6 vs 75 microM)."}
{"id": "PMID:1472095", "title": "The bioactivation of 5-(aziridin-1-yl)-2,4-dinitrobenzamide (CB1954)--II. A comparison of an Escherichia coli nitroreductase and Walker DT diaphorase.", "content": "A nitroreductase enzyme that has been isolated from Escherichia coli B is capable of bioactivating CB1954 [5-(aziridin-1-yl)-2,4-dinitrobenzamide] to a cytotoxic agent, a property shared with the mammalian enzyme Walker DT diaphorase [NAD(P)H dehydrogenase (quinone), EC 1.6.99.2] as isolated from Walker cells. In contrast to Walker DT diaphorase, which can only reduce the 4-nitro group of CB1954, the E. coli nitroreductase can reduce either (but not both) nitro groups of CB1954 to the corresponding hydroxylamino species. The two hydroxylamino species are formed in equal proportions and at the same rates. CB1954 is reduced much more rapidly by the E. coli nitroreductase than by Walker DT diaphorase. If the reduction of CB1954 was carried out in the presence of V79 cells (which are insensitive to CB1954) a large cytotoxic effect was evident. This cytotoxicity was only observed under conditions in which the E. coli nitroreductase or Walker DT diaphorase reduced the drug. It is proposed that E. coli B nitroreductase would be a suitable enzyme for antibody-directed enzyme prodrug therapy (ADEPT) in combination with CB1954."}
{"id": "PMID:1472096", "title": "The effect of enzyme induction on the cytochrome P450-mediated bioactivation of carbamazepine by mouse liver microsomes.", "content": "Predisposition to idiosyncratic toxicity with carbamazepine is thought to be due to a deficiency of the detoxication enzyme, microsomal epoxide hydrolase, although in some cases, concurrent administration of enzyme inducers might be a contributory risk factor, by altering the critical balance between bioactivation and detoxication. In this study, a mouse model has been used to determine the factors affecting carbamazepine bioactivation, using covalent binding and cytotoxicity as markers of bioactivation in vitro. Microsomes prepared from mice pre-treated with phenobarbitone increased (relative to the control microsomes) the formation of cytotoxic (12.3% vs 3.2%), protein-reactive (3.0% vs 2.0%) and stable (33.8% vs 18.1%) metabolites of carbamazepine. Similarly, pre-treatment with dexamethasone also increased the formation of the cytotoxic (24.8% vs 6.7%), protein-reactive (2.8% vs 1.5%) and stable (38% vs 19.8%) metabolites of carbamazepine, while beta-naphthoflavone pretreatment did not increase the formation of either the toxic or stable metabolites of carbamazepine when compared with its control microsomes. Co-incubation with gestodene (10-250 microM) resulted in a dose-dependent inhibition of both the bioactivation of carbamazepine and the formation of its stable 10,11-epoxide. SDS-PAGE and immunoblotting of the microsomes with anti-CYP3A antibody revealed the presence of a 52 kDa protein band in each preparation of microsomes, but the relative intensities of the bands, as measured by laser densitometry, were highest with the phenobarbitone and dexamethasone microsomes. The microsomal oxidation of cortisol to 6 beta-hydroxycortisol was also enhanced by pretreatment of mice with phenobarbitone (6.5% vs 2.7%) and dexamethasone (8.2% vs 4.3%), but not beta-naphthoflavone (2.2% vs 1.6%), when compared with their respective control microsomes, and was inhibited (range 25-68% inhibition), with all the microsomes by gestodene (50 microM). Taken collectively, the data in this study demonstrate that in the mouse, induction of the CYP3A subfamily significantly increases carbamazepine bioactivation. It is likely that in humans inducers of the orthologous form of this enzyme, most notably anticonvulsants, may increase the bioactivation of carbamazepine."}
{"id": "PMID:1472097", "title": "A multispecific uptake system for taurocholate, cardiac glycosides and cationic drugs in the liver.", "content": "To test the hypothesis of multiplicity in carrier-mediated uptake mechanisms for organic cations in the liver and to study the possible relation with bile acid and cardiac glycoside uptake mechanisms, mutual interaction during uptake of various radiolabeled quaternary amines has been studied in isolated rat hepatocytes. Inhibition patterns at low concentrations (1 microM) of the presumed type I monovalent organic cation tri-n-butylmethylammonium were markedly different from those at relatively high concentrations (25 microM). Both the cardiac glycoside K-strophantoside and the bile acid taurocholate clearly reduced the uptake rate of tri-n-butylmethylammonium at 25 microM whereas these agents completely failed to reduce the uptake at low concentrations of the cation. Subsequently, inhibition of uptake of some multivalent amphipathic organic cations (muscle relaxants) for the type II uptake system was investigated. It was found that the uptake of these muscle relaxants both at tracer concentrations (< 1 microM) and at relatively high concentrations (25 microM) was decreased in the presence of low concentrations of the cardiac glycoside K-strophantoside, while taurocholate only inhibited the uptake at the concentration range > 25 microM of the muscle relaxants. Procainamide ethobromide, a typical type I organic cation, did not affect the uptake either at the low or high concentration range of the muscle relaxants. It is concluded that for each of the type I-like compounds and type II-like compounds tested at least two systems are involved in uptake into hepatocytes: tri-n-butylmethylammonium in a concentration range < or = 1 microM is mainly taken up by the type I uptake system and at concentrations > or = 25 microM also by system(s) that can be inhibited by taurocholate and K-strophantoside. Bulky amphipathic organic (type II) cations at concentrations < 1 microM are also transported by an uptake system that is inhibitable by cardiac glycosides but not by bile salts. At concentrations > 25 microM these compounds are predominantly accommodated by an uptake system that possibly mediates uptake of both cardiac glycosides and bile acids. This concept was supported by the observation that both type II organic cations and bile salts can inhibit ouabain uptake, while type II organic cations as well as the cardiac glycosides reduce taurocholate uptake rate. The present data support the idea that the liver seems to be equipped with a \"multispecific\" uptake system that transports hydrophobic compounds irrespective of charge, including some type I and type II organic cations at relatively high substrate concentrations."}
{"id": "PMID:1472098", "title": "Fasting increases the susceptibility of rat hepatocytes to the cytotoxic effects of N-hydroxy-acetylaminofluorene. Effects on mitochondrial respiration and membrane potential.", "content": "Isolated rat hepatocytes were incubated with the carcinogen N-hydroxy-2-acetylaminofluorene (N-OH-AAF). Cells from fasted rats were much more susceptible to the cytotoxic effects of 1 mM N-OH-AAF than cells from fed rats: after approximately 90 min exposure the former were all dead but the latter still viable. Even after 240 min 25% of the \"fed\" cells were still viable. The loss of viability was preceded by a decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and inhibition of respiration; the mitochondrial respiration as measured in permeabilized cells appeared uncoupled. Addition of 15 mM fructose prevented cell death and the loss of MMP in cells both from fed and fasted rats to a large extent; however, uncoupling was not prevented. After incubation of hepatocytes from fasted rats with 1 mM [3H]N-OH-AAF for 120 min, 12 nmol [3H]N-OH-AAF became bound per mg cell protein. Addition of fructose decreased this to 7 nmol. In cells from fed animals 4 nmol [3H]N-OH-AAF became bound after 120 min, in this case fructose had no effect. Part of the protective effect of fructose might be explained by a decrease in intracellular ATP, which prevents the formation of reactive intermediates of N-OH-AAF resulting in a decrease of covalent binding, in addition, fructose protects via a yet to be determined mechanism."}
{"id": "PMID:1472099", "title": "The influence of pH on the interaction of lipophilic anthracyclines with bovine serum albumin. Quantitative characterization by measurement of fluorescence quenching.", "content": "We have investigated the interaction of the lipophilic anthracyclines 4'-iodo-4'-deoxydoxorubicin (IDX) and 4-demethoxy-daunorubicin (DDN) with bovine serum albumin by the quantitation of fluorescence quenching. The protein binding of IDX was extremely sensitive to the pH of the solution in which the complex was formed and paralleled the effect of pH on dimerization of the drug. The effect of pH on the protein binding and self-association of DDN was less extensive. Both compounds exhibited curvilinear Scatchard plots indicating apparent cooperativity in the binding process. Because of the self-association of the drugs in aqueous solution, we attempted to resolve this cooperativity in terms of the preferential binding of the dimer to the acceptor. However, we found that similar Scatchard plots could be simulated by using slightly erroneous estimates of the fluorescence yield of the complex, rendering any such analysis inconclusive. Consequently, the relationship between acceptor concentration and the fraction of ligand bound was considered to be fitted adequately in terms of a single acceptor site per albumin molecule. The pH dependence of the association constants for bovine serum albumin was described best by the hydrophobic interaction of neutral drug monomer with a binding site with titratable affinity. We postulate that the pH-dependent binding of some anthracyclines with albumin may lead to their enhanced uptake, relative to that of non-target organs, into tumours with an acidotic extracellular milieu."}
{"id": "PMID:1472100", "title": "Inhibition of proliferation of human leukaemia 60 cells by diethyl esters of glyoxalase inhibitors in vitro.", "content": "Diethyl esters of the glutathione S-conjugate S-p-bromobenzylglutathione, an inhibitor of glyoxalase I, and S-p-nitrobenzoxycarbonylglutathione, an inhibitor of glyoxalase II, induced growth arrest and toxicity in human leukaemia 60 cells in culture. The median growth inhibitory concentration IC50 values were 8.3 microM (95% C.I. 7.0-9.9 microM) for S-p-bromobenzylglutathione diethyl ester and 56 microM (95% C.I. 36-86 microM) for p-nitrobenzoxycarbonylglutathione. Monoethyl ester and unesterified derivatives were inactive. The diethyl ester derivatives were also toxic to mature human neutrophils under the same culture conditions where the respective median toxic concentration IC50 values were 39.7 (95% C.I. 35.4-44.5 microM) and 127 (95% C.I. 123-132 microM) microM. Diester derivatives may be of future interest in studying the cytotoxicity of glutathione S-conjugates and for the development of cytotoxic anti-tumour agents."}
{"id": "PMID:1472101", "title": "Effects of mono- and divalent ions on the binding of the adenosine analogue CGS 21680 to adenosine A2 receptors in rat striatum.", "content": "The effect of monovalent and divalent cations on equilibrium binding of the adenosine A2-selective agonist ligand CGS 21680 (2-[p-(2-carbonylethyl)phenylethylamino]-5'-N-ethylcarboxami doadenosine) to membranes prepared from rat striatum was examined. Competition experiments with cyclohexyladenosine, 2-chloroadenosine, N-ethylcarboxamidoadenosine and CGS 21680 suggest that at 2 nM [3H]CGS 21680 binds to a single site with the pharmacology of an A2a receptor. Magnesium and calcium ions caused a concentration-dependent increase in binding that reached about 10-fold at 100 mM. Manganese ions had a biphasic effect on binding with a maximal increase at 5 mM. Lithium, sodium and potassium ions all caused a concentration-dependent decrease of binding. Sodium was most potent, potassium least. At 200 mM ion concentration, the inhibition of binding was 88% by sodium, 47% by lithium and 29% by potassium ions. The effect of sodium chloride was the same as that of sodium acetate. The effect of sodium ions was essentially similar to that of Gpp(NH)p. However, sodium ions produced a larger effect than even maximally effective concentrations of Gpp(NH)p. The maximal inhibition by Gpp(NH)p was about 55% at 2 nM radioligand concentration irrespective of the magnesium concentration. The maximal effect of sodium ions was reduced by increasing concentrations of magnesium ions. Increasing magnesium ion concentration from 1 to 100 mM increased the half-maximally effective concentration of Gpp(NH)p almost 10-fold and that of sodium ions less than 2-fold. Furthermore, sodium ions and Gpp(NH)p had additive effects. The binding of an agonist to striatal A2a receptors shows an unusually large dependence on both divalent and monovalent cations that can only partly be explained by a change in the coupling to Gs proteins."}
{"id": "PMID:1472102", "title": "Ketoconazole inhibition of the bifunctional cytochrome P450c17 does not affect androgen formation from the endogenous lyase substrate. The catalytic site remains refractory in the course of intermediary hydroxyprogesterone processing.", "content": "The inhibition of the bifunctional steroidogenic cytochrome P450c17 (CYP17: steroid-17 alpha-hydroxylase/steroid-17,20-lyase) by the imidazole-type fungicide, [(+/-)-cis-1-acetyl-4-[4-[[2-(2,4-dichlorophenyl)-2-(1H-imidazol-1-yl- methyl)-1,3-dioxolan-4-yl]methoxy]phenyl]piperazine) (ketoconazole), was investigated with the aim of differentiating between effects on androgen formation from exogenously added and endogenously produced 17 alpha-hydroxyprogesterone. Using microsomal membranes from rat testis, turnover of progesterone by P450c17 was competitively inhibited by ketoconazole with KI = 0.40 microM. Ketoconazole did not affect the linear relationship between the ratio of productive events (corresponding to androgen formation rates) versus abortive events (corresponding to 17 alpha-hydroxyprogesterone formation rates) and the sum of catalytic events. This was an indication that this inhibitor did not interfere with intermediate processing by P450c17. Androgen formation from exogenous but not from endogenous 17 alpha-hydroxyprogesterone was competitively inhibited by ketoconazole. The simultaneous conversion of 1 microM each of [3H]progesterone and 17 alpha-hydroxy[14C]progesterone was also reduced by ketoconazole. Calculation of 3H/14C ratios in the 17 alpha-hydroxyprogesterone and androgen fractions revealed that the endogenous 17 alpha-hydroxyprogesterone pool was metabolized to androgens at rates 6.4, 11.6, 17.6 and 21.2-fold faster than the exogenous pool in the presence of 0.5, 1, 2 and 4 microM ketoconazole, respectively; this value was only 4.0 in controls. It is concluded that ketoconazole inhibits turnover of steroid ligands only when they approach the P450c17 active site in a substrate-state and that inhibition of androgen formation from progesterone is due to inhibition of the first catalytic step only. A model is described in which the P450c17 active site is refractory towards ketoconazole when the intermediary steroid is retained and being processed at that site."}
{"id": "PMID:1472103", "title": "Comparative cytoprotective effect of dihydropyridine calcium channel blockers against the toxicity of oxidized low density lipoprotein for cultured lymphoid cells.", "content": "The ability of dihydropyridine Ca2+ channel blockers (nicardipine, nimodipine and nisoldipine) to inhibit low density lipoprotein (LDL) oxidation and to prevent the cytotoxicity of oxidized LDL for lymphoid cells have been compared. The lipid peroxidation of LDL promoted either by UV radiation or by copper ions was inhibited (antioxidant effect) in a dose-dependent manner by nisoldipine (IC50 values were evaluated at around 10 microM), whereas nimodipine was less potent (IC50 around 50-100 microM) and nicardipine almost inactive. The cytotoxicity of LDL treated (by UV or by copper) in the presence of effective antioxidant concentrations of dihydropyridine Ca2+ channel blockers was less than that of unprotected oxidized LDL (i.e. LDL oxidized in the absence of any dihydropyridine Ca2+ channel blockers). The inhibition of the cytotoxic effect of LDL oxidized in the presence of dihydropyridine Ca2+ channel blockers correlated well with protection from oxidation by these compounds. Beside this indirect protective effect, dihydropyridine Ca2+ channel blockers exhibit a direct protective effect for cells against the toxicity of previously oxidized LDL. Although complete protection cannot be obtained because of the cytotoxicity of the dihydropyridine compounds per se, the IC50 values were 6 +/- 2 and 80 +/- 20 microM for nisoldipine and nimodipine, respectively. The potential relevance to the prevention of atherogenesis is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1472104", "title": "Effects of diarylsulfonylurea antitumor agents on the function of mitochondria isolated from rat liver and GC3/c1 cells.", "content": "Diarylsulfonylureas, such as N-(4-chlorophenyl)aminocarbonyl-2,3-dihydro-1-indene-5-sulfonamide (LY186641, Sulofenur) and N-(4-chlorophenyl)aminocarbonyl-4-methylbenzene sulfonamide (LY181984), have been shown to be effective antitumor agents in a variety of in vivo and in vitro animal models. Their mechanism of action is unknown but does not appear to be the result of nonselective destruction of actively dividing cell populations. Mitochondria have been shown to accumulate Sulofenur and therefore may be targets of drug action. The purpose of these investigations was to examine the effects of a variety of diarylsulfonylureas in mitochondria and attempt to determine the relevance of these changes to antitumor activity. Many of the diarylsulfonylureas which were effective antitumor agents in animal models were also uncouplers of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation. They increased state 4 respiration and dissipated the mitochondrial membrane potential in a concentration-related fashion. The mechanism of uncoupling appeared to be related to a dissociable hydrogen ion as these molecules had pKa values that ranged from 6.0 to 6.2 and were highly lipophilic. Thus, the uncoupling action appears to be the result of hydrogen ion translocation. The mechanism of antitumor activity does not appear to be the result of uncoupling as no correlation was evident between inhibition of cell growth and uncoupling action of a variety of active and inactive diarylsulfonylureas. In vitro, Sulofenur is cytotoxic at high concentrations and inhibits cell growth at lower concentrations in the absence of any overt cell kill. The inhibition of cell growth also did not appear to be related to the uncoupling action of these drugs. In contrast, uncoupling may have played a partial role in the early, high exposure cell kill that can occur with these compounds."}
{"id": "PMID:1472105", "title": "Prevention by Ginkgo biloba extract (EGb 761) and trolox C of the decrease in synaptosomal dopamine or serotonin uptake following incubation.", "content": "Prolonged incubation of synaptosomes in Krebs-Ringer oxygenated medium in the presence of ascorbic acid (10(-4) M) led, after 20 min, to a decrease in [3H]dopamine (DA) (synaptosomes prepared from the striatum) and [3H]serotonin (5HT) (synaptosomes prepared from the cortex) uptake. The decrease was progressive and uptake was virtually abolished after a 60 min incubation period. A concentration-dependent (from 5 x 10(-6) M) role of ascorbic acid in the decrease of [3H]DA or [3H]5HT uptake was demonstrated. This decrease was potentiated by Fe2+ ions and prevented by the ferrous chelating agent desferrioxamine. Thus, the progressive decrease in synaptosomal uptake of either [3H]DA or [3H]5HT could depend on the generation of free radicals by the association of ascorbic acid with Fe2+ ions. The decrease in synaptosomal uptake was prevented, in a concentration-dependent manner, by the Ginkgo biloba extract EGb 761 (4-16 micrograms/mL) and the vitamin E analog trolox C (10(-4) M). The terpenic fraction of EGb 761, Bn 52063 (up to 0.5 microgram/mL), did not prevent the reduction of [3H]amine uptake. In contrast, the flavonoidic fraction, Cp 202, was effective (from 1 microgram/mL) and its efficacy was shared by the flavonoid quercetin (from 0.1 microgram/mL). The prolongation of the ability of synaptosomes to take up [3H]amine elicited by EGb 761, in particular its flavonoidic fraction, as well as by trolox C could be due to their free radical scavenger properties."}
{"id": "PMID:1472106", "title": "Cellular mechanism of thrombin on endothelin-1 biosynthesis and release in bovine endothelial cell.", "content": "We have studied the cellular mechanism responsible for induction of preproendothelin (preproET)-1 mRNA and release of ET-1 by thrombin in cultured bovine endothelial cells (ECs). Thrombin induced an immediate and dose-dependent formation of inositol-1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3) with a concomitant increase in intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i). The thrombin-induced ET-1 release was abolished either by a phospholipase C inhibitor, a protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitor, or an intracellular Ca(2+)-chelator, whereas a Ca(2+)-channel antagonist was ineffective. A selective thrombin inhibitor (argatroban) decreased IP3 formation and the increase in [Ca2+]i and ET-1 release stimulated by thrombin. Northern blot analysis revealed that thrombin-induced expression of preproET-1 mRNA was inhibited completely by a PKC inhibitor and partially by argatroban. These data suggest that thrombin is involved in the mechanism of preproET-1 mRNA expression and subsequent ET-1 release, possibly through activation PKC and mobilization of intracellular Ca2+ resulting from the receptor-mediated phosphoinositide breakdown in ECs."}
{"id": "PMID:1472107", "title": "Chemiluminescence-HPLC assay of phosphatidylcholine hydroperoxide generated by ischemia-reperfusion in the liver of rats.", "content": "To determine cellular damage due to \"oxidative stress\", we developed a sensitive and specific quantitative assay for phosphatidylcholine hydroperoxide (PCOOH) by coupling HPLC with detection of chemiluminescence (CL). The qualitative and quantitative detection limits of PCOOH by this assay were 0.5 and 2 pmol (based on active oxygen from hydroperoxide). Using this CL-HPLC method, we determined PCOOH levels caused by ischemia-reperfusion in rat livers. The PCOOH levels in livers of control, sham-operated and operated rats with only ischemic treatment were approximately 2 nmol/g wet liver weight. The PCOOH level and several serum parameters of liver injury increased with an increase in the duration of ischemia, and also increased in proportion to the duration of reperfusion. The determination of PCOOH in liver caused by ischemia-reperfusion could be a useful method for investigating liver damage induced by free radicals."}
{"id": "PMID:1472108", "title": "Evidence of multiple forms of rat liver microsomal coenzyme A ligase catalysing the formation of 2-arylpropionyl-coenzyme A thioesters.", "content": "This study has demonstrated the involvement of multiple forms of rat hepatic microsomal CoA ligases in the formation of 2-arylpropionyl-CoA thioesters. In the presence of (-)R-ibuprofen (0.1 microM-1 mM) two enzymic processes were observed, one of which exhibited enantiospecificity and apparent high affinity for the R enantiomer (Km 0.06 microM) whilst the second, a low-affinity component was non-enantiospecific. An equivalent high-affinity isoform catalysing R-flurbiprofen-CoA formation at concentrations less than 100 microM was not demonstrated. However, at higher substrate concentrations formation of both R- and S-flurbiprofenyl-CoA thioesters occurred. Marked inter-individual variation was observed in the formation of S-ibuprofen-CoA and S-flurbiprofen-CoA in the rats studied."}
{"id": "PMID:1472109", "title": "L-glutamine prevents the L-histidine-mediated enhancement of hydrogen peroxide-induced cytotoxicity.", "content": "Results presented in this study demonstrate that L-glutamine, a competitive inhibitor of L-histidine uptake, inhibits in a concentration-dependent fashion the L-histidine-mediated enhancement of H2O2-induced cytotoxicity. L-Glutamine also prevents the induction of DNA double strand breaks (DSB) but does not affect the enhancing effect of L-histidine on DNA single strand break induction by H2O2. Taken together, these data demonstrate that L-histidine, in order to allow the formation of DNA double strand breakage and increase the toxicity elicited by the oxidant, has to enter the cell. In addition, these results indicate that the enhancement of DNA single strand breakage is a consequence of the action of the amino acid at the extracellular level and/or outer surface of the plasma membrane and does not appear related to the mechanism whereby L-histidine increases the cytotoxic response to H2O2. The latter mechanism very likely involves the formation of DNA DSB."}
{"id": "PMID:1472110", "title": "Oxidative activation of 2-aminofluorene by human red blood cell cytosol.", "content": "Purified red blood cell cytosol is able to activate 2-aminofluorene (2AF) to N-hydroxy-2-aminofluorene. Apparent kinetic parameters are determined with and without methylene blue. The latter, which maintains haemoglobin in the reduced form and stimulates NADPH production, increases the affinity of the enzyme for the 2AF. This activity is inhibited by carbon monoxide while cyanide is without effect. The involvement of a peroxidative reaction or a one-electron oxidative mechanism involving free radicals may be excluded."}
{"id": "PMID:1472111", "title": "Activation of aldehyde dehydrogenase at physiological temperatures.", "content": "The release of NADH from the enzyme.NADH complexes was rate limiting at 37 degrees, for the oxidation of propionaldehyde by sheep liver cytosolic aldehyde dehydrogenase. Marked substrate activation was observed at this temperature as was activation by p-(chloromercuri)benzoate. Activation of enzymic activity may be of importance in vivo."}
{"id": "PMID:1472112", "title": "Does sorbinil bind to the substrate binding site of aldose reductase?", "content": "With benzyl alcohol as the varied substrate, sorbinil was found to be a competitive inhibitor of aldose reductase, an enzyme implicated in the etiology of secondary diabetic complications. The K(is sorbinil) and the Vmax/Km (V/K) benzyl alcohol decreased at low pH with a pK of 7.5 and 7.7, respectively. These observations suggest that both sorbinil and benzyl alcohol bind to the same site on the enzyme. Active site inhibition by sorbinil is consistent with non-competitive inhibition patterns of sorbinil with nucleotide coenzyme or aldehyde as the varied substrate in the direction of aldehyde reduction."}
{"id": "PMID:1472113", "title": "[Multiple attack in the mechanism of endoglucanase action].", "content": "The review deals with the phenomenon of repetitive catalytic acts occurring in one enzyme-substrate encounter of certain endo-glucanases with water soluble polysaccharides. Here are discussed experimental results and theoretical models applied in analysis of data."}
{"id": "PMID:1472114", "title": "[Site-specific endonuclease BstM6I from Bacillus stearothermophilus M6].", "content": "A site-specific endonuclease activity was found in extract of Bacillus stearothermophilus M6 isolated from molasses. The functionally pure enzyme designated as BstM6I was obtained by consecutive chromatographies on blue sepharose, hydroxyapatite, and heparin-sepharose. The endonuclease recognizes the nucleotide sequence CC decreases WGG in double-stranded DNA and cleaves it as indicated by the arrow to give one-nucleotide 5'-protruding ends. Consequently, the site-specific endonuclease BstM6I is an isoshizomer of BstNI."}
{"id": "PMID:1472115", "title": "[Site-specific photomodification of nucleic acids with arylazide and perfluoroarylazide oligonucleotide derivatives. II. Specificity in relation to nucleosides].", "content": "Oligonucleotide reagents bearing aromatic azido groups of different structures were shown to be suitable for nucleoside specific photomodification of nucleic acids. Modification of the pentadecanucleotide targets d(TAAGTGGAGTTTGGC), d(TAAGTGGAAAAAAAA), d(TAAGTGGACCCCCCC) and d(TAAGTGGATTTTTTT) was investigated with reagents d(UCH2OCH2CH2NHCORCCACTT) carrying a photoactive group R(R1-n-azidotetrafluorophenyl-reagent (I), R2-2-nitro-5-azidophenyl-reagent (II) and R3-n-azidophenyl-reagent (III)) at C-5-modified deoxyuridine. Photomodification did not exceed 5% for the targets in case of reagent (III); the modification extent was 25-50% depending on the target sequence for reagent (II); reagent (I) with perfluoro azido group was the most effective, that provided 60-70% of modification. Reagents (I) and (II) were found to be sensitive to the nucleoside sequence of the target: the most vulnerable sites for reagent (I) and (II) were guanine and cytosine residues, respectively. These bases were modified predominantly when being adjacent to the addressed site of the target."}
{"id": "PMID:1472116", "title": "[Immobilization of phospholipid micelles on modified apoHDL-Sepharose].", "content": "There was developed a procedure for immobilization of phosphatidyl cholines (Egg yolk phosphatidyl choline and polyunsaturated soya beams phosphatidyl choline) on the modified apoHDL-Sepharose. The formation of phospholipid micelles was proved by linear dependence of the content of the sorbed phosphatidyl choline versus, the content of apoHDL bound to Sepharose. Incubation of apoHDL/PC-Sepharose with human plasma was shown to change the plasma lipid composition. The apoHDL/PC-Sepharose might be used for correction of the plasma lipid composition on vitro experiments."}
{"id": "PMID:1472117", "title": "[Metabolism of phosphatidylcholine in model lipoproteins. Use of phospholipid micelles immobilized on apoHDL-Sepharose].", "content": "A phosphatidyl choline (PC) exchange between apoHDL/PC micellar complexes in solution and the same complexes immobilized on Sepharose was studied. The PC exchange in buffer was represented in terms of pseudo first order reversible process. The first order constants for the unidirectional efflux of PC from apoHDL/PC-Sepharose (k1) and for the unidirectional efflux of PC from apoHDL/PC complexes (k2) were equal to (0.45 +/- 0.2) x 10(-3) and (1.35 +/- 0.2) x 10(-3) min-1, respectively. The k1 values showed the Arrhenius dependence on the temperature within range 278-323 K. Plasma serum proteins facilitated the PC efflux from apoHDL/PC-Sepharose being additional acceptors of PC. These data allow use of apoHDL/PC-Sepharose for correcting lipid plasma composition in vitro."}
{"id": "PMID:1472118", "title": "[Synthesis of new pyrimidine 5'-H-thiophosphonates].", "content": "Thymidine and 3'-deoxythymidine 5'-H-thiophosphonates were synthesized by interaction of 3'-O-acetylthymidine or 3'-deoxythymidine and ammonium phosphinate in the presence of pivaloyl chloride and following oxidation in situ by sulfur of the intermediate phosphinates. The compounds seemed to be 1:1 mixture of diastereomers with chiral phosphorus. The prepared compounds were tested as potential inhibitors of HIV production."}
{"id": "PMID:1472120", "title": "Activation of gold-reactive T lymphocytes in rheumatoid arthritis patients treated with gold.", "content": "To assess the role of T lymphocyte sensitization in the etiology of side effects of gold therapy in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Lymphocyte proliferation induced by gold(III) and gold(I) salts was measured in 53 subjects: 30 RA patients with gold-induced side effects (17 with dermatitis, 9 with proteinuria, 3 with hematologic complications, and 1 with colitis), 9 RA patients without side effects despite prolonged chrysotherapy, 4 RA patients who had never received gold, and 10 healthy controls. Peripheral blood lymphocytes were cultured with the different gold salts and proliferation was measured by 3H-thymidine incorporation. Thirteen of the 17 RA patients who developed gold-induced dermatitis showed significant T lymphocyte proliferation in response to gold(III) salts, and this proliferation could be completely blocked by monoclonal antibodies directed at the HLA-DR molecule. Such proliferative responses were not seen in patients with other gold-induced side effects, in patients who had never received gold, or in healthy controls. Only 1 of 9 patients who had not developed side effects despite long-term maintenance chrysotherapy showed significant lymphocyte activation with gold(III) salts. Lymphocyte proliferation could not be induced with gold(I) salts or with other metal salts. Patients with RA who develop dermatitis following treatment with sodium aurothiomalate [gold(I)] have T cells which proliferate in an HLA-DR-restricted manner in response to HAuCl4 [gold(III)]. We believe this observation can lead to more accurate diagnosis and treatment of side effects, which currently limit the use of one of the most effective antirheumatic drugs."}
{"id": "PMID:1472121", "title": "Lymphocyte responses to DR4/1-restricted peptides in rheumatoid arthritis. The immunodominant T cell epitope on the 19-kd Mycobacterium tuberculosis protein.", "content": "Peptides presented by DR4/1 may be involved in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). T cell responses to DR4/1-restricted peptides unrelated to the causative antigen may be altered in RA. Thus, DR4/1-restricted lymphocyte responses in healthy volunteers and patients with RA were determined. Peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) and synovial lymphocytes were cultured with synthetic peptides spanning the 19-kd Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MT) protein. 3H-thymidine uptake by PBL from 5 of 7 healthy individuals and 5 of 7 RA patients increased in response to the N-terminal peptide (residues 1-20). Eleven fresh synovial fluid and 4 fresh synovial tissue (ST) lymphocyte samples did not proliferate in response to any of the peptides. However, the same T cell epitope was identified by ST lymphocytes when these were precultured. The N-terminal peptide was not a common antibody-binding site, unlike several of the other peptides. Similar responses by RA and normal PBL to a DR4/1-restricted immunodominant T cell epitope on the 19-kd MT protein were observed. The responses were more readily detected in PBL than in synovial lymphocytes. These observations may be relevant for assessing unrelated synthetic peptides in the development of DR4/1-restricted peptide immunotherapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1472122", "title": "Auranofin-induced vasomotor reaction.", "content": "Vasomotor reactions after administration of gold sodium thiomalate (GST) are well recognized, but such reactions have not been reported to occur in association with oral gold treatment. We describe a woman with rheumatoid arthritis who experienced typical nitritoid reactions after treatment with GST, and later, with auranofin."}
{"id": "PMID:1472123", "title": "Rheumatoid synovium is enriched in CD45RBdim mature memory T cells that are potent helpers for B cell differentiation.", "content": "To delineate the phenotype and function of synovial T cells in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). T cells from normal subjects or from RA peripheral blood (PB), synovial fluid (SF), or synovial tissue (ST) were analyzed phenotypically and functionally. RA SF and ST T cells were found to be markedly enriched in CD45RAdim, CD45RO+, CD45RBdim mature memory cells, whereas in the PB, CD45RAbright naive T cells were more frequent than CD45RO+ memory T cells, and only a minority were CD45RBdim. SF and ST T cells proliferated less well and produced less interleukin-2 in response to mitogenic stimuli than did PB T cells. However, synovial T cells effectively promoted the production of Ig from normal B cells. Moreover, PB and synovial T cells differed in their capacity to down-regulate immunoglobulin production. Anti-CD3-stimulated PB T cells suppressed Ig production unless their proliferation was prevented with mitomycin C. In contrast, synovial T cells were potent helpers of B cell Ig production regardless of antecedent treatment with mitomycin C. To examine the relationship between the CD45RBdim phenotype and B cell help, CD45RBdim T cells were sorted from PB. As opposed to the findings with synovial T cells, suppression by control PB CD45RBdim T cells was observed, but only when large numbers were employed. B cell Ig production was enhanced after treatment of PB CD45RBdim T cells with mitomycin C. In contrast, healthy control sorted CD45RBbright or sorted CD4+, CD45RO+, CD45RBbright T cells did not support Ig secretion. After treatment with mitomycin C, both of these populations were more effective helpers of Ig production. RA synovium is enriched in differentiated CD45RBdim memory T cells with potent helper activity and diminished capacity to down-regulate B cells, strongly implying an active role for these cells in the production of Ig in the synovium, and thus in the propagation of disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1472124", "title": "Ankylosing spondylitis in Rochester, Minnesota, 1935-1989. Is the epidemiology changing?", "content": "To determine trends in the incidence and clinical presentation of ankylosing spondylitis first diagnosed between 1935 and 1989 among residents of Rochester, Minnesota, and in the survival of the patients. Population-based descriptive study. The overall age- and sex-adjusted incidence rate was 7.3 per 100,000 person-years (95% confidence interval 6.1-8.4). The rate tended to decline between 1935 and 1989, but there was little change in the age at symptom onset or diagnosis over the 55-year study period. Overall survival was not decreased up to 28 years following diagnosis. These data indicate that there is a constancy in the epidemiologic characteristics of ankylosing spondylitis and suggest that previously study results indicating changes may have been due to biases in patient selection and study design."}
{"id": "PMID:1472125", "title": "Antibodies to retroviral proteins in autoimmune connective tissue disease. Relation to clinical manifestations and ribonucleoprotein autoantibodies.", "content": "To study the relationship between antibodies that recognize human retroviral proteins and the presence of clinical features and ribonucleoprotein antibodies in patients with autoimmune connective tissue diseases (CTDs). Antibodies against native human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) and human T cell leukemia/lymphoma virus type I, recombinant HIV-1 Nef protein, and ribonucleoprotein antigens were determined by immunoblot of sera from 65 prospectively studied patients with definite or suspected CTDs of autoimmune type. Antibodies to retroviral proteins (ARP), most frequently to HIV Gag proteins p55 and p24, were found in 64% of 22 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), in 63% of 8 patients with discoid LE (DLE), in 75% of 8 patients with mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD), and in 26% of 19 individuals with chronic biologically false-positive (CBFP) seroreactions, but not in 8 patients with subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus. No clear correlation of ARP with antibodies to any specific small nuclear RNP antigen was observed. The most striking finding was that recurrent infections, both in LE patients and in those with CBFP reactions and widespread, acral discoid skin lesions, occurred significantly more often in ARP-positive patients. The occurrence of antibodies reacting with human retroviral proteins is associated with severe skin lesions and recurrent infections in SLE, DLE, and MCTD patients, and with a disposition toward developing systemic disease in CBFP reactors."}
{"id": "PMID:1472126", "title": "Association of dry eyes and dry mouth with anti-Ro/SS-A and anti-La/SS-B autoantibodies in normal adults.", "content": "To evaluate the extent to which seemingly healthy, mature adults with mild symptoms of dry eyes or dry mouth share the immunologic features found in patients with Sj\u00f6gren's syndrome. Of 705 subjects in Malm\u00f6, Sweden (age range 52-72 years) who responded to a questionnaire, 35% reported some symptoms of dry eyes or mouth. A random subgroup of the symptomatic subjects (n = 77) and an age- and sex-matched control group from among the asymptomatic subjects (n = 32) were evaluated objectively by serologic testing and by various measures of exocrine gland function. The symptomatic subjects had relatively impaired exocrine gland function and elevated levels of anti-Ro and anti-La (1.54-2.88-fold increase compared with the asymptomatic subjects, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.41, 4.03). The 2 autoantibodies correlated with each other (r = 0.64, 95% CI 0.49, 0.78) as well as with selected clinical measures of glandular function. The association between self-reported symptoms of dry eyes or dry mouth and anti-Ro and anti-La, found in more than one-third of mature adults in this study, suggests that the immune abnormalities and exocrine gland dysfunction found in Sj\u00f6gren's syndrome affect a substantial proportion of the general population."}
{"id": "PMID:1472127", "title": "Interactions of synovial fluid immunoglobulins with chondrocytes.", "content": "To study the interaction of synovial fluid (SF) immunoglobulins with living chondrocytes, and to evaluate the relative contribution of type II collagen (CII) antibodies. SF of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), osteoarthritis (OA), and gout were incubated with isolated bovine articular chondrocytes. Ig binding was measured by flow cytometry and by quantitation with 125I-labeled anti-IgG and anti-IgM. Complement-dependent cytotoxicity was determined by 51Cr release. Immunoglobulin binding and cytotoxicity were compared between chondrocytes obtained from the superficial and from the deep cartilage zones. Significantly greater IgG and IgM binding was found with RA SF compared with OA or gout SF. Chondrocytes bound more Ig than did fibroblasts. The relative contribution of anti-CII antibodies to Ig binding was studied following absorption of the SF with bovine CII, and by incubation with bacterial collagenase-treated chondrocytes. There was a small but significant reduction in IgG and IgM binding with SF samples that were positive for anti-CII. RA SF exhibited modest, but significantly greater complement-dependent cytotoxicity than OA SF: Gel chromatography fractionation indicated that IgM antibodies were responsible for the cytotoxic activity. Additional studies showed that SF IgM antibodies bound preferentially to, and killed chondrocytes obtained from, the superficial layers of cartilage. Anti-CII antibodies contained in RA SF represent one of many antibody specificities reacting with chondrocyte membrane antigens. Chondrocyte-reactive SF antibodies may play an important pathogenic role in the processes leading to irreversible cartilage damage in RA. These deleterious effects appear to be exerted particularly on chondrocytes located near the articular surface of cartilage."}
{"id": "PMID:1472128", "title": "Induction of synthesis and release of interleukin-8 from human articular chondrocytes and cartilage explants.", "content": "The activation of neutrophils in the joint space may contribute to the destruction of cartilage matrix observed in rheumatoid arthritis. The capacity of articular chondrocytes to synthesize and secrete interleukin-8 (IL-8) and GRO alpha, two potent neutrophil chemoattractant peptides, was investigated to determine whether cartilage itself could serve as a source of these small cytokines. Induction of IL-8 and GRO protein was studied both at the messenger RNA (mRNA) and the protein level by reverse transcriptase/polymerase chain reaction and metabolic labeling, respectively. Strong induction of IL-8 was observed in primary cultures of articular chondrocytes as well as in cartilage explants stimulated with IL-1 beta. The increased secretion of the IL-8 protein was accompanied by corresponding increases in mRNA levels. In contrast to other connective tissue cells, a peptide corresponding in molecular size to the GRO proteins was only weakly induced in cartilage explants or primary chondrocyte cultures. However, mRNA for all 3 members of the GRO family was easily detectable in cultured chondrocytes following stimulation with IL-1 beta. In explanted cartilage, mRNA for only GRO gamma was found to be induced. Newly synthesized IL-8 was slowly released from cartilage explants over a prolonged time in culture. The results suggest that synthesis and secretion of the diverse members of the IL-8/GRO family is regulated in a tissue-specific or cell-specific manner. The slow release of IL-8 from articular cartilage following induction by IL-1 beta could establish a chemotactic gradient toward the articular surface and mediate the migration and attachment of neutrophils and lymphocytes to this tissue."}
{"id": "PMID:1472129", "title": "ATP-induced chondrocalcinosis.", "content": "To determine whether adult articular cartilage mineralizes in the presence of ATP. Intact adult porcine articular cartilage and monolayers of chondrocytes were cultured in physiologic media containing ATP, and mineralization was measured as retention of 45Ca. Cartilage was analyzed by electron microscopy. Articular cartilage sequestered 45Ca when incubated with 100 microM ATP: Use of the ATP analog alpha, beta-methylene ATP did not promote mineralization and addition of pyrophosphatase inhibited mineralization, indicating that hydrolysis of ATP to AMP and inorganic pyrophosphate is necessary for the process to occur. Mineral was concentrated in articular cartilage vesicles in the perichondral area. Adult articular cartilage mineralizes in the presence of ATP, in a manner similar to that found with isolated matrix or articular cartilage vesicles. This supports the notion that these structures have a role in chondrocalcinosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1472130", "title": "Independent regulation of plasminogen activator inhibitor 2 and plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 in human synovial fibroblasts.", "content": "To study the plasminogen activator inhibitor(s) (PAI) produced in vitro by human synovial fibroblast-like cells. Human synovial cell explant cultures were established using cells from nonrheumatoid donors. PAI-2 and PAI-1 antigens were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and messenger RNA (mRNA) levels were determined by Northern blot. The synovial fibroblasts produced both PAI-2 and PAI-1. Interleukin-1 (IL-1) increased PAI-2 but decreased PAI-1 formation, both at the protein and the mRNA levels. Using cyclooxygenase inhibitors, evidence was obtained that an endogenous cyclooxygenase product(s) in the IL-1-treated cultures inhibited formation of both PAIs; exogenous prostaglandin E2 (10(-7) M) reversed the effect of cyclooxygenase inhibition. The glucocorticoid dexamethasone (10(-6) to 10(-7) M) inhibited IL-1-stimulated PAI-2 formation but reversed the suppressive effect of IL-1 on PAI-1 production. PAI-2 formation and PAI-1 formation can be regulated independently in human synoviocytes, illustrating the complexity of the modulation of the net PA activity expressed by these cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1472136", "title": "Development of a sensitive enzyme immunoassay for the determination of vinpocetine in human plasma.", "content": "An Enzyme immunoassay for the quantitative determination of vinpocetine (CAS-42971-09-5) in human plasma has been developed. The lower limit of quantification is 0.1 ng/ml plasma. The assay shows no cross reactivity with the major metabolite apovincaminic acid. Because of a strong unspecific binding of vinpocetine to plasma proteins an extraction step was necessary. The inter- and intra-assay reproducibility of the test (coefficient of variation) is in a range of 1.1 and 18.3%."}
{"id": "PMID:1472137", "title": "Studies with new ergoline derivatives on the effects of central and peripheral 5-hydroxytryptamine receptors.", "content": "The antiserotonin properties of a series of new ergoline derivatives were investigated in several pharmacological test systems which have been proposed for the characterization of putative antagonists at central and peripheral 5-HT2 receptors. In radioligand binding studies with [3H]ketanserin among the new ergolines only 1-methyl-2-brom-9,10-dihydrolysergic acid-bis(beta-acetoxyethyl)-amide (AWD 52-336) showed high affinity at cortical 5-HT2 receptors (Ki-5.4 nmol/l). In 5-HT-amplified ADP-induced aggregation of human platelets 6-nor-6-propyl-9,10-dihydro ergometrine (AWD 52-227) and 9,10-dihydrolysergic acid-di-ethanol-amide (AWD 52-302) were potent inhibitors of 5-HT response. Comparison of this two in vitro tests demonstrated a significant correlation (r = 0.636; p < 0.05) between the ability of the ergolines to block the 5-HT aggregation mediated by platelet 5-HT2 receptors and their affinity to [3H]ketanserin-labelled binding sites in rat cortical membranes. In the used in vivo tests (tryptamine tremor, 5-HTP-induced head twitches) 1-methyl-9,10-dihydrolysergic acid-bis(beta-acetoxyethyl)-amide (AWD 52-83) and AWD 52-336 were found to antagonize the behavioural responses with comparatively moderate potency. The results suggest, therefore, that AWD 52-83 and AWD 52-336 may be both central and peripheral acting 5-HT2 antagonists, whereas AWD 52-227 and AWD 52-302 seem to be potent blockers at peripheral 5-HT2 receptors. Furthermore, the obtained results allow to reveal structure-activity relationships of ergolines. Substitution in position 1 in the tetracyclic ergoline ring system may be important with respect to the efficacy at central 5-HT2 receptors.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1472138", "title": "Cardiovascular effects of the novel potassium channel opener (3S,4R)-3-hydroxy-2,2-dimethyl-4-(2-oxo- 1-pyrrolidinyl)-6-phenylsulfonylchromane hemihydrate.", "content": "Cardiovascular effects of the novel potassium channel opener (3S,4R)-3-hydroxy-2,2-dimethyl-4-(2-oxo-1-pyrrolidinyl)-6- phenylsulfonylchromane hemihydrate (Hoe 234, CAS 132014-21-2) were investigated in rats, dogs and monkeys. In all species and independent of the route of administration Hoe 234 lowered systemic blood pressure accompanied with increases in heart rate. In rats after intravenous (i.v.) application Hoe 234 was 3 times more potent than cromakalim and its effects were reduced by pretreatment with the potassium channel blocker glibenclamide. Following intraduodenal application again Hoe 234 was more potent but mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) decreased more slowly and maximal effects were obtained later than after cromakalim. Oral administration of either single or repeated doses, however, revealed a somewhat higher potency for cromakalim. In anesthetized dogs Hoe 234 i.v. reduced MAP more potently than cromakalim whereas changes in heart rate were less pronounced. Cardiac output was increased and total peripheral resistance decreased for either agent. These results show that Hoe 234 is a novel potassium channel opener lowering blood pressure in animals due to peripheral vasodilation. It compares favourable with known potassium channel openers except for oral administration."}
{"id": "PMID:1472139", "title": "Pharmacokinetics of the organic nitrates trans-2-amino-2-methyl-N-(4- nitroxycyclohexylmethyl)-propionamide in dogs, and of 4-(2-nitroxyethyl)-piperidine in dogs and in monkeys.", "content": "The plasma concentrations of the organic nitrates (nitric acid esters) trans-2-amino-2-methyl-N-(4-nitroxycyclohexylmethyl)-propionamide (BM 12.1200) and of 4-(2-nitroxyethyl)-piperidine (BM 12.1173, CAS 129999-77-5) were determined in dog plasma by capillary gas chromatography with electron capture detection (GC-ECD). Intra- and interassay variation coefficients of the gas chromatographic analysis lay between 2.9 and 8.8%; recoveries amounted to 50-62%. Both nitric acid esters were absorbed quickly and attained maximum plasma levels within 1 h. The total bioavailability of BM 12.1200 is > 55%, and that of BM 12.1173 is 63%; their elimination half-lives are, respectively, 4.2 h and 1.3-1.4 h. Thus, BM 12.1173 and the reference substance IS-5-MN (isosorbide-5-mononitrate) show corresponding elimination half-lives. These results regarding the pharmacokinetic parameters of BM 12.1173 were confirmed by cross-over application of BM 12.1173 and IS-5-MN to Macaca Arctoides. In comparison to all species which have been treated with IS-5-MN thus far, the shortest elimination half-life (t1/2 = 0.6 h) is found in monkeys."}
{"id": "PMID:1472140", "title": "Metoprolol and propranolol treatment in carbon tetrachloride-induced hepatic injury.", "content": "The effects of beta 1-selective metoprolol (CAS 37350-58-6) and the nonselective beta-adrenoceptor antagonist propranolol (CAS 525-66-6) were investigated in healthy and CCl4 damaged male rats. Treatments were performed for 16 days, orally with dosages reducing heart beat/min by 25% (metoprolol 10 mg/kg, propranolol 1 mg/kg). Liver glycogen content was not influenced by either beta-blocker in healthy animals. CCl4-induced loss of glycogen was equally moderated by metoprolol and propranolol. Blood glucose increased in metoprolol treated healthy and liver damaged rats after a single dosage likewise following prolonged treatment. Propranolol was without effect on blood glucose level. Cytochrome P-450 decline in microsomal fraction was greater in metoprolol, than in propranolol treated healthy animals. However, the severe fall elicited by liver injury was moderated by metoprolol and normalised by propranolol. Cytochrome b5 seems to be involved in metoprolol metabolism. Cytochrome P-450-dependent aminopyrine-N-demethylase was impeded by metoprolol in animals with healthy liver. The serious inhibition caused by CCl4 was moderated by metoprolol and with a better result by propranolol. The high serum bilirubin level in liver lesion was lowered by metoprolol and particularly by propranolol. Neither phase I metabolic process aminopyrine-N-demethylation nor phase II glucuronidation were normalised. A comparison of this data with the results of a previous 12-day treatment schedule indicates that no changes in efficacy occurred with longer treatment. The present results pertain to the importance of the selection of beta-adrenoceptor blocker in liver lesion.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1472141", "title": "General pharmacological properties of the new vasodilator flosequinan.", "content": "Pharmacological effects of a new vasodilator, flosequinan (7-fluoro-1-methyl-3-(methylsulfinyl)-4(1H)-quinolone, BTS 49 465, CAS 76568-02-0) on the central nervous system, somatic nervous system, autonomic nervous system and smooth muscle, digestive system and miscellaneous organs were investigated. 1. The central nervous system: Flosequinan inhibited acetic acid-induced writhing at doses of more than 30 mg/kg p.o. and decreased body temperature and tended to decrease spontaneous movement slightly in mice at a dose of 100 mg/kg p.o. However, flosequinan had little effect on hexobarbital-induced hypnosis, reserpine-induced hypothermia and motor coordination and lacked anticonvulsant and analgesic activities in mice. Flosequinan had little effect on general behavior in rats and did not have any effect on spontaneous EEG and EEG arousal response in rabbits. 2. The somatic nervous system: Flosequinan did not cause muscle relaxation in mice and had little effect on neuromuscular transmission in cats. No local anesthetic activity was exhibited through inhibition of the corneal reflex in guinea pigs. 3. The autonomic nervous system and smooth muscle: Flosequinan produced a relaxation of the isolated trachea of guinea pigs at concentrations of more than 3 x 10(-5) mol/l, but its potency was very weak in comparison with that of isoproterenol (isoprenaline). Flosequinan inhibited spontaneous motility of the isolated uterus of pregnant rats at concentrations higher than 10(-4) mol/l and the motility of the uterus of non-pregnant rats in vivo was inhibited at 30 mg/kg i.v. Flosequinan does not seem to exert any on norepinephrine, serotonin, acetylcholine or histamine. This is supported by the fact that at concentrations of 10(-4)-3 x 10(-3) mol/l non-competitive inhibition was observed with regard of the contractions of the isolated aorta and vas deferens of rats induced by norepinephrine, the contraction of isolated rat stomach induced by serotonin, the contraction of isolated guinea-pig ileum induced by acetylcholine, histamine and barium chloride and the contraction of the isolated uterus of non-pregnant rats induced by oxytocin. However, flosequinan was more potent as a relaxant of vascular than of these other smooth muscles. The drug was slightly inhibitive at a high dose of 30 mg/kg i.v. with regard of the contraction of nictitating membrane induced by stimulation of preganglionic sympathetic nerve in cats. 4. The digestive system: Flosequinan at 100 mg/kg p.o. inhibited intestinal propulsion in mice and inhibited spontaneous motility of stomach and duodenum of rats at a dose of 30 mg/kg i.v.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1472142", "title": "[Postprandial lipemia under treatment with Allium sativum. Controlled double-blind study of subjects with reduced HDL2-cholesterol].", "content": "Postprandial Lipaemia under Treatment with Allium sativum/Controlled double-blind study in healthy volunteers with reduced HDL2-cholesterol levels. The effectiveness of a standardized garlic powder preparation (Sapec, Kwai) on alimentary hypertriglyceridaemia after intake of a standardized fatty test meal containing 100 g butter was analyzed in a randomized placebo-controlled double-blind study. 24 volunteers with HDL2-cholesterol concentrations in plasma of less than 10 mg/dl (men) respectively 15 mg/dl (women) participated in the study. The volunteers received 3 times 1 tablet daily over a period of 6 weeks equivalent to a daily dosage of 900 mg garlic powder in the active treated group. Control measurements were made on the 1st, 22nd and 43rd day of treatment and 0, 3 and 5 h after intake of the meal. The postprandial increase of triglycerides was clearly reduced under garlic medication as compared to placebo treatment. The determined AUC-values for the triglycerides were up to 35% lower in the garlic group compared to the placebo group. The regular intake of the garlic preparation over the period of 6 weeks showed a significant lowering of the fasting values of triglycerides in comparison to placebo. Under garlic medication HDL2-cholesterol increased more than under placebo in tendency."}
{"id": "PMID:1472143", "title": "Comparison of loratadine and terfenadine in allergic seasonal rhinoconjunctivitis with emphasis on nasal stuffiness and peak flow.", "content": "Non-sedating antihistamines have been used in the treatment of allergic rhinoconjunctivitis. Recommended dosage of loratadine (CAS 79794-75-5) is 10 mg once daily, whereas terfenadine (CAS 50679-08-8) until recently has been recommended as 60 mg twice daily. 105 patients took part in this double-blind 3-week controlled study comparing loratadine 10 mg once daily to terfenadine 120 mg once daily. Patient's daily symptom score and physician's assessment of symptoms, treatment effect and anterior rhinoscopy were evaluated as well as an objective parameter, nasal peak flow. In addition nasal peak flow was compared to patient's symptom score of stuffiness. A significant treatment effect in both treatment groups was found but there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups. Correlation between patient's feeling of stuffiness and nasal peak flow was significant. It is concluded that loratadine 10 mg once daily is as effective as terfenadine 120 mg once daily in controlling allergic rhinoconjunctivitis, and that patients' feeling of stuffiness correlates well to nasal peak flow."}
{"id": "PMID:1472144", "title": "Ocular pharmacokinetics of thiamphenicol in rabbits.", "content": "The ocular pharmacokinetics of thiamphenicol (TAP, CAS 15318-45-3) was studied in rabbits by means of the assessment of its ocular and systemic absorption, and urinary excretion after instillation of 0.5% TAP eye drops. TAP concentrations in aqueous humor, plasma and urine were evaluated by a coupled LC/GC method (detection limit = 0.1 ng/ml), because the necessity to have a technique much more sensitive than the traditional chromatographic ones available in order to quantify the very low drug concentrations in biological fluids produced by the ocular treatment, and generally by a topical administration. The intravenous route was chosen as reference and allowed the absolute bioavailability to be estimated. TAP proved to be well absorbed through the cornea with the peak aqueous humor concentration of 110 ng/ml at 45 min following the instillation. The good ocular absorption of TAP was confirmed by the plasma concentrations observed after instillation of 0.5% eye drops. In any case, these concentrations were more than 1000 times lower than those observed after the intravenous treatment at the dose normally used for infectious diseases, allowing to exclude any systemic toxicity of TAP eye drops. The absolute ocular bioavailability was 16.2% when estimated from the AUC values and 34.0% from the cumulative urinary excretion values."}
{"id": "PMID:1472145", "title": "Critical comments on the treatment of leprosy and other mycobacterial infections with clofazimine.", "content": "The usefulness of clofazimine (CLO, CAS 2030-63-9) in the treatment of mycobacterial infections with special emphasis on treatment of leprosy is critically discussed. Skin discolouration which decreases compliance, placenta passage, excretion in mother's milk which endanger the embryo or baby respectively, saturation kinetics in absorption and difficulties to determine free drug concentration are severe problems. The observed antagonism in the combination of CLO with other drugs, especially with dapsone, is another argument against its application in the therapy of mycobacterial infections. In Germany CLO has not been approved by the Bundesgesundheitsamt."}
{"id": "PMID:1472146", "title": "Preliminary evaluation of immunoadjuvant activity of an orally administered glucan extracted from Candida albicans.", "content": "The immunoadjuvant activity of an orally administered glucan (Glucanil, Gluimmun) was investigated in mice. Glucan was extracted from Candida albicans ATCC 20955 and purified by an alkali-acid and detergent treatment. In this study the chronic intravenous infection with Candida albicans (treated or not with amphotericin B) or Staphylococcus aureus was the experimental model. Moreover the production of interleukin-2 was evaluated in treated animals. Oral treatment with glucan at 1 mg/mouse/day repeated doses, starting from 10 days before the experimental infection, significantly increased polymorphonuclear leukocytes and peripheral monocytes number. A significant increase in number and in vitro candidacidal activity was also observed for alveolar macrophages. The resistance towards systemic infection with Candida albicans or Staphylococcus aureus increased, significantly reducing the growth of microorganisms in the kidneys of infected animals. Glucan significantly increased the candidacidal spleen cells activity and synergized with amphotericin B chemotherapeutic action. Higher doses (eg. 2 or 5 mg/mouse) were not effective. A 10 days oral treatment with 1 mg/mouse/d significantly increased the interleukin-2 production. Toxicological studies showed that glucan is highly tolerated."}
{"id": "PMID:1472147", "title": "Zero interaction response surfaces, interaction functions and difference response surfaces for combinations of biologically active agents.", "content": "In the field of combination experiments there is wide-spread confusion over definitions, terminology and methods for the evaluation of interaction between biologically active agents. According to our view the widely used isobole approach is the method of choice. In this contribution it is shown how the combination of the classical isobole approach with response surface modeling and computer graphics leads to powerful new methods for the assessment of interaction of biologically active agents. In particular, zero interaction response surfaces, difference response surfaces and interaction functions are proposed. Zero interaction response surfaces represent surfaces which display zero interaction in the whole dose range. Difference response surfaces display the difference between an actual response surface and the corresponding zero interaction response surface. Interaction functions are a generalization of the index of interaction, which describe the dose dependence of this quantity."}
{"id": "PMID:1472148", "title": "The amount of drug remaining in the body at the time Tmax after simultaneous extravascular and intravenous administration.", "content": "When a drug is simultaneously given extravascularly and intravenously, the plasma concentration reaches a maximum at a time Tmax. The purpose of this paper is to get the amount of the drug remaining in the body at this time Tmax. Furthermore, mean residence time of the drug and the area under concentration curve are given."}
{"id": "PMID:1472149", "title": "Dose-dependent effects of recombinant human erythropoietin on the reticulocyte population of rabbits.", "content": "The effects of repeated applications of recombinant human erythropoietin (rhEPO, epoetin beta, Recormon, CAS 122312-54-3) on the reticulocyte count and the reticulocyte maturation distribution of rabbits were investigated using the automated reticulocyte analysis system Sysmex R-1000. Therefore, 150, 300, and 600 IU rhEPO per animal were injected 3 times in intervals of 5-6 weeks. The strongest reaction was found on the second day after application of rhEPO with respect to maturation distribution characterized by the distribution quotient (DQ) and on the fourth day with respect to reticulocyte count. At this time these parameters showed a distinct dose dependence (p < 0.001). The effect of rhEPO on the erythropoietic system in the same rabbit population could be repeated. Thus, immunological neutralization of rhEPO did not take place in rabbits in response to a 3-fold application. The results indicate a potential basis for a simple bioassay in order to determine rhEPO activity in normocythemic rabbits."}
{"id": "PMID:1472155", "title": "Issues for academia.", "content": "When colleges and universities provide supervised clinical experiences for students, their models of supervision must consider a number of issues related to individuals and program objectives. Although the importance of each issue will vary from one program to another, increased awareness of specific concerns may be helpful to administrators in developing and implementing more appropriate models. Providing high quality in the supervision of new professionals should help the professions achieve continuous improvements in the quality of service to consumers."}
{"id": "PMID:1472158", "title": "1992 Omnibus Survey. Portrait of the professions.", "content": "The portrait of our professions has changed in recent years, and the changes are quite positive. For example, the number of speech-language pathologists and audiologists who reported that they are unemployed and seeking employment has decreased while salaries reportedly continue to increase. These findings are especially encouraging given the current economic times. They represent a continuing demand for the valuable contributions that speech-language pathologists and audiologists can make in today's society. Caseload characteristics illustrate a different picture compared with data from previous years. Audiologists and speech-language pathologists both reported an increase in service provision to the birth-5 population. In addition, the severity of caseloads for speech-language pathologists has substantially decreased from that of previous years. The issues of support personnel, the AuD degree, and gender discrimination evoked expression of strong opinion. Based on the responses to these questions and the comments that accompanied them, it is apparent that there are many questions that need to be addressed before these issues reach consensus. We must continue to work together until we create a balanced picture. All in all, the portrait of the ASHA membership is both colorful and attractive--definitely suitable for framing. We should be proud of the progress that we have made over the years and of the image that we are creating for our professions. As we continue to take brush in hand, remember that each one of us can make a difference in the direction of our future. So splash on the colors and keep it bright!"}
{"id": "PMID:1472164", "title": "Considerations in screening adults/older persons for handicapping hearing impairments.", "content": "Given the present state of the \"science,\" that is, the dearth of data on the \"ideal\" hearing screening protocol for noninstitutionalized adults and older adults, a definitive recommendation for screening is premature. The controversy and intensity of debate surrounding these issues attests both to the importance of a screening protocol and the acknowledgment of the need for further study by the profession. The ensuing intellectual controversy is not capricious nor whimsical but healthy. The committee has therefore chosen to discuss the issues surrounding selection of a screening protocol and to provide the reader with a series of options for screening. Armed with knowledge of the goal of a particular screening program, it is hoped that clinicians will make educated choices about the screening protocol that best meets their clients' needs. It is also our hope that this report will temporarily assist screening discussions until more comprehensive studies on the reliability, validity and predictive accuracy of selected protocols are available."}
{"id": "PMID:1472169", "title": "Continuous monitoring of jugular venous oxygen saturation in head-injured patients.", "content": "The continuous measurement of jugular venous oxygen saturation (SjvO2) with a fiberoptic catheter is evaluated as a method of detecting cerebral ischemia after head injury. Forty-five patients admitted to the hospital in coma after severe head injury had continuous and simultaneous monitoring of SjvO2, intracranial pressure, arterial oxygen saturation, and end-tidal CO2. Cerebral blood flow, cerebral metabolic rates of oxygen and lactate, arterial and jugular venous blood gas levels, and hemoglobin concentration were measured every 8 hours for 1 to 11 days. Whenever SjvO2 dropped to less than 50%, a standardized protocol was followed to confirm the validity of the desaturation and to establish its cause. Correlation of SjvO2 values obtained by catheter and with direct measurement of O2 saturation by a co-oximeter on venous blood withdrawn through the catheter was excellent after in vivo calibration when there was adequate light intensity at the catheter tip (176 measurements: r = 0.87, p less than 0.01). A total of 60 episodes of jugular venous oxygen desaturation occurred in 45 patients. In 20 patients the desaturation value was confirmed by the co-oximeter. There were 33 episodes of desaturation in these 20 patients, due to the following causes: intracranial hypertension in 12 episodes, hypocarbia in 10, arterial hypoxia in six, combinations of the above in three, systemic hypotension in one, and cerebral vasospasm in one. The incidence of jugular venous oxygen desaturations found in this study suggests that continuous monitoring of SjvO2 may be of clinical value in patients with head injury."}
{"id": "PMID:1472171", "title": "Lack of circumcision increases the risk of urinary tract infection in young men.", "content": "To determine whether lack of circumcision increases the risk of urinary tract infection (UTI) in adult men. Retrospective case-control study (1987-1990) at a sexually transmitted disease clinic in Seattle, Wash. Twenty-six men (median age, 30 years) who had microbiologically confirmed symptomatic UTIs (cases) compared with 52 men (median age, 32 years) who had urinary symptoms but negative urine cultures (controls). Circumcision status among bacteriuric and nonbacteriuric men. The bacteriuric and nonbacteriuric groups were similar in age, race, sexual activity, and sexual preference. Eight (31%) of the 26 bacteriuric men were uncircumcised compared with 6 (12%) of the 52 nonbacteriuric men (P = .037; odds ratio, 3.4; 95% confidence interval, 1.0 to 11.2). Among 19 patients infected with gram-negative bacilli, 8 (42%) of 19 were uncircumcised vs 6 (12%) of 52 nonbacteriuric men (P = .004; odds ratio, 5.6; 95% confidence interval, 1.6 to 19.4). Escherichia coli was the most common urinary isolate (15 of 26 isolates), and the majority of E coli strains possessed urovirulence determinants, including mannose-resistant hemagglutination (10 of 14 isolates), F fimbriae (11 of 14 isolates), P fimbriae (6 of 14 isolates), hemolysin (10 of 14 isolates), and aerobactin (8 of 14 isolates). Although all 26 bacteriuric men had urethral cultures negative for Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Gram-stained urethral smears showed evidence of urethritis in 17 (68%) of 25 men. (1) Lack of circumcision increases the risk of UTI in young adult men. (2) The majority of these infections result from urovirulent strains of E coli. (3) Clinically, these infections often produce urethritis as well as UTI."}
{"id": "PMID:1472174", "title": "Management of children with acute pharyngitis: a decision analysis.", "content": "Although the incidence of acute rheumatic fever has declined in the last decades, a few outbreaks have recently been reported. A rapid latex agglutination test for group A streptococci seems reasonably accurate, and early treatment of acute pharyngitis seems to influence the pharyngitis itself. These factors have promoted uncertainty concerning the current best management of patients with sore throat. Clinical decision analysis is used to compare the risks and benefits of symptomatic treatment, and oral and intramuscular penicillin as therapeutic options, and the throat culture and the rapid latex agglutination test as diagnostic strategies. Best estimates of the risk of streptococcal pharyngitis, its complications, the carrier rate, the accuracy of diagnostic tests, the efficacy of antibiotic treatment, allergic reactions, medication compliance, and health outcomes are combined into a management advisory. All results are subjected to a sensitivity analysis in order to check their strength against plausible changes in assumptions. Quality adjusted life days (QALD) lost are used as an outcome measure. The agglutination test combined with oral penicillin yielded the lowest expected loss (.50) of QALD for a typical child with a risk of harboring streptococci of .60. The other strategies, however, yielded losses that were only several hundredths of QALD higher. For children with at least a 40% chance of harboring streptococci and a duration of complaints of less than 2 days before starting treatment, diagnostic testing and prescription of oral penicillin appear to be the best choice of initial management. The rapid latex agglutination test is more effective than the throat culture, because prompt penicillin treatment after a positive test result may shorten the duration of pharyngitis in infected children. High rates of acute rheumatic fever (over 5 X 10(-4] and low medication compliance change the best strategy to agglutination test with intramuscular administration of penicillin."}
{"id": "PMID:1472175", "title": "The arthritis of Christopher Columbus.", "content": "Christopher Columbus suffered from an arthritic disorder that began on his First Voyage to the New World. The disease was progressive, punctuated by painful flares in the lower extremities, and, at times, seemed to be associated with fever and ocular symptoms. During his Fourth Voyage and final years of life, Columbus was immobilized by his rheumatologic condition. This article uses contemporary historical accounts of Columbus' illness to trace the clinical features of his disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1472177", "title": "Massive theophylline dosing in a heavy smoker receiving both phenytoin and phenobarbital.", "content": "To report unusually high theophylline dosing requirements in a smoker receiving concomitant therapy with phenytoin and phenobarbital. Single case report. 517-bed, university teaching hospital. 29-year-old woman with newly diagnosed asthma, heavy smoking history, and a seizure disorder. The additive influence of smoking, phenytoin, and phenobarbital greatly increased the theophylline dosing requirements. Doses of up to 4 g/d (59 mg/kg/d) were required to achieve adequate symptomatic relief of her asthma as well as to provide therapeutic serum theophylline concentrations. Multiple polymorphisms may additively influence theophylline metabolism and exceptionally large theophylline doses may be required in some patients who smoke and are comedicated with phenytoin and phenobarbital."}
{"id": "PMID:1472180", "title": "Thoracic esophageal perforations at a Virginia hospital 1979-1990.", "content": "A study was made of all patients who underwent management for distal esophageal perforation at the Fairfax Hospital from September 1979 to September 1990. The study group consisted of 13 patients. Nine were male, four female. Mean age was 60.8 yrs, ranging from 36 to 83 yrs. In the group of nine patients diagnosed early (less than 24 hrs), hospital mortality was 22.2% versus 75% in the group of four diagnosed late (greater than 24 hrs). Of the six patients treated conservatively, either medically or surgically, only one survived, but all seven patients diagnosed early and aggressively operated upon survived. Thus the authors agree with others in espousing aggressive, definitive surgery for patients diagnosed early."}
{"id": "PMID:1472181", "title": "Drug therapy of post-traumatic stress disorder.", "content": "Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a recently introduced diagnosis. The disorder is quite common, yet often unrecognised, and leads to significant morbidity or mortality. Effective treatment often entails use of psychotropic medication. Only recently has this become apparent, and awareness of the role of drug therapy in PTSD remains limited. A number of studies have indicated efficacy for antidepressant, mood-stabilising, anticonvulsant and antianxiety medications. This review describes the role of pharmacotherapy, by examining issues of diagnosis and recognition of PTSD, the theoretical basis for drug use, goals of drug treatment, dose ranges, and clinical application of psychotropic drugs."}
{"id": "PMID:1472183", "title": "Controlled trial of plasma exchange and leukapheresis in polymyositis and dermatomyositis.", "content": "The therapeutic options for patients with polymyositis or dermatomyositis that is resistant to corticosteroids are limited, unproved, and often toxic. Uncontrolled trials concluded that both plasma exchange and leukapheresis are beneficial, but despite the considerable use of these approaches, proof of their efficacy is lacking. Thirty-nine patients with definite polymyositis or dermatomyositis were randomly assigned to receive plasma exchange (replacement of one volume of plasma with 5 percent albumin in saline), leukapheresis (removal of 5 x 10(9) to 10 x 10(9) lymphocytes), or sham apheresis in a double-blind manner, with 12 treatments given over a one-month period. Muscle strength, functional capacity, and serum levels of muscle-associated enzymes were measured before and after the 12 procedures. In each group 3 of 13 patients had improvements in strength and functional capacity. The condition of 3 patients treated with leukapheresis and 1 treated with plasma exchange deteriorated, and it was unchanged in the other 26 patients. Adverse effects of apheresis included the need for a central venous catheter (9 patients), major vasovagal episodes (3 patients), and severe citrate reactions (2 patients). Despite the occurrence of significant reductions in the serum levels of muscle enzymes with plasma exchange (P less than 0.001) and significant decreases in lymphocyte counts with leukapheresis (P = 0.002), there were no significant differences among the three treatment groups in the final muscle strength or functional capacity of the patients. As treatments for corticosteroid-resistant polymyositis or dermatomyositis, leukapheresis and plasma exchange are no more effective than sham apheresis."}
{"id": "PMID:1472184", "title": "Adjuvant psychological therapy for patients with cancer: a prospective randomised trial.", "content": "To determine the effect of adjuvant psychological therapy on the quality of life of patients with cancer. Prospective randomised controlled trial comparing the quality of life of patients receiving psychological therapy with that of patients receiving no therapy, measured before therapy, at eight weeks, and at four months of follow up. CRC Psychological Medicine Group of Royal Marsden Hospital. 174 patients aged 18-74 attending hospital with a confirmed diagnosis of malignant disease, a life expectancy of at least 12 months, or scores on various measures of psychological morbidity above previously defined cut off points. Adjuvant psychological therapy, a brief, problem focused, cognitive-behavioural treatment programme specifically designed for the needs of individual cancer patients. Hospital anxiety and depression scale, mental adjustment to cancer scale, Rotterdam symptom checklist, psychosocial adjustment to illness scale. 156 (90%) patients completed the eight week trial; follow up data at four months were obtained for 137 patients (79%). At eight weeks, patients receiving therapy had significantly higher scores than control patients on fighting spirit and significantly lower scores on helplessness, anxious preoccupation, and fatalism; anxiety; psychological symptoms; and on orientation towards health care. These differences indicated improvement in each case. At four months, patients receiving therapy had significantly lower scores than controls on anxiety; psychological symptoms; and psychological distress. Clinically, the proportion of severely anxious patients dropped from 46% at baseline to 20% at eight weeks and 20% at four months in the therapy group and from 48% to 41% and to 43% respectively among controls. The proportion of patients with depression was 40% at baseline, 13% at eight weeks, and 18% at four months in the therapy group and 30%, 29%, and 23% respectively in controls. Adjuvant psychological therapy produces significant improvement in various measures of psychological distress among cancer patients. The effect of therapy observed at eight weeks persists in some but not all measures at four month follow up."}
{"id": "PMID:1472254", "title": "Evaluation of nurse triage in a British accident and emergency department.", "content": "To compare formal nurse triage with an informal prioritisation process for waiting times and patient satisfaction. Accident and emergency department of a district general hospital in the midlands in 1990. Patients attending between 8:00 am and 9:00 pm over six weeks were grouped for analysis according to whether triage was operating at time of presentation and by their degree of urgency as assessed retrospectively by an accident and emergency consultant. 5954 patients presenting over six weeks. Time waited between first attendance in the department and obtaining medical attention, and patient satisfaction measured by questionnaire. Complete data on waiting time were collected on 5037 patients (85%). Only 1213 of the 2515 (48%) patients presenting during the triage period were seen by a triage nurse. Patients in the triage group waited longer than those in the no triage group in all four retrospective priority categories, though differences were significant for only the two most urgent categories (difference in median waiting time 10.5 (95% confidence interval 3.5 to 14) min for category 1 and 8.5 (3 to 12) min for category 2). Responses to the patient satisfaction questionnaire were similar in the two groups except for the question relating to anxiety relating to pain. This study fails to show the benefits claimed for formal nurse triage. Nurse triage may impose additional delay for patient treatment, particularly among patients needing the most urgent attention."}
{"id": "PMID:1472256", "title": "Screening for pediatric eye disease.", "content": "The majority of preschool children in the United States are not screened for visual problems. To avoid permanent visual loss, standardized screening should be incorporated into well-child examinations so that treatment can be initiated promptly. Newborns should be checked for the red reflex, pupillary responses and any constant eye deviation. Infants six months old should be checked for these responses and for \"fixation and following\" and ocular alignment. Visual acuity should be tested in three- to four-year-old children using the \"tumbling E\" test, Allen pictures or the HOTV chart."}
{"id": "PMID:1472257", "title": "Cellular interactions between n-6 and n-3 fatty acids: a mass analysis of fatty acid elongation/desaturation, distribution among complex lipids, and conversion to eicosanoids.", "content": "The biologic effect of eicosanoids depends in large measure upon the relative masses in tissues of eicosanoids derived from the n-6 fatty acids, dihomogammalinolenic acid and arachidonic acid, and the n-3 fatty acid, eicosapentaenoic acid. Generation of this tissue balance is related to the relative cellular masses of these precursor fatty acids, the competition between them for entry into and release from cellular phospholipids, and their competition for the enzymes that catalyze their conversion to eicosanoids. In order to better understand these processes, we studied the cellular interactions of n-6 and n-3 fatty acids using an essential fatty acid-deficient, PGE-producing, mouse fibrosarcoma cell line, EFD-1. Unlike studies using cells with endogenous pools of n-6 and n-3 fatty acids, the use of EFD-1 cells enabled us to examine the metabolic fate of each family of fatty acids both in the presence and in the absence of the second family of fatty acids. Thus, the specific effects of one fatty acid family on the other could be directly assessed. In addition, we were able to replete the cells with dihomogammalinolenic acid (DHLA), arachidonic acid (AA), and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) of known specific activities; thus the masses of cellular DHLA, AA, and EPA, and their metabolites, PGE1, PGE2, and PGE3, respectively, could be accurately quantitated. The major findings of this study were: 1) n-6 fatty acids markedly stimulated the elongation of EPA to 22:5 whereas n-3 fatty acids inhibited the delta 5 desaturation of DHLA to AA and the elongation of AA to 22:4; 2) n-6 fatty acids caused a specific redistribution of cellular EPA from phospholipid to triacylglycerol; 3) n-3 fatty acids reduced the mass of DHLA and AA only in phosphatidylinositol whereas n-6 fatty acids reduced the mass of EPA to a similar extent in all cellular phospholipids; and 4) n-3 fatty acids caused an identical (33%) reduction in the bradykinin-induced release of PGE1 and PGE2, whereas n-6 fatty acids stimulated PGE3 release 2.3-fold. Together, these highly quantitative metabolic data increase our understanding of the regulation of both the cellular levels of DHLA, AA, and EPA, and their availability for eicosanoid synthesis. In addition, these findings provide a context for the effective use of these fatty acids in dietary therapies directed at modulation of eicosanoid production."}
{"id": "PMID:1472259", "title": "The effect of cyclosporine administration on the cellular distribution and content of cyclophilin.", "content": "Cyclophilin (CYP), an intracellular protein sharing amino acid sequence identity with the enzyme peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase has become the leading candidate for the receptor responsible for cyclosporine biological effects. Avid binding of CYP to cyclosporine and immunosuppressive cyclosporine metabolites has been demonstrated, while nonimmunosuppressive cyclosporine metabolites have tended not to bind to cyclophilin. A previous immunohistochemical analysis documented that CYP localized principally to the cytoplasmic cellular compartment, but nuclear staining was observed among some cells. This study was undertaken to more precisely define the ultrastructural distribution of CYP, and to determine whether CYP cellular content was affected by CsA therapy. Untreated Wistar rats or those receiving 7 days of CsA (15 mg/kg/day, i.p.) were anesthetized, perfusion-fixed in situ, and sacrificed. Analyses of lymph node, spleen, thymus, kidney, liver, heart, brain, and ileum used an affinity purified, rabbit anticyclophilin IgG. Transmission electron microscopy was performed after staining with anti-CYP using a horseradish peroxidase/biotin/avidin technique. Quantitative immunofluorescence was measured by confocal microscopy using anti-CYP, with a biotin/avidin/phycoerythrin technique. Cyclophilin localized to the cytoplasmic compartment--however, association with mitochondria endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi, and with the nuclear membrane among lymphocytes, as well as cells from kidney, liver and ileum--was documented. Cyclophilin was not identified within the nucleus proper. Tissues obtained from animals receiving CsA exhibited a generalized increase in CYP content compared with tissues from untreated controls, suggesting the possibility that CsA may exert a regulatory influence upon CYP gene activation. Collectively, the data were consistent with the hypothesis that CYP exerts a central role in cellular metabolism, and that CsA-mediated biologic effects result from the CsA/CYP interaction."}
{"id": "PMID:1472260", "title": "Reduced cardiotoxicity and increased cytotoxicity in a novel anthracycline analogue, 4'-amino-3'-hydroxy-doxorubicin.", "content": "The acute and chronic cardiotoxicity and cytotoxicity of the novel doxorubicin (DXR) derivative 4'-amino-3'-hydroxy-DXR were compared with those of 4'-deoxy-DXR and DXR. In the acute cardiotoxicity study, the ECG and hemodynamic changes recorded in anesthetized rats that had been treated i.v. with 10 mg/kg 4'-amino-3'-hydroxy-DXR or 8.6 mg/kg 4'-deoxy-DXR were significantly less severe than those caused by 13 mg/kg DXR. In the chronic cardiotoxicity study, rats received 3 weekly i.v. injections of 3 mg/kg DXR, 3 mg/kg 4'-amino-3'-hydroxy-DXR, or 2 mg/kg 4'-deoxy-DXR during the first 14 days of the study and were observed for an additional 35-day period. DXR induced severe cardiomyopathy that was characterized by ECG changes in vivo (S alpha T-segment widening and T-wave flattening) and by impairment of the contractile responses (Fmax, +/- dF/dtmax) to adrenaline of hearts isolated from treated animals. 4'-Deoxy-DXR caused a progressive enlargement of the S alpha T segment in vivo and a significant impairment of the -dF/dtmax value in vitro, which were less severe than those produced by DXR. The least cardiotoxic drug was 4'-amino-3'-hydroxy-DXR, which induced minor ECG changes without causing significant alterations in the contractile responses of isolated hearts to adrenaline. On the basis of the drug concentration required to inhibit 50% of the colony formation (IC50) of cell lines in vitro, 4'-amino-3'-hydroxy-DXR was less active than 4'-deoxy-DXR but at least twice as active as DXR against human cancer and murine transformed cell lines. These data indicate that 4'-amino-3'-hydroxy-DXR is significantly less cardiotoxic and more cytotoxic than DXR."}
{"id": "PMID:1472261", "title": "Characterization of biotinylated repair regions in reversibly permeabilized human fibroblasts.", "content": "We have examined the incorporation of biotinyl-11-deoxyuridine triphosphate (BiodUTP) into excision repair patches of UV-irradiated confluent human fibroblasts. Cells were reversibly permeabilized to BiodUTP with lysolecithin, and biotin was detected in DNA on nylon filters using a streptavidin/alkaline phosphatase colorimetric assay. Following a UV dose of 12 J/m2, maximum incorporation of BioUTP occurred at a lysolecithin concentration (80-100 micrograms/mL) similar to that for incorporation of dTTP. Incorporation of BiodUTP into repair patches increased with UV dose up to 4 and 8 J/m2 in two normal human fibroblast strains, while no incorporation of BiodUTP was observed in xeroderma pigmentosum (group A) human fibroblasts. The repair-incorporated biotin was not removed from the DNA over a 48-h period, and only slowly disappeared after longer times (approximately 30% in 72 h), while little of the biotin remained in cells induced to divide. Furthermore, the stability of the biotin in repaired DNA was unaffected by a second dose of UV radiation several hours after the biotin-labeling period to induce a \"second round\" of excision repair. Exonuclease III digestion and gap-filling with DNA polymerase I indicate that the majority of biotin-labeled repair patches (approximately 80%) are rapidly ligated in confluent human cells. However, the remaining patches were not ligated after a 24-h chase period, in contrast to dTTP-labeled repair patches. The BiodUMP repair label in both chromatin and DNA is preferentially digested by staphylococcal nuclease, preventing the use of this enzyme for nucleosome mapping in these regions.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1472262", "title": "Effect of losartan potassium and deoxycorticosterone acetate on tail skin temperature response to acute administration of angiotensin II.", "content": "The potent vasoconstrictor peptide, angiotensin II (AII) (200 micrograms/kg, SC), increases tail skin temperature (TST) and tail blood flow when acutely administered either peripherally (SC) or centrally (ICV) to rats. Colonic temperature declines with the increase in TST. These responses are apparently mediated by way of AII subtype receptor AT1 because they are blocked by acute administration of the nonpeptide AT1 receptor antagonist, losartan potassium (DuP 753) (10 mg/kg, SC). The responses were also blocked by the peptide AII receptor antagonist, saralasin, at 100 micrograms/kg SC. Chronic administration of the steroid deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA, 250-300 micrograms/day for 45 days) sensitized the response of TST to acute administration of AII. The increase in responsiveness resulting from chronic treatment with DOCA is consistent with the increase in dipsogenic responsiveness to AII under similar conditions. The latter was shown to be correlated with the upregulation of AII receptors in the diencephalon. While the location of the AII receptors mediating the increase in TST is not known with certainty, it is reasonable to suggest that they are also upregulated by chronic treatment with DOCA."}
{"id": "PMID:1472263", "title": "The primary structure of neuropeptide F (NPF) from the garden snail, Helix aspersa.", "content": "Neuropeptide F (NPF), originally isolated from the sheep tapeworm, Moniezia expansa, consists of 39 amino acid residues terminating in a phenylalaninamide. An analogous neuropeptide has been isolated and sequenced from extracts of circumoesophageal ganglia of the garden snail, Helix aspersa. This neuropeptide exhibits partial primary structural similarity to members of the vertebrate neuropeptide Y (NPY)/pancreatic polypeptide (PP) superfamily. NPF is thus of widespread occurrence in the nervous systems of invertebrates from different phyla and may represent the phylogenetic precursor of the vertebrate NPY/PP superfamily."}
{"id": "PMID:1472265", "title": "Sucking technique and its effect on success of breastfeeding.", "content": "We investigated the prognostic value of sucking technique (faulty vs correct) during the first week after birth in relation to the long-term success of breastfeeding. At discharge from the maternity ward, 82 healthy mother-infant pairs were observed for assessment of breastfeeding technique and followed for four months by regular telephone checkups. Correct sucking technique was defined as the infant having a wide-open mouth, with the tongue under the areola, and expressing milk from the breast by slow, deep sucks; faulty technique was defined as superficial nipple sucking. The study population was divided into three groups: one in which faulty sucking technique was corrected when observed (n = 29), one with faulty but uncorrected technique (n = 25), and a control group with a correct technique (n = 28). At the four-month follow-up assessment, the faulty but uncorrected group was characterized by a greater proportion of mothers with breastfeeding problems and early cessation of breastfeeding than the other two groups. Regular use of a pacifier (> 2 hrs/day) was more common among those with breastfeeding problems."}
{"id": "PMID:1472266", "title": "Short-term morbidity associated with cesarean delivery.", "content": "This study describes the short-term morbidity associated with cesarean delivery and women's knowledge of the reasons it was performed. It was conducted in a university teaching hospital that delivers approximately 4000 women per year. During 1986, 619 women (16%) were delivered by cesarean, 588 of whom were sent a questionnaire three months after delivery. The response rate was 76 percent. General questions were asked about the women's recovery and health state after the birth, and whether they had experienced more specific types of morbidity, including infection, backache, and depression, and the reasons for the cesarean delivery. Women's answers were then compared with the obstetric case record. In their comprehension of why the cesarean was necessary, 87 percent of women were right or partially right, 35 percent believed they had still not fully recovered, and 28 percent felt less healthy than before the pregnancy. Women experienced a wide variety of postnatal morbidity, most commonly backache (55%), constipation (49%), and depression (38%). The study showed that considerable maternal morbidity is associated with cesarean delivery, and it can persist long after the woman is discharged from hospital. Much more information is necessary about the health of women after delivery, and research is urgently required to determine the comparative rates of morbidity associated with different delivery methods."}
{"id": "PMID:1472267", "title": "Prenatal factors associated with breastfeeding duration: recommendations for prenatal interventions.", "content": "This study of 198 urban breastfeeding women examined the psychosocial, demographic, and medical factors identified prenatally that may be associated with longer breastfeeding duration and may serve as suitable areas for prenatal breastfeeding promotion interventions. Of 11 psychosocial and demographic factors examined, 5 were important influences on breastfeeding duration: anticipated length of breastfeeding, normative beliefs, maternal confidence, social learning, and behavioral beliefs about breastfeeding. Methods of multivariate linear regression were used to identify prenatal factors that influenced anticipated length. Of the 10 factors entered into the regression model, parity, plans to return to work or school by six months postpartum, and maternal confidence were the most significant factors affecting anticipated length of breastfeeding. Our data suggest several factors amenable to intervention during the prenatal period that appear to influence breastfeeding duration. Prenatal promotion efforts could easily incorporate strategies that influence factors such as normative and behavioral beliefs and maternal confidence."}
{"id": "PMID:1472268", "title": "College women's expectations about pregnancy, childbirth, and infant care: a prospective study.", "content": "A prospective study of 103 women undergraduate students explored expectations and knowledge about pregnancy, childbirth, and newborn care. Participants completed a 35-item questionnaire based on a planned pregnancy. Most women (68%) thought they were extremely likely to become pregnant in their lives and planned to have an average of 2.6 children. Positive emotions about pregnancy were most frequently excited, happy, and proud, and negative emotions were most frequently nervous, scared, and anxious. Women expected that pregnancy and parenting would interfere most with work or education plans. Choices of birthplace were hospital delivery room (54.4%), in-hospital birthing room (35%), out-of-hospital birth center (3.9%), and home (2.9%). One-half of the women planned to breastfeed, 35 percent had not decided, and 10.7 percent would not breastfeed. Positive feelings about pregnancy were correlated with positive feelings about labor and birth (r = 0.48, P < 0.001). Negative feelings about pregnancy were correlated with a low self-assessment of ability to care for an infant (r = -0.27, P < 0.01). Some college women's expectations are similar to those held by pregnant women, and suggest the need for further education of young women in areas such as prenatal health care and breastfeeding."}
{"id": "PMID:1472269", "title": "Sleep disturbances, vitality, and fatigue among a select group of employed childbearing women.", "content": "Self-reported sleep disturbances and levels of vitality and fatigue were studied in a secondary analysis of 25 pregnant and 29 postpartum employed women. Results indicate that pregnant women have problems initiating and maintaining sleep, and postpartum women have problems maintaining sleep, but not falling asleep. The primary reason for midsleep awakenings was urinary frequency among the pregnant women, and child care responsibilities among the postpartum women. Chronic sleep disturbance was indicated by a greater percentage of postpartum women who fell asleep easily, very few who felt highly energetic at work, and most who perceived a high level of fatigue during the past week. Even with these sleep disruptions, no differences occurred in the mean scores for perception of fatigue and vitality between the two groups. Clinicians can use these findings to educate women about some changes they may anticipate and how they might manage them during pregnancy and postpartum."}
{"id": "PMID:1472270", "title": "Effects of childhood sexual abuse on childbirth: one woman's story.", "content": "Anna Rose is a survivor of childhood emotional, physical, and sexual abuse. Much of the abuse was \"submerged\" until her mid-thirties, when she was pregnant with her second child, and finally began to remember and deal with the realities of what had happened to her. During her second pregnancy, Anna wrote, \"It has taken me more than three years to even begin to deal with the rage I feel about my first birth experience, even though I have been in therapy most of that time. Now that I am pregnant again, the unresolved issues are coming to the surface, and intense fears that this birth will be a repeat of the first.\" Anna's first child, Elliot, was born in 1987 in a hospital birthing room in the northeastern United States. Her husband Paul, a younger sister, and a close friend were present, and she was attended by an obstetrician named Bernie. She describes that birth as \"19 hours of hard labor, absolutely exhausting and unmanageable, which required drugs at some point to let me sleep for a few hours.\" Labor was induced by Pitocin due to premature rupture of membranes and lack of effective contractions after 12 hours. Continuous electronic fetal monitoring was used throughout labor. Anna breastfed Elliot for three years, and found La Leche League \"extremely helpful and supportive\" during that time. Tom, Anna's second child, was born at home in 1991. Two midwives attended the birth after she changed caregivers during the pregnancy because she \"did not feel safe enough\" with the obstetrician and nurse-midwife team she had chosen for this birth. She maintained the team as backup, although they did not know of her plans for a home birth. Her second labor lasted under 6 hours, was noninterventive, and \"incredibly intense and painful, partly due to the abuse memories that were coming up and getting in the way and partly due to the baby's position.\" We thank Anna Rose for sharing her story with Birth. Her reason for doing so is, in her words, because, \"I feel strongly that it is important to share this information in an effort to educate health care professionals so that other women may be helped.\""}
{"id": "PMID:1472277", "title": "Isotypic distribution of HIV-1-specific antibodies in individuals from central Africa.", "content": "Individuals infected with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) develop a humoral immune response to the virus's major structural gene products env, gag, and pol. The distribution of antibodies to env, gag, and pol proteins in Central African populations is of interest as they have a high level of immune system activation compared to non-African populations. Using the Western blot technique, we analyzed the isotypic distribution of anti-HIV antibodies in 45 HIV-1-infected individuals from Central Africa that were either symptomatic or asymptomatic. We observed two basic differences between the isotypic profile of individuals from Central Africa and non-African populations. Central African individuals had a strong polyisotypic response to gag and pol, which has only been observed for gag in American and European populations. In addition, individuals from Central Africa had a high frequency of IgG4 to gag and pol, 75 and 51%, respectively, as compared to 29 and 6% in a non-African population. The elevated IgG4 response may result from the high basal level of immune stimulation seen in Africans due to multiple and frequent exposures to viral, bacterial, and parasitic antigens."}
{"id": "PMID:1472278", "title": "Susceptibility of trout kidney macrophages to viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus.", "content": "Viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV) lysed the macrophages from rainbow trout kidney cultures either isolated by plastic adherence or stimulated with purified glycoprotein G from VHSV. The trout macrophages supported the replication of VHSV as tested by cell culture and by sandwich ELISA of the supernatants from infected cultures. VHSV-infected macrophages showed a decrease in both acridine-orange fluorescence and average size. Immunofluorescence studies with flow cytometry showed positive membrane staining with monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) anti-N and anti-G VHSV. These findings open the possibility of using trout macrophages as presenting cells to study the possible existence of helper or cytotoxic epitopes relevant to the protection of trout against VHSV."}
{"id": "PMID:1472279", "title": "A method to analyze the interaction between gp120 of human immunodeficiency virus and CD4.", "content": "The study presents a new in vitro method to investigate the interaction between the glycoprotein (gp)120 of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and its receptor, CD4. The method is based on the binding of soluble recombinant CD4 to a human T cell line, 8E5, which constitutively expresses gp120 at its surface as a result of infection with HIV (LAV) and lacks reverse transcriptase activity. The binding of CD4 to gp120 on the cell surface is revealed by immunofluorescence using a murine monoclonal antibody to CD4. Binding can be inhibited by different substances like dextran sulfate, heparin, pentosan polysulfate, but not Leu3a. The reasons for this discrepancy are discussed. We propose this assay as a simple, reproducible, and rapid new method to screen new, pharmacological inhibitors of the gp120/CD4 interaction."}
{"id": "PMID:1472282", "title": "Endothelial transcytosis of iron-transferrin in the liver does not involve endosomal traffic.", "content": "Through a process resembling receptor-mediated internalization, liver endothelium binds and internalizes iron-transferrin (Fe-Tf) complexes, transporting them from the luminal to abluminal side. Since in most systems, the path of receptor-mediated endocytosis leads to the endosomal compartment where the medium is acidified, it is expected that Fe and Tf become dissociated in this acidified medium. However, experiments with double labeling (59Fe, 125I-Tf) indicate that these remain associated. To determine whether the endosomal pathway is used in the course of transendothelial transport of Fe-Tf, experiments were done by incubating purified liver endothelium with radiolabeled Fe-Tf in the presence and absence of endosomal inhibitors, NH4Cl, ethylamine and monensin. The discharge of radiolabeled protein was measured as a function of time. While there was an early phase inhibition in the presence of endosomal inhibitors, the discharge of Tf by endothelium in the presence of inhibitors, reached a plateau comparable to control cells after 4 h, indicating that endosomal inhibition does not inhibit transendothelial transport of Tf and, thus, the transport does not involve endosomal traffic."}
{"id": "PMID:1472283", "title": "Interleukin-6 expression in immunologically elicited murine macrophages.", "content": "We report the expression of both interleukin-6 (IL6) messenger RNA and biological activity in complete Freund's adjuvant-elicited peritoneal macrophages (CFA-M phi). IL6 mRNA expression peaked between 4 and 8 h of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation; biological activity was maximal at approximately 18 h of stimulation. LPS-induced IL6 mRNA was inhibited by treatment with cycloheximide (5 micrograms/ml), implicating the participation of a secondary protein mediator in the induction process, or the dependence upon protein synthesis for receptor ligand interactions. Comparison of CFA-M phi with resident peritoneal macrophages suggests that the elicited cell population makes more IL6 in response to LPS than the resident population on a per cell basis."}
{"id": "PMID:1472284", "title": "Impairment of long-term memory and sparing of short-term memory in monkeys with medial temporal lobe lesions: a response to Ringo.", "content": "During the last decade, an animal model of human amnesia was developed in the monkey. Studies using this model have identified structures in the medial temporal lobe that are essential for forming long-term memory (i.e. the hippocampus and the entorhinal, perirhinal and parahippocampal cortices). Recently, an important aspect of these studies was questioned by Ringo (Behav. Brain Res., 42 (1991) 123-134). He suggested that the data from the delayed non-matching-to-sample task, which has been extensively used in these studies, have been analyzed in a potentially misleading way. He reanalyzed the data from several laboratories by transforming percent correct data to a discriminability (d') measure based on signal detection theory. In monkeys with lesions, performance appeared to be equivalently impaired at short and long retention delays. He concluded that the data do not support the idea that medial temporal lobe damage produces an impairment in long-term memory, but not short-term memory. However, most of the studies he analyzed were not designed to address the distinction between short-term and long-term memory. We show here that, in studies designed to compare short-term and long-term memory directly, medial temporal lobe lesions impair long-term memory while leaving short-term memory intact. This result is obtained whether the data are analyzed using a percent correct measure, the d' measure, or an arcsine transform."}
{"id": "PMID:1472285", "title": "A behavioral study of the contributions of cells and fibers of passage in the red nucleus of the rat to postural righting, skilled movements, and learning.", "content": "Although the red nucleus consists of cells of origin for the rubro-spinal and rubro-olivary tracts, fibers of passage, including those of the superior cerebellar peduncle, which project from the cerebellum to the ventrolateral thalamus, pass through it. This study examined the relative effect of cell vs. fiber damage in the red nucleus on a number of behaviors thought to involve the red nucleus, including a skilled movement of reaching for food with a forelimb, postural righting on a surface and in the air, and learning a place response in a swimming pool test. Rats received unilateral or bilateral red nucleus lesions, using either the relatively cell-specific neurotoxins, ibotenic and quinolinic acid, or non-specific electrolytic anodal lesions. Both neurotoxic lesions effectively eliminated all red nucleus cell bodies, and in some animals they produced small cavities in the red nucleus and/or loss of cells in adjacent structures. Electrolytic lesions destroyed both cells and fibers, leaving a large cavity. The severity of the behavioral deficits were not related to the loss of red nucleus cells and there was a close relation between fiber damage and behavioral impairments on all of the tasks. The results suggest that for a number of behaviors, which have been thought to involve the red nucleus, impairments are more closely associated with fiber damage or damage to structures outside the red nucleus than they are to damage to cells of the red nucleus."}
{"id": "PMID:1472286", "title": "Lateralization and reaching skill related: results and implications from a large sample of Long-Evans rats.", "content": "Limb preference and reaching success were examined in 580 Long-Evans rats. Most rats displayed a strong asymmetry. Although slightly more rats used the left limb than used the right limb, the difference was not significant. Thus, Long-Evans rats do not show dominance with respect to limb use. There was a significant correlation between the degree of lateralization and success of limb use. This relation suggests either that endogenous factors contributing to limb lateralization also contribute to motor skill or else the use of a lateralized reaching strategy facilitates the development of skill in reaching. The results are discussed in terms of their methodological implications for studies of selective breeding and strain differences and also in terms of their significance for understanding the evolutionary basis of lateralization and dominance."}
{"id": "PMID:1472287", "title": "Brief exposure to an enriched environment improves performance on the Morris water task and increases hippocampal cytosolic protein kinase C activity in young rats.", "content": "This study was designed to determine whether brief exposure to an enriched environment around the time of weaning would affect learning and memory processes in young rats. In addition, this study sought to determine if experience in an enriched environment would alter hippocampal protein kinase C (PKC) which is thought to be a possible neural substrate that underlies learning and memory processes. Animals were either reared in an enriched environment or standard laboratory cages starting at 15 days old. After 6 (21 days old) or 12 (27 days old) days subjects were either tested in the Morris water task, or had the hippocampus removed for biochemical analysis of PKC activity. Morris water task results showed that compared to laboratory reared controls, the performance of subjects reared in the enriched environment for 12 days, but not 6 days, was improved. In addition, 12 days of exposure to the enriched environment, but not 6 days, produced more cytosolic hippocampal PKC activity. The particulate fraction appeared not to be affected by rearing in the enriched environment. Brief exposure to an enriched environment around weaning, therefore, both improved Morris water task performance and increased hippocampal PKC activity. These outcomes suggest that performance in the Morris water task and hippocampal PKC may be functionally related."}
{"id": "PMID:1472288", "title": "Removal of the hippocampus and transection of the fornix produce comparable deficits on delayed non-matching to position by rats.", "content": "Rats with radiofrequency lesions of the fimbria/fornix or with extensive aspiration lesions of the hippocampal region (the hippocampus proper, dentate gyrus, and subicular complex) were tested on their performance of a delayed non-matching to position task which had been learnt before surgery. On a given trial, one of two sample levers was presented in a random manner. Following a response on this lever and a subsequent delay, both levers were presented and reward was now contingent on a response on the lever that was not used as the sample. Both lesions produced equivalent performance deficits on this test of spatial working memory, the pattern of these deficits being consistent with a mnemonic impairment. The lack of difference between these two groups on a variety of performance measures indicates that hippocampal connections passing through the fornix are not only necessary for this test, but that non-fornical hippocampal connections appear unable on their own to maintain accurate responding."}
{"id": "PMID:1472289", "title": "Apomorphine and electrical self-stimulation of rat brain.", "content": "The participation of dopamine neurons in reward produced by electrical stimulation of the brain was examined by measuring self-stimulation thresholds after injections of apomorphine, a direct agonist of dopamine receptors. Rats were trained to press a lever to obtain 0.3-s trains of electrical stimulation applied to lateral hypothalamic electrodes in a paradigm where the pulse frequency was decreased every eight stimulations by approximately 20%. The pulse frequency interpolated at 50% of maximum rate was taken as threshold. In a completely within-subject design, five doses of apomorphine from 0.01 to 1.00 mg/kg and the ascorbic acid vehicle were injected in a random order and thresholds were tracked at intervals of 5 min for 2 h postinjection. Low doses from 0.01 to 0.10 mg/kg caused thresholds to increase while the two higher doses, 0.30 and 1.00 mg/kg, caused thresholds to drop; the switch in the direction of the behavioural effect is thought to parallel the shift in apomorphine's action from presynaptic to predominantly postsynaptic activation of dopamine receptors as the concentration of apomorphine increases."}
{"id": "PMID:1472290", "title": "The effects of lesions of area V4 on the visual abilities of macaques: colour categorization.", "content": "Monkeys with V4 lesions and unoperated controls were tested behaviourally for their perception of the colour categories red, green, blue and yellow. As expected, the monkeys with V4 lesions took longer to acquire the colour discriminations. However, the pattern of learning was the same in the two groups of animals. Both the lesioned and the control animals made more errors when the stimuli to be discriminated belonged to the same colour category than when they belonged to different categories and thus showed normal colour categorization. The results suggest that monkeys with V4 lesions perceive the colour spectrum according to the same fundamental perceptual categories as normal monkeys and humans, and thus support the view that, in the colour domain, the four basic perceptual categories are constructed by chromatic mechanisms operating earlier than visual area V4."}
{"id": "PMID:1472291", "title": "Short-term memory for the temporal order of events in monkeys.", "content": "Two monkeys (Macaca fascicularis) demonstrated short-term memory for the recency of unpredictable visual events in a probe recognition task. On each trial, from two to five 3-dimensional objects were randomly selected from a pool of 200 and presented sequentially. In the test probe that followed, the subjects saw two objects from the preceding list and chose the one that had appeared earlier. Overall accuracy was 73% correct. Like human judgments of recency, accuracy varied inversely with the lag and directly with the temporal separation of the objects in the probe. The data suggest that monkeys encode information about object order as well as object identity, their mnemonic representation of the ordered list contains information about all of its constituent elements, and recency judgments are made at the time the probe is presented and not before. Monkey processing of temporal order information is in these respects similar to human order memory."}
{"id": "PMID:1472292", "title": "Sodium appetite after transection of the chorda tympani nerve in Wistar and Fischer 344 rats.", "content": "Acute sodium depletion in rats leads to dramatic increases in intake of hypertonic NaCl solutions, a behavior known as sodium appetite. The importance of signals conveyed by the chorda tympani (CT) nerve to the expression of sodium appetite is unclear. We examined the effects of bilateral CT transection on the short- and long-term response to sodium depletion in Wistar and Fischer 344 (F344) rat strains, because Wistar rats normally display a NaCl preference in the absence of need whereas F344 rats avoid NaCl. In both strains, sodium appetite after CT transection and treatment with the diuretic furosemide was delayed and blunted or eliminated. The results suggest that signals conveyed by the CT nerve are important in the expression of a sodium appetite. Effects on F344 rats are particularly interesting because CT transection surgery appears to have opposite effects on NaCl intake depending on whether F344 rats are sodium replete or deplete."}
{"id": "PMID:1472293", "title": "Posttraining effects of amphetamine, chlorpromazine, ketamine, and scopolamine on the acquisition and extinction of the rabbit's conditioned nictitating membrane response.", "content": "Four experiments examined whether posttraining deliveries of drugs modified the performance of the rabbit's conditioned nictitating membrane response (NMR) during acquisition and extinction. The results show that ketamine accelerated, but that amphetamine, chlorpromazine, and scopolamine retarded, conditioning when the drugs were injected immediately after the completion of daily training sessions. However, all conditioning effects of the drugs were lost when their deliveries were delayed by 2 hr after the end of training. During extinction, the only drug that altered conditioned performance was ketamine. Specifically, ketamine retarded the rate of extinction when the drug was given immediately after training. However, delaying ketamine by 2 hr after training neutralized the drug's influence. These findings indicate that the NMR preparation should be useful in examining how the posttraining delivery of drugs influences associative processes in conditioning."}
{"id": "PMID:1472294", "title": "Medial prefrontal cortex lesions and spatial delayed alternation in the developing rat: recovery or sparing?", "content": "In Experiment 1, Long-Evans rat pups received medial prefrontal cortex (PFC) aspirations or sham surgery on Postnatal Day 10 (PND10) and were then trained on PND23 to perform one of two T-maze tasks: discrete-trials delayed alternation (DA) or simple position discrimination. Early PFC damage produced a selective failure to learn the DA task. In Experiment 2, pups given the same lesion or sham surgery were trained on DA on PND19, PND27, or PND33. In relation to sham-operated controls, pups with PFC damage were impaired on PND19, somewhat impaired on PND27, and entirely unimpaired when tested on PND33. In Experiment 3, pups given larger lesions of the frontal cortex on PND10 were impaired on DA when tested on PND23 but not when tested on PND33. These findings indicate that early PFC lesions result in a memory deficit around the time of weaning, which then recovers over the next 10-14 days of development. Moreover, the early deficit is selective for a late developing cognitive process (or processes) that is involved in acquisition of DA."}
{"id": "PMID:1472295", "title": "Memory-based learning in preweanling and adult rats after infantile x-irradiation-induced hippocampal granule cell hypoplasia.", "content": "Infantile exposure to x-irradiation induced severe hippocampal granule cell hypoplasia in preweanling and young adult rats. Hippocampally damaged pups, tested at 16 days of age, showed deficits in a memory-based discrimination based on single alternations of reward and nonreward when training was conducted at a 60-s intertrial interval (ITI) but not when conducted at a 30-s ITI. This deficit was still present at the 60-s ITI in animals x-irradiated in infancy and tested at 60-65 days of age. These data provide further support for the role of the hippocampus in intermediate-term memory and demonstrate, in a developmental context, the importance of an intact hippocampus in learning that depends on nonspatial memory."}
{"id": "PMID:1472296", "title": "Laterality, alternation, and perseveration relationships on the T-maze test.", "content": "The T-maze test has been used to study several entirely different issues: spontaneous alternation behavior (SAB), perseveration behavior (PB), and behavioral lateralization. Despite the fact that in this test the behavior studied is always the same one (i.e., side choice), the possible relationships among SAB, PB, and lateralization have not been previously evaluated. The present study investigated the relationships among these functions. The results demonstrated that (a) shock increases PB and lateralization but decreases SAB, (b) practice increases lateralization and decreases SAB but does not modify PB, and (c) there are sex differences for alternation and SAB. Because these functions are expressed by the same behavioral pattern, they must be quantified simultaneously to avoid mistaken conclusions when the T-maze test is used."}
{"id": "PMID:1472297", "title": "Dorsal diencephalic self-stimulation: a movable electrode mapping study.", "content": "The function relating electrical self-stimulation (ESS) bar-pressing rate to the frequency of cathodal pulses (0.2 mA and 0.1 ms) was obtained for several positions of a movable electrode in the dorsal diencephalon of the rat. The rate-frequency functions were fitted to a sigmoid model to obtain the asymptotic rate and threshold frequency. ESS was found along the epithalamic route (stria medullaris, habenula, and fasciculus retroflexus) and in the following thalamic nuclei: mediodorsal, paratenial, interanteromedial, centromedial, reuniens, and rhomboid. The lowest threshold (approximately 5 pulses/train), which was found in the stria medullaris and the junction of the paratenial and centromedial nuclei, was comparable to that usually obtained for the brain areas where the ESS is most effectively rewarding (medial forebrain bundle, dorsal raphe, and amygdala). However, most of threshold estimates were 4 to 8 times higher. In most brain sites, ESS was accompanied by epileptiform, motor, or aversive reactions (or a combination of these). These reactions may explain the fact that the maximum rates were generally very low. Nevertheless, no correlation was found between maximum rates and threshold frequencies."}
{"id": "PMID:1472298", "title": "Influences of hypothyroidism on the taste detection performance of rats: a signal detection analysis.", "content": "The influences of hypothyroidism on behavioral measures of the taste function in male and female Long-Evans rats were determined. Experimental rats' preferences for and ability to detect NaCl, HCl, sucrose, and quinine sulfate were examined before, during, and after 9 weeks of maintenance on 0.1% propylthiouracil (PTU), an agent that produces marked hypothyroidism, with similar determinations made for control animals. Despite significant decreases in PTU-treated rats' serum triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxin (T4), there were no changes in sensitivity or responsivity to the target tastants. However, altered preferences for NaCl, HCl, and quinine sulfate were observed for PTU-treated rats; elevated consumption of HCl and quinine sulfate was present at the end of the study when serum T3 and T4 had returned to near-baseline levels. The data confirm observations that PTU-induced hypothyroidism alters rats' taste preference behavior."}
{"id": "PMID:1472299", "title": "Ethanol and cytokine secretion.", "content": "Cytokines are regulatory polypeptides secreted during the generation of an immune or inflammatory response by lymphocytes, cells of the monocyte/macrophage series, and a variety of other cell types. Alterations in the production, site of action, or metabolism of cytokines by exogenous factors, such as ethanol (EtOH), may have deleterious effects on the immune system as a whole. EtOH has been implicated in the onset of a variety of immune defects in vivo including effects on the production of cytokines critically involved in inflammatory responses (tumor necrosis factor, interleukin 1 and interleukin 6). In this review, we examine current knowledge regarding the effects of EtOH on the release of cytokines in humans and in animal models, in vitro and in vivo, which may help to elucidate the adverse actions of EtOH on mammalian immune systems."}
{"id": "PMID:1472300", "title": "Effects of ethanol on parameters of cellular immunity and host defense mechanisms to infectious agents.", "content": "Results of several studies have associated ethanol abuse with an increased incidence of infections, including opportunistic infections and those caused by microorganisms, as well as of certain types of cancer. Research findings from several laboratories clearly indicate that one possible mechanism in this association is an effect of ethanol on the immune system. We have developed an animal model fo ethanol ingestion in a liquid diet to study the effects of ethanol on immune responses. In most of the studies, we have used a pair-feeding design in which control animals are given a liquid diet that is isocaloric to the ethanol diet by the addition of either sucrose or dextran-maltose. Here, we discuss data obtained from in vivo studies of cellular function. We have studied the effects of ethanol on activation of T lymphocytes in vivo after intravenous injection of monoclonal antibody to CD3. The stimulation of cells in the spleen was assessed by measuring levels of cytokine RNA. We have also assessed the ability of animals to respond to a sublethal dose of Listeria monocytogenes to determine whether ethanol alters host defense mechanisms. Our findings indicate that ethanol ingestion reduced the ability of mice to respond to anti-CD3 and to resist infection with a bacterium that predominantly infects the liver."}
{"id": "PMID:1472301", "title": "Fetal alcohol exposure and adult tumorigenesis.", "content": "Adult rats exposed to prenatal alcohol were evaluated for their susceptibility to either hormone- or chemical-inducing tumors. In the first study, rats exposed to prenatal alcohol displayed an increased propensity to beta-estradiol (E2)-induced adenohypophyseal prolactinoma. The susceptibility was manifest as a potentiated increase in anterior pituitary weight as well as in serum prolactin levels after 1 and 3 weeks but not 5 weeks of hormone treatment. Two weeks after withdrawing the E2-implant, the prolactinoma underwent involution and serum prolactin reversed to baseline levels. The high concentrations of serum corticosterone were also reduced but did not return to baseline levels after E2 removal. In the second study, nitrosomethylbenzylamine (NMBA) was utilized to induce esophageal cancer in adult rats. There were no significant differences in tumor incidence or size between the prenatal alcohol-exposed and the pair-fed cohorts. However, the NMBA-treated prenatal alcohol-exposed rats displayed a marked decrease in thymus: body wt ratio as well as adrenal gland hyperplasia. The results suggest that no single mechanism can account for the variable susceptibility displayed by the prenatal alcohol-exposed rats to chemical carcinogens. Some of the observed changes, however, may be attributable to the long-lasting adverse effects of prenatal alcohol exposure on the well-being of the adult host."}
{"id": "PMID:1472302", "title": "Alcohol, hepatic sinusoidal microcirculation, and chronic liver disease.", "content": "According to the \"intact cell hypothesis,\" ethanol (EtOH) primarily targets nonparenchymal hepatic sinusoidal and perisinusoidal cells, thereby promoting sinusoidal capillarization, which impairs microcirculatory exchange of nutrients and wastes, promotes tissue fibrosis, and only indirectly damages hepatic parenchyma. To test this hypothesis, sinusoidal ultrastructure and hepatic lymph flow and protein composition were examined in rats up to 16 weeks after intragastric EtOH (36% calories)-high fat infusion (Tsukamoto-French model) (TF). The findings were compared to dietary controls and interpreted in light of restricted transsinusoidal protein movement observed in patients with alcoholic cirrhosis. In vitro, alterations in rat hepatic sinusoidal endothelial cell (RSE) morphology, proliferative index, and transendothelial macromolecular permeability (Evans blue-albumin uptake into microcarrier beads) were determined after acute and more chronic exposure to 0.1%-5 vol% EtOH. TF displayed 75% increased liver size, perisinusoidal collagenosis, and basal lamina deposition, ascitic fluid, and doubling of hepatic lymph liquid and protein flux. In vitro, 1% EtOH retracted RSE cell margins, enhanced transendothelial Evans blue-albumin flux and suppressed proliferative index. Thus, high EtOH concentration, clinically attainable in the portal blood during an alcoholic binge, both in vivo and in vitro, promotes early structural and functional alterations in sinusoidal endothelium, which over time may be responsible for progressive restriction of free intrahepatic exchange of liquid, macromolecules, and migrating immune cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1472303", "title": "Selective effects of fetal alcohol exposure on rat thymocyte development.", "content": "The thymoproliferative response to concanavalin A (ConA) following fetal alcohol exposure (FAE) is higher than control (149%) on day 44, is lower than control (64%) by day 51, and normalizes by day 69 (88% of controls). The ontogeny of HLA-Dr and transferrin receptor (CD71) expression in response to anti-CD3 stimulation is similar among the groups, but is distinct from that of ConA proliferation. The ontogeny of glucocorticoid cytoplasmic receptor (GCCR) sites per thymocyte is also different from the ontogeny of the ConA response. The number of GCCR sites rises sharply (2.5-fold) in control rat thymocytes between days 30 and 44, and remains at that level at later time points. By contrast, the number of GCCR sites per FAE thymocytes rises nearly linearly and normalizes by day 72. Our data support the notion that prenatal alcohol exposure significantly alters thymic development and indicates that the relationship between the development of thymocyte functional responses and that of GCCR is more complex than initially hypothesized."}
{"id": "PMID:1472304", "title": "Ethanol enhances immunosuppression induced by cocaine.", "content": "Use of cocaine concurrently with alcohol is prevalent among cocaine addicts. Cocaine has been shown to inhibit phytohemagglutinin- and ConA-induced proliferation of T-lymphocytes, NK cell cytotoxicity, and phagocytic activity of peritoneal macrophages. In some studies no effects of cocaine on the immune response have been observed, although on the contrary, others show it increased the NK cell activity and serum antibody response to T-dependent antigen. Effects of cocaine on the immune system may be mediated by its neurostimulatory action on the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis. ACTH, beta-endorphine, and corticosterone released under the action of cocaine exert various inhibitory effects on the immune function. We studied the immunotoxic effect of cocaine, combination of cocaine with ethanol, and cocaethylene, a derivative formed from cocaine and ethanol in the body, on the mitogen-stimulated production of cytokines by splenocytes. C57BL mice were injected twice daily with 20 mg/kg cocaine or equivalent dose of cocaethylene and received a liquid Lieber-DeCarli diet containing ethanol (26% of total calories) or isocaloric amount of maltose-dextrin. After 3 weeks of treatment, cocaine and cocaethylene caused a significant decrease of the spleen weight and total number of splenocytes. In splenocytes isolated from the cocaine- or cocaethylene-treated mice, mitogen-stimulated production of gamma-interferon, tumor necrosis factor, and interleukin-2 was suppressed, in all cases more severely when cocaethylene was used. Thus, formation of cocaethylene during simultaneous consumption of cocaine and ethanol may enhance the immunotoxicity of cocaine."}
{"id": "PMID:1472305", "title": "Age dependent development of ethanol drinking in rats after inhibition of aldehyde dehydrogenase.", "content": "The purpose of this experiment was to determine the temporal characteristics associated with the age-related development of volitional consumption of ethanol induced by the pharmacological inhibition of aldehyde dehydrogenase (AlDH). To induce preference for ethanol, the AlDH inhibitor, cyanamide, was administered to male Sprague-Dawley rats which were 30 days of age. Cyanamide (n = 8) was injected subcutaneously twice daily in a dose of 10 mg/kg over a period of 3 days while the control group (n = 6) received the saline vehicle solution according to the same schedule. Then at 50, 70, 90, and 110 days of age, both groups of rats were given a standard 11-day test of preference for water versus ethanol offered in concentrations ranging from 3% through 30%. The results showed that at 70 days of age the preference for ethanol increased above the level of the 50-day test in terms of absolute g/kg intakes and proportion of ethanol to water consumed over the lower range of 3% through 15% concentrations. During the tests at 90 and 110 days of age, the cyanamide-treated rats further increased their preference for ethanol significantly over the levels at the 70-day test in terms of both g/kg and proportional intakes. The pattern of drinking of ethanol offered in the higher concentrations of 25% and 30% was unrelated to the age of the rats and the overall intakes were significantly higher than those of the lower concentrations. These findings demonstrate that the enzymatic inhibition of AlDH systematically acts in a delayed fashion to shift the pattern of preference for ethanol which is contingent on the maturation of the animal. In this instance, the volitional intake of ethanol in the cyanamide-treated rats reached its maximal level by 90-110 days of age. It is proposed that an endocrine mechanism involved in gonadal maturation may function in the intense shift in alcohol drinking."}
{"id": "PMID:1472306", "title": "Ultrastructural changes in the rat kidney following fetal exposure to ethanol.", "content": "Previous studies have implicated renal ultrastructural abnormalities in the pathogenesis of tubular dysfunction in fetal alcohol syndrome. Scanning electron microscopic studies were performed to examine the role of glomerular and tubular structural changes in this syndrome. Pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats were fed a liquid diet in which ethanol constituted 35% of the total caloric content or pair-fed an isocaloric control diet from gestational day 8 to the day of birth. After delivery, offspring were housed with the dam and left undisturbed until 18 days of age when they were weaned and given free access to standard chow diet and water. At random, kidneys from 11 offspring of ethanol-fed (E) rats and 7 pair-fed control (C) rats were fixed by in vivo retrograde perfusion at 90 days of age for ultrastructural studies. The E rats showed cytoplasmic mitochondrial atrophy and vacuolar structures of the epithelial cells of the distal tubules and collecting ducts not seen in C rats. No obvious difference was found in the glomerular, proximal tubule, or loop of Henle architecture between the two groups. These findings suggest that rats prenatally exposed to ethanol have renal ultrastructural abnormalities that may be important in the genesis of functional disturbances."}
{"id": "PMID:1472307", "title": "Opposite effects of dimethyl sulfoxide and ethanol on synaptic membrane fluidity.", "content": "Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) is an organic solvent with myriad biological actions, including actions on synaptic membrane transport processes. In this study, fluorescence polarizations of the probes diphenylhexatriene (DPH: a probe of the hydrophobic membrane core), trimethylammonium-diphenylhexatriene (a probe of the superficial domain of the cytofacial synaptic membrane leaflet) and diphenylhexatriene propionic acid (a probe of the superficial domain of the exofacial synaptic plasma membrane leaflet) were measured in isolated rat cerebral synaptic plasma membranes. DMSO, added in vitro, increased fluorescence polarization of all of these intramembranous probes, an effect opposite that observed with the addition of ethanol. The fluorescence polarization increase appeared at lower concentrations of DMSO for the superficial membrane region probes (6% vol/vol DMSO) than for the membrane core probe (10% vol/vol DMSO). This is again in contrast to the effects of ethanol, which required lesser concentrations to decrease fluorescence polarization of DPH (50 mM ethanol) than that of the derivative probes (200 mM ethanol). The enhancement of DPH fluorescence polarization produced by DMSO was antagonized by the concomitant addition of ethanol. These results suggest an ordering effect of DMSO on synaptic plasma membranes, with greater effects in superficial membrane domains."}
{"id": "PMID:1472308", "title": "Pyridoxine acts in the brain to reduce ethanol toxicity in rats.", "content": "Although for many years it has been proposed that megadoses of pyridoxine protect from ethanol toxicity, this issue remains unclear. In the present report the interaction between ethanol and pyridoxine was tested. Pyridoxine was administered intramuscularly or intracerebroventricularly to rats. Intramuscular administration of 187.2 mg/kg of pyridoxine displaced the ethanol-lethality dose curve significantly toward the right (p < 0.005) and increased the LD50 of ethanol from 4.46 to 5.19 g/kg (p < 0.005). Intracerebroventricular administration of pyridoxine (1.1 mg) completely suppressed the mortality due to a LD100 of ethanol and the effect was dose dependent. We conclude that pyridoxine is an effective treatment for ethanol intoxication. The results are discussed in terms of an interaction of ethanol and pyridoxine on the GABAergic system."}
{"id": "PMID:1472309", "title": "Acute ethanol intoxication during pregnancy: postnatal effects on the behavioral response to serotonin agents.", "content": "Pregnant wistar rats were treated on the eighth day of gestation (GD 8) with two IP injections, spaced by 4 h, of either ethanol (2.9 g/kg in 24% v/v saline solution, EG) or saline (SG). Other pregnant females did not received any type of IP injections (absolute control group, ACG). Offspring were tested at 45 or 90 days of age. At 45 days of age, EG showed an increased behavioral response (forepaw treading and hindlimb abduction) to the 5-HT1 agonist, 5-methoxy-N,N-dymethyltryptamine. In addition, an enhanced \"wet-dog\" shakes behavioral response to 5-HT2 agonist, 5-hydroxy-L-tryptophan, was also observed in EG as compared to ACG and SG. On the contrary, at 90 days, EG exhibited a diminished behavioral reactivity to 5-HT1 and 5-HT2 agonists as compared to SG. These results demonstrated that acute administration of ethanol on GD 8 induced long-lasting changes in the functioning of central serotonergic systems."}
{"id": "PMID:1472310", "title": "Specific and nonspecific effects of ethanol vapor on plasma corticosterone in mice.", "content": "The intent of this study was to determine whether chronic ethanol (EtOH) vapor inhalation, with or without adjunct pyrazole (PYR) administration, was stressful in mice, as defined by increases in plasma corticosterone (CORT) concentration. Mice were randomly assigned to groups differentiated both on the basis of EtOH vapor exposure and the presence or absence of PYR administration. Blood samples for blood EtOH concentration (BEC) and plasma CORT concentration were obtained from mice after 72-96 hours of treatment. Mice were sacrificed after 96 hours of treatment and body and adrenal weight determined. BEC was significantly higher in PYR-treated animals and animals treated with the higher EtOH vapor concentration. Plasma CORT was elevated in proportion to BEC; however, other nonspecific stresses, in particular that of PYR administration, also elevated plasma CORT. Nonspecific stresses associated with this protocol may reduce the generality of these observations. Nevertheless, the high correlation between BEC and plasma CORT concentration in the PYR groups indicates that, with suitable control groups, the PYR-EtOH vapor inhalation approach is viable for studies concerned with EtOH effects on hypothalamic-anterior pituitary-adrenocortical function."}
{"id": "PMID:1472311", "title": "Actions of ethanol and acetate on rat cortical neurons: ethanol/adenosine interactions.", "content": "Recent studies have suggested that ethanol may exert some of its central depressant actions by increasing the extracellular levels of adenosine in the brain. Ethanol can inhibit the cellular uptake of adenosine, thus increasing its extracellular concentration. After ethanol metabolism by the liver, blood acetate levels are elevated and acetate metabolism in the brain could also lead to the production of adenosine. Rat cerebral cortical cup release experiments failed to reveal any elevation in the extracellular levels of either adenosine or inosine following the intraperitoneal (IP) administration of ethanol (1.5 g/kg) or acetate (2 g/kg). IP-administered ethanol (0.5 and 1.0 g/kg) enhanced the magnitude and duration of the inhibition by iontophoretically applied adenosine of the spontaneous firing of rat cerebrocortical neurons; an action which would be consistent with the block of adenosine uptake. Acetate, applied iontophoretically, depressed the spontaneous firing of 63% of the cerebrocortical neurons tested. 8-p-Sulphophenyltheophylline, an adenosine antagonist, was ineffective at blocking these inhibitions, indicating that adenosine generation is unlikely to have played a major role in the acetate-evoked depression of cerebral cortical neurons."}
{"id": "PMID:1472312", "title": "Ethanol-reinforced responding of naive rhesus monkeys: acquisition without induction procedures.", "content": "Rodents will typically consume greater amounts of low concentration ethanol (1-6%) than water. However, few primate oral self-administration studies have examined low ethanol concentrations. Additionally, there is a scarcity of data showing ethanol-maintained behavior without using induction procedures in either rats or primates. In this study, 14, free-feeding, naive, adult, male rhesus monkeys were given access to a 2% (w/v) ethanol solution and vehicle (tap water) during daily 3-hour sessions. Water was freely available between sessions. Liquids were available under a concurrent fixed-ratio four reinforcement schedule; thus, four responses (mouth-spout contacts) on either spout were immediately followed by the delivery of approximately 0.65 ml of liquid. In phase 1, tap water was available from both spouts. In phase 2, vehicle and a 2% ethanol solution were concurrently available. The 2% ethanol solution maintained considerably higher response rates than vehicle for 12 of 14 monkeys. In phase 3, food intake was limited. During this phase, the 2% ethanol solution maintained significantly higher response rates than vehicle for all monkeys. Additionally, during phase 3, ethanol intakes were greater than those in phase 2 for all monkeys. Central drug effects and taste factors are discussed. These results demonstrate that ethanol will serve as a reinforcer for naive rhesus monkeys in the absence of induction procedures."}
{"id": "PMID:1472317", "title": "A review of the management of 15 cases of aneurysms of the posterior cerebral artery.", "content": "The presenting features of 15 cases of posterior cerebral artery aneurysm are discussed. The use of the axial radiographic view in determining the anatomy of these aneurysms is highlighted. Ten out of 15 patients underwent surgery. In three patients the aneurysm was approached by the transzygomatic route, in six via the subtemporal route and in one using the pterional approach. There was no operative mortality. Nine out of 10 patients made good long-term recoveries following surgery, one patient remains moderately disabled. Three out of five patients in the non-surgical group made a good recovery. The advantages and disadvantages of the various operative approaches are discussed with particular reference to ease of access, brain retraction and adequate exposure of the aneurysm. It was possible to clip the aneurysm and spare the parent vessel in all three cases using the transzygomatic approach, but this was possible in only one of the remaining cases."}
{"id": "PMID:1472318", "title": "Management strategies in tuberculous atlanto-axial dislocation.", "content": "Tuberculous atlanto-axial dislocation is an uncommon disease. Five of six patients with tuberculous atlanto-axial dislocation were successfully managed using different strategies. The advantages and disadvantages of these different protocols and their appropriateness in a particular clinical situation are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1472319", "title": "Epileptogenic anaplastic astrocytoma imaged only by T2-weighted magnetic resonance studies: clinical and surgical implications.", "content": "The case of a 28-year-old woman who presented with focal sensory seizures and later developed mild sensory loss in the face and hand is described. An EEG, two contrast-enhanced CT and non-enhanced T1-weighted magnetic resonance (MR) scans were normal, but T2-weighted MR scans revealed a lesion measuring 3 x 2 cm in the mid-rolandic region. This lesion did not enlarge over a 6-month period. Resection of the abnormal gyrus was guided by electrocorticography and histology revealed an anaplastic astrocytoma. Although there was resolution of the facio-digital sensory loss postoperatively the frequency and pattern of the partial sensory seizures was unchanged. The neuroradiological and histological findings in this case highlight the difficulties concerning the indications for surgical intervention in adult patients who present with epilepsy and have lesions visualized only on magnetic resonance imagery."}
{"id": "PMID:1472315", "title": "The formation of stable acetaldehyde-hemoglobin adducts in a red blood cell model.", "content": "The formation of stable hemoglobin adducts was examined (in the absence of an added reducing agent) in metabolizing red blood cells (RBCs) exposed to micromolar concentrations of acetaldehyde for up to 48 hours in vitro. The rapid disappearance of acetaldehyde due to oxidation by RBC aldehyde dehydrogenase was prevented by pretreating the cells with the inhibitor cyanamide. The RBCs remained viable for 48 hours (37 degrees C) as determined by cell hemolysis and glycolytic activity. [14C]acetaldehyde-modified hemoglobin was assessed in untreated and in cyanamide-pretreated cells. In untreated cells, after 3 hours of exposure to 50 and 200 nmol/ml of [14C]acetaldehyde, the molar ratios of acetaldehyde to hemoglobin were 0.00069 and 0.0038, respectively; [14C]acetaldehyde concentrations decreased to less than 4% of the initial levels within 3 hours. In cyanamide-pretreated RBCs, the molar ratios of acetaldehyde bound to hemoglobin ranged from 0.0013 after 3 hours of exposure to 20 nmol/ml [14C]acetaldehyde up to 0.039 after 48 hours of exposure to 200 nmol/ml [14C]acetaldehyde. Following tryptic digestion of [14C]acetaldehyde-hemoglobin and separation of peptides by high-performance liquid chromatography, significant incorporation of [14C]acetaldehyde was observed in nine peptides. Modifications of the labeled peptides remain to be characterized."}
{"id": "PMID:1472320", "title": "Stereotactic brachytherapy for malignant glioma using a relocatable frame.", "content": "Interstitial brachytherapy for recurrent gliomas normally necessitates the invasive application of a stereotactic frame by screw-fixation which must be kept on for several hours. The use of a relocatable stereotactic frame offers many advantages over conventional systems. We present our experience in 18 patients and verify that the frame used is accurate, comfortable, well tolerated and associated with no major disadvantages."}
{"id": "PMID:1472321", "title": "Outcome prediction in early management of severe head injury: an experience in Malaysia.", "content": "The outcome of 109 patients with severe head injury was studied in relation to clinical and computed tomographic (CT) criteria on admission, after resuscitation. Age, Glasgow Coma Score (GCS) and state of pupils strongly correlated with outcome. The presence of hypothalamic disturbances, hypoxia and hypotension were associated with an adverse outcome. The CT indicators associated with poor outcome were perimesencephalic cistern (PMC) obliteration, subarachnoid haemorrhage, diffuse axonal injury and acute subdural haematoma. The prognostic value of midline shift and mass effect were influenced by concomitant presence of diffuse brain injury. For the subset of patients aged < 20 years, with GCS 6-8 and patent PMC (n = 21), 71.4% correct predictions were made for a good outcome. For the subset of patients aged > 20 years, with GCS 3-5 and partial or complete obliteration of PMC (n = 28), 89.3% correct predictions were made for a poor outcome."}
{"id": "PMID:1472313", "title": "Alcohol inhibition of NMDA-stimulated catecholamine efflux in aging brain.", "content": "The influence of aging on the ability of ethanol to inhibit N-methyl-D-aspartate-stimulated catecholamine overflow in rat brain was examined. Alcohol effects on N-methyl-D-aspartate stimulated [3H]norepinephrine or [3H]dopamine overflow from the cortex, hippocampus, and striatum of aged (24-28 months) middle aged (12-14 months), and young (3-5 months) rats were examined. N-methyl-D-aspartate (500 microM) stimulated catecholamine overflow in all brain regions, with aged rats showing declines in overflow of 33% in the hippocampus and 41% in the striatum. Alcohol (30-200 mM) produced a concentration-dependent inhibition of overflow at all ages and brain regions tested. The IC50 for alcohol inhibition of NMDA-stimulated catecholamine release was not significantly different in aged brain or across brain regions. These results indicate that alcohol's ability to inhibit NMDA-stimulated catecholamine release is not significantly altered with aging."}
{"id": "PMID:1472322", "title": "The use of a computer-based image link system to assist inter-hospital referrals.", "content": "Early CT scanning leads to the early diagnosis and referral of intracranial lesions, particularly in head injuries. Such early scanning is more feasible with the advent of CT scanners in most peripheral hospitals. However, the neurosurgical service in most countries remains regional with limited bed capacity and involves a potentially hazardous inter-hospital transfer of critically ill patients. We investigated the value and reliability of new information technology in the management of emergency neurosurgical referrals in the Mersey region. One hundred and ninety-nine emergency referrals were studied. In 147 referrals the patient was scanned in the referring hospital and the images were transmitted immediately to the neurosurgical unit. Of these, 51 (34.7%) patients were transferred immediately, 14 (9.5%) the following day and 11 (7.5%) electively. Of those patients who were transferred immediately, 48 (94.1%) underwent emergency surgery. Seventy-one (48.3%) patients were not transferred due to diffuse head injury (40), a cerebral infarct (15), poor grade subarachnoid haemorrhage (10) and normal scans (6). Another 52 patients were transferred to the unit without image transfer, of whom 12 (23.1%) underwent emergency surgery, 17 (32.7%) went back to the referring hospital within 24 h, 17 (32.7%) were electively operated and six (11.5%) died. Comparison of 100 original CT scan films with the corresponding transmitted images showed no significant difference in the quality of the image, diagnosis or clinical decision. Image transfer together with the clinical history has reduced potentially hazardous inter-hospital transfer of patients (p < 0.001). It is reliable, fast, cheap and leads to considerable economic savings."}
{"id": "PMID:1472314", "title": "Effect of dexfenfluramine on alcohol intake in alcohol-preferring \"P\" rats.", "content": "The intake of alcohol, in 2-h daily sessions, by the preferring (P) line of rats was reduced in a dose-related manner by acute subcutaneous (SC) administration of dexfenfluramine (DFEN). Ad lib intake of alcohol was reduced by chronic SC administration of DFEN. The effective doses and magnitude of effects of DFEN on alcohol intake are comparable to those previously reported for DFEN anorexia. Because DFEN anorexia is related to increased brain serotonin (5HT) activity, its effect on alcohol consumption may also be via 5HT."}
{"id": "PMID:1472323", "title": "Primary cerebral lymphoma: report of 24 patients and review of the literature.", "content": "A retrospective study of 24 patients with primary non-Hodgkin's cerebral lymphoma (non-immunocompromised) is presented. All patients were seen at the Royal Preston Hospital, Lancashire between 1976 and 1991. Fifteen patients were over the age of 50 years (range 27-84). The commonest clinical presentation, seen in 16 patients was of an expanding space-occupying lesion. The diagnosis was suspected from the radiological findings but confirmation in every case was by histological examination of biopsy or necropsy material. The tumours were treated either by surgical excision or by biopsy and radiotherapy. Chemotherapy was given in two patients. Despite these measures the mean survival time was 3.6 months. The clinical radiological and pathological features of these tumours are highlighted with particular emphasis on the use of stereotactic biopsy, immunohistochemistry and chemotherapy in diagnosis and treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1472324", "title": "Solitary cervical lymphoma presenting as a neurofibroma.", "content": "A patient is described who presented with cervical cord compression. The imaging and operative findings were typical of a neurofibroma of the right third cervical root. However, histological studies confirmed that the tumour was a B-cell lymphoma. Isolated spinal lymphomas can therefore occur and may present as nerve sheath tumours."}
{"id": "PMID:1472325", "title": "Recurrent craniopharyngioma in the posterior fossa.", "content": "Craniopharyngioma situated in the posterior fossa is rare. It has been unclear whether such lesions arise primarily in this site or represent direct spread from a suprasellar focus. We report a patient with recurrent craniopharyngioma which had extended into the posterior fossa as far as the cerebellopontine angle through the tentorial hiatus with evidence that it had done so directly. A further separate lesion of similar signal characteristics on MRI scan, lying in the prepontine area, probably represented a seeding from the suprasellar area."}
{"id": "PMID:1472326", "title": "Brain abscess caused by Cladosporium trichoides.", "content": "Brain abscess caused by the fungus Cladosporium trichoides is rare. Only 20 cases of brain abscess caused by this fungus are reported in the literature. We report a case of brain abscess caused by Cladosporium trichoides in a healthy adult male. The relevant literature on this subject is reviewed."}
{"id": "PMID:1472327", "title": "Death from chronic tonsillar herniation in a patient with lumboperitoneal shunt and Crouzon's disease.", "content": "A 2.5-year-old girl with Crouzon's disease, hydrocephalus, and a lumboperitoneal shunt died as a result of chronic tonsillar herniation (acquired Chiari 'malformation'). The possible synergistic role of the cranial dysmorphism and the lumboperitoneal shunt in the development of this anomaly is discussed. The literature is reviewed and it is argued that if hydrocephalus occurs in infants in whom cephalocranial disproportion is likely to develop, then it is inadvisable to insert a lumboperitoneal shunt."}
{"id": "PMID:1472328", "title": "Cranioectodermal dysplasia with sagittal craniosynostosis (Sensenbrenner's syndrome): case report and review of the literature.", "content": "We report the clinical features and neurosurgical management of a 9-month-old girl with cranioectodermal dysplasia and scaphocephaly. The technique of surgical correction is discussed together with details of the pre-operative investigations. The importance of early referral to an experienced geneticist is emphasized."}
{"id": "PMID:1472329", "title": "Osteoptysis: a complication of cervical spine surgery.", "content": "The case is described of a lady who developed dysphagia and dysphonia misdiagnosed first as hysteria, then as myasthenia gravis, one year after a Cloward's operation for cervical disc disease. After a bout of coughing the bony dowel was expelled and the correct diagnosis was made."}
{"id": "PMID:1472331", "title": "Qualitative and quantitative analysis of human cytotoxic T-lymphocyte responses to HIV-1 proteins.", "content": "To study the degree of immunogenicity of each HIV-1 protein. In most viral systems, antiviral cytotoxic T-lymphocytes (CTL) from a given donor preferentially recognize only one or a small number of viral proteins. Anti-HIV CTL were generated by in vitro stimulation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells from seropositive donors and tested against multiple HIV-1 proteins or groups of proteins encoded by seven genes (env, gag, pol, nef, rev, tat and vif). Using autologous target cells infected with recombinant vaccinia viruses expressing one of the HIV-1LAI proteins, we compared the cytolytic activities obtained from bulk culture with those found in limiting dilution analysis (LDA). Our results were noteworthy for the following reasons. (1) Each responding donor reacted simultaneously to multiple proteins; this is very unusual in other viral systems. Anti-Gag CTL were detected in most, and anti-Pol in approximately three-quarters, of the patients, together with very high amounts of the corresponding CTL precursors in LDA. CTL against Env and Nef were found in two-thirds of the patients, while Vif- and Rev-specific CTL were less frequent. Finally, Tat was seldom recognized by CTL, but its antigenicity was revealed in LDA. (2) All responding cells revealed in bulk cultures as well as in LDA were CD8+ T-cells, and their in vitro differentiation did not require the help of CD4+ T-cells. (3) Proteins from the HIV-1LAI isolate were recognized with high frequency by CTL from seropositive donors, most certainly being infected by other isolates, which suggests that relatively conserved epitopes are predominant targets of CTL. Taken together, these results are encouraging for vaccine purposes, since anti-HIV-1 CTL stimulation is thought to be a requirement for such a vaccine."}
{"id": "PMID:1472332", "title": "Tumor necrosis factor-alpha in pediatric HIV-1 infection.", "content": "To evaluate the diagnostic and prognostic value of serum tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) levels in HIV-1-infected children. Serum levels of TNF-alpha were evaluated in 57 HIV-1-infected symptomatic children aged between 7 months and 8 years. TNF-alpha levels were determined by enzyme immunoassay. The sensitivity of the assay was 10 pg/ml. TNF-alpha levels (mean +/- s.d.) were significantly elevated in HIV-1-infected patients (285 +/- 390 pg/ml), compared with HIV-1-uninfected age-matched controls (22.7 +/- 4.9 pg/ml). Among HIV-1-infected children the highest levels of TNF-alpha were noted in those with Mycobacterium avium intracellulare (MAI) infection and those with interstitial lymphoid pneumonitis (LIP). In contrast, patients with Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia, progressive encephalopathy or cachexia did not have markedly elevated TNF-alpha levels. Serum TNF-alpha is increased in symptomatic HIV-1-infected children, with higher levels in children with LIP or MAI. Serum TNF-alpha levels are not diagnostic for cachexia or progressive encephalopathy."}
{"id": "PMID:1472333", "title": "Serological responses to mycoplasmas in HIV-infected and non-infected individuals.", "content": "To assess the frequency of mycoplasma infections in HIV-antibody-positive and -negative individuals by studying the serological responses against mycoplasmas, especially Mycoplasma fermentans and M. pirum. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to measure immunoglobulin G (IgG) class antibody concentrations against six mycoplasma species in sera of HIV-positive and HIV-negative individuals. Serum samples were obtained from 30 HIV-positive individuals (10 asymptomatics, 10 with lymphadenopathy syndrome and 10 with AIDS), 10 HIV-negative partners of HIV-positive individuals and 40 HIV-negative blood donors. Antibodies to M. fermentans strains incognitus and PG18, M. pirum, M. genitalium, M. pneumoniae and M. hominis were assessed by immunoblot or ELISA. Absorbance values were taken as a semiquantitative measurement for antibody concentration and an arbitrary cut-off value (0.8) was set to establish seroprevalence. There was no significant difference in the mean IgG concentrations of any of the six mycoplasmas between HIV-positive and HIV-negative groups. Antibody concentrations were also similar in different clinical phases of HIV infection. Antibody concentrations to different mycoplasma strains were compared with each other to reveal eventual cross-reactions caused by shared antigens; the strongest correlation (r = 0.836) was found between M. fermentans strains incognitus and M. pirum antibody concentrations. The correlation between M. fermentans strains incognitus and PG18 was also significant but weaker (r = 0.522). No shared antigens between M. fermentans strain incognitus and M. pirum were demonstrated by immunoblot. Antibodies against M. fermentans type strain PG18, strain incognitus and against M. pirum are detected infrequently and their presence does not correlate with HIV infection per se or with the clinical stage of HIV infection."}
{"id": "PMID:1472334", "title": "Zidovudine-induced restoration of cell-mediated immunity to mycobacteria in immunodeficient HIV-infected patients.", "content": "To describe a localized form of Mycobacterium avium intracellulare (MAI) infection occurring concurrently with the restoration of cutaneous delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) responses to mycobacterial antigens after commencement of zidovudine therapy in immunodeficient HIV-infected patients. The first 108 Western Australian patients with a CD4+ T-cell count of < 200 x 10(6)/l and/or symptomatic disease to be given zidovudine (ZDV), of whom 72 had adequate DTH data. DTH responses to seven antigens were measured by the 'Multitest' method before and on at least two occasions during the 6 months after commencing ZDV. All patients were reviewed at regular intervals and clinical events recorded. Of the 64 patients who were anergic to tuberculin before commencing ZDV, 27 (42%) developed a DTH response to tuberculin after ZDV. Four of the nine patients with a 'Multitest' tuberculin response of > or = 8 mm and one patient who developed a positive Mantoux test to M. avium purified protein derivative developed an illness characterized by localized MAI infection, lymphadenopathy and/or severe fevers after 1-2 weeks. The development of localized MAI infection and/or fevers shortly after commencing ZDV in immunodeficient HIV-infected patients may reflect restoration of cellular immunity to mycobacterial antigens in some patients rather than early failure of therapy or hypersensitivity to ZDV."}
{"id": "PMID:1472335", "title": "Relationship of cerebrospinal fluid immune activation associated factors to HIV encephalitis.", "content": "Because macrophages are the predominant immune cell and the predominant infected cell in the brains of patients with HIV encephalitis, we studied macrophage and immune activation-associated factors in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from 39 autopsied AIDS cases for whom complete neuropathologic evaluation of the brain was available. CSF HIV p24 antigen was present in less than one-third of cases (11 out of 39). Less than half of the autopsies with moderate to severe parenchymal infection by HIV had high levels of CSF p24, although all autopsies with elevated levels of HIV p24 had moderate to severe HIV encephalitis. Elevated levels of cytokines, beta 2-microglobulin, neopterin, and quinolinic acid were observed. Although many of the CSF findings showed a strong correlation with each other, none showed a strong correlation with the severity of HIV infection of the brain itself. The absence of a close association between CSF abnormalities and HIV encephalitis could reflect the abundance of complicating opportunistic infections in these terminally ill patients or the inadequacy of CSF as a marker of basal ganglia involvement in HIV encephalitis. These findings complicate interpretation of clinical studies of CSF in patients with AIDS where neuropathologic evaluation is unavailable."}
{"id": "PMID:1472336", "title": "Prevalence of measles antibodies in adults with HIV infection: possible risk factors of measles seronegativity.", "content": "To determine the prevalence of measles (rubeola) immunity in a group of HIV-1-infected adults and to examine predictors of measles seronegativity in this population. County hospital outpatient clinic and public-health department early HIV intervention clinic. A total of 262 HIV-infected adults presenting to outpatient clinics between September 1990 and January 1991. Patients were screened for the presence of measles immunoglobulin G antibody, as measured by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Pertinent clinical and immunologic information was recorded. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify possible risk factors for measles seronegativity. Measles seronegativity, as defined by a lack of detectable antibody (ELISA predicted index value < 1.0). Thirteen (5%) patients lacked serologic evidence of immunity. Risk factors for measles seronegativity included year of birth in 1957 or later, Caucasian (non-Hispanic) race and oral hairy leukoplakia. Factors associated with progressive HIV disease (other than hairy leukoplakia) were not associated with a lack of existing immunity. A high prevalence (95%) of measles antibody was found in this large group of HIV-infected adults. Young, white individuals born in 1957 or later were at the greatest risk for measles seronegativity, but declining immunity due to progressive HIV infection did not appear to be associated with a lack of antibody. Self-reported histories of measles infection or immunization were not reliable predictors of measles immunity."}
{"id": "PMID:1472337", "title": "Bronchial responsiveness in AIDS patients with Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia.", "content": "To study bronchial responsiveness to inhaled histamine among HIV-infected patients. A prospective study in a regional infectious diseases unit. Three groups of patients were studied. Group A consisted of AIDS patients (n = 7) who had had Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP), group B of AIDS patients (n = 7) not known to have had PCP, and group C of asymptomatic HIV-positive patients (n = 7). Inhalational histamine challenge in cumulative doses (0.03-3.91 mumol) was administered by a nebulizer. It was stopped when the forced expiratory volume in 1 sec (FEV1) had fallen by more than 20% of the baseline value or when the cumulative dose administered exceeded 3.91 mumol. Response was measured as percentage change in FEV1 from the baseline value, and plotted on a linear scale against log dose histamine to enable the dose of histamine causing a 20% fall in FEV1 (PD20-FEV1) to be determined. Statistical analysis was performed by analysis of variance. AIDS patients previously infected with PCP (group A) had a significantly lower PD20-FEV1 [(mean, 0.31 mumol; range, 0.07-0.95; s.d., 0.31; s.e., 0.12; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.03-0.60)] than AIDS patients without PCP (group B; mean, 1.01 mumol; range, 0.20-2.00; s.d., 0.67; s.e., 0.25; 95% CI, 0.39-1.64) or asymptomatic HIV-positive patients (group C; mean, 1.28 mumol; range, 0.49-1.80; s.d., 0.51; s.e., 0.19; 95% CI, 0.81-1.76) (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference between groups B and C. All patients recorded PD20-FEV1 within the asthmatic range of bronchial hyper-responsiveness. These results suggest that development of PCP in a small group of HIV-infected patients induces a significantly greater degree of bronchial hyper-responsiveness."}
{"id": "PMID:1472338", "title": "Prevention of blood-borne HIV transmission using a decentralized approach in Shaba, Zaire.", "content": "To prevent blood transfusion-acquired HIV infection with a decentralized approach to HIV screening of blood donors, using an instrument-free rapid test. Shaba province, Zaire (496,877 km2). The programme consisted of training health-care workers, distribution of a rapid HIV-antibody test (DuPont's HIVCHEK) for screening of all blood donations, and quality control of testing by a regional reference centre. Over a 2-year period, 11,940 rapid tests were distributed to 37 hospitals, covering 75% of all hospital beds outside the copper mine's health system in Shaba. Eighty-five per cent of the tests were used to screen blood donors (5.4% positive test rate) and 13% to test patients (39.7% positive test rate). At least 265 cases of HIV-positive blood donation were prevented, at an estimated cost of 137-279 ECU per case. Only 26% of initially positive specimens reached the central laboratory for supplemental testing, and sterile transfusion equipment and blood-grouping reagents were frequently unavailable. The lack of transport and communications and a deteriorating health system were major constraints. District hospitals in Africa are often long distances from major cities, difficult to reach for most of the year, and perform a small number of transfusions. In this context a classical centralized regional blood bank may not be a feasible option to ensure safe blood transfusions. However, safe blood transfusion can be achieved with a decentralized approach using a rapid test, provided that minimum standards of health-care services are available."}
{"id": "PMID:1472339", "title": "AIDS education for hospital workers in Manila: effects on knowledge, attitudes, and infection control practices.", "content": "To evaluate an AIDS education intervention for health workers in Metro Manila hospitals. A randomized controlled education program consisting of lectures, role-plays, posters and pamphlets was delivered to physicians, nurses, laboratory technologists and orderlies in Manila hospitals. Knowledge, attitudes and infection control practices were measured before, immediately after, and 2 months after the intervention. Baseline survey among 641 hospital workers revealed poor knowledge, negative attitudes towards AIDS patients, and inappropriate infection control practices. Immediately after the intervention, there was significant improvement in (1) knowledge scores (8.7-11.2 in the intervention group versus 8.5-9.5 in the control group; range, 0-14), (2) attitude scores (54.4-60.6 versus 54.6-56.8; range, 22-88), and (3) needle-recapping practices (14-43% versus 39-43%) (all P values < 0.001). After 2 months, attitude scores in the experimental group fell to the same level as those of the control group, while improvements in knowledge and needle recapping were largely maintained. Role-playing was considered by the participants to be the most effective component of the intervention. These results suggest that AIDS training for hospital workers in the Philippines and in similar countries is necessary and can be effective. Ideally, such training should include role-playing and should be ongoing in order to sustain the effect."}
{"id": "PMID:1472340", "title": "HIV-1 infection among non-intravenous drug user female prostitutes in Spain. No evidence of evolution to pattern II.", "content": "To assess the prevalence of HIV-1 infection among non-intravenous drug user (IVDU) female prostitutes in Spain and to determine risk factors for HIV-1 infection in this population. Cross-sectional seroepidemiological study of 519 non-IVDU prostitutes. Four university hospitals. All participants completed a questionnaire and provided a serum sample. Serum samples were tested for antibodies against HIV-1, hepatitis C virus (HCV) and Treponema pallidum. Twelve out of the 519 (2.31%) participants were HIV-1-seropositive. HIV-1 infection was associated with the presence of both HCV and T. pallidum antibodies, multiple sex partners, longer history of prostitution, history of genital ulcers and anal intercourse. Condom use was associated with HIV-1 seronegativity. The prevalence of HIV-1 infection in non-IVDU prostitutes in Spain remains relatively low. Risk increases with a higher rate of sexual exposure and practices such as anal intercourse and unprotected coitus."}
{"id": "PMID:1472341", "title": "Estimates of HIV infection among injecting drug users in Glasgow, 1985-1990.", "content": "To use research and surveillance studies in Glasgow (Scotland, UK) to estimate the number of current injectors infected with HIV, the total number of injectors infected up to the end of 1990 and the recent incidence of infection. (A) Prevalence of injecting drug use was estimated using log-linear modelling. (B) Prevalence of HIV infection was determined from voluntary testing of a community-wide sample of injectors. (C) The number of infected current injectors was predicted by combining the distributions generated by (A) and (B). (D) Data on known HIV-positive injectors were used in conjunction with (C) to forecast the cumulative number of infected injectors. The number of current injectors was estimated to be 9400; the prevalence of HIV infection among 447 injectors recruited to the HIV prevalence study during 1990 was 1.1%. From these data, the number of HIV-positive current injectors in 1990 was estimated to be between 52 and 138. Between 1985 and 1990, 110 known HIV-positive injectors were registered or received treatment in Glasgow for HIV-related diseases; the total number of cases estimated to have occurred during this period was between 110 and 300. The incidence of infection in Glasgow during 1990 was likely to have been low in light of the finding that only one case in the prevalence study had not previously been diagnosed HIV-positive. Linkage of datasets from a variety of sources and studies has enabled the substantial refinement of estimates of the number of injectors and the proportion infected with HIV in Glasgow up to 1990."}
{"id": "PMID:1472342", "title": "An economic evaluation of home-care assistance for AIDS patients: a pilot study in a town in northern Italy.", "content": "To evaluate the costs and cost-effectiveness of home-care assistance (HCA) as an alternative to hospital-based care only for patients with AIDS (PWA). A 6-month prospective study. Use of resources by a control group of PWA receiving ordinary hospital-based care (OC group) was compared with that by a random group of PWA who, in addition to hospital care, were also receiving home care (HC group). Home- and hospital-based care for PWA in Vicenza, Italy. HC group selection was based on eligibility criteria for severity of illness, home location and economic and family support. Ten of the PWA satisfying all eligibility criteria were randomly allocated to the HC group. The control group consisted of 32 PWA lacking one or more of the eligibility criteria. HCA involved the provision of palliative care for PWA by a multidisciplinary team of caregivers. Hospital-based services covered inpatient and outpatient services. The health benefits for HC and OC groups using a quantitative quality of life measure (the Quality of Well-Being Scale). Overall health-care cost savings of 6-7%, relative to the OC group, were predicted for the HC group. Costs per well week were estimated at US$482 for the HC group and US$791 for the OC group. Home-care assistance appears to be a cost-effective strategy for the treatment and care of PWA if strict eligibility criteria are adhered to."}
{"id": "PMID:1472343", "title": "Completeness of AIDS reporting in Switzerland: a study based on deaths between December 1987 and June 1990.", "content": "To assess completeness and determinants of reporting to the AIDS registry of the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health. Death certificates indicative of AIDS or HIV for deaths occurring between December 1987 and June 1990 were reviewed and compared with reports to the AIDS registry. The completeness of the AIDS registry was 68%. However, almost all cases have now been ascertained, because more than 90% of unreported AIDS cases are detected when death certificates are reviewed. Thus, the ongoing review of death certificates adds to the total case ascertainment. The most important determinant of reporting was the reporting source: specialized AIDS clinics reported 85% of their cases, while all other sources reported only 48%. The investigation of the heterogeneity of reporting is important. It can wrongly suggest regional and national differences in the epidemic and lead to a decrease in completeness of reporting over time without actual changes in reporting behavior."}
{"id": "PMID:1472352", "title": "A counseling dilemma involving anencephaly, acrania and amniotic bands.", "content": "A suggested fetal anencephaly on routine office ultrasound examination resulted in a diagnosis of fetal acrania when targeted ultrasonography was performed by a consultant. Following pregnancy termination, examination of the abortus revealed partial cranial destruction secondary to an amniotic band. It is often difficult to distinguish between anencephaly, acrania, and amniotic band sequence prenatally, but postnatal differentiation is imperative for accurate risk assessment in genetic counseling."}
{"id": "PMID:1472353", "title": "Fryns syndrome: another example of non-lethal outcome with severe mental handicap.", "content": "In this report we present clinical data of a patient with Fryns syndrome who survived the neonatal period. Two sibs died intra-uterine. The syndrome is characterized by craniofacial dysmorphism, diaphragmatic hernia and distal limb hypoplasia. Lethality in most cases is caused by the diaphragmatic hernia with concomitant lung hypoplasia. In patients with Fryns syndrome presenting without the diaphragmatic defect and lung-hypoplasia, survival beyond the neonatal period is possible; mental retardation is present in all four patients described so far. This report illustrates, once more, the great intrafamilial variation of the syndrome and emphasises its important consequences for genetic counseling and prenatal diagnosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1472354", "title": "Phenotypic variability of mannosidosis type II: report of two Greek siblings.", "content": "Two patients, a 13-year-old boy and his 24-year-old sister, were diagnosed as mannosidosis type II cases, on the basis of both presenting extremely reduced plasma and white blood cell acid-alpha-mannosidase are reported. With the exception of mental retardation and neurosensory deafness the two siblings manifested a wide phenotypic variability. The boy had several facial features indicating a lysosomal storage disorder, as well as spondylolisthesis. His sister, apart from heavy eyebrows and lower jaw prognathism appeared normal."}
{"id": "PMID:1472355", "title": "Translocation/duplication of 9p onto a duplicated 4q.", "content": "A 5-month-old girl with the classical dysmorphism of the 9p trisomy syndrome and a severe heart defect was found to have an unbalanced translocation of 9pter-->p22 onto q35 of a chromosome 4 with an inverted duplication of q32-->q35. This concurrence of two de novo rearrangements suggests that the breakpoint at 4q35 not only participated in the translocation but also predisposed to the segmental duplication of 4q."}
{"id": "PMID:1472356", "title": "Opitz-C syndrome: on the nosology of mental retardation and trigonocephaly.", "content": "We report on two patients with a complicated form of trigonocephaly. The first patient has the Opitz-\"C\"-trigonocephaly syndrome. The second patient had initially a delayed motor development, but finally attained normal intelligence. A review of 22 patients with Opitz-C syndrome from the literature is presented. Most of the typical facial dysmorphism can be regarded as part of a trigonocephaly \"sequence\" rather than presenting characteristic features of a syndrome. More specific are the intra-oral anomalies, abnormally modelled ears, cardiac anomalies and neonatal hypotonia. All surviving patients are severely retarded. Since almost all patients are sporadic cases we suggest that the \"C\"-syndrome is a cytogenetically yet undetectable microdeletion syndrome."}
{"id": "PMID:1472357", "title": "Pfeiffer acrocephalosyndactyly syndrome in mother and son with cloverleaf skull anomaly in the child.", "content": "A boy is reported with the cloverleaf skull anomaly as part of the Pfeiffer syndrome. So far, this combination has only been observed in sporadic cases. However, the mother of this patient had also the syndrome of Pfeiffer, indicating that the cloverleaf skull abnormality may occur in familial cases. Development of the child after birth and therapeutic approaches are reported."}
{"id": "PMID:1472358", "title": "Dysmorphology report: on the association of microcephaly and preaxial polydactyly. Another example of Howard-Young syndrome.", "content": "We present a 5-year-old boy with developmental delay, severe microcephaly and preaxial polydactyly. These features are very similar to those previously described by Howard and Young (1) in their princeps report."}
{"id": "PMID:1472359", "title": "The use of post-embedding immunoelectron microscopy in the diagnosis of glomerular diseases. Comparison of immunoelectron microscopic and immunofluorescence studies.", "content": "Fifty renal biopsies were studied by immunoelectron microscopy after embedding in a partly hydrophilic polyacrylic resin (LR White). Immunofluorescence studies were carried out on frozen sections of parallel tissue samples. Polyacrylic embedding gave good preservation of the renal ultrastructure and precise localization of immunoglobulin and C3c antibodies within glomerular electron-dense deposits. Non-specific staining of plasma proteins within vascular lumina could easily be detected. There was good correlation between immunoelectron and immunofluorescence microscopy. Immunoelectron microscopy is a very sensitive method, which can detect small amounts of antigen. More cases were, however, positive by immunofluorescence than by immunoelectron microscopy. This discrepancy may be explained by difference in sample size, and by difference in resolution of morphological details (electron microscopy versus fluorescence microscopy)."}
{"id": "PMID:1472360", "title": "Nationwide spread of Klebsiella oxytoca K55 in Swedish neonatal special care wards.", "content": "In a nationwide survey of invasive bacterial infections in Swedish neonates, 36% of Klebsiella spp. were Klebsiella oxytoca serotype K55. This unexpectedly high proportion of K55 infections was due to clusters of infection in neonatal special care wards, and at first seemed attributable to nosocomial spread of a K. oxytoca strain of high virulence. Factors predisposing infants to infection were, however, found irrespective of whether the infecting strain was of serotype K55 or not. Additionally, the prevalence rates of a potential virulence factor, siderophore production, were similar among the two groups of strains. During the same period of time a K. oxytoca K55 with similar biochemical phenotype and drug resistance pattern was found to be spread among the neonates in 12 of 22 neonatal wards in Sweden. The increased proportion of invasive neonatal K. oxytoca K55 infections thus seemed to reflect a high rate of colonization rather than an increased virulence of the K55 strain."}
{"id": "PMID:1472361", "title": "Mucosal immunoreactivity in experimental pneumococcal otitis media.", "content": "A rat model was used to investigate immunological events in the middle ear mucosa during pneumococcal acute otitis media (AOM). Twelve healthy male Sprague-Dawley rats were challenged in the right middle ear with Streptococcus pneumoniae type 3, the presence of AOM being confirmed by otomicroscopy. Randomly selected rats, four at a time, were sacrificed on days 7, 14 and 56 after bacterial challenge. Immunohistochemical staining for IgG, secretory IgA (SIgA), and IgM was performed on tissue specimens from four separate locations in the middle ear and tubal mucosa. Immunoglobulins, especially IgG, were found around blood vessels in the middle ear mucosa. Immunoreactive lymphoid cells of all three Ig classes investigated, undetectable before bacterial challenge, appeared within 7-14 days after middle ear challenge, and the location of these cells in the middle ear mucosa suggests the presence of IgG, SIgA, and IgM, respectively. On the other hand, reactivity with anti-SIgA (but not with anti-IgG or anti-IgM) in Eustachian epithelial cells, and also in the subepithelial glands of tubal mucosa was present both before and after challenge. The results suggest that the middle ear mucosa is an immunoreactive site only after it has been activated with pathogens. In contrast, the tubal mucosa exhibits immunological activity also prior to the antigenic stimulation of present interest."}
{"id": "PMID:1472362", "title": "Neuronal uptake of plasma proteins in cryogenic brain lesions. An immunoelectron microscopic study.", "content": "A previous light microscopic study on cryogenic brain lesions in rats demonstrated uptake of plasma proteins into damaged neurons within a few minutes after the lesion. The protein concentration was much higher inside the nerve cell bodies than in the surrounding neuropil. This is puzzling since the neuropil to a large extent consists of damaged neuronal processes. The present investigation describes the intracellular localization of albumin in this model using a post-embedding immunoelectron microscopic technique. The distribution of albumin in the lesions was studied after 1, 6 and 12 h survival periods. The intraneuronal albumin was mainly bound to the particulate elements of the cytoplasm and nuclei, while the watery parts of the cells showed no immunoreactivity. The intracellular organelles contained very little albumin, indicating that their membranes may be more resistant to freezing than those of the cells. Most of the neuronal and glial processes in the neuropil were swollen and contained almost no albumin. This explains the contrast between the strong immunoreactivity of the neurons and the vague reactivity of the neuropil in light microscopy."}
{"id": "PMID:1472363", "title": "Experimental studies of survival of anaerobic bacteria at 4 degrees C and 22 degrees C in two different transport systems.", "content": "The survival of anaerobic bacteria on swabs in two different transport systems at 4 degrees C and 22 degrees C was evaluated. The transport systems were a charcoal-impregnated cotton swab in modified Stuart transport medium (MST), and a viscose swab in modified SIFF transport medium (BTM) (Bionor). The following eight clinical strains of anaerobic bacteria were tested for quantitative recovery at 24 h, 48 h, 72 h, and 96 h; Fusobacterium necrophorum, Bacteroides melaninogenicus, Bacteroides intermedius, Peptostreptococcus anaerobius, Peptococcus magnus, Clostridium perfringens, Clostridium tetani, and Actinomyces israelii. Additionally, a mixture of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli was tested together with Bacteroides fragilis, Fusobacterium necrophorum and Clostridium perfringens. Both transport systems preserved the bacteria, but the BTM medium gave a better quantitative recovery of the bacteria than the MST in 29/64 (45%) of the experiments, whereas the opposite was the case in 15/64 (23%) of the experiments (p < 0.05). There was no significant strain-related difference between the recovery of 10 different B. fragilis strains. There was no major difference in the recovery of the anaerobes in the two systems at 4 degrees C compared to 22 degrees C, except for Fusobacterium necrophorum, which survived best at 4 degrees C in the Bionor transport system."}
{"id": "PMID:1472364", "title": "Effects of the prostaglandin E2 analogue enprostil on the carbon tetrachloride-induced necrosis of liver cells in mice.", "content": "Female mice, eight weeks old, were injected with carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) (10 mg subcutaneously). Groups of mice (n = 10-30) were then injected with enprostil (E) 2, 20 or 50 micrograms/kg body weight (bw) intraperitoneally 15 min and two h after, or E 100 micrograms/kg bw two h after the CCl4 injection. The mice were killed after 24, 48 or 72 h. Plasma activity concentrations of alanine aminotransferase (ALAT) were determined in blood specimens from the iliac veins. The extent of liver cell necrosis in histological sections was recorded on a 100 mm Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and measured using the electronic Mini Mop method. In the group given the highest single dose of E (100 micrograms/kg) a significant lowering of the CCl4-induced liver cell necrosis was found after 24 h. No significant differences were found after 48 and 72 h. In the other groups injected with lower doses of E after CCl4, no significant differences were found compared to groups injected with CCl4 alone."}
{"id": "PMID:1472365", "title": "Influence of muramyl dipeptide on renal candidiasis in genetically distinct mice.", "content": "Susceptible (DBA/2) and resistant (C57BL/6) mice were inoculated intravenously with Candida albicans to evaluate the effect of a four-day prophylaxis with muramyl dipeptide (MDP) on the renal burden of organisms during the first week after infection. In sham-treated DBA/2 mice injected with 8 x 10(4) candida cells, renal CFU (LOG10 +/- SEM) on days 1, 4 and 7 after infection were found to average 5.050 +/- 0.109, 4.882 +/- 0.133 and 5.482 +/- 0.245. In sham-treated C57BL/6 mice injected with 2 x 10(5) candida cells, renal CFU on days 1, 4 and 7 reached only 3.610 +/- 0.118, 3.404 +/- 0.107 and 4.176 +/- 0.580. MDP-treated DBA/2 mice achieved significant reduction in CFU of C. albicans on day 1 (1.3 log units) and day 4 (0.6 log unit), while MDP-treated C57BL/6 mice had significant reduction in CFU of C. albicans only on day 1 (0.6 log unit) after infection. Sham-treated mice of both strains had a 28.6 to 30% increase in kidney weights on day 4 only, a transient change not seen in MDP-treated mice. Histopathological examination on days 8, 15 and 21 after infection revealed a higher incidence of renal papillary necrosis in DBA/2 mice than C57BL/6 mice (approximately 70% vs 10%). The incidence of granulomas and of chronic interstitial inflammation was much higher in MDP-treated mice. We conclude that the genetic makeup of the host influences the potential effectiveness of MDP as a biological response modifier."}
{"id": "PMID:1472366", "title": "Growth of xenografted squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck--possible correlation with patient survival.", "content": "Tumor biopsies from 100 cases of squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (HNSCC) were xenografted to athymic nude mice. To ascertain whether xenograft take might be a factor of clinical significance, it was compared with patient survival, the patients being divided into two groups (take and non-take) according to the results of transplantation. The tumor take rate was 29%. Median survival time with respect to cancer death was 18 months in the take group, as compared with over 74 months in the non-take group (p = 0.06). No significant differences were observed between the two groups with respect to age, tumor size, nodal status, clinical stage or histological differentiation. The findings suggest that take of HNSCC xenografts in nude mice may reflect the malignant potential of the original tumor. Moreover, the possibility cannot be excluded of a selection bias favoring the use of such malignant xenografts in therapeutic studies in nude mice."}
{"id": "PMID:1472367", "title": "Detection and quantitation of antibodies against Rhizopus by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.", "content": "In sawmills high concentrations of spores from the mould Rhizopus microsporus may occur, causing allergic alveolitis in exposed workers. Both symptomatic and asymptomatic exposed workers may develop antibodies. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the detection of antibodies to Rhizopus has been developed in order to study the relationship between antibody levels and exposure levels. The precision of the measurements of Rhizopus antibodies by ELISA carried out on the same microtiter plate was estimated to be 11%. It is therefore possible to detect changes in antibody levels of approximately 25% or more. Antibodies were studied longitudinally by ELISA in 60 wood trimmers. The observed changes in antibody levels exceeded the precision of the ELISA method substantially, indicating significant variability in antibody levels in wood trimmers. The ELISA test was compared with the double immunodiffusion test (DID). Sera from 67 wood trimmers were analyzed by both methods. Antibodies were detected by ELISA in 70% and by DID in 28% of the workers in this group, clearly demonstrating that the ELISA test is the most sensitive method for the detection of antibodies to Rhizopus."}
{"id": "PMID:1472368", "title": "Rat Sertoli and spermatogenic cells express a similar gene, and its product is antigenically related to an outer dense fiber-associated protein.", "content": "We have previously reported that a heterodimeric protein secreted by rat Sertoli cells is antigenically related to a protein associated with outer dense fibers of the sperm tail. Therefore, we have explored the possibility that Sertoli and spermatogenic cells express a similar gene encoding a homologous protein. A Sertoli cell heterodimeric protein cDNA probe recognizes specific mRNA in pachytene and round spermatids fractionated by centrifugal elutriation; however, this specific mRNA was less prominent than in cultured Sertoli cells. In agreement with these observations, in situ hybridization experiments show that Sertoli cells are predominantly engaged in active heterodimeric protein mRNA synthesis, while meiotic prophase spermatocytes and spermatids also show significant but less abundant specific mRNA. Immunoblotting experiments demonstrate that, while Sertoli cells synthesize a heterodimeric protein consisting of two disulfide-linked components with molecular masses of 45 and 35 kD, both primary spermatocytes and round spermatids synthesize single 30 kD monomers not associated by disulfide linkage but recognized by antisera to Sertoli cell heterodimeric protein. Immunoblotting and immunogold electron microscopic studies show that antisera to Sertoli cell heterodimeric protein recognize a protein associated with outer dense fibers. This immunoreactivity was abolished by a 5-min pronase treatment, without affecting the integrity of outer dense fibers. Results of this study and previous studies demonstrate that both Sertoli and spermatogenic cells express a similar gene and that an antigenically related product encoded by this gene becomes associated with outer dense fibers during their assembly at spermiogenesis."}
{"id": "PMID:1472369", "title": "Developmental expression of the S35-S45/SGP-2/TRPM-2 gene in rat testis and epididymis.", "content": "Testosterone-repressed prostate message-2 (TRPM-2) was originally isolated and cloned from the regressing ventral prostate of the rat. In this tissue, and in other hormone-dependent tissues such as the mammary gland, this gene is induced in the absence of the appropriate trophic hormone. Sequence analysis of the cDNA and genomic clones of TRPM-2 have demonstrated that the coding sequence of this gene is identical to S35-S45 (also known as SGP-2 and clusterin), which is constitutively expressed by the Sertoli cells of the adult testis. Using Northern, slot blot, S1-nuclease analysis, and in situ hybridization, we have investigated the regulation of TRPM-2 expression in the testis and epididymis during development. Slot blot analysis of RNA extracted from the testis and epididymis of 7-, 14-, 28-, 35-, and 91-day-old rats demonstrates that the gene is induced to detectable levels between days 7 and 14 and that the relative level of expression does not change significantly after day 14. In situ hybridization using frozen sections of testis from day 2-, 7-, 14-, 28-, 35-, and 91-day-old rats confirms that there is little expression of TPRM-2 in the seminiferous epithelium of 7-day-old rats, but this increases considerably after 14 days, primarily in Sertoli cells but also in association with meiotic developing spermatogenic cells. However, TRPM-2 mRNA is expressed in the rete testis at 2 days of age, reaches a peak at 35 days of age, and continues to be expressed in the adult. Slot blot analysis demonstrates that TRPM-2 is also induced in the epididymis between 7 and 14 days of age, although, as has been demonstrated by in situ hybridization, TRPM-2 mRNA is detectable in the epithelial cells in the head of the epididymis but is barely detectable in the midportion or tail regions. Northern analysis suggests that the size of the TRPM-2 transcript in the testis also changes during development. In the early stages of testicular development, the TRPM-2 transcript appears to be a broad band of approximately 1.5 kb, while the transcript in the adult appears to be approximately 1.8 kb in length. S1-nuclease protection assays suggest that this increase in size is not due to differential splicing of the first exon of TRPM-2/SGP-2 and most probably reflects a difference in the polyadenylation of the mRNA in the testis at different times during development."}
{"id": "PMID:1472370", "title": "Stage-specific expression of rat transition protein 2 mRNA and possible localization to the chromatoid body of step 7 spermatids by in situ hybridization using a nonradioactive riboprobe.", "content": "The present study has used methoxyacetic acid (MAA)-induced depletion of specific germ cell types in the rat and in situ hybridization with nonradioactive riboprobes to determine the stages of the spermatogenic cycle at which there is expression of the mRNA for the basic chromosomal protein transition protein 2 (TP2). On Northern blots, an abundant mRNA was detectable in samples from control adult rats, but the amount of message was markedly reduced when RNA was extracted from the testes of rats treated 14 and 21 days previously with methoxyacetic acid. These testes were depleted specifically of step 7-12 spermatids, suggesting that these cells contain TP2 mRNA. When tissue sections were subjected to in situ hybridization, the TP2 mRNA was localized at the cellular and subcellular levels. Messenger RNA for TP2 was first detectable in spermatids at step 7. In these spermatids, at high magnification, in addition to some positive reaction in the cytoplasm, intense staining was located to a perinuclear structure consistent with localization of mRNA within the chromatoid body. The amount of TP2 mRNA in the cytoplasm increased as remodelling of the early spermatid nucleus progressed and was highest in step 10 and 11 spermatids at stages X and XI. Thereafter, the mRNA decreased until it was undetectable in step 14 spermatids at stage XIV. The localization of TP2 mRNA to the chromatoid body of step 7 spermatids would be consistent with this organelle being a storage site for long-lived mRNAs utilized later in spermiogenesis."}
{"id": "PMID:1472371", "title": "Analysis of the DNA binding proteins interacting with specific upstream sequences of the S. purpuratus CyI actin gene.", "content": "The CyI actin gene of the sea urchin, Strongylocentrotus purpuratus, is regulated temporally and spatially within the cells of the early embryo. In an effort to understand the molecular basis for the CyI actin pattern of expression, we have begun analyzing the protein-DNA interactions within regions previously shown to be of potential functional importance (Katula et al., 1987). Using DNase I footprinting, 10 protected regions were identified containing both conserved and apparently novel protein binding sites. Gel mobility shift competition assays confirmed the presence of multiple protein factors which specifically recognize CyI actin upstream sequences. Determination of a relative affinity constant value (Kr) indicated that most of the protein factors preferred their respective oligonucleotide sequences vs. a synthetic competitor DNA in a range of 10(4). The highest affinity binding was observed for proteins binding to the oligonucleotide probe containing the octamer element (Kr approximately 10(6)). Heterologous gel shift competition assays were carried out to investigate the interrelatedness of the protein factors. These studies, combined with other data, indicate there are both unique and redundant protein-DNA interactions in the region being examined. Possible alterations in CyI actin DNA binding proteins were investigated during the period of CyI transcriptional activation by gel mobility shift analysis. An increase in binding activity was observed for most of the factors, indicating that early transcriptional activity of CyI actin may involve a general increase in the amount or activity of specific transcription factors. In addition, qualitative changes, as seen by alterations in the shift patterns, were observed for some of the oligonucleotide probes."}
{"id": "PMID:1472372", "title": "Expression of estrogen receptor gene in mouse oocyte and during embryogenesis.", "content": "Estrogen is required for oocyte maturation and embryonic development in vivo; however, the mechanism involved is not clear. Since the effect of estrogen is mediated through the estrogen receptor (ER), we examined the ontogeny and expression of the ER gene in mouse oocytes and embryos of various gestational stages using the highly sensitive reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) technique. Total RNA, extracted from 40 ovulated oocytes, 2-cell embryos, morulae, and blastocysts, was reverse transcribed into cDNA. A pair of primers flanking the 453-bp region encoding the hormone-binding domain of ER was used for 30 cycles of PCR. The identity of the amplified product was confirmed by sizing and Southern blot hybridization. The results indicated that ER gene is expressed in unfertilized oocytes and cumulus-oocyte complexes. The amount of ER mRNA decreases in 2-cell embryos, coincident with degradation of maternal mRNA. No ER transcript can be detected in the morulae or blastocyst stage when the embryonic genome has been activated. Postimplantation embryos do not contain detectable ER mRNA until gestation day 8. The levels of ER mRNA increase from day 10 to day 18 of gestation. These data suggest that estrogen, secreted by granulosa cells, may directly influence oocyte growth and maturation in vivo. Since estrogen is known to stimulate the production of growth factors in mouse uteri, the absence of ER mRNA in periimplantation embryos suggests that the effects of estrogen on early embryogenesis may be indirect, i.e., through estrogen-regulated growth-promoting factors produced by the reproductive tract. In mid- and late-post-implantation embryos which contain ER mRNA, estrogen may affect embryonic development through the receptor-mediated mechanisms."}
{"id": "PMID:1472373", "title": "Transforming growth factor beta and basic fibroblast growth factor synergistically promote early bovine embryo development during the fourth cell cycle.", "content": "Developmentally competent bovine blastocysts were produced by adding transforming growth factor beta (TGF beta) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) to serum-free cultures of in vitro produced, 2-cell bovine embryos. The effects of TGF beta were evaluated because this growth factor signals synthesis and secretion of the extracellular matrix component fibronectin and its receptor. Previous investigations have demonstrated that fibronectin promotes early bovine embryo development in vitro. The effects of TGF beta can be potentiated by bFGF; bFGF itself is an effector of protein synthesis and a potent mitogen. A positive interaction between the 2 growth factors resulted in 38.8% of fertilized oocytes maturing beyond the 16-cell stage; of these, 24.6% formed blastocysts. Transfer of early blastocysts produced using serum-free medium supplemented with growth factors resulted in pregnancy in 3 of 9 recipients. These results support the hypothesis that TGF beta and bFGF act synergistically to promote development of bovine embryos beyond the \"8-cell block\" observed in vitro."}
{"id": "PMID:1472374", "title": "Fate of microinjected genes in preimplantation mouse embryos.", "content": "The state of genes microinjected into mouse embryos was followed from the one-cell to the blastocyst stage using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Microinjected DNA was detected in all one-, two-, and four-cell injected embryos and in 44% of morula and 26% of blastocysts. Head-to-tail ligation of microinjected genes, a common feature of stably integrated transgene arrays, was detected in all embryos after injection of microinjected genes and occurred irrespective of the structure at the ends of the injected genes. Sensitivity of microinjected DNA to a methylation-dependent restriction endonuclease Dpn I was lost in all embryos by the two-cell stage (24 hr), indicating a change in DNA methylation, independent of transgene integration. Dissociation of blastomeres prior to compaction revealed a mosaic distribution of the microinjected DNA within the embryo and supports the notion that injected genes form a limited number of arrays, which segregate independently until they integrate into the genome or are degraded."}
{"id": "PMID:1472375", "title": "Characterization of fibronectin as a marker for human epididymal sperm maturation.", "content": "Fertilization involves adhesive interactions between gametes similar to those mediated by fibronectin (FN) in other cellular systems. Fibronectin has been found on the equatorial segment of ejaculated human serum. As sperm capacity to interact with the oocyte is acquired during epididymal transit, the possible participation of FN in human sperm maturation was studied. The presence of FN in both epididymal sperm and fluid was demonstrated by the detection of a major component of 220 kD in immunoblot studies using anti-FN antisera. The concentration of FN in soluble tissue extracts of epididymis was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). A gradual increase along the length of the organ, averaging 12-fold from proximal caput to distal corpus, was detected. Immunocytochemistry assays indicated that the number of spermatozoa with immunoreactive FN over the equatorial segment increased from 18% in caput to 64% in distal corpus epididymis. Immunoprecipitation of medium from epididymal explants culture with anti-FN antiserum demonstrated the de novo synthesis of FN in vitro. The greater number of FN-positive sperm coincident with FN accumulation in distal regions of the epididymis supports the role of FN in sperm maturation."}
{"id": "PMID:1472376", "title": "Fertilization envelope in diapause eggs of Pontella mediterranea (Crustacea, Copepoda).", "content": "The sequence and timing of morphological changes during envelope formation was followed in diapause eggs of Pontella mediterranea (Crustacea, Copepoda). The multilayer coat enveloping these eggs resulted from the exocytosis of 4 types of cortical vesicles that sequentially released their contents in the perivitelline space. These included small high-density vesicles (hDV) with electron-dense material, vesicles (V) with dense ring granules and a uniform matrix contained within the same compartment, large high-density (HDV) vesicles, and large moderately dense (MDV) vesicles. All of these cortical vesicles were present in newly spawned, fertilized eggs. Their exocytosis resulted from egg activation. One of these cortical vesicles (V) was similar in morphology to the intracisternal granules precursors of endogenous yolk. Intracisternal granules, characteristic of previtellogenic oocytes of many crustaceans, were present in previtellogenic oocytes of P. mediterranea but disappeared in later stages of oocyte development once yolk formation was completed. We discuss the role of cortical vesicles in the formation of the complex extracellular coat enveloping copepod diapause eggs."}
{"id": "PMID:1472377", "title": "Human sperm proteins from testicular and epididymal origin that participate in fertilization: modulation of sperm binding to zona-free hamster oocytes, using monoclonal antibodies.", "content": "In order to identify human sperm surface proteins involved in the gamete recognition process, mouse monoclonal antibodies were directed against human spermatozoa and screened with live spermatozoa by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Immunoperoxidase staining of human testis showed the early presence of four corresponding proteins on germinal cells, while six were detected primarily in testis fluid. The presence of 17 proteins was evidenced in the epididymis. Eight were detected with a decreasing gradient from the beginning to the end of the organ, including vasa efferentia for three of them. The other nine were observed in only one defined segment, usually the caput epididymis, which was found to be the most active region. Comparison of spermatozoa patterns from testis, vasa efferentia, and the three regions of epididymis pointed out a progressive coating. By contrast, three antibodies displayed a migration of spermatozoa surface domains in the course of epididymal transit. Six antibodies were found to inhibit human spermatozoa adherence to zona-free hamster oocytes, while nine promoted it. Molecular weights of antigens corresponding to nine of the antibodies ranged from 11 to 215 kDa. No correlation could be established with previously described human proteins. These observations emphasize the role of epididymis in human sperm maturation."}
{"id": "PMID:1472378", "title": "Immunological evidence for a P2 protamine precursor in mature rat sperm.", "content": "High molecular weight proteins in Rattus norvegicus that are immunoreactive with an anti-protamine 2 specific antibody but not with an anti-protamine 1 specific antibody are described. These proteins were detected by coupling high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Briefly, following HPLC separation of rat sperm nuclear proteins, the HPLC fractions were probed with the antibodies. We estimate that the antibody probes are 100-1000 times more sensitive than UV absorbance measurements. Immunoblot analysis following acid-urea electrophoretic separation of rat sperm nuclear proteins, and of the HPLC fractions, also detected putative protamine 2 precursor proteins. The proteins reactive with the anti-protamine 2 antibody are most likely not mature protamine 2, since they were detected in a region of the chromatogram where we would not expect protamine 2 to migrate based on the chromatographic locations of human and mouse protamine 2. Likewise, the immunoblotting experiments demonstrated that the anti-protamine 2 antibody recognized proteins with slower electrophoretic mobilities than would be expected for a mature protamine 2. An anti-protamine 1 monoclonal antibody, Hup1N, that binds rat protamine 1 is also described. Hup1N allowed for identification of the HPLC fractions that contained rat protamine 1. Finally, we demonstrated that Hup1N binds protamine 1 from a large number of species, suggesting a conserved epitope for Hup1N."}
{"id": "PMID:1472379", "title": "A comparison between in vitro fertilization and microinjection of immobilized spermatozoa from bulls producing spermatozoa with defects.", "content": "The objectives of this study were to compare the fertilization rate of bovine in vitro matured oocytes by in vitro fertilization (IVF) and by microinjection of a single spermatozoon (MI) and to relate these rates with fertility reported for these bulls in artificial breeding. Bull A (Holstein) had a nonreturn rate of 75%. Semen from this bull is routinely used in our standard IVF procedure. Bull B (Ayrshire), used regularly in artificial breeding and related to bull D, had a nonreturn rate of 69.2%. Bull C (Brown Swiss), with a chromosomal translocation and trisomy, achieved a nonreturn rate of 42%. Bull D (Ayrshire) produced nonmotile spermatozoa (SPZ) and had an abnormality described as \"tail stump defect.\" No pregnancies sired by bull D have been reported. Oocytes were either fertilized in vitro by capacitated SPZ or by microinjection of a single immobilized SPZ into the ooplasm. SPZ were treated with 0.1 microM A23187 and used for IVF. For microinjection SPZ were cocultured for 5 h with bovine oviduct epithelial cells (BOEC) and then immobilized by freezing and thawing twice without cryoprotectant. A single batch of killed SPZ (stored at -25 degrees C) was used for all microinjections. All oocytes were cultured in Medium 199 for 22 h at 39 degrees C and subsequently fixed, stained, and examined for evidence of fertilization (i.e., female and male pronucleus formation, SPZ decondensation). Fertilization rates following IVF with semen from bulls A, B, C, and D were 80%, 54%, 1%, and 2%, and following microinjection were 39%, 22%, 21%, and 34%, respectively."}
{"id": "PMID:1472380", "title": "Making sense from antisense: a review of experimental data and developing ideas on sense--antisense peptide recognition.", "content": "Peptides encoded in the antisense strand of DNA have been predicted and found experimentally to bind to sense peptides and proteins with significant selectivity and affinity. Such sense--antisense peptide recognition has been observed in many systems, most often by detecting binding between immobilized and soluble interaction partners. Data obtained so far on sequence and solvent dependence of interaction support a hydrophobic-hydrophilic (amphipathic) model of peptide recognition. Nonetheless, the mechanistic understanding of this type of molecular recognition remains incomplete. Improving this understanding likely will require expanding the types of characteristics measured for sense--antisense peptide complexes and hence the types of analytical methods applied to such interactions. Understanding the mechanism of sense--antisense peptide recognition also may provide insights into mechanisms of native (sense) peptide and protein interactions and protein folding. Such insight may be helpful to learn how to design macromolecular recognition agents in technology for separation, diagnostics and therapeutics."}
{"id": "PMID:1472381", "title": "Design of novel affinity adsorbents for the purification of trypsin-like proteases.", "content": "A number of ligands for the selective purification by affinity chromatography of the trypsin-like protease, porcine pancreatic kallikrein, were designed de novo by computer-aided molecular design. The ligands were designed to mimic the side-chains of a number of arginyl dipeptides and included a benzamidine moiety substituted on a triazine ring. The ligands displayed inhibitory activities against pancreatic kallikrein which mirrored the specificity constants of the dipeptides they were designed to mimic. The ligand with the highest affinity for the enzyme, an analogue of a Phe-Arg dipeptide, when immobilized to Sepharose CL-4B via a hexamethylene spacer arm, purified pancreatic kallikrein 110-fold in one step from a crude pancreatic acetone extract."}
{"id": "PMID:1472382", "title": "Complex carbohydrate-lectin interaction at the interface: a model for cellular adhesion. II. Reactivity of both the oligosaccharide chain and sugar-binding domain of a glycoprotein lectin.", "content": "We describe studies of a new model cell adhesion system involving liposomes bearing lectins and the glycosphingolipid, asialomonosialoganglioside (asialoGM1). The model provides a simple analysis of experimental data to elucidate the mechanism of heterophilic cell-cell adhesion mediated by multiple protein-carbohydrate interactions. Phospholipid vesicles bearing the fatty acid conjugate of a glycoprotein lectin from Ricinus communis (RCAI vesicle) are shown to react with vesicles bearing the fatty acid conjugate of Concanavalin A (Con A) and asialoGM1 (Con A vesicle). The kinetics of aggregation and monosaccharide-induced disaggregation of the two types of vesicles were followed by monitoring the time-dependent change in turbidity. Depending on the surface density of the asialoGM1, 40-60% of the resulting precipitin complex was dissociable only in the presence of both RCAI-specific galactose and Con A-specific alpha-methyl-D-mannoside. Results indicate simultaneous participation of both the saccharide-binding domain and carbohydrate sequence of RCAI, a model cell adhesion molecule, to stabilize the encounter complex by two types of interactions. These findings support the possibility of stable cell-cell adhesion in vivo occurring via interactions between cell adhesion molecules on apposing cell-surface membranes."}
{"id": "PMID:1472384", "title": "A simple method for randomly mutating cloned DNA fragments by using chemical mutagens and the polymerase chain reaction.", "content": "Random mutagenesis of cloned DNA fragments can be an important tool for understanding genes and/or gene products. I report here a simple procedure for generating random mutations in any cloned DNA fragment in vitro. This method utilizes the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to amplify chemically damaged single-stranded DNA containing the DNA fragment of interest. A mutagenized pool of plasmid DNA is produced by cloning the PCR product (containing chemically induced sequence heterogeneity) into a new vector. Therefore, extreme chemical treatments can be used that biologically inactivate the original vector. In this report, 10% of the plasmids contained a mutation in a 97-nucleotide DNA insert, giving a mutagenesis frequency of 10(-3)/base pair. Of 3000 yeast transformants screened, seven intron mutations were isolated that activate a cryptic 3' splice site, suggesting that 2% of the mutations could give rise to the desired phenotype. The seven mutations included transitions, transversions and single nucleotide deletions, demonstrating the well-balanced repertoire of nucleotide changes derived from this procedure."}
{"id": "PMID:1472385", "title": "Detection of specific alleles by using allele-specific primer extension followed by capture on solid support.", "content": "This article describes a method for determining whether a particular nucleic acid sequence is present in a sample and for discriminating between any two nucleic acid sequences if such sequences differ only by a single nucleotide. The method entails extension of a novel two-component primer on templates that may or may not include a target nucleic acid sequence. The 3' portion of the primer is complementary to a portion of the template adjacent to the target sequence (for example, the polymorphic nucleotide). The 5' portion of the primer is complementary to a different preselected nucleic acid sequence. Extension of the 3' portion of the primer with a labeled deoxynucleoside triphosphate yields a labeled extension product, but only if the template includes the target sequence. The presence of such a labeled primer-extension product is detected by hybridization of the 5' portion to the preselected sequence. The preselected sequence is immobilized on a solid support. The method has been applied to genotyping individuals for the two-allele polymorphism of the human tyrosinase gene."}
{"id": "PMID:1472386", "title": "PCR-based quantitation of low levels of HIV-1 DNA by using an external standard.", "content": "Beginning with 10(3)-10(5) molecules of a purified HIV-1 target sequence as a starting template, we have examined the effects of starting template concentration and cycle number on the amplification efficiency of the polymerase chain reaction. An external standard DNA sequence has been designed that when added to a DNA sample enables a determination of the starting concentration of HIV-1 target sequence in that sample of DNA. Varying ratios of external standard and target DNA sequences were amplified for 22 cycles. When the starting concentration of the external standard was within 50-fold of the starting concentration of the target, the amplifications of both sequences were proportional. These same results were obtained when the two templates were amplified in the presence of an excess of heterogeneous genomic DNA. Using this quantitative method, the number of starting target molecules in a DNA sample can be calculated to within a two-fold range of accuracy."}
{"id": "PMID:1472390", "title": "Factors which influence the decision whether or not to prescribe: the dilemma facing general practitioners.", "content": "In this study of the influences affecting general practitioners' decisions whether or not to prescribe, 69 principals and five trainees in general practice were asked about the factors that made these decisions difficult for them and the circumstances in which the decision caused them to feel uncomfortable. Discomfort was reported most frequently in prescribing for respiratory disease, psychiatric conditions and skin problems, though the range of problems mentioned was wide. The range of drugs for which the decision of whether or not to prescribe was difficult was also wide but psychotropic drugs, antibiotics, drugs acting on the cardiovascular system and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs were most often mentioned. Patient factors said to be important included age, ethnicity, social class and education, the doctor's prior knowledge of the patient, the doctor's feeling towards the patient, communication problems, and the doctor's desire to try to preserve the doctor-patient relationship. Doctor specific factors included concerns about drugs, factors relating to doctors' role perception and expectations of themselves, uncertainty, peer influences, logistic factors, and the experience of medical or therapeutic misadventures. The results of this study support earlier work on the influence of social factors on prescribing decisions and show that this influence affects the entire range of clinical problems. The results also reveal the importance of logistic factors. The overriding concern of doctors to preserve the doctor-patient relationship and the range of attitudes, perceptions and experiences of doctors that have a bearing on the decision to prescribe begin to explain the apparent irrationality of some general practitioner prescribing.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1472391", "title": "Reasons for consultation in irritable bowel syndrome: symptoms and patient characteristics.", "content": "This study compared the characteristics of patients with symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome who had either consulted or not consulted a general practitioner in the preceding two years. The subjects were identified by questionnaire in a community survey of irritable bowel syndrome symptoms and samples of 24 consulting and 24 non-consulting patients were interviewed. The groups were well matched for demographic characteristics, although those who consulted for irritable bowel syndrome also consulted more frequently for other problems. The only significant differences in the pattern, frequency and severity of a range of symptoms, which included the Manning criteria, were that more of the consulting patients experienced visible abdominal distension and had a higher mean score for severity of pain than the non-consulters. Mean negative life event scores and anxiety and depression scores were higher in the group who consulted and more of these patients were concerned about the possible serious nature of their symptoms, including fear of cancer, emphasizing the importance of eliciting patients' beliefs and anxieties about the meaning of their symptoms."}
{"id": "PMID:1472392", "title": "The evolution of chronic pain among patients with musculoskeletal problems: a pilot study in primary care.", "content": "Little is known about the evolution of chronic pain in primary care. Forty five patients with a four week history of musculoskeletal pain were assessed and followed up over 26 weeks by a research nurse using a structured interview and formal assessment instruments. Patients aged 18 to 65 years were recruited on presentation at two semirural Cheshire general practices and subsequently interviewed on a domiciliary visit. Twenty patients (44%) continued to have pain at 26 weeks and these patients were considered to have chronic pain. Nineteen patients had no pain after 12 weeks and a further six had no pain after 26 weeks; these patients together formed the group with acute pain. Comparing the two groups at entry into the study (pain of four weeks' duration) demonstrated significantly higher visual analogue scale scores for intensity of pain (P < 0.01) and a higher incidence of depression (P < 0.01) in the group which subsequently developed chronic pain. In this group, the presence of depression at 12 weeks was associated with higher visual analogue scale scores (P < 0.05) but at 26 weeks scores were similar in depressed and non-depressed patients. The correlation between visual analogue scale score for intensity of pain and the use of passive coping strategies to cope with pain appeared more strongly positive with duration of pain (P < 0.05 at 26 weeks). It is suggested that high pain intensity scores, the presence of depression, and the increasing use of passive coping strategies may be identifiable associations with the development of chronic pain. Areas for further research are identified."}
{"id": "PMID:1472393", "title": "Use of general practice by intravenous heroin users on a methadone programme.", "content": "Users of intravenous heroin represent a major challenge for general practice. A study was undertaken in a general practice in central London in 1990 to investigate the use of general practice made by intravenous heroin users who were on a methadone programme. Using information recorded in the patients' notes, 29 intravenous heroin users on a methadone programme were identified; 58 non-drug users (two controls per case) were matched for age, sex and general practitioner. A study of the number of routine consultations, missed appointments, emergency appointments and prescribed items showed that during the study period, those on a methadone programme made a larger number of routine consultations than the control subjects (median number of consultations 14 versus 0). When consultations at which only a prescription was issued were excluded this difference disappeared. Appointments were missed by 14 drug abusers (48%) but by none of the control group (P < 0.001). Emergency appointments were made by seven drug abusers (24%) compared with only two controls (3%) (P < 0.01). Even after prescriptions for methadone hydrochloride had been excluded from the analysis, patients on the methadone programme were prescribed significantly more items than patients in the control group (P < 0.001). This research has shown that intravenous heroin users on a methadone programme used general practice to a greater extent than non-drug users, according to the criteria used in the study. The implications that this may have in discouraging budget holding practices from running such schemes are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1472394", "title": "Motivational effect of cholesterol measurement in general practice health checks.", "content": "A randomized trial was conducted in five general practices in and around Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire to assess the motivational effect of cholesterol measurement on compliance with advice to reduce dietary fat intake and to stop smoking. The advice was given by practice nurses during health checks for cardiovascular risk factors. A total of 578 patients were recruited to the study and randomized into two groups. Both groups were given the same advice and were followed up after a median of three months, but the intervention group was also given immediate feedback on their cholesterol concentration. Follow up was completed for 88.2% of subjects, and those who were not followed up were assumed not to have changed their behaviour. The mean fall in total cholesterol at follow up was 0.11 mmol l-1 (95% confidence interval 0.03 to 0.18) in the intervention group who were told their cholesterol result and 0.02 mmol l-1 (95% CI -0.06 to 0.10) in the control group who were not. The proportion of smokers who were not smoking at follow up was 10.7% and 10.1% in the two groups, respectively. Patients in the intervention group with an initial total cholesterol level of 6.50 mmol l-1 or greater showed a mean fall of 6.2% in cholesterol level whereas those with an initial cholesterol level of less than 5.20 mmol l-1 experienced a mean increase of 3.6%, but as differences of this magnitude were also seen in the control group they probably reflect regression to the mean rather than an effect of knowledge of cholesterol level.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1472395", "title": "General practice and the provision of information and services for physically disabled people aged 16 to 65 years.", "content": "The study reported here was part of a larger survey investigating the nature and extent of disability in the Grampian region. Interviews with 212 people aged between 16 and 65 years who had a wide range of physical disabilities elicited perceptions of current and past service provision. Respondents expressed a strong need for information on disability services and reported difficulty in knowing whom to approach for this. General practitioners were the most commonly reported source of such information and low usage of the Department of Social Security, social work departments and voluntary organizations was identified. No significant relationship was found between degree of disability and frequency of consultation with a general practitioner. However, the more severe the disability the more likely it was that the general practitioner initiated contact rather than the patient. Although in general those interviewed were satisfied with medical information given regarding their diagnosis, they were more critical of information provided in relation to coping with the disorder, including that concerning benefits and services. The study confirmed the pivotal role of the general practitioner in the care of physically disabled people in the community aged between 16 and 65 years. The need to re-evaluate the role of the general practitioner in the provision of information and services is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1472396", "title": "Residents of private nursing homes and their care.", "content": "A study was undertaken to examine the characteristics of residents in private nursing homes, to measure residents' dependency levels, to determine the adequacy of procedures for admitting new residents and to explore general practitioners' work with residents. Details were obtained of 61 nursing homes registered by Nottingham district health authority and of a selection of residents. Information about residents provided by the nurses in charge included aspects of self care, orientation and social integration, these items contributing to a dependency score for each resident. General practitioners completed postal questionnaires. Information was sought on the numbers of residents on the general practitioners' lists, visiting patterns, and opinions on their work with residents. It was found that almost half of the reports accompanying residents on admission were considered inadequate by the nurses in charge. The 357 residents varied widely in dependency level, need for nursing care and medication; 31% had low dependency scores. Most of the residents (57%), had been admitted from hospital, 26% from their own home and 15% from other nursing or residential homes. Higher overall dependency levels, problems with mobility and continence and need for care of wounds, catheters or colostomies were more frequent in residents admitted from hospital or nursing or residential homes than in those admitted from their own home. The 70 responding general practitioners varied widely in the numbers of residents on their lists and in their visiting patterns. The 16 general practitioners providing medical care for entire nursing homes were significantly more likely than the other general practitioners to visit routinely.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1472397", "title": "Suicidal behaviour: a continuing cause for concern.", "content": "There is an increase in suicidal behaviour in the western world providing a major challenge to health care providers. There is an increase in the number of suicides among elderly people in Europe. The problem of suicides among elderly people is in itself a social problem, not solely a medical one. The general practitioner may be the only source of social contact for the elderly. Elderly individuals often present their problems to doctors as somatic complaints; these complaints must not be taken at face value but understood as expressions of psychosocial and social distress. The rise in suicide rates among young people is also alarming. The warning signs of escalating distress in adolescents are known and a treatment programme coordinating medical initiatives, such that recidivism of suicidal behaviour in adolescents is reduced, is necessary. The general practitioner is urged to sense when the problem presented by the individual stems from a source which is predominantly social, and to suggest an appropriate solution which may entail a family intervention. The general practitioner is in the front line of treatment and he or she may be better advised to treat both the social situation and the individual person in cases of attempted suicide. Medical initiatives must incorporate aspects of social medicine whereby community solutions are found for the management of individual distress. Social disruption, isolation, conflict and neglect are the doors to the house of despair. While medicine must respond to those who enter that house, it is the social level at which we must be the architects of change. People will die.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1472398", "title": "Ethical aspects of medical certification by general practitioners.", "content": "As well as acting as personal physicians, general practitioners are often asked to provide medical certificates, enabling patients to obtain benefits. In these cases doctors may act for the state, for other institutions or individuals, or as an advocate on the patient's behalf in a dispute. The ethical basis of this activity differs from the therapeutic doctor-patient relationship. Difficulties are particularly likely to arise when doctors are called on to combine the roles of therapist and certifier. Although this is often convenient and saves money, the damage to confidentiality and to the primary therapeutic relationship which may result must be weighted against this. The limitations of such certificates should also be borne in mind. Fairness and the preservation of the therapeutic doctor-patient relationship are best served by restricting the role of the personal doctor to the provision of clearly defined factual information on which others, who may be medical or non-medical, can make the final judgement."}
{"id": "PMID:1472407", "title": "Hypothyroidism: a comprehensive review.", "content": "Hypothyroidism is a common clinical entity encountered frequently in most adult primary care settings. The reported prevalence in the general population is approximately 3% in men, but as high as 10% in women (Sawin, Geller, Hershman, Castelli, & Bacharach, 1989). The disease process affects every major organ system, contributing to a broad range of symptoms. Clinicians need to be familiar with the signs, the symptoms, and the appropriate laboratory studies, so that timely and accurate diagnoses can be made. This article reviews normal thyroid physiology and thyroid pathophysiology, as well as the diagnosis and treatment of several important clinical entities resulting in hypothyroidism. Research findings are included insofar as they relate to current clinical practice."}
{"id": "PMID:1472409", "title": "Primary health care of elderly women.", "content": "Traditional health care of the expanding elderly population has focused on illness diagnosis and management. However, because more individuals, women especially, are living longer and living better, the emphasis should be shifted and modified to include primary health care for elderly people. Primary health care includes active health promotion and health maintenance, prevention of illness or disability, and attention to the quality as much as to the quantity of life. Unfortunately, the health concerns of elderly women, especially the oldest-old groups who live more or less independently, have been addressed inadequately in medical and nursing literature. Routine approaches to health care for women aged 70 and older must consider women's apparent hardiness, potential social isolation, and unique worries about safety and independence. Nurse practitioners in adult health, family practice, and gerontology must expand their repertoire of health promotion and health maintenance strategies to meet the needs of this special population. This article outlines the role of the nurse practitioner in the care of the well elderly woman."}
{"id": "PMID:1472408", "title": "Children's response to acute pain: a developmental approach.", "content": "Pain in children is a major concern of health care providers. To adequately relieve children's pain, nurses and other health care providers must be able to determine when children of all developmental stages are experiencing pain. The purpose of this article is to review what is known about children's response to acute pain."}
{"id": "PMID:1472414", "title": "AIDS and Austrian physicians.", "content": "Physicians have key roles both in treating disease and educating their patients about health and disease-related issues. To assess which factors correlate with Austrian physician's willingness to treat and educate patients about HIV-related risk behaviors and deal with AIDS issues, we conducted a survey of general practitioners, internists, and dermatologists in Graz, Austria. We report on some aspects of the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of these physicians. Factor analysis revealed two attitudinal components significantly associated with HIV-related practices of the respondents. We labeled these components Reluctance and Infection. \"Reluctance\" reflected discomfort with sex-related matters and was associated with less HIV counseling and less interest in HIV-related continuing medical education. \"Infection\" reflected a fear of contracting HIV disease and was positively associated with an increased assessment of different risk factors and a tendency to refer HIV-infected patients for all further treatment. Results suggest that physicians need further training in their ability to deal with HIV issues. Fortunately they seem willing to improve and take further training to do so. Patients, physicians, and the public would all benefit from acknowledging and dealing with the attitudes and needs of physicians toward HIV-related issues."}
{"id": "PMID:1472415", "title": "Effect of Magic Johnson's HIV status on HIV-related attitudes and behaviors of an STD clinic population.", "content": "This paper reports data on the effects that Earvin \"Magic\" Johnson's announced HIV infection had on the clients of an Philadelphia sexually-transmitted-disease (STD) clinic. Interviews conducted after Johnson's announcement (N = 148) included questions about whether respondents had heard his announcement and how this news had influenced their sexual attitudes and behaviors. The findings include comparisons of matched samples (N = 138) of respondents interviewed before and after the news. The comparisons focused on 3 areas related to the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV): 1) passive concern; 2) sense of personal risk; and 3) resolve to be tested for HIV in the next 6 months. A significantly greater percent (92%) of the postannouncement respondents reported planning HIV tests than did the preannouncement respondents (52%). Although the differences in perceived risk were not statistically significant, 25% of the preannouncement and 34% of the postannouncement respondents indicated high perceived risk for HIV. Forty-four percent of the postannouncement sample indicated that, as a result of the news, they were now using condoms; 32% reported no effect; and 54% reported a variety of behavior changes that included monogamy (21%), greater selectivity (10.6%), fewer sexual partners (9.2%), and abstinence (3.5%). Overall, the announcement by Magic Johnson that he had been infected with HIV was associated with increased concern about HIV and with attitude and behavior changes that would lead to reduced risk. This was especially true for those in the sample at relatively higher risk."}
{"id": "PMID:1472410", "title": "Battered women: understanding, identification, and assessment. A psychosociocultural perspective, Part 1.", "content": "The clinical implications of research with battered women and their families are discussed using the holistic framework of nursing and anthropology. Moving beyond superficial answers to \"Why do battered women stay?,\" barriers to leaving that stem from the sociocultural roots of violence are examined. Understanding these obstacles and the characteristics of violent men is fundamental to sensitive interaction with abused women who frequently enter and leave health care systems with no direct attention given to their primary problem of abuse. Assessment techniques are suggested, and triage and comprehensive assessment protocols are presented to aid nurse practitioners and nurses in their response to this urgent public health problem."}
{"id": "PMID:1472411", "title": "Controlling the spread of varicella zoster in the hospitalized patient.", "content": "In the health care setting, knowledge of communicable diseases is critical in the prevention of transmission. Communicable diseases transmitted by the respiratory route pose several difficult problems for control. One such disease, frequently overlooked in adults, because it is considered a childhood disease, is varicella zoster (chickenpox). Recognition of the disease and knowledge about its epidemiology, control, treatment, and follow-up care are necessary for the health care provider to prevent the spread of disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1472416", "title": "The stigmatization of AIDS in infants and children in the United States.", "content": "Many studies examining AIDS issues have detailed the policy implications of negative attitudes toward homosexuals, intravenous (IV) drug users, and the inner-city poor; however, none have specifically examined whether existing biases and prejudicial fears expressed toward HIV-infected adults also affect political responses to infants and children with AIDS. In this research, a survey was conducted among lobbyists to determine whether such prejudicial attitudes exist in the national policymaking arena when pediatric AIDS issues are considered. The data supports the hypothesis that policymakers legislate based on a prevailing moral code when considering AIDS treatment and education policies for children. Conversely, the moral codes appear to be absent from legislative considerations of other children's issues."}
{"id": "PMID:1472413", "title": "The Division of Nursing and its relationship to nurse practitioner education.", "content": "Nurses provide a large part of health care in the United States. Increasingly, among rural and underserved populations, urban and rural NPs and NMWs are taking the place of physicians who choose to specialize and to practice in metropolitan areas. Nurse practitioners and NMWs are well qualified to provide primary care for those with acute and chronic medical conditions, and to provide maternity care to the 95% of women whose pregnancies are normal and do not require specialist care by obstetricians. Since 1965, the DN, through its grant programs, has contributed to increasing the accessibility of health care in this country by helping to increase the supply of nurses in all specialties and improving the quality of graduates and undergraduates in nursing education. In the past 25 years, NPs and NMWs have proven their capability and worth. Federal support has helped to make these invaluable contributions possible."}
{"id": "PMID:1472417", "title": "Child care providers and AIDS: a study of knowledge versus acceptance.", "content": "A survey of child care providers' knowledge of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) transmission and attitudes toward recommended child care policies regarding AIDS was conducted in a Southeastern state. Significant knowledge differences regarding HIV transmission were found between certain comparison groups, although all groups agreed more than disagreed with current information about HIV transmission. In contrast, the child care providers were uniformly more cautious than accepting of recommended child care policies regarding AIDS. Suggestions for follow-up research and educational strategies to promote providers' acceptance of children with AIDS are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1472418", "title": "AIDS outreach workers: an exploratory study of job satisfactions/dissatisfactions.", "content": "AIDS outreach workers operate at the frontlines of the AIDS epidemic to provide information and education to high-risk individuals. Recent reports indicate that these workers have been effective in helping to reduce high-risk behaviors. However, a review of retention data for 62 outreach workers employed from 1986 to 1988 at a private nonprofit research institute indicated a high rate of turnover, especially among males. The literature provides little information regarding the demographic characteristics of outreach workers and their sources of job satisfaction and dissatisfaction. This exploratory investigation was undertaken to address these topics. Structured interviews were conducted with 20 currently active outreach workers. Results indicate that altruistic motives were most frequently cited as reasons why people became outreach workers and also provided the primary source of satisfaction. Stress was most frequently mentioned as a source of dissatisfaction and also as a reason previous workers had left outreach work. Conclusions focus on the outreach workers' suggestions for job improvements. These included: improvement in the terms of employment (e.g., salary, benefits); more education and training opportunities; and more support groups or help with recovery."}
{"id": "PMID:1472419", "title": "Reliability of AIDS knowledge scales: conceptual issues.", "content": "A common approach to evaluating the reliability of AIDS knowledge scales has relied on the demonstration of internal consistency through the use of Kuder-Richardson formula 20 (KR-20) or coefficient alpha. In this study, the argument was made that, in a knowledge-based scale with diverse content (exemplified by AIDS knowledge scales), internal consistency does not make sense conceptually and underestimates the scale's true reliability. It was therefore hypothesized that a split-half approach, in which items in each half were matched for content, would provide superior estimates of reliability when compared to either KR-20 or an odd-even split-half approach. Reliability analyses performed on a knowledge scale developed by the author supported this hypothesis."}
{"id": "PMID:1472420", "title": "The Ohio AIDS Prevention Survey: a study of psychometric properties.", "content": "The reliability of a measuring instrument is a major criterion for assessing its quality and adequacy. This article describes reliability pilot testing done with the Ohio AIDS Prevention Survey (Fellner & Thomas, 1989-90) in a sample of sexually active women of childbearing age. Previous alpha reliabilities of the knowledge scale of the survey have ranged from .71-.81, while the reliabilities of the attitudes and beliefs scale have ranged from .33-.45. In this sample, reliability measures for the knowledge and attitudes and beliefs scales were .65 and .45, respectively. The results of this study indicate that the Ohio AIDS Prevention Survey is clearly in its developmental stages and that further development of the survey is necessary prior to continued use in public health settings."}
{"id": "PMID:1472421", "title": "AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa: implications for health education.", "content": "This paper reviews the current epidemiologic status of AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa, focusing on what is currently understood about the distinctive features of heterosexual transmission in young men, women, and children. Epidemiologic data show that AIDS is transmitted primarily through heterosexual vaginal intercourse. Heterosexual transmission is highlighted both as the principal mode of spread of AIDS in east, central, and southern Africa and as the primary focus for AIDS education and control of the epidemic. The transmission of AIDS, like that of other sexually transmissible diseases, results from sexual behaviors that are rooted in social and cultural values that are not easily changed. The primary risk factors--including multiple sex partners, prostitution, and unprotected intercourse--are examined. The perceived obstacles to control of the epidemic include unfavorable government reactions to the epidemic, poor public knowledge, prevailing sexual attitudes, and reluctance to use condoms. These and other immediate and competing risk factors like unemployment and poverty combine to complicate the task of AIDS education."}
{"id": "PMID:1472426", "title": "A review of pressure reduction device studies.", "content": "When considering patient morbidity, mortality and costs, pressure sore formation is a major health care concern. An adjunct to the nursing care plan for prevention and treatment is the selection of a pressure reduction/relief device. This review of four pressure reduction device studies is intended to increase the vascular nurse's knowledge base concerning pressure reduction device efficacy. Each study is reviewed and graphed to identify like patterns within each study. Foam is judged to be least effective. Air cell and air mattress overlays are found to be intermediate devices and the low air loss beds appear to be the most effective. Few of the tested devices reduced pressure below 32mmHg at the heel site, leaving the heel at risk for breakdown."}
{"id": "PMID:1472428", "title": "Arteriovenous malformation of the hand: a case study.", "content": "Arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) are complex congenital vascular anomalies resulting from faulty embryonic development of arterial and venous structures. The present discussion will specifically address AVMs of the extremities. Complications of these lesions can include tissue damage, functional impairment and amputation. The article reviews current diagnostic procedures and treatment options. A case study is presented with a discussion of nursing care focusing on pain, anxiety, and alteration in peripheral tissue perfusion."}
{"id": "PMID:1472429", "title": "Temporal and extended temporal resections for the treatment of intractable seizures in early childhood.", "content": "In our series of 33 children who underwent temporal and extended temporal lobe resections because of seizures, the average age at surgery was 7 years, 11 months. Sixteen cases (48%) were diagnosed as having tumors: low-grade astrocytoma (6), hamartoma (5), and ganglioglioma/neuroma (5). Other pathologic diagnoses included one or more cytoarchitectural abnormalities and/or reactive changes. Due to a more aggressive and early radiologic and electrophysiologic investigation of children with seizures, a resectable focus, e.g. neoplasm or structural abnormality, was found in a much younger age group of patients than previously reported. In children who had intractable seizures but normal radiologic studies, positron emission tomography was of great value in localizing the seizure focus. In a group of children with infantile spasms, seizures were controlled following the identification and resection of a focal lesion. Prompt detection and precise localization of lesions in the temporal lobe in the pediatric population may lead to surgical management and seizure control."}
{"id": "PMID:1472430", "title": "Diagnosis and management of the Dandy-Walker malformation: 30 years of experience.", "content": "Thirty-seven patients with Dandy-Walker malformation were treated between 1959 and 1989. Eighty percent of patients became symptomatic by 3 years of age, with 70% presenting within the 1st year of life. Hydrocephalus was present in 91% of patients at the time of diagnosis. Clinical presentation was most often heralded by symptoms and signs of hydrocephalus with focal neurological findings being a less prominent feature. One third of children demonstrated developmental delay. Associated congenital anomalies were present in 48% of children. Contemporary neuroimaging including computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging facilitated diagnosis obviating the need for invasive studies such as pneumoencephalography and ventriculography. Patients were initially managed by posterior fossa craniectomy with membrane excision (8), lateral ventricle shunt alone (13), shunting of the cyst alone (4), or combined shunting of the cyst and lateral ventricles (12). Combined shunting proved superior to the other methods, being successful in alleviating hydrocephalus and posterior fossa symptoms in 92% cases. The overall mortality was 24%, the majority occurring before 1970. Of the 28 survivors, 27 (96%) are shunt-dependent, with 19 having a combined shunt system in place. Therefore, we currently favor combined shunting of the cyst and lateral ventricles as the initial procedure for patients with Dandy-Walker malformation."}
{"id": "PMID:1472431", "title": "Is intracerebral schwannoma a developmental tumor of children and young adults? Case report and review.", "content": "A case of intracerebral schwannoma in an 11-year-old girl is presented. Of the small number of intracerebral schwannomas reported without association to a cranial nerve, the majority have occurred in children or young adults. Several possible etiologies for this tumor type are discussed. Based upon the distribution of ages at presentation and theories of the pathological origin of this tumor, the possibility that intracerebral schwannoma represents a developmental tumor is suggested."}
{"id": "PMID:1472432", "title": "Split-thickness bone grafts in complex craniofacial reconstructions.", "content": "We have operated on 20 patients with various forms of complex skull defects due either to trauma, tumor, or craniofacial problems. These cases have required complex reconstruction of defects involving the calvarium and anterior skull base. We review here our techniques of using locally harvested split-thickness calvarium bone grafts in the reconstruction of complex face and anterior fossa defects, secondary to tumor, trauma and craniofacial problems. With these harvesting techniques sufficient bone becomes available for large reconstructions, with minimum morbidity to the patient. The aesthetic results are excellent allowing for good facial and forehead contouring with minimal risk to the patient. In the case of traumatic injuries the surgery can also be performed early with the risk of infection being markedly reduced. Long-term results with split-thickness calvarial grafts have shown less bone resorption when compared with rib grafts."}
{"id": "PMID:1472433", "title": "Chronic tonsillar herniation and Crouzon's syndrome.", "content": "Patients born with craniofacial syndromes such as Crouzon's syndrome will often develop hydrocephalus after their initial craniofacial reconstructive procedures. We have treated 10 patients with Crouzon's syndrome; 5 patients required a shunting procedure after cranial remodeling. Each of these 5 shunted patients later demonstrated chronic tonsillar herniation on magnetic resonance imaging studies. One of these patients exhibited signs of pseudotumor cerebri and 1 had a spastic quadriparesis. Of the 5 patients who did not require a shunt, none displayed chronic tonsillar herniation. Our evidence suggests that jugular foramen stenosis produces an increased cerebral venous turgor that leads to a cerebrospinal fluid absorption defect and hydrocephalus. After the hydrocephalus is treated the increased venous turgor remains and provides the driving force for the development of chronic tonsillar herniation."}
{"id": "PMID:1472434", "title": "Short- and long-term complications of radiation therapy for pediatric brain tumors.", "content": "Brain tumors are the second most common malignancy of childhood after acute lymphocytic leukemia. Improvements in therapy have led to increased survival. It is estimated that by the year 2000 there will be approximately 200,000 survivors of childhood cancer. A proportion of these will have survived a central nervous system malignancy. As more children survive, complications of treatment are increasingly recognized. This paper reviews the spectrum of radiation-induced complications, both short- and long-term. Their frequency and characteristics will be reviewed as well as suggestions made to decrease their incidence."}
{"id": "PMID:1472435", "title": "The history of ventriculoscopy: where do we go from here?", "content": "With the availability of better endoscopes, improved lighting and increased instrumentation, the use of ventriculoscopy and ventriculostomy in the management of hydrocephalus is becoming increasingly more common. Neurosurgeons recognized the potential for endoscopic surgery early in this century, but were frustrated in many of their attempts at treatment due to the poor quality of the instruments available. Nevertheless, much progress has been made, and the stage was set for better results with modern instrument design. This paper reviews the history of endoscopes in neurosurgery and ponders the direction these instruments will take us in the near future."}
{"id": "PMID:1472438", "title": "Psychiatric disorders and occupational exposure to solvents.", "content": "Three hundred and eighty one men admitted to hospital for the first time with any psychiatric diagnosis were individually matched for age and year to patients admitted to general hospitals. An occupational history was obtained from 90% of this study group by telephone interview or mail. Exposure to solvents was assessed by three methods, individual rating of each job recorded, application of an exposure matrix based on job title, and assessment of lifetime job histories of selected case-referent pairs. A sample of individual ratings used in the analysis was compared with ratings made by five experts. The panel values tended to be lower but all six sets of ratings correlated well. There was no increased risk of psychiatric illness among subjects exposed to moderate or greater solvent concentrations for at least 10 years (odds ratio (OR) 1.0, 90% confidence interval (90% CI) 0.7-1.4, individual rating; OR 1.1, 90% CI 0.6-2.0, job title matrix; OR 0.9, 90% CI 0.5-1.7, lifetime assessments). At higher exposures the risk was increased--although not to a statistically significant degree--especially for cases with non-psychotic diagnoses (ICD-9 codes 300-316). This negative result, by all three methods of assessment of exposure, contrasted with that from a parallel investigation of cases of organic psychoses and cerebral degeneration."}
{"id": "PMID:1472439", "title": "The histocompatibility antigen in asbestos related disease.", "content": "Thirty nine phenotypes of human leucocyte antigens (HLA)-A-B-DR and DQ were obtained from 99 asbestos workers (one woman and 98 men). Presence or absence of antinuclear antibodies and rheumatoid factor was determined in 91 of them. Workers were divided into five groups: asbestos workers with no apparent disease (AW; n = 17), diffuse benign pleural disease (PD; n = 31), asbestosis (AS; n = 24), asbestosis with lung cancer (AS-CA; n = 14), and mesothelioma (M; n = 13). Compared with AW, several trends of differences of HLA antigen prevalence were found in patients with asbestos related disease, but these did not achieve statistical significance when p was corrected (pcorr) by number of analyses undertaken. Analysis of the results obtained in previous studies together with the results of this study showed that compared with AW, AS patients had decreased prevalence of HLA-DR5 (pcorr < 0.02). Reasons for the differences in results of previous studies and statistical methods commonly used to compare prevalences of HLA antigen are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1472440", "title": "Health hazard of poorly regulated exposure during manufacture of cemented tungsten carbides and cobalt.", "content": "Forty two of 125 former workers in a factory in Syracuse, New York, which manufactured hard metal parts from tungsten carbide and cobalt, were studied by chest radiographs, spirometry, and plethysmographically determined lung volumes. The plant was closed in 1982 and the studies were performed in 1983-5. Recorded measurements of carbide dust concentrations were only mildly excessive by modern standards, but deceitful efforts to reduce the apparent concentration of dust were known to have occurred during an inspection by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Lung biopsies in four cases in the study and necropsy in one of the 83 cases not studied during life showed giant cell interstitial pneumonia and appreciable concentrations of tungsten carbide. This information indicates that exposure was substantial. Four workers had evidence of pulmonary fibrosis by chest radiographs; two of these workers had normal pulmonary function. Fourteen had abnormal pulmonary function, five of whom had a restrictive pattern, eight a pattern of air trapping, and one a combined pattern. Thus radiographic, or functional abnormalities, or both occurred in 16 of the 42 cases studied. No correlation with duration of exposure was established. Progressive clinically important disease (one fatal) has been found in four ex-workers, two in each of the restrictive and air trapping groups. These findings suggest that poorly regulated dust concentrations in a hard metals factory possibly cause pulmonary abnormalities and sometimes severe illness."}
{"id": "PMID:1472441", "title": "A case-control study of occupational risk factors for laryngeal cancer.", "content": "To determine whether specific jobs and occupational exposures are associated with laryngeal cancer lifetime occupational histories from a population-based case-control study in western Washington were examined. The study included 235 cases diagnosed between September 1983 and February 1987, and 547 controls identified by random digit dialing. After controlling for alcohol use, cigarette smoking, age and education, significantly increased risks were found for painters in construction (odds ratio (OR)) = 2.8, (95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.1-6.9), supervisors and miscellaneous mechanics (OR = 2.3, 95% CI 1.1-4.8), construction workers (OR = 3.4, 95% CI 1.4-8.1), metalworking and plastic working machine operators (OR = 2.6, 95% CI 1.3-4.9) and handlers, and equipment cleaners and labourers (OR = 1.5, 95% CI 1.0-2.2). Allowing for a 10 year induction and latent period did not have a consistent effect on the associations. Potential exposures to asbestos, chromium, nickel, formaldehyde, diesel fumes, and cutting oils were assessed by using a job exposure matrix developed for this study. Three measures of exposure were examined--namely, peak, duration, and an intensity weighted exposure score. No significantly raised risks were seen, although increased risk was suggested among those exposed long term to formaldehyde in jobs with the highest exposures."}
{"id": "PMID:1472442", "title": "Contact with pigs and cats associated with high prevalence of Toxoplasma antibodies among farmers.", "content": "Antibodies to Toxoplasma were measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in sera from 159 abattoir workers, 142 pig farmers, and 106 grain or berry farmers. Farmers occupationally exposed to pigs had antibodies in 53 (37%) cases, abattoir workers in 40 (25%) cases, and farmers not exposed to pigs in 24 (23%) cases. In each group antibodies were more prevalent among those who had a cat or cats in the household. Controlling for age and cat contacts changed the prevalences less than one percent. The results indicate that pig farmers might have an occupational risk of toxoplasmosis. As the prevalence of antibodies among abattoir workers was about the same as among the referent farmers, it seems unlikely that infection from Toxoplasma could be acquired by mere handling of raw meat."}
{"id": "PMID:1472443", "title": "Reductions in lymphocyte subpopulations after repeated exposure to 1.5 ppm nitrogen dioxide.", "content": "In this investigation the effects of repeated exposure to 1.5 ppm NO2 on immune competent cells in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid was studied. Special attention was focused on effects on lymphocyte subpopulations. Eight healthy subjects were exposed to 1.5 ppm NO2 every second day on six occasions. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid was collected at least three weeks before the exposure series as reference and 24 hours after the last exposure. The results obtained were analysed using a non-parametric test for paired observations, with each subject as his own control. Significant reductions were found in the total number and percentage of T cytotoxic-suppressor cells in BAL fluid; this caused an increase in the ratio of T helper-inducer: cytotoxic-suppressor cells. The total number of natural killer cells in the BAL fluid was also reduced. The numbers of all other cell types were unchanged after exposure. No reduction of phagocytosis of opsonised yeast particles by alveolar macrophages in vitro was detected. It is concluded that repeated short term exposures to 1.5 ppm NO2, a moderate occupational concentration, induces significant effects on immune competent bronchoalveolar lymphocytes. This indicates that previous findings of changes in the lymphoid immune system induced by NO2 in animals may well be applicable to humans."}
{"id": "PMID:1472444", "title": "Leukaemia and reproductive outcome among nurses handling antineoplastic drugs.", "content": "During the past decades conclusive evidence has accumulated that alkylating antineoplastic drugs (ADs) can cause cancer, most notably acute non-lymphocytic leukaemia, and that most ADs are reprotoxic. Studies on health workers handling ADs have shown significantly increased risks for miscarriages (two studies) and malformations (two studies). The present study monitored the risk for cancer and adverse reproductive outcome among Danish nurses handling ADs. No increased risks were found for miscarriages, malformations, low birth weight, or preterm birth among the offspring of nurses handling ADs during pregnancy. The sex ratio was normal. The relative risk (RR) for leukaemia was significantly increased (10.65) but based on only two cases, one of acute myeloblastic and one of chronic myeloid leukaemia. From the available exposure data occupational exposures to ADs were apparently higher in the studies that have reported increased risks for miscarriages and malformations than in the present one. Regarding reproductive outcome the study gives some confidence that the safety measures which were implemented in the oncology departments around 1980 can protect the health personnel against adverse effects of ADs on reproduction. As the study is as yet the only negative one in a well protected setting, it should be followed up by other studies of well protected health personnel handling ADs. The findings concerning the leukaemia risk, although based on small numbers, encourage larger studies."}
{"id": "PMID:1472445", "title": "Chest x ray films from construction workers: International Labour Office (ILO 1980) classification compared with routine readings.", "content": "The extent of agreement between International Labour Office (ILO) and clinical readings of chest x ray films from construction workers was studied. From a survey of 5898 workers 258 subjects with a profusion of small opacities of > or = 1/1 and a stratified sample of subjects with profusion < 1/1 were selected. Only 41% of the films classified as ILO profusion category > or = 1/1 were clinically recorded as non-normal for the parenchyma. The proportion of films recorded as pneumoconiotic (or possibly so) was especially low for irregular opacities (22%), but increased with the profusion category (both rounded and irregular) as well as with the size of rounded opacities (p 3/11, q 12/25, r 3/4). Only with the profusion category > or = 2/1 were most of the films recorded as pneumoconiotic. The specificity and sensitivity were highest in the geographical areas where a few clinical readers had assessed many films each. The proportion of false negative clinical reports was low for circumscribed pleural thickening of the chest wall (9%) and diaphragmatic pleural thickening (6%). For calcified pleural changes and for the combination of diffuse pleural thickening and obliteration of the costophrenic angle, false negative reports were absent. The present study shows an unsatisfactory sensitivity for clinical compared with ILO readings as a means for screening the parenchyma of workers with a risk of pneumoconiosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1472450", "title": "Estimation of multivariate polychoric and polyserial correlations with missing observations.", "content": "The main purpose of this paper is to investigate various approaches in analysing the multivariate polychoric and polyserial correlation model in the presence of incomplete data. For the general case with missing entries in both continuous and polytomous variables, a pseudo maximum likelihood method, and a partition pseudo maximum likelihood are developed. Iterative procedures based on the Fletcher-Powell algorithm and the Newton-Raphson algorithm are implemented to obtain various solutions. For the special case with missing entries only in the polytomous variables, a full maximum likelihood estimate is obtained with the help of an appropriate one-one onto transformation that significantly simplifies the computational burden. The analogous approaches as in the general case are also investigated. Finally, a simulation study is conducted to compare the performances of the various approaches."}
{"id": "PMID:1472451", "title": "Regulation of androgen receptor mRNA and protein level by steroid hormones in human mammary cancer cells.", "content": "The regulation of the human androgen receptor (AR) by steroid hormones in human mammary cancer cells was investigated using immunocytochemical and ligand binding assays for its protein and Northern blot analyses for the corresponding mRNA. MFM-223 cells contain high levels of ARs and are growth-inhibited by dihydrotestosterone (DHT). The AR protein is down-regulated to 57% of the control by 10 nM DHT after 24 h, and the corresponding mRNA is also reduced. The nonsteroidal antiandrogen hydroxyflutamide had no effect on the AR level, whereas after incubation with 1 microM cyproterone acetate a slight down-regulation was observed. The AR level was restored completely after release from a 7 day treatment with DHT. However, only 60% of the control level was restored, if the cells wer grown in the presence of DHT for 6 weeks. In androgen-pretreated cells the proliferation rate remained decreased even after the withdrawal of DHT. Concomitantly the distinct growth inhibition was lost. Transfection experiments demonstrated a reduced activity of the residual androgen receptor in these pretreated cells. In addition to the AR, EFM-19 cells also contain significant amounts of estrogen and progesterone receptors. EFM-19 cells are not growth inhibited by physiological concentrations of DHT. Autoregulation of AR was also found in this cell line. Additionally, reduced levels of AR protein and mRNA were found in EFM-19 cells after treatment with the synthetic progestin R5020. The maximum effect of R5020 was observed at the high concentration of 1 microM. Estrogen treatment with 10 nM 17 beta-estradiol for 3 days reduced the AR level only by 25%."}
{"id": "PMID:1472452", "title": "Inducibility of the avidin gene by progesterone is suppressed during estrogen-induced cytodifferentiation.", "content": "We have studied epithelial differentiation of the chick oviduct as induced by diethylstilbestrol (DES) and 17 beta-estradiol (E2). The proportion of goblet cells in the oviduct was slightly higher after E2 than after DES treatment. Also avidin induction by progesterone was stronger following DES than E2 priming. In the estrogen pretreated oviduct epithelium, avidin expression was induced by progesterone in the surface epithelial cells, protodifferentiated gland cells and tubular gland cells, but not in goblet cells. During prolonged estrogen treatment, however, the inducibility of avidin by progesterone ceased in tubular gland cells but not in surface epithelial cells. The estrogen action on the expression of avidin could be explained by estrogen-induced terminal differentiation of the epithelial gland cells or by a direct effect of estrogen on the progesterone action, for instance interaction of estrogen receptor and progesterone receptor in the regulation of transcription."}
{"id": "PMID:1472453", "title": "Modulatory actions of estradiol and progesterone on phorbol ester-stimulated LH secretion from cultured rat pituitary cells.", "content": "We compared the ability of estradiol and progesterone to modulate gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) and protein kinase C (PKC)-mediated luteinizing hormone (LH) secretion. Long-term (48 h) treatment of rat pituitary cells with 1 nM estradiol enhanced GnRH and phorbol ester (TPA)-stimulated LH secretion. This positive effect was facilitated by additional short-term (4 h) treatment with progesterone (100 nM). However, long-term progesterone treatment, which inhibited GnRH-stimulated LH secretion, did not influence TPA-stimulated gonadotropin release. These steroid actions occurred without an effect on the total amount of LH in the cell cultures (total LH = LH secreted + LH remaining in the cell) and neither the secretagogues nor the steroids altered total LH. Since GnRH or TPA-induced LH secretion depends on Ca2+ influx into the gonadotroph, we also analyzed the effects of estradiol and progesterone under physiological extracellular Ca2+ concentrations and in the absence of extracellular Ca2+. The steroids were able to influence GnRH or TPA-induced LH secretion under both conditions. However, when TPA was used as stimulus in Ca(2+)-deficient medium the relative changes induced by estradiol and progesterone were more pronounced, possibly indicating that the extracellular Ca(2+)-independent component of PKC-mediated LH secretion is more important for the regulation of the steroid effects. It is concluded that estradiol and progesterone might mediate their modulatory actions on GnRH-stimulated LH secretion via an influence on PKC. This effect can occur independently from de novo synthesis of LH and Ca2+ influx into gonadotrophs."}
{"id": "PMID:1472454", "title": "Magnetic DNA affinity purification of ecdysteroid receptor.", "content": "A new method for rapid purification to near homogeneity of the ecdysteroid receptor (EcdR) from Drosophila melanogaster nuclear extract is presented. In the first step of the purification procedure the EcdR molecules were radiolabelled with [3H]ponasterone A and the [3H]ponasterone A-EcdR complexes were chromatographed under very mild conditions on Fractogel EMD TMAE(s) ion-exchanger. A 23-fold purified receptor was obtained which can be stored in liquid N2 without loss of activity. The second step involved the use of a magnetic DNA affinity technique where the double stranded hsp 27 oligonucleotide containing EcdR binding sequence was biotin 5'-end labelled and bound to monodisperse superparamagnetic particles coated with streptavidin (Dynabeads M-280 Streptavidin) giving magnetic DNA affinity beads. The chromatographed EcdR-ponasterone A complexes were bound to the magnetic DNA affinity beads and by magnetic separation, wash and elution, a 29,000-fold enriched EcdR preparation was obtained within 1.5 h. This procedure can be applied for other EcdR sources with minor modifications."}
{"id": "PMID:1472455", "title": "Growth-promoting effects of progesterone in a human endometrial cancer cell line (Ishikawa-Var I).", "content": "Significant growth responses to progesterone of human endometrial adenocarcinoma cells (Ishikawa-Var I) were observed under in vitro culture conditions. Progesterone affected both the rate of exponential proliferation and cell population densities after the exponential phase. In the presence of the hormone, the doubling time of exponentially proliferating cells was reduced from 44 to 35.6 h and cell densities were increased by as much as 2-3 times over those of controls during approx. 2 weeks in culture. The effects of progesterone on cell population growth were dose dependent. Estradiol (10(-8) M) and testosterone (10(-6) M) did not affect cell densities and the effects of dexamethasone (10(-6) M) were small. In contrast, both progesterone and estradiol stimulated colony formation under anchorage-independent conditions in soft agar. These results suggest the possibility that growth of sensitive cell clones in endometrial tumors could be enhanced in some patients during adjuvant progestin therapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1472456", "title": "Evaluation of the racemate and the enantiomers of a new highly active and selective aromatase inhibitor of the aminoglutethimide type.", "content": "Compound 1 [3-(4-aminophenyl)-3-cyclohexylpiperidine-2,6-dione] is a highly potent nonsteroidal aromatase inhibitor of the aminoglutethimide (AG)-type containing an asymmetric carbon atom. 1 and its enantiomers (+)-1 and (-)-1 inhibited human placental aromatase by 50% at 0.3, 0.15, and 4.6 microM, respectively (IC50 AG = 37 microM). A competitive type of inhibition was observed for 1 and (+)-1 (Ki 1 = 3.9 nM, Ki (+)-1 = 2.0 nM, Ki AG = 408 nM). Using solubilized high spin aromatase, 1 showed a type II difference spectrum indicating the interaction of the amino nitrogen with the central Fe(III)-ion of the cytochrome P450 heme component. 1 and (+)-1 inhibited cholesterol side chain cleavage enzyme (desmolase) by 50% at 67 and 82 microM, respectively (IC50 AG = 29 microM). In ACTH-stimulated rat adrenal tissue in vitro, 1 was less active in inhibiting aldosterone and corticosterone production compared to AG (IC50s, 1, 130 and 140 microM, AG, 80 and 50 microM, respectively). In vivo, 1 was superior to AG, too: it showed a stronger inhibition of the plasma estradiol concentration of pregnant mares' serum gonadotropin-primed SD rats, the activity residing mainly in the (+)-enantiomer [ovarian vein: (+)-1, 0.31 mg/kg: 81% inhibition, (-)-1, 0.31 mg/kg: 6%, AG, 1.25 mg/kg: 35%]. Furthermore 1 was much more active in inhibiting the testosterone-stimulated tumor growth of the ovariectomized 9,10-dimethyl-1,2-benzanthracene tumor-bearing SD rat (postmenopausal model). Up to a dose of 600 mg/kg of 1 no central nervous symptom depressive effects were observed in the motility test and the rotarod experiment, whereas AG exhibited ED50s of 62 and 164 mg/kg, respectively."}
{"id": "PMID:1472457", "title": "Characterization of human 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 receptor anti-peptide antibodies.", "content": "Rabbit and chicken antibodies were raised against two peptides synthesized according to the structure of human 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 receptor (hVDR): rabbit alpha hVDR-103 against the N-terminal amino acids 5-18 and alpha hVDR-104 against the amino acids 172-186 in the hinge region and chicken alpha hVDR-cab11 against the amino acids 172-186, respectively. The specificity of the antibodies was tested by peptide saturation, SDS-PAGE immunoblotting, gel shift assay and sucrose gradient centrifugation. Immunoblotting of a soluble extract (cytosol) from osteosarcoma cell line MG-63 showed a single band with an M(r) of about 48,000 and human intestine cytosol a broad band (50-63,000) for both antibodies. The antibodies recognized activated (3.2S) hVDR by shifting the centrifugation sedimentation profile to 5-6S. The antibodies showed nuclear immunostaining of unoccupied VDR in human osteosarcoma cells MG-63, U2-Os and SaOs-2. The immunoreaction could be saturated with the corresponding synthetic peptide. In immunoblot alpha hVDR-103 reacted with human and rat VDR, whereas alpha hVDR-104 recognized human VDR only. Similarly in immunohistochemistry, alpha hVDR-103 showed staining with hVDR and rVDR, whereas alpha hVDR-104 reacted only with hVDR. All antibodies recognized the native hVDR as verified with sucrose gradient centrifugation or immunoprecipitation but only alpha hVDR-103 and alpha hVDR-cab11 in gel shift assay of hVDR associated with the vitamin D-responsive element of human osteocalcin gene promoter."}
{"id": "PMID:1472458", "title": "Prenatal prediction of androgen insensitivity syndrome using exon 1 polymorphism of the androgen receptor gene.", "content": "Exon 1 polymorphism of the androgen receptor (AR) gene is characterized by a (CAG)n(CAA) repeat at position 172 following the translation start codon. The aim of this study was to determine whether AR gene exon 1 polymorphism could be used to perform prenatal diagnosis in high risk families with complete or partial androgen insensitivity syndrome. After enzymatic amplification of a 1 kilobase exon 1 fragment, each DNA was simultaneously digested by MspI and PstI restriction enzymes. After electrophoresis on a 15% electrophoresis on a 15% acrylamide gel or a 6% Nusieve gel, we measured the size of the obtained fragments and determined the number of CAG repeats since a 282 basepair fragment corresponds to 21 CAG. We previously showed that the number of CAG repeats within the AR gene exon 1 in 23 families with complete or partial androgen insensitivity syndrome was 19 +/- 4. By this method, we detected heterozygosity in 50% of the mothers. We present here 2 exclusion prenatal diagnoses using exon 1 polymorphism of the AR gene. Family A presented a boy with a severe form of partial androgen insensitivity syndrome. The mother had 2 uncles with ambiguous genitalia. In family B, the affected child had a complete androgen insensitivity syndrome. In both families, analysis of the AR gene exon 1 polymorphism of the trophoblastic DNA showed the presence of the normal maternal X chromosome. The parents decided to carry on the gestation. In family A, the newborn had normal male external genitalia. In family B, sonography confirmed the presence of normal male external genitalia. These data suggest that exon 1 polymorphism of the AR gene could be prenatally used to predict androgen insensitivity syndrome."}
{"id": "PMID:1472459", "title": "Homologies between enzymes involved in steroid and xenobiotic carbonyl reduction in vertebrates, invertebrates and procaryonts.", "content": "Evidence is reported for the existence of a structurally and functionally related and probably evolutionarily conserved class of membrane-bound liver carbonyl reductases/hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases involved in steroid and xenobiotic carbonyl metabolism. Carbonyl reduction was investigated in liver microsomes of 8 vertebrate species, as well as in insect larvae total homogenate and in purified 3 alpha-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase preparations of the procaryont Pseudomonas testosteroni, using the ketone compound 2-methyl-1,2 di-(3-pyridyl)-1-propanone (metyrapone) as substrate. The enzyme activities involved in the metyrapone metabolism were screened for their sensitivity to several steroids as inhibitors. In all fractions tested, steroids of the adrostane or pregnane class strongly inhibited xenobiotic carbonyl reduction, whereas only in the insect and procaryotic species could ecdysteroids inhibit this reaction. Immunoblot analysis with antibodies against the respective microsomal mouse liver metyrapone reductase revealed strong crossrections in all fractions tested, even in those of the insect and the procaryont. A similar crossreaction pattern was achieved when the same fractions were incubated with antibodies against 3 alpha-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase from Pseudomonas testosteroni. The mutual immunoreactivity of the antibody species against proteins from vertebrate liver microsomes, insects and procaryonts suggests the existence of structural homologies within these carbonyl reducing enzymes. This is further confirmed by limited proteolysis of purified microsomal mouse liver carbonyl reductase and subsequent analysis of the peptide fragments with antibodies specifically purified by immunoreactivity against this respective crossreactive antigen. These immunoblot experiments revealed a 22 kDa peptide fragment which was commonly recognized by all antibodies and which might represent a conserved domain of the enzyme."}
{"id": "PMID:1472460", "title": "Synthesis of a cortisol-biotin conjugate and evaluation as a tracer in an immunoassay for salivary cortisol measurement.", "content": "Cortisol 3-(o-carboxymethyl)oxime (C3-CMO) and a commercially available biotin-hydrazide derivative were used to synthesize a C3-CMO-biotin conjugate. C3-CMO was converted into a N-hydroxysuccinimide ester derivative which in a second reaction step was allowed to interact with the hydrazide derivative of biotin. This simple-to-perform synthesis yielded a conjugate suitable for use as a tracer in immunoassays for cortisol measurement. Employing biotin as the primary probe in a competitive solid phase immunoassay allows for variable end point determination by means of commercially available labeled avidin or streptavidin derivatives. Streptavidin-Europium was used in conjunction with the DELFIA-system for time-resolved fluorometric end point measurement (TR-FIA) throughout the study. In addition, colorimetric end point determination (ELISA) using streptavidin-alkaline phosphatase as a secondary probe was established and evaluated. Both forms of this non-isotopic assay showed excellent correlation with a commercially available radioimmunoassay adapted for salivary cortisol measurement. The lower detection limit was 0.43 nM for a 50 microliters salivary sample. The intra-assay coefficient of variation was 6.7, 4.7 and 4.0% at cortisol concentrations of 2.2, 5.5 and 13.2 nM, respectively (n = 37), and the corresponding inter-assay coefficients of variation were 9.0, 8.6 and 7.1% (n = 50). The competitive immunoassay requires 1.5 h incubation time and shows robust and reproducible performance. The C3-CMO-biotin conjugate allows for sensitive and flexible end point determination of salivary cortisol levels in immunoassays."}
{"id": "PMID:1472461", "title": "Kinetic properties of aromatase mutants Pro308Phe, Asp309Asn, and Asp309Ala and their interactions with aromatase inhibitors.", "content": "Mutant forms of aromatase cytochrome P-450 bearing modifications of amino acid residues Pro308 and Asp309 and expressed in transfected Chinese hamster ovary cells were subjected to kinetic analysis and inhibition studies. The Km for androstenedione for expressed wild type (11.0 +/- 0.3 nM SEM, n = 3) increased 4-, 25- and 31-fold for mutants Pro308Phe, Asp309Asn and Asp309Ala, respectively. There were significant differences in sensitivity among wild type and mutants to highly selective inhibitors of estrogen biosynthesis. 4-Hydroxyandrostenedione (4-OHA) a strong inhibitor of wild type aromatase activity (IC50 = 21 nM and Ki = 10 nM), was even more effective against mutant Pro308Phe (IC50 = 13 nM and Ki = 2.8 nM), but inhibition of mutants Asp309Asn and Asp309Ala was considerably less (IC50 = 345 and 330 nM and Ki = 55 and 79 nM, respectively). Expressed wild type aromatase and Pro308Phe aromatase were strongly inhibited by CGS 16949A (IC50 = 4.0 and 4.6 nM, respectively) whereas mutants Asp309Asn and Asp309Ala were markedly less sensitive (IC50 = 140 and 150 nM, respectively). CGS 18320B produced similar inhibition. Kinetic analyses produced Ki = 0.4 nM for CGS 16949A inhibition of wild type versus 1.1, 37 and 58 nM, respectively, against Pro308Phe, Asp309Asn and Asp309Ala. The results demonstrate significant changes in function resulting from single amino acid modifications of the aromatase enzyme. Our data indicate that mutation in Asp309 creates a major distortion in the substrate binding site, rendering the enzyme much less efficient for androstenedione aromatization. The substitution of Pro308 with Phe produces weaker affinity for androstenedione in the substrate pocket, but this alteration favors 4-OHA binding. Similarly, mutant Pro308Phe exhibits a slightly greater sensitivity to inhibition by CGS 18320B than does the wild type. These results indicate that residues Pro308 and Asp309 play critical roles in determining substrate specificity and catalytic capability in aromatase."}
{"id": "PMID:1472462", "title": "A plasma-borne specific inhibitor of the proliferation of human estrogen-sensitive breast tumor cells (estrocolyone-I).", "content": "Charcoal-dextran stripped serum/plasma supplemented media specifically inhibit the proliferation of estrogen-sensitive cells in culture conditions; estrogens cancel this effect. Here, we further characterize this phenomenon using human estrogen-sensitive breast cancer MCF7 cells and human serum/plasma. The serum/plasma-borne inhibitory activity (estrocolyone-I) is a non-dialyzable, heat-stable (60 degrees C x 2 h), protease-sensitive macromolecule and it is not extractable by organic solvents. Estrocolyone-I activity is retained after dialysis against 6 M urea or 10-100 mM dithiothreitol; however, simultaneous treatment with 6 M urea and 10-100 mM dithiothreitol completely abolishes its inhibitory activity. The inhibitory effect of serum is not due to serum albumin, nor to estrogen trapping by albumin or by sex hormone-binding globulin. Substantial purification was achieved by a combination of chromatographic techniques (dye-affinity, ion exchange, hydrophobic interaction chromatography). Estrocolyone-I activity seems to be due to a protein of an apparent native Mw of 70-80 kDa and an isoelectric point of 4.5-4.8."}
{"id": "PMID:1472463", "title": "Cortisol metabolism by human liver in vitro--I. Metabolite identification and inter-individual variability.", "content": "The measurement of urinary 6 beta-hydroxycortisol (6 beta-OHF) has been widely used as a non-invasive clinical test to detect cytochrome P450 induction. Although only a minor biotransformation, 6 beta-OHF formation represents a sensitive target for many P450-inducing drugs and environmental chemicals in man. There is good evidence that an isozyme of the P450IIIA subfamily is predominantly responsible for 6 beta-hydroxylase activity and therefore it has been suggested that urinary 6 beta-OHF is a marker of the induction of P450IIIA. The basis of the present study was that in order to realistically assign to 6 beta-OHF the status of a P450IIIA marker we should characterize all the metabolites of cortisol produced by human liver and assess inter-liver variability. Incubations at 37 degrees C for 2 h contained [3H]cortisol (0.1 microCi, 1 or 50 microM), MgCl2 (10 mM), microsomal or cytosolic protein (3 mg), an NADPH-regenerating system and 1/15 M phosphate buffer (pH 7.4) to give a final volume of 0.5 ml. Extraction with ethyl acetate (2 x 2 ml) was followed by radiometric HPLC analysis. Metabolites were identified by co-chromatography with authentic standards and mass spectrometry (electron impact and chemical ionization). All the microsomal incubations (n = 6 livers) produced 6 alpha-hydroxycortisol (6 alpha-OHF), 6 beta-OHF, 20 beta-dihydroxycortisol, 20 beta-dihydroxycortisone, cortisone, and 3 alpha, 5 beta-tetrahydrocortisone (3 alpha, 5 beta-THE), while five produced 6 beta-hydroxycortisone and four produced 3 alpha, 5 beta-tetrahydrocortisol (3 alpha, 5 beta-THF). The cytosolic incubations gave a much simpler metabolic profile, with 3 alpha, 5 beta-THF the major metabolite and 3 alpha, 5 beta-THE a minor metabolite. There was considerable inter-individual variability in metabolite profiles from microsomal incubations. 6 beta-OHF varied from 2.8 to 31.7%. Major metabolites were cortisone and 3 alpha, 5 beta-THE. Inter-liver variability was less for cytosolic incubations, the major metabolite always being 3 alpha, 5 beta-THF. In conclusion we have rigorously identified the hepatic metabolites of cortisol formed in vitro. The highly complex and variable hepatic metabolism of cortisol clearly limits the use of urinary 6 beta-OHF excretion as a marker of baseline P450IIIA activity in man."}
{"id": "PMID:1472464", "title": "Epitestosterone--a potent competitive inhibitor of C21-steroid side chain cleavage in the testis.", "content": "Epitestosterone (17 alpha-hydroxy-4-androsten-3-one) inhibits both 17 alpha-hydroxylation and consequent side chain cleavage of the resulting 17 alpha-hydroxyprogesterone in the rat testicular microsomes. The inhibitory activity in terms of the Ki is 2 and 1.5 times as high, respectively, as that of cyproterone acetate."}
{"id": "PMID:1472465", "title": "A simple method for the isolation of zymosterol from a sterol mutant of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.", "content": "A simple method is described for the direct isolation of zymosterol (5 alpha-cholesta-8,24-dien-3 beta-ol) of high purity from a sterol mutant of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. This yeast strain, which is a double mutant of the ERG6 (sterol transmethylase) and ERG2 (C-8 sterol isomerase) genes, accumulates zymosterol as its major sterol component."}
{"id": "PMID:1472466", "title": "Interaction of two cytoplasmic erythroid differentiation-inducing factors in mouse erythroleukemia cells.", "content": "Our previous cell fusion experiments have suggested that the in vitro erythroid differentiation of mouse erythroleukemia cells is the result of a synergistic reaction involving two intracellular differentiation-inducing factors (DIF); these were subsequently demonstrated in the cytoplasmic fraction of mouse erythroleukemia cells. Here, we present experimental evidence indicating that, under conditions in which the two factors (DIF-I and DIF-II) are coinduced, a new factor, which can trigger erythroid differentiation upon introduction into undifferentiated mouse erythroleukemia cells, is produced in the cells. A similar factor was also generated in vitro after the incubation of partially purified DIF-I and DIF-II. We found that protein phosphatases could substitute for DIF-II. These and other experiments suggest that protein dephosphorylation at a tyrosine residue(s) is involved in the generation of the new factor."}
{"id": "PMID:1472467", "title": "Embryonic expression of nm23 during mouse organogenesis.", "content": "Nonmetastatic (nm) 23 gene expression correlates inversely with metastatic potential in several rodent tumor model systems as well as in human infiltrating ductal breast and hepatocellular carcinomas. Since tumor cell invasion and metastasis involve many processes exhibited by normal cells during development, we investigated whether nm23 is expressed during mouse embryogenesis. Northern blot analysis of embryonic RNAs showed that nm23 gene transcription occurs widely during embryogenesis. Immunohistochemical analysis demonstrated that, at the onset of organogenesis, the amount of Nm23 protein is relatively low and uniform throughout the embryo. On embryonic day E10.5, the protein begins to accumulate preferentially in the developing nervous system and heart, the first embryonic tissues to differentiate. Subsequent differentiation of liver, kidney, skin, intestine, adrenal, and stomach (but not lung) epithelial cells during embryonic development is accompanied by increased Nm23 protein expression. Although most tissues retain Nm23 protein levels to adult life, the increase is transient in intestinal epithelia and cyclic in adult mammary tissue during pregnancy and lactation. We conclude that Nm23 protein accumulation is coincident with the functional differentiation of multiple epithelial tissues in the developing mouse."}
{"id": "PMID:1472468", "title": "Transduction of circular membrane ruffling by the platelet-derived growth factor beta-receptor is dependent on its kinase insert.", "content": "The platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) alpha- and beta-receptors both mediate a mitogenic response, but only the beta-receptor mediates circular actin reorganization and chemotaxis. The tyrosine kinase domains of the receptors contain noncatalytic inserts of about 100 residues. In order to determine the role of these domains in the differential signaling of the two receptors, we constructed chimeric PDGF receptors and expressed the constructs in porcine aortic endothelial cells. The chimeric receptors were similar to the wild-type receptors in their ability to induce mitogenicity in response to ligand. Examination of receptor-associated substrates by in vitro kinase assays revealed that phosphoproteins of 72 and 110 kilodaltons were associated with the kinase insert of the alpha-receptor, whereas a phosphoprotein of 130 kilodaltons was associated with the kinase insert of the beta-receptor. Actin reorganization in the form of circular membrane ruffling was seen after ligand stimulation of the beta-receptor and the alpha-receptor containing the beta-receptor kinase insert but not after stimulation of the alpha-receptor or the beta-receptor containing the alpha-receptor kinase insert. These data indicate that the PDGF beta-receptor kinase insert has an essential function in the signal transduction pathway leading to circular membrane ruffling."}
{"id": "PMID:1472469", "title": "Heterodimerization with c-Fos is not required for cell transformation of chicken embryo fibroblasts by Jun.", "content": "c-Jun belongs to a family of proteins that require dimerization for activity. Dimerization occurs through a leucine-rich region near the carboxy terminus called the leucine zipper. Jun can form dimeric complexes with other Jun family as well as Fos family members. The relative proportion of these different dimeric complexes is determined by the relative abundance of each family member at a particular time. Overexpression of v-Jun or c-Jun alone will lead to cell transformation of chicken embryo fibroblasts, albeit with varying efficiencies. Upon overexpression, v-Jun or c-Jun presumably becomes the predominant AP-1 component in the cell. Theoretically, this should lead to a larger proportion of homodimers than heterodimers. It is not clear what role, if any, the other Jun and Fos family proteins play during cell transformation. We have examined the ability of Jun to induce cell transformation in chicken embryo fibroblasts in the absence of interaction with other Jun or Fos family proteins. To this end, we have constructed a chicken v-Jun mutant that is incapable of heterodimerization. This was accomplished by replacing the leucine zipper region of Jun with that of the yeast transcription factor GCN4. This chimeric protein, VJ-GLZ, retains all of the DNA binding and transcriptional activation domains of v-Jun. As expected, in vitro translated VJ-GLZ was found to be incapable of forming heterodimers with c-Fos, FosB, and JunD.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1472470", "title": "Oncogenic transformation by Jun: role of transactivation and homodimerization.", "content": "Jun/JunD and Jun/GCN4 chimeras transform chicken embryo fibroblasts and activate the collagenase promoter in these same cells. Individual constructs differ widely in the two activities, and there is no correlation between transformation and transactivation. These results suggest that oncogenic transformation by Jun is not caused merely by an upregulation of AP-1 activity. Jun constructs with a modified dimerization domain allowing only homodimerization are active in transformation and transactivation in chicken embryo fibroblast cultures. Homodimers of Jun therefore transform and transactivate."}
{"id": "PMID:1472471", "title": "A rearranged junD transforms chicken embryo fibroblasts.", "content": "A complementary DNA clone synthesized from the chicken junD mRNA, containing 5'- and 3'-untranslated sequences, was inserted in the retroviral expression vector RCAS to yield the construct JD. A second RCAS construct (DDDD) contained only the coding domains of JunD. DDDD did not transform upon primary transfection, but JD produced small numbers of transformed cell foci in chicken embryo fibroblast cultures. The virus recovered from these foci, JDV, was moderately transforming for chicken fibroblasts and weakly oncogenic in the animal. Its genome was rearranged, showing evidence for two recombination events. The first crossover was located between 5'-untranslated and coding sequences of junD and incorporated part of the 5'-untranslated region into an open reading frame. The second crossover occurred between junD and gag. The two crossovers generate a single open reading frame of 2064 nucleotides that encodes an 85 kilodalton protein in which sequences in the amino-terminal region of JunD are duplicated. This gag junD reading frame was recloned and then reconstituted into a replication-defective but transformation-competent retrovirus, indicating that the Gag-JunD fusion protein is the effector of transformation. A construct containing this rearranged coding sequence of JunD in Rc/RSV transactivated the collagenase promoter in chicken cells. Southern blot analysis of several independently isolated JunD transformants and deletion analysis of JDV indicated that duplication of a domain in the amino-terminal region of JunD is crucial for transformation and transactivation."}
{"id": "PMID:1472472", "title": "Identification of a 10-base pair protein binding site in the promoter of the hamster H3.2 gene required for the S phase dependent increase in transcription and its interaction with a Jun-like nuclear factor.", "content": "The hamster histone H3.2 promoter contains an AP-1-like element (referred to as site X) that contains the sequence CGAGTCA. This site differs from the Jun/AP-1 consensus sequence by one base and is also similar to the cyclic AMP response element. Similar AP-1/cyclic AMP response element-like sites have been found in the promoters of other histone H3 genes and are known to bind proteins either in vivo or in vitro. Using site directed mutagenesis, we demonstrate that a 10-base pair region which encompasses site X is a positive control element that is necessary for the S phase dependent increase in H3.2 transcription in cells synchronized by serum stimulation or aphidicolin block. DNase I footprint analysis shows that mutating site X eliminates v-Jun and hamster cellular factor(s) binding. Further in vitro analysis with gel retardation assays reveals that the flanking sequence of this site is necessary for the formation of an H3.2 specific complex that can be distinguished from complexes formed with a collagenase or SV40 AP-1 element. Antibodies specific to the different members of the Jun and Fos family of transcription factors show that, in gel retardation assays, a Jun-like factor is a component of the H3.2 specific complex. However, the H3.2 specific complex exhibits different reactivity toward the Jun and Fos specific antibodies as compared to complexes formed with a collagenase AP-1 element. We hypothesize that a unique protein complex, containing a component related to the AP-1 family of transcription factors, binds to the AP-1-like motif of the hamster H3.2 promoter and may be involved in the S phase dependent regulation of transcription."}
{"id": "PMID:1472473", "title": "The protein tyrosine kinase inhibitor herbimycin A, but not genistein, specifically inhibits signal transduction by the T cell antigen receptor.", "content": "Several lines of evidence implicate a regulatory tyrosine phosphorylation in the activation of phospholipase C (PLC) by the T cell antigen receptor (TCR). These include studies using inhibitors of protein tyrosine kinases (PTKs). In Jurkat T cells expressing the heterologous human muscarinic receptor (HM1), PLC activity can be induced by either the TCR or HM1. HM1 activates PLC via a guanine nucleotide binding protein. We have studied the selectivity of the effects of the PTK inhibitors, herbimycin A and genistein, in this system. The results indicate that these inhibitors have different mechanisms of action, and suggest that herbimycin A, but not genistein, is a specific inhibitor of PTKs in T cells. Herbimycin A markedly inhibited both the resting and induced levels of phosphotyrosine-containing proteins, including the gamma 1 isozyme of PLC and the zeta chain of the TCR, and prevented activation of PLC by anti-TCR mAb. Herbimycin A did not inhibit activation of PLC by HM1. Genistein had a much less pronounced effect than herbimycin A on the appearance of tyrosine phosphoproteins. Moreover, genistein inhibited activation of PLC by both the TCR and HM1, and inhibition was only partial. Genistein was cytotoxic and markedly inhibited protein synthesis in both Jurkat cells and human peripheral lymphocytes. Herbimycin A was not cytotoxic. These findings confirm the role of a regulatory tyrosine phosphorylation in activation of PLC by the TCR. Herbimycin A was a selective inhibitor of a subclass of PTKs in Jurkat cells. In contrast, inhibition of signal transduction and later events in T cells by genistein may be due to effects other than direct inhibition of PTK activity."}
{"id": "PMID:1472474", "title": "Characterization of the T cell antigen receptor--p60fyn protein tyrosine kinase association by chemical cross-linking.", "content": "Engagement of the TCR by specific antigen results in activation of a tyrosine kinase pathway. A candidate for the kinase responsible for the rapid tyrosine phosphorylation detected with T cell activation is p60fyn, a member of the src kinase family. In an earlier study [Samelson et al. (1990) Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 87:4358] this enzyme was co-immunoprecipitated with the TCR from T cells solubilized in digitonin. In that study a sensitive in vitro kinase assay was used to detect the associated p60fyn. It was subsequently found that the reproducibility of the interaction depended on lot-to-lot variations in digitonin. To eliminate the possibility that the association of antigen receptor and kinase is an artifact of solubilization with ill-defined digitonin preparations, a cross-linking protocol was developed to stabilize the interaction between the TCR and p60fyn. T cells were permeabilized with tetanolysin and proteins were cross-linked with the water soluble chemical cross-linker, 3,3' dithiobis(sulfosuccinimidylpropionate). These experiments allowed the confirmation of the interaction between the TCR, p60fyn, and several additional proteins. The cross-linking studies also enabled the mapping of the interaction of p60fyn and associated proteins to the TCR zeta-chain. This technique should have a general use in stabilizing interactions between other receptors and molecules required for intracellular signaling."}
{"id": "PMID:1472475", "title": "Differential expression of clusterin in inducible models of apoptosis.", "content": "Apoptosis (programmed cell death) and necrosis can be readily distinguished morphologically and biochemically. The most striking biochemical change observed in apoptotic cells is the cleavage of the genomic DNA into discrete nucleosome sized fragments, producing a laddering pattern when the DNA is examined electrophoretically. It has recently been shown that RNA and protein products of the testosterone-repressed prostate message-2 gene are induced, coordinate with the onset of cell death. This gene has been isolated from a variety of species and tissues, it is highly conserved, and collectively referred to as clusterin. We have examined a number of inducible leucocyte models of apoptosis, including glucocorticoid and calcium ionophore induced thymocyte death, 'aged' neutrophils and cytotoxic T cells, and found that in these situations that cell death is not associated with up-regulation of clusterin gene expression. The finding that clusterin is not expressed in all cells undergoing apoptosis would suggest that this molecule is not critical to the mechanism of cell death. It does, however, provide the first example of a readily detectable marker which is differentially expressed in cells undergoing apoptosis and adds further weight to the argument that apoptosis is not a uniform phenomena, but is dependent on the nature of the cells involved and the means of induction."}
{"id": "PMID:1472476", "title": "Neither the LCK nor the FYN kinases are obligatory for IL-2-mediated signal transduction in HTLV-I-infected human T cells.", "content": "IL-2 is one of the principal growth factors regulating the proliferation of T lymphocytes. Although two independent IL-2-binding molecules have been molecularly cloned and shown to participate in the formation of a high affinity receptor complex, their primary structures do not suggest a specific mechanism for IL-2 growth signal transduction across the cell membrane. Neither IL-2 receptor subunit contains an intrinsic kinase domain; nevertheless, tyrosine phosphorylation of various intracellular substrates is one of the first biochemical changes observed following activation of the IL-2 receptor (IL-2R). Both serine/threonine and tyrosine kinases can be co-precipitated as part of the IL-2R complex suggesting that the IL-2 signalling may involve the activation of non-covalently associated intracellular kinases. However, controversy exists as to which kinases are involved in IL-2 signal transduction; in particular, which kinase(s) mediates the first or proximal event(s) in the signalling process. Activation of the IL-2R leads to serine and threonine phosphorylation of the SRC tyrosine kinase family member, LCK, and an increase in LCK tyrosine kinase activity. Furthermore, LCK can be co-immunoprecipitated with the beta chain of the IL-2R indicating its association with the receptor complex. IL-2 has also been reported to increase FYN kinase activity and to alter its association with the 85 kDa subunit of phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase thus suggesting a role for FYN in IL-2 signal transduction. However, in this report, we now demonstrate that neither LCK nor FYN are obligatory for IL-2-induced growth of HTLV-I-infected human T cells. Lack of expression of LCK or FYN in the HTLV-I-infected T cell lines was demonstrated by a combination of Northern blotting, polymerase chain reaction, Western blotting, and in vitro kinase activity. Despite the absence of LCK or FYN, IL-2 induced similar patterns of rapid tyrosine phosphorylation. Similar results were observed in cell lines lacking expression of the LYN, FGR, HCK, and LTK tyrosine kinases. Thus, none of these tyrosine kinases alone appears to be required for growth signalling through the IL-2R in the HTLV-I-infected T cell lines analyzed. The findings raise the possibility that an, as yet, unidentified tyrosine kinase is involved. Alternatively, this biological signalling system may exhibit remarkable redundancy whereby several different tyrosine kinases may be capable of associating with the IL-2R complex and mediating intracellular signalling."}
{"id": "PMID:1472477", "title": "Dephosphorylation of pp19: a common second signal for human T cell activation mediated through different accessory molecules.", "content": "Accessory molecules are thought to provide essential regulatory signals for T cell activation. In order to identify specific intracellular events linked to triggering through accessory surface receptors, mAbs against CD2, CD3, CD4, and CD8 were employed to activate resting human T lymphocytes in vitro. Subsequently, intracellular phosphorylation of phosphoprotein (pp) 19, a recently identified substrate of a serine phosphatase involved in CD2 mediated T cell triggering, as well as functional parameters (responsiveness to IL-6, production of IL-2 and IFN-gamma) were determined. As in responses to CD2 mAbs, cross-linking of CD4 and/or CD8 to the TCR-CD3 complex but not CD3 cross-linking alone promoted pp19 dephosphorylation. This early event was in all cases followed by particular late functional responses, i.e. induction of IL-6 responsiveness and secretion of IL-2. In marked contrast, no relationship was found between pp19 dephosphorylation and IFN-gamma production. Taken together, a common intracellular pathway appears to exist in which signals mediated through CD2, CD4, and CD8 merge to promote monokine responsiveness and IL-2 production in human T cells. Dephosphorylation of pp19 thus appears to represent a process which is linked to critical 'second signals' involved in the generation of antigen induced T cell responses."}
{"id": "PMID:1472478", "title": "Cytolytic effector function is present in resting peripheral T lymphocytes.", "content": "Antigen-specific cytotoxic killer lymphocytes (CTLs) represent one of the major effector functions of the immune system. It is well established that, as a consequence of TCR recognition of the antigen-bearing target cell, resting T lymphocytes develop into fully active antigen-specific CTLs. In contrast, natural killer (NK) cells are immediately lytic upon contact with an appropriate target cell. The lytic machinery of CTLs and NK cells is thought to include the contents of their cytoplasmic granules, in particular the pore-forming protein perforin. Here we report direct cytolytic activity by resting peripheral CD3+CD8+ T cells as a result of TCR-CD3 binding to the target cell; the murine OKT3 hybridoma (anti-human CD3) was used as a target. The cytotoxicity was more pronounced in the CD8+CD45RO+ population, which contains 'memory' T cells, than in the reciprocal CD8+CD45RA+ subset; CD8+CD4- mature thymocytes were non-cytotoxic. The cytolytic potential of these populations correlated with the presence or absence of perforin. The results demonstrate that the cytolytic machinery of T cells develops post-thymically and can be immediately triggered by TCR-CD3 stimulation."}
{"id": "PMID:1472479", "title": "B cell differentiation: I. Development and functional analysis of murine B cells immortalized by a recombinant retrovirus.", "content": "B lymphoblast cells were immortalized by infection with a v-myc and v-raf/mil containing recombinant retrovirus. The immortalized B cells do not require exogenous growth factors or mitogens for growth. These cells express characteristic mature B cell phenotypic markers including IgM and IgD. Northern blot analysis detected mu and delta mRNA, and Southern blot analysis revealed rearrangements of Ig genes but not TCR genes in these cells. The immortalized B cells were found to respond to B cell mitogens by proliferation and IgM secretion, and to respond to IL-4 by an increase in la expression. Furthermore, they were found to differentiate to secrete IgM and to switch to IgG1 production following interaction with Staphylococcal enterotoxin B- activated Th2 cells. These cell lines are thus valuable tools for analyzing the molecular events involved in B lymphocyte growth and differentiation."}
{"id": "PMID:1472480", "title": "Characterization of constitutive and strain-dependent subsets of CD45RA+ cells in the thymus.", "content": "We have previously shown that the occurrence of CD45RA+ adult mouse thymocytes is strain-dependent, e.g. constituting approximately 0.6% in C57BL/Icrf and approximately 2.5% in BALB/c (Huby, R. and Goff, L., 1992. Eur. J. Immunol. 22:1659). Here we show that irrespective of strain, the thymus contains approximately 0.6% CD45RA+ cells which are composed of slg+ B cells (approximately 0.4%), slg- CD4-CD8- cells (< 0.2%), and CD4+ CD8+ cells (< 0.2%). In some strains an additional CD45RA+ population, representing up to approximately 2% of all thymocytes, is present and has a CD4-CD8+ phenotype. It is this CD4-CD8+CD45RA+ subset which is responsible for the observed strain difference. In BALB/c mice, this additional population comprises approximately 90% of the CD45RA+ thymic cells. They are larger than the majority of thymocytes, with a size typical of mature, single positive cells (CD4+CD8- or CD4-CD8+). Further phenotyping for co-expression of other maturation markers showed them to be distinctive; they are CD3int-hi, i.e. as bright as other CD8 single positives, which are dimmer than CD4 single positives. In addition they are CD44hi, MEL-14dim and hi, Thy-1lo, HSAlo/-, and PNAlo, suggesting them to be amongst the most mature cells in the thymus. This was corroborated by their phenotypic similarity to CD45RA+ lymph node T cells. Furthermore, in BALB/c adult thymus sections, CD45RA+ cells are localized mainly in the medulla, consistent with a mature phenotype. Comparable with most mature thymocytes, cell cycle analysis revealed this subset to be composed of resting (G0/G1) cells. The CD4-CD8+CD45RA+ cells are amongst the most mature thymocytes and yet are indistinguishable from peripheral T cell counterparts; the possibilities that they are mature thymocytes due to exit the thymus, or that they may represent recirculating peripheral T cells, are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1472481", "title": "Signaling function of reconstituted CD16: zeta: gamma receptor complex isoforms.", "content": "Natural killer cells express an Fc receptor for IgG (CD16) in association with disulfide-linked dimers composed of two homologous subunits: the zeta chain of the T cell antigen receptor complex and the gamma chain of the mast cell/basophil Fc receptor for IgE. The ability of zeta and gamma to transduce CD16-mediated activation signals was compared by reconstituting distinct CD16 receptor isoforms composed of various combinations of zeta- and gamma-containing dimers. Stably transformed non-hematopoietic and hematopoietic cell lines were established that expressed chimeric molecules comprising the extracellular domain of CD16 joined to the transmembrane and intracellular domains of zeta or gamma. Reconstituted CD16 receptor complexes triggered Ca2+ influx, tyrosine phosphorylation, and IL-2 production in stable transformants of the Jurkat T cell line. However, cross-linking of the CD16/gamma chimera induced a specific pattern of tyrosine phosphorylation and was more efficient at signal transduction than a CD16, zeta-zeta complex, suggesting that zeta and gamma cytoplasmic domains may be coupled to distinct tyrosine kinase pathways that differentially regulate CD16-mediated activation signals. By contrast, both CD16/zeta and CD16/gamma chimeric molecules were not functional in stable transformants of the fibroblast Chinese Hamster Ovary cell line, indicating a requirement for downstream signaling components present in hematopoietic cells. Finally, the zeta transmembrane domain appears to preferentially associate with CD16 rather than the CD3:TCR complex, suggesting that a hierarchy of molecular interactions governs NK and T cell differentiation."}
{"id": "PMID:1472482", "title": "In vivo administration of tolmetin in hyaluronic acid modulates protease levels in postsurgical macrophage-conditioned media.", "content": "Tolmetin sodium in a hyaluronic acid carrier (tolmetin-HA) was previously shown to reduce adhesion formation and alter the kinetics and levels of cellular influx into the peritoneal cavity after surgery. In this study, the effect of tolmetin-HA on the level of protease activity in macrophage-conditioned media was determined. The level of collagenase activity in macrophage-conditioned media was suppressed at 12 and 24 h after administration of tolmetin-HA. Alternatively, the peak level of elastase activity measured in macrophage-conditioned media was unchanged after tolmetin-HA treatment, but the kinetics of expression of maximal protease activity was delayed from 12 h in the control surgical rabbits to 24 h in tolmetin-HA-treated rabbits. Elevated plasminogen activator activity was detected in acid-treated conditioned media from the tolmetin-HA-treated rabbits when compared to control levels. However, no alteration in the level of plasminogen activator inhibitor activity was present in conditioned media of macrophages harvested from tolmetin-HA-treated rabbits compared to controls. These data suggest that tolmetin-HA treatment altered the levels of neutral protease activity secreted by postsurgical macrophages and may therefore elevate the fibrinolytic potential of the peritoneal cavity after surgery."}
{"id": "PMID:1472484", "title": "Effects of heat on fragility and morphology of human and calf erythrocytes.", "content": "It is important to know the species differences when data from animal experiments are interpreted for human application. This in vitro study focused on the effects of heat, a major concern in mechanically actuated artificial heart development, on the physiology of human and calf erythrocytes (RBC). RBC from calves and healthy human donors were incubated at 25, 37, 46, 48, 50, or 52 degrees C for 1 h. Osmotic fragility was tested and morphological changes were then observed by scanning electron microscopy. The osmotic fragility of human and calf RBC increased at and above 50 degrees C. After incubation at 50 degrees C, 6% of human and 1% of calf RBC hemolyzed. Changes in surface morphology, which included spherocytic or echinocytic forms, were observed in 97% of human and 19% of calf RBC after incubation at 50 degrees C. In conclusion, human RBC showed greater changes in osmotic fragility and morphology at and above 50 degrees C. These changes, however, were not observed in either species after 1 h incubation at 46 degrees C."}
{"id": "PMID:1472483", "title": "Serum and intestinal diamine oxidase activity during intestinal adaptation.", "content": "Diamine oxidase (DAO) is a cytoplasmic enzyme found primarily in the villus epithelial cells of the small intestine. Serum DAO levels have been evaluated as a potential marker of intestinal disease in a variety of disorders, including gut atrophy, ischemia, and inflammation. In this study serum and tissue DAO levels were evaluated during intestinal adaptation. Twenty dogs were divided into 4 groups: sham laparotomy (n = 5), and 25% (n = 5), 50% (n = 5), and 75% (n = 5) distal enterectomy. Serum DAO activity (basal or postheparin) was measured prior to and 2 days, 4 weeks, 8 weeks, and 12 weeks after operation. Tissue DAO and changes in intestinal length, mucosal protein content, and villus height were measured at sacrifice 12 weeks later. Intestinal remnant length and protein content increased significantly with 50 and 75% resection. Tissue DAO activity was significantly decreased with any enterectomy. Serum postheparin DAO activity was significantly greater than basal at all time points but there was no significant change in either basal or postheparin DAO levels at any time following resection. It is concluded that serum DAO levels are not changed during the early adaptive period following intestinal resection and thus would not be useful as a marker of this process. Tissue DAO levels were diminished during adaptation, suggesting that tissue DAO activity is influenced not only by mucosal mass but by cellular metabolism and the proliferative status of the mucosa."}
{"id": "PMID:1472486", "title": "Surgical reconstruction of partial circumferential esophageal defect in the dog.", "content": "Partial circumferential reconstruction of the cervical esophagus was evaluated in the dog. An esophageal defect 5.85 +/- 1.15 cm in length involving one-half of the circumference was repaired by direct closure (group I), using longus colli muscle patch grafts (group II), and using grafts of longus colli muscle lined with buccal mucosa (group III). The incidence of leakage, fistula formation, luminal stricture, peristalsis disturbance, lining loss, the quality of surface restoration, bursting strength, and wound healing were evaluated. No fistula formation or leakage was observed in any animal. Direct closure of the defect was easier to perform, led to less inflammatory reaction, and resulted in the highest bursting strength. However, this method was associated with luminal stricture and swallowing difficulties. The longus colli muscle patch grafts (group II) were associated with a slight to moderate luminal stricture, but had more inflammatory reaction and graft surface area contraction (62%) compared to group III. The longus colli muscle lined with buccal mucosa caused no stricture and slight surface area contraction (8%). Mucosal grafts remained viable and no lining loss was observed. Despite the loss of peristalsis at the level of the graft in 25% of the group III dogs, no clinical signs or swallowing difficulties were observed."}
{"id": "PMID:1472491", "title": "Tryptophan perturbation in the L intermediate of bacteriorhodopsin: fourier transform infrared analysis with indole-15N shift.", "content": "In the photoreaction of bacteriorhodopsin, the L intermediate shows an intense band at 3486 cm-1 which is unaffected by 2H2O (Maeda, A., Sasaki, J., Shichida, Y., & Yoshizawa, T. (1992) Biochemistry 31, 462-467]. This band is shifted to 3477 cm-1 by [indole-15N]tryptophan substitution and therefore is assigned to the N-H stretching vibration of the indole of tryptophan. Free indole in carbon tetrachloride shows its N-H stretching vibration at 3491 cm-1 [Fuson, N., Josien, M.-L., Powell, R. L., & Utterback, E. (1952) J. Chem. Phys. 20, 145-152]. Thus, it is suggested that at least one tryptophan residue in the L intermediate is not hydrogen bonded."}
{"id": "PMID:1472492", "title": "Resonance Raman study of halorhodopsin photocycle kinetics, chromophore structure, and chloride-pumping mechanism.", "content": "Kinetic resonance Raman spectra of the HR520, HR640, and HR578 species in the halorhodopsin photocycle are obtained using time delays ranging from 5 microseconds to 10 ms in 0.3 M NO3-, 0.3 M Cl-, and 3 M Cl-. The Raman intensities are converted to absolute concentrations by using a conservation of molecules constraint. The simplest kinetic scheme that satisfactorily models the data is HR578-->HR520 in equilibrium with HR640-->HR578. The rate constant for the HR640-->HR578 transition increases with Cl- concentration, suggesting that Cl- is taken up between HR640 and HR578. The ratio of the forward to the reverse rate constants connecting HR520 and HR640 increases as the inverse of the Cl- concentration, suggesting that Cl- is released during the HR520-->HR640 step. The configuration about the C13 = C14 bond of the retinal chromophore in HR640 is examined by regenerating the protein with [12,14-2H2]retinal. The C12-2H + C14-2H rocking vibration for HR640 is observed at 943 cm-1, demonstrating that the chromophore is 13-cis. The changes in the resonance Raman spectrum of HR640 in response to 2H2O suspension indicates that the Schiff base linkage to the protein is protonated. None of the HR640 fingerprint vibrations shift significantly in 2H2O, suggesting that the Schiff base adopts a C = N anti configuration; this assignment is supported by the frequency of the C15-2H rocking mode (1002 cm-1). The 13-cis structure for the chromophore in HR640 requires that thermal isomerization back to all-trans occurs in the HR640-->HR578 transition. These structural and kinetic results are incorporated into a two-state C-T model for Cl- pumping."}
{"id": "PMID:1472487", "title": "An arthroscopic biopsy procedure for obtaining osteochondral samples from the equine midcarpal joint.", "content": "An in vivo biopsy technique was developed to harvest cylindrical osteochondral core samples (2 mm diameter x 2 mm depth) from the articular surfaces of radial carpal bones in adult horses for use in osteoarthritis drug kinetic studies. A 25 degree arthroscope was introduced into the midcarpal joint through the dorsolateral surface, and a custom-built motorized core drill was introduced through the dorsomedial surface to create the osteochondral core samples. A total of 24 core samples were sequentially harvested in vivo, and 16 at postmortem, from eight horses on four different occasions within a 96-h period. Cores ranged in weight, from 5.0 to 19.0 mg with a median of 13.25 mg, mostly due to the amount of subchondral bone present. No evidence of carpal bone fractures was observed associated with core sample sites at postmortem. No tissue distortion or thermal damage occurred to the osteochondral core samples. No detrimental effects on the tissue surrounding the biopsy sites was detected on microscopic examination. This technique offers a simple and effective procedure for obtaining multiple in vivo osteochondral core samples at various time intervals for cartilage or osteoarthritis research or analysis of clinical joint disease in the horse."}
{"id": "PMID:1472493", "title": "Potent slow-binding inhibition of cathepsin B by its propeptide.", "content": "A peptide (PCB1) corresponding to the proregion of the rat cysteine protease cathepsin B was synthesized and its ability to inhibit cathepsin B activity investigated. PCB1 was found to be a potent inhibitor of mature cathepsin B at pH 6.0, yielding a Ki = 0.4 nM. This inhibition obeyed slow-binding kinetics and occurred as a one-step process with a k1 = 5.2 x 10(5) M-1 s-1 and a k2 = 2.2 x 10(-4) s-1. On dropping from pH 6.0 to 4.7, Ki increased markedly, and whereas k1 remained essentially unchanged, k2 increased to 4.5 x 10(-3) s-1. Thus, the increase in Ki at lower pH is due primarily to an increased dissociation rate for the cathepsin B/PCB1 complex. At pH 4.0, the inhibition was 160-fold weaker (Ki = 64 nM) than at pH 6.0, and the propeptide appeared to behave as a classical competitive inhibitor rather than a slow-binding inhibitor. Incubation of cathepsin B with a 10-fold excess of PCB1 overnight at pH 4.0 resulted in extensive cleavage of the propetide whereas no cleavage occurred at pH 6.0, consistent with the formation of a tight complex between cathepsin B and PCB1 at the higher pH. The synthetic propeptide of cathepsin B was found to be a much weaker inhibitor of papain, a structurally similar cysteine protease, and no pH dependence was observed. Inhibition constants of 2.8 and 5.6 microM were obtained for papain inhibition by PCB1 at pH 4.0 and 6.0, respectively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1472489", "title": "The effect of deferoxamine on ischemic changes in rat skeletal muscle: a preliminary study.", "content": "The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of deferoxamine in preventing detrimental microvascular changes in ischemically damaged skeletal muscle during the initial reperfusion stage. Sprague-Dawley rats were given saline or deferoxamine (25 or 50 mg/kg) intravenously just prior to release of an air tourniquet placed around one hindlimb for 4 h. The limb was allowed to reperfuse for 2 h. Vascular leakage of plasma protein was assayed by determining the amount of 131I-labeled serum albumin that was given intravenously 30 min prior to release of the tourniquet. The wet and dry weights of the gastrocnemius and tibialis anterior muscles and the 131I activity were evaluated in both ischemic and nonischemic limbs. Although vascular permeability and edema increased markedly in both muscles in the ischemic limbs, there were no significant differences between the saline or either treatment groups. The lack of effect of deferoxamine in this initial report suggests that skeletal muscle may differ from other tissues in the early reperfusion stage."}
{"id": "PMID:1472485", "title": "Monitoring of liver oxygenation during neuroleptanalgesia in the dog.", "content": "In an animal study (7 mongrel dogs) the effects of neuroleptanalgesia (NLA) and combinations of NLA with nitrous oxide (N2O) and isoflurane on the macro- and microcirculation of the liver were investigated. Measurements were made in three steps. After NLA alone the dogs were supplementarily ventilated with nitrous oxide/oxygen at a ratio of 2:1. During the last step, 1 MAC isoflurane was added to the inspired gas. From the portal vein, arterial and mixed-venous systems' hemodynamic parameters, blood gases, and acid-base balance were recorded. As a parameter of oxygenation the tissue PO2 of the liver was measured with a multiwire surface electrode. During NLA stable hemodynamic conditions and a balanced acid-base status were observed. The nitrous oxide combination resulted in an increase of the mean pulmonary artery pressure of 16%. The addition of isoflurane had a negative inotropic effect: The heart index decreased to 74% of the starting value and the total peripheral resistance (TPR) increased by 27%. The summarized PO2 histograms under NLA and NLA/N2O showed arithmetic mean values of 34.1 and 35.2 mm Hg, respectively. The addition of isoflurane resulted in a left shift and a decrease of the mean value to 28.6 mm Hg. This histogram corresponds exactly to the oxygen pressure distribution in the dog liver during piritramide basic anesthesia. It seems that NLA and the combination of NLA/N2O increase the liver perfusion with a higher portal-venous and tissue PO2. This effect can be explained only by a massive change of visceral circulation. It is canceled by the addition of isoflurane."}
{"id": "PMID:1472494", "title": "New calcium-sensitive ligand for nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.", "content": "Fluorinated calcium-sensitive indicators such as 5,5'-difluoro-1,2-bis(o-aminophenoxy)ethane-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid (difluoro-BAPTA) will often be less sensitive under in vivo conditions than gyromagnetic ratio considerations alone would have predicted. This is due to the very broad line widths displayed by these molecules within the living cell. In order to provide a spectroscopic alternative to these molecules, we have synthesized 13C-enriched 1-(2-aminophenoxy)-2-(2-aminoethoxy)ethane-N,N,N',N'-tetraac etic acid or AATA. The rationale for the design of this molecule was the increased signal to noise ratio available by selective detection of 13C-attached protons in AATA using proton-observe carbon-edited spectroscopy or multiple-quantum coherence. AATA has the advantage of increased number of detectable nuclei and narrow line widths. As such, it should provide a 6-10-fold improvement in the signal to noise ratio over existing fluorinated indicators. As a hybrid between EGTA and BAPTA, AATA should display intermediate pKa's, exchange rates, and KD values. We have measured pKa values of 5.94 +/- 0.05 and 9.03 +/- 0.05 for AATA. KD values of 350 +/- 80 nM and 6.6 +/- 2.0 mM were obtained for the AATA-Ca2+ and AATA-Mg2+ interactions, respectively, at 37 degrees C in 0.1 M KCl. As such, this new ligand displays the expected selectivity for Ca2+ over Mg2+. This new approach to detection of intracellular probes with NMR can be readily extended to other probes for intracellular ions, pH, and membrane potential. In addition, the move toward carbon-selected proton spectroscopy should also permit more flexibility in synthetic approaches since the strong electronegativity of fluorine often hampers synthetic design."}
{"id": "PMID:1472490", "title": "Blood sample analysis and monitoring of hemodynamic parameters and renal function in the conscious rat.", "content": "A method is described for chronic instrumentation of the rat with arterial and venous catheters. The technique minimizes the risk of catheter occlusion and damage, and reduces restraint of the animals during the evaluation. In the conscious animal, hemodynamic parameters and renal function can be monitored while substances are injected or blood samples withdrawn."}
{"id": "PMID:1472488", "title": "An improved model for rat liver transplantation including arterial reconstruction and simplified microvascular suture techniques.", "content": "For experimental liver transplantation in the rat, the models that have been used most frequently do not include reconstruction of the arterial blood supply to the liver. In these procedures, specially developed cuff anastomoses rather than the conventional microvascular suture technique are used almost exclusively in the recipient operation, so that the anhepatic time is minimized. In this study the technical details of an improved rat model for orthotopic liver transplantation are described. During the donor operation in this experimental method, the liver is prepared with an arterial pedicle that includes the abdominal segment of the aorta, permitting perfusion in situ of the portal vein as well as the hepatic artery. The transplantation of the excised donor organ into the recipient site is carried out with simplified microvascular suture techniques and includes reconstruction of the arterial supply to the liver. Anastomosis of the bile duct is accomplished by choledocho-choledochostomy with a splint technique and supplemental suturing. For the entire procedure, magnifying glasses with 2- to 2.5-fold magnification are sufficient. When this technique has been mastered, the average duration of the anhepatic phase is about 20 min, well below the critical 30-min limit for survival of the experimental animals. As proficiency increased, the perioperative mortality was reduced to 9.2% (n = 130). With the combination of portal and arterial in situ flushing during the donor operation and the rearterialization of the transplant during the recipient operation, the clinical conditions can be approximated more closely than is possible when the transplanted rat liver is supplied only by the portal vein. Use of microvascular suture techniques, without cuff anastomoses, reduces the need for ex situ handling of the donor organ."}
{"id": "PMID:1472495", "title": "Mechanism of activation and inactivation of opsin: role of Glu113 and Lys296.", "content": "In previous studies, mutation of either Lys296 or Glu113 in bovine rhodopsin has been shown to result in constitutive activation of the apoprotein form, opsin [Robinson et al. (1992) Neuron 9, 719-725]. In this report, pH-rate profiles for the rhodopsin-catalyzed exchange of GTPgS for GDP on transducin are established for the constitutively active opsin mutants. All of the mutants, including the double-mutant E113Q,K296G, show a bell-shaped pH-rate profile. Therefore, it is evident that at least two ionizable groups in addition to Lys296 and Glu113 control the formation of the active opsin state. The sole effect of mutation at position 113 or 296 is to alter the ionization constant of the group with the higher pKa, called pka2. pKa2 decreases in the following order: rhodopsin/light (9.0) > K296E = K296G = E113Q,K296G (8.0) > E113Q (6.8) > K296H (6.6) >> wild-type opsin (< 5.0). These results are consistent with a model where activation of opsin involves (i) breaking of the salt bridge between Lys296 and Glu113, (ii) deprotonation of Lys296, and (iii) the net uptake of a proton from the solvent. Furthermore, exogenous addition of the chromophore all-trans-retinal shifts the wild-type and E113Q opsin equilibrium to favor the active state. In all these respects, the light-independent activation of the opsin mutants appears to proceed by a mechanism similar to that of light-activated rhodopsin."}
{"id": "PMID:1472496", "title": "Interactions of concanavalin A with glycoproteins: formation of homogeneous glycoprotein-lectin cross-linked complexes in mixed precipitation systems.", "content": "We have previously demonstrated that the interactions between branched chain oligosaccharides and glycopeptides isolated from glycoproteins and glycolipids with specific lectins lead to the formation of homopolymeric carbohydrate-protein cross-linked complexes, even in the presence of mixtures of the carbohydrates or lectins [cf. Bhattacharyya, L., Fant, J., Lonn, H., & Brewer, C. F. (1990) Biochemistry 29, 7523-7530]. Recently, we have shown that highly ordered cross-linked lattices are formed between the tetrameric glycoprotein soybean agglutinin (SBA), which possesses a Man9 oligomannose chain per monomer, and the Glc/Man-specific plant lectin concanavalin A (Con A) [Khan, M. I., Mandal, D. K., & Brewer, C. F. (1991) Carbohydr. Res. 213, 69-77]. Using radiolabeling and quantitative precipitation techniques, we show in the present study that Con A binds and forms unique cross-linked complexes with four different glycoproteins having different numbers and types of carbohydrate chains as well as different quaternary structures. The glycoproteins include quail ovalbumin, Lotus tetragonolobus isolectin A (LTL-A), Erythrina cristagalli lectin (ECL), and Erythrina corallodendron lectin (EcorL). The results show that a preparation of quail ovalbumin containing either one Man7 or Man8 oligomannose chain per molecule forms a 1:2 cross-linked complex with tetrameric Con A, thereby demonstrating bivalency of the single carbohydrate chain(s) on the glycoprotein. Tetrameric LTL-A and dimeric ECL, which possess two xylose-containing carbohydrate chains per monomer, both form 1:2 and 1:1 cross-linked complexes (per monomer) of glycoprotein to lectin, depending on their relative ratios in solution. However, dimeric EcorL, which has the same carbohydrate structure and number of chains as ECL, forms only a 1:2 cross-linked complex with tetrameric Con A.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1472497", "title": "Factors determining the conformation and quaternary structure of isolated human erythrocyte band 3 in detergent solution.", "content": "Fluorescence spectroscopy was used to follow the kinetics of covalent binding of DIDS (4,4'-diisothiocyanato-2,2'-stilbenedisulfonate) to isolated band 3 in C12E8. We have discovered a dilution-induced loss in the ability of band 3 monomer to form a covalent adduct with DIDS. The loss in DIDS reactivity with dilution followed a 50:50 biphasic time course despite the use of a homogeneous preparation of band 3 oligomers. The loss in reactivity generally correlated with the association of band 3 dimers and tetramers to higher oligomeric structures. The final aggregated product was capable of binding BADS (4-benzamido-4'-amino-2,2'-stilbenedisulfonate) reversibly, but with an affinity nearly 30-fold lower than that of the starting material. Removal of the cytoplasmic domain of band 3 slowed the conformational interconversion of the integral domain by about 5-fold and inhibited the aggregation process. The conformational interconversion was slowed in the presence of 150 mM chloride but not in 90 mM sulfate. Covalent binding of DIDS inhibited the aggregation of band 3. Addition of 250 microM lipid inhibited both the loss of DIDS reactivity and the protein aggregation process. While several types of lipid offer protection, phosphatidic acid accelerated the decay process by eliminating the biphasicity. We conclude that the conformation of the integral domain of band 3 can be modulated allosterically by the addition of ligands, including various lipids. The results offer direct evidence for cooperative interactions between band 3 subunits during loss of activity, and they show that the cytoplasmic domain participates in the control of this transition."}
{"id": "PMID:1472498", "title": "Substrate specificity of the human matrix metalloproteinase stromelysin and the development of continuous fluorometric assays.", "content": "To probe the specificity of the metalloendoproteinase stromelysin toward peptide substrates, we determined kc/Km values for the stromelysin-catalyzed hydrolyses of peptides whose design was based loosely on the structure of a known SLN substrate, substance P (Arg-Pro-Lys-Pro-Gln-Gln-Phe-Phe-Gly-Leu-MetNH2, hydrolysis at Gln-Phe, kc/Km = 1700 M-1 s-1). Several noteworthy points emerge from this study: (i) Catalytic efficiency is dependent on peptide chain length with N-terminal truncation of substance P resulting in more pronounced rate-constant reductions than C-terminal truncation. These results suggest the existence of an extended active site for stromelysin. (ii) Preferences at positions P3, P2, P1, P1', and P2' are for the hydrophobic amino acids Pro, Leu, Ala, Nva, and Trp, respectively. (iii) Investigation of specificity at P3' supports our earlier hypothesis that SLN has a requirement for a hydrogen-bond donor at this position in its substrates. Based on these observations, we designed and had synthesized the fluorogenic substrate N-(2,4-dinitrophenyl)Arg-Pro-Lys-Pro-Leu-Ala-Nva-TrpNH2, whose stromelysin-catalyzed hydrolysis can be monitored continuously (kc/Km = 45,000 M-1 s-1)."}
{"id": "PMID:1472499", "title": "Microcalorimetric study of wheat germ agglutinin binding to N-acetylglucosamine and its oligomers.", "content": "The energetics of association of wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) with N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) and its beta(1,4) oligomers have been measured using isothermal titration calorimetry. Association constants of 0.4, 5.3, 11.1, 12.3, and 19.1 mM-1 and enthalpies of binding of -6.1, -15.6, -19.4, -19.3, and -18.2 kcal mol-1 were obtained at 26 degrees C for the titration of WGA with GlcNAc, (GlcNAc)2, (GlcNAc)3, (GlcNAc)4, and (GlcNAc)5, respectively. The term T delta S was always of negative value, indicating that the binding process is enthalpically driven. Titrations of WGA performed at pH 4.5 did not differ significantly from those performed at pH 7.0, suggesting that no groups with a pKa in this range are directly involved in the binding event. Also, performing the titration in a buffer system with a higher enthalpy of protonation did not change the enthalpy of binding confirming that there is no net protonation or deprotonation when WGA binds GlcNAc residues at pH 7. A model of four independent binding sites was found to adequately describe the binding curves, except in the case of (GlcNAc)4 which exhibited positive cooperativity. The energetic values are discussed within the context of the structure of the WGA-(GlcNAc)2 complex."}
{"id": "PMID:1472500", "title": "Disulfide bond assignment in human J chain and its covalent pairing with immunoglobulin M.", "content": "The assignment of disulfide bonds in human J chain and its covalent pairing with immunoglobulin M was determined under conditions which minimize disulfide bond interchange. We show that in J chain the three intradisulfide bridges are formed between Cys 12 and 100, Cys 71 and 91, and Cys 108 and 133. Previous reports [reviewed by Koshland, M. E. (1985) Annu. Rev. Immunol. 3, 425-453] have proposed that cysteines 12, 14, or 68 were linked to the penultimate cysteine 575 of two mu chain tails. In this work, we demonstrate that cysteines 14 and 68 are disulfide-bridged to mu chains. A revised, albeit putative, model of J chain folding is presented which takes into account the correct disulfide pairing and the predictive secondary structure assignment."}
{"id": "PMID:1472501", "title": "Two isozymes of clavaminate synthase central to clavulanic acid formation: cloning and sequencing of both genes from Streptomyces clavuligerus.", "content": "Clavaminate synthase (CS) is an alpha-ketoglutarate-dependent oxygenase central to the biosynthesis of clavulanic acid, a potent inhibitor of beta-lactamases. CS catalyzes the oxidative cyclization/desaturation of proclavaminic acid to clavaminic acid in a two-step process involving the intermediacy of dihydroclavaminic acid [Salowe, S. P., Krol, W. J., Iwata-Reuyl, D., & Townsend, C. A. (1991) Biochemistry 30, 2281-2292]. During the purification of CS to homogeneity from Streptomyces clavuligerus [Salowe, S. P., Marsh, E. N., & Townsend, C. A. (1990) Biochemistry 29, 6499-6508], two forms of the enzyme capable of carrying out the complete reaction having very similar molecular weights and kinetic properties were isolated by Mono-Q chromatography. The gene for each has been cloned, sequenced, and found to be significantly homologous (87% identity). The two genes so isolated, cs1 and cs2, have open reading frames of 975 and 978 nucleotides, respectively, encoding proteins of M(r) 35,347 and 35,774. These genes are located in different loci of the genome separated by > 20 kbp. This separation is large for a natural product biosynthetic pathway in bacteria where gene duplication and limited divergence are typically observed to occur within narrower confines of a gene cluster. Sequence comparisons made between cs1/cs2 and other genes encoding iron-dependent proteins involved in penicillin and cephalosporin biosynthesis in the same organism show minimal homology. Further sequence alignments made to other non-heme iron oxygenases reveal unexpected dissimilarity within the alpha-ketoglutarate-dependent class itself. The limited data available suggests evolutionary convergence among these proteins."}
{"id": "PMID:1472502", "title": "Characterization of the tetramer-dimer-monomer equilibrium of the enzymatically active subunits of pigeon liver malic enzyme.", "content": "The tetrameric malic enzyme from pigeon liver was reversibly dissociated in the sequence of tetramer-dimer-monomer in an acidic environment (pH 4.5) or when the ionic strength or temperature of the solution was perturbed (0.2 M ammonium sulfate or < 10 degrees C). The dissociated monomer was enzymatically active according to the following criteria: (a) separation and direct activity staining of the monomer in the native gradient polyacrylamide gel, (b) activity staining of the monomer at its pI region in the isoelectric focusing gel, and (c) the enzyme showing lower but definite enzyme activity under conditions where only monomer existed in the solution. The catalytic constant (kcat) and specificity constant (kcat/KmMal) for the monomer were found to be 19 +/- 6 s-1 and 58 x 10(3) s-1.M-1, respectively, only one-seventh and one-seventeenth of those for the tetramer. Different types of interactions are involved in the monomer-monomer and dimer-dimer associations: (a) Two dissociation processes showed different pH dependences. The monomer-monomer interactions involve an amino acid with a side chain pKa value around 5.7, and an amino acid with a side chain pKa value of 7.2 is involved in the dimer-dimer association. (b) Ammonium sulfate up to 0.2 M only affects the monomer-monomer but not the dimer-dimer interactions. The Gibb's free energy, enthalpy, and entropy all have negative values for the above subunits' dissociations. The overall dissociation is an enthalpy-driven process. Association of the subunits to form dimers and tetramers involves salt-bridge, van der Waals, and hydrogen-bonding interactions.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1472503", "title": "Studies on Na+ and H+ translocation through the Fo part of the Na(+)-translocating F1Fo ATPase from Propionigenium modestum: discovery of a membrane potential dependent step.", "content": "The purified ATPase of Propionigenium modestum (F1Fo) was incorporated into liposomes, and the F1 part was dissociated. The Fo-liposomes catalyzed proton uptake in response to a potassium diffusion potential (inside negative). Proton translocation was abolished by rebinding F1 to the Fo-liposomes or after incubation with the c-subunit-specific inhibitor dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCCD). Proton uptake was also sensitive to the presence of external Na+ or Li+ ions and was completely abolished at 2 mM NaCl or 150 mM LiCl, respectively. However, the same concentrations of these salts in the internal volume of the Fo-liposomes were without effect, suggesting that the cation binding site is not accessible from both sides of the membrane simultaneously. An open channel-type of transport through Fo from P. modestum is therefore excluded. The Fo-liposomes also catalyzed Na+ influx or efflux in response to a K+ diffusion potential that was negative on the inside or outside, respectively. These Na+ fluxes could not be created, however, by delta pNa+ of about 60-180 mV. The initial rate of Na+ uptake depended strongly on the size of the membrane potential with no significant conductivity below -40 mV, followed by a proportional increase up to about -115 mV. In the absence of a membrane potential, the Fo-liposomes catalyzed 22Na+ counterflow against a 28-fold concentration gradient. Uptake of 22Na+ into Fo-liposomes against delta pNa+ (counterflow) was completely prevented by imposing an inside-positive potassium diffusion potential of 90 mV. The catalysis of 22Na+ counterflow by Fo from P. modestum is a clear indication of a carrier (transporter)-type mechanism and excludes a channel mechanism.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1472504", "title": "Amadori rearrangement potential of hemoglobin at its glycation sites is dependent on the three-dimensional structure of protein.", "content": "The site selectivity of nonenzymic glycation of proteins has been suggested to be a consequence of the Amadori rearrangement activity of the protein at the respective glycation sites [Acharya, A. S., Roy, R. P., & Dorai, B. (1991) J. Protein Chem. 10, 345-358]. The catalytic activity that determines the potential of a site for nonenzymic glycation is the propensity of its microenvironment to isomerize the protein bound aldose (aldimine) to a protein bound ketose (ketoamine). The catalytic power of the microenvironment of the glycation sites could be endowed to them either by the amino acid sequence (nearest-neighbor linear effects) or by the higher order structure (tertiary/quarternary) of the protein (nearest-neighbor three-dimensional effect). In an attempt to resolve between these two structural concepts, the glycation potential of Val-1(alpha) and Lys-16(alpha), the residues of hemoglobin A exhibiting the least and the highest isomerization activity in the tetramer, respectively, has been compared in the segment alpha 1-30, isolated alpha-chain, and the tetramer. When alpha-chain is used as the substrate for the nonenzymic glycation, the influence of the quaternary structure of the tetramer will be absent. Similarly, the contribution of the tertiary and quaternary structure of the protein will be absent when alpha 1-30 is used as the substrate. The microenvironment of Lys-16(alpha) exhibited hardly any Amadori rearrangement activity in the segment alpha 1-30. The tertiary structure of the alpha-chain induces a considerable degree of catalytic activity to the microenvironment of Lys-16(alpha) to isomerize the aldimine adduct at this site.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1472505", "title": "Dynamic structures of adrenocortical cytochrome P-450 in proteoliposomes and microsomes: protein rotation study.", "content": "Purified adrenocortical microsomal cytochromes P-45017 alpha,lyase and P-450C21 were reconstituted with and without NADPH-cytochrome P-450 reductase in phosphatidylcholine-phosphatidylethanolamine-phosphatidylserine vesicles at a lipid to P-450 ratio of 35 (w/w) by cholate dialysis procedures. Trypsinolysis revealed that a considerable part of each P-450 molecule is deeply embedded in the lipid bilayer, on the basis of the observation of no detectable digestion for P-45017 alpha,lyase and the proteolysis-resistant membrane-bound heavy fragments for P-450C21. Rotational diffusion was measured in proteoliposomes and adrenocortical microsomes by observing the decay of absorption anisotropy, r(t), after photolysis of the heme-CO complex. Analysis of r(t) was based on a \"rotation-about-membrane normal\" model. The absorption anisotropy decayed within 1-2 ms to a time-independent value r3. Coexistence of a mobile population with an average rotational relaxation time phi of 138-577 microseconds and immobile (phi > or = 20 ms) populations of cytochrome P-450 was observed in both phospholipid vesicles and microsomes. Different tilt angles of the heme plane from the membrane plane were determined in proteoliposomes to be either 47 degrees or 63 degrees for P-45017 alpha,lyase from [r3/r(0)]min = 0.04 and either 38 degrees or 78 degrees for P-450C21 from [r3/r(0)]min = 0.19, when these P-450s were completely mobilized by incubation with 730 mM NaCl. Very different interactions with the reductase have been observed for the two P-450s in proteoliposomes. In the presence of the reductase, the mobile population of cytochrome P-450C21 was increased significantly from 79% to 96% due to dissociation of P-450 oligomers.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1472506", "title": "Design of model amphipathic peptides having potent antimicrobial activities.", "content": "Induced amphipathic alpha-helical conformations play an important role in the biological activity of peptides. By using reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) as a means to study the secondary structure of peptides at aqueous/lipid interfaces, a sequence (Ac-LKLLKKLLKKLKKLLKKL-NH2) was found to readily adopt an amphipathic alpha-helical conformation upon interacting with the lipid groups of the stationary phase during RP-HPLC. This peptide exhibited potent antimicrobial activities against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. We have prepared a complete set of omission, as well as of leucine and lysine substitution, analogs of this sequence. These analogs were used to investigate the effects of such alterations on the parent sequence's antimicrobial and hemolytic activities relative to each analog's behavior during RP-HPLC. The potential for the formation of ion channels through cell membranes by this amphipathic model peptide was also evaluated through preparation of analogs which varied in length from 8 to 22 residues, while maintaining their amphipathicity."}
{"id": "PMID:1472507", "title": "Contribution of the 6-120 disulfide bond of alpha-lactalbumin to the stabilities of its native and molten globule states.", "content": "The unfolding and refolding of a derivative of alpha-lactalbumin, in which the disulfide bond between Cys6 and Cys120 is selectively reduced and S-carboxymethylated, are investigated by equilibrium and kinetic circular dichroism measurements. The native conformation of this derivative is known to be essentially identical to that of intact alpha-lactalbumin. The equilibrium unfolding of the derivative involves a stable intermediate, which is also similar to the molten globule state of the disulfide intact protein. The results of stopped-flow circular dichroism experiments show that the same intermediate is formed rapidly as a transient intermediate in kinetic refolding. The conformational stabilities for the native and intermediate states have been estimated and compared with the stabilities for the corresponding states of intact alpha-lactalbumin. The stabilization of the native state by the disulfide has been interpreted in terms of a decrease in chain entropy in the unfolded state and elimination of the strain imposed on the disulfide bond in the native state. The molten globule state is also stabilized by the disulfide bond, although the degree of stabilization of the molten globule state is smaller than of the native state. The results suggest that, in the molten globule state, some ordered structures are present within the loop moiety formed by the 6-120 disulfide."}
{"id": "PMID:1472508", "title": "Domains in lambda Cro repressor. A calorimetric study.", "content": "Thermodynamic properties of a mutant lambda Cro repressor with Cys replacing Val55 were studied calorimetrically. Formation of the S-S cross-link between neighboring Cys55 residues in this dimeric molecule leads to stabilization of a structure formed by the C-terminal parts of the two polypeptide chains, which behave as a single cooperative domain upon protein denaturation by heating. This composite domain is very stable at neutral pH and disrupts at 110 degrees C. The S-S-cross-linked tryptic fragment (residues 22-66), which includes this C-terminal domain, has similar stability. The N-terminal parts of the polypeptide chains do not form any stable structure when isolated, but in S-S-cross-linked dimer, they form a single cooperative block which melts in an all-or-none way 9 degrees C higher than the un-cross-linked protein. The observed cooperation of the distant N-terminal parts in dimer raises questions regarding lambda Cro repressor structure in solution."}
{"id": "PMID:1472509", "title": "Influence of transition rates and scan rate on kinetic simulations of differential scanning calorimetry profiles of reversible and irreversible protein denaturation.", "content": "The thermodynamic parameters characterizing protein folding can be obtained directly using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). They are meaningful only for reversible unfolding at equilibrium, which holds for small globular proteins; however, the unfolding or denaturation of most large, multidomain or multisubunit proteins is either partially or totally irreversible. The simplest kinetic model describing partially irreversible denaturation requires three states: Formula [see text] We obtain numerical solutions for N, U, and D as a function of temperature for this model and derive profiles of excess specific heat (Cp) in terms of the reduced variables v/ki and k1/k3, where v is the scan rate. The three-state model reduces to the two-state reversible or irreversible models for very large or very small values of k1/k3, respectively. The apparent transition temperature (Tapp) is always reduced by the irreversible step (U-->D). For all values of k3, Tapp is independent of v/k1 at sufficiently slow scan rates, even when denaturation is highly irreversible, but increases identically for all models at fast scan rates in which case the excess specific heat profile is determined by the rate of unfolding. Accurate values of delta H and delta S can be obtained for the reversible step only when k1 is more than 2000-50,000 times greater than k3. In principle, approximate values for the ratio k1/k3 can be obtained from plots of fraction unfolded vs fraction irreversibly denatured as a function of temperature; however, the fraction irreversibly denatured is difficult to measure accurately by DSC alone.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1472510", "title": "Report on the expanded role nurse project.", "content": "Based on increasing patient acuity, shortage of adequately prepared nurses, universal funding cutbacks as well as reduction in the numbers of medical residents in Ontario, University Hospital in London embarked on a project to develop and expand the role of the nurse in 1988. Utilizing the project objectives as a framework, this paper summarizes the status after three years by describing the extent to which the objectives have been or are being met. Factors which support and factors which impede success are identified and plans for action are presented."}
{"id": "PMID:1472515", "title": "A six-center international study of treatment outcome in patients with clefts of the lip and palate: Part 1. Principles and study design.", "content": "This article describes the design of an intercenter comparative study of treatment outcome in the treatment of children with a unilateral complete cleft of the lip and palate. The rationale and aims of this study are defined and treatment schemes of the participating centers are described. The findings are presented in a series of three papers (Parts 2, 3, and 4) dealing with the comparison of craniofacial form, dental arch relationships, and nasolabial appearance. In Part 5, conclusions and general recommendations regarding future research are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1472511", "title": "The advanced nurse practitioner: common attributes.", "content": "Nurses practice at different levels of expertise regardless of education, specialty area and primary, secondary, or tertiary care setting; therefore, education, specialization and location of practice must not be the sole determinants of advanced nurse practitioners. Rather, it is the appropriate knowledge base combined with specific characteristics and behaviors which clearly set them apart from other practitioners in nursing. Through a review of relevant literature this article defines advanced practice, describes different roles assumed by the advanced nurse practitioner and identifies and discusses some of the attributes and behaviors which are evident in all advanced practitioners."}
{"id": "PMID:1472512", "title": "The transition process: joint responsibility of nurse educators and employers.", "content": "The transition between school and work is a time of critical development for the beginning practitioner. Have nurse neophytes been set up for failure by academics? Are seasoned practitioners and administrators \"eating our young\" in service settings? What must be done to prepare confident and competent beginning practitioners? What must be done to ensure a working environment that encourages and nurtures the development of young nurses? Results of a brief survey conducted to determine if Canadian university schools of nursing invite feedback about competencies of new graduates, and a review of literature published about the subject, reveal that there is a limited interface in evaluating competencies of new graduates between university schools of nursing and clinical practice agencies. This paper discusses common issues in evaluation of new baccalaureate graduates' performance from the perspective of educators and employers. This paper also discusses issues related to the evaluation of new graduates as they are documented in the literature, findings of the aforementioned survey, and implications of the findings for nurse administrators and nurse educators."}
{"id": "PMID:1472516", "title": "A six-center international study of treatment outcome in patients with clefts of the lip and palate: Part 2. Craniofacial form and soft tissue profile.", "content": "The craniofacial morphology and the soft tissue profile were evaluated in this part of the intercenter study of the European Cleft Lip and Palate Research Group. The sample was comprised of cephalometric x-rays of the full cohort of 151 cases from the six European cleft palate centers. The facial morphology in complete unilateral cleft lip and palate patients was evaluated by means of roentgen cephalometry. Approximately 25 consecutive cases from each of six European cleft palate centers were compared. Only one center showed notable and consistent differences from the others. A contributing factor for these differences may be an inconsistent treatment regimen with many surgeons involved. Analysis of the soft tissue profile between the centers showed more pronounced differences than analysis of the skeletal profile. The treatment outcome in centers with more complex or expensive programs was no better than those centers using simpler management approaches."}
{"id": "PMID:1472517", "title": "A six-center international study of treatment outcome in patients with clefts of the lip and palate: Part 3. Dental arch relationships.", "content": "One hundred and forty-nine dental casts of subjects with complete unilateral clefts of the lip and palate from six European cleft palate centers were assessed by means of the Goslon Yardstick. The Yardstick proved capable of discriminating between the quality of the dental arch relationships between the six centers. Two centers showed especially poor results. Three centers obtained satisfactory results although differing surgical techniques were used in these centers. One of the centers showing satisfactory dental arch relationships employed a more complex and expensive treatment program than the other two centers, which both used simpler centralized treatment regimens."}
{"id": "PMID:1472518", "title": "A six-center international study of treatment outcome in patients with clefts of the lip and palate: Part 4. Assessment of nasolabial appearance.", "content": "One hundred and fifteen frontal and profile photographs of the nasolabial area of subjects with complete unilateral clefts of the lip and palate from six European centers were assessed. Four components of the nasolabial area were rated separately by a panel of judges using a five-point scale of attractiveness. The Tukey multiple comparison test showed significant differences between the centers. The relative position of the six centers in this study followed a similar pattern to their respective positions in the cephalometric and dental cast studies."}
{"id": "PMID:1472513", "title": "Dealing with practical problems in nursing management.", "content": "Nursing supervisors hear certain complaints from nurses with unusual frequency. In this article, seven common complaints are presented, and an example demonstrating each complaint is described. The obvious and not-so-obvious reasons behind each complaint are analysed, and suggestions made for supervisory behaviour which will reduce the likelihood of such complaints. When nursing supervisors actively pursue good managerial practices, the frequency of complaints will decline, interpersonal relations will improve, and increased supervisory effectiveness will result."}
{"id": "PMID:1472519", "title": "A six-center international study of treatment outcome in patients with clefts of the lip and palate: Part 5. General discussion and conclusions.", "content": "Part 5 is the final part of a series of five articles reporting on an international, multicenter clinical audit of treatment outcome for complete UCLP. A number of recommendations for the methodology of future studies is made especially with respect to entry criteria, sample size, assumptions of homogeneity, and the reproducibility and validity of outcome measures. The findings of the present study regarding clinical procedures are presented tentatively, and improvement and extension of the methodology are required. It appears, however, that acceptable results can be achieved by different programs and ultimately clinical choices may be based on factors such as complexity, costs, and demands of treatment. Standardization, centralization, and the participation of high volume operators were associated with good outcomes, and nonstandardization and the participation of low volume operators with poor outcomes. Therapeutic factors associated with good outcomes were the employment of a vomer flap to close the anterior palate, and poor outcomes with primary bone grafting and with active presurgical orthopedics."}
{"id": "PMID:1472514", "title": "The development of the expanded role nurse: background and questions surrounding the project.", "content": "In January, 1988 University Hospital in London, Ontario began a project to develop an expanded role for nurses who had Masters preparation and advanced knowledge and expertise in a clinical specialty. The rationale which support the decision to implement the project and a discussion of some of the issues relevant to that decision, are presented. An overview of the project goals is also included. The strengths, weaknesses and outcomes which have been identified during the first three years are dealt with in \"Report on the Expanded Role Nurse Project\" also published in this issue of the journal."}
{"id": "PMID:1472520", "title": "Cephalometric analysis of maxillofacial morphology in unoperated cleft palate patients.", "content": "This study was designed to investigate maxillofacial morphology in adolescents and adults with unrepaired cleft palate, with or without cleft lip. Twenty-two Chinese patients with unilateral cleft lip and palate (the UCLP group), and 21 Chinese with cleft palate (the CP group) were cephalometrically evaluated and classified into the five ranges established from the means and standard deviations for matched normal Chinese populations. Many subjects in both UCLP and CP groups showed an intrinsic maxillary retrusion and a steeper mandible. The others had nearly normal maxillofacial morphology. The tendency for maxillary retrusion and a steeper mandible became increasingly remarkable with age. In the long axis of upper incisors in subjects with permanent dentition, there were no UCLP subjects with labial inclination, whereas three CP subjects exhibited labial inclination."}
{"id": "PMID:1472521", "title": "Trends in prosthodontic treatment of cleft palate patients at one institution: a twenty-one year review.", "content": "This 21-year retrospective study evaluated the trends observed in the prosthodontic treatment of 269 patients. The patients were divided into three groups. The speech aid group consisted of 203 patients and showed a significant decrease in numbers over time. The maxillary obturator group consisted of 24 patients and did not show a significant change. The infant feeding prosthesis group consisted of 42 patients and showed a significant increase in numbers. Possible reasons for the trends observed are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1472522", "title": "Pulmonary function of individuals with congenital cleft palate.", "content": "Ventilatory pulmonary function was investigated in 160 children and adults with repaired or unrepaired congenital cleft palate in comparison with 130 normal children and adults. Pulmonary function tests included measurement of lung volumes, of maximal voluntary ventilation (MVV) and of forced spirometry parameters: forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1), FEV1/FVC ratio and mean forced expiratory flow during the middle half of FVC (FEF25-75). Patients with cleft palate demonstrated significant differences from normal individuals in some of the measurements made. Functional alterations were observed at higher frequency among adult patients with unrepaired clefts and mainly consisted of a reduction in expiratory flows and MVV. However, the deviations observed were usually discrete and probably of low physiopathologic significance. The results permit us to conclude that, in contrast to data reported by others, subjects with congenital cleft palate have little impairment of pulmonary ventilatory function."}
{"id": "PMID:1472523", "title": "Phonetic and phonologic skills of two-year-olds with cleft palate.", "content": "This article examines the phonetic and phonologic skills of 2-year-olds with cleft palate. Fifteen children, 10 children with cleft palate and five noncleft children, participated in the study. The children with cleft palate all received palatal surgery after 12 months of age and after the onset of meaningful speech. All subjects were video and audiotaped while interacting with their mothers during unstructured play. At least one hundred different spontaneous word productions were phonetically transcribed and analyzed for (1) percent consonants correct, (2) phonologic processes, and (3) \"compensatory\" articulation patterns. A comparison between the groups indicated that although the children with cleft palate exhibited more errors overall, they were similar to their noncleft peers in their phonologic process usage with two exceptions. Additionally, few \"compensatory\" articulation errors were noted in the speech of these children."}
{"id": "PMID:1472524", "title": "Operating safely in an underdeveloped country.", "content": "The visiting surgical team doing cleft lip and cleft palate repair in an underdeveloped country may find long hours and adverse conditions. Some of the trips are undertaken for resident education. It is the responsibility of the expedition leader to implement safety precautions for protection of both the patients and the volunteers in the operative party as suggested in this article. Equipment maintenance and modified sterilization techniques are also described."}
{"id": "PMID:1472525", "title": "First-year mortality among infants with facial clefts.", "content": "Children born with a facial cleft are not thought to be at a greater risk for infant mortality than are those without congenital anomalies. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the presence of a facial cleft alone or its coexistence with other anomalies increases a child's risk for dying. Birth and death certificate data from Washington State for the years 1984 to 1988 were linked for infants who died before 1 year of age. Mortality rates for different types of facial clefts and for births without noted abnormalities were compared. Relative to infants with no diagnosed abnormalities noted in the birth certificate, infants with facial clefts without other abnormalities have a 3.7 fold increased odds for dying during their first year of life. This elevated risk for dying was fairly consistent during the first year of life. When facial clefts are associated with other abnormalities there is an 82.3 fold increase in odds for mortality during the first year of life. This elevated risk is highest during the neonatal period; 77% of all deaths occurred during the first 27 days. It is concluded that infants with facial clefts with or without associated anomalies have a significantly increased mortality risk when compared to infants without any diagnosed abnormalities at birth."}
{"id": "PMID:1472526", "title": "Craniofacial development in myotonic dystrophy.", "content": "Anthropometric, cephalometric, and dental data from 23 subjects (12 males and 11 females) afflicted with myotonic dystrophy were compared to similar data from normal subjects who participated in the Iowa Facial Growth Study. A two by two analysis of variance showed that myotonic subjects differed from normal subjects in headlength, head breadth, cephalic index, bizygomatic face width, nosebreadth, maxillary arch widths, palatal depth, anterior and posterior face heights, cranial base lengths, cranial base angles, and other cephalometric measures. Sex differences were observed for many of the variables. It is hoped that these findings will assist clinicians who treat patients having this disorder."}
{"id": "PMID:1472527", "title": "Microbiota associated with residual clefts and neighboring teeth in patients with cleft lip, alveolus, and palate.", "content": "Twenty patients with residual clefts or pronounced soft tissue grooves, treated for uni- or bilateral cleft lip, alveolus, and palate were included in this study. Ten patients were recalled for dental prophylaxis at regular intervals, 10 patients were not. One microbiologic sample was obtained from the cleft area and two samples from a tooth adjacent to the cleft (sites adjacent and distant to the cleft). Between the recall and the nonrecall group there were notable differences in the presence of anaerobic Gram-negative organisms. Fusobacterium spp., Prevotella melaninogenica, and P. intermedia were more often found in nonrecall patients. While rarely seen in recall patients, spirochetes and motile rods were a common feature of nonrecall patients. The putative periodontal pathogens Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans and Porphyromonas gingivalis were not detected in either group. The differences between the recall and the nonrecall groups were more pronounced when the respective samples from teeth were related to each other than when the samples obtained from the clefts were compared. The cleft flora was less complex irrespective of how good maintenance was and resembled the flora of teeth of well-maintained patients. Samples from clefts were never Wolinella positive, and harbored significantly less Capnocytophaga and Actinomyces viscosus than samples from dental sites."}
{"id": "PMID:1472528", "title": "Reproductive history of mothers of children with solitary, nonsyndromic cleft lip and/or palate.", "content": "The reproductive history was studied to evaluate if the three types of solitary, nonsyndromic clefts: cleft lip (CL), cleft lip and palate (CLP), and cleft palate (CP) are homogeneous entities. Occurrence of fetal loss, maternal health, and drug consumption of the mother during the pregnancy were compared in cases involving three types of clefts. Data was gathered from 87 children with clefts, 55 males and 32 females. Spontaneous abortions and vaginal bleeding were found to occur significantly more often in the (older) mother of a CLP child. This suggests that the factors involved in the etiology of CLP differ from the factors involved in CL and CP. Therefore, grouping of data of the three types of clefts in studies on the etiology should be avoided."}
{"id": "PMID:1472529", "title": "Growth comparison between children with cleft lip and/or palate and controls.", "content": "General growth from birth to 2.5 years of age of 45 children with a solitary, nonsyndromic cleft lip and/or palate (CL/P) was compared to that of 50 controls. Weight, height, and head circumference were studied in relation to possible influencing factors. Growth of children with CL/P was found to be similar, to a large extent, to that of the control sample, with the exception of growth measured by height. Whereas males in the control group are generally taller than females, the reverse is seen for the CL/P group. Feeding difficulties and intestinal disorders, airway infections, and cleft restoring operations do not account for differences among the groups with CL/P and the control group as was suggested in the literature. Feeding difficulties and intestinal disorders between 12 and 18 months of age and airway infections between 0 and 3 months of age were identified as having a negative influence on growth, measured by weight and height, though not on head circumference."}
{"id": "PMID:1472530", "title": "Cleft lip repair using intramuscular hydroxyzine sedation and local anesthesia.", "content": "Intramuscular hydroxyzine was used alone for sedation in 18 cleft lip repairs with patients under 6 weeks of age. After injection of local anesthesia, the infants were quiet throughout the procedure. Blood pressure, pulse, respiration, and temperatures were normal throughout and the oxygen saturation remained above 94% in all cases. There were no complications noted with this series of patients and no patient required conversion to general anesthesia. Intramuscular hydroxyzine combined with local anesthesia and nerve block has been found to be a safe and effective method for cleft lip repairs in selected neonates under 6 weeks of age."}
{"id": "PMID:1472531", "title": "Dental implants to rehabilitate a patient with an unrepaired complete cleft of the hard and soft palate: a clinical report.", "content": "Prosthetic rehabilitation of an edentulous adult with a complete residual cleft of his palates is presented. Lack of retention of his prosthesis made speech and eating difficult. Four osseointegrated dental implants were used to join the right and left maxillae and to provide mechanical retention for a complete overdenture obturator to improve function."}
{"id": "PMID:1472534", "title": "Isolation, partial amino acid sequence, and cellular distribution of heat-shock protein hsp98 from Neurospora crassa.", "content": "Hsp98 is one of the most prominent proteins synthesized during the heat-shock response of Neurospora crassa. We purified hsp98 and determined the amino acid sequence of two overlapping peptides obtained by cyanogen bromide cleavage. This 28 amino acid sequence from hsp98 has 75% homology with a region of the ClpB protein of Escherichia coli and 86% homology to a 96-kDa protein of Trypanosoma brucei. It also has 71% homology to hsp104 of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Hsp98 was enriched in the microsomal fraction of heat-shocked cells. Sucrose gradient analysis of this cellular fraction showed that the three major high molecular weight heat-shock proteins (hsp98, 83 and 67) were more concentrated in polyribosomes than in monoribosomes. Another newly synthesized protein, p28, was strongly enriched in monoribosomes. After dissociation of the polyribosomes into ribosomal subunits, the three major heat-shock proteins were shown to be localized preferentially in the large subunit. Whereas p28 was also strongly associated with the large ribosomal subunit, a newly synthesized protein of about 22 kDa was exclusively associated with the small subunit."}
{"id": "PMID:1472535", "title": "Alteration of cytochrome P-450 2C11-dependent testosterone metabolism in Gunn rat liver.", "content": "Cytochrome P-450 2C11 (CYP2C11) is the main isozyme present in adult male rat liver and specifically hydroxylates testosterone in positions 2 alpha and 16 alpha. In Gunn rats, this isozyme is recognized by the anti-CYP2C11 antibody but its activity towards testosterone is dramatically decreased. Moreover, peptide mapping, after digestion of microsomal fractions by V8 protease and probing with anti-CYP2C11 antibody, exhibit a pattern which differs from that obtained with Wistar rats. Taken together, data suggest that the protein sequence of CYP2C11 from the Gunn rat differs from that of the Wistar rat."}
{"id": "PMID:1472536", "title": "Plasminogen binding by alpha 2-antiplasmin and histidine-rich glycoprotein does not inhibit plasminogen activation at the surface of fibrin.", "content": "alpha 2-antiplasmin (alpha 2-AP) exerts its inhibitory effect on fibrinolysis by rapidly inhibiting the plasmin evolved; in addition, it has been suggested that interference with the binding of plasminogen to fibrin, a function shared with histidine-rich glycoprotein (HRGP), may also be significant in inhibition of fibrinolysis. To elucidate if plasminogen binding by these two alpha 2-globulins may decrease the generation of plasmin by tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) at the surface of fibrin, a system mimicking the fibrin/plasma interface was used. Attempts were made to differentiate the plasminogen binding from the plasmin inhibitory function of alpha 2-AP. The activation of human Glu-plasminogen (native plasminogen with NH2-terminal glutamic acid) by fibrin-bound t-PA was performed in a plasma environment using either normal plasma, alpha 2-AP- or HRGP-depleted plasmas supplemented with increasing amounts of the lacking protein, or in a reconstituted system with purified plasminogen and various concentrations of alpha 2-AP and HRGP. The activation of Glu-plasminogen in alpha 2-AP-depleted plasma containing a normal concentration of HRGP produced a time-dependent increase in the generation of plasmin. The addition of 1 microM-alpha 2-AP to this plasma prevented the formation of Lys-derivatives and produced a marked decrease (42%) in the number of plasminogen-binding sites. In contrast, the addition of 1.5 microM-HRGP to HRGP-depleted plasma containing a normal amount of alpha 2-AP produced only a modest (17%) decrease in the amount of plasmin(ogen) bound. Moreover, in a purified system the amount of plasminogen-binding sites and thereby of plasmin generated at the surface of fibrin in the presence of both alpha-2 globulins was similar to the amount generated in the presence of alpha 2-AP alone. These results indicate clearly that the formation of reversible complexes between plasminogen and alpha 2-AP does not interfere with the binding and activation of plasminogen at the fibrin surface. In contrast, the inhibition of plasmin by alpha 2-AP decreases importantly the number of plasminogen-binding sites (carboxyl-terminal lysines) and inhibits thereby the accelerated phase of fibrinolysis. It can be concluded that interference of the binding of plasminogen to fibrin by alpha 2-AP during plasminogen activation, does not play a significant role in inhibition of fibrinolysis, and that the plasminogen-binding effect of HRGP, if any, is obscured by the important inhibitory effect of alpha 2-AP."}
{"id": "PMID:1472537", "title": "Expression of a catalytically active human cytochrome P-4502E1 in Escherichia coli.", "content": "The cDNA coding for human cytochrome P-4502E1 has been expressed in Escherichia coli by placing it under the control of the isopropylthiogalactoside inducible trc promoter. Production of P4502E1 was demonstrated by immunoblots and by catalytic activity with dimethylnitrosamine as substrate. Modifications which favor expression in E. coli were made within the first seven codons. This resulted in approx. a 2- to 2.5-fold increase in P4502E1 isolated from the bacterial membranes as detected by immunoblots and catalytic activity. CO-reduced difference spectra of the modified P4502E1 revealed a peak at 452 nm, which is characteristic of hepatic P4502E1, and a molecular weight of 54 kDa. A partially purified preparation of recombinant P450 protein was active with dimethylnitrosamine, a substrate specific for this isozyme, when reconstituted with purified rat liver NADPH-cytochrome P-450 oxidoreductase. This activity was enhanced in the presence of cytochrome b5 and inhibited by the addition of antibody to the P4502E1 purified from pyrazole-treated rats. E. coli were capable of oxidizing p-nitrophenol when transformed with vector containing the human P4502E1 cDNA but not with vector alone. This in vivo metabolism of p-nitrophenol was increased 2-fold when the modified P4502E1 cDNA was used, which corresponds to the increase in P4502E1 content. Expression of human P4502E1 in E. coli appears to be an attractive system for producing large amounts of this isozyme, and for studies on the toxicological properties and structure-function relationship of the human P4502E1."}
{"id": "PMID:1472538", "title": "Renal excretion of pseudo-cross-linked human, porcine and bovine hemoglobins.", "content": "The present experiments were done to determine plasma retention, urinary excretion, and acute renal effects of bolus administration (20 mg/100 g), of hemoglobins (human, bovine and porcine) whose tetrameric structure was stabilized by a pseudo-cross-link between the beta-chains. Standard renal clearance studies showed that these preparations had no immediate adverse effects on GFR or ERPF, however, urine flow and electrolyte excretion commonly increased. Plasma disappearance curves best fit a double-exponential and showed components with half-times of 28 +/- 3 and 257 +/- 43 min. A variable fraction, 57 +/- 6%, appeared in the urine, in phase with the early-fast component of plasma disappearance. This in vivo finding of extensive urinary excretion conflicted with sedimentation velocity analysis of these preparations which indicated a homogenous preparation with mean molecular weight of a stable and therefore, unfilterable tetramer. It appears that the glomerular filter selects for permeant species not easily detected by sedimentation velocity analysis. The different species may reflect the presence, within the PXLs of conformational-slow-equilibria among isomeric forms with different degrees of filterability. It is important, useful and simple to determine urinary excretion as a means to ascertain molecular stability in vivo."}
{"id": "PMID:1472539", "title": "Turnover rates of different collagen types measured by isotope ratio mass spectrometry.", "content": "The rates of collagen turnover in different tissues have been estimated in growing rats previously exposed to gaseous 18O2. The abundance of the stable isotope was measured using isotope ratio mass spectrometry following combustion of isolated collagen-derived hydroxyproline. Using this method, problems of label reutilization associated with radiolabelling methods are avoided. In general the results confirm the slow turnover rates with half-lives of total collagen in skin, muscle and gut of 74, 45 and 244 d, respectively. The use of cyanogen bromide digests of whole tissues followed by isolation of collagen type-specific peptides has allowed the comparison of turnover rates of collagen types I and III, indicating that collagen type III is turned over more rapidly than type I."}
{"id": "PMID:1472540", "title": "Effect of thermodynamic water activity on amino-acid ester synthesis catalyzed by agarose-chymotrypsin in 3-pentanone.", "content": "Chymotrypsin linked to agarose beads by multi-point covalent attachment catalyzes synthesis of Ac-Trp-OEt in 3-pentanone even when the thermodynamic water activity (aw) of the system is reduced to as low as 0.4. If fully hydrated catalyst is added to the reaction mixture before removal of water, product is formed linearly once aw has stabilized. The initial rate is reduced from that if aw is kept close to 1 (0.47 mmol s-1 (kg enzyme)-1), to 50% (aw 0.9), 25% (aw 0.4) and < 1% (aw 0.25). The large drop between aw of 1 and 0.9 probably reflects the effects of water removal on the agarose gel structure. Catalyst partly dried (even only to aw 0.86) before adding to the organic phase is inactive. At reduced aw, the equilibrium (when reached) is shifted in favor of the ester, as expected."}
{"id": "PMID:1472541", "title": "Effects of 4-deoxy-L-threo-pentose, a novel carbohydrate, on neural cell proteoglycan synthesis and function.", "content": "A novel carbohydrate, 4-deoxy-L-threo-pentose (4-deoxyxylose), was synthesized by way of reductive dechlorination of a chlorodeoxy sugar. This carbohydrate, an analogue of xylose which is required for the initiation of glycosaminoglycan (GAG) synthesis, was used to explore the function of GAG side chains in neurite outgrowth on a laminin substrate. 4-Deoxyxylose inhibited the incorporation of 35SO4 into the GAGs of neuronal and astrocytic proteoglycans, with no effect being seen on the incorporation of [3H]glucosamine into proteoglycan. Direct analysis of the heparan sulphate fraction from such cells using nitrous acid digestion confirmed that the GAGs were undersulphated. No inhibition of either 35SO4 or [3H]glucosamine incorporation was observed in primary mouse hepatocytes exposed to 4-deoxyxylose. 4-Deoxyxylose produced a direct dose-dependent inhibition of neurite outgrowth by sensory neurons, and medium conditioned by neurons or astrocytes in the presence of 4-deoxyxylose displayed less laminin-complexed neurite-promoting activity than medium conditioned in its absence. These data suggest that 4-deoxyxylose inhibits neurite outgrowth by altering the sulphation of the GAGs of heparan sulphate proteoglycans."}
{"id": "PMID:1472542", "title": "Limited proteolysis of NADP-malate dehydrogenase from pea chloroplast by aminopeptidase K yields monomers. Evidence of proteolytic degradation of NADP-malate dehydrogenase during purification from pea.", "content": "NADP-malate dehydrogenase (L-malate: NADP oxidoreductase, EC 1.1.1.82) from leaves of Pisum sativum has been purified to homogeneity, as judged by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. In the crude leaf extract and in the absence of protease inhibitors in the isolation medium, the N-terminus of NADP-MDH was found to be highly susceptible to proteolysis. Evidence of proteolysis during purification includes observations of reduced subunit size on SDS-PAGE and reduced specific activity. Experiments were carried out to investigate the function of the N-terminal amino acid sequence extension of NADP-MDH. Limited proteolysis of highly active (600 units/mg protein) NADP-MDH using aminopeptidase K yielded catalytically active monomers of 34.7 kDa. The results support the conclusions that the N-terminal region is located at the surface of the protein, and that for maintenance of the native NADP-MDH dimer an N-terminal amino acid sequence is important."}
{"id": "PMID:1472543", "title": "Membrane-bound acetylcholinesterase: an early differentiation marker for skeletal myoblasts.", "content": "Cell-bound acetylcholinesterase (AChE) was found to be an early differentiation marker on embryonic chick skeletal myoblasts in mixed primary cell cultures. AChE biosynthesis was detected and characterized by (a) a sensitive microtiter assay, (b) use of selective inhibitors, and (c) with mono- and polyclonal antibodies. Both secreted and cell-bound AChE appeared on the first day in culture, at a time when no muscle cell fusion was observed. Characterization of this enzyme revealed that true AChE was bound and secreted by myoblasts. BW284c51, which permeates cell membranes poorly, inhibited all the cell-associated AChE activity on myoblasts, suggesting that the activity measured was on the outer cell surface. On the other hand, fibroblasts appeared to have no or very little bound enzyme and the low level of secreted enzyme activity had the characteristics of pseudo-, or butyrylcholinesterase. Polyclonal anti-Torpedo californica electroplax AChE antibody and several monoclonal antibodies were found to bind specifically to chick myoblasts. Since the cells had not been made permeable before antibody binding, a membrane-bound form of the enzyme was most likely being detected. The cell-bound true AChE was present in identifiable quantities from the first day of culture. Membrane-bound AChE can thus serve as an early differentiation marker for embryonic chick myoblasts in mixed primary cultures."}
{"id": "PMID:1472544", "title": "Factors affecting the manganese and iron activation of the phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase isozymes from rabbit.", "content": "Timed assays in which GTP and GDP were separated and quantitated by HPLC were developed and used to study the metal activation of the mitochondrial and cytosolic isozymes of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase purified from rabbit liver. These assays allowed both directions of catalysis to be studied under similar conditions and in the absence of coupling enzymes. The mitochondrial enzyme is rapidly inactivated by preincubation with Fe2+, as had been shown previously for the cytosolic isozyme. The greatest activation by Fe2+ was obtained by adding micromolar Fe2+ immediately after enzyme to form the complete assay mixture that also contained millimolar Mg2+. In the direction of synthesis of OAA from Pep, the K0.5 values for Mn2+ and Fe2+ were in the 3-7 microM range when a nonchelating buffer, Hepes, was used. The buffer used strongly affected activation by Fe2+ at pH 7.4; activation was eliminated in the case of phosphate and K0.5 increased several-fold over that obtained with Hepes when imidazole was used. In non-chelating buffer, the pH optimum was near 7.4 for both isozymes and for both directions of catalysis. However, the near optimal pH range extended below 7.4 for the direction of oxaloacetate synthesis while the range was above 7.4 for Pep synthesis. In the direction of oxaloacetate synthesis: (1) Both isozymes required the presence of micromolar Mn2+ or Fe2+ in addition to millimolar Mg2+ in order to shown significant activity. (2) Fe2+ was as effective an activator as Mn2+ at pH 7 and below. In the direction of Pep synthesis: (1) Micromolar Mn2+ was a much better activator than Fe2+ at the higher pH values needed for optimal activity in this direction. (2) With increasing pH, decreasing activation was obtained with Fe2+ while the activity supported by Mg2+ alone increased. The results demonstrate the potential for regulation of either isozyme of Pep carboxykinase by the availability of iron or manganese."}
{"id": "PMID:1472545", "title": "Structural requirements for duodenal permeability of heparin-diamine complexes.", "content": "We have compared the physico-chemical behaviors alone and in the presence of a synthetic bilayer membrane, in aqueous solution and the bioavailability after intraduodenal administration to rabbits, of the two heparin diamine salts ITF-300 and ITF-331 with those of the heparin-amine salt ITF-1175. The three salts have similar structures but different characteristics of compounds tend to form aggregates in solution, but at different critical concentrations. The compounds induce fusion of single-walled vesicles of a synthetic peptide lipid into multi-walled lamellae. The minimal concentrations of the compounds required for the formation of such lamellae differ. This behavior in solution explains the differences in absorption in the animal model. This makes it possible to correlate enhanced heparin bioavailability with the structural nature of the diamine counter-ions used to prepare heparin salts."}
{"id": "PMID:1472546", "title": "Renal and hepatic output of glutathione in plasma and whole blood.", "content": "Measurement of glutathione (GSH) output by the rat kidney and liver demonstrated a substantial net release into red cells across both tissues. The results suggest important roles for kidney and liver in the maintenance of GSH concentrations in red cells and a significant role for the red cell in the interorgan transport of GSH."}
{"id": "PMID:1472553", "title": "Endobronchial brachytherapy.", "content": "Endobronchial brachytherapy is a palliative treatment primarily used for individuals with lung cancer. This article describes the brachytherapy and presents the nurse's role before, during, and after the procedure. Coordination between hospital staff--endoscopy department, pulmonologist, radiation oncologist, and radiology department--is important to assure the success of this procedure."}
{"id": "PMID:1472547", "title": "The control of erythropoiesis (Romanian contributions).", "content": "The main contributions of a Romanian team, headed by I. Baciu, in the field of the control of erythropoiesis are presented. The role of the central nervous system in the regulation of erythrocytes production and the identification of chemoreceptors sensitive to hypoxia in the central nervous system are disclosed. The studies concerning the secretion and the effects of erythropoietin are also emphasized. The paper provided references to the recent data concerning the structure of erythropoietin, the membrane receptors, the metabolism and the practical applications of the hormone."}
{"id": "PMID:1472554", "title": "Human responses to colonoscopy.", "content": "Registered nurses must not only anticipate the usual responses that a patient may experience during colonoscopy but also must be able to predict and prevent atypical responses. Normal healthy compensation (physiologic) and decompensation (pathophysiologic) responses as well as observable and measurable patient behaviors are included in a comprehensive assessment. In developing a plan of care, nurses must also consider the patient's past experiences, knowledge, and usual coping mechanisms. Professional nurses are responsible and accountable for diagnosing and treating human responses to actual or potential health problems. A human response framework emphasizes the multiple perspectives in which humans adapt to health and illness. This framework provides a model to clarify what constitutes a human response."}
{"id": "PMID:1472555", "title": "Anorectal manometry.", "content": "Anorectal manometry is used in the treatment of complex anorectal disorders, such as fecal incontinence and intractable constipation. In a 3-year period at one institution 308 anorectal manometries were performed. A total of 168 procedures were performed for complaints of fecal incontinence, 77 for constipation, and the remainder for a variety of anorectal disorders. Anorectal manometry in those under 20 years of age was performed most often to differentiate Hirschsprung disease from functional constipation, as well as to provide a differential diagnosis related to congenital anorectal anomalies. In patients between the ages of 21 and 40 years, evaluation of fecal incontinence (especially obstetrical injuries) was most significant. Fecal incontinence accounted for twice the number of anorectal manometries for those between the ages of 41 and 60. For those over 60 years of age, the majority of anorectal manometries were done for fecal incontinence rather than for constipation (nearly a 4:1 ratio). Anorectal manometry is a valuable physiologic adjunct in the evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment of organic and functional disorders of the anorectum."}
{"id": "PMID:1472550", "title": "The role of platelets and leukocytes in coagulation and fibrinolysis.", "content": "After briefly reviewing the literature concerning the role of leukocytes and platelets in coagulation and fibrinolysis, the authors present their own results on the effect of intact platelets and of platelet releasate on tissue plasminogen activator-induced lysis of plasma clots. At a final concentration of 7 IU/ml of tissue plasminogen activator in the clotted mixture, a suspension of intact platelets (110 x 10(6)/ml in final concentration) produced an acceleration of clot lysis, while the thrombin-induced platelet releasate obtained from the same platelet suspension caused an obvious inhibition of fibrinolysis. The respective mean lysis times obtained in 7 experiments were 91 min +/- 7.76 (mean +/- SEM) for the control clots, 65 min +/- 5.8 for the clots containing platelets and 114 min +/- 11.5 for the clots including platelet releasate. The statistical significance versus controls, calculated by paired difference analysis was p < 0.002 and p < 0.001, respectively. The results suggest that in the context of a potent activation of fibrinolysis the platelet surface would enhance the process by favouring the interaction between plasminogen and its activator, while the platelet releasate rich inhibitors would increase the resistance to lysis of the plasma clot."}
{"id": "PMID:1472556", "title": "Clinical pharmacology of commonly used drugs in GI practice. Part I.", "content": "Understanding the mechanism of action of pharmacologic agents allows the practitioner to rationally use them. This two-part review of clinical pharmacology attempts to address the chemical nature and action of drugs commonly used in gastrointestinal practice. Part I reviews agents used in the endoscopy laboratory for premedication and prophylaxis for infection. Part II will review the pharmacology of agents used in the daily practice of gastroenterology including antacids, H2 and proton pump blockers, cytoprotection agents, pancreatic enzymes, drugs for dissolution of gallstones, prokinetic agents, antiinflammatory agents for inflammatory bowel disease, and drugs for symptomatic treatment of functional bowel complaints."}
{"id": "PMID:1472551", "title": "Psychoneuroimmunology.", "content": "The recent findings on the close relation between the nervous and immune systems have led to the developing of a new interdisciplinary field: psychoneuroimmunology. This review outlines the topic of the research, the limits and the future trends of psychoneuroimmunology, emphasizing the reciprocal relationship between biological and psychological processes."}
{"id": "PMID:1472557", "title": "Sandostatin (octreotide acetate).", "content": "Sandostatin is an antineoplastic drug used to control diarrhea and improve hypokalema in patients with metastatic carcinoid tumors and vasoactive intestinal peptide-secreting tumors. Sandostatin has been used to treat life-threatening hypotension and acromegaly. Sandostatin has also been used after endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography to reduce the motility of the pancreas. Generally side effects of Sandostatin are rare and medically manageable when recognized. Chronic therapy with Sandostatin warrants monitoring of serum electrolyte and blood glucose levels. Baseline thyroid studies should be investigated prior to therapy and monitored throughout therapy. Sandostatin may alter fat absorption and gallbladder function; therefore, monitoring of appropriate laboratory values and ultrasonography studies may also be indicated."}
{"id": "PMID:1472552", "title": "The role of nervous mechanisms in the immune response.", "content": "This review presents the results of experimental researches performed in the last decades by Cluj-Napoca physiologists, concerning the role of hypothalamic nervous centers in the triggering of the nonspecific (phagocytic reaction) and specific (primary and secondary) immune response. The following methods aiming to explore the involvement of the hypothalamic vegetative nervous centers have been applied: section of the spinal cord, somatoencephalic humoral isolation with preservation of spinal cord, stimulation or lesions under stereotaxic control of some hypothalamic areas, conditioned reflexes, electroconvulsant shocks. The results show that nervous centers from the tuberal area and from the posterior hypothalamus are involved in the regulation and integration of the immune response considered as a homeostatic function, in connexion with a preoptic, anterior and lateral hypothalamic area, with a receptive function to antigens and their endogenous products. The activation of phagocytosis (phagocytic response) can be elicited in dogs by electrical stimulation of the tuberal area and inhibited by section of the spinal cord, or by barbiturates. The specific immune response is moderately neuromodulated for antigens, as heterospecific red cells and more intensely for Salmonella and especially for the influenza virus. These results could allow an integration of other analytical data of cellular and molecular biology of immunity wider functional concept."}
{"id": "PMID:1472558", "title": "Pancreatitis in children.", "content": "The pathophysiology of pancreatic autodigestion is poorly understood. Pancreatitis affects all age groups, and the diagnosis is sometimes missed when serum amylase and lipase activities are not measured in the child with abdominal pain. Acute pancreatitis in children has become a more commonly seen condition and the causes have varied. Laboratory and radiological studies play an important role in determining the diagnosis and prognosis. Family history is important in the diagnosis of idiopathic hereditary pancreatitis. Most acute episodes resolve with supportive care, but the mortality in acute pancreatitis is currently about 15% (Hadorn et al., 1980). Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography or an endoscopic retrograde pancreatogram may be necessary to investigate relapses of pancreatitis. Chronic pancreatitis can be a life-threatening condition requiring lifetime medical management."}
{"id": "PMID:1472562", "title": "[A new method of global search for functional DNA segments using a fractal representation of nucleotide texts].", "content": "New global method for computer prediction of functional sites in nucleotide sequences, based on the fractal representation, is presented. Fractal representation of set of sequences (FRS) provides simple way for generating recognitions matrix of functionally similar sequences and simple estimations of its efficiency for searching homologous regions in new sequences. Other advantages of the method are absence of the necessity of sequences alignment during generating based set and searching new homologous regions and small CPU time. Usage of the method illustrated for searching globin and histone genes, for ALU repeats in human genome and long terminal repeats in virus genome."}
{"id": "PMID:1472563", "title": "[Heat capacity of DNA in native and denatured states].", "content": "Heat capacity of DNA in native and denatured states was estimated by the method of microcalorimetry. This value was shown to depend on the transition temperature and is determined by an increase of the number of oscillative freedom degrees of the polynucleotide chains in the state of statistical coils, and by hydrophobic effects and by \"the melting of water ridge\" located in native DNA in the B-form."}
{"id": "PMID:1472564", "title": "[Study of the conformational properties of C-terminal fragments of histones H1, H5, and beta-endorphin by circular dichroism].", "content": "Circular dichroism technique has been used for investigating the conformation of histone H1 and H5 C-terminal fragments and beta-endorphin. It has been shown that in aqueous solution these polypeptides adopt preferably the left-handed helical conformation of the poly-L-proline II type. The linear temperature dependence of the CD value during solution heating was found to be broken in the temperature interval between 50 and 55 degrees C. It was supposed to occur due to the conformation destruction."}
{"id": "PMID:1472565", "title": "[Symmetry of single-stranded DNA molecules].", "content": "A system of so-called coloured symmetry transformations is introduced, in the basis of which all possible symmetry groups of a single strand DNA molecule taken as a genetic text are derived. A strict description of functionally important symmetrical sites, such as palindromes, complementary palindromes, direct repeats is given in terms of the group theory. Possible role of symmetrical fragments in genome is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1472566", "title": "[Conservativeness of residues in nonpolar nuclei of microbial ribonucleases].", "content": "We present the application of a new method for analysis of nonpolar structure of proteins. A detailed analysis of the composition and properties of nonpolar nuclei and microclusters of microbial ribonucleases with known sequence have been carried out on the basis of 3D-structure of RNase Pbi and that of RNase Ti. It has been shown that all residues in nonpolar nuclei have high homology, about 95% for proteins with an identical scheme of S-S bridges and about 75% for nonidentical scheme of S-S bridges. The stability of nonpolar nuclei, conservation of their composition and their position in the protein globule allows one to assume that they play an important functional role in protein structure and possibly can be considered as independent structural elements of 3D-structure of a protein."}
{"id": "PMID:1472572", "title": "From basis functions to basis fields: vector field approximation from sparse data.", "content": "Recent investigations (Poggio and Girosi 1990b) have pointed out the equivalence between a wide class of learning problems and the reconstruction of a real-valued function from a sparse set of data. However, in order to process sensory information and to generate purposeful actions living organisms must deal not only with real-valued functions but also with vector-valued mappings. Examples of such vector-valued mappings range from the optical flow fields associated with visual motion to the fields of mechanical forces produced by neuromuscular activation. In this paper, I discuss the issue of vector-field processing from a broad computational perspective. A variety of vector patterns can be efficiently represented by a combination of linearly independent vector fields that I call \"basis fields\". Basis fields offer in some cases a better alternative to treating each component of a vector as an independent scalar entity. In spite of its apparent simplicity, such a component-based representation is bound to change with any change of coordinates. In contrast, vector-valued primitives such as basis fields generate vector field representations that are invariant under coordinate transformations."}
{"id": "PMID:1472568", "title": "[Kinetics of electron transfer in macromolecules].", "content": "With the help of retarded double-time Green function technique a method of estimation of electron transfer rate in protein macromolecules has been developed. Possible experimental test is suggested."}
{"id": "PMID:1472567", "title": "[Features of the effect of ammonium ion on the enzymatic activity of myosin and subfragment-1].", "content": "The kinetic isotope effect of hydrolysis of ATP by myosin subfragment-I in the presence of K+, NH4+, Rb+ was measured. VH/VD was found to be 1.8; 1.3; 2.0, respectively. According to the thermodynamic isotope effect induced by hydration, the kinetic isotope effect must increase with the increase of cation size from K+ to Rb+. The size of ammonium ions is the intermediate between K+ and Rb+, but the observed isotope effect in the presence of ammonium is much lower than in the presence of K+ and Rb+. The results suggest that monovalent cations occur near the active center of the enzyme and contribute to some extent to the hydrolysis reaction but the specificity of ammonium ions seems not to be due to its ideal steric accordance. The obtained results support the viewpoint that NH4+ ions as donor of protons participate in the chemical stage of ATP hydrolysis by subfragment-I."}
{"id": "PMID:1472573", "title": "Vector field approximation: a computational paradigm for motor control and learning.", "content": "Recent experiments in the spinalized frog (Bizzi et al. 1991) have shown that focal microstimulation of a site in the premotor layers in the lumbar grey matter of the spinal cord results in a field of forces acting on the frog's ankle and converging to a single equilibrium position. These experiments suggested that the neural circuits in the spinal cord are organized in a set of control modules that \"store\" a few limb postures in the form of convergent force fields acting on the limb's end-point. Here, we investigate how such postural modules can be combined by the central nervous system for generating and representing a wider repertoire of control patterns. Our work is related to some recent investigations by Poggio and Girosi (1990a, b) who have proposed to represent the task of learning scalar maps as a problem of surface approximation. Consistent both with this view and with our experimental findings in the spinal frog, we regard the issue of generating motor repertoires as a problem of vector-field approximation. To this end, we characterize the output of a control module as a \"basis field\" (Mussa-Ivaldi 1992), that is as the vectorial equivalent of a basis function. Our theoretical findings indicate that by combining basis fields, the central nervous system may achieve a number of goals such as (1) the generation of a wide repertoire of control patterns and (2) the representation of these control patterns with a set of coefficients that are invariant under coordinate transformations."}
{"id": "PMID:1472570", "title": "[Inhibition of mitochondrial ATP-synthetase by redox-agents].", "content": "Effects of phenol and phenothiazine on ATP synthesis and electron transport in submitochondrial particles were studied. Nitrophenols and phenothiazines inhibited ATP synthesis without notable effect on electron transport. On the contrary chlorphenols equally decreased the velocities of electron transport and ATP synthesis. The inhibitors studied showed the properties of electron acceptors in relation to the radicals, their acceptor properties corresponding to their ability to inhibit ATP synthesis."}
{"id": "PMID:1472574", "title": "Dynamic characteristics of the auditory cortex of guinea pigs observed with multichannel optical recording.", "content": "The spatiotemporal characteristics of neural activity in the guinea pig auditory cortex are investigated to determine their importance in neural processing and coding of the complex sounds. A multi-channel optical recording system has been developed for observing the cortical field of the mammalian brain in vivo. Using the voltage-sensitive dye: RH795, optical imaging was used to visualize neural activity in the guinea pig auditory cortex. Experimental results reveal a boomerang-shaped pattern of movement of activated neural cell regions for the evoked response to click as complex sounds. Parallel and sequential neural processing structure was observed. Although the exact frequency selectivities of single cells and tonotopical organization observed using microelectrode were not visible, the similar feature to the microelectrode evidences was imaged by extracting the strongly response field from the optical data."}
{"id": "PMID:1472575", "title": "Two-dimensional coding of linear acceleration and the angular velocity sensitivity of the otolith system.", "content": "There exist otolith-sensitive vestibular nuclei neurons with spatio-temporal properties that can be described by two response vectors that are in temporal and spatial quadrature. These neurons respond to the component of a stimulus vector on a plane rather than a single axis. It is demonstrated here that these \"two-dimensional\" linear accelerometer neurons can function as one-dimensional angular velocity detectors. The two-dimensional property in both space and time allows these neurons to encode the component of the stimulus angular velocity vector that is normal to the plane defined by the two response vectors. The angular velocity vector in space can then be reconstructed by three populations of such neurons having linearly independent response planes. Thus, we propose that these two-dimensional spatio-temporal linear accelerometer neurons, in addition to participating in functions of the otolith system that are based on detection of linear acceleration, are also involved in the generation of compensatory ocular responses during off-vertical axis rotations."}
{"id": "PMID:1472571", "title": "[Analysis of the reasons and mechanisms determining the occurrence of individual development in animals, beginning from the zygote (role of the cytoskeleton)].", "content": "Results of studies are presented revealing the role of motor activity (the energetic rule of skeletal muscles) as a factor determining the beginning of initiation of the organism individual development from the moment of zygote formation. The blockage of the cytoskeleton function (cytochalasin B, verapamil) was shown to result in the arrest of individual development and death of embryos. Mechanisms and causes of ambiguous action of these compounds are analysed. A biphasic pattern of the reaction of embryo cells is established. During the first short phase the function of microfilaments located near the membrane is blocked and further development of embryos is stopped. During the second, later and longer phase the function of cytoplasm microfilaments is blocked. The existing concepts as to the causes determining the individual development are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1472576", "title": "Detection of rotating gravity signals.", "content": "It is shown in the preceding paper that neurons with two-dimensional spatio-temporal properties to linear acceleration behave like one-dimensional rate sensors: they encode the component of angular velocity (associated with a rotating linear acceleration vector) that is normal to their response plane. During off-vertical axis rotation (OVAR) otolith-sensitive neurons are activated by the gravity vector as it rotates relative to the head. Unlike \"one-dimensional\" linear accelerometer neurons which exhibit equal response magnitudes for both directions of rotation, \"two-dimensional\" neurons can be shown to respond with unequal magnitudes to clockwise and counterclockwise off-vertical axis rotations. The magnitudes of the sinusoidal responses of these neurons is not only directionally selective but also proportional to rotational velocity. Thus, responses from such \"two-dimensional\" neurons may represent the first step in the computations necessary to generate the steady-state eye velocity during OVAR. An additional step involving a nonlinear operation is necessary to transform the sinusoidally modulated output of these neurons into a signal proportional to sustained eye velocity. Similarly to models of motion detection in the visual system, this transformation is proposed to be achieved through neuronal operations involving mathematical multiplication followed by a leaky integration by the velocity storage mechanism. The proposed model for the generation of maintained eye velocity during OVAR is based on anatomical and physiological properties of vestibular nuclei neurons and capable of predicting the experimentally observed steady-state characteristics of the eye velocity."}
{"id": "PMID:1472577", "title": "Modeling the dishabituation hierarchy: the role of the primordial hippocampus.", "content": "We present a neural model for the organization and neural dynamics of the medial pallium, the toad's homolog of mammalian hippocampus. A neural mechanism, called cumulative shrinking, is proposed for mapping temporal responses from the anterior thalamus into a form of population coding referenced by spatial positions. Synaptic plasticity is modeled as an interaction of two dynamic processes which simulates acquisition and both short-term and long-term forgetting. The structure of the medial pallium model plus the plasticity model allows us to provide an account of the neural mechanisms of habituation and dishabituation. Computer simulations demonstrate a remarkable match between the model performance and the original experimental data on which the dishabituation hierarchy was based. A set of model predictions is presented, concerning mechanisms of habituation and cellular organization of the medial pallium."}
{"id": "PMID:1472578", "title": "Human control of a simple two-hand grasp.", "content": "We investigated how people control fast, accurate movements of a load using a simple two-hand grasp. By providing a clear instruction to several subjects, we isolated a single control strategy. The kinematics produced by this control strategy are nearly indistinguishable from those produced during singlehand movements, but the torques are quite different: one hand accelerates not only itself, but also the load and the other hand, while the other hand brakes the hand-load-hand system. As a result, the hands squeeze the load with a large force during the movement. The dynamics of the hand-load-hand system are of the same form as the dynamics of a single-hand system. Apparently, by taking advantage of this dynamic similarity and of the spring-like properties of muscle, the human motor control system can control the two-hand grasp system simply by modifying the muscle activation patterns used to control single-hand movements. The task dynamics of two-hand grasp do not require that the load be squeezed during the movement, and squeezing the load wastes torque that could be used to move more quickly. However, the human motor control system may choose this squeezing strategy because it reliably brakes the hand-load-hand system despite inherent variability in the braking of individual hands."}
{"id": "PMID:1472579", "title": "Effect of vitamin K on neonatal erythrocytes.", "content": "This study investigated the possible oxidative effect of vitamin K3 (menadione) and Vitamin K1 (Konakion) on neonatal erythrocytes by controlled in vitro exposure. Menadione caused only mild morphological changes and did not decrease ATP levels. However, it oxidized intracellular hemoglobin to methemoglobin in neonatal cells more than in adult cells. Reduced glutathione contents were higher in neonatal cells, but less available for antioxidant protection. Konakion did not increase methemoglobin levels in newborn infants after a prophylactic injection. In vitro exposure to Konakion did not affect reduced glutathione and ATP levels, nor did it oxidize hemoglobin. However, extensive morphological changes were observed, attributed to the effect of its solvent. Therefore, it seems that menadione, which is no longer administered to newborns, causes oxidative stress in neonatal cells whereas Konakion, the current vitamin K1, does not, either in in vitro studies or by therapeutic administration."}
{"id": "PMID:1472580", "title": "Sialic acid level in maternal and neonatal lymphocytes and sera correlated to birth order and sex of the neonate.", "content": "Sialic acid (N-acetylneuraminic acid) was determined 1 h after normal term deliveries on peripheral blood lymphocytes from 42 mother-neonate pairs and in 29 maternal and neonatal sera. Results were evaluated according to maternal parity and sex of the neonate. The cases were divided into two groups: primiparae, and secundi- and multiparae. In primiparae the sialic acid level on lymphocytes from male neonates and from their mothers was by 23-30% decreased as compared to female neonatal and maternal cells. In the higher parity group, a significantly increased sialic acid level was found on lymphocytes from male as compared to female neonates, and maternal serum sialic acid concentration, unrelated to the newborns' sex, was by 17-20% increased as compared to primiparae. The results suggest that with increasing parity higher levels of sialic acid on male neonatal cells may possibly contribute to mask fetal male-specific histocompatibility antigens. Increased sialic acid levels in maternal sera from secundi- and multiparae suggest its possible contribution to an increased serum blocking effect."}
{"id": "PMID:1472581", "title": "In vivo activated cord blood lymphocytes express high affinity interleukin-2 receptor: evaluation of their responsiveness to in vitro stimulation with recombinant interleukin-2.", "content": "We report the phenotypical and functional characterization of a cord blood mononuclear lymphocyte subset (CBMC) which expresses the p55 chain of interleukin-2 receptor (IL-2R, CD25). The great majority of CD25-positive CBMC are activated CD3-positive T lymphocytes in that most of them are HLA-DR-positive, coexpress both CD4 and CD8 antigens and at least a part of them display high affinity IL-2R. In keeping with the expression of both chains of IL-2R (p55 and p75), enriched CD25-positive CBMC are able to display strong IL-2-induced proliferation and lymphokine-activated killing activity. The percentage of CD25-positive cells is higher in cord blood than in adult peripheral blood and their presence could be peculiarly important in the neonatal period, when specific T-cell-mediated immune responses are still on their way to full maturation."}
{"id": "PMID:1472582", "title": "Development changes of polyamine biosynthesis in rat liver.", "content": "To investigate the role of polyamine metabolism in fetal development, we determined the hepatic polyamine content and the activity of enzymes related to polyamine metabolism in fetal, newborn and adult rats. In the fetuses, spermidine was detected at the highest level, followed by spermine and then putrescine. Putrescine and spermidine levels were higher in the fetuses than in adult rats, while the spermine level was significantly lower in the fetuses. The activities of the enzymes investigated were also higher in the fetuses than in adult rats. These findings indicate that polyamine synthesis was enhanced in the fetal liver, and that degradation of spermidine via spermidine N1-acetyltransferase contributes to the increase in putrescine levels. Thus, our study suggests that an increase in putrescine is important for fetal growth and that putrescine per se has a significant role in fetal cellular proliferation."}
{"id": "PMID:1472583", "title": "Transfer of bilirubin covalently bound to 125I-albumin from blood to brain in the Gunn rat newborn.", "content": "Transfer of bilirubin covalently bound to albumin (Alb.B) from blood into brain was examined in Gunn rats at postnatal day 3, 7, 14, 28 or 70. The ratio of the 125I-Alb.B concentration in the brain to that in the plasma 2 h after the injection (RAB) was used as a criterion for Alb.B transfer. RAB in brain decreased with age until day 28. Significant correlations were indicated between 125I-Alb.B plasma levels and those in the brain at days 7 and 14, but not at day 28. These results suggested that 125I-Alb.B could transfer from the blood to the brain until day 14. Comparison of the relative amount of radioactivity accumulated in the brain by a 125I-Alb.B injection with that of 125I-albumin alone revealed higher radioactivity in the former than the latter only at day 14, suggesting a transient appearance of particular cellular elements with high affinity to bilirubin in the developmental stage of the brain."}
{"id": "PMID:1472585", "title": "Surface properties of mussel adhesive protein component films.", "content": "Mussel adhesive protein (MAP) is the adhesive agent used by the blue sea mussel (Mytilus edulis) to attach the animal to various underwater surfaces. It is composed of 75-->85 repeating decameric units with the reported primary sequence NH2-A(1)-K(2)-P(3)-S(4)-Y(5)-Hyp(6)-Hyp(7)-T(8)-DOPA(9)-K(10)-COOH. This study identifies and compares the surface properties of the decameric unit, selected fragments and individual amino acid constituents with the complete MAP preparation. These molecular systems were examined: (a) in the solid state as thin films formed on germanium substrata using multiple-attenuated-internal-reflectance infrared (MAIR-IR) spectroscopy, ellipsometry and contact angle analysis; and (b) in the solution state using circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy. Extensive molecular modelling of the decamer was performed making integral use of the experimentally derived data. These cumulative semi-empirical and empirical results suggest a conformation for the decamer that closely associates the L-DOPA and tyrosine residues with the solid substratum. This model provides the first representation of MAP derived from a rational integration of theoretical and experimental data. On the basis of this model, a possible explanation for the bioadhesive properties of MAP is suggested."}
{"id": "PMID:1472586", "title": "Long-term histopathological study of new polypeptidic biomaterials.", "content": "The long-term histopathological evaluation of a new class of synthetic polypeptides, the poly(tert-butyloxycarbonylmethyl glutamates), as implantable drug delivery systems is addressed. This evaluation was performed in rat muscles over one year. The histological analysis included the measurement of many parameters, such as the type and thickness of the collagen capsule. The influence of the presence of progesterone, the selected active drug, could also be monitored over time."}
{"id": "PMID:1472587", "title": "Mechanical properties of biodegradable ligament augmentation device of poly(L-lactide) in vitro and in vivo.", "content": "To evaluate the mechanical properties of absorbable braided poly(L-lactide) (PLLA) fibre implants, 2.0 and 3.2 mm in diameter, maximum load defined as tensile load carrying capacity, elongation and axial rigidity were investigated after immersion in phosphate-buffered distilled water at 37 degrees C and pH 6.1 and after subcutaneous implantation in rabbit. The results confirm earlier indications that PLLA degrades faster in vivo than in vitro. The non-sterilized 2.0 mm implants lost 69% of initial tensile load carrying capacity in 46 wk in vitro. In vivo the loss of tensile load carrying capacity of the 2.0 and 3.2 mm implants was most marked between 6 to 12 wk. After 48 wk in vivo 2.0 and 3.2 mm implants retained 3 and 4% of initial tensile load carrying capacity respectively. Both in vitro and in vivo, elongation diminished in the same way as the maximum load. In vitro, mean axial rigidity of unsterilized 2.0 mm implants was 64 N during the first 34 wk but fell to 31 N at 46 wk. In vivo the initial mean axial rigidity of the 2.0 and 3.2 mm implants was 29 and 95 N respectively. At 24 wk the mean axial rigidity was 2 N in both implants."}
{"id": "PMID:1472588", "title": "Secondary cytotoxicity of cross-linked dermal sheep collagens during repeated exposure to human fibroblasts.", "content": "We investigated commercially available dermal sheep collagen either cross-linked with hexamethylenediisocyanate, or cross-linked with glutaraldehyde. In previous in vitro studies we could discriminate primary, i.e. extractable, and secondary cytotoxicity, due to cell-biomaterial interactions, i.e. enzymatic actions. To develop dermal sheep collagen for clinical applications, we focused in this study on the release, e.g. elimination, of secondary cytotoxicity over time. We used the universal 7 d methylcellulose cell culture with human skin fibroblasts as a test system. Hexamethylenediisocyanate-cross-linked dermal sheep collagen and glutaraldehyde-cross-linked dermal sheep collagen were tested, with intervals of 6 d, over a culture period of 42 d. With hexamethylenediisocyanate-cross-linked dermal sheep collagen, cytotoxicity, i.e. cell growth inhibition and deviant cell morphology, was eliminated after 18 d of exposure. When testing glutaraldehyde-cross-linked dermal sheep collagen, the bulk of cytotoxic products was released after 6 d, but a continuous low secondary cytotoxicity was measured up to 42 d. As a control, non-cross-linked dermal-sheep collagen was tested over a period of 36 d, but no secondary cytotoxic effects were observed. The differences in release of secondary cytotoxicity between hexamethylenediisocyanate-cross-linked dermal sheep collagen, glutaraldehyde-cross-linked dermal sheep collagen and non-cross-linked dermal sheep collagen are explained from differences in cross-linking agents and cross-links obtained. We hypothesize that secondary cytotoxicity results from enzymatic release of pendant molecules from hexamethylene-diisocyanate-cross-linked dermal sheep collagen, e.g. formed after reaction of hydrolysis products of hexamethylenediisocyanate with dermal sheep collagen.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1472589", "title": "In vitro rheological evaluation of antithrombogenicity or anticoagulability of styrene derivative polymer.", "content": "In vitro evaluation of antithrombogenicity or anticoagulability of styrene derivative polymer with functional silyl groups, the polymer treated with acid, polystyrene and glass as a reference was attempted using a rheological method. The results were compared with those obtained from measurements of platelet adhesion. The coagulation process of blood in polymer-coated tubes was monitored using a damped oscillation-type rheometer recently developed. The change of fluidity during coagulation of blood was dependent on the polymers. Poly((4-vinylphenyl)dimethyl-2-propoxysilane) (poly(1)) was more antithrombogenic than polystyrene and acid-treated poly(1). The evaluation of antithrombogenicity or anticoagulability for the polymers and glass by the rheological method coincided well with that obtained from other methods. Furthermore, it was confirmed that the rheological method would be useful for elucidating mechanisms of coagulation of blood as well as thrombus formation in developing artificial blood-compatible materials."}
{"id": "PMID:1472590", "title": "Skin organ culture model to test the toxicity of polyoxyethylene networks.", "content": "Films of polyoxyethylene network were prepared from two types of triethoxysilane-terminated prepolymers. In this way, films of polyoxyethylene network with possible applications in the biomedical field could be made easier. To test their biocompatibility, these networks were added to organ cultures of adult human skin and embryonic chicken skin. A rapid toxic effect was observed, especially with the urethane-linked network. Enzymatical degradation of the network by enzymes in the culture medium might be responsible for the formation of toxic metabolites. Testing of related chemical compounds in our in vitro assay suggested that the formation of a silane group with an amino terminal is most likely to be responsible for the toxic effects observed."}
{"id": "PMID:1472591", "title": "Effect of loading on a substitute oral mucosa and underlying bone.", "content": "Some mechanical effects of stresses on a bone and oral mucosa model were investigated. A substitute oral mucosa on a substrate of plano-parallel sections of bovine cortical bone modified indenter load/penetration characteristics such that the effects of loads on bone were deferred. In the case of the silicone rubber used, approximately five times the load could be withstood by the bone before it was indented than if no overlay was used. The thicker the overlay the more of the energy applied was absorbed in deforming the intermediary layer. Experimental results confirm that oral mucosa is a modifier of direct loads falling on bone and give some indication of their magnitude."}
{"id": "PMID:1472592", "title": "Thermal expansion of glassy polymers.", "content": "The thermal expansion of a number of glassy polymers of interest in dentistry has been studied using a quartz dilatometer. In some cases, the expansion was linear and therefore the coefficient of thermal expansion readily determined. Other polymers exhibited non-linear behaviour and values appropriate to different temperature ranges are quoted. The linear coefficient of thermal expansion was, to a first approximation, a function of both the molar volume and van der Waal's volume of the repeating unit."}
{"id": "PMID:1472593", "title": "Polymer membranes in clinical sensor applications. I. An overview of membrane function.", "content": "Polymer membranes are used in a wide variety of molecular sensing devices many of which are of potential clinical interest. The role of the polymer and the physical properties required of it are, however, rarely clearly defined. An extensive review is presented of the range of polymers whose use as membranes is described in the sensor literature. This forms the basis of an overview of membrane function in potentiometric amperometric and fibre optic sensors. In particular, the interaction of permeability, permselectivity and transmembrane potential is highlighted, together with the role of polymer membranes as matrices for the immobilization of reactive chemical and biological agents."}
{"id": "PMID:1472594", "title": "Polymer membranes in clinical sensor applications. II. The design and fabrication of permselective hydrogels for electrochemical devices.", "content": "Hydrogels, particularly the tough, low water content materials, have potential advantages in the field of clinical biosensors because of their established use as medical polymers. The factors that control transport behaviour in these polymers are discussed with particular reference to ion selectivity. The nature of the transport behaviour in relation to coated wire electrode performance is presented and an extension of these permselectivity studies to the fabrication of miniaturized devices, such as ISFETs, is described. Linear soluble hydrogel polymers, coated on to sensor substrates, may be converted to insoluble membranes using solid photosensitive aromatic monomers, such as N-vinyl carbazole. Photolithographic patterning is achieved using a UV source together with appropriate masking, followed by an oxygen plasma etch process. Gas plasma etching, which selectively removes uncross-linked (masked) areas forms the basis of an all dry, low-temperature patterning process capable of giving micrometre-scale resolution. This novel photographic process, which does not damage or extract enzymes or ionophores, can advantageously be extended to the fabrication of poly(vinylchloride)-based membranes."}
{"id": "PMID:1472595", "title": "Polymer membranes in clinical sensor applications. III. Hydrogels as reactive matrix membranes in fibre optic sensors.", "content": "The potential of hydrogel copolymer membranes in clinical sensors, based on fibre optics, is addressed. The particular properties of the membranes of relevance in this application are the ease of refractive index modulation and the potential of the hydrogel to act as a permselective barrier in which a colorimetric agent may be immobilized. The results presented illustrate the complexity of colorimetric and refractive index effects together with their dependence on pH and tonicity for hydrogels of a given composition range. The incorporation of an acryloyl-functionalized reagent (bromopyrogallol red) is used to illustrate the way in which a working pH sensor based on these combined properties may be designed and fabricated."}
{"id": "PMID:1472598", "title": "[Program of care of disabled patients at a health center].", "content": "To systematise primary attention to the disabled by means of a programme of specific action. To create a Risk Map for the problem of \"abandonment of the elderly disabled\". Retrospective descriptive study. SITE. El Palo Health Centre (M\u00e1laga). First two years of the programme (1989-1991). Patients with physical and/or mental disability attending to Centre to obtain services. The basic Primary Attention Team. Key informants, the Voluntary Social service. Activities: Recruitment strategies: Programme of Planned Home Visits (Subscribers' Register, Individualised Care Plan), Risk Map of Basic Area. 142 patients were included in the first year, and 203 in the second year, carrying out 4.66 and 5.95 programmed visits per patient per year, respectively. The Risk Map defined 28 areas ranked according to risk."}
{"id": "PMID:1472599", "title": "[Descriptive study of patient compliance in pharmacologic antihypertensive treatment and validation of the Morisky and Green test].", "content": "To ascertain the degree of correct use of a course of medication in a sample of patients with high blood pressure attending Primary Attention consultation, and to validate the Morisk and Green completion test. This is a transversal observational study carried out in two stages, which aims to analyse the variable rate of correct following of instructions. The sample was selected at random. SITE. The study was carried out within the framework of Primary Care. The sample was drawn from patients with high blood pressure under treatment by medication, including 96 patients of whom only 86 completed the study. Measurement of the actual incidence of correct use was carried out by means of counting the pills in the patients' homes, and the theoretical incidence of correct use by means of the Morisky and Green Test. We class those who take between 80-110% of the prescribed pills as completing the course correctly. We found: 18.6% took less medication (Margin of reliability (MR) 95%: 10, 3-26.8%), 23% took more than they should (MR 95%: 14.4-32, 2%) and 58.1% took medication as instructed (MR 95%: 48-68%, without significant differences either by sex or age. The test's sensitivity in detecting those who complied with instructions was 52%, and specificity was 44.4%. 1. The number of over-consumers is particularly notable. 2. Responses to the test do not show any relationship with correct use of medication in this study. 3. In our view the test could only be used in a hypothetical population where there were no over-consumers."}
{"id": "PMID:1472600", "title": "[Health self-perception in the elderly: relationship with several socioeconomic and health variables].", "content": "To learn how the elderly people in our health area see their own state of health (AS) in relation with certain variables. Transverse. Survey of socio-economic and health characteristics. Community oriented primary care. 232 psychically capable people aged 65 or over, selected at random among those attended by three general medical groups of the Rekaldeberri Primary Care Unit (Bilbao). 41.4% considered their health to be good or very good. The association between AS and various variables is worked out by odds ratio calculation using logistic regression. Age and sex ar not significantly associated with AS. The variables most closely associated to negative AS were the number of illnesses affecting daily life, the number of symptoms, the number of pharmaceutical products consumed and functional incapacity of any degree. Patients' perception of their own health varies widely between the different studies. As is an easy parameter to obtain, summarizes both subjective and objective aspects, and is useful in assessing an elderly person's overall state of health."}
{"id": "PMID:1472601", "title": "[Epidemiologic study of 245 cases of children hospitalized with measles].", "content": "The object of the present study is an analysis of the characteristics common to children hospitalised because of measles. A retrospective descriptive study was made of all the children in hospital with measles over a six month period. SITE. The study was carried out in the Hospital Infantil La Fe, in Valencia. All of the children taken into hospital between January 1983 and December 1988, with diagnosed measles as a stated factor in their hospitalisation, aged between 4 months and ten years. Treatments were extremely varied, depending on the symptoms of the patient. In most cases an antithermic or analgesic was administered (70%). The data was compiled from clinical histories. We note two epidemics, in 1983 and 1987. 58% of the children were less than 3 years old, and the average age observed was 2.73 years (SD = 2.40). The standard rate of body mass, (PE-IMC) in 81% of the cases, averaged -1.129, and the SD was 1.431, significant with respect to the general population (p 0.001). Only 14% of the children had been previously vaccinated. 76% of the children presented complications. New risk factors were not identified. Most notable was the importance of nutritional state and correct vaccination."}
{"id": "PMID:1472602", "title": "[Revised Denver test: prospective study in primary care nursing consultations].", "content": "OBJECTIVE MAIN: To ascertain psychometric development and periodically monitor further development, using the Revised Denver Test (DDST-R) to structure attention given in the area in which the child is deficient. SITE. \"Las Lagunas\" Health Centre, Mijas Costa (M\u00e1laga) in the Nursing Consultations for Mother and Child, Primary Attention. All the children seen in the Nursing Consultations under the Healthy Child sub-programme. Carrying out of the DDST-R, detection of anomalies, structuring of treatment, referral to paediatrician where necessary. 215 Tests carried out, 194 )90.23%) normal, 21 (9.76%) deviant. There were 100 females (46.51%), of whom 93 (93%) were found to be normal (93%) with 7 (7%) deviant. 18 children were affected in one area, 3 in two areas. Frequency of deviance by area: Personal-Social 6 (2.79%), Language 12 (5.58%) Fine Motor control 1 (0.46%) Gross motor control 3 (1.39%) Others 2 (0.93%). The DDST-R provides a useful means of screening to detect deviance in the area under study. Because it is easy to use it is suitable for Primary Attention, and should be included as a matter of routine in the examinations carried out by Nursing in the Attention to the Healthy Child sub-programme, to assist in structuring the care given in the areas noted as deficient."}
{"id": "PMID:1472614", "title": "[Prevalence of dental caries, in children from a basic health area].", "content": "To ascertain the actual state of dental health among the school population, with a view to taking the requisite preventive and corrective measures. Additionally, to evaluate the effectiveness of the dental health programme. This was a crossover study, following the dental examinations of pupils in first year E.G.B. (6 and 7 years old), fifth year E.G.B. (10, 11 and 12 years old) and eighth year E.G.B. (13, 14 and 15 years old). SITE. Chipiona Primary Health Care Centre. Staff from the Chipiona (C\u00e1diz) Health Centre, an odonto-stomatologist and a paediatrician. Altogether, 808 schoolchildren, belonging to the seven schools in the area, were surveyed: 217 from first year E.G.B., 260 from the fifth year and 330 from the eighth year. The percentage of pupils with a history of caries (prevalence). The CAOD rises progressively from 1.10 (at 6 years old) to 15.07 (at 15). The COD studied reaches a highpoint of 0.42 at 12 years old. The level of dental repair-work has its lowest value at 6 years old for permanent teeth (0.48); and its highest proportion is 8.39, which appears in the permanent teeth of 13 year-old children. Levels of caries greater than in other areas of Spain were found. Therefore, measures need to be adopted in the community, both in order to lower these figures and to increase the amount of dental repair-work."}
{"id": "PMID:1472615", "title": "[Influence of the HIV (+) cases on the epidemiology of infantile tuberculosis in Barcelona].", "content": "To understand better the characteristics of tuberculosis (TBC) in children and to identify sources of infection. Crossover study. SITE. At the community level in the city of Barcelona. Children under 15 with tuberculosis, who were diagnosed between Oct 1, 1989 and Sept 30, 1990 and were resident in Barcelona. Among the 78 cases found, we identified the source of infection for 26 children (33.3%). 6 of these (23.1%) had been infected by three cases of HIV+. A relationship was posited between the economic level of the population and the incidence of TBC. This was confirmed by the economic level of the families (80% of the sources of infection identified belonged to professions requiring few or no qualifications) and where they lived, given that the specific rate for children under 15 in the most depressed social-economic area (Ciutat Vella) was 206 per 100,000, whereas in the wealthiest area (Sarri\u00e0-Sant Gervasi) the rate was 4.3 per 100,000. This study makes clear the importance of investigating the contacts of children with tuberculosis. It should be fundamental for the TBC control programmes to focus closely on those with HIV. They are much more likely to contract and spread TBC to the least protected groups of the population, especially to the children of poor families."}
{"id": "PMID:1472616", "title": "[Occupational health in the province of Toledo: comparison with national data].", "content": "To gain some preliminary understanding of the health situation in the workplace and to strengthen this field at the Primary Care level. A retrospective and analytical study into the period 1985 to 1988, both inclusive. SITE. Pathologies at work (accidents and work-derived illnesses) declared in Toledo province and in the rest of Spain during the period stated above. A lower rate of accidents at work was observed in Toledo than in the rest of Spain (47.68 per 1,000 workers as against 66.44 per 1,000; chi 2 = 806.45). However Toledo showed higher mortality (0.35% as against 0.20%; chi 2 = 40.71) and a higher percentage of time off work (81.56% as against 68.77%; chi 2 = 483.93). Looking at work accidents in relation to sectors of activity, industry and construction, we found more in Industry and Construction than in Agriculture and Services. Work-derived illnesses made up a low percentage of work pathology (0.33% in Toledo and 0.39% in Spain). The main illnesses were: dermatosis, bursitis, illness caused by vibrations and disease arising from lead and its derivatives. It is essential to study much more thoroughly both health at work and the more general work context, emphasising the key importance of Primary Care and the need to improve the present system for notifying pathologies at work."}
{"id": "PMID:1472617", "title": "[Prevalence of alcoholism in the population attending a urban health center].", "content": "To find out the prevalence of alcoholism among those attending an urban Health Centre. To establish the level of concordance between the CAGE and MALT-O tests in the detection of alcoholism and to assess the effectiveness of the joint use of the above tests. Observational, crossover study. SITE. San Ignacio de Loyola Health Centre (Cuenca). A sample of 499 people of both sexes and over 18 years old was chosen from among the people attending the Centre. Systematic sampling from a random starting-point was used. Each person was interviewed with a questionnaire containing the CAGE and MALT-O items and sociodemographic data. The person who gave at least two positive answers in both tests was considered an alcoholic. A total of 402 filled-in questionnaires were returned. 27 people were found to have two or more positive items, which mean a 6.7% prevalence of alcoholism (CI 95% = 4.2-9.1). This broke down into a prevalence of 1.33% among women and 13.63% among men (p < 0.0001). The concordance level, determined by the Kappa coefficient, between the two tests was 0.29 (CI 95% = 0.11-0.47). The prevalence of alcoholism found is greater than in other national studies on the out-patient population, although it continues to be low in comparison with several foreign surveys. On the other hand, we seem to gain nothing in the detection of alcoholism by adding the MALT-O to the CAGE test, even when the concordance level between the two tests has come out low."}
{"id": "PMID:1472618", "title": "[Undergraduate teaching of primary health care. A Delphi study].", "content": "Given both the limited experience of Undergraduate Teaching in Primary Health Care (PHC) and the lack of contact between different teaching centres, we sought to identify the minimum contents of a potential Syllabus. We made a distinction between items of knowledge required and skills students would have to develop. We undertook a Delphi study, which was longitudinal, prospective and observational. We defined three groups of experts among groups with PHC teaching experience. 20 Associate Lecturers at Undergraduate level, attached to Health centres; 20 postgraduate PHC teachers, and 7 University staff members involved with Public Health and Preventive and Community Medicine teaching. The reply rate from the three questionnaires was about 60%. There was a high level of agreement. Of the items of knowledge which scored highest, we noted: the doctor-patients relationship, the Promotion of Health and Health education, Integrated Health Programmes, Prevention of Disease and Care of Risk-Groups. Of the skills, we pointed to the Clinical Interview, the construction of a Clinical History at the PHC level, Detection of Risk factors and Physical Examination. The most valued items of knowledge are those related to the overall Conception of Health, Promotion and Prevention. The most highly-scored skills are those concerning the Doctor-Patient relationship. Questions relating to the Individual are prioritised over those concerning Family and Community. There is a high level of agreement that the acquisition of the necessary theoretical knowledge must be accompanied by the ability to put them into practice."}
{"id": "PMID:1472619", "title": "[Opinion of family and community medicine resident physicians in Spanish hospitals].", "content": "To find out the opinions of Family and Community medicine interns concerning various aspects of their teaching during their period of hospital training. Crossover study. SITE. Within hospitals. Family and Community Medicine residential interns in Spanish hospitals. Out of the questionnaires returned by mail, 78.4% thought that their hospital training was adequate; 83.6% believed they were well enough trained to practise professionally; 76% considered that their hospital's technical equipment had been useful for their training; 66% felt they had sufficient back-up from the staff; 60% contributed to scientific statements or publications; 59% thought that their centre's library was inadequately equipped; and 45.4% stated that their pay as interns, or in the future as specialists, was too low. Family and Community Medicine interns' current training is in general satisfactory. Certain aspects, such as stocking libraries, salaries and contributions to scientific reports should be improved."}
{"id": "PMID:1472620", "title": "[Quality control of care provided for urinary infections].", "content": "To evaluate the quality of the care provided for low-level urinary infections in the Toledo Health Area. Retrospective study based on data on procedures supplied from clinical histories. SITE. Primary Care teams in the Toledo Health Area. Those patients over 14 with a provisional diagnosis of low-level urinary infection, who were attended between June and November, 1991, at the Health Centres participants (n = 243). The fulfillment level of six previously defined criteria was analysed. Looking at the clinical histories, we noted 75.3% non-fulfillment of Criterion 1 (anamnesis and examination), 51.8% of Criterion 5 (follow-up) and 59.3% of Criterion 6 (referral). Among the reasons we identified as causes of these findings were inadequate use of registration systems and the existence in different Centres of various procedures for treating urinary infections. The initial suspicion that the treatment and control of urinary infections in our Area contained a problem of attendance was confirmed. Corrective measures were established for the re-assessment. The positive role of quality controls, carried out under the aegis of Area managements, was clear."}
{"id": "PMID:1472629", "title": "Assessment of antibody dependent cell cytotoxicity in autoimmune thyroid disease using porcine thyroid cells.", "content": "Antibody Dependent Cell Cytotoxicity (ADCC) appears to be involved in Autoimmune Thyroid Disease (AITD). Homologous system may trigger non-specific reactions which might obscure specific ADCC. Heterologous target cells may be useful for studying ADCC, provided relevant antigen(s) are expressed. We therefore tested the capacity of porcine thyroid cells to elicit ADCC reaction in the presence of sera from various patients with AITD. Porcine thyroid cells were used in a 4-hr chromium release assay in the presence of 1/10 heat inactivated human sera and human peripheral blood lymphocytes at a 30:1 effector-target ratio. There was a significant correlation (r = 0.64; P < 0.01) between ADCC activities tested on human or porcine thyroid cells. Serum or IgG effects on porcine thyroid ADCC were dose-dependent between 1/10 to 1/10,000 dilutions. Non-thyroid cell systems were unaffected by thyroid cytotoxic sera. Porcine thyrocyte susceptibility to ADCC peaked at the fourth day of culture and was enhanced by addition of TSH or TSH and methimazole in the culture medium. Using this heterologous system, we demonstrated ADCC activity in a significant proportion of patients with thyroiditis (14/19), Graves' opthalmopathy (19/44) or of mothers of children with congenital hypothyroidism (14/39) and in the children themselves (15/39). Discrepancies observed in some sera between ADCC activity and antithyroperoxidase antibody suggest that thyroperoxidase is not the only antigen involved in ADCC. These results indicate that porcine thyroid cells appear suitable for ADCC assay in patients with AITD. Also this system should be helpful to characterize the antigen-antibody involved."}
{"id": "PMID:1472630", "title": "Quantitative analysis of islet glutamic acid decarboxylase p64 autoantibodies in insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.", "content": "Autoantibodies against the beta-cell M(r) 64,000 protein (p64), recently identified as an isoform of glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD), are prevalent in patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM). Dog islets were found to represent an abundant source of native p64 allowing the study of antigen-antibody interactions in IDDM. A quantitative, standardized assay for p64 antibodies based on dog islets was developed and evaluated. Utilizing dog and human islets the p64 antibodies were detected in 17/19 (89%) new onset 15-32-year-old patients, compared to 15/19 (79%) in a rat islet assay. ICA were detected in 15/19 (79%) patients and correlated with the presence of p64 antibodies (rs = 0.59, P < 0.004) but not with age at onset, sex, or C-peptide levels. Sensitivity therefore is improved with the dog islet p64 antibody assay which will allow future studies requiring native p64 antigen in larger quantities are possible based on our findings."}
{"id": "PMID:1472631", "title": "Divergent effects of thyroid HLA-antigens on T and natural killer (NK) cell cytotoxicity.", "content": "We have used non-autoimmune non-neoplastic human thyroid cells to explore the role of surface class I and DR antigens on these cells' sensitivity towards T and Natural Killer (NK) cell cytotoxicity. Non-treated thyrocytes expressed class I but no DR antigens. Following incubation with gamma-interferon (gamma-IFN) class I antigens were markedly elevated and DR expression was induced. Whereas non-treated thyrocytes were minimally lysed by sensitized T cells, they served as appropriate targets for NK cells. Following incubation with gamma-IFN, the thyroid cells became highly sensitive to T cell lysis, with no significant reduction in their vulnerability to NK cell killing. The addition of monoclonal anti class I or DR antigens, or brief acid treatment which specifically eliminates class I molecules, inhibited T cell cytotoxicity but enhanced the sensitivity to lysis by NK cells. Thus, the presence of HLA antigens on the same thyroid cells have an opposite effect on two major cytotoxi mechanisms. Our findings are relevant within the context of recent suggestions of intervening with target HLA antigens for the management of autoimmune and malignant diseases."}
{"id": "PMID:1472632", "title": "Iodine content of rat thyroglobulin affects its antigenicity in inducing lymphocytic thyroiditis in the BB/Wor rat.", "content": "The BB/Wor rat develops spontaneous insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (DM) and lymphocytic thyroiditis (LT). We have recently demonstrated that immunization of BB/Wor rats with allogeneic thyroglobulin (Tg) induces LT at an early age. The incidence of spontaneous and Tg induced LT is extremely variable among different BB/Wor sublines. It has been shown that high iodine diet significantly increases the incidence of spontaneous lymphocytic thyroiditis (LT) and low iodine diet significantly decreases the incidence of LT in genetically predisposed BB/Wor rats. Recent studies on thyroglobulin (Tg) induced LT in chicken and mouse have shown that iodine rich Tg is far more antigenic than Tg with a low iodine content, suggesting that a high iodine diet increases the immunogenicity of Tg molecule. In order to determine whether the extent of Tg iodination would affect its immunogenicity in the BB/Wor rats, the current study was carried out. Normal iodine Tg (NTg) or low iodine Tg (LTg) was obtained from thyroids of rats that were placed on regular diet or regular diet plus 0.5% methimazole, respectively. 120 rats from the NB (highly susceptible) and BB (low susceptible) sublines were randomized in three groups. Immunization was carried out with a 1:1 emulsion of complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) and LTg, NTg (0.6 mg/rat) or saline at 30 and 37 days of age. Since spontaneous LT rarely occurs before age 75 days, rats were sacrificed at age 65 days to specifically study Tg induced LT. Immunization with NTg induced LT in 31% of the NB rats, but not in the BB subline. LTg did not induce LT in either subline.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1472633", "title": "Autoantibodies to c-myc protein: elevated levels in patients with African Burkitt's lymphoma and normal Ghanians.", "content": "Sera from U.S. patients with SLE, RA, and various malignancies, clinically normal individuals with sero-activity to HIV, AIDS, and from pregnant women were tested for the presence of anti-c-myc antibodies. In an ELISA using recombinant human c-myc protein as the antigen, no difference in mean antibody titer was generally detected in these sera when compared to normal controls. Only three malignancy sera (two myeloid leukemia and only one lymphoma) and two patients with AIDS-related lymphoma exhibited exceedingly higher levels of anti-c-myc antibody. However, significantly elevated anti-c-myc antibody levels were found among 20 patients with African Burkitt's lymphoma (Ghana) and 20 normal Ghanians, thus apparently reflecting an autoimmune phenomenon prevalent in the endemic region. These findings indicated that elevated levels of anti-c-myc antibodies are not a general characteristic of patients with diseases that have been associated with increased expression of c-myc."}
{"id": "PMID:1472635", "title": "The nuclear autoimmune antigen Ku is also present on the cell surface.", "content": "Polyclonal antibodies were raised against the individual 85 and 70 kDa subunits of the Ku complex purified from nuclear extract prepared from the T cell line MLA144. They specifically recognise the appropriate subunits of the Ku complex from whole cell extract of HeLa cells using Western blot analysis. They are also able to identify the Ku proteins present in the cell membrane using FACS analysis."}
{"id": "PMID:1472636", "title": "Probe-less genomic typing of Arg52 (type 1 diabetes-associated) and non-Arg52 (non-type 1 diabetes-associated) HLA-DQA1 alleles.", "content": "According to recent evidence, the presence of an Arg residue at position 52 in the HLA-DQ alpha chain may confer susceptibility to Type 1 diabetes and thus be possibly used to define quantitatively the genetic risk of this disease. Arg52 and non-Arg52 DQA1 alleles cannot be typed by the conventional cytotoxicity test and they must be distinguished at the genomic level. We describe a simple procedure which discriminates the DQA1 alleles based on the differential electrophoretic migration of the DNA heteroduplexes they form with a reference DNA fragment. A major advantage of this procedure is the fact that no hybridization probe is required. Practically, this typing procedure consists of an electrophoretic run of the products of a selective PCR in polyacrylamide gel."}
{"id": "PMID:1472637", "title": "Reversal of the abnormal development of T cell subpopulations in the thymus of autoimmune MRL-lpr/lpr mice by a polyamine biosynthesis inhibitor.", "content": "Polyamines--putrescine, spermidine, and spermine--are a group of positively charged organic molecules that are present in all living cells. They are important regulators of cell growth and differentiation, but the precise mechanism of their action is not known. Ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) is a key enzyme in the biosynthesis of polyamines. Recent studies demonstrated that down-regulation of polyamine biosynthesis by irreversible inhibition of ODC with difluoromethylornithine (DFMO0 is a novel therapeutic approach for the treatment of murine lupus in autoimmune MRL-lpr/lpr mice. Since murine lupus in this strain is associated with a major alteration in thymic T cell subopulations, we questioned whether abnormal polyamine biosynthesis contributes to aberrant T cell maturation in the thymus of MRL-lpr/lpr mice. Thymocytes were analyzed for cell surface markers, CD4 and CD8 by 2-color flow cytometry using their respective monoclonal antibodies. The proportion of thymocyte subsets in disease-free mice (8-10 week of age) was approximately 72% double positive (DP; CD4+CD8+) cells, 5-7% double negative (DN; CD4-CD8-) cells, 11-16% CD4+ cells and 7-8% CD8+ cells. At 14 weeks of age, a stage of clinical disease expression, thymocytes were marked by the presence of approximately 40% DN cells and approximately 25% DP cells.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1472638", "title": "Does mitogen-induced antibody production by normal blood cells mimic spontaneous production in lupus?", "content": "Blood cells from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) showed a raised level of spontaneous IgG production that included antibodies to DNA and to common environmental antigens (influenza virus haemagglutinin, adenovirus hexon and mannan from Candida albicans). In contrast, no IgG antibody was produced against an antigen not normally encountered in the UK (egg antigen from Schistosoma mansoni) or a self-antigen not generally associated with SLE (thyroglobulin). IgM production was raised to a lesser extent and only antibodies to DNA were detected. When normal cells were stimulated with pokeweed mitogen or S. aureus organisms, the specificity pattern of IgG production was similar to that described above for SLE with the major exception of the absence of IgG anti-DNA. IgM antibodies to DNA and all the other antigens were detected, but the specificity of the IgM ELISA assays for the protein antigens needs further clarification. The activity of IgM anti-DNA relative to total IgM was far greater in the SLE system. These results provide further evidence that a response to self-antigen is required for production of pathogenic IgG autoantibodies in SLE."}
{"id": "PMID:1472639", "title": "Rabbits produce SLE-like anti-RNA polymerase I and anti-DNA autoantibodies in responses to immunization with either human or murine SLE anti-DNA antibodies.", "content": "Anti-DNA and anti-DNA polymerase I (RPI) autoantibody responses are symptoms of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). To investigate the relationship between these antibodies (Ab), rabbits were immunized with one of the following preparations: human SLE anti-DNA Ab; human SLE anti-DNA IgG; normal human anti-DNA Ab; human Grave's disease anti-DNA Ab; murine SLE anti-DNA Ab or anti-DNA IgG Fab; various normal human, murine, or rabbit IgG preparations; or complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA), alone. All of the animals immunized with anti-DNA Ab (n = 14) generated Ab reactive in radioimmunoassay with: ssDNA, dsDNA, RPI, the soluble fraction of rabbit liver crude nuclear extract, and the immunogen. Induced rabbit anti-DNA Ab in turn induced these responses in a different rabbit: a rabbit immunized with rabbit anti-DNA IgG Ab which had been previously induced by immunization with human anti-DNA Ab, produced Ab reactive with ssDNA, dsDNA, RPI, and the soluble fraction of rabbit liver nuclear extract. Although an individual animal's antisera reacted consistently over the course of immunization with the same individual RPI subunit(s), antisera from different animals reacted with different subunits of the 9-subunit RPI complex in Western blot analyses: 190 kD (n = 6); 120 kD (n = 1); 62 kD (n = 4); 45 kD (n = 2); and, no reactivity (n = 2). In contrast, animals immunized with normal IgG or CFA produced responses only against the immunogen. Together, these data suggest that anti-DNA and anti-RPI responses are connected through an autoimmune network in SLE."}
{"id": "PMID:1472640", "title": "Immunopathology of experimental autoimmune uveoretinitis in primates.", "content": "The eyes and pineal glands from 10 monkeys immunized with S-antigen were studied using routine histopathological and immunohistochemical techniques. Seven out of 10 animals developed uveitis between 19 and 33 days after the initial immunization. Histopathology of the eyes harvested 70 days after immunization showed moderate to marked uveoretinitis, subretinal fibrosis, retinal necrosis and gliosis. The pineal glands demonstrated chronic pinealitis. The infiltrating cells were both CD3 and CD19/CD22 lymphocytes with a ratio of 1.4 in the eye and 2.2 in the pineal gland. The ratio of CD4 to CD8 lymphocytes was 1.5:1. MHC Class II antigens and adhesion molecule (ICAM-1) were observed on resident cells. The influx of B lymphocytes and the formation of subretinal fibrosis differentiate the disease in the monkey from that in the rat and mouse. These findings are similar to Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada syndrome and subretinal fibrosis with uveitis syndrome in human."}
{"id": "PMID:1472641", "title": "Cellular immune mechanisms in chronic autoimmune thrombocytopenic purpura (ATP).", "content": "Chronic autoimmune thrombocytopenic purpura (ATP) is a common autoimmune-mediated bleeding disease in which autoantibodies are directed against platelets, resulting in their enhanced Fc-mediated destruction by macrophages in the spleen. While there has been extensive studies relating to the autoantibodies in this autoimmune disorder, relatively few have dealt with cell-mediated immunoregulation of the anti-platelet autoantibody response. Nonetheless, there is accumulating evidence that suggests the production of these anti-platelet autoantibodies is under the influence of several abnormal lymphocyte-mediated mechanisms, i.e. enhanced anti-platelet T helper cell activity with concomitant reduced T suppressor cell activity. This review focuses on these cellular events and presents a working model which attempts to explain their close interrelationships."}
{"id": "PMID:1472643", "title": "Mediators of joint swelling and damage in rheumatoid arthritis and pristane induced arthritis.", "content": "Joint swelling and tenderness in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) probably result from IgG aggregates activating complement with the consequent attraction of polymorphonuclear leucocytes (PMNs) and the liberation of their granule enzymes such as kininogenases. By contrast IL-1 and TNF are the major stimulants of cartilage and bone loss although other agents contribute. The fundamental drive for the production of these mediators is unknown but a role for heat shock proteins is suggested from work on pristane induced arthritis."}
{"id": "PMID:1472644", "title": "Postpartum thyroiditis: an organ specific syndrome which is not associated with a postpartum polyclonal B-cell activation.", "content": "Recent reports have detailed the presence of autoantibodies characteristic of non-organ specific autoimmune diseases in the serum of patients with autoimmune postpartum thyroiditis (PPT). These observations suggest that PPT could be part of a polyclonal B-cell activation postpartum. We have measured 4 non-organ specific autoantibodies (anti-DNA, anti-cardiolipin, anti-nuclear factor (ANF) and antibodies against extractable nuclear antigens (ENA)) together with autoantibodies against thyroglobulin and thyroid peroxidase in a group of PPT women at 4 time points during the first year postpartum (early, time of hyperthyroidism, time of hypothyroidism, late). Whilst 18/18 patients showed thyroid specific autoantibody changes there was only a low frequency of occurrence of the non-organ specific autoantibodies (ENA 2/18; ANF 1/18; anti-DNA 2/18; anti-dsDNA 0/18; anti-cardiolipin 0/18) and, when positive, the response was poor. We conclude that PPT is not associated with a polyclonal b-cell activation but is a postpartum rebound of a thyroid specific autoimmune phenomenon."}
{"id": "PMID:1472646", "title": "Conformational properties of oxytocin in dimethyl sulfoxide solution: NMR and restrained molecular dynamics studies.", "content": "The conformation of oxytocin, the neurohypophyseal nonapeptide hormone, in solution in deuterated dimethyl sulfoxide has been determined by 1H-nmr. The structural determination is based on the experimental data set of nuclear Overhauser effect restraints. Obtained after the restrained molecular dynamics simulation on an initial structure of extended conformation, five resultant structures satisfy the experimental restraints well. These structures resemble that of the crystal structure of deamino-oxytocin, an analogue of oxytocin, in terms of a close correlation observed both at two beta-turn regions of the 20-membered tocin ring and at the tripeptide tail end. Based on this comparison and analysis of restrained molecular dynamics trajectories, we found that, although the turns are stabilized by the formation of hydrogen bonds, the oxytocin molecule possesses a slight twist in DMSO solution relative to the orientation of deamino-oxytocin in the crystalline state. Analyses of oxytocin conformation indicate that the tripeptide tail is more flexible than the tocin ring."}
{"id": "PMID:1472647", "title": "Amino acid side-chain populations in aqueous and saline solution: bis-penicillamine enkephalin.", "content": "The potentials of mean force (pmfs) for rotation around the chi 1 aromatic side-chain dihedrals of the zwitterionic bis-penicillamine enkephalin pentapeptide have been determined in both aqueous and saline solution. These side chains are known to be associated with the pharmacophore and their conformational populations are thought to be critical for activity. It is found that the association between chloride ions and the peptide in saline solution simulations has profound effects on the relative energies of the g-, g+, and t conformations, and also the barriers between them. Using the pmfs we have also calculated the respective Boltzmann-weighted 3J alpha beta vicinal coupling constants. The agreement between the calculated and experimentally determined coupling constants is poor for the pmf in pure water, but substantially improved for the pmf determined in saline solution. Reasons for these differences appear to be related to the experimental conditions."}
{"id": "PMID:1472648", "title": "A study of the quadrupolar NMR splittings of 7Li+, 23Na+, and 133Cs+ counterions in macroscopically oriented DNA fibers.", "content": "The hydration and temperature dependencies of the 23Na+, 133Cs+, and 7Li+ quadrupolar splitting have been determined in hydrated, macroscopically oriented DNA fibers. At low water contents the quadrupolar splitting is found to decrease as the water content increases, regardless of counterion, while at high water contents the hydration dependence is reversed. The 23Na+ and 133Cs+ quadrupolar splittings decrease as the temperature increases, while the 7Li+ splitting shows the opposite behavior. At high water contents the 23Na+ and 133Cs+ splittings decrease, and then, after passing zero splitting, increase as the temperature increases. The interpretation of the temperature dependence is discussed in terms of a two-site model (free and bound ions) and a three-site model (free ions and specifically or nonspecifically bound ions). It is suggested that a three-site model is more consistent with the data for the present system. At high water contents, the temperature dependence of the 7Li+ splitting vanishes, indicating counterion condensation. The behavior of the 7Li+ splitting is confirmed by measurements on DNA fibers in equilibrium with a C2H5OD-D2O-LiCl solution. The salt dependence in this system is weak. The counterion quadrupolar splitting is seen to be very sensitive to structural transitions in double-helical DNA."}
{"id": "PMID:1472649", "title": "Viscoelastic behavior of fractionated ovine submaxillary mucins.", "content": "Solution properties of fractionated ovine submaxillary mucin (OSM) and asialo OSM (aOSM) in aqueous guanidine hydrochloride have been investigated using light scattering and rheological methods. For the first time we present viscometric evidence in both dilute and concentrated solution that the molecular structure of OSM is that of a wormlike chain. The intrinsic viscosity shows molecular weight dependence consistent with the linear extended chain conformation observed by light scattering measurements. The viscoelastic behavior of the OSM fractions in aqueous guanidine hydrochloride was further examined above the overlap concentration as a function of molecular weight and temperature. Under these solvent conditions in which the role of nonbonding intermolecular interactions is minimized, OSM shows predominantly fluid like behavior. However, high molecular weight OSM shows evidence of the existence of an entanglement network at high concentration. The frequency-dependent shear storage and loss moduli at all concentrations and molecular weights can be scaled to yield a master curve by incorporating typical viscoelastic shift parameters. The entanglement molecular weight and concentration are consistent with literature data for extended, semiflexible wormlike chains. The behavior of aOSM is similar to that of intact OSM at comparable degrees of coil overlap, indicating that the terminal sialic acid residue on the carbohydrate side chain has no effect on the rheology of concentrated OSM solutions beyond that due to an increase in the hydrodynamic volume."}
{"id": "PMID:1472650", "title": "Alpha-helix to random coil transitions: determination of peptide concentration from the CD at the isodichroic point.", "content": "A method is presented for determining the concentrations of peptides and proteins having isodichroic points near 203 nm. The existence of an isodichroic point for a given substance indicates a local two-state (alpha-helix, random coil) population. The mean residue ellipticity at the isodichroic point, [theta lambda i], is, of course, independent of helix content. For a wide variety of synthetic and natural peptides, including both single helices and coiled coils, it is shown that [theta lambda i] is also essentially independent of substance and of whether the transition is induced by temperature, ionic strength, pH, chain length changes, amino acid substitution, or solvent perturbation. Averaging [theta lambda i] values culled from various laboratories gives -151 +/- 16 (SD, 7 sources) deg.cm2.mmol-1. In our laboratory, nonpolymerizable rabbit alpha-tropomyosin and two alpha-tropomyosin subsequences yield -135 +/- 10 (SD, 190 values) deg.cm2.mmol-1. Thus, given [theta lambda i] for a peptide of known concentration, it is possible to estimate the concentration of any other peptide provided that it has an isodichroic point at which the ellipticity is accurately measurable. It is then possible to calculate [theta lambda] at any other wavelength for which theta is known. It is advisable to determine [theta lambda i] for the best known peptide in one's own laboratory, since it depends on absolute instrument and cell calibrations and an absolute concentration determination."}
{"id": "PMID:1472651", "title": "How many numbers are required to specify sequence-dependent properties of polynucleotides?", "content": "There are 10 unique dinucleotides of double-stranded DNA, but only 8 independent nearest-neighbor energies that occur in circular DNA, as shown by D. M. Gray and I. Tinoco [(1970) Biopolymers 9, 223-244]. We extend that analysis to include end effects, and show that the number of unique dinucleotide pairs (including ends) is 14, but there are only 12 independent energies. We discuss how these 12 energies (or spectra or any other pairwise additive property) can be measured and displayed, and how they should and should not be compared between experimenters. As an example, we analyzed the recently reported melting curves [M.J. Doktycz et al. (1992) Biopolymers, 32, 849-864.] of 16 DNA dumbbells in two different Na+ environments. This analysis reveals a new means for evaluating end effects and the emergence of longer than nearest-neighbor interactions at low salt concentration."}
{"id": "PMID:1472652", "title": "Helix propagation in trifluoroethanol solutions.", "content": "Helix propagation of the S-peptide sequence (residues 1-19 of ribonuclease A) in 2,2,2-trifluoroethanol (TFE) solutions has been investigated with CD and nmr Overhauser effect spectroscopies. In this study, the S-peptide helix is covalently initiated at the N-terminus through disulfide bonds to a helix scaffold derived from the N-terminal sequence of the bee venom peptide apamin. The entire S-peptide sequence of this hybrid sequence peptide becomes helical at high proportions of TFE. Residues 14-19 of the S-peptide are not helical in the free peptide in TFE, nor are they helical in ribonuclease A. The \"helix stop\" signal encoded by the S-peptide sequence near residue 13 does not persist at high TFE with this hybrid sequence peptide. The helix-stabilizing effects of TFE are due at least in part to facilitated propagation of an extant helix. This stabilizing effect appears to be a general solvation effect and not due to specific interaction of the helical peptide with TFE. Specifically these data support the idea that TFE destabilizes the coil state by less effective hydrogen bonding of the peptide amide to the solvent."}
{"id": "PMID:1472653", "title": "Hexaamminecobalt(III) binding environments on double-helical DNA.", "content": "Previous cation nmr evidence suggests that univalent cations such as Na+ bind to DNA in a diffuse, nonspecific manner, whereas di- and trivalent cations show distinct binding heterogeneity. Here are reported 59Co- and 23Na-nmr measurements of the %GC dependence of the DNA binding behavior of the trivalent hexaamminecobalt(III) cation. When Co(NH3)6Cl3 titrations are performed on one mammalian and three bacterial DNAs, evidence is found for at least three distinct classes of bound Co(NH3)6(3+). A comparison of titration curves for all four DNAs demonstrates that an increase in GC content correlates with an increase in the fraction of specific Co(NH3)6(3+). binding sites. For M. lysodeikticus DNA (72% GC), a slowly exchanging class of bound 59Co(NH3)6(3+) is apparent. This class of sites is saturated at very low binding densities (between 0.02 and 0.03 cobalt cations per DNA phosphate). At higher binding densities (greater than 0.03), the signal due to slowly exchanging 59Co(NH3)6(3+) disappears into the noise, and a single 59Co(NH3)6(3+) signal is observed. Within the sensitivity limitations of these measurements, no evidence for slowly exchanging bound 59Co(NH3)6(3+) could be found for any of the other DNAs, for which a single, rapidly exchanging 59Co(NH3)6(3+) signal is observed at all binding densities. For this rapidly exchanging signal, for all four DNAs, the measured 59Co(NH3)6(3+) nmr parameters depend significantly on (a) binding density and (b) GC content of the DNA.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1472654", "title": "Solution conformations of two flexible cyclic pentapeptides: cyclo(Gly-Pro-D-Phe-Gly-Ala) and cyclo(Gly-Pro-D-Phe-Gly-Val).", "content": "In an effort to explore the residue preferences in three-residue reverse turns (so-called gamma-turns), two cyclic pentapeptides--cyclo(Gly1-Pro2-D-Phe3-Gly4-Ala5) (I) and cyclo(Gly1-Pro2-D-Phe3-Gly4-Val5) (II)--have been synthesized and analyzed by nmr. It was anticipated that the Gly-Pro-D-Phe-Gly portions of these molecules would favor a beta-turn conformation, leaving the remainder of the molecule to adopt a gamma turn, as seen in several previously studied model cyclic pentapeptides. The nmr data for both peptides in CDCl3 (5% DMSO-d6) and in neat DMSO-d6 indicate that the most populated conformation contains a distorted beta turn around Pro2-D-Phe3, which includes a gamma turn around D-Phe3. The distortion in the beta turn does not impede the formation of an inverse gamma turn around residue 5, and indeed, this conformation is observed in both peptides. Both the alanine and the bulkier valine residues are therefore found to be compatible with an inverse gamma turn. Molecular dynamics simulations on the title peptides are reported in the following paper. These simulations indicate that there is conformational flexibility around the D-Phe3-Gly4 peptide bond, which enables the formation of the gamma turn around D-Phe3. The third paper in this series explores the impact of a micellar environment on conformational equilibria in II."}
{"id": "PMID:1472655", "title": "Combined use of molecular dynamics simulations and NMR to explore peptide bond isomerization and multiple intramolecular hydrogen-bonding possibilities in a cyclic pentapeptide, cyclo(Gly-Pro-D-Phe-Gly-Val).", "content": "The conformational behavior of a model cyclic pentapeptide--cyclo(Gly-L-Pro-D-Phe-Gly-L-Val)--has been explored through the combined use of in vacuo molecular dynamics simulations and a range of nmr experiments (preceding paper). The molecular dynamics analysis suggests that, despite the conformational constraints imposed by formation of the pentapeptide cycle, this pentapeptide undergoes conformational transitions between various hydrogen-bonded conformations, characterized by low energy barriers. An inverse gamma turn with Pro in position i + 1 and a gamma turn with D-Phe in position i + 1 are two alternatives occurring frequently. Like other DLDDL cyclic pentapeptides, cyclo(Gly-Pro-D-Phe-Gly-Val) is also stabilized by an inverse gamma-turn structure with the beta-branched Val residue in position i + 1, and this hydrogen bond is retained in the different conformational families. The gamma-turn around D-Phe3 and the inverse gamma turn around Val5 are consistent with the nmr observations. 3JNH-CH alpha coupling constants of the all-trans forms were calculated from one of the molecular dynamics trajectories and are comparable to nmr experimental data, suggesting that the conformational states visited during the simulation are representative of the conformational distribution in solution. In addition to the equilibrium among various hydrogen-bonded all-trans conformers, the observation in nmr spectra of two sets of resonances for all peptide protons indicated a slow conformational interconversion of the Gly-Pro peptide bond between trans and cis isomers. The activation energy between these two conformers was determined experimentally by magnetization transfer and was calculated by high temperature constrained molecular dynamics simulation. Both methods yield a free energy of activation of ca. 20 kcal/mol. Furthermore, the free energy of activation is dependent on the direction of rotation of the Gly-Pro peptide bond."}
{"id": "PMID:1472656", "title": "Impact of a micellar environment on the conformations of two cyclic pentapeptides.", "content": "In an effort to explore the influence of interfacial environments on reverse turns, we have performed a detailed analysis by nmr of the solution conformations of two cyclic pentapeptides in sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) micelles. The first peptide, cyclo (D-Phe1-Pro2-Gly3-D-Ala4-Pro5), adopts a single rigid conformation in solution (either chloroform or dimethylsulfoxide) and in crystals, whereas the second, cyclo (Gly1-Pro2-D-Phe3-Gly4-Val5), is much more flexible and adopts different conformations in the crystal and in solution. Both of these peptides are solubilized by SDS micelles, and nmr relaxation rates indicate that they are both partially immobilized by interaction with the micelles. Furthermore, some amide protons in both peptides participate in hydrogen bonds with water. In the presence of micelles, the former peptide retains a conformation essentially the same as that found in crystals and in solution, which consists of a beta turn and an inverse gamma turn. However, the micellar environment has a significant effect on the latter peptide. In particular, the population of a conformer containing a cis Gly-Pro peptide bond is increased significantly. The most likely conformation of the cis isomer, determined by a combination of nmr and restrained molecular dynamics, contains a Gly1-Pro2 delta turn and a gamma turn about D-Phe3. The nmr data on the trans isomer indicate that this isomer is averaging between two conformations that differ mainly in the orientation of the D-Phe3-Gly4 peptide bond."}
{"id": "PMID:1472657", "title": "Conformational analysis of Met-enkephalin in both aqueous solution and in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate micelles using multidimensional NMR and molecular modeling.", "content": "Proton and 13C chemical shift assignments are reported for the neuropeptide Met-enkephalin (ME) in both aqueous solution and in the presence of 50 mM sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS). Rotating frame nuclear Overhauser enhancement spectroscopy was used to qualitatively describe interproton distances. These distances were then used as restraints in the distance geometry based molecular modeling program Dspace, developed by Hare Research to generate sets of conformations of ME. The resulting aqueous solution conformations of ME were determined to exhibit characteristic of an extended random-coil polypeptide with no distinguishable secondary structure. The resulting set of solution conformations of ME in the presence of 50 mM SDS exhibited characteristics of an amphiphilic type IV beta turn that are stabilized by hydrophobic aromatic-aromatic interactions between the side chains of Tyr1 and Phe4."}
{"id": "PMID:1472659", "title": "QRS complex changes in the V5 ECG lead during cardiac surgery.", "content": "The QRS complex in lead V5 was studied during cardiac surgery. R wave amplitude decreased after induction of anesthesia to approximately 50% to 60% of the preanesthetic level before the institution of CPB (P < 0.001). An rS complex appeared immediately after cardioversion and changed in configuration to an Rs complex 15 to 30 minutes after aortic declamping. The R wave continued to recover toward the preanesthetic level at sternal closure. Patients with coronary artery disease had a poorer recovery of the R wave (P < 0.05) than patients with valvular heart disease; the former recovered to only 50% of the preanesthetic level at sternal closure. Nonsurvivors had much smaller R waves (26.1 +/- 20.5%) than survivors (P < 0.001). The R wave peaked 30 to 40 ms after initiation of the QRS complex, which indicates recovery of conductivity and the activation sequence of the left ventricular (LV) free wall, which is easily disturbed by hypothermia, cardioplegia, and ischemia during aortic cross-clamping. Monitoring QRS complex changes in lead V5 appears to be important on weaning from cardiopulmonary bypass to detect regional ischemia, and also to observe electrophysiologic recovery of the LV free wall."}
{"id": "PMID:1472660", "title": "Temporary transmyocardial pacing using epicardial pacing wires and pacing pulmonary artery catheters.", "content": "This study investigated the feasibility of transmyocardially pacing the heart using one temporary epicardial pacing lead and one endocardial lead of a pacing pulmonary artery catheter. Twenty patients undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass with cardioplegic arrest were studied 10 to 45 minutes and 18 to 30 hours after discontinuation of cardiopulmonary bypass. The Swan-Ganz Flow-Directed Pacing TD Catheter (Baxter Healthcare Corporation) was inserted in one group of 10 patients, and the Swan-Ganz Thermodilution A-V Paceport Catheter (Baxter Healthcare Corporation, Irvine, CA) was used in another group of 10 patients. Using the Pacing TD Catheter, transmyocardial atrial (TMA) pacing was successful in 14 of 16 attempts (87.5%), and transmyocardial ventricular (TMV) pacing was successful in 15 of 16 attempts (93.8%). With the AV Paceport Catheter, TMA pacing was successful in 16 of 18 attempts (88.9%), and TMV pacing was successful in 17 of 19 attempts (89.5%). Transmyocardial atrial-ventricular sequential pacing was achieved in all cases when both TMA and TMV pacing were independently successful. There were no significant differences between catheters in the success rates of either TMA or TMV. It is concluded that transmyocardial pacing is feasible using one temporary epicardial pacing lead and one endocardial lead of a pacing pulmonary artery catheter."}
{"id": "PMID:1472661", "title": "Continuous intra-arterial oximetry, pulse oximetry, and co-oximetry during cardiac surgery.", "content": "This study evaluated arterial catheter oximetry versus pulse oximetry in eight patients (ASA III-IV) who underwent cardiac surgery. Co-oximeter saturation values served as the standard. Arterial oxygen saturation was determined simultaneously with these three methods at 162 prospectively defined points of measurement before, during, and after cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). At the same times before and after CPB, arterial, pulmonary arterial, and central venous pressures, and cardiac output determinations were recorded. Saturation readings were obtained in more than 99% of measurements with catheter oximetry and in only 59% to 84% of measurements with pulse oximetry. Failure of pulse oximetry correlated with low mean arterial pressures and low cardiac outputs, but not with high systemic vascular resistance. The mean saturation values determined by catheter oximetry as well as by pulse oximetry differed from the mean values obtained by co-oximetry by less than 1% (= bias). The standard deviations of the individual differences between readings of catheter or pulse oximetry and readings of co-oximetry (= precision) were +/- 0.5% to +/- 1.0% for catheter oximetry and +/- 1.0% to +/- 1.2% for pulse oximetry. In summary, catheter oximetry was superior to pulse oximetry with regard to obtaining readings and to reliability of the obtained readings. Invasiveness and high costs influence the decision as to whether to use catheter oximetry, but if reliable and precise measurements of saturation are important at any time during surgery, pulse oximetry is an insufficient method and co-oximetry is a time-consuming method of analysis, whereas catheter oximetry is quick, reliable, and precise."}
{"id": "PMID:1472662", "title": "Repeated dose administration of desmopressin acetate in uncomplicated cardiac surgery: a prospective, blinded, randomized study.", "content": "The effects of single or repeated doses of desmopressin on blood loss were examined in uncomplicated cardiac surgery, while assessing the potential for thrombogenic side effects. Seventy patients undergoing elective coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) were studied. Patients were randomized into three blinded groups: Group I received DDAVP (0.3 micrograms/kg), IV, after cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) and 12 hours later in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU); Group II, DDAVP (0.3 micrograms/kg), IV, after termination of CPB and saline (placebo) 12 hours later in the ICU; Group III, saline (placebo) IV after CPB and 12 hours later in the ICU. Blood loss and bleeding time decreased for Group I at 24 hours (P < 0.04) when compared to Group III; however, blood product replacement, as well as intraoperative and total blood loss at 36 hours, were not different among treatment and control groups. There were four myocardial infarctions recorded in Group I, two in Group II, and one in Group III. These differences were not found to be statistically significant. It is concluded that in routine CABG the prophylactic use of single or repeat dose DDAVP does not effectively decrease blood loss or blood product replacement."}
{"id": "PMID:1472663", "title": "Modest doses of nitroglycerin do not interfere with beef lung heparin anticoagulation in patients taking nitrates.", "content": "The results of a prior clinical report suggested that nitroglycerin may interfere with the anticoagulant effect of heparin. Therefore, 30 adult patients undergoing cardiac surgery were studied in a controlled, prospective fashion. Thirteen patients on chronic nitrate therapy received an intraoperative nitroglycerin infusion at 1 micrograms/kg/min intravenously. Seventeen patients received no preoperative or intraoperative nitrates (control group). Heparin, 300 units/kg, was administered to all patients in three consecutive doses: 40 units/kg, 80 units/kg, and 180 units/kg. The activated coagulation time and activated partial thromboplastin time were measured prior to heparin, and 5 minutes after each heparin dose. There were no differences in automated activated coagulation times or in activated partial thromboplastin times between the groups at any measurement period. The study is limited in that only patients on chronic nitrates were included in the treatment group and that only a modest dose of nitroglycerin was used. However, it is concluded that a modest dose of intravenous nitroglycerin does not interfere with the anticoagulant effect of boluses of beef lung heparin in patients undergoing cardiac surgery."}
{"id": "PMID:1472664", "title": "Changes in plasma atrial natriuretic peptide concentration during heart transplantation.", "content": "Examination of changes in plasma atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) concentrations during heart transplantation may provide important information about factors influencing plasma ANP in patients with severe heart failure. Serial changes in plasma ANP during heart transplantation, and atrial content of ANP in native and donor atria, were measured in 12 patients. Preoperative plasma ANP was elevated in all patients (387 +/- 77 pg/mL), whereas atrial content of ANP in native atria was reduced (0.36 +/- 0.082 micrograms/mg protein). Preoperative plasma ANP did not correlate with hemodynamics, but was negatively correlated with creatinine clearance (r = -0.76, P < .01). Intraoperative plasma ANP prior to transplantation was strongly correlated with intraoperative plasma ANP after transplantation (r = 0.84, P < .001). Although postoperative plasma ANP was reduced from preoperative plasma ANP by 75%, these two measurements were also significantly correlated (r = 0.70, P < .02). Postoperative plasma ANP was not correlated with hemodynamics, but was negatively correlated with both creatinine clearance (r = -0.65, P < .05) and content of ANP in the native atria (r = -0.75, P < .01). Multiple linear regression analysis suggested that up to 85% of the variability of early postoperative plasma ANP could be accounted for by the variability in these latter two parameters. The decrease in native atrial ANP content, in the context of elevated plasma ANP concentration, is consistent with prior animal studies suggesting that severe heart failure induces cellular adaptations favoring accelerated ANP synthesis and secretion (with resultant reduction in tissue content).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1472665", "title": "Variations of blood PAF-acether levels during coronary artery surgery.", "content": "Extracorporeal circulation (ECC) is associated with thrombocytopenia and transient leukopenia. After ECC and coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery, some patients can develop pulmonary and cardiac dysfunction, which might be related to the release of various mediators such as thromboxane A2, C5a, and C3a anaphylatoxins. The involvement of PAF-acether (PAF), a potent vasoactive thrombocytopenic and leukoneutropenic agent, has not been determined. Therefore, 10 patients were studied during and after CABG. The release of PAF, lipo PAF (PAF bound to blood lipoproteins), and lyso PAF (PAF precursor and metabolite) was measured in blood from the left atrium, radial artery, and pulmonary artery before and after CABG. PAF, lipo PAF, and lyso PAF were also determined during ECC at the entry and exit points of the oxygenator. Hemodynamic parameters, platelet, and leukocyte counts in the pulmonary artery were measured simultaneously. PAF did not increase significantly during ECC; it showed a transitory six-fold increase immediately after CABG in the radial artery (0.18 +/- 0.13 v 1.09 +/- 0.36 ng/mL, P < 0.05), but not in the pulmonary artery (0.10 +/- 0.03 v 0.56 +/- 0.21 ng/mL, P > 0.05). Blood PAF amounts in the radial artery were significantly higher than in the left atrium following ECC (1.09 +/- 0.36 v 0.06 +/- 0.04, P < 0.05), probably indicating PAF production in the heart. No variation of blood lipo PAF and lyso PAF was observed. No correlation was seen between PAF amounts and blood cell count.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1472666", "title": "Should the gas outlet port on membrane oxygenators be routinely scavenged during cardiopulmonary bypass?", "content": "Elimination of a volatile anesthetic agent administered prior to the start of bypass through the oxygenator has not been previously described. The purpose of this study was to determine the contamination risk from enflurane used before but not during cardiopulmonary bypass. Enflurane concentration was measured from the gas outlet port of a membrane oxygenator using infrared gas analysis in 11 cardiac surgical patients. The mean peak concentration at the gas outlet port in patients who had a final end-tidal concentration of < or = 0.3% was 0.08 +/- 0.04%, compared to 0.18 +/- 0.05% in patients with a final end-tidal concentration of more than 0.3%, P < 0.001. The elapsed time to reach peak concentration was 8.3 +/- 8.4 minutes, whereas the elapsed time from the peak concentration to 50% of the peak level was 63.1 +/- 25.1 minutes. At the time of peak enflurane release, a concentration of less than 2 ppm was measured at distances of 10 cm or less from the oxygenator gas outlet port in patients with an end-tidal enflurane of < or = 0.3%. In one patient with a final end-tidal enflurane of 1.1%, a contaminant level of 2 ppm could be measured at 95 cm from the oxygenator gas outlet port. This demonstrates that there is a potential risk of contamination from volatile anesthetics used immediately prior to extracorporeal circulation. Minimizing this risk may necessitate routine scavenging of the oxygenator, or simply avoiding increased concentrations of inhalation anesthesia before initiating cardiopulmonary bypass."}
{"id": "PMID:1472667", "title": "Isoflurane and hypothermic cardiopulmonary bypass: vasodilation without metabolic effects.", "content": "During cardiopulmonary bypass, isoflurane may have beneficial effects on systemic oxygen uptake and vascular resistance. For this reason, the effects of isoflurane during low-flow (1.6 L/min/m2), hypothermic (27 degrees to 29 degrees C) cardiopulmonary bypass on systemic hemodynamics and oxygen uptake were studied in 20 patients in a cross-over experiment. Mean arterial and central venous pressures were measured during two consecutive periods of 10 minutes' duration. Blood samples were aspirated at the end of each period from the arterial and venous lines and analyzed for oxygen content. The concentration of isoflurane in the arterial samples was also determined. Systemic oxygen uptake and vascular resistance were calculated. Isoflurane had no significant effect on systemic oxygen uptake. Significant inverse relationships between blood isoflurane concentration and both mean arterial pressure and systemic vascular resistance were found. It is concluded that isoflurane is a vasodilator under the abnormal conditions of hypothermic cardiopulmonary bypass, but has no effect on systemic oxygen uptake."}
{"id": "PMID:1472668", "title": "The utility of a double-lumen tube for one-lung ventilation in a variety of noncardiac thoracic surgical procedures.", "content": "To determine the utility of one-lung ventilation (OLV) in a variety of noncardiac thoracic surgical procedures, 200 patients were studied to document the ease of double-lumen tube (DLT) placement, associated complications, intraoperative respiratory changes, and methods for managing hypoxic events. Most tubes could be placed, repositioned when necessary, and secured within 12 minutes. By defining tube position with fiberoptic bronchoscopy, auscultatory assessment of placement was found to be incorrect in 38.0% of patients. The tip occluded the respective upper lobe orifice in 40.5% of this subgroup, the endobronchial cuff was at or above the carina in 38.7%, and in the wrong mainstem bronchus in 20.8%. During OLV, PaO2 initially fell to approximately 200 mmHg in most patients but gradually rose during the balance of the operation. Hypoxia (PaO2 less than 80 mmHg) during OLV developed in 28.5% of patients. Preoperative spirometry and arterial blood gases had no predictive value for this complication. Pulse oximetry values between 95% and 100% reliably reflected systemic arterial oxygen saturation. Hypoxia occurring during OLV was successfully reversed in 40.0% of instances by positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) to the ventilated lung. The addition of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) to the nonventilated lung reversed persistent hypoxia in virtually all cases. There was no difference in oxygenation, carbon dioxide elimination, airway pressures, or intraoperative complications noted between right and left double-lumen tubes. In conclusion, a DLT for OLV can expeditiously and safely be placed. Because auscultation for tube position is unreliable, bronchoscopic assessment of final position should be performed in every instance. Hypoxia during OLV can be detected reliably by pulse oximetry.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1472669", "title": "Safety of a guidewire technique for replacement of pulmonary artery catheters.", "content": "The purpose of this study was to determine if a guidewire change from a pulmonary artery catheter (PAC) to a central venous catheter (CVC) poses a significant infection risk. A total of 128 consecutive cardiac surgical patients with PACs inserted in the operating room were entered into this study. Postoperatively, patients were randomly allocated to receive a double-lumen CVC, either at the initial introducer insertion site over a guidewire, or at a new site with de novo catheterization. The tips of all introducers, PACs, and CVCs were cut off, cultured, and semi-quantitatively analyzed. The results show that insertion of CVCs over a guidewire within 48 hours after initial venapuncture is no more likely to be associated with catheter colonization than is de novo percutaneous insertion at a different site. From 48 hours up to 72 hours following initial insertion of the PAC, an incidence of catheter-related infection of 35.3% was observed in the guidewire group, as opposed to 12.5% in the de novo group. It is recommended that the use of a guidewire technique for catheter replacement (PAC to CVC) is a safe alternative to de novo insertion of a CVC within 48 hours after initial insertion of the PAC. In order to minimize the potential risk of catheter-related infection and bacteremia in cardiac surgical patients, de novo catheterization beyond 48 hours after initial venapuncture is suggested."}
{"id": "PMID:1472678", "title": "Con: whole blood transfusions are not useful in patients undergoing cardiac surgery.", "content": "Data supporting fresh whole blood transfusion or fresh component therapy are nonblinded, and although both are conceptually attractive, neither can be considered proven. Recent blinded studies reflect fresh blood ineffectiveness. Larger, blinded, randomized trials will need to be performed. Proven methods of blood conservation as well as standardized criteria for transfusion of blood components will more effectively decrease homologous blood transfusion. Transfusion of fresh or banked whole blood, or its components, has yet to be shown to decrease the usage of homologous blood products."}
{"id": "PMID:1472684", "title": "[Fiber endoscopy in the extraction of foreign bodies from the gastrointestinal tract].", "content": "23 patients that they swallowed foreign bodies, were treated. There were 16 male and 7 female, between 3 and 85 years old; 6 children and 17 adults. Of all, 7 were psychiatric patients. 15 foreign bodies were removed by upper digestive fiberendoscopy and 2, by procto/colonoscopy, without early nor late complications. 8 foreign bodies were eliminated spontaneously through the rectum/anus. Fiberendoscopy is an excellent method for treatment in these clinical problems."}
{"id": "PMID:1472685", "title": "[Surgical mortality and long-term recurrence of ileocecal volvulus].", "content": "Acute ileocecal volvulus is a condition of the abdomen which requires emergency treatment and is currently managed by several methods with a mortality rate of 25%. Surgical options include detorsion, cecostomy for nongangrenous volvulus or resection when gangrene is present. We studied the mortality and recurrence rate of ileocecal volvulus. This retrospective analysis evaluated 16 patients who underwent operation at Belen Hospital, Trujillo, Peru, between January 1966 and August 1992. As of August 1992, median follow-up was 160 months for 13 surviving patients (range, 6 to 307 months). Eleven men and 5 women with a median age of 52.3 + 21.1 years (range, 9 months to 83 years) formed the study population. Sixty eight percent of cases were 41 to 80 years of age and all women were than 40 years of age. Most of them were from the Peruvian Andes (81.3%), were from Indian and Spanish extraction (93.7%), and farmers (50%). Twelve patients (75%) developed a chronic ileocecal volvulus and 4 (25%) had an acute presentation. The clinical picture presented as large bowel obstruction in all patients. An ileocecal volvulus was accurately diagnosed by plain films of the abdomen in only 2 patients (16%) pre-operatively. A variety of procedures were used: cecopexy (9 cases), right hemicolectomy (3 cases) simple detorsion (2 cases), Mickulics exteriorization-resection (1 case) and cecostomy (1 case). The operative mortality rate was 18.7%. There were no recurrences after cecopexy. The most frequent post-operative complications were bronchopneumonia (18.7%), and wound infection (18.7%).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1472686", "title": "[Malignant neoplasms of the gallbladder and extrahepatic bile ducts. A clinicopathological review of 81 cases].", "content": "We study the clinic, surgical pathologic aspects of 81 patients with cancer of the gallbladder and extrahepatic bile ducts, dividing them in 4 groups by localization. The majority of cases were women, the average in age was 57.05 years with the greatest incidence between the 5th and 6th decade of life. We can conclude that the symptoms and signs are not useful as well as the laboratory and radiologic test. Adenocarcinoma was the most common type of cancer and the outcome of the patients was very poor because cancer has grown beyond the limits of resectability before it is clinically apparent. Its important to be aware that 80% of the cancers of the gallbladder had lithiasis."}
{"id": "PMID:1472687", "title": "[Predisposing factors, clinical picture and mortality in volvulus of the small intestine].", "content": "This retrospective study evaluated predisposing factors, clinical picture and the methods of treatment related to morbidity and mortality of 19 small bowel volvulus (SBV) who underwent operation at Belen Hospital (Trujillo-Peru) during the last 26 years (1966-1992). The SBV was 1.6% of all cases of intestinal obstruction in this period and 10.8% of all intestinal volvulus. The median age was of 43 +/- 20.5 years (range, 6 to 78 years) and the majority of them were between 41 and 60 years. Sixteen cases (84.2%) were men from Indian and Spanish extraction and most of them were farmers and came from the Sierra of the Department of La Libertad. Two cases (10.5%) had non-related antecedents previous surgery. In six patients (31.6%) the volvulus was less than seven day's duration and in thirty (68.4%) it was more eight day's duration with previous attacks of obstruction (median: 19.3 days, range: 17 hours to 94 days). Pain, vomiting and distention were present in almost all of these cases. The most frequent abdominal finding was distention. The location of the volvulus was: ileum, 12 cases (63.2%), root of mesentery, 4 cases (21%) and jejunum, 3 cases (15.8%). Gangrenous bowel was present in six patients (31.5) and gangrenous intestine with perforation in two cases (10.5%) who underwent resection of the involved segment with primary anastomosis. In this group one patient (5.2%) died of sepsis and the wound infection rate was of 37.5%. There was no statistically significant correlation with the duration of illness and the presence of gangrenous loops or the mortality rate (p > 0.05).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1472688", "title": "Detection and prevention of colon cancer by colonoscopy.", "content": "It is widely accepted that most carcinomas of the colon and rectum develop through the adenoma-to-carcinoma sequence. A recent review characterizes the various relationships between colorectal polyps and carcinoma. Tierney and Associates list several studies that show the frequent coexistence of adenomatous polyps with carcinoma of the colon or rectum. The incidence of polyps in patients with carcinoma of the colon and rectum ranges from 12.9% to 62%. Retrospective reports show a lower incidence of polyps in patients with carcinoma of the colon or rectum (13.7% to 23%). However, colon segments resected for carcinoma of the colon have a significant incidence of associated adenomatous polyps (15% to 28%). In patients with carcinoma of the colon or rectum undergoing preoperative fiberoptic colonoscopy there is a percentage of polyps larger than 5mm in diameter ranging between 36% and 62%. There is also a higher rate of both synchronous and metachronous carcinomas in patients in whom polyps coexist with the primary malignant lesion. The rate of metachronous carcinomas in patients with associated polyps at the time the first tumor was discovered is reported to be twice as great as for patients who did not have polyps (2.6% versus 1.14%, respectively). Synchronous malignant lesions were detected in 11% of patients with polyps but in only 0.7% of patients without polyps. In patients with multiple polyps coexistent with the original carcinoma, synchronous malignant lesions are found in 14.6% of patients and metachronous malignant lesions developed in 12.4%.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1472690", "title": "Effect of triiodothyronine on rat liver polysome profiles and translational activity of mRNA after partial hepatectomy.", "content": "The administration of 3,5,3'-L-triiodothyronine (T3) (200 micrograms/100 g) to rats immediately after partial hepatectomy led to an increase in total polysome content of residual hepatocytes (as measured 18 h postoperatively) which exceeded that observed after partial hepatectomy in the absence of hormone. The percentage of free ribosome pool remained the same after partial hepatectomy irrespectively on the absence or presence of T3. After partial hepatectomy the sedimentation pattern of total polysomal fraction (isolated 18 h postoperatively) shifted towards smaller aggregates as compared with that isolated from sham operated animals. T3 did not affect this pattern. The translational capacity of mRNA isolated from regenerating liver after 18 h was higher than that of mRNA isolated from sham operated animals. T3 increased the translational capacity of mRNA isolated from regenerating liver if administered immediately after surgery. Two dimensional electrophoresis of translated products showed that one of the typical proteins recently characterized with Mr 25,000 pI 6.9 appeared after partial hepatectomy and was significantly increased when T3 was administered immediately after surgery. These results show that thyroid hormone can enhance some of the characteristics features of liver regeneration involved in the synthesis of proteins typical for the process of liver regeneration."}
{"id": "PMID:1472691", "title": "N-methyl-D-aspartic acid injected peripherally stimulates oxytocin and vasopressin release.", "content": "The effects of N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA), injected s.c. or i.p. in the dose range of 2.5-10 mg/kg, on oxytocin and vasopressin levels were assessed in conscious rats. NMDA administration was found to induce a dose-related increase in oxytocin concentration with a peak response at 7.5 min. Plasma vasopressin was elevated only after injection of the highest dose used (10 mg/kg). Thus, though at different thresholds, the release of both posterior pituitary hormones was stimulated after NMDA administration."}
{"id": "PMID:1472692", "title": "On the blood-brain barrier to peptides: effects of immobilization stress on regional blood supply and accumulation of labelled peptides in the rat brain.", "content": "Tritiated arginine-vasopressin (AVP), desglycinamide-vasopressin (DGAVP), chicken gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) or carbetocin were injected intracarotidally into rats exposed to a restraint stress for 60 min. The peptide accumulations were determined in 9-13 brain regions and anterior pituitary. In separate experiments the cerebral blood flow was measured. The blood supply to the brain was decreased in stressed animals as indicated by: 1. significant decrease (17-50%) of cerebral blood flow; 2. diminished accumulation of tritiated AVP in the regions lacking a blood-brain barrier (BBB). Consequently, the values of peptide accumulation were corrected for the changed blood supply. Compared with control animals, restraint stress induced a higher accumulation of AVP (+41%), DGAVP (+60%), carbetocin (+81%) and GnRH (+104%)."}
{"id": "PMID:1472693", "title": "Neonatal erythropoiesis. I. Peripheral blood erythropoietic parameters: data suggest erythropoietin transfer via maternal milk.", "content": "In this study peripheral blood erythropoietic parameters in 9 to 12-day-old neonatal rats suckled by experimentally-induced anemic mothers were examined. Stimulation of erythropoiesis in these pups was judged by increases in hematocrit, hemoglobin, mean corpuscular hemoglobin and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration. Failure to observe increases in reticulocytes may be, in part, the result of decreased maturation time, as indicated by reticulocyte Heilmeyer maturation indices in peripheral blood. The reticulocyte maturation curve was shifted to the left in neonates nursing from anemic mothers. These results suggest that erythropoietin (Ep) is transmitted to suckling rats via maternal milk, and by escaping inactivation in their gastrointestinal tract stimulates their erythropoiesis. These findings, in agreement with our previous work, are supportive of studies by others and further indicate a maternal-neonatal erythropoietic relation in rats."}
{"id": "PMID:1472694", "title": "Luteinization of ovaries and gonadotrophin and prolactin secretion in rats with posterior hypothalamic lesions.", "content": "Posterior hypothalamic lesions restricted to the mammillary body in newborn rats evoked significantly elevated serum prolactin concentrations (P < 0.05) in adult females in the afternoon of proestrous (16.00 h), while at the same time serum LH values appeared significantly depressed (P < 0.05) as compared to controls. FSH concentrations were not affected. Parallel to changes in hormonal pattern, the ovaries of the lesioned animals grew to excessive dimensions due to the accumulation and persistence of numerous corpora lutea (CL) (syndrome of hyperluteinized ovaries). The results suggest that the posterior hypothalamus can regulate prolactin and LH secretion and that the fate of CL is associated with a quantitative ratio in the circulation of at least two hormones, prolactin and LH."}
{"id": "PMID:1472700", "title": "PCR detection of structurally abnormal Y chromosomes.", "content": "Three probes each detecting a locus on the proximal long arm of the Y chromosome were partially sequenced. Thus, 3 sets of novel primers were developed which enable PCR detection of these 3 loci. Five previously reported primer sets, 3 on the short arm and each one on the centromere and the distal long arm, were mapped along with the novel three using a mapping panel consisted of 8 patients each with different structural abnormality of the Y chromosome. Now, PCR detection of these 8 loci covering an entire length of the Y chromosome has become possible enabling rapid screening of patients with Y chromosome aberrations."}
{"id": "PMID:1472696", "title": "Social identity and the International Classification of Handicaps: an evaluation of the consequences of facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy.", "content": "The objective of this study was to evaluate the consequences of facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSH MD) using two different but complementary procedures: an analysis based on the three different dimensions of disablement developed by the WHO--impairment, disability, and handicap--and a study of the psychological repercussions on social identity. Sixty-eight individuals with FSH MD, with 68 members of a control group, responded to a battery of psychosocial questions. Individuals with muscular dystrophy were also studied with reference to the dimensions of impairment, disability and handicap. The results showed that there are close correlations among measures of the three dimensions of disablement. Evaluations made by people with muscular dystrophy of the seriousness of their own disablement are strongly linked to objective measures of impairment. Furthermore, we found that having muscular dystrophy does have certain consequences for an individual's self-identity, although the degree to which one's self-image is validated is to some extent independent of the seriousness of the illness."}
{"id": "PMID:1472701", "title": "Rapid preparation of diagnostic probes for the fragile X syndrome by direct PCR amplification of human chromosomal DNA.", "content": "The fragile X syndrome is a common familial form of mental retardation and is associated with a rare fragile site at Xq27.3 (FRAXA). This disorder has recently been reported to correlate with length variations of restriction genomic DNA fragments which may due to the amplification of (CCG)n trinucleotide repeats located at the FRAXA locus. We described here a rapid preparation method of diagnostic DNA probes for the fragile X syndrome by direct enzymatic amplification of human chromosomal DNA. The PstI-assay, which is Southern blot analysis of DNA samples probed by PCR products, was shown to be sensitive method for diagnostic purposes to detect the size variations specific in the fragile X syndrome."}
{"id": "PMID:1472695", "title": "Objective parameters in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for neuromuscular diagnosis: preliminary findings.", "content": "T1 relaxation time (T1 time), T2 relaxation time (T2 time), and proton (rho) density in the thigh muscles of 20 normal healthy volunteers and three patients with muscle atrophy in the lower extremity were measured in order to select the useful MRI parameters for neuromuscular diagnosis. Since the standard deviation (SD) of both T1 and T2 times in each muscle was found to be within a relatively small range, these values were expected to be useful MRI parameters for neuromuscular diagnosis. On the contrary, rho density was not a valid parameter for diagnosis, as it was demonstrated to have large SDs in the muscles. The differences of these parameters in the three patients also supported the fact that MRI was useful for discriminating between the various types of muscular abnormalities based on relaxation times. The longer T1 and T2 times in women suggested that the content of water in skeletal muscle was higher in women than in men. Moreover, the T1 time in the dominant limbs was found to be shorter than in the non-dominant limbs for rectus femoris only in both men and women, while there were no differences in T2 time in these muscles."}
{"id": "PMID:1472697", "title": "A regional survey of the housing circumstances of families with children experiencing intellectual and motor disabilities.", "content": "Housing is an important aspect in promoting the home care of disabled children, but also one which is too often forgotten by professionals. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the housing conditions and the need for modifications, of 204 families with disabled children using technical aids. The housing condition of the families was good compared to average Finnish families with children. One hundred and sixty families had made no housing modifications, but 48 families had need for them, most often to bathrooms and toilets. The need increased with the severity of the children's motor and intellectual disabilities and the need to provide care in line with the number of technical aids in use. It is concluded that families with disabled children need more information on the possibilities for carrying out housing modifications, and that home visits by a case manager are important to evaluate environmental factors affecting the care."}
{"id": "PMID:1472698", "title": "Researching disability: the way forward.", "content": "This paper critically examines the individualistic and medicalized assumptions underlying much research on disability. The OPCS surveys of disability, in particular, are examined. Based on the perceptions of disabled people and their organizations, and drawing on a series of seminars on disability research which took place in 1991, an alternative social view of disability is presented and applied to research. It is concluded that the assumptions underlying much disability research, especially when they are translated into practice, are oppressive to disabled people, and that participatory and emancipatory research needs to be developed in order to assist disabled people in their struggle for empowerment."}
{"id": "PMID:1472702", "title": "Expressivity of a common fragile site, fra(3)(p14.2), in patients with cancer and other diseases.", "content": "A population survey of a common folate-sensitive fragile site, fra(3)(p14.2), has been carried out on PHA-stimulated peripheral lymphocytes of patients with cancer and other diseases, under both culture conditions of folate deprivation and aphidicolin treatment. Overall findings regarding variability of expressivity due to age and sex were very similar to those obtained in a healthy population. The expression of fra(3)(p14.2) by folate deficient condition appeared hardly influenced by such exogenous factors as tobacco smoking habit, past histories of radiotherapy and chemotherapy, while it was associated with the unfavorable prognosis of cancers. Furthermore, proportion of those with higher expression was slightly but significantly larger in both lung and breast cancer patients. These findings suggest that some factors relevant to the expression of fra(3)(p14.2) may be associated with development and progression of certain kinds of cancer."}
{"id": "PMID:1472703", "title": "Chromosome abnormalities and rare fragile sites detected in azoospermia patients.", "content": "We have examined constitutional chromosome abnormalities and fragile sites in 40 patients with azoospermia. Chromosome abnormalities were found in four cases. Three cases showed a deletion of the long arm of the Y chromosome 46,X,del(Yq) and the other case had a ring of G group chromosome 46,XY,r(G). In a rare fragile sites test, four fragile site carriers were detected and three rare autosomal fragile sites were identified; fra(8)(q24.1), fra(11)(p15.1), and fra(17)(p12). The expression of these fragile sites were induced specifically by AT-specific DNA ligands, such as distamycin A and Hoechst 33258. In addition, one patient was found to be the case of double ascertainment of fragile sites, fra(8)(q24.1) and fra(17)(p12). The overall frequency of distamycin A-inducible fragile sites in azoospermia patients appeared to be higher than those reported for Japanese healthy subjects and cancer patients. However, no significant relation among fragile sites, clinical and histological findings has been detected so far."}
{"id": "PMID:1472699", "title": "The control of genu recurvatum by combining the Swedish knee-cage and an ankle-foot brace.", "content": "Genu recurvatum is a consequence of a poor control over the knee joint due to muscle weakness, impaired tonus and deficit in joint proprioception. Uncontrolled locking of the knee during ambulation causes recurrent microtrauma which leads to degenerative changes and instability. Known methods to control hyperextension of the knee during ambulation often fail. We have used the Swedish knee-cage attached to ankle-foot brace in an attempt to improve control over the knee in three patients. Gait analysis was performed to evaluate the effectiveness of this combined orthosis. Quality of gait improved, as demonstrated by a decrease in stance time asymmetry in the order of 45%; stride increased by 29% and speed of ambulation increased by 72%."}
{"id": "PMID:1472704", "title": "Physical parameters in Japanese newborns.", "content": "A total of 19 physical parameters of the head, face, chest, and the fingers were examined in Japanese 50 male and 50 female newborns, measured 8 to 64 hr after birth. Exceptional values were excluded referring to the estimated mean and standard deviations. Normal values are presented as mean +/- 2 S.D. for each sex. As compared with Caucasian newborns, the Japanese newborns showed longer inner canthal and shorter outer canthal distances, shorter ear lengths, and longer palm and middle finger lengths."}
{"id": "PMID:1472705", "title": "Interstitial deletion of the long arm of chromosome 11: report of a case and review of the literature.", "content": "A 12-month-old female infant with developmental delay, growth retardation, and dysmorphic features including dolichocephaly, telecanthus, ptosis, flat nasal bridge, anteverted nares, high-arched palate, carp-shaped mouth, micro-retrognathia, and low-set and posteriorly rotated ears was found to have an interstitial deletion of chromosome 11 involving bands q14-q22. Immunoblot analysis of her fibroblasts revealed a normal amount of mitochondrial acetoacetyl-coenzyme A thiolase, of which gene locus has been assigned to chromosome 11q22.3-q23.1. This result suggested that the region around the boundary of 11q22.3-q23.1 was intact in this patient."}
{"id": "PMID:1472706", "title": "A case of atypical Duchenne type muscular dystrophy with fragile X.", "content": "The patient was a 9-year-old boy. He began to walk at the age 1 year and 8 months and began to speak at the age of 2 years, suggesting retarded mental and motor development. A diagnosis of DMD was made when he was 7 years old. On admission, the patient exhibited a peculiar thin and long face, large auricles, narrow palate, malalignment of the teeth, epicanthus, saddle nose, and simian lines in addition to symptoms consistent with DMD. Chromosome analysis showed fragile X at Xq27 at a frequency of 20%. His mother also showed fragile X at the same position. Since the atypical features of this DMD patient are all explained as fragile X syndrome, this case was considered to be a very rare instance of DMD whose clinical pictures were modified by fragile X syndrome."}
{"id": "PMID:1472707", "title": "Neurospora crassa blue-light-inducible gene bli-7 encodes a short hydrophobic protein.", "content": "Blue light induces a number of physiological reactions in Neurospora crassa. We have cloned and sequenced the gene bli-7, which is inducible by blue light, and both glucose and nitrogen starvation. This gene is strongly expressed at the RNA-level and contributes up to 0.2% of N. crassa total RNA when fully induced. The deduced amino acid sequence reveals a short (108 amino acids), hydrophobic protein which has homology to the protein SC-3, encoded by a gene of Schizophyllum commune which was isolated as a gene abundantly expressed at the time of fruiting. The amino-terminus of BLI-7 protein shows resemblance to a number of transit peptides. The comparison of the nucleotide sequence of the promoter region with various N. crassa promoters reveals a striking similarity to the promoter of grg-1, a glucose repressible gene."}
{"id": "PMID:1472708", "title": "The replication origin of the Methylomonas clara plasmid pBE-2.", "content": "The Methylomonas clara narrow host range plasmids pBE-2 and pBE-3 belong to the class of plasmids encoding a trans acting replication initiation factor. Characteristically for such plasmids, the sequence of the origin of pBE-2 and pBE-3 contains a number of large direct repeats (8 and a half iterons of 19 bp), which by analogy are putative binding sites of the trans acting replication factor. Several additional features typical for the majority of E. coli plasmids were found in the M. clara origin: These include sequences homologous to the E. coli DnaA-box, sequences resembling E. coli IHF binding-sites, an AT-rich region with short repeats (similar to those repeats of E. coli origins responsible for an initial DNA duplex opening), and an AT-rich bent DNA region containing inverted repeats which have homology to small repeated sequences found in several plasmid origins. In addition, in the M. clara plasmid origin, large potential hairpin structures are present and the sequence of one of these participates in site specific recombination."}
{"id": "PMID:1472709", "title": "Molecular cloning of mouse alcohol dehydrogenase-B2 cDNA: nucleotide sequences of the class III ADH genes evolve slowly even for silent substitutions.", "content": "We have cloned and sequenced a cDNA encoding the mouse class III alcohol dehydrogenase, Adh-B2. Adh-B2 mRNA is detectable in all the mouse tissues tested. Class III ADHs are highly conserved: the deduced amino acid sequence of the mouse Adh-B2 is 91 to 97% identical to the human, horse and rat liver enzymes. The mouse Adh-B2 cDNA is 87% identical in nucleotide sequence to the human chi-ADH cDNA. Previously, a slower rate of evolutionary divergence of the amino acid sequences of class III ADH proteins was detected and ascribed to functional constraints upon the protein. Our analysis of the nucleotide sequences demonstrates that this cannot be the entire explanation, since the rate of silent (synonymous) nucleotide substitutions is also lower in the class III ADHs than in the class I ADHs."}
{"id": "PMID:1472710", "title": "The HIT protein family: a new family of proteins present in prokaryotes, yeast and mammals.", "content": "By comparing the sequence of a putative translation product from a Saccharomyces cerevisiae split gene with several data-bases, I have uncovered a new protein family. Members of this family are found in prokaryotes as well as in lower and higher eukaryotes. The function of these proteins is unknown but they share a characteristic histidine triad that may be involved in zinc binding. This group of protein has been named the HIT protein family."}
{"id": "PMID:1472711", "title": "Cloning and sequencing of European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax L.) growth hormone cDNA using polymerase chain reaction and degenerate oligonucleotides.", "content": "To clone and sequence the cDNA of the growth hormone of European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax L.) (sbGH), total pituitary RNA was reverse transcribed and amplified using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Degenerate oligonucleotides, designed by comparing available GH cDNA sequences from related teleost species, were used as primers to amplify the 5' end and the core region of sbGH cDNA, while the 3' end was amplified according to the Rapid Amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) method. SbGH cDNA contains an open reading frame encoding a preprotein of 204 amino acids. The deduced amino acid sequence shows a putative signal peptide of 17 amino acids, suggesting that the mature hormone consists of 187 amino acids. Sequence comparison indicates a high degree of conservation of GH cDNAs within the Percoidei infraorder. Our procedure based on degenerate oligonucleotides and PCR provides a straightforward approach to clone GH cDNAs from other related bony fishes."}
{"id": "PMID:1472712", "title": "The nucleotide sequence of a putative membrane transport gene from Clostridium perfringens.", "content": "A gene from Clostridium perfringens encoding a highly hydrophobic polypeptide of M(r) = 30,698 was cloned and sequenced. The polypeptide showed similarities with the inner membrane proteins of binding protein-dependent transport systems of the gram negative enterobacteria. The sequence homology to the UgpE and MalG proteins of Escherichia coli was 27.6%, or 60.4 and 52.2%, respectively, taking into account the conservative amino acid changes. The polypeptide contained the EAA---G---------(I/V)-LP motif of the gram negative transport proteins. This motif may thus be very old, as clostridia and E. coli separated some 1.5 x 10(9) years ago. The similarities suggest a common evolutionary origin of these genes."}
{"id": "PMID:1472713", "title": "The primary structure of Providencia rettgeri penicillin G amidase gene and its relationship to other gram negative amidases.", "content": "The nucleotide sequence of Penicillin G amidase (PA,E.C.3.5.1.11) of Providencia rettgeri was determined. We aligned our P. rettgeri PA with other known Gram negative periplasmically located beta-lactam amidases. The analysis revealed a high homology with other Enterobacteric amidases (60%-65%), while with similar Pseudomonas sp. amidases the homology exceeded 25%. These homologies indicate their common ancestry."}
{"id": "PMID:1472714", "title": "Disease development in ethylene-insensitive Arabidopsis thaliana infected with virulent and avirulent Pseudomonas and Xanthomonas pathogens.", "content": "The plant hormone ethylene has been hypothesized to play roles both in disease resistance and in disease susceptibility. These processes were examined by using isogenic virulent and avirulent bacterial pathogens and mutants of Arabidopsis thaliana that were altered in ethylene physiology. Ethylene-insensitive ein1 and ein2 mutants of Arabidopsis were resistant to Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato made avirulent by the addition of the cloned avirulence genes avrRpt2, avrRpm1, or avrB; this suggests that ethylene is not required for active resistance against avirulent bacteria. In a second set of experiments, susceptibility was monitored with virulent P. s. pv. tomato, P. s. pv. maculicola, or Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris strains. Wild-type Arabidopsis and ein1 mutants were susceptible to these strains, but ein2 mutants developed only minimal disease symptoms. Despite these reduced symptoms, virulent P. s. pv. tomato grew extensively within ein2 leaves. The Pseudomonas phytotoxin coronatine induces ethylene biosynthesis and diseaselike symptoms on many plant species, but the reduced symptomology of ein2 mutants could not be attributed to insensitivity to coronatine. The enhanced disease tolerance of ein2 plants suggests that ethylene may mediate pathogen-induced damage, but the absence of tolerance in ein1 mutants has yet to be explained."}
{"id": "PMID:1472715", "title": "Replication and movement of a coat protein mutant of cymbidium ringspot tombusvirus.", "content": "The spread of cymbidium ringspot tombusvirus (CyRSV) in host tissue was studied by using a coat protein gene mutant with a six-nucleotide deletion; the deletion removes two amino acids from the shell domain (S) of the capsid protein. Mutated protein subunits were synthesized in infected cells but could not assemble into virus particles. Virions were formed, however, with inoculation of mutated RNA in transgenic plants expressing normal CyRSV coat protein. The mutant is restricted in long-distance movement in Nicotiana clevelandii, whereas it spreads systemically in N. benthamiana. These results suggest that tombusviruses may spread either as complete virions or in a nonvirion form, depending on the host plant species."}
{"id": "PMID:1472717", "title": "Determinants of pathogenicity in Xanthomonas campestris pv. vesicatoria are related to proteins involved in secretion in bacterial pathogens of animals.", "content": "One of the model systems investigated for studying plant bacterial pathogenesis is Xanthomonas campestris pv vesicatoria, the causal agent of bacterial spot disease of pepper and tomato. Genes necessary for both basic pathogenicity and the induction of the hypersensitive response in resistant plants (hrp genes) were previously isolated from X. c. pv. vesicatoria and characterized genetically. As a first step toward functional analysis, part of the hrp gene cluster, making up several loci, was sequenced. Here, we report the first indications of the function of hrp genes. Striking similarities to proteins from the mammalian pathogens Shigella flexneri, Yersinia enterocolitica, Y. pestis, and other bacteria were discovered. Proteins encoded by genes within the X. c. pv. vesicatoria loci hrpA, hrpB, and hrpC are similar to ATPases and to Yersinia Ysc and LcrD proteins, which are involved in secretion of Yop proteins, a particular class of essential pathogenicity factors produced by Yersinia species. This finding indicates, for the first time, that the fundamental determinants of pathogenicity may be conserved among bacterial pathogens of plants and animals. We hypothesize that hrp genes are involved in the secretion of molecules essential for the interaction of X. c. pv. vesicatoria with the plant."}
{"id": "PMID:1472716", "title": "hrp genes of Pseudomonas solanacearum are homologous to pathogenicity determinants of animal pathogenic bacteria and are conserved among plant pathogenic bacteria.", "content": "The majority of bacterial plant diseases are caused by members of three bacterial genera, Pseudomonas, Xanthomonas, and Erwinia. The identification and characterization of mutants that have lost the abilities to provoke disease symptoms on a compatible host and to induce a defensive hypersensitive reaction (HR) on an incompatible host have led to the discovery of clusters of hrp genes (hypersensitive reaction and pathogenicity) in phytopathogenic bacteria from each of these genera. Here, we report that predicted protein sequences of three hrp genes from Pseudomonas solanacearum show remarkable sequence similarity to key virulence determinants of animal pathogenic bacteria of the genus Yersinia. We also demonstrate DNA homologies between P. solanacearum hrp genes and hrp gene clusters of P. syringae pv. phaseolicola, Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris, and Erwinia amylovora. By comparing the role of the Yersinia determinants in the control of the extracellular production of proteins required for pathogenicity, we propose that hrp genes code for an export system that might be conserved among many diverse bacterial pathogens of plants and animals but that is distinct from the general export pathway."}
{"id": "PMID:1472722", "title": "Epidemiology of bovine anaplasmosis and babesiosis in Latin America and the Caribbean.", "content": "The various parameters which interact in the epizootiology of babesiosis and anaplasmosis and which it is necessary to obtain in a survey are analysed and the two diseases compared. Where no data are available from Latin America and the Caribbean, the references from Australia and the United States of America are discussed. The two principal objectives of a study on the epidemiology of babesiosis and anaplasmosis are: to determine the risk of occurrence to understand the relevant factors leading to outbreaks. The first objective is relatively simple to achieve for both diseases by calculating the animal inoculation rate (h) at a determined age and the critical value of h for enzootic stability. The second objective requires exhaustive and complex studies. For babesiosis epidemiology, studies of the tick infection rate, cattle infestation rate, genetic composition of cattle, acaricides, stocking rate, climatic data and other factors are necessary. Anaplasmosis epidemiology cannot be satisfactorily explained by considering it purely as a tick-borne disease. Difficulties to be overcome include the great diversity of haematophagous Diptera in Latin America, and the scarcity of data on the capacity of these insects as anaplasmosis vectors and their feed preferences on cattle."}
{"id": "PMID:1472718", "title": "Identification of a new inducible nodulation gene in Azorhizobium caulinodans.", "content": "The narrow host range bacterial strain Azorhizobium caulinodans ORS571 induces the formation of nitrogen-fixing nodules on the root and stem of the tropical legume Sesbania rostrata. Here, a new flavonoid-inducible locus of ORS571 is described, locus 4. The locus was identified and isolated via the occurrence of particular sequences, the gamma and delta elements. These elements are reiterated in the ORS571 genome, linked to symbiotic loci. Sequencing of locus 4 showed the presence of an open reading frame (ORF6) that is flanked downstream by a gamma element and upstream by a delta element. The gamma element is approximately 180 bp in size, and shows homology to the insertion element ISRm3, an insertion sequence belonging to a distinct class of IS elements. The delta element is about 300 bp in size and has homology with repeated sequences found in other Rhizobiaceae. The ORF6 gene product shows a low, but significant homology to the mouse mastocytoma antigen P35B (Szikora et al., EMBO J. 9: 1041-1050, 1990) and to a class of NAD/NADP-binding sugar epimerase/dehydrogenases (Pissowotzki et al., Mol. Gen. Genet. 231: 113-213, 1991). Immediately upstream from ORF6, a nod box-related sequence is present, the arrangement of which is fully consistent with a recently presented model for the nod box structure (Goethals et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 89: 1646-1650, 1992). Insertional inactivation of ORF6 did not affect the nodulation and fixation performance on S. rostrata. However, on S. formosa roots the nodulation kinetics of such a mutant was clearly affected (about 5 days delay). We propose to call this new symbiotic gene nolK."}
{"id": "PMID:1472719", "title": "Sequential expression of two late nodulin genes in the infected cells of alfalfa root nodules.", "content": "The Nms-22 and leghemoglobin (Lb) genes are expressed exclusively in the infected cells of alfalfa root nodules. Expression of these two late nodulin genes originated at distinct cellular boundaries within the symbiotic region of the nodule. The Nms-22 gene was expressed in all infected cells, including those just adjacent to the meristematic region. Lb gene expression was induced in older infected cells and was most prominent in the mature region of the nodule. Despite this temporal separation of gene expression, both the Nms-22 and Lb genes were expressed in nodules elicited by bacA mutants in which bacteroid development has been blocked just after release from the infection thread."}
{"id": "PMID:1472723", "title": "Practical significance of rabies antibodies in cats and dogs.", "content": "Doubt has sometimes been cast upon the protective effect of rabies antibodies in serum. Animals and humans suffering from fatal rabies often produce high antibody titres, while rabies cases are also observed in vaccinated animals. Cellular immunity is also largely involved in protection. Nevertheless, a large number of laboratory experiments and field observations clearly demonstrate that cats and dogs which develop antibodies after vaccination and before challenge have a very high probability of surviving any challenge, no matter how strong the dose and which virus strain was used. Rabies antibody titration can, therefore, afford a strong additional guarantee to the vaccination certificates accompanying domestic carnivores during transportation between countries. Quarantine rules should also be adapted to the epidemiological features in the exporting country, e.g. statistics of vaccination failure in cats and dogs and host-virus adaptation of the rabies strains circulating in these countries."}
{"id": "PMID:1472724", "title": "Observations on rinderpest in Kenya, 1986-1989.", "content": "Rinderpest was confirmed in Kenya in 1986, 1987, 1988 and 1989. Three epidemiologically distinct events appear to have occurred: repeated outbreaks in West Pokot district related to cross-border movement of stock, an outbreak in Marsabit district in 1987 (thought to have been caused by illegal movement of cattle, possibly in vehicles, from countries further north) and a series of related outbreaks in and near Nairobi between 1988 and 1989 due to the unauthorized movement from abattoirs and holding grounds of slaughter stock possibly introduced from West Pokot or Marsabit. In West Pokot the disease affected unvaccinated calves and yearlings. In Marsabit cattle of all ages were affected. In August 1988, a major outbreak was confirmed in Kiambu and Kajiado districts in central Kenya, near Nairobi. At the same time a provisional diagnosis of rinderpest was made in a herd of cattle at a slaughterhouse in Nairobi. Rinderpest virus was isolated from sick cattle in all the outbreaks. Experimental infection of susceptible cattle with the Kiambu isolate demonstrated this to be of low virulence. Emergency vaccination and quarantine measures instituted immediately after confirmation eliminated clinical disease within three to four weeks in West Pokot, Kiambu and Nairobi. In Kajiado, however, the disease persisted for at least nine months, during which time a series of virus isolates was recovered. There was no evidence of infection in susceptible wildlife. This increase in the incidence of rinderpest in Kenya in recent years serves to highlight the problems of control and the need for concerted efforts to eradicate the threat of the disease from East Africa."}
{"id": "PMID:1472725", "title": "Foot and mouth disease in gayals (Bos gaurus frontalis) in Calcutta Zoo.", "content": "A brief description is given of an outbreak of foot and mouth disease in gayals (Bos gaurus frontalis) which occurred in Calcutta Zoo in October 1990. Four of the five affected animals died within ten days of onset of the disease. The disease did not spread to other animals in the Zoo."}
{"id": "PMID:1472720", "title": "Homology of Rhizobium meliloti NodC to polysaccharide polymerizing enzymes.", "content": "Rhizobium bacteria form nitrogen-fixing nodules on legume roots. As part of the nodulation process, they secrete Nod factors that are beta-1,4-linked oligomers of N-acetylglucosamine. These factors depend on nodulation (nod) genes, but most aspects of factor synthesis are not yet known. We show here that one gene, nodC, shows striking similarity to genes encoding proteins known to be involved in polysaccharide synthesis in yeast and bacteria, specifically chitin and cellulose synthases, as well as a protein with unknown function in Xenopus embryos, DG42. This similarity is consistent with a role for the NodC protein in the formation of the beta-1,4-linkage in Nod factors."}
{"id": "PMID:1472721", "title": "The Rhizobium, Bradyrhizobium, and Azorhizobium NodC proteins are homologous to yeast chitin synthases.", "content": "The nodABC genes of rhizobia are essential for the synthesis of lipo-oligosaccharidic (N-acylated chitin oligomers) nodulation signals. nodC gene products from Rhizobium, Bradyrhizobium, and Azorhizobium exhibit extensive homology with chitin synthases, suggesting that the NodC proteins are involved in the synthesis of the chitin oligomer backbone by catalyzing the beta-1,4-linkage between N-acetyl-D-glucosamine residues."}
{"id": "PMID:1472726", "title": "Resurgence of contagious bovine pleuropneumonia in Nigeria.", "content": "Epidemiological reports and post-mortem examination of slaughtered cattle indicate that prevalence of contagious bovine pleuropneumonia (CBPP) in Nigeria is on the increase, despite annual mass vaccinations and other protection measures. The number of reported outbreaks increased from 20 in 1981 to 64 in 1988, 114 in 1989, 82 in 1990 and 52 in 1991 (January to June). Post-mortem examinations conducted between January 1988 and June 1991 at the abattoir in Maiduguri, capital of Borno State (Nigeria) revealed that of 122,567 slaughtered cattle, 6,008 (4.9%) had pneumonia and 777 (0.6%) had gross lesions suggestive of CBPP. Only 22 sporadic outbreaks were reported over this period within the catchment area of Borno State. Probable reasons for the deteriorating situation of CBPP in Nigeria are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1472727", "title": "[Prevalence of Newcastle disease in traditional breeding facilities for chickens in Cameroon].", "content": "Although 65% of domesticated birds in the Cameroon are kept in traditional chicken farms, very little attention is given to this important sector by the administration as well as by the farmers themselves. This could be detrimental to the modern poultry sector where a lot of investments have been made during recent years. In order to estimate the danger of neglecting traditionally-raised chickens and the health threat they represent for the poultry population of the country, a study was conducted to evaluate the impact of Newcastle disease in traditional farms. A total of 180 chicken blood serum samples from three provinces of the Cameroon were submitted to the haemagglutination inhibition test; 51.66%, 48.33% and 46.66% of birds respectively from the East, West and North provinces reacted positively to the test. The consequences of such a situation are emphasised."}
{"id": "PMID:1472728", "title": "Detection of haemagglutination inhibition antibodies against Newcastle disease virus in unvaccinated indigenous chickens in Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria.", "content": "An examination of 200 serum samples from unvaccinated indigenous (local) chickens in Maiduguri, Borno State (Nigeria) using the haemagglutination inhibition (HI) test showed 73 sera to be positive and 127 to be negative for antibodies against Newcastle disease virus. The highest antibody titre observed was 1:128. The prevalence rate was higher (46.9%) in adult chickens than in young chickens of less than 12 weeks (23%). Presence of HI antibodies in unvaccinated indigenous chickens indicates that these birds had contracted infection and recovered thereafter."}
{"id": "PMID:1472729", "title": "[Experimental infection of sheep with a rabies virus of canine origin: study of the pathogenicity for that species].", "content": "The effects of the inoculation of a canine strain of rabies virus in sheep were studied using ten animals which received different amounts of this virus. Two subjects, inoculated with 10(5.4) mouse intracerebral lethal doses 50% (MICLD50), died from rabies after 19 and 40 days of incubation. Clinical signs were anorexia, emaciation, nervous reactions and prostration before death. The virus was recovered from different parts of the central nervous system and salivary glands with high titres. Only three animals showed an antibody response, at very low levels."}
{"id": "PMID:1472730", "title": "Serological and bacteriological study of brucellosis in camels in central Saudi Arabia.", "content": "Sera from 2,630 apparently normal adult camels (Camelus dromedarius) raised in central Saudi Arabia (Riyadh and Al-Kharj cities) were examined serologically by the Rose Bengal and standard United States of America Brucella plate agglutination tests. The overall seroprevalence of brucellosis in the restricted populations of tested camels was 8%. The seroprevalence of brucellosis among camels raised in small numbers in the backyards of 24 houses in Riyadh and those intensively raised on one large camel farm near Al-Kharj were 4.3% and 8.6% respectively. Fresh milk samples from 100 brucellosis seropositive camels from Riyadh and Al-Kharj were cultured on Brucella-selective media. Brucella melitensis biovars 1 and 2 were isolated and identified from 26 camels. Epidemiologically, brucellosis in camels in central Saudi Arabia appeared to be connected with B. melitensis infection of sheep and goats, and also represents a serious public health risk."}
{"id": "PMID:1472731", "title": "Treatment of Brucella melitensis infection in sheep and goats with oxytetracycline combined with streptomycin.", "content": "Six treatment regimens using oxytetracycline (OTC) combined with streptomycin (ST) were evaluated for eliminating Brucella melitensis from 480 naturally-infected sheep and goats. Cessation of shedding Brucella from udder secretions and absence of Brucella in selected tissues at autopsy were considered criteria for successful treatment. Four regimens were equally effective in eliminating Brucella in the treated groups of sheep and goats regardless of the source of antibiotics used. These were regimen A (OTC 20 mg/kg intravenously daily for 6 weeks, combined with ST 20 mg/kg intramuscularly [i.m.] daily for 3 weeks), regimen B (long-acting [LA]-OTC 20 mg/kg i.m. every 3 days for 6 weeks, with ST 20 mg/kg i.m. every 3 days for 3 weeks), regimens D and E (LA-OTC 28 mg/kg i.m. every 3 days for 6 weeks, with ST 20 mg/kg i.m. every 3 days for 3 weeks). However, regimen C (LA-OTC 20 mg/kg i.m. every 3 days for 6 weeks, with ST 20 mg/kg i.m. every 3 days for 3 weeks) eliminated Brucella in only 75 of 80 (94%) sheep and goats. Regimen F (LA-OTC 25 mg/kg i.m. every 2 days for 4 weeks, combined with ST 20 mg/kg i.m. every 2 days for 2 weeks) was the most practical, effective and least expensive regimen for eliminating Brucella in the 80 treated sheep and goats. Brucella melitensis biovar 2 was repeatedly isolated from the mammary secretions of all sheep and goats before treatment. It was also isolated repeatedly from the udder secretions of all non-treated control animals and from selected tissue specimens collected from the controls at necropsy."}
{"id": "PMID:1472732", "title": "[Diagnosis of caprine contagious pleuropneumonia: recent improvements].", "content": "Due to the difficulty in isolating Mycoplasma sp. type F38, two techniques for rapid detection are proposed in order to identify the presence of mycoplasmas of the mycoides group in samples of pleural fluid. A modification in the composition of isolation media promotes the growth of type F38 mycoplasmas and inhibits the growth of M. ovipneumoniae strains."}
{"id": "PMID:1472733", "title": "Bovine virus diarrhoea-mucosal disease and border disease in Egypt.", "content": "In Egypt, bovine virus diarrhoea-mucosal disease (BVD-MD) was initially detected as the result of a serological survey of cattle and sheep, using the serum neutralisation test. In 1970, the causal pestivirus was isolated from bovine calves and buffalo calves with pneumonia and enteritis. Mixed viral infections were also prevalent. Cases of immune tolerance were identified. The Egyptian industry had complained of unthrifty cattle and high death rates of bovine calves and buffalo calves. A rinderpest outbreak in 1982 involved some cattle and buffalo which had been vaccinated against the disease, and such animals were positive to the gel diffusion test for BVD-MD pestivirus. Extensive immunosuppression due to BVD MD virus was suspected, because the attenuated cell-culture vaccine against rinderpest, issued in Egypt since 1965, had not been tested for freedom from non-cytopathic BVD-MD virus. Experimental infection of susceptible sheep with BVD-MD virus resulted in symptoms of Border disease. Innocuity of the attenuated C24V bovine pestivirus vaccine for animal tissues and the immune system of calves was confirmed."}
{"id": "PMID:1472734", "title": "Pestivirus infections in ruminants in Norway.", "content": "Serological surveys in Norway have demonstrated neutralising antibodies against bovine virus diarrhoea (BVD) virus in cattle, sheep and goats. The prevalences were 18.5%, 4.5% and 3.6%, respectively. Occurrence of pestivirus-induced disease in Norway is described. Outbreaks of reproductive failure and mucosal disease have been reported, and the number of persistently-infected animals detected has increased considerably in recent years. Acute BVD occurs rarely. Border disease (BD) in sheep, first diagnosed in 1981, has subsequently been demonstrated sporadically. In goats, typical BD was diagnosed in 1982, with three later occurrences of reproductive failure. Experimental infections in pregnant goats induced a high rate of severe foetopathogenic effect. Signs and lesions in offspring were comparable to ovine BD. Similar findings were demonstrated in goats given a pestivirus-contaminated vaccine. In newborn kids, experimental infection had an adverse influence on growth and health. Persistent infection in goats is probably rare."}
{"id": "PMID:1472735", "title": "Tissue concentrations of a long-acting oxytetracycline formulation after intramuscular administration in cattle.", "content": "The tissue distribution of a long-acting oxytetracycline formulation after intramuscular administration to calves at a dose rate of 20 mg/kg was studied. Oxytetracycline concentrations were determined in lung, bone marrow, mammary gland, uterus, uterine horn, ovary, liver, synovial fluid, joint tissue, kidney, spleen, brain, muscle, fat, urine, bile, saliva, ruminal content and serum. Observed concentrations were higher than the minimal inhibitory concentration for the majority of pathogens in all of the analysed tissues for at least 72 h post-injection. The shortest theoretical permanency time was 1.88 days (in saliva) and the longest was 19.06 days (in kidney). Taking the maximal permitted residue level as 0.1 microgram/g in muscle, 0.3 microgram/g in liver and 0.6 microgram/g in kidney, the calculated withdrawal time was 20 days."}
{"id": "PMID:1472736", "title": "Serological evaluation of Pasteurella multocida antigens associated with protection in buffalo calves.", "content": "Different antigens of Pasteurella multocida Carter's type 6:B including whole bacterium, antigen heated at 56 degrees C, antigen heated at 100 degrees C, sonicated antigen, capsular antigen, potassium thiocyanate extract, lipopolysaccharide and sodium salicylate extract were evaluated to assess protection in buffalo calves against haemorrhagic septicaemia. Sera from calves with known protection status in experimental challenge were titrated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) against all antigens. Capsular antigen extracted with 2.5% sodium chloride was superior to other antigens for assessing protection status of buffalo calves against P. multocida by ELISA. This capsular antigen was able to differentiate clearly between well-protected, protected and unprotected animals."}
{"id": "PMID:1472737", "title": "A computerized system to store and retrieve data on biological and biotechnological veterinary products of the American continent.", "content": "The Veterinary Biologics Information System is a project the main goal of which is to collect, analyze and manage data concerning registered veterinary biologics and biotechnological products employed to control animal diseases by the countries of the Americas. Data from each country was gathered by cataloguing each biological product on a questionnaire form. The collected data was then fed into an electronic data base system. A retrieval program was subsequently developed, allowing the user quick access to all data stored in the system. The system operates in English and Spanish and includes such information as the product name, registration number, ingredients, species for which the product is approved for use, the disease against which the product is used, names of manufacturers and distributors and other distinguishing characteristics of the product including expiry dates and withdrawal times. This computerized system, with on-line data bases which can be quickly updated, provides a dynamic answer to the question of timely information concerning veterinary biological products."}
{"id": "PMID:1472739", "title": "Report of the Twelfth International Meeting of the OIE Ad hoc Group on Non Tsetse-Transmitted Animal Trypanosomosis. Paris, 15 May 1991.", "content": "Studies of Trypanosoma evansi strains of widely varied origin (Africa, Asia, South America) have continued, leading to two groups of diagnostic procedures, tested first in the laboratory and then in the field: the card agglutination trypanosomosis test and the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to supplement microscopic examination of smears. A microscopy procedure for differentiating Trypanosoma species in smears was proposed. Diagnostic kits have again been made available free of charge to interested and suitably qualified research workers. Several research workers have studied the lymphokines induced by T. evansi, and the question of the potential therapeutic use of these substances was raised. Research workers in Asia were increasingly involved in various problems associated with T. evansi, including fundamental research and potential applications in the field. The epidemiology of T. evansi infections has been the subject of numerous research projects in Asia and South America. Research on trypanocides has confirmed the activity of Cymelarsan, which has since been marketed, the properties of the new derivative T46 (pharmacokinetic studies) and the value of in vitro and in vivo comparisons of currently available trypanocides. The sphere of interest of the Group was extended to cover all forms of animal trypanosomosis not transmitted by tsetse flies."}
{"id": "PMID:1472740", "title": "Measurable deficit of autonomic and sensory nerve function in asymptomatic diabetic patients.", "content": "In a group of 46 consecutive outpatients attending the diabetic clinic of our Metabolic Department, 30 insulin-dependent and 16 non-insulin-dependent diabetic patients in stable metabolic control, and in 38 age-matched controls, we measured vibration perception threshold with biothesiometer and autonomic function, by means of the five classical cardiovascular tests: R-R interval variations during deep breathing, Valsalva ratio, lying-to-standing, postural hypotension, and sustained handgrip. None of the patients complained of symptoms related to diabetic autonomic neuropathy (DAN) or sensory polyneuropathy. Vibration perception threshold positively correlated with Valsalva ratio (p < 0.05) and deep breathing (p < 0.01), and all of them correlated with age (p < 0.001), but not with duration of diabetes and metabolic control. Patients scored significantly lower than controls in vibration perception threshold and all of the autonomic function tests. According to the outcomes of cardiovascular tests [\"Autonomic Score\" (AS)] patients were divided into two different groups: presence (DAN+ = AS > or = 3) or absence (DAN- = AS < 3) of autonomic neuropathy. The DAN- group (n = 28, 60.9%) showed no significant differences from the DAN+ group (n = 18, 39.1%) in age, duration of diabetes, glycated hemoglobin, or body mass index. DAN+ patients had vibration perception threshold measured at the first toe tip and at external malleolus significantly higher than DAN- patients (p < 0.01 and p < 0.001, respectively) and controls (p < 0.005), as well as all the other cardiovascular tests except sustained handgrip. No difference in any of these items was observed between DAN- patients and controls.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1472741", "title": "The effect of ejaculation on albumin excretion rate.", "content": "Microalbuminuria predicts the development of diabetic nephropathy. Large daily variations in albumin excretion rates are frequently observed. Because seminal fluid contains protein and albumin, we reasoned that sexual activity, ejaculation, or residual urethral semen could contribute to albumin content in urine and thus effect determination of albumin excretion rate. Our study was designed to determine the effect of ejaculation of albumin excretion rate and to ascertain if patients routinely should be advised to refrain from sexual activity during or before the urine collection period. Ten normotensive, nondiabetic men (age 31.0 +/- 2.3 years) collected 24-h urine specimens on three occasions: after 3 days of abstinence from sexual activity, during a 24-h period which included one ejaculatory episode, and on a day following sexual activity. Results for albumin excretion rate were: abstinence day: 4.8 +/- 0.7 micrograms/min; sex day: 6.3 +/- 1.1 microgram/min; post-sex day: 4.9 +/- 1.0 micrograms/min. There was no significant difference between these values when compared directly or after log transformation. There also were no differences in urinary creatinine excretion or clearance. We conclude that in nondiabetic individuals ejaculation does not influence albumin excretion rate."}
{"id": "PMID:1472743", "title": "Relevance of measuring red blood cell disaggregability in insulin-dependent diabetic patients.", "content": "A viscometric study of blood from insulin-treated diabetic patients is carried out. Patients are divided into three major groups--group I: without or with minimal retinopathy and recent diabetes (n = 37), group II: without or with minimal retinopathy and at least 20 years of diabetes duration (n = 35), group III: with severe retinopathy (n = 27). Each group is also subdivided according to the glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) level, used to assess long-term glycemic control. Finally, the rheological parameters of six groups are compared: three of which have a HbA1c level less than 7.5% [I1 (n = 15), II1 (n = 9), III1 (n = 9)] and three others have a HbA1c level more than 7.5% [I2 (n = 22), II2 (n = 26), III2 (n = 18)]. The most important result concerns the thixotropy index xi t, which reflects the dynamic property of red blood cell (RBC) disaggregability under shear. Strong correlations between this parameter and HbA1c level are found for groups I (r = -0.53, p < 0.001) and III (r = -0.68, p < 0.001), providing evidence of a RBC disaggregability disorder for a poor glycemic control of diabetes. In contrast, such a correlation is not pointed out for the group II. As the value for xi t is not statistically different for groups II1 and II2 and is close to the normal value in both groups, the existence of a rheological protection against the retinopathy could be involved.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1472742", "title": "Medical risk factors in diabetic patients with foot ulcers and severe peripheral vascular disease and their influence on outcome.", "content": "The association between medical risk factors and the outcome of foot ulcers was evaluated in 208 consecutive diabetic patients with severe peripheral vascular disease (systolic toe blood pressure < or = 45 mm Hg). All patients were treated and followed by the same foot care team. Eighty patients healed primarily, 83 healed after a minor or major amputation, and 45 died. The systolic toe blood pressure was higher among primary healed (30 +/- 13 mm Hg) compared with amputated (22 +/- 15 mm Hg; p < 0.001) and deceased patients (20 +/- 14 mm Hg; p < 0.001). The patients were comparable regarding age, sex, and diabetes and wound duration. Only 41 (19%) patients had intermitten claudication, whereas 153 (77%) lacked palapble pedal pulses, 36% of whom healed primarily. Rest pain occurred in 72 (33%) patients, 38 (47%) of whom had an amputation and 18 (25%) who healed primarily (p < 0.01). Peripheral edema and proteinuria were more common among patients who healed after amputation compared with those who healed primarily (p < 0.001 and p < 0.01, respectively). Signs of sensory neuropathy were found in 158 (77%) patients. There were no differences concerning cardiovascular disease, smoking habits, or short-term metabolic control between patients who healed primarily or after an amputation. In conclusion, diabetic patients with foot ulcers and severe peripheral vascular disease with low systolic toe blood pressure were not excluded from the possibility of primary healing. The most important risk factors for amputation were a systolic toe pressure of less than 30 mm Hg, peripheral edema, rest pain, and proteinuria."}
{"id": "PMID:1472749", "title": "Structures of grain boundaries in long-chain Te crystals observed by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy.", "content": "Vacuum-deposited Te crystals, composed of endless chains of the right-handed or left-handed spiral, have been investigated by high-resolution electron microscopy with the aid of image simulation. A (010) grain boundary, which accompanies edge dislocations having an extra layer of the width of one Te chain, has been observed. A through-focal series of images reveal that it is not a reflectional nor a rotational twin boundary but a small angle grain boundary in a single crystal or an inversion twin. The lattice on one side of the boundary is shifted from that on the other side by [001]c/3 + [120]a/8, and inclined at 1.1 degrees around the c-axis of the other side. Also found between crystallites of [100] and [011] orientation is a grain boundary which is built with the (011) facets on one side of the boundary and the (211) or (0,1,10) facets on another side."}
{"id": "PMID:1472744", "title": "High blood pressure is a risk factor for the development of microalbuminuria in Japanese subjects with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.", "content": "In this study, 52 nonproteinuric Japanese patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes (NIDDM) were followed from 1985 to 1990 to investigate the rate of development and progression of microalbuminuria and the factors which influence it. In 1985, 34 patients were normoalbuminuric, and 18 patients were microalbuminuric. Five years later, 11 of 34 initially normoalbuminuric patients (32.4%) developed microalbuminuria, and 6 of 18 initially microalbuminuric patients (33.3%) developed overt proteinuria. At the beginning of the study, hypertension existed more frequently in the patients who later developed microalbuminuria (8 of 11, 72.7%) than in the patients who stayed normoalbuminuric (4 of 23, 17.4%). Age-adjusted values of mean blood pressure (+/- SEM) at the beginning of the study in the patients who developed microalbuminuria (98.2 +/- 3.4 mm Hg, n = 11) were significantly higher than those in the patients who stayed normoalbuminuric (87.3 +/- 2.4 mm Hg, n = 23). In six patients who developed overt proteinuria, initial urinary albumin excretion rates (AER) were higher than those in the patients who stayed microalbuminuric, and four patients who presented with initial AER greater than 100 micrograms/min all developed overt proteinuria. These results indicate that, in Japanese patients with NIDDM, the rate of development of microalbuminuria is faster than that reported in Caucasian IDDM, and preexisting hypertension with relatively poor control of blood pressure may be a risk factor for the development of microalbuminuria."}
{"id": "PMID:1472750", "title": "Effect of crystal and beam tilt on simulated high-resolution TEM images of interfaces.", "content": "The effects of crystal and beam tilt on high-resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM) images of planar coherent interfaces were investigated by multislice image simulations. It was found that a beam tilt of 0.5 Bragg angle (theta B) was sufficient to introduce detrimental artifacts into most images of interfaces in crystals only 1/8 xi 000 thick, while crystal tilt had a much smaller effect even for crystals 1 xi 000 thick. Effects produced in HRTEM images of interfaces by crystal and beam tilt included the introduction of additional periodicities and loss of compositional detail across a boundary, translation of a boundary from its actual position, and apparent mismatch of atomic planes across a perfectly coherent interface. These results indicate that alignment of the electron beam parallel to the optic axis is critical for reliable HRTEM imaging of interfaces in materials. Techniques for obtaining accurate alignment are also discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1472751", "title": "Improved method for the preparation of TiN-coated WC-Co-based samples for cross-sectional AEM investigation.", "content": "An improved method for the preparation of cross-sectional thin foils of coated WC-Co samples for studies by analytical electron microscopy is described. A braze alloy is used to join the sections of the sample together and the resulting sample is stable during subsequent grinding, dimpling, and milling operations. Cross-sectional micrographs provide examples of the efficacy of this method. No microstructural alteration associated with the brazing operation was observed."}
{"id": "PMID:1472746", "title": "Comments on the clinical impact of hypertension in type I diabetes.", "content": "In type I diabetes, the quality of life and, in essence, the long-term prognosis or life expectancy of the patient are invariably related to the manifestation of untoward complications. Increased arterial blood pressure (hypertension) has a great influence in these complications. Cumulative evidence has shown that proteinuric type I diabetic patients are easily susceptible to hypertension and its accompanying sequelae. The debilitating effects of hypertension on the progressive development of diabetic nephropathy leading to renal dysfunction and mortality in renal transplant patients have been documented. Proliferative retinopathy and cardiovascular lesions are also frequent devastating complications in hypertensive-diabetic patients. The mechanism of sodium/lithium countertransport activity and the genetic predisposition to hypertension require further elucidation."}
{"id": "PMID:1472752", "title": "Accurate d-spacings from zero-order Laue zone patterns.", "content": "Experimental d-spacing values are criteria towards the identification of crystallites by electron diffraction. Conclusive identifications often rely on accurate d-spacings. It is shown here that accurate orthogonal components (in mm) for the primitive unit vectors of a zero-level diffraction pattern can be obtained through least-squares processing of (x,y) coordinates for all spots on the film. Valid vectors from the origin spot to any spot in the plane of the film are integer linear combinations of the two selected unit vectors. Accurate lengths and standard deviations for such vectors therefore can be calculated from the least-squares results. Corresponding d-spacings can then be calculated from the vector lengths on the film and the camera constant. In order to obtain d-spacing values that are not only precise, but also accurate, an accurate value of the camera constant should be used. This requires calibration of the experimental setup with reference materials in the same experimental conditions, with careful control of the sample height. For the same quality of measurements, the improvement in the accuracy of the d-spacings obtained with the proposed method is approximately proportional to the square root of the number of measurements taken. Practically, typical improvement in accuracy is about threefold, and accuracies of a fraction of a percent in d-spacings are achievable in this way. The above approach has been programmed as an option in the NRCBED program."}
{"id": "PMID:1472747", "title": "Severe hyperkalemia in two patients with diabetes after cosyntropin administration.", "content": "Some patients with diabetes mellitus are at increased risk for the development of hyperkalemia. Included in this group are patients with glucose-induced hyperkalemia who may have renal insufficiency, hyporeninemic hypoaldosteronism, or other impediments to the release or action of aldosterone. In an unusual demonstration of this abnormality, two patients with diabetes, who form the basis of our report, became markedly hyperglycemic and hyperkalemic after cosyntropin administration. To our knowledge, this complication of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) stimulation testing has not been previously reported. It should therefore be emphasized that the use of cosyntropin as a diagnostic agent can provoke severe hyperglycemia and hyperkalemia in a susceptible subgroup of patients with diabetes mellitus."}
{"id": "PMID:1472753", "title": "Preparation of cross-section specimens for transmission electron microscopy from alpha-Al2O3/Ni solid state bonded bicrystal interfaces.", "content": "The technique which is described combines the advantages of the techniques formerly proposed in the literature in each stage of the preparation of transmission electron microscopy (TEM) specimens including a single metal-ceramic interface. It allows easy handling of the thin foils in spite of their brittleness. Preferential thinning of the softer material in the two-phase foil is prevented, and both sides of the interface are thinned down to comparable thicknesses. The nickel-alumina bicrystal interface observed in TEM is neat and free from any reaction layer. This method is easily adaptable to other metal-ceramic systems."}
{"id": "PMID:1472754", "title": "InP sample preparation for the TEM by photochemical etching, ion milling, and chemical thinning.", "content": "Photochemical etching (PCE) as a method for preparation of InP semiconductor plan view samples for the transmission electron microscope is demonstrated and compared to the methods of ion milling and chemical thinning. PCE can produce small area samples for TEM analysis quickly and accurately. Also, the resulting thin regions are surrounded by a built-in stabilizing structure that improves handleability and reduces the occurrence of handling induced fracture."}
{"id": "PMID:1472745", "title": "Interactions between hypertension and diabetes on vascular function and structure in rats.", "content": "Regional 125I-albumin permeation and glomerular structural changes were assessed in male Sprague-Dawley rats with diabetes and/or hypertension. All rats underwent unilateral nephrectomy 2 weeks after induction of diabetes with streptozotocin. At the same time, one-half of the nondiabetic and diabetic animals were placed on 1% saline drinking water and given weekly intramuscular injections of deoxycorticosterone acetate to induce hypertension (systolic blood pressure greater than 150 mm Hg). Vascular permeability studies were performed after 1 and 3 months of hypertension. Hypertension, alone or in combination with diabetes, had no effect on weight gain, plasma glucose, or food consumption, but did increase 24-h urine volume in nondiabetics. In normotensive diabetics and in nondiabetic hypertensive rats, vascular 125I-albumin permeation was increased in eyes, aorta, and new granulation tissue (formed in a subcutaneous fabric implant), and glomerular basement membranes were thickened without any change in the fractional volume of the glomerulus occupied by mesangium. Urinary albumin and IgG excretion in nondiabetic hypertensive rats was increased much more than in normotensive diabetics. Hypertension and diabetes were additive in their effects on 125I-albumin permeation in eyes, aorta, and granulation tissue, and on glomerular basement membrane thickening, but were synergistic in their effects on urinary albumin excretion and mesangial fractional volume. The magnitude of the increase in vascular albumin permeation and urinary albumin and IgG excretion between and 1 and 3 months was much larger in diabetic hypertensive rats than in rats with hypertension or diabetes alone. Neither diabetes nor hypertension, alone or in combination, had any effect on albumin permeation in skeletal muscle, skin, heart, or brain. These findings demonstrate that hypertension and diabetes increase vascular albumin permeation in rats preferentially in tissues that correspond to sites of clinically significant vascular disease in human diabetics. They also attest to an important interaction between blood pressure-induced and diabetes-induced increases in vascular permeability in these tissues and in structural changes in the glomerular vasculature."}
{"id": "PMID:1472758", "title": "Heparan sulphate in the binding and activation of basic fibroblast growth factor.", "content": "Heparan sulphate proteoglycans (HSPGs) are widely distributed in animal tissues, but their most prominent locations are cell surface membranes and basement membranes. Their influence on various fundamental aspects of cell behaviour (e.g. cell adhesion, growth and morphogenesis) are dependent on the specific binding properties of the heparan sulphate (HS) chains. These polysaccharides are complex structures in which N-sulphated glucosamine and ester sulphate groups tend to be clustered in discrete regions of the chain separated by sequences enriched in N-acetylglucosamine residues, but with a low sulphate concentration. The sulphated domains contain the sugar residue sequences for interaction with specific proteins essential for HS function. In this review, we describe the plasma membrane HSPGs and their role in regulating the activity of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF)."}
{"id": "PMID:1472759", "title": "Alterations of glycosphingolipid-based blood group antigen expression on erythrocytes and in plasma studied on consecutive samples after a blood group O to A bone marrow transplantation.", "content": "A blood group A1Le(a-b+) individual with chronic myeloid leukaemia had received a bone marrow graft from an HLA-identical OLe(a+b-) donor. Twelve months after bone marrow transplantation (BMT), the red blood cells of the patient became agglutinable with anti-A blood group reagents. To elucidate whether the blood group A antigen expression was of plasma or of bone marrow origin, total non-acid glycosphingolipid fractions were prepared from red blood cells and plasma collected 17 months after BMT, and from plasma collected 13, 15 and 19 weeks after BMT. The glycolipid fractions were analysed by thin-layer chromatography and immunostained with monoclonal A-antibodies, and permethylated and permethylated-reduced derivatives of selected plasma samples were analysed by mass spectrometry. The results strongly indicate the presence of host bone marrow-produced blood group A red blood cells. Furthermore, the presence of a blood group H active pentaglycosylceramide type 1 (H-5-1) (Table I), characteristic for an OLe(a-b-) secretor, was seen in plasma 3-4 weeks before clinical chronic graft versus host disease (GVHD). After treatment of chronic GVHD, this expression disappeared. The blood group ALeb (A-7-1) antigen produced by the recipient seems to be present and to increase with time in all plasma samples. This also seems to be the case for the Leb and A-6-1 antigens."}
{"id": "PMID:1472760", "title": "A new method for the analysis of amide-linked hydroxy fatty acids in lipid-As from gram-negative bacteria.", "content": "Lipid-A represents the ubiquitous, covalently bound hydrophobic component of bacterial lipopolysaccharides (endotoxins). Lipid-As isolated and characterized from rhizobial species have large variations in their backbone sugars, as well as in their hydroxy fatty acid substituents. The sugar backbones consist of either glucosamine and galacturonic acid or glucosamine and 2,3-diaminoglucose. The published procedures for characterizing amide-linked fatty acids do not release all these fatty acids, hence a new method was developed to characterize the amide-linked hydroxy fatty acids. This method involves a mild methanolysis procedure to release glucosamine methyl glycosides which still contain the amide-bound hydroxy fatty acids. The products were analysed by fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry (FAB-MS) and, after trimethylsilylation, by electron impact (E.I.) and chemical ionization (C.I.) gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The procedure was applied to lipid-A preparations from several gram-negative bacteria. This method allows the unequivocal identification of amide-linked hydroxy fatty acids and also allows determination of the microheterogeneity of the N-acyl substituents in lipid-As from gram-negative bacteria."}
{"id": "PMID:1472761", "title": "Resialylation of sialidase-treated sheep and human erythrocytes by Trypanosoma cruzi trans-sialidase: restoration of complement resistance of desialylated sheep erythrocytes.", "content": "Trypanosoma cruzi trans-sialidase (TS) is a recently described enzyme which transfers alpha(2-3)-linked sialic acid from host-derived sialylated glycoconjugates to parasite surface molecules [Schenkman et al. (1991) Cell, 65, 1117]. We report here on the ability of TS to transfer sialic acid from donor sialyl-alpha(2-3)lactose to sialidase-treated sheep and human erythrocytes. Up to approximately 50% resialylation of both desialylated red cells could be attained. Resialylation of desialylated sheep erythrocytes restores their resistance to lysis by human complement. This ascribes a possible biological role for T. cruzi TS and demonstrates directly that sialic acid is solely responsible for preventing alternative pathway activation of human complement by sheep erythrocytes."}
{"id": "PMID:1472762", "title": "A new method for sequence analysis of glycosaminoglycans from heavily substituted proteoglycans reveals non-random positioning of 4- and 6-O-sulphated N-acetylgalactosamine in aggrecan-derived chondroitin sulphate.", "content": "We have developed a new procedure for the sequence analysis of glycosaminoglycans, which is particularly suitable for the analysis of chains from heavily substituted proteoglycans. The procedure has been applied to various aggrecan-derived chondroitin sulphates. The glycans are released from the core protein by alkaline scission of the xylose-serine bond, subjected to reductive amination using p-aminobenzoic acid and finally radioiodinated at an acidic pH. Sequence analysis is performed by using various enzymic degradations, partial or complete, followed by high-resolution polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, blotting and autoradiography to identify segments extending from the labelled reducing end to the point of cleavage. By using chondroitin C lyase to identify the location of 6-O-sulphated hexosamines, we find that chondroitin sulphate from tracheal cartilage has its 6-O-sulphated repeats concentrated to the extreme non-reducing terminal portion of the chain. In chondroitin sulphates derived from intervertebral discs (nucleus pulposus), the 6-O-sulphated repeats have a biphasic distribution; they occur mostly near the linkage region (i.e. the reducing end), but also in the non-reducing portion of the chain. Chondroitin sulphate from nasal cartilage, which is mostly 4-O-sulphated, displays considerable heterogeneity in the linkage region. Three or possibly more charge variants are observed."}
{"id": "PMID:1472763", "title": "Identification and characterization of an alpha-mannosidase from Trypanosoma cruzi.", "content": "In this report we describe the first purification and characterization of the acid alpha-mannosidase from the human parasite Trypanosoma cruzi. The purified enzyme exhibited a native mol. wt of 240,000 Da and is apparently composed of four identical subunits of mol. wt 58,000 Da. Each of the four subunits contains one N-linked high-mannose-type oligosaccharide. The alpha-mannosidase exhibited a pH optimum of 3.5 and a pI of 5.9. This low pH optimum and the ability of swainsonine to inhibit its activity suggest that the alpha-mannosidase is a lysosomal enzyme. Antibodies against the T.cruzi enzyme did not react with mammalian lysosomal alpha-mannosidase and, conversely, antibody against a rat lysosomal alpha-mannosidase did not react with the T.cruzi enzyme. Thus, the T.cruzi enzyme appears to be distinct from its mammalian counterpart."}
{"id": "PMID:1472764", "title": "Proteoglycan inhibition of calcium phosphate precipitation in liposomal suspensions.", "content": "The major proteoglycan in cartilage (aggrecan) is a complex macromolecule with numerous chondroitin sulphate, keratan sulphate, and oligosaccharide substituents. It has been proposed that this macromolecule has an important role in regulating mineralization in this tissue, a process which is initiated by the deposition of apatite in matrix vesicles. We have used a liposome-centred endogenous precipitation method as a model for matrix vesicle mineralization to study the effect of the rat chondrosarcoma aggrecan and its chondroitin sulphate and core protein components on apatite formation from solution. Precipitation was initiated by encapsulating buffered (pH 7.4) 50 mmol/l KH2PO4 solutions in the aqueous centres of 7:2:1 phosphatidylcholine:dicetylphosphate:cholesterol liposomes, adding 2.25-2.65 mmol/l Ca2+ and 1.5 mmol/l total inorganic phosphate (PO4) to the suspending medium (pH 7.4, 22 degrees C), then making the intervening lipid membranes permeable to the Ca2+ ions with the calcium ionophore X-537A. Aggrecan (0.5%) in the suspending medium had no effect on intraliposomal precipitation, but severely reduced (approximately 70% reduction at 24 h) its subsequent spread into the medium. The chondroitin sulphate and core protein were similarly inhibitory. The degree to which aggrecan and its constituent parts inhibited precipitation correlated with their capacity to bind Ca2+ ions. These findings suggest that functional groups in aggrecan blocked apatite growth by linking via Ca2+ bridges to growth sites on the crystal surfaces. Similar Ca-mediated interactions may well have a critical regulatory role in cartilage mineralization."}
{"id": "PMID:1472765", "title": "Immunocytochemical localization of beta 1,4 galactosyltransferase in epithelial cells from bovine tissues using monoclonal antibodies.", "content": "Post-embedding immunocytochemistry was employed to investigate the distribution of UDP-galactose:N-acetylglucosamine galactosyltransferase (beta 1,4-GT) in epithelial cells from various bovine organs. Several well characterized monoclonal antibodies previously demonstrated to recognize distinct polypeptide epitopes within the primary structure of beta 1,4-GT were applied to thin sections from tissues embedded in Lowicryl K4M, followed by the protein A-gold technique. Immunoreactivity was observed in the Golgi apparatus of epithelial cells from intestine, thymus and trachea. No immunoreactivity was observed in other intracellular structures, including rough endoplasmic reticulum, nuclear envelope and goblet cell mucus droplets. Within the Golgi apparatus, the staining was restricted to several cisternae in the trans region, with most portions of the trans-Golgi network appearing unlabelled. However, in thymic epithelial-reticular cells trans-Golgi network portions resembling classical GERL elements were stained by the antibodies. Thus, although immunoreactivity was subcompartmentalized within the Golgi apparatus in all epithelial cell types examined, the extent of staining within the trans-Golgi network was variable. Immunoreactivity was not detected at the plasma membrane (ecto-galactosyl-transferase), except in the case of a subpopulation of tracheal cells that resemble brush cells. These results suggest that in the epithelial cells examined, the subcompartmental distribution of beta 1,4-GT within the Golgi apparatus is maintained across different types of epithelial cell organization. Moreover, no evidence for a general epithelial cell ecto-galactosyltransferase could be discerned with these reagents."}
{"id": "PMID:1472766", "title": "Management of the feline blood donor.", "content": "The feline blood donor should be considered a valuable asset to the veterinary clinic. As public awareness increases, so will the demand for high-quality blood products. Meeting this demand will require planning and a blood donor management program tailored to the clinic's needs. Consideration should be given to the areas of blood value, donor selection, blood collection, and maintaining donor health when developing a donor management program. Suggestions for reducing the stress and aggravation often associated with feline blood collection are provided."}
{"id": "PMID:1472767", "title": "Management of the inpatient canine blood donor.", "content": "The availability of inpatient blood donors as a source for transfusion allows flexibility that is lacking in an outpatient program. Choosing the appropriate dog as a donor is essential to the success of a hospital blood bank. Once a dog becomes a blood donor, routine physical and clinicopathologic examinations are necessary to monitor the animal's health and to ensure the quality of blood products."}
{"id": "PMID:1472768", "title": "Outpatient blood donor program.", "content": "An outpatient donor program using pets owned by employees or clients is a practical and cost-efficient means of obtaining blood for transfusion. Donors can have blood typed and be screened for certain diseases, and blood can be drawn at a convenient time. Components can be prepared and stored. Although such a program requires a commitment to assemble reliable volunteers, the results is a team effort that can be rewarding and assures an adequate blood supply."}
{"id": "PMID:1472769", "title": "Supplies for blood transfusions in dogs and cats.", "content": "As awareness of transfusion therapy grows, clients begin to expect the same standard of care for their pets as that found in human medicine. To meet this standard, the practitioner needs a familiarity with the basic tools required for blood banking and transfusion medicine. These tools and the terms used to describe them often are far from self-explanatory to those who do not work in a blood bank. This article attempts to clarify the nomenclature and define and describe the veterinary applications of blood banking and transfusion supplies."}
{"id": "PMID:1472770", "title": "Preparation of blood components.", "content": "The processing of blood into various components and the knowledge of component usage enables veterinarians to support and beneficially treat more animals. Blood products include packed red blood cells; fresh frozen, fresh, and modified plasma; cryoprecipitate; platelets; and concentrates. Some methods of preparation of blood products and storage are presented."}
{"id": "PMID:1472771", "title": "Feline transfusion medicine.", "content": "Anemia is the major indication for transfusion in cats, and fresh whole blood is most commonly administered. Because cats have naturally occurring alloantibodies in plasma, donor and recipient should be blood-typed and/or crossmatched before the first transfusion takes place. Mismatched transfusions are ineffective and may cause life-threatening hemolytic transfusion reactions."}
{"id": "PMID:1472772", "title": "Canine blood transfusions.", "content": "Although the technique of transfusing blood from one dog to another has been known for centuries, transfusion is not easily accomplished in clinical veterinary medicine. There is a lack of blood typing reagents, suitable donors, and commercial blood banks. This situation is beginning to change, and this article focuses on practical and accessible transfusion methods for dogs. Also discussed are recommendations regarding the type of blood product to be used in specific situations, routes of administration for blood products, and complications of blood transfusion."}
{"id": "PMID:1472773", "title": "Transfusions in exotic species.", "content": "There has been a considerable increase in the popularity of exotic species as pets, particularly, birds and domestic ferrets. Blood transfusions in birds and ferrets are discussed. There is a brief review of hematology, blood collection techniques, the selection and maintenance of donor animals, and the mechanics of transfusion. Because of the marked differences between birds and mammals, attention is given to avian anatomy and physiology as it applies clinically to blood transfusions."}
{"id": "PMID:1472774", "title": "Management of canine von Willebrand's disease.", "content": "Canine von Willebrand's disease (vWD) is the most common inherited bleeding disorder of purebred dogs. Optimum treatment of affected dogs is influenced by the presence of concurrent disorders, especially thyroid insufficiency, and the nature of hemostatic stress encountered. Blood component therapy, most specifically the use of cryoprecipitate, provides the most effective transfusion support for severely affected dogs."}
{"id": "PMID:1472775", "title": "Red blood cell substitutes.", "content": "Insufficient supply and risks of homologous blood transfusions have driven the quest for a red blood cell substitute. The recent development of a red blood cell substitute has focused on hemoglobin solutions. The clinical indications for use of a red blood cell substitute in veterinary medicine include blood loss caused by trauma, surgery, or medical causes and other acute anemias. Such a substitute also may have an adjunctive role in radiation treatment and chemotherapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1472788", "title": "Biliary tract reconstruction in liver transplantation.", "content": "Biliary tract complications are often referred to as the \"Achilles' heel\" of liver transplantation and various techniques have been developed to overcome them. The two major methods of bile duct reconstruction currently in use consist of either (1) choledochocholedochostomy over a T-tube or, when duct-to-duct approximation is not feasible, choledochojejunostomy over an internal stent, or (2) interposition of the donor gallbladder as a conduit between the donor bile duct and either the recipient bile duct or a jejunal loop. Although these standardizations of biliary tract reconstruction have resulted in a reduction of biliary complications after liver transplantation, further advancement in the elucidation of ampullary obstruction and viability of the donor bile duct is needed."}
{"id": "PMID:1472789", "title": "Bacterial adherence to human gallbladder epithelium.", "content": "The adherence of Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa to the epithelium of the gallbladders obtained from 32 patients with negative bile culture was quantified by a scanning electron microscope. Of the gallbladders, 5 were histologically normal (group A), 21 had chronic calculus cholecystitis (group B), and 6 had acute calculus cholecystitis (group C). The data were expressed as the mean +/- S.D. of the numbers of adherent bacteria to 1,000 microns2 of the gallbladder epithelium. The number of adherent E. coli were 0.1 +/- 0.2 in group A, 4.2 +/- 2.8 in group B, and 9.2 +/- 3.3 in group C. A similar result was also observed with P. aeruginosa. The number of adherent bacteria, both of E. coli and P. aeruginosa were significantly higher in group C than in groups A and B, and were also significantly higher in group B compared to group A. The amount of bacterial adherence paralleled that of the degree of epithelial damage, and the normal epithelium proved to have an inhibiting ability. Thus, a secondary bacterial infection is more likely to happen in patients with contaminated bile, and therefore, the treatment for acute cholecystitis should be based either on the results of a bile culture or according to predictive factors for bactibilia."}
{"id": "PMID:1472790", "title": "The succinate dehydrogenase inhibition test for evaluating biopsy specimens and resected tumors of advanced gastric cancer.", "content": "An in vitro chemosensitivity study of both biopsy specimens and surgically resected tumors of advanced gastric cancer from 12 patients was evaluated using the succinate dehydrogenase inhibition (SDI) test. A decrease in succinate dehydrogenase (SD) activity as an indicator of chemosensitivity was determined using cisplatin (CDDP), etoposide (VP-16), and mitomycin C (MMC). In this study, 29 of a total 36 experiments were evaluable (80.6%) and significant correlations were found in all three of the antitumor drugs (P < 0.03). This finding suggests that the SDI test using biopsy specimens may prove valuable for assessing the preoperative chemosensitivity of advanced gastric cancer."}
{"id": "PMID:1472791", "title": "Esophageal resection by cervico-abdominal approach without thoracotomy.", "content": "The authors report their experience with transhiatal esophageal resection accumulated during the period between January 1978 and March 1990. Indications for the procedure included cancer of the gastric cardia (26.3%), cancer of the hypopharynx (3.8%), cancer of the esophagus (59.2%), and benign esophageal disease (9.8%). Esophageal substitution was performed using a tubulized stomach (63.6%), ileo-ceco-coloplasty (28.5%), left colon (7.6%), and jejunum (0.3%). The majority of patients with neoplastic disease were found to be in an advanced stage (67.3% of esophageal cancer patients and 69.7% of cancer of the cardia patients with stage III disease). The mean intra-operative volume of blood transfused varied between 533 and 1,220 ml. Sixteen patients required hospitalization in the intensive care unit. The mean length of post-operative hospitalization varied between 16.8 and 20.6 days. Operative complications included hemorrhage (0.3%) and tracheal injury (0.6%). Operative (30 day) mortality was 5.8%. Causes of death included respiratory insufficiency (35.2%), pulmonary sepsis (23.5%), abdominal sepsis (17.8%), and others (undefined, 23.5%). The 5 year survival was 48.5% for cancer of the gastric cardia, 57.1% for cancer of the hypopharynx and 11.8% for esophageal cancer."}
{"id": "PMID:1472792", "title": "Evaluation of the measurement of the intraoperative transcutaneous partial pressure of oxygen (PtcO2) as a prognostic indicator in vascular reconstruction.", "content": "The intraoperative transcutaneous partial pressure of oxygen (PtcO2) was used to monitor 58 vascular reconstructive surgery procedures in 54 patients. The study comprised three groups: Group A (24 limbs without any ischemic symptoms or signs), Group B (45 limbs with intermittent claudication), and Group C (12 limbs with ischemic rest pain, ulceration, and gangrene). In addition in 31 patients the chest wall was monitored simultaneously as a control. The results showed that the PtcO2 values increased immediately and significantly to varying degrees and at varying speeds after unclamping. The controls had higher values than Group A (P > 0.05), Group B (P < 0.05), and Group C (P < 0.05) patients. Further study showed that there were no significant differences between the maximal values in the limbs with good distal vessel run-off in Groups A, B, and C, and in the controls (P > 0.05). It is thus concluded that effective vascular reconstruction in the limbs is indicated by a rapid and marked increase of both the PtcO2 value and the response value, while with a slow and low increase of the value, early graft failure and poor distal vessel run-off should be suspected. We believe that this monitoring method dynamically reflects the functional state during vascular reconstruction and is clinically valid."}
{"id": "PMID:1472793", "title": "Preoperative serum immunosuppressive acidic protein (IAP) test for the prognosis of gastric cancer: a statistical study of the threshold level and evaluation of the effect of the biological response modifier PSK.", "content": "The prognostic value of immunosuppressive acidic protein (IAP), which is known to suppress various immune responses in cancer patients, was studied in a prospective randomized trial of advanced gastric cancer patients, designed to evaluate the effect of PSK, a kind of biological response modifier with protein-bound polysaccharides. Preoperative serum IAP levels were determined in 228 patients who received radical gastric resection and tests conducted in one laboratory by the single radial immunodiffusion (SRID) method. All patients were followed up for 24 months or more. There was an overall significant difference in disease-free survival time in favour of the PSK-treated group compared with the control group. Preoperative IAP values were strongly associated with disease-free survival time. The statistical analysis to define an appropriate cut-off level for IAP was performed using Cox's proportional hazards model. The most significant difference was observed at the threshold value of 580 micrograms/ml, the hazard ratio being 2.13 with a 95% confidence interval [1.17, 3.88] (P = 0.013). Patients in the PSK-treated group with a preoperative IAP of lower than 580 micrograms/ml showed improved disease-free survival (P = 0.029), however, no significant difference was seen between the two groups when the preoperative IAP exceeded the threshold level. From these results, 580 micrograms/ml is postulated to be the most appropriate threshold value for predicting the prognosis of advanced gastric cancer patients, and it is suggested that PSK would be most effective in patients whose preoperative IAP level is lower than the threshold level."}
{"id": "PMID:1472794", "title": "Increases in immunoglobulin and complement in patients with esophageal or gastric cancer.", "content": "Based on data providing evidence that the enhancement of serum IgG and IgA is associated with the occurrence of infectious complications following surgery in patients with esophageal cancer, we examined the possible factors contributing to alterations in the serum IgG, IgA, IgM, C3, C4, and CH50 levels. A multiple linear regression analysis was made on data obtained from 71 patients with esophageal cancer and 57 with gastric cancer. In the patients with esophageal cancer, age and protein-calorie malnutrition (PCM) were related to the elevation of IgG levels while the stage of cancer was linked to that of IgA. The sex and IgM levels were also seen to be related. Age and the stage of cancer were associated with reductions in C3, C4, and CH50 levels, although in the patients with gastric cancer, the stage of cancer and elevations of these complement levels were related. Thus, age, PCM, and tumor malignancy are all factors related to the enhancement of IgG or IgA in patients with esophageal cancer."}
{"id": "PMID:1472795", "title": "A two-stage operation successfully performed for giant leiomyosarcoma of the esophagus with hepatic metastasis.", "content": "Leiomyosarcoma of the esophagus is a rare neoplasm, with only 95 cases having been reported in the literature. Dysphagia is the most commonly noted symptom, however, because of its location in the submucosal layer, the tumor has usually grown to a considerable size by the time this presents. We report herein a case of a 39-year-old man who had no symptoms other than a 7 month history of a cough. After several investigations, the patient underwent resection of the thoracic and abdominal esophagus with lower lobectomy of the right lung through a right and left thoracotomy. The tumor measured 18 x 15 x 8 cm in length and weighed 1,500 g, being the biggest such tumor ever reported. Forty days after the first operation, an extended right hepatic lobectomy of the liver was performed for hepatic metastasis. He was discharged from the hospital 20 days after the second operation and is now doing well. The clinical features and surgical treatment of leiomyosarcoma of the esophagus are discussed herein."}
{"id": "PMID:1472796", "title": "Successful pulmonary thromboendarterectomy for chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension associated with anticardiolipin antibodies: report of a case.", "content": "Chronic pulmonary thromboembolism with pulmonary hypertension is a rare but most unique syndrome in the broad spectrum of pulmonary embolism. This report describes a successful pulmonary thromboendarterectomy performed for a totally occluded right pulmonary artery on a 43 year old man who presented with positive cardiolipin antibodies. The surgery was performed through a median sternotomy with cardiopulmonary bypass and intermittent periods of deep hypothermic circulatory arrest. We are convinced that this method allows for complete removal of the thrombotic obstruction and should be the procedure of choice for patients with very proximal obstruction of a pulmonary artery."}
{"id": "PMID:1472797", "title": "The use of a biventricular assist device for postcardiotomy profound biventricular failure.", "content": "A 58-year-old woman who could not be weaned from cardiopulmonary bypass was treated with a biventricular assist device (BVAD) using a centrifugal pump for the left side and a pneumatic pulsatile pump for the right side. At the initiation of the BVAD support, predominant right ventricular failure was recognized and therefore weaning was begun from the left side. The left ventricular assist device was discontinued after 87 h and the patient was finally weaned from the right ventricular assist device after 205 h. Despite the complete recovery of cardiac function, the patient developed renal failure followed by an intractable infection and died of multiple organ failure on the 59th postoperative day (POD)."}
{"id": "PMID:1472798", "title": "Complete excision and panpleuropneumonectomy resulting in long-term survival for a teenager with invasive thymoma: report of a case.", "content": "An 18-year-old girl with invasive thymoma and pleural dissemination underwent a complete removal of the tumor with combined resection of the pericardium and a panpleuropneumonectomy of the left lung. At the time of writing, 70 months later, she was doing well under the classification of grade I performance status with no signs of recurrence. Thus, complete surgical removal of this tumor can prolong the survival time of patients with invasive thymoma and pleural dissemination."}
{"id": "PMID:1472799", "title": "Primary squamous cell carcinoma of the stomach in a seventeen-year-old boy.", "content": "Primary squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the stomach is extremely rare and thought to arise from ectopic squamous epithelium, which in turn could either result from the squamous metaplasia of the gastric mucosa or be congenital in origin. We report herein a case of SCC of the stomach in a 17-year-old male, who died 1 year after undergoing a gastrectomy. To our knowledge, this is the youngest case of primary SCC of the stomach reported in the literature. Further speculative possibilities of the development of primary gastric SCC are discussed following the presentation of this case."}
{"id": "PMID:1472800", "title": "Partial portal arterialization for the prevention of massive liver necrosis following extended pancreatobiliary surgery: experience of two cases.", "content": "Massive liver necrosis, which is a severe and highly fatal complication after extended pancreatobiliary surgery, may occur due to an interruption of the hepatic arterial flow caused by such events as an excision of the hepatic artery invaded by cancer, a ligation of the postoperatively ruptured hepatic artery, or a thrombotic obstruction of the reconstructed hepatic artery. In order to improve this ischemic state of the liver, we have performed a partial arterialization of the portal vein by making an arteriovenous shunt at the mesenteric vascular branches in two cases. Although a sufficient pathophysiological investigation could not be fully conducted, partial portal arterialization was considered to be effective in one patient, while no clinically noticeable adverse effects were revealed in the other patient."}
{"id": "PMID:1472809", "title": "Survival of human oocytes cryopreserved with or without the cumulus in 1,2-propanediol.", "content": "Although cryopreservation of human preembryos has been carried out with success, the cryostorage of oocytes, which pose fewer controversial moral, ethical, and legal problems has been much less successful. Various attempts to cryopreserve human oocytes have been mostly unsuccessful and the search for an optimal protocol for oocyte cryopreservation remains elusive. We therefore undertook this study to determine the effect of oocyte cryostorage in 1,2-propanediol. Mature human oocytes with or without their cumuli were cryopreserved in precooled 1,2-propanediol, then thawed and inseminated with sperms for in vitro fertilization. The outcome of insemination and subsequent embryonic development were also recorded and compared. Postthaw cryosurvival rate was significantly better when cryostorage was carried out with the oocyte cumulus intact as compared to those oocytes denuded of their cumuli (54 versus 27%, respectively; P < 0.05). Eight (44%) of 18 surviving postthaw oocytes with intact cumuli were fertilized normally, with cleavage in six, as compared to two (25%) and one, respectively, of those denuded of their cumulus prior to cryostorage. Development to the blastocyst stage was achieved in three embryos derived from oocytes with an intact cumulus at cryostorage. We conclude that 1,2-propanediol can be used with success in oocyte cryopreservation, although the issue of parthenogenecity is still to be resolved. Oocyte's with intact cumulus survive cryostorage better than those without it."}
{"id": "PMID:1472810", "title": "Parthenogenetic activation of human oocytes by puromycin.", "content": "Our objective was to obtain parthenogenetic activation of unfertilized human oocytes by puromycin and to try to use this procedure for cytogenetic purposes. The setting was our IVF laboratory. Eighty-two spare oocytes from 34 IVF patients were used. In the first series of experiments 39 unfertilized oocytes were cultured in medium containing 100, 50, or 10 micrograms/ml puromycin for 6 to 24 hr. After the appearance of pronuclei they were transferred to plain medium, further cultured, and cytogenetically analyzed. In the second series of experiments 43 oocytes were cultured for 5 to 10 hr in 10 micrograms/ml puromycin, transferred to plain medium, and fixed for cytogenetic analysis 2 hr after nuclear envelope breakdown. Ninety-one percent of the oocytes in the first experiment showed the presence of one or more nuclei. From the pronucleate oocytes additionally cultured in puromycin-free medium, 46% developed further to the metaphase of the first mitotic division or the two-cell stage and 54% remained arrested at the pronuclear stage. In the second experiment 88% of the treated oocytes showed pronuclei or had cleaved, and after withdrawal from puromycin 96% of the pronucleate oocytes entered mitosis. Puromycin induces haploid as well as diploid parthenogenesis in aged human oocytes. A 5- to 10-hr treatment of oocytes with 10 micrograms/ml puromycin yields the highest percentage of activation, and almost all parthenogenetically activated oocytes enter or develop beyond the first cleavage mitosis. Analysis of mitotic metaphase chromosomes from parthenogenetically activated human oocytes may be a promising new approach to preimplantation cytogenetics."}
{"id": "PMID:1472811", "title": "Improved pregnancy outcome with gonadotropin releasing hormone agonist (GnRH-a) stimulation is due to the improvement in oocyte quantity rather than quality.", "content": "The impact of gonadotropin releasing hormone agonist (GnRH-a) on the quality and quantity of oocytes harvested in in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET) patients was studied by comparing the results for patients stimulated with gonadotropin alone and with gonadotropin plus GnRH-a. Adding GnRH-a significantly improved the viable pregnancies per transfer and reduced the spontaneous abortions, which seemed to improve oocyte quality. However, when oocyte quality was evaluated by the fertilization rate and the implantation and delivery rates per embryos transferred, there were no significant difference in the results, indicating that GnRH-a did not improve the oocyte quality. On the other hand, GnRH-a significantly increased the average number of oocytes harvested, fertilized, and transferred, and this increased number of oocytes transferred has been demonstrated to increase pregnancy and multiple-pregnancy rates. Multiple pregnancy with more embryos implanted would significantly reduce the abortion rate. Abortion rates decreased inversely to the number of embryos implanted. Our data strongly suggest that the efficacy of GnRH-a on IVF-ET patients was due more to the quantity increase than the quality of embryos transferred."}
{"id": "PMID:1472812", "title": "Antisperm antibodies and in vitro fertilization.", "content": "The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of antisperm antibodies in the male, the female, or both partners on the outcome of in vitro fertilization treatment. The results in terms of ongoing pregnancies in the male and female antibody-positive group were the same as in the antibody-negative group. In the double antibody-positive group two of the three patients became pregnant. When high levels of antisperm antibodies were present on the spermatozoa, the fertilization rate was significantly reduced. In the female positive group no clear relationship between the antibody titer and the fertilization percentage could be detected. Abnormal semen quality was responsible for a much lower fertilization rate than the presence of antibodies. The conclusion of this study is that in vitro fertilization provides an equal change of conception in couples with antisperm antibodies in comparison with couples with no antibodies if the other semen parameters are normal."}
{"id": "PMID:1472813", "title": "Pregnancy rate in an oocyte donation program.", "content": "Oocyte donation programs offer an alternative treatment for infertile women with ovarian failure or abnormal ovarian function. Seventeen cycles of in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer with donated oocytes were performed in 13 women, with a mean age of 34.8 years. The hormonal replacement therapy consisted of a fixed dose of oral estradiol valerate, 6 mg daily, and intramuscular progesterone in oil, 100 mg daily. Estrogen and progesterone were continued for 10 more weeks after embryo transfer if pregnancy was established. After 13 embryo transfers, 8 pregnancies were obtained, for a pregnancy rate per transfer of 61.5%. Today seven pregnancies are progressing normally, including one set of twins. This results suggest that an oocyte donation program using a fixed and simple hormonal replacement therapy is an adequate treatment for these infertile couples."}
{"id": "PMID:1472814", "title": "Characteristics of participants in a gestational carrier program.", "content": "Genetic parents and gestational carriers in our gestational carrier program were evaluated by psychodiagnostic interview and by the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Interview-2 (MMPI-2), a widely used objective psychological test, to identify psychopathology and describe personality characteristics. Overall, participants exhibited no overt psychopathology. Personality differences were found between gestational carriers and genetic mothers and genetic fathers and mothers. Clinical interviews revealed that gestational carriers tended to be the dominant partner in the relationship, were motivated by a wish to help an infertile couple, enjoyed being pregnant, showed narcissistic needs, and expressed a wish for secondary financial gain. The majority of gestational carriers stated that they had considered becoming a traditional surrogate but felt they could not surrender a child that was genetically theirs. These results indicate that there is not any predisposing psychopathology which attracts participants to the gestational carrier program."}
{"id": "PMID:1472815", "title": "In vitro fertilization and gamete micromanipulation in the lowland gorilla.", "content": "Our purpose was to utilize current reproductive technologies to treat an infertile female lowland gorilla. Following pituitary down-regulation with a gonadotropin releasing hormone agonist and follicular stimulation with human menopausal gonadotropins, transrectal ultrasound-guided aspiration of ovarian follicles yielded nine oocytes. Following failed fertilization with both epididymal and electroejaculated sperm, zona dissection and sperm injection were performed and produced one embryo, which was cryopreserved. Immature oocytes were obtained from ovarian sections and were either cultured in vitro or cryopreserved. This report demonstrates that in vitro fertilization techniques, including pituitary suppression, ultrasound-guided aspiration, micromanipulation, and cryopreservation, can be used to assist reproduction in the lowland gorilla."}
{"id": "PMID:1472816", "title": "Zona pellucida surface of immature and in vitro matured mouse oocytes: analysis by scanning electron microscopy.", "content": "The aim of this work was to determine the morphology of the zona pellucida surface of immature and in vitro matured mouse oocytes by scanning electron microscopy. For this purpose two groups of immature oocytes (germinal vesicle group and metaphase I group) were studied either before or after in vitro maturation. Before in vitro maturation, the germinal vesicle immature group showed mainly an unstructured zona pellucida surface with smooth cumulus cells. The metaphase I immature group showed a more structured zona pellucida with smooth or blebbing cumulus cells. After in vitro maturation, development of the zona pellucida toward a mature surface, related to the initial degree of oocyte maturity, was observed in both groups. These observations show a correlation between the morphology of the zona pellucida surface and the degree of oocyte maturity; the in vitro maturation process can give rise to a proper development of this endowment when immature oocytes are used."}
{"id": "PMID:1472817", "title": "The effect of platelet activating factor on different phases of murine in vitro fertilization.", "content": "Our purpose was to examine the effect of platelet activating factor (PAF) in different phases of mouse in vitro fertilization and optimal parameters that would enhance the fertilization rate. Various PAF concentrations (10(-7) to 10(-5) M) were selected to investigate its effect on three phases of mouse in vitro fertilization (i.e., sperm capacitation, sperm/oocyte coincubation, and preimplantation embryo growth) in three experimental groups: (I) with PAF treatment in the first phase, (II) with PAF treatment adopted in the first and second phases, and (III) with PAF treatment implemented in all three phases. The improvement of the fertilization rate in PAF treatment groups over the control group ranges from 6.5 to 19.0% (P < 0.05-P < 0.001). The highest enhancement of fertilization rate was achieved under the condition of PAF treatment (10(-6) M) through sperm capacitation and sperm/oocyte coincubation phases. The PAF concentration of 10(-6) M in sperm capacitation and sperm/oocyte coincubation yielded the greatest improvement in fertilization. However, continuing PAF treatment after sperm/oocyte coincubation had no beneficial effect on fertilization and preimplantation development."}
{"id": "PMID:1472818", "title": "Influences of in vitro oocyte aging on microfertilization in the mouse with reference to zona hardening.", "content": "Our purpose was to investigate the influence of in vitro oocyte aging on fertilization and subsequent embryonic development following subzonal sperm injection with reference to spontaneous zona hardening in the mouse. First cleavage rate was significantly higher in long vs short (69 vs 41%, P < 0.001). However, significantly higher blastocyst formation and hatching were observed in short than long (50 vs 7%, P < 0.001, and 86 vs 50%, P < 0.001, respectively). No significant differences were found for two pronuclei formation between short and long (30 vs 27%). Sham injection revealed a significantly higher parthenogenetic activation in long than short (19 vs 2%, P < 0.001). Zona digestion required a significantly longer time for long compared to short (trypsin--37 vs 29 min, P < 0.01; pronase--17 vs 14 min, P < 0.001). Prolonged culture of mature mouse oocytes in vitro alters the zona pellucida, increases the rate of parthenogenetic activation by subzonal sperm injection, and impairs subsequent embryonic development. Zona hardening appears to be an indicator of oocyte aging."}
{"id": "PMID:1472819", "title": "Demographic differences between younger and older recipients seeking oocyte donation.", "content": "An older population of women is now increasingly seeking infertility care. The number of these patients may in fact eclipse those of younger patients for whom the method of oocyte donation was initially designed and previously offered. As a group, these older individuals appear to be energetic and demanding, with high expectations regarding the performance and the effectiveness of their fertility care. Physicians need to exercise vigilance in order to emphasize that eggs are not being bought and sold as a commodity and that guarantees of pregnancies cannot be made. Nevertheless, whereas oocyte donation requires all parties, donor, recipient, and doctor, to work together toward a common goal, it still offers women of advanced reproductive age perhaps their best chance at conception, pregnancy, and parenthood."}
{"id": "PMID:1472824", "title": "Nonverbal students and school nurses: using a health-related communication board.", "content": "This research study, conducted within a self-contained school for mentally disabled students, presents an innovative and creative approach to communication between the nonverbal student and the school nurse. A communication board was designed displaying 40 health-related symbols, thus providing a means for the nonverbal students, ranging in chronological age from 5 to 13 and intelligence ranges (I.Q.) from 5 to 55, to express their health needs during the nursing assessment."}
{"id": "PMID:1472826", "title": "The school nurse's role: early detection of growth disorders.", "content": "Many school-age children with short stature or apparent growth excess are growing normally; however, for the minority of children experiencing growth problems, treatment may be indicated. The school nurse is in an ideal position to perform a preliminary growth-screening program. For accurate identification of potential growth problems, children must be properly weighed and measured, and the numbers plotted on a growth chart. Growth disorders can be caused by numerous underlying pathologies and diseases. Knowledge of these conditions can raise the index of suspicion so that appropriate referral can be made."}
{"id": "PMID:1472829", "title": "Identifying substance use: an assessment tool for the school nurse.", "content": "A nursing assessment tool was developed to identify students who may be using drugs or alcohol. The three-part tool enables the school nurse to identify those students who require immediate medical care, as well as those who are impaired by substance use but medically stable. The use of the tool and implications for school nurses are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1472830", "title": "Microalbuminuria is no risk factor for restenosis following percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty.", "content": "Microalbuminuria is known to be associated with an increased risk for cardiovascular disease. It is detectable in acute myocardial infarction and could therefore also be a risk factor for reocclusion after percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA). In our study follow-up coronary angiography was performed in 50 consecutive patients with a mean age of 56 years (38-70) on average 14 months after successful PTCA. Restenosis was defined as a decrease in diameter of 25% or more of the original result and one of at least 50% in vessel diameter. In the restenosis group there were 23 patients, and 27 showed no restenosis. The family history and anamnestic risk profile, results of the initially performed coronary angiography, and laboratory risk factors were comparable in the two groups. Median microalbumin was 11.2 mg/g creatinine in those with restenosis and 9.8 mg/g creatinine in those without. Using a cut-off of 10.0 mg/g creatinine, 12 of 23 patients with restenosis (52%) and 10 of 27 patients without (37%) were positive for microalbuminuria (NS). The incidence of microalbuminuria was higher in both groups compared to historical controls. Thus, in the restenosis group the incidence of microalbuminuria tended to be higher than in the nonrestenosis group, but since this difference did not reach statistical significance, it cannot be used to predict the risk of reocclusion after PTCA."}
{"id": "PMID:1472831", "title": "Intestinal Enterocytozoon bieneusi microsporidiosis in an HIV-infected patient: diagnosis by ileo-colonoscopic biopsies and long-term follow up.", "content": "A 39-year-old patient with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome was diagnosed as having intestinal Enterocytozoon bieneusi microsporidiosis after persistent watery diarrhea for 30 months and a 16-kg weight loss. Microsporidian parasites were found by light and electron microscopy in tissue specimens of the duodenum, jejunum, and terminal ileum, and by light microscopic examination of stool specimens. When duodenal tissue sections obtained 16 months previously were reviewed retrospectively, E. bieneusi was also found. Until now, diagnosis of intestinal microsporidiosis has been based on examination of bioptic specimens of the upper small intestine because the sensitivity of new coprodiagnostic techniques has not been determined. Our findings of ileal microsporidiosis show that examination of the terminal ileum and ileal biopsy collection in tandem with colonoscopy is indicated for patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus and suffering from unexplained chronic diarrhea. The long-term course of our patient demonstrates that E. bieneusi, although not necessarily life threatening, can cause protracted debilitating diarrhea and wasting in severely immunodeficient patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1472832", "title": "Left main coronary stenosis by a mediastinal lymphoma.", "content": "A 50-year-old patient presented with a 3-month history of chest pain, a pathological result on electrocardiogram stress test, and signs of coronary heart disease on myocardial scintigraphy. Coronary angiography showed an isolated, moderate tubular stenosis of the left main coronary artery. Coronary bypass surgery was carried out, and intraoperative examination revealed a mediastinal lymphoma which caused the stenosis of the left main artery by external compression."}
{"id": "PMID:1472833", "title": "The influence of simvastatin alone or in combination with gemfibrozil on plasma lipids and lipoproteins in patients with type III hyperlipoproteinemia.", "content": "Nineteen adult patients with type III hyperlipoproteinemia (HLP) and homozygosity for apolipoprotein (apo) E2 were treated with the 3-hydroxy-3-methyl glutaryl coenzyme A (HMG CoA) reductase inhibitor simvastatin (20 or 40 mg per day) alone or in combination with the fibrate derivative gemfibrozil (450 mg per day) during a 30-week outpatient study. With the 20-mg dose (n = 19) the mean plasma cholesterol level decreased from 13.24 +/- 8.04 at baseline to 8.04 +/- 4.19 mmol/l (mean reduction 39.3%; P < 0.05), and the mean plasma triglyceride level decreased from 13.47 +/- 19.22 to 7.84 +/- 7.71 mmol/l (-41.8%; NS); this was due to a decrease in very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) cholesterol from 8.95 +/- 8.64 to 4.94 +/- 4.24 mmol/l (-44.8%; NS), a decrease in low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol from 3.54 +/- 0.93 to 2.25 +/- 0.59 mmol/l (-36.5%; P < 0.01), and an increase in high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol from 0.72 +/- 0.28 to 0.85 +/- 0.34 (+18.1%; NS). Thirteen patients were treated with 40 mg simvastatin per day. Under this regimen there was a further significant decrease in LDL cholesterol from 2.33 +/- 0.62 to 1.81 +/- 0.49 mmol/l (-22.3%; P < 0.01). In six patients who remained hyperlipidemic on monotherapy combination drug therapy with simvastatin (40 mg per day) and gemfibrozil (450 mg per day) was given. Compared to simvastatin alone the addition of gemfibrozil further lowered plasma concentrations of total cholesterol by 14.9%, VLDL cholesterol by 23.5%, and triglycerides by 17.1%, although this was not statistically significant.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1472834", "title": "Bucillamine (a new therapeutic agent for rheumatoid arthritis) induced nephrotic syndrome: a report of two cases and review of the literature.", "content": "Two cases of nephrotic syndrome during bucillamine treatment were encountered in 1989 in our hospital; both patients had suffered from rheumatoid arthritis for 2 years. They had received 200 mg bucillamine orally per day for 3-4 months before the onset of the nephrotic syndrome. Discontinuation of bucillamine led to complete remission of the nephrotic syndrome within 1 year. Bucillamine is a new therapeutic agent for rheumatoid arthritis developed in 1982 in Japan. Since 1985, 14 cases of nephrotic syndrome, including the two cases reported here have been reported. We review these cases and discuss the pathogenesis."}
{"id": "PMID:1472835", "title": "On the potential of simple repetitive DNA for fingerprinting in clinical, forensic, and evolutionary dynamic studies.", "content": "The purpose of this review is to discuss critically the practical meaning of a specific genome component, simple repetitive desoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) sequences as clinical and forensic and diagnostic and research tools. Previously, multilocus DNA fingerprinting was the major technology employed to visualize such simple repeat sequences. This technique enables many polymorphic loci to be simultaneously detected thus yielding vast amounts of information. With the advent of enzymatic DNA amplification via the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), individual simple repeat loci can be demonstrated, theoretically even from single DNA molecules and so a wealth of additional approaches have also become feasible. In general investigating, small, known, single copy parts of genomes have not posed truly insurmountable problems if enough material was available. There have even been a few (anecdotal) reports on the amplification of simple repeats from ancient DNA (see, e.g. [30]. Here we would like to after a solid basis for an earnest discussion of the applications of these simple repetitive sequences using various methodological approaches relevant for clinical diagnosis, setting aside the obvious unsolved mysteries of their biology."}
{"id": "PMID:1472840", "title": "Hypothermia in surgical patients.", "content": "During the perioperative period little attention is given to thermoregulation. This can lead to hypothermia which has severe physiological complications. This article discusses the causes and effects of hypothermia in surgical patients and describes a study that the author conducted to discover the level of awareness on the subject among operating department staff."}
{"id": "PMID:1472841", "title": "Care of the paediatric day-surgery patient.", "content": "Paediatric day surgery minimizes the length of the hospital stay and therefore is less traumatic for both child and parents. This is only true if the day-surgery process encompasses parental participation in care, good communication and a planned discharge process."}
{"id": "PMID:1472842", "title": "Psychological care of neuro-oncology patients and their families.", "content": "This article examines the psychological needs of neuro-oncology patients and their families and presents two case histories which illustrate the way in which patients and their families can be brought to terms with their situations through skilled nursing intervention."}
{"id": "PMID:1472843", "title": "An open evening for stroke patients and relatives.", "content": "A cerebral vascular accident (CVA) can cause fear and anxiety about the future for both sufferer and carers. Returning to the community after having been in the security of a hospital ward for many weeks can be traumatic. Nurses should enhance their health education programmes to prepare stroke patients and relatives for life at home."}
{"id": "PMID:1472845", "title": "What is nursing?", "content": "Recent efforts to redefine nursing have moved away from the traditional medically dominated approach, towards psychosocial care and forming relationships with patients. This article questions whether the focus has moved too far and urges nurses not to forget the bodily care that patients value and expect."}
{"id": "PMID:1472847", "title": "ABC of first aid.", "content": "Emergency care is a broad term which usually refers to a wide range of situations, procedures and services administered in a wide variety of emergency situations. This series of articles will examine the nurse's role, both within and outside the hospital. This article will describe what the nurse's first and second responses should be in an emergency."}
{"id": "PMID:1472848", "title": "Careers advice in preregistration nurse education.", "content": "For student nurses approaching qualification, the range of post-basic choices can be overwhelming. At this time nurses need comprehensive, systematic career guidance, yet it is rarely forthcoming. This article examines some of the reasons why such guidance is so neglected and makes some recommendations for the future."}
{"id": "PMID:1472849", "title": "A human resource management approach to nursing education: 1.", "content": "Human resource management (HRM) is an entirely new approach to the management of employees. In this the first of two articles, the elements that set it apart from traditional approaches to personnel management will be identified."}
{"id": "PMID:1472850", "title": "Nurses' attitudes to pain control and the use of pain assessment scales.", "content": "The key to effective pain control is accurate assessment and, more importantly, the belief that what patients state about their pain is true. This research study investigates nurses' attitudes to pain and its assessment, and reveals why pain control continues to be an inconsistent affair."}
{"id": "PMID:1472851", "title": "Caring for patients undergoing treatment for vascular occlusion.", "content": "In the treatment of arterial and graft occlusion, St George's Hospital has moved the emphasis away from long infusions of streptokinase to short, high-dose, pulsed administration of recombinant human tissue-type plasminogen activator (rt-PA). This has led to a change in nursing management."}
{"id": "PMID:1472852", "title": "Evaluating a health visiting service.", "content": "Community participation in the identification of health needs is vital if primary healthcare services are to be appropriate, acceptable and accessible to local people. Health visiting, especially, needs to adopt a flexible approach in order to respond to current health needs."}
{"id": "PMID:1472853", "title": "Stress and the student nurse in accident and emergency nursing.", "content": "Accident and emergency (A and E) nursing is assumed to be very stressful. This article will briefly examine the concept of stress before exploring the literature on stressors associated with A and E nursing and in particular those associated with student nurses. The implications are explored and important questions posed."}
{"id": "PMID:1472856", "title": "The case against nurse advocacy.", "content": "This article attacks the notion that nurses either can, or should, act as patients' advocates. It further suggests that nurses' motives for attempting to take the advocate role are, at least in part, disingenuous. Finally, there is a brief look at two alternative means of patient empowerment."}
{"id": "PMID:1472860", "title": "Prevention and treatment of the diabetic foot ulcer.", "content": "More hospital beds are occupied by diabetics with foot problems than by all of the patients with other complications of diabetes put together. Footcare in the diabetic patient is therefore of paramount importance. This article examines treatment and dressing strategies and advocates a multidisciplinary approach."}
{"id": "PMID:1472859", "title": "A human resource management approach to nursing education: 2.", "content": "In part 1 of this article, the elements that set human resource management apart from traditional approaches to personnel management were examined. Part 2 will consider the implications of these elements for the management and practice of labour relations within an NHS college of nursing in the 1990s."}
{"id": "PMID:1472868", "title": "Interferon regulatory factor-1 (IRF-1) activates the synthetic IRF-1-responsive sequence (GAAAGT)4 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.", "content": "In appropriate mammalian cells, interferon regulatory factor-1 (IRF-1) can activate the virus-responsive element of the IFN-beta promoter (VRE beta\") or the synthetic oligonucleotide (GAAAGT)4. The latter contains two copies of the functional equivalent of PRDI, one of the regulatory domains of VRE beta\". We prepared yeast strains containing an IRF-1 expression plasmid under the control of the galactose-inducible Gal1 promoter and a reporter plasmid with either (GAAAGT)4, VRE beta\", or other test sequences placed upstream of a minimal promoter linked to the beta-galactosidase coding sequence. Upon induction of IRF-1 expression, the (GAAAGT)4-containing promoter was activated, but VRE beta\" and all other sequences tested were inactive. Our results showed that IRF-1 belongs to a class of higher eukaryotic transcription factors that can interact with the yeast transcriptional machinery. Our findings also raised the question why the duplicate PRDI-like sequences in (GAAAGT)4 can be activated by IRF-1 synthesized in yeast, but not VRE beta\", which also contains at least two PRDI-like sequences."}
{"id": "PMID:1472869", "title": "Elements of the rabbit uteroglobin promoter mediating its transcription in epithelial cells from the endometrium and lung.", "content": "The rabbit uteroglobin gene is specifically expressed in certain epithelial cells of ontogenetically unrelated origin. In the endometrium, expression is restricted to the glandular and luminal epithelium and is inducible by progesterone and estradiol. In the lung, Clara cells lining the bronchiolar epithelium show constitutive expression of uteroglobin, which is modulated by glucocorticoids. To explore the molecular basis for this cell type specificity, we have transiently transfected the uteroglobin promoter region fused to the chloramphenicol acetyl transferase gene (CAT gene) in the endometrial cell line Ishikawa; in the human lung cell line NCI-H441, which shows morphological Clara cell characteristics; in HeLa cells; and in three fibroblast cell lines. The uteroglobin promoter efficiently drives expression of the CAT gene in Ishikawa and NCI-H441 cells, but not in HeLa and fibroblast cells. To identify the responsible elements we have analyzed progressive promoter 5'-deletion mutants and randomly generated linker scanning mutants spanning the sequence from -258 to -14 of the uteroglobin promoter. Transfection experiments reveal seven mutation-sensitive regions located around -30, -70, -95, -130, -190, -230, and -255. Several mutants display strong cell type-specific phenotypes. Most significantly, the integrity of the region around -190 is essential for full CAT gene expression in Ishikawa cells, but not in NCI-H441 cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1472870", "title": "Elements in the first intron of the alpha 1(I) collagen gene interact with Sp1 to regulate gene expression.", "content": "Sequences within the first intron of the alpha 1(I) collagen gene act both positively and negatively to regulate expression of the gene. We have further characterized a 274 bp intronic sequence that contains an orientation-specific inhibitory activity and represents a constitutive DNase I-hypersensitive site in the gene. We show that this sequence contains two tandem, unique binding elements for the transcription factor Sp1. In addition, an Sp1-like site, capable of competing for protein binding to the intronic elements, resides in the distal promoter of the collagen gene. The results of experiments with site-directed mutations that abolish binding to the intronic elements indicate that these protein-DNA interactions have an inhibitory effect on the transcriptional efficiency of alpha 1(I) collagen-reporter gene constructs in transient transfection analysis. These data support our conclusion that the first intron plays a complex role, involving multiple protein-DNA binding interactions, in the regulation of expression of the alpha 1(I) collagen gene."}
{"id": "PMID:1472871", "title": "Characterization of two types of ribosomal gene transcription in Xenopus laevis oocytes.", "content": "When the germinal vesicle of Xenopus laevis oocytes is translocated into the vegetal hemisphere by centrifugation, the normally silent ribosomal spacer promoters are strongly induced. This induction correlates with the permeability of the nuclear envelope to dextran of molecular weight 70 kDa, thus raising the possibility that the transcriptional changes are due to mixing of nuclear and cytoplasmic components. This basic observation prompted a thorough investigation of ribosomal gene transcription in centrifuged oocytes which had the germinal vesicle either in the animal half (A-oocytes) or in the vegetal half (V-oocytes). Two types of ribosomal gene transcription were characterized: (1) in A-oocytes, spacer promoters remain silent, transcription initiation is dependent on the upstream terminator T3, and transcription is highly processive and recognizes sites of RNA 3' end formation (like T2 and T3); (2) in V-oocytes, spacer promoters are induced, transcription initiation is independent of T3, but most transcripts terminate prematurely after less than 150 nt. Furthermore, the transcription machinery in V-oocytes does not respond to T2 or T3 signals. The implications of the present observations for our understanding of the regulation of the spacer promoters and of the function of the upstream terminator T3 are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1472872", "title": "Promoting quality through managed care.", "content": "Managed care organizations will be able to promote quality care as well as control costs by utilizing quality management approaches and practice guidelines. By so doing, organized systems of care could promote adherence to standards of quality and appropriateness. Focusing on systems of care is a major component of the quality improvement process and fits well with the development and utilization of practice guidelines. Practice guidelines, as well as risk management, quality assurance, and quality improvement techniques, can help reduce undesirable variation in practice patterns and prevent problems from occurring. Guidelines may be based on different levels of explicitness ranging from subjective judgment to specific outcomes and patient preferences. The use of guidelines and quality improvement mechanisms will enhance the effectiveness of clinical decision making and enable managed care organizations to work productively with physicians to promote quality."}
{"id": "PMID:1472873", "title": "Is your organization ready for total quality management?", "content": "The evolution to a Total Quality Management (TQM) or Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) philosophy is particularly attractive in the health care industry in its search for better ways of doing business to ensure financial survival in the current competitive environment. This article, however, suggests that some organizations may not benefit from attempting to implement methodology to achieve the widely accepted financial and operational benefits, not because of any weakness in the conceptual framework, but because of the culture and/or lack of dedicated resources required to ensure the acceptance and success of the approach. As a result, many providers are discovering that after a few years of implementation, benefits to the organization are not being recognized to the extent possible. Specific issues that have been identified as essential requirements to a successful implementation process or evolution to a continuous improvement culture are described in this article."}
{"id": "PMID:1472874", "title": "The risk of transfusion-associated AIDS: offering patients an active role in their care.", "content": "This article explores the duty of health care providers to inform patients of the risk of contracting AIDS through blood transfusions that may be necessitated by surgery or other forms of medical treatment. Although the quantitative risk of receiving HIV-contaminated blood in a transfusion is small, the qualitative risk is of a magnitude requiring complete disclosure if a patient's consent to treatment is to be considered adequately informed. Recent litigation confirms the importance of providing patients with the information needed to adequately assess the risks and benefits of proposed treatments that might involve a transfusion and reveals the need to offer the opportunity, where permissible, for autologous and directed donations. A comprehensive program embodying these concerns improves the quality of patient care and reduces exposure to liability for transfusions with contaminated blood."}
{"id": "PMID:1472875", "title": "Unnecessary hospitalization of Medicare patients in Ohio. A preliminary profile.", "content": "Peer review organizations (PRO) review the health care given to Medicare beneficiaries. If a PRO determines that a hospital admission was unnecessary, the hospital is not reimbursed for the medical care and the case is \"denied.\" The average hospital denial rate on Ohio is 2%; however, the denial rate for hospital admissions of one day or less is 7.5%. An analysis of hospitals and diagnoses for one-day hospital admission denials was performed, showing that urban hospitals and disorders of the circulatory and digestive systems predominate. The inappropriate utilization of health care resources costs millions of dollars per year in Ohio and could be costing the nation billions of dollars. There is an urgent need to research why resources are used less effectively by some hospitals and for some diseases."}
{"id": "PMID:1472877", "title": "Toward effective hospital utilization management. Ten lessons from case studies.", "content": "The challenges presented by managed care arrangements and third-party utilization controls have led hospitals to strengthen internal utilization management programs. This article reports findings from a set of case studies on how hospitals have adapted their utilization management programs to their environments. While knowledge acquired from case studies should not be overgeneralized, the findings of these studies suggest some lessons that merit consideration by hospitals advancing their own programs in utilization management."}
{"id": "PMID:1472884", "title": "Bacterial vaginosis: a subtle yet serious infection.", "content": "Bacterial vaginosis, previously designated nonspecific vaginitis, is the most common vaginal infection in reproductive-aged women. It is properly diagnosed using three of the four following criteria: (1) presence of homogenous, thin, milklike vaginal discharge; (2) vaginal pH > 4.5; (3) fishy odor on alkalinization of the vaginal secretions; and (4) presence of clue cells on microscopic examination of vaginal secretions. In recent years, numerous gynecological and obstetrical complications have been linked to this disease. Treatment of choice remains oral metronidazole, with clindamycin vaginal cream offering promise of similar efficacy with fewer side effects. Thorough and individualized treatment of asymptomatic women and sexual partners remains controversial. Patient education should be a pivotal part of effective therapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1472885", "title": "Vulvovaginal candidiasis: a current update.", "content": "Vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) is one of the most common reasons a woman may visit her medical provider. In fact, vaginal complaints account for 10% of all visits each year, with the occurrence of VVC nearly doubling in the past ten years. The diagnosis of VVC is usually straightforward and the majority of patients readily respond to treatment with local antifungal therapy. However, 5% to 25% of these patients relapse, suffering recurrent symptoms within 1 to 3 months of treatment. The chronicity of these candidal infections becomes very frustrating to both patient and provider. The cause may be unclear and the course of treatment unsubstantiated in medical literature. Therefore, to minimize recurrence clinicians must always use a systematic approach to diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up for acute and chronic vulvovaginal candidiasis."}
{"id": "PMID:1472886", "title": "Cytolytic vaginosis: a common cause of cyclic vulvovaginitis.", "content": "Cytolytic vaginosis (CV) infection is a little recognized but common cause of cyclic vulvovaginal complaints in women of reproductive age. Often misdiagnosed as candidiasis, most women have tried myriad antifungal medications to little or no avail. The history and physical examination is often similar to that seen in women with vaginal candidiasis. However in CV infection there is a luteal phase pattern of symptom recurrence. An astute clinician can make this diagnosis on vaginal microscopic examination and by meticulously ruling out other infections. Management consists of discontinuing all antifungal agents, using pads instead of tampons with menses, and taking baking soda sitz baths. Baking soda douches may also be helpful. As clinicians become familiar with CV infection, more women will be diagnosed and managed appropriately, leading to a long awaited resolution of their chronic vaginal complaints."}
{"id": "PMID:1472887", "title": "Vulvovaginitis in the prepubertal child.", "content": "In prepubertal children the majority (25% to 75% of diagnoses made in referral centers) of complaints of vulvar inflammation and secondary vaginitis are benign in nature. This nonspecific vulvovaginitis responds well to hygiene measures and education. A child with persistent, purulent, or recurrent vaginal discharge deserves a complete assessment with cultures. When these complaints arise, clinicians must always be alert to the possibility of sexual abuse in children and therefore must conduct a sensitive and thorough history in addition to the examination."}
{"id": "PMID:1472888", "title": "Vulvovaginitis in the postmenopausal woman.", "content": "Determining the cause and appropriate treatment of vulvovaginitis in the postmenopausal woman is complicated by the effects of decreased endogenous estrogen as well as normal aging changes. The symptoms of vulvovaginitis remain the same at any age but after menopause these symptoms can be the result of atrophy alone. Estrogen is the treatment of choice for atrophic vaginitis. The differential diagnosis and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases, candidiasis, and vulvar dystrophies are described and various alternatives to estrogen use are included."}
{"id": "PMID:1472889", "title": "Vulvar dermatoses.", "content": "Dermatologic manifestations of vulvar disease can be confusing, the cause ambiguous, and the course of treatment long. Without a specific complaint, the vulva is often overlooked during a routine pelvic examination, and is often simply \"the means to go through\" in order to perform the routine Pap smear. The clinician must develop an awareness of the importance of dermatologic manifestations related to the vulva. A systematic approach is necessary to determine the pathogenesis and clinical behavior of vulvar conditions. This article will focus on identification of the various classifications of vulvar dermatoses, the causes of these conditions, differential diagnoses, accurate assessment, and management of cutaneous vulvar conditions."}
{"id": "PMID:1472890", "title": "Vulvar vestibulitis syndrome.", "content": "Vulvar Vestibulitis Syndrome (VVS) is a condition characterized by dyspareunia, introital erythema, and tenderness. A subset of vulvodynia, VVS may be acute or chronic. If acute, a specific underlying cause is often identified, and when properly treated the condition is likely to fully resolve. In contrast, chronic VVS is less well understood and is often multifactorial. Treatment is aimed at providing symptomatic relief and should begin with the least invasive approaches such as the use of topical xylocaine, oral antiviral therapy, acupuncture, and hypnotherapy. Interferon injections may be tried as last line medical therapy. Surgery has no role in treatment of acute VVS and is considered a last resort therapy for management of chronic VVS. Effort should be made to support the patient throughout the lengthy management process, encouraging patient participation, including negotiation of the treatment plan, and providing ongoing counselling and education."}
{"id": "PMID:1472891", "title": "Vulvovaginitis: promotion of condom use to prevent sexually transmitted disease.", "content": "Many studies have suggested that merely warning people about the dangers of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and urging the use of condoms as protection will not result in widespread use of condoms. Regular condom use appears to be grounded in knowledge of its effectiveness, perception of STD risk, and belief in a partner's acceptance. But these are not the only barriers to condom use. Negotiating condom use often comes at a sensitive stage in intimate relationships, when individuals prefer to avoid such discussions and simply to trust the powerful and compelling feelings of mutual attraction. This review will consider (1) the effectiveness of condoms in preventing STD transmission, (2) barriers to the use of condoms, and (3) recommended strategies to promote acceptance and use of condoms by heterosexual women."}
{"id": "PMID:1472892", "title": "Vulvovaginal conditions: social, psychological, and sexual considerations.", "content": "Women experiencing vulvovaginal conditions are affected socially, psychologically, and sexually. Although vulvovaginitis is a common women's health problem, these considerations are overlooked in the literature and, unfortunately, often in practice, as well. This article presents a discussion of the social, psychological, and sexual issues to be considered when treating women with vulvovaginal conditions, including implications for practice."}
{"id": "PMID:1472893", "title": "Recombinant LD78 protein, a member of the small cytokine family, enhances osteoclast differentiation in rat bone marrow culture system.", "content": "Cytokine LD78 is a member of the small inducible protein family involved in cell growth, wound healing and inflammation. However, its exact function is not known. In this study, we demonstrated that recombinant LD78 alpha and its variant LD78 beta proteins stimulate osteoclast-like cell formation in rat bone marrow cultures in the presence of 1 alpha, 25-dihydroxyvitamin D3. This enhancing activity was independent of prostaglandin synthesis. This is the first report which describes the effect of proteins involved in the small inducible protein family on the differentiation of osteoclasts."}
{"id": "PMID:1472894", "title": "The progesterone antagonist, RU486 does not affect basal or estrogen-stimulated cancellous bone formation in the rat.", "content": "Although it has been suggested that progesterone may have a role in preventing postmenopausal bone loss, a number of studies have shown that progesterone has no additive effect on estrogen therapy. We have recently found that high-dose estrogen stimulates bone formation in rats. The effect of progesterone on this anabolic action of estrogen has not been tested. We therefore investigated the role of progesterone in combination with endogenous or exogenous estrogen on bone formation in rats using RU486, which has been shown to be a potent progesterone antagonist without detectable agonist effects. Three-month-old Wistar female rats were treated for 17 days with RU486, and histomorphometric indices of bone formation were measured at the proximal tibial metaphysis after administration of double fluorochrome labels. Animals treated with RU486 (10 mg/kg) showed no change in either bone formation rate or double-labelled bone surfaces compared to vehicle-treated controls. Estrogen (17 beta-estradiol, 4 mg/kg) increased both indices by more than double compared with controls. RU486 did not affect the indices of increased bone formation in estrogen-treated rats. Estrogen also exhibited inhibition of longitudinal bone growth, while RU486 had no effect either in normal or estrogen-treated animals. These results show that the progesterone antagonist affects neither the stimulatory effect on formation nor the inhibitory effect on longitudinal bone growth by estrogen. These results suggest that progesterone does not play a significant role in either bone formation or bone growth in the rat."}
{"id": "PMID:1472895", "title": "Activation of protein kinase C inhibits 45Ca-accumulation in cultures of osteoblast-like cells: possible involvement of insulin-like growth factor-I.", "content": "In a previous report, we have demonstrated that exogenous insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) stimulates 45Ca-accumulation into extracellular matrix in long-term cultures of osteoblast-like MC3T3-E1 cells and that 45Ca-accumulation occurs even in the cultures without exogenous IGF-I. In this study, effects of protein kinase C (PKC) on IGF-I secretion and 45Ca-accumulation into extracellular matrix were examined in 6-week cultured MC3T3-E1 cells. The MC3T3-E1 cells secreted IGF-I spontaneously. The PKC activator, 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) suppressed IGF-I secretion in a dose-dependent manner. 4 alpha-Phorbol 12,13-didecanoate (4 alpha-PDD), which is inactive for PKC, had little effect on the secretion. 1-Oleoyl-2-acetylglycerol, a specific activator for PKC, also suppressed the IGF-I secretion dose dependently. H-7, a PKC inhibitor, recovered the inhibitory effect of TPA. On the other hand, TPA inhibited the 45Ca-accumulation into extracellular matrix in cultures of these cells dose dependently, whereas 4 alpha-PDD was ineffective in this capacity. The TPA-induced inhibition of 45Ca-accumulation was recovered almost to the control level by H-7. Exogenous IGF-I recovered the inhibitory effect of TPA on 45Ca-accumulation. In spite of the inhibitory effects of TPA as above, TPA had little effect on DNA synthesis in these cells. These results suggest that the activation of PKC inhibits calcification via suppression of IGF-I secretion in osteoblast-like cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1472896", "title": "Perspectives: bone's mechanical usage windows.", "content": "As mechanical usage (MU) of a bone changes from complete disuse towards maximal vigor, the biologic mechanisms that can adapt it to its MU tend to react predictably. Acute disuse can increase BMU (Basic Multicellular Unit, the remodeling 'packet') creations but reduces how much bone they form, to increase bone loss next to marrow. Normal usage reduces those creations to normal and tends to equalize their resorption and formation; this conserves bone. In mild overloading, BMUs still conserve existing bone, while modeling drifts can begin adding to and/or reshaping it. Severe overloading can increase microdamage alarmingly, its repair by BMUs too, and can cause woven bone formation, anarchic resorption and a regional acceleratory phenomenon. Those ranges of MU vigor can define four 'windows'. An adapted window should apply to healthy, normally active adult mammals, and a mild overload window to healthy, normally active growing ammals. The biologic responses in the pathologic window could explain among other things some total joint and internal fixation failures, some pathologic fractures and some bone healing and sports medicine problems."}
{"id": "PMID:1472897", "title": "Which is more osteoporosis-inducing, menopause or oophorectomy?", "content": "The present study was designed to investigate in a comparative manner whether menopause or oophorectomy (OPX) would be a more osteoporosis-inducing factor with regard to sex steroids, bone metabolism and bone mineral density (BMD), including postmenopausal subjects, OPX subjects and age- and body-size-matched premenopausal controls. Serum levels of estradiol (E2), testosterone (TS) and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) were found to decrease in both the postmenopausal and OPX subjects without any significant difference between them, while serum levels of estrone (E1) and androstenedione (delta 4), which have been reported to be related to bone metabolism, were significantly lower in the OPX subjects than in the postmenopausal subjects. According to the indices representing bone formation and bone resorption, as well as the changes in serum levels of Ca-regulating hormones, bone metabolic balance seemed to be slightly more negative in the former than in the latter. However, there was no difference between these two groups of subjects with regard to BMD in lumbar vertebral spongy portion which sensitively reflects the changes in total lumbar BMD and bone metabolism and in which compressive fracture is apt to occur. This fact suggests that these two groups of subjects may be managed in the same way in clinical practice. In other terms, the menopause, a natural event in women, influences BMD as much as OPX, which is the greatest risk factor in osteoporosis, does."}
{"id": "PMID:1472898", "title": "Immunolocalization of alkaline phosphatase in osteoblasts and matrix vesicles of human fetal bone.", "content": "A monoclonal antibody raised against alkaline phosphatase (ALP) of human osteosarcoma was used to localize this enzyme in human fetal bone tissue. For light microscopy, the presence of alkaline phosphatase in osteoblasts and osteocytes was demonstrated by use of an avidin-biotin immunoperoxidase procedure. Electron microscopic immunolocalization was accomplished with an indirect immunoperoxidase method which revealed a concentration of the enzyme on matrix vesicle and osteoblast plasma membranes. In addition, many vesicular protrusions arising from areas of plasma membrane on the lateral surfaces of adjacent osteoblasts were strongly immunolabeled. Immunostaining for ALP was absent in vesicles which contained fine crystallites. Alkaline-phosphatase-rich matrix vesicles may play a significant role in the mineralization of the extracellular matrix."}
{"id": "PMID:1472899", "title": "Do co-translated product(s) of lactase-phlorizin hydrolase accumulate in the rat intestine?", "content": "The 225 kDa precursor of intestinal lactase-phlorizin hydrolase (LPH) consists of four tandemly-organized homologous domains flanked by a signal peptide at the N-end and by a transmembrane anchor at the C-end of the polypeptide chain. While the mature LPH of 130 kDa has already been shown to originate from the C-half of the precursor, no protein deriving from the N-half has been identified so far. Using monospecific antibodies raised against the mature LPH or against a recombinant protein containing the sequence of the N-end of the LPH precursor, we have searched for co-translated protein(s) of LPH in enterocytes and in the intestinal lumen of suckling rats. Since no additional protein to LPH was revealed by these antibodies, it is suggested that the polypeptide chain corresponding to the N-half of the LPH precursor undergoes rapid turnover."}
{"id": "PMID:1472900", "title": "Adaptational increase of liver glutathione content during long-term application of cyclosporine A may attenuate toxic side effects.", "content": "The concentrations of reduced and oxidized glutathione and of adenine nucleotides were determined in liver, kidney and heart of rats during long-term (four weeks), high-dose therapy with cyclosporine A. In liver and kidney the concentration of oxidized glutathione increased following 4 weeks-therapy suggesting increased formation of free radicals and accelerated lipid peroxidation processes. These processes may be due to an increased activity of the cytochrome P-450 system. Compensatory levels of reduced glutathione were also increased. The adaptational increase of the tissue level of reduced glutathione, presumably the response to a chronic oxidative stress, was more distinct in the liver. The liver did not lose adenine nucleotides. In contrast the kidney, after 4 weeks of cyclosporine A therapy, lost 25% of the adenine nucleotides. These findings suggest that the liver is characterized by a greater potential for effective adaptation to oxidative stress conditions compared to the kidney. These adaptations may prevent distortions of energy and nucleotide metabolism in the liver which is in agreement with the minor ultrastructural changes we have observed."}
{"id": "PMID:1472901", "title": "Preconditioning of heart by repeated stunning. Adaptive modification of antioxidative defense system.", "content": "Previous studies demonstrated that preconditioning of a heart by repeated stunning can reduce the cellular injury to the heart from subsequent acute ischemic insult. To examine the possible biochemical mechanism for such myocardial preservation afforded by preconditioning, swine heart was subjected to four episodes of 5 min. stunning by occluding the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD), followed by 10 min. of reperfusion after each stunning. Heart was then made regionally ischemic for 60 min. by LAD occlusion, followed by 6 hrs. reperfusion. Control heart was perfused for 60 min., followed by 60 min. ischemia and 6 hrs. reperfusion. The results of our studies indicated the stimulation of a number of antioxidative enzymes, including Mn-superoxide dismutase (Mn-SOD), catalase, glutathione peroxidase, and glutathione reductase, after repeated stunning and reperfusion. In addition, a number of new proteins were expressed after preconditioning the heart, including some oxidative-stress related proteins and 72 kDa heat-shock protein. These results suggest that preconditioning of a heart by repeated stunning may lead to strengthening of the oxidative defense system of the heart, which is likely to play a role in myocardial preservation during subsequent ischemic and reperfusion injury."}
{"id": "PMID:1472902", "title": "Light and electron microscopic radioautography of DNA synthesis in the endometria of pregnant-ovariectomized mice during activation of implantation window.", "content": "Pregnant mice were ovariectomized at pre-implantation stage and exogenous nidatory estradiol was administered to evaluate the DNA synthesis of the endometrial cells during activation of uterine receptivity for blastocyst implantation. After 0, 3, 6, 12 and 18 hrs. of estradiol treatment, the animals received 3H-thymidine injection, sacrificed 1 hr. later, and the uteri were prepared for light and electron microscopic radioautography. At time 0, no labelled stromal or epithelial cells was found in the endometrium. According to the time-lapse after estradiol induction, a gradual increase of labelled stromal and endothelial cells was seen in the endometrium. The highest labeling index was observed at the antimesometrial side of the implantation sites and the lowest value was found at the interimplantation site. The cells found at mesometrial side of the implantation site showed an intermediate labeling index. Eighteen hrs. after estradiol treatment, the labelled stromal cells found near the implantation chamber resembled the morphology of decidual cells while those labelled cells localized at the interimplantation sites were similar to the fibroblast. The uterine luminal epithelial cells showed low DNA synthesis after estradiol treatment resulting in only a few labelled cells at the interimplantation sites and no labelled cells at the implantation sites. A similar labeling pattern was seen in the glandular epithelium. The distribution of labelled cells seen among the regions of pregnant endometrium under estradiol effect suggest that DNA synthesis related to uterine activation for blastocyst implantation is a focal reaction, where the luminal epithelium does nt proliferate while the stromal and endothelial cells around the conceptus increase the DNA synthesis to prepare the endometrial decidualization."}
{"id": "PMID:1472903", "title": "Hemostatic activity of the bovine parotid gland glycoconjugates.", "content": "The bovine parotid gland was studied by means of biochemical analyses and the glycoconjugates extracted were used to investigate the activity on the human hemostatic system. Thromboelastography was unable to reveal anticoagulant properties. Conversely, the Thrombin Time (TT) was prolonged in a statistically significant way and with dose-coupling response. Reptilase Time (RT) was affected by the highest concentration of extract suggesting that the bovine parotid glycoconjugates alter the fibrinogen polymerization."}
{"id": "PMID:1472904", "title": "Purification of the Atlantic salmon hepatic 21 kDa protein and classification as a high mobility group chromatin protein.", "content": "The 21 kDa protein of liver from Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) has been purified. Hepatic nuclei were extracted with 0.75 M HClO4. The extracted proteins were fractionated using reversed phase high performance liquid chromatography. The purity of the protein was analysed by isoelectric focusing in the first, and SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the 2nd dimension. Isoelectric focusing separated the protein into 5 spots. In gel trypsin digestion after isoelectric focusing followed by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis resulted in identical migration of the tryptic peptides. The amino acid composition of the 21 kDa protein was similar to that of high mobility group (HMG) proteins C and D from rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). The N-terminal sequence of the amino acids 1-19 revealed a conserved region characteristic for HMG 14/17 proteins of mammals and avians, and their equivalents in rainbow trout. Considering the electrophoretic mobility, amino acid composition and N-terminal amino acid sequence it is concluded that the 21 kDa protein of Atlantic salmon is a member of the HMG protein family resembling the HMG D protein of rainbow trout."}
{"id": "PMID:1472905", "title": "Modification of proto-oncogene expression by phorbol esters in human dermal microvascular endothelial cells.", "content": "Following activation with the inflammatory mediator phorbol myristate acetate (PMA), human microvascular endothelial cells (DMEC) is olated from the human dermis (DMEC) rapidly and dramatically convert from a classical epithelioid morphology to a spindle-shaped configuration. This is accompanied by changes in the organization of gap junctions and the vimentin and actin cytoskeletons. This report describes the sequential changes in the expression of four proto-oncogenes, c-fos, c-myc, c-sis and H-ras in DMEC following PMA exposure. The synthesis of c-fos mRNA was transiently induced by PMA from a basal concentration below the limit of detection to a maximum at 60 min., declining to the unstimulated level within 2 hrs. Synthesis of c-myc mRNA declined continuously and reached 37% of control levels over 16 hrs. Expression of c-sis which encodes for the B chain of platelet-derived growth factor, also declined to 34% of the control value over 16 hrs. There was no change in the synthesis of H-ras mRNA nor of beta-actin mRNA which was used as a control. The expression of c-myc in normal DMEC was compared to a human dermal microvascular cell line transformed by SV-40 (TREND). The TREND cell line maintains a permanent spindle-shaped configuration under all growth conditions and multiplies faster than DMEC. In contrast to the non-transformed cell cultures, expression of c-myc in TREND cells was induced by PMA.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1472906", "title": "Cassia alata and the preclinical search for therapeutic agents for the treatment of opportunistic infections in AIDS patients.", "content": "In our search for therapeutic agents from natural sources with potential for the treatment of opportunistic infections in patients afflicted with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), we investigated antibacterial and antifungal activities of water extracts of Cassia alata (C. alata). The extracts are traditionally used in Ivory Coast, West Africa to treat bacterial infections caused by Escherichia coli (E. coli), and fungal infections caused by Candida albicans (C. albicans) and dermatophytes. Our working hypothesis was that the extract contains active ingredient(s) which can be isolated, identified and developed into useful antibacterial/antifungal agents for the treatment of opportunistic infections in patients with AIDS. We used the broth dilution and agar dilution methods. Specifically, we focused on E. coli and C. albicans and the effectiveness of the extracts was evaluated relative to those of standard antibacterial agent chloramphenicol and antifungal agent amphotericin B. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) for the water extract of C. alata against E. coli were 1.6 mg/ml and 60 mg/ml, respectively; corresponding data for chloramphenicol were 2 micrograms/ml and 10 micrograms/ml. Similarly, the MIC and minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC) for the extract against C. albicans were 0.39 mg/ml and 60 mg/ml in contrast to 0.58 micrograms/ml and 0.98 micrograms/ml for amphotericin B. From the dose-response curve plots, the extract had an IC50 of 31 mg/ml for E. coli and 28 mg/ml for C. albicans. The data suggest that C. alata extracts contain agent(s) which have therapeutic potential and might be useful if isolated and developed for the treatment of opportunistic infections of AIDS patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1472907", "title": "Presence of single-chain ribosome-inactivating protein-like activities in several plant species.", "content": "The present screening work was devoted to the search for new ribosome-inactivating proteins (RIPs) in 21 plant species. Eight plants proved to be very active, inhibiting protein synthesis in eukaryotic in vitro systems (rat liver, Vicia sativa and wheat germ). They fulfil the major requirements for consideration as type 1 RIPs. Also, eight plants were found to contain haemagglutinating activity of human red cells but this was not related to the simultaneous presence of RIPs."}
{"id": "PMID:1472908", "title": "Microanalytical characterization and surface modification of TiNi orthodontic archwires.", "content": "Orthodontic archwires (equiatomic TiNi alloy) of both used (4 weeks) and unused conditions were microanalyzed by optical and scanning electron microscopes, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and electron diffraction to characterize the surface layers. They were also subjected to immersion and polarization corrosion tests in a 0.9% NaCl aqueous solution. Based on results obtained from these analytical and experimental studies, surfaces of TiNi archwires were further electrochemically treated to etch away nickel selectively and reform the surface morphology to uniform and porous surface layers. Main conclusions were: (a) surface layers of used archwires were covered contaminants causing the discoloration, and the contaminants were identified as mainly KCl crystals, (b) surfaces of both used and unused wires were observed to be irregular features characterized by lengthy island-like structures, where nickel was selectively dissolved, (c) corrosion tests in a 0.9% NaCl aqueous solution in immersion and polarization methods indicated that by increasing temperature from 3 degrees to 60 degrees C and acidity from pH 11 to pH 3, calculated corrosion rates increased, and (d) surface layers of TiNi archwires can be electrochemically modified to selectively etch nickel away, leaving a Ti-enriched surface layer and forming a uniformly distributed porous surface that may reduce the coefficient of friction against the orthodontic brackets."}
{"id": "PMID:1472909", "title": "A study on elongation and knot slacking of various sutures.", "content": "The tension holding capacity of suture materials was measured by in vitro and in vivo experiments. Silk and expanded polytetrafluoroethylene sutures showed large elongation and significant knot slacking after tight tying. Although ultrahigh molecular-weight polyethylene suture had excellent creep resistance, it showed a relatively low tension holding capacity because of substantial knot slacking. On the other hand, polyester and high-strength poly(vinyl alcohol) sutures showed an excellent in vivo tension holding capacity, along with low elongation and insignificant knot slacking. Clinical performance of these sutures was briefly discussed from the mechanical point of view."}
{"id": "PMID:1472910", "title": "Ultrasonic velocity and attenuation measurement in kidney stones: correlation to constituents and hardness.", "content": "In this investigation, ultrasonic parameters of kidney stones are measured, in vitro, using a double probe ultrasonic-through-transmission technique. Due to the complex chemical structure of these stones, a large variation in the values of the ultrasonic parameters is found. A correlation between ultrasonic properties and variation in pathology of the renal calculi is also discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1472911", "title": "A new, non-toxic, curing agent for synthetic polyolefins.", "content": "The purpose of this study was to investigate benzocyclobutene (BCB) derivatives as non-toxic curing agents to replace accelerated sulfur systems in certain synthetic biomedical materials. Prototype artificial spinal discs have been made and implanted in a few patients from a carbon black-filled copolymer of 1-hexene and 5-methyl-1,4-hexadiene (MHD), which is sulfur cured. The polymers investigated in this study were composed of 1-hexene, allyl-BCB, and MHD (or 7-methyl-1,6-octadiene, MOD). Curing was effected through reactions on BCB, forming carbon-carbon crosslinks. Preliminary cytotoxicity tests showed the material to be non-toxic, and the physical and mechanical properties of the BCB-cured materials were comparable with those of the sulfur-cured polymers."}
{"id": "PMID:1472912", "title": "A basic study on removal of nutrient salts in wastewater using plants (removal by mung beans; Phaseolus radiatus L).", "content": "Many studies have reported on the removal of pollutants from wastewater using aquatic plants. The water hyacinth has been the most widely used and its system is the most well established. This system however, has a few problems in practical use. The purpose of this study is to obtain basic information on a new system that can substitute for a conventional system or be used as a secondary system to assist the conventional one. We first envisioned a model of this new system and then conducted a preliminary experiment using a small experimental unit to simulate the new system. The experiment showed that mung beans were a suitable plant for our study. Their removal rate of pollutants was the highest before they developed leaves and started photosynthesis. We found that nutrients were expelled outside the plant root when nutrient concentration inside the plant tissue became too high."}
{"id": "PMID:1472919", "title": "Trisomy 13 in acute leukemia.", "content": "Trisomy 13 occurring as a sole cytogenetic abnormality has recently been demonstrated to have adverse prognostic significance in acute leukemia. Trisomy 13 is seen primarily in an older male population, and has been reported in treatment-associated acute leukemia and acute leukemia evolved from myelodysplastic syndromes, as well as in de novo leukemia. The 36 cases of acute leukemia with trisomy 13 reported to date include 26 AML, 6 AUL, 2 ALL and 2 mixed lineage patients. Immunophenotyping studies have demonstrated an undifferentiated phenotype or biphenotypic markers in most cases. Trisomy 13 is associated with a low complete remission rate and with brief remission duration. The role of the additional copy of chromosome 13 in the pathogenesis of these cases of acute leukemia and the gene(s) of importance on chromosome 13 are yet to be determined."}
{"id": "PMID:1472920", "title": "Serum soluble interleukin-2 receptor levels in hairy cell leukemia: correlation with clinical and hematological parameters and with alpha-interferon treatment.", "content": "The soluble Interleukin-2 Receptor (sIL-2R) serum levels were assessed in 42 patients with Hairy-Cell Leukemia (HCL) at diagnosis and after alpha-Interferon therapy and correlated with spleen size, peripheral hematological values, hairy cell index (HCI) and clinical response. Serum sIL-2R levels were significantly increased in all HCL patients, particularly in those with a higher HCI (> 0.50) and in non-splenectomized patients. Among the 26 HCL patients who were studied before and after 12 months of alpha-IFN treatment, 16 normalized the sIL-2R level and 10 did not. Our findings suggest that sIL-2R levels in HCL patients correlate with the splenic and bone marrow tumor burden as assessed by HCI. In addition patients with low levels of sIL-2R at diagnosis appear to have a better chance of achieving a good clinical response."}
{"id": "PMID:1472921", "title": "Autoantibodies in the sera of patients with lymphoma.", "content": "Sera of 84 patients with Hodgkin's disease (HD) and 55 patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) were examined for the presence of autoantibodies to ssDNA, dsDNA, Poly (I), Poly (G), cardiolipin, histones, RNP. Sm, Ro (SS/A), La (SS/B) and the common anti-DNA idiotype (16/6) using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Anti-ssDNA antibodies were detected in the sera of 20 patients with lymphoma (23.8%), more among those with NHL than HD (16 vs. 4 patients p < 0.01). Anti-RNP and anti-Sm antibodies were found in 16 (21.7%) and 14 lymphoma patients (20%) respectively, significantly more than in the controls (p < 0.05) in both antibodies). These findings remained valid following subgrouping of the patients into those with HD and NHL. With all the other autoantibodies examined no significant difference could be observed in the incidence between lymphoma patients and controls. These results differ from our previous survey carried out on sera of patients with solid tumors in whom no increased frequency of any of the autoantibodies could be determined. In view of the evidence suggesting an increased risk of lymphoma in a number of autoimmune diseases our results extend this relationship to an increased incidence of autoantibodies among patients with lymphoma."}
{"id": "PMID:1472922", "title": "Interleukin-6 levels in the plasma of patients with lymphoma.", "content": "We have suggested a growth stimulatory role of lymphoma cells in culture by interleukin 6. To test the hypothesis that IL-6 may have a role in vivo, the plasma of lymphoma patients was assayed for the presence of IL-6 bioactivity. A significantly greater proportion of lymphoma patients had elevated IL-6 levels (23 of 40) compared to controls (3 of 35). In follow-up, eight of 15 patients with previously elevated levels returned with decreased or undetectable levels of IL-6 post radio- or chemotherapy. This response was seen primarily in those with intermediate or high grade lymphomas. In contrast no change in IL-6 levels was seen in patients with low grade lymphoma despite measurable reductions in tumor size in both groups."}
{"id": "PMID:1472923", "title": "Role of splenectomy in chronic lymphocytic leukaemia with massive splenomegaly and cytopenia.", "content": "Fourteen cases of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) and massive splenomegaly associated with anaemia and/or thrombocytopenia (stage C) with or without mechanical distress underwent splenectomy. Eleven regressed to stage A and 2 to stage B. All 6 patients with mechanical distress were relieved of their symptoms. Among 13 patients with anaemia, haemoglobin (Hb) level was normalised in 3, improved in 8 and showed no change in 2 cases. Among 13 patients with thrombocytopenia, platelet count was normalised in 10, improved in 1 and was unchanged in 2 cases. Mean Hb level increased from 89 g/l to 125 g/l and mean platelet count from 77 x 10(9)/l to 241 x 10(9)/l (p < 0.001 for both). Duration of response lasted for a mean period of 42.1 (CI 20.8-63.5) months. Mean survival after splenectomy was 44.5 months (CI 21.2-67.7). There was no operative mortality but 4 patients had significant post-operative morbidity. It is concluded that splenectomy is beneficial in advanced cases of CLL with massive splenomegaly and cytopenia."}
{"id": "PMID:1472924", "title": "Beta 2 microglobulin level as an indicator of prognosis in diffuse large cell lymphoma.", "content": "We report results of our investigation of prognostic factors for patients with diffuse large cell lymphoma (DLCL) who were entered on the same treatment protocol and who had known pretreatment serum beta 2 microglobulin levels. Serum beta 2 microglobulin, bone marrow involvement, performance status and lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) levels were associated with a poor prognosis in univariate analysis. However, only beta 2 microglobulin remained of prognostic significance in a multivariate analysis with statistical differences at different cut off levels. We believe that beta 2 microglobulin levels accurately separate patients into low-, intermediate- and high-risk patients. It is concluded that serum beta 2 microglobulin is the most significant prognostic factor currently available for DLCL and should be incorporated in the initial staging in order to provide a basis for designing the therapeutic approach in these cases."}
{"id": "PMID:1472925", "title": "Incidence of thrombocytosis in lymphomas.", "content": "Reactive thrombocytosis due to malignancies and in particular those related to lymphomas have not yet been extensively evaluated. We report data on thrombocytosis recognized in 18 out of 101 patients with lymphomas diagnosed in our department over the last 3 years. All showed high platelet counts at the time of diagnosis. The incidence of thrombocytosis seems to be more frequent in males (21.2%) than in females (14.8%) and a slightly higher frequency was found in Hodgkin's disease (21.4%) than in non Hodgkin's lymphomas (16.4%). The incidence of thrombocytosis in lymphomas seems to be similar to that seen in other malignancies and because of this we conclude that a high platelet count cannot be used to distinguish malignancies."}
{"id": "PMID:1472926", "title": "Role of interleukin-2 activated MHC-nonrestricted lymphocytes in antileukemia activity and therapy.", "content": "Although the application of biological therapy for solid tumors with cytokines and adoptively transferred activated lymphocytes has received substantial attention, this approach has not been actively explored in treatment of hematopoietic neoplasms. This review will address the possibilities of interleukin-2 (IL-2) and IL-2 activated natural killer (NK) cells and T cells in antileukemia reactivity and therapy. The new approaches to optimal activation and generation of oncolytic cells, selective propagation of lymphocyte subsets, and the role of adhesion molecules in antileukemia cytotoxicity will also be addressed. We trust that this article will be conducive to the development of new directions in leukemia research and treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1472927", "title": "Glycosylated serum ferritin in patients with hematological malignancies before and after bone marrow transplantation.", "content": "Glycosylated and total serum ferritin levels were monitored in patients with acute leukemia and lymphoma undergoing bone marrow transplantation (BMT). Serum ferritin was high in relapsing patients and normal in most patients in complete remission (CR). In patients with an uncomplicated course, levels of ferritin increased during the first month after BMT with subsequent decrease. Three patients with lymphoma and five with acute leukemia had high serum ferritin levels despite achieving apparent complete hematological remission which was of short duration. The results were compared with groups of lymphoma patients at presentation and during remission and with healthy normal controls. In all the lymphoma patients and in 3 of the 5 leukemia patients the percent of ferritin glycosylation was normal at CR. It was low at the time of diagnosis in all patients. Thus, the percent glycosylation proved a more reliable marker for clinical remission than total serum ferritin. During follow up after BMT in uncomplicated cases, the percent of glycosylated ferritin returned to normal levels earlier than the total serum ferritin. These findings indicate that the evaluation of the amount of glycosylated ferritin may provide useful information in hematological patients in whom there is a discrepancy between high serum ferritin levels and the clinical condition."}
{"id": "PMID:1472928", "title": "Vincristine-resistant human leukemia cell line: new monoclonal antibodies to a 65kDa membrane protein.", "content": "A vincristine-resistant human myelomonocytic leukemic cell line (KY-VCR) was established. KY-VCR exhibited approximately a 2.5 x 10(6)-fold increase in resistance to vincristine compared to the parental cell line. KY-VCR showed a decreased uptake and, an increased efflux of vincristine, and cross-resistance to Adriamycin and Actinomycin D. The M(r) 200,000 membrane glycoprotein was overexpressed in KY-VCR. Furthermore, two antibodies, designated TO73 and TO77, preferentially reacting with KY-VCR were obtained. Enzyme linked immunosorbent study indicated that both antibodies recognized the same epitope and TO77 the wide portion. Immunoprecipitation analysis demonstrated that the antibodies recognized M(r) 65,000 membrane protein, which was distinct from overexpressed glycoprotein in KY-VCR. The induction of membrane protein identified by the antibodies may play a role in drug resistance. KY-VCR cells and two antibodies to them may be very useful for the study of drug resistance and prediction of drug efficacy."}
{"id": "PMID:1472929", "title": "AgNORs predictive value of prognosis in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma: comparison with flow cytometric cell cycle analysis.", "content": "Paraffin-embedded histopathologic specimens, taken before the commencement of therapy from 14 low-grade and 21 high-grade malignant lymphoma patients, and 9 normal lymph nodes were utilized to analyze six cell DNA-related parameters. The flow cytometry technique was used to determine cell-cycle G0/G1, S and G2/M phases, and silver staining to enumerate nuclear organized regions (AgNORs); nucleus surface area was determined by an image-analyzing system. The six parameters and natural logarithm of cell proportion in the S-phase (LS) were determined according to the histologic tumor type and achievement of the first complete remission (CR). All parameters except cell proportion in G1/M cycle phase differed significantly with respect to histologic cell type, but were not related to the achievement of first CR. Inasmuch as the parameters significantly correlated with each other, multivariate discriminant analysis and proportional hazard regression were applied to estimate their discriminant/predictive values with respect to tumor malignancy. AgNORs proved to be far superior in all three clinical parameters, S-phase was significantly predictive for the achievement of first CR, and LS for tumor histology type. The statistical model applied narrowed down the analysis of seven parameters to two with respect to tumor histology type (AgNORs and LS) and achievement of first CR (AgNORs and S), but only to one for overall patient survival (AgNORs). Only the model for tumor histology type discrimination was statistically significant (R2 = 0.904, p < 0.001). It appears that AgNORs may be of utmost predictive importance for the clinical outcome in NHL."}
{"id": "PMID:1472931", "title": "Mastocytosis and co-existent non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and myeloproliferative disorders.", "content": "Generalised mastocytosis is a rare condition characterised by the clinical features of the release of vasoactive peptides from tissue mast cells infiltrating in the reticuloendothelial tissues. The mast cell however appears to have its origin in the pluripotential bone marrow stem cell committed to a basophil and it is therefore not surprising that myeloproliferative and myelodysplastic disorders commonly co-exist or terminate the clinical phase of mastocytosis. Both abnormal proliferation and maturation of the myeloid committed cells are found. Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma can occur before and after mastocytosis becomes manifest. While this is statistically a random event the relationship between lymphokines and mast cell differentiation and proliferation raises the possibility of a benign reactive lymphoid event eventually becoming malignant."}
{"id": "PMID:1472932", "title": "HTLV-I induced extranodal lymphomas.", "content": "HTLV-I induced not only nodal but also primary extranodal lymphomas. In this report we describe 12 patients with HTLV-I induced extranodal T-cell lymphoma collected from the literature and our institute experience. There were 5 males and 7 female patients of middle age positive for HTLV-I antibody. The sites of primary tumor were gastrointestinal, Waldeyer's ring, skin, facial sinuses, and the pleura. All of these were histologically diffuse lymphomas and most of them were found to be a helper/inducer T-cell phenotype, showing integration of HTLV-I proviral DNA. Late leukemic changes and skin infiltration often occurred, but hypercalcemia was rare. Survival time varied from 4 to 35 months, and late organ infiltrations were common. These HTLV-I induced extranodal lymphomas were compared with HTLV-I unrelated extranodal lymphomas or HTLV-I induced nodal lymphomas (lymphoma type ATL). Between 1981 and 1990, we had 110 ATL patients and of these, 5 (4.6%) were HTLV-I induced primary extranodal lymphomas. The frequency of HTLV-I induced extranodal lymphoma might be much higher than expected because until now attention has not been paid to this entity. From the present review, it is suggested that HTLV-I could cause primary extranodal lymphoma which may have some different characteristics from other types of lymphoma. Therefore, patients with T-cell extranodal lymphomas should be investigated further for the presence of HTLV-I antibody and the tumor cells should be examined for the integration of HTLV-I proviral DNA using Southern blot analysis.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1472933", "title": "Attempted prevention of blast crisis in chronic myeloid leukemia by the use of pulsed doses of cytarabine and lomustine. A Cancer and Leukemia Group B study.", "content": "An attempt to prevent the blast crisis in chronic myeloid leukemia by the use of pulsed doses of (cytarabine cytosine arabinoside) and lomustine was attempted as a cooperative group study by Cancer and Leukemia Group B. The basis for this study was to delay the development of blast crisis by pulsing dose of drugs known to be effective against emerging \"blast\" cells. The experimental arm which consisted of cytarabine and lomustine did not produce overall results superior to conventional treatment with busulfan. This was related to the non-hematologic effects of the combination which produced significant gastrointestinal toxicity leading to relatively early discontinuation of the combination. Nevertheless, the trial design allowed relatively prompt discontinuation of experimental arm and cross-over to conventional treatment with either hydrea or busulfan. No evidence existed that the use of new drug combinations in CML prejudiced the patient's chance to response to conventional chemotherapy. Thus, a role model for future trials in this disease was developed. With the development of the interferons and other experimental forms of therapy this conceptual development may be of significance."}
{"id": "PMID:1472934", "title": "alpha-Interferon inhibits spontaneous and induced DNA synthesis in hairy cell leukemia.", "content": "The effect of alpha-interferon (alpha-IFN) on spontaneous or induced proliferation of isolated peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 5 hairy cell leukemia patients was studied. alpha-IFN inhibited the low spontaneous proliferation of B-ly7 positive hairy cells (HCs) and also the proliferation induced by tumour necrosis factor (TNF). Interleukin-2 did not affect HCs, but induced CD4 positive T cells to proliferate, an effect which alpha-IFN antagonized. The stimulatory effect of TNF on the growth of HCs proved to be reversible and was partially blocked with either anti-TNF receptor or anti-lymphotoxin antibodies. Cellular or secreted thymidine kinase levels reflected the proliferative state of HCs in response to different in vitro treatments, as confirmed by thymidine incorporation and cell cycle studies."}
{"id": "PMID:1472935", "title": "Bone marrow transplantation for acute non-lymphoblastic leukemia.", "content": "Most results obtained by different study and analytic designs favor that matched allogeneic BMT is superior to chemotherapy in young adults with ANLL in first remission. The place of ABMT is more difficult to assess and requires further study both compared to chemotherapy and allogeneic BMT. Furthermore, the question of purging needs further study in a controlled fashion. For older patients the choice is more difficult. Transplant related mortality increases with age which makes ABMT an attractive alternative to allogenic BMT. However, recent advances in prophylaxis and treatment of transplant related complications such as cytomegalovirus interstitial pneumonia and veno-occlusive disease of the liver might increase long-term survival after allogeneic BMT in older patients. The role of matched unrelated donors in the treatment of ANLL is unresolved but this procedure should probably be reserved for relatively young patients in second complete remission or later."}
{"id": "PMID:1472936", "title": "A prospective study of the evolution of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia.", "content": "The clinical course of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) in 126 patients has been examined over the period 1961-88. The evolution of early stages, 0-I, to late stages, III-IV, occurred frequently without an orderly progression through the intermediate stages. The tumour load as judged by lymphadenopathy and splenomegaly was similar in stages II, III and IV. It would seem that stages 0-II represent a continuous spectrum of increasing tumour load, whereas stages III and IV with tumour load of equal magnitude and suppression of haemopoiesis are likely results of a change in biological behaviour of malignant lymphocytes. Stage II(S) characterised by splenomegaly and absence of lymphadenopathy seems a distinct entity with a unique clinical course. Further evolution of CLL in these patients was characterised by progressive splenomegaly, and as this became marked the clinical course was dominated by 'hypersplenism'. Splenectomy at this late stage led to rapid relief of symptoms, progressive increase of Hb and platelets to normal levels and to a quiescent phase of CLL for a considerable period. The tumour load in stage II(S) was of the same order of magnitude as in stages II, III and IV, yet the survival was similar to that in stage 0. Survival correlated with clinical stage and age at the time of diagnosis, but showed no relation to sex. The significance of these findings is further discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1472937", "title": "Recombinant alpha 2B interferon in combination with oral chemotherapy in late chronic phase chronic myeloid leukaemia.", "content": "The place of alpha interferon (IFN) therapy in the treatment of chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) is under intensive investigation at present. It is now established that as a single agent it can provide good disease control in the chronic phase and that cytogenetic responses will occur in a minority of patients. However its impact on long term survival has been less certain. Optimal haematological and cytogenetic results have to date been seen when IFN is used in the early phase of the disease, i.e. within one year of diagnosis. We have performed a prospective single arm study on the effect on survival of the addition of low dose IFN (9 mU/week) to conventional oral chemotherapy in patients who were at a median of 19 months from the initial diagnosis at the time of study entry. Comparison of this cohort with a control group of CML patients treated with oral chemotherapy only at the same participating institutions gave an estimated 72% reduction in the risk of death as a result of IFN therapy. Median survival for the IFN group has not been reached at 43 months compared with a median survival of 33 months for the chemotherapy alone group. These results suggest that the introduction of low dose IFN at any stage in the chronic phase may produce a worthwhile improvement in survival."}
{"id": "PMID:1472939", "title": "A PCR-based assay for reporter gene expression.", "content": "Transient transfection is a widely used tool for the identification of cis-acting regulatory elements. These elements are detected by their effect on the expression of a reporter gene, which is quantified by measuring the reporter gene product in the form of mRNA, protein (hGH), or enzymes (CAT, luciferase). Measurements of mRNA levels have several advantages over enzyme or protein assays. However, mRNA quantification by RNase protection or S1 mapping has considerably lower signal-to-background ratio than protein assays and is therefore less sensitive. In this paper we report the development of a system that takes advantage of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to quantify rabbit beta-globin reporter gene expression. Cells are co-transfected with constructs whose activity is to be tested and a reference plasmid with a small deletion in the second exon of the beta-globin gene. We show that the ratio of the two amplified cDNA signals is a highly reliable measure of test gene expression. The sensitivity of this assay is at least 1000-fold higher than RNase protection."}
{"id": "PMID:1472940", "title": "Reliable and efficient direct sequencing of PCR-amplified double-stranded genomic DNA template.", "content": "Modified PCR amplification and direct sequencing procedures for the double-stranded genomic DNA template are described. Advantages of the approach we describe are: background artifact bands previously observed using high-molecular-weight DNA as a template were eliminated by this protocol; no gel purification or subcloning of the PCR-amplified double-stranded fragment was required prior to direct sequencing; and sequences of 300 nucleotides can be easily read even after a single loading. The successful use of the modified dideoxynucleotide chain-termination method for direct sequencing of both strands demonstrates the efficiency of this technique for removing sequencing artifacts and for producing reliable sequence data."}
{"id": "PMID:1472941", "title": "A method for specific amplification and PCR sequencing of individual members of multigene families: application to the study of steroid 21-hydroxylase deficiency.", "content": "Mutations at the human HLA-linked CYP21B locus are responsible for 21-hydroxylase deficiency, a recessively inherited disorder of steroidogenesis. The scope for PCR-based analysis of the CYP21B gene has been restricted by the very high sequence homology between CYP21B and a closely related pseudogene, CYP21A. Here we describe a novel PCR sequencing strategy that allows the independent amplification of the entire CYP21B coding sequence and the subsequent enzyme-mediated conversion of the PCR product to a single-stranded form for dideoxy sequencing. We have used this approach to characterize the 21-hydroxylase deficiency allele associated with HLA-B55, the most frequent HLA marker associated with a CYP21B point mutation in the British population, and also an HLA-B35 associated allele of Asian origin. Allele-specific oligonucleotide (ASO) hybridization analyses have confirmed the selective amplification of CYP21B genes and the identity of the pathological mutations. The method can be adapted to permit selective amplification and PCR sequencing of individual closely related members of other multigene families and small-copy-number repetitive DNA families."}
{"id": "PMID:1472945", "title": "Estrogen dependent regulation of estrogen receptor gene expression in normal mammary gland and its relationship to estrogenic sensitivity.", "content": "In the present study, we have examined the relationship between estradiol (E2)-dependent regulation of estrogen receptor (ER) gene expression in normal mammary glands and its relationship to progesterone receptor (PgR) gene expression using tissues from E2-sensitive and -insensitive states. Estradiol caused a time-dependent decrease in ER mRNA levels in E2-sensitive mammary glands reaching a maximum at approx 6 h, at which time the levels of PgR mRNA also reached a maximum. In contrast, in E2-insensitive mammary glands, there was no E2-dependent decrease in ER mRNA at all times tested. Experiments using dissociated cells revealed that although the epithelial cells of mammary glands from both E2-sensitive and -insensitive states contained ER mRNA, in the intact E2-sensitive mammary glands, it was the nonepithelial ER that was decreasing in response to E2. Since the epithelial cells of normal mammary glands are the primary target for E2-dependent PgR synthesis, our studies suggest that a positive correlation between E2-dependent PgR gene expression and E2-dependent downregulation of ER may simply be coincidental and may not bear any true biological relationship."}
{"id": "PMID:1472946", "title": "A modeling study of the alpha-subunit of human high-affinity receptor for immunoglobulin-E.", "content": "The extracellular portion of the alpha-subunit of human high-affinity receptor for immunoglobulin-E (IgE), which contains two immunoglobulin (Ig) domains, was modeled on the basis of sequence similarity with antibody domains of known three-dimensional structure. Each receptor domain contains 86 amino acid residues, and both domains were modeled as bilayer structures. In both domains, one layer is made up of three anti-parallel beta-strands and the other of four strands, with the two layers linked by a disulfide bridge. The two domains show significant sequence similarity with each other (22 identities) and with the homologous domains of the murine and rat high-affinity receptors for IgE and the Fc gamma receptors from various species. Two plausible modes of association of the domains were considered: In the first, the two domains were positioned end-to-end, with essentially only longitudinal interactions between them; in the second, the molecule is more bent, with more lateral interactions between the two domains. The models will be useful in the design of protein engineering studies of this and homologous receptors to delineate the site of interaction with ligand. Furthermore, they may lend themselves as possible probes in crystallographic analyses by molecular replacement techniques."}
{"id": "PMID:1472947", "title": "Overproduction of full-length and truncated human estrogen receptors in Escherichia coli.", "content": "The full-length human estrogen receptor (hER) as well as two overlapping peptides of hER were overproduced in Escherichia coli JM109 cells, using the inducible pIC vector system. The N-terminal receptor peptide contains the DNA-binding domain as well as the hinge region, whereas the C-terminal peptide contains the same hinge region and the hormone-binding domain. Typically, 1-6 mg of estrogen receptor (ER) peptides can be recovered from 1 L E. coli cell cultures. The majority of the overexpressed proteins are found in inclusion bodies, which allow the isolation of ER peptides in high yields and of 50-80% purity. Induction for short time periods at 10 microM inducer yielded up to 50% of the ER peptides in soluble form with full biological activity. Both the intact receptor and the C-terminal fragment specifically bound estrogens and antiestrogens, whereas ER peptides that contained the DNA-binding domain were retained on a DNA-agarose resin."}
{"id": "PMID:1472948", "title": "Polyclonal antibodies from rabbits and chickens against the estrogen receptor and related peptides. Use in the affinity isolation of estrogen receptors and the retrieval of chromatin fragments associating with estrogen receptors.", "content": "Polyclonal antibodies from chickens and rabbits have been prepared against polypeptides representing two regions of the human estrogen receptor (hER). The estrogen receptor (ER) peptides used as antigens were overproduced in Escherichia coli. When indicated, the antibodies were affinity purified using resins to which the antigens contained in bacterial inclusion bodies had been coupled in high yield to epoxy-activated agarose. The antibodies recognize denatured human, bovine, rat, and rabbit ER in immunoblotting experiments. Immuno-precipitation of native ER protein was readily accomplished using rabbit antisera and immobilized protein A. The chicken antibodies, available in larger quantities, were also useful for immunoisolation after coupling to agarose. With the use of these reagents, the selective retrieval of chromatin fragments from MCF-7 cells that interact with ER has been achieved."}
{"id": "PMID:1472949", "title": "Characterization of insulin-like growth factor receptors in human thyroid tissue.", "content": "We have characterized the binding of 125I-IGF-I and 125I-IGF-II to plasma membranes purified from human thyroid tissue. IGF binding was time- and temperature-dependent. At 4 degrees C, maximal specific binding of 125I-IGF-I was 17.3 +/- 2.5% and of 125I-IGF-II was 8.8 +/- 2.0% (mean +/- SD/60 micrograms membrane protein). 125I-IGF-I binding was inhibited completely by unlabeled IGF-I, IGF-II, insulin, and the type-I IGF receptor monoclonal antibody, alpha IR-3. 125I-IGF-II was inhibited completely by unlabeled IGF-II and nearly completely by IGF-I. 125I-IGF-II binding also was inhibited significantly by insulin, suggesting that much or all of the IGF-II was bound to the type-I IGF receptor. Scatchard analysis revealed a single class of binding sites with a Kd of 6.0 +/- 4.2 x 10(-10) M for IGF-I binding and 5.7 +/- 1.3 x 10(-10) M for IGF-II binding. IGF-I binding was inhibited by a variety of salts in a dose-dependent manner, calcium and magnesium salts being more effective than sodium or potassium salts. Affinity crosslinking of 125I-IGF-I and -II showed clear evidence only for type-I IGF receptors. Thus, a crude plasma membrane fraction of human thyroid tissue expresses predominantly type-I IGF receptors."}
{"id": "PMID:1472950", "title": "5-Hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and SK&F 103829 contract canine lower esophageal sphincter smooth muscle by stimulating 5-HT2 receptors.", "content": "Addition of 5-HT or SK&F 103829 (2,3,4,5 tetrahydro-8[methyl-sulfonyl]-1 H-3-benzazepin-7-ol hydrobromide) contracts isolated strips of canine lower esophageal sphincter (LES) circular smooth muscle. 5-HT acts directly on the smooth muscle, since pretreatment with the neurotoxin TTX does not inhibit this contraction. Depletion of extracellular calcium or pretreatment with nifedipine inhibited the contraction to both 5-HT and SK&F 103829. Therefore, in this smooth muscle, the contraction produced by both 5-HT and SK&F 103829 requires extracellular calcium and is sensitive to inhibition by a voltage-dependent Ca2+ channel antagonist. In addition, with respect to 5-HT, SK&F 103829 appeared to act as a partial agonist. Receptor alkylation studies using phenoxybenzamine demonstrated no receptor reserve for the contractile response to 5-HT. Nonsurmountable antagonism of the contraction induced by 5-HT and SK&F 103289 was observed with several 5-HT2 antagonists, i.e., methysergide, ketanserin, cyproheptadine, and LY 53857. Using a method established for pseudoirreversible antagonism, the Ki values for these 5-HT2 receptor antagonists were estimated. Results suggested that both 5-HT and SK&F 103829 contract the canine LES by interacting at the same receptor site and that this receptor site has characteristics of the 5-HT2 receptor. Finally, neither bulbocapnine, domperidone, nor prazosin significantly alters the response to 5-HT or SK&F 103829. Thus, isolated strips of canine LES contain a contractile 5-HT2 receptor, and SK&F 103829 behaves as a partial agonist at this site."}
{"id": "PMID:1472951", "title": "Characterization of glomerular angiotensin II receptor subtypes.", "content": "Radioligand-receptor binding techniques identified two angiotensin II (ANG II) receptor subtypes in rat renal glomerular membranes. This characterization was made possible by employing two highly-specific nonpeptide ANG II antagonists: Losartan (DuP 753), which is specific to the AT1 subtype, and PD 123319, which is specific to the AT2 subtype. The majority of ANG II receptors in glomerular membranes corresponded to the AT1 subtype."}
{"id": "PMID:1472952", "title": "A predominant basic alpha-tubulin isoform present in prophase Xenopus oocyte decreases during meiotic maturation.", "content": "Xenopus oocytes are blocked in prophase of the first meiotic division. During the G2/M transition drastic changes occur both in the cytoskeletal organization and in the capacity of tubulin to polymerize. Posttranslational modification of tubulin isoforms might be one of the factors that control the dynamic properties of microtubules. We have therefore analysed, by two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, the isotubulins purified from Xenopus oocytes, and we show that tubulin is resolved into at least four alpha-isoforms and four beta-isoforms. We have identified a basic alpha (alpha b)-tubulin isoform which is specific to prophase arrested oocyte and that progressively disappears during meiotic maturation; its decrease is initiated when the nuclear envelope breaks down and is controlled by the nucleus. Using 35S methionine labelled oocytes we demonstrate that the disappearance of the alpha b isotubulin results from both an arrest of its biosynthesis after maturation, and from posttranslational modification which induces a shift of this alpha-isoform to a more acidic pI. Moreover, in vitro experiments using 35S prelabelled tubulin purified from prophase oocytes show that metaphase extracts containing MPF activity are able to induce the acidification of the alpha b-isoform, suggesting that the observed posttranslational modification might be regulated by p34cdc2. However, the nature of this modification remains to be elucidated."}
{"id": "PMID:1472953", "title": "Spatial distribution of the Sm antigen in Drosophila early embryos.", "content": "Anti-Sm antibodies recognize the major small nuclear RNA-protein particles (snRNPs) involved in pre-mRNA processing. The spatial distribution of the snRNPs has been investigated in Drosophila embryos up to the cellularization stage (cycle 14), using the Y12 anti-Sm antibody. Our results show that: 1) all or most of the Sm antigen is localized in the cytoplasm of the syncytial blastoderm until the 12th cycle of division, in both the nuclear and cytoplasmic compartments at cycle 13, and then in the nuclei at cycle 14 and later. This relocalization takes place when zygotic transcriptional activation occurs; 2) at the subcellular level, the Sm antigen localizes in a speckled pattern and in foci-like structures within the nucleus of Drosophila blastoderm embryos; 3) strikingly, some nuclei of embryos at the 14th cycle appear to contain more snRNPs than others. The position of these nuclei differs from one embryo to another, and their distribution does not resemble any known developmental pattern of Drosophila embryogenesis. We propose that random differences in snRNP concentration may serve as an epigenetic signal for stochastic events occurring during development."}
{"id": "PMID:1472954", "title": "Attachment of Madin-Darby canine kidney cells to extracellular matrix: role of a laminin binding protein related to the 37/67 kDa laminin receptor in the development of plasma membrane polarization.", "content": "Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells have been extensively used as a model for the study of epithelial polarization. The contacts between the cell and extra-cellular matrix (ECM) provide a signal for the polarization of apical membrane markers. In order to study the molecular basis of these contacts, MDCK cells extracts in Triton X-100 were affinity-purified on laminin, yielding polypeptides of 100-110 and 36 kDa, but only the second one could be enzymatically iodinated from the cell surface. This protein was also recognized by an antibody against the 37/67-kDa laminin/elastin family of proteins. Different polypeptides were purified by the same method on type I collagen. An antibody developed against the polypeptides purified on laminin recognized also a 67-kDa protein, blocked 125I-laminin binding to a population of high affinity (1.5 nM KD) binding sites and caused a significant decrease in cell attachment and spreading to laminin or endogenous ECM. This antibody did not interfere with MDCK cell attachment to fibronectin or collagen matrices, but still impaired cell spreading. An apical MDCK plasma membrane protein (184 kDa), fully polarized in untreated cells, was partially mispolarized after treatment with anti-36 kDa antibody. These results are consistent with a model of various ECM receptors operating together in these cells, and show an important role of a non-integrin 36-kDa laminin binding protein related to the 67-kDa laminin receptor family in cell attachment, spreading and polarization."}
{"id": "PMID:1472955", "title": "Subcellular localization of acid carboxypeptidase in rat liver and human fibroblasts.", "content": "The subcellular distribution of acid carboxypeptidase was investigated in rat liver, normal human skin (CRL 1501) and lung (WI-38) fibroblasts, galactosialidosis skin fibroblasts (GM 00806) and transformed lung fibroblasts (WI-38 VA 13). Results of differential and isopycnic centrifugations and osmotic activation experiments clearly indicate that the enzyme is located in lysosomes, in agreement with observations suggesting that carboxypeptidase is the protective protein of the 'Galjaard complex' which is defective in galactosialidosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1472961", "title": "Characterization of two new ETB selective radioligands, [125I]-BQ3020 and [125I]-[Ala1,3,11,15]ET-1 in human heart.", "content": "Two new endothelin receptor radioligands, [125I]-BQ3020 and [125I]-[Ala1,3,11,15]ET-1, were characterized in tissue sections of human right atrium and left ventricle. Both radioligands had high affinity ([125I]-BQ3020 right atrium: KD = 0.145 +/- 0.037 nM, left ventricle: KD = 0.107 +/- 0.004 nM; [125I]-[Ala1,3,11,15]ET-1 right atrium: KD = 0.239 +/- 0.036 nM, left ventricle: KD = 0.199 +/- 0.027 nM). Competition binding experiments were performed in the left ventricle. The selective ETA receptor compound BQ123 competed with low affinity against [125I]-BQ3020 (KD = 28.7 +/- 2.7 microM) and [125I]-[Ala1,3,11,15]ET-1 (KD = 28.5 +/- 4.2 microM). The selective ETB receptor compound BQ3020 competed with high affinity against [125I]-BQ3020 (KD = 40.8 +/- 6.6 pM) and [125I]-[Ala1,3,11,15]ET-1 (KD = 0.276 +/- 0.099 nM). Another selective ETB receptor compound, [Ala1,3,11,15]ET-1 also competed with high affinity against [125I]-BQ3020 (KD = 0.663 +/- 0.120 nM) and [125I]-[Ala1,3,11,15]ET-1 (KD = 0.643 +/- 0.124 nM). These results indicate that [125I]-BQ3020 and [125I]-[Ala1,3,11,15]ET-1 are selective ETB receptor radioligands. [Ala1,3,11,15]ET-1 competed with the non-selective radioligand [125I]-ET-1 in left ventricle and revealed the presence of ETA and ETB receptors in the proportions of 76:24% respectively in the human left ventricle."}
{"id": "PMID:1472962", "title": "Central neuropeptide Y and the sigma ligand, JO 1784, reverse corticotropin-releasing factor-induced inhibition of gastric acid secretion in rats.", "content": "1. The central interactions between the sigma ligand, JO 1784, [(+)-N-cyclopropylmethyl-N-methyl-1,4-diphenyl-1-ethylbut-3- en-1-ylamine hydrochloride], or neuropeptide Y (NPY) and corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF)-induced inhibition of gastric acid secretion were investigated in rats anaesthetized with urethane. Drugs were injected intracisternally (i.c.) or into specific hypothalamic nuclei. Gastric acid secretion was measured by the flushed technique under basal and pentagastrin (10 micrograms kg-1 h-1, i.v.) stimulated conditions. 2. Intracisternal injection of CRF (10 micrograms), bombesin (0.1 microgram) and human recombinant interleukin-1 beta (hIL-1 beta, 0.1 microgram) inhibited gastric acid response to pentagastrin by 72%, 56% and 62%, respectively. NPY (0.5 microgram) or JO 1784 (0.5 microgram) injected i.c. did not alter acid secretion but completely prevented the inhibitory effect of CRF. The antagonistic effect of NPY and JO 1784 against CRF was dose-related (0.01-0.5 microgram) and peptide-specific since NPY and JO 1784 did not alter the antisecretory action of bombesin or hIL-1 beta. 3. The putative sigma receptor antagonist, BMY 14802, (1 mg kg-1, s.c.) did not influence pentagastrin-stimulated acid secretion nor CRF-induced inhibition of gastric acid secretion; however, BMY 14802 administered s.c. 20 min before JO 1784 or NPY, abolished the antagonistic effect of both JO 1784 and NPY. 4. CRF (3 micrograms) microinjected into the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) and the lateral hypothalamus (LH) inhibited pentagastrin-stimulated gastric acid secretion by 61% and 51%; NPY (0.03 micrograms) or JO 1784 (0.03 micrograms) microinjected into the PVN had no effect by themselves but blocked CRF antisecretory action.There were more VPBs (220 +/- 75), a higher incidence of VT (60%) and more episodes of VT (11.5 +/- 6.0 compared to 0.7 +/- 0.3 episodes in the preconditioned dogs not given L-NAME); none of the animals survived reperfusion (incidence of VF 100%). The improvement in the severity of the degree of inhomogeneity which resulted from preconditioning was abolished by L-NAME administration.5. L-NAME itself elevated blood pressure (from 96 +/- 5 mmHg diastolic to 119 +/- 7 mmHg), reduced heart rate (from 155 +/- 7 to 144 +/- 4 beats min-') but did not change LVEDP, LVdP/dt,,,,, coronary blood flow, ST-segment elevation or the degree of inhomogeneity of conduction. When given 10 min before the prolonged coronary artery occlusion in dogs not subjected to preconditioning, L-NAME had no significant effect on the severity of arrhythmias except for more periods of VT (a mean of 11.7 +/- 4.7 episodes per dog).6. It is concluded from these studies that the generation of nitric oxide contributes to the marked antiarrhythmic effects of preconditioning in the canine myocardium, probably through elevation of cyclic GMP."}
{"id": "PMID:1472963", "title": "Preconditioning of the ischaemic myocardium; involvement of the L-arginine nitric oxide pathway.", "content": "1. Short periods of coronary artery occlusion protect the heart against the effects of a subsequent prolonged period of ischaemia. This phenomenon is known as preconditioning of the ischaemic myocardium. 2. In mongrel, chloralose-urethane anaesthetized open-chest dogs, within a restricted body weight range, two 5 min periods of occlusion of the anterior descending branch of the left coronary artery markedly reduced the severity of the early ischaemic arrhythmias resulting from a prolonged (25 min) occlusion of the same coronary artery starting 20 min later. Thus, the number of ventricular premature beats (VPBs) was reduced from 528 +/- 140 in controls to 78 +/- 27 in preconditioned dogs, the incidence of ventricular fibrillation (VF) was reduced from 47% to 0% and the incidence of ventricular tachycardia (VT) from 100% to 20%. ST-segment elevation recorded from electrodes within the ischaemic area, and the degree of inhomogeneity of conduction within the ischaemic area were markedly reduced in these preconditioned dogs. 3. The incidence of VF following reperfusion of the ischaemic myocardium at the end of the 25 min occlusion period was reduced in the preconditioned dogs from 100% to 60%; there was thus a 40% survival from the combined ischaemia-reperfusion insult compared with 0% in the controls. 4. NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) an inhibitor of the L-arginine nitric oxide pathway, given in a dose of 10 mg kg-1 intravenously on two occasions, both before the initial preconditioning occlusion and then again before the prolonged occlusion, partially attenuated the protective effects of preconditioning.There were more VPBs (220 +/- 75), a higher incidence of VT (60%) and more episodes of VT (11.5 +/- 6.0 compared to 0.7 +/- 0.3 episodes in the preconditioned dogs not given L-NAME); none of the animals survived reperfusion (incidence of VF 100%). The improvement in the severity of the degree of in homogeneity which resulted from preconditioning was abolished by L-NAME administration.5. L-NAME itself elevated blood pressure (from 96 +/- 5 mmHg diastolic to 119 +/- 7 mmHg), reduced heart rate (from 155 +/- 7 to 144 +/- 4 beats min-') but did not change LVEDP, LVdP/dt,,,,, coronary blood flow, ST-segment elevation or the degree of inhomogeneity of conduction. When given 10 min before the prolonged coronary artery occlusion in dogs not subjected to preconditioning, L-NAME had no significant effect on the severity of arrhythmias except for more periods of VT (a mean of 11.7 +/- 4.7episodes per dog).6. It is concluded from these studies that the generation of nitric oxide contributes to the marked antiarrhythmic effects of preconditioning in the canine myocardium, probably through elevation of cyclic GMP."}
{"id": "PMID:1472964", "title": "The pivotal role of tumour necrosis factor alpha in the development of inflammatory hyperalgesia.", "content": "1. The hyperalgesic activities in rats of interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta), IL-6, IL-8, tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha) and carrageenin were investigated. 2. IL-6 activated the previously delineated IL-1/prostaglandin hyperalgesic pathway but not the IL-8/sympathetic mediated hyperalgesic pathway. 3. TNF alpha and carrageenin activated both pathways. 4. Antiserum neutralizing endogenous TNF alpha abolished the response to carrageenin whereas antisera neutralizing endogenous IL-1 beta, IL-6 and IL-8 each partially inhibited the response. 5. The combination of antisera neutralizing endogenous IL-1 beta + IL-8 or IL-6 + IL-8 abolished the response to carrageenin. 6. These results show that TNF alpha has an early and crucial role in the development of inflammatory hyperalgesia. 7. The delineation of the role of TNF alpha, IL-1 beta, IL-6 and IL-8 in the development of inflammatory hyperalgesia taken together with the finding that the production of these cytokines is inhibited by steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs provides a mechanism of action for these drugs in the treatment of inflammatory hyperalgesia."}
{"id": "PMID:1472965", "title": "Modification by hypoxia, hyperkalaemia and acidosis of the cardiac electrophysiological effects of a range of antiarrhythmic drugs.", "content": "1. The electrophysiological effects of a series of drugs with Class I antiarrhythmic activity were examined in sheep Purkinje fibres, superfused in vitro with either a normal or hypoxic, hyperkalaemic and acidotic physiological salt solution (PSS). 2. In normal sheep Purkinje fibres, lignocaine, disopyramide, nicainoprol and propranolol all significantly reduced action potential height and the maximum rate of depolarization of phase zero (MRD) and abbreviated the action potential, without modifying resting membrane potential (RMP). 3. Verapamil at the highest concentration studied, 8 microM, significantly reduced MRD with an associated slight membrane depolarization and abbreviated action potential duration measured at 50% repolarization (APD50). 4. Superfusion of sheep Purkinje fibres with a hypoxic, hyperkalaemic and acidotic PSS resulted in marked reductions in resting membrane potential, upstroke and duration of the action potential. 5. In the presence of modified PSS, lignocaine, propranolol and verapamil all reduced MRD to a greater extent than in normal PSS. The effects of nicainoprol on MRD were not affected whereas those of disopyramide were significantly attenuated. 6. Under simulated ischaemic conditions, lignocaine, propranolol and nicainoprol did not produce a concentration-dependent reduction in action potential duration whereas disopyramide and verapamil, respectively, prolonged and abbreviated both APD50 and APD90. 7. The Na+ channel blocking actions of the different subtypes of Class I antiarrhythmic agents studied, as well as their effects on action potential duration, were modified differently by simulated ischaemia."}
{"id": "PMID:1472966", "title": "In vitro effect of oestradiol on thymidine uptake in pulmonary vascular smooth muscle cell: role of the endothelium.", "content": "1. The effect of different concentrations of oestradiol-17 beta (3-300 nM) on [3H]-thymidine uptake was studied in segments from canine pulmonary artery, and cultures of rat pulmonary vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC). 2. Incubation with oestradiol-17 beta for 24 h, potentiated in a concentration-dependent manner [3H]-thymidine uptake in VSMC cultures. 3. Oestradiol-17 beta potentiated thymidine uptake by pulmonary arterial segments but only when the endothelium had been removed. Autoradiography showed dense incorporation of radioactive thymidine in the vascular smooth muscle cells of the media. 4. The non-steroidal oestrogen, stilboestrol (300 nM), also significantly potentiated [3H]-thymidine uptake, in both VSMC cultures and pulmonary artery segments. Testosterone was ineffective at a similar concentration. 5. Pre-incubation of the pulmonary VSMC with the anti-oestrogen tamoxifen (1 microM) antagonized the potentiating effect of oestradiol-17 beta on [3H]-thymidine incorporation. The effect of tamoxifen was less pronounced in pulmonary arterial segments. 6. These data suggest that oestrogen may promote proliferation of pulmonary VSMC. Endothelial injury or dysfunction may be an important factor in the expression of the oestrogenic effect. 7. We speculate that plasma oestrogen may be a contributing factor to the proliferative lesion observed in certain forms of pulmonary vascular injury in women."}
{"id": "PMID:1472967", "title": "Effects of the PAF antagonists BN50726 and BN50739 on arrhythmogenesis and extent of necrosis during myocardial ischaemia/reperfusion in rabbits.", "content": "1. The effects of two novel platelet activating factor (PAF) antagonists BN50726 and BN50739 on arrhythmias, haemodynamics and extent of necrosis during myocardial ischaemia and reperfusion were investigated in anaesthetized rabbits subjected to coronary artery ligation. 2. BN50739 reduced heart rate prior to coronary artery occlusion (P < 0.005) but had no other significant haemodynamic effects at this time. BN50739 and BN50726 did not significantly alter heart rate or blood pressure during 30 min of ischaemia or 30 min of reperfusion, compared to control hearts. 3. BN50739 and BN50726 had no effect on the incidence of arrhythmias during ischaemia. BN50726 significantly reduced the incidence of reperfusion ventricular fibrillation compared to controls (0% v 40%, P < 0.05), and improved survival (80% v 39%, P < 0.05). Similar trends were observed with BN50739. 4. BN50726 reduced the extent of necrosis compared to control hearts (18 +/- 2% v 30 +/- 3%, P < 0.01). A similar trend was observed with BN50739. 5. These results demonstrate that PAF antagonism with BN50726 attenuates reperfusion-induced arrhythmias and preserves myocardium in the early phase of ischaemia, independently of haemodynamic effects."}
{"id": "PMID:1472968", "title": "Chronic antihypertensive treatment with captopril plus hydrochlorothiazide improves aortic distensibility in the spontaneously hypertensive rat.", "content": "1. Adult male spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) were given captopril plus hydrochlorothiazide mixed in the diet for 10 weeks. Calculated daily doses were 44 mg kg-1 per day for captopril, and 22 mg kg-1 per day for hydrochlorothiazide. Separate groups received captopril or hydrochlorothiazide alone, at similar doses, or no treatment. A final group of WKY normotensive rats received no drug. 2. Systolic arterial blood pressure, measured at regular intervals throughout the 10 weeks' period was lowered but not normalized, in groups receiving either captopril plus hydrochlorothiazide, or captopril alone, but not in the group receiving hydrochlorothiazide alone. 3. Following pentobarbitone anaesthesia, systolic arterial blood pressure, measured in the femoral artery, was found to be lower in all treated groups, but the greatest effect was observed in SHR previously treated with captopril plus hydrochlorothiazide. Aortic pulse wave velocity was also lower in treated SHR, and once again the greatest decrease was observed in the group previously treated with captopril plus hydrochlorothiazide. 4. Following pithing, systolic arterial blood pressures were similar in all SHR groups. Aortic pulse wave velocity was lower in pithed rats previously treated with captopril and hydrochlorothiazide. 5. In conclusion, antihypertensive treatment of SHR produces falls in blood pressure and pulse wave velocity, an indicator of aortic distensibility. Results in pithed rats suggest that treatment with the combination of captopril plus hydrochlorothiazide may increase aortic distensibility independently of blood pressure."}
{"id": "PMID:1472969", "title": "An investigation of some S-nitrosothiols, and of hydroxy-arginine, on the mouse anococcygeus.", "content": "1. The effect of five S-nitrosothiols, and of the stereoisomers of NG-hydroxy-arginine (HOARG), were investigated on the mouse anococcygeus. 2. All five S-nitrosothiols produced concentration-related (0.1-100 microM) relaxations of carbachol (50 microM)-induced tone; the order of potency was S-nitroso-L-cysteine (CYSNO) > S-nitroso-N-acetyl-D,L-penicillamine (SNAP) > S-nitrosoglutathione (GSNO) > S-nitrosocoenzyme A (CoASNO) > S-nitroso-N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NACNO). The relaxations were unaffected by the nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitor, L-NG-nitro-arginine (10 microM) (L-NOARG). 3. Cold-storage of the tissue for 72 h resulted in loss of sympathetic and non-adrenergic, non-cholinergic (NANC) nerve function. NOS activity in the tissue was reduced by 97%. Despite this, relaxations induced by the S-nitrosothiols were unaffected. 4. Haemoglobin (50 microM) attenuated relaxations induced by NO and the S-nitrosothiols, although responses to 3-isobutyl-1-methyl-xanthine were unaffected. N-methyl-hydroxylamine (2 mM) which has been shown previously to produce selective inhibition of NANC and nitrovasodilator responses in this tissue, also reduced responses to all S-nitrosothiols. 5. Hydroquinone (100 microM) greatly reduced relaxations to CYSNO (by 88%) but had no effect on those to SNAP, GSNO, CoASNO or NACNO. Since hydroquinone does not reduce responses to NANC stimulation, CYSNO is unlikely to be the NANC transmitter. 6. L-HOARG by itself (up to 100 microM) had no significant effect on carbachol-induced tone or on NANC (10 Hz; 10 strain every 100 s) relaxations. However, it produced reversal of the inhibitory effects of L-NOARG (10;pM), being only slightly less potent than L-arginine. D-HOARG was without effect.L-HOARG had no effect on relaxations induced by 1.51iM NO.7. The results show that S-nitrosothiols are potent relaxants of the mouse anococcygeus; they act directly on the smooth muscle with a mechanism similar to NO and other nitrovasodilators. In addition,the results are consistent with L-HOARG being an intermediate in the biosynthesis of NO from L-arginine, although there is no evidence for it acting to stabilize NO extracellularly."}
{"id": "PMID:1472970", "title": "Contribution of NO and cytochrome P450 to the vasodilator effect of bradykinin in the rat kidney.", "content": "1. Inhibition of nitric oxide generation with Nw-nitro-L-arginine (nitroarginine) reduced vasodilator responses to bradykinin and acetylcholine and enhanced those to nitroprusside in the rat isolated perfused kidney, preconstricted with phenylephrine. 2. Inhibition of cyclo-oxygenase with indomethacin, decreased the vasodilator responses to bradykinin by approximately 25% without affecting those to acetylcholine or nitroprusside. 3. BW755c, a dual inhibitor of cyclo-oxygenase and lipoxygenase, reduced renal vasodilator responses to bradykinin, comparable to the effect of indomethacin suggesting an effect related to inhibition of cyclo-oxygenase rather than lipoxygenase. 4. ETYA, an inhibitor of all arachidonic acid metabolic pathways, markedly reduced vasodilator responses to bradykinin but was without effect on the renal vasodilatation induced by acetylcholine or nitroprusside. 5. Clotrimazole and 7-ethoxyresorufin, inhibitors of cytochrome P450, greatly attenuated vasodilator responses to bradykinin without affecting those to acetylcholine or nitroprusside. 6. These data suggest that the renal vasodilator response to bradykinin is subserved by arachidonic acid metabolites as well as nitric oxide, the former accounting for up to 70% of the vasodilator effect of bradykinin."}
{"id": "PMID:1472971", "title": "Protection by Ca2+ channel blockers (nifedipine, diltiazem and verapamil) against the toxicity of oxidized low density lipoprotein to cultured lymphoid cells.", "content": "1. Ca2+ channel blockers from 3 different chemical classes (diltiazem, verapamil and nifedipine) were compared in their ability to inhibit low density lipoprotein (LDL) oxidation and to protect cells directly against the cytotoxicity of oxidized LDL. 2. LDL oxidation promoted either by u.v. radiations or by copper ions was inhibited by nifedipine (IC50 of 10 +/- 2 and 4 +/- 0.5 mumol l-1, respectively) whereas diltiazem and verapamil were only poorly active or completely ineffective. As expected, LDL protected from oxidation by nifedipine (nifedipine/oxidized LDL) were much less cytotoxic than (unprotected) oxidized LDL (or than LDL oxidized in the presence of diltiazem or verapamil). The cytotoxic effect correlated well with the lipid peroxidation derivatives measured as the thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) content of LDL oxidized in the presence of Ca2+ channel blockers, which suggests that the antioxidant effect of Ca2+ channel blockers protected cells indirectly from the cytotoxic effect of oxidized LDL. 3. Nifedipine also exhibited a direct cytoprotective effect against the cytotoxicity of oxidized LDL as demonstrated by incubating cells in the presence of unprotected oxidized LDL and nifedipine (IC50 of 1 +/- 0.2 mumol l-1), whereas diltiazem and verapamil did not exhibit any significant protective effect. At the concentrations used, the protective effect of nifedipine was not due to inhibition of LDL uptake by Ca2+ channel blockers. 4. The direct protective activity of nifedipine is probably unrelated to its antioxidant properties since it did not inhibit the cellular TBARS evoked by oxidized LDL taken up by the cells, in contrast to vitamin E. 5. Nifedipine (and diltiazem to a lesser extent) inhibited the slow [Ca2+]J rise induced by oxidized LDL and the subsequent cytotoxicity.6. It is proposed that relatively high concentrations of nifedipine (unlike diltiazem and verapamil)protect cultured lymphoid cells against the cytotoxicity of oxidized LDL by two different mechanisms:(i) an antioxidant effect inhibiting LDL oxidation (outside the cell); (ii) a direct cytoprotective effect (at lower concentrations), the mechanism of which is unknown. These data could explain in part the mechanism of action of nifedipine in the prevention of cellular damage potentially involved in atherogenesis."}
{"id": "PMID:1472972", "title": "Nitric oxide is involved in 5-HT-induced relaxations of the guinea-pig colon ascendens in vitro.", "content": "1. In the guinea-pig colon ascendens, 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) induces contractions, mediated by 5-HT2, 5-HT3 and 5-HT4 receptors, and relaxations, through a 5-HT1 receptor subtype, that triggers the release of an inhibitory neurotransmitter. Nitric oxide (NO) is one of the main candidates of NANC inhibitory neurotransmission in the gut. The aim of this study was to establish whether NO is involved in 5-HT-induced relaxations of the guinea-pig colon ascendens. 2. Antagonists to block the contractile responses to 5-HT via 5-HT2, 5-HT3 and 5-HT4 receptors were present throughout the experiments and methacholine was administered to precontract the strips. Under these conditions, 5-HT concentration-dependently induced relaxations from 10 nM onwards (EC50 = 258 (172-387) nM). The relaxations were inhibited by metergoline (10 nM) and methiothepine (100 nM) and abolished by tetrodotoxin (TTX, 320 nM). Guanethidine (3.2 microM) did not affect them. 3. NG-nitro-L-arginine (L-NNA) inhibited the responses to 5-HT (IC50 = 18.7 (13.3-26.3) microM); at the highest 5-HT concentration a maximum inhibition of about 75% was observed with 320 microM L-NNA. This inhibition was reversed with L-arginine. Relaxations to glyceryl trinitrate (GTN) were not inhibited by L-NNA. 4. Haemoglobin (32 microM) inhibited the relaxations to 5-HT and GTN, but not those to isoprenaline (Iso). Methylene blue (10 microM) inhibited the relaxations to 5-HT but did not affect those caused by GTN or Iso. 5. It is concluded that 5-HT induces relaxations that involve NO.We also confirmed that 5-HT induces these relaxations via (a) 5-HT, receptor subtype(s), located on neurones."}
{"id": "PMID:1472973", "title": "The effect of in vivo oestrogen pretreatment on the contractile response of rat isolated detrusor muscle.", "content": "1. The effect of oestradiol pretreatment was investigated on the response of rat isolated detrusor muscle to cholinergic, electrical and 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) stimulation with and without diethylstilbestrol (DES) (2 microM) in the organ bath. 2. Virgin female Wistar rats were injected subcutaneously for 8 days with oestradiol benzoate 150 micrograms kg-1. Control rats received no injections or injection only with the vehicle, ethyl oleate. 3. Detrusor muscle from treated rats showed a decreased sensitivity to acetylcholine (ACh) and carbachol-induced contractile responses. The dose-response curves to these agonists showed a 44% reduction in maximum contractile response for ACh (P < 0.001), and a 38% reduction in maximum contractile response for carbachol (P < 0.05). The addition of 2 microM DES to the bathing medium further significantly reduced the maximum contractile response by 56 and 57% of control respectively. 4. Electrically stimulated detrusor muscle from treated rats showed a significant 49% reduction in the maximum contractile response (P < 0.001). The addition of 2 microM DES to the bathing medium further significantly reduced the maximum contractile response by 66% of control. The tetrodotoxin resistant responses were smaller in pretreated rats, suggesting a reduced sensitivity of the smooth muscle to direct electrical stimulation. 5. The response to 5-HT stimulation by detrusor muscle samples from oestradiol-treated rats showed a non-significant reduction in maximum contractile response, but the addition of 2 microM DES to the bath chamber resulted in a 67% reduction in the response (P < 0.001). 6. Oestradiol pretreatment did not affect the potassium dose-response curve.7. Oestradiol pretreatment reduced the rat detrusor muscle sensitivity to the blocking effect of atropine on the response to electrical field stimulation. Pretreatment also reduced the potentiating effect of physostigmine on the same response.8. These results suggest that oestradiol pretreatment had a modulating effect on cholinergic responses.The addition of oestrogen to the tissue environment enhances this inhibitory effect."}
{"id": "PMID:1472974", "title": "Effects of neuropeptide Y and agonists selective for neuropeptide Y receptor sub-types on arterioles of the guinea-pig small intestine and the rat brain.", "content": "1. The actions of neuropeptide Y (NPY) and agonists selective for NPY receptor subtypes were examined on arterioles from the guinea-pig small intestine and the rat pia in order to characterize the receptors mediating the vasoconstrictor and potentiating effects of NPY. 2. A method was developed for measuring the potentiating effects of NPY in situations where it was not possible to obtain a full concentration-response relationship for the vasoconstrictor. NPY, 50 nM, had a greater potentiating effect on the guinea-pig intestinal arterioles than those from the rat pia. 3. NPY and the Y1-selective agonist, NPY[Leu31,Pro34], potentiated the constrictor responses to U46619 in both arterioles and responses to noradrenaline in the guinea-pig arterioles. There was marked desensitization of the potentiating effect, and cross-desensitization between NPY and NPY[Leu31,Pro34]. Both NPY and NPY[Leu31,Pro34] caused constriction of the rat pial arterioles but not of those from the guinea-pig intestine. 4. The Y2-selective agonist PYY(13-36) caused no potentiation or vasoconstriction and did not affect the potentiation by NPY or NPY[Leu31,Pro34]. 5. The potentiating and vasoconstrictor effects of NPY on these arterioles were mediated by Y1 receptors."}
{"id": "PMID:1472975", "title": "Membrane potential and current responses to neurotensin in the longitudinal muscle of the rectum of the fowl.", "content": "1. The effects of neurotensin (NT) on membrane potential and membrane current of the longitudinal smooth muscle of chicken rectum were investigated by intracellular recording and whole-cell voltage clamp. 2. NT (3 nM-1.2 microM), when applied via the bathing medium, produced a concentration-dependent membrane depolarization with an EC50 of 18 +/- 2 nM (n = 7) which was accompanied by an increase in the membrane conductance. The effect was biphasic: an initial, rapid depolarization reached a peak within 2-3 min and then declined to a lower but still elevated level which was sustained until washout. 3. Excitatory junction potentials (e.j.ps), which were non-adrenergic non-cholinergic (NANC) in nature, were decreased in amplitude and total duration in the presence of NT (0.6 microM). The depression of the e.j.p. was due mainly to the reduction of the membrane resistance. 4. When NT was applied locally by means of pressure ejection from a micropipette containing NT, some cells responded with a membrane depolarization and some failed to respond, whereas e.j.ps could invariably be elicited from all of them. 5. In single muscle cells enzymatically isolated from the muscle and dialyzed under voltage clamp at -50 mV with a CsCl-rich solution, NT (5 or 10 microM) produced an inward current. NT-induced inward currents were obtained with inclusion of 10 mM EGTA in the pipette solution and their reversal potential was around 0 mV. In cells dialyzed under voltage clamp at 0 mV with a KCl-rich solution, NT (5 microM) produced a brief outward current followed by abolition of spontaneous transient outward currents.6. The present results suggest that the membrane depolarization, which may arise from activation of non-selective cation channels, and release of calcium from internal stores produced by neurotensin are responsible for its contractile activity in the longitudinal smooth muscle of chicken rectum. Further, the depolarizing effect may provide support for the involvement of NT in the NANC transmission in this preparation."}
{"id": "PMID:1472976", "title": "Iron-sulphur cluster nitrosyls, a novel class of nitric oxide generator: mechanism of vasodilator action on rat isolated tail artery.", "content": "1. Two iron-sulphur cluster nitrosyls have been investigated as potential nitric oxide (NO.) donor drugs (A: tetranitrosyltetra-mu 3-sulphidotetrahedro-tetrairon; and B: heptanitrosyltri-mu 3-thioxotetraferrate(1-)). Both compounds are shown to dilate precontracted, internally-perfused rat tail arteries. 2. Bolus injections (10 microliters) of compound A or B generate two kinds of vasodilator response. Doses below a critical threshold concentration (DT) evoke transient (or T-type) responses, which resemble those seen with conventional nitrovasodilators. Doses > DT produce sustained (or S-type) responses, comprising an initial, rapid drop of pressure, followed by incomplete recovery, resulting in a plateau of reduced tone which can persist for several hours. 3. T- and S-type responses are attenuated by ferrohaemoglobin (Hb) and by methylene blue (MB), but not by inhibitors of endothelial NO. synthase. Addition of either Hb or MB to the internal perfusate can restore agonist-induced tone when administered during the plateau phase of an S-type response. Moreover, subsequent removal of Hb causes the artery to re-dilate fully. 4. We conclude that T- and S-type responses are both mediated by NO.. It is postulated that S-type responses represent the sum of two vasodilator components: a reversible component, superimposed upon a non-recoverable component. The former is attributed to free NO., preformed in solution at the time of injection; and the latter to NO. generated by gradual decomposition of a 'store' of iron-sulphur-nitrosyl complexes within the tissue. This hypothesis is supported by histochemical studies which show that both clusters accumulate in endothelial cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1472977", "title": "Blockade of 5-HT3 receptor-mediated currents in dissociated frog sensory neurones by benzoxazine derivative, Y-25130.", "content": "1. The effect of Y-25130, ((+-)-N-(1-azabicyclo[2.2.2]oct-3-yl)-6-chloro-4-methyl-3-oxo-3,4-dih ydr o- 2H-1,4-benzoxazine-8-carboxamide hydrochloride), a high affinity 5-hydroxytryptamine3 (5-HT3) receptor ligand, was examined on the 5-HT-induced response in dissociated frog dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurones by use of the extremely rapid concentration-jump ('concentration-clamp') and the conventional whole-cell patch-clamp techniques. 2. 5-HT induced a rapid transient inward current associated with an increase in membrane conductance at a holding potential of -70 mV. The current amplitude increased sigmoidally as 5-HT concentration increased. The half-maximum value (Ka) and the Hill coefficient estimated from the concentration-response curve were 1.7 x 10(-5) M and 1.7, respectively. 3. The current-voltage (I-V) relationship of 5-HT-induced current (I5-HT) showed inward rectification at potentials more positive than -40 mV. The reversal potential (E5-HT) was -11 mV. The E5-HT value was unaffected by total replacement of intracellular K+ by Cs+, indicating that the 5-HT-gated channels might be large cation channels. 4. Both the activation and inactivation phases of I5-HT were single exponentials. The time constants of activation and inactivation (tau a and tau i) decreased with increasing 5-HT concentration. 5. The 5-HT response was mimicked by a selective 5-HT3 receptor agonist, 2-methyl-5-HT, but the maximum response induced was approximately 25% that of 5-HT. The 5-HT response was reversibly antagonized by the 5-HT3 receptor antagonists, ICS 205-930, metoclopramide and Y-25130, but not by a 5-HTIA receptor antagonist, spiperone, and a 5-HT2 receptor antagonist, ketanserin. The half-inhibition concentrations (IC50) were 4.9 x 10-10 M for Y-25130, 4.8 x 10-10 M for ICS 205-930 and 8.6 x 10-9 M for metoclopramide.6. Y-25130 (5 x 10-10 M) caused a rightward shift of the concentration-response curve for 5-HT while decreasing the maximum response.7. The results suggest that Y-25130 is a potent antagonist of the 5-HT3 receptor-channel complex."}
{"id": "PMID:1472978", "title": "Endothelin ETA and ETB receptors mediate vascular smooth muscle contraction.", "content": "1. We have investigated the receptors mediating endothelin-induced contraction of rabbit isolated jugular vein (RJV) and rat isolated thoracic aorta (RTA). 2. Endothelin-1 (ET-1) and endothelin-3 (ET-3) contracted RJV preparations with similar potency (EC50 values approximately 1 nM), whereas, ET-1 (EC50:4.5 nM) was approximately 80 fold more potent than ET-3 in contracting RTA. In addition, the ETB receptor-selective agonist [Ala1,3,11,15]ET-1 contracted RJV (EC50:2.1 nM) but not RTA. 3. The ETA receptor antagonist, BQ123, competitively antagonized (pA2 6.93) the contraction of RTA produced by ET-1, but had no effect (at 10 microM) on the contractile effects of either ET-1, ET-3 or [Ala1,3,11,15]ET-1 in RJV. 4. These data suggest that both ETA and ETB receptors can mediate vascular smooth muscle contraction."}
{"id": "PMID:1472979", "title": "Protection against the effects of anticholinesterases on the latencies of action potentials in mouse skeletal muscles.", "content": "1. Adult male albino mice were injected subcutaneously with an organophosphorous anticholinesterase to initiate excessive variability in the latency of indirectly elicited muscle action potentials (jitter) when assessed 5 days later. 2. Pretreatment of the mice with a single dose of pyridostigmine prevented the development of jitter after subsequent dosing with an organophosphate. 3. Treatment with one dose of pralidoxime (2PAM) prevented the development of jitter if given less than 1 h after treatment with ecothiopate, a reactivatable inhibitor of cholinesterase. Similar treatment with 2PAM after a non-reactivatable inhibitor did not prevent the development of jitter. The repeated administration of 2PAM over 12 h did ameliorate jitter. 4. Pretreatment of mice orally with alpha-tocopherol and N-acetylcysteine, known to prevent ecothiopate-induced myopathy, did not prevent the development of jitter after ecothiopate. 5. It is concluded that the development of jitter was a consequence of the inhibition of acetylcholinesterase, and although jitter did not develop acutely, the potential for the full development of jitter was achieved about 1 h after intoxication with ecothiopate. The development of jitter did not involve the generation of free radicals. Reduction of the early effects of intoxication with anticholinesterases by pyridostigmine or 2PAM prevented the development of jitter."}
{"id": "PMID:1472980", "title": "Inhibition of the haemodynamic effects of angiotensin II in conscious rats by AT2-receptor antagonists given after the AT1-receptor antagonist, EXP 3174.", "content": "1. Conscious, Long Evans rats (n = 10), chronically instrumented for the measurement of regional haemodynamics, were studied on 3 consecutive experimental days to assess responses to angiotensin II (AII) (125 pmol kg-1, i.v.) and noradrenaline (1 nmol kg-1, i.v.) in the absence and presence of the AT2-receptor antagonist, PD 123319 (10 mg kg-1, i.v.) (day 1), the AT1-receptor antagonist, EXP 3174 (1 mg kg-1, i.v.) (day 2), and PD 123319 (10 mg kg-1, i.v.) given 24 h after EXP 3174 (day 3). 2. In naive rats (day 1), PD 123319 did not antagonize the haemodynamic effects of AII or noradrenaline. EXP 3174 (day 2) caused a marked, prolonged blockade of the haemodynamic effects of AII but not those of noradrenaline. Twenty four h after administration of EXP 3174 (day 3) there was still significant attenuation of the haemodynamic effects of AII. However, administration of PD 123319 at this time caused a further inhibition (lasting 1 h) of the effects of AII but not those of noradrenaline. 3. An identical 3 day protocol was used in a separate group of rats (n = 6) in which the AT2-receptor antagonist, PD 123177, was given instead of PD 123319, and the results were essentially the same, i.e., PD 123177 significantly attenuated the haemodynamic effects of AII but only when given 24 h after EXP 3174.4. In a separate group of rats (n = 4), a low dose of EXP 3174 (60 pg kg-' i.v.) was given to naive rats in order to simulate the degree of inhibition of the effects of All seen after administration of AT2-receptor antagonists in animals pretreated with EXP 3174. This low dose of EXP 3174 did not produce a sustained inhibition of the effects of All and the time course of recovery of All responses was similar to that seen with PD 123319 or PD 123177 given after the high dose of EXP 3174.5. The apparent inhibition of the effects of AII by the AT2-receptor antagonists, PD 123319 and PD 123177, when these were administered 24 h after the AT,-receptor antagonist, EXP 3174, may have been due to the functional activation of AT2-receptors and/or loss of AT2-receptor antagonist selectivity,and/or the displacement of nonspecifically bound EXP 3174 by AT2-receptor antagonists. While the latter explanation seems the most likely, these results raise the possibility that nonpeptide, All-receptor antagonists that act at both AT,- and AT2-receptors may have therapeutic advantages over selective AT,-receptor antagonists."}
{"id": "PMID:1472981", "title": "Ornithine and histidine decarboxylase activities in mice sensitized to endotoxin, interleukin-1 or tumour necrosis factor by D-galactosamine.", "content": "1. An injection of D-galactosamine (GalN) into mice together with a lipopolysaccharide (LPS or endotoxin), interleukin-1 (IL-1) or tumour necrosis factor (TNF), sensitized the mice and induced fulminant hepatitis with severe congestion resulting in rapid death. Since LPS and these cytokines induce ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) and histidine decarboxylase (HDC) in the liver and spleen of mice, the effects of GalN on the induction of ODC and HDC in these organs were examined. 2. The induction of ODC by LPS, IL-1 or TNF was suppressed by GalN in the liver, and this suppression preceded the hepatic congestion. There was good agreement between the degree of hepatic congestion and the suppression of ODC induction by various amounts of GalN. The induction of ODC in the spleen was suppressed only at the highest dose of GalN examined. 3. GalN is known to deplete uridine 5'-triphosphate (UTP), resulting in the suppression of RNA and protein synthesis. An injection of uridine, the precursor of UTP, diminished the GalN-induced suppression of ODC induction by LPS and prevented the hepatic congestion and death. 4. LPS-pretreatment before injection of LPS plus GalN prevented the suppression of ODC activity and prevented the hepatic congestion and death. 5. An injection of putrescine, the product of ODC, prolonged survival time and delayed the development of hepatic congestion. However, injection of an ODC inhibitor into the mice given LPS did not produce hepatic congestion. 6. The induction of HDC in the liver by LPS, IL-1 or TNF was not suppressed by GalN and, at high doses, the response to LPS was enhanced. An inhibitor of HDC neither prevented the hepatic congestion nor enhanced the protective effect of putrescine.7. Although GalN in combination with IL-la induced a markedly higher HDC activity than was observed when it was combined with TNFa, and suppressed the induction of ODC, the former combination at the doses used did not produce hepatic congestion or death. However, the sensitization to TNFa by GalN was markedly potentiated by IL-la.8. These results suggest that suppression of the induction of ODC by GalN may be one cause of the sensitization to LPS, IL-1 or TNF, and that the induction of HDC, i.e. histamine formation, may not be involved in this sensitization.9. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that both IL-1 and TNF are involved in the sensitization to LPS."}
{"id": "PMID:1472982", "title": "The effect of aliphatic alcohols on the transient potassium current in hippocampal neurones.", "content": "1. The transient potassium current was recorded in single hippocampal CA1 neurones from the rat by use of the whole-cell patch clamp technique. The effects on this current of a homologous series of aliphatic alcohols, ranging from butanol to octanol, were investigated. 2. The predominant effect of octanol (and the other alcohols) was to cause an increase in the initial rate of decay of the transient potassium current together with a slight decrease in the rate of decay of later phases of the current, such that the current decay became markedly non-monotonic. The alcohols also caused a decrease in peak current amplitude which could not be accounted for solely by the change in current decay kinetics. 3. The effect of the alcohols was concentration-dependent and readily reversible. Increasing chain length increased the potency of each alcohol by about 3 fold for each methylene group added. Other than a difference in potency, there appeared to be little difference in the action of aliphatic alcohols of different chain length on the transient current. 4. The alcohols did not appreciably change the voltage-dependence of steady state inactivation or activation of the transient potassium current. 5. The rate of inactivation of the transient current in these cells was only weakly voltage-dependent. This weak voltage-dependence was not changed by the presence of aliphatic alcohols, neither was the effect of the alcohols themselves voltage-dependent. 6. The potencies of each of the aliphatic alcohols were well correlated with their respective membrane/buffer partition coefficients, a finding which implies a hydrophobic locus of action."}
{"id": "PMID:1472983", "title": "False consensus and out-group homogeneity: a methodological note on their relationship.", "content": "Two different lines of research in social psychology ask subjects to generate estimates of the percentage of group members who they think would espouse some position or make some behavioural choice. Research on the false consensus effect has shown that such estimates are influenced by the subject's own choice. Research on out-group homogeneity has shown that such estimates are higher for group stereotypic choices than counterstereotypic ones and that this difference in turn is more pronounced for out-groups than in-groups. In this article we explore the relationship between these two effects, both of which rely on the same dependent measure. We show that out-group homogeneity will be estimated with bias unless the subject's own choice is included as a factor in the analysis, whenever false consensus is present and whenever the two target groups differ in the prevalence of their actual choices. We demonstrate this confounding with both hypothetical and actual data."}
{"id": "PMID:1472984", "title": "Modelling and suicide: a test of the Werther effect.", "content": "The present study investigates whether news about suicides of prominent persons evokes an imitative effect. To this end, daily overall suicide frequencies of a German federal state, Baden-W\u00fcrttemberg, were examined for the years 1968 to 1980 and were related to prominent suicides that were publicized in major newspapers. Data were analysed quasi-experimentally and by means of a time series regression analysis. These methods yielded significant or marginally significant increases, respectively, for the week following the news. Alternative social psychological explanations were examined, and possible statistical artifacts were taken into account. The results are on the whole consistent with the assumption of an imitative effect."}
{"id": "PMID:1472985", "title": "Judgements about victims and attackers in depicted rapes: a review.", "content": "This paper reviews the effects on subjects' judgements of a variety of factors that have been included in experimental depictions of rape. The focus is on attribution of responsibility or fault to the victim or attacker and related judgements, particularly regarding guilt and sanctions. Generally, females make more pro-victim judgements than do males, and people with non-traditional sex-role attitudes make more pro-victim judgements than do holders of more traditional views. Other factors covered are various victim characteristics, victim-attacker acquaintance, resistance, and victim attire and a range of behaviours prior to the attack. These are limits to generalization due to populations studied and methods used, and the observed effects of several factors are either minimal or inconsistent. However, some factors have reliable effects on judgements, which it is argued are explainable in terms of their link with traditional beliefs about women's rights and roles. Males have often been found to be more susceptible to these effects. In particular, it appears that if a female engages in any behaviour deemed to be 'incautious' that results in victimization then she may be perceived to be at fault, even though these behaviours would be 'legitimate' for males, and that prior romantic involvement with the attacker mitigates the perceived seriousness of, and may even be seen as supplying justification for, a sexual attack. The existence of these attitudes implies that rape may be tacitly condoned in many situations."}
{"id": "PMID:1472986", "title": "Blushing, embarrassability and self-consciousness.", "content": "A blushing questionnaire and the Self-Consciousness scale (SCS) were completed by 86 respondents. A measure of the tendency to blush correlated significantly with the Social Anxiety subscale of the SCS, but not with the public and private subscales. Self-rated tendency to blush was significantly correlated with rated likelihood of blushing in those situations where the individual had some responsibility for an embarrassing incident, but not in situations where others had instigated the incident."}
{"id": "PMID:1472987", "title": "The red nucleus and mesencephalic tegmentum in a ranid amphibian: a cytoarchitectonic and HRP connectional study.", "content": "Movement control in vertebrates is a complex function that is known to involve several parallel systems. In amphibians, which lack the isocortical structures shown in mammals to initiate and control voluntary movements, supraspinal motor control systems have received surprisingly little attention. Because amphibians lack a corticospinal equivalent, coordination and control of all movement strategies must take place in non-cortical, supraspinal integrating centers. The rubro-cerebello-rubrospinal circuit is likely to represent a major motor control system in such vertebrates. In this anatomical investigation four mesencephalic tegmentospinal projection nuclei are described in ranid amphibians (Rana catesbiana and Rana pipiens): reticular formation, accessory optic complex, interstitial nucleus of Cajal, and the red nucleus. The red nucleus, which shows no distinct somatotopic organization, can be distinguished because it is the only one of the four that is predominantly contralateral in its projections. Horseradish peroxidase injections into the tegmentum and the cerebellum demonstrated that the red nucleus also maintains reciprocal connections with the cerebellum via the deep cerebellar nucleus. These connections could not be localized to any distinct region in the deep cerebellar nuclear mass, suggesting that this represents a single cerebellar recipient nucleus. Thus, anuran amphibians are shown to possess the major pathways that comprise the rubro-cerebello-rubrospinal circuitry in mammals."}
{"id": "PMID:1472988", "title": "Ultrastructure and distribution of epidermal sensory receptors in the beak of the echidna, Tachyglossus aculeatus.", "content": "Within the rostral one centimetre of the Echidna beak, three specialised receptors were found: a mucous sensory gland, a rod-like structure, and an innervated epidermal pit. The mucous sensory gland consists of a dermal mucous gland and a modified epidermal portion. Bulbous nerve terminals, similar to those reported for the Platypus, were found within the modified epidermal portion of the mucous gland. The rod-like structure contains four types of nerve terminals: Merkel cells, Paciniform corpuscles, and a central and a peripheral vesicle chain receptor. Apart from minor differences, the rod-like structure is similar to that previously reported for the Platypus. Preliminary results are presented for a third structure: an innervated epidermal pit. Topographical and ultrastructural analyses are used in the context of functional interpretation."}
{"id": "PMID:1472989", "title": "Central projections of the vagus nerve in Chelon labrosus Risso (Teleostei, O. Perciformes).", "content": "The primary projections of the vagus nerve and its nuclei in a perciform teleost, Chelon labrosus, are described after application of hoseradish peroxidase (HRP) labeling and Nissl and silver staining methods. The vagus nerve has three peripheral roots, rostral, medial and caudal, which are formed from viscerosensory and visceromotor rootlets. In addition to viscerosensory and visceromotor rootlets, the caudal root has a cutaneous root and a 'descending' root. Dorsally in the caudal root, a fiber bundle enters the medulla from the retroocular and opercular skin region; this bundle joins the descending trigeminal root and courses with it rostrally and caudally. Fibers from another rootlet, which enters dorsolaterally, course caudally towards the spinal cord. This rootlet has not been described in other fishes. The vagal viscerosensory nucleus, where most of the viscerosensory fibers terminate, forms a column in which two types of neurons can be distinguished. The most caudal part of the nucleus is continuous with the commissural nucleus, into which vagal nerve projections also enter. No vagal projections were found in the area postrema. In the visceromotor column, two types of neurons are seen lateroventral to the IV ventricle."}
{"id": "PMID:1472990", "title": "The effects of background pattern and contrast on prey discrimination by the praying mantis Sphodromantis lineola (Burr.).", "content": "Tethered, adult female Sphodromantis lineola (Burr.) were presented with two groups of two-dimensional stimuli (i.e., 2-D lures) against various backgrounds. Lure Group 1 comprised various black rectangles in three different size arrays: each size array included a 2, 6, or 12 mm square, respectively, several 'worm' lures of a constant width (l2, edge perpendicular to the direction of movement, 3-30 mm), but varying in length (l1, parallel to the direction of movement, 6-114 mm), and several 'antiworm' lures of a constant length but varying width. Group 1 lures were presented against patterned backgrounds of similar luminance: one natural pattern mimicking foliage and the other a random geometric pattern of rectangles. Group 2 lures comprised various configurations and combinations of black and white lures which were presented against white, black, and natural pattern backgrounds. The appetitive behaviors of approaching and striking at a lure were dependent measures indicating that a stimulus was categorized as prey. For Group 1 lures, overall response rates to lures of the same size were enhanced by the natural pattern background rather than the geometric pattern background. Against the natural pattern background, worm lures were stronger releasers of predatory behavior than antiworm lures of the same size. Lure configuration (especially for the smallest array) was masked by the geometric pattern background, although worm versus antiworm discrimination was apparent with the largest size array. For Group 2 lures, lure-to-background contrast, as well as configuration, effected prey recognition. For instance, lures with low lure-to-background contrast ratios were weaker releasers than those with high ratios, and lures that were darker (versus lighter) than the background were stronger releasers. In addition, particular stimulus properties interacted to effect lure strength. For instance, a weak or strong releaser became stronger or weaker, respectively, when a more or less, respectively, preferred releaser was super-imposed. The results also suggest that S. lineola attends preferentially to the leading edge of a moving stimulus. These findings are in agreement with predatory behavior of praying mantises in the wild."}
{"id": "PMID:1472991", "title": "Retinal projections in the house musk shrew, Suncus murinus, as determined by anterograde transport of WGA-HRP.", "content": "Retinal projections in the house musk shrew (Suncus murinus) were determined by the anterograde transport of wheat germ agglutinin conjugated to horseradish peroxidase (WGA-HRP). Unilateral injection of WGA-HRP into the vitreous body resulted in the terminal labeling of the optic projections in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCH), the ventral (CGLv) and dorsal (CGLd) lateral geniculate nuclei, the intergeniculate leaflet (IGL), the pretectum, the superficial layers of the superior colliculus (CS), and the dorsal terminal nucleus (DTN) of the accessory optic system (AOS). Labeling of the SCH was bilateral, with ipsilateral predominance, and covered the whole dorsoventral extent of the nucleus. Immunohistochemical studies revealed that VIP-like immunoreactive neurons and fibers were present in almost all parts of the SCH. No hypothalamic regions other than the SCH received the optic fibers. The ipsilateral projections to the CGLv, CGLd, and IGL were sparse, and a considerable number of uncrossed retinal fibers were found in the pretectal olivary nucleus. No retinal projections to the lateral posterior thalamic nucleus (LP) were found. Ipsilateral optic fibers projected sparsely to the medial part of the CS. The AOS consisted of a small DTN with a very few crossed retinal projections but no lateral and medial terminal nuclei. In addition, the AOS had no inferior fascicle."}
{"id": "PMID:1472992", "title": "Effects of serotonin and carbachol on glial and neuronal rubidium uptake in leech CNS.", "content": "Effects of serotonin (5-HT) and carbachol on Rb uptake (used as a K marker) in leech neuron and glia were studied by electron probe microanalysis (EPMA). Hirudo medicinalis ganglia were perfused 60 s in 4 mM Rb substituted normal leech Ringer's with and without 5-HT (dosage range 5-500 microM) or carbachol (range 10-1000 microM), quench frozen cryosectioned, and subjected to EPMA to determine elemental mass fractions and cell water content. Both 5-HT and carbachol altered leech neuron and glial cell elemental distribution and water content. In glial cells, a dose-dependent increase in Rb uptake was observed following 5-HT (control: 26 +/- 2 microM; 5 microM: 47 +/- 4; 50 microM: 62 +/- 4; 500 microM: 82 +/- 11 mmol/kg dry wt. +/- S.E.M.) and carbachol (10 microM: 35 +/- 3; 100 microM: 52 +/- 3; 1000 microM: 68 +/- 3 mmol/kg dry wt. +/- S.E.M.). In neurons, 5-HT and carbachol had small effects. 5-HT decreased glial and neuronal cell water content. Carbachol decreased neuronal (but not glial) water content by approximately the same amount (mean decrease 9%) regardless of dose. Both 5-HT and carbachol affected glial cell K-accumulating properties, providing evidence that certain neurotransmitters may modulate invertebrate glial cells' K clearance function."}
{"id": "PMID:1472993", "title": "Histamine-immunoreactive nerve fibers in the rat pineal gland: evidence for a histaminergic central innervation.", "content": "An immunohistochemical method that utilizes carbodiimide as a fixative and antisera directed against histamine was applied to investigate the location of histamine in the rat pineal complex. Numerous histamine-immunoreactive cell bodies were observed in different subdivisions of the tuberomammillary nucleus of the posterior hypothalamus, and a few cell bodies were present in the posterior and dorsal part of the periventricular hypothalamic nucleus. Histamine-immunoreactive fibers were observed to leave the posterior hypothalamus in various directions of which one dorsally projecting tract was followed in the periventricular area of the caudal diencephalon to the epithalamus. Several histamine-immunoreactive nerve fibers of this tract continued through the posterior commissure directly into the deep pineal gland. A few immunoreactive fibers were also observed in the habenular commissure. In midsagittal sections, histamine-immunoreactive nerve fibers were observed to enter the pineal stalk from the deep pineal gland. Most of histamine-immunoreactive fibers in the stalk continued towards the superficial pineal gland, but their number decreased in more distal locations of the stalk, indicating that some fibers terminate in the stalk as well. A few fibers were found to terminate in the most rostral part of the superficial pineal gland. The immunoreactive nerve fibers in the epithalamus and pineal complex were endowed with prominent varicosities. Taken together, these results indicate that histaminergic nerve fibers, originating from the posterior hypothalamus, project to the pineal complex of the rat. Histamine must therefore be considered a putative neurotransmitter contained in the central innervation of the pineal gland, but its function in pineal physiology has so far not been elucidated."}
{"id": "PMID:1472994", "title": "Phosphate analysis and dephosphorylation of modified tau associated with paired helical filaments.", "content": "We performed phosphate analysis of tau proteins isolated from normal human brain, tau proteins associated with paired helical filaments (PHF-tau), and Alzheimer tau not associated with PHF. These tau fractions were of high purity. Normal and Alzheimer tau were purified by heat treatment, acid extraction and calmodulin-affinity chromatography with or without HPLC. Fractions containing primarily PHF-tau polypeptides of 60, 64 and 68 kDa and their degraded fragments were purified either on a sucrose density gradient as filaments (PHF) or by heat treatment and acid extraction as amorphous proteins (PHF-tau). PHF and PHF-tau were found to contain 6-8 mol phosphate/mol protein while normal and Alzheimer tau proteins contained 1.9 and 2.6 mol phosphate/mol protein, respectively. Upon 2-h incubation with alkaline phosphatase, PHF lost two of the phosphate groups without apparent changes in the stability and morphology of PHF. The released phosphate originated from the N-terminal half of PHF-tau as determined by immunoblotting with antibodies to epitopes blocked by phosphorylation. Tau-1 and E-2, and by a prominent shift in the electrophoretic mobility of some fragments of PHF-tau. The shift in mobility was not observed with the C-terminal fragments of 25-26 kDa, which retained the epitope to Tau 46. The results suggest that the phosphorylation sites not affected by phosphatase may be located in the 25-26 kDa C-terminal region of PHF-tau and may play a role in structural stability of PHF."}
{"id": "PMID:1472995", "title": "Role of tau in the polymerization of peptides from beta-amyloid precursor protein.", "content": "The composition of paired helical filaments (PHFs), the intracellular amyloid fibrils that accumulate in the brains of Alzheimer patients, is not completely known. We investigated whether synthetic peptides from beta-amyloid precursor protein (APP) can form PHF-like fibrils. Two peptides formed fibrils morphologically similar to PHFs. The presence of tau protein, a known PHF component, greatly enhanced the numbers of fibrils formed from one peptide, from the C-terminus of APP, and became associated with the fibrils. A tau fragment corresponding to the tubulin-binding region was sufficient to induce fibril formation. Tau did not alter fibril formation by the other peptide, which was from the beta/A4 region of APP. These results raise the possibility that a C-terminal fragment of APP, along with tau, may be involved in PHF formation. Thus the proteolytic processing of APP may generate fragments that contribute to both amyloids and both histopathologic lesions of Alzheimer's disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1472996", "title": "Spontaneous alternation and inhibitory avoidance impairments with morphine injections into the medial septum. Attenuation by glucose administration.", "content": "Peripheral glucose administration attenuates impairments produced by peripheral injections of the opioid agonist, morphine, on spontaneous alternation. Injections of opioid agonists directly into the medial septum also impair memory. The present experiments examined whether systemic and intraseptal glucose injections could attenuate deficits on spontaneous alternation and inhibitory avoidance in rats treated with intraseptal morphine. Morphine (3.95 nmol) injected into the medial septum significantly impaired performance on spontaneous alternation and inhibitory avoidance tasks. Both systemic (100 mg/kg, i.p.) and intraseptal (18.33 nmol) injections of glucose, administered concomitantly with intraseptal morphine, attenuated the morphine-induced impairments on these tasks in rats. These findings suggest that one brain region where glucose may act is the medial septum, possibly by releasing opioid inhibition of cholinergic activity."}
{"id": "PMID:1472997", "title": "The pyrimido-pyrimidine derivative RA-642 protects from brain injury in a combined model of permanent focal ischemia and global ischemia reperfusion.", "content": "The effects of pyrimido-pyrimidine derivatives (dipyridamole, RA-642 and mopydamole) on lipid peroxidation (inhibition of the production of malondialdehyde, MDA) in different regions of the rat brain were studied. Ferrous sulfate and ascorbic acid (FeAs) were used to induce lipid peroxidation via the formation of hydroxyl anions. The antiperoxidative effect of RA-642 (in the microM range) was 10 times more potent than that of dipyridamole. Mopydamole did not exert any inhibitory effect on MDA production. In a model of ischemia reperfusion with bilateral occlusion of the common carotid arteries for 1 h and restoration of circulation for a period of 2 h, dipyridamole inhibited FeAs-induced MDA production but did not protect from postischemic brain tissue damage (measured by mitochondrial reduction of tetraphenyl tetrazolium). RA-642 inhibited FeAs-induced MDA production and showed 50-67% protection from tissue damage as compared with untreated animals, while mopydamole did not inhibit MDA production and showed 30-48% protection. No correlation was found between inhibition of lipid peroxidation and protection from brain tissue damage."}
{"id": "PMID:1472998", "title": "AF102B, a novel M1 agonist, enhanced spatial learning in C57BL/10 mice with a long duration of action.", "content": "Orally administered AF102B, a selective muscarinic M1 cholinergic agonist, improved spatial learning in C57BL/10 mice in the Morris water maze. In four experiments in which all drug-treated animals received only one single administration of AF102B, improvement of acquisition depended on two factors: pretreatment time (tp) and dose. When a standard tp of 1 h was used, AF102B exhibited a U-shaped dose-response curve that is characteristic of many nootropic agents: learning was significantly improved by dose levels ranging from 0.1 to 1 mg/kg p.o. When the tp was extended out to as long as 8 days, two new effects emerged: (a) 1 mg/kg, the dose that had been the peak active dose at 1 h, exhibited a biphasic time course of action, being active at 1 h or at all tp intervals from 3 h to 5 days, but not at 1.5 h; (b) 0.03 mg/kg, a dose that had been inactive at a tp of 1 h, was active at all tp intervals from 3 h to 5 days, but not at shorter (1 and 2 h) or longer (6-8 days) tp intervals. In another experiment, animals received 0.03 mg/kg for 1-5 consecutive days: this dose level was active if the tp interval between the last dose and the learning session was 24-120 h, but not if it was only 1 h. Thus AF102B enhanced cognition in mice with a longer duration of action than reported for traditional muscarinic agonists."}
{"id": "PMID:1472999", "title": "Afferent innervation of the vestibular nuclei in the chinchilla. II. Description of the vestibular nerve and nuclei.", "content": "The morphological characteristics of the vestibular nuclei of the chinchilla were studied in horizontally cut serial sections of the brain stem. Horseradish peroxidase labeling allowed unambiguous delineation of the vestibular nuclei and areas of innervation by the vestibular afferent fibers. The cytoarchitecture of the vestibular nuclei was documented with the aid of camera lucida drawings and quantitatively evaluated with computerized methodology. The cellular groups identified in other species were found in the chinchilla. The superior vestibular nucleus (SN) originated ventromedial to the mesencephalic tract and nuclei of the trigeminal nerve. This nucleus contained medium-sized cells with a central group of larger cells (20-34 microns in diameter). It received its maximum vestibular innervation caudally in the ventrolateral and dorsal aspects of the nucleus. Fibers projected to the SN in bundles with thick fibers surrounded by thin ones. The lateral vestibular nucleus (LN) originated 0.9-1.2 mm below the rostral aspect of the vestibular area. It was ventrocaudal to the SN and contained many large cells with diameters of 45-60 microns. The LN was innervated mainly in the ventrocaudal aspect by oblique and transverse fibers that formed a dense mesh. The medial vestibular nucleus (MN) originated 0.3-0.6 mm caudal to the beginning of the SN, adjacent to the floor of the IVth ventricle. It extended for 3-4 mm along the SN, LN and descending vestibular nucleus (DN). The MN contained the densest and most homogeneous cells, which had diameters of 10-20 microns. This nucleus received its greatest innervation at the level of the vestibular root. Thin fibers traveled to the MN through the SN and LN. The caudal pole of the nucleus did not receive fibers. The DN originated 1.8-2.5 mm caudal to the origination of the SN, between the caudal LN and the MN. Caudally it replaced the LN. Most of the cells of the DVN were medium-sized, with diameters of 10-20 microns. The main vestibular innervation of the DN was in the lateral aspect of the nucleus. Tertiary fibers projected in small, separate bundles of uniform-sized thick fibers. The interstitial nucleus originated 1.1-1.4 mm from the beginning of the SN. It occupied the center of the vestibular root, 0.8-0.9 mm medial to the root entry zone. It contained a few large cells (greater than 20 microns in diameter), many medium-sized cells, and some small cells.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1473000", "title": "Effects of cholecystokinin on sympathetic activity to interscapular brown adipose tissue.", "content": "The effects of injecting cholecystokinin (CCK) into the third ventricle or into selected hypothalamic sites on electrical firing rate of sympathetic nerves to interscapular brown fat (IBAT) has been investigated in anesthetized rats. The hypothesis for these experiments was that there was a reciprocal relationship between sympathetic activity and food intake. Since CCK reduces food intake we predicted that CCK would stimulate sympathetic activity to IBAT. Following the injection of CCK into the third ventricle there was an increase in firing rate of sympathetic nerves to IBAT. When the peptide was injected into either the ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus (VMH) or lateral hypothalamic area (LHA), there was likewise an increase in sympathetic firing rate. The injection of CCK into the paraventricular nucleus produced a small decrease in sympathetic firing rate. In contrast, no effect was seen following injection of CCK into the preoptic area or dorsomedial hypothalamic nucleus. Thus, the VMH or LHA appear to be the principal hypothalamic areas mediating the stimulation of sympathetic activity to IBAT which is observed following the third ventricular injection of CCK. These studies support the hypothesis of a reciprocal relationship between the effects of CCK on the thermogenic component of the sympathetic nervous system and food intake and identify the VMH and LHA as the primary sites for this effect."}
{"id": "PMID:1473001", "title": "Corticotropin-releasing factor induces a place aversion independent of its neuroendocrine role.", "content": "The purpose of the present experiment was to test the hypothesis that corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF), a polypeptide of 41 amino acids, when administered either intracerebroventricularly (i.c.v.) or subcutaneously (s.c.), has aversive properties in the conditioned place-preference paradigm. Five doses of CRF (0, 0.005, 0.05, 0.5, 5 micrograms) were tested. i.c.v. CRF induced a specific dose-dependent reduction of the amount of time spent in the environment previously paired with the administration of CRF. Furthermore, this CRF-induced place aversion was prevented by pretreatment with alpha-helical-CRF(9-41), a specific CRF antagonist, administered i.c.v. In order to test whether the aversive effects induced by i.c.v. CRF could result from the stimulation of the HPA axis accompanying i.c.v. CRF injection, the reinforcing properties of s.c. CRF were studied using the same dose range. Only the higher s.c. dose was effective in producing a place aversion suggesting that the aversive effects of CRF could not be due solely to the stimulation of the pituitary-adrenocortical system, measured by plasmatic levels of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and corticosterone, because the lower doses consistently activate the pituitary-adrenocortical system without producing any behavioral changes. Altogether, these data indicate that the non-neurosecretory CRF neurons may mediate the aversive state occurring during stress."}
{"id": "PMID:1473002", "title": "Effects of intracisternal vs. intrahypothalamic 5,7-DHT on feeding elicited by hypothalamic infusion of NE.", "content": "A variety of evidence has led to suggestions that brain serotonin (5-HT) and norepinephrine (NE) interact within the medial hypothalamus to control food intake. To test the possibility that chronic decrements in 5-HT might enhance NE-induced feeding, adult male rats were prepared with permanently indwelling cannulae aimed at the paraventricular nucleus (PVN), then received either intracisternal (IC) or PVN injections of the 5-HT neurotoxin, 5,7-dihydroxytryptamine (5,7-DHT) vs. its vehicle, 1% ascorbic acid. Over a 4-week period, IC-5,7-DHT rats showed no signs of enhanced daily feeding or drinking. However, in 40-min intake tests, feeding but not drinking was enhanced by injecting 20 nmol NE into the PVN commencing 2 weeks after neurotoxin treatment. Terminal monoamine assays confirmed that IC-5,7-DHT produced large (80-90%) depletions of brain regional 5-HT. A functional index of 5-HT terminal damage was also implied by the impaired short-term feeding responses IC-5,7-DHT rats showed to the systemic administration of the 5-HT1A agonist, 8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino) tetralin (8-OH-DPAT) when tested between 3 and 4 weeks after IC treatment. Over a comparable 4-week period, PVN-5,7-DHT rats also showed no tendencies to overeat or overdrink on a daily basis. However, in contrast to IC-5,7-DHT rats, they also showed no differences in their feeding or drinking responses to NE injections into the PVN. This was so despite reliable depletions of 5-HT in the hypothalamus (-28%) and hippocampus (-71%). These results support earlier work showing that neither widespread nor localized hypothalamic damage to brain 5-HT neurons produce chronic overeating. However, the data suggest that phasic enhancements of PVN NE activity may trigger enhanced feeding when there is widespread damage to brain 5-HT neurons, although the PVN does not appear to be the brain site mediating this effect."}
{"id": "PMID:1473003", "title": "The spinal cord processing of input from the superior sagittal sinus: pathway and modulation by ergot alkaloids.", "content": "The effects of ergot alkaloids on field potentials and unit responses produced in the upper cervical spinal cord by stimulation of the superior sagittal sinus (SSS) were examined in 57 anesthetized cats. Electrical stimulation of the SSS produced field potentials and single-unit responses at latencies of 5-20 ms. Field potentials were abolished by section of the first division of the trigeminal nerve but were unaffected or increased by section of the upper cervical nerves. Field potentials were reduced or abolished by intravenous injection of ergotamine or dihydroergotamine (DHE). The evoked response of 41 units (34.4%) were suppressed by either i.v. or iontophoretic administration of ergotamine, DHE or ergometrine. The results suggest that ergot alkaloids exert an effect at a spinal cord relay centre which receives trigeminally mediated input from cranial blood vessels."}
{"id": "PMID:1473004", "title": "Serotonin receptor subtype antagonists in the medial ventral medulla inhibit mesencephalic opiate analgesia.", "content": "Supraspinal opioid analgesia is mediated in part by connections between the midbrain periaqueductal gray (PAG) and the ventral-medial medulla, including the nucleus raphe magnus (NRM) and nucleus reticularis gigantocellularis (NRGC). A serotonergic synapse appears to participate in this pathway since methysergide microinjected into the NRM-NRGC significantly reduced morphine analgesia elicited from the PAG. The present study evaluated the role of specific serotonin receptor subtypes by pretreating rats with microinjections of either the 5HT2 antagonist, ritanserin or the 5HT3 antagonist, ICS205930, into the NRM-NRGC and examining their effects upon morphine (2.5 micrograms) analgesia elicited from the PAG. Mesencephalic morphine analgesia was significantly reduced following pretreatment with both ritanserin (0.25-2.5 micrograms) on the tail-flick (81%) and jump (65%) tests and ICS205930 (0.25-5 micrograms) on the tail-flick (91%) and jump (63%) tests. Neither ritanserin nor ICS205930 altered basal nociceptive thresholds. Medullary placements ventral or lateral to the NRM/NRGC failed to support these antagonistic effects. These data indicate that ventro-medial medullary 5HT2 and 5HT3 serotonergic receptors modulate the transmission of opioid pain-inhibitory signals from the PAG."}
{"id": "PMID:1473005", "title": "Sarcoplasmic calcium-binding protein-immunoreactive material in the central nervous system of the snail, Helix pomatia.", "content": "In Helix pomatia a 10 kDa sarcoplasmic calcium binding protein I (SCP I)-immunoreactive material was localized immunologically in neurons of the central nervous system, including the electrically silent serotonergic metacerebral giant neuron. Antisera against sarcoplasmic calcium binding protein II (SCP II) stained a 20 kDa protein in individual muscle cells of the epineurium. SCP- and parvalbumin (PV)-immunoreactive material were not co-localized."}
{"id": "PMID:1473006", "title": "Comparison of stimulated tissue factor expression by brain microvascular endothelial cells from normotensive (WKY) and hypertensive (SHR) rats.", "content": "The amounts of tissue factor (TF) expressed by brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMECs) from normotensive Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKY) and spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) were compared after stimulating the cells with different doses of lipopolysaccharide (LPS), thrombin, phorbol myristic acid (PMA), Ca(2+)-ionophore (A23187), or tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and interleukin-1 (IL-1). Treatment of cultured BMECs from WKY and SHR with all of these factors dose-dependently increased their total amount of TF; no substantive differences in the levels of enhanced TF expression were observed between WKY and SHR BMECs. We conclude that stimulated endothelium from rats with hypertension, a major stroke risk factor, is not hyperresponsive with respect to TF expression when compared to normotensive controls."}
{"id": "PMID:1473007", "title": "Visual and infrared input to the same dendrite in the tectum opticum of the python, Python regius: electron-microscopic evidence.", "content": "In snakes with infrared receptors, the optic tectum receives input from both the visual and the infrared senses. We investigated the infrared and optic fiber terminations in the tectum with a combination of horseradish peroxidase and degeneration labeling. In addition to synapses by visual and infrared fibers onto individual neurons, we were able to observe for the first time visual and infrared synapses on one and the same dendrite."}
{"id": "PMID:1473008", "title": "The CRF neurosecretory vesicle: vasopressin-dependent changes in vesicle size after adrenalectomy.", "content": "Neurosecretory vesicles of paraventricular corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) neurons increase in size after adrenalectomy (ADX) in parallel with an augmentation of their content in vasopressin (VP) immunoreactive sites. We have investigated in the Brattleboro rat model whether changes in vesicle size are related to elevated intravesicular concentrations of VP. Using quantitative immunoelectron microscopy, VP and CRF immunoreactive sites were assessed in the dense core vesicle compartment of CRF axon terminals in the median eminence. In heterozygous (control) rats, CRF was co-packaged with VP, and ADX induced a 3-fold increase in VP labeling intensity and produced a significant increase in the vesicle diameter. In homozygous rats lacking VP, only CRF immunoreactivity was detectable, and ADX was not accompanied by an increase in vesicle size. These observations suggest that the presence of VP is necessary for the ADX induced increase in vesicle size and that this increase might be needed to accommodate the excess of VP in the vesicle space."}
{"id": "PMID:1473009", "title": "An atlas of the rat subpostremal nucleus tractus solitarius.", "content": "The nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS) in the dorsal medulla is the principal visceral sensory relay nucleus in the brain. In the rat, numerous lines of evidence indicate that the caudal NTS at the level of the area postrema serves as a major integrating site for coordinating cardiorespiratory reflexes and viscerobehavioral responses. This region of the caudal NTS not only exhibits high densities of binding sites for an impressive array of transmitters and modulators but microinjections of many of these same neuroactive substances into the rat subpostremal NTS elicit pronounced cardiorespiratory and visceral response patterns. This report provides an abbreviated atlas of the rat subpostremal NTS consisting of a series of transverse, sagittal, and horizontal plates. Photomicrographs, together with their corresponding schematic drawings, are provided for the serial sections generated from each reference plane."}
{"id": "PMID:1473010", "title": "Electrophysiological study of neurotropin-induced responses in guinea pig hypothalamic neurons.", "content": "To investigate the direct actions of neurotropin (NSP, a nonproteinaceous extract from inflamed skin of rabbits which is in therapeutic use), intracellular recordings were made from neurons of the ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus (VMH) and lateral hypothalamic area (LHA) in slices of guinea pig brain. In the VMH, NSP, applied by perfusion (0.1-3.0 NU/ml), caused dose-dependent depolarization in 29 of 48 neurons (60%) tested. No change in membrane resistance was observed during the depolarization, which hypothesized that the NSP-induced depolarization might be mediated through the inactivation of the Na-K pump. The NSP-induced depolarization persisted even after the elimination of synaptic activity by perfusion with Ca(2+)-free and high Mg2+ Ringer solution. NSP hyperpolarized the cell membrane of three neurons (6%) while two neurons (4%) showed biphasic responses; transient depolarization followed by long-lasting hyperpolarization. Membrane potential of the remaining 14 neurons was not changed by application of NSP. Of 14 LHA neurons tested for NSP effects, eight (57%) were depolarized, three (21%) were hyperpolarized, and one showed a biphasic response. The present results suggest that NSP significantly modulates hypothalamic neuron activity, and the central modulation of autonomic functions by NSP might be mediated through hypothalamic neurons."}
{"id": "PMID:1473011", "title": "Responses of trigeminal subnucleus interpolaris neurons to afferent inputs from deep oral structures.", "content": "Responses of trigeminal subnucleus interpolaris neurons to natural and electrical stimulation of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) and the masseter muscle (Mm) were studied in the anesthetized rat. Interpolaris neurons could be placed in one of three classes determined by their responses to noxious and innocuous stimuli: Class I, excited by only innocuous stimuli; Class II, excited by only noxious stimuli; Class III, excited by both. In each class, the conduction velocities of the primary afferents were roughly equivalent to those of small-diameter fibers. Approximately 70% of the interpolaris neurons tested received nociceptive inputs from the TMJ and/or the Mm. Most of these neurons had extensive convergence of afferent inputs, including the TMJ, the Mm, and/or the facial skin. The results suggest involvement of interpolaris neurons in the characteristics of deep pain, such as its spread and referral."}
{"id": "PMID:1473012", "title": "Distribution of calbindin D-28K and parvalbumin immunoreactivities in the nucleus olfactorius anterior of the rat.", "content": "The distributions of calbindin D-28K (CaBP) and parvalbumin (PV) in the rat nucleus olfactorius anterior (NOA) were described using monoclonal antibodies and the avidin-biotin-peroxidase method. The NOA showed a high immunoreactivity for CaBP, with a rostrocaudal increase in the positive neurons and fibres. Pars externa (NOAe) was the only subdivision which showed a low CaBP immunostaining. PV-positive elements were less abundant than those CaBP immunostained. The main difference in the distributions for both proteins was observed in the pars medialis which was practically PV negative. PV- and CaBP-stained neurons showed similar morphologies in the subdivisions where they were present. In NOAe, we observed a characteristic PV- and CaBP-positive neuronal type, with an oriented dendritic pattern. Transition areas were clearly observable in both CaBP- and PV-labelled sections."}
{"id": "PMID:1473013", "title": "Sialyl cholesterol enhances the development of grafted neurons and motor recovery.", "content": "Trophic actions of alpha-sialyl cholesterol (SC) and its sialidase-tolerant derivative, alpha-(3 beta-hydroxysialyl) cholesterol (SCt), were carried out on the development of midbrain neurons both in vitro and in vivo transplantation studies. Low to moderate concentrations of SC (0.01 to 0.05 micrograms/ml) facilitated neurite extension but had no effects on cell survival of primary cultured midbrain neurons. However, high concentration of SC (0.1 micrograms/ml) disturbed both neurite genesis and cell survival. SCt had a similar effect on midbrain neurons. At higher concentrations, SC and SCt induced concentration-dependent morphological changes in astrocytes from flat to fibrous. The effect on astrocytes was stronger in SCt than SC. At highest concentration tested (20 micrograms/ml), the proliferation of astrocytes was completely blocked, cells became detached and finally died. This effect of SC and SCt was partially blocked by simultaneous application of aFGF. Following dopaminergic cell grafting in vivo, SC and SCt had biphasic effects: a low dose (0.2 mg/kg, SC) enhanced motor recovery at 4 and 6 weeks after transplantation, while the highest dose (20 mg/kg, SC) disturbed motor recovery at all periods tested. These effects on motor recovery were paralleled by an effect on neurite genesis as studied by tyrosine hydroxylase immunostaining. Thus, at low concentrations, SC and SCt are neurotrophic agents that stimulate the development and differentiation of dopaminergic neurons."}
{"id": "PMID:1473014", "title": "The role of interleukin-1 and tumor necrosis factor alpha in the neurochemical and neuroendocrine responses to endotoxin.", "content": "Both interleukin-1 (IL-1) and endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide, LPS) are potent activators of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, and they also increase cerebral norepinephrine metabolism and tryptophan. Injections of cause macrophages to synthesize and release various cytokines, including IL-1 and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha). The hypothesis that macrophage production of IL-1 mediates the HPA-activating effect of LPS was tested in mice using the IL-1-receptor antagonist protein (IRAP). Administration of IRAP largely prevented the effects of IL-1 alpha or IL-1 beta on the elevation of plasma corticosterone and the concomitant increase in hypothalamic norepinephrine metabolism, but failed to alter the responses to LPS. IRAP did not prevent the increases in brain tryptophan that occurred after treatment with IL-1 or LPS. Recombinant human TNF alpha, TNF beta, IL-6, and interferon-alpha injected intraperitoneally failed to activate the HPA axis, but mouse TNF alpha was effective by this route, and human TNF alpha, TNF beta, and IL-6 were effective intravenously. None of these cytokines was as potent as IL-1. Pretreatment with an antibody specific for mouse TNF alpha, either alone or in combination with IRAP, also failed to prevent the elevation of plasma corticosterone by LPS. Thus, either IL-1 and TNF alpha are not involved in the HPA and noradrenergic responses to LPS, or there are alternative (redundant) pathways by which LPS can activate the HPA axis."}
{"id": "PMID:1473015", "title": "Light microscopic localization of angiotensin II binding sites in canine medulla using high resolution autoradiography.", "content": "Angiotensin II (Ang II) produces dose-related, site-specific cardiovascular effects in the canine and rat dorsal medulla. Our previous studies suggested that Ang II binding sites are associated with presynaptic vagal afferent fibers in the nucleus tractus solitarii (nTS) and vagal efferent neurons in the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus (dmnX). High resolution autoradiography now establishes the relationship of putative Ang II receptors to the cytoarchitecture of these nuclei. Sections of the canine medulla oblongata were processed for film or emulsion autoradiography with 0.3-1 nM 125I-Ang II. Quantitative densitometry of films before and after processing sections for emulsion coating confirmed no selective alteration in labeling. In emulsion coated sections, dense labeling was seen over the majority of the large perikarya and surrounding neuropil in the ventral dmnX. Bands of label overlaid vagal efferent fibers coursing ventrolaterally to exit the medulla. In the nTS, Ang II binding was restricted to regions with heavy vagal afferent innervation. In the dorsal nTS, label was distributed over both cell bodies and neuropil, with highest density capping the solitary tract. In the medial nTS, label was concentrated over perikarya, with scattered grains over the intervening neuropil. The discrete subnuclear association of Ang II binding sites in the dorsal medulla with vagal cells and fibers documents that Ang II receptors are present on both afferent vagal fibers and intrinsic medullary neurons, and reveals an anatomical substrate for the autonomic effects of Ang II in this region."}
{"id": "PMID:1473016", "title": "Increases in the locomotor activity of rats after intracerebral administration of cathinone.", "content": "There is a widespread practice among people living in Eastern Africa and Southern Arabia of chewing the leaves of the Khat shrub so as to produce pharmacological effects that are practically indistinguishable from those produced by amphetamine (AMPH). Cathinone (CATH) has been identified as the psychostimulant constituent of this plant and, although the locomotor elevating effects of centrally administered AMPH and cocaine (COC) in rats are well known, there is a paucity of data regarding CATH. Three experiments were, therefore, conducted to measure locomotor activity following central administration of CATH in rats. The first experiment determined the dose-dependent effects of CATH on activity following intracerebroventricular (ICV) administration. As psychostimulant effects are believed, at least in part, to be mediated by dopaminergic systems, in Experiment 2 CATH was injected into the dopamine nerve terminals of the nucleus accumbens. Experiment 3 examined the effects of CATH injection into the dopamine cell body region of the substantia nigra, and activity was measured. Results of the ICV injection of CATH revealed a dose-dependent increase of activity. The highest dose tested (64 micrograms) yielded a 117% increase in activity when compared to baseline, whereas a 20 micrograms bilateral nucleus accumbens (NA) injection of CATH increased activity fivefold. These findings evidence the hypothesis that the effects of CATH are dopaminergically mediated. Substantia nigra (SN) injections of CATH were without effect."}
{"id": "PMID:1473017", "title": "Intake of sweet water attenuates restraint-stress-induced potentiation of morphine analgesia in rats.", "content": "The analgesia induced in rats by morphine is potentiated by restraint-stress exposure and is reduced in rats that have been consuming a sweet solution. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether the potentiation of morphine-induced analgesia following restraint immobilization would be attenuated in rats consuming a sweet solution. Groups of rats were maintained on unsweetened water or allowed 2 h of daily access to a solution of saccharin and glucose (SG). Half of the rats in each of these groups were subjected to 1 h of restraint stress (groups RS and RS+SG) and the other half in each group were not stressed (groups NS and NS+SG). Rats then underwent 1 h of RS treatment or were nonstressed (NS). The next day all rats were injected subcutaneously with morphine (0.0, 4.0, 8.0, or 16 mg/kg) and analgesia was assessed using the tail flick assay. ED50S (mg/kg) were calculated for each treatment group; NS = 5.8, RS = 1.6, NS+SG = 6.4, and RS+SG = 4.4. Our results demonstrate that RS potentiated morphine-induced analgesia in rats given access to SG as well as non-SG exposed rats that displayed ED50S 1.5 and 3.9 times lower than their respective controls. RS-treated rats that consumed SG solution had significantly lower tail flick latencies than did non-SG exposed rats. Additionally, tail flick latencies of rats in the nonstressed and NS+SG groups did not significantly differ. We conclude that the brain mechanism(s) responsible for RS-induced potentiation of morphine antinociception are attenuated by intake of a sweet solution.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1473018", "title": "Effect of d-fenfluramine on neuropeptide Y concentration and release in the paraventricular nucleus of food-deprived rats.", "content": "Recent evidence indicates that Neuropeptide Y (NPY) is an important signal in the hypothalamic neural circuitry that stimulates feeding in the rat. Administration of d-fenfluramine (FEN) has been shown to rapidly inhibit feeding in the rat. Because food deprivation increases the levels and release of NPY in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of the hypothalamus, the aim of this study was to investigate whether the rapid anorectic effects of FEN in food-deprived (FD) rats are associated with alterations in the hypothalamic NPYergic system. In the first experiment, the effect of FEN (10 mg/kg) on NPY concentrations in nine microdissected hypothalamic sites was assessed by radioimmunoassay (RIA) in rats either food deprived for 3 days or fed ad lib during the experimental period. In response to food deprivation, NPY concentrations increased significantly in the PVN and arcuate nucleus, but NPY levels remained unchanged in the remaining seven hypothalamic sites. In control rats maintained on ad lib food supply, FEN injection produced little effect on NPY concentration in hypothalamic sites. However, FEN suppressed NPY levels selectively in the PVN of FD rats, so that NPY concentrations measured in the nucleus were within the range found in satiated control rats. In the second experiment, the effect of FEN on NPY release in the PVN was examined in FD rats by the push-pull cannula (PPC) technique. NPY levels in the PPC perfusate were unchanged in FD rats during the period 30-120 min after saline or FEN injection. Also, the mean rate of NPY release was similar in vehicle- and FEN-treated FD rats.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1473019", "title": "Excitation of inspiratory neurons by preinspiratory neurons in rat medulla in vitro.", "content": "In brain stem-spinal cord preparations isolated from newborn rats, we examined synaptic connections to inspiratory neurons from preinspiratory (Pre-I) neurons, by spike-triggered averaging. Potentials were simultaneously recorded intracellularly from inspiratory neurons, and extracellularly from Pre-I neurons in the ipsilateral ventrolateral medulla. The Pre-I neuron pulses were used to trigger computer averaging of potential changes. A total of 16 pairs were analyzed, and EPSP-like depolarizing potentials locked to the triggering Pre-I spikes were obtained from three pairs. Latency from the Pre-I spikes was 3.4-4.5 ms, and the amplitude was 0.07-0.4 mV. These connections were concluded to be monosynaptic, because the antidromic latency was 3.6 +/- 1.5 ms. The present results suggest the presence of excitatory synaptic connections from Pre-I neurons to inspiratory neurons in the ventrolateral medulla. These excitatory synaptic connections are probably important in the initiation of inspiratory burst activity."}
{"id": "PMID:1473020", "title": "Intracerebral infusion of DOPAC decreases striatal dopamine.", "content": "The purpose of this study was to determine whether elevated levels of 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC), the major metabolite of dopamine (DA) in the brain, could decrease the DA content in the striatum. Levels of DA were determined by high pressure liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection (HPLC-EC) in the striatum of male rats 24 h following a single intracerebral administration of DOPAC into the right striatum. DOPAC at 16.8 micrograms reduced the DA content of the infused side by 17%, p = 0.01. In contrast, infusion of 1.68 micrograms of DOPAC or the vehicle had no effect on striatal DA levels. Coapplication of the antioxidant, ascorbic acid, at 0.2 mg/ml with 16.8 micrograms of DOPAC prevented the decrease in DA content. Furthermore, infusion of 18.2 micrograms of homovanillic acid (HVA), the product of DOPAC methylation, had no effect on striatal DA. These results indicate that DOPAC may undergo autoxidation in vivo to produce neurotoxic species which may result in reduction of striatal DA. Formation of such an autoxidation product(s) of endogenous DOPAC was verified in the extracellular fluid of striatal slices in vitro."}
{"id": "PMID:1473021", "title": "Chronic intracerebral infusions of vasopressin and vasopressin antagonist modulate behavioral effects of interleukin-1 in rat.", "content": "To assess the role of sex dependent brain vasopressinergic transmission in the modulation of the neural effects of interleukin-1, castrated male rats that are deficient in vasopressin were implanted intracerebroventricularly with an Accurel collodion mini device containing 10 micrograms AVP whereas intact male rats were implanted with a similar device containing 50 micrograms of dPTyr(Me)AVP, a specific antagonist of the vasopressor-like receptors of vasopressin. Control rats in each sex group were implanted with an Accurel device containing distilled water. Acute intracerebroventricular injection of 1.25-2.50 ng recombinant human interleukin-1 beta decreased in a dose and time-dependent manner social investigation of a juvenile conspecific. This effect was more intense in intact rats chronically infused with dPTyr(Me)AVP and less intense in castrates infused with AVP. These results confirm the modulatory role of sex-dependent vasopressinergic neurotransmission on the neural effects of interleukin-1."}
{"id": "PMID:1473022", "title": "Behavioral profile of the 5HT1A receptor antagonist (S)-UH-301 in rodents and monkeys.", "content": "The effects of the new 5HT1A receptor antagonist (S)-UH-301 were investigated in several neurological and behavioral tests in rodents and monkeys. By itself, (S)-UH-301 was found to decrease palatable food consumption in rats, to exhibit anticonvulsant activity in mice, and anxiolytic-like properties in two rodent models of anxiety (light-dark test and elevated plus-maze test). (S)-UH-301 antagonized various symptoms and behaviors induced by the selective 5HT1A receptor agonist 8-OH-DPAT, such as lower lip retraction and flat body posture in rats, hyperphagia for palatable food in rats, and displacement activities (considered as indices of anxiety) in squirrel monkeys. These results further characterize (S)-UH-301 as an in vivo active 5HT1A receptor antagonist and suggest that this antagonistic activity might confer the compound with anxiolytic-like properties."}
{"id": "PMID:1473023", "title": "Feeding disturbances and EEG activity changes after amygdaloid kainate lesions in the rat.", "content": "Kainic acid (KA), in various concentrations, was applied iontophoretically into the central nucleus of the amygdala. Microlesions with this cell specific neurotoxin caused body weight loss, hypo- or aphagia and hypo- or adipsia in a dose-dependent manner. EEG-examinations proved that even low doses of KA produced seizure activity; however, these epileptiform symptoms disappeared within the first 48 h after the operations. Thus, the lasting feeding disturbances produced by iontophoretic KA applications to the central nucleus of the amygdala (i.e., even these fine microlesions) were not related causally to the pathological EEG activity changes. Our findings, along with previous data, indicated that the body weight loss and feeding deficits were due to the KA-induced impairment of complex regulatory mechanisms."}
{"id": "PMID:1473024", "title": "Adherence of botulinum and tetanus neurotoxins to synaptosomal proteins.", "content": "The ability of 125I-labeled botulinum type A and tetanus neurotoxins to adhere to blots of synaptosomal proteins separated by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis was studied. Both neurotoxins appeared to adhere preferentially to an approximately 80 kDa and to a lesser extent to an approximately 116 kDa protein(s). Adherence of the neurotoxins to these proteins was enhanced by preincubation of the neurotoxins with GT 1b. The approximately 100 kDa heavy chain segment of BTxA adhered to the same proteins. The carboxy terminal half of the heavy chain adhered primarily to the approximately 80 kDa protein(s) while the amino terminal portion bound most intensely to the approximately 116 kDa protein(s). The ability of the approximately 80 and approximately 116 kDa proteins to stain positively with the periodic acid-Schiff reagent and to bind 125I-labeled wheat germ lectin suggests that they are glycosylated. Both neurotoxins appear to adhere to the same approximately 80 and approximately 116 kDa proteins because tetanus neurotoxin preincubated with GT 1b was able to reduce binding of radiolabeled botulinum type A neurotoxin to both proteins. Neither neurotoxin adhered to blots of proteins from liver, spleen, or kidney, suggesting that the proteins adhered to are neural components."}
{"id": "PMID:1473025", "title": "Corticofugal input to taste-responsive units in the parabrachial pons.", "content": "Taste responses in units in the parabrachial nucleus of the pons (PbN) that receive direct projections from the gustatory neocortex (GN) were examined in the rat. Electrical stimulation was applied to the GN with bipolar stimulating electrodes. Time-locked responses to GN stimulation were observed in 19 of 62 (31%) taste-responsive units identified in the PbN. Of these, 17 units produced excitatory responses following GN stimulation and 2 units showed evidence of inhibition. No evidence of antidromic activation of PbN units was apparent. These results are consistent with descriptions of the anatomical projections from the GN to the PbN and demonstrate that some portion of taste-responsive neural elements within the PbN receive direct cortical input. PbN units that followed GN stimulation could not be distinguished from those that did not follow either by their spontaneous rates or their response profiles. These results suggest that axons from the GN do not select targets within the PbN based on the particular response properties."}
{"id": "PMID:1473026", "title": "GABAergic innervation of serotonergic neurons in the dorsal raphe nucleus of the rat studied by electron microscopy double immunostaining.", "content": "A double immunocytochemical method combining the preembedding PAP technique and the postembedding immunogold technique was used to examine interactions between GABAergic and serotonergic neurons in the same tissue sections of the dorsal raphe nucleus of the rat. A large number of immunogold stained GABAergic axon terminals were found to be presynaptic to strongly PAP immunostained serotonergic perikarya and dendrites. The types of synapses were mostly symmetrical although a few asymmetrical ones were also found. No axo-axonic synapse between the GABAergic axon terminals and the serotonergic neuronal profiles was found. These results suggest that GABAergic neurons could modulate serotonergic neurons in the dorsal raphe nucleus through synaptic relations."}
{"id": "PMID:1473028", "title": "Quantitative scintigraphy of the sacroiliac joints.", "content": "The effects of age and laterality on sacroiliac (SI) to sacral indices and ratios were assessed in 62 patients. For the 14 controls, the left mean SI to sacral index was significantly higher than the right one. There was no correlation between age and SI to sacral ratio (= average of right and left index). The mean ratio in 36 patients with sacroiliitis and 12 patients with low back pain was not significantly different from that of the controls, with a clear overlap of indices between controls and sacroiliitis patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1473029", "title": "Hepatic arterial color Doppler signals in Caroli's disease.", "content": "Three siblings with congenital dilatation of the intrahepatic bile ducts (Caroli's disease) are presented. Bile duct pathology was associated with congenital hepatic fibrosis and polycystic renal disease in all three patients. On color Doppler imaging (CD imaging), multiple small color Doppler signals were observed in the vascular radicles within the dilated bile ducts or in the center of the lumen apart from the vascular radicles, as well as in other well-known sonographic findings such as bile duct dilatations and bilary calculi. Doppler frequency spectral analysis confirmed all these color signals as arterial in origin in all patients, revealing pulsatile wave patterns. In spite of the fact that portal venous radicles have been well described on conventional sonograms or computed tomography (CT), continuous wave patterns of venous flow on spectral analysis were not detected in all patients. Identification of such less emphasized arterial flow may add another clue in the diagnosis and pathogenesis of this rare disease entity. In conclusion, color Doppler signals of arterial wave pattern within the dilated bile ducts are another helpful diagnostic criteria in previously reported sonographic findings, and these color signals are easily depicted on sonograms with color mapping."}
{"id": "PMID:1473030", "title": "Spontaneous intraperitoneal rupture of bladder with spontaneous healing.", "content": "A case of spontaneous intraperitoneal bladder rupture that was spontaneously healed in a one-year-old girl is reported. The subsequent drainage of the contrast medium in the peritoneal cavity via the urethral catheter after retrograde cystography implies that such a rupture may be successfully treated by a urethral bladder drainage and antibiotics."}
{"id": "PMID:1473027", "title": "Radiology of the pleural fissures.", "content": "The pleural fissures, formed by a double layer of visceral pleura, represent extensions of the pleural space between lobes of the lungs. The fissures are frequently an anatomic barrier to the spread of inflammatory or neoplastic disease. Identification of the fissures is important for the accurate localization of lung parenchymal or pleural pathology. The plain radiographic and computed tomographic (CT) imaging of normal and variant fissural anatomy, as well as of some abnormalities that may affect the fissures will be reviewed and illustrated."}
{"id": "PMID:1473031", "title": "MRI spectrum of medulloblastoma.", "content": "Medulloblastomas have been characterized as solid, homogeneously enhancing, midline masses of the posterior fossa. To evaluate atypical MRI characteristics, we retrospectively reviewed 13 histologically proven medulloblastomas. MRI examinations were correlated with pathologic specimens and operative reports. Atypical features included cyst formation (77%), irregular enhancement (19%), extension through fourth ventricle foramina (15%), and presentation as a cerebellopontine angle mass (8%). We conclude that \"atypical\" characteristics are common. In the child or young adult, medulloblastomas must be included in the differential diagnosis of any posterior fissa mass."}
{"id": "PMID:1473032", "title": "Sonography and computed tomography of a gossypiboma and in vitro studies of sponges by ultrasound. Case report.", "content": "A case of retained surgical sponge was imaged by ultrasound and computed tomography (CT). Sonography revealed a hypoechoic mass with areas of high echoes and acoustic shadowing. An experiment revealed that the high echoes were attributed partly to the presence of numerous interfaces of sponges. The sonographic detection of a mass with high echoes casting acoustic shadows should alert radiologists to the possibility of retained surgical sponges even if there is no gas or calcification on CT scans."}
{"id": "PMID:1473033", "title": "Magnetic resonance imaging of retained surgical sponges. Case report.", "content": "The magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features of sponges retained postsurgically in three patients are described. MRI depicted these as well-defined round masses, which were of low signal intensity on T1-weighted images and very high signal intensity on T2-weighted images. We scrutinized these masses on T2-weighted images. MRI revealed the low-signal-intensity structures to have wavy, striped, and/or spotted appearances, which raised the suspicion that they might be retained surgical sponges within mass lesions."}
{"id": "PMID:1473038", "title": "Inactivation of cytochrome P450 and inhibition of ferrochelatase by analogues of 3,5-diethoxycarbonyl-1,4-dihydro-2,4,6-trimethylpyridine with 4-nonyl and 4-dodecyl substituents.", "content": "Cytochrome P450- and heme-destructive effects of the 4-nonyl and 4-dodecyl analogues of 3,5-diethoxycarbonyl-1,4-dihydro-2,4,6-trimethylpyridine (DDC) were determined using hepatic microsomal preparations obtained from untreated, beta-naphthoflavone-treated, and phenobarbital-treated chick embryos. The 4-nonyl analogue of DDC was less efficacious than 4-ethyl DDC and 4-hexyl DDC, but more efficacious than 4-dodecyl DDC with respect to cytochrome P450-destructive activity. In all hepatic microsomal preparations, cytochrome P450 destruction by 4-nonyl DDC was accompanied by loss of microsomal heme. In contrast, 4-dodecyl DDC caused loss of heme only in hepatic microsomal preparations obtained from phenobarbital-treated chick embryos. The ability of 4-nonyl DDC and 4-dodecyl DDC to lower ferrochelatase activity was compared with that of 4-ethyl DDC and 4-hexyl DDC in cultured chick embryo hepatocytes. As the length of the 4-alkyl group was increased, the ferrochelatase-lowering efficacy and potency of the DDC analogue decreased. The 4-dodecyl DDC analogue was unable to lower ferrochelatase activity, which accorded with the finding that the administration of 4-dodecyl DDC to phenobarbital-treated rats did not lead to the accumulation of an N-alkylprotoporphyrin. The ability of 4-nonyl DDC to lower ferrochelatase activity was attributed to the formation of N-nonylprotoporphyrin IX following the administration of 4-nonyl DDC to phenobarbital-treated rats."}
{"id": "PMID:1473034", "title": "MRI of dural carotid-cavernous fistulas. Comparisons with postcontrast CT.", "content": "Ten patients with dural carotid-cavernous fistulas (CCFs) who presented with ophthalmic manifestations were studied using postcontrast computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and selective cerebral arteriography. The lesions of two patients were bilateral. An enlarged cavernous sinus (CS) was diagnosed in 6 of the 12 involved sides using postcontrast CT. An abnormal flow void in the CS was detectable in 11 of the 12 using MRI. A dilated superior ophthalmic vein (SOV) was demonstrated in all of the involved sides by postcontrast CT, and in 9 of the 12 by axial MRI. Thus, both postcontrast CT and MRI are relatively useful and complementary in the diagnosis of dural CCFs. Patients should be followed with selective cerebral arteriography for definitive diagnoses and for therapeutic planning."}
{"id": "PMID:1473039", "title": "Histochemical and contractile responses of rat medial gastrocnemius to 2 weeks of complete disuse.", "content": "We studied the histochemical and in situ contractile changes in a rat ankle extensor, medial gastrocnemius, in which activation of muscle fibres by motoneurones was blocked for 14 days, using the sodium channel blocker tetrodotoxin applied to the sciatic nerve. Muscles were atrophied and showed slower twitch responses, greater fusion at subtetanic frequencies of stimulation, and higher twitch/tetanic ratios. Tetanic force/mm2 of fibre area and fatiguability were unchanged. Type II fibres were more atrophied and showed greater decreases in mitochondrial succinate dehydrogenase activity than type I fibres. The contractile changes resulting from complete disuse do not occur in models in which weight-bearing alone has been removed (space flight, hindlimb suspension), suggesting that the residual motoneurone activity reported in models of weightlessness is sufficient to prevent these responses. Similarly, the finding of a greater type II fibre susceptibility to complete disuse, which differs from the pattern seen in models of weightlessness, suggest that this residual motoneurone activity in the latter influences atrophic responses in a manner that is variable among motor unit types, to produce the reported preferential type I atrophy characteristic of removal of weight-bearing."}
{"id": "PMID:1473035", "title": "MRI versus CT and US in the evaluation of a patient presenting with superior vena cava syndrome. Case report.", "content": "Three cross-sectional imaging modalities are compared in the evaluation of a patient with Superior Vena Cava Syndrome. The apparent and potential advantages of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) over computer tomography (CT) and ultrasound (US) are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1473040", "title": "Role of the adrenal gland in the thermal response to morphine withdrawal in rats.", "content": "Administration of naloxone to morphine-dependent rats results in an elevation of tail skin temperature and a fall in core temperature. Previous studies have demonstrated a role of the adrenal gland in the thermal responses that accompany morphine withdrawal in the rat. In the present study, experiments were designed to determine if the duration of adrenalectomy significantly influenced the thermal response observed in morphine withdrawal. In addition we evaluated the influence of the adrenal medulla and glucocorticoid replacement in adrenalectomized rats in mediating the thermal responses of the morphine-dependent rat. Ovariectomized rats were addicted to morphine and subsequently withdrawn by administration of naloxone. This treatment results in a significant rise in tail skin temperature and subsequent fall in colonic temperature. These thermal responses were not observed in morphine-naive rats. Adrenalectomy resulted in a significant attenuation of the rise in tail skin temperature associated with withdrawal. This reduced tail skin temperature response was not different among animals adrenalectomized for 1, 7, 14, 21, or 28 days. Likewise, the moderate increase in core temperature associated with morphine treatment was not observed in the adrenalectomized rats. Serum corticosteroid determinations confirmed the loss of the adrenal steroids in the adrenalectomized rats. In a subsequent experiment it was determined that adrenal demedullation did not reduce the tail skin temperature response during morphine withdrawal, and corticosteroids restored the naloxone-induced surge in tail skin temperature in morphine-dependent, adrenalectomized rats.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1473041", "title": "Increased microalbuminuria in diabetic rats is independent of angiotensin II or glomerular proteoglycan synthesis.", "content": "Increased microalbuminuria is seen early in rats with both streptozotocin-induced and genetic (Bio-Breeding) diabetes. This study examines the roles of angiotensin II-dependent mechanism(s) and sulfation of glomerular proteoglycans in this phenomenon, as both processes have been implicated by several lines of circumstantial evidence. Anionic sites in the glomerular basement membrane, attributed to the presence of heparan sulfate, were quantitated by polyethyleneimine staining at 15, 21, and 70 days of diabetes in rats treated with streptozotocin, with or without insulin, and at 70 days in the Bio-Breeding rats. All diabetic rats developed increased microalbuminuria: control, 0.08 +/- 0.03 microgram/mL glomerular filtration rate, mean +/- SD; streptozotocin without insulin at 15 days, 0.92 +/- 0.06 microgram/mL (p < 0.05); streptozotocin with insulin at 21 days, 0.61 +/- 0.37 microgram/mL (p < 0.05 vs. control). At 70 days, both the Bio-Breeding and the streptozotocin rats sustained their microalbuminuria to the same degree (p < 0.05 vs. control). Enalapril (250 mg/L) in the drinking water of diabetic animals did not reduce the microalbuminuria. Although the polyethyleneimine-stained heparan sulfate sites decreased significantly in the streptozotocin rats, they remained unchanged in the Bio-Breeding rats. To determine the cause of reduced heparan sulfate staining, the in vitro synthesis and degree of sulfation of proteoglycans by glomeruli isolated from control and streptozotocin diabetic rat kidneys were compared. The amount of heparan sulfate synthesis and degree of sulfation were unchanged in diabetic glomeruli, although lower incorporation into the extracellular matrix and greater secretion into the medium were noted.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1473042", "title": "Role of spleen in ANF-induced reduction in plasma volume.", "content": "Atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) causes an increase in hematocrit that cannot be accounted for by urinary losses. The mechanism behind this phenomenon was studied in intact and splenectomized rats. Rat ANF 99-126 was infused i.v. for 30 min into conscious rats at rates of 0 (saline control), 0.05, or 0.1 microgram/min. Plasma volume was then determined by dilution of the dye, Evan's Blue. In one group of rats, red cell volume was determined using 51Cr-labelled erythrocytes. ANF infusion was continued uninterrupted throughout the experiments. In the intact rats, ANF (0.10 microgram/min) caused hematocrit to increase from 38.9 +/- 0.5 to 41.2 +/- 0.4% (p < 0.005). Splenectomy so attenuated this response to ANF that it failed to reach significance. Similarly, ANF (0.10 microgram/min) caused plasma volume to fall from 5.1 +/- 0.1 to 4.5 +/- 0.1 mL/100 g body wt. (p < 0.005) in the intact rats, but did not affect plasma volume in the splenectomized rats. As a result, blood volume was significantly reduced by ANF in the intact rats, but remained unchanged in the splenectomized rats. Red cell volume did not change in response to infusion of ANF, nor did ANF affect the rate of clearance of Evan's Blue out of the plasma. It is concluded that the spleen is an important site of movement of protein-poor fluid out of the vasculature, and that this exchange is influenced by ANF."}
{"id": "PMID:1473043", "title": "Neurally mediated gastric mucosal damage in hypophysectomized rats.", "content": "The role of the pituitary hormones in the development of neurally mediated gastric mucosal damage was examined in both normal and hypophysectomized urethane-anaesthetized male Sprague-Dawley rats. Gastric mucosal damage was elicited either by electrical stimulation of intact vagal nerves or by electrical stimulation in the paraventricular nucleus. Macroscopic damage was scored following the stimulation period and samples of the stomach were fixed for histological assessment. Damage scores were assigned based on a 0 (normal) to 3 (severe) scale. Control experiments in which the vagi were not stimulated did not result in any significant gastric damage in either normal (0.56) or sham surgery (0.14) animals, whereas hypophysectomized animals were observed to have significant damage (1.44, p < 0.05). Stimulation of the vagi in hypophysectomized animals resulted in damage that was not significantly different compared with the hypophysectomized control animals (1.25, p > 0.05). In normal animals, stimulation of vagal nerves resulted in mean damage scores of 2.00, values that were not significantly different from those observed in hypophysectomized animals (1.25, p > 0.05). Similarly, stimulation in the paraventricular nucleus of hypophysectomized animals resulted in gastric lesions (2.00) that were not significantly different from those observed in normal animals (1.91, p > 0.05). These data suggest that such neurally mediated gastric damage does not depend upon neurosecretory projections to the pituitary gland, but that the maintenance of an intact gastric mucosa under normal conditions requires the presence of pituitary hormones."}
{"id": "PMID:1473044", "title": "Characterization of a novel variant of amino acid transport system asc in erythrocytes from Przewalski's horse (Equus przewalskii).", "content": "In thoroughbred horses, red blood cell amino acid transport activity is Na(+)-independent and controlled by three codominant genetic alleles (h, l, s), coding for high-affinity system asc1 (L-alanine apparent Km for influx at 37 degrees C congruent to 0.35 mM), low-affinity system asc2 (L-alanine Km congruent to 14 mM), and transport deficiency, respectively. The present study investigated amino acid transport mechanisms in red cells from four wild species: Przewalski's horse (Equus przewalskii), Hartmann's zebra (Zebra hartmannae), Grevy's zebra (Zebra grevyi), and onager (Equus hemonius). Red blood cell samples from different Przewalski's horses exhibited uniformly high rates of L-alanine uptake, mediated by a high-affinity asc1-type transport system. Mean apparent Km and Vmax values (+/- SE) for L-alanine influx at 37 degrees C in red cells from 10 individual animals were 0.373 +/- 0.068 mM and 2.27 +/- 0.11 mmol (L cells.h), respectively. As in thoroughbreds, the Przewalski's horse transporter interacted with dibasic as well as neutral amino acids. However, the Przewalski asc1 isoform transported L-lysine with a substantially (6.4-fold) higher apparent affinity than its thoroughbred counterpart (Km for influx 1.4 mM at 37 degrees C) and was also less prone to trans-stimulation effects. The novel high apparent affinity of the Przewalski's horse transporter for L-lysine provides additional key evidence of functional and possible structural similarities between asc and the classical Na(+)-dependent system ASC and between these systems and the Na(+)-independent dibasic amino acid transport system y+. Unlike Przewalski's horse, zebra red cells were polymorphic with respect to L-alanine transport activity, showing high-affinity or low-affinity saturable mechanisms of L-alanine uptake. Onager red cells transported this amino acid with intermediate affinity (apparent Km for influx 3.0 mM at 37 degrees C). Radiation inactivation analysis was used to estimate the target size of system asc in red cells from Przewalski's horse. The transporter's in situ apparent molecular weight was 158,000 +/- 2500 (SE)."}
{"id": "PMID:1473045", "title": "Characterization of lipid intake into rabbit jejunal brush border membrane vesicles.", "content": "The absorption of lipids is generally accepted to be mediated by a process of passive diffusion, although some recent data have raised the possibility of a mediated component. Brush border membrane vesicles (BBMV) have been widely used to study nutrient transport, but have only recently been used to examine the uptake of lipids. Using a BBMV technique validated with studies of the uptake of D-glucose, we examined the uptake of linoleic acid into the jejunum of adult rabbits. The uptake of 100 microM linoleic acid was constant between 2 and 20 min, with no overshoot observed at earlier periods. Linoleic acid uptake was suppressed by 88% with 0.6 mM phloridzin and by 58% with 0.2 mM phloretin, but uptake of linoleic acid was unaffected by the absence of sodium, by the presence of a sodium gradient, or by varying the osmolarity of the buffer. Lysis of the BBMV incubated with linoleic acid by the addition of ice-cold deionized water did not alter the amount of linoleic acid associated with the BBMV. The linoleic acid concentration curve was linear up to 160 microM, when carried out under initial rate conditions and in the presence of 2 mM taurocholic acid. These results are compatible with the process of passive uptake of linoleic acid into BBMV of rabbit jejunum, but do not exclude the possible physiological importance of a membrane fatty acid binding protein."}
{"id": "PMID:1473046", "title": "The role of migrating myoelectric complexes in the regulation of digesta transport in the preruminant calf.", "content": "Four calves were equipped with an electromagnetic flow probe inside the transverse duodenum and with electrodes at intervals of 2 cm on either side of the probe. Amounts of 0.5, 2.0, 3.5, and 5.0 kg of whole milk were given according to a latin square design. Recordings of digesta flow and myoelectric activity were made during a 5.6-h period after feeding to quantify the influence of migrating myoelectric complexes on digesta flow through the transverse duodenum of preruminant calf under different levels of milk intake. Immediately after feeding, a phase of irregular spiking activity appeared; its length increasing linearly (p = 0.002) with the amount of milk fed. Increasing milk intake led to linear increases in duration (p = 0.001) and total electrical activity (p = 0.002) of the irregular activity phases, quadratic shortening of the quiescent phases (p = 0.021), and linear decrease (p = 0.006) in the numbers of migrating myoelectric complexes. Intermittent flows of digesta, each of them corresponding to a strong spike burst, appeared during irregular spiking activity phases. Augmentation of the milk ingested did not affect the volume of each gush of digesta but caused a cubic increase in the number of gushes (p = 0.023) and in the total volume of digesta (p = 0.009). These cubic effects implied that with increased intake of milk, the duodenum endeavoured to accelerate the flow of digesta in an attempt to return to an \"empty state\" in about the same time for all levels of milk consumed. This was achieved mainly through adjustments in the duration and activity of the irregular spiking activity phase."}
{"id": "PMID:1473047", "title": "Relationship of postprandial motilin, gastrin, and pancreatic polypeptide release to intestinal motility during vagal interruption.", "content": "Experiments were performed to determine how postprandial motilin, gastrin, and pancreatic polypeptide plasma concentrations measured during vagal blockade relate to coincident small intestinal motility patterns. Feeding produced a postprandial pattern of intestinal motility coincident with a sustained increase in gastrin and pancreatic polypeptide and a decline in motilin plasma concentrations. Vagal blockade replaced the fed pattern with one similar to migrating motor complex (MMC) activity. Highest motilin plasma concentrations were observed during phase III of this MMC-like activity, as occurs in the fasted state. Vagal blockade reduced but did not abolish the postprandial increase in plasma gastrin and pancreatic polypeptide concentrations. Termination of vagal cooling produced a decline in motilin and an elevation in gastrin and pancreatic polypeptide concentrations, coincident with the return of the fed pattern. In conclusion, during vagal blockade in the fed state (i) motilin, but not gastrin or pancreatic polypeptide plasma concentrations, fluctuate with the MMC-like activity, and any measurement of motilin concentration under these circumstances must be interpreted on the basis of gut motility patterns, and (ii) gastrin and pancreatic polypeptide concentrations are marginally elevated, but these changes are not enough to disrupt the MMC or have any motor effect. Lastly, the fed pattern and the postprandial changes in motilin, gastrin, and pancreatic polypeptide concentrations are in part dependent upon intact vagal pathways."}
{"id": "PMID:1473048", "title": "Effects of gaseous anesthetics and ultrashort and short-acting barbiturates on human blood platelet free cytosolic calcium: relevance to their effects on platelet aggregation.", "content": "The effects of elevated pressures (to 6 atmospheres absolute (ATA)) of nitrous oxide (N2O) and of xenon (Xe), and barbiturates on platelet free cytosolic calcium ([Ca2+]i) and platelet aggregation were studied. N2O inhibited the ADP-induced rise in [Ca2+]i whereas Xe had no effect. Neither affected basal levels. Pentobarbital and methohexital had little effect on basal or stimulated levels in the presence or \"absence\" of extracellular Ca2+; but both, at concentrations > 10(-4) M, inhibited platelet aggregation induced by adenosine diphosphate. Thiopental increased basal and stimulated [Ca2+]i when extracellular Ca2+ was present, but not when it was absent, and displayed a bimodal effect with low and high doses being more active than intermediate ones. It also potentiated aggregation. Methitural displayed similar, but nonsignificant, effects. These patterns held for all agents whether or not acetylsalicylic acid was present. Pentobarbital and methohexital inhibited phorbol myristate acetate aggregation in low extracellular calcium and no potentiation was seen with thiopental. In the absence of extracellular Ca2+, no potentiation was observed in stimulated platelets. Potentiation of aggregation previously reported for Xe does not involve increased Ca2+ uptake and did not occur in the absence of extracellular Ca2+. A common mechanism of action for these agents cannot be inferred from their effects on platelet aggregation or [Ca2+]i, as their pharmacological profiles differ markedly. It is evident that their inhibitory properties in this cell are not dependent on extracellular Ca2+, whereas the potentiation observed with pentobarbital, and formerly with Xe, is so dependent."}
{"id": "PMID:1473049", "title": "A mediator derived from arginine mediates inhibitory junction potentials and relaxations in lower esophageal sphincter: an independent role for vasoactive intestinal peptide.", "content": "This study provides mechanical and electrophysiological evidence to show that a metabolite of arginine, not vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), is the putative nonadrenergic noncholinergic (NANC) inhibitory mediator in canine and opossum lower esophageal sphincters (LES). Relaxations of spontaneous active tension by electrical field stimulation (FS) at parameters that induced tetrodotoxin (TTX)-sensitive responses were abolished by L-N omega-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) at 10(-4) M and restored by L-arginine (10(-3) M) but not D-arginine (10(-3) M). TTX-insensitive relaxations to 5-ms pulses were unaffected by L-NAME, L- or D-arginine. VIP (10(-6) M) caused maximum relaxations of basal tension in both the opossum and canine LES. However these relaxations, unlike those from FS were unaffected by L-NAME. Methylene blue (5 x 10(-5)M) increased basal tension of the LES in each species, and did not inhibit the relaxation to FS or VIP, but often increased the amplitudes of these responses due to the increase in basal tension. In parallel experiments NANC inhibition of body circular muscle from opossum esophagus was abolished by methylene blue. Electrophysiological studies using micro-electrodes revealed that NANC inhibition was associated with inhibitory junction potentials in the canine LES. These were inhibited by L-NAME and restored by L-arginine but not D-arginine. In contrast, 10(-6) M VIP in canine LES did not induce any change in membrane potential during a 20-min superfusion. Sodium nitroprusside also hyperpolarized sphincteric muscle and its effects were not affected by L-NAME.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1473050", "title": "Regulation of glucose transport in isolated adipocytes by levamisole.", "content": "When isolated rat adipocytes were incubated with increasing concentrations of levamisole (0.5-5 mM), basal glucose oxidation decreased by almost 50% and insulin-stimulated glucose oxidation decreased by 90%. The decrease in glucose oxidation correlated with an inhibition of glucose transport, since levamisole at 5.0 mM decreased basal 3-O-methylglucose transport by 60% and insulin-stimulated transport by 80%. Diamide-stimulated glucose transport was also inhibited approximately 80% by 5.0 mM levamisole. Levamisole at concentrations up to 5.0 mM had no effect on phosphofructokinase activity. The present results suggest that levamisole inhibits glucose utilization by inhibiting glucose transport in a concentration-dependent manner."}
{"id": "PMID:1473051", "title": "Regional intercostal activity during coughing and vomiting in decerebrate cats.", "content": "Regional variations in the discharge patterns of the internal and external intercostal muscles of the middle and caudad thorax were studied in decerebrate, spontaneously breathing cats during coughing and vomiting. Coughing, induced by electrical stimulation of the superior laryngeal nerves, consisted of increased and prolonged diaphragmatic activity followed by a burst of abdominal activity. Mid-thoracic external and internal intercostal muscles discharged synchronously with the diaphragm and abdominal muscles, respectively. Caudal external and internal intercostal muscles, however, discharged synchronously with the abdominal muscles. Vomiting, induced by stimulation of the lower thoracic vagi, consisted of a series of synchronous bursts of diaphragmatic and abdominal activity (retching) followed by a prolonged abdominal discharge after the cessation of diaphragmatic activity (expulsion). Caudal external and internal intercostals discharged in phase with diaphragmatic and abdominal activity but both mid-thoracic intercostal muscles discharged out of phase with these muscles. These results indicate major differences in the control and functional roles of intercostal muscles at different thoracic levels during these behaviours."}
{"id": "PMID:1473055", "title": "A lament by women for \"the people, the land\" [Nishnawbi-Aski Nation]: an experience of loss.", "content": "In response to a hunger fast by five members of the Sandy Lake Band at the Sioux Lookout Zone Hospital in Northern Ontario (Canada)--a cultural protest of the status of health care services in the Zone--the Federal Minister of Health agreed to establish a Panel to review the region's health care system. The year-long study involved hearings in each of the 28 remote communities of the Zone, and interviews with elders and chiefs, women, and health care providers. A consultation team from McMaster University (Faculty of Health Sciences) assisted the Panel with epidemiological survey research, literature reviews, and the interpretation of the data collected in the proceedings. This paper offers our interpretation of data collected from the qualitative study component. Specifically, it provides an interpretation of the discourse of the native women of the Nishnawbi-Aski Nation on their experience of health and health care. An \"idiom of loss\" captures, we feel, the depth of their concerns, dilemmas and frustrations."}
{"id": "PMID:1473058", "title": "Iron status and pregnancy in a northern Canadian population: relationship to diet and iron supplementation.", "content": "To determine the extent of iron deficiency, the prognostic value of prenatal ferritin levels and the desirability of prenatal iron supplementation in the western Canadian arctic, dietary iron intake was determined in 171 women and ferritin levels determined in 121 women during pregnancy, 79 at delivery and 77 postnatally, as well as in 65 of their infants at birth and 74 postnatally. Iron deficiency (ferritin < 15 ng/ml) was present in 34% of women during the first two trimesters, 25% (20/79) at delivery and in 51.7% (15/29) of mothers and 31% (9/29) of infants beyond four months after delivery. Maternal follow-up ferritin levels correlated poorly with dietary iron intake but well with prenatal ferritin levels, which appeared to be good predictors of the effectiveness of supplementation. Mean infant follow-up ferritin levels were 105.6 +/- 115.2 ng/ml with, and 46.7 +/- 63.5 without maternal prenatal supplementation (p = 0.03); maternal, 45.5 +/- 40.9 ng/ml with, and 12.8 +/- 9.2 without (p < 0.001). Measurement of prenatal ferritin levels to determine risk of iron deficiency and routine prenatal iron supplementation are recommended."}
{"id": "PMID:1473061", "title": "Indian Reserve and registered Indian mortality in Canada.", "content": "Although in demand, there is only limited information available regarding the patterns of mortality among Natives in Canada. Mortality rates for residents of Canadian Indian Reserves (IRs) and Registered Indians were calculated for the periods 1979-1988 and 1981 respectively. Proportionate mortality ratios and age-standardized mortality rates for residents of Indian Reserves were similar to those obtained for Registered Indians. Standardized mortality ratios were calculated using both Canadian mortality and mortality in selected isolated rural populations as references. Dramatically increased risks were observed among Native populations for mortality from alcoholism/liver cirrhosis, homicide, suicide and pneumonia. While SMRs calculated using mortality rates in rural populations appeared to be preferable to those using Canadian rates, the use of Canadian rates does not alter the conclusion that IRs have significantly elevated mortality from environmental and social causes which, although improving, require continuing control efforts."}
{"id": "PMID:1473063", "title": "Partner notification and patient education for cases of Chlamydia trachomatis infection in a rural Nova Scotia health unit.", "content": "From September 1990 to March 1991, 47 of 52 patients with genital C. trachomatis infections in a rural health unit in Nova Scotia were interviewed about preventive education by physicians partner notification, past history, and treatment. Seventy-six percent of those with partners of the previous month were instructed by physicians to notify these partners. Twenty-five of 37 partners were notified. Of those not notified, 83% could have been reached. Reasons for cases not notifying partners included not being informed of test results, embarrassment, and not considering notification important. Fifty-two percent of cases were advised to practise safer sex; this was generally limited to advice to use condoms. Twenty-three percent had had a previous sexually transmitted disease. Treatment was appropriate in all cases where it could be determined. More preventive education by physicians and public health involvement in partner notification for such patients are required."}
{"id": "PMID:1473065", "title": "Women's exercise participation: the relevance of social roles compared to non-role-related determinants.", "content": "The objectives of this study were 1) to determine the relationship between women's exercise participation and their social roles as well as characteristics of these roles, and 2) to determine the relative importance of social roles compared to non-role-related determinants (including social support, perceived barriers, interest in exercise, and perceived importance of exercise). A cross-sectional survey was done among 1,113 randomly selected urban women aged 20-49. Social roles did not emerge as a major risk factor for exercise participation. Statistical modelling indicated that whether women exercise was only related to role overload in the presence of the non-role-related determinants. For women exercising, parenthood as well as role overload were related to the amount of exercise in the presence of the non-role-related determinants. These findings have important implications for exercise promotion for women."}
{"id": "PMID:1473060", "title": "A pilot study assessing the health status of the Hispanic American community living in Vancouver.", "content": "We undertook a pilot study in order to obtain baseline health information on the Hispanic American Community in Vancouver and to evaluate the feasibility of research in this community. We used the Interviewer Administered Questionnaire and the Lifestyle and Your Health Questionnaire from the Canada Health Survey [CHS]. Questionnaires were translated into Spanish and back into English. Descriptive analyses were similar to the CHS and focussed on health services utilization, lifestyle practices and psychological parameters. 43.3% of males and 12% of females did not have any medical consultation in the previous 12 months; 100% of respondents stated that high cost did not allow regular dental care; 23.3% of males and 28.6% of females experienced anxiety and depression; 26.2% of females did not known how to do breast self-examination. Significant potential health problems exist in this community particularly related to stress, lack of preventive behaviour and low utilization rates. Further research in this community is possible, but hampered primarily by a reluctance to participate because of concerns regarding privacy and immigration status."}
{"id": "PMID:1473062", "title": "[Stress and social support in relation to psychological distress in community-residing elderly persons in Montreal].", "content": "Our aim was to quantify the degree of association that selected psycho-social and health variables have with psychological distress in the elderly. In order to estimate the level of association, data previously obtained from the \"Enqu\u00eare Sant\u00e9 Qu\u00e9bec\" (1987) were entered into a multiple regression analysis with psychological distress as the dependent variable. The independent variables retained were: age, sex, language, physical health, functional health, health status perception, social integration, perceived social support and stress. The scores contained in the data bank were from a representative sample of subjects (n = 361, age = 72.7 +/- 6.3) living in the Montreal area. The results of the regression analysis indicated that psychological distress is significantly related (adjusted R2 = 0.256; p = .000) to the following variables: the interaction \"stress events X perceived social support\", physical health, functional health and sex. The results of the present study consequently support previous reports relating psychological distress to physical health, social support, stress and sex with a predominant effect on women. Finally, the results give further support to the \"buffering effect\" of social support on stress."}
{"id": "PMID:1473064", "title": "Hypertension and its correlates in the Hutterite community of Alberta.", "content": "The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of hypertension and its correlates in the Hutterite population of Alberta. A total of 811 subjects from 38 Hutterite colonies participated in the survey. A self- and interviewer-administered questionnaire gathered information about past medical history, lifestyle habits, and family history. Blood pressure, blood cholesterol, 2 hour postprandial blood glucose and height and weight were also measured. The prevalence of diastolic blood pressure > or = 90 mm Hg was approximately twice that reported in other Canadian surveys: 60% and 30% for the males and females respectively. Half of the participants found to be hypertensive were unaware of their condition and of those aware, 76% were uncontrolled. There were significant correlations between diastolic blood pressure and Body Mass Index (BMI), cholesterol, age and glucose. This study supports the need for the development of culturally appropriate health promotion programs related to hypertension in this population."}
{"id": "PMID:1473073", "title": "A double-blind placebo controlled trial of medroxyprogesterone acetate and cyproterone acetate with seven pedophiles.", "content": "Seven of ten pedophiles in hospital completed a double-blind, placebo-controlled two-dose comparison of medroxyprogesterone acetate and cyproterone acetate. Sequential measures during the 28 week study were: patient self-reports, nurses' observations, phallometry, hormone levels and side-effects. The drugs, which performed equivalently, reduced sexual thoughts and fantasies, the frequency of early morning erections on awakening, the frequency and pleasure of masturbation, and level of sexual frustration. Penile responses were also reduced but to a lesser degree and were more variable. Serum testosterone FSH and LH all declined during drug administration, but by the end of the final placebo phase had essentially returned to (or exceeded) pre-drug values. Our experience suggests that only a minority of pedophiles are likely to accept libido-reducing drugs."}
{"id": "PMID:1473067", "title": "Follow-up of participants in a preschool hearing screening program in child care centres.", "content": "As part of its response to the Ontario Ministry of Health recommendation that communication disorders in preschool children be identified, the Hamilton-Wentworth Department of Public Health Services performed hearing screening tests on all preschool children in child care centres. Parents of children who had failed the hearing screening test were recommended to take their child to their family physician for further assessment. Out of 1,844 children tested between September 1990 and February 1991, 35 children failed the pure-tone audiometry test administered by nurses. A telephone follow-up interview determined that 26 children with screening test failures had received some medical follow-up. Eight children had a confirmed hearing problem; of these, five were newly diagnosed with a hearing problem, all resulting from fluid build-up in the middle ear. Three children were treated, with two having improved hearing. Of the two children not treated, one was reported to have improved hearing. As with other recently reported preschool hearing screening programs, this study raises doubts about the usefulness of such programs."}
{"id": "PMID:1473074", "title": "Recidivism among individuals detained under a warrant of the Lieutenant-Governor living in the community.", "content": "This paper reports the findings of a follow-up study of individuals on a warrant of the Lieutenant-Governor in community placement. Of the 32 individuals who had 8.5 years on average of community access, 6.3% had subsequent convictions. A comparison is made between the risk to the community posed by those on warrants and individuals in the general population. The results suggest that those on warrants have functioned relatively well in the community."}
{"id": "PMID:1473066", "title": "Women's views of their main health problems.", "content": "Though there has been increased emphasis on women's health and on community participation in the development of health policy, 'ordinary women' have seldom been asked about their major health concerns. This paper reports on a survey of a stratified random sample of 356 women in Hamilton. Among their main worries regarding health were various cancers and heart disease. The health problems they had experienced in the previous six months which had bothered them most were stress, arthritis, being overweight, migraines/chronic headaches and tiredness. On the basis of these and similar data presented here, it is argued that such community surveys provide an important source of data. They identify somewhat different priorities than approaches which rely on the opinions of experts and other key informants."}
{"id": "PMID:1473075", "title": "Is there a shared somatic disorder? Communication of non delusional symptoms in Nigeria.", "content": "In a setting in which somatic symptoms without obvious organic causes are prevalent and in which doctors do not have very convincing explanations to offer, people in prolonged contact with such patients may appear to develop similar symptoms but claim the original patient as the source of their symptoms. At times, it is the original patient that detects the similarity and raises the question of contagion. Based on a study of four Nigerian patients, the author proposes the possible existence of a shared somatic disorder, comparable in many ways to induced psychotic disorder (DSM-III-R) and reopens the discussion on the whole concept of sharing/communication of psychiatric symptoms."}
{"id": "PMID:1473076", "title": "Schizophrenia and substance abuse: prevalence issues.", "content": "A review of studies of the prevalence of substance abuse among schizophrenics suggest that both demographic and environmental factors are strong determinants of the extent of substance abuse in this population as well as the type of substances used. In a mid-sized Canadian city, a sample of schizophrenic patients referred to a dual diagnoses clinic were administered the Addiction Severity Index. With age and gender included as a factor, no significant differences were found in the choice or length of use of most drugs between diagnostic groups, contrary to some other reports from large urban centres. Compared with a population of a similar age, there were fewer regular and more former drinkers among the schizophrenic patients. The choice of other substances by the sample reflected the pattern of use in the population at large. This approach to prevalence provides a more balanced perspective of the substance abuse by schizophrenics. The major targets for prevention remain the alcohol, caffeine and tobacco consumption."}
{"id": "PMID:1473068", "title": "The ratio of diagnosed to undiagnosed diabetes in patients 40 years and older.", "content": "A cross-sectional survey of a one in five random sample of apparently healthy adults aged 40 years and older was done in 17 family practice clinics in Newfoundland, in order to pick up previously undiagnosed diabetics, by fasting blood sugar (FBS) measurements. From a sample of 2,087 people, 1,767 were tested. Forty-eight persons had an elevated FBS on the first test, but only 19 had a sustained high FBS when a second test was done. There were 16 previously-known diabetics for each new diabetic found; in this population it was not worth screening healthy persons for diabetes. Testing should be restricted to high-risk people only. As a result of this study, the diabetes prevalence in the 40+ population rose from 12.4% to 13.1%."}
{"id": "PMID:1473069", "title": "Lack of an association between endemic giardiasis and a drinking water source.", "content": "Waterborne outbreaks of giardiasis have been documented in many areas of North America associated with contaminated surface water supplies. The Greater Vancouver Water District (GVWD) administers the distribution of surface waters to 1.4 million people. We wished to determine if endemic giardiasis was associated with this water supply. One hundred and eighty cases, an equal number of laboratory (enteric) controls and 94 neighbourhood (friend) controls were interviewed by questionnaire. The cases and controls were similar in age, sex and community of residence. Risk factors for giardiasis included having a child under six in the house and travel, both in B.C. but outside of the GVWD, and in Africa, the Americas, south of the U.S. or Asia. The cases drank 3.6 cups of water per day, the enteric controls 3.5 and the friend controls 3.7. These amounts are similar to those reported ingested in outbreak studies. Water consumption was not a risk for endemic giardiasis."}
{"id": "PMID:1473077", "title": "Review of studies of risk and protective factors for psychopathology in children.", "content": "Child psychiatry is increasingly focusing on early identification of children at risk and the importance of prevention. Our review attempts to summarize recent studies regarding risk and protective factors in children and address the areas of difficulty inherent in this type of research. Recommendations for future research study design will be discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1473078", "title": "The role of stress in interpreting the dexamethasone suppression test.", "content": "Stress has been implicated as a major confounding factor in the interpretation of Dexamethasone Suppression Test (DST) results. This study was designed to examine the effects of stress on DST results. Fifty patients with high levels of acute, chronic, and environmental stress participated in the study. Each patient was given a comprehensive psychiatric and psychological assessment, a routine administration of dexamethasone, and blood tests of cortisol values. The results indicate that the three measures of stress do not appear to affect levels of cortisol suppression, however, all three measures of stress predicted depression. As expected, DST cortisol levels were related to depression. Results are discussed in terms of their implications for understanding the associations among stress, depression and DST results."}
{"id": "PMID:1473081", "title": "Comfort. Immigrant Hispanic cancer patients' views.", "content": "This study focuses on the meaning of comfort from the perspective of immigrant Hispanic cancer patients undergoing treatment at a large Western medical center. Patients (n = 10), in 30 ethnographical interviews conducted in Spanish by a culturally sensitive interviewer identified characteristics, needs, and sources of comfort. The characteristics of comfort were: feeling integrated, functioning and normalcy, care and nurturing, security and safety, control and \"comodo.\" Comfort needs evolved into 6 categories: nurturing, familiar environment, safety, quality of life, normalcy, and \"animo.\" Providers of comfort, as perceived by these Hispanic patients were: self, family, health care providers, and God. The characteristics of comfort most frequently talked about by the Hispanic participants were feeling integrated and nurtured. Integrated, a seemingly complex characteristic of comfort, reflected a sense of inner peace with oneself that went beyond the physical comfort. Function and normalcy were also perceived to be important aspects of comfort. It is important to note that the Hispanic patients on occasion used culturally relevant terms, such as comodo and animo (neither of which are readily translated into English) to convey their impressions of comfort. The study demonstrates that comfort is important in illness and cancer treatment situations, and that for these Hispanic patients it also had influence from their culture."}
{"id": "PMID:1473082", "title": "Factors associated with rehabilitation in head and neck cancer.", "content": "Head and neck cancer patients must adapt to changes in facial structure and dysfunctions associated with breathing, eating, sensing, and movement following treatment. The impact of social support, mode(s) of treatment, and disfigurement and dysfunction on rehabilitation outcomes was studied in a convenience sample of 51 cancer survivors. The Sickness Impact Profile, a 136-item self-report instrument that elicited data in 12 activity of daily living areas was used to measure the dependent variable, rehabilitation outcome. Perceived social support was measured with the Personal Resources Questionnaire (Part 2). Facial disfigurement was measured based on the surgical procedure; nine dysfunctions common to head and neck cancer patients were measured on ladder scales and combined to provide a total dysfunction score. Facial disfigurement was not significantly associated with rehabilitation outcomes, but perceived social support and degree of dysfunction were significantly correlated with rehabilitation. No significant differences in rehabilitation outcomes between modes of treatment were found. Findings suggest a need for further research on rehabilitation strategies which improve outcomes for dysfunctions associated with head and neck cancer."}
{"id": "PMID:1473083", "title": "Gaps and contract: evaluating the diffusion of new information. Part I. A description of the strategy.", "content": "Time and fiscal constraints on oncology nurses require that continuing education programs yield demonstrable benefit to the clinician, the institution, and patient outcomes. This article describes \"gaps and contract,\" a strategy that provides nurses with a tool to transfer knowledge from theory to practice, in a measurable form. The framework for this strategy lies within the concept of innovation diffusion. This strategy was used by two universities collaborating to educate 912 oncology health professionals in 38 continuing education programs. Part II of this article will describe the measurement of this strategy."}
{"id": "PMID:1473084", "title": "Gaps and contract: evaluating the diffusion of new information. Part II. The measurement of the strategy.", "content": "This article is the second of a two-part series describing \"gaps and contract,\" a strategy that provides nurses with a mechanism to transfer knowledge from theory into practice in a measurable format. Two universities under contract from the Pennsylvania state cancer plan used this strategy to evaluate the effectiveness of a cancer continuing education program. Two hundred seventy-four (274) contracts from one setting and 205 from a second setting are described. Recommendations for using this strategy to measure the efficacy of cancer continuing education programs are included."}
{"id": "PMID:1473085", "title": "Breast self-examination. Knowledge and behavior of Greek female health care professionals working in primary health care centers.", "content": "A comparative correlational study was conducted to examine the knowledge and frequency of breast self-examination (BSE) by Greek health care professionals. A total of 268 women working in primary health care centers constituted the sample. The women were 22-64 years of age. Subjects reported low levels of knowledge about BSE and facts related to breast cancer. Multiple regression analysis showed significant relationships between level of knowledge and profession, number of years of health-related education, and frequency of BSE. The sample's frequency of practice of BSE was limited. Only 34.7% of the participants claimed to practice BSE on a monthly basis. Multiple regression analysis revealed statistically significant correlations between BSE behavior and marital status, professional experience with breast cancer, and level of knowledge. The level of knowledge of the participants is considered to be inadequate, taking into account that they work in settings where primary health care is offered. Courses of preventive medicine and health education should be incorporated in medical and nursing curricula."}
{"id": "PMID:1473086", "title": "Difference between nurses' and physicians' approach to denial in oncology.", "content": "A psychiatrist and a psychiatric nurse interviewed 33 physicians and 94 nurses at a cancer center about their experience working with oncology patients, including their usual approach to \"denial\" seen in these patients. Most respondents viewed denial as a useful, nearly universal defense mechanism, potentially capable of interfering with treatment. Physicians described a pattern in which their patients were presented with the facts one time during diagnosis and formulation of a treatment plan, after which denial was allowed and new facts not offered unless the denial was viewed as interfering with the medical intervention. Nurses more often referred to denial as a phase, stressing the importance of honesty in dealing with patients who are prone to deny. They experienced discomfort when patients who were suffering adverse effects of treatment seemed to need greater honesty from their physicians. Discussion of these differences includes the effect of the contexts in which nurses and physicians encounter denial as well as their complementary roles in patient care, and the differential goals and values of the two professions."}
{"id": "PMID:1473087", "title": "Assessment of the autologous bone marrow transplant patient according to Orem's self care model.", "content": "Autologous bone marrow transplantation (ABMT) is an increasingly effective treatment option for both hematologic malignancies and solid tumors. The dose-limiting toxicity of bone marrow suppression after intensive chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy can be minimized by reinfusing the patient's stored marrow. However, the ABMT procedure involves a period of profound neutropenia before the reinfused marrow engrafts and it also carries a significant risk of major organ toxicities. Common adverse effects of the procedure include mucositis, pneumonitis, renal failure, and veno-occlusive disease of the liver. In this article, Orem's Self-Care Model is used as a framework for assessing ABMT patients with the goal of recognizing developing complications early."}
{"id": "PMID:1473089", "title": "Hypercholesterolemia in rats with chronic renal insufficiency not aggravated by recombinant human growth hormone.", "content": "The lipid metabolic disorders in chronic renal insufficiency (CRI) are related to increased hepatic lipid synthesis, reduced triglyceride removal coupled with insulin insensitivity and impaired lipoprotein lipase activity. Growth hormone is lipolytic, and the effects of recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) on the hypercholesterolemia of CRI are unsettled. To test this question, we gave rhGH for 14 days at a dosage of 3 units/day intraperitoneally to two-stage, 5/6 nephrectomized, male Sprague-Dawley rats (n = 18) compared to sex- and age-matched control (n = 27) and CRI (n = 40) rats. At the end of the study, CRI rats and those treated with rhGH had a similar degree of renal impairment, as assessed by serum concentrations (mean +/- SEM) of urea nitrogen (49 +/- 3 vs. 54 +/- 4 mg/dl), creatinine (0.9 +/- 0.0 vs. 1.0 +/- 0.1 mg/dl) and cumulative food intake (311 +/- 8 vs. 290 +/- 12 g). Serum urea nitrogen (16 +/- 4 mg/dl) and creatinine (0.4 +/- 0.1 mg/dl) concentrations as well as food intake (412 +/- 9 g) of control rats were significantly (p < 0.0001) different. Serum cholesterol concentration of CRI rats treated with rhGH (87 +/- 3 mg/dl) was not higher than those of CRI rats (81 +/- 2 mg/dl, p < 0.1338) but was significantly higher than in control rats (55 +/- 3 mg/dl, p < 0.0001). CRI rats treated with rhGH showed a similar serum albumin concentration and lower serum glucose than CRI rats (0.9 +/- 0.1 vs. 0.9 +/- 0.0 g/dl and 144 +/- 4 vs. 163 +/- 3 mg/dl, p < 0.0001).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1473090", "title": "Impaired diluting segment chloride reabsorption in patients with cystic fibrosis.", "content": "Clearance studies were performed in 12 patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) during maximum water diuresis. The fractional diluting segment reabsorption was calculated from chloride clearance (CCl) and maximum free water clearance (CH2O) as 'CH2O/CCl+CH2O'. Fractional delivery to the diluting segment and from the proximal tubules was estimated by maximum urine flow during water diuresis (Vmax/GFR) and lithium clearance (CLi/GFR), respectively. The data were compared with results obtained in young healthy subjects. To estimate free water generation beyond the medullary diluting segment, CH2O/GFR was also measured during acute furosemide administration in 5 patients. Values for the term CH2O/CCl+CH2O were significantly lower in patients with CF (79.1 +/- 5.1%) as compared with healthy controls (89.4 +/- 4.4%). This was also true for the terms Vmax/GFR (CF: 9.5 +/- 1.6%; control subjects: 13.8 +/- 2.5%) and CLi/GFR (CF: 22.2 +/- 4.1%; control subjects: 30.7 +/- 5.1%). Compared to data derived from the literature, the solute-free water generation during administration of furosemide (CH2O/GFR) was significantly reduced in patients with CF (6.8 +/- 1.5%) as compared with healthy subjects (13.3 +/- 6.1%). We conclude that reabsorption in the diluting segment is impaired in patients with CF, perhaps at a site beyond the thick ascending limb of Henle's loop. Enhanced proximal reabsorption, suggested by reductions in Vmax/GFR and CLi/GFR, appears to be a compensatory phenomenon to maintain sodium and chloride balance."}
{"id": "PMID:1473091", "title": "Association of microalbuminuria with slow acetylator phenotype in type 1 diabetes mellitus.", "content": "The genetically determined acetylator phenotype in diabetic children with and without increased urinary albumin excretion was investigated. Acetylator phenotype was determined according to Evans, and 24-hour albumin excretion rate (AER) was measured by immunoturbidometry in 86 children and adolescents with type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus and in 100 age-matched healthy controls. In diabetics, the fast acetylator phenotype was found in 36 (41.9%) patients and the slow one in 50 (58.1%); the control group had 52 (52%) fast and 48 (48%) slow acetylators. There were no significant differences in acetylator phenotypes between diabetic patients and control subjects (chi 2 = 1.0, NS). Among patients with normal albumin excretion (n = 70, mean age: 12.9 +/- 3.5 years, mean diabetes duration: 5.3 +/- 3.8 years, AER < 20 micrograms/min), 35 (50%) fast acetylators and 35 (50%) slow acetylators were found. In patients with elevated albumin excretion (n = 16, mean age: 14.0 +/- 3.2 years, mean diabetes duration: 4.9 +/- 3.0 years, AER > 20 micrograms/min), 1 (6.3%) patient was a fast acetylator and 15 (93.7%) were slow acetylators. A significant difference has been found between the two groups in the rate of fast/slow acetylators (chi 2 = 8.79, p < 0.01). The strong correlation between the slow acetylator phenotype and microalbuminuria in diabetics suggests that: (a) genetic factors may play a role in the development of diabetic nephropathy; (b) the acetylator status could be a useful tool to detect patients 'at risk' of nephropathy."}
{"id": "PMID:1473092", "title": "Evoked potentials before and after anemia correction with recombinant human erythropoietin in end-stage renal disease.", "content": "Subclinical involvement of the nervous system in uremic adults has been detected by modern neurophysiological techniques. Chronic anemia is one of the possible factors responsible for neural dysfunction in uremia. We evaluated neurophysiological (brainstem auditory and somatosensory evoked potential) abnormalities and their possible modification following anemia correction with recombinant human erythropoietin in 14 children with end-stage renal disease maintained by hemodialysis. Only peripheral and 8th cranial nerve electrophysiological data are significantly abnormal in our patients, and they are not acutely modified by anemia correction. These data confirm the importance of electrophysiological testing of uremic children for detecting nervous system involvement at an early stage and for monitoring the efficacy of its management."}
{"id": "PMID:1473093", "title": "Delayed pubertal growth spurt in glomerulopathic boys receiving alternate-day prednisone.", "content": "Statural growth was studied in 16 glomerulopathic children, 12 boys and 4 girls, treated with alternate-day prednisone for more than 2 years. Five patients were older than 12 years when started on therapy. Growth velocity was significantly slower in boys who received therapy during peripubertal age than in younger boys taking similar amounts of prednisone. In boys, pubertal growth spurt was delayed and shorter than normal, but growth continued with a velocity greater than normal for some years and kept on after 19 years of age. The ultimate height of the patients followed up after 19 years of age ranged within the normal limits of genetic height potential."}
{"id": "PMID:1473094", "title": "Residential summer camp for children with end-stage renal disease.", "content": "Residential summer camps exist for children with all varieties of chronic illness with the goal of improving their quality of life. This paper describes the development and implementation of a summer camp for children 9-18 years old who receive long-term peritoneal dialysis or who have received a kidney transplant. Thirty-five to forty children regularly participate in activities such as water olympics, survival hikes and campouts while continuing to receive their medical needs from trained personnel. A study to evaluate the impact of a summer camp revealed less patient hopelessness and improved self-esteem following the 1-week camping experience. Attendance at camp provided the medical staff with a unique perspective of childhood illness, while the period of respite for the parents was uniformly welcomed and may contribute to the prevention of parent burnout. It is hoped that the success of this camp and others like it will lead to the development of similar experiences for other children with chronic disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1473095", "title": "Efficacy of CAPD as the primary treatment for end-stage renal failure in children.", "content": "In the 6 years before this paper, all children presenting with end-stage renal failure (ESRF) in Northern Ireland were electively commenced on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD). In that period, 22 patients were treated, 16 received renal transplants and 6 remained on CAPD. Active treatment was withdrawn in 1 child due to obliterative peritonitis. There were no deaths. One incident of peritonitis was documented per 11.6 patient treatment months. Recurring peritonitis lead to catheter replacement in 3 patients. Other problems encountered were catheter exit site infections, hernia formation and in one instance, hydrothorax. Peritonitis was more common in children under 2 years of age as was undernutrition, growth retardation and developmental delay. Home CAPD can be recommended as a viable first option treatment for childhood ESRF where suitable haemodialysis facilities are not easily accessible."}
{"id": "PMID:1473096", "title": "Primary hyperoxaluria type 1: clinical manifestations in infancy and prenatal diagnosis.", "content": "A 9-month-old Pakistani boy of consanguineous parents presented with uraemia preceded by pyuria from 5 weeks of age. He had no history of renal calculi or macroscopic haematuria. Renal biopsy revealed severe calcium oxalate deposition in the tubuli and fibrosis of the interstitial tissue. Liver biopsy demonstrated complete absence of alanine: glyoxylate aminotransferase catalytic activity and immunoreactive protein compatible with a diagnosis of primary hyperoxaluria type 1. He died at the age of 11 months, just before liver transplantation was made possible. Fetal liver biopsy in the mother's subsequent pregnancy showed normal enzymatic activity. Early detection and early replacement of the missing enzyme by liver transplantation are considered to be crucial for the survival of severely affected infants with the acute neonatal form of primary hyperoxaluria type 1. Persistent pyuria could be an early sign of renal damage secondary to accumulation of oxalate crystals."}
{"id": "PMID:1473097", "title": "Sudden death in cystinosis.", "content": "We report on an 8-year-old boy with infantile cystinosis. The patient died in hospital for unknown reason after cardiopulmonary arrest although resuscitation was started immediately. As opposed to other cases [1-3], neither laboratory investigations nor autopsy in out patient gave an explanation for the sudden death."}
{"id": "PMID:1473101", "title": "Conformational analysis of beta-D-fructofuranosyl-(2-->6)-beta-D-glucopyranoside by molecular mechanics (MM2) calculations.", "content": "Conformational energies for models of the disaccharide beta-D-fructofuranosyl-(2-->6)-beta-D-glucopyranoside were computed by molecular mechanics using MM2(87). An initial investigation of staggered forms examined the linkage bonds characterized by the torsion angles phi, psi, and omega, and subsequently the fructose hydroxymethyl side groups, characterized by the torsion angles chi-1 and chi-6. Then, in our major search of conformational space, the torsion angles of two linkage bonds, phi and omega, were driven through 360 degrees in 20 degree increments at all staggered side group combinations. From these results, the low-energy forms were minimized without the driver restrictions to generate the global minimum structure found and herein reported. This conformer was then used to map the conformational space of phi and omega by driving only those torsion angles through 360 degrees. Both the 4(3)T (northern) conformer (Cremer-Pople puckering phase angle of phi 2 = 265 degrees) and the 3(4)T, (southern) conformer (phi 2 = 80 degrees) of the fructofuranose ring were tested for comparison, and both were shown to be significant contributors of populated forms. As these two conformers had different minima for a number of important torsion angles, experimental studies may reveal different properties than those expected solely from the preferred northern conformer."}
{"id": "PMID:1473102", "title": "Sulfated sialyl-oligosaccharides derived from tracheobronchial mucous glycoproteins of a patient suffering from cystic fibrosis.", "content": "Thirteen novel oligosaccharides, each possessing both a sulfate ester and a sialic acid residue, were isolated from tracheobronchial mucous glycoproteins from a patient with cystic fibrosis via cleavage by alkaline borohydride treatment, and by employing immobilized Limulus polyphemus lectin affinity chromatography, SynChroprep AX300 anion-exchange chromatography, Bio-Gel P-2 size-exclusion chromatography, and Hypersil 120A APS-2 high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Proposed structures for the resulting purified sulfated sialyl-oligosaccharides were based on carbohydrate/permethylation analyses, periodate oxidation, complete sequential exoglycosidase digestion, analysis of desulfated products and, analysis by positive-ion fast-atom-bombardment mass spectrometry (FABMS). Sulfate esters on these sialyl-oligosaccharides resided on C-6 of a terminal or an internal D-galactose or 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-D-glucose residue or C-4 of a terminal D-galactose residue. The sialic acid residues were found to be either bound (2-->6)-alpha to 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-D-galactitol or (2-->3)-alpha or (2-->6)-alpha to a D-galactose residue occupying a nonreducing terminus. For this group of oligosaccharides, ranging in size from tri- to hepta-saccharides, it was also observed that a sialic acid residue and a sulfate ester did not residue on the same oligosaccharide branch when more than one branch existed. On linear unbranched sulfated sialyl-oligosaccharides, the sialic acid residue was bound to a D-galactose residue occupying a nonreducing terminus with the sulfate ester residing on an internal D-galactose or a 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-D-glucose residue. These results demonstrate that it is possible for sialic acid and a sulfate ester to exist on the same oligosaccharide and that this oligosaccharide can be as small as a trisaccharide."}
{"id": "PMID:1473103", "title": "The capsular antigen of Escherichia coli serotype O8:K102:H-.", "content": "The structure of the capsular antigen of E. coli O8:K102:H- was investigated by methylation analysis, beta-elimination of the methylated polysaccharide, lithium-ethylenediamine mediated degradation, and by 1D and 2D 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy of the lithium-degraded and native polysaccharides. The capsular antigen was shown to have the following branched pentasaccharide repeating unit: [formula: see text]"}
{"id": "PMID:1473104", "title": "The structure of the capsular polysaccharide of Escherichia coli O9:K35:H-.", "content": "The annexed structure of the capsular polysaccharide of Escherichia coli O9:K35:H- (A104a) has been determined by glycose and methylation analysis, base-catalysed degradation, and 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy on the polysaccharide and the products obtained by bacteriophage-mediated depolymerisation. [formula: see text]"}
{"id": "PMID:1473105", "title": "The structure of the fructan sinistrin from Urginea maritima.", "content": "The structure of sinistrin from red squill (Urginea maritima) was determined by methylation analysis and 13C NMR spectroscopy, using the fructans from Pucinella peisonis and quack-grass (Agropyron repens) as reference substances. Application of the reductive cleavage method showed that, of the beta-D-fructofuranosyl residues in sinistrin, 33% were 1-linked, 19% were 6-linked, 25% were terminal, and 19% were 1,6-linked. The average dp was 31 and, of the 3.24% of alpha-D-glucopyranosyl residues, 0.54% were terminal and 2.70% were 6-substituted. The fructan of quack grass was also highly branched with a (2-->6)-linked backbone, terminal alpha-D-glucopyranosyl residues, and a dp of approximately 45. The fructan from Pucinella peisonis was slightly branched, with a dp of approximately 10 and a (2-->6)-linked backbone."}
{"id": "PMID:1473106", "title": "Fructo-oligosaccharides from the stems of Triticum aestivum.", "content": "Fructo-oligosaccharides, extracted with hot water from wheat stems before flowering, were fractionated by gel-permeation chromatography on Biogel P2. The tri-/tetra- and penta-saccharide fractions were purified by HPLC and analysed by the reductive cleavage method. The trisaccharides 1-kestose and 6-kestose, the branched tetrasaccharide bifurcose, and the (2-->6)-linked pentasaccharide were identified. The fractions of higher molecular weight were also investigated and confirmed the branched-levan structure of this fructan."}
{"id": "PMID:1473107", "title": "Development of a water-soluble, sulfated (1-->3)-beta-D-glucan biological response modifier derived from Saccharomyces cerevisiae.", "content": "This report describes a method for the solubilization of micro-particulate (1-->3)-beta-D-glucan. Insoluble glucan is dissolved in methyl sulfoxide and urea (8 M) and partially sulfated at 100 degrees. The resulting water-soluble product is called glucan sulfate. The conversion rate is 98%, and the preparation is endotoxin free as determined by the Limulus lysate procedure. Glucan sulfate is composed of 34.06% C, 6.15% H, 50.30% O, 5.69% S and 3.23% N, and has a repeating unit empirical formula of (C6H10O5)8.3 SO3NH4+.4 H2O, suggesting that, on the average, a sulfate group is substituted on every third glucose subunit along the polymer. Molecular weight averages, polydispersity, and intrinsic viscosity were determined by aqueous high-performance size-exclusion chromatography (HPSEC). Two polymer peaks were resolved. Peak 1 (Mw = 1.25 x 10(6) g/mol) represents < 1% of the total polymer mass. Peak 2 (Mw = 1.45 x 10(4) g/mol) comprises > 99% of polymers. 13C NMR spectroscopy confirmed the beta-(1-->3) interchain linkage. In solution, glucan sulfate polymers self-associate in a triple helix. Glucan sulfate stimulates murine bone marrow proliferation following intravenous administration. The ability to prepare a immunologically active, water-soluble (1-->3)-beta-D-glucan preparation will greatly enhance the clinical utility of this class of compounds."}
{"id": "PMID:1473108", "title": "Mechanism of action of D-galacturonan digalacturonohydrolase of Selenomonas ruminantium on oligogalactosiduronic acids.", "content": "The mechanism of action of the specific D-galacturonan digalacturonohydrolase [poly-(1----4)-alpha-D-galactosiduronate digalacturonohydrolase, EC 3.2.1.82] of Selenomonas ruminantium was investigated by using reducing-end [1-3H]-labeled oligogalactosiduronates having degree of polymerization 3-5 as the substrates. The reaction products, incorporation and distribution of radioactivity in products, and the frequency of oligogalactosiduronate bond-cleavage were quantitatively estimated as functions of the substrate concentration. An alternative cleavage of tri(D-galactosiduronate) occurred during the enzyme reaction, indicating the participation of some bimolecular mechanism in addition to unimolecular hydrolysis in the action of the enzyme. Unimolecular hydrolysis takes place at low initial concentration of the substrate. The shifted termolecular enzyme-substrate complex formation and the subsequent galactosyluronic transfer is the predominant mechanism in degradation of tri(D-galactosiduronate) at high concentration. Tetra(D-galactosiduronate) and penta(D-galactosiduronate) are degraded by unimolecular hydrolysis at low, as well as high concentration of the substrate."}
{"id": "PMID:1473112", "title": "A 1H NMR database computer program for the analysis of the primary structure of complex carbohydrates.", "content": "A 1H NMR database computer program has been developed to determine the primary structure of complex carbohydrates. The database contains carbohydrate structures, their corresponding 1H NMR data, and literature references. From an input list of chemical shift values, the program generates an output list of partially or completely matching carbohydrate structures. In order to facilitate the recognition of the matching part of the selected carbohydrate structures, these structures are displayed with the matching structural elements highlighted. This new 1H NMR database, together with the search program described, now provides a fast access to the published 1H NMR data of complex carbohydrates and furnishes easy links to carbohydrate structures. The performance of the program is demonstrated by the analysis of five carbohydrate fractions prepared from a pool of horse serum glycoproteins."}
{"id": "PMID:1473113", "title": "A 1H and 13C NMR study of oligosaccharides from human milk. Application of the computer program CASPER.", "content": "Several oligosaccharides from human milk, containing vicinally branched residues, have been analysed with respect to induced NMR chemical shift changes that originate from the branching. Two types of branching were investigated: (i) linear oligosaccharides with a 2-linked residue, which thus becomes vicinally 1,2-disubstituted, and (ii) oligosaccharides with either 2,3- or 3,4-branching. It could be concluded that, in 13C NMR spectra of the first type, for which only moderately sized induced changes (< 2 ppm) had been observed previously, large (> 5 ppm) changes are also present. For 2,3- and 3,4-branching, changes similar to those observed earlier were found. In 1H NMR spectra, significant induced shifts for signals from anomeric, aglyconic, and H-5 protons were observed. For most trisaccharides, a unique set of values for the chemical shift differences was found, thus making it suitable to use them for characterisation of substitution patterns in the analysis with the computer program CASPER."}
{"id": "PMID:1473114", "title": "Fmoc-protected, glycosylated asparagines potentially useful as reagents in the solid-phase synthesis of N-glycopeptides.", "content": "1-Amino 1-deoxy derivatives of unprotected O-beta-D-galactopyranosyl-(1-->3)-2-acetamido-2-deoxy-beta-D-glucopyrano se, 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-D-galactose, D-galactose, lactose, D-fucose, D-mannose, and 2-deoxy-D-arabino-hexose were prepared and acylated with N-fluorenylmethoxycarbonylaspartic acid alpha-tert-butyl ester. The anomeric configuration of the N-glycosyl bond (including that of the mannose derivative) in each of the purified compounds was shown to be beta. The probable stability of the N-glycosyl and glycosidic bonds during the conditions of solid-phase peptide synthesis was investigated by treatment of the glycosylated asparagine derivatives with different concentrations of trifluoroacetic acid. Based on their stability, we found that Fmoc-Asn(sugar)-OH derivatives are excellent candidates for automated synthesis of biologically active glycopeptides."}
{"id": "PMID:1473115", "title": "Stereoselective total synthesis of the glycosyl phosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchor of Trypanosoma brucei.", "content": "The total synthesis of O-(O-[6-O-(2-aminoethylphosphono)-alpha-D-mannopyranosyl]-(1-->2)- O-alpha- D-mannopyranosyl-(1-->6)-O-[O-alpha-D-galactopyranosyl-(1-->6)-alpha-D- galactopyranosyl-(1-->3)]-O-alpha-D-mannopyranosyl-(1-->4)-2-amino-2-deo xy- alpha-D-glucopyranosyl)-(1-->6)-[1-O-(1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosp hono) - 1D-myo-inositol], the GPI anchor of Trypanosoma brucei was achieved for the first time. The core structure of the GPI molecule, the glycoheptaosyl part, was constructed in a highly stereocontrolled manner from O-[O-(2,4-di-O-benzyl-alpha-D-mannopyranosyl-(1-->4)-2-azido-3,6-di-O-be nzyl- 2-deoxy-D-glucopyranosyl]-(1-->6)-2,3,4,5-tetra-O-benzyl-1-O-(4- methoxybenzyl)-D-myo-inositol, O-(2,3,4,6-tetra-O-benzyl-alpha-D-galactopyranosyl)-(1-->6)-2,3,4-tri-O- benzyl-D-galactopyranosyl fluoride, 2-O-acetyl-3,4,6-tri-O-benzyl-alpha-D-mannopyranosyl chloride, and 6-O-acetyl-2,3,4-tri-O-benzyl-alpha-D-mannopyranosyl fluoride. The introduction of two phosphodiester functions was efficiently achieved using the H-phosphonate method."}
{"id": "PMID:1473116", "title": "Tobacco smoking, alcohol consumption, and laryngeal cancer in Madrid.", "content": "The associations between cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption and laryngeal cancer were examined in a case-control study carried out between 1982 and 1985 in Madrid. The analysis was based on 50 histologically confirmed male cases and 103 age- and sex-matched controls (45 hospitalized and 58 from the general population). A dose-response effect was observed for cigarette smoking, with an odds ratio (OR) of 4.33 (95% confidence interval of 1.22 to 15.41) for smokers of 30 or more cigarettes per day, when compared with those smoking less than 10 cigarettes per day. The risk clearly rose in line with the length of the smoking habit. In addition, for smokers of black tobacco, the risk was more than double that for smokers of blond tobacco, irrespective of the depth of inhalation. ORs for alcohol consumption rose significantly in accordance with the average grams intake per week and the overall lifetime consumption, but not with years of drinking. The time trends of risks for duration of alcohol consumption suggest the existence of phenomena related to individual susceptibility. A dose response effect was observed in supraglottal and glottal tumors. The effect of the joint exposure to both tobacco and alcohol fit to a multiplicative model."}
{"id": "PMID:1473117", "title": "Calculated risk of breast cancer following mantle irradiation determined by measured dose.", "content": "Tumor registry data indicate a two- to fourfold increased incidence of breast cancer following mantle irradiation, but cumulative risk is unknown. Radiation exposure to the breasts underlying the mantle block ranges from 4 to 40 Gy and is dependent on relative positions of the breasts and mantle block. Unshielded outer breast quadrants near axillary nodal regions receive 36 to 40 Gy, while central breast quadrants under the lung blocks receive approximately 4 Gy as determined by dose volume histogram analysis. Relative dose risk analysis for breast cancer following mantle irradiation was performed and indicated an overall excess risk of 1.5 for the upper outer quadrant (total dose 40 Gy), 1.3 for the upper and lower inner, and central quadrants (total dose 15 to 20 Gy), and 1.2 for the lower outer quadrant (total dose 4 Gy). Linear and cell-kill carcinogenesis models demonstrated similar relative risk assessments in the low-dose regions, defined as < 15 Gy. Predicted risk for breast cancer in the high-dose regions (> or = 15 Gy) varied considerably according to the model evaluated. The linear model predicted a three to ten times greater risk above baseline breast cancer incidence for the high-dose regions. In contrast, the cell-kill model predicted no excess cases of breast cancer, assuming cell death at these higher dose levels. The greatest relative predicted risk is observed in women < 20 years of age at the time of irradiation; however, women older than 20 years continue to have a 50% higher than baseline risk for subsequent breast cancer development. All women treated for Hodgkin's lymphoma should undergo dose volume histogram evaluation. Prospective clinical and mammographic evaluations should be performed in all female patients following mantle irradiation to better define the risk for secondary breast carcinogenesis."}
{"id": "PMID:1473118", "title": "Risk of leukemia among participants of gastric mass screening survey in Japan: a population-based, case-control study.", "content": "To assess the risks of leukemia for individuals participating in a gastric mass screening program using barium photofluorographic examination in Japan, a population-based, case-control study was carried out. The histories of participation in the last 10 years of 79 leukemia cases diagnosed between 1978 and 1985 and twofold controls matched for sex, age (+/- 5 years), and residence were investigated using the records of the gastric mass screening program. The odds ratio of any type of leukemia for those participating at least once in the last 10 years was 1.09 (95% confidence interval, 0.61-1.96) and that of myeloid type was 0.88 (95% confidence interval, 0.38-2.27). Even when the histories of the preceding 5 years were ignored, no significant excess risks were found among patients with any type and myeloid type of leukemia. These results suggest that there is insufficient evidence to support the positive association between the incidence of leukemia and participation in gastric mass screening. The limitations and implications of this analysis are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1473119", "title": "Clinical characteristics of patients with epidermoid carcinoma of the upper aerodigestive tract who develop second malignant tumors.", "content": "A total of 1294 patients with primary head and neck (H&N) cancer of a single site was diagnosed during the years 1970 to 1979 at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, 163 subsequently developed a second malignant tumor (SMT). In 50% of the cases, the second tumor was in the H&N, and in 30% in the lung and esophagus; 41 patients developed a third tumor. Again, in 50% of these cases, the tumor was in the H&N and in 17% in the lung and esophagus. The stage of disease of all the second primary tumors was more advanced at diagnosis, mainly as a result of the large number of patients with lung and esophagus cancer. Patients who had a second tumor in the H&N were diagnosed in an earlier stage of disease than patients with a single H&N tumor. The survival of patients with localized second H&N cancer was worse than for those with a primary, localized single tumor."}
{"id": "PMID:1473120", "title": "Cancer-associated SCM-recognition, immunedefense suppression, and serine protease protection peptide. Part I. Isolation, amino acid sequence, homology, and origin.", "content": "The isolation of a cancer-associated, SCM-recognition, immunedefense-suppressing, and serine protease-protecting (CRISPP) peptide from the blood plasma of cancer patients is described. The amino acid sequences were determined on preparations from 12 different cancers. The peptide is composed in 9 cancers of 29 and in 3 cancers of 35 amino acid residues with molecular weights of 3410 and 4007 Da, respectively. A consensus, synthetic 29 amino acid CRISPP peptide (CRISPPs) has the same cancer SCM-recognition (CR) activity and SCM-response modifying effects as the natural peptide. The \"cancer SCM-recognition epitope\" of the CRISPP peptide was determined. Anti-CRISPPs antibodies were raised and used in immunoassays to confirm the presence of the CRISPP peptides in cancer blood plasmas, in supernatants of cancer cell growth media and in cultured human cancer cells. The amino terminal end sequences of peptides isolated from growth media of cultured breast and colon cancer cells corresponded to amino acid sequences of CRISPP peptides isolated from cancer blood plasmas of subjects with the respective cancers. The CRISPP peptides are between 83 to 100% homologous to the alpha 1-protease inhibitor amino acid sequence located at the carboxy terminal end between residues 358 and 393. The genetic origin of the CRISPP peptides and their selective advantage to cancer cell survival are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1473121", "title": "Strategic approaches to cancer control research in NCI-funded research bases.", "content": "Although the Community Clinical Oncology Program (CCOP) of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) has always encouraged research on cancer prevention and control issues, the clinical cooperative groups and cancer centers that serve as CCOP \"research bases\" were not required to conduct cancer control research until June 1987. This article draws upon case studies of six cooperative groups and two cancer centers to examine how CCOP research bases have defined cancer control research to be compatible with their missions, restructured roles and relationships to facilitate protocol development and implementation, and routine cancer control research to make prevention and control studies an accepted component of their scientific programs. Three \"deliberate\" or \"emergent\" strategies are found to be associated with the earlier resolution of problems and more rapid assimilation of cancer control studies into research base agendas. These strategies include (1) proactive planning, such as the early formation of a Cancer Control Research Committee (CCRC) and the identification of \"idea champions\" to promote cancer prevention and control research; (2) a staged approach to defining and introducing cancer control research; and (3) the creation of multiple \"bridging\" mechanisms to link cancer prevention and control studies with ongoing research activities. Research bases were most successful in building investigator commitment to cancer control research when they framed research questions within an accepted scientific paradigm, sought out and supported investigators with an interest in cancer prevention and control questions, created CCRCs with broadly representative memberships, and widely publicized ideas for prevention and control studies."}
{"id": "PMID:1473122", "title": "Barriers to cervical cytology screening in native women in British Columbia.", "content": "The British Columbia (BC) Cervical Cytology Screening Programme (CCSP), implemented since 1955, has resulted in a 75% decrease in both the mortality from and incidence of invasive squamous cervical carcinoma. However, despite this effect, the Native Indian population still present an overall mortality rate four times higher than that of the non-Native population. A demonstration project was initiated in four Native Indian Band communities of BC to determine the reasons underlying these findings. The participation patterns to the CCSP were investigated and revealed that the overall percentage of participation to the CCSP among Native Indian women was 30% lower than that of the non-Native population. Reasons for the under-participation to the CCSP were explored. A total of 36 women, 9 in each of the 4 communities, including current users, ex-users and never users, were interviewed. Reasons for not participating in the CCSP were due mainly to (1) the lack of knowledge about the Pap test and about its importance; (2) feelings of embarrassment and shamefulness; (3) lack of continuity of care due to the high turnover of physicians in the Native communities. Based on the study findings, a pilot CCSP clinic will be implemented in each community. In addition to taking cervical smears, this pilot project will include education sessions, notification about the results of the test, and recall for annual check up."}
{"id": "PMID:1473123", "title": "Clinical and virological aspects of HIV2 infection in rhesus monkeys.", "content": "To establish an animal model of AIDS, two different \"wild\" or \"adapted\" HIV2 Rod and Eho strains were cultivated on monkey cells from different species (baboons, cynomolgus, Rhesus monkeys). Five different available strains were then injected both by intravenous (i.v.) and intracerebral (i.c.) route into ten Rhesus monkeys. Seven animals seroconverted between days 13 and 230. Reverse transcriptase activity in the lymphocyte culture supernatants was detectable in six of the seven animals that seroconverted, and in one animal that remained seronegative. Lymphopenia and a decrease in the CD4+ cell counts were observed in eight animals. One animal, inoculated with HIV2-Rod \"wild type,\" developed a severe cachexia, with dyspnea, and associated neurological symptoms 150 days after inoculation. This animal was sacrificed on day 220. Pathological examination showed typical lesions of actinomycetes infection in the lungs and in the meninges. Another monkey had significant weight loss associated with lymphadenopathies and pancytopenia. These results suggest that in vivo replication of HIV2 in Rhesus monkeys may induce clinical symptoms of immune deficiency. This method is reproducible and may provide a good model for AIDS."}
{"id": "PMID:1473124", "title": "The modeling of breast cancer deaths in Vermont.", "content": "Methodologic issues in modeling breast cancer deaths were investigated through modeling the number of breast cancer deaths in Vermont for the period 1975 to 1988. Age-specific incidence rates, case fatality rates, and secular trends of these rates were necessary to represent the observed trend in breast cancer deaths over this time period. Additional information, such as mortality from other causes, stage distribution, or screening history, was not necessary. Incidence and survival information were obtained from a statewide population-based breast cancer registry in Vermont and the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) program. SEER incidence rates overestimated the actual number of deaths for long-term survival rates. Case fatality rates and secular trends in incidence and survival reported by SEER were appropriate. These results can be applied to the planning of community intervention studies by providing the essential expected numbers of deaths in control communities."}
{"id": "PMID:1473125", "title": "[Hemodialysis in diabetics].", "content": "In the submitted review the author deals with the problem of haemodialysis in diabetics. He summarizes some basic information on the state of haemodialysis treatment of diabetics in advanced countries with regard to the situation in Czechoslovakia, the survival of patients and causes of mortality, complications, the standard of rehabilitation and quality of life. The author gives a rough outline of the strategy of care of diabetics in the pre-dialysis stage of diabetic nephropathy and in a chronic dialysis programme. The author emphasizes that haemodialysis means a significant prolongation of life in patients with advanced diabetic nephropathy. In an integrated dialysis transplantation programme it is possible to achieve in these patients prolonged satisfactory quality of life after successful transplantation."}
{"id": "PMID:1473126", "title": "[The Prague Diabetes Registry. Computer utilization: basic information on a group of diabetics and patients with impaired glucose tolerance].", "content": "In 1989 the authors founded in Prague a register of all diabetics and patients with IGT. The basic data on each patient are in a computer and are systematically supplemented. The mean age of the investigated diabetics is 68.8 years in women and 64.7 years in men. The prevalence of DM and IGT in Prague women is higher (4.8%) than in men (4.3%). Practically half the Prague group suffers from diabetes for less than 5 years and only 4.6% of the diabetics are on the records for more than 20 years. DM type 1 was manifested in 54.7% of the patients at an age under 29 years and the majority of type 2 diabetics in Prague are in the age bracket of 60 to 69 years. The incidence of DM in 1988 to 1990 remains equal and amounts to cca 5%."}
{"id": "PMID:1473127", "title": "[The effect of fish oil on the secretion and effect of insulin in patients with type II diabetes].", "content": "The metabolic effect of 3-week dietary supplementation with a fish oil concentrate was examined in not markedly obese, not hypertriglyceridemic men with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) treated with hypoglycemic agents. Ten patients were given 15 ml/d of fish oil (Martens Oil, Norway) equivalent to 3.1 g of n-3 fatty acid (FA) per day, and compared to 10 diabetics treated with placebo (15 ml/d saline). While fish oil leads to expected increase in the ratio of n-3 to n-6 FA intake, it does not alter fasting and mixed meal stimulated blood glucose, plasma insulin and C-peptide concentrations. There were no changes in insulin action estimated by the metabolic clearance rates of glucose at plasma insulin levels of about 100 microU/ml and 1400 microU/ml during hyperinsulinemic isoglycemic clamp, and no changes were seen in insulin binding to erythrocytes. Even though our short-term study does not warrant authoritative conclusions, no adverse effects of low-dose fish oil on glucose homeostasis have been found in not markedly obese NIDDM patients treated with oral hypoglycemics."}
{"id": "PMID:1473128", "title": "[Diagnosis of conditions following myocardial infarct using complex analysis of electrical cardiac fields].", "content": "In 22 patients with ischaemic heart disease and conditions after infarction and angina pectoris a coronarographic examination was made as well as other auxiliary examinations incl. a complex analysis of the electrical cardiac field (KAESP) (23), using a Cardiac apparatus (manufacturer ZPA Cakovice). Using the KAESP method fibroses in the heart muscle were found in all 22 patients, while a classical electrocardiogram revealed them only in 12 patients (54.5%). Post-infarction fibrous changes on the inferior cardiac wall were detected by ECG in 10 patients, KAESP revealed this localization of changes in 17 patients. The difference was particularly marked as regards localization on the anterior cardiac wall, according to ECG it was in 2 patients, according to KAESP in 17 patients. The authors investigated also on isopotential repolarization maps focal changes caused by cardiac ischaemia associated with organic affection of the appropriate coronary artery as revealed by coronarography. Identical sites were proved in 18 patients by the two methods, i. e. in 81.8%. In the discussion the authors analyse the causes which influence the accuracy of assessment of the coronary artery in KAESP. In KAESP in addition to isopotential maps also other maps were used such as isointegral, iso-areal, asynchronic potential maxima and minima, isochronic maps, maps of negative isodivergencies, profile sections etc. (20)."}
{"id": "PMID:1473132", "title": "Headache in ischemic cerebrovascular disease. Part II: Mechanisms and predictive value.", "content": "In part I, the prevalence and clinical characteristics of headache in ischemic cerebrovascular disease were reviewed. In this part, we describe the potential mechanisms of head pain and the value of the headache symptom as a predictor of stroke type, location and vascular territory."}
{"id": "PMID:1473135", "title": "Visual field loss after attacks of migraine with aura.", "content": "Visual fields were mapped with kinetic are perimetry in 23 migraine with aura subjects and, for comparison, in 20 migraine without aura subjects and in 21 non-headache controls. Central vision on the Amsler eye chart and visual perception threshold on a computer task were also investigated. Measures were obtained at least seven days after an episode of migraine. In addition, 10 of the migraine with aura subjects and 10 migraine without aura subjects were studied the day after an attack. The day after migraine with aura, visual sensitivity in the periphery of the visual fields was depressed, central vision was blurred, and visual perception threshold was elevated. These visual disturbances had resolved 7 to 10 days later. With the exception of a minor increase in visual perception threshold, vision was normal after attacks of migraine without aura. Residual effects of the migraine aura could mediate the subclinical visual disturbances which persist for at least one day after attacks of migraine with aura."}
{"id": "PMID:1473136", "title": "Benign coital headache.", "content": "We studied the natural history of patients with a diagnosis of benign coital headache who presented to a private neurological clinic between the years 1978 and 1991. Thirty-two patients (24M, 8F) were invited to participate and 26 patients (83%) responded. The period of follow-up ranged from six months to 14 years (median 6 years). Thirteen patients (50%) had recurrent attacks of coital headache epochs separated by intervals of up to 10 years. Eleven of these patients suffered a concomitant primary headache whereas this was present in only one of those patients without recurrent attacks of coital headache (p < 0.001). In all but one patient, who had a transient blurred vision, the headache was not accompanied by nausea, vomiting, visual disturbances, sensory/motor disturbances, or unconsciousness. We concluded that benign coital headache can be clearly distinguished from headaches due to cerebral aneurysm or arteriovenous malformation rupture. The presence of a concomitant primary headache syndrome is a risk-factor for recurrence of coital headache."}
{"id": "PMID:1473137", "title": "Non-migraine headache across the menstrual cycle in women with and without premenstrual syndrome.", "content": "Fluctuation of estrogen levels across the menstrual cycle influences migraine headache. In this study, 53 women documented prospectively the incidence and severity of headache daily for an average of three menstrual cycles. Seven of the women met the criteria established by the International Headache Society for migraine with or without aura, while the remaining 46 women failed to do so. Chi-square analysis revealed that, overall, the incidence of non-migraine headache was dependent on day of the cycle (chi 2 [1,66] = 247.7, p < 0.001), with more headaches occurring during the perimenstrual phase. The 46 women without migraine were further classified according to NIMH criteria into PMS (n = 26) and non-PMS groups (n = 20). An association between headache and menstrual cycle phase was noted for both groups (p < 0.001), although the incidence of severe headache was greater for the PMS women, during both the perimenstrual and intermenstrual phases. Both groups experienced an increase in severe headaches during the perimenstrual phase. The PMS women peaked on the day prior to menstruation, while the non-PMS women peaked on the first day of menstruation. There did not appear to be an overall difference in the reporting of mild headache across the cycle between women with or without PMS.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1473138", "title": "Cardiovascular reflexes in patients with vascular headache.", "content": "We have investigated the autonomic function of 75 patients with migraine by examining cardiovascular reflex function. The results were compared with those of 78 healthy volunteers. Measurements were made between attacks. Patients with migraine showed a smaller heart-rate response to deep breathing but a greater heart-rate response and higher blood pressure to standing when compared to controls. Migraine patients had a higher percentage of established sympathetic lesions (51% vs 17%) and severe (25% vs 5%) or atypical (24% vs 11.5%) global autonomic dysfunction. No significant differences were found among patients with migraine with aura, migraine without aura, and migraine with prolonged aura. Our findings indicate that patients with migraine have sympathetic hypofunction."}
{"id": "PMID:1473139", "title": "Evaluation of chronic daily headache--comparison to criteria for chronic tension-type headache.", "content": "The purpose of this study was to evaluate the adequacy of the International Headache Society (IHS) criteria for chronic tension-type headache and, if appropriate, suggest modifications of the IHS classification. We evaluated 100 consecutive patients with chronic daily headache. Approximately two-thirds of our patients fulfilled the criteria for chronic tension-type headache. Most of the patients who failed to meet the criteria did so because they had more than one migrainous feature. Approximately 50% of patients took excessive amounts of analgesic medication. We conclude that the IHS criteria should be modified to include chronic daily headache evolving from migraine; subtypes with and without medication overuse should be distinguished."}
{"id": "PMID:1473140", "title": "Presentation of a new instrument: the diagnostic headache diary.", "content": "A new instrument, the Diagnostic Headache Diary, based on the operational diagnostic criteria of the International Headache Society (IHS), was tested in 61 migraine patients from a headache research clinic using the clinical diagnosis (IHS criteria) for comparison. All patients kept the diary for one to eight months. The clinical and diary diagnosis of migraine with and without aura was the same in, respectively, 72 and 87% of the patients. Nausea, photophobia and phonophobia tended to be more pronounced at the clinical interview. The diary identified 20 more cases of episodic tension-type headache and 15 fewer cases of chronic tension-type headache than the clinical interview. Two blinded observers always made the same IHS diagnoses when interpreting the diagnostic headache diary. A combination of a clinical interview and the diagnostic headache diary gives a qualitatively and quantitatively more precise diagnosis than a clinical interview alone."}
{"id": "PMID:1473141", "title": "Headache following carotid endarterectomy: a prospective study.", "content": "The occurrence of headache in the 28 days following surgery was studied in 50 consecutive patients (14F and 36M, mean aged 70 years) who underwent carotid endarterectomy for atheromatous carotid stenosis. Thirty-one patients (62%) reported headache. Headache occurred in the first five days after surgery in 87% of cases. Its characteristics and temporal profile were highly variable but it was mostly bilateral (74%), mild or moderate (78%), requiring no treatment (77%). No correlation was found between the occurrence of headache and degree of stenosis, intraoperative characteristics and past history of headache. In none of our patients was severe ipsilateral headache, cerebral hyperperfusion syndrome, or cluster-like hemicrania encountered and only five patients met the IHS criteria for post-endarterectomy headache. Post-endarterectomy headache is frequent when specifically looked for and is therefore not a single entity. The present IHS criteria are unsatisfactory and should be modified accordingly."}
{"id": "PMID:1473142", "title": "Transcranial Doppler ultrasonic features in chronic tension-type headache.", "content": "We studied vascular features in patients suffering from chronic headache of the tension-type by means of transcranial Doppler ultrasound (TCD). Blood flow velocities of the basal cerebral arteries and the submandibular extracranial part of the internal carotid artery were compared between 20 chronic tension-type headache sufferers and the same number of age- and sex-matched control subjects. There were no significant differences of ultrasonic features between the groups. Changes in blood flow velocities do not seem to be involved in the pathogenetic mechanisms of chronic tension-type headache."}
{"id": "PMID:1473143", "title": "Shortlasting, unilateral, neuralgiform headache attacks with conjunctival injection and tearing (SUNCT syndrome): V. Orbital phlebography.", "content": "We studied six patients with SUNCT, a unilateral headache syndrome with shortlasting attacks and ipsilateral autonomic phenomena with orbital phlebography and MRI. All but one orbital phlebogram showed abnormalities on the headache side (in one patient bilaterally), involving the superior ophthalmic vein or/and the cavernous sinus. No systematic changes were demonstrated on MRI. The phlebography findings were similar to those observed in the Tolosa-Hunt syndrome and in cluster headache."}
{"id": "PMID:1473145", "title": "High frequency mutagenesis by a DNA methyltransferase.", "content": "HpaII methylase (M. HpaII), an example of a DNA (cytosine-5)-methyltransferase, was found to induce directly a high frequency of C-->U transition mutations in double-stranded DNA. A mutant pSV2-neo plasmid, constructed with an inactivating T-->C transition mutation creating a CCGG site, was incubated with M. HpaII in the absence of S-adenosylmethionine (SAM). This caused an approximately 10(4)-fold increase in the rate of reversion when the mutant neo plasmid was transformed into bacteria lacking uracil-DNA glycosylase. The mutation frequency was very sensitive to SAM concentration and was reduced to background when the concentration of the methyl donor exceeded 300 nM. The data support current models for the formation of a covalent complex between the methyltransferase and cytosine. They also suggest that the occurrence of mutational hot spots at CpG sites may not always be due to spontaneous deamination of 5-methylcytosine, but might also be initiated by enzymatic deamination of cytosine and proceed through a C-->U-->T pathway."}
{"id": "PMID:1473146", "title": "The mammalian ultraviolet response is triggered by activation of Src tyrosine kinases.", "content": "Exposure of mammalian cells to DNA-damaging agents induces the ultraviolet (UV) response, involving transcription factor AP-1, composed of Jun and Fos proteins. We investigated the mechanism by which UV irradiation induces the c-jun gene. The earliest detectable step was activation of Src tyrosine kinases, followed by activation of Ha-Ras and Raf-1. The response to UV was blocked by tyrosine kinase inhibitors and dominant negative mutants of v-src, Ha-ras, and raf-1. This signaling cascade leads to increased phosphorylation of c-Jun on two serine residues that potentiate its activity. These results strongly suggest that the UV response is initiated at or near the plasma membrane rather than the nucleus. The response may be elicited by oxidative stress, because it is inhibited by elevation of intracellular glutathione. Using tyrosine kinase inhibitors, we demonstrate that the UV response has a protective function."}
{"id": "PMID:1473147", "title": "Activation of an inducible c-FosER fusion protein causes loss of epithelial polarity and triggers epithelial-fibroblastoid cell conversion.", "content": "As a novel approach to studying the modulation of the polarized epithelial phenotype, we have expressed c-Fos and c-Myc estrogen receptor fusion proteins (c-FosER and c-MycER) in mammary epithelial cells. The hybrid proteins could be activated by estrogen for defined time periods and after the cells had achieved their fully polarized organization. Activation of c-MycER deregulated proliferation but did not affect epithelial polarity. Short-term activation of c-FosER induced the reversible loss of morphological and functional cell polarity. In contrast, long-term stimulation of c-FosER caused the cells to depolarize irreversibly, to invade collagen gels, and to undergo epithelial-fibroblastoid cell conversion. Our data suggest that Fos proteins are important in modulating the epithelial phenotype both in normal tissue development and in invasive processes."}
{"id": "PMID:1473148", "title": "Lysosome recruitment and fusion are early events required for trypanosome invasion of mammalian cells.", "content": "Trypanosoma cruzi invades most nucleated cells by a mechanism distinct from classical phagocytosis. Although parasites enter at the lysosome-poor peripheral cell margins, lysosomal markers are immediately incorporated into the parasitophorous vacuole. No accumulation of polymerized actin was detected around recently internalized parasites, and disruption of microfilaments significantly facilitated invasion. Lysosomes were observed to aggregate at the sites of trypanosome attachment and to fuse with the vacuole at early stages of its formation. Experimentally induced, microtubule-dependent movement of lysosomes from the perinuclear area to the cell periphery enhanced entry. Conditions that deplete cells of peripheral lysosomes or interfere with lysosomal fusion capacity inhibited invasion. These observations reveal a novel mechanism for cell invasion:recruitment of lysosomes for fusion at the site of parasite internalization."}
{"id": "PMID:1473149", "title": "Endocytosis in yeast: evidence for the involvement of a small GTP-binding protein (Ypt7p).", "content": "From the budding yeast S. cerevisiae, we have cloned a gene, YPT7, that encodes a GTP-binding protein belonging to the Ypt family of ras-related proteins. The 208 amino acid protein shares identical effector domain and C-terminal sequences with the mammalian Rab7 protein. YPT7 gene disruption did not impair cellular growth at temperatures ranging from 17 degrees C to 37 degrees C. ypt7 null mutants are characterized by highly fragmented vacuoles and differential defects of vacuolar protein transport and maturation. The uptake of alpha factor pheromone by wild-type and Ypt7p-deficient cells was found to be indistinguishable, but in mutant cells lacking Ypt7p, degradation of the endocytosed pheromone was severely inhibited. Our findings suggest a role of Ypt7p in protein transport between endosome-like compartments."}
{"id": "PMID:1473150", "title": "YDJ1p facilitates polypeptide translocation across different intracellular membranes by a conserved mechanism.", "content": "The role of S. cerevisiae YDJ1 protein (YDJ1p) in polypeptide translocation across membranes has been examined. A conditional ydj1 mutant strain (ydj1-151TS) is defective for import of several polypeptides into mitochondria and alpha factor into the endoplasmic reticulum at 37 degrees C. These defects are suppressed by E. coli dnaJ or overexpression of S. cerevisiae SIS1 proteins. A different ydj1 mutant, which cannot be farnesylated (ydj1-S406), displays similar transport defects to the ydj1-151 strain. Furthermore, the ability of purified ydj1-151p to stimulate the ATPase activity of hsp70SSA1 was greatly diminished compared with the wild-type protein. Together, these data suggest that YDJ1p functions in polypeptide translocation in a conserved manner, probably acting at organelle membranes and in association with hsp70 proteins."}
{"id": "PMID:1473151", "title": "The cytoplasmic carboxy-terminal amino acid specifies cleavage of membrane TGF alpha into soluble growth factor.", "content": "Membrane-anchored transforming growth factor alpha (proTGF alpha) belongs to a group of transmembrane proteins whose extracellular domains are selectively cleaved and released into the medium. We demonstrate that the carboxy-terminal valine in the cytoplasmic tail of proTGF alpha is required for cleavage of the growth factor ectodomain in response to various activators. This cleavage process occurs outside Golgi or lysosomal locations, affects cell surface proTGF alpha, and requires little or no membrane traffic. We propose that cleavage and release of proTGF alpha ectodomain involve a specialized proteolytic system and depend on the recognition of a simple and specific determinant located in the proTGF alpha cytoplasmic tail."}
{"id": "PMID:1473152", "title": "Molecular characterization of the mouse agouti locus.", "content": "The agouti (a) locus acts within the microenvironment of the hair follicle to regulate coat color pigmentation in the mouse. We have characterized a gene encoding a novel 131 amino acid protein that we propose is the one gene associated with the agouti locus. This gene is normally expressed in a manner consistent with a locus function, and, more importantly, its structure and expression are affected by a number of representative alleles in the agouti dominance hierarchy. In addition, we found that the pleiotropic effects associated with the lethal yellow (Ay) mutation, which include pronounced obesity, diabetes, and the development of neoplasms, are accompanied by deregulated overexpression of the agouti gene in numerous tissues of the adult animal."}
{"id": "PMID:1473153", "title": "TAP1 mutant mice are deficient in antigen presentation, surface class I molecules, and CD4-8+ T cells.", "content": "The transporter associated with the antigen processing 1 (TAP1) gene encodes a subunit for a transporter, presumed to be involved in the delivery of peptides across the endoplasmic reticulum membrane to class I molecules. We have generated mice with a disrupted TAP1 gene using embryonic stem cell technology. TAP1-deficient mice are defective in the stable assembly and intracellular transport of class I molecules and consequently show severely reduced levels of surface class I molecules. These properties are strikingly similar to those described for the TAP2 mutant cell line RMA-S. Cells from the TAP1-deficient mice are unable to present cytosolic antigens to class I-restricted cytotoxic T cells. As predicted from the near absence of class I surface expression, TAP1-deficient mice lack CD4-8+ T cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1473154", "title": "The GCN4 basic region leucine zipper binds DNA as a dimer of uninterrupted alpha helices: crystal structure of the protein-DNA complex.", "content": "The yeast transcriptional activator GCN4 is 1 of over 30 identified eukaryotic proteins containing the basic region leucine zipper (bZIP) DNA-binding motif. We have determined the crystal structure of the GCN4 bZIP element complexed with DNA at 2.9 A resolution. The bZIP dimer is a pair of continuous alpha helices that form a parallel coiled coil over their carboxy-terminal 30 residues and gradually diverge toward their amino termini to pass through the major groove of the DNA-binding site. The coiled-coil dimerization interface is oriented almost perpendicular to the DNA axis, giving the complex the appearance of the letter T. There are no kinks or sharp bends in either bZIP monomer. Numerous contacts to DNA bases and phosphate oxygens are made by basic region residues that are conserved in the bZIP protein family. The details of the bZIP dimer interaction with DNA can explain recognition of the AP-1 site by the GCN4 protein."}
{"id": "PMID:1473155", "title": "Enhancement of the growth of human osteosarcoma cells by human interferon-gamma.", "content": "It is well known that interferons inhibit cell growth. However, we found that human interferon-gamma (HuIFN-gamma) enhanced the growth of human osteosarcoma cells, HOS-Y1 cells, in a dose-dependent manner. This enhancing effect was found only under the following conditions: when the cells were precultured for 2 or 3 days and then treated with HuIFN-gamma for 2, 3, or 4 days, and when the cells were seeded at a density of 1,000 or 2,000 cells/well. The degree of enhancement of cell growth was maximum when the cells were precultured at a density of 1,000 cells/well for 3 days and then treated with HuIFN-gamma for 2 days. The enhancing effect of HuIFN-gamma disappeared in the presence of anti-HuIFN-gamma antibody. In addition, it was found that the conditioned medium from HOS-Y1 cells enhanced the growth of HOS-Y1 cells, and that the conditioned medium from HOS-Y1 cells cultured with HuIFN-gamma enhanced the cell growth more than that from cells cultured without HuIFN-gamma. Epidermal growth factor (EGF), acidic fibroblast growth factor (aFGF), basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), and transforming growth factor-beta 1(TGF-beta 1) did not enhance the growth of HOS-Y1 cells. These results suggest that HuIFN-gamma enhanced the cell growth by augmenting the production of unknown growth factor(s) in HOS-Y1 cells via an autocrine mechanism."}
{"id": "PMID:1473156", "title": "Activation of apoalkaline phosphatase by serum albumin with Zn2+ in rat hepatoma cells.", "content": "Reuber rat hepatoma cells (R-Y121B) cultured at 0.5% serum accumulated apoalkaline phosphatase in intact cells. When R-Y121B cells were cultured in the presence of bovine serum albumin, alkaline phosphatase activity increased in the cells, and the associated increase in enzyme activity differed amongst bovine serum albumin preparations. The treatment of bovine serum albumin with activated charcoal not only enhanced the effect of serum albumin on alkaline phosphatase activity, but also cancelled the differences due to different preparations of serum albumin. In contrast, no effect from serum albumin was observed in the increase of alkaline phosphatase activity in R-Y121B cell homogenates incubated at 37 degrees C. The activated-charcoal treatment of bovine serum albumin increased the amount of Zn2+ bound to the protein. When R-Y121B cells were cultured with bovine serum albumin, the concentration of Zn2+ in the cytosol fraction slightly increased. However, the effect of serum albumin on Zn2+ concentration in the cytosol fractions was independent of charcoal treatment. It was concluded that serum albumin with Zn2+ induces the activation of apoalkaline phosphatase due to Zn2+ binding."}
{"id": "PMID:1473157", "title": "Ultrastructure of detergent-resistant cytoskeletons in the noncortical domain of sea urchin eggs as revealed by the quick-freeze deep-etch technique.", "content": "The ultrastructure of detergent-resistant cytoskeletons in the noncortical cytoplasm of sea urchin eggs was studied by quick-freeze, deep-etch electron microscopy. Two different cytoskeletal organizations were identified in the detergent-treated sea urchin eggs. They were distinguished by the presence or the absence of long actin filaments and probably correspond to the cortex and the noncortical cytoplasm, respectively. The non-cortical cytoplasm was composed of a complex network (designated here as the ground network) of filaments 6 to 13 nm in diameter, that interconnected aggregates of small globular materials, yolk granules and a meshwork of uniform filaments (8-9 nm in diameter). The 6 to 13 nm filaments comprising the ground network were branched and associated with filaments of the same or other sizes, resulting in the formation of an extremely complex network. The meshwork of 8-9 nm filaments was homogeneous in composition and constitutes a novel structure which has not been previously described. The 8-9 nm filaments were connected to one another at their ends, forming a meshwork of polygons. Meshworks, ranging up to 3 microns in diameter, were distributed throughout the non-cortical cytoplasm of the egg. Similar cytoplasmic structures were also observed in fertilized eggs."}
{"id": "PMID:1473158", "title": "Immunocytochemical study of recombinant terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT) synthesized by baculovirus-infected insect cells.", "content": "The ability to overproduce terminal transferase through recombinant DNA technology should provide alternate means for generating sufficient quantities for structural and mechanistic study of this creative DNA polymerase. In this work we have investigated, at electron microscope level, the morphological modification and ultrastructural localization of synthesized human terminal transferase occurring in Sf-9 cells during recombinant baculovirus infection time. The results obtained showed that TdT is localized and stored only at the cytoplasmic level; the nucleus did not show any specific site able to link the neosynthesized TdT. The amount of the enzyme, estimate by immunostaining analysis, increased with the viral infection time. Morphological changes occurring during viral infection consist mainly of variations of cellular surface, different size and shape of cytoplasmic organelles and modification of nuclear components."}
{"id": "PMID:1473159", "title": "Effects of fibronectin-type V collagen recombinant fusion protein on cell adhesion and cell proliferation.", "content": "An expression vector pTF7520-Col-V-In, which encodes a fusion protein of the cell-binding domain of fibronectin (C277) and the insulin- and heparin-binding domain of the alpha 1 chain of human type V collagen, was constructed. E. coli transfected with this plasmid synthesized a 50-kDa fusion protein. This fusion protein, C277-V, was purified from the crude extract by a single step heparin HPLC. Similar amounts of insulin bound to purified C277-V and to the alpha 1 chain of type V collagen as judged by the binding of peroxidase-conjugated insulin. Cell-adhesive activity of C277-V was lower than that of the original fibronectin fragment C274, but similar numbers of cells adhered to both protein substrates when the culture dishes were coated with 1 mM of each protein. Insulin bound to the C277-V substratum stimulated the growth of mouse mammary tumor MTD cells in serum-free culture medium."}
{"id": "PMID:1473160", "title": "Expression of a 66-kD heat shock protein associated with the process of cyst formation of a true slime mold, Physarum polycephalum.", "content": "Under unfavorable conditions for growth, haploid myxoamoebae of Physarum polycephalum retracted their pseudopodia and changed their cell shape into disk-like form, after which they constructed the cell walls to form microcysts. These morphological changes of haploid cells were associated with changes in intracellular distribution of actin filaments. Staining with phalloidin showed that actin filaments were almost uniformly distributed throughout the cytoplasm of the myxoamoebae. When these cells were transferred to a cyst-inducing medium, the actin structures changed into short rods or dots, after which the rods/dots disappeared in the microcysts. An incubation of the myxoamoebae in the cyst-inducing medium caused the synthesis of several proteins, among which a 66-kD protein was most prominently induced. The morphological changes and the induction of the 66-kD protein was pronounced at elevated temperatures, e.g. 40 degrees C. The 66-kD protein was not induced, however, when plasmodia of the same species were incubated at 40 degrees C. We found that the 66-kD protein was co-precipitated with polymerized actin and bound to ATP-agarose. A double staining of the disk-shaped cells with anti-66-kD protein antibody and phalloidin revealed superimposable localization of the 66-kD protein and actin filaments in the short rods or dots. Although the induction of the 66-kD protein was enhanced at high temperatures, the protein was immunologically unrelated to the common heat shock proteins, HSP70 and HSP90, those are highly conserved during evolution. These results indicate that the 66-kD protein is a novel heat shock protein which is specifically expressed during cyst formation."}
{"id": "PMID:1473161", "title": "Penetration of Toxoplasma gondii into host cells induces changes in the distribution of the mitochondria and the endoplasmic reticulum.", "content": "Fluorescence microscopy, using dyes which specifically label mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum and the Golgi complex, and transmission electron microscopy, were used to analyze the changes which occur in the organization of these structures during interaction of Toxoplasma gondii with host cells. In uninfected cells the mitochondria are long filamentous structures which radiate from the nuclear region toward the cell periphery. After parasite penetration they become shorter and tend to concentrate around the parasite-containing vacuole (parasitophorous vacuole) located in the cytoplasm of the host cell. The mitochondria of extracellular parasites, but not of those located within the parasitophorous vacuole, were also stained by rhodamine 123. Labeling with DiOC6, which binds to elements of the endoplasmic reticulum, in association with transmission electron microscopy, revealed a concentration of this structure around the parasitophorous vacuole. The membrane lining this vacuole was also stained, suggesting that components of the endoplasmic reticulum are also incorporated into this membrane. The Golgi complex, as revealed by staining with NBD-ceramide and electron microscopy, maintains its perinuclear position throughout the evolution of the intracellular parasitism."}
{"id": "PMID:1473162", "title": "Relationship between direction of rolling and yawing of golden hamster and sea urchin spermatozoa.", "content": "As a first step towards understanding the function and mechanism of spiral movement of spermatozoa swimming through a medium, the direction of rolling (rotational movement of the spermatozoa around their long axis) and that of yawing (circular motion of spermatozoa upon the surface of a glass microscope slide and coverslip) were examined for golden hamster and sea urchin spermatozoa. Most golden hamster spermatozoa yawed clockwise over the upper surface of a glass slide when viewed from above, whereas in most sea urchin spermatozoa yawing was counterclockwise. Under the lower surface of a coverslip, the direction of yaw of golden hamster or of sea urchin spermatozoa was reversed. Most golden hamster spermatozoa rolled counterclockwise as seen from the anterior end, whereas all examined sea urchin spermatozoa rolled clockwise relative to the observer. On the basis of quantitative analysis of the proportion of spermatozoa rolling (or yawing) clockwise to those rolling (or yawing) counterclockwise, a close relationship between the direction of rolling motion and that of yawing motion was shown for both golden hamster and sea urchin spermatozoa."}
{"id": "PMID:1473163", "title": "[Gestrinone in the therapy of sterility due to endometriosis].", "content": "Thirty-two infertile women with laparoscopic diagnosis of asymptomatic pelvic endometriosis were treated with gestrinone 2.5 mg twice weekly for 6 months. Subsequently, a second-look laparoscopy was performed in all of them. All of the patients were followed for at least 12 months after the end of treatment, during which time they attempted to conceive. Ten (31.25%) from all 32 treated women became pregnant. The highest incidence of pregnancy was in the stage I (12.5%) and II (12.5%) (rAFS) of endometriosis, a half of them in stage III (6.25%) and no pregnancy was recorded in the stage IV found prior to the beginning of therapy. There was no statistically significant (chi 2-test) relationship between the reduction of laparoscopic findings (defined as a visual extermination or as a decrease in staging of endometriosis) and pregnancy. In 19 (59.4%) from 32 treated women the stage of endometriosis remained unchanged, in 9 (28.3%) it was reduced by one up to three stages and in 4 (12.5%) the endometriosis was visually eliminated. In no case the staging of endometriosis was worsened during therapy. Gestrinone was well tolerated. In no one of patients it was necessary to interrupt the treatment untimely."}
{"id": "PMID:1473164", "title": "[Lynestrenol and allylestrenol in the therapy of postmenopausal hot flushes].", "content": "In a parallel randomized placebo controlled clinical trial the authors tested two synthetic gestagens--allylestrenol and lynestrenol--in the treatment of postmenopausal flushes. Both preparations were administered during a six-week period in rapidly declining doses. Allylestrenol was administered in initial doses of 30 mg/d, after five days the doses were reduced so that after 15 days a daily dose of 5 mg was reached. The initial dose of lynestrenol was 10 mg/d with a similar gradual decline to 1.25 mg per day. The trial comprised 42 women with menopausal flushes after a natural or artificial menopause (castration). Both preparations improved the subjective condition of the patients and reduced the gonadotropic production significantly better than placebo (p < 0.05). Subjective relief after lynestrenol was recorded after the second week of therapy, in allylestrenol only after the sixth week when the effects of the two preparations were equal and significantly better than after placebo. Suppression of gonadotropin production was similar after both preparation but with a more rapid onset after lynestrenol and a more prolonged effect after allylestrenol even after significant reduction of the doses. No serious undesirable effects were recorded, no changes in indicators of liver functions or serum lipids incl. the HDL/LDL ratio. Endometrial bleeding after administration of hormones was not more frequent than after placebo. In the discussion the authors analyze some aspect of treatment of the climacteric syndrome by means of these hormones. Allylestrenol in particular is an interesting gestagen due to its inherent oestrogenic effect in the absence of an androgenic effect."}
{"id": "PMID:1473165", "title": "[Anti-sperm antibodies in women and men in infertile marriages].", "content": "The authors examined the serum of 76 women and 33 men from infertile marriages for the presence of antispermatozoal antibodies. Seropositivity was revealed in 19 women (25%) and in 12 men (36%). In control groups of healthy men and women seropositivity was substantially less frequent. In women the difference was statistically significant, but not in men. The ELISA method which was applied for examination appears to be a useful tool for screening of immunological factors of infertility, in particular in couples who where infertile for prolonged periods and where no unequivocal cause of infertility was found. Only more detailed comprehensive examination can explain immunologically conditioned cases of infertility and lead to selection of an optimal therapeutic strategy."}
{"id": "PMID:1473166", "title": "[Immunoreactivity of Mycoplasma hominis PG21 antigens and human sperm antigens].", "content": "The authors selected from the WHO bank for reproductive immunology ten sera containing concurrently antispermatozoal antibodies and antibodies against Mycoplasma hominis PG21. By absorption examination of selective sera with a different concentration (10(9)/ml, 3.10(8)/ml, 10(8)/ml) of human spermatozoa and a rinsed sonicate of Mycoplasma hominis PG21 in dilutions of 1:20, 1:80, 1:320 the authors did not find a crossed immunoreactivity between sperm antigens and mycoplasmic antigens."}
{"id": "PMID:1473174", "title": "Mechanism of resistance to sulphite in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.", "content": "Growth inhibition and cell killing caused by sulphite were reduced in seven Saccharomyces cerevisiae sulphite-resistant independent mutants, compared to their parental strains. Genetic analysis showed that in the seven mutants resistance was inherited as a single-gene dominant mutation and that all the analyzed mutations were allelic, thus identifying a major gene responsible for sulphite resistance in S. cerevisiae. Two of the mutants, MBS20-9 and MBS30, were further characterized. 35S-sulphite uptake experiments showed that the ability to accumulate sulphite was markedly reduced in the two resistant strains. No difference between resistant and sensitive strains with respect to glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase sensitivity to sulphite, or to intracellular glutathione content, were revealed. In contrast, the extracellular acetaldehyde concentration was higher in the resistant mutants, both in the presence and in the absence of sulphite."}
{"id": "PMID:1473175", "title": "Genetic diversity of the yeast Candida utilis.", "content": "The electrophoretic karyotypes and some mtDNA restriction fragment patterns of 13 strains of Candida utilis and one strain of Hansenula jadinii were compared. PFGE separations revealed remarkable chromosome length polymorphisms between two groups of strains suggesting that perhaps they do not belong to the same species. However, all strains had the same or similar EcoRI, HindIII and BamHI mtDNA restriction patterns. The mtDNA genomes had an average size range of 55 kb. These results support the supposition that C. utilis is a yeast with a highly variable electrophoretic karyotype as already known for another imperfect yeast species, Candida albicans."}
{"id": "PMID:1473176", "title": "Sequence analysis of the glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase genes from the basidiomycetes Schizophyllum commune, Phanerochaete chrysosporium and Agaricus bisporus.", "content": "GPD genes encoding glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase were isolated from the homobasidiomycetes Schizophyllum commune, Phanerochaete chrysosporium and Agaricus bisporus. All three species contain one transcriptionally active GPD gene, but A. bisporus also contains an inactive GPD gene (tandemly linked to the active gene). These genes contain 5-9 introns located at conserved positions, differing (except in one case) from intron positions in ascomycetous GPD genes. The predicted amino-acid sequences of the proteins encoded by the three active GPD genes are highly homologous. A comparison with protein sequences from filamentous ascomycetes shows a clear distinction, whereas the GPD genes from ascomycetous yeasts are quite distinct from both the filamentous ascomycetes and basidiomycetes. Promoter regions of ascomycetous GPD genes do not correspond to those of the GPD genes of basidiomycetes which may (partly) explain poor expression in basidiomycetes of introduced genes driven by an ascomycete GPD promoter."}
{"id": "PMID:1473177", "title": "The 5S ribosomal RNA gene is linked to large and small subunit ribosomal RNA genes in the oomycetes, Phytophthora vignae, P. cinnamomi, P. megasperma f.sp. glycinea and Saprolegnia ferax.", "content": "Southern hybridization and polymerase chain reaction data indicate that the 5S ribosomal RNA gene is linked to the ribosomal RNA gene repeat unit in the oomycetes, Phytophthora vignae, P. cinnamomi, P. megasperma f.sp. glycinea and Saprolegnia ferax, and is apparently transcribed in the same direction as the large and small subunit ribosomal RNA genes. The polymerase chain reaction has been used to amplify all components of the entire ribosomal RNA gene repeat unit for each of these oomycetes. The total size of all amplified products is identical to the size of the ribosomal RNA gene repeat unit, as determined by Southern analysis."}
{"id": "PMID:1473178", "title": "Mitochondrial DNA loss by yeast reentry-mutant cells conditionally unable to proliferate from stationary phase.", "content": "Double-mutant cells of the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae harboring the gcs1-1 and sed1-1 mutations are conditionally defective (cold-sensitive) only for reentry into the mitotic cycle from stationary phase. If already proliferating at the permissive temperature (29 degrees C), these reentry-mutant cells continue to proliferate when transferred to the restrictive temperature of 14 degrees C, but under these conditions reentry-mutant cells lose mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). In addition, upon exhaustion of the nutrient supply at 14 degrees C, these reentry-mutant cells entered stationary phase at a decreased cell concentration and did not accumulate the reserve carbohydrates trehalose and glycogen. Both of these deficiencies were due to the loss of mtDNA, as shown by the responses of wild-type cells also lacking mtDNA. Mitochondrial status did not affect other aspects of the reentry-mutant phenotype. Although mitochondrial activity and the accumulation of carbohydrate reserves are typical features of cells in stationary phase, the reentry-mutant phenotype reveals that neither entry into nor exit from stationary phase need involve mitochondrial function."}
{"id": "PMID:1473179", "title": "Evolutionary analysis of the plastid-encoded gene for the alpha subunit of the DNA-dependent RNA polymerase of Pyrenomonas salina (Cryptophyceae).", "content": "The nucleotide sequence of the gene coding for the plastid-encoded alpha subunit of DNA-dependent RNA polymerase from the cryptomonad alga Pyrenomonas salina was determined. The deduced amino-acid sequence, corresponding to a 35.2 kDa polypeptide, was compared to homologues from other organisms. Evolutionary relationships were analyzed in detail by the parsimony method together with bootstrap analysis. The deduced phylogenetic tree shows that the cryptomonad gene is the most ancient type of known plastid-encoded RNA polymerase."}
{"id": "PMID:1473180", "title": "The influence of the Ustilago maydis REC1 gene on plasmid-chromosome recombination.", "content": "The REC1 gene of U. maydis has an important but ill-defined role in DNA recombination and repair. We have examined its role in plasmid-chromosome recombination. Plasmid DNA was linearized at various locations with respect to the cloned U. maydis PYR3 gene and introduced into cells by transformation. Chromosomal integration and repair by an homologous cross-over with plasmid containing a double-strand break or gap in the PYR3 gene was markedly reduced in the absence of the REC1 gene product. Homologous replacement of the chromosomal pyr3-1 allele by a single copy of wild-type sequences from plasmid cut outside PYR3 was not found in the absence of the REC1 product. Instead, novel transformants generated in its absence suggests that ligation plays a role in their generation."}
{"id": "PMID:1473181", "title": "The linear mitochondrial plasmid pAL2-1 of a long-lived Podospora anserina mutant is an invertron encoding a DNA and RNA polymerase.", "content": "The molecular characterization of an additional DNA species (pAL2-1) which was identified previously in a long-lived extrachromosomal mutant (AL2) of Podospora anserina revealed that this element is a mitochondrial linear plasmid. pAL2-1 is absent from the corresponding wild-type strain, has a size of 8395 bp and contains perfect long terminal inverted repeats (TIRs) of 975 bp. Exonuclease digestion experiments indicated that proteins are covalently bound at the 5' termini of the plasmid. Two long, non-overlapping open reading frames, ORF1 (3,594 bp) and ORF2 (2847 bp), have been identified, which are located on opposite strands and potentially encode a DNA and an RNA polymerase, respectively. The ORF1-encoded polypeptide contains three conserved regions which may be responsible for a 3'-5' exonuclease activity and the typical consensus sequences for DNA polymerases of the D type. In addition, an amino-acid sequence motif (YSRLRT), recently shown to be conserved in terminal proteins from various bacteriophages, has been identified in the amino-terminal part of the putative protein. According to these properties, this first linear plasmid identified in P. anserina shares all characteristics with invertrons, a group of linear mobile genetic elements."}
{"id": "PMID:1473182", "title": "The Candida albicans PMM1 gene encoding phosphomannomutase complements a Saccharomyces cerevisiae sec 53-6 mutation.", "content": "We have constructed an ordered-array genomic DNA library of the pathogenic dimorphic fungus Candida albicans which facilitates the rapid cloning of C. albicans genes by hybridisation. Using the Saccharomyces cerevisiae SEC53 gene encoding phosphomannomutase as a hybridisation probe we have cloned the C. albicans homologue, PMM1, and determined its sequence. This gene shows high similarity, both at the nucleotide (76.2%) and amino-acid (77.7%) level, to the S. cerevisiae SEC53 gene. We have used the C. albicans PMM1 gene, in single copy, to transform temperature-sensitive S. cerevisiae sec53-6 mutant cells, which are defective in PMM activity at 37 degrees C, to growth at 37 degrees C. The C. albicans PMM1 gene is thus the structural and functional equivalent of the SEC53 gene."}
{"id": "PMID:1473183", "title": "Genome organization of mitochondrial DNA from the non-saccharomycete yeast Arxula adeninivorans LS3.", "content": "Mitochondrial (mt) DNA of the asexual ascomycetous yeast Arxula adeninivorans LS3 was isolated and characterized. The mtDNA has a GC content of 30.3 mol%. It is circular and its size, as estimated by restriction analysis performed with nine endonucleases, was 35.5 kbp. Using mt gene-probes from Saccharomyces cerevisiae six structural genes (cob, cox1, cox2, oli1, oli2, and 21S rRNA) were located on the mitochondrial genome of A. adeninivorans. The comparison between the mt genomes of A. adeninivorans and other yeasts showed differences in genome organization."}
{"id": "PMID:1473184", "title": "[Pathological and immunohistochemical study on 63 cases of brain metastases from the lung].", "content": "Pathologic analysis of 63 cases of brain metastases from lung was reported. The specimens of all cases were labelled by 4 antibodies (HLC3-AB, CEA, Keratin, GFAP), by means of ABC method. According to our data, brain metastases from lung accounted for 50.4% of whole brain metastases. Lobus frontalis was the most common intracranial metastatic site of lung cancer. Four histopathological types were classified: adenocarcinoma (55.6%), undifferentiated carcinoma (17.4%), adenosquamous carcinoma (14.3%) and squamous cell carcinoma (12.7%). The immunohistochemical results showed that HLC3-AB is a helpful marker in identifying brain metastases from lung cancer. GFAP showed negative in malignant cells but positive in stroma. This result suggested that the stroma of brain metastases contains ingredients originating from astro-gliofibre."}
{"id": "PMID:1473185", "title": "[Diagnostic study of pulmonary mass under ultrasonography guided aspiration biopsy by four types of needle].", "content": "One hundred and thirty patients with pulmonary mass were studied under ultrasonography guided aspiration biopsy by four types of needle. The cytological positive cases were 57.1% in fine needle (22G), 79.6% in large needle (18G), 90.9% in canaliculated needle (18G) and 80.9% in cutting needle (14G), and the pathological positive cases were 0, 64.4%, 86.3% and 92.8% respectively. These data showed that the positive rate of fine needle puncture was the lowest one. Based on the pathological finding, canaliculated and cutting needle seem to be better than large one and it is the best choice to perform the pulmonary aspiration biopsy."}
{"id": "PMID:1473186", "title": "[Measurement of right and left heart function of COPD and cor pulmonale by radionuclide ventriculography].", "content": "Non-invasive measurements of right and left ventricular ejection fraction (RVEF, LVEF) by multiple-gated equilibrium radionuclide ventriculography were performed in 19 control subjects, 55 patients with COPD and cor pulmonale, simultaneous right heart catheterizations were performed in 10 patients with cor pulmonale to determine the mean pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP), and then, the acute hemodynamic and functional effects of nifedipine were evaluated. The mean RVEFs are different significantly among the various groups. With the development of the diseases, the RVEFs reduce gradually. The mean LVEF reduces significantly in cor pulmonale patients with heart failure. The RVEF correlated negatively to mPAP (r = -0.7047, P < 0.01). After nifedipine (20mg), the RVEF and mPAP do not change significantly (P > 0.05), but the artery blood pressure reduces significantly. We conclude that the equilibrium radionuclide ventriculography may be a useful and accurate method in diagnosing early cor pulmonale and cor pulmonale with right heart failure, and nifedipine may not be a good vasodilator for pulmonary hypertension."}
{"id": "PMID:1473187", "title": "[Effects of diprophylline on pulmonary hypertension in patients with chronic pulmonary disease].", "content": "The present study was undertaken to evaluate the short-term effects of diprophylline on hemodynamic and gases exchange in 10 patients in stable condition with chronic pulmonary disease. Diprophylline decreased the pulmonary vascular resistance by markedly reducing the mean pulmonary arterial pressure but didn't change cardiac output significantly. Diprophylline also caused a significant decrease in arterial carbon dioxide tension, but there was no significant difference between the level of PaO2, SaO2 and A-aDo2 before and after the administration of diprophylline."}
{"id": "PMID:1473188", "title": "[Examination of maximum transdiaphragmatic pressure, diaphragm electromyography in patients with obstructive emphysema].", "content": "This paper reported the methods and results of maximum transdiaphragmatic pressure (Pdi max) and diaphragm electromyography (EMGdi) in 16 patients with obstructive emphysema. A correlation analysis showed that Pdimax is negatively related to PaCO2, FRC%, and positively to VC, IC, FVC and MVV closely. Diaphragmatic fatigue was induced by inspiratory resistive loaded breathing with the parameters of 60% Pdimax and 5 minutes lasting. The influential effects and clinical value of diaphragm examination were discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1473189", "title": "[Studies of bronchoalveolar lavage cells during the airborne Klebsiella pneumoniae infection in immunocompromised mice].", "content": "We compared immunocompromised mice with normal mice during the airborne Klebsiella pneumoniae (KP) infection, to study the course and developing mechanisms of KP pneumonia. There are significant difference in the number and peaking time of PMN, the number of lymphocytes and plasma cells in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluids of different mice groups. These results indicate that the interference of immune specific and nonspecific host responses is an important variable in antibiotic efficacy and the existence of an immunomodulating cytokine network was suggested."}
{"id": "PMID:1473190", "title": "[The clinical significance of red cell immune adherence function in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis and silicotuberculosis].", "content": "In our study, we observed that (1) High RCIA were discovered in these two groups. (2) In the group of pulmonary tuberculosis, the C3b receptor activities remained no change after antituberculous therapy, but the amounts of immune complexes bearing on RBC decreased. In the patients with the high RCIA, CIC was discharged rapidly and the lesions of tissue produced by CIC were prevented. In the patients with silicotuberculosis, both silica and tuberculous bacilli may act as immune adjuvant and enhance the hypersensitivity. So the C3b receptor activities were higher in silicotuberculosis patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1473191", "title": "[The surgical emergent therapy for massive hemoptysis in 52 cases].", "content": "The result of surgical emergent operation in 52 cases with massive hemoptysis failed by medical therapy was reported. Hemoptysis ceased in 51 of the 52 cases. One patient died after operation, giving a mortality rate of 1.9%. Other complications were occurred in two patients, but none was bronchial fistula. The complication rate was 3.8%. The surgical indication of this series would include: (1) The amount of hemoptysis more than 600 ml per 24 h, failed by medical treatment. (2) Massive hemoptysis repeated or a history of suffocation. (3) Irreversible lesion in the lung with the bleeding site identified accurately. (4) The general condition and vital organs of the patient would permit surgical therapy. Various types of pulmonary resection with successful results should be selected."}
{"id": "PMID:1473193", "title": "Chronolab: an interactive software package for chronobiologic time series analysis written for the Macintosh computer.", "content": "Methods based on periodic regression have been designed for the detection of periodic components in short, noisy, and nonequidistant time series (as they are usually present in medicine and biology). The procedure consists of fitting a set of (cosine) curves to the data, with the analyst choosing the domain of trial periods to be analyzed and the distance between consecutive trial periods. We here describe an interactive program for least-squares rhythmometry written in C language for the Macintosh computer. For any given number of time series to be analyzed at once, the program is able to perform two different kinds of analyses: (a) linear in time, for the sequential fit of trial periods; and (b) linear in frequency, for the sequential fit of harmonic components from an initial fundamental period. For each series and for each trial period fitted to the data, the program gives the following information: fitted period; percent rhythm; p value from testing the assumption of zero amplitude; rhythm-adjusted mean or mesor, amplitude, and acrophase, each with corresponding standard errors and 95% confidence intervals when the component is statistically significant; and (when required by the analyst) p values from tests of sinusoidality, normality of residuals, and homogeneity of variance. Additionally, the program provides a summary report for each time series analyzed, including descriptive statistics such as the number of data analyzed for that series, minimum, maximum, arithmetic mean, standard deviation, standard error, 90% range, and 50% range. The analyst is also able to transform the data before doing any rhythmometric analysis. Transformations already integrated in the program include square root, logarithm, inverse, data as percentage of mean, data as percentage of mesor, and elimination of values outside +/- 3 SD from the mean. When several periods are suspected to be statistically significant, a multiple-component analysis can be also used by the concomitant least-squares fit of several harmonics. The program allows the simultaneous analysis of several periods in several variables from several individuals, with limitations depending solely on internal memory availability and speed requirements from the user. When series from different subjects or different variables in the same subject are available for analysis, a parameter test also included in the program can be used for comparison of rhythm characteristics at any given period. All information required in a single analysis is given by the analyst in the form of self-explanatory commands grouped in different \"menus.\"(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1473194", "title": "Pinealectomy and LL abolished circadian perching rhythms but did not alter circannual reproductive or fattening rhythms in finches.", "content": "In the subtropical finch, spotted munia (Lonchura punctulata), circanual rhythms (of gonads, fattening, feeding) have been demonstrated in an information-free environment of continuous illumination (LL), rendering it an ideal model for research on the physiology of the circannual clock. In an attempt to understand the involvement, if any, of the circadian system in the genesis of circannual rhythms, we studied the effect of pinealectomy (LL 15 lux) and strong continuous illumination (LL 300 lux), both known to abolish circadian rhythms, on the circadian perch-hopping rhythm and on the circannual rhythm of reproduction and fattening in the same birds. While both pinealectomy and LL 300 lux treatments abolished the circadian rhythm of motor activity, they had no effect on the circannual rhythms of gonadal size and fattening. If the endogenous circadian rhythm in perch-hopping can be taken to reflect the circadian clock mechanism associated with gonadal functioning, present results suggest that circannual rhythm of reproduction in spotted munia is independent of circadian events."}
{"id": "PMID:1473195", "title": "Time and sex in the male mouse: temporal regulation of infanticide and parental behavior.", "content": "Infanticide is a violent but successful reproductive strategy found in many mammals, particularly rodents. In male house mice (Mus domesticus and M. musculus), the act of ejaculation provides a reliable neural signal for timing the birth of their offspring. However, a unique chronobiological aspect of this phenomenon is the extraordinary temporal latency that can occur between the stimulus (coital ejaculation) and its adaptive neural response (male mice cease killing pups and behave parentally toward them instead). Specifically, the inhibition of infanticide is often time delayed for many days after a male ejaculates, but virtually always occurs before or around the time his own sired offspring would be born 18-20 days later. Furthermore, infanticide spontaneously reemerges 50-60 days after mating. In CF-1 stock male mice this entire behavioral sequence is synchronized with the female's reproductive cycle, and occurs even in the total absence of social cues or changes in pituitary or gonadal hormones after mating. When entrained and mated at 22 h (light:dark 11:11) or 27 h (light:dark 13.5:13.5) T-cycles, photoperiodic cues appeared to synchronize this dramatic shift in behavior, because a sudden transition from pup killing to parenting was matched with the number of light/dark cycles experienced after ejaculation rather than the amount of real time experienced, suggesting a circadian timing link. Housing in constant light accelerated the postmating transition to parenting, whereas constant dark significantly delayed the transition to parenting, but still occurred by 3 weeks after mating. Most males tend to oscillate between infanticide and parental behavior for several days before locking in to constant parenting, regardless of lighting conditions. Variation in the time delay between ejaculation and the inhibition of infanticide was consistent within young individuals (< 10 months of age), but in older males (> 18 months of age) the time interval between ejaculation and parenting was significantly prolonged and attenuated. Another unique aspect of this phenomenon is that variation among individuals in their timing and response to light cues is correlated with phenotypic variation in sex steroid exposure during late fetal development. So far, no simple physiological explanation can account for the neural mechanism triggered by ejaculation that coordinates these time-delayed behavioral changes toward pups."}
{"id": "PMID:1473196", "title": "Chronopharmacology of methotrexate pharmacokinetics in childhood leukemia.", "content": "Survival has been shown to improve when maintenance therapy for acute lymphocytic leukemia in children is given at night rather during the day. We examined the possibility that diurnal variation in methotrexate pharmacokinetics may contribute to this improvement. In a crossover study, we determined the pharmacokinetics of intravenous methotrexate at 10:00 and 21:00 h in six children with standard or high-risk leukemia. During the study, children refrained from concomitant drugs (6-mercaptopurine and trimethoprim sulfamethoxazole). There was a significant fall in methotrexate plasma clearance at night (from 5.6 +/- 3 ml/min/kg to 4.7 +/- 2.3 ml/min/kg p < 0.05). Renal clearance of methotrexate tended to decrease at night and unbound renal clearance decreased significantly (from 17.5 +/- 1.7 ml/min/kg to 8.5 +/- 3.6 ml/min/kg p < 0.05). Creatinine clearance did not exhibit diurnal variation, when comparing two 12-h collections, but there was a significant decrease in the nonglomerular clearance of methotrexate (from 14.8 +/- 5.2 to 6 +/- 4 ml/min/kg). Because it is a weak organic acid, the tubular secretion of methotrexate depends on urinary pH. At night urinary pH is more acidic. This may result in more reabsorption and hence reduced renal clearance."}
{"id": "PMID:1473197", "title": "Diurnal variation in mental activities of French pupils and influence of test protocol.", "content": "The aim of the study was to determine the influence of the test protocol (individual vs. group) on the diurnal variations in mental activity of 18 11-year-old pupils. Number cancellation, a spatial orientation test, and mathematical problems were tested four times on three successive Fridays at 08:45, 11:15, 13:45 and 16:45 h. On the first and third Fridays the tests were performed on the group of subjects, whereas individual subjects were tested on the second Friday. Results indicated a possible influence of the test protocol (individual vs. group) on intellectual rhythmicity. Only in the group protocol did we find the psychological profile which is normally observed, namely, a performance increase during the morning, a postlunch fall, and then an increase in the afternoon. We suggest the existence of some group effect in these performance tests."}
{"id": "PMID:1473198", "title": "Circadian rhythm in plasma noradrenaline of healthy sleep-deprived subjects.", "content": "Under normal sleep-wake conditions, noradrenaline (NA) secretions in supine subjects exhibit a weak circadian variation with a peak that occurs around noon; the sleep span is characterized by reduced NA secretion. Some investigators have reported that the circadian NA rhythm is completely obliterated during sleep deprivation. In our laboratory, plasma NA was assayed every hour for 24 h in nine healthy men 20-23 years of age. All men were deprived of sleep and were required to eat and walk around every hour to prevent sleep. However, subjects remained supine for 20 min before blood samples were collected to eliminate the effect of activity. Persistence of a slight decrease in the night concentration in several subjects, despite sleep deprivation, suggests that NA secretion may be influenced by a biological clock whose activity becomes visible when the influence of posture is removed."}
{"id": "PMID:1473199", "title": "Circadian phase-dependent protein and tissular binding of three local anesthetics (bupivacaine, etidocaine, and mepivacaine) in mice: a possible mechanism of their chronotoxicokinetics?", "content": "The aim of this study was to investigate the possible influence of the time of administration on bupivacaine (B), etidocaine (E), and mepivacaine (M) protein and tissue (brain and heart) binding. For each anesthetic agent, a single dose of B (20 mg/kg), E (40 mg/kg), or M (60 mg/kg) was administered intraperitoneally at 10:00, 16:00, 22:00, and 04:00 h. Blood and tissue samples were collected 15 min after drug administration. This study documents significant circadian variations in protein and tissue binding of the three local anesthetic agents. We did not demonstrate a temporal relationship between the respective free and tissue levels. Thus, the temporal variations of free plasma, brain, and heart levels do not seem to be involved in the temporal changes of induced mortality."}
{"id": "PMID:1473202", "title": "[A morphometric grading study on the nucleus shape and DNA-content of transitional cell carcinoma of urinary bladder].", "content": "Totally 30 cases of TCC of the urinary bladder were analyzed with IBAS-2000 image analysis system. The nuclear area, perimeter, ellipse factor, etc and nucleus DNA content were measured. The morphometric grading was performed with five correlative factors for classification. They are nucleus perimeter, nucleus ellipse factor, DNA SDE, probability of the cells in C6 zone DNA and probability of the cells in C8 zone DNA. The coincident rate between morphometric grading and WHO grading was 88.9% in G1, 66.7% in G2, and 83.3% in G3. The results indicate that morphometric analysis is a valuable tool in the objective grading of bladder carcinoma."}
{"id": "PMID:1473203", "title": "[Ultrastructural and morphometric studies on lesions in experimental membranous glomerulonephritis (MGN) of rabbits].", "content": "Lesions of experimental MGN in rabbits were studied by transmission and scanning electron microscopy, and the size of epithelial deposits as well as the thickness of GBM were measured by using stereological quantitative method in image analysis system. Results showed that changes of the morphological parameters could be measured and analysed objectively with accuracy. Morphometric study is beneficial to investigate the relationship between morphological lesions and functional changes, and it can also provide quantitative data of the morphological change in evaluating the curative effect of drugs for glomerulonephritis."}
{"id": "PMID:1473204", "title": "[The effect of transfused marrow monocytes on Masugi nephritis in rabbits with radiation injury].", "content": "Sheep anti-rabbit glomerular basement membrane serum (NTS) was given to 2 groups of rabbits with a dosage of 0.8ml/kg for establishing model of crescentic glomerulonephritis. Seven days after the inoculation each rabbit received 800 rad whole body gamma-radiation in order to deplete the circulating leukocytes. Another 2 days later, all of the rabbits in group 1 received 10(8) cultivated rabbit marrow monocytes, while in group 2 nothing was given. In group 1, predominant infiltration of macrophages and cellularly crescents were obtained in the glomeruli 7 days after the administration of the cultivated cells. The Bowman's capsules were broken with crescents formation. In rabbits of group 2, there were swellings of some epithelia and endothelial cells and crescents were scanty. The result proves that the macrophages are the main factors during the formation of crescent."}
{"id": "PMID:1473205", "title": "[HLA-DR expression on hepatic cells in hepatitis B].", "content": "HLA-DR immunohistochemistry of 110 liver biopsies including 85 hepatitis (in 7 of them immunoelectron microscopy was done), 15 other liver diseases and 10 normal livers were studied. In the hepatitis group, Kupffer cells, sinusoidal walls, inflammatory cells and necrotic areas were strongly positive for HLA-DR; whereas in other liver diseases, they were only weakly positive. In hepatitis, CAH showed the strongest staining and a \"reticular pattern\". Expression of HLA-DR on hepatocyte membrane was only found in a few hepatocytes. In 5 cases of double labelling, no significant relation between HLA-DR and HBcAg was found. Immune EM identified both membrane and cytoplasm of Kupffer cells to be HLA-DR positive. Hepatocytes in focal necrosis and submassive necrosis were positive, especially in the endoplasmic reticulum. Between some hepatocytes, consecutive positive lines were found indicating that the membrane of hepatocyte could express HLA-DR."}
{"id": "PMID:1473206", "title": "[The effect of fluorine on the developing human brain].", "content": "Fifteen therapeutically aborted fetuses at the 5th-8th gestation month from the endemic fluorosis area were compared with those from the non-endemic area. Stereological study of the brains showed that the numerical density of volume of the neurons and the undifferentiated neuroblasts as well as the nucleus-cytoplasm ratio of the neurons were increased. The mean volume of the neurons was reduced. The numerical density of volume, the volume density and the surface density of the mitochondria were significantly reduced. The results showed that chronic fluorosis in the course of intrauterine fetal life may produce certain harmful effects on the developing brain of the fetus."}
{"id": "PMID:1473207", "title": "[The stereological study on normal and intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) placentas].", "content": "The stereological study was carried out in 8 normal and 22 IUGR placentas through Image Analysis System of Cambridge Instruments Quantimet 970 and 10 indices were analysed. The results showed that in the IUGR group the placental indices of total surface area of acroteric villus, total volume of intervillous space, volume density of fetal capillaries, total volume of fetal capillaries and surface area density of vasculo-syncytial membrane were significantly reduced than those in the normal group. The vasculo-syncytial membrane became significantly thick in the IUGR placental group. It was confirmed that a close relation exists between IUGR and placental quantitative changes. The major pathological findings of the placenta were prematuration and hypoplasia."}
{"id": "PMID:1473208", "title": "[Clinical and pathological differential diagnosis of condyloma and pseudo-condyloma of vulva].", "content": "Three hundred and twenty-one biopsies from vulva, comprising 18 cases of condyloma acuminata (5.6%), 202 cases of pseudo-condyloma (62.9%), and 101 cases of non-specific vulvitis (31.5%), are reported. Clinically, most condylomata acuminata appeared as multiple soft papillary and verrucous lesions with local itchiness. The majority of patients with pseudo-condyloma were symptomless but with harbor roe-like warty papulae distributed symmetrically on both labia minora. Histologically, 18 cases of condyloma acuminata presented papillomatosis, parakeratosis, dyskeratosis, acanthosis, basal cell atypical hyperplasia and distinct koilocytosis. Pseudo-condylomata showed papillomatous growth but without atypical hyperplasia of basal cells and distinct koilocytosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1473209", "title": "[Effects of sex hormones on large bowel carcinogenesis induced by 1,2-dimethylhydrazine in Sprague-Dawley rats].", "content": "The effects of sex hormones on colorectal carcinogenesis induced by 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (DMH) were studied in Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. The morbidity of large bowel carcinomas in group castration + estrogen (E2) + DMH (88%) was significantly higher than that in group male + DMH (56%), group castration+DMH (21%) and group castration+androgen + DMH (57%) respectively (P < 0.05, P < 0.01, P < 0.05). Part of tumors from those groups treated with DMH were analysed in detecting the possible presence of estrogen receptors(ER). Data showed that 3 out of 8 tumors (38%) in group castration + estrogen + DMH, 2 out of 7 (29%) in group male + DMH, 1 from 4 (25%) in group castration + DMH and 2 out of 6 (33%) in group castration + androgen + DMH contained E2-HRP receptor. The results also show that sex hormones, especially estradiol may inhibit ConA-induced lymphocyte transformation; promote cholesterol and bile metabolism and excretion in the liver; enhance pH value in colorectum and stimulate colonic epithelial proliferation which may elucidate the effects of sex hormones on colorectal carcinogenesis induced by DMH."}
{"id": "PMID:1473210", "title": "[Lipid peroxides, antiperoxidase and the progressive course of experimental atherosclerosis].", "content": "Rabbits were fed on cholesterol-rich (CHO) diet first for 60 days, and serum cholesterol, serum lipid peroxides (LPO) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities were measured at various periods after the withdrawal of the CHO-rich diet. The correlation of the above figures and the initiation, progression and regression of atherosclerotic lesion were studied. Results showed that: (1) when rabbits were fed on a CHO-rich diet for 60 days, the serum CHO and LPO increased significantly. Anyhow, the SOD activity was only slightly elevated when tiny atherosclerotic lesions developed in the aortae. (2) right after withdrawal of the CHO diet, serum CHO decreased significantly, but atherosclerotic lesion became even more severe than before. (3) after withdrawal of the CHO diet for 120 days, serum CHO, LPO content and SOD activity all returned to normal range and the atheromatous lesion became less severe except calcification and fibrosis developed in certain areas."}
{"id": "PMID:1473211", "title": "[Changes in type II alveolar epithelial cells in experimental allergic alveolitis].", "content": "Changes of type II alveolar epithelial cells (type II cells) were studied in experimental allergic alveolitis by using enzyme histochemical, electron microscopic and morphometric techniques. The results showed that the number of type II cells increased obviously after exposed to thermoactinomyces vulgaris (TV). The peak was on the 15th day and then decreased gradually till to normal on the 180th day. Type II cells could be divided into two populations in TV-treated rats, namely, the large type II cells and the small type II cells. The former ones bore a diameter larger than the value of mean + 2.58s and mean indicated the mean value of type II cells diameters of the controls. The large type II cells are known to be the hypertrophic cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1473212", "title": "[Investigation on the incidence of high altitude polycythemia and its hemoglobin characteristics in a Tibetan population].", "content": "The incidences of high altitude polycythemia (HAPC) and its hemoglobin characteristics in natives and immigrants at 2 different altitudes in the Tibet Autonomous Region were investigated. The results were as follows: 1) The incidences of HAPC among residents in Lhasa (3650 meters above sea level) and in Naqu-Ando district (4500-4800 meters above sea-level) were 2.39% and 12.95%, respectively. The incidence of HAPC increased with increasing altitude. The incidences in immigrants and in men were higher than those in natives and in women. 2) The MetHb concentration in RBC from patients with HAPC was 10.14%, distinctly higher than that in healthy adults (6.35%) in the same area. This may be one of the causes leading to oxygen carrying malfunction in the RBCs of HAPC patients. 3) The Mossbauer spectra of RBCs from patients with HAPC had a third component \"c\" in addition to the two normal components, oxy-Hb \"a\" and deoxy-Hb \"b.\" The third component \"c\" may be adenatured Hb in the RBCs of the patients. The question of whether it is related to oxygen carrying power requires further study."}
{"id": "PMID:1473213", "title": "[The effects of dopamine D-1 and D-2 receptor antagonists on 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) in rat striatum with differential normal pulse voltammetry].", "content": "Dopamine metabolite 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) was detected by differential normal pulse voltammetry (DNPV) in chloral hydrate anesthetized rat striatum. The effects of some dopamine D-1 and D-2 antagonists on DOPAC concentration were observed in order to demonstrate the role of presynaptic D-1 and D-2 receptors in the feedback of dopamine synthesis and metabolism. The results showed that the mixed antagonists haloperidol (0.5 mg/kg s.c.) and chlorpromazine (5 mg/kg s.c.), the selective D-1 antagonist SCH23390 (1 mg/kg s.c.), and the selective D-2 antagonist sulpiride (5 mg/kg s.c.) all increased DOPAC concentration significantly. The percentages of increase were 140%, 102%, 26% and 40% in comparison with basal DOPAC concentration (14 +/- 2 mumol/L), respectively. These results indicate that not only presynaptic D-2 receptor regulates DA synthesis and metabolism, but that the presynaptic D-1 receptor also takes part in this feedback mechanism."}
{"id": "PMID:1473214", "title": "[Primary hypothyroidism with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome].", "content": "The relationship between severity of hypothyroidism and OSA syndrome before and after treatment was analyzed and discussed. All patients had typical clinical features of primary hypothyroidism and were diagnosed by thyroid hormonal investigations. They were treated with conventional desiccated thyroid. Polysomnography and blood oxygen saturation % (SaO2%) were performed during sleep before and after substitutive treatment. In this series of 21 patients taking respiratory functional tests, 11 were consistent with OSA (42.4%). The serum values of TT4, FT4I, TT3 and TSH after treatment were markedly different from the initial values in 9 cases who were followed up after treatment (P < 0.001, respectively). The respiratory parameters including maximum apnea time, mean apnea time, respiratory disturbances index and the lowest oxygen saturation % were also markedly different in patients before and after treatment (P < 0.001-0.02, respectively). The serum levels of TT4 and FT4I were significantly correlated with the values of maximum and mean apnea time and the highest oxygen saturation % after substitution (r = 0.64-0.98, P < 0.01-0.05, respectively). We conclude that OSA in hypothyroidism showed the most satisfactory response to non-surgical treatment, and OSA syndrome could be cured as soon as hypothyroidism was controlled by desiccated thyroid."}
{"id": "PMID:1473215", "title": "[Purification, characterization and reverse cholesterol transport of human serum apolipoprotein A-IV].", "content": "In order to study the function of apoA-IV, human serum apoA-IV was isolated and purified. LDS was isolated with NaBr density gradient ultracentrifugation and then incubated with intralipid according to the method of Weinberg and Scanu. Protein complex containing apoA-IV was obtained. The apo-IV was purified from protein complex by preparative SDS-PAGE, electroelution and removal of SDS. ApoA-IV thus prepared gave a single band on SDS-PAGE with a MW of 46 kD. Amino acid composition and isoelectric focusing pI (5.27 and 5.47) of apoA-IV were similar to those reported in the literature. The effects of apoA-IV and liposome (apoA-IV: DMPC) on cholesterol efflux from hum skin fibroblast were studied. There was no significant difference (P > 0.5) between apoA-IV and control but a very significant difference (P < 0.001) between liposome (apoA-IV:DMPC) and control, suggesting that liposomes (apoA-IV:DMPC) play a role in reverse cholesterol transport. The results may offer a new approach for the prevention and treatment of atherosclerotic coronary heart disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1473216", "title": "[Androgen receptors in muscles mediate the trophic effect of testosterone on axotomized neurons].", "content": "In order to further explore the hypothesis that muscles are the primary action site for testosterone, the present study examined the effect of androgen receptor blockade in effector muscles on the efficacy of testosterone in preventing neuronal cell loss following axotomy. Hydroxyflutamide (HF), an androgen antagonist that acts competitively at the hormone receptor site, was administered into muscles of the tongue when animals were treated with testosterone following unilateral transection of the hypoglossal and facial nerves. The ability of testosterone to prevent neuronal cell loss in the axotomized hypoglossal and facial motor nucleus was examined. The results demonstrated that hydroxyflutamide completely negates the survival-promoting effect of testosterone on axotomized motoneurons."}
{"id": "PMID:1473217", "title": "[Distribution of type IV collagen, laminin and fibronectin during naris formation in the chick embryo].", "content": "The presence and distribution of extracellular matrix (ECM) macromolecules were analyzed in the facial primordia of chick embryos from stages (22-28) of development corresponding to naris formation. Frozen sections through the nasal placode, medial nasal processes and lateral nasal processes were prepared for indirect immunofluorescence employing a biotin-avidin DCS system using monoclonal antibodies against type IV collagen, laminin and fibronectin. The results demonstrated that ECM played a very important role in regulating migration, adhesion and anchorage of cells during morphogenesis. Strong fluorescence of basal lamina was present in the areas of rapid ingrowth of the nasal placode. It was suggested that ECM has very important guiding and regulating role during naris formation in chick embryo."}
{"id": "PMID:1473218", "title": "[Effects of EGF, anti-EGF and anti-EGFR antibodies on the growth of human cancer cells].", "content": "In this study, 3 human pancreatic adenocarcinoma cell lines (PC-1, PC-2 and PC-3) and 3 other human cancer cell lines (adenocarcinoma of lung, LETP; gastric carcinoma, SGL7901; and breast carcinoma, BCP37) were investigated by adding EGF, anti-EGF antiserum and anti-EGFR monoclonal antibody into culture medium. EGF was found to exert a mild stimulating effect on the growth of PC-1 and LETP cells, but had no effect on the other 4 cell lines. Anti-EGF and anti-EGFR antibodies inhibited the proliferation of PC-1, LETP and SGL7901 cells. No significant effect on the other 3 cell lines was seen. By using the Northern blot technique, expression of EGFR mRNA was identified in all 6 cell lines. There were 3 bands (10.5 kb, 5.8 kb and 2.8 kb) of EGFR mRNA in all cell lines except for LETP, in which the 10.5 kb band was absent. The results indicate that the effect of EGF on the growth of cancer cells is very complicated and may involve an unknown regulatory mechanism of cancer cell growth. EGF may exert stimulating or inhibiting effects on cancer cell proliferation, or it may have no effect at all, even though the EGFR gene was expressed in these cell lines."}
{"id": "PMID:1473219", "title": "[Analysis of natural history and long-term follow-up of 59 patients with obliterative pulmonary hypertension (OPH)].", "content": "The diagnosis of OPH was made by clinical and hemodynamic data in 59 patients, including 30 cases of unexplained pulmonary hypertension, 26 cases of pulmonary embolism and 3 others. The survival curve showed that the two-year survival rate of the patients was 76.72%, and the five-year rate was 63.37%. The single correlation factors influencing prognosis were the interval from onset of symptoms to diagnosis (course), cardiac function, PaO2, SaO2, cause of disease, pulmonary artery pressure and right atrial pressure. The outcome of long-term treatment (mean 4.2 years) in 15 patients with OPH was as follows: remarkable improvement in 8 cases, amelioration in 3, no change in 2 and deterioration in 2. The total effective rate was 73.33%. The importance of anticoagulant therapy and the use of nifedipine are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1473220", "title": "[Effects of dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate on the uterus and estrogen receptors in rats].", "content": "Dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHA-S) at dosages of 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg s.c. for 3 days was shown to have obvious promotive effects on the growth of the uterus in immature rats. However, DHA-S given to ovariectomized rats at 40 and 100 mg/kg for 5 days was found to have no effect on the uterus. Incubation of granulosa cells for 3 h with DHA-S caused a significant increase in estradiol secretion. Even though DHA-S was found to increase uterine estrogen receptor concentration, this compound was shown to have no affinity for the estrogen receptor. It appears that the effects of DHA-S resulted mainly from the activity of its metabolite--estrogen."}
{"id": "PMID:1473221", "title": "[Study on L-form induction of C. albicans].", "content": "After culturing C. albicans with ketoconazole on high osmosing medium containing thioglycollate, pig serum and sucrose, a cell wall-deficient strain of C. albicans was obtained. We compared its physiologic and biochemical characteristics with those of the parent strain. This cell wall-deficient strain not only changed its morphology but also the chemical components of the cell wall. The cell wall-deficient strain lacked 4 characteristic protein bands and had cell wall mannan decreased to 44% of that of the parent strain. Animal models revealed differences between the toxicities of the two strains: the mean survival time of mice inoculated intravenously with 10(6) deficient strain cells was 23.5 days (70% of the mice died within 30 days), but that of mice injected with 10(6) parent strain cells was 15.8 days (100% of the mice died in 30 days)."}
{"id": "PMID:1473222", "title": "[Grading of malignancy of thymomas by flow cytometry].", "content": "The nuclear DNA contents of paraffin embedded archival tissues from 33 cases of thymoma and carcinoma of the thymus were studied by flow cytometry (FCM). Twelve cases were ruled out because of coefficients of variance (CV) > 10.0, leaving 21 cases for analysis. Included were 9 cases of non-invasive thymomas and 12 cases of invasive thymomas and thymic carcinomas. Among non-invasive thymomas, the DNA content was diploid in 4 cases and aneuploid in 5 cases. The DNA content was aneuploid in all 12 cases of invasive thymomas and thymic carcinomas. Proliferative activity, determined by measuring S phase percentage and proliferative index, was significantly increased in invasive thymomas and thymic carcinomas as compared with the non-invasive ones. The average S phase percentage for invasive thymomas and thymic carcinomas was 29.17 +/- 6.91, and for non-invasive thymomas it was 15.86 +/- 3.17 (P < 0.001). The average proliferative indices in the invasive and non-invasive groups were 47.76 +/- 5.03 and 32.58 +/- 6.58, respectively (P < 0.001)."}
{"id": "PMID:1473223", "title": "[Observation of the effect of PSTF oral liquor on the positive tuberculin test reaction].", "content": "The transfer factor is a medicine used for immunotherapy. It is mainly administered by injection. In this paper, the effect of PSTF oral liquor on immunity has been examined. Persons who have negative TB reaction were selected as the test sample. PSTF was taken orally for 4 weeks. Then the tuberculin test was done again. The test results indicated that in the test group the number of people who had a positive reaction and the size of the scleroma were obviously higher than those in the control group (P < 0.01, P < 0.001). In the test group with or without BCG vaccine scar, the ratio of positive reaction was higher than that in the control group (P < 0.05, P < 0.1). Within the test group the ratio of positive reaction in those with no scar did not differ from that in subjects without such scars (P > 0.05), so patients who have negative tuberculin reaction will have a higher ratio of positive reaction after taking PSTF orally for 4 weeks. This increased ratio can reach 53.33%. Thus, we conclude that the oral liquor is convenient and easily acceptable especially for the aged and children."}
{"id": "PMID:1473224", "title": "Genotoxic potential of tamoxifen and analogues in female Fischer F344/n rats, DBA/2 and C57BL/6 mice and in human MCL-5 cells.", "content": "Chronic administration of tamoxifen to female rats causes hepatocellular carcinomas. We have investigated damage to liver DNA caused by the administration of tamoxifen to female Fischer F344/N rats or C57B1/6 or DBA/2 mice using 32P-postlabelling. Following the administration of tamoxifen for 7 days (45 mg/kg/day) and extraction of hepatic DNA, up to 7 radiolabelled adduct spots could be detected after PEI-cellulose chromatography of the 32P-labelled DNA digests. Tamoxifen caused a time-dependent increase in the level of adduct detected up to a value of at least 1 adduct/10(6) nucleotides after 7 days dosing. A dose response relationship was demonstrated over the range of 5-45 mg/kg/day (0.013-0.12 mmol/kg/day). On cessation of dosing there was a loss of adducts from the liver DNA. These adducts were not detected in DNA from vehicle-dosed controls or in DNA from kidney, lung, spleen, uterus or peripheral lymphocytes. Pyrrolidinotamoxifen caused a similar level of adduct formation as tamoxifen. In contrast, no significant adduct formation could be detected in liver DNA from rats given droloxifene or toremifene. Mice given tamoxifen (45 mg/kg/day for 4 days) showed levels of adducts in the liver which were 30-40% of those present in rats. Exposure of rat hepatocytes to tamoxifen in vitro, resulted in induction of unscheduled DNA synthesis, when preparations from rats which had been pretreated with tamoxifen in vivo were used. No such increase could be detected in hepatocytes from control rats, suggesting tamoxifen may induce enzymes responsible for its own activation. Tamoxifen induced a significant increase in micronucleus formation in a dose dependent manner in cultures of MCL-5 cells, a human cell line that expresses 5 different human cytochrome P450 isoenzymes, as well as epoxide hydrolase."}
{"id": "PMID:1473225", "title": "Effects of phenethyl isothiocyanate, a carcinogenesis inhibitor, on xenobiotic-metabolizing enzymes and nitrosamine metabolism in rats.", "content": "Phenethyl isothiocyanate (PEITC), a constituent of cruciferous vegetables, has been shown to inhibit chemical carcinogenesis, possibly due to its ability to block the activation or to enhance the detoxification of chemical carcinogens. The present study was conducted to elucidate the biochemical mechanisms involved by characterizing the effects of PEITC on phase I and phase II xenobiotic-metabolizing enzymes. A single dose of PEITC to F344 rats (1 mmol/kg) decreased the liver N-nitrosodimethylamine demethylase (NDMAd) activity (mainly due to P450 2E1) by 80% at 2 h and the activity of NDMAd remained decreased by 40% at 48 h after treatment. The liver pentoxyresorufin O-dealkylase (PROD) activity and P450 2B1 protein level were elevated 10- and 7-fold at 24 h after treatment respectively. The liver microsomal ethoxyresorufin O-dealkylase (EROD) (mainly due to P450 1A) and erythromycin N-demethylase (mainly due to P450 3A) activities were decreased at 2-12 h after treatment and recovered afterwards. The lung microsomal PROD and EROD activities were not significantly affected; whereas, the nasal microsomal PROD and EROD activities were decreased by 40-50%. After a treatment with PEITC, the rates of oxidative metabolism of 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK) were decreased in liver microsomes by 40-60% at 2 h and recovered gradually; the rates in lung microsomes were markedly decreased by 60-70% at 2 h and remained at the decreased level at 24 h; and the rates in nasal mucosa microsomes were decreased gradually with the lowest activities observed at 18 h (50%) followed by a gradual recovery. Furthermore, the treatment with PEITC resulted in a maximal 5-fold increase of NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase and 1.5-fold increase of glutathione S-transferase activities in the liver, but the activities of these two enzymes were not significantly affected in the lung and nasal mucosa. The sulfotransferase activity in the liver was decreased by 32-48% at 24-48 h after treatment; the nasal activity was increased by 1.8- to 2.5-fold, but the lung activity was not significantly changed. The hepatic UDP glucuronosyltransferase activity was slightly decreased at 2 h but slightly increased at 48 h after treatment, but no changes were observed for the lung and nasal activities. The study demonstrates that PEITC selectively affects xenobiotic-metabolizing enzymes in the liver, lung and nasal mucosa and it is especially effective in inhibiting the P450-dependent oxidation of NNK in the lung and of NDMA in the liver."}
{"id": "PMID:1473226", "title": "Chemical carcinogens and overnutrition in diet-related cancer.", "content": "The intake of known dietary carcinogens was compiled and the cancer risk was estimated on the basis of carcinogenic potencies in animals as derived from the Carcinogenic Potency Database by Gold and co-workers. The total cancer risk was compared with the number of cancer cases attributed by epidemiologists to dietary factors (one-third of all cancer cases, i.e. approximately 80,000 per one million lives). Except for alcohol, the known dietary carcinogens could not account for more than a few hundred cancer cases. This was seen both with the DNA-reactive carcinogens (heterocyclic aromatic amines, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, N-nitroso compounds, estragole, aflatoxin B1, ethyl carbamate, to name the most important factors) as well as with those carcinogens which have not been shown to react with DNA (e.g. caffeic acid and the carcinogenic metals arsenic and cadmium). Residues and contaminants turned out to be negligible. Among the various possibilities to explain the discrepancy we investigated the role of overnutrition. Dietary restriction in animals is well known for its strong reducing effect on spontaneous tumor formation. These data can be used to derive a carcinogenic potency for excess macronutrients: the tumor incidence seen with the restricted animals is taken as a control value and the increased tumor incidence in the animals fed ad libitum is attributed to the additional feed intake. For excess standard diet in rats, a carcinogenic potency TD50 of 16 g/kg/day was deduced from a recent study. Overnutrition in Switzerland, estimated to be 5.5 kcal/kg/day, was converted to excess food (1.9 g/kg/day) and the cancer incidence was calculated. The result, 60,000 cancer cases per one million lives, is provocatively close to the number of cases not explained by the known dietary chemical carcinogens. Mechanistic studies will be required to test our hypothesis and investigate the role of different types of macronutrients in overnutrition."}
{"id": "PMID:1473227", "title": "Cell kinetic analysis of the mucosal epithelium and assay of ornithine decarboxylase activity during the process of 1-hydroxyanthraquinone-induced large bowel carcinogenesis in rats.", "content": "Cell kinetics and activity of ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) were studied during the process of 1-hydroxyanthraquinone (1-HA)-induced intestinal carcinogenesis in rats. Starting at 6 weeks of age, a total of 37 male ACI/N rats were divided into two groups and treated as follows: group I (18 rats) received diet containing 1% 1-HA for 12 months; group II (19 rats) was given the basal diet alone. Sub-groups of 5-7 rats were sequentially killed at 4, 8 and 12 months for evaluation of the length, cell numbers and 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrDU) labeling indices of large bowel crypts together with ODC activity. All kinetic and ODC data indicated increased DNA synthesis and proliferation at all time points. Morphological observation of the intestines also revealed melanosis, crypt abscesses and erosion, becoming more pronounced with length of exposure to the anthraquinone. The data thus suggest that cell proliferation in the crypts of the cecum or colon is important for 1-HA-induced intestinal carcinogenesis."}
{"id": "PMID:1473228", "title": "N-hydroxy-MeIQx is the major microsomal oxidation product of the dietary carcinogen MeIQx with human liver.", "content": "2-Amino-3,8-dimethylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoxaline (MeIQx), one of the most abundant of the heterocyclic aromatic amines formed during the cooking of meat, is genotoxic and carcinogenic in rodents. MeIQx requires metabolic activation by P450 before it can exert these effects. Whilst there is indirect evidence that the mutagenic product is N-hydroxy-MeIQx (N-OHMeIQx), we have now identified this unequivocally following incubation of the amine with human hepatic microsomal fraction. A mixture of unlabelled MeIQx, [13C,15N2]MeIQx and [14C]MeIQx was used as substrate and the products analysed by HPLC-thermospray mass spectrometry. Characteristic doublet ions, 3 mass units apart, were found at m/z 214/217 ([M+H]+) from the parent compound, MeIQx and at 230/233 ([M+H]+) from N-OHMeIQx. The presence of a doublet ion at m/z 214/217 with the doublet at 230/233 [M+H+] provided additional evidence that this was N-OHMeIQx, as facile loss of 'O' is characteristic of N-hydroxylamines. Further evidence for the identity of the major metabolite, which accounted for approximately 90% of all microsomal metabolism, was obtained by comparing the mutagenicity of the HPLC eluate using Salmonella typhimurium YG1024, which is particularly sensitive to N-hydroxylamines, and TA98/1,8-DNP6 which is resistant to most N-hydroxylamines. Ninety-five per cent of direct-acting mutagenicity present in the reaction mixture was associated with a single peak, which co-eluted with N-OHMeIQx, as indicated by mass spectrometry. In the presence of a metabolic activation system, only one additional mutagenic peak, corresponding to unchanged MeIQx, could be detected. MeIQx (5 microM) was N-hydroxylated at a rate of 77 +/- 11 pmol/mg/min (mean +/- SEM, n = 4) by human liver microsomes. The specific inhibitor of human CYP1A2, furafylline (5 microM) inhibited the N-hydroxylation of MeIQx by > 90%. These data show that N-OHMeIQx is both the major oxidation product and the major genotoxic product of MeIQx generated by microsomal fractions of human liver and that the reaction is catalysed almost exclusively by CYP1A2."}
{"id": "PMID:1473229", "title": "Metabolism of 1- and 2-naphthylamine in isolated rat hepatocytes.", "content": "The liver probably plays a major role in the metabolic activation of the bladder carcinogen 2-naphthylamine (2-NA) and in the inactivation of the non-carcinogenic isomer 1-naphthylamine (1-NA). However, metabolic profiles of these compounds (including primary metabolites and directly determined conjugates) in hepatocytes are not available. Therefore metabolism of 1- and 2-NA was compared in freshly isolated hepatocytes from 3-methylcholanthrene (MC)-treated and untreated rats. At 10 microM, 2-NA was found to be mainly N-acetylated (66% of total metabolites after 1 h incubation) and N-glucuronidated (19%). Minor pathways led to C-oxidation (7%) and N-oxidation (3%; 2% present as the N-glucuronide). In hepatocytes from MC-treated rats total metabolism was slightly affected (1.5-fold increase). However, C- and N-oxidation were markedly increased (63 and 18% respectively), while N-acetylation and N-glucuronidation were diminished (5 and 2% respectively). Similar experiments were carried out with 1-NA. Its N-glucuronide was the predominant metabolite (68%) followed by the N-acetylated compound (15%) while C-oxidation was low and N-oxidized metabolites could not be detected, even after induction. The results demonstrate that MC treatment markedly shifted 2-NA metabolism from N-acetylation and N-glucuronidation to N- and C-oxidation. In the case of 1-NA metabolism extensive N-glucuronidation together with the lack of N-oxidation may prevent carcinogenesis."}
{"id": "PMID:1473230", "title": "Oxidative DNA damage estimated by 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine excretion in humans: influence of smoking, gender and body mass index.", "content": "Oxidative DNA damage may be implicated in ageing, carcinogenesis and other degenerative diseases. Oxidative DNA damage can be assessed in humans in vivo from the urinary excretion of the DNA-repair product 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8OHdG). We investigated factors influencing the excretion of 8OHdG in 24 h urine from 83 randomly selected healthy subjects (52 women) aged 40-64 years. For 2 weeks prior to urine collection the subjects kept a weighed diet record. 8OHdG was quantified by an automatic three-dimensional HPLC analysis with electrochemical detection. The 8OHdG excretion was 252 +/- 103 (mean +/- SD) pmol kg body weight/24 h with a range from 78 to 527. Multiple regression analysis identified three factors, smoking, body mass index (BMI) and gender, as significant predictors of the 8OHdG excretion. In 30 smokers the 8OHdG excretion was 320 +/- 99 pmol/kg/24 h opposed to 213 +/- 84 pmol/kg/24 h in 53 non-smokers. According to multiple regression analysis smokers excreted 50% (31-69%; 95% confidence interval) more 8OHdG than non-smokers. In 52 women the 8OHdG excretion was 240 +/- 106 pmol/kg/24 h opposed to 271 +/- 96 pmol/kg/24 h in 31 men. According to the multiple regression analysis men excreted 29% (10-48%) more 8OHdG than women. According to multiple regression analysis the 8OHdG excretion decreased with 4% (2-6%) per increment in BMI measured in kg/m2. The dietary distribution of energy demonstrated no important predictive value with respect to 8OHdG excretion. The intake of the antioxidant vitamins C and E and of vitamin A equivalents, including beta-carotene, was not associated with 8OHdG excretion. The results suggest that smoking increases oxidative DNA damage by approximately 50%. This effect implies potential serious health effects adding to the other well-known health hazards of smoking. The higher 8OHdG excretion in men and lean subjects may be related to a higher rate of metabolism with increased availability of reactive oxygen species. The apparent 7-fold individual variation in oxidative DNA damage carries implications regarding the rate of ageing and the risk of cancer and other degenerative diseases. The excretion of 8OHdG into urine offers a valuable tool for testing such hypotheses in humans."}
{"id": "PMID:1473231", "title": "Modulation of glutathione S-transferases and glutathione peroxidase by the anticarcinogen butylated hydroxyanisole in murine extrahepatic organs.", "content": "Induction of glutathione S-transferases (GST) by the anticarcinogen butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) has been examined in lung, kidney and small intestine of male and female BALB/c mice. BHA produced maximal induction of GST in the gut and although it increased GST levels in the kidney, it had little effect on pulmonary GST. Dietary BHA induced Alpha (Ya and Yk), Mu (Yb) and Pi (Yf) class GST subunits at least 10-fold in the small intestine but, by contrast, selenium-dependent glutathione peroxidase activity was reduced by approximately 4-fold in this organ following BHA treatment. In the kidney, all of the GST subunits, apart from Yk in males, showed modest levels of induction by BHA. However, a pronounced sex difference in the expression of renal alpha class subunits in both control and BHA-treated mice was observed, with female mice expressing approximately 4-fold greater levels of Ya and Yk than male mice. All renal GST were localized primarily in the proximal tubules. Dietary BHA was found to have the least inductive effect in the lung, where the GST were localized solely in the bronchi. The pulmonary Mu class GST subunits were induced approximately 2-fold by BHA; the expression of other GST was marginally increased by this inducer. Alpha class GST was also subject to sexual differentiation in the lung with female mice possessing higher levels of Yc and Yk than males. The Ya-type subunit was not detected in the lung nor was it induced by BHA."}
{"id": "PMID:1473232", "title": "Binding of the food mutagen PhIP in pigmented tissues of mice.", "content": "The distribution of the 14C-labelled food mutagen 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP) in the tissues of C57B1/6 and NMRI mice was studied. The results showed a high and selective binding of radioactivity in the pigment epithelium of the eye and in the fur following a single dose (0.3-4 mg/kg) of [14C]PhIP in the pigmented C57B1/6 mice whereas no such localization of radioactivity was present in the albino NMRI mice. A low but selective covalent binding of radioactivity was observed in the liver, inner cortex of the kidney and in the tracheal mucosa of [14C]PhIP-injected mice. PhIP was firmly bound to synthetic melanin pigment in vitro; only 3% was released by extraction with a phosphate buffer (pH 7) whereas 72% was released by extraction by methanol:conc. NH3 (15:1). Three hours to 7 days following a single injection of [14C]PhIP in C57B1/6 mice the radioactivity in the eye was 3- to 6-fold higher than that in the liver or kidney. Almost 60% of the radioactive material present in the pigmented epithelium of the eye 3 and 24 h following injection could be extracted by basic methanol and identified as unchanged PhIP. The residual radioactivity in the pigmented epithelium of the eyes may represent a covalent binding of [14C]PhIP metabolites to cellular constituents or to a basic methanol-resistant binding of [14C]PhIP to melanin. The results indicate that pigmented tissues may be potential target tissues for the toxic effects of PhIP and suggest that the use of hair for biological monitoring of PhIP should be examined."}
{"id": "PMID:1473233", "title": "Comparative tumorigenicity of nitrochrysene isomers in newborn mice.", "content": "6-Nitrochrysene (6-NC) is a potent lung and liver carcinogen in the newborn mouse assay. In this report, we extended our studies of the structure--tumorigenicity relationships of the mononitrochrysene isomers. We synthesized 1-NC, 2-NC and 3-NC by oxidation of the corresponding aminochrysenes with mCPBA; efforts to synthesize 4-NC and 5-NC from 4- and 5-aminochrysene were not successful. The tumorigenic activities of 1-NC, 2-NC, 3-NC and 6-NC were compared. Groups of mice were treated with the appropriate compounds in dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) by i.p. injection on the 1st, 8th and 15th day of life. At a total dose of 100 nmol/mouse, 6-NC induced significant incidences and multiplicities of lung tumors in mice in both sexes; only males were susceptible to liver tumor induction. At 100 nmol/mouse, induction of lung and liver tumors by 1-NC, 2-NC and 3-NC was not significantly different from that observed in mice treated with DMSO. The results indicate that nitro substitution at the 6-position of chrysene is critical for strong tumorigenicity in the newborn mouse assay."}
{"id": "PMID:1473234", "title": "Influence of fruit and vegetable juices on the endogenous formation of N-nitrosoproline and N-nitrosothiazolidine-4-carboxylic acid in humans on controlled diets.", "content": "Water, green pepper, pineapple, tomato, strawberry, carrot, and celery juices were made 46 mg/100 ml in ascorbic acid by the addition of distilled water or ascorbate. The ability of each juice to inhibit endogenous formation of N-nitrosoamino acids (NAA) in humans was determined in controlled experiments. Sixteen men consumed a standard diet low in nitrate and ascorbic acid for 18 consecutive days. Nitrate (5.24 mmol) and L-proline (4.35 mmol) were given orally on days 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17 and 18. On days 3 and 18, L-proline was immediately followed by 100 ml distilled water (positive control). On days 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15 and 17, L-proline was immediately followed by 100 ml juice or 46 mg ascorbate in 100 ml distilled water (treatment). Only diet was given in between dosing days to ensure baseline levels of NAA excretion. Urine was collected for 24 h following treatments and analyzed for NAA. Green pepper, pineapple, tomato, strawberry and carrot treatments significantly inhibited N-nitrosoproline (NPRO) formation relative to the positive control. Also, green pepper, pineapple and tomato juices significantly inhibited NPRO formation relative to ascorbic acid alone. Green pepper significantly inhibited N-nitrosothiazolidine-carboxylic acid formation relative to ascorbic acid alone. These data demonstrate that green pepper, tomato, pineapple, strawberry and carrot juice have greater ability to inhibit endogenous nitrosation than would be expected based solely on their ascorbate content."}
{"id": "PMID:1473235", "title": "Absence of ras oncogene activation in rat urinary bladder carcinomas induced by N-methyl-N-nitrosourea or N-butyl-N-(4-hydroxybutyl)nitrosamine.", "content": "Previously, we demonstrated point mutations of the H-ras gene in N-[4-(5-nitro-2-furyl)-2-thiazolyl]formamide (FANFT)-induced rat urinary bladder carcinomas. In this study, ras oncogene activation was examined in urinary bladder carcinomas induced by N-(4-hydroxybutyl)nitrosamine (BBN) or N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU) administration followed by uracil treatment. In the first experiment, MNU (20 mg/kg body wt) was i.p. injected into 11 male F344 rats twice a week for 4 weeks, followed by feeding 3% uracil for 20 weeks (MNU/uracil group). Ten rats were given only 3% uracil without MNU pretreatment. In the second experiment, 20 male F344 rats were given 0.05% BBN in the drinking water for 4 weeks, then fed 3% uracil for 20 weeks (BBN/uracil group). Another 20 rats were fed 3% uracil without the BBN pretreatment. Transitional cell carcinomas were induced in the urinary bladder of all rats in the MNU/uracil and BBN/uracil groups. Papillomas and hyperplasias were present in the rats given uracil without prior BBN or MNU. DNA and protein were extracted from the tumors (MNU/uracil or BBN/uracil groups) or from the scraped bladder epithelium (uracil alone groups). Sequences around codons 12, 13 and 61 of H-, K- and N-ras genes were examined by direct sequencing after polymerase chain reaction, and p21 was examined by Western blotting. No mutation was found within the examined sequences and p21 showed no changes in mobility. There was no difference in the level of p21 expression between rats treated with MNU/uracil or BBN/uracil compared to corresponding uracil alone groups. These results indicate that the ras oncogene was not activated in urinary bladder carcinomas induced by BBN or MNU in combination with uracil treatment, in contrast to previous findings with FANFT."}
{"id": "PMID:1473236", "title": "Inhibition of DNA synthesis by phenobarbital in primary cultures of hepatocytes from normal rat liver and from hepatic nodules.", "content": "One of the many hypotheses put forward to explain the mechanism by which phenobarbital (PB) promotes hepatocarcinogenesis is by differential mitoinhibition of surrounding hepatocytes while allowing the initiated hepatocytes to respond to growth stimuli and form foci and nodules. Given the similarity in structures between PB and orotic acid (OA), another rat liver tumor promoter, the present investigation was designed to determine (i) whether PB, like OA, exerts its mitoinhibitory effect at a site beyond the growth factor receptor and receptor mediated early events; and (ii) whether PB exerts a differential mitoinhibitory effect by selectively inhibiting the non-initiated hepatocytes but not the initiated hepatocytes in vitro. Our studies demonstrate that, like OA, PB also inhibits DNA synthesis in hepatocytes from normal rat liver in a dose dependent manner with 80-90% at a dose of 6 mM. One target site may lie beyond the growth factor receptor mediated early events because PB inhibited DNA synthesis in hepatocytes primed with the growth factor 24 h earlier. Interestingly, PB inhibited DNA synthesis not only in hepatocytes from non-nodular surrounding liver but also in hepatocytes from persistent hepatic nodules initiated with 1,2-dimethylhydrazine and promoted with OA. Therefore, our results suggest that although PB is a mitoinhibitor of DNA synthesis in hepatocytes, it does not appear to create as strong a differential mitoinhibition between non-nodular surrounding and initiated hepatocytes as is evident in the resistant hepatocyte and OA models. These results raise the question whether differential mitoinhibition is the major contributing factor in the PB mediated rat liver tumor promotion."}
{"id": "PMID:1473237", "title": "The insecticide endosulfan and its two stereoisomers promote the growth of altered hepatic foci in rats.", "content": "The non-genotoxic, chlorinated cyclodiene insecticide endosulfan was studied for its ability to act as a tumour promoter in a two-stage, altered hepatic foci bioassay in male Sprague-Dawley rats. Two stereoisomers of endosulfan, alpha-endosulfan (ENDO alpha) and beta-endosulfan (ENDO beta) were used, as well as a commercially-occurring mixture of the alpha- and beta-isomers (ENDO alpha beta). The animals were initiated by intraperitoneal injection of nitrosodiethylamine 24 h after a two-thirds-partial hepatectomy. Five weeks later the animals were transferred to diets containing 30, 100 and 300 p.p.m. of either ENDO alpha beta, ENDO alpha or ENDO beta. The study was terminated 25 weeks after initiation and the development of foci of gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase-positive hepatocytes was evaluated by stereological methods. The results show that endosulfan and its two stereoisomers promote the development of altered hepatic foci, suggesting that endosulfan is a tumour-promoting agent acting by clonal expansion of initiated cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1473238", "title": "A possible explanation for the differential cancer incidence in the intestine, based on distribution of the cytotoxic effects of carcinogens in the murine large bowel.", "content": "The ability of four mutagenic/carcinogenic chemicals administered as single doses to induce a programmed form of cell death (apoptosis) in the BDF1 mouse large bowel was studied and compared with a previous study on the small intestine using the same mice. The number of apoptotic cells was counted following treatment with the direct-acting agents N-nitroso-N-methylurea (NMU) and N-nitroso-N-ethylurea (NEU) and two agents which require metabolic activation 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (DMH) and N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA). DMH (80 mg/kg) was the most effective at inducing acute cell death and this was closely followed by NMU (200 mg/kg). The least effective agent in the large bowel was NDMA. The peak yield of apoptosis occurred between 4 h (NEU) and 8 h (DMH) after treatment. An analysis of the changing shapes of the frequency plots of apoptosis at each cell position in the crypt at various times after exposure permits an estimate to be made of the position in the crypt of the primary target cells for the cytotoxic action at time t = 0. For the agents studied, this is in the range of the 5th to the 10th position from the base of the crypt. This distribution for the target cells for apoptotic cell death is not coincident with that for the presumptive stem cells, which is at cell position 1 or 2. Comparisons with results previously obtained in the small intestine (ileum) of the same mice show that the relative cytotoxic effectiveness of the four agents differs. Furthermore, the position of the target cells is at about the 4th position from the bottom of the crypt in the ileum, and here the distribution is coincident with that presumed for the stem cells. Our interpretation of the data is that damaged cells in the stem cell region of the small bowel are removed by the activation of a cell suicide programme, which effectively removes potentially harmful genetic alterations. In contrast, in the large bowel, cell death is not initiated particularly strongly in the stem cell region but tends to occur higher in the crypt. The absence of this selective deletion process may result in the perpetuation of deleterious mutations in the colonic stem cell population and this may explain in part, the higher incidence of cancers observed in the large bowel."}
{"id": "PMID:1473239", "title": "Duodenal reflux through the pylorus induces gastric adenocarcinoma in the rat.", "content": "We investigated whether duodenal reflux through the pylorus is involved in the development of gastric cancer. Male Wistar rats weighing 230-250 g were subjected to three types of operative procedures: (i) allowing reflux through the pylorus; (ii) allowing reflux through a gastrojejunal stoma; and (iii) gastrotomy. No carcinogens were given, and the animals were killed 50 weeks after surgery. No cancers were detected in any of the 18 animals with gastrotomy. In contrast, seven (41%) of 17 animals with reflux through the pylorus and four (31%) of 13 animals with reflux through the stoma had adenocarcinoma. Differences in the incidence between both reflux groups and the gastrotomy group were significant (P < 0.01 and P < 0.05 respectively). All of the adenocarcinomas developed in the pyloric mucosa near the pylorus in the animals with reflux through the pylorus, and in the oxyntic mucosa near the stoma in those with reflux through the stoma. Adenocarcinomas appeared as a polyploid mass with or without slight central erosion. Most of the adenocarcinomas were of the well-differentiated tubular type, and the others were of the mucinous type. No differences in either the histologic type or depth of invasion of the adenocarcinoma were recognized between the two duodenogastric reflux groups. Precancerous or paracancerous lesions, such as adenoma, adenocystic proliferation, and stomal pseudopyloric metaplasia, were more frequently found in the same region as the adenocarcinomas. These findings suggest that duodenogastric reflux in the rat has potent carcinogenic activities not only in the oxyntic mucosa through the stoma, but also in the pyloric mucosa through the pylorus."}
{"id": "PMID:1473240", "title": "Substances in human urine that strongly inhibit bacterial mutagenicity of 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP) and related heterocyclic amines.", "content": "Extracts of human urine were shown to contain substances that strongly inhibited the liver S9-mediated mutagenicity of 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP) in Salmonella typhimurium TA98 strain in a liquid incubation assay. The inhibitory effect was unrelated to cytotoxicity and was similar with urine extracts from smokers and non-smokers. Under similar assay conditions, the mutagenicity of the related amino-imidazoazaarenes, 2-amino-3-methyl-imidazo[4,5-f]quinoline, 2-amino-3,8-dimethylimidazo[4,5-f]-quinoline and 2-amino-3,8-dimethylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoxaline was also found to be strongly inhibited by urine extracts. Decreased or enhanced mutagenicity was seen with 2-acetyl-aminofluorene and 2-aminoanthracene depending on the type of assay, and the time of incubation in liquid medium. A weak inhibition of the mutagenicity of 2-nitrofluorene, a direct-acting mutagen, was observed only after a short incubation time. Mutagenicity of 4-nitroquinoline N-oxide was not altered by the presence of urine extracts at concentrations shown to be inhibitory for the mutagenicity of heterocyclic aromatic amines. Our data suggest that the inhibitory substances in urine act through their capacity to non covalently bind the parent heterocyclic and aromatic amines, thus affecting their availability in aqueous medium for diffusion into liver microsomes where metabolic activation takes place."}
{"id": "PMID:1473241", "title": "Sequential changes in glycogen content, expression of glucose transporters and enzymic patterns during development of clear/acidophilic cell tumors in rat kidney.", "content": "Renal clear cell tubules and clear/acidophilic cell tumors were induced in male Sprague-Dawley rats by 7 weeks oral administration (stop model) of N-nitrosomorpholine (NNM) at a concentration of 12 mg/100 ml in the drinking water. Twelve, 23 and 34 weeks after withdrawal of NNM serial cryostat sections of the kidneys were histochemically analyzed for the following parameters: glucose transporter proteins (GLUT1, GLUT2), glycogen content and the activities of glycogen synthase (SYN), glycogen phosphorylase (PHO), glucose-6-phosphatase (G6Pase), glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH), hexokinase (HK), glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), pyruvate kinase (PK), succinate dehydrogenase (SDH), malate dehydrogenase (MDH), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), acid phosphatase (ACP) and gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT). Clear cell (glycogenotic) tubules first appeared at 23 weeks, and clear/acidophilic cell tumors at 34 weeks after withdrawal of the carcinogen. G6Pase, ALP, GGT and GLUT2 were absent in clear cell tubules, clear/acidophilic cell tubules, and clear/acidophilic cell tumors indicating a sequential origin of all these types of lesions from the collecting duct system, in line with previous morphological findings. In comparison to the collecting duct epithelium, glycogenotic tubules demonstrated an increased activity of PHO and reduced activities of glycolytic and mitochondrial enzymes, which were accompanied by a strongly reduced expression of GLUT1. Moderately increased activities of glycolytic and mitochondrial enzymes were observed in the clear cells of clear/acidophilic cell tubules and tumors compared with those in glycogenotic tubules. They had slightly increased activities of the glycolytic enzymes GAPDH and PK compared with normal collecting duct epithelium, while most of them were nearly lacking in GLUT1. Our findings suggest that glycogen storage is not due to an increased uptake of glucose from the blood, but results from a disturbance in intracellular flux of metabolites. The development of clear cell tubules from the normal collecting duct epithelium is accompanied by a markedly decreased expression of GLUT1 along with a reduction in glycolytic and mitochondrial enzymes. This reduction of enzyme activities is replaced by an increase in enzyme activities in clear/acidophilic cell tumors indicating a fundamental shift in carbohydrate metabolism during progression from preneoplastic to neoplastic lesions."}
{"id": "PMID:1473242", "title": "Analysis of the binding sites of chromium to DNA and protein in vitro and in intact cells.", "content": "Previous studies have examined Cr(III), or CrO4 reduced to Cr(III), binding in vitro to DNA. However, there have been few studies examining chromate binding to DNA in intact cells. Treatment of intact cells with chromate (Na2(51)CrO4) resulted in chromium (Cr) binding to DNA. The binding of Cr to DNA was much more stable when more residual peptide/amino acids were associated with DNA. A substantial portion of the Cr bound to DNA was released by treatment with EDTA, suggesting that trivalent Cr was the major oxidation state of Cr bound to DNA. Cr(III) stimulated the formation of amino acid-DNA and protein-DNA complexes in vitro. Tyrosine and cysteine exhibited the highest activity in being complexed to DNA by Cr(III) in vitro, while histidine, methionine and threonine also exhibited more activity than any other amino acid. Similar results were found in intact cells. The activity of proteins complexed to DNA by trivalent Cr depended upon the content of these reactive amino acids. Thus, bovine serum albumin was more active than actin, which in turn was more active than histones. These and other studies presented suggested that Cr(III) was involved directly in the formation of DNA-protein complexes in intact cells, unlike other metals such as Ni(II), which are thought to form DNA-protein cross-links catalytically and not participate directly in the complex. The majority of trivalent Cr associated with DNA was bound to the phosphate backbone without exhibiting any base specificity. Collectively, these results indicate that trivalent Cr creates DNA protein crosslinks by binding with reactive amino acids (i.e. cysteine, tyrosine or histidine) and linking these to the phosphate backbone of DNA."}
{"id": "PMID:1473243", "title": "DNA polymerase action on benzo[a]pyrene-DNA adducts.", "content": "A 16mer oligonucleotide containing a single guanine residue at nucleotide 13 from the 3' end was treated with the (+)-enantiomer of the 7,8-dihydrodiol 9,10-epoxide of benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P). Oligonucleotides containing either an adduct in which the epoxide ring was opened trans or cis by the amino group of the guanine residue were separated by chromatography and identified by 32P postlabeling and circular dichroism spectroscopy. In the presence of nucleotide triphosphates and DNA polymerase (either Sequenase, version 2.0 or human polymerase alpha), it was found that the B[a]P adducts inhibited extension of an 11mer primer opposite the nucleotide 3' to the adduct in the template. Under various conditions, this inhibition was greater for the cis adduct than for the trans adduct. After a 10 min incubation with Sequenase, primer extension was reduced to approximately 20% of that seen with unmodified oligonucleotide by the trans adduct and was almost completely inhibited by the cis adduct. When a 12mer primer was used to examine nucleotide incorporation directly across from the guanine or adducted guanine residues, it was clear that deoxycytidylic acid was preferentially incorporated in all cases but that the incorporation was severely inhibited by both the cis and trans adducts. These findings suggest that a cis adduct is a more effective block to replication than a trans adduct, and that these adducts may not be very efficient mutagenic lesions."}
{"id": "PMID:1473244", "title": "Entrapment by magnetic microcapsules of the protein pyrolysates IQ, PhIP and Glu-P-1, and alteration of IQ metabolite exposure within the rat gastrointestinal tract by risk-modulating components of the human diet.", "content": "The entrapment of heterocyclic aromatic amine gastrointestinal (GI) carcinogens (HAAs), by retrievable semipermeable magnetic polyethylenimine (PEI) microcapsules was investigated in vitro and in vivo as an approach for human biomonitoring. Previous studies showed that PEI microcapsules successfully entrapped benzo[a]pyrene (B[]P) and its metabolites in the GI tract of rodents. In this study, we have shown that 14C-labelled 2-amino-3-methylimidazo[4,5f]quinoline (IQ), 2-amino-1-methylphenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP) and 2-amino-6-methyldipyrido[1,2-a:3'2'-d]imidazole (Glu-P-1) are adsorbed to PEI microcapsules in vitro and can be desorbed by treatment with ammoniac methanol. Binding of HAAs to PEI microcapsules containing copper phthalocyanine (TCPTS), a moiety which reversibly binds chemicals with aromatic planar structures, was 2- to 4-fold higher than with unmodified PEI microcapsules. PEI microcapsules also acted as a nucleophile and trapped the proximate carcinogenic metabolite of IQ, 2-hydroxy-amino-3-methyl-imidazo[4,5f]quinoline (N-hydroxy-IQ). The entrapment of 14C-labelled IQ and PhIP by microcapsules was investigated in vivo in male F344 rats fed a conventional chow diet or a human diet with varying amounts of fat and beef intake typically consumed in the UK. Animals were adapted to human diets which were either high (H) or low (L) in fat (F), beef protein (B) and dietary fibre non-starch polysaccharide (NSP). Microcapsule entrapment of IQ and metabolites was 0.5-2.0% of the dose and 4-fold higher in rats consuming a HF/HB/LNSP than those consuming a LF/LB/HNSP diet, these being respectively putatative high- and low-risk-associated diets. In the HF/HB/LNSP diet group, a higher amount of IQ metabolites were detected in the microcapsules; a lower proportion of covalently bound metabolites could be removed by acid hydrolysis. Urinary excretion was 2-fold greater and analysis of the urinary metabolites showed there to be lower sulfotransferase activity than in the LF/LB/HNSP group. The amount of 14C-labelled PhIP entrapped by PEI microcapsules was 1.5% of the dose in rodents fed a LF/HB/LNSP human diet and binding was 7-fold higher than in rodents fed a semi-purified diet. These results demonstrate that microcapsules can entrap IQ and PhIP and their metabolites within the GI tract of rodents. The amounts entrapped by microcapsules in the rodent model suggests that this approach may be feasible for human biomonitoring of HAAs and for non-invasively studying dietary modulations of carcinogen exposure within a potential HAA target organ at high risk from as-yet unidentified causes."}
{"id": "PMID:1473245", "title": "Characterization of thymidine adducts formed by acrolein and 2-bromoacrolein.", "content": "Thymidine was permitted to react with the known mutagens acrolein and 2-bromoacrolein under physiological conditions. The products of these reactions were separated by HPLC and characterized by UV, FAB/MS, electrospray MS, 1H NMR and chemical transformation. The reaction with acrolein gave one major product, N3-(3''-oxopropyl)thymidine, which is unstable in aqueous solution and was reduced with sodium borohydride to the corresponding alcohol. Reaction with 2-bromoacrolein yielded the unstable intermediate, N3-(2''-bromo-3''-oxopropyl)thymidine, and two stable products, the diastereomers of N3-(2''-hydroxy-3''-oxopropyl)thymidine, which are slowly transformed to N3-(2''-oxo-3''-hydroxypropyl)thymidine. Reactions with both mutagens proceed most rapidly at pH 9.2, less rapidly at pH 7.4, and no products are found at pH 4.2. Stable adducts found in the reaction of 2-bromoacrolein were also identified in reactions with single-strand oligodeoxynucleotides using a sensitive, selected ion monitoring GC/MS procedure."}
{"id": "PMID:1473246", "title": "Analysis of phospholipid metabolism in murine keratinocytes transformed by the v-ras oncogene: relationship of phosphatidylinositol turnover and cytokine stimulation to the transformed phenotype.", "content": "Introduction of a v-rasHa oncogene into cultured mouse keratinocytes by transduction with a defective retrovirus is sufficient to transform keratinocytes to the benign phenotype. Transduced keratinocytes overexpress TGF alpha and hyperproliferate in culture medium with 0.05 mM Ca2+. Whereas normal keratinocytes respond to elevated medium Ca2+ by cessation of proliferation and induction of terminal differentiation, v-rasHa keratinocytes are not induced to differentiate by Ca2+. We now demonstrate that v-rasHa keratinocytes have elevated basal levels of phosphatidylinositol, inositol phosphates and diacylglycerols in 0.05 mM Ca2+ medium. Basal turnover of phosphatidylcholine is not altered by the rasHa oncogene. The generation of inositol phosphates is even further stimulated in v-rasHa cells by an increase in extracellular Ca2+ or by exposure to aluminum fluoride. Thus, the v-rasHa gene product does not stimulate the inositol phospholipid pathway maximally and additional phosphatidylinositol is available for turnover in response to inducers of phospholipase C activity. TGF alpha and medium conditioned by v-rasHa keratinocytes, both of which stimulate proliferation of normal cells in 0.05 mM Ca2+, transiently increased phosphatidylinositol turnover in normal keratinocytes but did not inhibit Ca(2+)-induced terminal differentiation. In contrast, sustained elevation in basal phosphatidylinositol metabolism was produced by aluminum fluoride. Combined exposure to aluminum fluoride and exogenous TGF alpha caused hyperproliferation, resistance to Ca(2+)-induced differentiation and morphological changes identical to those of v-rasHa keratinocytes. These results provide a link between the biological consequences of v-rasHa gene expression and biochemical changes which are known to alter the keratinocyte phenotype."}
{"id": "PMID:1473247", "title": "Changes in adult metabolism of aflatoxin B1 in rats neonatally exposed to diethylstilbestrol. Alterations in alpha-class glutathione S-transferases.", "content": "Neonatal exposure of rats to xenobiotics has been shown to produce long-term alterations in hepatic enzyme activities and in levels of DNA adducts following carcinogen exposure. We exposed newborn male rats to diethylstilbestrol (DES), pregnenolone-16 alpha-carbonitrile, 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene or phenobarbital on days 1, 3 and 5 of age. At five months of age, males were injected with 1 mg/kg of [3H]aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), killed after 2 h and examined for AF-DNA adduction in the liver. Males neonatally exposed to DES showed a 35% decrease in DNA adduction levels. Analysis of the adducted DNA bases failed to show any changes in relative proportions of individual adducts in the DES samples compared to controls. Hepatic glutathione concentrations were unchanged. However, Western blot analysis of alpha-class glutathione S-transferases (alpha GST), enzymes known to inactivate the toxic AFB1-8,9-epoxide, showed a 2-fold increase in subunit levels in the DES-treated males, suggesting that the detoxifying activity of the cytosol may have been increased. To confirm this, in vitro tests were undertaken using butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) induced mouse microsomes to activate [3H]AFB1 in the presence of treated cytosol and GSH. Analysis of metabolites by HPLC showed that DES-treated males formed 245% of the AFB-SG conjugate relative to vehicle controls. These results indicate that neonatal DES treatment resulted in long-term changes in basal alpha GST levels and suggest that these changes were responsible for lower levels of DNA adduction following adult exposure to AFB1."}
{"id": "PMID:1473248", "title": "Detection of mammalian carcinogens with an immunological DNA synthesis-inhibition test.", "content": "There is a close relationship between genotoxicity, mutagenicity and carcinogenicity. But the controversy of which short-term test system best recognizes human carcinogens is still going on. Currently, the Salmonella gene mutation assay ('Ames test') is the most widely used test for the screening of mutagens. However, many in vitro tests hold unsatisfactory validity data, presumably because of the inability of present short-term tests to detect non-genotoxic carcinogens, which are increasingly being brought into focus in the discussions of genesis of cancer. One principle often neglected in this context is the property of genotoxic agents to inhibit replicative DNA synthesis in (proliferating) eukaryotic cells. We believe that this early response to DNA damage is important in the multistage process of carcinogenesis. Accordingly, we proposed that a DNA synthesis-inhibition test should be included in the test batteries for carcinogen screening. In this paper we report the development of an appropriate DNA synthesis-inhibition test based on immunological techniques."}
{"id": "PMID:1473249", "title": "Cytochrome P4501A induction in tissues, including olfactory epithelium, of topminnows (Poeciliopsis spp.) by waterborne benzo[a]pyrene.", "content": "Topminnows of the genus Poeciliopsis are susceptible to hepatocarcinogenesis by waterborne exposure to procarcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH). We examined induction of cytochrome P4501A (CYP1A) in liver and other organs of the species P. monacha and P. lucida exposed to benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) in water (added in acetone carrier) at 1 mg/l for 48 and 90 h. Fish were fixed whole in formalin, and CYP1A was examined immunohistochemically in sagittal sections of whole animals by staining with monoclonal antibody 1-12-3, which recognizes a single cross-reacting CYP1A protein in Poeciliopsis liver microsomes. Fish exposed to B[a]P for 48 h showed moderate staining, and those exposed for 90 h showed strong specific staining in various epithelial cells in both species. These included hepatocytes, pancreatic cells, epithelial cells in gill, enterocytes of the gut, and kidney tubular epithelium. Endothelial cells in several organs, including gill pillar cells and endocardial cells in the heart, showed strong staining. Staining was stronger in P. monacha than in P. lucida. Untreated animals of both species showed mild staining of the same cells stained in B[a]P-treated fish. In P. monacha, carrier (acetone) elicited a moderate increase in staining in most cell types, including those of liver and gill; the basis for this acetone effect is not known. There was a very strong specific induction by B[a]P in olfactory epithelium and epidermal taste bud epithelium of P. monacha, the first demonstration of strong CYP1A induction in chemosensory epithelia exposed to inducer in a physiologically relevant way. This study clearly establishes that waterborne PAH can elicit induction of P4501A proteins in multiple cell types in many organs of fish, with some sites of induction (olfactory epithelium) possibly related directly to the route of exposure. The species differences in the induction response, with induction in liver and some other organs generally being greater in P. monacha than in P. lucida, could be related to previously recognized species differences in PAH toxicities in Poeciliopsis."}
{"id": "PMID:1473250", "title": "Epigenetic activation of Gi-2 protein, the product of a putative protooncogene, mediates tumor promotion in vitro.", "content": "Promotion of 'initiated' JB6 epidermal cells to the tumor phenotype can be effected by 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate treatment, by stimulation of epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor activity with EGF or transforming growth factor alpha and by exposure to the isoquinoline derivative H7. When these cells were incubated with pertussis toxin (PTX), induction of anchorage-independent growth by all four promoting substances was suppressed. The inhibition is specific since cell proliferation is not affected, suggesting that activation of a Gi protein is essential for promotion of the epidermal cells. This interpretation is strongly supported by the observation that the wasp poison mastoparan, which is known to mimic receptor-mediated activation of certain Gi proteins, also promoted anchorage independence. Immunological data and partial amino acid sequence analysis of ADP-ribosyl alpha i isolated from PTX-treated JB6 cells indicate that a Gi-2 protein is a mediator to tumor promotion in this system. The inhibitory action of 4-bromophenacyl bromide may point to a coupling of the Gi protein to phospholipase A2. From our data we infer that promoters induce the tumor phenotype in 'initiated' JB6 epidermal cells by activating epigenetically the same Gi protein that in a number of adrenal and ovarian tumors appears to be persistently activated by mutational events."}
{"id": "PMID:1473251", "title": "A possible factor in genetic instability of cancer cells: stress-induced secreted proteins lead to decrease in replication fidelity.", "content": "Ultraviolet irradiation triggers a response in mammalian cells known as the UV response. Part of the UV response forms the enhanced synthesis of various extracellular proteins able to transmit the response to non-irradiated cells. Because several cancer-prone syndromes with enhanced genetic instability also have an enhanced synthesis of the same set of proteins without prior stimulation it is possible that induction of these stress responsive proteins may be involved in the process of carcinogenesis and genetic instability. To test this hypothesis mouse T lymphoma cells, GRSL13, were treated with the conditioned medium of UV-induced cells under various experimental conditions. Overall the mutation rate is enhanced 1.8-fold (P < 0.01). However, the degree of enhancement is strongly influenced by culture conditions. UV-induced factors only lead to an enhanced mutation rate when cells, both for the production and response to those factors, originate from a similar cell density. In addition, it was found that fresh medium interferes with this response. To eliminate the hindrance of these factors on the effect of the conditioned medium on the mutation rate, serum-starved cells at high density were treated with serum-free medium derived from high-density UV-irradiated cultures. Using these conditions a 2.8-fold (P < 0.002) enhancement of the mutation rate was found. Fluctuation analysis indicated that the enhancement is 10-fold during the first five generations after treatment. UV-induced factors have also been found to induce cell growth, and the degree of induction was linearly correlated with the enhancement in mutation rate. These experiments are in agreement with the hypothesis that induction of stress responses leads to genetic instability."}
{"id": "PMID:1473252", "title": "Analysis of tobacco-specific N-nitrosamines in indoor air.", "content": "A method was developed and applied for the assessment of tobacco-specific N-nitrosamines (TSNA) in indoor air polluted with tobacco smoke. Air samples were collected on Cambridge filters treated with 0.01 M potassium bisulfate, extracted with dichloromethane and enriched by column chromatography. The fraction containing the TSNA was concentrated and placed on a thermal desorption cartridge packed with Tenax GR. The sample was thermally desorbed and analyzed by capillary GC using a thermal energy analyzer. When the method was applied in a test laboratory in which one, two and four cigarettes were smoked during 30 min, linearity was observed. Field studies included sampling in bars, restaurants and trains. The concentration of N'-nitrosonornicotine (NNN) ranged from not detected to 23 pg/l, that of N'-nitrosoanatabine ranged from not detected to 9 pg/l, while 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK) was detected in concentrations ranging from 1 to 29 pg/l. This means an exposure to NNN and NNK of 0.1-0.3 cigarette equivalents. Thus, non-smokers can be exposed to highly carcinogenic TSNA."}
{"id": "PMID:1473253", "title": "An in vitro pancreas acinar cell model for testing the modulating effects of caloric restriction and ageing on cellular proliferation and transformation.", "content": "Pancreatic acinar cells were isolated for culture from a young (Y) and an old (O) Brown-Norway or Fischer 344 rat fed an ad libitum (AL) or calorically restricted (CR) diet. The cells were cultured and cellular growth rates were determined as a function of passage number. An overall increase in cellular growth rate and transformation frequency with age and/or AL diet relative to youth as well as a decrease with CR diet were concordant with reported responses in vivo. Transformation frequency was measured in Brown-Norway cells and followed the same pattern as the growth response: AL/O > AL/Y = CR/Y > CR/O. The cellular model is shown to fit the general multistage requirements of the carcinogenic process as well as general age and diet characteristics of pancreatic cancer. This pancreatic acinar cell age-diet approach may prove to be a valuable tool for determining mechanisms of exocrine pancreatic carcinogenesis as well as other disease states; it may also be of utility in in vitro gerontological nutritional and pharmacological studies since some of the age and diet determinants of biological effects appear to be segregable. Propensity of cells from an old and/or AL diet animal for faster growth and for cellular transformation are programmed into the cells by the time of their excision from the animal (as late as 14 months), indicating a heritable component in the model or a mechanism that is dependent upon elements that control gene expression."}
{"id": "PMID:1473254", "title": "In vivo and in vitro genotoxicity of several N-nitrosamines in extrahepatic tissues of the rat.", "content": "Toxicological mechanisms involved in organotropism of tumor induction may include cell-specific metabolic activation of the carcinogen, in vivo distribution of active metabolites and persistance of induced DNA damage. In order to elucidate which factors are involved in the organotropic action of environmentally relevant N-nitrosamines, we have studied their genotoxic and cytotoxic effects within primary intact cells of lung and kidney. The end-points determined were cytotoxicity by trypan blue exclusion and DNA single-strand break (SSB) induction by alkaline filter elution. The assays were performed in vitro to determine organ-specific metabolic activation by incubating the cells with the test compounds. The results obtained with N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), N-nitrosodiethylamine (NDEA), N-nitrosodiethanolamine (NDEIA), N-nitrosoethylvinylamine (NEVA), N-nitrosodibutylamine (NDBA), N-nitrosobutylbutanolamine (NBBOH), N-nitrosobutylcarboxypropylamine (BCPN), N-nitrosomethylbenzylamine (NMBzA) and N-nitrosodibenzylamine (NDBzA) indicate that several compounds may be activated to reactive metabolites by cells of kidney and lung, NDBzA revealing the highest degree of cytotoxicity. In contrast, genotoxicity in kidney cells was induced only by NBBOH and BCPN and at relative low levels. Primary lung cells could not be employed as indicators for genotoxic effects in vitro because the cell yield was not sufficient to perform the alkaline elution assay. To assess the distribution of NDMA in the whole rat and the persistence of the induced DNA damage in the two organs, further studies were carried out after oral application of 1, 2, 4, 10, 20, 32 and 40 mg/kg to the animals. Following 1 h exposure of rats to NDMA, the lowest effective genotoxic dose for lung and kidney was 2 mg NDMA/kg body wt. A plateau was achieved after a dose of 20 mg/kg in both organs. Furthermore, the persistence of DNA damage was studied in the lung. After 4 h exposure, DNA damage was still detectable at 32 mg NDMA/kg, but for the lower doses it was reduced nearly to control levels. After 16 h exposure the SSB rate in lung cells was reduced for all dose levels except for the highest dose of 40 mg/kg."}
{"id": "PMID:1473255", "title": "Pregnancy-induced antitumor cytotoxicity of T cell-rich fraction against mammary adenocarcinoma cells in rats.", "content": "Our earlier observations indicated that splenocytes from parous rats have high cytotoxic activity against mammary tumor cells in vitro. It has also been observed that this cytotoxic activity of splenocytes from parous rats can be adoptively transferred to virgin rats of same age. The present investigation is an attempt to determine the cell type in spleens of parous rats that cause the cytotoxicity against mammary tumors. The spleens from both virgin and parous rats were removed aseptically and T and B cell-rich fractions were separated. 7,12-Dimethylbenz[a]anthracene-induced rat mammary tumor epithelial cells were used as targets and the T and B cell-rich fractions from either virgin or parous rats were used as effectors. The parous rats were divided into two groups according to the time period after parturition. Group I contained rats that were 5-13 days after delivery, while the rats in group II were 14 or more days post parturition. In vitro cytotoxicity was determined by incubating the tumor cells with spleen cells in the target/effector ratio of 1:3, 1:10 and 1:30 and using the standard 51Cr release assay. In all ratio groups of T cell-rich fractions particularly in group II, there was significantly higher cytotoxicity against mammary tumor cells. None of the B cell-rich fractions from parous rats were significantly more cytotoxic than those from virgin controls."}
{"id": "PMID:1473256", "title": "Effects of methapyrilene on DNA synthesis in mice and rats following continuous dietary exposure.", "content": "The effects of the antihistamine methapyrilene (MP) on DNA synthesis in rats and mice were investigated. Previous studies have demonstrated a dose response for tumor induction in the rat but no carcinogenic effect in the mouse. To study the role of DNA synthesis in MP carcinogenesis, rats and mice were administered MP at doses of 0, 62.5, 125, 250 or 1000 p.p.m. in the diet for a period of 1-12 weeks. Bromodeoxyuridine was administered continuously using an osmotic minipump during the last week of treatment to provide an index of DNA synthesis. Results demonstrated that in the rat 250 and 1000 p.p.m. MP increased DNA synthesis in a dose-dependent manner that correlated with the tumor response in previous oncogenic studies. MP at 62.5 p.p.m. did not increase DNA synthesis, indicating a no effect level for cell proliferation and suggesting a no effect level for carcinogenicity by this compound in the rat. MP did not induce DNA synthesis in mice after exposure to 1000 p.p.m. for 12 weeks, nor did it induce changes in serum chemistries or liver histopathology suggestive of overt toxicity as was seen in the rat at 1000 p.p.m. The correlations between labeling index and tumorigenicity in the rat and mouse strongly support a role of cell proliferation in the carcinogenic mechanism of MP."}
{"id": "PMID:1473257", "title": "Rat hepatocyte nodules are resistant to the necrogenic effect of D-galactosamine.", "content": "D-Galactosamine is a known hepatotoxin which induces liver cell necrosis via depletion of UTP and other uridine nucleotides. Our previous work indicated that nodular hepatocytes have higher levels of total uridine nucleotides compared to normal liver, and in the present study we investigate the effect of galactosamine treatment on hepatocyte nodules and surrounding liver. Hepatic nodules were generated in male Wistar rats according to the Solt and Farber protocol. Six months after initiation animals received a single injection of D-galactosamine (500 mg/kg i.p.) and were then killed 1, 2, 4 or 7 days later. Histological analysis of liver revealed the presence of extensive liver cell necrosis in normal tissue 1 and 2 days after galactosamine treatment. However, very little or no necrosis was detectable inside hepatic nodules at any time point, indicating that these focal areas are resistant to the cytotoxic effect of galactosamine. This type of resistance could be the expression of a new component in the resistant phenotype of hepatic nodules."}
{"id": "PMID:1473258", "title": "Some quantitative considerations about DNA adduct enrichment procedures for 32P-postlabelling.", "content": "The concentrations of 2'-deoxyribonucleoside-3'-monophosphates remaining in calf-thymus DNA digests after nuclease P1 digestion or extraction into 1-butanol, the most commonly used adduct enrichment procedures prior to the application of the 32P-postlabelling assay, were measured using HPLC and 32P-postlabelling methods. When 10 micrograms of DNA digested to mononucleotides was used, the total amount of nucleotides remaining in the samples were approximately 4 and approximately 14 pmol after nuclease P1 treatment or 1-butanol extraction respectively. The influence of various concentrations of normal nucleotides on the labelling efficiency of a 2'-deoxyguanosine-3'-monophosphate adduct of benzo[a]pyrene diol-epoxide was also studied and found to depend upon the ratio of normal nucleotides/adducted nucleotides present in the sample. Also, the ATP/normal nucleotides ratio in the phosphorylation reaction may affect the quantitation of the adducts and thus deserves due consideration."}
{"id": "PMID:1473259", "title": "Modulation of N-nitrosomethylbenzylamine bioactivation by diallyl sulfide in vivo.", "content": "Diallyl sulfide (DAS), a major component of garlic oil, is an inhibitor of tumorigenesis by various metabolically activated carcinogens. In rats, pretreatment with DAS has been observed to suppress completely the induction of oesophageal neoplasms by N-nitrosomethylbenzylamine (NMBzA) (Wargovich et al. (1988) Cancer Res., 48, 6872-6875). This communication reports the effects of DAS on overall NMBzA metabolism and on DNA methylation of NMBzA in vivo under conditions equivalent to a single treatment of the chemoprevention assay. Male Fischer 344 rats received a single i.g. dose of DAS (200 mg/kg body wt) followed by an s.c. injection of [methyl-14C]NMBzA (3.5 mg/kg). In controls, exhalation of 14CO2 was complete within 5 h (t1/2max = 1.2 h), with 50% of the injected radioactivity recovered as 14CO2. When DAS was given 3 h prior to [methyl-14C]NMBzA, 49% of the injected radioactivity was released within 10 h (t1/2max = 3 h). When DAS was administered 18 h before the carcinogen, 42% of [methyl-14C]NMBzA was converted to 14CO2, with exhalation complete after 6 h (t1/2max = 1.8 h). We further examined the effects of acute doses of 10-200 mg/kg of DAS on DNA methylation by a single dose of NMBzA (3.5 mg/kg; survival time, 6 h) administered 3 h later. At 200 mg/kg, DAS inhibited the formation of O6-methyldeoxyguanosine (O6-MEdG) in oesophagus (-26%), nasal mucosa (-51%), trachea (-68%) and lung (-78%). In liver, levels of 7-MEdG were reduced by 43%. Decreases in DNA methylation were proportional to dose for > 25 mg/kg of DAS in oesophagus, liver and nasal mucosa, for 25-200 mg/kg in trachea and 10-50 mg/kg in lung. The dose-activity relationship for inhibition by DAS of DNA methylation by NMBzA suggests that short-term modulation of carcinogen bioactivation in situ contributes to but may not be sufficient for the chemo-prevention of nitrosamine tumorigenesis by DAS."}
{"id": "PMID:1473260", "title": "Alterations in nucleotide pools in rats fed diets deficient in choline, methionine and/or folic acid.", "content": "The fidelity of DNA synthesis is critically dependent on the correct balance and availability of the deoxynucleoside triphosphate (dNTP) precursors for the polymerases involved in replication and repair. Since folate-derived one-carbon groups are essential for the de novo synthesis of both purines and pyrimidines, the purpose of the present investigation was to determine whether diet-induced depletion of folates would alter intracellular dNTP pools. Fischer 344 rats were fed one of four semi-purified diets for a period of 8 weeks: (i) supplemented control; (ii) deficient in folic acid; (iii) deficient in methionine and choline; and (iv) deficient in methionine, choline and folic acid. In contrast to natural diets, semi-purified diets are nucleotide-free and consequently lack substrates for salvage pathway synthesis. This omission may place unusual stress on folate-dependent de novo nucleotide synthesis especially under conditions of dietary methyl-donor deficiency. Reversed-phase HPLC analysis of dNTP in spleen cell extracts indicated that both the thymidylate monophosphate and thymidylate triphosphate pools were decreased in spleen cells from the deficient rats consistent with a decrease in folate-dependent de novo synthesis. In addition, purine biosynthesis appeared to be negatively affect by methyl-donor deficiency as evidenced by a reduction in dGTP and dATP pools. These data indicate that deoxynucleotide pool imbalance, well known to produce cytogenetic and mutagenic events in vitro, can also be induced in this in vivo model of diet-induced carcinogenesis."}
{"id": "PMID:1473261", "title": "Effects of hyperthermia on intracellular calcium concentration and responses of cancerous mammary cells in culture.", "content": "Effects of hyperthermia on the intracellular calcium concentration (Cai) of an established mouse breast cancer cell line, MMT060562, were studied using fura-2 fluorescence microscopy and the whole-cell clamp technique. A sudden change of temperature from 37 to 45 degrees C induced a transient increase in the fluorescence ratio permeability of the cell membrane and inward current. Deletion of extracellular calcium abolished the fluorescence ratio response to the rise in temperature. Cai of some cells increased after hyperthermia treatment at 44-48 degrees C for 20 min, but the average increase of Cai was negligible. After hyperthermia treatment, spontaneous oscillation of Cai, chemical responses to ATP and bradykinin and the mechanically-induced spreading response diminished. However, the mechanically induced increase of Cai within the stimulated cell remained even after hyperthermia treatment. Suppression of the ATP-induced Cai response recovered to about half the original level within 12 h. Blockage of protein synthesis with cycloheximide (100 microM) had no effect on the recovery. The D-myo-inositol 1,4,5-triphosphate (IP3)-dependent increase of Cai remained intact even after hyperthermia treatment. It is concluded that hyperthermia treatment increases both the permeability of the cell membrane and Cai, but decreases the sensitivity of cells to ATP and bradykinin, presumably due to modification of the signal transduction mechanism."}
{"id": "PMID:1473262", "title": "Studies on the ATPase of Bacillus cereus.", "content": "The membrane ATPase (EC 3.6.1.3) of Bacillus cereus was solubilized by a 'shock-wash' process and purified. The non-specific phosphatase contaminant was separated by glycerol density gradient centrifugation. The optimum temperature was 39.5 degrees C and the pH optimum at 7.5. On SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis two classes of subunits were observed in equal proportions with molecular weights of 70 K and 83 K. The effect of various compounds on the enzymatic activity was studied. The enzyme was insensitive to NaN3, oligomycin and to divalent cations, but was inhibited by citrate and oxalate."}
{"id": "PMID:1473263", "title": "Ornithine decarboxylase and ornithine decarboxylase-inhibiting activity in rat thymocytes.", "content": "Isolation of thymocytes from rat thymus resulted in the disappearance of the high activity of ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) that characterizes the thymus of young rats, together with the appearance of an antizyme-like ODC inhibiting activity, which showed a chromatographic profile that resembled that of dexamethasone-treated rat thymus. Omission of serum or addition of dexamethasone or spermidine did not affect appreciably the extent of the antizyme-like activity. On the other hand, a variety of hormonal effectors, i.e. insulin, glucagon, adrenalin and T3, as well as the phorbol ester, PMA or the mitogen, concanavalin A (Con A) induced ODC activity in cultured thymocytes together with the disappearance of the antizyme-like activity. A paradoxical, transient induction of ODC was caused by the transcriptional inhibitor, actinomycin D. Complexed ODC was detected in rat thymus, but not in thymocytes, either quiescent or stimulated by mitogens. These results indicate that thymic lymphocytes can express either ODC activity or its inhibitor depending on the hormonal and proliferative status of the cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1473264", "title": "Polymerase chain reaction in the detection of mRNA transcripts from the slow skeletal troponin T (TNNT1) gene in myotonic dystrophy and normal muscle.", "content": "Recent studies have shown that the gene encoding for the slow skeletal troponin isoform T (TNNT1) is located on the proximal long arm of human chromosome 19 in the myotonic dystrophy (DM) region. In order to test TNNT1 as a candidate gene for DM, we have isolated TNNT1 cDNA from skeletal muscle from two healthy individuals and from two patients with DM. Sequencing of the TNNT1 cDNA from the DM and normal muscle revealed two sequence variants but no transcriptionally significant mutations. This work rules out a defect in the coding segment of TNNT1 as a cause of DM and provides a polymerase chain reaction protocol for studying troponin T gene expression."}
{"id": "PMID:1473265", "title": "Phosphate efflux from jejunal enterocytes of the rat: effect of phosphate concentration gradient and pH.", "content": "The effect of variation in the intracellular and extracellular phosphate concentration on the Pi efflux across the basolateral membrane of pre-loaded enterocytes has been examined. Efflux rate constants for Pi fell from 0.89 h-1 to 0.68 h-1 as the extracellular Pi concentration was increased from 0.5 mM to 5 mM. As the intracellular Pi concentration was raised from 0.5 to 3 mM the rate constant dropped from 0.95 h-1 to 0.77 h-1. The findings are indicative of the presence of Pi-specific transporter at the basolateral membrane. The efflux rate constant of Pi at pH 7.1 was higher than that at pH 7.4 suggesting that the Pi flux across the basolateral membrane of enterocytes follows a similar pattern towards pH changes as do fluxes across the brush-border membrane."}
{"id": "PMID:1473266", "title": "Effect of streptozotocin-induced diabetes on the handling of phosphate by the rat small intestine.", "content": "The effect of chemically-induced diabetes on the handling of phosphate (Pi) by rat jejunal enterocytes has been investigated in the presence of a Na- or a choline-gradient. Pi uptake was significantly increased in both gradients. The Pi efflux rate constants for enterocytes from diabetic rats were similar to those of control rats. The effect of diabetes on both the protein and alkaline phosphatase isoenzymes of the rat small intestinal brush-border membranes was examined using SDS-PAGE. The patterns given by membranes from rats 14 days after the induction of diabetes were no different from those of controls."}
{"id": "PMID:1473267", "title": "Effect of inhibitors and activators of tyrosine kinase on insulin imprinting in Tetrahymena.", "content": "Primary exposure of Tetrahymena cells to insulin gave rise to hormonal (insulin) imprinting in the offspring generations, as judged from the increase in binding upon reexposure to insulin. Vanadate mimicked the action of insulin, inasmuch as it also induced imprinting for insulin, whereas the other tyrosine kinase activator tested, namely H2O2, had no such effect. However, combined treatment with vanadate+H2O2 + insulin induced a more pronounced imprinting for insulin than either insulin or vanadate on their own. The tyrosine kinase inhibitor genistein, a plant flavonoid, did not change the value for insulin binding significantly relative to the control immediately after exposure, but increased it slightly in the offspring generations after 24 h at high dilution. Upon combination with insulin, 10(-4)M genistein inhibited imprinting by insulin. These experimental observations suggest that there may be a key role for tyrosine kinase activity in the mechanism (development) of imprinting."}
{"id": "PMID:1473268", "title": "In situ localization of male germ cell-associated kinase (mak) mRNA in adult mouse testis: specific expression in germ cells at stages around meiotic cell division.", "content": "Biochemical analysis of the male germ cell-associated kinase (mak) gene, which was isolated recently by using weak cross-hybridization with the v-ros tyrosine kinase gene, revealed that the gene was highly expressed in mammalian testicular germ cells, but not in ovarian cells. In order to identify the cells which express the mak gene in more detail, we localized mak mRNA in frozen sections of mouse testis by non-radioactive in situ hybridization. In this study, we utilized thymine-thymine (T-T) dimerized mak cDNA as a haptenic, non-radioactive probe, and the signal was detected enzyme-immunohistochemically by using an anti-T-T antibody. As a result, mak mRNA was localized intensely in late pachytene (stage X) and diplotene (stage XI) spermatocytes, and faintly in dividing spermatocytes (stage XII) and early round spermatids (stage I-II), suggesting that the gene may play an important role in the phase around meiotic cell division, but not throughout the entire meiosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1473269", "title": "Normal and Ha-ras-1 oncogene transformed Buffalo rat liver (BRL) cells show differential resistance to cytoskeletal protein inhibitors.", "content": "In the present study, using immunofluorescence microscopy, we have demonstrated that normal and Ha-ras-1 transformed Buffalo rat liver (BRL) cells which were exposed to cytoskeletal protein inhibitors, showed a differential resistance of their microfilament and microtubule networks. One hour exposure of normal BRL cells to 10(-5) M cytochalasin B provoked a clear and already total breakdown of actin filaments. However, at this concentration of cytochalasin B, the microfilaments of transformed BRLHO6T1-1 cells were not seriously affected; a higher cytochalasin B concentration (> or = 2 x 10(-5) M) was required to induce a significant breakdown of microfilaments in these transformed cells. The two cell lines also demonstrated differential microtubule stability when they were treated with either colchicine or triethyllead. Three hours exposure to 10(-6) M of either antimicrotubule agents was sufficient to disrupt the microtubules of normal BRL cells, without affecting their counterparts in the transformed BRLHO6T1-1 cells. A 10-fold higher drug concentration (10(-5) M) was required to induce microtubular breakdown in the transformed BRL cells. The differential stability of microfilaments and microtubules in normal and transformed BRL cells that was observed could not be attributed to a differential internalization of the agents, as shown by experiments on the uptake of [3H]-cytochalasin B and triethyllead. In addition, the transformed BRLHO6T1-1 cells did not express altered actin and tubulin isoforms, as demonstrated by isoelectric focusing followed by immunoblotting analysis. We conclude that the transformation of BRL cells with the Ha-ras-1 oncogene results in a greater stability of microfilaments and microtubules, leading to a structurally firmer cell shape.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1473270", "title": "Sexual and ontogenic differences in K(+)-induced gonadotropin and prolactin release in vitro.", "content": "Ontogenic and sexual differences have been described in the regulation of anterior pituitary hormone release. In the present experiments we studied basal release and the effect of a depolarizing concentration of K+ on in vitro gonadotropin and prolactin release from anterior pituitaries of male and female rats at 12, 20 and 28 days of age. Basal release of LH and FSH increased with age, values obtained from female glands being significantly higher than those obtained from male glands. K(+)-induced release of LH did not present differences among ages, although the response in females was always greater than that in age-matched males. If K(+)-induced release of LH was considered in relation to basal release, infantile 12-day-old rats of both sexes, had a significantly greater sensitivity to the effect of K+ in comparison to older ages, as has been described for the LH-releasing effect of LHRH and of other stimuli. K(+)-induced FSH release was maximal in females at 20 days of age, and in males at 28 days of age. Percentage increase relative to basal values, induced by K+ was also greatest at 12 days in both sexes, although values from female glands were significantly higher than those from males. Basal and K(+)-induced prolactin release increased significantly with age in both sexes. Basal prolactin release was greater in females than in males at 28 days of age, and no other sexual difference was evidenced.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1473271", "title": "Expression of neurotrophins and the low-affinity NGF receptor in septal and hippocampal reaggregate cultures: local physiologic effects of NGF synthesized in the septal region.", "content": "Nerve growth factor (NGF), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) are members of a family of trophic factors designated the neurotrophins, each of which can bind to the low-affinity NGF receptor (LNGFR). To investigate the mechanisms that regulate the expression of the neurotrophins and the LNGFR in the developing brain, we grew cells from the embryonic mouse septum and hippocampus in reaggregating cell culture and compared neurotrophin and LNGFR expression in developing reaggregates with that seen in the developing septum and hippocampus in situ. NGF, BDNF, NT-3 and LNGFR were each expressed in septal and hippocampal reaggregates as well as the native septum and hippocampus. Additionally, the temporal expression profiles observed in reaggregates were generally similar to those seen in the respective brain regions in situ. In order to determine whether NGF can modulate neurotrophin or LNGFR expression, reaggregates were cultured in the continual presence of either exogenous NGF or anti-NGF antibodies. NGF-treated septal cultures expressed twice the level of LNGFR mRNA as was seen in untreated septal cultures; on the other hand, septal cultures grown in the presence of anti-NGF antibodies, to neutralize endogenously synthesized NGF, displayed a 3-fold decrease in LNGFR mRNA expression compared to untreated cultures. No effects of NGF or anti-NGF were observed on LNGFR expression in hippocampal reaggregates, or on neurotrophin mRNA expression in either reaggregate type. These results suggest that regulatory mechanisms intrinsic to the septal and hippocampal regions control neurotrophin and LNGFR expression. NGF is likely to be one of these regulatory cues since it acts locally in septal reaggregates to control the developmental expression of LNGFR mRNA. The possible roles of locally synthesized NGF and other neurotrophins in the development of septal neurons are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1473272", "title": "Expression of carnosine-like immunoreactivity during retinal development in the clawed frog (Xenopus laevis).", "content": "The development of neurons immunoreactive to carnosine (beta-alanyl-L-histidine) was studied in the retina of Xenopus laevis during the premetamorphic period. Carnosine-like immunoreactivity was detected in photoreceptors from stage 39/40 (according to Nieuwkoop and Faber [Normal Tables of Xenopus laevis (Daudin), Elsevier, Amsterdam, 1956]) and in bipolar cells and their processes in the inner plexiform layer from stage 44/45. At all the developmental stages studied, neuroepithelial cells at the ciliary margin were completely unstained, suggesting that carnosine is only present in postmitotic retinal neurons. This study demonstrates a correlation between the times of appearance of carnosine-like immunoreactivity during retinal development and the onset of visual function."}
{"id": "PMID:1473273", "title": "Development of the brachial spinal cord in the marsupial Macropus eugenii (tammar wallaby).", "content": "The development of the brachial spinal cord was studied in the marsupial Macropus eugenii (tammar wallaby) on postnatal days 1-34. On day 1 the spinal cord was histologically immature, with a deep central canal, proliferating neuroepithelium and roof and floor plates. The lateral motor column had formed, and forelimb muscles contained primary myotubes. The spinal cord gradually attained a mature appearance between days 1-34. The results confirm the suitability of the wallaby spinal cord for studies of early mammalian development."}
{"id": "PMID:1473274", "title": "Chronic prenatal morphine treatment decreases G alpha s mRNA levels in neonatal frontal cortex.", "content": "G alpha s mRNA levels were measured in brain regions of newborn pups following prenatal morphine treatment. A significant decrease (24%) in G alpha s mRNA levels was observed in the frontal cortex. No changes were observed in other regions. This report demonstrates the first in vivo study of opiate effects on G-protein gene expression in neonates. The development of tolerance in vivo may involve complex interactions between several neurotransmitter systems having opposing actions on the G-protein system."}
{"id": "PMID:1473275", "title": "Ontogeny of calretinin in chick dorsal root ganglion neurons.", "content": "Calretinin immunostaining was performed on chick lumbosacral dorsal root ganglia during embryonic development. Calretinin-immunopositive neurons were first observed at around the 9th day of incubation. Quantitative evaluation revealed a close correlation between the number of immunopositive cells and the duration of incubation. Morphometric measurements disclosed that calretinin-immunoreactive cells belong in the large or intermediate categories of dorsal root ganglion neurons. It was concluded that the appearance of calretinin immunopositivity in spinal ganglion cells during development may be associated with both the morphological and functional maturation of this particular population of primary sensory neurons."}
{"id": "PMID:1473276", "title": "Characterisation of a novel glycoprotein (AvGp50) in the avian nervous system, with a monoclonal antibody.", "content": "A size fractionated lentil lectin-positive fraction derived from a deoxycholate extract of 1-day-old chick forebrain membranes was used to generate a series of monoclonal antibodies (Mabs) against neural antigens. One of these, MabSA1.7 recognises a glycoprotein which is enriched in synaptic plasma membranes, designated AvGp50. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and Western blots show that AvGp50 is comprised of at least two glycoforms, with M(r)s of 53 kDa and 49 kDa respectively. AvGp50 is nervous system specific and most abundantly expressed in the forebrain, tecta and cerebellum where its pattern of expression is developmentally regulated. Immunohistochemical data localises AvGp50 to regions characterised by highly concentrated synapses, in particular, the molecular and granule cell layers of the cerebellum and in the inner and outer plexiform layers in the retina. Solubilization of the protein with the detergent Triton X-100 shows that AvGp50 is predominantly a cytoskeletally associated glycoprotein. However, when a synaptic plasma membrane fraction was treated with Triton X-114, AvGp50 partitioned into the detergent phase. Digestion of the protein with N-glycanase cleaved five N-linked carbohydrate side chains and reduced the molecular weight to approximately 34 and 31 kDa. Removal of the carbohydrate side chains led to an almost complete loss of recognition of the 34 kDa glycoform by the MabSA1.7, suggesting that the monoclonal antibody recognises a carbohydrate rather than peptide epitope."}
{"id": "PMID:1473277", "title": "Gliosis and ganglion cell death in the developing cat retina during hydrocephalus and after decompression.", "content": "Even after surgical decompression, infantile hydrocephalus often results in permanent neurological symptoms, including visual deficits. However, little is known about the cellular changes that may be responsible for these effects. The present study was designed to analyze the retinae of normal, mildly hydrocephalic, severely hydrocephalic and surgically decompressed kittens to determine if changes occur in the density and size of retinal ganglion cells. Hydrocephalus was induced in 10 day old kittens by intra-cisternal injection of kaolin. Kittens were allowed to survive from 7 to 28 days after injection. Animals that were decompressed received ventriculoperitoneal shunts 10-15 days after the induction of hydrocephalus and were sacrificed 10-14 days after shunt placement. The density and area of neuronal and glial cells were determined within a sample area in peripheral nasal retina. Total cell density was significantly increased in mildly and severely hydrocephalic animals but returned to normal following decompression. This change represents a significant increase in the glial population. In addition, there was a significant loss of ganglion cells in both the severely hydrocephalic and the shunted groups. Based on these findings, we conclude that gliosis occurs as a result of cell death in the retina following severe hydrocephalus, and decompression is unable to reverse these effects. Furthermore, gliosis occurs in mild cases of hydrocephalus, and may be an early indication that cellular degeneration will follow."}
{"id": "PMID:1473278", "title": "Developmental expression of brain derived neurotrophic factor mRNA by neurons of fetal and adult monkey prefrontal cortex.", "content": "In situ hybridization histochemistry with labeled cRNA probes complementary to monkey brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) mRNAs has been used to study the cellular localization and expression of this neurotrophin in the prefrontal cerebral cortex of fetal and adult monkeys. Expression could not be detected in prefrontal cortex before the 121st fetal day. Thereafter, in fetal life and in adulthood BDNF mRNA could be detected primarily in large, putative pyramidal cells of layers III and VI throughout the prefrontal cortex. The temporal course and cellular localization of BDNF expression suggests its association with the development and stabilization of specific connections in regions of cortex that display marked functional plasticity."}
{"id": "PMID:1473279", "title": "Cell migration from the olfactory neuroepithelium of neonatal and adult rodents.", "content": "This study reports the presence of olfactory cell clusters in postnatal and adult animals within the lamina propria of the olfactory mucosa and the nerve fiber layer of the olfactory bulb. The results obtained from mice and rats, partially or totally unilaterally bulbectomized, have been compared with observations in intact control animals. Light microscopic observation has shown that, in bulbectomized animals, the clusters are present in both experimental and normal sides and are usually associated with olfactory axon bundles. Moreover, when compared with intact animals, differences are present in terms of number of clusters and regions from where they originate. The morphological identity of the cells of the clusters with the globose basal cell of the olfactory neuroepithelium could be demonstrated with the electron microscope. By autoradiographic means, it was possible to show that they originate from the olfactory neurogenetic matrix and migrate along olfactory axon bundles. Interestingly, the migrating cells do not express olfactory marker protein. Altogether, these observations suggest that the olfactory matrix may be capable of originating neural elements other than olfactory receptor neurons."}
{"id": "PMID:1473280", "title": "Developmental regulation of adenosine A1 receptors, uptake sites and endogenous adenosine in the chick retina.", "content": "Although adenosine A1 receptors mediate the inhibition of dopamine-dependent stimulation of adenylate cyclase activity in the developing chick retina, their localization and function are unknown. We have examined the localization of these receptors, and of endogenous adenosine and adenosine uptake sites at several stages of chick retinal development. A1 receptors were already localized predominantly to plexiform regions by embryonic day 12 (E12) with no gross changes at subsequent stages. Adenosine immunoreactivity was absent from retina at E8 but was detected at E12 in the ganglion cell layer, as well as cells in the inner nuclear cell layer and photoreceptors. At more advanced developmental stages the immunoreactivity was greater, but displayed similar localizations. Uptake sites labeled with [3H]nitrobenzylthioinosine (NBI) were detected even earlier using binding and autoradiographic methods. [3H]NBI binding was saturable, and Scatchard analysis demonstrated a single class of sites with a Kd of 0.91 nM and Bmax of 298 fmol/mg protein in E15 retinal membranes. The binding was displaced by unlabeled NBI and dipyridamole. NBI binding sites differentiated earlier than adenosine A1 receptors or endogenous adenosine immunoreactivity, showing a diffuse distribution at E8, but predominating in the plexiform layers of more developed retinas. The results indicate that elements of a putative purinergic system differentiate at specific localizations early in retinal development."}
{"id": "PMID:1473281", "title": "Expression of the barrier-associated proteins EAP-300 and claustrin in the developing central nervous system.", "content": "Immunohistochemistry of embryonic chick central nervous system (CNS) and immunocytochemistry of retinal cells were performed to compare and map the expression of two barrier-associated molecules. EAP-300 (embryonic avian polypeptide of 300 kDa) and claustrin (a 320 kDa extracellular matrix keratan sulfate proteoglycan) were both transiently expressed in CNS regions that are considered non-permissive to either neuron migration or axon growth. In the developing spinal cord, EAP-300 and claustrin were both expressed by the marginal zone early in development and by the roof plate later in embryogenesis. In the developing rhombencephalon, immunoreactivity for both molecules was also observed first in the marginal zone, and later expression was restricted mostly to the midline. In the mesencephalon, EAP-300 and claustrin were also localized to the midline, and this expression represented a continuation of the expression observed in the spinal cord roof plate and hindbrain ventral midline. In the developing retina and cerebellum, EAP-300 and claustrin were differentially expressed. In retina, EAP-300 and claustrin were expressed by M\u00fcller cells and the optic fiber layer, respectively. In cerebellum at embryonic day 12 (E12), EAP-300 was expressed by Bergman glia, but claustrin was not expressed until E15. Immunocytochemical staining of retinal and cerebellar cultures indicated that EAP-300 was expressed by a subset of radial astrocytes, as confirmed by double labeling experiments with a specific marker for radial astrocytes. These data indicate that in the absence of claustrin expression, EAP-300 was expressed specifically by radial astrocytes during developmental periods of neuron migration. Also, the coexpression of EAP-300 and claustrin in CNS regions considered to be non-permissive to neurite extension suggests that these two developmentally regulated proteins may be associated with barrier function in the developing CNS."}
{"id": "PMID:1473282", "title": "Effect of cocaine on electrocortical activity in fetal sheep.", "content": "The effect of cocaine on the behavioral state of six fetal sheep was studied during gestational ages between 128-135 days. Two to eight days after surgery, fetuses received either a continuous 60 min intravenous infusion of cocaine HCl (33.4 mg) or saline. The infusions were preceded and followed by control periods of 102 min. Cocaine induced a disruption in fetal behavioral state cyclicity and a decrease in the amount of time spent in rapid eye movement sleep (P < 0.01) and non-rapid eye movement sleep (P < 0.05) during the infusion, but not during the recovery period. Spectral amplitude of the electrocortical activity at all three cortical locations increased within most one-third octave bands between 0.8-4 Hz and decreased within most bands between 16-25 Hz (P < 0.05) compared to controls. There were no differences in spectral amplitude between pre- and post-cocaine periods at any location over the 25 frequency bands studied (P > 0.6) except for one frequency band centered at 12.5 Hz. The effects of a one hour cocaine infusion on fetal cortical electrical activity are diffuse, but short-lived, and occur independently of changes in fetal oxygenation."}
{"id": "PMID:1473283", "title": "Gallstone-associated acute pancreatitis: a field for endoscopic therapy?", "content": "The pathogenesis of acute pancreatitis even if associated with gallstone remains unclear. This explains that the best treatment for gallstone-associated pancreatitis remains a matter of debate. However, different theoretical and clinical evaluations support the strategy to perform an endoscopic papillotomy if a common bile duct stone is suspected and the course of the disease does not improve spontaneously during the first 48 h. The discrepancies of the current data and the difficulties to give rational suggestions have been reviewed."}
{"id": "PMID:1473284", "title": "Relevant aspects of physiology in chronic pancreatitis.", "content": "Specific points of physiology which are relevant for the understanding and management of chronic pancreatitis are focussed on. First, the regulatory factors of exocrine pancreatic secretion are described, discussing the role of the cholinergic system and of the classical gut hormones cholecystokinin and secretin. The association of upper gastrointestinal dysfunctions with a disturbed exocrine pancreatic response is also dealt with. Lastly, these changes are related to clinical consequences such as maldigestion or malabsorption."}
{"id": "PMID:1473285", "title": "Role of imaging technics in the classification of acute pancreatitis.", "content": "This paper is a review of some aspects of acute pancreatitis (AP) (definition criteria, outcome, and prognostic factors) and a reminder of the invaluable contribution of computed tomography (CT) in confirming the diagnosis of AP, distinguishing between edematous and necrotizing forms, and in providing prognostic information via detection of possible extrapancreatic spreads (EPS). The Geneva experience (510 cases of AP over a 9-year period) has shown that no fatalities occurred when no EPS were found on CT performed within 48 h of admission; mortality was 1.5% in the case of 1 or 2 EPS and 19% in the case of 3 EPS or more."}
{"id": "PMID:1473286", "title": "Etiology and natural history of chronic pancreatitis.", "content": "Chronic pancreatitis (CP) is a rare but serious disease with high morbidity and mortality. Its exact etiology remains uncertain, but several associated conditions have been identified. Geographical distribution of CP can be linked to alcoholism, especially in countries with high-protein, high-fat diets. In Afro-Asiatic countries with protein malnutrition, however, CP is frequently observed in children and young nonalcoholic adults from the poorest segments of these societies. To analyze the natural history of CP, besides etiology three additional main factors have to be considered, namely clinical pattern and therapy (surgery), pancreatic function (endocrine and exocrine), and morphology. During progress of the disease clinical picture, morphology and pancreatic function have typical correlative changes. Basically, from this viewpoint, three typical models of the disease can be distinguished: (1) early stage of uncomplicated CP; (2) late stage of uncomplicated CP, and (3) complicated CP, a disease stage which is characterised by local complications (chiefly pseudocysts and duct obstruction). The main concept of the natural history of CP bases on the thesis that CP burns itself out with spontaneous relief of pain, i.e. persistent freedom from pain occurs parallel with severe pancreatic dysfunction in the late stage of the disease. In the clinical picture and long-term course, nonalcoholic CP differs in certain essential respects from alcoholic CP; however, the two forms do not differ essentially as regards mortality and survival."}
{"id": "PMID:1473287", "title": "Surgical treatment of painful chronic pancreatitis: an unresolved problem?", "content": "Relief of pain in chronic pancreatitis is the major problem warranting surgical treatment in this disease. The mechanism of pain is largely unknown and several types of operation have been devised for treatment. Side-to-side pancreaticojejunostomy (Partington-Rochelle) and pancreaticoduodenectomy according to Whipple have stood the test of time. Recently, new surgical options have been explored like the operation according to Beger, segmental autotransplantation, and duodenum-preserving total pancreatectomy. Because of the reluctance to refer this type patient for surgery, treatment with analgesic drugs is continued for quite some time and once analgesia addiction has developed clinical judgement in these patients is severely hampered. Surgery can be performed with 70-80% success and with limited morbidity as well as low mortality. For these reasons surgery should be discussed early in the disease if pain becomes a major problem. If these patients are operated prior to analgesia addiction, maybe the long-term prognosis will improve. The diagnostic and surgical approach will be discussed in detail with a plea for considering surgery early in the course of disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1473288", "title": "Acute pancreatitis: when and how to operate.", "content": "Patients with proved necrotizing pancreatitis should be treated in an intensive care unit. Surgical management of necrotizing pancreatitis is indicated if an acute abdomen or persistent or increasing signs of organ complications develop, such as pulmonary or renal insufficiency, cardiocirculatory dysfunction or metabolic disorders, and these do not respond to maximum intensive care treatment over at least 72 h. Besides these so-called non-responders to ICU treatment, operative management is clearly indicated in patients who develop signs of sepsis on the basis of a bacteriologically positive fine-needle aspiration of pancreatic necroses. In patients with minor necroses without any bacterial contamination and without extensive retroperitoneal fatty tissue necroses intensive care therapy can be successful without the necessity of a surgical intervention. The gold standard of surgical management of necrotizing pancreatitis is careful removal of necrotic tissue, drainage of bacterially infected area, elimination of the pancreatogenic ascites in order to prevent systemic spread of vasoactive and toxic substances and interruption of the inflammatory process. For the treatment of pancreatic necrosis we strongly support surgical debridement (necrosectomy), supplemented by postoperative closed continuous lavage of the lesser sac and the adjacent necrotic cavities. In 152 patients suffering from severe necrotizing pancreatitis the hospital mortality was 12.5% (19/152) by this surgical approach."}
{"id": "PMID:1473289", "title": "Bradycardia during reversible hypovolaemic shock: associated neural reflex mechanisms and clinical implications.", "content": "1. Heart rate response to reversible central hypovolaemia can be divided into three stages. In the first stage (corresponding to a reduction of the blood volume by approximately 15%) a modest increase in heart rate (< 100 beats/min) and total peripheral resistance compensate for the blood loss, and a near normal arterial blood pressure prevails (preshock). During the second stage, a reduction of the central blood volume by approximately 30% results in a decrease in heart rate, total peripheral resistance and blood pressure due to activation of unmyelinated vagal afferents (C-fibres) from the left ventricle. In the third stage, blood pressure falls further as haemorrhage continues and tachycardia (> 120 beats/min) is manifest. This stage may proceed into irreversible shock with death from cardiac arrest probably related to the formation of free oxygen radicals. 2. Recognition of the vasodepressor-cardioinhibitory reaction to a reduced circulating blood volume is important and suggests the need for immediate treatment with volume expansion in critically ill patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1473290", "title": "Afferent control of vasopressin and renin release during haemorrhage in normal and autonomically blocked rabbits.", "content": "1. The role of the arterial and cardiac baroreceptors on the arginine vasopressin (AVP) and plasma renin activity (PRA) responses to haemorrhage was studied in conscious rabbits. They were bled at a rate of approximately 3% of their blood volume (BV)/min, both when the autonomic nervous system (ANS) was intact and during ANS blockade, which markedly enhances the AVP response due to the much greater haemodynamic disturbance. Under each condition of ANS function 2 x 2 factorial analysis was performed, each with four groups of rabbits, including animals with both sets of baroreceptors working, one or other set working and neither set working. 2. With intact ANS, haemorrhage had to be terminated at different times in the four groups. This presents problems for factorial analysis due to differences in the relationship between plasma AVP (or PRA) and release rate. A method for overcoming this was developed by extrapolating the BV-log AVP curves to a common time from the start of bleeding. 3. Under both conditions of ANS function the arterial and cardiac baroreceptors together accounted for 90-95% of the rise in AVP during haemorrhage. With normal ANS function, the rise in AVP was about 70% through cardiac (probably ventricular) baroreceptors (P = 0.01) and about 30% through arterial baroreceptors (P = 0.08). This compares with an earlier study at a rate of bleeding of 1.8% BV/min, where the entire drive came from the cardiac receptors. During ANS blockade, plasma AVP was enhanced approximately five-fold, which was mostly mediated through the arterial baroreceptors, but the cardiac baroreceptor component was also greater; arterial/cardiac baroreceptor drive was 2/1. 4. Baroreflexes played no role in renin release during haemorrhage, but the experiments with ANS blockade suggest that a hormonal factor, which was related to the cardiac innervation, may limit the rise in PRA in the latter part of haemorrhage."}
{"id": "PMID:1473291", "title": "Arterial baroreflex control of heart period is not related to blood pressure variability in conscious hypertensive and normotensive rats.", "content": "1. The short-term (within 30 min periods) and the long-term (among 30 min periods) variabilities, expressed as variation coefficients, of blood pressure (BP) and heart period (HP) were studied using a computer analysis of BP recordings in freely moving genetically hypertensive (LH), normotensive (LN) and low BP (LL) rats of Lyon strains at ages 5, 9, 21 and 40 weeks. The baroreflex control of HP was estimated with the slope of the linear relationship between systolic BP (SBP) and HP (SBP-HP slope) computed after phenylephrine and nitroglycerin injections. 2. Short-term variability of BP increased between 5 and 9 weeks of age and then remained stable. Hypertension was accompanied by an increase in both short- and long-term variabilities of diastolic BP in adult rats. 3. A sharp increase in SBP-HP slope was observed between 5 and 9 weeks of age in LN rats. SBP-HP slope of LH rats increased slightly up to 21 weeks but remained lower than that of normotensive controls. 4. The weak inverse correlation existing between SBP-HP slope and BP variability appeared to be mediated by the BP level. In addition, atropine which is known to abolish almost completely the SBP-HP slope, did not increase BP variability. It is concluded that SBP-HP slope is not linearly associated with BP variability in conscious rats."}
{"id": "PMID:1473292", "title": "Effects of 4 weeks endurance training on cardiac left ventricular structure and function.", "content": "1. The effect of 4 weeks of moderate exercise training on cardiac left ventricular structure and function was examined by repeated echocardiographic/Doppler examination in 10 previously sedentary volunteers participating in a single blind, sedentary phase controlled, cross-over study. 2. Left ventricular internal diastolic diameter increased after 4 weeks of training from 4.98 to 5.11 cm with a further increase to 5.24 cm after 2 weeks of detraining (s.e.d. 0.05 cm, P < 0.01). These increases were still significant after adjustment for heart rate which fell from a pretraining average of 67.0-59.9 beats/min after 4 weeks of training. 3. There were no significant changes in systolic diameter or function and left ventricular wall thicknesses were unchanged during training, but were thinned after 2 weeks subsequent detraining. 4. The ratio of early to late transmitral filling velocity (E/A ratio) was significantly increased by training. Although E/A ratio was shown to be heart rate sensitive, training effects were still evident after adjustment for heart rate. 5. These changes in left ventricular volumes and function may contribute to the cardiovascular reflex changes previously shown to be produced by identical training programmes."}
{"id": "PMID:1473293", "title": "Epithelial disruption by proteases augments the responsiveness of porcine bronchial segments.", "content": "1. The effect of disruption to the epithelium of intact porcine bronchi was examined by comparing the responsiveness to agonists applied to the adventitial and luminal surfaces. The development of smooth muscle tone was measured as an increase in pressure in an isovolumic bronchial segment of approximately 2 mm i.d. The reactivity and sensitivity to acetylcholine (ACh) introduced intraluminally was greatly attenuated when compared with adventitial addition. 2. Luminal exposure to K+ and vanadate (VO3-) had little effect compared with strong responses obtained by adventitial application. 3. Intraluminal exposure to trypsin, chymotrypsin and elastase (1 mg/mL) selectively augmented both the sensitivity and the reactivity to the luminal addition of ACh, K+ and carbachol. 4. Mechanical removal of the epithelium produced a 716-fold increase in sensitivity to ACh introduced luminally but had no effect on ACh applied adventitially. 5. The inhibitory effects of luminally introduced isoprenaline on electrical field stimulation responses were also significantly potentiated in segments stripped of epithelium. 6. The evidence presented here indicates that the responsiveness of in vitro airways segments is highly influenced by the epithelial layer, which acts most prominently as a barrier inhibiting the penetration of luminally introduced agonists."}
{"id": "PMID:1473294", "title": "Potassium accelerates urinary sodium excretion during salt loading without stimulating atrial natriuretic polypeptide secretion.", "content": "1. Effects of potassium (K) supplementation (100 mEq/day) on urinary sodium (Na) excretion and on the secretion of atrial natriuretic polypeptide (ANP) during salt loading (350 mEq/day) were studied in 12 healthy salt-resistant normotensives under strictly controlled metabolic ward conditions. 2. Urinary volume and Na excretion on the first day of the high salt period (HSP) were significantly greater in the K-supplemented group (KG) than in the control group (CG). 3. There was a significant gain in bodyweight after salt loading in both groups, with a significantly greater gain in CG on the second day of HSP. Haematocrit decreased significantly during salt loading in both groups, the degree of which was significantly greater in CG. 4. Plasma norepinephrine decreased significantly during salt loading in both groups, the degree of which was significantly less in KG than in CG. A significant increase in plasma ANP was observed in CG on and after the second day of HSP, while a significant increase in plasma ANP was observed on the fifth day of HSP in KG. 5. These findings indicate that K supplementation accelerates diuresis and natriuresis, resulting in moderate suppression of volume expansion induced by salt loading and that this accelerated diuresis and natriuresis is not a result of the action of ANP."}
{"id": "PMID:1473295", "title": "Influence of cimetidine on gallamine-induced neuromuscular paralysis in rats.", "content": "1. The effect of cimetidine on gallamine-induced neuromuscular paralysis was evaluated in urethane-anaesthetized and mechanically ventilated rats. 2. Intravenous cimetidine (between 3.2 and 100 mg/kg) produced an immediate and sustained potentiation of gallamine-induced neuromuscular paralysis. 3. Intravenous calcium (0.35 mmol/kg) completely reversed the cimetidine-induced potentiation of gallamine's effect. 4. Cimetidine alone did not produce neuromuscular paralysis. 5. Cimetidine did not alter either the serum concentration or the total serum clearance of gallamine. 6. Cimetidine thus potentiates the action of gallamine via a pharmacodynamic and not a pharmacokinetic mechanism."}
{"id": "PMID:1473296", "title": "Direct renal effects of endothelin in chronic hypoxic spontaneously hypertensive rats.", "content": "1. The direct renal effects of endothelin (ET) were studied in eight chronic hypoxic rats (HA) and eight sea level (SL) spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). 2. After 4 weeks of exposure to simulated 5486 m (18,000 ft) hypoxia, all HA rats were in apparently good health, and baseline renal function, except effective renal blood flow, was not significantly different from SL rats. 3. Intrarenal arterial administration of ET (600 ng/kg per h) reduced ipsilateral renal excretion of water, sodium and potassium, glomerular filtration rate and effective renal plasma flow in both SL and HA rats to almost the same extent. 4. Administration of ET antiserum, however, increased the renal excretion of water in HA rats. 5. It is concluded that ET may play a role in the renal regulation of chronic hypoxic SHR."}
{"id": "PMID:1473297", "title": "Assessing vascular reactivity of arteries in the small vessel myograph.", "content": "1. Using a small vessel myograph, experiments were performed on rat small mesenteric arteries (and in some cases dog small coronary arteries) to assess the dependence of vasoconstrictor potency (EC50) and maximum response (Emax) on the initial passive conditions and on the mode of recording (i.e. isometric, isobaric or isotonic). 2. Maximum active isometric tension development to methoxamine occurred at different points on the passive diameter--tension curve depending on the origin of the vessel. The point of maximum sensitivity of methoxamine did not coincide with the point of maximum tension development on the passive diameter-tension curve. 3. Vascular reactivity to methoxamine was assessed under isobaric, isotonic and isometric conditions using a new computerized myograph. Methoxamine was significantly more potent, but only by a factor of twofold, when assessed under isometric conditions. In addition, the maximum response to methoxamine, in terms of diameter change, was always greater under isobaric than under isotonic conditions. 4. The results show that, in studies comparing vascular reactivity of vasoactive drugs, the results depend, to some extent, on the initial passive conditions selected. In terms of assessing the pharmacological activity of drugs on isolated blood vessels, the use of common isometric recording procedures are adequate. However, the use of isobaric, isotonic and isometric recording procedures have shown the complexities of vascular reactivity which depend on the passive and active properties of the blood vessel. These factors may need to be taken into account when comparing the reactivity of isolated blood vessels."}
{"id": "PMID:1473298", "title": "The role of the renal nerves in renin synthesis.", "content": "1. Renin synthesis and secretion were studied in Balb/c mice with a denervated left kidney. 2. Denervation inhibited renin secretion. 3. Denervation reduced the renal renin content. 4. Denervation reduced renal renin mRNA. 5. Renal denervation inhibits renin secretion by blocking the synthetic system prior to mRNA formation."}
{"id": "PMID:1473299", "title": "Effects of noise on blood pressure and vascular reactivities.", "content": "1. The present study investigated the effects of noise stress (100 dB, 1 kHz, 4 h/day, 6 days/week) on both systolic blood pressure and vascular reactivities in rats exposed to noise for 2 and 4 weeks. The systolic blood pressure was significantly increased after rats were exposed to noise for 4 weeks but not 2 weeks. 2. In isolated thoracic aortic rings, the responses to serotonin were enhanced in noise-treated rats while there were no changes in response to phenylephrine and high K+ between noise-treated and control rats. 3. The relaxant responses to endothelium-dependent vasodilators (A23187 and acetylcholine) in noise-treated rats were less than those in control rats. The vasodilator responses to acetylcholine were completely abolished by methylene blue or N omega-nitro-L-arginine. 4. Responses to the endothelium-independent vasodilator, nitroglycerin, were not significantly changed after rats were exposed to noise. 5. The enhanced response to vasoconstrictors and the attenuation to endothelium-dependent vasodilators may account for elevations in blood pressure during noise stress. This indicates that the elevation in blood pressure by noise stress may be partly due to the deterioration of endothelial function."}
{"id": "PMID:1473304", "title": "Cholesterol and lipoproteins: beyond atherogenesis.", "content": "Although much emphasis has been placed on the role of cholesterol and lipoproteins in atherosclerotic plaque formation, recent studies suggest that lipids have other vascular actions which may contribute to the pathogenesis of myocardial ischemia. These include deleterious effects of lipids on platelet and endothelial cell function, coagulation, fibrinolysis, and prostacyclin metabolism. The purpose of this report is to review recent data regarding the nonatherogenic effects of lipids and provide insight as to how lipid lowering might contribute to clinically important improvements in vascular biology."}
{"id": "PMID:1473305", "title": "Early and late potentials in postinfarction patients.", "content": "Injury within the myocardium may cause disturbances of the intraventricular conduction and may be manifested by altered spectrum of the QRS complex. The purpose of this report is to indicate the existence of microvolt early waves appearing at the beginning of the QRS complex in some postinfarction patients with low ejection fraction. The method used incorporated the high resolution ECG recording, where the \"pyramid\" electrode location was applied. Results indicated a relationship between high frequency potentials, QRS duration time, and ejection fraction, as well as dependence between ventricular tachycardia/fibrillation (VT/VF) occurrence and early and/or late ventricular activity. In patients with secondary VT/VF where early and late potentials were found, the ejection fraction (EF) was the lowest (26 +/- 15%). Early waves appeared more often in patients with secondary VT/VF (30%) compared with those with primary VT/VF (8%). In patients without VT/VF and without myocardial infarction (MI) early potentials were not remarked. In those patients late potentials also appeared less often. It could be concluded that existence of early potentials, late activity, and significant prolonged total ventricular activation time is associated with wide dispersion and nonuniform delay of the electrical activity within the myocardium as well as with serious lowering of the ejection fraction. Therefore, existence of early waves seems to be a significant diagnostic factor for the poor hemodynamic condition as well as a serious warning for the recurrent late ventricular tachycardia/fibrillation."}
{"id": "PMID:1473306", "title": "Combination of ramipril and hydrochlorothiazide in the treatment of mild to moderate hypertension: Part 1--A double-blind, comparative, multicenter study in nonresponders to ramipril monotherapy.", "content": "In a parallel-group multicenter study, the efficacy and safety of combination therapy with ramipril 5 mg plus hydrochlorothiazide 25 mg were compared double-blind with those of 5 mg and 10 mg ramipril monotherapy in patients with mild to moderate hypertension who had not responded adequately to ramipril 5 mg alone. Patients were initially treated single-blind for 1 week with ramipril 2.5 mg and 3 weeks with ramipril 5 mg. Of 240 patients enrolled, 165 were subsequently classed as nonresponders (diastolic blood pressure > 90 mmHg) and were randomized to one of the three double-blind treatments for a further 4 weeks. In the double-blind phase, the mean reductions in supine systolic and diastolic blood pressures at end point were significantly greater in the 5 mg plus 25 mg combination group (11.6/10.6 mmHg) than in the groups receiving ramipril 5 mg (6.2/5.9 mmHg; both p < 0.01) and ramipril 10 mg (7.4/7.1 mmHg; both p < 0.05). The proportion of responders at end point was also higher for combination therapy (72%) than for monotherapy (48% for ramipril 5 mg and 62% for ramipril 10 mg). All three treatments were well tolerated. Analysis of laboratory values revealed no clinically important changes."}
{"id": "PMID:1473307", "title": "Influence of atenolol on the relationship between heart rate and QT interval in patients with exercise-induced myocardial ischemia.", "content": "The aim of this study was to analyze the relationship between heart rate and QT interval (HR-QT) during exercise in control subjects (Group A) and in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) with effort angina and without previous myocardial infarction (MI) (Group B). The diagnosis of CAD was confirmed by coronarographic examination. The correlation HR-QT was significant (p < 0.001) in both groups on effort and at recovery. The analysis of the regression HR-QT was carried out separately, both on effort in upright position and at rest in supine position, to avoid the influence of posture on QT length. During effort, the regression line showed lower slope and intercept values in Group B (p < 0.001) than those for Group A. A similar behavior was also observed at rest. Thus, at the highest heart rate, where ECG signs of ischemia (ST depression > 1 mm) frequently occurred, a longer QT interval was present in Group B. Moreover, in Group B, the QT interval in the presence of ECG signs of ischemia was significantly longer (p < 0.01) than in Group A at comparable heart rates both on effort and at rest, thereby confirming the result obtained by comparing both regression lines. The same effort protocol was repeated in Group B patients after acute administration of atenolol 100 mg per os. After atenolol administration, the analysis of the regression HR-QT in Group B clearly showed a shorter QT interval than that obtained in washout period during the baseline test at the highest heart rates where the ECG frequently showed signs of ischemia.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1473308", "title": "The effect of chronic atrial overdrive suppression pacing on the incidence of supraventricular tachyarrhythmias.", "content": "Chronic overdrive suppression pacing has been suggested as an effective adjunctive method for reducing the incidence of cardiac tachyarrhythmias. Documentation of effectiveness during prolonged monitoring is lacking, however. To assess more accurately the long-term utility of this treatment modality for medically refractory supraventricular tachyarrhythmias (SVTs), 10 patients with atrially implanted Intermedics Intertach pacemakers were randomly assigned to either a low or a high bradycardia (back-up) pacing rate. SVT counts were performed during matching follow-up periods both at the initial rate and after rate crossover. The primary antitachycardia modality of this pacemaker (P mod) provides burst pacing to terminate tachycardia episodes, and P mod counters were utilized to quantitate SVT episodes. Tachycardia termination algorithms were programmed to \"no restart\" and were not changed during the study. The P mod use counter, therefore, reflected the number of discrete episodes of SVTs. Pacemaker implantation diagnoses include atrial flutter, concealed bypass tract, AV nodal reentry, intraatrial reentry, and Wolff-Parkinson-White associated tachycardia. Patient age was 59 +/- 18 yrs. The average pacemaker back-up low rate was 45.7 +/- 4 versus a back-up high rate of 85.1 +/- 2 beats/min. Follow-up was for 57.4 days +/- 33 days at the low rate and 57.3 days +/- 34 days at the high rate (r = 0.99). There was no difference in SVT incidence with a P mod usage of 98.4 +/- 106 at the low rate and 100.8 +/- 94 at the high rate (p = NS). In this blinded, randomized cross-over trial, chronic atrial overdrive suppression pacing did not reduce the overall incidence of SVT episodes during prolonged monitoring."}
{"id": "PMID:1473309", "title": "Embolus in transit.", "content": "Since the advent of echocardiography, embolus in transit, historically found during surgical exploration or on postmortem examination, has been found with increasing frequency on antemortem examination. There is an inherent high mortality rate with this condition and awareness of the association between deep venous thrombosis and embolus in transit is paramount. On echocardiography the embolus is typically seen as a pleomorphic mass moving in a tumbling fashion. The most frequent symptoms are dyspnea and near syncopal episodes. The most common signs are diastolic \"tumor plop\" and a systolic ejection murmur heard on auscultation. Despite the success of some medical interventions, surgery should be strongly considered in patients with embolus in transit."}
{"id": "PMID:1473310", "title": "Acute ischemic exacerbation of rheumatic mitral regurgitation.", "content": "This report describes a patient who developed acute severe exacerbation of mild rheumatic mitral regurgitation caused by ischemia in the territory of a small, non-dominant circumflex coronary artery without myocardial infarction."}
{"id": "PMID:1473312", "title": "Adult onset Niemann-Pick disease type C presenting with dementia and absent organomegaly.", "content": "A 39-year-old female presented to the Bryan Memory Disorders Clinic at Duke University with a 7-year history of an atypical progressive dementia, mildly impaired vertical gaze, dysarthria and mild ataxia. There was no evidence of organomegaly by clinical examination or by radionuclide liver/spleen scan. Brain biopsy disclosed a neuronal storage disorder characterized by ballooned neurons filled with oligo-lamellar cytosomes and lipid droplets. Cultured skin fibroblasts had diminished sphingomyelinase activity and impaired cholesterol esterification, although peripheral leukocyte sphingomyelinase activity was normal. Two years after biopsy, follow-up examination revealed marked progression of vertical gaze paralysis and ataxia. This case expands the clinical spectrum of Niemann-Pick disease type C by presenting in adulthood with subtle neurologic abnormalities; no visceromegaly and profound dementia."}
{"id": "PMID:1473313", "title": "Immunohistochemical characterization of pineocytomas.", "content": "The immunoreactivity of a panel of poly- and monoclonal antibodies raised against different neuronal and glial antigens, was studied in paraffin-embedded specimens of five pineocytomas. Antibodies against neuron-specific enolase (NSE), S-100 protein, neurofilaments protein (NFP), glial fibrillar acidic protein (GFAP), myelin basic protein (MBP), Synaptophysin (SYN) and vimentin were used. NSE immunoreactivity was detectable in nearly all tumoral cells. S-100 expression was present in all tumors, but a significant variation in the number of S-100 positive cells was noted in the different specimens; they ranged from 3% of S-100 positive cells in some areas of case 1, to 30% in other areas of case 4. The number of GFAP-positive cells detected in four of the five tumors was minimal. In the remaining tumor, 10% to 14% the positively GFAP antisera-stained cells could be seen in some areas; this tumor was considered a pineocytoma with astrocytic differentiation. MBP immunoreactivity was found in isolated cells only in one tumor. Neurofilaments or vimentin expression could not be found in tumoral cells. Synaptophysin was studied in two tumors (cases 4 and 5). Both tumors showed a fine granular neuropil pattern of immunoreactivity, but only in isolated cells of case 5, occasional cytoplasmic positivity could be determined. Based upon our results we can conclude that NSE and synaptophysin are markers that may be applied in the diagnosis of pineocytomas. Further, our results support the hypothesis that the tumoral cells in these neoplasms are of neuroendocrine origin."}
{"id": "PMID:1473319", "title": "Autonomic function testing in diabetic subjects using sequential measurements.", "content": "The repeatability of commonly used electrocardiographic (ECG) related autonomic function tests was investigated in 25 diabetic subjects, mean age 44 (range 18-67) years and mean duration of diabetes 10 (< 1-35) years. Tests were based on deep breathing, the Valsalva manoeuvre, relaxed normal breathing, and standing up from a lying position. All tests were repeated twice at each session, with two sessions separated by a mean of 5 (range 3-8) months. ECG and respiratory data were recorded for subsequent analysis. Maximum (max) and minimum (min) RR intervals and instantaneous heart rate (HR) were determined. The mean and repeatability data (within-subject standard deviation) for 21 different test results were calculated, and included deep breathing sitting (max-min)RR 226 +/- 39 ms and (max-min)HR 19.3 +/- 3.2 beats min-1, Valsalva manoeuvre 1.74 +/- 0.18, and lying-to-standing RR ratio 1.19 +/- 0.07. The within-subject repeatability to between-subject variability ratios consistently demonstrated that it is better to perform the deep breathing test sitting (with the smaller mean ratio of 0.37) rather than supine (0.46), with the use of three respiratory cycles rather than a single cycle (0.33 compared with 0.50 for (max-min)RR). A significant (p = 0.037) relationship was found between variability in heart rate changes and variability in air volume breathed during the deep breathing test."}
{"id": "PMID:1473314", "title": "Progressive supranuclear palsy with widespread cerebral lesions.", "content": "A 51-year-old woman with no history of any familial neurological diseases initially presented with numbness in her extremities, slowing of movements, comprehension deficit, memory disturbance, dyscalculia, muscle rigidity, hyperreflexia, Parkinsonian gait, increasing disorientation, left-right disturbance, finger agnosia, alexia, acalculia, apraxia, aspontaneity, euphoria, gait disturbance, aphasia, echolalia, and in the terminal stage, mutism, contracture of lower extremities and cachexia. She died of bronchopneumonia at the age of 55. The brain showed widespread cerebral lesions, consisting of nerve cell loss and neurofibrillary tangles in the frontal, parietal and occipital cortex, demyelination and gliosis in the frontal, parietal and occipital subcortical white matter in addition to the typical pathological findings of progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP): severe neuronal loss with gliosis and neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) in the subthalamic nucleus, globus pallidus and substantia nigra. In conclusion, we present a case of PSP with unusual clinical features (extrapyramidal signs, frontal and parietal lobe syndromes without ophthalmoplegia) and neuropathologically widespread cerebral lesions in addition to the typical pathological findings of PSP. The differential diagnosis of PSP and Alzheimer's disease and other degenerative disorders is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1473316", "title": "Chronic fatigue syndrome: studies on skeletal muscle.", "content": "Chronic fatigue syndrome represents a poorly defined disease with protean clinical manifestations, the majority of them expressed as a muscle fatigue or as inability to maintain the expected muscle strength. In the present work we studied muscle function and muscle histopathology in 20 patients fulfilling the proposed criteria for chronic fatigue syndrome. Special interest is directed towards the immunoreactive expression of class I MHC molecules comparing some inflammatory and virus-related myopathies with muscles from chronic fatigue syndrome. Only minor morphological changes were detected in 9 out of 20 patients of the series. The nonspecific morphological changes in muscle tissue and the lack of class I MHC expression does not support the viral etiology of muscle fatigue in chronic fatigue syndrome. In contrast with the reported clinical improvement with high doses of essential fatty acids, our patients' clinical condition did not improve after three months of L-carnitine therapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1473320", "title": "Prevalence of cardiovascular autonomic dysfunction assessed by spectral analysis, vector analysis, and standard tests of heart rate variation and blood pressure responses at various stages of diabetic neuropathy.", "content": "To establish a test battery for the detection and characterization of cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy (CADN) and to evaluate its prevalence, a number of autonomic function tests based on spectral analysis, vector analysis, and standard tests of heart rate variation and blood pressure responses were performed in 261 diabetic patients aged 11-76 years with various stages of peripheral neuropathy. The percentages of abnormal results in the individual tests based on heart rate variation were 6-31% in 115 patients without peripheral neuropathy, 16-45% in 61 patients with subclinical neuropathy, 22-59% in 73 patients with symptomatic peripheral neuropathy, and 67-100% in 12 patients with the latter in conjunction with autonomic symptoms (p < 0.05). The most frequently abnormal indices, each representing a different physiological basis, were the coefficient of variation, low-frequency and mid-frequency power spectrum at rest, mean circular resultant, postural change in systolic blood pressure, and, in particular, the max/min 30:15 ratio and Valsalva ratio. CADN, defined as the presence of > or = 3 abnormalities among these seven parameters was detected in none of 120 control subjects, 13.0% of the patients without peripheral neuropathy, 34.4% of those with subclinical neuropathy, 49.3% of those with symptomatic peripheral neuropathy, and in 100% of the subjects with the latter and concomitant autonomic symptoms (p < 0.05). The overall prevalence of CADN in 103 patients completing all parameters was 46.6%. The corresponding rate of CADN defined as > or = 2 abnormalities among the five tests included in an optimized version of the battery proposed by Ewing and Clarke was 38.8%.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1473315", "title": "Sensory-motor chronic neuropathy in two siblings: atypical presentation of tomaculous neuropathy.", "content": "Two siblings, born from a consanguineous marriage, in which tomaculous neuropathy (TN), diagnosed after nerve biopsy, presented as a chronic sensory-motor neuropathy. The clinical manifestations include also in both patients thyroid multinodular struma and in one case myopathic-like features. We believe that TN must be suspected not only in hereditary neuropathy with liability to pressure palsies, but also in any case with chronic sensory-motor neuropathy."}
{"id": "PMID:1473321", "title": "Feeding in infancy and the risk of type 1 diabetes mellitus in Finnish children. The 'Childhood Diabetes in Finland' Study Group.", "content": "In a case-control design the feeding in infancy of newly diagnosed 7- to 14-year-old diabetic children (n = 426) was compared with that of age- and sex-matched non-diabetic children (n = 426) randomly selected from the Finnish population registry. All 7- to 14-year-old diabetic children diagnosed from September 1986 to the end of April 1989 from all hospitals which treat diabetic children in Finland were invited to participate in the study. Breast-feeding was initiated in almost all children, but during the birth years of this study population (1972-1982), an increase was observed in the duration of breast-feeding (whether alone or in combination with supplementary feeding) and in the age of introduction of supplementary milk feeding. The risk of Type 1 diabetes was decreased in the children who were totally breast-fed for at least 2 months (odds ratio (OR) 0.64, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.42-0.98) or 3 months (OR 0.67, 95% CI 0.48-0.95) or exclusively breast-fed for at least 2 months (OR 0.60, 95% CI 0.41-0.89) or 3 months (OR 0.63, 95% CI 0.43-0.93). Those children who were younger than 2 months (OR 1.54, 95% CI 1.08-2.18) or 3 months (OR 1.52, 95% CI 1.11-2.08) at the time when supplementary milk feeding was begun had an increased risk of Type 1 diabetes. These associations remained significant after adjusting for the mother's education. The results suggest that early infant feeding patterns are associated with the risk of Type 1 diabetes developing at the age of 7 to 14 years."}
{"id": "PMID:1473322", "title": "High prevalence of gestational diabetes in women from ethnic minority groups.", "content": "The influence of ethnic origin, body mass index, and parity on the frequency of gestational diabetes was assessed in 11,205 consecutive women attending a multiracial antenatal clinic in London, where all women were screened for gestational diabetes. Logistic regression was used to model the relationship between gestational diabetes and ethnic origin, age, body mass index (BMI), and parity. Results were presented as adjusted odds ratios, where the reference categories are White women, age < 25 years, BMI < 27, and parity < 3. Ethnic origin was the dominant influence on the prevalence of gestational diabetes. Women from ethnic groups other than White had a higher frequency of gestational diabetes than White women (2.9% vs 0.4%, p < 0.001). Compared to White women the relative risk of gestational diabetes in the other ethnic groups was: Black 3.1 (95% confidence limits 1.8-5.5), South East Asian 7.6 (4.1-14.1), Indian 11.3 (6.8-18.8), and miscellaneous 5.9 (3.5-9.9). Increasing age was an independent risk factor. The relative risk was higher in women > or = 35 years in all ethnic groups other than in South East Asian women. Obesity (BMI > or = 27) was a further independent risk factor in all ethnic groups except in the Indian and South East Asian women. Parity > or = 3 increased the relative risk of gestational diabetes in the White, Black, and South East Asian women only.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1473323", "title": "Morning versus bedtime isophane insulin in type 2 (non-insulin dependent) diabetes mellitus.", "content": "Morning versus bedtime administration of NPH insulin was compared in 12 subjects with Type 2 diabetes and overt fasting hyperglycaemia. Subjects were studied at baseline (diet alone) and after 2 months on each of the two insulin programmes in a random crossover design, in which dosage was increased until at least one daily preprandial blood glucose was consistently in the range of 3.9 to 6.0 mmol l-1. Mean (+/- SEM) daily total insulin dosage was equivalent for the morning (0.36 +/- 0.03 units kg-1) and for the bedtime (0.37 +/- 0.03 units kg-1) insulin administration schedules. Glycaemic control was improved on both insulin regimens, but was better on bedtime than morning insulin. Fasting plasma glucose (mmol l-1) was 12.0 +/- 0.7 (baseline), 8.6 +/- 0.7 (morning), and 4.6 +/- 0.3 (bedtime), respectively. Mean 24 h plasma glucose (mmol l-1) was 13.3 +/- 1.3, 9.0 +/- 0.7, and 7.8 +/- 0.7. Glycated haemoglobin (%) was 7.65 +/- 0.35, 6.23 +/- 0.26, and 5.81 +/- 0.32. The improvement of basal glycaemia is a consequence of increased basal metabolic clearance of glucose (baseline, 47.6 +/- 3.1 ml m-2 min-1; morning 63.5 +/- 5.4, bedtime 103.5 +/- 7.1). There was no change in hepatic glucose output. It is concluded that bedtime administration of intermediate acting insulin results in increased basal insulinaemia, leading to improved basal glycaemia and consequent improved overall metabolic control, compared to morning insulin administration. Therefore, bedtime may be the preferable timing of insulin therapy for patients with Type 2 diabetes and overt fasting hyperglycaemia."}
{"id": "PMID:1473324", "title": "Relationship between insulin injection regimen and metabolic control in young Danish type 1 diabetic patients. The Danish Study Group of Diabetes in Childhood.", "content": "In 1987 and 1989 nationwide screening for HbA1c was carried out in Denmark. Twenty-one paediatric departments treating children with diabetes participated in the first study and twenty-two in the second. During this 2-year period metabolic control deteriorated despite the fact that the use of multiple injection regimens increased from 39% to 54%. The possible reasons for the deterioration in metabolic control were examined in the 429 children (> or = 9 years, 1987) and adolescents (< 18.8 years, 1989) who participated in both studies. All had diabetes duration of greater than one year (1987) and all were treated by the same departments during the study period. The children were divided into three subgroups according to injection regimen. Group A (n = 128) received twice-daily insulin injections; group B (n = 171) were on multiple injections (three or more) while group C (n = 130) shifted from twice-daily insulin to multiple injections during the 2-year period. A deterioration of blood glucose control as assessed by HbA1c was observed in all three treatment groups. For group C the 2-year increase in daily insulin dose was more pronounced for males (19%) than for females (6%). Body mass index increased significantly in all treatment groups during the study period. The 1989 mean levels were higher in group B (males 20.6 kg m-2, females 22.0 kg m-2) than group A (males 19.3 kg m-2, p = 0.002; females 20.7 kg m-2, p = 0.000003) and group C (males 19.4 kg m-2, p = 0.0005; females 20.7 kg m-2, p = 0.008).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1473325", "title": "Assessment of glucose turnover rates in euglycaemic clamp studies using primed-constant [3-3H]-glucose infusion and labelled or unlabelled glucose infusates.", "content": "Underestimation of glucose turnover rates has been a problem in clamp studies using primed-constant [3-3H]-glucose infusion technique. Due to slow mixing in interstitial compartments concealed specific activity gradients may arise between plasma and interstitial compartments during intravenous unlabelled glucose infusion. Such specific activity gradients, however, can be prevented if plasma specific activity is maintained constant. Two euglycaemic clamp studies (insulin infusion 40 mU m-2 min-1) were performed in six lean normal subjects. Using conventional unlabelled glucose infusates plasma specific activity declined by 74%, tracer determined glucose appearance was smaller than actual glucose infusion rates (317 +/- 11 vs 366 +/- 15 mg m-2 min-1, p < 0.001), and erroneous negative values were calculated for glucose production (- 49 +/- 7 mg m-2 min-1). Average underestimation during the first 2 h correlated with glucose infusion rates (r = 0.88, p < 0.02). In contrast, when plasma specific activity was maintained constant, using appropriately labelled glucose infusates, tracer determined glucose appearance and glucose infusion rates were similar (385 +/- 16 vs 385 +/- 17 mg m-2 min-1), and negative errors for glucose production were avoided. In conclusion, using unlabelled glucose infusates, as in previous studies, suppression of glucose production is overestimated and stimulation of glucose utilization is underestimated. As errors were greater with larger glucose infusions, the mistakes may have been greatest in insulin sensitive control subjects, and smaller in insulin resistant subjects. Therefore, re-evaluation of hepatic insulin sensitivity seems appropriate in diabetes, obesity, and other insulin resistant states."}
{"id": "PMID:1473326", "title": "Hospital admissions of adolescent patients with diabetes.", "content": "This study formed part of a psychological survey of young people aged 10-17 years attending three Bristol diabetes clinics. The aim was to examine the characteristics of those who were admitted to hospital with unstable diabetes during the period between two assessments, and analyse how they differed from the rest. Ten young people were admitted to hospital during the study period. These 10 individuals had greater emotional difficulty with diabetes as measured by diabetes specific psychometric scales (median scale score: 19) compared to the 89 adolescents who were not readmitted (median scale score: 14) (p = 0.01). They did not differ in demographic characteristics or glycaemic control. Overall there was no relationship between psychological response to diabetes and glycaemic control as assessed by mean glycated haemoglobin. Five of those admitted presented with hyperglycaemia; they had greater emotional difficulty (median scale score: 31, p = 0.02) and a more negative attitude (median scale score: 22, p = 0.02) to diabetes than those presenting with hypoglycaemia (median scale scores: 16). Only those with hyperglycaemia differed from those who were not readmitted, having greater emotional difficulty (p = 0.002) and a more negative attitude (p = 0.01). The possibility of psychological difficulties with diabetes should be sought following an admission, particularly for hyperglycaemia."}
{"id": "PMID:1473327", "title": "Benefits provided by an integrated education and clinical diabetes centre: a follow-up study.", "content": "The effects of a new integrated system of diabetes care with an enhanced role of the diabetes specialist nurse based in a purposed design diabetes centre, on diabetes control, attendance and cancellation rates, and admission for diabetic emergencies have been reviewed. Glycaemic control was examined in: (a) a cohort of 163 insulin-treated and 47 non-insulin treated diabetic subjects (age < 65 years) studied prospectively before and 3 years following the introduction of a new system of care; (b) a second cohort of more elderly patients aged greater than 65 years studied for the 3 years after the change over; (c) a cross-sectional study of the clinic population (n = 700) the year before and 3 years after the changeover; (d) a group of patients attending standard unaltered clinics in the same district (n = 157). Significant and sustained falls in HbA1 were observed in all groups of subjects attending the centre, with the means for those aged less than 65 falling from 11.9 +/- 2.3% to 9.9 +/- 1.9% and for those aged over 65 from a mean of 11.7 +/- 2.0% to 10.3 +/- 2.3%, 3 years later. The cross-sectional study provided similar results with a mean HbA1 of 12.2 +/- 3.0% prior to changeover and 10.4 +/- 4.4%, 3 years later. Smaller but significant changes were observed in patients continuing to attend the routine clinic (from 12.2 +/- 2.3% to 11.3 +/- 2.6%) over a similar period. Yearly admission rates for ketoacidosis and hypoglycaemia fell from 44 and 23, to 33 and 5 per annum, respectively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1473328", "title": "A community survey of diabetes in the elderly.", "content": "All 98 elderly patients who were known to have diabetes on the lists of two inner-city general practices were interviewed and examined in their own homes. They were characterized in terms of their prevalence of vascular complications, metabolic control, perceived health (measured by the Nottingham Health Profile), frequency of hospital and general practice contacts and use of domiciliary 'support services' and compared to 98 control subjects with an identical age/gender distribution. Mean haemoglobin A1 in the diabetic patients was 9.9 +/- 2.5%, few of them had suffered severe hyperglycaemia (10%) or hypoglycaemia (5%) and they were little more obese than controls (mean body mass index 26.2 +/- 4.2 vs 24.6 +/- 4.1 kg m-2; 95% confidence interval for the difference 0.4-2.8; p < 0.01). All complications were more prevalent in diabetic patients and the difference was statistically significant for visual impairment, strokes, impaired mental test scores, absent vibration sense, and absent leg pulses. Cataract was more common than retinopathy as a cause of visual disability. Diabetic patients perceived their health to be much worse than controls and were more often depressed. No measure of perceived health correlated with haemoglobin A1. We conclude that care of the diabetic elderly should not be too narrowly focused on 'metabolic' goals."}
{"id": "PMID:1473329", "title": "Diabetes self help facilitated by local diabetes research: the Coventry Asian Diabetes Support Group.", "content": "Diabetic South Asians know less about the nature of diabetes than Europeans. In view of the difficulties in communicating with diabetic South Asians in a clinical environment, a 'self help group' was established. The group was initially resourced by the Coventry Diabetes Study, became independent after 2 years and has met monthly for 4 years. Meetings are led and organized by local diabetic South Asians and include invited speakers and discussions. All meetings are held in one of the South Asian languages, particularly Punjabi. Attendance has ranged from 15 to 50, almost exclusively from the surveyed diabetic population of one electoral ward. Those with a high glycated haemoglobin (HbA1 > 9.5%) were assessed 12 months after invitation to the group, 44% (22/51) of whom attended at least twice. Those living over 1 mile from the meeting place and those speaking a minority language were least likely to attend. Those who attended the group had a greater drop in HbA1 and increase in 'knowledge score' than those not attending (both p < 0.01). The continued existence of the group illustrates the ability of local health workers to facilitate and empower local communities to become more responsible for their own health."}
{"id": "PMID:1473331", "title": "Thinking through uncertainty: nonconsequential reasoning and choice.", "content": "When thinking under uncertainty, people often do not consider appropriately each of the relevant branches of a decision tree, as required by consequentialism. As a result they sometimes violate Savage's sure-thing principle. In the Prisoner's Dilemma game, for example, many subjects compete when they know that the opponent has competed and when they know that the opponent has cooperated, but cooperate when they do not know the opponent's response. Newcomb's Problem and Wason's selection task are also interpreted as manifestations of nonconsequential decision making and reasoning. The causes and implications of such behavior, and the notion of quasi-magical thinking, are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1473332", "title": "Perceptual organization and attention.", "content": "It is widely assumed that the grouping of the visual field first described by the Gestalt psychologists and the related phenomenon of texture segregation occur very early in the processing of visual information and involve preattentive processes. All the recent evidence supporting this assumption comes from visual search experiments in which the subject is actively looking for a target and attending to the stimulus. The question at issue is whether these kinds of patterns are perceived under conditions of inattention, i.e., when observers are not searching for them. We performed six experiments to determine whether texture segregation and grouping by similarity or proximity are perceived under conditions of inattention. On the first two trials subjects were asked to report the longer arm of a briefly presented cross which was surrounded by a pattern of ungrouped small elements. On the third trial and subsequent control trials these elements were configured into grouping patterns and subjects queried about them immediately following their line length reports. The results establish that neither texture segregation nor grouping by similarity of lightness or proximity are perceived under conditions of inattention. They support the conclusion that there is an earlier stage of processing than that referred to as preattentive."}
{"id": "PMID:1473333", "title": "Perception without attention: results of a new method.", "content": "Having found by the use of a new method for examining perception without attention that grouping and texture segregation do not seem to occur (see Mack, Tang, Tuma, Kahn, & Rock (1992) Cognitive Psychology, 24, we go on to ask what is perceived without attention using this new method. Our subjects receive only one inattention trial in a sequence of trials involving a visual distraction task. In addition to the distraction task in the inattention trial, subjects received a stimulus of which they had no prior knowledge or expectation and were questioned or tested directly afterward for their perception of that stimulus. Two subsequent trials containing test stimuli serve as within-subject controls. The results of a series of experiments indicate that the presence of one or more stimulus objects and their locations are preattentively perceived, as is their color, but shape is not. Because individual items are detected without attention, we conclude that perceptual organization is initially based on a principle in which connected regions of uniform stimulation are inferred to be discrete units (the principle of uniform connectedness). One striking, unexpected finding is that without attention many subjects have no awareness at all of the stimulus object, an effect we call inattentional blindness."}
{"id": "PMID:1473334", "title": "A computer aided approach to electron energy loss spectroscopy and imaging.", "content": "In this paper we present the design and configuration of an imaging system for electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) and electron spectrographic imaging (ESI). The interfacing of commercial off-the-shelf hardware, custom software and a transmission electron microscope containing integrated spectrographic capabilities produces results that are well suited for clinical applications. The custom design and integration of this system allows for full control over all of the methods and procedures employed. This full control and knowledge of the procedures used is not always possible with commercial packages. This custom software allowed for the definition and testing of a new procedure for the determination of the theoretical background image, and hence the ability to refine the overall sensitivity for elemental detection. To further the proof of elemental detection, a procedure for continuous scan of an area of interest while varying delta E can also be performed with this system."}
{"id": "PMID:1473335", "title": "Does the heart electric activation split upon the infarcted area? An attempt at its detection by high-resolution electrocardiography.", "content": "Based on the presumption of the activation front splitting, the authors present their own proposal for the estimation of the myocardial electric activation course and for the detection of micropotentials 'hidden' within QRS complexes by the method of high-resolution electrocardiography. After filtration of QRS complex the values of delta RMS and those of cumulative amplitudes are calculated from the initial and from the terminal parts of QRS complexes. The presence of late potentials is reflected in a slowing down of the termination of activation course. As compared with healthy subjects, a slower rise of activation was observed in patients with myocardial infarction of the anterior wall. The curves of cumulative amplitudes rose very slowly during the first 70 ms of heart ventricle activation, explained according to the hypothesis of authors as being due to splitting of the activation front at the infarction focus. The usefulness of the proposed method was checked in patients with arterial hypertension and left ventricular hypertrophy, and in a group of patients with myocardial infarction. By the construction of cumulative amplitude curves from the onset of filtered QRS complexes, myocardial foci not reflected by 'classic' late potentials can be detected. The partial cumulative amplitudes of the QRS complex are suitable for comparative studies."}
{"id": "PMID:1473336", "title": "PKRD: a pharmacokinetic program for least-squares and bayesian analysis of repeated-dose pharmacokinetic curves.", "content": "A microcomputer program is presented which analyses multiple-dose pharmacokinetic curves using either a least-squares nonlinear analysis or a bayesian fit. The least-squares subroutine is designed to fit retrospective pharmacokinetic curves and can generate the so-called population pharmacokinetic parameters using the Standard Two-Stage method. The bayesian subroutine can instead be used prospectively to individualise the dosage regimen of a patient based on the concentrations measured in the initial phases of the drug treatment. All the pharmacokinetic subroutines of the program use the one-compartment model with either constant-rate intravenous infusion or oral route with zero-order absorption. The program was tested in a series of ten bone marrow transplantation patients treated with cyclosporine. The least-squares estimates of the one-compartment parameters, calculated by the program, were compared with those generated by the SIMKIN program."}
{"id": "PMID:1473337", "title": "NHPPREG: a computer program for the analysis of nonhomogeneous Poisson process data with covariates.", "content": "A program written in C is described which finds maximum likelihood estimates of regression coefficients and other relevant parameters for a point process with covariates. The data are assumed to come from a Poisson point process and may be modelled, at the user's choice, either totally parametrically or semi-parametrically. Furthermore, extra Poisson variation may be introduced, in both the parametric and semi-parametric approach, by the device of random effects. The work closely follows the theory developed by Lawless (1987)."}
{"id": "PMID:1473338", "title": "Automatic visual field: a software diagnostic procedure.", "content": "A recently developed technique for the automatic acquisition of data on visual field losses was tested, with reliable neuro-ophthalmological parameters, on 300 subjects with and without eye disorders. Algorithms for acquisition and processing of the central visual field were implemented on an IBM-AT personal computer with standard peripherals. The contours of scotomata (visual field losses) were best estimated by probabilistic adaptive enhancement of data sampling in those areas with greater visual variability. Image processing tools were specially designed to extract information concerning the size, shape, position and number of scotomata in the visual field. The diagnosis of wider campimetric lesions required parameters such as symmetry or specularity coefficients, obtainable by analysing the visual field of both eyes. Data obtained were correlated to the pathology involved by univariate statistical tools."}
{"id": "PMID:1473339", "title": "A set of BASIC programs to evaluate relationships among protein sequences by optimum alignment and distance matrix analysis.", "content": "These six programs evaluate relationships among a number (> 2) of protein (or DNA) sequences. Program 1 automatically computes optimum alignments and total distances for all pairwise sequence combinations over any user desired range of the two gap penalties. Programs 2, 3 and 4 generate a square, symmetrical distance matrix, which can be exported for cluster analysis, or further analysed with programs 5 and 6 to give specific distances between sequences and extract sequence relationships. Data and results are exchanged among these programs, which are written in BASIC and compiled to run on Macintosh (68020/030/040) type machines with coprocessor and at least one MB of RAM. BASIC graphics commands or those for the Macintosh interface are avoided to facilitate use on other machines. Two groups of sequences are used to demonstrate (a) alignment, inter sequence distance calculation and dendrogram generation and (b) specific distance calculation and its usage in detecting sub groups of related sequences in dendrograms."}
{"id": "PMID:1473340", "title": "BB_RADABA: a computer program as a tool for breeding and management of laboratory animals.", "content": "The use of well characterized laboratory animals in biomedical research is of importance for quality securing and reproducibility of animal experiments. Therefore, breeders should not only have in mind the reproduction of their animal stocks, but they should also be interested to achieve an optimal resemblance of the animals in the main traits characterizing them as a model of human diseases. Specific software applications which helps the breeders in monitoring the main breeding parameters, selecting suitable breeding pairs and data processing are practically not available. This prompted us to develop a computer program for management of breeding and experimental data, which we called BB_RADABA. In this report we want to give a short survey on this computer program."}
{"id": "PMID:1473341", "title": "A Macintosh software package for simulation of human red blood cell metabolism.", "content": "We have developed a computer software package for Macintosh to simulate the metabolism and hemoglobin binding affinity of human red blood cell. The model is capable of simulating hemoglobin binding of ligands, metabolite concentrations, and metabolic fluxes at physiological steady state and in response to extracellular parameter variations, such as pH, osmolarity, glucose, and adenine concentrations. The kinetic parameters of enzymes, extracellular conditions, and initial intracellular metabolite concentrations can be specified by the user in order to model a particular situation. The software is use friendly, utilizing menu, window, and mouse to interact with the user. It also provides a pathway map of the red cell, which allows a direct access to enzyme kinetics by clicking the enzymes in the map."}
{"id": "PMID:1473342", "title": "APIS: a software for model identification, simulation and dosage regimen calculations in clinical and experimental pharmacokinetics.", "content": "APIS is a software package based on mathematical modelling which provides a reliable approach in optimizing drug therapy. It was designed to assist clinicians in interpreting blood drug levels so that drug therapy may be better and more cost-effective. It is a methodological approach to describe, predict and control the kinetic behaviour of a drug. This software incorporates the principle of Bayesian procedures, i.e. one can use all available patient information (population) to determine patient-specific parameter estimates. These estimates can then be used to design an optimal and individualized drug regimen. APIS is an attractive and useful tool for clinical and experimental pharmacokinetics. APIS may be used on any IBM compatible computer using the Microsoft-Windows environment. The software is menu driven to provide a very user-friendly tool for analysing pharmacokinetic data and for designing dosage regimens."}
{"id": "PMID:1473343", "title": "A universal data acquisition program for use with anesthetic monitors and Windows 3.0.", "content": "A method is described whereby a single program can acquire data from any patient monitor which has a data output facility. No changes are necessary to the program for different monitors. It provides a method of standardizing data transfer between computers and monitors. The program runs in the Microsoft Windows 3.0 operating system. It utilizes Dynamic Link Libraries (DLL) which enable the operating system to communicate with monitors. Each kind of monitor will use a unique DLL in order to provide a standard interface to the Windows 3.0 operating system."}
{"id": "PMID:1473344", "title": "Transputer-based parallel system for acquisition and on-line analysis of single-fiber electromyographic signals.", "content": "We describe a transputer-based system suitable for accurate measurements of single-fiber electromyographic jitter. It consists of a conventional electromyograph, a home-made interface and a commercially available transputer-based board installed within a PC/AT compatible. Taking advantage of the concurrent operation of two transputer modules, the system features simultaneous data acquisition and statistical signal processing: while data are acquired and analyzed, a real-time visualization of the signal latency and its variability is provided. In the present configuration, the system can acquire and analyze up to 40,000 consecutive action potentials, which can be grouped into up to eight sets at different stimulation rates programmable up to 16 Hz. Since the determination of the electromyographic signal latency relies on least-squares smoothing and interpolation of the acquired data rather than on amplitude-threshold triggering, a low value (0.7 microsecond) of so called technical jitter is achieved. Computing power and memory can be easily extended by addition of transputer-based modules. Typical results of data acquisition and on-line analysis are reported."}
{"id": "PMID:1473346", "title": "Relationships between the thyroid and somatotropic axes in steers. I: Effects of propylthiouracil-induced hypothyroidism on growth hormone, thyroid stimulating hormone and insulin-like growth factor I.", "content": "The effects of propylthiouracil (PTU)-induced thyroid hormone imbalance on GH, TSH and IGF-I status in cattle were examined. In the first study, four crossbred steers (avg wt 350 kg) were fed a diet dressed with PTU (0, 1, 2 or 4 mg/kg/d BW) in a Latin square design with four 35-d periods. On day 29 in each period, steers were challenged with an intrajugular bolus of thyrotropin releasing hormone (TRH, 1.0 microgram/kg). Blood samples were obtained to assess the change in plasma GH and TSH as affected by PTU. Plasma IGF-I was measured from blood samples obtained before and after (every 6 hr for 24 hr) intramuscular injection of bovine GH (0.1 mg/kg, day 31). Doses of 1 and 2 mg/kg PTU increased plasma T4 (P < .01). At 4 mg/kg, PTU depressed T4 concentrations to 30% of control (P < .01). Plasma T3 linearly decreased with increasing doses of PTU (P < .01). Plasma TSH increased when PTU was fed at 4 mg/kg (P < .05) while the TSH response to TRH declined with increasing PTU (P < .02). Neither basal nor TRH-stimulated plasma concentration of GH was affected by PTU; the IGF-I response to GH tended to increase at the 1 and 2 mg/kg PTU (P < .01). In a second study 24 crossbred steers were fed PTU (1.5 mg/kg) for 119 d in a 2 x 2 factorial design with implantation of the steroid growth effector, Synovex-S (200 mg progesterone + 20 mg estradiol), as the other main effect. Basal plasma GH and IGF-I were not affected by PTU treatment. Synovex increased plasma concentration (P < .01) of IGF-I without an effect on plasma GH. The data suggest that mild changes in thyroid status associated with PTU affects regulation of T3, T4 and TSH more than GH or IGF-I in steers."}
{"id": "PMID:1473347", "title": "Partial prostaglandin-mediated mechanism controlling the release of cortisol in plasma after intravenous administration of endotoxins.", "content": "In a first series of experiments we studied the influence of E. coli endotoxins or lipopolysaccharides (LPS) administered either intravenously (i.v.) or intramammarily (i.mam.) to lactating goats on plasma cortisol and rectal temperature (RT). Differences in the magnitude of the cortisol release and shape of the fever curve were observed. In both models maximal pyrexia and fever index (FI) were comparable. In a second series of experiments the influence of LPS on the plasma cortisol and RT was studied after i.v. injection of increasing doses of LPS:low (25 ng/kg), moderate (200 ng/kg) and relatively high (500 ng/kg). Although the cortisol response was dose dependent, the effect was not correlated with FI. The administration of flurbiprofen, a non steroidal antiinflammatory drug (NSAID), resulted in a complete inhibition of fever at all LPS doses and the cortisol release after administration of low doses LPS. This indicates a prostaglandin mediation. With moderate and high doses LPS the cortisol release was only partially inhibited and delayed suggesting a non prostaglandin mediated mechanism. In a third series of experiments the influence of flurbiprofen on fever and cortisol release was studied after i.mam. LPS administration. The observed increase of plasma cortisol and RT were completely abolished after flurbiprofen treatment. It is concluded that: 1) the increase of plasma cortisol after LPS administration in lactating goats is not related to hyperthermia per se, 2) the control of fever and cortisol release may, to some extent, differ according to the LPS dose and method of administration, 3) the cortisol release observed after moderate and high doses of LPS is probably controlled by two phenomena. The first being induced by cyclo-oxygenase metabolites, the second by intermediary mediators other than prostaglandins or by LPS itself. 4) Although an eight-fold higher dose of LPS was given i.mam., a cortisol release comparable to the lowest dose of LPS (25 ng/kg) was observed. These differences in cortisol release can be ascribed to 1) a detoxification of LPS at the level of the mammary gland or 2) a slower resorption of LPS from the mammary gland."}
{"id": "PMID:1473348", "title": "Effect of ovarian regression and molt on plasma concentrations of thymosin beta 4 in domestic hens (Gallus domesticus).", "content": "Molt induced by infusion of a gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRH-A, ([D-leu6,Pro9]-GnRH N-ethylamide]) or feed withdrawal (FW) has been used as a model to study interactions between ovarian activity and thymosin beta 4 during molting in domestic hens. Thirty-three laying hens were divided into three groups: 1, controls, 2, GnRH-A infusion induced molt (GnRH-A), or 3, FW induced molt. All groups had reduced daylength. Blood was sampled weekly and assayed for concentrations of thymosin beta 4 and progesterone (P4). Plasma P4 concentrations were significantly depressed in both treatment groups compared to controls, indicating ovarian regression. Plasma P4 concentrations had returned to control values in the GnRH-A group by 28 d after the start of treatment, while P4 was still depressed in the FW group at day 42 when the experiment ended. Plasma concentrations of thymosin beta 4 were elevated relative to controls from day 7 through day 14 in the GnRH-A group and from day 7 until day 28 in the FW group. It is concluded that plasma concentrations of thymosin beta 4 are elevated during molting in domestic hens, but the elevation is not attributable to depressed P4 concentrations."}
{"id": "PMID:1473349", "title": "Effects of body condition and estradiol on luteinizing hormone secretion in post-partum beef cows.", "content": "An experiment was conducted to test the hypothesis that the effect of body fatness on LH pulsatility in post-partum cows is entirely independent of the negative feedback effects of ovarian steroids. Forty beef cows were fed in the last 100 d of gestation so that they achieved either a thin (mean score 1.97) or fat (mean score 2.79) body condition (0 to 5 scale) at calving and were fed after calving to maintain live weight and body condition. At 15 (sd 3.7) d post partum all cows were ovariectomised and half from each body condition score treatment group received a subcutaneous estradiol implant (+EST) while the remainder received no implant (-EST). At weeks 5 and 9 post-partum blood samples were collected via jugular catheter every 20 minutes for 10 hr on two consecutive d and on the third d cows were injected via the jugular vein with 2.5 micrograms GnRH. Blood samples were collected every 15 minutes for 1 hr before and 2 hr after GnRH injection. At 5 and 9 weeks the fatter cows had significantly higher mean LH concentrations, baseline LH concentrations, LH pulse amplitudes and pulse frequencies (P < 0.01). Implantation with estradiol in both fat and thin cows reduced mean LH concentrations, baseline LH concentrations, LH pulse amplitudes and pulse frequencies (P < 0.001). The lack of interaction between body condition and the presence or absence of estradiol implies that the effect of body condition on LH release is independent of ovarian steroid feedback mechanisms.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1473350", "title": "Effect of a nonsteroidal aromatase inhibitor on in vitro and in vivo secretion of estradiol and on the estrous cycle in ewes.", "content": "Three experiments were performed to study effects of decreased concentrations of estradiol-17 beta (E2) on lifespan and function of ensuing ovine corpora lutea (CL). In experiment 1, 52 follicles were collected from 10 ewes and placed into individual culture with 0 or .01 microCi 3H-androstenedione (10 ng; 3H-A) and 0, 10(-11), 10(-9), 10(-7), or 10(-5) M of a nonsteroidal aromatase inhibitor, CGS16949A (CGS). Concentrations of E2 secreted into the medium, and synthesis of estrogens as estimated by formation of 3H-water from 3H-A were decreased by 10(-5) and 10(-7) (P < .01), but not 10(-9) or 10(-11) M CGS. In experiment 2, luteolysis was induced in 24 ewes by injection of PGF2 alpha on days 5 to 10 of the estrous cycle (0 hr). Ewes received 0, 0.5, 1.0, 2.0 or 4.0 mg CGS per kg BW i.v. at -12, 0, 12 and 24 hr, and an ovulatory dose of hCG at 36 hr. Jugular (P < .001) and vena caval (P < .001) concentrations of E2 were decreased by CGS at all doses tested for 8 to 10 hr, but had returned to levels similar to control ewes by the time of the next injection. Concentrations of E2 around the time of the LH surge were similar in control and treated ewes. During the subsequent luteal phase, concentrations of progesterone (P4) were similar in control and treated ewes. Thus, transient decreases in E2 during the follicular phase were not deleterious to the subsequent luteal phase. In experiment 3, luteolysis was induced in 18 ewes by injection of PGF2 alpha on days 6 or 7 (0 hr) of the estrous cycle. Ewes received 0 or 1 mg CGS per kg BW i.v. every 8 hr from 0 to 40 hr. Ovulation was induced with hCG at 36 hr. CGS reduced jugular (P < .001) and vena caval (P < .001) concentrations of E2, prevented an endogenous surge of LH (P < .05) and increased (P < .001) concentrations of FSH. All ewes had ovulated a marked follicle by 72 hr, but onset of the luteal phase, as assessed by concentrations of P4, was delayed (P < .01) in ewes receiving CGS. Delayed luteal phases were not solely attributable to the presence of new CL or to luteinization of follicular cysts. When data were aligned according to the day ewes were observed in estrus, profiles of P4 did not differ with treatment.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1473351", "title": "Guide to identification of origins of DNA replication in eukaryotic cell chromosomes.", "content": "Several experimental approaches for identification of origins of DNA replication have been developed recently that allow, for the first time, unique initiation sites in mammalian chromosomes to be mapped at single-copy loci. A brief description of the rationale, advantages, and limitations has been provided for each approach, as well as information that can help the reader choose the method(s) most suitable for a particular system. The various methods are divided into three groups: (1) analysis of nascent DNA strands, (2) analysis of DNA structures, and (3) analysis of origin activity (i.e., ability to support autonomous replication). It is hoped that this information will serve as a practical guide for identifying new origins of replication."}
{"id": "PMID:1473352", "title": "Biochemistry of methanogenesis.", "content": "Methane is a product of the energy-yielding pathways of the largest and most phylogenetically diverse group in the Archaea. These organisms have evolved three pathways that entail a novel and remarkable biochemistry. All of the pathways have in common a reduction of the methyl group of methyl-coenzyme M (CH3-S-CoM) to CH4. Seminal studies on the CO2-reduction pathway have revealed new cofactors and enzymes that catalyze the reduction of CO2 to the methyl level (CH3-S-CoM) with electrons from H2 or formate. Most of the methane produced in nature originates from the methyl group of acetate. CO dehydrogenase is a key enzyme catalyzing the decarbonylation of acetyl-CoA; the resulting methyl group is transferred to CH3-S-CoM, followed by reduction to methane using electrons derived from oxidation of the carbonyl group to CO2 by the CO dehydrogenase. Some organisms transfer the methyl group of methanol and methylamines to CH3-S-CoM; electrons for reduction of CH3-S-CoM to CH4 are provided by the oxidation of methyl groups to CO2."}
{"id": "PMID:1473353", "title": "In vitro stimulation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells by phytohaemagglutinin A induces CD45RA expression on monocytes.", "content": "Following phytohaemagglutinin A stimulation, CD45RA positive monocytes increased from 12.2 +/- 8.9% to 63.5 +/- 8.8% (p < 0.001), without a significant change in cell surface antigen density. In contrast, HLA-DQ antigen, also expressed in 76.8 +/- 10.5% of the monocytes after PHA stimulation for 48 h, revealed a marked enhancement in fluorescence intensity (p < 0.001). This up-regulation is already evident in unstimulated cultures. The percentages of CD45RA and HLA-DQ positive monocytes were correlated (r = 0.80, p < 0.001), substantiating a previous clinical observation. CD45RA expression may probe activated mono/macrophages."}
{"id": "PMID:1473354", "title": "Monoclonal antibodies against Nereis virens brain homogenates as probes for isolation and in situ detection of new neurosecretions.", "content": "The brain of Nereis contains 26 ganglionic nuclei which produce numerous neurosecretions. Only a few of them have been characterized. The production of monoclonal antibodies was adopted as an approach to discover unknown neurosecretions. Monoclonal antibodies produced against Nereis virens brain homogenates were selected using stepwise ELISA tests first with brain homogenates, then with brain neurosecretions. Eight antibodies specific for Nereis neurosecretions were selected. The results are illustrated with one of these monoclonal antibodies which was directed against a major peak after HPLC purification of brain neurosecretions. This antibody was subsequently used for the in situ detection of recognized epitope(s) in the brain and ventral nerve cord cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1473355", "title": "Influence of prolactin on ultrastructure of pinealocyte in sexually immature female pigs: a quantitative study.", "content": "The effects of long-term prolactin administration on the ultrastructure of pinealocytes in young female pigs were studied by means of morphometric analysis. Prolactin administration for 26 consecutive days resulted in an increase in the cytoplasmic dense bodies type MBB-1 and some differences in their structure. There were no significant changes in the other cytoplasmic structures. Prolactin appeared to stimulate the process of formation of dense bodies."}
{"id": "PMID:1473356", "title": "Cytotoxic effects of Sumicidin, a type II synthetic pyrethroid, on mice in vivo at 6, 12 and 24 h after exposure.", "content": "The ability of Sumicidin, a synthetic pyrethroid, to induce cytotoxicity in Swiss albino mice was evaluated before completion of the first cell division following oral exposure. Mice were administered orally different concentrations (32.50, 75 and 150 mg/kg body wt) of Sumicidin in a single dose. Mitotic index and chromosomal aberrations were screened after 6, 12 and 24 h following exposure. The frequency of dividing cells decreased significantly, indicating mitostatic action. The frequency of chromosomal aberrations was directly related to the concentrations used and the duration after exposure, and was significant at all concentrations. The highest frequency of aberrations was observed 24 h after exposure."}
{"id": "PMID:1473357", "title": "Pharmacokinetics of cefodizime in patients with liver cirrhosis and ascites.", "content": "The pharmacokinetics of cefodizime were studied in 6 healthy male volunteers (group A) and 6 patients with liver cirrhosis and ascites (group B) receiving 1 g of the drug as an i.v. bolus. Cefodizime was assayed in serum and ascitic fluid (AF) samples by a microbiological assay. The serum concentration-time curve fitted a two-compartment open model in group A and a three-compartment open model in group B. Initially, the serum level of cefodizime in group A exceeded that in group B for about 10 h; thereafter the reverse occurred until 24 h post-dosing. Cefodizime penetrated rapidly into the AF, reaching a peak at 6 h, and its AF level was still above the MIC90 for Enterobacteriaceae in most patients at 24 h post-dosing. The half-life of distribution did not differ significantly between the two groups, while the elimination half-life was prolonged significantly (p < 0.001) from 2.7 +/- 0.2 h in group A to 5.4 +/- 0.8 h in group B. The central volume of distribution (Vc) did not differ significantly in the two groups, while the terminal volume of distribution (Vp) was significantly smaller (p < 0.01) in group A (0.172 +/- 0.30 l/kg) than in group B (0.55 +/- 0.20 l/kg). The area under the serum concentration-time curve (AUC0-infinity serum) was significantly larger (p < 0.001) in group A [322 +/- 34 (micrograms/ml).h than in group B (180 +/- 34 (micrograms/ml).h]. The area under the AF concentration-time curve (AUC0-infinity ascites) in group B was 141 +/- 37 (micrograms/ml).h.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1473358", "title": "In vitro susceptibility of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and slime-producing and non-slime-producing coagulase-negative staphylococci to fusidic acid.", "content": "The in vitro susceptibility of 100 oxacillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and 100 oxacillin-resistant coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS; 50 slime-negative and 50 slime-positive strains) was determined by agar dilution technique, with and without the addition of 50% human serum. All strains tested were highly sensitive to fusidic acid. S. aureus and CNS showed MIC50 values of 0.125 and 0.25 mg/l, respectively. MICs of all strains increased significantly in the presence of 50% human serum. Only minor differences were noted between the MICs of slime-producing and slime-deficient CNS."}
{"id": "PMID:1473359", "title": "Influence of exogenous factors and antibiotics on the cytoplasmic membrane proteins of Staphylococcus aureus.", "content": "The influence of various nutrient media, growth temperature, phase of growth and subinhibitory concentrations of antibiotics from various groups on the cytoplasmic membrane proteins was studied in 6 clinical S. aureus isolates; further study included the comparison of the cytoplasmic membrane proteins in antibiotic-sensitive wild-type (parent) strains with their resistant counterparts. Resistant clones could be selected with a frequency ranging from 10(-7) to 10(-8) from the parent strain at twice the MIC. The following was observed from the study of six clinical isolates: (a) there was no uniform pattern of cytoplasmic membrane proteins among the isolates; (b) during the phase of growth, the number of high-molecular-weight proteins showed a decrease according to the duration of growth; (c) the addition of 1% w/v glucose to the growth medium resulted in the loss of an approximately 75 kD protein in five of the six strains; (d) subinhibitory concentrations of various antibiotics (1/4 of the MIC) resulted in major changes of cytoplasmic membrane proteins, when the strains were exposed to oxacillin, whereas this was not the case for erythromycin, rifampicin, gentamicin, trimethoprim, fleroxacin and vancomycin; (e) the resistant clones differed from their sensitive parent strains in their cytoplasmic membrane protein patterns. The alterations were not characteristic either for the strain or for the antibiotic considered, thus suggesting an 'unspecific' defense mechanism characterized by individual changes of the cytoplasmic membrane proteins."}
{"id": "PMID:1473360", "title": "Beta-lactamase stability and inhibitory activity of meropenem combined with a potent antibacterial activity.", "content": "The affinity of meropenem for various known types of beta-lactamases and its stability to them were tested in comparison with other beta-lactams, including imipenem. Meropenem exhibited a marked stability to all beta-lactamases tested and was only hydrolyzed by Xanthomonas maltophilia beta-lactamase, as were other beta-lactams. This was responsible for the potent antibacterial activities of meropenem against beta-lactamase-producing strains. Meropenem and imipenem had almost the same, relatively high affinity for beta-lactamases; however, they had a lower affinity than clavulanic acid for penicillin beta-lactamases and cefoxitin for cephalosporin beta-lactamases. Meropenem also had higher beta-lactamase inhibitory activity than imipenem. Meropenem inhibited type III (TEM-1), Ia Citrobacter freundii and Ic Proteus vulgaris beta-lactamases in a progressive manner. Meropenem was thought to be a potent inhibitor of various beta-lactamase because of its ability to form stable enzyme-meropenem acyl-complexes. Meropenem generally exhibited a lower induction potential than imipenem against five clinical isolates of C. freundii, Enterobacter cloacae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, but its induction potential was higher than that of ceftazidime. Meropenem induced beta-lactamases at concentrations above the MIC."}
{"id": "PMID:1473361", "title": "Comparative in vitro activity of cefepime and four extended-spectrum beta-lactams on 1,251 aminoglycoside-resistant gram-negative hospital strains.", "content": "Cefepime was the most active compound on the Enterobacteriaceae with a MIC90 of 0.26 microgram/ml and a resistance rate of 0.1%. Ceftazidime was the most active drug on the non-fermenting bacilli (MIC90 9.65 micrograms/ml; resistance rate 3%). Amikacin- and gentamicin-resistant strains showed a decreased susceptibility to the beta-lactams, though the Enterobacteriaceae and the non-fermenters remained fairly sensitive to cefepime and ceftazidime, respectively. Aminoglycoside-3-N-acetyltransferase was the most prevalent enzyme and was often associated with intermediate resistance or resistance to beta-lactams. Non-fermenters showing aminoglycoside impermeability were very often intermediately resistant or resistant to beta-lactams."}
{"id": "PMID:1473362", "title": "In vitro antimicrobial activity of amiloride analogs against Pseudomonas.", "content": "The effects of specific amiloride analogs on Na+ channel and Na+/H+ antiport function in eukaryotic cells have been well studied, but the effect of these agents on Pseudomonas is unknown. The antimicrobial activity of benzamil HCl, 5-(N-N-dimethyl)amiloride HCl (DMA), 5-(N,N-hexamethylene)amiloride HCl (HMA), and 5-(N-methyl-N-isobutyl)amiloride HCl (MIA) on 30 Pseudomonas strains (20 P. aeruginosa and 10 P. cepacia) were compared to amiloride HCl after a 24-hour incubation in Mueller-Hinton broth at 35 degrees C. At pH 7.3 the MIC range and MIC50 (in mg/l; MIC50 in parentheses) for amiloride HCl, benzamil HCl, DMA, HMA and MIA were 400 to > 800 (> 800), 200 to 800 (400), 200 to > 800 (400), 100 to 400 (200), and 100 to 400 (200), respectively, for P. aeruginosa and > 800 (> 800), 400 to > 800 (800), 400 to > 800 (800), 200 to 800 (200), and 200 to 800 (200), respectively, for P. cepacia. Alteration of pH from 5.5 to 8.5 had a slight effect on potency. We conclude that all the analogs studied were more potent antipseudomonal agents in vitro than amiloride, with the more lipophilic compounds HMA and MIA, having the most profound activity."}
{"id": "PMID:1473363", "title": "Synergistic effect of romurtide with ampicillin against pneumococcal pneumonia in mice.", "content": "The anti-infective activity of romurtide, a synthetic muramyl dipeptide (MDP) derivative, was evaluated in experimental pneumococcal pneumonia in mice deficient in the third component of complement (C3). The compound was found to be effective against the pneumonia in combination with subcutaneous ampicillin (ABPC). This synergistic effect of romurtide with ABPC was most pronounced when the compound was administered subcutaneously 1 day before infection. Romurtide alone, however, was not effective, irrespective of its treatment timing. Similarly, consecutive treatment with ABPC alone failed to kill pneumococci in the lungs completely, and resultant regrowth of the organisms provoked purulent pneumonia. In contrast, the combination treatment of romurtide with ABPC successfully prevented most of the mice from the purulent pneumonia: the initial infiltration of resident alveolar macrophages and subsequent accumulation of macrophages were observed in the pneumonic foci. In accordance with the occurrence of these cellular responses in the lungs, pneumococci were successfully eliminated from the lungs in mice treated with romurtide in combination with ABPC. Thus, romurtide was suggested to promote recovery of the mice with pneumococcal pneumonia by activating resident and accumulated macrophages in the pneumonic foci to eliminate pneumococci from the lung."}
{"id": "PMID:1473364", "title": "Experimental animal model for the evaluation of chemotherapeutical effects on osteosarcoma.", "content": "In previous studies radiation-induced osteosarcoma transplanted onto nude rats has been shown to have an extraordinary similarity to human osteosarcoma. In this report the effects of a standard chemotherapeutic regimen on this experimental bone tumor are described. Examination of the histology and of the water content of the tumor confirmed that a high-dose cyclophosphamide monotherapy can cause severe necrosis in the tumor and its seeded lung metastases. A significant decrease in tumor volume of 50% (p < or = 0.01) was provoked and increased the mean survival rate of the treated rats (untreated rats: mean = 39.3 days) significantly to 53.6 days after transplantation of tumor fragments (p < or = 0.01)."}
{"id": "PMID:1473365", "title": "Influence of enoxacin sub-MICs on the adherence of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli to human buccal and urinary epithelial cells.", "content": "Bacterial adhesion is the first step in the sequence of events leading to infection. It has been observed that subinhibitory concentrations of antibiotics can interfere with the mechanism of bacterial adhesion. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the capacity of sub-MICs of enoxacin, a new 4-quinolone with 6-fluoro and 7-piperazino substituents, to interfere with the adhesiveness of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli to human buccal cells and of E. coli to urinary epithelial cells. A significant decrease was observed with 1/2-1/64 the MIC for the adhesion of S. aureus to buccal cells. Inhibition of adhesion was also observed for E. coli strains, but in this case a marked decrease was observed across the range from 1/2 to 1/128 the MIC for urinary cells, and from 1/2 to 1/256 the MIC for buccal cells. Enoxacin also caused elongation of E. coli."}
{"id": "PMID:1473366", "title": "Peripheral blood cell repopulation following high-dose cyclophosphamide.", "content": "High-dose cyclophosphamide can be used to obtain haematological stem cells from the peripheral blood. In this paper we analyse the dynamics of appearance of cells with these characteristics, together with the impact of this drug on the immunological system. Cyclophosphamide seems to possess immunomodulating effects even at high doses."}
{"id": "PMID:1473367", "title": "Ciprofloxacin plus vancomycin versus ceftazidime plus gentamicin in the treatment of pneumonia in granulocytopenic patients with or without venous catheters. Short communication.", "content": "58 granulocytopenic patients with confirmed bronchopneumonia were divided retrospectively into two groups for this pilot study: group 1 included neutropenic patients with venous catheters who were treated with ciprofloxacin (CIP; 200-300 mg, i.v. b.i.d.) + vancomycin (VAN; 0.5-1 g, i.v. b.i.d.), and group 2, which included patients without venous catheters treated with ceftazidime (2 g, i.v. t.i.d.) + gentamicin (1 mg/kg, i.v. t.i.d.). Pneumonia was diagnosed clinically and radiologically in all patients; 92.3% in group 1 and 46.8% in group 2 were also microbially confirmed. Mixed infections were present in most patients. 3 of 26 patients (11.5%) in group 1 and 9 of 32 (20.1%) in group 2 did not recover while 88.5% in group 1 and 71.9% in group 2 recovered. CIP + VAN seems to be more effective in treating pneumonia in neutropenic patients, with only 1 patient in the group suffering an adverse effect compared with 5 in group 2."}
{"id": "PMID:1473368", "title": "Bacterial flora in mal perforant and antimicrobial treatment with ceftriaxone.", "content": "The objectives of this pilot study were to identify the bacterial flora of neurotrophic ulcers, and to determine whether treatment with ceftriaxone improves the clinical picture. Twenty-five patients (15 male, 10 female, mean age 70 +/- 11 years) with mal perforant were treated with 2 g ceftriaxone once daily until the ulcer was healed, or for a period of 6 weeks. Biopsies were taken from the ulcer floor before and after therapy. Initially, the following bacteria were found, in order of frequency: Staphylococcus aureus, enterobacteria, coagulase-negative staphylococci, enterococci and streptococci as well as Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Under therapy with ceftriaxone, the lesions of 11 patients were healed; in 5 patients improvement > 50% was observed and in 4 patients improvement was < 50%. In 3 patients there was no change in the condition. Two patients had to stop treatment due to diarrhea. Asepsis was achieved in 5 patients despite persistence of the ulcer. The control group (25 patients without antibiotic therapy) showed the following results: healing in 6, improvement > 50% in 5, improvement < 50% in 10, and no change in 4. The results for the treatment group have to be compared with a historical control group since, for ethical reasons, the implementation of a double-blind study would not be feasible."}
{"id": "PMID:1473369", "title": "Detection of Listeria monocytogenes by non-radioactive RNA probe and polymerase chain reaction.", "content": "A HindIII fragment, 651-base-pair, from the listeriolysin 0 gene of Listeria monocytogenes was cloned into pGEM4Z. Radioactive 32P labeled and non-radioactive digoxigenin labeled RNA probes were made by in vitro transcriptions. These probes hybridized only to L. monocytogenes strains. Polymerase chain reaction was performed by using a 22-mer and a 23-mer oligonucleotide primer, and segment of about 700-base-pair was amplified only in L. monocytogenes strains and this band was visualized by hybridization with the non-radioactive probe."}
{"id": "PMID:1473370", "title": "[Modified selective medium for isolation of Helicobacter pylori].", "content": "To improve the detection rate of Helicobacter pylori, many kinds of media were tried and other antibiotics were incorporated according to the antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of clinical isolates in our hospital. We found that brain heart infusion agar supplemented with 1% IsoVitaleX and 5% sheep blood, containing nalidixic acid 10 micrograms/ml, vancomycin 6 micrograms/ml, amphotericin B 2 micrograms/ml and polymixin B 16 micrograms/ml (BNVP) or colistin 5 micrograms/ml (BNVC) inhibited the growth of contaminants without significant influence on the growth of H. pylori. However, colonies of primary isolates of H. pylori on BNVP media were larger than those on BNVC media, and easier to detect, Both BNVP and BNVC media yielded the same isolation rate. The organism was isolated from 67 of 91 endoscopic biopsy specimens (73.6%) obtained from the area of peptic ulcers, and from 37 of 125 specimens obtained from the area without lesion. The data were much superior to those in the early day, when the organism was only isolated from 6 of the 27 specimens (22%) obtained from patients with peptic ulcer disease. Because the contaminants and their antimicrobial susceptibility patterns may be varied in different hospitals, it is mandatory to modify selective media suitable for recovering H. pylori."}
{"id": "PMID:1473371", "title": "[Identification and typing of Pseudomonas pickettii during an episode of nosocomial outbreak].", "content": "From January to April 1989, Pseudomonas pickettii was isolated from clinical specimens of 24 hospitalized patients at the National Taiwan University Hospital in Taipei. The source of the organism was the 0.9% NaCl solution prepared by the hospital pharmacy. A total of 39 isolates of P. pickettii were collected, including 28 from clinical specimens and 11 from 0.9% saline and distilled water during the outbreak. These microorganisms were studied by using four methods, namely, conventional biochemical method, Vitek Auto-Microbic System (Vitek AMS), gas-liquid chromatographic analysis of cellular fatty acids composition and determination of the minimum inhibitory concentrations of 10 different antimicrobial agents. By conventional biochemical method, 16 isolates were typed as biovar 1 and 23 strains were biovar 3. Strains of both biovars were recovered from clinical specimens and 0.9% saline. Vitek AMS was able to identify P. pickettii correctly, but the result of biotyping was not satisfactory. Analysis of cellular fatty acids could rapidly identify P. pickettii to the species level, but could not distinguish the different biovars. By determination of the MICs, the antibiogram could be classified into 9 patterns. Of 16 isolates of P. pickettii biovar 1, 7 (44%) belonged to pattern I, and 9 (56%) pattern II. Strains of both patterns were found in cultures of clinical specimens and 0.9% saline. Of 23 isolates of P. pickettii biovar 3, 11 (48%) belonged to pattern III, 4 (17%) pattern IV and 8 (35%) pattern V to IX. Pattern III and pattern IV were seen in isolates from clinical specimens and 0.9% saline, while pattern V to IX were only seen in isolates from clinical specimens.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1473373", "title": "Absence of genomes of DNA tumor viruses and expression of oncogenes and growth factors in two esophageal carcinoma cell lines of Chinese origin.", "content": "To study the oncogenesis of human esophageal carcinoma, the presence of DNA sequences homologous to several DNA tumor viruses and the expression of oncogenes and growth factor genes were examined in two esophageal carcinoma cell lines of Chinese origin, CE48T/VGH and CE81T/VGH. Southern blot analyses failed to detect sequences homologous to hepatitis B virus (HBV), Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2), cytomegalovirus (CMV) or human papilloma virus (HPV) genomes. Northern blot analyses revealed that c-myc, c-src, c-H-ras, c-abl, c-sis, and p53 genes were expressed. In addition, transcripts of transforming growth factor alpha (TGF alpha), TGF beta, and platelet derived growth factor A (PDGF A) genes were detected. These studies suggest that DNA tumor viruses may not be involved in the carcinogenesis of esophageal carcinoma. However, cooperation among different oncogenes and the production of growth factors may play an important role in that carcinogenesis."}
{"id": "PMID:1473374", "title": "Immunochemical characterization and therapeutic effect of house dust extract in bronchial asthma.", "content": "The immunochemical characteristics of house dust extract used in hyposensitization were studied by SDS-polyacrylamide gel, isoelectrofocusing, counterimmunoelectrophoresis and Western blot. The gel electrophoregram and isoelectrofocusing plate demonstrated a complex mixture of acid proteins with molecular weights ranging from 56 to 12 KD and isoelectric point distributing from 4.6 to 5.6. The counterimmunoelectrophoresis revealed as many as five precipitating bands in sera from 60% asthmatic patients after hyposensitization. The Western blot showed heterogeneous IgE reaction bands varied from 45 to 22 KD, including a strong 27 KD reaction band found in 40% of the asthmatic patients not receiving hyposensitization. The efficacy of house dust extract hyposensitization was evaluated in 102 asthmatic patients, followed up at the Allergic Clinic since 1980. There were 42 malea and 60 females with a mean age of 30.8 (16 to 60), and the total follow-up patient-year was 512.6 with a mean of 5.0 year per patient (1 to 11). Complete remission of asthmatic symptoms and medication was found in 5% patients, and 12% patients had little or no improvement. The majority of patients (83%) had improvement in asthmatic symptoms and medication dosage. The average serum IgE levels and total eosinophil count dropped significantly after hyposensitization (p < 0.001). In conclusion, the immunochemical characteristics of house dust extract were analyzed and mite allergens, especially Group I antigens, may be the important constituents. Good therapeutic effect, both clinically and with laboratory evaluation, was obtained with more than 80% of the asthmatic patients achieving improvement under house dust hyposensitization."}
{"id": "PMID:1473375", "title": "The effects of asthmatic mononuclear cell cultured supernatant on human eosinophils-chemiluminescence response, complement receptor expression and cellular density alteration.", "content": "We investigated the contributing effect of mononuclear cell (MNC) on granulocyte function in asthmatics. MNC, obtained from either normal subjects or asthmatics, were cultured with or without phytohaemagglutinin. The supernatants were tested on granulocyte luminol-dependent chemiluminescence (CL) response. The optimal incubation time was 30 min for neutrophils and 90 min for eosinophils. There was a dose-dependent enhancement of CL response by MNC supernatant on both neutrophils and eosinophils. When comparing the activities of MNC supernatants between asthmatics and normal, there was a significant enhancement of eosinophil CL response by MNC supernatants of asthmatics (70 +/- 24% from 29 +/- 28%, P = 0.0043). However, the degree of enhancement in neutrophil CL response was similar between the MNC supernatants of asthmatics and normal subjects. MNC supernatant not only enhanced eosinophil CL response, but also induced eosinophil hypodensity change (12 +/- 4% in RPMI, 26 +/- 10% in MNC supernatant), and enhanced complement receptor CR3 expression (102.4 +/- 25.5 in PRMI, 111.7 +/- 17.7 in MNC supernatant). These results provide evidence that MNC activation might contribute to the eosinophil activation in asthmatics."}
{"id": "PMID:1473376", "title": "[Morphologic and biochemical characteristics of viridans streptococci isolated from dental plaque].", "content": "The purposes of this study were to give the characteristics of viridans streptococci isolated from dental plaque, and the relationships with dental caries. We stained 69 patients' teeth on supragingival plaques (Plaque Index = 1) with the Pfiffer's reagent or FD&C RED#28 dye, then isolated 80 strains of oral streptococci from 69 patients. Cultures were grown in TSB, MS, and MSB media. A total of 80 fresh-isolated plaque streptococci, including strains of S. salivarius, S. sanguis, S. mitis, and S. mutans were identified on the basis of morphologic, dark field, SEM, and biochemical characteristics. All of the oral plaque streptococci were to be found in significant percentages in dental plaque. Patients who had caries harboured S. mutans more often (37/40) than patients without caries (7/29). S. mutans comprised the greatest percentage (37/69) of microorganisms encountered in caries' plaque, and there was an association between high counts of S. mutans and the presence of dental caries. Cultural and biochemical methods were used for the isolation and identification of the different species of S. mutans. The result indicated that biotype I were the most predominant species (50%) in dental plaque. Thus, it is possible to isolate, screen and identify unknown strains through the morphologic, darkfield, SEM, and biochemical characteristics of viridans streptococci isolated from human dental plaque. By means of the present methods for identification, we hold considerable promises for contributing to the prevention and diagnosis of dental diseases."}
{"id": "PMID:1473377", "title": "[Improvement in the resection of intestinal Peutz-Jeghers polyps].", "content": "Polyps in patients with Peutz-Jeghers syndrome (PJS) are found in the large and small bowels. In the past, intestinal polyps were treated mainly by multiple abdominal operations. The authors reported resecting 259 polyps in 13 patients with PJS by laparotomy plus colonoscopy via small bowel incision for small intestines, and/or plus colonoscopy via the anus for ileum and large bowel polyps at a time combined with periodic colonoscopy via the anus for colorectal polyps. The largest polyp resected in this way was 10 x 9 x 8 cm. As many as 46 polyps were resected by snare polypectomy at a single colonoscopic attempt. Using the above-mentioned methods, multiple intestinal polyps can be resected more thoroughly, and postoperative recurrence and complication became less frequent."}
{"id": "PMID:1473378", "title": "[Temporary distal arteriovenous fistula in the treatment of post-thrombotic iliofemoral occlusion].", "content": "Post-thrombotic iliofemoral occlusion, not rarely encountered, causes significant long-term disability of the patients. Satisfactory method of treatment is not available. Temporary distal arteriovenous fistula was made in 9 patients (10 legs) with iliofemoral occlusion with excellent results which were confirmed by average follow-up of 2 years. The mechanism is thought to be that after surgery the arteriovenous fistula may open and dilate the pelvic venous collaterals to relieve the venous hypertension of the diseased limbs."}
{"id": "PMID:1473379", "title": "[Determination and treatment of human body total potassium capacity].", "content": "The system of determination and treatment of human body total potassium capacity (HBTPC) were based on curves: the values of serum potassium concentration, arterial blood pH and variation of HBTPC. We compared the values of 40 health persons and those of 350 patients who received abdominal operation. The patients with abnormal HBTPC were treated successfully. We consider that this system is better than traditional method."}
{"id": "PMID:1473380", "title": "[Autotransfusion in hemothorax patients].", "content": "From Nov. 1978 to Dec. 1988, autotransfusion was done in 25 patients, of which 23 suffered from traumatic hemothorax and 2 from spontaneous hemothorax. The amount of blood autotransfused was 500-2300ml (average 950ml). The time elapsed from accident was 5-44 hours (average 21 hours). Two patients had febrile reaction for a short period of time after operation. The rest recovered uneventfully. Hematological examination revealed that the quality of the blood collected from hemothorax was similar to that of the systemic blood of the patients and was superior to the stored blood. Free hemoglobin determination showed that 40% was in normal value (average 18.9%), and hemolysis was less serious than that of the blood after CPB. The results of aerobic and anaerobic cultures were negative. We believe that the quality of the blood collected from traumatic hemothorax was quite acceptable, and autotransfusion with such blood was adequate not only for war casualties but also for everyday emergency patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1473381", "title": "[Surgical treatment of obstructed superior vena cava].", "content": "From 1979 to 1989, 17 patients with obstructive superior vena cava resulted from different causes underwent various operations: azygos vein-right atrium bypass with an artificial vein (1 patient), external jugular vein-right atrium bypass (3 patients), innominate vein-right atrium bypass with the artificial veins made of autofascia (2 patients), and great saphenous veni-external jugular vein version (9 patients). Follow-up showed that version method is better than others because of good circulation and less thrombus formation."}
{"id": "PMID:1473382", "title": "[Anterior approach micro-decompression for cervical spondylotic myelopathy. Report of 74 cases].", "content": "From Oct. 1986 to Dec. 1990, 74 patients with cervical spondylotic myelopathy were treated by anterior micro-decompression. According to the Guidetti's classification of spine cord dysfunction, minor paralysis was detected in 18 patients, moderate in 49, and severe in 7. Thirty-five patients with monointervertebral space compression were operated on at the involved space only, and 39 patients with poly-level masses, two or three intervertebral spaces were operated. The results of the patients after microsurgery were good in 55 patients (74.3%), improved in 16 (21.6%), unchanged in 3 (4.1%). None worsened after operation. The total effective rate was 95.9%. We emphasize that the bony compressive mass should be resolved completely and the same time spine cord involvement must be avoided."}
{"id": "PMID:1473383", "title": "[Transplantation of fetal adrenal medullary to the brain in Parkinson's disease].", "content": "The adrenal medullary tissue removed from the fetus donor aborted at the age of 24 weeks was cultured for one week. Approximately 200-300 mg tissue was placed at the head of bilateral caudate in 17 severe patients with PD. Follow-up lasted for 3 to 18 months. Improvement was observed in all patients 3 months after grafting. Clinical analysis showed that the efficacy was significant and that one of the 17 patients relapsed. The response rate of 6 to 12 months was 87.5%. Immediately after operation, the drug was withheld or decreased in dosage. The low density areas in the head of caudate nucleus was found by CT within 1 to 10 days, and disappeared one month after operation. We conclude that the human fetal adrenal medullary tissue can survive in the human brain and is associated with functional effect. Transplantation of the brain tissue is useful in the treatment of PD."}
{"id": "PMID:1473384", "title": "[Neurosurgical problems in craniofacial surgery for maxillofacial and ENT diseases].", "content": "From June 1978 to June 1990, 48 patients (34 patients with skull base tumors and 14 with congenital hyperterolism) were treated by combined craniofacial surgery. Cranial approaches were performed through the anterior fossa in 7 patients, middle fossa in 19, posterior fossa in 1, both anterior and middle fossa in 6, middle and posterior fossae in 1 and bilateral anterior fossae in 14. Neurosurgical problems were discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1473385", "title": "[Trephine craniotomy in neurosurgery].", "content": "For three years, we have performed craniotomy with a 5 cm diameter trephine through a linear incision. 53 craniotomies were done in 49 patients. This simple and time-saving method produced little bleeding and slight injury to the brain. The technique allowed the surgeon to spend most of his time at the management of lesion. Healing of wound was rapid and brain edema was minimal."}
{"id": "PMID:1473386", "title": "[The clinical features and surgical treatment of intracranial cavernous angioma].", "content": "18 histologically verified cases of intracranial cavernous angioma were reviewed in terms of clinical features, radiological and histopathological findings. The cases were divided into 3, groups: seizures (5), subarachnoid hemorrhage (6), and intracranial space occupied lesions (7). CT scan was done for surgical planning. Tumors were successfully removed in 17 cases except one died from edema after operation. The relations between radiological and pathologic features of intracranial cavernous angioma were discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1473387", "title": "[Difficulties in surgical management of lung carcinoma with cardiovascular involvement].", "content": "15 patients with lung carcinoma associated with cardiovascular involvement were treated surgically. Of these patients, 2 had involvement of the heart, 3 the superior vena cava, and 10 the pulmonary artery. Patient selection, operation forms, techniques, complications, and operation-made metastasis were discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1473388", "title": "[Diagnosis and treatment of pheochromocytoma. Report of 48 cases].", "content": "A total of 48 patients with pheochromocytoma were treated during 1965-1989. The incidence of pheochromocytoma was about 2% in hypertensive patients at same period. In this series, 31 (64.6%) had adrenal pheochromocytoma and 17 (35.4%) extra-adrenal pheochromocytoma. More than 50% of the patients showed such symptoms as hypertension, headache, sweating and palpitation. Urinary catecholamine level was significantly elevated in 97.6% of the patients. In tumor localization, CT showed an accurate diagnostic rate of 95.5% and ultrasonography 85.7%. The fluctuation of blood pressure and the amount of fluid requirement during operation in phenoxybenzamine-treated patients were lower than those in non-phenoxybenzamine-treated patients, but there was no statistically significant difference between < 14 days of treatment group and > 14 days of treatment group in phenoxybenzamine-treated patients. 47 patients underwent complete excision of tumor, except 1 patient with a gigantic tumor from the organs of Zuckerkandl. One patient died after operation."}
{"id": "PMID:1473389", "title": "[One-stage operation for treatment of transposition of penis and scrotum complicated by hypospadia].", "content": "Transposition of penis and scrotum is often complicated by hypospadia and used to be corrected by staged operation. Since 1984 a new procedure has been developed in which the transposition of penis and scrotum and clubbed penis were corrected, and urethroplasty was performed at same time. Six children received this operation uneventfully. Postoperative follow-up revealed that normal penis position, erection and urination were achieved in these patients. This operation is applicable to patients with transposition of penis and scrotum complicated by various hypospadia. The operative method and key to ensure success are described in this article."}
{"id": "PMID:1473390", "title": "[Male pseudohermaphroditism. Testicular feminization syndrome].", "content": "Male pseudohermaphroditism--testicular feminization syndrome is a rare genetic entity with considerably familial predisposition. Of the 9 cases, 7 except 2 children were confirmed surgically. Clinical manifestations of the disorder were primary amenorrhea, infertility and a mass in groin. We suggested that orchiectomy is necessary after puberty. The genetic pattern, clinical characteristics, diagnosis and treatment of the condition were briefly discussed with a review of the literature."}
{"id": "PMID:1473391", "title": "[Efficacy of succinylcholine under hyperventilation].", "content": "To evaluate hypocapnic effect on muscle relaxant, we investigated succinylcholine under normal condition (PetCO2 5-5.5kPa) and hyperventilation (PetCO2 3-3.5kPa), with the patients as the self control. Fifteen patients undergoing selective surgery were divided randomly into two groups. The hypocapnic effect on single intubational dose course as well as sustaining two hours was observed with the neuromuscular blockade traced by accelograph. The results showed that the speed of onset, recovery time and duration of succinylcholine after 1 mg/kg i.v. have no significant difference between normal condition and hyperventilation. It is indicated that in good risk adult patients, ventilatory hypocapnia for two hours causes no significant change in succinylcholine relaxation."}
{"id": "PMID:1473392", "title": "[Oxygen-lactated Ringer's solution for surgical patients].", "content": "The effects of intravenous infusion of the lactated Ringer's solution inflated with oxygen (Oxygen-LR) and lactated Ringer's solution (LR) on oxygenation of blood were studied in 23 patients undergoing abdominal surgery under epidural anesthesia. LR 1000 ml was infused with inflated oxygen at 1L/min in 30 minutes in the oxygen-LR group (n = 12). The partial pressure of oxygen-LR was increased to 600.45 +/- 78.78 from 129.4 +/- 9.69 mmHg. LR 1000 ml was infused in 30 minutes in the control group (n = 11). There was no significant difference in PaO2, PaCO2, SatO2, A-aDO2 during and 30 minutes after infusion between the oxygen-LR and control groups. We believe that oxygen-LR is of no clinical value because of its low ability is of no carrying oxygen."}
{"id": "PMID:1473393", "title": "[Hemodynamic changes in normovolemic and hypovolemic canines during epidural block].", "content": "Hemodynamic changes were studied in normovolemic and hypovolemic canines during epidural block. In normovolemic canines after epidural block, stroke volume (SV) increased, heart rate (HR) slowed down and total peripheral resistance (TPR) and mean arterial pressure (MAP) decreased. In addition, hepatic vascular resistance (HVR) and renal vascular resistance (RVR) decreased but quantity of hepatic artery per beat (QHR/HR), quantity of hepatic artery per beat (QPV/HR) and quantity of renal artery per beat (QRA/HR) increased significantly. In hypovolemic canines, the hemodynamic changes after epidural block were similar in normovolemic ones but more abrupt. The increase of QHA/HR, QPV/HR and QRA/HR was not statistically significant, but minute hepatic blood volume quantity of hepatic artery (QHA), quantity of portal vein (QPV) and hepatic blood flow (HBF) decreased significantly. In hypovolemic canines during epidural block, ischemic injury of the liver should be alerted and abrupt hemodynamic changes should be well controlled."}
{"id": "PMID:1473394", "title": "[Free radical damage to chondrocytes and protection by selenium, tocopherol and ascorbic acid using serum-free medium method].", "content": "Free radical derived from xanthine oxidase damage to rabbit articular chondrocytes cultured in serum-free medium and antioxidant defense factors protecting chondrocytes from free radical were studied. The results showed that free radical mediated an inhibition of DNA as well as proteoglycan synthesis in cultured chondrocytes and selenium, a-tocopherol and L-ascorbic acid failed to protect chondrocytes from free radicals."}
{"id": "PMID:1473395", "title": "[The therapeutic effect of pulsed electric field on experimental spinal cord injury].", "content": "Pulsed electric field was used on 22 dogs with incomplete spinal cord injury for 8-10 weeks. Nerve cells, nerve fibres and astrocytes were identified by monoclonal antibody to neurofilament or glial fibrillary acidic protein. Morphometric analysis was used for axon counting and GFAP area ratio calculation. The result indicated that there were more axons in the treated group than in the control group at the distal part of injured site. The cellular distribution and patterns of the active and stable phases may be a pathological recovering mark of the injured spinal cord. We conclude that the pulsed electric field may promote sprouting and elongating of the regenerative nerve fibres and may also have some modulating effects on the interaction of growth cones and astrocytes. The pulsed electric field may be superior to the direct current field in some aspects."}
{"id": "PMID:1473396", "title": "[Anatomic study of longitudinal cutting of the right hepatic duct].", "content": "6 fresh liver from adult human specimen to casting model by perfusing with A. B. S. acetone solution and 42 formalin-fixated livers (adult 32 and children 10) were used in present study. The whole length and inner-diameter of the right hepatic duct as well as the angle between right and common hepatic duct were measured. The right hepatic duct were cut open longitudinally and their relations were classified. The relationship among the right hepatic duct and the right hepatic artery, the right trunk of portal vein and its branches, as well as gallbladder bed were observed. The method and the cautions in the operation of Longitudinal cutting of the right hepatic duct were described."}
{"id": "PMID:1473397", "title": "[Posterior spinal rami in localization of low back pain].", "content": "Objective findings even after standard evaluations could hardly be obtained in some low back pain (LBP). Neurolocalization of LBP is dependent on the relationship between the complaint site of pain and the distribution of the posterior branch of the spinal nerves to search for the source and to localize the level of injury. The primary sites of LBP we suggested are higher than the complaint site. In 1263 cases of LBP, the results of contrast test with procaine injection at both sites have shown that nearly all the complaint sites are secondary. According to the theory as mentioned, satisfactory effects of 1108(87.73%) of 1263 treated by freezing the posterior spinal rami at the primary site have been obtained."}
{"id": "PMID:1473398", "title": "[Corrective surgery for tetralogy of Fallot. Analysis of 156 cases].", "content": "156 consecutive patients with tetralogy of Fallot underwent corrective surgery between Sept. 1987 and Mar. 1991 at Fuwai hospital in Beijing. The patients consisted of 96 males and 60 females. Their age ranged from 3 to 32 years (average 12 +/- 6 years). 141 patients (91%) had cyanosis at rest and 135 patients had clubbed fingers and toes. Hemoglobin level ranged from 130 to 265 g/L (average 192 +/- 38 g/L), and more than 18 g/L in 84 patients. All the patients were confirmed by UCG and ventricular cinecardiogram. The operation was performed under CPB and hypothermia. Typical pathological changes were found in all the patients. Severe hypoplasia of infundibular and pulmonary trunk or stenosis at pulmonary annulus valves was noted in 60 patients, absence of pulmonary valve syndrome in 2, absence of left pulmonary artery in 2, abnormality of coronary artery in 3, pulmonary atresia in 1, ASD in 15, and foramen ovale in 23. All the patients recovered uneventfully except one who died from acute renal failure in the fifth day after operation. The criteria for size were suggested for the reconstruction of the right ventricular outflow tract and pulmonary trunk."}
{"id": "PMID:1473399", "title": "[Open mitral valvuloplasty in 40 cases].", "content": "From Dec. 1987 to June 1991, open mitral valvuloplasty was done in 40 patients. Among them rheumatic valve disease was observed in 35 cases. The early postoperative result was excellent. We consider that the requisites for this operation are noncalcification of anterior mitral leaflet with sufficient size and flexibility, without significant fusion and shortening of subvalvar structures, and readiness of valve replacement in case of its failure."}
{"id": "PMID:1473400", "title": "[Delayed hemothorax after chest injuries. Report of 31 cases].", "content": "Thirty-one patients with delayed hemothorax were treated. The time from trauma to hemothorax formation ranged from 2 to 30 days. The patients with chest injuries accompanied by multiple rib fracture, potential vascular injuries and foreign body retention the thoracic cavity were observed closely. The diagnosis, pathogenesis and treatment were discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1473401", "title": "[Total esophagectomy and colon transplantation in treatment of upper neck esophageal carcinoma. Report of 16 cases].", "content": "Sixteen patients with carcinoma of the upper neck esophagus were treated by total esophagectomy and replacement with transverse colon in this hospital from 1982 to 1989. The operative morbidity rate was 18.7% and no death occurred. There were 8 patients with lesion longer than 5 cm, 3 less than 3 cm, and 5 between 3 cm and 5 cm. The length between the tumor and the proximal margin of resection was less than 2 cm in 5 patients, between 2 and 4 cm in 8, and more than 4 cm in 3. No residual tumor was found pathologically at stumps. Follow-up study showed that 5 patients survived more than 5 years, 5 patients 3 to 5 years, 6 patients less than 3 years. The maneuver and advantages of the operation were introduced and the problems concerning the prevention of operative complication were investigated."}
{"id": "PMID:1473402", "title": "[Surgical management of complicated pulmonary hydatidosis].", "content": "1954-1988, 680 patients with pulmonary hydatid cysts were operated upon at our hospital. 320 of the patients were classified as having complicated pulmonary hydatidosis (CPH). The criteria for CPH are as follows: (1) huge in size, occupied 2/3 or one side of the chest; (2) ruptured hydatid cyst or cysts, with or without secondary infection; (3) multiple lesions involving both lungs, sometimes combined with liver involvement; (4) the presence of hepato-pleural and/or hepato-bronchial fistulae. We advocated intact endocystectomy and saucerization of the residual actocystic pit for individual lesion. The diagnosis and management of different CPH, especially those with hepato-pleural or hepato-bronchial fistulae were discussed in detail. There were 2 operative deaths. The mortality rate of the whole series was 0.29%, and of those with CPH was 0.6%."}
{"id": "PMID:1473403", "title": "[Surgical treatment of superior vena cava syndrome].", "content": "Thirty-seven patients with superior vena cava (SVC) syndrome were admitted to our hospital during the recent six years. Among them, 23 were treated surgically. The approaches we used included SVC-atrial shunt plus lesion resection (1), innominate-atrial shunt without (2) or with membranotomy (1), jugular-atrial shunt (1), azygous-atrial shunt plus meso-atrial shunt (1), jugular-saphenous shunt (8), omental neck transplantation substernally (4) including one with omental-cervical vein anastomosis, and so on. Follow-up for an average of 40 months, showed marked effect in 55% of the surgical cases, improvement in 30%, and death in 10%. It is suggested to select intrathoracic operations for young, good risk, and surgically resectable patients and saphenous transplantation for elder, high risk and unresectable patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1473404", "title": "[Surgical correction of 34 patients with hypertelorism].", "content": "In 34 patients with hypertelorism aged on the average 12.6 years, 24 underwent intracranial surgery (combined intra- and extracranial approach), 2 (moderate) U-osteotomy (subcranial approach), and 8 (mild) canthoplasties. Improved results were obtained in the patients with various types of hypertelorism. The complications were reviewed. Of the 24 patients undergone intracranial surgery, one died, 4 had cerebrospinal fluid leakage, and 4 had keratitis. No seizure, cerebral edema, meningitis, blindness, and ptosis were observed in these patients. Average blood loss was 72% of blood volume. Average duration of surgery was 7.5 hours. The causes of hypertelorism such as craniofacial cleft, craniosynostosis, frontoethmoidal meningoencephalocele, frontonasal fibrous dysplasia, and trauma were also discussed. Satisfactory appearance was seen in most of the patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1473405", "title": "[Percutaneous nephrostomy as a pretreatment in extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy].", "content": "ESWL was performed in 572 patients with renal and ureteral stones between Dec. 1988 and Dec. 1990. All the patients recovered uneventfully without any serious complications. In 6 of these patients with bilateral urinary stones complicated by bilateral hydronephrosis or azotemia, unilateral percutaneous nephrostomy was done before ESWL. We conclude that in such cases a unilateral percutaneous nephrostomy before ESWL is helpful in reducing renal pelvic pressure, improving renal function, decreasing complication and shortening the period of treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1473406", "title": "[Adrenal medullary phaeochromocytoma and adrenal medullary hyperplasia].", "content": "From 1979 to 1989, 8 cases of adrenal medullary phaeochromocytoma (AMP) and 6 cases of adrenal medullary hyperplasia (AMH) were treated surgically. We reviewed the two groups of patients, and the results suggested that though the patients of AMP are similar to those of AMH in clinical symptoms and signs, AMP and AMH are virtually two different diseases of the adrenal medulla. CT and echography are helpful in distinguishing AMP from AMH, but the determination of the two diseases depends on the histological findings. The diagnostic criterion of pathology for AMP and AMH, as well as the treatment of the two diseases are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1473407", "title": "[Ileocecum with appendix in reconstruction of bladder and urethra].", "content": "New bladder and urethra were reconstructed by transplanting the ileocecum with appendix and part of the ascending colon. Ileocecal valve was used to prevent urine reflux into the ureters. The appendix and its seromuscular layer were used as \"sphincter muscle\" to prevent overflow of urine in the cecum. From March, 1988, to October, 1991, 38 cases of carcinoma of bladder were treated by this way. Follow-up for 0.5 to 3.5 years showed that the reconstructed bladder had large capacity, good urination function, no electrolyte disorder, urine reflux and infection of renal pelvis."}
{"id": "PMID:1473408", "title": "[Surgical treatment of myasthenia gravis and its evaluation].", "content": "30 cases of myasthenia gravis (MG) were treated with thymectomy. Before and after operation, peripheral blood lymphocyte subpopulation was determined in 10 cases and acetylcholine receptor antibody titer was determined in 6. The results confirmed the efficacy of thymectomy in treating MG. We suggest that application of hormone for regulating immune function of the body and/or plasma exchange for alleviating symptoms in patients with generalized MG before and after the operation. The results of treatment did not correlate with age, sex, length, and course of the disease. Radical operation, proper anaesthesia and appropriate antibiotics may ensure a smooth operation and high curative effect."}
{"id": "PMID:1473409", "title": "[Clinical study of prophylactic use of gentamicin and metronidazole in the surgery of colorectal carcinoma].", "content": "From Oct. 1989 to Apr. 1990, 16 patients with colorectal carcinoma undergoing elective radical resection were randomly divided into two groups to receive oral and combined (oral + i.v.) antimicrobials respectively. Patients in the oral group received preoperative oral gentamicin and metronidazole for two days, in the combined group oral medication was followed by the same antimicrobials intravenously during perioperative period. Quantitative bacterial cultures were performed before and after the regimen. Results showed that the preoperative prophylaxis with oral antimicrobial resulted in a significant reduction in the bacterial counts of the rectum contents in all the patients (P < 0.001). The NICs of gentamicin and metronidazole for E. coli and B. fragilis were found to be 2.31 micrograms/ml and 0.66 micrograms/ml respectively. The perioperative blood samples and the intraoperative tissue specimens were taken for gentamicin and metronidazole determination. In the oral group, effective concentration of metronidazole were found in serum and tissues but gentamicin was undetected. In the combined group, effective concentrations of both gentamicin and metronidazole were detected. According to our results, the short-term preoperative oral medications combined with perioperative intravenous gentamicin and metronidazole prophylaxis appears to rational."}
{"id": "PMID:1473410", "title": "[Air pressure vascular clamp. Experimental study and clinical application].", "content": "An air pressure vascular clamp was designed for vascular surgery. On femoral arteries of 90 rats, vascular injury and anastomosis experiments were made to compare this clamp with 2 other vascular clamps commonly used, and the pressure on blood vessels from different clamps was determined. Examination with operating, light and electron microscopes showed that the number of vascular injuries and their degree were the least after use of this clamp, the pressure of which could be adjusted just to block blood flow, suitable for blood vessels of different calibers. Satisfactory results have been obtained through its clinical application in 43 patients having 119 vascular anastomoses. It is thought that the unobstructed rate of vascular anastomosis can be raised by the application of this vascular clamp, especially for vessels of small caliber and long period of compression."}
{"id": "PMID:1473411", "title": "[Protective effect of antiserum to Re-LPS on experimental multiple organ failure].", "content": "We determined the possible beneficial effect of administering antiserum against Re-LPS(F515) on experimental multiple system organ failure (MSOF) in rabbits. The results showed that there were a more significant decrease of the plasma LPS level and a shorter period to recovery than in the control group after receiving antiserum to Re-LPS. Pretreatment with antiserum can remarkably improve the function of liver, lung, kidney, blood and gastrointestinal tract. The incidence of MSOF in rabbits receiving immune sera was only 11.2% and the survival rate was increased by 40.0%. The results suggest that early passive immunotherapy may neutralize gut-derived endotoxin, inhibit endotoxin-induced mediator release and prevent development of severe complication due to sepsis. Prophylactic application of antiserum to LPS core region may provide protective effect on experimental MSOF."}
{"id": "PMID:1473412", "title": "Computed tomography in the initial management of acute left-sided diverticulitis.", "content": "Computed tomography (CT) was used in place of contrast enemas as the initial imaging study to evaluate patients with the clinical diagnosis of acute sigmoid diverticulitis. This report attempts to clarify the role of CT in the management of acute sigmoid diverticulitis by reviewing its usefulness in the diagnosis and treatment of 59 patients. CT established that three patients (5 percent) were hospitalized with an incorrect clinical diagnosis. Thirty-seven patients (62.7 percent) were identified as having uncomplicated acute diverticulitis. These patients were all treated successfully with nonsurgical therapies and were discharged in an average of 6.8 days. In the remaining 19 patients (32.2 percent), CT revealed complicated acute diverticulitis by identifying abscess, fistula, peritonitis, or obstruction. Eleven of these 19 patients required urgent surgery or CT-guided percutaneous drainage of an abscess. The four patients whose abscesses were drained percutaneously responded favorably and underwent an elective single-stage resection. The average hospital stay for patients with complicated diverticulitis was 13.6 days. Computed tomography is a useful aid in the initial management of patients with acute diverticulitis. It is a noninvasive test that recognizes and stratifies patients according to the severity of their disease. It has the further advantage of providing information about extracolonic pathology and anatomic variation useful for surgical planning. Additionally, early CT-guided needle drainage allowed downstaging of complicated diverticulitis, avoided emergent surgery, and permitted single-stage elective surgical resection."}
{"id": "PMID:1473413", "title": "DNA index as a significant indicator of lymph node metastasis and local recurrence of rectal cancer.", "content": "To confirm the prognostic significance of the DNA index (DI) in cases of rectal cancer, the nuclear DNA content of tumor cells was examined in 184 cases of rectal cancer treated with curative surgery, and the incidence of lymph node metastasis and recurrence of the cancer was analyzed. The incidence of lymph node metastasis was 43.9 percent in cases with aneuploidy (DI above 1.5), being statistically different from the 18.0 percent incidence in cases with diploidy (P < 0.001). Although the extent of lymph node metastasis was limited to adjacent lymph nodes in cases with diploidy, distant lymph node metastases were frequent in cases with aneuploidy, especially in those with a DI above 1.5. Furthermore, the incidence of recurrence of cancer, and especially of local recurrence, was significantly higher (P < 0.001) in cases with aneuploidy (DI above 1.5) than in cases with diploidy and aneuploidy (DI below 1.4). These findings indicate the significant value of the DNA index for the prediction of lymph node metastasis and local recurrence in patients with rectal cancer."}
{"id": "PMID:1473414", "title": "Ogilvie's syndrome: colonoscopic decompression and analysis of predisposing factors.", "content": "Forty-eight cases of Ogilvie's syndrome, colonic pseudo-obstruction, presenting between 1983 and 1989 were retrospectively reviewed to assess the results of colonoscopic decompression and to identify potential etiologic factors. Three patients had spontaneous resolution with medical treatment. Forty-five patients required 60 colonoscopic decompressions: 38 (84 percent) were successfully treated using colonoscopy; five (11 percent) required an operation; and two died within 48 hours of colonoscopy from medical causes. No complications or deaths were the result of colonoscopy. Twenty-nine patients (64 percent) were successfully treated with a single colonoscopy. One-third of patients required serial decompressions. Average cecal diameter in patients with successful colonoscopic decompression was 12.4 cm but was larger for patients requiring more than one colonoscopy (13.3 cm) and for those who failed colonoscopic therapy (13.4 cm). The spine or retroperitoneum had been traumatized or manipulated in 52 percent of patients. Patients with Ogilvie's syndrome were being treated with narcotics (56 percent), H-2 blockers (52 percent), phenothiazines (42 percent), calcium-channel blockers (27 percent), steroids (23 percent), tricyclic antidepressants (15 percent), and epidural analgesics (6 percent) at diagnosis. Electrolyte abnormalities included hypocalcemia (63 percent), hyponatremia (38 percent), hypokalemia (29 percent), hypomagnesemia (21 percent), and hypophosphatemia (19 percent). Colonoscopic decompression in Ogilvie's syndrome is safe and effective management. Multiple pharmacologic and metabolic factors, as well as spinal and retroperitoneal trauma, appear to alter autonomic regulation of colonic function, resulting in colonic pseudo-obstruction."}
{"id": "PMID:1473415", "title": "Morbidity and mortality of wide pelvic lymphadenectomy for rectal adenocarcinoma.", "content": "This retrospective study was aimed at defining the morbidity and mortality of a radical resection for adenocarcinoma of the rectum complemented by a wide pelvic lymphadenectomy. Twenty-seven consecutive patients with rectal carcinoma who underwent a surgical resection with conventional (Group I) or wide (Group II) pelvic lymphadenectomy were analyzed. Group I consisted of 10 patients (three women and seven men; mean age, 71 years) with tumors between 6 and 14 cm (mean, 10.6 cm) from the anal verge. Group II consisted of 17 patients (eight women and nine men; mean age, 67 years) with tumors between 3 and 14 cm (mean, 9 cm) from the anal verge. The choice of lymphadenectomy in association with colorectal resection was left at the discretion of the surgeon. There were no deaths within 60 days of operation. Mean intraoperative blood loss was the same in the two groups, although three patients (18 percent) required blood transfusions of over two liters during the performance of a wide pelvic lymphadenectomy in comparison with only one (10 percent) during conventional pelvic lymphadenectomy. The rate of early postoperative complications and the average length of postoperative hospital study were each similar between the two groups. After a wide pelvic lymphadenectomy, three (18 percent) patients developed a neurogenic bladder, requiring intermittent self-catheterization, and they all recovered within one, four, and eight months, respectively. Of the 16 males, three from Group I and four from Group II were sexually active and potent before surgical treatment; after recovering from surgery, only two patients from Group I regained their sexual potency. We conclude that the performance of a wide pelvic lymphadenectomy did not increase the intraoperative or early postoperative complication rate, the mean intraoperative blood loss, or the length of postoperative hospital stay. Technical refinements are currently under study to obviate the neurologic long-term complications."}
{"id": "PMID:1473416", "title": "Villous component as a marker for synchronous and metachronous colorectal adenomas.", "content": "To determine whether patients with colorectal adenomas containing a villous component (+vc group) have a higher incidence of synchronous or metachronous colorectal adenomas, 527 consecutive cases of completely removed colorectal adenoma were used. Synchronous adenomas were detected in 22.6 percent and 19.0 percent of the patients in the +vc and -vc groups, respectively. In the analysis of metachronous adenomas, 164 patients who had been followed for 1 to 11 years (mean, 3.31 years) were included. The cumulative adenoma-free rate according to Kaplan-Meier tended to be lower in the +vc group, the difference being statistically significant 1.0 to 1.2 years after treatment of the initial adenoma and the two curves being different based on the generalized Wilcoxon test. The numbers of newly detected adenomas annually were 1.76 and 0.86, and their annual incidences were 1.09 and 0.59 times, in the +vc and -vc groups, respectively. These results suggest the importance of the villous component as a predictor of metachronous colorectal adenomas."}
{"id": "PMID:1473417", "title": "Management of acute incarcerated rectal prolapse.", "content": "Perineal excision was used to treat eight elderly patients with acute incarcerated prolapse: four showed signs of strangulation with areas of gangrene, six made an uneventful recovery without colostomy, and two developed anastomotic leak, needing diverting colostomy with a complete recovery. There were no mortalities. There were no recurrences of rectal prolapse."}
{"id": "PMID:1473418", "title": "Abdominopelvic omentopexy: preparatory procedure for radiotherapy in rectal cancer.", "content": "Adjuvant radiotherapy (RT) in adenocarcinoma of the rectum requires the application of between 5,500 and 6,600 cGy, while the small bowel does not tolerate doses beyond 4,200 cGy without developing enteritis, often followed by stenosis, fistulas, or perforation. This has spurred several attempts to form an artificial diaphragm between the abdominal cavity and the true pelvis, but they were all burdened with various sequelae. Thus, we developed a simple technique to retain the small bowel out of the RT target volume. From the greater omentum we form a bag, which houses the intestinal loops. The lower margin of the omentum is attached to the parietal peritoneum of the posterior abdominal wall beyond the promontorium. The lateral edges are sutured to the ascending and descending colon. RT starts immediately after the laparotomy wound has healed. With the help of this abdominopelvic omentopexy, we have performed high-dose RT following tumor resection in 43 patients. RT was free of complications in all of them as far as the small bowel is concerned. Proctitis and/or cystitis occurred in 14 patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1473419", "title": "Normal variation in anorectal manometry.", "content": "A study was performed to define the normal range of values for anorectal manometry. Normal volunteers were divided according to gender and parity. There were 20 males, 21 nulliparous females, and 18 multiparous females among the 59 subjects. Anorectal manometry using a radial eight-port catheter was performed during resting and squeezing maneuvers of the anal sphincter. Computerized data analysis and three-dimensional imaging were used to calculate sphincter length at rest and squeeze, mean maximum resting and squeeze pressures, and vector symmetry index. The sphincter length at rest and with squeezing in males was significantly greater compared with the two female groups (P < 0.007). Mean maximum squeeze pressures were also significantly elevated in the male group compared with the female groups (P = 0). Mean maximum resting pressures were significantly higher in nulliparous women than in multiparous women (P = 0.04). However, no difference in resting pressures was found between males and nulliparous females. A comparison of the symmetry of the anal canal revealed no differences among the three groups. Ranges for normal anorectal manometry are definable. Normal ranges are distinct for subgroups of patients, particularly with regard to gender and parity. Patients must be compared with their normal subgroups to correctly identify manometric abnormalities."}
{"id": "PMID:1473420", "title": "Prospective, randomized trial comparing pain and clinical function after conventional scissors excision/ligation vs. diathermy excision without ligation for symptomatic prolapsed hemorrhoids.", "content": "Forty-nine consecutive patients with symptomatic prolapsed hemorrhoids were prospectively randomized for conventional scissors excision with ligation (Group A; n = 16) or diathermy excision without ligation (Group B; n = 33). The median time taken to complete the procedure was 20 minutes (range, 10-40 minutes) and 10 minutes (range, 5-35 minutes) in Groups A and B, respectively (P < 0.05). Length of hospital stay was similar in both groups, with a median of three days and a range of two to five days. The median length of follow-up was 35 weeks (range, 20-50 weeks) and 35 weeks (range, 20-51 weeks) for Groups A and B, respectively. There was no statistical difference in the severity of postoperative pain between the two groups. The use of postoperative oral analgesics was significantly lower in Group B (P < 0.02), but there was no significant difference in the demand for intramuscular or topical analgesics. Diathermy excision of hemorrhoids is significantly faster than scissors excision, there is less bleeding, the vascular pedicles need not be ligated, and there is significant reduction in the requirement for oral analgesics postoperatively without any increase in early or late postoperative complications."}
{"id": "PMID:1473421", "title": "Proctitis cystica profunda in paraplegics. Report of three cases.", "content": "Proctitis cystica profunda is a benign disease of the rectal mucosa that can be mistaken for rectal carcinoma both grossly and microscopically. Symptoms may consist of blood or mucus in the stool, diarrhea, tenesmus, or rectal pain. The disease has never been reported in a paraplegic population before, but the proposed etiology makes this group seem to be at high risk. We report three cases in our paraplegic population and discuss the nature of the disease as well as its treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1473422", "title": "Technique for nipple valve fixation to prevent valve slippage in continent ileostomy.", "content": "There have been several developments in the evolutionary process associated with continent ileostomy. Despite a progressive decline of the early and late complications associated with this procedure, nipple valve slippage remains a common complication. A technique that provides additional stability to the nipple valve is described here. This procedure involves stapled anchorage of the nipple valve to the anterior pouch wall."}
{"id": "PMID:1473423", "title": "Arterial vasopressin for control of bleeding from a stapled intestinal anastomosis. Report of two cases.", "content": "Postoperative bleeding from a stapled intestinal anastomosis is a rare complication. In previously reported cases, the bleeding either ceased spontaneously or required reoperation for direct control. We report two cases in which the bleeding was controlled using an intra-arterial vasopressin infusion. To our knowledge, this technique has not been previously reported for management of this problem. We had initial concerns about creating ischemia at the anastomosis, which could lead to disruption. Neither patient demonstrated subsequent problems with the anastomosis. Intra-arterial vasopressin infusion appears to be an effective method for controlling bleeding from a stapled intestinal anastomosis and can avert the need for reoperation."}
{"id": "PMID:1473424", "title": "Transanal endoscopic microsurgery.", "content": "Transanal endoscopic microsurgery (TEM) has emerged as a minimally invasive means of resecting rectal tumors. Developed in Germany and now being used with increasing frequency in the United States, TEM utilizes a 40-mm operating rectoscope, which is sealed with an airtight facepiece. Carbon dioxide is constantly infused, thereby distending the rectum and maintaining visibility. A variety of instruments, such as tissue graspers, a high-frequency knife, suction, and needle holders, are inserted through the facepiece. Adenomas that are small, large, or even circumferential, as well as selected carcinomas up to 24 cm, can be removed with TEM instrumentation. The optics provide sixfold magnification, and this, combined with the constantly distended operative field, allows for a precise excision of the tumor as well as closure of the wound. For lesions in the mid and upper rectum, TEM is an alternative to a transsacral or transabdominal approach, with subsequently shorter hospital stay and fewer complications."}
{"id": "PMID:1473426", "title": "Indications for 24-hour gastric pH monitoring with single and multiple probes in clinical research and practice.", "content": "The methodology of prolonged gastric pH monitoring has not yet been standardized with regard to the number and position of pH probes. Twenty-seven healthy volunteers and 11 patients affected by nonulcer dyspepsia have been submitted to 24-hr ambulatory simultaneous pH monitoring of the distal esophagus, fundus, and antrum. Fundic and antral pH profiles have been compared and causes of pH variations (pH > 4) identified. Both in healthy volunteers and dyspeptic patients, percentile curves of fundic and antral pH were statistically different in more than one of the daily periods considered (24-hr, postprandial, interdigestive, nocturnal). Percent time of duodenogastric reflux is significantly higher in the antrum than in the fundus in both groups. Modalities of gastric alkalinization secondary to food or duodenogastric reflux were different for the fundus and for the antrum both in healthy and dyspeptic subjects and between the two groups. These differences suggest that single and multiple pH monitoring of the stomach have different indications, and the position of the probes should vary according to the purpose of the test."}
{"id": "PMID:1473427", "title": "Twenty-four-hour intragastric pH patterns in ICU patients on ranitidine.", "content": "Thirty critically ill patients with mixed diagnoses underwent continuous intragastric pH monitoring for 72 hr while confined to a shock/trauma intensive care unit. The first 24 hr were monitored under no specific acid-suppressing therapy (placebo control). During the second and third consecutive 24-hr periods, patients received continuous infusion of intravenous ranitidine in the dose of 6.25 mg/hr and 12.5 mg/hr, respectively. Results of the placebo-control 24-hr study revealed that one third (N = 10) of the patients were gastric acid hyposecretors (24-hr median intragastric pH values above pH 4.0). In the normosecreting group (N = 20), both ranitidine schedules significantly elevated 24-hr median pH values, when compared to placebo (placebo 24-hr median intragastric pH 1.75; ranitidine 6.25 mg/hr 24-hr median intragastric pH 4.625, P < 0.0001; ranitidine 12.5 mg/hr 24-hr median intragastric pH 6.29, P = 0.0099). Five patients (18%) failed to adequately respond to the ranitidine 12.5 mg/hr dose (24-hr median intragastric pH < 4.0). These findings suggest that a significant percentage of intensive care unit patients are not in need of acid-suppressing therapy as prophylaxis against stress-induced ulceration. Conversely, other patients may require more intensive acid-suppressing regimens because of failure to respond to high dose H2-antagonist therapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1473428", "title": "Comparison of low-dose antacids, cimetidine, and placebo on 24-hour intragastric acidity in healthy volunteers.", "content": "Low-dose aluminium (Al) antacids are effective in promoting ulcer healing and symptomatic relief in peptic ulcer patients, although the effect on intragastric acidity is very weak. In this randomized, double-blind study, 24-hr intragastric acidity was compared in 11 healthy volunteers, treated with a low-dose Al antacid regimen (1 tablet four times a day), cimetidine (800 mg at bedtime) and placebo, using the double-dummy technique. Standardized meals were given at 8 AM, noon, and 5 PM. Medication was given 1 hr after meals and at bedtime. Intragastric acidity was recorded with a nasogastric monocrystant antimony pH catheter, connected to an ambulatory digital data recorder. No significant difference in intragastric acidity was observed between antacid and placebo treatment. Treatment with cimetidine reduced circadian and nocturnal (but not diurnal) intragastric acidity significantly, as compared to both placebo and antacid treatment. The results support the hypothesis that Al antacids promote peptic ulcer healing by other mechanisms than acid neutralization."}
{"id": "PMID:1473429", "title": "Inhibition and stimulation of prolactin release. Delayed response in duodenal ulcer patients.", "content": "Prolactin inhibitory tests (bromocriptine in a single dose 2.5 mg orally) as well as stimulatory tests (metoclopramide in a single dose of 10 mg intravenously) were performed in 33 patients with endoscopically proven duodenal ulcer and in 32 healthy volunteers. Delayed response in inhibition of prolactin release as well as in stimulation of prolactin release was observed in duodenal ulcer patients compared to healthy volunteers (P < 0.01). The results implicate the role of the dopamine-prolactin axis in the pathogenesis of duodenal ulcer disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1473430", "title": "Treatment of nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug-induced gastric ulcers with misoprostol. A double-blind multicenter study.", "content": "One hundred sixty-two patients chronically ingesting ibuprofen, piroxicam, or naproxen for osteoarthritis, who had abdominal pain and an endoscopically proven gastric ulcer were evaluated for eight weeks in a randomized, double-blind trial comparing misoprostol (200 micrograms four times daily with meals and at bedtime) (N = 77) with placebo (N = 85). Patients discontinued their usual daily dose of antiarthritic medication throughout the study period, and an endoscopy was performed at four weeks and eight weeks (if necessary) to assess ulcer healing. Gastric ulcers were defined as circumscribed breaks in the gastric mucosa of 0.3 cm in diameter or greater. Misoprostol therapy significantly accelerated the rate of gastric ulcer healing compared to placebo (P = 0.033). The cumulative percent healed after four and eight weeks of therapy for misoprostol versus placebo were: 83% vs 61% at four weeks and 96% vs 90% at eight weeks (P = 0.0028 and P = 0.0977, respectively by lifetable analysis). Relief of abdominal pain did not differ significantly between the treatment groups. Misoprostol significantly accelerates the healing of ibuprofen-, piroxicam-, or naproxen-induced gastric ulcers."}
{"id": "PMID:1473431", "title": "Placebo-controlled comparison of piroxicam-beta-cyclodextrin, piroxicam, and indomethacin on gastric potential difference and mucosal injury in humans.", "content": "The acute gastroduodenal mucosa injury and gastric potential difference (GPD) drops provoked by 14-day administration of 20 mg/day of a new piroxicam formulation (piroxicam-beta-cyclodextrin), 20 mg/day standard piroxicam and 100 mg/day indomethacin were evaluated and compared in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study carried out on 64 volunteers. Endoscopic examinations, performed after 14-day treatment, demonstrated that piroxicam-beta-cyclodextrin was less gastrolesive (mean endoscopic score +/- SE = 0.56 +/- 0.2) than either piroxicam (2.06 +/- 0.5) or indomethacin (2.25 +/- 0.5) (p < 0.01). The drop in GPD after a single dose of the assigned drug was considerably greater for piroxicam and indomethacin than for piroxicam-beta-cyclodextrin (p < 0.01), which registered similar values to placebo. Since GPD is an expression of the anatomo-functional integrity of the gastric barrier, the results indicate that piroxicam-beta-cyclodextrin exerts less direct acute damage on the gastric mucosa. Therefore, when administered short-term, piroxicam-beta-cyclodextrin appears to be less gastrolesive than either indomethacin or the standard piroxicam formulation."}
{"id": "PMID:1473432", "title": "Effect of difluoromethylornithine (DFMO) on NSAID-induced intestinal injury in rats.", "content": "Combination therapy with difluoromethylornithine (DFMO) and a nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug (NSAID) has been proposed for the chemoprevention of colonic neoplasia. The purpose of this study was to examine whether DFMO would affect NSAID-mediated intestinal injury. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were gavaged with 20 mg/kg of indomethacin, after seven days of exposure to drinking water with or without 2% DFMO. The rats were killed 24 or 48 hr later, and the small intestine removed for macroscopic and microscopic quantitation of intestinal injury by computerized image analysis. Seven days of DFMO alone had no effect on overall mucosal thickness, but did increase the depth of proximal intestinal crypts. Forty-eight hours after indomethacin, DFMO treatment decreased the number of indomethacin-induced ulcers and percent of the surface area ulcerated. However, DFMO also decreased the mucosal thickness, villus height, and crypt depth in indomethacin-treated rats. Thus although DFMO decreases macroscopic intestinal ulceration by indomethacin, the reduction in villus and crypt height suggests that it also impairs the mucosa's ability to recover from microscopic indomethacin-induced damage. This study shows DFMO does impact NSAID-mediated intestinal injury and therefore human trials with combinations of DFMO and NSAIDs should include monitoring for small intestinal injury."}
{"id": "PMID:1473433", "title": "Antiinflammatory and gastrointestinal effects of nabumetone or its active metabolite, 6-methoxy-2-naphthylacetic acid (6MNA). Comparative studies with indomethacin.", "content": "6MNA, the active metabolite of the nonacidic antiinflammatory drug nabumetone, was investigated using intravenous administration for effects on (1) carrageenan paw edema and gastric irritancy compared with either oral nabumetone or both oral and intravenous indomethacin when given acutely and (2) gastrointestinal irritancy when given in repeat dosing studies. Oral doses of nabumetone or intravenous 6MNA produced effective antiinflammatory activity together with significant inhibition of paw exudate PGE2. Antiinflammatory oral doses of nabumetone or intravenous 6MNA produced minimal effects on gastric 6-keto PGF1 alpha production with an absence of gastric damage, in contrast with indomethacin. In repeat dose studies, 6MNA failed to induce gastrointestinal damage even at doses where general toxicity was evident. These results show that in the rat, 6MNA is an effective antiinflammatory drug but even in very high intravenous doses does not have the propensity to induce gastrointestinal damage."}
{"id": "PMID:1473434", "title": "Effect of sucralfate on components of mucosal barrier produced by cultured canine epithelial cells in vitro.", "content": "The mucous gel maintains a neutral microclimate at the epithelial cell surface, which may play a role in both the prevention of gastroduodenal injury and the provision of an environment essential for epithelial restitution and regeneration after injury. Enhancement of the components of the mucous barrier by sucralfate may explain its therapeutic efficacy for upper gastrointestinal tract protection, repair, and healing. We studied the effect of sucralfate and its major soluble component, sucrose octasulfate (SOS), on the synthesis and release of gastric mucin and surface active phospholipid, utilizing an isolated canine gastric mucous cells in culture. We correlated these results with the effect of the agents on mucin synthesis and secretion utilizing explants of canine fundus in vitro. Sucralfate and SOS significantly stimulated phospholipid secretion by isolated canine mucous cells in culture (123% and 112% of control, respectively). Indomethacin pretreatment significantly inhibited the effect of sucralfate, but not SOS, on the stimulation of phospholipid release. Administration of either sucralfate or SOS to the isolated canine mucous cells had no effect upon mucin synthesis or secretion using a sensitive immunoassay. Sucralfate and SOS did not stimulate mucin release in the canine explants; sucralfate significantly stimulated the synthesis of mucin, but only to 108% of that observed in untreated explants. No increase in PGE2 release was observed after sucralfate or SOS exposure to the isolated canine mucous cells. Our results suggest sucralfate affects the mucous barrier largely in a qualitative manner. No increase in mucin secretion or major effect on synthesis was noted, although a significant increase in surface active phospholipid release was observed.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1473435", "title": "Effects of intragastric and intravenous glucose on restraint model of stress ulceration.", "content": "Intragastric glucose prevents acute stress-induced gastric mucosal injury in the restrained rat. Because increased gastric contractions contribute to mucosal injury in this model and because parenteral glucose infusions have been shown to suppress gastric contractility, we hypothesized that centrally mediated responses to hyperglycemia might contribute to the cytoprotective effect of intragastric glucose. We compared intragastric and intravenous 25% glucose with saline infusions during cold restraint and measured their impact on gastric lesions, serum glucose levels, gastric residual volume (an indirect indicator of net gastric contractility), acidity, and mucin concentration. We found that both intravenous and intragastric glucose infusions increased serum glucose to over 500 mg/dl after 4 hr of stress. Intragastric glucose increased residual volume and gastric pH, as well as decreased gastric mucosal injury, but intravenous glucose had no effects on gastric function. We found that none of the potentially protective effects of intragastric glucose are mediated by central responses to hyperglycemia, and likewise that intravenous glucose has no effect on gastric mucosal injury."}
{"id": "PMID:1473436", "title": "Hormonal and pharmacologic regulation of sodium absorption in rabbit cecum in vitro.", "content": "The rabbit cecum is a moderately tight epithelium with amiloride-resistant but phenamil-sensitive electrogenic Na absorption. We performed flux and electrical studies under short-circuit conditions in vitro to further characterize the mechanisms of ion transport in cecum in normal and animals pretreated with methylprednisolone (MP) and deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA). MP treatment increased Na absorption and decreased tissue conductance. In contrast, DOCA increased Isc but did not significantly alter Na or Cl fluxes. Amiloride analogs with primary specificity for Na channel and Na/H exchanger both inhibited Isc and Na absorption. Ethacrynic acid, but not bumetanide, inhibited Isc. Nystatin and amphotericin B increased Isc. We conclude that: (1) Steroids have a differential effect on cecal ion transport; methylprednisolone increases Na absorption, but DOCA does not. (2) The response to amiloride analogs is different from other electrogenic transport systems, suggesting a distinct mechanism of Na transport in cecum. (3) The effect of ethacrynic acid was unexpected, suggesting an inhibitory response on an alternate transport system. (4) The effects of polyene antibiotics are similar to those found in other tight epithelia. Electrogenic Na absorption in rabbit cecum represents a distinct transport system, significantly different from Na absorptive mechanisms in other segments of the gut."}
{"id": "PMID:1473437", "title": "Spread and distribution of 5-ASA colonic foam and 5-ASA enema in patients with ulcerative colitis.", "content": "Rectal treatment with enemas, foams, and suppositories is the most efficient method of delivering an adequate quantity of locally active drugs to the distal colon. In a pilot study carried out by colonoscopy in four patients, it was observed that 4 g 5-ASA in 20 ml foam spread up or beyond the splenic flexure and more extensively than 2 g 5-ASA in 10 ml foam. Therefore we have undertaken a study in order to compare by scintigraphy the colonic distribution of 4 g 5-ASA foam versus 4 g 5-ASA in 100 ml liquid enemas in 10 patients with ulcerative colitis using a crossover randomized design. Both preparations were labeled with 100 MBq [99mTc]sulfur colloid before administration. Anterior scans were taken at intervals for 4 hr. Activity, expressed as a percentage of total radioactivity, was measured in the rectum, sigmoid, descending, transverse, and ascending colon. Six patients had the same extent of spread with the two formulations; in three patients with foam and in one patient with enema a greater spread was observed. The foam reached the upper limit of disease in all cases, while enema failed in two cases. The maximum spread with foam was observed within 30 min in nine of 10 patients compared with seven of 10 after enema. Compared to enema, foam distributes more uniformly and seems to persist longer in the descending and sigmoid colon. The 5-ASA colonic foam shows some more favorable characteristics than enema for the local treatment of left-sided ulcerative colitis."}
{"id": "PMID:1473438", "title": "Pharmaceutical characterization of corticosteroid suppository treatment for ulcerative colitis.", "content": "The dose and method of administration of a corticosteroid given for the treatment of patients with ulcerative colitis are determined according to the range of the diseased area and its severity. In this study, we prepared a hydrophilic suppository consisting of water-soluble prednisolone sodium succinate (PSL-SS) and a hydrophilic base, polyethylene glycol (PEG), and a hydrophobic suppository consisting of water-insoluble prednisolone (PSL) and a hydrophobic base, Witepsol (WT). We determined the spread of the drugs after intrarectal administration and their therapeutic effect. When rats received the hydrophilic suppository, the drug spread farther oral than when they received the hydrophobic suppository. Moreover, more than half of the PSL-SS recovered was observed to have changed into PSL. A therapeutic effect on the colitis induced in rats by acetic acid was noted in the area up to 10 cm from the anus in the case of the hydrophilic suppository, while the effect of the hydrophobic suppository was seen only in the area up to 2.5 cm from the anus. In patients with ulcerative colitis, the hydrophilic suppository showed retrograde spread to a site 34.4 +/- 5.3 cm from the anus, while the hydrophobic suppository spread to a site 19.0 +/- 2.4 cm from the anus. These results suggest that a hydrophobic suppository should be used for patients in whom inflammation is confined to the rectum, and a hydrophilic suppository used for patients in whom inflammation reaches the rectum and the middle part of the sigmoid colon."}
{"id": "PMID:1473439", "title": "Focal hemorrhagic necrosis of the liver. A rare cause of hemoperitoneum.", "content": "A 44-year-old white female developed hepatic hemorrhage due to focal hepatic necrosis. This is the only reported case of its kind we have found. No other underlying processes were identified except for the chronic use of oral conjugated estrogens. The possible role of steroids and a possible relationship to the pathogenesis of peliosis hepatis is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1473440", "title": "Fibrin ring granulomas in hepatitis A.", "content": "Fibrin ring granuloma is characterized by a fibrinous ring surrounding a central fat vacuole. It has been found in the liver and bone marrow of patients with Q fever, and occasionally with visceral leishmaniasis, cytomegalovirus, Epstein-Barr virus, Staphylococcus epidermidis infections, Hodgkin's lymphoma, and hypersensitivity to allopurinol. We describe a case of serologically confirmed viral hepatitis A with this lesion in the liver biopsy. A false positive anti-hepatitis A virus IgM result has been excluded. This is, to our knowledge, the second reported case of type A hepatitis with hepatic fibrin ring granulomas. It confirms that hepatitis A should be included in the differential diagnosis of this lesion."}
{"id": "PMID:1473441", "title": "Esophageal hematoma and tear requiring emergency surgical intervention. A case report and literature review.", "content": "Esophageal hematoma is a disorder characterized by the sudden development of pain, hematemesis, or dysphagia, commonly with minimal precipitant. We present the case of 59-year-old man with esophageal hematoma, precipitated by eating, with massive hematemesis requiring surgical intervention. A review of 31 additional cases in the literature since 1980 is discussed. The Mallory-Weiss syndrome and Boerhaave syndrome are distinct entities with some clinical similarities."}
{"id": "PMID:1473442", "title": "Intestinal carcinoid tumor and myotonic dystrophy. A new association?", "content": "The occurrence of multiple carcinoid tumors of the small bowel with liver metastases is reported in a patient with a previous myotonic dystrophy. In addition to the association of myotonic dystrophy with multiple endocrine adenomatosis type 2A, hyperparathyroidism, and neurofibromatosis, this case report gives further evidence for the propensity of such patients to develop neuroendocrine tumors."}
{"id": "PMID:1473444", "title": "Effect of carbachol on intraocular pressure in small-incision cataract surgery.", "content": "Sixty patients, who underwent phacoemulsification and implantation of a folded polyHema intraocular lens were assigned to two groups. Following wound closure 0.5 ml of 0.01% carbachol or balanced salt solution was instilled into the anterior chamber. Healon was used in all eyes but evacuated from the capsular bag behind the intraocular lens and the anterior chamber. Intraocular pressure was measured the day before as well as 6 and 18 hours postoperatively. At 6 hours the mean change of intraocular pressure from baseline was -2.8 +/- 5.3 mmHg in the carbachol group compared with +4.7 +/- 8.0 mmHg in the BSS group (p < 0.0001). At 18 hours the mean change from baseline was -3.0 +/- 4.6 mmHg in the treatment group and +2.3 +/- 8.5 in the control group (p < 0.0001). Intraocular pressure exceeding 25 mmHg at 6 hours was observed in 8 (27%) eyes of the control group but none of the treatment group. At 18 hours 4 (13%) eyes of the control group and 1 (3%) of the carbachol group still had an increase of intraocular pressure. Summarizing our results we conclude that the effect of Healon on the postoperative intraocular pressure is successfully counteracted by its aspiration from the capsular bag and the anterior chamber, especially when carbachol is used for intraoperative miosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1473445", "title": "Lens opacity in patients with hypercholesterolemia and ischaemic heart disease. Electronic lens opacity measurements.", "content": "Lens opacity studies were performed using an electronic Lens Opacity Meter (Interzeag Opacity Lensmeter 701) in a population (n = 321) with ischaemic heart disease. These patients are participating in a trial targetting at the reduction of mortality and incidence of myocardial infarction using a cholesterol-lowering drug, simvastatin. A separate study to evaluate the reliability of the method showed good reproducibility. Repeated measurements after a short time-interval (2-10 days) gave statistically lower opacity values either due to a change in lens transparency or perhaps a change in pigment and cell dispersion in the aqueous caused by repeated mydriasis. Lens opacity values showed a highly significant positive correlation to age. Serum cholesterol, systolic blood pressure and smoking habits showed no significant correlations to the levels of lens opacity when adjustments for age were made."}
{"id": "PMID:1473446", "title": "Changes in the diagnostic parameters during keratoconjunctivitis sicca therapy.", "content": "In 35 patients with mild, moderate and severe keratoconjunctivitis sicca, an association was found between treatment effect, break-up time value and Rose bengal score. Neither of these tests, used separately, was successful as a clinically valuable predictor of treatment effect as the scatter, in score points, was too large. Analysed together, however, as in a partial regression analysis, an adequate prediction is possible, which is clinically of some value."}
{"id": "PMID:1473447", "title": "Screening of diabetics who read incorrectly colour-dependent glucose test-strips.", "content": "Forty-eight diabetic patients (82 eyes) were examined with four different colour vision tests and one blood glucose strip-test. The ages of the patients varied from 23 to 65 years (mean 44.3 years +/- 11.4, SD), the duration of diabetes from 13 to 41 years (mean 25.8 +/- 6.2), and the visual acuities from 0.2 to 1.0 (mean 0.8 +/- 0.2). Of the eyes, 77 had had photocoagulation, 25 had small peripheral lens opacities, and 55 had slight background retinopathy. The colour vision tests were: the Standard Pseudoisochromatic Plates part 2 (SPP2), the Lanthony Tritan Album, the Farnsworth Panel D 15 test and the box III of the Farnsworth-Munsell 100 hue (FM 100) test. The blood glucose test was Haemo-Glukotest 1-44. Of the 82 eyes, 38 incorrectly saw Haemo-Glukotest strips. The SPP2 test found 89% of the eyes, the Tritan Album 55%, the Panel D 15 71%, and the box III of the FM 100 test 76%. The strips were correctly interpreted in 44 of the eyes. However, 36% of them failed the SPP2, 16% the Tritan Album, 11% the Panel D 15 test and 18% the box III of the FM 100 test. The Panel D 15 test and the box III of the FM 100 test would be useful in screening those diabetics who cannot correctly interpret the colour-dependent glucose test-strips and would need a blood sugar meter for their blood glucose level testing."}
{"id": "PMID:1473448", "title": "The cornea in exfoliation syndrome.", "content": "Exfoliation syndrome (EXS) is a disorder which affects some structures of the eye. We studied the changes of the cornea in patients with EXS and compared with those in normal persons. A prospective study of 96 consecutive patients more than 70 years of age was set up. 48 of them (70 eyes, group A) had exfoliation in one or both eyes and 48 (group B) had no ocular disease other than senile cataract. None of the patients had any systemic disease. The endothelium and thickness of the central cornea were studied. Endothelium of the eyes with EXS showed significantly (p < 0.05) lower cell density than those of group B. Cornea in group A was significantly thicker (p < 0.05) than in group B. The morphology of the endothelium in group A showed a decrease of hexagonal cells and a higher rate of polymegethism compared to group B. Corneal thickness and endothelium showed no significant differences between the eyes with EXS and normal fellow eyes. These results add another risk factor, the fragile cornea, in eyes with EXS, in cataract surgery."}
{"id": "PMID:1473449", "title": "The photopic hill: a new phenomenon of the light adapted electroretinogram.", "content": "Utilizing a high intensity photographic flash unit, electroretinograms were recorded from normal adults under fully light adapted conditions over a 5 log unit range of stimulus luminance (-1.35 to 3.34 log cd-s/m2). At lower luminance levels b-wave amplitude increased with increased luminance until it reached a maximum (Vmax of the Naka-Ruston equation) in agreement with previous work. At higher luminance levels, the b-wave amplitude decreased to 33% of Vmax and then plateaued. This previously unreported phenomenon has been named the photopic hill. There was no appreciable change in b-wave amplitude with increased interstimulus intervals from 15 sec to 5 min and luminance-response functions serially recorded for increasing and for decreasing stimulus luminance were very similar. These latter results indicate that the photopic hill is not due to light adaptation. The reason for the photopic hill and possible clinical implications are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1473450", "title": "Reconsideration of Bell's phenomenon using a magnetic search coil method.", "content": "The exact direction, amplitude and time course of Bell's phenomenon is still controversial. We evaluated the eye movements associated with spontaneous blinks, voluntary blinks and prolonged eyelid closure using a magnetic search coil method. Spontaneous blinks were accompanied by transient downward and nasalward eye movements, and similar movement accompanying voluntary blinks were often followed by upward movements. The eye positions occurring immediately after blinks often differed from the initial positions and were followed by corrective saccades, which disappeared when the subjects did not fixate. Prolonged eyelid closure was accompanied by tonic eye elevation and voluntary blinks were accompanied by marked transient eye elevation when eyelid closure was mechanically impeded. Under normal conditions Bell's phenomenon does not occur during blinks."}
{"id": "PMID:1473451", "title": "Cycloplegic refraction in children: single-dose-atropinization versus three-day-atropinization.", "content": "A new scheme for refractive measurements under atropine cycloplegia was tested in 90 strabismic children aged two to several years. Refraction was determined by an autorefractor (CANON R 10) 90 minutes after application of two drops of atropine (0.5% atropine children < 2 1/2 years; 1.0% atropine children > 2 1/2 years) and compared with the results after 3 days of receiving 1 atropine eyedrop 3 times daily. In 86.5% the spherical equivalents differ not more than 1.0 diopter (p = 0.05); the correlation was 0.99. Astigmatic corrections were in agreement in 95.5%, the axis of cylinders in 93.0% (p = 0.05); the correlations were 0.95 and 0.97. The residual accommodation 90 minutes after 2 drops of atropine was not more than 1 diopter in all children. The additional cycloplegic effect of the three-day-atropinization was only 0.5 diopters. This new type of application allows a more rapid and less toxic assessment of refraction than the usual three-day-atropinization."}
{"id": "PMID:1473452", "title": "Systemic acyclovir and penetrating keratoplasty for herpes simplex keratitis.", "content": "Corneal graft survival in 13 patients (14 eyes) receiving oral acyclovir following corneal transplantation for herpes simplex keratitis was compared to that in nine patients (9 eyes) who underwent penetrating keratoplasty for herpes simplex keratitis without receiving postoperative acyclovir. Mean age, duration of disease, and time of follow-up did not differ in the two groups. There were no recurrences of herpes simplex keratitis in any patient receiving acyclovir during a mean follow-up of 16.5 months compared to a 44% (4/9) recurrence rate in patients without acyclovir during a mean follow-up of 20.6 months (p < 0.01). Graft failure occurred in 14% (2/14) of acyclovir treatment eyes and in 56% (5/9) of the grafts in patients not receiving acyclovir. Long term prophylactic oral acyclovir significantly decreased the recurrence of herpes simplex keratitis and reduced corneal graft failure in patients with a history of recurrent herpes simplex keratitis who underwent corneal transplantation."}
{"id": "PMID:1473453", "title": "Carteolol incorporated into FAT-MLV liposomes: prolonged and decreased reduction of IOP.", "content": "Liposomes are used as carries providing a prolonged and improved drug action. They are capable of trapping beta-blockers such as Carteolol. In a randomized prospective double-blind clinical trial, Carteolol 2% suspended with frozen and thawed multivesicular large vesicles (FAT-MLV), FAT-MLV, and Carteolol 2% were applied to normal (slightly cataracterous) eyes and immediately after extracapsular cataract extraction or phakoemulsification with implantation of a posterior chamber lens in a standard procedure. Twenty-five patients were included in each group. Intraocular pressure (IOP) was measured for 3 days using applanation tonometry. In the normal eyes, a significant reduction of IOP was found for the patients receiving Carteolol and Carteolol MLV suspension. Moreover, an improved action and a prolongation of drug action was registered in the Carteolol/MLV group as compared to Carteolol treatment alone. After cataract operation, the control groups showed a significant increase in IOP. Carteolol produced a constant level of IOP but the Carteolol/MLV suspension showed a stronger decrease after ECCE and a still stronger decrease after phakoemulsification. Hence, Carteolol is suitable for the reduction of IOP but a Carteolol/MLV suspension is more effective, providing the possibility of a single application of a low-dose beta-blocker after cataract extraction with posterior chamber lens implantation."}
{"id": "PMID:1473454", "title": "Digital subtraction macrodacryocystography by videotechnique.", "content": "Digital subtraction macrodacryocystography (DSMD) has proved to be the best imaging method for diagnosing situations of stenosis of the lacrimal system. The examination is performed with a computer-controlled X-ray unit with a C-arc coupled to an image intensifier TV system with a fluoroscopic control. All the findings were recorded on videotape thus allowing good dynamic flow documentation and contributing to improved scientific analysis."}
{"id": "PMID:1473455", "title": "Application of hyaluronidase after unsuccessful trabeculectomy.", "content": "Trabeculectomy fails to control the intraocular pressure (IOP) adequately in some cases. The effect of the enzyme hyaluronidase--300 IU Hylase 'Dessau' (commercially available ampuls)--applied in subconjunctival injection in the region above the filtering bleb in case of postoperative rise in IOP following trabeculectomy was studied. Successful IOP control was defined as an IOP below or equal to 20 mmHg with or without medication. The investigation concerned 62 eyes (46 patients) with primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) divided in three groups: Group I--39 eyes with early postoperative rise in IOP (7-20 days postoperatively), group II--15 eyes with late rise in IOP (6 months-1 year after surgery), group III--8 eyes with one previous unsuccessful trabeculectomy. In all examined cases IOP was over 20 mmHg (mean IOP was 26.23 +/- 3.46 mmHg) postoperatively before application of hyaluronidase. The follow up period ranged from 6 to 34 months. We found statistically significant lowering in IOP in group I (p < 0.01), group II (p < 0.05) and group III (p < 0.05). Complications related to the use of hyaluronidase were not observed up to now. Postoperative subconjunctival injection of hyaluronidase appears to improve the prognosis following unsuccessful trabeculectomy in POAG patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1473456", "title": "Rapid increase of intracellular Ca2+ concentration caused by aminoadipic acid enantiomers in retinal M\u00fcller cells and neurons in vitro.", "content": "The ability of the gliotoxic compounds D,L-, D- or L-2-aminoadipic acid (AAA) to increase selectively the intracellular concentration of free calcium ion ([Ca2+]i) was examined in M\u00fcller cells cultured with or without retinal neurons. The monitoring of [Ca2+]i following exposure to 0.06 to 6 mM AAA was performed by a microfluorometry using a fluorescent Ca2+ indicator, Fura-2 acetoxymethyl ester. A rapid increase of [Ca2+]i occurred in the M\u00fcller cells following exposure to a relatively low concentration of the L-isomer. This is compatible with the known strong gliotoxicity of this isomer. The D,L- and D-forms of AAA activated neurons at low concentrations and activated the M\u00fcller cells at higher concentrations. The D-isomer appears to act selectively on retinal neurons and may be an agonist of an excitatory amino acid receptor. These results indicate that the ability of AAA to elevate cytosolic [Ca2+]i depends on the stereospecificity of the AAA and on cell type."}
{"id": "PMID:1473457", "title": "The history of stereoscopy.", "content": "Ptolemy (127-148 AD) studied physiological diplopia, correspondence and the horopter. He had all the data to build a theory of depth perception through disparity detection, but left that undone. Alhazen (1000 AD) associated depth perception with the sensation of binocular convergence, just as Kepler (1611) and Descartes (1637). With the development of the concept of retinal correspondence and the fusion of the retinal images in the brain (Huygens 1667, Newton 1704) a cerebral mechanism of disparity detection became thinkable. The rise of Empiricism (Molyneux' Premise, the case of Cheselden) postponed the solution of the problem, finally reached by Wheatstone (1838). Physiological proof of Wheatstone's theory came from the experiments of Barlow et al. (1967)."}
{"id": "PMID:1473459", "title": "A case of eye disease (Lippitudo) on the Roman frontier in Britain.", "content": "A newly excavated Roman report, written in ink on wood, on the strength of the First Cohort of Tungrians at Vindolanda in northern Britain, registers 31 men unfit, 15 as sick, 6 as wounded, the remainder, 10, with eye-disease, 'lippientes'. The paper also comments on the prevalence of eye-disease in antiquity and some of the suggested causes thereof."}
{"id": "PMID:1473460", "title": "Some Byzantine chroniclers and historians on ophthalmological topics.", "content": "Byzantine historians and chroniclers recorded events not only of national importance, but also of daily life. The authors present various aspects in relation to ophthalmology. A selection of subjects including eye disorders and injuries, as well as visual problems discussed in myths, narratives and religious dogmas are presented."}
{"id": "PMID:1473461", "title": "The penalty of blinding during Byzantine times. Medical remarks.", "content": "This paper which is based on the works of Byzantine chroniclers examines the imposition of blinding as a penalty in Byzantium. Punishment by blinding, though of extremely ancient origin, was imposed on Christians in the Roman Empire under the rule of Diocletian (AD 303). This continued up to the time of Constantine the Great and blinding as a penalty reappeared in the Byzantine Empire (AD 705) under the rule of Justinian Rhinotmitos. The writers investigate the grounds for the imposition of the penalty, and the methods employed, and a series of examples are given as handed down by Byzantine chroniclers. Finally, the ethical background of the penalty is examined according to the legislature and common-law extant in Byzantium."}
{"id": "PMID:1473462", "title": "Miraculous ophthalmological therapies in Byzantium.", "content": "A series of cures for ophthalmological diseases practised by saints are described, particularly the Saints Cosmas and Damian and the Saints Cyrus and John, the famous 'Anargyroi'. In the xenones of the Byzantine churches and in the hospitals connected to these, therapeutic regimes, cures and surgical interventions took place at night during incubation, following the example of the ancient Asclepieia. This conclusion stands in spite of the fact that the authors describing the lives of the saints were often clergy who frequently cloak the true therapeutical cures by presenting them in a supernatural manner in order to stress the divine intervention of the saints. From the operations mentioned, it is clear that cataract surgery was among the operations most frequently practised."}
{"id": "PMID:1473465", "title": "Christoph Scheiner's eye studies.", "content": "Christoph Scheiner was born in 1573 or 1575. In 1595 he entered into the Order of the Jesuits; he died in 1650. In 1619 his book Oculus, dealing with the optics of the eye, appeared in Innsbruck. The invention of the telescope was of utmost importance for progress in astronomical and physical research. Scheiner himself built telescopes and discovered the sunspots. As a result, an unpleasant priority dispute with Galilei ensued. From 1624 onwards, Scheiner was in Rome, where his main work Rosa Ursina was published in 1630. A part of this book deals with the physiological optics of the eye as well. Some of his discoveries and experiments are taken from these two books: determination of the radius of curvature of the cornea, discovery of the nasal exit of the optic nerve, increase in the radius of curvature of the lens in case of accommodation, Scheiner's procedure (double images with ametropia), refractive indices of various parts of the eye, Scheiner's experiment. Without any doubt, Christoph Scheiner belongs to the foremost scientists of the first half of the 17th century."}
{"id": "PMID:1473472", "title": "The first Danish chairs of ophthalmology.", "content": "In the last century German medical sciences made up the chief inspiration to the medical profession in Europe. The influence of German ophthalmology spread to Denmark, and accordingly the first Danish professor, Edmund Hansen Grut was trained in the Graefe clinic. His successor, Jannik Bjerrum grew up in southern Jutland, a district later on lost to the German Empire. The hitherto prevailing Danish sympathies with the neighbour in the south vanished after this. Bjerrum thus wrote all his papers in Danish and made no efforts to achieve an international reputation. In contrast, Marius Tscherning, received widespread recognition as a scientist. He spent many years in France. His scientific insights at last brought him to the Danish chair of ophthalmology. The history of the first three professors of ophthalmology, so different in their attitudes, has narrative value, but exemplifies as well the rapid development of the profession in the years 1886-1925."}
{"id": "PMID:1473473", "title": "Ophthalmology in Europe in the days of the French Revolution.", "content": "The authors highlight the political and scientific landmarks in 18th century France; the Revolution of 1789 had positive effects, in that it marked the accession of the French middle-class to political power and enabled the promotion of young scientists without consideration of social class or fortune; it had negative effects, in that France lost the scientific edge it had gained when all existing chairs in ophthalmology were abolished. The status of ophthalmology and of physiological optics in the 18th century are discussed, with a brief mention of the most important innovators in the field."}
{"id": "PMID:1473481", "title": "[Electrophysiological effects of neferine against ischemic ventricular tachyarrhythmias].", "content": "The electrophysiological effects of neferine (Nef, 8mg/kg,i.v.) on ischemic ventricular tachyarrhythmias in both normal and ischemic myocardium were studied in open-chest dogs by programmed electrical stimulation (PES) with intimal surface anodal direct current at the circumflex coronary artery during 5-8 days after acute myocardial infarction. Its effects were compared with procainamide (PA). Both drugs lengthened the QTc interval and the effective refractory period (ERP) of normal and infarcted myocardium in both ventricles and decreased the dispersion of ERP in infarcted myocardium (IDR) as well as in left ventricle (VDR), increased the diastolic excitability threshold (DET) of normal and infarcted myocardium in both ventricles remarkably. The PES-induced VT or VF was prevented in all of Nef treated dogs and in 5 out of 6 PA treated dogs, Nef prevented spontaneous VF in 5 dogs (n = 6), PA prevented spontaneous VF in 4 dogs (n = 6). The results indicated that Nef may be effective in preventing the onset of reentrant ventricular tachycardias and sudden cardiac death after myocardial ischemic damage."}
{"id": "PMID:1473486", "title": "[Reperfusion arrhythmias in acute myocardial infarction].", "content": "Twenty-seven patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI), in whom infarct-related coronary artery was occluded and thrombolytic therapy or PTCA were performed, were studied. Reperfusion confirmed by immediate coronary angiography was achieved in 24 patients. Reperfusion arrhythmias (RA) occurred in 19(79.2%) of the patients, including ventricular arrhythmias in 13 (54.2%). Ventricular fibrillation (VF) and sustained ventricular tachycardia (VT) developed in 2(8.4%), and accelerated idioventricular rhythm in 5(20.8%); the latter showed a reliable indicator of coronary artery recanalization. Transient sinus bradycardia or AV block occurred in 10 (66.7%) of the 15 patients with inferior-posterior MI, which was an indicator of recanalization of coronary artery and salvage of myocardium in inferior-posterior MI. The occurrence of RA was not correlated with the duration of ischemia; ventricular RA was not related to the location of AMI and the occurrence and severity of ischemic arrhythmias before reperfusion. The patients with RA were treated with ordinary antiarrhythmic therapy, VF and sustained VT in 2 patients were converted by electric defibrillation. No death related to RA occurred. RA couldn't be prevented by lidocaine."}
{"id": "PMID:1473487", "title": "[Coronary heart disease and silent myocardial ischemia].", "content": "Silent myocardial ischemia was studied in 100 patients with coronary heart disease (CHD), proved by the coronary arteriogram (at least one major coronary artery narrowed by > or = 50%). The study demonstrated that 51 of 100 patients with CHD had episodes of myocardial ischemia by Holter monitoring. In the 51 patients, during daily activities, through 24-hour Holter monitoring, 239 transient episodes of ST depression were detected, 161 of the total were asymptomatic (67.4%). There were no statistically significant differences in the heart rate and the product of heart rate and systolic blood pressure before ST depression between asymptomatic and symptomatic episodes. The heart rate at the time of maximal ST depression during both asymptomatic and symptomatic ischemia increased by 13 and 22 beats/min, respectively, over those before ST depression (P < 0.01); whereas the increase in heart rate during symptomatic ischemia was more significant than during asymptomatic ischemia (P < 0.01). The increase of product of heart rate and systolic blood pressure at the time of maximal ST depression during asymptomatic and symptomatic ischemia were 22.2 and 35.4, respectively, over those before ST depression (P < 0.01). The incidence of silent ischemic episodes in patients with single vessel disease was 81.7% and those with multivessel disease was 61.3% (P < 0.01). The frequency of silent ischemic episodes was maximal (36% of total number of ischemic episodes) between 6 a.m. and 12 a.m. during 24-hour, whereas the incidence of silent ischemic episodes in patients with single vessel disease was similar to that in patients with multivessel disease.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1473488", "title": "[Assessment of plasma catecholamine and beta-endorphin contents in patients with silent myocardial ischemia and angina pectoris].", "content": "Thirteen patients with totally silent myocardial ischemia (group 1) and 15 patients with effort angina (group 2) were studied. The coronary angiography of both groups indicated coronary artery stenosis > or = 50%. In group 1, the beta-endorphin plasma level (beta-EPL) during rest was significantly higher than those in group 2 (15.639 +/- 1.258 pg/ml and 8.920 +/- 1.478 pg/ml, respectively, P < 0.01). There were significant increases in beta-EPL in both groups after exercise as compared with that before exercise (beta-EPL is 33.801 +/- 6.243 pg ml/in group 1, P < 0.01; 18.169 +/- 3.540 pg/ml in group 2, P < 0.01). The difference between two groups after exercise was also significant (P < 0.05). The plasma level of noradrenaline (NE) during rest was 0.267 +/- 0.035 ng/ml, adrenaline (E) was 0.112 +/- 0.018 ng/ml in group 1, and NE was 0.218 +/- 0.032 ng/ml and E was 0.110 +/- 0.015 ng/ml in group 2. After exercise, NE was 1.017 +/- 0.160 ng/ml (P < 0.001), E 0.276 +/- 0.076 ng/ml (P < 0.001), E 0.260 +/- 0.043 ng/ml (P < 0.01) in group 2. There was no difference between two groups both in rest and after exercise (P > 0.05). This study indicates that the high plasma beta-endorphin level might play a major role in the occurrence of totally silent myocardial ischemia."}
{"id": "PMID:1473490", "title": "[Clinical outcome of silent myocardial ischemia detected by bicycle ergometry study].", "content": "Seventeen patients with positive maximal or submaximal bicycle-exercise test accompanied by painlessness and 14 patients with susceptible coronary heart disease with negative exercise test were studied and traced for 36 months. The patients underwent repeated bicycle-exercise test of the same stress and compared with those before 36 months. The results showed that 7/17 patients (41.2%) had an increase in the depressed level of ischemic type ST segment induced by exercise test. 3 of them developed effort angina pectoris: 1 suffered from myocardial infarction, 1 had recurrent atrial flutter and left heart failure, and 1 suddenly died from cardiac disease. The cardiac event rate was 3/17 (17.6%) in this group. While 14 patients with negative exercise test had no cardiac events. It seems to mean that silent myocardial ischemia detected by exercise test might have potential danger of cardiac events."}
{"id": "PMID:1473491", "title": "[Electrophysiological effects of different dosage of adenosine triphosphate on normal sinoatrial and atrioventricular node].", "content": "In order to study the electrophysiological basis of smaller dosage that would terminate PSVT effectively and decrease side effects remarkably, we have observed the electrophysiological effects of ATP in different dosage (5mg, 10mg, 15mg) on the sino-atrial node (SAN) and atrioventricular node (AVN). Cardiac electrophysiological investigations were carried out in 62 patients with history of PSVT by using the method of trans-esophagus ECG and body surface ECG continuously and simultaneously, during the normal sinus rhythm and PSVT. The results showed that when the effect of 10mg ATP on SAN was not clinically significant yet, it did strikingly block the AVN conduction enough to terminate the PSVT with no severe arrhythmias. 37 cases of 62 patients were provoked PSVT during control electrophysiological study, the PSVTs of 33 cases out of these 37 patients (89.7%) were terminated by using 10mg ATP. There was no serious bradyarrhythmias after PSVT termination. We suggest that 10mg ATP is a reliable dose for PSVT termination."}
{"id": "PMID:1473506", "title": "Lung abscess in children in Harare, Zimbabwe.", "content": "Despite the rarity of lung abscess in children, 24 patients were treated at Harare Central Hospital during the 10 year period (1979 to 1988). The bacteriology and clinical findings of the 24 patients are presented. Bacteria were isolated from 18 patients. The most frequent isolates were Staphylococcus aureus, group A beta haemolytic streptococci, and Pseudomonas aeroginosa. Most of the abscesses followed measles, empyema or an episode of aspiration. The patients were managed with bronchoscopy, physiotherapy, and appropriate antibiotics, and had a mortality of 25%. Efforts at controlling measles as well as early and appropriate management of empyema are likely to reduce the number of lung abscesses in children."}
{"id": "PMID:1473507", "title": "Epilepsy and retarded growth in a hyperendemic focus of onchocerciasis in rural western Uganda.", "content": "An unusually high number of patients with epilepsy was observed in Kyarusozi sub-county, where infection with Onchocerca volvulus is hyperendemic. A preliminary survey was carried out in April 1991, when all patients with epilepsy and growth retardation were invited for medical examination. Two hundred and thirty one patients were screened, of whom, 91% were below the age of 19 years. The infection rate with Onchocerca volvulus in patients with epilepsy (61%) and retarded growth (70%) was significantly higher than in the general population of Kyarusozi sub-county. The prevalence of epilepsy in the study area was estimated to be at least 2%. Psychological impairment was more often observed among patients with a combination of onchocerciasis, epilepsy and/or growth retardation than the patients with onchocerciasis, epilepsy or growth retardation alone."}
{"id": "PMID:1473508", "title": "Emotional illness in a paediatric population in Nigeria.", "content": "In a survey of 500 children aged between 5-15 years in a small rural community in Nigeria, 15.0% were found to suffer from mental morbidity. Disturbances of emotion and conduct disorder constituted 66.7% of total morbidity detected. Children from disrupted families (due to divorce, separation and widowhood) were found to be significantly more likely to suffer from psychiatric morbidity. The need to train primary health care worker and for them to work closely with families and school teachers in the provision of community mental health care services for children in the rural communities of developing countries was emphasized."}
{"id": "PMID:1473509", "title": "Risk indicators of nutritional status of households of a Kenyan semi-arid population.", "content": "Assessments of nutritional status of semi-arid population in Kiambu District comprising 1042 persons from 260 households showed that 64.2% of the households had at least one malnourished person. The main aim of the study was to establish whether patterns of households malnutrition were distinguishable by specific risk indicators. Fourteen patterns of household malnutrition were established by classifying malnourished people according to age vis-a-vis nutritional status of other members of that household and six risk indicators were found to be related to malnutrition at the household level. Although partial relation was found between patterns and some indicators, no risk was found to be exclusively related to a specific pattern but failure to establish such a relationship was attributed to sample size."}
{"id": "PMID:1473510", "title": "Diagnostic challenges: lymphotropic sero-\"questionables\".", "content": "During a sero-survey for lymphotropic retroviruses, seven screening tests were performed for the three lymphotropic retroviruses of relevance in Djibouti, East Africa (HIV-1, HIV-2 and HTLV-1). Of the 82 subjects whose sera reacted in at least one retroviral screening assay, about one third could be followed, and their sera were re-examined after a 5-month interval, and then after an additional 3-month interval. Six selected individuals are reported here, whose retroviral serologies presented important and often unexplained changes over an eight-month period. The six cases summarize prototypic situations and present serological results in a style appropriate to stimulate thought on the significance and interpretation of lymphotropic viral serologies. Each case study is followed by a set of questions that formulate pertinent serological concepts."}
{"id": "PMID:1473512", "title": "Aseptic necrosis of the head of the femur among sickle cell anaemia patients in Uganda.", "content": "A number of HbSS patients presenting with aseptic necrosis of the femoral head have been seen at Mulago Hospital in Kampala, Uganda. A record review of the hospital's Sickle Cell Anaemia Clinic for the period 1985-1989 revealed that aseptic necrosis of the femoral head has been diagnosed in 2.9% (47/1611) of patients attending regularly. The largest number of diagnosed patients were in the 15-24 year old age group; peak incidence occurred in 20-24 year old women. Diagnosis in this series of patients was generally delayed and management was accordingly difficult. It is suggested that clinicians ask directly about pain in the hip of sickle cell patients rather than waiting spontaneous reporting. Such an approach may improve early detection of this potentially crippling problem."}
{"id": "PMID:1473511", "title": "Some factors contributing to protein-energy malnutrition in the middle belt of Nigeria.", "content": "A number of risk factors leading to malnutrition were investigated among 400 mothers of malnourished children in the middle belt of Nigeria. Poverty, family instability, poor environmental sanitation, faulty weaning practices, illiteracy, ignorance, large family size and preventable infections are the main factors responsible for malnutrition. The strategies for intervention are in the area of health education emphasizing the importance of breastfeeding, family stability, responsible parenthood and small family sizes through culturally acceptable family planning methods. There is need to improve weaning methods through nutrition education, growth monitoring and food demonstration with community participation. Political will is needed to improve literacy status, farming methods and general living conditions."}
{"id": "PMID:1473513", "title": "Drug quality control work in Daru: observations during 1983-1986.", "content": "During a 4 year period (January 1983 to December 1986), 418 requests for drug analysis were received in the Drug Analysis and Research Unit, Department of Pharmacy, University of Nairobi. Of these requests, 212 were from Medical Supplies Coordination Unit, 190 from Government hospitals and health research institutions, 11 from the Ministry of Health Headquarters (Director of Medical Services and Chief Pharmacist) and 5 came from local pharmaceutical manufacturers. Of the samples analysed, 70.8% were from local manufacturers, 26.1% were imported and 3.1% were from undeclared sources. Failure to comply with test for quality, as set out in official compendia (B.P. Eur. ph. Ip, etc.) were observed at 45.8% for locally manufactured drugs and 31.4% for imported drug products."}
{"id": "PMID:1473514", "title": "Assessment of infants of diabetic mothers by a simple body mass index.", "content": "Twenty-five infants of diabetic mothers were studied in three hospitals over a six month period to assess the value of mid-arm circumference/head circumference (MAC/HC) ratio in the evaluation of outcome of diabetic pregnancies. The quality of intrauterine growth of each infant was determined from the MAC/HC standard. The infants were grouped, and analysed, on the basis of control of maternal diabetes. For the identification of infants of poorly controlled diabetic mothers, the MAC/HC standard had sensitivity of 81.8% and specificity of 92.9%. The standard was useful in identifying infants of diabetic mothers most likely at increased risks for neonatal morbidity. The standard is simple to use and is suggested for routine evaluation of products of diabetic pregnancies especially in developing countries."}
{"id": "PMID:1473515", "title": "Estimation of plasma fibrinogen and its degradation products in uncomplicated cases of malaria with low parasitemia.", "content": "There are four hypotheses which have been advanced to explain the pathophysiology of severe and complicated malaria such as cerebral malaria. However, none of them adequately explains all the features of cerebral malaria in man. One such hypotheses is Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation (DIC). To determine whether this condition occurs in patients with uncomplicated malaria, the authors conducted a study on fibrinogen and its degradation products, euglobulin lysis time and parasite counts in 30 cases of uncomplicated malaria. By spectrophotometric method, plasma fibrinogen in patients with uncomplicated malaria was found to be normal as compared to normal healthy adults. There were no fibrinogen degradation production (FDP) detected in either patients or healthy controls, using latex agglutination tests at a dilution of 1:5. This method for FDP estimation is significant in that a serum agglutination with 1:5 dilution indicates a concentration of FDP in the original serum in excess of 10g/ml, designated as positive results of experiment. High values of euglobulin lysis time (ELT) were noted in patients with low parasitaemia. Analysis of these results showed that disseminated intravascular coagulation did not occur in uncomplicated cases of malaria. In this study on cases of uncomplicated malaria and low parasitaemia the biochemical parameters relating to to DIC have been essentially normal, although DIC is thought to be a primary stage in the development of cerebral malaria. According to Reid, DIC is an important intermediate mechanism in the pathophysiology of severe and complicated malaria such as cerebral malaria."}
{"id": "PMID:1473516", "title": "Pathogens and antibiotic susceptibility profiles in the urinary tract.", "content": "Of 2,780 specimens of midstream urine (MSU) collected from patients of Medical out-patient Unit of Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), and examined between March 1989 and February 1990, 780 (28.1%) had bacterial colony counts greater than 100,000 per ml. The commonest pathogens were E. coli, Klebsiella aerogenes, Proteus mirabilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa. 9.8% of the infections were caused by Gram-positive bacteria while 6.0% were due to the fungus, Candida albicans and Candida species."}
{"id": "PMID:1473517", "title": "Sodium supplementation in very low birth weight infants fed on their own mothers milk I: Effects on sodium homeostasis.", "content": "Sodium supplementation was done on 41 very low birth weight (VLBW) preterm infants with 25 other infants of similar weight status as controls. All the infants were fed on their own mothers milk whose sodium and potassium content was determined. Serum and urinary sodium, potassium and creatinine levels were determined in both groups during the study period of six weeks. Determination of weight gain, length gain and head circumference gain showed that these anthropometric parameters are significantly increased by sodium supplementation while sodium and potassium concentrations were not significantly affected. There were no cases of either hypernatraemia or hyponatraemia though renal excretion of sodium was very high in the supplemented group. Conclusions drawn from the study are that very little weight gain could have been due to fluid retention and that though sodium supplementation does not affect sodium profiles in these infants it has significant effect on their growth rate which may be due to its indirect/direct association with bone and protein metabolism."}
{"id": "PMID:1473518", "title": "Beh\u00e7et's syndrome presenting with chronic periodontitis: a case report.", "content": "Beh\u00e7et's syndrome is a disease of uncertain aetiology characterised by recurrent oral and genital ulcerations, ocular lesions and skin lesions. Although cases of this syndrome have been reported almost worldwide, the literature did not reveal any reports from this region. Management of this disorder is mainly palliative. However several treatment regimens have been tried. Following are some of the treatments considered effective. Azathioprine, corticosteroids, chlorambucil, transfusions of fresh blood or plasma and fibrinolytic therapy with phenformin and ethyloestrenol. The importance of multi-disciplinary management of such patients is emphasized."}
{"id": "PMID:1473519", "title": "B-endorphin response to a low dosage of human corticotropin releasing hormone during metyrapone administration in depression.", "content": "This study defines the pituitary B-endorphin (BE) secretory response to a low dosage (0.3 ug/kg) of human corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH) in depressed patients and normal controls pretreated with metyrapone. We find no difference in the B-endorphin response to CRH in depressed subjects without evidence of HPA overactivity, compared with controls. This finding is contrasted with other data demonstrating a blunted B-endorphin response to CRH in depressives. The influence of metyrapone pretreatment on the pituitary B-endorphin response to CRH through a mechanism that minimizes the impact of cortisol negative feedback is discussed. Future studies which include low dose CRH infusion both in the presence and in the absence of metyrapone pretreatment will help investigate alterations in the regulation of pituitary B-endorphin secretion in depression including the possibility of increased pituitary sensitivity to the negative fast feedback of cortisol."}
{"id": "PMID:1473520", "title": "Effects of physical exercise on sex hormone binding globulin, high density lipoprotein cholesterol, total cholesterol and triglycerides in postmenopausal women.", "content": "This study was performed on 18 postmenopausal female volunteers in order to examine changes in sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLC), total cholesterol (TC) and serum triglyceride (TG) levels in a period of four months of moderate physical exercise. While SHBG decreased significantly (from 55.3 +/- 20.9 to 48.3 +/- 21.0 nM, P < 0.05), TG increased significantly (from 87 +/- 41.7 to 120.5 +/- 57.5 mg/dl, P < 0.001). These changes were accompanied by a significant decrease (P < 0.001) in body fat content. Other parameters such as HDL-cholesterol, TC and BMI did not change significantly. Plasma levels of SHBG were negatively correlated to serum TG both at the beginning (r = 0.492, P < 0.05) and at the end (r = 0.538, P < 0.05) of the period of moderate exercise. Also, changes in SHBG were negatively correlated with changes in BMI (r = 0.585, P < 0.05) and this could indicate that SHBG levels are more related to nutritional status than androgen/estrogen imbalance."}
{"id": "PMID:1473521", "title": "Quantitative analyses of urinary pyridinoline and deoxypyridinoline excretion in patients with hyperthyroidism.", "content": "It is well established that bone turnover increases and bone resorption exceeds bone formation in patients with hyperthyroidism. Recently, urinary pyridinoline and deoxypyridinoline have been employed as indicators of bone resorption. In this study, urinary pyridinoline and deoxypyridinoline levels in fourteen female patients with untreated hyperthyroidism were measured and compared with levels in 134 healthy females. Values of urinary pyridinoline and deoxypyridinoline were significantly higher than in age-matched controls. Moreover, values of serum free triiodothyronine correlated with urinary pyridinoline (r = 0.769, p < 0.01), and urinary deoxypyridinoline (r = 0.799, p < 0.001) in patients with hyperthyroidism."}
{"id": "PMID:1473522", "title": "Alterations of thyroid parafollicular cell organization in aged rats neonatally treated with estradiol.", "content": "Cellular and subcellular organization of parafollicular cells of aged male Wistar rats (180- and 365-day-old), neonatally (3rd day) treated with a single dose (1 mg) of oestradiol-dipropionate (OeDP), were studied. Based on argyrophil properties of parafollicular cells in control and treated group, two morphometrically distinct cell types were observed (under and over 50 microns 2 of cell area), reflecting distinct functional status of the same cell type. The first signs of hyperplastic changes in parafollicular cells were observed in 180-day-old rats and they were more severe in 365-day-old animals. Morphometric averages for the area of parafollicular cells and nuclei, as well as for the cell number in estradiol-treated animals were higher than in the controls, but these differences were statistically insignificant. However, subcellular organization of parafollicular cells showed that besides the cells with clearly visible characteristics such as control hyperplastic cells, there were parafollicular cells with progressively more abnormalities expressed as myelin-like figures, cytoplasmic cribriform structures and dilated endoplasmic reticulum (ER), demonstrating long-lasting effects of neonatally applied estradiol."}
{"id": "PMID:1473523", "title": "Effect of reserpine on the inhibition of prolactin released from different pituitary constructs in vitro by dopamine, bromocriptine and apomorphine.", "content": "Hourly release of Prolactin by pituitary constructs 1 whole pituitary (PI), adenohypophysis (P-N) and pituitary-hypothalamus co-incubate (PHC) were compared. Adenohypophysis secreted significantly more prolactin than PI and PHC, while PHC secreted significantly less than PI. Co-incubation of (P-N) with posterior pituitary reduced the elevated secretion of prolactin. Addition of dopamine (10(-7) M), bromocriptine (10(-7) M) and apomorphine (5 x 10(-8) M) to these constructs did not affect the release of prolactin from PI but inhibited the same from (P-N) and PHC. Treatment with reserpine increased serum prolactin levels but intrapituitary prolactin contents were decreased. Hourly release of prolactin from pituitary constructs derived from reserpine-treated rats was significantly reduced as compared to ascorbic acid--treated controls. Inclusion of dopamine (10(-7) M), bromocriptine (10(-7) M) and apomorphine (5 x 10(-8) M) in these constructs inhibited prolactin secretion further. In vitro addition of perphenazine stimulated the release of prolactin by PHC but was without any effect on PI and (P-N). The data are interpreted to suggest that dopamine in posterior pituitary may be an important determinant of hypothalamic modulation of prolactin secretion."}
{"id": "PMID:1473524", "title": "Induction of acute hyperglycemia, hyperlactemia and hypocalcemia in fed and fasted BALB/c mice by intravenous amylin injection.", "content": "Amylin has been reported to influence carbohydrate metabolism in rats, dogs and cats. We report here that intravenous injection of 50 micrograms amylin (640 nmol/kg) induced hyperglycemia, hyperlactemia, and hypocalcemia in both fed and 5-hour fasted mice. Peak glucose and lactate increments occurred within 15 minutes of treatment, followed by a slower decline of plasma calcium levels. To determine dose-response characteristics of these effects, fasted animals were given amylin doses ranging from 0.005 micrograms to 500 micrograms (64 pmol/kg to 6.4 mumol/kg). Median effective doses (ED50) for the hyperglycemic, hyperlactemic, and hypocalcemic effects were 155, 16.9 and 190 nmol/kg, respectively, with maximum increases of 6.27 mM for glucose, 1.85 mM for lactate and maximum decrease of 0.37 mM for calcium. The estimated half-life (t1/2) of exogenous amylin in the circulation was 5.0 minutes in fasted mice. These results indicate that amylin is bioactive in mice. The kinetic data predict that biologically effective doses of exogenous amylin result in plasma concentrations comparable to pathophysiological concentrations of endogenous hormone previously reported."}
{"id": "PMID:1473525", "title": "Colposcopic pictures of Abnormal Transformation Zone (ANTZ): colpocytological and histological findings.", "content": "The Authors have examined the correlation between the colposcopic pictures of the Abnormal Transformation Zone (ANTZ), in its varying degrees, and the colpocytological and histological examinations in order to seek a better definition of the indications of carrying out aimed biopsies. From our results a good agreement has been observed from the colpocytological and histological examination and the colposcopic pictures of the ANTZ. In patients with colposcopic images of ANTZ G2 the colpocytological examination diagnosed a CIN 3 in 80.6% of cases, invasive carcinoma in 6.4%, and in histologic examination CIN 3 in 71% and microinvasive carcinoma in 10.7%. Instead in the ANTZ G1, CIN 3 was revealed colpocytologically in 7.9% of the cases and histologically in 7.3%. Among these last, in half of the cases, the focuses of CIN 3 were present at the level of third inferior of the cervical canal. Finally, in ANTZ G0 there was cytological evidence in 6.6% of cases of CIN 3 with a histological correspondence of 3.9%. In particular the focuses of CIN 3, small and limited, had resulted from biopsies carried out on some glandular openings not clearly attributable to ANTZ G1. With regard to the opportuneness of carrying out aimed biopsies, mandatory in the cases of ANTZ G2, we feel it would be useful to carry them out also for ANTZ G1, above all if alterations are diagnosed at the colpocytologic examinations, and in ANTZ G0 if colpocytological alterations are present. Therefore integrating colposcopic and colpocytologic examinations and aiming the biopsies would seem to lead to good diagnostic reliability and adequate successive personalized treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1473526", "title": "Phenotype of lymphocyte in ovarian tumor peritoneal fluid. A preliminary study.", "content": "Phenotype of lymphocytes was estimated in 16 peritoneal fluids obtained from 9 ovarian cancer patients. Peritoneal fluids contained predominantly T cells (more than 80%) while B cell content was relatively low. Approximately 50% lymphocytes carried T-helper cell marker (CD4). Percentage of T-cytotoxic/suppressor cells (CD8+ cells) differed between patients with progression and those showing no tumor progression (19.0 +/- 7.5 vs 32.7 +/- 18.5). CD4/CD8 ratio was higher in the group of patients with progression than in the group with no progression of the tumor (3.4 +/- 2.1 and 2.0 +/- 1.5). Chemotherapy did not affect the parameters. Estimation of CD8 and CD4/CD8 ratio in peritoneal fluid cells could be helpful in monitoring of disease progression."}
{"id": "PMID:1473527", "title": "Carcinoma of the vulva: critical analysis of survival and treatment of recurrences.", "content": "Survival analysis of 181 vulvar cancer patients shows that stage and lymph nodal spread remain the most important prognostic factors. Other prognostic elements are: depth of stromal infiltration, thickness and site of the lesion, vascular space invasion. Precise definition of these pathological prognostic elements may be obtained only after appropriate surgical pathological evaluation of the primary lesion and regional nodes. Treatment must be adequate in the cost-benefit balance and surgery is the cornerstone in vulvar cancer management. Risk of relapse is statistically correlated with site of primary tumour, depth of infiltration, lymph nodal invasion and vascular space invasion. The treatment of recurrence is personalized for different sites but surgery is the elective treatment of the local recurrences."}
{"id": "PMID:1473528", "title": "Prospects for preneoplasia immuno-detection and cancer immuno-prevention.", "content": "The three traditional modalities of cancer treatment: surgery, radio- and chemotherapy, even when applied in optimal fashion, leave over 50% of incurable patients, because of the metastatic disease. Hence the importance of preventive methods in cancer, by directing attention to the detection and treatment of preneoplasia. Focal preneoplastic lesions have been observed prior to the appearance of malignant epithelial tissues. The phenotypic patterns of preneoplasia seem to be as varied as those of neoplasia. In the frame of persistent multicellular hyperplasia, the appearance of enzyme-altered foci is supposed to be related to the origin of neoplasia, and in this sense these lesions can be considered pre-neoplasia. If there is any immune reaction to the non-self promoted by these lesions, their detection and their enhancement or induction by a vaccine would be a cancer immuno-prevention. Preliminary experiments and clinical pilot studies have shown a specific host-resistance to a pharmaceutical placental suspension (PS), when injected intradermally (DTHS-reactivity test) in patients with clinical conditions having, as histopathological substratum, a cellular adaptive (reactive) or neoplastic proliferation. Boosting this reaction by an adjuvant (BCG, corynebacterium parvum, etc.) would be an immunotherapeutic approach to cancer, as adjunct to standard treatments and in preneoplastic-bearing patients an immuno-preventive method in cancer. In vitro studies have shown that a glycoprotein of MW 40 kDa (P40), from an extract of placental suspension (PS) is recognized by patients' serum, (Ouchterlony's technique). The monospecific rabbit antiserum (MRA) raised to P40 glycoprotein also reacts with the serum of patients with positive DTHS reactions to PS.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1473529", "title": "Invasive cervical carcinoma in patients aged 35 or younger.", "content": "There has been concern that invasive cervical carcinoma is more aggressive in young women. We studied retrospectively 36 patients who were less than 35 years old (mean age 30.8 years, range 22-35 years, SD 3.6), and 36 controls (mean age 59.4 years, range 40-72 years, SD 9.5), treated for invasive cervical carcinoma between 1976 and 1986. Histologically 31 (86%) were squamous cell carcinomas and 5 (14%) were adenocarcinomas both in the patients aged 35 years or younger and in the control group. Clinical findings and rates of pelvic lymph nodes metastases were comparable in both groups. Compared to controls, patients aged 35 or younger had longer intervals from diagnosis to recurrence (20.3 months vs. 9.0 months), longer intervals from recurrence to death (15.3 months vs. 7.0 months), and longer intervals from diagnosis to death (39.6 months vs 20.0 months). There was no difference between the groups in the 5-year survival (75% vs. 81%). In conclusion, we found no evidence that the overall clinical behaviour of invasive cervical cancer is more aggressive in young women."}
{"id": "PMID:1473530", "title": "Local immunosuppression determined by class II HLA antigen expression in patients with preclinical cervical carcinoma.", "content": "Class II HLA antigen expression was investigated in biopsy material from patients with preclinical cervical carcinoma. Class II molecules were determined immunohistochemically by MoAb against HLA-DR antigens. A significant reduction of class II positive cells was established in the tumor tissue compared to the normal cervical epithelium. A correlation between the tumor progression and the inhibition of the class II antigen expression was found."}
{"id": "PMID:1473531", "title": "Fertility after ovarian cancer treatment.", "content": "Considering the important improvement of surgical techniques and chemotherapy in the last few years, it is possible today, in selected cases of patients previously treated for ovarian cancer, to support their desire for motherhood, thus improving the quality of life for them. The major problem for the Gynecologic Oncologist in treating young women for ovarian tumour is the lack of statistically significant experience world-wide, because of the very few cases in which the reproductive function is preserved, and pregnancy is subsequently possible. In this report the problem is discussed, and the results obtained in our Institute are presented."}
{"id": "PMID:1473532", "title": "Rational use of cryosurgery and cold knife conization for treatment of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia.", "content": "In recent years a variety of conservative treatment modalities are being used to remove Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia (CIN). A series of 568 cases of patients affected by CIN, detected in our Department over a period of 10 years and treated following a balanced use of colposcopy guided cryosurgery and cold knife conization, has been reviewed. One-hundred-fifty-three patients, 111 with CIN 1 and 42 with CIN 2, were treated by the use of a nitrous oxide cryoprobe. The remaining 415 patients underwent cold knife conization, under general anesthesia and hospitalization. Routine follow-up for all cases included cytology, colposcopy and aimed biopsy when required. Cryotherapy had a success-rate of 90.1% (CIN 1-CIN 2 only) and \"complete\" conization 94.6% (included CIN 3 cases). Complications of conization, such as late haemorrhage and cervical stenosis, were more frequent with the \"open technique\" than the \"suture technique\". Nine pregnancies after cryotherapy and 34 after conization have been reported, no significant differences were noted in the pregnancy outcome following either treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1473533", "title": "Immuno-biologic integration for therapeutic approach in ovarian carcinoma.", "content": "The \"in vitro\" cell growth of 14 ovarian carcinomas was evaluated and related with the clinical-pathologic stage (FIGO) and grade of histologic differentiation of disease, with the patients' immunological pattern and with the relapse and survival rates. We identified 4 different patterns of \"in vitro\" cell growth (P1, P2, P3 and P4). Their correlation with the clinical-pathologic stages of disease as well as with the recurrence and survival rates was strong: 75% of recurrences in pattern P3 and 100% in pattern P4, while tumours with patterns P1 and P2 did not relapse. Similar results were obtained for survival, in fact 2 of the 3 patients who died from disease had cell growth pattern P4, and the other a P3. A significant correlation was found with basal natural killer cell activity of peripheral blood lymphocytes too: in patients with P1 neoplasia the basal NK cell activity was significantly higher (p < 0.05) while it was significantly lower (p < 0.05) in patients with P4 neoplasia in comparison with the others. We conclude that the \"in vitro\" biological behaviour of ovarian neoplasia can be regarded as prognostic factors even if patients' basal NK activity represents the most significant prognostic element, directly related to the recurrence rate (p = 0.002)."}
{"id": "PMID:1473534", "title": "Phase II trial with 5-fluorouracil and high-dose folinic acid, using new sequential dosing schedule, in pretreated advanced breast cancer patients.", "content": "In this study, 30 patients with metastatic breast cancer were treated with 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) and high-dose Folinic acid, using a new sequential dosing schedule. Our treatment consisted of one day i.v. infusion of 500 mg/m2 of Folinic acid over two hours. One hour after the beginning of Folinic acid infusion, 5-FU (500 mg/m2) was given by i.v. bolus injection. The complete and partial response rates achieved (CR+PR) were 21% in a population of patients pretreated with chemotherapy including 5-FU. Cutaneous and bone metastasis responded best to our treatment. There were no treatment related deaths or withdrawals from the study. The drug related toxicities observed in this study were usually mild to moderate and easily controllable. Thus preliminary results of our study suggest that response rate, quality of life and time to disease progression for the responders improved by this sequential treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1473535", "title": "Modulatory influences of estrogen and progesterone on cervical dysplasia in mice model system.", "content": "The effectiveness of estrogen and progesterone on the different types of cervical dysplasia are poorly documented compared to their effects on the total process of cervical carcinogenesis. In the present study, an attempt has been made to evaluate the influences of estrogen and progesterone on the different types of cervical dysplasia which are believed to be the antecedents of cervical carcinoma induced by chemical carcinogen (20-Methy cholanthrene) in the mice model system. It was observed that moderate dysplasia is less aberrant than that of marked dysplasia which could not be modified by either of the hormones."}
{"id": "PMID:1473536", "title": "Value of AgNOR counts in cervical pathology.", "content": "Nucleolar organizer regions (NORs) were counted on normal tissue, condylomata, CIN 1, 2 and 3, to verify the possibility of a differentiation between the various grades of CIN and between them and condylomata. Counts were performed on the full thickness of the tissue, layer by layer (stratified counts). A significant difference (p < 0.05) was found between the mean of normal tissue in relation to condylomata and CIN 2 and 3 and between CIN 1, and CIN 2 and 3. There was no significance (p > 0.05) between normal tissue and CIN 1, between CIN 2 and 3 and between condylomata and CIN 2 and 3. The range of variations in the counts was associated with overlapping between the various cases. Our data showed also a progressive rise in mean NOR values from normal tissue to CIN 3. The stratified counts showed in all the groups a rise from basal to parabasal cells. Counts on parabasal and intermediate layers distinguished two groups of cases. In one there was either the same number of dots or a further rise while in the other a definite decrease was seen. The former pattern may be related to a potential for malignant evolution of the lesion. NORs should be counted in all cases of CIN and condylomata to treat more aggressively those lesions which present the patterns of a progressive rise of NORs from basal to intermediate cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1473538", "title": "Recent advances in the pathogenesis of atopic dermatitis.", "content": "Atopic dermatitis (AD) is an inflammatory skin disorder affecting 5%-10% of children. Although basic mechanisms remain largely speculative, recent studies on the pathogenesis have elucidated new insights, pointing to the importance of food and inhalant allergens. The pathogenesis of AD can be more easily explained by the model of late skin reaction occurring after mast cell activation. The present report highlights some of the more recent developments in the mechanisms of AD which can be important in understanding and treating this troublesome disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1473539", "title": "Streptococcal pharyngitis and epiglottitis in a newborn infant.", "content": "We describe a newborn infant with Streptococcus sanguis septicaemia and concomitant upper airway obstruction due to epiglottitis and pharyngitis. This rare infection of the supraglottic region was treated with endotracheal intubation and antibiotics. Full recovery occurred within 4 days."}
{"id": "PMID:1473540", "title": "A comparison of ceftazidime and aminoglycoside based regimens as empirical treatment in 1316 cases of suspected sepsis in the newborn. European Society for Paediatric Infectious Diseases--Neonatal Sepsis Study Group.", "content": "We report a prospective, non-blind, randomised, multicentre, parallel group, multinational investigation to compare ceftazidime to aminoglycoside based regimens as empirical treatment in 1316 cases of suspected sepsis in the newborn. In each of the 15 study centres either ceftazidime alone (CAZ) or ceftazidime + ampicillin (CAZ + AMP) was compared to an amino-glycoside/ampicillin combination (AG + AMP). In all cases treatment was based on \"an intention to treat\". Bacteria considered to be pathogenic were isolated from 176/1316 (13.4%) patients. The incidence of proven infection varied from 39% in a Yugoslav centre to 6% in a British centre; a further 489/1316 (37.1%) patients fulfilled the criteria for clinically suspected sepsis. A total of 210 bacterial isolates from 197 infection sites in 176 patients were considered to be clinically significant. The cure rate for evaluable patients with proven infection who were treated with CAZ + AMP (97%, 30/31) was significantly higher than that for the corresponding patients treated with AG + AMP (66%, 26/39), (P < 0.002). The difference in cure rate between CAZ monotherapy (79%, 34/43) and AG + AMP (86%, 32/37) was not significant. Treatment failed in 28/150 (18.7%) evaluable patients. There were significantly fewer failures (P < 0.001) with CAZ + AMP than with AG + AMP therapy. There were 55 staphylococcal infections. Treatment was successful in 16/19 evaluable patients treated with CAZ or CAZ + AMP and in 16/29 evaluable patients treated with AG + AMP. None of the study centres encountered problems with ceftazidime resistant bacteria. The cure rate for patients with only clinical and radiological evidence of sepsis was greater than 94% in all treatment groups.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1473542", "title": "Deletion of the short arm of the X chromosome: a hereditary form of Turner syndrome.", "content": "In the mothers of two girls with Turner syndrome due to a deletion of the short arm of an X chromosome, the same chromosomal anomaly was detected. Both mothers and daughters had short stature but normal pubertal development. Short parents and normal pubertal development do not exclude Turner syndrome in a girl with small stature."}
{"id": "PMID:1473541", "title": "Family studies of the steroid 21-hydroxylase and complement C4 genes define 11 haplotypes in classical congenital adrenal hyperplasia in The Netherlands.", "content": "Two steroid 21-hydroxylase genes are normally present within the human major histocompatibility complex near the genes encoding the fourth component of complement (C4A and C4B). Steroid 21-hydroxylase is encoded by the CYP21 gene, while the highly homologous CYP21P gene is a pseudogene. We studied steroid 21-hydroxylase and complement C4 haplotypes in 33 Dutch patients (29 families) suffering form classical congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) and in their 80 family members, and also in 55 unrelated healthy controls, using 21-hydroxylase and complement C4 cDNA probes. Eleven different haplotypes, defined in terms of gene deletions, gene duplications, conversions of CYP21 to CYP21P, and \"long\" and \"short\" C4 genes, were found. In 23% of the patients' haplotypes, the CYP21 gene was deleted; in 12%, it was converted into a CYP21P pseudogene. In the remaining 65%, the defect was apparently caused by a mutation not detectable by this method. The most common haplotype (with one CYP21 and one CYP21P gene) was significantly more often observed in patients with simple virilizing CAH than in those with salt-losing CAH. Comparison of the 21-hydroxylase haplotypes found in CAH patients from several countries shows evidence for considerable genetic variation between the groups studied."}
{"id": "PMID:1473543", "title": "Hartnup syndrome, progressive encephalopathy and allo-albuminaemia. A clinico-pathological case study.", "content": "Clinical, biochemical, neuropathological and neurochemical findings in a case of Hartnup syndrome are reported. After initially normal development, the affected girl suffered progressive neuropsychiatric decline with statomotor and mental retardation and intractable seizures and died at the age of 2 years. Postmortem neuropathological and neurochemical investigations showed a combination of extensive neuronal degeneration and cerebral dysmyelination. Pathogenetic hypotheses and the relationship between neuropsychiatric disease and Hartnup syndrome are discussed. Additionally, a fast type bisalbuminaemia present in the girl and her mother is described."}
{"id": "PMID:1473544", "title": "Decreased incidence of extra-alveolar air leakage or death prior to air leakage in high versus low rate positive pressure ventilation: results of a randomised seven-centre trial in preterm infants.", "content": "Two different ventilation techniques were compared in a seven-centre, randomised trial with 181 preterm infants up to and including 32 completed weeks gestational age, who needed mechanical ventilation because of lung disease of any type. Technique A used a constant rate (60 cycles/min), inspiratory time (IT) (0.33s) and inspiratory: expiratory ratio (I:E) (1:2). The tidal and minute volume was only changed by varying peak inspiratory pressure until weaning via continuous positive airway pressure. Technique B used a lower rate (30 cycles/min) with longer IT (1.0 s). The I:E ratio could be changed from 1:1 to 2:1 in case of hypoxaemia. Chest X-rays taken at fixed intervals were evaluated by a paediatric radiologist and a neonatologist unaware of the type of ventilation used in the patients. A reduction of at least 20% in extra-alveolar air leakage (EAL) or death prior to EAL was supposed in infants ventilated by method A. A sequential design was used to test this hypothesis. The null hypothesis was rejected (P = 0.05) when the 22nd untied pair was completed. The largest reduction in EAL (-55%) was observed in the subgroup 31-32 weeks of gestation and none in the most immature group (< 28 weeks). We conclude that in preterm infants requiring mechanical ventilation for any reason of lung insufficiency, ventilation at 60 cycles/min and short IT (0.33 s) significantly reduces EAL or prior death compared with 30 cycles/min and a longer IT of 1 s. We speculate that a further increase in rate and reduction of IT would also lower the risk of barotrauma in the most immature and susceptible infants."}
{"id": "PMID:1473545", "title": "The possible risk of bilirubin encephalopathy as predicted by plasma parameters in neonates with previous severe asphyxia.", "content": "The study group consisted of nine mature newborn infants with a previous history of severe asphyxia and a control group of 18 mature, healthy newborns with the same postnatal age and sex. The object of the investigation was to compare the possible risk of development of bilirubin encephalopathy between the two groups as estimated by plasma parameters. The asphyxia group had a significantly lower reserve albumin concentrations for binding of monoacetyldiaminodiphenyl sulphone (P = 0.008), a measure of binding of unconjugated bilirubin, and significantly lower total albumin concentrations (P = 0.02). No significant difference was observed in unconjugated bilirubin concentration. It is suggested that mature newborns with previous severe asphyxia are at a slightly increased risk of developing bilirubin encephalopathy over and above the well-known risk associated with increased permeability of the blood brain barrier."}
{"id": "PMID:1473546", "title": "Plasma endothelin-1 like immunoreactivity levels in neonates.", "content": "We attempted to determine the plasma endothelin-1-like immunoreactivity (ET-1) levels and to evaluate its physiological significance in 29 neonates: 5 with respiratory distress syndrome (RDS), 3 with transient tachypnoea of the newborn (TTN), 4 with neonatal asphyxia, 5 with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) following RDS, 7 healthy preterm infants and 5 healthy full-term infants. Plasma ET-1 levels in infants with RDS were significantly higher than those in healthy full-term infants through the 1st week of life. Plasma ET-1 levels in infants with neonatal asphyxia were high on the first 2 days of life and then gradually decreased to those of healthy full-term infants. Plasma levels in infants with TTN were the same as those in healthy full-term infants. Plasma ET-1 levels in infants with BPD were high when compared with those in healthy preterm infants during the first 2 months of life. This study showed that plasma levels were markedly elevated for a long time in the infants with respiratory distress. We speculate that plasma ET-1 may be a specific marker for pulmonary endothelium injury in infants with respiratory distress."}
{"id": "PMID:1473552", "title": "Characterization by photoaffinity labelling of the human platelet thromboxane A2/prostaglandin H2 receptor: evidence for N-linked glycosylation.", "content": "Thromboxane A2 (TXA2) and prostaglandin H2 (PGH2) are potent proaggregatory and vasoconstrictor lipids acting through a receptor referred to as the TXA2/PGH2 receptor. The receptor was purified using a modification of a previously described method from human platelet membranes solubilized using the detergent (3-[(3-cholamidopropyl)-dimethylammonio]-1-propane-sulfonate (CHAPS) and a combination of affinity chromatography and wheat germ lectin chromatography. This procedure resulted in a 1075 +/- 375-fold purification and a specific activity of 1.45 +/- 0.55 nmol/mg protein (n = 5). Repeating these chromatography steps on this partially purified receptor resulted in a preparation with a specific activity of 21 +/- 3 nmol/mg protein (n = 5). This represents the theoretical specific activity if one assumes a molecular weight of 50,000 for the receptor. The fold purification was 11,750 +/- 1250 based on crude membranes and an overall yield of 24%. To further the characterization of this receptor, we synthesized a new radioiodinated photoaffinity probe, 7-[(1R,2S,3S,5R)-6,6-dimethyl-3-(4-azido-3-iodobenzenesulfonylamino++ + )- bicyclo[3.1.1]hept-2-yl]-5(Z)-heptenoic acid (I-SAP-N3). [125I]l-SAP-N3 irreversibly incorporated into the purified receptor yielding a single band by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) autoradiography and indicated a molecular weight for the receptor of 50-51 kDa. The incorporation of the ligand could be inhibited by a variety of TXA2/PGH2 analogues. In addition, photoaffinity labelling was inhibited in a stereoselective manner as demonstrated by the pair of enantiomers (d)- and (l)-S145. Digestion of photoaffinity labelled receptor with N-glycosidase F demonstrated the presence of at least two N-linked glycosylation sites.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1473553", "title": "Effect of S-adenosyl-L-methionine on brain muscarinic receptors of aged rats.", "content": "The number of muscarinic receptors in the striatum and hippocampus of aged rats is significantly lower than the number measured in young animals. The treatment of aged rats for 30 days with S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAM) restored the number of muscarinic receptors to levels found in the striatum and hippocampus from young animals. We did not observe a clear-cut difference between the dissociation constants of untreated young and untreated or SAM-treated aged rats, whereas the binding capacity varied. Moreover, in vitro addition of SAM to hippocampal membranes from aged rats resulted in a significant increase in the number of binding sites. This in vitro effect was antagonized by S-adenosyl-L-homocysteine, a specific in vitro inhibitor of methyltransferase activity. The reduction in the muscarinic receptor density could be related to a decrease in neuronal membrane fluidity induced by aging, while its increase after SAM treatment might be ascribed to the ability of this methyl donor to increase the fluidity of cell membranes by stimulating phospholipid synthesis."}
{"id": "PMID:1473554", "title": "Prolonged in vitro exposure of rat brain slices to adenosine analogues: selective desensitization of adenosine A1 but not A2 receptors.", "content": "Agonist-induced desensitization of adenosine A1 and A2 receptors was studied in rat striatum slices maintained in carbo-oxygenated Krebs buffer. Slices were exposed to adenosine analogues (either cyclo-pentyl-adenosine or N-ethyl-carboxamido-adenosine) for selected time periods (15-60 min) and repeatedly washed at the end of agonist exposure. Agonist-induced changes of adenosine receptors were then evaluated in P2 fractions prepared from slices by measuring A1 and A2 receptor-regulated adenylate cyclase. A1 receptors were rapidly desensitized by agonist exposure, as shown by a gradual loss of A1 receptor-mediated inhibition of basal cyclase activity and cAMP formation, which was evident within 15-30 min after addition of the adenosine analogue. Agonist-induced desensitization of A1 receptors was dose- and time-dependent, and seemed quicker in onset with cyclo-pentyl-adenosine, according to the higher A1 selectivity of this receptor agonist, with respect to N-ethyl-carboxamido-adenosine. Binding of the A1-selective agonist [3H]cyclo-hexyl-adenosine was unaffected by the desensitization procedure at any of the exposure periods utilized, suggesting that an uncoupling of A1 receptors from their transduction system is indeed responsible for the loss of functional activity. Loss of A1 receptor function was accompanied by a time-dependent amplification of A2 receptor-mediated stimulation of adenylate cyclase activity, likely due to an 'unmasking' of A2 stimulatory receptor function as a consequence of the desensitization of A1 inhibitory receptors. All these effects could be completely counteracted by the concomitant exposure to an adenosine receptor antagonist, and specifically involved the coupling mechanisms of adenosine receptors with their effector system.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1473555", "title": "Histamine activates phosphorylase and inositol phosphate production in guinea pig hepatocytes.", "content": "In guinea pig hepatocytes, histamine increased phosphorylase activity and inositol phosphate production. Similar effects were obtained with 2-(2-aminoethyl)-thiazole, a histamine H1 receptor agonist, but not with dimaprit or impromidine, H2 receptor agonists. These effects of histamine were dose-dependently inhibited by the H1 antihistamines, (+)-chlorpheniramine and mepyramine (pyrilamine) but not by cimetidine or ranitidine, H2 antagonists. (+)-Chlorpheniramine and mepyramine had similar potencies (apparent Ki values approximately 3 nM) when incubated with the cells for 1 min (phosphorylase a assays) but the former was 15-20-fold more potent than the latter at longer incubation times (apparent Ki values approximately 3-4 nM and 45-90 nM, respectively) indicating that mepyramine is actively metabolized by guinea pig hepatocytes. Histamine increased cytosol calcium approximately 2-fold, an effect also mediated through H1 receptors. The actions of histamine were not affected by in vivo ADP-ribosylation by pertussis toxin. Our data clearly indicate that histamine modulates the metabolism of guinea pig hepatocytes via activation of H1 receptors. These receptors are coupled to the phosphoinositide turnover-calcium mobilization signalling pathway through a pertussis toxin-insensitive process."}
{"id": "PMID:1473556", "title": "Protein kinase C activity in blood vessels from normotensive and spontaneously hypertensive rats.", "content": "This study investigates the effects of phorbol dibutyrate (PDB) on protein kinase C (PKC) activation, as assessed by the translocation of PKC activity from the cytosolic to the particulate fraction, in aortas and mesenteric arteries from spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKY). The basal distribution of PKC activity between the cytosolic and particulate fractions of SHR and WKY aortas, and mesenteric arteries, was not significantly different. PDB induced a concentration-dependent decrease in cytosolic PKC activity in SHR and WKY aortas. PDB (0.01 microM) decreased cytosolic PKC activity to a greater magnitude in SHR aorta as compared to WKY aorta, while 1.0 microM PDB decreased cytosolic PKC activities to similar magnitudes in SHR and WKY aortas, and mesenteric arteries. These results suggest that the increased sensitivity of SHR vessels to contraction by phorbol esters may be due, at least in part, to the greater sensitivity of PKC in these vessels to phorbol ester activation."}
{"id": "PMID:1473557", "title": "Nucleotide sequence of estrogen receptor cDNA from Sprague-Dawley rat.", "content": "The cDNA of the Sprague-Dawley rat estrogen receptor was sequenced. With respect to the published Wistar rat estrogen receptor sequence, a single amino acid difference (tryptophan instead of asparagine) was found in the hormone binding site. Since tryptophan was found at the same position in chicken, human and mouse estrogen receptors, it is proposed that the Wistar rat could represent an interesting natural mutant for estrogen receptor studies."}
{"id": "PMID:1473558", "title": "Evidence for the presence of 5-HT1B receptor messenger RNA in neurons of the rat trigeminal ganglia.", "content": "In situ hybridization histochemistry and receptor autoradiography were used to determine the presence of 5-HT1B receptor messenger RNA (mRNA) and 5-HT1B receptor proteins, respectively, in rat trigeminal ganglia. Receptor autoradiography on rat trigeminal ganglia, using appropriate 5-HT1B radioligands, did not demonstrate any specific labelling. In contrast, in situ hybridization showed that many ganglion cells contain 5-HT1B receptor mRNA, suggesting the presence of presynaptic 5-HT1B receptors on trigeminovascular neurons."}
{"id": "PMID:1473559", "title": "5-HT4 receptors, present in piglet atria and sensitive to SDZ 205-557, are absent in papillary muscle.", "content": "Putative 5-HT4 receptors were investigated in isolated piglet left atria and papillary muscles. In atrial tissues, 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) was a potent positive inotropic agent with a pD2 of 6.7. Its effects were antagonised in a selective and competitive manner by the 5-HT4 receptor antagonist, SDZ 205-557, with a pA2 of 7.3. In contrast to atrial tissues, piglet papillary muscles were virtually unresponsive to 5-HT 10(-8)-10(-3) M, suggesting that functional cardiac 5-HT4 receptors are not present in ventricular tissue."}
{"id": "PMID:1473560", "title": "Ischemia-induced impairment of 2-deoxyglucose uptake and CA1 field potentials in rat hippocampal slices: protection by 5-HT1A receptor agonists and 5-HT2 receptor antagonists.", "content": "Various in vitro models have been developed to study ischemia and/or hypoxia. In the present experiment, we examined whether hypoxia/hypoglycemia (ischemia) in rat hippocampal slices reduced the 2-deoxyglucose (2-DG) uptake and CA1 field potentials evoked by stimulation of Schaffer collaterals. Autoradiograms revealed that ischemia for 15 or 20 min reduced 2-DG uptake in the stratum radiatum of the CA1 and the dentate gyrus. Similarly, the CA1 field potentials of slices exposed to ischemia for 15 and 20 min decreased by about 70 and 90% after a 6-h washout. In the second experiment, we evaluated the neuroprotective effect of the 5-HT1A receptor agonists 8-OH-DPAT and buspirone, and the 5-HT2 receptor antagonists cyproheptadine, mianserin and ketanserin on deficits of 2-DG uptake and Schaffer-CA1 field potentials induced by ischemia. The 5-HT1A receptor agonists and 5-HT2 receptor antagonists exhibited significant neuroprotective actions against ischemia-induced deficits. Therefore, impairments of 2-DG uptake and CA1 field potentials induced by ischemia may be good markers of ischemia-induced functional deficits. The attenuating action of 5-HT1A receptor agonists and 5-HT2 receptor antagonists were assessed using this model of ischemia."}
{"id": "PMID:1473561", "title": "p-methylthioamphetamine is a potent new non-neurotoxic serotonin-releasing agent.", "content": "p-Methylthioamphetamine (MTA), was compared to p-chloroamphetamine (PCA) in a number of pharmacological assays. MTA was about 2-fold more potent than PCA at inhibiting synaptosomal uptake of [3H]5-hydroxytryptamine ([3H]5-HT), and about 7-fold and 10-fold less potent than PCA at inhibiting synaptosomal uptake of [3H]dopamine and [3H]norepinephrine, respectively. In drug discrimination assays, MTA was nearly equipotent to PCA in animals trained to discriminate saline from 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), or two related analogues S-(+)-N-methyl-1-(1,3-benzodioxol-5-yl)-2-butanamine (S-MBDB) or 5-methoxy-6-methyl-2-aminoindan (MMAI). MTA caused dose-dependent increases of tritium efflux from superfused rat frontal cortex slices preloaded with [3H]5-HT, comparable to that induced by an equal molar concentration of PCA. The potential neurotoxicity of MTA was examined by measuring monoamine and metabolite levels at one week following an acute dose. A 10 mg/kg dose of PCA caused a 70-90% decrease of cortical, hippocampal and striatal 5-HT and 5-hydoxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) levels, while twice the molar dose of MTA (21.3 mg/kg) had no effect. Thus, MTA is a potent, selective, serotonin releaser, apparently devoid of serotonin neurotoxic effects. This work also supports the idea that catecholamine systems may play a critical role in the neurotoxicity of PCA-like compounds."}
{"id": "PMID:1473562", "title": "Effect of aspirin on the fibrinolytic response in perfused rat hindquarters.", "content": "The role of aspirin on tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) release was studied in rats after experimental venous occlusion. For this purpose, we developed a new experimental model which combines a vascular perfusion system (isolated rat hindquarters) with vascular stimulation, namely the application of venous stasis. Application of venous stasis for 30 min induced the release of t-PA from the vascular endothelium into the perfusate (from 0.19 +/- 0.05 to 0.39 +/- 0.05 UI/ml), reaching a peak 90 s after reperfusion. Aspirin administered to rats 60 min before the experiments (100 mg/kg i.v.), or dissolved in Tyrode solution (100 microM), suppressed 6-keto-prostaglandin F1 alpha (6-keto-PGF1 alpha) synthesis (0.38 +/- 0.09 in control and < 0.01 and 0.15 +/- 0.09 ng/ml, respectively, in aspirin-treated groups) but did not prevent the increase in fibrinolytic activity after venous occlusion (from 0.20 +/- 0.04 to 0.38 +/- 0.06 and from 0.07 +/- 0.03 to 0.27 +/- 0.03 IU/ml, respectively, in the aspirin-treated group). Our results suggest that the increase in fibrinolytic activity after experimental venous occlusion in isolated rat hindlegs is modulated by mechanism(s) other than the cyclooxygenase pathway in the vascular wall."}
{"id": "PMID:1473563", "title": "Blockade of the pacemaker current by intracellular application of UL-FS 49 and UL-AH 99 in sheep cardiac Purkinje fibers.", "content": "UL-FS 49 (Zatebradine) and its quaternary derivative, UL-AH 99, were injected by iontophoresis in shortened sheep cardiac Purkinje fibres. The i(f) pacemaker current changes were analyzed using the two-microelectrode voltage-clamp technique. Injection of either drug resulted in a decrease of the maximal diastolic depolarization rate as a consequence of a reduction in i(f) amplitude, with no changes in the kinetics of this current or in voltage dependence. The i(f) blockade was proportional to the total charge injected. After drug iontophoresis under conditions where no i(f) current was activated, an exponential use-dependent decline in i(f) tail current was observed during the application of a voltage-clamp pulse train activating i(f). A slow recovery from blockade, measured after prolonged hyperpolarizations, followed exponential kinetics. Recovery rate and extent of steady state recovery increased with more negative potentials. This suggests that bradycardiac agents interact with the i(f) channel in cationic form from the inside of the cell."}
{"id": "PMID:1473564", "title": "Comparison of the anticonstrictor action of dihydropyridines (nimodipine and nicardipine) and Mg2+ in isolated human cerebral arteries.", "content": "The isometric tension recorded from ring segments of branches of human middle cerebral artery was the parameter used to study the inhibition of spasmogen-induced contractions as model for cerebral vasospasm. Concentration-response curves to 5-hydroxytryptamine (10(-9)-3 x 10(-5) M) and prostaglandin F2 alpha (10(-7)-3 x 10(-5) M) were inhibited in Ca(2+)-free medium and in Ca(2+)-free medium to which EGTA (1 mM) had been added, respectively. Nimodipine (10(-7), 10(-5) M), nicardipine (10(-7), 10(-5) M) and Mg2+ (magnesium sulfate 10(-4), 10(-2) M) inhibited the 5-HT-elicited contractions, and this inhibition was similar for the highest concentrations tested. In contrast, nimodipine and nicardipine were more effective than Mg2+ to inhibit the prostaglandin F2 alpha-elicited contractions. Nimodipine (10(-9)-10(-5) M), nicardipine (10(-9)-10(-5) M) and Mg2+ (10(-5)-3 x 10(-2) M) relaxed the arteries precontracted with PGF2 alpha (10(-5) M), but nicardipine was the most potent relaxant drug. Because 5-hydroxytryptamine and prostaglandin F2 alpha may be involved in the pathogenesis of cerebral vasospasm, nimodipine, nicardipine, and Mg2+ could be used in the pharmacological treatment of this disorder. However, dihydropyridines (particularly nicardipine) are more potent anticonstrictors than Mg2+."}
{"id": "PMID:1473565", "title": "Effect of 5-HT1C and 5-HT2 receptor stimulation on excessive grooming, penile erection and plasma oxytocin concentrations.", "content": "Serotonin (5-HT) receptor agonist-induced excessive grooming, penile erection and oxytocin secretion were studied in chronically cannulated freely moving rats. The 5-HT1C receptor agonist, m-chlorophenylpiperazine (m-CPP), which also binds to other 5-HT receptors, produced dose-dependent excessive grooming, penile erection and increases in circulating oxytocin concentrations. Maximal responses for excessive grooming and penile erection occurred at 0.3-0.6 mg/kg i.v. m-CPP. Higher doses (0.9-2.5 mg/kg i.v.) caused further increases in oxytocin concentrations, but attenuated both behavioral responses. All three responses to m-CPP (0.6 mg/kg) were attenuated by antagonists with high affinity for the 5-HT1C receptor site (mianserin, LY-53857 and metergoline), but not by the 5-HT2 receptor antagonist ketanserin. The 5-HT2/5-HT1C agonist, 1-(2,5-dimethoxy-4-iodophenyl)-2-aminopropane (DOI), increased plasma oxytocin concentrations only. After ketanserin pretreatment, DOI caused penile erection and diminished the oxytocin response. All responses to DOI were blocked completely by pretreatment with LY-53857 plus ketanserin. Excessive grooming and penile erection showed significant bimodal correlations with the oxytocin response. These data suggest that stimulation of 5-HT1C receptors induces excessive grooming, penile erection and increased oxytocin secretion. Stimulation of 5-HT2 receptors causes a further increase in plasma oxytocin concentration, but inhibits both behavioral responses."}
{"id": "PMID:1473566", "title": "Pro-arrhythmic effect of nicorandil in isolated rabbit atria and its suppression by tolbutamide and quinidine.", "content": "Nicorandil, a potent vasodilator substance which exerts its effects through complex mechanisms including KATP channel activation, has so far been reported to exert antiarrhythmic but not pro-arrhythmic cardiac activity. We now examined the effects of 10(-4) M nicorandil on spontaneously active or electrically driven isolated rabbit atria. Nicorandil (a) significantly reduced the action potential duration at both 50% (by approximately 45%) and 80% (by approximately 30%) repolarization and the effective refractory period (by approximately 25%) and (b) reproducibly induced short periods of tachycardia either in normal Tyrode solution after a single extra-stimulus or in low-potassium media in the absence of extra-stimulation. Quinidine (10(-5) M) or the KATP channel inhibitor, tolbutamide (10(-5) M), suppressed the nicorandil-induced arrhythmias. It is suggested that the pro-arrhythmic effect of nicorandil results from its KATP channel opener activity and occurs essentially when the underlying conditions facilitate re-entry."}
{"id": "PMID:1473567", "title": "The effect of stress factors on the spontaneous photon emission from microorganisms.", "content": "The results of recent work on the photon emission from three yeasts and a bacterium is presented. Both visible region and ultraviolet photon emission is observed; however, no luminescence is observed in the absence of oxygen. The visible region emission is attributed to excited carbonyl groups and excited singlet oxygen dimers formed during the decomposition of lipid hydroperoxides. Possible sources of the ultraviolet photon emission are also examined. The use of microorganisms in the study of ultraweak photon emission and its relation to oxidative, temperature and chemical stress is reviewed and the applications and (or) functions of this photon emission are also discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1473568", "title": "Stress-induced photon emission from perturbed organisms.", "content": "This paper reviews an ultraweak luminescent response of selected biological systems (lower and higher plants, insects and spermatozoa) to certain kinds of detrimental mechanical, temperature, chemical and photochemical stress and to lethal factors. The enhancing effect of white light and formaldehyde on the ultraweak luminescence of yeast and spermatozoa cells is described for the first time. An increase in the percentage of long wavelengths (lambda > 600 nm) with an increase in reaction time, and a significant influence of the suspending medium on the ultraweak luminescence, were observed. The vitality and motility of bull spermatozoa and the vitality of yeast cells were drastically decreased by treatment with white light, water, formaldehyde and iron-ions. Successive irradiation of intact bull spermatozoa cells with white light caused an increase in the intensity of delayed luminescence. An attempt has been undertaken to find stochastic models of non-stationary photon emission. The quasi-relaxation descending stage of non-stationary processes can be modeled as the Integrated Moving Average process IMA (0, 1, 1), and memory and transfer functions can describe the degree of perturbation in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The relation of the ultraweak luminescence response to perturbations of homeostasis is discussed in the framework of biochemical and physical models."}
{"id": "PMID:1473569", "title": "Time-resolved luminescence of perturbed biosystems: stochastic models and perturbation measures.", "content": "Measures of biosystem perturbation using a cybernetic approach based on stochastic models of photon emission processes are presented, and compared with classical measures. Perturbation phenomena reflected in non-stationary emission processes are represented by means of filtering theory."}
{"id": "PMID:1473570", "title": "Nonlinear response of biophoton emission to external perturbations.", "content": "By considering an exciplex system consisting of collective molecules in interaction with both the 'pumping' fields and the biophoton fields, the two-level exciplex model and the three-level exciplex model are presented. They are useful for the investigation of the quasi-stationary behaviour of biophoton emission, and biophoton emission as a dynamic process in the presence of external perturbations. Our theoretical results predict a series of nonlinear effects, such as chaos, fractal behaviour, and non-equilibrium phase transition. These effects characterize the coherence nature of living systems. In our approaches, there are two important quantities f and x, which can be used to mark the working points of the two-level and three-level exciplex systems. All the influences of external perturbations on the exciplex systems, e.g. change of temperature, the addition of agents, exposure to light, etc., can be interpreted as shifts of the working points of the systems, leading to a diversity of nonlinear response of biophoton emission. In addition, the agreements of the theoretical results and the corresponding experimental observations on biophoton emission from biological systems in the presence of external perturbations are demonstrated."}
{"id": "PMID:1473572", "title": "Photon emission in tumor biology.", "content": "Photon emission from mammalian cells has been subject of study for many years. Growing research activity is directed on the photon emission within the field of tumor biology. These studies, applying high-sensitivity photon counting methods, have paid attention to several aspects, including photon emission from serum of tumor-bearing animals, photon emission of tumors and of isolated tumor cells. In addition, research activity is increased with respect to the photon emission induced by white light from cultured tumor cells. In this review we report on the different aspects of spontaneous and induced photon emission of tumor cells as compared to normal cells. Throughout these studies the question of a functional biological role of this spontaneous and light-induced photon emission has been raised and some different points of view will be discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1473571", "title": "Photon emission of phagocytes in relation to stress and disease.", "content": "Phagocytes, the first-line cells of the body's defence mechanisms against invading pathogens, kill microorganisms by means of lysosomal degradative enzymes and highly toxic reactive oxygen intermediates. The reactive oxygen compounds are produced, in a process called the 'respiratory burst', by the NADPH oxidase complex in plasma membranes, and by myeloperoxidase in phagolysosomes after degranulation. These processes generate electronically excited states which, on relaxation, emit photons, giving rise to phagocyte chemiluminescence (CL). This paper describes the conditions for the measurement of CL, and reviews the activity of phagocytes from individuals undergoing stress or disease. The capability of phagocytes to emit photons reflects remarkably well the pathophysiological state of the host. In many cases even the magnitude of the stress, the presence of a pathogen in the body, or the activity of the disease can be estimated. Physiological changes, e.g. in the reproductive cycle, can also be predicted."}
{"id": "PMID:1473573", "title": "Ouabain--a link in the genesis of high blood pressure?", "content": "Hypertension or high blood pressure is a risk factor that increases risk of myocardial infarction, renal failure or cerebral stroke. The pathogenesis of hypertension is due to a variety of causes, including inherited predisposition, dietary habits, especially salt intake, smoking, and also 'general lifestyle'. But for the scientist interested in the complex interplay of physiological and molecular factors, the actual causes of high blood pressure remain uninvestigated. The following article is concerned with new reports that ouabain, a plant derivative, occurs in human beings, in whom it appears to have a hormonal function; ouabain may even play a key role in the pathogenesis of hypertension. We are thus brought a step closer to the background of cardiovascular disease; we may also be afforded a lead to a new therapeutic principle."}
{"id": "PMID:1473574", "title": "Speed and consistency of human decisions to swallow or spit sweet and sour solutions.", "content": "Measurements of the frequency and speed of spitting or swallowing citric acid, sodium saccharin, or mixture solutions, using the taste of one of them as the definition of what was to be spit, revealed that 'correct' spits occurred on > or = 70% of trials with equal reliability and latency among the liquids, indicating that recognition-based rejection decisions in adult humans are as rapid and consistent for an arbitrary sweet taste as for a sour or mixed taste."}
{"id": "PMID:1473575", "title": "Amiloride impairs the cholinergic regulation of potassium permeability in the human sweat gland but not in the rat submandibular gland.", "content": "Potassium permeability was monitored in human sweat glands and rat submandibular glands. Acetylcholine increased permeability in both tissues and the responses consisted of transient, calcium-independent and sustained, calcium-dependent components. Amiloride, a drug which inhibits Na(+)-H+ countertransport, impaired the regulation of potassium permeability in sweat glands but not in the submandibular gland. It is suggested that the stimulus-permeability coupling process in the sweat gland may be sensitive to the lowering of internal pH."}
{"id": "PMID:1473576", "title": "Heterogeneous responses of canine basilar and middle cerebral arteries to serotonin at normal and high CO2 tension.", "content": "The responses of basilar arteries (BAs) to serotonin were attenuated by high PCO2 (86 +/- 1 mm Hg) and the pH matched acidotic solution (PCO2 37 +/- 1 mm Hg), whereas the responses of middle cerebral arteries (MCAs) were not. High PCO2 decreased the basal tone of both arteries, and the changes in basal tone due to high PCO2 were not influenced by 3 x 10(-7) M imipramine, 10(-5) M pargyline or 10(-4) M aspirin. The responses of BAs to serotonin were attenuated by high PCO2 in the presence of imipramine, pargyline and aspirin. The responses of MCAs to serotonin were not influenced by high PCO2 in the presence of pargyline and aspirin, but attenuated by high PCO2 in the presence of imipramine."}
{"id": "PMID:1473577", "title": "Phosphocreatine and ATP concentrations increase during flow-stimulated metabolism in a non-contracting muscle.", "content": "The gracilis muscle was excised from cold-acclimated rats, placed in vitro, and simultaneously perfused via its artery by high pO2 medium and superfused by low pO2 medium. With a doubling of the perfusion rate (from 50 to 100 microliters/min) phosphocreatine and ATP increased by 39% and 44%, respectively."}
{"id": "PMID:1473578", "title": "L-threo-3,4-dihydroxyphenylserine, a noradrenaline precursor, inhibits dopamine release and metabolism in the rat striatum in vivo.", "content": "The effect of L-threo-3,4-dihydroxyphenylserine (L-threo-DOPS) on dopamine (DA) release and metabolism in the striatum was studied in freely moving rats by intracerebral microdialysis techniques. The DA level as well as the levels of 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid and homovanillic acid were significantly decreased 140 min after the administration of L-threo-DOPS (50 mg/kg intraperitoneally). The results suggest that L-threo-DOPS inhibits the release and metabolism of DA in the striatum."}
{"id": "PMID:1473579", "title": "Piroxicam-induced analgesia: evidence for a central component which is not opioid mediated.", "content": "Piroxicam is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug with a potent analgesic effect. In order to establish whether the analgesic action of Piroxicam has a central component, we studied the effect of the drug on the nociceptive orbicularis oculi reflexes evoked by electrical stimulation of the cornea and supraorbital nerve in healthy subjects. Piroxicam significantly suppressed the corneal reflex and R3 component of the blink reflex by 28% (p < 0.05) and 50% (p < 0.01), respectively. This effect was not reversed by the i.v. injection of naloxone. Beta-endorphin levels did not change. Piroxicam administration induces distinct inhibitory changes in nociceptive reflexes, which suggests that the analgesic action of the drug has a central component. The ineffectiveness of naloxone, and the lack of beta-endorphin changes, indicate that this central action is independent of the opioid system; other pain regulatory systems are probably involved."}
{"id": "PMID:1473580", "title": "Protection by chlorpromazine against lethality and renal toxicity of cisplatin in mice.", "content": "The effect of chlorpromazine on acute lethal toxicity and nephrotoxicity induced by cisplatin was studied in mice. Chlorpromazine given (i.p.) 1 h before cisplatin greatly reduced lethal and renal toxicities of cisplatin. Chlorpromazine did not reduce the antitumor activity of cisplatin against Sarcoma 180 in ddY mice or EL-4 Leukemia in C57BL/6J mice."}
{"id": "PMID:1473581", "title": "Modulation of C2 and C3 gene expression of human peripheral blood monocytes by interleukin 1 beta, interferon gamma, tumor necrosis factor alpha and lipopolysaccharide.", "content": "The effect of interleukin 1 beta (IL-1 beta), interferon gamma (IFN-gamma), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) on the expression of the C2 and C3 genes in human adherent monocytes was studied. Stimulation of monocytes with IFN-gamma increased both C2 and C3 mRNA. IL-1 beta also increased C2 mRNA level, whereas C3 gene expression was not enhanced. TNF alpha failed to increase either C2 or C3 mRNA. LPS increased C2 mRNA, but suppressed C3 gene expression. These results suggest that C2 and C3 production by monocytes is regulated by IL-1 beta and IFN-gamma in the local tissues."}
{"id": "PMID:1473582", "title": "Replication of the heterogeneous heterochromatin of the sex chromosomes of Microtus cabrerae.", "content": "We used bromosubstitution to investigate the mode of replication of different types of heterochromatin located in the sex chromosomes of Microtus cabrerae. Our results clearly show that, although the heterochromatin is late replicating, the replication timing of different types of constitutive heterochromatin is related to their banding properties: R-type heterochromatin replicates before G-type heterochromatin, and this replication is asynchronous in both sex chromosomes. Furthermore, the late replication behaviour of the inactive X may spread to its constitutive heterochromatin. In some cells, a region of the constitutive heterochromatin of the late replicating X spontaneously switches to early replication, which may be related to transcriptional activity. Replication behaviour of the constitutive heterochromatin in the Y chromosome is similar to that of the late replicating X."}
{"id": "PMID:1473583", "title": "Potentiation of antifungal activity of sesquiterpene dialdehydes against Candida albicans and two other fungi.", "content": "The antifungal activity of two drimane sesquiterpene dialdehydes, polygodial (1) and warburganal (2), alone and in combination with several other substances, was examined against three fungi, Candida albicans, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Pityrosporum ovale employing a broth dilution method. Anethole significantly synergized the activity of the two sesquiterpenoids against C. albicans and S. cerevisiae; however, it had only an additive effect against P. ovale. By contrast, two antioxidants, ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole), noticeably enhanced the activity of the sesquiterpenoids against P. ovale, but had no effect against C. albicans and S. cerevisiae."}
{"id": "PMID:1473584", "title": "Biology of the hemopoietic microenvironment.", "content": "In adult mammals, hemopoiesis takes place primarily in the bone marrow. The steady-state production of blood cells depends to a large extent on the interaction between hemopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HPC) and the different components of the microenvironment present in the medullary cavity. During the last three decades, in vivo and in vitro studies have allowed significant advances in understanding of the biology of such a hemopoietic microenvironment. Although not evident in histological sections, it is well known that the hemopoietic microenvironment is a highly organized structure that regulates the location and physiology of HPC. The hemopoietic microenvironment is composed of stromal cells (fibroblasts, macrophages, endothelial cells, adipocytes), accessory cells (T lymphocytes, monocytes), and their products (extracellular matrix and cytokines). Microenvironmental cells can regulate hemopoiesis by interacting directly (cell-to-cell contact) with HPC and/or by secreting regulatory molecules that influence, in a positive or negative manner, HPC growth. Recent in vitro studies suggest that functional abnormalities of the hemopoietic microenvironment may be implicated in the manifestation of certain hematological disorders such as aplastic anemia, and acute and chronic myelogenous leukemia. Thus, the characterization of the structure and function of the human hemopoietic microenvironment may have relevance in understanding and treating different hematological disorders."}
{"id": "PMID:1473585", "title": "Therapeutic effect of heme arginate in myelodysplastic syndromes.", "content": "In order to investigate, whether heme would induce a response in myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), 14 symptomatic patients (4 RA, 3 RARS and 7 RAEB) were treated with infusions of heme arginate 3 mg/kg body weight on 4 consecutive days, mostly for six cycles at 2-week intervals. Three of 14 patients (21%) showed an improvement in anemia (97-152, 79-120 and 92-114 g/l) within a few weeks, and 1 showed a milder increase in hemoglobin level (102-118 g/l). Of the 2 responders with marked thrombocytopenia, 1 showed an improvement in the platelet count (7-37 x 10(9)/l) and her regular need for red cell and platelet transfusions ceased. Some regression in bone marrow (BM) cytology was seen in all 3 responders. One of the responders is still in remission 41 months after cessation of the treatment, while in the other 2 the response lasted for 26 and 5 months. Four patients progressed during the treatment: 1 RA to RAEB, 1 RAEB to RAEBt and 2 RAEB, both with very complex chromosomal abnormalities at the beginning of the therapy, to acute erythroleukemia (AML-M6). Pretreatment delta-aminolevulinic acid synthase and heme synthase activities were generally low. Five patients had mild thrombophlebitis, but not after the infusion procedure was changed. No other side-effects common to growth factors occurred. In conclusion, it is likely that heme arginate has a therapeutic effect on some MDS patients, obviously by stimulating erythropoiesis. The response may be long-lasting."}
{"id": "PMID:1473586", "title": "Serum transferrin receptor in the megaloblastic anemia of cobalamin deficiency.", "content": "In order to further study the relation between transferrin receptor and erythropoiesis we examined serum receptor levels in megaloblastic anemia, which is the classic example of ineffective erythropoiesis. We studied 33 patients with unequivocal cobalamin deficiency, only 22 of whom were anemic. High serum transferrin receptor levels were found in 12 patients, all of whom were anemic and had high lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels; in contrast, only 10 of the 21 patients with normal receptor levels were anemic. Receptor correlated most strongly with LDH (r = 0.573, p < 0.001) and, inversely, with hemoglobin values (r = -0.560, p < 0.001); it also correlated with ferritin and total bilirubin levels, but not with cobalamin, MCV or erythropoietin. No association was found with the hemolytic component of megaloblastic anemia, represented indirectly by haptoglobin levels. Changes induced by cobalamin therapy were also examined in 13 patients. Transferrin receptors rose in all 6 patients who initially had high levels and in 2 of 3 patients who had borderline levels, but not in the 4 patients with initially normal levels. The receptor levels began to rise within 1-3 days, peaked at about 2 weeks and returned to normal at about the 5th wk. The findings indicate that serum transferrin receptor levels reflect the severity of the megaloblastic anemia. The elevated receptor levels rise further with cobalamin therapy, however, as effective erythropoiesis replaces ineffective erythropoiesis, and these persist until the increased erythropoiesis returns to normal."}
{"id": "PMID:1473587", "title": "Red cell and plasma ferritin in a group of normal fetuses at different ages of gestation.", "content": "Plasma and cell ferritin were determined in 47 normal fetuses at different gestational ages in order to evaluate fetal iron status. Plasma ferritin shows an increase during pregnancy (17.7 micrograms/l-mean geometrical value of fetuses between 18 and 20 weeks; 56.8 micrograms/l mean geometrical value of fetuses between 32 and 35 wk) and significantly correlates to hemoglobin and number of red blood cells. Red cell ferritin, too, increases throughout pregnancy (from 92.7 ag/cell to 265 ag/cell) and shows a better correlation to hemoglobin and number of red blood cells. Experimental evidence has been provided showing that the placenta takes up ferritin and is important in iron storage and transport (even against a concentration gradient). Our data support this theory and suggest a situation of positive balance between iron uptake and utilization during intrauterine life."}
{"id": "PMID:1473588", "title": "Validation of a serum-free growth factor-replenished in vitro culture system for hematopoietic progenitor cells in healthy donors and recipients of an allogeneic bone marrow graft.", "content": "The in vitro colony formation of hematopoietic progenitor cells of bone marrow samples, taken before and early after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT), was investigated prospectively. In order to circumvent culture-related and sample-related variations, a serum-free recombinant growth factor-replenished culture system was developed using T cell- and monocyte-depleted bone marrow samples. Samples of healthy bone marrow donors were used to validate the technique. The standardized culturing technique gave reproducible results, with numbers of colonies above those in conventional conditioned-medium technique. Colony formation in vitro of myelomonocytic precursor cells was found decreased in graft recipients, also after addition of growth factors, in comparison with healthy donors. The growth-promoting effect of the combination of IL-3 + GM-CSF was superior to that of either growth factor alone or conditioned medium. No effect was observed of T lymphocytes and monocytes on in vitro colony formation after bone marrow transplantation, probably as a result of functional impairment of these cells at that period after transplantation."}
{"id": "PMID:1473600", "title": "A compendium of reviews in biochemistry and molecular biology published in the first half of 1992.", "content": "1. A compendium of reviews and mini-reviews in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology published in the first half of 1992 is presented. In all 499 titles are listed from 95 different publications. 2. This compendium presents the references by Journal Name. Keywords have been included with each reference to increase the value of the collection. Keyword and author cross-reference indexes are not included but are available in the electronic database from which this version was constructed. Should anyone wish to have this information in electronic form it can be distributed on MS-DOS formatted floppy disks in either Reference Manager or Medline format. The author should be contacted for details of the number of preformatted floppy disks required."}
{"id": "PMID:1473601", "title": "Regulation of transcription in eukaryotes by DNA-binding proteins.", "content": "1. The recognition of DNA by gene regulatory proteins is often mediated by structural motifs that comprise a protein DNA-binding domain. 2. Although binding of these proteins to DNA is not itself sufficient to affect transcription it is a necessary prerequisite. 3. This review summarizes recent studies that define structural motifs for DNA binding function of eukaryotic transcription factors."}
{"id": "PMID:1473596", "title": "Possible 110 kDa receptor for interleukin 2 in the chicken.", "content": "Chicken lymphoblasts were generated from spleen cells which had been incubated with concanavalin A (Con A) for 48 h. Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) were produced by immunizing mice with 48-h Con A lymphoblasts. These antibodies were used to identify chicken lymphokine receptors on Con A-activated lymphocytes. The cellular enzyme immunoassay (EIA), with lymphoblasts and spleen cells as the target cells, was used to select for specific mAbs. One mAb was found by EIA to have a strong response against the lymphoblasts but weak against resting spleen cells. By immunofluorescence staining, it reacted strongly with lymphoblasts and weakly with resting spleen, erythrocytes, and bursal cells. This mAb was also shown to inhibit the lymphokine activity present in conditioned medium that was collected from 24-h cultures of Con A-activated spleen cells. By immunoprecipitation, this mAb precipitated a lymphoblast surface antigen with a molecular weight of about 110 kDa. This receptor may be analogous to the putative interleukin 2 gamma subunit recently described in human and mouse cell lines."}
{"id": "PMID:1473602", "title": "Modification of proteins and other biological molecules by acetaldehyde: adduct structure and functional significance.", "content": "1. Chronic ethanol consumption is a major cause of liver disease. The modification of hepatic proteins by acetaldehyde (AcH), the primary metabolite of ethanol, has for some time been suggested as one of the major events initiating alcoholic liver disease. 2. These alterations in protein structure are believed to affect liver cell function, and may serve to activate the immune system. 3. This review considers the interaction between AcH and macromolecules and its functional implications."}
{"id": "PMID:1473593", "title": "Immune signalling at the maternal-fetal interface and trophoblast differentiation.", "content": "In this review the afferent and efferent signals involved in immune signalling at the maternal-fetal interface are highlighted in the light of recent information. MHC antigen expression is reviewed. Immunizing mothers against class I and II MHC antigens can prevent spontaneous fetal resorption in mice. In addition, the CSF family of cytokines is not only secreted in placental tissues, but also play a role in trophoblast proliferation and differentiation. GM-CSF in particular appears to promote trophoblast syncytialization and the synthesis of human chorionic gonadotropin and human placental lactogen. Recent knock-out experiments indicate that CSF-1 is essential for complete fertility. Finally, the fact that the CSF cytokines promote HIV release from macrophages indicates that the knowledge gained in this area could lead to a better understanding of the transmission of the HIV virus from the mother to the fetus through the trophoblast."}
{"id": "PMID:1473597", "title": "Immunohistochemical studies on the distribution of lymphocytes in the peripheral and mucosal lymphoid tissues of laboratory musk shrews (Suncus murinus).", "content": "We developed a new monoclonal antibody (mAb), named 1E9, which recognizes the immunoglobulin (Ig) M-like molecule of the insectivore laboratory animal, the suncus. This mAb was developed in order to investigate the distribution of surface Ig (sIg)-bearing lymphocytes in the lymphoid tissues of this animal. Immunohistochemically, the distribution of 1E9+ lymphocytes in the follicles of peripheral lymphoid tissues showed homology with such distribution in rodents. However, the lymphocytes in the follicles of the mucosal lymphoid tissues were not recognized by the mAb. These data suggest that from a comparative immunological viewpoint, our newly developed 1E9 mAb is useful for the characterization of sIg+ lymphocytes in the peripheral and mucosal lymphoid tissues of the suncus."}
{"id": "PMID:1473594", "title": "Reproducible proliferative responses of salamander (Ambystoma mexicanum) lymphocytes cultured with mitogens in serum-free medium.", "content": "There are several reports that proliferative responses (tritiated thymidine incorporation (3HTdR)) of salamander splenocytes cultured with phytohemagglutinin-P (PHA) or concanavalin A (Con A) in 1% fetal bovine serum (FBS)-supplemented medium are either statistically insignificant or never approach the magnitude typically observed in similarly treated cultures of frog lymphocytes. The present study confirms these findings, but also reports highly significant and reproducible PHA-induced proliferation of axolotl splenocytes and thymocytes when the medium is supplemented with 0.25% bovine serum albumin (BSA) rather than 1% FBS. In one study, splenocytes from six of six axolotls cultured in BSA-supplemented medium displayed a dose-dependent response to PHA with stimulation indices (SLs) ranging from 4.2 to 14.1. In contrast, SLs of PHA-treated cells from the same animals, cultured in parallel in FBS-supplemented medium, ranged from 0.8 to 3.0. In a kinetic study (cells harvested from days 3-7), maximal proliferation in BSA-supplemented medium was noted after 5 days; cells cultured in parallel in FBS-containing medium were not responsive to the mitogen at any time point. Although axolotl splenocytes do not exhibit PHA-stimulated growth in FBS-supplemented medium, they are reproducibly stimulated in this serum-containing medium by phorbol 12-myristate, 13-acetate (PMA). This suggests that FBS may interfere with (or does not support) some early step(s) in lectin-induced signalling, rather than with proliferation itself."}
{"id": "PMID:1473603", "title": "Electrical-ionic control of gene expression.", "content": "1. Changes in turgor, in cell volume, in membrane potential, in intracellular ionic activities and, more recently, in spontaneous electrical activity have been reported to be causally linked to the expression of specific genes. 2. As a result, it has become clear that changes in membrane properties and/or in the intracellular \"ionic environment\" can play an important role in generating cell type specific physiological responses which indirectly--or maybe directly--affect gene expression. 3. Possible targets of the ionic \"environment\" are: the selective transport across biological membranes; the activity of certain (regulatory) enzymes; the conformation of some (regulatory) proteins; of chromatin; of the cytoskeleton; of the nuclear matrix; the association of the cytoskeleton with plasmamembrane proteins or RNA; the association chromatin-nuclear matrix; protein-DNA and protein-protein interactions etc. All these sites may be instrumental to \"fine or coarse\" tuning of gene expression. 4. The exact mechanisms by which changes in intracellular ionic environment are transduced, directly or indirectly, into alterations of the activity of trans-acting factors have not yet been fully uncovered. Changes in the degree of phosphorylation of regulatory proteins and/or of trans-acting factors may provoke fine tuning effects on cell type specific gene expression activity. 5. The intranuclear ionic environment is difficult to measure in an exact way. It can be influenced in a number of ways. The location of a gene, as determined by the position of the nucleus in the cytoplasm and by the association of chromatin to the nuclear matrix may be especially important in cells which can generate some type of intracellular gradient or in excitable cells. 6. In some somatic cell types--germinal vesicles may behave differently--the intranuclear inorganic ionic \"environment\" has been reported to be distinct from the cytoplasmic one. This challenges the widespread assumption that the nuclear envelope is always freely permeable to small molecules and inorganic ions. 7. It can be expected that the fast progress in the cloning of \"electrically\" controlled genes, in the identification of trans-acting factors, in their mode of interaction with genes and in the precise localization of genes within the nucleus may soon lead to substantial progress in this domain."}
{"id": "PMID:1473595", "title": "Immune system activation associated with a naturally occurring infection in Xenopus laevis.", "content": "Immune system activation correlated with a naturally occurring infection has been found in the South African clawed frog Xenopus laevis. The microorganism thought to be the cause of this infection is coccobacilloid and approximately 1 micron in diameter. Since this microorganism does not grow on conventional bacterial media and it has been observed intracellularly, it may be an obligate intracellular bacterium. It has been found in Xenopus peripheral blood and in highly vascularized organs such as the spleen and liver. Splenomegaly is the only pathology thus far described for infected frogs; infection is not associated with increased morbidity or mortality. This infection has been found in all outbred frogs examined in shipments from one South African and three separate North American vendors, and has been transmitted to animals bred and raised in our laboratory. This infection has a profound effect on the immune system of Xenopus. Significant numbers of splenocytes from infected individuals exhibit morphology commonly associated with activated T lymphocytes. There is constitutive production of T-cell growth factor (TCGF) and both IgM and IgY. Freshly harvested splenocytes from infected animals proliferate in response to a TCGF-containing supernatant, indicating that they express receptors for TCGF, a trait exclusively exhibited by activated lymphocytes. These splenocytes also show an increase in the activation marker recognized by the monoclonal antibody FJ17."}
{"id": "PMID:1473599", "title": "Changes in the distribution of alpha beta and gamma delta T cells in blood and in lymph nodes from fetal and postnatal lambs.", "content": "We have examined the distribution of alpha beta and gamma delta T cells, together with B cells, in a range of lymph nodes and blood before and after birth. The proportions of blood-borne alpha beta and gamma delta T cells changed markedly during development with a wave of increasing numbers of blood-borne gamma delta T cells occurring in the fetus during the last month of gestation and early postnatal life. gamma delta T cells constituted 18% of T cells in the blood of fetal lambs one month before birth and 60% of T cells in the blood of lambs one month after birth. There were also changes in the numbers of alpha beta T cells circulating through lymph nodes after birth. The proportion of CD4+ and CD8+ cells in mesenteric nodes increased substantially after birth, whereas that of gamma delta T cells decreased. Although B cells were present in much larger numbers in ileal lymph nodes in both the fetus and lamb, there was a large increase in the concentration of B cells in all lymph nodes in lambs after birth. In addition to the differences in the distribution of lymphocyte subsets circulating in fetal and postnatal lambs, markedly different growth patterns were also observed between lymph nodes before and after birth."}
{"id": "PMID:1473604", "title": "Mammalian small molecule methyltransferases: their structural and functional features.", "content": "Structural and functional features of mammalian S-adenosyl-methionine-dependent small molecule methyltransferases are reviewed. The methyltransferases have similar protomer molecular weights in the range of 25,000-35,000. Two common sequence motifs are found in all enzymes of known sequence. Whereas the kinetic mechanisms may be different, the methyltransferases in the free form bind S-adenosylmethionine. Most, if not all, of mammalian small molecule methyltransferases appear to have vicinal thiols in a catalytically important area of the enzyme."}
{"id": "PMID:1473605", "title": "Trypsin digestion of arginase: evidence for a stable conformation manganese directed.", "content": "1. Controlled tryptic digestion of native arginase from rat liver suggests that Mn2+ promotes a stable conformation as shown by the following features. 2. An 18-fold increase in the half-life of arginase activity in the presence of Mn2+ is produced. 3. The stability of subunit B of arginase is increased in the presence of Mn2+ as revealed by SDS-PAGE during the time-course of trypsin cleavage. 4. The different digestion products of arginase with and without Mn2+ appearing during the time-course of tryptic treatment. 5. Different activity/bands protein ratio at any time of the tryptic digestion in the incubation mixtures, with and without Mn2+, are apparent."}
{"id": "PMID:1473598", "title": "Maternal alloimmunization in rat pregnancy: in vivo and in vitro studies of T-cell-dependent immunity to mating and third party alloantigens.", "content": "Rat pregnancy, experimental pseudopregnancy, and experimental decidua induction promote skin allograft survival of paternal and unrelated skin donors by specific and nonspecific mechanisms. Experimental pseudopregnant females were given allogeneic cells by two routes: intraperitoneal (IP) and in utero (IU). The females injected by the IU route, with allosensitized spleen cells, tolerated paternal skin allografts (average 26 days) better than those from other experimental groups and even from allopregnant females bearing a paternal allograft. The orthotopic immunization by the IU route, as shown by an enhancing effect of in utero culture medium injection, seemed important. In vitro studies revealed that the ability of subscapular lymph node (SCLN) cells draining the allograft to destroy Wistar/Furth (W/Fu) target cells decreases markedly in parallel with prolongation of skin allograft survival. Suppression of lymphocyte-mediated cytotoxicity against W/Fu target cells exceeded 70% when SCLN cells were used as responder cells. We propose that maternal T-cell immunization (via in utero) against fetal antigens occurs in pregnancy and plays a role in maintaining fetal tolerance, while specific cell-mediated cytotoxicity is impaired. Both specific and nonspecific local factors may promote such an enhancement of allograft survival."}
{"id": "PMID:1473606", "title": "Analysis of the catalytic mechanism of juvenile hormone esterase by site-directed mutagenesis.", "content": "1. Juvenile hormone esterase (JHE) is a serine hydrolase selective for hydrolysis of the conjugated methyl esters of insect juvenile hormones. 2. We have investigated the mechanism of catalytic action of this enzyme by site-directed mutagenesis of the cloned enzyme and expression of the mutants in a baculovirus system. 3. A series of individual mutations of JHE were made to residues possibly involved in catalysis of juvenile hormones, and which are highly conserved in both esterases and lipases. 4. Mutation of the serine residue at position 201 to glycine (S201G), or aspartate 173 to asparagine (D173N), or histidine 446 to lysine (H446K), removed all detectable activity and these mutagenized enzymes were determined to be at least 10(6)-fold less active than wild type JHE. 5. Mutation of arginine 47 to histidine (R47H) decreased but did not abolish activity, with Km essentially unchanged at 66 nM for R47H compared to 34 nM for wild type JHE. 6. The kcat for R47H was decreased from 103 min-1 for wild type JHE to 1.9 min-1. 7. In addition, glutamate residue 332 was altered to glutamine (E332Q) and expressed in an Escherichia coli system. 8. This mutation was also found to remove all detectable activity. 9. From the results presented in this study and by comparison of JHE to other serine esterases and lipases, we predict that JHE possesses a Ser201-His446-Glu332 catalytic triad. 10. In addition, aspartate 173 and arginine 47 are essential for the efficient functioning of JHE."}
{"id": "PMID:1473607", "title": "Bovine proacrosin from cauda epididymal sperm: purification, characterization and partial sequencing at N-terminus.", "content": "1. In the present study, we isolated the two forms of proacrosin from acid extracts (pH 3.0) of cauda epididymal bovine spermatozoa by ammonium sulfate fractionation, gel filtration on Sephadex G-150 and affinity chromatography on Concanavalin A Sepharose 4B. The overall purification was 13-fold with respect to crude acid acrosomal extract. 2. The apparent molecular weight of the proacrosins determined by SDS-PAGE were 44,000 and 38,000. Both forms have proteinase activity on gelatin-SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoretic zymography. 3. The M(r) = 38,000 component was isolated by reverse phase HPLC. Thirty-nine amino acid residues at the N-terminus have about 72 and 77% sequence similarity with boar and human proacrosin, respectively. 4. The amino acid sequence of 14 amino acids at the N-terminus of the high molecular weight component (M(r) = 44,000) was determined after electroblotting on a polyvinylidene difluoride membrane. This portion of the molecule is identical with that of the low molecular weight component. 5. Proacrosin autoactivation followed the sigmoidal activation curve."}
{"id": "PMID:1473608", "title": "Effect of a sunflower oil-supplemented diet on protein kinase activities of rat liver plasma membranes.", "content": "1. The effect of a sunflower oil-enriched diet on plasma membrane-bound protein kinase C, protein kinase A, casein and tyrosine kinase activities was studied. 2. The diet induced an increase in the content of linoleic acid and a decrease in the content of palmitic acid. The anisotropy parameter (rs) of the fluorescence probe DPH and SDPH decreased strongly in the experimental group. 3. Protein kinase C was stimulated more than two times. Tyrosine kinase, protein kinase A and casein kinase activities were increased by 65, 57 and 40%, respectively. 4. We suggest that a more fluid lipid environment favours higher plasma membrane-bound protein kinase activities."}
{"id": "PMID:1473609", "title": "Mode of action of rabbit skeletal muscle cathepsin B towards myofibrillar proteins and the myofibrillar structure.", "content": "1. The mode of degradation of myofibrillar proteins and the structural changes in myofibrils due to the action of cathepsin B highly purified from rabbit skeletal muscle were studied. 2. Cathepsin B degraded myosin heavy chain, actin and troponin T, but not alpha-actinin, tropomyosin, troponin I or troponin C among myofibrillar proteins. 3. Cathepsin B optimally degraded myosin heavy chain, actin and troponin T at around pH 5. Degradation of myosin heavy chain produced 6 fragments, 180,000, 150,000, 87,000, 81,000, 75,000 and 69,000 Da, respectively. Actin was hydrolyzed into fragments of 41,000, 38,000 and 30,000 Da. Troponin T was degraded into fragments of 21,000, 12,000 and 10,000 Da. 4. Cathepsin B caused the fragmentation of myofibrils and disturbance of the lateral arrangement of myofibrils. 5. Cathepsin B partly disintegrated the Z-line and the M-line, and induced disordering of the arrangement of filaments in the I-band."}
{"id": "PMID:1473610", "title": "Identification of the classical androgen receptor in male rat liver and prostate cell plasma membranes.", "content": "1. Androgen-specific protein have been identified in cell plasma envelopes: gel filtration chromatography, Scatchard and steroid specificity spectrum analyses show the identity of the protein both from liver and ventral prostate plasma membranes (mol. wt 180,000) and nonidentity of the respective cytosol protein receptors. 2. The protein works only at physiological androgen concentration (0.14-14.0 nM of testosterone). 3. The protein possesses 2-orders higher androgen affinity than rat serum testosterone binding globulin (TeBG) and 1-order higher affinity compared to cytosol androgen receptor."}
{"id": "PMID:1473611", "title": "Impaired contraction and relaxation in aorta from streptozotocin-diabetic rats: role of polyol pathway.", "content": "The effects of 3 months streptozotocin-induced diabetes mellitus on contraction and relaxation of aorta were examined in vitro. A further diabetic group was treated with a novel sulphonylnitromethane-based aldose reductase inhibitor for 3 months following diabetes induction. Diabetes resulted in reduced maximal tension production, particularly for responses to phenylephrine (p < 0.001) and serotonin (p < 0.001). However, with aldose reductase inhibitor treatment, responses were in the non-diabetic range. The ratio of maximum contractions to noradrenaline and phenylephrine were 28% elevated by diabetes (p < 0.01), which may suggest increased alpha 2-adrenoreceptor-mediated responses. Endothelium-independent relaxation to glyceryl trinitrate was unaffected by diabetes or treatment. By contrast, there were 38% deficits in endothelium-dependent relaxation to acetylcholine (p < 0.001) and Ca2+ ionophore A23187 (p < 0.001) with diabetes which were prevented by aldose reductase inhibitor treatment (p < 0.001). A 121% shift in the concentration giving a 50% maximum effect for acetylcholine towards lower sensitivity with diabetes (p < 0.001) was also largely corrected by treatment (p < 0.001). A non-diabetic group treated with aldose reductase inhibitor showed a 30% decrease in the 50% effective concentration for acetylcholine (p < 0.05). A 15% deficit in maximum relaxation to the ATP-sensitive K+ channel opener cromakalim for the diabetic group (p < 0.001) was prevented by aldose reductase inhibitor treatment (p < 0.01). We conclude that there are polyol pathway related abnormalities for contraction, some aspects of endothelium-independent relaxation, but particularly for endothelium-dependent relaxation in aorta from chronic streptozotocin-diabetic rats.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1473612", "title": "Oxygen radicals generated by the enzyme xanthine oxidase lyse rat pancreatic islet cells in vitro.", "content": "The endothelium-associated enzyme xanthine oxidase is known to generate reactive oxygen intermediates which may damage the surrounding tissue. We investigated whether reactive oxygen intermediates released by xanthine oxidase exert a toxic effect on isolated rat islet cells. The xanthine oxidase (25 mU/ml)/hypoxanthine (0.5 mmol/l) system released reactive oxygen intermediates in vitro as detected by luminol in a chemiluminescence analysing system. The addition of nicotinamide inhibited the release of reactive oxygen intermediates in a dose-dependent manner (50% inhibition at 20 mmol/l). Exposure of islet cells to enzyme generated reactive oxygen intermediates caused lysis of 39% of the cells within 15 h. Monitoring the mitochondrial function of islet cells by the conversion of tetrazolium bromide to its formazan product revealed a significant reduction of the respiratory activity down to 51% of that of the controls by 30 min after the initiation of the xanthine oxidase reaction. Mitochondrial dysfunction preceded plasma membrane damage. The addition of nicotinamide, a radical scavenger and inhibitor of the DNA repair enzyme poly(ADP-ribose) synthetase protected the islet cells from lysis and partially preserved their mitochondrial activity in the presence of reactive oxygen intermediates. We conclude that activation of the endothelial enzyme xanthine oxidase, known to be induced by mediators of immune cells or by episodes of ischaemia and reperfusion causes islet cell damage with subsequent cell death in early phases of pancreatic islet cell destruction."}
{"id": "PMID:1473613", "title": "Effects of insulin on renal haemodynamics and the proximal and distal tubular sodium handling in healthy subjects.", "content": "The effects of insulin on renal haemodynamics and renal sodium handling were studied in 10 healthy males. Using the euglycaemic insulin clamp technique, insulin was infused on separate days resulting in two levels of hyperinsulinaemia (41 +/- 3 and 90 +/- 7 mU/l, respectively). Renal haemodynamics and the proximal and distal tubular sodium handling were studied using inulin, para-amino-hippuric acid, sodium and lithium clearances. Low- and high-dose insulin infusions were followed by a fall in sodium clearance from 1.6 +/- 0.1 ml/min to 1.2 +/- 0.1 and 1.0 +/- 0.1 ml/min, respectively. Both levels of hyperinsulinaemia resulted in increased distal tubular sodium reabsorption. The distal antinatriuretic effect of insulin was associated with dose- and time-dependent decline in proximal tubular sodium reabsorption. The changes in proximal tubular sodium handling occurred without any significant changes in natriuretic factors, such as renal dopamine and plasma atrial natriuretic peptide levels. However, hyperinsulinaemia resulted in time- and dose-dependent increases in renal plasma flow, and renal vasodilatation could, possibly via changes in renal interstitial pressure, have contributed to the fall in the proximal tubular sodium reabsorption. The results also suggest that decreased proximal sodium reabsorption may be a compensatory mechanism counteracting the insulin-induced sodium retention."}
{"id": "PMID:1473614", "title": "A nationwide cross-sectional study of retinopathy and microalbuminuria in young Norwegian type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetic patients.", "content": "A nationwide cohort of Type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetic patients was studied to determine the prevalence of retinopathy and microalbuminuria and to evaluate the association to various risk factors. Of 600 subjects with mean age of 19.8 years (range 8.0-30.3) and a mean duration of diabetes of 10.5 years (range 6.2-17.3), 371 (60%) volunteered for a clinical examination which included fundus photography, timed overnight urine samples for albumin excretion rate, measurement of arterial blood pressure and determination of HbA1c. Retinopathy was found in 122 of 371 patients (32.8%), in 3 of 41 (7.3%) patients aged less than 13 years. The youngest subject with retinopathy was 9.6 years old. Microalbuminuria was found in 44 of 351 patients (12.5%), in 1 of 41 (2.4%) patients aged less than 13 years. The youngest subject with microalbuminuria was 11.5 years old. Mean HbA1c was 8.6% (normal range 4.5-601%). Patients with retinopathy had significantly higher mean age (p = 0.0001), longer mean duration of diabetes (p = 0.0001), higher mean HbA1c (p = 0.009), and higher mean arterial blood pressure (p = 0.0001) compared to patients without retinopathy. In microalbuminuric patients HbA1c (p = 0.001) and mean arterial blood pressure (p = 0.01) were significantly higher compared to non-microalbuminuric patients, but there was no difference in age or diabetes duration. In a multiple logistic regression model, age, HbA1c, duration of diabetes and mean arterial blood pressure were found to be significantly associated with retinopathy, while HbA1c, mean arterial blood pressure and onset before 13.0 years of age were found to be associated with microalbuminuria.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1473615", "title": "Plasma apolipoprotein (a) is increased in type 2 (non-insulin-dependent) diabetic patients with microalbuminuria.", "content": "Patients with Type 2 (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus complicated by microalbuminuria or albuminuria, have an increased risk of developing macrovascular disease and of early mortality. Because lipoprotein abnormalities have been associated with diabetic nephropathy, this study tested the hypothesis that levels of apolipoprotein (a) are elevated in patients with Type 2 diabetes and increased levels of urinary albumin loss. Levels of apolipoprotein (a) in diabetic patients with microalbuminuria (n = 26, geometric mean 195 U/l, 95% confidence interval 117-324) and albuminuria (n = 19, 281 U/l, 165-479) were higher than in non-diabetic control subjects (n = 140, 107 U/l, 85-134, p < 0.05), and in the albuminuric group than diabetic patients without urinary albumin loss (n = 58, 114 U/l, 76-169, p < 0.05). Patients with microalbuminuria and albuminuria had levels comparable with patients undergoing elective coronary artery graft surgery (n = 40, 193 U/l, 126-298). Apolipoprotein (a) levels were higher in diabetic patients with macrovascular disease than in those without (n = 49, 209 U/l, 143-306 vs n = 54, 116 U/l, 78-173, p < 0.05). These preliminary results suggest that raised apolipoprotein (a) levels of Type 2 diabetic patients with microalbuminuria and albuminuria may contribute to their propensity to macrovascular disease and early mortality."}
{"id": "PMID:1473616", "title": "Concordance for type 1 (insulin-dependent) and type 2 (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus in a population-based cohort of twins in Finland.", "content": "We studied the cumulative incidence, concordance rate and heritability for diabetes mellitus in a nationwide cohort of 13,888 Finnish twin pairs of the same sex. The twins were born before 1958 and both co-twins were alive in 1967. Data on diabetes were derived through computerized record linkage from death certificates, the National Hospital Discharge Register and the National Drug Register. Records were reviewed in order to assign a diagnostic category to the 738 diabetic patients identified. Of these patients 109 had Type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes, 505 Type 2 (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes, 46 gestational diabetes, 24 secondary diabetes, 38 impaired glucose tolerance and 16 remained unclassified. The cumulative incidence of diabetes was 1.4% in men and 1.3% in women aged 28-59 years and 9.3% and 7.0% in men and women aged 60 years and over, respectively. The cumulative incidence did not differ between monozygotic and dizygotic twins. The concordance rate for Type 1 diabetes was higher among monozygotic (23% probandwise and 13% pairwise) than dizygotic twins (5% probandwise and 3% pairwise). The probandwise and pairwise concordance rates for Type 2 diabetes were 34% and 20% among monozygotic twins and 16% and 9% in dizygotic twins, respectively. Heritability for Type 1 diabetes was greater than that for Type 2 where both genetic and environmental effects seemed to play a significant role."}
{"id": "PMID:1473617", "title": "Predictive value of islet cell and insulin autoantibodies for type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus in a population-based study of newly-diagnosed diabetic and matched control children.", "content": "Most studies evaluating immune markers for prediction of Type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus have focused on first degree relatives, although only 10% of newly-diagnosed patients have an affected first degree relative. The Swedish Childhood Diabetes Register identifies 99% of all diabetic children at diagnosis. In this population-based study, islet cell antibodies and insulin autoantibodies in 0-14-year-old Swedish consecutively-diagnosed patients and control subjects were analysed to define their sensitivity and specificity. Over 16 months (1986-1987), 515 Swedish children developed diabetes. Plasma samples were obtained from 494 (96%) patients, and 420 matched control children. Among patients, the frequency of islet cell antibodies was 84% (415 of 494), insulin autoantibodies 43% (145 of 334); 40% (135 of 334) were positive for both and 88% (294 of 334) were positive for one or both. Among control children, 3% (14 of 420) had islet cell antibodies, 1% (4 of 390) insulin autoantibodies, and 4% (16 of 390) had either autoantibody marker. The predictive value of finding a patient with the disease was only 7% since 4% of the control children were antibody-positive and the cumulative incidence rate up to 15 years of age is 0.38%. None of the autoantibody-positive (n = 21) or negative control children developed diabetes during 3 to 5 years of follow-up. Longitudinal investigations of islet cell or insulin-autoantibody-positive healthy children are necessary to accurately determine the conversion rate from marker positivity to disease onset."}
{"id": "PMID:1473618", "title": "Circadian variation of blood pressure in patients with diabetic nephropathy.", "content": "The association between diurnal blood pressure variation and diabetic nephropathy was assessed in four groups of Type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetic patients who underwent 24-h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring using an oscillometric technique. Patients with nephropathy, who had never been treated for hypertension (group D3, n = 13), were individually matched for age, sex and diabetes duration to a group of microalbuminuric patients (D2, n = 26), to normoalbuminuric patients (D1, n = 26) and to healthy control subjects (C, n = 26). Group D3 was also compared to patients with advanced nephropathy receiving treatment for hypertension, mainly a combination of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors, metoprolol and diuretics (D4, n = 11). In group D3 24-h diastolic blood pressure (85 +/- 8 mm Hg) was comparable to the results obtained in D4 (85 +/- 8 mm Hg) but significantly higher than in D2 (78 +/- 7 mm Hg), D1 (73 +/- 7 mm Hg) and C (73 +/- 7 mm Hg, p < 0.05, Tukey's test). The night/day ratio of diastolic blood pressure was higher in D3 (86 +/- 5%) and D2 (85 +/- 7%) than in C (80 +/- 7%, p < 0.02). This ratio was also elevated in group D4 (94 +/- 8%) compared to D3 (p < 0.05) corresponding to a marked smoothing of the diurnal blood pressure curve. The 24-h heart rate (beats per min) was significantly elevated in D3 (84 +/- 8) and D2 (80 +/- 10) compared with C (73 +/- 11, p < 0.05 Tukey's test), suggesting the presence of parasympathetic neuropathy.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1473619", "title": "Detection of autoantibodies against islet amyloid polypeptide in human serum. Lack of association with type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus, or with conditions favouring amyloid deposition in islets. The Belgian Diabetes Registry.", "content": "A radiobinding assay for the detection of autoantibodies against islet amyloid polypeptide was developed, analytically validated, and--in parallel with a similar assay for the detection of autoantibodies against insulin--applied to sera from recent-onset Type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetic patients and from age- and sex-matched control subjects. There was no difference in islet amyloid polypeptide autoantibody titres between patient groups and matched control subjects, nor within subject groups according to age. At onset of Type 1 diabetes, elevated islet amyloid polypeptide-autoantibody levels (> 97th percentile of control subjects) were only detected in 1 of 30 patients aged 0-19 years and in 2 of 35 patients aged 20-39 years. By contrast, insulin autoantibodies were frequently demonstrated, in particular at onset of diabetes under age 20 (0-19 years: 18 of 30 patients; 20-39 years: 10 of 35 patients; p < 0.01 vs matched control subjects). Islet amyloid polypeptide autoantibodies were not detectable in 3 insulinoma patients nor in 37 patients (aged 33-70 years) with Type 2 diabetes (vs 1 of 40 in matched control subjects). In positive serum, adsorption onto protein A-Sepharose removed islet amyloid polypeptide binding activity, hereby confirming its antibody nature. In conclusion, Type 1 diabetes is associated with an age-dependent autoantibody reaction against insulin but not against islet amyloid polypeptide. Conditions associated with amyloid deposition in islets (Type 2 diabetes, insulinoma and ageing) do not favour the formation of autoantibodies against islet amyloid polypeptide."}
{"id": "PMID:1473620", "title": "On line continuous monitoring of subcutaneous tissue glucose in men by combining portable glucosensor with microdialysis.", "content": "For the normalisation of blood glucose levels in diabetic patients by feedback controlled insulin delivery, a self-manageable and reliable method for continuous glucose estimation is still not available. By combining a commercially available needle type dialysis probe (molecular cutoff 20,000 Da) with a sensitive glucose sensor, we obtained a device for continuous glucose measurement in dialysate. This device was tested in healthy volunteers during a 75-g oral glucose tolerance test and in Type 2 (non-insulin-dependent) diabetic patients. Venous glucose and subcutaneous sensor signal were followed for 300 min (ten healthy subjects), 21 h (three healthy subjects) or 9 h (seven Type 2 diabetic patients). The recovery of the microdialysis was interindividually different, but after calibration, glucose levels in the dialysate and subcutaneous glucose sensor signal correlated well (r = 0.84-0.95). Under the assumption of a physiologic and technical delay between intravenous and subcutaneous glucose, correlation coefficient between intravenous glucose and subcutaneous sensor signal ranged from 0.60 to 0.93. We conclude that changes in blood glucose could be monitored in the subcutaneous tissue by the microdialysis technique in a continuous on line manner."}
{"id": "PMID:1473624", "title": "Early heart development in the chick embryo: effects of isotretinoin on cell proliferation, alpha-actin synthesis, and development of contractions.", "content": "Isotretinoin is a potent retinoic acid used in the treatment of skin disorders. Though very effective, it is teratogenic if administered during pregnancy, and its teratogenic effect may be related to the normal activity of retinoids as signalling molecules in the embryo. Although its exact mechanism of action is unknown, it has been suggested that it causes its characteristic pattern of defects that includes heart defects, by inhibiting the migration of neural crest cells. However, other effects on cells are known. We studied early cardiac cell proliferation using incorporation of bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) and detection with a monoclonal anti-BrdU. Proliferation in heart tissue of whole embryo cultures was inhibited in medium with 10(-6) M isotretinoin to 62% of the control level in myocardium. We studied its effects in culture on precardiac explant development in the absence of the neural crests. Culture of precardiac mesodermal-endodermal explants revealed that development of heart vesicles from the mesoderm was little affected, but the development of heartbeat was inhibited depending on dose in the 10(-5) to 10(-7) M range. The effect on development of contractions was augmented in the presence of serum; it could be duplicated by all-trans-retinoic acid, and it was reversible. Synthesis of the alpha-actin isotype, analyzed by isoelectric focusing, was found to be inhibited or delayed. The results suggest multiple effects of retinoids on growth, morphogenesis, and differentiation of early cardiac tissue, and are discussed in relation to the potential role of retinoids in early embryogenesis."}
{"id": "PMID:1473625", "title": "Gestation stage-specific frequency of adipogenic cells in Syrian hamster cell cultures.", "content": "High frequencies (up to 50%) of spontaneous adipocyte differentiation are observed in cultures of 9 day gestation Syrian hamster embryos (E9 cells) within six to eight population doublings after primary culture. This is in contrast to the absence of adipogenic cells in primary cultures derived from later gestation age Syrian hamster tissue. In addition, E9 primary cultures contain a transient subpopulation of presumptive mesenchymal stem or progenitor cells that lack density dependent inhibition of growth [contact-insensitive (CS-) cells]. Analysis of the temporal pattern of expression of the CS- and adipocyte phenotypes during the proliferative life span of E9 cells demonstrates that maximal expression of the CS- phenotype precedes maximal expression of adipocyte differentiation. In addition, lipid accumulation appears to occur primarily, if not exclusively, in the contact-sensitive (CS+) cells that are derived from CS- cells. These observations suggest that primary E9 cultures contain either adipoblasts or primordial mesenchymal cells that become determined to the adipocyte lineage early during the in vitro life span of the cultures, and that the CS- phenotype may be a marker for these earlier developmental cell stages."}
{"id": "PMID:1473626", "title": "Genetic, cytogenetic and developmental analysis of the Drosophila melanogaster tumor suppressor gene lethal(2)tumorous imaginal discs (1(2)tid).", "content": "Three of the twenty recessive-lethal tumor suppressor genes of Drosophila cause imaginal disc tumors in the homozygously mutated state. One of these is the lethal(2)tumorous imaginal discs (l(2)tid) gene. Histological preparations show the tumorous imaginal disc epithelium to consist of a mosaic of cells in monolayer and cells in clumped arrangement. In contrast, the wild-type imaginal disc epithelium is comprised exclusively of cells in monolayer arrangement. Mutant imaginal disc tissue pieces implanted into ready-to-pupariate wild-type larvae fail to differentiate. Implantation of l(2)tid imaginal disc tissue pieces in vivo into wild-type adult flies revealed a lethal, tumorous growth comparable to that in situ, thus characterizing the l(2)tid imaginal discs as truly malignant. The phenotypes of double mutants between two l(2)tid alleles and tumor suppressor genes, such as lethal(2)giant larvae and lethal(2)brain tumor, and the epithelial overgrowth mutant lethal(2)fat are described and discussed. Finally, we present the genetic, cytogenetic and molecular localization of the l(2)tid gene to the giant chromosome bands 59F4-6."}
{"id": "PMID:1473653", "title": "[Myocardial scintigraphy with Tc-99m-teboroxime: its feasibility and the evaluation of its diagnostic reliability. A comparison with thallium-201 and coronary angiography].", "content": "Tc-99m-teboroxime is a new tracer for myocardial perfusion scintigraphy. Its more remarkable features are the high myocardial extraction fraction, which is well correlated with the coronary blood flow, and the extremely rapid myocardial washout. This makes it necessary to complete the image collection shortly after the injection; on the other hand, repeated scans can be easily performed by renewed Tc-99m-teboroxime administrations. The aim of the present study was to test the feasibility of Tc-99m-teboroxime imaging and to evaluate its accuracy by comparing it with thallium-201 (TI-201) scintigraphy and coronary angiography. The patient population included 16 male patients (mean age 57.8 +/- 6.3 years) affected by suspect effort angina and/or with signs of exercise-induced ischemia; 12 of them had history of previous myocardial infarction. They underwent effort TI-201 and Tc-99m-teboroxime myocardial scintigraphy within 48 hours; left heart catheterization and coronary angiography were performed within 5 days. Scintigraphic images were collected in 3 planar views; each projection was divided in 3 segments, with the apical one shared by all views, for a total of 7 segments/study. Tracer uptake was qualitatively assessed and graduated according to a scoring scheme (from 0 = normal through 4 = absent uptake). Tc-99m-teboroxime scans could be accomplished without major problems in all subjects. The image quality was comparable to TI-201 in 8 patients and poorer in the remaining 8. Coronary angiography showed 50% obstructions in 15 patients; of them 1 subject had a normal scintigraphic pattern with both TI-201 and Tc-99m-teboroxime. The presence of previous infarction was recognized by both tracers in the 12 patients with infarct history. The number of abnormal segments and the uptake score were not significantly different in the Tc-99m-teboroxime rest and in the TI-201 redistribution images (segments: 2.8 +/- 1.4 vs 2.8 +/- 1.6; score: 5.6 +/- 4.2 vs 6 +/- 4.5). The diagnosis of effort ischemia was made in 13 patients with Tc-99m-teboroxime and in 12 patients with TI-201. The number of abnormal segments in the exercise Tc-99m-teboroxime and TI-201 myocardial scintigraphy was not significantly different (3.3 +/- 1.3 vs 3.3 +/- 1.5); on the contrary the defect score was significantly higher with Tc-99m-teboroxime than with TI-201 (9.5 +/- 4.3 vs 8.4 +/- 4.6, p < 0.03). Therefore the ischemic score (exercise defect score minus rest defect score) of Tc-99m-teboroxime was significantly higher than that of TI-201 (3.9 +/- 2.8 vs 2.4 +/- 2.2, p < 0.02). The two tracers gave comparable results in terms of recognition of patients with one-vessel or multi-vessel coronary artery disease. Planar myocardial scintigraphy with Tc-99m-teboroxime can be performed without major problems. In terms of clinical reliability the results are comparable to those of TI-201 scans. On the other hand, taking into account the poor image quality of Tc-99m-teboroxime scintigraphy, it is still impossible to predict its future role in the radionuclide imaging of coronary artery disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1473654", "title": "[Atrial natriuretic factor in patients with cardiac decompensation before and after chronic therapy with an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor].", "content": "Patients with severe congestive heart failure often have high plasma Atrial Natriuretic Factor (ANF) and neurohormonal activation. Ace inhibitors give clinical and hemodynamic benefits and lower plasma angiotensin and norepinephrine levels. The interactions between ANF and the Ace inhibitors are mainly modulated via the renin angiotensin system. Plasma ANF, renin activity, urinary aldosterone and catecholamine levels were evaluated in 10 patients with congestive heart failure (at baseline, after 15 days of adequate treatment with digoxin and diuretics, and after 45 days of enalapril) in order to assess the changes of ANF and vasoconstrictor neurohormones with chronic Ace inhibitor therapy. ANF increased significantly in the congestive heart failure group compared to a normal subject control group (P < 0.001). After digoxin and diuretic therapy NHYA class improved significantly, but no significant hormonal changes were found. On the contrary, the addition of enalapril caused a significant decrease of plasma ANF and urinary aldosterone and catecholamines (P < 0.05). The relationship between the renin angiotensin system and catecholamines is complex but our findings indicate that: 1) Traditional therapy is effective in improving symptoms, but cannot induce a decrease of vasoconstrictive neurohormones; 2) ACE inhibitor therapy reduces ANF and neurohormonal activation. 3) ANF is a useful marker in evaluating the response to treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1473655", "title": "[Ambulatory monitoring of left ventricular function: the assessment of transient episodes of ventricular dysfunction in patients with ischemic cardiopathy].", "content": "The recent development of an ambulatory radionuclide detector (VEST) to assess left ventricular (LV) function may enhance the detection of ischemia during routine daily activities in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). The aim of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of VEST in monitoring LV ejection fraction (EF) responses to daily activities and sustained handgrip test (HG) in patients with CAD. 13 patients (12 men and 1 woman) with angiographically proven coronary artery disease were studied by VEST (mean 162 min, range 120 to 250 min). LV responses to different daily activities (walking and climbing stairs) and to HG were evaluated. Walking on a level surface and climbing stairs did not induce significant change in mean LVEF. However, a transient decrease in EF was observed in 4 (31%) and in 5 (38%) of the 13 patients during walking and climbing stairs, respectively. HG induced a significant (p < 0.01) reduction in mean EF. In particular, during HG, EF decreased > or = 5% in 11 (85%) of the 13 patients. A transient spontaneous decrease in LVEF lasting > or = 1 min was observed on 18 occasions in 11 patients with CAD; 5 episodes were symptomatic and 13 asymptomatic. ECG ST segment depression was recorded in 4 of the 5 symptomatic and in 5 of the 13 asymptomatic episodes. These results suggest that simultaneous monitoring of LV function and ECG may permit a better understanding of the incidence and severity of ischemic symptomatic and asymptomatic episodes."}
{"id": "PMID:1473656", "title": "[Valvular prolapse in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney].", "content": "The involvement of the cardiovascular system in hereditary connective tissue disorders has been known for a long time and produces abnormalities that usually affect valves and arterial walls. Valvular diseases in typical autosomal dominant illnesses such as polycystic kidney (PK) have recently been reported. To test the prevalence of valvular prolapses in this disease, we studied [with clinical, chest x-ray, electrocardiographic, and echocardiographic (monobidimensional and Doppler) examination] 21 subjects with PK (Group A) and 34 unaffected relatives (Group B). 36 subjects comparable in sex, age, blood pressure, body build and renal function, with other kinds of kidney diseases, were the control group (Group C). In group A, 7 subjects (33.3%) were found affected by mitral valve prolapse (MVP), of whom 3 also had mitral incompetence, 4 tricuspid valve prolapse and 2 aortic cusp prolapse with mild valvular insufficiency. Another 2 patients had evidence of mitral and aortic incompetence, respectively, without valvular prolapse, annulus ectasia or morphological features of a rheumatic valvular disease. In Group B, 8 subjects (23.5%) had MVP; In Group C, MVP was seen in only 1 patient (2.7%) and aortic incompetence in one other. Statistical analysis confirmed the significance of the greater prevalence of MVP in group A and B in comparison with group C (p < 0.01). The high prevalence of valvular abnormalities in autosomal dominant PK suggests a common genetic disorder producing a defect in the extracellular matrix. An alternative hypothesis is that of two discrete yet adjacent genes."}
{"id": "PMID:1473657", "title": "[Reference values for the echocardiographic calculation of left ventricular mass in normal children between the ages of 0 and 6].", "content": "Echocardiographic assessment of left ventricular mass (LVM) and mass/volume ratio (LVM/V) is an accurate method for evaluating left ventricular hypertrophy. However, reference values for LVM and left ventricular volume (V) in children under 6 years of age have not been well established. Therefore, we evaluated 106 consecutive children (60 males, 46 females, mean age +/- SD 35 +/- 28 months, range 0-72) free of cardiovascular disease by clinical, electrocardiographic and echocardiographic examination. LVM and V were determined by M-mode echocardiography. The 5th and 95th percentile values of LVM were: 7 and 21 grams for infants aged 0 to 6 months; 13 and 32 grams for 7 to 24 months; 23 and 41 grams for 25 to 36 months; 23 and 59 grams for 37 to 48 months; 30 and 60 grams for 49 and 60 months; 36 and 98 grams for 61 and 72 months. The 5th and 95th percentile values of V were: 4 and 20 ml for infants aged 0 to 6 months; 12 and 36 ml for 7 to 24 months; 16 and 43 ml for 25 to 36 months; 20 to 55 ml for 37 to 48 months; 27 to 64 ml for 49 to 60 months; 39 to 74 ml for 61 to 72 months. The 5th and 95th percentile values of M/V ranged between 1 and 2.3 for infants aged 0 to 6 months, and 0.7-1.2 for those aged 61 to 72 months. LVM, V and LVM/V were significantly (p < 0.0001) related to age, height, weight and body surface area, but were unrelated to gender."}
{"id": "PMID:1473658", "title": "[The differentiated effects of fibrinolysis on the coronary flow in patients with unstable angina].", "content": "Intracoronary (i.c.) thrombus is a frequent finding in patients (pts) with unstable angina (UA). Accordingly, thrombolytic treatment could be beneficial, as resolution of thrombus might result in increased delivery of blood flow to the ischemic regions. To test this hypothesis we studied 13 pts with UA refractory to maximal medical treatment and ST segment shift in the anterior leads. Coronary angiography was performed and great cardiac vein blood flow (GCVF; thermodilution) was measured in all pts within 48 hours (mean 29 +/- 13 hrs) from the last chest pain episode. Following angiography, pts received i.v. wrokinase (UK: 1 million IU/30 min); aortic pressure and GCVF were measured before and every 10 min during drug infusion, for a total time of 90 min. At baseline angiography 5/13 pts (Group 1) had evidence of i.c. thrombus (intraluminal filling defect or thrombotic subocclusion) in the ischemia-related left coronary artery, whereas 8 pts (Group 2) did not. Overall, coronary hemodynamics did not change significantly following drug administration: GCVF was 103 +/- 65 on baseline and 117 +/- 68 ml. min after UK; p > 0.05. Conversely, group analysis showed that UK increased GCVF and decreased anterior coronary resistances (mean aortic pressure/GCVF) in Group 1 (respectively from 86 +/- 33 to 114 +/- 41 ml. min: p < 0.005; and from 1.37 +/- 0.68 to 1.01 +/- 0.44 mmHg/ml. min: p < 0.05) but not in Group 2 (both: p > 0.05), despite similar effects on aortic pressure. Fibrinolytic treatment can be of therapeutic value in UA; UK has shown to increase regional coronary blood flow in selected pts presenting with refractory angina as well as evidence of i.c. thrombus at early angiography. Heterogeneity of angiographic findings could explain controversies in trials dealing with thrombolysis in UA."}
{"id": "PMID:1473659", "title": "[The contribution of pathology sections to the Italian Heart Transplant Project in the first 5 years of its activities (1985-1990)].", "content": "All the transplantation units within the Italian Heart Transplantation Project are supported by a section of pathology, devoted to the study of the recipient's heart, to patient monitoring by means of a schedule of endomyocardial biopsies, and, if that was the case, to examine the donor's heart and to analyse the causes of death. When successes and failures of the first five years of the Project's activity are weighed up, good results are observed: of the 847 operations performed (orthotopic, heterotopic and heart-lung transplants, and re-transplants) an actuarial survival rate of 77% at 5 years has been achieved. The sections of pathology believe to have contributed significantly to these results, examining as many as 10,446 endomyocardial biopsies. The indications for transplantation were: dilated cardiomyopathy (48.5%); ischemic (35.3%); valvular (5.9%) and congenital (2.4%) heart disease; hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (2.2%); endocardial fibroelastosis (1.7%); restrictive cardiomyopathy (1.4%); anthracycline cardiotoxicity (0.8%); myocarditis (0.8%); cardiac tumours (0.5%) and arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (0.2%). Distribution of recipients by sex and age varied according to the indications for transplantation: males were more common among the patients transplanted for ischemic (97%) and valvular (84%) heart disease, as well as for dilated (82%) and hypertrophic (78%) cardiomyopathy, whereas the opposite was true for endocardial fibroelastosis (males constituting 21%) and cardiac tumours (25%). Mean age at transplantation ranged from 49 years (ischemic heart disease) to 6 years (endocardial fibroelastosis). In the follow-up period, a 17.5% death rate was recorded; the main causes of death were the early failure of the transplanted heart (27 pts), postoperative complications (16), hyperacute rejection (4), acute rejection (18), infections (the singular most frequent cause of death, 35 pts), the proliferative endoarteritis of coronary branches (the so-called chronic rejection, that caused 21 deaths and required 14 re-transplants) and the development of neoplasms (11). The actuarial survival curve drops to 89% after the first postoperative month, abates to 82% at the end of the first year, and progressively decreases to 77% at the end of the fifth follow-up year. Rejection monitoring required an average number of 12.5 endomyocardial biopsies per recipient, and allowed 1.7 rejection episodes per patient to be diagnosed. The fewer were the rejection episodes occurring in a unit, the higher was the percentage of deaths due to infections.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1473660", "title": "[The multiple coronary spasm as the cause of acute ischemic events. A case report of a simultaneous spasm of the anterior descending and the circumflex during coronary angiography].", "content": "A case of simultaneous coronary artery spasm during coronary arteriography is reported. The patient, a 48-year-old male smoker, with an important family history of sudden death, underwent coronary angiography 5 months after anterior myocardial infarction. There were no lesions in the coronary arteries at the angiographic study. At the end of the procedure there was a sudden contemporary spasm of the anterior descending and circumflex coronary arteries. This severe condition was resolved with intra-arterial nitroglycerin. The relevance of multicoronary spasm as a cause of acute ischemic events and the possible influence of family history are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1473661", "title": "[An aneurysm of the interatrial septum associated with Ebstein's anomaly: a case report].", "content": "Atrial septal aneurysm (ASA) is a known morphologic abnormality and has been largely investigated with two-dimensional echocardiography. Its association with other congenital or acquired diseases has also been described. However, the presence of ASA and concomitant Ebstein's anomaly in the same patient is a very unexpected finding in an adult subject. We therefore present the case of a young asymptomatic woman with this association."}
{"id": "PMID:1473662", "title": "[Rupture of the free wall of the left ventricle as the first manifestation of a myocardial infarct. A clinical case operated on with success].", "content": "A case of an undetected myocardial infarction in a patient with diabetes mellitus in which the first clinical sign was a syncope due to rupture of the left ventricular inferior wall is described. Survival was enhanced by a fast diagnosis (aided by the availability of an ECO 2D in the emergency room), by emergency pericardiocentesis with temporary haemodynamic stabilization and by prompt access to the Cardiosurgical Unit. A prompt diagnosis and treatment can allow the survival of patients, even in the extreme case that the ventricular wall rupture represents the first clinical manifestation of the myocardial infarction. The left ventricular free wall rupture in the course of myocardial infarction has a subacute pattern in about 30%, due to various mechanisms such as thrombosis or pericardial adherence over the ruptured wall."}
{"id": "PMID:1473663", "title": "[Aortocoronary bypass in a child with Kawasaki disease: the follow-up results].", "content": "The Kawasaki disease (mucocutaneous lymph node syndrome) usually affects children younger than 5 years, and is considered one of the most important causes of myocardial infarction in children. Some disagreement still exists regarding the following: the selection, surgery techniques, and follow-up outcomes of aortocoronary bypass grafting in Kawasaki disease. We describe the case of a three-year-old child with Kawasaki disease and with left and right multiple aneurysms, suffering from an antero-lateral myocardial infarction and inferior reinfarction. After thrombolytic treatment and coronary arteriography, left anterior descending aortocoronary bypass grafting was performed by using the autologous saphenous vein. After two years clinical, angiographic, ergometric and echocardiographic examinations show good surgical results with a global and regional kinesis improvement."}
{"id": "PMID:1473664", "title": "[The day-night changes in ambulatory blood pressure: another risk indicator in hypertension?].", "content": "In many different clinical situations, including some cases of secondary hypertension, nighttime blood pressure (BP) is abnormally increased in the majority of patients, with consequent flattening of the 24-hour BP profile, but the clinical importance of this finding in such conditions is unknown. In patients with essential hypertension, ambulatory BP has been shown to decrease by 10-20% from day to night, but in severe or malignant hypertension this diurnal BP rhythm may be blunted or even abolished. One of the reasons why the noninvasive monitoring of BP may be a reliable tool in assessing the day-night BP changes is the demonstration that frequent cuff inflations do not interfere to a significant extent with the haemodynamic effects of sleep. Part of the differences between the studies in the reported day-night BP drop may be artifactual, owing to the very different time intervals defining the daytime and nighttime subperiods in the single studies. In unselected patients with essential hypertension, a sizable proportion of subjects (17 to 40%) shows abnormally high nighttime BP, with consequent flattening of the 24-hour BP profile (the so called \"non dippers\", as opposed to the \"dippers\" who show a maintained diurnal BP rhythm). Several clinical studies carried out in independent laboratories show that the target organ damage induced by hypertension (left ventricular hypertrophy, cerebrovascular lesions) is more severe in hypertensive \"non dippers\" than in \"dippers\", possibly because of the different duration of exposure to high BP levels over the 24 hours.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1473666", "title": "Minute non-polypoid adenoma of the colon detected by colonoscopy: correlation between endoscopic and histologic findings.", "content": "To characterize the endoscopic features of minute non-polypoid neoplastic lesions of the colon, we investigated the endoscopic, macroscopic, and histologic findings in 34 lesions detected by colonoscopy, which were smaller than 5 mm and were endoscopically recognized as flat or depressed lesions. The lesions were divided into two groups according to their endoscopic features; 8 lesions were completely flat and the remaining 26 lesions were flat-topped elevations with a central depression. Macroscopic examinations revealed that the center of the endoscopically flat lesion was slightly elevated, whereas the center of the flat-topped elevation was characterized by a central depression. All of the lesions were histologically diagnosed as tubular adenomas. The flat lesions were composed of flatly elevated adenomatous glands, while the flat-topped elevations with a depression were characterized by surrounding hyperplasia arising from normal glands. The whole thickness of the mucosa was replaced by adenomatous glands in the lesions with an obvious central depression, while the adenomas tended to spread superficially in the lesions with a shallow depression. These findings suggest that pre-cancerous lesions other than small polyps do exist in the colon and that colonoscopic examination provides some clue toward a prediction of the histologic architecture of the lesions."}
{"id": "PMID:1473667", "title": "Diazepam versus midazolam for colonoscopy: a prospective evaluation of predicted versus actual dosing requirements.", "content": "We performed a prospective, randomized, double-blind study to evaluate the efficacy of the currently recommended low doses of midazolam for conscious sedation compared with diazepam for colonoscopy. Each agent was administered in a fixed ratio dose in combination with meperidine, and titrated incrementally to allow for adequate sedation prior to initiating and during the procedure. The currently recommended starting dose of midazolam (0.03 mg/kg) proved to be very appropriate for pre-medication. In contrast, the currently recommended starting dose of diazepam (0.10 mg/kg) proved excessive in 21% of patients (especially in those aged > 65). The low initial and incremental doses of midazolam compared favorably with diazepam in all efficacy parameters studied and exceeded diazepam in post-procedure amnesia scores (p = 0.01). Moreover, the sedative effects of midazolam at these lower doses were not lost despite long duration procedures (> 40 min). We conclude that midazolam, given in small incremental doses, in combination with meperidine, produces effective conscious sedation for colonoscopy and exceeds diazepam in its amnestic effect."}
{"id": "PMID:1473668", "title": "Endoscopic classification of esophageal cancer: correlation with the T stage.", "content": "Staging of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma is a prerequisite to assessing prognosis and deciding on appropriate treatment. Endoscopy provides one means of predicting the extent of tumor growth. Using the classification of the Japanese Society for Esophageal Diseases, which differentiates superficial (type 0) from more advanced stages of esophageal carcinoma, we studied 273 patients with squamous cell cancer of the esophagus. Histopathologic examination of resected specimens (N = 81) or endosonography (N = 128) served to correlate the endoscopically defined categories with the otherwise determined T stages. Not classifiable by endoscopy were 64 patients (23.4%), 42 of whom were pre-treated by means of chemo- or radiation therapy. In the remaining 209 patients, it could be shown that endoscopic assessment was both sensitive (78%) and specific (93%) in predicting the local extent of tumor (overall accuracy, 89%). Detailed analysis showed good sensitivity for stage 0 (83%) which corresponds to T-1 carcinoma and for stages 3 and 4 (82% and 83%) which represent T-3 and T-4 tumors. Only in endoscopic stages 1 and 2 was the concordance with the T stage (T-2) weaker, with a sensitivity of 52%. We conclude that prediction of local tumor extent by endoscopic observation is a generally reliable means of pre-operative staging esophageal cancer."}
{"id": "PMID:1473669", "title": "Evaluation of endoscopic ultrasonography in the pre-operative staging of carcinoma of the ampulla of Vater and common bile duct.", "content": "Endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) was performed in 23 patients with carcinoma of the ampulla of Vater (ampulla) and in 16 patients with common bile duct (CBD) carcinoma. These patients all underwent surgery. The layered structures of the duodenum, ampulla, and CBD, and the pancreas, portal vein, and regional lymph nodes were clearly identified by EUS using a transduodenal approach. With this technique, ampullary carcinoma appeared as a hypoechoic mass in 22 of 23 patients, and the 1 remaining cancer was not detected because of its small size. Carcinoma of the CBD also appeared as a hypoechoic mass in 12 of 16 patients. However, the remaining four appeared as hyperechoic masses. For these tumors, EUS had a high tumor detection rate (96 to 100%). In this regard, EUS was comparable to ERCP and was better than ultrasonography (US), CT, and angiography. Using EUS, we were also able to stage the extent of these tumors according to the involvement of the duodenal or CBD walls, invasion of the pancreas and portal vein, and spread to regional lymph nodes. The accuracy rates of cancer extent by EUS were 78% for ampullary carcinoma and 81% for CBD carcinoma when compared with surgical findings. We conclude that EUS is a valuable method for the detection and staging of tumors of the ampulla and CBD."}
{"id": "PMID:1473670", "title": "Age, anemia, and obesity-associated oxygen desaturation during upper gastrointestinal endoscopy.", "content": "Although upper gastrointestinal endoscopy is generally a safe procedure, it is known to be associated with arterial oxygen desaturation. We studied 82 patients undergoing diagnostic upper gastrointestinal endoscopy following a standard premedication consisting of xylocaine throat spray and intravenous midazolam. The mean duration of endoscopy was 8.5 +/- 0.42 min and the mean dose of midazolam was 6.3 +/- 0.15 mg. The baseline SaO2 was 94.91 +/- 0.27% and it decreased after pre-medication to 92.84 +/- 0.40% (p < 0.001) and after intubation to 91.21 +/- 0.40% (p < 0.001). A fall greater than 4% saturation occurred for 15.68% of the total endoscopy time. SaO2 < 90% was seen for 16.7% and SaO2 < 85% occurred for 2.33% total endoscopy time. In patients > 65 years old, hemoglobin < 10 g/dl, or body mass index > 28, the baseline saturation was significantly lower and a reduced SaO2 was seen throughout the procedure. We identify old age, anemia, and obesity as independent risk factors for arterial oxygen desaturation. We recommend continuous monitoring before sedation, and giving supplemental oxygen to patients with these risk factors from the outset of upper gastrointestinal endoscopy."}
{"id": "PMID:1473671", "title": "Fentanyl for sedation during upper gastrointestinal endoscopy.", "content": "The effects of sedation by intravenous fentanyl on the rate-pressure product (pulse rate x systolic blood pressure/100), arterial oxygen saturation, electrocardiographic change, and serum cortisol concentration were studied during gastroduodenoscopy in 84 patients randomized to receive fentanyl or no intravenous sedative (controls). Fentanyl administration increased the tolerance of patients and attenuated the endoscopy-induced rise in rate-pressure product and serum cortisol concentration. Desaturation of arterial oxygen was minimal and there was no difference in arterial oxygen saturation between the fentanyl group and the control group. Therefore, fentanyl appears to be a favorable sedative for upper gastrointestinal endoscopy, since its administration increased the tolerance of patients and decreased cardiac oxygen consumption."}
{"id": "PMID:1473672", "title": "Quality of air contrast barium enema performed the same day as incomplete colonoscopy with air insufflation.", "content": "The quality of 17 air contrast barium enemas performed the same day as incomplete colonoscopies using air insufflation was compared with 21 air contrast barium enemas performed on a different day from incomplete colonoscopies. A gastrointestinal radiologist blinded to the timing of the procedures reviewed the barium studies scoring them as 1 (unsatisfactory) to 4 (excellent) in four areas. The mean overall quality score for the air contrast barium enemas done the same day as incomplete colonoscopy was 3.29 vs. 2.97 for those done on a different day (p = 0.24). There were no significant differences in quality scores between same-day versus different-day air contrast barium enemas for the specific parameters of quality of distention, barium coating, and amount of spasm. We conclude that when colonoscopy using air insufflation is incomplete because of looping or angulation, air contrast barium enema can be done the same day without impairing the quality of the barium study."}
{"id": "PMID:1473698", "title": "Status evaluation: endoscopic ultrasonography. American Society for Gastroenterology Endoscopy. Technology Assessment Committee.", "content": "Endoscopic ultrasound is a new technology that improves the local staging of esophageal, gastric, and rectal carcinomas. In addition, EUS may provide useful information which will affect management in individual patients with subepithelial masses (e.g., varices, leiomyomas) and pancreatic diseases. Other imaging studies such as transcutaneous ultrasonography and CT are still necessary to detect distant metastatic disease. At present, EUS may be best reserved for use by individuals who have sufficient patient materials to provide broad experience with the technique. Physicians at centers where large numbers of patients with gastrointestinal cancer are evaluated may find this technology most useful. Even in patients with malignancy, however, studies are needed to show that the improved local staging by EUS will translate into changes in patient management and improved outcome."}
{"id": "PMID:1473699", "title": "Status evaluation: biliary stents. American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy. Technology Assessment Committee.", "content": "Large caliber plastic stents (10 to 11.5 French) have become widely accepted as an alternative to surgery in the treatment of many malignant and benign lesions of the biliary tract. Procedure-related early complications occur at an acceptable rate (8 to 10%) and procedure-related mortality is approximately 2%. Late clogging occurs at a mean of 4 to 6 months. This results in the need to change a clogged stent in 20 to 35% of surviving patients with malignant disease. In benign or malignant disease, when long-term stenting is desired, it is generally recommended to prophylactically replace the stent every 4 to 6 months to avoid clogging. While several mechanisms of clogging have been elucidated, research studies have failed to lead to a clinically available improvement in duration of patency. The role of expandable metal stents in the treatment of malignant and benign biliary strictures has not been established. Despite their large internal diameter, they may be associated with late problems related to stent clogging from tumor ingrowth or overgrowth. Technical difficulties and expense, as well as lack of data from prospective randomized trials, limit current recommendation for their use at this time."}
{"id": "PMID:1473705", "title": "Evaluating psychiatric consultations in the general hospital. Multivariate prediction of concordance.", "content": "A study of 316 consultation cases was undertaken to examine the concordance between the psychiatric consultants' recommendations and the consultees' follow-through. Using a model of case concordance (defined as the proportion of all recommendations followed on each case), it was demonstrated that process variables, including who (the referring doctor p < or = 0.07) recommended what (psychosocial ward management p < 0.01, psychosocial diagnostic action p < 0.01, biological diagnostic action p < 0.01, aftercare p < or = 0.02, and number of recommendations p < or = 0.03), and when (timing of consultation p < or = 0.02), were the significant predictors of case concordance rather than clinical or demographic variables."}
{"id": "PMID:1473701", "title": "Status evaluation: sphincter of Oddi manometry. American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy. Technology Assessment Committee.", "content": "SO manometry appears to be helpful in defining a group of patients with biliary pain or idiopathic recurrent pancreatitis who may benefit from endoscopic or surgical treatment. It is a procedure that requires considerable time and endoscopic expertise along with knowledge of the manometric interpretation of sphincter of Oddi dysfunction. The diagnostic accuracy of SO manometry and criteria for basing therapeutic decisions on manometric findings need further study and verification."}
{"id": "PMID:1473706", "title": "Psychiatric affiliations between community hospitals and university programs. Transcending the difficulties.", "content": "The community-based general hospital is increasingly utilized as a clinical training site for psychiatric education. Are such affiliations taken for granted by university departments? Only by careful review of the governance structure and motivations for such affiliations can a successful program be developed. Such affiliations need not be \"taken for granted.\" Ongoing flexibility and communication will foster mutual respect between the clinical faculty within the community hospital and the university department. A case example is provided to demonstrate such a process."}
{"id": "PMID:1473707", "title": "Education of general practitioners in psychosomatic medicine. Effects of a training program on the daily work at Swedish primary health care centers.", "content": "Two interrelated studies are reported. One reports the results of a questionnaire interview with a reference group of 51 general practitioners. The respondents express a considerable dissatisfaction with their previous medical training as it concerns their knowledge of the psychosomatic medical paradigm. The other study evaluates the effects of a 5-year education program concerning psychodynamic theories and an integrative psychosomatic approach to treatment. Six general practitioners participated in this educational program, which included both theoretical seminars and practical training in psychotherapy (under supervision) with patients suffering from chronic idiopathic pain syndrome. All the participants reported developing substantial skill in treating such patients and in handling other kinds of patients with multifactorial etiology of symptoms. The participants of the training program did not initially differ from the larger reference group as to the previous knowledge and practice in integrative psychosomatic medicine, and it may be concluded that many physicians would profit from such post-graduate training. The self-reports of all these experienced physicians also indicate that there is too little theory and practice of the psychesoma interaction in the basic medical education."}
{"id": "PMID:1473708", "title": "Survival of 247 liver transplant candidates. Relationship to pretransplant psychiatric variables and presence of delirium.", "content": "We retrospectively gathered survival data for a cohort of previously published, prospectively studied liver transplantation candidates. Of the 247 candidates in the original cohort, 130 were transplanted at our hospital. The 117 who were not transplanted were older, had significantly more cognitive impairment on Trailmaking Tests and slowing on electroencephalogram (EEG), and had more delirium (25% vs 15%); they also had significantly more impairment in family relationships prior to transplant. Of the 130 patients who were transplanted, 91 survived as of December 1989 and 39 did not. None of the cognitive, EEG, or serum albumin results differentiated these groups, nor did age or incidence of pretransplant delirium (21% of those who died vs 12% of survivors). However, the highest level of adaptive functioning in the year prior to candidacy evaluation was significantly better in survivors; and there was more family and social dysfunction in nonsurvivors. Though the nonsurvivors received significantly more livers, histocompatibility did not distinguish the groups. The presence or absence of delirium did not predict survival status or duration for the whole group of transplanted patients. However, for the subgroup of transplant survivors, delirious patients had significantly shorter waits for transplantation and longer survival times than nondelirious ones."}
{"id": "PMID:1473700", "title": "Status evaluation: hot biopsy forceps. American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy. Technology Assessment Committee.", "content": "Monopolar hot biopsy forceps were developed for simultaneous tissue biopsy and electrocoagulation. Many endoscopists used these forceps for coagulation of diminutive polyps of the colon. The rationale for diminutive polyp eradication is to destroy neoplastic tissue and possibly prevent colon cancer. However, convincing data to document a reduction in the incidence of colorectal cancer or even complete obliteration of all treated diminutive polyps with hot biopsy forceps are lacking. Complications of hot biopsy include hemorrhage, perforation, and post-coagulation syndrome. Tissue injury is deeper with monopolar hot biopsy forceps than bipolar forceps. The right colon is particularly susceptible to transmural injury and perforation. For small polyp obliteration, comparative studies of hot biopsy (monopolar and bipolar) with other techniques such as cold biopsy combined with thermal probes, large cup cold biopsy removal, and snare electrocoagulation are warranted. The necessity to biopsy typical appearing angiomata does not seem warranted on a routine clinical basis. The expected obliteration rates of small angiomata or rates of controlling lower gastrointestinal bleeding from colon angiomata after monopolar hot biopsy electrocoagulation have not been well documented. Heater probe or bipolar electrocoagulation have been safely and effectively applied to bleeding colon angiomata. These newer coagulation probes are recommended as an alternative to hot biopsy forceps for treatment of bleeding colonic angiomata."}
{"id": "PMID:1473709", "title": "Psychosocial issues in hemophilia before and after the HIV crisis: a review of current research.", "content": "The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has had a fundamental impact on quality of life, delivery of care, and directions of research efforts for the hemophilia community. Studies of psychosocial issues in hemophilia before and after the HIV crisis are reviewed. Before this crisis, research addressed personality factors and coping, family functioning, impact of psychological factors on bleeding, effects of home treatment, and school functioning. After HIV problems surfaced, research focused on psychosocial impact of the epidemic, HIV knowledge assessments, and HIV transmission prevention efforts. HIV-positive children with hemophilia have not received sufficient attention. Future directions for research are suggested."}
{"id": "PMID:1473710", "title": "A retrospective study of self-inflicted burns.", "content": "A study was conducted of all 51 patients admitted on 64 occasions with self-inflicted burns to the Welsh Regional Burns Unit between January 1979 and January 1991. Two different groups of patients were identified, namely, patients who attempted suicide and patients with self-mutilative behavior. Their differences on a number of variables are described. At follow-up, no patient had subsequently committed suicide, but the majority of suicide attempters remained in contact with psychiatric services. In view of the considerable psychiatric morbidity of this patient group there is a need for consultation-liasion psychiatrists to provide a service to Burn Units."}
{"id": "PMID:1473711", "title": "Autogenic training and self-hypnosis in the control of tension headache.", "content": "This study compares autogenic training and training in multiple self-hypnosis strategies in a sample of 56 patients diagnosed as having chronic tension headache on the basis of medical evaluation by a neurologist. At posttreatment and follow-up, no differences between the two treatment regimens in the reduction of headache and psychological distress were observed. During treatment, patients reduced their headache activity and level of psychological distress significantly in contrast to the waiting-list period (p < 0.05). Follow-up measurements indicated that therapeutic improvement was maintained (p < 0.05). Short-term and long-term pain reduction was accompanied by an increase in perceived pain control (p < 0.003). Moreover, those patients who attributed the pain reduction obtained during therapy to their own efforts manifested long-term pain reduction (p < 0.003)."}
{"id": "PMID:1473712", "title": "Metoclopramide-associated tardive dyskinesia in hemodialysis patients with diabetes mellitus. Two case reports.", "content": "Metoclopramide, a drug used almost exclusively for medical indications, is a dopamine (D-2) receptor blocker and has been reported to cause extrapyramidal side effects. We present two case reports of hemodialysis patients who were treated with metoclopramide for diabetic gastroparesis. Within 12 months of beginning treatment, both patients developed persistent tardive dyskinesia. These cases highlight the fact that some patients who benefit from metoclopramide may also have a relatively high risk of developing persistent tardive dyskinesia. The consultation-liaison psychiatrist can play an important role in the education of the medical staff regarding metoclopramide-induced tardive dyskinesia."}
{"id": "PMID:1473713", "title": "The association of panic/agoraphobia and asthma. Contributing factors and clinical implications.", "content": "The point prevalence of phobic anxiety disorders was determined in 107 asthmatic outpatients through a standardized psychiatric interview and DSM-III-R diagnostic criteria. Agoraphobia and panic disorder were more prevalent (13.1% and 6.5%, respectively) than in the general population. Contributing factors and the clinical implications of this association are discussed. The recognition of specific anxiety syndromes enhances the efficacy of the treatment of anxious asthmatic patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1473714", "title": "[A method for determining the presence of inverted repeats in the chloroplast genome of higher plants].", "content": "A plasmid containing fragments of rp12 and rps19 genes from the chloroplast genome of Arabidopsis thaliana was developed. The presence of inverted repeats in the chloroplast DNA of A. thaliana and Vicia sativa, and their absence from two species of Fabaceae family (Lathyrus sativus, Lens esculenta) were shown with the help of this plasmid."}
{"id": "PMID:1473715", "title": "[Disorders of finger flexion crease formation in various congenital anomalies of human development].", "content": "Deviations in finger flexion crease formation and ridge counts were analysed in normal and deformed (Down syndrome, arthrogriposis, diastrophic dysplasia) hands. Certain interrelation was found between decrease in the ridge count and the number of the finger flexion creases in Down syndrome. The changes observed agree with the hypothesis that intersegmental borders, and later, the joints and finger flexion creases are laid out on the basis of the positional information which is directed by morphogenetic gradients. This model enables us to interpret more or less unequivocally the changes in flexion creases in patients with arthrogriposis and diastrophic dysplasia (dwarfism)."}
{"id": "PMID:1473716", "title": "[Ploidy level in Streptomyces cerevisiae strain 15B-P4 strain].", "content": "Hybridization analysis of seven clones of Saccaromyces cerevisiae 15B-P4 strain, which were obtained from different cultures, was carried out. Yeast strains taken from the Peterhoff breeding stocks were kept in the laboratory of genetics at Biological Institute of Irkutsk University from 1970. Increase in the number of prototrophic segregants was shown to by the result of aneuploidy (2n + 1) in the hybrids under study. Aneuploidy was revealed for the chromosomes I, III, IX, XII. Disomic clones of 15B-P4 strain were unstable."}
{"id": "PMID:1473717", "title": "[Exchange mechanism of chromosome loss].", "content": "Frequencies of induced losses of autosome 2, free arm of autosome 2 and simultaneous losses of two free arms of autosome 2 were determined as 3.25 x 10(-3), 2.78 x 10(-3), 0.84 x 10(-3), respectively. High frequency of simultaneous losses of two chromosomes may have pointed to the exchange nature of the chromosome losses. The similarity of frequencies of half-translocations in heterochromatin of autosome 2 and frequencies of the losses observed show that the chromosome losses are the consequence of exchanges in chromosomal heterochromatin."}
{"id": "PMID:1473718", "title": "[Electron microscopic analysis of synaptonemal complexes of male laboratory mice exposed during the period of embryogenesis in the vicinity of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Station].", "content": "Four male mice were shown to have decreased fertility among 74 laboratory male mice exposed in the Chernobyl APP area during embryogenesis. Electron microscopic analysis of synaptonemal complexes (SC) of at zygotene-diplotene and light-optic analysis of chromosome aberrations at diakinesis-metaphase 1 demonstrated the presence of interchromosome translocations in autosomal chromosomes, and also intrachromosome translocations in two of four animals. The frequency of chromosome translocations in SC preparations was on the average 1.8 times higher than their frequency at the diakinesis-metaphase 1 stage. High percentage of cells in which associations of sex bivalent axes (XY) with the axes of autosomal bivalents were observed in the SC preparations and reduced fertility in the animals studied confirmed the Forejt's hypothesis that such associations caused the arrest of cells at pachytene and, as a consequence, disturbed the process of embryogenesis."}
{"id": "PMID:1473719", "title": "[DNA repair in cells of the radiosensitive mutant of Drosophila rad(2)201GI after gamma-irradiation].", "content": "A radiosensitive mutant of Drosophila melanogaster rad(2)201GI was analysed for the capacity to repair DNA single- and double-strand breaks induced by gamma-rays. Analysis was performed on cell cultures derived from embryos of homozygous mutant stock and wild type strain Oregon R. The viability of irradiated cells was studied. It was shown that the mutant strain cells had increased lethality, just like a whole organism. Single-strand breaks were analysed by alkaline sucrose gradient centrifugation; double-strand breaks were monitored by neutral elution. The similarity of repair kinetics of single- and double-strand breaks in cells of rad(2)201GI and Oregon R was shown. Probable molecular mechanisms of rad(2)201GI mutant radiosensitivity are under discussion."}
{"id": "PMID:1473720", "title": "[Effect of mutations in the genes su(Hw) and mod(mdg4) on transvection between alleles of the Yellow locus in Drosophila melanogaster].", "content": "A typical example of transvection is a complementation between alleles in the yellow locus: y2 (mdg4 insertion inactivating certain y-enhancers) and y1 (deletion of the y-promoter but not of the enhancer). Transvection was explained by trans-activation of promoter in y2-allele by enhancer of y1-allele. Here we found that the mutation mod(mdg4)1u1 in the modifier of mdg4 locus (a regulatory gene controlling, together with suppressor of Hairy wing) expression of (mdg4) completely suppress the complementation. Removal of an acidic domain from su(Hw) protein product in su(Hw)j mutation partially suppress the complementation. We also have found that mod(mdg4)1u1 mutation trans-inactivates the yellow allele with a wild type phenotype (y+2MC) in heterozygote with the y2 allele, i.e. the negative transvection takes place. In this case, deletion removing an acidic domain even in one copy of su(Hw) suppresses the effect of mod(mdg4)1u1 mutation."}
{"id": "PMID:1473721", "title": "[Selection in the context of provocation in artificial populations of Drosophila melanogaster].", "content": "The experimental potentials of the method for selection against provocative background (autoselection) in artificial populations of Drosophila melanogaster were analysed. The dynamics of adaptation of Drosophila population under increasing NaCl concentration in food was studied. It appeared that selection was successful in case of feedback between the selection pressure, mediated by alteration of salt concentration, and the rate of flies adaptation determined by the intensity of their reproduction. Within a short period of time, as the result of autoselection, the flies' ability for development with NaCl of up to 8% concentration in food was registered. It was shown that this resistance of flies to the salt was inherited within twelve successive generations."}
{"id": "PMID:1473722", "title": "Characterization of a major tandemly repeated DNA sequence (RBMII) prevalent among many species of waterfowl (Anatidae).", "content": "We have investigated the evolution of a 190 base pair tandemly repeated DNA sequence (RBMII) in 27 different species of waterfowl. In this paper we show that the RBMII sequence is present in many species belonging to 7 of the 11 Anatid tribes. Inter- and intra-tribal differences in repeat presence indicate that, although the RBMII sequence has been maintained among widely divergent species, it is rapidly evolving. Restriction enzyme analyses suggest very different hierarchical repeat organizations among different species. DNA sequence comparisons of 32 cloned monomer units from five different species revealed what appears to be a nonrandom distribution of sequence divergence, as well as large differences (up to 25-fold) in intraspecific sequence variation between relatively closely related species."}
{"id": "PMID:1473723", "title": "The phylogeny of nine species of the Drosophila obscura group inferred by the banding homologies of chromosomal regions. III. Element D.", "content": "The phylogenetic relationships among nine species belonging to the obscura group of the genus Drosophila were deduced, based on similarities of the banding pattern of their polytene chromosomal element D. These similarities were inferred by the comparison of chromosomal photomaps. The phylogenetic reconstruction was the most parsimonious based on seriation by overlapping inversions and on the principle of conservation/disassociation of nearby located segments. The gene sequences of element D for all species studied were relatively easy to recognize in terms of the map of D. obscura, already found to occupy a relative central position in this group. Thus, three clusters of closely related species could be identified: obscura (D. obscura, D. ambigua, and D. tristis), African (D. kitumensis and D. microlabis), and subobscura (D. subobscura, D. madeirensis and D. guanche), with D. subsilvestris standing apart. The results are in agreement with those from the previously studied elements B and E, but element D was found to be much more conclusive concerning the links among the different clusters. Thus, it is inferred that D. guanche occupies an intermediate position between the other two species of its own cluster and all the others. The gene arrangement of D. obscura, directly related to those of the other species, has been identified. In the phylogenetic tree proposed, both the African cluster and D. subsilvestris derive from a hypothetical gene arrangement, intermediate in the pathway between the subobscura and obscura clusters."}
{"id": "PMID:1473724", "title": "The mitochondrial NADH dehydrogenase subunit 6 (ND6) gene in Murres: relevance to phylogenetic and population studies among birds.", "content": "The nucleotide sequences of the mitochondrial ND6 and tRNA(Glu) genes and part of the displacement loop region in two closely related seabird species are presented. A chicken type gene organization in which the tRNA(Glu), ND6, and displacement loop are localized next to each other was found in these species and suggests that this is a conserved feature of avian mitochondrial DNA. The nucleotide and amino acid divergences of ND6 at different taxonomic levels are assessed, and its relevance to phylogenetic studies in birds is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1473725", "title": "Silver staining two types of meiotic nodules.", "content": "We have developed a reliable method for silver staining nodules on synaptonemal complexes (SCs) of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum). This technique involves hypotonically bursting primary microsporocytes, fixing SC spreads with paraformaldehyde, and incubating the spreads at 40 degrees C in a 33% aqueous silver nitrate solution covered with nylon mesh. When tomato SCs were stained by this method, nodules were observed with the same distribution and frequency as nodules stained with uranyl acetate and lead citrate. Incubation in silver nitrate at higher temperatures caused the loss of some or all nodules. The pattern of loss suggests that two types of nodules coexist during late zygonema and early pachynema and that one type becomes the late nodules of mid-pachynema through early diplonema."}
{"id": "PMID:1473726", "title": "A distribution model for heritability.", "content": "A regression model to predict quantiles of narrow sense individual and family mean heritabilities is developed and used to predict confidence intervals either directly or via a generalized beta distribution model. Extensive simulations of balanced sib analysis trials in randomized complete block designs and normal distributed environmental and additive genetic effects confirmed that heritabilities follow a beta distribution even in cases with up to 10% of the data missing at random. The new model is both more accurate and more precise than commonly used alternatives based on \"exact\" chi 2 distributions and Satterthwaites approximations to the degrees of freedom. Estimates of the expected heritability and a Taylor approximation of the standard error of the heritability are needed as input to the quantile model. Applications of the presented models for estimating confidence intervals and as an aid in the design of experiments are provided."}
{"id": "PMID:1473727", "title": "Mitochondrial and ribosomal DNA variation among members of the Anopheles quadrimaculatus (Diptera: Culicidae) species complex.", "content": "The extent of intra- and inter-specific variation in mitochondrial DNA and nuclear ribosomal RNA gene restriction sites was determined for the four sibling species of the Anopheles quadrimaculatus complex. Individual mosquitoes were identified by allozyme analysis according to previously published keys, and the total genomic DNA of these same individuals was then cleaved with restriction enzymes. Restriction maps of mitochondrial DNA, including the positions of variable sites, were constructed for each species. No evidence for interspecific hybridization was found in the populations surveyed. There was little variation in restriction patterns within any given species, but differences occurred among the four. Three restriction enzymes (AvaI, HindIII, and PvuII) yielded species-specific DNA restriction patterns for the mitochondrial DNA, while AvaI and HindIII produced diagnostic patterns for the ribosomal DNA. Thus, restriction patterns were very useful for detecting cryptic species but less appropriate than isozymes for studying genetic structure of populations within species."}
{"id": "PMID:1473728", "title": "The evolutionary history of Drosophila buzzatii. XXIII. High content of nonsatellite repetitive DNA in D. buzzatii and in its sibling D. koepferae.", "content": "The frequency and types of repetitive nonsatellite DNA of two sibling species of the repleta group of Drosophila, D. buzzatii, and D. koepferae have been determined. For each species, the analysis is based on a sample of more than 100 clones (400 kb) obtained from genomic DNA. A theoretical model has been developed to correct for the presence of a mixture of repetitive and unique DNA in these clones. After correction, a high content of repetitive DNA has been demonstrated for both species (D. buzzatii, 19-26%; D. koepferae, 27-32%). The repetitive sequences have been classified according to their hybridization pattern when used as probes against genomic DNA and by their in situ hybridization signals on polytene chromosomes. Data suggest that the main nonsatellite component of these species is simpler and more repetitive than that of D. melanogaster, pointing to a wide variability in content and class size distribution of repetitive DNA among Drosophila species."}
{"id": "PMID:1473729", "title": "Immune reactivity in aging-autologous mixed lymphocyte responses.", "content": "The level of activity in the autologous mixed lymphocyte reaction (AMLR) was studied in populations of young and old subjects. AMLR activity was reduced in the older age group. A subpopulation of the older age group who had Alzheimer's disease was shown to have the lowest AMLR values. Within this group, those with a history indicating a more rapid development of CNS-related disability from senescence showed the weakest AMLR responses. The AMLR values correlated neither with sex, nutritional status nor history of infections. This impairment of a central regulating immune reaction may be a significant variable in manifestations of the aging process."}
{"id": "PMID:1473730", "title": "Age-associated decrease in vasopressin-induced renal water transport: a role for adenylate cyclase and G protein malfunction.", "content": "Aging is associated with a decline in renal concentrating ability in response to dehydration-induced arginine vasopressin (AVP) release. To examine target tissue sensitivity, cortical collecting tubules (CCT) were individually microdissected from young (3 months), middle-aged (2-3 years) and old (4-5.5 years) rabbits and subjected to in vitro perfusion analysis and tissue culture of defined epithelial monolayers. Osmotic fluid transport was compared with adenylate cyclase activity and an age-associated decline in both parameters detected in response to increasing doses of AVP. [3H]-AVP binding was unchanged in CCT epithelia of different ages, excluding receptor alterations as the underlying mechanism. Also, hydraulic conductivity measurements of isolated young and old CCT were not significantly different, excluding post-cAMP events as a major mechanism of reduced sensitivity. Effects of cholera toxin and forskolin on hydraulic conductivity and adenylate cyclase activity showed a dramatic decrease in the ability of these compounds to elicit a response in CCT epithelia from old rabbits. It was concluded that alterations in Gs proteins and the catalytic unit of adenylate cyclase-were responsible for the age-associated decline in CCT response to AVP."}
{"id": "PMID:1473731", "title": "Event-related potentials in patients with multiple lacunar infarcts.", "content": "We studied event-related potentials (ERPs) occurring in response to attended and unattended stimuli in 31 patients with multiple lacunar infarcts. ERPs were recorded during the performance of visual discrimination tasks using three kinds of stimuli. Each component of P300 response to infrequent nontarget stimuli and P300 response to infrequent target stimuli was defined as non-target P3 or target P3. The non-target P3 latency in patients with multiple lacunar infarcts was significantly longer than in 15 age-equivalent normal subjects, while no significant differences could be found in target P3 latency between patients and normal subjects. From the controlled/automatic standpoint these results suggest that multiple lacunar infarcts are related to impairment of automatic processing reflected by non-target P3, although controlled processing reflected by target P3, is less impaired."}
{"id": "PMID:1473732", "title": "Prevalence of peripheral arterial disease and related risk factors in elderly institutionalized subjects.", "content": "Blood pressure was measured at the posterior tibial artery by Doppler ultrasonography in 124 elderly subjects (37 men and 87 women) living in two retirement homes in Naples (Italy). Ankle-to-arm systolic pressure ratios below 0.97 and 0.90 was considered as a probable and definite pathological sign of peripheral arterial disease, respectively. Half of the subjects (48% of men and 51% of women) gave a value below 0.97, while a third (35% of men and 33% of women) had a value below 0.90. By multiple regression analysis, mean blood pressure, plasma cholesterol levels and cigarette smoking were all negatively correlated with ankle systolic pressure values with a progressively lower significance. Most of the patients with pathological Doppler examination were asymptomatic at a questionnaire for intermittent claudication."}
{"id": "PMID:1473733", "title": "Physiological factors associated with injurious falls in older people living in the community.", "content": "Performance in six tests of sensorimotor function was measured in 50 subjects who were admitted to an acute hospital because of a fall (ICD codes E880-888), but who did not suffer a fracture of the lower limbs as a result. Performances in these tests were compared with 50 subjects of the same age and sex who had not fallen in the previous 12 months. It was found that those admitted to hospital because of a fall had decreased tactile sensation, reduced quadriceps strength and increased body sway on firm and compliant surfaces. The fallers also performed poorly in clinical tests of static and dynamic balance. Psychoactive-drug use was associated with falling and a number of test measures, including body sway, static balance, dynamic balance and quadriceps strength. Twenty-seven percent of fallers had poor outcomes, in that 1 year after testing, they had either suffered three or more additional falls, been readmitted to hospital, been transferred to nursing homes or died."}
{"id": "PMID:1473734", "title": "Nuclear factor kappa B: an oxidative stress-responsive transcription factor of eukaryotic cells (a review).", "content": "NF-kappa B is a multiprotein complex that can activate a great variety of genes involved in early defence reactions of higher organisms. In nonstimulated cells, NF-kappa B resides in the cytoplasm in an inactive complex with the inhibitor I kappa B. Pathogenic stimuli cause release of I kappa B and allow NF-kappa B to enter the nucleus, bind to DNA control elements and, thereby, induce the synthesis of mRNA. A puzzling feature of NF-kappa B is that its activation is triggered by a great variety of agents. These include the cytokines interleukin-1 and tumor necrosis factor, viruses, double-stranded RNA, endotoxins, phorbol esters, UV light and ionizing radiation. We recently found that also low concentrations of H2O2 activate NF-kappa B and that various antioxidants prevent the induction by H2O2. Subsequent analysis revealed that antioxidants not only suppress the activation of NF-kappa B by H2O2 but by all other inducers tested so far. In this review, we will discuss the evidences that NF-kappa B is an oxidative stress-responsive transcription factor of higher eukaryotic cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1473735", "title": "Antioxidant vitamin supplementation of smoke-exposed rats partially protects against myocardial ischaemic/reperfusion injury.", "content": "Our previous studies showed that exposure of rats to limited periods of cigarette smoke resulted in more severe myocardial damage when their hearts were subjected to myocardial ischaemia/reperfusion. The aim of this study was to determine whether supplementation of rats with antioxidant vitamins alpha-tocopherol and beta-carotene was able to protect their hearts against the increase in ischaemia/reperfusion injury caused by smoke-exposure. The parameters measured were mitochondrial oxidative function, cellular levels of alpha-tocopherol and low molecular weight iron (LMWI). Supplementation with antioxidant vitamins resulted in significantly less mitochondrial functional oxidative damage compared to that observed in the controls. Supplementation did not affect the cellular LMWI content, suggesting that the generation rate of hydroxyl radicals was similar in both groups. The protective effect of alpha-tocopherol and beta-carotene supplementation on the mitochondrial function against ischaemia/reperfusion could be due to their free radical scavenging action. Supplementation with antioxidant vitamins, therefore, had a beneficial effect on the excessive myocardial ischaemia/reperfusion injury of smoke exposed rats."}
{"id": "PMID:1473736", "title": "Glomerular injury induced by hydrogen peroxide: modifying influence of ACE inhibitors.", "content": "The sensitivity of isolated glomeruli from normotensive (Wistar-Kyoto, WKY) and spontaneously hypertensive (SHR) strains to oxidant stress was studied by determining the incidence of pyknosis, karyohexis and karyolysis after incubation with different concentrations of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) (4.7 x 10(-9) - 10(-3) M). Even though the proportion of glomeruli containing nuclei that demonstrated these features increased progressively with increasing concentrations of H2O2, the number of severely damaged glomeruli was relatively small even at concentrations of 4.7 x 10(-3) M. Examination of the surface epithelial cells of glomeruli using scanning electron microscopy revealed no evidence of disturbance of the macroscopic or podocyte structure or, of increased blebbing after H2O2-treatment. These data suggest damage to nuclei is an early result of ROS stress on glomeruli. Preincubation of WKY glomeruli with captopril or lisinopril resulted in a significant drop in the proportion of WKY glomeruli demonstrating structural damage after oxidant stress. In contrast, preincubation of SHR glomeruli with lisinopril had no effect on oxidant-induced changes in the morphology of SHR glomeruli, whereas captopril effected a significant increase in the proportion of glomeruli demonstrating damage at all concentration of H2O2."}
{"id": "PMID:1473738", "title": "Hexamethylmelamine as second-line therapy in platin-resistant ovarian cancer.", "content": "A total of 61 patients with recurrent or persistent clinically measurable platin-resistant epithelial ovarian carcinoma were treated with 260 mg/m2 oral hexamethylmelamine daily for 14 days, repeated at 4-week intervals. Platin resistance was defined as progression or stable disease during cis- or carboplatin treatment (used alone or in combination with other drugs), or relapse within 6 months after the end of that therapy. Fifty patients were evaluable for response and 57 for toxicity. The objective response rate was 14% (3 complete and 4 partial responses). The response rate was higher in patients with relapse within 6 months than in patients with progression or stable disease on platin-based therapy. This observation underscores the importance of defining response and time to progression after first-line chemotherapy. The median duration of response was 8 months and the median survival in responding patients was 9+ months versus 5 months for patients with progression on hexamethylmelamine. Nausea and vomiting requiring antiemetic treatment occurred in 8 (14%) patients and reversible peripheral neuropathy in 3 patients. Two patients developed agitation, insomnia, and depression during hexamethylmelamine therapy. In conclusion, the 14% objective response rate and the occurrence of complete responses with oral hexamethylmelamine treatment in a group of ovarian cancer patients with true platin resistance are noteworthy."}
{"id": "PMID:1473739", "title": "Diagnostic value of conization of the uterine cervix in the management of cervical neoplasia: a review of 756 consecutive patients.", "content": "A review of 584 consecutive cases of conizations performed over a 15-year period showed that 320 patients (54.8%) had conizations because of the presence of neoplastic cells in the endocervical curettings. Of these patients, 268 (83.4%) had cervical intraepithelial neoplasia of various grades on conization, and 12 (3.6%) had microinvasive cancer. The remaining 40 patients had normal cervical epithelium. One hundred seven (18.3%) patients had conization because of cytological smear and colposcopy discrepancy. Seventy-six (71.0%) patients in this category had cervical intraepithelial neoplasia. Two (2.0%) had superficially invasive cancer; the remaining 29 patients had normal cervical histology. Sixty-seven (11.5%) had conizations because of unsatisfactory colposcopic evaluations. This review indicates that although conization is less frequently performed, it is still a useful tool in the management of patients with abnormal cytology in whom colposcopy evaluation cannot rule out invasive cancer."}
{"id": "PMID:1473740", "title": "Long-term survival with advanced ovarian cancer: an analysis of 5-year survivors in the Australian trial comparing combination versus sequential chlorambucil and cisplatin therapy.", "content": "Of 369 patients with apparent advanced ovarian cancer entered on a randomized trial between September 1979 and June 1983, 56 survived more than 5 years. Central pathology review confirmed the diagnosis in 318 cases (15 cases not ovarian primary, 36 slides did not reach central review). Two hundred ninety-eight were invasive cancer and 34 of these (11.4%) patients were alive at 5 years. The remaining 20 cases were tumors of low malignant potential and 17 (85%) were alive at 5 years. The clinical, pathological, and treatment characteristics of these long-term survivors has been ascertained. No significant difference in survival has emerged between the two treatment arms being compared--combination chlorambucil and cisplatin versus sequential chlorambucil followed by cisplatin on treatment failure. Of 298 cases of invasive cancer there were 133 with residuum less than 2 cm after initial surgery and 20 of these (15%) survived 5 years compared with 14/165 (8.5%) of those with more tumor residuum. Clinical response was a poor indicator of survival. Only 7 of 46 (15%) patients with complete clinical response survived 5 years; however, of 44 patients with complete surgical response, 29 (65.9%) were alive at 5 years. These results highlight the improved survival prospects of women with low-potential malignancy, even in advanced stage, compared to those with invasive tumors and make a strong case for central pathology review of all cases of apparent ovarian cancer entered on randomized trials."}
{"id": "PMID:1473741", "title": "Uterine papillary serous carcinoma: a study on 108 cases with emphasis on the prognostic significance of associated endometrioid carcinoma, absence of invasion, and concomitant ovarian carcinoma.", "content": "One hundred eight cases of uterine papillary serous carcinoma (UPSC) were analyzed to characterize its histologic features and biologic behavior. Special situations that could conceivably modify the behavior and therapeutic approaches were considered: (1) the occurrence of areas of endometrioid carcinoma in otherwise typical UPSC; (2) the confinement of UPSC to an otherwise benign endometrial polyp or the endometrial mucosa or absence of residual tumor at the time of hysterectomy; and (3) the coexistence of a superficial UPSC and a serous ovarian carcinoma. There was coexistence of endometrioid and UPSC in 22 cases, and tumor was confined to an endometrial polyp or endometrium in 19 cases. There was simultaneous pathologic stage I UPSC and papillary serous ovarian carcinoma in 10 cases. In patients with pathologic stages I and II UPSC the presence of areas of endometrioid carcinoma intermixed with the UPSC did not improve survival. Patients with stage I disease and no residual tumor or tumor confined to an endometrial polyp/endometrial mucosa and without vascular invasion had a survival not statistically different from those with stage I disease but with myometrial and/or vascular invasion. Patients with stage I UPSC with concomitant ovarian serous surface papillary carcinoma had survival not statistically different from patients with stage IV UPSC."}
{"id": "PMID:1473742", "title": "Estrogen and progesterone receptor assay in carcinoma of the cervix with monoclonal antibodies.", "content": "The normal cervix has been shown to contain estrogen and progesterone receptors (ER and PR), but there have been controversial reports on the presence of these receptors in cervical carcinoma. Thus to explore the relationships between the steroid receptor status and cervical carcinoma, tissues of 34 patients with invasive cervical carcinoma prior to treatment and 30 cases of control who underwent hysterectomy due to benign gynecologic diseases at Yonsei Medical Center were analyzed for ER and PR using immunocytochemical assay with monoclonal antibodies and the results were compared with those of conventional steroid binding assay. ER and PR were positive in 65 and 71% of all tumors, respectively, and 59% of the cases were positive for both receptors simultaneously. No significant difference in receptor levels was noted when stratified according to menopausal status or clinical stage. With regard to tumor size, lesions greater than 3 cm had significantly lower receptor positivity when compared with the control. For the histological cell types, a statistically significant higher mean ER level was noted in adenocarcinoma compared to squamous cells. Even though the potential therapeutic significance of these findings is not yet known, they are consistent with the concept that steroid receptors can be used as a guide to endocrine therapy with respect to other prognostic parameters. However, the small number of advanced-stage carcinomas and the absence of data regarding survival rate in this study preclude any definite conclusions."}
{"id": "PMID:1473743", "title": "Molar villous fluid suppresses mononuclear cell cytotoxicity.", "content": "Complete molar pregnancy tissue is an allograft to the mother because all molar chromosomes are of paternal origin. Interactions between molar tissue and the maternal immune system may be important in the natural history of complete molar pregnancy. Molar villous fluid (MVF) has previously been demonstrated to suppress both mitogen and interleukin-2-induced T lymphocyte proliferation. The current study was undertaken to evaluate the potential effect of MVF on the cytotoxic activity of mononuclear cells (MNC) and lymphokine-activated mononuclear cells (LA-MNC). Sera and molar villous fluid were obtained from four women at the time of molar evacuation. K-562 erythroblastoid cells were used as target cells for MNC-mediated lysis, and JEG-3 choriocarcinoma cells were used as targets for LA-MNC-mediated lysis in a 51Cr release assay. Relative to patient sera, all MVF tested significantly inhibited both MNC and LA-MNC lysis of target cells (48.3 and 91% mean inhibition, respectively; P < 0.05). This study provides additional evidence that molar gestational tissue produces factor(s) that suppress maternal immunologic responses. Potential therapies may become available to reduce or eliminate the immunosuppressive effects of molar gestations resulting in a more favorable clinical outcome in patients with complete molar pregnancy and postmolar gestational trophoblastic tumors."}
{"id": "PMID:1473744", "title": "Steroid receptors in ovarian carcinoma: immunohistochemical determination may lead to new aspects.", "content": "87 nonpretreated stage III/IV ovarian common epithelial carcinomas were studied for estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) content by both immunohistochemistry (IHC) and biochemical (DCC) analysis. While the DCC assay showed tumors to be receptor-positive in 62% (ER) and 66% (PR), receptor-positive malignant epithelial cells were only detected in 38% (ER) and 31% (PR) by IHC. There was only a low correlation between the semiquantitative results of ER and PR IHC and the corresponding values of DCC receptor determination. The finding of steroid receptor-positive stromal cells without any evidence of hormone receptor-positive epithelial tumor cells offers a possible explanation for discrepant results in numerous cases with obviously \"false positive\" results of DCC analysis. Since the considerable heterogeneity of steroid receptor expression present in many ovarian neoplasms can only be detected by IHC, it seems to be the appropriate method of ER and PR determination. Most patients were treated by both radical cytoreductive surgery (n = 76) and a platinum-based chemotherapy (n = 79). ER was not shown to be of significant prognostic value. However, survival was significantly better in patients with PR positive tumors (IHC and DCC) on univariate analysis. Residual tumor after primary surgery was the only remaining significant prognostic factor after multivariate analysis. Further studies are needed to clarify the biological function of steroid receptor-positive stromal cells in ovarian carcinomas."}
{"id": "PMID:1473745", "title": "Detection and patterns of treatment failure in 300 consecutive cases of \"early\" endometrial cancer after primary surgery.", "content": "From November 1977 to July 1987, 300 consecutive patients with endometrial carcinoma clinically confined to the uterine corpus underwent primary surgery consisting of at least abdominal hysterectomy and adnexectomy. Patients with aggressive disease characteristics received postoperative radiotherapy. Forty-seven patients (16%) demonstrated recurrent disease from 2 to 125 (median of 12.8) months after surgery. Forty-seven percent of the recurrences were detected within the first year following surgery and 70% by 2 years after hysterectomy. Of the 47 recurrences, 29 were at distant sites, 16 were within the pelvis, and 2 consisted of both local and distant recurrences. Patients treated with pelvic radiotherapy after hysterectomy were more likely to experience distant, rather than local recurrences. Only 7 of the 148 patients (5%) treated with postoperative radiotherapy recurred in the pelvis. Approximately half of the recurrences were detected in asymptomatic individuals; physical examination and chest X-ray were the most useful means to detect disease in patients without symptoms. The combination of history, physical examination, pap smear, and chest X ray detected all of the recurrences. Actuarial survivals at 12, 24, and 36 months after recurrence were 42, 24, and 17%, respectively. The site of recurrence, time interval of surgery to recurrence, and use of postoperative pelvic radiotherapy were statistically related to patient prognosis. The identification of patients at risk of recurrence and more effective adjuvant therapy need to be developed in order to decrease the frequency of recurrence. In order to substantially improve the survival of patients with recurrent disease, more sensitive methods of detection, as well as more effective salvage therapy, will be required."}
{"id": "PMID:1473746", "title": "Characterization and clinical evaluation of tumor-associated antigen CA54/61 identified by monoclonal antibodies MA54 and MA61 in epithelial ovarian cancer.", "content": "Monoclonal antibodies (moABs) MA54 and MA61, directed toward the O-linked mucin-type glycoprotein, have been established and showed highly specific reactivity with human ovarian cancer. Fetal intestinal and colonic mucosal cells expressed this antigen and meconium staining was also frequently positive. To investigate the characteristic of an epitopic carbohydrate recognized by these moABs, the reactivity of each moAB with meconium extract was monitored by solid-phase enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay with mono-, di-, and oligosaccharides. MA54 and MA61 react with meconium extract and the reactivities of these moABs are neuraminidase sensitive. Ovine submaxillary mucin had a strong inhibitory activity toward the reaction between meconium extract and MA54 as well as MA61, suggesting that these moABs recognize NeuAc 2-6GalNAc epitope in meconium. The second aim of this study is to investigate the possible application of moABs to diagnose ovarian cancer and to compare these levels with those of the CA125 antigen. While serum CA54/61 antigen levels were elevated in 44.4% of ovarian cancer cases and serum CA125 antigen levels were elevated in 86.7% of the same population, the use of both assays indicated a sensitivity of detection of 97.8% (44 of 45 patients) in the population studied."}
{"id": "PMID:1473747", "title": "Office laparoscopy and biopsy for evaluation of patients with intraperitoneal carcinomatosis using a new optical catheter.", "content": "We report seven patients who underwent diagnostic laparoscopy and biopsy under local anesthesia using a new optical catheter. Six of these procedures were performed in the office. Four patients had previous malignancies (lung, breast, and fallopian tube), and intraperitoneal recurrences or new primaries were suspected. In two of these patients, laparoscopically directed biopsies confirmed adenocarcinoma similar to their prior malignancies, and in one a new primary was diagnosed. The fourth patient had no evidence of intraperitoneal disease. In the three patients with new intraperitoneal malignancies, biopsies obtained laparoscopically confirmed adenocarcinomas of the ovary in two patients and of the gastrointestinal tract in one patient. We feel that this procedure is a safe, simple, effective, and economical way to evaluate the intraperitoneal cavity and to obtain histologic or cytologic specimens for evaluation in patients with intraperitoneal malignancies. This is an ideal, minimally invasive method for detecting small-volume intraperitoneal disease. In addition, it allows some patients to be spared major operative procedures."}
{"id": "PMID:1473748", "title": "The effects of cisplatin on murine metaphase II oocytes.", "content": "This study was undertaken to determine if cisplatin can induce aneuploidy in murine oocytes treated prior to ovulation. Control animals were injected with intraperitoneal (ip) saline and the treatment animals were divided into three different dose schedules for ip cisplatin. After ovulation induction, the oocytes were processed for cytogenetic analysis and the chromosomes were counted. There were significantly less oocytes ovulated in the treatment groups when compared to control animals. There was a significant increase in hypohaploid cells counted in the 7.5 mg/kg treatment group, but the percentages of hyperhaploid and polyploid cells were not increased in the treatment groups. The cytogenetic effects of cisplatin in vivo and in vitro are reviewed."}
{"id": "PMID:1473749", "title": "Phase 2 trial of intraperitoneal carboplatin and etoposide as salvage treatment of advanced epithelial ovarian cancer.", "content": "To evaluate the efficacy of intraperitoneal (IP) carboplatin-based therapy as salvage treatment of ovarian cancer, 46 patients with persistent or recurrent ovarian cancer following initial systemic chemotherapy were treated with a regimen of carboplatin (200-300 mg/m2) and etoposide (100 mg/m2) administered on a monthly schedule. A maximum of six courses of therapy was delivered, followed by a response laparotomy. The treatment program was well tolerated, except for bone marrow suppression, with one-quarter of patients developing platelet count depressions to < or = 50,000/mm3, and one-third experiencing hemoglobin levels of < or = 8 g/dl during treatment. Twelve (38%) of 32 patients evaluable for efficacy of the treatment program achieved a surgically documented response, including 8 (25%) complete responses. Of 25 patients whose largest tumor mass at the initiation of therapy measured < or = 0.5 cm, 11 (44%) responded, including 8 (32%) complete responses. We conclude that the IP administration of carboplatin can result in surgically documented responses when used in the salvage setting in patients with advanced ovarian cancer. The relative efficacy of carboplatin versus cisplatin when administered by the IP route to patients with ovarian cancer previously treated with platinum-based systemic therapy remains to be defined."}
{"id": "PMID:1473750", "title": "Distribution of intraperitoneally injected microspheres labeled with the alpha-emitter astatine (211At) compared with phosphorus (32P) and yttrium (90Y) colloids in mice.", "content": "The alpha-emitter 211At was bound to polymer microspheres with a diameter of 1.8 microns. The distributions in mice of intraperitoneally injected 211At microspheres, 90Y silicate colloid, and 32P chromic phosphate colloid were compared. The microspheres with 211At spread rapidly in the peritoneal cavity and remained mainly on the intraperitoneal surfaces. Intraperitoneal injection of 90Y colloid resulted in high levels in intraperitoneal fat and the diaphragm, but 1 day after injection 8.5% of the injected dose per gram was found in blood and after 6 days 2.5% was observed in bone. The highest accumulation of 32P was found in liver and spleen. The injection of additional nonradioactive chromic phosphate colloid resulted in an even higher accumulation of 32P in spleen and liver. The same phenomenon was not observed with 211At microspheres. It is suggested that it is not only the particle size which is important in the distribution of intraperitoneally injected colloid, but the amount of colloid, the type of colloid, the addition or presence of other substances such as ascites, and the animal species might also influence the distribution. In conclusion, the intraperitoneal distribution of 211At-labeled microspheres in mice was favorable compared with 90Y and 32P colloid. These data must be viewed cautiously since the distribution might be different in other animal species or humans."}
{"id": "PMID:1473751", "title": "Therapeutic efficacy of the alpha-emitter 211At bound on microspheres compared with 90Y and 32P colloids in a murine intraperitoneal tumor model.", "content": "alpha-Emitting radionuclides such as 211At have a number of physical characteristics which make them attractive for the treatment of micrometastases. 211At was bound to polymer microspheres and its efficacy was compared with the beta-emitting 32P and 90Y colloids for the treatment of intraperitoneally growing K13 hybridoma tumors in mice. Single graded doses of 0.1-2.5 MBq 211At microspheres injected intraperitoneally 24 hr after inoculation of the hybridoma cells improved survival and produced higher cure rates than 32P colloid, 90Y colloid, or no treatment. One of the most striking contrasts between 211At microspheres and 90Y or 32P colloids was the ability of relatively low doses 211At to affect cures. When comparing the groups with the highest survival rate for each radionuclide (0.1-1 MBq 211At, 2.5 MBq 90Y, and 2.5 MBq 32P), 211At treatment resulted in an improved survival over that with 32P therapy, but the difference was not significant between 211At and 90Y. Toxicity studies with 211At microspheres showed that dosages up to 17 MBq per mouse were not lethal. In conclusion, the present study suggests that the high-energy transfer and the short-range cytotoxicity of the alpha-emitter 211At might be of benefit for intracavitary radiotherapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1473752", "title": "A prospective trial of progesterone therapy for malignant peritoneal cytology in patients with endometrial carcinoma.", "content": "From February 1982 to February 1991, 45 patients with endometrial carcinoma confined to the uterus except for malignant peritoneal cytology were treated with 1 year of progesterone therapy. Thirty-six patients have undergone planned second-look laparoscopy with repeat peritoneal washings and the remaining 9 patients either refused second-look laparoscopy or the procedure was medically contraindicated. Of the 36 who underwent second-look laparoscopy, 34 (94.5%) were NED (no evidence of disease) and had negative repeat peritoneal cytology and 2 (5.5%) had persistent malignant cytology. The latter two patients, after an additional year of progesterone therapy, were found to be NED and had negative peritoneal cytology at third-look laparoscopy. Of the 45 women enrolled in this protocol, no patient has developed recurrent endometrial cancer, and the expected 5-year disease-free survival was 88.6%."}
{"id": "PMID:1473753", "title": "Hypogastric artery aneurysm masquerading as an ovarian neoplasm.", "content": "Hypogastric artery aneurysm in women is rare. The case presented demonstrates how this lesion can easily mimic an ovarian neoplasm. The missed diagnosis can be catastrophic if the surgeon is unfamiliar with the retroperitoneal anatomy and is confronted with arterial hemorrhage. Hypogastric artery aneurysm should be included in the differential diagnosis of a pelvic mass in elderly women with atherosclerotic disease. The report reviews the literature on the presentation, diagnosis, and recommended treatments."}
{"id": "PMID:1473754", "title": "Synchronous mature teratomas of the ovary and liver: a case presenting 11 years following chemotherapy for immature teratoma.", "content": "Immature teratoma is a rare ovarian germ cell tumor with an aggressive clinical behavior. Treatment involves surgical resection, usually followed by chemotherapy. Since the introduction of postoperative chemotherapy several cases of \"transformation\" of this malignant tumor into mature teratoma (retroconversion) have been described. Usually retroconversion presents during the first year of diagnosis. We report a case of synchronous mature teratomas of the ovary and liver presenting 11 years following chemotherapy for stage III immature ovarian teratoma. The CT scan appearance, incidence, and biological significance of this phenomena are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1473755", "title": "Neoadjuvant intraarterial infusion chemotherapy with a combination of mitomycin-C, vincristine, and cisplatin for locally advanced cervical cancer: a preliminary report.", "content": "Combination chemotherapy including cisplatin was administered intraarterially from the internal iliac artery as neoadjuvant chemotherapy to six patients with locally advanced uterine cervical cancer (stage higher than IIIB of FIGO). The drugs and doses were mitomycin-C 10 mg/m2, vincristine 1 mg/m2, and cisplatin 50 mg/m2. Two or three courses were repeated at intervals of 3 weeks. In three patients, dose reductions were undertaken for decreased renal function and thrombocytopenia. Partial response was, however, observed in all patients (response rate 100%), and five of six patients were able to undergo a radical hysterectomy. The major toxic effects were leukocytopenia, nausea, and vomiting. Our preliminary experience suggests that pelvic intraarterial infusion of combination chemotherapy is effective against primary and advanced uterine cervical cancer, and this preoperative treatment can lead to easier radical hysterectomy. However, further studies are warranted."}
{"id": "PMID:1473756", "title": "Papillary peritoneal carcinomatosis after prophylactic oophorectomy.", "content": "Prophylactic oophorectomy has been recommended in patients with a strongly positive family history for ovarian carcinoma. A patient with a strongly positive family history underwent a prophylactic oophorectomy and, 5 years later, developed a primary peritoneal papillary serous adenocarcinoma. A prophylactic oophorectomy does not afford complete protection in some patients with familial ovarian cancer syndrome. Any tissue derived from the coelomic epithelium may potentially undergo multifocal malignant transformation."}
{"id": "PMID:1473757", "title": "Primary malignant melanoma of the cervix and review of the literature.", "content": "Primary malignant melanoma of the cervix was diagnosed in a patient presenting with postmenopausal bleeding. A cervical lesion was biopsied, and diagnosis was established by electron microscopy and staining procedures. After failing radiotherapy, the patient was treated with simple hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy. The cytology, histology, and electron microscopy of this lesion are presented in addition to a clinical discussion."}
{"id": "PMID:1473759", "title": "[The Ilizarov apparatus in pseudoarthrosis of the long bones].", "content": "Distraction osteogenesis with the Ilizarov technique is effective in achieving bone healing in both atrophic and infected pseudoarthrosis. In 10 patients with atrophic and 14 with infected pseudoarthrosis treated by this method, solid bone union with reconstruction of anatomical limb length was achieved in all except 1. They ranged in age from 16-80, with a mean of 44. The mean treatment time was 9.4 months for the femur, 4.5 months for the tibia and 8 months for the radius. Patients could be actively rehabilitated all during the course of treatment and they achieved independent ambulation by the time the apparatus was removed. There were no complications."}
{"id": "PMID:1473760", "title": "[HIV infection in pregnancy].", "content": "The epidemic of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is now affecting populations that were less susceptible in the early 1980s. It is estimated that 8% of patients with AIDS in the US are women in the reproductive age, and 1% are children. In Israel up to 1992, 134 women and 14 children of infected parents were reported as carrying antibodies against the virus. A pregnant women who was a carrier prompted us to formulate various questions as to how the infection affects pregnancy and vice versa, proper management at delivery, rate and modes of perinatal transmission, risk to health care workers, and legal aspects of HIV infection in Israel."}
{"id": "PMID:1473761", "title": "[Nonsurgical treatment of gallstones].", "content": "Lately, nonoperative treatment is being used in high risk patients with gallbladder or bile duct stones. Procedures include oral dissolution, extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy, mechanical lithotripsy, contact dissolution or extraction after papillotomy or via a T-tube tract. We review nonsurgical treatment of gallstones and present our experience in the treatment of 9 patients using combinations of the above-mentioned modalities."}
{"id": "PMID:1473762", "title": "[Intestinal tuberculosis presenting as Crohn's disease].", "content": "A 24-year-old woman who had immigrated from India 3 years before was referred because of diarrhea, abdominal pain and weight loss. Crohn's disease was suspected, but investigation revealed active pulmonary tuberculosis and tuberculosis of the small and large intestine. She was treated with rifampicin, 600 mg/day, INH 300 mg/day, and ethambutol, 400 mg/day, and recovered fully within 6 months."}
{"id": "PMID:1473763", "title": "[Incarcerated obturator hernia causing bowel obstruction].", "content": "Obturator hernia is rare and is usually discovered by chance at operation or autopsy. In certain cases obturator hernia may cause sliding and strangulation of abdominal viscera inside the hernial sac, presenting clinically as bowel obstruction. An 83-year-old woman with signs of bowel obstruction was operated after 48 hours of conservative treatment and a small bowel loop was found strangulated inside the sac of an obturator hernia."}
{"id": "PMID:1473764", "title": "[Brain abscess following skull traction].", "content": "A case of brain abscess developing after skull traction for fracture of the dens is presented. The abscess was most likely caused by retrograde septic thrombophlebitis via the superficial cortical veins. The abscess was drained and treatment with antibiotics was according to sensitivity on culture. 3 months after surgery there was mild residual paresis of the left hand. The need for close follow-up of patients prone to this complication is emphasized."}
{"id": "PMID:1473776", "title": "Environmental and social determinants of sexual function in the male lesser mouse lemur (Microcebus murinus).", "content": "Environmental factors that regulate the sexual activity of male lesser mouse lemurs have been studied experimentally with more than 60 captive animals over an 8-year period. In this nocturnal Malagasy prosimian, variation in day length is the primary factor controlling seasonal sexual activity. Plasma testosterone concentrations were low (= 9 ng/ml) during short days and reached 60 ng/ml during long days (> 12-hour day). This cyclic pattern persists unchanged when artificial photoperiodic rhythms are applied and is not altered by ageing. The timing of puberty is also regulated by photoperiodic changes. Nevertheless, the sexual activity of the male lesser mouse lemur can be dramatically modified by the social environment. In heterosexual groups, behavioural and physiological components of sexual activity are depressed in all males except the dominant one, whose aggressive interactions are always successful. Intermale sexual inhibition was shown to be mediated by chemical cues present in the urine of dominant or isolated males but not in urine of subordinate individuals. The inhibitory signals possess lipophilic properties and are not contingent on the gonadal activity of the urine donor but are linked to adrenocortical activity. By contrast, chemical signals stimulating the reproductive function of all males are found in the urine of females, the presence of which is required for the establishment of clear dominance among grouped males. Endocrine mechanisms underlying intermale sexual inhibition by chemical cues were analysed. Variations in prolactin strongly suggest that olfaction interacts with the photoperiodic regulation of reproductive function, leading to changes in the sensitivity of the negative feedback effect of testosterone on gonadotrophin secretion. Inhibitory or stimulatory effects of chemical signals are discussed in the context of their functional significance for wild populations."}
{"id": "PMID:1473777", "title": "Control of nipple and body contact by mothers and infants in rhesus macaques.", "content": "While 3-month-old infant rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) were awake and active in social interactions away from their mothers, body and nipple contacts with their mothers were nevertheless made from time to time. In each dyad the proportions of contacts made by the mother nearly equalled those broken by her, suggesting a meshed interaction in which each partner accepted most of the other's contact initiations and terminations. Passive prevention of nipple contact by a mother reduced the frequency of nipple contact by her infant in the first 5 s after the infant had made body contact. Passive prevention occurred after fewer than 1 in 6 body contacts initiated by infants, and--even without its occurrence--most infants were less ready to take the nipple after their own initiatives than after maternal initiatives. Once nipple contact had been made, the probability of breaking body contact was reduced. The role of maternal rejection both in the control of nipple contact in the short term and in determining (through its effect on the sucking pattern) whether the mother gives birth in the next birth season or later is discussed. We suggest that, by the age of 3 months, the infants had already learned when and how often nipple contact with their mothers would be acceptable during their awake and active periods, and we suggest that subsequent decreases in the frequency of nipple contact were partly the results of maternal rejections which were accepted by the infants."}
{"id": "PMID:1473783", "title": "Absorption, distribution and elimination of selenium as L-selenomethionine in non-human primates.", "content": "20 adult female macaques (Macaca fascicularis) were given oral doses of L-selenomethionine (L-SeMet) equivalent to 0, 25, 150, 300 and 600 micrograms selenium (Se)/kg body weight, and plasma, erythrocyte, hair, faecal and urine Se concentrations were determined. The macaques were scheduled for 30 daily oral doses of L-SeMet, but systemic toxicity necessitated dose reduction in several animals; two macaques given 600 micrograms Se/kg body weight/day for 10-15 days died, and the concentration of Se in their tissues was determined and compared with Se concentrations in tissues collected from one untreated animal. Circulating and urinary Se concentrations in control macaques were within the normal human ranges. Plasma, erythrocyte, hair and urinary Se concentrations were generally dependent on the dose of L-SeMet administered. Plasma Se reflected more immediately exposure to L-SeMet, whereas erythrocyte Se concentrations increased and decreased more slowly. In some cases, erythrocyte Se was still increasing or showed a plateau after L-SeMet treatment was discontinued. Plasma Se concentrations of 6.7-7.3 ppm were observed in the two animals that died due to acute toxicity to L-SeMet. Neither plasma nor erythrocyte GPx activity was influenced by a single L-SeMet dose, but an increase in erythrocyte GPx activity occurred with continuous exposure. Total tissue Se increased 13-28-fold in macaques given 600 micrograms Se/kg body weight/day for 10-15 days, with the liver and kidneys containing the the highest Se concentrations."}
{"id": "PMID:1473784", "title": "Di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate: a short-term repeated inhalation toxicity study including fertility assessment.", "content": "In a study of the 28-day inhalation toxicity of di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) aerosols, 9-wk-old Wistar rats, 27 males (mean weight 226 g) and 17 females (mean weight 155 g) per group, were exposed in head-nose inhalation systems to DEHP aerosols of respirable particle size (mass median aerodynamic diameter < or = 1.2 microns) or air (controls). Exposure for 6 hr per day, 5 days per wk for 4 wk to target concentrations of 0, 0.01, 0.05 and 1.0 mg/litre gave estimated doses of 230, 11 and 2.3 mg/kg/day for the males, and 360, 18 and 3.6 mg/kg/day for females, on the assumption of 100% deposition and absorption. Clinical investigation and blood chemistry parameters did not reveal any treatment-related effects. At the end of exposure a statistically significant (16%) increase in relative lung weights, accompanied by increased foam-cell proliferation and thickening of the alveolar septi, was found in the males of the highest dose group. Absolute liver weights were significantly (8.75%) increased in females and relative liver weights were increased in both sexes in the highest dose group, but there were no corresponding histological effects. All these effects were reversed during the 8-wk post-exposure period. No testicular toxicity was observed histologically and no impact on mating performance and male fertility was detected after two matings of treated males with untreated females, 2 and 6 wk after the end of exposure. Electron microscopic examination of liver samples from two male and two female rats per group at the end of exposure and after the 8-wk post-exposure period did not reveal clear substructural changes that could be attributed to exposure or to peroxisome proliferation. The no-observed-effect level for all exposure-related findings was 0.05 mg/litre under the conditions used."}
{"id": "PMID:1473785", "title": "Influence of intact and myrosinase-treated indolyl glucosinolates on the metabolism in vivo of metronidazole and antipyrine in the rat.", "content": "Induction of the cytochrome P-450 enzymes is a mechanism whereby cruciferous vegetables and their glucosinolates could influence the risk of cancer. The cytochrome P-450-inducing capacity of isolated intact broccoli glucosinolates and their degradation products, resulting from myrosinase-catalysed hydrolysis, has been assessed in studies of the metabolism of antipyrine (AP) and metronidazole (MZ) in the rat. The intact glucosinolates had no effect on the metabolism of MZ and AP as measured by the clearance and metabolite formation rates; however, the myrosinase-treated glucosinolates significantly increased the clearance of AP by two-thirds and the formation rates of the three major AP metabolites by 87-100%, and doubled the rate of oxidative metabolism of MZ to its hydroxy and acetic acid metabolites. Active myrosinase was thus essential for the capacity of glucosinolates from broccoli (mainly indolyl glucosinolates) to induce the activity of several cytochrome P-450 isoenzymes involved in the metabolism of AP and MZ. The data indicated that hydrolysis products of indolyl glucosinolates had an inducing effect on the activity, but not the total amount, of hepatic cytochrome P-450 isoenzymes. The effect of these products on the oxidative metabolism of AP and MZ was similar to that of phenobarbital. The significance of this induction pattern in relation to cancer risk depends primarily on the activation/inactivation mechanism of the relevant carcinogen."}
{"id": "PMID:1473786", "title": "Comparison of the effects of nafenopin on hepatic peroxisome proliferation and replicative DNA synthesis in the rat and Syrian hamster.", "content": "Male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed control or 0.1% nafenopin diet and male Syrian hamsters were fed control or 0.25% nafenopin diet for periods of 7 and 54 days. Nafenopin treatment produced a sustained increase in liver weight and induction of hepatic peroxisomal and microsomal fatty acid-oxidizing enzyme activities, with a greater effect being observed in the rat. Replicative DNA synthesis was studied by implanting osmotic pumps containing [3H]thymidine during study days 0-7 and 47-54. Cell replication, determined either as the hepatocyte labelling index or by incorporation of radioactivity into liver whole homogenate DNA, was increased in rats given nafenopin for 7 and 54 days. In contrast to the rat, no significant effect on replicative DNA synthesis was observed in the Syrian hamster. These results provide further evidence for species differences in hepatic peroxisome proliferation, with the Syrian hamster being less responsive than the rat. Furthermore, while peroxisome proliferators produce hyperplasia in rat and mouse liver, these data suggest that they may not have any marked effect on hepatic replicative DNA synthesis in the Syrian hamster."}
{"id": "PMID:1473787", "title": "Teratism induced in the developing chick by RPR-V, an organophosphate.", "content": "Fertile White Leghorn chicken eggs were injected on day 4 of incubation with 0, 0.25, 0.50 or 1.00 mg RPR-V/egg and opened on day 20 or allowed to hatch. The following parameters were examined: hatchability, growth and development, external malformations and skeletal deformities. As the dose was increased, the hatchability decreased, and the incidence of deformities increased. Staining of the skeleton with Alizarin red showed clear deformities in the embryos. The results suggest that RPR-V has teratogenic effects on chick embryos when injected on day 4 of incubation."}
{"id": "PMID:1473788", "title": "Anticarcinogenic effects of some Indian plant products.", "content": "The anticarcinogenic properties of some commonly consumed spices and leafy vegetables were investigated. The effects of feeding the plant products on the induction of squamous cell carcinomas in the stomachs of Swiss mice by feeding benzo[a]pyrene(B[a]P) and on the induction of hepatomas in Wistar rats by feeding 3'-methyl-4-dimethylaminoazobenzene (3'MeDAB) were investigated. Among the nine plant products tested, cumin seeds (Cuminum cyminum Linn) and basil leaves (Ocimum sanctum Linn) significantly decreased the incidence of both B[a]P-induced neoplasia and 3'MeDAB-induced hepatomas. Poppy seeds (Papaver somniferum Linn) significantly inhibited B[a]P-induced neoplasia alone, while the other plant products, asafoetida, kandathipili, turmeric, drumstick leaves, solanum leaves and alternanthera leaves were ineffective. These results suggest that cumin seeds, basil leaves and to a lesser extent poppy seeds, which are all widely used in Indian cooking, may prove to be valuable anticarcinogenic agents."}
{"id": "PMID:1473789", "title": "Chronic oral toxicity and carcinogenicity study of stevioside in rats.", "content": "Groups of 45 male and 45 female inbred Wistar rats were given diets containing stevioside (85% pure) at 0, 0.2, 0.6 or 1.2% for 2 yr. After 6, 12 and 24 months, five rats from each group were killed for haematological and clinical biochemical tests. Growth, food utilization and consumption, general appearance and mortality were similar in treated and control groups. The mean lifespan of rats given stevioside was not significantly different from that of the controls. No treatment-related changes were observed in haematological, urinary or clinical biochemical values at any stage of the study. The incidence and severity of non-neoplastic and neoplastic changes were unrelated to the level of stevioside in the diet. The maximum no-observed-effect level of stevioside was 1.2%, and an acceptable daily intake of stevioside for humans of 7.938 mg/kg body weight/day is suggested."}
{"id": "PMID:1473790", "title": "Effect of extraneous supplementation of ascorbic acid on the bio-disposition of benzanthrone in guinea pigs.", "content": "The bio-elimination and organ retention of orally administered [14C]benzanthrone, an anthraquinone dye intermediate, were determined in control and ascorbic acid-supplemented guinea pigs. Urinary excretion of benzanthrone in control and ascorbic acid-treated animals during 96 hr was 27.9 and 30.5%, respectively, with peak elimination at 48 hr. Faecal elimination in control and supplemented animals during 96 hr was 24.5 and 38.8%, respectively, with a peak at 48 hr. The organ retention of radiolabelled benzanthrone at the end of 96 hr was of the order of 39% in control animals (gastro-intestinal tract 16%; liver 22%; testis 1.2%); ascorbic acid supplementation reduced benzanthrone retention to 19.5% (gastro-intestinal tract 12.7%; liver 6.8%). Overall, pretreatment of guinea pigs with ascorbic acid caused a 32% enhancement in the clearance of radiolabelled benzanthrone through the urine and faeces, while organ retention was reduced by about 50%. A prophylactic dose of ascorbic acid may prevent benzanthrone-induced toxic symptoms in exposed workers."}
{"id": "PMID:1473791", "title": "Liver medium-term bioassay in rats for screening of carcinogens and modifying factors in hepatocarcinogenesis.", "content": "The present report describes a study of the hepatocarcinogenic potential of a second large assay series of 94 compounds carried out using the rapid bioassay system (DEN-PH model) developed in this laboratory and based on the two-step concept of hepatocarcinogenesis. Male F344 rats were initially given a single dose of diethylnitrosamine (DEN, 200 mg/kg body weight ip) and, starting 2 wk later, were treated with test compounds for 6 wk and then killed, all rats being subjected to a two-thirds partial hepatectomy at wk 3. Carcinogenic potential was scored by comparing the numbers (no./cm2) and areas (mm2/cm2) of induced glutathione S-transferase placental form (GST-P) positive foci in the livers of groups of about 15 rats with those of corresponding control groups given DEN alone. Positive was scored for a significant increase (P < 0.05) in quantitative values of GST-P positive foci, negative for no change or a decrease. Results for the 94 compounds were also compared with previously published data from Salmonella/microsome (Ames) tests and long-term carcinogenicity studies in rats and mice. Of the known liver carcinogens, 14 out of 14 (100%) mutagenic (Ames test) compounds and 10 out of 12 (83%) non-mutagenic compounds gave positive results in our DEN-PH system (mean 92%). Two hepatocarcinogenic peroxisome proliferators did not enhance the development of GST-P positive foci. Carcinogens other than hepatocarcinogens gave fewer positive results (five out of 17, 29%). One of the 13 compounds reported as non-carcinogenic, malathion, gave positive results in the DEN-PH assay, suggesting that this compound is a weak hepatocarcinogen or tumour promoter for hepatocarcinogenesis based on the two-stage hypothesis for carcinogenesis. The present study also provided information regarding the inhibitory potential of nine compounds. The practical usefulness and benefits of the DEN-PH protocol for the rapid screening of carcinogenic agents are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1473792", "title": "Aflatoxins in cosmetics containing substrates for aflatoxin-producing fungi.", "content": "29 random samples of eight different products of skin cleansing creams or powders and skin peeling products (including practically all products of this type available on the German market), containing substrates for aflatoxin-producing fungi or plant parts directly connected with such substrates, such as almond bran, peach bran, apricot seeds, wheat bran, horse chestnut and cob were analysed for aflatoxin B1, B2, G1 and G2. In 11 (38%) of the samples aflatoxins were not detectable ( < 0.1 micrograms/kg); 18 (62%) of the samples contained from 0.4 to 78.5 micrograms aflatoxin/kg. The majority of the positive samples contained all four types of aflatoxin. Aflatoxins can be absorbed through the skin. To what extent this happens with these products and the resulting toxicological significance is difficult to estimate. Nevertheless, potent carcinogens such as aflatoxins should be completely absent from cosmetics; this can be achieved by careful quality control of the raw materials."}
{"id": "PMID:1473793", "title": "Role of gastric glutathione in smoke flavouring-induced gastric injury in rats.", "content": "Some commercial liquid smoke flavourings have been shown to induce acute gastric mucosal injury in rats when given orally as a large single dose. The present study was carried out to examine the mechanism of action in rats of two selected smoke flavourings containing about 10% total acids as acetic acid. These flavourings and 10% acetic acid decreased the concentration of glutathione (GSH) in the glandular stomach. The decrease in gastric GSH was coupled with smoke flavouring-induced gastric injury. Pretreatment with N-ethylmaleimide, a GSH depletor, enhanced acetic acid-induced gastric injury. Pretreatment with cysteine, a sulphhydryl compound, protected rats against smoke flavouring-induced gastric injury. Aqueous fractions of the smoke flavourings, after removal of non-polar compounds and acidic organic compounds (including acetic acid) by diethyl ether extraction, decreased the gastric GSH concentration considerably and had a marked reactivity in vitro with GSH, but these fractions by themselves showed no ability to induce gastric injury. Addition of 10% acetic acid to these aqueous fractions caused greater gastric injury than 10% acetic acid alone, which suggests that these aqueous fractions contain the (unidentified) compound(s) that facilitate acetic acid-induced gastric injury. These findings indicate that gastric endogenous and exogenous sulphhydryls play an important part in gastric cytoprotection."}
{"id": "PMID:1473794", "title": "The influence of ascorbic acid on lipid peroxidation in guinea pigs intoxicated with cadmium.", "content": "Cadmium (as CdCl2) administered at a dose of 1 mg Cd/animal/day in drinking water to guinea pigs with a low intake of ascorbic acid (2 mg/animal/day) increased lipid peroxidation (LPO) in the kidney, liver and serum after 5 wk of treatment. A high intake of ascorbic acid (100 mg/animal/day) decreased LPO (determined from malondialdehyde levels) in the kidney, liver and serum of Cd-treated guinea pigs. Administration of Cd to guinea pigs with a low intake of ascorbic acid significantly increased LPO in the kidney at 5 wk, in comparison with controls given low levels of ascorbic acid but no Cd. However, at 12 wk, LPO in the kidney of Cd-treated guinea pigs was significantly lower than in the controls. These results indicate that the level of lipid peroxides in the kidney of guinea pigs with a low intake of ascorbic acid depends on the amount of accumulated cadmium."}
{"id": "PMID:1473795", "title": "Reproductive and neurobehavioural effects in three-generation toxicity study of piperonyl butoxide administered to mice.", "content": "Piperonyl butoxide (PB) was administered continuously to mice from 5 weeks of age in the F0 generation to weaning of the F2 generation. PB was administered in the diet at levels of 0 (control), 0.1, 0.2, 0.4 and 0.8%. Selected reproductive, developmental and behavioural parameters were measured. Litter size and litter weight were reduced in higher-dosed groups, and the body weight of the pups in the lactation period was reduced in dosed pups in each generation. The survival index at postnatal day 21 of the group receiving 0.8% PB was reduced in each generation. The developmental and behavioural parameters in the lactation period were little different from those of the controls, apart from olfactory orientation in the F1 generation. However, in the F2 generation mice, surface righting, cliff avoidance and olfactory orientation were adversely affected in treatment groups. The results suggest that PB had adverse effects on reproductive, developmental and behavioural parameters of mice, with increasing effects in subsequent generations of offspring."}
{"id": "PMID:1473796", "title": "Acute renal toxicity of thiabendazole (TBZ) in ICR mice.", "content": "The acute toxic effects of thiabendazole [2-(4'-thiazolyl)benzimidazole; TBZ] on the kidneys of ICR mice were investigated. The mice were given 0, 250, 500 or 1000 mg TBZ/kg body weight by gavage (using olive oil as a vehicle), and the kidneys were subjected to pathological examination at 1, 3, 5 or 24 hr after dosing. Gross findings were slight enlargement and the presence of whitish areas (white maculae) in kidneys of treated mice at 3, 5 or 24 hr after dosing. Histological findings were desquamation of degenerated cells in proximal tubules of treated mice at 1 hr. Dilation of proximal, distal and collecting tubules was apparent in treated mice at 3, 5 and 24 hr. TBZ-induced renal injury was reduced by pretreatment with inducers of the microsomal monooxygenase system (sodium phenobarbital, beta-naphthoflavone and 3-methylcholanthrene) and were enhanced by pretreatment with inhibitors of that system (2-diethylaminoethyl-2,2-diphenylvalerate hydrochloride and piperonyl butoxide). The concentration of TBZ in blood at 1 or 5 hr after dosing was lower in mice pretreated with microsomal monooxygenase system inducers and was higher in those pretreated with the inhibitors, than in those given TBZ alone. These results suggest that TBZ-induced renal injury may be attributable to the parent compound rather than its metabolites. Measurement of organic ion uptake into renal slices revealed significant depression of [1-14C]tetraethylammonium bromide (TEA) uptake in treated mice at 1 or 5 hr, whereas uptake of p-[glycyl-2-3H]aminohippurate (PAH) was not depressed at 1 or 5 hr after dosing. The reduction in uptake of TEA is interpreted as the result of competitive suppression of the tubular transport of TEA by TBZ. TBZ-induced renal injury was reduced by organic cation transport inhibitors [N'-methylnicotinamide (NMN) or thiamine] but not by organic anion transport inhibitor [p-(dipropylsulphamyl)benzoic acid probenecid], suggesting that the reduction of TBZ-induced renal injury is the result of competitive suppression of the tubular transport of TBZ by NMN or thiamine."}
{"id": "PMID:1473797", "title": "Toxicology and hazard potential of trifluralin.", "content": "This paper reviews the results of toxicity studies conducted in laboratory animals to evaluate the safety of the herbicide trifluralin (TFL). The data show that TFL is slightly toxic following single oral exposure. Testing for embryotoxicity in rats and rabbits indicated no teratogenic potential, and many different mutagenicity tests showed that TFL was non-genotoxic. Subchronic and chronic toxicity testing in rats, mice and dogs indicated that TFL was haematotoxic (anaemia and methaemoglobinaemia), particularly in the dog, and slightly hepatotoxic. No-observed-effect levels of 4.8 and 41 mg/kg body weight/day, respectively, were determined in dogs and rats exposed chronically to TFL. Oncogenicity studies in rats and mice revealed no carcinogenic potential. Since the data for TFL indicated no mutagenic or other special toxicological risks, it is suggested that a safety factor of 100 could be used for the determination of the acceptable daily intake of TFL, which would be 0.05 mg/kg body weight/day."}
{"id": "PMID:1473798", "title": "Genotoxicity of 'gudakhu', a tobacco preparation. II. In habitual users.", "content": "The genotoxic potential of 'gudakhu', a paste-like tobacco preparation that is used widely in Orissa, India, was evaluated using the micronucleus test in exfoliated cells of the buccal mucosa. Cells from 120 habitual users and from 102 non-users were examined. The incidence of micronuclei (MN) was increased in the mucosa cells of users, and the increase was significant in those who had used gudakhu for more than 5 yr. The increased incidence of MN was significantly correlated with the period of use of gudakhu, as well as with the frequency of daily use. There were no significant differences between the results for men and women."}
{"id": "PMID:1473799", "title": "Evaluation of the cumulative (repeated application) eye irritation and corneal staining potential of FD&C yellow no. 5, FD&C blue no. 1 and FD&C blue no. 1 aluminium lake.", "content": "A protocol to evaluate the ocular irritation, staining, and embedding potential of FD&C colours (Yellow No. 5, Blue No. 1, Blue No. 1 Aluminium Lake) produced by repeated topical application to rabbit eyes is described. Test materials (3%, w/v in aqueous vehicle) were administered once daily, for a total of 21 days, to the conjunctival sac of the right eye of New Zealand White Rabbits (6 of each sex per group) at a dose volume of 30 microliters. Control animals (6 of each sex) received 30 microliters of the vehicle daily. All animals survived and were free of significant clinical signs of toxicity throughout the study. Ophthalmoscopic examinations revealed that all animals were free of abnormalities considered to be of clinical importance; all animals were free of significant signs of ocular irritation, staining and particle embedment. The results of this study support the safe use of these materials in consumer products intended for use in the eye area."}
{"id": "PMID:1473800", "title": "Analysis of alternative methods for determining ocular irritation.", "content": "According to classification and labelling requirements, chemicals, dyes, agrochemicals and pharmaceutical formulations have to be evaluated for their potential to induce eye irritancy or corrosion. An attempt was made to analyse the predictive power of the bovine eye-chicken egg chorioallantoic membrane (BE-CAM) assay in comparison with results obtained using the conventional Draize method. In summary, results showed limited correlation between reactions in vitro and responses of eyes in vivo. In a pilot study, ultrasonic pachymetry showed high sensitivity and fairly good correlation between corneal thickness and clinical observations in eyes."}
{"id": "PMID:1473801", "title": "Toxicokinetics of cinnamaldehyde in F344 rats.", "content": "The toxicokinetic profile of cinnamaldehyde (CNMA) was investigated in Fischer 344 rats. CNMA was found to be unstable in blood. After iv administration, a large fraction of CNMA was immediately oxidized to cinnamic acid. The biological half-life of CNMA after iv administration was found to be 1.7 hr. After administration by gavage of CNMA at 250 or 500 mg/kg body weight using corn oil as vehicle, the maximum blood concentrations of CNMA were in the order of 1 microgram/ml. These low blood concentrations were maintained over a 24-hr period after a dose of 500 mg/kg, which is relatively long considering the short (1.7 hr) biological half-life of CNMA. The estimated oral bioavailability of CNMA was less than 20% for both the 250 and 500 mg/kg doses. No CNMA was present in blood at any time in rats dosed with 50 mg CNMA/kg body weight. Only a small amount of the administered CNMA was excreted in rat urine as free cinnamic acid or beta-glucuronide-conjugated cinnamic acid. The majority of CNMA administered orally was excreted in urine as hippuric acid within 24 hr. The maximum excretion rate occurred at 8 hr after gavage. Hippuric acid recovered in 50-hr urine samples was found to be directly proportional to the oral dose of CNMA."}
{"id": "PMID:1473802", "title": "Sex determination by discriminant function analysis of lateral cranial form.", "content": "To sex the cranium, morphological features of cranial specimens were quantified with a personal computer that automatically measures distance and gradient for 39 craniometric points in the lateral contour line of the skull, which were digitized by a tablet digitizer connected to the computer. Specimens used for discriminant analysis were 50 male and 50 female adult Japanese skulls. The lateral contour showed sex differences in the nasal bone, supraorbital ridge, forehead and vertex. The nasal bone and supraorbital ridge were more developed in male contour line, and the forehead was more rounded in female contour line. But compared with the supraorbital ridge and forehead, the vertex had a wide variety of contour lines in both sexes. The vertex seemed to be less reliable as the indicator of sex. The sex differences were better reflected by gradient than distance. From variables of the gradient and distance showing significant sex differences, the discriminant function was derived and tested in 21 other specimens (13 male and 8 female skulls). The mean ratio of correct sexing of the human skull by the discriminant function was 86%."}
{"id": "PMID:1473803", "title": "Chemiluminescent DNA probes: evaluation and usefulness in forensic cases.", "content": "Five phosphatase-labelled oligonucleotide probes were evaluated in respect to their sensitivity, with the help of an optimized chemiluminescent protocol, for DNA-VNTR polymorphism determination. Their usefulness for the identification of biological traces is illustrated with casework examples."}
{"id": "PMID:1473804", "title": "A pathological study of sudden coronary death in China: report of 89 autopsy cases.", "content": "This paper reports the results of a forensic pathological study of 89 autopsy cases of Sudden Coronary Death (SCD). Of 89 cases, 63 (52 male, 11 female) were narrowed by 76-100% in cross-sectional area (XSA) of the coronary artery (CA) and 26 (22 male, 4 female), by 51-75%. Atherosclerotic plaques in the CA were serious and extensive, especially in the left anterior descending and often involved several branches of CA at the same time. Recent thrombosis was found in 18 cases, haemorrhage in plaques in 17 cases. Only 2 cases had visible acute myocardial infarction. Inflammatory cell infiltration was found in coronary plaques in 36 cases. Myocardial fibrosis or small scar formation was detected in 51 cases. It is suggested that although the incidence of coronary heart disease (CHD) is low in China, SCD is the commonest mode of Sudden Unexpected Death. The majority of SCD (52%) were middle aged males (30-49 years old). Most of the cases died suddenly during sleep without any clear precipitating factors. The characteristics of occurrence and pathological changes in the CA and myocardium and the pathological diagnosis of SCD are also analysed and discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1473805", "title": "Detection of human proteins in buried blood using ELISA and monoclonal antibodies: towards the reliable species indentification of blood stains on buried material.", "content": "The survival of human proteins in blood stains on fragments of cloth buried in exposed soil was examined in a 15-month investigation carried out from September 1990 to December 1991. During this period there was a wide variety of weather conditions. Samples were exhumed at 4-weekly intervals for 16 weeks and finally at 65 weeks; extracts of the stains were tested for albumin and IgG using a highly specific and sensitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) performed with monoclonal antibodies. Human albumin survived well throughout the 15 months of study, but IgG could be detected only in the 4- and 8-week samples. The reactions for IgG were weaker than those for albumin, although the method's sensitivity (10 ng) was the same for each protein. Appropriate buried and non-buried control experiments were carried out using cloth, either unstained or stained with human blood or animal sera; there was no cross-reactivity between human and the other species investigated and soil did not affect the assay; under laboratory conditions, IgG and albumin survived equally well. The system's versatility was illustrated by using monoclonal anti-bovine-albumin to detect specific albumin in the extracts of buried cloth which has been stained with bovine serum. It was concluded that ELISA performed with monoclonal antibodies could be of great value in identifying blood stains for forensic purposes.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1473807", "title": "Dissecting intramural haematoma of the coronary artery with intimal tears.", "content": "A dissecting intramural haematoma of the coronary artery is an infrequent cause of sudden and unexpected death. Most cases are women and in a significant number of these women, the haematoma occurred at term to 80 days postpartum. Because the intimal rupture and communication with the lumen were not found in most of the cases, the site of rupture has been considered to be a vasa vasorum. The authors report on a case of one woman who was at a later postpartum period (106 days). The microscopic finding of the dissected coronary artery revealed two intimal tears in a section. The case showed that the dissecting intramural haematoma of the coronary artery is caused not only by the rupture of the vasa vasorum but also by the rupture of the intima."}
{"id": "PMID:1473806", "title": "Evaluating suspected co-proxamol overdose.", "content": "In three instances of suicidal poisoning by co-proxamol (paracetamol and dextropropoxyphene) blood samples were obtained from 11 sites together with eight tissue samples, bile, urine, gastric contents and duodenal contents. Site-dependent differences in blood propoxyphene concentration varied between the three cases but concentrations were consistently lowest in peripheral blood and highest in central sites: 3.9-5.5 (pulmonary vein) mg/l; 4.6-25 (pulmonary vein) mg/l; 3.2-40 (aorta) mg/l. There was a less than twofold variation in corresponding blood paracetamol concentrations. Reference data on fatal propoxyphene blood concentrations do not specify the blood sampling site and can be misleading. The intra-individual variability of propoxyphene concentrations in blood in these three cases underscores this problem. Tissue concentrations of propoxyphene showed considerable inter-individual variability in degree and pattern. Tissue concentrations of paracetamol showed a less than twofold intra-individual variation. Body drug loads were calculated by two methods: from organ weights and tissue concentrations; from published volume of distribution data (Vd). For paracetamol the body drug load is underestimated by the organ weight calculation but the Vd calculation approximates the suspected dose based on anamnestic information. For propoxyphene the body drug load is seriously underestimated by the organ weight calculation and overestimated up to 2.5 times by the Vd calculation. Since the two drugs have a fixed ratio in co-proxamol then the dose of propoxyphene (the effective lethal agent) can be inferred from the paracetamol dose calculated by Vd. This approach may be applicable to cases of overdose with other compounded drug preparations."}
{"id": "PMID:1473808", "title": "Sudden death associated with solitary intracavitary right atrial metastatic tumour deposit.", "content": "We report a case of cardiac metastasis of primary adrenal cortical carcinoma to the endocardium of the right atrium resulting in an intracavitary mass which we believe caused sudden death by blocking the tricuspid valve orifice. We have been unable to find a similar case previously reported although primary atrial myxoma is well known to be a rare cause of sudden cardiac death by the same mechanism. Modern non-invasive imaging techniques have facilitated recognition of intracavitary cardiac metastases, and with surgical intervention, when feasible, the risk of sudden cardiac death can be reduced."}
{"id": "PMID:1473809", "title": "Firearm deaths in Yorkshire and Humberside.", "content": "Firearm fatalities occurring in Yorkshire and Humberside between 1975-1991 were examined; 130 cases were found, 64 were homicides, 55 suicides and 11 were accidental or unclassifiable. All but two of the suicides were men. Shotguns were the most frequent weapon used in both suicides and homicides. Of the 55 suicides, 17 were by men who had murdered before committing suicide. In 15 of these cases the assailants knew their victims. The other two cases involved murder of police officers. These cases were mostly with shotguns. In both homicide and suicide, rifled weapons and handguns were infrequently used. Most suicides and homicides occurred at home. Alcohol was again shown to be a significant factor in suicides. Overall firearms account for less than 10% of homicides in England and Wales and less than 5% of suicides in men and is most unusual in women."}
{"id": "PMID:1473810", "title": "Comparing roadside with subsequent breath alcohol analyses and their relevance to the issue of retrograde extrapolation.", "content": "Driving while intoxicated (DWI) legislation requires proving the critical breath alcohol concentration (BrAC) at the time of driving. With time delayed analysis, retrograde extrapolation is occasionally employed but has several uncertainties associated with it. The present study attempts to address whether subjects actually arrested for DWI are likely to have BrAC values near the time of driving differing largely from those performed at a subsequent time. Selected officers arrested n = 161 subjects where roadside BrAC was determined with Pre-Arrest Breath Test (PBT) devices along with subsequent duplicate evidential analyses followed by an additional PBT analysis. These two sets of duplicates, one with large time interval (mean = 63.5 min.) and one with a 2-3 min difference, were then compared by several statistical methods. The results showing duplicate variability did not differ when the long time interval existed (F = 1.0, P > 0.05). A small but significant decrease in BrAC with respect to time appeared for the duplicate PBT data. Retrograde extrapolation applied to the data employing an assumed 0.015 g/210 l/h yielded a small but significant overestimate of the actual roadside PBT result. Finally, evidentiary analyses performed within 2 h of driving will provide good estimates and certainly not overestimates, of the BrAC existing at the time of driving and it appears that extrapolation may be unwarranted in these cases."}
{"id": "PMID:1473811", "title": "Gas chromatographic detection of cocaine and cocaethylene in hair of mice chronically injected with cocaine or cocaethylene and fed ethanol.", "content": "GC and GC/MS analysis was used to detect cocaine and cocaethylene in hair extracts of mice injected with 20 mg/kg cocaine hydrochloride or an equivalent dose of cocaethylene fumarate twice daily for 3 weeks. Some mice were fed liquid Lieber-DeCarli diets containing ethanol (26% of total calories) and injected twice daily with the same doses of cocaine or cocaethylene or combination of cocaine and morphine (5 mg/kg). The average concentrations of cocaine in different experimental groups were in the range of 0.9-2.4 ng/mg of hair and for cocaethylene, 2.4-2.8 ng/mg of hair. There were no significant differences in hair concentrations of cocaine among groups receiving cocaine treatment, nor were there significant difference in cocaethylene concentration in hair in the two groups administered cocaethylene. In hair extracts of mice treated with cocaine and ethanol, levels of cocaethylene were below the limit of detection."}
{"id": "PMID:1473812", "title": "Lipid oxidation and atherosclerosis.", "content": "Hypercholesterolemia, and in particular high levels of low density lipoprotein (LDL), is a well established risk factor for development of coronary heart disease (CHD), but the biological mechanisms by which LDL promote formation of atherosclerotic plaques are still poorly understood. During the last decade several lines of evidence have suggested that oxidative modification of LDL is a key process in this respect. Oxidation of LDL has been found to increase its uptake in macrophages and lead to formation of macrophage foam cells. Other studies have indicated that oxidized LDL may induce vascular inflammation and even give rise to autoimmune reactions in the vascular wall. These findings have it made important to investigate the possible role of LDL oxidation in CHD also in clinical studies and the initial results of such studies support the notion that oxidation of LDL also may be of clinical relevance. In a group of young post-myocardial infarction patients the in vitro susceptibility of LDL to oxidative modification was found to be significantly related to the severity of coronary atherosclerosis as assessed by angiography. In another study presence of antibodies against oxidized LDL was found to be associated with increased progression of carotid disease. Should these findings be confirmed in larger patient groups and LDL oxidation established as a key factor in the development of atherosclerosis this would have a considerable impact on future strategies for prevention and treatment of coronary heart disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1473813", "title": "Gene expression in atherosclerotic lesions.", "content": "Atherosclerotic lesions contain macrophages, smooth muscle cells and endothelial cells, all of which participate in lesion development. Upon stimulation these cells express a variety of different factors and receptors which are involved in lipid metabolism, cellular proliferation, tissue repair, immune response and inflammatory reactions. During the last few years, active expression of several genes has been reported in developing atherosclerotic lesions. These genes include scavenger receptor, 15-lipoxygenase, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, macrophage colony stimulating factor-1, lipoprotein lipase, platelet-derived growth factor, tissue factor, apolipoprotein E, stromelysin, different adhesion molecules and various cytokines. Evidence continues to grow that the pattern of gene expression and the functional status of cells in different regions of atherosclerotic lesions may differ considerably and could be regulated by local factors present in atherosclerotic lesions. One such a powerful factor which may contribute to the regulation of gene expression in developing lesions is oxidized LDL which has been shown to affect the expression of cytokines, growth factors and chemotactic factors by arterial cells. Recent developments in the analysis of gene expression in the artery wall at the cellular level will undoubtedly increase our understanding about the sequence of events leading to the formation of atherosclerotic lesions."}
{"id": "PMID:1473814", "title": "[Role of smooth muscle cell proliferation after balloon angioplasty].", "content": "The long-term success of percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) is severely limited by the high incidence of restenosis, which occurs in up to 30 to 40% of primary successfully treated patients. Several postmortem and experimental studies have demonstrated that restenosis after balloon angioplasty is caused by intimal proliferation of smooth muscle cells (SMCs). As a result of the vessel wall injury due to the mechanical intervention, endothelial injury and platelet aggregation at the site of dilatation can be observed. SMCs are activated for migration and proliferation in the early phase after angioplasty by subsequent expression of several growth factors, activation of macrophages, and expression of a variety of mitogens (Figure 1). Since several other alternative interventional devices like atherectomy, excimer laser angioplasty and stenting are also limited by the occurrence of SMC proliferation following treatment, there is an obvious need for a pharmacological approach to inhibit SMC proliferation after PTCA. It has been shown in experimental studies that the proliferative response of the vessel wall in the intima occurs within the first seven days after dilatation. A significant increased mitosis rate of SMCs in the media, however, can be observed within three weeks after intervention (Figure 2). As suggested by several authors, macrophages are thought to play an important role in the restenosis process after balloon angioplasty. However, our experimental results demonstrate that no significant accumulation of macrophages occurred prior to seven days following balloon angioplasty (Figure 3).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1473815", "title": "Atherosclerosis--where are we heading?", "content": "Aim of this review is, to analyse the current knowledge of the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis from the viewpoint of a clinical cardiologists. All the current ideas about the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis have been derived from the theories of three pathologists. The first was Rokitanski 1852, his theory was somewhat modified by Virchow 1856 and revitalised and modified again by Ross in 1986. All current theories however are based on the term response to injury leading to accelerated atherosclerosis. Following the classification of Stary et al. and the suggestions of the report of the Committee on Vascular Lesions of the Council of Arteriosclerosis the early lesions (Stary class I and II) should be renamed as normal vascular adaptation to physical or chemical causes. These causes include not only shears stress or turbulences due to increased blood pressure but also hypercholesterolemia and certain changes of plasma protein content. The classification of Fuster et al. is mainly dependent on a mechanical injury to the arterial wall induced by the interventional cardiologist. Thus far, it seems questionable, if such a response to injury is indeed the leading mechanism ultimately resulting in advanced arteriosclerosis. In view of the multifactorial processes involved in the pathogenesis of either adaptation or then accelerated arteriosclerosis we have to admit, that our insight is still limited. Thus far, the only lesson to be learned for practising clinicians is that we have to accept that the process of normal adaptation of the vascular arterial wall to the abnormal development of a clinical significant lesion is dynamic and is not well characterized by the response-to-injury theory. We do know that even in the stage of acute coronary syndromes lesion changes are unpredictable. This coincides with the finding from the experimental laboratory that lesion growth is episodic and a result of different stages of activity of the involved cell types and growth factors. Thus, we should avoid looking only for certain stages but rather accept that this is 1. a normal adaptative alteration of the arterial wall which might 2. result in accelerated atherosclerosis due to genetic determination of smooth muscle cells and accumulation of a variety of growth factors."}
{"id": "PMID:1473816", "title": "Self-heated thermistor measurements of perfusion.", "content": "A microcomputer-based control system applies a combination of steady state and sinusoidal power to a thermistor probe which is inserted into the tissue of interest. The steady-state temperature response is an indication of the effective thermal conductivity (keff), which includes a component due to intrinsic conduction plus a convective component due to the tissue blood flow near the probe. By careful choice of the excitation frequency, the sinusoidal temperature response can be used to measure intrinsic thermal conductivity (km) in the presence of blood flow. Optimal sinusoidal heating frequency depends on the thermistor size. Experimental results in the alcohol-fixed canine kidney cortex show that perfusion is linearly related to the difference keff minus km. The instrument can measure tissue thermal conductivity with an accuracy of 2%. The instrument can resolve changes in perfusion of 10 mL/100g-min with a Thermometrics P60DA102M thermistor. The maximum error in measured perfusion is about 30%. When tissue trauma due to probe insertion is minimized, the self-heated thermistor method gives a reliable indication of local tissue blood flow."}
{"id": "PMID:1473817", "title": "Multifiber, multiwavelength, fiber optic fluorescence spectrophotometer.", "content": "A fiberoptic spectrofluorimeter was constructed capable of remote operation of up to 18 biosensors under fully automated, multiplexed control. Excitation and emission wavelengths were separately adjustable, as were optical bandwidths, signal gain, phase, integration time, and illumination duty cycle. Synchronous demodulation was used to enhance signal-to-noise ratio and allow operation under ambient lighting conditions. Detection limit for aqueous sodium-fluorescein was below 1 ng/mL at greater than unity signal-to-noise ratio, with effective sampling volumes less than 0.02 microL. The fluorimeter showed characteristics fiberoptic sampling behavior with asymptotic nonzero signal magnitudes under increasing pathlength conditions."}
{"id": "PMID:1473818", "title": "Regeneration microelectrode array for peripheral nerve recording and stimulation.", "content": "A microelectrode array capable of recording from and stimulating peripheral nerves at prolonged intervals after surgical implantation has been demonstrated. The microelectrode array, fabricated on a silicon substrate perforated by multiple holes (referred to as via holes), is implanted between the ends of a surgically severed nerve. Regenerating tissue fixes the device in place to provide a stable mapping between the microelectrodes and the axons in the nerve. Processes were developed for the fabrication of thin-film iridium microelectrodes, micromachined via holes, and silicon nitride passivation layers. All fabrication methods were designed to be compatible with standard CMOS/BiCMOS processes to allow for on-chip signal processing circuits in future designs. Such arrays, implanted in the peroneal nerves of rats, were used to record from and stimulate the nerves at up to 13 months postoperatively."}
{"id": "PMID:1473819", "title": "Calculating endocardial potentials from epicardial potentials measured during external stimulation.", "content": "This paper presents a boundary integral method for calculating the potential field generated by external stimulation at locations within the heart using realistic heart geometry and samples of the potential taken from the epicardial surface. This method assumes the heart is homogeneous and isotropic. To test the method we made epicardial and endocardial measurements in dogs during transthoracic pacing stimuli. From the epicardial potential measurements we predicted the endocardial potential values and compared them with the measured data. Despite the seemingly gross assumptions, the mean correlation coefficient between the measured and predicted potentials for three dogs and eleven stimulation electrode configurations was 0.985, and the mean rms error was 17%."}
{"id": "PMID:1473820", "title": "The effect of measurement conditions on MCG inverse solutions.", "content": "A magnetic inverse solution that uses a single current dipole in a homogeneous volume conductor with realistic torso shape was tested numerically to establish the effect of magnetic noise, number of measurement points, and torso size on the localization accuracy. Seven different sites of cardiological interest were selected as locations for the source dipole. The three components of the magnetic field were calculated as if measured by second order gradiometers, Gaussian noise was added, and Monte Carlo tests performed for inverse solutions using a single field component, or all three combined. It was found that for any of the single component solutions, and a signal-to-noise ratio of 100, 25 measuring points are sufficient for good accuracy; just 12 points are needed if all three components are used together. If, however, the torso size of the inverse solution is different from that of the field data by 10 or 20%, a larger error occurs, even for 56 measurement points and no noise. In this case, the field component orthogonal to the measurement grid, Bz, yields better results than the other two components, or even all three combined. We conclude that a multichannel system measuring the z component of the magnetic field in about 30 locations would be the best choice to locate a dipolar source, provided the torso of the field data is closely matched by the model used in the inverse solution. To this effect, scaling of the torso model can easily be included in the computation. Imaging techniques could be used to accommodate different torso shapes."}
{"id": "PMID:1473821", "title": "The effects of metals on a transcutaneous energy transmission system.", "content": "The effects of metal objects on the mutual inductance, self-inductance, and effective series resistance (ESR) of the coaxial coils of a transcutaneous energy transmission system (TETS) were investigated theoretically and experimentally. The theory considers a thin conducting sheet of infinite size aligned parallel to a current-carrying coil. Results of the theory indicate that coil parameters vary with the distance from the sheet to the coil. Changes in mutual and self inductance are independent of the conductivity and thickness of the sheet, with a larger percentage change for mutual inductance than for self inductance. Changes in ESR are proportional to the surface resistivity of the sheet. Experimental measurements using several aluminum sheets and a titanium alloy can in the presence of the TETS coils used for the Penn State artificial heart showed excellent agreement with the theory for inductance parameters and agreed within a factor of 2 for ESR measurements when skin effect was considered. It was generally observed that mutual inductance drops to 65% of its initial value as a metal sheet is moved to within 1-2 cm of the coil, while self-inductance drops to 80% of its initial value when the sheet is 2 cm from the coil. Measured changes in ESR tended to be higher than the calculated values with the discrepancy depending on distance to the metal object. Theory and measurements were extended to the case of lateral misalignment of the coils."}
{"id": "PMID:1473822", "title": "An eccentrically coated asymmetric antenna applicator for intracavitary hyperthermia treatment of cancer.", "content": "In this paper a model based on transmission line theory is used to predict the behavior of an eccentrically coated asymmetric antenna applicator for use in intracavitary hyperthermia. Theoretical results for the heating rate (HR) of the applicators are compared to experimental results. The experimental results were obtained at City of Hope National Medical Center using four different 915-MHz applicators, each with a different antenna size and eccentricity of the coating. A parameter delta is defined where delta << 1.0 is a thin wire approximation; delta is primarily a function of the eccentricity of the coating, the antenna diameter, and the coating diameter. It is found that when delta approximately less than 0.5, the theoretical model works well. In particular, it predicts the directivity due to the eccentricity of the coating. However, as this eccentricity is increased or as the antenna diameter is increased (delta approximately greater than 0.6), the model no longer accurately predicts directivity. Thus, the model that can be used to predict the HR profiles for an eccentrically coated asymmetric antenna only when delta approximately less than 0.5."}
{"id": "PMID:1473823", "title": "Topographic mapping of single sweep evoked potentials in the brain.", "content": "Single trial analysis of brain-evoked potentials via stochastic parametric identification and filtering is here extended to multichannel recordings, leading to the topographic mapping of the brain activity elicited by a single stimulus, instead of the usual averaged mapping. The temporal dynamics of the subsequent sweeps in the protocol of a neurophysiologic experiment can thus be recovered and quantified also on its spatial characteristic."}
{"id": "PMID:1473824", "title": "On the tracking of rapid dynamic changes in seizure EEG.", "content": "Estimation of autospectra and coherence and phase spectra of seizure EEG, using the FFT technique, will cause \"smearing\" of the rapid dynamic changes which occur during the seizure. This is inherent to FFT spectral estimation, due to the averaging process which is necessary in order to get consistent spectral estimates. A different approach suggested in the present study is to carry out multivariate autoregressive modeling of the multichannel seizure EEG, combined with adaptive segmentation. In order to obtain good estimates in cases of short record length, the vectorial AR modeling was based on residual energy ratios. The method has been tested on multichannel seizure EEG recordings from rats with focal epilepsy, caused by intracerebral administration of Kainic acid, and in depth EEG recordings in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy."}
{"id": "PMID:1473825", "title": "Analysis of knee vibration signals using linear prediction.", "content": "Clinical methods used at present for the diagnosis of cartilage pathology in the knee are invasive in nature, and carry some risks. There exists a need for the development of a safe, objective, noninvasive method for early detection, localization, and quantification of cartilage pathology in the knee. This paper investigates the possibility of developing such a method based on an analysis of vibrations produced by joint surfaces rubbing against one another during normal movement. In particular, the method of modeling by linear prediction is used for adaptive segmentation and parameterization of knee vibration signals. Dominant poles are extracted from the model system function for each segment based on their energy contributions and bandwidths. These dominant poles represent the dominant features of the signal segments in the spectral domain. Two-dimensional feature vectors are then constructed using the first dominant pole and the ratio of power in the 40-120 Hz band to the total power of the segment. The potential use of this method to distinguish between vibrations produced by normal volunteers and patients known to have cartilage pathology (chondromalacia) is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1473826", "title": "Mathematical modeling and spectrum analysis of the physiological patello-femoral pulse train produced by slow knee movement.", "content": "Analysis of vibration signals emitted by the knee joint has the potential for the development of a noninvasive procedure for the diagnosis and monitoring of knee pathology. In order to obtain as much information as possible from the power density spectrum of the knee vibration signal, it is necessary to identify the physiological factors (or physiologically relevant parameters) that shape the spectrum. This paper presents a mathematical model for knee vibration signals, in particular the physiological patello-femoral pulse (PFP) train produced by slow knee movement. It demonstrates through the mathematical model that the repetition rate of the physiological PFP train introduces repeated peaks in the power spectrum, and that it affects the spectrum mainly at low frequencies. The theoretical results also show that the spectral peaks at multiples of the PFP repetition rate become more evident when the variance of the interpulse interval (IPI) is small, and that these spectral peaks shift toward higher frequencies with increasing PFP repetition rates. To evaluate the mathematical model, a simulation algorithm was developed, which generates PFP signals with adjustable repetition rate and IPI variance. Signals generated by simulation were seen to possess representative spectral characteristics typically observed in physiological PFP signals. This simulation procedure allows an interactive examination of several factors which affect the PFP train spectrum. Finally, in vivo measurements of physiological PFP signals of normal volunteers are presented. Results of simulations and analysis of signals recorded from human subjects support the mathematical model's prediction that the IPI statistics play a very significant role in determining the low-end power spectrum of the physiological PFP signal.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1473827", "title": "Accuracy of drug infusion pumps under computer control.", "content": "Prototype systems implementing algorithms for automated drug infusions are typically constructed by coupling a microcomputer to a drug infusion pump through a serial communications interface. Infusion rates demanded of the infusion pump in many computed-controlled drug delivery applications are made to change at intervals much shorter than those encountered under routine clinical use. Because the ability of infusion pumps to maintain accurate flow rates during high frequency rate changes has not been documented, the purpose of this study was to validate the volumetric accuracy of three commercially available infusion pumps operating in a demanding computer-controlled application. In independent 2-h evaluations, the infusion rate demanded of each pump changed as often as every 5, 10, or 15 s using an algorithm for computer-controlled pharmacokinetic model-driven intravenous infusion. Accuracy of the infusion devices was determined gravimetrically. At all measurement times, each of the infusion pumps was accurate to within approximately +/- 5% of the expected volumetric output under each of the infusion rate intervals tested. Flow rate accuracy of +/- 5% is equal to the nominal expected accuracy of these infusion pumps in conventional clinical use."}
{"id": "PMID:1473828", "title": "Biotelemetry of cardiovascular hemodynamic measurements in miniswine.", "content": "A three-channel biotelemetry system has been designed and implemented for use in a chronically instrumented animal model of cardiovascular disease. A dual-channel ultrasonic transit-time micrometer allows monitoring of left-ventricular wall motion for the regions perfused by the left circumflex and left anterior descending coronary arteries. A third channel provides left ventricular blood pressure obtained from a high-fidelity blood pressure transducer implanted in the left ventricle. The biotelemetry system features a high voltage dc-dc converter for improved ultrasonic signal strength, a time-to-voltage converter that is highly immune to synchronization frequency variations, low power consumption (approx. 100 mW), small size (4 x 6 x 12 cm), and low weight (approx. 200 g). This three-channel system has enabled our laboratory to continuously monitor untethered animals for 24-h periods. Data obtained from this miniature biotelemetry system can be utilized to quantify myocardial oxygen demand and regional left-ventricular wall thickening."}
{"id": "PMID:1473829", "title": "A linear discretization of the volume conductor boundary integral equation using analytically integrated elements.", "content": "A method is presented to compute the potential distribution on the surface of a homogeneous isolated conductor of arbitrary shape. The method is based on an approximation of a boundary integral equation as a set linear algebraic equations. The potential is described as a piecewise linear or quadratic function. The matrix elements of the discretized equation are expressed as analytical formulas."}
{"id": "PMID:1473830", "title": "A PC-based imaging system for automated platelet identification.", "content": "In this communication, a PC-based imaging system was developed for automatically identifying fluorescence-labeled individual platelets adherent to protein-coated surface under flow conditions. It is to eliminate the laborious and time-consuming task, and the subjective error of manual measurements. Based upon the features of adherent platelets, three passes of the image processing were developed for platelet identification. From the results, 90-95% accuracy could be routinely obtained. The platelet distribution and other related parameters could be easily extracted and investigated."}
{"id": "PMID:1473832", "title": "Platelet function in chronic leukemias.", "content": "Bleeding time, clot retraction, platelet factor 3 availability and platelet aggregation in response to ADP, epinephrine, collagen and ristocetin were studied in 12 cases of chronic leukemia which included eight of chronic myeloid leukemia, two of chronic lymphatic leukemia and two of CLL related disorders. One or more abnormalities in platelet function were detected in all the cases. Among the cases of CML, bleeding time was prolonged in one, clot retraction was impaired in one and PF3 availability was decreased in one case. Defects in platelet aggregation were variable. Among the cases of CLL and CLL related disorders, bleeding time was prolonged in two, clot retraction was impaired in one and PF3 availability was decreased in three cases. Platelet aggregation responses were significantly impaired in all the cases."}
{"id": "PMID:1473833", "title": "Cytological diversity of osteosarcoma.", "content": "Sixty three cases of clinically and radiologically diagnosed osteosarcomas were evaluated by fine needle aspiration cytology over a five year period. Adequate material was obtained in 59 cases. The sites aspirated were femur, tibia, humerus, fibula, scapula and clavicle. The mean age was 16 years. The most frequent morphological type encountered was the pleomorphic tumor (42) the other cytological types were sclerotic (10), chondroid (6), and small cell osteosarcoma (1). Hematoxylin and Eosin stain was better suited for detection of osteoid than routinely done cytological stain. The awareness of this cytological diversity is essential to avoid misinterpretation of osteosarcomas."}
{"id": "PMID:1473834", "title": "Mast cell reactivity in lymphoma: a preliminary communication.", "content": "Fifty nodes of Hodgkin's disease, 50 of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and 20 of reactive hyperplasia revealed varying degree of mast cell reactivity. It was maximum in reactive lymph nodes, sinuses and interfollicular areas being infiltrated more than zones. The number of mast cells was more in nodular sclerosis variety of Hodgkin's disease than other Rye-subtypes, and more in Hodgkin's group than non-Hodgkin's, out of the latter, the diffuse histiocytic lymphoma revealed higher number. Analysis of a larger series and follow-up of these patients are indicated to establish the possible reactionary nature of mast cell reactivity in lymphomas, and the prognostic bearing, if any."}
{"id": "PMID:1473835", "title": "CT staging of pancreatic and periampullary carcinoma.", "content": "Sixteen cases of carcinoma head pancreas and seven cases of periampullary carcinoma are staged together on CT scan because of their morphological similarity and similar parameters. Following parameters are considered for CT staging: tumour mass, involvement of splanchnic vessels, locoregional lymph nodes and presence or absence of hepatic metastases. Findings were confirmed on surgical exploration. A contrast enhanced CT scan was 58.3 percent sensitive and 100 percent specific for the involvement of lymph nodes and 100 percent sensitive and 93.4 percent specific for hepatic metastases. The cases diagnosed as non-resectable on CT staging were found inoperable on exploration. Authors believe that for all practical purposes, pancreatic and periampullary malignancies can be grouped together and a contrast enhanced CT scan can provide reliable information for the staging of the tumor."}
{"id": "PMID:1473836", "title": "Bone metastases in the patients of carcinoma cervix.", "content": "Seventeen of 620 patients (2.7%) of cancer cervix were diagnosed to have bone metastasis (BM). In three bone metastasis were seen at initial presentation; remaining 14 developed BM in 3 to 36 months after the diagnosis of cancer cervix. Backache (8), localised pain (8), in thigh/hip/neck paraparesis (1) were main symptoms. The duration of symptoms ranged from 1 to 4 (median 2.5) months. Lumber spine, pelvic bones and long bones were the commonest site of involvement. The lesions were single in 12 and at multiple sites in five patients. Radiologically the lesions were osteolytic in all except three where Tc99m bone scan showed increased uptake of radionuclide. Palliative radiotherapy resulted in significant symptomatic relief."}
{"id": "PMID:1473837", "title": "Metastasising congenital subcutaneous sacrococcygeal ependymoma.", "content": "A case of myxopapillary ependymoma located subcutaneously in sacrococcygeal area of a 18 months male child with metastasis to right inguinal lymph nodes is described; the tumour was present since birth. Histological examination of the tumour besides myxopapillary structures, also revealed an ependyma lined cystic space, resembling ventricular cavity. So far only two cases of congenital metastasising subcutaneous sacrococcygeal ependymoma have been described. However, the present case had a very aggressive post-operative biological behaviour."}
{"id": "PMID:1473838", "title": "Long term survival in a patient with multiple myeloma. A case report with review of literature.", "content": "A 37 year old man with symptomatic multiple myeloma diagnosed in April 1968 presented with generalised bony pains, extensive skeletal osteolytic lesions, monoclonal gammopathy and 90 percent atypical plasma cells in the marrow. He was given cyclophosphamide for six months with minimal response and then initiated on melphalan for one year. He was asymptomatic for 15 years thereafter and presented again in 1985 with a relapse of the disease. Over the next four years he was given various combinations of chemotherapy including cyclophosphamide, vincristine, melphalan and carmustine. He responded well on two more occasions only to relapse again. Recently, he has developed a symptomatic relapse with 36 percent plasma cells. This case report highlights the fact that there is a subset of patients with myeloma who survive beyond ten years, but remain symptomatic and respond slowly to chemotherapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1473839", "title": "Dysplastic gangliocytoma of the cerebellum (Lhermitte-Duclos disease)--a case report with review of the literature.", "content": "Dysplastic gangliocytoma of the cerebellum is an uncommon malformative lesion and clinically manifest as a slow growing space occupying lesion. In this report, the characteristic clinical and histopathological features of a case of dysplastic gangliocytoma of the cerebellum are described."}
{"id": "PMID:1473840", "title": "Extragonadal malignant teratoma of the foot.", "content": "This report documents the occurrence of an extragonadal malignant teratoma on the sole of the foot, in a young male. The patient also developed a groin nodule showing the same histology. The testes, retroperitoneum and mediastinum, which are usual sites of germ cell tumours were all normal, and no other primary could be detected. A teratoma growing in the tip of an extremity is a unique occurrence, biologically difficult to explain, and, which to the best of our knowledge has never been reported in literature."}
{"id": "PMID:1473841", "title": "Immunoglobulin profile in schizophrenia.", "content": "The present study was conducted on 40 new consecutive schizophrenic patients admitted in the psychiatry ward. The diagnosis of schizophrenia was done by Research Diagnosis Criteria (RDC). Serum immunoglobulins were were estimated in schizophrenic patients and were age and sex matched with 40 healthy individuals, comprising the control group. The IgG and IgA mean levels of schizophrenic patients were found to be significantly higher (p < 0.01) than the normal healthy individuals. There were however no significant differences between the schizophrenic patients and control group regarding total proteins, albumin and globulin levels. In subtypes of schinophrenia based on phenomenology only, paranoid group scored significantly higher (p < 0.01) IgG and IgA mean values than other types of Schizophrenia (catatonic, disorganised and undifferentiated)."}
{"id": "PMID:1473843", "title": "Blood pressure simulation model: a teaching aid.", "content": "A mechanical blood pressure simulation model has been designed and developed by superimposing intermittent pressure on a steady pressure in a fluid filled closed rubber bladder. As a result, pulsatile pressure waves are generated in the bladder. By adjusting the magnitudes of constant pressure and intermittent pressure a 'simulated blood pressure' profile may be generated in the closed bladder with clearly three identifiable components i.e. systolic, diastolic and pulse pressure. The model consists of two bladders, a rubber bag and a motor which produces up and down movements. The pressure is recorded on a manometer and a biorite simultaneously. The device is simple, sturdy and inexpensive and may be used as adjunct for laboratory teaching in physiology and related sciences."}
{"id": "PMID:1473844", "title": "Steroidogenic inhibition in testicular tissue of formaldehyde exposed rats.", "content": "Three groups of rats (n = 10) were subjected to intraperitoneal treatment of formaldehyde daily at doses of 5, 10 and 15 mg/kg body weight over a period of 30 days. Gradual diminution in body and testicular weight was observed in all treated groups. Leyding cell impairement was conspicuous in those given doses of 10 and 15 mg/kg. Inhibition of 3 beta-delta 5-hydroxy steroid dehydrogenase and accumulation of sudanophillic materials in testicular tissue of formaldehyde treated rats was recorded histochemically. Significant decline of serum testosterone was also observed in the same groups. Structural and functional impairement of Leydig cells after formaldehyde treatment caused steroidogenic inhibition."}
{"id": "PMID:1473845", "title": "Cigarette smoking and pressure-volume characteristics of the lung.", "content": "This study was done to identify the immediate changes induced by cigarette smoking on the mechanical properties of the lung. Static compliance (C stat), static pressure-volume (Stat P-V) hysteresis, vital capacity (VC), frequency dependence of dynamic compliance (C dyn) and collateral ventilation (Coll V) of the lung were studied in six mongrel dogs. The smoking of one cigarette induced a fall in VC and static P-V hysteresis of the lungs. These changes indicate an increase in elastic recoil of the lung probably caused by inactivation of pulmonary surfactant. Frequency dependence of C dyn did not develop after smoking. Extensive collateral ventilation was seen in the lungs of all the experimental animals and in those of five other normal dogs, who had not been exposed to cigarette smoke. The significance of these findings are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1473846", "title": "Alterations in feeding and sexual behaviour during reproductive cycle in female rats.", "content": "Alterations in feeding and sexual behaviour were studied in adult female rats. During estrous phase there was decrease in food intake and increased sexual behaviour, as manifested by increased lordosis quotient. During met-and diestrous phases, increase in food intake and depressed sexual behaviour were observed, indicating inverse relationship between these two behaviours. Multisensory hypothalamic neurons may explain interactions among regulatory systems."}
{"id": "PMID:1473847", "title": "Bronchial lability in allergic rhinitis.", "content": "The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between exercise bronchial lability and the changes in pulmonary function over a one year period in allergic rhinitis. Eighty four nonsmoking male medical students of whom twenty two were allergic rhinitics were studied. Pulmonary function status was significantly lower and exercise bronchial lability significantly higher in the allergics. Over a one year period the mean decline in the forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) was three times greater and in the forced expiratory flow rate in the middle half of the vital capacity (FEF 25-75%) 50% greater among the allergics. The change in FEV1 was positively related to the bronchial lability, indicating that greater bronchial lability was associated with less decline in pulmonary function in these subjects."}
{"id": "PMID:1473848", "title": "Influence of calcium removal from bath solution on isolated rat duodenum contractions.", "content": "In this study whether extracellular Ca++ is essential to produce an increase of tension of isolated rat duodenum by ACh, 5-HT, AVP and KCl-, was examined. KCl- and AVP-evoked contractions were almost totally prevented by Ca++ removal from bath solution. The increase of tension of isolated duodenum caused by ACh or 5-HT was totally prevented after adding nifedipine, a Ca++ channel blocker, into Ca free solution. Our results suggest that ACh or 5-HT utilizes intracellular as well as extracellular sources of Ca++ to produce contraction in rat duodenum, whereas AVP-or KCl evoked contraction was mainly due to influx of Ca from extracellular sources."}
{"id": "PMID:1473849", "title": "Receptor mechanisms in vasoconstrictor responses to choline esters in Bufo melanostictus.", "content": "Choline esters have been found to cause vasoconstriction of perfused systemic blood vessels of common Indian toad, Bufo melanostictus. The vasoconstriction appears to be mediated through atropine sensitive receptors and nicotinic mechanisms appear unlikely to be involved."}
{"id": "PMID:1473850", "title": "Adverse reactions to gentamycin in patients with ear, nose or throat infections.", "content": "Eighty four patients requiring treatment with Gentamycin were selected from Otorhinolaryngology outpatient and those admitted to the hospital. Patients suffering from hepatic or renal disorders, pregnant women and children were excluded from the study. Seventy three were administered gentamycin 40 mg BD intramuscularly for 7-10 days and in 11 the drug was applied topically as ear drops for 6-12 weeks. Adverse reactions were observed in 9 (13.3%) and 11 (100%) patients given the drug parenterally and topically respectively. In parenteral group incidence was higher in females as compared to males and profile included nausea and vomiting, headache, cough, tinnitis, albuminuria, diminition of hearing and vertigo. Whereas diminition of hearing acuity was observed in all those who had topical application as evidenced by pure tone audiometry."}
{"id": "PMID:1473851", "title": "Functional recovery following reptilean (Calotus calotus) spinal cord transection.", "content": "Various approaches to remedy the effects of spinal cord injury have been suggested from time to time. One of these is to study the regeneration following spinal cord transection in phylogenetic lower species in order to gain some information from this for its application in non-regenerating spinal cord injuries in higher species. In the present study the functional recovery following spinal cord transection in a reptile (Calotus calotus) was studied in 30 animals, and it was observed that functional recovery was quite marked by 4 weeks and more or less comple by 6 weeks."}
{"id": "PMID:1473852", "title": "Effect of soman administration on beta-esterases in blood, liver microsomes and brain regions of rats.", "content": "Activities of enzymes cholinesterase (ChE) and carboxylesterase (CaE) were assayed in serum, liver microsomes and three regions of brain, viz; cerebrum, cerebellum and brain stem (with mid brain) in male albino rats at 0.5 and 2 h periods after administration of 1/2 LD 50 dose of soman (0.22 mg/kg) intraperitoneally in olive oil as vehicle. At 0.5 h, in serum, ChE activity declined to 33% of its initial level whereas CaE activity was almost completely inhibited. However, in the liver microsomes at this period, ChE activity was greatly inhibited (18% of initial level) whereas CaE activity was nearly unaffected. At 2 h period, both the enzymes in the serum were almost completely inhibited. In the brain regions (excepting in cerebellum), both the enzymes were nearly similarly inhibited (by 55% to 65% of the initial level) at both the periods. The time related differential response of these two beta-esterases in acute soman intoxication probably occurred in the peripheral tissues like blood and liver but not in the CNS."}
{"id": "PMID:1473853", "title": "Influence of selenium supplementation during chelation of lead in rats.", "content": "The influence of selenium supplementation during chelation therapy to reduce body burden and toxicity of lead was investigated in rats. Selenium had marginal effects on liver, kidney and blood lead decorporation by calcium disodium ethylenediamine tetra acetic acid (CaNa2EDTA) and activation of inhibited delta- aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (ALAD) activity by calcium trisodium diethylenetriamine penta acetic acid (CaNa3DTPA). Selenium supplementation however, had no influence on lead induced inhibition of renal and hepatic transaminases and alkaline phosphatase. The results suggest that selenium supplementation slightly augments lead mobilization by chelating drugs."}
{"id": "PMID:1473854", "title": "Comparison of bioavailability and pharmacodynamics of diltiazem from two pharmaceutical preparations.", "content": "Diltiazem, a calcium channel blocker, is used in multiple divided doses daily, due to its short elimination half-life. Hence, administration as a modified release (MR) formulation is suggested. In this double blind cross-over trial, the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of diltiazem was studied in eight healthy Indian adults. Diltiazem was administered as single dose (60 mg) of the two formulations viz immediate release (IR) and MR. Venous blood samples, for estimation of diltiazem by HPLC, were collected at frequent intervals and BP, HR and ECG were monitored during the 12h study period. With MR formulation, plasma half-life was significantly (P < 0.05) prolonged (6.25 +/- 1.2 h vs. 2.69 +/- 0.2 h), the extent of alterations in BP, HR and PR interval was significantly less, while the duration of prolongation of PR interval was significantly more as compared to IR formulation. Therefore, MR formulation of diltiazem has better pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic profile as compared to IR formulation."}
{"id": "PMID:1473855", "title": "A preliminary study on the interaction between ethanol and propranolol in normal human subjects.", "content": "Ethanol significantly increased the steady-state peak concentration of propranolol while propranolol significantly reduced the total body clearance of ethanol in healthy human volunteers. Ethanol per se caused tachycardia and rise in systolic blood pressure while propranolol administration resulted in bradycardia. In combinations, ethanol and propranolol caused significant fall in diastolic blood pressure without any significant changes in the heart rate and systolic blood pressure compared to the control readings of four healthy male volunteers. The kinetic and haemodynamic interactions observed between ethanol and propranolol in the preliminary study are of clinical relevance and need further exploration."}
{"id": "PMID:1473856", "title": "A simple technique for hemoglobin estimation to screen for anaemia.", "content": "Drabkins method has been modified enabling detection of anaemia in a large population. 132 samples of EDTA blood were subjected to hemoglobin estimation by (1) Direct Drabkin (DD) (2), Filter Drabkin (FD) and (3) Special Filter Drabkin (SFD). Hemoglobin estimations by DD and FD compared well on statistical analysis. SFD with a punch diameter of 10.6 to 10.7 mm compared well with DD and is ideal for screening anaemia in field studies."}
{"id": "PMID:1473857", "title": "Effect of coingestion of paracetamol on glycaemic response.", "content": "Rate of gastric emptying is a frequently measured variable in glycaemic response studies. One of the indices employed for measurement of the gastric emptying rate is the blood level of paracetamol at frequent intervals of time following coingestion of paracetamol with the meal. But the effect of paracetamol itself on glycaemic response is not known. The present study was performed on ten healthy and five NIDDM subjects. Each subject underwent two meal tolerance tests in random sequence. On one occasion the meal was white bread; on the other occasion, the meal consisted of the same quantity of white bread and 1.5 g paracetamol. The postprandial glycaemica following the two meals was not significantly different. Thus the results validate the use of the paracetamol technique for gastric emptying in glycaemic response studies."}
{"id": "PMID:1473858", "title": "Effects of topically applied sulphur mustard on tissue glycogen, blood glucose, lactate and pyruvate in mice.", "content": "Bis-2-Chloroethyl sulphide, commonly known as sulphur mustard (SM) or mustard gas, an alkylating agent, is frequently used as a chemical warfare agent. Inhibition of glycolysis has been related to skin injury and cell death. The effects of SM on tissue glycogen, blood glucose, lactate/pyruvate ratio were investigated in the present study. After a single dermal application of 1.0 LD50 SM in mice, a significant hyperglycemia was observed at 24 hr post exposure. There was a corresponding decrease in liver glycogen content, with no alteration in glycogen content of brain, muscles and kidney. Blood pyruvate and lactate levels were not appreciably altered."}
{"id": "PMID:1473863", "title": "Measuring growth in the volume and intensity of Medicare physician services.", "content": "Congress adopted a policy of Volume Performance Standards that will adjust Medicare fees downward (or upward) in direct relation to the amount that spending exceeds (or falls below) a preset target. Using data from the 1985 through 1989 Medicare Part B Annual Data (BMAD), we show there are wide differences in the rate of growth in volume and intensity across types of services, specialties, and geographic areas. This suggests the current policy that bases adjustments on two national standards for surgical and nonsurgical services could lead to inequitable fee rewards and penalties. A greater number of targets based on more homogeneous service categories could reduce these inequities."}
{"id": "PMID:1473864", "title": "Explaining the association between surgeon supply and utilization.", "content": "This study uses Medicare enrollment and physician claims data to examine the effect of surgeon supply on the demand for surgeons' services. The specialties studied were ophthalmology, general surgery, orthopedic surgery, and urology. The study found that higher surgeon supply increases the demand for initial contacts with surgeons (first-occurrences demand) but does not affect the demand for services among surgeons' patients (intensity-of-care demand). These findings suggest that a high supply of surgeons improves access or is associated with stronger preferences for referrals to surgeons. The findings offer little support for the hypothesis that a substantial component of the additional utilization that occurs when surgeons are plentiful is due to increases in physician-induced demand."}
{"id": "PMID:1473865", "title": "Physician responses to fee-for-service and capitation payment.", "content": "The ability to achieve reductions in health care costs is determined in part by physician payment mechanisms. This study observes the response to a change in the reimbursement mechanism by a group of physicians who participated in a fee-for-service plan and then formed an IPA using capitation payment for primary care physicians and a reduced fee schedule for specialists. Patient benefits were similar under the two plans. Analyses of data for a group of continuous enrollees show that the change in the physician payment mechanism was associated with a reduction in hospitalizations but increases in length of hospital stay and number of ambulatory visits. These increases may have occurred because capitation for primary care physicians and a reduced fee schedule for specialists led to a greater number of referrals with no incentive in place for reductions in length of stay for specialty admissions."}
{"id": "PMID:1473866", "title": "Medicare: looking for pareto optimal changes.", "content": "Medicare enrollees are at risk for potentially unlimited out-of-pocket costs for acute care, defined here as prescription drug costs and copayments on covered services. As a result, many enrollees supplement Medicare with Medigap insurance, which increases their premium costs and their use of Medicare-covered services. The objective of this study was to limit enrollees' risk for acute care costs without increasing federal spending. The study found that savings from prohibiting Medigap would be sufficient to provide a copayment cap under Medicare. If Medicare's copayment requirements were also restructured, the savings would finance a prescription drug benefit as well. Most enrollees could expect lower expenses for premiums and out-of-pocket costs combined, but expenses would be significantly higher for 5% of enrollees, all current Medigap policyholders."}
{"id": "PMID:1473867", "title": "Time costs and informal social support as determinants of differences between black and white families in the provision of long-term care.", "content": "This paper presents an economic model that predicts the observed racial difference in the mix of informal home and nursing home services used for long-term care by black versus white families. A cause of this difference in services used is a difference between black and white families in the relative prices they pay for particular services. Each group uses relatively more of the relatively less expensive (for that group) form of long-term care. The model indicates three specific hypotheses. The empirical analysis focuses on the Differential Opportunity Cost of Informal Caregiver Time hypothesis. Based on data from the 1982 and 1984 National Long-Term Care Surveys, two sets of results consistent with though not direct tests of this hypothesis are presented."}
{"id": "PMID:1473868", "title": "How restrictive are Medicaid's categorical eligibility requirements? A look at nine Southern states.", "content": "Medicaid, as an existing program with federal matching dollars, remains attractive to state legislatures looking for a means to address the problems of the uninsured. However, the extent to which states can maximize coverage of the poor uninsured under Medicaid's present eligibility criteria is unknown. Surprisingly, this study of nine Southern states shows a modest 14.8% reduction in the uninsured population when the AFDC income eligibility threshold is moved up to the federal poverty level. This threshold is twice as high as the national mean and three times greater than the mean income eligibility threshold for the nine states that were the focus of this study. In sharp contrast, elimination of the categorical eligibility requirements under the same poverty-level threshold reduces the uninsured population by nearly 40%."}
{"id": "PMID:1473869", "title": "The impact of being uninsured on utilization of basic health care services.", "content": "Recent proposals to increase access to health insurance suggest the need to know what the magnitude of responses would be if the one in five nonelderly persons uninsured for all or part of the year were to become insured. This paper finds that an additional commitment of resources to hospital and ambulatory care on the order of $26 billion (in 1989 dollars), or about 4% of total national health care spending, would be required if those now uninsured were to use these services on a par with the privately insured. The primary inputs to this result are new estimates of the impact of being uninsured which indicate a substantial potential response to insurance, particularly by adults."}
{"id": "PMID:1473870", "title": "Increased ambulatory utilization in IPA plans among children receiving hyposensitization therapy.", "content": "There is concern that children with chronic conditions are less likely to be enrolled in managed care systems and that they may not receive optimal care. We studied the relationship between enrollment in an Independent Practice Association (IPA) plan and utilization of ambulatory services among children in a suburban pediatric practice with one mild chronic condition--those receiving hyposensitization therapy for allergic diseases. Ambulatory utilization by IPA patients (N = 102) was determined by medical chart review for one year before and one year after each patient switched from Blue Cross to IPA coverage. Blue Cross hyposensitization patients (N = 57) matched for age served as controls. Patients receiving hyposensitization were more likely to have enrolled in an IPA than those not receiving hyposensitization (70% vs 45%, p < .001). Before enrollment pre-IPA patients had 41% fewer well-child care (WCC) visits than Blue Cross patients (p < .01); both underutilized WCC visits according to established guidelines. Controlling for age and baseline utilization, we found a significant increase in WCC and acute care visits after IPA enrollment (p < .05), but no change in hyposensitization visits or referrals. In this setting, there was no evidence for reduced access to ambulatory services but rather evidence for improved utilization of primary care."}
{"id": "PMID:1473871", "title": "Cyclosporin and ketoconazole, drug interaction or therapeutic association?", "content": "Coadministration of cyclosporin and ketoconazole results in marked elevation in blood levels of cyclosporin, which is believed to be the result of competition for hepatic P-450 mixed function oxidase enzymes. This requires a significant reduction in cyclosporin dosage regimen which may result in savings of nearly $5,000/year per transplant recipient. As a consequence, the idea of intentionally adding ketoconazole to cyclosporin for the purpose of decreasing toxicity and cost has been advanced. This article reviews the reported cases and studies of which the ketoconazole/cyclosporin interaction is the major concern. From a pharmaceutical standpoint, it is stressed that further investigations are needed to clarify the actual consequences of the inhibitory effect of ketoconazole on cyclosporin metabolism as well in short-term as in long-term treatments, before taking advantage of metabolic interaction to supply the two drugs as a unique preparation for clinical use. It is concluded that at the time of this review, individual monitoring of adjunctive ketoconazole therapy still remains the best therapeutic choice."}
{"id": "PMID:1473872", "title": "Effect of changing the bioequivalence range from (0.80, 1.20) to (0.80, 1.25) on the power and sample size.", "content": "International harmonization of guidelines for bioequivalence assessment has led to a wide acceptance of the multiplicative model for the extent and rate characteristics AUC and Cmax and--in consistency with this--of the bioequivalence range (0.80, 1.25). The effect of this change from (0.80, 1.20) on the power of the two one-sided test procedure and the sample sizes based thereon is investigated as a function of the within-subject coefficient of variation (CV) and the ratio mu T/mu R of expected medians for test and reference. The relative reduction in sample size is practically zero for mu T/mu R < or = 0.9 and then gradually increases as mu T/mu R approaches 1.2. At mu T/mu R = 1, the reduction is up to 20%. For a fixed ratio mu T/mu R this reduction increases with the coefficient of variation, reaching a plateau at a CV of about 25%."}
{"id": "PMID:1473873", "title": "Prolonged release of morphine alkaloid from a lipophilic suppository base in vitro and in vivo.", "content": "The in vitro release characteristics of four suppository formulations of morphine (15 mg) were investigated using the USP rotating basket dissolution apparatus. Morphine hydrochloride in polyethylene glycol (PEG), a hydrophilic suppository base, morphine alkaloid in PEG and morphine hydrochloride in Novata BBC (a lipophilic suppository base) completely released the drug within 25 min whereas, morphine alkaloid in Novata BBC (MAN) released the drug over 10 h. The absorption of the morphine hydrochloride/PEG (MHP) suppository was compared with that of a 15 mg oral solution in eight patients with malignant disease in a crossover design. Time of peak plasma morphine concentration (tmax) was similar for both preparations (1.8 +/- 1.6 h and 1.2 +/- 0.5 h, respectively; p > 0.05), showing that the MHP suppository was rapidly absorbed. The MAN and MHP suppositories were then compared in a further nine patients in a crossover design. Prolonged release of morphine from the MAN suppository was also evident in vivo as tmax (2.5 +/- 1.4 h) was significantly greater than that for the morphine hydrochloride/PEG suppository (0.7 +/- 0.3 h; p < 0.002). There was no significant difference in AUC (0-7 h) (34.5 +/- 19.2 versus 38.9 +/- 16.1 ng.h/ml, respectively; p > 0.05) indicating a similar amount of morphine absorbed. Plasma morphine concentrations were more sustained for 7 h after dosage with the MAN suppository, with lower peak (8.3 +/- 4.9 and 12.3 +/- 6.6 ng/ml, respectively) and higher 6 h plasma morphine concentrations (5.81 +/- 4.85 and 3.30 +/- 1.0 ng/ml, respectively; p < 0.05).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1473874", "title": "Phytomenadione improves red cell deformability in laboratory animals.", "content": "The deformability of red blood cells (RBC) is one of the factors that determine whole blood rheology. Derivatives of vitamin K (phytomenadione, menadione, menadione bisulfite) are electron-transporting substances. The aim of this study was to investigate the possible influence of derivatives of vitamin K on erythrocyte deformability in studies in vivo--on rats and rabbits. The influence of vitamin K antagonist on erythrocyte deformability (ethylbiscumacetate) was also determined. Pentoxifylline known to affect RBC deformability was also included in the study as the control treatment. The study was performed on white laboratory rats and domestic rabbits. The blood was obtained from animals after single and multiple dosing of drugs. Blood sample was prepared and RBC filterability was assayed with a gravity driven filtration technique. Pentoxyfylline did not change erythrocyte deformability after single dose, but significantly improved erythrocyte deformability of laboratory animals after multiple application. Filterability values of the RBCs of the rats and rabbits increased significantly after single and multiple treatment with phytomenadione, while the two other derivatives, menadione and menadione bisulfite, did not change RBC deformability. Ethylbiscumacetate did not change erythrocyte deformability in rats after single dose."}
{"id": "PMID:1473875", "title": "Serum and synovial fluid osteocalcin in rheumatic diseases.", "content": "The mechanisms involved in juxta-articular bone destruction are poorly understood. Osteocalcin or gamma-carboxyglutamic acid (GLA) protein is a small non-collagenous bone protein. It is a sensitive marker of osteoblastic bone formation. Its seric variations in the serum in such rheumatisms as rheumatoid arthritis remain unclear. Further information on local osteoblastic activity may be obtained by assaying the level of osteocalcin in the synovium. Its serum level can be evaluated by radioimmunoassay. The same method can be used in the synovial fluid. Paired serum and synovial fluid samples have been assayed from 63 patients, 33 patients with inflammatory arthritis (rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, chondrocalcinosis, pyogenic arthritis) and 30 patients with mechanical joint effusion (osteoarthritis, meniscal lesions). Serum levels of osteocalcin were the same in the inflammatory group (m: 8.69 +/- 0.68 ng/ml) and in the mechanical group (m: 10.2 +/- 0.67 ng/ml). In the synovial fluid, the levels of osteocalcin were significantly lower in the inflammatory group (m: 3.27 +/- 0.40 ng/ml) than in the mechanical group (m: 6.91 +/- 0.47 ng/ml). The same results were obtained with the ratio of synovial fluid osteocalcin on serum osteocalcin. There was a significant correlation between serum and synovial fluid osteocalcin and an inverse correlation between synovial fluid osteocalcin and the number of synovial fluid cells. The present study suggests that periarticular osteoblastic depression, among patients with inflammatory arthritis, is likely."}
{"id": "PMID:1473876", "title": "Serum lipoprotein profile under different antihypertensive therapy.", "content": "Serum lipids of 80 patients with moderately severe essential hypertension under four different antihypertensive therapies were compared to ten matched hypertensives on a placebo, after eight weeks of therapy. The results in the serum lipid parameters measured after therapy showed with enalapril a significant increase in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and a decrease in the total cholesterol/HDL-C ratio. With benazepril a significant decrease in the total cholesterol/HDL-C ratio was obtained. With the diuretic combination Epitens the effect on serum sodium and potassium was minimal. No significant changes were found in the lipoprotein profile following the administration of the placebo. Both angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (enalapril and benazapril) induced a significant improvement in the atherogenic ratio; as well as the calcium antagonist (isradipine), though to a less extent. The diuretic Epitens induced an insignificant deterioration of the atherogenic ratio."}
{"id": "PMID:1473877", "title": "Protein binding of indomethacin, methotrexate and morphine in patients with cancer.", "content": "The in vitro protein binding of indomethacin, morphine and methotrexate has been studied in two groups of ten patients each suffering from different types of cancers and compared with twenty normal adult subjects. One group of patients had active disease and the other group was in complete clinical remission. Serum samples were obtained from each subject and the concentrations of albumin and alpha-1 acid glycoprotein (AGP) were measured. Protein binding of drugs was determined using equilibrium dialysis. Alpha-1 acid glycoprotein levels were increased in patients and this effect was more pronounced in active disease (1802 +/- 1025 mg/l) than in remission (931 +/- 273 mg/l). Albumin levels were reduced in active disease (47.67 +/- 15.91 milligrams), but not in remission (61.86 +/- 6.62 milligrams), as compared to control values (58.98 +/- 9.9 milligrams). The protein binding of methotrexate and indomethacin were both reduced in active disease (34.17 +/- 7.12% and 96.26 +/- 0.93% respectively) in comparison with normal subjects (39.33 +/- 4.68% and 96.89 +/- 0.47% respectively), but that of morphine was not changed. In patients there was a strong negative correlation between albumin and alpha-1 acid glycoprotein levels (r = -0.75, p < 0.01) but the correlation in controls was not significant. This study found only weak association between the binding of the drugs studied and the protein levels. It is concluded that reduction in methotrexate dose levels may reduce toxicity in patients with active cancer."}
{"id": "PMID:1473878", "title": "Evaluation of monoclonal/polyclonal ratio in kidney-transplanted patients treated with cyclosporine.", "content": "Fifty-seven kidney-transplanted outpatients, treated with cyclosporine alone or associated with azathioprine, prednisone, or methylprednisolone, were submitted to a monthly follow-up in order to determine cyclosporine blood levels and the monoclonal/polyclonal (M/P) ratio. Only methylprednisolone was able to modify the M/P ratio. This drug increased the M/P ratio, suggesting a cyclosporine metabolic inhibition. This effect disappeared in a few months in spite of the continuation of methylprednisolone treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1473879", "title": "Pharmacokinetics of pramiracetam in healthy volunteers after oral administration.", "content": "The pharmacokinetics of pramiracetam was assessed using an HPLC method after oral administration of two different formulations of 600 mg (a solution and a tablet) of pramiracetam to 11 fasting volunteers. The mean kinetic parameters were: t1 = 4.7 +/- 2.4 - 4.3 +/- 2.2 h, AUC = 57.6 +/- 43.6 - 47.2 +/- 33.9 micrograms h/ml, Cmax = 6.80 +/- 3.2 - 5.80 +/- 3.3 micrograms/ml for the solution and the tablet respectively. The plasma profile of pramiracetam proved to be not highly affected by the formulation, only that the absorption rate was faster after oral administration of the drug in solution than after administration as a tablet. The half-life was very variable between subjects [2-8 hours], but less variable within subjects and it was unaffected by the formulation."}
{"id": "PMID:1473880", "title": "Gastric tolerance of single dose unbuffered and buffered acetylsalicylic acid: a randomized comparative endoscopic study in 24 volunteers.", "content": "A randomized, three-way crossover study by gastroscopic examination in 24 healthy male volunteers was performed to compare the gastric tolerance of a single dose of buffered or unbuffered acetylsalicylic acid. Gastroscopic assessment was made two hours after administration of the buffered (800 mg ASA) or unbuffered (500 mg ASA) tablets taken with 200 ml of water. Mucosal changes were rare and of a minor nature. Only two volunteers in the unbuffered ASA group presented minor changes (erythema and oedema). No pathological changes were observed after the buffered ASA. Subjective adverse reactions, e.g. epigastric complaints, were reported by four volunteers in the unbuffered group and by two in the buffered group. Based on the limited number and the minor extent of visible changes, statistical tests did not appear to be warranted. The results indicate that buffered ASA is better tolerated."}
{"id": "PMID:1473881", "title": "Betablocking drugs in essential hypertension: transdermal bupranolol compared with oral metoprolol.", "content": "In the present study the antihypertensive efficacy and tolerability of transdermal bupranolol (30 mg once-daily) was compared with oral metoprolol (100 mg once-daily). Blood pressure measurements were performed in the office, at home, and with ambulatory 24-h blood pressure devices. Systemic and local side-effects, as well as compliance and acceptance, were evaluated every two weeks. The treatment period lasted eight weeks. The results showed a significant decrease in blood pressure under the bupranolol transdermal therapeutic system in the office, at home, and with 24-h blood pressure measurements day- (08h00-20h00) and night-time (20h00-08h00). Under oral metoprolol there was a significant blood pressure decrease in the office, at home, and in the mean daytime values of the 24-h blood pressure measurements. The night-time values, however, demonstrated only a slight decrease in blood pressure, being significant only for diastolic values. Systemic side-effects were comparable in both groups. 69% of the patients had local side-effects at the patch side (erythema, papulous exanthema, pruritus). Six patients dropped out because of localized urticarial exanthema (five patients treated with transdermal bupranolol, one patient treated with oral metoprolol). In comparison to the oral form, twice as many patients had admitted to have been non-compliant with the patches (13 versus 7 patients). At the end of the study, 24 out of 32 patients preferred to be treated with capsules."}
{"id": "PMID:1473882", "title": "Polygonal triple osteotomy of the pelvis. A correction for dysplastic hip joints.", "content": "A new triple osteotomy, polygonal pelvic osteotomy (PPO), is described for use in dysplastic hips. The hip joint must be congruous with a centre-edge (CE) angle between +20 degrees and -10 degrees. Templates are used before and during operation which allow precise correction of the position of the acetabulum. The geometry of the osteotomy and a special compression plate achieve sufficient stability to permit early mobilisation. Surgery is indicated in adolescents and young adults if pain persists for at least two months. The surgical exposure, operative technique and postoperative management are presented, with the two-year results in nine cases."}
{"id": "PMID:1473883", "title": "Pelvic deformity in experimental dislocation of the growing hip.", "content": "The hip joints of growing rats have been dislocated experimentally to determine how this affects pelvic shape and acetabular orientation. After hip dislocation the innominate bone tilts laterally in the frontal plane. It bends anteriorly in the sagittal plane and rotates contralaterally in the coronal plane. No significant acetabular anteversion develops."}
{"id": "PMID:1473884", "title": "The fixateur interne for stabilising fractures of the thoracolumbar and lumbar spine.", "content": "Between 1986 and 1988, 27 patients with fractures of the thoracolumbar and lumbar spine were treated by fixateur interne (FI) instrumentation, and 24 were followed up for a mean of 25 months. Complications occurred in 13 cases, mostly due to loosening and corrosion. The results were compared with plate fixation. The radiological parameters and differences between the preoperative and postoperative indices were well within the normal range. The inferiority of FI instrumentation compared to plate fixation during follow up was mainly attributable to the complications. Reduction of the posterior wall fragments by the intact posterior longitudinal ligament was not consistent, so instrumented reduction is usually the method of choice."}
{"id": "PMID:1473885", "title": "[One stage revision of infected total hip replacements with replacement of bone loss by allografts. Study of 90 cases of which 46 used bone allografts].", "content": "We usually manage infected total hip replacements by a one stage revision. We have reviewed 90 cases operated on before 1988. Notable bone loss was frequently encountered and reconstructed using allografts. In all cases complete surgical debridement was performed and a cemented total hip replacement implanted. Bone allografts were used in 46 cases. Systemic antibiotics and antibiotic loaded cement were utilised. There were 17 failures (19%); one patient died soon after operation, there were 8 obvious infections (9%), 1 hip was thought to be infected although the prosthesis was not loose, and 7 femoral prostheses became loose of which 3 were due to mechanical failure and the remainder had no obvious explanation. Infection with staphylococcus aureus and pseudomonas had a statistical correlation with failure, but other factors including the preoperative status and the use of allografts did not appear to influence the result. Allograft femoral heads from the bone bank were found to be reliable for reconstruction of the acetabulum and small femoral defects. With major femoral bone loss we preferred massive irradiated cortical allografts. The quality of the bone reconstruction was probably the most important factor in the good functional results observed in 79% of cases. Effective surgical debridement and an appropriate antibiotic regime will allow a successful one stage revision procedure. The use of allografts gave a reliable reconstruction of the bone loss and was not associated with an increased rate of failure."}
{"id": "PMID:1473886", "title": "A scoring system to determine radiological loosening in cemented total hip arthroplasty.", "content": "A radiological scoring system was developed to identify grades of loosening of the components of a cemented hip replacement. In grade 1, there are mild changes, usually of minor significance; in grade 2 moderate changes which need regular observation, and in grade 3 severe changes which indicate impending failure. Three parameters are used for the socket, giving a score of 10 points, and 5 for the stem, with a score of 15 points. This method can be used to provide a comparison between different series with a long-term follow up."}
{"id": "PMID:1473887", "title": "The Exeter bipolar prosthesis in the active elderly patient: the results at 7 years.", "content": "Seventy one Exeter bipolar hemiarthroplasties were reviewed after a mean follow up of 3.2 years (range 1-7 years). Patients with displaced subcapital fractures were selected for operation on the basis of good mobility before the fracture. The operation was well tolerated and the mortality at 1 month and 6 months was 3.7% and 6.5% respectively. Using a newly devised hip scoring system 89% had a good or excellent result and 94% had no or only occasional pain. There was no radiological evidence of acetabular erosion."}
{"id": "PMID:1473888", "title": "Microscopic analysis of autograft bone applied at the interface of porous-coated devices in human cancellous bone.", "content": "This study describes the response of human cancellous bone when autologous bone chips are added at operation to the interface between host bone and porous-coated implants. During the first operation of a staged bilateral total knee arthroplasty, seven patients consented to have paired porous-coated devices implanted into their opposite medial femoral condyle. One device of each pair had autologous bone chips applied to the porous-coating, and the other was not grafted and was a control. The devices were removed en bloc at the second total knee arthroplasty 6 to 49 weeks later. Backscattered electron imaging showed significantly more bone (p < or = 0.05) in the porous-coating of the implant treated with autologous bone chips which significantly increased (p < or = 0.05) the amount of bone available at the interface. The grafted devices had a mineral apposition rate of 1.04 +/- 0.20 microns/day for the interface and 0.81 +/- 0.09 microns/day for the peripheral bone. This compared with corresponding figures of 1.03 +/- 0.38 microns/day and 0.79 +/- 0.19 microns/day at the ungrafted devices. The mineral apposition rate at the interface of the porous-coated implants was significantly increased (p < or = 0.05) relative to the host bone in the periphery. Our results support the view that autologous bone chips are effective in attaching cementless porous-coated total knee replacements to the human skeleton by bone ingrowth."}
{"id": "PMID:1473889", "title": "A prospective randomized study of the use of sliding hip screws and Ender nails for trochanteric fractures of the femur.", "content": "The functional outcome of trochanteric hip fractures was investigated prospectively in a group of 92 patients treated at random with either Ender nails or a sliding hip screw. Apart from clinical variables, the walking ability of the patients was assessed by gait analysis performed on an electronic walkway. No perioperative complications were noted. The patients in the Ender group had significantly less blood loss and a shorter operation time than the patients treated with the sliding hip screw, indicating that the former method is more gentle as a primary intervention. However, over time there were more reoperations in the Ender group and the functional outcome, including gait analysis after 6 months, showed more favourable results for fractures treated with the sliding hip screw. We therefore recommend the sliding hip screw for an optimal functional result."}
{"id": "PMID:1473890", "title": "The healing of flexor tendons in chickens.", "content": "The healing of flexor tendons was studied in chickens using transmission electron microscopy. After resecting the flexor sheath between the proximal and distal pulleys in zone II, the profundus tendon was severed and sutured. Intermittent passive motion was carried out 35 times daily immediately afterwards. The chickens were sacrificed at 3, 6 and 9 weeks. In vivo healing was shown to be much more rapid than in in vitro studies. There was marked proliferation of endoplasmic reticulum and phagocytosis at 3 weeks, collagen synthesis at 6 weeks and remodelling at 9 weeks. Healing was by a combination of extrinsic and intrinsic mechanisms."}
{"id": "PMID:1473891", "title": "The third metacarpal boss.", "content": "A swelling and ache on the dorsum of the wrist in relation to the base of the 3rd metacarpal bone may indicate a bony lesion or an enlarged styloid process. It may also be due to an old fracture of the process or an accessory ossicle (os styloideum). Approximately half the 14 patients (15 wrists) had a history of an injury, usually a hit with the fist. Recurrent occupational strain may also produce symptoms at this site. Excision of the metacarpal base with the adjacent capitate or trapezoid, and repair of the periosteum and extensor tendon, will remove the lump and usually relieve symptoms."}
{"id": "PMID:1473892", "title": "The patella thinning osteotomy. An experimental study of a new technique for reducing patellofemoral pressure.", "content": "The authors describe an original procedure, the patella thinning osteotomy, as an alternative to advancement of the tibial tuberosity or patellectomy in cases of severe anterior knee pain. They present an experimental study on cadaveric knees prior to a clinical trial. This study on 13 knee specimens, using Fujifilm Prescale barosensitive film, shows that thinning of the patella by 7 mm diminishes to a significant degree the patellofemoral contact areas from 16.07% at 60 degrees of flexion to 27.90% at 30 degrees of flexion. Patellofemoral joint reacting forces, measured in 12 knees, also diminish in both medial and lateral surfaces at 30 degrees, 60 degrees and 90 degrees of flexion, the level of statistical significance being over 0.05, except for the lateral surface at 60 degrees of flexion. This technique decompresses the patellofemoral joint, and produces the biological effects found after other osteotomies."}
{"id": "PMID:1473893", "title": "Vascular changes in the ruptured Achilles tendon and paratenon.", "content": "Thirty patients with ruptures of the Achilles tendon were studied. There were 21 men and 9 women with an average age of 36 years. Specimens from the tendon and paratenon in 24 were examined histologically. Tissue samples of 20 were studied by electron microscopy. Marked degenerative, obliterative and/or inflammatory vascular changes were found in all the ruptured tendons and their paratenon. Our findings indicate that poor vascularity play a role in the aetiology of rupture of the Achilles tendon."}
{"id": "PMID:1473894", "title": "Amputation for occlusive arterial disease. A prospective multicentre study of 177 amputees.", "content": "All major amputations of the lower limb due to occlusive arterial disease were studied prospectively and consecutively during one year in the 5 hospitals in Malm\u00f6hus county, Sweden. The patients were followed for 6 months after the primary amputation of which 136 were through the tibia, 6 through the knee and 35 through the femur. One hundred and seventy-seven patients (92 men and 85 women) were included; 49% were 80 years or older and 40% were diabetic. At 6 months, 85 of the surviving 109 patients had healed stumps, 10 were not healed and 14 had been revised or reamputated. Half the survivors used a prosthesis daily. There was no significant difference in healing related to sex, age, diabetes or the level of amputation, but diabetics were more often bilateral amputees. The mortality at 6 months was 38% and at 4 years 72%."}
{"id": "PMID:1473895", "title": "The effect on low back pain of shortening osteotomy for leg length inequality.", "content": "This study evaluates the effect on low back pain of shortening osteotomy in patients with leg length inequality (LLI). Twenty-two patients were followed up after an average of 5 years. The mean preoperative LLI was 32 mm and was 4.3 mm at follow up. The degree of low back pain was significantly reduced after the operation."}
{"id": "PMID:1473897", "title": "Osteomyelitis and septic arthritis in sickle cell disease in the eastern province of Saudi Arabia.", "content": "Patients with sickle cell disease are more susceptible to osteomyelitis and septic arthritis than the population at large. Seventy eight patients with these conditions were admitted to our hospital from April 1988 to March 1991. Thirty had sickle cell disease, 14 had the sickle cell trait and 34 had normal electrophoresis. The tibia, followed by the femur and humerus were the bones most commonly affected, and the knee was the joint most often involved. Salmonella was the commonest organism in osteomyelitis and septic arthritis in sickle cell disease, whereas staphylococcus was commonest in normal patients and those with the sickle cell trait. Antibiotics that cover these two organisms must be considered in patients with sickle cell disease who are suspected of having osteomyelitis or septic arthritis."}
{"id": "PMID:1473900", "title": "Bioactivity of cis and dicis isomers of vitamin A esters.", "content": "In order to declare the accurate vitamin A effectiveness of foodstuffs and synthetic vitamin A preparations, the biological activity of the individual isomers has to be known. Total activity is expressed as all-trans vitamin A equivalents which are calculated by multiplication of analytical content of each isomer with the corresponding biopotency factor. The biological activity of four cis and three or four dicis isomers of vitamin A acetate and palmitate was determined by means of rat vaginal smear assays. The purity of the compounds, the content and isomerisation in stock solutions were checked by HPLC methods prior to their dilution and application to the experimental animals. Based on analytical contents the following activities were found for vitamin A acetate isomers: all-trans 1.00, 13-cis 0.76, 11-cis 0.31, 9-cis 0.19, 7-cis 0.18, 9,13-dicis 0.16, 11,13-dicis 0.18, 9,11-dicis approx. 0.03. The corresponding values for vitamin A palmitate were: all-trans 1.00, 13-cis 0.73, 11-cis 0.34, 9-cis 0.19, 7-cis 0.14, 9,13-dicis 0.21, 11,13-dicis 0.20, 9,11-dicis approx. 0.04, 7,11-dicis approx. 0.12. The vitamin A activity of the cis isomers ranged from about 0.75 for 13-cis to about 0.05 for 9,11-dicis. For the cis series, a biopotency relationship depending on the distance between the beta-ionone ring system and the cis configuration could be observed."}
{"id": "PMID:1473901", "title": "Assessment of the vitamin A status of preschool and school age Senegalese children during a cross-sectional study.", "content": "The increasing concern about vitamin A deficiency in even its mild subclinical form has created the need for a mass screening test. Various clinical, biochemical and cytological methods for assessing the vitamin A status have been widely used but all are unsatisfactory for technical, ethical or public health reasons. The two prevalence criteria defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) for a vitamin A deficiency problem of public health significance are xerophthalmia and serum retinol concentrations. Recently we proposed a prevalence criterion for impression cytology with transfer (ICT) at the level of 50% of ICT results being abnormal. We conducted a cross-sectional survey of the prevalence of vitamin A deficiency and also undernutrition during the dry season in a random sample of 1,259 children (n = 442 for the 2-6 years and n = 817 for the 7-14 years) from a rural area in Senegal. Prevalence was 0 times and 4.2 times the WHO criteria for xerophthalmia and deficient serum retinol levels, respectively in preschool children. Abnormal ICT results were more frequent in preschool than in school children (53.4% versus 21.0%). There was an association between abnormal ICT results and stunting. Vitamin A deficiency was a public health problem in preschool children as assessed by the biochemical criterion (20.9% of serum retinol values under 0.35 mumol/l) or the cytological cut-off (53.4% of abnormal ICT results) but was also found in school children (21.0% of abnormal ICT results)."}
{"id": "PMID:1473902", "title": "Annual assessment of the vitamin A and nutritional status of children during two cross-sectional surveys.", "content": "The changes in the vitamin A and nutritional status of children from a rural area in Senegal were determined by the same team during two cross-sectional surveys distant from exactly one year. At baseline (T = 0 year) 1,259 children were chosen at random. One year later (T = 1 year), 1,008 children were re-examined. Vitamin A and nutritional status were assessed by clinical and cytological methods, and by anthropometrical indicators for the 1,008 participants, respectively. No signs of xerophthalmia were recorded at T = 0 and T = 1 year. The proportions of children deficient in vitamin A as defined by abnormal cytology and suffering from stunting were similar at these two measuring points. Even though these percentages remained similar at T = 0 and T = 1 year, there existed little movement between the abnormal and normal eye cytology group and the stunted and non-stunted group. Since vitamin A is required for normal growth, we calculated the mean linear gain in height according to the eye cytological changes assessed between the two examinations. We found that mean linear growth increments were higher in the groups of children who remained abnormal or reverted to abnormal cytology than in those who remained normal or reverted to normal cytology."}
{"id": "PMID:1473903", "title": "A new spectrophotometric assay for the determination of vitamin A and related compounds in serum.", "content": "A new, direct multicomponent spectrophotometric assay for determining the vitamin A, lycopene, the total beta-carotene+beta-cryptoxanthin, the total lutein+alpha-carotene content of human serum is reported. The new method has been validated by performing parallel HPLC assays and is likely to be especially useful for use in population screening programmes. It is also suitable for screening paediatric samples."}
{"id": "PMID:1473904", "title": "Concentration of plasma and milk vitamin E and plasma beta-carotene of mastitic and healthy cows.", "content": "Variation of vitamin E in blood plasma and milk and beta-carotene in blood plasma of 38 healthy and 38 mastitic cows was studied. Cows were assigned to one of the two treatment groups: control and vitamin E supplemented. Vitamin E supplementation was started when cows were dried-off at the end of lactation and continued until 3 months post partum at the rate of 1000 IU per cow daily and then reduced to 500 IU for the remaining lactation. A cow was considered mastitic when somatic cell count of milk was greater than 500 x 10(3) cells/ml. Milk samples with somatic cell counts below 100 x 10(3) cells/ml were from healthy cows. Data on vitamin E concentration of plasma and milk and beta-carotene in plasma were analyzed by a least squares procedure. The model included the effects of treatment, mastitis status, stage of lactation, and all first order interactions. Mean vitamin E levels in plasma and milk of supplemented cows were significantly higher than of the non-supplemented cows. Plasma and milk levels of vitamin E as well as beta-carotene in plasma were significantly lower in mastitic than healthy cows. When data were analyzed with loge, of somatic cell count in milk as an independent regression variable, results were similar. There was a negative correlation of mastitis status with vitamin E levels in plasma (-0.48), milk (-0.24), and beta-carotene in plasma (-0.38).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1473906", "title": "Effect of nitrite ingestion on the bioavailability of folate in the rat.", "content": "The effect of nitrite ingestion on the intestinal deconjugation and absorption of folic acid (PGA) and brewers yeast folate was investigated using a rat bioassay and liver folate uptake as the response parameter. Male weanling Sprague Dawley rats were depleted on a low folate AIN-76A formulated basal diet for 21 days. During a 14 day repletion period, folic acid (PGA) and brewers yeast were added to provide 0.25, 0.5 and 1.0 mg of folate per kg of diet. Potassium nitrite was administered as part of the diet at 0.5%. All diets were made isonitrogenous and isocaloric. Based on a parallel line assay, the relative bioavailability of folate in the brewers yeast diet (109) was significantly higher than in the standard diet (PGA = 100). When combined with nitrite, the relative bioavailability of the PGA diet was not significantly different (101), while that of the brewers yeast diet was significantly lower than the standard diet. Concomitant ingestion of nitrite significantly reduced the bioavailability of brewers yeast folate but not that of PGA in rats. This appeared to be a direct effect of oxidation by nitrite on the more susceptible substituted folates in brewers yeast."}
{"id": "PMID:1473905", "title": "Epidemiology of vitamins A, E, D and C in rural villages in Finland: biochemical, nutritional and socioeconomical aspects.", "content": "We carried out an extensive health profile analysis in spring-winter 1986 in four Eastern Finnish rural villages as a part of the Healthy Village Study. Altogether, 793 people at working age (20-64 years of age, 427 men and 366 women) participated (80%). Serum lipids (total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol and triglycerides) and plasma vitamins (vitamin A, D, E and C) were measured as biochemical indicators of health. The dietary habits were reflected in high serum total cholesterol, and in low plasma vitamin C (ascorbic acid, mean 34.4 mumol/l in men, and 51.2 mumol/l in women). The plasma levels of the other vitamins studied were, in general, satisfactory. The mean plasma concentration of vitamin A (retinol) was 2.70 mumol/l in men, and 2.23 mumol/l in women. The gender, high body weight and the use of animal fats had the strongest association to apparent plasma retinol concentrations. The corresponding plasma concentrations of vitamin D (25-hydroxy-D) were 34.1 nmol/l and 35.4 nmol/l, and vitamin E (d-alpha-tocopherol) 22.1 mumol/l and 22.2 mumol/l. Vitamin D deficiency (plasma 25-OHD less than 12.5 nmol/l) was seen in 5% of the subjects. A good vitamin D status was correlated with the use of vitamin supplements, and, surprisingly, with the frequent consumption of alcohol."}
{"id": "PMID:1473908", "title": "A cross-sectional study of vitamin C intake and blood pressure in the elderly.", "content": "Data collected as part of a study designed to examine the nutritional status of non-institutionalized elderly individuals, ages 60-100 years, residing in the Boston area were used to investigate the relationship between blood pressure (BP) and vitamin C intake reported by three-day diet records. Four hundred and ten subjects not taking antihypertensive medications were grouped into 5 categories of vitamin C intake: < 60, 60-119, 120-179, 180-239, > or = 240 mg/day. Relative differences in systolic and diastolic BP between subjects consuming > or = 240 mg/day compared to those consuming < 60 mg/day were -6.9% (p < 0.05) and -6.6% (p < 0.05), respectively. The prevalence of elevated BP (systolic > or = 160 mmHg or diastolic > or = 100 mmHg) was approximately 50% lower (p < 0.05) across this range of vitamin C intake. Adjustment of these associations for age, sex, body mass, smoking, dietary sodium:potassium ratio, and other dietary factors did little to alter the relationship between vitamin C and BP. These results lend support to the hypothesis that vitamin C and BP are related, but further research is required to test whether the relationship is causal."}
{"id": "PMID:1473909", "title": "Effects of purified eicosapentaenoic acid ethyl ester on plasma lipoproteins in primary hypercholesterolemia.", "content": "We investigated the effects of purified eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) ethyl ester capsules (90% purity), which are free from cholesterol, saturated fatty acids and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), on plasma lipoproteins and cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) activity. We administered 2.7 g of EPA per day as capsules for 6 months to 14 primary hypercholesterolemic subjects. Total cholesterol, triglyceride and low density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol levels in plasma were significantly reduced. The LDL cholesterol/apoB ratio and LDL particle size did not change. The ratio of high density lipoprotein (HDL)2/HDL3 cholesterol increased from 1.04 to 1.35 (p < 0.05), while the HDL cholesterol level did not change. CETP activity was significantly reduced. The reduction of CETP activity may explain the increase in the HDL2/HDL3 cholesterol ratio. These results suggest that purified EPA not only reduces LDL cholesterol levels but also acts on HDL metabolism in patients with hypercholesterolemia and therefore will be useful for the treatment of hypercholesterolemia."}
{"id": "PMID:1473910", "title": "Plasma lipid composition in an elderly population: correlation with dietary fat.", "content": "The effects of dietary fat on plasma lipid composition were studied in a population of 51 elderly subjects (19 men, 32 women) who lived in a retirement home in the province of Ja\u00e9n (southern Spain). Dietary intake of fat was elevated (106 and 115 g/day in men and women respectively), and fatty acid intake consisted of 40% oleic acid, 17% linoleic acid and 0.7% linolenic acid. Cholesterol intake was 506 and 518 mg/day in men and women respectively, whereas the plasma level of cholesterol was approximately 250 mg/dl in both sexes. In men and women, HDL-cholesterol levels were 71.5 and 62.2 mg/dl, and LDL-cholesterol levels were 153.5 and 152.3 mg/dl. The most abundant circulating fatty acid was palmitic acid (25%) in both sexes, followed by oleic (23%) and linoleic acid (15-16%), whereas linolenic acid represented only 0.3% of the plasma fatty acids. To determine whether plasma levels of fatty acids served as reliable biological markers of dietary fatty acid intake, we compared the two sets of values, and found that higher intake was reflected in higher plasma levels, although a significant linear correlation (p < 0.05) was found only for linolenic acid."}
{"id": "PMID:1473911", "title": "Glycemic index of selected foodstuffs commonly used in south India.", "content": "To assess the true physiological basis of carbohydrate exchange of food, commonly eaten in South India, the \"Glycemic Index\", defined as the area of the glucose tolerance test, under 3 hr, for each food item, expressed as percentage of the area after taking the same amount of carbohydrate as glucose (75 gms) was studied, in healthy fasting human volunteers. Thirteen articles of food items were fed to groups of 12 to 15 healthy fasting volunteers and their glucose tolerance test values up to 3 hr, were measured. The highest glycemic index values were shown by starchy tubers, Raggi and fleshy fruits, while relatively lower values were obtained for pulses and rice; whole wheat showed the smallest glycemic index."}
{"id": "PMID:1473912", "title": "Statistical analysis of relationship between net protein utilization in rat and amino acid composition in cooked foods.", "content": "To determine the relation between protein nutritive value and amino acid composition of protein in cooked food, statistical analysis was carried out on thirty cooked foods selected from Japanese daily meal. The food samples were cooked, and powdered after freeze-drying. The amino acid composition was determined by liquid chromatography and colorimetry. The Wistar rats were put on the 7% cooked food protein diet and NPU (net protein utilization) was determined. Linear multiple regression analysis was made between NPU and the ratio of individual essential amino acid in the cooked food protein (mg/Ng)/the corresponding amino acid in the reference protein (mg/Ng). The regression equation for the predicted net protein utilization (NPUp) reads as follows: [formula: see text] Highest correlation coefficient (r = 0.93, p < 0.01) was obtained between NPU and NPUp of the protein in the cooked food."}
{"id": "PMID:1473913", "title": "Nutritional status of a group of self-sufficient institutionalized elderly people in Perugia (Italy).", "content": "The nutritional status of forty-six self sufficient institutionalized elderly people of Perugia was assessed. The diet of this group is slightly better than that of other groups of elderly people previously examined. As observed in other studies, the diet of the elderly from this region of Italy does not seem to be of the Mediterranean type. The location of subcutaneous fat in elderly men is prevalent in the upper trunk and in women in the arms. The clinical signs of nutritional status among this group of self-sufficient institutionalized elderly people are in general not specific and mostly associated with old age. The pathological conditions observed and the administration of drugs do not appear to substantially influence the nutritional status of this group."}
{"id": "PMID:1473915", "title": "Effect of prone versus supine patient positioning on pelvic magnetic resonance image quality.", "content": "Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the pelvis in the prone position has been proposed as a means of reducing motion-related image blurring. The authors performed a randomized controlled trial to determine if patient positioning affects image quality. All women undergoing pelvic MRI during a 7-month period, who could lie both prone and supine, were randomized to the supine or prone position. The quality of axial T2-weighted spin-echo images was rated by two radiologists using a 1-to-4 scale (1 = marked blurring to 4 = sharp definition of pelvic structures). Of 78 eligible women, 61 were randomized. Two patients could not complete the examination. The mean image quality rating of 2.8 for the 32 patients imaged prone was not significantly different from the mean rating of 2.9 for the 27 patients imaged supine (P = .5, Mann-Whitney U test). Patient positioning did not significantly affect pelvic MRI quality. The choice of patient position should be based on other considerations, such as patient comfort or ease of patient positioning."}
{"id": "PMID:1473916", "title": "Venography of the lower limbs. Pitfalls of the diagnostic standard. The ETTT Trial Investigators.", "content": "Phlebography is considered the diagnostic standard for suspected deep venous thrombosis. The authors studied the inter-observer variability of phlebogram interpretation in the setting of a multicenter therapeutic trial of the thrombolytic agent alteplase. The interpretation of 31 pairs of venograms (before and after thrombolytic therapy) was studied by comparing the quantitative Marder's scores which were computed by three experts and the qualitative assessment of phlebographic changes induced by thrombolysis by the panel of experts and by the investigators. Although the scores of the three experts correlated fairly well (r = .67-.82; P < .001), they differed significantly from each other (P < .0001). Substantial differences also were found between local (by investigators) qualitative evaluation of the venographic changes induced by the treatment and central evaluation by the panel of experts (coefficient of agreement kappa = 0.19), local assessment being significantly more optimistic (P = .002) than central judgment. Significant differences were observed between assessment of changes in venographic scores after thrombolytic treatment both among three expert radiologists, and between the panel of experts and the local investigators of the multicenter trial. This observation points to the need for an a priori definition of well-characterized decision criteria to allow a valid interpretation of the effects of the therapeutic intervention."}
{"id": "PMID:1473917", "title": "Risks associated with intestinal perforation during experimental percutaneous drainage.", "content": "The authors evaluated the complication rate of transgressing small or large bowel during intraperitoneal percutaneous catheter placement in an animal model. Twenty-four 8-F catheters were percutaneously placed through the small and large bowel of 12 pigs. In six animals, the catheters were left in place until autopsy, whereas in the remaining six animals, the catheters were withdrawn 5 days after insertion. Computed tomographic (CT) scans were performed on days 1 and 8 after catheter placement in pigs in which catheters were in place at time of autopsy, and on days 1, 5, and 8 in pigs in which catheters were removed. CT results showed no abscess or peritoneal effusion, but a pneumoperitoneum was present in four animals whose signs resolved on subsequent studies. Autopsy was performed in all animals 9 days after catheter placement. No clinical complication occurred, and no significant biochemical changes were observed. At autopsy, no bowel leakage, peritonitis, or abscess was visible. Bowel and peritoneal adhesions were found around the catheter tract. There was no difference between the animals with catheters in place at the time of autopsy and the animals without catheters. There also was no difference between the group of animals with small or large bowel transgression. This study suggests that traversing the intestine during percutaneous placement of an intra-abdominal catheter should not be considered an absolute contraindication when no other approach is available."}
{"id": "PMID:1473918", "title": "Deformation characteristics of a bioabsorbable intravascular stent.", "content": "Biodegradable polymeric stents offer an alternative to metallic stents, which have a significant compliance mismatch with blood vessels and have the potential for long-term complications. In the current study, the deformation characteristics of polymeric stents have been investigated. Stents were subjected to radial compressive pressure by inserting them in a wrap-around collar, one end of which was loaded in tension using dead-weights. The resulting decrease in stent diameter was measured under an optical microscope. Deformation curves for the stents were plotted, and an effective stiffness, E', was determined for each. The deformation curves exhibited two different regions: an initial linear region, followed by a steep nonlinear region. The transition from the linear region occurred at a fractional decrease in stent diameter of approximately 0.5. E' decreases with increasing stent diameter and filament draw-ratio. The relationship between E' and the initial stent diameter is not linear. The deformation curves can be used for choosing the appropriate stents for specific applications."}
{"id": "PMID:1473919", "title": "Variation in hemostatic parameters after intra-arterial and intravenous administration of iodinated contrast media.", "content": "A few case reports have suggested a possible thrombogenic effect of nonionic contrast media. In vitro investigations have lead to conflicting results. The authors performed three ex vivo studies to evaluate the influence of an ionic, ioxaglate, and a nonionic, iopamidol, low-osmolality contrast medium on a series of clotting and fibrinolytic parameters, after intravenous or intra-arterial administration, during routine diagnostic procedures. In the first study, iopamidol was given to 20 consecutive patients through an arterial catheter for digital subtraction arteriography (DSA). In the second study, iopamidol was compared with ioxaglate. The media were randomly and blindly administered intravenously to 21 consecutive patients undergoing brain computed tomography (CT). Finally, ioxaglate was administered intra-arterially to 20 consecutive patients, in a situation comparable with that of the first study. In the first study, a weak anticoagulant effect and an activation of fibrinolysis were found, associated with indirect markers of thrombin generation, such as increased plasma levels of fibrinopeptide A (FpA) and thrombin-antithrombin III complexes (TAT). In the second study, no significant changes were seen with either contrast medium, for thrombin or fibrinolysis activation parameters. In the third study, the intra-arterially administered contrast medium elicited a marked increase of FpA and TAT, together with an anticoagulant effect. Both ionic and nonionic contrast media are able to interfere with the clotting/fibrinolytic system in the general circulation when they are administered to patients at the usual dosages. Ioxaglate shows more marked anticoagulant and thrombin-generating effects than iopamidol. The procedure (ie, arterial catheter versus intravenous infusion) seems to be more important than the category of contrast medium in conditioning the magnitude of these effects."}
{"id": "PMID:1473920", "title": "Comparison of vascular opacification after bolus injection of iodixanol-320 iohexol-350.", "content": "The vascular opacification characteristics of a new nonionic, dimeric contrast agent, iodixanol, have been compared with a nonionic, monomeric agent, iohexol, using ultrafast computed tomography (UFCT). In 10 experiments with mongrel dogs, the contrast agents were alternately injected into the animal's left atrium, and UFCT images were obtained at four cross-sectional levels through the carotid arteries. Time-density curves were then obtained for each carotid artery and each agent. The peak height and area under the curves were compared for each agent. Iohexol provided significantly (P < or = .05) greater opacification, determined by paired Student's t tests. This result was predicted from the greater iodine concentration of iohexol (350 mg/mL) compared with iodixanol (320 mg/mL); the difference was greater than expected based on iodine content alone."}
{"id": "PMID:1473921", "title": "Hydrostatic pulmonary edema in sheep. Effects of bronchial artery embolization on the plain chest radiograph.", "content": "The bronchial circulation may influence pulmonary edema. This study evaluates possible effects of bronchoesophageal artery embolization on the plain film manifestations of hydrostatic pulmonary edema in sheep. Anteroposterior and lateral chest radiographs were obtained during the induction of pulmonary edema both before and after embolization of the bronchoesophageal artery in six adult sheep. Interstitial lines and perivascular, segmental bronchial, proximal bronchial, carinal, tracheal, and parenchymal edema were evaluated. Only parenchymal edema was graded consistently. Though edema increased with left atrial pressure before embolization (P < .001), there was no similar change afterward. The embolized animals tended to be more edematous by the first film. Rather than any protective effect, bronchoesophageal artery embolization may increase edema. This model may be inappropriate for further investigation of the bronchial circulation in the development of human pulmonary edema."}
{"id": "PMID:1473922", "title": "In vitro dissolution of cholesterol gallstones.", "content": "Methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) is the solvent most commonly used for in vivo dissolution of cholesterol gallstones. Its limitations, however, include high volatility and flammability along with potential toxicologic concerns. Therapy may take several hours. This study was initiated to identify alternate solvents which may be superior to MTBE in one or more of these areas. MTBE was compared with several other solvents for cholesterol-dissolving capacity. Groups of human cholesterol gallstones were placed in test tubes, and, without agitation, subjected to mixtures of MTBE:ethanol or another solvent:ethanol. Six other solvents were found to have higher capacities. In several cases, other solvent mixtures dissolved gallstones up to twice as fast as the MTBE:ethanol mixture. These faster solvents were cyclic ethers (tetrahydrofuran [THF], methyl tetrahydrofuran [MTHF], tetrahydropyran [THP], methyl tetrahydropyran [MTHP], and possibly dimethyl tetrahydrofuran [DMTHF]) and limonene. Some of these solvents also have lower volatility and higher flash points than MTBE, resulting in safer storage and handling. THF and pyridine, however, were found to precipitate bile components when mixed with bile. The authors describe solvents that may be superior to MTBE for rapid dissolution of gallstones in vivo."}
{"id": "PMID:1473923", "title": "Laminar submerged jets by color Doppler ultrasound. A model of the ureteral jet phenomenon.", "content": "The authors developed and tested a technique to noninvasively measure ureterovesical junction (UVJ) pressure gradients. Such a technique could be used to evaluate ureteral reflux and obstruction. Color Doppler ultrasound measurements of an in vitro model of the ureteral jet were performed. The authors show that the orificial rate of momentum transfer of the ureteral jet (from which the intraluminal pressure in the ureter can be calculated) can be determined to within 45% to 94% of its true value depending primarily on the flow sensitivity of the color flow imager. Marked improvement in the momentum calculation (> 80%) is achieved when a low-flow sensitivity is used. Such noninvasive measurements could replace more invasive techniques (eg, the Whitaker test or cystoscopy with or without ureteral cannulation), which seriously perturb the system of interest."}
{"id": "PMID:1473925", "title": "Arteriosclerosis obliterans in a rabbit model.", "content": "The authors induced atherosclerotic occlusions in a rabbit model, using and comparing different experimental methods. Lesions were induced in 40 femoral arteries in 20 rabbits. Four combinations of lesion induction methods were used: 1) drying of the endothelium with carbon dioxide gas; 2) gas-drying of the artery plus mechanical injury; 3) gas-drying plus induced thrombosis of the treated segment using thrombin; and 4) gas-drying, mechanical injury, and induced thrombosis. All rabbits were fed a high-fat, high-cholesterol diet for 1 to 2 months after lesion induction. Seventeen rabbits were available for follow-up. Sixty-eight percent (13 of 19) of femoral arteries treated with thrombin-induced thrombosis demonstrated atherosclerotic occlusions, compared with 27% of those that did not receive this treatment (4 of 15; P < .01). Thrombin-induced thrombotic occlusion of a segment of artery which has been de-endothelialized, followed by a high-fat, high cholesterol diet, results in a higher yield of experimental occlusive atherosclerosis in rabbits than is achievable by other methods."}
{"id": "PMID:1473924", "title": "Comparative effects of neutral dipolar compounds and lipophilic anions on technetium 99m-hexakis (2-methoxyisobutyl isonitrile) accumulation in cultured chick ventricular myocytes.", "content": "Non-flow-dependent myocellular accumulation and uptake kinetics of the myocardial perfusion and viability imaging agent, hexakis (2-methoxyisobutyl isonitrile) technetium 99m(I) (Tc-SESTAMIBI), are thermodynamically driven by large negative sarcolemmal and mitochondrial membrane potentials, and can be enhanced by addition of the lipophilic anion, tetraphenylborate (TPB). To further understand the general properties required of a co-administered compound for increasing the kinetic response of Tc-SESTAMIBI to membrane potential, a systematic appraisal of additional candidate lipid-soluble anions and neutral dipolar compounds was undertaken. Each compound was biologically tested for its ability to enhance Tc-SESTAMIBI accumulation in a cultured heart cell model, and electronic dipole moments were evaluated using semi-empirical molecular orbital calculations. Of this series, phloretin (100 microM), TPB (10 microM), and to a lesser degree, 8-anilino-1-naphthalene sulfonate (100 microM) enhanced myocellular accumulation of Tc-SESTAMIBI. Phloretin enhancement was pH-dependent, showing maximal effect at pH 7.4, and was not additive to the augmentation induced by TPB. A series of additional lipid soluble anions and structural analogues of phloretin were without effect. Although selected compounds enhanced Tc-SESTAMIBI accumulation, overall, no direct relationship of dipole moment to biologic enhancement was demonstrated."}
{"id": "PMID:1473926", "title": "Contrast media-induced renal morphologic lesions during experimental hemorrhagic necrotizing pancreatitis.", "content": "Contrast media-induced renal morphologic changes were studied in rats. Hemorrhagic pancreatitis was induced as a means of sensitizing the animals to the effects of contrast media. The histologically verified hemorrhagic pancreatitis was induced in Wistar rats (n = 66) by injecting 6% sodium taurocholate into the pancreatic duct. After 2 hours, the animals received intravenously 1.0 or 3.0 g iodine/kg of high-osmolal osmolal diatrizoate, low-osmolal iopromide or iohexol, iso-osmolal iotrolan or 0.2 or 0.6 g/kg of high-osmolal magnetic resonance contrast agent, gadolinium-DTPA (Gd-DTPA). Control animals received physiologic saline. The kidneys were fixed by perfusion 2 hours later, and the morphologic changes were reviewed by two independent observers blinded to the injected agent. The smaller dose of iohexol and the larger dose of all the contrast media induced a statistically significant (P < .001 or .01) cytoplasmic vacuolization in the proximal convoluted tubule (PCT) cells. The nonionic, low- and iso-osmolal contrast media caused as much or even significantly more vacuolization than diatrizoate. Hemorrhagic pancreatitis potentiates the contrast media-induced renal morphologic changes, which depend on the type and dose of the injected contrast media."}
{"id": "PMID:1473928", "title": "AUR Memorial Award 1992. Quantification of amino acids in human body fluids by 1H magnetic resonance spectroscopy. A specific test for the identification of abscess.", "content": "When polymorphonucleocytes are incubated in proteinaceous fluid, they cause extensive protein degradation, which leads to accumulation of free amino acids. The authors tested whether these free amino acids, particularly valine and leucine, also accumulate in human abscess fluids, but not in other body fluids, and thus could be a specific and distinguishing marker for the presence of an abscess. Thirty fluids, obtained by percutaneous drainage from 28 patients, were lyophilized and reconstituted in 2H2O before in vitro 1H magnetic resonance (MR) spectroscopy. Concentrations of valine and leucine were determined by comparison of spectra before and after addition of known amounts of valine and leucine. Two chart reviewers, blinded to the spectroscopic results, categorized cases as abscess (n = 14), non-abscess (n = 15), or infection but not abscess (n = 1). The concentration of valine and leucine was significantly higher in the abscess fluids, 2.57 +/- 1.90 mM than in the non-abscess fluids, 0.25 +/- 0.33 mM (P < .001). The one infected fluid which was not an abscess had no amino acids. Using 0.8 mM as the threshold concentration of valine and leucine necessary for the diagnosis of abscess resulted in a sensitivity rate of 86% and a specificity rate of 94%. The authors conclude that identification of high concentrations of valine and leucine by 1H MR spectroscopy may be a specific test for the diagnosis of abscess. This technique merits further investigation in vivo."}
{"id": "PMID:1473934", "title": "Resurgence of tuberculosis.", "content": "Since 1985 there has been an 18% increase in the number of cases of tuberculosis nationally. Even more alarming is the increasing incidence of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis which presents a serious public health problem, particularly for HIV-infected patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1473943", "title": "Breast cancer and pregnancy.", "content": "Sixteen of 194 premenopausal woman with breast cancer developed the disease in association with pregnancy. Eight were pregnant as diagnosis and eight were post-partum. There were significant delays in referral for surgical opinion and treatment among both groups. Two of the eight pregnant patients were diagnosed during the first trimester and one during the second trimester. The rest were at or close to term. Standard surgical therapy without irradiation was employed for early stage disease. Adjuvant chemotherapy posed some problems. One of the patients in the first trimester declined all treatment while the other opted for surgery only until after delivery. There was a favourable obstetrical outcome in all cases and survival for this group of patients is similar to that reported in the medical literature. None of the group had a further pregnancy. The incidence of breast cancer related to pregnancy in this premenopausal group was 8% with 1% occurring in the first trimester. This would mean three or four such cases per annum in Ireland."}
{"id": "PMID:1473944", "title": "Ear lobe crease and coronary heart disease.", "content": "Two hundred and forty seven consecutive patients admitted to an acute general hospital were studied. The presence of an association between the ear lobe crease (ELC) and ischaemic heart disease, hypertension, hypercholesterolaemia, peripheral vascular disease, cerebrovascular disease and smoking was investigated. The association between an ELC and coronary heart disease was found to be significant. There was no significant difference between the prevalence of ear lobe creases in males versus females and no correlation between ear lobe creases and smoking, hypercholesterolaemia, hypertension, peripheral vascular disease or stroke was found. Despite having a low sensitivity the specificity of an ear lobe crease is 94% which suggests that it should be used as a physical sign predictive of the presence of coronary heart disease rather than a diagnostic test."}
{"id": "PMID:1473945", "title": "Non-fatal deliberate self-poisoning in Dublin's north inner city--an overview.", "content": "It is almost three decades since a survey of attempted suicide in Dublin City Hospitals was published. In 1962, 159 cases in the City of Dublin and Borough of Dun Laoghaire were studied and reported. Over a six month period (November 1989-April 1990) 147 cases of deliberate self-poisoning were admitted to the Mater Hospital, Dublin, of which 100 case notes were appropriate for examination. In 1973, a six month survey of attempted suicide was carried out at the Mater Hospital, Dublin where 38 patients were admitted following non-fatal deliberate self-poisoning. In our study, the female to male ratio was 2:1, 50% of cases took more than one drug type,, benzodiazepines being the most commonly ingested compound. Alarmingly over a quarter (28%) of females under 25 had overdosed on paracetamol either alone or in conjunction with other compounds. Alcohol was consumed in 46% of all cases. 40% of cases involved a past history of deliberate self-poisoning and 60% had a past history of psychiatric intervention. Our survey outlines current trends in deliberate self-poisoning in Dublin's North Inner City. We have compared our 1990 survey to the similar survey conducted by our unit seventeen years ago. Several characteristics remain unaltered. The number of overdoses has almost trebled. We have noted a sharp rise in unemployment, alcohol abuse and psychiatric history among female overdoses. We have noted the disturbing introduction of paracetamol overdose particularly among young females (25%). Finally we have documented the introduction of overdosing amongst the homeless population which did not exist in the 1973 survey, but which accounts for 12% of our survey.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1473946", "title": "Paediatric asthma admissions in Galway 1985-89.", "content": "The past 15 years has seen a worldwide increase in asthma admissions in children. The aim of our project was to study patterns of admission in our unit over the years 1985 to 1989. The study was retrospective, information was obtained from the ward admission register. Data were gathered on the age and sex of patients and the month of admission. Over the five year period there was a doubling in the number of admissions, in each year there was a male predominance. Just over half the children were aged one to four years. There was a marked seasonal variation in admission trends with a peak in September. When seasonal trends were analysed for age specific groups there was also an apparent peak in May for children aged one to four. Our data indicated that increasing hospitalisation because of asthma has also occurred in Galway. In common with several previous studies we have shown a marked seasonable variability with a peak of admissions in the autumn. Our study emphasizes the importance of preschool children in accounting for a disproportionate number of admissions."}
{"id": "PMID:1473947", "title": "Avascular necrosis of the femoral head post heart-transplantation and steroid dosage.", "content": "Avascular necrosis (avn) post heart-transplantation has been considered to be due to the high doses of steroids used to immunosuppress these patients in attempting to prevent transplant rejection. This study shows that avascular necrosis occurs even when low dose steroids regimes are used and demonstrates no significant correlation between steroid dosage and the development of avn. Patients with symptomatic avn benefit from early diagnosis and management of their condition in that the need for total joint arthroplasty can be prevented in many cases."}
{"id": "PMID:1473948", "title": "Instrumental rotational delivery in primiparae.", "content": "We analysed 98 consecutive instrumental rotational deliveries of babies weighing > 2,500 grams in primiparae. Our aim was to compare the use of Kjelland's forceps with vacuum delivery with regard to efficacy and safety. The vaginal delivery rate was similar with Kjelland's forceps (96%) and vacuum (90%). The vacuum cup failed to effect rotation in 14% and 77% required forceps delivery after vacuum rotation. The vacuum took longer to effect delivery (P < 0.01). Women delivered with Kjelland's forceps had higher pain scores in the puerperium. There were no perinatal deaths. Low Apgar scores and cord arterial pH values of less than 7.20 were recorded more frequently after vacuum rotation (p < 0.05). Babies delivered with Kjelland's forceps sustained more physical trauma. The incidence of asphyxial encephalopathy was the same in both groups. We would recommend a more selective approach to the use of both rotational vacuum and Kjelland's forceps in primiparae."}
{"id": "PMID:1473949", "title": "Outcome following incomplete revascularisation by coronary balloon angioplasty in patients with multivessel coronary artery disease.", "content": "When performing coronary angioplasty in patients with multivessel disease, there is an increasing trend to attempt balloon dilation of only ischaemia producing coronary stenoses (a strategy generally associated with incomplete revascularization) rather than attempting to dilate all anatomically significant stenoses (complete revascularization strategy). However the clinical efficacy of the former strategy has been questioned. To explore further this issue, we reviewed the records of 64 consecutive patients with multivessel coronary artery disease undergoing their first angioplasty at our centre in the 15 month period, October 1st 1987 to December 31st 1988. In 59 of these 64 patients, a strategy of incomplete revascularisation [attempted dilation of at least one stenosis > or = 70% but with one or more residual stenoses > or = 70% that were not attempted] was pursued. Of these 59 patients, 18 (31%) has three vessel coronary artery disease [stenoses > or = 70% in all three major coronary artery territories] and 19 (32%) had undergone previous coronary bypass surgery. In all 59 patients, prior to angioplasty, it was attempted to identify the ischaemia producing (so-called 'culprit') lesion(s). In the 59 patients, 66 culprit lesions in 63 vessels were identified. At angioplasty, in all patients, attempted dilation was confined to the culprit lesion(s). Clinical success (successful dilation of all attempted lesions without the occurrence of in-hospital myocardial infarction, death, or coronary bypass surgery) was achieved in 53 (90%) patients. At one year following successful angioplasty, no patient had died or suffered a myocardial infarction.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1473950", "title": "Biliary atresia--lessons from the Dublin experience.", "content": "A retrospective study analysing the outcome of 26 infants with extrahepatic biliary atresia (EHBA) is reported. Following surgery (mean age 54 days) 13 patients (50%) achieved 'total' biliary drainage, five (19%) 'partial' drainage and eight (31%) were 'failures'. Patients who developed hepatic decompensation (1985 onwards) were evaluated for liver transplantation (LTX). Eight patients (31%) underwent LTX six of whom were > two years (mean age 3.5 yrs). Overall 12 patients are alive (46%)--seven (27%) have had the Kasai operation, one (4%) hepaticojejunostomy. The other four patients are alive following LTX (survival 50%). Seven infants (27%) were referred beyond the optimal age for portoenterostomy, four (15%) of these infants are now dead. The importance of early referral of infants with EHBA is highlighted in this study. Furthermore portoenterostomy and LTX were shown to be complimentary rather than competitive options for these infants. The proposal that LTX is the primary treatment for EHBA has not been supported by this study."}
{"id": "PMID:1473951", "title": "The hospital component of general practice vocational training--the Irish experience.", "content": "All second and third year general practice vocational trainees in the Irish Republic in 1991 were invited to complete a questionnaire concerning the hospital component of their training. The questionnaire was based on specific recommendations published by the I.C.G.P. regarding hospital training posts. Replies were received from 39 trainees constituting 70% of the total number of eligible trainees. In general, hospital posts were perceived to be of relevance and to offer adequate exposure to outpatient management and to the development of useful practical skills. More than 70% of the trainees were free to attend at least 75% of the study release course. Everyone entitled to study leave for examination purposes obtained it. However, 95% of trainees found their hospital teachers unfamiliar with the aims and objectives of Vocational Training. Two-thirds of trainees received less than two hours a week of formal or informal teaching. More than two-thirds did not participate in an introductory general practice period and less than a quarter had their individual needs assessed early on. Substantial realisation of the guidelines issued by the ICGP has been achieved. Further work is necessary in the areas of individual needs assessment, relevant structured teaching and general practice liaison. Three specific recommendations are made to achieve these aims."}
{"id": "PMID:1473952", "title": "A multicentre survey of serum calcium levels in patients with malignant diseases.", "content": "Serum calcium and albumin levels were measured in 255 patients with a confirmed diagnosis of malignant disease. The average serum calcium and albumin levels were similar to those reported in an earlier larger American survey. Only 6/255 patients were above the normal range of corrected serum calcium and one patient was sufficiently hypercalcaemic (corrected serum calcium at least 2.8 mmol/L) to be included in a trial of oral clodronate therapy. The incidence of hypercalcaemia in this survey is considerably lower than that reported in the published literature (5-10%). A much larger proportion of patients (21/255) were hypocalcaemic. Serum albumin was depressed in 25/255 cases and elevated in 2/255 cases."}
{"id": "PMID:1473953", "title": "Chondro-osteodystrophy (Morquio Brailsford disease, mucopolysaccharidosis type IV A).", "content": "We report three cases of Morquio Brailsford Disease (Mucopolysaccharidosis Type IV A) in an Irish family. We are unaware of any previous similar report from this Country."}
{"id": "PMID:1473954", "title": "Patterns of prescribing in Irish general practitioners.", "content": "A group of thirty General Practitioners in the Sligo/Leitrim area were studied to examine their prescribing patterns of commonly-occurring clinical situations. Using a structured questionnaire, the doctors were presented with seven case histories of conditions which were both common and require a prescription. The doctors were asked to to record the drug that they would prescribe in a normal situation. The results were analysed according to the range of drugs used, the degree of generic versus proprietary prescribing and the variation in costs for each case and for each doctor. The study was carried out in October 1990-March 1991. Of all the prescriptions written, 21% were for generic preparations (ie 46 out of 210) and these were most commonly chosen in the areas of Tonsillitis and Osteoarthritis. Prescribers of generics showed no differences as regards age, size of practice or distance from hospital. The choice of drug was most consistent in the area of Urinary Tract Infection, which was also the cheapest prescribing area. Prescribing for Non-Ulcer-Dyspepsia showed the greatest variation in drug choice and was also the most expensive area of the cases in this study. Doctors who used generic preparations in at least three of the seven cases in this study demonstrated a saving of 21% in their prescribing costs. Overall, the degree of generic prescribing was greatest in the areas where the potential savings were only moderate and the least generic prescribing was present in the group of drugs where the greatest potential savings might be made."}
{"id": "PMID:1473955", "title": "Alcohol and cigarette use in a pregnant Irish population.", "content": "One hundred women were selected at random and interviewed. All were postnatal. The object was to establish the level of alcohol and cigarette consumption and the level of knowledge to potential adverse effects. Of the 100 women interviewed 89% drank prior to pregnancy, six drank between 100-120 grams/week and 19 drank > 120 grams/week. 11 women stopped drinking when they became pregnant. In the group which drank 100-120 grams/week, 66% decreased their alcohol consumption considerably ie > 100 grams/week while pregnant, while in the group which drank > 120 grams/week only 15% decreased their alcohol consumption. 38 women binged on at least one occasion while 21 said they had binged on at least one occasion during the first trimester. 58% of women were aware of the harmful effects of alcohol during pregnancy. They compared with 93% who were aware of the harmful effects of smoking during pregnancy. Only 11% of women said a doctor had mentioned alcohol as harmful, while 57% said that a doctor had mentioned the hazard of smoking in pregnancy. The overall results show a general ignorance to the effects of alcohol consumption in pregnancy compared to the level of knowledge about smoking. The results also highlight the fact that doctors do not make patients aware of the effects of alcohol in pregnancy while they make an effort to educate people about the problems of smoking during pregnancy."}
{"id": "PMID:1473961", "title": "The binding of immune complexes by the erythrocyte complement receptor 1 (CR1).", "content": "Immune complexes, which have reacted with complement and bear C3b fragments, bind to the complement receptor 1 (CR1) on human erythrocytes. Indeed, CR1 on erythrocyte serves as a transport system for immune complexes in the circulation so as to prevent immune complex deposition outside the fixed macrophage system. A defect in this transport system has been described in several diseases, in which either complement levels or CR1 number on erythrocytes are diminished. Recent studies have shown that the binding of immune complexes to erythrocytes is favored by the multiple C3b binding sites per receptor and the clustered distribution of CR1 on the erythrocyte surface. Only a few immune complexes bind per erythrocyte but these complexes are tightly bound. The other main function of CR1 on erythrocytes is to enhance the inactivation of C3b by factor I present in plasma. This reaction allows the release of immune complexes from the erythrocyte surface and their transfer to fixed macrophages."}
{"id": "PMID:1473964", "title": "Interplay of complement and cytokines in the pathogenesis of septic shock.", "content": "Sepsis is a clinical syndrome that is usually induced by bacterial infections. It is generally assumed that the syndrome results from an excessive triggering of endogenous inflammatory mediators by the invading microorganisms. These mediators include substances released by activated monocytes, macrophages, endothelial cells and neutrophils such as cytokines, reactive oxygen species and proteases, as well as activation products of coagulation, fibrinolysis, contact and complement systems. Recent studies have suggested that cytokines and complement activation products may have overlapping biological activities. In addition, multiple interactions in vitro as well as in vivo between cytokines and complement have been described. Here we will review some of these recent studies and will discuss their relevance for the pathogenesis of sepsis and septic shock."}
{"id": "PMID:1473969", "title": "[IgE receptors in Langerhans cells. A link between the environment and the immune system?].", "content": "The demonstration of IgE-bearing epidermal Langerhans cells (LC) opened up new perspectives in the pathophysiology of atopic eczema. IgE receptors on LC have now been identified and characterized: all three IgE-binding structures so far known to be present in the human immune system have been demonstrated on LC, i.e. the low-affinity receptor for IgE (Fc epsilon RII/CD23), the so-called IgE-binding protein (epsilon BP) and the high-affinity receptor for IgE (Fc epsilon RI), which had hitherto been considered to be expressed exclusively on mast cells and basophils. Functionally, there is some evidence that these structures may be involved in the release of cytokines and/or IgE-mediated antigen focusing. Considering the specificity of IgE for environmental allergens and the particular place of LC in primary and secondary immune responses, it can be speculated that LC in the skin and mucosae play a major role in mechanisms of sensitization to such allergens and in the genesis of IgE-mediated diseases. Finally, IgE receptors on LC may provide targets for new therapeutic approaches in atopic diathesis."}
{"id": "PMID:1473963", "title": "Assessment of complement activation in vivo.", "content": "Hemolytic assays that measure the functional integrity of the complement system and the quantitation of individual components by immunochemical techniques have been widely used in the past for the assessment of in vivo complement activation. However, the complement system comprises a large number of interacting serum proteins which are subject to independent synthetic and catabolic processes. The fact that complement proteins are rapidly metabolized under in vivo conditions adds to the complexity of complement analysis. Assays that are based on monoclonal antibodies with specificities for activation-dependent neoepitopes now allow the direct determination of complement fragments in plasma. These methods are superior to the quantitation of native proteins. Several parameters that differentially affect the generation or the catabolism of individual complement activation products still have to be taken into account when elevated plasma levels of complement fragments suggest in vivo complement activation. These factors include the binding to complement fragment receptors, the degradation by serum proteases and renal or hepatic clearance. An accurate estimation of complement activation in vivo requires the simultaneous determination of both the native components and the activation products."}
{"id": "PMID:1473970", "title": "[Sch\u00f6pf syndrome. Clinical, genetic and lipid biochemical studies].", "content": "Sch\u00f6pf syndrome is an unusual genodermatosis categorized within the heterogeneous group of ectodermal dysplasias. Since the first description of this syndrome in 1971, ten further cases have been published. The diagnostic features include eyelid cysts, hypotrichosis, hypodontia, nail dystrophy, and keratosis of palms and soles. When the signs and symptoms noted in all published cases are taken together, considerable clinical variability in the combinations and in the age of onset is observed. The frequent occurrence of benign and malignant tumours of the palms and soles deserves particular attention. Sch\u00f6pf syndrome is probably not as rare as is commonly believed. A woman with typical clinical features of this syndrome is presented. Sch\u00f6pf syndrome is assumed to be passed on as an autosomal recessive trait; however the present and two further case reports are not compatible with this mode of inheritance, because family members in several generations are affected. Sch\u00f6pf syndrome is probably a heterogeneous disorder. Lipid biochemical investigations of stratum corneum by high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) show a decrease in the ceramide fraction and an increase in free fatty acids as a percentage of total lipids. The pathophysiological significance of these findings needs further investigation."}
{"id": "PMID:1473965", "title": "The complement system in xenotransplantation.", "content": "The immediate barrier to xenotransplantation across phylogenetically distant species, a manifestation of natural immunity, is hyperacute rejection of the xenograft. Complement (C) plays a central pathophysiological role in hyperacute rejection. Hyperacute rejection is initiated when C is activated by natural antibodies against the vascular endothelium of the transplanted organ or by the endothelium itself. C activation fragments alone or in conjunction with natural antibodies set in motion a series of events in the vasculature of the xenogeneic organ which result in loss of endothelial functional integrity and fibrin deposition. This article reviews recent findings concerning the role of C in hyperacute rejection and evidence suggesting that inhibition of C activation may be a critical approach to avert hyperacute rejection."}
{"id": "PMID:1473971", "title": "[Quantitative studies of congenital and acquired nevus cell nevi].", "content": "A total of 576 melanocytic naevi routinely excised within 1 year were analysed histologically and epidemiologically without knowledge of the clinical diagnosis. Classification into congenital melanocytic naevi (CMN, n = 82) and acquired melanocytic naevi (AMN, n = 494) was performed on the basis of the clinical history. Only a few CMN, and also some AMN, reached the lower dermis and the subcutis. An affinity of naevus cells (NC) for skin appendages was observed significantly more often in CMN than in AMN. However, no type of skin appendages was exclusively infiltrated by NC of CMN. The NC affinity for different types of skin appendages in a single naevus was characteristic of CMN. A subepidermal zone poor in NC was seen more often in CMN. The broad horizontal layer of NC within the upper dermis was rather rare in both types of melanocytic naevi. In spite of significant histological differences between CMN and AMN, the specificity and sensitivity of each criterion proved to be too low for a reliable histological diagnosis of CMN."}
{"id": "PMID:1473972", "title": "[Neurothekeoma. A light and electron microscopy, histochemical and immunohistochemical study].", "content": "We report a 37-year-old man with neurothekeoma that developed on the tip of the nose. Histopathological examination revealed a lobulated myxoid dermal tumour. The tumour cells were spindle-shaped or bizarre configuration. In the lower part of the dermis the lesion contained abundant cells simulating glomus tumour or melanocytic naevus. Staining with S-100 protein, epithelial membrane antigen (EMA), neuron-specific enolase (NSE) and desmin were negative. The matrix of the tumour was positive for Alcian blue and periodic acid-Schiff (PAS). Electron microscopic examination showed that the lesion was composed of dendritic cells separated by abundant glassy matrix and varying amounts of collagen fibres. Some of the cells looked like fibroblasts, and others like perineurial cells. The histogenesis of the tumour is discussed with particular attention to histochemical, immunohistochemical, light and electron microscopic findings."}
{"id": "PMID:1473973", "title": "[Acute hemorrhagic edema in an infant].", "content": "The clinical and histological features of acute haemorrhagic oedema of childhood are discussed with reference to an actual case. Although closely related to Schoenlein-Henoch syndrome, it is considered a distinct entity, on the basis of the typical clinical picture and the excellent prognosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1473968", "title": "Mannan-binding protein, a complement activating animal lectin.", "content": "Mannan-binding protein is an animal serum lectin (i.e. a molecule with the ability to bind specifically to certain carbohydrate structures). The relevant carbohydrate ligands are found on many pathogenic microorganisms. After binding to suitable carbohydrate ligands, mannan-binding protein is found to be an activator of the classical pathway of complement via an activation of the C1r2C1s2 complex, i.e. antibody and C1q independent. The molecular organization of MBP resembles that of C1q with a distinct division of collagen-like and globular amino acid sequences. This molecular similarity seems to be the basis for the common functional activity of the two proteins. MBP may play an important protective role, especially at early stages of infection prior to the generation of the specific humoral and cellular defence system. The paper explores the structure and the physiological functions of mannan-binding protein."}
{"id": "PMID:1473974", "title": "[Bromoderma tuberosum caused by anticonvulsive treatment with potassium bromide].", "content": "In recent years potassium bromide has again been used with increasing frequency in the treatment of epilepsy. A 3-year-old girl with bromoderma tuberosum following such treatment is described; the symptoms disappeared after reduction of the bromide dose."}
{"id": "PMID:1473979", "title": "[Otoacoustic emissions].", "content": "Spontaneous sound signals emitted from the inner ear were first recorded by Kumpf and Hoke in 1970. Kemp reported phenomena of sounds which were emitted by the ear responding to acoustic stimulation. These \"otoacoustic emissions\" are supposed to be generated in the outer hair cells. Active contractions of the actin and myosin in these cells produce a frequency specific cochlear amplifier mechanism. Although the clinical value of spontaneous otoacoustic emissions is yet unclear, as well as role in tinnitus, the recording of click-evoked otoacoustic emissions has now become diagnostic routine. Click-evoked otoacoustic emissions cannot be recorded in ears with cochlear mid-frequency hearing losses > or = 25 dB. However, the use of sinus tones or distortion products as stimuli promises more frequency-specific results. Most important for the quality of measurement is complete closure of the external ear canal, correct positioning of the recording probe, maximal suppression of background noise and sufficient compliance of the patient, especially when testing children. Middle ear effusions also prevent recording. Responses to a standard of 260 stimulations are averaged and identified as \"true\" emissions by their sufficient reproducibility and characteristic pattern in frequency analysis. Currently, the recording of click-evoked otoacoustic emissions can be used to detect early discrete lesions of the outer hair cells. Their use as a screening tool concerning cochlear hearing disorders is already possible in newborn children. Isolated central hearing disorders still cannot be detected by this diagnostic procedure."}
{"id": "PMID:1473980", "title": "[Evoked otoacoustic emissions in adults. Criteria for evaluation in clinical use].", "content": "The work here presents the first part of a prospective study regarding the clinical use of evoked otoacoustic emissions (EOAE) in adults. Sixty subjects with normal hearing and 160 patients suffering from cochlear hearing loss were tested. The results were used to develop and optimize analysis criteria for the emissions, based on their physical properties. A short-time Fourier analysis was performed so that the EOAE intensity in time and frequency domains could be observed simultaneously. A comparison of this data with the individual thresholds of hearing showed the importance of the EOAE level. However, the bandwidth of the EOAE demonstrated an even steeper transition between normal and hearing-impaired subjects. These findings suggest that this bandwidth is a better criterion for the detection of an EOAE. On the other hand, both parameters correlated weakly with the hearing threshold and the differences between subjects were very large. A prediction of hearing loss based on EOAE results is impossible with the wideband click stimulation used here."}
{"id": "PMID:1473981", "title": "[Methods for simulation of surgical interventions in head and neck surgery].", "content": "Preoperative evaluation of the operating site is essential in planning surgical procedures. The relationship of pathology to adjacent tissues and vital anatomical structures needs to be analyzed to determine the intraoperative procedures required. For this the surgeon mentally simulates the procedure planned. For complicated conditions or reconstructive surgery in extensive bony defects, surgery can be simulated with three-dimensional reconstruction on either a monitor screen or on an individually manufactured plastic model of the patient. For this purpose different procedures for 3 D representation and manipulation of tomographic image data have been developed in our departments and the technique of stereolithography used experimentally to create custom-made plastic model of patients. A computerized video image manipulator was also developed for simulation of aesthetic plastic surgical procedures."}
{"id": "PMID:1473982", "title": "NG-011 and NG-012, novel potentiators of nerve growth factor. I. Taxonomy, isolation, and physico-chemical and biological properties.", "content": "NG-011 and NG-012, novel potentiators of nerve growth factor (NGF), were isolated from the culture broth of Penicillium verruculosum F-4542, together with 3,4-dihydro-6,8-dihydroxy-3-methylisocoumarin. They potentiated the neurite outgrowth induced by NGF in rat pheochromocytoma cell line (PC12)."}
{"id": "PMID:1473983", "title": "NG-011 and NG-012, novel potentiators of nerve growth factor. II. The structure determination of NG-011 and NG-012.", "content": "NG-011 and NG-012, novel potentiators of nerve growth factor (NGF) were isolated from the culture broth of Penicillium verruculosum F-4542. The structures of NG-011 and NG-012 were elucidated by their spectral analysis and degradation experiments as shown in Fig. 1."}
{"id": "PMID:1473984", "title": "Eurystatins A and B, new prolyl endopeptidase inhibitors. I. Taxonomy, production, isolation and biological activities.", "content": "Eurystatins A and B, were isolated from the cultured broth of Streptomyces eurythermus R353-21. They showed specific and potent inhibitory activity against prolyl endopeptidase and did not show antimicrobial activity. No lethal toxicity was observed for the two compounds after ip administration in mice at 200 mg/kg."}
{"id": "PMID:1473985", "title": "Eurystatins A and B, new prolyl endopeptidase inhibitors. II. Physico-chemical properties and structure determination.", "content": "The structures of eurystatins A and B, new prolyl endopeptidase inhibitors, have been elucidated by chemical degradation and spectral studies. They have in common a unique 13-membered cyclic peptide core composed of L-leucine, L-ornithine and (S)-3-amino-2-oxobutyric acid, and differ from each other in the alpha,beta-unsaturated fatty acid attached to the alpha-amino moiety of the ornithine."}
{"id": "PMID:1473986", "title": "Aranorosinol A and aranorosinol B, two new metabolites from Pseudoarachniotus roseus: production, isolation, structure elucidation and biological properties.", "content": "Two new secondary metabolites, aranorosinol A (1) and aranorosinol B (2), were isolated from a strain of Pseudoarachniotus roseus. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of their spectral properties and chemical transformations and were found to be similar to aranorosin (3) isolated from the same strain."}
{"id": "PMID:1473987", "title": "A new anthracycline antibiotic, cinerubin R. Taxonomy, structural elucidation and biological activity.", "content": "A novel anthracycline antibiotic, cinerubin R, was isolated from the fermentation broth of Streptomyces eurythermus strain H1715MY2. The structure of cinerubin R was elucidated to be 4\"-aculosyl-4'-rhodinosyl-7-rhodosaminyl-epsilon-py rromycinone. Cinerubin R was active against Gram-positive bacteria and inhibited the growth of divergent multi-drug-resistant cells to the same extent as their parental cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1473988", "title": "Production of new anthracycline antibiotics 1-hydroxy-oxaunomycin and 6-deoxyoxaunomycin by limited biosynthetic conversion using a daunorubicin-negative mutant.", "content": "A limited biosynthetic conversion of some known anthracyclinones using a specific daunorubicin-nonproducing mutant provided four new anthracycline antibiotics: 1-Hydroxy-10-methoxycarbonyl-13-deoxocarminomycin; 1-hydroxy-13-deoxocarminomycin; 1-hydroxyoxaunomycin and 6-deoxyoxaunomycin. Their isolation and purification from bioconversion broth, structural determination and antitumor activities against leukemic L1210 cells are described."}
{"id": "PMID:1473989", "title": "Effects of prodigiosin 25-C on cultured cell lines: its similarity to monovalent polyether ionophores and vacuolar type H(+)-ATPase inhibitors.", "content": "Prodigiosin 25-C inhibited the proliferation of various cultured cell lines more strongly when concanavalin A (Con A) was added to the cultures. The increase in sensitivity was most evident in T lymphoma YAC-1 cells. The combination of prodigiosin 25-C and Con A induced characteristic morphological changes in these cells. In the presence of Con A, monovalent polyether ionophores and vacuolar type H(+)-ATPase inhibitors induced effects similar to those of prodigiosin 25-C on YAC-1 cells. Prodigiosin 25-C had neither K+ionophore activity nor inhibitory effect on vacuolar type H(+)-ATPase. A Golgi mannosidase II inhibitor, swainsonine, inhibited the proliferation of YAC-1 cells only when Con A was added. Prodigiosin 25-C and swainsonine increased Con A binding receptors on the surface of YAC-1 cells. These results suggest that prodigiosin 25-C affects the intracellular transport and/or processing of glycoproteins."}
{"id": "PMID:1473990", "title": "Inhibition of acyl-CoA: cholesterol acyltransferase activity by cyclodepsipeptide antibiotics.", "content": "The effect was studied of the fungal cyclodepsipeptide antibiotics beauvericin and seven distinct enniatins on acyl-CoA: cholesterol acyltransferase (ACAT) activity. In an enzyme assay using rat liver microsomes, all the compounds were found to inhibit ACAT activity. The drug concentration that caused 50% inhibition (IC50 value) of the enzyme activity was determined to be 3.0 microM for beauvericin, indicating that the compound is one of the most potent ACAT inhibitors of microbial origin. Enniatins exhibited much higher IC50 values of 22 to 110 microM. More hydrophobic enniatins showed more potent inhibitory activity. Furthermore, the ACAT inhibitory activity was evaluated as inhibition of cholesteryl ester formation in a cell assay using J774 macrophages. Calculation of the ratio, CD50 value (the drug concentration causing 50% cell damage)/IC50 value of cholesteryl ester formation, indicated that beauvericin shows the highest specificity. These data indicate that beauvericin is one of the most potent and specific ACAT inhibitors of microbial origin."}
{"id": "PMID:1473991", "title": "Synthesis and biological activity of O56-substituted carboxyesters and carboxamides of teicoplanin aglycone.", "content": "A series of O56-substituted carboxyester or carboxyamide derivatives of deglucoteicoplanin (TD) was prepared by condensation of the 56-hydroxyl function with various alkylating agents of general formula RBr, where R represents functional groups with different physico-chemical properties. The modifications at position 56 influenced the antimicrobial activity of the new derivatives; activity depended on the structure of various R groups, their ionic properties, and their steric hindrance. The activity of the new compounds did not show any significant improvement when compared with TD. The physico-chemical and antibacterial properties of the synthesized compounds are reported."}
{"id": "PMID:1473992", "title": "Amino acid analogs of benanomicin A through desalaninebenanomicin A.", "content": "Desalaninebenanomicin A has been synthesized in good yield by the cleavage of the amido bond of benanomicin A using MEERWEIN's reagent. This is a useful intermediate to prepare amino acid analogs of benanomicin A. MEERWEIN's reagent reacts with totally protected benanomicin A to give a stable imino ether. After deprotection, the imino ether is treated with aqueous acetone at reflux to afford a methyl ester of desalaninebenanomicin A. Desalaninebenanomicin A was coupled with a variety of amino acids by the active ester method to afford new benanomicin analogs."}
{"id": "PMID:1473993", "title": "Photochemically obtained N-demethyl derivatives of anthracyclines.", "content": "New N-monodemethyl and N-didemethyl derivatives were obtained from seven N-dimethylamino sugar (rhodosamine)-containing anthracyclines by photochemical reaction and their in vitro bioactivities against L1210 cell culture were compared with those of their N-dimethyl parent compounds. N-Demethyl derivatives obtained from betaclamycin T (7-O-rhodosaminyl-beta-rhodomycinone) were much more cytotoxic while those from the other six antibiotics were rather less active as compared with their parent compounds. The N-demethylation also gave a considerably greater decrease in the inhibitory activity on RNA synthesis as compared to DNA synthesis, so that the N-demethyl derivatives showed smaller IC50 ratios on DNA/RNA than their parent compounds."}
{"id": "PMID:1473994", "title": "Syntheses and activities of N-substituted derivatives of siastatin B.", "content": "N-Substituted derivatives of siastatin B have been obtained by a chemical modification. Some derivatives showed potent inhibitory activities against Streptococcus sp. and Clostridium perfringens neuraminidases."}
{"id": "PMID:1473995", "title": "Glisoprenins, new inhibitors of acyl-CoA: cholesterol acyltransferase produced by Gliocladium sp. FO-1513. II. Structure elucidation of glisoprenins A and B.", "content": "The structure of glisoprenins A and B, novel acyl-CoA: cholesterol acyltransferase (ACAT) inhibitors, was determined by spectroscopic analyses, mainly 1H and 13C NMR and MS. Glisoprenin A was deduced to be a tetrahydroxynonaprenol and glisoprenin B to be an oxidative modification of glisoprenin A."}
{"id": "PMID:1473996", "title": "Total syntheses of bellenamine and its isomers.", "content": "The total synthesis of bellenamine was achieved by a modified CURTIUS procedure starting with D-beta-lysine. Bis(N-benzyloxycarbonyl)-D-beta-lysylglycine was converted to tris(N-benzyloxycarbonyl)bellenamine which was catalytically hydrogenated to yield bellenamine. D-beta-Lysine was synthesized from D-ornithine by the ARNDT-EISTERT homologation sequence. Three isomers, L-beta-lysyl, D- and L-lysyl congeners synthesized by a similar method, showed no antibacterial activities."}
{"id": "PMID:1474004", "title": "Effects of diet containing extruded full-fat soybeans or butter on the growth, composition, and sensory characteristics of pork.", "content": "Ninety-six crossbred barrows were randomly allotted to five replications of four treatments to determine the effects of diets containing 20% extruded full-fat soybeans (FFS) or 4% butter (B) on the growth, composition, and sensory characteristics of finishing pigs. Pigs were housed five per pen, except for one replication that had four pigs per pen, in environmentally regulated barns. Pigs were given ad libitum access to a corn-soybean meal diet for 11 wk (control); a corn-extruded soybeans and soft wheat midds diet for 11 wk (FFS-11); a corn-soybean meal diet for 6 wk, changed to a corn-extruded soybeans and soft wheat midds diet for 5 wk (FFS-5); or a corn-soybean meal diet for 6 wk, changed to a corn-soybean meal, soft wheat midds, and 4% butter diet for 5 wk (B). Feed intake and weight gain were measured once every 2 wk. Pigs were slaughtered and carcass data were collected. Sensory characteristics (tenderness, juiciness, pork flavor intensity, off-flavor intensity, and overall acceptability), shear force, moisture, and fat content were determined for the longissimus muscle. Sensory characteristics (pork flavor, off-flavor, rubbery, cohesiveness, and juiciness) and 2- thiobarbituric acid values were determined for ground pork (30% fat) after 1, 4, and 7 d for control, FFS-11, and B treatments. No differences (P > .05) in ADG were observed between diets. Feed efficiency of the FFS-11 group was better (P < .05) than that of the control or B groups. No consistent differences were observed for carcass, sensory, or shear-force characteristics of the longissimus muscle or ground pork.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1474005", "title": "Effects of skirting on yield, fineness, and value of wool from fine-wool range ewes.", "content": "Eighty-one mixed-age (2 to 8 yr old) Rambouillet ewes (58.5 kg, SD 5.9 kg) were randomly assigned to three treatment groups that contained similar numbers to study the effects of wool skirting on clean yield, fiber diameter, and prices received for fine wool. The sheep were managed as a single flock on an experimental ranch close to Barnhart, TX during the 4-yr study. Two fleece-skirting techniques (SK1 and SK2) were compared with a control procedure in which fleeces were not skirted before packaging (original bag, OB method). Skirted wools were higher yielding (P < .05) and contained less vegetable matter (P < .05) than skirts. However, clean yield and vegetable matter content of skirted and OB wools were not different (P > .05). Weight-averaged prices received for grease wool from the SK1, SK2, and OB treatments over the 4-yr period were 4.49, 4.36, and 3.83 $/kg, respectively. Prices received for both types of skirted wool plus skirts were higher (P < .05) than prices received for OB wool."}
{"id": "PMID:1474006", "title": "Two-, three-, and four-breed rotational crossbreeding of beef cattle: carcass traits.", "content": "Carcass data from 1,494 straightbred and rotational crossbred steers were collected over four generations. Mating systems included straightbreds (Angus [A], Brahman [B], Charolais [C], and Hereford [H]); two-breed rotations (A-B, C-B, and H-B); three-breed rotations (A-B-C, A-B-H, and B-C-H); and a four-breed rotation (A-B-C-H). Steers were randomly allocated to one of four postweaning treatments that varied in length of grazing and feeding periods. Treatment and breed group (four straightbreds and seven rotational combinations) significantly influenced hot carcass weight (HCWT), retail yield (RY), longissimus muscle area (LM), fat thickness (FT), marbling score (MS), USDA quality grade (QG), and Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBS). Feeding for longer periods resulted in greater (P < .05) HCWT, RY, FT, and MS, higher QG, and lower (P < .05) WBS values. Among the straightbreds, C was heavier and larger for HCWT, RY, and LM (P < .01), whereas A and H had greater (P < .01) FT and MS. The B was similar to H for HCWT, RY, and LM and to C for FT but ranked last (P < .01) for MS and WBS. Three- and four-breed rotational mating systems were superior (P < .05) to the two-breed rotation for HCWT, RY, and LM but were similar for FT, MS, and WBS. Rotational combinations exceeded (P < .05) the straightbreds for all carcass traits except MS."}
{"id": "PMID:1474007", "title": "Direct and maternal genetic effects for carcass traits in beef cattle.", "content": "Carcass measurements were taken on 1,537 steers produced over four generations in a rotational crossbreeding study. Breed direct and maternal additive and heterotic genetic effects were estimated for hot carcass weight (HCWT), retail yield (RY), longissimus muscle area (LM), fat thickness (FT), marbling score (MS), and Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBS). Angus (A), Brahman (B), Charolais (C), and Hereford (H) breeds were involved in straightbred, first-cross, and two-, three-, and four-breed rotational crossbred matings with each crossbred combination including the B. Breed direct (Ig) and maternal (Mg) additive genetic effects and direct (Ih) and maternal (Mh) heterotic genetic effects were estimated using a multiple-regression model. The Ig and Mg effects were expressed as deviations from the overall mean. The IgC effects (Ig for C breed) were significant for HCWT, RY, and LM and resulted in leaner, heavier carcasses. The IgA and IgH effects were, in general, negative (P < .05) for HCWT, RY, LM, and WBS, and positive (P < .01) for FT and MS. The IgB effects were large and undesirable for HCWT, RY, LM, MS, and WBS (P < .01). The majority of Ih effects were beneficial (P < .05) for HCWT, RY, LM, and WBS. The Ih effects exhibited by B combinations were of greater (P < .05) magnitude with positive influences for HCWT, RY, and LM and desirable effects for WBS. The maternal additive and heterotic effects were of lesser importance than the direct additive and heterotic effects for the carcass traits studied."}
{"id": "PMID:1474008", "title": "Contribution of breed, cow weight, and milk yield to the traits of heifers and cows in four beef breeding systems.", "content": "Measurements were taken on 216 cows with 469 calvings for weight at weaning, condition at weaning, milk yield, milk fat percentage, milk lactose percentage, milk protein percentage, dry period feed intake, lactation period feed intake, total feed intake, first-service pregnancy rate, pregnancy rate, and days to pregnancy. Measurements were also taken on 183 heifers for first-service pregnancy rate, days to pregnancy, and age at first calving. The data spanned the years 1980 to 1988; animals belonged to one of four breeding systems: Hereford, small rotation (Angus, Gelbvieh, Pinzgauer, Tarentaise), large rotation (Charolais, Maine Anjou, Simmental), and Angus-large rotation (cows with Angus sires and large-rotation dams). Maine Anjou-sired cows had lower annual feed intake and Charolais-sired heifers lower first-service pregnancy rate than the other large-rotation breeds. Gelbvieh-sired cows had lower milk lactose and protein percentages than the other small-rotation breeds. Within breeding system neither cow weight nor milk yield were significantly associated with reproductive traits of cows. No differences among breeding systems in associations between feed intakes and weights or milk yields were detected."}
{"id": "PMID:1474009", "title": "Ovine skeletal muscle multicatalytic proteinase complex (proteasome): purification, characterization, and comparison of its effects on myofibrils with mu-calpains.", "content": "The latent form of multicatalytic proteinase complex (MCP) was purified to homogeneity from ovine skeletal muscle. The MCP ran as a single band (M(r) 600,000) on nondenaturing polyacrylamide gel (PAGE) and dissociated to a number of subunits (M(r) 21,000 to 31,000) under denaturing and reducing conditions (SDS-PAGE). The proteinase complex was activated reversibly by heating at 60 degrees C and in the presence of SDS. Maximum activation (18-fold) was observed after 2 min at 60 degrees C and there was rapid inactivation beyond 2 min. Maximum proteolytic activity (12.8-fold) occurred in the presence of .25 mM SDS and diminished rapidly at higher SDS concentrations. The MCP was maximally active at pH 7.5 to 8.0 and 45 degrees C using radiolabeled alpha-casein. These and other results (e.g., proteinase inhibitor profiling) indicate that ovine skeletal muscle does indeed contain MCP and that its biochemical properties are the same as MCP isolated from other sources. By using [14C]-casein as a substrate, the specific activities (milligrams of protein degraded/milligrams of proteinase) for mu-, m-calpain, and MCP were 44.0, 59.7, and 2.0, respectively. Purified ovine myofibrils were incubated with mu-calpain or MCP. Classical effects of calpains, which include degradation of Z-disks, titin, desmin, troponin-T, and troponin-I and removal of alpha-actinin, were observed. However, only troponin-C and myosin light chains-2 and -3 were degraded by MCP. Morphologically, MCP had no detectable effect on myofibrils. Results suggest that MCP is not involved in the initial steps of myofibril disassembly. However, its involvement in the degradation of myofilaments remains to be determined."}
{"id": "PMID:1474010", "title": "Effects of frequency of recombinant porcine somatotropin administration on growth performance, tissue accretion rates, and hormone and metabolite concentrations in pigs.", "content": "Thirty-two crossbred barrows were used to determine the effects of frequency of administration of equivalent total dosages of recombinant porcine somatotropin (rpST) on growth performance, tissue accretion rates, and hormone and metabolite status of pigs. Treatments were control (buffer-injected daily), 60 micrograms/kg BW daily (4 injections/4 d), 120 micrograms/kg BW injected every other day (2 injections/4 d), or 240 micrograms/kg BW given every 4th d (1 injection/4 d). Treatments were initiated at 35 BW and continued until each pig had consumed a total of 440 Mcal of DE intake. Pigs were fed a diet that contained 16% CP, 1.2% lysine, and 3.5 Mcal of DE/kg at 85% of calculated ad libitum intake. Feed intake and rpST dose were adjusted at 8-d intervals. The 240 micrograms/kg BW treatment did not decrease appetite beyond the 15% restriction already imposed in the experimental design. Treatment groups responded to rpST in a frequency-dependent manner. Average daily gain was improved by 10, 23, and 36%, respectively, as injection frequency was increased from 1/4 to 2/4 to 4/4 d. Muscle weights were increased uniformly (15% on average) on a BW basis by all rpST treatments. Carcass (21, 42, and 63%), visceral (43, 65, and 112%), and empty body (22, 43, and 65%) protein accretion rates were increased by rpST treatment in a frequency-dependent fashion, respectively. Lipid accretion also was reduced in carcass and empty body (31% on average) by all rpST injection schemes relative to controls; however, visceral lipid accretion was increased by 59% by rpST. Protein utilization efficiency increased linearly by 24, 45, and 65% as the frequency of injection of rpST was increased from 1/4 to 2/4 to 4/4 d. Hormones and metabolites exhibited frequency-related profiles as well. These results suggest that frequency of administration greatly influences the magnitude of responsiveness to rpST and that optimal benefit would be realized by a delivery system that mimicked a daily surge, at minimum, of rpST."}
{"id": "PMID:1474011", "title": "Administration of porcine somatotropin by sustained-release implant: growth and endocrine responses in genetically lean and obese barrows and gilts.", "content": "Previous studies have documented the effectiveness of porcine somatotropin (pST) administered by daily injection in promoting lean tissue growth in lean and obese pigs and the influence of sex and genotype. The present study examined the accretive responses in pigs of different lines and sexes to a slow release formulation of pST (pST-SR). Implants that deliver 2.0 mg of pST/d were implanted in genetically lean and obese barrows and gilts at 65 +/- .7 kg BW (mean +/- SE). Pigs received no, one, or two implants (i.e., doses of 0, 2.0, and 4.0 mg of pST/d). Pigs (four per line x sex x dose) were housed individually and continuously supplied with fresh water and a 19% CP diet containing 1.08% lysine. Pigs were slaughtered on d 0 (four per line x sex) and at the end of the trial (approximately 42 d after implantation) for estimation of initial composition and calculation of accretion rates. Blood samples were collected at d 0, 7, 14, 28, and 42 to measure endocrine and metabolite responses to pST-SR. Sustained-release pST elevated (P < .05) circulating pST throughout the trial with peak concentrations at d 7. On d 7, serum pST concentrations in the pigs given 2.0 mg of pST-SR per day were 16-fold greater than those in control pigs, and in pigs given 4.0 mg of pST-SR per day pST concentrations were 33-fold greater than in controls. Elevated serum pST resulted in increased (P < .05) serum concentrations of insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I, IGF-II, insulin, and glucose and in reduced (P < .05) concentrations of urea nitrogen and IGF binding protein (IGFBP)-2. Gain was not influenced by pST-SR dose; however, feed consumption was reduced (P < .05) and efficiency of gain was increased (P < .05). Accretion of all body components except cold carcass weight, cecum, and untrimmed Boston butt and ham were changed (P < .05) with pST-SR administration. Heart and stomach were the only components of the carcass and offal whose accretion was not affected by line or sex. Increases in accretion of carcass components (< 75%) induced by sustained-release pST were considerably less than those measured in the organs (liver, 157%; lungs, 748%). The pST-SR treatment resulted in elevated serum concentrations of pST and its mediators and improved efficiency and composition of gain.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1474012", "title": "Effect of feeding high-oleic-acid peanuts to growing-finishing swine on resulting carcass fatty acid profile and on carcass and meat quality characteristics.", "content": "A high-oleic-acid peanut breeding line was used in a study designed to determine the effects of feeding swine diets containing elevated levels of monounsaturated fatty acids as a means to increase the level of monounsaturates and total unsaturates in the resulting carcass fat. Forty-eight pigs were allotted to four treatments that consisted of corn-soybean meal diets that contained 1) high-oleic peanuts (HOP), 2) regular commercial peanuts (RP), or 3) canola oil (CO), each added at a dietary level to provide 10% added fat/oil, and 4) a control diet with no added fat/oil. The oil of HOP averaged 75% oleic acid vs 60% for CO and 53% for RP. The pigs were fed the experimental diets from 33 to 102 kg BW, after which all pigs were slaughtered. All three dietary oil sources resulted in increases (P < .01) of monounsaturates in the backfat; the HOP diet resulted in the greatest increase (32% greater than control). Both CO and RP increased (P < .01) the level of polyunsaturates by nearly twofold; HOP resulted in a small decrease. Total unsaturates increased (P < .01) by 24, 24, and 27% for HOP, RP, and CO treatments, respectively, over that obtained from the control treatment. Carcass fat was softer/oilier (P < .05) from pigs fed CO and RP diets, but not from those fed HOP diets, compared with carcass fat of pigs fed the control diet. Dietary fat/oil source had no effect (P > .05) on other carcass compositional traits and various meat quality attributes.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1474013", "title": "A mathematical integration of energy and amino acid metabolism of lactating sows.", "content": "A dynamic mathematical model of energy and protein metabolism of lactating sows is described in this article. The model is designed to contribute to a systematic and quantitative understanding of the biological connection between diet and reproduction. It traces the flow of energy-containing nutrients from absorption through intermediary metabolism, into and out of body stores, and into milk. State variables (pools) include lysine, other amino acids, glucose, fatty acids, acetate, propionate, acetyl-coenzyme A, ATP, oxygen, carbon dioxide, urea, lean-body protein, visceral protein, storage triacylglycerol, milk protein, milk triacylglycerol, and milk lactose. The rate of each transaction is a function of substrate and inhibitor concentrations, assuming saturable kinetics. Protein and fat turnover, substrate cycles, and the energy cost of membrane transport are explicitly considered. Dynamic simulation of a complete lactation is accomplished by iterating the numerical integration of 16 first-order, nonlinear differential equations, each associated with a pool. Most kinetic parameters were estimated indirectly. Preliminary tests suggest the model is sound. It promises to be useful as a research tool and, with further development, as a guide to practical feeding strategies."}
{"id": "PMID:1474014", "title": "Evaluation of a mathematical model of lactating sow metabolism.", "content": "A mathematical model of lactating sow metabolism was evaluated using three types of tests. First, 16 experimental treatments from four experiments reported in the literature were simulated with the model, and the simulated values for change in BW and protein and fat content were compared to reported or calculated values. Second, the model's response to level of feed intake, level of milk production, BW and composition at farrowing, and dietary lysine concentration was compared to expected responses. Third, the model's sensitivity to changes in several of its kinetic parameters was measured. There was good agreement between simulated and measured values for BW and fat loss and reasonable agreement for body protein loss. All responses to changes in external conditions were in expected directions and biologically reasonable. The model seemed rather robust with respect to changes in the kinetic parameters considered, although important changes in simulated values were found in some cases. Overall, the model seems sound. It can be useful in evaluation of feeding programs and in understanding biological relationships."}
{"id": "PMID:1474015", "title": "Effect of feed intake during late development on pubertal onset and resulting body composition in crossbred gilts.", "content": "A total of 105 nonboar-exposed, F2 ([Landrace x Yorkshire] x Duroc) gilts were used in two replicates of a randomized complete block experiment to evaluate the effect of dietary feed intake on pubertal onset and subsequent body composition. Feed intakes were established at 50% of ad libitum (AL-50), 75% of ad libitum (AL-75), or at ad libitum (AL-100) levels from 4.5 to 9 mo of age. A corn-soybean meal diet fed to all gilts was formulated to meet or exceed nutrient requirements except for energy. Puberty was measured by two methods: 1) monitored once daily by back pressure applied by the herdsman or 2) from elevated plasma progesterone concentrations. Body composition was evaluated by the deuterium oxide method after plasma progesterone concentrations were elevated. Daily feed intake for the experimental period averaged 1.6, 2.3, and 3.2 kg, and the BW of gilts at 8 mo of age were 111, 131, and 154 kg for the AL-50, AL-75, and AL-100 groups, respectively. Body weight, backfat thickness, and body fat content increased linearly (P < .01) as feed intake increased, but age at puberty was not severely influenced. A minimum body fat content or percentage did not seem to initiate pubertal onset. There was a trend for a lower percentage of the AL-50 gilts to ovulate (P = .08) than those fed the AL-75 and AL-100 intakes. An inverse relationship resulted between the percentage of gilts that ovulated to the percentage that showed behavioral estrus.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1474016", "title": "Apparent and true amino acid digestibility of a crystalline amino acid mixture and of casein: comparison of values obtained with ileal-cannulated pigs and cecectomized cockerels.", "content": "Six ileal-cannulated pigs that averaged 100 kg BW and 16 adult cecectomized cockerels that averaged 2.35 kg BW were used to determine apparent and true digestibilities of amino acids (AA) in a complete crystalline AA mixture and in casein. A protein-free (PF) diet was included as a treatment to estimate endogenous AA losses. Fasted cockerels were compared to cockerels fed PF diets for calculation of true digestibility of AA in cockerels. For the AA diet, true digestibility of indispensable AA in the pig ranged from a low of 97.2% for leucine to a high of 100.5% for arginine (Arg). True digestibility of indispensable AA in casein ranged from a low of 93.5% for isoleucine (Ile) to a high of 99.9% for Arg. Correcting for endogenous losses increased digestibilities of lysine (Lys) and threonine (Thr) in pigs fed the AA diet by 2.4 and 7.1%, respectively, and increased Lys and Thr digestibility in pigs fed the casein diet by 1.8 and 6.1%, respectively. Feeding a PF diet to chickens to correct for endogenous losses resulted in higher true digestibility values for all AA with the exception of tryptophan, methionine, and Arg than those obtained using fasted animals. True digestibilities of Thr were 88.3 and 86.6% for AA and casein diets, respectively, using fasted controls but were 97.5 and 94.5% when the PF control was used. Proline digestibility was increased (P < .05) substantially in both pigs and cockerels when the PF control was used to correct for endogenous AA losses. Regardless of species, Ile in casein had a lower true digestibility value than any other indispensable AA. The results of this study indicated that true digestibilities of AA in a mixture of crystalline AA and in casein are essentially 100% in both pigs and cockerels."}
{"id": "PMID:1474017", "title": "Interactive effects of thermal environment and dietary lysine and fat levels on rate, efficiency, and composition of growth of weanling pigs.", "content": "Two trials involving 96 weanling pigs were conducted in which pigs were maintained in constant thermal environments of 20 degrees (cool) or 32 degrees C (hot) and self-fed fortified corn-soybean meal-whey diets that contained three amino acid regimens (.7, 1.0, or 1.3% lysine; approximately 13.6, 17.8, and 22.0% CP) without and with 5% added fat (choice white grease) for 42 d. The pigs were weaned between 28 and 32 d of age (8.07 +/- .58 kg) and penned in groups of two. Pigs in the cool environment consumed more (P < .01) feed and ME, gained more (P < .01) weight, and retained more (P < .01) body protein, fat, and water than those housed in the hot environment. As dietary lysine level increased, daily BW gain and body protein and water accretion increased linearly (P < .01) from d 0 to 21 and quadratically (P < .01) from d 21 to 42 in both environments. However, the magnitude of these responses was less (P < .05) in the cool than in the hot environment. Dietary fat addition decreased (P < .05) gain:ME ratios and body protein and water accretion from d 0 to 21 in both environments, but the magnitude of the reduction was greatest in pigs fed the low lysine diets in the hot environment. Based on these data, the growth response of weanling pigs to dietary lysine and fat levels is dependent on the thermal environment in which the animals are housed."}
{"id": "PMID:1474018", "title": "Interactive effects of thermal environment and dietary amino acid and fat levels on rate and efficiency of growth of pigs housed in a conventional nursery.", "content": "In four trials, 480 weanling pigs were housed in a conventional nursery maintained at 20 or 30 degrees C, which represented a cool and hot thermal environment, respectively. They were allowed ad libitum access to corn-soybean meal-dried whey diets containing .7, 1.0, or 1.3% lysine and 0 or 5% added fat (choice white grease). The pigs were weaned between 27 and 33 d of age (7.27 +/- .90 kg) and penned in groups of five for the duration of the 42-d trials. Pigs housed in the cool environment consumed more feed (P < .01), gained more weight (P < .01), and utilized feed more efficiently (P < .01) than those in the hot environment. As dietary lysine levels were increased in the 20 and 30 degrees C environments, daily weight gains and gain:feed ratios increased linearly (P < .01) from d 0 to 21 and quadratically (P < .01) from d 21 to 42. However, the magnitudes of the increases were less in the cool environment, resulting in temperature x lysine interactions (P < .05). As the pig's feed intake, body weight, and heat production increased over time, the 20 and 30 degrees C environments became progressively warmer relative to the animal's zone of thermoneutrality. The associated reductions over time in energy and lysine intakes relative to the pigs' maintenance needs resulted in an increase in the concentration of dietary lysine needed to maximize rate and efficiency of gain in the 30 degrees C environment but not in the 20 degrees C environment (temperature x lysine x period interaction, P < .10).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1474019", "title": "Immunization against cholecystokinin decreases appetite in lambs.", "content": "The effects of immunization against cholecystokinin (CCK) on feed intake, weight gain, and carcass characteristics were studied in sheep. Nine wether lambs at 10 wk of age were immunized with a conjugate of sulphated CCK octapeptide and human serum globulin or against human globulin alone. All CCK-immunized lambs produced antibodies, and the average titer 5 wk after the primary immunization was calculated to be sufficient to bind normal circulating levels of CCK. Mean daily feed intakes and BW were similar in the CCK-immunized and the control-immunized groups at the start of treatment, but after immunization, feed intake, appetite, and BW gain were decreased in the CCK-immunized animals. There was no effect on carcass composition or organ growth relative to body growth. It is concluded that the immunization procedure used in this study may have potentiated the actions of CCK rather than neutralizing its action as an appetite regulator."}
{"id": "PMID:1474020", "title": "Reduced postpartum anestrus of suckled beef cows treated with microencapsulated luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone analog.", "content": "This study evaluated the effect of microencapsulated LHRH agonist (D-Trp6-LHRH) on gonadotropin release and occurrence of estrus in early postpartum beef cows. Angus cows (n = 54) were assigned randomly to two treatment groups at d 5 postpartum. Group 1 received a single i.m. injection of D-Trp6-LHRH (LHRH-A) encapsulated in poly-DL-lactide-coglycolide, calculated to release 15 micrograms of LHRH-A per day for 30 d (n = 23). Group 2 received vehicle only (control, n = 31). Blood samples (15-min intervals for 6 h) were obtained on d 5, 10, 20, 30, and 40 postpartum for evaluation of LH and FSH concentrations (n = 12 per group). Days to first postpartum estrus were reduced by treatment with LHRH-A (Group 1, 43.7 +/- 4.2 d vs Group 2, 55.9 +/- 4.7 d; P < .05). However, days to conception were similar between groups (68.9 +/- 7.9 vs 76.7 +/- 6.7 d, respectively). On the day of treatment, cows treated with LHRH-A had higher mean concentrations of LH and FSH than did controls (8.3 +/- 1.4 vs 2.0 +/- .4 ng/mL for LH and 211.0 +/- 8.6 vs 51.2 +/- 2.7 ng/mL for FSH (P < .05). There were no differences in mean concentrations of LH or FSH between treatment groups on d 10, 20, 30, and 40 postpartum. Cows given LHRH-A had more (P < .05) LH pulses on d 10 and 30 postpartum than did controls. This study demonstrated that microencapsulated D-Trp6-LHRH reduced the postpartum anestrous interval in suckled beef cows."}
{"id": "PMID:1474021", "title": "Maintenance of pregnancy in postpartum beef cows that have short-lived corpora lutea.", "content": "The first two experiments examined the role of the uterus in low pregnancy rates of beef cows induced to ovulate by early weaning. At 20 to 25 d postpartum, one-half of the cows in Exp. 1 and 2 received a s.c. implant containing 6 mg of norgestomet (NOR) for 9 d (NOR-pretreated) and the remaining cows were untreated controls (CON). Lengths of first postpartum luteal phase after weaning of calves at d 7 after implant insertion were expected to be normal in NOR-pretreated and short in CON cows. In Exp. 1, cows of both groups received an implant containing 3 mg of NOR at d 4 after first estrus and a silastic implant with 15 or 25 mg of NOR at d 7 after first estrus. At 7 d after first estrus, two embryos were transferred into the uterus of each cow and pregnancy was diagnosed by ultrasonography at d 35. Blood samples were collected daily from onset of treatment to d 8 after estrus and then every other day to d 24. Only 4 of 22 cows were pregnant at d 35, concentrations of estradiol (E2) were elevated after luteolysis, and large follicles were present at d 35. In Exp. 2, all cows were injected with 100 mg of progesterone (P4) twice daily from d 4 to 35 after first estrus. Embryos were transferred, pregnancy was diagnosed, and blood samples were collected as in Exp. 1, except blood sampling was continued to d 34.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1474022", "title": "Steroids and plasminogen activator concentrations in follicular fluid of gilts at first and third estrus.", "content": "An experiment was conducted to determine whether morphological and functional characteristics of follicles differed at a similar stage of pubertal (first) and third estrus in the same gilts. Nine prepubertal gilts were checked three times daily for estrus and laparotomized 6 h after detected first and third estrus. Samples of vena cava and ovarian venous blood were collected, follicle numbers and diameters were recorded, and follicular fluid (FF) was aspirated from all follicles 8 to 12 mm in diameter. Sera and(or) FF were analyzed for progesterone (P4), estradiol-17 beta (E2), testosterone (T), androstenedione (A4), 5 alpha-dihydrotestosterone (DHT), plasminogen activator (PA), and plasmin (PLM). Overall mean number of follicles > or = 8 mm in diameter did not differ between gilts at first and third estrus (P > .05) but gilts at first estrus had more follicles 4 to 8 (P < .05) and 8.1 to 10 mm in diameter (P < .01) and fewer 10.1 to 12 mm in diameter (P < .07) than at third estrus. Mean FF concentrations of E2, T, and A4 at third estrus were significantly greater than at first estrus, whereas FF concentrations of P4, DHT, PA, and PLM were similar at first and third estrus (P > .05). Mean concentrations of E2 in systemic and ovarian venous sera were also greater in gilts at third than at first estrus (both P < .05). Systemic concentrations of P4 in gilts at first and third estrus did not differ (P > .05).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1474023", "title": "Plasma concentrations of thyroid hormone in steers treated with Synovex-S and 3,5,3'-triiodothyronine.", "content": "This experiment examined the effect of daily administration of 3,5,3'-triiodothyronine (T3) on plasma profiles of T3, thyroxine (T4), 3,3',5'-triiodothyronine (reverse T3; rT3) and thyrotropin (TSH) in beef steers in which protein accretion was increased by using implants of Synovex-S (SYN). Twenty-four Angus-Hereford steers (302 +/- 16 kg) were individually fed a diet of a corn-based concentrate and silage mixture for 56 d at equal energy intake per steer (ME/unit BW.75). A 2 x 2 factorial arrangement of treatments was used in which treatments were SYN ear implants (200 mg of progesterone and 20 mg of estradiol benzoate) or no implants and s.c. injections of T3 in polyethylene glycol (2 micrograms of T3/kg BW every 48 h) or no injections of T3. Blood samples were collected every 2 wk. Plasma T3 concentration during the experimental period was increased in T3-treated steers (3.0 +/- .1 vs 2.2 +/- .1 ng/mL, P < .01) and was decreased in SYN-implanted steers (2.4 +/- .1 vs 2.7 +/- .1 ng/mL, P < .01). Plasma T4 and rT3 concentrations were reduced (22 +/- 4 vs 75 +/- 2 and .04 +/- .01 vs .12 +/- .01 ng/mL, respectively, P < .01) in T3-treated steers. Concurrently, plasma TSH concentration was decreased in T3-treated steers (.37 +/- .01 vs .51 +/- .02 ng/mL, P < .02). Synovex-S increased BW gain (21.0%, P < .01) and protein gain (35.6%, P < .01) compared with that of nonimplanted steers. Body weight gain and protein gain were not affected by treatment with T3.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1474024", "title": "Ovine luteinizing hormone: isoforms in the pituitary during the follicular and luteal phases of the estrous cycle and during anestrus.", "content": "Pituitaries were collected from late follicular phase (n = 5), mid-luteal phase (n = 5), and anestrous ewes (n = 4) to assess changes in intrapituitary LH heterogeneity at selected reproductive states. After homogenization, an aliquot of each pituitary extract was desalted by flow dialysis against water and chromtofocused on a pH 10.5 to 4.0 gradient. Concentrations of LH in pituitary extracts and chromatofocusing fractions were determined by RIA. The LH in pituitary extracts resolved into 13 isoforms during chromatofocusing, which were coded with letters beginning with the most basic isoform. Follicular and mid-luteal phase ewes exhibited similar distributions of intrapituitary LH among its isoforms. Relative to follicular and luteal phase ewes, anestrous ewes had lower percentages of isoforms D and E as well as higher percentages of isoforms G, H, J and K. Isoform F, the predominant molecular form of LH, constituted a similar percentage in all treatment groups (P > .05). Thus, the distribution of intrapituitary LH among its isoforms did not change significantly between the mid-luteal and follicular phases of the estrous cycle, but higher percentages of the weakly basic and acidic forms of LH were present during anestrus. These observations suggest that intrapituitary LH heterogeneity changes minimally throughout the estrous cycle of ewes during the breeding season."}
{"id": "PMID:1474025", "title": "Estimation of net energy requirements (NEm and NE delta) of lactating beef cows.", "content": "Spring-calving Angus cows (n = 24) in moderate body condition were assigned to either a high (H), maintenance-high (MH) to support superior milk, maintenance-low (ML) to support average milk, or low (L) energy diet at 12 d (SD = 4) postpartum. Energy balance for individual cows was determined by body condition change, weight change, and weigh-suckle-weigh milk production estimates. High energy intake increased (P < .05) BW, body condition score (BCS), and megacalories of body energy (BE) by 94 d postpartum. Neither dietary nor BCS accounted for significant (P > .30) variation in days to first ovulation or conception. Fasting heat production was estimated to be 72.5 kcal/BW.75 from the regression of log daily heat production/BW.75 on daily ME intake/BW.75. Rate of daily BW change did not affect concentration of energy in the weight change. Body condition score change was highly correlated (r = .98) to BW change, with each unit of BCS (1 to 5 scale) change associated with 68 kg of BW change. Two methods were used to determine NE for weight change (NE delta) based on empty body weight (EBW) change. Method 1 used the equation: BCS change = -.404 + .0147 (BW change) and Method 2 used only the regression coefficient of this equation to predict daily BCS change. Methods 1 and 2 resulted in similar regression equations: NE delta (Mcal/kg EBW change) = 1.590 + 1.251 (BCS) and NE delta (Mcal/kg EBW change) = 1.317 + 1.251 (BCS). Ranges of estimated protein and lipid in the EBW change, respectively, were 10.0 to 13.7% and 17.1 to 77.2%."}
{"id": "PMID:1474026", "title": "Effect of fat type and forage level on performance of finishing cattle.", "content": "Four trials were conducted to determine the effects of adding various levels and types of fat to dry-rolled corn (DRC) finishing diets containing 0 or 7.5% forage. In Trial 1, 88 yearling steers (mean BW = 352 +/- 38 kg) and 176 heifers (mean BW 316 +/- 15 kg) were blocked by sex and weight into four replications. Treatments were 0, 2, 4, or 6% (DM basis) bleachable fancy tallow (BT) fed with 0 or 7.5% (DM basis) forage. Addition of BT to the 7.5% forage diet had no effect on ADG or gain/feed (G/F). However, adding BT to the all-concentrate diet decreased ADG (linear, P < .01) and G/F (linear, P = .08). In Trial 2, 184 yearling steers (mean BW = 347 +/- 21 kg) and 144 heifers (mean BW 322 +/- 8 kg) were blocked by sex and weight into six replications. Fat treatments were 0% fat, 4% BT, or 4% animal-vegetable oil blend (A-V); each fat treatment was fed with 0 or 7.5% forage. Across forage levels, the addition of fat increased (P < .01) ADG and G/F for cattle fed DRC. In Trial 3, 18 crossbred wether lambs (mean BW = 44.4 +/- 2.5 kg) were fed DRC and 7.5% forage and allotted randomly to the same fat treatments fed in Trial 2. Apparent total tract fat digestibility increased (P < .01) with the addition of BT or A-V. In Trial 4, 40 crossbred wethers (mean BW = 25 +/- 4.1 kg) and 16 ewes (mean BW = 23 +/- 2.7 kg) were individually fed 7.5% forage diets containing 0, 1, 2, or 4% BT. Addition of BT increased (linear, P = .10) G/F. In summary, fat addition to DRC finishing diets fed to yearling cattle did not consistently affect gain/feed, feed intake, and ADG."}
{"id": "PMID:1474027", "title": "Alternate day supplementation of corn stalk diets with soybean meal or corn gluten meal fed to ruminants.", "content": "Four experiments were conducted to determine the effect of adding corn gluten mean (CGM) or soybean meal (SBM) at 24- or 48-h intervals to diets based on corn stalks. In each experiment corn stalks was the primary diet ingredient fed to wethers or steers. Monensin was also fed to determine whether its effects on ruminal fermentation would improve the efficiency of N utilization under these conditions. Evaluation criteria included ruminal fermentation characteristics, DM intake and utilization, N balance in sheep, and steer feedlot performance. Ruminal ammonia nitrogen (NH3 N) concentrations measured over time were higher (P < .05) when diets contained SBM. Diet did not influence (P > .10) total VFA concentrations in ruminal fluid. Differences in diurnal shifts in ruminal NH3 N and total VFA due to protein source resulted in diet x hour interactions (P < .05). Dry matter intake response to protein source and frequency of supplement feeding was variable. Dry matter digestibility and nitrogen digestibility were not affected (P > .10) by protein source or feeding interval. The 48-h interval feeding of CGM was favorable compared with 24-h interval feeding (P < .05). The opposite response occurred with SBM, resulting in a diet x feeding interval interaction (P < .05). Nitrogen retention was greater (P < .05) when CGM was fed and with alternate day feeding. Diets that contained CGM supported higher (P < .05) ADG and gain/feed than diets that contained SBM when fed to steer calves. Alternate day feeding of supplements that contained monensin was detrimental to steer performance under the conditions of these experiments. Corn gluten meal is an effective substitute for SBM when alternate day protein supplementation is practiced."}
{"id": "PMID:1474028", "title": "Basis for regulation of selenium supplements in animal diets.", "content": "Selenium was discovered 174 yr ago but, until 1957, was given little notice by biologists or was vilified as an agent that caused toxicity in grazing ruminants and horses in the northern Great Plains. After its status as an essential nutrient was established, Se received intense scrutiny, and hundreds of papers have been published dealing with its metabolic functions and the consequences of a Se deficiency. Because regions of Se deficiency are so extensive in the United States, great efforts have been made to gain Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for Se supplementation of animal diets. Initially, these efforts were thwarted by concern that Se might be carcinogenic. After this concern was resolved, researchers established supplemental Se levels that were efficacious, safe for animals, safe for humans that eat animal products, and protective of the environment. First approval of Se supplements was given in 1974 for supplementation of swine or growing chicken diets at .1 ppm. Supplements for turkey diets were approved at .2 ppm. Ultimately, in 1987, levels of supplemental Se in diets for chickens, turkeys, ducks, swine, sheep, and cattle were approved at .3 ppm. However, FDA regulations do not mention horses or zoo animals, and those who would ensure the welfare of these species by supplementing Se-deficient diets may be in violation of FDA interpretation of the law. In addition, the association of Se with death and deformities in aquatic birds at the Kesterson Reservoir in California has led to pressure on the FDA to reverse the 1987 amendments to the feed additive regulation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1474029", "title": "Clinical assessment of selenium status of livestock.", "content": "Assessment of the selenium status of livestock is an important aspect of production medicine, but variations in reported values between laboratories and between methods may be > 30%. Reliable interpretations require considerable experience with an assay and an extensive database from field and research case samples of a variety of species. The Michigan State University Animal Health Diagnostic Laboratory (MSU-ADHL) has offered Se analyses by acid-digestion and fluorometric detection since 1982. This laboratory expects serum Se values (nanograms per milliliter) of livestock to increase gradually with age from starting ranges for neonates of 50 to 80 for calves and sheep and 70 to 90 for foals and pigs. Expected or \"normal\" values for the adults are in the ranges of 70 to 100 for cattle, 120 to 150 for sheep, 130 to 160 for horses, and 180 to 220 for swine. Normal liver Se concentrations are considered to range between 1.2 and 2.0 micrograms/g on a dry weight basis, regardless of the species or age. Based on samples submitted to MSU-AHDL between September 1990 and August 1991, contemporary feeding practices in the Michigan area resulted in mean serum Se values (nanograms per milliliter) of 75 +/- 19 for adult Holsteins, 170 +/- 27 for adult swine (mixed breeds), and 137 +/- 30 for adult race horses. Within that period of time, two field cases of Se toxicity were diagnosed. One involved feeder pigs with a recorded high serum Se value of 1,525 ng/mL due to a commercial premix manufacturing error.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1474030", "title": "Effect of selenium supplementation on dairy cattle.", "content": "The adequacy of current supplemental dietary selenium allowances for dairy cattle has been reviewed from the literature and by monitoring responses of dairy herds in a veterinary practice specializing in nutritional consultation. Both information sources tend to agree that a reference range of 70 to 100 ng of Se/mL of serum is an acceptable target concentration. This range can be attained most often by providing > 6 mg of supplemental Se.animal-1.d-1, but several factors affect the serum Se responses of different cows to specific Se intakes. These factors may include forage types and sources, ruminal environment, supplemental fat, dietary calcium, trace metals, and genetics. The major benefits, observed experimentally, of maintaining optimal Se intakes include minimizing the incidence of mastitis and preventing calf losses associated with myopathy and(or) respiratory disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1474031", "title": "Mycotoxins in foods and feeds in the United States.", "content": "Mycotoxins are considered unavoidable contaminants in foods and feeds because agronomic technology has not yet advanced to the stage at which preharvest infection of susceptible crops by fungi can be eliminated. The aflatoxins have received greater attention than any of the other mycotoxins because of their demonstrated carcinogenic effects in susceptible animals and their acute toxic effects in humans. Since 1965, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has enforced regulatory limits on the concentrations of these toxins in foods and feeds involved in interstate commerce. The FDA routinely monitors the food and feed industries through compliance programs to ensure that the levels of exposure to these toxins are kept as low as practical. This report summarizes data generated from compliance programs on aflatoxins for the fiscal years 1989, 1990, and the first half of 1991. Commodities sampled included peanuts and peanut products, tree nuts, corn and corn products, cottonseed, and milk. Higher than usual levels of contamination were found in corn examined from all areas of the United States in 1989 as a result of the severe drought that affected the 1988 corn crop. The drought in parts of the South and Southeast in 1990 resulted in increased contamination in corn and peanuts from those areas. A review of the surveillance data obtained on deoxynivalenol, zearalenone, ochratoxin A, sterigmatocystin, penicillic acid, and patulin over the years along with available toxicological data for these mycotoxins indicated that no regulatory actions were warranted. The lack of sufficient surveillance data on other mycotoxins that occur in the United States can be attributed in part to the unavailability of reliable analytical methodology."}
{"id": "PMID:1474032", "title": "Recent progress on analytical techniques for mycotoxins in feedstuffs.", "content": "Analysis of mycotoxins in feedstuffs is a difficult task because only trace amounts of the toxins are present in the sample. However, rapid progress in the area of mycotoxin analysis has been made during the last few years. Simplified sample cleanup protocols and new chromatographic methods, especially HPLC, have been developed. New, more sensitive and versatile instruments such as high-resolution mass spectrometry (MS) and gas chromatography/tandem MS/MS are coming to the market. After 15 yr of laboratory research, immunoassay techniques have gained more acceptance as analytical tools for mycotoxins. Several immunoassay kits for mycotoxins are currently available. The development of these new techniques and their application for monitoring various mycotoxins in foods and feeds are described in this review."}
{"id": "PMID:1474033", "title": "Major biological consequences of aflatoxicosis in animal production.", "content": "Aflatoxins, a family of closely related, biologically active mycotoxins, have been known as a prominent cause of animal disease for 30 yr. The toxins occur naturally on several key animal feeds, including corn, cottonseed, and peanuts. Occurrence of aflatoxin on some field crops tends to spike in years when drought and insect damage facilitate invasion by the causative organisms, Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus, which abound in the crop's environment. Acute aflatoxicosis causes a distinct overt clinical disease marked by hepatitis, icterus, hemorrhage, and death. More chronic aflatoxin poisoning produces very protean signs that may not be clinically obvious; reduced rate of gain in young animals is a sensitive clinical register of chronic aflatoxicosis. The immune system is also sensitive to aflatoxin, and suppression of cell-mediated immune responsiveness, reduced phagocytosis, and depressed complement and interferon production are produced. Acquired immunity from vaccination programs may be substantially suppressed in some disease models. In such cases the signs of disease observed are those of the infectious process rather than those of the aflatoxin that predisposed the animal to infection. Mixtures of aflatoxin with other mycotoxins can result in greatly augmented biological responses in terms of rate of gain, lethality, and immune reactivity. Because of its great biological activity, its wide-spread potential presence in areas where critical feed crops are grown, and its propensity to spike in problem years, aflatoxin promises to be a continuing problem in animal production."}
{"id": "PMID:1474034", "title": "A review of recent advances in understanding ochratoxicosis.", "content": "Ochratoxin A (OA) is a toxin that contains an isocoumarin moiety linked by a peptide bond to phenylalanine. It is produced by certain Penicillium (mainly P. verrucosum) and Aspergillus (mainly A. alutaceus) species of storage fungi. Total amounts of OA and other related toxins produced by these fungi are influenced by many factors. Several forms of OA have been discovered, some of which are highly toxic, whereas others have lower toxicity. Ochratoxin A has been detected in foods, feeds, animal tissues, and human blood in both Europe and North America. It has been implicated in the fatal human disease Balkan endemic nephropathy, has been shown to be a powerful carcinogen in rodents, and produces many other adverse effects in animals. It is absorbed passively throughout the gastrointestinal tract and in an active manner in the kidney. It is subjected to intestinal secretion and reabsorption via enterohepatic recycling. Binding of OA in the blood to the albumin fraction and recycling in the bile and kidney contributes to its long half-life in animals. Ochratoxin A is hydrolyzed to its nontoxic alpha form (O alpha) by microorganisms in the rumen, cecum, and large intestine. The toxin is excreted primarily in the urine as O alpha and to a lesser degree as OA; smaller amounts of OA and O alpha are generally excreted in the feces. Three distinct mechanisms of OA toxicity have been proposed; other toxic effects of OA seem to be secondary in nature. Several different strategies can be employed for controlling or neutralizing the effect of OA, including the use of proper storage conditions, the use of specific adsorbents to reduce absorption of OA, and the feeding OA-contaminated feedstuffs to ruminants. Antioxidants such as ascorbic acid have been shown to reduce the toxic effects of OA in laying hens. In summary, OA contamination of cereal food and feed may occur, given appropriate conditions. Implementation of suitable procedures may eliminate or minimize this potentially serious problem."}
{"id": "PMID:1474035", "title": "Recent advances in the understanding of Fusarium trichothecene mycotoxicoses.", "content": "Recent concepts in the etiology of Fusarium trichothecene mycotoxicoses have been reviewed. The effect of orally administered trichothecenes on tissue metabolism has been traced from the gastrointestinal tract to the liver and subsequently to blood. It is proposed that the hyperaminoacidemia resulting from trichothecene toxicoses contributes to the behavioral changes observed, including loss of appetite and vomiting. Studies with several species and several trichothecenes have shown that elevated brain tryptophan arising from trichothecene-induced aminoacidemia can subsequently alter regional brain serotonin concentrations. This may produce behaviors such as loss of appetite and muscle incoordination characteristic of the firing of serotonergic neurons. Support is also presented for the concept that other Fusarium metabolites such as fusaric acid may act synergistically with trichothecenes to produce these effects."}
{"id": "PMID:1474036", "title": "Effects of nutrition and season on the onset of puberty in the beef heifer.", "content": "Age at puberty is a major determinant of lifetime reproductive efficiency of beef cows. Research conducted during the past 20 yr has documented the major endocrine events leading to first ovulation in heifers. The critical event seems to be a prepubertal increase in pulsatile LH secretion. Environment influences timing of puberty onset in beef heifers. Nutrition and season are two of the better-defined variables that have been studied. Age at puberty is related inversely to plane of nutrition. The effect of nutrition on sexual maturation involves effects on timing of the prepubertal increase in LH secretion and seems to involve the LH pulse generating system located in the hypothalamus. The precise mechanism by which nutrition influences pulsatile LH secretion has not been elucidated, but signals reflecting metabolic status seem to be involved. Seasonal conditions of the early (birth to 6 mo of age) and late (6 to 12 mo of age) postnatal periods also influence timing of puberty onset in the heifer. Autumn-born heifers attain puberty at younger ages than do spring-born heifers, and exposure to spring-summer temperatures and photoperiods during the second 6 mo of life reduces age at puberty regardless of season of birth. Photoperiod may be the major seasonal cue that influences puberty onset in cattle. Limited evidence suggests that melatonin, a pineal hormone, is involved with transducing photic stimuli into neuroendocrine signals that influence LH secretion. If the physiological mechanisms mediating the effects of nutrition and season on timing of puberty onset are determined, then management strategies for reducing age at puberty can be enhanced."}
{"id": "PMID:1474037", "title": "Genetic effects on beef heifer puberty and subsequent reproduction.", "content": "Significant genetic variation exists within and between breeds of beef cattle for age at puberty (AP). In general, faster-gaining breed groups of larger mature size reach puberty at a later age than do slower-gaining breed groups of smaller mature size; breeds selected for milk production reach puberty at younger ages than do those breeds not selected for milk production. Heterosis, independent of heterosis effects on weight, influences most measures of puberty in females and scrotal circumference (SC) in males. Crossbred heifers reach puberty at younger ages and heavier weights than their straightbred counterparts. Scrotal circumference has been shown to be an excellent indicator of AP in yearling bulls. Furthermore, a favorable genetic relationship exists between SC in bulls and AP of female offspring. Beef cattle breeders may take a direct approach to breeding for AP and subsequent reproduction by directly selecting for measures of fertility such as SC. However, an indirect approach, involving selection for an array of traits that provide an appropriate \"genetic environment\" for the expression of fertility (i.e., size, milk production, calving ease) may be preferred. Although seedstock producers are limited to making change through within-breed selection, commercial producers can take advantage of both within- and between-breed selection as well as crossbreeding to achieve the same goal."}
{"id": "PMID:1474038", "title": "Management considerations in heifer development and puberty.", "content": "Management of replacement beef heifers should focus on factors that enhance physiological processes that promote puberty. Age at puberty is important as a production trait when heifers are bred to calve as 2-yr-olds and in systems that impose restricted breeding periods. Calving by 24 mo of age is necessary to obtain maximum lifetime productivity. Because the reproductive system is the last major organ system to mature, factors that influence puberty are critical. The influence of environment on the sequence of events leading to puberty in the heifer is dictated largely by the nutritional status of the animal and related effects on growth rate and development. Management strategies have been designed to ensure that heifers reach a prebreeding target weight that supports optimum reproductive performance, and consequences of inadequate or excessive development have been evaluated. Those strategies are based on evidence linking postweaning nutritional development with key reproductive events that include age at puberty and first breeding, conception, pregnancy loss, incidence and severity of dystocia, and postpartum interval to estrus. Management alternatives that ultimately affect lifetime productivity and reproductive performance of heifers begin at birth and include decisions that involve growth-promoting implants, creep-feeding, breed type and(or) species, birth date and weaning weight, social interaction, sire selection, and exogenous hormonal treatments to synchronize or induce estrus. Basic and applied future research efforts should converge to match in a realistic manner the production potential of the animal with available resources. Strategies that incorporate consideration of nutrition, genetics, and emerging management techniques will need to be tested to enable producers to make decisions that result in profit. This review evaluates the current status of knowledge relating to management of the replacement beef heifer and serves to stimulate research needed to enhance management techniques to ensure puberty at an optimal age."}
{"id": "PMID:1474039", "title": "Regulating ATP turnover rates over broad dynamic work ranges in skeletal muscles.", "content": "It has long been appreciated that rates of ATP utilization and production need to be extremely closely balanced. To put it in molecular rather than molar terms, in human muscle engaged in a 15-min work protocol, approximately 3.3 x 10(20) ATP/g are used and resynthesized at approximately 100 times the resting cycling rates before fatigue, during which time only a 20-25% decrease in the ATP pool is sustained. Analysis of how such remarkable regulatory precision is achieved suggests that in resting muscle myosin behaves as a latent catalyst whose full catalytic potential 1) is realized with the arrival of an activator signal (Ca2+) and 2) is tempered with reaction products; such proactive control, initiated at ATP utilization, sets the required flux through ATP-producing pathways. For any given enzyme step in ATP-producing pathways, reaction velocity (v) becomes the independent parameter, with substrate concentration ([S], the dependent parameter) being adjusted accordingly. Because the dynamic range for muscles (change from resting to maximum ATP turnover rates) can exceed 100-fold, in many studies of working muscle the percent change in ATP turnover rate exceeds (sometimes by very large margins) the percent change in [S]. These observations are not easily explained by current metabolic regulation models but are consistent with pathway enzymes behaving as latent catalysts in resting muscle. In this view, the unmasking of such latent catalytic potential is the main explanation for how large changes in v can be achieved with modest (sometimes immeasurable) changes in [S].(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1474040", "title": "Cold wind stimulation reflex.", "content": "The bradycardia induced by cold wind blown on the face and the early cephalic release of insulin induced by feeding have been shown to be caused by a vagal reflex stimulation. An experiment was designed to determine whether cold wind blown on the face would induce both pancreatic and cardiac stimulation. A 4 degrees C wind blown on the face for 4 min produced a rapid and persistent bradycardia, which interestingly persisted for up to 35 min after the test. The effect on respiration rate is more gradual and vanishes immediately after cold wind stimulation. Cold wind produced a slight reduction of insulin secretion, as evidenced by the fall of both plasma insulin and C-peptide, and caused a significant increase in plasma norepinephrine. These results suggest that the cold wind action of the vagus nerve is exerted on the heart and that of the sympathetic on the pancreas, whereas during the cephalic phase of feeding a vagal influence is observed on the pancreas and a sympathetic action on the heart. The mechanisms of the quantitative and qualitative control of these autonomic responses are not known and deserve further investigation."}
{"id": "PMID:1474041", "title": "T wave changes in humans and dogs during experimental dives.", "content": "Electrocardiogram (ECG) analysis was performed in three human divers studied at 21 and 23.5 ATA while they breathed various gas mixtures containing H2 and/or He (COMEX HYDRA IX experiment) and in five dogs exposed to 91 ATA of He-O2 or He-N2-O2. In all cases, the O2 partial pressure was slightly higher than its physiological value. These human and animal studies reveal that elevated pressure of different inert gases did not change the resting heart rate or its respiratory fluctuation. However, the T wave amplitude increased in proportion to the gas density in the three divers; this was also found in four of the five dogs studied. Changes in peak T wave configurations were also observed in the dog experiments. Positional changes in QRS or T vectors cannot explain these T wave changes."}
{"id": "PMID:1474042", "title": "Heart and lung alterations in neonatal rats exposed to CO or high altitude.", "content": "We wished to determine whether cardiac changes produced by CO are related to the development of pulmonary hypertension and whether they are specific for CO or also occur with high-altitude exposure. Newborn male Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to 500 ppm CO for 32 days (CO) at Detroit, MI or to 11,500-ft simulated altitude at Fort Collins, CO (barometric pressure 495 Torr; 11K); ambient air controls were maintained at Detroit (657 ft, 200 m; AIR) and at Fort Collins (5,000 ft, 1,524 m; 5K). Rats were maintained at Fort Collins after 34 days of age. Hematocrit was elevated to a greater extent in the CO than in the 11K group 2 days postexposure; however, no differences existed 40, 76, or 112 days postexposure. Right ventricle (RV) and left ventricle plus septum (LV + S) mass in CO rats were increased 38.0 and 37.4%, respectively, relative to the AIR group 2 days after CO exposure; RV and LV + S in the 11K group were increased 55.7 and 9.3%, respectively, relative to the 5K group. Cardiac hypertrophy declined in the CO and 11K groups postexposure but remained significant for the RV, reaching 20.7% above the AIR group (CO) and 29.7% above the 5K group (11K) at 145 days of age. By use of an in vitro preparation, pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) and pulmonary arterial pressure were significantly increased immediately after altitude but not after CO exposure and remained elevated in adulthood after altitude exposure. PVR was correlated with hematocrit in altitude- but not in CO-exposed rats.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1474043", "title": "O2 cost of breathing: ventilatory vs. pressure loads.", "content": "We compared the O2 cost of breathing (VO2resp) at high levels of ventilation (HV) with that against high inspiratory pressure loads (HP) using an external elastance when end-expiratory volume, work rate (W), and pressure-time product (P) were matched at two levels of ventilation and elastic loading. Each of five normal subjects performed three pairs of loaded runs (one HV and one HP) bracketed by two resting runs. Mean O2 consumption from the pairs of resting runs was subtracted from that of each of the loaded runs to give VO2resp during loaded breathing. Matching for W and P was within 15% in all 15 pairs of runs. During HV runs, ventilation was 398 +/- 24% of corresponding values during HP runs (P < 0.01). Although there was no difference in W (P > 0.05), the VO2resp during HV runs was 237 +/- 33% of that during HP (P < 0.01) and efficiency of HV was 51 +/- 5% of that during HP (P < 0.01). When W was normalized for the decrease in maximum inspiratory pressure with increased mean lung volume, efficiency during HV and HP runs did not differ (P > 0.05). In the second series of experiments, when both HV and HP runs were matched for W but P was allowed to vary, efficiency increased by 1.42 +/- 0.42% (P < 0.05) for each percent decrease in P during HV runs but was unchanged (P > 0.05) during HP runs despite a 193 +/- 10% increase in P.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1474044", "title": "Effect of PEEP on the mechanics of the respiratory system in ARDS patients.", "content": "In patients with adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) we studied the effect of positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) on respiratory mechanics. We used the technique of rapid airway occlusion during constant flow (V) inflation to partition the total respiratory system resistance (Rrs) into the interrupter resistance (Rint,rs) and the additional resistance (delta Rrs) due to viscoelastic pressure dissipations and time constant inequalities. We also measured static (Est,rs) and dynamic (Edyn,rs) elastance of the respiratory system. The procedure was carried out in nine ARDS patients at different inspiratory V and inflation volumes (delta V) at PEEP of 0, 5, 10, and 15 cmH2O. We found that during baseline ventilation (delta V = 0.7 liter and V = 1 l/s), Est,rs, Edyn,rs, and Rint,rs did not change significantly with PEEP, whereas delta Rrs and Rrs increased significantly only with PEEP of 15 cmH2O. The increase of delta Rrs and Rrs with PEEP was positively correlated with the concomitant changes in end-expiratory lung volume (P < 0.001). At all levels of PEEP, under iso-delta V conditions, delta Rrs decreased with increasing V, whereas at a fixed V, delta Rrs increased with increasing delta V. A four-parameter model of the respiratory system failed to fully describe respiratory dynamics in the ARDS patients, probably due to nonlinearities."}
{"id": "PMID:1474045", "title": "Effect of PEEP on respiratory mechanics in anesthetized paralyzed humans.", "content": "With the use of the technique of rapid airway occlusion during constant flow inflation, respiratory mechanics were studied in eight anesthetized paralyzed supine normal humans during zero (ZEEP) and positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) ventilation. PEEP increased the end-expiratory lung volume by 0.49 liter. The changes in transpulmonary and esophageal pressure after flow interruption were analyzed in terms of a seven-parameter \"viscoelastic\" model. This allowed assessment of static lung and chest wall elastance (Est,L and Est,W), partitioning of overall resistance into airway interrupter (Rint,L) and tissue resistances (delta RL and delta RW), and computation of lung and chest wall \"viscoelastic constants.\" With increasing flow, Rint,L increased, whereas delta RL and delta RW decreased, as predicted by the model. Est,L, Est,W, and Rint,L decreased significantly with PEEP because of increased lung volume, whereas delta R and viscoelastic constants of lung and chest wall were independent of PEEP. The results indicate that PEEP caused a significant decrease in Rint,L, Est,L, and Est,W, whereas the dynamic tissue behavior, as reflected by delta RL and delta RW, did not change."}
{"id": "PMID:1474046", "title": "Stroke volume and cardiac output decrease at termination of obstructive apneas.", "content": "Patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) experience repetitive nocturnal oscillations of systemic arterial pressure that occur in association with changes in respiration and changes in sleep state. To investigate cardiac function during the cycle of obstruction (apnea) and resumption of ventilation (recovery), we continuously measured left ventricular stroke volume (LVSV) and mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) during non-rapid-eye-movement sleep in six males with severe OSA (apnea/hypopnea index > or = 30 events/h associated with oxygen saturation < 82%). LVSV was assessed continuously using an ambulatory ventricular function monitor (VEST; Capintec). The apnea-recovery cycle was divided into three phases: 1) early apnea (EA), 2) late apnea (LA), and 3) recovery (Rec). In all subjects recovery was associated with an abrupt decrease in LVSV [54.0 +/- 14.5 (SD) ml] compared with either EA (91.4 +/- 14.7 ml; P < 0.001) or LA (77.1 +/- 15.2 ml; P < 0.005). Although heart rate increased with recovery, the increase was not sufficient to compensate for the decrease in LVSV so that cardiac output (CO) fell (EA: 6,247 +/- 739 ml/min; LA: 5,741 +/- 1,094 ml/min; Rec: 4,601 +/- 1,249 ml/min; EA vs. Rec, P < 0.01; LA vs. Rec, P < 0.025). Recovery was also associated with a significant increase in MAP. We speculate that such abrupt decreases in LVSV and CO at apnea termination, occurring coincident with the nadir of oxygen saturation, may further compromise tissue oxygen delivery."}
{"id": "PMID:1474047", "title": "Effects of a 1-yr stay at altitude on ventilation, metabolism, and work capacity.", "content": "The hypoxic and hypercapnic ventilatory drive, gas exchange, blood lactate and pyruvate concentrations, acid-base balance, and physical working capacity were determined in three groups of healthy males: 17 residents examined at sea level (group I), 24 sea-level natives residing at 1,680-m altitude for 1 yr and examined there (group II), and 17 sea-level natives residing at 3,650-m altitude for 1 yr and examined there (group III). The piecewise linear approximation technique was used to study the ventilatory response curves, which allowed a separate analysis of slopes during the first phase of slow increase in ventilation and the second phase of sharp increase. The hypoxic ventilatory response for both isocapnic and poikilocapnic conditions was greater in group II and even greater in group III. The first signs of consciousness distortion in sea-level residents appeared at an end-tidal O2 pressure level (4.09 +/- 0.56 kPa) higher than that of temporary residents of middle (3.05 +/- 0.12) and high altitude (2.90 +/- 0.07). The hypercapnic response was also increased, although to a lesser degree. Subjects with the highest hypoxic respiratory sensitivity at high altitude demonstrated greater O2 consumption at rest, greater ventilatory response to exercise, higher physical capacity, and a less pronounced anaerobic glycolytic flux but a lower tolerance to extreme hypoxia. That is, end-tidal O2 pressure that caused a distortion of the consciousness was higher in these subjects than in those with lower hypoxic sensitivity. Two extreme types of adaptation strategy can be distinguished: active, with marked reactions of \"struggle for oxygen,\" and passive, with reduced O2 metabolism, as well as several intermediate types.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1474048", "title": "Effect of acetazolamide on cerebral blood flow and capillary patency.", "content": "This study investigated the effects 2 h after administration of acetazolamide on cerebral blood flow and the pattern of cerebral capillary perfusion. Arterial blood pressure, heart rate, arterial blood gases, and pH were recorded in two groups of rats along with either regional cerebral blood flow or the percentage of capillary volume per cubic millimeter and number per square millimeter perfused as determined in cortical, thalamic, pontine, and medullary regions of the brain. Blood pressure, heart rate, and arterial PCO2 were not significantly different between the rats receiving acetazolamide (100 mg/kg) and the controls. Arterial blood pH was significantly lower in the acetazolamide rats. Blood flow increased significantly in the cortical (+ 102%), thalamic (+ 89%), and pontine (+ 88%) regions receiving acetazolamide. In control rats, approximately 60% of the capillaries were perfused in all of the examined regions. The percentage of capillaries per square millimeter perfused was significantly greater in the cortical (+ 52%), thalamic (+ 49%), and pontine (+ 47%) regions of acetazolamide rats compared with controls. In the medulla the increases in blood flow and percentage of capillaries perfused were not significant. Thus in the regions that acetazolamide increased cerebral blood flow, it also increased the percentage of capillaries perfused."}
{"id": "PMID:1474049", "title": "Pulmonary vascular reactivity: effect of PAF and PAF antagonists.", "content": "We investigated the effects of two different platelet-activating factor (PAF) antagonists, SRI 63-441 and WEB 2086, on PAF-, angiotensin II-, and hypoxia-induced vasoconstrictions in isolated rat lungs perfused with a physiological salt solution. Bolus injection of PAF (0.5 micrograms) increased pulmonary arterial and microvascular pressures and caused lung edema. Both SRI 63-441, a PAF-analogue antagonist, and WEB 2086, a thienotriazolodiazepine structurally unrelated to PAF, completely blocked PAF-induced vasoconstriction and lung edema at 10(-5) M. At a lower concentration (10(-6) M), WEB 2086 was more effective than SRI 63-441. WEB 2086 also blocked the pulmonary vasodilation induced by low-dose PAF (15 ng) in blood-perfused lungs preconstricted with hypoxia. SRI 63-441 and CV 3988 (another PAF analogue antagonist), but not WEB 2086, caused acute pulmonary vasoconstriction at 10(-5) M and severe lung edema at a higher concentration (10(-4) M). PAF-induced but not SRI- or CV-induced pulmonary vasoconstriction and edema were inhibited by WEB 2086. In addition, SRI 63-441 potentiated angiotensin II- and hypoxia-induced vasoconstrictions. This effect of SRI 63-441 is not due to PAF receptor blockade because 1) addition of PAF (1.6 nM) to the perfusate likewise potentiated angiotensin II-induced vasoconstriction and 2) WEB 2086 did not cause a similar response. We conclude that both SRI 63-441 and WEB 2086 are effective inhibitors of PAF actions in the rat pulmonary circulation. However, antagonists with structures analogous to PAF (SRI 63-441 and CV 3988) can have significant pulmonary vasoactive side effects."}
{"id": "PMID:1474050", "title": "Continuous monitoring of right ventricular volume changes using a conductance catheter in the rabbit.", "content": "To assess the reliability of conductance (G) catheter for evaluating right ventricular (RV) volume changes, a miniature (3.5F) six-electrode catheter was developed and tested in 11 New Zealand rabbit hearts. In five animals the heart was excised; in six it was left in the thorax. RV conductance was recorded while the RV was filled with blood in 0.25-ml steps at different left ventricular (LV) volumes. Linear correlation of measured conductance vs. reference volumes was computed. RV conductance was highly correlated with reference volume [correlation coefficient (r) ranging from 0.991 to 0.999]. Slope of regression lines was not significantly affected by LV volume variations in 1-ml steps or by acute conductance changes of structures surrounding the heart, whereas the intercept was affected only by the 0- to 1-ml LV volume change. In four rabbits, RV conductance changes during a cardiac cycle [stroke volume- (SV) G] were compared in vivo with electromagnetic flow probe-derived estimates of SV (SVem) as stroke volume was varied by graded inferior vena caval occlusion. SV-G correlated well with SVem (r ranging from 0.92 to 0.96). This correlation persisted after the thorax was filled with saline; however, significant differences were found in individual slopes (P < 0.001). These results show that the conductance catheter has a potential to reliably monitor in vivo relative RV volume changes in small-animal hearts."}
{"id": "PMID:1474051", "title": "Parametric representation of normal breath sounds.", "content": "The spectral content of normal tracheal and chest wall breath sounds has been calculated using the fast Fourier transform (FFT) (J. Appl. Physiol. 50: 307-314, 1981). Parameter estimation methods, in particular autoregressive (AR) modeling, are alternative techniques for measuring lung sounds. The outcome of AR modeling of 38 complete breaths picked up simultaneously over the chest walls and tracheae of five normal males was evaluated. The sounds were treated as noise, bounded by a quasi-periodic envelope generated by the cyclic action of breathing, thus causing the sounds to become inherently nonstationary. Normalization of the sounds to their corresponding variance envelopes eliminated the nonstationarity, an important requirement for most signal-processing methods. Subsequently, the AR model order was sought using formal criteria. Orders 6-8 were found to be suitable for normal chest wall sounds, whereas tracheal sounds required at least orders 12-16. Using orders 6 and 12, we compared the prominent spectral features of chest wall and tracheal sounds calculated by AR with those found in the spectra calculated by FFT. The polar representation of the AR roots, calculated from the AR coefficients, showed that normal lung sounds from a group of individuals are characterized by a low variability, suggesting that this method may provide an alternative representation of the sounds. The data presented here show that normal lung sounds, when measured in the frequency domain by either FFT or AR modeling, have a characteristic pattern that is independent of the analysis method."}
{"id": "PMID:1474052", "title": "Modification of water and electrolyte metabolism during head-down tilting by hypoglycemia in men.", "content": "The effect of hypoglycemic stress on the changes in water and electrolyte metabolism induced by head-down tilting (HDT) was studied. Six healthy men were subjected to postural changes (30 min standing, 2 h HDT, 1 h standing), with or without the intravenous administration of insulin at the beginning of HDT. When insulin was not given, antidiuretic hormone (ADH), cortisol, plasma renin activity (PRA), aldosterone, and catecholamine levels were decreased and atrial natriuretic polypeptide (ANP) levels increased during HDT. These changes were associated with 2.5- and 1.5-fold increases in urine flow and sodium excretion, respectively, when compared with the amounts before HDT. On the other hand, insulin-induced hypoglycemia during HDT produced increases in ADH, cortisol, PRA, aldosterone, and catecholamine levels. At the same time, an exaggerated ANP response by HDT was observed. These hormonal changes were associated with an abolishment of the increases in urine flow and sodium excretion. It is suggested that acute stress modifies the changes in fluid and electrolyte metabolism induced by HDT."}
{"id": "PMID:1474053", "title": "Acute plasma expansion: left ventricular hemodynamics and endocrine function during exercise.", "content": "In 11 healthy subjects (8 males and 3 females, age 21-59 yr) left ventricular end-diastolic (LVEDV) and end-systolic (LVESV) volumes were measured in the supine position by isotope cardiography at rest and during two submaximal one-legged exercise loads before and 1 h after acute plasma expansion (PE) by use of a 6% dextran solution (500-750 ml). After PE, blood volume increased from 5.22 +/- 0.92 to 5.71 +/- 1.02 (SD) liters (P < 0.01). At rest, cardiac output increased 30% (5.3 +/- 1.0 to 6.9 +/- 1.6 l/min; P < 0.01), stroke volume increased from 90 +/- 20 to 100 +/- 28 ml (P < 0.05), and LVEDV increased from 134 +/- 29 to 142 +/- 40 ml (NS). LVESV was unchanged (44 +/- 11 and 42 +/- 14 ml). Heart rate rose from 60 +/- 7 to 71 +/- 10 beats/min (P < 0.01). The cardiac preload [central venous pressure (CVP)] was insignificantly elevated (4.9 +/- 2.1 and 5.3 +/- 3.0 mmHg); systemic vascular resistance and arterial pressures were significantly reduced (mean pressure fell from 91 +/- 11 to 85 +/- 11 mmHg, P < 0.01). Left ventricular peak filling and peak ejection rates both increased (19 and 14%, respectively; P < 0.05). During exercise, cardiac output remained elevated after PE compared with the control situation, predominantly due to a 10- to 14-ml rise in stroke volume caused by an increased LVEDV, whereas LVESV was unchanged. CVP increased after PE by 2.1 and 3.0 mmHg, respectively (P < 0.05).2+ remained unchanged during exercise compared with rest after PE in"}
{"id": "PMID:1474054", "title": "Reactive oxygen in skeletal muscle. I. Intracellular oxidant kinetics and fatigue in vitro.", "content": "We hypothesized that muscle fiber bundles produce reactive oxygen intermediates and that reactive oxidant species contribute to muscular fatigue in vitro. Fiber bundles from rat diaphragm were mounted in chambers containing Krebs-Ringer solution. In studies of intracellular oxidant kinetics, bundles were loaded with 2',7'-dichlorofluorescin, a fluorochrome that emits at 520 nm when oxidized; emissions were quantified using a fluorescence microscope. Emissions from unstimulated muscles increased over time (P < 0.001). Accumulation of fluorescence was slowed by addition of catalase (P < 0.001) or superoxide dismutase (P < 0.001) and was accelerated by repetitive muscular contraction (P < 0.05). To determine effects of reactive oxygen intermediates on fatigue, curarized bundles were stimulated to contract isometrically; force was measured. Catalase, superoxide dismutase, and dimethyl sulfoxide were screened for effects on low- and high-frequency fatigue. Antioxidants inhibited low-frequency fatigue [after 5 min of repetitive contractions, force at 30 Hz was 20% greater than control (P < 0.015)] and increased the variability of fatigue at 30 Hz (P < 0.03). Antioxidants did not alter high-frequency (200-Hz) fatigue. We conclude that 1) diaphragm fiber bundles produce reactive oxygen intermediates, including O2-. and H2O2; 2) muscular contraction increases intracellular oxidant levels; and 3) reactive oxygen intermediates promote low-frequency fatigue in this preparation."}
{"id": "PMID:1474055", "title": "Differential effects of long-term hypoxia on norepinephrine turnover in brain stem cell groups.", "content": "The influence of long-term hypoxia on noradrenergic cell groups in the brain stem was assessed by estimating the changes in norepinephrine (NE) turnover in A1, A2 (subdivided into anterior and posterior parts), A5, and A6 groups in rats exposed to hypoxia (10% O2-90% N2) for 14 days. The NE turnover was decreased in A5 and A6 groups but failed to change significantly in A1. The NE turnover was increased in the posterior part of A2 and remained unaltered in the anterior part. In normoxic rats, the hypotensive drug dihydralazine induced a reverse effect, namely increased NE turnover in anterior A2 and no change in posterior A2. The neurochemical responses to hypoxia were abolished by transection of carotid sinus nerves. The results show that long-term hypoxia exerts differential effects on the noradrenergic cell groups located in the brain stem. Peripheral chemosensory inputs control the hypoxia-induced noradrenergic alterations. The A2 cell group displays a functional subdivision: the posterior part is influenced by peripheral chemosensory inputs, whereas the anterior part may be concerned with barosensitivity."}
{"id": "PMID:1474056", "title": "Energy expenditure climbing Mt. Everest.", "content": "Weight loss is a well-known phenomenon at high altitude. It is not clear whether the negative energy balance is due to anorexia only or an increased energy expenditure as well. The objective of this study was to gain insight into this matter by measuring simultaneously energy intake, energy expenditure, and body composition during an expedition to Mt. Everest. Subjects were two women and three men between 31 and 42 yr of age. Two subjects were observed during preparation at high altitude, including a 4-day stay in the Alps (4,260 m), and subsequently during four daytime stays in a hypobaric chamber (5,600-7,000 m). Observations at high altitude on Mt. Everest covered a 7- to 10-day interval just before the summit was reached in three subjects and included the summit (8,872 m) in a fourth. Energy intake (EI) was measured with a dietary record, average daily metabolic rate (ADMR) with doubly labeled water, and resting metabolic rate (RMR) with respiratory gas analysis. Body composition was measured before and after the interval from body mass, skinfold thickness, and total body water. Subjects were in negative energy balance (-5.7 +/- 1.9 MJ/day) in both situations, during the preparation in the Alps and on Mt. Everest. The loss of fat mass over the observation intervals was 1.4 +/- 0.7 kg, on average two-thirds of the weight loss (2.2 +/- 1.5 kg), and was significantly correlated with the energy deficit (r = 0.84, P < 0.05). EI on Mt. Everest was 9-13% lower than during the preparation in the Alps.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1474057", "title": "Influence of chest background on pulmonary 99mTc-DTPA clearance in interstitial lung disease.", "content": "We examined the effect of chest extracellular 99mTc-diethylenetriamine pentaacetate (DTPA) as a background in the measurement of pulmonary 99mTc-DTPA clearance in patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD). Eight healthy nonsmokers (HN) and eight patients with ILD were studied. We monitored changes in gamma counts after the inhalation of 99mTc-DTPA aerosol by using a gamma camera placed over the anterior chest. The rate constant of pulmonary 99mTc-DTPA clearance (k; %/min) was assessed by calculating the slope of the decrease in the gamma counts. The chest background, estimated by 99mTc-DTPA intravenous injection, was subtracted from the original data to obtain the corrected DTPA clearance (kc; %/min). In patients with ILD, k was significantly greater [2.19 +/- 1.03 (SD) %/min; n = 8] compared with HN (0.86 +/- 0.17%/min; n = 8; P < 0.01). In patients with ILD, kc was also greater (2.80 +/- 1.15%/min; n = 8; P < 0.01) compared with HN (1.20 +/- 0.12%/min; n = 8). There was no difference in percent underestimation of k between the two groups (29.1 +/- 8.8% for HN, 22.5 +/- 7.9% for patients with ILD). There was a significant correlation between k and kc among all subjects (r = 0.987, P < 0.01). We conclude that background causes significant underestimation of pulmonary 99mTc-DTPA clearance."}
{"id": "PMID:1474058", "title": "Regional cerebral artery mean flow velocity and blood flow during dynamic exercise in humans.", "content": "Transcranial Doppler ultrasound-determined middle (MCA) and anterior (ACA) cerebral artery mean flow velocities (Vmean) and pulsatility indexes (PI) were measured during \"no-load\" [21, 60, and 102 revolutions/min (rpm)] and loaded cycling (30, 60, and 149 W) at approximately 60 rpm. At rest Vmean MCA was 51 (36-55) cm/s (median and range; n = 10) and Vmean ACA was 41 (36-49) cm/s (n = 7; P < 0.05). With no load on the cycle Vmean MCA increased 4 (2-36), 10 (0-47), and 27% (4-58) (P < 0.05) at the three pedaling frequencies, respectively; arterial PCO2 (PaCO2) remained constant. During loaded cycling the increases were 19 (6-42), 25 (2-45), and 32% (12-67) (P < 0.01), respectively, with only a minimal change in PaCO2. No significant changes were observed in Vmean ACA. Changes in Vmean MCA were similar to those recorded by the initial slope index (ISI) of the 133Xe clearance method (n = 11), which in turn were smaller than increases recorded by the fast-compartment flow. PI ACA followed PI MCA during no-load as well as loaded exercise and increased with work rate, perhaps reflecting an increase in pulse pressure from 56 (48-63) mmHg at rest to 109 (88-123) mmHg at 149 W (P < 0.01). Data demonstrate a graded increase in regional cerebral perfusion during dynamic exercise corresponding to the MCA territory."}
{"id": "PMID:1474059", "title": "Plasma tumor necrosis factor-alpha during long-term endotoxemia in awake sheep.", "content": "We used a continuous 12-h infusion of Escherichia coli endotoxin (10 ng.min-1.kg-1) in 10 awake sheep equipped with a lung lymph fistula and vascular catheters to determine the time course of increased plasma tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) during the infusion and a 12-h postinfusion period. Lung lymph flow increased progressively during the infusion to a peak value averaging 8.6 +/- 2.0 times the baseline flow of 6.3 +/- 1.3 g/h. During the postinfusion period, lung lymph flow remained elevated at three to four times baseline. The lymph-to-plasma protein concentration ratio was unchanged from baseline over 24 h, indicating a dramatic increase in net protein flux across pulmonary microvessels. The TNF-alpha concentration peaked early in the infusion and then declined, despite the continuing presence of endotoxin. Plasma TNF-alpha concentration increased 10-fold (0.33 +/- 0.05 ng/ml at baseline to 3.89 +/- 0.78 ng/ml peak) 2 h into the endotoxin infusion. At the end of the endotoxin infusion, plasma TNF-alpha had decreased to 1.16 +/- 0.19 ng/ml. The circulating TNF-alpha concentration did not correlate with pathophysiology or outcome in these sheep."}
{"id": "PMID:1474060", "title": "Leg vasoconstriction during dynamic exercise with reduced cardiac output.", "content": "We evaluated whether a reduction in cardiac output during dynamic exercise results in vasoconstriction of active skeletal muscle vasculature. Nine subjects performed four 8-min bouts of cycling exercise at 71 +/- 12 to 145 +/- 13 W (40-84% maximal oxygen uptake). Exercise was repeated after cardioselective (beta 1) adrenergic blockade (0.2 mg/kg metoprolol iv). Leg blood flow and cardiac output were determined with bolus injections of indocyanine green. Femoral arterial and venous pressures were monitored for measurement of heart rate, mean arterial pressure, and calculation of systemic and leg vascular conductance. Leg norepinephrine spillover was used as an index of regional sympathetic activity. During control, the highest heart rate and cardiac output were 171 +/- 3 beats/min and 18.9 +/- 0.9 l/min, respectively. beta 1-Blockade reduced these values to 147 +/- 6 beats/min and 15.3 +/- 0.9 l/min, respectively (P < 0.001). Mean arterial pressure was lower than control during light exercise with beta 1-blockade but did not differ from control with greater exercise intensities. At the highest work rate in the control condition, leg blood flow and vascular conductance were 5.4 +/- 0.3 l/min and 5.2 +/- 0.3 cl.min-1.mmHg-1, respectively, and were reduced during beta 1-blockade to 4.8 +/- 0.4 l/min (P < 0.01) and 4.6 +/- 0.4 cl.min-1.mmHg-1 (P < 0.05). During the same exercise condition leg norepinephrine spillover increased from a control value of 2.64 +/- 1.16 to 5.62 +/- 2.13 nM/min with beta 1-blockade (P < 0.05).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1474061", "title": "Glutathione and antioxidant enzymes in skeletal muscle: effects of fiber type and exercise intensity.", "content": "Glutathione status and antioxidant enzymes in various types of rat skeletal muscle were studied after an acute bout of exercise (Ex) at different intensities. Glutathione (GSH) and glutathione disulfide (GSSG) concentrations were the highest in soleus (SO) muscle, followed by those in deep (DVL) and then superficial (SVL) portions of vastus lateralis. In DVL, but not in SO or SVL, muscle GSH increased proportionally with Ex intensity and reached 1.8 +/- 0.08 mumol/g wet wt compared with 1.5 +/- 0.03 (P < 0.05) in resting controls (R). GSSG in DVL was increased from 0.10 +/- 0.01 mumol/g wet wt in R to 0.14 +/- 0.01 (P < 0.05) after Ex. Total glutathione (GSH + GSSG) contents in DVL were also significantly elevated with Ex, whereas GSH/GSSG ratio was unchanged. Activities of GSH peroxidase (GPX), GSSG reductase (GR), and catalase (CAT) were significantly higher in SO than in DVL and SVL, but there was no difference in superoxide dismutase activity between the three muscle types. Furthermore, Ex at moderate intensities elicited significant increases in GPX, GR, and CAT activities in DVL muscle. None of the antioxidant enzymes was affected by exercise in SO. It is concluded that rat DVL muscle is particularly vulnerable to exercise-induced free radical damage and that a disturbance of muscle GSH status is indicative of an oxidative stress."}
{"id": "PMID:1474062", "title": "Postnatal expression of myosin isoforms in an expiratory muscle--external abdominal oblique.", "content": "We studied the postnatal expression of heavy-chain (MHC) and native myosin isoforms in an expiratory abdominal muscle of the rat, the external abdominal oblique (EO). Moreover, we contrasted EO myosin expression with that of the costal diaphragm (DIA) to draw inspiratory vs. expiratory muscle comparisons during development. Examination of MHC gels demonstrated a mature phenotype of slow and adult fast myosin isoforms at an earlier age in the EO (day 60) than in the DIA [day > 115 (adult)]. The mature MHC phenotype of the EO was characterized by a preponderance of MHC 2B, whereas the DIA was characterized by approximately equal portions of MHC slow, MHC 2A, and MHC 2X. During early postnatal development, there was a delay in the expression of MHC 2A in the EO compared with the DIA. However, MHC 2B, expressed later in development in both muscles, was noted in the EO before the DIA. We conclude that 1) the EO mature myosin phenotype is characterized by a preponderance of fast myosin isoforms and 2) the EO and DIA muscles are subject to different temporal patterns of isoform expression during postnatal development."}
{"id": "PMID:1474063", "title": "Plasma glucose kinetics during exercise in subjects with high and low lactate thresholds.", "content": "The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that the rate of plasma glucose oxidation during exercise is inversely related to muscle respiratory capacity. To this end, 14 subjects were studied: in 7 of these subjects, the blood lactate threshold (LT) occurred at a relatively high intensity [i.e., at 65 +/- 2% of peak cycle ergometer oxygen uptake (VO2 peak)], whereas in the other 7 subjects, LT occurred at a relatively low intensity (i.e., at 45 +/- 2% of VO2 peak). VO2peak did not differ between the two groups, but citrate synthase activity in the vastus lateralis muscle was 53% higher (P < 0.05) in the high LT group. A primed continuous infusion of [U-13C]glucose was used to quantify rates of glucose appearance (Ra), disappearance (Rd), and oxidation (R(ox)) during 90 min of exercise at 55% VO2peak. Although both absolute and relative rates of oxygen uptake during exercise were similar in the two groups, mean Ra and Rd were 17% lower (P < 0.001) in the high LT group, and mean R(ox) was 25% lower (21.0 +/- 2.6 vs. 27.9 +/- 2.6 mumol.min-1.kg-1; P < 0.001). The percentage of total energy derived from glucose oxidation was inversely related to muscle citrate synthase activity (r = -0.85; P < 0.01). These data support the concept that skeletal muscle respiratory capacity has a major role in determining the metabolic response to submaximal exercise."}
{"id": "PMID:1474064", "title": "Time course of functional repair of the alveolar epithelium after hyperoxic injury.", "content": "The alveolar epithelium is the major barrier to solute and protein flux between the pulmonary vascular bed and the airspaces. Hyperoxic exposure increases epithelial permeability, and during recovery, normal permeability must be regained. To determine the time course for recovery of this function, we exposed hamsters to > 95% O2 for 4.5 days and returned them to room air. After recovery periods of 0.5, 1, 3, 7, and 14 days, alveolar epithelial permeability x surface area (PS) values for [14C]sucrose and fluorescein isothiocyanate-Dextran 20 were measured with isolated perfused lung techniques. Eighty-five percent of the exposed animals survived in room air. Control PS values for sucrose and Dextran 20 were 5.76 x 10(-5) and 0.29 x 10(-5) cm3/s, respectively. After hyperoxia both values were increased by a factor of five. After 0.5 days of recovery, PS remained elevated, but after 1 day they were decreased. Normal PS values were achieved after 3 days for sucrose and 7 days for Dextran 20. During both acute injury and recovery, epithelial selectivity was unchanged and no ultrastructural changes in the alveolar epithelium were observed."}
{"id": "PMID:1474065", "title": "Effect of inspiratory resistive loaded breathing and hypoxemia on diaphragmatic function in the piglet.", "content": "The combined effects of inspiratory resistive loaded breathing (IRL) and hypoxemia on transdiaphragmatic pressure (Pdi) in nine 1-mo-old Yorkshire piglets were studied. IRL was adjusted to increase spontaneously generated Pdi five to six times above baseline but maintain arterial PCO2 < 70 Torr to prevent hypercapnic depression of diaphragmatic contractility. Measurements of ventilation, blood gases and pH, Pdi, diaphragmatic electromyogram, Pdi during phrenic nerve stimulation, diaphragmatic blood flow, and end-expiratory lung volume were obtained at baseline, after 2 h of IRL, and then after 1 h of hypoxemia (arterial PO2 approximately 40 Torr) combined with IRL. Diaphragmatic muscle samples were obtained after study completion and immediately frozen in liquid nitrogen for determination of tissue ATP, phosphocreatine, lactate, and glycogen levels. Ten 1-mo-old piglets were subjected to IRL alone and served as controls. IRL alone resulted in significant impairment of Pdi generation. The addition of hypoxemia for 1 h did not further compromise Pdi in comparison to control animals who were subjected to IRL alone. Blood flow to both the costal and crural segments of the diaphragm increased significantly during IRL; the addition of the hypoxemic stress resulted in further significant augmentation of blood flow to both segments of the diaphragm. No differences were noted in diaphragmatic muscle tissue ATP, phosphocreatine, or glycogen between control and IRL animals or between control and IRL plus hypoxemia animals. Muscle lactate levels increased significantly in the IRL plus hypoxemia animals only. The data from this study suggest that moderate hypoxemia during resistive-loaded breathing in the piglet does not accentuate diaphragmatic fatigue."}
{"id": "PMID:1474066", "title": "Eccentric exercise training as a countermeasure to non-weight-bearing soleus muscle atrophy.", "content": "Although various exercise paradigms have been tested, none has completely prevented muscle atrophy during non-weight bearing. Because loaded eccentric contractions occur during normal daily activity but are absent during non-weight bearing, this investigation tested whether eccentric resistance training could prevent soleus muscle atrophy during non-weight bearing. Adult female rats were randomly assigned to either weight bearing +/- intramuscular electrodes or non-weight bearing +/- intramuscular electrodes groups. Electrically stimulated maximal eccentric contractions (4 sets of 6 repetitions at approximately 0.2 fiber lengths/s, 128 degrees range of motion) were performed on anesthetized animals at 48-h intervals during the 10-day experiment. Non-weight bearing significantly reduced soleus muscle wet weight (28-31%) and noncollagenous protein content (30-31%) compared with controls. Eccentric exercise training during non-weight bearing attenuated but did not prevent the loss of soleus muscle wet weight and noncollagenous protein by 77 and 44%, respectively. The potential of eccentric exercise training as an effective and highly efficient counter-measure to non-weight-bearing atrophy is demonstrated in the 44% attenuation of soleus muscle noncollagenous protein loss by eccentric exercise during only 0.035% of the total non-weight-bearing time period."}
{"id": "PMID:1474067", "title": "Tissue viscance during induced constriction in rabbit lungs: morphological-physiological correlations.", "content": "Tissue viscance (Vti), the pressure drop across the lung tissues in phase with flow, increases after induced constriction. To gain information about the possible site of response, we induced increases in Vti with methacholine (MCh) and attempted to correlate these changes with alterations in lung morphology. We measured tracheal (Ptr) and alveolar pressure (PA) in open-chest rabbits during mechanical ventilation [frequency = 1 Hz, tidal volume = 5 ml/kg, positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) = 5 cmH2O] under control conditions and after administration of saline or MCh (32 or 128 mg/ml) aerosols. We calculated lung elastance (EL), lung resistance (RL), Vti, and airway resistance (Raw) by fitting the equation of motion to changes in Ptr and PA. The lungs were then frozen in situ with liquid nitrogen (PEEP = 5 cmH2O), excised, and processed using freeze substitution techniques. Airway constriction was assessed by measuring the ratio of the airway lumen (A) to the ideally relaxed area (Ar). Tissue distortion was assessed by measuring the mean linear intercept between alveolar walls (Lm), the standard deviation of Lm (SDLm), and an atelectasis index (ATI) derived by calculating the ratio of tissue to air space using computer image analysis. RL, Vti, and EL were significantly increased after MCh, and Raw was unchanged. A/Ar, Lm, SDLm, and ATI all changed significantly with MCh. Log-normalized change (% of baseline) in Vti significantly correlated with A/Ar (r = -0.693), Lm (r = 0.691), SDLm (r = 0.648), and ATI (r = 0.656). Hence, changes in lung tissue mechanics correlated with changes in morphometric indexes of parenchymal distortion and airway constriction.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1474068", "title": "Effect of lung volume on plateau response of airways and tissue to methacholine in dogs.", "content": "We have recently shown in dogs that much of the increase in lung resistance (RL) after induced constriction can be attributed to increases in tissue resistance, the pressure drop in phase with flow across the lung tissues (Rti). Rti is dependent on lung volume (VL) even after induced constriction. As maximal responses in RL to constrictor agonists can also be affected by changes in VL, we questioned whether changes in the plateau response with VL could be attributed in part to changes in the resistive properties of lung tissues. We studied the effect of changes in VL on RL, Rti, airway resistance (Raw), and lung elastance (EL) during maximal methacholine (MCh)-induced constriction in 8 anesthetized, paralyzed, open-chest mongrel dogs. We measured tracheal flow and pressure (Ptr) and alveolar pressure (PA), the latter using alveolar capsules, during tidal ventilation [positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) = 5.0 cmH2O, tidal volume = 15 ml/kg, frequency = 0.3 Hz]. Measurements were recorded at baseline and after the aerosolization of increasing concentrations of MCh until a clear plateau response had been achieved. VL was then altered by changing PEEP to 2.5, 7.5, and 10 cmH2O. RL changed only when PEEP was altered from 5 to 10 cmH2O (P < 0.01). EL changed when PEEP was changed from 5 to 7.5 and 5 to 10 cmH2O (P < 0.05). Rti and Raw varied significantly with all three maneuvers (P < 0.05). Our data demonstrate that the effects of VL on the plateau response reflect a complex combination of changes in tissue resistance, airway caliber, and lung recoil."}
{"id": "PMID:1474069", "title": "Bronchial collateral vessel micropuncture pressure in postobstructive pulmonary vasculopathy.", "content": "Postobstructive pulmonary vasculopathy, produced by chronic ligation of one pulmonary artery, markedly increases bronchial blood flow. Previously, using arterial and venous occlusion, we determined that bronchial collaterals enter the pulmonary circuit at the distal end of the arterial segment. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that pressure in bronchial collaterals (Pbr) closely approximates that at the downstream end of the arterial segment (Pao). We pump perfused [111 +/- 10 (SE) ml/min] left lower lobes of seven open-chest live dogs 3-15 mo after ligation of the left main pulmonary artery. Bronchial blood flow was 122 +/- 16 ml/min. We measured pulmonary arterial and venous pressures and, by arterial and venous occlusion, respectively, Pao and the pressure at the upstream end of the venous segment (Pvo). Pbr was obtained by micropuncture of 34 pleural surface bronchial vessels 201 +/- 16 microns in diameter. We found that Pbr (14.4 +/- 1.0 mmHg) was similar to Pao (15.0 +/- 0.8 mmHg) but differed significantly (P < 0.01) from Pvo (11.3 +/- 0.5 mmHg). In addition, Pbr was independent of systemic arterial pressure and bronchial vessel diameter. Light and electron microscopy revealed that, in the lobes with the ligated pulmonary artery, the new bronchial collaterals entered the thickened pleura from the parenchyma via either bronchovascular bundles or interlobular septa and had sparsely muscularized walls. We conclude that, in postobstructive pulmonary vasculopathy, bronchial collateral pressure measured by micropuncture is very close to the pressure in precapillary pulmonary arteries and that most of the pressure drop in the bronchial collaterals occurs in vessels > 350 microns in diameter."}
{"id": "PMID:1474070", "title": "Age-related immunosenescence in Fischer 344 rats: influence of exercise training.", "content": "The present investigation examined the extent to which 15 wk of endurance training could influence immune function in young, middle-aged, and older animals. Forty-eight male Fischer 344 rats were divided into trained and untrained groups. Training consisted of treadmill running at 75% maximal running capacity for 1 h/day, 5 days/wk, for 15 wk. Animals were killed at 8, 17, and 27 mo, at which time splenocytes were isolated. The capacity for lymphocyte proliferation in response to mitogen (concanavalin A, ConA), interleukin-2 (IL-2) production, and cytolytic activity against YAC-1 target cells was determined. ConA-induced proliferation declined significantly with age. Training suppressed the proliferative response in the young (-41%) and middle-aged animals (-27%) compared with the age-matched controls; however, training improved this response (+58%) in the older group. IL-2 production followed a pattern similar to that for mitogen-induced proliferation, such that production declined with age and was reduced with training in young and middle-aged animals but was significantly more improved in the older animals than in age-matched controls. The ability to lyse target cells, measured as percent cytotoxicity, declined steadily with advancing age at all effector-to-target cell ratios tested: 52, 14, and -16% for 8-, 17-, and 27-mo-old rats, respectively. It was concluded that the capacity for ConA-induced splenocyte proliferation, IL-2 production, and cytolytic activity declines significantly with advancing age. Furthermore, 15 wk of endurance training suppressed proliferation and IL-2 production in young animals but improved these responses in older animals. Training had no effect on cytolytic activity."}
{"id": "PMID:1474071", "title": "Kinetics of NO2 air space absorption in isolated rat lungs.", "content": "We previously showed, during quasi-steady-state exposures, that the rate of inhaled NO2 uptake displays reaction-mediated characteristics (J. Appl. Physiol. 68: 594-603, 1990). In vitro kinetic studies of pulmonary epithelial lining fluid (ELF) demonstrated that NO2 interfacial transfer into ELF exhibits first-order kinetics with respect to NO2, attains [NO2]-dependent rate saturation, and is aqueous substrate dependent (J. Appl. Physiol. 71: 1502-1510, 1991). We have extended these observations by evaluating the kinetics of NO2 gas phase disappearance in isolated ventilating rat lungs. Transient exposures (2-3/lung at 25 degrees C) employed rebreathing (NO2-air) from a non-compliant continuously stirred closed chamber. We observed that 1) NO2 uptake rate is independent of exposure period, 2) NO2 gas phase disappearance exhibited first-order kinetics [initial rate (r*) saturation occurred when [NO2] > 11 ppm], 3) the mean effective rate constant (k*) for NO2 gas phase disappearance ([NO2] < or = 11 ppm, tidal volume = 2.3 ml, functional residual capacity = 4 ml, ventilation frequency = 50/min) was 83 +/- 5 ml/min, 4) with [NO2] < or = 11 ppm, k* and r* were proportional to tidal volume, and 5) NO2 fractional uptakes were constant across [NO2] (< or = 11 ppm) and tidal volumes but exceeded quasi-steady-state observations. Preliminary data indicate that this divergence may be related to the inspired PCO2. These results suggest that NO2 reactive uptake within rebreathing isolated lungs follows first-order kinetics and displays initial rate saturation, similar to isolated ELF.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1474072", "title": "Estimation of blood pressure-related parameters by electrical impedance measurement.", "content": "In 13 healthy volunteers a computerized experimental set-up was used to measure the electrical impedance of the upper arm at changing cuff pressure, together with the finger arterial blood pressure in the contralateral arm. On the basis of a model for the admittance response, the arterial blood volume per centimeter length (1.4 +/- 0.3 ml/cm), the venous blood volume as a percentage of the total blood compartment (49.2 +/- 12.6%), and the total arterial compliance as a function of mean arterial transmural pressure were estimated. The effective physiological arterial compliance amounted to 2.0 +/- 1.3 microliters.mmHg-1.cm-1 and the maximum compliance to 33.4 +/- 12.0 microliters.mmHg-1.cm-1. Additionally, the extravascular fluid volume expelled by the occluding cuff (0.3 +/- 0.3 ml/cm) was estimated. These quantities are closely related to patient-dependent sources of an unreliable blood pressure measurement and vary with changes in cardiovascular function, such as those found in hypertension. Traditionally, a combination of several methods is needed to estimate them. Such methods, however, usually neglect the contribution of extravascular factors."}
{"id": "PMID:1474073", "title": "Determinants of poststimulus potentiation in humans during NREM sleep.", "content": "To test whether active hyperventilation activates the \"afterdischarge\" mechanism during non-rapid-eye-movement (NREM) sleep, we investigated the effect of abrupt termination of active hypoxia-induced hyperventilation in normal subjects during NREM sleep. Hypoxia was induced for 15 s, 30 s, 1 min, and 5 min. The last two durations were studied under both isocapnic and hypocapnic conditions. Hypoxia was abruptly terminated with 100% inspiratory O2 fraction. Several room air-to-hyperoxia transitions were performed to establish a control period for hyperoxia after hypoxia transitions. Transient hyperoxia alone was associated with decreased expired ventilation (VE) to 90 +/- 7% of room air. Hyperoxic termination of 1 min of isocapnic hypoxia [end-tidal PO2 (PETO2) 63 +/- 3 Torr] was associated with VE persistently above the hyperoxic control for four to six breaths. In contrast, termination of 30 s or 1 min of hypocapnic hypoxia [PETO2 49 +/- 3 and 48 +/- 2 Torr, respectively; end-tidal PCO2 (PETCO2) decreased by 2.5 or 3.8 Torr, respectively] resulted in hypoventilation for 45 s and prolongation of expiratory duration (TE) for 18 s. Termination of 5 min of isocapnic hypoxia (PETO2 63 +/- 3 Torr) was associated with central apnea (longest TE 200% of room air); VE remained below the hyperoxic control for 49 s. Termination of 5 min of hypocapnic hypoxia (PETO2 64 +/- 4 Torr, PETCO2 decreased by 2.6 Torr) was also associated with central apnea (longest TE 500% of room air). VE remained below the hyperoxic control for 88 s. We conclude that 1) poststimulus hyperpnea occurs in NREM sleep as long as hypoxia is brief and arterial PCO2 is maintained, suggesting the activation of the afterdischarge mechanism; 2) transient hypocapnia overrides the potentiating effects of afterdischarge, resulting in hypoventilation; and 3) sustained hypoxia abolishes the potentiating effects of after-discharge, resulting in central apnea. These data suggest that the inhibitory effects of sustained hypoxia and hypocapnia may interact to cause periodic breathing."}
{"id": "PMID:1474074", "title": "Analysis of respiratory neuronal activity in fetal sheep.", "content": "We developed a new method to monitor fetal medullary respiratory neurons utilizing a two-stage approach. At 129-133 days of gestation, sheep were anesthetized, and a window was placed over the area of the fourth ventricle. After a recovery period of 3-5 days, the fetus was exteriorized into a saline bath under maternal spinal anesthesia, and the head was connected rigidly to a stereotaxic frame. Microelectrodes were inserted into the area of the nucleus tractus solitarius during rapid-eye-movement sleep, and extracellular recordings of 223 respiratory neurons were analyzed: 76% were inspiratory, 9% expiratory, and 15% phase spanning, as classified by visual and computer correlation to diaphragmatic activity. More detailed analysis of 100 neurons was done to assess the respiratory component (eta 2) by use of a modification of the method developed by Orem and Dick (J. Neurophysiol, 50: 1098-1107, 1983). With use of cohorts of 25 breaths, fetal respiratory neurons were found to frequently change their phase relationship to diaphragmatic activity. The eta 2 statistic of fetal respiratory neurons was not a stable characteristic but changed over time. This could be a reflection of an immature central respiratory system before birth or the lack of major sensory inputs."}
{"id": "PMID:1474075", "title": "Cardiovascular responses to voluntary and nonvoluntary static exercise in humans.", "content": "We have measured the cardiovascular responses during voluntary and nonvoluntary (electrically induced) one-leg static exercise in humans. Eight normal subjects were studied at rest and during 5 min of static leg extension at 20% of maximal voluntary contraction performed voluntarily and nonvoluntarily in random order. Heart rate (HR), mean arterial pressure (MAP), and cardiac output (CO) were determined, and peripheral vascular resistance (PVR) and stroke volume (SV) were calculated. HR increased from approximately 65 +/- 3 beats/min at rest to 80 +/- 4 and 78 +/- 6 beats/min (P < 0.05), and MAP increased from 83 +/- 6 to 103 +/- 6 and 105 +/- 6 mmHg (P < 0.05) during voluntary and nonvoluntary contractions, respectively. CO increased from 5.1 +/- 0.7 to 6.0 +/- 0.8 and 6.2 +/- 0.8 l/min (P < 0.05) during voluntary and nonvoluntary contractions, respectively. PVR and SV did not change significantly during voluntary or nonvoluntary contractions. Thus the cardiovascular responses were not different between voluntary and electrically induced contractions. These results suggest that the increases in CO, HR, SV, MAP, and PVR during 5 min of static contractions can be elicited without any contribution from a central neural mechanism (central command). However, central command could still have an important role during voluntary static exercise."}
{"id": "PMID:1474076", "title": "Evaluation of protein requirements for trained strength athletes.", "content": "Leucine kinetic and nitrogen balance (NBAL) methods were used to determine the dietary protein requirements of strength athletes (SA) compared with sedentary subjects (S). Individual subjects were randomly assigned to one of three protein intakes: low protein (LP) = 0.86 g protein.kg-1.day-1, moderate protein (MP) = 1.40 g protein.kg-1.day-1, or high protein (HP) = 2.40 g protein.kg-1.day-1 for 13 days for each dietary treatment. NBAL was measured and whole body protein synthesis (WBPS) and leucine oxidation were determined from L-[1-13C]leucine turnover. NBAL data were used to determine that the protein intake for zero NBAL for S was 0.69 g.kg-1.day-1 and for SA was 1.41 g.kg-1.day-1. A suggested recommended intake for S was 0.89 g.kg-1.day-1 and for SA was 1.76 g.kg-1.day-1. For SA, the LP diet did not provide adequate protein and resulted in an accommodated state (decreased WBPS vs. MP and HP), and the MP diet resulted in a state of adaptation [increase in WBPS (vs. LP) and no change in leucine oxidation (vs. LP)]. The HP diet did not result in increased WBPS compared with the MP diet, but leucine oxidation did increase significantly, indicating a nutrient overload. For S the LP diet provided adequate protein, and increasing protein intake did not increase WBPS. On the HP diet leucine oxidation increased for S. These results indicated that the MP and HP diets were nutrient overloads for S. There were no effects of varying protein intake on indexes of lean body mass (creatinine excretion, body density) for either group. In summary, protein requirements for athletes performing strength training are greater than for sedentary individuals and are above current Canadian and US recommended daily protein intake requirements for young healthy males."}
{"id": "PMID:1474077", "title": "Systemic blood flow to sheep lung: comparison of flow probes and microspheres.", "content": "Discrepancies exist between experimental measurements of the systemic blood flow to sheep lung by use of microsphere techniques and flow probes on the bronchial artery. In these studies, we simultaneously measured the blood flow through the bronchial artery, using a transit time flow probe, and the systemic blood flow to left lung, using radioactive microspheres. All measurements were made on conscious sheep previously prepared with chronic catheterizations of the left atrium, aorta, and vena cava and a flow probe around the bronchial artery. Inflatable occluder cuffs were placed around the pulmonary and bronchoesophageal arteries. Bronchial artery blood flow in six sheep was 25.3 +/- 5.2 ml/min or 0.4% of the cardiac output. Systemic blood flow to left lung, measured with microspheres, was 54.1 +/- 14.2 ml/min. Calculated systemic blood flow to that portion of sheep lung perfused by the bronchial artery was 127.6 +/- 35.3 ml/min or 1.9% of cardiac output. Occlusion of the bronchoesophageal artery reduced bronchial artery flow to near zero, whereas total systemic blood to the lung was reduced by only 55%. Blood flow to the intraparenchymal cartilaginous airways was reduced 60-90% after occlusion of the bronchoesophageal artery. Sheep, like most mammals, have multiple and complex systemic arterial inputs to the lungs. We conclude that multiple branches of the bronchoesophageal artery provide most but not all of the systemic blood flow to the intraparenchymal cartilaginous airways but that over one-half of the total systemic blood flow to sheep lung comes from sources other than the common bronchial artery."}
{"id": "PMID:1474078", "title": "Adaptation of mitochondrial ATP production in human skeletal muscle to endurance training and detraining.", "content": "The adaptation of mitochondrial ATP production rate (MAPR) to training and detraining was evaluated in nine healthy men. Muscle samples (approximately 60 mg) were obtained before and after 6 wk of endurance training and after 3 wk of detraining. MAPR was measured in isolated mitochondria by a bioluminometric method. In addition, the activities of mitochondrial and glycolytic enzymes were determined in skeletal muscle. In response to training, MAPR increased by 70%, with a substrate combination of pyruvate + palmitoyl-L-carnitine + alpha-ketoglutarate + malate, by 50% with only pyruvate + malate, and by 92% with palmitoyl-L-carnitine + malate. With detraining MAPR decreased by 12-28% from the posttraining rate (although not significantly for all substrates). No differences were found when MAPR was related to the protein content in the mitochondrial fraction. The largest increase in mitochondrial enzyme activities induced by training was observed for cytochrome-c oxidase (78%), whereas succinate cytochrome c reductase showed only an 18% increase. The activity of citrate synthase increased by 40% and of glutamate dehydrogenase by 45%. Corresponding changes in maximal O2 uptake were a 9.6% increase by training and a 6.0% reversion after detraining. In conclusion, both MAPR and mitochondrial enzyme activities are shown to increase with endurance training and to decrease with detraining."}
{"id": "PMID:1474079", "title": "Cyclooxygenase inhibition prevents PMA-induced increase in pulmonary vascular permeability to albumin.", "content": "In a previous study, we demonstrated that phorbol myristate acetate-(PMA) induced injury in isolated blood-perfused rabbit lungs was characterized by increased pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) and permeability to water as measured by fluid filtration coefficient (Kf). The Kf increase was prevented by pretreatment with three cyclooxygenase inhibitors, indomethacin, ibuprofen, and meclofenamate. Other studies have shown that PMA causes a decrease in pulmonary vascular surface area, probably due to the increase in arterial resistance. Measurement of Kf requires increased microvascular pressure, and therefore Kf estimates the permeability of the entire vascular bed. Thus the permeability of the flowing vessels may be overestimated by Kf. In this study, we chose to investigate the effect of PMA on vascular permeability to protein by measuring albumin leak. Because this measurement does not require a hydraulic stress, it is more likely to reflect the permeability of flowing vessels. PMA administration (5 x 10(-8) M) caused significant increases in both PVR and 125I-labeled bovine serum albumin leak. Cyclooxygenase inhibition with indomethacin, ibuprofen, or meclofenamate prevented the PMA-induced increase in albumin leak without affecting the PVR increase. These results suggest that cyclooxygenase-mediated products of arachidonic acid mediate the PMA-induced increase in vascular permeability to both water and protein."}
{"id": "PMID:1474080", "title": "Selective positive end-expiratory pressure and intracardiac dimensions in dogs.", "content": "Effects of differential ventilation with general vs. selective right (R) and left (L) positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) on left (LV) and right ventricular (RV) end-diastolic dimensions were compared in seven pentobarbital-anesthetized dogs. All three modes of PEEP reduced LV cross-sectional area: general PEEP more than RPEEP and RPEEP more than LPEEP. General PEEP and, to a lesser degree, RPEEP decreased both the LV anteroposterior diameter and LV septum-free wall diameter, whereas LPEEP reduced the LV septum-free wall diameter only. Cardiac output was unaffected by LPEEP, whereas general PEEP (20 cmH2O) reduced cardiac output by 48%, and RPEEP (20 cmH2O) reduced it by 23%. RV septum-free wall diameter was not changed by any mode of PEEP. In conclusion, cardiac output was better maintained with selective PEEP than with general PEEP because LV filling was less impeded with selective PEEP. During LPEEP LV assumed a different configuration than during RPEEP and general PEEP, probably reflecting a different pattern of heart-lung interaction."}
{"id": "PMID:1474081", "title": "Regional bioelectric properties of porcine airway epithelium.", "content": "Ion transport properties of pulmonary small airway epithelia are poorly understood. To characterize these properties, airways were excised from anesthetized pigs. Transepithelial potential difference (PD) and conductance were measured in five airway regions: trachea (T, 7.9 +/- 0.2 mm diam), mainstem bronchi (MB, 5.5 +/- 0.2 mm diam), large bronchi (LB, 1.69 +/- 0.12 mm diam), small bronchi (SB, 0.70 +/- 0.06 mm diam), and bronchioles (BR, 0.25 +/- 0.05 mm diam). T and MB were mounted in Ussing-type chambers, and LB, SB, and BR were cannulated with pipettes and perfused. PDs of control tissues were -9.7 +/- 0.8 mV (T), -4.0 +/- 0.5 mV (MB), -4.3 +/- 1.0 mV (LB), -4.5 +/- 0.4 mV (SB), and -1.5 +/- 0.4 mV (BR), lumen negative. Amiloride significantly (P < 0.05) inhibited PDs by 25-70% in all airway regions and decreased conductance 17-33% in all regions except LB where a 10% increase was observed. Bumetanide significantly reduced the amiloride-insensitive PD 54-62% in all regions except BR. Bumetanide had little effect on conductance in T, SB, and BR, but conductance was increased in MB and LB. All airways except the smallest BR significantly hyperpolarized when the solution that bathed the lumen was replaced with Cl(-)-free solution. In bronchioles, hyperpolarization by luminal Cl(-)-free solution was inversely related to fractional inhibition of PD with amiloride but directly related to lumen diameter. These results suggest that 1) porcine tracheas, bronchi, and bronchioles actively absorb Na+, and 2) secretion of Cl- may occur in all airway regions except small bronchioles."}
{"id": "PMID:1474082", "title": "Effects of naloxone on hemodynamics and sympathetic activity after exercise.", "content": "The effects of highdose naloxone (0.4 mg/kg iv) on hemodynamics and muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) after exercise were studied in nine normotensive young men randomly allocated the opioid antagonist or vehicle 30 min before treadmill exercise at 70% of resting heart rate reserve. Mean arterial pressure (MAP) was lower after exercise; cardiac output was increased. Mean values for MSNA and plasma norepinephrine were similar before and after exercise, but in individual subjects changes in resting MAP 60 min after exercise were inversely related to changes in sympathetic activity, suggesting that arterial baroreflex regulation of MSNA had been shifted to a lower set point. Naloxone did not prevent postexercise hypotension but transformed these inverse correlations into positive relationships. Naloxone attenuated both calf and systemic vasodilation without altering mean values for MSNA, indicating a peripheral effect of opioid antagonism. In normotensive subjects, naloxone alters the regulation of sympathetic outflow and vascular resistance during recovery from exercise but does not prevent the fall in MAP."}
{"id": "PMID:1474083", "title": "Effects of acute hypoxia on renal and endocrine function at rest and during graded exercise in hydrated subjects.", "content": "Renal effects of altitude hypoxia are unclear. Renal and hormonal function was investigated in eight males at rest and during graded exercise at sea level (SL) and 48 h after rapid ascent to 4,350 m (HA). HA did not change resting values of effective renal plasma flow (ERPF), glomerular filtration rate (GFR), sodium clearance (CNa), urine flow, or lithium clearance (CLi), which was used as an index of proximal tubular outflow. At rest, HA increased plasma norepinephrine concentration and decreased plasma concentrations of renin and aldosterone. Exercise decreased ERPF similarly in both environments. Normoxic exercise progressively reduced GFR, but at HA GFR only decreased during heavy exercise. This resulted in a higher filtration fraction during light and moderate hypoxic exercise. However, calculated absolute proximal reabsorption rate (GFR-CLi) at HA was higher during low-intensity exercise, and there were no significant differences between exercise-induced decreases in CLi, CNa, and urine flow at HA compared with SL. Exercise gradually increased plasma norepinephrine, but values were higher at HA during light and moderate exercise. The small changes in the renal response to low-intensity hypoxic exercise may be secondary to increased adrenosympathetic activity. However, antidiuretic and antinatriuretic effects of exercise were maintained in hypoxia and in both environments seemed to be the consequence of decreased proximal tubular outflow. The results demonstrate that renal glomerular and tubular function is well preserved in acute hypoxia despite marked hormonal changes."}
{"id": "PMID:1474084", "title": "Effects of insulin and exercise on rat hindlimb muscles after simulated microgravity.", "content": "This study was designed to examine insulin- and exercise-stimulated glucose uptake and metabolism in the hindlimb muscles of rats after conditions of simulated microgravity. To simulate microgravity, male Sprague-Dawley rats were suspended in a head-down (45 degrees) position with their hindlimbs non-weight bearing (SUS) for 14 days. In addition, rats were assigned to suspension followed by exercise (SUS-E), to cage control (CC), or to exercising control (CC-E) groups. Exercise consisted of five 10-min bouts of treadmill running at the same relative intensity for the CC-E and SUS-E rats (80-90% of maximum O2 consumption). Hindlimb perfusion results indicated that glucose uptake for the entire hindquarter at 24,000 microU/ml insulin (maximum stimulation) was significantly higher in the SUS (8.9 +/- 0.5 mumol.g-1.h-1) than in the CC (7.6 +/- 0.4 mumol.g-1.h-1) rats, signifying an increased insulin responsiveness. Glucose uptake at 90 microU/ml insulin was also significantly higher in the SUS (48 +/- 4; % of maximum stimulation over basal) than in the CC (21 +/- 4%) rats. In addition, exercise-induced increases in glucose uptake for the hindlimbs (133%) and glucose incorporation into glycogen for the plantaris (8.4-fold), extensor digitorum longus (5.4-fold), and white gastrocnemius (4.8-fold) muscles were greater for the SUS-E rats than for the CC-E rats (39% and 1.9-, 1.9-, and 3.0-fold, respectively). Therefore, suspension of the rat with hindlimbs non-weight bearing leads to enhanced muscle responses to insulin and exercise when they were applied separately. However, insulin action appeared to be impaired after exercise for the SUS-E rats, especially for the soleus muscle."}
{"id": "PMID:1474085", "title": "Inhibitory effects of DuP 753 and EXP3174 on responses to angiotensin II in pulmonary vascular bed of the cat.", "content": "The effects of the non-peptide antagonist DuP 753 and its metabolite EXP3174 on responses to angiotensin II were investigated in the pulmonary vascular bed of the intact-chest cat. Under conditions of controlled blood flow and constant left atrial pressure, injections of angiotensin II into the perfused lobar artery caused dose-related increases in lobar arterial pressure. Responses to angiotensin II were reproducible and were not changed by meclofenamate or prazosin, indicating that prostaglandin or norepinephrine release does not mediate or modulate pulmonary vascular responses to the peptide. DuP 753 (1-5 mg/kg iv) decreased responses to angiotensin II in a competitive manner, and the duration of the blockade was related to dose of the antagonist. DuP 753 had no significant effect on responses to U-46619, norepinephrine, serotonin, endothelin-1, vasopressin, or BAY K 8644. EXP3174 also decreased responses to angiotensin II without altering responses to agents that act by a variety of mechanisms. The inhibitory effect of EXP3174 (1 mg/kg iv) was not overcome by angiotensin II in the range of doses studied, and the shift to the right of the dose-response curve was nonparallel, suggesting that the blockade was noncompetitive. The blockade was long in duration, and, when the dose of EXP3174 was decreased to 0.1 mg/kg iv, the blockade was surmounted and the shift to the right of the dose-response relationship was parallel. DuP 753 and EXP3174 had little effect on mean baseline pressures in the cat.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1474086", "title": "Expiratory muscle activity during pulmonary edema in the anesthetized dog.", "content": "The present study evaluated the reflex response of the expiratory muscles to pulmonary congestion and edema. The electromyograms of two thoracic and four abdominal expiratory muscles were recorded in 12 anesthetized dogs. Pulmonary edema was induced by rapid saline infusion in six dogs and injection of oleic acid into the pulmonary circulation in the remaining six dogs. Both forms of pulmonary edema reduced pulmonary compliance, interfered with gas exchange, and induced a rapid and shallow breathing pattern. The electrical activity of all abdominal muscles was suppressed during both forms of pulmonary edema. In contrast, the electromyogram activity of the thoracic expiratory muscles was not significantly affected by pulmonary edema. Acute pulmonary arterial hypertension produced in two dogs by inflating a balloon in the left atrium had no effect on ventilation or expiratory muscle electrical activity. In two vagotomized dogs, pulmonary edema did not inhibit the expiratory muscles. We conclude that pulmonary edema suppresses abdominal but not thoracic expiratory muscle activity by vagal reflex pathway(s). Extravasation of fluid into the lung appears to be more important than an increase in pulmonary vascular pressure in eliciting this response."}
{"id": "PMID:1474087", "title": "M1 and M3 muscarinic antagonists inhibit human nasal glandular secretion in vitro.", "content": "Mucus glycoproteins (MGP) are high-molecular-weight glycoconjugates that are released from submucosal glands and epithelial goblet cells in the respiratory tract. Muscarinic receptors have an important role in the regulation of human nasal glandular secretion and mucus production, but it is not known which of the five muscarinic receptor subtypes are involved. The effect of nonselective and M1-, M2-, and M3-selective muscarinic antagonists on methacholine (MCh)-induced MGP secretion from human nasal mucosal explants was tested in vitro. MGP was assayed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay using a specific anti-MGP monoclonal antibody (7F10). MCh (100 microM) induced MGP secretion up to 127% compared with controls. MCh-induced MGP release was significantly inhibited by atropine (100 microM), the M, receptor antagonist pirenzepine (10-100 microM), and the M3 receptor antagonist 4-diphenylacetoxy-N-methylpiperidine methiodide (4-DAMP; 1-100 microM). 4-DAMP significantly inhibited MCh-induced MGP release at a lower concentration (1 microM) than pirenzepine (10 microM). The M2 receptor antagonists AF-DX 116 and gallamine (both at 100 microM) had no effect. No antagonist alone had a significant effect on MGP release. These results indicate that the M1 and M3 muscarinic receptor subtypes regulate MGP secretion from human nasal mucosa and suggest that the M3 receptor has the predominant effect."}
{"id": "PMID:1474088", "title": "Increased normoxic ventilation induced by repetitive hypoxia in conscious dogs.", "content": "To determine if a long-lasting increase in normoxic ventilatory drive is induced in conscious animals by repetitive hypoxia, we examined the normoxic [arterial O2 saturation (SaO2) > 93%] ventilatory response following successive episodes of 2-min eucapnic hypoxic challenges (SaO2 = 80%) in awake tracheotomized dogs. End-tidal CO2 was maintained at the resting level during and after repetitive hypoxia. The experimental protocol was performed twice in each of five dogs on separate days. To determine if changes in normoxic ventilation occurred between episodes of repetitive hypoxia, data were compared from six periods (epochs) for all experiments. The mean minute ventilation (VI) during three normoxic periods between episodes of intermittent hypoxia was 135, 154, and 169% of control (P < 0.05). VI during a 30-min recovery period was still higher at 183 and 172% of control (P < 0.05). Normoxic VI between hypoxic and recovery periods was significantly higher than the corresponding values in sham experiments. Our results indicate that a long-lasting increase in normoxic ventilation can be evoked in an awake unanesthetized dog by a short exposure to repetitive hypoxia."}
{"id": "PMID:1474089", "title": "Different ventilation strategies alter surfactant responses in preterm rabbits.", "content": "The effect of ventilation strategy on in vivo function of different surfactants was evaluated in preterm rabbits delivered at 27 days gestational age and ventilated with either 0 cmH2O positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) at tidal volumes of 10-11 ml/kg or 3 cmH2O PEEP at tidal volumes of 7-8 ml/kg after treatment with one of four different surfactants: sheep surfactant, the lipids of sheep surfactant stripped of protein (LH-20 lipid), Exosurf, and Survanta. The use of 3 cmH2O PEEP decreased pneumothoraces in all groups except for the sheep surfactant group where pneumothoraces increased (P < 0.01). Ventilatory pressures (peak pressures - PEEP) decreased more with the 3 cmH2O PEEP, low-tidal-volume ventilation strategy for Exosurf-, Survanta-, and sheep surfactant-treated rabbits (P < 0.05), whereas ventilation efficiency indexes (VEI) improved only for Survanta- and sheep surfactant-treated rabbits with 3 cmH2O PEEP (P < 0.01). Pressure-volume curves for sheep surfactant-treated rabbits were better than for all other treated groups (P < 0.01), although Exosurf and Survanta increased lung volumes above those in control rabbits (P < 0.05). The recovery of intravascular radiolabeled albumin in the lungs and alveolar washes was used as an indicator of pulmonary edema. Only Survanta and sheep surfactant decreased protein leaks in the absence of PEEP, whereas all treatments decreased labeled albumin recoveries when 3 cmH2O PEEP was used (P < 0.05). These experiments demonstrate that ventilation style will alter a number of measurements of surfactant function, and the effects differ for different surfactants."}
{"id": "PMID:1474090", "title": "Interrelationships between left ventricular volume and output during exercise in healthy subjects.", "content": "To better characterize the relationship between left ventricular volume response and improved ventricular ejection and output during supine exercise in normal subjects, 36 healthy asymptomatic volunteers (age 39 +/- 17 yr) were studied with radionuclide ventriculography during recumbent bicycle ergometry. Relative changes in left ventricular end-diastolic and end-systolic volume were measured at rest and during exercise by a modification of the radionuclide counts-based method that accounted for variability in stress blood pool counts. A biphasic response was noted in left ventricular end-diastolic volume with an initial increase in early exercise (8.5 +/- 11% at 200 kpm/min and 11 +/- 12% at 300 kpm/min) followed by a progressive and significant decline at peak exercise (-3.3 +/- 18% at 547 +/- 140 kpm/min; P < 0.05). There was substantial variation in end-diastolic volume response at peak exercise in the group as a whole, which could be more closely related to changes in end-systolic volume (r = 0.84, P < 0.0001) than in heart rate (r = -0.57, P < 0.01) or age (r = 0.36, P < 0.05) of the study subjects. Despite the decline in ventricular filling, systolic function appeared to improve dramatically at peak exercise (change in left ventricular ejection fraction 15.5 +/- 6.4, P < 0.0001). Although not directly related to increasing systolic ejection, end-diastolic volume was directly related to the percent change in stroke volume at peak exercise among the study subjects (r = 0.88, P < 0.0001).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1474091", "title": "Force-velocity shifts with repetitive isometric and isotonic contractions of canine gastrocnemius in situ.", "content": "The force-velocity (F-V) relationships of canine gastrocnemius-plantaris muscles at optimal muscle length in situ were studied before and after 10 min of repetitive isometric or isotonic tetanic contractions induced by electrical stimulation of the sciatic nerve (200-ms trains, 50 impulses/s, 1 contraction/s). F-V relationships and maximal velocity of shortening (Vmax) were determined by curve fitting with the Hill equation. Mean Vmax before fatigue was 3.8 +/- 0.2 (SE) average fiber lengths/s; mean maximal isometric tension (Po) was 508 +/- 15 g/g. With a significant decrease of force development during isometric contractions (-27 +/- 4%, P < 0.01, n = 5), Vmax was unchanged. However, with repetitive isotonic contractions at a low load (P/Po = 0.25, n = 5), a significant decrease in Vmax was observed (-21 +/- 2%, P < 0.01), whereas Po was unchanged. Isotonic contractions at an intermediate load (P/Po = 0.5, n = 4) resulted in significant decreases in both Vmax (-26 +/- 6%, P < 0.05) and Po (-12 +/- 2%, P < 0.01). These results show that repeated contractions of canine skeletal muscle produce specific changes in the F-V relationship that are dependent on the type of contractions being performed and indicate that decreases in other contractile properties, such as velocity development and shortening, can occur independently of changes in isometric tension."}
{"id": "PMID:1474092", "title": "Modifying pulmonary ischemia-reperfusion injury by altering ventilatory strategies during ischemia.", "content": "We used an intact in vivo canine model of pulmonary ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury to evaluate the differential effects of alveolar hypoxia and ventilation during 2 h of unilateral warm lung ischemia. Serial measurements of regional pulmonary blood flow, extravascular density (EVD), and transcapillary protein flux were made after reperfusion with the quantitative imaging technique of positron emission tomography. Twenty-seven animals were divided into five experimental groups: VENT O2 (n = 5) in which the left lung was ventilated with 40% O2 during ischemia, STATIC O2 (n = 4) in which the left lung was statically inflated with 40% O2 during ischemia, VENT N2 (n = 5) in which the left lung was ventilated with 100% N2 during ischemia, VENT N2/CO2 (n = 5) in which the left lung was ventilated with 95% N2-5% CO2 during ischemia, and STATIC N2 (n = 8) in which the left lung was statically inflated with 100% N2 during ischemia. These groups were compared with a control group (CONT, = 3) that was studied previously. Protein flux was significantly increased in the previous ischemic lung only for the STATIC N2 group [median 175 x 10(-4) min-1 (range 53-1,217) for the STATIC N2 group vs. 50 x 10(-4) min-1 (range 40-56) for the CONT group] 0.25 h after reperfusion and did not change over 3 h. EVD also increased but not significantly. Protein flux and EVD in the other groups were not different from CONT.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1474093", "title": "Effects of axillary blockade on regional cerebral blood flow during dynamic hand contractions.", "content": "Regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) was measured at orbitomeatal (OM) plane +5.0 and +9.0 cm in 10 subjects at rest and during dynamic hand contractions before and after axillary blockade. Handgrip strength was significantly reduced, and rating of perceived exertion increased after blockade. During hand contractions before blockade, contralateral hemispheric cerebral blood flow (CBF) at OM +9.0 increased from a resting value of 58 (49-75) to 63 (52-82) ml.100 g-1.min-1; contralateral motor sensory rCBF at OM +9 from 58 (50-77) to 71 (64-84); motor sensory rCBF at OM +5 from 67 (54-76) to 77 (64-87) and 70 (62-84) contralaterally and ipsilaterally, respectively; and supplementary motor area (SM) rCBF from 64 (53-69) to 75 (67-88) ml.100 g-1.min-1. During dynamic hand contractions after axillary blockade, CBF did not increase at OM +5 or in the SM. Furthermore, contralateral motor sensory rCBF at OM +9 increased much less. Axillary blockade had no effect on resting CBF, rCBF, or increases in the two during hand contractions of the opposite hand. Thus neural feedback from the contracting muscle is necessary for the increases in SM bilateral OM +5 motor sensory rCBF and the maximal increase in contralateral OM +9 motor sensory rCBF during dynamic hand contractions."}
{"id": "PMID:1474094", "title": "Eicosanoid balance and perfusion redistribution of oleic acid-induced acute lung injury.", "content": "We have proposed that endogenous prostacyclin opposes the vasoconstriction responsible for redistribution of regional pulmonary blood flow (rPBF) away from areas of increased regional lung water concentration (rLWC) in canine oleic acid- (OA) induced acute lung injury (D. P. Schuster and J. Haller. J. Appl. Physiol. 69: 353-361, 1990). To test this hypothesis, we related regional lung tissue concentrations of 6-ketoprostaglandin (PG) F1 alpha and thromboxane (Tx) B2 in tissue samples obtained 2.5 h after administration of OA (0.08 ml/kg iv) to rPBF and rLWC measured by positron emission tomography. After OA only (n = 16), rLWC increased in dependent lung regions. Some animals responded to increased rLWC by redistribution of rPBF away from the most edematous regions (OA-R, n = 6), whereas others did not (OA-NR, n = 10). In another six animals, meclofenamate was administered after OA (OA-meclo). After OA, tissue concentrations of 6-keto-PGF1 alpha were greater than TxB2 in all groups, but concentrations of 6-keto-PGF1 alpha were not different between OA-R and OA-NR animals. TxB2 was increased in the dependent regions of animals in both OA-R and OA-NR groups compared with controls (no OA, n = 4, P < 0.05). The tissue TxB2/6-keto-PGF1 alpha ratio was smaller in controls and OA-NR in which no perfusion redistribution occurred than in OA-R and OA-meclo in which it did occur. This TxB2/6-keto-PGF1 alpha ratio correlated significantly with the magnitude of perfusion redistribution.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1474095", "title": "Enhanced microvascular permeability of PMA-induced acute lung injury is not mediated by cyclooxygenase products.", "content": "Products of cyclooxygenase activity have been proposed to mediate the pulmonary hypertension and increased microvascular permeability associated with phorbol myristate acetate- (PMA) induced acute lung injury. Previously, we reported that thromboxane (Tx) does not mediate PMA-induced pulmonary hypertension in intact anesthetized dogs. In the present study, PMA was administered to isolated canine lungs perfused with autologous blood at constant flow to investigate a possible role for Tx in the PMA-induced increase in microvascular permeability. Changes in permeability were assessed by determining changes in the capillary filtration coefficient (Kfc). In lobes pretreated with papaverine to prevent PMA-induced increases in pulmonary vascular resistance, Kfc increased from a baseline value of 0.2 +/- 0.03 to 1.5 +/- 0.29 ml.min-1.cmH2O-1.100 g wet lobe wt-1 (P < 0.01) 30 min after PMA (5.8 x 10(-8) M, n = 10). Concomitantly, TxB2, the stable metabolite of TxA2, increased from 138 +/- 44 to 1,498 +/- 505 pg/ml (P < 0.05) in the blood. Both the selective Tx synthase inhibitor, OKY-046 (7 x 10(-4) M, n = 6), and the cyclooxygenase inhibitor, indomethacin (10(-4) M, n = 7), prevented the PMA-induced increase in TxB2, but neither compound attenuated the PMA-induced increase in Kfc. ONO-3708 (10(-6) M), a selective prostaglandin (PG) H2/TxA2 receptor antagonist, prevented the vasoconstriction resulting from administration of U-46619, a stable PGH2/TxA2 receptor agonist, but it did not prevent the PMA-induced increases in Kfc (n = 6).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1474096", "title": "Intestinal water absorption from select carbohydrate solutions in humans.", "content": "Eight men positioned a triple-lumen tube in the duodenojejunum. By use of segmental perfusion, 2, 4, 6, or 8% solutions of glucose (111-444 mM), sucrose (55-233 mM), a maltodextrin [17-67 mM, avg. chain length = 7 glucose units (7G)], or a corn syrup solid [40-160 mM, avg. chain length = 3 glucose units (3G)] were perfused at 15 ml/min for 70 min after a 30-min equilibration period. All solutions were made isotonic with NaCl, except 6 and 8% glucose solutions, which were hypertonic. An isotonic NaCl solution was perfused as control. Water absorption (range: 9-15 ml.h-1.cm-1) did not differ for the 2, 4, and 6% CHO solutions but was greater (P < 0.05) than absorption from control (3.0 +/- 2.2 ml.h-1.cm-1). The 8% glucose and 3G solutions reduced (P < 0.05) net water flux compared with their 2, 4, and 6% solutions, but 8% sucrose and 8% 7G solutions promoted water absorption equivalent to lower CHO concentrations. Water absorption was independent of [Na+] in the original solution. In the test segment, 1) Na+ flux correlated with net water flux (r = 0.72, P < 0.01), K+ (r = 0.78, P < 0.01), and [Na+] (r = 0.68, P < 0.001); 2) Na+ absorption occurred at luminal [Na+] as low as 50 mM; 3) glucose transport increased linearly over the luminal concentration range of 40-180 mM; and 4) net water flux was similar over a range of glucose-to-Na+ concentration ratios of 0.4:1 to 3.5:1.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1474097", "title": "EDRF inhibition attenuates the increase in pulmonary blood flow due to oxygen ventilation in fetal lambs.", "content": "At birth, pulmonary vasodilation occurs during rhythmic distension of the lungs and oxygenation. Inhibition of prostaglandin synthesis prevents pulmonary vasodilation during rhythmic distension of the lungs but not during oxygenation. Because endothelium-derived relaxing factor (EDRF) modulates pulmonary vascular tone at birth, at rest, and during hypoxia in older animals, we hypothesized that EDRF may modulate pulmonary vascular tone during oxygenation in fetal lambs. We studied the responses to N omega-nitro-L-arginine, a competitive inhibitor of EDRF synthesis, in nine near-term fetal lambs and to drug vehicle in six of these lambs and the subsequent responses to in utero ventilation with 95% O2 in these fetal lambs. In all fetal lambs, prostaglandin synthesis was prevented by meclofenamate. N omega-nitro-L-arginine increased pulmonary and systemic arterial pressures by 28% (P < 0.05) and 31% (P < 0.05), respectively, and decreased pulmonary blood flow by 83% (P < 0.05). In the controls, ventilation with 95% O2 increased pulmonary blood flow by 1,050% (P = 0.05) without changing pressures, thereby decreasing pulmonary vascular resistance by 88% (P = 0.05). During N omega-nitro-L-arginine infusion, ventilation with 95% O2 increased pulmonary blood flow by 162% (P = 0.05) and decreased pulmonary vascular resistance by 74% (P = 0.05). This suggests that EDRF may play an important role in modulating resting pulmonary vascular tone in fetal lambs and in the vasodilatory response to ventilation with O2 in utero."}
{"id": "PMID:1474098", "title": "Distensibility of small veins of the dog lung.", "content": "To determine the distensibility of the intrapulmonary veins (250-2,900 microns diam) of the dog lung, we obtained X-ray angiograms from isolated lung lobes over a vascular pressure range of approximately 0-30 Torr. Over this pressure range the diameter vs. pressure curves tended to flatten out at the high pressures. In the pressure range of 0-19 Torr, we characterized the vessel distensibility by alpha (the ratio of the slope, beta, of the graph of diameter vs. intravascular pressure to the intercept, Do). The average value of alpha was approximately 1.2%/Torr. There was a weak negative correlation (r = -0.32) between alpha and Do. Infusion of enough norepinephrine to produce approximately 50% increase in total lobar vascular resistance produced a decrease in Do and alpha of approximately 33 and 32%, respectively."}
{"id": "PMID:1474099", "title": "Modulation of respiratory responses to carotid sinus nerve stimulation by brain hypoxia.", "content": "This study examines the effect of progressive isocapnic CO hypoxemia on respiratory afterdischarge and the phrenic neurogram response to supramaximal carotid sinus nerve (CSN) stimulation. Twelve anesthetized, vagotomized, peripherally chemodenervated, ventilated cats with blood pressure controlled were studied. During isocapnic hypoxemia, the amplitude of the phrenic neurogram was progressively depressed. In contrast, the increase in peak phrenic amplitude produced by CSN stimulation was unchanged, suggesting that the central respiratory response to CSN stimulation is unaffected by progressive hypoxemia. The time constant of respiratory afterdischarge (tau) was calculated from best-fit plots of phrenic amplitude vs. time after cessation of CSN stimulation. Under control conditions the value of tau was 57.7 +/- 3 (SE) s (n = 12). During progressive isocapnic hypoxemia, tau decreased as a linear function of arterial O2 content (CaO2) such that a 40% reduction of CaO2 resulted in a 48% reduction in tau. This reduction of respiratory afterdischarge may contribute to the genesis of periodic breathing during hypoxia."}
{"id": "PMID:1474100", "title": "Regional changes in muscle mass following 17 weeks of bed rest.", "content": "This work reports on the muscle loss and recovery after 17 wk of continuous bed rest and 8 wk of reambulation in eight normal male volunteers. Muscle changes were assessed by urinary levels of 3-methylhistidine (3-MeH), nitrogen balance, dual-photon absorptiometry (DPA), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and isokinetic muscle performance. The total body lean tissue loss during bed rest calculated from nitrogen balance was 3.9 +/- 2.1 (SD) kg (P < 0.05). Although the total loss is minimal, DPA scans showed that nearly all of the lean tissue loss occurred in the lower limbs. Similarly, MRI muscle volume measurements showed greater percent loss in the limbs relative to the back muscles. MRI, DPA, and nitrogen balance suggest that muscle atrophy continued throughout bed rest with rapid recovery after reambulation. Isokinetic muscle strength decreased significantly (P < 0.05) in the thigh and calf with no loss in the arms and with rapid recovery during reambulation. We conclude that there is great variability in the degree and location of muscle loss in bed rest and that the lower limb muscles are primarily affected."}
{"id": "PMID:1474101", "title": "Myocardial tissue pressure and blood flow during coronary sinus pressure modulation in anesthetized dogs.", "content": "To determine whether coronary sinus outflow pressure (Pcs) or intramyocardial tissue pressure (IMP) is the effective back pressure in the different layers of the left ventricular (LV) myocardium, we increased Pcs in 14 open-chest dogs under maximal coronary artery vasodilation. Circumflex arterial (flowmeter), LV total, and subendocardial and subepicardial (15-microns radioactive spheres) pressure-flow relationships (PFR) and IMP (needle-tip pressure transducers) were recorded during graded constriction of the artery at two diastolic Pcs levels (7 +/- 3 vs. 23 +/- 4 mmHg). At high Pcs, LV, aortic and diastolic circumflex arterial pressure, heart rate, myocardial oxygen consumption, and lactate extraction were unchanged; IMP in the subendocardium did not change (130/19 mmHg), whereas IMP in the subepicardium increased by 17 mmHg during systole and 10 mmHg during diastole (P < or = 0.001), independently of circumflex arterial pressure. Increasing Pcs did not change the slope of the PFR; however, coronary pressure at zero flow increased in the subepicardium (P < or = 0.008), whereas in the subendocardium it remained unchanged at 24 +/- 3 mmHg. Thus Pcs can regulate IMP independently of circumflex arterial pressure and consequently influence myocardial perfusion, especially in the subepicardial tissue layer of the LV."}
{"id": "PMID:1474102", "title": "Elevated serum enzyme activity: an explanation-based model.", "content": "The well-documented pattern of elevated serum enzyme activity (ESEA) data after a single bout of unaccustomed exercise can very easily be modeled using a biexponential curve. However, the changed pattern of ESEA after a second exercise bout, or after a period of conditioning or during repetitive training, demonstrates that exercise-induced adaptations have been taking place. The mechanism for this is unclear. One plausible explanatory hypothesis is that within the pool of muscle fibers, some fibers are stress susceptible or weak, and the pool becomes diminished as a result of damage induced by earlier exercise. Repair of the muscle damage takes place during the period after exercise but may be incomplete at the time of a subsequent exercise bout, in which case ESEA amplitude is reduced. Frequently repeated bouts may lead to chronic ESEA. These ideas are developed, both mathematically and graphically, by means of a compartment model approach. In so doing, the model explains documented patterns of ESEA response to single and multiple exercise bouts, both closely and widely spaced. Predictions are possible using the model, in particular the previously unreported baseline overshoot (reduction below resting levels) in serum enzyme activity occurring beyond 82 h after very severe exercise. Some directions for experimentation to test the validity of the model are suggested."}
{"id": "PMID:1474106", "title": "Characterization of the muscarinic receptor subtype mediating vasodilation in the rat perfused mesenteric vascular bed preparation.", "content": "1. The nature of the muscarinic receptor subtype mediating endothelium-dependent vascular relaxation was investigated in the perfused mesenteric vascular bed preparation which is a model for resistance vessels. 2. After methoxamine-induced vasoconstriction the vessels were dilated with acetyl-beta-metacholine (MCh). 3. The potency of the M1-selective antagonist pirenzepine, the M2-selective antagonists AF-DX 116 and AQ-RA 741, the M3-selective antagonists 4-DAMP and p-FHHSiD to block the MCh-induced vasodilation was quantified by means of pA2-values. Atropine was used for comparison. 4. The rank order of potency for the various muscarinic receptor antagonists appears to be: atropine > 4-DAMP > p-FHHSiD > pirenzepine > AQ-RA 741 > AF-DX 116 which is similar to findings in conduit arteries. 5. The high potency of the M3-selective antagonists 4-DAMP and p-FHHSiD and the low potency of the M1- and M2-selective antagonists suggest a major role of M3-receptors in the cholinergic vasodilatation in the perfused mesenteric vascular bed."}
{"id": "PMID:1474107", "title": "Regional variation in purinergic and adrenergic responses in isolated vas deferens of rat, rabbit and guinea-pig.", "content": "1. Electrical and mechanical responses of epididymal and prostatic regions of rat, rabbit and guinea-pig vas deferens have been examined to investigate regional variation in purinergic and adrenergic mechanisms. 2. Noradrenaline was significantly more potent in producing contraction in epididymal segments of the muscle than in prostatic segments. 3. ATP and alpha,beta,methylene ATP were significantly more potent in producing contraction of prostatic segments than epididymal segments. 4. In guinea-pig vas deferens the resting membrane potential was greater in smooth muscle cells in the prostatic region than in the epididymal. Excitatory junction potentials (EJPs) in both the epididymal and prostatic regions were of similar magnitude and were almost abolished by the P2x-purinoceptor antagonist suramin. 5. The alpha-adrenoceptor antagonist phentolamine had no inhibitory action on EJPs in either region of the guinea-pig vas deferens."}
{"id": "PMID:1474108", "title": "Visualizing relative occurrences in metabolic transformations of xenobiotics using structure-activity maps.", "content": "Structure maps are presented as an efficient means of indicating structure-reactivity relationships in metabolic pathway databases. The relative occurrence of N-demethylation and N-oxidation of N-methyl tertiary amines was examined using the structure map methodology. A new family of reaction site representations, the n-level representations, was developed to describe the N-methyl reaction sites of the compounds in the data set. It was possible to differentiate N-demethylation and N-oxidation reaction sites using a structure map constructed from a 3-level representation of the reaction sites."}
{"id": "PMID:1474109", "title": "Similarity searching in databases of three-dimensional molecules and macromolecules.", "content": "This paper discusses algorithmic techniques for measuring the degree of similarity between pairs of three-dimensional (3-D) chemical molecules represented by interatomic distance matrices. A comparison of four methods for the calculation of 3-D structural similarity suggests that the most effective one is a procedure that identifies pairs of atoms, one from each of the molecules that are being compared, that lie at the center of geometrically-related volumes of 3-D space. This atom mapping method enables the calculation of a wide range of types of intermolecular similarity coefficient, including measures that are based on physicochemical data. Massively-parallel implementations of the method are discussed, using the AMT Distributed Array Processor, that achieve a substantial increase in performance when compared with a sequential implementation on a UNIX workstation. Current work involves the use of angular information and the extension of the method to field-based similarity searching. Similarity searching in 3-D macromolecules is effected by the use of a maximal common subgraph (MCS) isomorphism algorithm with a novel, graph-based representation of the tertiary structures of proteins. This algorithm is being used to identify similarities between the 3-D structures of proteins in the Brookhaven Protein Data Bank; its use is exemplified by searches involving the NAD-binding fold motif."}
{"id": "PMID:1474110", "title": "[Treatment of cancer of the kidney with interleukin 2 in adults, the Lyon experience].", "content": "Like interferon-alpha, interleukin 2 (IL2) is active on metastatic kidney cancers, which are regarded as chemoresistant tumors. Out of 20 to 30% objective responses, 5 to 10% complete remissions are reported with various IL2 delivery schedules. The considerable toxicity is well mastered at present, thus allowing treatment in non-intensive care departments, or even in an ambulatory mode for subcutaneous administration. Even though Interleukin 2 has been authorized for sale in France, optimal mode of administration, the role of the IL2-interferon-alpha combination or the predictive factors of response to treatment still raise many questions."}
{"id": "PMID:1474111", "title": "[Iatrogenic tracheobronchial lesions during intubation. 5 cases and review of the literature].", "content": "The authors report about a personal series of 5 cases of tracheal injuries during intubation. One lesion was caused by a Carlens' tube and it was discovered and repaired during thoracotomy. Four wounds resulted from the use of ordinary tubes. Three of them affected only the tracheal membrane. The diagnosis was established with fiberendoscopy after subcutaneous emphysema occurred while the patient was awakening. Two patients underwent surgical repair, and a watch-and-wait policy was applied for another one. The outcome was favorable for these 4 patients. The last patient had a tracheoesophageal wound in a context of irradiated cervical neoplastic recurrence. The diagnosis was suggested by the discovery of major ampents of air in the small bowel during laparotomy for jejunostomy. The outcome was fatal. These cases have been compared with a compilation of the literature, gathering 8 wounds caused by ordinary tubes and 25 caused by Carlens-type tubes."}
{"id": "PMID:1474112", "title": "[Study of the efficacy and tolerance of imipenem-cilastatin used as monotherapy for the adjuvant treatment to surgery of peritonitis. Results of a French multicenter study including 257 patients].", "content": "The antibiotic treatment of peritonitis classically resorts to the association of two and even three molecules. In order to test the efficacy of a single-drug therapy with Tienam* imipenem/cilastatin) as an adjunctive treatment associated to surgery for perforation peritonitis, an open, non-comparative study of 257 patients was carried out in 28 departments. Imipenem is the first beta-lactam antibiotic of the carbapenem family. This antibiotic seems to be particularly useful for the treatment of mixed polymicrobial infections such as peritoneal infections, owing to its activity spectrum covering Gram-positive and Gram-negative, aerobic and anaerobic germs, including strands with multiple resistances (Enterobacter, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Serratia marcescens, Acinetobacter, Enterococcus and Bacteroides fragilis). A total of 212 patients were assessed with a treatment averaging 7 days. The five most frequently isolated bacteria were Escherichia coli, streptococci, Bacteroides, Proteus and Klebsiella. The healing or improvement rate was 95.3% (202/212). Seven cross-infections occurred during of after the treatment. Tolerance is good in 96% of all cases. Adverse effects were infrequent and mild: the hepatic and hematological alterations never required the interruption of the treatment and they were reversible; the treatment was interrupted in one patient only because of omental tremulation."}
{"id": "PMID:1474113", "title": "[Uretero-vaginal fistulas: diagnosis and operative tactics. Apropos of 19 personal cases].", "content": "Personal experience of the treatment of 19 uretero-vaginal fistulae, observed from september 1987 to june 1991 on 17 patients in Africa is described and analysed. Occurring after gynecological or obstetrical surgery, the main cause is hysterectomy (82.3%). Elements for diagnosis were: the appearance of a urine leak, which in most cases came rapidly, echography, and most important, intravenous urography (IVU). Surgical management in all of the cases was mainly aimed at conservation. One end-to-end anastomosis and 18 cuff reimplantations were performed, combined in 2 cases with a sub-mucus tunnel (Politano), in 14 cases combined with a tubular Boari bladder flap (wherein 1 case was bilateral), 3 combined with a bladder psoas hitch and 2 with an isolated ileal graft (ileo-uretero-cystoplasty). One case of vesicouterine fistula and 4 associated vesicovaginal fistulae benefited from a simultaneous surgical operation. In this study of 17 patients treated, except for one patient deceased 14 months following a neoplastic recurrence, the results were excellent. 16 patients were cured. Follow-up extended to more than a year and have shown the perfect conservation of the excretory ducts in all of the cases studied. The cuffed ureterovesical reimplantation combined with a tubular bladder plasty definitively seem to be a most reliable management technique for all ureter injury encountered. While allowing the preservation of the kidney located just below, it has, in particular, prevented ureter stenosis. If the use of simpler methods (psoas bladder hitch) may be sufficient for some cases, the use of more complex methods (ileo-uretero-cystoplasty) for other cases, may be indispensable."}
{"id": "PMID:1474114", "title": "[Gastric schwannoma. A case diagnosed by puncture biopsy].", "content": "One case of schwannoma of the stomach diagnosed with ultrasound-guided biopsy puncture is reported. This diagnosis is usually not established with radiographic and endoscopic examinations. A preoperative diagnosis allows partly predicting the type of exeresis to be performed. On the other hand, guided biopsy puncture seldom allows establishing a prognosis, for which the criteria are based on the analysis of the whole tumor and the possible discovery of synchronous or metachronous metastases."}
{"id": "PMID:1474115", "title": "[Anorectal malignant melanomas. Apropos of 2 new cases].", "content": "Clinical and therapeutic characteristics of anorectal melanoma have been studied about 2 new cases. The initial symptoms were often misdiagnosed with hemorrhoids disease. This cancer carries a bad prognosis but the best treatment seems to be abdominoperineal resection (APR) when the thickness of the melanoma is under 3 mm. Over this limit, APR alone will not cure this disease. Curative treatment will probably involve a combined therapy with local and systemic therapies."}
{"id": "PMID:1474120", "title": "Retention of C60 and C70 fullerenes on reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic stationary phases.", "content": "The separation of C60 and C70 fullerenes on four different polysiloxane stationary phases was examined. It was determined that polar solvents can be used as mobile phases effectively for the separation of fullerene molecules. Unlike previously published work, a polymeric octadecyl siloxane (ODS) stationary phase provided higher separation factors for C70/C60 than did monomeric ODS stationary phases or phenyl substituted stationary phases. For example, for a methanol-diethyl ether (50:50, v/v) mobile phase and C60, k' approximately 5.0 separation factors, alpha = 3.3, were achieved with polymeric ODS compared to alpha = 2.2, with a monomeric ODS stationary phase. A linear solvation energy relationship (LSER) was used to model the importance of solvent interactions and stationary phase interaction to solute retention."}
{"id": "PMID:1474121", "title": "Studies on an abnormally sharpened elution peak observed in counter-current chromatography.", "content": "Counter-current chromatography (CCC) of the bromoacetylation product of 3,3',5-triiodo-L-thyronine (T3) produced an unusually sharp peak for the desired product, N-bromoacetyl T3 (BrAcT3). A series of experiments revealed that bromoacetic acid, probably present as a side reaction product in the sample solution, was responsible. This compound repressed the ionization of the carboxyl group of BrAcT3 forcing it into the less polar stationary phase until the bromoacetic acid had eluted completely from the apparatus. At this point, the sudden increase of pH and consequent ionization of the BrAcT3 allowed the ammonium salt of the latter to enter the more polar moving phase where it eluted rapidly from the column as a sharp peak. The same phenomenon was observed in the CCC fractionation of a series of indole auxins where addition of trifluoroacetic acid to the sample caused peak sharpening by the same process. The phenomenon recalls pH gradient elution and isoelectric focussing except that the substance responsible for the pH range here is added along with the sample in one bolus forming a sharp pH gradient at its trailing edge. As with gradient elution, the technique is of practical interest since it permits collection of the eluting compounds with increased detectability in fewer fractions. The technique can also enhance separation of compounds whose partition coefficients differ with a change in pH."}
{"id": "PMID:1474116", "title": "[Role of surgery in the treatment of dissections of the extracranial internal carotid artery. Apropos of a case, review of the literature].", "content": "The authors report about one operated case of spontaneous dissection of the extracranial internal carotid artery close to the bifurcation. The persistence of a floating thrombus in a 60% stenosis after a six-week treatment with heparin led to establishing the indication for surgery. The surgical indication remains exceptional, considering the natural history of dissections and the frequency of repatency of the arterial lumen. This type of surgery is mainly for sequellae such as stenosis, thrombi or saccular aneurysms, whose emboligenic potential leads to operating (exeresis and graft on the internal carotid artery) if the anatomical location of the lesion makes it possible."}
{"id": "PMID:1474117", "title": "[Parietal endometriosis on a cesarean scar. Apropos of two cases].", "content": "Parietal endometriosis is a rare disease, for which the pathogenesis is still ill-known and the diagnosis frequently difficult. The author reports about two cases of endometriosis on cesarean scars and, in the light of the literature, sums up the elements of the diagnosis as well as the therapeutic course of action."}
{"id": "PMID:1474122", "title": "Evaluation of peptide-peptide interactions using reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography.", "content": "The separation of peptides during RP-HPLC depends mainly upon differential hydrophobic interactions of the individual peptides being separated with the C18 group of the stationary phase. We have examined the behavior of dimeric disulfide-linked model peptides during RP-HPLC in order to study self-induced conformational effects. A set of 18 analogues of the amphipathic alpha-helical sequence Ac-LKLLKKLLKKLKKLLKKL-NH2 was used for this study. These analogues differed only by the successive replacement of each position with a cysteine. Strong peptide-peptide interactions, occurring through interchain hydrophobic forces, resulted in a presenting face to the C18 group, consisting primarily of lysine residues and, in turn, in early retention times. Three homo-dimers were also found to be strongly alpha-helical in water as determined by circular dichroism spectroscopy."}
{"id": "PMID:1474118", "title": "[Acute dissection of the infrarenal aorta and horseshoe kidney. Apropos of a case and review of the literature].", "content": "We report about one case of acute dissection of the infrarenal abdominal aorta associated with a horseshoe kidney. A few points in the history of this 47-year-old patient deserve being underscored: the absence of an \"etiological\" factor of aortic dissection, the presence of five renal arteries, illustrating the complex vascularity of a horseshoe kidney, the specific surgical problems arising from both a lesion of the aortic junction and a horseshoe kidney. On the basis of the literature, we underline the incidence of dissection of the infrarenal aorta (1 to 3%), that of horseshoe kidney (0.15%) and that of pathology of the aortic junction in patients with a horseshoe kidney, which seems to be accidental."}
{"id": "PMID:1474123", "title": "Separation of oxidized human growth hormone variants by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. Effect of mobile phase pH and organic modifier.", "content": "Human growth hormone (hGH), a polypeptide of 191 amino acids, contains three methionine residues, two of which are susceptible to oxidation by both chemical and photochemical means (Met14 and Met125). To date, no method has existed for resolving the various mono- and di-oxidation products. We report on the resolution of these oxidized variants and native hGH at weakly (pH 3.5) acidic pH. Although all of the oxidized species can be resolved at pH 3.5, use of low pH and neutral pH mobile phases confer some advantages. For example, the Met14 oxidized variant (MetSO-14) and native hGH are best resolved at neutral pH and the mono-oxidized variants (MetSO-125 and MetSO-14) are best resolved at low pH. The effect of organic modifier on the separation of the oxidized variants was also evaluated. 1-Propanol was more effective than acetonitrile in the separation of MetSO-14 and native hGH while acetonitrile was more effective than 1-propanol in the separation of MetSO-125 and MetSO-14. In summary, mobile phase pH and organic modifier were shown to be important parameters in the separation of oxidized hGH variants."}
{"id": "PMID:1474119", "title": "[Surgical treatment of supraumbilical eventrations].", "content": "Among postoperative incisional hernias, mid-epigastric eventrations have peculiar features for physiopathological reasons that are summed up in general and specifically in the first paragraph of this paper; they are characterized by the quick retraction of the lateral belt, with the chondrocostal margin of the thorax participating as the upper limit of the cleft, and by the rapidly irreducible diastasis--hence the importance of an early decision to operate. The authors propose three regular procedures with which they are experienced: repair with a large retromuscular nonabsorbable synthetic tulle prosthesis for extensive epigastric eventrations, fillup aponeuroplasty using the sheath of the rectus abdominis associated with a premuscular patch in case of diastasis or of multiple superimposed orifices and suture associated with a small retromuscular auxiliary patch to treat small incisional hernias. The article, mainly dealing with the technical details of the three procedures and of their variants, is concluded by a brief report of the personal results obtained with a series of 616 postoperative eventrations, including 91 mid-epigastric ones, controlled after an average time lapse of 5.5 years."}
{"id": "PMID:1474124", "title": "Detection of substituted benzenes in water at the pg/ml level using solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography-ion trap mass spectrometry.", "content": "Solid-phase microextraction (SPME) is combined with gas chromatography-ion trap mass spectrometry (GC-IT-MS) for the analysis of benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene and xylene isomers (BTEX) in water. SPME is a recent technique for extracting organics from an aqueous matrix into a stationary phase immobilized on a fused-silica fiber. The analytes are thermally desorbed directly in the injector of a gas chromatograph. The wide linear dynamic range (five orders of magnitude) and pg sensitivity of the ion trap mass spectrometer in its full scan mode is an ideal detector for identifying and quantifying the analytes extracted with an SPME device. The combined method SPME-GC-IT-MS, using fibers coated with a 100-microns polydimethylsiloxane coating, showed a limit of quantitation (LOQ) of 50 pg/ml benzene in water. This corresponds to 5 pg of benzene absorbed onto the fiber. The limit of detection (LOD) was 15 pg/ml benzene. For o-xylene spiked at 50 pg/ml in water 50 pg were absorbed by the fiber indicating an LOQ and LOD 10 times better than for benzene. The detection limits obtained exceed the requirements of both the United States Environmental Protection Agency method 524.2 and the Ontario Municipal/Industrial Strategy for Abatement program, which range from 30 to 80 pg/ml and 500 to 1100 pg/ml, respectively. The linearity of the method extended over five orders of magnitude. Relative standard deviation ranged from 2.7 to 5.2% for 15 ng/ml BTEX in water and from 5.5 to 7.5% for 50 pg/ml BTEX in water. SPME-GC-IT-MS was used to evaluate the contamination level in laboratory, potable and wastewater sources."}
{"id": "PMID:1474125", "title": "Comparative study of capillary zone electrophoresis and high-performance liquid chromatography in the analysis of oligonucleotides and DNA.", "content": "Capillary zone electrophoresis and high-performance liquid chromatography were compared with regard to the separation of oligonucleotides and double-stranded DNA. Both anion-exchange and reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography on non-porous particles are considered to be superior to capillary electrophoresis in terms of speed and selectivity in the analysis of oligonucleotides up to 30 bases in length. Moreover, reversed-phase chromatography allows the simultaneous purification of detritylated oligonucleotides with recoveries > 90%. Compared with anion-exchange chromatography, there is no need for a subsequent desaltation step because the volatile buffer system can be readily evaporated. With regard to dsDNA, however, the resolving power of capillary electrophoresis cannot be matched by anion-exchange chromatography at present. Moreover, the combined use of hydroxyethylcellulose and ethidium bromide not only yielded a separation efficiency equal to that achieved by means of gel-filled capillaries but also avoids some of their limitations such as the destruction of the gel matrix at high current densities and the bias involved in electrokinetic injection."}
{"id": "PMID:1474126", "title": "Determination of benzalkonium chloride in eye care products by high-performance liquid chromatography and solid-phase extraction or on-line column switching.", "content": "Benzalkonium chloride (BAK) is a mixture of alkylbenzyldimethylammonium chlorides, which is commonly used as a bacteriostat. In this work, the three major homologues of BAK are quantitated in the over-the-counter eye care products Murine and Murine Plus using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The analytes are separated from various product excipients and concentrated by either solid-phase extraction onto Sep-Pak C18 cartridges or by an on-line column-switching technique using 1-cm reversed-phase precolumns. Absolute recoveries of BAK homologues by the solid-phase extraction technique ranged from 97.2 to 98.7% for standards and from 98.0 to 98.4% for samples. Absolute recovery of the BAK homologues by the column-switching technique was 101.3% for standards and ranged from 99.9 to 103.7% for samples. Relative recoveries were quantitative by both techniques. Assay precision (R.S.D. values) were +/- 2.2% to +/- 2.6% and +/- 0.4% to +/- 0.8% by solid-phase extraction and column-switching techniques, respectively. The method provides advantages of high sample throughput, excellent column life and automation."}
{"id": "PMID:1474127", "title": "Simultaneous determination of retinol and tocopherols by high-performance liquid chromatography.", "content": "A high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method to determine retinol and all four tocopherols (alpha-, beta-, gamma- and delta-) simultaneously was established using a reversed-phase column (YMC-PACK A-302 S-5 120A ODS). The HPLC conditions were mobile phase 65% isopropanol, sample solvent 99.5% methanol and temperature 30 degrees C. Retinol and tocopherols were measured in rat liver."}
{"id": "PMID:1474128", "title": "Determination of nicotinamide and pyridoxine in an elemental diet by column-switching high-performance liquid chromatography with UV detection.", "content": "The determination of nicotinamide and pyridoxine in an elemental diet containing 46 compounds was performed by column-switching high-performance liquid chromatography with UV detection at 260 and 290 nm, respectively. The method is simple, rapid, sensitive and reproducible. The calibration graphs for the two vitamins were linear in the ranges 0-0.2 and 0-0.015 micrograms, respectively. The recoveries of both vitamins by the standard addition method were over 95%. There was good agreement between the concentrations indicated and found for both vitamins."}
{"id": "PMID:1474130", "title": "Elimination of the chloride interference on the determination of arsenic using hydride generation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry.", "content": "In the determination of arsenic, attention has recently focused on the speciation of As(III) and As(V). Reversed-phase HPLC can be used to efficiently separate these two arsenic species. When inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry is used for arsenic detection, an isobaric interference at m/z 75 is caused by the presence of chloride in the sample. These experiments describe the use of hydride generation in conjunction with a polypropylene-membrane gas-liquid separator to completely eliminate the transport of chloride to the plasma. A detection limit of 0.46 ppb for As(III) was achieved with this system. The chromatographic resolution of the system was not compromised by the addition of the gas-liquid separator. A determination of the arsenic content of a NIST urine sample was performed to demonstrate the effectiveness of the chloride elimination."}
{"id": "PMID:1474131", "title": "Determination of vitamin C and organic acids in various fruits by HPLC.", "content": "Liquid chromatographic methodology for determination of vitamin C and organic acids in different fruits (whortleberry, blackberry, red currant, black currant, raspberry, babaco, feijoa, kiwano, passion fruit, red and yellow tamarillos, medlar, and persimmon) cultivated in Galicia, Spain are developed. Both methods use a C18 column and an RP-18 precolumn for the stationary phase. High-performance-liquid-chromatographic-(HPLC-) grade water is brought to pH 2.2 with sulphuric acid for the mobile phase. The flow rate is 0.4 mL/min, and UV detection is at 254 nm for vitamin C and 214 nm for organic acids. Coefficients of variation of 1.84, 1.20, 1.00, and 2.60% are obtained for the vitamin C, quinic acid, malic acid and citric acid, respectively."}
{"id": "PMID:1474132", "title": "Determination of methadone and its metabolites by high performance liquid chromatography following solid-phase extraction in rat plasma.", "content": "This paper describes a rapid, quantitative liquid chromatographic analysis and extraction of methadone and its two major metabolites from rat plasma, using difenoxin as the internal standard. Using a C18 column, resolution of all sample components and the internal standard is achieved with a mobile phase of 25:75 acetonitrile-0.08% diethylamine in 1000 mL water, pH 2.3, at a flow rate of 1.5 mL/min. The injection volume is 100 microL. Standards are linear over the range 25-100 ng, with a lower limit of detection for methadone of 0.25 ng. Within- and between-run coefficients of variation (CV) are 1.24% and 2.94%, respectively. Extraction of methadone and its metabolites from rat plasma uses a solid-phase extraction technique that is highly efficient. Extraction efficiencies of 90.3%, 99.6%, 85.9% and 93.8% were achieved for methadone, its primary and secondary metabolites, and difenoxin, respectively."}
{"id": "PMID:1474133", "title": "Production and characteristics of strain common antibodies against a synthetic polypeptide corresponding to the C-terminal region of potato virus Y coat protein.", "content": "Comparing the predicted amino acid sequence between two Japanese potato virus Y (PVY) strains, necrotic strain and ordinary strain, it was found that the C-terminal regions (H2N-HTTEDVSPSMHTLLGVKNM-COOH) of the coat proteins in the two strains were completely conserved. The conserved amino acid sequence was also found in the C-terminal region coat protein of PVY-36, a strain which did not react with monoclonal antibodies specific to the necrotic and the ordinary strain respectively. Antibodies were produced against a synthetic polypeptide PVY-C19 consisting of 19 amino acids, which correspond to the C-terminal region of the coat protein, using 4 coupling combinations of polypeptide PVY-C19 to protein carriers. Carrier-free polypeptides and those coupled to ovalbumin with ECDI (ethyl-dimethylaminopropyl carbodiimide) produced high titer of antibodies and detected PVY strains from PVY-infected plants by Western blot analysis and by ELISA."}
{"id": "PMID:1474134", "title": "A tetrazolium-based colorimetric assay for quantification of HIV-1-induced cytopathogenicity in monocyte-macrophages exposed to macrophage-colony-stimulating factor.", "content": "A sensitive assay was developed for in vitro evaluation of anti-HIV agents in monocyte-macrophage cells (M/M) (a crucial target of HIV in the body). Monocyte-macrophage cells are usually poorly sensitive to the cytopathic effect induced by HIV. However, when fresh adherent monocyte-macrophage cells are cultured at relatively high density in the presence of macrophage-colony stimulating factor (M-CSF), they undergo cytolysis and die in 2-3 weeks. HIV-mediated cell-killing can thus be assessed with a method based on the reduction of the yellow colored 3-(4-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) by metabolically active cells to a blue formazan, which can be measured spectrophotometrically. HIV-mediated cytopathic effect of M-CSF-exposed monocyte-macrophage cells was consistently achieved in all experiments performed under the conditions described herein. Anti-HIV activity of zidovudine (AZT) was also comparatively evaluated in M-CSF- and normal monocyte-macrophage cells both using the MTT assay and by measuring HIV-p24 antigen production in supernatants of monocyte-macrophage cells cultures, and similar results obtained with both methods. These results support the use of this colorimetric assay for broad screening of anti-HIV agents in monocyte-macrophage cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1474135", "title": "Molecular epidemiology of respiratory syncytial virus: rapid identification of subgroup A lineages.", "content": "Methods for the rapid analysis of samples of respiratory syncytial (RS) virus are described using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) followed by restriction mapping. Isolates (either clinical samples or tissue culture grown virus) can readily be divided into subgroups and then further classified into lineages. These methods enable examination of large numbers of isolates by molecular techniques, thereby facilitating research into the molecular epidemiology of the virus."}
{"id": "PMID:1474136", "title": "Effects of age on the Rey-Osterrieth and Taylor complex figures: test-retest data using an intentional learning paradigm.", "content": "The degree to which the Rey-Osterrieth and Taylor complex figures provide equivalent measures of visual memory, and the effects of age on figure comparability were examined in two experiments. Both experiments employed a multiple-trial, intentional learning procedure wherein each figure was administered twice in a counterbalanced sequence to subjects aged 20 to 80 years. In Experiment 1, a constant 60-s exposure duration was used; in Experiment 2, a self-pacing procedure was employed where the exposure duration was individually determined. The results from both experiments showed that the Taylor figure was easier to learn than the Rey-Osterrieth figure, indicating that the two figures are not equivalent for testing memory. These results were supported by subjective judgements on the relative difficulty to learn and remember each figure. Finally, younger (20-59 years) subjects performed at a higher level than older (60-80 years) subjects on both figures. Recommendations and possible alternatives are suggested regarding the use of the figures in both constructional and visuo-spatial memory test-retest situations."}
{"id": "PMID:1474137", "title": "Specificity in the correlation of verbal memory and hippocampal neuron loss: dissociation of memory, language, and verbal intellectual ability.", "content": "Fifty-nine patients with temporal-lobe epilepsy (28 left, 31 right) completed the Boston Naming Test (BNT), verbal subtests of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised, and the Logical Memory Subtest of the Wechsler Memory Scale (WMS) before surgery. Performances by patients with left temporal seizure foci were significantly more impaired than those of patients with right seizure foci on the WMS Logical Memory subtest and the BNT. After surgical removal of the mesial temporal lobe structures, two blinded observers established volumetric cell densities for hippocampal subfields CA1, CA2, CA3, the hilar area, and the granule cell layer of area dentata. Statistically significant correlations existed only between percent retention scores and hippocampal neuron loss in CA3 and the hilar area for patients with left temporal seizure foci. None of the other dependent measures was significantly correlated with hippocampal neuron density in any subfield. These results support the hypothesis that certain verbal memory impairments are attributable to hippocampal damage specifically, and not to temporal lobe damage in general."}
{"id": "PMID:1474138", "title": "Assessing the reliability of clinical scales when the data have both nominal and ordinal features: proposed guidelines for neuropsychological assessments.", "content": "The purpose of this article is to present, for the first time, a comprehensive methodology for assessing the reliability of a clinical scale that is frequently utilized in neuropsychological research and in biomedical studies, more generally. The dichotomous-ordinal scale is characterized by a single category of \"absence\" and two or more ordinalized categories of \"presence\" of a symptom trait, state, or behavior, and it also has special properties that need to be understood in order for its reliability to be appropriately assessed. Using the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) as a clinical example, we cover the principles of expressing scale reliability in terms of a dichotomy (\"absence\" - \"presence\" of a given BPRS symptom); as a trichotomy (\"none\"; \"mild to moderate\" symptomatology; and \"severe\" symptomatology); and as the full 7-category dichotomous-ordinal scale: \"none,\" \"very mild,\" \"mild,\" \"moderate,\" \"moderately severe,\" \"severe,\" and \"extremely severe.\" Criteria are presented that can be used to evaluate which of these three formats produces the most reliable results. Finally, we address, with a second sample, the important issue of replication, or whether the original reliability findings generalize to other independent populations."}
{"id": "PMID:1474139", "title": "The subcortical dysfunction hypothesis of memory deficits in depression: neuropsychological validation in a subgroup of patients.", "content": "The subcortical dysfunction hypothesis of verbal learning and memory deficits in depression was evaluated by comparing the memory test profiles of unipolar depressives (n = 40) and bipolar depressives (n = 9) with those of patients with a prototypical subcortical dementia (Huntington's disease, HD), patients with a prototypical cortical dementia (Alzheimer's disease, AD), and normal controls. In a discriminant function analysis that well-differentiated the HD, AD, and normal subjects, it was found that 28.6% of the depressed patients were classified as HD patients (DEP-HD subjects), 49.0% were classified as normals (DEP-N subjects), none were classified as AD patients, and 22.4% were not well-classified. The DEP-HD group closely resembled the HD group on additional indices of verbal learning and memory, and differed from the DEP-N group, which strongly resembled the normal control group. DEP-N patients also performed significantly better than DEP-HD patients on a number of other neuropsychological tests (e.g., WAIS-R Digit Symbol, category fluency, Trail Making Test Part B). The findings provide support for the subcortical dysfunction hypothesis, but only for a subgroup of depressed patients. Implications for differentiating depressive \"pseudodementia\" from AD are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1474140", "title": "Electrophysiological evidence of lateralized disturbances in children with learning disabilities.", "content": "This study used an electrophysiological measurement operation to investigate lateralized processing deficits associated with academic learning-disability subtypes. Fast frequency EEG activity in the 36-44 hertz (Hz) band was recorded from reading-disabled (RLD), arithmetic-disabled (ALD), and nondisabled control children engaged in verbal and nonverbal cognitive tasks. The control group, but neither LD group, exhibited a task-dependent shift in lateralization of 40 Hz EEG; the RLD subjects generated proportionately less left-hemisphere 40 Hz activity than control or ALD subjects during the verbal task; and the ALD subjects generated proportionately less right-hemisphere activity than control or RLD subjects during the nonverbal task. These results indicate that lateralized processing deficits are associated with different types of disabilities, and provide external validation of learning-disability classifications based on academic performance patterns."}
{"id": "PMID:1474141", "title": "Effects of severe closed-head injury on three stages of information processing.", "content": "The present study investigated the loci of the information-processing delay that characteristically follows severe closed-head injury (CHI). Sternberg's additive-factors logic was used to determine the effects of severe CHI on the central information-processing stages of stimulus encoding, memory comparison, and decision-making/response-selection. The task variables used to define the stages operationally were stimulus quality, memory set size, and stimulus-response compatibility. Twenty subjects who had sustained a severe CHI more than 18 months earlier and 20 matched control subjects completed a stimulus encoding by response selection task in Experiment 1, and a Sternberg high-speed memory scanning task in Experiment 2. The CHI group performed the stimulus encoding and decision-making/response-selection stages of processing significantly slower than did the control group. However, no significant group differences were found on the memory comparison stage, suggesting that memory comparison processes may be relatively intact in long-term patients with severe head trauma. The results are discussed in relation to a global and a late-specificity hypothesis of central processing deficits following severe CHI. The possibility that cognitive processes demanding less attention may be more resilient to injury is also considered."}
{"id": "PMID:1474142", "title": "Sex-related differences in the cognitive consequences of early left-hemisphere lesions.", "content": "Epileptic patients who had undergone the carotid amytal test were assessed on a variety of measures of verbal and nonverbal ability. All patients had left-hemisphere dysfunction early in life, before 1 year of age. In males, such damage results in generalized cognitive retardation regardless of the status of the cerebral speech pattern. In females, intellectual retardation is linked specifically to a shift in speech processes. This sex-related difference in behavioral outcome may reflect interruption at different maturational stages and/or the influences of the immediate hormonal milieu."}
{"id": "PMID:1474143", "title": "Neuropsychological functioning in nonmentally retarded autistic individuals.", "content": "To investigate several neurobiological theories we evaluated the neuropsychological functioning of 15 non-mentally retarded autistic adolescents and young adults and 15 controls matched on age, gender, IQ, and race. The autistic subjects were found to perform less well than controls on measures of abstraction involving cognitive flexibility, verbal reasoning, complex memory, and complex language comprehension in the absence of significant differences on measures of attention, associative memory, and the rule-learning aspects of abstraction. These findings are most consistent with a generalized abnormality in complex information processing and would not support theories purporting fundamental deficits in attention or information acquisition."}
{"id": "PMID:1474144", "title": "Programming of single movements in Parkinson's disease: comparison with Huntington's disease.", "content": "The preparation of individual finger movements was examined in Parkinson's disease (PD), in comparison with a similar study of Huntington's disease (HD). Motor programming was varied by increasing the amount of information available in advance of each movement. PD patients had particular difficulty when there was no cue light in advance of the movement, and when two upcoming movements were cued ahead of the current movement. Such difficulties suggest that PD patients may have difficulty in performing movements without sensory cuing, and in maintaining and organising a future sequence of movements. HD patients had been previously shown to have similar deficits. Commonalities in these once contrasted disorders probably arise from disruption of common mechanisms."}
{"id": "PMID:1474145", "title": "Is verbal recognition memory really different in Huntington's and Alzheimer's disease.", "content": "Verbal recall and recognition were examined in Huntington's disease (HD) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients. Subgroups of HD and AD patients were matched for overall severity of dementia. Subjects were administered the Hopkins Verbal Learning Test, a list-learning task with three free-recall trials followed immediately by one yes/no recognition trial with semantically related and unrelated distractors. The matched AD and HD groups did not differ in the number of words recalled, although the HD patients showed slightly greater improvement over trials. Recognition performance was evaluated with measures of accuracy and response bias that are independent of each other. The matched groups did not differ in overall recognition accuracy, but the AD patients tended to have a more liberal (\"yea-saying\") response bias than did the HD patients. In addition, only the AD patients were differentially enticed to false-positive responding by semantically related distractors. The results suggest that the rule for making decisions when uncertain, rather than memory strength per se, distinguishes the recognition memory performance of AD and HD patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1474146", "title": "Release from proactive interference: determinants of performance and neuropsychological correlates.", "content": "The Wickens (1970) modification of the Brown-Peterson short-term memory task has been used to investigate release from proactive interference (PI) in a number of memory-impaired groups. It has been suggested that failure to release from PI is observed only in patients with compromise of both memory and 'frontal-lobe' functions. The present study examined performance on this paradigm in patients with schizophrenia (SC), a neuropsychiatric disorder which typically includes both frontal and mnemonic impairments. Patients with SC were found to exhibit significantly less release from PI than normal controls. It was determined through correlational analyses that average Trial 1 performance on this task could predict performance on all subsequent trials, indicating that 'release' from PI may measure the same psychological process as the Brown-Peterson task, which does not include a release condition. Trial 1 performance in the SC group was correlated with a wide range of neuropsychological measures, but after the effect of full scale IQ was partialled out, only correlations with measures of memory and measures of frontal-lobe function remained significant. The results support previous formulations of the neuropsychological concomitants of release from PI, but suggest that failure to release on this paradigm may be secondary to a significant compromise of the ability to perform the Brown-Peterson task. It is proposed that the experimental design constraints necessary to elicit a failure to release from PI in any patient group may limit the utility of this measure, and that Brown-Peterson performance may be a more reliable index of the neuropsychological functions involved."}
{"id": "PMID:1474147", "title": "Set-shifting and spatial orientation in patients with Parkinson's disease.", "content": "Individuals with Parkinson's disease were compared to normal control subjects on a series of widely used neuropsychological measures. The two groups were matched for gender, handedness, age, education, and occupation. The neuropsychological tests were chosen to measure two specific functions: (a) spatial orientation (i.e., measures of personal orientation, extrapersonal orientation, right/left orientation, and mental rotation), and (b) the ability to shift mental set (e.g., generating responses from alternating categories). The tests chosen to measure spatial orientation had no set-shifting component, and the tests chosen to measure set-shifting had no spatial orientation component. Multivariate statistical analyses revealed a significant difference between the subjects with Parkinson's disease and the control subjects on the measures of set-shifting ability. In contrast, no significant difference between the groups was observed on the measures of spatial orientation. These results are discussed in terms of the current speculation in the literature regarding the relationship between set-shifting deficits and a disruption of dopaminergic fibers to the prefrontal cortex in Parkinson's disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1474148", "title": "Attentional deficits following closed-head injury.", "content": "Aimed to assess, in the light of current attentional theories, the nature of the attentional deficit in a group of severely traumatically head-injured subjects, relative to a group of orthopaedic rehabilitation patients, and to establish which neuropsychological measures best reflected the deficit. Three separate studies were conducted in order to meet these aims. The first study focused on selective attention; the second, on vigilance or sustained attention; the third, on the Supervisory Attentional System. Results provided no evidence for the presence of deficits of focused attention, sustained attention, or supervisory attentional control, but ample evidence for the presence of a deficit in speed of information processing. Those neuropsychological measures shown to be the best measures of this deficit included the Symbol Digit Modalities Test, simple and choice reaction-time tasks, colour naming and word reading scores on the Stroop, and the Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test."}
{"id": "PMID:1474149", "title": "Memory search for faces and digits in patients with unilateral brain lesions.", "content": "To clarify whether the impairment of right-brain-damaged (RBD) patients in face recognition is related to perceptual or mnestic processing stages, we tested unilaterally lesioned patients and controls in a Sternberg-type memory search task. Subjects had to memorize sets of 1, 2, or 3 faces (or, in a control condition, digits) and were then to recognize these memorized stimuli among new ones by speeded choice reactions. In this task, deficits in stimulus encoding and memory search should show up in increased intercepts and slopes, respectively, of the RT function over memory set size. A face-specific impairment of the RBD patient group, consisting in longer reaction times and higher error rates, was confirmed but could not be unequivocally attributed to either stimulus encoding or memory search. However, inspection of individual data suggested that (1) some RBD patients are virtually unimpaired in face recognition and (2) if impairment after right hemisphere damage is present, it may selectively affect either stimulus encoding or memory search."}
{"id": "PMID:1474150", "title": "Performance of patients with early HIV-1 infection on the Stroop Task.", "content": "HIV-seropositive and seronegative control subjects performed a standard paper-and-pencil version and an experimental reaction time version of the Stroop Color-Word Naming Task. Results indicated that both symptomatic and asymptomatic HIV-positive subjects showed an exaggerated Stroop effect compared to controls, but this increase was only apparent on the RT version of the task. Analysis of components of the effect indicated that HIV-positive subjects showed increased inhibition compared to controls but normal facilitation. These results suggest that HIV-related cognitive slowing has an attentional component, most likely involving controlled processes. In addition, these results emphasize the utility and sensitivity of RT measures in the study of early HIV-1 infection."}
{"id": "PMID:1474151", "title": "Pathological findings in SIDS.", "content": "The original 1969 definition of SIDS as \"unexpected by history\" and \"unexplained after thorough postmortem examination\" is under review in the light of two decades of experience. Suggested modifications include restricting the age to less than 1 year, stipulating that the necropsy includes appropriate histology and laboratory tests, and requiring a review of the clinical history and examination of the death scene. The use of a protocol is recommended both by professional and parent groups. Although the diagnosis of SIDS is to some extent one of exclusion, there are several typical findings which are of value in diagnosis and suggest new avenues for research. External examination is important to exclude trauma and signs of suffocation. A recent study has confirmed that petechiae on the face are rare in SIDS and if found raise the question of deliberate or accidental suffocation. Frothy fluid escaping from the nose and mouth is seen in about half of infants who die from SIDS. Postmortem hypostatic staining as an indicator of position has assumed increased importance since prone sleeping has been shown to be a major risk factor for SIDS. Evidence of sweat in clothing suggests overwrapping. Internal examination shows subserosal petechial haemorrhages in the thymus in most cases. These may be related to age and are commoner in babies dying of SIDS than in controls. Relative sparing of the cervical extension of the thymus is strong evidence for negative intrathoracic pressure, perhaps due to upper or lower airway obstruction. Other typical findings are liquid heart blood, prominent lymph nodes, and an empty bladder (which frustrates some biochemical tests in about half of cases). The lungs are usually well inflated, arguing against surfactant deficiency as a significant cause of SIDS. Microscopic evidence of pulmonary oedema and congestion is found in infant deaths for many reasons and is not discriminatory for SIDS. Minor inflammation and infection of the respiratory tract is common in SIDS and may be important by contributing to overheating, apnoea, or sensitisation to bacterial toxins. Mild fatty change in the liver is very common in infant deaths. Panlobular microvesicular fatty change is rare and may require special stains for its recognition. It indicates the necessity of searching for inherited biochemical disorders. Although these are rare in true SIDS, they are an important cause of unexpected death in infancy. Of Naeye's \"tissue markers of hypoxia'', extramedullary haemopoiesis in the liver and brainstem gliosis have been confirmed. Persistence of fetal haemoglobin and raised hypoxanthine values in vitreous humour are further pointers to periods of premortem hypoxia. Painstaking neuropathology has shown delayed myelination and maturation of dendritic spines. Changes in the brain may explain the link between antenatal factors such as smoking and SIDS. A second cot death in a family requires expert examination. Minor injuries or unexplained apnoeic spells may be important retrospective clues to non-accidental injury. Investigations mus exclude inherited disorders before the death is ascribed to SIDS. Parents demand that the pathologist takes care of their baby before, during, and after the necropsy, carries out the procedure to a high standard, checks reconstruction of the body, facilitates access, and is responsible for communicating the results of the examination. The \"SIDS postmortem\" presents both a practical and an intellectual challenge."}
{"id": "PMID:1474152", "title": "Development of thermoregulation in infancy: possible implications for SIDS.", "content": "Over the first three months of life the infant's metabolic rate rises, which, together with the rise in ratio of mass to surface area, means that the net heat loss per unit surface area is 50% higher in a 3 month old infant than in a neonate. This, together with the thicker layer of subcutaneous fat and more effective peripheral vasomotor response to cold in a 3 month old infant, means that thermal balance is shifted in favour of heat conservation. The head is the site of 40% of heat production and of up to 85% of heat loss in an infant in bed: covers rising up over the head could therefore result in acute thermal imbalance with a rise in brain temperature not necessarily accompanied by a rise in body temperature. In animal studies relatively small changes in hypothalamic temperature have profound effects on the control of respiration. Alternatively, a rise in metabolic rate (from an acute infection, for example) could result in a significant change in thermal balance. There is anecdotal evidence that heat stress may be associated with sudden infant death or with severe hypoventilation. In the Avon studies infants with SIDS, particularly those over 70 days of age, were more heavily wrapped and were more likely to have had the heating on all night than control infants matched for age, date, and neighbourhood. There was no significant excess of viral infections in the infants with SIDS, but those who had virus infections were much more heavily wrapped than control infants with similar infections, suggesting that the combination of heavy wrapping and virus infection may be more important than either factor alone. There is, therefore, some physiological evidence that infants of 2 to 3 months of age may be more vulnerable to heat stress than younger infants, and limited evidence, from clinical studies, that this may occur and be associated with some sudden deaths. The precise contribution of thermal stress and the mechanism by which it could cause death remain unclear."}
{"id": "PMID:1474153", "title": "Susceptibility to infection in relation to SIDS.", "content": "Because there is little evidence that invasive bacterial diseases contribute to cot deaths, most studies on infectious causes of SIDS have focused on viruses or toxin producing bacteria. Although epidemiological studies found marginally significant associations between influenza virus and SIDS, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) was isolated from 90% of older infants with SIDS. There are conflicting reports that some toxigenic bacteria (Clostridium botulinum, Clostridium difficle, enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus) might be implicated in cot deaths. S aureus are common micro-organisms and their toxins are very powerful. As the pyrogenic toxic shock syndrome toxin of S aureus can kill a previously healthy adult, it might easily kill a small infant. Based on our studies on susceptibility of infants to other infections, we suggest the following might be factors leading to colonisation of infants by toxin producing S aureus: The Lewis blood group antigen appears to act as a receptor for some micro-organisms. Epithelial cells expressing high concentrations of Lewis bound appreciably more toxin producing S aureus than cells expressing low concentrations of the antigen. Lewis is expressed in secretions of nearly 90% of infants aged 3 months, the peak age for SIDS. RSV infects about 50% of infants by the first year of life and it is often isolated from infants with SIDS. Studies in our laboratory indicate that RSV infected HEp-2 cells bind more toxin producing S aureus than uninfected controls."}
{"id": "PMID:1474154", "title": "Viral infection and alpha interferon in SIDS.", "content": "Conventional approaches to virus detection fail to provide convincing evidence in support of a viral aetiology for SIDS. Virus positivity of about 20% in cases of SIDS is typical of most studies and is similar to that found in control groups. The application of direct immunofluorescence assays (DFA) has increased virus detection rates to 30-40%. Constraints imposed by technology, postmortem interval, choice of samples for analysis and the necessary limitation of virus types to be sought may all result in under-diagnosis of virus positivity. Alpha interferon (IFN alpha), produced by cells in an early response to exposure to many viruses, has been shown to increase in concentration in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with viral meningitis. In cases of SIDS significant increases in IFN alpha concentrations have been shown in nasopharyngeal aspirates from virus positive cases and from apparently virus negative cases. The application of conventional techniques of DFA and IFN alpha measurement therefore identifies a much larger percentage of SIDS cases as having been exposed to virus. Disturbance of respiratory regulation has been suggested as an aetiological mechanism in SIDS. Apnoeic episodes are frequently described and are known to be associated with certain viral infections, particularly respiratory syncytial virus. The abnormal presence of IFN alpha in neurones of the medulla of the brain stem in a proportion of SIDS cases were identified by immunohistochemistry. This might suggest a link between viral infection and disturbance of respiratory regulation. The higher rates of virus exposure which can now be detected and the localisation of IFN-alpha in medullary neurones suggest that it is premature to discount the viral hypothesis as an explanation for at least a proportion of SIDS cases."}
{"id": "PMID:1474155", "title": "Viral respiratory infection and SIDS.", "content": "One of the many factors which have been implicated in the aetiology of SIDS is infection of the respiratory tract, particularly viral infection. This applies particularly to those infants who die from SIDS who are more than 3 months old. The evidence for this belief is based on both epidemiological and pathological factors. Among the epidemiological factors are the pronounced seasonal variation of SIDS (it being commoner in winter); the increased incidence of pre-existing illness, particularly upper respiratory infections, in the two weeks before death; and the increased occurrence of SIDS during epidemics of viral infection in the community. Not all of these factors are universally accepted, however, particularly when appropriate controls are investigated. The necropsy evidence includes the presence of lymphoid inflammatory infiltrates in the respiratory tract, particularly the upper respiratory tract. While these are present in many cases of SIDS, they are not present in all. Postmortem isolation of respiratory viruses has also given conflicting results: some authors show an apparent increase compared with controls, while others do not. No specific virus has been implicated. Part of the reason for these conflicting epidemiological and pathological results is failure to use proper controls. An additional explanation may be the technical difficulties involved in isolating viruses. Apart from the problems resulting from postmortem effects, culture, immunofluorescence, and ELISA tests are known to give significant false negative rates. Accordingly, newer, potentially more sensitive and robust techniques, such as molecular hybridisation, are being applied to cases of SIDS to determine whether viral infection is more common than is currently recognised. Whatever the outcome of these investigations, it is highly unlikely that viral infection per se is the cause of SIDS. One or more additional factors are also involved which may include an abnormal immune response, generation of thermal stress, precipitation of respiratory obstruction, bacterial overgrowth with toxin release, or suppression of the arousal response."}
{"id": "PMID:1474157", "title": "Metabolic deficiencies and SIDS.", "content": "The role of inherited metabolic defects in SIDS is controversial: some workers think that they may account for the cause of death in about 10% of cases. Many maintain that this is a gross overestimate, but it cannot be denied that the sudden onset and rapid deterioration known to occur in some metabolic disorders during the first year of life can mimic SIDS. This may remain undetected unless postmortem material is examined in specialist centres with individual metabolic disorders in mind. Defects in energy metabolism and the maintenance of glucose homeostasis frequently show this pattern of presentation precipitated by minor clinical infection. These disorders include the glycogen storage disorders, gluconeogenic enzyme defects, and the defects of fatty acid oxidation. Several reports have appeared since 1984 linking fatty acid oxidation defects with SIDS. Estimates of their prevalence vary, due partly to methodological heterogeneity and partly to the limited size of individual studies which have not permitted adequate statistical analysis. Nevertheless, the lack of adequate information has not precluded a great deal of debate. Over the past seven years a group in Sheffield has studied the occurrence of these defects in SIDS using three distinct approaches: retrospective analysis of SIDS cases, prospective analysis of SIDS cases, prospective analysis of urine obtained from siblings of SIDS cases during the first week of life. The result of these studies would suggest that the contribution to SIDS made by medium chain acyl CoA dehydrogenase deficiency may be in the region of 1%. Additional related metabolic disorders may account for a further as yet undefined small percentage. The eventual resolution of some of these uncertainties may be provided by harmonizing the results of existing studies and by DNA analysis of materials obtained at necropsy in SIDS cases."}
{"id": "PMID:1474158", "title": "Immunopathology of SIDS.", "content": "Immunopathological studies of SIDS share the problems of all necropsy based studies of this syndrome: the extent of autolytic changes in the material under study; and the lack of appropriate controls. Despite these problems, several studies have been performed on serum, bronchoalveolar lavage, and pulmonary tissue. Many of these studies have been inspired by the modified anaphylaxis hypothesis, based on the experiments of Coombs and coworkers. Lightly anaesthetised guinea-pigs, which had been sensitised to cows' milk protein, were shown to die after intratracheal challenge. Studies of serum IgE concentrations in SIDS initially indicated raised specific IgE for Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, Aspergillus fumigatus, and bovine beta-lactoglobulin, but subsequent studies have not sustained these findings. Raised immunoglobulin concentrations in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid have been found in association with SIDS but this probably reflects plasma leakage rather than local secretion. Immunocytochemical analysis of lavage cells performed by the same group revealed no major difference between SIDS cases and controls, although these were limited to four cases. To date, there have been no comprehensive studies of the inflammatory cell content of the pulmonary parenchyma in SIDS. In our own studies, we have examined the mast cell and eosinophil populations in the lungs of 49 cases of infants with SIDS and in 33 infants dying of non-pulmonary causes in the first 18 months of life. We found no difference in mast cell numbers between the groups but there was a striking excess of eosinophils in the lungs of infants dying of SIDS. Because eosinophils can secrete oxygen free radicals and cytotoxic cationic proteins, we regard this as evidence of a potential mechanism for the pulmonary oedema that is characteristic of SIDS. A viral infection which might otherwise have been trivial could therefore prove fatal."}
{"id": "PMID:1474160", "title": "An evaluation of the effect of food on the oral bioavailability of sustained-release morphine sulfate tablets (ORAMORPH SR) after multiple doses.", "content": "The effect of food on the oral bioavailability of sustained-release morphine sulfate tablets (ORAMORPH SR; Roxane Laboratories, Inc., Columbus, OH; OSR) was examined in an open-label, randomized, two-period crossover study. Healthy male volunteers received a 30-mg OSR tablet orally every 12 hours for seven doses during both the fasted and fed states. Dosing periods were separated by a 14-day washout. Volunteers in the fasted group received all doses either 2 hours before or after meals. Volunteers in the fed group received all doses immediately after meals. All meals were standardized. Serial blood samples were collected for analysis of plasma morphine concentration by radioimmunoassay. Pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated using plasma concentration data collected after the last dose at 72 hours of each dosing period. The two one-sided t analysis indicated confidence intervals between 80% and 120% for maximum peak plasma concentration (Cmax), AUC72-84hr, Cavg, and Cmin. The relative bioavailability of OSR administered after meals was 90.2% of that administered in the fasted state. As compared with the fasted condition, morphine bioavailability was essentially unchanged when multiple oral doses of 30-mg OSR tablets were given after meals."}
{"id": "PMID:1474162", "title": "Salivatory responses to classical and nontraditional parasympatholytic agents in human subjects: critical comments.", "content": "Both classical (atropine, scopolamine) and nontraditional (pirenzepine, telenzepine) cholinolytic agents themselves cause no salivation in human subjects. Ordinarily, they block salivation caused by pilocarpine. Conversely, they all stimulate intense salivatory response in the chronically denervated human parotid gland. The author presents critical comments on the concept that cholinolytic agents cause salivation by suppression of the mechanism of presynaptic autoinhibition. An alternative explanation of the initial cholinomimetic effect of cholinolytic agents is suggested."}
{"id": "PMID:1474161", "title": "Effectiveness and duration of intramuscular antimotion sickness medications.", "content": "Motion sickness inhibits gastric motility, making the oral route ineffective for medications. The intramuscular route is an effective alternative. The rotating chair was used to produce the M 111 level of motion sickness on the Graybiel Symptom Scale. The intramuscular medications given 30 minutes before rotation were compared with placebo (saline, 1 mL) for effectiveness and duration in increasing the number of tolerated head movements. Average placebo number of head movements was 294. Promethazine 25 mg increased head movements by 78% (P < .05), with a duration of 12 hours. Scopolamine 0.2 mg increased head movements by 91% (P < .05), with a duration of 4 hours. The effect of caffeine 250 mg and ephedrine 25 mg was not significant. When combined with scopolamine, ephedrine produced an 32% additive effect. Scopolamine 0.08 mg, 0.1 mg, and 0.2 mg and also promethazine 12.5 mg and 25 mg were significant (P < .05). Promethazine appears to be the drug of choice for intramuscular use because of a longer duration and a high level of effectiveness. Scopolamine was of high effectiveness, but had a duration of 4 hours. It was eight times as potent by the intramuscular as by the oral route."}
{"id": "PMID:1474163", "title": "Pharmacokinetics of nadolol in children with supraventricular tachycardia.", "content": "The pharmacokinetics of intravenous and oral nadolol, a long-acting beta-adrenoceptor blocking agent, were investigated in six children receiving the drug for treatment of supraventricular tachycardia. In the youngest patient (age 3 months), no distribution phase was seen. In children younger than 22 months of age, nadolol is more rapidly eliminated (t1/2 = 4.3 hours or less) than in older children, in whom elimination is more similar to that in adults (t1/2 approximately 7.3-15.7 hours). After intravenous administration, nadolol displayed two-compartment pharmacokinetics with a distribution phase (t1/2 = 0.2-1.1 hours) followed by elimination. Large changes in nadolol pharmacokinetics may occur during the first year of life. Nadolol should be used cautiously in infants."}
{"id": "PMID:1474164", "title": "Elucidating the relationship between acetazolamide plasma protein binding and renal clearance using an albumin infusion.", "content": "The effect of plasma protein binding changes on drug clearance is an important concept in clinical pharmacology. In a hypoalbuminemic patient receiving acetazolamide, albumin infusion (50 g) increased acetazolamide plasma protein binding towards normal as the serum albumin concentration rose (r = 0.91, P < .001). The ratio of acetazolamide renal plasma clearance to creatinine clearance decreased as serum albumin levels increased (r = 0.78, P < .05) and the unbound drug fraction fell (r = 0.88, P < .01), but clearance ratios based on unbound plasma acetazolamide levels did not change. Albumin infusion resulted in a nonparallel decline over time between plasma and unbound plasma acetazolamide concentrations. These data demonstrate that, over the range of observed serum albumin concentrations, acetazolamide renal plasma clearance is sensitive to changes in plasma protein binding. Furthermore, our findings emphasize the importance of measuring unbound drug levels when protein binding changes occur during the course of drug disposition studies. Finally, this methodology allows for the fascile assessment of the effects of plasma protein binding changes on renal drug clearance."}
{"id": "PMID:1474165", "title": "Disposition of cefpodoxime proxetil in hemodialysis patients.", "content": "The disposition of cefpodoxime after single, oral 200-mg doses of cefpodoxime proxetil (cefpodoxime equivalents) was investigated in an open-label study of six patients with end-stage renal disease currently maintained on hemodialysis. Subjects were randomly assigned to one of two treatment groups, which differed in the sequence of the interdialytic and intradialytic periods. Doses were separated by at least 2 weeks. Blood samples were serially collected for 48 hours after each treatment; if obtainable, urine was also collected over this same period. During the intradialytic period, hemodialysis was scheduled to begin approximately 3 hours after dosing, and dialysate was collected before and until the end of dialysis. Average cefpodoxime elimination half-life for the interdialytic period was 18.0 +/- 6.5 hours; apparent total body clearance was 28.6 +/- 13 mL/minute. The half-life during hemodialysis, 2.66 +/- 0.74 hours, was considerably shorter than that after hemodialysis, 19.2 +/- 3.5 hours, in the intradialytic period of the study. Hemodialysis clearance of cefpodoxime was 120 +/- 31 mL/minute, which was 57.1 +/- 13% and 71.7 +/- 25% of the hemodialysis clearance for urea nitrogen and creatinine, respectively. The 2.86 +/- 0.25 hour hemodialysis session removed 22.4 +/- 2.9% of the administered dose, as assessed by cefpodoxime recovery in dialysate. A maximum rebound in cefpodoxime plasma concentration of 0.41 +/- 0.33 mcg/mL was observed, at about one-half hour after the end of hemodialysis. Based on these results, dosage adjustment is not required, but extension of the dosing interval is warranted.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1474166", "title": "Clarithromycin pharmacokinetics in healthy young and elderly volunteers.", "content": "The pharmacokinetics of clarithromycin and its active 14(R)-hydroxy metabolite were assessed in 12 healthy young and 12 healthy elderly volunteers after oral administration of a multiple dose regimen of oral clarithromycin (500 mg every 12 hours for 5 doses). Plasma and urine clarithromycin and 14(R)-hydroxyclarithromycin concentrations were determined using high-performance liquid chromatography. The elderly subjects exhibited significantly elevated clarithromycin peak (Cmax) and trough (Cmin) plasma concentrations and area under the plasma concentration-time curve (AUC) compared with young subjects. In addition, the elderly group exhibited a significantly reduced apparent total body clearance (300 +/- 97 versus 476 +/- 112 mL/min, respectively) and renal clearance (CLR) (84 +/- 31 versus 168 +/- 35 mL/min, respectively). Similar results were noted for the 14(R)-hydroxy metabolite, with significantly elevated Cmax, Cmin, and AUC and reduced CLR in the elderly compared with the young group. Because the differences in parent and metabolite pharmacokinetic parameters were small and the increase in circulating drug concentrations was well tolerated (no increase in incidence or severity of adverse events), adjustments in clarithromycin dosing regimens may not be necessary solely on the basis of age."}
{"id": "PMID:1474167", "title": "Lack of effect of pentoxifylline on red blood cell deformability.", "content": "The proposed mechanism of action for pentoxifylline's beneficial effect in peripheral vascular disease is an improvement in red blood cell deformability. Likewise, single doses of pentoxifylline in healthy volunteers have been shown to improve whole blood filterability, which was suggested to occur as a result of augmented red blood cell deformability. To further assess this, the authors studied the effects of short-term pentoxifylline administration (400 mg three times daily for 7 days) on red blood cell deformability in ten healthy, methylxanthine-free, nonsmoking volunteers. Blood samples were obtained at baseline and after 1 week of therapy (steady-state). Samples were analyzed for red blood cell deformability by ektacytometry, which showed no significant change in deformability in any subject. Despite the improvement in whole blood filterability associated with both single-dose and short-term administration of pentoxifylline, the current study demonstrates no effect on red blood cell deformability after short-term administration in healthy volunteers."}
{"id": "PMID:1474168", "title": "Comparison of pentoxifylline pharmacokinetics between smokers and nonsmokers.", "content": "Pentoxifylline is a synthetic xanthine derivative and is hepatically cleared. The natural dimethylxanthines theobromine and theophylline have been shown to have enhanced metabolism in smokers when compared with nonsmokers. Subsequently, the effect of smoking on pentoxifylline plasma concentrations was investigated. Twenty healthy volunteers (10 smokers and 10 nonsmokers) received pentoxifylline 400 mg as a controlled-release tablet every 8 hours for 17 doses. Several blood samples were collected for 8 hours after the final dose. These samples were assayed for pentoxifylline and its metabolites. The mean values of the smokers were compared with those of the nonsmokers. With respect to pentoxifylline, no statistically significant differences in maximum concentration and time of maximum concentration were observed between the two groups. Although no statistical differences in plasma concentrations and area-under-the-curve at steady state (AUCss) were observed, the oral clearance of pentoxifylline among the smokers (.22 +/- .08 L/minute/kg) was significantly greater (P < .05) than that among the nonsmokers (0.15 +/- 0.06 L/minute/kg) when corrected for body weight. With respect to the pentoxifylline metabolite 1-(5-hydroxy-hexyl)-3,7-dimethylxanthine (MI), the maximum concentration and AUCss of the smokers were significantly decreased when compared with the nonsmokers. The AUCss of the smokers was 1438 +/- 819 ng.hour/mL and of the nonsmokers was 2864 +/- 1375 ng.hour/mL (P < .02). The results of this trial suggest that smoking tends to reduce pentoxifylline plasma concentrations and significantly reduces MI plasma concentrations."}
{"id": "PMID:1474169", "title": "Classifying antiarrhythmic actions: by facts or speculation.", "content": "Classification of antiarrhythmic actions is reviewed in the context of the results of the Cardiac Arrhythmia Suppression Trials, CAST 1 and 2. Six criticisms of the classification recently published (The Sicilian Gambit) are discussed in detail. The alternative classification, when stripped of speculative elements, is shown to be similar to the original classification. Claims that the classification failed to predict the efficacy of antiarrhythmic drugs for the selection of appropriate therapy have been tested by an example. The antiarrhythmic actions of cibenzoline were classified in 1980. A detailed review of confirmatory experiments and clinical trials during the past decade shows that predictions made at the time agree with subsequent results. Classification of the effects drugs actually have on functioning cardiac tissues provides a rational basis for finding the preferred treatment for a particular arrhythmia in accordance with the diagnosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1474170", "title": "Optimization of sampling time for cyclosporine monitoring in transplant patients.", "content": "Cyclosporine (CsA) dosing is based on CsA plasma or blood concentrations measured 12 to 24 hours after drug administration (trough levels). This study evaluated the relationship between the timing of CsA concentrations and subsequent pharmacokinetic parameters to predict an optimal sampling period. Plasma samples were obtained from 22 patients before their morning dose of CsA and at 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12 hours after the dose on the 7th and on the 21st day after heart transplantation. The plasma samples were assayed by both HPLC and FPIA. The Cmax for CsA was achieved over a period ranging from 2 to 6 hours (mean/median = 4.7/4.0) during the day 7 and the day 21 studies. The mean (+/- SD) half-life was 3.2 (1.0) hours on day 7 and 2.9 (1.1) hours on day 21, (P > 0.05); the mean apparent oral clearance was 276 (117) L/hr on the day 7 and 269 (209) L/hr on day 21, (P > 0.05). When CsA plasma concentration by either FPIA and HPLC was monitored, the drug concentration best correlated with AUC was found to correspond to the plasma samples taken 4 to 8 hours after drug administration. The authors conclude that through blood sampling for therapeutic drug monitoring of CsA is not optimal, and that further studies are necessary to correlate concentration monitoring during the dosing interval with pharmacologic and toxicologic parameters."}
{"id": "PMID:1474171", "title": "The stereoselective pharmacokinetics of etodolac in young and elderly subjects, and after cholecystectomy.", "content": "The pharmacokinetics of the enantiomers of etodolac were studied in six young subjects (ages 28 +/- 3.3 years), 6 nonarthritic elderly subjects (ages 73 +/- 6.0 years), and in three cholecystectomy patients after single oral doses of the racemate (200 mg). In all subjects, the plasma concentrations of R-etodolac, which is pharmacologically inactive, greatly exceeded those of the pharmacologically active S-enantiomer. Stereoselectivity was reflected in the pharmacokinetics, with R > S for maximum peak plasma concentration and area under the concentration versus time curve, and S > R for apparent oral clearance and apparent volume of distribution. On average, less than 25% of the dose of each enantiomer was excreted in the urine within 24 hours as alkali-labile conjugates; little or no unchanged drug was recovered. Bile constituted a minor route of elimination of etodolac as conjugated enantiomers. There were no significant differences in the pharmacokinetics of etodolac enantiomers between the young and elderly subjects. The results reflect the importance of considering stereoselectivity in evaluating the pharmacokinetics of etodolac."}
{"id": "PMID:1474172", "title": "Acceptability and efficacy of two associations of paracetamol with a central analgesic (dextropropoxyphene or codeine): comparison in osteoarthritis.", "content": "A double-blind randomized parallel group trial was undertaken to compare the acceptability and efficacy of 2 forms of analgesic treatment, DI-Antalvic (Houde Laboratories, Puteaux, France) (30 mg dextropropoxyphene and 400 mg paracetamol per capsule) and Efferalgan-Codeine (UPSA Laboratories, Rueil Malmaison, France) (30 mg codeine and 500 mg paracetamol per tablet) prescribed for 1 week at doses of 6 capsules/day and 6 tablets/day, respectively, in 141 outpatients with active osteoarthritis of the knee or hip. The principal aim of the trial was concerned with acceptability, with efficacy as its secondary aim. The principal trial criterion was defined as overall assessment of acceptability by the patient at the end of the trial (success or failure) or by treatment dropouts because of an adverse effect (failure). Comparability of the groups was confirmed before any treatment regarding the physical characteristics of the patients, characteristics of osteoarthritis, and the initial level of pain and functional consequences of pain. Results show that the analgesic efficacy of the treatment was similar, but that the acceptability of Efferalgan-Codeine was significantly worse than that of DI-Antalvic: 53% failure with Efferalgan-Codeine versus 29% failure with DI-Antalvic (P = .005). Other trials of the same type would seem necessary (comparison of lower doses, other types of pain) before being able to generally extrapolate such findings."}
{"id": "PMID:1474173", "title": "Central nervous system effects of meclizine and dimenhydrinate: evidence of acute tolerance to antihistamines.", "content": "Relative daytime drowsiness and performance impairment produced by meclizine and dimenhydrinate was assessed in 24 healthy male volunteers. Subjects received either dimenhydrinate, 100 mg, at 8:00 AM, 12:00 PM, and 4:00 PM; meclizine, 50 mg, at 8:00 AM, with placebo at 12:00 PM and 4:00 PM; or placebo at all three times in this randomized, double-blind, three-way crossover study. Impairment of mental performance was assessed by choice reaction time testing and digit symbol substitution scores. Drowsiness was self-assessed on the Stanford Sleepiness Scale and on a visual analog scale. Both antihistamines produced changes in digit symbol substitution, recognition time, and subjective assessments of sleepiness different from placebo. Expressed as change from baseline, the greatest reductions in digit symbol substitution scores after dimenhydrinate occurred 3 hours after the first dose (6.6 +/- 7) and were not different from the greatest measured change after meclizine (5.8 +/- 8), which occurred 9 hours after the dose was administered. Similar results were obtained with the other psychometric test scores. Self-rated sleepiness after dimenhydrinate was greatest 1 hour after the first dose, and was significantly greater than the largest degree of sleepiness after meclizine, which occurred at 7 hours after the dose. The effects of the first dose of dimenhydrinate on psychometric test scores were compared with the magnitude of the effects produced by subsequent doses. The magnitude of effect of the first dose of dimenhydrinate was significantly greater than the magnitude of effect produced by subsequent doses. The data suggest the possibility that acute tolerance to central nervous system impairment develops with multiple doses of dimenhydrinate."}
{"id": "PMID:1474177", "title": "Psychotropic drugs and injuries among the elderly: a review.", "content": "Injuries are a major public health problem among the elderly, and they have substantial medical, social, and economic consequences. There has been a longstanding concern that psychotropic drugs increase the risk of injury, particularly in the elderly, who frequently use psychotropic drugs and are more vulnerable to drug effects that may predispose to injuries. For benzodiazepines and antidepressants, the most commonly used psychotropic drugs outside of institutional settings, an extensive body of data demonstrating psychomotor function impairment establishes a firm basis for concern, which is reinforced by the more limited epidemiologic data. However, because of limitations in both types of data, this issue remains controversial. To resolve this controversy, we suggest three lines of further research: psychomotor function tests more directly relevant to the injury risk of the elderly medication user, epidemiologic studies designed to distinguish drug effects from those of underlying psychopathology, and clinical trials that include injuries as an outcome."}
{"id": "PMID:1474178", "title": "Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of adinazolam and N-desmethyladinazolam after oral and intravenous dosing in healthy young and elderly volunteers.", "content": "The pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of adinazolam and N-desmethyladinazolam were studied in 18 young subjects, from 21 to 36 years of age, and 18 elderly subjects, ranging in age from 65 to 76 years. Nine men and 9 women per age group were studied in a randomized three-way crossover design. Single doses of one 30-mg adinazolam mesylate sustained release tablet, one 30-mg immediate release tablet, and 15 mg of intravenous adinazolam mesylate were administered. Plasma adinazolam and N-desmethyladinazolam were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography, and psychomotor performance tests, including digit-symbol substitution and two card-sorting tasks, were performed. An effect index, defined as the maximal performance decrement divided by N-desmethyladinazolam maximum plasma concentration was calculated as a measure of sensitivity to these effects. Adinazolam oral and systemic clearances were reduced approximately 30% and 25%, respectively, in elderly volunteers. Adinazolam half-life was prolonged approximately 40% in the elderly after oral dosing. N-Desmethyladinazolam plasma concentrations and half-life were increased approximately 40% in elderly volunteers. Psychomotor performance decrements were observed following all treatments; decrements were lowest following sustained release tablets and intravenous adinazolam. Maximal performance decrements in elderly subjects were approximately twice those observed in young subjects. No significant influence of age on the effect index for digit-symbol substitution was evident. Effect indices for card-sorting tests were significantly higher in the elderly. Lower clearances of adinazolam and N-desmethyladinazolam are observed in elderly volunteers, and increased N-desmethyladinazolam levels contribute to increased psychomotor performance decrements in elderly subjects. Results also suggest that elderly subjects may be more sensitive to certain cognitive effects of N-desmethyladinazolam."}
{"id": "PMID:1474179", "title": "Clomipramine, clonazepam, and clonidine treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder.", "content": "Serotonergic reuptake inhibitors have been the primary medications for treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD); however, other serotonergic and alpha 2-adrenergic medications also have been reported to reduce obsessive-compulsive symptoms. In this study, we compare three medications with reported efficacy in OCD to a control medication, diphenhydramine, a medication without theoretical or demonstrated treatment benefit. The three active medications were clomipramine, a serotonergic reuptake inhibitor; clonazepam, a benezodiazepine with putative serotonergic properties; and clonidine, an alpha 2-adrenergic agonist. Twenty-eight subjects with DSM-III-R diagnosis of OCD rotated through 6-week trials of each of the four medications in a randomized, double-blind, multiple crossover protocol. Clomipramine and clonazepam were both effective relative to the control medication in reducing OCD symptoms. There was a significant cross-response between these two medications; however 40% of subjects failing clomipramine trials had a clinically significant response to clonazepam treatment. The control medication, diphenhydramine, itself produced a significant decrement in symptoms, whereas clonidine was ineffective in reducing OCD symptoms. Clonazepam improvement was unrelated to changes in anxiety and occurred early in treatment. Clonazepam was significantly more effective than the other medications during the first 3 weeks of treatment. The results confirm the efficacy of clomipramine in the treatment of OCD and suggest that clonazepam might be a useful alternative treatment for patients with this disorder."}
{"id": "PMID:1474180", "title": "Carbamazepine-induced increases in total serum cholesterol: clinical and theoretical implications.", "content": "To assess the effect of carbamazepine (CBZ) upon total serum cholesterol, we examined 38 inpatients with affective illness and one with multiple personality disorder who received a course of CBZ monotherapy. CBZ therapy yielded significant increases in total serum cholesterol that became evident during the second week of therapy, persisted throughout therapy, and reversed in the first few weeks after discontinuation of therapy. CBZ-induced increases in total cholesterol appeared independent of initial mood state, diagnostic subtype, baseline cholesterol or thyroid indices; CBZ levels, doses, and level-to-dose ratios; and the degree of change in mood and thyroid indices. CBZ induction of enzymes mediating cholesterol synthesis is a possible mechanism of the increase in total cholesterol observed with CBZ therapy. Although preclinical studies suggest possible influence of cholesterol on neurotransmitter regulation and behavior, clinical studies have yielded conflicting data. There are insufficient data to support a role for cholesterol in the anticonvulsant and psychotropic mechanisms of CBZ. The increase in total serum cholesterol seen with CBZ therapy is likely due to an increase in the high density lipoprotein fraction and is thus not likely to be clinically problematic in relationship to atherosclerosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1474188", "title": "Analysis of the 14;18 translocation in cutaneous lymphomas using the polymerase chain reaction.", "content": "A series of 25 cutaneous B-cell lymphoid proliferations was analyzed for the presence of the (14; 18) translocation using the polymerase chain reaction. Junctional sequences of rearranged chromosomes 14 and 18 were amplified in vitro, and t (14; 18) specific sequences were detected in 1 of 14 primary cutaneous B-cell lymphomas, in 3 of 8 primary nodal B-cell lymphomas and in none of 3 B-cell pseudolymphomas. These results indicate that the t (14; 18) may occur in a small subset of primary cutaneous lymphoma. However, the difference in incidence of the t (14; 18) between primary nodal and primary cutaneous lymphomas suggests that different molecular mechanisms are involved in the pathogenesis of these lymphomas."}
{"id": "PMID:1474189", "title": "Cell cycle analysis by flow cytometry of non-exposed, sun-exposed, and tretinoin-treated skin.", "content": "The percentage of keratinocytes in the proliferative phase of the cell cycle (S + G2 + M) was measured by DNA flow cytometry in sun-exposed, non-exposed, and tretinoin-treated skin. Before tretinoin treatment, the percentage of keratinocytes actively cycling was higher in sun-exposed than in non-sun-exposed skin (p = .002) and was correlated with clinically assessed photodamage (p = .007). Subsequently, tretinoin-treated sun-exposed skin was compared to the pre-treatment sun-exposed skin. Overall, there was no statistically significant change. However, there was a trend toward a decrease in the percentage of keratinocytes in the S + G2 + M phases immediately after four months of tretinoin use that was limited to the most severely damaged patients. This effect was no longer evident two months after discontinuing treatment. This is the first study, to our knowledge, utilizing flow cytometry to investigate the effects of tretinoin in patients with varying degrees of photodamage."}
{"id": "PMID:1474190", "title": "Alpha-6 (CD 49f) integrin expression in genetic and acquired bullous skin diseases. A comparison of its distribution with bullous pemphigoid antigen.", "content": "Bullous pemphigoid (BP) antigen and alpha 6 integrin are hemidesmosome-associated glycoproteins of basal keratinocytes. In this work, the immunoreactivity of antibodies to BP and to alpha 6 in salt- or dispase-split human skin, and in 46 biopsy specimens of various genetic and autoimmune bullous dermatoses taken from various body sites, was studied by double-labeling immunofluorescence. In all specimens, both antigens localized at the same side of the blisters observed, i.e. the roof of the bulla in cases with a junctional or dermolytic cleavage, or the floor of the blister in those with intraepidermal cleavage. Immunostaining for alpha 6 was strong and present in all specimens studied, whereas the one obtained with the BP serum was absent from some specimens. These results show that the BP antigen and the alpha 6 integrin colocalize at the level of cleavage in bullous diseases; however, the more consistent and reproducible reactivity obtained with the anti-alpha 6 antibody suggests that this should be preferentially used in the immunohistochemical investigation of bullous dermatoses."}
{"id": "PMID:1474191", "title": "Mitten deformity in severe generalized recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa: histological, immunofluorescence, and ultrastructural study.", "content": "Light and electron microscopy and indirect immunofluorescence techniques were used to study the nature of the mitten deformity in five adult patients with severe generalized recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa undergoing release of hand and finger contractures. Although the mitten appeared largely to be clinically separated from the underlying fixed digits, histology showed mostly normal keratinocytes beneath a thickened stratum corneum. The lower margin of the mitten was formed just below the lamina densa of the basement membrane, at a level similar to that of the usual blister formation in this condition. No anchoring fibrils and only a few distinct dermal structures were noted. A substantial portion of the mitten, however, consisted of necrotic keratinocytes without an intact basement membrane. This finding suggests that the mitten is not suitable for use as an epidermal autograft and confirms the rationale for taking split thickness skin grafts to close skin defects in patients with recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa undergoing plastic surgery."}
{"id": "PMID:1474192", "title": "Image analysis of stage 1 melanoma (1.00-2.50 mm): lymphocytic infiltrates related to metastasis and survival.", "content": "Image analysis of histologic sections of 11 patients with clinical Stage 1 melanoma, 1.00 mm-2.50 mm, who developed metastasis, was done to determine the significance of lymphocytic infiltrates relative to metastasis and survival. An age, sex, site, and thickness matched control group of non-metastasizing clinical Stage 1 melanoma revealed no significant difference in the lymphocytic infiltrate parameters from the metastasizing group with the exception of the ratio of lymphocyte infiltrate width to the tumor width (p = 0.003). Increased lymphocytic infiltrates within the tumor and subjacent to its base significantly correlated with delayed time to metastasis (p = 0.014 and p < 0.001, respectively) and longer survival period (p = 0.045 and p < 0.001, respectively). Lymphocytic infiltrate area at the tumor base in relation to tumor area was of prognostic value: the larger the ratio, the greater the time interval from metastasis to death (p = 0.008)."}
{"id": "PMID:1474193", "title": "Occurrence of melanoma in \"dysplastic\" nevus spilus: report of case and analysis by flow cytometry.", "content": "We report a case of melanoma arising in a large nevus spilus. On histologic examination, the nevus spilus had diagnostic features of melanocytic dysplasia. Further characterization by flow cytometry showed DNA-aneuploidy within the melanoma as well as in one of the darker pigmented papules within the nevus spilus. The significance of this finding and a review of melanomas originating in nevi spili are presented."}
{"id": "PMID:1474194", "title": "Cutaneous lymphadenoma with ductal differentiation.", "content": "Cutaneous lymphadenoma (CL) is a recently described neoplasm of unknown histogenesis. Histologically, these tumors typically present as well-circumscribed nodules with scant or no epidermal connections. They are composed of multiple rounded lobules of basaloid cells with some degree of peripheral palisading. These epithelial lobules characteristically show a dense lymphoid infiltrate within them. In cases of CL previously described, there was no obvious adnexal differentiation except for isolated cells showing apparent sebaceous differentiation or hints of follicular differentiation. We report two typical cases of CL that were studied histologically and immunohistochemically. In some of the tumor lobules, there were foci of ductal differentiation, with luminal positivity for CEA and EMA. We postulate that some CL represent a form of immature sweat gland tumor with ductal differentiation."}
{"id": "PMID:1474195", "title": "Juvenile colloid milium: clinical, histological and ultrastructural features.", "content": "We report the clinical, histological and ultrastructural features of juvenile colloid milium affecting a brother and sister. In this rare condition, translucent papules develop on sun-exposed areas of skin, with onset in childhood. Histologically and ultrastructurally, the papules consist of amyloid-like material derived from epidermal keratonocytes. A review of the literature suggests a possible genetic abnormality that leads to sun-induced degeneration of keratinocytes."}
{"id": "PMID:1474196", "title": "Bubble hair.", "content": "An unusual hair dystrophy was studied by means of light and electron microscopy. Hair fibers demonstrated a boomerang deformity containing small and large \"bubbles\". Electron microscopy revealed a loss of cortical cells and medulla at these sites. Cross-section images showed either a single large cavity or a reticulated, \"swiss cheese-like\" loss of cells. These two cases represent the second and third reported cases of bubble hair deformity. We present the second light and electron microscopic study of this disorder, including new electron microscopic findings. The cause of bubble hair deformity remains obscure. The involved tufts of wiry hair resolved with gentle hair care. This suggests that trauma to the hair shaft may play a role. It is likely that additional cases of bubble hair remain unrecognized. Investigation of other patients with localized tufts of wiry hair is likely to reveal additional cases."}
{"id": "PMID:1474197", "title": "Vertically growing ectopic nail.", "content": "A 64-year-old Japanese woman with an ectopic nail at the palmar tip of the left middle finger is reported. Interestingly, the nail grew vertically to a line horizontal to the surface epidermis. Atypically, it appeared at 60 years of age with no prior injury or trauma to explain inoculation of a nail matrix into the regional skin. Roentgenographically, there were no abnormal findings such as Y-shaped bifurcation of the distal phalanx of the affected finger. There are conflicting opinions concerning whether or not a proximal nail fold is critical for the nail to grow outward instead of upward. Although the present case had a wide proximal nail fold, it did not seem to play its role of compressing and assisting the nail plate to grow outward. Hence, it may be that the absence of a proper nail bed, rather than the absence of a proximal nail fold, promotes upward growth of a nail plate instead of outward growth."}
{"id": "PMID:1474198", "title": "Relationship between oxygen sensitivity and oxygen metabolism of Bifidobacterium species.", "content": "Bifidobacteria, which are obligate anaerobes, were studied to determine the relationship between their sensitivity to oxygen and oxygen metabolism. Among the four species tested, Bifidobacterium infantis, Bifidobacterium breve, and Bifidobacterium longum differed from Bifidobacterium adolescentis in sensitivity to oxygen. The former three species showed marked growth under conditions of partial aeration, whereas the growth of B. adolescentis was suppressed by low concentrations of oxygen. Bifidobacteria express reduced NAD-oxidase and -peroxidase activities, which function in a pathway for two-electron reduction of molecular oxygen, producing hydrogen peroxide and, subsequently, water. Activities of reduced NAD-oxidase and -peroxidase were inversely correlated with their sensitivities to oxygen. Bifidobacterium adolescentis exhibited lowered activities of these two enzymes; the activities were 10 to 20% of those observed with B. infantis, B. breve, and B. longum. These observations are compatible with the hypothesis that reduced NAD-oxidase and reduced NAD-peroxidase in Bifidobacterium species play a role in prevention of oxygen toxicity. Superoxide dismutase activity was also detected in Bifidobacterium species. Superoxide dismutase is probably not involved in detoxification of oxygen, because the activity of this enzyme was extremely low, and the sensitivity to oxygen varied independently of superoxide dismutase activity."}
{"id": "PMID:1474199", "title": "Performance of selected milk fat fractions in cold-spreadable butter.", "content": "Based on solid fat content profiles, milk fat fractions produced by fractional crystallization procedures employing melted milk fat and milk fat dissolved in acetone were selected for incorporation into soft butter samples. Butter samples made from low melting liquid fractions or a combination of primarily low melting liquid fractions and a small amount of high melting solid fractions exhibited good spreadability at refrigerator temperature (4 degrees C) but were almost melted at room temperature (21 degrees C). Butters made with a high proportion of low melting liquid fraction, a small proportion of high melting solid, and a small proportion of very high melting solid fractions were still spreadable at refrigerator temperature and maintained their physical form at room temperature. Very high melting fractions, which provided key structural functionality in spreadable butter, were obtained from acetone fractionation. Because the use of acetone in processing may hinder or prevent commercialization of these fractions, other means to obtain very high melting fractions from milk fat should be pursued."}
{"id": "PMID:1474200", "title": "Plasmid pattern analysis of Staphylococcus species isolated from bovine mammary secretions.", "content": "Plasmid profiles of staphylococci isolated from bovine mammary secretions were heterogeneous as shown by the study of 94 isolates representing six species. Plasmids were identified in 19 of 94 staphylococcal isolates. Number of plasmids per isolate varied from 1 to 4. Size of plasmids ranged from 1.2 to 45 MDa; however, most were between 1.8 and 4.8 MDa. Some isolates with identical plasmid profiles were observed within and between species. Plasmid profiles observed in this study suggest that no specific plasmid pattern occurs within a species. Ability to differentiate isolates was not enhanced when antibiograms were used in conjunction with plasmid profiles. Plasmid pattern analysis does not appear to be an adequate method for discriminating between isolates of a species and would likely provide limited epidemiological information regarding staphylococci of bovine origin."}
{"id": "PMID:1474201", "title": "Susceptibility of Escherichia coli isolated from intramammary infections to phagocytosis by bovine neutrophils.", "content": "Thirteen Escherichia coli isolated from naturally occurring IMI were tested for susceptibility to phagocytosis by bovine blood neutrophils. Isolates were opsonized in pooled serum collected from nine healthy lactating cows. Bacteria isolated from IMI first diagnosed within 3 d after calving were more resistant to phagocytosis than were isolates from IMI originating during either the first half of the dry period or later during lactation. Duration of the IMI was negatively correlated with both phagocytic index and percentage of neutrophils phagocytizing within bacterial isolates from IMI originating at calving and during lactation. Phagocytosis was independent of duration of IMI within isolates from IMI originating during the first half of the dry period. Susceptibility to in vitro phagocytosis by neutrophils was not related to O antigen serotype, encapsulation, or growth in dry cow secretion."}
{"id": "PMID:1474202", "title": "Potentiation of antibiotic therapy for bovine mastitis by recombinant bovine interleukin-2.", "content": "Adjunct therapy with recombinant bovine interleukin-2 and antibiotics for Staphylococcus aureus IMI was investigated in an attempt to improve the therapy of antibiotics alone. Treatment of established S. aureus IMI with Na-cephapirin or Cefa-Lak produced average cures of 32.0 and 41.8%, respectively. When Na-cephapirin treatment was combined with recombinant bovine interleukin-2 at either 3.3 or 10 mg, the therapeutic efficacy was improved by an average of 20 to 30%. When Cefa-Lak treatment was combined with recombinant bovine interleukin-2 at 10 mg, the therapeutic efficacy was improved on average by 20%. Recombinant bovine interleukin-2, formulated in the excipient of the commercial Cefa-Lak, also improved the therapeutic efficacy by 16% compared with Cefa-Lak alone. Recombinant bovine interleukin-2, formulated in Cefa-Lak, maintained biological activity at room temperature for at least 21 d. After intramammary infusion of recombinant bovine interleukin-2, no biologically active interleukin-2 was detected in milk 48 h (four milkings) after administration. These data suggest that cytokines may be used as adjunct therapy with existing mastitis antibiotics or formulations of existing commercial products to improve the therapeutic efficacy."}
{"id": "PMID:1474203", "title": "The effect of chronic immunostimulation of the nonlactating bovine mammary gland with interleukin-2, pokeweed mitogen, and lipopolysaccharide.", "content": "Interleukin-2, pokeweed mitogen, and lipopolysaccharide were evaluated for their ability to accelerate involution and to stimulate local cellular defenses in the nonlactating bovine mammary gland. Twelve cows were divided into three treatment groups of 4 cows each to receive interleukin-2, pokeweed mitogen, or lipopolysaccharide. One day after drying off, 3 mammary quarters of each cow were infused with 100 micrograms of immunostimulant daily for 21 d; the remaining control quarter received PBS. Secretion samples were collected weekly to determine bacteriologic status, total SCC, and differential cell counts. On d 21, cows were killed, and tissues were collected for microscopy. Overall, SCC were higher in immunostimulated quarters, but only those infused with interleukin-2 were significantly elevated over controls. By wk 3, the percentage of neutrophils decreased in interleukin-2 and pokeweed mitogen quarters over pretreatment values, percentage of macrophages increased in interleukin-2 quarters, and percentage of lymphocytes increased in pokeweed mitogen and lipopolysaccharide quarters. Percentage of alveolar lumina was reduced, and connective tissue stroma increased, in all immunostimulated quarters compared with those of controls, suggesting accelerated involution. Involution was greatest in quarters treated with interleukin-2. Leukocyte infiltration was greater in immunostimulated quarters than in control quarters. Similarly, concentrations of Ig-producing plasma cells were greater in immunostimulated quarters than in control quarters. Quarters infused with interleukin-2 exhibited the greatest concentration of plasma cells, followed by quarters treated with pokeweed mitogen and lipopolysaccharide; IgG1 plasma cells predominated, followed by IgG2, IgA, and IgM. Interleukin-2 accelerated involution and stimulated local antibody production more than did the two mitogens, suggesting a potential role for this cytokine as a general immunostimulant at drying off."}
{"id": "PMID:1474204", "title": "Bovine mammary myoepithelial cells. 1. Isolation, culture, and characterization.", "content": "The objective of this study was to isolate, purify, culture, and characterize myoepithelial cells from bovine mammary glands. Myoepithelial cells were separated from other mammary and blood cells after collagenase digestion and centrifugation using metrizoate-ficoll gradients. Myoepithelial cells were identified by their characteristic morphology and cloned using selective detachment. They contained many densely packed myofilaments, very few cytoplasmic organelles, elongated surface projections, and a dense, irregularly shaped nuclei. Some cells were as large as 1.2 mm in culture. Myoepithelial cells contained an extensive network of cytoskeletal proteins, including alpha-smooth muscle actin, alpha-actinin, and vimentin. When cultured, they tended to repel one another and never grew as closely associated cells. The myoepithelial nature of these cells was verified by showing that they contracted in response to oxytocin, bound oxytocin, and did not produce casein. Myoepithelial cells from fetal and lactating glands grew very well in culture. Active division of myoepithelial cells could be maintained for at least 3 mo, and cells could be serially subcultured at least seven times. The successful isolation and culture of bovine mammary myoepithelial cells make utilization of these cells possible in order to study their role in mammary growth and differentiation and milk ejection."}
{"id": "PMID:1474205", "title": "Bovine mammary myoepithelial cells. 2. Interactions with epithelial cells in vitro.", "content": "The objective of this study was to examine interactions of bovine myoepithelial and epithelial cells in vitro. Mammary tissue was dissociated with collagenase into myoepithelial and epithelial cells. Myoepithelial and epithelial cells were separated by differential centrifugation. Both cell types were cultured on plastic in RPMI-1640 and Iscove's Modified Dulbecco's Modified Eagle Medium supplemented with 10% horse serum and 5% fetal bovine serum. Our data revealed that conditioned medium from epithelial cells caused a small but significant reduction in proliferation of myoepithelial cells from fetal mammary glands. Myoepithelial-epithelial cell interaction in culture was characterized by myoepithelial cells with extended filopodia that could grow on top of confluent monolayers of epithelial cells, imitating the in vivo situation. In confluent monolayers of epithelial and myoepithelial cells in coculture, small domelike structures consisting of mixtures of epithelial and myoepithelial cells were observed. These structures greatly resembled the in vivo organization of the bovine mammary gland. Furthermore, myoepithelial cells were capable of migration toward individual colonies of epithelial cells or single epithelial cells. Myoepithelial cells organized epithelial cells into well-defined colonies. Myoepithelial cells may play an important role in organizing the architectural framework of the mammary gland during growth and development."}
{"id": "PMID:1474206", "title": "Purification and properties of alkaline phosphatase in the lactating bovine mammary gland.", "content": "Alkaline phosphatase has been purified 1400-fold from homogenates of lactating bovine mammary tissue. The purification procedure included subcellular fractionation, solubilization with butanol, fractionation with acetone, chromatography on concanavalin A-Sepharose, DEAE cellulose, DEAE-Sephadex, and gel filtration on Sephadex G-200. The enzyme activity was measured with the substrate p-nitrophenylphosphate in three buffers, and the maximum rate occurred at pH 10. For maximum activity, Mg2+ was required. Substrate specificity studies at three pH values indicated that the enzyme had broad specificity. It catalyzed the hydrolysis of aliphatic and aromatic phosphates and pyrophosphates, but the phosphoprotein beta-casein was a poor substrate. Potent inhibitors of the enzyme were levamisole and sulfhydryl reagents (2-mercaptoethanol, dithiothreitol, and cysteine)."}
{"id": "PMID:1474207", "title": "Lactational response of Jersey cows to bovine somatotropin administered daily or in a sustained-release formulation.", "content": "Twenty-four Jersey cows were administered either 0 or 15.5 mg of bST/d or 310 mg of bST/14 d to determine the effect on milk yield, milk composition, feed intake, and body weight. Administration of bST was from wk 14 through 42 postpartum. Cows were housed in a tie-stall barn and fed for ad libitum intake a TMR adjusted to one of two energy protein densities according to milk yield. Milk yield of cows administered bST daily or by sustained-released vehicle increased 27.6 and 24.7%, respectively, over that of control cows; FCM increased by 30.3 and 26.7%. Percentages of fat and protein in milk were unaffected by bST treatment. Dry matter intake of cows administered bST was greater than that of control cows, whether expressed as kilograms per day or as a percentage of body weight. Apparent efficiency of yield increased in cows administered bST. No significant change in body weight occurred; however, cows administered bST had lower body condition scores at 42 wk postpartum. This trial demonstrated comparable effects of bST on lactational performance when administered daily or in a 14-d sustained-release vehicle."}
{"id": "PMID:1474208", "title": "Effects of isolation of calves on growth, behavior, and first lactation milk yield of Holstein cows.", "content": "Holstein (n = 323) calves in the herds of four experiment stations were reared individually (control) or in isolation to 70 d of age to determine whether isolation affected growth, behavior, and first lactation yield. Treatment differences were not observed for average daily gain for BW at d 28, 56 or 70. Postweaning approach distance was measured in two herds (n = 122; n = 28). Detailed pre and post-weaning behaviors were reported in one herd (n = 26). Isolation did not affect subsequent milk yield or culling percentages. In a second experiment, seven pairs of monozygous twins and a set of identical triplet calves were obtained by transferring split embryos into recipients, one member of each pair was reared in a group, and the twin was reared in isolation. Early rearing previously had been found to affect growth, feed intake, dominance rank, and learning ability of calves, and, in our study, the subsequent milk yield of calves reared in isolation tended to average more than for calves in groups. Intraclass correlations between monozygous twin pairs for milk, fat, relative value milk, and relative value fat were lower than anticipated. These data indicate that preweaning isolation did not affect first lactation milk yield traits."}
{"id": "PMID:1474209", "title": "Effects of a prolonged-release formulation of sometribove (n-methionyl bovine somatotropin) on Jersey cows.", "content": "Milk production, feed efficiency, health, and reproduction were evaluated in 46 Jersey cows that received either 500 mg of sometribove (n-methionyl bST) in a prolonged-release formulation or an equivalent volume of excipient bi-weekly beginning at 60 +/- 3 DIM. Cows were fed a TMR for ad libitum intake and were milked twice daily. Treatment with sometribove increased 3.5% FCM production 5.3 kg/d (31.4%) over controls. Milk composition was not changed, except that milk P content averaged 51 ppm higher in bST-treated cows. Net energy intake was 4.8 Mcal/d (22.9%) higher in the bST-treated cows than in the controls. General health of all cows was good throughout the study, but the cows treated with bST had more cases of mastitis than did the control cows. The bST treatment produced localized reactions at the site of injection in some cows, but these reactions did not affect milk production. Sometribove treatment had no effect on reproductive performance; 85% of the treated and 100% of the control cows calved successfully. Treatment with bST for a full lactation did not affect performance during the initial 60 d of the subsequent lactation."}
{"id": "PMID:1474210", "title": "Bovine somatotropin: review of an emerging animal technology.", "content": "One of the first potential biotechnology products for animal production is bST. Research in the technology of bST has involved scientists and support from federal agencies, universities, and private industry. As a consequence of this extensive cooperation, more than 1000 bST studies have been conducted, which involved over 20,000 dairy cows, and results have been confirmed by scientists throughout the world. This quantity of published research is unprecedented for a new technology and greater than most dairy technologies in use. In contrast to steroids, bST is a protein hormone. Milk yield and persistency responses to bST have been observed for all dairy breeds examined. Quality of management is the major factor affecting magnitude of milk response to bST. The mechanism of action of bST involves a series of orchestrated changes in the metabolism of body tissues so that more nutrients can be used for milk synthesis. It is these coordinated changes that allow the animal to achieve an increased milk yield while remaining normal and healthy. Bioenergetic studies demonstrated that bST-supplemented animals are not stressed. Similarly, there are no adverse health effects from bST even under poor management conditions. Composition of milk (fat, protein, lactose, cholesterol, minerals, and vitamins) is not substantially altered when bST is used and does not differ in manufacturing characteristics. Public perception is of paramount importance if bST or any new technology is to be effectively implemented. New technology must be understood and perceived as safe and beneficial both by farmers, who would utilize it, and consumers, who would purchase the dairy products. With bST use, a unit of milk is produced with less feed and protein supplement and with a reduction in animal excreta (manure, urine, and methane). Nationally, the use of bST simply reinforces, but does not fundamentally change, dairy industry trends of increased milk yield per cow, reduced number of cows, and declining dairy farm numbers. For individual farms, bST technology is size-neutral. However, poorly managed farms where animals are stressed, underfed, or sick are at an economic disadvantage because they will achieve negligible milk response to bST."}
{"id": "PMID:1474211", "title": "Relationship between rumen bacterial concentrations and total numbers.", "content": "Based on data from 33 sheep, bacterial concentrations per gram of rumen contents were correlated highly with total bacterial numbers (r = .99). Diets ranged from all forage to 90% concentrate. Similar data were obtained from cattle fed a corn silage diet (r = .95); however, the slope of the regression lines differed between species. Weight of rumen contents was correlated poorly with total bacterial numbers."}
{"id": "PMID:1474212", "title": "Improved rearrangement of the integrated Michaelis-Menten equation for calculating in vivo kinetics of transport and metabolism.", "content": "A multiple regression form of the integrated Michaelis-Menten equation was developed and evaluated with simulated data having controlled error. Both multiple and traditional linear regression fit errorless data perfectly, but multiple regression is much more stable with regard to accuracy and precision of estimating the Michaelis constant and maximum rate of reaction when data contain error. Bias in determining estimators of kinetic coefficients was -4 and -3% versus -56 and -35% with 10% error in the data. Multiple regression estimates for Michaelis constant and maximum rate of reaction directly as opposed to estimating 1/Km and maximum rate of reaction/Michaelis constant by linear regression. The difference in accuracy in estimating actual Michaelis constant, for example, is 4% versus 227% error with only 10% error in the data Precision of estimation is approximately the same as precision of the data for multiple regression. For the 800 data sets examined, R2 was always greater than .92 for multiple regression, but frequently was not significant for linear regression. The actual initial concentration was provided for linear regression but calculated by multiple regression with accuracy and precision equivalent to estimation of Michaelis constant and maximum rate of reaction. The multiple regression method has statistical power to determine treatment effects on Michaelis constant and maximum rate of reaction with a practical number of animals."}
{"id": "PMID:1474213", "title": "Relative bioavailability of manganese from a manganese-methionine complex and inorganic sources for ruminants.", "content": "Two experiments were conducted to study the relative bioavailability of Mn from a feed grade Mn-Met complex or from two feed grade MnO sources using reagent grade MnSO4.H2O as the standard. In each experiment, 42 crossbred wether lambs were fed one of seven dietary treatments for 21 d and then killed; liver, kidneys, and right metacarpus were removed for MN analysis. In Experiment 1, treatment included the basal diets (34.4 ppm of Mn, DM basis) alone or supplemented with 900, 1800, or 2700 ppm of Mn as reagent grade MnSO4.H2O or feed grade Mn-Met complex. In Experiment 2, the basal diet (31.5 ppm of Mn, DM basis) was fed alone or was supplemented with 900, 1800, or 2700 ppm of Mn as reagent grade MnSO4.H2O or 1800 ppm of Mn as feed grade Mn-Met, feed grade MnO A, or feed grade MnO B. The overall estimated relative bioavailabilities based on multiple linear regression coefficients of bone, kidney, and log-transformed liver Mn concentrations on total dietary Mn concentrations were 100, 121, 70, and 53% for MnSO4.H2O, Mn-Met complex, MnO A, and MnO B, respectively."}
{"id": "PMID:1474214", "title": "Effect of supplementing periparturient cows with vitamin E on distribution of alpha-tocopherol in blood.", "content": "Holstein cows were fed 0 or 1000 IU/d of supplemental vitamin E during the dry period and injected with placebo or 3000 IU of vitamin E at 10 and 5 d prior to anticipated calving. Blood was collected at various times, starting at 60 d prepartum (dry off) and concluding 30 d postpartum, and separated into plasma, red blood cells, and neutrophils. Oral supplementation increased concentrations of alpha-tocopherol in plasma and red blood cells on 10 d, but not on 5 d prepartum. Injection of vitamin E increased alpha-tocopherol in plasma, red blood cells, and neutrophils at d 5 prior to and on the day of parturition. Concentrations of alpha-tocopherol and cholesterol in plasma were correlated, and both were at their nadir at parturition. Concentrations of alpha-tocopherol in plasma and red blood cells were correlated, but the correlation increased when plasma alpha-tocopherol was expressed per unit of cholesterol. alpha-Tocopherol in plasma and neutrophils had a low correlation. Injection of alpha-tocopherol increased its concentration in plasma, red blood cells, and neutrophils during the periparturient period. Concentration of alpha-tocopherol in plasma of periparturient cows may be limited by its low lipid content, and transport mechanisms for alpha-tocopherol may differ between red blood cells and neutrophils."}
{"id": "PMID:1474215", "title": "Amino acid limitation and flow to duodenum at four stages of lactation. 1. Sequence of lysine and methionine limitation.", "content": "Four Holstein cows with ruminal and duodenal cannulas were assigned to a 4 x 4 Latin square at each of four stages of lactation (peak, wk 4; early, wk 8 to 12; mid, wk 17 to 21; and late, wk 27 to 31). Treatments were duodenal infusions of 1) Met, 2) Lys, 3) Met plus Lys, and 4) casein; periods were 7 to 10 d. Quantities of DL-Met, L-Lys, and casein infused at the four stages of lactation were 12, 30, and 400; 12, 30, and 400; 10, 25, and 333; and 8, 20, and 266 g/d, respectively. Rations were composed of corn and grass-legume silages, corn meal, wheat middlings, soybean meal, and distillers dried grains with solubles. Intake of CP (percentage of NRC) and percentage of total CP from corn sources were (peak) 87, 56; (early) 90, 71; (mid) 98, 73; and (late) 114, 77. Using content and yield of milk protein as primary response criteria, Lys appeared to be first-limiting and Met second-limiting at peak lactation, their infusion together resulted in the same production of milk (40 kg/d) and milk protein (1135 g/d) as did casein. Lysine was first-limiting in early lactation, but whether Met was second-limiting was questionable. The two AA were colimiting in midlactation. There appeared to be no AA deficiencies in late lactation. Amounts of Lys and Met (percentage of total essential AA) in duodenal digesta during peak (12.4, 3.7), early (12.6, 3.5), and midlactation (14.9, 3.9) were not adequate for optimal AA utilization."}
{"id": "PMID:1474216", "title": "Amino acid limitation and flow to the duodenum at four stages of lactation. 2. Extent of lysine limitation.", "content": "Four multiparous Holstein cows with ruminal and duodenal cannulas were assigned to 4 x 4 Latin squares at peak (wk 4), early (wk 14 to 16), mid (wk 21 to 23), and late (wk 29 to 31) lactation to determine, in the presence of supplemental Met, the extent of Lys limitation and its required contribution to total essential AA in duodenal digesta. Treatments were duodenal infusions of 1) water alone or water with 2) 10 g/d of DL-Met plus 10 g/d of L-Lys, 3) 10 g/d of Met plus 20 g/d of Lys, and 4) 10 g/d of Met plus 30 g/d of Lys; quantities were reduced by 20% in late lactation. Rations were corn based (corn and grass-legume silages, corn meal, wheat middlings, soybean meal, and distillers dried grains with solubles) and most limiting in Lys and Met. Intakes of ruminally degraded and undegraded intake protein (percentage of NRC requirements) were (peak) 115, 97; (early) 112, 83; (mid) 113, 87; and (late) 127, 96. Contribution of Lys to passage of total essential AA to the duodenum without infusions were 13.2, 12.4, 13.8, and 14.8% at the four respective stages of lactation. Extent of Lys limitation determined from responses in content and yield of milk protein approximated 25, 20, and 10 g/d during peak, early, and midlactation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1474217", "title": "Effects of raw pea flour on nutrient digestibility and immune responses in the preruminant calf.", "content": "Two milk substitute diets for which the protein was provided either exclusively by skim milk powder (control) or partially (34%) by dehulled raw pea flour were given for 2 and 4 wk, respectively, to five preruminant calves, each fitted with a reentrant ileocecal cannula. Ileal apparent digestibility was lower with the pea diet during wk 1 than with the control diet. Four of the cannulated calves exhibited significant intolerance to the pea diet, resulting in lower digestibility during wk 4. In contrast, fecal digestibility of the pea diet, measured in four additional calves without reentrant cannulas, did not significantly decrease between wk 1 and 4. The AA composition of ileal digesta from the first group of calves did not vary greatly, suggesting that the differences observed in their apparent digestibility of proteins were due mainly to changes in the loss of endogenous proteins. However, pea legumin survived digestion in the small intestine in amounts generally equivalent to 1 to 3% of intake. Most of that undigested fraction was smaller than the native legumin: 40 to 200 kDa instead of 360 kDa. Also, a 45-kDa fragment was detected in the urine. Increased intestinal permeability could have favored the development of the high systemic anti-pea antibody titers that were observed in all of the calves."}
{"id": "PMID:1474218", "title": "Predicting body weight and wither height in Holstein heifers using body measurements.", "content": "Relationships between body weight, wither height, and various other body traits, including heart girth, body length, and hip width, were studied using data from six experiments with 2625 observations. Body weight and wither height were regressed on the other body traits. Regressions of body weight including the linear, quadratic, and cubic effects of a single independent variable (heart girth, wither height, hip width or body length) indicated that each measurement would be useful in predicting body weight (R2 > .95); the regression of body weight on heart girth had the highest R2, followed by hip width. Similarly, regressions of wither height on heart girth, wither height, hip width, or body length, including linear, quadratic, and cubic effects, yielded R2 > .99. Regressions considering multiple traits as independent variables showed that the addition of a second body trait added little to the already high multiple correlations found with a single variable. In management situations for which body weight or wither height cannot be measured, various other traits can be used to estimate these body measurements accurately."}
{"id": "PMID:1474219", "title": "Anisotropy of ultrasonic velocity and elastic properties in normal human myocardium.", "content": "Measurements of ultrasonic quasilongitudinal velocity were made in the muscle fiber plane of excised human myocardium. Multiple adjacent planes across the left ventricular wall were interrogated to assess the transmural dependence of velocity. For each measurement plane, data were obtained in 2-deg increments through the full 360 deg relative to the myofibers. An approximate 1.3% magnitude of anisotropy was observed with maximum velocity along the muscle fibers and minimum velocity perpendicular to the muscle fibers. The known transmural shift in myofiber orientation was evidenced in the anisotropy of velocity as angular shifts between plots obtained from adjacent transmural planes within the same specimen. Measured values of velocity and density were used to estimate the effective C33 and C11 elastic constants of a thin layer of normal myocardium."}
{"id": "PMID:1474220", "title": "20-Hz pulses and other vocalizations of fin whales, Balaenoptera physalus, in the Gulf of California, Mexico.", "content": "Low-frequency vocalizations were recorded from fin whales, Balaenoptera physalus, in the Gulf of California, Mexico, during three cruises. In March 1985, recorded 20-Hz pulses were in sequences of regular 9-s interpulse intervals. In August 1987, nearly all were in sequences of doublets with alternating 5- and 18-s interpulse intervals. No 20-Hz pulse sequences of any kind were detected in February 1987. The typical pulse modulated from 42 to 20 Hz and its median duration was 0.7 s (1985 data). Most other fin whale sounds were also short tonal pulses averaging 82, 56, and 68 Hz, respectively, for the three cruises; 89% were modulated in frequency, mostly downward. Compared to Atlantic and Pacific Ocean regions, Gulf of California 20-Hz pulses were unique in terms of frequency modulation, interpulse sound levels, and temporal patterns. Fin whales in the Gulf may represent a regional stock revealed by their sound characteristics, a phenomenon previously shown for humpback whales, birds, and fish. Regional differences in fin whale sounds were found in comparisons of Atlantic and Pacific locations."}
{"id": "PMID:1474221", "title": "Structural design of hidden Markov model speech recognizer using multivalued phonetic features: comparison with segmental speech units.", "content": "A novel approach to speech recognition, on the basis of a multidimensional multivalued phonetic-feature description of speech signals, is presented and evaluated. The hidden Markov model (HMM) framework is used to provide the recognition algorithm, which assumes that the underlying Markov chain tracks the temporal evolution of the features. It is shown that this approach can naturally accommodate such coarticulatory effects as feature spreading and formant transition in the functionality of the recognizer, and can provide a high degree of acoustic data sharing that makes effective use of training data. Use of phonetic features as the basic speech units creates a framework where the Markov model's state topology in the recognizer can be designed with guidance of detailed speech knowledge. Details of such a design for a stop consonant-vowel vocabulary are described. Experimental results on the task of speaker-dependent stop consonant discrimination, evaluated from speech data from a total of ten male and five female speakers, demonstrate effectiveness of this feature-based recognizer. Over the 15 speakers, the error rates were shown to be reduced by 23%, 37%, 42%, and 38%, respectively, compared with the conventional HMM-based recognition methods using words, phonemes, allophones, and microsegments as the primary speech units."}
{"id": "PMID:1474222", "title": "Consonant recognition by some of the better cochlear-implant patients.", "content": "Fifty-four of the better cochlear-implant patients from Europe and the United States were tested on two consonant recognition tests using nonsense syllables. One was produced in an accent appropriate for their own language by a male and a female talker. Recorded tokens of /ibi, idi, igi, ipi, iti, iki, ifi, ivi, ifi, isi, izi, imi, ini/ were presented. With the French syllables, six patients with the Chorimac device averaged 18% correct (6%-29%). With the German syllables, nine patients with the 3M/Vienna device averaged 34% correct (17%-44%), ten patients with the Nucleus device (tested in Hannover) averaged 31% correct (19%-42%), and ten patients with the Duren/Cologne device averaged 27% correct (10%-56%). With the English syllables, ten patients with the Nucleus device (tested in the United States) averaged 42% correct (29%-62%), and nine patients with the Symbion device averaged 46% correct (31%-69%). An information-transmission analysis and sequential information-transfer analysis of the confusions suggested that different implants provided differing amounts of feature information. The place of articulation feature was typically the most difficult to code for all implants. In the second test a male and a female talker recorded the stimuli /ibi, idi, igi, imi, ini, ifi, isi, izi/ in a single manner that was appropriate for all three languages. Six patients with the Chorimac device averaged 27% (13%-48%), ten patients with the Duren/Cologne implant averaged 29% (15%-75%), ten patients with the Nucleus device (tested in Hannover) averaged 40% (25%-58%), ten patients with the Nucleus device (tested in the United States) averaged 49% (40%-60%), nine patients with the Symbion device averaged 61% (40%-75%), and nine patients with the 3M/Vienna device averaged 41% (29%-52%) correct."}
{"id": "PMID:1474223", "title": "Electromagnetic midsagittal articulometer systems for transducing speech articulatory movements.", "content": "This paper describes two electromagnetic midsagittal articulometer (EMMA) systems that were developed for transducing articulatory movements during speech production. Alternating magnetic fields are generated by transmitter coils that are mounted in an assembly that fits on the head of a speaker. The fields induce alternating voltages in a number of small transducer coils that are attached to articulators in the midline plane, inside and outside the vocal tract. The transducers are connected by fine lead wires to receiver electronics whose output voltages are processed to yield measures of transducer locations as a function of time. Measurement error can arise with this method, because as the articulators move and change shape, the transducers can undergo a varying amount of rotational misalignment with respect to the transmitter axes; both systems are designed to correct for transducer misalignment. For this purpose, one system uses two transmitters and biaxial transducers; the other uses three transmitters and single-axis transducers. The systems have been compared with one another in terms of their performance, human subjects compatibility, and ease of use. Both systems can produce useful midsagittal-plane data on articular movement, and each one has a specific set of advantages and limitations. (Two commercially available systems are also described briefly for comparison purposes). If appropriate experimental controls are used, the three-transmitter system is preferable for practical reasons."}
{"id": "PMID:1474224", "title": "Intensity discrimination under backward masking.", "content": "The Weber fraction was measured for a 25-ms sinusoidal pedestal presented 100 ms before, or 100 ms after, an intense narrow-band noise. Consistent with the finding of Zeng et al. [Hear. Res. 55, 223-230 (1991)], the forward masker caused an elevation in the Weber fraction at medium pedestal levels. Surprisingly, however, a much larger midlevel elevation was observed in the backward masking conditions; in some cases, the Weber fraction was increased by over 20 dB by the backward masker. In both masking conditions, presenting a notched noise simultaneously with the pedestal reduced the magnitude of the midlevel elevation. These results indicate that it is possible to produce large masking effects on intensity discrimination in conditions where there is no possibility of the masker affecting the representation of the pedestal at the level of the auditory nerve. This suggests that there may be \"central\" processes underlying the original finding of Zeng et al. Despite the similarities in the results, however, it is not certain that the elevations seen in the forward and backward masking conditions were caused by the same mechanisms."}
{"id": "PMID:1474225", "title": "Frequency discrimination in forward and backward masking.", "content": "Frequency difference limens for pure tones preceded by a forward masker or followed by a backward masker were obtained across a wide range of signal levels. Relkin and Doucet [Hear. Res. 55, 215-222 (1991)] have shown that at a masker-signal delay of 100 ms, the thresholds of high-SR (spontaneous rate) auditory-nerve fibers are recovered, while the low-SR fiber thresholds are not. Therefore, forward-masked frequency discrimination potentially offers a method to investigate the role of low-SR fibers in the coding of frequency. It has been shown that when an intense forward masker is presented 100 ms before a pure-tone signal, intensity difference limens are elevated for mid-level signals [Zeng et al., Hear. Res. 55, 223-230 (1991)]. However, Plack and Viemeister [J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 92, 3097-3101 (1992)] have shown that a similar elevation in the intensity difference limen is obtained under conditions of backward masking, where selective adaptation of the auditory neurons would not be expected to occur. A condition of backward-masked frequency discrimination was therefore included to investigate the role of interference resulting from adding additional stimuli to a discrimination task. For signals at 1000 and 6000 Hz, there was no effect of a forward masker upon frequency difference limens. For the backward-masked conditions, an elevation of the frequency difference limen was observed at all signal levels, demonstrating that the effects of forward and backward maskers upon frequency discrimination are dissimilar and suggesting that cognitive effects are present in backward-masked discrimination tasks.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1474226", "title": "The \"proportion-of-the-total-duration rule\" for the discrimination of auditory patterns.", "content": "A principle of auditory perception that governs the detectability of changes in components in unfamiliar sequences of tones is demonstrated in four experiments. The proportion-of-the-total-duration (PTD) rule can be stated as follows: Each individual component of an unfamiliar sequence of tones is resolved with an accuracy that is a function of its proportion of the total duration of the sequence or \"pattern.\" An adaptive-tracking frequency-discrimination task was used in all experiments. Experiment 1 demonstrated that the PTD rule holds over a wide range of total pattern durations, numbers of components, and component durations. Experiment 2 demonstrated that the PTD rule governs discrimination performance despite variation in the relative durations of context and target tones. Experiment 3, using a variable temporal position for the target, confirmed that the PTD effect does not require that a listener be able to anticipate the temporal location of the target tone. Experiment 4, using two target tones, showed that the PTD rules applies to the proportional duration of individual components within patterns and not to the total proportional duration of nonadjacent components within the pattern. These findings are incompatible with performance limitations based on a fixed-duration short-term memory capacity and with versions of informational limitations in which the amount of information in a pattern varies either with the number of components or with the total pattern duration. The PTD rule appears to reflect the way listeners distribute their attention when presented with unfamiliar complex sounds that have no structural properties (other than proportional duration) that significantly increase the salience of individual components."}
{"id": "PMID:1474227", "title": "Detection of combined frequency and amplitude modulation.", "content": "This article is concerned with the detection of mixed modulation (MM), i.e., simultaneously occurring amplitude modulation (AM) and frequency modulation (FM). In experiment 1, an adaptive two-alternative forced-choice task was used to determine thresholds for detecting AM alone. Then, thresholds for detecting FM were determined for stimuli which had a fixed amount of AM in the signal interval only. The amount of AM was always less than the threshold for detecting AM alone. The FM thresholds depended significantly on the magnitude of the coexisting AM. For low modulation rates (4, 16, and 64 Hz), the FM thresholds did not depend significantly on the relative phase of modulation for the FM and AM. For a high modulation rate (256 Hz) strong effects of modulator phase were observed. These phase effects are as predicted by the model proposed by Hartmann and Hnath [Acustica 50, 297-312 (1982)], which assumes that detection of modulation at modulation frequencies higher than the critical modulation frequency is based on detection of the lower sideband in the modulated signal's spectrum. In the second experiment, psychometric functions were measured for the detection of AM alone and FM alone, using modulation rates of 4 and 16 Hz. Results showed that, for each type of modulation, d' is approximately a linear function of the square of the modulation index. Application of this finding to the results of experiment 1 suggested that, at low modulation rates, FM and AM are not detected by completely independent mechanisms. In the third experiment, psychometric functions were again measured for the detection of AM alone and FM alone, using a 10-Hz modulation rate. Detectability was then measured for combined AM and FM, with modulation depths selected so that each type of modulation would be equally detectable if presented alone. Significant effects of relative modulator phase were found when detectability was relatively high. These effects were not correctly predicted by either a single-band excitation-pattern model or a multiple-band excitation-pattern model. However, the detectability of the combined AM and FM was better than would be predicted if the two types of modulation were coded completely independently."}
{"id": "PMID:1474228", "title": "Effect of multiple speechlike maskers on binaural speech recognition in normal and impaired hearing.", "content": "Speech-reception thresholds (SRT) were measured for 17 normal-hearing and 17 hearing-impaired listeners in conditions simulating free-field situations with between one and six interfering talkers. The stimuli, speech and noise with identical long-term average spectra, were recorded with a KEMAR manikin in an anechoic room and presented to the subjects through headphones. The noise was modulated using the envelope fluctuations of the speech. Several conditions were simulated with the speaker always in front of the listener and the maskers either also in front, or positioned in a symmetrical or asymmetrical configuration around the listener. Results show that the hearing impaired have significantly poorer performance than the normal hearing in all conditions. The mean SRT differences between the groups range from 4.2-10 dB. It appears that the modulations in the masker act as an important cue for the normal-hearing listeners, who experience up to 5-dB release from masking, while being hardly beneficial for the hearing impaired listeners. The gain occurring when maskers are moved from the frontal position to positions around the listener varies from 1.5 to 8 dB for the normal hearing, and from 1 to 6.5 dB for the hearing impaired. It depends strongly on the number of maskers and their positions, but less on hearing impairment. The difference between the SRTs for binaural and best-ear listening (the \"cocktail party effect\") is approximately 3 dB in all conditions for both the normal-hearing and the hearing-impaired listeners."}
{"id": "PMID:1474229", "title": "Neural network models of sound localization based on directional filtering by the pinna.", "content": "Three-layer neural-network functions were developed to transform spectral representations of pinna-filtered stimuli at the input to a space-mapped representation of sound-source direction at the output. The inputs are modeled after transfer functions of the external ear of the cat; the output is modeled on the spatial sensitivity of superior colliculus neurons. Network solutions are obtained by backpropagation and by a method that enforces uniform task distribution in the hidden layer of the model. Solutions are characterized using bandlimited inputs to study the relative strength of potential sound localization cues in various frequency regions. This analysis suggests that the frequency region containing the first spectral notch (5-18 kHz) provides the best localization cues. Response properties of model neurons were studied using input patterns modeled after auditory nerve response profiles to pure tones at various frequencies and sound levels. The response properties of hidden layer model neurons resemble cochlear nucleus types III and IV and their composites. Neurons in both hidden and output layers show the properties of spectral notch detectors. Although neural networks have limitations as models of real neural systems, the results illustrate how they can provide insight into the computation of complex transformations in the nervous system."}
{"id": "PMID:1474230", "title": "Analysis of dynamic behavior of human middle ear using a finite-element method.", "content": "Applying the general-purpose finite-element package program (ISAP), a three-dimensional finite-element method (FEM) model of a human right middle ear, which included ossicles, was made and the mechanical properties and boundary conditions of the middle ear were determined by a comparison between the numerical results obtained from the FEM analysis and the measurement results of the fresh cadavers, normal subjects and patients, which were obtained by our developed sweep frequency middle ear analyzer (MEA). The \"Elastic\" boundary condition consisting of linear and torsional springs at the eardrum attachments to the annular ligament was more appropriate for the actual condition than \"fully clamped\" one. Rotational axis of the ossicular chain was assumed to be a fixed straight line from the anterior process of the malleus to the short process of the incus, and a load of the ossicular chain and cochlea was simplified to be expressed by the stiffness of the cochlea. Vibration patterns of the eardrum and ossicles at the first resonance frequency, obtained under these assumptions, were in agreement with the experimental results obtained by means of time-averaged holography and by using a video measuring system, except for the relatively large displacements at the tympanic ring."}
{"id": "PMID:1474231", "title": "Elasticity and active force generation of cochlear outer hair cells.", "content": "The cochlear outer hair cell is described by a cylindrical membrane model, characterized by area and shear moduli for a passive elastic element and an active tension element dependent on the membrane potential. In passive experiments, these moduli are determined from the pressure-strain relations. The area modulus obtained is 0.07 N m-1, similar to a lipid bilayer and the shear modulus is 0.007 N m-1. These moduli combined with previous active experiments show that the active tension is nearly isotropic and is about 1.6 x 10(-2) N m-1 V-1, resulting in a 0.5 nN/mV force per cell. This implies that the receptor potential for acoustical stimulation produces an active force comparable to the acoustic force applied to the basilar membrane per outer hair cell. This finding supports the hypothesis that the outer hair cell acts as feedback motor in the fine tuning mechanism of the mammalian ear."}
{"id": "PMID:1474232", "title": "Place specific influences on the wave I to V interpeak latency of the auditory brain-stem response.", "content": "There is controversy over whether the wave I to V interpeak latency (I-V IPL) of the auditory brain-stem response can be manipulated by cochlear processing. In this study, a forward masking paradigm was used to test the predictions of two contrasting models of I-V IPL generation. The paradigm was designed to determine if the I-V IPL can be affected by masking selected portions of the cochlear response region. The results from ten normal hearing subjects suggest that: (1) waves I and V can be masked semi-independent of each other, and (2) the I-V IPL can be shortened or prolonged by masking the basal or apical portion of the cochlear response region respectively. These findings support the hypothesis that, at least in normal hearing subjects, wave V is biased to reflect more apical cochlear events than wave I. Additionally, they offer tentative support for anecdotal reports of shortened I-V IPLs in the presence of high-frequency hearing loss."}
{"id": "PMID:1474236", "title": "Academic levels in nursing.", "content": "With the developments of new academic courses in nursing comes the need for a debate about educational levels. This paper offers a discussion of some of the issues involved in such a debate and draws upon data collected from professors of nursing in the United Kingdom, masters students in a Dutch college and from the American literature on the topic. The need to be able to distinguish between diploma, bachelors, masters and doctoral degrees is highlighted and various suggestions about how such distinctions may be made are offered."}
{"id": "PMID:1474237", "title": "Outcomes evaluation: measuring critical thinking.", "content": "Nursing education, along with higher education in general, is increasingly focusing on educational outcomes; critical thinking is one of these outcomes. This study examined the impact of a baccalaureate registered nurse programme on the critical thinking skills of students. Students were tested upon entry and exit of the programme and a significant (0.05) difference was found. Subtest gains were significant (0.05) on Recognition of Assumptions, and Deductions. A significant relationship (0.05) between the nursing grade point average (GPA) and the post-test total score existed, accounting for a variance of 4%. No relationship was found between the post-test total score and the general education GPA. The two GPA correlation coefficients were significantly different from one another (0.05). Since one goal of professional nursing education is to prepare nurses who engage in complex problem solving and critical thinking, both the curriculum and teaching strategies need to enhance these skills."}
{"id": "PMID:1474238", "title": "Evaluation of teaching: a review of the literature.", "content": "Although most faculty members would agree that teaching is a vital component of their role, the evaluation of teaching continues to receive less attention than the evaluation of other academic pursuits. This paper reviews the nursing and education literature related to the evaluation of teaching. The bulk of the literature reviewed focused on the following: current issues of faculty evaluation, appraisal criteria of effective teaching, and evaluators of teaching effectiveness. The paucity of literature related to the process of faculty evaluation provides further evidence that there is a gap between what institutions say is important and what is actually practised. The implementation of faculty evaluation models may be one remedy to this current problem."}
{"id": "PMID:1474239", "title": "Adventurous outdoor activities: a review and a description of a new service delivery package for clients with learning difficulties who have behaviours which challenge services or society.", "content": "The purpose of this paper is to describe the need for and the creation of a new service delivery package for the client with learning difficulties whose behaviour challenges services or society, or who is a 'victim of the system', and not responding to available resources. Adventure-based courses are delivered in a context of supportive therapy which effects measurable change. There is continuing research-based evaluation of this new approach which will be reported in due course."}
{"id": "PMID:1474240", "title": "Changing attitudes towards families of hospitalized children from 1935 to 1975: a case study.", "content": "The introduction of 'open' visiting and family involvement in the care of hospitalized children created a revolution in the care of children in hospitals. This historical study utilized the situation at the Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto (HSC), as a case study illustrating change. Although psychological research provided a strong rationale for including families in the care of hospitalized children, change occurred slowly. In this regard, HSC was typical of many children's hospitals. However, there seemed to be a significant failure to learn from innovations elsewhere. Paediatric nurses, in particular, were slow to encourage family visiting and participation in care."}
{"id": "PMID:1474241", "title": "Patient participation: its meaning and significance in the context of caring.", "content": "The ideal that patients should be participants in their own care has found wide acceptance amongst nurses. Yet within the academic discipline of nursing little has been done to clarify the nature of participation. In this paper, a phenomenology of participation is presented as it applies to the caring work of nursing. Participation requires: (a) attunement to a mutual 'stock of knowledge at hand'; (b) emotional and motivational attunement to the other's concerns; (c) taking for granted (and implicitly assuming the other takes it for granted) that one can contribute worthily; (d) feeling that one's identity is not under threat. Though it is difficult to attain, participation appears to embody many of the ideals central to current thinking in nursing. Moreover, the attempt to build participatory relationships with patients is ethically required of members of a 'caring' profession."}
{"id": "PMID:1474243", "title": "Health beliefs: a cultural division?", "content": "Uptake of preventive health programmes seems to be related to people's underlying motivations, attitudes and beliefs about health and illness. Current theories used to account for variance in behaviours by social group (such as the health belief model and locus of control model) explain only some of the variance in these motivations and attitudes, and have not been adequately tested on women from different ethnic minority groups. Health beliefs have important implications for nursing given the role of the nurse in health promotion and patient teaching. This paper identifies and compares the health beliefs of women of Asian origin and white indigenous women living in an inner-London borough, through in-depth semi-structured interviews, and considers the findings in relation to health promotion practices and the role of the nurse. The Asian women rated their health as worse than the white women; this requires further study. Comments and views gathered about the causes of various diseases indicated that it may be unrealistic to fit a person's health beliefs into a distinct model. Beliefs about disease appeared to be culturally sensitive; health education, therefore, must also be culturally sensitive."}
{"id": "PMID:1474244", "title": "Lack of professional latitude and role problems as correlates of propensity to quit amongst nursing staff.", "content": "Which job stressors are the best predictors of propensity to quit among the nursing staff in emergency wards and intensive care units are explored in this paper. Employees of 30 Quebec hospitals (i.e. 60 wards in total) participated in the study (n = 1237). Stepwise multiple regression revealed that lack of professional latitude and role problems are the best predictors of the intention to quit the organization among all nursing staff. These two job stressors are briefly addressed in the context of intervention and possible remedies aiming at improving quality of life, mental health and decreasing the rate of turnover. It is argued that such intervention would benefit the nurses, the quality of patient care, as well as the respective hospitals."}
{"id": "PMID:1474245", "title": "Seeking approval for research access: the gatekeeper's role in facilitating a study of the care of the relinquishing mother.", "content": "While undertaking a study of midwives' care of mothers relinquishing a baby for adoption, the search for permission for access provided valuable insights into the role and functioning of the 'gatekeepers', who included a range of nursing/midwifery personnel and others. The benefits and positive aspects of this process are discussed. The variability of the response to the request for permission for research access gives insight into the gatekeepers' decision-making process. The functioning of research ethics committees is shown to be unpredictable. The gatekeepers' comments are related to the comments made by mothers in an early stage of the study. The way in which the gatekeepers utilize their own individual experience is crucial to their decisions regarding permitting research access. This experience may take the form of personal experience, occupational experience or experience of research."}
{"id": "PMID:1474246", "title": "Research and the practice of midwifery.", "content": "During the past decade, the professional journals have contained numerous papers authored by nurses and nurse-researchers describing the gap which persists between research and clinical practice. Problems have been highlighted and challenges explored in the quest to discover ways of encouraging practitioners to become more aware of research evidence as a knowledge base for practice. Many of the identified issues may be transposed into a midwifery setting but other factors may be recognized which are specific to the practice of midwifery. This paper considers both conceptual and pragmatic issues in an attempt to explore the complexity of the influences which may affect the integration of research into midwifery practice."}
{"id": "PMID:1474247", "title": "Criteria for evaluating the clinical and practical utility of models used by nurses.", "content": "Arguably, nursing, like all health care disciplines, is an applied science. Essentially, this refers to the application of theory in order to understand and respond to the health problems of clients. These theories may be drawn (borrowed) from any applied science, or generated inductively from clinical nursing practice. Alternatively, nurses may attempt to apply deductive theory (global theoretical frameworks) known as nursing models. In this paper, all theoretical approaches, irrespective of origin, are referred to as models used by nurses. Thirteen criteria by which clinicians, and others, can evaluate the clinical and practical utility of models used by nurses which are expressed in the form of questions are identified and discussed. The criteria are an extension, both in detail and in number, of those developed by Reynolds and Cormack and subsequently applied by those writers to the Johnson Behavioural System Model of Nursing. The value, or otherwise, of individual models, or of models in general, will not be discussed in this paper. However, the authors propose that if the evaluation criteria described here are applied to existing models, serious deficits will be identified in relation to their clinical and practical utility."}
{"id": "PMID:1474248", "title": "The use and limitations of Phaneuf's Nursing Audit.", "content": "The use of Phaneuf's Nursing Audit in an action research project that is investigating quality assessment and peer review is discussed. A brief description of the project is given followed by an analysis of the audit tool. This analysis suggests that the tool has more disadvantages than advantages. The paper concludes with a discussion about why the tool may be of use despite the disadvantages identified."}
{"id": "PMID:1474249", "title": "Evaluating the quality of patient care in district nursing.", "content": "This paper examines the process of evaluating the quality of care provision in district nursing at a local level. The definitions of audit and quality assurance are considered, and the current situation in community nursing is briefly compared with that in hospital settings. Finally, the use of evaluative tools in practice is examined, together with ways in which district nursing evaluation can be improved."}
{"id": "PMID:1474250", "title": "An examination of the implications of adopting a process approach to curriculum planning, implementation and evaluation.", "content": "A process may be seen as that which has purpose, organization and structure, facilitating an act of moving forward. Thus, a process reflects Bruner's view of education as facilitating cognitive growth and as a way in which individuals explore and gain mastery over a complex world. A process approach is not without its problems, namely in that some nursing skills require a precise, predetermined outcome best achieved by the use of behavioural objectives. A curriculum promoting growth and continued learning calls for increased funding, which may cause problems in today's financial climate. Exploration of concepts calls for careful planning of practical experience and may be difficult where supernumerary status is not fully implemented. However, a process approach may reduce the theory practice gap and lead to a reflective and proactive practitioner. On-going education of clinical staff is required and increased communication between educational and clinical staff. This approach may lead to a more holistic view of nursing education and achievement measured in not only quantitative but also qualitative terms. Solving the problems that a process approach may present may cause nursing education to be enhanced."}
{"id": "PMID:1474251", "title": "A simplified method for determination of peptide-protein molar ratios using amino acid analysis.", "content": "In this report, we have described methods to improve the efficiency of coupling synthetic peptides to keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH) and for the analysis of the composition of the resulting peptide-protein conjugates. KLH was first dissolved in buffers containing 3 M guanidine hydrochloride to maintain solubility and derivatized with either of two water soluble, heterobifunctional crosslinkers, m-maleimido-benzoyl-N-hydroxy-sulfosuccinimide ester (SMBS), or sulfosuccinimidyl 4-(N-maleimidomethyl)cyclohexane-1-carboxylate (SSMCC) (300:1 molar excess over KLH). Synthetic peptides containing an amino terminal cysteine were then crosslinked to the modified KLH via sulfhydryl reaction with the crosslinker maleimide groups. Following dialysis to remove free peptide, the amino acid composition of the conjugate was determined. The molar ratio of peptide to protein within the conjugate was obtained by comparing the conjugate composition with that of both the KLH and peptide analyzed separately, and by a multiple regression, least squares analysis of the data. This method is generally applicable to the analysis of the molar ratios of protein-protein conjugates of unknown sequence or composition, and requires only the prior determination of the experimental amino acid composition of each component of the conjugate separately."}
{"id": "PMID:1474252", "title": "A simultaneous three-color T cell subsets analysis with single laser flow cytometers using T cell gating protocol. Comparison with conventional two-color immunophenotyping method.", "content": "We describe a method for simultaneous analysis of CD3, CD4, and CD8 positive cells from whole blood utilizing single laser flow cytometers. All three T cell values are attained from a single test tube. CD4 and CD8 positive cells are identified only if they are CD3 positive. Thus the values obtained by this method for T helper/inducer and T cytotoxic/suppressor cells can be reported directly as a percentage of T lymphocytes. Analysis for CD4 and CD8 positive cells is accomplished, by first gating on CD3 positive T lymphocytes, hence the approach is referred to as a T gating method. As the third dye, conjugated to anti-CD3 monoclonal antibodies (MAbs), we utilized peridinin chlorophyll protein (PerCP), a new red fluorochrome. The proposed method may prove to be practical for monitoring disease progression in AIDS, where longitudinal T helper/inducer and T cytotoxic/suppressor cell enumeration must be performed unambiguously by a simple, reproducible, and fast method."}
{"id": "PMID:1474253", "title": "Development of a monoclonal antibody to the conserved region of p34cdc2 protein kinase.", "content": "Mice and rabbits were injected with various forms of a 16 amino acid synthetic peptide representing PSTAIR, the evolutionarily conserved region of the protein kinase p34cdc2, for polyclonal antisera and hybridoma-monoclonal antibody production. Antisera from mice injected with an unconjugated monomeric form of the peptide showed no reaction to the peptide. Of four animals injected with the monomeric form of the peptide conjugated to keyhole limpet hemocyanin via m-maleimidobenzoyl-N-hydroxysulfosuccinimide (MBS), antisera from only one mouse had a very low titer to the peptide, and all four animals produced antibody to the MBS bridge. Both mice injected with an octameric multiple antigen peptide (MAP) of PSTAIR produced antisera reactive to the octameric MAP form of the peptide in ELISA and also to the cdc2 protein expressed in bacteria in an immunoblotting assay. Splenocytes from one mouse injected with the octameric MAP form of the peptide were successfully used for hybridoma-monoclonal antibody production. A monoclonal antibody was produced that reacted with octamer, monomer and cdc2-expressed protein and specifically with the carboxyl terminus of the 16 amino acid peptide."}
{"id": "PMID:1474254", "title": "Assessment of complement activation in clinical samples. Comparison of immunochemical and functional measurements of complement components with quantitation of activation fragments.", "content": "We have compared functional and immunochemical measurements of complement components with assays measuring the generation of activation fragments, for the assessment of classical pathway activation in vitro and in vivo. The generation of the C3a, C3b/C3bi cleavage fragments of C3, and of the C4d cleavage fragment of C4 measured by ELISA and RIA, was correlated with the decrease in total complement hemolytic activity (CH50) and in functional activity of C3 and C4 in normal human serum in which the classical pathway had been activated with aggregated IgG. The decrease in CH50 in in vitro activated serum was also correlated with the generation of C5a and soluble SC5b-9 complexes. In contrast, no or little increase in the concentration of C3a, C3b/C3bi and C4d was observed in plasma samples from patients with low CH50 and with low levels of immunochemical C3 and C4, indicating that fragment quantitation assays provide no information on the presence and extent of complement activation in vivo. Analysis of samples from patients expressing the four C4 genes and patients having one or two C4 null alleles indicated that a ratio of hemolytic C4 to C2 > or = 1 was indicative of complement activation without C4 deficiency, whereas a ratio below 1 was indicative of C4 deficiency with or without classical pathway consumption. Classical pathway activation and C4 deficiency in clinical samples are best predicted by the concomitant assessment of immunochemical levels of C3 and C4 and hemolytic levels of C4, C2 and C3."}
{"id": "PMID:1474255", "title": "A new method for measuring clustering in suspension between accessory cells and T lymphocytes.", "content": "Specifying the molecular basis and clinical significance of cluster formation between antigen-presenting cells and T lymphocytes will be important in many areas of immunology. In this paper we describe a novel and reproducible technique for measuring cluster formation in suspension between purified human blood monocytes and purified autologous T lymphocytes, and its application to determining the effects of recall antigens and mitogen. Blood monocytes and T lymphocytes from eight normal subjects were separately prelabelled with two different carbocyanine dyes prior to co-culture in suspension with or without antigen (PPD, SKSD) or mitogen (PHA). At 24 h the co-cultures were examined for cluster formation by ultraviolet microscopy and flow cytometry. Control experiments showed that the carbocyanine dyes were non-toxic in vitro, that cell labelling was stable for culture periods up to 120 h, and that the two dyes did not leak from cell to cell. By this technique we measured the proportion of monocytes clustering one or more T lymphocytes in the presence and absence of recall antigen or PHA. There was a close correlation between visual and flow cytometric measurement of monocyte: T lymphocyte clustering (p < 0.001) as well as a close relationship between the ability of the two recall antigens to increase the extent of clustering above baseline (p < 0.001). Antigen-increased cluster formation did not correlate with baseline clustering, unlike PHA-increased clustering, which was related to baseline levels (p = 0.02), suggesting the operation of distinct mechanisms. The method is applicable to measuring cell-cell associations in suspension during extended periods of culture, as well as for the study of agents which might modify intercellular adhesion processes."}
{"id": "PMID:1474256", "title": "A simplification of the enzyme-linked immunospot technique. Increased sensitivity for cells secreting IgG antibodies to Haemophilus influenzae type b capsular polysaccharide.", "content": "A simplified enzyme-linked immunospot (ELISPOT) technique is described for the detection of cells secreting antibodies to tetanus toxoid (TT), diphtheria toxoid (DT) or Haemophilus influenzae type b capsular polysaccharide (PRP). By combining the cell suspension with the enzyme-linked secondary antibodies in one incubation, the second incubation and washing procedure could be omitted from the original technique. The simplified assay had the same sensitivity for anti-TT and anti-DT spot-forming cells as the ordinary ELISPOT assay. The IgG anti-PRP spots were, however, improved both in quality and in quantity (median: 40% more spots), while the detection of IgM and IgA anti-PRP spot-forming cells was the same in the two techniques. This simplified technique can probably also be used to save time in other antigen systems and should be considered when designing ELISPOT assays for the detection of polysaccharide-specific antibody-secreting cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1474257", "title": "Differential reactivity of Agaricus bisporus lectin with human IgA subclasses in gel precipitation.", "content": "The interaction between purified Agaricus bisporus lectin and several human proteins was studied using the Ouchterlony double diffusion and immunoelectrophoresis techniques. Only one precipitation line was observed with normal human serum, normal human colostrum, IgA1 myeloma serum, both serum monoclonal and secretory IgA1 and monoclonal IgD. No reaction was observed with monoclonal and secretory IgA2, IgG, IgM, alpha 2 macroglobulin or pregnancy-associated alpha 2 glycoprotein. These results were confirmed by hemagglutination inhibition assays when IgA1, IgA2 and IgD were tested. On the basis of this reactivity, ABL could be a useful tool for distinguishing and isolating human IgA subclasses."}
{"id": "PMID:1474258", "title": "Kinetics of antibody binding at solid-liquid interfaces in flow.", "content": "We have developed the theoretical framework for a displacement immunoassay conducted in flow under nonequilibrium conditions. Using a repetitive displacement technique, we determined the displacement rate and apparent dissociation rate constant at different flow rates. Our data suggest that the kinetics are best described by a first-order function. The displacement efficiency, the displacement rate, and therefore the apparent dissociation rate constant were calculated and demonstrated to be flow rate dependent. The theoretical framework developed in this study was successful in predicting the behavior of antigen displacement in flow."}
{"id": "PMID:1474259", "title": "Measurement of antigen-dependent interleukin-4 production by human peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Introduction of an amplification step using ionomycin and phorbol myristate acetate.", "content": "The study of T cell responses in parasitic disease and allergy in humans has been limited by difficulties in the measurement of interleukin-4 (IL-4) in supernatants from antigen-stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). To obtain measurable amounts of IL-4 in vitro, we have added an amplification step to the antigen-specific response. Human PBMC were stimulated by tetanus toxoid (TT) or tuberculin (PPD) for 6 days and then pulsed with ionomycin and phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) for 24 h. TT-stimulated cells from nine revaccinated donors but not from seven unvaccinated donors and four that had only received childhood vaccinations against tetanus produced high levels of IL-4 (median (range) 1500 (300-3800), 316 (0-1600), and 270 (100-410) pg/ml, respectively, as measured by an enzyme linked immunosorbent assay, P = 0.005). PPD did not increase IL-4 production above the background level, although the majority of PPD-stimulated PBMC proliferated and produced interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) in cultures without ionomycin and PMA. TT-induced IL-4 production correlated positively with proliferation. Culture supernatants did not interfere with IL-4 immunoreactivity and failed to affect ionomycin and PMA induced IL-4 production. The findings suggest that proliferating antigen-specific T cells were the source of IL-4 in these experiments. The method should prove useful for comparing the IL-4 producing ability of antigen-specific T cells from different individuals."}
{"id": "PMID:1474260", "title": "Application and limitations of the multiple antigen peptide (MAP) system in the production and evaluation of anti-peptide and anti-protein antibodies.", "content": "The multiple antigen peptide (MAP) system has been proposed as a novel and valuable approach for eliciting antibodies to peptides and developing synthetic vaccines. The MAP system consists of a small immunogenically inert core matrix of lysine residues with alpha- and epsilon-amino groups for anchoring multiple copies of the same or different synthetic peptides. Several MAP systems, each containing eight copies of 6-15 residue-long peptides derived from the terminal and central regions of various proteins were analyzed in this study. The immunogenicity of MAPs was compared to that of the same peptides linked to carrier protein by means of conventional conjugation procedures. The various peptide antisera were tested in ELISA with homologous peptides conjugated to a carrier protein via their C terminal (as in the MAP system) or their N terminal end, or with their parent proteins. The antigenic properties of MAPs were studied with anti-peptide sera obtained by classical methods and with anti-protein sera. The results showed that the MAP system was an efficient antigen in ELISA except when the peptide corresponded to a C terminal epitope. However, the value of MAPs for raising anti-peptide antibodies cross-reactive with the cognate protein appeared much more limited. In the case of one N terminal peptide, the MAP construction was not immunogenic while the conventionally conjugated peptide induced antibodies that reacted strongly with the corresponding protein. In the case of the two C terminal peptides tested, the antibodies raised against MAP constructs reacted well with homologous MAPs but did not cross-react with the whole protein. Only in the case of a peptide from an internal domain of histone H2A did immunization with a MAP generate antibodies that cross-reacted with the protein."}
{"id": "PMID:1474261", "title": "Use of passive immunization for the production of monoclonal antibodies against Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae serotype 1,6 and 12.", "content": "Hyperimmune sera from BALB/c mice immunized intraperitoneally (IP) with Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae serotype 2 were used for passive intraperitoneal (i.p.) immunization of BALB/c mice. The immunized mice were subsequently immunized i.p. with a mixture of A. pleuropneumoniae serotypes 1, 6 and 12. Numerous monoclonal antibodies specific for serotypes 1, 6 and 12 were obtained. Using this immunization scheme antibodies can be obtained against specific antigens from closely related bacteria."}
{"id": "PMID:1474262", "title": "A 7-day course of ciprofloxacin for enteric fever.", "content": "A prospective, open and non-randomised clinical trial using a 7-day short course of oral ciprofloxacin 500 mg twice daily was conducted on 25 adult patients with bacteraemic enteric fever. Twenty-four patients (96%) were cured and there was one treatment failure. Two patients with typhoid fever relapsed 6 weeks after finishing treatment. Defervescence of fever was rapid (median: 4 days) and the duration of hospitalisation was short (median: 8 days). Both factors resulted in patient satisfaction. A short-course regime of ciprofloxacin for the treatment of enteric fever, is therefore, highly promising."}
{"id": "PMID:1474263", "title": "Serological diagnosis of infection by Shigella dysenteriae-1 in patients with bacillary dysentery.", "content": "A total of 192 samples of serum from 113 Sri Lankan patients with clinical dysentery was examined for antibodies of the IgM class to the lipopolysaccharides (LPSs) of Shigella dysenteriae-1 and Escherichia coli O157:H7. By means of ELISA and immunoblotting, 59 patients were found to have serum antibodies to the LPS of S. dysenteriae-1 only. Four samples from one patient were found to contain serum antibodies to the LPSs of both S. dysenteriae-1 and E. coli O157:H7. Antibodies to the LPS of S. dysenteriae-1 were also detected in 16 samples from 25 children, from Sri Lanka, with no previous history of dysentery; one of these children also had antibodies to the LPS of E. coli O157:H7. Analysis of 16 samples from apparently healthy children in the U.K. showed that only one serum contained antibodies to the LPS of S. dysenteriae-1. This patient had a history of recent travel to Pakistan. The isolation of S. dysenteriae-1 remains the preferred test for the diagnosis of bacillary dysentery. The use of serology as a means of providing evidence of infection with S. dysenteriae-1, however may prove to be a useful adjunct to cultural techniques but needs to be validated in an area where this organism is endemic."}
{"id": "PMID:1474264", "title": "Assessment of assays for the serodiagnosis of Venezuelan equine encephalitis.", "content": "An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), an immunofluorescence assay (IFA), a plaque-reduction neutralization (PRN) assay and an immunoblot assay, all by means of an antigen prepared from the attenuated Venezuelan equine encephalitis (VEE) vaccine strain of virus, were compared with the conventional haemagglutination-inhibition (HAI) assay for the serodiagnosis of VEE. The HAI assay, which includes the use of wild type virus antigen, was less sensitive than the other assays when known-positive samples of serum from an epidemic of VEE were tested. The superior sensitivity of the IgG ELISA was confirmed by assaying both VEE epidemic samples and a bank of samples from VEE vaccinees. Samples with antibody specific for other Alphaviruses, however, cross reacted weakly in this assay. The PRN, immunoblot and HAI assays, although less sensitive than the ELISA, proved more specific. Experimental infection of guinea-pigs demonstrated the value of the IgM ELISA in the early detection of VEE virus infection. Immunoglobulin M was first found at 4 days post-inoculation (p.i.) during the viraemic phase of infection. Immunoglobulin G was detected by ELISA, PRN assay and IFA at 6 days p.i. Immunoblot and HAI assays, however, did not give positive results until 10 days p.i. The results support the diagnostic use of ELISA for detecting VEE virus-specific IgM and IgG, and the use of the specific PRN assay for confirming the diagnosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1474265", "title": "Bacillus cereus meningitis in two neurosurgical patients: an investigation into the source of the organism.", "content": "Two patients developed Bacillus cereus meningitis following neurosurgery. During the subsequent investigation into the source of the organism, linen was discovered to be heavily contaminated with B. cereus. No other prolific source of the organism was found. It seems probable that lint from contaminated fabric was the vehicle of transmission of the organism during extended surgery. Linen should be considered as a possible source of B. cereus infection."}
{"id": "PMID:1474266", "title": "Streptococcal necrotising fasciitis.", "content": "Three cases of streptococcal necrotising fasciitis are described. Its relative rarity and the lack of superficial inflammation leading to diagnostic difficulty is emphasised. The diagnosis is readily confirmed microbiologically but the clinician should bear in mind that antibiotics may not be curative and that surgery is often required."}
{"id": "PMID:1474267", "title": "Primary abdominal actinomycosis in a diabetic woman--an intractable disease.", "content": "Primary abdominal actinomycosis is very unusual. Only five previous cases have been reported in the English literature. We describe the case of a 57-year-old diabetic woman with primary abdominal actinomycosis, refractory to several antimicrobial regimens and surgical procedures. We conclude that primary abdominal actinomycosis in such a diabetic woman is an intractable disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1474268", "title": "Diphtheria: another risk of travel.", "content": "A 19-year-old woman presented with cellulitis of her foot 10 days after returning from Bali. Swabs of a central necrotic area grew toxigenic Corynebacterium diphtheriae biotype gravis. The patient was treated with parenteral penicillin and made a complete recovery. Diphtheria immunisation should be regularly updated for travellers to the tropics. Clinical and laboratory recognition of this infection is essential for appropriate public health measures to be undertaken."}
{"id": "PMID:1474269", "title": "Influenza B virus infection associated with non-bacterial septic shock-like illness.", "content": "We report the details of four children aged between 6 months and 5.5 years who had underlying chronic disease and who developed life-threatening illness in association with influenza virus B infection. Influenza has received relatively little attention, yet its morbidity and mortality in children can be considerable. This report emphasises the need to vaccinate the population groups at high risk, such as children with cardiovascular disorders, chronic bronchopulmonary, metabolic and renal disease and chronic neurological disorders."}
{"id": "PMID:1474270", "title": "Acute delta hepatitis without hepatitis B surface antigen detectable in the blood.", "content": "The case is described of a 42-year-old man suffering from acute delta hepatitis without hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) being detectable in his blood. Tests on the patient's blood were negative for anti-HBcIgM and HBeAg but positive for anti-HBs, anti-HBe, HDAg and anti-DIgM. It is well known that the delta antigen-antibody system is detectable only in HBsAg carriers except rarely in persons recently recovered from acute hepatitis B virus (HBV) and delta infection. We report one of the rare cases in which the circulating HBsAg as well as anti-HBcIgM and HBeAg were not found in the patient's serum, thus indicating the absence of recent infection with HBV."}
{"id": "PMID:1474271", "title": "Meningococcal disease in Wales: clinical features, outcome and public health management.", "content": "In Wales, in 1988, 119 patients with meningococcal disease were identified, so giving a crude annual incidence of 4.2 patients per 100,000 population. The combined classical clinical features of fever, vomiting, neck stiffness, headache and purpuric rash were identified in only 9% of patients. Fever and vomiting were the commonest symptoms, both being present in 60% of patients. A rash was noted in 77% of patients but neck stiffness in only 39%. Rash was more common in children, headache and photophobia in adults. A total of 13 patients died, the fatality rare increasing with age from 3% in infants to 20% in older teenagers and adults. Only 15% of 75 patients admitted to hospital by general practitioners were known to have received intravenous or intramuscular penicillin before admission as recommended by the Chief Medical Officers of the Health Departments in the U.K. Only 24% of patients received rifampicin to clear nasopharyngeal carriage before or at discharge from hospital. Altogether, 375 household contacts of patients were identified. At least 84% of them received chemoprophylaxis."}
{"id": "PMID:1474274", "title": "Protective effect of intradermal BCG against leprosy; a case-control study in central Brazil.", "content": "A case-control study was undertaken to evaluate the protective efficacy of intradermal BCG against leprosy in a high-endemic area of leprosy in central Brazil. Sixty-two cases and 186 controls were included in the study. Cases were all newly diagnosed leprosy patients under 16 years of age attending an outpatient health service, and all of them were schoolchildren. Three controls under 16 years old, frequency matched by sex and age group, were selected from schools geographically located in the area from which the cases came. The presence of BCG was negatively associated with leprosy, indicating a 5.3 risk of leprosy for those nonvaccinated and protective efficacy of 81%. Paucibacillary patients were more likely to have a BCG scar than multibacillary patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1474275", "title": "Sensitization potential and reactogenicity of BCG with and without various doses of killed Mycobacterium leprae.", "content": "A study was conducted in 997 individuals in two villages in south India to find the acceptability and sensitizing effect of the antileprosy combination vaccine of BCG plus killed Mycobacterium leprae (KML). Three preparations of the combination, BCG 0.1 mg + 6 x 10(8) KML (I), BCG 0.1 mg + 5 x 10(7) KML (II), and BCG 0.1 mg + 5 x 10(6) KML (III), along with BCG 0.1 mg (IV), and normal saline (V), were used in the study. Each individual received one of the above five preparations by random allocation. They were also tested with Rees' M. leprae soluble skin-test antigen (MLSA) and lepromin-A, both at intake and 12 weeks after vaccination. Reactions to Rees' MLSA were measured after 48 hr; those to lepromin-A after 48 hr and 3 weeks. The character and size of the local response at the vaccination site were recorded at 3, 8, 12, 15, and 27 weeks after vaccination. The mean sizes of postvaccination sensitization to both Rees' MLSA and lepromin-A in the vaccine groups were significantly larger than those in the normal saline group, clearly demonstrating the ability of the vaccines to induce sensitization as measured by responses to the two skin tests. The sensitizing effect was the highest following vaccination with vaccine I. It was not significantly different for vaccines II, III, and IV, although, generally, a dose-response effect was observed. The sensitizing effect attributable to the vaccine was more clearly seen in children than in adults. The above conclusions were the same irrespective of which results were considered, reactions to Rees' MLSA or Fernandez or Mitsuda reactions to lepromin-A. A significant finding of the study was that at intake the Mitsuda reactions provided a measure of sensitizing effect due to vaccine. The healing of vaccination lesions was uneventful. In more than 90% of vaccinated individuals, the lesions had healed by the 12th week in vaccine groups II, III, and IV, and by the 15th week in vaccine group I. The results showed that vaccination with BCG or combination vaccines was equally safe in individuals with or without previous BCG scars. Thirteen persons, aged 10 years or older, developed suppurative lymphadenitis around the 8th week (7 in vaccine group I, 3 each in vaccine groups II and III). However, healing was prompt after drainage in these individuals."}
{"id": "PMID:1474276", "title": "Serological response to purified mycobacterial phosphatidylinositol mannoside in healthy controls and in patients with tuberculosis and leprosy.", "content": "The serological response to a monoclonal antibody-defined phosphatidylinositol mannoside (L4-PIM) present in all mycobacteria was examined in patients with various mycobacterial diseases and healthy subjects from different populations. IgG but not IgM antibodies were detected in most patients with untreated lepromatous (84%) or borderline lepromatous (65%) leprosy, but in only a minority of those with disease at the tuberculoid end of the leprosy spectrum (< 17% positive). The response to L4-PIM was correlated with the IgM response to disaccharide octyl-bovine serum albumin (dBSA), and decreased with successful treatment. On the other hand, the test proved to be of little value in the diagnosis of untreated tuberculosis (4/15 positive) or atypical mycobacterial infection in patients with AIDS (0/11 positive). IgG antibodies to L4-PIM were also found in a significant proportion of healthy individuals, irrespective of their Mantoux status. These antibodies were shown to be specific for L4-PIM on immunoblotting, and their incidence increased with age in random donors from both urban Australia and rural Papua New Guinea. Despite the limited value of the assay in diagnosis of any particular mycobacterial disease, the presence of antibodies to L4-PIM appears to be a sensitive indicator of subclinical infection with environmental mycobacteria in subjects with an intact immune system."}
{"id": "PMID:1474277", "title": "Maxillary antrum involvement in multibacillary leprosy: a radiologic, sinuscopic, and histologic assessment.", "content": "Thirty patients having lepromatous leprosy (22 males, 8 females) and showing radiological involvement of the maxillary antrum were subjected to sinuscopy, biopsy, and histopathological examination. Radiological observations showed diffuse opacity in 33.3% of the sinuses, localized mucosal thickening in 28.6%, and generalized thickened mucosa in 38.1%. Sinuscopy revealed inflamed mucosa as the most common finding (40%), followed by ulcerative (26.7%) and granulomatous (10%) lesions of the mucosal lining. The mucosal thickening (localized or generalized) evident on radiology was always associated with granuloma formation and acid-fast bacilli in the histology. The presence of an external nasal deformity indicated a statistically significant chance of encountering mucosal involvement on sinuscopy and histopathology (p < 0.05). There was more chance of finding positive sinuscopic lesions in those patients with a bacterial index above 3+."}
{"id": "PMID:1474278", "title": "Delayed clearance of circulating immune complexes in mice following administration of antileprosy drugs.", "content": "In this report we describe an animal experiment which showed delayed clearance of preformed 125I-HSA-anti-HSA immune complexes (with five times excess HSA) from the circulation of mice treated with antileprosy drugs (dapsone, clofazimine, and rifampin--multidrug therapy for 7 days) in comparison with normal (untreated) mice. The results also showed delayed retention of the preformed immune complexes in the spleen and kidneys of the antileprosy-drug-treated animals. The exact mechanism of the delayed handling of preformed immune complexes in mice fed antileprosy drugs could not be ascertained. However, in light of the anticomplementary effects of clofazimine and dapsone, as reported earlier, and in light of the large accumulation of clofazimine and rifampin in macrophages, it has been postulated that in the drug-fed animals either the immune complexes could not be phagocytosed by macrophages, through the avenue of their C3b receptors, or the immune complexes could not be downgraded easily within the macrophages overloaded with clofazimine and rifampin. These results might have clinical significance and might throw some light on the prolonged persistence of circulating immune complexes in the vascular bed of lepromatous patients even after clinical remission of erythema nodosum leprosum."}
{"id": "PMID:1474279", "title": "An experimental study to evaluate the bactericidal activity of ofloxacin against an established Mycobacterium leprae infection.", "content": "The bactericidal effect of a new quinolone, ofloxacin (OFLO), was determined on an established Mycobacterium leprae infection in nude mice. Various drug regimens, including combinations of drugs, were examined for different treatment periods. OFLO and rifampin (RMP) individually failed to produce significant killing after treatment with a single large dose. However, when single large doses of OFLO and RMP were given in combination, a 100-fold reduction in viability was achieved. For a longer period of treatment both of these drugs, at lower doses, produced a moderate reduction in viability. The addition of dapsone to the lower dose of OFLO resulted in a significant reduction in viability, while lower doses of RMP and OFLO together produced a moderate reduction in viability."}
{"id": "PMID:1474280", "title": "Chemoprophylaxis of leprosy with a single dose of 25 mg per kg rifampin in the southern Marquesas; results after four years.", "content": "In January-February 1988, a program of chemoprophylaxis for leprosy, using a single 25 mg/kg dose of rifampin, was conducted among 2786 (98.7%) inhabitants of the Southern Marquesas and 3144 South Marquesan \"emigrants\" and their families. Among the treated population, during the 4 years which followed the implementation of the program, two leprosy patients were detected, one of whom can be considered as a failure of chemoprophylaxis because she was not known by the leprosy control unit. During the same period (1988-1991), a decrease in detection rates for leprosy in the entire French Polynesian population has been observed, an event which makes the interpretation of these findings very difficult. Nevertheless, according to presently available data, the effectiveness of chemoprophylaxis with a single dose of 25 mg/kg rifampin is estimated to be about 40% to 50%. When considering not only the results of the present study but also the financial and logistic constraints raised by such a program, one is led to the conclusion that chemoprophylaxis, even with a single dose of rifampin, is not likely to become an effective component of leprosy control programs."}
{"id": "PMID:1474281", "title": "Relapses among leprosy patients treated with multidrug therapy: experience in the leprosy control program of the All Africa Leprosy and Rehabilitation Training Center (ALERT) in Ethiopia; practical difficulties with diagnosing relapses; operational procedures and criteria for diagnosing relapses.", "content": "Multidrug therapy (MDT), according to the recommendations of a WHO Study Group of 1982, was introduced in the leprosy control program of the All African Leprosy and Rehabilitation Training Center (ALERT), Ethiopia, in January 1983. Paucibacillary (PB) patients are treated with 6 months of MDT. Multibacillary (MB) patients are treated with at least 2 years of MDT and until skin-smear negativity. An analysis was made of the relapses which had been diagnosed among self-reporting patients in four rural districts and Addis Ababa. Among 3065 PB patients, 34 relapses (1.1%) were diagnosed during an average period of 6.1 years after stopping MDT (range 2 1/2 to 7 1/2 years). Among 2379 MB patients, 24 relapses (1.0%) were diagnosed during an average period of 4.7 years after stopping MDT (range 2 1/2 to 6 years). The estimated relapse rate per 1000 patient-years after release from MDT was 2.1 for PB patients and 2.4 for MB patients. From the analysis of the clinical, bacteriological, and histopathological findings, it was concluded that there was strong positive evidence for the diagnosis for 16 of the 34 relapses in the PB patients and for 0 of the 24 relapses in the MB patients. The main cause for overdiagnosis of MB relapses was that too much reliance had been put on skin-smear results, without a careful comparison of the results with those from before, during, and at completion of MDT; the diagnosis was based on the finding of positive smears in one set of smears only; insufficient attention was given to finding solid-staining bacilli; and findings in biopsies, if these were examined, did not confirm the diagnosis. The main cause of overdiagnosis of PB relapses was that too much reliance was put on histological findings, while these are often inconclusive for differentiating between a relapse and late reversal reaction. Recommendations are made on how to limit overdiagnosis of relapses. Operational procedures and criteria for making the diagnosis under conditions where facilities for back-up histological and mouse foot pad investigations are not available are proposed."}
{"id": "PMID:1474282", "title": "Duration of multidrug therapy in paucibacillary leprosy patients; experience in the leprosy control program of the All Africa Leprosy and Rehabilitation Training Center (ALERT) in Ethiopia.", "content": "Multidrug therapy (MDT), according to the recommendations of a WHO Study Group of 1982, was introduced in the leprosy control program of the All Africa Leprosy and Rehabilitation Training Center (ALERT), Ethiopia, in January 1983. Of 6042 paucibacillary patients who were put on MDT during a period of 7 years, 5485 patients (90.8%) completed the course of MDT; 437 patients (7.2%) did not fulfill the requirement for clinic attendance and either discontinued MDT themselves or the treatment was discontinued by the service. The remaining 120 patients (2.0%) either died, were transferred, left the control area or continued MDT after 9 months. The urine spot test for the presence of dapsone showed a significantly higher proportion of positive results for patients on MDT than for patients on dapsone. The analysis of the compliance with the prescribed doses of MDT showed that of 963 patients, 81.9% received six doses of MDT and 18.1%, more than six doses; 82.6% of these 963 patients attended with 100% regularity, 12.7%, 3.6%, and 1.1% missed one, two, or three clinic appointments, respectively, while fulfilling the requirement for overall clinic attendance. Of the 429 patients who had not been treated with dapsone before MDT, the skin lesions were clinically active at the time of stopping MDT in 130 patients (30.3%). In all, except one of the 114 patients (0.9%) who attended for follow-up examinations, the skin lesions had become clinically inactive within 2 years after stopping MDT. The recommended duration of MDT is discussed based on findings in the ALERT leprosy control programs and observations by others."}
{"id": "PMID:1474287", "title": "Nonhuman sources of leprosy.", "content": "Our findings establish that there are known extrahuman reservoirs of M. leprae in three animal species. There is considerable evidence that the armadillo plays a role in the epidemiology of leprosy in humans in Texas and Louisiana. The elimination of leprosy as a public health problem (defined by the World Health Organization as one active patient per 10,000 population) may be attainable by the wide application of current control measures; however, the ultimate eradication of leprosy must take into account extrahuman reservoirs of M. leprae. The impact that attempts to control or to eliminate leprosy in such reservoirs (e.g., the armadillo in Louisiana and Texas) would have on environmental and wild-life considerations would be profound. Whether or not similar situations prevail in other leprosy-endemic geographic areas is not known. Based on the armadillo experience, there seems to be ample justification for undertaking, forthwith, carefully designed surveys for enzootic leprosy in some of the major endemic areas of leprosy. At the current state of our knowledge of the subject, such surveys should be initiated in the natural habitats of the mangabey monkey and chimpanzees--in West Africa."}
{"id": "PMID:1474293", "title": "Carcinoma of the lip.", "content": "Carcinoma of the lip represents the most common malignancy of the oral cavity with an incidence in the United States of approximately 1.8/100,000. Lip cancers represent 15% to 20% of all malignancies of the oral cavity. With increasing public awareness of the harmful effects of solar radiation, physicians need to be aware of the etiological factors as well as appropriate treatment plans to ensure that patients obtain the most favorable outcome possible."}
{"id": "PMID:1474295", "title": "Assessment of cognition, mood, and function: vital clinical data in geriatric psychiatry.", "content": "Systematic assessment of cognition, mood, and function in geriatric psychiatry using simple psychological tests provides vital data for diagnosis, management, and treatment outcome. Use of such tests can assist in differentiating depressive pseudodementia and delerium from true dementia. This article presents a computer database program using serial administration of basic psychological tests which are readily obtainable and easily administered. Case histories describe how this testing format provides graphic data documenting treatment course and outcome. Research applications are suggested."}
{"id": "PMID:1474296", "title": "Behavioral aspects of trichotillomania.", "content": "Trichotillomania is characterized by an inability to resist urges to pull out hair. It is estimated to occur in at least 1 out of 200 persons by college age. The disorder usually begins in childhood or adolescence with a chronic course more likely in patients with a later onset. Some investigators hypothesize a relationship between trichotillomania and obsessive compulsive disorder, but this proposal has not yet been substantiated. Little rigorous treatment research has been done, but the current treatments of choice are clomipramine and behavior therapy (habit reversal training)."}
{"id": "PMID:1474298", "title": "Adolescent suicide: prevention and treatment of psychiatric causes.", "content": "There has been a dramatic increase in suicide among adolescent males in the last 20 years. White males are at the highest risk. For this group, suicide is the second most common cause of death. Because of the gravity of the problem, much interest has developed in the causes and means of preventing suicide. Precipitating causes include getting in trouble and disturbances in the peer and family relationship. These are common occurrences for all adolescents. Investigations following death show that the majority of those that complete suicide had psychiatric diagnoses. The most common diagnoses are depression, substance abuse, and conduct disorder. The assessment and treatment of these disorders is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1474299", "title": "Psychopharmacology in the elderly.", "content": "By the year 2030, it is estimated that 17% of the population (52 million people) will be over age 65. Most of these individuals will be taking several medications, and one or more of these medications may be a psychotropic, that is, an antidepressant, anxiolytic, antipsychotic, or lithium. This article summarizes the pharmacokinetic changes that accompany aging and highlight how these changes impact the elderly."}
{"id": "PMID:1474300", "title": "A review of the medical and social consequences of generalized anxiety disorder and panic disorder.", "content": "Over the past two decades, anxiety disorders have become the focus of much research after years of relative obscurity. The accumulating data has suggested that anxiety disorders may have many consequences including decreased quality of life, economic dependence, multiple somatic complaints, maladaptive personality traits, and increased mortality due to suicide, cardiovascular, and cerebrovascular causes. Aggressive management of these disorders may greatly lessen the impact."}
{"id": "PMID:1474301", "title": "Survival of persons with AIDS in Kentucky.", "content": "Of all reported Kentucky adult/adolescent cases of AIDS (124) with diagnosis dates from July 1, 1990, through June 30, 1991, 33% died within three months of diagnosis. To discern possible reasons for these very short survival times, information was analyzed from the CDC AIDS Confidential Case Report of the 124 patients and from the hospital charts of the 29 patients who were reported as having died within the month of or the month following diagnosis. Data suggested that survival for three months appears to be less likely for blacks, for males, and for those 30 through 34 years old. In the cohort the first diagnosis of AIDS was made at 40 different hospitals and the patients presented to 77 different physicians. Of chart-reviewed patients, 16 of the 29 (55.1%) were previously known to be HIV-positive. The most commonly identified likely reason for short survival time from AIDS diagnosis to death was that the diagnosis had been previously missed (10 of the 29 patients--34%). The study showed that many known to be HIV-positive for some time had apparently received little or no care for their infection from testing until diagnosis with AIDS. Medical review of patient charts suggested that scatter of caregivers may have resulted in some errors in diagnosis and treatment decisions. Also, considerable numbers of persons with HIV infection are either not utilizing the existing HIV counseling, testing, and follow-up systems or are not receiving medical care for their infection once it is identified."}
{"id": "PMID:1474302", "title": "Solitary fibrous tumor of the pleura with hypoglycemia: the Doege-Potter syndrome.", "content": "The occurrence of hypoglycemia with an intrathoracic tumor was reported in 1930 independently by Doege and Potter. Since then, the presence of a nonpancreatic tumor associated with low blood sugars has often been referred to as the Doege-Potter syndrome. We report a patient with a recurrent solitary fibrous tumor of the pleura who experienced symptomatic hypoglycemia attributable to his tumor."}
{"id": "PMID:1474307", "title": "An unusual prevalence of complications of chronic suppurative otitis media in young adults.", "content": "The complications of chronic suppurative otitis media as seen in 117 patients are presented. Fifty per cent of the patients had cholesteatoma, and 28 per cent revealed complications. Two-thirds of these complications, especially the serious intracranial ones, were encountered in young females. This female predominance was attributed to late presentation because of social reasons, or to undue susceptibility to the destructive effect of cholesteatoma. Radical and modified radical operations were recommended to render the ears safe, as most of the patients came from distant rural areas and were judged to have poor compliance to report for regular checks."}
{"id": "PMID:1474308", "title": "Computer simulation of human tympanic membrane.", "content": "Because of the difficulties in studying the mechanical properties of the human tympanic membrane in situ, structural data from the cadaveric tympanic membrane samples is used for simulation of the surface structure of the tympanic membrane with the help of a computer. The hitherto poorly understood contour of the tympanic membrane is available for the development of a tympanic membrane and middle ear model."}
{"id": "PMID:1474309", "title": "Treatment of tympanic membrane retraction pockets by excision. A prospective study.", "content": "The treatment of tympanic membrane retraction pockets by simple excision is described in 66 ears in 50 patients. After one operation 65 per cent of the retraction pockets were successfully treated (mean follow up 14.1 months). Persisting perforations occurred in five patients after one excision. Retrotympanic cholesteatoma was found in one patient, after two retraction pocket excision operations. The number of myringotomies with grommet insertion and the presence of bilateral disease does not predict the outcome of the procedure. Simple excision should be considered in the first instance, rather than reinforcement tympanoplasty using temporalis fascia or cartilage graft, in the treatment of tympanic membrane retraction pockets."}
{"id": "PMID:1474310", "title": "Early changes of auditory brain stem evoked response after radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma--a prospective study.", "content": "A prospective study of the effect of radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma on hearing was carried out on 49 patients who had pure tone, impedance audiometry and auditory brain stem evoked response (ABR) recordings before, immediately, three, six and 12 months after radiotherapy. Fourteen patients complained of intermittent tinnitus after radiotherapy. We found that 11 initially normal ears of nine patients developed a middle ear effusion, three to six months after radiotherapy. There was mixed sensorineural and conductive hearing impairment after radiotherapy. Persistent impairment of ABR was detected immediately after completion of radiotherapy. The waves I-III and I-V interpeak latency intervals were significantly prolonged one year after radiotherapy. The study shows that radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma impairs hearing by acting on the middle ear, the cochlea and the brain stem auditory pathway."}
{"id": "PMID:1474311", "title": "Tragal cartilage inferior turbinate mucoperiosteal sandwich graft technique for repair of nasal septal perforations.", "content": "Ten cases of large nasal septal perforation were repaired with a tragal cartilage inferior turbinate mucoperiosteal sandwich graft technique with 70 per cent success rate over a follow-up period of up to 24 months. The technique is described in detail. The results are comparable to other techniques."}
{"id": "PMID:1474312", "title": "An apparatus to measure pressure, flow and speech parameters in patients producing speech using the Groningen valve prosthesis.", "content": "We present a validated method of determining in vivo pressure, flow and voice parameters from patients using tracheo-oesophageal voice prostheses post laryngectomy. This apparatus was constructed simply using equipment which should be available in most large Otolaryngology Departments. There was good agreement between measurements made over two separate sessions of in vivo opening pressure, maximum flow through the device and maximum voice amplitude and these were significant. These measurements may be useful in monitoring patient progress and also in elucidating the mechanics of prosthesis failure."}
{"id": "PMID:1474313", "title": "The use of pyriform sinus mucosa for reconstruction after vertical partial laryngectomy.", "content": "This prospective study included 30 patients with glottic carcinoma of the larynx who were treated primarily by vertical partial laryngectomy. The pyriform sinus mucosa was used to reconstruct the new laryngeal wall and to form a pseudo-vocal fold at the side of resection. Our results showed that 90 per cent of patients were decannulated, 80 per cent were able to eat a normal diet, 70 per cent developed excellent voice quality after surgery and a 97 per cent three-year survival was achieved. The pyriform sinus mucosa proved to be a reliable material for reconstruction after vertical partial laryngectomy."}
{"id": "PMID:1474314", "title": "New methods of dealing with the complications of panendoscopy.", "content": "A 70-year-old man with chronic obstructive airways disease was scheduled to undergo panendoscopy following a course of radiotherapy for carcinoma of the larynx. He was anaesthetized using a propofol infusion and high frequency jet ventilation (HFJV). The jet ventilation catheter was left in situ at the end of the procedure. This enabled oxygenation to be maintained in the presence of post-operative laryngospasm by re-attaching the jet ventilator. Subsequently he developed respiratory failure, and a Bullard laryngoscope was used to visualize the vocal folds despite oedema of the tumour which made direct laryngoscopy impossible. A catheter was passed through the biopsy channel of the Bullard, enabling HFJV to be commenced. A conventional endotracheal tube was then railroaded over the catheter to facilitate conventional ventilation."}
{"id": "PMID:1474315", "title": "Osteoma of the internal auditory canal presenting with sudden unilateral hearing loss.", "content": "A case of an unilateral sensorineural hearing loss of sudden onset, due to an osteoma in the internal auditory canal is presented. As far as the authors are aware an osteoma at this site associated with a hearing loss occurring within a few hours has not previously been reported."}
{"id": "PMID:1474316", "title": "Carcinoma of temporal bone presenting as malignant otitis externa.", "content": "A 69-year-old man presented with a three-month history of otalgia and tenderness of the right ear and a one-week history of a painful right parotid swelling. Examination revealed granulation tissue in the right ear canal with normal looking tympanic membranes and a parotid abscess. Repeated biopsies from the ear canal and parotid showed non-specific inflammation. Repeated cultures from both areas grew Ps. aeruginosa. The patient's condition improved following three weeks of intensive treatment for malignant otitis externa only to relapse five weeks after the end of treatment. He received a second course, only to improve temporarily. He developed a right facial nerve palsy five weeks after he was first seen, followed four months later by palsies of all cranial nerves except the olfactory, before dying, seven months after his first appointment. The radiological, histological and post-mortem findings are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1474317", "title": "Relapsing polychondritis--a study of four cases.", "content": "Four case reports of relapsing polychondritis, (RP), are presented, together with a literature review and management suggestions. There are approximately 211 reported cases in world literature making RP an uncommon condition associated with high morbidity and mortality rates. The key to the management of RP is based on accurate and early diagnosis though the ideal medical regimen has yet to be elucidated."}
{"id": "PMID:1474318", "title": "External nasal nerve division: a treatment for post-traumatic neuralgia.", "content": "We present four patients complaining of neuralgic pains across the nasal bridge following trauma, who were successfully treated by division of the external nasal nerve. We believe it is a useful treatment in selected cases."}
{"id": "PMID:1474320", "title": "Dysphagia as a major symptom of tetanus.", "content": "Dysphagia is a common symptom presenting to ENT departments. Two cases of tetanus with dysphagia as a major symptom are discussed, together with a review of previously reported cases. Although tetanus is a rare disease in the United Kingdom, the possibility of this diagnosis should be borne in mind in patients presenting with progressive dysphagia, especially if there are other head and neck symptoms present."}
{"id": "PMID:1474321", "title": "Perforating injury of the neck and vertebral artery trauma.", "content": "A 10-year-old schoolboy presented with a penetrating wound to the neck after a children's slide accident. A CT scan and endoscopy showed a traumatic oesophageal-cutaneous fistula. Neurologically the child deteriorated over a period of 34 hours and finally succumbed to a respiratory arrest. Post-mortem findings showed a hypoplastic right vertebral artery. In the left suboccipital triangle a venous clot had blocked the dominant artery thus leading to cerebellar and brainstem infarction. This extraluminal compression leading to obstruction of an otherwise non traumatized vertebral artery is unique in the literature."}
{"id": "PMID:1474322", "title": "Tuberculosis of the parotid gland: clinically indistinguishable from a neoplasm.", "content": "Tuberculosis of the parotid gland may be clinically indistinguishable from a neoplasm. This poses a problem with regard to management, because the treatment of tuberculosis is medical, whilst that of the majority of tumours is surgical. If radical surgery with resection of a branch or branches of the facial nerve is embarked upon in a patient with tuberculosis, without prior histological diagnosis, unnecessary permanent disability will result. Two cases of tuberculosis of the parotid gland are reported, demonstrating the clinical similarity of tuberculosis to a parotid neoplasm and the absolute need for histological diagnosis before embarking on surgery that will require resection of the branches of the facial nerve. The conclusion is that although tuberculosis of the parotid gland is rare, it still exists and must be thought of as one of the differential diagnoses of a parotid tumour. This must be kept in mind, especially when the decision to sacrifice branches of the facial nerve is indicated, in order to get a tumour-free margin on an excisional biopsy. If the suspicion of tuberculosis is high, a therapeutic trial of antituberculous chemotherapy, for one week, can be diagnostic."}
{"id": "PMID:1474323", "title": "A long-standing cystic lymph node metastasis from occult thyroid carcinoma--report of a case.", "content": "The authors describe a patient with a cervical cystic mass present for 14 years which proved to be a cystic metastasis from a papillary carcinoma of the thyroid gland. This is probably the first case report of a long-term lateral cervical cyst caused by an occult thyroid carcinoma."}
{"id": "PMID:1474324", "title": "Immunohistochemical identification of androgen receptors in germ cell neoplasia.", "content": "The highest prevalence of testicular cancer occurs in young men with high androgen activity. The presence and distribution of androgen receptors (ARs) was therefore investigated in germ cell neoplasia, using two specific monoclonal antibodies. Tissue samples from 18 patients with seminoma and/or carcinoma-in-situ (CIS) of the testis were examined. An indirect immunohistochemical method with a biotin-streptavidin-peroxidase or an alkaline phosphatase detection system was used. 45% of seminoma samples and 42% of CIS samples were AR-positive with antibody AN 1-15. The values obtained using antibody F 39.4.1 were 44 and 40% respectively. Some differences in specificity between the two antibodies were observed. Unusual granular staining of germ cells in normal testes, also present in malignant germ cells, was noted when antibody F39.4.1 was used. The presence of AR protein immunoreactivity in neoplastic germ cells suggests that androgens may be involved in the pathogenesis of the disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1474325", "title": "Direct stimulation of bovine ovarian progesterone secretion by low concentrations of alpha-interferon.", "content": "The ruminant conceptus secretes proteins during early pregnancy which maintain the corpus luteum. These trophoblast proteins are related to the alpha II-interferons and prevent luteolysis indirectly by disrupting the secretion of endometrial prostaglandin. Although trophoblast interferons appear to be largely confined to the uterine lumen, it remains possible that they also act peripherally. This report describes in vitro studies which suggest that interferon may influence hormone secretion by the ovary directly. The study employed i) a well defined serum-free culture model in which bovine granulosa cells secrete the luteal hormones progesterone and oxytocin, and ii) serum-free and serum-supplemented cultures of cells from early CL. Dose-response experiments were performed using bovine recombinant alpha-interferon (brIFN). Progesterone and oxytocin secretions were measured over 4-5 days of culture and DNA content was also determined. Low concentrations of brIFN (10(-15) mol/l to 10(-11) mol/l) stimulated progesterone secretion by granulosa cells by up to three fold, without significantly affecting oxytocin concentrations or culture DNA content. Concentrations of 10(-10) mol/l to 10(-1) mol/l suppressed progesterone secretion in a log dose-related manner (r = 0.97) with evidence of toxicity (lower oxytocin concentrations and significantly reduced DNA compared with controls). Progesterone secretion by luteal cells in serum-free culture was stimulated in the presence of 10(-15) mol/l brIFN, whilst high concentrations again caused inhibition. The data show that ovarian cells can respond directly to low concentrations of interferon-like proteins.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1474326", "title": "The role of growth hormone, prolactin and insulin-like growth factors in the regulation of rat mammary gland and adipose tissue metabolism during lactation.", "content": "Inhibition of prolactin secretion with bromocriptine and neutralization of GH action with a specific antiserum to rat GH (rGH) were used to explore the modes of action of GH and prolactin in maintaining lactation in the rat. Treatment of dams with anti-rGH caused a small reduction in litter weight gain whilst bromocriptine reduced litter weight gain by 50%. When both treatments were combined, however, milk yield ceased completely and this was accompanied by a wide variety of effects on mammary lipid metabolism including decreases in the mRNA concentrations of acetyl CoA carboxylase, fatty acid synthase, malic enzyme and lipoprotein lipase. Activities of acetyl CoA carboxylase and lipoprotein lipase were also significantly reduced. Reciprocal changes were evident in adipose tissue with increases in acetyl CoA carboxylase and lipoprotein lipase activities. In conjunction with a decreased lipolytic response to noradrenaline in adipose tissue of animals given the combined treatment of bromocriptine and anti-rGH, this represented a co-ordinated series of changes to reduce lipid synthesis in the mammary gland and enhance lipogenesis and triglyceride storage in adipose tissue as milk production ceased. All of these effects could be prevented in part by concurrent treatment with GH, but insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) and IGF-II failed to affect any of the parameters measured.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1474327", "title": "In-vivo regulation of messenger RNA encoding insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) and its receptor by diabetes, insulin and IGF-I in rat muscle.", "content": "The effects of continuous or acute administration of insulin or insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) on IGF-I mRNA and IGF-I receptor mRNA were studied in the skeletal muscle (gastrocnemius), heart muscle and vascular smooth muscle (aorta) of non-diabetic and diabetic rats using a solution hybridization assay. The levels of IGF-I mRNA in the different types of muscle markedly decreased by diabetes, whereas changes in IGF-I receptor mRNA were less consistent. Continuous infusion of diabetic rats with insulin (28 or 35 nmol/day) for 4 days normalized the altered levels of IGF-I mRNA and IGF-1 receptor mRNA. Infusion of equimolar concentrations of IGF-I did not affect IGF-I mRNA, but decreased the level of IGF-I receptor mRNA in skeletal muscle. In acute experiments, rats were injected with equipotent blood glucose-lowering doses of insulin (14 nmol) or IGF-I (107 nmol). Insulin did not significantly affect levels of IGF-I mRNA, but decreased levels of IGF-I receptor mRNA in skeletal muscle and aorta. IGF-I increased levels of IGF-I mRNA in heart muscle, and markedly decreased levels of IGF-I receptor mRNA in skeletal muscle and heart muscle from non-diabetic and diabetic rats. In conclusion, exogenous IGF-I and insulin can increase IGF-I mRNA and decrease IGF-I receptor mRNA, indicating that both insulin and IGF-I can act as regulators of the IGF-I system in muscle in vivo."}
{"id": "PMID:1474328", "title": "Effects of insulin, glucocorticoids and thyroid hormones on the activities of key enzymes of glycolysis, glutaminolysis, the pentose-phosphate pathway and the Krebs cycle in rat macrophages.", "content": "In the present study the effects of insulin, glucocorticoids and thyroid hormones on macrophage metabolism and function were investigated. The maximum activities of hexokinase, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, glutaminase and citrate synthase were determined in macrophages obtained from hormone-treated rats and those cultured for a period of 48 h in the presence of hormones. Macrophage phagocytosis was markedly inhibited by dexamethasone and thyroid hormones, remaining unchanged when insulin was added to the culture medium, however. The changes in the enzyme activities caused by hormone treatments of the rats were very similar to those found in culture. Insulin enhanced citrate synthase and hexokinase activities and diminished those of glutaminase and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase. Dexamethasone had a similar effect except on glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase. The addition of thyroid hormones to the culture medium raised the activities of glutaminase and hexokinase and reduced that of citrate synthase. The results presented support the suggestion that the effects of insulin, glucocorticoids and thyroid hormones on immune and inflammatory responses could well be mediated through changes in macrophage metabolism."}
{"id": "PMID:1474329", "title": "Gonadotrophin surge-attenuating factor attenuates in-vitro LH secretion induced by gonadotrophin-releasing hormone from cultured ovine pituitary cells only during the breeding season.", "content": "Primary cultures of ovine pituitaries from adult ewes were used to investigate aspects of gonadotrophin surge-attenuating factor (GnSAF) bioactivity in human follicular fluid (hFF) from superovulated women. During the autumn and first half of the winter, LH secretion induced by gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) was markedly reduced (43.5 +/- 5.2% of control GnRH-induced LH secretion) by incubation for 48 h with steroid-free hFF. For the rest of the year, treatment with the same batch of steroid-free hFF resulted in non-significant reduction or stimulation of GnRH-induced LH secretion (71.3 +/- 13.2 to 117.8 +/- 11.2% of control GnRH-induced LH secretion). Incubation of pituitary cells for 48 h with oestradiol (1 pmol/l to 1 mumol/l), progesterone (1 pmol/l to 1 mumol/l) or oestradiol and progesterone combined (1 pmol/l to 1 mumol/l) in a two-way titration for 48 h had no significant effect on GnRH-induced LH secretion (83.4 +/- 7.6 to 110.6 +/- 5.0% of control secretion). Separating hFF into fractions of different molecular mass by ultrafiltration demonstrated that GnSAF bioactivity was present in a form 10-30 kDa in size. Incubation for 48 h with these fractions had no significant effect on basal FSH secretion but significantly attenuated GnRH-induced LH secretion during the autumn. The same fractions had little effect on GnRH-induced LH secretion from pituitary cells collected during the summer. We conclude that ovine pituitaries display at least partial reduction in sensitivity to GnSAF outside the breeding season.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1474330", "title": "Antiuterotrophic effects of a pure antioestrogen, ICI 182,780: magnetic resonance imaging of the uterus in ovariectomized monkeys.", "content": "ICI 182,780 is a potent specific pure antioestrogen which may offer advantages in breast cancer treatment compared with partial agonists like tamoxifen. To characterize further the potency and efficacy of ICI 182,780, its effects on the uterus of ovariectomized, oestrogen-treated monkeys (Macaca nemestrina) have been measured using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Quantitative MRI allows accurate non-invasive repetitive measurements of endometrial and myometrial volume following hormonal treatments, using each animal as its own control. Single i.m. injections of a long-acting oil-based formulation of ICI 182,780 sustained blockade of oestradiol action on the monkey uterus in a dose-dependent manner for 3-6 weeks. Repeated injections of 4 mg ICI 182,780/kg at 4-weekly intervals provided increasingly effective blockade of uterine proliferation. In a short-acting formulation, ICI 182,780 also completely blocked the trophic action of oestradiol, administered concurrently, in ovariectomized monkeys. Similarly, ICI 182,780 caused involution of the uterus stimulated by prior treatment with oestradiol. The rate and extent of uterine involution in monkeys treated with ICI 182,780 was similar to that seen following oestrogen withdrawal. These studies demonstrate that ICI 182,780 is a fully effective pure antioestrogen in a primate."}
{"id": "PMID:1474331", "title": "Ectopic transcription of the parathyroid hormone gene in lymphocytes, lymphoblastoid cells and tumour tissue.", "content": "Using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, steady-state levels of parathyroid hormone (PTH) mRNA were investigated in a number of human, bovine and rat tissues. Transcripts were consistently detected in parathyroid glands as well as in lymphocytes, lymphoblastoid cells and several tumours. Levels of transcription were not measurably increased in lymphoblastoid cells and tumour tissues compared with unstimulated peripheral lymphocytes. The level of 'ectopic' transcription of the PTH gene in lymphoblastoid cells appeared to be resistant to the administration of both vitamin D and phorbol esters."}
{"id": "PMID:1474332", "title": "The role of thromboxane in the uterotrophic response in the gravid normotensive and spontaneously hypertensive rat.", "content": "The role of thromboxane in the gravid normotensive (CD) and hypertensive (SHR) rat was investigated (by utilizing two thromboxane receptor-blocking drugs, EP092 and AH23848) both at mid-gestation and at term. The parameters examined were uterine blood flow (blood flows were measured by the microsphere technique) and uterine weight and placental blood flow at term, fetal mass and number. At mid-gestation EP092 significantly (P < 0.005) increased uterine blood flow in both strains whilst the increases seen with AH23848 were not statistically significant. At term (day 22 in the CD and day 23 in the SHR rat) the antagonists increased uterine blood flow in the CD rats alone. However, at this time the antagonists caused an increase in placental blood flow in both strains. Thromboxane appears to be involved in the regulation of uteroplacental blood flow. The observation that the antagonists were able to potentiate blood flow by mid-gestation may provide a clinical indication with respect to potential prophylactic use of this class of compounds in cases of pregnancy-induced hypertension in women."}
{"id": "PMID:1474333", "title": "A comparison of the uterotrophic response in cyclic and ovariectomized normotensive and spontaneously hypertensive rats.", "content": "The uterotrophic response in the normotensive (CD) and the hypertensive (SHR) rat was compared in intact cyclic rats and in ovariectomized rats given oestradiol. The parameters measured were blood flow, and uterine wet and dry weights. In the cyclic animals blood flow to the oestogen target tissue varied throughout the oestrous cycle, peak flows being achieved at pro-oestrus; in the SHR rat, however, the pro-oestrous maximum was significantly attenuated compared with the CD rat. Uterine wet and dry weights were similar. The temporal response to oestradiol in ovariectomized rats showed that in the CD rat the hyperaemic response peaked earlier than in the SHR rat, significant changes in terms of increased water imbibition also occurred more quickly in the CD strain. In both strains, uterine dry weight was the last parameter to be significantly increased, the maximum weight being attained more quickly in the SHR rat. The results of this study indicated that it is the blood flow to the oestrogen target tissues of the uterus and vagina that is most susceptible to change with strain of rat."}
{"id": "PMID:1474334", "title": "Fine structure of adrenal cortex in rats harbouring a medullary thyroid carcinoma transfected with a corticotrophin-releasing hormone cDNA expression vector.", "content": "We report the light microscopic, transmission and scanning electron microscopic features of the adrenal cortices in rats bearing a medullary thyroid carcinoma cell line transfected with a corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH) cDNA expression vector. The animals had elevated CRH, ACTH and corticosterone blood levels, involuted thymuses and markedly enlarged adrenal glands with prominent lipid-depleted cortices and dilated congested capillaries, similar to those of animals treated with ACTH. Using electron microscopy it was found that the enlarged fasciculata and reticularis zones were composed of large, compact cells with abundant smooth endoplasmic reticulum, prominent Golgi complexes, increased number of large mitochondria with focal loss of cristae and cavitation of the internal compartments, numerous lysosomes and prominent elongated microvilli. In addition, small cytoplasmic fragments were seen within the capillary lumina; these structures resembled microvilli that were apparently detached from adrenocortical cells and entered the blood stream via discontinuous endothelium of dilated capillaries. By scanning electron microscopy it was found that the cells had bulging surfaces with scattered pits and numerous long microvilli pointing in different directions. This animal model allows analysis of the effects of protracted CRH excess resembling tumoural CRH-dependent Cushing's syndrome in human patients. Our findings call attention to the role of microvilli in adrenocortical secretion. The increased number and size of microvilli has been thought to lead to an increase in the surface area of adrenocortical cells, thereby facilitating hormone discharge. The detachment of microvilli from adrenocortical cells may represent a form of apocrine secretion and may contribute to hypercorticosteronaemia in CRH excess."}
{"id": "PMID:1474335", "title": "Passive immunization against circulating insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) increases protein catabolism in lambs: evidence for a physiological role for circulating IGF-I.", "content": "Primed constant infusions of [14C]urea were used to determine the acute effect of passive immunization against circulating free and protein-bound insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) on the rate of net protein catabolism (NPC) in castrated male lambs fasted for 48 h. Following an intravenous bolus of 50 ml IGF-I antiserum, the rate of NPC increased to a peak 30 min after injection of 1.69 +/- 0.16 g/kg per day from a baseline value of 1.45 +/- 0.22 g/kg per day (P < 0.05, n = 4). In three animals given 50 ml equivalents of the purified immunoglobulin fraction, NPC increased from 1.31 +/- 0.20 to 1.59 +/- 0.16 g/kg per day (P < 0.05). A similar trend was observed in animals given 25 ml antiserum (n = 4). The rate of NPC did not increase following a bolus of non-immune serum in control animals and the rate of NPC in the treated lambs returned to control levels within 60 min of antibody injection. Plasma insulin and glucose concentrations in both the treated and control groups were unchanged throughout the study. These data suggest that circulating IGF-I has a physiological role in regulating whole body protein turnover during starvation and possibly other catabolic states. The effect of immunoneutralization of circulating IGF-I is transient and this suggests that while IGF-I has an endocrine role in the regulation of protein turnover, other regulatory mechanisms are involved."}
{"id": "PMID:1474336", "title": "Zona radiata proteins are synthesized by rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) hepatocytes in response to oestradiol-17 beta.", "content": "The present study delineates the origin of the three major proteins constituting the rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) zona radiata. Intraperitoneal administration of oestradiol-17 beta induced the appearance in the blood from juvenile fish (both sexes) of proteins immunoreactive to rabbit antisera against zona radiata proteins (zr proteins). These proteins had similar molecular weights to the zr proteins (alpha, 60 kDa; beta, 55 kDa; and gamma, 50 kDa). Primary hepatocyte cultures from fish treated with oestradiol-17 beta incorporated radioactive [35S] methionine into four major proteins with molecular weights of 160, 60, 55 and 50 kDa. Only the latter three proteins were specifically immunoprecipitated with antibodies to zr proteins. Furthermore, our data demonstrate that in such cultures the biosynthetic mole ratios of these secreted proteins (60, 55 and 50 kDa) are close to one. Control cultures from fish that had not been treated with oestradiol-17 beta failed to produce immunoreactive proteins. The data support the hypothesis that zr proteins are synthesized in a concerted manner in the liver during teleostean oogenesis and transported by the blood for deposition in ovarian follicles."}
{"id": "PMID:1474337", "title": "Immunochemical detection of the major vitelline envelope proteins in the plasma and oocytes of the maturing female rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss.", "content": "The major vitelline envelope proteins were detected in the plasma of female rainbow trout maturing under natural conditions by using the Western blot technique. Females were sampled every month from July until ovulation in January. The amount of vitelline envelope proteins in plasma increased markedly as the gonads increased in size from 0.4 to about 15% of the total body weight. The plasma level of oestradiol-17 beta largely followed the alterations in the amount of vitelline envelope proteins, indicating the endocrine control of vitelline envelope protein synthesis. In addition, plasma vitellogenin changed in a manner that resembled the changes in the amount of plasma vitelline envelope proteins. The appearance and growth of the vitelline envelope during oocyte development was demonstrated using immunohistochemical methods. The vitelline envelopes from oocytes at different stages of development were immunoreactive with the antibodies directed against the major vitelline envelope proteins. No immunoreactivity could be observed in the ooplasm or in the surrounding follicular cells, which indicated that the major vitelline envelope proteins were of extraovarian origin. The present study further supports the hypothesis that the major protein constituents of the vitelline envelope in teleosts are under the endocrine control of oestradiol-17 beta and that the site of synthesis is outside the ovary."}
{"id": "PMID:1474338", "title": "Milking frequency alters the milk yield and mammary blood flow response to intra-mammary infusion of insulin-like growth factor-I in the goat.", "content": "The milk yield and mammary blood flow responses to close-arterial, intra-mammary infusion of IGF-I were investigated in five Saanen goats milked frequently or normally the day before. Animals were infused for 6 h with recombinant human IGF-I (1.3 nmol/min) and milked hourly following i.v. injection of oxytocin beginning 2 h before infusion and then every 2 h. On one occasion animals were milked five times (after i.v. injection of oxytocin) on the day before infusion and on the other they were milked twice, without oxytocin. The ratio of milk yield from the infused to that from non-infused gland increased by 17 +/- 4% (mean +/- S.E.M.) in goats milked twice the day before infusion and by 6 +/- 2% when the infusion was preceded by frequent milking. Maximal responses were obtained 4 h after the start of the infusion and differed significantly (P < 0.05), according to pretreatment milking. Blood flow through the infused gland rose in parallel to the milk yield response. At 5 h, when maximal levels were achieved, blood flow was 182 +/- 23% of the pre-infusion flow rate following twice-daily milking and 139 +/- 3% of the pre-infusion flow rate following more frequent milk removal. Thus, more frequent milk removal on the day before close-arterial infusion of IGF-I attenuated both the milk yield and mammary blood-flow response to the infusion of IGF-I."}
{"id": "PMID:1474339", "title": "Different molecular forms of C-type natriuretic peptide isolated from the brain and heart of an elasmobranch, Triakis scyllia.", "content": "The presence of a C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP) has been reported in the brain of mammals, birds, amphibians and teleost fishes, mostly as a 22-residue peptide (CNP-22). In the present study, we attempted to isolate natriuretic peptides from an elasmobranch, Triakis scyllia, using a chick rectum-relaxant assay, and different molecular forms of CNP were found in the brain and heart. Only CNP-22 was recovered from the brain, as is the case in other vertebrates. A large amount of prohormone (proCNP or CNP-115) and small amounts of its C-terminal peptides (CNP-38 and CNP-39) were isolated from the atrium and ventricle, however. No CNP-22 was recovered from the heart. Natriuretic peptides other than CNP were not isolated from Triakis heart and brain by the rectum-relaxant assay. The 22 residues at the C-terminal region of proCNP, i.e. CNP-22, were well conserved when Triakis and mammals were compared, although the sequence homology of the N-terminal segment of proCNP was very low. Not only was CNP-22 identical but the N-terminal segments of proCNP were also quite similar when Triakis and another elasmobranch, Scyliorhinus canicula, were compared. These data suggest that, in elasmobranchs, CNP is a primary hormone in the natriuretic peptide family, and also that CNP is processed differently in the brain and heart."}
{"id": "PMID:1474340", "title": "Atrial natriuretic peptide in eel plasma, heart and brain characterized by homologous radioimmunoassay.", "content": "A highly specific and sensitive radioimmunoassay has been developed for the measurement of eel atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP). The antiserum, raised against eel ANP-(1-27) did not cross-react with two other eel natriuretic peptides, i.e. eel ventricular natriuretic peptide and C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP), or with any mammalian ANPs, CNPs or brain natriuretic peptides so far identified. The minimal detectable amount was 0.39 fmol (0.90 pg)/tube with more than 99% confidence. Because of its high sensitivity, the radioimmunoassay makes it possible to measure eel ANP directly with only a few microlitres of plasma without extraction. Using the radioimmunoassay we found high levels of ANP in the atrium (11 +/- 2 pmol/mg wet tissue, n = 8), and much lower levels in the ventricle (56 +/- 8 fmol/mg, n = 8) and the brain (22 +/- 1 fmol/mg, n = 8) of eels. Eel plasma contained a large amount of ANP (247 +/- 66 fmol/ml, n = 8) compared with the levels reported in mammals, although atrial levels are similar between eels and mammals. Gel-permeation chromography revealed that a major form of ANP stored in the eel atrium, ventricle and brain has a molecular mass of approximately 14 kDa but low molecular forms of about 3 kDa are predominant in eel plasma. A detailed analysis with reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography showed that a major molecular form circulating in eel plasma is ANP-(1-27). ANP-(1-27) was also detected in small amounts in the eel atrium, ventricle and brain."}
{"id": "PMID:1474341", "title": "A polyclonal antibody to the rat oestrogen receptor expressed in Escherichia coli: characterization and application to immunohistochemistry.", "content": "A rat oestrogen receptor-beta-galactosidase fusion protein was expressed using a pEX2/rat oestrogen receptor cDNA construct. Scatchard analysis of [3H]oestradiol-17 beta binding to the cell lysate revealed that the fusion protein had functional binding sites specific for oestradiol with a dissociation constant of 1.49 nmol/l. The relative molecular weight (M(r)) of the fusion protein was determined as 180,000 by immunoblot analysis of the cell lysate employing a monoclonal antibody to the human oestrogen receptor. The protein was isolated by means of SDS-PAGE and subsequent electroblotting. By immunization with the purified materials on nitrocellulose membrane, a polyclonal antibody to the rat oestrogen receptor was raised in a rabbit. Binding of [3H]oestradiol to the oestrogen receptor from the rat uterus was inhibited by the antibody in a dose-dependent manner. The antibody was also able to recognize the oestrogen receptor occupied by [3H]oestradiol. Thus, the antibody could react with both forms of the receptor molecule, either occupied or unoccupied by the hormone. In immunoblot analysis of the cytosol fraction of the rat uterus, a single band of M(r) 67,000, the size of the oestrogen receptor, was detected by the antibody. Moreover, when the antibody was applied to immunohistochemical examination of paraffin-embedded pituitary and brain sections of the rat, immunostaining was observed in cells of the anterior pituitary and in neurones in specific regions of the brain. The immunoreactivity was restricted exclusively to cell nuclei in both tissues.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1474342", "title": "The identification and characterization of 125I-labelled iodomelatonin-binding sites in the duck kidney.", "content": "The melatonin-binding sites in membrane preparations of duck kidney were demonstrated by utilizing 125I-labelled iodomelatonin as a radioligand. Binding at these sites was found to be reversible, saturable, specific and of high affinity. Scatchard analysis of the specific binding revealed an equilibrium binding constant (Kd) of 44.6 +/- 4.4 pmol/l (n = 6) and a total number of binding sites (Bmax) of 6.43 +/- 0.60 fmol/mg protein (n = 6) at the mid-point of the light period (mid-light). The Hill coefficient approached 1.0, suggesting a single class of 125I-labelled iodomelatonin-binding site in the duck kidney. Diurnal variation in 125I-labelled iodomelatonin binding showed that the Bmax was 53.4% higher at mid-light than at mid-point of the dark period (P < 0.05), with no significant variation in Kd. The Kd value determined from kinetic analysis was 22.5 pmol/l in birds at mid-light, which was comparable with values determined from equilibrium studies. The order of pharmacological affinity for 125I-labelled iodomelatonin-binding sites in the duck kidney membrane preparations was: 2-iodomelatonin > melatonin > 6-chloromelatonin > 6-hydroxymelatonin > N-acetylserotonin >> 5-methoxytryptamine, 5-methoxytryptophol, 5-hydroxytryptamine, tryptamine, 1-acetylindole-3-carboxaldehyde, 5-hydroxyindole-3-acetic acid, L-tryptophan, 5-methoxyindole-3-acetic acid, 3-acetylindole, acetylcholine, epinephrine, norepinephrine and harmaline. The pharmacological characteristics indicated that 125I-labelled iodomelatonin-binding sites are highly specific for melatonin. Our finding of 125I-labelled iodomelatonin-binding sites in the kidney suggests that melatonin may regulate kidney function.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1474343", "title": "Restoration of juvenile baseline growth hormone secretion with preservation of the ultradian growth hormone rhythm by continuous delivery of growth hormone-releasing factor.", "content": "The ability of continuously delivered GH-releasing factor (GRF) to enhance GH secretion while maintaining the normal ultradian GH rhythm was investigated. Synthetic human GH-releasing factor (hGRF(1-44)NH2) was continuously infused for 4 days by means of i.v. catheters to 11-week-old broiler chickens. At this age, overall endogenous GH secretion is low, and baseline GH is barely detectable. Six birds per treatment received vehicle (control), 0.324 mg hGRF(1-44)NH2/kg body weight per day (low dose) or 3.24 mg hGRF(1-44)NH2/kg body weight per day (high dose). After 4 days of GRF conditioning, concurrent with continued GRF infusion, serial blood samples were removed via atrial catheters at 15-min intervals for 6 h and GH plasma profiles determined. High dose GRF significantly increased GH plasma concentrations over tenfold compared with controls; however, most of this increase reflected an increase in basal GH, which was reinstated to juvenile baseline levels. Augmentation of pulse amplitude above this increased baseline was not proportionately as high, and failed to reach juvenile levels. The ultradian rhythm of GH was not altered by continuous GRF administration. Both low and high dose GRF treatments resulted in significant enlargement of the anterior pituitary gland. Total pituitary GH mRNA levels, although elevated over twofold by GRF treatment, were not significantly different from controls. Measures of plasma GH magnitude (overall and baseline mean, and peak amplitude) were significantly correlated with pituitary GH mRNA for control birds, but were not correlated for GRF treatments. Feed intake was markedly depressed (33%) on the high dose GRF treatment, in conjunction with total inhibition of body weight gain over the 4-day period of administration. Longitudinal bone growth and width of the epiphyseal growth plate were also significantly reduced by high dose GRF treatment, probably reflecting the reduced level of nutrient intake, despite high circulating concentrations of GH."}
{"id": "PMID:1474344", "title": "Activation of phospholipase A2 and phospholipase C by endothelin-1 in human endometrium.", "content": "Human endometrium contains specific binding sites for iodinated endothelin (ET)-1, ET-2 and ET-3, and ET-1 stimulates prostaglandin (PG) F2 alpha synthesis from explants of proliferative endometrium in short-term culture. This study has investigated the cellular responses of normal proliferative endometrium to ET-1. Radioimmunoassay was used to measure PG release and Dowex anion-exchange column chromatography was utilized to assess the accumulation of inositol phosphates. Endothelin-1 induced a significant increase in PGF2 alpha release (basal median: 1465 pg/mg per 60 min (range: 541-3935 pg/mg per 60 min); ET-1-stimulated: 1813 pg/mg per 60 min (1021-5714 pg/mg per 60 min); P < 0.04 using Wilcoxon signed rank test). The effect of ET-1 was attenuated in the presence of the phospholipase A2 inhibitor quinacrine. Endothelin-1 induced a rapid, transient and concentration-dependent hydrolysis of phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PtdIns(4,5)P2), measured by the accumulation of tritiated inositol phosphates. Following a 1-min stimulation with ET-1 (100 nmol/l), [3H]inositol mono-, bis- and trisphosphate fractions increased from median values of 490.0 d.p.m./mg dry wt (range: 348.0-807.0 d.p.m./mg dry wt), 120.0 d.p.m./mg dry wt (93.6-144.1 d.p.m./mg dry wt) and 67.0 d.p.m./mg dry wt (54.2-85.0 d.p.m./mg dry wt) to 939.0 d.p.m./mg dry wt (635.9-1596.0 d.p.m./mg dry wt; P < 0.03), 145.0 d.p.m./mg dry wt (127.0-293.9 d.p.m./mg dry wt; P < 0.05) and 146.0 d.p.m./mg dry wt (77.5-187.0 d.p.m./mg dry wt; P < 0.03) respectively. These results suggest that ET-1 activates the phospholipase A2 and PtdIns(4,5)P2-specific phospholipase C in human proliferative endometrium, resulting in the generation of PGF2 alpha and second messengers respectively which are pivotal to endometrial function."}
{"id": "PMID:1474346", "title": "Physical fitness or physical activity as a predictor of ischaemic heart disease? A 17-year follow-up in the Copenhagen Male Study.", "content": "Physical fitness and leisure time physical activity are strongly correlated, and both are inversely correlated with risk of ischaemic heart disease. Does this mean, however, that a very fit man has a lower risk of ischaemic heart disease (IHD), even if he is inactive? And does it also mean that an unfit, but active man, does not have a lower risk of IHD than an unfit, inactive man? In the Copenhagen Male Study, we analysed the joint effect of fitness and leisure time activity. In 1970/71, 4999 men aged 40-59 years, were classified according to level of physical fitness, i.e. indirectly measured maximal oxygen uptake, and physical activity, and their mortality was recorded over the following 17 years. In sedentary men, fitness was no predictor of future risk of IHD whatsoever. Age-adjusted baseline values were similar in later IHD cases and survivors (32.3 and 32.1 ml O2 kg-1 min-1, respectively: P = 0.91). In medium or highly active men, however, fitness was a strong predictor. The corresponding fitness values were 33.1 and 34.8 ml O2 kg-1 min-1 (P < 0.001). The least fit (two least fit quintiles) physically active men had a lower IHD mortality rate (6%) than the least fit sedentary men (10%). Adjusted for age, social class and smoking in a multiple logistic regression equation, this was estimated to an RR (95% C.I.) of 1.67 (1.06-2.64) (P = 0.027). The two major new findings of this study were (a) that being very fit, provides no protection against IHD--nor all-cause mortality--in sedentary men, and (b) that unfit but sedentary men have a higher risk of IHD than unfit but active men, i.e. those performing light physical activity for at least 4 h per week."}
{"id": "PMID:1474347", "title": "The Lewis blood group--a new genetic marker of ischaemic heart disease.", "content": "In a cohort of 3383 men aged 53 to 74 in the Copenhagen Male Study we investigated the association between ischaemic heart disease (IHD) and the Lewis blood group, assigned to chromosome 19. Among men with the Le(a-b-) phenotype, 8% had a history of non-fatal myocardial infarction, among others the frequency was 4%. The corresponding odds ratio was (95% confidence interval: CI) 1.9 (1.2-3.0) P < 0.01, men with Le(a-b-) had a risk-factor profile and pattern of disease resembling that of Reaven's syndrome X. In a subsequent prospective study 343 men with arteriosclerotic stigmas were excluded. The men had their morbidity and mortality recorded over the next 4 years. One-hundred-and-one men suffered IHD; 26 dying from IHD. In total 162 men died. Men with Le(a-b-) had an increased risk of death from IHD compared with others. Adjusted for age, relative risk (RR) (95% CI) was: 4.4 (1.9-10.3), P < 0.001, and for all causes of mortality: RR = 1.6 (1.0-2.6), P < 0.05. Men with the Le(a-b-) phenotype had an increased risk of an IHD event compared to men with other phenotypes (RR = 1.6 (0.9-2.8), P = 0.10) and a significantly higher IHD case fatality rate (RR = 2.8 (1.5-5.2), P = 0.01). The finding that the Le(a-b-) phenotype is a genetic marker of IHD risk may have implications in terms of prevention. The Le(a-b-) phenotype may also contribute to providing an explanation for the substantial ethnic differences found in the incidence of IHD. The similar risk-factor profile and pattern of disease found between Le(a-b-) men and individuals with Reaven's syndrome X is hypothesized to be due to a close genetic relationship on chromosome 19."}
{"id": "PMID:1474348", "title": "Effects of amlodipine on plasma lipid and lipoprotein levels in hypertensive patients.", "content": "Lipids and lipoprotein levels were determined in the plasma of 20 adult hypertensive patients, after 12 weeks treatment with amlodipine. No significant variation was observed in the mean values of the lipids and lipoprotein fractions before and after amlodipine treatment for the patients on either 5 mg or 10 mg of amlodipine. A further long-term study has been suggested in order to confirm the inertness of amlodipine on lipids and lipoprotein metabolism."}
{"id": "PMID:1474349", "title": "Deterioration in renal function associated with angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor therapy is not always reversible.", "content": "Fifteen patients presented between January 1986 and January 1991 with deterioration in renal function coincident with the introduction of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors. There was evidence of extrarenal vascular disease in 12 patients and preexisting renal impairment in 13. Four patients remained dialysis-dependent and died within 4 weeks of presentation. Five patients required short-term dialysis. Serum creatinine remained above pre-treatment values in seven patients. Conventional explanations of the decline in renal function with ACE inhibition do not account for irreversible decrements in renal function. Possible mechanisms for this observation and clinical guidelines to identify patients at risk are suggested. We conclude that these agents should be used with great care in patients in whom atherosclerotic vascular disease is likely."}
{"id": "PMID:1474350", "title": "The prevalence of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in men: an echocardiographic population screening study with a review of death records.", "content": "The purpose of this study was to estimate the prevalence of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) in 3607 men from the Reykjavik study of 1979-81. Of these, 452 men had an abnormal (group A) and 3155 a normal electrocardiogram. An echocardiographic control group of 128 men was selected from cohorts with a normal electrocardiogram (group B). Until 1987, 189 deaths had occurred, 59 from group A and 130 from cohorts with a normal ECG including 4 from group B. To identify subjects with HCM, survivors of groups A and B were examined by echocardiography and by review of all autopsy data and death certificates. HCM was found in 14 subjects from group A but none in group B. Two additional cases were found at autopsy in cohorts with a normal ECG. The prevalence of HCM in men with an abnormal and normal ECG was 3.6% and 0.8%, respectively. The overall prevalence was calculated to be 1.1% with a 95% confidence interval of 0.3-3.2%. Men with HCM reported more symptoms than others in groups A and B (P < 0.05-0.001). 25% were without symptoms. Asymptomatic ventricular arrhythmias were detected by Holter monitoring in 45% of men with HCM. The total annual mortality was 1.6% compared with 0.5% in the group with a normal ECG (P < 0.001)."}
{"id": "PMID:1474363", "title": "Hypercalcaemia in Addison's disease: calciotropic hormone profile and bone histology.", "content": "Three cases of hypercalcaemia secondary to acute adrenocortical insufficiency are described; all the patients had moderate to severe renal impairment, one being on chronic dialysis treatment with no residual diuresis. Parathyroid hormone (PTH) and 1,25 dihydroxyvitamin D [1,25(OH)2D] were low, indicating a suppressed PTH-vitamin D axis. In the two patients with partial renal impairment, urine Ca excretion was increased, indicating increased load of the cation into the extracellular fluid (ECF), most probably from bone. Saline infusion, to correct any ECF depletion and to increase urine Ca excretion, could not fully correct the hypercalcaemia. Complete correction of plasma Ca levels was observed shortly after the institution of hormonal substitutive therapy. Despite the evidence of increased Ca mobilization from bone, bone biopsies in two patients did not show any signs of cell-mediated bone resorption; instead, bone cell activity appeared to be suppressed. Thus, glucocorticoid deficiency appears to induce Ca mobilization from bone stores by mechanism(s) unrelated to bone remodelling processes."}
{"id": "PMID:1474364", "title": "Tongue necrosis in temporal arteritis provoked by ergotamine.", "content": "A case of tongue necrosis in a patient with temporal arteritis who was taking ergotamine is described, and the role of ergotamine tartrate in provoking the tongue necrosis is considered. The literature on this unusual complication is critically reviewed, and the value of a carotid angiography in assessing the tongue ischaemia is exemplified."}
{"id": "PMID:1474367", "title": "Erythromycin associated hearing loss in a patient with prior cis-platinum induced ototoxicity.", "content": "A case is reported of reversible sensorineural hearing loss associated with intravenous erythromycin treatment. Cis-platinum induced high frequency hearing loss developed nine months previously during treatment for stage IV papillary cystadenocarcinoma. Renal and hepatic function were normal; however, serum erythromycin levels were elevated. Clinical recovery promptly followed discontinuation of erythromycin."}
{"id": "PMID:1474368", "title": "Prevention of heterotopic bone formation with low dose radiation therapy.", "content": "Radiation therapy to control heterotopic bone formation does not appear to be commonly used in sites other than hips where effective control is evident following arthroplasty. Reported are the results in 12 sites in 10 patients including three with treatment to the elbow, humerus, and ulna. Ten sites received a radiation dose of 10.00 Gy, one 16.00 Gy, and one was treated to 20.00 Gy, all delivered in 2.00 Gy fractions. Preoperative and follow-up x-rays were reviewed and graded. There was no clinically significant regrowth of heterotopic bone. Five sites (42%) demonstrated mild regrowth or persistence following surgery with the other seven (58%) showing no evidence of heterotopic bone. No complications were seen. Radiation therapy is effective for the prevention of heterotopic bone after total hip arthroplasties as well as surgery for fractures to other areas."}
{"id": "PMID:1474369", "title": "Flow cytometry applications in detection and classification of leukemia/lymphoma.", "content": "The increase in availability of monoclonal antibodies that specifically react with surface markers on human leukocyte subsets and introduction of more user-friendly clinical flow cytometers have resulted in an evolution of flow cytometry away from a strictly research entity into an important tool in the clinical laboratory. The specific and sensitive detection of leukemia and its differentiation from benign lymphoproliferations is one area in which flow cytometry can substantially impact patient care. The application of immunophenotyping of leukemia/lymphoma using monoclonal antibodies and flow cytometry and the basic science of its instrumentation are presented. Case reviews illustrate the utility of immunophenotyping in making the correct lineage assignment and diagnosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1474373", "title": "A novel method to differentiate between ping-pong and simultaneous exchange kinetics and its application to the anion exchanger of the HL60 cell.", "content": "We have developed a new test to differentiate between ping-pong and simultaneous mechanisms for tightly coupled anion exchange. This test requires the use of a dead-end reversible noncompetitive inhibitor. As an example, we have applied the test to the anion exchanger of the HL60 cell using the salicylic acid derivative 3,5-diiodosalicylic acid (DIS), which reversibly inhibits HL60 cell Cl/Cl exchange. The concentration of DIS that causes 50% inhibition (ID50) increased only slightly as either intra- or extracellular chloride was increased, indicating that DIS inhibits HL60 anion exchange in a noncompetitive manner. In agreement with this observation, plots of the slope of the Dixon plot as a function of 1/[Clo] or 1/[Cli] were fit with straight lines with nonzero intercepts, indicating that DIS does not compete with either of the substrates ([Clo] and [Cli]). The secondary Dixon slope test is based on the fact that, for a dead-end inhibitor such as DIS, the slope of the Dixon plot slope vs. 1/[Cli] (secondary Dixon slope or SDS) is independent of extracellular Cl when the exchange mechanism follows ping-pong kinetics. Similarly, the SDS calculated from a plot as a function of 1/[Clo] is also independent of intracellular Cl for a ping-pong exchanger. In contrast to this prediction, we found that for DIS inhibition of Cl/Cl exchange in HL60 cells the slope of the Dixon plot slope vs. 1/[Cli] decreased by a factor of 2.5-fold when [Clo] was increased from 1 to 11 mM (P < 0.0001). This change in the SDS rules out ping-pong kinetics, but is consistent with a simultaneous model of Cl/Cl exchange in which there are extra- and intracellular anion binding sites, both of which must be occupied by suitable anions in order to allow simultaneous exchange of the ions."}
{"id": "PMID:1474374", "title": "Adaptation-promoting effect of IP3, Ca2+, and phorbol ester on the sugar taste receptor cell of the blowfly, Phormia regina.", "content": "The fly has a receptor cell highly specialized for the taste of sugars. We introduced inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3), Ca2+, or a phorbol ester, 12-deoxyphorbol 13-isobutylate 20-acetate (DPBA), into the cell and investigated their effects on the response to sucrose. The sugar receptor cell generates impulses during constant stimulation with sucrose, but the impulse frequency gradually declines as the cell adapts to the stimulus. Thus, this gradual reduction of the impulse frequency is a direct manifestation of adaptation of the cell. These reagents accelerated the gradual reduction of the impulse frequency, although the initial impulse frequency was little affected. In contrast to these reagents, glycoletherdiamine-tetraacetate (EGTA) retarded the gradual reduction of the impulse frequency. Moreover, when IP3 and DPBA were applied together, the gradual reduction of the impulse frequency was more accelerated than when either IP3 or DPBA was applied. When IP3 and EGTA were applied together, however, the accelerating effect of IP3 tended to be canceled. Based on these results, we hypothesized that an intracellular cascade involving inositol phospholipid hydrolysis, intracellular Ca2+ mobilization, and protein kinase C-mediated phosphorylation promotes adaptation of the sugar receptor cell."}
{"id": "PMID:1474375", "title": "Assessment of former and newly developed HBV assays in a Third World setting.", "content": "Newly available HBV serological assays have not been established routinely in most underdeveloped countries. Utilizing enzyme-immune assays to determine the presence of pre-S1 antigen and anti-pre-S2, and using two conventional hybridization techniques and the PCR assay to detect HBV-DNA, we studied 30 HBsAg chronic carriers and as a reference group 10 subjects whose only HBV routine marker was anti-HBc. Seventy-nine percent of the HBeAg positive carriers showed detectable HBV-DNA by a non-radioactive slot-blotting technique. The PCR assay was more sensitive than the slot-blotting technique, detecting HBV-DNA in anti-HBe positive patients with moderate or normal ALT activity. Pre-S1 antigen was mostly related to the presence of HBsAg and anti-pre-S2 was associated with active viremic state, increased ALT activity (ranges 51 to 640 IU/L), and with self-limited HBV infection. The presence of HBV-DNA in the group with anti-HBc only was detectable solely by the PCR assay. For an underdeveloped country the addition of a PCR assay or pre-S/anti-pre-S protein tests to the current assessment procedures of HBV chronic infection should be used only in selective cases. HBeAg/anti-HBe serological evaluation and HBV-DNA detection by a non-isotopic conventional hybridization technique still remain as useful tools to screen initially for the presence of viremia in chronic HBsAg carriers. The presence of HBV-DNA in individuals with anti-HBc only suggests that anti-HBc screening should be maintained and expanded to all the blood banks of less industrialized countries where the rate of HBV infection in apparently healthy people tends to be high."}
{"id": "PMID:1474376", "title": "The detection in urine specimens of IgG and IgM antibodies to hepatitis A and hepatitis B core antigens.", "content": "The use of urine as a noninvasive specimen for the diagnosis of hepatitis A (HAV) and hepatitis B (HBV) virus infections was investigated. Specimens of urine were collected at the same time as blood or saliva specimens, or singly in cases of previously serologically confirmed recent infection. The specimens were tested for IgG and IgM anti-HAV and anti-HBc by immunoglobulin class-specific capture radioimmunoassays (GACRIA and MACRIA). On the basis of assays on urine specimens it was possible to distinguish between individuals who were susceptible or immune to HAV or who had recently been infected with HAV. Using assays on 327 corresponding saliva specimens as reference tests, the observed sensitivity and specificity of tests on urine specimens by anti-HAV GACRIA were 98.9% and 99.1%, respectively, and by anti-HAV MACRIA were 95.8% and 99.6%, respectively. IgM and IgG anti-HBc were detected readily in the urine of 35 acute or recent cases of hepatitis B but were not found in the urine of seronegative individuals. Of the urine specimens from 52 individuals who were HBsAg carriers or who had had long past HBV infections, 49 contained detectable IgG anti-HBc. Of urine specimens from 42 HBsAg carriers, 11 contained raised IgM anti-HBc levels. Urine, which is a convenient specimen to collect, can be used to study outbreaks of hepatitis A, to ascertain the HAV immune status of individuals, to differentiate hepatitis A from hepatitis B, and to identify individuals who have been naturally exposed to HBV."}
{"id": "PMID:1474377", "title": "Mechanism of astrovirus entry into Graham 293 cells.", "content": "Astroviruses are intestinal pathogens associated with gastroenteritis in man and animals. The mechanism of internalization into host cells has not been reported previously. The cell entry pathway of serotype 1 human astrovirus into 293 cell line was studied biochemically and morphologically. Viral infection was monitored by indirect immunofluorescence. Infected cells were treated with the lysosomotropic agents ammonium chloride, methylamine, and dansylcadaverine or the ionophore monensin to raise the intraendosomal and intralysosomal pH. All drugs tested inhibited the early stages of infection whereas they did not interfere with the viral binding to the plasma membrane. The presence of astrovirus particles was detected by electron microscopy in coated pits and later in coated vesicles. The data indicate adsorptive endocytosis as the most probable mechanism by which astroviruses enter susceptible cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1474378", "title": "Detection of respiratory syncytial virus in acute bronchiolitis in infants.", "content": "Direct detection of respiratory syncytial (RS) virus antigen in nasopharyngeal secretions (NPS) provides the most rapid diagnostic test for RS infection, but more sensitive methods might be more beneficial in the study of virus shedding. RS virus RNA was extracted from cells stored at -70 degrees C either in suspension with added RNAse inhibitor or as a pellet without inhibitor. The RNA was reverse transcribed, the resultant cDNA amplified by the polymerase chain reaction and detected by ethidium bromide staining after electrophoresis through agarose gel (RT-PCR). Of 217 specimens tested, 106 were positive by antigen detection, 99 by RT-PCR, and 92 by virus isolation. In a series of 97 sequential NPS specimens from 15 infants in whom RS virus induced bronchiolitis was confirmed, antigen detection proved most sensitive in the first week after onset and RT-PCR detected most positive specimens in the second week. Storage of the cells as a pellet proved more satisfactory than storage as a suspension. A further round of amplification using nested primers increased the number of positive results obtained by RT-PCR. The sensitivity of antigen detection using directly labelled monoclonal antibody to RS virus was slightly higher than that of RT-PCR, but the specificity was slightly lower."}
{"id": "PMID:1474379", "title": "Venezuelan equine encephalitis-specific immunoglobulin responses: live attenuated TC-83 versus inactivated C-84 vaccine.", "content": "Venezuelan equine encephalitis (VEE)-specific immunoglobulin responses to the two vaccines, TC-83 (a live attenuated vaccine) and C-84 (a formalin inactivated vaccine derived from the TC-83 strain of virus) were evaluated using an antigen and isotype-specific enzyme-linked immunoadsorbent assay (ELISA). The VEE-specific ELISA for IgG, IgG subclasses, IgA and IgM were developed and standardized using sera from vaccine-exposed and unexposed human subjects. Paired human sera (before and 28 days after immunization) were tested from laboratory workers vaccinated with either TC-83 (Group A: 20 paired sera from subjects receiving a single TC-83 vaccine and with no prior history of vaccination) or C-84 in varying schedules (Group B: 19 paired sera from subjects who had a distant vaccination history to TC-83 but no evidence of neutralizing antibody; Group C: 19 paired sera from subjects receiving their first C-84 vaccination and no prior documented history of vaccination; Group D: 15 paired sera from subjects receiving a C-84 booster vaccination with prior history of C-84 but no TC-83 exposure). Sera were all tested for viral neutralization in vitro using a Vero cell monolayer for culturing virus and establishing 80% plaque reduction for each serum tested. All pre-sera tested demonstrated no plaque reduction neutralization at a level of 80% for a dilution of 1:10. ELISA antibody titers for all pre-sera with no prior VEE exposure through vaccination or possible environmental factors were negative at a titer of 1:160 for IgM, 1:80 for IgG, IgA, and G subclasses.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1474380", "title": "Cuticular hydrocarbons, isoenzymes and behavior of three populations of Anopheles darlingi from Brazil.", "content": "Three populations of Anopheles darlingi were studied for cuticular hydrocarbons, isoenzymes and patterns of peak biting activity. Differences were found in specimens from Costa Marques, a malaria endemic area; Dourado, a site with a very exophilic population and Juturna\u00edba, located near the type locality. Twelve hour collections from sunset to sunrise showed that An. darlingi from Costa Marques had a bimodal biting activity profile with a major peak at sunset and a minor peak at sunrise. At Dourado, the pattern was trimodal, with peaks at both morning and evening periods of twilight and near midnight. The Juturna\u00edba population showed a slight increase in activity near 2000 and 0100 h. Nei's genetic distances, determined by isoenzyme electrophoresis between pairs of populations, were low (D < or = 0.049). Using discriminant analysis for the cuticular hydrocarbons, 92.4% of the specimens from Costa Marques, 91.2% of the specimens from Dourado and 61.3% from Juturna\u00edba were correctly identified. Cuticular hydrocarbon and isoenzyme results matched very well: the smaller the Nei's distance, the more misidentifications occurred in the jackknife estimator used in the cuticular hydrocarbon analysis. This is the first report of cuticular hydrocarbon analysis in combination with isoenzymes to investigate neotropical anopheline species."}
{"id": "PMID:1474381", "title": "Infection of adult mosquitoes by the entomopathogenic fungus Erynia conica (Entomophthorales: Entomophthoraceae).", "content": "The infection of adult mosquitoes by the entomopathogenic fungus Erynia conica is presented for the first time. Adult Aedes aegypti were exposed to conidial showers from field-collected chaoborid, tipulid and chironomid cadavers for 24 h under conditions of 100% RH and 15 degrees C. Up to 24% of the adults were killed by the mycosis. Cadavers of Ae. aegypti produced conidia that were infective to other adult Ae. aegypti; however, rates of infection were never more than 12%. Nevertheless, Ae. aegypti served as the laboratory host for E. conica via mosquito-to-mosquito serial passages for up to 6 months. Adult Culex restuans were also susceptible to infection by E. conica."}
{"id": "PMID:1474382", "title": "Evaluation of a funnel trap for collecting copepods and immature mosquitoes from wells.", "content": "A simple funnel trap which inverts on entry to and exit from the water, was evaluated with respect to sampling the aquatic fauna of wells in and around Fortaleza, Brazil. Mosquito larvae, copepods, ostracods, fish and tadpoles were collected. When known numbers of Culex quinquefasciatus larvae and Mesocyclops aspericornis copepods were introduced into negative wells, overnight sampling resulted in 50% positivity of traps when 10 larvae (1/1,000 cm2) and 25 copepods (1/176 liters) were introduced. All traps were positive when 100 and 400 larve and copepods, respectively, were present. Over a range of 10-2,000 and 25-800 released larvae and copepods, respectively, average recovery rates were 6.1 and 3.6%, but on the basis of one sample, the variability was such that a precise estimate of absolute abundance could not be made."}
{"id": "PMID:1474383", "title": "A review of malaria in Iran, 1975-90.", "content": "Since 1958, when the malaria eradication program officially started in Iran, great strides has been made in controlling the disease in most of the country. However, because of certain technical, operational and administrative problems, malaria is still highly prevalent in southeastern Iran, affecting 6% of the population. The situation of malaria in Iran from 1975 through 1990 is discussed in detail, with particular emphasis given to the epidemiological characteristics and vector transmission factors in each region of the country."}
{"id": "PMID:1474384", "title": "Mosquito size and multiple transmission of avian malaria in the laboratory.", "content": "Probing mosquitoes salivate before ingesting blood, and malaria sporozoites are transmitted during this phase of feeding. Large and small Aedes aegypti infected with Plasmodium gallinaceum were allowed to probe briefly on a series of 3 naive chicks. Large mosquitoes were more infective overall, but there was no difference in the ability of either size class to infect the first host. Large mosquitoes were more likely than small mosquitoes to infect more than one host during serial feeding."}
{"id": "PMID:1474385", "title": "Correlation of Aedes sierrensis captures at human sentinels with CO2-baited Fay-Prince and duplex cone traps.", "content": "The efficiency of the duplex cone and Fay-Prince traps for monitoring adult male and female Aedes sierrensis was evaluated at 3 field sites in California. The numbers of females captured by both types of traps were significantly correlated with human sentinel collections. The Fay-Prince trap captured more Ae. sierrensis females than the duplex cone trap and was a better tool for estimating female activity levels. There was no significant correlation between the number of males captured in Fay-Prince traps and at humans. Male numbers in duplex cone trap collections explained only 27% of the variation in the number of males collected at sentinels, suggesting that neither trap is a robust tool for estimating male activity around humans."}
{"id": "PMID:1474386", "title": "Susceptibility of Aedes albopictus from China to insecticides, and mechanism of DDT resistance.", "content": "Aedes albopictus collected from urban districts of China (12 strains) has developed high levels of DDT resistance, while 2 strains collected from rural areas remain susceptible. The mechanism of DDT resistance was due to intensified activity of DDT-dehydrochlorinase, but the penetration of DDT into the mosquito body is also different. This may possibly have had some influence on the resistance levels of some strains, but it seems unlikely that was the main mechanism of DDT resistance."}
{"id": "PMID:1474387", "title": "Dispersal of adult female Culex annulirostris in Griffith, New South Wales, Australia: a further study.", "content": "The dispersal of Culex annulirostris was studied during February 1986 in Griffith, N.S.W. using a mark-release-recapture technique. Parity was determined of recaptured females and a sample of the population at release. Parity rates of the 2 populations were comparable, and no significant differences were detected between the dispersal characteristics of the nulliparous and parous recaptured females. The maximum flight distance observed was 12 km, the limit of the trapping network. It was estimated that the mean distance traveled was 4.4 km and 36.6% (n = 377) of the population dispersed further than 5 km. The majority (81.2%, n = 377) of recaptures were taken within 2 days of release and the rate of dispersal of the population was estimated at 2.2 km/day."}
{"id": "PMID:1474388", "title": "Sporozoite transmission by Anopheles freeborni and Anopheles gambiae experimentally infected with Plasmodium falciparum.", "content": "A micro-membrane feeding technique was used to evaluate sporozoite transmission for Anopheles freeborni and An. gambiae experimentally infected with Plasmodium falciparum. From cohorts of infected mosquitoes with equivalent sporozoite loads, 75.9% of 29 An. freeborni transmitted a geometric mean (GM) of 4.9 sporozoites and 80% of 30 An. gambiae transmitted a GM of 11.3 sporozoites. Ingested sporozoites, in the blood meal immediately after feeding, were detected in 86.2% of 29 An. freeborni (GM = 9.0) and in 70% of 30 An. gambiae (GM = 44.1). Overall, sporozoites were transmitted and/or ingested by 90% of both species. Most infective mosquitoes transmitted < 1% of the total sporozoites in the salivary glands, and only up to 30% of the variation in transmission, ingestion, or total sporozoite output was related to sporozoite loads. The demonstration that An. gambiae transmitted more than twice as many sporozoites as An. freeborni is the first indication that vector species of anopheline mosquitoes differ in their innate potential for sporozoite transmission."}
{"id": "PMID:1474389", "title": "A simple method for cultivating freshwater copepods used in biological control of Aedes aegypti.", "content": "A simple method for indoor and outdoor cultivation of Mesocyclops aspericornis, Macrocyclops albidus and Mesocyclops n. sp. copepods is presented. This method utilizes Chilomonas sp., Paramecium caudatum and fresh lettuce as food sources for copepod cultures. Steps for initiating and maintaining copepod cultures are provided."}
{"id": "PMID:1474390", "title": "Reduction in the susceptibility of Aedes aegypti to Brugia malayi infection after treatment with ethyl methanesulfonate.", "content": "The susceptibility to Brugia malayi infections of F2 and F4 progenies of Aedes aegypti (Black Eye strain) treated with ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS) was tested. Both 3-day-old males and females were treated with 0.025, 0.050, 0.075 and 0.10% EMS. Control and treated females were then mated with normal or treated males to recover F1 progeny. F2 offspring were derived from sibling intercrosses, and 3 lines were established by further intercross matings to generate the F4. Susceptibility in the 0.025, 0.050, 0.075 and 0.10% EMS F2s was reduced by 13, 12, 4 and 25%, respectively. The 0.025% and 0.050% EMS F2 females showed a 29 to 39% decrease in mean L3 numbers. At 0.075 and 0.10% EMS, mean L3 numbers decreased by 0.8 and 71%, respectively. The F4 populations gave overall infections of 65, 56 and 22% for the control, 0.25 and 0.10% EMS lines, respectively. Mean L3s were reduced by 24 and 77%, respectively, in the 0.025 and 0.10% F4 EMS-selected populations."}
{"id": "PMID:1474391", "title": "A radio controlled box for the remote release of insects.", "content": "A description is given of a radio controlled box for the remote release of insects. It consists of a plaster-lined plastic container fitted with a battery and radio receiver which control a servo to open and close the lid. Instructions for construction and use are given."}
{"id": "PMID:1474392", "title": "Northernmost occurrences of the protistan pathogen, Coelomomyces stegomyiae var. stegomyiae.", "content": "Now reported as parasitizing the ovaries of female Aedes albopictus on Kabeshima (33.33N x 129.53E), Coelomomyces stegomyiae var. stegomyiae had been found earlier in larvae of this mosquito on Mikura-jima (33.53N x 139.35E). These findings from 2 widely separated little Japanese islands constitute the parasite's most northerly records to date. Few previous reports of Coelomomyces spp., none concerning C. stegomyiae, have involved adult mosquitoes. Possible reasons for this are advanced."}
{"id": "PMID:1474393", "title": "Enhancement of the solubilities of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons by weak hydrogen bonds with water.", "content": "The thermodynamics of mobile order is applied to predict the aqueous solubility of liquid and solid aliphatic and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. The solubility values are mainly determined by the magnitude of the hydrophobic effect. However, contrary to the solubilities of the alkanes, the solubilities of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in water predicted in absence of solute-solvent hydrogen (H) bonds are systematically too low. This shows the contribution of weak specific interactions between the OH groups and the pi electrons of the aromatic substances. According to the theory, these interactions are characterized by a stability constant KO which can be derived from solubility data. At 25 degrees C, this constant amounts to 80 cm3/mol, the order of magnitude of which can be explained by the competition of these intermolecular bonds with the rather weak self-association bonds in the secondary chains of water."}
{"id": "PMID:1474394", "title": "Predicting the product specificity and coupling of cytochrome P450cam.", "content": "We present an analysis of several molecular dynamics trajectories of substrate-bound cytochrome P450cam. Trajectories were calculated for the native substrate, camphor, as well as for the alternative substrates, norcamphor and thiocamphor. The system modeled consisted of the crystallographically resolved amino acids, the heme group with a single oxygen atom as the distal ligand, the bound substrate, and the crystallographic waters. These trajectories of the presumptive ferryl oxygen intermediate were used to predict regiospecificity of hydroxylation and coupling between NADH consumption and product formation. Simple geometric criteria in combination with electronic considerations were used to calculate the probability of hydroxylation at specific sites on the substrate. We found that for all the cases examined, the predicted product ratios were in good agreement with the experimentally observed values. We also determined that these simple geometric criteria can be used to predict the degree of coupling between NADH consumption and product formation for a given substrate, which was in good agreement with the experimental values."}
{"id": "PMID:1474395", "title": "Automatic superposition of drug molecules based on their common receptor site.", "content": "We have previously developed a new rational method for superposing molecules in terms of submolecular physical and chemical properties, but not in terms of atom positions or chemical structures as has been done in the conventional methods. The program was originally developed for interactive use on a three-dimensional graphic display, providing goodness-of-fit indices on molecular shape, hydrogen bonds, electrostatic interactions and others. Here, we report a new unbiased searching method for the best superposition of molecules, covering all the superposing modes and conformational freedom, as an additional function of the program. The function is based on a novel least-squares method which superposes the expected positions and orientations of hydrogen bonding partners in the receptor that are deduced from both molecules. The method not only gives reliability and reproducibility to the result of the superposition, but also allows us to save labor and time. It is demonstrated that this method is very efficient for finding the correct superposing mode in such systems where hydrogen bonds play important roles."}
{"id": "PMID:1474396", "title": "QSAR of conformationally flexible molecules: comparative molecular field analysis of protein-tyrosine kinase inhibitors.", "content": "Comparative Molecular Field Analysis (CoMFA) has been applied to a study of quantitative structure-activity relationships (QSAR) of conformationally flexible molecules. The relationship between three-dimensional structure and activity of 20 styrene derivatives which inhibit protein-tyrosine kinase was determined. A technique was developed that allows accurate prediction of the inhibitory activity of these molecules and identification in each case of the active conformation. The problem of multiple energetically acceptable conformations was approached in an iterative procedure. Use was made of the varying degrees of symmetry among the molecules. First, CoMFA QSAR models were developed using only those compounds that possess a symmetrical substituent pattern on the phenyl ring. These CoMFA models were then used to select the active conformers of the less symmetrical compounds in the set. Allowing multiple conformers for each compound in the dataset yielded higher crossvalidated r2 values and better predictivity of the QSAR models. Different probe atoms (C+, O-, neutral C) were explored, the O- probe atom exhibiting the highest selectivity in the conformer selection process."}
{"id": "PMID:1474397", "title": "'ValleyScan': a new two-bond drive technique for the calculation of potential energy surfaces with less computational effort.", "content": "A novel, CPU-time inexpensive two-bond drive technique, called 'ValleyScan' [1], is described. It makes it possible to omit the chemically nonrelevant points of high energy, which are normally part of a two-dimensional (2D) grid calculation. The new procedure works well for the calculation of the ring inversion of cyclic molecules, but should also be useful for other 'two-bond' problems e.g. side-chain movements in larger molecules (e.g. proteins). The algorithm is based upon pseudocode description and can easily be included in any molecular modelling software with an open user interface. Starting from an energy minimum, the calculation scans the potential surface in all directions up to a user-defined energy limit. With this strategy, attention is paid only to the area close to the stationary points - energetically higher structures do not have to be calculated. We applied the procedure to the test molecules 1,3-cyclohexadiene (4), 2H-pyran (5) and 6H-dibenzo[b,d]pyran (6). The extension of this method to the variation of more than two dihedral angles for more complex problems, e.g. sterically more hindered rotation, is in progress."}
{"id": "PMID:1474398", "title": "Similarity screening of molecular data sets.", "content": "Three-dimensional (3D)-database searches are now being widely applied to determine potential new active molecules. Many structural data sets obtained as a result of these searches are still large in size. In this paper we apply molecular similarity calculations as a rapid method to screen two such data sets. In the first investigation, synthetic candidates, produced as a result of a tendamistat beta-turn mimic search, were tested for their ability to imitate the beta-turn backbone. In the second study, structures extracted through a histamine pharmacophore query search were examined on the basis of their electronic similarity to histamine. Molecular similarity is shown to provide a rapid means of gaining insight into the composition of molecular data sets, with possible implications for future full 3D-database searches."}
{"id": "PMID:1474399", "title": "Heterofullerenes: structure and property predictions, possible uses and synthesis proposals.", "content": "Substituting carbon atoms of fullerenes by heteroatoms and vacancies will lead to new and yet unknown spherical-shaped molecules termed hereafter as heterofullerenes. The enormous structural diversity of these molecules is investigated and their structural, electronic and thermochemical properties are predicted using semiempirical computations. Computational results for complexes with ions lead to the hypothesis that these molecules behave like microscopic Faraday cages in which the electrons concentrate on the outer side of the sphere. It is predicted that some of these heterofullerenes are structurally and electronically similar to phthalocyanines and related molecules but offer many additional advantages. Potential uses such as adding heterofullerenes to fullerene materials, as superior starting materials for the fabrication of diamonds, as catalysts in hydrogenation reactions, as components of materials dominated until now by phthalocyanines, etc., are discussed. Simple synthetic routes to these compounds that are based on minor alternations of existing methods for fullerene production are proposed. On the basis of the thermochemical calculations, we believe that the most promising possibility consists of using metal cyanide/graphite composite target rods instead of pure graphite rods as in a conventional fullerene synthesis."}
{"id": "PMID:1474400", "title": "A method for assessing drug therapy appropriateness.", "content": "This study evaluated the reliability of a new medication appropriateness index. Using the index, independent assessments were made of chronic medications taken by 10 ambulatory, elderly male patients by a clinical pharmacist and an internist-geriatrician. Their overall inter-rater agreement for medication appropriateness (ppos) was 0.88, and for medication inappropriateness (pneg) was 0.95; the overall kappa was 0.83. Their intra-rater agreement for ppos was 0.94 overall, for pneg was 0.98 overall while the overall kappa was 0.92. The chronic medications taken by 10 different ambulatory elderly male patients were independently evaluated by two different clinical pharmacists. Their overall inter-rater agreement for ppos was 0.76, and for pneg was 0.93, while the overall kappa was 0.59. This new index provides a reliable method to assess drug therapy appropriateness. Its use may be applicable as a quality of care outcome measure in health services research and in institutional quality assurance programs."}
{"id": "PMID:1474401", "title": "Cholesterol and coronary artery disease: age as an effect modifier.", "content": "An elevation of serum cholesterol has been one of the more frequently cited risk factors for coronary heart disease, found in both case-control and cohort studies. As a result, this country has undertaken massive screening of adults older than 20 years of age in an attempt to identify those persons with cholesterol levels greater than 200 mg/dl, and follow up with an active approach for intervention. The suggested cutpoints for borderline (200-240 mg/dl), and definite (> or = 240 mg/dl) hypercholesterolemia have been applied to all age groups despite suggestions of a diminution of risk conferred by cholesterol in the elderly. This study of 2544 white men undergoing coronary angiography shows that for all men, aged 25-84 years, plasma cholesterol levels were associated with an increase in coronary artery occlusion (rs = 0.15, p < 0.01). However, when stratified by age, this association held only for the younger men, the association diminishing to near zero in the oldest age group. The negative interaction between cholesterol levels and age in predicting coronary artery disease proved highly significant (p < 0.001) in multivariable linear regression analysis, suggesting that cholesterol levels are much less predictive of coronary artery disease in the elderly as compared to the young. These results point to the need for a more finely tuned set of criteria for the evaluation of hypercholesterolemia, one that takes into account the age of the screenee."}
{"id": "PMID:1474402", "title": "Association of lifestyle and personality characteristics with blood pressure and hypertension: a cross-sectional study in the elderly.", "content": "The association between certain lifestyle and personality characteristics and blood pressure in the elderly was assessed in a cross-sectional study of 843 independent living 60-87 year old volunteers. They comprised 338 women and 505 men of whom 35 and 30% respectively were being treated with antihypertensive drugs. Among untreated volunteers, 28% of women and 28% of men had systolic blood pressure greater than 160 or diastolic blood pressure greater than 95. Isolated systolic hypertension was found in 20% of untreated women and 14% of untreated men. Lifestyle factors and personality characteristics associated with blood pressure were similar to those described in younger adult populations, although there were some differences related to gender and whether subjects were being treated for hypertension. Stepwise multiple regression showed that higher blood pressure was associated with greater body mass index (BMI), alcohol intake and coffee drinking and measures of irritability. Increased physical activity, and high values for measures of suspicion and extraversion were negatively related to blood pressure. Age was positively related to systolic, but not to diastolic blood pressure. The presence of hypertension was significantly associated with self-reports of raised cholesterol, diabetes or angina, as well as past history of heart failure, heart attack or stroke. Thus, in this elderly free-living population blood pressures are still significantly associated with behavioural characteristics which could be further investigated as an alternative or adjunct to antihypertensive therapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1474403", "title": "Criteria for the use of Sartwell's incubation period model to study chronic diseases with uncertain etiology.", "content": "This study explores the conditions under which Sartwell's incubation period model may be appropriate for identifying a primary time period of etiologic risk for chronic diseases with uncertain etiology. The investigation begins with a description of the evolution of the application of Sartwell's model from infectious to chronic diseases. The model's underlying assumptions and some concerns about its use in the chronic disease context are specified. These concerns are addressed by data simulations and analyses of empirical data from the Connecticut Tumor Registry and the Radiation Effects Research Foundation. The results indicate that the distribution of age at diagnosis (i.e. onset) for chronic diseases is not necessarily lognormal. However, the representativeness of age distribution of the case series can affect the distribution's form; hence, it is important to determine the extent of \"missing\" cases, particularly those lost through truncation. Moreover, a lognormal age distribution may occur with both prenatal and age-related postnatal exposures. These findings suggest that only under certain conditions will Sartwell's model be useful in the study of chronic diseases of uncertain etiology, and indicate some caveats for interpretation of the results."}
{"id": "PMID:1474404", "title": "Assessment of excess risks in case-base studies.", "content": "Miettinen and Caro (J Clin Epidemiol 1989; 42: 325-331) [6] put forth principles of non-experimental assessment of excess risks in case-base studies; in such a design, risk difference is assessed by estimating the denominators of the proportions of cases among exposed and comparable unexposed subjects by means of a representative sample from the base population of the study. They provided appropriate formulations for the point estimation of risk differences for various exposure patterns with allowance for covariables by means of stratified analysis. However, in small samples point estimates can be uncertain. In this paper, first, likelihood-based statistics are derived which can be used for interval estimation (and also point estimation and significance testing) of risk differences. The unified approach generalizes to stratified analysis. Second, the procedure is parameterized for inferences about risk ratios using a chi-square function in analogy with the profile likelihood method for full cohort analysis. Third, the approach is extended from the study of a binary exposure variable to a risk function analysis under the Poisson regression model. The suggested estimation procedure is conceptually clear and computationally simple in that the modelling, unlike the models considered by Prentice (Biometrika 1986; 73: 1-11) [3] for the analysis of case-base data, focuses directly on the comparison of risks between exposure categories in the study base and thus involves no covariance between the cases and the base sample."}
{"id": "PMID:1474405", "title": "Self-reported depression and negative pregnancy outcomes.", "content": "Studies addressing the association of depressive symptoms late in pregnancy with pregnancy outcome are lacking. We administered the revised Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) in the third trimester to 323 inner-city adolescents and 389 adults, who were mostly from U.S. minority groups (28.7% Puerto Rican, 61.8% black, 9.6% white). The BDI total score was regressed (as a continuous variable) on indicators of poor pregnancy outcome. There was no relationship of BDI scores with pregnancy outcome in the adolescents. However, among the adult gravidas the risk of a poor outcome rose 5-7% (p < 0.05) for each point the BDI total score increased. For the adults, at a cut-off score of 21 for the BDI, suggestive of clinical depression, the risk of delivering a low birth weight infant of < 2500 g was 3.97 (95% confidence interval [CI] 3.80-4.15); the risk for having a preterm delivery at < 37 completed weeks' gestation was 3.39 (95% CI 3.24-3.56); and their risk of having a small-for-gestational-age infant at < 10th percentile for standards was 3.02 (95% CI 2.88-3.17). Future research should address the physiological mechanisms associated with symptoms of depression that might contribute to an increased risk of poor outcomes and extend the findings to gravidas from different socioeconomic strata."}
{"id": "PMID:1474406", "title": "The Edinburgh Claudication Questionnaire: an improved version of the WHO/Rose Questionnaire for use in epidemiological surveys.", "content": "The WHO/Rose Questionnaire on intermittent claudication was developed in 1962 for use in epidemiological surveys, and has been widely used. Several population studies have shown, however, that it is only moderately sensitive (60-68%), although highly specific (90-100%). In this study, reasons for the poor sensitivity and good specificity were determined following its application to 586 claudicants and to 61 subjects with other causes of leg pain. The results showed two important findings: firstly, that over half of the false negatives were produced by one question alone; and secondly that only three questions were required to maintain the specificity of the questionnaire. This knowledge, in conjunction with the pre-testing of additional questions, enabled a new questionnaire to be constructed: the \"Edinburgh Claudication Questionnaire\". This questionnaire was tested on 300 subjects aged over 55 years attending their general practitioner, and found to be 91.3% (95% CI 88.1-94.5%) sensitive and 99.3% (95% CI 98.9-100%) specific in comparison to the diagnosis of intermittent claudication made by a physician. The repeatability of the questionnaire after 6 months was excellent (kappa = 0.76, p < 0.001). These results suggest that this revised version of the WHO/Rose Questionnaire should be adopted for use in future epidemiological surveys of peripheral vascular disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1474407", "title": "Oral contraceptive use and cervical intraepithelial neoplasia.", "content": "To explore the somewhat controversial relationship between oral contraceptives and pre-invasive cervical cancer, 103 cases of biopsy-confirmed cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) II or CIN III were compared with 258 controls who had normal cervical cytology. Cases were slightly less likely than controls to have ever used oral contraceptives; the odds ratio, controlling for age, socioeconomic status, barrier method use, smoking history, age at first sexual intercourse, number of sex partners, current marital status, and number of Pap smears, was 0.7 (95% CI 0.3-1.6). Recency, latency, duration, and age at first oral contraceptive use were evaluated and in no instance was oral contraceptive use positively associated with CIN. This study adds to the body of knowledge that oral contraceptives are not associated with pre-invasive cervical cancer. Further, if oral contraceptive users continue to be regularly screened, their risk of developing the more invasive lesions should be very low."}
{"id": "PMID:1474408", "title": "A comparison of the effects of cholesterol on CHD mortality in black and white women: twenty-eight years of follow-up in the Charleston Heart Study.", "content": "The relationship between cholesterol and 28-year CHD mortality in women was evaluated in the Charleston Heart Study. Linear, quadratic, and cubic models were investigated using Cox proportional hazards regression analysis. In white women, the linear, quadratic, and cubic terms for cholesterol were significant suggesting an asymmetric J-shaped relationship. In black women, only the linear term in all three models was statistically significant suggesting an increasing CHD mortality rate with increasing cholesterol level. The lack of consistency of results by different statistical analyses in black women make conclusions concerning the nature of the relationship between cholesterol and CHD mortality less strong in black women than in white women. Compared with women having a cholesterol value equal to the mean of the group (241 mg/dl), white women having a cholesterol value one standard deviation above the mean (s = 52.5 mg/dl) had a 60% higher CHD mortality rate (hazard ratio = 1.6, 95% CI: 1.2-2.1). In black women, the estimated hazard ratio for a one standard deviation (s = 47.8 mg/dl) increase in cholesterol is 1.4 (95% CI: 1.03-1.8). The results suggest that the relationship of cholesterol to CHD mortality is different in white and black women. The relationship in white women appears to be curvilinear and represented by an asymmetric curve while the relationship in black women is not curvilinear and the overall pattern of association, while possibly linear, is equivocal."}
{"id": "PMID:1474409", "title": "Sample size calculations for the log rank test: a Gompertz model approach.", "content": "Sample size calculations for clinical trials dealing with survivorship are often based on an exponential model. This model is inappropriate when a non-zero proportion of the population is expected to have indefinite survival. In such cases the Gompertz model offers a reasonable alternative. A method for calculating the required accrual time for a clinical trial in which the treatment arms have Gompertz survival distributions satisfying the proportion hazards assumption is developed. A computer program to perform this method is given, as well as an iterative method that can be used when a computer is not available."}
{"id": "PMID:1474410", "title": "Epidemiologic studies of electric and magnetic fields and cancer: a case study of distortions by the media.", "content": "Articles alleging hazards of electric or magnetic fields, based on epidemiologic studies, have appeared in the popular press. Some of these articles, which contain distortions of the scientific evidence, have been cited in the scientific and medical literature, thereby being given some degree of apparent legitimacy. In particular, articles appeared in 1989 in The New Yorker magazine, claiming a strong association between exposure to electric or magnetic fields and cancer. Assertions made in these articles (and a book dealing with essentially the same information) have been challenged by members of the scientific community. This paper will identify some additional misconceptions presented in two more recent articles from The New Yorker. Scientists and physicians should be aware of the deficiencies in these articles, and are encouraged to seek a more balanced view of the research performed in this area."}
{"id": "PMID:1474411", "title": "The influence of referral patterns on the characteristics of diagnostic tests.", "content": "The discrimination of a diagnostic test--characterized by sensitivity, specificity, likelihood ratio and ROC curve--may be influenced by referral patterns of general practitioners. Symptoms and test results in particular will affect the probability of referral, while the degree of development of the pathological process directly influences the probability of positive test results. Using numerical examples, we analyse and discuss a few specific situations: (1) referral depends only on symptoms; (2) referral depends both on symptoms and on test results; (3) referral depends only on test results. In the first situation, test characteristics and predictive values are invariant over the strata of symptomatology, while in the third situation the predictive values are unchanged. If there is a positive relationship between positive test results and referral probability, overall sensitivity will increase while specificity and likelihood ratio will decrease. A general representation is given for the evaluation of the direction of change of the likelihood ratio as a function of referral probabilities. The shape of receiver-operating characteristic curves is less sensitive to bias, but at the level of specific cut-off points considerable changes may occur."}
{"id": "PMID:1474412", "title": "Discharge from hospital and its effect on surgical wound infections. The Israeli Study of Surgical Infections (ISSI).", "content": "A multicenter study of 2846 consecutive hernia operations was conducted to identify risk factors for infections that occurred during the hospitalization and post-discharge from hospital. Operated patients were followed-up for 30 days after surgery, whether at home or still hospitalized, and half the wound infection episodes were found to occur at home. Risk factors for both in-hospital and post-discharge infections seemed to be influenced by; (a) the selective nature of discharge, (b) the differential effect some risk factors had on either early or late infections. On any given day, patients selected by the clinical team to remain in hospital were more \"at risk\" for infection than those who left. As a result, they had a better chance of being diagnosed as infected during hospitalization. By contrast, those who were discharged home were perceived as low risk for complications. Subsequent infections in these patients occurred either due to factors \"causing\" late infections, therefore, unappreciated at the time of discharge, or unknown risk factors. More study risk factors were associated with in-hospital than with post-discharge infections, especially those associated with \"early\" infections. The implications of these findings for future evaluations of medical care in hospitalized patients are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1474413", "title": "Lifetime data analysis of disease and aging by the Weibull probability distribution.", "content": "We applied the Weibull distribution to the life-table and age-patterns of diseases in Japan. The life-table follows a composite Weibull distribution composed of initial failure and two stage wear-out failure periods. The extension of lifespan during the past century is manifested as increases in the scale parameters in all three periods and the shape parameters in the wear-out periods with female predominancy. The shape parameters of diseases show time-independent sex-dependent specific values. When consistent changes are observed, such as increases in the shape parameters of tuberculosis and pneumonia, legitimate causes such as prevention and repair at the societal and medical level are present. Cancer and arteriosclerosis share a common range of shape parameters suggesting analogous underlying biological processes. An analysis of the epidemiology of human aging and disease by the Weibull distribution discloses intrinsic properties of man as a biological organization as well as a societal presence."}
{"id": "PMID:1474414", "title": "Serum sickness-like reactions to cefaclor.", "content": "In this study, we evaluated whether the high number of reports of serum sickness to cefaclor was present in every country and year, and whether these figures from voluntary reporting facilitated an estimation of the relative risk. A nested case-control study was performed with reports of all suspected adverse reactions (ADR) to cefaclor, amoxicillin and cephalexin in the period 1968-1987, as reported to the WHO Collaborating Center for International Drug Monitoring from the U.S.A., the U.K., Sweden, Canada and Germany. The ADR-reporting odds ratio was defined as the ratio of the odds of the number of ADR-reports of serum sickness to cefaclor and amoxicillin or cephalexin and the odds of similar reports of non-serum sickness to cefaclor and amoxicillin or cephalexin. The ADR-reporting odds ratio adjusted for country, age, gender, origin of the report and year of marketing was 12.4 for cefaclor vs amoxicillin and 18.5 for cefaclor vs cephalexin. In children (< 15 years of age) and in adults (> 15 years of age), the relative risk of developing serum sickness of cefaclor vs amoxicillin was estimated at 13.9 (95% confidence interval (95% CI): 6.0-32.2) and 2.9 (95% CI: 0.9-9.4) respectively in the U.S.A., and at 15.1 (95% CI: 7.2-31.5) and 5.5 (95% CI: 2.0-15.0) respectively in the other four countries together. In this study, the ADR-reporting odds ratio facilitated a valid estimation of the relative risk."}
{"id": "PMID:1474417", "title": "Late sequelae of hysterectomy and diverticulosis: colovaginal fistulae.", "content": "Three cases of colovaginal fistulae were recently diagnosed and treated. Colovaginal fistulae are not commonly reported and their diagnosis may be difficult to make. Our cases presented with a complaint of vaginal discharge, history of hysterectomy, and diagnosis of diverticulosis. The diagnosis and treatment of colovaginal fistulae are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1474418", "title": "The role of exercise in reducing coronary heart disease and associated risk factors.", "content": "Despite public health efforts, heart disease remains a leading cause of death and disease in the United States. There is sufficient evidence to justify the inclusion of regular exercise in efforts to reduce overall coronary heart disease (CHD) morbidity and mortality. This paper reviews the supportive evidence for this stance as well as the role of exercise in managing the major CHD risk factors of atherogenic serum lipids, hypertension, and obesity. Recognition of exercise as a lifestyle behavior is addressed and recommendations for prescribing exercise for adults interested in preventing CHD are presented."}
{"id": "PMID:1474420", "title": "Optical property changes as a result of protein denature in albumen and yolk.", "content": "Heat-induced changes in the scattering and absorbing properties of tissue begin with the denaturation of protein. Using egg albumen and egg yolk as tissue phantoms, the changes in absorption and scattering coefficients and the average cosine of the scattering angle have been quantified from 350 to 850 nm for heating corresponding to an empirical damage parameter from 3.7 to 1430 (albumen) and from 0.067 to 28 (yolk). In addition to being useful for modelling the response of tissue to laser light, the changes in optical properties yield information on the particle size distribution in the phantoms. For a low damage parameter the albumen has a large percentage of small, so-called Rayleigh scattering, particles owing to the initial denaturation of the protein. As the damage parameter increases, the percentage of these particles decreases. In the yolk, the effect of denaturation of proteins on the scattering characteristics is still present but less pronounced, because of the initial highly scattering nature of the tissue and perhaps to other rate processes that also occur."}
{"id": "PMID:1474421", "title": "Dynamic optical property changes: implications for reflectance feedback control of photocoagulation.", "content": "During laser treatment, coagulation affects the optical properties of the tissue. In particular, the formation of a white lesion significantly increases the scattering coefficient. This change in the optical properties in turn affects the laser light distribution in the tissue. The white lesion formed during photocoagulation of the retina has a dynamic effect upon reflection and fluence rate. This problem has been simulated on a model medium consisting of a thin absorbing layer covered with a 1 cm thick layer of albumin. The albumin layer is subdivided into coagulated (white) and uncoagulated (clear) layers. The optical properties of each layer have been determined and these values have been used to model light distribution in the medium. One-dimensional adding-doubling and three-dimensional Monte Carlo methods have provided light distributions in the medium for varying thicknesses of the coagulated albumin. Computed fluence reaching the absorbing layer decreased in the presence of a 275 microns or thicker coagulated layer. The coagulated layer attenuates light because it is highly scattering; however, this scattering also leads to a sub-surface peak in fluence rate at a level higher than the incident fluence. The latter effect outweighed the former for coagulated layer thicknesses less than 275 microns. Computed reflectance of argon laser light from a semi-infinite coagulated region initially increased linearly as a function of thickness. As the coagulation thickness increased beyond 4-5 optical depths, the reflectance approached a constant value, R infinity, at 9 optical depths (2 mm). Experimentally measured total reflectance is shown to be an inadequate indicator of the thickness of a lesion (finite coagulated volume); however, central reflectance from a lesion measured with a CCD camera confirmed the computed trends. These results provide a theoretical foundation for control of lesion thickness using reflectance images."}
{"id": "PMID:1474422", "title": "Optical properties of in vitro epidermis and their possible relationship with optical properties of in vivo skin.", "content": "Using a spectrophotometer with an internal integrating sphere, the absorption (mu a) and reduced scattering (mu s') coefficients of in vitro epidermis were evaluated from reflectance and transmittance measurements. mu a and mu s' varied from 24 to 0.2 cm-1, and from 32 to 21 cm-1 respectively, on passing from 400 to 800 nm. Moreover, using an external integrating sphere, the reflectance spectrum of in vivo skin was compared with the reflectance spectrum calculated with a Monte Carlo model, in which the mean values of mu a and mu s' and different anisotropy parameters were used as input data. In vivo results show that the principle of similarity is entirely valid for wavelengths greater than 600 nm and may be considered a good approximation in the 400-600 nm band, and suggest that optical characteristics of in vivo skin may be inferred from reflectance measurements."}
{"id": "PMID:1474423", "title": "Time-resolved spectroscopy of the human forearm.", "content": "For spectroscopic purposes, the forearm is a conveniently large object to be investigated because consistent oxygenation and blood volume changes can be obtained. Human forearm spectral properties were investigated using picosecond near-IR laser spectroscopy. The behaviour of the temporal point spread function in resting conditions and during ischaemia, venous occlusion and exercise is reported. The effect of path length inaccuracy on muscle oxygen consumption, obtained by combining spectral data with the path length, is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1474424", "title": "Effects of optical constants on time-gated transillumination of tissue and tissue-like media.", "content": "Light transillumination was used to study structures inside turbid media. Time-gated viewing was performed to suppress multiply-scattered light and thus improve spatial resolution. We demonstrate that, for the case of scattering-dominated attenuation (scattering coefficient much greater than the absorption coefficient), the detection of early transmitted light will be practically insensitive to variations in the absorption coefficient. This is an important observation for the development of time-gated optical mammography, since optical mammography using continuous-wave light is based on increased light absorption in the tumour region caused by the neovascularization surrounding a tumour. In order to detect tumours in time-gated viewing it is the scattering coefficient of the tumour that must be characteristic. The scattering coefficient is measured to be lower in the tumour region than in the surrounding breast tissue for one resected breast specimen."}
{"id": "PMID:1474425", "title": "Frequency domain imaging of absorbers obscured by scattering.", "content": "Multiple pixel, frequency domain measurements of phase shift, theta, and modulation, m, in a phantom containing an absorber obscured by a relatively non-absorbing scattering solution are presented in combination with a theory of photon migration imaging. Results employing a single point source show that two dimensional theta measurements made in the presence (theta presence) and in the absence (theta absence) of an absorber can be used to create delta theta images. delta theta (theta absence-theta presence) images can be used to detect as well as locate the three dimensional position of the absorber. Images of mpresence measured in the presence of the absorber normalized by mabsence also provided detection and two dimensional location of its position. Images of % mpresence/mabsence at higher modulation frequencies provided greater resolution as predicted by photon migration theory. Neither theta nor m images alone could be used to detect or locate the presence of the absorber."}
{"id": "PMID:1474426", "title": "Raman, fluorescence, and time-resolved light scattering as optical diagnostic techniques to separate diseased and normal biomedical media.", "content": "Studies of Raman scattering, fluorescence and time-resolved light scattering were conducted on cancer and normal biomedical media. Fourier transform Raman spectroscopic measurements were performed on human normal, benign and cancerous tissues from gynecological (GYN) tracts. A comparison of the intensity differences between various Raman modes as well as the number of Raman lines, enables one to distinguish normal GYN tissues from diseased tissues. Fluorescence spectroscopic measurements on human breast tissues show that the ratio of fluorescence intensity at 340 nm to that at 440 nm can be used to distinguish between cancerous and non-cancerous tissues. Separate studies on normal and cancerous breast cell lines show spectral differences. The measurements of back-scattered ultrafast laser pulses from human breast tissues show differences in the scattered pulse profiles for different tissues. These studies show that various optical techniques have the potential to be used in medical diagnostic applications."}
{"id": "PMID:1474427", "title": "Quantitative histochemical analysis of human artery using Raman spectroscopy.", "content": "We have developed a method for using near infrared Raman spectroscopy to quantitatively analyze the histochemical composition of human artery. The main contributors to bands observed in the Raman spectra of normal and atherosclerotic aorta are the proteins collagen and elastin, cholesterol lipids, and calcium hydroxyapatite. The Raman scattering cross-sections of different bands for these components have been determined in order to understand their relative contributions to the Raman spectra of biological tissue. The Raman signal is observed to behave linearly with the concentration of the components, even in a highly scattering medium such as a powder. Using these data, we have developed a linear model that can be used to extract the quantitative contribution of an individual component to the spectrum of a mixture. The model has been applied to several mixtures of known composition of tissue constituents in order to evaluate its precision and accuracy. The calculated fit coefficients from the spectra are in agreement with the measured values within experimental uncertainties. The spectra of different types of atherosclerotic aorta have also been modeled, and we have extracted quantitative information regarding the relative concentration of biological constituents in atherosclerotic aorta."}
{"id": "PMID:1474429", "title": "The use of different time/temperature combinations in the optimization of sterilization of Ringers/glucose infusion solution.", "content": "The effect of sterilization temperature and sterilization efficacy (F0) on the amount of 5-hydroxymethyl-2-furaldehyde (5-HMF) and glucose, number of particles generated and color of Ringers/glucose infusion solution is described. The infusion solution was a 5% glucose solution containing Ringer-type electrolytes. The solutions were autoclaved in a pilot scale autoclave using different temperature/time combinations to produce the target F0 values of 10, 15, 20 and 25 minutes. The amounts of 5-HMF and glucose were determined by HPLC. The use of the shortest possible sterilization cycle to yield the target F0 resulted in the lowest 5-HMF concentrations in the Ringers/glucose infusion solutions studied. The spectrochromatograms of the sterilized solutions showed that glucose is degraded into various degradation products in the presence of Ringer-type electrolytes. It was also demonstrated by SEM/EDX that a significant part of the particles result from the leaching of the silicon oil used in the manufacture of rubber stoppers for LVP solutions. The number of particles generated in different solutions and the particle size distributions were determined with a Coulter-Counter. The particle size distributions show no clear correlation between sterilization process conditions and the number of particles. The results show that it is possible to minimize the amount of 5-HMF generated even when the same F0 is used, by choosing the highest sterilization temperature possible. This also leads in practice to the shorter sterilization processes, saving both process time and energy."}
{"id": "PMID:1474431", "title": "Compendial issues: WHO.", "content": "It is important to remember that: 1. WHO is an international organization representing 182 member countries. 2. WHO has a constitutional mandate inter alia to \"develop, establish and promote international standards with respect to biological, pharmaceutical and similar products.\" 3. Its present programme covers such activities as WHO Good Manufacturing Practices, the International Pharmacopoeia, International Nonproprietary Names (INN), WHO Certification Scheme, the Model List of Essential Drugs and many other subjects concerning safety, efficacy and quality. 4. Emphasis is now directed to the feasibility of further harmonization of requirements for drug registration and quality control having regard to the number of countries with increasing manufacturing facilities."}
{"id": "PMID:1474430", "title": "Poloxamer 407-mediated changes in plasma cholesterol and triglycerides following intraperitoneal injection to rats.", "content": "Poloxamer (Pluronic) nonionic surfactant vehicles are a series of chemically-related block copolymers finding widespread use in parenteral formulations as solubilizing and wetting agents for traditional, low-molecular weight organic drug molecules, as well as stabilizing agents for proteins and polypeptide drugs. We report the effects of poloxamer 407 (Pluronic F-127) on plasma cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations in rats. Poloxamer 407 injected into rats by intraperitoneal injection (dose = 1.5 gm/kg) resulted in sustained (greater than 96 hour) hypercholesterolemia and hypertriglyceridemia. A larger dose of poloxamer 407 was required to elevate plasma triglyceride relative to total cholesterol. Ingestion of commercial rat chow had a negligible effect on plasma cholesterol and triglycerides levels in control (no poloxamer injection) animals, but consumption of food by animals that received an intraperitoneal injection of poloxamer 407 (30% w/w) resulted in significantly (p < .05) greater elevations in plasma cholesterol and triglycerides than in fasted animals administered poloxamer 407. The route of poloxamer 407 administration, namely intramuscular vs. intraperitoneal injection, was observed to be a more important factor for poloxamer-induced elevations in plasma cholesterol than poloxamer-mediated elevations in plasma triglycerides. Our results also provide suggestive evidence that the mechanism responsible for the elevation of plasma cholesterol following intraperitoneal injection of a poloxamer 407 solution (30% w/w) to rats may be due to stimulation of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-co-enzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase activity in the liver by the poloxamer vehicle.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1474432", "title": "Investigational trends: clean room environmental monitoring.", "content": "GMP problems associated with microbiological environmental monitoring are among those most commonly cited as objectionable during FDA inspections of parenteral drug manufacturing facilities. This presentation describes FDA inspection approaches and techniques and audit applications used in evaluating the effectiveness of firms environmental monitoring programs. Environmental monitoring programs involve considerable data, and many variables are interrelated to make difficult detection of patterns and trends during FDA audits. Consequently, systematic computer-aided audit techniques have been developed by the author to permit detection of patterns, trends and GMP documentation problems by the FDA. The strategies and techniques described in this paper may provide management with ideas about ways to review and audit their own environmental data. Presented are some practical details about the use of a portable computer to systematically assess trends and patterns. Several program applications (algorithms) were developed to determine if cleanroom environmental data are under a state of control."}
{"id": "PMID:1474433", "title": "Vaporized hydrogen peroxide sterilization of freeze dryers.", "content": "The feasibility of using vapor hydrogen peroxide (VHP) as an alternative to steam sterilization has been examined using a pilot plant freeze dryer equipped with a prototype vapor generator. Specific objectives of the study discussed in this presentation were to: 1. Identify critical process variables affecting the lethality of VHP to Bacillus stearothermophilus spores, particularly within dead legs in the system. 2. Measure the efficacy of system degassing after sterilization. 3. Determine the effect of repeated sterilization cycles on the integrity of elastomeric components of the freeze dryer. Penetration of adequate concentrations of hydrogen peroxide vapor into small diameter piping, such as tubing connected to pressure gauges, is the most challenging aspect of VHP sterilization of freeze dryers. Prior to equipment modifications, spore strips placed within such dead legs remained positive irrespective of the number of gas/degas pulses and system pressure. Equipment modifications necessary to effect complete kill of biological indicators placed in system dead legs is discussed. Results of this study support the conclusion that vaporized hydrogen peroxide shows promise as an alternative sterilization method for freeze dryers."}
{"id": "PMID:1474435", "title": "Mapping size distributions of parenteral fluorocarbon emulsions by a novel method of centrifugal sedimentation followed by densitometry.", "content": "A novel method for characterization of size distributions of parenteral fluorocarbon emulsions is described. Prepared emulsions were centrifuged to sediment droplets above predetermined diameters out of a known supernatant sample volume using the Bostok-Stoke's equation. Centrifugation times may be calculated using centrifuge parameters and physical properties of the fluorocarbon oil phase and the dispersion medium. The fluorocarbon content of the supernatant sample volume at successive centrifugation times was determined both by densitometry and by Gas Chromatography. A close correlation was found between the two methods. The density data was processed and converted into a volume distribution histogram by means of a program written in BASIC. The speed, simplicity of use, non reliance on costly equipment and good correlation to absolute particle counting methods makes the density method suitable for submicron size characterization."}
{"id": "PMID:1474434", "title": "Key issues relating to the genetic stability and preservation of cells and cell banks.", "content": "The long term maintenance of genetically stable cells is important for ensuring reproducible results and continuity in the advance of microbiology, cell biology and biotechnology. As actively growing cultures, cells are constantly at risk of changing, and the necessity for subculturing living materials increases the chances for genetic change and contamination. Many techniques are available for stabilizing living cells; the method employed must be compatible with the intended use of the culture. The most commonly utilized means of preserving living cells are by freezing to cryogenic temperatures, and freeze-drying. Master stocks are usually maintained at liquid nitrogen or comparable temperatures, while working stocks can be frozen or freeze-dried, and maintained at more economical and easily managed temperatures where possible. However, low temperature techniques may cause damage that can result in genetic change, or potential selection when only a small portion of the population survives. Therefore, a good preservation program must include a comprehensive cell characterization regimen that is applied both before and after preserving the cells to ensure that changes are detected when they do occur. Assurance of long term stability necessitates well designed safekeeping and security measures that include minimizing specimen handling through well designed inventory systems, validation and monitoring of storage temperatures, provisions for backup inventory, and training of personnel. Cell banking also requires good cataloguing and data management practices to avoid duplication and misidentification, and to ensure proper tracking of specimens and ease of access."}
{"id": "PMID:1474466", "title": "Eikenella corrodens in human oral and non-oral infections: a review.", "content": "There is substantial evidence in support of the existence of distinct clinical forms of human periodontal disease. Moreover, these different forms of periodontal disease may be associated with relatively distinct subgingival microflora, often involving microaerophilic or anaerobic Gram-negative bacterial species. Eikenella corrodens is a facultative Gram-negative bacillus which is a common inhabitant of the oral cavity and the intestinal and genital tracts. Its primary ecologic niche within the oral cavity appears to be dental plaque, both in periodontally healthy individuals and in periodontitis patients. However, E. corrodens is recognized as an infrequent human pathogen capable of causing extraoral infections, either as the sole infectious agent or as part of a mixed infection, its potential role in the etiology of periodontal disease is not well understood. E. corrodens is often present in the supra- and subgingival plaque of periodontally healthy subjects. On the basis of cross-sectional and longitudinal studies, E. corrodens appears to be somewhat more prevalent in subgingival plaque samples of periodontitis subjects than periodontally healthy individuals. However, the percentage of E. corrodens in the total cultivable microflora did not vary between the two groups. Microbiologic studies attempting to define the relationship between E. corrodens and periodontal disease assume that this species is essentially homogeneous and that all strains exhibit comparable pathogenic potential. However, E. corrodens exhibits 1) variable colony morphology, biochemical and serologic reactivity; 2) marked phenotypic diversity with respect to outer membrane protein and lipopolysaccharide structure; and 3) marked diversity in the restriction patterns of total genomic DNA. Thus, it is possible that a limited number of clones of E. corrodens may be associated with periodontal disease and/or extraoral infection, while other strains are relatively harmless commensals. Additional studies, possibly employing strain-specific nucleic acid probes, may be required to define the role of E. corrodens as a human periodontal pathogen."}
{"id": "PMID:1474467", "title": "The effectiveness of scaling and root planing with curets designed for deep pockets.", "content": "This study evaluates the effectiveness of subgingival scaling and root planing with longer shank, thinner blade, rigid curets compared to the standard rigid Gracey curet. A total of 35 non-molar teeth from 7 patients provided 140 root surfaces for evaluation; 52 root surfaces were instrumented with the rigid longer shank curets; 52 with the standard rigid Gracey curets; and 36 provided untreated controls. A bilateral matched design was utilized where contralateral teeth in the same arch were instrumented. Instrumentation was standardized at 15 minutes per tooth. Both scaled and unscaled teeth were extracted immediately after the experimental procedures. They were viewed under a stereomicroscope with a 0.10 mm grid to assess the percent of surface covered by calculus and unaltered cementum. The curet efficiency was also evaluated. The results indicated a significant treatment effect compared to the controls in relation to the percentage of residual calculus and curet efficiency. However, there was no significant difference between the rigid longer shank and standard rigid Gracey curets. There was a difference noted when tooth surfaces were evaluated. Mesial tooth surfaces had the least remaining calculus and demonstrated the best curet efficiency."}
{"id": "PMID:1474468", "title": "The effect of insulin-like growth factor-I and human growth hormone on periodontal ligament fibroblast morphology, growth pattern, DNA synthesis, and receptor binding.", "content": "Repopulation of the detached root surface by cells from the periodontal ligament (PDL) is a prerequisite for new attachment formation. Stimulation of PDL-cell growth may therefore serve as an essential method to enhance formation of new attachment. Studies have demonstrated that insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) has a mitogenic effect on fibroblasts originating from various connective tissues and cell-lines. Further, human growth hormone (hGH) is known to regulate the plasma concentration of IGF-I and to mediate cellular biological effects. In the present study we examined the effect of IGF-I and hGH on morphology, growth pattern, and DNA synthesis. The expression of IGF-I and hGH receptors on the surface of cultured PDL fibroblasts is also described. A primary fibroblastic cell line was established from rat PDL tissue, and blind, photographic recordings of morphology and growth pattern, as well as incorporation of [3H]thymidine in cellular DNA, was carried out in the presence and absence of IGF-I and hGH. The presence of specific membrane receptors was investigated by binding of [125I]IGF-I and [125I]hGH. The analysis of photographs showed that IGF-I and hGH had no effect on morphology and growth pattern. Incorporation of 3H-thymidine, however, was increased in a dose-dependent manner by IGF-I, whereas hGH alone or in combination with IGF-I produced no dose-dependent response. Maximum effect (% of control) on DNA synthesis was 176% for IGF-I and 91% for hGH.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1474469", "title": "Regenerative surgery of intrabony periodontal defects using ePTFE barrier membranes: scanning electron microscopic evaluation of retrieved membranes versus clinical healing.", "content": "Sixteen intrabony defects in 12 patients were treated by gingival flap surgery including root surface debridement and placement of an expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) membrane. The membranes were removed after 4 to 6 weeks and examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) for bacterial contamination and adherent connective tissue elements. Twelve months postsurgery, the defect sites were reexamined for changes in probing attachment level and probing bone level. Comparison of ultrastructural findings and clinical observations revealed that extent of bacterial contamination of the membrane correlated inversely with clinical assessment of attachment gain. The results indicate that the extent of oral exposure and bacterial contamination of the ePTFE membrane at the time of removal may be an indicator of the long-term success or failure of the regenerative procedure."}
{"id": "PMID:1474470", "title": "Oral conditions in individuals with selective immunoglobulin A deficiency and common variable immunodeficiency.", "content": "Saliva and serum samples were collected from 36 individuals with selective immunoglobulin A deficiency (IgAd) and 23 patients with common variable immunodeficiency (CVI). The oral examination included registration of the teeth, Russell's periodontal index (PI), pocket formation, and salivary flow rate in both unstimulated and stimulated saliva. No differences were found in salivary flow rate, number of teeth, or pocket depth when donors with IgAd or CVI were compared to age and sex matched controls. However, mucosal manifestations of lichenoid type were more frequent in both types of immunoglobulin deficient individuals. An increased PI was also seen in CVI patients. Increased serum IgG and salivary IgM levels were found in the IgAd population."}
{"id": "PMID:1474471", "title": "The effect of the distance from the contact point to the crest of bone on the presence or absence of the interproximal dental papilla.", "content": "This study was designed to determine whether the distance from the base of the contact area to the crest of bone could be correlated with the presence or absence of the interproximal papilla in humans. A total of 288 sites in 30 patients were examined. If a space was visible apical to the contact point, then the papilla was deemed missing; if tissue filled the embrasure space, the papilla was considered to be present. The results showed that when the measurement from the contact point to the crest of bone was 5 mm or less, the papilla was present almost 100% of the time. When the distance was 6 mm, the papilla was present 56% of the time, and when the distance was 7 mm or more, the papilla was present 27% of the time or less."}
{"id": "PMID:1474472", "title": "A stereomicroscopic and immunohistochemical study of vasculature in gingiva bleeding after probing.", "content": "This study investigated the stereomicroscopic appearance of gingival sulcular surfaces and the histologic alterations of subepithelial vasculature of gingiva bleeding after probing. Sixty-four pairs of gingival biopsies from 49 patients were obtained and the results of stereomicroscopically visible vasculature were observed in half of the specimens. The number of biopsies showing that the vasculature of bleeding gingiva was significantly greater than those of non-bleeding gingiva. The immunohistochemical marker UEA-1 was used to identify endothelial cells on the vascular walls of 34 gingival biopsies from 15 patients. Following stereomicroscopic examination, tissue preparation with routine and UEA-1 stainings was performed. Volumetric and numerical analyses of vasculature in 6 divided portions of subepithelial connective tissue were measured. The results showed that significantly greater numbers of UEA-1 staining vessels were found within the apico-superficial portion of bleeding gingiva than those of non-bleeding gingiva. However, there was no specific correlation between the UEA-1 positive vessels within gingival tissue and stereomicroscopic visibility of vasculature on the surface appearance. It is suggested that increased vascularity in gingiva may be responsible for bleeding on clinical probing."}
{"id": "PMID:1474473", "title": "Entrance of Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans into HEp-2 cells in vitro.", "content": "A strain of actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans, freshly isolated from a juvenile periodontitis patient, and the FDC Y4 laboratory strain of Aa were tested for their capacity to adhere to and enter the epithelial cell line HEp-2 cells in vitro. Immunofluorescence microscopy as well as scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) showed that both strains adhered to the outer surface of the HEp-2 cells. In the TEM studies, the specimens were also treated with Aa specific antibodies and gold labeled protein A. These examinations showed that only the freshly isolated strain of Aa was found within the HEp-2 cells. The intracellular Aa were found to be viable, and in one case one of them was seen to undergo division. It is concluded that freshly isolated Aa has the ability to enter epithelial HEp-2 cells in vitro, and it is tentatively suggested that this may play a role in the pathogenesis of periodontal disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1474474", "title": "The relationship of gingival fluid leukocyte elastase activity to gingival fluid flow rate.", "content": "Recent studies have suggested that leukocyte elastase activity (EA) in tissue exudates is an indicator of inflammatory disease. We assayed gingival fluid (GF) EA with a selective peptide substrate and compared it to GF flow rate with regard to its ability to detect differences in the clinical status of existing inflammatory periodontal disease in 56 human subjects. Compared to healthy sites (Gingival Index = 0, 1 to 3 mm) and mild gingivitis sites (GI = 1, 2 to 5 mm), mean GF EA was significantly (P < 0.05) higher at periodontitis sites with deep probing depths (GI = 2, 6 to 9 mm depth), but not at periodontitis sites with intermediate probing depths (GI = 2, 4 to 5 mm). When expressed as specific EA (i.e., normalized to GF protein content), mean EA was also significantly higher at deep periodontitis sites compared to healthy sites and mild gingivitis sites. In addition, specific EA was significantly higher at periodontitis sites with intermediate probing depths than at healthy sites. As predicted by previous studies, these significant increases in specific EA were associated with significant increases in mean GF flow rate. In contrast to specific EA, however, mean GF flow rate was significantly higher at gingivitis sites than at healthy sites. A strong correlation was observed between GF flow rate and specific EA (rs = 0.737, P = 0.0006). Thus, GF flow rate and GF EA appear to be related indicators of inflammation, but GF flow rate may be more sensitive to early inflammatory changes leading to mild gingivitis."}
{"id": "PMID:1474475", "title": "Cell populations associated with active probing attachment loss.", "content": "The purpose of this study was to evaluate the ability of cell populations to differentiate between untreated progressing periodontitis sites (P) and untreated non-progressing sites (NP). Pairs of biopsies were obtained from untreated periodontal patients, one biopsy from a site which had lost probing attachment of 2 mm or more within the previous month, the other biopsy from a non-progressing site. Cell populations were identified on 1 micron sections in a defined connective tissue area at the junctional epithelium. The cell types counted were fibroblasts, mast cells, monocytes/macrophages, polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs), lymphoid cells, plasma cells, endothelial cells, total inflammatory cells, and the total number of cells. The number of fibroblasts, mast cells, monocytes/macrophages, and inflammatory cells, as well as their percentage of the total number of cells, differed significantly between P- and NP-sites. In addition, the actual total counts differed between groups. The difference between groups was more significant for percent fibroblasts than for any other cell type. It appears that cell populations, particularly fibroblast counts, can aid in the histological discrimination between P and NP periodontitis lesions."}
{"id": "PMID:1474476", "title": "Comparative efficacy of the standard flossing procedure and a new floss applicator in reducing interproximal bleeding: a short-term study.", "content": "This was a parallel stratified study which examined the effect on gingival health of a new floss holder and applicator, designed to deliver a 25 microliters dose of 0.1% chlorhexidine solution to each interdental embrasure during the flossing procedure. Fifty-two patients with simple chronic gingivitis were stratified according to age, sex, and baseline interdental bleeding score and then assigned to one of three treatment groups. One of the following interdental cleaning agents was used once daily during a 2-week period: conventional floss; a flossing device with chlorhexidine; or a flossing device with placebo solution. Gingival health was assessed using the interdental bleeding index (IBI); i.e., the ratio of bleeding sites to the number of sites tested by stimulation with an interdental cleaner. The percentage reduction in bleeding amounted to 38.3% for conventional floss, 51.5% for the flossing device with chlorhexidine, and 51.4% for the flossing device with placebo. The reductions in both flossing device groups were significantly greater than that of the conventional floss group as determined by one-way ANOVA (F = 4.0; P = 0.024) and multiple range tests. There were no statistically significant differences between the two flossing device groups. There was no difference in patients' perception of ease of use of their respective materials; however, 72% of chlorhexidine users and 94% of placebo users, but only 24% of conventional floss users, felt that their interdental cleaning regimens left their mouths feeling fresher. It is therefore postulated that the pleasant tasting spray may have been an important stimulus to extended use of the new device and may explain its greater effectiveness."}
{"id": "PMID:1474477", "title": "Destructive periodontal disease in healthy children.", "content": "This study determined the prevalence of destructive periodontal disease affecting the deciduous dentition among otherwise healthy subjects, who were diagnosed with juvenile periodontitis (JP) in their permanent dentitions. There were 4,757 subjects in this retrospective, cross-sectional study. Diagnosis of JP was based on age (< or = 15 years), negative medical history, and radiographic evidence of arc-shaped alveolar bone loss. The study population was one-third white and two-thirds black and the male/female ratio was 1:1, reflecting the general patient population. The prevalence among whites was 0.3%, with a female/male ratio 4:1; whereas among blacks the prevalence was 1.5%, with a female/male ratio approximately 1:1. Among the black JP subjects with radiographs of the mixed dentition, 85.7% presented evidence of bone loss, and of those with radiographs of the deciduous dentition, 71.4% had discernible alveolar bone loss. This study suggests that JP is much more prevalent in blacks and that it does indeed occur in the prepubertal years affecting the deciduous as well as the permanent dentitions in otherwise healthy children. These data imply the importance of including a periodontal evaluation in the examination of children, using the periodontal probe and radiographs sufficient to adequately view the alveolar bone."}
{"id": "PMID:1474478", "title": "Salivary and metabolic factors involved in oral malodor formation.", "content": "Saliva plays a central role in the formation of oral malodor. Such formation has as its basis bacterial putrefaction, the degradation of proteins, and the resulting amino acids by microorganisms. Saliva provides substrates that are readily oxidized and in the process facilitates oxygen depletion. This favors the reduced conditions conducive to production of odoriferous volatiles. At the same time, saliva is a major source of oxygen for the oral bacteria which generally is inhibitory of their formation. The pH is also critical to malodor development; acidity inhibits, whereas neutrality and alkalinity favor malodor production. Since the pH on oral mucosal surfaces where odor formation occurs is largely determined by the fermentative and putrefactive activities of the adhering bacteria, these acid-base processes are necessarily of major regulatory importance. Because oral malodor and periodontitis both involve excessive oral putrefaction, a better understanding of putrefaction could lead to more substantive methods of oral malodor treatment than exists today, as well as identifying new approaches to amelioration of the bacterial attack on the soft tissues leading to the destruction associated with periodontal disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1474479", "title": "Measurement of oral malodor: current methods and future prospects.", "content": "Measurement of oral malodor is complicated by a variety of parameters including complexity of gaseous molecular species, sampling difficulties, temporal variations, choice of suitable subject populations, and lack of agreement on reference standards. Since oral malodor is a perceived olfactory stimulus, direct sampling and assessment by human judges may be the most logical measurement approach. However, as with other psychophysical assessments, human malodor measurement by the human nose may vary widely among and between judges, and consequently cannot be confidently reproduced in other laboratories. Such shortcomings have led several investigators to propose quantitative approaches based on measurement of volatile sulfide compounds which are associated with oral malodor. Highly sensitive and discriminatory measurements of volatile sulfides can be made using gas chromatography although for rapid sampling of larger subject populations, portable sulfide monitors may be more appropriate. Future research in this field should consider: 1) improved and simplified instrumentation for more rapid through-put and reliability; 2) development and definition of reference standards for oral malodor assessment; 3) formulation of clinical studies with appropriately sized, well-defined patient populations; and 4) further development of within mouth, site-specific measurements."}
{"id": "PMID:1474480", "title": "Biochemical and clinical factors influencing oral malodor in periodontal patients.", "content": "The amounts of volatile sulfur compounds (VSC) and methyl mercaptan/hydrogen sulfide ratio in mouth air from patients with periodontal involvement were 8 times greater than those of control subjects. Our studies demonstrated that, in patients with periodontal disease: 1) the concentration of disulfide, which is converted to VSC, increased in proportion to the total pocket depth; 2) 60% of the VSC was produced from the tongue surface; 3) the amount of tongue coating was 4 times greater than in control subjects; and 4) VSC production and the methyl mercaptan/hydrogen sulfide ratio of the tongue coating were increased. 2-Ketobutyrate, which is a byproduct of the metabolism of methionine to methyl mercaptan, was higher in the saliva of patients with periodontal disease. This implies that metabolism of methionine to methyl mercaptan increases in the oral cavity of patients with periodontal pockets. Since free L-methionine, rather than protein, is the main source for methyl mercaptan, we estimated the methionine supply from the gingival fluid into the oral cavity of patients with periodontal involvement. The results showed that the ratio of methionine to whole free amino acids was significantly higher than that of cysteine. Our studies suggest that not only microorganisms, but also the tongue coating and gingival fluid are factors which enhance VSC production in patients with periodontal disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1474482", "title": "The long plantar wing distal metaphyseal osteotomy.", "content": "The authors introduce the long plantar wing distal metaphyseal osteotomy of the first metatarsal through a medial plantar approach. This procedure for mild-to-moderate hallux valgus is capable of correcting an increased proximal articular set angle and first intermetatarsal angle concomitantly. The biomechanical, surgical, and clinical rationale for this procedure are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1474481", "title": "Non-oral etiologies of oral malodor and altered chemosensation.", "content": "A number of non-oral causes for oral malodor have been discussed. Several well documented etiologies for non-oral malodor include renal failure, cirrhosis of the liver, and diabetes mellitus. Each of these conditions has been examined using analytical instrumentation. In addition there appear to be several other metabolic conditions involving enzymatic and transport anomalies (such as trimethylaminuria) which lead to the systemic production of volatile malodors that manifest themselves as halitosis and/or altered chemoreception. Our studies include patients who have been referred to us after being examined by numerous clinical specialists with no identification or relief from their problem. This is due in part to the intermittent nature of many of these problems as well as an apparent lack of knowledge concerning many of these metabolic problems and their relation to oral symptoms."}
{"id": "PMID:1474483", "title": "Dynamic plantar pressure analysis. Comparing common insole materials.", "content": "A comparison of five commonly used insole materials (Spenco, PPT, Plastazote, Nickelplast, and Pelite) was made to evaluate their effectiveness in reducing plantar vertical pressures on human subjects during walking. With the use of the EMED-SF pedograph force plate system, dynamic measures of vertical force, force-time integral, peak plantar pressure, pressure-time integral, and area of foot-to-ground contact were compared with the force plate covered with each of the insole materials and without any interface material."}
{"id": "PMID:1474484", "title": "Surgical management of chronic tophaceous gout. A case report.", "content": "Severe chronic tophaceous gout can be a surgical challenge. A classic case of marked first and fifth metatarsophalangeal joint involvement is presented."}
{"id": "PMID:1474485", "title": "Avulsion fracture at the plantar lateral base of the first metatarsal. Two case reports.", "content": "The anatomy, mechanism, and two treatment approaches of an avulsion fracture at the plantar lateral base of the first metatarsal without any joint dislocation were discussed. The authors presented an injury that has not been reported in the literature but has only been seen as a part of Lisfranc's fracture dislocation types B and C."}
{"id": "PMID:1474486", "title": "Maffucci's syndrome. Review of the literature and case report.", "content": "Maffucci's syndrome, a rarely occurring congenital disorder, may present early in life as either a pathologic fracture, an incidental radiographic finding, or primarily as multiple hemangiomas. Patients endure years of orthopedic complications, and are faced with a grim prognosis, with the majority developing either skeletal or extra-skeletal malignancies by the end of their fourth decade."}
{"id": "PMID:1474487", "title": "Epidermal inclusion cysts following minimal incision surgery.", "content": "One of the most frequent causes of epidermal inclusion cysts is trauma involving the epidermis with subsequent implantation of epidermal cells into the dermis or subcutis. Minimal incision surgery is capable of achieving this because it is performed by using small incisions and rapidly rotating power instruments. The technique requires that the surgeon master a high degree of dexterity and knowledge of the anatomy without the aid of direct visualization. Van Enoo and Cane suggest the use of fresh, sharp skin blades to protect against invagination of skin edges which could lead to epidermal inclusion cysts. They also state that an improper position or an incision that is too small will cause tension, which can lead to heat buildup with subsequent sloughing and dehiscence. It may also drive some epidermal cells underneath the dermis and foster an epidermal cyst. Other surgeons using small incisions suggest thorough and copious irrigation to flush away debris and to avoid potential foreign body reactions. The periosteum should be reflected away from the point where the drill bit exits the bone to prevent bone chips from being forced subperiosteally and potentially causing a foreign body reaction. By virtue of the technique, minimal incision surgery lends itself to a greater risk of causing epidermal inclusion cysts. Surgeons who use these techniques must be aware of this potential complication."}
{"id": "PMID:1474488", "title": "Osteomyelitis of the distal phalanx following trauma to the nail. A case report.", "content": "A case in which inadequate treatment of a nail plate injury resulted in chronic osteomyelitis has been described. Because of its distinct anatomy, trauma to the nail and its associated structures should not be summarily dismissed as an innocuous injury but should be thoroughly examined for phalangeal fracture and laceration of the nail bed."}
{"id": "PMID:1474490", "title": "Uncertainty effects in orientation discrimination of foveally seen lines in human observers.", "content": "1. The effect of spatial uncertainty on line orientation thresholds was studied in normal observers. Vertical lines, 5 min of arc long, built up a matrix in which one of the line elements could be tilted to the left or right. The orientation thresholds depended strongly on the number of alternative test positions. There was a linear relation between log (threshold) and log (P), where P is the probability that a particular line element was the one being tested. 2. The uncertainty effect was shown to be time dependent. The effect was more marked for the shortest stimulus duration (1 s). However, even with a 6 s stimulus duration, allowing several re-fixations, the thresholds were significantly higher in the presence of uncertainty, compared to the situation in which the test position was fixed and known to the observer. 3. When the measurements were restricted to the centre line in a matrix, thresholds were more than twice as high when the test line could be in any of the centre 3 x 3 positions, compared to the case in which there was no uncertainty as to the test position. Foreknowledge of location of the test line within the matrix improved the threshold further, even if the whole matrix was displaced to different retinal positions. 4. It is concluded that the physiological mechanism mediating threshold improvement probably operates on a cortical processing apparatus more central than V1."}
{"id": "PMID:1474491", "title": "Electrophysiological responses in the rat tail artery during reinnervation following lesions of the sympathetic supply.", "content": "1. Responses to perivascular stimuli have been recorded with intracellular microelectrodes from the smooth muscle of isolated segments of the main caudal artery of rats at various times between 7 and 128 days after all four collector nerve trunks had been lesioned near the base of the tail at 21 days of age. 2. In proximal segments (< 40 mm distal to the lesions), excitatory junction potentials (EJPs) and neurogenic alpha-depolarizations (NADs) evoked by stimuli presented via a proximally located suction electrode were similar to those in the same segments of unoperated control animals of the same age. Supramaximal EJPs in these segments decreased in amplitude with age. 3. Stimuli just supramaximal for EJPs in innervated preparations failed to evoke responses in segments farther than 30-40 mm distal to the lesions at any time after the nerves had been cut and 1 cm excised. Higher voltages evoked slow depolarizing potentials (SDPs) which were of longer time course than EJPs. Similar responses occurred in segments over 60 mm distal to the lesions at 20-50 days after the nerves had been frozen, and in all segments sampled over 100 mm distal to nerve lesions. 4. Spontaneous transient depolarizations (STDs) were recorded at all depths of the media in denervated segments. These occurred at frequencies similar to those of spontaneous events (including attenuated spontaneous EJPs) in innervated segments. 5. The earliest signs of reinnervation (24-42 days after freeze lesions) consisted of very small amplitude EJPs of normal time course which facilitated markedly during a short train of stimuli (5-10 Hz); these were followed by NADs which were large relative to the amplitudes of the EJPs. Less commonly, small focal EJPs of brief time course (resembling spontaneous EJPs in superficial cells of innervated arteries) were evoked in very restricted regions of the vessel wall. 6. At later times (57-128 days postoperative), six of eight segments located 40-70 mm distal to freeze lesions showed EJPs of nearly control amplitude, but NADs that were larger than in equivalent segments from control animals. In the remaining two cases, reinnervation at this level was similar to that seen at the earliest postoperative times. High stimulus voltages prolonged the decay of EJPs in both control and reinnervated arteries. 7. Sensitivity to exogenous noradrenaline, assessed in terms of membrane depolarization, was increased in both denervated and reinnervated segments. 8. Catecholamine fluorescence disappeared from the arteries at a distance greater than 30-40 mm distal to the site of the nerve lesions.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1474492", "title": "Thermal and PGE2 sensitivity of the organum vasculosum lamina terminalis region and preoptic area in rat brain slices.", "content": "1. The effects of local applications of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) on the unit activity of fifty-one neurones in the organum vasculosum lamina terminalis (OVLT) region and fifty-eight neurones in the preoptic area (POA) were investigated in small tissue slices from the rat hypothalamus containing the OVLT and POA isolated from each other. 2. Of these, thirty OVLT and twenty-eight POA neurones were warm sensitive and increased their discharge rate in response to a rise in tissue temperature. One OVLT neurone and one POA neurone were cold sensitive and showed the opposite type of responses to changes in temperature. The thermosensitivity of these neurones was still observed in a Ca2+ free-high Mg2+ solution. 3. Perfusion with PGE2 in doses between 1 and 250 nM changed the discharge rate in forty-two of fifty-one OVLT neurones and in thirty-two of fifty-eight POA neurones in a dose-dependent manner. The responses to PGE2 were not lost during synaptic blockade. The threshold dose of PGE2 to alter the discharge rate of the OVLT neurones (4.8 +/- 1.1 (S.E.M.) nM, n = 16) was significantly lower than that of the POA neurones (40.9 +/- 12.2 nM, n = 16). 4. Fifteen of forty-two OVLT neurones exhibited the responses with a slower onset (latency 5-13 min) and a longer duration (20 min to 3 h), but such responses were observed in only one of thirty-two POA neurones. 5. The responses of OVLT and POA neurones to PGE2 (50-250 nM) were reversibly blocked by a concurrent application of AH6809, a prostanoid EP1 and/or a DP receptor antagonist. 6. While there was no clear correlation between the type of thermosensitivity and the type of response to PGE2 among the POA neurones, a significantly higher incidence of inhibitory response to PGE2 was found among the warm-sensitive neurones in the OVLT region. 7. The lower threshold responses to PGE2 and the higher incidence of PGE2 responsiveness among OVLT neurones are consistent with previous findings which showed that the highest density of PGE2 receptor binding and the highest pyrogenic sensitivity to microinjected PGE2 were observed in the OVLT region. The results provide further evidence for the critical involvement of the OVLT region in mediating the febrile responses to blood-borne endogenous pyrogen through the local release of PGE2."}
{"id": "PMID:1474493", "title": "A patch-clamp study on the muscarine-sensitive potassium channel in bullfrog sympathetic ganglion cells.", "content": "1. A voltage-independent K+ channel was characterized and effects of muscarine were studied in cultured bullfrog sympathetic ganglion cells using the cell-attached patch-clamp configuration. 2. Three types of single-channel current were recorded from 2- to 10-day-old cultured cells in the presence of tetraethylammonium (2-20 mM), tetrodotoxin (1-2 microM), Cd2+ (0.1 mM) and apamin (20 nM). 3. The most frequently observed channel was a voltage-independent K+ channel which was open at the resting membrane potential and had a conductance of 52.6, 78.9 and 114.9 pS at a [K+]o of 2, 40 and 100 mM, respectively. This channel was designated background K+ channel. 4. Two other channel types were observed less frequently. One had a conductance of 26 pS (external K+, 118 mM) and a long open time of several seconds at the resting membrane potential. The second channel had a smaller conductance (20 pS) and displayed a voltage-dependent activation. 5. The open probability of the background K+ channel varied between patches, ranging from 0.0005 to 0.486. The open time distribution was fitted by a single exponential with a time constant of 0.51 ms. Both of these parameters were independent of the membrane potential. The closed time distribution consisted of at least four exponentials having time constants of 0.17, 3.7, 120 ms and several seconds. 6. Muscarine (10-20 microM) applied to the membrane outside the patch pipette reversibly enhanced the activity of the background K+ channel. This effect was associated with an increase in the open probability, which resulted from an increase in the mean open time concomitant with a decrease in the mean closed time. Muscarine did not change the single-channel conductance of this channel. 7. The effects of muscarine were blocked by atropine (1 microM). 8. It is concluded that there exists a muscarine-sensitive, voltage-independent K+ channel in cultured bullfrog ganglion cells. This K+ channel appears to contribute to the generation of the resting membrane potential and underlie the slow inhibitory postsynaptic potential of these neurones in situ."}
{"id": "PMID:1474494", "title": "Anoxia induces time-independent K+ current through KATP channels in isolated heart cells of the guinea-pig.", "content": "1. Isolated ventricular heart cells of the guinea-pig were exposed to anoxia (PO2 < 0.1 Torr) which induced a time-independent K+ current. This current was studied with the patch clamp technique in the whole-cell and cell-attached configuration. 2. The latency until anoxia-induced changes of whole-cell current developed was distributed exponentially (mean 10.5 min; n = 41). The current was abolished within 2-4 s of reoxygenation. 3. The reversal potential of the anoxia-induced change of whole-cell current at 5.4 and 15 mM [K+]o was -82 and -61 mV, respectively. 4. Analysis of current noise in whole-cell current during the phase of the slow development of the anoxia-induced current yielded a slope conductance of unitary currents of 8.1 pS (5.4 mM [K+]o) which is far below the 30 pS of KATP channels in inside-out patches with no Na+ and Mg2+ in the bath. 5. Reduced unitary current induced by anoxia was recorded in single-channel measurements with 10.4 mM-K+ in the pipette. 6. Using 150 mM-K+ in the pipette, anoxia caused unitary inward currents with a slope conductance of 83 pS. The open probability of the channels (P(o)) reached maximum values between 0.6 and 0.95. The channels closed within 1-3 s of reoxygenation. 7. At voltages between -85 and -45 mV and maximum P(o), open time histograms were dominated by a fast exponential (tau 01 = 0.55 +/- 0.21 ms, mean +/- S.D.) and one or two slow exponentials. 8. Voltage ramp experiments showed that single-channel currents were slightly rectifying in the inward direction. 9. Glibenclamide (1 microM) reversibly blocked the anoxia-induced whole-cell and single-channel currents. 10. It is concluded that during anoxia it is only KATP channels which open by a sufficient decrease of submembrane ATP levels."}
{"id": "PMID:1474495", "title": "Sympathetic nervous system activity during skin cooling in humans: relationship to stimulus intensity and pain sensation.", "content": "1. Our aim was to determine the relationship between efferent sympathetic nervous system activity to skeletal muscle (MSNA) and both the dynamics of the stimulus and pain sensation during localized skin cooling in humans. MSNA in the lower leg (peroneal microneurography), heart rate, arterial blood pressure, hand skin and muscle temperatures and perceptions of pain were recorded in ten healthy subjects before, during and after immersion (3 min) of a hand in water of different temperatures ranging from non-noxious to extremely noxious (28, 21, 14, 7 and 0 degrees C). 2. Immersion produced an abrupt, water temperature-dependent fall in hand skin temperature (initial 30 s) followed by a more gradual decline. In contrast, the fall in hand muscle temperature was almost linear during immersion. Throughout immersions at the 28, 21, and 14 degrees C water temperatures and during the initial phase of the 7 degrees C level, sensations ranged from not painful to somewhat painful; however, the latter phase of the 7 degrees C immersion and the entire 0 degrees C level were perceived as intensely painful. 3. During the initial 15-30 s of immersion at the 21-7 degrees C water temperatures, MSNA decreased from control levels in all subjects (47-58% on average, P < 0.05), whereas mean arterial blood pressure did not change. MSNA then returned to and remained at control levels throughout the 28-14 degrees C immersions, although arterial pressure, primarily systolic, rose slightly. 4. After some delay, MSNA increased during immersion at both the 7 degrees C (P < 0.05 at 90 s) and 0 degrees C (P < 0.05 at 60 s) levels in a progressive, water temperature-dependent manner, achieving peak values of approximately 200 and 300% of control, respectively, by 2.0-2.5 min. These elevations in MSNA were associated with parallel increases in arterial pressure. 5. Heart rate rose during the onset of immersion at all water temperatures (P < 0.05), but fell rapidly to control levels after 60-90 s. The increases were small (approximately 5 beats/min) and similar at the 28-7 degrees C levels, but were twice as great at the coldest water temperature.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1474496", "title": "Sympathetic activity is influenced by task difficulty and stress perception during mental challenge in humans.", "content": "1. Our aim was to determine the influence of the type of task, the absolute and relative difficulty of the task, and the perceived stress associated with performance of the task on sympathetic circulatory regulation during cognitive challenge in humans. 2. Sympathetic nerve activity to skeletal muscle (MSNA) determined from peroneal microneurography, heart rate and arterial blood pressure were recorded continuously in twelve subjects during a modified Stroop colour word test (CWT) and mental arithmetic (MA), each performed over six levels of increasing absolute task difficulty. Performance (percentage correct) on each task was assessed and ratings of perceived stress obtained. Responses to CWT and MA were compared at similar levels of performance and perceived stress. 3. MSNA decreased at task onset, remained below baseline levels at low levels of difficulty which were not perceived as stressful, increased above baseline levels at higher levels of difficulty which were perceived as stressful, and increased further during recovery. Thus, the regulation of MSNA was stress dependent. At similar levels of stress perception there were no differences in MSNA between CWT and MA. Although performance declined as task difficulty increased, there was no particular 'threshold' level of performance associated with the stimulation of MSNA. 4. Arterial pressure and heart rate were elevated above baseline levels throughout the mental tasks. Arterial pressure increased over the first 3-4 levels of each task and then plateaued whereas heart rate did not vary across increasing levels of task difficulty. Heart rate and arterial pressure responses to CWT were higher than those to MA. 5. These data demonstrate that during cognitive challenge the stimulation of MSNA is governed primarily by perceived stress which is dependent, in part, on the absolute level of task difficulty. In contrast, neither performance nor the type of cognitive task appear to be important determinants of MSNA. Arterial pressure is influenced by the task and level of difficulty. Heart rate is independent of task difficulty but may be task dependent."}
{"id": "PMID:1474497", "title": "Calcium sensitizing action of carnosine and other endogenous imidazoles in chemically skinned striated muscle.", "content": "1. The imidazole-containing compounds carnosine and homocarnosine, endogenous to skeletal and cardiac muscle, have been tested for effect on the contractile behaviour of chemically skinned (saponin or Triton X-100) skeletal and cardiac muscle. 2. Carnosine, at millimolar concentrations which are near physiological for many skeletal fibres, and in a concentration-dependent fashion, shifts the curve relating [Ca2+] to steady-state tension to lower [Ca2+] in both skeletal (frog but not crab) and cardiac (rat) muscle preparations. 3. Of other imidazoles endogenous to heart, homocarnosine is somewhat more effective, while N-acetyl L-histidine is much less so. 4. The maximum level of Ca(2+)-activated force is increased significantly by homocarnosine in cardiac trabeculae. 5. We propose that the cellular imidazoles related to carnosine are natural 'Ca2+ sensitizers' in striated muscle. Alterations in their levels as a result of disease or training, and between different fibre types, may contribute to differences in contractile performance of the intact tissues."}
{"id": "PMID:1474498", "title": "Metabolic changes during ischaemia and their role in contractile failure in isolated ferret hearts.", "content": "1. The effects of global ischaemia on phosphorus metabolites, intracellular pH (pHi) and developed pressure were measured in isolated whole ferret hearts using 31P nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. 2. Brief (10 min) periods of global ischaemia reduced left ventricular developed pressure (LVDP) to undetectable levels. This fall in LVDP was accompanied by a fall in the intracellular concentration of phosphocreatine (PCr) and increases in the concentrations of inorganic phosphate (Pi) and phosphomonoesters. There was no change in the intracellular ATP concentration ([ATP]i). pHi fell approximately linearly at a rate of 0.04 pH units min-1. 3. When ferret hearts were exposed to cyanide (CN-) in the presence of alpha-cyano-4-hydroxycinnamate (CHC), a blocker of lactate efflux, the changes in pHi and [Pi]i which occurred were similar to those observed during global ischaemia. However, developed pressure only fell to around 15% of the control value. 4. Removing the intracellular acidosis (by reducing the CO2 level of the gas with which the perfusate was equilibrated) during exposure to CN- and CHC caused an increase in developed pressure, consistent with the fall in pHi being responsible for a substantial fraction of the fall in developed pressure. 5. Taken together, these results suggest that most, but not all, of the fall in developed pressure during ischaemia can be explained by the effects of the changes in pHi and [Pi]i on the contractile apparatus. 6. Action potential recordings made with a suction electrode during short periods of global ischaemia showed that there was no decrease in action potential duration over the period when developed pressure was falling, eliminating action potential shortening as a possible cause of the fall in developed pressure. 7. In hearts in which the rate of glycolysis had been reduced by glycogen depletion, global ischaemia led to a marked shortening of the action potential. NMR experiments showed that under these conditions [ATP]i decreased by around 50% over the first 10 jin of ischaemia, while the intracellular acidosis which occurred was smaller than that in a control ischaemic period. 8. The time course of the decline of [ATP]i was examined in several hearts during long (45 min and over) ischaemic periods without prior glycogen depletion. After 45 min of ischaemia [ATP]i fell to around two-thirds of the control value, while pHi declined to approximately 6.1. Resting pressure did not increase. On reperfusion pHi recovered rapidly to control levels. [ATP]i, however, did not recover. 9. If ischaemia was prolonged further, [ATP]i eventually became undetectable after 70-90 min.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1474499", "title": "Identification of a new transport system (y+L) in human erythrocytes that recognizes lysine and leucine with high affinity.", "content": "1. The effect of neutral amino acids on the transport of L-lysine across the human erythrocyte membrane was studied. 2. All neutral amino acids tested (range 0.3-5 mM) inhibit the influx of L-[14C]lysine (1 microM). The inhibition pattern is biphasic, and tends to reach a maximum at approximately 50% of the original flux. The concentrations that give 25% inhibition are (mM): L-cysteine (2.7), L-alanine (1.3), L-serine (0.9), L-isoleucine (0.6), L-phenylalanine (0.35), L-methionine (< 0.3), L-leucine (< 0.3). L-lysine and L-arginine completely inhibit the rate at the highest concentration. 3. These results can be explained by assuming that L-lysine transport occurs through two independent transporters that differ in their affinity for neutral amino acids. A detailed kinetic analysis of the effect of L-leucine on L-lysine entry is consistent with this hypothesis. 4. Using a new experimental strategy, the substrate and inhibitor transport parameters for the two systems were determined. The half-saturation constants for lysine (+/- S.E.M.) are found to be: KmA, 0.014 +/- 0.002 mM and KmB, 0.112 +/- 0.017 mM. The maximum rates differ by a factor of 8.2 (VmaxB/VmaxA). The leucine inhibition constants are: KiA, 0.022 +/- 0.003 mM and KiB, 30.36 +/- 7.9 mM. If the sodium in the incubation medium is replaced by potassium, the apparent affinity for leucine (1/KiA) is reduced approximately 30-fold. 5. The maximum inhibition caused by leucine decreases as the lysine concentration is raised, showing that leucine acts upon the higher affinity system. 6. When added to the trans side, L-leucine, L-phenylalanine and L-isoleucine do not cause inhibition, but stimulate the flux by approximately 30%. This indicates that these analogues are also transported. 7. In conclusion, in the concentration range 1-100 microM, lysine crosses the red cell membrane through two distinct transport systems, one of which recognizes both neutral and cationic amino acids with high affinity."}
{"id": "PMID:1474500", "title": "Pacemaker current in single cells and in aggregates of cells dissociated from the embryonic chick heart.", "content": "1. We have measured the time-dependent pacemaker current, I(f), in single cells, or small clusters of two or three cells dissociated from embryonic chick hearts with the whole-cell patch clamp technique, and in multicellular reaggregates of dissociated cells with the two-microelectrode voltage clamp technique. 2. We observed time-dependent current (I(f)) in the -90 to -60 mV range from aggregates of ventricular cells, as in our earlier results from this preparation, which we previously attributed to the potassium ion current mechanism, IK2. We also observed I(f) in single atrial cells and aggregates of atrial cells. 3. The range of activation of I(f) was -120 to -90 mV in atrial preparations (either single cells or aggregates). The activation range of I(f) in ventricular cells was also -120 to -90 mV which is approximately 30 mV negative to the I(f) activation range in ventricular cell aggregates. The reasons for this shift of I(f) in ventricular preparations are unknown. 4. The I(f) component clearly underlies the spontaneous pacemaker depolarization which is observed in ventricular heart cell aggregates during the first week of embryonic development. However, I(f) is not a significant factor underlying spontaneous activity in atrial preparations. The pacemaker current in these cells is a net inward background component, which is significantly reduced in amplitude with development, as is the I(f) component in the ventricle."}
{"id": "PMID:1474501", "title": "Tectal and tegmental excitation in dorsal neck motoneurones of the cat.", "content": "1. Intracellular recordings were made from 116 splenius (SPL) and 103 biventer cervicis and complexus (BCC) alpha-motoneurones in nineteen cats anaesthetized with alpha-chloralose. 2. Electrical stimulation in the contralateral tectum evoked disynaptic excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs) in the motoneurones when a train of stimuli was applied in the ventral layers throughout the superior colliculus. In the rostral half of the superior colliculus, these EPSPs were due to stimulation of ascending collaterals of tectofugal neurones. EPSPs of a presumed trisynaptic linkage could only be evoked from the dorsal and intermediate tectal layers in the caudal half of the superior colliculus. It is concluded that the tectofugal neurones which evoked the disynaptic EPSPs are mainly located in the caudal half of the superior colliculus. 3. Disynaptic EPSPs were evoked in the motoneurones by a train of stimuli in the contralateral fields of Forel and Zona incerta, which were due to stimulation of ascending collaterals from the tectofugal neurones. 4. Spatial facilitation experiments revealed that tectal disynaptic EPSPs in the neck motoneurones were mediated via reticulospinal neurones with convergent input from cortico-reticular neurones. 5. A train of stimuli in the ipsilateral tectum evoked EPSPs with latencies compatible with a trisynaptic linkage, while disynaptic EPSPs at low threshold could be elicited from the underlying tegmentum. Similar disynaptic EPSPs could be evoked from the ipsilateral fields of Forel. It is suggested that some of the disynaptic tegmental EPSPs in SPL and BCC motoneurones can be mediated via a tegmento-reticulospinal pathway which originates in the cuneiform nucleus."}
{"id": "PMID:1474502", "title": "Ankle stiffness of standing humans in response to imperceptible perturbation: reflex and task-dependent components.", "content": "1. It has been demonstrated that subjects can alter the reflex stiffness of the elbow and wrist in response to imperceptibly slow perturbations applied through a complaint coupling. We used this technique to measure ankle stiffness in standing subjects as a means of examining reflex activity. 2. During unperturbed stance, a linear relationship between ankle torque and ankle angle is expressed as a load stiffness. The load stiffness predicted from a subject's measured physical dimensions corresponds closely with the value measured by standing the subject on a force platform. 3. Slow perturbations were applied at waist level, through a spring, to standing subjects. The perturbations caused sway similar in magnitude and rate to the sway of normal stance. Ankle stiffness was measured during the period when the perturbations were unperceived. The contribution to ankle stiffness of reflexes that use visual information was assessed by eye closure. The ability of reflexes based on sensory information from the legs to maintain upright posture was assessed when subjects balanced a load equivalent to their own body, in a situation where neither visual nor vestibular information could assist. Ankle stiffness was measured while the load was perturbed. 4. The results show that a simple mechanical model of stance predicts the torque-angle relationship at the ankle. This relationship determines the minimal ankle stiffness required to stand, and reflex muscle stiffness is a necessary component of this ankle stiffness. Visual, vestibular and lower limb sensorimotor reflexes each contribute to ankle stiffness; however, the local sensory reflexes alone are sufficient to stand. For responses to unperceived perturbations, standing subjects can alter their reflex ankle stiffness according to intentional set."}
{"id": "PMID:1474503", "title": "A potential-dependent fast outward current in single smooth muscle cells isolated from the newborn rat ileum.", "content": "1. Whole-cell outward currents have been studied in single smooth muscle cells isolated from newborn and adult rat ileum, using fire-polished glass micropipettes. 2. Two major outward currents, delayed (I(do)) and fast inactivating potential-dependent (I(fo)), have been observed in the newborn rat ileal cells. I(fo) is activated between -50 and -40 mV from the holding potential of -80 mV, whereas I(do) usually starts to activate at membrane potentials positive to -20 mV. Activation of I(do) was fast, its time-to-peak decreased from 10.8 +/- 0.9 ms (n = 5) at -30 mV to 4.5 +/- 0.7 ms (n = 4) at 20 mV. 3. I(fo) decay was monoexponential and its time constant did not depend on the membrane potential. Dependence of I(fo) inactivation on membrane voltage in normal physiological salt solutions (PSS) could be described by the Boltzmann equation with the following parameters: a half-inactivation potential, V0.5 = -70.8 mV and slope factor, k = 7.7 mV. 4. Recovery of I(fo) from inactivation was fitted by a single exponential and was potential dependent. The average time constant was 28.4 +/- 2.4 ms (n = 11) at -120 mV, 47.7 +/- 3.0 ms (n = 6) at -100 mV and 89.6 +/- 5.3 ms (n = 13) at -80 mV. 5. Removal of Ca2+ ions from the PSS (in the presence of 5 mM-Mg2+) increased I(fo) amplitude by about two times, and shifted its voltage dependence of inactivation towards negative membrane potentials by about 16 mV (V0.5 = -87.2 mV). Removal of Mg2+ from the PSS (in the presence of 2.5 mM-Ca2+) exerted no effects upon either inactivation dependence (V0.5 = -74.2 mV) or I(fo) amplitude. 6. I(do) and I(fo) had different sensitivities to K+ channel blockers. With 10 mM-external TEA+ I(do), was preferentially suppressed, while 5 mM-4-aminopyridine (4-AP) completely blocked I(fo). I(fo) was also partially blocked by a higher TEA+ concentration (30 mM), which suppressed I(fo) to 0.55 +/- 0.02 (n = 9). The blocking effect of 4-AP on I(fo) was potential, use and time dependent. 7. Ileal cells isolated from the adult rat demonstrated the presence of two populations of smooth muscle cells. One has an outward current which seems to be similar to that described in the newborn rat. However, in other cells spontaneous transient outward currents, well described in other single smooth muscle cells, but not found in newborn rat ileal cells, have been observed."}
{"id": "PMID:1474504", "title": "Mechanism of cardiac Na(+)-Ca2+ exchange current stimulation by MgATP: possible involvement of aminophospholipid translocase.", "content": "1. The sensitivity of outward Na(+)-Ca2+ exchange current to charged amphiphiles and phospholipids was tested in giant excised inside-out membrane patches from guinea-pig and rabbit myocytes. 2. Screening of membrane surface potentials with dimethonium (10 mM), spermine (200 microM) and spermidine (100 microM) was without effect, while the positively charged ionic detergents hexadecyltrimethylammonium and dodecyltrimethylammonium strongly inhibited steady-state outward exchange current (0.1-10 microM). 3. Interventions expected to increase negative surface charge included treatment of the cytoplasmic surface with phospholipase D, application of dodecylsulphate (1-10 microM), application of the short-chain phosphatidylserine derivative, dicapryl phosphatidylserine (C10PS), and inclusion of 1-3% phosphatidylserine in the hydrocarbon mixture used to coat electrodes. Each intervention strongly stimulated Na(+)-Ca2+ exchange current in a similar way to MgATP, reducing the fractional decay of outward exchange current (inactivation) during application of high cytoplasmic sodium. 4. The MgATP-stimulated exchange current was inhibited with a Ki of approximately 1 microM by pentalysine, which is known to associate with phosphatidylserine head groups. After 'deregulation' of the exchanger by chymotrypsin, pentalysine was without effect. 5. Inclusion in the pipette of 0.2 mM-pyridyldithioethylamine (an oxidizing inhibitor of aminophospholipid translocase) abolished stimulation of outward exchange current by MgATP without inhibiting basal outward exchange current or sodium pump current. 6. Application to the cytoplasmic side of 1.5 mM-diamide, which reportedly decreases membrane phospholipid asymmetry, apparently reversed the effect of MgATP. After treatment with diamide and subsequently with dithiothreitol, Na(+)-Ca2+ exchange current was again stimulated by MgATP. Diamide was without effect when secondary exchange regulation had been previously removed by chymotrypsin. 7. Potassium current carried by the surface potential-sensitive ionophore, nonactin, was stimulated by MgATP when extracellular surface charge had been neutralized. The effect was largest (40-90%) when low ionic strength cytoplasmic solutions were employed, consistent with an increase of negative membrane charge on the cytoplasmic side during MgATP application. 8. Potassium current carried by nonactin was inhibited by MgATP when cytoplasmic surface charge had been neutralized and extracellular solutions of low ionic strength were employed, consistent with a decrease of negative membrane charge on the extracellular side. 9. These results indicate that the stimulatory effect of MgATP on Na(+)-Ca2+ exchange current could involve changes of charged membrane lipids, that the effect probably involves a transmembrane, oxidation-sensitive protein, that pentalysine-sensitive sites are involved, that phosphatidylserine mimics the effect of MgATP, and that the effect extends to a simple surface potential-sensitive ionophore.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1474505", "title": "Calcium release from separate receptor-specific intracellular stores induced by histamine and ATP in a hamster cell line.", "content": "1. The specificity of intracellular Ca2+ stores to Ca(2+)-mobilizing agonists was studied in DDT1 MF-2 vas deferens cells of the Syrian hamster. 2. Application of histamine (100 microM) or ATP (100 microM) to the DDT1 MF-2 cells caused an initial increase of intracellular Ca2+ followed by a lower phase as measured by using Indo-1 as fluorescent probe at 22 degrees C. The basal Ca2+ level (146 nM) was enhanced to 309 nM by histamine and to 379 nM by ATP. 3. A transient rise in intracellular Ca2+ lasting for about 2 min was measured in the presence of histamine or ATP in the absence of extracellular Ca2+. The basal Ca2+ level (78 nM) was increased to 128 nM by histamine and to 145 nM by ATP. 4. A transient hyperpolarization was elicited in single cells as measured with microelectrodes by both agonists under Ca(2+)-free conditions with a similar time course as the change in internal Ca2+. The hyperpolarization observed in the presence of histamine amounted to 23 mV and 31 mV with ATP. The histamine-induced responses were abolished by the H1 histaminoceptor antagonist mepyramine (10 microM) and the responses evoked by ATP were blocked by the P2 purinoceptor antagonist suramin (300 microM). 5. A second internal Ca2+ response could only be evoked under Ca(2+)-free conditions by applying a higher agonist concentration or after replenishing the intracellular stores with Ca2+ from the extracellular space. 6. A second addition of an optimal concentration (100 microM) of the agonist to the cells under Ca(2+)-free conditions did not evoke mobilization of internal Ca2+ or hyperpolarization, but resulted in a rise of the cellular inositol (1,4,5)-trisphosphate content (Ins(1,4,5)P3) as determined by a radioligand binding assay. 7. The cells responded to both agonists (100 microM) with a transient Ca2+ response if successively applied at a maximal effective concentration (100 microM) under Ca(2+)-free conditions. 8. Simultaneous stimulation of H1 histaminoceptors and P2 purinoceptors resulted in the absence of external Ca2+ in an additional increase in internal Ca2+ represented by the amplitude and area of the response and in an increased response area of the hyperpolarization.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1474506", "title": "An internal viscous element limits unloaded velocity of sarcomere shortening in rat myocardium.", "content": "1. Peak twitch force (F0) and sarcomere length (SL) were measured in trabeculae that had been dissected from the right ventricle of rat heart and that were superfused with a modified Krebs-Henseleit solution at 25 degrees C. Sarcomere length was measured by laser diffraction techniques. Force was measured with a silicone strain gauge. Unloaded velocity of sarcomere shortening (V0) was measured by the 'isovelocity release' technique. 2. At [Ca2+]o = 1.5 mM and SL below 1.9 microns, V0 increased in proportion to SL, while V0 was independent of SL above 1.9 microns. At [Ca2+]o = 0.5 mM, V0 was proportional to SL up to 2.2 microns. At [Ca2+]o = 0.2 mM, V0 was proportional to SL up to 2.3 microns which is the longest SL that we were able to study in our trabeculae. 3. A unique relationship was observed between V0 and F0, irrespective of whether F0 was altered by variation of [Ca2+]o or sarcomere length above slack length. 4. Passive viscosity (Fv) was measured during the pause between contractions in the presence of 1.5 mM [Ca2+bdo and in the range SL = 2.0-2.1 microns by applying 0.1 micron stretches at various velocities up to v = 30 microns s-1. The force response to stretch, corrected for the contribution of parallel elastic force, showed viscoelastic characteristics with an exponential increase to a maximum (Fv) during stretch and an exponential decline after the end of the stretch. Fv increased, by 0.3%F0 microns-1 s-1, in proportion to v < 5 microns s-1; the increase of Fv was smaller at higher v, suggesting non-Newtonian viscous properties. 5. The time constant of the increase of force during the stretch decreased (tau rise congruent to 7 ms to tau rise congruent to 4 ms) with increases in v (congruent to 4 microns s-1 to v congruent to 10 microns s-1; P = 0.02). The time constant of decay of force at the end of the stretch also decreased with increases in v (tau decay congruent to 8 ms at v congruent to 4 microns s-1 to tau decay congruent to 3 ms at v congruent to 30 microns s-1; P < 0.001). Calculated stiffness of the elastic term of the viscoelastic element was independent of v, i.e. 45-50 N mm-3.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1474509", "title": "[Primary brain lymphoma in AIDS. 17 cases studied by MRI before stereotaxic biopsies].", "content": "Determining which semiological criteria might help to suggest lymphoma when an intracerebral mass in observed in a patient with AIDS. The use of these criteria might shorten the duration of the anti-toxoplasmic test treatment and to perform puncture earlier. The fast growth of the lymphomas may account for the rapid death of these patients if untreated, but as a corollary, its increase in size can be objectively measured over a short period, about ten days. MEANS: Retrospective study of 17 lymphomas diagnosed with stereotaxic puncture. The most discriminating criteria are ventricular encasement or an original site in the white matter, as well as the moderate character of the edema and of the mass effect relative to the volume of the tumor. Other arguments also help: simple lesion, large size, sinuous contour, no signs of hemorrhage. The diagnosis of lymphoma can often be proposed at once. A control must then be performed very soon, with stereotaxic puncture if the volume of the lesion has increased in the meantime."}
{"id": "PMID:1474511", "title": "[Thrombosis of the superior vena cava in Beh\u00e7et's disease. Apropos of 13 cases].", "content": "The author reports 13 cases of Beh\u00e7et's disease with thrombosis of superior vena cava. The thrombosis of superior vena cava achieve to superior cava syndrome. In all cases, the X ray of the chest showed a discreet widening of the superior mediastinum related to collateral circulation confirmed by angiography. The thrombosis interest the brachial veins in 9 cases. The analysis of the results point out to the importance of the chest X ray in orientating the diagnosis. The etiological diagnosis is always clinical."}
{"id": "PMID:1474510", "title": "[Cutaneous-mucosal hyalinosis with cerebral sites. 3 new cases].", "content": "The authors report about 3 new cases of cutaneous-mucosal hyalinosis, or Urbach-Wiethe disease, with cerebral sites. The intracranial calcifications were detected without any neurological presenting features, and were discovered incidentally on radiographs of the skull. The CT examination allows specifying the site of these calcifications, in the gyri of the hippocampus."}
{"id": "PMID:1474512", "title": "[Gastric diverticulum mimicking adrenal mass. X-ray computed tomographic aspect].", "content": "Gastric diverticulum may simulate a left adrenal metastase as reported in our case. Prior opacification of the gastrointestinal tract and sometimes imaging in prone position are necessary to avoid an useless puncture for staging lung cancer."}
{"id": "PMID:1474515", "title": "[Major dysplasia of the trochlea. Contribution to the measurement of A.T. T.G. Proposal of a x-ray computed tomographic protocol].", "content": "The A.T. T.G.'s scanographic measure sets problems in the major dysplasic trochlear groove because point G.T. is quite impossible to determine. We purpose to define it by an original procedure based on bidimensional reconstruction of A.T. T.G. system. Point G.T. is defined by extrapolation: it is situated at the junction of proximal trochlear scan section with the line representing distal trochlear groove."}
{"id": "PMID:1474513", "title": "[X-ray computed tomography of duodenal lipoma].", "content": "Duodenal lipoma is a rare, often asymptomatic tumor; the circumstances of its discovery have become more frequent as CT examinations are more commonly performed. The merits of a CT examination for this condition is to allow both a positive diagnosis and the follow-up of these fatty tumors which have very few clinical expressions, thus avoiding complementary examinations or even useless laparotomies. The authors describe three cases of incidental discovery of duodenal lipomas."}
{"id": "PMID:1474520", "title": "[Bone involvement with osteolytic predominance in systemic mastocytosis. A clinical case].", "content": "Systemic mast cell disease is a rare condition, in which the frequent involvement of bones is likely to raise diagnostic problems. There are other concomitant visceral involvement as a rule. The skin lesions, if present and recognized, are suggestive. The positive diagnosis of bone lesions can be ensured by biopsy. On the basis of one clinical case, we specify the clinical and radiological appearance of systemic mast cell disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1474518", "title": "[Measurement of femoral bone density using dual photon absorptiometry. Values in osteoporosis].", "content": "X-ray absorptiometry allows measuring the density of bone in the upper end of the femur in 3 mains areas: the neck, Ward's triangle and the greater trochanter. Failin prospective data, it is not possible at present to know whether one of these areas has better performances than the others for the assessment of fracture risks. The interpretation of the measurement is based on the idea that bone demineralization is the main risk factor of osteoporotic fracture. It is carried out on the basis of reference normal values, which must be determined in the French population. More sophisticated predictive models of fracture risks are being developed. In young adults, the reproducibility of the measurements is lower than 2% for the neck and the trochanter, and around 2.5 to 3% for Ward's triangle. The density of femoral bone is not well correlated to that of the other bony sites (os calcis, ulna, vertebrae: r = 0.3 to 0.7). On the other hand, the correlation between the right and left femur is good, as well as that of the three femoral measurement areas between them. A fracture of the upper end of the femur is often associated with a decrease in femoral bone density (-12 to -15%, according to the site of measurement), while the measurement in the ulna or the spine is normal or just slightly lowered. Femoral bone rarefaction is also noted in vertebral osteoporosis. Dual photon absorptiometry allows, in most cases, an accurate and reproducible measurement of the femoral bone density. This measurement is indicated to assess the risk of osteoporosis on menopause and in elderly subjects and/or those with lumbar osteoarthritis."}
{"id": "PMID:1474522", "title": "[Pelvic endometriosis of urinary and digestive sites. Apropos of 7 cases].", "content": "Seven cases of pelvic endometriosis of the urinary or digestive tracts are reported: 4 cases of vesical endometriosis, 1 case of ureteral involvement, 1 rectal case and 1 sigmoid location. The authors point out the difficulty of the clinical preoperative diagnosis--in despite of cyclic troubles--and underline the interest of complementary explorations performed at the time of periods: ultrasound, cystoscopy, rectosigmoidoscopy and coelioscopy. The MR imaging, showing high intensity a T1-weighted images and prominent high intensity on T2-weighted images, is very suggestive of an endometrial lesions. A joint medical and surgical treatment is required. Endoscopic excision, endoprosthetic tube, excision-suture, resection-anastomosis and a complementary medical treatment using Danazol. Decapeptyl or progestational agents have to be proposed. Per-operative microscopy is advised as routine procedure in order to avoid excessive surgery."}
{"id": "PMID:1474529", "title": "The unique pharmacologic profile of nabumetone.", "content": "Nabumetone is a novel nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug (NSAID) with a unique pharmacologic profile. It is nonacidic and demonstrates minimal prostaglandin synthesis inhibition. Because it is nonacidic, nabumetone cannot dissociate in the stomach after oral administration. In contrast, acidic NSAID (active cyclooxygenase inhibitors) can dissociate and concentrate by \"ion trapping\" in the gastric mucosa, inhibit prostaglandin synthesis and, therefore, cause topically induced erosive mucosal damage. After absorption, nabumetone is converted by first pass metabolism to the active metabolite, 6-methoxy-2-naphthylacetic acid (6MNA), an effective inhibitor of prostaglandin synthesis. 6MNA is hepatically, not renally, cleared and differs from other NSAID because it does not undergo enterohepatic circulation in animals or man. This is thought to contribute to its apparent lack of severe gastrointestinal irritancy. The pharmacologic profile of nabumetone can be summarized in terms of the very large \"therapeutic ratio\" in comparison with other NSAID."}
{"id": "PMID:1474519", "title": "[Post-traumatic osteolysis of the distal extremity of the clavicle].", "content": "Post-traumatic osteolysis of the acromial extremity of the clavicle is a rare condition, usually occurring sometime after an injury to the shoulder. Three cases of PTOAC and one case of athlete's osteolysis are reported. The semiology is summed up, as well as the differential diagnoses and the associated forms. This is a benign disease, which should be suggested by the clinical findings and diagnosed on the radiographs, which demonstrate early signs of osteolysis. The treatment is mainly based on immobilization."}
{"id": "PMID:1474530", "title": "New approaches to the management of rheumatoid arthritis.", "content": "The approach to the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis is currently undergoing fundamental change. The demonstration of erosions by magnetic resonance imaging early in the disease, when conventional radiographs only show soft tissue swelling, demands rapid intervention with more effective drugs. The increasing use of methotrexate earlier in the course of the disease is justified, in view of the favorable benefit/risk ratio. New experimental therapies, such as photopheresis, the fusion protein, DAB486 interleukin 2, FK 506, and monoclonal CD4+, may also be utilized earlier if their safety profiles permit. Conventional therapeutic regimens are being administered differently in an attempt to improve efficacy and safety."}
{"id": "PMID:1474523", "title": "[Primary breast sites of malignant non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Apropos of 10 cases].", "content": "The authors describe 10 cases of malignant non Hodgkin's lymphoma in a mammary site in women aged 38 to 82 years. The clinical examination and the sometimes suggest an adenocarcinomatous lesion, thus leading to a useless surgical exeresis. An initial histological study provides the diagnosis. A complete assessment of extension allows an accurate staging and the refinement of the therapeutic schedule. Exclusive radiation therapy seems to be justified in low-malignancy forms remaining strictly confined to the breast. For the high- and medium-malignancy forms, the essential weapon is chemotherapy, which seems to improve the duration and rate of remission."}
{"id": "PMID:1474521", "title": "[Cholangiography: a routine procedure in elective cholecystectomy?].", "content": "A prospective study to evaluate the selective or routine use of intraoperative cholangiography on elective cholecystectomy was performed. 178 patients were studied, listing criteria to explore the biliary tract with the cholangiography aspects. The criteria showing choledocholithiasis were the alkaline phosphatase and/or bilirubin increase, dilated common bile duct, large cystic duct, small stones and pancreatitis or jaundice on the past history. The patients were divided in 4 groups: 1) no criteria: 61 (34.3%); 2) one criterion: 53 (30%); 3) two criteria: 22 (12.3%); 4) more than two criteria: 42 (23.4%). The false-positive was 1.6% to the first group, 3.8% to the group 2 and 0% to the other groups. We concluded that the intraoperative cholangiography must be achieved on patients that have at least one choledocholithiasis criterion."}
{"id": "PMID:1474531", "title": "An overview of the clinical pharmacokinetics of nabumetone.", "content": "Nabumetone is a new, nonacidic, nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug. At least 80% of nabumetone is absorbed, and food, milk, and aluminum antacids increase the rate, but not the extent, of absorption. It is rapidly metabolized in the liver to 6-methoxy-2-naphthylacetic acid (6MNA), the major circulating active metabolite. At steady state, the time to maximum plasma concentration for 6MNA is 1 to 4 h. 6MNA has a very low clearance rate and long half-life (about 24 h). In general, steady state plasma concentrations of 6MNA increase in proportion with increases in the dose of nabumetone administered. Steady state plasma concentrations of 6MNA in the elderly are slightly higher than in healthy volunteers; however, this does not appear to be clinically significant. Preliminary studies in patients with impaired renal function indicate that the pharmacokinetics are not altered in patients with mild to moderate disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1474525", "title": "[Ectopic opening of the ureter in the urethra in adult women. Radiological diagnosis apropos of 17 sites].", "content": "To study diagnostic problems encountered by physicians and radiologists in adult females with ureteral ectopia into the urethra. CASE MATERIAL AND METHODS: Retrospective study of 17 localizations in 16 women, 15 to 65 years of age at the time of the definitive diagnosis of duplication of the ipsilateral urinary tract, the ectopia being connected to the upper pelvicalyceal system. Radiological confirmation of the diagnosis had been obtained in 14 cases. The ectopic ureter was thin in 11 cases. In 5 of 6 cases with megaureter, the distension involved only the distal intrapelvic part of the ureter. The ectopic meatus was juxta-cervical in 5 cases, much lower in the other cases. Of the 11 cases investigated by intravenous urography, 8 exhibited severe monocalyceal hydronephrosis of the upper pelvis whereas 6 upper pelvicalyceal systems were dysplastic. The lower pelvicalyceal system was congenitally normal in all cases. Most of the false negative diagnoses of intra-urethral ectopic ureter in adult female result from technically inadequate permicturating urethrocystography. The diagnosis should be evoked, especially in women with recurrent cystitis, on the urographic association of: duplication of the upper urinary tract, dysplastic or chronically distended atrophied upper pelvicalyceal system, pseudo-normal architecture of the lower pelvicalyceal system because of the unusually developed \"upper\" calyx."}
{"id": "PMID:1474532", "title": "Therapeutic implications associated with renal studies of nabumetone.", "content": "Nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAID) decrease renal prostaglandins and may cause a decrease in renal blood flow, glomerular filtration, and sodium excretion. In some cases, these effects result in renal failure, edema, or hypertension. Patients with decreased effective circulating fluid volume are at greatest risk for development of these renal side effects. In addition, NSAID can cause interstitial nephritis. However, in double blind and open label controlled clinical trials, nabumetone had an effect on renal function in less than 1% of patients, regardless of sex or advanced age. Furthermore, in patients with normal or impaired renal function, single or multiple doses of nabumetone did not cause significant changes in creatinine clearance or serum creatinine values. However, with any NSAID including nabumetone, renal function should be measured before beginning therapy and periodically thereafter in patients at risk for the development of renal impairment."}
{"id": "PMID:1474524", "title": "[Giant lithiasic diverticulum of the urethra. Apropos of a case].", "content": "In the following observation, the authors report one case of lithiasegenic diverticulum. Etiologies (congenital or acquired), complications and principal radiological diagnosis methods are reviewed."}
{"id": "PMID:1474533", "title": "Clinical efficacy and safety of nabumetone in rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis.", "content": "The efficacy and safety of nabumetone were evaluated in short term (up to 6 months), double blind, comparative trials and a longterm (up to 8 years), open label, noncomparative trial. In the short term trials, nabumetone was determined to be significantly more effective than placebo and as effective as naproxen and aspirin. The most common adverse effects that occurred were related to the gastrointestinal tract, nervous system, skin, and special senses. In the longterm trial, nabumetone was effective in 62% of patients, without complicating effects, for at least 1 year. This beneficial response was maintained in a fair percentage of patients for up to 5 years or more. The average treatment duration before withdrawal was at least 1.1 years. Therefore, most patients in the longterm trials experienced a beneficial response for a significant duration of therapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1474534", "title": "Nabumetone compared with naproxen in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis: a multicenter, double blind, randomized, parallel group trial in hospital outpatients.", "content": "In this double blind, randomized, parallel group study, 298 patients with rheumatoid arthritis received nabumetone (2000 mg/day) or naproxen (1000 mg/day) for 3 months. At the end point, nabumetone treated patients exhibited significant improvement in pain, Ritchie articular index, and duration of morning stiffness when compared to baseline. In contrast, naproxen treated patients showed significant improvement only in Ritchie articular index. Nabumetone was significantly more effective than naproxen for pain relief. More nabumetone treated patients withdrew due to lack of efficacy than naproxen treated patients. However, nabumetone was better tolerated than naproxen because fewer patients withdrew for adverse events or experienced severe adverse events, and significantly fewer patients required treatment for adverse events."}
{"id": "PMID:1474535", "title": "Worldwide safety experience with nabumetone.", "content": "Nabumetone has undergone human clinical premarketing and postmarketing testing for efficacy and safety for about 10 years. In the United States and elsewhere, 7,241 patients were evaluated in clinical trials and comparative information with placebo, aspirin, and other nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAID) was gathered. Postmarketing surveillance information was gathered for 37,712 patients in the United Kingdom and Germany. Withdrawal rates due to adverse effects ranged from 3 to 13%. The cumulative incidence of nabumetone-induced perforations, ulcers, or bleeds varied from 0.02 to 0.95%. In all patients evaluated, only 2 deaths and 15 hospitalizations could be attributed to nabumetone therapy. Bone marrow suppression, liver necrosis, serious central nervous system conditions, or life-threatening dermatologic reactions did not occur. No increase in toxicity was noted with increased dose (up to 2000 mg/day) or age. Nabumetone was determined to be a safe NSAID that causes a low incidence of ulcers."}
{"id": "PMID:1474536", "title": "Nabumetone compared with indomethacin in the treatment of osteoarthritis in general practice.", "content": "In a double blind, randomized, parallel group study, 197 patients with osteoarthritis (OA) received nabumetone (1000 mg/day) or indomethacin (75 mg/day) for 6 weeks and doses could be doubled. Doubling the dose resulted in a 100 or 67% increase in pain relief with nabumetone or indomethacin, respectively. Significantly more patients experienced at least 1 severe adverse event with indomethacin than with nabumetone. With nabumetone, the incidence of adverse events did not increase with dose. However, with the increase in dose, the incidence of all adverse events and gastrointestinal events increased in indomethacin treated patients. Nabumetone was as effective as indomethacin for the treatment of OA. However, significantly fewer nabumetone treated patients experienced severe adverse events and the frequency of events did not increase with dose."}
{"id": "PMID:1474537", "title": "Association of nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs with upper gastrointestinal disease: epidemiologic and economic considerations.", "content": "One of the major concerns regarding the use of nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAID) in the treatment of patients with arthritis is the high incidence of gastrointestinal (GI) side effects. Important issues regarding NSAID and upper GI complications include the following: (1) the magnitude of the association between NSAID therapy and clinically important gastric or duodenal ulcers or upper GI bleeding; (2) the subgroup(s) of patients who are at increased risk for upper GI side effects; and (3) the economic impact of NSAID induced upper GI toxicity. A causal association between NSAID use and the development of clinically important ulcer disease or its complications, including upper GI bleeding, is supported by available epidemiologic data. Furthermore, data suggest that up to one third of all direct costs of care may be attributed to the treatment of NSAID induced GI side effects. Approaches to this problem, such as the development of safer NSAID that are equally effective, need to be pursued."}
{"id": "PMID:1474538", "title": "NSAID, ulcers, and prostaglandins.", "content": "The pathogenesis of nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug (NSAID) induced gastrointestinal (GI) injury is complex and includes contributions from direct topical injury and reduced mucosal resistance due to indirect or systemic inhibition of mucosal prostaglandin (PG) synthesis. Some NSAID that cause less inhibition of gastroduodenal PG synthesis appear to cause less GI injury. NSAID induced GI complications include adverse symptoms, endoscopically observable mucosal damage, and ulcer complications. Ulcers are common in patients taking NSAID and are often asymptomatic; however, they may bleed or perforate. Prevention of GI complications can be approached by concomitant administration of a protective drug or by developing a safer NSAID. However, limitations of concomitant therapy with existing protective drugs suggest that new NSAID should be developed that are less harmful to the GI tract."}
{"id": "PMID:1474539", "title": "Upper gastrointestinal safety with nabumetone.", "content": "Nabumetone is a nonacidic nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug (NSAID) that is effective and appears to cause minimal NSAID gastropathy. The lack of significant untoward gastrointestinal (GI) effects has been demonstrated in large and longterm clinical experiences. The United States Food and Drug Administration reports an annual ulcer incidence of 2 to 4% with chronic NSAID use. The ulcer incidence after therapy with nabumetone, however, is far below the reported range. Only 1 (0.1%) ulcer in 930 patients was determined clinically in United States short term (6-week to 6-month) double blind studies. Additionally, in the long-term (8-year), open label study, only 16 (0.95%) ulcers occurred in 1677 patients. Endoscopically determined ulcers, on the other hand, occur in about 20% of chronic NSAID users. In our short term (3-month) and longterm (5-year) endoscopically controlled study, a 5% (1 of 19 patients) ulcer incidence was determined. Overall, these results suggest a significantly reduced rate of ulcer development."}
{"id": "PMID:1474545", "title": "The selection of a nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug. Is there a difference?", "content": "The availability of an ever expanding number of nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAID) relates to their utility for the treatment of a broad spectrum of disorders. Both the efficacy and adverse effects of NSAID relate primarily to their antiprostaglandin mechanism of action, prostaglandin inhibition. At full antiinflammatory doses, there is little evidence to support a rank order of effectiveness. The major differences among NSAID are their half-lives and safety profiles. With newer agents the emphasis is on safety, especially with respect to gastrointestinal irritation. Acknowledgment of inherent drug differences with respect to pharmacology and safety enhances tolerability by the patient and increases the likelihood for continued drug therapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1474551", "title": "Problems that patients feel are appropriate to discuss with their GPs.", "content": "A descriptive study was performed to discover what problems patients felt it appropriate to discuss with their general practitioner, their use of alternative therapies, and any questions they wished their doctor had asked them in the past. Demographic data was recorded including Church attendance. Data was collected using an original questionnaire distributed to two groups of patients; 150 consecutive patients attending the surgery (surgery group) and 220 randomly selected from the adult age-sex register (home group). Chi-squared analysis was performed. A broad range of subjects appropriate to a general practice consultation was found (from influenza to spiritual problems). Prior use of homeopathy and hypnosis was widespread. Multiple attenders were more likely to be church attenders. Men in the surgery group were most likely to discuss marital, relationship and spiritual problems. Qualitative data from open questions demonstrated patients' concerns with consultation time and the exploration of feelings."}
{"id": "PMID:1474552", "title": "The use of thromboprophylaxis in total hip replacement surgery: are the attitudes of orthopaedic surgeons changing?", "content": "We conducted a survey of all 926 active members of the British Orthopaedic Association using a postal questionnaire to find out their current attitude to thromboprophylaxis in total hip replacement surgery. Previous surveys have been performed, and with all the recent literature on the subject we wanted to see if the attitude of British orthopaedic surgeons has changed. There were 676 replies, a response rate of 73%. Fifty-five replies were excluded, those from surgeons who had retired from practice or whose practice did not include total hip replacement surgery. Of the remaining 621 surgeons, 466 (75%) use some method of thromboprophylaxis, with 367 (59%) routinely using prophylactic pharmacological agents and 99 (16%) using mechanical methods of thromboprophylaxis. Twenty-five per cent (155) of surgeons used no routine method of thromboprophylaxis. Eight-six per cent (534) of surgeons used a pharmacological method of prophylaxis in those patients thought to have a high risk of developing a deep vein thrombosis (DVT) (eg previous DVT, cardiovascular disease, obesity). Thirty-two different methods of thromboprophylaxis were used. Low molecular weight heparin is now being used by 19% of surgeons routinely and by 25% of surgeons in high risk cases, whereas 3 years ago it was not used at all. Our survey shows that although there is still a great reluctance for British orthopaedic surgeons to use pharmacological agents routinely in thromboprophylaxis. Amongst those that do, low molecular weight heparin is being increasingly used. More surgeons may want to use low molecular weight heparin routinely, but in some hospitals it is not currently available."}
{"id": "PMID:1474553", "title": "Generic prescribing of antidepressants.", "content": "Analysis of National Health Service prescription data for the antidepressants from 1980 to 1989 shows a consistent secular trend towards the increased use of generic names on prescriptions for this group of drugs. This apparently reflects national trends for all drugs, and was similar for most antidepressants. However, generic prescribing had by 1989 increased significantly more rapidly with fluvoxamine, which was introduced in 1987. The two drugs introduced in 1989, fluoxetine and amoxapine, also had a high generic prescribing rate in their year of introduction. Increased generic prescribing may become a feature with further new drugs. However, the use of the generic name on the prescription has relatively little influence on what is dispensed to the patient. Pharmacists may dispense a brand name when given a generic prescription. Moreover, pressures on doctors to write generic names on prescriptions may have limited relevance for some drugs; generic alternatives were available for only four out of 22 antidepressants."}
{"id": "PMID:1474572", "title": "Vertical banded gastroplasty: is obesity worth it?", "content": "Obesity is a public health issue of major concern for the United States and other developed nations. In the last several decades, bariatric surgery has developed as a means of treating morbid obesity. Vertical banded gastroplasty (VBG) is an attractive procedure because it has fewer side effects than other forms of bariatric surgery and maintains physiological continuity of the gut. VBG was performed in 36 patients at a rural community hospital from 1982-1990. There was only one intraoperative complication necessitating splenectomy and two early postoperative complications--gastric leak and marginal stress ulcer--necessitating reexploration. Twenty-five patients were available for follow-up, at which time they were an average of 6.4 years out of surgery. Two of these patients had died, both from cardiac arrest months or years after VBG. The remainder had gone from a preoperative average of 86.7% over ideal weight according to 1983 Metropolitan Life insurance Tables to 54.5% over ideal weight. Mean BMI for this group had changed from 41.2 preoperatively to 34.7 at follow-up. Success was defined as weight loss to < 60% over ideal or BMI < 35, removing the individual from the morbidly obese category. According to this criteria, VBG provided successful weight loss in 72% of subjects in the follow-up group. Weight loss results may have been biased as a significant number of patients were lost to follow-up and may have constituted failures. In general, most individuals did not make concomitant changes in diet or sedentary life-style which would have supported weight loss effected by VBG. Moreover, regain of weight was progressive and possibly inexorable. Nearly all individuals nonetheless reported great satisfaction with their surgery. VBG is a viable option in the treatment of morbid obesity, but criteria for success needs to be better defined in order to determine whether the procedure is \"worth it.\""}
{"id": "PMID:1474574", "title": "Modulation of ultraviolet light mutational hotspots by cellular stress.", "content": "Stressful treatments of cells provoke broad, transient, changes in cellular physiology and gene expression. In addition to these effects, DNA-damaging agents often induce permanent change in the form of mutations. Mutational patterns in target genes typically show hotspots and coldspots, the molecular basis of which appears to lie in the sequence context of the particular site. We determined the mutational pattern in an ultraviolet light-modified (in vitro) marker gene in a shuttle vector passaged through repair deficient (xeroderma pigmentosum) cells and compared it with patterns obtained from cells exposed to stress imposed by a DNA-damaging agent or a calcium ionophore. We found that the mutational hotspot pattern was altered by both stress treatments. We conclude that the cellular environment can influence the probability of mutagenesis at specific sites and propose that some of these effects on mutagenesis are mediated by alterations in cellular calcium levels."}
{"id": "PMID:1474575", "title": "Base pairing geometry in GA mismatches depends entirely on the neighboring sequence.", "content": "We have synthesized nine self-complementary DNA oligomers containing different flanking sequences adjacent to a pair of contiguous GA mismatches, and have used high resolution nuclear magnetic resonance (n.m.r.) to investigate the GpA phosphodiester backbone conformation and mismatch pairing schemes in these duplexes. We found dramatic effects of the flanking base pair on the hydrogen bonding and backbone conformation, which appear to be coupled. Thus the Ganti-Aanti base pairing scheme in a NAGATN sequence switches to a more stable sheared GA base pairing scheme in a NCGAGN or NTGAAN context, while no duplex is formed (or only GA bulges occur) when NAGATN is changed to NGGACN. Furthermore, the more stable sheared GA pairing in NPyGAPuN sequences is associated with a BII rather than BI backbone conformation for the phosphodiester between the adjacent mismatched GA pairs. The overall stability of these adjacent GA mismatches as measured by imino proton n.m.r. studies is Py-GA-Pu > A-GA-T > G-GA-C."}
{"id": "PMID:1474576", "title": "Seven, eight and nine-membered anticodon loop mutants of tRNA(2Arg) which cause +1 frameshifting. Tolerance of DHU arm and other secondary mutations.", "content": "The mutant tRNA(2Arg) encoded by the genetically-selected frameshift suppressor, sufT621, inserts arginine and causes a +1 reading-frame shift at the proline codon, CCG(U). There is an extra base, G36.1, in argV beta, one of the four identical genes for tRNA(2Arg) in the position between bases 36 and 37, corresponding to the 3' side of the anticodon. The new four-base anticodon, predicted from DNA sequencing to be 3' GGCA 5', is complementary to the four-base codon CCGU. Quadruplet translocation promoted by mutant argV does not require perfect complementarity between the codon and the anticodon since synthetic genes encoding derivatives of tRNA(2Arg) and tRNA(1Pro), with four-base anticodons complementary to three out of the four bases of CCGU, were also shown to be capable of frameshifting. Two other mutants of argV, inferred to have normal-size, seven-base anticodon loops, were also found to be capable of four-base-decoding demonstrating that quadruplet translocation promoted by mutant argV does not require an enlarged anticodon loop. Other alleles of argV, predicted to have nine bases in the anticodon loop, were also found to cause frameshifting. The DNA sequence of two of these showed in addition, either a deletion of G24, or a ten-base duplication in the region corresponding to the TFC arm. A general finding is that mutations in the DHU arm of tRNA(2Arg) are compatible with, and in one case necessary for, frameshifting."}
{"id": "PMID:1474577", "title": "Synthetase competition and tRNA context determine the in vivo identify of tRNA discriminator mutants.", "content": "The discriminator nucleotide (position 73) in tRNA has long been thought to play a role in tRNA identity as it is the only variable single-stranded nucleotide that is found near the site of aminoacylation. For this reason, a complete mutagenic analysis of the discriminator in three Escherichia coli amber suppressor tRNA backgrounds was undertaken; supE and supE-G1C72 glutamine tRNAs, gluA glutamate tRNA and supF tyrosine tRNA. The effect of mutation of the discriminator base on the identity of these tRNAs in vivo was assayed by N-terminal protein sequencing of E. coli dihydrofolate reductase, which is the product of suppression by the mutated amber suppressors, and confirmed by amino acid specific suppression experiments. In addition, suppressor efficiency assays were used to estimate the efficiency of aminoacylation in vivo. Our results indicate that the supE glutamine tRNA context can tolerate multiple mutations (including mutation of the discriminator and first base-pair) and still remain predominantly glutamine-accepting. Discriminator mutants of gluA glutamate tRNA exhibit increased and altered specificity probably due to the reduced ability of other synthetases to compete with glutamyl-tRNA synthetase. In the course of these experiments, a glutamate-specific mutant amber suppressor, gluA-A73, was created. Finally, in the case of supF tyrosine tRNA, the discriminator is an important identity element with partial to complete loss of tyrosine specificity resulting from mutation at this position. It is clear from these experiments that it may not be possible to assign a specific role in tRNA identity to the discriminator. The identity of a tRNA in vivo is determined by competition among aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases, which is in turn modulated by the nucleotide substitution as well as the tRNA context."}
{"id": "PMID:1474578", "title": "Topography of transcription factor complexes on the Saccharomyces cerevisiae 5 S RNA gene.", "content": "Locations of component proteins of yeast RNA polymerase III transcription factors (TFIII) A, C and B on a 5 S rRNA gene have been determined by site-specific DNA-protein photo-crosslinking. Comparison with a previously analyzed tRNA gene shows that similar nucleoprotein structures assemble on these two genes despite their differently located internal promoter elements. A principal signature of this homology is the placement of the 95 kDA subunit of TFIIIC, which associates with the box A promoter element of the tRNA gene. On the 5 S rRNA gene, the 95 kDa subunit occupies the same space in the absence of a box A sequence, and despite the presence of a box A-like sequence 30 base-pairs further downstream. A 90 kDa component that was not previously recognized as an integral part of TFIIIC has been specifically located at the 3' end of the 5 S rRNA gene."}
{"id": "PMID:1474579", "title": "Structural requirements for the processing of Escherichia coli 5 S ribosomal RNA by RNase E in vitro.", "content": "Processing of 9 S precursor RNA in Escherichia coli requires the endoribonuclease RNase E, which makes two cleavages to liberate p5, the immature form of 5 S rRNA. The contributions of primary and secondary structure to RNase E-mediated cleavage of 9 S RNA were investigated. The structure of the 5' domain of 9 S RNA was probed by partial ribonuclease digestion and chemical modification. Our structural analysis of 9 S RNA supports a model in which the 5' spacer domain folds into tandem hairpins so that the first processing cleavage site 5' to the 5 S moiety resides in a stretch of single-stranded residues. Site-directed mutagenesis of a cloned 9 S RNA sequence was performed and synthetic transcripts derived from a variety of such mutant templates were assayed as substrates for RNase E-dependent endonuclease activity in fractionated extracts. Partial or complete deletion of the 5 S sequence did not eliminate site-specific processing of 9 S RNA. Mutations affecting the 5' domain revealed that secondary structure upstream from the first cleavage site is important in maintaining efficient processing. However, secondary structure downstream from either cleavage site is dispensable. Our results suggest that RNase E specifically recognizes and cleaves single-stranded RNA sequences only when presented in a proper conformational context. Adjacent secondary structures appear to play a direct and critical role in the enzyme's recognition of its substrate. Additionally, it may serve to anchor single-stranded regions to ensure the availability of the RNase E cleavage sites."}
{"id": "PMID:1474580", "title": "Functional analysis of Box II mutations in yeast site-specific recombinases Flp and R. Significance of amino acid conservation within the Int family and the yeast sub-family.", "content": "The site-specific recombinases Flp and R from Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Zygosaccharomyces rouxii, respectively, are related proteins that share approximately 30% amino acid matches. They exhibit a common reaction mechanism that appears to be conserved within the larger Integrase family of site-specific recombinases. Two regions of the proteins, designated as Box I and Box II, harbor, in addition to amino acid conservation, a significantly high degree of nucleotide sequence homology within their coding segments. Box II also contains two amino acids, a histidine and an arginine, that are invariant throughout the Int family. We have performed functional analysis of Flp and R variants carrying point mutations within the Box II segment. Several positions within Box II can tolerate substitutions with no effect, or only modest effects on recombination. Alterations of the Int family residues, His305 and Arg308, in the R protein lead to the arrest of recombination at the strand cleavage or the strand exchange step. This is very similar to previously observed \"step-arrest\" phenotypes in Flp variants altered at these positions and has strong implications for the catalytic mechanism of recombination. Flp and R variants at His305 and His309 can be complemented in half-site strand transfer by a corresponding Tyr343 to phenylalanine variant. In contrast to Arg308 Flp variants, which are efficiently complemented in half-site strand transfer by Flp(Y343F), no strong complementation has been observed between Arg308 variants of R and R (Y343F)."}
{"id": "PMID:1474581", "title": "Zinc induces a bend within the transcription factor IIIA-binding region of the 5 S RNA gene.", "content": "Binding of Zn2+ to the 5 S RNA gene sequence of Xenopus borealis results in strong bending of the DNA, as inferred from transient electric birefringence data. The effect is specific for Zn2+; several other divalent ions are not able to induce a bend of a similar magnitude. Using five different fragments that span the binding sequence, we are able to estimate a bend magnitude of at least 55 degrees centered at base-pair +65 within the gene. This places the bend within the binding domain of the gene-regulatory protein transcription factor (TF) IIIA. Recent evidence has shown that the protein-DNA complex is also bent. Although our data do not allow us directly to link the two bends, our results suggest that TFIIIA could form a folded structure by stabilizing the same bent conformation that is induced by binding of Zn2+. The chemistry of Zn2+ binding to DNA, and the sequence around the bend center, suggest that the bend is most probably caused by joint co-ordination of Zn2+ to the N-7 groups of stacked purine residues."}
{"id": "PMID:1474582", "title": "Features of spliceosome evolution and function inferred from an analysis of the information at human splice sites.", "content": "An information analysis of the 5' (donor) and 3' (acceptor) sequences spanning the ends of nearly 1800 human introns has provided evidence for structural features of splice sites that bear upon spliceosome evolution and function: (1) 82% of the sequence information (i.e. sequence conservation) at donor junctions and 97% of the sequence information at acceptor junctions is confined to the introns, allowing codon choices throughout exons to be largely unrestricted. The distribution of information at intron-exon junctions is also described in detail and compared with footprints. (2) Acceptor sites are found to possess enough information to be located in the transcribed portion of the human genome, whereas donor sites possess about one bit less than the information needed to locate them independently. This difference suggests that acceptor sites are located first in humans and, having been located, reduce by a factor of two the number of alternative sites available as donors. Direct experimental evidence exists to support this conclusion. (3) The sequences of donor and acceptor splice sites exhibit a striking similarity. This suggests that the two junctions derive from a common ancestor and that during evolution the information of both sites shifted onto the intron. If so, the protein and RNA components that are found in contemporary spliceosomes, and which are responsible for recognizing donor and acceptor sequences, should also be related. This conclusion is supported by the common structures found in different parts of the spliceosome."}
{"id": "PMID:1474583", "title": "Structure-related properties of the mutagenic lesion 6-O-methylguanine in DNA.", "content": "Chemical probing of the structures of a few very similar 30 base-pair duplexes containing a 6-O-methylguanine (meG) residue at the 16th position reveals that the modified base simultaneously perturbs the helical structure in two ways; it preferentially unstacks the 3' neighbouring base residue (thymine in this study) on the same strand and it unstacks the pyrimidine to which it is base-paired. Depending on its neighbouring 5' base residue and the base-pairing pyrimidine, this perturbation can extend to a few base-pairs in both 3' and 5' directions from the abnormal base-pair. These perturbations can be detected by cleavage at the site for the restriction enzyme MaeII. The unstaking of the C in the meG.C and A.C base-pairs may explain the de novo methylation of these helices by the human DNA-(cytosine-5-)methyltransferase. Interestingly, the kinetics of repair of the 6-O-methylguanine-containing dinucleotides by the cloned human methylguanine methyltransferase appears to be largely determined by the strength of the stacking interaction between the 6-O-methylguanine and the 5' neighbouring base."}
{"id": "PMID:1474584", "title": "Organization and ordered expression of Caulobacter genes encoding flagellar basal body rod and ring proteins.", "content": "The biogenesis of the polar flagellum in Caulobacter crescentus is limited to a specific time in the cell cycle and to a specific site on the cell. The basal body is the first part of the flagellum to be assembled. In this report we identify a cluster of genes encoding basal body components and describe their transcriptional regulation. The genes in this cluster form an operon whose expression is controlled temporally. The first two genes encode homologs of FlgF and FlgG, which are the proximal and distal rod proteins, respectively. The sequences of the N and C termini of the Salmonella typhimurium flagellar axial proteins, rod, hook and HAP-1, known to be highly conserved, share a high degree of sequence identity with the FlgF and FlgG rod proteins of the distantly related, C. crescentus. Two additional genes in the flgF, flgG operon, flaD and flgH, both encode proteins with potentially cleavable signal sequences. The flgH gene, encoding the L-ring protein, is also transcribed from an internal promoter. Transcription from the flgF promoter initiates prior to initiation at the internal flgH promoter. The internal promoter and its activator site reside within the C-terminal coding sequence of the upstream flaD gene. This type of gene overlap is also observed in bacterial genes involved in cell division. Flagellum biogenesis, like cell division, is a morphogenic event that requires the orderly assembly of component proteins and the overlapping gene organization may affect this \"ordering\" of assembly. The promoters for the flgF operon and the flgH gene use sigma 54 to initiate transcription. The use of sigma 54 promoters, known to require cognate binding proteins, could allow the fine-tuning that provides the temporal ordering of flagellar gene transcription. In this context, we have found that the flgF operon and the distal flgI gene encoding the P-ring, share a sigma 54 activator sequence (class IIA) that differs from the flgH L-ring gene sigma 54 activator site (class IIB) and the hook cluster (class IIC) sigma 54 activator site. The sequential activation of these three subgroups of structural genes reflects the order of assembly of their gene products into the flagellum."}
{"id": "PMID:1474585", "title": "Calmodulin structure refined at 1.7 A resolution.", "content": "We have determined and refined the crystal structure of a recombinant calmodulin at 1.7 A resolution. The structure was determined by molecular replacement, using the 2.2 A published native bovine brain structure as the starting model. The final crystallographic R-factor, using 14,469 reflections in the 10.0 to 1.7 A range with structure factors exceeding 0.5 sigma, is 0.216. Bond lengths and bond angle distances have root-mean-square deviations from ideal values of 0.009 A and 0.032 A, respectively. The final model consists of 1279 non-hydrogen atoms, including four calcium ions, 1130 protein atoms, including three Asp118 side-chain atoms in double conformation, 139 water molecules and one ethanol molecule. The electron densities for residues 1 to 4 and 148 of calmodulin are poorly defined, and not included in our model, except for main-chain atoms of residue 4. The calmodulin structure from our crystals is very similar to the earlier 2.2 A structure described by Babu and coworkers with a root-mean-square deviation of 0.36 A. Calmodulin remains a dumb-bell-shaped molecule, with similar lobes and connected by a central alpha-helix. Each lobe contains three alpha-helices and two Ca2+ binding EF hand loops, with a short antiparallel beta-sheet between adjacent EF hand loops and one non-EF hand loop. There are some differences in the structure of the central helix. The crystal packing is extensively studied, and facile crystal growth along the z-axis of the triclinic crystals is explained. Herein, we describe hydrogen bonding in the various secondary structure elements and hydration of calmodulin."}
{"id": "PMID:1474586", "title": "Impact of protein-protein contacts on the conformation of thrombin-bound hirudin studied by comparison with the nuclear magnetic resonance solution structure of hirudin(1-51).", "content": "The impact of protein-protein interactions on the conformation of the N-terminal hirudin domain consisting of residues 1 to 51 in the X-ray crystal structure of a hirudin-thrombin complex was investigated through comparisons with the nuclear magnetic resonance solution structure of hirudin(1-51). The close overall similarity observed between these two structures contrasts with the behavior of the C-terminal 17-residue polypeptide segment of hirudin, which is flexibly disordered in solution but exhibits a defined conformation in the complex with thrombin. Localized structural differences in the N-terminal domain include that residues 1 to 3 of hirudin in the crystalline complex form a hydrogen-bonding network with thrombin that is reminiscent of a parallel beta-sheet. Moreover, the backbone conformation of residues 17 to 20 in the complex does not contain the characteristic hydrogen bond observed for the type II' reverse turn in the solution structure, and the side-chains of Ser19 and Val21 have significantly different orientations in the two structures. Most of these structural changes can be related directly to thrombin-hirudin contacts, which may also be an important factor in the mechanism of hirudin action. In this context, it is of special interest that other residues that also make numerous contacts with thrombin, e.g. Thr4, Asp5 and Asn20, have identical conformations in free hirudin and in the complex."}
{"id": "PMID:1474587", "title": "Structure of cobalt carbonic anhydrase complexed with bicarbonate.", "content": "The three-dimensional structure of a complex between catalytically active cobalt(II) substituted human carbonic anhydrase II and its substrate bicarbonate was determined by X-ray crystallography (1.9 A). One water molecule and two bicarbonate oxygen atoms are found at distances between 2.3 and 2.5 A from the cobalt ion in addition to the three histidyl ligands contributed by the peptide chain. The tetrahedral geometry around the metal ion in the native enzyme with a single water molecule 2.0 A from the metal is therefore lost. The geometry is difficult to classify but might best be described as distorted octahedral. The structure is suggested to represent a water-bicarbonate exchange state relevant also for native carbonic anhydrase, where the two unprotonized oxygen atoms of the substrate are bound in a carboxylate binding site and the hydroxyl group is free to move closer to the metal thereby replacing the metal-bound water molecule. A reaction mechanism based on crystallographically determined enzyme-ligand complexes is represented."}
{"id": "PMID:1474588", "title": "Determination of the solution structures of domains II and III of protein G from Streptococcus by 1H nuclear magnetic resonance.", "content": "We have used 1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy to determine the solution structures of two small (61 and 64 residue) immunoglobulin G (IgG)-binding domains from protein G, a cell-surface protein from Streptococcus strain G148. The two domains differ in sequence by four amino acid substitutions, and differ in their affinity for some subclasses of IgG. The structure of domain II was determined using a total of 478 distance restraints, 31 phi and 9 chi 1 dihedral angle restraints; that of domain III was determined using a total of 445 distance restraints, 31 phi and 9 chi 1 dihedral angle restraints. A protocol which involved distance geometry, simulated annealing and restrained molecular dynamics was used to determine ensembles of 40 structures consistent with these restraints. The structures are found to consist of an alpha-helix packed against a four-stranded antiparallel-parallel-antiparallel beta-sheet. The structures of the two domains are compared to each other and to the reported structure of a similar domain from a protein G from a different strain of Streptococcus. We conclude that the difference in affinity of domains II and III for IgG is due to local changes in amino acid side-chains, rather than a more extensive change in conformation, suggesting that one or more of the residues which differ between them are directly involved in interaction with IgG."}
{"id": "PMID:1474589", "title": "Crystallization and preliminary X-ray studies of the pectate lyase from Bacillus subtilis.", "content": "The pectate lyase (EC 4.2.2.9) from Bacillus subtilis has been crystallized. Crystals of form 1, grown by the hanging drop method using polyethylene glycol as precipitant, diffract to at least 2.4 A resolution. They belong to the spacegroup P2(1) with a = 132.9 A, b = 41.2 A, c = 156.8 A and beta = 114.9 degrees with probably four molecules in the asymmetric unit. A second crystal form grown from 2-methyl-2,4-pentandiol also belongs to the spacegroup P2(1) with a = 55.0 A, b = 88.1 A, c = 50.2 A and beta = 109.0 degrees. These crystals diffract to at least 2.0 A and have one molecule in the asymmetric unit. Both crystal forms are suitable for the determination of high-resolution structures."}
{"id": "PMID:1474590", "title": "Purification and crystallization of the light harvesting LH1 complex from Rhodobacter sphaeroides.", "content": "The LH1 light harvesting complex has been purified from a mutant of the photosynthetic bacterium Rhodobacter sphaeroides which synthesizes LH1 as the sole pigment protein. Crystallization trials using polyethylene glycol as the precipitant in the presence of the detergent n-octyl glucoside have resulted in the formation of needle like crystals which diffract beyond 3.5 A and which are relatively resistant to radiation damage. X-ray photographs have established that the crystals belong to the tetragonal system and are probably in space group P4(2)2(1)2. Estimates of the crystal density indicate that the asymmetric unit of the crystals contains two oligomers each with an alpha 6 beta 6 stoichiometry."}
{"id": "PMID:1474591", "title": "Crystallization and preliminary X-ray analysis of human angiogenin.", "content": "Crystals of recombinant human angiogenin have been grown from solutions containing sodium potassium tartrate and polyethylene glycol as precipitants. They belong to the space group C222(1) (a = 83.36 A, b = 120.64 A, c = 37.72 A) and contain a single molecule in the asymmetric unit. The crystals diffract to at least 2.3 A resolution and are suitable for three-dimensional X-ray structural analysis."}
{"id": "PMID:1474592", "title": "Crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction analysis of a plant ribonuclease from the seeds of the bitter gourd Momordica charantia.", "content": "Single crystals of ribonuclease Mc, a new class of plant ribonuclease from the seeds of the bitter gourd, were obtained from solutions of polyethylene glycol 8000 by the hanging-drop vapour diffusion method. The crystals belong to the orthorhombic space group P2(1)2(1)2(1) with cell dimensions a = 67.28 A, b = 75.21 A, c = 38.54 A. The assumption of one monomer per asymmetric unit gives rise to a Vm value of 2.29 A3/Da. The crystals diffract beyond 2.0 A resolution and are suitable for high resolution X-ray structure analysis."}
{"id": "PMID:1474594", "title": "A study of ovarian follicular kinetics, oviduct, fat body, and liver mass cycles in laboratory-maintained Rana cyanophlyctis in comparison with wild-caught frogs.", "content": "Ovarian follicular dynamics and fluctuations in fat body, oviducal, and liver masses were studied in captive Rana cyanophlyctis in comparison with wild-caught frogs, sampled at monthly intervals over a period of 12 months. In both the captive and wild-caught frogs first growth phase (FGP) and second growth phase (SGP) or vitellogenic oocytes were produced throughout the period examined; however, changes in ovarian and oviducal weights were less marked in the former group. In the captive frogs SGP oocyte production was reduced by 50%, and, maximum ovarian weight and SGP oocyte number were attained 2-3 months earlier than in wild-caught controls. The FGP oocyte pool in laboratory-maintained frogs, however, was comparable with that of the corresponding wild-caught frogs. Captivity caused a threefold increase in atresia and reduced the number of oocytes reaching SGP. The depletion of fat stores in fat bodies during the later phases of captivity suggests that the deposition of lipids into oocytes (for SGP) was given priority over storage in the fat bodies. The low oviducal weights of captive frogs was correlated with a reduced number of SGP oocytes, which are the source of estrogen. On the other hand, liver weight remained high, indicating adequate hepatic vitellogenin synthesis. Possible reduction in its output was not detected, possibly due to the reduced number of follicles reaching SGP. The findings indicate that stress of captivity decreases gonadotrophins and estrogen levels. Oviducal growth is reduced in captive frogs.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1474595", "title": "Muscles of the pelvic outlet in the fowl (Gallus gallus domesticus) with special reference to their nerve supply.", "content": "The manner of innervation of the pelvic outlet muscles in fowl (Gallus gallus domesticus) was examined in detail in four male pelvic halves. The segmental arrangement of the nerve supply in the sacral and pudendal plexuses was compared to that of Lacertilia and Urodela as a basis for a morphological analysis of the pelvic outlet muscles. From the viewpoint of innervation, the pelvic outlet muscles of fowl are classified into two groups: a sphincter muscle group and a levator muscle group. These two groups are closely related to the ventral muscles of the pelvic limb. In contrast to the morphology of pelvic outlet muscles in lacertilians, in fowl the caudal muscle element does not contribute to the formation of these muscles."}
{"id": "PMID:1474596", "title": "Comparative skeletogenesis of the forearm of the little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus) and the Norway rat (Rattus norvegicus).", "content": "This study describes, quantifies, and compares the growth and development of the volant forelimb morphology of Myotis lucifugus with that of the terrestrial forelimb morphology of Rattus norvegicus. In M. lucifugus there is 1) accelerated growth in forearm length after parturition, 2) cessation in growth of the midshaft diameter of the ulna just after the onset of osteogenesis, 3) proximal fusion of the radius and ulna, which results in the radius occupying 97% of the articular surface of the elbow joint in adults, 4) fusion between the cartilaginous distal epiphyses of the radius and ulna which results in formation of a radioulnar bridge that becomes fully ossified in adults, and 5) incomplete ossification of the ulna with a section of the diaphysis becoming ligamentous. None of these events occurs during development in R.norvegicus."}
{"id": "PMID:1474597", "title": "Specialized veins in the submucosa of the equine ileocecal junction.", "content": "Spirally arranged bundles of sub-endothelial smooth muscle enfold the small to medium-sized submucosal veins in the equine ileocecal junction. The muscle bundles, accompanied by the endothelial lining, bulge into the lumen of the vessels, partly occluding the latter. Transmission electron microscopy of the muscle cells reveals features consistent with vascular smooth muscle ultrastructure. It is proposed that the throttling effect of the muscle bundles causes engorgement of the submucosal venous plexus, which then assists in the closing of the ileocecal orifice."}
{"id": "PMID:1474598", "title": "Stereotaxic atlas of the brain of Octodon degus.", "content": "We present a stereotaxic atlas of the brain of the trumpet-tailed rat or degu (Octodon degus), an hystricomorph rodent native to Chile and one which has become increasingly popular as a research animal, among other things because of its use as a model for diabetic cataracts and its tendency to become hyperglycemic. The atlas contains 38 transverse and two sagittal sections of the brain covering pros-, mes-, and rhombencephalon, as well as diagrams of the brain's surface anatomy. It was constructed from brains of young adult male degus but can be used readily in studies of adult females, since there is no apparent sexual dimorphism in the brain size of this rodent. Ninety percent of 40 experimental lesions used to check the accuracy of the atlas were correctly placed. The fore- and midbrain of the degu are generally more compact than corresponding regions of the brain in the laboratory rat (suborder Myomorpha) and the guinea pig (another hystricomorph). The amygdaloid complex extends further forward in the telencephalon. Major mesencephalic nuclei and fiber tracts are more rostral in position. However, superior and inferior colliculi are much longer in degus than rats. The basic organization of the rhombencephalon is similar in degus and rats, although there are clearcut differences in the length or size of some hindbrain nuclei."}
{"id": "PMID:1474599", "title": "Sutural complexity in artificially deformed human (Homo sapiens) crania.", "content": "The pattern of complexity of cranial sutures is highly variable both among and within species. Intentional cranial vault deformation in human populations provides a controlled natural experiment by which we were able to quantify aspects of sutural complexity and examine the relationship between sutural patterns and mechanical loading. Measures of sutural complexity (interdigitation, number, and size of sutural bones) were quantified from digitized tracings of 13 sutures and compared among three groups of crania (n = 70) from pre-European contact Peru. These groups represent sample populations deformed in 1) anteroposterior (AP) and 2) circumferential (C) directions and 3) an undeformed population. Intergroup comparisons show few differences in degree or asymmetry of sutural interdigitation. In the few comparisons which show differences, the C group is always more interdigitated than the other two while the AP group has more sutural bones. The sutures surrounding the temporal bone (sphenotemporal, occipitotemporal, and temporoparietal) most frequently show significant differences among groups. These differences are related to the more extreme binding of C type deformation and are consistent with hypothesized increases in tension at coronally oriented sutures in this group. The larger number of sutural bones in the AP group is consistent with the general broadening of the cranium in this group and with experimental evidence indicating the development of ossicles in areas of tension. We suggest that so few changes in sutural complexity occurred either because the magnitude of the growth vectors, unlike their direction, is not substantially altered or because mechanisms other than sutural growth modification are responsible for producing the altered vault shapes. In addition, the presence of fontanelles in the infant skulls during binding and the static nature of the binding may have contributed to the similarity in complexity among groups."}
{"id": "PMID:1474600", "title": "Functional implications of neural canal anatomy in recent and fossil marine carnivores.", "content": "A statistical and functional relationship between neural canal anatomy and locomotor mode is demonstrated in living marine mammals of the Order Carnivora. This relationship is interpreted to be the result of differential innervation and territory of musculature involved in generating the six locomotor patterns analyzed. This osteological reflection of a behavioral trait allows prediction of locomotor pattern in extinct genera of closely related taxa. The robust data allow such predictions even when a considerable number of presacral vertebrae are missing in the fossil specimens. In some cases, these predictions conflict with interpretations based solely on limb osteology."}
{"id": "PMID:1474601", "title": "The evolution of coexisting highly divergent LINE-1 subfamilies within the rodent genus Peromyscus.", "content": "Two distinct members of the LINE-1 (L1) family in Peromyscus were characterized. The two clones, denoted L1Pm55 and L1Pm62, were 1.5 kb and 1.8 kb in length, respectively, and align to the identical region of the L1 sequence of Mus domesticus. Sequence similarity was on the order of 70% between L1Pm55 and L1Pm62, which approximates that between either Peromyscus sequence and Mus L1. L1Pm62 represents a more prevalent subfamily than L1Pm55. L1Pm62 exists in about 500 copies per haploid genome, while L1Pm55 exists in about 100 copies. The existence of major and minor subpopulations of L1 within Peromyscus is in contrast to murine rodents and higher primates, where L1 copy number is on the order of 20,000 to 100,000, and where levels of intraspecific divergence among L1 elements are typically less than 15-20%. Additional Peromyscus clones are similarly divergent from both L1Pm62 and L1Pm55, implying the existence of more than two distinct L1 subfamilies. The highly divergent L1 subfamilies in Peromyscus apparently have been evolving independently for more than 25 million years, preceding the divergence of cricetine and murine rodents. Investigations of the evolution of L1 within Peromyscus by restriction and Southern analysis was performed using species groups represented by the partially interfertile species pairs P. maniculatus-P. polionotus, P. leucopus-P. gossypinus, and P. truei-P. difficilis of the nominate subgenus and P. californicus of the Haplomylomys subgenus. Changes in L1 and species group taxonomic boundaries frequently coincided. The implications for phylogeny are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1474602", "title": "Nucleotide variation and molecular structure of the heterochromatic repetitive AluI DNA in the brine shrimp Artemia franciscana.", "content": "It has been suggested that DNA bending could play a role in the regulation of gene expression, chromosome segregation, specific recombination and/or DNA packaging. We have previously demonstrated that an AluI DNA family of repeats is the major component of constitutive heterochromatin in the brine shrimp A. franciscana. By the analysis of cloned oligomeric (monomer to hexamer) heterochromatic fragments we verified that the repetitive AluI DNA shows a stable curvature that determines a solenoidal geometry to the double helix. This particular structure could be of relevant importance in conferring the characteristic heterochromatic condensation. In this paper we evaluate how the point mutations that occurred during the evolution of the AluI sequence of A. franciscana could influence the sequence-dependent tridimensional conformation. The obtained data underline that, in spite of the high sequence mutation frequency (10%) of the repetitive DNA, the general structure of the heterochromatic DNA is not greatly influenced, but rather there is a substantial variation of the copy number of the repetitive AluI fragment. This variation could be responsible for the hypothetical function of the constitutive heterochromatin."}
{"id": "PMID:1474603", "title": "Evidence for retrotranscription of protein-coding genes in the Drosophila subobscura genome.", "content": "Evidence is provided for the presence of retrosequences (also named retroposons) arising from Adh in the Drosophila subobscura genome. Restriction analysis and primary structure of two different retrosequence-containing clones, S812 and S135, are reported. The fact that these retrosequences lack introns and a recognizable promoter strongly supports their retrotranscriptional origin. Adjacent to the two retrosequences analyzed, a middle repetitive DNA element has been found which bears no clear similarity to any sequence reported to date in the GenBank/EMBL Data Library. A comparative analysis of these retrosequences with the functional Adh gene of D. subobscura is presented. In addition, a model concerning the origin, functionality, and propagation of these genome elements is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1474604", "title": "Evolution of linear plasmids.", "content": "Linear plasmids are genetic elements commonly found in yeast, filamentous fungi, and higher plants. In contrast to all other plasmids they possess terminal inverted repeats and terminal bound proteins and encode their own DNA and RNA polymerases. Here we present alignments of conserved amino acid sequences of both the DNA and RNA polymerases encoded by those linear plasmids for which DNA sequence data are available. Additionally these sequences are compared to a number of polymerases encoded by related viral and cellular entities. Phylogenetic trees have been established for both types of polymerases. These trees appear to exhibit very similar subgroupings, proving the accuracy of the method employed."}
{"id": "PMID:1474605", "title": "Is higher-order structure conserved in eukaryotic ribosomal DNA intergenic spacers?", "content": "Computer-based structural analysis of the ribosomal DNA intergenic spacer (IGS) from the mosquito Aedes albopictus revealed a potential to form strong and extensive secondary structures throughout a 4.7-kilobase (kb) region. The predicted stability of secondary structures was particularly high within a 3.15-kb region containing 17 tandem 201 base-pair subrepeats. Similarly strong secondary structure potential was also found when IGS subrepeats were analyzed from 17 phylogenetically diverse eukaryotes, including vertebrates, invertebrates, and plants. Conservation of higher-order structure potential in the IGS region of ribosomal DNA may reflect evolutionary and functional constraints on chromatin organization, transcriptional regulation of the ribosomal RNA genes, and/or transcript processing and stability."}
{"id": "PMID:1474606", "title": "Phylogeny of the alpha-crystallin-related heat-shock proteins.", "content": "Phylogenetic relationships were examined among 35 alpha-crystallin-related heat-shock proteins from animals, plants, and fungi. Approximately one-third of the aligned amino acids in these proteins were conserved in 74% of the proteins, and three blocks of consensus sequence were identified. Relationships were established by maximum parsimony and distance matrix analyses of the aligned amino acid sequences. The inferred phylogeny trees show the plant proteins clearly divided into three major groups that are unrelated to taxonomy: the chloroplast-localized proteins and two groups that originate from a common ancestral plant protein. The animal proteins, in contrast, branch in accordance with taxonomy, the only clear exception being the alpha-crystallin subgrouping of vertebrates. This analysis indicates that the small heat-shock proteins of animals have diverged more widely than have the plant proteins, one group of which is especially stable."}
{"id": "PMID:1474607", "title": "An electromechanical spinal injury technique with dynamic sensitivity.", "content": "Over the past decade, our laboratory has attempted to create a simple, accurate device that could be used to produce reliable and quantifiable spinal cord injuries in the rodent. We report here on our latest of several modifications of a spinal cord impactor that has allowed us to meet these design criteria. The impactor uses the dynamic capacity of an electromagnetic driver (Ling shaker) and a unique pattern generator to briefly compress the dorsal surface of the spinal cord at velocities that may mimic compression injuries seen in the human. Calibrated, independent transducer systems provide open-loop output of the precise movement (displacement) of the impactor probe and the force necessary to achieve a given displacement. Touch sensitivity is accomplished by vibrating the probe slightly as it approaches the dural surface. This also allows a known biomechanical starting point. This combination of improvements in sensitivity and ability to measure all components of the dynamic compression has allowed us to determine detailed biomechanical descriptors of these impact injuries with low coefficients of variation. Furthermore, such descriptors correlate highly with histopathologic and behavioral outcome measures in animal populations with a variety of injury severities."}
{"id": "PMID:1474608", "title": "Spinal cord injury produced by consistent mechanical displacement of the cord in rats: behavioral and histologic analysis.", "content": "We examined the ability of an electromechanical device to produce consistent and incomplete thoracic (T9) spinal cord injuries in rats by brief displacement (Dspl) of the exposed dural surface. Open field walking, inclined plane, grid walking, and footprint analysis, and a determination of the percentage of tissue spared at the lesion center were used to assess chronic outcome (6 weeks postinjury). Laminectomy control animals showed no evidence of a functional deficit or histologic lesion. Complete spinal cord transections in normal rats and in a group of animals previously injured (1.1 mm Dspl) and allowed to recover resulted in complete loss of hindlimb function, demonstrating an important functional role for the remaining spared fibers at the lesion site. Consistent spinal cord displacements (0.80 mm, 0.95 mm, and 1.10 mm) resulted in behavioral groups with low outcome variability over a narrow range of incomplete recovery of neurologic function. Significant behavioral (open field walking, inclined plane, and grid walking) and histologic differences were found between the control and Dspl groups and between the 0.80 mm and 1.10 mm Dspl groups. Significant correlations were observed among the injury parameters, behavioral, and histologic scores. Open field walking and inclined plane performance were sensitive indicators of both the early and late phases of neurologic recovery. Grid walking was most useful in animals with small chronic residual deficits. The footprint analysis resulted in less significant correlations and differences between the behavioral groups than the other outcome measures. This may result from a relatively narrow range of sensitivity (open field walking scores between 3.3 and 4.0) and increased variability within the groups."}
{"id": "PMID:1474609", "title": "Lesions of cat sacrocaudal spinal cord: a minimally disruptive model of injury.", "content": "As part of our studies of the organization of the cat sacrocaudal spinal cord (S3-Ca7), the portion of the neuraxis that innervates the tail, we have begun to evaluate the behavioral effects of hemisection or complete transection at the level of Ca1. Clinical observations that the tail strongly deviated to the side of a hemisection indicated the presence of an ipsilateral hypertonia. After complete transection of the spinal cord, the tail became ventroflexed in a midline position and exhibited spasticity, i.e., hypertonia, hyperreflexia, and clonus. Bowel and bladder functions and hindlimb gait and reflexes remained intact following either lesion. Quantitative behavioral measures corroborated our clinical observations. With the tail tethered to a force transducer, tail muscle tone was measured after the tail was passively positioned. Following a transection, resistance to dorsiflexion of the tail was greater than resistance to ventroflexion. In addition, tonic deviation of the tail was documented with videotape analysis while cats walked on a plank. Normal cats walked with the tail sharply dorsiflexed and centered. In contrast, the tail deviated ipsilaterally in cats with a hemisection, and the tail was ventroflexed in cats with a transection. These observations indicate that the sacrocaudal spinal cord provides a model with special advantages for investigation of changes in segmental motor functions following spinal cord injury. The effects of lesions on the tail are quantifiable and can resemble that spasticity observed after spinal cord injury in humans. Importantly, minimal effects on locomotive and autonomic functions were observed following hemisection or transection of the sacrocaudal spinal cord."}
{"id": "PMID:1474610", "title": "Effects of dorsal column demyelination on evoked potentials in nucleus gracilis.", "content": "Intraspinal injections of lysolecithin were used to produce unilateral demyelination in the dorsal columns of the rat spinal cord. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of demyelination on the conductive properties of axons belonging to a spinal pathway of known origin and site of termination. At 5 and 50 day intervals following injections, animals were prepared for acute experiments during which recordings of tibial nerve evoked potentials were made from the surface of the lumbar spinal cord (L5-L6) and nucleus gracilis (0.5-1.0 mm caudal to obex). Latency, duration, and strength of potentials were evaluated in control (uninjected) and lysolecithin-injected animals. The analysis of these potentials showed increases in latency and decreases in duration and strength of responses recorded 5 days after lysolecithin injections. Animals examined 50 days postinjection showed a decreased latency and increased duration and strength of responses compared to those recorded 5 days postinjection. Ultrastructural examination of lysolecithin injection sites showed these improvements to parallel the remyelination of axons by oligodendrocytes and Schwann cells. The improvement in physiologic characteristics of evoked potentials coupled with the remyelination of dorsal column axons supports the conclusion that remyelination of chemically demyelinated axons is an important factor in reestablishing the functional connectivity of demyelinated axons."}
{"id": "PMID:1474611", "title": "Microtubule-associated protein 2 levels decrease in hippocampus following traumatic brain injury.", "content": "We examined microtubule-associated protein 2 (MAP2) levels in hippocampal and cortical tissue 3 h following moderate traumatic brain injury (TBI) in the rat. MAP2 levels were assayed by quantitative immunoreactivity in tissue fractions obtained from naive, sham-injured, or fluid percussion-injured animals. Tissues were homogenized in the presence of protease inhibitors (0.3 mM phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride, PMSF), a specific calpain inhibitors (0.1 mM leupeptin), and chelators (2 mM ethylene glycol-bis-tetraacetic acid, EGTA; 1 mM ethylenedinitrilo-tetraacetic acid, EDTA) to eliminate in vitro MAP2 proteolysis during tissue processing. Compared to naive rats, sham injury had no effect on soluble MAP2 levels in either cortex (105.0 +/- 4.4% of naive value) or hippocampus (106.6 +/- 5.2% of naive value). However, TBI caused a significant (p < 0.005) decrease in hippocampal MAP2 levels (55.7 +/- 5.9% of sham-injured controls). The effect appeared to be regionally selective, since the MAP2 decrease did not occur in cortex (89.1 +/- 1.4%). The degree of MAP2 decrease in hippocampus was similar in both membrane (57.8%) and cytosolic (55.7%) fractions, ruling out the possibility of partitioning artifacts. The data suggest that sublethal alterations of neuronal structure and function caused by MAP2 degradation may play an important role in the development of TBI-induced functional deficits. Since MAP2 is exclusively associated with the cytoskeleton in somal and dendritic compartments of neurons, the pathophysiology of sublethal magnitudes of TBI may also involve dendritic and somal dysfunction."}
{"id": "PMID:1474612", "title": "Drug-specific immune responses induced by immunization with drugs in guinea pigs and mice.", "content": "In order to develop a system for evaluating the allergenicity of drugs in clinical use, we tested drugs for the ability to induce drug-specific immune responses in guinea pigs and mice. Test drugs were benzylpenicillin, procainamide, hydralazine, isoniazid, alpha-methyldopa, D-penicillamine, captopril, sulfamethoxazole and 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB), which are known to induce allergic responses in man including hypersensitivity reactions and drug-induced auto-immune responses. Guinea pigs were immunized with an emulsion of complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) and 25 mg of each drug. Mice were immunized with an emulsion of CFA and 2 mg of each drug or a mixture of aluminum hydroxide gel and 2 mg of each drug. In order to examine drug-specific immune responses, we employed detection of antibodies by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and passive cutaneous anaphylaxis tests, active systemic anaphylaxis (ASA) tests and delayed type hypersensitivity (DTH) tests. In guinea pigs, drug-specific antibodies were detected following immunization with benzylpenicillin, procainamide, hydralazine, isoniazid, captopril, sulfamethoxazole or DNCB. Some of these drugs were also positive in DTH tests and/or ASA tests. In mice, however, only DNCB gave positive results. Therefore, our system involving immunization of guinea pigs with CFA emulsion of a drug and detection of drug-specific immune responses is considered to be an effective test method for evaluating drug allergenicity."}
{"id": "PMID:1474613", "title": "Effect of estrogen on liver plasma membrane in rats.", "content": "The effect of estrogen on plasma membrane was investigated using the primary cultured rat hepatocytes treated with carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) and the isolated plasma membrane of rat liver. 17 beta-Estradiol (E2), at concentrations of 10(-10) M to 10(-4) M, 10(-8) M to 10(-6) M and 10(-12) M to 10(-4) M, had an inhibitory effect on the CCl4-induced leakage of glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase, glutamic pyruvic transaminase and lactate dehydrogenase, respectively from primary cultured rat hepatocytes. Diethylstilbestrol, which caused inhibition at a dose of 10(-4) M, did not inhibit any enzyme leakage at any further concentrations of 10(-12) M to 10(-6) M. In the isolated plasma membrane of rat liver, Mg(2+)- and Na+,K(+)-adenosine triphosphatase activity was increased by E2 treatment at concentrations of 10(-6) M and 10(-4) M."}
{"id": "PMID:1474614", "title": "Species difference in susceptibility to phorbol myristate acetate-induced leukopenia and lung injury: rat vs. dog.", "content": "Phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) was administered intravenously in a single dose to rats (400 micrograms/kg) and in a single and repeated doses to dogs (40 micrograms/kg). Severe leukopenia was observed in both species. The leukopenia in rats was due to a decreased number of both lymphocytes and neutrophils while the leukopenia in dogs was mainly due to a decreased number of neutrophils. The rats recovered from leukopenia much faster than the dogs. The dog which received a single injection developed focal fibrosis in the lungs. Rats showed only slight localized hemorrhage in the lungs, although the rats received a ten-fold larger dose of PMA than the dogs. Lungs of dogs which received multiple injections revealed severe hemorrhagic lesions in most alveoli. Lung lesions induced by PMA are thought to be mediated by activated leukocytes. This suggests that the severity of lung lesion correlates with the degree and duration of neutropenia. In conclusion, intravenous administration of PMA caused lung damage in rats and dogs. However, rats show much less sensitivity to PMA than dogs, resulting from the different response of leukocytes to PMA."}
{"id": "PMID:1474615", "title": "Appropriate conditions for the plaque forming cell (PFC) assay in rats and effects of cyclophosphamide on PFC response.", "content": "The appropriate conditions for the plaque forming cell (PFC) assay using rat splenocytes were determined and effects of cyclophosphamide on PFC response were investigated using these conditions. The number of PFCs produced by immunization with a suspension of sheep red blood cells (SRBCs) was higher with i.v. injection than with i.p. injection. Subcutaneous injection of the suspension did not produce PFCs. The highest PFC response was observed when the number of PFCs was determined 4 days after i.v. immunization with 0.5 ml of a 1% SRBC suspension. Cyclophosphamide (3, 10, 30, 100 and 300 mg/kg, p.o.) dose-dependently decreased PFC response under the above-mentioned optimal conditions, and decreased PFC responses were noted even at the very low dose of 3 mg/kg: a dose at which a decrease in the number of PFCs has not been reported in studies using mice. From these results, the appropriate conditions for the PFC assay in rats are considered to be i.v. immunization with 0.5 ml of a 1% SRBC suspension and determination of the number of PFCs 4 days after immunization. Furthermore, it is considered that the PFC assay using rats might be more sensitive to immunosuppressive agents than that using mice."}
{"id": "PMID:1474616", "title": "Carcinogenicity examination of 1-nitropyrene oxides and related chemicals: lack of their tumorigenic effects in a newborn mice assay.", "content": "Carcinogenicity of 1-nitropyrene (NP) oxides (1-NP 4, 5-oxide and 1-NP 9, 10-oxide) and related chemicals (1-NP and 1-nitro-6-hydroxypyrene) was examined in the newborn mouse model by i.p. administration at 1, 8, 15 days after birth (each chemical was given at a total dose of 700 nmol per mouse). Low incidences of hepatocellular neoplasms were recognized in male mice exposed to either of these chemicals. However, the incidences were not significantly different from those of animals given solvent alone or of non-treatment. Lymphoma was infrequently seen in female mice given some of tested chemicals. The incidences were also not significantly different from those of mice with the solvent alone or of the controls. The results suggest that although these aromatic hydrocarbons exert genotoxicity or mutagenicity, they may not be potent carcinogens, or the assay with use of newborn mice may be insufficient to monitor carcinogenicity of such chemicals."}
{"id": "PMID:1474617", "title": "Cytotoxicity of nickel oxide particles in rat alveolar macrophages cultured in vitro.", "content": "The cytotoxicity of two types of nickel oxide particles was investigated in rat alveolar macrophages cultured in vitro. The trypan blue dye exclusion test and the release of lactate dehydrogenase into culture medium were used as cytotoxic indices. Although both types of nickel oxide particles were produced by the same manufacturer and were commercially sold under the same name of \"nickel oxide\", one type of the nickel oxide particles which had black color was much more cytotoxic than the other type of green color. The black nickel oxide particles were more soluble in various kinds of solutions than the green nickel oxide particles. Therefore, it appears that the difference in the cytotoxicity of the black and green nickel oxide particles may be attributable to the difference in the solubility of the particles."}
{"id": "PMID:1474618", "title": "Leukotriene generation in patients with multiple injuries.", "content": "We determined the generation and metabolism of lipoxygenase products in isolated granulocyte fractions of patients with multiple trauma (n = 9) and compared the results with those of healthy volunteers (n = 8). The supernatants of stimulated cells were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography. During the first week after injury a significantly reduced capacity to generate LTB4 and an increased metabolism of LTB4 into omega-oxidated products (20-OH-LTB4 and 20-COOH-LTB4) were observed after stimulation of the granulocytes with Ca ionophore. The depressed leukotriene production could be partly abrogated by the addition of arachidonic acid. These findings are comparable with alterations previously described in severely burned patients with postburn sepsis. Additionally, an elevated production of LTC4 by peripheral granulocyte fractions was observed in two patients suffering from adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) as well as an increased number of eosinophils during the time of lung dysfunction. Analysis of bronchoalveolar lavage in patients with multiple trauma (11 patients with ARDS and 11 patients without ARDS) by a specific radio-immunoassay confirmed an elevated production of cysteinyl-leukotrienes.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1474619", "title": "Components of the increased circulating proteolytic activity in pediatric burn patients.", "content": "Total proteolytic activity (PA) is increased in the circulation of pediatric burn patients. The extent of the increase correlates with the percent total body surface area (TBSA) burned and is associated with increased susceptibility to fatal infection. To determine the source or sources of this PA, three factors were evaluated: (1) levels of proteinase inhibitors--antithrombin, alpha 2-antiplasmin, and alpha 1-proteinase inhibitor; (2) levels of proteinase--neutrophil elastase; and (3) activation of circulating proteolytic cascade systems as indicated by changes in levels of system components--plasminogen and prekallikrein. All assays measured functional levels of the proteins. Normal levels were determined in 25 consecutive well children who were seeing their pediatrician for checkups (14 boys, 11 girls, ranging in age from 10 months to 17 years). Twenty-five consecutive burn victims admitted to the Shriners Burns Institute, Cincinnati Unit (19 boys, six girls, aged 10 months to 17 years), with a mean full-thickness burn of 43.2% TBSA (range, 6%-87%) were studied in the first week postburn. Antithrombin, alpha 2-antiplasmin, plasminogen, and prekallikrein levels decreased (p < 0.001) postburn, whereas elastase increased (p < 0.001). We conclude that, in pediatric burn patients, decreased proteinase inhibitors, increased proteinase, and activation of circulating proteinase cascades all contribute to elevated total circulating PA postburn."}
{"id": "PMID:1474620", "title": "Prediction of acute renal failure following soft-tissue injury using the venous bicarbonate concentration.", "content": "Sixty-four patients with soft-tissue injuries were studied prospectively to determine whether an initial venous bicarbonate concentration (VBC) of less than 17 mmol/L would predict the development of myoglobin-induced acute renal failure. The VBC was > 17 mmol/L in 59 patients, seven of whom had myoglobinuria. All recovered without renal complications. The remaining five patients all had VBC < 17 mmol/L and four had myoglobinuria. Acute renal failure developed in four patients (p < 0.001). The VBC on hospital arrival was the most accurate predictor of these patients' risk for the development of acute renal failure following soft-tissue injury."}
{"id": "PMID:1474621", "title": "Burns in morbidly obese patients.", "content": "It has been estimated that 26% of Americans are obese. A very small subset of this group can be categorized as morbidly obese, fulfilling the criteria of being 100 pounds, or 100%, over ideal body weight. The clinical records of seven morbidly obese burn patients treated over a 20-year period are reviewed. Particularly notable was a 43% incidence of fatal pulmonary embolism."}
{"id": "PMID:1474622", "title": "Immediate positive pressure ventilation with positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) improves survival in ovine smoke inhalation injury.", "content": "The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of immediate initiation of positive pressure ventilation (PPV) with positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) versus the initiation of PPV with PEEP only after hypoxemia ensued following severe smoke inhalation injury. We prospectively evaluated chronically instrumented adult sheep treated with immediate versus delayed PPV with PEEP and compared oxygen requirements, hemodynamics, pleural fluid formation, postinjury survival, and tracheobronchial pathologic processes among groups. The immediate group (group I; smoke, n = 6; sham, n = 2) underwent tracheostomy and bilateral chest tube placement before they received inhalation injury. They were then immediately placed on PPV with PEEP (12 cm H2O). The animals in the delayed group (group D) (n = 6) were placed on PPV with PEEP when arterial hypoxemia (PaO2 < 80 mm Hg [11.2 kPa] on 0.4 FIO2) or respiratory distress developed. Groups were matched for smoke exposure and peak carboxyhemoglobin. Both groups developed a characteristic decrease in PaO2/FIO2 ratio. Initiation of PPV + PEEP improved PaO2 in the delayed group (69 +/- 7 to 126 +/- 21 mm Hg [9.2 +/- 0.9 to 16.7 +/- 2.8 kPa]). Pleural fluid output was greater in the immediate group compared with the delayed group (1559 +/- 415 vs. 426 +/- 236 mL). At 96 hours after injury five of six animals in the delayed group had died. In contrast, six of six animals in the immediate smoke group survived 96 hours (p < 0.05 versus delayed group). The immediate group had fewer and less extensive tracheobronchial casts at necropsy. Immediate PPV + PEEP did not prevent the development of hypoxia and was associated with increased pleural fluid formation. Death within 96 hours in the delayed group was the result of respiratory failure aggravated by bronchial cast formation despite vigorous pulmonary toilet. Early positive pressure ventilation with PEEP, preferably initiated immediately after the inhalation insult, significantly increases short-term survival and is associated with decreased tracheobronchial cast formation in this ovine model of severe smoke inhalation injury."}
{"id": "PMID:1474623", "title": "Noninvasive assessment of metabolism in wounded skin by 31P-NMR in vivo.", "content": "Phosphorus-31 nuclear magnetic resonance techniques using shallow penetrating coils have been used to noninvasively monitor severity and metabolic changes over time in skin wounds in rats. Ratios of phosphocreatine (PCr) to inorganic phosphate (Pi) indicate energy status in both thermal wounds and surgical flaps. In partial and full-thickness scald wounds, reductions in PCr/Pi ratios correlated with burn depth and improved over time postinjury, suggesting wound revascularization. No decrease in intracellular pH was noted in these wounds; the phosphate shifts may be primarily the result of tissue degradation followed by restoration of the microvasculature. Distal regions of caudally based dorsal 3 x 10 cm full-thickness skin flaps reveal progressively lower PCr/Pi ratios to 3-6 hours after elevation as well as drops in pH up to 0.5 units, presumably as a result of anaerobic glycolysis in these tissues. After 24 hours, the intracellular pH returned to normal (7.1-7.2) and the PCr/Pi ratios approached 70%-90% of the well-perfused proximal regions within 3-7 days. These results indicate the establishment of a microvasculature from the underlying bed as the distal regions survive as free grafts. The data demonstrate the potential usefulness of the technique in noninvasive measurement of the biochemical response to injury and wound healing in living organisms."}
{"id": "PMID:1474624", "title": "The effects of hypothermia and injury severity on blood loss during trauma laparotomy.", "content": "To assess the relationships between core temperature (T) and other factors relating to operating room (OR) blood loss and mortality following abdominal injury, the records of 122 patients undergoing laparotomy for trauma at Detroit Receiving Hospital over a 1-year period (1989) were reviewed. Most injuries were penetrating (86%) and the mortality rate was 8.2%. Overall, 57 of 122 (47%) had hypothermia (T < or = 35 degrees C) upon arrival in the OR. There was a significant correlation between admission blood pressure and lowest intraoperative temperature (r = 0.60; p < 0.001). Multiple regression analysis revealed that the patient's lowest temperature (p < 0.001) and Trauma Score (TS); p < 0.0015), but not Abdominal Injury Severity Score (AISS) (p = 0.25) correlated with OR blood loss. The 28 patients with high TS (15 or 16) and AISS > or = 9 had significantly less blood loss when the OR temperature was maintained above 35 degrees C versus 33 degrees-35 degrees C (540 +/- 580 mL vs. 1820 +/- 1160 mL; p < 0.003). This suggests that hypothermia may exacerbate OR blood loss independent of degree of physiologic or anatomic injury. Thus hypothermia is common in patients undergoing a laparotomy for trauma. Trauma scores and the presence of shock preoperatively correlate with the development of intraoperative hypothermia. Hypothermic patients with similar injury severity have greater blood loss. Prevention and rapid correction of hypothermia during resuscitation and surgery appear to be extremely important in reducing blood loss in this patient population."}
{"id": "PMID:1474625", "title": "Reconstruction of skeletal defects in the femur with 'two-strut' free vascularized fibular grafts.", "content": "Large skeletal defects of the femur caused by infected nonunions remain a challenge to orthopedic surgeons. Conventional bone grafting may not succeed when the recipient bed is not ideal. Single fibular grafts were proven very useful in bridging this type of defect, yet were complicated by the high incidence of refracture and the need for protection of long duration. By dividing the fibula into two struts connected by the nutrient vessels, we doubled the effective cross-sectional area of bone grafting with only one set of vascular anastomoses. Five cases of infected nonunion of the femur after a high-energy trauma were successfully managed with this technique. All the fractures healed in an average of 7 months. By 1 year the grafts hypertrophied to the size of the femur. A follow-up of at least 2 years recommends this technique in the management of certain chronic osseous defects of the femur."}
{"id": "PMID:1474626", "title": "An autopsy case review of 142 nonpenetrating (blunt) injuries of the aorta.", "content": "This study retrospectively reviewed 142 fatal cases of aortic laceration. Data were collected from the autopsy reports (including toxicology results) and included the circumstances of the injury. In the case of automobile crashes this included the direction of impact, time of day, and vehicular damage. Seventy percent of the victims were men with a mean age of 37.5 years; 30% were women with a mean age of 46 years. Thirty-five percent of the 142 victims had elevated blood alcohol levels. Fifty-four percent of the lacerations were located at the classic site (the isthmus). The majority of the aortic lacerations (102) were sustained in automobile crashes. Of these, 42% were broadside collisions and 58% were head-on collisions. Seventy-three percent and 67% of the victims in broadside and head-on collisions, respectively, had aortic lacerations at the classic site. The results suggest that the pathogenesis of aortic rupture involves a lateral oblique compression impact to the chest, which causes thoracic mediastinal structures to shift and deflect the aortic arch, resulting in severe shearing and stretching at the isthmus. The use of seat belts and air bags may reduce the number of aortic injuries."}
{"id": "PMID:1474627", "title": "The association of advanced life support training and decreased per capita trauma death rates: an analysis of 12,417 trauma deaths.", "content": "This study identified a number of significant predictors of per capita county trauma mortality rates: rurality, percentage nonwhite population, percentage unemployment, and Advanced Life Support (ALS) versus Basic Life Support (BLS) status. Of these, ALS versus BLS status is not only the most significant independent predictor, it is the only predictor readily amenable to change. The aspects of ALS clearly associated with decreased trauma death rates should be identified and, if possible, undergo widespread implementation."}
{"id": "PMID:1474628", "title": "The 1991 Fraser Gurd Lecture: evolution of airway control in the management of injured patients.", "content": "The evolution of methods for airway control has been an important factor in improving overall trauma care. Many important advances have been made in technique, tubes, and timing. Current methods of airway control are listed in Table 2 and are categorized as emergency or elective. It is always assumed that basic life support techniques will be in place before this hierarchic scheme for airway control is used. Unfortunately, hypoxemia continues to be a factor in preventable trauma deaths. There is much to be done in the future to further improve airway management in injured patients. There is an immediate need to assess methods of airway control in the pre-hospital phase using a randomized clinical trial. The ideal tube for cricothyroidotomy, tracheostomy, or endotracheal intubation remains to be designed. There is a need for further multicenter trials on the timing of tracheostomy in the critical care unit. The role of differential ventilators in the management of unilateral pulmonary parenchymal injury requires clinical validation. Intravascular membrane oxygenators have been proposed in advanced pulmonary insufficiency in a ventilated patient. Thus, while many important strides have been made in airway management following trauma, there remain great challenges in addressing the persistent problem of systemic hypoxemia after multiple injuries."}
{"id": "PMID:1474629", "title": "Complications of interlocking nailing for lower leg fractures: a 3-year follow up of 102 cases.", "content": "Of the 109 patients treated by interlocking nailing for lower leg fractures between 1985 and 1990 at the A.\u00f6.KH Schwaz and the LKH Bad Ischl, Austria, 92 underwent follow-up examination. Data were analyzed using a personal computer. Special attention was paid to fracture pattern, level, complications, and length of sick leave. Compared with a previous study, an increasing number of compound fracture patterns were evaluated. Except for 14 misalignments and two late infections after new injuries, no other serious complications were detected. Interlocking nailing can be highly recommended even for open fractures up to the second degree at any level from the second fifth to the fourth fifth of the tibia."}
{"id": "PMID:1474630", "title": "Intestinal infarction after nonabdominal trauma; association with cerebral trauma.", "content": "Nonocclusive bowel infarction in nonabdominal trauma has been ascribed to periods of hypotension. However, to our knowledge only 17 cases have been reported, and hypotension was not always found. We studied the frequency and possible causes of intestinal infarction in all patients treated at our traumatologic intensive care unit from 1977 through 1986 (n = 2350). Intestinal infarction was diagnosed at the time of surgery or autopsy; patients with pre-existing vascular disease were excluded. We found 12 patients (incidence: 0.5%) of age 45 +/- 20 years (mean +/- SD). All had severe cerebral trauma [Head and Neck Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS) score: 4-5, admission Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score: 6.5 +/- 3.8]. Eight patients suffered from additional injuries. The Injury Severity Score (ISS) was 27 +/- 7. All patients received ventilator assistance continuously before the diagnosis of intestinal infarction or death. The leading symptom of intestinal infarction was sepsis and multiple organ failure with abdominal distention. Five patients with favorable cerebral prognosis underwent surgery: one survived with good cerebral and gastrointestinal recovery. Four patients did not have surgery because of a poor cerebral prognosis. Three patients died of their cerebral trauma before intestinal infarction was clinically manifested. The data show that early diagnosis in ventilated patients with head injuries is extremely difficult because of the heterogenicity of this group of patients, the low frequency of the complication, and the complexity of the clinical picture. Although patients inevitably were exposed to several agents or situations associated with intestinal infarction, the ubiquitous causes were dehydration and diuretic therapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1474631", "title": "Computed tomographic evaluation to exclude traumatic aortic disruption.", "content": "Traumatic aortic disruption from blunt trauma remains a lethal injury. The role of computed tomographic (CT) scanning in the diagnosis of traumatic aortic disruption (TAD) has been debated and varying results have been reported. We reviewed our experience with 133 consecutive cases of blunt trauma with abnormal findings on chest x-ray films of sufficient concern to require further evaluation for TAD. Of the 105 patients who underwent CT scanning as the initial evaluation, 11 (10%) required aortography (Ao) for diagnosis; seven had TAD. Twenty-eight patients with highly suggestive signs of TAD underwent Ao as the initial diagnostic test; five had TAD. Ten of the 12 patients (83%) undergoing surgical repair had good results; one died of exsanguination at surgery and the other suffered a profound neurologic injury. Follow-up by phone or chart review at 6 months to more than 5 years after injury revealed no late mortalities from unrecognized TAD. We conclude that high quality CT evaluation of patients with worrisome chest x-ray films following blunt trauma can be used to exclude TAD in the majority of cases. Aortography is reserved for cases in which there is a high clinical suspicion of TAD and for those patients in whom TAD cannot be confidently excluded by CT scanning."}
{"id": "PMID:1474632", "title": "Seatbelt injuries in children.", "content": "Twelve cases of Chance-type flexion-distraction injuries in children less than 16 years old were reviewed. Patients were evaluated in terms of initial treatment regimen, subsequent modifications, and ultimate outcome. Follow-up ranged from 6 months to 9 years. Seven patients with a significant ligamentous component to their injury were initially treated, for various reasons, in a brace. All patients responding to brace treatment had an initial kyphotic deformity of less than 20 degrees and a maximum measured deformity of less than 25 degrees. In patients in whom brace treatment failed, initial deformity was greater than 20 degrees in all cases. Kyphotic deformity progressed to greater than 30 degrees before surgical intervention in these four cases. Improved adherence to lap seatbelt precautions, while of great benefit in reducing motor vehicle-related morbidity and mortality, has simultaneously increased the likelihood of flexion-distraction lumbar spine injuries. Our results suggest that an approach to treatment designed specifically for children is appropriate."}
{"id": "PMID:1474633", "title": "Head and face injuries in bicyclists--with special reference to possible effects of helmet use.", "content": "Fatal and nonfatal head and face injuries to unhelmeted bicyclists were analyzed to assess the injury-reducing potential of bicycle helmet use. Of the fatally injured, 64% (median age, 55 years) had fatal head and face injuries compared with 38% (median age, 18 years) with head and face injuries in the nonfatal injury group. The fatally injured often had multiple impact points, mostly to the occipital and temporal regions. Brain contusions, most often to the frontal and temporal lobes, were the most common cause of fatal injury, followed by subdural hematomas. In the nonfatal injury group abrasions/lacerations were most common type of injury, followed by cerebral concussions/contusions and superficial contusions. If all types of injuries to bicyclists are taken into account a helmet might have had an injury-reducing effect in two of every five fatal cases and in one of every five nonfatal cases. To increase the helmet use among bicyclists, a law, as in Australia, would be an excellent instrument."}
{"id": "PMID:1474634", "title": "Air bag injuries and occupant protection.", "content": "Analysis of the investigations of crashes involving automobiles equipped with air bags verifies the estimations of the lifesaving and injury reduction benefits of this supplemental restraint system. Cases of air bag-associated injuries, primarily erythema, abrasions, and contusions of the lower face and anterior throat-upper chest, are identified as those most often observed. Corneal-scleral injuries were infrequently noted but are rarely found in crashes involving air bag deployments."}
{"id": "PMID:1474635", "title": "Severity and outcome of intracranial lesions in pedestrians injured by motor vehicles.", "content": "To evaluate the type and severity of intracranial lesions and the prognosis after closed head trauma in pedestrians injured by motor vehicles, we reviewed the cases of 225 consecutive patients who suffered major head injuries in collisions with motor vehicles. Patients in this series were comatose, had intracranial hematomas requiring surgical removal, or both. The initial Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score was 9-15 in 24% of patients, 6-8 in 32%, and 3-5 in 43%. Intracranial hypertension occurred in 40%. Diagnostic studies showed subdural hematomas in 45% of patients, epidural hematomas in 8%, intracerebral hematomas in 10%, and cerebral contusions in 9%. Clinically significant mass lesions were evacuated, and intracranial pressure was monitored and treated aggressively if elevated. After 6 months, 51% of the patients had died, 13% were vegetative or severely disabled, and 35% had a good outcome or moderate disability. These major head injuries in pedestrians struck by motor vehicles were usually severe, included a high incidence of intracranial hematomas and increased intracranial pressure, and frequently had poor outcomes."}
{"id": "PMID:1474636", "title": "Technical note--trauma team activation: the sequential light panel.", "content": "A progressive color-coded light activation panel is described that enhances in-hospital activation of the trauma team. This communication system creates a network among the resuscitation suite of the emergency department, the operating room, the anesthesiology department, and the surgery department."}
{"id": "PMID:1474637", "title": "Conservative management of a pulmonary artery bullet embolism: case report and review of the literature.", "content": "A case of pulmonary artery bullet embolism managed by observation with no complications at 9-month follow-up prompted a review of the literature. We found a total of 32 cases reported since 1966, with no deaths. Fourteen of the patients were managed by observation and five patients were followed with no resulting complications noted. Conservative management of selected cases of pulmonary artery bullet emboli may be warranted in light of the risks of extraction. These cases should continue to be reported with follow-up."}
{"id": "PMID:1474638", "title": "Spontaneous endobronchial erosion and expectoration of a retained intrathoracic bullet: case report.", "content": "In all four previously reported cases of endobronchial erosion from retained intrathoracic foreign objects, the object eventually required surgical removal. We report the case of a patient with a bullet in the left hemithorax who developed bronchial erosion and hemoptysis 3 months after the injury, with subsequent expectoration of the bullet. Although most foreign bodies within the thorax pose no special problems, migration of the object or the development of symptoms warrants investigation and possibly subsequent surgical removal of the object."}
{"id": "PMID:1474639", "title": "Iliofemoral venous thrombosis following fascial excision of a deep burn of the lower extremity: case report.", "content": "Burned patients with deep venous thrombosis present a particularly perplexing challenge. They frequently require central venous catheters. Their altered skin integrity does not permit correlation with the typical changes described by the classic terminology for thrombophlebitis or its most severe forms, phlegmasia cerulea dolens or phlegmasia alba dolens. They are at risk of exsanguination or massive graft loss with lytic therapy or anticoagulation. Venous thrombectomy may be a necessary limb-saving surgical option."}
{"id": "PMID:1474640", "title": "Successful replantation of a bitten-off vermilion of the lower lip by microvascular anastomosis: case report.", "content": "A successful case of lower lip vermilion replantation is presented where there was lack of a suitable vein for drainage after arterial flow was re-established. The venous stasis was overcome by the \"chemical leech,\" intra-replant subcutaneous heparin injection at intervals 9 days postoperatively. The result is excellent both aesthetically and functionally."}
{"id": "PMID:1474641", "title": "Vascular injury from external fixation: case reports.", "content": "The incidence of vascular injury from external fixation of fractures was studied retrospectively in two surgical departments during the period 1985-1990. A total of 1231 fractures of the lower limb were treated. External fixation was used in the initial stabilization of 28 femoral and 93 tibial fractures. In this series of 121 fractures four iatrogenic vascular injuries were seen: two arterial thromboses with distal ischemia and two incidents of the formation of a false aneurysm with bleeding along a pin. The diagnosis was made by angiography. Surgical intervention was necessary in all four cases. In one patient the injury resulted in amputation of the distal portion of the foot."}
{"id": "PMID:1474642", "title": "Dislocation of the carpal scaphoid associated with median nerve compression: case report.", "content": "Dislocation of the carpal scaphoid is a rare injury. A case of delayed diagnosis of scaphoid dislocation necessitating late treatment is described. The scaphoid was displaced anteromedially, causing compression of the median nerve in the carpal canal. Treatment consisted of carpal tunnel decompression and scapho-trapezium trapezoid fusion. Useful wrist motion without significant pain was restored."}
{"id": "PMID:1474643", "title": "Free vascularized joint transfers in acute complex hand injuries: case reports.", "content": "The loss of function of the metacarpophalangeal joint is a significant disability. Simultaneous reconstruction of the soft tissue, extensor mechanism, joint, and flexor tendon in a complex hand injury is difficult and challenging. Free vascularized autogenous toe joint transplantation is a useful technique that provides not only joint replacement but also the soft tissue, extensor mechanism, and flexor tendon in more severe complex hand injuries. Two patients underwent immediate, free vascularized metatarsophalangeal joint transfer of the second toe to replace the long and ring finger metacarpophalangeal joint in acute complex hand injuries. The follow-up results at 16 months and 8 months postoperatively are presented."}
{"id": "PMID:1474644", "title": "Rectosigmoid ischemia following blunt abdominal trauma in a patient treated with radiation therapy: case report.", "content": "Ionizing radiation, frequently used to treat cancer, is known to injure skin and blood vessels and to deleteriously affect wound healing. We present the case of a patient whose previous radiation treatment predisposed him to colonic ischemia following blunt abdominal trauma."}
{"id": "PMID:1474645", "title": "Blunt myocardial disruption: report of an unusual case and literature review.", "content": "Blunt cardiac injury is frequently noted among trauma patients. They may demonstrate few signs and symptoms or may be in profound shock. A unique case of left ventricular disruption in a young soldier who sustained blunt torso trauma is reported. A paucity of clinical findings led to a delay in diagnosis. He ultimately underwent successful repair 12 days after injury."}
{"id": "PMID:1474646", "title": "Seatbelt injury to the common iliac artery: report of two cases and review of the literature.", "content": "Blunt trauma to the common iliac artery is rather rare. Moreover, seatbelt injuries to the common iliac artery have not yet been reported. This article presents two cases of seatbelt injury involving the common iliac artery. A deceleration-type mechanism is suggested as the primary cause of injury, resulting in the production of an intimal flap. The diagnosis of such an injury is based on clinical suspicion, a change of pulse, or lower limb ischemia. On arteriotomy the damage is greater than seen on external examination. Once diagnosed prompt treatment should follow to prevent loss of life or limb. The signs, symptoms, and modalities of treatment are reported, as well as a review of the literature."}
{"id": "PMID:1474647", "title": "Experimental inoculation of three arboviruses in black-bellied whistling ducks (Dendrocygna autumnalis).", "content": "Wild-caught, immature black-bellied whistling ducks (Dendrocygna autumnalis) were inoculated with eastern equine encephalitis (EEE), St. Louis encephalitis (SLE), or western equine encephalitis (WEE) virus. Susceptibility, duration and titer of viremia, and antibody response to these arboviruses were determined. Birds from all inoculated groups became viremic. Higher virus titers occurred in the EEE group but overall mean titers were not significantly different among experimental groups. All birds inoculated with EEE and SLE viruses developed antibodies, and six of seven ducks receiving WEE virus were seropositive. All seropositive ducks had antibodies for at least 59 days, when the study was terminated. The EEE group had significantly more seropositive ducks during more days than the WEE and SLE groups. Geometric mean antibody titers were significantly smaller in the WEE group when compared to the EEE and SLE groups. Control ducks did not develop viremia or antibodies. Gross and histopathologic lesions compatible with viral encephalitis were absent in all of nine ducks necropsied. Black-bellied whistling ducks can develop low and short-term levels of viremia sufficient to infect mosquitoes, but probably cannot contribute significantly to the transmission of EEE and SLE. They may serve as good indicators of virus activity."}
{"id": "PMID:1474648", "title": "Prevalence of Salmonella spp., Campylobacter spp. and Listeria spp. in ring-billed gulls (Larus delawarensis).", "content": "Cloacal swabs collected from 264 ring-billed gulls (Larus delawarensis) at four sites near Montr\u00e9al, Canada were cultured for the presence of Salmonella spp., Campylobacter spp. and Listeria spp. All birds were apparently healthy when captured or killed. Of all birds examined, 8.7%, 15.9% and 9.5%, respectively, were infected with Salmonella spp., Campylobacter spp. and Listeria monocytogenes. Overall, 29.9% of gulls sampled harbored one or more of these bacteria. Gulls probably play only a minor role in the epizootiology of these bacteria."}
{"id": "PMID:1474649", "title": "Mass mortality in cultured coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) due to Saprolegnia parasitica coker.", "content": "Epizootics of saprolegniasis occurred in 20 to 60 g freshwater-cultured coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. Cotton-like mycelia occurred on the body surface of infected fish, especially around the head, the adipose fin and the caudal fin, and aseptate hyphae occurred in the lesions. The hyphae also penetrated into the muscle and blood vessels. The isolated fungus was identified by asexual morphological characteristics as Saprolegnia parasitica (syn. S. diclina Type 1), a known salmonid fish pathogen."}
{"id": "PMID:1474650", "title": "Ectoparasite-induced lesions in mite pockets of the Yarrow's spiny lizard, Sceloporus jarrovii (Phrynosomatidae).", "content": "Histopathological effects of the chigger, Eutrombicula lipovskyana, on the mite pockets of neonatal, juvenile and adult Yarrow's spiny lizard, Sceloporus jarrovii, were investigated. Focal ulcerative dermatitis was noted in all age classes. This reaction was more diffuse in older animals in which penetration as deep as the panniculus occurred. Based on the occurrence of inflammatory reactions in neonatal lizards, S. jarrovii appears capable of recognizing foreign antigens shortly after birth. There was an increased inflammatory response in older lizards that may have been an augmented host sensitivity following repeated exposure to chiggers. Granulomas, which were interpreted as an attempt to isolate the effects of chigger bites, were noted in juveniles and adults. We propose that S. jarrovii does not develop resistance after repeated exposures to E. lipovskyana."}
{"id": "PMID:1474651", "title": "Exposure to Psoroptes sp. mites is common among bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) populations in California.", "content": "Sera (n = 806) from 50 populations of bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) in California (USA) were evaluated for antibodies to Psoroptes sp. mites using a kinetic enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Test values for each sample were determined to be either positive or negative at each of two ELISA cutoff values that provided either 100% sensitivity (low cutoff) or 100% specificity (high cutoff), respectively. One hundred sixty-eight (20.8%) sera were seropositive at the low cutoff value, and 87 (10.8%) of these sera also were seropositive at the high cutoff value. Eleven populations were designated as scabies-suspect and 25 populations were designated as scabies-positive because they had at least one seropositive animal at the low and the high cutoff values, respectively. Based on these results, exposure to Psoroptes sp. mites appeared to be widely distributed among bighorn sheep populations from 1980 to 1990 and infested animals may have been present prior to 1980."}
{"id": "PMID:1474652", "title": "Carcass disappearance and estimation of mortality in a simulated die-off of small birds.", "content": "Carcasses of day-old chicks were placed randomly in grazed, mixed-grass pasture at a density of 50/ha each day for 5 days. Randomly chosen circular plots with a combined area equal to 10% of the total were searched each day for 10 days. The search method detected 95.2% of carcasses placed the day of the search but remains were found of only 20.8% of chicks placed 24 hr prior to searches. Seventy-six percent of carcasses that were observed daily disappeared completely within 24 hr. Although 250 carcasses were placed over a 5-day period, only two intact carcasses that had been in place for > or = 24 hr were found during searches. Estimates derived by extrapolation from the sampled area underestimated cumulative \"mortality\" on the entire area and did not reflect the course of the simulated outbreak well. There was a low degree of precision among repeated samples from the same area."}
{"id": "PMID:1474653", "title": "Lead exposure and recovery rates of black ducks banded in Tennessee.", "content": "American black ducks (Anas rubripes) wintering in Tennessee during 1986 to 1988 were tested for exposure to lead. Twelve percent of the birds had blood lead concentrations exceeding 0.2 ppm. Significant differences in the prevalence of lead exposure were found for adults (14.4%) and juveniles (8.2%). Exposed birds had higher blood lead concentrations at one study site, corresponding with a lower survival index."}
{"id": "PMID:1474654", "title": "Trap-vaccinate-release and oral vaccination for rabies control in urban skunks, raccoons and foxes.", "content": "Two rabies control tactics, trap-vaccinate-release (T-V-R) and oral vaccination were used for the control of rabies in skunks (Mephitis mephitis), raccoons (Procyon lotor), and foxes (Vulpes vulpes) in metropolitan Toronto, Canada. Using T-V-R, a mean of 45% to 72% (95% confidence limits of 40% to 81%) of the skunks and a mean of 17% to 68% (95% confidence limits of 14% to 76%) of the raccoons in a 60 km2 area of Toronto were vaccinated against rabies between 1987 and 1991. The area has been free of skunk rabies from May 1989 to April 1992. Forty-five rabies cases were diagnosed during 1980 to 1986. In contrast, only three skunk cases have been reported since the vaccination program began in July 1987. The T-V-R area also remained rabies free during an epizootic of skunk rabies in metropolitan Toronto during 1991. Following distribution of rabies vaccine-baits throughout the ravines of metropolitan Toronto, June 1989 to December 1991, 46% to 80% of the Toronto fox population was immunized during 1989, 1990 and 1991. Only one case of fox rabies was reported in metropolitan Toronto since vaccination began, compared to 80 cases reported between 1982 and 1988. The area has been free of reported fox rabies from October 1990 to April 1992."}
{"id": "PMID:1474655", "title": "Diseases, parasites and survival of coyotes in south-central Georgia.", "content": "Serologic testing, radio-telemetry and post-mortem diagnostic evaluations were used to investigate survival and causes of mortality among 17 coyotes (Canis latrans) in south-central Georgia (USA). Prevalence of canine heartworm (Dirofilaria immitis) microfilariae was lower (P = 0.057) among fall-captured (22%) than among winter-captured (75%) coyotes. Prevalence of heartworm was higher among adults than juveniles in the fall, but no significant difference was detected between animals captured in winter. Antibodies were found against canine parvovirus (65%), canine parainfluenza virus (59%), infectious canine hepatitis virus (41%), and Toxoplasma gondii (18%). Antibodies were not found to Brucella canis, canine coronavirus, five serovars of Leptospira interrogans, or canine distemper virus. Seroprevalence of canine parvovirus was lower (P = 0.009) among fall-captured animals (33%) than winter-captured animals (100%). The Kaplan-Meier estimate of annual survival was 0.500 for all animals. Juvenile survival did not differ (P = 0.79) from adult survival, but male survival (S = 0.217) was lower (P = 0.11) than female survival (S = 0.804). Two of nine (22%) mortalities were human-caused, one was due to concurrent canine parvovirus and canine distemper virus infections, one animal died of trauma, two were considered natural mortalities of unknown cause, and no cause of death could be determined for the remaining three animals. Natural mortality may be significant for coyotes in south-central Georgia, although there was no apparent link between exposure to pathogens and the animals' subsequent fate in our small sample."}
{"id": "PMID:1474656", "title": "Diseases and parasites of red foxes, gray foxes, and coyotes from commercial sources selling to fox-chasing enclosures.", "content": "Fifty-six red foxes (Vulpes vulpes), 18 gray foxes (Urocyon cinereoargenteus), and 13 coyotes (Canis latrans) obtained by the South Carolina Wildlife and Marine Resources Department during an investigation of suspected illegal wildlife translocation were examined for diseases and parasites. Red foxes and coyotes were confiscated from an animal dealer based in Ohio (USA), and gray foxes were purchased from an animal dealer in Indiana (USA). Emphasis was placed on detection of pathogens representing potential health risks to native wildlife, domestic animals, or humans. All animals were negative for rabies; however, 15 gray foxes were incubating canine distemper at necropsy. Serologic tests disclosed antibodies to canine parvovirus, canine distemper virus, canine adenovirus, canine coronavirus, canine herpesvirus, and canine parainfluenza virus in one or more host species. Twenty-three species of parasites (two protozoans, three trematodes, four cestodes, eleven nematodes, and three arthropods) were found, including species with substantial pathogenic capabilities. Echinococcus multilocularis, a recognized human pathogen not enzootic in the southeastern United States, was found in red foxes. Based on this information, we conclude that the increasingly common practice of wild canid translocation for stocking fox-chasing enclosures poses potential health risks to indigenous wildlife, domestic animals, and humans and, therefore, is biologically hazardous."}
{"id": "PMID:1474657", "title": "Pregnancy and ovulation detection in bison (Bison bison) assessed by means of urinary and fecal steroids.", "content": "Sexually mature bison (Bison bison) cows were tested for both pregnancy and ovulation by means of urinary steroid metabolites and fecal steroids. The accuracy of pregnancy diagnosis was determined among 18 bison cows, in approximately the third month of gestation, by means of urinary pregnanediol-3 delta-glucuronide (PdG), urinary estrone conjugates (E1C), and fecal total estrogens (TE). Urinary PdG was 100% accurate, urinary E1C was 89% accurate, and fecal TE was 100% accurate in predicting pregnancy. Fecal progesterone (P4) and TE, as well as urinary E1C and PdG concentrations all increased from conception (August) through January, but significant differences were not apparent until November. During the rutting season ovulation was detected by increases in either urinary PdG or fecal P4 concentrations. Both pregnancy and ovulation were detected in uncaptured bison with reasonable accuracy by means of urinary and fecal steroids or their metabolites."}
{"id": "PMID:1474658", "title": "Necrotizing lesions in the intestine, gizzard, and liver in captive capercaillies (Tetrao urogallus) associated with Clostridium perfringens.", "content": "During the period from 1982 to 1991, 863 captive and 32 wild capercaillies (Tetrao urogallus) were necropsied. The most common cause of death in captive capercaillies was necrotizing enteritis, diagnosed in 110 (13%) birds. Of these, 31 (28%) birds also had necrotizing lesions in the liver. Necrotizing gastritis occurred in 29 birds, two of which had concurrent necrotizing enteritis. In the capercaillies with necrotizing enteritis, Clostridium perfringens type A was isolated more frequently and in larger numbers than in birds which died from other causes. Thus, Clostridium perfringens type A may be of etiological importance in necrotizing enteritis. Necrotizing enteritis was not diagnosed in wild capercaillies."}
{"id": "PMID:1474659", "title": "Histomorphometric studies of dermal bone in the desert tortoise, Gopherus agassizii.", "content": "Dermal bone biopsies were collected from the periphery of the carapaces of adult desert tortoises (Gopherus agassizii) from grazed and ungrazed habitats near the Arizona/Utah border (USA). Quantitative bone histomorphometry was performed on these biopsies as well as on dermal bone biopsies collected from captive juvenile desert tortoises. Except for mild osteomalacia, carapaces of adult desert tortoises from the grazed habitat were relatively normal. No signs of osteopenia were observed. Based on the low numbers of osteoblasts and osteoclasts in dermal bone of both populations of adult desert tortoises, it appears that the peripheral carapace is relatively inert with very low levels of dermal bone turnover. Bone cells and osteoid were more common in dermal bone biopsies from the carapace and plastron of captive juvenile desert tortoises than in adult desert tortoises. However, the great variability in the incidence of bone cells among individuals and the difficulty in collecting juvenile desert tortoises in the field limit the usefulness of dermal bone biopsies from animals of this age group. Based on these results, we propose that dermal bone of the peripheral carapace is a poor sample site for evaluating the effects of dietary or environmental conditions on calcified tissues in desert tortoises."}
{"id": "PMID:1474660", "title": "Plague surveillance by serological testing of coyotes (Canis latrans) in Los Angeles County, California.", "content": "Sera from 19 (5.6%) of 338 coyotes (Canis latrans) collected in Los Angeles County, California between 1986 and 1990 had antibodies against Yersinia pestis using the passive hemagglutination test. Coyotes were excellent sentinels of plague activity in Los Angeles County. Enzootic plague declined dramatically in the county during the 5-yr period."}
{"id": "PMID:1474661", "title": "Possible vaccine-induced canine distemper in a South American bush dog (Speothos venaticus).", "content": "Suspected vaccine-induced canine distemper was diagnosed in a captive female bush dog (Speothos venaticus). Macroscopic lesions included mild congestion of the gastric mucosa and focal consolidation of the lung. Histopathological lesions included status spongiosis, gliosis, widespread eosinophilic, intranuclear and intracytoplasmic inclusion bodies in neurons, astrocytes and gitter cells of the cerebral, cerebellar and spinal white matter."}
{"id": "PMID:1474662", "title": "Consideration of inactivated rabies vaccines as oral immunogens of wild carnivores.", "content": "An experimental beta-propiolactone (BPL)-inactivated rabies virus vaccine was evaluated for the oral immunization of captive raccoons (Procyon lotor) and red foxes (Vulpes vulpes). None of 10 red foxes administered a single 1.0 ml dose of BPL-inactivated rabies virus vaccine (PM strain; 100 or 500 micrograms protein) per os developed detectable anti-rabies virus-neutralizing antibodies (VNA) at any time over 8 wk of observation. Foxes were excluded from further study. In two different groups of five to six raccoons, each administered a single 1.0 ml dose of BPL-inactivated rabies virus vaccine (ERA strain) per os, at concentrations of 100 or 400 micrograms protein, only a single animal in each group demonstrated evidence of seroconversion within 4 wk. In contrast, instillation of a single dose (500 micrograms protein) of BPL-inactivated rabies virus vaccine (ERA strain), directly into the small intestine via fiberoptic endoscope, or ERA vaccine (800 micrograms protein) instillation to the buccal cavity by needle-less syringe, resulted in the production of rabies-specific VNA and protection against lethal rabies infection in three of six, and in four of six raccoons, respectively; all seven control raccoons succumbed to street virus challenge. These preliminary challenge studies, while somewhat encouraging, demonstrate that considerable quantities of purified viral antigen are required for even minimal oral efficacy against lethal rabies infection. At the present time, therefore, potent, self-replicating, attenuated, or recombinant viruses offer the most versatile, economic, efficacious, and safe solutions to terrestrial rabies control of free-ranging carnivores."}
{"id": "PMID:1474663", "title": "Sparganosis in the monotremes Tachyglossus aculeatus and Ornithorhynchus anatinus in Australia.", "content": "Sparganosis in the echidna, Tachyglossus aculeatus, is characterized by large subcutaneous masses that may be confused with neoplasms. Plerocercoids, believed to be Spirometra erinacei, were found in the ventral or lateral subcutaneous tissues of three echidnas. In each case there was a prominent fibrous mass < or = 12 cm in diameter enclosing plerocercoids, which were surrounded by an intense inflammatory infiltrate dominated by plasma cells and lymphocytes, with focal suppuration. Multiple, small (< or = 2 mm) plerocercoids were present in the lungs and pleural cavity of a fourth echidna that died due to severe pneumonitis. Several plerocercoids also were found in the lung of a platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) associated with parenchymal compression and focal pneumonia."}
{"id": "PMID:1474665", "title": "Verminous bronchitis and bronchiolitis in potoroid marsupials associated with a new Capillaria sp.", "content": "We describe verminous bronchitis and bronchiolitis in potoroid marsupials associated with a new species of Capillaria resident in the epithelial lining of bronchi and bronchioles. The parasites was associated with alveolar oedema and emphysema, and a mixed inflammatory cell exudate within and surrounding the airways."}
{"id": "PMID:1474666", "title": "Cuterebrid parasitism (Rogenhofera bonaerensis) on the shrubland mouse (Akodon molinae), in Argentina.", "content": "We evaluated the influence of temperature, rainfall, and host relative abundance on Rogenhofera bonaerensis (Diptera, Cuterebridae) parasitism prevalence in shrubland mouse (Akodon molinae) populations in central Argentina, from February 1983 to December 1987. Parasitism did not vary significantly with host age: juvenile-subadults (32%), adults (26%), and old adults (29%). Females were more frequently parasitized (36%) than were males (20%). There was no correlation between parasitism and reproductive activity. Infested hosts were recorded most commonly in summer (January to March, 19%), and in fall (April to June, 30%). During the dry season, July through November, cuterebrid parasitism averaged only 3%. The monthly prevalence of parasitism throughout the year was not associated either with monthly precipitation nor with mean monthly temperature at the time of sampling. But a 2 to 3 month time-lag effect of both climatic variables on parasitism was recorded. Bot fly prevalence was correlated to an index of host density. We propose climate and host availability as important factors affecting bot fly parasitism in the semiarid shrubland of central Argentina."}
{"id": "PMID:1474667", "title": "Mass stranding of striped dolphin, Stenella coeruleoalba, at Augusta, Western Australia: notes on clinical pathology and general observations.", "content": "Seventeen striped dolphins, Stenella coeruleoalba, were found stranded on a West Australian beach. Three animals died before a rescue attempt was made and a further three died during the rescue. The remaining dolphins were released 24 km offshore and were not seen again. One dolphin was noted to have a broken mandible. Evidence of physical trauma to the other dolphins was minimal; one adult female was observed with some peeling skin. Blood was collected for analysis. All dolphins were slightly dehydrated and had a leukogram typical of a stressed animal. Plasma biochemistry reflected primary muscle trauma. There were no clues to the cause of the stranding; observed pathology reflected damage that occurred as a direct consequence of stranding."}
{"id": "PMID:1474668", "title": "Histopathology of eighth cranial nerve of mass stranded dolphins at Goto Islands, Japan.", "content": "We examined four dolphins (Grampus griseus) of 582 mass-stranded. Almost no contents were found in the alimentary canal. Nasitrema gondo and Crassicauda grampicola were found in the tympanic cavity. Severe degeneration of the eighth cranial nerve was observed microscopically in all animals and an egg of Nasitrema was found in a tissue crevice of the nerve. We propose that the nerves were damaged directly by Nasitrema."}
{"id": "PMID:1474670", "title": "Field immobilization of American martens (Martes americana) and short-tailed weasels (Mustela erminea).", "content": "Ketamine hydrochloride (KH) and a 5:1 combination of KH and xylazine hydrochloride (XH) were used successfully to immobilize short-tailed weasels (Mustela erminea) and American martens (Martes americana), respectively. Four adult male martens were intramuscularly injected with 30 to 82 mg/kg KH and 8.0 to 16.4 mg/kg XH. Three adult male short-tailed weasels were intramuscularly injected with 20.8 to 42.1 mg/kg KH. Mean (+/- SE) induction times for martens and short-tailed weasels were 1.8 +/- 0.2 min and 46 +/- 4.1 sec, respectively; recovery times were 100.4 +/- 19.3 min and 97.9 +/- 6.3 min, respectively. Heart rate was relatively constant among martens; however, respiration varied widely (21 to 122 breaths per minute). Marten body temperature decreased between 0 and 20 min post-recumbency. Short-tailed weasel heart rate and respiration decreased in response to sedation until slightly before arousal. Body temperature stabilized by 20 min post-recumbency. Two short-tailed weasels tremored slightly within 10 min of arousal. I conclude that KH and KH/XH are safe immobilizing agents for martens and short-tailed weasels, respectively."}
{"id": "PMID:1474671", "title": "Prevalence of spindle cell sarcomas among wild Canada geese from southern Illinois.", "content": "Over a 6-yr period, two cases of neoplastic disease were diagnosed among 1,272 wild Canada geese (Branta canadensis interior) collected in Illinois (USA), Wisconsin (USA), and Ontario, Canada. One juvenile goose of each sex was involved. In both cases > 35 discrete masses were observed subdermally, intramuscularly, and within the body cavity. The tumors, diagnosed as spindle cell sarcomas, are among the most commonly observed neoplasms in free-living North American waterfowl. Based on our data, we suggest that these neoplasms occur with extremely low prevalence (0.002%) in free-living Canada geese."}
{"id": "PMID:1474672", "title": "White phosphorus poisoning of waterfowl in an Alaskan salt marsh.", "content": "The cause of the yearly death of an estimated 1,000 to 2,000 migrating dabbling ducks (Anas spp.) and 10 to 50 swans (Cygnus buccinator and C. columbianus) has remained a mystery for the last ten years in Eagle River Flats (ERF), a 1,000 ha estuarine salt marsh near Anchorage, Alaska, used for artillery training by the U.S. Army. We have gathered evidence that the cause of this mortality is the highly toxic, incendiary munition white phosphorus (P4). The symptoms of poisoning we observed in wild ducks included lethargy, repeated drinking, and head shaking and rolling. Death was preceded by convulsions. Farm-reared mallards dosed with white phosphorus showed nearly identical behavioral symptoms to those of wild ducks that became sick in ERF. White phosphorus does not occur in nature but was found in both the sediments where dabbling ducks and swans feed and in the gizzards of all carcasses collected in ERF. We hypothesize that feeding waterfowl are ingesting small particles of the highly toxic, incendiary munition P4 stored in the bottom anoxic sediments of shallow salt marsh ponds."}
{"id": "PMID:1474675", "title": "Somatic afferent regulation of plasma luteinizing hormone and testosterone in anesthetized rats.", "content": "The effects of cutaneous stimulation on plasma luteinizing hormone (LH) and testosterone were examined in adult male Wistar rats anesthetized with pentobarbital. Under the resting condition without somatic sensory stimulation, plasma LH and testosterone measured every 30 min between 1400 and 1730 h revealed no significant fluctuations. Nociceptive mechanical stimulation of bilateral hindpaws by pinching for 10 min significantly increased plasma LH and testosterone. Plasma LH was increased 30 and 60 min after stimulation, while plasma testosterone was increased 60-150 min after stimulation. However, innocuous mechanical stimulation of bilateral hindlimbs by brushing for 10 min did not significantly change either plasma LH or testosterone. These results indicate that, when emotional factors were eliminated by anesthetization, cutaneous nociceptive information led to the increased secretion of LH from the anterior pituitary, resulting in an increase in testosterone secretion from the testes into the plasma."}
{"id": "PMID:1474676", "title": "Responses of sympathetic nerves innervating blood vessels in interscapular, brown adipose tissue and skin during cold stimulation in anesthetized C57BL/6J mice.", "content": "The effect of cold stimulation on the activity of sympathetic nerves running along blood vessels in interscapular, brown adipose tissues (IBAT) and skin overlying IBAT was examined in 15, urethane-anesthetized, artificially ventilated, C57BL/6J mice. Cold stimulation was applied caudal to the pelvic area using a plastic bag containing iced water. The stimulation of 14-16 min duration reduced core temperature measured at the esophagus or muscle near the esophagus by approximately 4 degrees C from a control temperature of about 38 degrees C. The stimulation decreased the activity of the nerve branches to IBAT, while it increased the activity of the nerve branches to skin. Blood flow in the IBAT increased significantly following the stimulation; however, this effect was abolished by the denervation. These findings suggest that the sympathetic innervation of the blood vessels in the IBAT plays a major role in thermoregulation against cold by decreasing the vascular tone and thus increasing the IBAT blood flow. An increase in the IBAT blood flow would facilitate the dissipation of heat from the IBAT to various organs as well as the supply of energy stuffs to the IBAT."}
{"id": "PMID:1474678", "title": "Ventilatory response to the onset of passive and active exercise in human subjects.", "content": "Ventilatory responses at the onset of passive and active exercise with different amount of exercising muscle mass were studied in 10 healthy male subjects. Four exercise tests were performed for each subject with appropriate intervals on the same day, i.e., two voluntary exercises of one leg or both legs and two passive exercises of one leg or both legs. Inspiratory minute volume (VI), end-tidal CO2 and O2 partial pressures (PETCO2, PETO2) were measured breath-by-breath using a hot-wire flowmeter, infrared CO2 analyzer, and a rapid O2 analyzer. Average values of VI were obtained from 5 breaths at rest preceding exercise and the first and second breaths after the onset of exercise. The ventilatory response to exercise was calculated as the difference (delta) between the mean of exercise VI and mean of resting VI. In this study, the PETCO2 decreased by about 0.5 Torr in four exercise tests, though the decrement of PETCO2 was not statistically significant. The average values and standard deviation of delta VI were 4.22 +/- 1.63 l/min for the one leg and 6.46 +/- 1.80 l/min for the two legs in the active exercise, and were 2.46 +/- 1.12 l/min for the one leg and 3.44 +/- 1.55 l/min for the two legs in the passive exercise, respectively. These results suggest that in awake conditions, the ventilatory response at the onset of passive or active exercise does not increase additively with the increasing amount of muscle mass being exercised."}
{"id": "PMID:1474677", "title": "Properties of active magnesium flux across the small intestine of the guinea pig.", "content": "Steady-state net flux of Mg2+ was measured in everted preparations of guinea pig jejunum and ileum, and effects of anoxia, Na+ and Ca2+ concentration, ouabain, and Ca2+ channel blockers were examined. Uphill Mg2+ flux in the mucosal-to-serosal direction was seen in both intestinal segments, with the flux value being 1.5 times greater in the ileum than in the jejenum. The Mg2+ flux was 1.7 times greater than the net Ca2+ flux under the same experimental conditions. The Mg2+ flux was strongly dependent on oxygen and the presence of Na+ in the medium; both anoxia and total replacement of Na+ inhibited the flux by 90-100%. Also, ouabain added to the serosal side, and verapamil or D600 added to the mucosal side, inhibited the flux by about 90%. Inhibitory effects of both ouabain and Na(+)-free conditions were much greater for the Mg2+ flux than for the Ca2+ flux. A stepwise increase in Mg2+ concentration in a Na(+)-free mucosal solution caused a stepwise elevation of the mucosal negativity. The relative elevation of the evoked potential in response to Mg2+ concentration possessed saturable and linearly increasing components. Only the saturable component was found to be dependent on oxygen and sensitive to ouabain. Under the influence of ouabain and verapamil, the generation of the Mg(2+)-evoked potential was greatly inhibited. These findings suggest that Mg2+ is actively absorbed by the jejunum and ileum of the guinea pig, and that active transcellular transport involves a verapamil-sensitive entry step and Na(+)-dependent or ouabain-sensitive exit process which differs from Ca2+ extrusion mechanisms."}
{"id": "PMID:1474679", "title": "Dependence of endocochlear potential on basolateral Na+ and Cl- concentration: a study using vascular and perilymph perfusion.", "content": "Inside-positive endocochlear potential (EP) and high potassium concentration in the endocochlear duct are generated by transepithelial K+ transport in marginal cells of the stria vascularis. In order to estimate the degree of involvement of Na+ and Cl- in K+ transport in marginal cells, EP in guinea pigs was measured under artificial vascular and perilymphatic perfusion in situ. Na+ depletion due to both vascular and perilymphatic perfusion decreased EP by -10.0 +/- 4.1 mV (delta EP = -86 +/- 5.2 mV, n = 5) from the control value of 78 +/- 4.3 mV (p < 0.01). Cl- depletion due to vascular and perilymphatic perfusion also decreased EP by -10.0 +/- 4.9 mV (delta EP = 8.5 +/- 4.8 mV, n = 6) from the control value of 77 +/- 5.1 mV (p < 0.01). However, under either vascular or perilymphatic perfusion, even lowering of Na+ or Cl- concentration in the perfusate decreased EP only slightly compared to the results under both vascular and perilymphatic perfusion. Furosemide, a blocker of Na+/K+/2Cl- symport, decreased EP under vascular perfusion. This dependency of EP on basolateral Na+ and Cl- concentration strongly suggests that K+ transport by the marginal cell is dependent on the basolateral Na+ and Cl- concentration, and that Na+/K+/2Cl- symport is raised as a possible mechanism for Na+ and Cl- dependency of EP."}
{"id": "PMID:1474680", "title": "Blood flow dependence of local capillary permeability of Cr-EDTA in the rabbit skeletal muscle.", "content": "To examine direct influences of capillary blood flow on its permeability of water-soluble substances, we measured the local capillary permeability in the rabbit tenuissimus muscle at various capillary blood flow levels by the use of microscopic tissue clearance method. After staining the muscle with Cr-EDTA (M.W.: 341) as the test tracer by suffusing its solution around the tissue, subsequent concentration change in the tissue due to the tracer washout by capillary blood flow was measured from the intensity change on the TV monitor through the vital-microscope. The decay constant of obtained tissue clearance curve has been theoretically predicted to be equal to the local capillary permeability surface area product (PS) per unit tissue volume (Vt). The local capillary permeability (P) could be quantified by calculating the capillary surface area (S) from the perfused capillary density in the visualized microscopic field. The calculated values of P and PS/Vt in the high flow state were 6.00 +/- 0.70 (X 10(-6) cm/s) and 5.85 +/- 0.77 (X 10(-4)/s), respectively, which were significantly larger than those in the low flow state (p < 0.01). It was suggested that there was a mechanism in the red cell passage through the capillary which facilitated the substance exchange across the capillary wall."}
{"id": "PMID:1474681", "title": "Effect of vagotomy on cardiovascular adjustment to hyperthermia in rats.", "content": "To elucidate the contribution of cardiopulmonary baroreflexes on the control of total peripheral vascular conductance (TVC) during hyperthermia, alpha-chloralose-anesthetized rats with (VX-groups) or without (C-groups) vagotomy were subjected to body heating raising arterial blood temperature (Tb) at a rate of 0.1 degree C/min. In both the C- and VX-groups, rats were divided into normovolemia (C-NBV and VX-NBV) and furosemide-induced hypovolemia (C-LBV and VX-LBV) and cardiovascular responses to hyperthermia were compared between the four groups. Central venous pressure (CVP) decreased as Tb rose to 43 degrees C by 1.92 +/- 0.24, 1.36 +/- 0.28, 0.62 +/- 0.14, and 0.35 +/- 0.23 mmHg in the C-NBV, VX-NBV, C-LBV, and VX-LBV groups, respectively. Mean arterial pressure increased by 35-45 mmHg in the C-groups and by 25-35 mmHg in the VX-groups at Tb of 42-43 degrees C in the C-groups and 42 degrees C in the VX-groups. Heart rate response to increased Tb was not affected by vagotomy or LBV. Stroke volume correlated with CVP (r = 0.769) and this relationship did not differ among the four groups. TVC was more highly correlated with CVP in the C-groups (r = 0.925) than in the VX-groups (r = 0.757). The slope of TVC vs. CVP (TVC/CVP) for the VX-groups lowered by about 40% from that for the C-groups. These results suggest that during hyperthermia, cardiopulmonary baroreflexes may partly contribute to the control of TVC, and other mechanisms related to decreased BV and increased Tb play some roles in the control of TVC."}
{"id": "PMID:1474682", "title": "Importance of sympathetic nerves for the stimulatory effect of cold exposure on glucose utilization in brown adipose tissue.", "content": "The effects of cold exposure on glucose transport system in brown adipose tissue (BAT) and the role of sympathetic nerves in this response were studied in rats. The rate constant of glucose uptake in BAT increased 10-, 13-, and 14-fold after 6 h, 1 d, and 2 d of cold exposure, respectively, as compared with controls. After 2 d of cold exposure, the number of glucose transporters in the plasma membranes increased from 10.2 +/- 1.1 to 16.7 +/- 1.4 pmol/mg protein and the transporter number in the microsomal membranes decreased from 15.1 +/- 1.0 to 9.0 +/- 1.1 pmol/mg protein, as measured by cytochalasin B binding. However, the increase in glucose utilization in BAT preceded the recruitment of glucose transporters to the plasma membranes. Thus, the glucose utilization markedly increased 6 h after cold exposure without significant increase in the glucose transporter number. The apparent dissociation constant (Kd) for cytochalasin B was unchanged. The stimulatory effect of cold exposure on glucose utilization in BAT was prevented by sympathetic denervation. In denervated BAT, cold exposure conversely decreased the number of glucose transporters in the plasma membranes. These results indicate that: (1) cold exposure increases glucose utilization in BAT and promotes translocation of glucose transporters from the microsomes to plasma membranes; (2) the effects of cold exposure depend entirely upon sympathetic innervation of BAT; (3) the recruitment or redistribution of glucose transporters accounts only partly for the large increase in glucose utilization in BAT after acute cold exposure."}
{"id": "PMID:1474683", "title": "Does Ca2+ release by acetylcholine enhance the synthesis of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate in smooth muscle of the porcine coronary artery?", "content": "A possible role was investigated of the Ca2+ released by acetylcholine (ACh) in the ACh-induced synthesis of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (Ins(1,4,5)P3) in smooth muscle of the porcine coronary artery. In Ca(2+)-free solution, 10 microM ACh transiently increased the cellular concentration of Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i) and Ins(1,4,5)P3. Divalent cation ionophores abolished the increase in [Ca2+]i but not the synthesis of Ins(1,4,5)P3 induced by subsequent application of 10 microM ACh in Ca(2+)-free solution, suggesting that the Ca2+ released by Ins(1,4,5)P3 following application of ACh does not act to accelerate the ACh-induced synthesis of Ins(1,4,5)P3 in smooth muscle of the porcine coronary artery."}
{"id": "PMID:1474684", "title": "Brown adipose tissue thermogenesis and metabolic rate contribute to the variation in obesity among rats fed a high fat diet.", "content": "A high fat (HF) diet is known to induce obesity, but susceptibility to obesity induced by a HF diet differs not only among different strains of rats but also within the same strain. The present study revealed that the Lee index (an index of obesity) positively correlated with insulin, and inversely correlated with both the mitochondrial oxygen consumption in interscapular brown adipose tissue (BAT) and the resting metabolic rate (RMR) in Sprague-Dawley rats. This suggests the contribution of BAT thermogenesis and RMR, in addition to hyperphagia, to the intrastrain variation in susceptibility to HF diet-induced obesity."}
{"id": "PMID:1474685", "title": "[Concomitant graft replacement of the total aortic root and the transverse aortic arch for type A aortic dissection associated with annuloaortic ectasia].", "content": "Between April 1988 and February 1992, eight patients with type A aortic dissection associated with annuloaortic ectasia (AAE) underwent the concomitant graft replacement of the total aortic root and the transverse aortic arch at our institution. The acuity of the aortic dissection was acute stage in 3 patients and chronic stage in 5 including 3 cases of re-do operation. All operations were performed with an aid of extracorporeal circulation, blood cardioplegia, selective cerebral perfusion and open distal anastomosis. The operative techniques employed in this series consisted of total aortic root replacement using a composite graft (Bentall, Cabrol or Piehler's technique), and total arch replacement using en bloc arch reconstruction or three vessels graft replacement. One patients underwent re-do operation for coronary anastomotic false aneurysm following Bentall operation and aneurysmal dilatation of the false lumen at the aortic arch, and died of LOS because of the prolonged myocardial ischemia. Other seven patients survived the operation, and lead the normal life at the present time. The present data suggests that type A aortic dissection associated with AAE involving aortic arch could be treated by concomitant graft replacement of the total aortic root and the transverse aortic arch."}
{"id": "PMID:1474686", "title": "[Changes of plombage-operations in respiratory surgery].", "content": "The first plombage-operation for pulmonary tuberculosis was by Dr. Nagaishi (1947) and Dr. Wilson, who developed the plombage method employing hollow polymethylmethacrylate spheres. Although the method presented a relatively effective option at a time when no effective drugs were available, its use was discontinued because of such complications as lung injury, cavity-perforation, and empyema. Therefore, soft elastic resin materials, such as those used in sponge-plombage and air-plombage, replaced the hard resin materials. Each plombage method is associated with a certain medical historical period, in Japan. Still the \"Kinchyu\" method was used. However, the complication of chronic empyema with bronchopleural fistula was difficult to treat. A notable recent method is the pedicled omentum plombage method, which is effective in the treatment of patients who have not responded to standard operations. Finally there was surely a clinical significance in each medical historical period."}
{"id": "PMID:1474687", "title": "[Surgical treatments of nonconfluent pulmonary arteries with congenital cardiac defects].", "content": "Pulmonary artery angioplasty or reconstruction was performed in seven patients with nonconfluent pulmonary arteries and congenital cardiac defects. Age of these patients were ranged from 6 months to 41 years old. Five of them had pulmonary truncal atresia and complex cardiac anomalies. Two of these five patients demonstrated nonconfluent pulmonary arteries due to deformities at ductal insertion of pulmonary arteries. Three patients had had previous systemic to pulmonary artery shunt operations which caused pulmonary artery distortions. Other two patients had intrapulmonary arterial obstructions due to pulmonary artery thrombosis. Patch pulmonary artery plasty was carried out in three patients, dilatation of severe stenotic pulmonary artery was done in one patient simultaneously with pulmonary valvotomy. Central shunt operation was added in one patient with the pulmonary artery which was unable to be reconstructed. Last two patients underwent intrapulmonary artery reconstruction with the rolled pericardial graft. Hospital death occurred in one patient with unproperly increased pulmonary blood flow by central shunt. Average follow-up period of these six survivors after operation was 1.4 +/- 0.8 years. As definite repairs, two patients had Fontan operation, two patients had right ventricle to pulmonary artery reconstruction. And remaining two patients are still to be followed until sufficient growth of pulmonary artery suitable for Fontan operation."}
{"id": "PMID:1474688", "title": "[Studies on acute surgical therapy for DeBakey III aortic dissection: especially on the CT images and the operative indication].", "content": "Nine patients with DeBakey type III aortic dissection (type III a; 6, type III b; 3) that underwent acute surgical therapy were studied with particular emphasis on the preoperative CT images and operative indication. It took 6 approximately 192 hours (mean 40.6 +/- 56.0) from onset of the disease to the operation. The reasons why operations were required in acute phase were prolonged pain; 2, fluid retensionin in thoracic cavity; 3, increasing fluid retension; 3, shock state; 1, anuria; 1.6 (75%) of 8 thoracic aortic dissection cases showed intra-thoracic fluid retension in chest roentogenogram or CT image. We performed prosthetic interposition of descending thoracic aorta in 8 patients and Y-graft interposition of abdominal aorta in a patient. During the operations, we found fluid retension in the thoracic and pericardial cavity in 83% (5 cases) of 6 non-ruptured cases. To diagnose ruptured aneurysm, CT image played very important role. But we could not discriminate between ruptured aneurysm and intrapleural serous fluid retension on the CT image. Puncture of intra-thoracic fluid is effective procedure to diagnose rupture of the aneurysms but it is impossible in some cases and traumatic tap may lead misdiagnosis. Therefore we think moderate or increasing fluid retension in the thoracic cavity should be added to the operative indication of acute DeBakey type III aortic dissection and that the early operation will make mortality rate lower."}
{"id": "PMID:1474689", "title": "[Differential diagnosis between acute rejection and infection after lung transplantation in rats].", "content": "Infiltration of mononuclear cell subpopulations was analyzed immunohistochemically in acute lung allograft rejection (BN/LEW) and mycoplasma pulmonis bronchopneumonia in inbred rats. In lung allograft rejection, marked infiltration of activated macrophages, moderate infiltration of helper and suppressor T lymphocytes, and slight or moderate infiltration of B lymphocytes were observed around bronchioles and vessels, as a thick layer of cells like concentric circles, forming a dense cuff. In acute and chronic mycoplasma infection, focal inflammatory reactions were observed with various degrees of infiltration of mononuclear cell subpopulations around bronchioles and vessels, ranging from very mild to severe infiltration, even in the same section or even around the same bronchiole. This difference in the infiltration pattern between the focal, unequal and dappled infiltration in lung infection and the homogeneous and even cuff infiltration in acute rejection may be useful in differential diagnosis between acute rejection and infection following lung transplantation."}
{"id": "PMID:1474690", "title": "[Combined superior-transseptal approach to the mitral valve].", "content": "We report a technique to improve exposure of the mitral valve apparatus. This technique that combines superior left atriotomy and interatrial septotomy can be helpful in patients with a small left atrium and reoperation. It has been used effectively in five patients and potential complication with this procedure has not occurred. The operative technique and indication are discussed in this paper."}
{"id": "PMID:1474691", "title": "[Combined resection of the aorta in a T4 lung cancer under nonheparinized temporary bypass using Anthron tube].", "content": "A 63-year-old male had squamous cell carcinoma in the left upper lobe. CT scan suggested the invasion of the tumor into the vertebral body and the descending aorta. Left pneumonectomy and combined aortic resection under the temporary bypass using Anthron tube was performed. The bypass using Anthron tube provides us no systemic heparinization and the procedure is easy. So the danger of massive bleeding during and after the operation can be decreased and the operative time can also be shortened. This procedure may be a great help for carrying out the operation with combined aortic resection more safely and speedily."}
{"id": "PMID:1474692", "title": "[A case of Marfan's syndrome that required emergency Bentall's operation due to acute dissecting aortic aneurysm (DeBakey type II) following surgery of abdominal aortic aneurysm].", "content": "Graft replacement was performed in a 29-year-old man for an abdominal aortic aneurysm associated with Marfan's syndrome. Since the dissecting aortic aneurysm (DeBakey type II) accompanied by disruption of the right coronary artery developed 74 days after operation, the emergency Bentall's operation was successfully carried out with bypassing of the right coronary artery using a saphenous vein graft. Fifteen Japanese cases operated on for abdominal aortic aneurysm associated with Marfan's syndrome are reviewed, and the problems concerning surgery of abdominal aortic aneurysm and Bentall's operation are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1474693", "title": "[Invasive thymoma involving the liver: a case report of transdiaphragmatic extension].", "content": "A 38-year-old woman had an invasive thymoma which disseminated into the thoracic cavity and infiltrated the lateral liver surface. Such transdiaphragmatic extension by an invasive thymoma is rare, however, routine abdominal CT should be performed in invasive thymoma cases to avoid underestimating the extent of disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1474694", "title": "[A case report of primary rhabdomyosarcoma of the heart treated with mitral valve replacement].", "content": "We report a case of rhabdomyosarcoma involving the mitral valve of a 57-year-old female. She was referred to our hospital for progressive orthopnea and edema. Chest X-ray showed marked cardiomegaly and pulmonary congestion. Echocardiogram revealed solid mass in left atrium involving the mitral valve. Emergency operation was required because of acute heart failure. At the operation, the mitral orifice was obstructed by the tumor arising from the left atrium. After partial resection of the left atrium, mitral valve replacement with a Carpentier-Edward prosthesis was performed. Subsequently microscopic examination diagnosed as rhabdomyosarcoma. She died three months after the operation of heart failure probably due to progression of the remnant of the tumor. This, to our knowledge, is the first case of mitral valve replacement for a primary rhabdomyosarcoma of the heart in Japan."}
{"id": "PMID:1474695", "title": "[Left ventricular-right atrial communication with a residual ventricular septal defect: a case report of successful VSD patch closure with tricuspid valvuloplasty using folded patch].", "content": "A 18-year-old woman with combination of left ventricular right atrial communication (LV-RA communication) and residual ventricular septal defect (VSD) was presented. She underwent the radical operation of atrial septal defect, VSD and infundibular pulmonary stenosis at the age 11 years. Surgery was performed under the diagnosis of LV-RA communication and residual VSD. Two small defect were existed at the septal leaflet of the tricuspid valve, which communicated to left ventricle. The part of patch being used as closure of VSD at the previous operation, including perforated part of the septal leaflet was resected. A folded patch was used to reinforce the residual VSD and valvuloplasty was made using the remaining intact tricuspid tissues. Post-operative clinical course was uneventful. Shunt flow from LV to RA was not demonstrated in the postoperative left ventricular angiocardiography."}
{"id": "PMID:1474696", "title": "[A case report of oozing type cardiac rupture following acute myocardial infarction: hemostasis with fibrin glue and oxycellulose].", "content": "A 65-year-old man was admitted due to acute anterior myocardial infarction. After admission, he fell into cardiac shock. Echocardiogram showed cardiac tamponade due to cardiac rupture. He was immediately transferred to the operating room. After opening the pericardium, 300 ml of bloody pericardial fluid containing coagula was excluded. Hematoma-like infarcted lesion was found on the surface of the left ventricular apex. Because there was no bleeding point, fibrin glue and oxycellulose was fixed on this lesion for pressure hemostasis without any suture. The postoperative course was uneventful."}
{"id": "PMID:1474697", "title": "[A case report of ruptured aneurysm of the sinus Valsalva resulted in tricuspid valve endocarditis].", "content": "A case of a 42-year-old man with ruptured aneurysm of the sinus Valsalva resulted in tricuspid valve endocarditis was reported. The aneurysm originating from the right sinus Valsalva ruptured into the right atrium, which caused tricuspid valve endocarditis. The aneurysm was closed through right atrial approach. A part of the septal leaflet of tricuspid valve including vegetation was resected and repaired."}
{"id": "PMID:1474698", "title": "[Aortic root reconstruction in the patient with aortic root dissection and aortic valve regurgitation: a case report].", "content": "The reported patient was a 60-year-old man with congestive heart failure and recurrent inferior myocardial infarction. The aortogram revealed severe aortic regurgitation, aortic root dilatation and dissection with involvement of the right coronary ostium. Aortic root reconstruction using the valved conduit was performed. The left coronary ostium was reimplanted with Carrel patch method and the right coronary artery was bypassed with the saphenous vein graft. Postoperative course was uneventful and he is asymptomatic in one year after operation. Although aortic root reconstruction with Carrel patch procedure is not widely adopted in Japan, we recommend this procedure because the anastomosis between the coronary ostium and the graft is tight."}
{"id": "PMID:1474699", "title": "[A case report of pulmonary embolectomy for acute pulmonary embolism].", "content": "In recent years, case reports of the pulmonary thromboembolism which had been comparatively less in our country, have been gradually increasing. However, this disease is more often reported in the chronic stage, and case reports of severe cases in the acute stage are still less. The case reported here was admitted to our hospital by emergency ambulation with severe chest pain. On the second day after the admission, respiratory standstill developed suddenly following recurrent chest pain, which necessitated cardiopulmonary resuscitation. The patient was intubated and the IABP was instituted because of hemodynamic instability. An emergent cardiac catheterization under the mechanical ventilation and the IABP supported displayed massive shadow defect on the pulmonary arteriogram, which was indicating acute pulmonary embolism. The pulmonary pressure was 58/18 mmHg despite of the shock state (the aortic pressure: 60/28 mmHg). Subsequently, a pulmonary thrombectomy was carried out under the emergency cardiopulmonary bypass. The cardiac catheterization performed two weeks after the operation. Revealed that the pulmonary pressure returned to the almost normal volume (38/18 mmHg) in association with the aortic pressure of 113/72 mmHg. The venogram of lower extremities revealed thrombi in the deep veins, suggesting the cause of the thromboembolism in the pulmonary arteries. The Bird's nest filter was inserted for the prevention of recurrence of pulmonary embolism. This patient is doing well 10 months postoperatively."}
{"id": "PMID:1474700", "title": "[Benefit of the autoperfusion balloon catheter for emergency coronary artery grafting after failed percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty].", "content": "A 61-year-old man was operated on an emergent basis because of abrupt closure of left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) following failed coronary angioplasty. At once abrupt closure occurred, Stack autoperfusion balloon catheter was placed across the coronary lesion to reestablish blood flow to the ischemic myocardial area with intraaortic balloon counterpulsation. Despite a longtime of 12 hours to cardiopulmonary bypass, the patient had been managed with excellent resolution of symptoms and ST elevation. Under a stable hemodynamic state, saphenous vein grafting to LAD was performed with minimal myocardial infarction. Stack catheter made it possible to perform the subsequent coronary bypass operation as a controlled, optimal revascularization procedure because of its passive autoperfusion effect."}
{"id": "PMID:1474701", "title": "[Surgical treatment of acute aortic dissection in the aged: a case report].", "content": "A 77-year-old woman with Stanford type A acute aortic dissecting aneurysm was successfully treated by the sutureless technique using arringed intraluminal graft. A month after the operation, re-dissection to the distal abdominal aorta occurred. Because of the poor condition of the patient and her great age, we chose an antihypertensive therapy instead of a reoperation. Two years after the operation this patient leads a sound life without any symptoms. In a case of acute aortic dissection of the aged, special consideration may be allowed to a surgical method and a decision-making for a reoperation."}
{"id": "PMID:1474702", "title": "[A case of mediastinal seminoma which penetrated pericardium and invaded left upper lobe].", "content": "A 35-year-old man admitted at our hospital, with a complaint of anterior chest pain. Chest x-ray film and CT showed an anterior mediastinal tumor. An invasive thymoma was suspected by the biopsy specimen, invading left upper lobe of the lung. Resections of the tumor, thymus, invasion to the part of the left upper lobe and the pericardium were performed. The pathology showed pure seminoma penetrating the pericardium. As testis and the retroperitoneum were normal, the tumor was diagnosed as mediastinal origin. Adjuvant chemotherapy (CDDP, BLM and etoposide) and irradiation were performed. The patient is alive and well for 7 months postoperatively."}
{"id": "PMID:1474703", "title": "[Investigation on unsuccessful endoscopic operation for cases with vesicoureteral reflux].", "content": "Endoscopic operation of vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) has several advantages such as less invasiveness and technical ease with the procedure and shorter hospitalization for the operation in comparison with coeliotomy, but the cure rate achieved by endoscopic operation compares unfavorably with that by coeliotomy. The unsuccessful cases of VUR by endoscopic operation were investigated to promote the success rate by endoscopic operation. Of 66 ureters in 55 patients 50 were successfully treated with the first operation, and 4 of 8 ureters with the second one. All 15 infants were cured, but the cure rate in females between 17 and 45 year old was significantly low (57%). An equally high cure rate was obtained by the endoscopic operation even in patients who had a high grade VUR, patulous ureteral orifices, an underlying neurogenic bladder, or episodes of urinary tract infection. All ureters were cured just after operation. The recurrence of VUR occurred in 19 ureters (29%) and 16 ureters were discovered at one month examination after operation, which indicates that olive oil dissolving teflon paste was partly absorbed to bladder tissue. Teflon paste shifted to internal urethral orifice in 4 unsuccessful ureters. Based on these findings, the endoscopic operation should be considered to be the preferred treatment among others in the management of VUR and the injection of sufficient volume of teflon paste into submucosal and muscular space of the bladder trigone could promote the cure rate."}
{"id": "PMID:1474704", "title": "[Study of 54 renal allograft recipients in the cyclosporin A era. What influences acute rejection episode and long-term graft survival?].", "content": "During the past 5-year period from 1986 to 1991, a total of 54 patients received living-related renal allograft and has been managed with vagaries of cyclosporin A (CYA) immunosuppressive regimen. In order to determine the ideal form of induction regimen, combination drugs with CYA, the initial dosage of CYA and its blood trough level were retrospectively analyzed with particular reference to the possible factors relevant to the occurrence of acute rejection episode in the first three post-transplant months and graft survival. The combination drugs with CYA were prednisolone (PRD) in 10 patients, PRD + azathioprine (AZA) in 19 and PRD+mizoribine (MIZ) in 25. The initial dosage of CYA was 6 mg/kg B.W. in 6 patients, 8 mg/kg in 17, 10 mg/kg in 15 and > or = 12 mg/kg in 16. Blood trough level of CYA measured principally by high performance liquid chromatography was arbitrarily divided into < 100, 100-150, 150-200, > or = 200 mg/kg ranges for the analysis. By arbitrarily dividing the post-transplant period into four (period I: 0-15th day, period II: 16-30th, period III: 31-60th and period IV: 61-90th), the correlation of the incidence of acute rejection episode and aforementioned factors was studied. Relevance of these factors to the graft survival was also studied. The administration of AZA to MIZ to CYA + PRD had no suppressive effect upon the occurrence of acute rejection during the first three months and similarly it had no effect upon graft survival. Rejection episodes, however, occurred more frequently in the recipients with less than 150 ng/ml of CYA trough level in the period I and less than 100 ng/ml in the period III (p < 0.01).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1474705", "title": "[Adherence of E. coli to bladder epithelia in compromised mice and plasma endotoxin level].", "content": "The role of bacterial adherence in association with complicated urinary tract infections (UTI) and the correlation between bacterial adherence and plasma endotoxin (ET) levels were experimentally investigated by using mouse UTI models. Mice with foreign bodies induced in the bladder or voiding dysfunction were more susceptible to UTI than untreated mice. But diabetic or granulocytopenic mice were little susceptible to UTI in comparison with other two models. Adherence activities of 6 strains of E. coli to mice bladder epithelia in the 4 compromised models showed no difference when compared with those in normal control. Binding patterns of 8 kinds of lectins and mouse uromucoid polyclonal antibody to the mice bladder epithelia in compromised models appeared to be almost the same as those in the normal bladder epithelia. These results suggested that the reason for the susceptibility to UTI in the compromised mice was not necessarily explained based on the increased adherence of E. coli due to qualitative or quantitative changes in receptors on the bladder mucosa. Impairment of other host defense mechanisms may be considered in this regard. Three strains of E. coli expressing type 1 pili adhered to the bladder epithelia in greater numbers in vivo than non piliated strains. E. coli No. 113 strain expressing both type 1 and p pili appeared to be the most virulent in vivo among all 6 strains. Plasma ET levels increased 6 to 24 hours after inoculation of 2 strains of E. coli expressing only type 1 pili or p pili, while a little increase in the levels was observed in mice inoculated with non piliated E. coli. Bacterial adherence to the bladder epithelia may play an important role for the increase in ET levels."}
{"id": "PMID:1474706", "title": "[Radiopacity of the cystine calculi on KUB].", "content": "To study the radiopacity of cystine calculi. We have compared them with oxalate and/or phosphate calculi on plain X-ray films (KUB). Eleven pure cystine calculi from 5 people in 4 families, and 8 oxalate and/or phosphate calculi as controls were obtained from patients by lithotomy or spontaneous discharge in Dokkyo University School of Medicine and affiliated hospitals, since 1978. The radiopacity of cystine calculi was measured by a densitometer PDA-60 (Konika Co.), comparing the density of the calculus with that of the area surrounding the calculus on KUB. All cystine calculi were easily recognized on KUB, and their densities were fairly identical with those of oxalate and/or phosphate calculi."}
{"id": "PMID:1474707", "title": "[Trial of in vitro fertilization via epididymal duct aspirated sperm].", "content": "We made a trial of our method by which sperm are collected directly from epididymal duct, then subjected to in vitro fertilization. The subjects were a total of 22 cases comprising 14 of obstructed azoospermia and 8 of severe oligoasthenozoospermia, on which the surgery was performed 26 times. Using the microscope, an epididymal duct was directly punctured to make a suction of the fluid or was slightly incised to make a suction of the outflow. Sperms thus collected were preincubated for 4 to 6 hours, then subjected to in vitro fertilization. Condition of collected sperms; 32 x 10(4)-15300 x 10(4) sperms were obtained in real number. Sperm motility rate was 0-82%, averaging 25.0%. Sperm forward motility were fairly good in 18 of 26 test cases. Sperm condition was so poor as to make the insemination impossible in 4 test cases (16%). Fertility rate for cases of obstructed azoospermia was 53% (8/15 test cases) and 63% (55/87 eggs) in the test cases and the number of eggs, respectively, compared with 33% (2/6 test cases) and 5.4% (2/37 eggs), respectively for cases of oligo-asthenozoospermia. Pregnancy; Successful pregnancy was obtained in 2 of the cases of obstructed azoospermia, in each of which sperms were collected from the head of the epididymis, then passed into the maternal body by zygote intra fallopian tubal transfer (ZIFT); with the one case resulting in uneventful delivery in November 1991 and the other in a miscarriage. The above results suggested the present method would become an epoch-making approach in the treatment of severe male infertility."}
{"id": "PMID:1474708", "title": "[Effects of afferent vagal stimulation and distention of the upper digestive tract on the micturition reflex and activity of the pontine micturition center in dogs].", "content": "(1) The study was performed to elucidate the effects of afferent vagal stimulation and distension of the digestive tract on the micturition reflex in 21 acute decerebrate dogs immobilized with gallamine. Electrical stimulation of the central cut end of the cervical vagus nerve with high voltage (17.5-25 V) and moderate frequency (10-50 Hz) elicited in most cases inhibition of the periodic bladder contractions and of outflows of the pelvic vesical branch which were induced by a sustained intravesical pressure of 10-15 cmH2O. Distension of the thoracic esophagus, the stomach, and the duodenum also induced inhibition of the bladder contractions and of the pelvic outflow to the bladder. Such inhibitions were abolished after bilateral cervical vagotomies except a few cases of distension of the duodenum. (2) Another series of experiments were undertaken to clear the effect of afferent vagal stimulation on the electrical activity of the pontine micturition center in 10 acute decerebrate dogs. By means of an extracellular glass microelectrode method, unitary discharges synchronized with the grouping discharges in the pelvic vesical branch with a rhythm of 2.2-2.5 Hz were recorded from the pontine micturition center in the dorsolateral pontine tegmentum. Such a type of discharges was detected in 6 of 59 units which discharged by afferent stimulation of the pelvic vesical branch. This type of discharges was inhibited by afferent vagal stimulation at the supradiaphragmatic level. From these results, it may be concluded that the afferent pathway of the bladder relaxation reflex induced by distension of the upper digestive tract is mainly involved in the vagal nerves, but in some cases of the strong distension of the duodenum, the pathway is in splanchnic nerves, and that inhibition of the bladder contraction after stimulation of vagal nerve is induced by suppression of the pontine micturition centers."}
{"id": "PMID:1474709", "title": "[Effect of unilateral hydronephrosis upon contralateral renal growth].", "content": "To evaluate the effect of hydronephrosis on the growth of contralateral normal kidney, following experiment was designed and performed. Three to four weeks old S-D rats weighing 80-90 g were used. The kidney development of these rats is considered to be roughly equivalent to that of a one year old child. Those rats were divided into three groups: (1) left nephrectomy (group N), (2) left ureteral ligation (group H), and (3) sham operation (group S). Bromodeoxy uridine (BrdU) was administered intraperitoneally on the 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th and 14th days after operations. One hour after injection of BrdU, right kidneys were removed and wet weight and labelling index (LI) of BrdU were calculated. Compensatory renal growth of right kidneys was observed in both group H and group N on and after 1st or 3rd day. In group N, the growth was accompanied by cellular proliferation, while in group H, hypertrophy was the major finding for up to 5th day. From 7th day on, when significant disorders became histologically evident in the left hydronephrotic kidneys, cell proliferation was also observed in the group H. The above results indicate that compensatory renal growth occurred in the contralateral normal kidney after unilateral ureteral ligation. Although proliferation of right renal tubular cells were recognized when significant tubular and interstitial damage of the left hydronephrotic kidneys were observed, hypertrophy was a major finding in an early stage. We suggest that these results were attributed to (1) reduction of nephron triggered to proliferate tubular cells and (2) the existence of hydronephrotic kidney inhibited tubular cell proliferation."}
{"id": "PMID:1474710", "title": "[Study on chemosensitivity test of urogenital tumors by ATP assay].", "content": "In order to improve the efficacy of chemotherapy against urogenital cancers, we developed a chemosensitivity test by measuring intracellular ATP in cancer cells. In the fundamental experiments using HeLa cells, a significant correlation was observed between intracellular ATP levels and numbers of viable cells. We employed 8 drugs, ADM, VCR, VLB, MTX, 5-FU, PEP, MMC, and CDDP for the assay Thirty-four renal tumors, 68 urothelial tumors and 19 testicular tumors were tested, and evaluable results were obtained in 25 specimens of renal tumors (76%) 55 specimens of urothelial tumors (80%) and 17 specimens of testicular tumors (98%). According to the ATP assay, renal tumors were sensitive to ADM and MMC, urothelial tumors to ADM, MMC and CDDP and testicular tumors to ADM and MMC. The ATP assay to determine the chemosensitivity to clinical specimens was sensitive and efficient. Thus the ATP assay could be applied for selection of anticancer drugs in the chemotherapy of urogenital cancers."}
{"id": "PMID:1474711", "title": "[Urinary managements of 332 stroke patients in the chronic phase].", "content": "Urinary managements of 332 stroke patients in the chronic phase were performed at Bobath hospital. Cerebrovascular accidents (CVA) were caused by cerebral infarction in 178 (53.6%), intracerebral hemorrhage in 123 (37.1%) and subarachnoid hemorrhage in 31 (9.3%). Voluntary urination appeared in 124 patients before treatment, however in 29 of them occasional incontinence were observed. One hundred forty-three patients used diapers and 64 were controlled by indwelling catheters. The remaining one patient was treated by intermittent catheterization. Sixty-two patients who seemed to have communicative abilities in daily living were assessed with regard to their cerebrovascular dementia by Hasegawa's Dementia Rating Scale. After treatment 235 patients (70.8%) were able to urinate voluntarily, and only 15 of them remained incontinent and could use small pads successfully. TURP was effective for the stroke patients with benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH) or bladder neck sclerosis (BNS). Fifty-three patients (16.0%) with persistent urinary incontinence were managed by diapers or a system of condom drainage. Thirty-nine patients (11.7%) were kept dry with intermittent catheterization at home, and long-standing use of indwelling catheters were required in the remaining 5 patients (1.5%). These results indicate that the lower level of activity, mobility and mental state tended to prevent the stroke patients from improvement of urinary disorders."}
{"id": "PMID:1474712", "title": "[A clinico-pathological study of inverted papilloma of the urinary bladder. Analysis of histogenesis].", "content": "A clinico-pathological study was conducted on 9 cases with inverted papilloma of the urinary bladder. 1. Clinical study: The incidence of inverted papillomas, when compared with transitional cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder, was much higher in men than in women in our study and in the literature dealing with this subject as well. Eight of 9 inverted papillomas were localized in the bladder neck. Cystoscopic examination revealed that all tumors were pedunculated and 8 of the 9 tumors had non-papillary surfaces. These clinical findings suggest that inverted papillomas localized in the bladder neck are very similar to posterior urethral polyps with prostatic type epithelium. Transurethral resection (TUR) was performed in all cases. Recurrence was not observed. 2. Pathological study: Inverted papillomas were classified into two types according to their histological patterns, determined by Hematoxylin-Eosin (H-E) staining. One pattern was glandular and the another was trabecular. Of the 9 cases, 2 were glandular, 5 were trabecular and the remaining 2 were a mixed type. Immunohistochemical staining with anti-prostate specific antigen antibody revealed 3 of the 9 tumors were stained positively, and these tumors were classified a glandular type. Inverted papilloma were classified into two patterns according to their histological patterns, determined by immunohistochemical staining with anti-keratin antibody, namely a bladder tumor pattern and a urethral tumor pattern. Inverted papillomas with a urethral tumor pattern were of the glandular type and included anti-PSA antibody positive staining tumors. These findings suggest that a portion of inverted papillomas may have arisen from neoplastic transformation of prostatic tissue."}
{"id": "PMID:1474713", "title": "[Results of total prostatectomy for treatment of prostatic cancer].", "content": "Between 1970 and 1989, total prostatectomy was performed in 31 patients with prostatic cancer at the Department of Urology, Tokyo Metropolitan Fuchu Hospital. These cases were composed of 4 cases of stage A, 8 cases of stage B and 19 cases of stage C. The surgical procedures were perineal prostatectomy in 25 cases, combined method of perineal and retropubic prostatectomy in 5 cases and transsacral prostatectomy in one case. Blood loss was 762 ml on the average. Blood transfusion was unnecessary in 15 cases all of whom underwent perineal prostatectomy. Endocrine or radiation therapy were administered after total prostatectomy to 23 or 13 cases, respectively. Postoperative complications included early postoperative death due to apoplexy in 1 cases, recto-vesical fistula in 1, bladder neck or urethral stricture in 9 (mild 7, severe 2) and urinary incontinence in 20 (mild 13, moderate 4, severe 3). Frequency and grade of urinary incontinence tended to become higher as the pathological stage progressed. The 5-year survival rates for clinical stage A and B, and C were 83% and 63%, respectively. We conclude that total perineal prostatectomy was less traumatic operation for prostatic cancer, and would be indicated in clinical stage A and B for radical operation and in stage C for one of the combination therapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1474714", "title": "[Flow cytometric analysis of the DNA content in the urinary bladder cancers treated by radical cystectomy and pre-operative irradiation].", "content": "The DNA ploidy of bladder cancers treated by radical cystectomy following pre-operative irradiation was analyzed by flow cytometry using paraffin embedded samples. The DNA ploidy and its changes by irradiation were studied. We used flow cytometry in 30 patients with transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder who received pre-operative irradiation (40 Gy in 24 patients, 20 Gy in 5 patients and 60 Gy in one) with follow-up for at least 3 years. Total 140 paraffin embedded samples (4.6 samples per one patient) were available. The effects of therapy were related to the DNA patterns before irradiation and to the DNA ploidy changes after irradiation. 1. Eight DNA diploid tumors and twenty-two DNA aneuploid ones were detected before irradiation. Although diploid group didn't change its DNA ploidy after irradiation, of 22 aneuploid tumors 18 were changed to DNA diploid and 4 were not changed in their ploidy. 2. The tumor eradicating effect of irradiation was shown to be higher (p < 0.05) in the diploid group (5 of 8, 63%) than in the aneuploid group (5 of 22, 23%). 3. Overall survival rates were discussed in 3 groups (A, B and C), the group A was 10 of tumor free and 3 diploid tumors after irradiation, the group B was 13 of aneuploid tumors which changed to diploid ones and the group C was 4 of persistent aneuploid tumors. Each of 5 year survival rate was 100% (A), 58% (B) and 0% (C). Overall survival for C group was significantly shorter than for other groups (p < 0.01).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1474715", "title": "[Urinary disturbance due to HTLV-1 associated myelopathy].", "content": "Patients with human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 associated myelopathy (HAM) have complaints of urinary disturbance frequently. Symptoms and urodynamic examinations were evaluated in untreated twenty-one patients with HAM. Although two cases (11%) had no urinary symptom, nineteen cases (89%) suffered from dysuria, pollakisuria, incontinence or urgency. The combination of irritative and obstructive urinary disturbance was a characteristic symptom in the HAM patients. In three cases the urinary symptoms preceded the gait disturbance which is a main symptom of HAM. In urodynamic study overactive bladder was found in fourteen cases (66%), although three cases (15%) showed underactive or acontractile bladder with disturbance of urinary sensation. There was no abnormal finding by urethral pressure profile (UPP), but detrusor sphincter dyssynergia (DSD) was revealed frequently by EMG. This typical dysfunction of the HAM patients was thought to be caused by destruction of the lateral column of the spinal cord."}
{"id": "PMID:1474716", "title": "[Clinical study of total parathyroidectomy and autotransplantation for secondary hyperparathyroidism].", "content": "From April 1983 to September 1991 total parathyroidectomy (PTX) and parathyroid autotransplantation were carried out in 27 patients for secondary hyperparathyroidism. Of these patients, 13 were males and 14 were females. Their average age was 43 years old and their mean duration of dialysis was 126.4 months. As preoperative clinical symptoms, bone pain was observed in 19 cases, joint pain in 18, decrease of height in 7, pruritus in 3, muscle pain in 2, red eyes in 2 and others in 2. As roentgenographic findings, subperiosteal bone resorption and skull-salt and pepper were demonstrated in 26 cases, rugger jersey spine in 15, soft tissue calcification in 11, and pathological fractures in 4. Four parathyroid glands were removed in 23 cases, three glands in 4. Serum calcium level decreased remarkably within 24 hours after parathyroidectomy in all cases. The average total weight of parathyroid glands was 4.48 g. The preoperative diagnostic accuracy of echogram was 94% and that of CT scan was 90%. The clinical improvement after PTX was excellent in 12 cases and good in 11. The roentgenographic improvement of skull and/or finger bone more than one year after PTX was excellent in 11 cases and good in 11. Judging from histopathological findings of the bone, the clinical and roentgenographic improvement was observed better in the osteitis fibrosa group than in mild group. A significant correlation was found between the level of preoperative c-PTH and the weight of resected parathyroid glands. The level of preoperative ALP correlated with intact-PTH and was higher in the osteitis fibrosa group than in the mild group.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1474717", "title": "[Diagnosis of gonococcal urethritis and chlamydial urethritis by polymerase chain reaction].", "content": "A polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method was compared to standard methods (cultures for Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Chlamydia trachomatis and an enzyme-immunoassay for C. trachomatis) in diagnosis of gonococcal and chlamydial urethritis in 40 male patients with urethritis. Gonococcal urethritis was diagnosed by detection of a 206 bp DNA fragment amplified by PCR with N. gonorrhoeae-specific primers. Chlamydial urethritis was diagnosed by detection of a 242 bp DNA fragment amplified by PCR with C. trachomatis-specific primers. Gonococcal and chlamydial urethritis, gonococcal and non-chlamydial urethritis, non-gonococcal and chlamydial urethritis, and non-gonococcal and non-chlamydial urethritis were diagnosed in 8, 10, 14 and 8 patients, respectively, by the PCR method. In 9 patients with gonococcal and chlamydial urethritis, 10 with gonococcal and non-chlamydial urethritis, 12 with non-gonococcal and chlamydial urethritis, and 9 with non-gonococcal and non-chlamydial urethritis, diagnosed by the standard methods, the coincidence rates of the PCR to the standard methods were 78% (7/9), 90% (9/10), 100% (12/12), and 89% (8/9), respectively. The overall coincidence rate between the PCR and the standard methods in diagnosis of urethritis were high (90%). In addition, N.gonorrhoeae and C.trachomatis could be simultaneously detected from one urethral sample in approximately 6 hours by means of the PCR. Thus, the PCR method could clinically be applied and would offer several advantages to diagnosis of urethritis, compared to the standard methods."}
{"id": "PMID:1474718", "title": "[Localization of androgen receptor in male sex organ, accessory sex organs and external genital skin].", "content": "Previously, we established an anti-androgen receptor (AR) monoclonal antibody. Using the antibody, we investigated immunohistological AR localization in human testes, epididymides, seminal vesicles and scrotal skins. The testes, epididymides and scrotal skins were obtained from a prostate cancer patient without pre-hormonal therapy undergoing bilateral orchiectomy. The seminal vesicles were obtained from a bladder cancer patient undergoing radical cystectomy. The tissues were immediately frozen in liquid nitrogen and kept at -80 degrees C until used. Cryostat-frozen sections were cut at 5 microns and stained by an indirect method. We obtained the following results. 1) In the testes, nuclei of Leydig cells were stained though Sertoli cells were not stained. AR localization in Leydig cells which produce testosterone suggests autocrine or intracrine mechanism in the testis. 2) In the epididymides, nuclei of epithelial cells of epididymal ducts were stained, while muscles and connective tissues were not stained. In the seminal vesicles, nuclei of glandular epithelial cells were stained. 3) In the scrotal skins, the cells of squamous cell layer have positive stainings. The cells in the upper portion of squamous cell layer were stained more intensely than the cells in the lower portion. The basal layer was not stained. The cells of the outer root sheath of hair follicles in the scrotal skins were also stained. 4) In androgen target organs, AR-positive cells and AR-negative cells were mixed in the epithelium of a glandular duct, which suggests heterogeneity of AR localization in the androgen target organs."}
{"id": "PMID:1474719", "title": "[A study on urinary free gamma-carboxyglutamic acid in patients with idiopathic urinary calcium stone].", "content": "Currently, urinary excretion of free gamma-carboxyglutamic acid (gamma-gla.), a terminal amino acid degraded from gamma-gla. containing protein including bone Gla. Estimated to be a more specific marker for bone metabolism and useful clinically rather than urinary excretion of hydroxyproline. In addition, serum levels of BGP have proved to be a significantly valuable indicator for bone metabolism, especially for process of bone formation, in recent studies. Therefore, we measured these parameters in 40 patients with idiopathic urinary calcium (Ca) stone and investigated bone metabolism in those patients. However, in majority of cases studied, urinary levels of gamma-gla. as well as that of hydroxyproline proved to be definite difference from that in healthy subjects (n = 12) and failed to suggest the presence of abnormality in bone turnover in the background of stone formation. Urinary excretion of hydroxyproline were 6.68 +/- 3.89 micrograms/mg.Cr in the patients and 6.95 +/- 3.08 micrograms/mg.Cr in healthy subjects. Urinary excretion of gamma-gla were 55.0 +/- 15.8 nmol/mg.Cr in the patients and 47.2 +/- 7.3 nmol/mg.Cr in healthy subjects."}
{"id": "PMID:1474720", "title": "[A case of renal hemangiopericytoma].", "content": "A 27-year-old female was referred with an abdominal mass. Examination revealed a non tender firm mass in the right flank and hypertension (200/100 mmHg). An angiomyolipoma was suspected on computed tomography and arteriography and a radical nephrectomy was performed. On cut section, the kidney was occupied by a well-capsulated, grayish tumor measuring 10 x 9 cm. Pathological diagnosis was a renal hemangiopericytoma without involvement of the capsule. Her blood pressure has normalized after the operation. She has no evidence of recurrence after 18 months' follow-up."}
{"id": "PMID:1474729", "title": "Cardiopulmonary bypass in the successful resuscitation of a 28-year-old woman with cardiac arrest.", "content": "This patient remained hospitalized for several weeks, and her stay was relatively uneventful. She extubated herself 2 days after admission, after an operative procedure to remove the cannulas and repair the right femoral cutdown site. A fasciotomy of her right calf was done for compartment syndrome. The patient had minor neurologic deficits of short-term memory loss and spatial depth perception loss. These deficits, attributed to postresuscitative hypoxia, eventually resolved. Extensive cardiac testing performed to pinpoint the underlying cause of her cardiac dysfunction were inconclusive. Because no cause was found, an automatic implantable cardiodefribrillator was recommended to prevent future cardiac events. The patient agreed and the device was implanted before her discharge. With expert occupational therapy, physical rehabilitation, nursing care, and medical treatment the patient regained her previous level of functioning. Her October wedding was postponed to December, but she was able to return to work in November 1990."}
{"id": "PMID:1474732", "title": "The problems of intrahospital transfer of patients with trauma and one solution: the \"Trauma Transfer Backpack\".", "content": "With long stays for computed tomographic scans and x-ray exams and long trips to ICUs, patients with trauma may need extra fluids, drugs, or equipment outside the emergency department. Putting everything in a backpack saves time, leaves the nurse's hands free, and does not take up room on the stretcher."}
{"id": "PMID:1474733", "title": "A successful prehospital quality assurance program in compliance with New York State regulations.", "content": "Reviews provide valuable information and insight about the overall status of community-wide emergency medical services. Specific areas of concern are readily identified and can be addressed within a reasonable time by the group responsible for instituting corrective actions."}
{"id": "PMID:1474734", "title": "Treating cancer-related pain in the emergency department: the emergency nurse's role.", "content": "Ask for and believe the patient's report of pain, use a preventive approach, combine opioids and nonopioids when possible, and consider adjuvant drugs for neuropathic pain not relieved by an adequate trial of opioids and NSAID. Remain a patient advocate through careful assessment and reassessment of the patient and informative collaboration with the physician and other colleagues. Anticipate and treat side effects, and identify and address pain myths held by patients and families that interfere with sound pain management practices. Establish mutually set goals and direct the patient to necessary follow up. Emergency nurses can do much to alleviate unnecessary suffering and improve quality of life for patients with cancer who come to the emergency department for help."}
{"id": "PMID:1474738", "title": "The Glasgow Coma Scale: do it and do it right.", "content": "Monitoring of GCS parameters is an essential part of the initial and ongoing assessment of patients with trauma. It is important that health care professionals recognize the limitations of the GCS and consistently and correctly apply the scoring criteria when assessing patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1474755", "title": "The Oregon Health Plan.", "content": "The Oregon Health Plan is an innovative approach to providing a basic level of health care coverage for all citizens. A major component of the plan provides for prevention of illness. True, there is rationing of health care in the plan, but without such a plan the uninsured are currently limited in access to care. The plan may be flawed, but this cannot be known until it has been tried and monitored. The reality is that health care dollars are diminishing, and alternative approaches to health care are going to have to be investigated. This plan is truly a starting point for the development of a national health care policy. Let us hope that the federal government will allow Oregon to begin this bold experiment, and perhaps benefit the disenfranchised in this country."}
{"id": "PMID:1474763", "title": "When is cortisol a mineralocorticoid?", "content": "(1) Decreased 11 beta-OHSD activity permits binding of cortisol to the Type I (mineralocorticoid) receptor in humans, thereby producing spironolactone-inhibitable Na+ retention, hypokalemia and hypertension, the syndrome of apparent mineralocorticoid excess (AME). (2) Blockade of either the Type I receptor with spironolactone or the Type II (glucocorticoid) receptor with RU-486 does not consistently abolish the effects of stress level cortisol on Na+ retention and hypertension in acute studies in normal humans, suggesting the existence of an additional glucocorticoid receptor. (3) Enhanced glucocorticoid 6 beta-hydroxylation could play an etiologic role in certain hypertensive syndromes. (4) Both decreased 11 beta-OHSD and increased 6 beta-OHase are candidates as intermediate phenotypes for the remote phenotype essential hypertension."}
{"id": "PMID:1474764", "title": "Autocrine secretion of transforming growth factor-beta in cultured rat mesangial cells.", "content": "Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) recently has been shown to modulate mesangial cell growth and to stimulate mesangial matrix synthesis by mesangial cells. Here we examined whether mesangial cells expressed TGF-beta mRNA and secreted mature TGF-beta, and we investigated the role of TGF-beta in mesangial cell growth. Cultured rat mesangial cells expressed 2.5 kb TGF-beta mRNA, and removal of fetal calf serum (FCS) for two days decreased the TGF-beta mRNA level, which was then stimulated by re-addition of 17% FCS reaching the maximum at nine hours. 12-O-tetradecanoyl phorbol-13-acetate (TPA), one of the phorbol esters, markedly increased the mRNA level and reached the maximum at six or nine hours. Immunoblot analysis of the conditioned media using specific anti-TGF-beta 1 antibodies revealed single 12.5 kDa proteins, the size compatible with mature TGF-beta subunits. By means of bioassay using CCL-64 cell line, TGF-beta production rate by mesangial cells was estimated to be 22.1 +/- 6.5 (mean +/- SD) ng/10(6) cells/24 hours, 96% of which was in latent forms. Exogenously added TGF-beta inhibited mesangial cell growth at 10 pM or higher. Moreover, addition of anti-TGF-beta neutralizing antibodies augmented mesangial cell growth, indicating that the secreted TGF-beta actually exerted a growth-inhibitory action. In summary, mesangial cells produce and secrete substantial amounts of TGF-beta but mostly in latent forms, and the secreted TGF-beta may regulate mesangial cell growth and differentiation. We conclude that TGF-beta may function as an autocrine factor in mesangial cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1474765", "title": "Deletions of the COL4A5 gene in patients with Alport syndrome.", "content": "Mutations in the COL4A5 gene encoding the alpha 5 chain of type IV collagen have been found in linkage with X-chromosomal Alport syndrome (AS). To identify COL4A5 mutations in patients from Germany with clinically defined AS, DNA from 20 unrelated patients was analyzed by conventional Southern blotting. By using full length alpha 5(IV) cDNA probes, large COL4A5 deletions could be detected in two patients. In one case, a 34 kb deletion affecting the 14 most 3' exons of the gene was observed. The second patient harbored a complete COL4A5 deletion. In both cases, functional alpha 5(IV) mRNA was unlikely to be present. Clinically, both patients developed end-stage renal failure before age 30. Furthermore, they had characteristic retinal flecks, and sensorineural hearing loss with typical changes on the audiogram. The patient with the complete deletion of COL4A5 lost the renal allograft due to an anti-GBM mediated glomerulonephritis."}
{"id": "PMID:1474766", "title": "Prostaglandins protect kidneys against ischemic and toxic injury by a cellular effect.", "content": "The ability of prostaglandins to protect the kidney against ischemic and toxic renal injury was evaluated by in vivo and in vitro models of renal ischemia. The prostaglandin E1 analogue, misoprostol, was found to provide significant protection against ischemia-induced renal dysfunction in rats subjected to 40 minutes of renal artery occlusion. Misoprostol-treated rats had glomerular filtration rates almost threefold greater than control animals, although renal blood flow and renal vascular resistance were not significantly different. Improved tubular function was reflected in a lower fractional excretion of sodium and a higher urine-to-plasma creatinine ratio. Misoprostol also provided similar protection in a model of toxic renal injury produced by mercuric chloride. In an in vitro model employing primary cultures of proximal tubule epithelial cells subjected to hypoxia and reoxygenation, misoprostol limited cell death. Posthypoxic cells had apical membrane disruption and loss of microvilli when examined by transmission electron microscopy. These changes were not seen in misoprostol-treated cells. The \"cytoprotective\" effect was also produced by prostaglandin E2 and prostacyclin. The ability of prostaglandin E to protect against toxic and ischemic renal injury did not appear to be due to an antioxidant effect because misoprostol did not limit lipid peroxidation in vivo and did not protect against oxidant injury by tert-butyl hydroperoxide in vitro. Although the exact mechanism of prostaglandin protection was not revealed, these studies demonstrate that prostaglandins protect renal tubule epithelial cells from hypoxic injury at the cellular level independent of hemodynamic factors or inflammatory responses. Such a \"cytoprotective\" effect of prostaglandins may be a generalized phenomenon since it has also been demonstrated in gastrointestinal epithelium."}
{"id": "PMID:1474767", "title": "Anti-DNA antibodies can bind to the glomerulus via two distinct mechanisms.", "content": "It is generally assumed that antibodies to double stranded DNA (anti-DNA) play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of SLE nephritis. Recently, we reported that anti-DNA antibodies can bind to heparan sulphate proteoglycan (HSPG), a constituent of the glomerular basement membrane (GBM), via histones and DNA. We postulated that these histone/DNA/anti-DNA complexes can bind via their histone part to the glomerulus in vivo. To test this hypothesis we performed in vitro binding studies with isolated GBM loops and renal perfusion studies in the rat using histones, DNA and an anti-DNA monoclonal antibody (mAb) with high avidity for dsDNA. A strong granular binding of anti-DNA mAb to isolated GBM loops occurred via histones and DNA and a moderate granular binding was found via DNA alone. Anti-DNA mAb alone did not bind to the GBM loops. After perfusion of histones, DNA and immediately thereafter anti-DNA, we found with immunoelectron microscopy (IEM) a strong binding to endothelial cells in the glomerulus and to a lesser extent in the GBM. When the anti-DNA mAb was injected i.v. one hour after perfusion of histones and DNA, we observed a strong fine granular binding to the capillary wall by immunofluorescence (IF) in a membranous pattern along with some minor mesangial deposits. After perfusion of DNA alone followed by anti-DNA mAb, binding in the glomerulus was less than with histones and DNA, and was more restricted to the mesangium. No direct binding to the glomerulus was observed after perfusion with anti-DNA mAb alone, histones and anti-DNA mAb, or histones, DNA and a control mAb.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1474768", "title": "High resolution localization of angiotensin II receptors in rat renal medulla.", "content": "The cellular localization of angiotensin II (Ang II) receptors in the inner stripe of the outer medulla of the rat kidney was investigated by using high resolution light and electron microscopic autoradiography. Fresh tissue blocks from the inner stripe of the outer medulla were incubated with 125I-[Sar1, Ile8] Ang II and prepared for microscopic autoradiography. At the light microscopic level, 125I-[Sar1, Ile8] Ang II was found to penetrate into the tissue and to bind specifically to sites outlining renal tubules and vasa recta bundles. Electron microscopic autoradiography revealed that silver grains were detected over interstitial cells located between the tubules and components of the vasa recta bundles, but no silver grains were detected overlying the cells of the thin descending or thick ascending limbs of the loop of Henle, the collecting ducts, the vasa recta, or other blood vessels. These interstitial cells contained abundant endoplasmic reticulum, microfilaments, occasional lipid droplets and extensive cytoplasmic processes which closely related to the basement membranes of the vasa recta and loops of Henle. The cells therefore closely resemble type 1 interstitial cells. Since Ang II binding sites are absent in the inner medulla, the cells labelled by this technique must be a subset of type 1 interstitial cells, distinct from the typical lipid-laden interstitial cells most abundant in the inner medulla. These findings demonstrate that type 1 interstitial cells are the primary sites for a high density of Ang II receptors located in the inner stripe of the outer medulla."}
{"id": "PMID:1474769", "title": "Dyslipoproteinemia in diabetic renal failure.", "content": "Plasma concentrations of lipids and apolipoproteins (Apo) were determined in 34 patients with long-standing type I (insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus. Twenty-four patients had renal insufficiency (GFR 4 to 55 ml/min) due to diabetic nephropathy, while 10 patients had no clinical signs of nephropathy. Results were compared with those in 42 non-diabetic patients with comparable degree of renal insufficiency and with asymptomatic control subjects. Diabetic patients without nephropathy had plasma lipid and apolipoprotein concentrations similar to those of the control subjects. Diabetic patients with renal insufficiency had a significant increase in triglycerides (TG) and, to a lesser extent, in total cholesterol (TC). The patients also had reduced levels of ApoA-I and ApoA-II, increased levels of ApoC-II and ApoC-III, while increases in levels of ApoB and ApoE were statistically significant in patients with GFR < 20 ml/min. These lipids and apolipoprotein abnormalities were accentuated with decreasing renal function. The reduction in the ApoA-I/ApoC-III ratio characteristic of renal insufficiency was found in normo- and hyper-TG diabetic patients with nephropathy; this ratio was correlated with the GFR levels. Patients with higher HbA1C values had higher levels of ApoC-II and ApoC-III. The findings in the diabetic patients corresponded with those in non-diabetic patients with renal insufficiency. However, diabetic patients had higher ApoC-III and ApoE levels. The abnormalities of lipid metabolism in diabetic renal insufficiency seem to reflect primarily metabolic impairments characteristic of renal insufficiency, but may be further accentuated by the diabetic state and the metabolic control."}
{"id": "PMID:1474770", "title": "Percutaneous transvenous angioplasty in the treatment of vascular access stenosis.", "content": "This study was undertaken to evaluate percutaneous transvenous angioplasty (PTVA) for the treatment of all types of vascular access stenosis in a large population of dialysis patients. Stenoses were identified by venography in patients who met a set of clinical criteria indicating the need for evaluation. The lesions were classified by location and type. Data were collected prospectively and analyzed separately for each lesion type. A total of 536 PTVA procedures was performed in 285 patients. This included 107 cases of long venous stenosis (> 6 cm) and 149 cases of mid-graft stenosis. In the total group, an initial success rate of 94% was obtained (80% or greater dilatation). A decrease in VPm (venous pressure measured on dialysis) of 35.9%, 32.4%, and 22.6% was seen at one week, one month, and three months, respectively. At 90 days, 180 days, and 360 days 90.6%, 61.3%, and 38.2%, respectively, of the treated grafts were continuing to be patent and functional with no need for repeat PTVA treatment. Repeat treatments for recurrent lesions were as successful as the initial treatment. It is concluded that vascular access stenosis can be easily diagnosed and that all categories of stenotic lesion can be effectively treated with PTVA."}
{"id": "PMID:1474771", "title": "Effect of intraperitoneal neostigmine on peritoneal transport characteristics in CAPD.", "content": "Lymphatics have been suggested to play a major role in the absorption of dialysate, which consequently affects the adequacy of peritoneal dialysis. Neostigmine has been found to decrease lymphatic absorption in rats, presumably by causing constriction of the lymphatic stomata. We investigated the effect of neostigmine on seven continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) patients in a prospective study. We performed modified peritoneal equilibration tests both with and without intraperitoneal neostigmine in a random order. Radiolabeled albumin (0.8 mg) was added to 2 liters of dialysate +/- 2.0 mg neostigmine. We evaluated ultrafiltration and creatinine, phosphate, and urea clearances. The dialysate bag and the peritoneum were scanned at the initiation and conclusion of the four-hour dwell period. We found no change in ultrafiltration, residual volumes, creatinine, phosphate and urea clearances, or albumin recovered. Of the seven patients exposed to neostigmine, four had diarrhea, abdominal cramps, nausea, and vomiting. In conclusion, we found that 2 mg i.p. neostigmine did cause significant side-effects and did not alter transport characteristics in CAPD patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1474772", "title": "Clinical and pathologic features of fibrillary glomerulonephritis.", "content": "A diagnosis of fibrillary glomerulonephritis was made in 31 renal biopsies from 28 patients on the basis of the electron microscopic identification of glomerular deposits of randomly arranged fibrils that resembled amyloidosis but were larger. This accounted for approximately 1% of all nontransplant renal biopsy diagnoses. Renal biopsy specimens with parallel arrays of 30 nm to 50 nm microtubules (that is, immunotactoid glomerulopathy) were not included in the study. The patients had a mean age of 49 years with a range of 21 to 75. The male to female ratio was 1:1.8 and the ratio of Whites to Blacks was 8.3:1, which differs from the 3:1 ratio in our overall biopsy population. All patients had proteinuria (mean 6.0 g/day), and most had hematuria and renal insufficiency. After a mean follow-up of 24 months, there was 48% renal survival. The light microscopic appearance of the fibrillary glomerulonephritis was quite varied. Capillary wall thickening and matrix expansion were the most frequent alterations. Nineteen percent of specimens had crescents. Morphometric ultrastructural analysis demonstrated a mean fibril diameter of 22.4 +/- 7.4 nm. Immunofluorescence microscopy revealed that IgG was the dominant and often the only immunoglobulin class in immune deposits, and subclass analysis revealed that IgG4 was the dominant or exclusive subclass in all specimens tested. We hypothesize that the relatively homogeneous nature of the immunoglobulin in the immune deposits is the basis for the fibril formation."}
{"id": "PMID:1474773", "title": "Success of kidney transplantation in oxalosis is unrelated to residual hepatic enzyme activity.", "content": "We evaluated hepatic alanine glyoxylate aminotransferase (AGT) activity in percutaneous hepatic biopsy material obtained from four children with long-term renal allograft function following transplantation for primary hyperoxaluria type 1 (PH 1). The study was performed to determine whether these successes had occurred because relatively high residual levels of AGT activity had introduced a selection bias. The children ranged from seven months to eight years at transplant and are currently well 7 to 11 years later, with no oxalate deposition on repeated allograft biopsies and creatinine clearances of 80 to 128 ml/min/1.73 m2. AGT activity ranged from 0 to 13.8%, and in two of three patients with detectable levels the AGT was in mitochondria rather than peroxisomes. These results indicate that long-term renal allograft success can occur in spite of severe AGT deficiency. Thus, the therapeutic choice of kidney alone versus combined kidney-liver transplant cannot currently be made by measuring residual hepatic AGT in PH 1. Kidney transplant alone remains a reasonable initial therapeutic alternative for patients with recent onset of renal insufficiency due to PH 1."}
{"id": "PMID:1474774", "title": "Convection does not govern plasma to dialysate transport of protein.", "content": "The dependence of protein clearance on molecular size during peritoneal dialysis can be explained by assuming that either convection or diffusion is the major mechanism governing plasma to dialysate transport of protein. If convection is the predominant transport mechanism, then plasma-to-dialysate transport rates for protein should not decrease when the protein concentration in the instilled dialysis solution is increased. In the present study, plasma-to-dialysate transport rates for fluorescein-labeled protein tracers, alpha-lactalbumin and immunoglobulin G (IgG), were determined during a six hour isotonic exchange (25 ml/kg) in New Zealand White rabbits. The protein tracers were continuously infused into the bloodstream to keep plasma concentrations relatively constant, and transperitoneal transport rates were determined either with or without tracer protein added to the instilled dialysis solution. Plasma-to-dialysate transport rates were greater for alpha-lactalbumin than for IgG as expected based on the molecular size of these proteins. Transport rates for both alpha-lactalbumin and IgG decreased when tracer protein was added to the instilled dialysis solution. The present observations do not support convection as the major mechanism governing plasma to dialysate transport of protein during peritoneal dialysis."}
{"id": "PMID:1474775", "title": "In vitro production of interleukin-1 receptor antagonist in chronic renal failure, CAPD and HD.", "content": "Dialysis-related symptoms are believed to be mediated, at least in part, by monocyte/macrophage-derived pro-inflammatory cytokines including interleukin-1 (IL-1) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF). Measuring the production of interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-Ra), a naturally occurring inhibitor of IL-1, opens avenues to study the balance between these two cytokines in patients. We studied the cell content and production of IL-1 beta and IL-Ra by unstimulated and endotoxin- or IgG-stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) in undialyzed patients with chronic renal failure (CRF), patients on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) and patients on chronic hemodialysis with reuse cuprophan membranes (HD), and compared them to healthy controls. IL-1 beta and IL-Ra were measured by specific radioimmunoassay. IL-1 beta was undetectable in freshly harvested PBMC from healthy controls, CRF, CAPD or HD. In contrast, the content of IL-Ra in HD patients (2828 +/- 466 pg/ml) was significantly higher than that in healthy controls (643 +/- 53 pg/ml, P < 0.01), CRF (1097 +/- 320 pg/ml, P < 0.01) or CAPD (1398 +/- 390 pg/ml, P < 0.05). In endotoxin-stimulated PBMC, IL-1 beta production by HD patients (9375 +/- 1687 pg/ml) was not significantly different from healthy controls (8429 +/- 1621 pg/ml). However, endotoxin-stimulated IL-Ra production by HD patients (32,350 +/- 8276 pg/ml) was greater than that from healthy controls (11,284 +/- 1250 pg/ml, P < 0.001), CRF (12,263 +/- 2680 pg/ml, P < 0.01) or CAPD patients (11,822 +/- 1797 pg/ml, P < 0.01).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1474776", "title": "Nature and rate of vascular refilling during hemodialysis and ultrafiltration.", "content": "The change of blood volume, of blood and plasma density (rho b, rho p) following a short ultrafiltration pulse (duration: 20 min; mean rate -35 ml/min) within the first hour of hemodialysis was analyzed in 13 hemodynamically stable patients (30 single measurements). Protein concentration of refilling volume (7 g/liter) was calculated from its density (1009.25 +/- 3.7 kg/m3, at 20 degrees C) and from the linear relationship between plasma density and protein concentration (cp) of uremic plasma samples (rho p = 1007.46 + 0.2422 x cp). The filtration coefficient (Lp,calc) determined from a relation derived from Starling's hypothesis was 5.6 +/- 1.4 ml/(min.mm Hg.50 kg lean body mass); N = 13, mean +/- SD, minimum 3.2, maximum 8.0. A model describing the dynamics of blood and plasma volume was developed. It was fit to on-line measurements of relative blood volume changes by variation of the filtration coefficient and of initial blood volume (Lp,fit, Vb,fit). The linear regression between Vb,fit and blood volume determined from anthropometry (Vb,calc) was highly significant (r = 0.79, N = 30, P < 0.001). Compared to Vb,calc, Vb,fit was typically increased by 21 +/- 11%, reflecting a fluid overload at the beginning of the treatment. Lp,fit was not different from Lp,calc. Lp,fit significantly increased with blood volume excess. Due to the small but definite protein content of refilling volume, the model accounts for increased blood volume recovery and occasional overshoot of blood and plasma volumes following ultrafiltration."}
{"id": "PMID:1474777", "title": "Kinetics of 125I-beta 2-microglobulin turnover in dialyzed patients.", "content": "The kinetics of beta 2-microglobulin (beta 2m) were studied in 17 anephric or functionally anephric hemodialyzed patients and five healthy subjects as controls. Highly purified beta 2m was radiolabeled with 125I and infused into patients. The radioactivity in plasma and dialysis fluids was measured during a week including two or three dialysis sessions. Patients were classified in four groups according to treatment: hemodialysis on Cuprophan (N = 5) or on AN69 membranes (N = 5), hemofiltration (N = 4) and CAPD (N = 3). Plasma activity was fitted to a three compartment model. In controls almost 100% of the radioactivity was recovered in urine within 96 hours and there was no extrarenal catabolism. In patients the fractional catabolic rate ranged from 0.0008 to 0.0022 min-1 versus 0.026 to 0.047 min-1 in controls. The synthetic rate was within the range of values from controls in 10 patients but higher in the seven others. It was correlated with plasma beta 2m concentration. Kinetic data indicate a retention of intact beta 2m. The original model was therefore modified with an additional compartment representing beta 2m captation. The amount of capted beta 2m was more elevated in hemodialyzed patients than in patients treated by hemofiltration or CAPD, in whom it could reach 5 mg/kg/day. Hemofiltration or CAPD may eliminate about 30 to 100% of beta 2m produced and therefore contribute to the low captation amount of these patients, as compared with that of patients treated by hemodialysis."}
{"id": "PMID:1474778", "title": "Renal extraglomerular vascular immune deposits in IgA glomerulonephritis.", "content": "Kidney biopsies of 425 patients with IgA glomerulonephritis were studied to reveal the incidence, composition and possible clinical significance of extraglomerular vascular immune deposits. IgA deposits were detected in 20 cases, IgM in 28 (in 5 together with IgA), C3 in 317 and no vascular deposits in 60 cases. C3 and IgA deposits were granular, resembling mesangial deposits, while IgM deposits were lumpy, similar to IgM deposits in sclerotic and hyalinized glomeruli. The incidence of vascular lesions in patients with IgA (30%) and C3 deposits (24%) was not significantly higher as compared to those without vascular deposits (20%), but was significantly higher in patients with IgM deposits (68%, P < 0.00004). Only the presence of vascular IgM deposits correlated significantly with severe glomerulosclerosis, arterial hypertension and elevated serum creatinine levels (all P < 0.001). We conclude that neither C3 nor IgA deposits, in spite of their suggested immune complex nature, contribute significantly to the development of vascular lesions. Lumpy IgM deposits, probably the result of insudation of plasma proteins into the blood vessel walls, were associated with advanced vascular lesions and glomerulosclerosis and are probably a part of non-immune mediated progression of IgA glomerulonephritis."}
{"id": "PMID:1474780", "title": "Vascular permeability factor mRNA and protein expression in human kidney.", "content": "Vascular permeability factor (VPF), also known as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), is a potent microvascular permeability-enhancing mediator as well as a selective mitogen for vascular endothelium. In this study, in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry co-localized VPF mRNA and protein to glomerular visceral epithelial cells in human kidneys. Northern analysis confirmed the presence of VPF mRNA of expected size. The finding of VPF in renal glomerular epithelium identifies a potent mediator of permeability and endothelial proliferation whose role in renal physiology and pathology requires investigation."}
{"id": "PMID:1474781", "title": "Glomerular matrix accumulation is linked to inhibition of the plasmin protease system.", "content": "TGF-beta plays a pivotal role in the pathological accumulation of extracellular matrix in experimental glomerulonephritis. Increased TGF-beta expression leads to increased synthesis and deposition of extracellular matrix components while administration of anti-serum to TGF-beta suppresses the major manifestations of the disease. We hypothesized that TGF-beta might also enhance matrix accumulation by decreasing matrix turnover via effects on protease/protease inhibitor balance. Plasmin is a potent protease capable of degrading a variety of matrix molecules. Plasmin generation from plasminogen is regulated by plasminogen activator(s) (PA) and plasminogen activator inhibitor(s) (PAI). In this study PA activity was markedly reduced and PAI-1 synthesis dramatically increased when TGF-beta was added to normal glomeruli. Diseased glomeruli also showed decreased PA activity, increased PAI-1 synthesis and increased PAI-1 deposition into matrix. Administration of anti-TGF-beta serum to glomerulonephritic rats blocked the expected increase in glomerular PAI-1 deposition. Thus changes in the PA/PAI balance favoring accumulation of matrix are induced by TGF-beta in normal glomeruli and are present in nephritic glomeruli when endogenous TGF-beta production is high. Our findings implicate the plasmin protease system in tissue repair following acute glomerular injury and suggest another mechanism by which TGF-beta enhances the matrix accumulation characteristic of many glomerular diseases."}
{"id": "PMID:1474784", "title": "[Choice of the surgical method in gastric cysts].", "content": "Operations for gastric cysts were carried out on 8 patients (4 males and 4 females whose ages ranged from 33 to 65 years). Three patients had true cysts, 2 had inflammatory cysts; there were one case of neoplastic, one of retention and one of hydatid cyst. Organ-preserving operative interventions (enucleation, cystectomy, endoscopic cyst gastrostomy, antrum resection) were performed on 7 patients, one patient with an erroneous diagnosis of gastric carcinoma was subjected to subtotal resection of the stomach. There were neither complications nor fatal outcomes. It is claimed that patients with gastric cysts should be treated by surgery. An organ-preserving operation should be the method of choice."}
{"id": "PMID:1474785", "title": "[Morphofunctional characteristics of the gastric neuroregulatory apparatus after cryogenic effects on the vagus nerves].", "content": "Nine groups of experiments were conducted on 120 rats and 55 dogs to study the morphological changes and the density of cholinergic nerve fibres in the intramural nerve apparatus of the stomach after cooling of the vagus nerves at various temperatures and time regimens of the exposure (-35-45 degrees, -70-80 degrees for 2-3 sec., 15 sec in one, two, and three exposures). The completeness of vagotomy was determined by the method of parietal pH measurement and modelling of stress-induced ulcers. It was established that depending on the thickness of the nerves and the regimen of the exposure to cooling, one can achieve total vagotomy with destructive changes in the nerve apparatus, incomplete vagotomy and transient inhibition-blockade of the acid-regulating function of vagus nerves with maintenance of the morphological and histochemical characteristics of intramural plexuses."}
{"id": "PMID:1474786", "title": "[Endoscopic removal of isolated gastrinoma of the duodenum after Billroth II gastric resection].", "content": "Duodenal carcinoma is a rare disease and is encountered in no more than 10% of cases of the Zollinger-Ellison syndrome. The article discusses a rare case in which an isolated duodenal gastrinoma was removed endoscopically with subsequent recovery from the Zollinger-Ellison syndrome. Study of the serum gastrin concentration with provocative tests allowed the Zollinger-Ellison syndrome to be diagnosed and the radicality of duodenal gastrinoma removal to be controlled. Retrograde duodenoscopy conducted after resection of the gastric stump by the Billroth II method localized the source of hypergastrinemia and made possible radical removal of the duodenal gastrinoma, which was confirmed by normalization of the blood serum gastrin concentration. The work includes a brief literature reference on the subject."}
{"id": "PMID:1474787", "title": "[Tactics in gastrointestinal hemorrhage under conditions of medical aviation].", "content": "Doctors of the medical aviation service were consulted in 774 cases of gastrointestinal bleeding of various genesis in 1985-1989. Chronic gastroduodenal ulcer (peptic ulcer of the anastomosis among others) was the source of the bleeding in 473 (64.88%) patients. In the first period of observation (1985-1986) active surgical tactics was applied in 103 patients with chronic bleeding ulcer. Fifty-one patients (49.5%) underwent operation, with a fatal outcome in 12 cases (23.5%). Active individualized tactics was accepted in the second period (1987-1989). In a group of 370 patients 185 (50%) were operated on, 20 with fatal outcomes (10.8%). Active surgical tactics was individualized by strict comparison of the amount of blood loss and the degree of activity of the bleeding. Clinico-endoscopic and laboratory interpretation of the degree of activity of the bleeding is described and the expediency of indicating this criterion along with the amount of blood loss in establishing the diagnosis in a patient with bleeding from the ulcer is pointed out."}
{"id": "PMID:1474790", "title": "[State of microcirculation channel in the area of laser \"welded\" anastomosis of the small intestine].", "content": "Experiments were conducted with CO2 and AIG laser on neodymium to study the condition of microcirculation and the degree of its disturbance in the wall of the small intestine in formation of a laser \"welded\" entero-enteral and termino-terminal anastomosis. The microcirculatory disorders and their extent were found to be directly dependent on the degree of the thermal effect and the width of the coagulation zone in the region of the suture. The results of the experiment confirmed that the suggested powers of the laser effect on the intestinal wall were optimal."}
{"id": "PMID:1474791", "title": "[A comparative study of nonsurgical methods in the treatment of hemorrhoids].", "content": "The authors conducted comparative appraisal of the results of treatment of hemorrhoids in 3 groups of patients at a higher surgical risk in 1989-1990. Group 1 consisted of 79 patients given the traditional nonoperative treatment. Group 2 was made up of 17 patients in whom the hemorrhoidal nodes were ligated by means of latex rings. Forty-three patients of group 3 were treated by the traditional nonoperative methods and, in addition, by infrared photocoagulation, 33 at in-patients and 10 at out-patient clinics. The follow-up periods range from 3 to 12 months. The study showed that nonoperative therapy produced a temporary effect, clinical manifestations of hemorrhoids recurred in 100% of patients. In group 2 59% of patients were cured, which is evidence of the pathogenetic substantiation of the method. The treatment, however, in this group was marked by a great number of complications of an inflammatory character. The best effect was produced among patients of group 3; 37 (86%) patients were cured. Thus, the results of comparative analysis of the efficacy of these methods of treatment in patients at a higher surgical risk showed the advantages of infrared photocoagulation over nonoperative treatment and ligation of hemorrhoids with latex rings. The method of infrared photocoagulation is technically simple, convenient, and can be applied both in in- and out-patient clinics."}
{"id": "PMID:1474788", "title": "[Classification of stomach ulcers and choice of the surgery method].", "content": "The article generalizes the findings of examination and experience in the surgical treatment of 404 patients with gastric ulcers. A classification of gastric ulcers is suggested: Type I, true gastric ulcers; Type II, combined gastric and duodenal ulcers; Type III, suprapyloric and pyloric ulcers; Type IV, multiple ulcers of the stomach; Type V, secondary gastric ulcers. On the basis of this classification the authors substantiate the wide use of modified resections of the stomach after Billroth I. Chronic disorders of duodenal patency was revealed in 10 (2.47%) of patients who underwent operation, compensated duodenal stasis was encountered in only one of them. Billroth I operation was performed on 357 (88.4%) patients and Billroth II on 47 (11.6%) patients. The postoperative mortality was 1.73%. The Billroth I operation produced excellent and good late-term results in 90.1% of patients with gastric ulcers."}
{"id": "PMID:1474792", "title": "[Prevention of incompetence of sutures of the colon in its injuries].", "content": "The authors analysed 242 clinical cases of open and closed injury to the colon and the results of experiments on 120 animals. Incompetence of the sutures of the colon was encountered in 12 (4.9%) patients: in 10 (5.2%) with punctured-incised injuries, in one (3.3%) with subcutaneous rupture, and in one (5.5%) with gunshot injury. Clinico-experimental studies allowed 2 groups of pathogenetic factors (predisposing and resolving) in the development of incompetence of colonic sutures to be distinguished. The pathogenetic approach forms the basis of the developed complex program of the prevention of incompetence of the sutures of the colon in its injuries. Introduction of the suggested program into clinical practice made it possible to reduce the incidence of incompetence of colonic sutures from 6.6 to 2.0%."}
{"id": "PMID:1474789", "title": "[Effects of intravascular laser irradiation of blood on erythrocyte stereo-ultrastructure in the treatment of generalized suppurative peritonitis].", "content": "The authors analysed the course and the results of examination of peripheral blood in dynamics and study of red cell stereo-ultrastructure in dynamics before and after sessions of intravascular laser irradiation of blood (ILIB) and treatment in 120 patients with peritonitis, in 60 of them ILIB was applied in the complex of intensive therapy (main group). The control group was made up of 60 patients. The studies showed a favorable curative effect of ILIB: the morphological characteristics of red cells and peripheral blood in patients with peritonitis improves. The laser irradiated blood evidently stimulates the bone marrow and the organs in which blood elements are stored as a result of which their ejection into circulation intensifies. The favorable effect of ILIB is also manifested by increase of the number of intermediate and reduction of the number of prehemolytic and degenerating forms of red cells in various stages of peritonitis, i.e. ILIB affects mainly the retransformation of stomatocytes into discocytes but produces no marked effect on echinocytic transformation."}
{"id": "PMID:1474796", "title": "[Endoprosthesis of rigid and extended cicatricial strictures of the esophagus].", "content": "The article describes treatment of 65 patients with postburn, extended, rigid cicatricial strictures of the esophagus by the method of temporary endoprosthetics. Most patients had an extended stricture. In 44 patients the diameter of the stenosed segment measured no more than 4 mm. Stage endoprosthesis of the esophagus was carried out in 32 patients. Devices by which intraoperative dilatation of the stricture can be achieved and its rigidity measures are shown, as well as designs of esophageal endoprostheses and an extractor of the endoprosthesis. The method suggested by the authors produced good results in 60 patients, esophagoplasty had to be undertaken in the remaining 5 patients. There were no fatal outcomes."}
{"id": "PMID:1474800", "title": "[Choice of the method of cardial correction during selective proximal vagotomy and gastric resection].", "content": "The author studied the condition of the esophagogastric junction in 376 patients with gastric and duodenal ulcer before and in the late-term periods after selective proximal vagotomy and distal resection of the stomach performed in combination with antireflux interventions on the cardia (fundoesophagorrhaphy, crurorrhaphy+fundoesophagophrenorrhaphy, fundoplication) or without such interventions. It is shown that reliable correction of the obturator mechanism of the cardia in selective proximal vagotomy may be achieved only by fundoplication. In gastric resection fundoplication is advisable in marked reflux esophagitis, distention of the hiatus esophageus of third degree, hernia of the hiatus esophageus, and cardiac ulcer. In all other patients with distal resection of the stomach crurorrhaphy+fundoesophagophrenorrhaphy is justified as a preventive measure."}
{"id": "PMID:1474807", "title": "[Mucociliary transport in patients with acute pneumonia].", "content": "Mucociliary transport (MCT) was investigated in 45 and 20 patients with acute focal and croupous pneumonia, respectively. MCT condition was assessed by its duration, adherence and surface tension of the sputum, water fractions. Early disease was characterized by mucociliary insufficiency as shown by longer M T duration, increased surface tension and adherence. Abnormal bronchial clearance resulted in reduced bronchial permeability. The above indices should be considered to administer early correction of the disorders."}
{"id": "PMID:1474810", "title": "[The mitral valve chordal system as a cause of innocuous heart murmur].", "content": "To specify the role of morphofunctional features of mitral chorda in forming innocent cardiac murmur (ICM), 107 and 20 young men with or without ICM, respectively, were examined clinically and instrumentally at rest, muscular load and hyperventilation. Echocardiography was recorded in one-dimentional, sectoral and Doppler regimens. Fluttering chorda (FC) of the mitral valve (MV) manifesting by hyperkinesia of usually fixed MV chorda, its early systolic dislocation into the left ventricular outflow tract was registered in 34.5% of ICM patients, 11.2% of them had echocardiographic evidence of the chordal shift in the systole into the above tract. In ICM-free subjects the phenomenon FC and the systolic chordal shift were absent (the difference was significant, p < 0.05). The FC phenomenon is attributed to local dysfunction of the papillary muscles and may produce distinct labile nonregurgitation systolic murmur."}
{"id": "PMID:1474809", "title": "[The compound \"eric\" in the treatment of bronchopulmonary diseases].", "content": "The drug erik was used in 32 patients with chronic bronchitis and acute bacterial pneumonia. Out of 132 strains assessed for sensitivity, 94 (68.6%) were sensitive to the above antibiotic, the rest demonstrated moderate sensitivity or drug resistance. The dose 0.5 g persisted in the blood for up to 12 hours allowing its use three times in 24 hours. The response was achieved in 32 patients (72.18%)."}
{"id": "PMID:1474812", "title": "[Correction of bronchial hyperreactivity with Corinfar in patients with chronic renal insufficiency].", "content": "As shown in the provocative tests in eighteen 24-42 year old chronics with renal insufficiency, corinfar pretreatment (20 mg sublingually) can protect against acetylcholine-induced bronchial hyperreactivity. This ability of the drug can be useful to reduce hyperreactivity of the bronchi of patients with chronic renal insufficiency."}
{"id": "PMID:1474815", "title": "[Outpatient surgical treatment of chronic venous insufficiency of the lower extremities].", "content": "The results are analyzed for 30 surgical interventions on the legs for chronic venous insufficiency. Feasibility is considered of surgical correction of the function of the deep vein valvular apparatus, of retrograde circulation arrest by obturation of posterior tibial veins in varicosity and postthrombotic diseases."}
{"id": "PMID:1474816", "title": "[Surgical strategy in acute thrombophlebitis of the superficial veins of the lower extremities].", "content": "Active surgical policy in combined treatment of 98 patient with acute thrombophlebitis of the leg superficial veins provided good short- and long-term results in 73 of them. Urgent surgery was performed in cases with ascending thrombophlebitis of the large saphenous vein or thrombus location in the saphenofemoral anastomosis. No lethal outcome due to operative interventions were registered whereas conservative therapy resulted in 2 deaths from pulmonary artery thromboembolism."}
{"id": "PMID:1474817", "title": "[Metabolic polyneuropathy in pregnancy].", "content": "Clinical analysis of 4 polyneuropathies developed in pregnancy revealed that the characteristic features of the peripheral nerve lesions were their development in the presence of mildly pronounced gestosis and erythronormoblastic anemia (in all cases but one) that contradicted to the most typical descriptions in the literature. Polyneuropathic syndrome was also featured by the formation of severe indolent paralysis of extremities and manifest vegotovascular trophic lesions. Deeper sensitivity disorders failed to be revealed, whereas superficial sensitivity was compromised but insignificantly. Persistent residual paretic manifestations and acroangiodystonias were characteristic features of the performed observations."}
{"id": "PMID:1474837", "title": "On Fr\u00f6hlich's coherent effects in biological systems: influence of carriers and high order dissipative effects.", "content": "Following Fr\u00f6hlich we consider a system that models a biological one, for example, a long chain of proteins possessing polar modes of vibration and where energy is pumped through metabolic processes. We consider the effect produced by free electrons that are usually present as hole carriers in proteins with electron-donor molecules. A theory of relaxation based on the non-equilibrium statistical operator method is used in the derivation of the kinetic equations to introduce non-linearities due to interactions of the polar vibrations with the carriers and with a thermal bath. These non-linearities arising from high order relaxation processes lead to the emergence of the Fr\u00f6hlich effect in the polar modes, i.e. the occurrence of a (non-equilibrium) Bose-Einstein-like condensation. It points to an instability of the system that seems to be followed by a morphological transformation in the form of a spatially ordered dissipative structure."}
{"id": "PMID:1474840", "title": "Local probes and heterogeneous catalysis: a case study of a mitochondria-luciferase-hexokinase coupled system.", "content": "Biological systems are characterized by a high degree of structural organization. In the intracellular context, this introduces physical constraints which are not considered in the standard biochemical analysis of isolated systems, aimed towards mechanistic studies. A major challenge in cellular biology is thus to integrate the structural and mechanistic information and reach an adequate representation of the modes of operation in situ. We present an approach to this problem which takes advantage of a localized probe to study heterogeneous coupled system, as minimal models for cellular operation. The system consists of ATP production at the surface of mitochondria, and ATP consumption in solution by the hexokinase reaction. Soluble or biologically localized firefly luciferase is used to continuously monitor ATP concentration either in the bulk solution or at the surface of the organelle, respectively. The general system of a surface source and a bulk sink is mathematically modeled, and an analytic steady-state solution for local and bulk ATP is presented. The results are validated by experiment and differ from the expected behavior of an equivalent homogeneous system in solution. The model is further adapted to evaluate the effect of mixing. In addition, two limiting cases of heterogeneous distribution of hexokinase are analyzed, in which the soluble enzyme adsorbs non-specifically to mitochondria, or binds selectively to the site of ATP appearance on the membrane. The results are discussed in terms of their significance to the analysis of bulk measurements in vitro and their relevance to better description of cellular situations."}
{"id": "PMID:1474841", "title": "Continuum model of fibroblast-driven wound contraction: inflammation-mediation.", "content": "We propose a mathematical model to aid the understanding of how events in wound healing are orchestrated to result in wound contraction. Ultimately, a validated model could provide a predictive means for enhancing or mitigating contraction as is appropriate for managing a particular wound. The complex nature of wound healing and the lack of a modeling framework which can account for both the relevant cell biology and biomechanics are major reasons for the absence of models to date. Here we adapt a model originally proposed by Murray and co-workers to show how cell traction forces can result in spatial patterns of cell aggregates since it offers a framework for understanding how traction exerted by wound fibroblasts drives wound contraction. Since it is a continuum model based on conservation laws which reflect assumed cell and tissue properties, it is readily extended to account for emerging understanding of the cell biology of wound healing and its relationship to inflammation. We consider various sets of assumed properties, based on current knowledge, within a base model of dermal wound healing and compare predictions of the rate and extent of wound contraction to published experimental results."}
{"id": "PMID:1474842", "title": "Leukocyte deformability: finite element modeling of large viscoelastic deformation.", "content": "An axisymmetric deformation of a viscoelastic sphere bounded by a prestressed elastic thin shell in response to external pressure is studied by a finite element method. The research is motivated by the need for understanding the passive behavior of human leukocytes (white blood cells) and interpreting extensive experimental data in terms of the mechanical properties. The cell at rest is modeled as a sphere consisting of a cortical prestressed shell with incompressible Maxwell fluid interior. A large-strain deformation theory is developed based on the proposed model. General non-linear, large strain constitutive relations for the cortical shell are derived by neglecting the bending stiffness. A representation of the constitutive equations in the form of an integral of strain history for the incompressible Maxwell interior is used in the formulation of numerical scheme. A finite element program is developed, in which a sliding boundary condition is imposed on all contact surfaces. The mathematical model developed is applied to evaluate experimental data of pipette tests and observations of blood flow."}
{"id": "PMID:1474843", "title": "Female infanticide and human sex ratio evolution.", "content": "The possible effect on the evolution of the human sex ratio of a preference for male children is examined in a genetic model. It is shown that the killing of infant daughters can lead to either a female- or a male-biased sex ratio, the outcome depending on the decision rule used to determine the fate of a child. This reconciles long-standing contradictory results."}
{"id": "PMID:1474844", "title": "Plastid origin of an extrachromosomal DNA molecule from Plasmodium, the causative agent of malaria.", "content": "Several species of Plasmodium have been shown to contain a circular extrachromosomal DNA molecule which is widely supposed to be mitochondrial DNA. However, it has recently been shown to have a number of features in common with chloroplast DNA. Here, a phylogenetic analysis of RNA polymerase coding sequences from the Plasmodium molecule has been carried out using distance matrix, maximum likelihood, parsimony and operator invariant methods. The analysis indicates that the molecule is in fact derived from an oxygenic photosynthetic organism and should be regarded as plastid DNA. This suggests that Plasmodium originated from a phototroph that has lost the capacity to photosynthesize."}
{"id": "PMID:1474845", "title": "The chirality of ground DNA knots and links.", "content": "The chirality of ground DNA knots and links is described and characterized in terms of color symmetry groups (CSG), i.e. color symmetry groups I and II, which correspond to topochirality (topological chirality) and topoachirality (topological achirality) which bear an uncanny resemblance to point groups I (proper) and point groups II (improper) used for testing geochirality (geometrical chirality) and geoachirality (geometrical achirality), respectively. By regarding these two crossing modes in mirror images as white and black vertices, DNA knots and links with minimal crossings can be mapped to vertex-bicolored graphs under a working hypothesis that DNA knots and links exist in ground states with minimal energy m0. The color symmetry group of a vertex-bicolored graph G is defined as the set of all permutations and permutation asymmetrizations of the vertices of G that preserve its topology (connectivity), where asymmetrization, denoted as (a), is the operation of changing vertices' colors, and a permutation followed by an (a) is a permutation asymmetrization. The color symmetry groups I contains only permutations, whereas color symmetry groups II comprise permutation asymmetrizations as well as permutations. Four DNA knots and links in nature are analyzed and tabulated consisely. In addition, the well-known figure-of-eight knot and Borromean rings are discussed in much the same way."}
{"id": "PMID:1474846", "title": "Pattern generator system as a versatile visual stimulator.", "content": "We have designed and implemented a Motorola 68000 microprocessor-based pattern generator system (PGS) that uses a color video display terminal (VDT) to provide light stimuli to the intact vertebrate retina. This communication is intended for those who are considering acquisition of a commercial retinal stimulator or those who are custom designing their own pattern generator system. The discussion surveys the features to be included as well as design factors which must be considered in such a device. The memory organization of the PGS allows as stimuli multiple, complex patterns consisting of one or more disks, annuli, bars or gratings to flash or modulate in intensity according to a pre-defined function. In addition, patterns can move smoothly in any direction at selectable, uniform speeds without the re-drawing of video memory. The presence of a 12-bit A/D converter internal to the PGS allows a dynamic change in stimulus position, speed or pattern based upon physiological feedback. A physically realistic image size (0.9 cm2) and resolution (20 mu/pixel) in the retinal plane are achieved with simple intervening optics. The video field rate of 60 Hz is above the flicker fusion frequency for most vertebrate animals and does not induce artifacts in cellular responses. The PGS operating in a PC-based environment meets the requirements of a versatile optical stimulator for investigations in retinal electrophysiology."}
{"id": "PMID:1474847", "title": "A sensitive ELISA for glial fibrillary acidic protein: application in CSF of children.", "content": "In the present study we describe a sensitive ELISA for determination of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP). To validate the method combined determinations of GFAP and S-100 protein were performed in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of normal children and children with autism. The GFAP ELISA is of sandwich type and uses the biotin-avidin system. Sensitivity was 16 pg/ml. Between-day precision was 0.079 (coeff. of variance). S-100 protein concentrations were measured using a commercially available ELISA kit. Normal CSF from children and young adults were analysed. The CSF levels of GFAP in normal children were low (16-163 pg/ml). Both GFAP and S-100 protein concentrations correlated with age (P < 0.01 and P < 0.05, respectively), but the GFAP increment was more pronounced, probably reflecting the age-dependent expansion of the fibrillary astrocytes in the central nervous system (CNS). GFAP levels in children with infantile autism were higher than those in normal children of the same age range. S-100 protein concentrations were similar in both groups. High levels of GFAP in combination with normal S-100 protein concentrations in CSF indicates reactive astrogliosis in the CNS. In conclusion, the sensitive ELISA described makes it possible to measure low levels of GFAP present in the CSF of children. Combined assays of GFAP and S-100 protein can be used to discriminate between acute and chronic brain disorders in children."}
{"id": "PMID:1474848", "title": "Rat exploratory behavior controlled by intracranial self-stimulation improves the study of place cell activity.", "content": "This report is limited to the description of a procedure that should help to resolve the question whether firing fields of hippocampal place cells are relatively stable or modifiable by learning. Rats implanted with lateral hypothalamic electrodes for rewarding intracranial self-stimulation (ICSS) were trained to explore a circular open field (100 cm in diameter) while their locomotion was tracked by a computerized video system which also delivers ICSS whenever the animal's exploration has met certain experimenter defined criteria. The 3 following conditions were examined. (1) Homogeneous exploration of the entire field: ICSS was delivered after the animal repeatedly visited 5 equal segments of the field (central annulus and remainders of the 4 quadrants), entered randomly located circular areas of the field, and/or traveled a criterion distance. (2) Place field contingent reward or non-reward: ICSS was delivered when the animal entered a circular area (23 cm in diameter) corresponding to the place field after a previous visit to a similar area outside the place field. These conditions were reversed in the following task. (3) Delayed reward: ICSS was delivered when the animal entered the circular area and remained in it for 2 s. Each condition was tested for 600 s or until 50 ICSS were delivered. The behavioral procedures described make it possible to propose an experimental protocol that allows examination of the same place cell under conditions of homogeneous exploration with a segment condition or randomly distributed reward and under conditions with the place field signaling reward or non-reward. The delayed reward condition increases the accuracy of the target location and allows assessment of the phasic versus tonic nature of the place cell firing."}
{"id": "PMID:1474849", "title": "A simple electronic device for time-lapse recording of neural and other cell movements using a home video cassette recorder.", "content": "This article describes a simple electronic unit to obtain time-lapse recordings with the use of a common remote-controlled home video cassette recorder, for example a VHS recorder. The electronic unit is a timer to be connected to the remote-control unit. The video cassette recorder itself remains unchanged. Replay of the recorded images speeds up the original process by a factor of 2-100 x or more. This technique has been applied in video micrographic studies of (1) the development of dorsal root ganglion (DRG) cells in culture, including growth cone and Schwann cell movements, and (2) tumor cell killing by natural killer (NK) cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1474850", "title": "Intracellular injections of permanent tracers in the fixed slice: a comparison of HRP and biocytin.", "content": "Here we describe a method for intracellularly injecting mixtures of the fluorescent dye Lucifer Yellow and the permanent tracers HRP or biocytin into aldehyde-fixed slices of the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus in young postnatal cats. Lucifer Yellow was used for visual control in the injection procedure and the inclusion of HRP or biocytin allowed the subsequent use of simple histochemical processing to give a permanent record of the injected cells. Both tracer mixtures revealed the dendritic morphology of injected cells. However, HRP was found to be superior to biocytin, in that dendrites were better defined and fine details of cellular morphology such as spines were consistently revealed. Using this technique we were able to demonstrate that the dendritic morphology of geniculate cells is much more mature between birth and 2 weeks than was thought from previous studies using Golgi methods."}
{"id": "PMID:1474851", "title": "Computer simulation of the blood-brain barrier: a model including two membranes, blood flow, facilitated and non-facilitated diffusion.", "content": "A mathematical model of blood-brain barrier (BBB) transport was developed to assist in experimental design and data analysis. The model includes the luminal and antiluminal endothelial cell membranes, each with separate transport systems. Substrate movement between 3 compartments can be calculated: the capillary lumen, the endothelial cell cytoplasm, and the brain parenchyma. Blood flow, substrate concentration and competition in each compartment, concentration gradients along the capillary, and non-steady-state conditions are considered. The utility of the model is demonstrated by predicting: (1) complex concentration profiles along the length of the capillary lumen under different circumstances, (2) the permeability-surface area products along the capillary lumen, (3) the time course of events during brain-uptake index (BUI) experiments, (4) the accuracy of the BUI in measuring glucose transport over a range of endogenous glucose concentrations, (5) the influence of 2 membranes in series with different kinetic constants, and (6) a comparison of kinetic constants expected from high-flow infusion and BUI experiments."}
{"id": "PMID:1474852", "title": "Production of a serial position effect in rats using a 12-arm radial maze.", "content": "The effects of item position (the serial position effect: SPE) on the recognition of a list of arms presented in an 8-arm radial maze have not been shown to be robust across studies which differ in numbers of subjects, amount of training and task difficulty. The present study examined whether more robust SPEs could be obtained in rats with a 12-arm radial maze using a matching-to-sample serial probe recognition (SPR) procedure. In Part 1, 23 rats received extensive training on recognition of list of arms from a 5-arm list and, in Part 2, 20 rats received training with a 7-arm list. Both Parts 1 and 2 showed that a reliable and persistent SPE emerged due to superior recognition of items at the first and last serial positions compared with the middle positions. However, the SPE was more pronounced with the 7-arm than 5-arm list. It is argued that adequate task difficulty along with sufficient subject and trial numbers is necessary to produce a clear SPE. In Part 3, an alternative means of assessing accuracy derived from signal-detection theory is examined, and the procedural requirements for its use are identified. Although this measure did not alter the conclusions reached using percent correct, it is proposed that the bias-free measure, log d, is superior to traditional indices of memory performance which may obscure the presence of, or changes in, the SPE. The procedures used here provide a valuable means to produce clear, reliable and persistent SPEs. Such procedures are essential if researchers are to be confident about the effects of lesions or drugs upon list memory in their attempts to explore the neurological bases of memory and model human neurological disorders."}
{"id": "PMID:1474853", "title": "Photochromic intensification of diaminobenzidine reaction product in the presence of tetrazolium salts: applications for intracellular labelling and immunohistochemistry.", "content": "The diaminobenzidine (DAB) reaction product can be greatly intensified by incubating the reacted tissue in either nitro blue tetrazolium or tetranitro blue tetrazolium and then exposing the tissue to strong light. Epi-illumination through a microscope objective enables the photochromic intensification to be carried out under direct visual control, with optimal intensification taking only 10-30 s through a 20x objective. Alternatively, the whole preparation can be intensified in a few minutes by passing it back and forth under a fibre light guide. The method can be used to intensify cells that have been labelled either by immunoperoxidase techniques or with intracellular tracers such as horseradish peroxidase and neurobiotin."}
{"id": "PMID:1474854", "title": "Slices from the rat olfactory bulb maintained in vitro. Morphological aspects.", "content": "Transverse, 400-microns-thick slices of 8-day-old rat olfactory bulb were incubated in Krebs-Henseleit medium with and without oxygenation. Following incubation, slices were fixed in aldehyde-osmium and embedded in resin for light and electron microscopy. After 2 h of incubation oxygenated preparations showed a structural preservation comparable to that of the freshly fixed olfactory bulb. Under hypoxic conditions mitral cells located on the medial side of the bulb were the most sensitive to the interruption of gassing, while ventricular cells and glomeruli were remarkably resistant as judged by morphological standards. The effects of short-term (up to 30 min) interruptions of gassing proved to be reversible. Our findings suggest that the incubated olfactory bulb slice may be a useful preparation for functional morphological studies."}
{"id": "PMID:1474855", "title": "The effects of low-pass filtering on the flash visual evoked potential of the albino rat.", "content": "Flash visual evoked potentials (FVEPs) were recorded from the rat in order to determine the effects of low-pass filtering on the wave form. The low-frequency (high pass) filter remained fixed at 3.2 Hz while the setting of the high-frequency (low-pass) filter was progressively raised from 32 Hz to 3.2 kHz. The amplitude of the primary cortical potential (P30) steadily increased while its latency decreased until asymptotic values were recorded with a low-pass cut-off of 320 Hz. Thereafter, there was little additional change in wave form. It is concluded that a bandpass of 3.2-320 Hz is optimal to record the primary cortical response of the FVEP, and this is consistent with the theory that the P30 potential is generated by comparatively slow post-synaptic activity. In a second experiment the effects of low-pass filtering were examined on the later and more labile secondary components of the FVEP wave form. These were found to be less responsive to low-pass filtering than the early components and assumed a near optimal configuration when the high-frequency cut-off was raised to 80 Hz. The high-frequency filter setting which is most appropriate to record the primary component of the FVEP therefore appears to be more than adequate also to record the secondary responses. It is also shown that the same principles of low-pass filtering on the FVEP will apply irrespective of whether the subject is awake or anaesthetised."}
{"id": "PMID:1474856", "title": "Further refinement of the Escherichia coli brain abscess model in rat.", "content": "The rat brain abscess model provides a substrate for the modeling of delivery of therapeutic agents to intracerebral mass lesions. We now report refinement of the Escherichia coli brain abscess model in rat. A K1 surface antigen-negative E. coli isolated from human blood culture was stereotaxically inoculated into deep brain sites. Histopathologic analyses and quantitative cultures demonstrated the consistent production of lesions. No animal in this consecutive series developed meningitis, ventriculitis or sepsis. By contrast, prior experience with E. coli abscess production resulted in 25% failure rate of abscess production or death from sepsis. This improvement in the model may be attributable to specific characteristics of the bacteria used, modification of the inoculation method or the intracerebral placement technique. The present work suggests a reliable and consistent brain abscess model, which may be further used to study brain suppuration."}
{"id": "PMID:1474857", "title": "An intracellular medium formulary.", "content": "Whole-cell patch-clamp recordings allow diffusible intracellular ions and molecules to be replaced by the contents of the recording pipette. In this review, the formulation of intracellular media is considered with a view to improving the stability of recordings and emulating the intracellular environment."}
{"id": "PMID:1474858", "title": "Relationship between endothelin and thromboxane A2 in rat liver microcirculation.", "content": "In our previous study, we determined changes in hepatic blood flow using a Laser Doppler blood flow meter after i.v. injection of endothelin-1 (ET-1) or endothelin-3 (ET-3) at 2 nmol/kg in rats and found that ET-3 caused greater decreases in blood flow than ET-1. In the present study, we determined how the arachidonic acid cascade, mainly thromboxane A2 (TXA2), is related to ET-1 and ET-3 using indomethacin (INDO), which inhibits the biosynthesis of prostaglandin (PG), and OKY-046, a selective inhibitor of TXA2 synthesis. In the first series of experiments, ET-1 and ET-3 were administered after inhibiting the biosynthesis of PG by s.c. injection of 2 mg/kg of INDO. While INDO failed to inhibit the slight decrease in hepatic blood flow induced by ET-1, it significantly inhibited the marked decrease in hepatic blood flow elicited by ET-3. In the next series of experiments, ET-1 and ET-3 were administered after administration of 20 mg/kg of OKY-046. OKY-046 showed no effects in animals treated with ET-1, as in those pre-treated with INDO, while it significantly inhibited the decreases in hepatic blood flow induced by ET-3. These findings suggest that ET-1 decreases hepatic blood flow due to its direct effects although to a lesser extent than ET-3, while ET-3 does so due not only to its direct effects but also to TXA2-mediated effects. It is therefore likely that in addition to ET family peptides, PG-mediated mechanisms are involved in the regulation of hepatic microcirculation by ETs."}
{"id": "PMID:1474859", "title": "Light-dark variations in ocular timolol concentrations following topical solution instillation in the pigmented rabbit.", "content": "The objective of this study was to determine whether ocular absorption of topically applied timolol in the pigmented rabbit varied with the time of drop instillation. Twenty-five microliters of a 0.65% timolol maleate solution were instilled in the pigmented rabbit eye at 0600, 0900, 1200, 1500, 1800, 2100, 2400, or 0300 hr. Timolol concentrations in the conjunctiva, sclera, corneal epithelium, corneal stroma, aqueous humor, and iris-ciliary body at 15 and 30 min post-dosing were monitored using reversed phase HPLC. Ocular timolol concentrations were higher when the drug was administered during the light period (0900-1800 hr) than when it was administered during the dark period (1800-0600 hr). There exist, therefore, light-dark variations in the ocular absorption of topically applied timolol."}
{"id": "PMID:1474860", "title": "Cloricromene antagonizes antidipsogenic effects induced by endotoxin, but not by TNF alpha, in the rat.", "content": "Intravenous (640 micrograms/kg) or intracerebroventricular (0.5 and 1 microgram) injection of Escherichia coli endotoxin (LPS) causes inhibition of water intake induced by 24 hour period of water deprivation in the rat. Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha; 20 and 40 ng/rat) given into the lateral cerebral ventricle (i.c.v.) causes effects similar to those observed after LPS. Cloricromene, given either intravenously (1 and 2 mg/kg) or i.c.v. (250 and 500 ng), abolished the antidipsogenic effect induced by LPS (administered both i.v. and i.c.v.). Cloricromene (2 mg/kg, i.v. or 500 ng/rat, i.c.v.), on the contrary, did not modify the antidipsogenic effects induced by TNF-alpha. These data indicate that peripherally injected cloricromene (as well as that i.c.v. injected) antagonizes the effects of mediators of LPS on sites regulating thirst and suggest that cloricromene's action may be due to inhibition of brain TNF-alpha formation induced by LPS."}
{"id": "PMID:1474861", "title": "Heme polymerase: modulation by chloroquine treatment of a rodent malaria.", "content": "The biosynthesis of the beta-hematin of malarial pigment (hemozoin) is catalyzed by a newly discovered enzyme, heme polymerase, which is described for Plasmodium berghei in this report. This novel enzyme is present in the insoluble fraction of hemolysates of infected erythrocytes but is not present in normal erythrocytes. The substrate is ferriprotoporphyrin IX (FP) released from hemoglobin. At pH 5 and 37 degrees C the enzyme is saturated by 100 microM FP. The pH optimum is between 5 and 6 and the reaction is linear for 6 hours. All heme polymerase activity is destroyed by heating at 100 degrees C for 3 minutes. Chloroquine treatment of malarious mice reduces by 80 percent the activity of this enzyme, without inhibiting release of FP from hemoglobin, and thereby causes excess nonpolymerized, nonhemozoin FP to accumulate. Since the accumulated FP is accessible to bind chloroquine, we propose that it is the mediator of the antimalarial activity of chloroquine."}
{"id": "PMID:1474862", "title": "Time-dependent anesthetic and anticonvulsant activities of alphaxalone in Syrian hamsters.", "content": "To assess whether the anesthetic and anticonvulsant activities of alphaxalone display diurnal variability, groups of Syrian hamsters were studied at 4 h-intervals during a 24 h-cycle. The administration of alphaxalone (5 mg/kg) brought about a greater anesthetic activity (loss of righting reflex) at the middle of the photophase. When assessed in hamsters injected with 3-mercaptopropionic acid, alphaxalone displayed maximal anticonvulsant activity at the 4th of darkness. Evaluation of the time needed for first convulsive response indicated that alphaxalone did not show time-dependent effects, while in control hamsters seizure threshold was low during daylight and attained maximal values at night, showing a peak in seizure threshold at light-dark transition."}
{"id": "PMID:1474863", "title": "[Noninvasive determination of oxyhemoglobin in arterial blood].", "content": "The authors describe the principles of noninvasive measurements of oxyhemoglobin content in the arterial blood by processing the signals obtained as a result of passing the light waves of the infrared (940 nm) and red (660 nm) wave bands through tissues. The data obtained with the first Russian pulse oximeter and with the hemoximeter were found to coincide. The diagnostic value of oximetry is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1474865", "title": "[Determination of oxygen saturation of circulating blood from pulse wave amplitude].", "content": "The oxygen saturation of circulating blood (SaO2) can be determined from the modulation depth of luminous flux passing through the tissue filled with pulsing blood. For calculation of SaO2, an equation has been derived from the output signal amplitude of the current-voltage transducer."}
{"id": "PMID:1474866", "title": "[Principles of optical oximetry in extracorporeal circulation systems].", "content": "The paper outlines the optical properties of blood as a random unhomogenous scattering and absorbing medium and presents the basic characteristics of single erythrocyte diffusers. It also shows how the above dependencies are used in particular oximeters. The first world's laser oximeter designed by the authors is described."}
{"id": "PMID:1474864", "title": "[Use of zirconium alloys in endoprostheses and osteosynthesis appliances].", "content": "The application of titanium alloys to osteosynthesis appliances and endoprostheses in becoming difficult due to shortage of titanium. The composition of the BT5-I titanium alloy and comochromium and zirconium alloys was compared. In terms of mechanical properties, the zirconium alloys are acceptable for the above application."}
{"id": "PMID:1474867", "title": "[High-quantum-outlet red and infrared radiation for oximetry].", "content": "The paper deals with the results of designing highly effective semi-conductor red and infrared radiators based on the multitransient double heterostructures in the Ga1-xAlxAs system and structures in the GaAs:Si, which are designed for oximetry, and presents a small-sized (2.5 x 2.5 x 2.4 mm) unit with flexible terminals. The emissive power was as great as 1.3 mW at 10 mA at lambda max 660 +/- 10 nm in the red band and 1.2 mW at lambda max 925 +/- 10 nm and 2.5 mW at lambda max 870 +/- 20 nm in the infrared band. The radiators described have wide prospects for practical application to oximeters and other medical equipment."}
{"id": "PMID:1474869", "title": "[Tussograph, a device for monitoring tussive impulses].", "content": "The paper describes the basic circuit of a tussograph, a device that monitors cough in patients with bronchopulmonary diseases. An NKT-I makes it possible to calculate the number of tussive expulsions, total and peak expulsions, as well as to record their time distribution. The device may be useful in the study into the efficacy of new antitussive drugs and the assessment of cough clearance. It can provide an insight into mucociliary clearance."}
{"id": "PMID:1474870", "title": "[Reconstruction of images in emission tomography].", "content": "The algorithm of back projection with filtration for exponential Radon transform leads to strong distortion for big diameter objects. The main reason for this distortion is mainly the exponential increase of errors in the quadrature formula for a weighed back projection operator. So it is sometimes more convenient to use the back Radon transform R-1 and then to correct the result, taking into account attenuation. For this purpose, the approximation formulas are given, which connect f and R-1 R mu f. An appropriate iteration reconstruction algorithm is also considered. Application exponential Radon identities for projection data analysis are also discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1474871", "title": "[Device for analysis of electrocardiograms].", "content": "A new device has been proposed for in-depth analysis of cardiac and vascular performance recording. It determines the values of many quantitative parameters for cardiovascular performance and makes an amplitude analysis of the records. The device is simple and easy-to-use. It promotes interpretation of the records. The application of the device in the laboratories of functional diagnosis will reduce time spent on record analysis and expands the range of quantitative parameters to a great extent, which will enable the proper diagnosis of cardiovascular diseases to be established."}
{"id": "PMID:1474872", "title": "[Echo-AM1-1 encephaloscope].", "content": "A new miniature model of the A-mode ultrasonic echoencephaloscope, 0.88 MHz, has been developed and adopted to practical use in neurology. The device contains a detector for amplitude determination of echopulsation and curve (echopulsograms) recording. It is highly sensitive, cost-effective, which enhances the quality of rapid diagnosis of central nervous diseases, including those of vascular genesis, in in- and outpatient settings."}
{"id": "PMID:1474868", "title": "[Trends in the development of technology for thermal irradiation of the human body].", "content": "The paper analyzes trends in development of advanced thermal irradiation technology which increases the three-dimensional selectivity of radiation and elevates the level of automatic targeted radiation source control through mathematical simulation of technology and irradiation objects. It also presents concepts of adaptive irradiation and problems in the construction of mathematical models."}
{"id": "PMID:1474876", "title": "[Methods of testing, programmed and metrological support of multidetectors for radionuclide dynamic studies].", "content": "The paper deals with the specific features of metrological support of multidetectors designed for radionuclide diagnosis. A procedure is proposed to monitor the technical data of KP RDI-2A and KP RDI-3A devices. The functional potentialities of basic and metrological support of these devices are outlined."}
{"id": "PMID:1474878", "title": "[The genetics of Alzheimer's disease].", "content": "This paper examines recent epidemiological and molecular genetic studies on the genetic basis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Recent epidemiological studies have shown the existence of a genetic etiology in some cases of Alzheimer's disease. Several pedigrees with an increased incidence of AD (familial Alzheimer's disease--FAD) have been described in the literature. Some of these contain sufficient numbers of affected individuals in multiple generations to provide a rigorous argument for an autosomal dominant inheritance of the AD phenotype. FAD pedigrees show several evidences of as phenotypic heterogeneity of the disease. Molecular genetic studies have shown a linkage between several polymorphic DNA markers specific for the pericentromeric region of chromosome 21 and early-onset FAD. In late-onset FAD pedigrees preliminary reports showed evidence for a linkage with chromosome 19 markers. Molecular genetic studies have clearly demonstrated the genetic heterogeneity of familial Alzheimer's disease. The analysis of new, multigenerational pedigrees with FAD and the study of patients with Down's syndrome and Alzheimer's disease should provide useful informations for the characterization of the gene(s) responsible for familial Alzheimer's disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1474879", "title": "[Hyponatremia, cause of reversible dementia in the elderly].", "content": "There are several states of reversible dementias. Among these, electrolyte imbalance--especially hyponatremia--can determine transitory modification of cognitive functions. The purpose of this study is the evaluation of the relationship between cognitive disorders and serum sodium concentrations in the elderly. In a sample of 70 elderly people, the Authors reported a prevalence of hyponatremia in 28 patients (40%); only 4 (5.7% of total population) had impaired cognitive functions or mood disturbances. In the symptomatic patients hyponatremia was severe and had a fast onset; the symptoms disappeared by means a proper and ready treatment. This observation stresses out the importance of routine serum sodium determination in the elderly in coincidence with the sudden onset of a pattern of dementia."}
{"id": "PMID:1474880", "title": "[Psychosomatic assessment in patients with gravidic hyperemesis].", "content": "Thirty female subjects examined in the first three months of pregnancy took part in the study. Ten of these suffered from severe gravidic hyperemesis, while twenty had a physiological pregnancy. All subjects with hyperemesis and six controls were subjected to measurement of cortisolaemia at the following times: 8, 12, 16, 20, 24 and 4.00 so as to obtain the circadian curve of the hormone, measurement of T3 and T4 and of TSH. The Cattell test in form C was carried out in all patients. The results obtained evidenced a global increase in the production of cortisol in the group of hyperemetic women, with maintenance of the circadian rhythm. The Cattell test identified characteristic personality traits in the subjects suffering from hyperemesis compared to the controls."}
{"id": "PMID:1474881", "title": "[The dexamethasone test and the choice of treatment and drug in depression].", "content": "A large body of literature data have indicated that the dexamethasone suppression test (DST) may be useful in diagnosing depression. It has been also hypothesized that depressed patients showing an abnormal response to dexamethasone administration (\"DST-non suppressors\") are responsive to the treatment with psychopharmacological agents whereas the \"DST-suppressors\" subjects are often \"placebo-responders\". Moreover, on the basis of considerations concerning the inhibitory role of noradrenaline in the control of both the activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and mood, it has been claimed that the \"DST-non suppressors\" subjects respond to the treatment with antidepressant drugs potentiating the noradrenergic activity at level of the central nervous system. The present review of the main data on the topic leads to conclude that the DST may be useful in selecting the most appropriate treatment for depressed patients; the test, however, does not make it possible to choose the antidepressant drug on the basis of its neurochemical profile."}
{"id": "PMID:1474882", "title": "[Fluoxetine and depression in the elderly. Clinical experience].", "content": "Eighty-six patients aged between 60 and 80 years and affected with major depression according to the diagnostic criteria of the DSM III-R were treated with fluoxetine per os at the single dosage of 20 mg/die. At prearranged intervals psychometric reagents were administered for the evaluation of any variations in the depressive symptomatology. Already at the 1st examination after 14 days' treatment a considerable improvement in the psychopathological picture was observed. This improvement remained constant at the subsequent examinations and the follow-up after 90 days. The tolerability was excellent and the side effect mild, with a tendency to regress after the first days of therapy. The clinical assessment and the psychometric findings both suggest that fluoxetine has a useful action on major depression in the elderly."}
{"id": "PMID:1474884", "title": "[Medico-biological and psychopathologic aspects of substance dependence].", "content": "The paper examines the phenomenon of drug addiction from a bio-socio-pathological point of view. Neurophysiological advances in the field of drug addiction reveal the correlations between biology and behaviour, thus allowing the creation of numerous synergic strategies at different levels of intervention."}
{"id": "PMID:1474890", "title": "Peroxisome biogenesis in yeast.", "content": "Eukaryotic cells have evolved a complex set of intracellular organelles, each of which possesses a specific complement of enzymes and performs unique metabolic functions. This compartmentalization of cellular functions provides a level of metabolic control not available to prokaryotes. However, it presents the eukaryotic cell with the problem of targeting proteins to their specific location(s). Proteins must be efficiently transported from their site of synthesis in the cytosol to their specific organelle(s). Such a process may require translocation across one or more hydrophobic membrane barriers and/or asymmetric integration into specific membranes. Proteins carry cis-acting amino acid sequences that serve to act as recognition motifs for protein sorting and for the cellular translocation machinery. Sequences that target proteins to the endoplasmic reticulum/secretory pathway, mitochondria, and chloroplasts are often present as cleavable amino-terminal extensions. In contrast, most peroxisomal proteins are synthesized at their mature size and are translocated to the organelle without any post-translational modification. This review will summarize what is known about how yeast solve the problem of specifically importing proteins into peroxisomes and will suggest future directions for investigations into peroxisome biogenesis in yeast."}
{"id": "PMID:1474885", "title": "[Psychology and the cancer patient].", "content": "Over the past thirty years, an abundant international production has been generated on the subject of this paper. Papers may be subdivided into two main streams, one with an assistential bent and the other psychosomatic. In its turn, the latter takes in certain studies relating to a psychological model and another group of writings is oriented in accordance with psychodynamic principles. Both aim to evidence a certain correlation between physical and mental phenomena. Psychobiological theories aim to provide a model of correlation between the set of psychophysiological phenomena known as stress and cancer, while the psychodynamic view proposes a correlation between cancer and the individual personality; specifically, the theories set out to explain how the personality structure of a number of individuals leads to their managing stress anomalously with the result that stress is involved in the development of cancer along with genetic and environmental factors. Within this latter context, a number of workers have defined typical anamnestic profiles on the basis of the evolution of such personalities. The present study concerns 44 cases used to examine the orientation of the international literature, above all for the purpose of elaborating psychotherapeutic techniques possibly working in synergy with medical techniques in the treatment of some of these patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1474891", "title": "Structure of selenocysteine synthase from Escherichia coli and location of tRNA in the seryl-tRNA(sec)-enzyme complex.", "content": "Selenocysteine synthase of Escherichia coli catalyses the biosynthesis of selenocysteine in the form of the aminoacyl-tRNA complex, the reaction intermediate being aminoacrylyl-tRNA(sec) covalently bound to the prosthetic group of the enzyme. Selenocysteine synthase and the specific aminoacrylyl-tRNA(sec)-enzyme complex as well as the isolated seryl-tRNA(sec) were investigated in the electron microscope and analysed by means of image processing to a resolution of 2 nm in projection. The stoichiometric composition of the selenocysteine synthase molecule was elucidated by scanning transmission electron microscopic mass determination. The enzyme has a fivefold symmetric structure and consists of 10 monomers arranged in two rings. The tRNA is bound near the margin of the dimeric subunits. Principal component analysis of the tRNA-enzyme complexes revealed that the selenocysteine synthase appears to bind only one seryl-tRNA(sec) per dimer, which is consistent with the result of biochemical binding studies."}
{"id": "PMID:1474886", "title": "[Social support and mental distress. Epidemiologic studies].", "content": "The clinical and experimental model of social support connects some social phenomenon (as isolation and loneliness, involvement and relationships) to health or psychophysical distress. This review of epidemiologic research, carried on USA, point out: a) the epidemiologic correlation between support and health/distress; b) frequently, the phenomenon of stress \"buffered\" by social support; c) the onset of psychological distress linked on support's and stress level. The clinical and preventive intervention may gets some profit from the outcome of this epidemiologic research."}
{"id": "PMID:1474887", "title": "[Psychiatry and environment].", "content": "After having underlined the increasingly negative influence of environmental changes on human life, the paper focuses o their influence on the psyche which is subjected to a continual series of traumas caused by the abnormal rhythm of modern life and the lack of human solidarity and ideals. Because of their fragility, the greatest victims of this situation are the young, the old and women and the pay the greatest price by resorting to drugs, alcoholism, prostitution or new forms of reactive psychosis. This underlined the necessity for continual and intense preventive action."}
{"id": "PMID:1474883", "title": "[Psychiatric disorders in elderly patients with physical problems. Critical review of the recent literature].", "content": "The authors review some studies of the recent psychiatric literature on the elderly medically ill. The large variability in setting, screening instruments, and diagnostic criteria makes comparison of results somehow difficult and probably accounts for the differences in prevalence rates. We also outline methodological issues relating to the standardization of screening instruments and to special features (\"pseudodementia\", \"masked\" depression) of psychiatric disorders in old age."}
{"id": "PMID:1474892", "title": "Ribosomal association of the yeast SAL4 (SUP45) gene product: implications for its role in translation fidelity and termination.", "content": "The SAL4 gene of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae encodes a novel translation factor (Sal4p) involved in maintaining translational fidelity. Using a polyclonal antibody raised against a Sal4p-beta-galactosidase fusion protein, Sal4p was shown to be almost exclusively associated with the ribosomal fraction. Even when the ribosomes were treated with 0.8 M KCl, only low levels of Sal4p were detected in the post-ribosomal supernatant, suggesting a very strong affinity between Sal4p and the ribosome. Analysis of the distribution of Sal4p in the ribosomal population revealed that it was principally associated with 40S subunits, monosomes and polysomes. Incubation in high salt concentrations (0.8 M KCl) suggested that the affinity of Sal4p for the 40S subunit was lower than that for monosomes or polysomes. The Sal4p:ribosome association was only maintained when ribosomes were prepared in the presence of the translation elongation inhibitor cycloheximide; in uninhibited cells much lower levels of Sal4p were detectable in the 'run-off' polysomes. In view of these data, and given the stoichiometry of Sal4p to individual ribosomal proteins (estimated at less than 1:20), we suggest that Sal4p plays an ancillary role in translation termination."}
{"id": "PMID:1474888", "title": "[En epidemiologic approach for the analysis of the demand and supply of psycho-psychiatric care in general medicine and in specialized services].", "content": "In this paper we present data collected in the area of Verona concerning indicators of demand and of supply of care in two settings, the general practice and the South-Verona Community Psychiatric Service. These data, obtained from the epidemiological studies conducted by our research group during the past ten years, emphasize similarities and differences existing in the two levels of care. In general practice the demand for care for psychological disorders is difficult to identify, because of the frequent somatic expression of these disorders; moreover at the level of psychiatric services the demand is frequently aspecific. As far as the supply of care is concerned, in both settings drug prescription is the most frequent treatment, however other interventions are also offered. For example, in general practice counselling and referral to the psychiatrist are often provided; in psychiatric services monitored during our studies a large range of treatments were supplied, often in an integrated way."}
{"id": "PMID:1474894", "title": "Characterization of the minimal origin required for replication of the streptococcal plasmid pIP501 in Bacillus subtilis.", "content": "By using deletional analysis the origin of replication, oriR, of the streptococcal plasmid pIP501 in Bacillus subtilis has been mapped at a position immediately downstream of the repR gene. Determination of both the right and left border of oriR allowed the definition of a sequence of a maximum of 52 nucleotides which theoretically constitutes the minimal origin of replication. Recently, the start point of leading-strand synthesis of the closely related plasmid pAM beta 1 has been mapped at a position which is located exactly in the middle of this sequence (Bruand et al., 1991). The function of oriR did not depend on its location downstream of the repR gene. Translocation of oriR-containing fragments to other regions of the plasmid proved to be possible. The smallest translocated fragment that still reconstituted autonomous replication was 72bp in size. This fragment was also active in directing the replication of an Escherichia coli plasmid in B. subtilis when the RepR protein was supplied in trans from a repR gene integrated into the host chromosome. The transformation efficiency of plasmids carrying translocated oriR fragments showed a certain dependence on the fragment length and orientation. The DNA sequence of oriR included an inverted repeat, both branches of which appeared to be essential for oriR function. The repeats of oriR shared sequence similarity with a repeat located upstream of promoter pII, which has been suggested to be involved in autoregulation of repR expression."}
{"id": "PMID:1474893", "title": "Tandem DctD-binding sites of the Rhizobium meliloti dctA upstream activating sequence are essential for optimal function despite a 50- to 100-fold difference in affinity for DctD.", "content": "The Rhizobium meliloti genes dctB and dctD positively regulate the expression of dctA, which encodes a C4-dicarboxylate transport protein. Here we characterize an element (UAS) located upstream of dctA that has tandem binding sites for the dctD gene product (DctD). At relatively low concentrations of active DctD, the element activated dctA transcription, but at relatively high concentrations of DctD it was inhibitory. The UAS failed to function when placed further upstream of dctA. Both DctD-binding sites were required for optimal UAS function, despite a 50- to 100-fold difference in binding affinities. Moving the promoter distal binding site 5 bp further upstream was functionally equivalent to its deletion. Based on these data, we hypothesize that the sigma 54-dependent activator DctD binds co-operatively to the R. meliloti dctA UAS, and that occupancy of both sites is required for maximal activation of dctA."}
{"id": "PMID:1474889", "title": "[Emergency psychiatric services in Torino. Presentation of the activities].", "content": "The paper reports on the emergency psychiatric Unit (EPU) that has been instituted in Turin. A period of transformation in the philosophy of psychiatric departments, has led, among other things, to the approval of a regional law that can be considered as a local interpretation, of national legislation. The EPU is an experimental model that codifies the emergency level of intervention to stand alongside existing emergency medical facilities, including first-aid stations. The purpose of this first investigation is to examine the number and type of calls studying the data obtained so far is a fundamental stage in our understanding of the \"emergency\" phenomenon and in the construction of other levels of intervention aimed to optimise available resources."}
{"id": "PMID:1474895", "title": "The phosphorylation site of the Kdp-ATPase of Escherichia coli: site-directed mutagenesis of the aspartic acid residues 300 and 307 of the KdpB subunit.", "content": "The potassium-translocating Kdp-ATPase of Escherichia coli shares common functional properties with eukaryotic P-type ATPases. The KdpB subunit has been identified as the catalytic subunit forming the phosphorylated intermediate. Substitution of Asp-307 in KdpB by Glu, Asn, Gln, Tyr, His, Ala or Ser by site-directed mutagenesis and the subsequent transfer of the point mutations to the chromosome revealed that the mutants were not functioning with respect to cell growth at low K+ concentrations and ATPase activity as well as phosphorylation capacity of the purified Kdp complex. These findings indicate that Asp-307 in KdpB is the phosphorylation site of the Kdp-ATPase. In contrast, replacement of the close but non-conserved Asp-300 by Asn or Glu has no immediate influence on the enzyme functions tested. However, the Km for K+ of the ATPase activity has been increased 30-fold compared with the wild-type enzyme."}
{"id": "PMID:1474896", "title": "Secretion of the STA3 heat-stable enterotoxin of Escherichia coli: extracellular delivery of Pro-STA is accomplished by either Pro or STA.", "content": "The methanol-soluble, heat-stable enterotoxin of Escherichia coli is a protease-resistant extracellular peptide which is synthesized as a 72-amino-acid precursor Pre-Pro-STA3. The specific roles of Pre (19 amino acids), Pro (34 amino acids) and STA3 (19 amino acids) in the secretion process were studied by functionally deleting each of the three domains. Deletion of the Pre signal sequence resulted in a short-lived cell-associated molecule with an M(r) equivalent to that of Pro-STA3. Deletion of Pro (i.e., Pre-STA3) resulted in the rapid extracellular accumulation of STA3; the periplasmic intermediate found in the secretion of the wild-type toxin was undetected. Deletion of the STA3 domain resulted in a cell-associated Pre-Pro peptide; with time this form converted to periplasmic Pro which later became extracellular. When DNA encoding either STA3, by itself, or Pro-STA3 (lacking the signal peptide) was expressed, these peptides were degraded intracellularly, with no periplasmic or extracellular forms detected. The results presented demonstrate that the signal peptide (Pre) is essential even for the export of small peptides to the periplasm, and that its absence causes the STA3 domain to become susceptible to intracellular proteases. The rapid degradation of intracellular STA3 indicates that its proteolytic resistance is acquired in a compartment other than the cytoplasm. The results also show that after the Pre domain is proteolytically cleaved from Pre-STA3 and Pre-Pro, the STA3 and Pro peptides can exit to the culture supernatant.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1474897", "title": "Streptomycetes possess peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerases that strongly resemble cyclophilins from eukaryotic organisms.", "content": "A functionally active 17.5 kDa peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase was purified to homogeneity from Streptomyces chrysomallus, a Gram-positive filamentous bacterium. Characterization of the enzyme revealed inhibition and binding characteristics, against the immunsuppressive drug cyclosporin A, which were similar to cyclophilins from eukaryotes such as mammals, plants, fungi and yeasts, but different from those of cyclophilins from enterobacteria such as Escherichia coli. The amino acid sequence of the S. chrysomallus cyclophilin, as deduced from the gene sequence, revealed a striking degree of amino acid sequence identity with the corresponding 17 kDa proteins of humans (66%), Neurospora (70%) and yeast (69%). Comparison with cyclophilin sequences from the Gram-negative enterobacteria revealed much less homology (25% identity with E. coli b, 23% identity with E. coli a). Cyclophilin was detected in each of the four other Streptomyces species tested. The cyclophilins from the various streptomycetes differed in size, varying between 17 and 20.5 kDa. The cyclophilins were abundant in the Streptomyces cells, and present throughout growth."}
{"id": "PMID:1474898", "title": "A reorganized Candida albicans DNA sequence promoting homologous non-integrative genetic transformation.", "content": "In order to develop plasmids adequate for non-integrative genetic transformation of Candida albicans, a DNA fragment of 15.3 kb was cloned from this organism on the basis of its capacity to convert the integrative Saccharomyces cerevisiae vector YIp5 into a non-integrative one. Southern hybridization analysis, carried out with a labelled DNA probe of 3.6 kb derived from the cloned fragment, showed that it consisted of C. albicans DNA, the hybridization pattern indicating that the corresponding sequences were homologous to several chromosomal regions. The size of the C. albicans DNA promoting autonomous replication in S. cerevisiae was substantially reduced by subcloning. A 5.1 kb subfragment, defined by BamHI and SalI restriction sites, retained autonomous replication sequences (ARS) functional in the heterologous S. cerevisiae system and in C. albicans, when inserted in plasmid constructions that carried a S. cerevisiae trichodermin-resistance gene (tcm1) as selection marker. C. albicans transformants were both of the integrative and the non-integrative type and the plasmids recovered from the latter very often carried a reorganized ARS, indicating that recombination of the inserted ARS DNA had occurred in the homologous host. Successive reorganizations of the ARS insert in C. albicans eventually led to a more stable and much smaller fragment of 687 bp that was subsequently recovered unchanged from transformants. Sequence analysis of the 687 bp fragment revealed four 11-base blocks, rich in A+T, that carried the essential consensus sequence considered relevant for yeast ARS elements in addition to other features also described as characteristic of yeast replication origins."}
{"id": "PMID:1474899", "title": "Broad-host-range Rhizobium species strain NGR234 secretes a family of carbamoylated, and fucosylated, nodulation signals that are O-acetylated or sulphated.", "content": "Rhizobium species strain NGR234 is the most promiscuous known rhizobium. In addition to the non-legume Parasponia andersonii, it nodulates at least 70 genera of legumes. Here we show that the nodulation genes of this bacterium determine the production of a large family of Nod-factors which are N-acylated chitin pentamers carrying a variety of substituents. The terminal non-reducing glucosamine is N-acylated with vaccenic or palmitic acids, is N-methylated, and carries varying numbers of carbamoyl groups. The reducing N-acetyl-glucosamine residue is substituted on position 6 with 2-O-methyl-L-fucose which may be acetylated or sulphated or non-substituted. All three internal residues are N-acetylated. At pico- to nanomolar concentrations, these signal molecules exhibit biological activities on the tropical legumes Macroptilium and Vigna (Phaseoleae), as well as on both the temperate genera Medicago (Trifoliae) and Vicia (Viciae). These data strongly suggest that the uniquely broad host range of NGR234 is mediated by the synthesis of a family of varied sulphated and non-sulphated lipo-oligosaccharide signals."}
{"id": "PMID:1474900", "title": "Molecular analysis of the aroA gene of Pasteurella multocida and vaccine potential of a constructed aroA mutant.", "content": "The aroA gene from Pasteurella multocida was cloned by complementation of the Escherichia coli aroA mutant AB2829 with a DNA library constructed in pUC18. The nucleotide sequence of the P. multocida aroA gene indicated an open reading frame encoding a protein of 441 amino acids, which showed a high degree of homology with the amino acid sequences of various other bacterial AroA proteins. The cloned P. multocida aroA gene was inactivated by insertion of a kanamycin-resistance gene and reintroduced by allelic exchange into the chromosome of P. multocida using the suicide vector pJM703.1. The P. multocida aroA mutant was highly attenuated in a mouse model. Mice immunized intraperitoneally with two doses of live P. multocida aroA mutant were completely protected against a lethal parental strain challenge."}
{"id": "PMID:1474901", "title": "Identification of functional cis-acting sequences involved in regulation of narK gene expression in Escherichia coli.", "content": "Expression of the narK gene of Escherichia coli, like the narGHJI operon, is positively regulated by two trans-acting factors: Fnr, which is activated by anaerobic conditions, and NarL, which is activated by the conditions, and NarL, which is activated by the presence of nitrate. Unlike the narGHJI operon, the 5' untranslated region of the narK gene contains two putative Fnr-binding-site sequences and two putative NarL-binding-site sequences. To define the role of these putative cis-acting regions, transcription start sites were identified and the effects of promoter region modifications on transcription were determined. Primer extension analysis identified several transcripts for the narK gene expressed from plasmids. Expression from the major promoter, P1, was induced by anaerobic growth conditions and further elevated in the presence of nitrate, while that from a weaker promoter, P2, appeared to be constitutive. The position of the major transcription start site placed one of the putative Fnr-binding sites (Fnr1 box) and one of the NarL-binding sites (NarL2 box) at positions analogous to those previously established for the narGHJI operon promoter region, while the other two binding sites were located in the non-homologous 150 bp sequence which separates the Fnr1 and NarL2 boxes. Based on the effects of selective 5' deletions and site-directed modifications, Fnr-dependent expression was dependent only on the Fnr1 box and nitrate stimulation was dependent on the presence of the NarL2 box. In the absence of the NarL2 box, the NarL1 box did not promote stimulation by nitrate. The Fnr2 box was not required for anaerobic induction of expression but its modification appeared to reduce the level of stimulation by nitrate."}
{"id": "PMID:1474902", "title": "In vivo generation of linear plasmids with addition of telomeric sequences by Histoplasma capsulatum.", "content": "Histoplasma capsulatum is a dimorphic pathogenic fungus that is a major cause of respiratory and systemic mycosis. We previously developed a transformation system for Histoplasma and demonstrated chromosomal integration of transforming plasmid sequences. In this study, we describe another Histoplasma mechanism for maintaining transforming DNA i.e. the generation of modified, multicopy linear plasmids carrying DNA from the transforming Escherichia coli plasmid. Under selective conditions, these linear plasmids were stable and capable of retransforming Histoplasma without further modification. In vivo modification of the transforming DNA included duplication of plasmid sequence and telomeric addition at the termini of linear DNA. Apparently Histoplasma telomerase, like that of other organisms such as humans and Tetrahymena, is able to act on non-telomeric substrates. The terminus of a Histoplasma linear plasmid was cloned and shown to contain multiple repeats of GGGTTA, the telomeric repeat unit also found in vertebrates, trypanosomes, and slime moulds."}
{"id": "PMID:1474905", "title": "Data collection for the evaluation of mental retardation prevention activities: the fateful forty-three.", "content": "A schema for measuring the effects of prevention programs in mental retardation was presented using items that are quantifiable, accessible, and pertinent to disability outcomes. These elements relate to interventions in the prenatal, perinatal, and childhood periods. They also reflect improvements in agency systems. The items were classified as service indicators, risk indicators, and incidence/prevalence information. The list is called \"The Fateful Forty-Three\" because of its intimate alliance with the stakes for children now and in the future. Representative data were given for these components, as were the sources for gathering such information. The inventory was proposed to be used as a program checklist and a base for discussion and planning."}
{"id": "PMID:1474908", "title": "Noise or fugue: seeking the logic of child health indicators.", "content": "Despite improvements in many child health indicators, several important ones, including the racial disparity in infant mortality, have not improved in recent years. A focus on dramatic but rare risk factors has distracted attention away from the primary determinants of these indicators. An analytic model to assess these indicators identifies three interacting determinates: (a) social well-being, (b) our technical capacity to reduce the risk that low social status conveys, and (c) our performance in providing access to this technical capacity. These three determinants can move independently and can, therefore, mask important trends in social status and the impact of programs and policies."}
{"id": "PMID:1474909", "title": "Community-based projects for the prevention of developmental disabilities.", "content": "Community projects are a central feature of the Centers for Disease Control's (CDC's) Disabilities Prevention Program. Twenty-eight states now have such programs, and they use community projects to stimulate local involvement in disability prevention and as a setting to evaluate prevention needs and preventive interventions."}
{"id": "PMID:1474910", "title": "Effective early intervention.", "content": "Recent positive findings from three early educational intervention programs designed to prevent mental retardation as well as to improve school readiness and educational progress were summarized. Evidence was presented to show that without early intervention, children of low-IQ mothers are particularly at-risk for poor intellectual outcomes and that such children respond very favorably to intensive, systematic early intervention. In addition, new findings indicate a strong relation between the intensity of the early educational intervention and the amount of benefits realized by individual children. Further, there is new evidence that the benefits of continuous educational intervention over the first 5 years of life last at least until early adolescence. We identified six essential types of experiences that we think account for the positive outcomes and that need to be systematically included to the maximum feasible level in future early intervention programs."}
{"id": "PMID:1474911", "title": "Preventing secondary conditions.", "content": "A secondary condition is any additional physical or mental health condition that is causally related to a primary disabling condition. Secondary conditions often increase the severity of an individual's disability and are highly preventable. The Institute of Medicine model of the disabling process, including risk factors, quality of life, and secondary conditions is presented along with a discussion of the components of a comprehensive disability prevention program."}
{"id": "PMID:1474912", "title": "A statewide public and professional education program on fragile X syndrome.", "content": "Fragile X syndrome is reported to be the most common inherited cause of mental retardation known, but the majority of affected individuals are as yet undiagnosed. The project described in this paper was developed to increase the public and professional awareness of fragile X syndrome in the state of New Jersey. As a result there were increased efforts at diagnostic screening, provision of client and family support services, and prevention. This educational program proved to be a cost-effective method for increasing community awareness of a genetic disease on a statewide level."}
{"id": "PMID:1474913", "title": "An ecology of prevention for the future.", "content": "The field of mental retardation is being changed by a paradigm shift in how mental retardation is conceptualized and in how services are provided. This new way of thinking is reflected in the 1992 AAMR definition of what mental retardation is (Luckasson et al., 1992). Prevention efforts must also reflect this new way of thinking, which focuses on the interaction between individuals and their environment. In this paper, the stage was set for adoption of a new vision of prevention that incorporates an ecological approach to understanding the causation of mental retardation. The articles in this symposium were reviewed and their relevance to this new vision discussed. A comprehensive, coordinated, and integrated prevention program is needed that includes new strategies addressing a variety of personal, social, and environmental risk factors and on the interactions among them."}
{"id": "PMID:1474914", "title": "A rapid somatic genotoxicity assay in Drosophila melanogaster using multiple mutant mutagen-sensitive (mus) strains.", "content": "Mutagen-sensitive (mus) mutations in Drosophila melanogaster render developing flies hypersensitive to the lethal effects of DNA-damaging agents. In principle, multiply mutant mus strains might then serve as sensitive in vivo indicators of a wide range of mutagens and genotoxic carcinogens. As a first step to evaluate that potential we characterized interactions between mus mutations in eight double mutants containing combinations of the second chromosomal mutations mus201D1, mus205B1, mus208B1, mus210B1 and mus211B1. We found that (i) all double mutants are fully viable in the absence of mutagen exposure, (ii) mus205B1 is epistatic to any other mus mutation with respect to methyl methanesulfonate (MMS) sensitivity, and (iii) in double mutants carrying any combination of mus201D1, mus210B1 or mus211B1, MMS sensitivity is increased in a synergistic manner. Based on those results, and on mutagen cross-sensitivity data of single mutants generated in previous studies, we constructed two triple mutant mus strains for use as testers in a simple genotoxicity assay. That assay measures the survival of DNA repair-deficient mus homozygotes relative to their repair-proficient heterozygous siblings. Those two classes of fly are easily distinguished from one another by their phenotypic markers. In addition, the heterozygotes serve as a relatively mutagen-insensitive internal control in all test vials. One tester strain (mus208B1 mus210B1 mus211B2) identified 11 of 12 chemical carcinogens as genotoxic (benzo[a]pyrene, cyclophosphamide, 1,2,3,4-diepoxybutane, diethylnitrosamine, dimethylnitrosamine, ethyl methanesulfonate, formaldehyde, hexamethylphosphoramide, methyl methanesulfonate, methylnitrosourea and N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine). Safrole and two noncarcinogens (benzo[e]pyrene and caprolactam) tested as nongenotoxic.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1474915", "title": "A collaborative study on the improvement of the micronucleus test in cultured human lymphocytes.", "content": "A collaborative study between two laboratories has been carried out in order to investigate the reproducibility of the cytokinesis-block micronucleus assay in human lymphocytes. A modified protocol to obtain good quality slides from whole blood cultures has been developed. The spontaneous frequencies of micronuclei in binucleated lymphocytes from five male subjects were evaluated in each laboratory at two cytochalasin-B concentrations (3 and 6 micrograms/ml). Our data show that 6 micrograms/ml cytochalasin-B was more effective than 3 micrograms/ml to arrest cytokinesis in all the donors analysed. The mean frequency of micronuclei in binucleated cells was significantly lower at 6 micrograms/ml compared to 3 micrograms/ml cytochalasin-B in both laboratories. The results obtained indicate a very high concordance between both sets of data supporting the validity of the proposed protocol."}
{"id": "PMID:1474916", "title": "Validation studies with the micronucleus test for early spermatids of rats. A tool for detecting clastogenicity of chemicals in differentiating spermatogonia and spermatocytes.", "content": "Male Wistar rats were given a single i.p. injection with different doses of ethylnitrosourea, mitomycin C, methyl methanesulphonate, cyclophosphamide or vincristine sulphate. Clastogenic damage induced in differentiating spermatogonia and spermatocytes was measured by counting micronuclei in derived early spermatids. At dose levels not resulting in cell death of resting spermatocytes, all chemicals--with the exception of vincristine--induced most of the damage in G1- and S-phase of primary spermatocytes (also called resting, pre-leptotene or pre-meiotic spermatocytes). However, at doses causing death of G1- and S-phase spermatocytes, high frequencies of micronuclei may be observed in early spermatids derived from spermatocytes treated in diplotene, diakinesis and MI and II. This is exemplified by our results with ethylnitrosourea. In our experience, the most sensitive stage of primary spermatocyte development (i.e. G1- and S-phase cells) can best be sampled 20 days after treatment. This is the optimal time interval for demonstrating the clastogenic potential of low or moderate doses of a test chemical in meiotic male germ cells of rats. The optimal sampling time for the detection of typical spindle poisons remains to be established. In general, at low or moderate dose levels, smaller or negligible amounts of chromosomal damage were induced in differentiating spermatogonia, in spermatocytes in meiotic prophase and in dividing primary or secondary spermatocytes. For obvious reasons, the micronucleus test for early spermatids cannot be used to detect clastogens which act exclusively on postmeiotic male germ cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1474917", "title": "Mutagens in urban air particulate.", "content": "Extracts of airborne particulate matter were demonstrated to be mutagenic in the Salmonella/microsome test. Urban airborne particulate was collected with high-volume samplers in an Italian town mainly polluted by traffic exhaust fumes. After being weighted for determination of total dust, the particulate was extracted with CH2Cl2/methanol and assayed by Salmonella/microsome assay on strains TA98, TA100 and TA98NR. All samples were mutagenic on strain TA98, with a mutagenic potency of 50 +/- 14 (-S9), 128 +/- 63 (+S9) and 104 +/- 51 (-S9), 211 +/- 97 (+S9) revertants/mg of particulate for summer (n = 23) and winter (n = 22) determinations, respectively. The mutagenic activity on strain TA98NR was about one-half that on strain TA98, indicating a large contribution of nitroaromatic mutagenic compounds. Mutagens from airborne particulate were less active on strain TA100. The summer and winter mean values of urban total dust were 0.15 +/- 0.07 and 0.35 +/- 0.18 mg/m3 respectively, and the mutagenicity of urban air on strain TA98 was 8 +/- 5 (-S9), 22 +/- 17 (+S9) and 30 +/- 11 (-S9), 61 +/- 21 (+S9) revertants/m3 in the two seasons, respectively. In winter, besides an increase in urban air mutagenicity, there also was a change in direct particulate activity per milligram, which was double that of summer."}
{"id": "PMID:1474918", "title": "Genotoxicity of tauromustine, a new water soluble taurine-based nitrosourea. I. Mutagenic and clastogenic activity of tauromustine in vitro.", "content": "Tauromustine (TCNU) a new taurine-based nitrosourea in phase III clinical trials against colon cancer, has been tested and compared with 1-(2-chloroethyl)-3-(4-methylcyclohexyl)-1-nitrosourea (CCNU) for mutagenic potential in Salmonella typhimurium TA98 and TA100 and, for its ability to cause chromosome aberrations and sister chromatid exchanges (SCE) in human lymphocytes. A dose dependent increase in the number of mutations in S. typhimurium TA100 but not in TA98 was found from 1.6 to 1000 micrograms/plate for both TCNU and CCNU. In addition, in the presence of Aroclor activated liver microsomes, CCNU caused a further increase in the mutation frequency which was not found for TCNU. A dose dependent increase in the chromosome aberration rate in human lymphocytes was induced by both TCNU and CCNU at concentrations ranging from 3.75 to 30 micrograms/ml after 24 h treatment during the last cell cycle. When lymphocytes were treated in G0 both TCNU and CCNU induced a higher frequency of aberrations at 15 and 30 micrograms/ml than during the last cell cycle and, unexpectedly, chromosome-type, i.e. dicentrics appeared. The difference in the frequency of aberrations in these two phases may be related to the different levels of O6-methyl guanine transferase present in resting contra cycling lymphocytes. TCNU at 0.8-8 micrograms/ml also induced a dose dependent increase in the number of SCE in human lymphocytes. Neither the number of chromosomal aberrations nor the number of SCE were affected by the addition of 1000 micrograms/ml taurine to the culture medium."}
{"id": "PMID:1474919", "title": "Cytogenetic effects of permethrin in cultured human lymphocytes.", "content": "The pyrethroid insecticide permethrin was tested for its ability to induce sister chromatid exchanges (SCE), micronuclei (MN) and structural chromosome aberrations (CA) in cultured human peripheral blood lymphocytes. Permethrin was tested in the range of 5-500 micrograms/ml in the absence and in the presence of a rat liver activation system (S9 mix). Small elevations in the SCE frequencies were found and even though statistically significant may have no biological meaning, the more so since there was no dose-effect relationship. Permethrin induced both MN and CA when it was evaluated in the absence of a metabolic activation system. Nevertheless, it cannot be said that S9 mix suppressed the activity in itself. The effect of permethrin seemed to be time of exposure dependent. Permethrin could be characterized as a S-phase independent agent with greater potential for inducing chromosomal damage than sister chromatid exchanges."}
{"id": "PMID:1474920", "title": "Analysis of eight known or suspected aneugens by the in vitro human lymphocyte micronucleus test.", "content": "In the light of the CEC aneuploidy programme eight known or suspected aneugens were evaluated with the human lymphocyte 'in vitro' micronucleus test using the cytochalasin-B technique. Only colchicine, chloral hydrate and hydroquinone induced dose-dependent increases in micronucleus frequencies. The other five chemicals (cadmium chloride, econazole, pyrimethamine, thiabendazole and thimerosal) were all negative, both with and without S9, and treated in G1 or G2 phase. These data are in good agreement with results from different 'in vivo' studies. However, discrepancies were found between the results from this study of human lymphocytes and those of other cultured cell types where econazole, cadmium chloride, pyrimethamine and thiabendazole induce a significant increase of micronuclei."}
{"id": "PMID:1474921", "title": "Clastogenic and aneuploidogenic effects of cigarette smoke condensate, mitomycin C and vincristine sulfate.", "content": "Immunofluorescent staining of kinetochores in micronuclei (MN) of cytochalasin-B-blocked cells was used to distinguish between clastogenic and aneuploidogenic effects of cigarette smoke condensate (CSC), mitomycin C (MMC) and vincristine sulfate (VS) in Chinese hamster lung V79 cells by using an anti-kinetochore antibody. Within the base-line micronucleated cells (2%), 50 to 58% contained kinetochore-positive (KC+) MN. MMC induced a significantly higher number of MN compared to the controls (P < 0.01), and the majority of micronucleated cells (77% at 0.08 microgram/ml) contained kinetochore-negative (KC-)MN. In contrast, VS induced a large number of MN (P < 0.01) but most of the micronucleated cells contained KC+ MN (93% at 0.08 microgram/ml). Cigarette smoke condensate (CSC) induced both KC+ (P < 0.01) and KC-(P < 0.05) MN suggesting the presence of both clastogenic and aneuploidogenic agents. However, the higher frequency of KC+ than KC- micronucleated cells suggests a stronger aneuploidogenic effect of CSC."}
{"id": "PMID:1474922", "title": "DNA repair modifies the site and strand specificity of ethyl methanesulfonate mutagenesis in yeast.", "content": "The influence of DNA repair on the specificity of ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS) mutagenesis in a plasmid-borne copy of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae SUP4-o gene was investigated. Isogenic yeast strains that are repair-proficient (RAD) or defective for nucleotide excision (rad1), postreplication (rad18) or recombinational repair (rad52) were treated with EMS. Compared to the RAD wild-type, the maximum SUP4-o mutation frequency was 2-fold greater in the rad1 background whereas it was approximately 50% less in the rad18 and rad52 strains. The majority (779/788) of SUP4-o mutations characterized by DNA sequencing were single base pair changes, primarily (> 91%) G.C-->A.T transitions in the RAD, rad1 and rad18 strains. In the rad52 background, only 57% of the substitutions were G.C-->A.T transitions with transversions at G.C pairs accounting for almost all of the remaining changes. Comparisons of the distributions of single base pair substitutions in SUP4-o revealed that there was no excision repair-dependent bias for G.C-->A.T events to occur at sites flanked by a 5' or 3' A.T pair as observed previously for EMS mutagenesis of the lacIgene in Escherichia coli (Burns et al., 1986). These transitions also did not occur more often at sites where the guanine was flanked by a 5' purine than by a 5' pyrimidine. However, they exhibited a small preference for sites having the guanine on the transcribed strand in the RAD and rad52, but not rad1 or rad18, strains.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1474923", "title": "Clastogenicity to the mouse bone marrow of the mouse germ cell genotoxin streptozotocin.", "content": "The methylating agent streptozotocin is active in the mouse bone marrow micronucleus assay following a single intraperitoneal injection of 150-180 mg/kg. This correlates with its previously reported toxicity to mouse germ cells when administered by the same route of exposure. The potent mutagenicity of streptozotocin to strain G46 of Salmonella typhimurium is compared with its much weaker activity in strain TA1535. The genotoxicity of streptozotocin in vivo is reviewed."}
{"id": "PMID:1474924", "title": "Effects of hydrodynamics and leukocyte-endothelium specificity on leukocyte-endothelium interactions.", "content": "In vivo microscopy was used to assess the relative contribution of hydrodynamic forces (network topography and shear rate) and the specificity for leukocytes to interact with venular endothelium as determinants of leukocyte-endothelium interactions. To ascertain this, microvascular networks in the rat and rabbit mesentery were examined under normograde and mechanically induced retrograde flows to determine the effect of reversed flow on leukocyte-endothelium interactions in arterioles and venules. The data indicate that retrograde perfusion under hemodynamic (red blood cell velocity and shear rate) states equivalent to normograde flow significantly increased leukocyte marginating flux in arterioles (from 0 to 0.5 cells/5 sec) and decreased flux significantly in venules (from 1.0 to 0.2 cells/5 sec). The increased flux in arterioles under retrograde conditions, however, was significantly lower than the flux in venules under normograde conditions and the decreased flux in venules during retrograde flow was significantly greater than the flux in arterioles during normograde flow. This apparent discrepancy appears to be the result of a heterogeneous distribution of adhesive receptors on vascular endothelium. Furthermore, marginating leukocytes in arterioles made only brief contact with the endothelium before being swept away while marginating leukocytes in venules during normal and retrograde perfusion rolled along the vascular wall, with similar velocities in both directions. In conclusion, although hydrodynamic forces are important in facilitating leukocyte margination through mechanisms of radial migration, it is leukocyte-endothelium specificity in venules that ultimately determines leukocyte-endothelium interactions."}
{"id": "PMID:1474925", "title": "Interstitial pressure, volume, and flow during infusion into brain tissue.", "content": "A model of infusion-induced swelling in the brain is presented, in which gray and white matter are treated as poroelastic media. The distributions of interstitial pressure, flow, and volume are derived for steady-state and transient infusion protocols. A significant percentage increase in interstitial volume is predicted near the injection site, despite only a modest increase in tissue-averaged fluid content there. The model also can be used to estimate mechanical parameters of brain tissue, such as its hydraulic permeability, shear modulus, and Lam\u00e9 constant. A solute transport equation that incorporates tissue swelling is also presented. This work suggests that knowing the distribution of swelling induced by infusion is a prerequisite to describing interstitial transport of solutes."}
{"id": "PMID:1474926", "title": "Intravital videomicroscopy of the chorioallantoic microcirculation: a model system for studying metastasis.", "content": "The chick embryo is a useful model for studying hematogenous metastasis. Cancer cells injected into veins of the chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) circulate briefly through all tissues but form metastases predominantly in the CAM. This respiratory organ is particularly suitable for intravital microscope because of its accessibility without the need for surgery and the density and planar configuration of its vessels (which we confirmed by microcorrosion casting). Using an inverted microscope with oblique transillumination for high-resolution images and epifluorescence to identify labeled B16F1 melanoma cells, we studied successive stages of metastasis formation in the CAM in vivo. By 2 min postinjection (pi) all cancer cells had become arrested within the microvasculature. This initial arrest appeared to be due to size restriction, based on measurements of cell and vessel diameters. At 15-60 min pi, trapped cells were seen in tapering arterioles (27%), orifices from arterioles to the capillary plexus (61%), or in the plexus itself (12%). Some cells had extravasated into the underlying mesenchyme by 3 hr (pi), and at 24 hr all cancer cells had completed this process. The mean rate of migration out of capillary lumens was approximately 1 micron/hr. Micrometastases grew in a planar configuration just beneath the capillary plexus, with a cell doubling time of approximately 24 hr. Our technique is also applicable to other tumor types and host animals and provides a powerful tool to complement studies on the molecular basis of metastasis."}
{"id": "PMID:1474927", "title": "Local tissue oxygenation by statistically distributed sources.", "content": "The effect of red blood cell separation on tissue oxygenation was analyzed using a previously developed model which accounts for the particulate nature of blood at the capillary level. Results show that an empirically based RBC pattern yields the same levels of oxygenation at 20% hematocrit as an even spacing pattern. Introduction of an empirically based RBC spacing pattern during hemodilution, where capillary hematocrit is reduced by half with concomitant doubling of velocity, results in a reduction of average tissue pO2 by 23% and volume of oxygenated tissue by 28%, whereas axial delivery of oxygen along the length of the capillary was unchanged. Tissue oxygenation levels are optimized with even RBC spacing pattern but not with an empirical pattern because the tissue does not effectively use the oxygen delivered by unevenly spaced RBCs despite an equivalent time-averaged flux. Model predictions for tissue oxygenation for statistically distributed spacing under normal and hemodilution conditions show trends consistent with previously obtained results using even spacing, namely, increased axial distance and volume oxygenated, with decreased average tissue pO2. During hemodilution, the volume of tissue oxygenated above 2 mm Hg decreased to 84%, while the volume above 1 mm Hg increased to 131% relative to control. This finding suggests a redistribution of oxygen within tissue during hemodilution, causing a greater amount of tissue to be exposed, but at a lower pO2."}
{"id": "PMID:1474928", "title": "Application of image analysis for evaluation of red blood cell dynamics in capillaries.", "content": "We have devised a method to display and directly evaluate red blood cell (rbc) dynamics in capillaries using the same dual camera intravital video microscopy system employed to determine rbc oxygen saturation (Ellis et al., 1990). Capillary images are recorded on videotape and an interactive graphics system is used for analysis. Data are sampled once a frame for 60 sec using a window (one pixel wide (0.93 micron) and 100 pixels high) positioned along the axis of a capillary. The resulting data are displayed as sequential space-time images 100 pixels high by 300 pixels wide (10 sec). The space-time images thus created represent the dynamics of the rbc's in a single comprehensive static image in which the rbc's appear as dark, diagonal bands separated by light bands representing plasma gaps. From these images one can obtain information on velocity of individual rbc's (micron/sec), lineal density of rbc's (rbc/mm), and rbc supply rate (rbc/sec). This information can be used to delineate the temporal and spatial heterogeneity of hemodynamics in capillary networks. These data can then be combined with coincident data on red blood cell oxygenation to provide a complete picture of oxygen transport in capillaries or it can be used alone as a tool for the evaluation of basic in vivo and in vitro rheological questions."}
{"id": "PMID:1474929", "title": "Optically accessible microchannels formed in a single-crystal silicon substrate for studies of blood rheology.", "content": "An attempt to use microgrooves as blood flow channels in single-crystal silicon is described. Grooves were formed in the (100) crystalline surface by means of photolithography and orientation-dependent etching. This substrate surface was tightly covered with an optically flat glass plate to prevent leakage. This structure was used to microscopically observe flow behavior of blood cells. As a first design of such a cell-flow apparatus, many parallel same-size channels of relatively short length (equivalent diameter 6 microns, length 14.4 microns, number 2600) have been produced to simultaneously measure the total volume flow rate of blood under constant suction. Despite differences in cross-sectional shape and length, the ratio of blood flow velocity to pressure gradient in the channels was comparable with estimates for capillary vessels in vivo. Activated white blood cells blocked the channels, while aggregations of red blood cells showed unexpectedly small resistance to channel transit."}
{"id": "PMID:1474931", "title": "Production of a monoclonal antibody that recognizes the lipopolysaccharide of a Campylobacter-like organism.", "content": "A monoclonal antibody was produced to a Campylobacter-like organism (RMIT 32A) which was isolated from the terminal ileum of a pig with proliferative enteritis. Isotyping of the antibody revealed that it was an IgG2a with kappa light chains. Immunoblots using the antibody against proteinase-K-treated whole cell lysates of RMIT 32A, a selection of Campylobacter species and other enteric bacteria showed that the antibody was specific for RMIT 32A and was directed against the lipopolysaccharide. This antibody can be used for the specific detection of RMIT 32A."}
{"id": "PMID:1474932", "title": "Antibody response to oral streptococci in Beh\u00e7et's disease.", "content": "The serum antibody titers against oral streptococci were studied by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) both in patients with Beh\u00e7et's disease (BD) and control groups. The patients with BD showed significantly higher antibody titers to S. sanguis strains 113-20, 114-23, and 118-1 which were isolated from patients with BD, in comparison with control groups. Also, the reactions of high-titered sera to the crude cell wall and soluble (or membrane) fractions of the 113-20 strain were observed by western blot test. The sera of the patients with BD demonstrated strong bands of approximately 36 kDa, 82 kDa, and 87 kDa in the crude cell wall fractions, and many bands of 80 kDa to 150 kDa in the membrane fractions, indicating that these proteins are the ones leading the high antibody titers to this bacterium in the sera of patients with BD."}
{"id": "PMID:1474933", "title": "A simple method for overproduction and purification of p24 Gag protein of human immunodeficiency virus type 1.", "content": "A simple method for the overproduction in Escherichia coli and purification of major core protein p24 of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) was described. The gag-pol region encoding p24, p15, and protease was fused to 3' end of lacZ gene on plasmid. A LacZ-Gag fusion protein, the major primary product, is designed to be cleaved by the HIV-1 protease coexpressed through frameshifting. In fact, p24 and its immediate precursor, p25, were produced in the cells grown at 25C, but not at 37C. When the gag and pol frames were fused in-frame to express the protease without frameshifting, the main product, a LacZ-Gag-Pol fusion protein, was efficiently processed to give p24 exclusively both at 37C and 25C, suggesting more efficient expression of the protease. Recombinant p24 was purified to near homogeneity by a simple three-step procedure. The amino-terminal sequence of the recombinant p24 was the same as that of p24 deduced from nucleotide sequence, indicating that correct processing occurred in E. coli by the coexpressed protease. The method described here provides a means to obtain a large amount of highly pure p24, which is useful for crystallographic and functional studies, preparation of specific antibody, and diagnostic and prognostic uses."}
{"id": "PMID:1474934", "title": "A prospective study on correlation between the decrease in anti-P17 antibody level and progression to AIDS in asymptomatic carriers of HIV.", "content": "As the majority of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) carriers are in asymptomatic stage for a long period of time, it is important to investigate the factors or surrogate markers for conversion from asymptomatic to symptomatic stage. Our study is designed to evaluate the relationship among virus isolation rate, anti-p17 antibody status and progression to AIDS. We studied anti-p17 antibody status along with virus isolation in 56 asymptomatic carriers and 46 AIDS cases. Progression to AIDS was markedly associated with high rate of virus isolation and loss of anti-p17 antibody. In order to know the meaning of loss of anti-p17 antibody during the clinical course, 15 anti-p17 antibody positive and 16 anti-p17 antibody negative cases were followed up prospectively for the development of AIDS. None of the anti-p17 antibody positive cases developed AIDS while 6 out of 16 anti-p17 negative cases developed AIDS during observation period (P < 0.05). Progression to AIDS was associated with loss of anti-p17 antibody. Identification of cases losing anti-p17 antibody in peripheral blood during asymptomatic period may help high-risk group who are in need of chemoprophylaxis. Moreover, study of anti-p17 antibody may be helpful in designing vaccine in future if it works as a neutralizing antibody to HIV in vivo."}
{"id": "PMID:1474935", "title": "Molecular analysis of immunoglobulin heavy chain genes coding for idiotypic and anti-idiotypic antibodies involved in B-B cellular interaction.", "content": "We recently reported that a unique B cell clone (B19-1d), specific for a cross-reactive idiotype (CRI) on MOPC104E myeloma protein (M104E), enhances Igh-restricted CRI+ antibody production. In this paper, we report the nucleotide sequences of immunoglobulin heavy chain variable regions (VH) of both M104E and B19-1d-derived hybridoma (HB19) antibodies. The sequence data revealed that both belong to the J558 germ line VH gene subfamily. Strikingly, not only the VH region, but also the leader sequences of M104E and HB19 are very similar to each other at 88% (VH) and 91% (leader) homology, but they use different D and J segments. The VH region sequence similarity is highest among the germ line VH gene sequences of the BALB/c J558 subfamily so far screened. Southern hybridization data, using 5'-noncoding regions of either M104E or HB19 genomic VH gene clones as probes, revealed that both VH genes are conserved in the M104E CRI producer strains of mice. Moreover, these probes show the restriction length polymorphism pattern of mouse VH genes in various strains. That the HB19 VH gene locates to the 5' upper arm of the M104E VH gene on the chromosome was suggested by Southern blot hybridization. Immunoglobulin VH gene restriction of idiotypic and antiidiotypic B-B cellular interaction is discussed from a molecular point of view."}
{"id": "PMID:1474936", "title": "Spontaneous proliferation of HTLV-II-infected peripheral blood lymphocytes: HLA-DR-driven, IL-2-dependent response.", "content": "Peripheral blood lymphocytes obtained from HTLV-II-infected persons (n = 13) and cultured in the absence of exogenous stimulator demonstrated augmented spontaneous proliferation (17,672 +/- 5,498 cpm) when compared with cells from healthy donors (1,921 +/- 1,306 cpm). Removal of non-T population did not abrogate the proliferative response of patients' PBMC, suggesting that the proliferation is not related to the autologous mixed lymphocyte reaction. Addition of recombinant interleukin-2 (rIL-2; 0.1 U/ml) to spontaneously proliferating cultures from HTLV-II-infected persons resulted in a 3- to 4-fold increase in proliferation (61,985 +/- 16,003); in contrast, PBMC from controls demonstrated 38- to 42-fold increase in their proliferative capacity in response to rIL-2 (77,256 +/- 13,044). Antibodies to both IL-2 receptor and HLA-DR were able to inhibit the spontaneous proliferation of PBMC from HTLV-II-infected persons in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, addition of cyclosporin A, which preferentially blocks accumulation of IL-2 mRNA, also inhibited spontaneous proliferation in a dose-dependent manner. These observations suggest that the spontaneous proliferation of HTLV-II-infected PBMC is at least in part an HLA-DR-driven, IL-2-dependent event, which is not analogous to the AMLR."}
{"id": "PMID:1474937", "title": "Influence of inoculation route on virulence of Rhodococcus equi in mice.", "content": "Virulence of R. equi ATCC 33701 was compared by the intraperitoneal (i.p.) and intravenous (i.v.) routes in mice. Strain ATCC 33701 was more virulent by the i.v. than the i.p. route. The LD50 of strain ATCC 33701 by either route correlated with the initial number of bacteria in the liver and spleen at day 0."}
{"id": "PMID:1474938", "title": "Prevalence of antibodies to Pseudomonas pseudomallei exotoxin and whole cell antigens in military personnel in Sabah and Sarawak, Malaysia.", "content": "Sera from 420 military personnel serving in Sabah and Sarawk, Malaysia, were tested for antibodies to Pseudomonas pseudomallei exotoxin and whole cell antigens by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay procedure (ELISA). Data showed that 54.4% of serum samples were positive for antibodies to P. pseudomallei exotoxin and 65.7% were positive for antibodies to the whole cell antigens. Samples gave much lower titers for anti-exotoxin antibodies compared to titers against crude whole cell antigens. The incidence of antibody to exotoxin was highest in the age groups ranging from 26 to 32 years, where the positive rates were higher than 40% and 30% for military personnel serving in Sarawak and Sabah, respectively."}
{"id": "PMID:1474940", "title": "[Inhibition of Candida valida growth by copper ions].", "content": "The high toxicity of copper ions for Candida valida growth was established at pH-auxostat regime. The value of mu max decreased even at the residual Cu2+ concentration 1.0 mg/l. The inhibition constant (Ki) that characterized a copper ion concentration at which yeast specific growth rate was halved was equal to 7.7 mg/l. A linear dependence of 1/mu max on a residual concentration of copper ions indicates that yeast growth inhibition is due to inhibition of one enzymic reaction which is the most sensitive to copper. Yeast growth inhibition by copper was accompanied by accumulation of Cu2+ ions in biomass, a decrease in nucleic acid and true protein contents, and changes in amino acid composition of protein. The amounts of cystine and cysteine in protein increased and tryptophane content decreased with inhibition of yeast growth. Yeast growth inhibition by copper did not affect the lipid content but significantly reduced the degree of unsaturation due to a decrease in the amounts of polyunsaturated linoleic and alpha-linolenic acids."}
{"id": "PMID:1474939", "title": "[Influence of carbon sources on the biological activity and morphology of Bacillus thuringiensis parasporal crystals].", "content": "The influence of the carbon source on biological activity and morphological properties of the parasporal crystals of Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki cultivated on three different media has been studied. Biological activity of delta-endotoxins contained in crystals was tested according to their impact on insects and microorganisms. Variations in carbon sources composition resulted in changes of biological activity and morphology of crystals, caused by alterations in synthesis rate of various delta-endotoxins contained in the crystals. Variations in the content of a certain carbon source (e.g. starch) in the medium produced no effect on the crystals properties, and the content variations of the delta-endotoxins content was proportional to the producer biomass. Control of the antibacterial effect of delta-endotoxins allows a valid evaluation of their biological activity under various growth conditions as well as comparison of the biological potential of entomopathogenic chemicals for plant protection containing delta-endotoxins with different specificity of insecticidal activity."}
{"id": "PMID:1474941", "title": "[Dynamics of the population structure of the Escherichia coli recombinant strain during continuous culture].", "content": "The populational structure of the Escherichia coli strain Z905 containing the recombinant plasmid with the phenotype AprLux+ was studied in chemostat. It was shown that the stability of the ratio of plasmid containing cells and cells without plasmids depends in the first place on the presence of the selective factor (ampicillin) in the medium and on the sources of carbon and energy limiting growth."}
{"id": "PMID:1474948", "title": "Total eye transplantation for the blind: a challenge for the future.", "content": "Blindness is a human and social problem of incalculable weight. In the future, artificial 'bionic' prostheses and retinal grafts could achieve a long-sought cure. Several lines of evidence led to the speculation that a total eye transplantation for the cure of retinal blindness may become feasible in the near future. It is proposed that a brain dead patient's eye, whose retinal viability has been demonstrated with an electroretinogram recording, be transplanted into the blind's voided orbital socket, through a frontoorbitotemporal craniotomy and orbitozygomatic osteotomy. Regenerating optic nerve axons are channeled in a specially constructed guide to the homolateral corpus genicolatum laterale, while the retinal ganglion cells are adequately protected during the regrowth period. Aspects of this paradigm are reviewed and discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1474944", "title": "[Comparative electron microscopic study of Bacillus thuringiensis cells grown in a chemostat].", "content": "It has been shown that the culture of Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. gall. 69-6 dissociates into R- and S-variants in chemostat. Although under some conditions the sporogenesis and the synthesis of S-variant toxin began two hours earlier than these processes in R-variant cells which were observed, respectively, after 10 or 12 hours from the beginning of the experiment, the intensities of sporogenesis and toxin production as well as the exit of spores and toxin excretion from cells were similar after 24 hours. The resistance to the bacteriophage present in chemostat was the advantage of S-variant cells. The data obtained by electron microscopy indicate that the phagoresistance is caused by the structural organization of the S-variant cell wall. Its peptidoglycan component is thin and is distinguished by crumb structure. By means of negative contrast microscopy it was found that the surface T-layer of R-variant cell wall was characterized by the tetragonal packaging of protein subunits indicating the regular orientation of phagoreceptors in it. The redistribution of protein subunits in the T-layer of S-variant cell wall prevented from the adsorbance of bacteriophages on the cell surface. The adsorbance of phages on the surface of R-variant cells was observed rather often. It led to the degradation of peptidoglycan, the formation of protoplasts and lysis."}
{"id": "PMID:1474949", "title": "Pre-existing chronic infraepithelial Trichomonas invasion with consecutive immunodepression enables progression of human immunodeficiency virus: a new concept of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome pathogenesis.", "content": "All three existing species of human trichomonads cause similar immune and histopathological host responses. The elicited crossimmunity causes interspecific competition of trichomonal infections in their typical localizations, which results in very rare simultaneous colonization of the same host by different species. This phenomenon points to the existence of a unique immune disorder or subclinical sensitization, regardless of which trichomonas species is in question. The total percentage of infestations in all three species points to the most widespread parasitosis, i.e. the immunodepression of human beings. Trichomonaemia has a very strong immunodepressive action. All the other agents, including viruses act only as opportunists."}
{"id": "PMID:1474942", "title": "[Directed autoselection of bacteria during turbidostat cultivation].", "content": "A method has been proposed for directed bacteria autoselection, based on their sensitivity to growth inhibitors during continuous unlimited cultivation. A smooth increase of a growth inhibitor concentration in the medium has been used in response to the appearance and autoselection of more resistant strains. The aim can be reached by continuous measurements of the specific microbial growth rate during the process and its keeping at the required level by the inhibitor additions. The experimental data are given showing application of the method for Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas sp. turbidostat cultivation with valine, low pH and formaldehyde as inhibitors."}
{"id": "PMID:1474945", "title": "[Conjugative transfer of plasmid DNA between bacteria in soil].", "content": "Conjugative transfer of plasmid RP4 between populations of azospirilla and between Escherichia coli and Azospirillum brasilense in nonsterile soil has been investigated. The process of genetic exchange was realized at the early stages of interpopulational interactions, further on the process intensity was obviously rather low. Population dynamics of azospirilla transconjugates in soil depends on the presence or the absence of additional food substrate."}
{"id": "PMID:1474946", "title": "[Pathways of degradation of organic components of waste water of (meth)acrylate-producing factories to methane by communities of microorganisms of adapted and unadapted sludge].", "content": "Pathways of the degradation of the main compounds of (meth)acrylate-producing factories wastewater (methyl methacrylate, methyl and butyl acrylate, acrylate and methacrylate, acetone, isopropanol, butanol and methanol) by the anaerobic microbial consortium of mesophilic unadapted granulated sludge from the \"UASB\" reactor and of adapted activated sludge from the contact reactor were comparatively studied. It was shown that the degradation of fatty acids and alcohols took place in both types of sludge. Methacrylate, acrylate and acetone degradation occurred only in adapted sludge. Both types of sludge were characterized by the reversible conversion of acetone and isopropanol and by the presence of the isomeric transition of butyrate and isobutyrate too. The present results allow to suggest that the adaptation of activated sludge to substrate includes the accumulation of biomass of microorganisms capable of hydrolyze specific substrates into such general intermediates as low-molecular-weight fatty acid and alcohols further metabolized to methane and carbon dioxide."}
{"id": "PMID:1474950", "title": "Monoclonal antibody therapy in the treatment of Reye's syndrome.", "content": "A role for lipopolysaccharides (endotoxins, LPS) in 7 the pathogenesis of Reye's syndrome (RS) has previously been suggested. Impairment of hepatic LPS clearance can lead to systemic endotoxemia as previous studies by this and other laboratories have suggested for several hepatic disorders including RS. Systemic LPS may mediate many of the clinical findings associated with RS by eliciting monokines such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-1, interleukin-6, and interleukin-8. Monoclonal antibody therapy directed at LPS, and monokines may represent a novel approach to the treatment of RS."}
{"id": "PMID:1474951", "title": "Altered postural reflexes in Parkinson's disease: a reverse hypothesis.", "content": "In subjects standing on a movable platform, sudden dorsiflexion of the ankle joint elicits a set of reflexes in leg muscles. These responses include a short latency (SL) and medium latency (ML) stretch reflex in the gastrocnemius muscle and a distal to proximal innervation sequence of long latency (LL) reflexes in the shortened tibialis anterior and vastus lateralis muscles. Because of their role in maintaining upright stance these responses have been termed postural reflexes. In patients with Parkinson's disease (PD), the following abnormalities have been described: 1) enhanced ML-amplitudes; 2) a reversed LL innervation sequence; and 3) delayed onset latencies. These abnormalities are thought to be due to defective motor programming and disturbed control of spinal and supraspinal reflex centers by basal ganglia circuits. The altered reflexes have been held responsible for some of the clinical features of PD, including balance impairment and rigidity. In this paper, we argue the reverse hypothesis that postural reflexes are essentially normal in PD, and that the observed alterations are at least in part consequence rather than cause of balance impairment, the stooped parkinsonian posture and rigidity of PD patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1474943", "title": "[Features of the initial stage of surface colonization by Eshcherichia coli cells as a function of their mobility and chemotaxis].", "content": "Dependence of adhesion and colonization of hydrophilic and hydrophobic surfaces by Escherichia coli strains with different mobility and chemotaxis was studied using E. coli mot+che+, E. coli mot+che-, E. coli mot-che+. Primary adhesion was shown to correlate with mobility of cells and hydrophilic/hydrophobic character of their surface. Secondary adhesion correlated in addition with chemotactic characteristics of bacteria. E. coli populations were shown to vary in electrophoretic mobility and cells capability for adhesion and chemotaxis."}
{"id": "PMID:1474952", "title": "A proposed mechanism of anticancer activity of indomethacin.", "content": "The exact mechanism of anticancer activity of indomethacin still remains unclear. In view of the gathered observations and ideas, I hypothesize that the effect of indomethacin may be related--at least in certain cases--to its antagonism to gastrin/cholecystokinin family of peptides and/or to its agonistic activity to thromboxane A2 and melatonin. Future experiments in this direction are required."}
{"id": "PMID:1474953", "title": "Activation of oncogenes and/or inactivation of anti-oncogenes by reactive oxygen species.", "content": "Abundant evidence indicates that reactive oxygen species (ROS) are involved in mutagenesis and carcinogenesis. These chemical-generated or phagocyte-released ROS are known to cause a variety of genetic alterations which lie at the heart of the carcinogenic process. ROS have also been shown to cause malignant transformation of normal cells, and to increase expression of certain proto-oncogenes such as c-fos and c-jun. It is known that certain proto-oncogenes and anti-oncogenes may serve as the targets of carcinogens of various sorts. I hypothesize that ROS-mediated DNA damage may cause mutations and/or deletions in certain specific coding regions of tumor-related genes, and could be responsible for subsequent activation of oncogenes and/or inactivation of anti-oncogenes."}
{"id": "PMID:1474954", "title": "Calcium intake and the protein composition of mouse brain: relevance to multiple sclerosis.", "content": "Epidemiological data has suggested the involvement of calcium metabolism in the incidence of multiple sclerosis through a link with high childhood milk intake followed by a large or sudden reduction during the adolescent growth spurt. In this study polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of SDS-solubilized proteins in the aqueous insoluble pellet fractions of laboratory mouse brain tissue at 6 months of age has shown that a dietary reduction from high calcium intake to 0.005% CaCO3 or less in early life can cause a change in the electrophoretic pattern of low molecular weight proteins. This change is similar in appearance and molecular weight to an abnormality seen in the electrophoretic pattern of SDS-solubilized proteins in the aqueous insoluble pellet fractions of multiple sclerosis plaque. It is proposed that this finding could indicate a worthwhile area for future research and that the hypothesis of a reduction from high to very low calcium intake during adolescence being involved in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis should not be discounted."}
{"id": "PMID:1474955", "title": "On the protective mechanism of the sickle cell trait (HbAS).", "content": "The sickle cell trait has been reported to offer some protection against anaemia in pregnancy. Some attribute this to the break up of the cells which release iron for the synthesis of haemoglobin. The hypothesis presented here is that the 'partial' protective mechanism of the sickle cell trait is due to increased erythropoietic activity."}
{"id": "PMID:1474956", "title": "Sudden infant death syndrome: the vitamin E/selenium iron hypothesis (dietary anti/pro-oxidant imbalance).", "content": "Cot death or Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) remains a largely unexplained and unpreventable factor in infant mortality. The existence of a dietary link between SIDS and vitamin E/selenium deficiency, documented through veterinary evidence, is posited as an etiological factor. Further substantiation of this hypothesis is derived from infant nutrition practices and cases of SIDS in New Zealand."}
{"id": "PMID:1474957", "title": "Ageing, information and the magical number seven.", "content": "Concepts from information theory are applied to human ageing. An equation is derived, based on the general properties of information systems, which closely predicts the mortality rate in old age. The same equation predicts that infection will be increasingly severe when first exposure to micro-organisms is delayed leading to diseases which peak in early and middle age. A parameter of the equation is the level of redundancy in human information processing. Observed mortality rates show that this is sevenfold and it is suggested that seven is a fundamental dimensionless biological constant."}
{"id": "PMID:1474958", "title": "An inside-out theory of attention.", "content": "The brain has two attentional systems; one attentional system is devoted to intrapersonal space and the second attentional system to extrapersonal space. The development of these two attentional systems with inward or outward focus arose from the hemispheral neural systems designed for attending to extrapersonal contralateral space. As a necessary consequence of the brain changes to develop language, one of the hemispheral attentional systems was altered for intrapersonal attention while the other hemispheral attentional system became obligated to attend to all of extrapersonal space. This conceptualization of attention provides a coherent explanation for the confusing hemispheral dominance proposed for attention on the basis of clinical hemineglect, i.e. that the left hemisphere attends to right extrapersonal space and that the right hemisphere attends to both left and right extrapersonal space. This conceptualization also provides a meaningful account of denial of limbs (anosognosia) and imagery."}
{"id": "PMID:1474959", "title": "The threshold effect: consequence of change in the frequency of food intake in the presence of a functional threshold.", "content": "Studies on diseases thought to be diet-induced have so far assumed that the effect of a food depends solely on the amount ingested. When the metabolism of a food derivative is dependent on a threshold-dependent mechanism this single variable assumption is invalid, as the net effect of the derivative will also depend on intake frequency. In this paper the consequences of varying intake frequency in the presence of a notional threshold are analysed mathematically. It is shown that at the low frequency end of the scale relevant to human diet, if a metabolic threshold exists then the net effect of a food will be critically dependent on intake frequency, and that the effect of changing frequency may exceed that produced by even substantial changes in quantum. It is concluded that epidemiological studies which have not included data on frequency of intake involve a potential error and could be misleading."}
{"id": "PMID:1474964", "title": "Purification and characterization of cell wall proteins of Listeria monocytogenes.", "content": "Two proteins were purified from Listeria monocytogenes cell wall using detergent extraction, Superose 6 gel chromatography. Mono Q cation-exchange chromatography and Superose 12 gel chromatography. Proteins were shown to form complexes of ca. 300 kDa and pI 4.7. These complexes could not be dissociated in 6 M urea, however, during SDS-PAGE 79 and 39 kDa monomers were formed. Immunoblot analysis showed that the proteins under investigation were common to all listerial strains tested, but were absent in strains of other bacteria. We propose that the proteins investigated here could serve as immunoserological markers for Listeria."}
{"id": "PMID:1474966", "title": "[Total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and apoprotein B in umbilical cord blood: cross-sectional study].", "content": "The aim of the present study was to evaluate, in a large series of term newborns, the prevalence of hypercholesterolemia in cord blood, using as parameters, levels of plasma cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and apo B higher than mean + 2 standard deviations, alone or in association. Data reported here represent the results of a transversal study. 1275 term newborns were studied. In everybody, in cord blood samples, at birth, cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL-cholesterol, apoprotein B and LDL-cholesterol have been assayed. In 3.13% of them (40 subjects), cholesterol levels > mean + 2 standard deviations were present. Moreover, only 6 subjects (0.47%) showed all three parameter levels higher than mean + 2 standard deviations, and 4 subjects (0.31%), in spite of normal cholesterol levels, presented high LDL-cholesterol and apo B levels. Integrated utilization of these parameters in the neonatal screening of familial hypercholesterolemia will have to be confirmed by follow-up studies."}
{"id": "PMID:1474967", "title": "[Plasma L-carnitine levels in children with celiac disease].", "content": "Carnitine is a very important co-factor for the metabolism of fatty acids, because it is the necessary carrier for the passage of acyl groups inside the mitochondria, where beta-oxidation takes place. In the human body the total pool of carnitine is made by two fractions, one being endogenous and the second exogenous. The absorption of exogenous carnitine takes place mainly at duodenal-jejunal level by an active transport mechanism based on amino acid carrier. Plasma L-carnitine concentrations have been measured in 66 coeliac patients (mean age: 7 years and 4 months). Thirty three of them were on a free diet and the other 33 were on a gluten-free diet for at last six month. In 10 patients we studied plasma L-carnitine levels both on a free diet and on a gluten-free diet. As controls we examined 33 healthy children comparable for age. Plasma L-carnitine concentrations have been measured by a spectrophotometrical method according to Marquis and Fritz's technique and subsequently modified by Pearson and Seccombe. In the 66 coeliac patients the mean values of serum L-carnitine were significantly lower than those in the controls (p < 0.001). The levels were significantly lower in patients a free diet with respect to those on gluten-free diet (p < 0.01). The 10 subjects who were examined both on free diet and on gluten-free diet showed an increase of plasma concentrations in the latter condition.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1474968", "title": "[The pediatric emergency department: assessment of clinical activity and interaction with local health authorities].", "content": "A perspective study was carried out at the Emergency Department of the Gaslini Institute on a sample of the children admitted from May to September 1990. The study aimed to describe types and modalities of admission. \"G. Gaslini\" Institute is a multidisciplinary children's hospital: 45% of patients admitted in the hospital come from the southern regions of Italy, while the admission at the Emergency Department were local in 82%. Among all children considered, 2080 (71.9% were admitted on request of their parents, who did not ask previously any physician; of those cases, 356 (17%) were hospitalized, 474 (25%) were either examined by specialist or treated and then discharged. In the remaining cases, no intervention was necessary. As a consequence, 58% of children were admitted without any clinically plausible reason. Parents' anxiety clearly played an important role in most cases. 840 children were addressed to the Emergency Department by a physician, 652 (22.3%) by the doctor in charge, 213 (32.7%) of which were sent back home by the doctor on duty, who did not think it necessary any treatment. Of the 120 (4.1%) children sent by different Emergency Departments, 95 (79.1%) were hospitalized. The reason why physicians addressed quite a large number of children to the Emergency Department, when they didn't need any intervention remain nucleo. Their diagnosis, in fact, agreed with those of the doctor on duty in 83% of cases. In conclusion, it is difficult to imagine a diagnostic or therapeutic problem which needs specific structures. Cooperative programs with physicians working in our region will be carried out in order to control, where possible, admission to Emergency Departments."}
{"id": "PMID:1474969", "title": "[Chronic inflammatory bowel diseases in childhood. Case contribution and critical considerations].", "content": "The term \"inflammatory bowel disease\" describes 2 major categories of chronic disease: Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Non specific chronic colitis and allergic colitis in childhood can usually be distinguished by clinical and histopathologic criteria. This study regards a retrospective analysis of 23 patients suffering from chronic inflammatory bowel disease. Clinical manifestations began between 4 and 18 years of age. The Authors report remarkable frequency in pediatric age and common diagnostic delay, especially in Crohn's disease. The possibility of extraintestinal symptoms (erythema nodosum, arthritis, iridocyclitis) is also showed. Moreover they analyse present diagnostic proceedings: in childhood the employ of 99 mTc-HmPAO-labelled granulocytes is a new and non invasive test useful in the follow-up of the patients. In the treatment corticosteroids and sulfasalazine are used in various combinations associated with general supportive measures. Finally the Authors confirm that chronic inflammatory bowel disease may cause, especially in childhood, remarkable involvement on the growth and several psychological disorders."}
{"id": "PMID:1474970", "title": "[Evaluation of the fluidifying effect on nasal mucus of physiologic solution combined with increasing concentrations of polysorbates].", "content": "Nasal decongestants are widely used in the treatment of rhinitis. Decongestant drugs are one of the main components, but numerous reports gave been made concerning side, local and general effects. The problem is particularly important in the treatment of infantile rhinitis for which the use of saline solution alone is often preferred. The paper evaluates the fluidifying action of a saline solution and polysorbate 20, a tensioactive molecule, on nasal mucous. Changes in mucous viscosity were assessed using a \"filancemeter\" and thromboelastograph. At the same time a clinical study on the efficacy of treatment and the possible presence of side effects was carried out in a population of rhinitic subjects. The study highlighted the fluidifying effect of the preparation on nasal mucous and the complete absence of side effects."}
{"id": "PMID:1474971", "title": "[Herpetic encephalitis with biphasic course. A case report and review of the literature].", "content": "Encephalitis represents an important event in pediatric practice. Between the different causes Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) seems to be the most significant etiological agent, not only for its frequency but chiefly for conditioning prognosis. The Authors report a new case of HSV encephalitis with biphasic course illustrating the most recent pathologic, diagnostic and therapeutic features in the attempt to individualize those factors, between clinical data, laboratory findings and imaging that allow early diagnosis and consequently precocious specific antiviral therapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1474972", "title": "[Spinal lipomas in childhood].", "content": "Spinal lipomas account for 5% of the tumors of the spinal cord, frequently present already at birth. Most commonly they are associated with forms of dysraphism, but lipomas without bony involvement are considered dysembriogenetic lesions too. Children with lipoma frequently have intact neurological functions, but may become symptomatic later on. Diagnosis is possible also in neurologically intact patients because of skin lesions or subcutaneous masses. Many surgeons suggest early surgery to prevent injury to neural structures from traction due to cord tethering; others prefer to wait for the rise of any symptom before considering surgery. However, neurological recovery after surgery is rarely observed, and, when present, is always partial; the primary goal of surgery is to stop the clinical progression through the detethering of the cord."}
{"id": "PMID:1474973", "title": "[Non-tumoral neonatal hydrocephalus. Results of surgical treatment in the first month of life].", "content": "Two hundred eight patients with non-tumoral congenital hydrocephalus underwent CSF shunting below the age of one month. Ultrasonography was the most frequently utilized tool; hydrocephalus was recognized during pregnancy in 52% of the cases. Hydrocephalus was associated with myelomeningocele in 97 infants; in 38 subjects ventricular dilation was secondary to aqueductal stenosis. Post-hemorrhagic and post-infective hydrocephalus accounted for only 20 and 13 cases respectively. At the follow-up observation, a normal psychomotor development was recorded in 67.3% of the cases. Seventeen patients died. CSF infection was the most common cause of death (41%); in 6 patients the exitus was determined by the natural evolution of congenital associated malformations. Shunt revision did not influence the morbidity and the mortality significantly. On the other hand, CSF infections appeared to influence the prognosis negatively. In our experience, the prognosis of hydrocephalus operated on in the first month of life does not differ from that of hydrocephalus operated on late in life."}
{"id": "PMID:1474974", "title": "[A case of CHARGE with fibrocystic disease of the pancreas].", "content": "The Authors describe a case of CHARGE association (CA) with fibrocystic disease of the pancreas (FCP). The CA is characterized by seven mayor defects (colobomatous malformation, heart defect, atresia choanae, growth and mental deficiency, genital hypoplasia, ear anomalies and/or deafness). Four of this seven defects are necessary for the diagnosis. Other diseases and anomalies associated with CA are examined. The peculiarity of contemporaneous presence of FCP and the seriousness of the prognosis is pointed out."}
{"id": "PMID:1474975", "title": "[Vascular lesions in Candida albicans sepsis].", "content": "In two premature newborns affected by candida sepsis we observed at ultrasonography alterations of the heart and of the anterior cerebral artery. These alterations suggest a cardiovascular involvement that is rarely reported in the literature as a complication of systemic candidiasis."}
{"id": "PMID:1474976", "title": "An alternative to DNA extraction for the diagnosis of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia by polymerase chain reaction using a new oligonucleotide probe.", "content": "We have used new specific primers and probe in a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) followed by Southern blot assays to detect Pneumocystis carinii in human bronchoalveolar lavage samples obtained from HIV-infected patients with pulmonary symptoms. To facilitate the procedure we developed a filtration technique without DNA extraction yielding a high sensitivity (18/18 positive results). The high specificity of the technique was shown by testing immunosuppressed patients without P. carinii pneumonia."}
{"id": "PMID:1474977", "title": "Chlamydia trachomatis confirmatory testing of PCR-positive genitourinary specimens using a second set of plasmid primers.", "content": "A plasmid-based PCR for the detection of Chlamydia trachomatis was evaluated with a confirmatory PCR employing a second set of plasmid primers. A total of 258 genitourinary specimens including 134 female endocervical and urethral specimens and 124 male urethral specimens were tested by culture, blocked EIA and PCR. Fifty-four specimens were positive by culture, 50 were positive by EIA and 71 were positive by PCR. Fourteen specimens that were PCR-positive but culture- and EIA-negative were confirmed positive by the confirmatory PCR. Two of the 187 specimens which were negative by culture and EIA were positive by PCR but failed to confirm with the second set of primers. Using an expanded gold standard of culture, blocked EIA and confirmed PCR, the overall sensitivities for culture, blocked EIA and confirmed PCR were 76.0% (54/71), 70.4% (50/71) and 100% (71/71) and the specificities were 100% (187/187), 100% (187/187), respectively. These results demonstrated that a confirmatory PCR was useful for sorting out discordant specimens and establishing the true specificity of PCR. Furthermore, these results demonstrate that PCR is more sensitive than culture and EIA and suggest that a confirmed PCR test should be included in the gold standard for the evaluation of new tests for diagnosing Chlamydia trachomatis infections."}
{"id": "PMID:1474978", "title": "Detection of Mycobacterium leprae and the potential for monitoring antileprosy drug therapy directly from skin biopsies by PCR.", "content": "An improved protocol for PCR analysis of Mycobacterium leprae-infected tissues, based on enzymatic lysis, has been developed and used to demonstrate the feasibility of using PCR for detecting M. leprae in routine skin biopsies taken from leprosy patients throughout the clinical spectrum. Of 92 multibacillary patients tested, 99% were PCR-positive using gel electrophoresis or DNA hybridization to detect the amplified product. Similar analysis of paucibacillary patients, in which only one of 27 biopsies had demonstrable AFB microscopically, gave a positivity rate of 74%. No PCR signals were demonstrated from skin biopsies from seven patients with non-leprosy dermatoses and one AIDS patient with a disseminated atypical mycobacteriosis. Evaluation of leprosy patients with antileprosy drug therapy prior to biopsy demonstrated that PCR signals were either greatly diminished or absent after 2 months of continuous antibiotic therapy. PCR was also able to detect the presence of M. leprae in tissues of patients receiving antibacterial therapy when patients were suspected of harbouring drug-resistant M. leprae."}
{"id": "PMID:1474979", "title": "Development of a DNA probe for Ureaplasma urealyticum.", "content": "Ureaplasma urealyticum has been associated with a variety of disease conditions in humans. However, its exact etiologic role has not been well established because of the difficulties encountered in cultural diagnosis and the time needed for positive identifications. A DNA probe which is specific for a target DNA sequence unique to this suspected pathogen offers a rapid, sensitive and specific means of diagnosis. This study details the development of a polymerase chain reaction system for U. urealyticum. Using conventional hybridization techniques, a cloned genomic fragment was found to be specific for this organism. Sequencing of part of this probe DNA permitted the assignment of oligonucleotide primers which amplified a 186 bp target segment. This PCR system is specific for U. urealyticum but not for other closely related species of mycoplasma. This highly sensitive diagnostic technique will aid in determining the etiologic role, tissue tropism and dynamics of pathogenesis of this organism, and thereby result in better patient care."}
{"id": "PMID:1474980", "title": "A species-specific DNA probe for Providencia stuartii identification.", "content": "A DNA probe is described that can be used for identification of Providencia stuartii by means of filter hybridization assays. The probe, which is a fragment of the P. stuartii phoN gene coding for an acid phosphatase, appeared to be able to recognize only P. stuartii strains in slot-blot hybridization experiments performed with total DNA extracted from 545 strains of 64 different Gram-negative bacterial species, including all the major representatives of the family Enterobacteriaceae. Owing to the problems that may be often encountered for correct identification of P. stuartii at the species level when using commercial identification systems, this probe may result useful for fast and reliable identification of P. stuartii strains for taxonomical, epidemiological and diagnostic studies."}
{"id": "PMID:1474981", "title": "A specific DNA probe for detecting Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae in experimentally infected piglets.", "content": "Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae is the primary agent of swine enzootic pneumonia. Because of fastidious growth requirements and its serological cross-reactions with other porcine mycoplasmas, we developed a specific DNA probe for its detection. A partial genomic library of M. hyopneumoniae was constructed in plasmid pBR 322 using Hind III chromosomal fragments. The recombinant plasmids were screened by differential hybridization with M. flocculare and M. hyorhinis genomic DNA probes. One non-hybridizing recombinant plasmid was selected and its 1.65 kbp insert (designated I141) tested for specificity against genomic DNA from numerous mycoplasmas, other bacteria species and DNA from lung tissue of specific pathogen free (SPF) piglets. The 32P labelled I141 could detect specifically down to 400 pg of M. hyopneumoniae genomic DNA. To test the suitability of the I141 probe for the laboratory diagnosis of M. hyopneumoniae infections, we used clinical tracheobronchial specimens from piglets which were experimentally infected with M. hyopneumoniae. The results with hybridization on each specimen were compared to findings with an immunofluorescence test. Of the clinical specimen tested, there was agreement in the two tests of 63%."}
{"id": "PMID:1474984", "title": "Candida albicans antifungal-resistant strains: studies on adherence and other pathogenicity related characteristics.", "content": "In search of adhesion-variant strains of Candida albicans the adherence of a number of polyenes and/or azole-resistant strains of this yeast was studied (C. albicans 6406, 6406/8 and 799-XL, -XS, -YS, -R and YL). For comparison C. albicans KCCC 14172, known for its high adhesion and proteinase production, was also used. All isolates showed significantly lower adhesion (P < 0.001) compared with KCCC 14172. The exception was 6406/8 which showed superior adherability to all strains tested (2.5-4.8 times more adherent). This superiority prompted us to study the possible variation between this strain and the others in parameters that contribute to pathogenicity. Strain 6406/8 had the smallest average cell size (0.5-0.75 the size of cells from other strains). Variation in proteinase production and germ-tube formation existed among strains, with strain 6406/8 producing the lowest levels of inducible proteinase (2-4-fold less than the others), as well as being the least germ-tube former (10 times less than other strains). Ultrastructural comparisons between strain 6406/8 and its parent showed that the mutant strain had a thinner cell wall with a dense floccular layer throughout the cell wall compared to the parent strain. The cytoplasmic membrane of the mutant was more conspicuous than that of the parent strain. Comparison of the pathogenicity of strain 6406/8 and its parent (6406) revealed that although the mutant strain initially showed higher colonization than the parent strain, it was cleared much faster.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1474988", "title": "Glucose transport in Crithidia luciliae.", "content": "The glucose analogue, 2-deoxy-D-glucose, was used to characterise the glucose transport system in Crithidia luciliae choanomastigotes. Uptake was temperature dependent with a Q10 of 2, and saturable with a Km of 0.22 mM and Vmax of 5.5 nmol min-1 (mg protein)-1 at 23 degrees C. Preloaded cells showed rapid exchange of intracellular 2-deoxy-D-glucose when incubated with extracellular D-glucose or 2-deoxy-D-glucose but little exchange with L-glucose. The substrate specificity of the uptake was studied using a number of D-glucose analogues. 6-Deoxy-D-glucose, 3-fluoro-3-deoxy-D-glucose and 4-fluoro-4-deoxy-D-glucose all competed for the transporter and had significant inhibitory effects on 2-deoxy-D-glucose transport. In contrast, 1-thio-beta-D-glucose, trehalose, 3-O-methyl-D-glucose, arginine, thymidine, L-sorbose and L-glucose were not inhibitory. The results imply the existence of a glucose transporter. The transport was blocked by a number of inhibitors and ionophores, including fluoride, azide, cyanide, dinitrophenol, valinomycin and nigericin. Overall, the uptake, exchange and efflux of 2-deoxy-D-glucose is consistent with transport via facilitated diffusion."}
{"id": "PMID:1474983", "title": "Chemiluminescence of polymorphonuclear granulocytes in the presence of selected Candida species.", "content": "We monitored the respiratory burst of polymorphonuclear granulocytes (PMN) during infection in vitro with 25 strains of six Candida species with different extracellular proteolytic activity by chemiluminescence (CL). The CL-response of PMNs to viable Candida blastoconidia was compared to the response to ethanol-fixed cells of the same strain. Ethanol-fixed blastoconidia of all tested fungal strains uniformly increased the CL-response on contact. Viable fungal blastoconidia induced different CL-responses: (1) virulent C. albicans and C. tropicalis induced a low CL-response, (2) less virulent C. glabrata, C. parapsilosis and C. krusei induced CL-responses which reflected strain-specific differences, and (3) viable blastoconidia of attenuated C. guilliermondii uniformly caused a high PMN CL-response. After the CL-measurement, the killing of Candida by PMNs was assayed. High CL-response could be correlated to an augmented killing of the yeasts. These results were discussed with respect to a factor of fungal virulence, the secretion of acid proteinase."}
{"id": "PMID:1474989", "title": "Identification of a 33-kilodalton immunodominant antigen of Trypanosoma congolense as a cysteine protease.", "content": "A 33-kDa protein of Trypanosoma congolense is a major antigen in infected cattle and the production of antibody to this antigen appeared to correlate with enhanced resistance to trypanosomiasis [4]. Immunoelectron microscopy using a monoclonal antibody (mAb 4C5) raised against the 33-kDa antigen showed a lysosomal localisation, similar to that of a previously described 32-kDa cysteine protease of T. congolense. Both mAb 4C5 and anti-33 kDa antibody from infected cattle bound on Western blots to the cysteine protease that had been purified by affinity chromatography on cystatin-Sepharose. Sepharose-coupled mAb 4C5 was used to affinity purify the antigen from bloodstream forms of T. congolense. On sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), the affinity-purified antigen had a molecular mass of 33 kDa under non-reducing conditions, and 40 kDa under reducing conditions. Anti-33-kDa antibody from infected cattle bound to both non-reduced and reduced affinity-purified antigen on Western blots. Serum from a rabbit immunised with the biochemically purified enzyme also bound the affinity-purified antigen. The affinity-purified antigen displayed proteolytic activity in fibrinogen-containing SDS-PAGE and against Azocoll. It hydrolysed benzyloxycarbonyl-Phe-Arg-7-amino-methyl coumarin (Z-Phe-Arg-NHMec) with a Km similar to that of the biochemically purified enzyme. Proteolytic and peptidolytic activities of the antigen were inhibited by the inhibitors of cysteine proteases, cystatin and trans-epoxysuccinyl-L-leucyl-amido (4-guanidino)butane (E-64). On two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, the antigen displayed similar characteristics to those of the biochemically purified enzyme. We conclude that the 33-kDa antigen of T. congolense and the cysteine protease are the same molecule."}
{"id": "PMID:1474982", "title": "Fusarium infections. Criteria for the identification of the responsible species.", "content": "The incidence of human infections by Fusarium is increasing in contemporary medicine. Since the recognition of the species involved in such processes is generally difficult for non-specialists, we include here the main criteria that should be used in the identification of the responsible species. The most frequent species are F. verticillioides, F. oxysporum and F. solani, which are illustrated. The differences between Fusarium and Acremonium and Cylindrocarpon, two close genera, are discussed. The latter two are also illustrated. The main morphological characteristics of Fusarium such as sporodochium, conidiophore, conidiogenous cell, phialide, locus, macroconidia, mesoconidia, microconidia and chlamydospores are defined and illustrated. A key to the identification of Fusarium species isolated from human lesions is also included."}
{"id": "PMID:1474990", "title": "Sequence homology and absence of mRNA defines a possible pseudogene member of the Trypanosoma cruzi gp85/sialidase multigene family.", "content": "A genomic clone, pTt21, containing DNA apparently transcribed specifically in Trypanosoma cruzi trypomastigotes, was obtained by differentially screening a genomic library with trypomastigote and epimastigote cDNA. This 3444-bp clone contained open reading frames at each end, separated by a 1.8-kb non-coding region. The translated polypeptide from the 3' open reading frame (ORF2) of 1037 bp had 25-30% identity with 5 recently published T. cruzi gp85/sialidase sequences, and 20-25% identity with bacterial sialidases. Rabbit antiserum raised against an Escherichia coli fusion protein derived from the 5' open reading frame (ORF1) identified a surface antigen of 160 kDa, specifically expressed in trypomastigotes. A probe containing the first 211 bp from ORF1 was used to obtain a complete copy (c1821) of a gene that was closely related to ORF1, and encoded another member of the gp85/sialidase family. c1821 encodes a protein of 897 amino acids, but assignment of the N-terminus of the polypeptide was not possible. The 5'-most start codon is an unfavourable context to act as a translation initiator, it does not align with the initiator methionines of other gp85/sialidase sequences, nor is it followed by a signal peptide sequence characteristically found in other gp85/sialidase sequences. Although homology with the 5' ends of other gp85/sialidase sequences decays towards the 5' end of c1821, alignment of c1821 with 4 other gp85/sialidases indicated that the coding sequence should extend upstream at least 160 amino acids. In this region of c1821 there are multiple stop codons in each frame. The presence of the stop codons, the alignment data and our inability to amplify reverse transcribed mRNA using four internal primers, suggest that c1821 may not be present as a mature mRNA and is a pseudogene. Comparison of the apparently non-repetitive 3' coding domain of c1821 with the corresponding repetitive domains of two other members of the gp85/sialidase family revealed a high degree of similarity in nucleotide but not in amino acid sequence, and c1821 may thus represent an evolutionary intermediate between sub-families of the gp85/sialidase superfamily."}
{"id": "PMID:1474986", "title": "Biotypes of the dermatophyte Microsporum distortum.", "content": "During a study of the epidemiology of Microsporum canis and closely related species, sub-specific variation was demonstrated within thirteen isolates of Microsporum distortum based on the pattern of carbohydrate utilization. Strains from three continents could be differentiated by their utilization of trehalose and erythritol. Isolates from New Zealand yielded the same patterns as M. canis (Arthroderma otae (-)); examination of 120 isolates indicated that M. canis could not be biotyped by carbohydrate utilization, although limited variation had been noted. Examination of total native protein patterns by gel electrophoresis showed that variations existed within the M. distortum group; the much larger number of M. canis (A. otae (-)) strains had appeared to be homogenous."}
{"id": "PMID:1474991", "title": "Transient inhibition of protein synthesis accompanies differentiation of Trypanosoma brucei from bloodstream to procyclic forms.", "content": "It has been widely believed that bloodstream forms of Trypanosoma brucei must be first transformed into intermediary and/or short-stumpy forms in the bloodstream of the mammalian host before differentiation to the procyclic culture form can occur. In our recent studies, the pleomorphic T. brucei strain TREU667 was found to differentiate directly from the long-slender bloodstream form to the procyclic form in Cunningham's medium at 26 degrees C [7]. In the present investigation, the same was found true for another pleomorphic strain of T. brucei, STIB366D. Four independent monomorphic strains of T. brucei were tested; two, #427 and EATRO164, were found capable of differentiating in vitro directly into procyclic forms, whereas the other two, TREU667/RP-56 and EATRO110, could not. There is thus no correlation between the capability of differentiating in vitro and the ability of being converted from long-slender to intermediary and short-stumpy bloodstream forms. Two additional markers for following differentiation, other than observing morphological changes, were tested. Assays for the emerging phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) by immunoblottings worked well, with results agreeing closely with the morphological change. But immunoblottings of glycosomal phosphoglycerate kinase (gPGK) failed to demonstrate a significant decrease in the protein level upon completion of differentiation. Apparently, gPGK has a rather long half-life and is unsuitable as a marker of differentiation. When temperature was dropped from 37 degrees C to 26 degrees C at the starting point of in vitro differentiation, protein synthetic activity in the pleomorphic T. brucei TREU667 bloodstream form was decreased by 4-fold. When the activity was gradually brought back to and beyond the original level after a day's incubation, the profile of newly synthesized proteins was that of the procyclic form. A monomorphic variant of TREU667, RP-56, which is incapable of differentiating in vitro, has a much higher protein synthetic activity than its pleomorphic parent in the bloodstream form. This high activity and the bloodstream profile of proteins thus synthesized were unaffected by the decreased temperature in Cunningham's medium until cell death. We thus conclude that a general inhibition of protein synthesis in bloodstream forms caused by temperature drop may be among the early events triggering differentiation into the procyclic form."}
{"id": "PMID:1474992", "title": "A fourth family of the Plasmodium falciparum S-antigen.", "content": "The S-antigen of Plasmodium falciparum is a highly diverse heat stable protein that is located in the parasitophorous vacuole of the mature asexual intraerythrocytic parasite. The gene for S-antigen exists within the parasite population as multiple alleles at a single locus. Its sequence contains a large central block of tandemly arranged peptides that are identical or very similar in one allele but differ widely in sequence, repeat length and number among different alleles, and consequently antigenic specificity. Thus, antibodies directed against the repeat region can be used to define the serotype of an S-antigen. Flanking this repeat block are 2 short regions of non-repetitive sequence which have been described as occurring in three different forms, each of which is used to define a single S-antigen family. We present the S-antigen sequence for the isolate 3D7 which defines not only a novel serotype but also a novel S-antigen family. The central repeat block is composed of 57 copies of an 8-residue peptide with consensus sequence ED(E/K)VSNG(R/G). Comparison of the four S-antigen families reveals that they differ considerably from each other with variation being most pronounced in the carboxy terminal-flanking region. This pattern of sequence variation differs considerably from that found for MSA-1 and MSA-2, the only other diverse proteins of P. falciparum for which sequence information is available."}
{"id": "PMID:1474985", "title": "The effect of sulconazole on the antigenic composition of two dermatophyte species.", "content": "Trichophyton rubrum and Trichophyton interdigitale have been grown in liquid culture in the presence of sulconazole. The antigenic activity of detergent extracts of intact organisms was analysed following SDS-PAGE and the probing of Western blots with homologous antisera raised in rabbits and with sera from patients with dermatophyte infections. Differences in protein-band patterns were noted; some bands present in control samples were absent in azole-treated samples and vice versa. These differences were reflected in antigenic band patterns, especially among components of approximate molecular weight of 30-40, 50-60 and 92-100 kDa."}
{"id": "PMID:1474993", "title": "Membrane-associated proteases process Plasmodium falciparum merozoite surface antigen-1 (MSA1) to fragment gp41.", "content": "The Plasmodium falciparum merozoite surface antigen-1 (MSA1) undergoes stage-specific processing; this processing appears isolate-specific during cleavage to fragment gp41. Recombinant substrates were prepared from the two allelic forms of MSA1; the MAD20 substrate was cleaved at four sites in the molecule whilst the K1 form was cleaved once. However both parasite isolates, although expressing different allelic forms of MSA1, possess the same repertoire of MSA1-specific proteases. The cleavage site in native gp41 is conserved between P. falciparum isolates. The specificity of substrate cleavage was determined by N-terminal sequencing of cleaved substrate fragments; two cleavage sites, identical to native MAD20 processed fragments, were not conserved between alleles. An additional non-conserved site was cleaved by an erythrocyte protease. The MSA1-specific proteases were membrane-associated but soluble forms were purified by anion-exchange chromatography. The gp41-specific protease activity was inhibited by serine, thiol and metalloprotease inhibitors whilst the two other MSA1-specific proteases were serine proteases (as was the erythrocyte protease)."}
{"id": "PMID:1474987", "title": "Recurrent tinea pedis: a double blind study on the prophylactic use of fenticonazole powder.", "content": "Tinea pedis is a common and frequently recurring dermatophytic infection, which is extremely difficult to eradicate. The often inevitable persistence of predisposing conditions, especially maceration, suggests that application of powders containing antifungal medication to the affected area could be effective in preventive therapy against recurrence. For this study we used one of the most recent azole antifungal agents, fenticonazole. Thirty patients affected with tinea pedis were cured with topical antifungal treatment; both the diagnosis and the cure were confirmed by microscopic and cultural mycological analyses. The results of subsequent double blind antifungal versus placebo treatment (controlled with clinical and mycological tests over a period of 4 months and with a final statistic evaluation) confirmed the effectiveness of such therapy in reducing the frequency of tiresome relapses in such patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1474994", "title": "Identification and partial characterization of a lipophosphoglycan from a pathogenic strain of Entamoeba histolytica.", "content": "An acidic glycoconjugate could be extracted from a delipidated residue fraction of [3H]galactose, [3H]mannose or [32P]orthophosphate metabolically labeled Entamoeba histolytica with water/ethanol/diethylether/pyridine/NH4OH (15:15:5:1:0.017). The radioactively labeled glycoconjugate comprised 50-55% of the total [3H]galactose label incorporated into macromolecules. Sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the radiolabeled glycoconjugate showed two diffuse smears centering around 110 kDa and 45 kDa. Similar profiles were observed for both [3H]galactose- and [32P]orthophosphate-labeled glycoconjugate. No such bands were visible in [35S]methionine-labeled material. The hydrophobic nature of this glycoconjugate was inferred from its chromatographic behavior on phenyl-Sepharose. The molecule was rendered hydrophilic after digestion with phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C. It was also sensitive to deamination by nitrous acid. Mild acid hydrolysis led to its fragmentation into smaller molecules as revealed by Sepharose 4B chromatography. Paper chromatographic analysis of the depolymerized [3H]galactose- and [3H]mannose-labeled fragments revealed that each was sensitive to alkaline phosphatase. The major dephosphorylated fragment migrated as an apparent galactose and mannose containing disaccharide which migrated identically to the Gal beta 1-4Man disaccharide derived from the lipophosphoglycan of Leishmania donovani. The above data support the existence of a major acidic glycoconjugate in E. histolytica bearing striking structural similarities to the lipophosphoglycan of Leishmania."}
{"id": "PMID:1474995", "title": "Analysis of the genes encoding immunodominant piroplasm surface proteins of Theileria sergenti and Theileria buffeli by nucleotide sequencing and polymerase chain reaction.", "content": "The nucleotide sequences of the cDNAs encoding a 33-kDa piroplasm protein of Theileria sergenti (p33) and a similar protein of Theileria buffeli (p34) were determined. Both of the genes contained an open reading frame of 849 base pairs. The predicted amino acid sequence of p33 and p34, consisting of 283 residues, showed 82% similarity. A transmembrane hydrophobic domain and signal peptides were predicted. The polymerase chain reaction was used to amplify p33/34 genes from the piroplasm DNA of T. sergenti, T. buffeli and Theileria orientalis. Following amplification, p33 and p34 genes were clearly differentiated using the restriction enzymes sites that were not shared between them. These results indicated that p33 and p34 were conserved molecules among these Theileria species, and the genes that encode p33/34 proteins were suitable for discrimination of T. sergenti from T. buffeli/T. orientalis."}
{"id": "PMID:1474999", "title": "Identification and characterization of gamma-giardin and the gamma-giardin gene from Giardia lamblia.", "content": "The giardins are abundant cytoskeletal proteins that range in size from 29-38 kDa and are specific to the ventral disk of the intestinal protozoan parasite Giardia lamblia. The 29-kDa (beta and beta-1; refs. 8-10) and the 33-kDa (alpha-1 and alpha-2; refs. 3 and 7) giardins have been characterized previously. In this paper we extend the analysis of the giardins to include the 38-kDa giardin, which we have named gamma-giardin. After purifying gamma-giardin by two-dimensional electrophoresis, we raised polyclonal antibodies to the protein and used them to demonstrate that gamma-giardin shares at least one epitope with 9 other giardin polypeptides and that it localizes to the ventral disk of the parasite. We also determined an internal peptide sequence of 12 amino acid residues and used this information to construct oligonucleotide probes for the gamma-giardin gene. After cloning the gene, we determined the nucleotide sequence of its 933-bp open reading frame and 866 bp of 5' and 3' flanking sequence. We found the downstream AGTPuAAPy motif typical of all G. lamblia genes sequenced to date, and determined that the single copy of the gamma-giardin gene localizes to the same chromosome or chromosomal cluster as the alpha-giardins. Finally, we demonstrated by primer extension analysis that gamma-giardin transcripts contain a short untranslated leader characteristic of G. lamblia messenger RNAs."}
{"id": "PMID:1475000", "title": "Isolation of putative cysteine protease genes of Ostertagia ostertagi.", "content": "Recombinant phage containing putative Ostertagia ostertagi cysteine protease genes have been isolated from a lambda EMBL-3:genomic DNA library using a Haemonchus contortus cathepsin B-like cysteine protease cDNA as hybridization probe. Restriction enzyme maps of the phages suggest that they identify at least 3 genes, 2 of which appear to be linked in tandem. The complete nucleotide sequence of one gene, CP-1, was determined. The CP-1 gene appears to be organized into 12 exons than span 4.5 kb of DNA. The number and sizes of the exons are essentially identical to those in the H. contortus AC-2 cysteine protease gene. Partial nucleotide sequences obtained for a second O. ostertagi gene, CP-3, revealed a similar organization for exons 8-12 in this gene. Like other cathepsin B-like cysteine proteases, CP-1 appears to be synthesized initially as a preproprotein that is proteolytically processed to its mature form. The amino acid identity between the presumptive CP-1 and CP-3 proteins is 66%, which is similar to the level of homology between the presumed mature protein regions of CP-1 and AC-2. Amino acid identity between CP-1 and AC-2 is greatest in the mature protein region and lowest in the signal sequence and propeptide regions. The CP-3 protein appears to be most closely related to the H. contortus AC-5 protein. CP-1 and CP-3 display significantly greater homology to H. contortus cysteine proteases than they do to human cathepsin B or the Sm31 cysteine protease of Schistosoma mansoni (about 40% identity with each)."}
{"id": "PMID:1475001", "title": "The facultative anaerobic energy metabolism of Schistosoma mansoni sporocysts.", "content": "Schistosoma mansoni miracidia in water are known to possess an aerobic energy metabolism, the Krebs cycle being the main terminal of the breakdown of endogenous glycogen reserves. The present study demonstrated that after in vitro transformation of miracidia into sporocysts, the organisms degraded glucose to lactate and carbon dioxide in a more anaerobic ratio than do miracidia. The occurrence of a large Pasteur effect demonstrated, however, that oxidative phosphorylation was still the major process used for energy generation. After 24 h in vitro cultivation the sporocysts had consumed more external glucose and their metabolism had shifted towards lactate production. Sporocysts could cope with inhibited respiration: they had a large anaerobic capacity and survived perfectly in the presence of cyanide, producing a large amount of succinate in addition to lactate. It was demonstrated that this succinate was largely produced via phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK). This pathway, which is known to occur in most parasitic helminths, has never been demonstrated in schistosomes, not even in the miracidial stage immediately preceding the sporocysts. It was also shown that in sporocysts part of the lactate was not formed directly by glycolysis, but via a detour including fumarate and the action of PEPCK. The results demonstrated that S. mansoni sporocysts are facultative anaerobes, fully equipped to adjust their energy metabolism to the variable conditions inside their intermediate host, the snail. In the presence of oxygen, they derive most of their energy from the aerobic degradation of glucose to carbon dioxide, but under anaerobic conditions they switch towards lactate and succinate production."}
{"id": "PMID:1475002", "title": "Structure of a Plasmodium chabaudi acidic phosphoprotein that is associated with the host erythrocyte membrane.", "content": "We have characterized by molecular cloning and sequencing a Plasmodium chabaudi antigen that is associated with the membrane of the infected erythrocyte throughout the entire intraerythrocytic cycle. The protein (PcEMA1) has a predicted size of 50 kDa and contains a major tandem repeat array of 16 octapeptides that constitutes almost 30% of the protein. At its amino-terminus, PcEMA1 has a string of hydrophobic residues characteristic of a secreted protein, but does not contain a hydrophobic membrane-spanning segment. The antigen appears to reside on the cytoplasmic face of the erythrocytic membrane. PcEMA1 has a predicted pI of 4.4 and is a potential phosphoprotein."}
{"id": "PMID:1475003", "title": "A 2359-base pair DNA fragment from Cryptosporidium parvum encoding a repetitive oocyst protein.", "content": "A Cryptosporidium parvum lambda gt11 expression library was constructed using EcoRI-digested genomic DNA extracted from in vitro-excysted oocysts. Screening of this library with rat anti-Cryptosporidium antiserum led to the isolation of a clone containing a 2359-bp EcoRI fragment. When this fragment was ligated into the EcoRI site of plasmid vector pMS1S, the resulting clone expressed a 200-kDa beta-galactosidase fusion protein. Western blot analysis using serum raised against this fusion protein indicated that the EcoRI fragment represented part of a gene encoding a 190-kDa oocyst wall protein of C. parvum. Sequencing of the fragment revealed a continuous open reading frame encoding 786 amino acids. The DNA sequence is relatively low in G+C (39.1%), and the third codon position contains only 17.9% G+C. The deduced peptide sequence has unusually high proportions of cysteine, proline, glutamine and histidine. Another striking feature of the amino acid sequence is the presence of distinctly repetitive regions based on conserved cysteine residues."}
{"id": "PMID:1475004", "title": "Influence of oxygen on the fermentative metabolism of metronidazole-sensitive and resistant strains of Trichomonas vaginalis.", "content": "The microaerophilic protozoon Trichomonas vaginals responds to extracellular changes in oxygen concentration: acetate, lactate, ethanol, H2 and CO2 formation, as well as glucose-depletion rates, are affected. All these variables except ethanol production rates, also differed between clinically metronidazole-sensitive (1910) and resistant (IR78 and CDC85) strains. Most interesting were the greatly increased glucose-scavenging rates of resistant isolates and their low specific activities of hydrogenase and H2 formation rates by comparison with the metronidazole-sensitive strain. Results suggest that all three strains of this parasite are well adapted to the O2 levels prevailing in situ (13-56 microM). Thus, vaginal oxygen tensions have more pronounced effects on the balances of fermentation products in the resistant strains, and results indicate that these strains may then use hydrogenosomal pathways to their advantage."}
{"id": "PMID:1475005", "title": "Molecular analysis of Plasmodium falciparum hexokinase.", "content": "Hexokinase, a key glycolytic enzyme, is involved in the initial phosphorylation reaction of imported glucose and specific blocking of this activity may therefore arrest the development of malaria parasites. We describe here the cloning of a single copy hexokinase gene of Plasmodium falciparum (PfHK) from cDNA or genomic DNA libraries. The deduced amino acid sequence of PfHK has 26% identity with human hexokinase I and its predicted molecular mass assigns it as an invertebrate type isoenzyme of hexokinase. A single 1.5-kb exon is translated from a 3-kb mRNA in asexual stages of the parasite. In contrast to aldolase and GPI, the gene for this glycolytic enzyme is located on chromosome 8. Poly- and monoclonal antibodies against recombinant PfHK support our cloning results at the protein level as they detect a protein of the predicted size and isoelectric point by Western blotting in parasite protein samples. Moreover, polyclonal rabbit IgG against recombinant PfHK partially inhibits the hexokinase activity of a P. falciparum lysate which provides direct proof that the gene cloned encodes hexokinase of the parasite."}
{"id": "PMID:1475006", "title": "Diphenylhydantoin stimulates the intrapituitary conversion of thyroxine to triiodothyronine in the rat.", "content": "Treatment of normal rats with diphenylhydantoin (DPH) decreases serum thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3) levels without the anticipated rise in serum thyrotropin (TSH). The present work has studied the intrapituitary conversion of T4 to T3 in male Wistar rats, 200-250 g body weight (BW), treated with DPH 5 mg/100 g BW/day for 8 days. A tracer dose of 3',5'-[125I]T4 (150 microCi) was injected intravenously, and 2 h later hypophyses were removed and homogenized individually at 4 degrees C in ice-cold PBS buffer (pH 7.4). T4 and T3 were extracted in 400 microliters n-butanol:2 N HCl (9:1) and chromatographed in tertiary amyl alcohol:hexane: 1 N ammonia (5:1:6). In 11 untreated control rats, [125I]T3 generated from [125I]T4 deiodination was 35 +/- 6% and intact [125I]T4 was 49 +/- 9% of total chromatographic radioactivity. In 11 DPH-treated rats [125I]T3 increased (p < 0.001) and [125I]T4 decreased (p < 0.02). The DPH effect was blocked in rats treated for 2 days with iopanoic acid 10 mg/100 g BW, though blocking was not seen in rats treated with half the dose of iopanoic acid. In normal rats receiving supplemental doses of T4 (2 micrograms/100 g BW/day for 8 days), DPH similarly increased pituitary 5'-deiodination. Administration of propylthiouracil (PTU) to T4-supplemented rats had no effect on pituitary 5'-deiodination of T4, whereas the addition of DPH to PTU treatment increased [125I]T3 production (p < 0.01). Serum T4 (p < 0.001) and T3 (p < 0.01) were decreased after DPH therapy, while serum and pituitary TSH were not altered.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1475007", "title": "Suppression of luteinizing hormone secretion during food restriction in male rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta): failure of naloxone to restore normal pulsatility.", "content": "Short periods of fasting have been shown to cause a significant slowing of pulsatile LH secretion in men and male rhesus monkeys, which appears to result from a slowing of GnRH drive to the reproductive axis. To determine whether an increased activity of endogenous opioid peptides causes this slowing of pulsatile LH secretion, the ability of naloxone administration to reverse the fasting-induced suppression of LH secretion was tested. For this study, 6 adult male rhesus monkeys, with indwelling femoral and jugular venous catheters, were maintained on tether/swivel systems. Naloxone was administered to monkeys as a continuous infusion (0.25 mg/kg/h, with an initial loading dose of approximately 1.0 mg) for 8 h (16.00 to 24.00 h) on a day of normal feeding and again on a day of fasting. The LH response to naloxone was determined by collecting blood samples every 15 min from 12.00 to 24.00 h. LH pulse frequency on a day of normal feeding was 4.0 +/- 0.52 pulses/8 h, and naloxone administration on a day of feeding increased LH pulse frequency to 6.8 +/- 0.86 pulses/8 h. On a day of fasting, LH pulse frequency was 1.67 +/- 0.67 pulses/8 h, and naloxone administration on a day of fasting slightly, but not significantly, increased LH pulse frequency to 2.5 +/- 0.51 pulses/8 h. Similar studies were performed with a higher dose of naloxone (0.625 mg/kg/h, with an initial loading dose of approximately 2.0 mg) and again naloxone administration did not reverse the effects of fasting on pulsatile LH secretion. These results suggest that the slowing of pulsatile LH release that occurs with short periods of food restriction does not result from increased secretion of endogenous opioid peptides."}
{"id": "PMID:1475008", "title": "Interactions of estradiol with gonadotropin-releasing hormone and thyrotropin-releasing hormone in the control of growth hormone secretion in the goldfish.", "content": "The effects of testosterone (T) and estradiol (E2) on serum growth hormone (GH) concentrations were investigated throughout the seasonal reproductive cycle of the female goldfish. Gonad-intact female goldfish were implanted intraperitoneally for 5 days with silastic pellets containing no steroid (blank), T(100 micrograms/g) or E2 (25-100 micrograms/g). In blank-implanted females, seasonal variations in serum GH were evident; maximal serum GH levels were found in spring while minimal GH levels were found in summer and early autumn. Implantation of E2-containing silastic capsules stimulated increases (2-4 times control) in serum GH levels throughout the reproductive cycle. Implantation of T did not affect serum GH at any time of the year. One possible mechanism by which E2 could exert its effects may be through alteration of pituitary sensitivity to GH-releasing factors. The decapeptide salmon gonadotropin-releasing hormone (sGnRH) is found in the brain and pituitary of goldfish and stimulates gonadotropin (GTH) and GH secretion. In contrast, thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) stimulates GH, but not GTH, release from pars distalis fragments obtained from sexually regressed (ED50 = 5.7 +/- 3.8 nM; August) or sexually mature (ED50 = 0.53 +/- 0.28 nM; March) fish; in vivo E2 treatment resulted in a 3-fold increase in the in vitro GH response to TRH. Furthermore, E2 treatment increased sGnRH-stimulated GH release by approximately 4-fold. These results demonstrate that E2 but not T stimulates GH secretion throughout the reproductive cycle of female goldfish. Furthermore, sGnRH and TRH stimulate GH release in a teleost, and these stimulatory responses are enhanced by physiological levels of E2."}
{"id": "PMID:1475009", "title": "Estrogen receptor in rat brain: presence in the hippocampal formation.", "content": "A series of studies was done in order to fully characterize the estrogen receptor (ER) expressed in the hippocampus of adult female rat. The structural identity among the ER mRNAs expressed in the hippocampus, hypothalamus and uterus was established by polymerase chain reaction amplification of the ER cDNA. Subsequently, the ER of the hippocampus was proved to bind DNA and beta-estradiol with the same affinity as the hypothalamic receptor. Finally, it was demonstrated that systemic administration of beta-estradiol determines the nuclear increase of ER levels with a time course which appears to be almost superimposable in the hippocampus and hypothalamus. On the basis of the above-mentioned evidence, it is concluded that the ER expressed in the hippocampus is structurally and functionally indistinguishable from the receptor expressed in the other hormone target tissues."}
{"id": "PMID:1475010", "title": "Long-term failure of compensatory growth in rats following acute neonatal passive immunization against growth hormone-releasing hormone.", "content": "Interruption of hypothalamic growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) secretion by administration of antiserum against GHRH (GHRH-ab) decreases growth hormone (GH) secretion and inhibits growth in rats. The present study was undertaken to investigate whether there is a period of accelerated or catch-up growth following a period of growth arrest induced by GHRH-ab treatment. Neonatal male and female rats were injected daily on days 1-14 of age. Animals received normal rabbit serum (NRS) or GHRH-ab subcutaneously at a dose of 5 microliters/10 g body weight. Body weight, serving as an index of somatic growth, was monitored over the next 3 months. The increase in absolute body weight and growth velocity of GHRH-ab-treated rats, regardless of gender, was lower than the increase of NRS-treated animals. Significant decreases were observed by day 13 of age in the female rats and day 17 in the male rats. The percent differences and absolute difference in weight between the two treatment groups clearly demonstrated that the GHRH-ab-treated rats did not demonstrate any period of catch-up growth. A second group of animals was treated in a similar fashion to evaluate serum GH concentrations at three months of age. Pulsatile GH secretion, as assessed by peak frequency and amplitude, was normal in all of the rats, suggesting that the failure of catch-up growth in the GHRH-ab-treated animals was not due to decreased GH secretion.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1475011", "title": "Phorbol esters stimulate in vitro GnRH release from the hypothalamus of the estrogen-primed, ovariectomized rat: inhibitory effects of cocaine.", "content": "The purpose of this study was (1) to characterize more fully the effects of phorbol esters to stimulate GnRH release in vitro and (2) to determine whether cocaine (which disrupts estrous cyclicity in rats) affected phorbol ester stimulation of GnRH release in vitro. Hypothalami were collected from ovariectomized rats injected subcutaneously with 50 micrograms/kg of 17 beta-estradiol benzoate the two previous mornings. Sagittal sections of this block of CNS tissue comprising the preoptic area/anterior hypothalamus and mediobasal hypothalamus/median eminence were perfused at a rate of 6.2 ml/h with a modified Krebs-Ringer buffer (pH 7.4) using a programmable perfusion system. Perfusion results showed that 10-min pulses of phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate or phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate (PDBu) increased GnRH release in dose-dependent fashion (10(-10) to 10(-6) M) but had no effect on aminergic transmitter release. The biologically inactive alpha-phorbol was without effect on GnRH release. PDBu-stimulated GnRH release was blocked by both tetrodotoxin and cocaine, known inhibitors of Na+ influx. These results suggest a role for protein kinase C in regulating the release of GnRH. Our results that cocaine and tetrodotoxin attenuated phorbol ester stimulation of GnRH, presumably through inhibition of Na+ influx, suggest a direct biochemical mechanism for cocaine disruption of hypothalamic GnRH secretion and, consequently, cyclic reproductive function."}
{"id": "PMID:1475012", "title": "Isolation and characterization of hypothalamic growth-hormone releasing factor from common carp, Cyprinus carpio.", "content": "A growth hormone-releasing factor (GRF)-like peptide was isolated from the hypothalamus of common carp, Cyprinus carpio, by acid extraction, gel filtration chromatography, immunoaffinity chromatography using antiserum directed against rat GRF, and multiple steps of HPLC using octadecyl columns. Based on Edman degradation and peptide mapping, this teleost GRF was established to be a 45-residue peptide with the following primary structure: His-Ala-Asp-Gly-Met-Phe-Asn-Lys-Ala-Tyr-Arg-Lys-Ala-Leu-Gly-Gln-Leu-Ser- Ala-Arg - Lys-Tyr-Leu-His-Thr-Leu-Met-Ala-Lys-Arg-Val-Gly-Gly-Gly-Ser-Met-Ile-Glu- Asp-Asp-Asn-Glu-Pro-Leu-Ser. Carp GRF is closely related structurally to peptides of the glucagon-secretin superfamily, and more particularly to mammalian vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) precursors and the N-terminal portion of mammalian GRFs. A synthetic replicate of this peptide is highly potent [50% effective dose (ED50) approximately 0.08 nM] in stimulating GH release from cultured goldfish pituitary glands and in elevating serum GH levels 30 min after injection (0.1 micrograms/g) in goldfish."}
{"id": "PMID:1475013", "title": "Angiotensin II is retained in gonadotrophs of pituitary cell aggregates cultured in serum-free medium but does not mimic the effects of exogenous angiotensins and luteinizing-hormone-releasing hormone on growth hormone release.", "content": "Angiotensin II (AII)-like immunoreactivity (LIR) was detected by immunostaining in 7.5 +/- 1.1% of cells obtained by redispersion of pituitary cell aggregates from 15- to 20-day-old female rats, cultured for 5-7 days in serum-free medium supplemented with thyroid hormone and dexamethasone. Also, renin-LIR was retained in these cultures. As shown by double immunostaining of paraffin-embedded sections of the aggregates, this AII-LIR was localized only in gonadotrophs. AII-LIR was detected at least up to 5 weeks in culture. On reversed-phase, high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), this AII-LIR co-migrated with authentic AII. In perifused aggregate cell cultures of 15- to 20-day-old female rat pituitary maintained in serum-free medium supplemented with dexamethasone (DEX) and triiodothyronine (T3), AII stimulated GH release. AI and AIII had a similar effect. To evaluate the possible involvement of endogenous AII in the local regulation of GH release, gonadotrophs were stimulated with luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH). LHRH displayed a transient inhibitory effect on GH release, which was followed by a rebound of GH release after withdrawal of the peptide. Treatment of aggregates with pertussis toxin reversed this inhibitory effect into a significant stimulation of GH release. In aggregates cultured in serum-supplemented medium, LHRH provoked a significant stimulation of GH release which was still followed by a post-stimulus rebound release. In hemipituitaries from 5-day-old rats, a significant stimulatory effect of LHRH on GH release was found without rebound secretion. To evaluate the possible involvement of endogenous AII in the effects of LHRH on GH release, the influence of (Sar1,Ala8)AII, a peptide AII receptor antagonist, and of DUP753, a non-peptide AII receptor blocker was tested in various in vitro conditions. The effect of LHRH on GH release in aggregates cultured either in serum-free medium supplemented with DEX and T3 or in serum-supplemented medium was not affected by (Sar1,Ala8)AII, not even after enhancing the LHRH-induced GH release by treatment of the aggregates with pertussis toxin. A hundred times lower concentration of (Sar1,Ala8)AII, however, abolished the AII-induced changes in GH release. Also DUP753 (10 microM) failed to block LHRH-induced GH release in aggregates. (Sar1,Ala8)AII also failed to block the effect of LHRH on GH release from hemipituitaries. It is concluded that LHRH has inhibitory and stimulatory effects on GH release in cultured pituitary cell aggregates.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1475014", "title": "Prolactin regulation of pro-opiomelanocortin gene expression in the arcuate nucleus of the rat hypothalamus.", "content": "It is well known that the opiate peptides, especially the pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC)-related peptide beta-endorphin, stimulate the release of prolactin (PRL) in the rat. In order to evaluate the involvement of PRL on the activity of POMC neurons in the arcuate nucleus, we have studied the effects of the injection of PRL into the third ventricle of intact and hypophysectomized rats as well as the effects of hyperprolactinemia induced by pituitary implants under the kidney capsule on POMC gene expression. The amounts of POMC mRNA in the arcuate nucleus were measured by in situ hybridization using a [35S]-labelled cDNA probe encoding for POMC. Hypophysectomy performed 2 weeks previously decreased by 24% the number of silver grains/unit of surface of labelled neurons. Intracerebroventricular injection of 3 micrograms of PRL 4 h before sacrifice induced a significant decrease in the hybridization signal of 32 and 20% in the intact and hypophysectomized rat, respectively. Hyperprolactinemia achieved by pituitary implants also led to a significant decrease in POMC mRNA levels. The present data show that hypophysectomy depresses hypothalamic POMC mRNA levels and that this effect is not related to the suppression of PRL secretion since this hormone exerts an inhibitory action on POMC gene expression. They suggest that the regulation of PRL secretion by short loop feedback mechanism might be well mediated by beta-endorphin which has already been shown to inhibit dopaminergic neuron activity in the arcuate nucleus."}
{"id": "PMID:1475015", "title": "Mutually antagonistic effects of corticosterone and prolactin on rat lymphocyte proliferation.", "content": "The present study was designed to evaluate the immunological outcome resulting from experimental conditions involving different corticosterone and prolactin ratios in rats. One set of experiments was conducted to assess the effects of prolactin and corticosterone on the in vitro mitogen-induced proliferation of spleen lymphocytes from animals previously submitted to the manipulation of their glucocorticoid status throughout adrenalectomy (ADX) and/or exposure to acute stress. The results indicated that prolactin (5 x 10(-9) M) induced a significant increase in concanavalin A- (ConA) induced proliferation of splenocytes only from ADX-control, unstressed, rats. However, a lower dose of prolactin (10(-9) M) failed to influence lymphoproliferation. Corticosterone (2 x 10(-8) and 10(-7) M) induced a dose-dependent reduction in lymphocyte proliferation in all experimental groups. Further experiments were conducted to study the relative potency of prolactin to antagonize the in vitro corticosterone-induced suppression of ConA-stimulated lymphocytes. The results showed, on the one hand, that higher doses of prolactin (10(-8) and 5 x 10(-8) M) were effective in stimulating ConA-induced lymphocyte proliferation in control, undisturbed, rats. They also showed that when prolactin and corticosterone are simultaneously added to the cultures, the immunostimulatory effect induced by a dose of 10(-8) M of prolactin can either predominate over a weak suppressive action of corticosterone (2 x 10(-8) M) or totally antagonize to normal values a marked immunosuppression induced by a higher dose of corticosterone (10(-7) M). These data support the view that different ratios between prolactin and corticosterone concentrations can result in differential immunological outcome.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1475016", "title": "Dexamethasone and aldosterone modulate corticotropin-releasing factor-41 release from cultured rat fetal hypothalamic cells through type II and type I corticosteroid receptors respectively.", "content": "Dexamethasone and aldosterone inhibit hypothalamic corticotropin releasing factor-41 (CRF) release. The possible receptors through which these adrenal steroids affect CRF release were studied using rat fetal hypothalamic cell cultures. Neither the antimineralocorticoid RU 28318 nor the antiglucocorticoid RU 38486 alone had any effect on forskolin-stimulated CRF release. RU 38486 and RU 28318 however suppressed dexamethasone (1 microM)- and aldosterone (1 microM)-induced inhibition of forskolin (20 microM)-stimulated CRF release, respectively, suggesting that dexamethasone and aldosterone reduce CRF release through type II and type I corticosteroid receptors, respectively. RU 38486 had no effect on aldosterone-induced inhibition of forskolin-stimulated CRF release, nor did RU 28318 have any effect on dexamethasone-induced inhibition of forskolin-stimulated CRF release, indicating specificity of the binding of aldosterone with type I receptors, and dexamethasone with type II receptors in the hypothalamic cell cultures."}
{"id": "PMID:1475017", "title": "Proteolytic modification of prolactin by the female rat brain.", "content": "Using sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and Western blot analyses we have identified immunoreactive prolactin (PRL) proteins with molecular weights of 24 and 16 kD in the female rat brain. Because PRL target tissues have been shown to contain enzymes which, in vitro, cleave PRL into a 16-kD PRL fragment, studies were performed to characterize PRL proteolysis in the female rat brain. In vitro proteolysis of PRL was examined by incubating [125]I-PRL with 25,000 g subcellular fractions followed by SDS-PAGE under reducing conditions. At acidic pHs, incubation of PRL with 25,000 g hypothalamic fractions consistently resulted in the generation of a 16-kD fragment. The generation of the 16-kD fragment was time and tissue concentration dependent. Enzyme inhibitor analysis indicated that PRL proteolysis could be blocked by aspartate and serine protease inhibitors, but not sulfhydryl, metalloenzyme or trypsin protease inhibitors. Subcellular localization of hypothalamic PRL proteolytic activity by equilibrium density centrifugation revealed a bimodal distribution of proteolytic activity with modal densities of 1.12 and 1.24 g/ml. Homogenization of the tissue in a hypo-osmotic medium disrupted the high density peak resulting in a single low-density peak at the top of the gradient. These data indicate that subcellular fractions of the rat brain contain enzymes which can cleave PRL into a 16-kD fragment under acidic conditions. The majority of the enzymatic activity is localized in membrane-bound particles with a density similar to subcellular particles which contain PRL."}
{"id": "PMID:1475018", "title": "Effects of repeated electroconvulsive shock on serotonin1A receptor binding and receptor-mediated hypothermia in the rat.", "content": "Chronic treatment with electroconvulsive shock or antidepressant drugs has been reported to attenuate the hypothermia induced by 8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propyl)aminotetralin (8-OH-DPAT), a serotonin1A receptor agonist. In the present study, the binding of [3H]8-OH-DPAT to serotonin1A receptors was assessed after treatment of rats with electroconvulsive shock. The effect of electroconvulsive shock on 8-OH-DPAT-induced hypothermia also was evaluated. Male rats were handled or received electroconvulsive shock for either 1 or 10 days and were killed 2 days later. Ten days of electroconvulsive shock decreased beta-adrenergic receptor binding in the cerebral cortex, as previously reported. However, the binding of [3H]8-OH-DPAT to serotonin1A receptors in the cortex or hippocampus was not affected by repeated electroconvulsive shock. In the hypothalamus, 10 days (but not 1 day) of electroconvulsive shock significantly decreased the binding of [3H]8-OH-DPAT. In addition, 10 days of electroconvulsive shock resulted in an attenuation of the hypothermic response to 8-OH-DPAT, when compared to the response in handled controls. The electroconvulsive shock-induced suppression of the hypothermic response to 8-OH-DPAT was no longer evident 2 weeks after the last of 10 daily treatments. A single shock did not affect the hypothermic response to 8-OH-DPAT. The electroconvulsive shock-induced decrease in the binding of [3H]8-OH-DPAT in the hypothalamus may be related tot the electroconvulsive shock-induced attenuation of the hypothermic response to 8-OH-DPAT."}
{"id": "PMID:1475019", "title": "Regional analysis of 5-HT1A and 5-HT2 receptors in the fawn-hooded rat.", "content": "The Fawn-Hooded strain of rats exhibits a hemorrhagic disorder, known as platelet storage pool deficiency. In addition to the platelet dysfunction, there is an altered response to certain serotonin drugs. To assess the characteristics of the binding to 5-HT1A and 5-HT2 receptors in this strain, regions of the brain from Fawn-Hooded, Sprague-Dawley and Wistar male rats were examined. The drug [3H]8-OH-DPAT was used to label 5-HT1A receptors and the Kd values for frontal cortex, hippocampus, striatum, hypothalamus and brainstem were similar in all three strains of rat. As with the 5-HT1A receptors, no differences were observed in the Kd values for 5-HT2 receptors, in any of the regions examined, among the three strains. However, the Bmax for the binding of [3H]8-OH-DPAT in the striatum and brainstem of Fawn-Hooded rats was less than in the Sprague-Dawley and Wistar animals. Furthermore, 5-HT2 receptors displayed a greater Bmax value in the striatum and in the frontal cortex of Fawn-Hooded animals, compared to Sprague-Dawley and Wistar rats. These differences in receptors are consistent with previous studies in which Fawn-Hooded rats were found to have altered serotonergic function, relative to Wistar and Sprague-Dawley animals."}
{"id": "PMID:1475020", "title": "A different balance in the sensitivity of D1 and D2 dopamine receptors accounts for differences in apomorphine-induced hypothermic effects in Swiss and C3H mice.", "content": "In several strains of mice: Swiss CD1, BALB, DBA2, C57, the mixed D1/D2 direct dopamine receptor agonist, apomorphine, elicited a marked and virtually similar hypothermic effect. By contrast, in C3H mice, this effect was obviously less and shorter. Similarly, the hypothermic effects of two direct D2 dopamine agonists RU 24926 and piribedil were respectively lesser or absent in C3H, compared to Swiss CD1 mice. On the contrary, the hyperthermic effect of the D1 dopamine agonist SKF 38393 was greater in C3H than in Swiss CD1 mice. This unbalanced sensitivity of D1 and D2 dopamine receptors, involved in thermoregulation, likely accounts for the low responsiveness of C3H to the apomorphine-induced hypothermic effect."}
{"id": "PMID:1475021", "title": "Remoxipride and raclopride differentially alter the activity of incertohypothalamic dopaminergic neurons.", "content": "The effects of two dopaminergic (DA) antagonists, raclopride (S-(-)-3,5-dichloro-N-[(1-ethyl-2-pyrrolidinyl)methyl]-2-hydroxy- 6-methoxybenzamide(+)-tartrate) and remoxipride (S(-)-3-bromo-N-[(1-ethyl-2-pyrrolidinyl)methyl]-2, 6-dimethoxybenzamide hydrochloride monohydrate), were compared on the DA receptor-mediated regulation of incertohypothalamic and nigrostriatal DA neurons. Both drugs produced dose- and time-related increases in concentrations of 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) in the striatum, which contains the terminals of the nigrostriatal DA neurons. On the other hand, raclopride but not remoxipride increased concentrations of DOPAC in the medial zona incerta and dorsomedial hypothalamic nucleus, regions that contains cell bodies and terminals, respectively, of incertohypothalamic DA neurons. These results suggest that raclopride blocks a population of DA receptors that regulates the activity of incertohypothalamic DA neurons, whereas remoxipride does not."}
{"id": "PMID:1475022", "title": "Dopamine receptors in the ventral pallidum regulate circling induced by opioids injected into the ventral pallidum.", "content": "Recent reports have indicated that the ventral pallidum receives enkephalinergic and dopaminergic inputs. The present study evaluated the contribution of dopamine (DA) receptors to opioid-mediated locomotor functions of the ventral pallidum. Using circling behavior as a motor index, it was determined that injection of metabolically stable analogs of enkephalin, directly into the ventral pallidum, produced a dose-dependent, naloxone-antagonizable, increase in the number of rats rotating contralateral to the injected side, as well as the rate at which the animals turned. The frequency of the contralateral rotation, induced by intra-ventral pallidal injection of DADL (which closely mimics the endogenous enkephalin peptides, exhibiting a high affinity for the delta receptor with a moderate affinity for mu receptors), increased with intraperitoneal pretreatment with amphetamine, suggesting that enhanced release of catecholamines potentiated effects of opioids in the ventral pallidum. Systemic pretreatment with the D2-preferring antagonist haloperidol, blocked the effects of DAMGO (a mu-specific agonist) but not those mediated by DADL. In contrast, the D1-specific antagonist SCH 23390 was an effective blocker of responses to both opioid peptides. Further evidence for differential consequences of activating delta or mu opioid receptors was provided by systemic pretreatment with a cholinergic antagonist; atropine attenuated responding to DADL but not to DAMGO. To ascertain if DA receptors within the ventral pallidum were sufficient to influence mu-mediated circling, it was determined that intra-ventral pallidal injection of SCH 23390 or sulpiride (a D2 specific antagonist), at concentrations that did not produce motor effects, attenuated responding to subsequent intra-ventral pallidal injections of DAMGO. Thus, the opioid receptors and DA receptors that modify responses to activation of opioid receptors are both located within the ventral pallidum. These studies point to the critical role of DA in the ventral pallidum in motor behavior induced by stimulation of opioid receptors in the ventral pallidum."}
{"id": "PMID:1475023", "title": "Mechanisms of adaptation to the effects of ethanol on activation of phospholipase C in NG 108-15 cells.", "content": "In this study the effect of different times of exposure to ethanol (1-7 days, 100 mM) on bradykinin and GTP(S)-stimulated activation of phospholipase C in NG 108-15 cells and on the binding of [3H]bradykinin to its receptors was investigated. Ethanol attenuated both agonist and GTP-analogue-induced hydrolysis of phosphoinositides for a period of up to 4 days of treatment, while exerting no effect on binding to bradykinin receptors. However, after 7 days of exposure to ethanol, the agonist-induced activation of phospholipase C was completely resistant to the inhibitory effects of alcohol. This finding correlated to a change in the affinity of the bradykinin receptor population after 7 days of treatment. The results indicate that bradykinin-induced breakdown of phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate adapts to the effects of ethanol, after long-term treatment. Possible adaptative changes taking place at the level of the G protein(s), may induce a shift in the affinity of the receptor population and, consequently, serve as a compensatory mechanism to counteract the inhibitory effect of ethanol."}
{"id": "PMID:1475024", "title": "Influence of flunarizine, nicardipine and nimodipine on the anticonvulsant activity of different antiepileptic drugs in mice.", "content": "Only flunarizine (40 mg/kg, i.p.) significantly raised the threshold for electroconvulsions in mice (ear-clip electrodes, 0.2 sec stimulus duration, tonic hindlimb extension as an endpoint), whilst nicardipine and nimodipine (up to 80 mg/kg) was ineffective in this respect. Further, flunarizine (10 and 20 mg/kg) potentiated the efficacy of carbamazepine and valproate against maximum electroshock (50 mA)-induced seizures and, in the dose of 20 mg/kg, enhanced that of diphenylhydantoin. In addition, this calcium channel inhibitor was without influence upon the total levels of these antiepileptics in plasma. Nicardipine (5 and 10 mg/kg) and nimodipine (10 and 20 mg/kg) increased the protective potential of carbamazepine and nimodipine (20 mg/kg) also decreased the ED50 of diphenylhydantoin against maximum electroshock. However, nicardipine distinctly increased the level of carbamazepine in plasma, whilst nimodipine did not affect the level of both antiepileptics in plasma. The combined treatment of calcium channel inhibitors and antiepileptic drugs, providing a 50% protection against maximum electroshock, did not significantly change the motor performance of mice in the chimney test, when compared with antiepileptic drugs, given alone at their ED50s, against maximum electroshock-induced convulsions. The present results give further support to the idea of the combined use of some calcium channel inhibitors and antiepileptic drugs in the treatment of human epilepsy."}
{"id": "PMID:1475025", "title": "Verapamil and flunarizine inhibit phencyclidine-induced effects: an EEG and behavioural study in rats.", "content": "The influence of verapamil and flunarizine on phencyclidine-induced effects has been studied in adult male rats. Both verapamil (25 and 100 micrograms/10 microliters, i.c.v.) and flunarizine (40 and 60 mg/kg, i.p.) significantly reduced behavioural (mean intensity of ataxia, mean duration of head weaving) and the EEG (increase in the mean voltage of background activity of the EEG) effects induced by phencyclidine 5 mg/kg (i.p.). It was reported previously that nimodipine and diltiazem significantly potentiate effects induced by phencyclidine. The contrasting results obtained with verapamil and flunarizine, suggest that these drugs may modulate effects induced by phencyclidine by acting at sites other than NMDA receptor-coupled \"L\"-type calcium channel."}
{"id": "PMID:1475026", "title": "Effects of cholinergic agonists on regional brain energy metabolism in the scopolamine-treated rat.", "content": "The effects of scopolamine, physostigmine, RS86 and U-80816B on regional energy metabolism were studied in rodents by means of the 2-deoxyglucose autoradiographic technique. Scopolamine depressed metabolism in an area of cerebral cortex, focused around the parietal region. Rats treated with cholinergic direct agonists (U-80816B, RS86) as well as with the indirect agonist (physostigmine) all showed decreases in cortical energy metabolism, similar to scopolamine. They also induced an increase in thalamic metabolism. When these drugs were given in conjunction with scopolamine, metabolism tended to change in the opposite direction from the values obtained with the drug alone. These results suggest that there are complex interactions between pre- and post-synaptic muscarinic receptors. Additionally, nicotinic receptors could also be involved in some of the effects of physostigmine."}
{"id": "PMID:1475028", "title": "Neuropeptide Y immunoreactivity in the spleen and thymus of normal rats and following adjuvant-induced arthritis.", "content": "Immunoreactive neuropeptide Y (irNPY) was detected by radioimmunoassay within the rat thymus and spleen. Total spleen and thymus irNPY contents in control animals were 77 +/- 3 ng and 23 +/- 1 ng respectively (means +/- S.E.M., n = 10). Total tissue contents of irNPY 14 days following bilateral adrenalectomy or induction of inflammatory arthritis were not significantly altered compared to controls. Most spleen irNPY coeluted with synthetic NPY after reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography, but two peaks of irNPY were detected in thymic extracts. This suggests that NPY may be differentially expressed in tissues of the immune system."}
{"id": "PMID:1475029", "title": "Mutual modification of vasoactivity by calcitonin gene-related peptide and endothelin-1 in isolated porcine ophthalmic artery.", "content": "Vasodilation has been implicated in the pathophysiology of some headaches, but the mechanisms behind such abnormalities remain unknown. Calcitonin gene related peptide (CGRP), a peptide present in sensory trigeminal fibres, induces strong and long lasting vasodilation in cranial vessels, and has been found to be increased in jugular blood during migraine attacks. Endothelin (ET) is a recently identified potent vasoconstrictor peptide, which also induces long-lasting responses. ET-CGRP interactions may be of importance in vascular beds putatively involved in pain development in the head, and were therefore studied in isolated porcine ophthalmic arteries. Both peptides were found to induce strong and long-lasting reactions in this artery. CGRP decreased ET-induced contractions and ET decreased CGRP-induced relaxations. These effects were additive rather than synergistic."}
{"id": "PMID:1475030", "title": "Acute intragastric application of capsaicin inhibits 2-deoxy-D-glucose--but not histamine-induced gastric acid secretion in the dog.", "content": "In this study the influence of acute exposure of gastric mucosa to the sensory neurotoxin capsaicin on basal gastric acid secretion and on secretion induced by 2-deoxy-D-glucose or histamine in conscious dogs with gastric fistulae has been investigated. Under basal conditions intragastric capsaicin (160 microM, 50 ml of volume) did not induce any significant change in acid secretion and in plasma levels of gastrin. Total acid output induced by 2-deoxy-D-glucose (75 mg/kg i.v.) was significantly decreased by intragastric application of capsaicin, while plasma gastrin concentrations were unaffected. A direct stimulant of the parietal cells, such as histamine (64 micrograms/kg s.c.) increased gastric acid secretion which was not sensitive to capsaicin pretreatment. These findings indicate the involvement of capsaicin-sensitive fibers in the control of vagally-induced gastric acid secretion in the dog."}
{"id": "PMID:1475031", "title": "An opioid peptide inhibits capsaicin-sensitive vasodilatation in the pig's skin.", "content": "Microcirculatory effects of electrical stimulation of nerves through a pair of needle electrodes in the skin of anaesthetized pigs were studied by using the laser Doppler flowmetric method. Electrical stimulation (0.3-30 Hz) evoked a short-lasting decrease in capillary blood flux (vasoconstriction) followed by an increase (vasodilatation), of longer duration. Vasoconstriction was inhibited by local guanethidine, but not by capsaicin pretreatment, whereas vasodilatation was blocked by local capsaicin, but not by guanethidine. Both phases of the response were suppressed by local application of tetrodotoxin. Thus, vasoconstriction due to electrical stimulation seems to be of sympathetic origin, while vasodilatation is a result of a release of vasoactive substances from capsaicin-sensitive nerve endings. Vasodilatation due to electrical stimulation was strongly and dose-dependently inhibited by the opioid peptide [D-Met2,Pro5] enkephalinamide, while vasoconstriction remained apparently unchanged. At both doses of the opioid peptide tested (0.03 and 0.15 mumol/kg i.m.) inhibition of vasodilatation was larger at lower than at higher frequencies of stimulation. Guanethidine pretreatment did not influence the inhibitory action of [D-Met2,Pro5] enkephalinamide. Naloxone (1.5 mumol/kg i.m.) reversed or prevented the inhibitory action of the opioid peptide; naloxone on its own did not influence responses due to 0.3-30 Hz stimulation. [D-Met2,Pro5] enkephalinamide (0.15 mumol/kg i.m.) did not influence basal blood flux in the skin, mean arterial blood pressure, respiratory minute volume or respiratory frequency. It was concluded that stimulation of opioid receptors by [D-Met2,Pro5] enkephalinamide is likely to inhibit stimulation-evoked vasodilatation by reducing the release of vasoactive substances from capsaicin-sensitive afferent neurons, an effect that does not depend on functional integrity of sympathetic nerves. Endogenous opioids probably do not modulate the capsaicin-sensitive vasodilatation."}
{"id": "PMID:1475032", "title": "Immunocytochemical evidence of hypothalamic regulation of adenohypophyseal VIP in the male rat.", "content": "In order to check whether hypothalamic stimulatory or inhibitory factors exert any kind of modulation on the morphology of VIP-immunoreactive cells in the rat hypophysis, the transport of these towards the hypophyseal portal system was blocked by intraventricular administration of colchicine in adult male rats, thereafter performing a morphometric study after characterizing the VIP-immunoreactive adenohypophyseal cells by immunocytochemical techniques. Colchicine administration led to a significant increase (p < 0.01) in the number of reactive cells observed. These cells were characterized by a larger cellular area (p < 0.01), owing to increases in nuclear area (p < 0.05) and cytoplasmic area (p < 0.05). Their morphology became more regular, with a predominance of polygonal and oval cells. The results suggest that the VIP-reactive cells of the rat hypophysis are subject to a hypothalamic inhibitory influence and their activity increasing when the hypothalamic effect is interrupted by intraventricular administration of colchicine."}
{"id": "PMID:1475033", "title": "Possible role of cholecystokinin-A receptors in regulation of thyrotropin (TSH) secretion in male rats.", "content": "We studied the importance of cholecystokinin (CCK) system in the regulation of thyrotropin (TSH) and prolactin (PRL) secretion in male rats. To this end, we tested the effects of both unselective CCK agonists CCK-8 and caerulein, and CCK-B selective agonists CCK-4 and pentagastrin as well as the selective CCK antagonists (devazepide and L-365,260) at wide dose-ranges on the cold-stimulated and TRH-induced TSH and PRL secretion. Caerulein, given s.c. 15 min before sacrifice, decreased TSH levels at 5 micrograms/kg. In time course-studies, the maximum inhibition was seen at 15 min but the effect lasted at least 30, but less than 60 min. Also CCK-8 decreased TSH levels at the doses of 20 and 50 micrograms/kg at 15 min. Devazepide and L-365,260 did not affect TSH or PRL levels at any dose. The effect of caerulein (5 micrograms/kg) was antagonized by devazepide, a CCK-A antagonist, at 100 micrograms/kg, but not by a CCK-B antagonist L-365,260 tested at a wide dose range. PRL levels were not affected by any treatment. Caerulein (5 micrograms/kg), given at the same time as TRH (500 ng/kg), inhibited the TRH-induced TSH levels at 15 min, but not at 30 or 60 min. CCK-8 (50 micrograms/kg), CCK-4 (100 micrograms/kg) and pentagastrin (500 micrograms/kg) did not affect the TRH-induced TSH secretion. The results probably indicate that CCK-A receptor stimulation inhibits TSH secretion at the level of the anterior pituitary gland. PRL levels in male rats are not affected by CCK system."}
{"id": "PMID:1475034", "title": "Use of polymerase chain reaction nad denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis to identify polymorphisms in three exons of dopamine D2 receptor gene in schizophrenic and delusional patients.", "content": "The dopamine D2 receptor gene is a candidate gene for schizophrenia. We screened three exons of this gene for mutations in a large sample of schizophrenics, delusional patients and healthy controls. No structural changes were found, thus suggesting that psychopathology is not related to DNA alterations in the DRD2 gene."}
{"id": "PMID:1475035", "title": "Effect of endothelin on somatosensory evoked potentials in rats.", "content": "The effects of endothelin 1 (ET-1; 300 pmol/rat intracarotid) on somatosensory evoked potential were investigated in rats. ET-1 led to an amplitude reduction, peak latency prolongations and waveform disturbances. There was a large interindividual variability. The late cortical components were more affected than the earlier potentials at a thalamic or cortical level. ET-1-induced SEP changes developed quickly after the drug injection and persisted for at least 30 min. It is assumed that the observed effects probably reflect the occurrence of a progressively developing ischemia subsequent to ET-1 administration. Moreover, the pattern of ET-1-induced changes suggests a greater sensitivity of the synaptic transmission to the ischemic influence than the axonal conduction."}
{"id": "PMID:1475036", "title": "Effect of imipramine treatment on heart rate variability measures.", "content": "Recently, heart rate (HR) variability has received considerable attention, and a decreased HR variability has been linked to a significant risk of cardiovascular illness. We have previously reported such a decreased variability in panic disorder patients. In this study, we report on HR variability in 12 depressed and 6 panic disorder patients at baseline and 1 and 3 weeks of treatment with imipramine as measured by the standard deviation, mean consecutive difference and the standard deviation of the mean consecutive difference of the R-R intervals in supine, supine deep breathing and standing postures. In all subjects, imipramine (mean dose: 70 mg/day) produced a significant decrease in heart rate variability at week 3 as measured by the above variables. This decrease in HR variability during imipramine treatment is probably due to its anticholinergic effects."}
{"id": "PMID:1475037", "title": "Vascular dementia in the Lundby study. 1. A prospective, epidemiological study of incidence and risk from 1957 to 1972.", "content": "In this study, a total population, the 1957 Lundby cohort, was investigated with regard to the incidence of vascular dementia over a 15-year period, and to provide a succeeding study with basic data concerning the background factors for vascular dementia. The 1957 cohort comprises 2,612 persons who were registered in the geographically delimited Lundby area on July 1, 1957. The lifetime risk of developing vascular dementia was found to be 34.5% in men and 19.4% in women when all degrees of impairment were taken into account, the preponderance for the male sex being very obvious."}
{"id": "PMID:1475038", "title": "A multicenter double-blind study of three different doses of the new cAMP-phosphodiesterase inhibitor rolipram in patients with major depressive disorder.", "content": "A multicenter randomized 4-week interindividual double-blind study was carried out in 58 hospitalized patients with major depressive disorder (DSM III 296.23, 296.22, 296.33, 296.32, 296.53 and 296.52) to test the dose-effect relationship of three different doses of the new cAMP-phosphodiesterase inhibitor rolipram: 3 x 0.25 mg, 3 x 0.50 mg and 3 x 1.00 mg rolipram/day. With respect to the desired effect, the 3 x 0.50 mg dosage stood out from the others in almost all relevant parameters. With respect to the response rate, the efficacy of the 3 x 0.25 mg dosage was about the same as that reported in the literature for placebo. The inferior performance of the 3 x 1.00 mg dosage compared to the 3 x 0.50 mg dosage might indicate a reverse U-shaped dose-effect relationship. There was good tolerance to all three dosages. There were no findings that might cast doubt on the safety of the dosages tested."}
{"id": "PMID:1475039", "title": "Therapeutic efficacy of pyritinol in patients with senile dementia of the Alzheimer type (SDAT) and multi-infarct dementia (MID).", "content": "This trial was performed to investigate the efficacy of pyritinol in the treatment of senile dementia. Initially, a total of 183 inpatients were screened for eligibility. Of 164 patients who met the inclusion criteria, 156 completed the trial. Allocation of the patients to the Senile Dementia of the Alzheimer Type group or the Multi-Infarct Dementia group was based on the Hachinski Ischemic Score, computed tomography scans and electroencephalographic (EEG) findings. In a 12-week double-blind treatment phase either 200 mg pyritinol dihydrochloride-monohydrate or placebo was given 3 times daily. Confirmatory statistics included item 2 of the Clinical Global Impression, the total score of the Short Cognitive Performance Test (Syndrom Kurz Test) and the factor 'cognitive disturbances' of the Sandoz Clinical Assessment Geriatric scale. In addition, data on tolerance, of EEG brain mapping and of a responder analysis were evaluated based on descriptive statistics. The therapeutic efficacy of pyritinol was clearly demonstrated by confirmatory analysis as the drug was statistically significantly superior to placebo in all 3 target variables. The clinical relevance of the outcome was underlined by the analysis of the descriptive variables and by the convergence found at the different observation levels. The EEG mapping demonstrated significant differences between placebo and pyritinol, with the latter decreasing slow and increasing fast alpha and beta activity, which reflects improvement of vigilance. Based on the results of this trial, it can be accepted that the therapeutic effect of pyritinol is superior to placebo in patients with mild to moderate dementia of both degenerative and vascular etiology."}
{"id": "PMID:1475040", "title": "Pharmacologic properties of the internal clock underlying time perception in humans.", "content": "Performance on temporal discrimination of time intervals in the range of milliseconds is interpreted by the assumption of an internal clock; the higher the clock rate the better the temporal resolution of the internal clock will be, which is equivalent to more accuracy in timing of brief intervals. Although there is some evidence from animal and human studies suggesting that the clock rate depends on the effective level of brain dopamine (DA), the findings are not conclusive. Therefore, an alternative interpretation of the pharmacologic properties of the internal clock has been introduced. According to this interpretation, the internal timing mechanism can be seen as a biological rhythm that is susceptible to chronomutagenic agents, i.e., pharmacologic compounds that are able to produce an alteration in the period of a biological rhythm. To elucidate the pharmacologic properties of the internal timing mechanism, in a double-blind study either 1750 mg of the DA antagonist alpha-methyl-p-tyrosine (AMPT), 0.65 g/kg ethanol which possesses chronomutagenic effects, or placebo were applied to 80 male subjects. As measures of performance, difference threshold estimates in relation to a 50- and a 1,000-ms standard interval and respective response latencies were computed. Furthermore, urinary levels of DA, DOPAC, and HVA were quantified by HPLC analysis. Although AMPT treatment resulted in a pronounced reduction of more than 50% for DA, DOPAC, and HVA, temporal discrimination was not affected. On the other hand, ethanol induced a significant impairment in performance on temporal discrimination in the range of milliseconds as compared to placebo. Neither temporal discrimination in the range of seconds nor response latencies were affected by the drugs applied in this experiment. Our findings suggest that the internal timing mechanism underlying temporal discrimination of intervals in the range of milliseconds is independent of the effective level of brain DA. More likely, pharmacologically induced changes in clock rate appear to depend on the chronomutagenic effects of the drug applied. Furthermore, the absence of ethanol-induced changes in performance on temporal discrimination of longer intervals in the range of seconds supports the assumption of two distinct timing mechanisms underlying temporal discrimination in the millisecond and second range."}
{"id": "PMID:1475041", "title": "Nerve stump effects in muscle are independent of synaptic connections and are temporally correlated with nerve degeneration phenomena.", "content": "Close or distant denervation of the rat soleus muscle indicated that (1) longer soleus nerve stumps delay the onset of axon terminal degeneration and of muscle membrane changes (spike resistance to TTX) by strictly comparable times, and (2) the stump-induced delay of the muscle effect is independent of synaptic connections, because it is also obtained (RMP fall and TTX-resistance development) when sectioning a foreign nerve previously transplanted on the soleus surface but not making synaptic contacts. Both lines of evidence are consistent with the interpretation that, as far as the extrajunctional membrane properties are concerned, the effect of the length of the nerve stump on muscle is mediated by nerve terminal breakdown."}
{"id": "PMID:1475042", "title": "Antidepressants inhibit spontaneous oscillations of intracellular Ca2+ concentration in rat cortical cultured neurons.", "content": "In rat cortical cultured neurons, spontaneous oscillations in the intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) were observed by direct [Ca2+]i measurements using the fluorescent indicator fura-2. These [Ca2+]i responses were eliminated by the removal of extracellular Ca2-, L-type Ca2+ channel blockers or a glutamate receptor antagonist. Three antidepressants (amitriptyline, imipramine and mianserin) suppressed the [Ca2+]i oscillations in the range of 1-50 microM. In addition, amitriptyline inhibited high K(+)-and glutamate-induced [Ca2+]i increases with IC50 values of 19 and 27 microM, respectively. Imipramine and mianserin also inhibited the high K(+)-induced [Ca2+]i increases with IC50 values of 45 and 24 microM, respectively. These results suggest that blocking actions by the antidepressants on voltage-dependent Ca2+ influx and glutamate receptor-mediated Ca2+ influx may be involved in the suppression of the [Ca2+]i oscillations."}
{"id": "PMID:1475043", "title": "Reliability of quantal parameter estimates and their changes during long-term potentiation in guinea pig hippocampal slices.", "content": "Previously we found increases in quantal content (m) and smaller increases in quantal size (v) during long-term potentiation (LTP) in CA1 of hippocampal slices. However, the validity of the deconvolution technique was questioned recently because v estimates correlated with the noise standard deviation (Sn). In computer simulations we show a double-step dependence of v on Sn/v: correct v estimates (within +/- 20%) for Sn/v < or = 0.5 and overestimates (correlated with Sn) for Sn/v > 0.5. A novel 'noise addition' procedure is proposed for accepting reliable solutions on the basis of the double-step relationship between v and Sn. Quantal analysis of LTP for more reliable solutions confirmed previous conclusions."}
{"id": "PMID:1475044", "title": "The effect of peripheral loading with kynurenine and probenecid on extracellular striatal kynurenic acid concentrations.", "content": "Kynurenic acid (KYA) is the only known endogenous excitatory amino acid antagonist in mammalian brain. In the present study we examined the effects of precursor loading with kynurenine (KYN) and blockade of organic acid transport with probenecid, either alone or in combination, on extracellular striatal KYA concentrations in unanesthetized rats. Baseline KYA concentrations were 1.61 +/- 0.29 pmol/ml. Following administration of KYN 150 mg/kg with increasing doses of probenecid a maximal increase in KYA to 946 +/- 210 pmol/ml was seen with probenecid 200 mg/kg. Probenecid 200 mg/kg alone increased KYA levels to 16.0 +/- 5.2 pmol/ml. The combination of probenecid 200 mg/kg with KYN 450 mg/kg produced a maximal increase of KYA to 2085 +/- 391 pmol/ml, a 1300-fold increase indicating marked potentiation. These results show that pharmacologic manipulation can markedly increase extracellular fluid concentrations of KYA into a range which may be useful in attempts to block NMDA receptor-mediated neurotoxicity."}
{"id": "PMID:1475045", "title": "In situ DNA-protein binding: a novel method for detecting DNA-binding activity of transcription factor in brain.", "content": "A novel method, in situ DNA-protein binding (in situ DPB), was developed to detect the distribution and DNA-binding activity of AP-1 and Sp1 binding proteins in situ. The regional distribution of AP-1 binding protein in mouse brain was different from that of Sp1. Antibody against the DNA-binding domain of Jun protein markedly reduced the AP-1 but not the Sp1 binding activity. The binding activity of AP-1 probe increased markedly in the brain after administration of methamphetamine. These results suggest that the in situ DPB is convenient and sensitive for detecting the distribution and the DNA-binding activity of transcription factors in situ."}
{"id": "PMID:1475046", "title": "Intact conduction of fastest corticospinal efferents is not sufficient for normal voluntary muscle strength: transcranial motor cortex stimulation in patients with tetraplegia.", "content": "In six patients with chronic severe tetraparesis, caused by closed head injury (3 cases), basilar thrombosis (2 cases) or global hypoxia (1 case), responses of suprathreshold transcranial magnetic stimulation of motor cortex to thenar and abductor hallucis muscles on both sides were studied. Results showed in most patients normal thresholds and latencies (17 out of 24 latencies within normal +/- 2 S.D., 20 thresholds within normal +/- 1 S.D.) and amplitudes of even higher than normal values. Latencies or thresholds did not correlate with severity of pareses and were in marked contrast to the severe pareses of the muscles under investigation. Despite different etiology CT-scans showed diffuse atrophy of cerebral white matter as a common finding. It is concluded that intact descending corticospinal motor pathways are a necessary but not a sufficient condition for voluntary motor function."}
{"id": "PMID:1475047", "title": "Spatio-temporal pattern of frequency representation in the auditory cortex of guinea pigs.", "content": "The spatio-temporal pattern of sound-evoked neural activity in the guinea pig auditory cortex was studied by optical recording with the aid of voltage-sensitive dye. Changes in light intensity induced by sounds at various frequencies and pressure levels were recorded with a 12 x 12 array of photodiodes. The amplitudes of the responses were displayed as sequential two-dimensional images. Tonotopical organization was found in two subdivisions of the auditory cortex, the anterior field (field A) and the dorsocaudal field (field DC). The frequency gradients in fields A and DC had a mirror-image relationship. This agrees with results obtained by the microelectrode technique. However, the tonotopic response observed in our study was transient. The focal activity that began in field A propagated in two directions; dorsally along the iso-frequency bands in field A, and caudally toward field DC. This suggests that the sound information processing initiates at field A, and its outputs are transferred to field DC, which is probably a hierarchically higher center."}
{"id": "PMID:1475048", "title": "Neurotoxic damage evokes regenerative responses from adult rat sensory neurones.", "content": "When adult rats were pre-treated systemically with the excitotoxin, capsaicin, a subset of their dorsal root ganglion (DRG) sensory neurones responded as if they had been axotomised. Firstly, an increased proportion of capsaicin-sensitive DRG neurones (identified by using a cobalt stain) vigorously extended processes in vitro. Additionally, a subset of small dorsal root ganglion neurones expressed elevated levels of the growth-associated protein-43 (GAP-43) in situ. Both vigorous neuritogenesis and elevated GAP-43 levels are characteristics of neurones that are actively regenerating following mechanical damage. Although capsaicin-treated adult DRG neurones show these regenerative responses, their C-fibers fail to regenerate in vivo."}
{"id": "PMID:1475049", "title": "Mutual excitation among dorsal root ganglion neurons in the rat.", "content": "Intracellular recordings were obtained from primary sensory neurons in excised dorsal root ganglia (DRGs). Most (90%) neurons sampled became depolarized during periods of repetitive stimulation of a branch of the dorsal root (DR) which contained only axons of neighboring neurons. DR stimulation also evoked a transient rise in extracellular K+ concentration ([K+]o), following similar kinetics. Thus, the mutual excitation among DRG neurons may be mediated by [K+]o. Activity-dependent cross-excitation in DRGs could contribute to neuropathic sensory abnormalities often triggered by nerve injury or disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1475050", "title": "Evidence that neuropeptide Y secretion in the median eminence increases prior to the luteinizing hormone surge in ovariectomized steroid-primed rats: estimation by push-pull perfusion.", "content": "Utilizing the push-pull perfusion technique, we examined the secretory profiles of neuropeptide Y (NPY) and luteinizing hormone (LH)-releasing hormone (LHRH) in the median eminence (ME) of ovariectomized adult rats which were primed with estrogen and progesterone to provoke LH and prolactin (PRL) surges. The ME was perfused with artificial cerebrospinal fluid between 13.00 and 18.00 h, and perfusates and blood samples were collected every 20 min. NPY and LHRH in the ME started to significantly increase 40 min earlier than the initial significant rise in the plasma LH, and the highest ME levels of the neuropeptides clearly preceded the occurrence of the LH surge. Regarding the PRL surge, however, such temporal relationship was not apparent. These in vivo data appear to support the putative facilitatory role of NPY in the generation of the steroid-induced LH surge. This is the first study to characterize the temporal profile of in vivo release of NPY in rat ME in terms of its relationship to LH and PRL surges."}
{"id": "PMID:1475051", "title": "Alterations in medial perforant path and mossy fiber induced field potentials in amygdala and beta-carboline (FG 7142) kindled rats.", "content": "We tested in rat hippocampal slices whether kindling causes sprouting of mossy fibers thereby augmenting excitatory coupling and epileptogenicity. Field potentials (fp's) evoked by orthodromic stimulation of the medial perforant path (MPP) and antidromic stimulation of mossy fibers in slices from control, amygdala kindled (AK) and beta-carboline (FG 7142) kindled rats were recorded in the dentate gyrus granule cell layer. Orthodromic paired pulse inhibition was increased in both groups of kindled animals. In contrast, neither in normal medium nor under additional application of the GABAA receptor antagonist bicuculline nor in Mg(2+)-free artificial cerebrospinal fluid (ACSF) there was evidence for an excitatory field EPSP component upon stimulation of mossy fibers in any of the investigated groups. The results indicate that functional mossy fiber sprouting does not occur as an obligatory step in the induction of kindling epilepsy."}
{"id": "PMID:1475052", "title": "Hypothermia protects astrocytes during ischemia in cell culture.", "content": "A mild decrease in temperature (2-3 degrees) can result in marked attenuation of ischemic neuronal damage in living animals. We now report the protective effects of hypothermia in an astrocyte with simulated ischemia in cell culture system. Hypothermia when used during ischemia showed significant reduction of damage. Brief episodes of post-ischemic hypothermia were not protective whereas more prolonged post-ischemic hypothermia showed moderate protection. Cell culture systems may prove to be useful tools to study the mechanisms of hypothermic protection during ischemia."}
{"id": "PMID:1475053", "title": "Barbiturate promotes post-ischemic reaggregation of polyribosomes in gerbil hippocampus.", "content": "A brief period of cerebral ischemia is followed by severe inhibition of protein synthesis which is slowly reversed in the resistant but not in the selectively vulnerable regions of the brain. Inhibition occurs at the translational level, as evidenced by the disaggregation of ribosomes into monosomes. In order to evaluate the importance of this disturbance for the evolution of ischemic injury, the effect of the neuroprotective drug, pentobarbital, on ribosomal aggregation was studied in gerbils subjected to 5 min bilateral carotid artery occlusion. Pentobarbital (50 mg/kg, i.p.) was applied shortly after the ischemia, and the aggregational state of ribosomes was investigated by electron microscopy after recirculation times ranging from 15 min to 1 day. Pentobarbital treatment did not prevent the initial post-ischemic disaggregation but promoted the subsequent reaggregation in the selectively vulnerable neurons. This suggests that post-ischemic application of barbiturates exerts its beneficial effect by reversing the post-ischemic block of ribosomal reaggregation in vulnerable regions."}
{"id": "PMID:1475054", "title": "Pharmacological properties of the homomeric alpha 7 receptor.", "content": "The pharmacological properties of the alpha-bungarotoxin sensitive alpha 7 neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) were studied upon reconstitution in Xenopus oocytes. Channels formed by alpha 7 are about 10-fold more sensitive to nicotine and cytisine than to ACh but are little, if at all, activated by the ganglionic agonist 1,1-dimethyl-4-phenylpiperazinium iodide (DMPP). Tubocurarine (TC) was found to act as a non-competitive inhibitor, whereas dihydro-beta-erythroidine (DH beta E) behaves as a pure competitive inhibitor whose blockade is fast and fully reversible. In addition, the alpha 7 receptor displays a poor sensitivity to methonium salts. The pharmacological properties of the alpha 7 channels are readily distinguishable from those of other identified neuronal nicotinic receptors."}
{"id": "PMID:1475055", "title": "The primary auditory cortex in cetacean and human brain: a comparative analysis of neurofilament protein-containing pyramidal neurons.", "content": "To extend our investigation of the anatomy of sensory systems in highly adapted aquatic and terrestrial mammals, we have analyzed the distribution of a particular population of efferent neurons in the cetacean and human primary auditory cortex using an antibody to non-phosphorylated neurofilament protein (SMI32). The neurofilament protein triplet is differentially distributed within neuronal subpopulations in the primate and cetacean neocortex. In primates, it appears that the somatodendritic domain of a subset of pyramidal neurons furnishing specific corticocortical connections contains high concentrations of neurofilament protein. In the human primary auditory cortex these neurons are located in layers III, V and VI, whereas in cetaceans they are concentrated almost exclusively in the cortical efferent layer IIIc/V. Previous analyses have shown that SMI32 immunoreactivity in the cetacean neocortex is uniformly distributed among functionally different areas, while in human neocortex, the distribution of SMI32-positive neurons exhibit a high degree of regional and laminar specialization that is correlated with the functional and anatomical diversity of the cortical areas. In addition, the overall distribution of SMI32-immunoreactive neurons in the cetacean neocortex is comparable to that observed in paralimbic areas of the human, suggesting that the cetacean neocortex has retained many features of phylogenetically older cortical regions."}
{"id": "PMID:1475056", "title": "Immunocytochemical and in situ hybridization detection of hypothalamic neuropeptides from postmortem unfixed rat brains.", "content": "The effects of postmortem delay on neuropeptide-containing perikarya was studied in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of the rat hypothalamus. Serial sections from brains kept in the skull after death for 6 h and immunocytochemically processed for oxytocin (OT), vasopressin (AVP) and corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) or hybridized in situ for CRF resulted in the well preserved phenotypic expression and stability of mRNA of the aforementioned neuropeptides. Furthermore in most cases, AVP and CRF expression was discernibly enhanced relative to prefixed immunopositive tissue. Results of this study suggest that postmortem variables do not significantly alter the neurochemical coding of magnocellular or parvocellular neurosecretory systems, and support the view that rat and human brain topography can be investigated from tissue left in situ after death for a relatively long period of time."}
{"id": "PMID:1475057", "title": "Ectopic impulse generation in dorsal root ganglion neurons during methylmercury intoxication: an electrophysiological and morphological study.", "content": "Electrophysiological function and morphology of dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons were investigated in female Wistar rats following administration of methylmercury (5 mg/kg/day for 10 days). Neurons were classified according to the conduction velocities of their peripheral axons and perikaryal action potential characteristics as types A alpha, A beta A delta and C. In methylmercury-treated rats, the majority of DRG neuron action potential characteristics were not significantly altered. However, axonal conduction velocities were slowed in all type A ganglion cells, leading to significant delays in action potential onset in types A beta and A delta neurons. An initial complex-soma inflection was observed on the rising phase of the action potential of some cells. These inflection potentials had longer conduction times and lower amplitudes in treated animals. Repetitive discharge, characterized by 3-5 action potentials upon single peripheral nerve stimulation, was observed in 8 of 38 cells recorded in treated animals, predominantly in type A beta (4/8) and A beta (3/12) neurons; direct current injection into repetitively discharging cells via the recording electrode elicited only single action potentials. Extracellular recordings from dorsal root filaments confirmed that the repetitive action potentials arising in the DRG were conducted to the spinal cord. Morphological examination of DRG revealed damage in up to 10% of neurons, consisting of loss of Nissl staining, cytoplasmic vacuolization, and proliferation of satellite cells. Large, pale neurons appeared preferentially involved. Rarely, neuronophagia was observed. Further microscopic examination of proximal and distal sections of sciatic and tibial nerves revealed only occasional degeneration of myelinated axons. While morphological alterations did not appear to offer a structural basis for the multiple firing, it is speculated that repetitive action potential discharge may contribute to the paresthesias associated with MeHg intoxication."}
{"id": "PMID:1475058", "title": "The acute retinal histopathology of MPTP.", "content": "The effects of MPTP on the retina have been examined with emphasis on the effects that are apparent within a few hours of administration. Histopathologic changes were found within one day after MPTP administration. These changes were most prominent in the Muller cells, which demonstrated edematous changes in the cellular processes and occasionally pyknotic nuclei in the inner nuclear layer. Capillary endothelial cells also were damaged by MPTP administration as evidenced by disruption of the cellular cytoplasms. This damage may have caused pooling of blood in the blood vessels of the retina. Finally, mitochondria in some retinal layers may have been altered by MPTP administration with swelling and possible rupture seen in some cells. These acute effects of MPTP may be involved in the formation of lesions to dopaminergic amacrine cells found in the retina following MPTP exposure."}
{"id": "PMID:1475059", "title": "Effects of low level styrene exposure on psychological performance in FRP boat laminating workers.", "content": "To evaluate the effects of low level styrene exposure on psychological performance, picture completion and digit symbol tests (subtests of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale) and the Maudsley Personality Inventory were administered to 12 male laminating workers in a factory producing reinforced fiberglass boats. Airborne styrene concentrations at the workplace were 26 +/- 24 (mean +/- SD) ppm (range 1-77) 3 mon before testing, and 14 +/- 1 ppm (6-46) 2 mon after testing; on the day of testing, the exposure levels, as estimated from levels of styrene metabolites in end-of-shift urine samples, were 22 +/- 17 (mean +/- SD) ppm (range 0-61). Scores on the picture completion test were significantly decreased in these workers, suggesting that psychological performance is adversely affected by occupational styrene exposures at levels of 77 ppm or below."}
{"id": "PMID:1475060", "title": "Extracellular acetylcholine changes in rat limbic structures during soman-induced seizures.", "content": "Extracellular acetylcholine (ACh) levels were determined, by intracranial microdialysis, in medial septum, amygdala and hippocampus (CA1, CA3, dentate gyrus) of rats during seizures induced by systemic administration of soman (pinacolyl methylphosphonofluoridate), a potent inhibitor of acetylcholinesterase (AChE). In all septo-hippocampal areas a two phase variation was observed: a primary increase in ACh during the pre-seizures period, followed by a decline after 10 to 20 min of seizures and then a second release at 50 min of seizures. In amygdala a progressive increase of the ACh level reached a maximal value at 50 min. ACh levels than returned to basal values in all areas. Hippocampal AChE activity remained totally inhibited throughout the experiment. Possible dynamic phenomena underlying these variations (blood-brain barrier opening, autoregulation of release) are suggested. The present results are compared to previous reports about glutamate changes in the same areas during soman seizures. This comparison gives evidence that in septo-hippocampal areas the glutamatergic system is recruited after an early accumulation of extracellular ACh. The respective roles of ACh and glutamate in triggering and maintenance of soman seizures activity are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1475061", "title": "Trimethyltin alters membrane properties of CA1 hippocampal neurons.", "content": "Trimethyltin produces pathological changes in the hippocampus, but the physiological mechanisms underlying its toxicity remain unclear. Intracellular recordings of CA1 neurons in rat hippocampal slices were conducted during bath application of 50 and 100 microM trimethyltin and 50 and 200 microM dimethyltin. Trimethyltin slowly depolarized the membrane potential without spontaneous spiking, and decreased input resistance and time constant. Trimethyltin decreased, in a dose-dependent manner, both the elicited action potential and the orthodromically-stimulated action potential amplitudes; increased the threshold current for both elicited and orthodromically-stimulated action potentials; and prolonged the duration of the orthodromic excitatory post-synaptic potential. These trimethyltin-induced effects were not readily reversed. On the other hand, dimethyltin at high concentrations only reduced the amplitude of the orthodromic action potential. Slice viability was compromised following exposure to trimethyltin, but not following dimethyltin. These data demonstrate that decreased membrane time constant and input resistance is an early and reliable indicator of the onset of trimethyltin-induced changes. The effects do not resemble those produced by excitotoxins, but rather share similarities with responses observed during slice hypoxia."}
{"id": "PMID:1475062", "title": "Effect of lead during different developmental periods in the monkey on concurrent discrimination performance.", "content": "A total of 52 monkeys (Macaca fascicularis) were dosed orally with vehicle or 1.5 mg/kg/day of lead according to one of four dosing regimens (13 monkeys/group): Group 1, vehicle only; Group 2, dosed with lead continuously from birth; Group 3, dosed with lead from birth to 400 days of age and vehicle thereafter; Group 4, dosed with vehicle from birth to 300 days of age and lead thereafter. Blood lead concentrations averaged 3-6 micrograms/dl when monkeys were not dosed with lead, 32-36 micrograms/dl when being dosed with lead and having access to infant formula, and 19-26 micrograms/dl when being dosed with lead after weaning from infant formula. When monkeys were 8-9 years old, they were tested on two sets of concurrent discrimination tasks, each consisting of 6 stimulus pairs. Group 2 required more sessions on Task 1 for 5 of the 6 pairs to reach a criterion of 90% correct, while Groups 3 and 4 required more or marginally more sessions on 4 of the 6 pairs. On Task 2, Group 2 required more sessions to reach criterion for most pairs, Group 4 was marginally impaired, and Group 3 was unimpaired. All three treated groups made more perseverative errors than controls on Task 1, but not on Task 2. There were no differences between groups for response latency or position bias. This extends previous research with these monkeys, in which impairment was observed on spatial and nonspatial discrimination reversal, and spatial delayed alternation."}
{"id": "PMID:1475063", "title": "Calcium, magnesium and aluminum concentrations in Parkinson's disease.", "content": "Concentrations of calcium (Ca) and aluminum (Al) were measured by neutron activation analysis and that of magnesium (Mg) by inductively coupled plasma emission spectrometry in 26 regions of Parkinson's disease (PD) and control brains. Ca concentration was unchanged in all anatomic subregions of PD brains compared with control brains. Mg concentration was lower in cortex, white matter, basal ganglia and brain stem of PD brains compared to control brains (p < 0.01). Al concentration in the substantia nigra, caudate nucleus and globus pallidus was higher in PD brains compared to controls (p < 0.05) and significantly higher in gray matter and the basal ganglia (p < 0.01). These studies are consistent with other observations linking high concentrations of Al and low levels of Mg in the pathogenesis of CNS degeneration and PD."}
{"id": "PMID:1475064", "title": "Concurrent changes in regional cholinergic parameters and nest odor preference in the early postnatal rat after lead exposure.", "content": "The effect of pre- and postnatal lead ingestion on choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) activity, muscarinic cholinergic receptors (mACHR) and on nest odor preference, was investigated in the early postnatal male rat. Long Evans dams were given either 0.15% [LL = low lead] or 0.25% [ML = moderate lead] lead acetate (controls, 0.125% or 0.075% sodium acetate) in their drinking solution from the first day of pregnancy and during lactation. Mean blood lead levels were 55 micrograms/100ml at postnatal day [PN] 6 in ML-treated offspring and 35 micrograms/100ml at PN 9 in LL-treated pups. General health of pups and dams was not affected. Lead-treated offspring showed a reduced preference for or ability to identify the smell of home bedding, when tested at PN 9. A decrease in binding (Bmax) of [3H]N-methyl- scopolamine (NMS) was detected in olfactory bulb and in visual cortex of LL-treated rats at PN 9; the affinity (KD) was unchanged. On the other hand, ChAT-activity of ML-treated offspring was significantly increased in olfactory bulb at PN 6. These results suggest that stage-specific behaviors depending on sensory functions and cholinergic projection systems in related brain areas are sensitive to pre- and postnatal lead exposure."}
{"id": "PMID:1475065", "title": "Reactive oxygen species formation as a biomarker of methylmercury and trimethyltin neurotoxicity.", "content": "Reactive oxygen species (ROS) such as superoxide anion, hydrogen peroxide, and hydroxyl radicals are believed to be initiators of peroxidative cell damage. This paper focused on the use of 2',7'-dichlorofluorescein-diacetate (DCFH-DA) to quantitate cerebral ROS as an index for neurotoxicity. This technique employs an assay of dichlorofluorescein (DCF), the fluorescent product of dichlorofluorescein (DCFH). Data from studies using various free radical generating systems, several iron chelators and hydroxyl radical scavengers suggest that DCFH oxidation may result in several reactive intermediates. In a biological system (synaptosomes isolated from untreated rats) DCF fluorescence was stimulated by ascorbate or FeSO4, while deferoxamine inhibited the ascorbate/FeSO4-induced stimulation of DCF formation. Two organometals, methylmercury (MeHg) and trimethyltin (TMT), known to produce neurotoxicity were tested. In vitro exposure to MeHg (10-20 microM) increased the rate of formation of ROS while TMT (5-40 microM) had no effect. In vivo, 48 hr and 1 week after a single injection of MeHg (1 mg/kg, i.p.) in mice and 1 week after a single injection of MeHg (5 mg/kg, i.p.) in rats, the rate of formation of ROS in both rat and mouse cerebellum was significantly increased. Pretreatment with deferoxamine, a potent iron-chelator, prevented MeHg-induced increase of ROS. In hippocampus and frontal cortex, ROS formation rates were also elevated 48 hr after TMT injection (3 mg/kg, i.p.) in mice. These results demonstrate that DCF fluorescence provides a good measure of overall ROS formation in synaptosomes of both in vitro as well as in vivo systems. Since ROS formation was selectively increased in areas known to be specifically vulnerable to organometals (cerebellum in the case of MeHg and hippocampus in the case of TMT), these studies further support that oxidative damage may be the primary mechanism underlying the neurotoxicity induced by these organometals."}
{"id": "PMID:1475066", "title": "Potential of memantine, D-tubocurarine, and atropine in preventing acute toxic myopathy induced by organophosphate nerve agents: soman, sarin, tabun and VX.", "content": "Male Sprague-Dawley rats when administered sc a sublethal dose of organophosphorus cholinesterase inhibitors such as the nerve agents, soman (100 micrograms/kg, sc), sarin (110 micrograms/kg, sc), tabun (200 micrograms/kg, sc), or VX (12 micrograms/kg, sc), developed seizures and severe muscle fasciculations within 15-20 min, lasting for 4-6 hr. Marked inhibition of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and necrotic lesions in skeletal muscles such as soleus, extensor digitorum longus, and diaphragm were evident between 1-24 hr following injection. Pretreatment with memantine HCl (MEM, 18 mg/kg, sc) together with atropine sulfate (ATS, 16 mg/kg, sc), 60 min and 15 min, respectively, prior to nerve agents attenuated AChE inhibition, prevented myonecrosis, and muscle fasciculations as well as other signs of cholinergic toxicity. Pretreatment combining d-tubocurarine (d-TC, 0.075 mg/kg, sc) and ATS (16 mg/kg, sc) prevented the myonecrosis and fasciculation without protecting AChE against inhibition by these nerve agents. Neither MEM, d-TC, nor ATS in the concentration given interfered with the normal behavior of the rats. The role of d-TC and ATS interaction with presynaptic receptors regulating ACh release and MEM's role in modulating neural hyperactivity as protective mechanisms are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1475067", "title": "Ganglioside treatment partially counteracts neurotoxic effects of trimethyltin but may itself cause neurotoxicity in rats: experimental results and a critical review.", "content": "We have demonstrated a deficit in working memory and/or consolidation of information in working memory into reference memory by a single oral dose of the neurotoxin trimethyltin(TMT). Moreover, TMT causes loss of hippocampal corticosterone receptors and increases brain glial fibrillary acidic protein(GFAP), an index of the astrocytic reaction to diverse types of CNS lesions. We tried to block the TMT-induced cognitive deficit and these biochemical markers by treating rats with purified mixed gangliosides (GS) for 21 days, starting 2 days before the TMT treatment. As expected, TMT decreased the number of corticosterone receptors in hippocampi and increased the GFAP concentration in hippocampi and to a lesser extent, in frontal cortices, measured more than 8 mon after treatment. The small increase in GFAP in frontal cortices was attenuated by GS but not in hippocampi. The pronounced learning deficits caused by TMT were attenuated to a small extent by GS in the TMT-GS group, when a learning criterion was used for the last session's performance of acquired lever-directed behavior. GS also delayed the appearance of significant performance differences between Controls and TMT-treated rats, when probed with a progressive fixed ratio schedule of reinforcement. However, most measures of learning and performance indicated that GS did not block the dysfunctional consequences of TMT treatment but instead caused similar functional decrements in rats treated with water instead of TMT. Corticosterone receptors in hippocampi were reduced to about 65% of Controls in the TMT-Water, TMT-GS, and Water-GS groups. A reduction in corticosterone receptors in hippocampi after TMT treatment probably reflects the loss of one or more cell types (e.g., pyramidal cells), which is supported by the increase in GFAP in this region. However, we did not observe a reciprocal relation between steroid receptors and GFAP after GS alone, indicating that GS did not cause detectable cell loss or cell damage, measured in this manner. Thus, reactive gliosis probably was not a pre-condition for the cognitive dysfunction. The fact that the cognitive deficits are probably related to hippocampal dysfunction supports the notion of a causal relationship between corticosterone receptor reduction and/or their altered function and cognitive impairment of this special type. The possibility that our results demonstrate potential neurobehavioral toxicity of GS is discussed in light of many reports which present data that can be similarly interpreted."}
{"id": "PMID:1475068", "title": "Reproductive hazards in the workplace.", "content": "The growing public concern about the presence of toxic substances in the working and living environments has increased the awareness of prospective parents on the potential reproductive damage that may occur as a result of occupational exposure. The obstetrician or gynecologist attempting to counsel a couple about reproductive damage of specific occupational exposure faces a dilemma because of conflicting factors that need to be taken into account. Those factors include lack of a well-defined relationship between exposure at the worksite and reproductive damage, lack of information or conflicting data, economic concerns, and sex discrimination issues. This review describes pathogenic mechanisms of reproductive damage produced by occupational chemical exposure and details common weaknesses and problems in the interpretation and application to clinical practice of the burgeoning literature in the subject. A listing of different chemicals and physical agents suspected of producing reproductive impairment in either membrane of the reproductive dyad is presented. In addition, the legality of the so called \"fetal protection policies\" is also reviewed. Despite the current scientific uncertainty, knowledgeable health professionals can help parents reach an informed decision about the reproductive risks that they are willing to take when a \"zero exposure\" environment cannot be guaranteed and allay unfounded fears."}
{"id": "PMID:1475073", "title": "Age-related cataract in the hereditary cataract rat (ICR/1): development and classification.", "content": "Lens opacification of the Ihara hereditary cataract rat (ICR/1 rat) was followed up with slit lamp biomicroscopy and photography up to 1 year after birth. The development of lens opacities was first recognized in the anterior superficial cortex of the equatorial region between 30 and 44 days of age. It progressed to maturity around 93-107 days after birth. Cataract development was classified into six stages. The increase of lens weight indicated a continuous lens growth after birth which seemingly even continued after the occurrence of lens opacities. After around 60 days of age, the lens showed a continuous increase of water content, suggesting a participation of increased water content in lens opacification."}
{"id": "PMID:1475074", "title": "Effect of moxisylyte hydrochloride (alpha 1-blocker) on the retinal circulation of patients with diabetes mellitus.", "content": "Moxisylyte hydrochloride (alpha 1-blocker) selectively vasodilates cerebral vessels without reducing blood pressure. We investigated the effect of the drug on retinal circulation in 15 patients (17 eyes) with diabetes mellitus, using the video-densitometric image analysis of fluorescein angiography. We compared the build-up time (BT), the time constant of washout rate (TC) and the mean circulation time (MCT) before and after oral therapy with moxisylyte. In 16 eyes, BT was shortened significantly and MCT was only slightly shortened 1 h after oral therapy with moxisylyte. After 2 weeks of daily administration, MCT was shortened and TC of the artery was increased significantly in 6 eyes. Since retinal circulation in patients with diabetes mellitus was improved by moxisylyte, the drug may be useful to treat ocular disorders such as diabetic retinopathy."}
{"id": "PMID:1475075", "title": "Axial length and scleral thickness effect on susceptibility to glaucomatous damage: a theoretical model implementing Laplace's law.", "content": "Laplace's law relates the pressure inside a hollow sphere with its radius and the tension in its walls. A theoretical model implementing Laplace's law in the eye globe is presented. The physical model may help to explain certain aspects in glaucomatous disk damage such as higher susceptibility of myopic eyes to glaucomatous damage and a possible explanation for glaucoma nerve head damage in low tension glaucoma."}
{"id": "PMID:1475076", "title": "Changes of urea-soluble and intrinsic membrane proteins in rat lenses during the formation of galactose cataract.", "content": "Urea-soluble and intrinsic membrane proteins from normal and galactose cataractous rat lenses were analyzed by SDS-PAGE. During cataract formation, MP22 increased whereas MP26 decreased almost to nil and MP24 emerged. However, the relative amount of MP18 remained essentially unchanged. These results suggested a conversion of MP26 to MP22 during cataract formation. We also observed the changes in the relative abundance of the polypeptides of the urea-soluble fraction with cataractogenesis."}
{"id": "PMID:1475077", "title": "Morphological studies on cataract and small lens formation in neonatal rats treated with monosodium-L-glutamate.", "content": "Changes in the transparency and size of lenses in rats were investigated following administration of monosodium-L-glutamate (MSG). MSG (5 mg/g b.w.) was injected subcutaneously on the 9th and 10th day after birth. Ophthalmoscopically, localized opacity was apparent at the posterior pole of the lens corresponding to the attached site of the hyaloid vessels at the 1-month stage. The incidence of cataract increased with age, reaching more than 75% at 4 months. Morgagnian globules were histologically detected in the opacity of the posterior lens cortex. The size and weight of the lens were smaller than those of the control rats. These findings indicate that the administration of MSG could be an etiologic factor in cataract formation in the developing rat."}
{"id": "PMID:1475078", "title": "Direct approach to identification, at the molecular level, of modified proteins in human nuclear cataractous lenses: beta-crystallin is a component of the urea-insoluble protein fraction.", "content": "In an effort to elucidate the molecular changes which take place in the human lens with the onset of nuclear cataract, the urea-insoluble protein fraction, solubilized with dithiothreitol, was digested with trypsin. Tryptic peptides separated by HPLC, were examined by both mass spectrometry and Edman degradation. A pentapeptide Gly-Glu-Tyr-Pro-Arg which is contained within the beta-crystallin sequence was isolated. This finding provides direct evidence that beta-crystallin is present in the urea-insoluble protein fraction which is known to be characteristic of human nuclear cataract lenses."}
{"id": "PMID:1475079", "title": "Interphotoreceptor matrix in the colored-light-adapted rat.", "content": "The interphotoreceptor matrix (IPM) was examined histochemically using colloidal iron, wheat germ agglutinin and Ricinus communis agglutinin-1 for rats adapted to blue, green or red light before tissue preparation. In blue- and green-light-adapted animals, IPM was intensely stained in the apical zone of photoreceptor outer segments and in the outer and inner segment junction, conforming to the light pattern of IPM distribution in previous studies. In red-light-adapted animals, the IPM was prominent and uniform in the interstitial zone of photoreceptor outer segments, consistent with the dark pattern. The results indicate that rod photoreceptors are predominantly responsible for light-evoked changes in IPM."}
{"id": "PMID:1475080", "title": "[Changes in Contrast Sensitivity after Iodine Treatment in Bad Hall in Patients with Age-Related Maculopathy].", "content": "After a cure with iodine in Bad Hall (Upper Austria), patients with age-related maculopathy repeatedly reported improvement in visual power: the picture seen seems to be clearer on the whole or more distinct. These statements were checked in 50 patients with beginning age-related macula degeneration ('dry form') using the 'Vision Contrast test system (VCTS 6500)'. The analysis of the results showed that there is indeed a statistically highly significant improvement in contrast sensitivity after the cure (p < 0.0001). The spontaneous observations of the patients were therefore confirmed by the study."}
{"id": "PMID:1475081", "title": "Neuroepithelial adenocarcinoma of the eye.", "content": "A 29-year-old male patient with a microphthalmos on the right side since birth was seen in June 1987 in the University Eye Clinic because of a massive exophthalmus of the former microphthalmic eye. Computer tomography revealed a diffuse, infiltrating tumor of the right orbit. The bulbus was not demarcated, and the whole orbita had to be eviscerated. Histologically, we found a solid, undifferentiated tumor with clear signs of malignancy. It consisted of epithelial cells, partly in nest formation, which were keratin positive and vimentin negative, and of more spindle-shaped formations which were keratin negative and vimentin positive. In some areas, the tumor showed a tubular or an adenoid proliferation. CEA or S-100 could not be demonstrated. The histopathological diagnosis was neuroepithelial adenocarcinoma of the eye. The differential diagnosis and the genesis of the tumor are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1475082", "title": "Normal intraocular pressure in man.", "content": "Whereas the values of 120/70 mm Hg are universally recognized as being normal for the parameter of systemic blood pressure, the value for 'normal intraocular pressure' remains very vague. Indeed, values between 7 and 21 mm Hg are often considered normal. However, a careful review of the literature and original data reported here suggest that the intraocular pressure in normal subjects, although dynamic, is a more accurate parameter than is generally expected. The normal value during the day in healthy, young adults is about 12 +/- 2 mm Hg, and it increases by 1 mm Hg per decade after 40 years of age."}
{"id": "PMID:1475083", "title": "[Treatment of Ocular Chlamydial Infection: Comparison of Tetracyclines and Norfloxacin].", "content": "The unilateral follicular conjunctivitis with corneal marginal infiltrates represents a clinical picture typical for two different types of bacteria: chlamydiae may cause a keratoconjunctivitis always combined with urethritis or colpitis; on the other hand staphylococci may be the reason for the same clinical features, whereas the marginal corneal infiltrates are caused in these cases by immunological reactions to the bacterial toxins. After harvesting material for bacterial investigations or direct immunofluorescence test for the detection of chlamydial antigen, 2-3 days are necessary until the results of the examinations are ready. From January 1991 until the end of 1991 a total of 60 patients with the diagnosis of chlamydial infection underwent ophthalmological investigations at our outpatient clinic. In our study we compared the efficacy and safety of topical tetracyclines and 0.3% norfloxacin solution in the treatment of chlamydial keratoconjunctivitis. Within the bacterial genus, staphylococci (S. aureus, S. epidermidis and S. saprophyticus) were the most frequently isolated organisms (60%). Nearly one third of the staphylococci were resistant to tetracyclines. Therefore there are two indications to postulate norfloxacin as a practicable alternative: at the beginning of therapy until the results of the bacterial investigation are available and in the case of persisting bacterial superinfection."}
{"id": "PMID:1475084", "title": "Fluorescein-angiographic patterns in patients with central serous chorioretinopathy at the initial visit.", "content": "We reviewed the clinical records, color photographs and fluorescein angiograms of 106 eyes of 53 patients (44 men and 9 women) with central serous chorioretinopathy who had been followed up for 1 year or more. Their ages ranged from 20 to 59 years. One eye in each patient was involved at the initial visit. According to fluorescein-angiographic findings, the lesions were divided into smokestack pattern (13 eyes), ink blot appearance (33 eyes) and minimally enlarging spot (7 eyes). Most patients complained of central scotoma, and most patients had moderately decreased visual acuities at the initial visit, which improved after recovery. In particular, all 7 eyes with a minimally enlarging spot had a visual acuity of 0.8 or more at the initial visit; of these 6 eyes had 1.0 or more several weeks later. On fluorescein angiography, 49 eyes demonstrated 1 leaking spot and 4 eyes showed 2 spots. Of 57 leaking spots, 10 were observed in the foveola, 31 were noted in the fovea and 16 were found in the para- or perifovea. Of 13 smokestack patterns, 5 were found in the inferonasal area. The ink blot appearance and minimally enlarging spots were frequently found in the superonasal and superotemporal areas."}
{"id": "PMID:1475085", "title": "Exudative retinal detachment subsequent to retinal vein occlusion.", "content": "Previous studies have shown the possible development of exudative retinal detachment (ERD) as a complication of retinal vein occlusion (RVO). Considering 473 consecutive cases of RVO, only 3 cases of ERD with peculiar clinical aspects were discovered. In the first case, the ERD followed a branch RVO, but it developed in the opposite quadrant, with a late occurrence of venous retinal collaterals. In the second case, the ERD developed after a central RVO, having a retinoschisis aspect, with the subsequent occurrence of optic disk collateral vessels. In the third case, the ERD was secondary to a hemicentral RVO and involved the entire macular area. The pathogenesis of the ERD subsequent to RVO is still debated. Our experience seems to indicate that the ERD pathogenesis is linked not only to an inability of the draining vascular system, but also to an impairment in the function of the retinal pigment epithelium."}
{"id": "PMID:1475086", "title": "Ischemic optic neuropathy in a female carrier with Fabry's disease.", "content": "We report ocular findings of a patient with anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (AION) and cilioretinal artery occlusion in a female carrier of Fabry's disease. Fluorescein angiography revealed delayed filling of the upper and temporal part of peripapillary choroidal vessels and capillaries of the right optic disk and late filling of the cilioretinal artery. CT scanning was performed several times in early stages and demonstrated thickening of the intraorbital optic nerve due to ischemic edema. About 5 months later, the fellow eye showed optic disk edema, an early sign of AION, and was treated by systemic corticosteroid and urokinase whereby AION did not progress."}
{"id": "PMID:1475087", "title": "Effects of topically applied 2% epinephrine and 0.1% dipivalyl epinephrine on the adrenergic nerves as revealed by histofluorescence.", "content": "Commercially available epinephrine (EPI) 2% and dipivalyl epinephrine (DPE) 0.1% ophthalmic solutions were instilled twice daily in the eyes of rats over a 12-week period and compared to placebo-vehicle-treated controls. Fluorescence photomicrographs of stretch preparations from the dilator muscle of the rat irises showed a weaker fluorescence in the eyes treated with EPI and DPE as compared with controls treated with a placebo vehicle. This study provides further evidence that EPI and DPE treatment can result in a chemical sympathectomy as has been described following topical application of 6-hydroxydopamine."}
{"id": "PMID:1475088", "title": "Use of the single-plate Molteno implant in refractory glaucoma.", "content": "During a 5-year period, 60 patients with uncontrolled glaucoma in one eye, who were considered to have a poor surgical prognosis with conventional drainage surgery, were treated with a single-plate Molteno implant. The surgery was performed in one operation and the tube tied with an absorbable suture in all cases. The overall follow-up was 20.3 +/- 11 months (range 3-60). A successful outcome (defined as an intra-ocular pressure < or = 21 mm Hg with or without treatment) was achieved in 56% of the 16 eyes with either aphakic or pseudophakic glaucoma, in 71% of the 14 eyes with uncontrolled glaucoma despite a previous filtering procedure, in 46% of the 13 eyes with traumatic glaucoma and in 64% of the 17 eyes with traumatic glaucoma and lens involvement. The visual acuity remained the same or better in 70% (42/60). Early complications of the surgery were transient and easily treated. Late complications included tube exposure in 3 (5%), tube retraction in 2 (3.3%), bleb encapsulation in 5 (8.3%) and corneal decompensation in 1 (1.65%). This study suggests that the single-plate Molteno implant is a useful drainage device with satisfactory results when used for the treatment of refractory secondary glaucoma."}
{"id": "PMID:1475089", "title": "Epidermal growth factor in topical treatment following epikeratoplasty.", "content": "The efficacy of epidermal growth factor (EGF) in reducing the healing time of the cornea after an epikeratoplasty has been evaluated in an open study in two groups of patients. The time required for complete reepithelialization of the cornea was recorded, and the data obtained were analyzed statistically. In the EGF group the reepithelialization was significantly faster than in the control group. These results indicate that EGF is effective in reducing the reepithelialization time of the cornea after an epikeratoplasty."}
{"id": "PMID:1475090", "title": "Effect of acetylcholine on intraocular pressure following small-incision cataract surgery.", "content": "40 patients, who underwent phacoemulsification and implantation of a polyHema intraocular lens (IOGEL-1103) were assigned to two groups. After evacuation of Healon from the capsular bag behind the lens and the anterior chamber, either 0.5 ml of 1% acetylcholine chloride or 0.5 ml of balanced salt solution was injected into the anterior chamber. When compared with preoperative values, the mean intraocular pressure (IOP) 6 h postoperatively was unchanged in the acetylcholine group (0 +/- 8.5 mm Hg) but increased in the control group (+4.1 +/- 7.4 mm Hg). 18 h postoperatively, the mean intraocular pressure slightly decreased in the acetylcholine group (-0.5 +/- 6.1 mm Hg) compared with an increase of +1.4 +/- 4.4 mm Hg in the control group. Intraocular pressure exceeding 25 mm Hg was observed at 6 h in 2 (10%) patients of the acetylcholine group and in 4 (20%) of the control group. At 18 h, intraocular pressure was elevated in only 1 (5%) patient of the acetylcholine group and in 3 (15%) of the control group. From these results, we conclude that the evacuation of Healon from the capsular bag behind the implanted lens and acetylcholine reduce the incidence of postoperative elevations of intraocular pressure."}
{"id": "PMID:1475091", "title": "Astigmatism after phacoemulsification and aspiration procedures: BENT versus standard incisions.", "content": "We examined the induction and spontaneous regression of corneal astigmatism among 1,023 phacoemulsification and aspiration (PEA) cataract surgeries performed with standard (n = 831) and BENT incisions (n = 192). The BENT (between 9 and 12 o'clock) incision is a method of entering the anterior chamber from the oblique side. In the BENT group, the degree of astigmatism was not significantly different from the standard group, 3 months postoperatively (1.48 +/- 0.07 vs. 1.25 +/- 0.04 dptr.) and 6 months postoperatively (1.30 +/- 0.06 vs. 1.28 +/- 1.28 +/- 0.06 dptr.). However, 1 week and 1 month postoperatively, the astigmatism resulting from the BENT incision was much less than that of the standard PEA incision (1.69 +/- 0.17 vs. 2.96 +/- 0.05 and 1.60 +/- 0.08 vs. 1.80 +/- 0.05 dptr, respectively). Visual acuity also improved faster. The BENT procedure is recommended, because it is a simple way to lessen astigmatism."}
{"id": "PMID:1475092", "title": "Long-term follow-up of dominant macular dystrophy with flecks (Stargardt).", "content": "We present a family with dominant macular dystrophy and flecks (Stargardt) which was followed for 20 years. Twenty-three subjects out of 48 members in 4 generations underwent fundoscopic examination. Nine asymptomatic patients had a few scattered, small, whitish, drusen-like changes in the posterior pole, and an additional patient had several clumps of increased pigmentation at the level of the retinal pigment epithelium in the macular region. Five patients had macular degeneration, with the onset of visual loss at between 24 and 30 years of age. The maculopathy started as fine, punctate, pigmentary changes, with transmission retinal pigment epithelial defects (as seen angiographically), or as flecks. The maculopathy progressed into a garland of perifoveal, subretinal flecks with small, central, areolar, chorioretinal atrophy. At the end-stage, there was a larger, central area of choroidal atrophy and a wider wreath of subretinal flecks. Visual acuity stabilized at the 20/200 level. Visual loss preceded clinically visible choroidal atrophy and was coincident with the accumulation of flecks in the foveal region."}
{"id": "PMID:1475093", "title": "[Papilledema and POEMS syndrome].", "content": "A new case of optic disk swelling associated with POEMS syndrome is described. This is a rare disease, but it should be suspected in cases of bilateral optic disk swelling when defining systemic components are present: polyneuropathy (P), organomegaly (O), endocrinopathy (E), monoclonal component (M) and skin changes (S). Usually visual acuity is maintained. However, loss of vision secondary to optic disk swelling and associated macular edema could be found."}
{"id": "PMID:1475094", "title": "Spontaneous orbital hemorrhage in adult females. A report of three cases.", "content": "Three cases of spontaneous orbital hemorrhages in 3 adult females are reported. All of the patients had acute radiating pain in the orbit, vomiting and proptosis with a limitation of motility and ecchymosis of the eyelids. One was due to a large orbital varix with a preceding history of intermittent exophthalmos; the causes of the other cases could not be determined from their backgrounds. Within a few weeks, all of them had recovered from hematoma and had good prognoses without surgery. Orbital venous bleeding with 40 mm Hg pressure will cause more than 500 g tension on the four rectus muscles. To treat this clinical emergency, hemostasis with compression in the early phase and waiting for its spontaneous absorption are recommended."}
{"id": "PMID:1475095", "title": "[Posner-Schlossman syndrome].", "content": "The clinical features of Posner-Schlossman syndrome and the various differential diagnoses are described in a 20-year-old patient. Additional to Posner-Schlossman syndrome this patient showed signs of Axenfeld's anomaly. He also presented symptoms of a status-dysrhaphicus-like state after atrial septal defect and the ability to overstrain the distal finger joints. Posner-Schlossman syndrome, heterochromic cyclitis, anterior-chamber cleavage syndrome and ICE syndrome (iridocorneal-endothelial syndrome: Chandler's, Cogan-Reese syndrome and progressive essential iris atrophy) often produce similar effects at the Descemet membrane, the anterior chamber angle and the iris. Because of the same mesodermal origin of these tissues we suggest that all the diseases mentioned above are merely different clinical expressions of one main disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1475096", "title": "Fisher's syndrome without total ophthalmoplegia.", "content": "A 16-year-old boy with acute ophthalmoplegic polyneuritis (Fisher's syndrome) exhibited bilateral internal ophthalmoplegia, but only lateral rectus and superior oblique eye movements were affected. Gaze-evoked nystagmus was also present on left lateral gaze. Pupillary reflex recovered 7 weeks after onset, but neither cholinergic supersensitivity nor light-near dissociation were present during the recovery process. This is the first such case to be reported in which the site of the lesion responsible for the pupillomotor impairment was the Edinger-Westphal nucleus."}
{"id": "PMID:1475097", "title": "Electrically evoked auditory brainstem responses in cochlear implant patients.", "content": "Electrically evoked auditory brainstem responses (EABR) were recorded in completely deaf patients implanted with Ineraid multichannel cochlear implants. Clear and reproducible EABR were obtained from all patients. Parametric differences with auditory brainstem responses (ABR) were demonstrated and can be explained by the different natures of both types of stimulations (electric versus acoustic). Evidence is given that other well-known properties of auditory evoked responses, like 'binaural interaction' or suppression of responses in a forward masking paradigm, can be observed in EABR of implanted patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1475098", "title": "Exploratory cochleotomy. Assessment of auditory nerve excitability and anatomical conditions in cochlear implant candidates.", "content": "The exploratory cochleotomy is a new diagnostic procedure for the selection of cochlear implant candidates. We use this procedure to assess the excitability of the auditory nerve, the patency of the cochlea and to detect undesirable side effects of electrical stimulation, such as facial nerve activation. The exploratory cochleotomy is a limited surgical procedure performed under local anesthesia in adults and light sedation in children. It is combined with the recording of electrically evoked brainstem responses elicited by an intracochlear probe electrode."}
{"id": "PMID:1475099", "title": "Digital speech processing for cochlear implants.", "content": "A rather general basic working hypothesis for cochlear implant research might be formulated as follows. Signal processing for cochlear implants should carefully select a subset of the total information contained in the sound signal and transform these elements into those physical stimulation parameters which can generate distinctive perceptions for the listener. Several new digital processing strategies have thus been implemented on a laboratory cochlear implant speech processor for the Nucleus 22-electrode system. One of the approaches (PES, pitch excited sampler) is based on the maximum peak channel vocoder concept whereby the spectral energy of a number of frequency bands is transformed into appropriate electrical stimulation parameters for up to 22 electrodes using a voice pitch synchronous pulse rate at any electrode. Another approach (CIS, continuous interleaved sampler) uses a maximally high pitch-independent stimulation pulse rate on a selected number of electrodes. As only one electrode can be stimulated at any instance of time, the rate of stimulation is limited by the required stimulus pulse widths (as determined individually for each subject) and some additional constraints and parameters which have to be optimized and fine tuned by psychophysical measurements. Evaluation experiments with 5 cochlear implant users resulted in significantly improved performance in consonant identification tests with the new processing strategies as compared with the subjects own wearable speech processors whereas improvements in vowel identification tasks were rarely observed. The pitch-synchronous coding (PES) resulted in worse performance compared to the coding without explicit pitch extraction (CIS).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1475100", "title": "Experience with the cochlear miniature speech processor in adults and children together with a comparison of unipolar and bipolar modes.", "content": "Following the experience with nearly 150 patients with the Nucleus cochlear implant, a more sophisticated and lighter speech processor was tested successfully in terms of better speech understanding. In order to prepare further miniaturization, the standard bipolar stimulation mode was compared with an unipolar mode. It was found that unipolar stimulation needs less energy, without decreasing speech understanding. Preconditions for supplying very young children with a cochlear implant were the use of electrically elicited stapedius reflex thresholds, obtained intraoperatively, for the fitting of the speech processor and the setup of a special rehabilitation center, where children together with their mothers could be trained in hearing and understanding by special teachers and engineers for 12 weeks, distributed over the 1st postoperative year."}
{"id": "PMID:1475101", "title": "Geneva experience with the Ineraid multichannel cochlear implant.", "content": "Ineraid is a multichannel intracochlear implant of recent design that can provide high levels of speech recognition to totally deaf patients. We chose this device when it became available in 1985 because of our clinical and research interests. We had no commercial ties and could therefore critically assess the value of this implant in an array of patients, including congenital deafness, ossified cochleas and perilingual children."}
{"id": "PMID:1475102", "title": "Psychological adaptations and emotional observations of eight multichannel cochlear implant patients.", "content": "A pilot study was performed with 8 deaf patients who received the 'Ineraid' multichannel cochlear implant in Geneva, Switzerland. The mechanisms of psychological adaptation in these patients are summarized."}
{"id": "PMID:1475103", "title": "Case report: top hearing performances of a postlingually deaf cochlear implant user.", "content": "On the occasion of the Cochlear Implant Symposium in Geneva in October 1991, top hearing results attained by a young postlingually deaf woman with cochlear implant systems were presented in video recordings. These data are centered on demanding hearing performances in test situations and in a telephone conversation. For various reasons, two reimplantations were necessary in this deaf patient. Initially, she was provided with a single-channel extra-cochlear electrode of the Vienna type, which she found to improve her lipreading substantially, and she attained an unexpectedly good understanding of speech on a purely auditory basis. Today, this postlingually deaf women uses a multichannel intracochlear electrode of the Nucleus type. The excellent results with the first extracochlear system are clearly surpassed with the intracochlear system. Not least because of her above-average speech competence, the cochlear implant user attains a high degree of open speech understanding. Her verbal hearing efficiency is comparable to that of a person with mild to moderately severe hearing loss."}
{"id": "PMID:1475104", "title": "Autograft ossiculoplasty in cholesteatoma.", "content": "Although using autogenous ossicles in reconstruction offers stable hearing results with good tendency for healing and minimal extrusion, their use in cholesteatomatous ears has been criticized for the possibility of progressive osteitis, bone resorption and cholesteatoma recurrence. In the present study we have been investigating a way which affords safe re-implantation of such ossicles. Treatment by burring followed by autoclaving seems to offer an implant that is safe both bacteriologically and pathologically. We have found no evidence that cholesteatoma could develop from such treated ossicles."}
{"id": "PMID:1475105", "title": "Ear polyps in posterior superior retraction pockets, herodion. Histopathological and pathogenetic aspects.", "content": "Histopathological characteristics of 20 ear herodion polyps with a certain localisation and a well-known underlying pathological process were studied in order to elucidate the pathogenesis of ear mucosal polyp formation. Only 12 of the polyps were covered with epithelium; either a squamous keratinized epithelium or a cylindrical epithelium. Three polyps were covered with cylindrical and squamous keratinized epithelium. Incipient gland formation was seen and glands were only found in 35% of the polyps. It seems possible that the polyp is a local newly formed process and may have the aim of catching, eliminating and digesting bacteria and dead cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1475106", "title": "An unusual case of Castleman's disease restricted to the neck.", "content": "An unusual case of Castleman's disease (CD) restricted to the left cervical area is reported. CD is rarely confined to the cervical area; when it occurs, it is usually of the hyaline-vascular subtype and small in size. This case was atypical due to its histology (plasma-cell variant), big size (15 x 11 x 6 cm) and the absence of general symptoms. In spite of surgical excision, the disease recurred 11 months later. However, subsequent surgery followed by chemotherapy resulted in a long-lasting control of the disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1475107", "title": "Candida and stapedial otosclerosis: histopathological findings.", "content": "The stapes of 6 patients with stapedial otosclerosis was found to contain fungus hyphae (Candida) in the sectioned specimens. The footplate of all cases and the head of the stapes in 2 of the cases revealed single or multiple erosion cavities containing numerous thin branching PAS-positive fungus hyphae with swollen terminal endings and scanty blastospores. Osteoclasts were not observed; occasional osteoblasts, blue mantles and otosclerotic foci were seen. Four patients had been treated for several years with antibiotics and corticosteroids for recurrent serous otitis media and 1 patient had had frequent catheterization of the eustachian tube. It may be suggested that the Candida infection was a secondary event induced by a general and/or local immunodepressed condition."}
{"id": "PMID:1475108", "title": "[The value of polypeptide analysis (beta-2-microglobulin, microalbuminuria, beta-thromboglobulin) in the diagnosis of diabetic nephropathies].", "content": "The value of polypeptide analyses in the diagnoses of diabetic nephropathy. Early diagnostic signs are rapidly gaining importance in the prevention and care of diabetic complications. The aim of this paper was to review the clinical significance of measurements of the serum and urine levels of beta-2-microglobulin, microalbuminuria and the plasma and urine levels of beta-thromboglobulin. We would like to emphasize their possible role in monitoring and prediction of the chronic sequelae of diabetes mellitus."}
{"id": "PMID:1475109", "title": "[Study of the origin of hyperglycemia in acute myocardial infarct].", "content": "In order to clarify the origin of hyperglycaemia, blood glucose, glycated haemoglobin (GHb) and protein-corrected serum fructosamine (SFA) values were simultaneously determined at admission of 65 patients with acute myocardial infarction while oral glucose tolerance test was performed later at discharge. In 29 patients no alterations in carbohydrate metabolism were found (blood glucose: 5.2 +/- 0.1 mmol/l, GHb: 4.4 +/- 0.1%, SFA: 2.20 +/- 0.08 mmol/l) while in 9 patients diabetes was already recorded in the medical history (blood glucose: 11.5 +/- 1.1 mmol/l, GHb: 7.9 +/- 0.9%, SFA: 3.36 +/- 0.31 mmol/l, p < 0.001). Undiagnosed diabetes was documented in 8 patients (blood glucose: 11.8 +/- 1.3 mmol/l, GHb: 7.3 +/- 0.6%, SFA: 3.51 +/- 0.24 mmol/l) while stress-hyperglycaemia was found in 19 patients (blood glucose: 8.4 +/- 0.3 mmol/l, GHb: 4.5 +/- 0.1%, SFA: 2.55 +/- 0.17 mmol/l). Undiagnosed diabetes could be recorded in one seventh while stress-hyperglycaemia could be found in one third of non-diabetic patients with acute myocardial infarction. Due to overlapping values SFA is not suitable to distinguish between stress-hyperglycaemia and undiagnosed diabetes in patients with acute myocardial infarction."}
{"id": "PMID:1475110", "title": "[Advantages and limitations of single-channel urodynamics in childhood].", "content": "The simultaneous recording of urodynamic parameters and x-ray imaging of the lower urinary tract is the ideal technique for a complex investigation of the lower urinary tract morphology and function. The urodynamic and micturating cystourethrography findings were reviewed in 57 children. The causes of the examinations were recurrent urinary tract infection, voiding dysfunction and urinary tract dilatation by ultrasound. 53/57 patients had a clear cystomanometry results. 4 did not cooperate. 15/53 had unstable bladder. 34/57 had vesico-ureteric reflux. Unilateral reflux was more frequently noted in children with an unstable bladder. In cases of a stable bladder, bilateral reflux occurred more frequently. The ureteric reflux in children with unstable bladder should resolve with therapy to decrease bladder activity. Urodynamics is complementary rather than competitive with radiologic investigations. It is necessary to make micturating cystourethrography with cystomanometry."}
{"id": "PMID:1475111", "title": "[Spontaneous esophageal perforation related to fungal esophagitis].", "content": "The authors give account of spontaneous esophageal perforation developed on the basis of fungal oesophagitis. The lesion of the lower third of the esophagus classified as grade 4. on Kodsi classification displayed the same picture as an advanced esophageal cancer. They review signs, symptoms and varieties in macroscopic appearance of esophageal candidiasis. They warn that in case of a spontaneous perforation of \"malignant\" esophageal tumor with no preceding signs the rare condition of fungal esophagitis must certainly be considered."}
{"id": "PMID:1475113", "title": "[Etiology, symptomatology, diagnosis, differential diagnosis and management of Crohn disease].", "content": "The non specific, chronic, inflammatory, granulomatous Crohn's disease is not common in our country. Despite wide clinical and experimental experiences, its etiology hasn't been cleared yet. Its symptoms are especially various. The diagnosis--particularly in early stages--despite the clinical feature and modern diagnostic methods, is difficult. Only histology can give exact diagnosis. However Crohn's disease often can be diagnosed only on the basis of clinical symptoms, later appearing complications featuring this disease--particularly fistula--and indirect histological changes that can be seen in biopsy. Differential diagnosis--particularly in early stages--is also difficult, as the symptoms of Crohn's disease may be similar to symptoms of any other abdominal diseases. The therapy of Crohn's disease is mainly medical, even in some of those cases, when the occurring complications don't threaten the patient's life. Remission doesn't mean total recovery. Even by supporting treatment the disease may relapse at any time. Surgical treatment in indicated only in those cases, when complication occur threatening the patient's life, when active medical treatment is insufficient, or despite medical treatment progression can be observed."}
{"id": "PMID:1475114", "title": "[Circadian rhythm of blood pressure in hypertension treated with enalapril and other drugs].", "content": "Twenty-four-hour \"ambulatory blood pressure monitoring\" (ABPM) was performed during the day at every 30 min and during the night at every 60 min in 38 persons admitted to the hospital. The subjects were divided into four groups: Group 1. healthy subjects (11); Group 2. essential hypertensive patients (7) before and during enalapril treatment; Group 3. patients with essential hypertension (10) treated with different antihypertensive drugs and Group 4. renal patients treated as in Group 3. Normal circadian rhythm was found in the healthy subjects and in the patients with essential hypertension, but no rhythm could be demonstrated in the renal patients. The high blood pressure decreased in response to enalapril in 7 patients without any decrease in the circadian rhythm. It was concluded that antihypertensive therapy does not abolish the circadian rhythm if there is any--and does not restore if it is lacking. The chances of the diagnostic use of circadian blood pressure rhythm are not impaired by the antihypertensive treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1475115", "title": "[Primary hemostasis studies in Conn syndrome].", "content": "The various components of haemostasis seems to be affected by the high cortisol level in Cushing's disease. Increase in coagulation factor levels, decreased fibrinolysis, high von Willebrand factor plasmatic levels along with easy bruising due to vascular damage have been described. In this report a similar but less accentuated elevation of von Willebrand factor levels are documented in aldosterone producing adrenocortical adenoma, and in the same time enhanced platelet activation was also found. The primary haemostatic alterations correlated well with aldosterone levels and subsided significantly after the removal of the ademonas. Further studies seem to be desirable to analyse and elucidate haemostatic functions in Conn's syndrome."}
{"id": "PMID:1475116", "title": "[Refertilization after sterilization using surgical micromethods in gynecology].", "content": "The authors aquaint the results of refertilization following sterilization in connection eight cases. Four of their patients delivered mature babies in term. The microsurgical methods following different forms of sterilization are described in details. Refertilization can be a real possibility for women who had previously undergone sterilization and would like to be pregnant again."}
{"id": "PMID:1475117", "title": "[Selective vitamin B12 absorption disorder (Imerslund-Gr\u00e4sbeck syndrome)].", "content": "The authors present a case of Imerslund-Gr\u00e4sbeck syndrome, i. e. a familial megaloblastic anemia with proteinuria. The disease is due to congenital, selective malabsorption of vitamin B12. The subnormal absorption of vitamin B12 is not altered by orally given intrinsic factor, but parenteral vitamin B12 therapy results in complete recovery. Approximately 150 cases have been described in literature, the authors' case is the first in Hungary."}
{"id": "PMID:1475121", "title": "[Diagnosis, classification and indications for surgical treatment of pelvic ring fractures].", "content": "In cases of high-energy trauma, it is well known that there is a high incidence of pelvic fractures. The mechanism of injury, inspection and physical examination of the victim at the accident site direct attention to a pelvic fracture. In most cases, the first radiological examination (A.P. X-ray of the pelvis, oblique view of the obturator and oblique view of the ilium) shows the extent of the bony lesion. The diagnosis and therapy of lesions of the urinary tract, of intra-abdominal organs and blood vessels are vitally important. For the definitive operation of unstable pelvic ring fractures, additional diagnostic means, i.e., CT scans to distinguish posterior instability, can be necessary. Osteosynthesis can only be successful in the pelvis if one has a biochmechanical understanding of the physiological flux of force from the neck of the femur via the acetabular fossa to the sacroiliac joint. The sacroiliac ligaments have a particularly important support function. For assessing stability and classifying the traumatic patterns, it is helpful to use Pennal's classification, which takes the direction of the action of force into account. Three basic forms can be distinguished: anteroposterior compression, lateral compression and vertical avulsion. Depending on the extent of the traumatic pattern, one can distinguish three subtypes: type 1 is treated conservatively while types 2 and 3 require surgical treatment. The biochmechanics, traumatic patterns, diagnostics and treatment techniques applied are described clearly and with good illustrations."}
{"id": "PMID:1475122", "title": "[Stabilizing the pelvic ring with the external fixator. Biomechanical studies and clinical experiences].", "content": "Experimental studies were performed on anatomic pelvis specimens. In different series of experiments the positioning of the screws and the assembly of the external fixator were changed. We tried fixing the external fixator to the screws at varying distances from the body surface. For stabilisation of the fractured pelvic girdle a self-constructed \"bow fixator\", fixed to supra-acetabular screws with proximal compression and distal traction showed the best results. Homogeneous distribution of the pressure could be achieved on the unstable dorsal pelvic ring structures. In clinical routine we used the triangular external fixator, which in the experimental situation yielded results close to those of the bow fixator. External fixation of the pelvic girdle has been performed 128 times since 1977, in January 1991 a prospective study was started. For Tile type B injuries the external fixator itself represents an effective, minimally invasive system, but type C fractures often require an additional internal fixation of the dorsal lesion."}
{"id": "PMID:1475123", "title": "[Standardized osteosynthesis techniques for the pelvic ring. Analysis of a patient sample and surgical technique].", "content": "A total of 1566 patients with fractures of the pelvis were treated at the Department of Traumatology at the Hannover Medical School between 1972 and 1990. Of these, 1350 patients had fractures of the pelvic ring, 216 isolated acetabulum fractures, and 398 combinations of pelvic ring fractures and acetabular involvement. Of these patients, 718 were admitted with severe polytrauma. For 1254 patients complete files were available for clinical and radiological evaluation of fracture distribution, classification (Tile and anatomical location) and concomitant injuries. A significant increase in the severity of trauma, the severity of the pelvic fractures and the rate of internal stabilization, especially of the posterior pelvic ring, was observed during the observation period. The overall mortality after pelvic fracture was 18.1%. This mortality was correlated to the Hannover Polytrauma Score (PTS) and the associated extrapelvic blunt trauma. Internal fixation of pelvic fractures was performed in 195 patients. Our experience led to standardized procedures for the different fracture locations. In fractures type Tile B, an anterior procedure led in all cases to anatomic or near anatomic healing. In unstable pelvic ring fractures (Tile C), external fixation led to a significantly higher rate of posterior dislocations (over 1 cm) than did internal fixation. In these situations a combined posterior and anterior internal fixation procedure improved the result compared to posterior internal stabilizations alone. As a result, internal stabilization using a standardized technique for every fracture location is recommended for all unstable pelvic ring fractures."}
{"id": "PMID:1475124", "title": "[Primary management of pelvic injuries].", "content": "High energy fractures of the pelvis are often associated with genitourinary, neurological, vascular, intestinal, and other skeletal injuries. The pelvic fracture therefore reflects only some of the destructive energy sustained by the patient and is a marker for the associated soft tissue injuries. In these complex pelvic injuries assessment, stabilization, and definitive treatment are complicated. The mortality of complex pelvic injuries is high. Uncontrolled bleeding and septic complications are the main causes of death. The presence of the associated injuries necessitates thorough evaluation in every case. The goals of treatment are prevention of early death from hemorrhage, early detection and treatment of all concomitant injuries, and restoration of the patient to the preinjury level of function. At the scene of the accident, problems affecting the airway, breathing, and circulation should be dealt with first. For prehospital immobilization and transportation of the patient a beanbag should be used. With the aim of improving primary hospital treatment of patients with complex pelvic injuries, a trauma algorithm is presented. This provides for decisive therapeutic steps after brief clinical, radiologic and ultrasonographical assessments. The major questions in the flow chart take the pelvic ring and hemodynamic instability into account. Immediate laparotomy, surgical control of hemorrhage, and open reduction and internal fixation of an unstable pelvic ring are the most important requirements for successful treatment. From 1972 to 1990 the clinical course and outcome of 132 patients with complex pelvic injuries were reviewed. The overall mortality was 34.8%. As the changes in the treatment protocol were implemented mortality decreased from 66.7% (1972-1978) to 18.7% (1985-1990)."}
{"id": "PMID:1475125", "title": "[Pelvic clamps for controlling shock in posterior pelvic ring injuries. Application, biomechanical aspects and initial clinical results].", "content": "The antishock pelvic clamp provides direct reduction and compression of unstable posterior pelvic ring disruptions. This is effective in preventing excessive blood loss, which is common in these fractures. Comparable to a carpenter's C-clamp, this device is applied in less than 10 min and exerts transverse compression directly over the iliosacral region, reducing the displaced sacral fractures or SI joint diastasis. Early reduction closes the bleeding surfaces and restores the intrapelvic space, providing for earlier tamponade, further decreasing blood loss. The clamp does not interfere with a possible subsequent laparotomy or necessary diagnostic procedures. On 10 cadaveric pelvic specimens the bone yield under compression with the pelvic clamp ranged from 135 N to 685 N relative to the mechanical quality of the bone. This is sufficient to stabilize the posterior ring during further manipulation of the patient in the early phase. Details of the application technique and our clinical experience with the pelvic clamp in the first 17 patients are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1475126", "title": "[The problem of the sacrum fracture. Clinical analysis of 377 cases].", "content": "Sacral fractures are rare injuries that are often neglected because of the general severity of the patient's injuries. They are typical injuries in patients with polytraumata. A \"hidden\" injury, they are often diagnosed late or are even missed. In a well-documented consecutive series of 1,350 patients with pelvic fractures treated in the trauma department of the Hannover Medical School between 1972 and 1991, a total of 377 sacrum fractures were evaluated in a retrospective study. The cause of the accident, mechanism of injury, concomitant injuries, diagnostic procedures, classification of the pelvic injury (TILE), as well as the classification of the sacrum injury (DENIS), treatment and outcome were analyzed in all cases. Observed complications with special attention to injuries to the lumbosacral plexus were correlated with the classification of the sacrum and pelvis, as well as with a detailed analysis of the fracture pattern and fracture characteristics. In 89.4% at least one additional body region was injured in these patients. PTS (Hannover Polytrauma Score) groups III and IV included 42.5% of the patients. With an improved diagnostic protocol (radiological a.p. views, oblique views and CT scan), the observed rate of sacrum fractures was 33%. Neurological deficits occurred in 15.1% of the patients. In contrast to the literature, the rate of neurological deficits was related more to the degree of pelvic instability (TILE) than to the specific fracture pattern in the sacrum. In stable injuries (TILE A) neurological deficits were only seen in exceptions. In type B injuries the maximum rate was 10%, whereas in unstable fractures (TILE C) the rate of neurological deficits was 32.6% in transalar fractures (DENIS zone I), 42.9% in transforaminal fractures (DENIS zone II), and 63.6% in central fracture types (DENIS zone III). Additional risk indicators for neurological impairment are avulsion fractures of the sacrum, comminuted and bilateral fracture lines. The fracture classification should thus be modified. Our own experience with operative therapy for sacral fractures (open revision of the sacral plexus together with internal stabilization of the fracture) is still limited, but based on the experience presented, further development of the treatment protocol for sacrum fractures should be considered."}
{"id": "PMID:1475127", "title": "[Comparative biomechanical studies of internal stabilization of trans-foraminal sacrum fractures].", "content": "A new method of internal stabilization of transforaminal sacrum fractures in unstable pelvic ring fractures was developed by modification of standard AO small-fragment implants. The rationale of this type of stabilization is the use of an unilateral dorsal approach and avoidance of transfixation of the uninvolved SI joints. In a comparative biomechanical study on 8 human cadaver pelvises two types of the new type of stabilization were compared to stabilization with Harrington sacral bars and transiliosacral screw fixation. The fracture model represented a Tile C1 type injury (symphysis disruption and transforaminal sacral osteotomy) on a complete pelvic ring. The anterior stabilization was performed with a 4-hole AO 4.5 mm DC plate in all cases. The load simulation used a one-leg standing model in an upright position with abductor muscle simulation. The pelvises were loaded in 4 load stages of 50%, 80%, 100% and 130% body weight. In each load stage 4 load-unload cycles were completed. With a three-dimensional measurement system (Polhemus 3 Space Motion Tracker) translations an rotations in the fracture plane could be analyzed. Typical behavior in the load-displacement curve was seen in all implants, with settling during the first cycles and permanent displacement after exceeding a specific failure load. The failure load showed no significant differences between implants (99.6-113.6% body weight). The analyses of the persistent displacement, the elasticity and the direction of displacement and rotation showed a typical behavior in the implants, but no differences, which can be interpreted as a significant difference in the stability of the fixation methods. In an additional test the new fixation method showed no loosening in 10,000 cycle loading with 60% body weight. The new stabilization method showed biomechanical results comparable to clinically successful methods of stabilization in the chosen fracture model. Thus, clinical applications of this type of stabilization may be successful."}
{"id": "PMID:1475128", "title": "[Malgaigne pelvic ring injury in childhood].", "content": "Pelvic girdle injuries leading to anterior and posterior disruption are rarely seen in children. External fixation is useful to reduce and stabilize the pelvis in order to control massive blood loss due to severe venous bleeding. The anterior tension band element of the external fixator can successfully maintain reduction of the pelvic girdle. Dislocation or fracture dislocation of the sacroiliacal joint cannot be reduced with simple traction techniques. Leg length discrepancy is to be expected when the hemipelvis is displaced. Seven cases of this rare injury in children are presented together with the late outcome. Treatment modalities are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1475129", "title": "[Diagnosis, classification and surgical indications in acetabulum fractures].", "content": "Displaced acetabular fractures may lead to posttraumatic arthritis. Consequently, joint congruency must be restored by either conservative or operative measures. Standardized radiographs of the pelvis are prerequisites for the correct evaluation of the hip-joint. The a. p.-pelvis projection and the Judet views (obturator and iliac oblique) showing the whole pelvis are indispensable and demonstrate radiological landmarks typical of anatomical relationships and fracture characteristics. The two dimensional computertomogram is an adjunctive diagnostic measure and facilitates the evaluation of the hip joint itself. The 3DCT allows the imaging of old acetabular fractures and aids in the planning of reconstructive surgery. With the basic three projections of the hemipelvis, Letournel and Judet developed the acetabular fracture classification now accepted world-wide. Assuming the notion that the acetabulum is supported by two columns, five fracture types and five fracture type combinations are described according to involvement of the anterior or posterior columns respectively. The correct classification precedes the choice of surgical approach and is the basis for preoperative planning. The indications for surgery adhere to the principles of joint surgery. Conservative treatment may be considered only if the weight bearing joint surface of the acetabulum is congruent. Otherwise open reduction and internal fixation are indicated."}
{"id": "PMID:1475130", "title": "[Surgical approaches, choice of approach and surgical techniques for internal stabilization of acetabulum fractures].", "content": "The choice of surgical approach to fractures of the acetabulum is determined by the type of fracture. The most popular approaches are the Kocher-Langenbeck, the ilio-inguinal and the extended iliofemoral. The techniques of reduction and internal fixation using special instruments and implants are demonstrated."}
{"id": "PMID:1475131", "title": "[The Pelvic Professional Section of the German Society of Accident Surgery and the German Section of AO-International].", "content": "On the occasion of the 1990 Conference of the German Society for Accident Surgery (DGU) in Berlin, a working group \"Pelvis\" of the DGU and the AO International was established on the initiative of H. Tscherne. It is the objective of this working group to formulate guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of pelvic girdle fractures, within the framework of a prospective multicentre study based on comparable results. In the annual report for 1991, a total of 460 pelvic fractures were documented. Classification shows that 9.5% belong to group A, 46.3% to group B, and 44.2% to group C. One hundred and eighty-two patients (39.6%) had an isolated pelvic injury, while 278 (60.4%) sustained multiple injuries. The average polytrauma score for all 460 subjects was 23.2 points. The surgical management was shown to depend on the severity of the fracture."}
{"id": "PMID:1475132", "title": "[The principles of the diagnosis of acute intestinal infections caused by opportunistic bacteria in children].", "content": "To specify criteria for the diagnosis of acute intestinal infections induced by opportunistic bacteria, the clinico-laboratory findings were compared in 3 groups of children: with acute intestinal infections induced by opportunistic bacteria (194 children); with shigellosis, salmonellosis and escherichiosis (260 children); with rotavirus gastroenteritis (133 children). It has been demonstrated that in the diagnosis of acute intestinal infections induced by opportunistic bacteria, one should be very careful in excluding the etiological role of pathogenic bacteria and viruses not only clinically but also with the aid of laboratory virological, bacteriological and serological methods; in considering changes in the quantitative content of the intestinal microflora to be seen over time. It is also necessary that the age and the premorbid condition of the patients examined may be taken into account."}
{"id": "PMID:1475133", "title": "[Clostridium difficile and diarrhea in infants in the first half-year of life].", "content": "In order to study a possible etiological relationship between Clostridium and diarrhea in children of the first half year of life and to characterize the colonization of the intestine with these bacteria, bacteriological investigations of feces were carried out in neonates and babies aged 1, 4 and 14 days and 1, 3 and 6 months. The development of the children and their health status were monitored under home conditions. It has been established that the colonization of the neonates' intestine with Clostridium including C. Difficile occurs within the early times (since the 4th day of life). Later the colonization with C. difficile becomes wavy in nature. Among 7 types of Clostridium isolated from the intestine of the children, C. difficile occurred most frequently (29.1%). The overwhelming majority of the strains of these bacteria produced toxin whose activity did no exceed 10(-1)-10(-2). The cytopathic effect was mostly demonstrable in 72 hours. No convincing evidence was obtained about the etiological importance of C. difficile in the development of diarrhea in the children placed under observation. It is likely that the latter one was due to the disturbance of intestinal biocenosis, that manifested by profound quantitative disorders (proliferation of the opportunistic aerobic flora, a dramatic reduction of the content of bifido- and lactic acid bacteria up to their complete absence). At the same time a great number of children carrying C. difficile attests to a potential development of specific diarrheas (under hospital conditions and during massive antibacterial therapy)."}
{"id": "PMID:1475134", "title": "[Changes in the peripheral circulation of children with severe forms of acute intestinal infections].", "content": "Photoelectroplethysmography of the skin of the end phalanx of the right hand thumb was used in 100 children with grave forms of acute intestinal infections and in 31 healthy babies to study changes in peripheral circulation. The patients demonstrated the lowering of the skin blood content, in proportion to the degree of dehydration, as well as an increase of postcapillary resistance to the blood flow in the skin and subcutaneous fat, seen not only in the acute disease period but also in the stage of early convalescence."}
{"id": "PMID:1475135", "title": "[The pathogenetic significance of disorders in macrophage function in viral hepatitis B and delta in children].", "content": "Overall 180 children aged 3 months to 12 years with acute and chronic hepatitis B and delta were examined for macrophagal function. Chemotaxis, saturation with esterase, the content of nuclear RNA were estimated, antigens of HB virus in these cells were identified as well. The data obtained attest to the correlation between the degree of macrophagal function disorders and the gravity of acute virus hepatitis. The chronic disease is characterized by stable depression of mononuclear cells with a tendency toward deeper depression of their function in patients with virus hepatitis delta as well as a higher rate of HBsAg and HBeAg demonstration in these cells. The authors provide evidence for advisability of the use of BCG vaccine and tactivin in patients with the chronic disease, since they improve macrophagal function, promote the inhibition of HB-virus replication and the onset of a stable remission in patients with chronic hepatitis B and delta."}
{"id": "PMID:1475136", "title": "[The role of echography in the diagnosis of vesico-ureteral reflux in children].", "content": "A study was made of alternative potentialities of ultrasonography in the diagnosis of vesicoureteral reflex (VUR) in 137 children (228 kidneys) aged 16 days to 14 years. Routine scanning of the urinary tract was performed; the dynamics of dilatation of the renal pelvis was estimated depending on the degree of the urinary bladder filling and urination; contrast sonography was carried out. Complex ultrasonography was informative in 33% of cases with grade I VUR, in 79% of cases with grade II VUR, and in 100% of cases with grade III-V VUR. It is suggested that in accordance with the ultrasonography data, VUR can be distributed into three main groups."}
{"id": "PMID:1475163", "title": "King's conceptual model and individual psychotherapy.", "content": "Goal setting is a major component of individual psychotherapy and a concept central to Imogene King's conceptual model of goal attainment. Yet the nursing literature contains no reference to the application of King's model as a framework for conducting individual psychotherapy. Using King's conceptual model, the author describes how the nurse therapist can use the concepts of transactions, interactions, and communication to conduct individual psychotherapy. This author also demonstrates, through use of clinical illustration, the effective application of this nursing model to clinical practice."}
{"id": "PMID:1475164", "title": "The clinical nurse specialist as brief psychotherapist.", "content": "As managed care continues to flourish, the psychiatric clinical nurse specialist may function as a case manager for a managed care company or as a utilization review nurse for a hospital, community provider, or administrator. Stressing the strengths of the psychiatric clinical nurse specialist as brief therapist, the author reviews elements of the brief treatment model, including assessment, focus of treatment, knowledge of community resources, patient education, group skills, crisis intervention, and treatment planning."}
{"id": "PMID:1475165", "title": "The incest cycle across generations.", "content": "Using the theories of Murray Bowen and the teachings of Joseph Campbell, the author presents a clinical case to demonstrate how generations of sexual abuse led to anxiety symptoms in the offspring. Methods used to obtain and interpret the multigenerational family genogram, and the significance of family myths in sustaining dysfunctional patterns, are reviewed."}
{"id": "PMID:1475166", "title": "Codependency: another name for Bowen's undifferentiated self.", "content": "Codependency is a term used to describe personality characteristics of people involved in unhealthy relationships. The authors purport that characteristics of codependency can be organized and interpreted using concepts from Bowen's family systems theory. Having such a framework addresses the criticisms that the concept of codependency lacks a solid theoretical foundation. In addition, nurses need to understand the concept if they are to evaluate their own actions regarding codependent behaviors."}
{"id": "PMID:1475172", "title": "Drug transport across the blood-brain barrier. II. Experimental techniques to study drug transport.", "content": "This is part II of a review on the transport of drugs across the blood-brain barrier. In this part, the emphasis is on the various experimental techniques that can be used to characterize the blood-brain barrier transport of drugs. Generally speaking, three approaches can be distinguished: in vitro techniques using isolated brain capillaries, cerebrovascular endothelial cells in primary culture or endothelium-derived cell lines; in vivo techniques (both single-passage and multi-passage techniques) and in situ perfusion techniques. Each of these techniques has specific advantages and disadvantages associated with it. Therefore, in many instances, a combination of different approaches is needed to study the fundamental aspects of drug transport across the blood-brain barrier."}
{"id": "PMID:1475173", "title": "Administration of oral chloral hydrate to paediatric patients undergoing magnetic resonance imaging.", "content": "Sedation is frequently required in children undergoing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). 172 Paediatric patients (82 female and 90 male, age 42 +/- 26 months, weight 14.7 +/- 5.6 kg) entered an open, non-comparative, prospective study to assess the utilization of oral chloral hydrate. Chloral hydrate syrup (70 mg/ml) was administered 20-30 min prior to the procedure. Effective sedation was reached in 80.3% with an average initial dose of 55 mg/kg and in 93.6% with an average total dose of 65 mg/kg. Significant differences in effectivity were correlated with the dose (54 +/- 11 mg/kg in failure cases versus 66 +/- 16 mg/kg in effective cases; p < 0.05) and diagnosis (effectivity falls to 62.5% and 76.0% in children with medullar tumours and encephalic white matter alterations, respectively; p < 0.01). Average sleep induction time was 30 +/- 19 min, and average duration of sleep was 62 +/- 24 min. Adverse reactions occurred in 4.7%, with nausea, vomiting and stomach pain being the most common side-effects (3.5%). Multivariate statistical analysis selects total dose and age into the discriminant function, with a 100% relative percentage of correct classification. A simple method for optimizing the chloral hydrate dose in children is proposed: the dose in mg/kg is calculated as half the age in months + 50."}
{"id": "PMID:1475167", "title": "Women's mental health care--into the '90s.", "content": "The author asserts that nurses need to understand the various historical, sociological, and cultural factors in society that have influenced the provision of mental health services to women. She claims that, historically, different standards of health have been applied to women than men. Sociologically, stereotypical roles for women have contributed to the low self-esteem, fear of failure, and the passivity often associated with depression in women. Culturally, minorities and the elderly have received bias in the mental health care system. The nurse must understand these factors in order to support purposeful change and to fashion an alternate framework tailored to the specific needs of women."}
{"id": "PMID:1475170", "title": "The orientation phase of the nurse-client relationship: how long does it take?", "content": "As Hildegard Peplau has established, the orientation phase of the nurse-client relationship represents the first stage of therapeutic work. The author studied the length of the orientation phase with clients with chronic mental illness. Findings suggested that the orientation phase was related to the number and length of hospitalizations, while demographic variables such as psychiatric diagnosis were unrelated to the length of the orientation phase. A return to the orientation phase can be triggered by a change of staff, even for brief periods, or internal factors within the client, such as worsening of paranoia or depression."}
{"id": "PMID:1475174", "title": "Antimicrobial screening of essential oils and extracts of some Humulus lupulus L. cultivars.", "content": "The essential oils as well as solvent extracts of 11 hop cultivars, 1 hop variety and a wild type of hop were screened for their antimicrobial activities using the agar overlay technique. The oils were isolated from the cones of the various hop plants by hydrodistillation, the extracts were obtained by soaking the hop cones in chloroform. The oils and the extracts showed activity against the Gram-positive bacteria (Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus) and the fungus (Trichophyton mentagrophytes var. interdigitale), but almost no activity against the Gram-negative bacterium (Escherichia coli) and the yeast (Candida albicans) used in the screening. The peak area percentages of the main volatile components and the contents of the bitter acids of the extracts were determined for all cultivars using chromatographic methods."}
{"id": "PMID:1475175", "title": "Comparison of costs linked to the preparation and administration of fluorouracil as a continuous infusion based on three techniques.", "content": "The approach in treatment in medical oncology and particularly in the management of solid tumours has to integrate--at least--two targets: the enhancement of therapeutic efficacy, and the respect of global budget assigned to health. Different teams are implicated in such an approach and especially physicians and pharmacists. We decided to conduct a comparative study of three techniques of administering drugs as a continuous infusion. We analysed time and materials required for the preparation in the centralized preparation unit, and for dispensing and nursing in the health units. The use of programmable pumps (CADD-1) leads to overall saving costs of 27 to 40% compared to administration by means of an infusion bag or a motor-drive syringe."}
{"id": "PMID:1475176", "title": "High pressure liquid chromatographic analysis of the serum concentration of cefuroxime after an intravenous bolus injection of cefuroxime in patients with a coronary artery bypass grafting.", "content": "A simple reversed-phase high pressure liquid chromatographic method was developed for the determination of cefuroxime in the serum of patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting. The serum was cleaned up with a 3.3% solution of perchloric acid in water. Cefalexine was used as an internal standard. Detection was made by a UV multi-wavelength detector. The optimum wavelength for cefuroxime is 275 nm. The absolute recovery of this method was 90.9%; the limit of quantification was 0.7 mg/l. This analytical method was used in a study to investigate the cefuroxime serum concentration--time curves in 26 patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting. It was found that one single dose is sufficient to obtain effective serum concentrations."}
{"id": "PMID:1475177", "title": "Stability and compatibility of four anthracyclines: doxorubicin, epirubicin, daunorubicin and pirarubicin with PVC infusion bags.", "content": "A rapid isocratic technique was developed for the analysis of four anthracyclines (doxorubicin, epirubicin, daunorubicin and pirarubicin) in parenteral solutions using high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) with fluorescence detection and a C18 Hypersil ODS column. The availability and compatibility of these drugs from solutions infused via PVC infusion bags through PVC administration sets have been examined. No significant drug loss was observed during simulated infusions (n = 4) for 24 h using PVC infusion bags and administration sets. No significant difference was found between infusion solutions (5% glucose or 0.9% NaCl), except for pirarubicin. The reconstitution of pirarubicin in 0.9% NaCl was impossible, because we observed a precipitation of the compound in solution. The stability of the drugs was also studied in solution, in PVC bags after storage at 4 degrees C with protection from light. The results show the stability of doxorubicin, epirubicin and daunorubicin during 7 days of storage to be satisfactory, irrespective of the infusion solution (5% glucose or 0.9% NaCl). In the case of pirarubicin, the stability of the drug was satisfactory during 5 days of storage in 5% glucose, but beyond, we observed a degradation of the compound with formation of doxorubicin in the infusion solution."}
{"id": "PMID:1475178", "title": "Genome-related datasets within the E. coli Genetic Stock Center database.", "content": "The contents of the E. coli Genetic Stock Center database and the availability in electronic form of the subset of information most relevant to sequence databases are described. The database uses the long-standing Stock Center records (developed and curated by Dr B.J.Bachmann) in describing genotypes of mutant derivatives of E.coli K-12 in terms of alleles, structural mutations, mating type, and plasmids as well as the derivation, names and originators of the strain, and references. The database includes descriptions of mutations, mutation properties, genes, gene properties, and gene products, with EC number identifiers for enzymes. Sequence information is not included, but entries refer to sequence database accession numbers for sequenced regions. A gene is described as a subtype of a more general category of chromosome interval called Site. Since sites are used to describe any chromosomal interval, mapping information is associated with sites. Alleles are described as mutations of those sites and they are not primary map objects, but inherit map position information from the corresponding site description. The database design is intended to preserve richness of detail where it is known and uncertainty of measurements or information as it occurs in order to represent the stock center records as accurately as possible."}
{"id": "PMID:1475179", "title": "Protein splicing removes intervening sequences in an archaea DNA polymerase.", "content": "The Vent DNA polymerase gene from Thermococcus litoralis contains two in-frame insertions that must be spliced out to form the mature polymerase. Primer extension and cDNA PCR revealed no evidence of spliced RNA to account for this editing. In contrast, pulse-chase analysis indicated that expression constructs lacking the first insertion produced a protein precursor in Escherichia coli that was processed post-translationally to form polymerase and I-TliI, the endonuclease protein that is the product of the second insertion. At least one intermediate, which migrated more slowly than the precursor and may be branched, was also detected. Amino acid substitutions at the splice junction slowed or blocked the protein splicing reaction. Processing occurs in several heterologous systems, indicating either self-splicing or ubiquitous splicing factors. Processing occurs in a mutant lacking I-TliI endonuclease activity, establishing the independence of splicing and endonuclease activities."}
{"id": "PMID:1475180", "title": "Differences in unwinding of supercoiled DNA induced by the two enantiomers of anti-benzo[a]pyrene diol epoxide.", "content": "The unwinding of supercoiled phi X174 RFI DNA induced by the tumorigenic (+) and non-tumorigenic (-) enantiomers of trans-7,8-dihydroxy-anti-9,10-epoxy-7,8,9,10-tetrahydrobenzo[a]pyrene (BPDE) has been investigated by agarose slab-gel and ethidium titration tube gel electrophoresis. The differences in adduct conformations were verified by flow linear dichroism techniques. Both enantiomers cause a reversible unwinding by the formation of noncovalent intercalative complexes. The effects of covalently bound BPDE residues on the electrophoretic mobilities of the RF I DNA form in agarose gels were investigated in detail in the range of binding ratios rb approximately 0.0-0.06 (covalently bound BPDE residues/nucleotide). In this range of rb values, there is a striking difference in the mobilities of (+)-BPDE- and (-)-BPDE-adducted phi X174 DNA in agarose slab-gels, the covalently bound (+)-BPDE residues causing a significantly greater retardation than (-)-BPDE residues. Increasing the level of covalent adducts beyond rb approximately 0.06 in the case of the (+)-BPDE enantiomer, leads to further unwinding and a minimum in the mobilities (corresponding to comigration of the nicked form and the covalently closed relaxed modified form) at rb 0.10 +/- 0.01; at still higher rb values, rewinding of the modified DNA in the opposite sense is observed. From the minimum in the mobility, a mean unwinding angle (per BPDE residue) of theta = 12 +/- 1.5 degrees is determined, which is in good agreement the value of theta = 11 +/- 1.8 degrees obtained by the tube gel titration method. Using this latter method, values of theta = 6.8 +/- 1.7 degrees for (-)-BPDE-phi X174 adducts are observed. It is concluded that agarose slab gel techniques are not suitable for determining unwinding angles for (-)-BPDE-modified phi X174 DNA because the alterations in the tertiary structures for rb < 0.06 are too small to cause sufficiently large changes in the electrophoretic mobilities. The major trans (+)-BPDE-N2-guanosine covalent adduct is situated at external binding sites and the mechanisms of unwinding are therefore different from those relevant to noncovalent intercalative BPDE-DNA complexes or to classical intercalating drug molecules; a flexible hinge joint and a widening of the minor groove at the site of the lesion may account for the observed unwinding effects. The more heterogeneous (-)-BPDE-nucleoside adducts (involving cis and trans N2-guanosine, and adenosine adducts) are less effective in causing unwinding of supercoiled DNA for reasons which remain to be elucidated."}
{"id": "PMID:1475181", "title": "A mechanism for deletion formation in DNA by human cell extracts: the involvement of short sequence repeats.", "content": "DNA molecules carrying a site-specific double-strand break were exposed to nuclear extracts from human cell lines. It was shown previously that breaks could be rejoined correctly by human extracts, but that a proportion of the rejoined molecules had suffered deletions and insertions. The 'mis-rejoined' proportion was higher with cell extracts from an individual with the disorder ataxia-telangiectasia than with normal cell extracts. We now show by sequence analysis that deletions in extract-treated molecules occur exclusively between short direct repeats (2-6 base pairs). A mis-rejoined molecule containing an insertion of 300 bp also had a repeat-based deletion at the same site. A number of different direct repeats are involved; however, some clustering of these occurs especially on the upstream side of the initial breakpoint. These data are most simply interpreted in terms of a model of deletion formation involving single-strand exposure and repair, perhaps with the action of other DNA-metabolising enzymes influencing the frequency with which some repeats are involved."}
{"id": "PMID:1475182", "title": "DNA ligase I gene expression during differentiation and cell proliferation.", "content": "We have studied the regulation of mammalian DNA ligase I gene by using a cDNA probe in Northern blot experiments with RNA extracted from several cell types in different growth conditions. DNA ligase I mRNA is detected in all analysed cell systems, regardless of their proliferation state, including mature rat neurons. A significant increase in DNA ligase I mRNA level is observed when cells are induced to proliferate, in agreement with the raise of DNA joining activity found in the same cell systems. The increase parallels the start of DNA synthesis, but the messenger remains at high level beyond the end of the S phase and is detected also in the presence of aphidicolin. A decrease in DNA ligase I mRNA is observed in HL-60 and NIH-3T3 cells after differentiation. The high stability of DNA ligase I mRNA in both resting and proliferating human fibroblasts suggests a cell proliferation dependent rate of transcription. On the other hand the presence of a basal level of DNA ligase I in nondividing cells, strongly suggests an involvement of this enzyme in DNA repair. This conclusion is supported by a threefold increase in DNA ligase I observed 24 h after UV irradiation of human confluent primary fibroblasts."}
{"id": "PMID:1475183", "title": "Molecular analysis of POP2 gene, a gene required for glucose-derepression of gene expression in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.", "content": "We have isolated a new mutant of Saccharomyces cerevisiae that exhibits a glucose-derepression resistant (and sucrose-non-fermentor) phenotype. This mutant was obtained by screening for overproduction of alpha-amylase in a strain containing the mouse alpha-amylase gene under the control of the PGK promoter. The mutation designated pop2 (PGK promoter directed over production). The pop2 mutant overproduced amylase 5-6 fold and displayed several other pleiotropic defects: (1) resistance to glucose derepression, (2) temperature-sensitive growth, (3) failure of homozygous diploid cells to sporulate and (4) reduced amount of reserve carbohydrates. We mapped pop2 to chromosome XIV, distal to lys9 and SUP28, indicating that POP2 is a newly-identified locus. We isolated the POP2 gene from two yeast strains of different genetic backgrounds, S288C and A364A, and determined their nucleotide sequences. The predicted amino acid sequence of the POP2 protein contains three glutamine-rich region, a proline-rich region and a serine/threonine-rich region, characteristic of many transcription factors. Steady state levels of RNA transcribed from the PGK-amylase fusion gene and from endogenous PGK gene in stationary-phase pop2 cells were 5- to 10-fold higher than those observed in wild-type cells, showing that the pop2 mutation affects transcription of the PGK gene transcription."}
{"id": "PMID:1475184", "title": "Transcriptional regulation by folate: inducible gene expression in Dictyostelium transformants during growth and early development.", "content": "The Dictyostelium discoidin genes are induced in bacteria-grown cells shortly before the onset of development but are also highly expressed during growth in axenic medium. We here show that axenically growing cells strongly respond to the extracellular signal folate by suppressing discoidin synthesis while cell growth and development is not substantially affected. Repression occurs via two previously identified promoter elements, the dIE and the dAXE. Removal of the signal molecules or setting cells up for development results in rapid reactivation of the promoter. Based on this observation, we constructed the transformation vector pVEII and describe a convenient method which allows for controlled expression of a gene of interest in growing cells and also for external modulation in early development. Deletion constructs of the discoidin promoter can be used in addition to vary transcriptional activity over about one order of magnitude."}
{"id": "PMID:1475185", "title": "Oligonucleotide labeling methods. 3. Direct labeling of oligonucleotides employing a novel, non-nucleosidic, 2-aminobutyl-1,3-propanediol backbone.", "content": "Novel CE-phosphoramidite (7a-e) and CPG (8a, c, d, e) reagents have been prepared from a unique 2-aminobutyl-1,3-propanediol backbone. The reagents have been used to directly label oligonucleotides with fluorescein, acridine, and biotin via automated DNA synthesis. The versatile 2-aminobutyl-1,3-propanediol backbone allows for labeling at any position (5', internal, and 3') during solid phase oligonucleotide synthesis. Multiple labels can be achieved by repetitive coupling cycles. Furthermore, the 3-carbon atom internucleotide phosphate distance is retained when inserted internally. Using this method, individual oligonucleotides possessing two and three different reporter molecules have been prepared."}
{"id": "PMID:1475186", "title": "HIV-1 promotor insertion revealed by selective detection of chimeric provirus-host gene transcripts.", "content": "To study host gene activation by retroviral promotor insertion, a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay was developed. This method allows a sensitive and selective detection of chimeric provirus-host gene transcripts, hallmarks of insertional activation events, which does not rely on an induction of tumor cell growth. We analysed HIV-1 infected cells of a CD4+ T-cell line (H9), infected peripheral blood mononuclear cells and cells in broncho-alveolar washes of AIDS patients. In each case, a variety of chimeric mRNA molecules were detected using a PCR amplification reaction and 5' primers specific to the HIV-1 LTR and 3' primers specific to poly A of mRNA. In infected H9 lymphocytes, a mRNA was identified encoding a putative protein of 145 amino-acids that was not expressed in uninfected H9 cells. This shows for the first time that HIV-1 can activate transcription of host cellular genes by promotor insertion in a fashion similar to slow-transforming avian and murine retroviruses."}
{"id": "PMID:1475187", "title": "Structure and evolution of the XcyI restriction-modification system.", "content": "The XcyI restriction-modification system from Xanthomonas cyanopsidis recognizes the sequence, CCCGGG. The XcyI endonuclease and methylase genes have been cloned and sequenced and were found to be aligned in a head to tail orientation with the methylase preceding and overlapping the endonuclease by one base pair. The nucleotide sequence codes for an N4 cytosine methyltransferase with a predicted molecular weight of 33,500 and an endonuclease comprised of 333 codons and a molecular weight of 36,600. Sequence comparisons revealed significant similarity between the XcyI, CfrI and SmaI methylisomers. In contrast, no similarity was detected between the primary structures of the XcyI and SmaI endonucleases. The XcyI restriction-modification system is highly homologous to the XmaI genes, although the DNA sequences flanking the genes rapidly diverge. The sequence of the XcyI endonuclease contains two motifs which have recently been identified as essential to the activity of the EcoRV endonuclease."}
{"id": "PMID:1475188", "title": "Domains required for nucleic acid binding activities in chloroplast ribonucleoproteins.", "content": "Five ribonucleoproteins (or RNA-binding proteins) from tobacco chloroplasts have been identified to date; each of these contains an acidic N-terminal domain (24-64 amino acids) and two conserved RNA-binding domains (82-83 amino acids). All five ribonucleoproteins can bind to ssDNA and dsDNA but show high specificity for poly(G) and poly(U). Here we present the nucleic acid binding activity of each domain using a series of deletion mutant proteins made in vitro from the chloroplast 29 kDa ribonucleoproteins. The acidic domain does not have a positive effect on binding activities and proteins lacking this domain show higher affinities for nucleic acids than the wild-type proteins. Mutant proteins containing single RNA-binding domains can bind to poly(G) and poly(U), though with lower affinities than proteins containing two RNA-binding domains. The spacer region (11-37 amino acids) between the two RNA-binding domains does not interact with poly(G) or poly(U) by itself, but is required for the additive activity of the two RNA-binding domains. Proteins consisting of two RNA-binding domains but lacking the spacer have the same activity as those containing only one RNA-binding domain. Possible roles for each domain in chloroplast ribonucleoproteins are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1475189", "title": "Targeting of Sp1 to a non-Sp1 site in the human neurofilament (H) promoter via an intermediary DNA-binding protein.", "content": "The human neurofilament (H) promoter contains multiple binding sites for nuclear proteins including a Proximal (Prox) site centered around the sequence GGTTGGACC and an adjacent pyrimidine (Pyr) tract site centered around the sequence CCCTCCTCCCC. Surprisingly binding to a probe containing the Prox/Pyr region of the NF(H) promoter was competed in gel shifts by an oligonucleotide containing only an Sp1 binding site (GGGGCGGGG). Supershift assays with a polyclonal anti-Sp1 antisera confirmed that Sp1 was part of the complex formed with the Prox/Pyr probe. However neither bacterially expressed Sp1 516C or vaccinia virus expressed full-length Sp1 778C bound to the Prox or Pyr sequences in DNase I footprints or gel shift assays. Gel shift competitions and supershift assays with probes containing either Prox or Pyr tract sites alone demonstrated targeting of Sp1 to the Prox binding site and identified a non-Sp1 containing complex which contains a Prox binding protein. Adding exogenous Sp1 to a HeLa nuclear extract enhanced the Sp1-containing complex but had no effect on the Prox complex. These studies show that Sp1 can be targeted to a non-Sp1 site in the human NF(H) promoter through protein/protein interactions with a distinct sequence specific DNA-binding protein."}
{"id": "PMID:1475190", "title": "A transgenic mouse that expresses a diversity of human sequence heavy and light chain immunoglobulins.", "content": "We have generated transgenic mice that express a diverse repertoire of human sequence immunoglobulins. The expression of this repertoire is directed by light and heavy chain minilocus transgenes comprised of human protein coding sequences in an unrearranged, germ-line configuration. In this paper we describe the construction of these miniloci and the composition of the CDR3 repertoire generated by the transgenic mice. The largest transgene discussed is a heavy chain minilocus that includes human mu and gamma 1 coding sequences together with their respective switch regions. It consists of a single 61 kb DNA fragment propagated in a bacterial plasmid vector. Both human heavy chain classes are expressed in animals that carry the transgene. In light chain transgenic animals the unrearranged minilocus sequences recombine to form VJ joints that use all five human J kappa segments, resulting in a diversity of human-like CDR3 regions. Similarly, in heavy chain transgenics the inserted sequences undergo VDJ joining complete with N region addition to generate a human-like VH CDR3 repertoire. All six human JH segments and at least eight of the ten transgene encoded human D segments are expressed. The transgenic animals described in this paper represent a potential source of human sequence antibodies for in vivo therapeutic applications."}
{"id": "PMID:1475191", "title": "The isolation of transcription factors from lambda gt11 cDNA expression libraries: human steroid 5 alpha-reductase 1 has sequence-specific DNA binding activity.", "content": "The Surf-1/Surf-2 bi-directional promoter contains binding sites for at least three transcription factors (Su1, Su2, and Su3). By screening a lambda gt11 HeLa cell cDNA expression library with a concatenated Su2 factor binding site, we isolated a cDNA which encodes a protein with sequence-specific DNA binding activity. Gel retardation assays showed that the cloned factor binds specifically to the Su2 factor binding site present in the human Surf-1/Surf-2 promoter but not to an Su2 site containing mutated base pairs. Co-transfection experiments demonstrated that the cloned cDNA had little or no effect on the expression of a reporter gene under the control of multiple Su2 factor binding sites. Similarly a fusion protein in which the acidic activation domain of HSV VP16 was linked to the cloned factor had no effect, implying that the factor does not function as a DNA binding protein in vivo. DNA sequence analysis revealed that the cloned cDNA is identical to that of human steroid 5 alpha-reductase 1, an enzyme which converts testosterone to dihydrotestosterone. These results are discussed with respect to other putative transcription factors which have been isolated from cDNA expression libraries on the basis of their sequence-specific DNA binding activity."}
{"id": "PMID:1475192", "title": "RNA-primed complementary-sense DNA synthesis of the geminivirus African cassava mosaic virus.", "content": "The plant DNA virus African cassava mosaic virus (ACMV) is believed to replicate by a rolling circle mechanism. To investigate complementary-sense DNA (lagging strand) synthesis, we have analysed the heterogenous form of complementary-sense DNA (H3 DNA) from infected Nicotiana benthamiana by two-dimensional agarose gel electrophoresis and blot hybridisation. The presence of an RNA moeity is demonstrated by comparison of results for nucleic acids resolved on neutral/alkaline and neutral/formamide gels, suggesting that complementary-sense DNA synthesis on the virus-sense single-stranded DNA template is preceded by the synthesis of an RNA primer. Hybridisation with probes to specific parts of ACMV DNA A genome indicates that synthesis of the putative RNA primer initiates between nucleotides 2581-221, a region that includes intergenic sequences that have been implicated in geminivirus DNA replication and the control of gene expression."}
{"id": "PMID:1475193", "title": "Determination of recognition-sequences for DNA-binding proteins by a polymerase chain reaction assisted binding site selection method (BSS) using nitrocellulose immobilized DNA binding protein.", "content": "We have developed a simple procedure for rapid determination of a DNA sequence recognized by a DNA binding protein based on immobilization of the protein on nitrocellulose filters. The procedure consists of the following steps: A recombinant protein with a functional DNA binding domain is expressed in E. coli. The protein is purified to homogeneity, immobilized on nitrocellulose paper, and exposed to a pool of double stranded oligonucleotides carrying in the central part a 20 bp random sequence, which is flanked by conserved sequences with restriction endonuclease recognition sites for analytical and subcloning purposes and sequences complementary to polymerase chain reaction primers. Oligonucleotides retained by the DNA-binding protein are liberated by increasing the ionic strength and used in a new binding process after amplification by the polymerase chain reaction technique. Finally the amplified product is cloned for determination of the DNA sequence selected by the DNA-binding protein. Murine Zn-finger and basic helix-loop-helix DNA binding proteins were used to demonstrate the efficiency of the method. We show that the yield of oligonucleotides binding to the protein was increased by several consecutive rounds of filter binding and amplification, and that the protein extracted a specific sequence from the pool of random oligonucleotides."}
{"id": "PMID:1475194", "title": "The yeast nuclear gene MRF1 encodes a mitochondrial peptide chain release factor and cures several mitochondrial RNA splicing defects.", "content": "We report the molecular cloning, sequencing and genetic characterization of the first gene encoding an organellar polypeptide chain release factor, the MRF1 gene of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The MRF1 gene was cloned by genetic complementation of a respiratory deficient mutant disturbed in the expression of the mitochondrial genes encoding cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 and 2, COX1 and COX2. For COX1 this defect has been attributed to an impaired processing of several introns. Sequence analysis of the MRF1 gene revealed that it encodes a protein highly similar to prokaryotic peptide chain release factors, especially RF-1. Disruption of the gene results in a high instability of the mitochondrial genome, a hallmark for a strict lesion in mitochondrial protein synthesis. The respiratory negative phenotype of mrf1 mutants lacking all known mitochondrial introns and the reduced synthesis of mitochondrial translation products encoded by unsplit genes confirm a primary defect in mitochondrial protein synthesis. Over-expression of the MRF1 gene in a mitochondrial nonsense suppressor strain reduces suppression in a dosage-dependent manner, shedding new light on the role of the '530 region' of 16S-like ribosomal RNA in translational fidelity."}
{"id": "PMID:1475195", "title": "The protein sequence and some intron positions are conserved between the switching gene swi10 of Schizosaccharomyces pombe and the human excision repair gene ERCC1.", "content": "The switching gene swi10+ has a function in mating-type switching as well as in the repair of radiation damages. We have cloned the genomic swi10+ gene by functional complementation of the switching defect of the swi10-154 mutant. The swi10+ gene is not essential for viability. The DNA sequence revealed an open reading frame of 759 nucleotides interrupted by three introns of 127, 52 and 60 bp, respectively. The positions of intron I as well as of intron III of swi10 are evolutionary conserved in comparison to the introns III and IV of the human ERCC1 gene. The analysis of cDNA clones isolated by PCR amplification confirmed the structure of the swi10 gene. The putative Swi10 protein has homologies to the human and mouse ERCC1 protein, to Rad10 of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and to parts of UvrA and UvrC of E. coli. All these proteins are essential components for excision repair of damaged DNA. The Swi10 protein contains a putative DNA binding domain previously found in other proteins. Northern blot experiments and the analyses of cDNA clones indicate that intron I of the swi10 gene is not efficiently spliced."}
{"id": "PMID:1475196", "title": "Organization of the unr/N-ras locus: characterization of the promoter region of the human unr gene.", "content": "Investigations of the structure and expression of the N-ras gene in mammals has led to the identification of another gene designated unr, which is located immediately upstream of N-ras. These two genes are transcribed in the same orientation and the intergenic distance is of the order of 150 nucleotides. This genetic organization has been observed in the genome of guinea pig, rat, mouse and man with a very high level of sequence conservation in the intergenic region. This unusual gene clustering suggests that the transcriptional regulation of this locus could involve common regulatory sequences as well as transcriptional interference between the two genes. In this study, we have isolated and characterized the human unr promoter. A cluster of transcription initiation sites was mapped by primer extension and RNase protection and shown to be located in a CpG island devoid of TATA and CAAT boxes. Functional organization of the promoter was investigated by measuring the ability of a set of 5' deletions within a1 kb promoter region to drive the expression of the luciferase gene. These studies indicated a very strong promoter activity in NIH 3T3 cells and the presence of positive and negative regulatory domains. Nevertheless, a 90 bp fragment showed the same level of promoter activity as the 1 kb fragment. We also showed that ras genes can transactivate the unr promoter activity and that the 90 bp fragment responded to this transactivation."}
{"id": "PMID:1475197", "title": "Repair synthesis by human cell extracts in cisplatin-damaged DNA is preferentially determined by minor adducts.", "content": "During reaction of cis-diamminedichloroplatinum(II) (cis-DDP) with DNA, a number of adducts are formed which may be discriminated by the excision-repair system. An in vitro excision-repair assay with human cell-free extracts has been used to assess the relative repair extent of monofunctional adducts, intrastrand and interstrand cross-links of cis-DDP on plasmid DNA. Preferential removal of cis-DDP 1,2-intrastrand diadducts occurred in the presence of cyanide ions. In conditions where cyanide treatment removed 85% of total platinum adducts while approximately 70% of interstrand cross-links remained in plasmid DNA, no significant variation in repair synthesis by human cell extracts was observed. Then, we constructed three types of plasmid DNA substrates containing mainly either monoadducts, 1,2-intrastrand cross-links or interstrand cross-links lesions. The three plasmid species were modified in order to obtain the same extent of total platinum DNA adducts per plasmid. No DNA repair synthesis was detected with monofunctional adducts during incubation with human whole cell extracts. However, a two-fold increase in repair synthesis was found when the proportion of interstrand cross-links in plasmid DNA was increased by 2-3 fold. These findings suggest that (i) cis-DDP 1,2-intrastrand diadducts are poorly repaired by human cell extracts in vitro, (ii) among other minor lesions potentially cyanide-resistant, cis-DDP interstrand cross-links represent a major lesion contributing to the repair synthesis signal in the in vitro assay. These results could account for the drug efficiency in vivo."}
{"id": "PMID:1475199", "title": "V-src-induced-transcription of the avian clusterin gene.", "content": "We have isolated the avian gene T64 corresponding to the mammalian clusterin, on the basis of high accumulation of its template mRNA in cells infected with oncogenic retroviruses. Since the clusterin was shown to have a protective effect against the immune system, its induction by oncogenic viruses is of major biological importance. The unique, short 5 kb-long T64 genomic locus is inactive in normal quail embryo fibroblasts in primary culture whereas it shows a high transcriptional activity after transformation by the Rous sarcoma virus. The 963 bp-long 5' flanking region is sufficient to drive the transcription of the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase reporter gene in a thermodependent manner when a thermosensitive version of pp60v-src is used. Deletion and point mutation analyses of the promoter show that the v-src response requires at least two separate elements: PUR and AP-1, located respectively at positions -167 to -152 and -25 to -19 relative to the single transcription initiation site. In addition, the binding of specific nuclear factors to these responsive elements correlates with the T64 promoter activation."}
{"id": "PMID:1475198", "title": "POU domain transcription factors from different subclasses stimulate adenovirus DNA replication.", "content": "POU domain proteins constitute a family of eukaryotic transcription factors that exert critical functions during development. They contain a conserved 160 amino acids DNA binding domain, the POU domain. Genetic data have demonstrated that some POU domain proteins are essential for the proliferation of specific cell types, suggesting a possible role in DNA replication. In addition, the ubiquitous POU transcription factor Oct-1 or its isolated POU domain enhances adenovirus DNA replication. Here we compared the DNA binding specificities of POU domain proteins from different subclasses. They exhibit overlapping, yet distinct binding site preferences. Furthermore, purified Pit-1, Oct-1, Oct-2, Oct-6, Oct-4 and zebrafish POU[C] could all stimulate adenovirus DNA replication in a reconstituted in vitro system. Thus, activation appears to depend on a property common to most POU domain proteins. Adenovirus DNA replication is also stimulated by the transcription factor NFI/CTF. In contrast to NFI, the POU domain did not enhance binding of precursor terminal protein-DNA polymerase to the origin nor did it stabilize the preinitiation complex. These results suggest that the POU domain acts on a rate limiting step after formation of the preinitiation complex."}
{"id": "PMID:1475200", "title": "Analysis of erythroid nuclear proteins binding to the promoter and enhancer elements of the chicken histone H5 gene.", "content": "The chicken erythroid proteins binding to the histone H5 5' promoter and 3' erythroid-specific enhancer regions were identified. In DNase I footprinting and gel mobility shift experiments with immature adult erythrocyte nuclear extracts, we have demonstrated the binding of proteins to the GC-box, a high affinity Sp1 binding site, and to the upstream promoter element. We have previously demonstrated that a multisubunit complex containing the transcription factor GATA-1 was associated with the enhancer. Here, we show that the enhancer region also has four Sp1 binding sites (one medium and three weak affinity, one of which may also bind the CACCC factor), a potential NF-E4 binding site, and a binding site for a NF1-like factor. The results of gel mobility-shift and competition experiments provide evidence that the Sp1 binding sites are associated with a high molecular mass (greater than 450 kDa), Sp1 containing protein complex. We propose that Sp1 multimers bound at the promoter and enhancer interact to mediate the juxta-positioning of the enhancer and promoter elements, bringing the GATA-1 multisubunit complex next to the initiation site. The GATA-1 complex may contribute to the protein-protein interactions between the enhancer and promoter."}
{"id": "PMID:1475201", "title": "The I-CeuI endonuclease recognizes a sequence of 19 base pairs and preferentially cleaves the coding strand of the Chlamydomonas moewusii chloroplast large subunit rRNA gene.", "content": "The I-CeuI endonuclease is a member of the growing family of homing endonucleases that catalyse mobility of group I introns by making a double-strand break at the homing site of these introns in cognate intronless alleles during genetic crosses. In a previous study, we have shown that a short DNA fragment of 26 bp, encompassing the homing site of the fifth intron in the Chlamydomonas eugametos chloroplast large subunit rRNA gene (Ce LSU.5), was sufficient for I-CeuI recognition and cleavage. Here, we report the recognition sequence of the I-CeuI endonuclease, as determined by random mutagenesis of nucleotide positions adjacent to the I-CeuI cleavage site. Single-base substitutions that completely abolish endonuclease activity delimit a 15-bp sequence whereas those that reduce the cleavage rate define a 19-bp sequence that extends from position -7 to position +12 with respect to the Ce LSU.5 intron insertion site. As the other homing endonucleases that have been studied so far, the I-CeuI endonuclease recognizes a non-symmetric degenerate sequence. The top strand of the recognition sequence is preferred for I-CeuI cleavage and the bottom strand most likely determines the rate of double-strand breaks."}
{"id": "PMID:1475216", "title": "Infants with single umbilical artery studied in a national registry. 2: Survival and malformations in infants with single umbilical artery.", "content": "Registry data on all infants born in Sweden between 1983 and 1986 are reviewed to describe perinatal mortality and malformation rate of infants with single umbilical artery (SUA). Since SUA is much more common in infants with chromosomal anomalies and in twins this analysis is confined to the 1694 singletons who were not recorded as having chromosomal anomalies. There was significantly increased risk of perinatal mortality among these infants largely due to an increased frequency of congenital malformations, low birthweight and preterm delivery. Nevertheless, at least 36% of the perinatal mortality occurred in the absence of malformations or low birthweight. We found the overall risk of severe malformation in SUA infants to be increased 4.3 times. Some malformations were especially common, such an anorectal atresia and oesophageal atresia."}
{"id": "PMID:1475217", "title": "Ethnic variation in postnatal assessments of gestational age: a reappraisal.", "content": "While the possibility of an ethnic bias in postnatal assessments of gestational age has been suggested by several investigators, others have reported that postnatal assessments do not provide biased estimates in non-White ethnic groups. In the light of this ongoing controversy, this study examines the validity of the Ballard postnatal assessment of gestational age by ethnicity, using a relatively large hospital data base that allows for the inspection of ethnic variations in the agreement between the Ballard assessment and last menstrual period (LMP). The results indicate that there is a greater over-estimation of the LMP interval by the Ballard method in Blacks compared with Whites and suggest that systematic differences exist by ethnicity of mother in the agreement between the Ballard postnatal assessment and the LMP interval. After taking maternal characteristics and pregnancy complications into account, for a given gestational age interval, Blacks have on average a greater level of maturity as measured by Ballard. One interpretation of these findings is that postnatal assessments may provide biased over-estimates of the LMP gestational age interval in certain ethnic groups. An alternative interpretation of these data is that the gestational age interval based on LMP is not a valid indicator of fetal maturity, readiness for birth and infant risk status across all ethnic groups."}
{"id": "PMID:1475218", "title": "Evaluation of care for the preterm infant: review of literature on follow-up of preterm and low birthweight infants. Report from the collaborative Project on Preterm and Small for Gestational Age Infants (POPS) in The Netherlands.", "content": "Since the introduction of neonatal intensive care in the 1960s, mortality in very preterm and very low birthweight infants has been decreasing steadily. Consequently, interest in the outcome of surviving infants is growing. Restriction of health care resources has stressed the need for information concerning the effect of individual treatment components on mortality and morbidity. Concern about the quality in apparently normal survivors has been increasing as well. The current flood of papers on these subjects illustrates the interest in these issues. The first part of this paper reviews the methodology used in follow-up studies in the past decades. It aims at methodological problems that hamper comparison between studies and preclude unequivocal conclusions. New treatment techniques seldom were but should be evaluated by randomised trials. To monitor the combined effects of changing obstetric and neonatal techniques on perinatal outcome, studies in geographically defined populations are recommended using data from early pregnancy until at least preschool age. Comparability of outcomes could be enhanced by international agreement on standardisation of assessment methods and outcome measures. In the second part the results concerning gestational age- and birthweight-specific mortality, impairments and disabilities and the risk factors for such disorders are discussed. Increased survival of even the tiniest infants is clearly established. This increase in survival has not yet been accompanied by an apparent increase in major morbidity. However, many minor impairments are reported, occurring often in combination and predisposing these children to deviations of normal development. Important changes in the manifestation of brain damage appear to occur during development. These findings stress the importance of long-term follow-up studies."}
{"id": "PMID:1475221", "title": "Monoclonal antibodies in hapten immunoassays.", "content": "This review deals with the potency of monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) to haptens in immunoassays. Specificity and affinity of MAbs to haptens are the major determinants to be considered. Specificity of MAbs depends on the selection of the hapten coupling site to the carrier protein and the antigen used for the screening of MAbs. Nevertheless, cross-reactivity can occur with compounds related to the hapten. This polyspecificity may be circumvented with the use of many MAbs, as has been demonstrated for MAbs to cyclosporine. Affinity of MAbs to haptens is often lower than that of corresponding polyclonal antibodies (PAbs), thereby limiting assay sensitivity. Low affinity is more frequently observed with low molecular weight (100-300) haptens than with larger haptens, such as digoxin or cyclosporine. Affinity enhancement by increasing resemblance to the immunogen can be effective in resolving the lack of sensitivity. With suitable selection strategies. MAbs exhibit real advantages over classical PAbs to haptens because large amounts of worldwide standardized reagents can be prepared."}
{"id": "PMID:1475222", "title": "An alternative approach for assessment of rate of absorption in bioequivalence studies.", "content": "The partial area method was investigated for evaluation of equivalency in the rate of absorption of immediate release formulations. The applicability of the method was demonstrated with four drugs with different pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic characteristics. The confidence interval approach currently employed for bioequivalence determinations was applied to the relevant absorption parameters, including Cmax and partial AUCs. The method was found to be more discriminating than Cmax and/or Tmax in the evaluation of the absorption rate of drugs. The cutoff time or point for partial AUC calculation may vary with the type of drug under study, depending on its clinical use and onset of action. The method was shown to be useful in the assessment of rate of absorption in bioequivalence studies."}
{"id": "PMID:1475223", "title": "Identification of sites of degradation in a therapeutic monoclonal antibody by peptide mapping.", "content": "A peptide mapping procedure was developed to locate regions of a monoclonal antibody, OKT3, that undergo chemical modification as the molecule degrades upon storage. The structures of these peptide degradation products were investigated. Deamidation at specific asparagine residues and oxidation of a cysteine and several methionines were found to be major routes of OKT3 degradation. A unique chain cross-linked degradation product was also observed and characterized. Changing the storage conditions of the antibody affected the relative distribution of degradation products. These results were useful in the development of more stable formulations for OKT3, and the methods can be used in the characterization of other monoclonal antibodies intended for therapeutic use."}
{"id": "PMID:1475224", "title": "Localization of binding sites for epidermal growth factor (EGF) in rat kidney: evidence for the existence of low affinity EGF binding sites on the brush border membrane.", "content": "We investigated the renal distribution of 125I-EGF in the filtering perfused rat kidney using an acid washing technique. Trichloroacetic acid-precipitable 125I-EGF radioactivity was eluted from both the renal vein and the urinary cannulae, the former regarded as representing the antiluminal, and the latter the luminal, cell surface bound 125I-radioactivity. The addition of excess unlabeled EGF (20 nM) to the perfusate completely inhibited the binding of 125I-EGF to the antiluminal membrane but did not inhibit that of 125I-EGF to the luminal membrane. On the other hand, the order of relative density of 125I-EGF binding sites in the in vivo kidney determined by autoradiography was cortex > inner medulla > outer medulla. After the i.v. administration of excess unlabeled EGF together with 125I-EGF, the renal uptake of 125I-EGF was inhibited completely in the inner medulla, but only by 50% in the cortex and outer medulla, suggesting the presence of nonsaturable luminal uptake of EGF in the cortex and outer medulla. After i.v. administration of 125I-EGF, a change in position of silver grains from the luminal cell surface membrane to the intracellular space was observed in the proximal convoluted tubules. In conclusion, in addition to the previously identified uptake mechanisms of circulating EGF through high-affinity binding sites on the antiluminal cell surface membrane, the reabsorption mechanism of filtered EGF through low-affinity binding sites on the luminal cell surface membrane was demonstrated. In vivo autoradiography showed the gradual internalization of EGF from the luminal cell surface membrane to the intracellular space of the proximal convoluted tubule."}
{"id": "PMID:1475225", "title": "Skin alteration and convective solvent flow effects during iontophoresis. II. Monovalent anion and cation transport across human skin.", "content": "Total flux enhancement of ions during iontophoresis is due primarily to the electrochemical potential gradient. However, secondary effects such as convective solvent flow and, in biological membranes, permeability increases as a result of applied field may also contribute to flux enhancement. The modified Nernst-Planck theory includes a solvent flow velocity term and predicts that the flux of uncharged molecules is enhanced or retarded depending on the polarity of the applied field. Polarity-dependent solvent flow velocity, as measured by the flux enhancement of mannitol, has been demonstrated in human epidermal membrane during iontophoresis. In the present study, the solvent flow velocity effects on the flux enhancement of a model cation (tetraethylammonium ion) and a model anion (salicylate ion) across human epidermal membrane were examined. The contribution of membrane alterations, due to the applied field, on overall ion flux was also considered. Solvent flow was found to have a small effect on the flux enhancement of both ions. However, membrane alterations were found to increase greatly the flux of the ionic species. Alterations in the epidermal membrane occurred at the highest voltage investigated (1000 mV) and appeared to reverse over time as indicated by the current and transport data."}
{"id": "PMID:1475226", "title": "Noninvasive in vivo percutaneous absorption measurements using X-ray fluorescence.", "content": "X-ray fluorescence (XRF) has been used to determine in vivo the percutaneous absorption of 5-iodouracil (5IU) in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) on female Sprague-Dawley rats. An average absorption rate constant of 122 +/- 34 micrograms/cm2-hr was obtained from the XRF measurements on four rats. A comparative study was performed with radiolabeled (125I) 5IU in which the absorption rate constant was determined to be 126 +/- 20 micrograms/cm2-hr. The XRF system described provides a simple, noninvasive means of measuring the percutaneous absorption rate of select compounds by the surface disappearance method."}
{"id": "PMID:1475227", "title": "Lamellar structures formed by stratum corneum lipids in vitro: a deuterium nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) study.", "content": "Hydrated lipid mixtures consisting of stratum corneum ceramides, cholesterol, specifically deuterated palmitic acid, and cholesteryl sulfate were investigated by solid-state 2H NMR spectroscopy at different temperatures. The mole ratio of cholesterol to ceramides was varied from 1 to 0. 2H NMR spectra from these mixtures showed powder patterns with quadrupolar splittings smaller than those obtained from control mixtures containing dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) instead of the ceramides. This result is attributed to the rigid amide group of the ceramides, with a planar configuration, which could prevent close packing of the alpha-methylenes of the acyl chains. There was a gradual loss of symmetry in the powder pattern as the amount of cholesterol was decreased and the amount of ceramides (or DPPC) was increased concomitantly. The loss was more pronounced in the ceramide-containing samples. This phenomenon is interpreted as a decrease in the axial reorientation rate of the alpha-deuterated palmitic acid in the bilayers, presumably caused by the increased hydrogen bonding resulting from the high amount of hydroxyl-bearing ceramides. Spectra obtained at temperatures above 60 degrees C indicated the formation of a hexagonal phase (HII) by the ceramide-containing mixtures. Spectra of the omega-deuterated palmitic acid in the mixture containing 76 mol% ceramides and no cholesterol indicated phase separation into a more rigid phase and a more mobile phase in the temperature range of 25 to 60 degrees C. The bilayer configuration of lipids at 25 degrees C was confirmed by thin-section electron microscopy."}
{"id": "PMID:1475228", "title": "Local enhanced topical delivery (LETD) of drugs: does it truly exist?", "content": "There is considerable uncertainty over whether and to what extent topically applied drugs can be delivered directly to anatomical sites beneath the skin, without prior entry into the systemic blood circulation. The in vivo studies reported in this work were designed to assess whether local enhanced topical delivery (LETD) can be achieved with piroxicam, a nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug. Equivalent doses of tritium-labeled drug were administered by the i.v. or topical routes to male rats. The topical plasma profile reveals a maximum concentration (Cpmax) at 12 hr, compared to a typical, multiexponential decline in plasma concentration after i.v. dosing. All four muscles from the topically dosed shoulder exhibit two distinct peaks, the first at 4 hr and a later one at 12 hr (which coincides with the topical Cpmax). The contralateral muscles from the nondosed shoulder, in contrast, produce only a single peak at 12 hr after topical dosing. After the i.v. administration of piroxicam, the concentration-time profiles for each muscle closely parallel that seen for the i.v. plasma. Tissue-to-plasma ratios (T/P) show that the topical nondosed and the i.v. muscles are nearly constant over the entire time course of this study, indicating a pseudo-equilibrium between the plasma and those muscles. However, the early T/P ratios for the topically dosed muscles are markedly elevated and gradually decline to a constant value only after 12 hr, indicating that a similar pseudo-equilibrium is not established in this case. Thus, these results strongly imply that the topical administration of a drug can lead to LETD for tissues subjacent to the skin.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1475229", "title": "Physicochemical properties of salts of p-aminosalicylic acid. I. Correlation of crystal structure and hydrate stability.", "content": "The potassium (K), sodium (NA), calcium (CA), and magnesium (MG) salts of p-aminosalicylic acid were obtained, and their thermal behavior was characterized by means of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TG). Their crystal and molecular structures were determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction after powder patterns had shown them to be nonisomorphous. Different degrees of hydration were observed for the solid salts, and an assessment of hydrate stability to dehydration was made from thermogravimetric studies. The onset temperature of dehydration (Tt) of each salt varied within the series and exhibited correlation with X-ray determined structure. The observed onset of dehydration of MG and CA was higher than that of NA and is consistent with stronger ion-dipole interactions for the divalent salts. Crystallographic determination of the bond lengths between the metal ion and the water oxygens were 2.4 and 2.9 A for NA, between 2.0 and 2.1 A for MG, and 2.4 A for CA. The open nature and presence of a channel feature in the structure of the sodium salt may have facilitated escape of water molecules from the crystal. Particle presentation (e.g., size, crystallinity) was also shown to affect dehydration behavior."}
{"id": "PMID:1475230", "title": "In vivo evaluation of enteric-coated naproxen tablets using gamma scintigraphy.", "content": "Seven healthy, male volunteers were entered into a randomized, open crossover study of the gastrointestinal transit of two enteric-coated 500-mg naproxen tablets. Two radiolabeled tablets were given to each volunteer on two occasions separated by 7 days, once in the fasted state and once after breakfast. Radiolabeling of tablets was achieved by the incorporation of samarium-152 oxide during manufacture, followed by neutron activation of the tablet to produce the gamma-emitting isotope samarium-153. No loss of tablet integrity was seen in the stomach and all tablets disintegrated in the small intestine. Onset of tablet disintegration was controlled predominantly by gastric emptying. Time in the small intestine prior to tablet disintegration was independent of food intake. Naproxen blood levels with time were consistent with the delayed release of naproxen from the tablets. Overall, transit, disintegration, and absorption were as expected from an enteric-coated tablet."}
{"id": "PMID:1475231", "title": "Distribution and elimination of the glycosidase inhibitors 1-deoxymannojirimycin and N-methyl-1-deoxynojirimycin in the rat in vivo.", "content": "We studied the pharmacokinetics of two synthetic derivatives of 1-deoxynojirimycin in the rat after intravenous administration. The mannosidase IA/B inhibitor 1-deoxymannojirimycin and the glucosidase inhibitor N-methyl-1-deoxynojirimycin exhibited minimal plasma protein binding and showed a rapid biphasic plasma disappearance, with an initial t1/2 of 3.0 and 4.5 min, respectively, and a terminal t1/2 of 51 and 32 min, respectively. For both compounds renal excretion is the major route of elimination. After 120 min, 52% of the dose of 1-deoxymannojirimycin and 80% of the dose of N-methyl-1-deoxymannojirimycin was recovered unchanged from the urine, whereas only 4.9 and 0.2%, respectively, of the dose was excreted in bile. Urinary clearance of 1-deoxymannojirimycin was similar to the glomerular filtration rate. In contrast, urinary clearance of N-methyl-1-deoxynojirimycin was two to three times higher than the glomerular filtration rate, indicating active tubular secretion. Ligation of the renal vessels decreased the total-body clearance of 1-deoxymannojirimycin and N-methyl-1-deoxynojirimycin 18- and 24-fold, respectively. Neither alkalinization of the urine by infusion of bicarbonate solutions nor forced diuresis altered the renal excretion rate of these compounds, implying the absence of tubular reabsorption. At 120 min, the amounts of 1-deoxymannojirimycin in liver and kidney were 2.1 and 1.1% of the dose, respectively, while small intestine, stomach, and heart contained only 0.9, 0.6 and 0.1%. Less than 1% of the dose of N-methyl-1-deoxynojirimycin was found in the collected organs 2 hr after injection.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1475232", "title": "Pharmacokinetic disposition of multiple-dose transdermal nicotine in healthy adult smokers.", "content": "The pharmacokinetics and cardiovascular effects of nicotine and its major metabolite, cotinine, were characterized during repeated once-daily application for 5 days of a 30-cm2 nicotine transdermal system, Nicotine TTS (Habitrol), to nine healthy, black, adult, male smokers. Subjects abstained from smoking throughout the study. Pharmacokinetic analysis indicated that nicotine was delivered from Nicotine TTS for the 24-hr application period averaging 0.76 mg/cm2/24 hr, and at a relatively constant rate compared to other modes of drug administration. The transdermal clearance of nicotine, 1351 ml/min, coincided with reported values following intravenous nicotine administration; however, the terminal-phase half-life, 5.0 hr, did not. An analysis of the components of variance contributing to the variability in nicotine delivery from repetitive application of Nicotine TTS indicated that the in vivo transdermal permeation of nicotine is rate limited by both the device and the intrinsic skin conductivity. Clinical cardiovascular side effects were negligible as an apparent result of subclinical vasopressive nicotine concentrations, although drug activity with regard to other effects was manifested."}
{"id": "PMID:1475233", "title": "Age and the pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic relationship of phenobarbital in rats: \"pseudo\"-longitudinal vs cross-sectional study design.", "content": "In a previous study, an apparent age-related increase in brain sensitivity to the anesthetic effect of phenobarbital was observed in BN/BiRij rats. However, since this study was conducted according to a cross-sectional design, the observed change could, in principle, also have been the result of a cohort effect. The purpose of the present investigation was to exclude the role of such a cohort effect by adopting a \"pseudo\"-longitudinal study design. In this design 45 animals out of one cohort were reserved, and one subgroup was investigated at five ages (7, 14, 21, 29, and 34 months). A decrease in the anesthetic threshold dose of phenobarbital was found during aging, which appeared to be due mainly to an increase in the brain sensitivity. It is concluded that the previously observed increase in brain sensitivity is indeed the result of the aging process rather than a cohort effect."}
{"id": "PMID:1475234", "title": "Glutathione S-transferase-mediated metabolism of glyceryl trinitrate in subcellular fractions of bovine coronary arteries.", "content": "The possible role of glutathione S-transferases (GTSs) in vascular glyceryl trinitrate (GTN) metabolism was investigated. GTN degradation to form its dinitrate metabolites (GDNs) in the 9000g (9k) supernatant fraction of bovine coronary arteries (BCA) was examined. BCAs were homogenized with a 3x volume of phosphate buffer, and the 9k fraction was obtained by centrifugation. GTN (40 ng/ml; 1.76 x 10(-7) M) was incubated for 2 hr in the 9k fraction of BCA in the presence of reduced glutathione (2 x 10(-3) M). Samples were taken at 10, 20, 40, 60, and 120 min. GTN was observed to degrade readily, exhibiting a half-life of 26 min in the incubate. While both 1,2- and 1,3-GDNs were generated from GTN, formation of 1,3-GDN was predominant (GDN ratio, as 1,2/1,3-GDN, = 0.7-0.8). Coincubation with 2 x 10(-5) M concentrations of two GST inhibitors, sulfobromophthalein (SBP) and ethacrynic acid (ECA), decreased the rate of GTN loss. The GTN half-lives in SBP- and ECA-treated incubations were 66 and 84 min, respectively. In addition, the pattern of GDN formation was also altered. The resultant GDN ratios exceeded unity in the presence of these inhibitors, indicating that 1,3-GDN formation was attenuated to a greater extent than that of 1,2-GDN. These data suggest that vascular GTN metabolism in BCA is carried out by cytosolic GST isozymes which possess a preference for C-2 denitration of GTN."}
{"id": "PMID:1475235", "title": "Kinetics and mechanism of degradation of Zileuton, a potent 5-lipoxygenase inhibitor.", "content": "Zileuton (N-(1-benzo[b]thien-2-ylethyl)N-hydroxyurea) is a powerful 5-lipoxygenase inhibitor. The chemical degradation of Zileuton and related hydroxyurea derivatives was studied in aqueous solutions as a function of pH and temperature. The pH profile for the degradation of Zileuton shows an acid-catalyzed region at pH values below 2, water hydrolysis of the protonated form at pH values from 3 to 8, and water hydrolysis of the unprotonated form at pH values greater than 9. Hydrolysis of the hydroxyurea moiety to give the hydroxylamine derivative represents the main degradation pathway for Zileuton. This product, however, is not stable and is present at low concentrations at pH values below 6 and not observed at pH values greater than 7. Further decomposition of the hydroxylamine derivative leads to the observed degradation products. Air oxidation to the isomeric oximes accounts for the observed products at pH values greater than 7. Hydrolysis of the oximes to the ketone derivative accounts for the observed products at pH values 2 to 6. Parallel decomposition pathways to the alcohol derivative were noted under strongly acidic conditions, pH 0 to 2."}
{"id": "PMID:1475236", "title": "Synthesis of 2-(3-substituted-1,2,4-oxadiazol-5-yl)-8-methyl-8-azabicyclo [3.2.1]octanes and 2 alpha-(3-substituted-1,2,4-oxadiazol-5-yl)-8-methyl-8- azabicyclo[3.2.1]oct-2-enes as potential muscarinic agonists.", "content": "Radioligand binding affinities of seven muscarinic receptor ligands which possess an oxadiazole ring side chain have been determined in rat heart, rat brain, and m1- or m3-transfected CHO cell membrane preparations to determine the selectivity for subtypes of muscarinic receptor. The ratios of binding constants in brain membranes were measured as an indicator of potential agonist activity against [3H]QNB and [3H]Oxo-M. These muscarinic ligands did not discriminate the subtypes of muscarinic receptors. Six muscarinic ligands which have a 3-amino- or 3-methyl-1,2,4-oxadiazol-5-yl groups attached to the 8-methyl-8-azabicyclo[3.2.1]oct-2-ene or 8-methyl-8-azabicyclo[3.2.1]octane head group show binding constants between 2.04 x 10(-6) and 1.79 x 10(-5) M in rat heart, rat brain, and m1- or m3-transfected CHO cell membrane preparations. 1-Methyl-2-[3-amino-1,2,4-oxadiazol-5-yl]piperidine shows low binding constants of approximately 10(-4) M in rat heart and rat brain. (1R,5S)-2-[3-Amino-1,2,4-oxadiazol-5-yl]-8-methyl-8-azabicyclo- [3.2.1]oct-2-ene [(1R,5S)-17] was the most active compound."}
{"id": "PMID:1475237", "title": "Relative lipophilicities and structural-pharmacological considerations of various angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors.", "content": "Lipophilicities of seven structurally diverse angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, viz., captopril, zofenoprilat, enalaprilat, ramiprilat, lisinopril, fosinoprilat, and ceronapril (SQ29852), were compared by determining their octanol-water distribution coefficients (D) under physiological pH conditions. The distribution co-efficients of zofenopril, enalapril, ramipril and fosinopril, which are the prodrug forms of zofenoprilat, enalaprilat, ramiprilat, and fosinoprilat, respectively, were also determined. Attempts were made to correlate lipophilicities with the reported data for oral absorption, protein binding, ACE inhibitory activity, propensity for biliary excretion, and penetration across the blood-brain barrier for these therapeutic entities. Better absorption of prodrugs compared to their respective active forms is in agreement with their greater lipophilicities. Captopril, lisinopril, and ceronapril are orally well absorbed despite their low lipophilicities, suggesting involvement of other factors such as a carrier-mediated transport process. Of all the compounds studied, the two most lipophilic ACE inhibitors, fosinoprilat and zofenoprilat, exhibit a rank-order correlation with respect to biliary excretion. This may explain the dual routes of elimination (renal and hepatic) observed with fosinoprilat in humans. The more lipophilic compounds also exhibit higher protein binding. Both the lipophilicity and a carrier-mediated process may be involved in penetration of some of these drugs into brain. For structurally similar compounds, in vitro ACE inhibitory activity increased with the increase in lipophilicity. However, no clear correlation between lipophilicity and ACE inhibitory activity emerged when different types of inhibitors are compared, possibly because their interactions with enzymes are primarily ionic in nature."}
{"id": "PMID:1475238", "title": "The development of a microwave fluid-bed processor. I. Construction and qualification of a prototype laboratory unit.", "content": "The static bed- and planetary-type microwave dryers currently available to process pharmaceutical materials are not designed to use hot-air fluidization for the purpose of maximizing microwave energy inputs and particle drying. To take advantage of the benefits offered by fluidization, a 1-kg Uni-Gatt laboratory fluid bed processor was modified to support microwave-assisted fluid bed drying of several representative pharmaceutical granulations. The construction, design features, and validation of this new microwave fluid bed processor are presented."}
{"id": "PMID:1475239", "title": "The development of a microwave fluid-bed processor. II. Drying performance and physical characteristics of typical pharmaceutical granulations.", "content": "Four typical pharmaceutical granulations were used to measure the enhanced drying performance of a laboratory-sized microwave fluid-bed processor, the design and construction of which were presented in Part I of this work (preceding paper). Results demonstrate improvements in observed drying rates by as much as sixfold depending upon the granulation type and drying conditions. At a low inlet temperature (30 degrees C), drying was achieved with microwave power inputs of 100-125 W/liter of working capacity, whereas similar targeted moisture levels were unattainable using conventional fluid-bed drying. Microwave energy available for heating and drying was 68 to 86% of the total microwave energy inputted."}
{"id": "PMID:1475246", "title": "Placental biopsy in the third trimester of pregnancy.", "content": "Forty-two women with abnormal ultrasound findings after 27 weeks' gestation underwent a placental biopsy. In 39 cases, a karyotype was obtained from a direct preparation within 48 h, five abnormal karyotypes being detected (four trisomies and a triploidy). One confirmed placental mosaic was also detected. In one case, a small terminal deletion of chromosome 7 was not detected at the time due to the quality of the preparation. A karyotype can be obtained from a direct preparation in the third trimester in over 90 per cent of cases, the quality of the preparation allowing the reliable detection of abnormalities of chromosome number. We believe that this technique may be usefully, reliably, and safely employed in the third trimester of pregnancy by those with an interest in antenatal ultrasound diagnosis who do not have immediate access to a cytogenetics laboratory and who feel that cordocentesis is inappropriate for their situation."}
{"id": "PMID:1475247", "title": "Genetic diagnosis by chorionic villus sampling before 8 gestational weeks: efficiency, reliability, and risks on 317 completed pregnancies.", "content": "Transabdominal chorionic villus sampling (TA-CVS) was attempted in 328 high-risk pregnancies at 6-7 weeks of gestation. Sampling was feasible in 97.7 per cent of cases; chorionic tissue specimens of more than 10 mg were obtained in 94.4 per cent of cases at the first needle insertion and in 100 per cent after a second attempt. Fetal karyotyping succeeded in 99.4 per cent of cases, while no diagnostic failures were reported in enzymatic and DNA analyses. Fetal loss rate in the first 4 weeks after CVS was significantly higher than in the later CVS series (7.2 vs. 2.5 per cent), but 50 per cent of losses were observed within 2 weeks in cases of inviable aneuploidies. A high incidence of severe limb abnormalities (1.6 per cent) was detected in pregnancies intended to continue, confirming the aetiological role of early CVS. Unclear visualization of the placental limits and poor control of the needle path are thought to be the main reasons for the vascular disruption of the chorionic plate, and thereby hypoxic embryo tissue damage. A better selection of cases, together with high-resolution vaginal ultrasound visualization, and analytical techniques requiring a minimal amount of tissue should avoid any teratogenic effect of early CVS."}
{"id": "PMID:1475248", "title": "Second-trimester maternal serum immunoreactive inhibin as a marker for fetal Down's syndrome.", "content": "We measured immunoreactive inhibin in the maternal serum of 80 pregnancies with a chromosomally normal fetus and ten Down's syndrome pregnancies in the second trimester. The inhibin level in all Down's syndrome pregnancies was above the normal median; the multiple of the normal median (MoM) was 1.9. We found a statistically significant difference between the levels of inhibin in unaffected and affected pregnancies (Kolmogorov-Smirnov test: p < 0.002). Using an arbitrarily chosen cut-off of 2.4 MoM, 40 per cent of Down's syndrome and 5 per cent of the normal pregnancies were found. We conclude that immunoreactive inhibin may be useful as a marker for fetal Down's syndrome."}
{"id": "PMID:1475249", "title": "Fumarylacetoacetase activity in cultured and non-cultured chorionic villus cells, and assay in two high-risk pregnancies.", "content": "We describe further development of the fumarylacetoacetase (FAA) assay for the prenatal diagnosis of tyrosinaemia type 1 using chorionic villus sampling (CVS). We have established a reference range for FAA activity in cultured villus cells and have confirmed previously reported data on the FAA activity in uncultured chorionic villus cells. This should allow confirmation of results using CVS, without the need for further invasive procedures. We report the FAA enzyme stability at -70 degrees C, +4 degrees C, and at room temperature, and we have shown no obvious difference in enzyme activity with gestational age. We have analysed cultured and non-cultured CVS activity of FAA in two pregnancies at risk of tyrosinaemia type 1. In both, the fetus was designated unaffected, and these results were confirmed postnatally."}
{"id": "PMID:1475250", "title": "Transabdominal chorionic villus sampling: fetal loss rate in relation to maternal and gestational age.", "content": "In this paper we report the fetal loss rate in relation to both maternal and gestational age in 1764 pregnant women who underwent transabdominal chorionic villus sampling (TA-CVS) between January 1986 and August 1990. The fetal loss rate, considered as a proportion of continuing pregnancies, decreased with advancing gestational age at sampling from 4.3 per cent before 9 weeks to 0.4 per cent at or after 13 weeks, the difference being statistically significant (p < 0.025). The fetal loss rate increased from 1.6 per cent in women under 30 to 2.4 per cent in women of 40 years or over, but the difference was not statistically significant. Considering that the total fetal loss rate before 28 weeks' gestation was on average 1.91 per cent (1.3 per cent under 35 years and 2.8 per cent in women of 35 or over), we believe that TA-CVS is a safe and effective technique for prenatal diagnosis of genetic diseases."}
{"id": "PMID:1475251", "title": "Effect of introducing prenatal diagnosis on the reproductive behaviour of families at risk for cystic fibrosis. A cohort study.", "content": "We studied 101 couples to determine how far their reproductive behaviour was affected by the diagnosis of cystic fibrosis (CF) on its first occurrence in the couple's progeny and by the availability of prenatal diagnosis (PD). The couples were all resident in the Veneto and Trentino regions and attending the Verona CF Centre. CF had been diagnosed in the first affected child, during the period 1 January 1980-1 July 1990, before the age of 1 year. Couples received a questionnaire regarding socio-demographic status, reproduction data, and awareness of PD. Reproductive history was divided into three phases: prior to diagnosis of CF in the first affected child; from this time until PD was made available; and after the couples had learned of PD. In phase 2 (awareness of the genetic risk but not of PD), 54 couples showed a marked decrease in reproduction, none of the few pregnancies that occurred being taken to term. When couples became aware of PD, some resumption of reproductive activity occurred and 11 per cent of the 101 couples had another child; PD was used in 65 per cent of pregnancies and the abortion rate decreased to 35 per cent. All couples who opted for PD had no children without CF."}
{"id": "PMID:1475252", "title": "Anencephaly in a fetus with osteogenesis imperfecta: early diagnosis by transvaginal sonography.", "content": "Early prenatal diagnosis of osteogenesis imperfecta at 14 weeks' gestation by transvaginal sonography is reported. An anencephalic fetus was found at autopsy, although on sonographic examination complete brain tissue had been observed. A possible explanation for these findings and theories on the pathogenesis of anencephaly are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1475253", "title": "Human chorionic beta-mannosidase: comparison with beta-mannosidase from human cultured fibroblasts.", "content": "The conditions for assay of beta-mannosidase activity in human chorionic villi (CV) were studied using the fluorogenic substrate 4-methylumbelliferyl-beta-D-mannopyranoside. A comparison of the biochemical properties of the CV beta-mannosidase with those of the enzyme from human cultured fibroblasts showed their similarity. Like the enzyme from skin fibroblasts, the CV beta-mannosidase had rather high activity. Both enzymes had virtually the same pH optimum (4.2-4.7) and Km value. The data presented suggest that chorion biopsy specimens can be used for prenatal determination of beta-mannosidase activity at an early stage of development."}
{"id": "PMID:1475254", "title": "Prenatal analyses in a pregnancy at risk for beta-mannosidosis.", "content": "Prenatal analyses were performed in the pregnancy of the mother of a patient with beta-mannosidase deficiency. Partial deficiency of beta-mannosidase activity in the chorionic villi indicated a heterozygous fetus and this first-trimester diagnosis was subsequently confirmed by amniocentesis."}
{"id": "PMID:1475255", "title": "Prenatal diagnosis for the cystic fibrosis mutation 1717-1, G-->A using arms.", "content": "A family carrying two cystic fibrosis mutations, delta F508 and 1717-1, G-->A, requested prenatal diagnosis. In order to eliminate the need for labelling of allele-specific oligonucleotides and to simplify the analysis, 1717-1, G-->A was detected using an ARMS (amplification refractory mutation system) method (Newton et al., 1989). Fetal DNA was obtained by chorionic villus sampling (CVS) and the ARMS technique was used to exclude the 1717-1, G-->A mutation. The fetus was found to be heterozygous for the delta F508 mutation. ARMS is a simple, quick, non-radioactive method suitable for detecting DNA mutations in various clinical situations."}
{"id": "PMID:1475256", "title": "Appearance of excessive lipids in amniotic fluid as a sign of fetal hyperlipidaemia.", "content": "The appearance of excessive lipids in amniotic fluid during Caesarean section raised the suspicion of a hyperlipidaemic fetus. The amniotic fluid had elevated cholesterol (53 mg/dl) and triglycerides (81 mg/dl). At the age of 2 months, the infant was hyperlipidaemic (cholesterol of 161 mg/dl and triglycerides of 84 mg/dl). The case suggests the possibility of prenatal diagnosis of hyperlipidaemia, a major risk factor for atherosclerosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1475265", "title": "[The current role of thoracoplasty in treatment of chronic pleural empyema].", "content": "To demonstrate the indication for surgery, the preoperative and postoperative course, and to assess the influence of thoracoplasty on respiratory physiology, the data of patients subjected to thoracoplasty during the past 30 years at our hospital were evaluated. Final assessment was performed separately for patients with and without preceding pulmonary resection. In 21 cases there was an unspecific empyema of the pleura and in 6 cases a specific one; in 14 cases there was also a concomitant bronchopleural fistula. After a washing-out period of 92 days (24-283) and after surgery had been unsuccessful in 9 patients, standard thoracoplasty was performed, complemented by a \"jalousie\" (\"Venetian blind\") plasty after Heller. Postoperative lethality was 11.1%. 5 patients developed pleuro-cutaneous fistulas that healed by local treatment; in one patient, a small residual cavity remained that required an additional plasty for correction. In 94% of the patients who had been operated upon, scoliosis occurred convex to the thoracoplasty; this was more marked in patients in whom lung resection had been performed than in patients without resection. Restrictive ventilatory disorders were seen in the lung function of 55% of the patients, whereas mixed restrictive-obstructive disorders occurred in 45%. Ergospirometry resulted under load besides in an increased respiratory minute volume (AMV), in a proportionate dead space of the AMV which was significantly higher than preoperatively. Despite the considerable functional and aesthetic consequences resulting therefrom, thoracoplasty still has its justification in refractory pleura empyemas as an ultimate means of cleaning up."}
{"id": "PMID:1475266", "title": "[Modification of pediatric lung function measurement by antibacterial filters].", "content": "The risk of cross-infection by contaminated lung function equipment can be reduced by the use of antibacterial filters. These filters, however, should have no significant influence on flow measurements. We investigated the effect of a new filter (Pall PF 30) on lung function measurements in 92 children and adolescents with bronchial asthma and cystic fibrosis. In randomized sequence, flow-volume curves and spirometry were registered in the whole body plethysmograph. Values measured with filter correlated closely to those registered without; individual values remained close to the line of identity. With high flow rates, however, there was a minimal tendency towards lower measurements with filter; this damping effect was flow-dependent and remained of a clinically insignificant dimension."}
{"id": "PMID:1475262", "title": "[Enzymes of a bacteriolytic lysoamidase preparation. Various properties of bacteriolytic protease L2].", "content": "Bacteriolytic proteinase L2 is able to cleave fluorogenic synthetic tripeptide anthranoyl-alanyl-alanyl-phenylalanyl-nitroanilide (Abz-Ala-Ala-Phe-pNA) at the bond between phenylalanine and p-nitroaniline. Optimal conditions of the tripeptide cleavage have been determined: pH 6.7 + 0.1; mu = 2 (by NaCl); t = 40 degrees C; KM = 2.6 x 10(-5) M. Metal cations reduced the enzyme activity. The enzyme was inhibited by EDTA, p-CMB, DIF. The synthetic tripeptide can be used to determine the activity of the L2 enzyme."}
{"id": "PMID:1475267", "title": "[Coincidence of lung diseases caused by Mycobacterium fortuitum and esophageal achalasia--case report and review of the literature].", "content": "We report on a case of lung infection due to mycobacterium fortuitum in conjunction with esophageal achalasia. A review of literature and a discussion on pathophysiological, clinical and therapeutical aspects are included. We conclude that bacterial poly-resistance in case of infections resembling tuberculosis should prompt a search for atypical mycobacteria. Patients suffering from nontuberculous mycobacteriosis of the lung should be subject to oesophageal examination."}
{"id": "PMID:1475263", "title": "[Enzymatic conversion of torulene and torularhodine into retinal].", "content": "The enzymatic conversion of torulene to retinal is demonstrated in in vitro tests using beta-carotene 15,15'-dioxygenase (EC 1.13.11.21) from the rabbit small intestine mucosa. This is the first evidence for the potent vitamin A activity of torulene. Little amounts of retinal also formed from methyl ester of torularhodin and from torularhodin."}
{"id": "PMID:1475268", "title": "[The effect of flupirtine on respiratory drive in healthy probands and patients with various lung diseases].", "content": "We investigated the effect of a novel analgesic compound, flupirtine on the respiratory center in 8 healthy controls and patients with lung emphysema (n = 6), bronchial asthma (n = 7) and lung fibrosis (n = 5). All patients received a in a double blind, randomized fashion on three separate study days 100 mg and 200 mg flupirtine and placebo, respectively. Respiratory drive was estimated from measurements of CO2-rebreathing curves and mouth occlusion pressure at rest and during CO2-rebreathing performed before, 1.5 and 3 hours after medication. We were unable to detect any significant depression of respiratory drive neither in the controls nor in the patients and therefore suggest that flupirtine is a safe analgetic compound even in patients with severe obstructive and restrictive lung function impairment."}
{"id": "PMID:1475264", "title": "[Sorption of enzymes on ion exchange resins of various structure].", "content": "The isothermic adsorption of microbial and animal enzymes on carboxyl and sulpha-cation exchange resins was studied. The adsorption isotherms are curves with a maximum. The adsorption of alpha-amylase was studied in the presence of organic solvents. It was found that organic solvents influenced the isothermic adsorption of alpha-amylase, which is associated with changes in the interactions between protein molecules in solution. The adsorption system was in equilibrium in all the cases."}
{"id": "PMID:1475269", "title": "[Aortopulmonary fistula formation after operation of aortic isthmus stenosis as a rare cause of recurrent hemoptysis].", "content": "An aneurysm of the aorta with aortobronchial fistula formation was seen in a 33 year old patient as a rare cause of recurring hemoptysis. 18 years previously he had undergone surgery of coarctation of the aorta. By means of different imaging methods the diagnosis was established in time and the aneurysm resected, so that the patient survived this mostly fatal incident."}
{"id": "PMID:1475272", "title": "In vivo and in vitro magnesium effects on aortic prostacyclin generation in DOCA-salt hypertensive rats.", "content": "To investigate the blood pressure lowering effect of magnesium (Mg2+) in the hypertensive rat, we measured the prostacyclin release (PGI2, as immunoreactive 6-keto-PGF1 alpha) by isolated aortae from normotensive and deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA)-salt hypertensive rats fed a control or Mg(2+)-enriched diet. We also studied the in vitro effect of Mg2+ on aortic PGI2 release. The Mg(2+)-enriched diet significantly decreased by 10% blood pressure in DOCA-salt hypertensive rats but not in normotensive rats. The Mg(2+)-enriched diet significantly increased by 122% aortic PGI2 release in DOCA-salt hypertensive rats, but not in normotensive rats. Mg2+ supplementation in the incubation medium (4.8 mM) significantly increased aortic PGI2 release by 94% in DOCA-salt hypertensive rats, but not in normotensive rats. These data suggest that the Mg(2+)-induced attenuation of blood pressure in DOCA-salt hypertensive rats could be linked with the enhanced vascular PGI2 release."}
{"id": "PMID:1475273", "title": "Influence of N-phenyllinoleamide from toxic oil samples on the lipoxygenase metabolism of exogenous arachidonic acid in mouse peritoneal macrophages.", "content": "N-phenyllinoleamide (NPLA) is a useful marker for adulterated oil samples associated with cases of toxic oil syndrome (TOS). To date, NPLA has not reproduced the human poisoning episode in experimental animal models and, thus, its pathological role in the syndrome remains controversial. The present report describes the effect of NPLA on the lipoxygenase metabolism of exogenous arachidonic acid (AA) in mouse peritoneal macrophages (MPM). Results show that MPM cells exposed to 1mM NPLA for 2 h, when subsequently incubated with exogenous 3H-AA, undergo a significant increase in the biosynthesis of 3H-12-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (3H-12-HETE) whereas levels of 3H-15-HETE are relatively stable. These data indicate that NPLA selectively potentiates the lipoxygenase metabolism of exogenous AA, supporting the possible implication of lipid peroxidative processes in the ethiopathology of TOS, although the relatively high NPLA concentration required 'in vitro' makes it unlikely that this xenobiotic could be directly related to human toxicity."}
{"id": "PMID:1475274", "title": "Effect of sodium loading (3% NaCl) on arachidonic acid biosynthesis in rat liver microsomes.", "content": "Sodium loading increases arachidonic acid (AA) metabolism by way of the prostaglandins(PGs) from series 2. Its effect on AA biosynthesis remains unknown. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the influence of sodium loading on the fatty acid composition of liver and liver microsomes, and the liver microsomal delta-6 and delta-5 desaturations of linoleic acid (LA) into AA. We found a decrease of LA and dihomo-gamma-linolenic acid (DGLA) levels in liver total lipids of Wistar rats receiving hypernatriuretic drinking water (NaCl 3%) for 60 days. At the same time AA increased. DGLA decreased and AA increased in liver microsomal total lipids. 1(14) C-LA delta-6 desaturase and 2(14) C-DGLA delta-5 desaturase activities increased in liver microsomes. These results show that, in addition to its influence on the regulation of glomerular filtration, sodium loading is involved in the regulation of liver AA biosynthesis."}
{"id": "PMID:1475275", "title": "Regional differences of phospholipase A2 activity in the rabbit oviductal epithelium.", "content": "To evaluate the biosynthesis of prostaglandins in the oviducts, phospholipase A2 (EC 3.1.1.4) activities were first measured in the epithelial cells obtained from rabbit oviducts. At least four kinds of phospholipase A2 (PLA2) activities with respect to calcium dependency and pH requirement were observed. There were two calcium-dependent, pH optima of 7.5 and 8.5 activities, and two calcium-independent, pH optima of 4.0 and 8.0 activities. One of those activities, a calcium-dependent and alkaline active PLA2 activity of the epithelial cells was then compared between the ampullary portion and the isthmic portion of the oviducts. The activity was significantly higher in the ampullary epithelium than in the isthmic epithelium (223.2 +/- 57.2 or 103.8 +/- 32.3 pmol/min/mg, p < 0.05). These results support the idea that the production of prostaglandins, which is dependent upon the activity of the arachidonate cascades, was higher in the ampullary portion of oviduct than that in the isthmic portion. The PLA2 activity of the ampullary epithelium may thus play an important role in the regulation of smooth muscle contractility and ciliary movement."}
{"id": "PMID:1475276", "title": "Effect of heat inactivation and freezing on fatty acid composition of plasma and red blood cells.", "content": "The effect of heat inactivation and freezing on fatty acid composition of plasma and red blood cells was investigated. Analysis was completed at baseline; after freezing; after incubation; after incubation and subsequent freezing; after incubation, freezing and a second incubation; and after freezing and subsequent incubation. There were changes in fatty acid levels observed in all groups with the phospholipid fractions showing the greatest changes. Those bloods that had been incubated, frozen and incubated again, and those which had been frozen initially followed by incubation showed the greatest change when compared to baseline samples. Even though there were changes in fatty acid levels seen in all groups, the changes were small except in those two groups. Treatment of blood with either of those two treatment regimens changes the fatty acid values so that they do not accurately reflect the composition of fatty acids in the blood."}
{"id": "PMID:1475277", "title": "Calcium-dependent prostaglandin biosynthesis by lipopolysaccharide-stimulated rat Kupffer cells.", "content": "Isolated rat Kupffer cells produced and released prostaglandin (PG) E2, 6-keto-PGF1 alpha, and thromboxane B2 (TXB2) in response to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation. This elevation of PGE2, 6-keto-PGF1 alpha and TXB2 in the medium was not observed when cells were cultured in the absence of extracellular calcium or in the presence of an extracellular calcium chelator, EGTA. An intracellular calcium antagonist, TMB-8, also suppressed the production of PGE2, 6-keto-PGF1 alpha and TXB2 in a concentration-dependent manner. The intra-cellular calcium concentration of Kupffer cells elevated early after the addition of LPS determined by the use of fura-2 and a fluorescence microscopy. Moreover, calmodulin inhibitors, W-7 and W-13, apparently inhibited the production of PGF2, 6-keto-PGF1 alpha and TXB2. All these results suggest that LPS-induced PG production by stimulated rat Kupffer cells may be regulated by a calcium-calmodulin pathway."}
{"id": "PMID:1475278", "title": "Inhibition by protein kinase C activation of melittin-induced arachidonic acid release in PC12 pheochromocytoma cells.", "content": "In rat PC12 pheochromocytoma cells, melittin, a phospholipase A2 activator, stimulated the release of arachidonic acid in a dose-dependent manner in the range between 0.1 and 1 microM. 12-O-Tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA), a protein kinase C-activating phorbol ester, inhibited the melittin-induced release of arachidonic acid dose-dependently in the range between 0.1 nM and 0.1 microM, whereas 4 alpha-phorbol 12, 13-didecanoate, which is inactive for protein kinase C, was ineffective in this capacity. Staurosporine, a protein kinase C inhibitor, recovered the inhibitory effect of TPA on the melittin-induced release of arachidonic acid. These results suggest that the activation of protein kinase C inhibits phospholipase A2 activity in PC12 pheochromocytoma cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1475279", "title": "Acute effects of a single ethanol injection on in vitro rat uterine spontaneous motility, on uteri prostaglandin production and on tissue metabolism of triglycerides.", "content": "The acute effects of ethanol (ETOH), injected at 3 g.kg-1i.p. on spontaneous contractions, on prostaglandin (PG) production and on the metabolism of triglycerides (TGs), have been studied in uterine strips obtained from rats at diestrus and suspended in glucose-containing or glucose-free solution. The absolute values of isometric developed tension (IDT: expressed in mg) recorded at 0 time (initial or post isolation determinations) and the frequency of contraction (FC), expressed as the number of contraction cycles during 20 min, were similar for uterine strips from controls and from ETOH treated rats. The uterine IDT and the FC expressed as percent changes from internal controls (0 time values) were explored during 180 min in uteri suspended in glucose medium. The magnitude of IDT decreased, as time progressed, both in controls as well as in ETOH-treated rats. Afterwards, uterine strips from controls exhibited a partial recovery of their contractile activity. This pattern of recovery was not observed in uterine strips from ETOH-treated rats. The uterine IDT, in the ETOH-injected animals after 180 min of activity, were significantly smaller than those of controls. On the other hand, the FC decreased progressively up to the end of the experimental period both in controls as well as in ETOH-treated rats. In glucose-free medium, the IDT of uterine strips from ETOH-injected animals diminished significantly more than controls from 100-180 min following isolation and mounting. In addition, the FC of uterine strips from the ETOH group of rats were significantly smaller than in controls suspended in glucose-free solution.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1475280", "title": "Inspiratory timing regulation of PGF2 alpha in newborn pigs.", "content": "In intact and vagotomized anesthetized, spontaneously breathing piglets, we investigated the regulation of inspiratory timing evoked by i.v. administration of prostaglandin (PG) F2 alpha. The inspiratory time was evaluated from the flow trace as an index of mechanical inspiratory time (Ti) and from costal and crural diaphragmatic EMG (TiEMG) as an index of neural inspiratory time. Our results under control conditions showed that TiEMG was shorter than Ti. Vagotomy abolished the difference, inducing a change in the power spectrum without modifying the centroid frequency (Cf). PGF2 alpha lengthened TiEMG, causing a postinspiratory diaphragmatic discharge to appear, while mechanical inspiratory time decreased significantly. Postvagotomy i.v. administration of PGF2 alpha did not cause any significant changes in inspiratory time and did not evoke the postinspiratory discharge. The i.v. administration of PGF2 alpha before and after vagotomy did not change the centroid frequency in spite of recruitment of new motor units synchronized with those that are active under control conditions."}
{"id": "PMID:1475281", "title": "Cytokine modulation of immune activation associated suppression of macrophage cyclooxygenase activity in vivo.", "content": "Intraperitoneal infection with Listeria monocytogenes (LM) results in activation of the peritoneal macrophage population which displays increased surface expression of major histocompatibility (MHC) Class II (Ia) antigen and markedly suppressed prostaglandin (PG) synthesis. We demonstrate here that this decrease in PG production is also seen after treatment by mitogen (Con A) and endotoxin (LPS), and can be explained by reduced cyclooxygenase activity in these cell populations. We show that, whereas Ia expression was augmented at all doses of LM and Con A tested, it displayed a biphasic response to LPS in vivo: increase at the lowest dose and inhibition at higher doses. In order to identify possible endogenous mediators of these responses, we used highly purified preparations of recombinant murine (rMu) cytokines and neutralizing cytokine specific monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) to examine whether interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) and/or tumor necrosis factor (TNF) down-regulate macrophage cyclooxygenase activity in vivo. We found that IFN-gamma induced Ia expression but had no effect on PG secretion. In contrast, TNF-alpha suppressed PG synthesis and inhibited Ia surface expression. Similarly, in our model of Con A-induced peritoneal macrophage activation, pretreatment of animals with a neutralizing MAb to rMuIFN-gamma completely blocked the induction of Ia positive macrophages by Con A but did not affect Con A-dependent suppression of PG synthesis. Pretreatment with MAb to TNF had no effect on Con A-induced Ia levels, but significantly inhibited suppressed PG synthesis.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1475282", "title": "Effect of administration of an analog of LHRH on appetitive learning in young and middle-aged female rats.", "content": "Hypothalamic luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LH-RH) had been reported to induce changes in defensive learning. In middle age, females exhibit a decline in their reproductive axis. Several studies in rodents suggested that hypothalamic LHRH function deteriorated in middle-aged females. Our experiments compare T-maze learning in young and middle-aged female rats and study the effect of administration of an analog of LHRH, D-Trp6-LHRH. The ovarian action of the analog was studied and a gonadectomized control group was added. No differences were observed between young and middle-aged females in acquisition, retention, and reversal of a simple discrimination in the T-maze. However, after removal of motor and spatial cues acquisition of the discrimination on visual cues was impaired in middle-aged females compared to young mature ones. Administration of D-Trp6-LHRH enhanced performance during the visual discrimination in younger females and had no action in middle-aged ones, whereas it inhibited ovary function in both groups. Ovariectomy had no effect. These results suggest a direct effect of the analog of LHRH on the CNS and show that this peptide fails to counteract the deleterious effect of age on performance."}
{"id": "PMID:1475283", "title": "Rats bred for differences in preference to cocaine: other behavioral measurements.", "content": "Cocaine has repeatedly been shown to produce conditioned place preference (CPP) in the rat. The present study employed the heterogenous N/Nih rat stock to produce a selectively bred rat line determined by individual place preference to a conditioning dose of 2.5 mg/kg cocaine. As each of three generations of rats were exposed to the CPP task, cocaine-preferring (CP) males were mated with CP females whereas cocaine-nonpreferring (CNP) male rats were paired with their female counterparts. Rats in litters of the third generation of these selectively bred rats were used in two collateral studies: one involving the discriminative stimulus properties of cocaine and the other to investigate the ability of cocaine to stimulate activity. Results indicate that the continued breeding of CP animals has resulted in rats that prefer cocaine, whereas the breeding of CNP rats is defining a line of rats that actually find cocaine aversive. In testing the discriminative stimulus performance of five male CP and five male CNP rats, the learning rates and dose-response relationship to cocaine were not significantly different between these two groups. In contrast, administration of 5.0 and 7.5 mg/kg cocaine to male and female CP and CNP rats indicated that, although all groups were stimulated by cocaine when compared to vehicle administration, male CNP rats showed a significantly decreased reaction to these two doses of cocaine. The possibility that conditioned place preference and locomotor stimulation are subserved by the same neural substrates, that is, most probably the dopaminergic systems in the nucleus accumbens of the brain, is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1475284", "title": "Effects of methadone on free feeding in satiated rats.", "content": "A variety of opioids and opiates are known to increase short-term food intake. In the present study, we evaluated the effects of methadone on free feeding in satiated rats. We assessed the effect of methadone (0, 1.5, 3.0, 5.0, and 10.0 mg/kg) on food intake 1, 2, 4, and 6 h after injection for 3 consecutive days. Two hours after methadone administration, food intake was inversely related to dose, but after 6 h a direct relationship between dose and feeding was obtained. Food intake increased with repeated methadone administration. In Experiment 2, methadone (5.0 mg/kg) was injected and food was made available 0, 1, 2, or 3 h later. Maximal food intake occurred in the third and fourth hours following methadone administration. As in Experiment 1, food intake increased with repeated methadone administration. Increases in food intake following repeated methadone administration may have been due to the development of tolerance to effects of methadone that may interfere with feeding, such as sedation. In Experiment 3, methadone was administered daily or every fifth day, assuming that spacing injections would retard tolerance development. Repeated daily methadone administration was associated with increased food intake earlier in the session, whereas increases in food intake following spaced methadone administration occurred later in the session. These data indicate that methadone increases short-term feeding in satiated rats. This is in contrast to the reported decrease in food-reinforced behavior noted in operant studies. This contrast may be due to sedating or other disabling effects of methadone."}
{"id": "PMID:1475285", "title": "Yohimbine attenuates clonidine-induced feeding and macronutrient selection in genetically obese (ob/ob) mice.", "content": "Biochemical abnormalities in the hypothalamus of the genetically obese (C57B1/6J, ob/ob) mouse, including increased levels of endogenous norepinephrine (NE) in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) and reduced medial hypothalamic NE metabolism, have been cited as evidence of a CNS defect contributing to altered caloric intake in this genetic strain. In the current study, the alpha 2-antagonist yohimbine (YOH) and the alpha 2-agonist clonidine (CLON) were administered systemically to 6-h meal-feeding obese and lean mice. Yohimbine (3-5 mg/kg, IP) significantly reduced total energy intake and intake of carbohydrate and fat, in both phenotypes, without altering protein intake. In contrast, CLON (25 micrograms/kg, IP) potentiated feeding, resulting in a shift in macronutrient selection toward a significant increase in the proportional intake of carbohydrate. Obese mice, however, showed an enhanced behavioral response to CLON injection. Pretreatment with 1 mg/kg YOH, a dose that alone did not significantly alter energy intake or diet selection, blocked CLON's stimulatory effect on feeding and carbohydrate preference. These results are consistent with a role for alpha 2-noradrenergic receptors in appetite regulation of ob/ob and lean mice and suggest that disturbances in this system may be involved in the development of genetic obesity."}
{"id": "PMID:1475286", "title": "Effects of L-tyrosine on mixed-acting sympathomimetic-induced pressor actions.", "content": "We previously reported the ability of L-tyrosine (L-TYR) to potentiate the anorectic activity of various mixed-acting sympathomimetics including [R*S*]-(+/-)-norephedrine [phenylpropanolamine (PPA)], [1R,2S]-(-)-ephedrine (EPH), and [S]-(+)-amphetamine (AMPH) in hyperphagic rats. Included in those studies was the attenuation of L-TYR's effect when coadministered with L-valine, a large neutral amino acid that competes with L-TYR for uptake into the brain, suggesting a central locus for the action of L-TYR. Additional studies demonstrated the inability of L-TYR to alter the peripherally mediated PPA-, EPH-, and AMPH-induced increases in gastrointestinal transit time and retention and intrascapular brown adipose tissue thermogenesis. Because the mixed-acting sympathomimetics are known to increase blood pressure, these studies examined the ability of L-TYR to influence the pressor responses to PPA, EPH, and AMPH (0.03-1 mg/kg) in urethane-anesthetized rats. Each of the mixed-acting sympathomimetics significantly increased mean arterial, systolic, and diastolic blood pressures when administered alone, but no potentiation by L-TYR was observed. These results demonstrate the inability of L-TYR to potentiate the peripheral vasopressor effects of PPA, EPH, and AMPH. These data, in conjunction with our previous findings, suggest that the potentiation by L-TYR of the mixed-acting sympathomimetics is largely restricted to centrally mediated responses."}
{"id": "PMID:1475287", "title": "Effects of nicotine on activity and stress-induced gastric ulcers in rats.", "content": "Nicotine is known to influence locomotor activity. The alkaloid also intensifies gastric ulcer formation in stressed rats. The effects of nicotine on locomotor activity in relation to gastric lesions induced by restraint at 4 degrees C for 2 h (stress) were, therefore, studied. Ten-day treatment with nicotine 25 or 50 micrograms/ml drinking water potentiated stress-evoked ulceration and mast cell degranulation. These same doses of nicotine increased vertical motor activity; only the higher dose of the alkaloid enhanced horizontal movements. Phenobarbitone (12.5, 25, or 50 mg/kg, SC) dose dependently reduced vertical activity, as well as stress-induced gastric ulceration and mucosal mast cell degranulation. The drug also lessened the potentiating effects of nicotine on motor activity and stress-evoked gastric lesion formation. It is concluded that the ability of chronic nicotine treatment to intensify stress-induced gastric ulceration most likely owes part of its action to a mechanism evoking increased activity, which possibly reflects an influence on the CNS, as well as to enhancement of mast cell degranulation in the stomach glandular mucosa."}
{"id": "PMID:1475288", "title": "Effects of prenatal exposure to cocaine on the rest-activity cycle of the preweanling rat.", "content": "Either 45 or 60 mg/kg cocaine HCl was administered from days 8-22 of gestation. Pair-fed and nontreated groups served as controls and all treated and control litters were fostered at birth to untreated dams. To examine whether cocaine produces effects on the rest-activity cycle of the offspring, groups of three littermates from each of the treated and control groups were tested for an 8-h observation period on electronic activity monitors at 22 days of age. Neither activity level nor the rest-activity pattern were affected by cocaine. These findings are discussed in relation to previous studies of cannabis and methadone effects on the rest-activity measure."}
{"id": "PMID:1475289", "title": "Opioid modulation of thermal dehydration-induced thirst in rats.", "content": "Male Sprague-Dawley rats were utilized to study the effects of the opioid receptor antagonists, naloxone and naltrexone, on thirst induced by thermal dehydration. In an initial experiment, the depressant effect of naloxone (1.0 mg/kg, IP) on the water intake of rats deprived of water for 24 h was confirmed. In subsequent experiments, rats were thermally dehydrated by exposing them without water to a 40 degrees C environment for 1-4 h. Following heat exposure, rats were injected with either naloxone or naltrexone either IP or ICV. Fifteen minutes later, rats were provided with water and water intake was measured for 2 h. Both naloxone and naltrexone had dose (0.1-5.0 mg/kg, IP)-dependent effects of reducing water intake of rats thermally dehydrated for 3 h. Water intake of rats thermally dehydrated for 2 or 4 h was also attenuated by pretreatment with naloxone. Rats thermally dehydrated for 3 h exhibited decreases in water intake following ICV injection of either naloxone or naltrexone at a dose of 50 micrograms. Neither naloxone nor naltrexone had an effect on urine output in any experiment. The water intake data support the hypothesis that thirst induced by thermal dehydration in rats is modulated by an opioid mechanism."}
{"id": "PMID:1475290", "title": "Behavioral and enzymatic interactions between benzyl alcohol and ethanol.", "content": "Acute IP injection of benzyl alcohol but not benzaldehyde (0.5 g/kg) caused aversion to voluntary drinking of 5% ethanol solution by male rats with preference to ethanol. Benzyl alcohol noncompetitively inhibited hepatic alcohol dehydrogenase of rats maintained for a short term on 5% ethanol compared to control. The results suggest an adverse interaction between benzyl alcohol and ethanol underlying the observed aversion to ethanol."}
{"id": "PMID:1475291", "title": "Deprenyl alters behavior and caudate dopamine through an amphetamine-like action.", "content": "In vivo microdialysis was used to concurrently measure the behavioral and caudate dopamine (DA) responses to the alleged irreversible type B monoamine oxidase inhibitor deprenyl. The effects were contrasted to those of the type A monoamine oxidase inhibitor, clorgyline. Consistent with its effects as an irreversible monoamine oxidase inhibitor, clorgyline produced an increase in DA concentration that remained elevated for at least 6 h. In contrast, the deprenyl-induced elevation in DA concentration occurred more rapidly, achieved a higher peak response, and then returned to baseline within 2 h following drug administration. The two drugs also produced distinctive changes in DA metabolite levels. Whereas the pattern of clorgyline-induced effects were consistent with irreversible monoamine oxidase inhibition, deprenyl produced an amphetamine-like response profile. Further, deprenyl but not clorgyline significantly increased locomotor activity. These results suggest that deprenyl does not augment caudate DA levels through monoamine oxidase inhibition. Rather, the pattern of its effects on caudate DA dynamics and behavior supports previous evidence that deprenyl produces its effects through its metabolism to amphetamine-like substances."}
{"id": "PMID:1475292", "title": "Severity of experimental allergic encephalomyelitis in rats depends upon the temporal contiguity between limbic seizures and inoculation.", "content": "Limbic seizures (forepaw clonus) were induced in Lewis rats by subcutaneous injections of lithium (3 mEq/kg) followed 24 h later by a muscarinic agent. Either 7 days before, 7 days after, or on the day of seizures, rats were inoculated with a spinal cord preparation. Other groups received these preparations but served as treatment (no seizure) controls. In three separate experiments, rats in which seizures had been induced at the time of inoculation displayed significant increases in the severity of clinical symptoms 14-20 days later relative to controls while rats in which seizures had been induced 7 days after inoculation displayed less severe symptoms; the latter effect was partially simulated by multiple injections of 1 mg/kg dexamethasone. The immunofacilitation effect was much stronger than the immunosuppression and explained 25-30% of the variance in the clinical severity scores."}
{"id": "PMID:1475293", "title": "Blocking naloxone-precipitated withdrawal in rats and hamsters.", "content": "Three experiments studied the effects of putative antagonists of opiate withdrawal in hamsters and rats. In Experiment 1, the calcium channel antagonists verapamil (20 mg/kg) and nifedipine (20 mg/kg) failed to antagonize naloxone (1 mg/kg)-precipitated withdrawal in hamsters implanted with two 75-mg morphine pellets, whereas clonidine (0.4 mg/kg), the alpha 2-adrenergic agonist, blocked most withdrawal signs. In Experiment 2, clonidine (0.4 mg/kg) and verapamil (20 mg/kg) were tested against naloxone-precipitated withdrawal in hamsters made acutely dependent by a single injection of morphine (15 mg/kg). As in Experiment 1, clonidine but not verapamil was effective. In Experiment 3, the effects of verapamil on naloxone-precipitated withdrawal were studied in morphine-pelleted rats and hamsters. In rats implanted with two morphine pellets, verapamil (20 mg/kg) reversed naloxone-precipitated withdrawal. By contrast, in hamsters implanted with either one or two morphine pellets neither of two doses of verapamil (20 and 30 mg/kg) was effective. These results are discussed in terms of species' differences in sensitivity to calcium channel blockers."}
{"id": "PMID:1475294", "title": "Discriminative stimulus properties of substituted amphetamine derivatives.", "content": "Animals were trained to discriminate amphetamine (1 mg/kg) from saline in a fixed-ratio (FR 10), food-reinforced paradigm. Amphetamine-appropriate responding was engendered by the training dose, and by 3 mg/kg, while at lower doses there was a progressive decrease in the extent of responding on the drug-appropriate lever. The following three novel amphetamine derivatives were tested for their ability to produce amphetamine-appropriate responding: 2,5-dimethoxy-4-ethoxy-amphetamine (DMEA); 2,5-dimethoxy-4-methylthio-amphetamine (DMMTA), and 2,4,5-trimethoxy-amphetamine (TMA). DMEA produced only minimal (< 20%) amphetamine-appropriate responding over a dose range of 0.1-10 mg/kg. Substantial decreases in response rate limited testing of the other amphetamines to a dose maximum of 3 mg/kg, but over the range of 0.1-3.0 mg/kg there was little evidence for generalization. At 3 mg/kg of either DMMTA or TMA, only 2 of 10 animals completed at least one uninterrupted FR 10 on either lever, and with either compound only 1 of these 2 animals responded more than 50% on the drug-appropriate lever. Of the three compounds tested, DMMTA had the greatest response rate-decreasing effect."}
{"id": "PMID:1475295", "title": "Antinociceptive properties of tiletamine-zolazepam improved by addition of xylazine or butorphanol.", "content": "A combination of tiletamine HCl and zolazepam HCl is frequently used as an anesthetic, but little is known about the antinociceptive properties of tiletamine-zolazepam. The antinociceptive properties of tiletamine-zolazepam alone or combined with xylazine or butorphanol were determined in the adult male rate using the tail-flick test. Changes in tail-flick latency were determined at 15, 45, and 75 min after IP drug administration of sterile water, sodium pentobarbital, morphine, tiletamine-zolazepam, xylazine, butorphanol, and tiletamine-zolazepam plus xylazine or butorphanol. Tail-flick latency approximated 100% maximum possible effect (MPE) at 15-75 min postinjection in morphine-treated rats. Tiletamine-zolazepam, xylazine, and butorphanol alone, at any dose utilized, produced less than 50% MPE. However, the combination of tiletamine-zolazepam with butorphanol or xylazine increased tail-flick latency approximately three times greater than tiletamine-zolazepam alone. These results demonstrate that: a) consonant with earlier findings, analgesia and anesthesia are independent states; b) tiletamine-zolazepam is not an effective combination with respect to analgesia; but c) in concert with appropriate drugs, it can exhibit potent antinociceptive properties."}
{"id": "PMID:1475296", "title": "Cocaine and GBR12909 produce equivalent motoric responses at different occupancy of the dopamine transporter.", "content": "The motoric-stimulating effect of dopamine (DA) reuptake blockers is thought to result from the increase in synaptic dopamine levels, which occurs as a consequence of blockade of DA reuptake. The present study tested measured occupancy of the DA transporter in vivo produced by behaviorally equivalent doses of the DA reuptake blockers GBR12909 (20 mg/kg), cocaine (20 mg/kg), WIN35-065-2 (1 mg/kg), and nomifensine (5 mg/kg). Two methods were used to measure in vivo occupancy of the DA transporter: a) an ex vivo method, in which the ability of whole brain supernatants, prepared from rats administered the test drugs, were tested for their ability to inhibit the reuptake of [3H]DA by striatal synaptosomes; and b) an in vivo binding assay using [3H]N-[1-(2-benzo(b)thiophenyl)cyclohexyl]piperidine ([3H]BTCP) to label the striatal DA transporter in vivo. Considerable data support the notion that this measurement is predictive of transporter occupancy in the nucleus accumbens. Similar results were obtained with both methods: The order of potency for apparent transporter occupancy was GBR12909 >> nomifensine > WIN35-065-2 = cocaine. These data indicate that it takes greater occupancy of the DA transporter by GBR12909 to produce behavioral effects equivalent to those produced by cocaine at lower transporter occupancy. The data of the present study suggest, therefore, that studies relating the effects of DA reuptake inhibitors on DA-mediated motoric behaviors to DA transporter occupancy might facilitate the identification of novel compounds potentially useful for the pharmacotherapy of cocaine abuse."}
{"id": "PMID:1475297", "title": "Relation of rotation to egocentric and allocentric spatial learning in the rat.", "content": "In this experiment, we asked whether the relation between amphetamine-induced rotation and the learning and retention of left-right discrimination extends to allocentric spatial learning or is limited to egocentric spatial tasks. Rotation was established following injections of d-amphetamine sulfate, and rats were classified as nonrotators, midrotators, or strong rotators. Animals were successively trained on navigation in the Morris water maze (allocentric) and delayed spatial alternation in a water T-maze (egocentric). There were no rotation effects in water maze learning but rotators and nonrotators differed significantly in delayed spatial alternation learning but not relearning. Strong rotators learned more slowly than midrotators, clearly implying that rotational bias and directional learning are not linearly related. We show that it is egocentric spatial learning that is facilitated by a nigrostriatal dopamine asymmetry and extend the generality of the left-right discrimination findings."}
{"id": "PMID:1475298", "title": "Effect of various psychotropic drugs on the performance of avoidance and escape behaviors in rats.", "content": "The effect of different doses of nine psychotropic drugs upon conditioned avoidance responses (CARs) developed on a stable basis, after appropriate training, was investigated in rats and compared with their capacity to disrupt escape responses (ERs). Haloperidol (HAL), chlorpromazine (CPZ), morphine (MOR), pentobarbital (PENT), chlordiazepoxide (CDP), meprobamate (MPB), and amphetamine (AMPH) dose dependently inhibited both behaviors. Imipramine also disrupted CARs dose dependently, but did not affect ERs at maximal tolerated doses. Significant differences in the minimal effective doses, effective dose range, and time of onset and duration of action, as well as in potency, were observed. The quantitative determination of the level of selectivity, based upon the ratio ED50 escape failure/ED50 avoidance failure, indicated that all CNS depressants tested caused a selective inhibition of avoidance behavior. HAL was found to be the most specific, followed, in order, by CDP, MOR, CPZ, MPB, and PENT, whose ratio values were not significantly different. AMPH produced a nearly parallel impairment of both behaviors and quipazine only affected CARs at toxic doses. It is concluded that both neuroleptic and nonneuroleptic CNS depressant drugs have selective inhibitory effects on avoidance behavior. Data revealed differences that were more quantitative than qualitative."}
{"id": "PMID:1475299", "title": "Effect of scopolamine and nootropic drugs on rewarded alternation in a T-maze.", "content": "The effects of different doses of scopolamine, and of the nootropic drugs oxiracetam and aniracetam, were investigated on the performance of male Wistar rats in a T-maze requiring a spatial discrimination in the stem (reference memory) and an alternate discrimination in the arms (working memory). Criterion (90% correct responses) was reached within 3 days of daily training for stem and 9 days for arm discrimination. Scopolamine (0.1, 0.2, 0.6, and 1.0 mg/kg, SC, 60 min before session) significantly impaired working memory, as shown by a decrease in the number of correct alternations, without affecting reference memory. Both nootropic drugs (25-50 and 100 mg/kg PO) 30 min before scopolamine) attenuated the working memory impairment induced by scopolamine."}
{"id": "PMID:1475300", "title": "Differential effects of octreotide on motor responses to nicotine in rats.", "content": "We tested the hypothesis that brain somatostatin levels modify two motor behaviors evoked by ICV infusions of nicotine. Unrestrained, awake rats were given fixed-concentration infusions of nicotine until the prostration/immobility (PI) syndrome and convulsions were produced. Infusion duration ranged from 0.9 to 1.2 min for the PI syndrome and 2.5 to 4.9 min for the convulsions. Octreotide, a stable somatostatin analog (4.5 micrograms, ICV), significantly raised the threshold for nicotine convulsions 1.0 and 5.5 h after pretreatment but not at 24 or 48 h. Cysteamine, a somatostatin releaser and depletor (0.35-0.75 mg/rat, ICV), also caused a dose-dependent increase in seizure threshold. Similarities in the response to octreotide and cysteamine suggest that depression of nicotine convulsions by cysteamine may be mediated by release of endogenous somatostatin. Neither octreotide nor cysteamine altered the threshold for the PI syndrome. These results support the view that one motor behavior evoked by nicotine is subject to control by somatostatin whereas another is not."}
{"id": "PMID:1475301", "title": "Aspirin pretreatment reduces ethanol withdrawal severity in a mouse model of binge drinking.", "content": "Nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as aspirin, ibuprofen, and indomethacin, which inhibit prostaglandin (PG) synthesis, have a pronounced effect on a broad range of ethanol (EtOH) actions. Given this, it is somewhat surprising that NSAID treatment has not been found to alter major signs of ethanol withdrawal. To date, the only effect found has been indirect, that is, NSAID treatment reduces the efficacy of PG precursor administration in the treatment of ethanol withdrawal via the inhibition of PG formation. However, in those studies reporting negative results NSAID administration was delayed until EtOH withdrawal. Studies demonstrating NSAID-related attenuation of other actions of EtOH have typically employed a pretreatment paradigm in which NSAIDs are administered prior to, not after, ethanol exposure. Thus, it may be that the point in the ethanol exposure/withdrawal episode at which NSAIDs are administered could be crucial in determining their effects of the ethanol withdrawal syndrome. To address this issue, we employed a multiple-exposure \"binge drinking\" model. On each of 6 treatment days, male BALB/c mice were injected subcutaneously with either acetylsalicylic acid (ASA, 150 mg/kg) or the buffer vehicle, followed 1 h later by either ethanol (4.0 g/kg) or saline (0.9%) by gavage. Ethanol withdrawal severity, as measured by handling-induced convulsions, was determined 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, and 24 h after EtOH gavage. ASA pretreatment was found to significantly reduce handling-induced convulsions in ethanol-intubated animals. In fact, the attenuation was of such a magnitude that the ASA-pretreated ethanol group did not significantly differ in withdrawal severity from non-ethanol-exposed controls. This effect was not likely due to ASA-related alterations in ethanol pharmacokinetics. These findings have relevance for the understanding of the basic mechanisms underlying ethanol dependence, as well as the potential role of PGs in this phenomenon."}
{"id": "PMID:1475302", "title": "Inhibition of human low-density lipoprotein oxidation in vitro by Maharishi Ayur-Veda herbal mixtures.", "content": "In this study, we examined the effect of the Maharishi Ayur-Veda herbal mixtures (MAHMs) Maharishi Amrit Kalash-4 and -5 (M-4 and M-5), MA-631, and Maharishi Coffee Substitute (MCS) on low-density lipoprotein (LDL) oxidation and compared the potency of these mixtures to ascorbic acid, alpha-tocopherol, and probucol. LDL was incubated in 95% air and 5% CO2, with or without 3 microM Cu(+2), in the presence or absence of MAHMs, for 6 or 24 h. In a separate experiment, LDL was incubated as above except MAHMs were added at 0, 1.5, and 3.5 h after incubation started to assess their effect on initiation and propagation of LDL oxidation. Our results demonstrate that MAHMs caused concentration-dependent inhibition of LDL oxidation as assessed by thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances and electrophoretic mobility. The MAHM showed more antioxidant potency in preventing LDL oxidation than ascorbic acid, alpha-tocopherol, or probucol. Also, MAHMs inhibited both initiation and propagation of cupric ion-catalyzed LDL oxidation. These results suggest the importance of further research on these herbal mixtures in the investigation of atherosclerosis and free radical-induced injury."}
{"id": "PMID:1475303", "title": "Naloxone reduces social locomotor activity in rats.", "content": "Naloxone, a nonspecific opioid antagonist, has been found to decrease the activity and social behavior of rats tested in pairs but the effects on individual locomotor activity have been equivocal. In the present study, groups of male Long-Evans hooded rats received naloxone (1 or 4 mg/kg, IP) or vehicle alone (isotonic saline) 30 min prior to testing sessions. Individual locomotor activity was measured in two activity boxes (41-cm3) equipped with two infrared photobeams using daily 30-min testing sessions for 5 consecutive days. Following a 1-week washout period (no testing), activity and social attraction (paired distance and contact) were examined in pairs of rats from each group using daily 15-min testing sessions for 4 consecutive days. Locomotor activity and its habituation were not significantly affected by naloxone in rats tested individually. However, both doses of naloxone significantly reduced paired locomotor activity compared to the control group. Measures of social attraction were not significantly affected by naloxone. The present findings suggest that naloxone does not produce nonspecific depressant effects on activity but rather may antagonize opioid release in situational contexts of high arousal (e.g., social activity) with consequent reduction of activity."}
{"id": "PMID:1475304", "title": "Chlordiazepoxide reduces the generalised anxiety, but not the direct responses, of rats exposed to cat odor.", "content": "Rats were treated for 5 days with vehicle or chlordiazepoxide (CDP, 5, 10, or 20 mg/kg/day) and then exposed to a cloth impregnated with a neutral or cat odor. Those exposed to cat odor made significantly fewer contacts with the cloth and spent less time in contact with it and more time sheltering than those exposed to the neutral odor. CDP (5 mg/kg) significantly increased the time in contact with both odor cloths, but there were no other significant effects in the cat odor group. Rats previously exposed to cat odor showed significant anxiogenic responses in the social interaction and elevated plus-maze tests that were significantly reversed by CDP. There was no reduction in the responses to the cat odor on a second occasion as a result of the first exposure occurring after treatment with CDP (5 or 20 mg/kg). The anxiogenic effects of pentylenetetrazole (20 mg/kg) as detected in the social interaction and plus-maze tests were unaffected by prior odor experience. It is suggested that during exposure to the cat odor the responses of rats reflect avoidance components of a phobic anxiety state. Benzodiazepines are relatively ineffective against these responses in contrast to their efficacy against the generalised anxiety responses detected in the social interaction and plus-maze tests."}
{"id": "PMID:1475305", "title": "Hippocampal modulation of acoustic startle and prepulse inhibition in the rat.", "content": "Prepulse inhibition (PPI) is the normal reduction in a startle response that occurs when the startling stimulus is preceded by a weak lead stimulus (\"prepulse\"). Schizophrenic patients exhibit abnormally low levels of PPI; therefore, animal models of deficient PPI may provide information regarding neural dysfunctions underlying schizophrenia. We recently reported that infusion of the cholinergic agonist carbachol into the dentate gyrus (DG) disrupts PPI in the rat. We now report the effects of carbachol microinjected into CA1, the DG, or the ventral subiculum (VS) on acoustic startle and PPI. Carbachol infusion into CA1 or the DG depressed startle. Carbachol infusion decreased PPI with a regional rank-order potency CA1 > DG > VS. CA1 infusions more potently depressed the startle reflex. By contrast, DG infusions preferentially decreased PPI, while VS infusions decreased PPI without altering startle amplitude. Coinfusion with the muscarinic cholinergic antagonist atropine opposed the effects of carbachol. These results demonstrate the regional heterogeneity and pharmacological specificity of the hippocampal cholinergic modulation of acoustic startle and PPI and suggest that abnormalities within various regions of the hippocampal formation may contribute to deficient sensorimotor gating in schizophrenic patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1475306", "title": "Stimulus effects of ibogaine in rats trained with yohimbine, DOM, or LSD.", "content": "The stimulus effects of ibogaine were compared with those of yohimbine, an alpha 2-adrenoceptor antagonist, 2,5-dimethoxy-4-methylamphetamine (DOM), a 5-hydroxytryptamine2 (5-HT2) agonist, and lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), a nonspecific 5-HT agonist. Rats were trained with either yohimbine (6 mg/kg), DOM (0.6 mg/kg), or LSD (0.1 mg/kg) vs. no treatment in a two-lever discrimination task. Tests of generalization were then conducted with ibogaine. In yohimbine-trained animals, 39.7% of responses following ibogaine (15 mg/kg) were on the drug-appropriate lever, but this response level was not significantly different from no treatment-appropriate responding. A response distribution that was significantly different from responding under both drug and no treatment training conditions was observed in DOM-trained rats after administration of 15 mg/kg ibogaine. Pizotyline (BC-105) blocked all DOM-appropriate responding produced by ibogaine. In LSD-trained animals, 20 mg/kg ibogaine mimicked LSD. Pizotyline blocked LSD-appropriate responding produced by ibogaine in five of six animals. The present data suggest the involvement of 5-HT2 receptor activity, and the possibility of a 5-HT1A contribution, in the stimulus properties of ibogaine."}
{"id": "PMID:1475307", "title": "Biphasic effects of ethanol tested with drug discrimination in HAD and LAD rats.", "content": "Seventh-generation selectively bred high-alcohol-drinking (HAD) and low-alcohol-drinking (LAD) rats were trained to make differential responses for ethanol (0.75 g/kg, IP) and saline vehicle, following postadministration intervals (PI) of 2 min (HAD-2 and LAD-2 animals) and 30 min (HAD-30 and LAD-30 animals). ED50 values of 0.395 and 0.352 g/kg, respectively, for HAD-2 and LAD-2 animals and 0.269 and 0.314 g/kg, respectively, for HAD-30 and LAD-30 animals reflect the absence of any phenotypic difference for the discriminative stimulus effects of ethanol. HAD-2 animals were more responsive than LAD-2 animals to the stimulating effects of ethanol as measured by total response rates during training sessions. The differential ethanol response generalized to pentobarbital in all four groups but not to morphine, an alternative CNS depressant. The specific antagonist of 5-hydroxytryptamine3 receptors, 3-tropanyl-3,5-dichlorobenzoate (MDL 72222), up to doses of 14.0 mg/kg failed to antagonize the discriminative effects of ethanol. Ethanol sleep times did not differ between groups."}
{"id": "PMID:1475308", "title": "2-Deoxy-D-glucose antinociception and serotonin receptor subtype antagonists: test-specific effects in rats.", "content": "The antinociceptive actions of 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG) are mediated in part by endogenous opioid, dopaminergic, cholinergic, histaminergic, and neurohormonal influences. Although 2-DG antinociception was not affected by tryptophan hydroxylase inhibition, a possible serotonergic role in 2-DG antinociception was investigated because of the existence of serotonin [5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT)] receptor subtypes. The present study examined the effects of general (methysergide: 5 and 10 mg/kg), 5-HT2 (ritanserin: 2.5 mg/kg), and 5-HT3 (ICS-205,930: 0.25-5 mg/kg) receptor subtype antagonists upon 2-DG antinociception on the tail-flick and jump tests in rats. On the tail-flick test, 2-DG (450 mg/kg) antinociception was significantly reduced by all ICS-205,930 doses (48-58%) but unaffected by either methysergide (22-29% reduction) or ritanserin (6% reduction). In contrast, 2-DG antinociception on the jump test was significantly potentiated across the 120-min time course and across the 2-DG dose-response curve (100-650 mg/kg) by methysergide, ritanserin, and ICS-205,930 pretreatment. Each of the three antagonists produced significant leftward shifts in the peak and total 2-DG dose-response curve for the jump test. These data suggest different sites of action for 2-DG antinociception as a function of the pain test employed and a differential modulation by serotonin receptor subtypes at those sites."}
{"id": "PMID:1475309", "title": "Serotonin depletion causes long-term reduction of exploration in the rat.", "content": "This study assessed the effects of central serotonergic depletion on exploratory activity at baseline, as well as after administration of d-amphetamine or the anxiogenic beta-carboline FG-7142. Intraventricular 5,7-dihydroxytryptamine (5,7-DHT) induced an almost complete depletion of serotonin [5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT)] in the medial prefrontal cortex, nucleus accumbens, medial corpus striatum, and hippocampus with no changes in norepinephrine, dopamine or dihydroxyphenylacetic acid concentrations. 5-HT-depleted rats demonstrated reduced spontaneous and d-amphetamine-augmented exploration 3-10 weeks postoperatively. An effect on FG-7142-induced inhibition of exploratory activity was not apparent. These data implicate 5-HT systems in the expression of different aspects of exploratory and amphetamine-augmented motor behaviors."}
{"id": "PMID:1475310", "title": "Calcium changes in rabbit CSF during endotoxin, IL-1 beta, and PGE2 fever.", "content": "New Zealand rabbits were chronically incannulated in the lateral ventricle and cisterna magna to assess the hypothesis that calcium concentration (Ca) of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) varies during fevers of diverse origin. In normothermic and febrile animals recovering from surgery, CSF Ca was positively and significantly correlated to rectal temperature (TR). IV injection of E. coli endotoxin and ICV injection of human recombinant interleukin 1 beta (hrIL-1 beta) induced a TR rise of 1.7 +/- 0.3 degrees C (mean +/- SEM) and 1.45 +/- 0.25 degrees C, respectively, accompanied by significant increases in CSF Ca. After endotoxin administration, maximal Ca increases ranged between 0.21 and 0.48 mM above basal values in individual animals (p < 0.01), whereas after administration of hrIL-1 beta increases were 0.17 and 0.25 mM (p < 0.05). Acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) countered the fever induced by both endotoxin and hrIL-1 beta administrations and concomitantly antagonized the Ca increase in CSF. HrIL-1 beta-derived nonapeptide was characteristically devoid of pyrogenic effect and did not modify CSF Ca. Although ICV injection of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) increased TR by 2.1 +/- 0.77 degrees C, it failed to have any effect on CSF Ca. Differently from the other Ca enhancers, PGE2, however, increased CSF protein concentration (protein). These findings suggest that brain calcium metabolism plays a role in fever development and that prostaglandin involvement is only engaged once changes in CSF calcium concentration have taken place."}
{"id": "PMID:1475311", "title": "The NMDA receptor antagonist MK-801 has a dissociative effect on seizure activity of hippocampal-kindled cats.", "content": "This study assessed the behavioral and electrographic effects of (+)-5-methyl-10,11-dihydro-5H-dibenzo-[a,d]cyclohepten-5,10-imine maleate (MK-801) (0.1 and 0.5 mg/kg, IP), a noncompetitive antagonist of the NMDA receptors, in hippocampal (HIP)-kindled cats. MK-801 at a higher dose significantly reduced the afterdischarge duration, but not the behavioral seizure stage, of HIP-kindled seizures. This anticonvulsant effect occurred in association with the appearance of severe behavioral toxicity and paradoxical worsening of background electroencephalogram characterized by profound spike and wave discharges. The present data suggest the dissociative effect of MK-801 on seizure activity and limitations of its clinical utility as an antiepileptic agent."}
{"id": "PMID:1475312", "title": "Serotonin receptor ontogeny: effects of agonists in 1-day-old rats.", "content": "Although numerous subtypes of serotonin [5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT)] receptors have been identified in the newborn rat by radioligand binding studies, there have been few studies of the functional significance of these early receptors, most without the benefit of selective drugs. We performed acute dose-response and time course behavioral studies in 1-day-old rats with the putative selective agonists 8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin (8-OH-DPAT) (5-HT1A), 5-methoxy-3(1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridin-4-yl)1H-indole (RU 24969) (5-HT1B), and (+-)1-(2,5-dimethoxy-4-iodo-phenyl aminopropane)-2 (DOI) (5-HT2/1C). The agonists induced distinctive behavioral syndromes. The DOI syndrome mainly included rudiments of forepaw myoclonus and dystonic limb postures, but no shaking behavior (head shakes or wet-dog shakes) or spinal myoclonus, two key reference behaviors for its effects in adult rats. The most distinctive feature of the 8-OH-DPAT-induced syndrome was flat body posture. RU 24969 most significantly increased locomotor activity, inducing propulsive movements with episodic rests and sudden hindlimb jerks. These studies suggest that functional and differential activity of 5-HT1A, 5-HT1B, and 5-HT2/1C receptors occurs much earlier in the rat than previously appreciated. The absence of DOI-induced shaking behavior and spinal myoclonus, however, suggests incomplete maturation at the level of the receptor or effector pathways for these behaviors."}
{"id": "PMID:1475313", "title": "Effects of diurnal phase and pimozide on cholecystokinin-elicited hypoactivity in the hamster.", "content": "Locomotor activity in golden Syrian hamsters was measured following IP injections of cholecystokinin (CCK; 25 micrograms/kg) and pimozide (0.5 mg/kg), the dopamine receptor antagonist. In addition, animals were tested during either the dark or light phase of the diurnal cycle in either dark or light running wheel environments. Results indicated that CCK-elicited hypoactivity was blocked by pimozide and that the effect of CCK was evident only among animals tested during the light phase of the daily cycle. Ambient lighting conditions in the test environment did not modify the drug effects. Independently of any drug effect, locomotor activity was affected by diurnal phase and ambient lighting in the test environment. Animals were more active when tested during the dark phase than during the light phase and locomotor activity was higher under dark than under light ambient conditions. It is concluded that diurnal phase modulates CCK's effect on hamster locomotion and that CCK's effect on locomotion is mediated, in part, by dopaminergic mechanisms."}
{"id": "PMID:1475314", "title": "Activity of tryptophan hydroxylase in brain of hereditary predisposed to catalepsy rats.", "content": "The activity of the rate-limiting enzyme of serotonin biosynthesis, tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH), was studied in the brain of rats bred for 20 generations for predisposition to catalepsy (an excessive freezing). Increased TPH activity was found in the striatum but not in the hippocampus and midbrain of cataleptic rats compared with Wistar ones. Km for the enzyme from the striatum of cataleptics was twice as low as that in control rats, although no difference in their Vmax was found. The increase in TPH activity in the striatum of cataleptics was nonadditive with its activation induced by incubation in vitro of the enzyme under phosphorylating conditions and could be completely reversed with alkaline phosphatase. An administration of p-chlorophenylalanine, an irreversible inhibitor of TPH, decreased the duration of freezing in cataleptic rats. These findings indicate that hereditary predisposition to catalepsy is associated with increased TPH activity in the striatum due to local phosphorylation of the enzyme and suggest an essential role of the activation of striatal TPH in genetic predisposition to catalepsy."}
{"id": "PMID:1475316", "title": "Thiazolo[3,2-a]pyrimidine derivatives as calcium antagonists.", "content": "Some new thiazolo[3,2-a]pyrimidine derivatives were prepared refluxing 2-thioxo-1,2,3,4-tetrahydropyrimidine derivatives with phenacyl bromide in glacial acetic acid. Calcium antagonistic activities of these compounds were evaluated in K(+)-depolarized rat aorta, using nifedipine as reference compound."}
{"id": "PMID:1475317", "title": "[Mucus models for investigation of intestinal absorption mechanisms. 3. A mathematical simulation model of drug diffusion through enteral mucus].", "content": "The diffusion of drug substance in a closed three-compartment model through a mucus layer to equilibrium is simulated by available pharmacokinetic programs. The obtained curves conform very well to the values experimentally found. If mucus is replaced by buffer solution an explicit equation from the literature, the method used and the experimental findings give the same results. Examination of the rate constants k1 for the diffusion in, kD through and k2 from the mucus shows the significance of the relation k1/k2 > 1, = 1, < 1 as a measure for the affinity of the active agent to the mucus. The discussion of the kinetic parameters shows, as in previous results, no criterion for assuming specific mucus binding. Because of its unspecifity the usual term \"mucus binding\" should be replaced by \"mucus retention\"."}
{"id": "PMID:1475319", "title": "Effect of calcium on dark adaptation in Phycomyces phototropism.", "content": "Adaptation processes enable phototropism of Phycomyces to operate over a 10-decade range of blue-light intensity (1 nW m-2-10 W m-2). To investigate the influence of calcium on dark adaptation, the phototropic latency method was employed with the modification that sporangiophores were temporarily immersed in solutions containing CaCl2 or LaCl3. Following such treatment, the time course of bending was found to have two components with distinct latencies and bending rates. After immersion in darkness for 30 min in LaCl3 solution or 1 h in a solution of CaCl2, MgCl2, or the calcium chelator EGTA, each sporangiophore was adapted to a blue light beam (1 W m-2) for 45 min by rotation around its vertical axis. Cessation of rotation defined the onset of the phototropic stimulus, at which time the intensity was reduced by as much as 10(3)-fold. For a 10(2)-fold reduction (to 10(-2) W m-2), immersion in CaCl2 (10-100 microM) reduces the latency 13 min for the early bending component and 18 min for the late component, whereas treatment with the calcium-channel blocker lanthanum (0.1-11 microM LaCl3) increases the latency 12 min for the early component and 13 min for the late component. EGTA (10 microM) also had an inhibitory effect, increasing the latency of the first and the second components by 7 and 10 min, respectively. In experiments performed similarly, but without the light adaptation treatment after immersion, no differences between calcium-treated and control sporangiophores were found. The bending rates of both components show only a weak dependence on calcium.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1475320", "title": "The distance between the phytochrome chromophore and the N-terminal chain decreases during phototransformation. A novel fluorescence energy transfer method using labeled antibody fragments.", "content": "A novel antibody-fluorescence method has been developed to elucidate the chromophore topography in phytochrome as it undergoes a photochromic transformation. F\u00f6rster energy transfer from N-terminal bound, fluorescently labeled Oat-25 Fab antibody fragments to the phytochrome chromophore was measured. The results suggest that the chromophore moves relative to the N-terminus upon the Pr-->Pfr phototransformation. This conclusion is consistent with previous models which have proposed a reorientation and an interaction of the Pfr chromophore with the N-terminus. The method described appears to be the first study of a F\u00f6rster energy transfer measurement using a donor-label attached to a Fab fragment of a photosensor protein."}
{"id": "PMID:1475321", "title": "Phytochrome evolution: a phylogenetic tree with the first complete sequence of phytochrome from a cryptogamic plant (Selaginella martensii spring).", "content": "We have sequenced cDNA and genomic clones coding for phytochrome of the fern Selaginella. On the amino acid level, this phytochrome shares sequence homologies with phytochromes of higher plants which range between 62 (phytochrome B of Arabidopsis) and 55 (56)% [phytochrome C of Arabidopsis (Avena)]. Introns in the Selaginella gene are short and occupy positions known from phytochrome sequences of higher plants. A rooted phylogenetic tree based on mutation distances puts Selaginella phytochrome closest to the hypothetical ancestor. A similar tree arises if the tree is constructed with partial sequences (about 200 amino acids) around the chromophore attachment site. An extension of this tree by sequences of other cryptogamic plants (Mougeotia, Ceratodon, Psilotum) shows all these sequences including those of the phytochromes B and C of Arabidopsis on a branch, well separated from the branch formed by phytochromes known to accumulate in etiolated plants. The rooted phytochrome phylogenetic tree, however, is difficult to reconcile with the fossil record."}
{"id": "PMID:1475322", "title": "Detection and partial sequence of phytochrome genes in the ferns Anemia phyllitidis (L.)Sw (Schizaeaceae) and Dryopteris filix-mas L. (Polypodiaceae) by using polymerase-chain reaction technology.", "content": "Phytochrome controls several developmental steps during formation and differentiation of the fern gametophyte, including spore germination, morphogenesis of the gametophyte or differentiation of the sexual cells. To obtain information about the amino acid sequence and the regulation of phytochrome expression at the gene level, two degenerated oligonucleotides against well conserved amino acid regions were designed after an optimal alignment of the known phytochrome sequences. These primers were tested against DNA isolated from Arabidopsis thaliana, and the polymerase-chain reaction (PCR) products were cloned and sequenced. The DNA fragment produced with this method proved to be identical with a phytochrome-A-gene fragment from A. thaliana, and hence this fragment was used in further experiments to prove whether amplified DNA from fern species contains phytochrome-like DNA. With this procedure we successfully detected and cloned gene fragments both from gametophytes of Anemia phyllitidis and Dryopteris filix-mas, cultured for 7 days under vegetative conditions. In addition, poly(A)+ RNA was prepared from 7-day-old gametophytes of A. phyllitidis, induced to differentiate antheridia under generative conditions. This poly(A)+ RNA was transcribed into complementary DNA and used together with both phytochrome specific primers in a PCR experiment. We thereby obtained another DNA fragment. These data strongly suggest that A. phyllitidis has at least two phytochrome genes, and that at least one of them is expressed in light-grown gametophytes."}
{"id": "PMID:1475323", "title": "Partial nucleotide sequence of phytochrome from the zygnematophycean green alga Mougeotia.", "content": "Following polymerase chain reaction, a fragment of about 800 bp was amplified from genomic Mougeotia DNA using oligonucleotides directed to conserved regions of known phytochrome genes. The nucleotide sequence points to a different exon/intron structure in the neighborhood of the chromophore attachment site of this Mougeotia phytochrome gene, as compared to other phytochromes. Alignment of the derived amino acid sequence to phytochromes of higher and lower plants shows highest homology (> 60%) to type II (green type) phytochrome, while Northern blot analysis of total Mougeotia RNA indicates down-regulation of the phytochrome transcription in light. Signal pattern of hybridized genomic DNA after digestion reveals the presence of probably only one phytochrome gene in Mougeotia."}
{"id": "PMID:1475324", "title": "Expression of oat phyA cDNA in the moss Ceratodon purpureus.", "content": "The possibility of transforming Ceratodon purpureus protoplasts by PEG-mediated direct DNA uptake was tested. Transformation with a plasmid carrying a kanamycin-resistance gene resulted in kanamycin-resistant colonies of C. purpureus protonemata. A full-length cDNA clone coding for oat phyA phytochrome was isolated. The clone HM4.1 which is 3.7-kb long exhibits about 99% nucleotide sequence identity to the known phytochrome clone AP3. The expression of HM4.1 in C. purpureus protonemata was tested. A construct with the 35S-promotor and the structural gene of HM4.1 was cotransformed with the plasmid containing the kanamycin-resistance. Kanamycin-resistant colonies were tested for the presence of HM4.1 sequences in a genomic Southern experiment. Two out of 19 kanamycin-resistant colonies reacted positively with a HM4.1 specific probe. The expression of phyA in the positive colonies was examined with monoclonal antibodies specific for oat phytochrome. The Western blot experiment with protein extracts of the two positive colonies grown in the dark revealed clear signals at 124-kDa which were not detected in control plants. These data demonstrate the possibility of expressing oat phyA-apoprotein in C. purpureus protonemata. The transgenic moss protonemata did not show phenotypical alterations in response to the foreign phytochrome polypeptide; it is not known at the moment if the tetrapyrole chromophore is attached to the oat polypeptide in the protonemata or not."}
{"id": "PMID:1475325", "title": "Events in the phytochrome molecule after irradiation.", "content": "The photoconversion of Pr to Pfr has been investigated by a large number of investigators. We have previously demonstrated that Z, E isomerization of the tetrapyrrole chromophore is involved in the photoconversion. It is the best candidate for the primary photoreaction. Conformation and configuration of the Pr chromophore will be compared with that of chromophores in phycocyanin. The crystal structure of phycocyanin had been elucidated by x-ray analysis. Proton transfer and/or Z, E isomerization of the tetrapyrrole are probably involved in different steps of the photoconversion in phytochrome and in photoreversible phycobiliproteins. Fluorescence decay kinetics of irradiated Pr and intermediate formation show heterogeneity. Possible reasons for this heterogeneity will be discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1475326", "title": "Calcium-regulated nuclear enzymes: potential mediators of phytochrome-induced changes in nuclear metabolism?", "content": "Calcium ions have been proposed to serve as important regulatory elements in stimulus-response coupling for phytochrome responses. An important test of this hypothesis will be to identify specific targets of calcium action that are required for some growth or development process induced by the photoactivated form of phytochrome (Pfr). Initial studies have revealed that there are at least two enzymes in pea nuclei that are stimulated by Pfr in a Ca(2+)-dependent fashion, a calmodulin-regulated nucleoside triphosphatase and a calmodulin-independent but Ca(2+)-dependent protein kinase. The nucleoside triphosphatase appears to be associated with the nuclear envelope, while the protein kinase co-purifies with a nuclear fraction highly enriched for chromatin. This short review summarizes the latest findings on these enzymes and relates them to what is known about Pfr-regulated nuclear metabolism."}
{"id": "PMID:1475327", "title": "Signal transduction by phytochrome: phytochromes have a module related to the transmitter modules of bacterial sensor proteins.", "content": "A C-terminal section of phytochromes turned out to share sequence homologies with the full length of the transmitter modules (about 250 amino acids) of bacterial sensor proteins. Coinciding hydrophobic clusters within the homologous domains imply that the overall folding of the two different types of peptides is similar. Hence, phytochromes appear to possess the structural prerequisites to transmit signals in a way bacterial sensor proteins do. The bacterial sensor proteins are known to be environmental stimuli-regulated kinases belonging to two-component systems. After sensing a stimulus by the N-terminal part of the sensor protein, conformational alterations confer the signal to its (mostly) C-terminal transmitter module which in turn is transitionally autophosphorylated at a conserved histidine. From the histidine the phosphate is transferred to the receiver module of a system-specific regulator protein which eventually acts on transcription or enzyme activity. The histidine is not conserved in phytochromes. Instead, a conserved tyrosine is found spatially very close to the histidine position. This tyrosine might play the role of histidine, and kinase function might be associated with this part of phytochrome. In spite of this divergence, the structural similarities point to a common evolutionary origin of the phytochrome and bacterial modules."}
{"id": "PMID:1475328", "title": "Effective courtroom testimony.", "content": "Participating in a medical/legal situation is quite different from the ordinary office or hospital experience and requires the expert to see that all of the new parameters are clarified. A thorough and complete evaluation with a review of all the pertinent records and interviews with ancillary individuals is necessary, as is good preparation by way of a pre-trial conference with the attorney. Review of all notes and records prior to deposition or testimony can put the expert at ease. Once under oath, the expert is expected to tell the truth and not advocate for the retaining party. On the other hand, the expert must advocate for his opinion. When the answer is not known, or when one is proven wrong because new data is presented, then the expert must readily admit this. The expert should take the necessary time, pausing, listening to the question, reflecting upon the answer, giving time to the attorney to object. This trip through the vagaries of the legal system should assist psychiatrists in feeling more at ease when participating in forensic matters."}
{"id": "PMID:1475330", "title": "Systems ethics and the history of medical ethics.", "content": "This paper reviews the current conclusions in medical ethics which have followed the 1969-1970 Medical Ethics Discontinuity, a break that challenged the Hippocratic way of thinking about ethics. The resulting dislocations in quality of care and the medical value system are discussed, and an alternative medical ethics is offered: Systems Ethics. A methodology for a Systems Ethics analysis of cases is presented and illustrated by the case of a physician-assisted suicide. The advantages, both theoretical and clinical, of a Systems Ethics approach to medicine, which is an expansion of the Hippocratic tradition in medical ethics, are developed. Using Systems Ethics, it is possible to avoid the dangers of legalism, bureaucratic ethics, utilitarian cost cutting, and \"political correctness\" in medical ethics."}
{"id": "PMID:1475329", "title": "Tailoring adult psychiatric practices to the field of geriatrics.", "content": "The United States' population is aging. Epidemiological surveys suggest significant rates of mental illness amongst the rapidly growing over-65 cohort. A burgeoning experience and data base related to the developing sub-discipline of geriatric psychiatry is now available. This article synthesizes key issues and concepts as an introduction to geropsychiatric practice-in particular, a) the interface between medical illness and psychiatric expression in the elderly, b) delirium, c) dementia, and d) depression-and considers their interactions. Finally, there is a brief overview of geriatric psychopharmacology, followed by clinically-oriented discussions of each of the major classes of psychotropics as applied to a geriatric population."}
{"id": "PMID:1475331", "title": "Diagnosis and treatment of personality disorders.", "content": "This article touches on four current areas of controversy in the field of the personality disorders -- definition, etiology, assessment, and treatment. There is a tremendous amount of disability, personal distress, and public health expense as a result of the personality disorders. We are seeing steady progress in each of these areas. The implications of this progress are enormous, and the interest in this area is widespread, not just among psychiatric health professionals or among patients and their families and friends, but also among the public at large."}
{"id": "PMID:1475334", "title": "A district survey of paediatric outpatient referrals.", "content": "A prospective analysis of general paediatric outpatient referrals to a district general hospital was conducted over four months. Because of geographical characteristics, this probably represents all referrals within the district during that time. The referral rate referral rate was 15.5 per thousand per annum. Only five children did not see a consultant at their first visit. One hundred and five children were discharged after one consultation. Communication between general practitioners and hospital appeared generally good. Although only 56 referral letters stated the urgency of referral, 351 (94%) stated a reason for referral. One hundred and five children could have been dealt with by the community child health service. The NHS reforms, fund-holding practices and the development of the community child health service may profoundly affect current outpatient workloads and practice."}
{"id": "PMID:1475335", "title": "Limitations of the OPCS congenital malformation notification system illustrated by examination of congenital malformations of the cardiovascular system in districts within the Trent Region.", "content": "Data are presented from OPCS notification statistics and other sources on rates of congenital cardiovascular malformations in the Trent Health Region and in its constituent Districts. While Trent in general, and some of its districts in particular, show high notification rates, other data sources suggest that the underlying malformation rate may not be raised compared with that seen nationally. Reasons for this discrepancy are discussed and the OPCS notification system is compared with that in Scotland."}
{"id": "PMID:1475336", "title": "Transferable deaths during 1990 for residents of Camberwell Health Authority.", "content": "Almost one quarter of all deaths among residents of Camberwell District Health Authority during 1990 occurred without the district ('transferable deaths'). These deaths differed from total deaths in that the main cause of study deaths was cancer, and many of these cases died in a hospice with which the district has no direct contact. However, the commonest location of deaths was in hospitals (57% of study death locations) and the majority of these cases died in London teaching hospitals with whom there are major contracts. As the three inner London South East Thames districts, including Camberwell, propose to merge into a single purchasing authority in 1993, all London hospitals where Camberwell residents died in this survey would be covered by the current range of contracts set by the three districts. The study identified a small but important group of deaths from HIV/AIDS, where it seems that people travelled, particularly, to West London for terminal care. A high proportion of deaths from injury and poisoning were either suicides or open verdicts. There were less transferable deaths among the major ethnic minorities in the district than expected, particularly among those of African and Caribbean descent. This may be due to the age and disease patterns in these populations, but may also require study into the need for terminal care among these groups. Transferable deaths are a useful source of epidemiological information and can highlight local health service strengths and deficits."}
{"id": "PMID:1475337", "title": "Awareness and practice of contraception among female students at the Institute of Management and Technology (IMT), Enugu.", "content": "A study of the knowledge, attitudes to and practice of contraception among the female students at the Institute of Management and Technology (IMT), Enugu, was carried out, involving 266 female students out of a total female student population of 1,510. The mean age of the population sample was 19.1 years and 254 (95%) were single. Ninety-six percent were aware of the availability of contraceptives. Knowledge relating to the practice of contraception was superficial since as many as 61% of the objectors believed that contraception subsequently led to infertility. One hundred and thirty (49%) of the studied population had used one form of contraception or another sometime in their lives. Seventy-six percent had not used any contraception for initial intercourse. The rhythm method followed by the barrier method were the most popular forms of contraception. Practice of contraception by the studied population was inconsistent as 21% of the students eventually had an unwanted pregnancy and 18% had an induced abortion. Health education is strongly recommended to our women folk in order to reduce the high incidence of unwanted pregnancy and its associated medical and social complications."}
{"id": "PMID:1475338", "title": "Beliefs about prematurely erupted teeth in rural Yoruba communities, Nigeria.", "content": "A descriptive study was carried out in two villages: Badeku and Olodo, near the city of Ibadan, between May and November 1990. The objective of the study was to investigate the knowledge, beliefs and attitudes of respondents to premature eruption of deciduous teeth in babies. Of the 622 people interviewed, a large proportion (30.5%) believed that the first deciduous tooth should erupt between the age of 5-7 months; the next commonly mentioned time of tooth eruption was 7-9 months of age; and 50.3% of the respondents claimed to have seen a case of prematurely erupted primary teeth. There was a statistically significant association between age and also between educational status of respondents and having seen premature eruption of teeth (P < 0.01). The majority of the people (53.7%) felt that the condition was an indication of an evil child. Only 22.1% of those interviewed thought it could be just an individual variation. On the recommended remedy or management of the condition, as many as 26 (4.1%) said they would get rid of the child. A high percentage felt that sacrifices should be offered to appease the gods. It is suggested that a transcultural approach be adopted in managing cases in which the parents feel particularly anxious and uncomfortable about prematurely erupted teeth in order to cater for the social well-being of the child and family. It is also recommended that appropriate health education be directed at the society as a whole concerning this condition."}
{"id": "PMID:1475339", "title": "Acute pesticide poisoning in the UK and information and training needs of general practitioners: recording a conundrum.", "content": "A postal questionnaire of all general practitioners (n = 68) in a District Health Authority was undertaken to identify the information and training they had received on acute pesticide poisoning. Fifty-six (82%) replies were received. The responses showed that 33 (59%) had not seen the standard Department of Health Guide to acute pesticide poisoning and only 20 (36%) of the respondents thought that their practice had a copy of this publication. None of those surveyed had ever used Health and Safety Executive Guidance Notes on pesticides. Ten practitioners (18%) reported that they had at some time diagnosed a case of acute pesticide poisoning and three (5%) had done so in the last two years. Only three respondents (5%) considered they had sufficient information to diagnose all the main pesticides listed in the Department of Health Guide but 24 (43%) considered they had sufficient information to diagnose rodenticide poisoning. Twenty-three (41%) considered they had insufficient information to diagnose any acute pesticide poisoning category. The sources of information used in cases of suspected acute pesticide poisoning were the National Poisons Information Services (e.g., Guy's Hospital) for 30 (54%); Accident and Emergency Departments for 19 (34%); and industry for nine (16%). Four (7%) considered they had sufficient training as a medical student to diagnose cases of acute pesticide poisoning and four (7%) considered they had sufficient training since graduating to diagnose such cases. Some of the problems related to the identification and diagnosis of acute pesticide poisoning are discussed and a number of specific recommendations are made to improve the information and training available to general practitioners.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1475342", "title": "Diagnostic exposure in a primary care clinic during pediatric training.", "content": "A retrospective and descriptive study was done in a general pediatric training site with the purpose of identifying the diagnoses to which the trainees have been exposed, as well as the changes in the pattern of these diagnoses. The number of patient-doctor contacts, type of patient visit, and frequency of diagnoses were compared. A total of 66,054 patient-doctor contacts occurred during the years 1979 to 1989, comprising 79.6 percent scheduled health visits and 20.4 percent emergency visits. The main diagnoses were: healthy child/adolescent (HV), well baby (WB), upper respiratory infection, skin diseases, bronchial asthma, acute gastroenteritis, otitis media, anemia, incomplete immunization, psychosocial problems, nutritional/linear growth problems, psychosomatic disturbances, parasitosis, and pneumonia. There was a significant decrease (P < .005) in the diagnosis of infectious diseases and a significant increase (P < .005) in the proportion of WB and HV. The latter were the two most common diagnoses in the year 1989."}
{"id": "PMID:1475343", "title": "Effect of various microbial preparations on P-388 mouse lymphocytic leukemia.", "content": "Four bacteria-derived immunopotentiators were tested for their protective effect on a P-388 mouse lymphocytic leukemia model. The microbial test products were prepared from the following bacterial strains: ATCC 35983 Staphylococcus epidermidis isolated from a patient with IV catheter; ATCC 31874, a patented strain listed as Staphylococcus epidermidis isolated from the urine of a cancer patient; ATCC 25615 Staphylococcus hominis obtained from a child with lymphocytic leukemia, and ATCC 25614 Staphylococcus warneri, an isolate from a patient with adenocarcinoma of the breast. A limited degree of protection and prolongation in survival time was observed in the animal group treated with the bacterial strain ATCC 31874."}
{"id": "PMID:1475344", "title": "[Anthropometric and physiological characteristics of Puerto Rican cyclists].", "content": "This study was conducted to describe various anthropometric, body composition, cardiorespiratory, metabolic and neuromuscular characteristics of 31 athletes (F = 5, M = 26) members of the Puertorrican Cycling Federation's national pre-selection. The athletes were divided into four categories according to their sex and age. The mean and standard deviation of all the variables in each category was computed. An Analysis of Covariance was conducted to determine significant differences between the mean's of the four categories. Male cyclists showed superior results compared to female cyclists in all the variables studied except body mass, ectomorphy, VO2 max, max HR, max power (W), and neuromuscular function in which they showed no statistical differences. The anthropometric, body composition, max power (W) and cardiorespiratory characteristics of our cyclists compared with those reported for international cyclists. The groups means for push ups, sit ups and flexibility were below the excellent classification when compared to the general population's health related physical fitness norms."}
{"id": "PMID:1475345", "title": "Ethylcellulose as a carrier for controlled-release acetaminophen tablets.", "content": "In this study ethylcellulose was evaluated as a carrier for preparation of prolonged release acetaminophen tablets. Solid dispersions containing three levels of ethylcellulose and acetaminophen (1:3; 1:1; 3:1) were prepared by the solvent method. Also physical mixtures at the same level of ethylcellulose and acetaminophen were prepared. Systems composed of solid dispersion or physical mixture containing the equivalent weight of 50 mg acetaminophen, Emcompress as diluent and 1% magnesium stearate as lubricant were compressed into tablets and tested for dissolution. The dissolution data showed that the drug release decreased as the level of ethylcellulose increased in the solid dispersion formulations. The drug release from tablets prepared with solid dispersion followed the diffusion controlled model for inert porous matrix, while the drug release from tablets prepared with physical mixture followed the first-order kinetic model."}
{"id": "PMID:1475347", "title": "Psychosocial problems of deinstitutionalized VA psychiatric patients in Puerto Rico.", "content": "As a result of public law 99-166 the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in San Juan (DVAMC), Puerto Rico engaged in a planned de-institutionalization of psychiatric veteran patients who had been treated in two contracted psychiatric hospitals in the community. This research seeks to determine whether they were receiving treatment after the deinstitutionalization effort was completed, the types of psychosocial problems they were facing and the resources utilized to cope with them. The authors found that the veterans were receiving treatment for their psychosocial problems, they relied to a great extent on DVAMC for services and that the psychosocial problems of those veterans over age 55 were less and differed from those under age 55."}
{"id": "PMID:1475348", "title": "Microdosimetry of diagnostic X rays: applications of the variance-covariance method.", "content": "Microdosimetric measurements in beams of diagnostic X rays (between 30 and 125 kV) have been performed. In these pulsed radiation fields, microdosimetric measurements are possible only by application of the variance-covariance technique. The dose mean lineal energy, yD, is determined for various simulated diameters, at different depths in the absorber, and at different points within the pulse intervals. From the measured temporal dependences one can also obtain values of yD for different X-ray pulse generators. The results demonstrate the potential of the variance-covariance method for a diversity of microdosimetric measurements in radiation protection and in the quality control of radiation beams."}
{"id": "PMID:1475349", "title": "Stopping power and the concept of effective ion charge at low energies.", "content": "A new formalism for the calculation of the ion-matter interaction phenomenon was developed by incorporating the atomic electron shell structure. This formalism allows for discrimination among the electrons of the target atoms according to their average positions with respect to the shell structure of the projectile ion. By doing so, we are able to show a strong dependence of the ion energy loss on its electron shell distribution. Thus a detailed quantum mechanical description of the moving ion is necessary to predict its precise trajectory and energy loss inside matter. The concept of an \"effective charge\" in the context of the electron stopping power formalism is emphasized and extended."}
{"id": "PMID:1475350", "title": "A spatially restricted linear energy transfer equation.", "content": "An analytical expression is developed for calculating the average energy deposited by an ion in a volume with dimensions less than the range of the secondary electrons produced. The expression is obtained by including two additional terms in an energy-restricted linear-energy-transfer equation. The usual energy-restricted expression accounts for energy deposited in the volume by energy transfers less than a certain cutoff value. The modified expression, due to the two additional terms, also accounts for energy deposited in the volume which results from energy transfers greater than the cutoff value. The additional terms therefore convert the energy-restricted equation to a distance- or spatially restricted equation. The method is used to obtain radial dose profile information on ion tracks and to calculate the energy deposited by an ion randomly incident upon spherical and hemispherical target sites. Results are in close agreement with more complex methods reported previously for ions with energies from 0.25 to 1000 MeV/amu in volumes of water vapor with dimensions from 1 nm to 10 microns. There are no fitted parameters in this general approach, and all the necessary input data are readily available."}
{"id": "PMID:1475351", "title": "Analysis of DNA damage at the dinucleoside monophosphate level: application to the formamido lesion.", "content": "The dinucleoside monophosphates d(TpG), d(TpC), and d(TpT) were X-irradiated in oxygenated solution. In each case the modification of the dinucleoside in which the thymine base is degraded to a formamido remnant was observed as a principal product. The hydrolysis of the phosphoester bond of formamido-modified dinucleosides is much slower than that of the corresponding unmodified dinucleosides. This effect is also observable in the hydrolysis of irradiated DNA, where hydrolysis by nuclease P1 (plus acid phosphatase) generates the modified dinucleosides d(TFpN), TF being the modified thymidine. The total yield of the formamido lesion in all its forms, d(TFpN), exceeds the yield of any other base modification."}
{"id": "PMID:1475352", "title": "Lipid peroxide levels in a murine adenocarcinoma exposed to hyperthermia: the role of glutathione depletion.", "content": "Increased lipid peroxide levels were obtained 1 h after a 60-min 43 degrees C hyperthermia treatment of a solid murine C3H mammary adenocarcinoma, grown subcutaneously in the hind paws of mice. Previous work from our group revealed that this heat treatment depletes the intracellular glutathione (GSH) content in this tumor. To investigate GSH depletion as one tentative mechanism behind the increased lipid peroxide levels obtained, we also measured the formation of lipid peroxidation products after extensive DL-buthionine-S,R-sulfoximine (BSO)-induced GSH depletion. The lipid peroxide effect provoked by BSO was less than that of the 60-min hyperthermia treatment. We therefore propose that the increased lipid peroxide levels induced by heat treatment do not correlate primarily with the observed decrease in GSH levels. Furthermore, in thermotolerance-induced tumors, lipid peroxide levels after a second heat treatment were observed to increase concomitantly with the cessation of thermotolerance. Lipid peroxide levels were also studied in liver, lung, and heart. Following BSO treatments, and up to 2-fold increase was observed in these organs in non-tumor-bearing mice. It was also observed that the intrinsic lipid peroxide levels in these organs from tumor-bearing mice were approximately 1.5- to 4-fold higher in comparison with non-tumor-bearing mice, thus indicating a systemic effect of the tumor implant."}
{"id": "PMID:1475353", "title": "Rat embryo cells immortalized with transfected oncogenes are transformed by gamma irradiation.", "content": "Cesium-137 gamma rays were used to transform rat embryo cells (REC) which were first transfected with activated c-myc or c-Ha-ras oncogenes to produce immortal cell lines (REC:myc and REC:ras). When exposed to 6 Gy of 137Cs gamma rays, some cells became morphologically transformed with focus formation frequencies of approximately 3 x 10(-4) for REC:myc and approximately 1 x 10(-4) for REC:ras, respectively. Cells isolated from foci of gamma-ray-transformed REC:myc (REC:myc:gamma) formed anchorage-independent colonies and were tumorigenic in nude mice, but foci from gamma-ray-transformed REC:ras (REC:ras:gamma) did not exhibit either of these criteria of transformation. Similar to the results with gamma irradiation, we observed a sequence-dependent phenomenon when myc and ras were transfected into REC, one at a time. REC immortalized by ras transfection were not converted to a tumorigenic phenotype by secondary transfection with myc, but REC transfected with myc were very susceptible to transformation by subsequent ras transfection. This suggests that myc-immortalized cells are more permissive to transformation via secondary treatments. In sequentially transfected REC, myc expression was high whether it was transfected first or second, whereas ras expression was highest when the ras gene was transfected secondarily into myc-containing REC. Molecular analysis of REC:ras:gamma transformants showed no alterations in structure of the transfected ras or of the endogenous ras, myc, p53, or fos genes. The expression of ras and p53 was increased in some isolates of REC:ras:gamma, but myc and fos expression were not affected. Similarly, REC:myc:gamma transformants did not demonstrate rearrangement or amplification of the transfected or the endogenous myc genes, or of the potentially cooperating Ha-, Ki-, or N-ras genes. Northern hybridization analysis revealed increased expression of N-ras in two isolates, REC:myc:gamma 33 and gamma 41, but no alterations in the expression of myc, raf, Ha-ras, or Ki-ras genes in any REC:myc transformant. DNA from several transformed REC:myc:gamma cell lines induced focus formation in recipient C3H 10T1/2 and NIH 3T3 cells. The NIH 3T3 foci tested positive when hybridized to a probe for rat repetitive DNA. A detailed analysis of the NIH 3T3 transformants generated from REC:myc:gamma 33 and gamma 41 DNA failed to detect Ha-ras, Ki-ras, raf, neu, trk, abl, fms, or src oncogenes of rat origin.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1475354", "title": "Repeated inhalation exposure of rats to aerosols of 144CeO2. I. Lung, liver, and skeletal dosimetry.", "content": "To develop a better understanding of the influence of cumulative radiation dose and dose rate to the lungs on the biological responses to inhaled radionuclides, several studies are in progress at this institute in which laboratory animals have been exposed once or repeatedly to aerosols of insoluble particles containing 144Ce or 239Pu. In the study reported here, F344 rats were exposed repeatedly to aerosols of 144CeO2 beginning at 94 days of age to reestablish desired lung burdens of 1.9, 9.2, 46, or 230 kBq of 144Ce every 60 days for 1 year (seven exposures). Other 94-day-old rats were exposed once to achieve similar desired initial lung burdens of 144Ce. Older rats were exposed once to achieve desired initial lung burdens of 46 or 230 kBq when 500 days of age, the age of the repeatedly exposed rats when exposed for the last time. Control rats were either unexposed, sham-exposed once or repeatedly, or exposed once or repeatedly to stable CeO2. Approximately equal numbers of male and female rats were used. The cumulative beta-radiation doses to the lungs, liver, and skeleton of rats exposed repeatedly were similar to those of rats with similar total lung burdens of 144Ce from a single inhalation exposure. The average beta-radiation dose rate to the lungs of the rats exposed repeatedly was about one-fifth of that in rats with similar total lung burdens after a single exposure."}
{"id": "PMID:1475355", "title": "Repeated inhalation exposure of rats to aerosols of 144CeO2. II. Effects on survival and lung, liver, and skeletal neoplasms.", "content": "Groups of 94-day-old F344/Crl rats were exposed repeatedly to aerosols of 144CeO2 to reestablish desired lung burdens of 1.9, 9.2, 46, or 230 kBq of 144Ce every 60 days for 1 year (seven exposures). Other 94-day-old rats were exposed once to achieve similar desired initial lung burdens of 144Ce. Older rats were exposed once to achieve desired initial lung burdens of 46 or 230 kBq when 500 days of age, the same age at which rats had the last of the repeated exposures. Control rats were either unexposed, sham-exposed once or repeatedly, or exposed once or repeatedly to stable CeO2. Approximately equal numbers of male and female rats were used. The median survival time and cumulative percentage survival curves were significantly decreased only in male and female rats exposed repeatedly to reestablish a 230-kBq lung burden and among the 94-day-old male rats exposed once to achieve a 230-kBq lung burden of 144Ce. The crude incidences of primary lung cancers (well described by a single Weibull distribution function), time to death with lung tumors, and risk of lung cancer per unit of beta-radiation dose to the lungs were correlated with the cumulative beta-radiation dose rather than the rate at which the dose was accumulated. A linear function, 70 (+/- 7.3) + -0.15 (+/- 0.056) x dose (+/- SD), adequately described the excess numbers of rats with lung cancers over a beta-radiation dose range to the lungs of 6.8 to 250 Gy for two groups of rats with the highest doses to the lungs after a single exposure and for two groups with the highest doses after repeated exposure."}
{"id": "PMID:1475356", "title": "Induction of mutations by bismuth-212 alpha particles at two genetic loci in human B-lymphoblasts.", "content": "The human lymphoblast cell line TK6 was exposed to the alpha-particle-emitting radon daughter 212Bi by adding DTPA-chelated 212Bi directly to the cell suspension. Cytotoxicity and mutagenicity at two genetic loci were measured, and the molecular nature of mutant clones was studied by Southern blot analysis. Induced mutant fractions were 2.5 x 10(-5)/Gy at the hprt locus and 3.75 x 10(-5)/Gy at the tk locus. Molecular analysis of HPRT- mutant DNAs showed a high frequency (69%) of clones with partial or full deletions of the hprt gene among radiation-induced mutants compared with spontaneous mutants (31%). Chi-squared analyses of mutational spectra show a significant difference (P < or = 0.005) between spontaneous mutants and alpha-particle-induced mutants. Comparison with published studies of accelerator-produced heavy-ion exposures of TK6 cells indicates that the induction of mutations at the hprt locus, and perhaps a subset of mutations at the tk locus, is a simple linear function of particle fluence regardless of the ion species or its LET."}
{"id": "PMID:1475357", "title": "Treatment of radiation nephropathy with captopril.", "content": "Both experimental and clinical radiation nephropathy are typically progressive, evolving to kidney failure over weeks to months. Other late radiation injuries (spinal cord, lung) are also progressive and have no known specific antidote. Recent reports of the efficacy of captopril in modifying radiation injury of the lung prompted this trial of captopril in treating established radiation nephropathy. Six months after 15-27 Gy in 12 fractions bilateral renal irradiation, 72 rats with blood urea nitrogen > 4.1 mmol/liter were started on captopril (500 mg/liter) or no drug in the drinking water. Subsequent survival was significantly enhanced in rats receiving captopril as opposed to no drug (P = 0.0013), and the rate of rise of blood urea nitrogen was significantly diminished (P < 0.0001) in the animals on captopril. Urine protein excretion was also reduced from initially elevated levels in the rats on captopril compared to levels in rats given no drug. We conclude that captopril therapy preserves kidney function, reduces proteinuria, and enhances survival in experimental radiation nephropathy."}
{"id": "PMID:1475358", "title": "The combined use of 131I-labeled antibody and the hypoxic cytotoxin SR 4233 in vitro and in vivo.", "content": "Radioimmunotherapy is hindered by the slow penetration of antibody molecules into tumors. Cells that are poorly targeted by antibody, because of their distance from feeding blood vessels, receive the lowest radiation dose, and this problem is compounded if there are radioresistant hypoxic cells present. It would be desirable to combine radioimmunotherapy with an agent that is preferentially toxic to these cells. SR 4233 is a potent hypoxic cytotoxin, and it was combined with 131I-NR-LU-10 to treat LS174T human colon adenocarcinoma multicell spheroids and nude mouse xenografts for these studies. Under conditions of severe hypoxia (< 0.01% O2), 2 h of pretreatment or 18 h of simultaneous treatment with SR 4233 did not significantly enhance the effectiveness of 131I-NR-LU-10 in spheroids. However, under aerobic conditions with a 10% fraction of hypoxic cells, there was more toxicity than would be predicted from simple additivity. Xenografts treated with 131I-NR-LU-10 + SR 4233 had a growth delay that was significantly longer than that achieved with 131I-NR-LU-10 alone. In both spheroids and xenografts, combined treatment produced about 10 times more cell killing than 131I-NR-LU-10 alone. The lack of enhancement in spheroids under complete hypoxia suggests that SR 4233 does not sensitize hypoxic cells to radiation damage. The results with aerobic spheroids and in vivo, where a portion of the cells were hypoxic, could be explained by the targeting of different cell populations (hypoxic and aerobic) by each therapeutic modality. This effect should also be enhanced by reoxygenation and reestablishment of the hypoxic fraction during treatment, thus allowing more than the initially hypoxic fraction of cells to be killed by the SR 4233."}
{"id": "PMID:1475359", "title": "Leukotriene C4-induced radioprotection: the role of hypoxia.", "content": "Pretreatment of mice with leukotriene C4 (LTC4), a biological mediator that can cause marked contraction of vascular, tracheal, and bronchial smooth muscles, enhances radiation survival. Optimal protection is observed with 10 micrograms LTC4 per mouse (400 micrograms/kg body wt) administered subcutaneously 5 to 10 min prior to irradiation. Pretreatment with 10 micrograms LTC4 increases the LD50/30 from 8.36 Gy in mice receiving saline to 15.7 Gy, providing a dose reduction factor of 1.9. Enhanced survival of mice was observed with doses of 50 micrograms LTD4/mouse, but not with LTE4. Fifteen minutes after administration of 10 micrograms LTC4, the breathing rate is reduced by 33%, the blood paO2 by 20%, the paCO2 by 29%, and the HCO3- by 43%. Whole blood lactate increased by 288% at this same time. The period over which the elevation in blood lactate occurs is similar to the times for optimal radioprotection. These data coupled with the finding that protection was eliminated when irradiation occurred in an enriched oxygen atmosphere indicate that hypoxia plays a role in leukotriene C4-induced animal radiation survival. High-performance liquid chromatography and tissue distribution analyses support a role for an indirect mechanism since the highest levels of LTC4 in the tissues do not correlate with the peak time for radioprotection."}
{"id": "PMID:1475360", "title": "Radioiodinated 1-(2-fluoro-4-iodo-2,4-dideoxy-beta-L-xylopyranosyl)-2-nitroimidazole: a novel probe for the noninvasive assessment of tumor hypoxia.", "content": "1-(2-Fluoro-4-iodo-2,4-dideoxy-beta-L-xylopyranosyl)-2-nitroimidazole (FIAZP) has been synthesized and labeled with radioiodine (125I). Radioiodinated FIAZP is one of a series of sugar-coupled 2-nitroimidazoles developed in our laboratory as probes for noninvasive scintigraphic assessment of tumor hypoxia. An in vivo biodistribution study with [125I]FIAZP in the murine BALB/c EMT-6 tumor model showed a tumor-to-blood ratio of 6, 24 h after injection, with 0.5% of the injected dose present per gram of tumor. These values are several times higher than the respective ratios and distribution values in any of the organs, with the exception of liver. Radioactivity from tissues other than tumor and liver declined with time, following the decline of blood radioactivity. Rapid whole-body elimination of radioactivity was observed (> 96% in 24 h). The thyroid showed little uptake of radioactivity, indicating minimal in vivo deiodination. 1-(2-Fluoro-4-iodo-2,4-dideoxy-beta-L-xylopranosyl)-2-nitroimidazo le appears to undergo hypoxia-dependent binding in tumor tissue at levels comparable to those of other sugar-coupled 2-nitroimidazoles. The potential for imaging with this compound is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1475361", "title": "Effect of dose rate on the survival of irradiated human skin fibroblasts.", "content": "The survival of cells in density-inhibited, confluent cultures maintained at 37 degrees C was examined following exposure to 137Cs gamma rays at low dose rates (0.023 or 0.153 Gy/h) or to 60Co gamma rays at a single high dose rate (0.70-0.75 Gy/min). Cells from an ataxia telangiectasia (AT) homozygote showed no dose-rate effect, whereas a three- to fivefold increase in D0 was observed for all other cell strains exposed at low dose rates. The magnitude of the dose-rate effect did not differ significantly among cells from persons with hereditary retinoblastoma, basal cell nevus syndrome, or AT-heterozygote compared with normal cell strains, and was not related to the size of the shoulder (extrapolation number) of the survival curve. Furthermore, no differences in the capacity for the repair of potentially lethal damage during confluent holding were observed among these latter cell strains."}
{"id": "PMID:1475368", "title": "5-lipoxygenase inhibitors and their anti-inflammatory activities.", "content": "A wide variety of agents have been reported as 5-LO inhibitors. The majority of the series appear to be lipophilic reducing agents, including phenols, partially saturated aromatics, and compounds containing heteroatom-heteroatom bonds. Many of these are not selective 5-LO inhibitors, but often affect CO and other LOs as well. In vivo systemic activity for many of these has been, in general, disappointing, probably because of poor bioavailability caused by lipophilicity and metabolic instability (oxidation, and conjugation of phenolic compounds). However, topically a number of agents have shown promise for skin inflammation, with Syntex's lonapalene the most advanced of these. Most results published to date appear more disappointing in the allergy/asthma field. More excitingly, a few structural types are selective 5-LO inhibitors which have shown systemic activity in vivo and in the clinic. Abbott's zileuton (136) appears to be one of the leading compounds in this category, along with other hydroxamates such as BW-A4C (129) from Burroughs-Wellcome. Recent selective non-reducing agents such as Wyeth-Ayerst's Wy-50,295 (143) and the similar ICI compounds such as ICI 216800 (145) also hold promise. The enantiospecific effects of (106) and (145) are especially interesting for the design of new inhibitors. If compounds like these validate the hypothesis that inhibition of 5-LO will have a significant anti-inflammatory effect, a redoubling of effort throughout the industry to find second- and third-generation selective agents may be expected. Part of the difficulty in interpreting and comparing the 5-LO literature is the plethora of test methods and activity criteria. As pointed out in the introduction, inhibition of product release from cells, often stimulated with A23187, has commonly been used to demonstrate 5-LO inhibition. However, this type of assay cannot be assumed to be diagnostic for 5-LO inhibition. Only if specificity for 5-LO product generation and (ideally) activity in cell-free enzymes is also shown should mechanistic interpretations be made. Recently, a new class of compounds was found at Merck which inhibited LT biosynthesis without inhibiting 5-LO, but apparently by a novel, specific mechanism. L-655,240 (169) and L-663,536 (MK-886) (170) were both active in human ISN, with IC50 values in the low micromolar range. Both also orally inhibited GPB (< 1 mg/kg). MK-886 was effective in Ascaris-induced asthma in squirrel monkeys, in rat carrageenan pleurisy, in rat Arthus pleurisy, and (topically) in guinea-pig ear oedema induced by A23187.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1475374", "title": "The production of arachidonic acid metabolites in rat testis.", "content": "There is growing evidence that arachidonic acid is oxygenated enzymatically in every cell type and that the oxygenated metabolites regulate a variety of pathological and physiological processes including reproduction. In the present study, the metabolism of arachidonic acid in the testis via cyclooxygenase and lipoxygenase pathways was analyzed. Testicular microsomes showed substantial cyclooxygenase activity as measured by the polarographic method. Analysis of the products on TLC revealed PGF2 alpha (79.5%) as the main product followed by PGE2 (20.3%) and PGD2 (0.17%). At higher substrate concentrations (150 microM), however, 6-keto-PGF1 alpha, the stable metabolite of prostacyclin, was observed in substantial quantities. Maximum activity of lipoxygenase was observed at pH 6.4 in both microsomes and cytosol, the activity being higher in cytosol. Analysis of lipoxygenase pathway products with arachidonic acid as the substrate, revealed the presence of 12-HPETE as the major product both in cytosol and in microsomes. Besides this, 15- and 5-HPETEs were also observed in substantial quantities."}
{"id": "PMID:1475375", "title": "Jugular plasma concentrations of 13,14-dihydro-15-keto-prostaglandin F2 alpha in prepubertal beef heifers treated with progestogen then challenged with oxytocin.", "content": "Prepubertal Angus crossbred heifers (n = 24) between 8 and 10 mo of age were used to determine if progestogen treatment would enhance jugular concentrations of 13,14-dihydro-15-keto-prostaglandin F2 alpha (PGFM) after oxytocin (OT) injections. Heifers were stratified by age and weight and allotted to randomized treatments in a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement. Heifers were treated with either a norgestomet (NOR) implant (6 mg) for 9 d or no implant (0 mg; BLK). On d 8 of NOR treatment, jugular veins were catheterized and, on d 9, blood samples were collected every 15 min for 165 min. The first four samples were used to determine basal PGFM concentrations (an indirect measure of uterine PGF2 alpha release). After collection of the fourth sample, either OT (100 IU) or saline (0 IU; SAL) was injected via the jugular catheter. After the 165-min sample was collected, NOR implants were removed. Beginning 48 h after implant removal, a second 165- min blood sampling period was initiated. Average progesterone concentrations were less than 1 ng/ml during both bleeding periods. Within treatment, PGFM concentrations were similar between the first and second sampling periods; therefore, data within treatment were combined. Basal PGFM concentrations were higher (P < .01) in NOR-treated than in BLK heifers. Oxytocin did not increase PGFM concentrations in BLK-OT heifers; however, a marked increase in PGFM was detected in the NOR-OT heifers in response to oxytocin. Average PGFM concentration was greatest (P < .0001) in NOR-OT heifers, and PGFM profiles differed (P < .0001) between NOR-OT and each of the other treatment groups. Results from this study indicate that NOR increases basal PGFM and may \"condition\" the uterus to respond to OT in prepubertal heifers."}
{"id": "PMID:1475376", "title": "Intrauterine infusion of prostaglandin E2 and subsequent luteal function in cattle.", "content": "The objective was to evaluate the effect of intrauterine infusion of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) on luteal function in cattle. Heifers and cows were randomly assigned after two normal estrous cycles to either PGE2 or control treatment groups. Females in Treatment A were infused with 1 mg of PGE2 once daily into the uterine horn ipsilateral to the corpus luteum between days 7-10 of the estrous cycle with a 0.25 ml plastic semen straw and an artificial insemination pipette. Females in Treatment B were similarly infused with 1 mg of PGE2 once daily in 20 ml of a carrier vehicle via a catheter on days 10 and 11 of the estrous cycle. Control animals were infused with the carrier vehicle using either a semen straw (Treatment C) or via a catheter (Treatment D) on the same days of the estrous cycle. Blood samples were collected daily to monitor plasma progesterone concentrations during the treatment period. Females infused with PGE2 on days 7-10 of the estrous cycle returned to estrus in a mean of 23.5 days (range 22-25 days) and were similar (P > 0.05) to those infused on days 10 and 11 which returned to estrus in 23.5 days (range 22-25 days). Animals similarly infused with carrier vehicle on the same days of the estrous cycle returned to standing estrus in 20.2 days (range 17-23 days). Plasma progesterone concentrations indicated an extended period of elevated progesterone concentrations in PGE2-treated animals compared with control animals. These results indicate that short term administration of PGE2 early in the estrous cycle may result in extended luteal maintenance."}
{"id": "PMID:1475377", "title": "Effects of thromboxane synthase and cyclooxygenase inhibition on PAF-induced changes in lung function and arachidonic acid metabolism.", "content": "PAF was administered as an intravenous bolus (0.1 micrograms/kg) to eight chronically instrumented awake sheep. The effects of pretreatment with an inhibitor of cyclooxygenase (meclofenamate) on PAF-induced changes in lung function were compared to those observed with a specific inhibitor of thromboxane synthase (DP1904). Each animal was studied four times in varied order: PAF alone, PAF + DP1904, PAF + meclofenamate, and DP1904 alone. Saline alone (control), DP1904 alone, and meclofenamate alone did not cause changes in any of the measured variables. DP1904 and meclofenamate significantly attenuated the PAF-induced fall in lung compliance, elevation in peak pulmonary artery pressure, and increased lung lymph flow. Both drugs abolished the PAF-induced increases in lung lymph thromboxane B2 concentrations. Meclofenamate, but not DP1904, blocked the rise in lymph 6-keto-PGF1 alpha. Although meclofenamate blocked the rise in lymph PGE2, DP1904 resulted in levels 2.7 times higher than PAF alone. We conclude that: (1) inhibition of thromboxane synthase is as effective as inhibition of cyclooxygenase in attenuating PAF-induced changes in lung function, and (2) thromboxane synthase inhibition results in augmented production of PGE2 following PAF administration in vivo."}
{"id": "PMID:1475378", "title": "Oxidative metabolism of N-phenyllinoleamide by human nasal polyps.", "content": "N-phenyllinoleamide (NPLA), the anilide of linoleic acid, has been associated with the epidemiology of Toxic Oil Syndrome, but no data are available on its metabolism. On account of the similarity in chemical structure between the linoleic acid and NPLA, the aim of this study has been to investigate the oxidative metabolism of this xenobiotic by the human nasal polyp, a tissue with elevated 15-lipoxygenase activity. For this purpose, tissue homogenates have been incubated for 2 h with NPLA (0.1 mM) spiked with either N-(ring G-3H)PLA (0.2 microCi/ml) or N-P(1-14C)LA (0.05 microCi/ml). Gas chromatographic/mass spectrometric analysis of the high performance liquid radiochromatographic fractions shows that the 9,12,13-trihydroxy, 12,13-epoxy-11-hydroxy and 13-hydroxy NPLA derivatives are the major metabolites. These results revealed that NPLA metabolites are chemical structures related to the linoleic acid derivatives, some of which may show biological activity."}
{"id": "PMID:1475386", "title": "[Diagnostic value of antibodies against HIV-1 proteins in seropositive drug addicts tested by the western blotting method].", "content": "The incidence of various patterns of antibodies against HIV 1 proteins was tested by Western blot in EIA--positive serum samples from intravenous drug abusers. The presence of anti-p24, anti-gp160 and anti-gp120 antibodies was the most typical pattern suggestive for early humoral response. In most instances of indeterminate results subsequent WB tests performed during 4 to 6 week period showed whole spectrum of anti-HIV 1 antibodies."}
{"id": "PMID:1475400", "title": "Incentive learning following reinforcer devaluation is not conditional upon the motivational state during re-exposure.", "content": "Three experiments analysed the effect of re-exposure to the reinforcer following aversion conditioning on instrumental performance. In the first experiment, groups of hungry and thirsty rats were trained to press a lever for sucrose, which was then followed by a single injection of lithium chloride (LiCl). On the following day, half the animals in each motivational condition received re-exposure to the sucrose solution; the remaining animals were not re-exposed. In a subsequent extinction test animals that had received re-exposure to the sucrose pressed less than animals that were not re-exposed. Moreover, the effect of re-exposure to the sucrose solution was similar following training under hunger and thirst. In the remaining studies, animals were trained to lever-press for sucrose while either hungry or thirsty. They were then injected with LiCl and re-exposed to the sucrose while either hungry or thirsty, i.e. in the same or different motivational state employed during training, or they were not re-exposed. Lever pressing was then tested in extinction in the training motivational state. As in the first experiment, re-exposure to the reinforcer after aversion conditioning enhanced the magnitude of the reinforcer devaluation effect. More importantly, re-exposure to the sucrose produced a comparable effect on instrumental performance, whether re-exposure was given under the same or different motivational state to that employed during training. These results suggest that the instrumental reinforcer devaluation effect depends upon a process of incentive learning, but that this process is not conditional upon the current motivational state of the animal."}
{"id": "PMID:1475401", "title": "Signalling and incentive processes in instrumental reinforcer devaluation.", "content": "We have previously reported that conditioning an aversion to the reinforcer using an isotonic lithium chloride (LiCl) solution following instrumental training reduces performance in a subsequent extinction test only if animals are re-exposed to the reinforcer prior to the test. Rescorla (1992), in contrast, reported an immediate devaluation effect using a hypertonic LiCl solution that did not depend upon re-exposure. In two experiments we examined the effect of using a hypertonic LiCl solution to condition the aversion to the reinforcer on subsequent instrumental performance in extinction, with and without re-exposure. In Experiment 1 thirsty rats were trained to press a lever for a sucrose solution before being injected with 0.6 M LiCl either immediately or after a delay. Half of the immediate and delay groups were then re-exposed to the sucrose in the absence of the lever, with the remainder being exposed to water. Contrary to the previously reported effects of isotonic LiCl, a hypertonic solution induced a reinforcer devaluation effect in all the immediately poisoned animals, which did not depend upon re-exposure to the reinforcer. In Experiment 2 the possibility that this devaluation effect was induced by the discomfort associated with the hypertonicity of the solution was assessed by replicating Experiment 1 but, in addition, using two immediately poisoned groups given the LiCl injection under anaesthesia. In the absence of anaesthesia, the devaluation effect observed without re-exposure to the reinforcer in Experiment 1 was replicated. When the injection was given under anaesthesia, however, a reinforcer devaluation effect was observed only in animals that were re-exposed to the reinforcer prior to the extinction test. These results were interpreted as evidence that a reinforcer devaluation effect induced by pairing the reinforcer with illness depends upon a process of incentive learning, whereas a devaluation effect mediated by learning a signalling relationship between the reinforcer and somatic discomfort does not."}
{"id": "PMID:1475402", "title": "Potentiation by a taste of toxicosis-based context conditioning: effects of varying the test fluid.", "content": "Rats that drank water in a distinctive environment and were then injected with lithium chloride (water-lithium condition) were compared with those given an added taste on those conditioning sessions (sucrose-lithium condition). In three experiments this taste potentiated a conditioned aversion to the context, as measured by suppression of intake of another solution: either a novel sour taste (Experiments 1 and 2) or a familiar saline solution (Experiment 3). In contrast, this potentiation effect was not detected when subjects were tested with water, whether a high or low dose of lithium was used (Experiment 2). Instead, in Experiments 1 and 2 water-lithium subjects drank less water than did the sucrose-lithium subjects on such tests i.e. an apparent overshadowing effect, which was the opposite outcome to that found previously using almost identical procedures. Intake on recovery sessions in another context suggested that, when water is used as the test fluid, potentiation can be masked by two factors: a context-dependent aversion to water in water-lithium subjects, and a conditioned inhibition effect of water in sucrose-lithium subjects. These may account for previous failures to detect potentiation of context conditioning."}
{"id": "PMID:1475403", "title": "Contextual factors in neophobia and its habituation: the role of absolute and relative novelty.", "content": "In four experiments we investigated the role of contextual cues in the habituation of neophobia in rats. Experiment 1 showed that the consumption of a novel flavour increased across a series of presentations in one context (A) but fell when the flavour was subsequently presented in a second, novel, context (B). In Experiments 2 and 3, subjects again received exposure to a flavour in context A, but also were familiarized with the test context, B. These subjects consumed the flavour with equal readiness, whether it was presented in Context A or in Context B at test. Experiment 4 replicated the results of Experiment 1 and also showed that the consumption of a novel flavour was not influenced by whether it was presented in a novel or a familiar context. Several mechanisms by which the novelty or familiarity of the context might interact with the novelty or familiarity of the flavour were discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1475404", "title": "Calcitonin gene-related peptide neurons innervating the canine digestive system.", "content": "The pattern of nerve cells and fibers containing calcitonin gene-related peptide immunoreactivity (CGRP-IR) was investigated in the canine digestive tract by means of immunohistochemistry. CGRP-IR nerve fibers innervate all the layers of the gut, including the vasculature, with different densities depending on the region. CGRP-IR processes are sparse in the esophagus and stomach, where they are mostly confined to the enteric plexuses and vasculature. CGRP-IR fibers are quite abundant in the small and large intestine, where they form dense arborizations in the mucosa, and are numerous in the muscularis mucosae, deep muscular plexus and circular muscle. The myenteric and submucous plexuses of the intestine contain dense networks of CGRP-IR fibers and numerous CGRP-IR ganglion cells. On the other hand, in the enteric ganglia of the esophagus and stomach, in the intrapancreatic ganglia and in the ganglionated plexus of the gallbladder, CGRP-IR is restricted to non-varicose processes. A moderate density of CGRP-IR fibers supplies the endocrine and exocrine pancreas, and the fibromuscular layer and lamina propria of the gallbladder. The density of CGRP innervation in different regions can be summarized as follows: intestine >> pancreas and gallbladder > or = antrum > cardia > gastric corpus and distal esophagus. CGRP- and tachykinin (TK)-IRs are colocalized in a substantial population of fibers, particularly those distributed to the mucosa, muscularis mucosae and vasculature, whereas there was no evidence of colocalization in intrinsic ganglion cells. The present results suggest that (1) the CGRP innervation of the dog digestive system includes an intrinsic and an extrinsic component, and (2) CGRP- and TK-IRs are co-expressed in extrinsic nerve fibers. These findings extend previous observations in rats and guinea pigs and provide insights into the sites of action of CGRP in the digestive system of the dog, which has served as a model for CGRP functional studies."}
{"id": "PMID:1475405", "title": "Enzymatic degradation of endothelin-1 by activated human polymorphonuclear neutrophils.", "content": "Endothelin-1 (ET-1) is a potent vasoconstrictor peptide secreted by endothelial cells. We investigated whether polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN) were able to destroy this peptide by enzymatic hydrolysis produced either by the membrane-bound endopeptidase 24.11 or by lysosomal proteinases released in the medium by activated cells. Resting and activated PMN were incubated with 125I-labelled ET-1 and the degradation fragments were analyzed by HPLC. A marked degradation of ET-1 was observed only in the presence of the stimulated cells, leading to the generation of seven radiolabelled peaks. Addition of phosphoramidon had no effect on the appearance of these metabolites, while soybean trypsin inhibitor abolished almost completely the degradation of the peptide, suggesting a role of cathepsin G in ET-1 hydrolysis. Among the purified leukocyte enzymes tested, cathepsin G hydrolyzed 125I-labelled ET-1 at the higher rate and gave rise to two radiolabelled peaks already observed in the presence of activated PMN. Incubation of unlabelled ET-1 with purified cathepsin G allowed to identify a major cleavage site corresponding to the His16-Leu17 bond, leading to the formation of inactive [1-16] fragments and the C-terminal pentapeptide. This mechanism of ET-1 inactivation could play a role in acute inflammatory reaction where PMN adhere to the vascular endothelial cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1475406", "title": "Plasma concentration of neuropeptide Y in patients with adrenal hypertension.", "content": "The mechanisms of hypertension during primary hyperaldosteronism and Cushing's syndrome are not completely understood. An enhanced vascular sensitivity to noradrenaline has been described in both situations. Neuropeptide Y (NPY) induces direct vasoconstriction and potentiates the action of noradrenaline. Sodium retention and dexamethasone have been shown to increase circulating NPY levels in animals and the expression of NPY in neuroendocrine cells. In order to determine if NPY could be involved in the enhanced vascular sensitivity to noradrenaline associated with adrenocortical hyperactivity, we measured plasma NPY in patients with Cushing's syndrome (n = 26) and primary hyperaldosteronism (n = 15) and compared it with that of hypertensive patients with pheochromocytomas (n = 13) or essential hypertension (n = 51) and with normotensive controls (n = 47). The concentration of NPY-Like immunoreactivity (NPY-Li) (mean +/- S.E.) in controls was 39.6 +/- 3.0 pg/ml. Elevated concentrations were found in 77% of the samples collected from pheochromocytoma patients (1180.4 +/- 394.0 pg/ml). NPY-Li levels in patients with essential hypertension (35.0 +/- 2.6 pg/ml), primary hyperaldosteronism (31.3 +/- 3.9 pg/ml) and Cushing's syndrome (33.1 +/- 4.8 pg/ml) were not different from that of controls. NPY-Li levels in hypertensive and normotensive patients with Cushing's syndrome were similar (38.5 +/- 7.5 vs 24.2 +/- 3.7 pg/ml). No correlation was found between the NPY-Li level and the mean blood pressure at the time of sampling. Our results suggest that NPY is unlikely to be involved in the pathogenesis of hypertension associated with primary hyperaldosteronism and Cushing's syndrome."}
{"id": "PMID:1475407", "title": "Structure-function studies of five natural, including catfish and dogfish, gonadotropin-releasing hormones and eight analogs on reproduction in Thai catfish (Clarias macrocephalus).", "content": "Five distinct forms of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) and their analogs, six of which are newly designed, were used to study reproduction in Thai catfish, Clarias macrocephalus. Determination was made for the percentage of fish that ovulated within 16-18 h; the percentage of eggs fertilized; and the percentage of larva that hatched and survived for 7 days. The results show, firstly, that natural chicken GnRH-II, which is identical with catfish GnRH-II, was significantly more effective at a dose of 300 micrograms/kg than the control injection for the induction of ovulation. Dogfish GnRH at the same dose was also significantly more effective than the control, but was not significantly different from chicken (catfish) GnRH-II for ovulation induction. The novel catfish GnRH-I, mammalian GnRH and salmon GnRH were not effective at 100, 150 or 300 micrograms/kg in Thai catfish. Secondly, 5 of 8 analogs of GnRH at a dose of 20 micrograms/kg resulted in a significantly higher percentage of ovulating fish compared with the control fish. Among these five analogs, the most effective were the two analog forms of chicken GnRH-II (D-Arg6,Pro9 NEt and D-Nal6,Pro9 NEt), followed by the salmon GnRH analog (D-Arg6,Pro9 NEt), a dogfish GnRH analog (D-Arg6,Pro9 NEt) and the mammalian GnRH analog (D-Ala6,Pro9 NEt). Not significantly different from the controls were the two catfish GnRH-I analogs and one of the dogfish (D-Nal6,Pro9 NEt) analogs. The six new analogs had not been previously tested in any animal. Thirdly, the number of fish ovulating was the same whether GnRH was administered in one or two injections."}
{"id": "PMID:1475408", "title": "Human epidermal growth factor-on molecular forms present in urine and blood.", "content": "A sensitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for quantitation of human epidermal growth factor (EGF) was employed to study EGF in urine and blood. The EGF/creatinine ratio in urine was significantly higher for women (range and (median); 0.20-0.83 (0.50) nmol EGF/mmol creatinine) than for men (0.17-0.63 (0.30) nmol EGF/mmol creatinine). We were not able to demonstrate EGF in plasma (median plasma EGF < 0.01 nmol/l) whereas serum contained a range and (median) of 0.02-0.31 (0.12) nmol EGF/l. The amount of EGF in serum showed a weak correlation to the platelet count (r = 0.327). EGF was partly purified by affinity chromatography from urine (urine EGF) and from activated platelets in platelet rich plasma (blood EGF). Both blood and urine contained a high molecular weight form of EGF (HMW EGF) as well as 6 kDa EGF. HMW EGF from blood was similar to HMW EGF from urine concerning behaviour upon gel filtration, pI and apparent affinity constant for binding to the EGF receptor. However, HMW EGF constituted approx. 40% of blood EGF but only 10% of urinary EGF. The 6 kDa EGF from both blood and urine contained two isopeptides with pI around 4.40 and 4.15 but in various proportions. The apparent affinity constant for binding to the EGF receptor for blood 6 kDa EGF was 1.8 x 10(10) l/mol compared to 1.0 x 10(10) l/mol for urinary 6 kDa EGF and 0.8 x 10(10) l/mol for HMW EGF from both blood and urine. The present study suggests that the processing of the EGF precursor differs in the blood and in the kidneys and that 6 kDa EGF from blood and urine binds to the EGF receptor with a higher apparent affinity constant than does HMW EGF."}
{"id": "PMID:1475409", "title": "Degradation and inactivation of rat atrial natriuretic peptide 1-28 by neutral endopeptidase-24.11 in rat pulmonary membranes.", "content": "Atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), a 28-residue peptide with cardiovascular and renal effects, is rapidly cleared from the circulation. Beside renal clearance, an extra-renal metabolism by the enzyme neutral endopeptidase-24.11 (NEP-24.11) has been proposed, since specific NEP-24.11-inhibitors increase endogenous plasma-ANP. NEP-24.11 is present in rat lung but its significance for ANP hydrolysis within the lung is unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate a possible degradation of rat ANP in a membrane preparation from rat lung. Hydrolysis products of ANP were separated by HPLC and further characterized by a pulmonary artery bioassay, by radioimmunoassay with different antisera, by peptide sequencing and by masspectrometry. Rat pulmonary membranes degraded ANP to one main metabolite lacking biological activity and with poor cross-reactivity to an antiserum recognising the central ring-structure of the peptide. Formation of the hydrolysis product was prevented by the NEP-24.11-inhibitor phosphoramidon (1 microM). Peptide sequencing of the metabolite revealed a cleavage between Cys7 and Phe8, which was confirmed by mass-spectrometry. The metabolite had an HPLC elution time identical to that of the product formed by purified porcine NEP-24.11. These findings suggest that ANP is metabolized and inactivated by endopeptidase-24.11 in rat lungs, the first organ exposed to ANP released from the heart."}
{"id": "PMID:1475410", "title": "Role of cholecystokinin in the intestinal fat- and acid-induced inhibition of gastric secretion.", "content": "This study was designed to determine the role of cholecystokinin (CCK) in the inhibition of gastric HCl secretion by duodenal peptone, fat and acid in dogs with chronic gastric and pancreatic fistulas. Intraduodenal instillation of 5% peptone stimulated both gastric HCl secretion and pancreatic protein secretion and caused significant increments in plasma gastrin and CCK levels. L-364,718, a selective antagonist of CCK-A receptors, caused further increase in gastric HCl and plasma gastrin responses to duodenal peptone but reduced the pancreatic protein outputs in these tests by about 75%. L-365,260, an antagonist of type B receptors, reduced gastric acid by about 25% but failed to influence pancreatic response to duodenal peptone. Addition of 10% oleate or acidification of peptone to pH 3.0 profoundly inhibited acid secretion while significantly increasing the pancreatic protein secretion and plasma CCK levels. Administration of L-364,718 reversed the fall in gastric HCl secretion and significantly attenuated pancreatic protein secretion in tests with both peptone plus oleate and peptone plus acid. Exogenous CCK infused i.v. in a dose (25 pmol/kg per h) that raised plasma CCK to the level similar to that achieved by peptone meal plus fat resulted in similar inhibition of gastric acid response to that attained with fat and this effect was completely abolished by the pretreatment with L-364,718. We conclude that CCK released by intestinal peptone meal, containing fat or acid, exerts a tonic inhibitory influence on gastric acid secretion and gastrin release through the CCK-A receptors."}
{"id": "PMID:1475413", "title": "[Color-Doppler instruments: their design principles and modes of use].", "content": "The use of color-Doppler US equipment allows the clinician to evaluate, at the same time and within the same image, both shape and structure of the examined organs and the flow patterns in the vessels within them. Such information as direction and velocity of blood flow are displayed with a variety of intravascular colors, according to a conventional code. Moreover, this diagnostic method can provide physiological and anatomical pieces of information in the same image and is therefore widely used in medical imaging. However, the images obtained by means of color-Doppler units are not always easy to understand and diagnostic misinterpretations may occur. In this paper we will summarize the physical and technological principles on which such units are based. In the first half of paper, the problems relative to acquisition and construction of the images are presented, together with the different technical approaches used to obtain flow velocity information. Moreover, the relationships between the \"black-and-white\" and the \"color\" parts of the images are described. The principles according to which color is assigned to vessels are reported, together with the patterns exhibited by a vessel according to the type of transducer used to examine it. The non-linear correlation between the color scale and flow velocities is also discussed. The second half of the paper deals with technical parameters of color-Doppler scanning, discussing the criteria of choice of transducers, the determination of Doppler angle, the setting of both wall filters and scanning depth. The problem of pulse repetition frequency (PRF) setting is also addressed; this parameter is especially critical in color-Doppler studies. The authors believe that careful setting of all examination parameters and the good knowledge of the physical and technological factors underlying color-Doppler images are the basis for a correct and useful approach to this fascinating technique."}
{"id": "PMID:1475414", "title": "[Neuronal migration anomalies. The magnetic resonance aspects of some types].", "content": "The authors investigated the value of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging in the evaluation of some types of neuronal migration anomaly. During pregnancy, a radial neuronal migration from germinal matrix to cortex occurs in the fetal brain, and 6 layers are formed. Infections, traumas, vascular factors can block the migration. Neuronal migration disorders are divided into 5 different classes: (1) agyria-pachigyria complex; (2) schizencephaly; (3) polymicrogyria; (4) unilateral megaencephaly; (5) heterotopia. In this study, 12 patients were evaluated with MR imaging: 5 had lissencephaly, 4 heterotopia and 3 schizencephaly (2 with open lips, and 1 with closed lips). MR imaging is the method of choice in these patients; indeed, characteristic morphologic and signal patterns allow the correct evaluation and diagnosis of neuronal migration anomalies in all cases."}
{"id": "PMID:1475415", "title": "[Magnetic resonance angiography with gadolinium (Gd-DTPA) versus baseline magnetic resonance angiography in the study of the intracranial circulation].", "content": "The authors evaluated the role of GdDTPA in magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) of intracranial vessels. Fifteen patients affected with different conditions underwent MRA of intracranial vessels before and after paramagnetic contrast medium infusion. A superconductive 1.5-T magnet (Magnetom Siemens) was used, and a head circular coil, together with the 3DFT TOF technique. The enhanced exam was performed following the infusion of 0.2 ml/kg of GdDTPA in about 2 minutes, with simultaneous MRA image acquisition. To compare enhanced with unenhanced images relative to signal intensity, the signal increase at the basilar artery and carotid sinus was studied, together with signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio and spatial resolution. During acquisition, enhanced MRA images at the basilar artery showed a mean intensity value of 423.8 +/- 33.2 vs 357.8 +/- 53.2 of unenhanced scans; a statistically significant difference (p < 0.05; p < 0.01) was observed in favor of enhanced images. At the carotid sinus, enhanced MRA showed 184.5 +/- 28.4 mean intensity value vs 190.5 +/- 19.8 of unenhanced exams; no statistically significant difference was observed (p < 0.05; p < 0.01) in favor of unenhanced exams. At the basilar artery the S/N ratio of baseline exams was 1.9 vs 2.2 for enhanced scans; at the carotid sinus S/N ratio was 2.4 (unenhanced) vs 2.3 (enhanced). Thus, MRA allowed better visualization of peripheral branches of arterial (95.6%) and venous vessels, which unenhanced scans always failed to depict; on the other hand, enhanced images exhibited poorer definition of arterial vessels which were never isolated from the background. The simultaneous visualization of arterial and venous vessels, of choroid plexus and mucosae, affect the quality of enhanced angiograms. At present, GdDTPA is the sole contrast medium suitable for MRA intracranial vessels even though, due to its pharmacokinetic features, it is not the optimum medium."}
{"id": "PMID:1475416", "title": "[The use of the single-pulse RARE sequence in the study of the cerebrospinal axis].", "content": "The authors describe a fast MR sequence allowing to obtain a myelographic-like, markedly T2-weighted, image quite similar to conventional myelographies. Relative to conventional spin-echo sequences, in which echoes are encoded so as to achieve the same phase, each echo of the sequence here employed is given a different phase encoding. The sequence, called MYUR (myelography-urography) is based on the generation, after a 90 degrees pulse, of a \"train\" of 256 echoes, each one phase-encoded differently, by multiple 180 degrees pulses, producing a single image. The total duration of such a sequence, with 2 repetitions, is 21 seconds. The MR myelographic sequence allows to univocally study tissues with a very long T2 relaxation time; under normal conditions, only cerebrospinal fluid, urine and bile are demonstrated. A resistive MR unit operating at 0.28 T was employed in the present study. MR myelography is capable of pointing out an eventual dural sac compression or a space-occupying mass, thus allowing an effective scout-view to center the subsequent pulse sequences; all MR-myelographic exams need to be completed with other short and long TR sequences."}
{"id": "PMID:1475417", "title": "[SPECT in the study of pathology of the temporomandibular joint. The authors' personal experience].", "content": "Symptomatic temporomandibular joint dysfunctions may affect about 25% of the adult population, with a smaller though significant percentage of patients experiencing severe impairment. From 1986 through 1991, 107 patients with severe temporomandibular joint symptoms and with various temporomandibular joint disorders were evaluated with conventional radiology and with closed/open-mouth temporomandibular joint tomograms. Single-photon emission-computed tomography (SPECT) and planar imaging were performed on 32 patients using a rotating gamma camera equipped with a general purpose collimator. Transaxial, coronal and sagittal tomoscintigrams were reconstructed. Increased radiotracer uptake in the temporomandibular joint was regarded as a positive finding, and the intensity of temporomandibular joint activity was compared with that of adjacent calvarium using regions of interest. In the 32 patients submitted to scintigraphy, conventional radiology showed no pathologic patterns, while SPECT showed pathologic findings in 31 patients (97% of cases). The patient with normal temporomandibular joint findings on SPECT exhibited abnormal maxillary isotope uptake, ipsilateral to the symptoms. Our results indicate that SPECT is a simple, noninvasive, inexpensive and very sensitive screening test relative to the internal derangement of the temporomandibular joint. Moreover, it provides information which is not available by means of routine bone scans or X-ray studies. Thus, SPECT appears to be the modality of choice for patients whose clinical findings are equivocal or whose symptoms are unclear, and it can guide treatment strategies and be useful in the follow-up."}
{"id": "PMID:1475418", "title": "[Magnetic resonance and arthroscopy of the knee. A double-blind study in 40 patients].", "content": "To evaluate the capabilities of ultra-low-field MR for the high-resolution imaging of the knee with a short acquisition time, a prospective double-blind study was carried out on 40 consecutive patients with acute or chronic articular conditions who were examined with both MR imaging and arthroscopy. Three-dimensional gradient-echo MR sequences were employed which allow many thin high-resolution slices to be obtained in a relatively short time. To evaluate the results arthroscopy, performed the day after MR imaging, was considered the gold standard. MR imaging and arthroscopy were in agreement in 84.6% of meniscal tears with 91.6% sensitivity and 80% specificity, in 82% of anterior cruciate ligament lesions with 100% sensitivity and 80% specificity and in 81% of cartilage lesions with 100% sensitivity and 61% specificity. On the whole, MR imaging and arthroscopy were in agreement in 82.5% of cases with 97.2% sensitivity and 75.3% specificity. MR imaging gave more information about collateral ligament, muscle and bone involvement. These results confirm the capabilities of ultra-low-field MR imaging in the study of the knee: the technique allows diagnostic studies to be performed in a short time, at a low cost, and with similar results to those obtained with higher field strengths."}
{"id": "PMID:1475419", "title": "[The radiology of osteogenesis imperfecta].", "content": "The term \"osteogenesis imperfecta\" refers to a heterogeneous group of hereditary diseases characterized by osteopenia, increased bone fragility, blue sclerae and dentinogenesis imperfecta. The abnormal synthesis of type-I collagen is responsible for the pathologic changes occurring not only in bone, but also in skin, tendons and ligaments, sclerae and teeth. The clinical and radiographic features of 5 cases (2 males and 3 females; age range: 1 month to 29 years) were analyzed. The patients were unrelated with each other. The diagnosis of the different types of osteogenesis imperfecta is as difficult as the identification of the various genotypes which are responsible for the different clinical pictures. The most characteristic radiographic pattern--which is observed in any type of the disease--consists in osteopenia associated, in most cases, with multiple fractures and deformities--e.g., micromelia, large metaphysis, archon long bones. Typically, \"pop corn\" calcifications are observed in both epiphysis and metaphysis of long bones. Dentinogenesis imperfecta is one of the most significant clinical patterns, and it can be the only bone abnormality. The prognosis of osteogenesis imperfecta is as varied as its genetics--i.e., the fractures discovered at birth are not necessarily a negative prognostic sign."}
{"id": "PMID:1475420", "title": "[The incidence and role of the os acromiale in the acromiohumeral impingement syndrome].", "content": "Os acromiale (an apparently supernumerary bone) corresponds to persistence of the lateral end of acromion ossification nucleus over 18 years of age. Os acromiale is articulated with the clavicle and the base of acromion; its incidence is high and often bilateral. A rarer variant is secondary os acromiale, lying between acromion and great humeral tuberosity. Both variants predispose to the onset of pain due to acromiohumeral impingement. Rotator cuff tears are frequently associated due to direct injury to subacromial compartment structures and to overtraction of acromiocoracoid ligament following functional overuse. Three hundred and ninety-eight patients were examined (313 males and 85 females, aged 12 to 71 years): 265 of them underwent conventional radiography with specific projections for the shoulder and 133 underwent CT. Dysplasia was observed in 9.55% of cases (38 patients), which is in agreement with reports by other authors. CT demonstrates the presence of os acromiale better than specific radiographic projections, without requiring painful patient positioning. Axial CT scans allow the depiction of subacromial compartment structures that cannot be demonstrated by US. The evident and frequent association of arthrotic-degenerative acromioclavicular alterations even after os acromiale assimilation confirms the close relationship of the latter bone to rotator cuff conditions, especially to rotator cuff tears. In our opinion, the correct description of this finding has high prognostic value in the subjects likely to experience functional shoulder overuse and allows the correct etiopathogenesis of pain. Therefore CT, which is an elective imaging method especially suited to demonstrate calcium-density structures, thanks to its high spatial and contrast resolution, can be used concurrently with MR imaging because it is less expensive and more easily available."}
{"id": "PMID:1475421", "title": "[The T1 time dependence of water measured in normal and neoplastic lung tissues].", "content": "The authors determined the time dependence of the average T1 relaxation time for the constitutive water of normal and neoplastic lung tissues. In healthy tissues, the T1 dependence appears strictly as a single decaying exponential function down to a threshold value which is invariant over time. The time change of T1 in neoplastic tissues is represented by monoexponential functions, in the short and long run, with a sudden drop 2 weeks after beginning measurements. Moreover, the time dependence is independent of the examined variant of epidermoid carcinoma. We report the kinetic constants of the in vitro aging of the tissues. The presence of a cooperative process, involving neoplastic lung water, to explain the features of aging changes, is also suggested."}
{"id": "PMID:1475422", "title": "[Thoracic localizations of extramedullary erythropoiesis].", "content": "A series of 8 patients affected with hemolytic beta thalassemia with intrathoracic extramedullary hematopoiesis is reviewed. All patients were studied with conventional radiologic techniques and with CT and MR imaging. There was good correlation between conventional radiology findings and MR and CT results. CT and MR imaging were useful to evaluate not only the topographic localization of the masses of extramedullary hematopoiesis, but also their functional status. On CT, masses in the active phase exhibit high density and marked enhancement after i.v. administration of contrast medium; in the remission phase, the masses are hypodense, due to fat substitution, and unenhanced. On MR images, the active phase is characterized by a relatively low signal in both T1 and T2, while in the remission phase high signal is observed in both T1 and T2. A sign is seen on MR images which is considered as pathognomonic: a peripheral ring with high signal. The use of CT and MR imaging allows detailed information on the evolution of the hemolytic disease to be obtained. These pieces of information cannot be obtained with conventional radiology, which allows, at any rate, the correct diagnosis to be made."}
{"id": "PMID:1475423", "title": "[The diagnostic imaging of intrathoracic extramedullary hematopoiesis].", "content": "Extramedullary hematopoiesis is a rare finding. It represents a compensatory mechanism capable of assuring and keeping sufficient erythrogenesis. The distribution of the main locations of extramedullary hematopoiesis was observed in different organs and apparatuses. According to their experience, the authors investigated the potentials and limitations of conventional radiology, of CT and MR Imaging, to diagnose intrathoracic extramedullary hematopoiesis in the posterior mediastinum. While stressing the value of clinical and anamnestic data and of conventional radiology, the authors emphasize the leading role of CT and MR imaging. As a matter of fact, the latter is the method of choice, thanks to higher contrast resolution and to its multiplanar and multiparameter capabilities, in the study of space-occupying lesions in the costo-vertebral region. On the other hand, MR Imaging fails to detect calcic areas in paravertebral masses; moreover, the exhaustive and morphostructural analysis of bone segments, ribs and vertebrae, is allowed only by CT."}
{"id": "PMID:1475424", "title": "[Strecker vascular prostheses. The median- and long-term results].", "content": "Between September 1989 and October 1991, 37 patients were treated with percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) and the insertion of a Strecker stent. The patients--35 men and 2 women, mean age 61 years, range 41-47--had 39 lesions in 39 arteries--30 iliac arteries, 8 femoral arteries and 1 popliteal artery. The lesions included 19 dissections after PTA (48%), 13 residual stenoses > 30% after PTA (34%), 7 restenoses (18%) and 4 total occlusions (10%). The stents were successfully inserted in 37/39 cases (95%). Complications occurred in 4 patients: 2 acute thromboses (resolved with local infusion of urokinase), 1 distal embolization and 1 pseudoaneurysm. Distal embolization, despite aspiration and local fibrinolysis, required leg amputation after about 1 month. The max follow-up period was 2 years (average 15 months): patency was 97% at 1 and 3 months, 100% at 6 and 12 months, 95% at 18 months and 100% at 24 months. Total patency was 85% at 24 months. Four patients were lost to follow-up, and 1 patient died. Four stents failed: 2 of them at 1 and 3 months, and surgery was performed, and 2 at 18 months. Intimal hyperplasia of minimum grade occurred in 2 vessels. There was no evidence of stent migration. The authors believe that the placement of Strecker stents is a valuable approach to the treatment of PTA complications."}
{"id": "PMID:1475425", "title": "[The percutaneous treatment of the urological complications following kidney transplantation].", "content": "Renal transplantation is considered the treatment of choice in most cases of renal failure; the urologic complication rate ranges 1 to 10% in different surveys. This work was aimed at evaluating the application and results of interventional radiology in these cases. Since 1983, 24 patients (20 males and 4 females) whose age ranged from 18 to 63 years (mean age: 42 years) have been submitted to percutaneous maneuvers in our department. Thirty-four complications were treated: 14 stenoses, 11 fistulas, 7 urinomas and 2 transient obstructions. Complete success was obtained in 15/24 patients (62.5%), while 7/24 patients (29.16%) underwent reoperation and in 2/24 cases (8.34%) a definitive pyelostomy catheter was inserted. In 7 stenosis cases ureteroplasty was successfully performed and a double-J endoprosthesis inserted; the follow-up results (5-21 months) were satisfying in all cases. The only complication was one case of endoperitoneal hematoma. Considering the good results obtained, the low morbidity and mortality and the low cost, percutaneous maneuvers must be considered the treatment of choice in the urologic complications of renal transplants. When the percutaneous treatment of the main lesion fails, pyelostomy does nonetheless allow the drainage of urinary collections, the maintenance of renal function and the improvement of local and general conditions, which makes it easier to reoperate under elective conditions."}
{"id": "PMID:1475426", "title": "[Percutaneous transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS). The preliminary experience and proposal of a new method].", "content": "A new interventional procedure employing metallic stents has been recently suggested to perform percutaneous portosystemic shunts in the treatment of variceal bleeding in portal hypertension; the technique is called TIPSS (transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic stent shunt). This percutaneous treatment presents several advantages over surgery: the shunt diameter can be calibrated according to the degree of portal hypertension; moreover, TIPSS can be performed in patients waiting for liver transplantation because it does not alter the vascular anatomy of liver. The original technique employed transhepatic portography. In this paper the authors report on their personal experience and present their series of 4 patients with portal hypertension and variceal bleeding, in whom TIPSS was performed utilizing noninvasive US guidance. Variceal bleeding was successfully treated in all patients and variceal distension was also obtained."}
{"id": "PMID:1475427", "title": "[Percutaneous gastrostomy].", "content": "Percutaneous gastrostomy was developed over the last years as an alternative method to surgical and endoscopic procedures, either for enteral feeding or for drainage of secretions or fluid collections communicating with the upper gastrointestinal (GI) tract. January 1990 through January 1992, 15 percutaneous gastrostomies and 2 percutaneous jejunostomies were performed at the Gastroenterologic Radiology Division of INT, Milan, Italy. The catheters were always inserted under local anesthesia, generally using special gastrostomy sets. Catheter insertion was possible in all the patients who underwent the procedure: in 12 cases gastrostomy allowed enteral feeding till the patients died and in 1 case the catheter is still working. In 2 cases the procedure was performed for drainage of gastroenteric secretions and the catheter was left in situ as a definitive palliation. In 1 patient the catheter was removed after draining a collection due to an anastomotic fistula. No major complications were observed in 17 procedures. In our experience, the indication according to which percutaneous gastrostomies and jejunostomies were performed for enteral feeding was always affected by the presence of a stenosis, in the upper GI tract. Other indications to the procedure, for enteral feeding, are functional swallowing disorders. Finally, it must be emphasized that when tight stenoses of the upper GI tract are present, percutaneous gastrostomy is the sole alternative to surgery."}
{"id": "PMID:1475428", "title": "[The echographic aspects of prostatic carcinoma before and after radiation treatment].", "content": "The authors evaluated the US patterns of 50 prostatic carcinomas before and after radiation therapy, analyzing the correlation of US patterns with histologic (bioptic) findings and with treatment outcome. Before radiation therapy, 28 tumors were hypoechoic, 8 were isoechoic and 14 mixed. In 18 of 28 hypoechoic carcinomas, the lesion showed a progressive increase in echogenicity, becoming completely isoechoic 9-18 months after the end of treatment. In this group of patients the final response to treatment was complete in 17 cases and partial in 1; during the follow-up (24-90 months, mean 48 months) neither local recurrences nor distant metastases were observed. In 10 of 28 hypoechoic carcinomas, a hypoechoic area of variable size was still clearly recognizable within the lesion after a minimum period of 18 months since the end of treatment. Nine of these patients underwent histology and persistent carcinomas were found in 8 of them; one patient developed distant metastases. In the group of isoechoic and mixed carcinomas, no significant differences were observed in the US patterns relative to treatment outcome. Persistent prostatic carcinoma after radiation therapy seems not to affect its US pattern. If the tumor is hypoechoic before treatment, the persistence of a hypoechoic area within the lesion 18 months after the end of treatment must be regarded as a possible therapeutic failure and histologically verified. On the contrary, the evolution of the lesion toward isoechogenicity is usually related to a favorable outcome. If the tumor is isoechoic or mixed before treatment, a reliable US evaluation is not possible and the correct assessment of the response to treatment can only be made with multiple biopsies."}
{"id": "PMID:1475429", "title": "[The evaluation of the performance of a new-concept screen-film system].", "content": "Aim of this work is to show the results of the evaluation of the sensitometric properties of a new Du Pont anti cross-over radiographic film system called Ultra Vision, based on a new film and different YTaO4 undoped screens whose emission is centered at about 335 nm. Fog, contrast, latitude, sensitivity, noise and resolution were tested: the MTFs were obtained by exposing a standard resolution pattern and using the \"zero\"-frequency step as a knife edge. The image of this knife edge was scanned with a microdensitometer with a 20 microns slit. The results (at 70 kVp with 2.5 mm Al and 2.5 mm Cu total filtration), compared with those of Du Pont conventional radiographic screen-film systems Cronex 10 S/Quanta, show that the new system significantly increases contrast, sensitivity and resolution and will consequently improve, in the clinical use, radiographic image quality."}
{"id": "PMID:1475437", "title": "[Clinical and diagnostic characteristics of bladder instability in urinary incontinence in the elderly].", "content": "Urinary incontinence is a common disease in elderly people, and the vesical instability is the most frequent cause. A prospective clinical study was done in elderly subjects with established urinary incontinence, produced by vesical instability, to find out if the analysis of several clinical parameters (general and urinary) together with the physical exam, are enough to establish a definitive diagnosis of vesical instability. The most characteristic urinary symptoms were urge incontinence (100%) and diurnal frequency (72%). Physical exam was normal in most patients. Our findings show that the clinical history and physical exam alone do not provide enough information to adequately characterize vesical instability, so, besides these parameters, an urodynamic study is needed to establish the originating mechanism of the urinary incontinence."}
{"id": "PMID:1475438", "title": "[Hemodynamic impact of tension ascites and evacuatory paracentesis].", "content": "Cardiac function is studied with regular hemodynamic determinations and 2D-doppler echocardiography, in 22 patients with massive ascites. Patients were divided in two groups: 1. Hepatic cirrhosis (n = 12) and 2. Peritoneal carcinomatosis (n = 10). Patients with carcinomatosis showed lowered heart-beat volume, cardiac output, ventricular work and ejection fraction in comparison with cirrhotic patients. In cirrhotic patients the hemodynamic study was done before and after an evacuatory paracentesis, following which an improvement in cardiac function was shown, with significant increments in heart-beat volume, cardiac output, ventricular work, and ejection fraction. 42% of the cirrhotic patients showed an hyperdynamic circulatory status in the baseline study, but after paracentesis this hyperkinetic status was present in 100% of the patients. It is suggested that tension ascites influences negatively in cardiac function because it difficult the venous return. This depression in the ventricular function is more obvious in patients with carcinomas that in cirrhotic patients due to the fact that the former do not have a previous circulatory status."}
{"id": "PMID:1475439", "title": "[Significance of apolipoproteins A and B and the remaining lipid fractions as indicators of protein-calorie malnutrition in the elderly].", "content": "Effects of calorie/protein malnourishment have been studied on plasma concentrations of cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL-C, LDL-C and apolipoproteins A and B, in institutionalized elderly people, 53 males and 62 females, of whom 19 females and 12 males were malnourished. In malnourished patients, total cholesterol and LDL-C were significantly lower both in males and in females, but HDL-C was lower only in females. No significant differences in plasma triglycerides were found between the control and the malnourished groups. Apolipoprotein A showed no significant changes on malnourished males, but did show a significant lowering in malnourished females. On the opposite, apolipoprotein B was lower in males than in females. The lowering in cholesterol in malnourished patients leads us to think that this could be a early predictor of nutritional risk in the elderly."}
{"id": "PMID:1475440", "title": "[Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia at an internal medicine service: study of 12 patients].", "content": "Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT) is a hereditary dominant autosoma clinical entity characterized by repeated hemorrhages (being epistaxis the more frequent) and telangiectasia in skin, mucosa and internal organs. Incidence in Europe is 1,2 per 100,000 pop. We discuss the experience of an Internal Medicine Department (Arnau de Vilanova Hospital), during 10 years, in which 12 patients were diagnosed. With the aim to provide more information about this rare disease. There was no predominant sex and the age of onset was very variable. All patients referred at admission past history of hemorrhages (either the patient him/herself or some relative), or were suffering it at admission. Except one patient, all of them showed telangiectasias in skin and mucosa. In five of them telangiectaias were found in upper gastrointestinal tract, in two there were localized on the tracheobronchial tree and one patient had teleangiectasia in liver. Three patients were diagnosed of pulmonary arteriovenous fistula (PAVF). The clinical, diagnostic and therapeutic aspects of this disease are reviewed."}
{"id": "PMID:1475441", "title": "[Candida laryngitis and HIV infection: description of 4 cases].", "content": "Candidiasic laryngitis is a very rare Candida spp infection of mucosa, appearing typically in immunosuppressed patients, mainly in patients with neoplasia, and, recently, in patients with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (VIH) infection. We present four cases of candidiasic laryngitis and HIV infection, as well as the clinical description and evolution of said cases after treatment with fluconazole. We review, as well, the cases published on the scientific literature. We maintain that in each HIV infected patient, with or without oral candidiasis, who shows dysphonia, candidiasic laryngitis should be ruled out."}
{"id": "PMID:1475442", "title": "[Spinal epidural abscess. 8 years' experience].", "content": "We present four cases of spinal epidural abscess diagnosed in Clinica Puerta de Hierro between 1982 and 1990. In three cases the localization was thoracic and in one it was lumbar. Fever and vertebral pain were the more constant clinical symptoms. Lumbar punction showed findings in Cerebro-Spinal Fluid compatible with a parameningeal inflammation focus in the three cases it was performed. Diagnosis was established with myelography or Computerized Axial Tomography. Treatment in two cases was laminectomy and systemic antibiotics: and only antibiotics in the other two cases. Evolution was favorable in the patients who underwent surgery, but the patients treated conservatively had a fatal outcome."}
{"id": "PMID:1475443", "title": "[Immunoblastic lymphoma as expression of the final phase of IgA multiple myeloma].", "content": "We present the case of a patient diagnosed of IgA multiple myeloma who, four months after being diagnosed and after four cycles with VCAP with good response, showed high fever and constitutional syndrome; multiple subcutaneous nodules appeared during his hospitalization. Biopsy of the bone marrow, and of one of the nodules showed an immunoblastic lymphoma. Even with treatment the patient died due to a pneumonia and a digestive hemorrhage."}
{"id": "PMID:1475444", "title": "[Adverse drug reactions: Naranjo's and Venulet's algorithms].", "content": "Prospective evaluation of adverse drug experiences (ADE) in patients admitted in the Respiratory Section of a General Hospital. 32 ADE's were collected (14.6%). Mean age and stay-length were longer in ADE group but with no statistical significance. Theophyllines, beta-mimetics and antibiotics were the more frequent responsibilities of ADE's. ADE's class more frequently reported was epigastralgia-nausea in 40.6%, followed by dermic disorders in 18.75%. No deaths were attributed to ADE's ans only 9 required an specific treatment. Using Naranjo's and Venulet's algorithms we have found them as non-comparable tests."}
{"id": "PMID:1475459", "title": "[Long-term results of surgical treatment of soft tissue retroperitoneal sarcomas].", "content": "Soft-Tissue Retroperitoneal Sarcomas (STRP) are rare tumors. Late diagnostic and extreme technical difficulties to obtain total resection with margins free of tumor, are associated to a high relapse rate. Eighteen patients with STRP were retrospectively reviewed, evaluating: Clinical onset, histology, treatment-type performed, mortality and survival rate. Total resection was performed in eleven patients (61%), with inclusion of neighbor organs or structures in five of them (45%). In one case partial exeresis associated with left hemicolectomy was done, and only biopsy was performed in six cases. After total exeresis, seven patients showed local relapse (64%) and four of these patients (57%) underwent surgery again. Global surgery mortality was one patient. Survival at five years in resected patients was 57%. In patients with biopsy only, mean survival was 16.6 months, patients with total or partial resection, survival was 79.1 months. An aggressive surgical approach, with tumor total exeresis and a block resection of neighbor affected organs or structures, is the best alternative in the treatment of STRP."}
{"id": "PMID:1475460", "title": "[Prognostic value of anti-RNP/Sm and anti-Ro/La antibodies in lupus nephropathy].", "content": "With the aim to analyze the prognostic value of anti-RNP/Sm and anti-Ro/La antibodies (Ab) in lupus nephropathy, we have studied through Contraimmunoelectrophoresis (CIE) and Immunoblotting (IB) the serum of 63 patients diagnosed of systemic lupus erythematosus. Mean age was 36.5 years (15-71) and 90% were females. We have classified the patients into three subgroups: I, 25 patients without nephropathy; II, 26 patients with evidence of nephropathy (persistent proteinuria and/or microhematuria) and normal renal function; and III, 12 patients with renal failure (servu creatinine > 1.5 mg/dl). 21 patients had kidney biopsy. IB allows to identify a higher number of positive serum, specially in the case of anti-RNP (7.9% CIE vs 28.5% IB) and anti-Sm antibodies (6.3% vs 30.1%). Prevalence of anti-RNP Ab is lower in subgroup III (32% I vs 34% II vs 8% III) (p > 0.05). Anti-Sm Ab are more frequent in group II and are not associated with renal failure (16% vs 54% vs 8%) (p > 0.05). Anti-Ro Ab are related with the absence of nephropathy (52% vs 15% vs 0%) (p < 0.05). We conclude that IB is more sensitive than CIE in the detection of these Ab and its use in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus permits to identify patient subgroups with lesser risk to develop renal failure. Even though our data are preliminary, we suggest that the detection of anti-RNP/Sm and/or anti-Ro/La antibodies are a good prognostic factor in lupus nephropathy."}
{"id": "PMID:1475461", "title": "[Treatment of colonic cancer with laser (Nd-YAG). Our initial experience].", "content": "Laser-therapy represents an acceptable alternative in the palliative treatment of colon cancer. We have treated 25 patients with this pathology, 10 with obstructive tumor, which impeded the insertion of the endoscope, and 15 non-obstructive tumors. Higher technical difficulties on the former, together with a worse clinical situation, due to the fact that the tumor was more invasive, produce a more discrete result and with a higher risk of complications (one patient had a perforation and other an obstructive stenosis after two months of treatment) in comparison with the group of patients with non-obstructive tumors. However the treatment improved their quality of life with the recovery of their intestinal function. Among patients with non-obstructive tumors of the colonic light, prolonged survival (mean 6.8 months) was reached by 73.3% of patients belonging to this group; disappearing after treatment even the endoscopic view of the tumor in 33.3% of the patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1475462", "title": "[Castleman's disease. A multifactorial study].", "content": "A case of Castleman's disease (hialino-vascular subtype) in a female patient 15-years-old is considered. Clinically there were isolated lymphadenopathies which relapsed after surgery and absence of general syndrome. Histoimmunological and electron microscopic studies were performed as DNA rearrangement and cytogenetics in order to exclude genetic abnormalities and monoclonality of this disorder. The role of follicular dendritic component in discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1475463", "title": "[Dermatomyositis, Sj\u00f6gren's syndrome and vasculitis: an infrequent overlapping connective disease].", "content": "A dermatomyositis case with Sj\u00f6gren's syndrome, Leucocytoclastic vasculitis, and sclerodermiform features is presented. This is a peculiar over lapping connectivepathy in which clinical features of three multisystemic diseases are together. The association of dermatomyositis with Sj\u00f6gren's syndrome is very rare."}
{"id": "PMID:1475464", "title": "[T-lymphomas with splenic presentation].", "content": "Three cases of lymphomas with splenomegaly onset, without peripheric adenopathies, which required laparotomy to be diagnosed, are discussed. One of the cases was a primary splenic lymphoma and the other two were associated with reactive hemophagocytosis. Other malign lymphoproliferative processes of predominant splenic onset are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1475465", "title": "[Vascular manifestations in 30 cases of Beh\u00e7et's disease].", "content": "Vascular manifestations on Beh\u00e7et's disease (BD) vary from 25 to 65% according to different series. Affects both arteries as veins, but superficial thrombophlebitis is the most frequent disorder. Disorders with higher morbidity like deep venous thrombosis, and arterial aneurisms can appear, even in the lungs. In our series of 30 patients we found an incidence of 46% of vascular manifestations, mainly (92%) superficial thrombophlebitis. We highlight the presence of a femoral aneurism, which was resected, and discuss its evolution and response to treatment with prednisone and cyclophosphamide. We review in-depth the vascular manifestations in the Spanish and International scientific literature, paying special interest to aneurism dilatations."}
{"id": "PMID:1475466", "title": "[Regression of coronary arteriosclerosis with hypolipidemic treatment, myth or reality?].", "content": "Coronary atherosclerosis regression with hypolipemiant treatment is a well known fact in the animal model since years ago. In humans, during these last years, several clinical trials have been performed to ellucidate the truth to this fact. All of these clinical trials have in common the evolutive study of the coronary lesions with angiographies, in patients following treatment with diet, surgery or drugs, to reduce plasmatic cholesterol. Clinical, analytical and angiographic results of said studies are reviewed. We conclude that the bigger the lowering in plasmatic cholesterol levels, smaller is the progression of these coronary lesions and more probable is finding patients with partial regression of the lesions."}
{"id": "PMID:1475484", "title": "[Application of bidimensional echocardiography in the diagnosis of ventricular septal defect].", "content": "Between 1985-1990 we studied by means of two-dimensional echocardiography 286 patients with isolated ventricular septal defect (VSD). A hundred and sixty three being male and 123 female, as a mean age of 5 +/- 3 months. Sixty two cases (22.3%) reveales associated anomalies and in other 63 (22.4%) there was in the evolution an aneurysm of the septum membranous. The projections used were apical 4-chamber, with or without aortic root; parasternal long-short axis of great arterias or at ventricular level; subcostal 4-chamber; right oblique outlet right outflow tract and left oblique outlet left and right outflow tracts. Patients with VSD smaller than 3 mm were excluded. Perimembranous defects, 189 cases (66%), were more frequent than muscular, 91 31.8%), and subarterial defects, 6 (2.1%). Only 19 (9 apical muscular, 6 perimembranous outlet and 4 perimembranous trabecular) were initially misclassified. The diameter of the VSD was large in subarterial (0.85 +/- 0.1 cm) and perimembranous outlet VSD (0.75 +/- 0.5 cm) compared with the rest. Each group of defects was more easily shown by one particular projection except trabecular muscular defect. In conclusion, we are able to state that two-dimensional echocardiography enables us to discover the size and situation of isolated ventricular defects."}
{"id": "PMID:1475485", "title": "[Endomyocardial biopsy in heart transplantation].", "content": "From October 1984 to June 1991, 1,549 endomyocardial biopsies (EMB) were performed on 122 patients submitted to a Cardiac Transplant procedure (CT) at the Hospital Puerta de Hierro in Madrid. All biopsies were performed with the long sheath technique and the King bioptome. A total of 8,707 specimens were obtained, of which 7,311 (83.97%) were considered adequate for pathological examination. We did not find significant differences between the internal jugular (83.21%) and the femoral vein (84.82%) approaches. About 20% of the samples were not adequate for pathological evaluation after the fifth procedure performed on the same patient. There has been no deaths in our group. One patient (0.06%) had right ventricular perforation with tamponade that required surgical treatment. Two patients (2.98%) presented coronary fistulae related to EMB. The percent of other minor complications was less than 0.5%. EMB is mandatory for the control of rejection in the first year after cardiac transplantation, and has shown to be a reliable and safe method in experienced hands."}
{"id": "PMID:1475486", "title": "[Changes in diastolic function in heart rejection: role of Doppler echocardiography].", "content": "In acute cardiac rejection, left ventricular diastolic function is altered. To study these abnormalities and their utility in cardiac allograft rejection, we studied 56 cardiac transplant recipients. All patients were assessed with endomyocardial biopsy and Doppler echocardiography done in the same day. A total of 163 Doppler studies were recollected. Cardiac transplant recipients were excluded during the early 6 weeks postoperative period. Totally, 100 biopsies were normal, 48 positive for mild rejection (Billingham Gde I-II) and 15 positive for moderate or severe rejection (Billingham Gde III-IV). Compared to negative biopsies, during acute rejection left ventricular wald thickness significantly increased (p < 0.05); isovolumic relaxation period and pressure half-time significantly decreased (p < 0.05, p < 0.001 respectively). Nevertheless, increase in peak early mitral flow velocity was only significantly associated with severe rejection (p < 0.001). Correlating only progressive shortening of isovolumic relaxation period parameter in the diagnosis of graft rejection, we forward a high sensibility (85%) and low specificity (57%). Thus, Doppler echocardiographic evaluation of left ventricular diastolic function provides a non-invasive tool for early detection of acute rejection monitoring after the early postoperative period."}
{"id": "PMID:1475487", "title": "[Atrioventricular and ventriculoarterial discordance (corrected transposition of the great vessels). Diagnosis with bidimensional echocardiography].", "content": "We present 15 patients with atrioventricular and ventriculoarterial discordance diagnosed with two-dimensional echocardiography from January 1973 to June 1991. The 15 had situs solitus and six dextrocardia. A different level of insertion of the atrioventricular valves worth from 0.77 +/- 0.3 cm, was observed in all the cases which didn't perimembranous inlet ventricular septal defect. Ten patients, presented septal insertion of one of the chords of the left atrioventricular valve, while, this insertion wasn't observed in the right atrioventricular valve. The ventricular morphology and trabeculation, permitted the identification of both ventricles in all the cases. The subxifoidea view resulted in being fundamental, for the examination of the ventriculoarterial connections. Ten cases (66.6%) had an obstruction in the pulmonary outflow tract (6 in the valve and 4 in subvalvular area) and nine (60%) ventricular septal defect (7 perimembranous and 2 muscular). We believe that the two-dimensional echocardiography gives enough information to arrive at the correct diagnosis of this cardiac malformation and of the associated anomalies. This information can be completed with the use of the color-flow Doppler."}
{"id": "PMID:1475488", "title": "[Aortic atresia with situs inversus].", "content": "We report a case of mitro-aortic atresia with situs inversus. The patient was studied with two-dimensional echocardiography and the diagnosis was confirmed in the necropsy. Our newborn infant is the second case reported with this abnormality and the first in our country."}
{"id": "PMID:1475489", "title": "[Contusion and post-traumatic hematoma of the interventricular septum. Report of a case].", "content": "Severe thoracic trauma is a common cause of admission in Intensive Care Units; then heart injury is not a rare finding. We present a case of post-traumatic interventricular dissection and ventricular aneurysm secondary to thoracic trauma caused by traffic accident. We think that ventricular septum injury is a rare finding after chest trauma. Two-dimensional echo-cardiography is an essential procedure in the diagnosis of traumatic heart injury."}
{"id": "PMID:1475490", "title": "[Anomalous origin of left coronary artery in pulmonary artery].", "content": "We report 2 infants aged 6 months and one year with an anomalous left coronary artery origin treated surgically at our centre with direct aortic reimplantation of the anomalous coronary. Evolution has been satisfactory, with a great improvement of ventricular function. The mitral incompetence and congestive heart failure have disappeared and myocardic perfusion electrocardiographic patterns were corrected. Because of the unfavorable natural course of the disease and the improvement in techniques of coronary revascularization in infants we recommend an early surgical treatment as soon as it be diagnosed. We consider that the most adequate surgical treatment is the direct aortic reimplantation of the anomalous coronary artery."}
{"id": "PMID:1475491", "title": "[Cardiovascular surgery in Spain in 1991. Registry of operations of the Spanish Society of Cardiovascular Surgery (SECCV)].", "content": "The Spanish Society of Cardiovascular Surgery has sent a questionnaire to all 37 cardiovascular surgical groups to know the number and type of cardiovascular operations carried out in our country during 1991. The questionnaire was answered by 36 out of 37. In the year 1991, 21,771 cardiovascular patients have been operated upon and 10,913 interventions with extracorporeal circulation have been carried out: 42.4% in valvular disease, 37.2% in coronary and 11.2% in congenital. The number of operations was 5,415 for vascular disease, 4,627 for valvular, 3,168 for coronary, 1,896 for congenital and 3,741 for pacemaker implantation. The total number of operations in 1991 comparing to those performed during 1988 is similar; but the number of open heart operation and the number of these per cardiac unit and per million population during 1991 have increased 20.5, 13.9 and 24.3% respectively. Coronary and valvular operations have also increased 11 and 27% respectively, as well as the number of pacemaker implanted (30%). The number of congenital cases remains the same and the number of vascular operations has decreased by 7.9%."}
{"id": "PMID:1475492", "title": "[Doppler echocardiography assessment of cardiac abnormalities in parenteral drug addicts].", "content": "We studied by Echocardiographic-Doppler 114 consecutive intravenous drugs addicts (IVDA); 91 were positive human immunodeficiency virus (HIV+) and 23 negatives. We classified them in five groups; beginning the negative HIV as group 0, and groups I to IV stratified according the Central Disease Control (CDC) classification. We compared the cardiac abnormalities founded between themselves and a control group presumed healthy persons of similar age. The cardiac cavities dimensions showed a statistic significant increased left ventricular end-systolic and diastolic diameters, right ventricular diameter, posterior wall and interventricular septum thickness and aortic root diameter compared with the control group; but all were in the normal range for age. The left ventricular fractional shortening was statistically different from control group related the other groups, and the group IV related other. The existence and severity of pericardial effusions were directly related to the illness stage. We founded moderate pericardial effusions in 25% patients in the 0 to III groups, increasing until 50% in the group IV. The presence of valvular vegetations, nearly 30% in our series, ought to the IVDA. We did not found relationship between the severity of valvular incompetence and the illness stage. We recorded a excellent correlation between the ratio T4/T8 lymphocytes with the progress of illness and the existence and severity of cardiac abnormalities."}
{"id": "PMID:1475493", "title": "[Prognosis of myocardial infarction in women. Effect of the therapeutic effort and the socioeconomic status].", "content": "The causes of the high mortality of acute myocardial infarction in women as compared with men are controversial. The objective of this study is to assess the role of the therapeutic effort and socioeconomic factors on the genesis of this excess of mortality. We studied, using a retrospective cohort design, 491 men and 124 women admitted with the diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction. As a group, women were older (69 versus 61 years of age, p < 0.00001), showed a higher prevalence of cardiac failure on admission (44% versus 26%; p = 0.00008) and a higher mortality in the coronary care unit (29.3% versus 12.9%; p = 0.00002). In addition, the women showed an unfavorable socioeconomic profile and received a lower relative therapeutic effort, as assessed by the Therapeutic Intervention Scoring System. There was statistical interaction between gender and marital status, with a higher mortality in the unmarried male, comparable to that of women. Within the married group, the excess of mortality in women persisted after adjusting for age and Killip group (adjusted odds ratio = 2.48, 95% confidence interval between 1.26 and 4.89). None of the studied socioeconomic variables was independently associated to mortality, once age, Killip group and marital status were taken into account. After adjusting for therapeutic effort, the differences between men and women increased. Women admitted with acute myocardial infarction show a poor short-term prognosis that is not explained by their socioeconomic profile nor by the differences in therapeutic effort."}
{"id": "PMID:1475495", "title": "[Clinical and angiographic course after coronary angioplasty. Analysis of predictor factors of restenosis].", "content": "In order to know the restenosis rate and its predictive factors and the short-term clinical outcome (6-12 months) after coronary angioplasty (PTCA), we prospectively followed 200 consecutive patients with 231 coronary stenoses successfully dilated (residual stenosis < 50%). Patients have been clinically and angiographically followed 6-9 months after the procedure. Forty-nine clinical, hemodynamic, angiographic and technical variables were analyzed. Restenosis (stenosis > or = 50% in late angiographic control) rate was 51.5%, and 61% of the study population was symptomless. Variables associated with restenosis in the univariate analysis were: pre-PTCA positive exercise test (p = 0.004); stenosis severity pre-PTCA (p = 0.04); eccentricity (p < 0.0001) and irregularity (p < 0.0001) of the pre-PTCA stenosis; total dilation time (p = 0.02) and post-PTCA dissection (p = 0.002). The multivariate analysis revealed the following variables as independent predictors of restenosis: presence of dissection after PTCA, eccentricity and irregularity of pre-PTCA stenosis, positive pre-PTCA stress test and duration of symptoms before the procedure. These data suggest that the probability of restenosis after PTCA is predominantly determined by the characteristics of the lesion being dilated and the degree of intimal injury produced during the procedure. These variables could define high and low risk populations and may modify PTCA indications and follow up strategies."}
{"id": "PMID:1475496", "title": "[Antifoaming agent microembolism in patients undergoing extracorporeal circulation. Its frequency in post mortem material and its pathogenic potential in vitro].", "content": "Antifoam microembolisms in patients that undergo open heart surgery, represent a risk for postoperative complications. We decided to study its frequency in an autopsy population of patients who died after heart surgery. Forty-five patients were selected and histological sections from the kidneys were studied under light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and X-ray microanalysis. Thirty-six cases (80%) showed microemboli in the glomerular capillaries lumens. There was a positive correlation between the number of particles found and the length of the surgery. Microemboli were composed of an amorphous fraction and a particulated one composed of silicon. In vitro experimentation demonstrated that the particles are capable to induce cell lysis in a dose related manner. They also are susceptible of been phagocitated by macrophages. We conclude that bubble oxygenator are capable to induce microembolisms in a high percentage of the cases studied. Components of the microemboli are cytotoxic. Therefore microembolisms could be participating in the morbidity of patients subjects to cardiopulmonary bypass."}
{"id": "PMID:1475497", "title": "[Peripheral vascular reflexes in obstructions of the left ventricular outflow tract. Experimental study].", "content": "The aim of this work is to analyze the vascular tone behaviour of the muscular arteries in relation to the reflexes generated during aortic root obstruction when spontaneous heart rate is permitted and also with induced tachycardia. An experimental model used involved anaesthetized and intubated dogs in which a resistance vessel (gracilis muscle artery) was isolated, while innervation and venous backflow remained intact. Moderate (54.4 +/- 23.2 mmHg of mean increase in left ventricular pressure) and severe (240.1 +/- 92.5 mmHg) aortic obstructions for 30 s were provoked during spontaneous heart rate (n = 15) and during ventricular overdriving (n = 13) at 200, 250 and 300 bpm for 30 s. Ventricular overdriving at 200, 250, 300 and 400 bpm for 30 s without aortic root obstruction was induced in 20 dogs. Ventricular overdriving in intact hearts produced an initial decrease in the isolated muscular artery pressure of 12.0 +/- 7.2 mmHg (p < 0.01), 9.5 +/- 5.7 mmHg (p < 0.001), 13.6 +/- 8.6 mmHg (p < 0.001) and 14.3 +/- 8.7 mmHg (p < 0.01) at 200, 250, 300 and 400 bpm respectively followed by a recovery, so that at the end of overdriving (30 s), exceeded basal values in 11.9 +/- 10.0 mmHg (p < 0.05), 21.1 +/- 12.4 mmHg (p < 0.001), 21.9 +/- 10.4 mmHg (p < 0.001) and 36.1 +/- 21.3 mmHg (p < 0.001) for each overdriving rate respectively. Aortic obstruction during spontaneous heart rate produced and initial decrease in the isolated muscular artery pressure of 12.0 +/- 7.3 mmHg (p < 0.01), when the aortic obstruction were moderate, and 31.4 +/- 15.7 mmHg (p < 0.01) when the obstructions were severe, followed by a recovery of its basal values at the end of the obstruction time. Ventricular overdriving with aortic root obstruction did not produced significant changes in the isolated muscular artery pressure except in the highest rates of overdriving, that produced an increase of isolated muscular artery pressure of 23.9 +/- 16.2 mmHg (p < 0.01). ventricular overdriving-induced hypotension in intact hearts produces an isolated muscular artery response with clear vasoconstrictor predominance. Aortic obstruction-induced hypotension does not produce a vasoconstrictor response in the isolated muscular artery but rather an initial vasodilation response which does not revert to vasoconstriction at any point during the hypotensive process. Overdriving was not capable of inducing a peripheral vasoconstriction in presence of aortic root obstruction except in the highest rates of overdriving."}
{"id": "PMID:1475498", "title": "[Pulmonary valvular agenesis treated with cryopreserved pulmonary homograft].", "content": "We report successful treatment of pulmonary valve agenesia with pulmonary stenosis and ventricular septal defect by infundibular resection, patch-closure of the VSD and implantation of a cryopreserved pulmonary homograft. Cases with mild to moderate hypoplasia of the pulmonary annulus are particularly well suited for direct pulmonary homograft implantation, while cases with severe hypoplasia and high right ventricular pressure after correction may be better treated with aortic homografts. Some technical aspects of homograft implantation (doing first the proximal suture, preserving the normal configuration of the valvular sinuses and using the subvalvular homograft tissue to enlarge the right ventricular outflow tract) may prevent significant valvular incompetence."}
{"id": "PMID:1475499", "title": "[Intraventricular transient obstruction related to bronchodilator treatment].", "content": "A 66-year-old woman with a previous history of chronic lung disease, without evidence of heart disease and without signs of left ventricular hypertrophy developed a dynamic intraventricular obstruction documented by a Doppler-derived gradient of 25 mmHg and by physical signs consisting of a brisk carotid pulse and a harsh systolic murmur while she was on treatment with theophylline and hexoprenaline. Both physical signs and Doppler-derived gradient disappeared after withdrawal of bronchodilator drugs."}
{"id": "PMID:1475500", "title": "[Lipomatous hypertrophy of the interatrial septum. Report of 2 cases diagnosed in vivo].", "content": "Lipomatous hypertrophy of intervenous tubercle is a clinicopathological entity characterized by an accumulation of not capsulated fatty tissue, with its thickness exceeding 15 mm, in the atrial septum, above the fossa ovalis, at the intervenous level and protruding into the right atrium. It can be clinically associated with atrial electric abnormalities such as disorders of the atrial conduction and supraventricular arrhythmias, difficulty of the venous return and sudden death. Nowadays its diagnosis is not difficult using non invasive image techniques. We present two cases of lipomatous hypertrophy of intervenous tubercle which were suspected by echocardiography. In one of them we used transthoracic echocardiography and in the other one transesophageal echocardiography. The diagnostic was latter confirmed by magnetic nuclear resonance and axial computerized tomography."}
{"id": "PMID:1475501", "title": "[Systemic-pulmonary shunt with autologous internal jugular vein].", "content": "We report a variant of systemic-pulmonary shunt for newborns or low-weight neonates affected with hypoplasia or atresia of pulmonary artery. An autologous internal jugular vein was used. Six months after surgery all patients referred no symptoms and a normal systemic-pulmonary shunt with an arterial oxygenation of 82-90% was present."}
{"id": "PMID:1475502", "title": "[Quadricuspid aortic valve. Presentation of a new case and review of the literature].", "content": "We report a case of quadricuspid aortic valve, diagnosed by two-dimensional echocardiography in a patient with scleroderma, during the course of an acute pericarditis. With regard to this observation, we review the literature published about this rare anomaly."}
{"id": "PMID:1475504", "title": "[The era of myocardial reperfusion].", "content": "Myocardial reperfusion is the single most useful therapeutic approach in patients with acute myocardial infarction. The thousands of lives saved each year by this treatment are the result of scientific progress in very different areas, including the biopathology of myocardial ischemia and reperfusion, the mechanisms of coronary occlusion, the pharmacology of the fibrinolytic system, and clinical research. The 30% reduction in mortality achieved by fibrinolytic treatment in patients with acute myocardial infarction does not fit, apparently, with the short time-window during which restoration of blood flow results in significant myocardial salvage in animal models with few collaterals. This discrepancy could be due to the protective effect of intermittent coronary occlusions immediately preceding stable occlusive thrombosis (ischemic preconditioning), or to other possible beneficial effects of reperfusion independent of myocardial salvage, as limitation of ventricular remodelling or reduction of the risk of cardiac rupture or severe arrhythmias. Clearly, the best approach to increase the beneficial effects of reperfusion therapy is to perform it as early as possible; the cost-effectiveness of pre-hospital treatment strategies is now under investigation. In the other hand, current reperfusion therapy cannot be considered optimal. Thrombolytic agents fail to achieve recanalization of the infarct related vessel in 20-30% of patients, and 10-15% of the successfully opened arteries present early reocclusion. In certain subgroups of patients, such in those with cardiogenic shock, failure rate is higher. Mechanical recanalization by \"direct\" angioplasty represent an alternative reperfusion method, which utility has been established in certain circumstances only. So, well in the \"reperfusion era\", many questions remain open.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1475505", "title": "[Aspirin and heparin in the fibrinolytic treatment of acute myocardial infarction].", "content": "There is now extensive evidence of activation of platelet and the coagulation cascade with coronary thrombosis, and further activation with exogenous thrombolysis. Administration of aspirin and heparin has been shown to improve mortality when combined with thrombolytic therapy in acute myocardial infarction, probably by enhancing lysis and reducing subsequent reocclusion of infarct related artery. Most studies have evaluated the effect of aspirin or heparin in combination with streptokinase. These results can probably be extrapolated to rtPA, as it has much shorter, half live, and induces lower systemic lytic state. Although aspirin and heparin have been tested independently, they probably have a synergistic action post fibrinolysis. With current information it is mandatory to include aspirin in the treatment of AMI, with or with out thrombolytic treatment. Intravenous administration of heparin seems justified, specially if rtPA is used as fibrinolytic agent. Potent new drugs capable of inhibiting platelets an the coagulation cascade emerge as a promising future. Until their effect is clinically proven, aspirin and i.v. heparin should remain as adjunctive therapy to fibrinolytic treatment in AMI."}
{"id": "PMID:1475506", "title": "[Prehospital fibrinolysis: a priority objective?].", "content": "Clinical trials strongly suggest that the sooner thrombolysis is applied after the onset of chest pain, the greater are the derived benefits. Time delay between onset chest pain and initiation of therapy possesses three fundamental components: 1) the call for help; 2) the transportation to the hospital, and 3) the in-hospital delay for diagnosis and initiation of therapy. On the other hand, pre-hospital thrombolysis has been shown feasible and safe; more importantly, it has resulted in early identification of patients eligible for fibrinolysis, greatly accelerating the process of drug administration. A critical look at all measures that could result in more rapid treatment is now indicated. This include early identification of eligible patients, prompt clinical and electrocardiographic diagnosis, rapid transportation to hospital and undelayed drug administration by competent personnel. Every clinical center should investigate the practice in its community area to detect where, when and why time is lost between onset of pain and treatment application to institute the appropriate corrective measures."}
{"id": "PMID:1475507", "title": "[Role of angioplasty in acute myocardial infarction].", "content": "Angioplasty as the treatment of acute myocardial infarction has proven to be effective in restoring arterial patency and in reducing residual stenosis, although reocclusion and restenosis may be high. Despite the good results reported by several investigators none of the prospective randomized trials comparing thrombolytic therapy with angioplasty (either alone or associated to thrombolysis) has shown any improvement in survival, the latter strategy being associated with an excess of acute complications. However, primary angioplasty may be useful in selected subgroups such as those with cardiogenic shock or with absolute contraindications for thrombolysis. The role of rescue angioplasty still needs to be defined in properly designed studies. In conclusion, primary angioplasty in acute myocardial infarction should be restricted to patients in whom thrombolytic therapy has been shown to be harmful or ineffective."}
{"id": "PMID:1475508", "title": "[Treatment of cardiogenic shock with thrombolysis and coronary angioplasty].", "content": "The incidence of cardiogenic shock in patients with acute myocardial infarction can be estimated between 2 and 12%, with a mortality close to 75%. Most pathologic studies demonstrate that myocardial necrosis involves more than 40% of left ventricular mass in these patients. Severe coronary disease is the rule, with three vessel disease in nearly 70% of cases. The efficacity of fibrinolytic treatment in reducing mortality is less evident in patient with shock. In the GISSI-1 study, Killip class IV patients had 69% mortality with streptokinase and 70% without; In the GISSI-2 trial, mortality was 65% with streptokinase and 78% with tPA. The thrombolytic drug used does not seem, thus, to influence the results. In a small series of 44 patients, intracoronary streptokinase achieved recanalization in 43% of cases, less than the average for the general population of patients with acute myocardial infarction receiving conventional treatment. Mortality was 42% in successfully treated patients, less than in those not reperfused. Coronary angioplasty seems superior to conventional fibrinolytic treatment. Results are promising, with survival between 56% and 61% in successfully reperfused patients. Recanalization rate may reach 75%. Surgery offers the only alternative when shock is due to any types of cardiac rupture; in the absence of this complication, its role is not well defined yet. Survival may be estimated in 50%."}
{"id": "PMID:1475509", "title": "[Elective coronary angioplasty in recurrent ischemia after successful fibrinolysis in myocardial infarction. Comparison with results of angioplasty in the acute phase].", "content": "To assess the initial and long-term results of 149 percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) procedures performed within 1 month of an acute myocardial infarction (AMI), 83 of them because of recurrent ischemia (post-infarction angina) after thrombolytic therapy with initial reperfusion success in the AMI (100 lesions attempted) (group I) and 66 PTCAs (69 lesions) performed during the acute phase of the AMI (group II). Mean age was 56 +/- 14 and 127 (85%) patients were male. Although successful dilation was obtained in 151 (89%) of the 169 attempted lesions, (96[96%] in group I vs 55[78%] in group II), clinical success was obtained in only 123 (82%) (76[92%] vs 64[77%] in both groups, respectively). Late occlusion occurred in 14 (9%) of the 151 lesions successfully dilated (6[6%] and 8[15%], respectively) and reinfarction was documented in 7 (5%) patients (5[5%] and 2[3%]). One patient in group I underwent coronary bypass surgery. There were 4 (3%) hospital deaths (1[1%] and 3[4%]) in group I and II, respectively). Event-free (no occurrence of death, AMI, coronary surgery, repeat PTCA or angina recurrence) survival rate was 76%, 73% and 67% in group I versus 62%, 57% and 40% in group II, at 1, 2 and 4 years respectively. During follow-up, 1 (1%) patient of the group I and 4 of the group II died. At last follow-up, 63 (78%) of the 81 patients alive vs 33 (67%) of the 59 patients in the group I and II respectively remained asymptomatic. In conclusion, in our experience elective PTCA performed in the subacute phase after an AMI provides better initial and long-term outcome than that performed in the acute phase. Therefore, the procedure would be delayed whenever possible."}
{"id": "PMID:1475510", "title": "[Reperfusion arrhythmias during coronary thrombolysis: clinical reality or experimental curiosity?].", "content": "To determine the arrhythmogenic impact of the fibrinolytic therapy during acute myocardial infarction, we have revised 9 clinical series published between 1983 and 1992 including a total number of 2,091 patients, and we have discussed the data according to the factors that modulate the incidence of reperfusion arrhythmias. All patients had an acute myocardial infarction that began 3 to 6 hours before admission and in all instances fibrinolytic treatment consisted of intravenous or intracoronary streptokinase infusion. Ventricular fibrillation (VF) during thrombolytic therapy occurred in 8 (4%) out of 188 patients with angiographically documented reopening of the occluded coronary artery. The mean incidence of VF was 0-17% among all series. The overall incidence of sustained ventricular tachycardia (VT) was 19%, whereas that the incidence of slow VT (idioventricular rhythm) was 39%. Sinus bradycardia was not systematically analyzed in the present series, but the presence of sinus bradycardia and arterial hypotension (Bezold-Jarisch reflex) was considered to be indicative of myocardial reperfusion specially in cases of acute inferior myocardial infarction. We conclude that in contrast to experimental models of coronary reperfusion, fibrinolytic therapy in patients with acute myocardial infarction has a low arrhythmogenic potential."}
{"id": "PMID:1475511", "title": "[Does reperfusion modify the risk of heart rupture? Effects of early reperfusion].", "content": "The goal of this study was to evaluate whether early fibrinolytic therapy could reduce in-hospital mortality caused by cardiac rupture in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Based on the strong correlation between occurrence of left ventricular free wall rupture and development of sudden electromechanical dissociation (EMD) in patients with a first TAMI without relevant heart failure, we compare the incidence of this mechanism of death in patients treated with streptokinase and in those from a control group. The study included 406 patients with a first transmural AMI younger than 71 years who received intravenous streptokinase (SK) with 104 similar patients not treated with fibrinolytic agents. Mortality rate in patients treated with SK was 6% compared to 11% in those from the control group. Patients treated with SK presented a lower incidence of EMD than those from the control group (17% vs 72%; p < 0.002). A necropsy study carried out in 33% of cases, confirmed the existence of left ventricular free wall rupture in each of the 7 cases who presented EMD but in none of the 6 who died in shock. We conclude that left ventricular free wall rupture is the principal cause of mortality in patients admitted to a Coronary Care Unit with a first transmural AMI, and that fibrinolytic treatment reduces mortality mainly by reducing development of cardiac rupture."}
{"id": "PMID:1475512", "title": "[Detecting reperfusion in patients with acute myocardial infarction].", "content": "The patency of the infarct-related coronary artery seems to be an important prognostic factor after an acute myocardial infarction. It is not only related to short term prognosis, specially in the context of cardiogenic shock, but also to long-term prognosis, due to its influence on ventricular remodelling. On the other hand, the assessment of new fibrinolytic treatments require large numbers of patients in multicenter trials for documenting a benefit, when mortality is used as the endpoint. Accordingly, new endpoints will have to be developed, as the patency of the infarct-related coronary artery. Coronary angiography has been used until now to assess coronary patency. However, it is an invasive procedure and its optimal timing after fibrinolytic treatment has not been established. The classic non-invasive methods, like resolution of chest pain, reperfusion arrhythmias, normalization of ST segment elevation and enzymatic determinations, are not very useful, although the combined analysis of these markers increases their accuracy. The imaging methods, specially isotopic but also magnetic resonance imaging, offer interesting possibilities, but they are expensive and not universally available. The usefulness of contrast echocardiography has not been well established. Thus, the diagnosis of myocardial reperfusion by a non-invasive method, sensitive, specific and with a good temporal and spatial resolution, is still an unsolved problem."}
{"id": "PMID:1475513", "title": "[The future of fibrinolysis: from fibrinolytic treatment to reperfusion therapy].", "content": "Fibrinolytic therapy is aimed at dissolving the fibrin clot. Its use now represents the optimal therapy for an acute evolving myocardial infarction. Although improved fibrinolytic agents are now being developed, the next frontier appears to be thrombolytic therapy which will combine fibrinolysis to platelet active drugs and specific inhibitors of blood coagulation, targetting the blood clot formation process itself. The most promising agents in this regard are inhibitors of the platelet glycoprotein IIb-IIIa receptors and specific thrombin inhibitors active on clot bound thrombin. This should result in more complete control of the thrombogenicity of the culprit coronary artery lesion. The comprehensive approach for the management of acute myocardial infarction should however ultimately be reperfusion therapy combining to thrombolytic therapy measures that will preserve the acutely ischemic myocardium and prevent the long-term deleterious effect of infarct expansion and left ventricular remodelling."}
{"id": "PMID:1475514", "title": "[Comparison of clinical efficacy of thrombolytic drugs in patients with acute myocardial infarction].", "content": "Thrombolytic therapy has prove to be effective to recanalize the occluded coronary artery in patients with acute myocardial infarction, reducing infarct size, preserving ventricular function and improving short and long term survival. In a number of studies the relative efficacy of the available thrombolytic agents has been studied an are discussed in this revision of the comparative, randomized trials. Some differences have been found in the relative efficacy of streptokinase, APSAC, urokinase and tPA to recanalized the occluded infarct related coronary artery. Reocclusion is probably highest with tPA and lowest with urokinase or the combination of urokinase and tPA. No differences were found in the reduction of infarct size and improving of left ventricular function. The mortality rate of patients treated with streptokinase, APSAC or tPA was found to be similar in two multicentric studies: GISSI-2 and ISIS-3. Major complications related with the use of thrombolytics include systemic or cerebral haemorrhage, allergic reactions, hypotension and probably heart rupture. Systemic and cerebral hemorrhages are more frequently associated with the use of tPA and APSAC than with streptokinase. Allergic reactions are more frequent after administration of streptokinase and APSAC than after tPA or urokinase and the same occurs with hypotension requiring treatment. The analysis of the available data from the comparative studies do not offer enough clinical evidence to consider any of the thrombolytic agents as the drug of choice in most patients with acute myocardial infarction."}
{"id": "PMID:1475515", "title": "Replication of mini-F plasmids during the bacterial division cycle.", "content": "The cell-cycle replication patterns of two mini-F plasmids have been examined using the membrane-elution technique (to produce cells labelled at different times during the division cycle) and scintillation counting (for quantitative analysis of radioactivity incorporated into plasmid DNA). The mini-F plasmid pML31, which contains the oriV and oriS origins of replication, replicates in a cell-cycle-specific manner with a pattern and cell-cycle timing similar to the parental F plasmid. The mini-F plasmid pMF21, deleted for the region containing the oriV origin of replication, replicates more randomly throughout the division cycle. These results suggest that the oriV origin of replication may be related to cell-cycle-specific replication of the F plasmid."}
{"id": "PMID:1475516", "title": "Introduction of the emm6 gene into an emm-deleted strain of Streptococcus pyogenes restores its ability to resist phagocytosis.", "content": "To complete the formal proof that the M protein functions to protect the group A streptococcus from phagocytosis and to lay the groundwork for the molecular genetic dissection of this major virulence factor, we have reintroduced a wild-type allele of the M protein gene (emm) into the chromosome of a strain from which it had previously been deleted. For this purpose, we used homologous recombination with an engineered plasmid that was introduced into the Streptococcus pyogenes chromosome by an electroporation technique that we developed. The plasmid pJRS120E was constructed in Escherichia coli and contains the structural gene for the antiphagocytic M6 protein (emm6) of S. pyogenes JRS4 and a selectable marker (ermAM) between the chromosomal regions that flank emm6 in S. pyogenes. This plasmid was introduced into S. pyogenes strain JRS75, a strain that is not resistant to phagocytosis as a result of the allelic replacement of the emm6 gene by a kanamycin resistance gene (aphA3). DNA hybridization analysis indicated that in erythromycin-resistant strain JRS115, homologous recombination resulted in the replacement of the aphA3 gene of JRS75 with the introduced emm6 allele. Strain JRS115 produces approximately the same amount of M6 as does the parental emm6+ strain JRS4, as assayed by Western blot analysis, and is resistant to phagocytosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1475517", "title": "A degU-containing SP beta prophage complements superactivator mutations affecting the Bacillus subtilis degSU operon.", "content": "The Bacillus subtilis degSU two-gene operon encodes a two-component regulatory system which positively controls expression of a variety of genes encoding degradative enzymes. Point superactivator mutations in either degS or degU increase the production of these enzymes. A specialized transducing SP beta phage which partially complements several of these mutations was isolated from a phage library of the B. subtilis chromosome. This phage was shown to contain the degU (wild-type) gene. This unexpected co-dominance is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1475518", "title": "Purification and characterization of Kanagawa haemolysin from Vibrio parahaemolyticus.", "content": "The haemolysin of a Kanagawa-phenomenon-positive Vibrio parahaemolyticus strain was purified to apparent homogeneity by acid precipitation, DEAE-Trisacryl, hydroxyapatite and FPLC (Mono-Q) columns: 1.4 micrograms of protein gave a single band on conventional SDS-PAGE with silver staining. The haemolysin was not inactivated by heating for 10 min at 100 degrees C. It was a monomeric protein with a molecular weight estimated to be 29 kDa by PAGE under denaturing and non-denaturing conditions. The haemolysin caused fluid accumulation in the ligated mouse ileum, was cytolytic against cultured mammalian cells and also lysed erythrocytes of various animal species (equine erythrocytes being the most resistant)."}
{"id": "PMID:1475519", "title": "Antigenic variation and strain heterogeneity in Borrelia spp.", "content": "Antigenic variation and strain heterogeneity have been demonstrated for the pathogenic Borrelia species, i.e. B. burgdorferi and the relapsing fever borreliae. In relapsing fever, new borrelia serotypes emerge at a high rate spontaneously, a mechanism that is caused by DNA rearrangements on linear plasmid translocating genes coding for variable major proteins from previous silent to expression sites (i.e. from inner sites to telomeric sites of the plasmid). As a result of this variation, the borreliae escape the immune response of the host, thus leading to the relapse phenomenon. In B. burgdorferi, which is the causative agent of the multisystem disorder Lyme borreliosis, there is also a growing body of findings that antigenic variation is involved in pathogenesis of the disease. Phenotypic variation of strains in vitro concerns the size and the amount of surface-associated proteins (OspA, OspB and pC). There are indications that OspA and OspB truncations are due to deletions within the ospAB operon caused by recombination events, and that OspA/OspB-less mutants lack the 49-kb plasmid that bears the ospAB operon. With the increasing number of isolates obtained from various geographic and biological sources, it became apparent that B. burgdorferi is immunologically and genetically more heterogeneous, as previously believed. The major outer surface proteins OspA and OspB (which have been efficient antigens in vaccine studies) are heterogeneous at a genetic level. The same degree of genetic non-identity was observed for the pC protein. Other proteins like flagellin and the highly specific immunodominant p100 range protein show a lower degree of non-identity. Recombinant OspA, pC, p100 range protein and flagellin have been hyperexpressed in E. coli and these proteins are immunologically reactive. This allows further research for development of vaccines and diagnostic tools. B. burgdorferi isolates have been investigated with genotyping (DNA hybridization, PCR and 16S rRNA analysis) as well as serotyping by various authors. Comparison of the different methods has shown good agreement when the same strains have been investigated. No correlation could be found between different phenotypic and genotypic groups with respect to the ability to cause arthritis in SCID mice. A serotyping system based on immunological differences in OspA detected by a panel of monoclonal antibodies has been proposed. Serotyping a large number of B. burgdorferi isolates has shown a striking predominance of the OspA serotype 2 among European isolates from human skin, in contrast to isolates from ticks or CSF.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1475520", "title": "Spirochete chemotaxis, motility, and the structure of the spirochetal periplasmic flagella.", "content": "Spirochetes have a unique motility system that is characterized by flagellar filaments contained within the outer membrane sheath. Direct evidence using video microscopy has recently been obtained which indicates that these periplasmic flagella (PF) rotate in several spirochetal species. This rotation generates thrust. As shown for one spirochete, Spirochaeta aurantia, motility is driven by a proton motive force. Spirochete chemotaxis has been most thoroughly studied in S. aurantia. This spirochete exhibits three distinct behaviours, runs of smooth swimming, reversals and flexing. These behaviours are modulated by addition of attractants such that S. aurantia swims towards higher concentrations of attractants in a spatial gradient. Unlike the prototypical bacterium, Escherichia coli, chemotaxis in S. aurantia involves fluctuations in membrane potential. The PF of a number of spirochetes have been examined in considerable detail. For most species, the PF filaments are complex, consisting of an assembly of several different polypeptides. There are several antigenically related core polypeptides surrounded by an outer layer consisting of a different polypeptide. Borrelia burgdorferi and Spirochaeta zuelzerae represent exceptions where the filaments are composed of a single major polypeptide species. The genes encoding the filament polypeptides from several spirochete species have been cloned and analysed. Apparently, the outer layer polypeptides of S. aurantia, Treponema pallidum and Serpulina hyodysenteriae are transcribed from sigma-70-like promoters, whereas the core polypeptide genes are transcribed from sigma-28-like promoters. A gene encoding the hook polypeptide in Treponema phagedenis has been cloned and analysed. The product of this gene shows significant similarity to the E. coli hook protein, FlgE, and homologs have been identified in T. pallidum and B. burgdorferi.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1475525", "title": "Effects of phenothiazine on contractions induced by prostaglandin F2 alpha and 5-hydroxytryptamine in normal and spastic canine cerebral artery.", "content": "We have investigated the effect of phenothiazine, a compound known to inhibit calmodulin, on the responses of normal and spastic cerebral arteries, using the canine \"two hemorrhage\" model of cerebrovascular spasm. Ring preparations from control vessels or vessels removed three or seven days after injection of blood, were contracted with either 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) or prostaglandin F2 alpha (PGF2 alpha) and then exposed to increasing concentrations of phenothiazine. In normal arteries, low concentrations of phenothiazine enhanced the response to PGF2 alpha, while higher concentrations caused relaxation. Responses to 5-HT were inhibited by all concentrations of phenothiazine tested. When normal arteries were compared with arteries from animals injected with blood, in the case of 5-HT, phenothiazine was a less effective antagonist at low doses, but equieffective at higher doses. Similar experiments conducted with PGF2 alpha showed that phenothiazine was a more effective antagonist in spastic vessels. We conclude that 5-HT and PGF2 alpha have significant differences in the mechanism by which they produce contraction of cerebral vessels, that phenothiazine has secondary effects on contraction independent of inhibition of calmodulin, and, finally that the effects of phenothiazine in clinical vasospasm may be insufficient to reverse the condition, despite the observation that vessels in spasm may be more sensitive to this agent."}
{"id": "PMID:1475526", "title": "Central arrhythmogenic effects of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) in anesthetized rats: influence of the denervation of the carotid-sinus baroreceptors on the susceptibility to arrhythmias.", "content": "The intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) administration of NMDA into urethane anesthetized rats could induce centrogenic cardiac arrhythmias. There were some important differences between sodium glutamate- and NMDA-induced arrhythmias which rendered it difficult to accept the assumption that glutamate-induced arrhythmias were due to the stimulation of only NMDA receptors. Denervation of the carotid-sinus baroreceptor zones enhanced the central arrhythmogenic activity of both sodium glutamate and NMDA."}
{"id": "PMID:1475521", "title": "Genetic approaches to cell biology and metabolism of spirochetes.", "content": "Genetic analysis and methodology have only comparatively recently been applied to the study of spirochetes. Although genetic transfer procedures for spirochetes are not widely available, there are several examples of progress in genetic analysis of spirochetes by other approaches. Some examples of these approaches are the following. 1) Genes for synthetic pathways in Treponema and Leptospira have been cloned by complementation of Escherichia coli serving as plasmid hosts. 2) The OspA protein of Borrelia burgdorferi has been overexpressed in E. coli without the signal peptide; the recombinant product has been suitable for circular dichroism as well as other biochemical analyses. 3) The heat shock proteins of B. burgdorferi are homologous to heat shock proteins of E. coli. 4) Enzyme activity profiles of B. burgdorferi and other spirochetes show strain heterogeneity and also indicate which biosynthetic and enzymatic activities are conserved within different spirochetes. 5) The gene organization of rRNA genes have revealed differences between spirochetes and other types of bacteria."}
{"id": "PMID:1475522", "title": "Extrachromosomal elements of spirochetes.", "content": "The spirochetes include some important pathogenic bacteria, Treponema, Borrelia and Leptospira. The pathogeneses of these spirochetes are very diverse. In an attempt to learn more about the virulence factors among the spirochetes, their genetic organization and capacity have been studied. Structural analysis of the genome in Borrelia has shown that the genome is composed of one linear maxi-chromosome with additional linear minichromosomes as well as several supercoiled circular plasmids. Moreover, the molecular analysis of the terminal ends of one of the linear minichromosomes has revealed that this unique replicon has sequence similarities with poxviruses and particularly the viral agent of African swine fever. The presence of nucleic-acid-containing vesicles and its possible role in mediating DNA transfer between borreliae is an additional, very interesting feature of these organisms. Treponema does not contain any linear DNA, chromosomal or extrachromosomal, however molecular characterization of a 2.6-kb plasmid of Treponema denticola has been performed with the aim of establishing cloning vehicles to study the virulence properties of the genus Treponema."}
{"id": "PMID:1475527", "title": "Changes in the xanthine dehydrogenase/xanthine oxidase ratio in the rat kidney subjected to ischemia-reperfusion stress: preventive effect of some flavonoids.", "content": "The enzyme xanthine oxidase has been implicated in the tissue oxidative injury after ischemia-reperfusion. This enzyme, which is a source of oxygen free radicals, is formed from a dehydrogenase form during ischemia. The ratio dehydrogenase/oxidase of rat kidney homogenates decreases during the ischemia and the reperfusion. Two flavonoids, quercetin and silybin, characterized as free radical scavengers, exert a protective effect preventing the decrease in the dehydrogenase/oxidase ratio observed during ischemia-reperfusion. The mechanism of this effect and the role of flavonoids in the ischemia-reperfusion tissue damage is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1475523", "title": "Interaction of spirochetes with the host.", "content": "The success of an invading organism must depend on several cytoplasmic, surface-associated and secreted factors. The technical difficulties in handling pathogenic spirochetes like Treponema pallidum and Borrelia burgdorferi have made it difficult to define specific factors involved in entry and long-term survival. The problem of defining virulence factors has been attacked by several strategies: T. pallidum secretes a number of immunogenic low molecular mass proteins. The most predominant are of molecular weight 15.5 and 22 kDa. Preliminary data suggest that antibodies against these proteins induce protective immunity in rabbits experimentally infected with T. pallidum. Many potentially important surface-associated antigens of T. pallidum have now been cloned and characterized. Two of these, TpD and TpE, are lipoproteins which exhibit characteristic size heterogeneity. The apparent molecular weight of TpE from T. pallidum and T. pertenue are different. The clinical symptoms in syphilis and yaws are very different, but sequence analysis of TpE has shown that the TpE proteins are indeed very similar in the two strains. This observation makes it unlikely that heterogeneity of TpE can account for the different clinical symptoms of syphilis and yaws. Sequence data for another newly sequenced surface-associated antigen of T. pallidum (molecular weight 41 kDa) indicate that this protein is involved in glucose transport and chemotaxis/motility. Intracellular factors like the molecular chaperonin GroEL have been documented both in treponemes and borreliae. This stress protein is involved in cellular repair processes and folding/assembly of protein subunits. Indirect evidence suggests that GroEL affects the ability of spirochetes to survive in the stressful environment of the infected host. Several lines of evidence suggest that the Osp proteins of Borrelia are important for host/parasite interaction. Further support for this idea has come from studies of a series of monoclonal antibodies against OspA. A monoclonal antibody against OspA (9B3D) is able to block attachment of B. burgdorferi to a cell monolayer. Borrelia loses infectivity after several passages in vitro. The loss of pathogenicity is associated with loss of specific plasmids and proteins. One of the low-passage-associated proteins (Lap30) has been cloned and sequenced. Lap30 is a lipoprotein encoded by a 38-kb plasmid, not present in high passage B. burgdorferi. Aberrant immunological processes induced by the lipopolysaccharide component of Treponema hyodysenteriae could explain the dramatic intestinal lesions in swine dysenteriae. But analysis by TLC reveals that the LPS of this treponeme is different from classical Salmonella LPS.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1475524", "title": "Spirochetes: vaccines, animal models and diagnostics.", "content": "The detailed characterization of various proteins from spirochetes using molecular biology techniques has made possible new approaches to vaccine and diagnostic development that are described in this session. The importance of animal models was emphasized and illustrated."}
{"id": "PMID:1475528", "title": "1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3 inhibits thromboxane release from activated macrophages.", "content": "1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25-(OH)2D3) in concentrations from 0.1 to 10 nM suppressed immunoreactive thromboxane B2 (iTXB2) release from Propionibacterium acnes (P. acnes)-elicited liver adherent cells stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 1 microgram/ml). These suppressive effects of 1,25-(OH)2D3 were also observed in oyster glycogen-elicited peritoneal macrophages. On the contrary, it did not inhibit iTXB2 release from both resident Kupffer cells and peritoneal macrophages stimulated with the same concentration of LPS. Furthermore, 1,24(R)-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,24(R)-(OH)2D3), a vitamin D3 analogue, also inhibited iTXB2 release from liver adherent cells, but, another synthesized vitamin D3 analogue, 1 alpha-hydroxyvitamin D3 (1 alpha-OH-D3) tended to decrease iTXB2 release only at higher concentrations. These results suggest that active vitamin D3 analogues inhibit iTXB2 release from activated macrophages."}
{"id": "PMID:1475529", "title": "In vitro and in vivo activities of the novel antiplatelet agent alpha,alpha'-bis[3-(N,N-diethylcarbamoyl)piperidino]-p-xylene dihydrobromide.", "content": "In an effort to develop compounds with high antithrombotic activity and minimal toxicity, our laboratory has synthesized a number of nipecotamides. The effectiveness of one of these compounds, alpha,alpha'-bis[3-(N,N-diethylcarbamoyl)piperidino]-p-xylene dihydrobromide (A-1), in inhibiting both in vitro and in vivo platelet aggregation is reported here, along with its acute toxicity. The IC50 of A-1 in in vitro ADP- and PAF-induced platelet aggregation was 44.5 microM and 21.2 microM, respectively. Suppression of intraplatelet [Ca2+] is suggested as a likely mediator of the aggregation-inhibitory properties of A-1, since both the release of cytosolic Ca2+ and the influx of extracellular Ca2+ were decreased. The ED50 of A-1 in protecting mice against thromboembolism induced by a collagen-epinephrine challenge was 164 mumol/kg. The measurement of the acute toxicity of this compound as the LD50 was 691 mumol/kg, with the therapeutic index being 4.2. These data indicate that compounds in this family hold promise as clinically effective antithrombotic agents."}
{"id": "PMID:1475530", "title": "The influence of renal failure on the kinetics of intravenous midazolam: an \"in vitro\" and \"in vivo\" study.", "content": "The effect of renal failure upon the \"in vitro\" binding of midazolam, a new water-soluble short-acting benzodiazepine, has been studied in man. An increase of its free fraction (ranging from 2.52 to 5.17%) in serum from uremic patients was observed. A similar situation was originated in rabbits by administering uranyl nitrate (2 mg/Kg i.v.) and posterior hypnosis with midazolam. Uremic rabbits showed a marked increase in the free concentration of midazolam in serum (ranging from 8.9 to 13.7 micrograms/ml) and in midazolam brain levels (156.2 micrograms/g in cortex vs 84.5 micrograms/g in control animals). A positive correlation between brain and serum free concentration of midazolam was also observed. It is concluded that in renal patients more unbound drug is available to produce central nervous system effects, and a decrease in intravenous dose of midazolam could be recommended in this clinical situation."}
{"id": "PMID:1475531", "title": "Morphometric analysis of renal cortex changes induced by diethylstilbestrol (DES) in Syrian hamsters.", "content": "Estrogen-induced renal adenocarcinoma usually can be readily detected in castrated hamsters after 9 to 12 months of DES treatment. In the present study, we examined the morphological characteristics of the renal cortices of castrated hamsters that had received 3 months of DES treatment in order to describe early histological evidence of carcinogenesis induction. Twelve Syrian Golden hamsters, 8 to 9 weeks of age, were first castrated and then subjected to either subpannicular implantation of a 20 mg DES pellet (experiment group), or sham operation (controls). Morphological and 2-D morphometric evaluations were conducted sequentially on kidney histological sections. Numbers (N's) or area fractions (AF's) of renal components in the juxta-medullary junction of each kidney section were processed for morphometric evaluation. The DES treatment caused a 15% increase in kidney weight, but not body weight. Dysplastic foci associated with hyperplastic tubules were present in 67% of the left kidneys or 17% of the right kidneys of hamsters in the test group, but were absent in kidneys of controls. DES treatment decreased glomeruli N by 33% and increased the vasculature AF by 169% per examination field. DES also increased AF's of glomeruli, proximal tubules, distal tubules, and vasculature by 17, 81, 53 and 346% per nephron, respectively. Our results showed that, after the first three months of DES-treatment, hamster kidneys developed dysplastic foci and their masses were greater than controls. Increased renal components in the juxta-medullary junction region included glomeruli, tubules, and vasculature. The dysplastic foci may be sites of subsequent malignancies, whereas the increased renal mass might be a result of functional adaptation/expression to exogenous estrogen which might contribute to the carcinogenic process."}
{"id": "PMID:1475538", "title": "Cystic fibrosis and pulmonary involvement from multiple perspectives.", "content": "The pulmonary involvement in cystic fibrosis (CF) is discussed from several perspectives including historical, current treatment, and possible future therapies. The clinical realities that have limited and frustrated the successful control of the pulmonary progression are reviewed. A variety of pending new therapies are briefly presented including antiinflammatory agents, protease inhibitors, ion transport inhibitors, antiviscosity agents, chloride channel modifiers, and immunomodifiers. An appeal is made for more effective down-regulation of the overstimulated local and systemic immune responses to the chronic inflammatory processes. More attention needs to be paid to improvement of current methods of aerosol administration that will be of critical importance for living cell/viral/gene/liposome delivery. Other means of buying additional survival time are urgently needed such as improvements in lung transplantation and better treatment of cor pulmonale. The explosion of molecular genetics progress in CF basic research is an exciting and encouraging dynamic that may lead to a cure for patients with CF in spite of the more than 200 known genetic variations known to date. The survival of CF patients has increased 1 year for 1 year during the past 10 years and now is 29.4 years in 1991. If this progress can be maintained, the hope is that advances in molecular genetics and cell electrophysiology can soon be brought to clinical application in an effective fashion. A magnificent choice of new treatment directions is becoming available, leading to very realistic hope and optimism for the future for patients with CF."}
{"id": "PMID:1475539", "title": "The cystic fibrosis gene and relationships to clinical status.", "content": "Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a disease characterized by significant variability in both presentation and clinical course. The genetic and environmental factors responsible for the phenotypic expression of CF are most likely legion, and their relationship to the disease complex. Therefore, it was not until the isolation and characterization of the CF gene and the ability to genotype individual patients that further elucidation of the genotype-phenotype relationship in CF was possible. Currently, the pancreatic status of CF patients appears to be primarily determined by genetic factors and patients homozygous for the most common mutation, delta F508 are, as a rule, pancreatic insufficient. Other specific alleles that confer pancreatic sufficiency have been identified. Patients having these alternative alleles remain pancreatic sufficient, are diagnosed later, have lower sweat chloride values, milder respiratory disease, and a better prognosis than patients with alleles associated with pancreatic insufficiency. Other clinical manifestations, including meconium ileus and the presence of liver disease, appear to be associated with pancreatic insufficiency. The variability in the pulmonary course for homozygous delta F508 patients suggests that genetic heterogeneity at other loci or environmental factors are important. Therefore, the CF genotype does not precisely predict pulmonary status."}
{"id": "PMID:1475540", "title": "Evolution of airway microbiology in the infant with cystic fibrosis: role of nonpseudomonal and pseudomonal pathogens.", "content": "Bacterial colonization of the airways of the infant with cystic fibrosis is usually established early in life, and, once established, is difficult to eradicate and is associated with progressive lung disease. Thus, understanding of early airway microbiology is critical to the development of appropriate early interventions such as prophylactic antibiotics, immunotherapy, and, potentially, gene therapy. The barriers to the study of infant airway microbiology are discussed, and the properties of infant lung anatomy, physiology, and immunity, which predispose the young patient to serious infection, are reviewed. We examine the natural history of lung infection in young patients, reviewing the roles of each of the main bacterial pathogens. Recent research on risk factors for early Pseudomonas aeruginosa colonization, including the potential role of respiratory viral infections, is discussed. We conclude with a discussion of the role of prophylactic antibiotic therapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1475541", "title": "Emergence and persistence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in the cystic fibrosis airway.", "content": "Colonization in the respiratory tracts of cystic fibrosis (CF) patients by mucoid Pseudomonas aeruginosa correlates with the progression of bronchial airway pathology. There is a direct correlation between the incidence of Pseudomonas colonization and age, clinical score, extent of pulmonary disease, severity of radiographic changes, and level of serum immunoglobulins. The central propensity to Pseudomonas colonization in patients with CF is not freely understood, but we discuss the acquisition and persistence of P aeruginosa in the CF airway. Elucidation of pathogenetic mechanisms of CF inflammatory airways disease is the first essential step to initiating novel therapies. It has been difficult to prove that the ability of P aeruginosa to adhere to the respiratory epithelium and provide selective advantage for this gram-negative bacillus over other potential pathogens for infection in the CF airway. However, flexible filaments (pili) extending from the Pseudomonas cell wall are thought to medicate epithelial cell adherence for nonmucoid P aeruginosa, and similarly, the gelatinous exopolysaccharide alginate produced by mucoid variants of P aeruginosa seems to be the adhesive to tracheal cells. Following the signal event of adherence, this bacterial pathogen competes successfully for iron cofactor and multiplies, releasing proteases with broad substrate specificities that dramatically alter the airway antiprotease screen, and the pathogen creates defects in local antibacterial defenses. Lung inflammation in CF is characterized by massive neutrophil infiltration. Although critical to host defense, neutrophils also cause progressive airway damage by release of bioactive lipids, oxygen metabolites, and granule enzymes such as hydrolases, myeloperoxidase (MPO), lysozyme, and neutral serine proteases. The necessarily circumscribed discussion that follows will focus narrowly on the host cell-derived factors (macrophages and neutrophils) proposed as important components in this pathogenetic scheme."}
{"id": "PMID:1475542", "title": "Allergic bronchopulmonary mycosis complicating cystic fibrosis.", "content": "Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) is a hypersensitivity lung disease caused by bronchial colonization with Aspergillus fumigatus that affects approximately 10% of patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). The diagnosis in CF patients is difficult because the cardinal symptoms of ABPA occur frequently in CF, ie, pulmonary infiltrates and wheezing, as well as the frequent colonization with A fumigatus that leads to humoral reactivity. If left untreated, ABPA leads to bronchiectasis and pulmonary fibrosis. The pathogenesis of ABPA seems to be a prolonged asthmatic late-phase reaction orchestrated by CD4+ Th2-like T cells in response to persistent pulmonary A fumigatus allergen exposure. Thus, polyclonal and A fumigatus-specific IgE antibodies (and IgA and IgG) and blood pulmonary eosinophilia are stimulated by Th2-derived cytokines such as IL-4 and IL-5. In addition, IL-4 would also promote pulmonary transendothelial migration of eosinophils, basophils, and lymphocytes via induction of cell adhesion molecules and their ligands. IgE mast cell interactions would also contribute to the bronchial reactivity and inflammation. Recent advances have begun to identify immunodominant A fumigatus allergens. Evaluation of the quantity of IgE antibodies (and IgA and IgG) and T-cell cytokine responses to specific A fumigatus allergens should aid in the diagnosis and immunopathogenesis of ABPA, especially in CF patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1475543", "title": "Chest radiographic findings in cystic fibrosis.", "content": "Radiographic imaging modalities that have been applied to the staging and prognostication of the lung lesion in cystic fibrosis (CF) include conventional chest radiographs, computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Conventional chest radiographs are usually adequate to detect the salient radiographic features of CF and provide objective parameters for longitudinal disease progression. Although the lung manifestations of CF can be highly variable most patients with CF demonstrate some of the classic chest radiographic findings that reflect chronic bronchiectasis: hyperinflation, bronchial thickening and dilatation, peribronchial cuffing, mucoid impaction, cystic radiolucencies, an increase in interstitial markings, and scattered nodular densities. Complications of advanced CF include atelectasis, mucoid impaction, pneumothorax, pneumomediastinum, pulmonary hemorrhage, cardiomegaly, and enlargement of the pulmonary artery with cor pulmonale. Scoring systems have been developed to grade the chest radiograph in CF and to more accurately quantitate the severity of disease. Currently, the Brasfield system is in widest use. These radiographic scoring systems correlate well with pulmonary function data in both the pediatric and adult CF populations. High-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) is clearly more sensitive and accurate than conventional chest radiography in delineating the extent and severity of bronchiectasis and other parenchymal and airway lesions in CF. Quantifiable scoring systems using HRCT have been developed to assess disease severity in CF. The use of MRI in the clinical management of CF has been limited. MRI may be helpful in determining the cause of linear lung markings, differentiating mucous plugging, and peribronchial thickening from normal pulmonary blood vessels. MRI is an excellent imaging modality to differentiate hilar or mediastinal adenopathy from blood vessels or mediastinal fat."}
{"id": "PMID:1475544", "title": "Antimicrobials in cystic fibrosis: emergence of resistance and implications for treatment.", "content": "We reviewed the current literature on the role of antibiotic therapy in cystic fibrosis, concentrating on studies directing therapy at Pseudomonas aeruginosa. To highlight controversial areas, we examined studies comparing monotherapy with combination therapy, home intravenous treatment versus hospital treatment, intravenous versus oral therapy, and the role of aerosolized antibiotics. We found that all systemic therapies with antipseudomonal activity were of comparable efficacy. Data on the efficacy of aerosolized treatment were equivocal. There is a substantial body of anecdotal literature addressing the issue of antibiotic resistance complicating treatment of cystic fibrosis. This will be briefly reviewed and the responsible mechanisms will be outlined. There is a secular trend for selection of more resistant pathogens in the lungs of CF patients. In the individual patient, however, emergence of antibiotic resistance may occur without deleterious clinical effects."}
{"id": "PMID:1475545", "title": "Immunomodulatory therapies for cystic fibrosis.", "content": "Progressive pulmonary disease is the primary cause of morbidity and mortality in adult patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). The decrease in lung function associated with infection with Pseudomonas aeruginosa has been related to the severity of pulmonary inflammation. Thus therapies that reduce pulmonary inflammation may prove to be clinically efficacious. Therapeutic interventions that target pulmonary inflammation may be directed either at the infecting organism, especially P aeruginosa, or at host responses. Eradication of P aeruginosa from the airways of patients with CF has not been accomplished. However, reduction of the burden of P aeruginosa or modification of virulence factors are practical goals. Normalization of the host response ultimately depends on correction of the molecular defect. Until then, therapies are being investigated that may modulate pulmonary inflammation. These include therapies aimed at compensating for the defect in ion transport, down-regulating inflammatory cell responses, inhibiting host inflammatory products, or altering airway secretions. Preliminary data suggest that each of these approaches may have clinical efficacy. Large, multicenter trials addressing these issues are presently ongoing and hold the promise for continued improvement in the clinical course of patients with CF."}
{"id": "PMID:1475546", "title": "Lung transplantation in cystic fibrosis.", "content": "Lung transplantation has emerged in the last decade as a valid therapeutic endeavor for patients with end-stage lung disease. Although the presence of highly resistant organisms in the airway and sinuses of patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) increases the perioperative risk of infection following lung transplantation, transplant procedures can be undertaken in properly selected CF patients with acceptable morbidity and mortality at experienced centers. The introduction of a modification in the technique of double-lung transplantation has resulted in improved operative survival of CF patients undergoing lung transplantation. Whereas problems with posttransplant obliterative bronchiolitis, infection, and lymphoproliferative disorders contribute to morbidity, it is clear that lung transplantation can offer CF patients with end-stage lung disease improvement in both the quality and quantity of life. The most serious impediment to more widespread application of this therapy in CF is the inadequate number of donor organs."}
{"id": "PMID:1475547", "title": "The impact of molecular biology on understanding renal signal transduction.", "content": "The information that cells require to grow and prosper comes from diverse sources, adjacent to them and from considerable distances. Through evolution, cells have developed multiple mechanisms to acquire and process information. When a signaling mechanism has been successful, it has been used repeatedly with relatively minor modifications, and consequently is seen throughout biology. Specificity comes from using precise combinations of signaling molecules to achieve different ends in different cell types. Among the signaling systems that fit this description include the receptor and nonreceptor tyrosine kinases, G protein-coupled receptors, cell attachment receptors, guanylate cyclases, ligand-gated ion channels, the second messenger dependent and independent protein kinases and phosphatases, and transcription factors. The consequence of this conservation of molecular mechanisms is that many basic regulatory systems, which cannot be dissected free of the complexity of mammals, can be understood in relatively simple, manipulable experimental systems. With information from simple systems and the tools of genetics and molecular biology, complex problems such as human physiology and disease may be understood and eventually controlled."}
{"id": "PMID:1475548", "title": "Molecular physiology of renal potassium channels.", "content": "The application of patch-clamp technique to the study of ion channels showed the enormous diversity of K channels. In the kidney, K channels play an major role in transepithelial K transport, in the regulation of vascular tone, and in cellular proliferation. In the last 5 years, the use of powerful genetic and molecular biological techniques has provided an understanding of the molecular structure of some types of K channels. Although much work remains to be done in this area, the greater challenge will be to integrate the molecular information with the extensive physiological data already available. Finally, the rapidly accumulating knowledge of K channel structure, and the recent appreciation of their possible role in important disease states, such as hypertension, make the study of K channels very exciting."}
{"id": "PMID:1475552", "title": "Asthmatic drugs and competitive sport. An update.", "content": "Almost all asthmatics are prone to asthma triggered by moderate to severe exercise. Fortunately there are a number of pharmaceutical agents now available which can prevent and/or reverse exercise-induced asthma (EIA) and allow many asthmatics to participate in vigorous physical activities with minimum respiratory disadvantage. Regular exercise is an accepted part of the management of asthma and EIA can now be controlled so successfully that a number of elite sportspersons, in almost all types of sporting events, are asthmatic. This control of EIA, which is essential if asthmatics are to participate safely, requires that the patient and his/her doctor initiate a strategy to manage the disease during sport and other physical activities. In recent years the mortality and morbidity from asthma have been increasing and this has indicated the need to improve patient care. One of the most important innovations aiming to improve the control and treatment of asthma has been the recent development of the 6 point asthma management plan which is a strategy to simplify and optimise the long term management of asthma. It aims to improve the quality of life of most asthmatics and more importantly, prevent deaths due to asthma. Because antidoping controls operate in many high performance sports it is essential that the EIA management plan rely on those medications which are permitted. The list of allowable drugs is in continual flux as new ones are added and others are challenged on the grounds of possible ergogenicity. All aerosol beta 2-agonists except fenoterol, the khellin derivatives, theophylline, ipratropium bromide and the aerosol corticosteroids are currently permitted. Some nonasthmatic athletes who are aware of the improved performance of asthmatic athletes when using pre-exercise medication have been known to take antiasthma medication in the hope that it might improve their performance. Current evidence indicates, however, that the permitted medications are not ergogenic and do not give the asthmatic any advantage over the nonasthmatic athlete but merely removes the respiratory disadvantage under which he/she competes."}
{"id": "PMID:1475553", "title": "Cardiac rehabilitation following myocardial infarction. A practical approach.", "content": "The concept of cardiac rehabilitation following myocardial infarction is not a new one but is now at last gaining acceptance as an essential part of the service to the coronary patient. Its aim is to restore the effectiveness of post-infarct patients by ensuring that they are well adjusted, well educated and fit and thereby best able to cope with the long term consequences of their ischaemic heart disease. The first essential factor for good rehabilitation is patient education. Studies have shown high levels of distress and anxiety after infarction and to a large extent this is related to lack of information. Where patients have been given adequate information concerning their condition and treatment there is a high level of patient satisfaction and greater compliance. It must be appreciated that stress and anxiety impair the patient's ability to assimilate information and therefore repeated reinforcement is necessary. During the in-hospital period, the staff who are caring for the patient are constantly changing and while there is a role for all to educate the patient, the use of a cardiac liaison sister provides a continuity throughout the early recovery period to ensure that the education process is adequate. The use of written material and both audio and video tapes is also helpful. It is also important for the liaison sister to extend her role to the patient's immediate family, who also require information, and finally the liaison sister can provide a link into the post discharge phase, to answer the many questions that arise at this time, and to provide encouragement to the patient who is attempting to modify his lifestyle by stopping smoking, changing his diet and taking regular exercise. The use of exercise training is the second vital ingredient for adequate rehabilitation. This begins in earnest after the 6-week assessment, which can provide information on which to base an exercise prescription. The majority of patients enrolled within exercise programmes are medically stable and relatively symptom-free. There is increasing evidence that those with extensive myocardial damage, left ventricular dysfunction or failure, and ongoing myocardial ischaemia may also benefit. Traditional training programmes have been hospital based and have used mainly aerobic exercise. However, home based programmes should not be discounted where they may be more economical, more convenient, and improve patient compliance. Similarly, circuit training with weights has been shown to improve aerobic endurance and muscle strength and to have additional benefits in improved treadmill time compared with traditional aerobic programmes.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1475554", "title": "Applied physiology of tennis.", "content": "Studies in anthropometry showed that more research is needed in the area of physical development and its relationship to playing tennis. Muscle activity patterns have been studied for the different strokes, although more data are available relative to the service. During the service, skilled tennis players were found to display more consistent muscular activity with shorter periods of activation, implying a higher level of coordination than less skilled players. In profiling players, positive correlations were found between tournament play and a number of fitness parameters. More research is needed to develop assessment measures that are tennis specific. Also, longitudinal studies will provide greater insight into player profiles. The general consensus on fitness development was that tennis players should incorporate flexibility, strength and endurance training in their programmes to minimise asymmetry and injuries, while simultaneously enhancing performance. Tennis was found to have both aerobic and anaerobic components, with the predominant energy supply coming from phosphagen energy system. These findings suggest training programmes should be designed specific to the actual energy and muscular demands of the game. The need for further research in all areas certainly still exists in order to gain a better understanding of the game."}
{"id": "PMID:1475555", "title": "An overview of common soccer injuries. Management and prevention.", "content": "The most common injuries in soccer involve the ankle and knee joints, and the muscles and ligaments of the thigh and calf. Rehabilitation to restore strength and endurance after healing is extremely important to prevent a recurrence of the injury, which is much more severe and disabling than the initial injury. Sprains and strains of the hamstring and quadriceps, and injuries to the external and internal structures of the knee joints are frequent and relatively more disabling. Recent progress in the technical aspect of investigative medicine, such as magnetic resonance (MRI) imaging/quantitative only computer tomography (CT) scanning, ultrasonic imaging of soft tissues and isokinetic measurement of muscle characteristics, lead to better diagnosis and management of soccer injuries. Appropriate nutritional and physiological preparation, maintaining fluid and electrolytes during the game and restoration of the reserves following completion of exhaustive activities will help to minimise injuries."}
{"id": "PMID:1475558", "title": "[The difficult diagnosis of tuberculosis].", "content": "In spite of alarming reports from third world and industrialized countries, no increase in the incidence of tuberculosis has been seen in Switzerland. This is mainly attributable to the consistently performed initial treatment with a multiple-drug combination and the good compliance of our patients. In Switzerland the diagnosis of tuberculosis is difficult, because of its low incidence (1990: 1229 reported cases), as well as its nonspecific initial symptoms. Screening tests are only indicated in high risk-populations with direct contact to infectious tuberculosis cases, inhabitants of centres for homeless or immigrants, foreign workers and HIV-positives. The fast introduction of the gene amplification method with the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) would allow bacteriologic diagnosis within 48 hours. This would be of great practical relevance, allowing a quicker initiation of therapy and with that, a decrease of infection risk for physicians and medical staff, especially in endoscopy-rooms, emergency- and intensive care units. In Switzerland the multiple-drug resistance of mycobacteria (against insoniazid, rifampicin and other antimycobacterial agents) is seen only rarely (0.7 to 1.3% of cases). In patients with origin from countries with frequent drug-resistance to isoniazid and even more in case of suspected multiple drug-resistance or high initial bacterial count (cavernous tuberculosis), an initial combination therapy with four different antimycobacterial drugs should be applied, until the result of the susceptibility-tests is available."}
{"id": "PMID:1475559", "title": "[The current treatment of trigeminal neuralgia. Experience in 162 thermorhizotomies].", "content": "The neuralgia of the trigeminal nerve is the most frequent neuralgia of the cranial nerves. It is mostly seen in the elderly. In younger patients it must always be suspected as a symptomatic neuralgia. The course is recurrent and progressive. Spontaneous temporary remissions are usual. Later the pain becomes more frequent, unbearable and disabling. At first the therapy is a conservative one, the drug of choice is Carbamazepin, alternatively Phenytoin and Baclofen. If the conservative therapy fails, the only possible treatment is a neurosurgical one. Nowadays all methods aim at the Gasserian ganglion. In use are several percutaneous transoval procedures or the microvascular decompression through a craniotomy. Our surgical procedure of choice is the percutaneous thermorhizotomy in the Gasserian ganglion and the nerve root, where the pain-conducting fibers are destroyed, preserving tactile sensibility. This procedure is practically without vital hazards for the patient. It is applied in local anesthesia and a short intravenous analgesia. The recurrence rate of 32% is considerable, but the procedure can be repeated. The success cannot be deduced from the recurrence rate alone but must take into account the side effects of the procedure. These are mainly a loss of sensibility to touch by too aggressive rhizotomy and anesthesia of the cornea. By the criteria explained in the text we achieved a good result in 44%, a fair one in 25%, an indifferent one in 10% and a poor result in 7%. In 14% the result is unknown."}
{"id": "PMID:1475560", "title": "[Methods in continuing professional education. Results of a pilot survey of physicians].", "content": "There is not enough evidence, that formal continuing education can improve the quality of patient care. A model to support the work of quality circles by improving the acquisition of new knowledge and skills through problem-based learning in small groups was suggested in 1991. The results of a pilot survey carried out in three different groups of physicians and professional health care workers gave evidence that the model is acceptable in Germany, where problem-based learning is virtually unknown. Attributes of study groups like inclusion of nonphysicians, who would also be accepted as moderators, were indicated by a great majority. Topics and groups should be chosen by the individual and not be imposed by a central organization. Of the four methods suggested for problem-solving-presentation of the solution by an expert, solving the problem in group work, advice from an external expert, use of electronic publications--at least three were selected by 62, 65 and 96% of the responders in the three different groups. 30% of the total of 108 responders favor all four methods. Three of the four tasks of organizations responsible for continuing education are accepted: 1. support of local study groups, 2. provision of consulting experts, 3. instillation of information centers using modern information technology. Production and application of case simulations to be used in the study groups were only accepted by 23%. The differences between groups could have been caused by external influence such as experience with case presentations. The results justify a survey with improved and extended methodology in a sample of doctors representative for the physicians working within the frame work of social insurance."}
{"id": "PMID:1475562", "title": "Periodic leg movements during sleep before and after heart transplantation.", "content": "We report the association between periodic leg movements (PLM) during sleep and congestive heart failure (CHF) in a patient who had a successful heart transplant. Pretransplant, the patient had chronic insomnia and CHF. Overnight polysomnography revealed severe PLM disorder and sleep disruption. Three months following transplantation his insomnia had resolved associated with a dramatic reduction in PLM."}
{"id": "PMID:1475563", "title": "Self-reported sleep disturbances in employed women.", "content": "To explore the incidence and types of sleep disturbances in employed women, 760 registered nurses completed a health survey that included questions about their sleep patterns and sleep quality. Comparisons are made between those nurses working permanent day, permanent evening, permanent night, and rotating shifts. As expected, there were higher incidences of sleep disturbances and excessive sleepiness for women working night and rotating shifts, but age and family factors, rather than caffeine and alcohol intake, contributed to the differences in types of sleep disturbances these women experienced."}
{"id": "PMID:1475564", "title": "Treatment of sleep apnea with prosthetic mandibular advancement (PMA).", "content": "Nine males with sleep apnea DOES syndrome and three males with sleep apnea DIMS syndrome were treated with prosthetic mandibular advancement (PMA). The method uses a prosthesis, which is designed to advance the mandible 3-5 mm to prevent upper airway occlusion during sleep. The apnea index in the obstructive-type apnea and the percentage of time spent in obstructive apnea decreased significantly with PMA. Although the apnea index showed merely a tendency to decrease in central apnea (p < 0.1), the percentage of time spent in central apnea decreased significantly with PMA. A marked improvement in sleep structures was observed with PMA; a significant increase was seen in total sleep time, percent slow wave sleep (SWS) and percent rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, and the time spent in intra-sleep awakening decreased remarkably. PMA had excellent effects on snoring, and daytime hypersomnolence was reduced in almost all patients. Moreover, a survey on the therapeutic effects of PMA on sleep apnea syndrome and problems associated with wearing PMA was performed with a questionnaire for the sample of nine DOES patients and an additional 22 patients who were treated over a long time. The therapeutic effects could be maintained without any problems in about 2/3 of these patients. The therapeutic mechanisms of PMA in its reduction of both obstructive and central apnea are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1475565", "title": "Autonomic stress tests in obstructive sleep apnea syndrome and snoring.", "content": "Apneic events in the obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) are associated with cardiovascular responses mediated through the autonomic nervous system. We examined autonomic cardiovascular responses in 33 patients (median age = 50 years, range = 20-72 years) undergoing polysomnography for suspected OSAS. We examined these responses in the evening and at arousal in the morning. Tests consisted of heart rate responses to Valsalva maneuver, deep breathing and change from lying down to standing. In addition, systolic blood pressure (BP) response to standing and diastolic BP response to handgrip were studied. Each abnormal test scored +1 and each marginal result +0.5. Autonomic nervous system (ANS) test results were scored as abnormal if a subject had a score > 1 which included at least one abnormal test. The total scores for evening and morning tests combined showed 11/24 sets of scores > 1 in 12 severe OSAS patients [median RDI (apnea+hypopnea per hour slept) = 44 (range = 31-74)] compared to 3/22 in non-OSAS (p = 0.04). The response to deep breathing, expressed as an expiratory to inspiratory ratio (E/I), was the test most often found abnormal. A significant difference between normal abnormal autonomic stress test (AST) groups was observed in the evening and the morning as regards cumulative time spent under 90% SaO2 and minimal SaO2. We conclude that abnormal autonomic stress responses are common in OSAS and are probably a secondary defect."}
{"id": "PMID:1475566", "title": "Delta sleep-inducing-peptide-like immunoreactivity (DSIP-LI) and delta sleep in schizophrenic volunteers.", "content": "Delta sleep-inducing-peptide (DSIP) has been reported to increase sleep in subjects with insomnia. The authors studied cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) DSIP-like immunoreactivity (DSIP-LI) in 15 drug-free male subjects with a DSM-IIIR diagnosis of schizophrenia. The subjects underwent a lumbar puncture and three nights of polysomnography. CSF DSIP-LI was significantly correlated with polysomnography the night before the LP: with stage 3 sleep (p = 0.05), stage 3 and delta (stages 3 + 4) sleep during the first nonrapid eye movement NREM period (p = 0.02 and p = 0.05, respectively) and the ratio of the first and second NREM period (p < 0.05), and negatively with stage 2% sleep (p < 0.05). Whether this first report of a potential relationship between CSF DSIP-LI and slow-wave sleep in man might be generalized to sleep in nonpsychiatric subjects awaits further study."}
{"id": "PMID:1475567", "title": "Caffeine use as a model of acute and chronic insomnia.", "content": "It was hypothesized that the metabolic effects of caffeine, which can be objectively measured (i.e. physiological, \"arousal\"), could be used to develop a physiological arousal model of chronic insomnia in a group of normal young adults. Twelve normal young adult males participated for 11 nights after laboratory adaptation. Subjects received 400 mg of caffeine three times a day for 7 nights and days. As predicted, the use of caffeine resulted in increased metabolic rate. Sleep efficiency was significantly reduced by caffeine and multiple sleep latency tests (MSLTs) were significantly increased. Some adaptation to the metabolic, sleep efficiency, and MSLT effects of caffeine was seen over the week of administration. Withdrawal effects (i.e. rebound sleep or sleepiness) were not seen for metabolic, MSLT or sleep variables. The data indicated that caffeine was effective in producing significant metabolic and sleep effects and that those effects were related. The results were consistent with the interpretation that a chronic decrease in sleep efficiency associated with increased physiological arousal, although producing subjective dysphoria, does not produce a physiological sleep debt."}
{"id": "PMID:1475568", "title": "Sleep deprivation in the rat: XVI. Effects in a light-dark cycle.", "content": "To avoid a possible confound between the effects of sleep loss and disturbed circadian rhythms in previous studies of total sleep deprivation (TSD) by the disk-over-water method, TSD rats and their yoked control (TSC) rats had been maintained in constant light both before and during the experiment. With circadian rhythms of both groups flattened by constant light, group differences in outcome measures could be attributed to sleep loss. However, the constant light control entailed the possibility that the sleep loss effects might obtain only in constant light. To evaluate this possibility, three TSD-TSC rat pairs maintained on a 12 hour light: 12 hour dark (LD) schedule were studied. TSC rats showed only minor changes during the deprivation period. As in previous studies, TSD rats showed increased food intake; decreased weight; increased energy expenditure; debilitated appearance; lesions on the tail and paws; an initial increase followed by a large decrease in body temperature; impending death; and recovery sleep, which featured large, selective, sustained rebounds of paradoxical sleep and a reversal of all observed TSD-induced changes. Thus, TSD produced the same changes during an LD schedule as during constant light. The amplitude of the diurnal body temperature rhythm declined over the course of TSD and then almost completely recovered during the first day of recovery sleep. The decline was interpreted as the result of deprivation-induced thermoregulatory changes."}
{"id": "PMID:1475569", "title": "Self-reported sleep quality in college students: a repeated measures approach.", "content": "A longitudinal assessment of sleep quality is presented. Undergraduates provided two levels of repeated measures data. Sleep log information was gathered across the 7 days of the week, in three replications, over a semester. There were several new findings. Across the week, students spent significantly more time in bed on weekend days as compared with weekdays. Further, a new measure for quality of sleep covaried with the amount of time spent in bed during the week. The students enjoyed their sleep more on the weekends. Finally, both the amount of time in bed and the number of awakenings reported dropped significantly as the semester progressed."}
{"id": "PMID:1475570", "title": "Changes in the waking EEG as a consequence of sleep and sleep deprivation.", "content": "Electroencephalographic (EEG) activity was monopolarly recorded during resting wakefulness in 10 volunteers under the following conditions: at night before going to sleep, at night before total sleep deprivation, in the morning after waking, in the morning after sleep deprivation and at night after having slept during the day. Absolute and relative power and inter- and intrahemispheric correlation were established. After diurnal and nocturnal sleep as compared to sleep deprivation, we obtained the following significant results: interhemispheric correlations were higher; intrahemispheric correlations were lower; absolute power of alpha 2, beta 1 and beta 2 was lower; and relative power of alpha 2 and beta 2 was lower. EEG changes as a consequence of sleep or lack of sleep are dependent on prior sleep and/or wakefulness and not on circadian phase. EEG activity during wakefulness is a sensitive parameter and a useful tool to assess the consequences of sleep on brain functional organization."}
{"id": "PMID:1475571", "title": "Distribution of period-analyzed delta activity during sleep.", "content": "The distribution of delta EEG activity was evaluated during sleep in eight healthy adults. Digital period analysis, including an amplitude measurement, was used to quantify delta activity. The average percentages of delta half- and full-wave zero-crosses, mean delta power, and mean total power were computed for each nonrapid eye movement (NREM) period. The distribution of these delta measures was examined across NREM periods (NREMPs). No significant linear trends were evident in the zero-cross or power measures. Four subjects showed the highest delta power and greatest incidence of delta in the second rather than first NREMP. Regression analyses of individual delta incidence data revealed that only 62.5% of recording nights could be described with an exponential equation. Exponential regressions described 81% of delta amplitude cases. Further, delta activity in some subjects could be described by either linear or exponential regression. The findings suggest that the temporal changes of delta activity may not be entirely systematic across NREMPs and are variable across subjects."}
{"id": "PMID:1475572", "title": "Slow wave sleep dreaming.", "content": "Fifty volunteers slept two nonconsecutive nights in a sleep laboratory under electropolygraphic control. They were awakened for one report per night. Awakenings were made, in counterbalanced order, from slow wave sleep (SWS--stage 3-4 and stage 4) and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. Following dream reporting, subjects were asked to identify memory sources of their dream imagery. Two independent judges reliably rated mentation reports for temporal units and for several content and structural dimensions. The same judges also categorized memory sources as autobiographical episodes, abstract self-references, or semantic knowledge. We found that REM reports were significantly longer than SWS reports. Minor content SWS-REM differences were also detected. Moreover, semantic knowledge was more frequently mentioned as a dream source for REM than for SWS dream reports. These findings are interpreted as supporting the hypothesis that dreaming is a continuous process that is not unique to REM sleep. Different levels of engagement of the cognitive system are responsible for the few SWS-REM differences that have been detected."}
{"id": "PMID:1475573", "title": "An inexpensive alternative for recording middle ear muscle activity (MEMA) during sleep.", "content": "In past studies of middle ear muscle activity (MEMA) in sleep, one of two methods of recording has been used: an acoustic impedance bridge (AIB) or a miniaturized pressure transducer (MPT). A low-cost and less fragile piezoresistive pressure transducer was tested to determine its practicality in recording MEMA during sleep in humans. A specialized ear mold accommodating both types of pressure transducer was custom-fitted for six subjects. The sleep of each subject was analyzed epoch by epoch for one night to determine comparability of the two transducers. In no case did either transducer indicate a MEMA without confirmation by the other. It is recommended that this type of transducer would be practical for researchers interested in recording MEMA in sleep."}
{"id": "PMID:1475574", "title": "Concordance between habitual sleep times and laboratory recording schedules.", "content": "The validity of laboratory-based studies of sleep depends, in part, upon good concordance between habitual sleep schedule and laboratory recording schedule. Without good concordance, error variance due to the circadian misplacement of sleep and to different amounts of time in bed is probable. In an assessment of scheduling concordance in 1,762 research patient nights over two time intervals, we observed good concordance (< 30-minute discrepancy) in 71.2-77.3% of bedtimes and waketimes, discrepancy (difference of > or = 30 minutes) in 14.9-24.2% of bedtimes and waketimes, and missing data in 4.6-7.5% of times. Waketime differences were consistently in the direction of earlier laboratory than habitual waketimes, whereas differences in bedtime were about equally divided between earlier and later (laboratory vs. habitual). Subjects with schedule discordance averaged 19.5 minutes less time in bed during laboratory sessions as compared with their habitual sleep schedule, whereas subjects with schedule concordance averaged only 3.6 minutes less (p < 0.001). Our experience suggests that it may be more difficult to achieve higher rates of concordance among young adult and middle-aged subjects than among elders and that patient requests related to external constraints on scheduling were a frequent reason for discrepancy. We strongly recommend a policy of routinely including data on laboratory versus habitual sleep times in peer-reviewed publications."}
{"id": "PMID:1475576", "title": "Histopathologic observations in weanling B6C3F1 mice and F344/N rats and their adult parental strains.", "content": "Weanling Fischer 344/N (F344) rats and the first filial hybrid of C57BL/6 x C3H (B6C3F1) mice and retired breeders from the parental stocks of these strains were monitored over a 5-yr-period by examining the histopathology of selected organs and comparing those results to viral and mycoplasmal serology and the intestinal tract bacterial flora of each animal on an individual basis. Serology gave no evidence of viral infection, but Mycoplasma arthriditis antibodies were detected. Reactivity of serum of adult C57BL/6 female mice with control cells or media (tissue culture, TC) was seen in a significant number of mice. TC reactivity correlated positively with lymphoid perivascular infiltrates, predominantly of the lungs, suggesting an allergic response in development of the lesions. Other lesions of note consisted of Harderian gland inflammation of rats, focal necrotizing lesions of the liver of both species, and thickening of the pleura and adjacent pulmonary interstitium of weanling rats. Embolization of bacteria from the gastrointestinal tract to the liver was considered a possible cause of the liver necrosis in both species. Although lesions of the lung and Harderian gland of the rats are similar to those caused by known viral agents, the cause of the latter could not be determined as these animals were negative for viral antibodies and the former was considered to be related to incomplete pulmonary development in the young rat. Features differentiating the lesions observed in animals of this survey from those caused by viral infection are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1475577", "title": "Cephaloridine-induced renal pathological and biochemical changes in female rabbits and isolated proximal tubules in suspension.", "content": "Cephaloridine (Cld) is a nephrotoxic cephalosporin antibiotic. The intracellular biochemical changes that occur leading to Cld-induced nephrotoxicity may involve lipid peroxidation and/or mitochondrial injury. The purpose of this report was to examine and correlate the biochemical changes induced by Cld in vivo and in vitro with the observed pathological changes in an attempt to understand better the mechanisms of beta-lactam-induced nephrotoxicity. Cld treatment (500 mg/kg sc) caused elevations in blood urea nitrogen and decreases in the accumulation of p-aminohippurate (PAH) and tetraethylammonium (TEA) by renal cortical slices. Histopathological alterations, characterized by individual cell necrosis of tubular epithelial cells, were first seen 6 hr after treatment in the pars recta of the outer stripe of the medulla. Ultrastructural alterations involved the straight (S2 and S3) segments of the proximal tubules. Mitochondrial morphology was, for the most part, unaffected by Cld exposure. Cld did not cause any significant changes in tissue malondialdehyde (MDA) content in vivo at any of the time points examined, but it did cause a depletion of GSH to approximately 40% of control by 1 hr after dosing that recovered toward control by 6 hr. Significant changes were observed in renal ATP content beginning at 6 hr after treatment; however, this change mirrored the onset of histological evidence of necrosis. In isolated tubules in vitro, the onset of glutathione (GSH) depletion and MDA formation clearly preceded lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) leakage, whereas ATP depletion was a mirror image of cell death. These data demonstrate that isolated proximal tubules in vitro are a reasonable model for Cld nephrotoxicity in vivo. Cld-induced mitochondrial alterations leading to ATP depletion and cell injury were not observed in this study."}
{"id": "PMID:1475578", "title": "Pulmonary neoplasms in rats that inhaled cerium-144 dioxide.", "content": "The lung neoplasms induced in rats by inhaled, internally deposited 144CeO2 were described and classified using histologic criteria. F344 rats were exposed once or repeatedly by inhalation to 144CeO2 and observed for their life span. There was significant life shortening only in those rats with the highest radiation doses. In these rats, there was a high percentage of squamous cell carcinomas of the lung, as well as much lower percentages of adenocarcinomas of the lung, hemangiosarcomas of the lung, and pleural mesotheliomas. At lower doses, adenocarcinomas were the most predominant tumor. These adenocarcinomas were subdivided based on their histologic pattern: alveolar, papillary, tubular, or undifferentiated. Neither the mode of exposure (single or repeated) nor the sex of the rat influenced the lung tumor incidence or tumor type. The lung neoplasms induced by this beta-emitting radionuclide are similar in nature to those induced by alpha-emitting radionuclides deposited in the lung in rats. However, the radiation-induced squamous cell carcinomas of the lung differ from those induced by heavy particle loads of nonradioactive compounds. The radiation-induced squamous cell carcinomas occur in higher incidence and have a more malignant behavior than those induced by heavy particle loads."}
{"id": "PMID:1475579", "title": "Ultrastructural alterations in liver of medaka (Oryzias latipes) exposed to diethylnitrosamine.", "content": "Liver cytotoxic alterations of adult medaka (Oryzias latipes) following short-term bath exposure (48 hr) to 500 mg/L diethylnitrosamine (DEN) were studied (days 3-21) by electron microscopy and cytochemistry. Control medaka displayed hepatic sexual dimorphism as described for other sexually active fish. Following DEN exposure, decreased glycogen stores with loss of cellular compartmentation obscured sexual dimorphism. A spectrum of organelle alterations, previously not reported in livers of fish, was seen. Early changes in hepatocytes included: nuclear lipid inclusions, nucleolar changes, decreased amounts of granular endoplasmic reticulum (GER), increased fractionation and steatosis of GER, proliferation of smooth ER and lysosomes, reduction in number and content of particulate lipoproteins and vitellogenin in Golgi vesicles, and reduction in number and staining intensity of peroxisomes. At day 14 and/or 21, partial to complete reversal of the above alterations indicated hepatic recovery, and fewer necrotic cells were seen at day 21 versus day 14. Lesions that did not resolve during this study were altered mitochondria and areas of spongiosis hepatis that developed at day 8 and continued to increase throughout the study. Infiltration of lymphocytes, granulocytes, and large numbers of macrophages were late changes. The description, timing, and duration of lesions are of value for consideration as biomarkers of exposure and effect in aquatic toxicology."}
{"id": "PMID:1475580", "title": "Dose-dependent renal tubular toxicity of harman and norharman in male F344 rats.", "content": "The renal toxicity of harman and norharman, administered for 2 or 4 weeks at dietary levels of 1,000, 500, or 0 parts per million (ppm), was investigated in 6-week-old male F344/DuCrj rats. Although rats fed 1,000 ppm harman or norharman, but not the 500 ppm level, demonstrated marked body weight retardation from 1 week to termination, no mortalities occurred. Marked elevation of water consumption was evident in rats given harman or norharman at 1,000 ppm, but not at 500 ppm, together with large increases in urine of low specific gravity. Urinary lysosomal enzymes (N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase, NAG, and lactate dehydrogenase, LDH) and sugar levels were increased, and the brush border enzymes (gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase, GGT, and alkaline phosphatase, ALP) decreased. Furthermore, serum biochemistry revealed clear elevation of parameters indicating renal toxicity in these rats. Histopathologically, rats fed 1,000 ppm harman or norharman, but not 500 ppm, demonstrated focal toxic renal degenerative/necrotic and regenerative lesions in proximal, distal, and collecting tubules. These changes were associated with a clearly increased labeling index (LI) of the nuclei of renal tubular epithelial cells on immunohistochemical staining for 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU). Chemical specific crystal formation within tubular lumina was evident in rats fed 1,000 ppm, but not 500 ppm, this being considered the cause of the renal tubular lesions. It was concluded that harman and norharman exert renal toxicity at the dietary level of 1,000 ppm, but not 500 ppm, in male F344 rats."}
{"id": "PMID:1475581", "title": "Low susceptibility of nude mice to induction of invasive urinary bladder cancers by N-ethyl-N-(4-hydroxybutyl)nitrosamine.", "content": "A time- and dose-dependent study of N-ethyl-N-(4-hydroxybutyl)nitrosamine (EHBN) bladder carcinogenesis was performed in nude mice maintained on tap water containing 0.025% EHBN for 4, 12, and 20 weeks ad libitum. A total of 13 invasive tumors, comprising 11 transitional cell carcinomas (TCCs) (84.6%) and 2 squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) (15.4%), were found. Compared with previous results for B6C3F1 mice exposed to the same EHBN insult, the numbers of invasive carcinomas induced in nude mice, and especially of SCCs, were low. In order to ascertain whether this difference in cancer incidence between nude and B6C3F1 mice was due to variation in urinary excretion, the metabolism of EHBN was also investigated and compared with that of N-butyl-N-(4-hydroxybutyl)nitrosamine (BBN). Respective total urinary excretions over 48 hr of N-ethyl-N-(3-carboxypropyl)nitrosamine (ECPN) or N-butyl-N-(3-carboxypropyl)nitrosamine (BCPN), the ultimate carcinogenic species of EHBN or BBN, were 822.4 +/- 41.4 micrograms and 530.4 +/- 81.0 micrograms, respectively, in nude mice, and 800.6 +/- 83.7 micrograms and 407.8 +/- 69.7 micrograms, respectively, in B6C3F1 mice. In conclusion, although it is apparent that nude mice have a low susceptibility to EHBN induction of urinary bladder cancer, this does not appear to be dependent on reduced metabolism to the active form."}
{"id": "PMID:1475582", "title": "Neoplasms and related proliferative lesions in control Sprague-Dawley rats from carcinogenicity studies. Historical data and diagnostic considerations.", "content": "Historical data are presented for neoplasms and related proliferative lesions from 1,170 Sprague-Dawley rats that served as controls in 9 carcinogenicity (2 year) studies conducted in the Safety Evaluation Facility of Ciba-Geigy Corporation, Summit, New Jersey. The most common neoplasm was pituitary adenoma, which occurred in 62.2% of the male and 84.7% of the female rats. Incidences of other neoplasms that occurred in more than 6.0% of the rats were, for males, benign pheochromocytoma (19.0%), cutaneous keratoacanthoma (7.9%), pancreatic islet cell adenoma (7.5%), benign testicular interstitial cell tumor (6.5%), and thyroid C-cell adenoma (6.5%). For females these incidences were mammary fibroadenoma (31.3%), mammary adenocarcinoma (16.8%), and mammary adenoma (6.5%). Focal cortical hypertrophy/cystic degeneration of the adrenal, a focal nonneoplastic lesion of zona fasciculata cells that often degenerate into large cysts, was present in 23.4% of all male and 82.7% of all female rats. Criteria for the differential diagnoses of selected neoplasms and related lesions are presented."}
{"id": "PMID:1475583", "title": "Tumor-promoting effects of both iodine deficiency and iodine excess in the rat thyroid.", "content": "Thyroid tumor-promoting effects of iodine deficiency and iodine excess were investigated in a rodent 2-stage model to estimate an optimal iodine intake range that would not effectively promote development of thyroid neoplasia. Six-week-old male F344 rats were given a single subcutaneous injection of 2,800 mg/kg body weight N-bis(2-hydroxypropyl)-nitrosamine (DHPN) or saline vehicle, maintained on Remington's iodine-deficient diet (21 +/- 2 ng/g iodide), and supplemented with various amounts of potassium iodide up to 260 mg/liter in drinking water to generate conditions ranging from severe iodine deficiency to severe iodine excess. In DHPN-treated rats, both conditions significantly increased thyroid follicular tumorigenesis. In DHPN-untreated rats, iodine deficiency produced diffuse thyroid hyperplasia, characterized by small follicles with tall epithelium and reduced colloid, together with a decrease in thyroxine (T4) and an increase in thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH). On the other hand, iodine excess produced colloid goiter, characterized by large follicles with flat epithelium and abundant colloid admixed with normal or small-sized follicles lined by epithelium of normal height, together with normal serum T4 and slightly decreased TSH. These effects were directly proportional to the severity of iodine deficiency or extent of iodine excess and suggest that each condition has a different thyroid tumor promotion mechanism. Iodine intakes that showed the least tumor promotion were 2.6 and 9.7 micrograms/rat/day in this study. Promoting mechanisms and the problem of statistically estimating recommended daily iodine intake range are briefly discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1475584", "title": "Renal lesions induced by ochratoxin A exposure in the F344 rat.", "content": "Groups of 80 male and female F344 rats were exposed by gavage to ochratoxin A, a naturally occurring mycotoxin, at levels of 21, 70, and 210 micrograms/kg body weight for up to 2 years. Ochratoxin A induced non-neoplastic renal tubular epithelial changes consisting of cytoplasmic alteration, karyomegaly, degeneration, and cysts. Exposure-related renal tubular proliferative lesions included focal hyperplasia, tubular cell adenoma, and tubular cell carcinoma. Renal tubular cell adenoma occurred as early as 9 months in 1 high-dose male rat, and both adenomas and carcinomas were seen in males by 15 months. At the terminal sacrifice, renal tubular cell tumors were found in both male and female rats, but the response was more pronounced in the males. The incidence of renal tumors in the high-dose rats was the highest of any National Toxicology Program (NTP) study completed to date. In the high-dose males approximately one-third of the renal carcinomas developed metastases. This study demonstrates that ochratoxin A is a potent renal carcinogen in the F344 rat and suggests that contamination of feedstuff by this mycotoxin may pose a potential hazard to domestic animals and man."}
{"id": "PMID:1475585", "title": "Morphologic and biochemical changes in articular cartilages of immature beagle dogs dosed with difloxacin.", "content": "Quinolones are efficacious antibacterial compounds, but they have been associated with arthralgia in human patients; experimentally, they have caused lesions in articular cartilages of immature animals. The earliest morphologic and biochemical changes induced in articular-epiphyseal cartilage complexes by difloxacin, a fluoroquinolone, were investigated in 27 3-month-old Beagle dogs that were dosed orally with the drug at 300 mg/kg body weight per day. Paraffin-embedded sections of humeral and femoral heads that were stained with either hematoxylin and eosin or toluidine blue and fast green were evaluated histologically, and lesions were scored according to established criteria. Although morphologic changes were not observed in cartilages of the control dogs or of the treated dogs in the 24-hr group, the severity of lesions, as represented by mean scores for lesions, increased during the 36-48 hr after dosing. The initial morphologic change, observed in cartilages from the treated dogs of the 36- and the 48-hr groups, was necrosis of chondrocytes that was rapidly followed by disruption of extracellular matrix and formation of fissures. Although glycosaminoglycan was aggregated along the margins of fissures, its concentration was not reduced in cartilages of any group of treated dogs. Collagen, however, was depleted from the cartilages of the dogs that were euthanized 36 or 48 hr after the first dose of difloxacin. Because degenerative changes were observed ultrastructurally in chondrocytes by 24 hr in a previous study, it was concluded that collagen was lost from affected cartilages as an early sequel to the degeneration of chondrocytes."}
{"id": "PMID:1475586", "title": "Naturally occurring intestinal epithelial neoplasms in aged Crl:CD BR rats.", "content": "Spontaneous primary epithelial neoplasms of the intestinal tract occurred in 6/682 (0.9%) male and 1/694 (0.1%) female Sprague-Dawley rats. Six of 7 neoplasms were adenocarcinomas, and 1 of 7 was an adenoma. Metastasis to the liver or lung occurred in 3 of the rats with adenocarcinoma. These findings are consistent with those reported for female Sprague-Dawley rats and for males and females of other strains over the past 25 years. The intestinal neoplasm incidence in males exceeded that reported for other Sprague-Dawley males with one exception, reported 30 years ago."}
{"id": "PMID:1475587", "title": "Histiocytic sarcoma in an aging gerbil.", "content": "A histiocytic sarcoma in an aging female gerbil is described. The neoplasm primarily involved the spleen and liver, and these organs were considered the primary sites of neoplastic origin. No neoplastic infiltration was noted in the uterus or ovaries as is commonly seen in the female mouse. This is the first report of histiocytic sarcoma in gerbils."}
{"id": "PMID:1475588", "title": "Osteochondroma in laboratory rats: a report of 3 cases in a Fischer-344, a Sprague-Dawley, and a Wistar rat.", "content": "Three cases of osteochondroma in a male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rat, a female Fischer (F344) rat, and a male Wistar rat are described. The rats were aged between 26 and 30 months. All osteochondromas were considered to be of spontaneous origin. The Wistar rat had multiple osteochondromas on both hind legs, the skull base, and a lumbar vertebra, whereas each of the F344 and SD rats was affected by a solitary osteochondroma, also on a lumbar vertebra. The lumbar osteochondromas were similar in appearance in all rats and consisted of a central core of trabecular bone, interspersed with fatty marrow and covered by a cap of hyaline cartilage. The additional tumors in the Wistar rat represented different developmental stages of osteochondroma with or without endochondral activity. The osteochondromas in the rats were morphologically similar to those described in humans and some domestic animal species."}
{"id": "PMID:1475589", "title": "Mesenteric lymph node hemangiomas of Wistar rats.", "content": "Vascular tumors in rodent mesenteric lymph nodes are uncommon. Fifty-seven of these neoplasms were identified in control and treated Wistar rats from 6 tumor bioassays. Tumor incidence ranged from 0.75% to 5.50% and was higher in males than females (2:1). Lesions, noted as incidental necropsy findings or in routine histologic sections, were typically solitary and restricted to nodal and perinodal tissue. Additional solitary vascular tumors were identified in skin of 3 rats and pararenal lymph node of 1 rat. Distinct metastases were not evident. When apparent grossly, affected nodes were red to purple, hemorrhagic, and/or enlarged. Histologically, all tumors were composed of variably sized, endothelial-cell-lined, blood-filled spaces separated by variable amounts of poorly cellular stroma. Nodal effacement was common in larger tumors. Approximately half of the tumors had features of typical cavernous hemangiomas. The remaining tumors had slightly more aggressive features consisting of single or multiple foci of lymph node capsule invasion, presence of tumor cells in muscular blood vessels, or cellular atypia with variable mitotic activity. Death due to tumor rupture and consequent hemoperitoneum occurred in 1 rat only."}
{"id": "PMID:1475590", "title": "The pathology of chronic bovine fluorosis: a review.", "content": "Clinical, pathologic, and analytical records from 200 cattle were reviewed to determine if long-term exposures to elevated fluorides resulted in previously unrecognized or unreported pathologic changes, especially skeletal neoplasia. Animals were part of comprehensive field and laboratory investigations of bovine fluorosis conducted by the Utah State University Agricultural Experiment Station over a 25-year period. Records indicated that over 170 cattle included in this review were exposed to dietary fluorides levels in excess of 25 ppm (dry wt), for most of their life span, and these animals exhibited bone fluoride concentrations ranging between 2,000 and 12,500 ppm (dry wt). Although dental and/or skeletal changes were present in most animals, significant soft tissue damage or neoplasia was not observed in any organ system. Renal degeneration and mineralization were slightly more prevalent in range cattle ingesting high fluoride levels, but these changes were not recognized in animals that received high experimental fluoride doses. The absence of significant soft tissue damage or neoplasia in these cattle combined with results of an extensive literature review suggests that environmental fluorides are not significant factors in mammalian carcinogenesis."}
{"id": "PMID:1475591", "title": "Environmental tobacco smoke: current assessment and future directions.", "content": "Scientific information on environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) is critically reviewed. Key areas addressed are: differences in chemical composition between mainstream smoke, sidestream smoke, and ETS; techniques for measurement of ETS; epidemiology; in vitro and in vivo toxicology; and chamber and field studies of perceptual or physiological effects. Questions concerning estimation of ETS exposure, suitability of various biomarkers, calculation of lifetime dose, control of confounding variables, use of meta-analysis, and the relationship between ETS concentrations and human responses all emphasize the need for additional research in order to assess potential effects of ETS on health or comfort."}
{"id": "PMID:1475592", "title": "Conventional spectral Doppler and color Doppler ultrasound imaging. Principles, limitations, artifacts and clinical indications in hepatology.", "content": "The physical principles, limitations, errors and indications of conventional Doppler and color encoded Doppler sonography are reviewed and their applications in the investigation of liver, spleen, portal and suprahepatic portal venous circulation are analysed. The actual possibilities and advantages of Doppler imaging, both in normal conditions and in pathologic ones, such as portal hypertension, portal venous thrombosis or cavernous transformation, liver cirrhosis, hepatoma and liver transplantation are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1475594", "title": "Liver disease in systemic lupus erythematosus.", "content": "The incidence of hepatic involvement was followed up in a retrospective study carried out in a group of 177 patients with SLE. The liver damage was estimated by clinical examination, the titer of hepatocytic enzymes and, in some cases by hepatic biopsy. The proportion of liver involvement was found reduced but that did not exclude severe hepatic inflammation in certain cases. A high incidence of hepatomegaly was noted in spite of the fact that the histopathologic examination often showed normal values. The entity \"lupoid hepatitis\" is discussed as well as its real relationship with SLE."}
{"id": "PMID:1475595", "title": "Effects of a multifactorial prevention trial of coronary heart disease on the seasonal variation of the incidence of major cardiovascular events.", "content": "Under the influence of a primary prevention trial of coronary heart disease carried out for 10 years (1971-1982) in male subjects aged 40 to 60 years at entry, the curves of the seasonal variation of the incidence of myocardial infarction, sudden death and stroke were changed. The most important reductions of the incidence of these events were registered in spring and in September. In the rest of the year the effect of the action becomes variable according to the month and to the particular major events. These observations are discussed as related to their possible cause and to the necessity of a change of action methodology according to the period of investigation."}
{"id": "PMID:1475593", "title": "New data in the management of digestive steroses.", "content": "The report is a review of the perendoscopic methods of treatment of stenoses at the level of the digestive tract and of the excretion canals of the annex glands. After a short description of the methods as well as of the necessary equipment, the authors discuss the indications according to the etiology of stenoses. The indications and contraindications are enumerated and an estimation is made of the therapeutic efficiency of the endoscopic methods as compared with the classical surgical methods. Emphasis is laid on the therapeutic advantages of the endoscopic palliative methods as an alternative to the surgical methods."}
{"id": "PMID:1475596", "title": "Evaluation of the electrocardiographic signs of left ventricular hypertrophy, using the echocardiography in patients with hypertensive cardiopathy.", "content": "The electrocardiography (ECG) contribution in the diagnosis of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) associated to arterial hypertension was evaluated in 54 hypertensive patients, 39 men and 15 women, with a mean age of 51.6 years, mean systolic and diastolic pressure 186 +/- 46 and 111 +/- 46 mmHg, respectively. The investigations included routine clinical and biologic tests as well as standard ECG in 12 derivations, Frank vectorial ECG and mono and bidimensional echocardiography (ECOCG). A correlative study of the ECG parameters demonstrated that the left ventricular mass index evaluated by ECOCG correlates best with Romhilt ECG index and with an LVH index elaborated by the authors of the present study, based on the Frank vectorial recordings (R wave amplitude in X and Z derivations; QRS duration in Z). These data were used in drawing linear regression equations for evaluation of the left ventricular mass, starting from the above-mentioned parameters. The results are discussed in comparison with those of other authors and their practical value is demonstrated."}
{"id": "PMID:1475597", "title": "Study of serum ceruloplasmin and of the copper/zinc ratio in cardiovascular diseases.", "content": "The serum copper and zinc concentration, the Cu/Zn ratio and ceruloplasmin activity have been studied in 400 subjects divided into 4 groups of study: 50 normal subjects (controls), 100 patients with ischemic heart disease, 100 subjects with myocardial infarction in the past history and 150 patients with acute myocardial infarction. It was observed that in normal subjects the Cu/Zn ratio is about 1, in acute myocardial infarction it reaches 2.5 but it returns to normal during convalescence. In the patients with ischemic heart disease the ratio decreases to 0.8 and in the subjects with infarction in the past history it is about 1.6 (almost normal). The variation of these ratio is due to the serum zinc concentration which in ischemic heart disease presents values over the upper normal limit and in acute myocardial infarction below the lower normal limit. In the subjects with acute infarction ceruloplasmin (copper depending enzyme) the activity was observed to be inversely proportional to the Cu/Zn ratio in the first 4 days after the onset of the disease. The quick normalization of one or of both parameters is a sign of positive evolution of the disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1475603", "title": "[The value of 3-dimensional plates in maxillofacial surgery].", "content": "Plate osteosynthesis for bone fragment stabilisation in maxillo-facial surgery is a universal method whose advantages and drawbacks are now well documented. A new system of plates made out of titanium (3-D plates) is presented. The geometry of the plate assures a good stability in the three dimensions of the space. Easy use, good resistance against torque forces, compact form of the plate are some of the advantages. Various clinical cases are presented."}
{"id": "PMID:1475599", "title": "Therapeutic effect of intralesional interferon (Roferon) in squamous cell carcinoma.", "content": "Recombinant alpha-2 interferon (IFN)--Roferon--100,000 IU/ml was intralesionally administered in 8 cases of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) three times a week during 4-6 weeks in inoculations of 1 ml each. The therapeutic effect was scored as major--more than 60% reduction of the tumor size, moderate--30-60% reduction of the tumor mass and, nonreactive--less than 30% reduction of the tumor size. Three cases showed a major reduction, three showed a moderate reduction and two patients showed no reduction of the tumor volume. Histopathological examination of the surgically removed tumors after completion of the Roferon administration confirmed the clinical diagnosis of squamous cell carcinoma and revealed that an intense leukocyte, mainly lymphocytes, infiltration can be observed along with necrotic centers, progressively surrounding and reducing in size the tumor islets, thus proving an intense activation of the immune effector reactions against tumor cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1475604", "title": "[Mandibular fractures. Our patient enrollment during the past 2 years].", "content": "The method of patient referral; the patient's physical predisposition, the localization and the treatment undertaken for the different mandibular fractures seen by SOS Face over the past two years were analyzed. The 312 mandibular fractures were used to reevaluate the commonly accepted statistics concerning these parameters."}
{"id": "PMID:1475598", "title": "Variations of peroxides and total antioxidants from the plasma of normal blood donors, as a function of sex, age and blood group.", "content": "The level of peroxides and total antioxidants in normal individuals varies with sex, age and the type of blood group. The most significant differences were noticed in peroxide between young and aged subjects (over 60) of both sexes. For the free SH groups, significant differences were found, only in women, in whom it decreased with age. Similar changes were observed in men for the total antioxidants. High peroxide values were observed in donors with blood group 0-I and the lowest levels appeared in subjects with blood groups A and B, in parallel with increased values of total antioxidants. The latter results might be correlated with recent data on favourable prognosis in cancer related to the expression of group A antigens, as well as with the involvement of the glycoproteins in the characterization of blood groups (AB0 system). Our data could also be correlated with the preventive role of antioxidants in the etiology of cancer."}
{"id": "PMID:1475600", "title": "Zinc supplementation of chelation therapy in saturnism. Preliminary study.", "content": "The effect of zinc supplementation of chelation therapy in saturnism was studied in 20 patients hospitalized in the Clinic of Occupational Diseases of the Colentina Hospital. In 10 patients 400 mg/day zinc sulphate in two uptakes was administered concomitantly with the chelation therapy. The other 10 patients received only chelation therapy. The period necessary for the correction of the anemic syndrome was estimated comparatively by studying the evolution of the following parameters: hemoglobin, reticulocytes, red blood cells with basophilic granulations. Zinc supplementation of the chelation therapy had a favourable effect by reducing the necessary period for the correction of anemic syndrome."}
{"id": "PMID:1475605", "title": "[Isolated sub-orbital plexiform neurofibroma].", "content": "An unexpected finding on histology in a 73 years old patient was an isolated suborbital plexiform neurofibroma. Since this tumor is specific for von Recklinghausen's disease, the diagnosis was that of a minor form of the disease. The different cephalic manifestations of von Recklinghausen's disease are reviewed."}
{"id": "PMID:1475606", "title": "[Apparently primary malignant cervical adenopathy].", "content": "Despite a thorough examination it is not always possible to detect the primary cancer responsible for malignant cervical adenopathy. In the vast majority of cases the metastases arise from an epidermoid carcinoma of the upper respiratory or digestive tract. A possible diagnostic, but also therapeutic procedure is exploratory cervicotomy with extemporaneous examination. The prognosis is poor, both locally (glandular involvement) and generally (metastatic spread)."}
{"id": "PMID:1475601", "title": "Two cases of unusual rupture of aortic aneurysm.", "content": "Two cases of unusual rupture of aortic aneurysm with extravasation in the bronchus and duodenum are described. The clinical evolution of such aneurysm ruptures is associated with considerable diagnostic difficulties due to the absence of pathognomonic typical features and the short survival time after onset of pain symptoms."}
{"id": "PMID:1475607", "title": "[Primary malignant lymphoma of the mandible. A study of 3 cases and a review of the literature].", "content": "Three cases of non-Hodgkin malignant lymphoma (LMNH in text) of the mandible are described, and findings compared with those reported in the literature. The mean age of patients was 46 years, without any significant male preponderance (sex ratio: 1.19), the preferential localization being the horizontal branch. Detection of the lesion was, by decreasing order of frequency, based on: mandibular tumefaction, pain, local neurologic disorders and dental mobility. Diagnosis was confirmed by histology of a deep biopsy specimen, facilitated by immunohistochemical techniques: the most frequently encountered histologic type was the diffuse large cell type (group G of the international clinical classification). Diagnosis was difficult because of the similarity of the presentation with other dental diseases and the difficulty of histologic interpretation. The principal differential diagnoses are osteomyelitis, sarcoma and carcinoma, the first one raising the risk of a long delay in diagnosis, the others of unnecessary mutilating surgery. The lesion was localized in more than half the cases, without accompanying enlarged cervical glands or metastatic visceral invasion. Treatment was by radiotherapy, usually in association with multiple chemotherapy because of the high incidence of intermediate or elevated histologic malignancy. Global prognosis was good (5 year total clinical remission rate of more than 60%), the poorest prognostic factor being metastatic spread."}
{"id": "PMID:1475608", "title": "[Solitary plasmacytoma. Apropos of a case of craniofacial involvement].", "content": "The authors report the case of a 24 years-old man who had a first tumor in the right maxilla diagnosed as Ewing's sarcoma and treated by chemotherapy and radiotherapy. A second tumor appeared in the skull vault twenty seven months later. The histological diagnosis after removal of the lesion was IgG Lambda plasmacytoma. The revision of the histological cut of the maxillary tumor retained the same diagnosis. The patient is without evidence of local recurrence and systemic diffusion of the disease two years after treatment. The authors insist on the necessity of immunochemistry to establish the diagnosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1475610", "title": "Enteral nutrition in maxillo-facial surgery.", "content": "Authors report their experience in enteral nutrition (E.N.) on maxillo-facial surgery. From 1987 to 1989, 24 patients were subjected to enteral alimentation in the Department of Maxillo-Facial Surgery of the 2nd School of Medicine of \"Federico II\" University of Naples (Italy). 50% of patients suffered from head and neck tumours, and 50% suffered from traumatic lesions. Before treatment, patients' nutritional conditions were evaluated by anamnesis, azotic balance, hydroelectrolytic balance, anthropometric, bioumoral, and immunologic parameters. Basal energy expenditure was calculated through Harris-Benedict formula. Patients were checked every week, and E.N. allowed a rapid and adequate caloric increase."}
{"id": "PMID:1475611", "title": "[The premaxilla and facial growth 68 years later].", "content": "The thesis of Dr Etienne Cadenat on the embryology of cleft-lip dates from 1924. From this epoch onwards it was demonstrated that the human premaxilla had a specific development not corresponding to that of other mammals, in whom the suture between the pre- and post- maxilla is active and participates in the sagittal, transversal and vertical growth of the maxilla. Numerous studies have been undertaken to verify that the human premaxilla does in fact exist, and several have gone as far as to conclude in its non-existence. The author restudied the question from the histologic angle, and showed that the zone of union between premaxilla and maxilla did not contain any histologic elements that could identify a growth suture. Indeed, the spatial orientation of this suture would not allow anteroposterior growth. It can be concluded that the human premaxilla does exist but its specificity has again been demonstrated."}
{"id": "PMID:1475612", "title": "[Lefort 1 osteotomy. The proposal of an outline modification].", "content": "A modified outline of Lefort 1 osteotomy using an \"inverse step\" design is proposed which ensures simple and effective down-fracture and pterygo-maxillary separation. Osteosynthesis of the mobilized fragment is facilitated due to the improved contact of bone surfaces, particularly laterally. Combined rigid and supple osteosyntheses allow some degree of post-operative adjustment."}
{"id": "PMID:1475613", "title": "[The dental system and facial growth].", "content": "1. As they grow, the dental germs build their chamber, exerting tensions on a fibrillar structure facing their occlusal side or incisive edge. This structure now stretches the circular margin of the alveolus, made of chondro\u00efd tissue. 2. The maxillary bases, of negligible volume during foetal formation and prime infancy, have to be considered as adaptive structures among genetically determined growth factors: brain, basicranium and a number of dental germs. Those factors are the real agents forming the face. 3. In case of malformation due to a lack of space, the wording \"cranio-dental dysharmony\" seems to be more adequate than \"dento-maxillary dysharmony\"."}
{"id": "PMID:1475614", "title": "[Temporomandibular joint pain-dysfunction syndrome after whiplash injury. Medico-legal problems in common law].", "content": "In four cases, the authors analyse the medical and legal factors which lead the expert to his conclusions in french law, concerning temporo-mandibular joint dysfunction after whiplash injury indemnification. An uncertain direct link between the injury and the damage together with the patient's dental prior state to the accident, lead to retain an incomplete legal imputability. The compensation awarded to the victim will consist of an overvalued extra-patrimonial damage which will eventually be able to balance a low physiological deficit price."}
{"id": "PMID:1475615", "title": "Is there a place for antacids in the treatment of Helicobacter pylori infection?", "content": "Two pilot studies were performed to determine whether aluminium-containing antacids may have a place in the treatment of Helicobacter pylori infection. The urease activity of H. pylori is cytopathic to gastric epithelium, and inhibition of this enzyme may have therapeutic potential. In the first study 24 subjects, 12 of which were infected with H. pylori, were given 1 tablet of chewable aluminium hydroxide-containing antacids 10 min before a 14C-urea breath test. Gastric urease activity was suppressed by 33.3% (p = 0.02) in the H. pylori-positive subjects (none became negative) within 40 min after administration of the tablet. Gastric H. pylori infection can be effectively eradicated by triple regimens containing bismuth salts, tetracycline, and metronidazole. Owing to adverse effects of this treatment and concern for possible neurotoxicity of bismuth, a bismuth substitute is warranted. Hence, in the second study, 20 subjects infected with H. pylori were treated with 1 antacid tablet 4 times daily between meals, plus 500 mg oxytetracycline and 200 mg metronidazole 4 times daily with meals for 2 weeks. Individual H. pylori status was assessed by the 14C-urea breath test. Four weeks after cessation of treatment, H. pylori was eradicated in 45% (9 of 20) of the subjects (95% confidence interval, 23.1-68.5%). Thirty per cent (6 of 20) observed one or more adverse effect regarded as moderate or severe, of which loose stools and headache were the most common.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1475616", "title": "Eosinophil cationic protein and phospholipase A2 activity in human gastric juice. With emphasis on Helicobacter pylori status and effects of antacids.", "content": "To elucidate possible new effects of antacids, gastric juice from 15 volunteers with known Helicobacter pylori status were analysed for eosinophil cationic protein (ECP), phospholipase A2 (PLA2) activity, phosphatidylcholine (PC), and bile acids (BA) before and after administration of one tablet of antacid or placebo in a double blind cross-over design. Geometric mean ECP concentrations were more than 13 times higher in gastric juice from H. pylori-positive (12.9 micrograms/l) than from H. pylori-negative (0.97 micrograms/l) subjects (p = 0.0032). Geometric mean PLA2 activity was 1.31 U/l for the negative subjects and 4.02 U/l for the positive subjects (p = 0.13). There were no differences between positive and negative subjects with regard to either PC or BA concentration. Regardless of H. pylori status, mean PC concentration increased significantly after antacids as compared with placebo (p = 0.024). The effect of antacids did not differ significantly from placebo for ECP, PLA2 activity, or BA concentration. Hence, antacids may not act by binding 'toxic' H. pylori-associated gastric juice components like ECP or PLA2. Increased concentration of PC may indicate an increased protective capacity induced by antacids."}
{"id": "PMID:1475617", "title": "Omeprazole therapy for Helicobacter pylori infection.", "content": "To determine whether omeprazole eradicates Helicobacter pylori infection of the gastric antrum, six adolescents and one adult with H. pylori colonization of the antrum were entered into a clinical, open trial of medical therapy. Histologic evidence of antral gastritis and three complementary methods to document H. pylori colonization of the stomach (silver stain, urease testing, and culture of antrum) were obtained before and after an 8-week course of omeprazole. In vitro susceptibility to omeprazole and restriction endonuclease analysis were performed on H. pylori isolates obtained from patients before and after omeprazole therapy. Each of the seven patients treated with omeprazole had continued active inflammation in the antrum and one or more features indicative of persisting H. pylori colonization. Minimum inhibitory concentrations and DNA fingerprints of H. pylori isolated after therapy were identical to those of the pre-treatment bacterial isolates in each of the four subjects examined. We conclude that omeprazole therapy alone did not eradicate H. pylori infection of the human antrum. Continued bacterial colonization was not related to either acquired bacterial resistance to the drug or reinfection of the stomach with a different H. pylori strain."}
{"id": "PMID:1475618", "title": "Absorption of a nutrient solution in chronic alcoholics without nutrient deficiencies and liver cirrhosis.", "content": "Duodenal and jejunal absorption of a nutrient solution at two different caloric loads (1.32 and 3.96 kcal/min = 5.6 and 16.8 kJ/min) was compared in chronic alcoholics without malnutrition, liver cirrhosis, obvious small-bowel dysfunction, and exocrine pancreatic insufficiency and in an age-matched control group, by means of the intestinal perfusion technique. In chronic alcoholics duodenal net absorption of water (p < 0.025), sodium (p < 0.02), potassium (p < 0.005), total nitrogen (p < 0.02), carbohydrates (p < 0.05), and lipids (p < 0.05) was lower than in controls when both caloric loads were administered, but jejunal absorption rates were not decreased. Biliopancreatic secretion did not differ between alcoholics and controls. Higher serum protein leakage in alcoholics was indicated by an increased (p < 0.01) duodenal alpha 1-antitrypsin clearance under low caloric load infusion. It is concluded that the absorptive function of the duodenum is impaired in alcoholics, whereas the upper jejunum is not affected."}
{"id": "PMID:1475619", "title": "Do technetium-99m hexamethylpropylene amine oxime-labeled leukocytes truly reflect the mucosal inflammation in patients with ulcerative colitis?", "content": "Twenty-five patients with ulcerative colitis and nine controls with macroscopically non-inflamed colon were investigated with technetium-99m hexamethylpropylene amine oxime-labeled leukocyte scintigraphy and colonoscopy with biopsies. The interval between leukocyte scintigraphy and colonoscopy was < or = 14 days in all patients with ulcerative colitis and < or = 30 days in eight of nine controls. Scintigrams were obtained at approximately 45 min and 4 h after injection of labeled leukocytes. One nuclear physician, one internist, and one pathologist graded blindly and independently of each other the degree of active inflammation in seven different colonic segments for each patient, using 4-grade scales for scans and macroscopically and histologically viewed inflammation, respectively. A positive correlation between endoscopic and histologic grading of all colonic segments and scan gradings for all subjects and for ulcerative colitis patients separately was found (all, p < 0.001). By means of kappa statistics, the inter-observer agreement between scintigraphic grading at 45 min and endoscopy was, for all subjects, 0.32 (95% confidence interval (CI), 0.20-0.44; p < 0.001) and, for patients with ulcerative colitis, 0.19 (CI, 0.07-0.31; p < 0.001). When 17 patients who had complete colonoscopies were divided into those with total, extensive, or distal colitis, leukocyte scintigraphy underestimated the extension of active inflammation. A simple scintigraphic scoring system reflects the colonic inflammation viewed endoscopically and histologically in patients with ulcerative colitis but underestimates the presence of active inflammation in individual colonic segments."}
{"id": "PMID:1475620", "title": "Biologic and immunologic gastrin activity in serum of patients with gastrinoma. Bioassay of gastrin activity in serum.", "content": "The biologic gastrin activity in serum from 14 patients with the Zollinger-Ellison syndrome was assessed by the stimulation of histamine release and acid secretion from the isolated vascularly perfused rat stomach and compared with the immunologic activity as determined by radioimmunoassay using an antibody directed towards the active site of the gastrin molecule. Biologic gastrin activity assessed by the stimulation of histamine release was more closely correlated to immunologic gastrin activity than biologic activity assessed by the stimulation of gastrin acid secretion. This study does not contradict the concept that gastrin stimulates acid secretion at least partly by releasing histamine and also shows that the immunologic gastrin activity determined with the help of an antibody directed towards the active site reflects biologic activity."}
{"id": "PMID:1475621", "title": "Comparison between ranitidine and omeprazole for protection against gastroduodenal damage caused by naproxen.", "content": "Acute gastroduodenal injury is commonly associated with the use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. The mechanism of injury is not well understood. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the protective effect of two drugs that give different degrees of acid inhibition against naproxen-induced gastroduodenal injury. Fifteen volunteers aged 22-28 years underwent pre- and post-treatment gastroduodenoscopies during three treatment periods (that is, six examinations), and mucosal injury was graded on a Lanza scale ranging from 0 to 4. The subjects received placebo, 150 mg rantidine twice daily, or 40 mg omeprazole in a double-blind, random-order design for 7 days. Plain naproxen, 500 mg twice daily, was given on days 3-7. The mean injury score for the stomach during placebo treatment was 1.53, and ranitidine gave 44% and omeprazole 40% reduction compared with placebo, which did not reach statistical significance. About 70% of the stomach injury was located in the antrum. The mean injury score during placebo for the duodenum was 1.93, and ranitidine gave 80% and omeprazole 90% reduction (p = 0.004). In conclusion, a correlation between different degrees of acid suppression and a protective effect on the gastroduodenal mucosa could not be shown. The study suggests that acid plays a major role in acute naproxen-induced injury to the duodenal mucosa, and a moderate acid reduction is adequate for protection. In the stomach acid seems to play a minor role in the mucosal injury, but physiochemical contact with naproxen in the antrum and a cyclooxygenase inhibition are of greater importance."}
{"id": "PMID:1475622", "title": "Gastroduodenal lesions associated with two different piroxicam formulations. An endoscopic comparison.", "content": "This endoscopic study was performed to compare the gastroduodenal endoscopic findings after short-term treatment with plain and enteric-coated piroxicam tablets. Sixteen healthy male volunteers (mean age, 22 years; range, 19-27 years) were included in a double-blind, randomized study in which 20 mg piroxicam was given once daily for 2 weeks as plain tablets or enteric-coated tablets in a crossover fashion. The washout period was 5 weeks, and endoscopy was performed before each treatment period to ensure base-line conditions. Endoscopic evaluation of the stomach and duodenum was performed, with separate registration of the duodenum distally to the duodenal bulb. Visual analogue scales of 150 mm were used for grading the mucosal lesions, with separate registration of mucosal injection and erosive and haemorrhagic lesions. A 5-point scale (Lanza scale) was also used, to compare the two scoring systems. A significantly lower lesion score was found with the enteric-coated formulation for all endoscopic variables in both scoring regions. The sum of visual analogue scale scores in the stomach/duodenal bulb after treatment was 121 mm and 74 mm, respectively (p < 0.01), and in the middle and distal duodenum the corresponding figures were 54 mm and 23 mm (p < 0.01). The fixed-point scoring gave identical conclusions, as did the separate scoring by a different investigator evaluating the same endoscopies. Subjective symptoms were similar for the two formulations, and no carryover effects were detected. We conclude that enteric coating of piroxicam tablets may offer a means of protecting the gastroduodenal mucosa in short-term treatment of healthy subjects."}
{"id": "PMID:1475623", "title": "Longitudinal study of cortical bone loss in patients with inflammatory bowel disease.", "content": "Bone mineral density of the radius was measured by single-photon absorptiometry in 50 patients with inflammatory bowel disease. Thirty-three had Crohn's disease and 17 ulcerative colitis; 25 were women. The mean age was 45 years (range, 18-70 years). Measurements were repeated in 39 of them after a mean follow-up period of 7.9 years (range, 7.1-8.2 years). In female patients the mean (95% confidence interval) annual change in radial bone mineral density was -0.74% (-1.34% to -0.14%) (P = 0.022), the greatest bone loss occurring in postmenopausal women (mean, -1.16% (-2.01% to -0.30%)). In male patients the mean annual rate of bone loss was -0.07% (-0.41% to 0.28%) (P = NS). Patients with abnormally low values at the first measurement remained osteopenic at the second measurement, whilst some others with normal values initially showed increased rates of bone loss and had a subnormal bone mineral density after the follow-up period. These results show increased rates of cortical bone loss in some patients with inflammatory bowel disease and emphasize the need to monitor bone mass in these patients so that prophylactic measures can be instituted."}
{"id": "PMID:1475624", "title": "Serum carcinoembryonic antigen in relation to survival, DNA ploidy pattern, and recurrent disease in 406 colorectal carcinoma patients.", "content": "Serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) levels in relation to survival, flow cytometric DNA ploidy pattern, Dukes stage, and recurrent disease was prospectively evaluated in 406 patients with colorectal carcinoma. In 246 patients (61%) the carcinomas were DNA aneuploid. Increased preoperative CEA levels (> 5 micrograms/l) were found in 151 of 363 evaluable patients (42%). Dukes stage-B patients with preoperative CEA elevation showed significantly poorer prognosis than those with normal CEA values (p = 0.001). A weak but significant correlation was found between preoperative CEA level and Dukes stage (Kendall's tau = 0.25, p < 0.01). Of 50 evaluable patients with clinical recurrence and postoperative normal or normalized CEA levels, 28 (56%) had a rise in CEA before or at the time of clinical recurrence. The sensitivity of the CEA test for primary and for recurrent disease was not significantly different in the DNA aneuploid and the DNA near-diploid groups."}
{"id": "PMID:1475625", "title": "Changes in endogenous lipid excretion in rats fed diets containing non-heated and thermally oxidized olive oils.", "content": "The objective of this study was to determine the effects of diets containing non-heated and thermally oxidized olive oils on fecal endogenous lipids. Male Wistar rats were fed fat-free diets and diets supplemented with 12% non-heated, heated, and a 1:1 mixture of non-heated/heated olive oils. After a 15-day experimental period two groups of fecal lipids from major endogenous sources were quantitated: neutral sterols and fatty acids associated with intestinal microflora action. Fecal endogenous sterols, particularly cholesterol, were significantly higher when diets contained oil, and excretion increased as the dietary oil alteration increased. Similar results were obtained for endogenous fatty acids. Increments of fecal sterols, dependent on oil alteration, could be explained by impairments in triglyceride hydrolysis and subsequent effect on cholesterol micellar solubilization. Moreover, high concentrations of poorly digestible lipids may have led to intestinal microbial modifications."}
{"id": "PMID:1475626", "title": "The effect of somatostatin analogue SMS 201-995 on serotonin levels in the medium of primary carcinoid cell cultures.", "content": "Carcinoid cell cultures were established from primary tumours and liver and mesenteric metastases. The cells continued to produce serotonin for up to 6 months. Cells from different tumours showed different properties. In most wells carcinoid cells grew on a layer of fibroblasts. The tendency to co-culture seemed to be less marked in cells from liver biopsy specimens. The amount of serotonin decreased to 63% 300 min after addition of the somatostatin analogue SMS 201-995 (SMS) to the culture, compared with controls (p < 0.05; n = 10). This decrease was observed up until 12 days, when SMS was added at each change of medium (p < 0.005; n = 8). In the first 10 min, however, SMS induced an increase in serotonin concentration (p < 0.005; n = 11). This effect may be related to other, immediate stimulatory effects of SMS seen in other cell lines originating from neural ridge-derived tissue. We believe it is important to elucidate the properties of individual tumours, as choice of therapy may vary between patients with the same diagnosis. We have described a method to obtain such information within a couple of days, before a definite treatment is selected."}
{"id": "PMID:1475627", "title": "Alkaline oesophageal reflux--an artefact due to oxygen corrosion of antimony pH electrodes.", "content": "Antimony electrodes are widely used for gastro-oesophageal pH monitoring. They are also sensitive to oxygen, however, especially at low PO2 levels, which are known to shift recorded values in the alkaline direction. This study, which compares antimony and glass electrodes for oesophageal pH monitoring in six adults, shows that values recorded by antimony electrodes are 2.1 +/- 0.8 pH units (mean +/- SD) higher than by glass electrodes (p < 0.001; n = 7642). A further 52 patients with suspected gastro-oesophageal reflux were investigated by 24-h pH monitoring by means of antimony electrodes. In these patients the oesophageal pH was higher than 8.0 for 7% of the time (range, 0-60%). The alkaline periods recorded with antimony electrodes were all protracted in time, smoothly increasing from a neutral pH, and did not correspond to a sudden increase in pH, which would be expected if alkaline reflux had occurred. It is concluded that high pH values obtained by antimony electrodes are due to the oxygen sensitivity of the electrodes. The diagnosis of alkaline reflux seems to be valid only when pH monitoring is performed with glass electrodes or when values obtained with antimony electrodes are adjusted for the influence of the oxygen tension in the oesophagus."}
{"id": "PMID:1475629", "title": "Normal inflammatory bowel disease mucosa conceals alterations in natural killer cell activity.", "content": "Non-major histocompatibility complex-restricted cytotoxicity or natural killer (NK) activity could be detected in all intestinal lamina propria mononuclear cell preparations of histologically normal mucosa from 57 patients with gastrointestinal disease. Similar levels of NK activity were detected among the different disease groups. Within the inflammatory bowel disease patient group, however, Crohn's disease patients showed a threefold higher level of NK activity than detected in ulcerative colitis patients. Cytotoxicity levels in Crohn's disease patients were also higher than in the control carcinoma patients, whereas ulcerative colitis patients had considerably lower cytotoxicity levels than the carcinoma patients. Thus, unaffected normal inflammatory bowel disease mucosa conceals alterations in NK activity which might occur before the inflammation. The colon adenocarcinoma cell line Caco-2 was found to be a representative target for detecting individual differences in NK activity of lamina propria mononuclear cells compared with standard K-562 targets. The latter can be of relevance when studying mucosal immunoregulatory mechanisms in intestinal disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1475630", "title": "Disease modification in rheumatoid arthritis with special reference to cyclosporin A.", "content": "Disease modifying antirheumatic drugs improve clinical markers of synovial inflammation as well as acute phase reactants and functional status in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Some of the disease modifying antirheumatic drugs probably also retard radiographic progression. Data from prospective observational studies and epidemiological studies indicate a modest and temporary effect. New treatment modalities are needed, including both new strategies and new drugs. Cyclosporin A improves clinical markers of synovial inflammation and is useful for individual patients with rheumatoid arthritis. However, further studies are required to investigate the long term efficacy and tolerance of cyclosporin in rheumatoid arthritis."}
{"id": "PMID:1475631", "title": "Efficacy of cyclosporin A in rheumatoid arthritis: long-term follow-up data and the effect on quality of life.", "content": "Cyclosporin A is a potent immunomodulator which was used initially in organ transplantation. It has subsequently been used in the management of various autoimmune conditions. This paper is concerned with experience to date with cyclosporin A in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. It considers the major clinical trials, long-term experience, and the impact of cyclosporin A on quality of life."}
{"id": "PMID:1475632", "title": "Long-term outcome of rheumatoid arthritis.", "content": "Although developments in surgical and medical treatment methods have improved the average long-term outcome of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), it still is a severe disease. An 8-year follow-up study of patients with seropositive RA showed a large variation in the outcome. Only 24 percent of patients had no progression in the radiological destruction of the joints of hands and feet. Premature mortality seems to accumulate in patients with a poor outcome. Study of prognostic markers for RA would be of great importance."}
{"id": "PMID:1475633", "title": "Safety aspects of the long term cyclosporin A therapy.", "content": "The long term safety issues of cyclosporin A therapy of rheumatoid arthritis can be classified into two categories: side effects typical for the cyclosporin group of drugs and side effects due to the immunosuppression. A decrease in the renal function and elevation of the blood pressure are the main cyclosporin-related side effects. Blood pressure can be controlled in most cases by dose reduction or by antihypertensive therapy. With the current low dose strategy, a mild decrease of renal function is common but the incidence of permanent renal damage is low and the prognosis is good. Immunosuppression as such may predispose for malignancies and infections. Cyclosporin A is not mutagenic. However, it may impair the immunosurveillance for transformed cells. Data from organ transplantation suggest that immunosuppressive regimens including cyclosporin A increase the incidence of lymphoproliferative disorders and skin cancers. It is not clear whether cyclosporin A can increase the incidence of these tumors in patients with rheumatoid arthritis due to a relatively small number of patients studied thus far. Monitoring of cyclosporin A therapy of rheumatoid arthritis is simple but mandatory."}
{"id": "PMID:1475634", "title": "Cyclosporin A. Mode of action and effects on bone and joint tissues.", "content": "Cyclosporin A is an established immunomodulatory agent with an increasing number of clinical applications. Although its precise mechanisms of action remain elusive, one of the most important known properties of CyA is its ability to inhibit the production of cytokines involved in the regulation of T-cell activation. In particular, CyA inhibits de novo synthesis of interleukin 2(IL-2), the major cytokine involved in T-cell proliferation, as well as other cytokines, probably at the level of gene transcription, as shown by the suppression of mRNA levels in activated T-cells. Although the major actions of CyA are on T-cells, there is some evidence for possible direct effects on other cell types e.g. B-cells, macrophages and, from our own work, on bone and cartilage cells. Cyclosporin A is thought to enter cells and to bind to cyclophilins, which are members of a family of high-affinity cyclosporin A-binding proteins, now known as immunophilins. The binding of cyclosporins to such proteins appears to be closely linked to the immunosuppressive action of cyclosporins. The immunophilins possess enzyme activity, ie. peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase, also known as rotamase, which can regulate protein folding, and may therefore alter the functional state of many cell proteins. Cyclosporin A blocks peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase activity but it is not clear whether this plays a part in its selective inhibition of cytokine-gene transcription. Moreover, the ubiquitous presence of cyclophilins and immunophilins raises the question of why cyclosporin A has its apparent major effects only on T-cells. Recent proposals regarding the intracellular mode of action of CyA suggest that it interacts with cyclophilin and other regulatory proteins including calmodulin and calcineurin, which is a serine/threonine phosphatase, and thereby affects the functional state of key regulators of gene transcription in its target cells. The effects of CyA on T-cells and directly or indirectly on connective tissue cells, including bone, cartilage and synovial cells, which all can produce a range of cytokines, are of interest in relation to the tissue changes that occur in inflammatory diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis. Thus, for example, cyclosporin A inhibits in vitro the bone resorbing activity of interleukin 1, 1,25-dihydroxy-vitamin D3, parathyroid hormone and prostaglandin E2 by apparently non-T-cell effects, while in vivo protects against bone and cartilage loss in adjuvant arthritis. More needs to be known about the direct and indirect modulation of cytokine production by cyclosporin A in connective tissues, in order to understand its potential value in clinical disorders."}
{"id": "PMID:1475635", "title": "Salmonella-triggered reactive arthritis.", "content": "Clinical significance of Salmonella-triggered reactive arthritis is rising, because the frequency of Salmonella infections is increasing all over the world. In this study reports on Salmonella-triggered reactive arthritis have been reviewed. A summary of clinical, epidemiological and laboratory data, as well as triggering serotypes, is presented. Diagnostic and therapeutic aspects are also discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1475636", "title": "Longitudinal survey of anticardiolipin antibodies in systemic lupus erythematosus. Relationships with clinical manifestations and disease activity in an Italian series.", "content": "One hundred and two patients suffering from systemic lupus erythematosus were observed over 5-140 months. IgG and IgM anticardiolipin antibodies (aCL) were searched for by ELISA in 448 serum samples, and were found in 88 (86.3%) patients on at least one occasion. Changes of aCL levels and isotypes were recorded in most patients. In patients with medium (20-80 U. GPL and/or MPL) and high (> 80 U. GPL and/or MPL) aCL levels associations with thrombosis, neurological manifestations, cerebrovascular disease, prolonged aPTT, and thrombocytopenia were found. A highly significant statistical association was found between IgG aCL and the occurrence of active disease (p < 0.0001)."}
{"id": "PMID:1475637", "title": "Uric acid and chronic musculoskeletal complaints.", "content": "The relation between chronic musculoskeletal complaints and serum uric acid was examined in 737 men and 771 women (40-42 years old). The study is cross-sectional and part of the National Health Screening Service county studies in Norway. Both men and women with chronic musculoskeletal complaints had significantly higher s-urate means than persons without such complaints. Moreover, the prevalence of chronic musculoskeletal complaints (gout excluded) changed significantly across increasing s-urate levels also within the normal distribution of s-urate. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the s-urate odds ratio for chronic complaints rose in a linear manner across these s-urate levels (adjusted for 12 other independent variables that may interfere with uric acid). Such a relation has not to our knowledge been previously described."}
{"id": "PMID:1475638", "title": "Synovial fluid leukocytosis in bacterial arthritis vs. reactive arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis in the adult knee.", "content": "In this comparative analysis of laboratory data, we examined the characteristics of synovial fluid leukocytosis in eighty adult patients with bacterial arthritis, reactive arthritis or rheumatoid arthritis of the knee joint. Synovial fluid leukocyte count and the percentage of polymorphonuclear cells seemed to perform well as a discriminator between bacterial infection and acute flare of the underlying disease in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. In contrast, there were no definite difference in the intensity of synovial fluid leukocytosis between patients with bacterial arthritis caused by living bacteria and patients with reactive arthritis probably caused by bacterial antigens."}
{"id": "PMID:1475639", "title": "Pattern of SLE in Hong Kong Chinese: a cohort study.", "content": "One hundred and fifty six Chinese patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) were studied prospectively over 50 months. The patients in the retrospective group (Group I) were diagnosed before and in the prospective group (Group II), at the time of entry into the study. The overall female to male ratio was 25:1 with mean age at onset (+/- SD) of 26 +/- 9.9 years. Neurological manifestation as the presenting feature was rare (3%), and none of the untreated patients presented with infection. Anti-nuclear antibody (ANA) was positive in 94% and anti double stranded-DNA antibody (anti DNA) 65%. New manifestations developed in 34 patients (26%) and 218 episodes of relapses occurred in 100 patients with a rate of 0.042 relapse per patient month. Five patients died during the study period with a 5 year survival of 97% and 10 year survival of 94% in the cohort. There was no significant difference in survival between Group I and Group II patients at 50 months (p = 0.72)."}
{"id": "PMID:1475640", "title": "Postural control, muscle function and psychological factors in rheumatoid arthritis. Are there any relations?", "content": "The aim of the present study was to relate postural control, as measured on a quantitative test battery as standing balance on an AMTI force platform, to results of muscle function of the lower extremities, aerobic capacity, disease characteristics, attitudes revealing anxiety, and demographic variables in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). A group of 61 patients with RA was investigated. Multiple regression analyses, using both the stepwise and the backward elimination method, were employed for length of sway path in two-leg standing looking straight ahead and blindfolded as dependent variables. The results revealed postural control in two-leg standing looking straight ahead to be highly related to age and sex but also to isokinetic endurance and to anxiety. In the model, 55% of the variance was explained by these variables at a significance level of p = 0.05. Characteristics of the RA disease, such as c-reactive protein and joint-mobility did not play any major role in explaining postural control."}
{"id": "PMID:1475645", "title": "Coronary risk factors in middle-aged men as related to smoking, coffee intake and physical activity.", "content": "The relationship between lifestyle and coronary risk factors in blood was investigated in 165 middle-aged men. Plasma fibrinogen, serum triacylglycerols (TG), and apolipoprotein B (apo B) were higher, and high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLc) lower in smokers (n = 69) than in non-smokers (n = 96). By linear regression analysis there was a significant positive association between degree of smoking and either total cholesterol (TC), apo B, or plasma fibrinogen, whereas smoking was inversely related to HDLc. Smoking and coffee intake were positively correlated with an atherogenic index, reflecting the balance between low and high density lipoproteins. Sedentary men (n = 59) had higher mean TC, apo B, and atherogenic index than physically active men (n = 104). Smokers used salt more often than non-smokers. Physically active men used vegetables more often than sedentary men. Combining several habits into a \"bad habit\" score gave a high level of significance for its association with TC, apo B, and the atherogenic index. The results indicate that lifestyle may influence several blood factors involved in atherosclerosis development."}
{"id": "PMID:1475646", "title": "Milk--a better drink? Relationships with total serum cholesterol in a cross-sectional survey. The Nordland Health Study.", "content": "Cross-sectional studies have not consistently shown a positive association between milk drinking and serum cholesterol. We studied this relationship in a cohort of 7506 men and women aged 40-42 years in the county of Nordland in northern Norway (72% of all subjects in the age-bracket living in the county). We found a positive relationship between the percentage of fat in the milk and total serum cholesterol, but no positive relationship between whole fat milk consumption (number of glasses per day) and serum cholesterol. The findings were, however, to some extent influenced by effects of present atherosclerotic disease, or perceived threat of this."}
{"id": "PMID:1475647", "title": "Hysterectomy among Finnish women: prevalence and women's own opinions.", "content": "This article describes the prevalence of hysterectomy, women's own opinions of it, and socioeconomic characteristics of hysterectomized women compared to non-hysterectomized ones. The questionnaire was sent in spring 1989 to 2000 45 to 64-year-old Finnish women picked randomly from the Population Census. After two reminders, 1713 (86%) had responded. One fifth of the women had had a hysterectomy and 5% had also had both ovaries removed. Among the highest educated there were less hysterectomized women than among the less educated. The largest differences in the prevalence of hysterectomy were between counties, not between socioeconomic groups. Fourty-one percent of the hysterectomized women had themselves wished hysterectomy, 25% did not have any specific opinion about the operation. Results raise further questions about clinical decision making and regional variation of hysterectomy."}
{"id": "PMID:1475648", "title": "Patients comment on video-recorded consultations--the \"good\" GP and the \"bad\".", "content": "The aim of this study was to describe and understand patients' positive and negative experiences of General Practitioners (GPs). Forty-six consultations were videotaped in four primary health care centres in Sweden. Afterwards the patients commented on the recorded consultations. The comments were categorized and analyzed using an exploratory qualitative approach. An image of the \"good\" GP emerged that had two major characteristics: that of being a caring human; an individual who listens, understands, and is concerned. At the same time, the good GP acts like an ordinary person and treats the patient as an equal. The personal relationship with the GP also influenced the choice and course of medical interventions. For the patient, the manner in which an intervention is seen is linked to whether the GPs treats the patient with respect or not. A typical experience of a \"bad\" GP was that the GP appeared unreachable as a person. An example is when the patient feels that the GP was not taking his or her symptoms seriously. Another characteristic of the bad GP is failure to communicate to the patient his or her standpoint on issues raised during consultations."}
{"id": "PMID:1475649", "title": "Ethical and professional aspects of the practice of alternative medicine.", "content": "The question of who should provide alternative medical treatment raises a number of different problems of both an ethical and a professional nature. Providing medical treatment, including alternative medical treatment, presupposes that the physician in question possesses diagnostic competence. It is in the best interests of society that medical care is safe, and therefore society must monitor the medical profession, e.g. in order to assure itself that the treatment provided is in agreement with the tenet of science and proven experience. The democratization of the patient-doctor relationship and the liberalization of the availability of medical and alternative medical treatments means that society also has an interest in ensuring that physicians offer alternative medical treatments or cooperate with practitioners of alternative medicine. A question is whether this is also of interest to the physicians? Another question touching on professional ethics is whether the doctor has the same responsibility to respect the desire of a patient to receive alternative medical treatment as he would have to respect the patient's right to forego ordinary medical treatment. These questions are analysed here against the background of the perspective of the relevant interest groups and are graded with regard to the disease and treatment concerned, how far the disease has advanced, the age of the patient, and whether or not the patient is competent to make his own decisions. These considerations are relevant in a discussion of who is qualified to provide or prescribe alternative medical treatment. This study points out that the individual physician should have the possibility to compromise and improvise from case to case.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1475650", "title": "Extremely low birth weight infants less than 901 g. Impact on the family during the first year.", "content": "In a longterm prospective study 20 extremely low birth weight (ELBW) infants with birth weight between 500 and 900 g (mean 755 +/- 109 g) and gestational age between 24 and 30 weeks (mean 26.2 +/- 1.8 w) were compared with 20 fullterm infants. This part of the study focuses on the impact on the family. Structured parental interviews were conducted in the postnatal period and at the end of the first year concerning the pregnancy, the delivery and the infant's health and behaviour during the first year of life. Questions about the parents' and siblings' reactions, physical symptoms and the strains on the husband-wife relationship were also asked. It was found that the mothers of the ELBW infants had more fertility problems, more physical symptoms during the pregnancy and the infant's first year of life. The birth of an ELBW infant caused crisis reactions in 85% of the mothers and 65% of the fathers. Fifty-eight per cent of the ELBW parents and 21% of the parents in the control group reported that the stress during the infant's first year had led to strains on the husband-wife relationship. It is evident that the birth of an ELBW infant had an impact on the whole family. However, we found no relationship between permanent neurological injuries in the infant and strong reactions in the family members. On the other hand, the parental relationship in the perinatal period seems to be of significance, as does the length of time the infant was hospitalized during its first year of life."}
{"id": "PMID:1475651", "title": "The epidemiology of sick leave in an urban population in Malm\u00f6, Sweden.", "content": "The epidemiology of sick leave was studied in the city of Malm\u00f6, Sweden, (230,000 inhabitants). Every current and completed sick-leave episode during the year of 1985 was collected for 124,411 persons aged 16 to 65, who were registered with the National Health insurance scheme in 1985. Absence rate, absence incidence, absence prevalence and absence duration were analyzed in relation to age, sex, marital status, nationality, income and place of residence. Absence rate (mean value) in the total population was 25.5 days with a median of three days. The absence rate increased by age. High absence rates were seen for females, single people and some immigrant groups. This was even true for residential areas characterized by a higher proportion of single-person households and households on social welfare, of unemployed and people with a low income and a foreign background. The absence rate gives limited information as to the epidemiology of sick leave. Through adding absence incidence, absence prevalence and absence duration it was possible to get a more comprehensive picture of the phenomenon. Sex-differences in absence rate for instance were mainly explained by differences in absence incidence and prevalence, while differences in absence rate regarding nationality were explained by differences in absence duration. This is an important step towards a better understanding of the factors behind sick leave."}
{"id": "PMID:1475652", "title": "Creating partnership with the food industry in the Stockholm cancer prevention program.", "content": "To facilitate the supply of healthful foods in institutional kitchens and restaurants, the Stockholm Cancer Prevention Program (SCPP) produced a cookbook in collaboration with the food industry and the SCPP. Fifty different organizations participated in this work. The development of the cookbook was made in several steps and started with a recipe contest to engage chefs and employees in restaurants and institutional kitchens. Criteria for the recipes were that they should present low-fat/high-fiber meals. Complementary recipes were received from the food industry. All recipes were tested in 20 restaurants and institutional kitchens and 11,000 lunch guests assessed the palatability of the dishes. The cookbook was presented in conjunction with a food fair in 1989 and has until now been sold in about 4,000 copies. Production of a cookbook can thus be a focal point for involving food industry, restaurants and institutional kitchens in a community intervention program aiming at a change of dietary habits."}
{"id": "PMID:1475653", "title": "Aspects of comfort and safety of condom. A study of two thousand intercourses among volunteer couples.", "content": "In nearly 2,000 intercourses 14 different types of condoms were tested by 80 heterosexual and seven homosexual volunteer couples. The test couples were generally quite experienced in the use of condoms. It appears that the condoms rarely (1.3%) ruptured or slipped off during the actual intercourse. This means that emphasis must be put on consistency and skill in the use of condoms rather on technical improvements in the promotion of condoms as a means of preventing the spread of sexually transmitted infections like HIV. Lubricated condoms and condoms that were not too small were preferred by both users and their partners. Other condom properties were significant but of minor concern for the participants of the study."}
{"id": "PMID:1475654", "title": "Cancer mortality of Swiss men by occupation, 1979-1982.", "content": "Results of a study of male cancer mortality are presented by occupation. The data base consisted of the 1979-1982 mortality register and 1980 census data from Switzerland. In a novel approach, a linked subset of death certificates and census records was used to correct the numerator-denominator bias of standardized mortality ratios and their confidence intervals. Agricultural occupations exhibited low cancer mortality (exception: stomach cancer). Electricians suffered excess mortality from cancer of several sites. Foundry and chemical workers had elevated mortality risks for digestive tract cancers. Other metal workers suffered from high mortality from cancers of the respiratory organs. Construction workers were subject to high mortality from cancers of the upper digestive tract and lungs. Innkeepers, cooks, and owners or managers of guest houses had high rates of cancers of the digestive system. Occupations using combustion-powered equipment suffered from excess lung cancer mortality. In general the results of the study agree with those of several other studies."}
{"id": "PMID:1475655", "title": "[Internal medicine today--and tomorrow?].", "content": "Internal medicine has recently undergone major changes, which have created--among others--4 feelings of alienation among physicians: first, the internist--initially an observer of clinical signs, and later laboratory-assisted--has now become operator-assisted with modern technology in imaging and other technologies assisting him by giving him not the essence, but the interpretation of the gathered information; second, the dialogue between basic biomedical research and the bedside clinician has been interrupted by the creation of a new language in molecular genetics, to which he has no access any more; third, modern biotechnology is rapidly creating an unlimited number of new biological therapeutic modalities, giving the internist too many therapeutic options which he can no longer master. Fourth, the formerly direct, bipolar relationship between patient and physician has been extended to a triangular relationship between patient, physician and an institution (hospital administration, public health authority, health insurance). In order to solve these problems, internal medicine has several options. First, maintaining the dialogue in research across subspecialties by creating a group of full time clinical investigators, with training in basic molecular and cellular biology, who can be the interface between modern molecular genetics and clinical internal medicine; and second, developing new clinical investigators to evaluate our diagnostic and therapeutic strategies with a logical and scientific methodology: patient care analysis, health care research, medical outcome evaluation and quality assessment are all disciplines which will link the various fields of internal medicine into a tight network. To do this, the Swiss Society of Internal Medicine has to modify its structures, to become a scientific and a professional organization, cognizant of the evolution of medicine within the European scene."}
{"id": "PMID:1475657", "title": "[Does routine ultrasonography of the abdominal organs affect the subsequent management of the patient?].", "content": "When abdominal ultrasound is performed it is general practice to examine not only the organs needed to answer the clinician's question but also the remaining abdominal and pelvic organs for which there is no clinical indication (= routine examinations). We investigated the effect of these routine examinations on the further management in 533 medical outpatients (222 women; 311 men; age 45 +/- 16 years). Of 7684 organs examined, 6194 (81%) were routine examinations, 469 of which revealed unexpected abnormalities. Only 19 of these were considered clinically relevant enough to warrant further work-up, and long-term follow-up was regarded as necessary in 6 patients only. However, an abnormal finding on routine examination had no eventual therapeutic implications in any patient. We conclude that in middle-aged medical outpatients it is sufficient to perform sonography on those abdominal and pelvic organs which need to be examined to answer the clinician's questions. Failure to routinely examine the remaining organs does not lead to a relevant loss of information, but may save time and money on fruitless work-up of unexpected findings."}
{"id": "PMID:1475658", "title": "[Use of conventional and complementary medical care in patients with chronic non-cancerous pain].", "content": "The use of medical care was surveyed among 157 chronic pain patients. Half of them had consulted more than 6 and up to 17 specialists in \"conventional\" medicine for their pain problem. Moreover, 46% had used \"complementary\" medicine. They had tried many different \"alternative\" therapies in 40% of the cases. The users of \"complementary\" medicine, mostly females, also sought care from a significantly higher number of \"conventional\" therapists, had more physiotherapy, took drugs more frequently and had tried a larger number of different medications, even though their pain characteristics were similar to those of the other patients studied. Interestingly, they remained significantly more active professionally than patients who had never used \"complementary\" medicine. These characteristics could be attributed to a more active manner of coping with chronic pain."}
{"id": "PMID:1475659", "title": "[How does oligo- en asymptomatic non-tropical sprue present itself?].", "content": "According to the computerized ICD registration, 20 new cases of non-tropical sprue were detected in our outpatient clinic between 1979 and 1990. 8 of these patients had an oligo- or asymptomatic form of this disease (40%). The clinical presentation and spectrum of abnormal laboratory findings in these 8 cases are described in detail. It is concluded that laboratory parameters indicating malabsorption, especially hematologic changes, are helpful for the detection of the oligo- and asymptomatic form of non-tropical sprue, and that, in cases with undetermined anemia, this form of sprue must be considered in etiologic differential diagnosis. Finally, it seems advisable to perform a biopsy as a routine procedure during endoscopy in cases with unclear anemia."}
{"id": "PMID:1475660", "title": "[Blood pressure measurement during tachyarhythmia: validation of a graduated measuring technique with an intra-arterial technique].", "content": "Use of the usual technique to measure blood pressure is known to be unsatisfactory in tachyarrhythmia. An easy and non-invasive technique, called the stage by stage method, has therefore been proposed. The aim of the present study is to verify the precision of this method by comparison with intraarterial measurements. The study was performed in 9 tachyarrhythmic patients with heart rate over 90/min and wide systolic pulse amplitude variations. For systolic pressure, the results show an excellent correlation between the blood pressure values obtained by the stage by stage method and those obtained by intraarterial measurements (r = 0.99; p > 0.01). For diastolic pressure, the best practical approximation is the value of the last stage before all sounds have disappeared plus 5 mm Hg. We conclude that the bedside stage by method is worth performing in patients presenting with tachyarrhythmia and wide systolic pressure variations from one systole to the other."}
{"id": "PMID:1475661", "title": "[Evaluation of TSH suppression using a 3d-generation TSH assay: diagnostic and therapeutic consequences].", "content": "We measured basal and TRH-stimulated TSH values with a 3rd generation assay in patients under suppressive thyroxine (T4) therapy for thyroid carcinoma or goiter and in patients with overt hyperthyroidism. All hyperthyroid patients had undetectable basal TSH levels (< 0.01 mU/l). In patients on suppressive T4 treatment basal TSH values were undetectable in 37.5% (= group A) and measurable in the intermediate range of 0.01-0.05 mU/l in 62.5% (= group B). After TRH administration there was no TSH increase in the hyperthyroid patients (< 0.01 mU/l in 100%). T4-treated patients of group A showed no relevant TSH stimulation in 58% (peak < or = 0.05 mU/l = total TSH suppression). An increase of > 0.05 mU/l could be measured in 42% of group A and 100% of group B (= subtotal TSH suppression). Many of these TSH values measured by a 3rd generation assay are in the undetectable range for most of the commercially available 2nd generation assays (< 0.10 mU/l). TSH assay of the 3rd generation decisively improves the diagnosis of hyperthyroidism and probably also borderline hyperthyroidism. Against the background of increased risk of osteoporosis and cardiac function disorders as a result of suppressive T4 treatment, our results suggest the following practical therapeutic guidelines: total TSH suppression with the risk of iatrogenic hyperthyroidism should be confined to high risk patients (eg with metastatic thyroid cancer). Where the risk is low, however (thyroid cancer with favourable prognosis, goiter, goiter prophylaxis), only subtotal TSH suppression is indicated."}
{"id": "PMID:1475662", "title": "[Acquired factor V inhibitor treated with intravenous immunoglobulins].", "content": "We report the appearance of a factor V inhibitor in an 82-year-old female patient following abdominal surgery. This anomaly was totally corrected following 9-day treatment with i.v. immunoglobulins (0.4 g/kg/day), which allowed a needed further surgical intervention to be performed without hemorrhagic diathesis. The activity of this inhibitor was partly reversed by the in vitro addition of immunoglobulins, suggesting a concentration-effect relationship. This finding supports the hypothesis that anti-idiotypic antibodies could play a role in the therapeutic effect of immunoglobulins in such situations."}
{"id": "PMID:1475663", "title": "[The value of anticardiolipin antibody assessment].", "content": "Anticardiolipin antibodies (ACL) are associated with the presence of several clinical conditions. To determine the clinical interest of their evaluation, we reviewed all the results of ACL determinations performed in our laboratory during 1990 and 1991. 266 analyses (232 patients) were carried out. Determinations of IgG and IgM type ACL were performed by ELISA. ACL values were positive or slightly positive in 40% of the analyzed samples. Diagnosis was mentioned as the grounds for 212 requests (186 patients). ACL were positive (> m + 3SD) in about 40% of patients with autoimmune disease or with at least two of the following pathologies: autoimmune disease, venous or arterial thromboembolism, recurrent abortion."}
{"id": "PMID:1475664", "title": "[Stress-induced bundle-branch block].", "content": "We present two patients with exercise-induced bundle branch block (BBB), in which coronary heart disease could not be diagnosed by noninvasive techniques. Exercise-induced BBB (right BBB more than left BBB) is strongly associated with and requires intensive search for coronary heart disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1475665", "title": "[Diagnostic value of autoantibodies against microsomal thyroid peroxidase (anti-TPO)].", "content": "With the identification of thyroid peroxidase (TPO) as the main antigen of the thyroid microsomal fraction, the development of a sensitive and specific assay for detection of these antibodies became possible. The diagnostic value of the anti-TPO assay was evaluated in patients with different types of thyroid disease and in controls. 65% of patients with thyroiditis had elevated anti-TPO values. The frequency of elevated anti-TPO levels in patients with active autoimmune thyroiditis was 90% (clinical diagnosis Hashimoto thyroiditis) compared to 64% in patients with overt hyperthyroidism (clinical diagnosis Graves' disease). None of the controls or the patient with non-thyroidal illness showed elevated anti-TPO levels."}
{"id": "PMID:1475666", "title": "[Dry chemistry in the clinical laboratory: how reliable is it?].", "content": "The performance of dry chemistry analysis systems was evaluated using the results obtained from proficiency testing 1991 of practitioner's laboratories. 59% of the participants use dry chemistry (Ektachem DT 60 Kodak, Reflotron Boehringer, Cobas Ready Roche). The evaluation reveals the following: The declared values of the control sera for the dry chemistry systems agree well with those of the conventional wet chemistry, excepting enzyme assays. The precision of the dry chemistry parameters is substantially higher than that of the wet chemistry. The overall performance of the dry chemistry analysis systems was found to be superior as compared to the wet chemistry performance. A prerequisite for dry chemistry proficiency testing are control sera of human origin."}
{"id": "PMID:1475668", "title": "Influence of a new experimental bonding agent on marginal seal of Class V restorations: an in-vitro study.", "content": "The performance of a new experimental dentin bonding agent (A.R.T. Bond) was evaluated in vitro. Its influence on the marginal seal of mixed class V restorations made on freshly extracted third molars, using 7 different restoration techniques was studied. When using the new dentin bonding agent, the results of the dye penetration test revealed the least dentinal leakage with the direct inlay technique. Dye penetration scores of bulk and incrementally placed restorations were higher, but not significantly different from the direct inlay. The absence of the dentin bonding agent in incrementally placed restorations resulted in significantly higher leakage values."}
{"id": "PMID:1475669", "title": "[The modification of the polymerization of composite materials by eugenol-containing temporary fillings].", "content": "The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of eugenol-containing temporary fillings on the polymerisation of composite materials. Cavities of 2 mm in diameter and 2 mm in depth were prepared in enamel as well as in dentine. Immediately after preparation the cavities of the control group were filled with a light curing composite, a chemical curing composite, or a light and chemical curing composite. The cavities of the experimental group were filled with Nobetec (temporary filling material containing zinc-oxide-eugenol). After six weeks, the Nobetec fillings were removed by means of an excavator, the cavities were cleaned with water and filled with one of the above six composites. The specimens were embedded in Epofix and afterwards cut through the center of the filling. The cut surfaces were polished to 3 microns and afterwards (> 4 days) the hardness was measured with a Knoop hardness testing machine at different distances from the cavity wall. The results of the control group and of the experimental group were compared statistically. The polymerisation of five of the six materials was not inhibited by a temporary filling material containing zinc-oxide-eugenol. The difference in hardness for Brilliant Lux (light curing) was fer-highly significant (p < 0.001) between 0 micron and 100 microns from the cavity margin, if the cavity was first filled with a temporary filling material, containing zinc-oxide-eugenol. The results show that there exist certain composite filling materials that are inhibited in their polymerisation by the tested eugenol containing temporary filling material."}
{"id": "PMID:1475670", "title": "[The abrasion resistance of plastic teeth--an in-vitro study].", "content": "Resistance against abrasion of premolar plastic teeth on their chewing surfaces was determined using an in vitro test method which approximately simulated oral conditions, as well as contact between antagonists, chewing pressure, biting pressure and chewing motion. The humpy surface of commercially manufactured teeth was levelled by grinding, using the abrasion test machine itself, which resulted in two little plain surfaces. After measuring the size of these surfaces, wear due to abrasion was determined by loss of weight. The commercial products showed different resistances against abrasion, the teeth of Dens-Nobilis and Vitapan, which contain amorphous silica, appeared to be more resistant against abrasion than IPN (Artiplus) and PMMA (Keracryl-7, Planustar, SR-Orthotyp-PE) teeth. Unexpectedly, IPN teeth did not show a higher resistance against abrasion than the PMMA teeth, which were tested in this investigation. Only SR-Orthotyp-PE were significantly worse. Under the prevailing test conditions SR-Orthosit-PE teeth are very little resistant against abrasion, although they contain amorphous silica. Investigations with a raster electron microscope revealed that they are too brittle."}
{"id": "PMID:1475671", "title": "[The effect of the motivation of a tracing device in the hygiene phase of PA treatment].", "content": "In a clinical comparative study the effectiveness of an oral hygiene motivation tool (Parograph) was evaluated. 100 patients with periodontal diseases got oral hygiene instructions with the classic clinical methods (brush-techniques) and the motivation tool. As a result, only the patients with higher plaque index showed a faster significant reduction of plaque index when motivation tool was used. The comparison between other indices used were statistically not significant."}
{"id": "PMID:1475674", "title": "[The effect of beverage composition and gastrointestinal function on fluid and nutrient availability during physical exertion: e review].", "content": "Intensive exercise affects digestion and absorption. Nevertheless, athletes involved in intensive endurance exercise are advised to ingest fluid and energy supplying nutrients, to compensate for the losses and to delay fatigue. The present review describes the effects of exercise on the gastrointestinal tract and the aspects which determine optimal fluid and nutrient delivery during exercise in different climatological and exercise conditions."}
{"id": "PMID:1475675", "title": "[Anterior cruciate lesions and the protective components of ski bindings].", "content": "Serious internal injuries of the knee make up today for the main share of alpine skiing casualties. As well the frequency of such mishaps, as the type of injury and the analysis of how the events happen to unfold, make obvious the requirement for a better protection of the knee joint, and more specifically, of the anterior cruciate ligament. The main role in this regard falls to the ski binding systems. To this end, adding a back fall release trigger, in introducing a vertical elasticity component, may be adequate to avoid the peak strength impulse which acts on the anterior cruciate ligament during an unprotected fall backwards."}
{"id": "PMID:1475676", "title": "[Requirements and risk profile of soccer-playing children. Orthopedic aspects].", "content": "Although the rate of injuries in soccer is high, this sport puts children only at moderate risk of getting injured. In younger children this risk is very low but the number and severity of injuries increases with puberty. The most common cause for injuries is a collision with another player, the most common injury is distortion of the talocrural joint. Playing soccer indoors is more dangerous than playing outdoors. The danger of accidents and injuries can be reduced by preventive measures, such as weight categories in children leagues."}
{"id": "PMID:1475677", "title": "[Study of the type of physical effort exerted by competition in Supercross].", "content": "The authors draw up a tentative account of the physiological load a pilot bears during a Supercross event. Examination of heart frequency and blood lactate concentration curves during a series of races shows that this sport is not only highly stressful, but demands by the same token a muscular effort which has to be taken into account. Muscular work is of the mixed type, both aerobic and anaerobic, the share of the latter being of moderate importance, as it depends mainly on the technical proficiency of the driver."}
{"id": "PMID:1475680", "title": "Chrysaora hysoscella in the Gulf of Trieste: presence, evolution and cutaneous toxicity in man.", "content": "In the past few years important changes in the occurrence of scyphomedusae have been observed in the North Adriatic Sea and in particular in the Gulf of Trieste, often reaching alarming proportions. Spring coastal blooms of C. hysoscella were observed in 1989. Until 1989, this jellyfish was considered to be innocuous but the data presented show its cutaneous toxicity in man."}
{"id": "PMID:1475681", "title": "Eutrophication, marine biotoxins, human health.", "content": "Eutrophication phenomena in marine coastal waters can today be explained on the basis of natural or anthropogenic causes. Undesirable effects and also sanitary problems in both types of eutrophication are often produced, but they may differ greatly in frequency and significance. Some algal biotoxins can affect both marine animals and man, whilst others affect man alone. From data currently available it appears that the sanitary state of man can be affected through the digestive, respiratory and cutaneous apparatus. Four main dinoflagellate biointoxications are now recognized: paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP), neurotoxic shellfish poisoning (NSP), diarrhoetic shellfish poisoning (DSP), and venerupin poisoning. Other biointoxications are due to a diatom bloom responsible for amnesic shellfish poisoning (ASP) and to blue algae blooms which have effects on the skin and the respiratory tract. All these marine toxins are considered and particular attention is paid to: producing organisms, chemistry of the components, compromised sea foods, methods of analysis, occurrence worldwide, human intoxications, toxicology and mechanism of action on a molecular level, therapeutical notes, tolerance levels and remarks on safety. Attention is also paid to the relationship between the anthropogenic eutrophication and PSP and DSP since these are the most widespread biointoxications from toxic marine dinoflagellates in the world today and for which the European Economic Community (EEC) is proposing health legislation such as tolerance limits and methods for official analysis. In view of the harmful potential of coastal anthropogenic eutrophication, the main current committment of various countries concerns control. Finally, it is important to develop a suitable monitor research system using all the specific standards of allowed toxic substances, and also research on effective antiodotes against all biotoxins."}
{"id": "PMID:1475697", "title": "[Home accidents in children less than 10 years of age: causes and consequences].", "content": "A case-control study was carried out, aimed at identifying and defining the individual, family, household and childcare social support network characteristics, more likely to be associated with the occurrence of accidental home injuries in 0-9 year-old children. This study was carried out in the emergency units of three pediatric hospitals in the Federal District. In this article we report the results of the descriptive analysis only of the cases. The results were as follows: male children (62%) and the one and two year-old children group (37%) were the most affected. Contusions, head injuries and fractures occupied the first three places, the main three causes being falls from one level to another (mainly in stairways and off the bed) falls on the same level (sliding, tripping or stumbling) and burns with boiling liquids (most frequently boiling water for bathing). A history of injuries was documented in only 15% of cases. Thirty nine percent of cases requested medical attention after one hour of the accident; 51% of these were hospitalized. In 25% of cases, the mother worked outside the home, being absent from 6 to 12 hours. Risk factors occurring most frequently were: unprotected electricity inlets (40%); products within reach of children: cleaning products (38%), makeup products (34%), plastic bags (30%) and tools (30%); lack of protection rails for cradles (30%) and for staircases (48%), and free access to roofs (44%). In 62 percent of cases some care was provided in the house of the injured child; twenty six percent counted on a support network, and 3 percent were by themselves. We present some proposals for epidemiologic and health services research, and stress the necessity to implement health education, social security and health services policies to favorably influence the solution of these problems."}
{"id": "PMID:1475699", "title": "[Equality in medical education policy in Mexico].", "content": "We compared the results of the educational policies of public versus private medical schools and traditional versus module-based medical programs. The comparison centers on the political value of equality. The hypotheses are the following: a) Public and module-based schools offer more equality of opportunities for enrollment, permanence and graduation of students than private and traditional schools; b) medical schools maintain their educational policies over time. The value of equality was operationalized with the Equality Index (EI). To test the proposed hypotheses we used Wilcoxon's rank sum test and Mann-Whitney \"U\" test. We studied an intentional sample of 21 medical school in Mexico. The median of the EI for public schools between 1980 to 1989 was 4; 2 for private schools, 2 for traditional schools, and 3 for module-based schools. The only significant difference found was that between public and private schools (p < 0.05). We conclude that in public schools there is more equality of opportunities than in private ones. The results are consistent during the decade of the 80's."}
{"id": "PMID:1475705", "title": "Cockayne's syndrome fibroblasts are characterized by hypersensitivity to deoxyguanosine and abnormal DNA precursor pool metabolism in response to deoxyguanosine or ultraviolet light.", "content": "New cellular traits of Cockayne's syndrome (CS) associated with DNA precursor metabolism have been identified, namely, hypersensitivity to the toxicity of low concentrations of deoxyguanosine (dG) and abnormal changes in deoxyribonucleotide (dNTP) pools in response to dG or UV. dG treatment results in similar ribonucleotide pool changes in wild-type and CS cells, i.e., GTP levels increase at least twofold. However, the changes in the pool size of the purine deoxyribonucleotides are significantly different; in wild-type cells dATP and dGTP pools increase threefold, but remain unchanged in CS. The mechanism by which dG kills CS cells is not clear, but unlike the inherited purine nucleoside phosphorylase deficiency disease, the toxicity of dG is not due to the accumulation of dGTP and the consequent feedback inhibition of ribonucleotide reductase. UV induces different dNTP pool changes in CS and wild-type cells. In wild-type cells dTTP, dCTP, and dATP pools increase three- to fivefold within 4 h of irradiation, while the dGTP pool contracts. In CS cells, only the dGTP pool expands (four- to sixfold), while the other three contract. Each of these new phenotypic traits, together with UV sensitivity, is coordinately corrected in the complementing proliferating CSA x CSB hybrid cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1475700", "title": "[Organization and functioning of health services of the IMSS-Solidaridad program].", "content": "In this report the organization and performance of the IMSS-Solidaridad Program of Mexico is described. This program is managed by the Mexican Institute for Social Security, which services 10.5 million inhabitants of the rural underserved areas, with federal government resources in 18 states. This study compares the structure and functioning of the IMSS-Solidaridad Program with Local Health Systems, as they have been proposed by the Panamerican Health Organization for country members and by the Ministry of Health of Mexico, particularly in relation to the decision-making process at local level. Some assets and limitations of the IMSS-Solidaridad Program are analyzed and, finally, concrete procedures to improve coordination between the IMSS-Solidaridad Program and other health services for similar populations (populations without social security protection) in Mexico are suggested, with the purpose of using resources more adequately and succeed in the national goal to achieve equity in health."}
{"id": "PMID:1475695", "title": "[Infant nutrition in Mexico and its relationship with the utilization of maternal health services].", "content": "In addition to describing recent infant feeding patterns in Mexico, this paper attempts to answer the following questions: what are the mechanisms through which the socioeconomic level affects both infant feeding and the utilization of maternal and child health care practices? b) what is the effect of the socioeconomic level on the relationship between utilization of services and infant feeding practices? The research is based on bivariate and stratified analyses of the ENFES (1987) information. The data obtained prove that: a) even when there is a relationship between socioeconomic factors and, the utilization of services and feeding practices, the social dimension affects differently each of the two variables; b) there is a relationship between the utilization of services and infant feeding; and c) this relationship is explained, in part, by the association of both variables with socioeconomic factors. Operative strategies are proposed for the health services, as well as technical guidelines for future research in this field."}
{"id": "PMID:1475696", "title": "[Epidemiology of cervical cancer at the Mexican Institute of Social Security].", "content": "In order to study the secular trend and age and geographic distribution of cervical cancer at the Mexican Institute for Social Security, an ecologic study was carried on. During the last 10 years cervical cancer has been the second most common neoplasia, being the leading one in women. For those between 30 and 44 years old it is the third cause of death, and one of the first ten in all age groups until 64. Mortality has shown a stable trend for the last 15 years, in a range from 3.3 to 4.5 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants. Mortality rates increase with age. There is a fine-fold increase in the risk of death for women 40 to 49 years old (CI 95% 4.2-6.4%) and a tenfold increase for those over 80, (CI 95% 7.3-12.6) when taking those under 40 years old as a reference group. In 1989, the cervical cancer incidence was 9.7 cases for each 100,000 person-years. Morbidity and mortality are unequally distributed along the country. There is a need for the development of research in order to know better the occurrence of this disease as well as how known risk factors affect it."}
{"id": "PMID:1475702", "title": "[Social participation in health. An experience in Simojovel, Chiapas].", "content": "One of the basic foundations for the operation of health programs is the social participation of the population in actions going from planning to evaluation, promotion and control of actions related with their own health. In the work, we present the results of a preliminary and partial evaluation of an ongoing autopromoting health project in the communities of L\u00e1zaro C\u00e1rdenas and Las Limas, in the Municipality of Simojovel, Chiapas, M\u00e9xico. The basic goal of this work is to identify factors derived from the relations of localities with the State and, on the other hand, from socioeconomic conditions of the populations, which favor or hinder the development of social participation in their own health projects. This is a comparative study, type before and after, within and between localities, intended to measure the effect of a health program with community participation in two communities having divergent relations with the State. For this, we carried out a socioeconomic and prevalent morbidity survey before and after the implementation of social participation in health actions. We also characterized social participation in health actions and identified the type of State intervention in the localities through governmental programs and institutions. The results convey the notion that the health program contributes to enhance hygienic sanitary conditions of the population and decrease the frequency of such ailments as diarrhea and parasitic diseases; social participation is more active in L\u00e1zaro C\u00e1rdenas than in Las Limas. State interventions in the communities are given through social programs and institutions in a mandatory way, with no opportunity for community participation in decision-making. The conclusion is that the demographic organization of the community and autopromotion favor the participation in health actions, while the presence of the State through political repression and actions delivered through social programs promote dependence and paternalism, hindering the ample social participation in actions for health."}
{"id": "PMID:1475706", "title": "Cyclin-dependent kinase 2 (cdk2) in the murine Cdc2 kinase TS mutant.", "content": "Kinases of the mammalian cdc2 family including cdk2 (cyclin-dependent kinase 2) are thought to be involved in both the G2/M transition and DNA replication. To investigate the role of cdc2 kinase and cdk2 in cell cycle progression, murine tsFT210 cells bearing a temperature-sensitive cdc2 mutation were used. These kinases were purified by column chromatography, using a peptide with the consensus phosphorylation site of cdc2 kinase as the substrate. In this mutant, cdc2 kinase activity was temperature sensitive and cdk2 activity was not. At the restrictive temperature, the mutant was only arrested in the G2 phase and not in the G1-S phase, suggesting that cdk2 did not compensate for cdc2 kinase at the G2/M transition but did function at the G1-S phase. This suggestion was supported by the finding that transfection of cdk2 cDNA did not improve the growth of the mutant cell line at the restrictive temperature, although transfection of cdc2 cDNA did."}
{"id": "PMID:1475698", "title": "[Child abuse in Tlaxcala: a case-control study].", "content": "A longitudinal, retrospective and descriptive study about child abuse was carried out in the Hospitals of the Tlaxcala Secretariat of Health, Mexico. The information was obtained from hospitalized children's charts between January first and November 30, 1991. The charts included were those belonging to zero to 14 year old children with injuries, poisoning, and II-III degrees of malnutrition. Four child-abuse criteria were established: physical, sexual, non organic malnutrition and mixed (physical and non organic malnutrition). Two control groups were defined. Different patterns were observed between accidental and non accidental injuries, malnutrition and poisoning among the case and the control groups. The study provides useful information for the integral diagnosis of child abuse in hospitalized children."}
{"id": "PMID:1475707", "title": "Regulatory sequences clustered at the 5' end of the first intron of the human thymidylate synthase gene function in cooperation with the promoter region.", "content": "A human thymidylate synthase (TS) minigene containing 5'- and 3'-flanking sequences, all the exons, and only intron 1 showed a normal frequency of stable transformation when transfected into TS-negative mutant cells, whereas minigenes in which intron 1 was replaced by intron 2 or deleted in the above construct showed only a few percent of the above frequency. Introduction of intron 1 into the above intronless or intron 2 minigene restored the transforming activities regardless of its position and orientation. Deletion analysis revealed two positive and one negative regulatory sequences in the 5' end of intron 1, each of which seemed to bind specific proteins as shown by gel shift analysis. Intron 1 also stimulated expression of a TS promoter-CAT gene construct but not that of an SV40 promoter-CAT gene construct. These results indicate that the multiple regulatory sequences clustered in intron 1 stimulate TS gene expression in concert with the 5'-flanking sequences."}
{"id": "PMID:1475703", "title": "[Criteria for teaching medical sociology in public health area].", "content": "A discussion is given on the most important criteria which should guide the selection of medical sociology's contents which should be taught to public health students. It is suggested that in the current national context, the teaching of sociology in public health should be guided by three objectives: a) to train public health specialists capable of analyzing and criticizing their social reality; b) to disseminate the main findings achieved through social research in public health, concerning mainly the social determination of both the health illness process and the provision of health services; and c) to train public health students to face social changes currently taking place in this country which soon will make evident their effects on the distribution of health and illness in the population. The relevance of linking the teaching of medical sociology in public health with actual research is pointed out. The need to carry out sociological research on the actual current conditions in which social sciences in public health are taught in Mexico and Latin America is stated. It is emphasized the importance of including within this teaching the variety of dilemmas and polemics which have resulted as a consequence of the incorporation of sociology into health matters. The article concludes by emphasizing the need to show the multiparadigmal character of sociology and the consequences of this fact in the study of public health."}
{"id": "PMID:1475708", "title": "The use of human repetitive DNA to target selectable markers into only the human chromosome of a human-hamster hybrid cell line (AL)", "content": "We used the plasmid BLUR-8 that contains an 800-base pair (bp) sequence of human repetitive Alu DNA in a cotransfection protocol to target the plasmids pSV2neo or EBO-pcD-leu-2 (hygro) into a single site of the sole human chromosome, number 11, of a Chinese hamster-human hybrid cell line (AL). The neo and hygro plasmids confer resistance to the antibiotics G418 and hygromycin, respectively. Of the 33 cotransfected clones with single-site insertions, 1/13 without BLUR-8 and 6/20 with BLUR-8 were only in human chromosome 11. A frequency of insertion of 1/13 is not different than expected by chance (rho = 0.3512). On the other hand, the probability that 6/20 insertions, as seen with BLUR-8, occurred by chance is low (rho = 0.0003). We suggest that the human DNA sequences contained in BLUR-8 targeted insertions into only the human chromosome."}
{"id": "PMID:1475704", "title": "[Social participation in health: spaces and actors determining its development].", "content": "This paper deals with an analysis of a rural experience of social participation (SP), defined as the possibility of communities gaining real access to the control of processes affecting health. This analysis evidences the relevance of peasant women in the promotion of SP in health, as well as the need to include health education and organization actions in regional organizational process, strengthened by local policies. The creation of a sanitary mediator to serve as a regulatory agent negotiating with the State is proposed."}
{"id": "PMID:1475709", "title": "Extinction of liver/bone/kidney alkaline phosphatase in osteosarcoma hybrid cells.", "content": "We have constructed a series of interspecific somatic cell hybrids between the human osteoblast-like osteosarcoma, TE85, and a mouse fibrosarcoma, La-t-. In these whole-cell hybrids, we observed a 10-fold reduction of human liver/bone/kidney (L/B/K) alkaline phosphatase steady-state mRNA and alkaline phosphatase protein activity. The phenomenon of loss of tissue-specific gene expression has been termed extinction. Subclones of these hybrids were isolated, which reexpressed the alkaline phosphatase gene product. These late-passage hybrids had a reduced number of mouse fibroblast chromosomes when compared to earlier passages. This suggests that a trans-acting negative regulatory element, encoded in the fibroblast genome, regulates expression of L/B/K alkaline phosphatase. This is the first evidence that extinction plays a role in the regulation of osteoblast gene expression."}
{"id": "PMID:1475701", "title": "[An epidemiologic study of cholesterol in the population of Acapulco, Mexico].", "content": "An epidemiologic study of cholesterol and other risk factors was carried out, which included 1,011 women and 1,001 men older than 20 years, in Acapulco, Guerrero, M\u00e9xico. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of hypercholesterolemia, as well as to establish the relation of cholesterol levels and the following variables: Age, obesity, hypertension, tobacco smoking and cardiovascular disease in relatives. This study was done in the months of March-August 1991. The prevalence of high cholesterol was 36 percent in women with an average of 189 mg/dl, and 30 percent for men with an average of 183 mg/dl. The difference between levels of cholesterol of men and women reached statistical significance. The average levels of serum cholesterol were higher in older, overweight, hypertensive individuals and the differences were statistically significative. Although the average serum cholesterol level was higher in individuals with history of cardiovascular problems, the differences were not significative. There were no differences in cholesterol levels in individuals with tobacco smoking habits. The prevalence of high cholesterol found means that is an important risk factor for this population, which, added to the other identified factors and its statistical relation, define them as a population with high cardiovascular risk."}
{"id": "PMID:1475710", "title": "Molecular cloning and nucleotide sequence of cDNA encoding a functional murine low-density-lipoprotein receptor.", "content": "The low-density-lipoprotein (LDL) receptor is an important mediator of mammalian cholesterol metabolism; its congenital absence in humans is characterized by hypercholesterolemia, atherosclerosis, and coronary artery disease. We report here the identification and cloning of a cDNA encoding the murine LDL receptor. The cDNA insert is 4467 base pairs in length and the deduced amino acid sequence bears 78.2% homology with the reported human sequence. This murine cDNA was subcloned into a retroviral-based expression vector, LmLSN1, and transfected into 3T3 cells. The production of functional LDL receptor was confirmed by ligand binding of DiI-LDL cholesterol."}
{"id": "PMID:1475711", "title": "Long-term expression of a retrovirally introduced beta-galactosidase gene in rodent cells implanted in vivo using biodegradable polymer meshes.", "content": "Grafts of various types of cells have been performed using bioresorbable polymer matrices. These synthetic fibers are degraded by hydrolysis into normal metabolic intermediates and induce a number of events that are conductive to healing and/or repair, the most important of which may be angiogenesis. The use of biodegradable meshes to deliver genetically altered cells was studied. A beta-galactosidase gene was inserted into Long-Evans rat bone marrow stromal (BMS) cells or fibroblasts derived from C57BL/6J mouse embryos using the retroviral vector LNL-SLX beta gal. Expression was monitored using X-gal staining. X-gal+ cells from monolayer cultures were seeded onto either polyglycolic acid (PGA) or polyglactin (PGL) biodegradable meshes and grown to confluence. Two types of grafts were performed: (1) embryonic C57BL/6J mouse fibroblasts (EMF) into either nude mice or adult C57BL/6J mice, and (2) Long-Evans rat BMS into Long-Evans rats. Beta-Galactosidase activity was found for up to 152 days for EMF in nude mice, 123 days for EMF in adult C57BL/6J mice, and 90 days for grafts of syngeneic BMS cells into Long-Evans rats. Noninfected cells grafted using the same methods did not stain with X-gal."}
{"id": "PMID:1475712", "title": "Mapping and characterization of 129 cosmids on human chromosome 11p.", "content": "We constructed cosmid libraries from human-hamster somatic cell hybrids that possess all or part of the short arm of chromosome 11 as their only human complement and isolated 129 human 11p clones. These cosmids map to 22 of 25 intervals distinguished by a hybrid panel for chromosome 11p. Forty-eight single-copy sequences were subcloned from 25 cosmids. Six of 17 (35%) single-copy sequences tested identify 11 new polymorphisms. Restriction endonuclease analysis identified CpG islands in 16 of 68 cosmids (23.5%). Analysis of the distribution of restriction endonuclease sites recognizing CpG dinucleotides showed that clusters of these sites, including those associated with the 5' region of an 11p13 Wilms' tumor gene, WT1, can span greater distances than generally recognized. The cosmids reported here should contribute to the construction of long-range physical maps and the isolation of additional genes on the short arm of chromosome 11."}
{"id": "PMID:1475713", "title": "Chromosomal localization of the IL-6 receptor signal transducing subunit, gp130 (IL6ST).", "content": "Signal transduction in eukaryotic cells is a complex process mediated, normally, by the interaction of soluble extrinsic protein factors and their cognate receptors. One example of this phenomena is the inflammatory cytokine interleukin-6 and the IL-6 receptor. However, the IL-6 receptor, once its ligand is bound, associates with another membrane glycoprotein, gp130, to potentiate the cytokine response. To further understand the basis of this interaction, and its possible implications in cellular transforming events, the corresponding gene(s) must be studied. Here we find that the human gp130 gene product is homologous to two distinct chromosomal loci on chromosomes 5 and 17. Furthermore, the presence of two distinct gp130 gene sequences is restricted to primates and is not found in other vertebrates."}
{"id": "PMID:1475714", "title": "[Rational therapy of prehepatic portal hypertension].", "content": "Prehepatic portal hypertension is mostly caused by an inflammatory closure (thrombosis) of the portal vein in the perinatal period. This form of portal hypertension is characterized by the following considerable facts: patients' liver is not damaged and a divergent collateral circulation (hepatofugal and hepatopetal) is formed. Due to the latter, portal circulation may improve spontaneously and no clinical signs of the disease are manifested. Most patients, however bleed rependedly from the cardioesophageal varices with various frequency and various severity. A direct surgical intervention had been successful in about 50% of cases. At present, it is almost replaced by endoscopic sclerotization giving compatible results. The pathogenetically based surgical method is the portosystemic shut that is necessary in 20% of patients, mostly as a secondary intervention. Pathophysiological sequelae of the shunt are less severe than in cirrhotic patients due to intact liver of patients with PPH and to favorable possibility of recirculation of portal blood via the hepatic artery. An appropriate therapeutical strategy accounts for favorable long-term prognosis of patients with prehepatic portal hypertension."}
{"id": "PMID:1475715", "title": "[The appropriateness of pneumonectomy in the treatment of lung diseases].", "content": "Evaluation of results following lung surgery, with a total of 303 pulmonary resections performed at the Department of Surgery in Pardubice Municipal Hospital over the years 1981-1986, made the authors review the patients' overall status after pneumonectomy. Special attention was given to the causes of death, differences in survival rates after left and right pneumonectomy, the relationship between survival rates and preoperative values of spirometry, and the quality of life after surgery. The causes of death within one moth of surgery were identical with known complications. The other patients operated on were dying gradually of recurrence of the malignant process. The five-year survival rate was 31% of all patients undergoing surgery. Differences in survival rates following left and right pneumonectomy were not related to the site of the procedure but to the stage of the disease, evaluated using the international staging system. Preoperative values of spirometry do not provide a clue for survival rates. The quality of life after pneumonectomy is satisfactory, changing only with recurrence of the process. Pneumonectomy is fully justified in the treatment of lung neoplasms and other lung diseases."}
{"id": "PMID:1475716", "title": "[Esophageal replacement using the large intestine in children].", "content": "Oesophageal replacement with an interposed graft of the large intestine on a vascular pedicle between the cervical oesophagus and oesophageal stump over the diaphragm was performed in four children for Vogt's classification Type-I and II oesophageal atresia. A tracheooesophageal fistula was closed in three, and gastrostomy was established in four neonates to provide nutrition. Oesophageal replacement was performed in patients aged 2 years and 5 months to 5 years and 4 months. One girl died following oesophageal replacement for bilateral pneumonia. A non-functioning oesophageus was extirpated for corrosive oesophageal stricture with simultaneous replacement by means of colonoplasty in two boys aged 3 1/4 years and 3 1/2 years. As regards complications, a shortly persisting salivary fistula developed in the cervical anastomosis, and an abundant graft was made shorter and a fundoplication for gastrooesophageal reflux was established in the same patient. To prevent leakage of the anastomosis and its stricture, the anastomoses were constructed obliquely and sutured in two layers using thin atraumatic suture with silk thread. The patients have been on follow-up for 3 to 12 years (mean 6.5 years) after oesophageal replacement; their ability to swallow, psychosomatic development and surgical criteria were employed to evaluate the outcome as excellent in four, and good in one of the children operated on."}
{"id": "PMID:1475717", "title": "[Splenic pseudocysts and their treatment].", "content": "The article addresses the issue of splenic pseudocysts and their treatment. It reports on two patients treated over the past three years at the Department of Paediatric Surgery of the Prague-based Postgraduate Medical and Pharmaceutical Institute. While the pseudocyst healed spontaneously in one child after 9 months, the other patient underwent laparotomy with subsequent segmental resection of the splenic parenchyma involved."}
{"id": "PMID:1475718", "title": "[Isolated rupture of the external iliac vein in indirect blunt injuries].", "content": "The authors described an in this country hitherto unpublished observation of an isolated rupture of the external iliac vein following the fall of a patient from a height on her left side. The rupture developed most probably as a result of narrowing of the external iliac vein which crosses the left internal iliac artery. A mechanism of acute expansion of the external iliac vein due to a blast wave of venous blood expelled by an impact on the thigh and recoiled from the impediment at the site of crossing with the internal iliac vein was probably involved. After severing of the compressing artery, thrombectomy and suture of the lesion, the patient recovered ad integrum."}
{"id": "PMID:1475719", "title": "[Heterotopic autotransplantation of the spleen in piglets].", "content": "An experimental study was developed to assess the method of heterotopic autotransplantation of the spleen into the greater omentum in 11 piglets. Tissue fibrin glue was employed to fix 2-3 mm slices of the spleen, and the lower part of the omentum was glued to the grafts. While one piglet died within 3 days since surgery, the other experimental animals survived 6 months without complications and were sacrificed. A histologically viable splenic tissue in the original quantity, or a quantity increased by 1/4, was found in 80% of the piglets. Compared with the original grafts, the bulk of the regenerate shrank by 2/3 in 20% of the animals; splenic tissue was altered by necroses and scarring. The technique of glueing splenic slices into the omentum using fibrin coagulum has a future in clinical surgery."}
{"id": "PMID:1475738", "title": "T cells causing immunological disease.", "content": "Evidence is summarized that genetically encoded self peptides may not be considered immunological as self when expressed solely extrathymically on non-lymphohemopoietic cells; nevertheless, they are antigenic and are recognized by induced effector T cells. An immune response is readily induced against such \"nonimmunological\" self (as against foreign) by an appropriate presentation of these self peptides on proper antigen-presenting cells. If it is substantial, such an immune response causes a disease resembling an autoimmune disease, which is more appropriately called an \"immunopathological T cell-mediated disease\" rather than a T cell autoimmunity. These pathogenetic considerations may be incorporated into a revised-extended Gell and Coomb's classification of immunopathologies. If this view of immunopathological T cell-mediated diseases against nonimmunological self is correct, such diseases should be amenable to the same prevention (i.e., vaccination) and treatment principles, as are T cell immune responses to foreign antigens."}
{"id": "PMID:1475746", "title": "Cigarette smoking among U.S. adults, 1985-1990, and smoking among selected occupational groups, 1990.", "content": "Cigarette smoking rates among U.S. adults continue declining, and in 1990 dropped to an all-time low of an estimated 28 percent for men and 23 percent for women. Analysis of data from the 1990 and 1985 Health Promotion and Disease Prevention supplemental questionnaires to the National Health Interview Survey conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), indicate decreases in smoking rates in the majority of selected demographic categories. Between survey years, the only groups in which the rates rose were men aged 18-24, women aged 65 and over, persons with less than 12 years of schooling and adults of Hispanic origin. Increased smoking cessation efforts should be tailored to and directed at these \"at risk\" groups. By occupational category, close to 40 percent of men employed as handlers/laborers or transportation/material movers were current smokers versus 17 and 21 percent, respectively, of professionals and executives. Similar to the men, the lowest current smoking rates were among women professionals, technical persons and executives. For both sexes, income was generally inversely related to current smoking status."}
{"id": "PMID:1475747", "title": "Public attitudes on health care reform.", "content": "Numerous polls and surveys have been conducted in recent months to determine public attitudes toward reform of the health care system. These polls, commissioned by independent foundations as well as the health insurance industry, have been employed to measure public opinion on the nation's health care system and the variety of reform proposals currently being examined. The major findings show that the American public is still genuinely confused about the health care issue and remains divided on how to solve the health care crisis facing the United States."}
{"id": "PMID:1475748", "title": "Cancer Prevention Study II. The American Cancer Society Prospective Study.", "content": "Over the past 40 years, the American Cancer Society has led in large-scale, prospective studies of behavioral and environmental risk factors in association with cancer development. Through results of its 1952 study, cigarette smokers were found to have a 10-fold higher risk of lung cancer than nonsmokers. Cancer Prevention Study I (1959-1972) extended these results and also showed the relationship between age smoking began, depth of inhalation, smoking cessation, air pollution, body weight, etc., on all causes of death as well as specific cancer sites. Cancer Prevention Study II began in 1982 and after six years of follow-up has confirmed many earlier findings, and additionally has found: aspirin may be protective against colon cancer; persons reporting themselves to be heavy exercisers had higher standardized mortality ratios (SMR) for lung, colorectal, and pancreas cancer than moderate exercisers; more women who were long-term users of artificial sweeteners reported gaining weight during the past year than nonusers; diesel fume exposure elevated the risk of lung cancer among men ages 40-79; pesticide exposure was associated with an increased risk of multiple myeloma; and based on CPS II mortality rates, an estimated 250 million of the 1.25 billion persons living in developed countries will die because they smoke."}
{"id": "PMID:1475749", "title": "Decennial state population changes by age.", "content": "Analysis of the 1990 Census indicates that there were significant differences in the geographic population changes among the four major age segments of our nation's residents. Nationally, rapid growth occurred among the elderly and for persons aged 20-44. On the other hand, the number of children under 20 years of age declined, while at the same time there were moderate changes among persons aged 45-64. Among individual states between 1980 and 1990, in these important age categories, many instances of substantial gains and losses emerged."}
{"id": "PMID:1475750", "title": "Pediatric pseudotumor cerebri (idiopathic intracranial hypertension).", "content": "This review focuses on the features of pseudotumor cerebri in the pediatric age group. There is no sex predilection in children, and obesity does not appear to be an important factor. Infants and young children may present with irritability, apathy, or somnolence, rather than headache. Dizziness and ataxia may also occur. Papilledema is infrequently noted in pediatric patients if the fontanelles are open or the sutures are split. Pre-adolescents appear more likely than adults or adolescents to have manifestations of their pseudotumor cerebri other than headache and papilledema, including lateral rectus pareses, vertical strabismus, facial paresis, back and neck pain. Among the etiologies that are particularly pertinent to children are tetracycline therapy, malnutrition or renutrition, and the correction of hypothyroidism. Children with pseudotumor cerebri are at risk for visual loss and their visual function must be closely monitored. Surgical intervention is imperative when vision is threatened."}
{"id": "PMID:1475751", "title": "Optic nerve sheath meningiomas.", "content": "Meningiomas are benign neoplastic lesions arising from meningothelial cells of the meninges. Primary orbital meningiomas, originating in the optic nerve sheath, represent 1-2% of all meningiomas, and are the second most common optic nerve tumor after gliomas. They primarily affect middle-aged adults. Patients typically present with visual loss, frequently associated with optic atrophy and often with optociliary shunt vessels. The lesion is usually unilateral, but is bilateral in about 5% of cases. Meningiomas show characteristic indolent growth over years, progressing inexorably to blindness in the affected eye. Management should be conservative in most cases. In very rare situations, surgery has improved visual prognosis. In most patients, however, surgery offers no benefit, and should be reserved for those with blindness or severe proptosis, or when extension toward the optic canal is documented. Although preliminary results of radiotherapy are encouraging, very few patients have been treated using this modality, and the long-term advantage for vision remains unproven. Even when untreated, the prognosis for life is excellent, with an overall tumor-related mortality of 0%."}
{"id": "PMID:1475757", "title": "Release of mercury vapor from dental amalgam.", "content": "Because of its long-term clinical use there is more information and research data available about dental amalgam than about any other dental restorative material. However, on and off the safety of dental amalgam has been called in question and during the 80's the mercury controversy came to the fore, not only within the profession but also among the general public. Sources of mercury vapor contamination within dentistry were identified and attempts made to evaluate the contributions to the daily mercury uptake which can be attributed to dental amalgam. Mercury can be released from dental amalgam by evaporation and electrochemical corrosion as well as from amalgam particles which have been swallowed. A major route for mercury uptake from amalgam restorations is through inhalation of mercury vapor. The present study focused on experimental and analytical difficulties associated with the measurement of mercury vapor released in the oral cavity. A careful methodological study of the kind of source of mercury vapor that is prevalent and on the methods for measuring the intra-oral release of mercury vapor was carried out. With this as a basis quantitative determinations of the release rate of mercury vapor from amalgam restorations were made on healthy human subjects not occupationally exposed to mercury. The daily uptake of mercury from inhaled mercury vapor was calculated and salivary and urinary mercury levels were determined. In addition the release rate of mercury vapor from different types of amalgam was studied in vitro and in vivo. The findings may be summarized as follows: The only relevant measurable quantity when determining the mercury vapor released from amalgam restorations is the amount released per time unit, i.e. the amount of mercury vapor collected during intra-oral sampling is proportional to the sampling time. The diffusion of mercury atoms inside an amalgam restoration results in the formation of a concentration gradient in the surface of the amalgam. This mercury diffusion is the rate-determining step for mercury vapor release in the long run. In the short run the mercury concentration gradient prevalent on the amalgam surface on the measuring occasion is the apparent rate-determining step. The daily uptake of mercury from inhaled mercury vapor released from dental amalgam seems to make a very small contribution to the total body burden of mercury, in comparison with what can be tolerated in the work environment. The in vitro results revealed obvious differences regarding the release rate of mercury vapor from dissimilar amalgam types.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1475752", "title": "Hemeralopia in an older adult.", "content": "An elderly male was referred for evaluation of hemeralopia when cataract extraction did not alleviate his symptom of difficulty seeing in bright illumination. Visual acuity was 20/40 OU. Funduscopic examination revealed marked arteriolar attenuation, disc pallor, and retinal pigment epithelial changes. Visual fields demonstrated relative paracentral scotomata. An ERG was consistent with widespread photoreceptor degeneration. A diagnosis of visual paraneoplastic syndrome was made and an extensive systemic evaluation revealed a squamous cell carcinoma of the lung. The presentation and evaluation of acquired photoreceptor dysfunction in adulthood is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1475753", "title": "Vitrectomy in the management of diabetic eye disease.", "content": "Vitrectomy techniques including endolaser photocoagulation allow visual rehabilitation in many eyes that are otherwise untreatable. Discerning the indications and timing for diabetic vitrectomy is increasingly important as the treatment of complications of diabetic retinopathy continues to undergo modification and redefinition. The most common indications for diabetic vitrectomy include: 1) severe nonclearing vitreous hemorrhage; 2) traction retinal detachment recently involving the macula; 3) combined traction and rhegmatogenous detachment; 4) progressive fibrovascular proliferation; and 5) rubeosis iridis and vitreous hemorrhage for eyes in which the media opacity has prevented adequate laser photocoagulation. Other less common indications in selected cases include dense premacular hemorrhage, ghost cell glaucoma, macular edema with premacular traction, cataract preventing treatment of severe, proliferative diabetic retinopathy, anterior hyaloidal fibrovascular proliferation, and fibrinoid syndrome with retinal detachment. The rationale and surgical objectives are discussed and results are summarized."}
{"id": "PMID:1475754", "title": "Ocular syphilis.", "content": "There has been a steady increase in the number of cases of syphilis in the United States since the middle 1980s, with a dramatic rise in incidence among heterosexual men and women and of congenital syphilis. There also have been changes in geographic distribution of cases and an association with cocaine use. The ophthalmologic manifestations of syphilis are broad. There is anecdotal evidence that the natural history of syphilitic infection is altered by coinfection with human immunodeficiency virus. The potential of coinfection with HIV makes the clinical evaluation, treatment, and assessment of therapeutic outcome of syphilitic infection more confounding and controversial. This article provides a review of the changing demographics and ophthalmic manifestations of syphilis, the current status of laboratory testing techniques, and management approaches to various types of ocular syphilis."}
{"id": "PMID:1475755", "title": "From von Graefe's clinic to the Ecole des Beaux-Arts. The meteoric career of Richard Liebreich.", "content": "Richard Liebreich was a student of Helmholtz and took one of the first ophthalmoscopes to von Graefe's clinic. While von Graefe's assistant in Berlin, he created the first atlas of ophthalmoscopy. Liebreich moved to Paris, where he achieved great success, due in part to successful surgery on Emperor Napoleon III's mother-in-law. After the fall of Napoleon in 1870, Liebreich moved to London, where he became the head of ophthalmology at St. Thomas hospital and medical school. Following several personal attacks in the medical literature, Liebreich returned to Paris, where he gradually retired from practice, yet continued a creative life as a sculptor, painter, and researcher in artistic technique."}
{"id": "PMID:1475768", "title": "[Ulcer epidemiology: old knowledge in a new light].", "content": "Low standards of hygiene lead to frequent gastric infection by Helicobacter pylori (Hp) during early childhood and, subsequently, the development of diffuse atrophic gastric. Atrophic gastric in conjunction with environmental factors, such as high dietary salt and low consumption of fruits or vegetables, promote intestinal metaplasia of the gastric mucosa and, possibly, gastric cancer. Under improved standards of hygiene, Hp is contracted only during adulthood, and gastric atrophy becomes less marked. The remaining capacity to secrete acid suffices to induce ulcers in the gastric mucosa weakened by the Hp infection. In adults with high acid output, the strongly acidic environment of the gastric corpus is too hostile for Hp, and it colonizes mainly the antrum. Duodenal mucosa exposed to high volumes of acid changes into epithelium covered by gastric metaplasia, more suitable for colonization by Hp than the original mucosa. The ensuing duodenitis in conjunction with the increased acid load favours duodenal ulceration. Acute exogenous influences, such as smoking, stress or physical workload, shift the delicate balance of defensive and aggressive factors at the mucosal level towards ulceration. The improvement in sanitation and the development of clean water supplies deferred the infection from childhood into adulthood and later prevented its occurrence altogether. The epidemiology of Hp could explain the historic trends of peptic ulcer and gastric cancer and their similar geographic distributions."}
{"id": "PMID:1475769", "title": "[Diagnosis of peptic ulcer disease].", "content": "Today the upper gastrointestinal endoscopy is the diagnostic tool of choice to detect peptic gastroduodenal lesions. In case of substantial gastric outlet obstruction or strong suspicion of perforated ulcer, an upper gi-transit with barium or water soluble contrast medium in suspected perforated ulcers may be useful. Gastric ulcers are endoscopically controlled up to their complete healing and biopsies taken at each endoscopy in order to rule out gastric cancer. In contrast, duodenal ulcers are rarely malignant and uncomplicated duodenal ulcers, correctly treated with omeprazole over 8 weeks do not necessarily need a final endoscopic control. Since about 5% of duodenal ulcers treated with H2 blockers or mucosal protective agents do not heal within 8 weeks however, an endoscopic control of the healing is recommended. In peptic ulcer patients tests for detection of helicobacter pylori are only needed in presence of a hard indication for immediate eradication: Frequent ulcer recurrencies, complicated ulcer disease or very painful ulcer relapses, because the eradication therapy is often not well tolerated and the patient compliance therefore compromised. 30% of helicobacter infected patients have antibiotic resistant strains and there is no sufficient longterm experience with the eradication therapy available (4) to 8 weeks after treatment of the helicobacter pylori infection the effect on ulcer healing and infection should be verified. Determinations of plasma gastrin levels in peptic ulcer patients are mandatory in patients with suspected Zollinger-Ellison syndrome or patients with treatment resistant ulcers or recurrent ulcers after vagotomy or partial gastric resection.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1475770", "title": "[Pathophysiology of ulcer disease].", "content": "The pathogenesis of ulcer disease is complex. The present outline focuses on four main aspects: 1) The mechanisms governing acid production and the role of acid in ulcer disease. 2) The mechanisms regulating mucosal resistance to injury. 3) The association of ulcer disease with antral gastritis and Helicobacter pylori infection. 4) Ulcer disease and non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). The complex mechanisms underlying maintenance of mucosal integrity in the normal state and in ulcer disease are discussed. Acid/peptic activity as permissive factors are related to impaired mucosal resistance due to Helicobacter infection or NSAID intake."}
{"id": "PMID:1475771", "title": "[Therapy of the acute ulcer attack].", "content": "Medical treatment of acute ulcers can be optimized by paying attention to risk factors for slow healing and for rapid recurrence. Therapy-resistant ulcers have become virtually unknown with modern drugs, so elective ulcer surgery is nowadays rarely needed for this reason. While drug therapy of acute ulcer hemorrhage is probably of little, if any, benefit for stopping bleeding, endoscopic treatment reduces the risk of continuous or recurrent bleeding, the need for emergency surgery, and mortality of this most common complication."}
{"id": "PMID:1475772", "title": "[Prevention of recurrence of ulcer disease: indications and choice of procedure].", "content": "In this contribution we discuss the relapse prophylaxis of ulcers by nonmedicamentous measures, by long-term drug therapy and, in particular, with inhibitors of secretion, by eradication therapy of Helicobacter pylori and by surgical therapy. Besides secondary prophylaxis (prevention of ulcer relapses), primary prophylaxis (prevention of the first episode) is also briefly treated."}
{"id": "PMID:1475773", "title": "[Ulcer disease. The role of the surgeon].", "content": "Today the therapeutical approach towards the 'ulcer disease' consists mostly of medical treatment. Surgical intervention has decreased and is commonly used only for the treatment of emergencies, complications and in cases not responding to medical therapy. If surgical intervention is necessary because of recurring disease despite a complete conservative treatment, resection should be preferred for sufficient therapy of the 'ulcer disease'. Many acutely bleeding ulcers can be controlled by endoscopic methods, however, bleeding ulcers with a high rate of recurrence (Forrest Ia and IIa at the dorsal duodenum and at the small curvature of the stomach) should be treated by resection. Especially elderly, multimorbid patients in this situation should be considered for an early elective surgical procedure. Perforating ulcera duodeni can be treated sufficiently by excision and oversewing in most cases, whereas perforated ulcera ventriculi should always be resected because of possible malignant transformation."}
{"id": "PMID:1475774", "title": "[Future perspectives of ulcer therapy].", "content": "Anti-ulcer drugs are amongst the world's most successful pharmaceutical products. Whilst the market for histamine H2 antagonists is maturing, that for proton pump inhibitors looks set to expand considerably during the 1990s. Indeed, by analogy with anti-hypertensive therapy, enzyme inhibitors could eventually supersede receptor antagonists for the treatment of acid-related diseases. Whether a third major cycle of innovative drugs will follow the cimetidine and omeprazole led discoveries of the 1970s and 80s is more difficult to predict given the efficacy of current agents, the declining incidence of ulcer disease, and the need to focus resources in areas of clinical need such as gastrointestinal cancer. Therapy targetted against Helicobacter pylori represents the most attractive option for developing the next generation of anti-ulcer drugs. A major initiative to eradicate H. pylori would be justified if such therapy also had utility in gastric cancer."}
{"id": "PMID:1475775", "title": "A simple enzyme-immunoassay test for von Willebrand factor binding in human arterial subendothelium.", "content": "In order to determine the binding of vWF, subendothelium from everted human umbilical arteries was perfused with dialysed serum containing different concentrations of purified vWF using an annular perfusion chamber at a wall shear rate of 1100 sec-1 for 30 min. After perfusion, control (not perfused) and perfused vessel segments were washed and incubated with a diluted rabbit antibody against human vWF. Then the nonbound anti-vWF from both samples were used to determine indirectly vWF by EIA. Although in our experiments normal vWF serum concentrations were not enough to exert vWF binding, a substantial binding could be attained with vWF levels around 2.5 U/ml. To estimate the pre-existing subendothelial vWF amount, three different experiments were developed: a) diluted IgG from a nonimmunized rabbit, b) a diluted rabbit antibody to human vWF, c) PBS-BSA. After washing, vessel segments were incubated with rabbit antibody to human vWF. After incubation, the nonbound anti-vWF was used to determine indirectly vWF by EIA. The results obtained showed that the amount of pre-existing vWF was approximately 1.1x10(-3) U vWF/cm2 subendothelium."}
{"id": "PMID:1475776", "title": "An in vitro evaluation of the effect of laser irradiation on the thrombogenicity of thrombus.", "content": "The effect of laser irradiation on the thrombogenicity of thrombus was evaluated by treating thrombi, formed in-vitro from canine blood, with two different doses of cw Nd:YAG laser energy at 1064 nm. The thrombi were then incubated with whole blood, and the plasma levels of fibrinogen and thrombin-antithrombin III-complexes were measured. A statistically significant decrease (p < 0.05) in the thrombogenicity was indicated by a reduction in both fibrinogen consumption and levels of thrombin-antithrombin III-complexes in the high dose group (600 joules, 100 degrees C peak temperature) in comparison to the low dose group (300 joules, 70 degrees C peak temperature) and the untreated thrombi. These findings suggest that laser irradiation of thrombus at an appropriate dose may substantially reduce its thrombogenicity and ability to modulate hemostasis."}
{"id": "PMID:1475777", "title": "Effect of ajoene, the major antiplatelet compound from garlic, on platelet thrombus formation.", "content": "Ajoene, (E,Z)-4,5,9-trithiadodeca-1,6,11-triene 9-oxide, is a potent antiplatelet compound isolated from alcoholic extracts of garlic (Allium sativum). Ajoene reversibly inhibits in vitro platelet aggregation as well as release reaction induced by all known agonists. We used a well characterized cylindrical perfusion chamber to study the effect of ajoene on platelet deposition onto physiological substrates such as pig aortic subendothelium and tunica media as a model of mildly and severely damaged vessel wall respectively. Experiments were performed under flow conditions of high and low shear rate that mimic laminar blood flow in small and medium size arteries (1690 sec-1 and 212 sec-1). Our results indicate that ajoene prevents thrombus formation both at low and high shear rate in citrated whole blood. The inhibitory effect of ajoene on platelet-thrombus formation seems to be dependent on its inhibition of fibrinogen binding, since significantly higher concentrations of ajoene are needed to affect von Willebrand factor binding to GPIIb/IIIa receptors. Further, ajoene does not impair Ristocetin-induced platelet agglutination, mediated by GPIb. Our results suggest that ajoene may be useful for the acute prevention of thrombus formation induced by vascular damage."}
{"id": "PMID:1475778", "title": "Thrombin inhibition compared with other antithrombotic drugs in rats.", "content": "An aspirin-sensitive model of arterial thrombosis suitable for rapid evaluation of antithrombotic drugs was developed and characterized in anesthetized rats. Carotid artery thrombi were formed in response to electrical stimulation and were occlusive in 84% of vehicle-treated rats. Light and electron microscopy revealed these thrombi to be platelet-rich and fibrin-rich masses adherent to the injured vessel wall. Intravenous administration of aspirin (10 mg/kg), heparin (300 U/kg), a thromboxane (Tx) A2-receptor antagonist (SQ 29,548, 0.2 mg/kg + 0.2 mg/kg/hr), or the thrombin inhibitor D-phenyl alanyl-L-prolyl-L-arginyl chloromethyl ketone (PPACK, 52 micrograms/kg/min) decreased average thrombus weight by 35, 50, 57 and 94%, respectively. Each of these drugs also reduced the frequency of occlusion to < 25%. In contrast, thrombus weight and vessel occlusion were not decreased by a serotonin antagonist (ketanserin, 0.3 mg/kg, i.v.), or after 14 days of oral dosing with either the calcium antagonist diltiazem (60 mg/kg) or SQ 33,351 (30 mg/kg)."}
{"id": "PMID:1475779", "title": "A comparative study of recombinant hirudin and standard heparin in the Wessler model.", "content": "The in vitro anticoagulant activity of recombinant desulphated hirudin (HBW 023) and its antithrombotic activity in a rabbit venous stasis model were assessed in comparison to unfractionated heparin (UH). The specific activity of r-hirudin in rabbit plasma is similar to that of unfractionated heparin on a weight basis when using the whole blood clotting time or APTT, while it was five times more potent according to the thrombin clotting time (TCT). Forty-eight (6x8) anaesthetized New Zealand male rabbits were randomized to receive HBW 023 (12.5, 25, 50, 100, 200, 400 micrograms.kg-1), standard heparin (90 micrograms.kg-1) or placebo. Five minutes after administration of the drug, the experimental thrombosis was induced by an injection of glass activated overnight human serum into the marginal vein of the ear and ligation of the jugular vein (Wessler model). The jugular vein was removed after 10 min stasis and examined by a researcher unaware of the treatment administered. In the Wessler stasis model the fresh thrombus weight and a score as well as the circulating level of r-hirudin using a chromogenic substrate assay were used to determine the inhibitory effect of the drug. Highly significant inverse correlations were found between fresh thrombus weight and the injected doses as well as r-hirudin plasma levels. The ID50 which was the dose of the drug that induced a complete inhibition of thrombosis in 50% of the dose group tests was about 200 micrograms.kg-1.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1475780", "title": "The inhibition of thromboplastin by apolipoprotein-B and the effect of various associated lipids.", "content": "Human apolipoprotein B was purified by barium sulphate adsorption, subsequent delipidation and gel filtration. The protein was then reconstituted in soya bean lecithin and its inhibitory effect towards thromboplastin was assayed by incubation with rabbit brain thromboplastin. The use of an antibody against human apolipoprotein B diminished this inhibition. The level of inhibition of thromboplastin by the reconstituted apolipoprotein was found to be dependent on the concentration of the phospholipids with which it was reconstituted, reaching a maximum inhibition at a lipid: protein ratio of 1:1 (w/w). However, higher phospholipid concentrations or inclusion of cholesterol esters or triglycerides diminished and at certain concentrations reversed the inhibitory effect of the apolipoprotein. These results point towards apolipoprotein B as an inhibitor whose activity towards thromboplastin could be dependent on the complexes it forms with the surrounding lipids."}
{"id": "PMID:1475783", "title": "Supraspinal origin of abnormal hindquarter vasoconstrictor tone in spontaneously hypertensive rats.", "content": "The object of this study was to determine whether the abnormal hindquarter tone in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) is of spinal origin or not. SHR were implanted with a catheter in the left common carotid and an electromagnetic flow probe around the terminal aorta. About three days after implantation, the spinal cord was transected at Th 1 under ether anesthesia. One hour later, when the rat restored consciousness and the arterial pressure recovered partially to a new plateau level which was significantly higher than that in similarly treated normal rats, ganglionic blockade with hexamethonium did not significantly decrease hindquarter (terminal aortic) resistance, calculated as arterial pressure divided by hindquarter flow. It was concluded that there was no appreciable sympathetic vasoconstrictor tone in the hindquarters of SHR after spinal transection and that the origin of the abnormal tone was at the supraspinal level."}
{"id": "PMID:1475784", "title": "Serologic findings in hepatic ascariasis: a case report.", "content": "A 56-year-old Japanese woman underwent partial hepatectomy for intrahepatic cystic masses. Before operation, the patient had been diagnosed as liver abscess due to Ascaris infection serologically. The excised hepatic lesions consisted of encapsulated old abscesses, with a few calcified parasitic ova and numerous Charcot-Leiden's crystals microscopically seen in necrotic exudate. However, no parasitic worms were found in the cystic cavity. The eggs in the tissues were indistinguishable from other helminthic ova morphologically, but stained positively for Ascaris antigens by the indirect immunoperoxidase method. The results indicate that the serologic diagnosis of intrahepatic ascariasis may be feasible, practical, and reliable."}
{"id": "PMID:1475785", "title": "Immunohistochemical study of metallothionein in human seminal vesicles.", "content": "Metallothionein (MT) in human seminal vesicles was examined by use of the avidin-biotin-peroxidase complex method. Tissues were obtained from six patients with prostate cancer who underwent luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone agonist or estrogen therapy before radical prostatectomy (group 1) and from 18 patients without hormone therapy (three with prostate cancer, three with urinary bladder cancer, and twelve free of urogenital diseases at autopsy) (group 2). MT was localized in the cytoplasm and nuclei of epithelial cells and also in secretory products in the lumen. The epithelial cells lacked uniformity in immunoreaction; for instance, some stained strongly while others stained weakly. Smooth muscle cells were found to have positive immunoreaction, but other connective tissues had no immunoreaction. The number of strongly positive cells in group 1 was fewer than that in group 2 (not significant), and the secretory products in group 1 had no immunoreaction. These results suggest that MT is synthesized in the epithelial cells of the seminal vesicles and secreted into the fluids, and that the synthesis of MT is suppressed by the hormone therapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1475786", "title": "Prevention of respiratory infections in elderly bed-bound nursing home patients.", "content": "A procedure to prevent silent aspiration, which results in frequent respiratory infections, was conducted on elderly bed-bound nursing home patients who suffered mainly from cerebral infarction and dementia. We cleaned the mouth with povidone iodine and kept them in a sitting position for 2 hr after each meal in order to restrict respiratory bacterial infection and to prevent aspiration of gastric juices, respectively. Patients with urinary tract infections were excluded from the present protocol. During the treatment for 103 days the number of febrile days was significantly decreased in the treated group compared with the control group, probably due to minimizing of respiratory infections."}
{"id": "PMID:1475787", "title": "The influence of tetrodotoxin on the toxic effects of aconitine in vivo.", "content": "Both aconite toxins (aconitine, mesaconitine, and hypaconitine) and a pufferfish toxin (tetrodotoxin, TTX) were detected in the blood of a legal autopsy case. In order to elucidate the in vivo influence of TTX on the toxic effects of aconitine, a mixture of aconitine and TTX was administered to male ICR mice orally or intraperitoneally. The animal experiments revealed that the time of death due to aconitine was significantly delayed in proportion to the dose of TTX compared with the case for aconitine alone, and that the mortality of aconitine was lowered by TTX when the dose ratio of the two toxins was in a particular range. Accordingly, it is thought that the toxic effects of aconitine are attenuated by TTX in vivo."}
{"id": "PMID:1475788", "title": "Direct measurement of endothelin receptor in human bladder base and dome using 125I-endothelin.", "content": "The amount of endothelin receptor in human bladder base and dome was measured by radioligand binding techniques using 125I-endothelin-1 (125I-ET). Specimens were obtained from 5 patients who underwent total cystectomy under diagnosis of bladder cancer. 125I-ET bound to the bladder base with the KD value of 0.004 +/- 0.003 nM and to the bladder dome with the KD value of 0.007 +/- 0.003 nM. These values were not significantly different. The Bmax values (fmol/mg protein) of 125I-ET binding to human bladder were 2.74 +/- 2.81 to the base and 47.3 +/- 9.52 to the dome. There were much larger amount of endothelin receptors in the dome compared to the base. The existence of endothelin receptors in human bladder suggests the possible roles of endothelin on the human bladder function."}
{"id": "PMID:1475789", "title": "The effect of carnitine on the metabolism of valproic acid in epileptic patients.", "content": "The half-life of valproic acid (VPA) was studied in 8 epileptic and severely mental retarded patients before and after one month of carnitine supplementation. Serum carnitine concentration was significantly decreased and VPA half-life was prolonged especially in adult patients before carnitine supplementation. After the treatment with carnitine, serum carnitine concentration was increased, and prolonged half-lives of VPA were corrected near to the normal range (from 12.2 +/- 4.2 hr to 9.7 +/- 2.2 hr; p < 0.05). Controlled state of epilepsy was unchanged during the short period of observation."}
{"id": "PMID:1475790", "title": "The mechanism of glomerular dysmorphic red cell formation in the kidney.", "content": "The mechanism of glomerular dysmorphic cell formation was studied in a in vitro system simulating the process of concentrated acidic urine formation along the nephron. Red cells suspended in phosphate buffer were exposed to three sequential pH gradients, (1) pH 7.4-6.6, (2) pH 6.6-6.5, and (3) pH 6.5-5.2, accompanying osmolality gradients, (1) 280-1200 mOsm/kg H2O, (2) 1,200-140 mOsm/kg H2O, and (3) 140-1,100 mOsm/kg H2O, respectively, for 15 to 60 min, and red cell shapes were observed by differential interference microscopy. The appearance rate of glomerular dysmorphic cells was 37.7 to 47.1% after finishing all the gradients. The last gradient, simulating the work of the collecting duct, was essential for the dysmorphic cell formation; maximal formation was at the final pH of 5.0 and osmolality of 1,000 mOsm/kg H2O. No dysmorphic cells were observed in gradients simulating alkaline or diluted urine formation. In 10 glomerulonephritic patients, glomerular dysmorphic cells appeared over five times as frequently in concentrated acidic urine as in alkaline or diluted urine. Results of in vitro and patient studies coincided well with each other, suggesting that in glomerulonephritic patients, dysmorphic cells might be produced while red cells are passing through the tubules, where concentrated acidic urine is formed."}
{"id": "PMID:1475791", "title": "Pulmonary toxicity of acrylonitrile: covalent interaction and effect on replicative and unscheduled DNA synthesis in the lung.", "content": "Acrylonitrile (VCN)-induced lung toxicity was studied following a single oral dose (46.5 mg/kg). The mechanism of toxic injury was investigated by assessing the covalent interaction of [2,3-14C]VCN with pulmonary DNA. The effect of the same dose on replicative DNA synthesis and repair in the lungs of treated rats was also investigated. Histologic examination revealed that lungs of VCN-treated animals showed moderate to marked hyperplasia of the Clara cells lining the bronchioles. [14C]Lung tissue uptake was extremely fast, having a maximum at 0.5 h after treatment (150 DPM tissue). Radioactivity in lung tissue declined gradually as a function of time, but was still detected at 72 h after treatment (59 DPM/mg tissue). Covalent binding of [14C]VCN-derived radioactivity to pulmonary DNA was time-dependent, reaching a maximum at 12 h following treatment (61 DPM/mg DNA) and was still detected at 72 h (27 DPM/mg DNA) indicating the incomplete removal of radioactivity covalently bound to DNA. Replicative DNA synthesis in lung tissue was significantly decreased at all time points studied (59, 55 and 72% of control at 0.5, 6 and 24 h, respectively). The DNA repair in the lung was increased by 2-fold at 0.5 h and 1.6-fold at 6 h following VCN oral treatment. The histologic and biochemical results presented in this study provide evidence for the acute genetic toxicity of VCN (and/or its metabolites) in lung tissue following a single oral dose of VCN."}
{"id": "PMID:1475792", "title": "Exogenous metallothionein and renal toxicity of cadmium and mercury in rats.", "content": "The relative tissue distribution and toxicity of cadmium (Cd) and mercury (Hg) in the liver and kidneys of rats when the metals are administered as either inorganic salts or complexed with MT were studied. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were injected (i.v.) with Cd or Hg inorganic salt of chloride or in a complex of MT at a dose of 0.3 mg/kg body weight. The concentration of MT and metals in plasma and urine was monitored for 7 days, at the end of which the rats were killed. Injection of both HgCl2 and Hg-MT induced the synthesis of MT only in the kidney but not in the liver, whereas CdCl2 and Cd-MT injections induced MT synthesis in both liver and kidney, respectively. Plasma MT levels increased 3 days after CdCl2 but not after HgCl2 injection, suggesting that hepatic MT may be an important source of plasma MT under our experimental conditions. Renal toxicity was observed morphologically and by an increase in blood urea nitrogen, plasma creatinine, proteinuria in rats injected with Cd-MT and both forms of Hg. Urinary MT excretion was significantly elevated in Cd-MT injected rats compared with those injected with CdCl2. However, HgCl2 and Hg-MT injected rats showed no significant difference in urinary MT excretion. The magnitude in the renal accumulation of Hg is similar after the administration of Hg-MT or HgCl2, but our findings suggest that the site of epithelial injury may be different. Injury effects of Hg-MT localized mainly in the terminal portions of the proximal convoluted tubule and the initial portions of the proximal straight tubule whereas inorganic Hg caused necrosis in pars recta segments of the proximal tubule."}
{"id": "PMID:1475793", "title": "Hepatic chemiluminescence and lipid peroxidation in mild iron overload.", "content": "The effect of iron-overload on both hepatic lipid peroxidation and chemiluminescence was studied in early stages after iron-dextran injection. Total hepatic iron content was markedly elevated over control values 2-6 h after iron dose. A 4-fold increase in light emission was detected after 4-6 h after iron injection. Plasma GOT, GPT and LDH activities were not affected by the treatment suggesting that cell permeability was not affected by necrosis. Increases in the generation of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and chemiluminescence in liver homogenates, were determined as a function of time after iron administration, in the presence of NADPH as cofactor. Under the same experimental conditions, microsomal cytochrome P-450 content was decreased by 40%, 2 h after iron treatment. To evaluate liver antioxidant defenses, catalase, superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase activities were determined. Glutathione peroxidase activity in the homogenate was not affected by the treatment. Catalase and superoxide dismutase activities declined by 25 and 36%, respectively, compared with control values 4 h after the iron dose. Our data suggest that lipid peroxidation occurs after mild iron overload even though the liver remains functional."}
{"id": "PMID:1475794", "title": "Hepatotoxicity of trichlorfon and dichlorvos in isolated rat hepatocytes.", "content": "Hepatotoxicity of organophosphorus insecticides, trichlorofon and dichlorvos, a dechlorinated form of the former, was examined in isolated hepatocytes from untreated control and phenobarbital-pretreated (80 mg/kg, i.p., for 3 days) rats. These compounds produced toxic effects on hepatocytes as evidenced by malondialdehyde production and lactate dehydrogenase leakage in a dose-dependent manner up to the concentration of 2 mM, dichlorvos being more toxic than trichlorfon. Hepatocytes from phenobarbital-pretreated rats were more sensitive to these organophosphates than those from control rats. Dichloroacetaldehyde and dichloroacetic acid, metabolites of dichlorvos, did not injure hepatocytes. The toxic effects of dichlorvos on hepatocytes were enhanced by increasing oxygen concentration during the incubation, or by addition of glycolytic substrates (pyruvate, lactate or fructose) to the incubation mixtures. On the other hand, addition of antioxidants (diethyldithiocarbamate or N,N'-diphenyl-p-phenylenediamine), or cytochrome P-450 inhibitors (SKF-525A or metyrapone) to the incubation mixtures attenuated malondialdehyde production caused by dichlorvos and protected cells from death. Addition of dichlorvos to the incubation mixtures of hepatic microsomes stimulated lipid peroxidation in the presence of NADPH, which was inhibited by further addition of superoxide dismutase but not catalase. These results suggest that hepatotoxicity of trichlorfon and dichlorvos are related to their peroxidative property in microsomes which is accelerated by oxygen."}
{"id": "PMID:1475795", "title": "Competitive studies relating to tryptophan binding to rat hepatic nuclear envelopes as a sensitive assay for unknown compounds.", "content": "Our laboratory has reported that L-tryptophan binds to a rat liver nuclear envelope protein and this binding is saturable, stereospecific and of high affinity. Utilizing an in vitro [3H]tryptophan binding assay to hepatic nuclear envelopes, we have determined the effects of using excess unlabeled L-tryptophan from a number of different suppliers. This study reports that, based on our in vitro binding assay, some significant differences were observed when implicated L-tryptophan in cases of the eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome obtained from a Japanese manufacturer, Showa Denko, was assayed, in contrast to non-implicated L-tryptophan from other suppliers. An isolated impurity of Showa Denko L-tryptophan, 1,1'-ethylidenebis(tryptophan) alone or together with non-implicated L-tryptophan or its breakdown product, 1-methyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-beta-carboline-3-carboxylic acid, did not appreciably affect the in vitro [3H]tryptophan binding to hepatic nuclear envelopes as did the Showa Denko L-tryptophan. Our data, derived with our in vitro binding assay system, suggests that implicated L-tryptophan from Showa Denko contains a compound/s (unknown at present) other than 1,1'-ethylidenebis(tryptophan), which alters in vitro [3H]tryptophan binding. The significance of the impurity/ies involved remains to be determined."}
{"id": "PMID:1475796", "title": "Barriers to treatment of obstetric emergencies in rural communities of West Africa. The Prevention of Maternal Mortality Network.", "content": "This article is the result of a collaborative effort among the researchers of the Prevention of Maternal Mortality Network. The network consists of 12 multidisciplinary teams, 11 in West Africa and one based at Columbia University in New York. This article summarizes exploratory research conducted by the African teams using focus-group discussions in rural communities in Nigeria, Ghana, and Sierra Leone. The objective was to identify barriers to the use of health-care facilities when obstetric problems arise. The findings illustrate how sociocultural factors, such as societal expectations and the role of women, affect the use of health services. Physical and social distance between communities and facilities, as well as transportation problems, were found to be obstacles to care. Health-service factors were also found to pose barriers to prompt treatment. This article also provides an example of how qualitative methodology can be used to obtain substantive information about a community's frustrations and needs with respect to health care."}
{"id": "PMID:1475797", "title": "What does the Matlab fertility experience really show?", "content": "The family planning program in the Matlab District of Bangladesh has been described in unique detail for more than 25 years and is regarded as a model for equally poor parts of the world. Its experience has been reported as showing the ineffectiveness of contraceptive saturation approaches and the prime importance of program management and especially of the selection of a special type of family planning household visitor, criteria that render family planning programs relatively expensive. This reanalysis of the Matlab experience suggests that there is inadequate evidence from which to judge the record of the saturation experiment and of family planning workers from less highly selected backgrounds. It is also argued here that the role of contraceptive choice and of access to different types of contraceptives, especially injectables, delivered to the door in this society of secluded women has been underestimated, and that too little importance has been attributed to demand in contrast to supply. While it is agreed that the Matlab demonstration has been of central importance in showing that fertility can be reduced in Bangladesh, it is argued that many developing countries can draw on this experience to provide less costly family planning programs with less emphasis on the managerial, top-down approach."}
{"id": "PMID:1475798", "title": "A hospital-based study of abortion in Nepal.", "content": "This report presents the major findings of a study of induced abortion in Nepal, based on 165 cases out of the 1,576 female patients identified as having abortion-related complications who were admitted to five major hospitals in urban Nepal during a one-year study period. Traditional birth attendants had been the service providers for two-fifths of the women. A longer delay in hospital referrals and lengthier hospital stays occurred for cases of induced abortion than for those of spontaneous abortion. Twelve of the 165 women in the study died in the hospital, most of them from tetanus. Deaths resulting from abortion-related complications represented more than half of all maternity-related deaths in the hospitals studied. The authors suggest that health risks could be reduced considerably by strengthening the hospital-referral system and by taking some preventive steps, such as educating the traditional birth attendants and other paramedical providers about the consequences of unsafe abortion practices; increasing the availability of contraceptive methods; and promoting the use of menstrual regulation, which has recently become available in Nepal on a limited scale, mostly in private clinics."}
{"id": "PMID:1475799", "title": "Maternal mortality in Ile-Ife, Nigeria: a study of risk factors.", "content": "The objective of this study was to determine which background factors predispose women to maternal mortality at the Obafemi Awolowo University Hospital in Nigeria. The study examined 35 cases of maternal death occurring in the hospital during the period 1 October 1989 to 30 April 1991. The control group comprised 35 women who were admitted to the hospital with similar complications during the same period, but who survived. Both cases and controls were investigated for their sociodemographic characteristics, their use of prenatal care, and the incidence of delay in clinical management. The results showed that the maternal deaths involved women who were younger and of poorer socioeconomic status than the women in the control group. Both groups showed an equal lack of prenatal care. However, a higher incidence of delayed treatment was found in the management of the cases of maternal deaths. Maternal mortality in the study population can be reduced through improved transportation and institutional management, and, on a long-term basis, through the adoption of measures to improve the socioeconomic status of women."}
{"id": "PMID:1475804", "title": "Aspects of tuberculosis in Africa. 1. Tuberculosis in Africa in the AIDS era--the role of chemoprophylaxis.", "content": "An estimated 2.8 million people in Africa have dual infections with tuberculosis and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Because of the increasing numbers of cases of tuberculosis as a consequence of the HIV epidemic, chemoprophylaxis may become a cost effective tuberculosis control measure in high prevalence countries. Although isoniazid (INH) is the only drug evaluated in controlled trials of preventive tuberculosis therapy, studies are now under way to determine the efficacy of INH and other drugs, including rifampicin and pyrazinamide, in preventing tuberculosis reactivation in persons with HIV infection. If chemoprophylaxis is effective in persons with dual infection, further studies will be required to determine whether chemoprophylaxis is cost effective for tuberculosis prevention and control and whether it is feasible to introduce it as a community control measure."}
{"id": "PMID:1475800", "title": "Abortions in a hospital setting: hidden realities in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.", "content": "This study investigates the extent of unwanted pregnancy, the use of illegally induced abortion, and the attitudes toward and practice of contraception among women admitted to a hospital with the diagnosis of abortion in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. (In Tanzania, induced abortion is permitted only to save the mother's life.) A random sample of 300 women with early pregnancy loss admitted to Muhimbili Medical Centre, the teaching hospital in Dar es Salaam, were interviewed between September and November 1987, using a structured questionnaire. Among the 300 respondents, 155 said that their pregnancy had been unwanted: 94 of them presented with an illegally induced abortion and 61 with a spontaneous abortion. The number of spontaneous abortions of unwanted pregnancies increased with age and stability in a relationship. Having a small child to look after and having completed the family were the most common reasons for the pregnancy to be unwanted in this group. Induced abortion was more a problem of the young, unmarried woman. The 61 women with spontaneous abortion but unwanted pregnancy suggest that a much larger group of pregnant women continue to term with what are, at least initially, unwanted pregnancies--precisely the group of women family planning programs want to reach. The low prevalence of contraceptive use in this group indicates the failure of family planning clinics to motivate their target group. Recommendations are made for improved functioning of family planning clinics."}
{"id": "PMID:1475805", "title": "Aspects of tuberculosis in Africa. 2. The value of microbiology in the management of tuberculosis in Nairobi, Kenya.", "content": "A group of African patients with tuberculosis were followed over the first month of treatment to assess the bactericidal response to 2 treatment regimens (streptomycin/thiacetazone/isoniazid and streptomycin/rifampicin/isoniazid/pyrazinamide). Patients also infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) had lower pre-treatment counts of viable Mycobacterium tuberculosis and a greater proportion became culture-negative by 28 d. The response to therapy in HIV positive and HIV negative patients was similar. Because of the combination of these findings and the higher early mortality in patients with HIV, the causes of acute infection in patients with tuberculosis were studied. It was found that HIV positive patients were frequently bacteraemic and that the principal pathogen was Salmonella typhimurium, but recurrent pneumococcal bacteraemia was also seen."}
{"id": "PMID:1475806", "title": "Aspects of tuberculosis in Africa. 3. Genetic 'fingerprinting' for clues to the pathogenesis of tuberculosis.", "content": "The recent discovery of a repetitive element within the DNA of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which is present in variable numbers at different locations in separate strains of the organism, has led to the development of genetic 'fingerprinting' to distinguish between different isolates. Clusters of cases of tuberculosis have been identified in Europe and the USA in which the organisms cultured had identical 'fingerprints' confirming that transmission was occurring. Unrelated isolates generally have distinct 'fingerprints'. In Africa, where transmission is more common than in Europe, there is less heterogeneity between isolates. We have typed 117 isolates of M. tuberculosis collected from continuing studies in Malawi and Kenya. Paired isolates from an individual patient produced matching 'fingerprints' in 22 of 25 cases. There were 18 isolates which had an identical matched pair from a separate patient; we have not yet found any epidemiological link between these patients. These data show that there is sufficient heterogeneity amongst African isolates of M. tuberculosis to make studies of transmission feasible and to address questions of pathogenesis and epidemiology."}
{"id": "PMID:1475807", "title": "An audit of the management of malaria in a Tanzanian district hospital.", "content": "An audit of the management of falciparum malaria was carried out over a 12 month period in a north-west Tanzanian district hospital; 1494 patients were studied, 75% being children under 5 years. Chloroquine was effective in 1128 cases (79%), 68 patients died, of whom 64 were aged under 5 years; 30 of them died fewer than 2 d after admission; 14 had received quinine chemotherapy. Management can be improved by better diagnosis of anaemia and hypoglycaemia, changing the dose of injectable chloroquine, earlier use of quinine, and enabling doctors to see very ill patients earlier."}
{"id": "PMID:1475809", "title": "Fever episodes in a holoendemic malaria area of Tanzania: parasitological and clinical findings and diagnostic aspects related to malaria.", "content": "All episodes of acute illness, in children aged 0-9 years, were registered during 3 years in a health clinic in a village of about 500 inhabitants in a malaria holoendemic area on the Tanzanian coast. Of 668 clinical episodes, 395 were diagnosed as malaria. There was no death. Only 5% of the children with malaria episodes came to the clinic after more than 3 d of symptoms. All 11 severe anaemias occurred among these children. Fever was reported in 98%, vomiting in 15%, and diarrhoea in 8% of the malaria episodes. Intermittent fever was reported in 98% of the malaria patients with more than one day of fever, compared to 4% of those with other febrile illnesses. Parasite densities > or = 10,000/microliters were found in 48% of the malaria episodes. Densities > or = 400/microliters were found in 96% of the malaria episodes and in only 8% of the other febrile illnesses. The 16 malaria episodes (4%) with densities below that level were all in children under one year of age. The ability of the rural medical aid or the doctor to differentiate malaria episodes from other febrile illnesses without microscopical examination was limited. Although very few malaria episodes were missed, substantial over-diagnosis resulted in specificity values of only 13% and 52% for their respective malaria diagnoses. It is concluded that intermittent fever was strongly associated with malaria, but a high accuracy of malaria diagnosis in febrile children requires microscopical examination.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1475810", "title": "Malaria chemoprophylaxis, birth weight and child survival.", "content": "Study of the effects of malaria chemoprophylaxis given during pregnancy on birthweight and investigation of the influence of birthweight on child survival suggest that, in a rural area of The Gambia, chemoprophylaxis given during pregnancy might reduce infant mortality by about one-fifth in the children of primigravidae but by less than 5% in the children of multigravidae. In malaria endemic areas, primigravidae should be protected against malaria not only for their own sake but also for that of their infants."}
{"id": "PMID:1475812", "title": "Malaria and pregnancy in Cameroonian women. Naturally acquired antibody responses to asexual blood-stage antigens and the circumsporozoite protein of Plasmodium falciparum.", "content": "Antibody responses to Plasmodium falciparum antigens in women during pregnancy were investigated in Mfou, a rural community in Cameroon. The study consisted of cross-sectional analyses involving 225 pregnant women and 75 non-pregnant controls. Blood samples were collected from each woman to determine serological reactivity to intraerythrocytic malarial antigens, ring-infected erythrocyte surface antigen (RESA) and circumsporozoite (CS) repeat peptide (NANP)5 by the indirect fluorescent antibody assay, modified immunofluorescent antibody assay, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, respectively. Reactivity to intraerythrocytic asexual blood-stage antigens and to the CS repeat region was similar in both pregnant and non-pregnant women, and no correlation with parasitaemia was found. In contrast, anti-RESA antibody levels were significantly lower in pregnant than in non-pregnant women (P = 0.02) and in primigravidae than in multigravidae (P = 0.002), and were inversely correlated with parasitaemia (r = -0.36; P < 0.01). These data suggest that the increased susceptibility to malarial infection in pregnant women may be explained in part by their lower reactivity to RESA."}
{"id": "PMID:1475813", "title": "Prognostic risk factors and post mortem findings in cerebral malaria in children.", "content": "We have examined the possible risk factors for poor prognosis in cerebral malaria in 61 Nigerian children in an area of high malaria transmission. The level of coma, decerebrate rigidity, hypoglycaemia, and high urea levels were indicators of poor prognosis. Pyrexia, vomiting, and anaemia did not influence prognosis. Post-mortem findings suggest gross cerebral oedema and raised intracranial pressure in 4 of 7 cases with petechial haemorrhages and small focal necrosis (Durck's granuloma)."}
{"id": "PMID:1475815", "title": "Kala-azar: a comparative study of parasitological methods and the direct agglutination test in diagnosis.", "content": "In a comparative study 88 patients were diagnosed as suffering from kala-azar (visceral leishmaniasis) using 3 parasitological methods simultaneously. Splenomegaly was absent in 4 cases. In 84 patients with splenomegaly, splenic aspiration appeared to be the most sensitive method (96.4%), followed by bone marrow aspiration (70.2%) and lymph node aspiration (58.3%). There was no relation between titres in the direct agglutination test and parasite load as determined by the number of parasitological methods which were positive or parasite density in splenic aspirates. Splenic aspiration and bone marrow aspiration were compared as an assessment of cure in kala-azar. In 6 (13%) of 46 patients tested, parasites were found, all by splenic aspiration. Bone marrow showed parasites in one of these. The literature with regard to parasitological investigations before and after treatment is reviewed."}
{"id": "PMID:1475816", "title": "Sporadic cutaneous leishmaniasis in north Tunisia: identification of the causative agent as Leishmania infantum by the use of a diagnostic deoxyribonucleic acid probe.", "content": "A diagnostic kinetoplast deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) probe has been used to identify as Leishmania infantum amastigotes taken from the lesions (in dermal fluid or lesion triturates) of 7 of 8 patients suffering from sporadic cutaneous leishmaniasis in north Tunisia. All 8 isolates were very difficult to culture but, subsequently, sufficient parasites of one isolate have been grown for isoenzyme typing, and were identified as zymodeme MON 24 of L. infantum. The advantages of using recombinant DNA probes for the identification of parasites from lesions are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1475814", "title": "Morbidity from malaria and immune responses to defined Plasmodium falciparum antigens in children with sickle cell trait in The Gambia.", "content": "Morbidity from Plasmodium falciparum malaria and humoral and in vitro cellular immune responses to defined malaria antigens were measured in rural Gambian children with haemoglobin phenotype AS (HbAS) and in those with a normal haemoglobin (HbAA). In a survey undertaken during the dry season, HbAS children had a higher parasite rate than HbAA children but a lower prevalence of parasitaemia at a level of 500/microliters or greater. Malariometric indices measured during a rainy season survey were similar in the 2 groups of children. During the rainy season, the incidence of infection with P. falciparum did not vary with haemoglobin phenotype. However, in children aged 6 years or less, a significantly smaller proportion of HbAS children who acquired infection developed clinical symptoms than did HbAA children. During both the dry season and rainy season surveys, humoral and in vitro cellular immune responses to defined antigens from the sporozoite and merozoite stages of P. falciparum were similar in the 2 groups of children. Thus, despite the differences in parasite indices and morbidity from malaria between the 2 groups of children, we found no evidence of an enhanced immune response to malaria infection amongst HbAS children compared with normal children."}
{"id": "PMID:1475817", "title": "Cellular and humoral immune responses of a patient with American cutaneous leishmaniasis and AIDS.", "content": "The lymphocyte responsiveness to leishmanial antigens and its influence on the course of cutaneous leishmaniasis was studied in a patient with AIDS-associated American cutaneous leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania braziliensis. The patient had cutaneous disseminated erythematous papules or nodules and mucosal lesions as well as moniliasis and weight loss. The patient had a poor delayed-type hypersensitivity to leishmanial antigens, showing 3 mm of induration. The cellular immune responses were studied in vitro by lymphocyte proliferative assays induced by leishmanial antigens and concanavalin A. The T cell phenotypes were analysed by flow cytometry. The peripheral blood mononuclear cells before proliferation showed an inversion of the CD4/CD8 ratio (0.28:1). The lymphoproliferative responses to antigen and mitogen were very low (indices < 2.5). The blast-like cell phenotypes after antigen stimulation in culture were: CD3+ 44.8%, CD4+ 7.53% and CD8+ 17.45%. In AIDS patients the decrease in the pool of CD4+ cells, and consequent diminution of the CD4/CD8 ratio, produced by HIV infection provokes a generalized immune depression. The patient's disseminated clinical picture was probably related to the inability of his T cell-mediated immune responses to control the spread of Leishmania infection."}
{"id": "PMID:1475820", "title": "Determination of anti-giardial activity in vitro by means of soluble formazan production.", "content": "A new microplate assay for the determination of activity in vitro against Giardia intestinalis has been developed in which viability is measured by soluble formazan production from a tetrazolium reagent. Metabolic reduction of the latter gives rise to a coloured product which may be determined directly by optical density measurement. Using this method the anti-giardial activities of more than 20 anti-microbial compounds have been assessed. The results obtained with a number of known anti-giardial agents, including metronidazole (50% inhibitory concentration [IC50] = 2.98 microM) and furazolidone (IC50 = 4.14 microM), compare well with previously published data; mepacrine, however, was found to produce a biphasic dose-response curve from which two IC50 values (0.816 and 6.83 microM) were obtained. This method provides a convenient means by which the search for new anti-giardial agents may be facilitated."}
{"id": "PMID:1475818", "title": "Leishmania infecting man and wild animals in Saudi Arabia. 9. The black rat (Rattus rattus) a probable reservoir of visceral leishmaniasis in Gizan province, south-west Saudi Arabia.", "content": "Twenty-two black rats (Rattus rattus) were captured in houses where parasitologically confirmed cases of human visceral leishmaniasis had been recorded in Al-Arda Emara, Gizan province, south-west Saudi Arabia. Four of the rats were found to be infected with Leishmania; isoenzyme characterization showed that 3 were infected with L. donovani sensu lato zymodeme LON42 and the fourth with L. infantum zymodeme LON49. L. donovani s.l. LON42 has also been isolated from human visceral leishmaniasis patients living in this area, while dogs, but not humans, have been found to be infected with L. infantum LON49 in this part of Saudi Arabia."}
{"id": "PMID:1475823", "title": "Factors affecting transmission of Wuchereria bancrofti by anopheline mosquitoes. 4. Facilitation, limitation, proportionality and their epidemiological significance.", "content": "Quantitative understanding of the transmission dynamics of lymphatic filarial parasites is essential for the rational planning of control strategies. One of the most important determinants of transmission dynamics is the relationship between parasite yield, the success rate of ingested microfilariae (mf) becoming infective larvae in a mosquito vector, and mf density in the source of the human blood meal. Three types of relationship have been recognized in human filaria/mosquito couples--limitation, facilitation and proportionality; facilitation has hitherto been observed only in the couple Wuchereria bancrofti/Anopheles gambiae in Burkina Faso, in experimental studies on a high density mf carrier. The present paper demonstrates facilitation in W. bancrofti/An. gambiae and W. bancrofti/An. arabiensis in lower mf density carriers in The Gambia and Tanzania, and in W. bancrofti/An. funestus in Tanzania. Facilitation was not found in An. melas in The Gambia nor in An. merus in Tanzania. Analysis of published data shows limitation at low level mf densities in W. bancrofti/Culex quinquefasciatus in Sri Lanka, and in the same couple in India. Limitation also occurs in Brugia malayi/Aedes togoi in experimental cats; proportionality occurs in B. malayi/Mansonia bonneae in Malaysia. The epidemiological significance of these host/parasite relationships is discussed, and supporting evidence for its validity is presented from the published results of large-scale control programmes."}
{"id": "PMID:1475824", "title": "Diethylcarbamazine in the control of splenomegaly associated with Bancroftian filariasis in the Ok Tedi area of Papua New Guinea.", "content": "Bancroftian filariasis is highly endemic in the Ok Tedi region of Papua New Guinea, with a reported mean rate of 39% before the implementation of a single-dose diethylcarbamazine (DEC) treatment programme in 1986. This was followed by a 72% decline in the rate of detectable microfilaraemia and a 40% reduction in pre- and post-treatment splenomegaly. No significant difference was observed when spleen enlargement was compared to the presence of patent malaria. A significant difference in splenomegaly was observed between DEC-treated villagers and their untreated counterparts. Significant differences were reported in the rate of detectable microfilariae of Wuchereria bancrofti, but not of malaria, between the two groups. The number of DEC administrations and the period of time since the first treatment played a significant role immunologically. Significant differences were observed in immunoglobulin (Ig) M and IgG levels and in the extent of splenomegaly between DEC-treated and untreated areas. Filarial infection associated with malaria resulted in higher spleen rates and size. W. bancrofti is a major contributor to splenomegaly in the Ok Tedi region, and splenomegaly associated with bancroftian filariasis can be reduced or controlled by low, well-spaced doses of DEC."}
{"id": "PMID:1475825", "title": "Mass chemoprophylaxis of lymphatic filariasis with a single dose of ivermectin in a Polynesian community with a high Wuchereria bancrofti infection rate.", "content": "In April 1991 supervised mass prophylaxis of lymphatic filariasis with a single dose of ivermectin, 100 micrograms/kg, was carried out in a Polynesian village with a high infection rate of Wuchereria bancrofti in humans and active transmission by the vector mosquito, Aedes polynesiensis. Of 876 inhabitants aged 3 years or more (pregnant women excluded), 864 (98.6%) were treated. Simultaneously, venous blood samples were collected from 577 (97.5%) of the 595 inhabitants aged 15 years or more, of whom 122 (21.4%) were found to be microfilaria (mf) carriers (86 males and 36 females). The geometric mean microfilariae (GMM) count was 358.7 mf/ml for the whole group, 387 mf/ml for males (range 1-8160 mf/ml) and 280 mf/ml for females (range 1-7769 mf/ml). Following treatment, 33 (3.8%) of the 864 persons treated experienced some adverse reactions (21 with grade 1 and 12 with grade 2). Of the 33 with reactions, 29 were among the 122 (23.8%) mf carriers and 4 among the 831 (0.5%) non-microfilaraemic persons. Six months later, 123 (21.1%) of 584 inhabitants sampled were microfilaraemic: the GMM count for the whole group was 106 mf/ml (1-8177), with 29 mf/ml (1-3740) in 35 female and 177 mf/ml (1-8177) in 88 male carriers. Of these 123, 15 (whose GMM count was 4.5 mf/ml; range 1-204) were amicrofilaraemic 6 months before, and 19 had a microfilaraemia level higher than that 6 months earlier, before treatment. 117 of the 122 carriers identified in April were resampled: comparison of their GMM counts before and 6 months after mass treatment indicated that treatment with a single dose of 100 micrograms/kg ivermectin resulted in a reduction of microfilaraemia by 69%."}
{"id": "PMID:1475829", "title": "Intestinal parasites in Zambian patients with AIDS.", "content": "Previous studies have found a high prevalence of Isospora belli and Cryptosporidium parvum infections in African acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) patients with chronic diarrhoea. We aimed to determine the prevalence of gastrointestinal parasite in AIDS patients in hospital, not only those with diarrhoea, and to compare them with the general community. Clinically diagnosed AIDS patients in a Zambian teaching hospital were interviewed and examined, and stool specimens were studied for parasite infection. A control group was recruited from adults in a township near Lusaka. Of 90 AIDS patients (58% male), 50 (56%) had chronic diarrhoea and 9 (10%) had diarrhoea of shorter duration. In the control group (105 adults; 85% female), only one complained of diarrhoea. A variety of intestinal protozoa and helminths was found in 57% of AIDS patients and 88% of the community members. Isosporiasis was detected in 7, and cryptosporidiosis in 2, AIDS patients, all with diarrhoea, but not in any control. Strongyloides was found in 2 AIDS patients with diarrhoea and one community resident. Hospital patients with AIDS had fewer Entamoeba coli and E. histolytica infections, probably because of previous chemotherapy. We conclude that AIDS predisposes to isosporiasis and cryptosporidiosis, but not to infection with extracellular intestinal parasites, such as Entamoeba species, Blastocystis, Chilomastix, Endolimax, Ascaris and Necator."}
{"id": "PMID:1475830", "title": "Unnecessary injections and paralytic poliomyelitis in India.", "content": "The effect of prior injections on the pattern and severity of paralytic poliomyelitis has been examined by a retrospective analysis of case notes from an outpatient pediatric clinic in South India. Of 262 children with acute polio, 176 had received unnecessary injections < 48 h before paralysis and 12 had received diphtheria-pertussis-tetanus or provocative injections. Two children injected in the right arm had paralysis in that limb only. Children with no injections (controls) had an equal chance of paralysis (0.73) in each left and right leg. Children with injections in the right or left gluteus or in both had a 19% greater chance of paralysis in the injected leg(s), whereas uninjected legs had a 31% lower chance of paralysis. Injected leg muscles were weaker than those of control children. Legs of control children were stronger than those with one leg injected and much stronger than those with both injected. More than 96% of the children had at least one leg paralysed. Age and vaccine status did not affect the results of injections. After injections there was greater likelihood of death or lack of recovery of muscle strength. About three-quarters of the children had received unnecessary injections; of these 60% had more severe paralysis and a non-paralytic attack became paralytic in 40%. If oral medicines for fevers and diarrhoea replaced unnecessary injections, the prevalence and severity of paralytic polio would be reduced."}
{"id": "PMID:1475831", "title": "Observations of subacute sclerosing panencephalitis in South Africa.", "content": "Analysis of 75 cases of subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE) reported to the National Institute for Virology, South Africa, in 1984-1990 does not support the role of intensive exposure to measles virus in the pathogenesis of SSPE. The incidence of SSPE per million population was similar in Blacks and Whites, although that of reported measles is up to 10 times greater in Blacks. The age of SSPE follows the distribution of measles cases; thus, significantly more younger SSPE cases were found in Blacks than in Whites. The distribution between males and females was approximately equal. These data suggest SSPE to be a fortuitous complication of measles infection associated with as yet unidentified risk factors rather than a consequence of an excessive dose of infecting virus or immunological immaturity."}
{"id": "PMID:1475833", "title": "First evidence of leptospirosis in Vanuatu.", "content": "The clinical picture of leptospirosis is often confusing and biological confirmation with reference tests (microagglutination test or isolation of the organism) is not usually possible in tropical countries where the disease remains undiagnosed. We report here the first human cases of leptospirosis in Vanuatu (South Pacific), which occurred during the 1989-1990 epidemic of dengue, and discuss the differential diagnosis of the 2 diseases."}
{"id": "PMID:1475834", "title": "Immunodiagnosis of human leptospirosis using saliva.", "content": "When the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the detection of specific immunoglobulin M class antibodies was applied to paired saliva and serum samples from 40 patients with leptospirosis, positivity was 87.5% and 100%, respectively. No positive result was obtained with any saliva or serum sample from 60 individuals used as controls. These results suggest the alternative use of saliva for diagnosis and for epidemiological studies of human leptospirosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1475832", "title": "Blood cultures from Bangladeshi children with septicaemia: an evaluation of conventional, lysis-direct plating and lysis-centrifugation methods.", "content": "The use of a laboratory-made lysis-direct plating and lysis-centrifugation (LDP/LC) device for blood cultivation has been compared with the conventional broth culture method in respect of speed and sensitivity in detecting organism(s) and cost effectiveness. 400 blood cultures yielded 95 clinically significant isolates. Both methods recovered 73 organisms (76.8%); 20 (21%) were detected by LDP/LC methods only, and 2 (2.1%) were isolated by the conventional method only. All the 93 isolates (97.8%) recovered by LDP/LC were isolated within 48 h, whereas the broth culture method took 7 d to isolate a total of 75 organisms (78.9%). The LDP/LC method, with our laboratory-made device, costs one-fourth of the cost of the conventional broth culture system."}
{"id": "PMID:1475835", "title": "South American rattlesnake bite in a Brazilian teaching hospital. Clinical and epidemiological study of 87 cases, with analysis of factors predictive of renal failure.", "content": "Records of 87 victims of rattlesnake bite who were admitted to a teaching in south-eastern Brazil from 1984 to 1990 were retrospectively examined. The patients came from 27 municipalities in 3 states. Most of the bites (47%) occurred between 10.00 h and 18.00 h and in April (13%). Identification of the snake was possible in only 17% of the cases, diagnosis being made on clinical grounds in the others. The lower limbs were the most common site of bite (85%). The median time interval between bite and receiving medical help was 3 h. Fang marks were observed in 47% of the cases, neurotoxic facies in 61%, and myalgia in 29%. Dark urine was reported in 40% of the cases. Clotting time was above 15 min in 53% of the tested cases. Use of a tourniquet before admission to hospital was reported 11 times. The mean dose of specific antivenom was 190 +/- 95.69 mg. The case fatality rate was 1%; 13 cases (18%) developed renal failure, 10 of whom needed dialysis. The chi 2 test for trend showed that both increased age and increased time interval between bite and medical help significantly increased the risk of renal failure (P < 0.02). Myalgia and neurotoxic facies were predictive of renal failure in patients older than 40 years (Fisher's exact test, P < 0.002 and P < 0.02, respectively). There was no significant association between dark urine or prolonged clotting time and renal failure."}
{"id": "PMID:1475837", "title": "Risk indicators of childhood undernutrition in Kingston, Jamaica.", "content": "In Jamaica, early childhood undernutrition remains a problem; however, the health of all children cannot be monitored due to limited resources. Therefore, there is a need for the early identification of children at risk of undernutrition. A simple screening instrument for use by paraprofessionals in the primary health care system was developed. We conducted a case-control study using 649 children, aged 6 to 48 months. The cases were undernourished (weight-for-age less than 80% of the reference) and identified from a survey. The children's guardians were given a questionnaire comprising 31 variables thought to be associated with undernutrition and which were present from 6 weeks of age. Nine variables were significantly associated with undernutrition. Multiple logistic regression analysis indicated that low birth weight, short birth spacing, being born at home, poor ante-natal and post-natal clinic attendance, overcrowding and a lack of house-hold possessions were independent predictors of undernutrition. Using these variables, a simple scoring system was developed to identify high risk children. It had a sensitivity and specificity of 56% and 76% respectively and a positive predictive values of 31%. This simple screening instrument should be easy to use in the primary health care system. However, its low sensitivity indicates that it is difficult to identify children who are at risk of undernutrition from 6 weeks of age. Subsequent high morbidity and poor child care which were not measured may account for some of the missed cases."}
{"id": "PMID:1475844", "title": "Molecular genetic analysis of Drosophila rDNA arrays.", "content": "Large repeated DNA arrays are a major component of the eukaryotic genome, but we know little about their internal organization. Understanding their architecture, however, is critical for describing genome structure and for inferring the mechanisms that shape it. One repeated family that is yielding a picture of how structure, function and recombination mechanisms come together is the ribosomal DNA (rDNA) of Drosophila melanogaster."}
{"id": "PMID:1475845", "title": "Insertional mutation of 'classical' and novel genes in transgenic mice.", "content": "Approximately 5% of established transgenic lines carry insertional mutations. The mutated genes may be directly isolated using the transgene DNA as a molecular probe. These mutants provide useful models of human inherited disorders and developmental abnormalities."}
{"id": "PMID:1475847", "title": "Embryonic lens induction: shedding light on vertebrate tissue determination.", "content": "The principle of embryonic induction was defined by early studies of lens determination, and because of the relative simplicity of the developing lens and its interaction with presumptive retinal tissue it has been a favored system for examining mechanisms of induction. Recent studies have led to substantial alterations of the classic model for this process, introducing several elements that significantly refine our view of vertebrate tissue determination."}
{"id": "PMID:1475848", "title": "[A stereoscopic analysis of the centrosome structure in tissue culture cells under the action of carbonyl cyanide p-trifluoromethoxyphenylhydrazone and ouabain].", "content": "The action of carbonyl cyanide p-trifluoromethoxyphenylhydrazone (FCCP) and ouabain results in significant increase of the quantity of microtubules with attached and free proximal end around the centrosome. The majority of free microtubules are oriented with their proximal ends towards the heads of pericentriolar satellites or towards the walls of centriolar cylinders. The increasing of total number of microtubules is the result of the increasing of microtubules attached to or oriented towards the pericentriolar satellites. Comparing the action of FCCP and ouabain from one side and taxol from the other side it is possible to conclude that FCCP and ouabain promote the initiation of microtubule growth in the centrosome of they have an influence on the frequency of separation of the microtubules from microtubule nucleating centers."}
{"id": "PMID:1475849", "title": "[Cytoskeletal changes in the endothelial cells of the rat aorta in the early periods of postnatal ontogeny].", "content": "The cytoskeleton of endothelial cells is a modulator of all the cell reactions. The formation of a definitive structure of the bearing-contracting apparatus of the rat aorta endothelium is finished in the postnatal development (up to the age about 3 months after birth), passing through some qualitative changes. Using the transmission and scanning electron microscopy of detergent extracting preparations, the structuring pattern (saturation) of the aorta endothelial cell cytoskeleton of newborn animals. From 10 days to 1 month after birth, the most important period takes place within peripheral dense microfilament bundles are formed responsible for the cell monolayer integrity for the contractility of cell boundaries (it is most important in recombination of endothelial monolayer in the processes of cell proliferation and vessel growth) and also for the integrity of longitudinal bundles of microfilaments, i.e. fibres of tightening. The increase in anisotropy of cytoskeleton frame during its maturation evidences on the establishment of orientation of microfibril bundles, whose main function being the opposition to haemodynamic loading."}
{"id": "PMID:1475850", "title": "[Nuclear differentiation and nuclear heteromorphism in the protozoa].", "content": "This is a review based upon a lecture given at the Developmental Biology School near Moscow in November 1991. Cases of successive and simultaneous nuclear differentiation are defined, and examples from various groups of protozoa are considered. Three cases of simultaneous nuclear differentiation, leading to the nuclear dualism phenomenon (heteromorphism) are analysed in detail. In heterokaryotic agamonts of some Foraminifera, nuclear differentiation occurs at the diploid level, proved to be irreversible and caused by either deletion or stable repression of some genes. In the Karyorelictid ciliates, the somatic nuclei (macronuclei) are paradiploid, metabolically active but unable to divide. They are irreversibly differentiated due to deletion of part of the initial (micronuclear) genome. Differentiation occurs in every cell cycle from the generative nuclei (micronuclei), which retain omnipotency and reproduce by mitosis. In most (higher) ciliates the differentiation of macronuclei occurs at an early stage of replication and involves a more or less drastic reorganization of the micronuclear genome, including both deletions and transpositions. Thereafter, the reorganized (and generally reduced) genome is strongly amplified to provide a high dose of active genes. The chromosomes of the majority of ciliates are fragmented in their macronuclei into either subchromosome-sized or gene-sized molecules, both being acentric. Systems regulating the differential replication of these molecules are likely to exist in macronuclei to keep the respective gene doses within certain limits."}
{"id": "PMID:1475851", "title": "[The detection of a cluster of beta-globin genes in the long arm of chromosome 2 in the domestic hen by using DNA-DNA in situ hybridization].", "content": "Using isotopic and nonisotopic methods of in situ hybridization, the localization the beta-like globin gene cluster was established. Molecular hybridization of DNA probes containing embryonic epsilon-globin and adult beta-globin genes revealed the localization of the cluster of the long arm on chromosome 2 (2q)."}
{"id": "PMID:1475852", "title": "[The photometric characteristics of the nuclei of normal human and bovine lymphocytes and in pathology].", "content": "Chromatin structure has been studied with a method of optico-structural machine analysis for interphase nuclei of peripheral blood lymphocytes in healthy donors, a girl with the Shereshevski\u012d-Turner syndrome (45, XO) and her parents, and for peripheral blood lymphocytes of a cow, Bos taurus L., in the last trimester on the background of preeclamptic syndrome and with normal cow pregnancy of compared terms. A significant change was revealed both in human heteroploidy and in developing preeclamptic syndrome in animals as concerns such indexes as the nucleus area, integral optical density, the amount and area of condensed, decondensed chromatin. The profile of histograms, according to the given parameters, is distinctly changing. The analysis based on constructing a two-measured field in the given coordinate system showed changes in the lymphatic population structure with the increase in the rate of \"heavy\", enriched DNA cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1475853", "title": "[The effect of inhibitors of glucose utilization on the chemiluminescence and fluorescence of murine peritoneal macrophages].", "content": "Using the inhibitors of glucose utilization and mitochondrial oxidation we found that the blue autofluorescence (AF) of murine peritoneal macrophages (MP) originates predominantly from the cytosolic NAD(P)H. AF intensity correlates with the changes in glycolytic enzymes activity. The luminol-dependent chemiluminescence (CL) intensity which characterizes the amount of O2- generating by MP upon the addition of formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (FMLP) is inhibited in the case of maximum activity of glycolytic enzymes. Incubation of MP with non-convertible analog of glucose, such as 2-deoxyglucose increases the CL intensity under the influence of FMLP. A conclusion is drawn that amount of O2- generating by MP depends on the intracellular concentration of sugars."}
{"id": "PMID:1475854", "title": "[The effect of the lysosomotropic agent primaquine on the endocytosis of the epidermal growth factor receptors in A431 cells].", "content": "It has been shown elsewhere that the epidermal growth factor (EGF) in A431 cells can recycle in receptor-bound state (Teslenko et al., 1987; Sorkin et al., 1989, 1991). Present study deals with the action of primaquine, a lysosomotropic agent, on EGF-receptor complexes (EGF-RC). By the method of indirect immunofluorescence with anti-EGF-R monoclonal antibody it is found that following a 1 h incubation of cells at 37 degrees C in the presence of EGF a bright staining of endosomes appears in the intranuclear region, while after incubation of the cells at 4 degrees only margins of cells are stained. Such a pattern of fluorescence is peculiar of endocytosis in A431 cells. When the cells were incubated in the presence of a 0.3 mM primaquine for 1 h, the immunostaining is changed: bright compact spot in the para-Golgi region appeared. The effect of primaquine is reversible. When the cells after preincubation with EGF were incubated in the absence of EGF for 3 h at 37 degrees C, the staining of cell margins could be observed again, demonstrating the recycling of EGF-RC. Under similar conditions of cell incubation, but in the presence of primaquine, the staining of the para-Golgi region was not changed. In the experiments with 125I-EGF it was shown that intracellular accumulations of 125I-EGF were maintained when the cells were incubated in the presence of 0.3 mM primaquine. It is concluded that primaquine inhibits the recycling of EGF-R in A431 cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1475855", "title": "[The dependence of DNA repair induced by genetically hazardous exposures on the ionic strength of the medium containing the cells].", "content": "The dependence of UV-induced unscheduled DNA synthesis (UDS) in non-stimulated lymphocytes of human peripheral blood on the ionic strength (mu) of the culture medium has been shown. With the level of mu lower or higher than physiological (mu ph) the UDS significantly decreases. The effect of modification of mu due to changes in ionic strength is absent in the lymphocytes of patients with the classic form of xeroderma pigmentosum. This phenomenon may become useful for development of a new test revealing cells with genetically or physiologically changed system of UV-induced DNA repair. Mechanisms of investigated phenomenon, particularly their dependence on the chromatin structure, as well as the influence of ionic strength on binding the repair enzymes with DNA are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1475856", "title": "[The phenotypic characteristics of T-lymphocytes that interact with hematopoietic stem cells: the expression of the antigens Lyt-1, Lyt-2 and L3T4].", "content": "The role of T-lymphocytes, bearing antigens Lyt-1, Lyt-2 and L3T4, in regulation of the functional activity of blood-forming precursor cells of syngen and non-syngen origin was investigated. The treatment of cells of murine lymphatic nidi with monoclonal antibodies to the above antigens and with the complement did not abolish the capacity of T-lymphocytes of controlling proliferation and differentiation of syngen and allogen blood-forming precursor cells. The subpopulation characteristics of lymphocytes interacting with the stem cells is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1475857", "title": "[Changes in the frequency of cells with micronuclei in cell populations of rat transplantable rhabdomyosarcoma RA-2 as a result of selection for an increased and a decreased frequency of such cells].", "content": "Artificial selection for increasing and decreasing frequencies of cells with micronuclei (FCM) was conducted in populations of cell clones of the rat transplantable RA-2 rabdomyosarcoma. The selection was effective in both the opposite directions. The average FCM increased from 3.3 +/- 0.2 to 6.9 +/- 0.6% and decreased from 3.3 +/- 0.2 to 1.6 +/- 0.2%. Heritability coefficient, h2, varied from 0.2 to 0.4. In the cell population with increased FCM, 37% of anaphases and early telophases had lagged chromosomes and fragments. In contrast, in the cell population with decreased FCM, lagging were observed in 11% of cases. The DNA-content in G1 cell varied greatly in cell population with increased FCM (P < 0.01). The selection for increased FCM has led to a significant decrease in metastatic capacities of cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1475858", "title": "Microscopic structure of renal dysplasia in a man with ectopic ureter opening into the seminal tract.", "content": "Histologically, we examined a dysplastic kidney obtained from a patient with an ectopic ureter opening into the seminal tract. The dysplastic kidney did not have any normal renal tissue or typical primitive ducts but epididymis- and prostate-like ducts. The last ducts contained degenerating spermatozoa in the lumen. The presence of epididymis- and prostate-like ducts is considered to be characteristic of dysplastic kidneys in this anomaly."}
{"id": "PMID:1475859", "title": "A study on the viscoelastic properties of the urinary bladder in dogs.", "content": "This experimental study was designed and carried out in order to investigate the participation of the collagen and muscular tissues on the viscoelastic properties of the bladder wall. Sixty-five adult male mongrel dogs were utilized. These animals were divided into 5 groups: control group (n = 10); dogs (n = 10) receiving 2.5 mg/kg atropine (cholinergic antagonist); dogs (n = 10) receiving 0.7 mg/kg verapamil (calcium extracellular inflow blocker); dogs (n = 10) receiving 0.1 mg/kg/min nitroprusside (intracellular calcium blocker), and dogs (n = 25) receiving EGTA (a calcium-chelating agent) at increasing doses from 90 to 450 mg/kg. Based on a mathematical model, we have demonstrated that: (1) the collagen component is responsible for the elastic properties; (2) the muscle component is responsible for the viscoelastic properties; (3) the viscoelastic properties have an active element which is affected by calcium total depletion, and (4) such viscoelastic properties are not dependent on cholinergic stimulation."}
{"id": "PMID:1475860", "title": "Influence of papaverine on rat bladder contractions in vivo.", "content": "In an acute rat model (in vivo) spontaneous rhythmic bladder contractions were induced by ligation of the urethra. In addition single bladder contractions were recorded during neurostimulation of the pelvic nerve. Spontaneous and electrically induced bladder contractions were sensitive to papaverine and isoprenaline in vivo. The basal bladder pressure and bladder contraction parameters were reduced more potently by isoprenaline. Blood pressure decreased significantly after isoprenaline injection (0.5-50 micrograms/kg = 4.73 x 10(-6)-4.73 x 10(-4) mol/l) and high concentration of papaverine (5 mg/kg = 2.95 x 10(-2) mol/l). Compared to isoprenaline papaverine was less toxic. These results are different to previous in vitro investigations in rat bladder strips. In vivo papaverine seems to be less effective on nerve-mediated bladder contractions and decreases bladder pressure. Our results indicate that beta-adrenergic receptors play a potent role in the inhibition of spontaneous and pelvic nerve-induced bladder contraction."}
{"id": "PMID:1475861", "title": "Comparison of ultrasonography, computerized tomography and angiography in dialysis patients with renal cell carcinoma.", "content": "Seventeen dialysis patients with renal cell carcinoma were examined preoperatively by ultrasonography, computerized tomography (CT) and angiography. Ultrasonography, CT and angiography correctly predicted the diagnosis of renal cell carcinoma in 17 (100%) and 12 (71%) of 17, and 11 (69%) of 16 patients, respectively. All renal tumors of more than 3.0 cm in diameter were detected by the three diagnostic procedures. However, ultrasonography, CT and angiography detected renal tumors of less than 3.0 cm in 12 (100%) and 7 (58%) of 12 patients and 6 (55%) of 11 patients, respectively. Seven renal cell carcinomas were associated with acquired cystic disease of the kidney (ACDK). All renal tumors were found by ultrasonography. However, CT predicted the correct diagnosis in 3 (43%) of 7 patients with ACDK and in 9 (90%) of 10 patients without ACDK, and angiography was correct in 3 (50%) of 6 patients with ACDK and 8 (80%) of 10 patients without ACDK. Our results indicate that ultrasonography is an effective procedure to detect renal cell carcinomas in dialysis patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1475862", "title": "Gas formation after renal artery embolisation: genesis and clinical relevance.", "content": "Preoperative embolisation of renal carcinomas has several pros and cons for the patient. The negative aspects can be summarized as 'post-infarction' syndrome'. Radiologically, intrarenal gas formation is always evident. As sterile breakdown products of tumor cell necrosis these have to be interpreted as regular postinterventional findings and not as indicators for infection or even sepsis. Tumor embolisation as a means to reduce surgical difficulties in large hypervascularized renal carcinomas and also as a palliative measure in marked macrohematuria and/or tumor-induced flank pain is thus very conceivable. The best time for the tumor-nephrectomy is the day of embolisation or the first postinterventional day. This makes the nephrectomy easier and prevents the postinfarction syndrome for the patient."}
{"id": "PMID:1475863", "title": "Use of a prototype 3-Fr needle electrode with flexible ureteroscopy for antegrade management of stenosed ureteroileal anastomosis.", "content": "Stenosis at the site of ureterointestinal anastomosis requires a modified approach and surgical treatment. A 3-Fr needle electrode was used successfully with flexible ureteroscopy to manage complete ureteroileal anastomotic strictures."}
{"id": "PMID:1475864", "title": "Seminal transferrin levels in seminal plasma of fertile and infertile men.", "content": "Seminal plasma transferrin levels as well as serum FSH and LH levels were measured in fertile (normozoospermic) and infertile (oligozoospermic and azoospermic) men in an effort to find out whether transferrin levels correlated with sperm density and serum FSH and LH levels. Seminal plasma transferrin levels were found to be significantly lower (p < 0.0005) in the infertile group than the fertile group. Seminal plasma transferrin levels can be regarded as a functional parameter of Sertoli cell function in men."}
{"id": "PMID:1475865", "title": "Rhinosporidiosis mimicking penile malignancy.", "content": "Rhinosporidiosis is a chronic infection which is endemic in India and Sri Lanka. Penile involvement in rhinosporidiosis is rare and we report one such case. The pathology, treatment and possible etiology of the condition are reviewed."}
{"id": "PMID:1475866", "title": "High-flow priapism and glans hypervascularization following deep dorsal vein arterialization for vasculogenic impotence.", "content": "Microsurgical penile revascularization is becoming an increasingly applied technique in patients with arteriogenic or mixed arteriogenic and venogenic impotence. Deep dorsal vein arterialization has been used successfully in selected patients. Aside from failure of the procedure and the occasional problems associated with vascular surgery, priapism and glans hypervascularization are specific complications of deep dorsal vein arterialization. Priapism in these cases is 'high-flow'; the functional arterial-cavernous fistula can overcome the maintenance of the flaccid state and cause persistent erection. Glans hypervascularization, a syndrome of glans enlargement, skin changes and pain secondary to excessive retrograde filling of the glans penis and corpus spongiosum, can result in urethral compression and glans ulceration. Along with the presentation of the case of a man who suffered both complications, we discuss their pathophysiology, prevention, and treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1475867", "title": "[Patient rehabilitation following cystectomy for cancer].", "content": "In 171 out of 251 cancer patients subjected to cystectomy, the bladder was replaced for isolated intestinal segment followed by recovery of transurethral urination. This recovery produced a favorable effect on physical, psychological and social, occupational status of the patients. Two-stage technique of establishing reservoir for the urine with renewal of transurethral urination is detailed. Normalization of the function of the kidneys and upper urinary tracts, prevention or early treatment of complications, natural transurethral urination should be considered criteria for rehabilitation of postcystectomy cancer patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1475868", "title": "[The intravesical chemotherapy of surface tumors of the bladder].", "content": "Intravesical chemotherapy (IVC) for bladder cancer was conducted in 83 patients who had been admitted to the Moscow Cancer Research Center in 1981-1988. Farmorubicin IVC produced a complete response (CR) in 3 (21.4%) and a partial one (PR) in 6 (42.9%) of the 14 patients treated. In mytomicin C administration CR was achieved in 4 (30.8%), PR in 2 (15.4%) of the cases. For adriamycin, spirobromin, thiotef (60 mg), thiotef (20 mg), CR was registered in 4 (30.8%), 5 (17.9%), 1 (11.1%), 2 (18.2%), 2 (25%) patients, PR in 2 (15.4%), 8 (28.6%), 1, 1 (9.1%), 1 (12.5%) patients out of 13, 28, 9, 11, 8 cases, respectively. Complications of the IVC in the form of drug cystitis occurred in 57.1%, 23.1%, 46.4%, 12.5-18.1% of those treated with farmorubicin, mytomicin C, adriamycin, thiotef, respectively. Spirobromin arose no complications."}
{"id": "PMID:1475869", "title": "[The correction of the humoral and hemodynamic disorders in patients with urolithiasis complicated by chronic kidney failure].", "content": "The paper presents the analysis of 52 cases of urolithiasis complicated by chronic renal failure in the intermittent stage. The patients were examined for renal blood flow, central hemodynamics, myocardial function, factors of humoral regulation of the circulation kallikrein-kinin, sympathoadrenal systems, renin activity, renal function. The test were performed preoperatively and 1, 3, 7, 14 days after surgery. The patients entered two groups. 24 patients of group I received routine symptomatic treatment, 28 patients of group II were treated with regard to the changes revealed and underwent preoperative enterosorption. Group I demonstrated severe shifts in renal and central hemodynamics, reduction of renal circulation, hypokinetic circulatory syndrome, phasic syndrome of myocardial hypodynamics, hypoactivity of kallikrein-kinin and sympathoadrenal systems, hyperactivity of renin. The disturbances aggravated postoperatively and disappeared only on day 14 since the operation. having been corrected by cardiac glycosides, desaggregants, hypotensive drugs diuretics. Group II patients developed increased renal circulation, weak activation of humoral blood regulation factors. Hemodynamic disorders showed no progression. As a results, renal postoperative function improved."}
{"id": "PMID:1475870", "title": "[The laser therapy of cystalgia].", "content": "The paper yields the results of treating patients with cystalgias. The conventional therapeutic techniques are low effective. The duration of out- and in-patient care is great, 24 days. Laser therapy was performed in 62 patients with cystalgias, including 30 who received a combined therapy due to concurrent diseases. An AFL-1 helium-neon optical maser generation radiation at a wave of 632.8 mM and at an output power of 18-20 mW has been employed in the treatment of cystalgias in the past 5 years. The biologically active points for urinary diseases were exposed to the laser therapy. With intercurrent diseases, the respective biologically active points or an inflammatory organ alone were additionally irradiated. No intra- and postoperative side effects were found. Laser therapy proved to be highly efficient in treating cystalgias, halving the average bed-days per patient."}
{"id": "PMID:1475872", "title": "[The selection of the treatment method in stenosis of the pelviureteral segment in nephrolithiasis].", "content": "Ureteropelvic stenoses in nephrolithiasis are suggested to be considered reversible and irreversible depending on the lesions of the upper urinary tracts and the adjacent fat. To ascertain reversibility of the stenosis, use was made of the progesterone test in view of progesterone ability to dilate the ureter. No retention changes in the upper urinary tract in the reversible stenosis can serve an indication to impulse lithotripsy. Large stones and all cases of irreversible stenosis indicate validity of open surgery the scope of which is decided intraoperatively after isolation of the ureteropelvic segment from the periureteral fat and upon the indigo carmine test. In the absence of dysfunctional zone in the segment the patients may be subjected to ureterolysis and pyelolithotomy. If such zone is detected it is possible to make pelvic and proximal ureteral resection, pyeloureterostomy. The technique of the latter surgery in the intrarenal pelvis is detailed."}
{"id": "PMID:1475871", "title": "[The surgical treatment of congenital hydronephrosis in children].", "content": "Available are the results of surgical treatment (Andersen-Hynes operation and its modifications) of 85 children with hydronephrosis bor the period 1981-1987. The patients' age ranged from 6 months to 14 years. Anastomotic stenosis occurred in 12% of the procedures as a result of: urethral or pelvic trauma when suturing, wound channels due to the needle perforating puncture, catgut unwanted properties, tissue strain at the anastomosis site, inadequate renal drain. This necessitates modification of the operative technique: surgical manipulations restricted to the operated on pelvic part and pelvic-urethral segment, optical amplification, microsurgical instruments, synthetic suture. An original pyelostoma made of silicon rubber was used in draining. Out of 34 surgical cases, good results were achieved in 31, satisfactory in 3. No complications were recorded."}
{"id": "PMID:1475873", "title": "[The phenotypes of blood haptoglobin in urolithiasis patients].", "content": "Haptoglobin Hp phenotypes were determined in 104 patients with uroliths of different chemical composition and in healthy controls. 98 patients showed one of the three main phenotypes Hp (1-1, 2-1, 2-2). Electrophoretic motilities of protein fractions Hp were found out for the main phenotypes. Hp was not registered or its fraction motility was distinct from the main phenotypes in 6 patients. Hp phenotypes distribution obtained for all the examinees was compared to that of the controls. For healthy and total group of urolithiasis patients, for healthy and having CaPi and HVr nephroliths, the difference was insignificant in contrast to CaOx stones the incidence of which grew in Hp 1-1 carriers (p < 0.05). In view of this, Hp 1-1 phenotype can indicate a risk of oxalate urolithiasis."}
{"id": "PMID:1475874", "title": "[Hyperbaric oxygenation in the combined treatment of acute kidney failure].", "content": "The paper presents the review of the treatment performed in 183 patients with acute renal failure caused by trauma, myorenal syndrome, surgical, obstetric and urological lesions. All the patients underwent hemodialysis. The majority of the patients manifested hypoxia due to pulmonary edema and abnormal central and visceral hemodynamics, anemia resultant from blood loss and suppression of hemopoiesis, impairment of tissue oxidation-reduction enzymes by uremic toxins. Hemodialysis aggravated hypoxia. A direct relationship existed between arterial hypoxemia and the degree of metabolic acidosis, electrolyte alterations and residual diuresis in oligoanuric stage of acute renal failure. The treatment of 48 relevant patients involved 5-10 sessions of hyperbaric oxygenation (1.5-2.2 atm for 60-90 min). The session usually followed hemodialysis. The response was achieved in arterial hypoxemia, central hemodynamics, peripheral blood, water-electrolyte balance, acid-base equilibrium, uremic intoxication. The frequency of hemodynamic reactions during hemodialysis and pyoseptic complications induced by uremia reduced as well as the need in urgent hemodialysis. The introduction of hyperbaric oxygenation diminished the lethality by 29%."}
{"id": "PMID:1475875", "title": "[Cancer of the kidney: nephrectomy or resection?].", "content": "Malignant tumors of renal parenchyma remain a problem for a clinician in view of the lacking distinctive algorithm and treatment policy based principally on the diagnosis terms. Optimal treatment, surgical, is represented by two kinds of operations: preserving and radical. Out of 292 patients admitted to the clinic from 1974 to 1990, 243 (83%) underwent surgery which was conservative in 37 (15.2%) cases. Five-year survival of surgical cases was 65.5%, in nonsurgical ones 7%. The stage of renal cancer was diagnosed as I. Renal resection was universal. There were 2 cases of heminephrectomy for cancer of the fused kidney. Histologically, the tumors appeared hypernephroid carcinoma. One patient was followed up for 10 years, 11 for 5 years. Recurrences occurred in 3 cases only, massive metastasizing in 5 years in 1 case. Dysfunctions of the kidney indicate inadequacy of the organ-preserving surgery while hypofunction of the contralateral kidney suggests possibility of the organ preservation. When it is feasible technically, the residual part of the parenchyma is functionally capable and the pelviureteral system is effective, resection of the kidney is recommended even in intact contralateral kidney. Such intervention is no less radical than nephrectomy."}
{"id": "PMID:1475876", "title": "[The functional properties of the erythrocyte membranes in patients with chronic glomerulonephritis].", "content": "Mg-, Ca-, Na-, K-ATPase, acetylcholine esterase and sulfhydryl groups of red blood cell membranes were evaluated in 40 patients with chronic glomerulonephritis in preazotemia stage versus 34 healthy controls. In chronic glomerulonephritis there was a significant fall in Ca-ATPase activity irrespective of the disease pattern. Na, K-ATPase tended tot a decrease contrary to sulfhydryl groups levels and acetylcholine esterase activity. In the nephrotic variant of the disease Na, K-ATPase, Ca-ATPase activity dropped and came to increase due to glucocorticosteroid treatment. The changes are attributed to modification of the lipid bilayer of the red blood cell membranes."}
{"id": "PMID:1475878", "title": "[The biochemical indices of the sperm in chronic inflammatory diseases of the accessory genital glands].", "content": "Male accessory gland inflammation may interfere with the reproductive potential and can result in the glands secretory dysfunction. Asymptomatic inflammations are difficult to diagnose. This study correlates the white blood cell count in semen to different biochemical markers of accessory gland function, e. g. zinc, citric acid, acid phosphatase, fructose, gamma-glutamyl, transferase to facilitate the diagnosis of asymptomatic inflammation. 230 patients were investigated using the WHO simplified protocol for the infertile couples (project N 84914). Basing on the semen leucocyte number, all the patients were divided into five groups. The semen and biochemical markers were analyzed according to the WHO guidelines including the regression analysis. The data obtained indicate that WBS in the semen correlates closely with reduced concentrations of seminal plasma citric acid and zinc."}
{"id": "PMID:1475879", "title": "[A testiculoepigastric venous anastomosis in varicocele].", "content": "Fifty-two patients with varicocele due to renal hypertension underwent surgery. In small diameter of the internal testicular vein, the authors employed microsurgical technique to establish proximal testiculoepigastric shunts to preserve compensatory renocaval shunt."}
{"id": "PMID:1475881", "title": "[Urologic diseases in boys and adolescents found during targeted prophylactic examinations].", "content": "One-year screening of urological diseases in preschool and schoolboys under 17 years of age identified relevant affections in 264 (10.13%) of the examinees. Phimosis and varicocele were the most frequent findings. Urological examinations of 3-, 7- and 14-year-old boys are suggested to be included into routine prophylactic check-ups."}
{"id": "PMID:1475888", "title": "[New strategies in treatment of severe hypercholesterolemia in coronary patients: HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors and H.E.L.P.-LDL apheresis].", "content": "LDL-cholesterol is the leading risk factor which influences the clinical outcome of patients with preexisting coronary heart disease. Clinical trials show that diet and medication, that lower plasma LDL-cholesterol below 100 mg/dl decrease the rate of recurrent myocardial infarction and can induce regression in patients with coronary heart disease. However, in most cases of severe hypercholesterolemia with plasma LDL-cholesterol concentrations above 220 mg/dl LDL cannot be sufficiently decreased by maximal dietary and pharmacological therapy alone. Today this group of high risk CHD patients can be treated in addition with an extracorporeal procedure to eliminate LDL from the plasma circulation, the H.E.L.P.-LDL-apheresis. This method for selective removal of LDL, lipoprotein(a) and fibrinogen from plasma has been shown to be a clinically safe and very efficient method for the treatment of patients with homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia or CHD patients with severe hypercholesterolemia. Treatments with one week H.E.L.P. intervals revealed a mean reduction of minus 51% for LDL, of minus 45% for Lp(a) and of minus 46% for apo B, while HDL was increased by +12%. Fibrinogen was decreased by minus 46%. Besides the marked reduction of LDL and fibrinogen plasma concentrations the H.E.L.P.-treatment significantly improves hemorheological parameters and increases the oxygen tension in the tissue. We have also investigated the efficiency of a combined therapy, using HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors together with the H.E.L.P.-apheresis. Under this combined treatment, a reduction of the interval LDL-cholesterol levels of 70-80% has been achieved, while Lp(a) and fibrinogen were not further affected.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1475889", "title": "[Lowering increased cholesterol--prolonging life?].", "content": "Epidemiologic surveys reveal a positive correlation between serum cholesterol levels and the incidence of coronary artery disease. Intervention trials demonstrated that a reduction of serum cholesterol by 1% results in a decrease of coronary non-fatal events by 2%. Fatal coronary events remain almost uninfluenced. On the other side, several intervention trials showed an excess mortality from non-cardiac causes in the therapy groups (i.e. malignant tumors, suicides, accidents). Thus, until now no prolongation of life expectancy could be verified by cholesterol lowering measures."}
{"id": "PMID:1475877", "title": "[The treatment of stress urinary incontinence in women].", "content": "Fifty-six females with enuresis were observed in 1986-1990. Their x-ray examinations included urodynamic techniques: uroflowmetry, cystomanometry, test of the profile of the intraurethral pressure. Basing on the findings, 11 patients were excluded from the group to be operated on. Two kinds of surgery were employed: urethrovesicofixation according to Marshall-Marketti-Kranz, endoscopic submucous administration of teflon paste. The former method corrected the position of the bladder but is less effective in correction of the intraurethral pressure. The experience obtained by the authors permitted them to propose Marshall-Marketti-Kranz operation for apparent vesicoptosis whereas the teflon paste injection in enuresis without pronounced vesicoptosis. The methods can be used in combination: if, in spite of good anatomical results of the operation, enuresis persists, the paste administration is advocated to achieve better functional outcome."}
{"id": "PMID:1475890", "title": "[Assessment of risk factors and their modification in rehabilitation applicants].", "content": "Compared with the general population male workers applying for medical rehabilitation show a higher risk-load, especially regarding smoking and alcohol consumption. However, at present it can't be decided, if the risk-load within this group of applicants is even higher than among the non-applying workmen. Such a selection would be intended. Overweight is the main risk-factor among applicants for medical rehabilitation. It is present far more often than generally within the general population and even within the working class. Male workers with repeated courses of medical rehabilitation exhibit a significant lower risk-load than applicants for a first rehabilitative procedure. A causal relation might be suggested, but at present other explanations regarding the observed relationship have to be considered. A long-term Follow-up study is necessary."}
{"id": "PMID:1475891", "title": "[Is there a change in the trend of the risk factor profile in the adult population?].", "content": "In a comparative study of a total of 7169 unselected patients of both sexes, that has been admitted as inpatients for rehabilitation reasons concerning rheumatic diseases, has been examined which differences result between 1988 und 1990 with respect to the prevalence of overweight of more than 20% in relation to the individual ideal weight and to impairment of the carbohydrate metabolism. Age structure, professions and social levels were comparable in both populations. In comparison with the large upward trend of the risk factor profile between 1976 and 1988 there was a slight but significant increase of the prevalence of overweight between 1988 und 1990 only for males (53.9% vs. 57.7%), whereas among females the prevalence showed an insignificant downward trend (67.9% vs. 66.6%). At the same time the prevalence of an impaired carbohydrate metabolism did not differ significantly (10.5% vs. 9.5%). There is evidence for a small success of public and medical efforts to improve public health."}
{"id": "PMID:1475880", "title": "[The characteristics of the histocompatibility antigen associations in patients with sterility due to varicocele].", "content": "Associations between sterility in varicocele and HLA antigens have been studied. The results show increased incidence of antigens B13 and B22 in sterile males with varicocele. Specific distribution of HLA antigens, their relations with varicocele were characterized. The findings can be of use in identification of risk groups among varicocele patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1475892", "title": "[Value of laboratory diagnosis of liver function from the insurance medicine viewpoint].", "content": "After a brief passage on the reliability and special features of the most important liver values, this paper deals with the diseases of the liver most frequent in everyday rating practice from the angle of specific laboratory patterns and enzyme processes, putting emphasis on prognostic aspects. Special mention is made of the most recent diagnostic findings in the field of virus hepatitis. Furthermore, the influence of alcohol on the liver values is explained in detail. In a r\u00e9sum\u00e9, GPT, Gamma-GT and cholinesterase are regarded as sufficient for classifying almost 98% of all diseases of the liver, the limited significance of liver values as \"functional parameters\" being stressed, however."}
{"id": "PMID:1475886", "title": "[Kidney resection in cancer].", "content": "The authors analyze 5 cases of conservative surgery in renal cancer and formulate their point of view on indications for such interventions in patients with contralateral kidney. Relevant techniques and policy are specified."}
{"id": "PMID:1475893", "title": "[First indications of decrease in the incidence of hyperuricemia in North Germany].", "content": "For the first time after onset of the economic miracle since 1948/49 the continuous considerable upward trend of the prevalence of hyperuricemia among the adult population in northern Germany seems to be stopped. In a comparative study of a total of 7169 unselected patients of both sexes, that has been admitted as inpatients for rehabilitation reasons predominantly concerning rheumatic diseases, has been examined which differences result between 1988 and 1990 with respect to the prevalence of hyperuricemia in relation to overweight. Age structure, professions and social levels were comparable in both populations. In comparison with the large upward trend of the risk factor profile between 1976 and 1988 the prevalence of hyperuricemia in males decreased significantly from an average of 17.9 per cent to 15.2 per cent. For females only an insignificant trend to a decrease of the prevalence of hyperuricemia (4.5 per cent vs. 4.2 per cent) was noted. In hyperuricemic males the prevalence of overweight of more than 20 per cent in relation to the individual ideal weight was significantly more frequent than in the whole male population (70.1 per cent vs. 57.7 per cent). Just as for obesity and diabetes mellitus the prevalence of hyperuricemia among the adult population in northern Germany appears to have culminated or crossed its summit. There is further evidence for a small success of public and medical efforts to improve public health. Of a total of 3584 patients who were investigated in 1990 1977 males showed a mean serum uric acid level of 5.71 +/- 1.62 mg/dl whereas in females the corresponding mean value was highly significantly less (4.22 +/- 1.06 mg/dl)."}
{"id": "PMID:1475882", "title": "[The organizational and methodological aspects of teaching student interns clinical nephrology].", "content": "The analysis is given to experience in teaching clinical nephrology to subinterns at a therapeutic chair. The initial knowledge in nephrology assessed in undergraduates proved unsatisfactory. Guidelines are presented for lecturers as well as results of questioning surveys of the students. The students answers showed that individual clinical tasks appeared most difficult for them. The mean score fr home tasks was 3.1, good marks being given in 21% only. Poor knowledge was reported in resolving diagnostic questions, treatment of renal failure, treatment of the kidneys in systemic disorders of the connective tissue. The post-study test control stated considerable gain of relevant knowledge."}
{"id": "PMID:1475894", "title": "[Measuring work capacity in rheumatic diseases: functional disability, pain, pain-related cognitions and affects].", "content": "Rheumatic diseases, particularly those affecting the back, cervical spine, and the joints, are widespread in the general population. The general costs, especially those associated with social medical services, show constant increases. Time and effectiveness lost from work due to back problems in the FRG accounted for most of the days off the job because of disability, time spent in the hospital or at a health spa facility. Therefore, the appropriate evaluation of the degree of disability plays an increasingly important role in the area of social benefits. Yet unambiguous and objective physical measurements of the disease and the degree of associated disability are lacking in most cases of rheumatic diseases. More attempts to address the subjective aspects of the disease should be included in such evaluations. For recent years, models of measurement have been developed and tested, which are suited to the multidimensional nature of rheumatic illnesses. It is recommended that these be introduced in routine use for physical evaluations."}
{"id": "PMID:1475895", "title": "Caesarean sections in cattle attended by a practice in Cheshire.", "content": "The results of 77 caesarean sections in cattle carried out in a seven-person practice over a period of 16 months are described and evaluated. The standardisation of the surgical technique, the speed of decision making in dealing with dystocia, and the education of the farmers contributed to the 84 per cent calf survival rate, and post surgical complications were few. There was only one fatality in a dam."}
{"id": "PMID:1475896", "title": "Some aspects of the epidemiology and control of Salmonella typhimurium infection in outwintered suckler cows.", "content": "Two outbreaks of Salmonella typhimurium infections affected outwintered, spring-calving suckler cows in late pregnancy. The infections spread rapidly both within and between groups of stock on the affected farms, with morbidity in the infected groups varying from 14.5 per cent to over 60 per cent, and mortality in adult cattle varying from 0 to 14.3 per cent. Prophylactic measures included the use of antibiotics and killed vaccines against Escherichia coli, Salmonella dublin, S typhimurium, and Pasteurella multocida. In one outbreak, use was also made of a polyvalent serovaccine and hyperimmune serum against E coli, S typhimurium, and S dublin. In both outbreaks no new cases were reported in the affected groups after the administration of the second dose of vaccine, and there was no resurgence of disease on the affected farms within 18 months of the primary outbreaks."}
{"id": "PMID:1475897", "title": "Risk factors for the reinfection of specific pathogen-free pig breeding herds with enzootic pneumonia.", "content": "A case control study was designed to determine the risk factors for the reinfection of Swiss specific pathogen-free (SPF) pig herds with enzootic pneumonia. Detailed housing, management and environmental data were collected from 42 case farms and 50 control farms by means of a questionnaire. Factors with a significantly asymmetrical frequency distribution among the two groups were considered to be possibly associated with reinfection; they included the distance to the nearest non-SPF pig herd, the size of that herd, the density of the pig population in the area, the distance to the next road regularly carrying pig transporters and differences in topography. The results tended to support the hypothesis of the airborne transmission of enzootic pneumonia. Using a formula considering the main risk factors, it was possible to classify farms as high or low risk with an 84 per cent specificity and 74 per cent sensitivity."}
{"id": "PMID:1475898", "title": "Oesophageal choke in an African elephant.", "content": "A young African elephant suffered a fatal obstruction of the caudal oesophagus caused by an ingested apple. This report describes the attempts made to relieve the obstruction and the subsequent post mortem findings."}
{"id": "PMID:1475907", "title": "Characterization of the third origin of DNA replication of the genome of insect iridescent virus type 6.", "content": "The structure of the third origin of DNA replication (CIV-ori-M) of the genome (209 kbp) of Chilo iridescent virus (CIV) was determined by DNA nucleotide sequence analysis. The CIV-ori-M is located within the DNA sequences of the EcoRI CIV DNA fragment M (7 kbp; 0.310-0.345 viral map units) between the genome coordinates 0.310 (EcoRI site) and 0.317 (NcoI site). The DNA nucleotide sequence of the EcoRI/NcoI CIV DNA fragment (1601 bp) was determined for identifying the DNA sequence of the corresponding origin of DNA replication. The analysis of the DNA sequences of this region revealed the presence of a 12-mer inverted repeat at nucleotide positions 485-496 and 503-513 (485-AGATATTTGACT-496-TATGT-503-AGTCAAATATCT-513) that are able to form a hairpin-loop structure. A double-stranded DNA fragment was synthesized that corresponds to the nucleotide positions 485-513 that were cloned into the phages M13mp18 and M13mp19, and were screened for their ability to be amplified in CF-124 cell cultures infected with CIV. The successful amplification of the DNA sequence of the CIV-ori-M is strong evidence that this particular region of the CIV genome indeed serves as the origin of DNA replication."}
{"id": "PMID:1475908", "title": "The presence of antibodies to purified p24gag protein of HTLV-I in sera of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).", "content": "Sera of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) were tested for their reactivity to HTLV-I by western blotting (WB). Seven (18%) of 40 SLE serum samples reacted to the p24gag protein of HTLV-I by WB using purified gag antigens. The specificity of anti-p24gag antibodies in the SLE sera was confirmed by competitive inhibition on WB. Two of the seven patients were shown to be HTLV-I carriers, because HTLV-I infected T cell lines were easily established from their peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). Except for these two carrier patients, the gag proteins were not detected in the lysates of PBMC by WB using anti-p24gag and anti-p19gag monoclonal antibodies. The gag and pX genes of HTLV-I were not detected by PCR in PBMC of the SLE patients, with the exception of the 2 HTLV-I carrier patients. These results show no direct involvement of HTLV-I in the etiology of SLE. However, the existence of a specific antibody to p24gag in the sera of some of the noncarrier SLE patients suggests a crossreactivity to either unknown viruses or some autoantigens."}
{"id": "PMID:1475909", "title": "Transient expression assay in a baculovirus system using firefly luciferase gene as a reporter.", "content": "Transient gene expression assays were developed to assess the function of the regulatory sequences of baculoviruses Bombyx mori nuclear polyhedrosis virus (BmNPV) and Autographa californica nuclear polyhedrosis virus (AcNPV) in insect cells of Bombyx mori and Spodoptera frugiperda, respectively. DNA sequences encoding luciferase (luc) of the firefly Photinus pyralis was successfully employed in the expression assay as a reporter gene. Recombinant plasmids were constructed containing the luc gene under control of baculovirus-specific or heterologous promoters. Cotransfection of Bombyx mori and Spodoptera frugiperda cells with recombinant plasmids carrying virus-specific promoter sequences and BmNPV and AcNPV DNA, respectively, gave rise to efficient synthesis of luciferase (Luc), while heterologous promoters induced a low level of luc expression. We found that flanking sequences of the AcNPV DNA in the transfer plasmid contained an unknown promoter conferring an efficient luc expression. The activity of this promoter was modulated by the polh promoter sequences. The assay allows one to conduct highly sensitive monitoring of the transient expression of foreign genes from the transfecting plasmids prior to construction of recombinant viruses."}
{"id": "PMID:1475910", "title": "[The criteria for the diagnosis of chronic overheating in miners in deep coal mines].", "content": "The author analyzes a complex of informative signs and symptoms characterizing the main forms of disorders in chronic overheating: vegeto-vascular dysfunction, astheno-neurotic syndrome, reduced heat resistance, seizure. An integral criterion of the presence of chronic overheating in miners with a large length of work in conditions of heat is the total threshold of diagnostic coefficients (-9.8 units) and its absence (+12.5 units). Precision of the method -80%."}
{"id": "PMID:1475911", "title": "[The dispensary observation of patients with chronic nonspecific lung diseases who work in a dust-producing industry with a high radionuclide level as a consequence of the accident at the Chernobyl Atomic Electric Power Station].", "content": "Patients working at a small mining institution and suffering of chronic unspecific pulmonary diseases due to high dust and radionuclide contamination levels were examined. Four groups of dispensarization were singled out with the purpose of differential treatment for each group. Such treatment including also antiaggregant agents, nitro-drugs resulted in a good medico-social effect within 2 years."}
{"id": "PMID:1475917", "title": "[The characteristics of the Holter monitoring data on patients with a vasospastic reaction during the performance of transesophageal electrocardiostimulation].", "content": "Along with organic involvement of the coronary arteries their spasm is one of the mechanisms of development of acute myocardial ischemia. Transesophageal electrocardiostimulation in 314 patients with non-stable stenocardia revealed in 32 (10.2%) increased vasospastic activity. Holter monitoring allowed to find essential differences in patients with vasospasm manifested in a significant increase of the frequency and duration of nonpainful myocardial ischemia in the absence of distinct changes in painful ischemia. Two-week treatment with calcium antagonists allowed to reduce the ischemia level in the group of patients with vasospasm tendencies."}
{"id": "PMID:1475918", "title": "[The clinical characteristics of patients with an acute myocardial infarct complicated by ventricular tachyarrhythmias].", "content": "Having studied 455 cases of documented ventricular fibrillations and ventricular tachycardias leading to circulatory arrest, the authors distinguished clinical factors of unfavourable prognosis of the disease at early and late ventricular tachyarrhythmias, their primary and secondary forms. The possible role is stressed of prolonged persistence of electrical instability of the myocardium in late primary tachyarrhythmias which also include arrhythmias of the 2nd myocardial infarction day. The necessity is substantiated of early electrophysiological examination in myocardial infarction complicated by circulatory arrest or during high risk of its development."}
{"id": "PMID:1475919", "title": "[An assessment of the efficacy of different physical rehabilitation regimens in the hospitalization period of acute myocardial infarct (based on bicycle ergometric test data)].", "content": "A study is presented of 135 patients with uncomplicated acute myocardial infarction (macrofocal--70, microfocal--65) using the bicycle ergometry [correction of veloergometry] test with determination of the hemodynamics by tetrapolar rheography after hospital rehabilitation treatment. It was shown that early physical rehabilitation effected favourably remaining working capacity and hemodynamics after physical loads."}
{"id": "PMID:1475920", "title": "[The characteristics of the clinical manifestations of chronic hepatitis and liver cirrhosis depending on the structure of the inflammatory infiltrate in the liver tissue].", "content": "A study is presented of 107 patients with chronic hepatitis and liver cirrhosis verified on the basis of morphological changes of the punctate obtained at echocontrol puncture liver biopsy. It was established that clinical manifestations of chronic hepatitis and liver cirrhosis are determined not only by their morphological forms, but also by the structure of the inflammatory infiltrate of the liver tissue. This is to be considered in evaluation of the severity of the disease course and differentiated treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1475921", "title": "[The functional-morphological changes in the duodenum in chronic pancreatitis].", "content": "A study of the cavitary and membrane digestion of lipids, carbohydrates, proteins and data of the histological structure of the bioptate of the duodenal mucosa in 34 patients with chronic pancreatitis revealed the morphological picture of chronic duodenitis. This resulted in a reduction of the sorption properties of the intestinal epithelium that was manifested in a reduction of the rate of membranous digestion, mainly of lipids and lactose. Lesser degrees of protein, starch and saccharose hydrolysis were observed. Biopsy specimens of the duodenal mucosa showed a reduced activity of enterokinase and alkaline phosphatase. Antacids (almagel, phosphalugel), mineral waters (\"Borzhomi\", \"Poliana Kvasova\"), regeneration stimulators (Metacyl, retalil), agents stimulating the motor function (cerukal, reglan and oth.) are recommended for the complex treatment of concomitant duodenitis."}
{"id": "PMID:1475922", "title": "[The local treatment of patients with a duodenal ulcer with millimeter-range electromagnetic radiation].", "content": "A technique was designed for the treatment of duodenal ulcer patients by electromagnetic radiation of the millimeter range (ERMR); 30 patients were treated by this method, while 50 patients received traditional therapy; other patients were treated by lasers, cithemidin. Endoscopic ERMR treatment in combination with drugs was more effective than other methods."}
{"id": "PMID:1475923", "title": "[Plasminogen activators in assessing the reaction of patients with chronic obstructive bronchitis to physical loading].", "content": "Patients with chronic obstructive bronchitis showed an increased activity of the blood plasminogen activator in a group of patients under 40 years of age and absence of the dynamics of this index an older age group. The urokinase urinary activity did not change in the two groups. The blood activator activity increased in healthy young non-trained and trained young persons under the effect of loads. The urinary urokinase activity reduced only in trained persons."}
{"id": "PMID:1475924", "title": "[The characteristics of lysozyme and carbenicillin action on the clinico-immunological status of patients with chronic bronchitis].", "content": "Clinical, laboratory and immunological methods used to study 68 patients with chronic bronchitis revealed a normalizing effect of intratracheal administration of lyzozyme and its combinations with carbenicillin on the indices of cellular and humoral links of immunity. Treatment tactics is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1475925", "title": "[The morphofunctional characteristics of the adaptation of the erythron system in patients with iron-deficiency anemia].", "content": "The morphofunctional aspects of the erythron were studied in 168 pregnant with iron deficiency anemia and in 50 healthy pregnant women during the second half of pregnancy. Changes were found in the functional links of the structural-qualitative and oxygen-transport state of the erythrocytes depending on the severity of anemia up to development of the erythrocytopenia syndrome. Most effective was complex treatment including tocopherol acetate and unithiol."}
{"id": "PMID:1475926", "title": "[The characteristics of the lipid peroxidation processes in patients with glomerulonephritis and a hematuric component].", "content": "A study of 86 patients with glomerulonephritis, urinary syndrome, presence of the hematuric component is characterized by an activation of lipid peroxidation as a result of disbalance the antioxidant system, that causes corresponding changes in the lipid phase of the cell membranes, reduction of the phospholipid and cholesterol level in the membranes, increase of its deformability capacity that may be of significance for the development of the hematuric component in patients with glomerulonephritis. The data stimulate the necessity of searching treatment directed to reduction of lipid peroxidation activation, normalization of the antioxidant system, stabilization of renal cell membranes."}
{"id": "PMID:1475927", "title": "[A clinico-diagnostic evaluation of the sequelae of craniocerebral trauma by using computed tomography].", "content": "The authors analyzed sequelae of head injuries in persons of call-up age (16-23 years) using computer tomography. Neurological, psychopathological, clinico-laboratory methods, electroencephalography, rheoencephalography, echoencephalography and lumbar puncture were also carried out. The obtained data indicate that these subjects who sustained head injuries showed pronounced polymorphous posttraumatic disorders in the nervous system. These data should be considered in the examination of call-up age persons."}
{"id": "PMID:1475928", "title": "[The characteristics of population immunity to measles and diphtheria in adolescent collectives].", "content": "Population immunity to measles and diphtheria was evaluated among adolescents of a professional-technical school. Low indices of immunity were found. There was a clear difference in the number of girls and boys with antibody titers to measles virus and diphtheria anatoxin (dilution 1:40) as well as in the number of non-immune to diphtheria. A clear increase of the number of students with protective titers by the end of the school year evidences presence of latent epidemic process of measles and diphtheria."}
{"id": "PMID:1475929", "title": "[The characteristics of the psychoprophylaxis, treatment and rehabilitation of patients with alimentary obesity at an industrial enterprise].", "content": "The experience is described of a rehabilitation programs on reducing the body weight of a group of women working in a factory of food concentrates. changing the status food stereotype. Individual approaches are emphasized."}
{"id": "PMID:1475931", "title": "[Changes in the thrombocyte and procoagulant links in hemostasis in patients with arterial hypertension].", "content": "A study of 62 workers with arterial hypertension of the ore mining industry revealed significant and various changes of the thrombocytic and coagulation hemostasis in patients. Hyperfibrinemia, increase of adhesive-aggregation properties of cellular elements, depression of fibrinolysis creates a thrombogenic situation. For choice of treatment tactics in clinical conditions it is recommended to evaluate the thrombocytic and procoagulant links of hemostasis. Disorders in the system of primary hemostasis (increase of adhesive-aggregational properties of cellular elements) are an indication to the use of antiaggregants (tyclid, tyclopidin). In case of fibrinolysis depression, anticoagulants should be used in the therapy complex."}
{"id": "PMID:1475932", "title": "[Changes in the humoral systems in juvenile arterial hypertension and their correction by using nifedipine and anaprilin].", "content": "Examined were 140 adolescents with juvenile arterial hypertension (JAH) and 54 healthy adolescents (age: 15-19 years). Niphedipine was used in 36, anaprilin in 40; 60--did not receive these drugs (control group). The treatment lasted 6 months. It was found that before treatment adolescents with JAH showed a clear increase of the angiotensin, testosterone and plasma renin activity (PRA). Niphedipine treatment resulted in normalization of the angiotensin level, while anaprilin treatment resulted in normalization of PRA and testosterone. The two drugs reduced equally the level of arterial pressure."}
{"id": "PMID:1475933", "title": "[Neurogeriatrics--a new chapter in clinical neuropathology].", "content": "An analysis is presented of age-related changes of the nervous system in the course of aging and their role in the development and course of age-dependent diseases, primarily, atherosclerosis, arterial hypertension, parkinsonism, osteochondrosis etc. in the elderly and old. Practical physicians have to pay attention to the peculiarities of clinical symptomatology, diagnosis, treatment and secondary prophylaxis of nervous system diseases in the elderly and old."}
{"id": "PMID:1475934", "title": "[The use of the multivitamin preparation Supradin in treating patients with chronic gastritis and peptic ulcer].", "content": "The content of ascorbin acid and thiamin was assessed in the food ration of 36 patients with chronic gastritis and ulcer disease. By the end treatment including dietotherapy these vitamins showed a deficit. Correction of this deficit of the above mentioned vitamins with a polyvitamine drug \"Supradin\" allowed to improve significantly the biochemical indices and availability of ascorbic acid and thiamin in patients with chronic gastritis and ulcer disease. The treatment produced a favourable effect on the clinical course of the disease, reduction of the pain syndrome and earlier recovery."}
{"id": "PMID:1475935", "title": "[The diagnosis and treatment of osteoarthrosis deformans in subjects in contact with fluorine compounds].", "content": "A comparative study is presented of 378 workers with osteoarthrosis deformans (OD) contacting with fluorine compounds and in 106 patients with primary OD. The diagnostic criteria in these two categories of patients coincided. But the pain syndrome in the joints in professional fluorosis (PF) was associated with ossalgias (85%), tenderness of the bones (50.1%) and in 100% by symmetric hyperostosis. OD in PF was accompanied by a more pronounced density, was not accompanied by formation of nodes, and secondary synovitis was 4 times frequent. In OD plus PF males prevailed (96.7 e), and were averagely 10 years younger. In OD+PF treatment diet, calcium agents, glutamic acid should be used that bind and excrete fluorine from the body."}
{"id": "PMID:1475936", "title": "[The immunomodulating action of vilozen and splenin in angina patients against a background of chronic bronchitis].", "content": "Immunological indices were compared in 138 patients with angina and concomitant bronchitis; 86 of them received antibiotics, splenin and vylosen; 52 received routine treatment. It was established that use of a combination of splenin and vylosen produces a pronounced immunodulating effect in primary immunodeficiency states due to recurrences of angina and concomitant pathology of the bronchopulmonary in workers of a large industrial enterprise. Immunomodulators are indicated in the treatment of repeat and relapsing angina, especially in the presence of concomitant bronchitis."}
{"id": "PMID:1475937", "title": "[Enterosorption in the combined treatment of patients with salmonellosis].", "content": "Two groups of patients were estimated: one received routine treatment supplemented by microspheric carbonic sorbent per os. The sorbent-treated patients showed a more rapid disappearance of nausea, abdominal pain, fever, diarrhea. Enterosorption favoured normalization of the content of immunoglobulins, blood serum lyzozyme, reduction of the length of salmonellosis C-antigenemia."}
{"id": "PMID:1475938", "title": "[The prevention of skin diseases in workers in the manufacture of enzyme preparations].", "content": "Skin diseases, mainly, allergodermatoses, mycoses and pustular lesions are registered in most workers of the enzyme production. The authors recommend hygienic and therapeutic-prophylactic measures including complexes of antirecurrence therapy which allow to reduce the number of skin diseases in workers of the enzyme industry."}
{"id": "PMID:1475939", "title": "[The effect of nizoral on the function of the hypothalamo-hypophyseal-ovarian system in virilism].", "content": "A study is presented of the effect of nisoral on the hypothalamo-pituitary-ovarian system in 25 patients with hyperandrogenism (ovarian in 11, suprarenal in 14). It was established that most patients with oligomenorrhea and anovulation showed a restoration of the menstrual cycle after the 2-3 treatment courses and also absence of progression and reduction of the rate of pathological hair growth. After nisoral treatment the testosterone level decreased while estradiol and progesterone increased, gonadotropins remained unchanged, urinary excretion of 17-ketosteroids reduced."}
{"id": "PMID:1475940", "title": "[Experience in promoting the health of the children of a rural district at the physiotherapy clinic of a central district hospital].", "content": "Gastroenterological diseases were treated in children of a rural area using physiotherapy methods and non-traditional therapy. Treatment included mineral water (\"Borzhomi\", \"Naftusia\"). Favourable results are reported. The treatment is often carried out during school vacations."}
{"id": "PMID:1475945", "title": "The effect of human immunodeficiency virus infection on the distribution and outcome of pneumonia in intensive care units.", "content": "To determine the frequency and distribution of pneumonia in an intensive care unit (ICU), we retrospectively examined the records of 1,854 consecutive ICU admissions between January 1987 and April 1990. A total of 266 patients met criteria for pneumonia (unilateral or bilateral infiltrate by chest roentgenogram, plus 2 of the following: leukocyte count > 10 x 10(9) per liter, temperature > 38.5 degrees C, or culture of blood or sputum positive for pathogens). Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia in patients infected with the human immunodeficiency virus was the most frequent cause (28%) precipitating an ICU admission in this series of patients. Streptococcus pneumoniae (13%), Staphylococcus aureus (8%), Haemophilus influenzae (4%), and viruses (4%) were also commonly observed. Overall mortality was 20%. An APACHE II score of greater than 24, the need for intubation, and the presence of P carinii were predictive of increased mortality. Age, sex, and length of stay did not predict final results. Patients with P carinii pneumonia who required intubation had an overall mortality of 54%, which was higher than patients without P carinii pneumonia who required intubation (P < .05). Our experience shows the changing spectrum of pneumonia in ICUs. In contrast to reports of a decade ago in which S pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa are cited as most common, P carinii is now most prevalent in our ICU. Although our findings reflect the increasing incidence of human immunodeficiency virus infection in San Francisco, California, they may also be pertinent to other areas in the United States where the incidence of this infection continues to increase."}
{"id": "PMID:1475946", "title": "Submersion injuries in children younger than 5 years in urban Utah.", "content": "Submersion injuries of children younger than 5 years in 4 urban Utah counties from 1984 through 1988 were studied retrospectively to identify associated risk factors. Infants younger than 1 year had the highest rates of both submersion injuries and deaths. The incidence of bathtub drownings was 2 to 3 times higher than reported national rates. All bathtub drownings occurred while the victim was bathing with a young sibling (10 months to 7 years of age) without adult supervision. All drownings in pools and moving bodies of water (rivers, irrigation ditches) resulted from unintentional falls into the water rather than from swimming and wading activities. Drowning prevention strategies should focus on educating parents about the risk of young children bathing with siblings in the absence of adult supervision and fencing regulations for pools and open bodies of moving water."}
{"id": "PMID:1475947", "title": "Scombroid fish poisoning. Underreporting and prevention among noncommercial recreational fishers.", "content": "Food-borne diseases, including those caused by seafood products, are common and greatly underreported sources of morbidity. In this article we review the epidemiology of scombroid fish poisoning and its possible relationship to the noncommercial and recreational catch and sale of fish. More than 20% of all fish sold in the United States is caught by sport fishers, and outbreaks of scombroid fish poisoning have involved improperly handled fish from private catches. We report an outbreak of scombroid fish poisoning among recreational fishers in California. The unregulated sale of recreationally caught fish for consumption and the prevention of scombrotoxism are discussed from the perspectives of public health agencies, clinicians, and the fishing public. Scientific and policy issues that require further attention are high-lighted."}
{"id": "PMID:1475948", "title": "Seizures after eating a snack food contaminated with the pesticide endrin. The tale of the toxic taquitos.", "content": "In September 1988 we investigated reports of seizures in persons who had eaten taquitos, a commercially prepared snack food. We identified and interviewed 5 persons with new-onset seizures within 12 hours of eating taquitos, all purchased during a 1-week period from a single store. Leftover taquitos were found to contain endrin, a highly toxic chlorinated hydrocarbon pesticide. Although tissue confirmation of exposure to endrin was not possible and the level of contamination in the tested taquitos was below that previously thought to be capable of inducing seizures, the pattern of symptoms and the common time and place of purchase strongly suggested that the seizures were due to endrin-contaminated taquitos. The source of endrin contamination could not be determined. This episode is the first report of illness associated with endrin-contaminated food products in the United States."}
{"id": "PMID:1475949", "title": "Orthostatic hypotension. Causes, evaluation, and management.", "content": "Chronic orthostatic hypotension is caused by a variety of disorders. Frequently patients withdraw from social interactions, are prone to adverse drug reactions and inappropriate diagnoses, and are bed-bound by the time of diagnosis. Applying basic principles of cardiovascular physiology and pharmacology usually permits these patients to lead active lives and to live longer. Much of the management is based on common sense and knowledge of the basic pathophysiology of the disorder and depends on thorough patient education and close monitoring of blood pressure in many of the activities of daily living."}
{"id": "PMID:1475950", "title": "Eating disorders. A review and update.", "content": "Anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa are prevalent illnesses affecting between 1% and 10% of adolescent and college age women. Developmental, family dynamic, and biologic factors are all important in the cause of this disorder. Anorexia nervosa is diagnosed when a person refuses to maintain his or her body weight over a minimal normal weight for age and height, such as 15% below that expected, has an intense fear of gaining weight, has a disturbed body image, and, in women, has primary or secondary amenorrhea. A diagnosis of bulimia nervosa is made when a person has recurrent episodes of binge eating, a feeling of lack of control over behavior during binges, regular use of self-induced vomiting, laxatives, diuretics, strict dieting, or vigorous exercise to prevent weight gain, a minimum of 2 binge episodes a week for at least 3 months, and persistent overconcern with body shape and weight. Patients with eating disorders are usually secretive and often come to the attention of physicians only at the insistence of others. Practitioners also should be alert for medical complications including hypothermia, edema, hypotension, bradycardia, infertility, and osteoporosis in patients with anorexia nervosa and fluid or electrolyte imbalance, hyperamylasemia, gastritis, esophagitis, gastric dilation, edema, dental erosion, swollen parotid glands, and gingivitis in patients with bulimia nervosa. Treatment involves combining individual, behavioral, group, and family therapy with, possibly, psychopharmaceuticals. Primary care professionals are frequently the first to evaluate these patients, and their encouragement and support may help patients accept treatment. The treatment proceeds most smoothly if the primary care physician and psychiatrist work collaboratively with clear and frequent communication."}
{"id": "PMID:1475951", "title": "Late effects of poliomyelitis--an update on fatigue and weakness.", "content": "The Council on Scientific Affairs of the California Medical Association presents the following inventory of items of progress in physical medicine and rehabilitation. Each item, in the judgment of a panel of knowledgeable physicians, has recently become reasonably firmly established, both as to scientific fact and important clinical significance. The items are presented in simple epitome, and an authoritative reference, both to the item itself and to the subject as a whole, is generally given for those who may be unfamiliar with a particular item. The purpose is to assist busy practitioners, students, researchers, and scholars to stay abreast of these items of progress in physical medicine and rehabilitation that have recently achieved a substantial degree of authoritative acceptance, whether in their own field of special interest or another. The items of progress listed below were selected by the Advisory Panel to the Section on Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation of the California Medical Association, and the summaries were prepared under its direction."}
{"id": "PMID:1475969", "title": "[Selective screening for amino and organic acid inborn errors].", "content": "Aminoacidopathies and organoacidopathies are the most common acute life-threatening inborn errors of metabolism in the neonatal period. In the Federal Republic of Germany approximately 1 out of 5000 newborns is currently diagnosed as having an aminoacidopathy and approximately 1 out of 9000 newborns an organoacidopathy. Especially in the case of organoacidopathies there is substantial evidence that this number represents an underestimation. Many cases of amino- and organoacidopathies are still likely to remain undiagnosed. The incidence figures would warrant neonatal population screening for these disorders; however, the complexity and expense of the current methods prohibit this approach. Instead specialized investigations are carried out in children who develop symptoms indicative of an inborn error of metabolism. This approach is called selective screening. Early diagnosis, therefore, rests on a high degree of suspicion. In this paper clinical and laboratory findings of amino- and organoacidopathies are summarized. They can be nonspecific and misinterpreted. In the neonate and infant the presentation is commonly that of an acute overwhelming disease, whereas in the older child unexplained mental and/or neurological problems are often the leading symptom. We present an algorithm for the quick and comprehensive diagnosis of acutely presenting inborn errors of metabolism using commonly available parameters. However, in many cases the definitive diagnosis is not reached by selective metabolic screening of a single urine specimen of a patient, but requires close cooperation between the referring physician and the metabolic specialist. Multiple analyses, sometimes of different physiological fluids, or even in vivo and in vitro loading tests may be necessary.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1475970", "title": "[Strategies for the diagnosis of lysosomal storage diseases: symptoms, methods and samples].", "content": "Lysosomal diseases are a group of about 30 genetic defects with a total incidence of 3 to 4 cases/10,000 newborns. Their clinical appearance is very heterogeneous and comprises infantile, as well as juvenile or adult forms. Our concept for their diagnosis has now been in use for eight years and entails the following strategy: The three main symptom groups coarse facial features, visceromegaly and/or psychomotor retardation should be examined for their typical expression and for the occurrence of specific \"key symptoms\". Thereafter, biochemical analysis of urine for oligosaccharides, mucopolysaccharides and in some cases, of sphingolipids or direct enzyme assays in serum, peripheral leucocytes or skin fibroblasts are performed. The selection of appropriate methods is usually the domain of the biochemist and greatly depends on the available samples and the quality of clinical information. The diagnostic value and the limitations of methods and samples are discussed in detail. Finally, evidence of defects in the expression of relevant gene products, such as enzymes, activator proteins or transport proteins can be obtained and used for genetic counselling and/or for prenatal diagnosis in chorionic villi or cultured amniotic fluid cells. Our results confirm the data on the high incidence of mucopolysaccharidoses I and III A. In addition, a comparatively high number of otherwise rare diseases, such as fucosidosis or sialic acid storage disease was found. Among the group of sphingolipidoses, special attention should be paid to juvenile or adult forms."}
{"id": "PMID:1475971", "title": "[Importance of genetic counseling in inborn errors of metabolism].", "content": "In genetic counselling a detailed history including the family tree and the collection of old and new data lead to a comprehensive knowledge of the illness of the patient. Nevertheless it is important that the metabolic disease is defined as exactly as possible. Enzymatic examinations and genetic diagnosis at the molecular level should be performed for optimal counselling. In descendants of consanguinic pairs the incidence of inborn errors of metabolism is increased. Although in most cases autosomal recessive inheritance gives a clear picture of the well-known risks for the offspring, the individual possibility exists that different alleles could combine to different genotypes with variable phenotypic expression. Loading tests for detecting heterozygotes have become less important with the introduction of probes."}
{"id": "PMID:1475972", "title": "[Hemofiltration in acute neonatal metabolic crisis].", "content": "Continuous arteriovenous hemofiltration (CAVH) and venovenous hemofiltration (CVVH) were successfully used in the treatment of two neonates, one with maple syrup urine disease and the other with ornithine transcarbamylase deficiency. The plasma concentrations of branched-chain amino acids as well as of ammonium decreased to non-toxic values within a few hours and the clinical improvement in the encephalopathy was striking. Our results and a review of the literature show that hemofiltration is more effective than peritoneal dialysis in removing toxic metabolites. The best clearance rates are achieved by intermittent hemodialysis, but continuous hemofiltration is a simple, safe and effective alternative and is sometimes tolerated better by critically ill infants."}
{"id": "PMID:1475973", "title": "[Mucoviscidosis screening with immunoreactive trypsin].", "content": "Up to now 49,116 immunoreactive trypsin (IRT) measurements have been carried out in Austrian newborns in the first week of life. Related to provisionally chosen cut-off points, 301 newborns (0.61%) showed an elevated IRT value; 253 of them were successfully recalled. According to a direct strategy, sweat tests were done without a second IRT measurement in 101 infants; eleven of them were identified as cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. In accordance with a 2-step strategy, 152 infants were reinvestigated by a second IRT determination. Twenty-eight of them again showed an elevated IRT value, as based on provisional, age-dependent reference values; seven were subsequently identified as CF patients by sweat testing. So far two false-negative findings were obtained on IRT screening: one child was later identified as having CF on the basis of typical clinical symptoms and a positive sweat test, the other patient presenting with meconium ileus showed a normal IRT value after surgery, but was subjected to a sweat test in view of the underlying condition. These preliminary results suggest a CF incidence of 1 to 2460 newborns in Austria. Hence, IRT screening appears to be a reliable method for identifying CF patients in the newborn period, thereby facilitating early treatment and genetic counselling."}
{"id": "PMID:1475974", "title": "[Food service in Austrian hospitals: results of a survey].", "content": "130 medical and 130 administrative heads were asked to fill in a structured questionnaire to obtain an assessment of meals provided in Austrian hospitals. 62 questionnaires in each group were returned fully completed. Meals: \u00f6S 46,--are available per patient and day; whereby the costs of special diets are \u00f6S 11,--higher on average per day. Diets on offer: 96.8% of the questioned hospitals offered a diabetes diet; 95.2% a weight-reducing diet, 93.5% a light balanced diet and diet for patients with hyperlipidaemia and 90.3% a reduced salt diet (the worst accepted by the patients). 90.3% of these hospitals would consider dietary recommendations as a preventive measure. In fact, preventive dietary measure are implemented in 75.5% of the hospitals questioned. It was apparent that the staff in charge are aware of the influence of correct-nutrition in hospitals. It is recommended that nutritional advice should be offered more often in all wards (this is at present available in only 8.0% of the hospitals). It should be mentioned that financial resources concerning hospital meals should be increased for the more widespread establishment of \"healthy food\", too."}
{"id": "PMID:1475975", "title": "[An alternative to alcohol at the work site. General practice test of an electrolyte beverage in hot work environments].", "content": "A survey was performed in 1989 by the Institute of Social Medicine and the Austrian Workers Compensation Board(AUVA) to investigated the alcohol problem in 277 factories in which the workers were exposed to hot and dusty atmospheres. As a result of the findings, a further study was undertaken by the same research team to investigate one possible solution to the problem of alcohol consumption at work in a paper-producing factory, predominantly under hot and dusty conditions. The study was well prepared by many activities in the field of health promotion. In this trial, an electrolyte drink especially suited for heat-burdened work places, was introduced for three months as alternative drink to alcohol. Before and after this period the employees answered a questionnaire regarding their alcohol consumption and any changes in consumption habits. One of the main results of the study was the significant increase in electrolyte drink consumption and decrease in wine consumption although that of beer remained practically unchanged. The offered electrolyte drink was accepted as alternative drink by many workers and represents a practical example of health promotion at the place of work. This study should encourage other factories and businesses to experiment with electrolyte drinks especially suited to their particular conditions in an attempt to overcome the problem of alcohol consumption during working hours."}
{"id": "PMID:1475979", "title": "[Uteroplacental circulation in growth retardation--experiences with the clinical use of continuous-wave Doppler].", "content": "Doppler ultrasound measurement of blood flow velocity represents a non-invasive method of studying uteroplacental and feto-placental haemodynamics. Using a continuous-wave Doppler device, the blood flow velocity was examined in the uterine and arcuate arteries, as well as in the umbilical artery in 81 patients demonstrating fetal growth retardation. An increase in vessel resistance was found in the uterine and arcuate arteries in most of the patients. In addition, patients with fetal retardation showed a significantly higher rate of diastolic notching and incomplete registration of uterine and arcuate wave forms, especially in pregnancies complicated by hypertension. The implementation of the continuous-wave technique as a simple Doppler system allows differential evaluation of placental function and provides information on the nutritional supply to the fetus."}
{"id": "PMID:1475980", "title": "[Differential prognosis of patients with breast cancer with pleuritis carcinomatosa and with pulmonary lymphangiosis carcinomatosa].", "content": "The retrospective analysis of 672 consecutive patients with breast cancer revealed malignant pleural effusion and lymphangitic carcinomatosis of the lung to be the sites of first relapse of the disease in only 2% and 1%, respectively. In half of the 10 patients with malignant pleural effusions evaluable for survival, generalization of the disease was recorded at 51 months (range 0-197 months); the corresponding data for patients with lymphangitic carcinomatosis of the lung (n = 7) were 19 months (range 9-44 months). This difference was statistically significant (p < 0.05). The median survival of patients with pleural effusions and with lymphangitic carcinomatosis of the lung was 22 and 8 months, respectively (n.s.)."}
{"id": "PMID:1475981", "title": "[Fetal cerebral and renal circulation--a longitudinal study in the 2d half of pregnancy].", "content": "In a prospective longitudinal study 34 women were subjected to the following investigations 4-weekly from the 23rd to the 41st week of pregnancy: Doppler sonography of the umbilical artery, arteria cerebri media (ACM) and arteria renalis (AR), fetal biometry, estimation of the amniotic fluid volume and cardiotocography (CTG). 30 pregnancies ended in the birth of normal weight babies with no perinatal problems and in 108 examinations blood flow velocity waveforms of high quality were recorded in each vessel. We calculated the pulsatility index (PI), which was always within the normal range for the umbilical artery. Regression analysis was used to derive the 90% confidence intervals for the PI of ACM and AR and the PI ratio AR/ACM. A linear relationship was found between the AR PI and gestational age, while the relationship between the ACM PI and gestational age is better described by a quadratic equation. In both vessels a fall in PI was observed with advancing gestation. In the renal artery waveforms with absence of end-diastolic flow velocities were recorded up to 34 weeks only. CTG was assessed by the Fischer score, which showed a highly significant, positive correlation with gestational age (r = 0.316), but no correlation with the PI of the middle cerebral artery. The amniotic fluid volume showed a negative correlation with gestational age (r = -0.19), but no correlation with the PI of the renal artery."}
{"id": "PMID:1475982", "title": "[Computer-assisted patient data management: from department-specific individual solutions to Vienna-wide network comprehensive solution].", "content": "Up to now the daily routine work and statistics have been facilitated by using some self-developed microcomputer based data collection systems. No network has been established. Currently we implemented in out hospital \"Krankenanstalt Rudolfstitung\" a country-wide patient oriented data collection net system. In future it will be possible to compare all patients datas, methods and success of treatment of all Viennese hospitals."}
{"id": "PMID:1475985", "title": "[Prevention of the recurrence of duodenal ulcer with famotidine. Report of experiences with long-term therapy in an open clinical study].", "content": "In this open trial, 25 patients with identified duodenal ulcers were given long-term therapy of a single evening dose of 20 mg famotidine. 18 patients completed the study, 7 were withdrawn because of compliance difficulties. The patients included in this study had a long history of ulcer disease; ulcers were identified by endoscopy and they were healed after 4 or 8 weeks of H2-blocker therapy. Under long-term therapy with famotidine (Ulcusan), ulcers recurred in 3 patients after 3 months, a further 3 recurred after 6 months, and another 2 after 12 months. The recurrence of ulcers occurred in many patients without symptoms. Tolerance of the drug was good in all patients. No change in biochemical parameters was observed. Undesired side effects were not seen. Low dose famotidine therapy (20 mg Ulcusan tablets) is suitable in long-term treatment of peptic ulcer disease; frequent endoscopy would be advisable to detect recurrency of asymptomatically ulcers."}
{"id": "PMID:1475986", "title": "[Therapy of peptic ulcers with famotidine. Report of experiences with an open clinical study].", "content": "In a two center open uncontrolled clinical trial, the efficacy of a single evening dose of 40 mg famotidine (Ulcusan) was studied in a total of 37 patients (20 with chronic duodenal ulcers, 9 with recurring and 8 with acute gastric ulcers). 35 patients completed the study. In all 35 cases, endoscopic examination confirmed that ulcers had healed. All but one gastric ulcer healed within 4 weeks (80%) or 8 weeks (94.3%) of therapy. The cumulative rate of recovery for gastric ulcers was 87.5% and for duodenal ulcers 100%. During the first 4 weeks of therapy, vanishing of symptoms occurred and additional intake of antacids diminished progressively. Day-time symptoms tended to disappear earlier than nocturnal symptoms during the course of treatment. No objective or subjective side-effects were reported. A temporary exanthema appeared in 1 case after 4 weeks of treatment but could not be identified as causally related to famotidine. In this study famotidine turned out to be very effective in ulcer healing and was free of side effects. Thus, this preparation may be recommended also for \"low-dose long-term prophylaxis\" of chronic peptic ulcers."}
{"id": "PMID:1475987", "title": "[Time of famotidine administration and healing of duodenal ulcer: is 18.00 o'clock of importance?].", "content": "In a double-blind, placebo-controlled two centre trial, the effect of a 40 mg oral dose of famotidine administered at 6 p.m. to the same dose given at 10:00 p.m. was studied in 38 patients with duodenal ulcers. After 2 weeks 61% of the ulcers had healed; this had risen to 89% by the end of week 4. The statistically non-significant trend to better results following administration later at night (which apparently contradicts other published results) may have been due to a delay in adsorption caused by food ingestion and the related nocturnal pH levels."}
{"id": "PMID:1475988", "title": "[Treatment of mild to moderate reflux esophagitis with the H2-blocker famotidine].", "content": "The efficacy of a single daily dose of 40 mg famotidine was compared with that of the same dose administered twice daily for 4 and 8 weeks respectively, in the treatment of reflux oesophagitis of varying severity (oesophagitis stage I to III). A total of 20 patients took part in the trial; the rate of total recovery was 50%. A significant improvement was recorded in a further 10% of the patients, and no change was observed in 30%. In 5% of cases, a deterioration was seen, that is to say that the treatment was discontinued for 1 patient due to adverse reactions. Following a 4 week course of treatment, the rate of recovery was markedly better in the patient group given 40 mg twice daily, compared to the group receiving 40 mg once daily. After 8 weeks, taking into account the fact that 5 patients were withdrawn from the study, there was no significant difference in the rate of recovery. H2-blocker therapy would thus seem to be, as published, a potentially conservative treatment of mild to moderate forms of reflux oesophagitis. Higher daily dosages initially give better results."}
{"id": "PMID:1475989", "title": "[Causality and disease].", "content": "The interpretation of the causal relations in the beginning of a disease offers a central problem in medicine. It obtains a special interest with the increasing significance of the chronic diseases. The handling of this problem cannot depend on the experience of the every day life. It must take in consideration the general aspects of the causality as they are the topic of modern physics and biology as well as of philosophy. In the principle acknowledgement of the principle of causality a change from a deterministic monocausal to a more complex thinking takes place considering a complex of conditions followed by a field of possibilities of effects. Special interest needs the differentiation between the description and the interpretation of causal relations that means between ontological and epistemological thinking. The causal relation in medicine depends on the same principles as in physics and in biology."}
{"id": "PMID:1475990", "title": "[The effect of war-induced stress in Croatia on the incidence and mortality of acute ischemic heart disease].", "content": "During war operations in Croatia and air alarms in Zagreb, a significantly higher incidence of patients with acute coronary artery disease was registered. Higher incidence of patients with acute myocardial infarction was present and the incidence of hospital mortality among patients with myocardial infarction was significantly higher than earlier. Significant difference was not found between various study periods neither for sex ratio, localization of myocardial infarction (anterior vs. inferior) nor in the ECG form of myocardial infarction (Q vs. Non-Q)."}
{"id": "PMID:1475991", "title": "[20 years pentoxifylline: a part of recent angiology history].", "content": "Pentoxifylline was first registered (in Germany) 20 years ago. Then its main action seemed to be vasodilatation. Later hemorheological effect, in particular on red cell deformability, were found. Independent of its pharmacological effects, the clinical effectiveness in peripheral and cerebral arterial disease is well established. More recently its action on leucocytes has gained interest. Both rheological and biochemical changes have been reported. This new knowledge will create new indications for pentoxifylline within the near future which possibly will go beyond angiology."}
{"id": "PMID:1475992", "title": "[Chronified headache].", "content": "Paroxysmal headache of the migraine type as well as permanent undulating headache (which we call cephalea) can lead to chronification, both often mixes within the chronification. Existence of psychogenic factors (in the broader sense) favourises chronification of headache. A self supporting circulus vitiosus may arise, in combination with the cervical column, depressivity, whiplash-injury, chronical over-use of drugs (often not without an iatrogenic component), expertise situations. Therapeutically we emphasise a polypragmasy orientated on target-symptoms. Analgesics and tranquilizers want to be excluded as much as possible. Clearly indicated antidepressant are of great value, physiotherapy and psychotherapy as well. As ultima ratio we administer a neuroleptic sleeping cure."}
{"id": "PMID:1475993", "title": "Job stress, psychosocial strain, and physical health problems in women employed full-time outside the home and homemakers.", "content": "A pair of studies was conducted to investigate for both women employed full-time outside the home and homemakers: (a) relations between job-related stress and various indices of psychosocial strain and reported physical health problems; and (b) social support and number of children in the home in regard to direct relations with indices of psychosocial strain and physical health problems as well as moderating effects on relations between job stress and these indices. Self-report data were collected from 91 women employed outside the home and 95 homemakers. For both groups of women, more quantitative overload was associated with more tension and health problems. Greater quantitative overload was associated with more marital dissatisfaction for homemakers but not for women employed outside the home. Greater underutilization of skills for both groups of women was associated with more self-reported tension and poorer quality of marital relations but was not associated with health problems. Less reported tension was associated with greater overall social support for homemakers and greater social support from supervisors for women employed outside the home. Better quality of marital relationships was associated with greater overall social support for homemakers and greater social support from husbands and relatives/friends for women employed outside the home. For women employed outside the home, social support from supervisors and coworkers were found to moderate some of the relations between job stress and measures of psychosocial strain. Social support for homemakers, however, evidenced no moderating effects for relations involving job stress. Possibly because of low mean number and small variability in number of children in these samples, no direct relations or moderating effects were found for number of children for either group of women."}
{"id": "PMID:1475994", "title": "A prospective study of women's health: the effects of stress, hardiness, locus of control, Type A behavior, and physiological reactivity.", "content": "This study was a five-year follow-up of women who had participated in a previous experiment. At time one, we obtained measures of hardiness, Type A behavior, locus of control, stress, illness, and physiological reactivity. At time two, we obtained measures of illness for the past twelve months. Multiple regression analyses support the hypotheses that both hardiness and locus of control buffer the effects of stress on illness. Furthermore, Type A classification was associated with greater illness frequency and resting systolic blood pressure predicted future health status. An examination of all variables simultaneously revealed that future illness frequency is best predicted by locus of control x stress, high resting systolic blood pressure and low systolic reactivity. Future illness severity was best predicted by locus of control and resting systolic blood pressure. These results support the hypotheses that hardiness and locus of control buffer the effects of stress on health in women employed as clerical workers; however, the predictive power of hardiness in these women is largely accounted for by the contribution of locus of control."}
{"id": "PMID:1475995", "title": "Restructuring federalism: the effects of decentralized federal policy on states' responsiveness to family planning needs.", "content": "The Reagan Administration sought to decentralize many federal programs by (1) consolidating categorical grants into black grants; (2) reducing their funding; and (3) relying more upon state fiscal support. This study examines the effects of this decentralist policy upon the federal family planning program. Two periods are analyzed: (1) FY 1976-1981, the period immediately prior to the Reagan Administration and (2) FY 1982-1987, the period during the Reagan Administration. Findings show that a more decentralized program produced less responsiveness to individual state needs for family planning, and that these effects could have been predicted from the previous period."}
{"id": "PMID:1475996", "title": "Health and perimenstrual symptoms: health outcomes for employed women who experience perimenstrual symptoms.", "content": "This cross-sectional study describes physical health, psychological well-being, role satisfaction, and social support as reported by employed women who experience perimenstrual symptoms in comparison with employed women who do not experience perimenstrual symptoms. Both groups were similar in their employment and educational status. Yet, in addition to more physical health problems and a lower sense of psychological well-being, the symptomatic women were less satisfied with various aspects of their social lives and reported less social support. Results of this study provide empirical data from which to begin developing interventions directed toward the symptomatic woman's lifestyle and not just the specific perimenstrual symptom she experiences."}
{"id": "PMID:1475997", "title": "Women's perceptions about the way social roles promote or constrain personal nutrition care.", "content": "Research suggests that roles may affect women's health promoting behavior. This study was designed to discover, understand and develop hypotheses about the ways in which women's social roles influence their attitudes and beliefs about personal nutrition care. In-depth interviews were conducted with 36 married mothers, both employed and homemakers, at three different life stages. Interviews were analyzed using the constant comparative method of qualitative analysis. These data suggest that social roles influence women's attitudes about personal nutrition care in both positive and negative ways; this influence is modified by women's changing interpretations of their family roles at different life stages. The results have important implications for the prevention of chronic disease among women."}
{"id": "PMID:1475998", "title": "Health beliefs and behaviors of Saudi women.", "content": "This paper describes perceptions of familiarity with symptoms and beliefs about illnesses based on interviews with 50 Saudi women. The sample was young, with 82% under the age of 40, and not well educated by Western standards, with one-third being illiterate and 80% having no more than a primary school education. More than half lived in households of six or more. Although there was greater awareness of germs as causative factors in illness than previous studies in Saudi Arabia had demonstrated, beliefs in multiple causes, including religious beliefs about disease causation, persisted. There was an apparent lack of understanding of specific causes of various illnesses or of the rationale for preventive measures. This lack of understanding may be related to the low education levels and/or deeply ingrained cultural beliefs."}
{"id": "PMID:1475999", "title": "Atypical clinical manifestations of hepatitis A.", "content": "Viral A hepatitis is a self-limited infection occurring predominantly among children usually as an anicteric often subclinical illness. Adults afflicted with this virus are more likely to develop icteric hepatitis. This is exemplified in developed countries when a common source outbreak occurs among non-immune adults. Fulminant hepatitis is uncommon in the USA and hepatitis A has never been documented to evolve into chronic hepatitis. However, prolonged cholestasis and relapsing hepatitis are well described. The usual features of cholestatic viral hepatitis A are pruritus, fever, diarrhoea, and weight loss. Serum bilirubin levels are > 10 mg/dl and the clinical course lasts at least 12 weeks. Cholestasis will spontaneously resolve, although corticosteroids will hasten the resolution but may predispose the patient to develop a relapse of the hepatitis. A biphasic or relapsing form of viral hepatitis A occurs in 6 to 10% of cases. The initial episode lasts 3 to 5 weeks and is followed by a period of remission characterized by normal liver chemistries lasting 4 to 5 weeks. Relapse may mimic the initial episode of the acute hepatitis. The full duration of the illness ranges from 16 to 40 weeks from the onset and immunoglobulin M antibody to hepatitis A virus persists throughout the clinical course. Hepatitis A virus has been recovered from stools during the relapse. Extrahepatic manifestations of hepatitis A include evanescent skin rash and transient arthralgias. Documented cases of arthritis and cutaneous vasculitis have been associated with cryoglobulinaemia and are rare."}
{"id": "PMID:1476000", "title": "Management of acute and fulminant hepatitis A.", "content": "Symptomatic viral hepatitis A usually only requires supportive therapy and the majority of cases are managed in the community. The prodromal symptoms of nausea, anorexia and lethargy tend to improve with the onset of clinical jaundice. Fulminant hepatic failure is said to be an uncommon complication, occurring in only 0.14-0.35% of hospitalized cases. However, an increasing incidence has been documented in some northern European countries where up to 20% of cases of fulminant viral hepatitis is due to hepatitis A. This trend parallels the increasingly delayed exposure to hepatitis A and the increased severity of the illness when contracted in later life. The risk of developing fulminant hepatic failure is best monitored using coagulation factor assays, with the prothrombin time and factor V levels being the most favoured. The diagnosis is established with the onset of encephalopathy. Patients progressing to grade 4 encephalopathy have a reasonably good prognosis compared to other aetiologies and survival rates of up to 67% have been obtained with medical management, despite the co-existence of such complications as cerebral oedema, renal and respiratory failure and the metabolic sequelae of acute liver failure. Nevertheless, some patients require emergency liver transplantation and 10 such patients have been reported to date. Transplantation is especially required in older patients (> 40 years) and those who are jaundiced for > 7 days before the onset of encephalopathy. The serum bilirubin and the prothrombin time complement these parameters in the decision making process."}
{"id": "PMID:1476001", "title": "Epidemiology of hepatitis A: seroepidemiology and risk groups in the USA.", "content": "Surveillance and seroepidemiological data are important in determining optimal hepatitis A vaccine strategies. In the USA, after a decade of declining rates, reported hepatitis A rates gradually increased from 9.2 cases per 100,000 population in 1983 to a peak of 14.4 per 100,000 in 1989. In 1991, 23,144 cases were reported, for a rate of 9.1 per 100,000. Since 1983, rates in males have been consistently 20% higher than in females. Rates in children, adolescents and adults up to 39 years old have been roughly equivalent and approximately threefold higher than for persons > or = 40 years old. Among reported cases in 1989, the most commonly reported risk factor was personal contact with a hepatitis A case (26%), followed by employment or attendance at a day-care centre (14%), a history of injecting drug use (11%), a history of recent international travel (4%), and association with a suspected food or waterborne outbreak (3%). Of cases, 42% had no known risk factor for infection. The prevalence of antibody to hepatitis A virus in the general US population was 38.2%, based upon testing of 9516 participants from the second National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey conducted from 1976 to 1980. Prevalence increased steadily with age, ranging from 11% in persons < 5 years of age to 74% in persons > or = 50 years old. Because some groups may be difficult to vaccinate prior to disease exposure (contacts of cases) or are difficult to reach (drug users or persons with unidentified risk), a selected risk group vaccination strategy may not be successful in reducing the disease burden in the USA.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1476002", "title": "Hepatitis A in Swedish travellers.", "content": "The incidence of hepatitis A is very low in Sweden. It has been shown that the prevalence of antibodies to hepatitis A virus is 6.6% in individuals < 40 years of age and 1% in those < 20 years old. The number of reported cases of hepatitis A infection has declined from 628 in 1985 to approximately 250 during the last four years. The attack rate per 100,000 inhabitants has thus declined from 7.3 to approximately 3 during this period. The number of cases in travellers has been stable at approximately 140 cases per year during the period 1985-1990. About one-third of the cases are associated with travel to either Europe or Asia. Immune globulin has been widely used as prophylaxis but use has declined. Based on travel statistics and estimation of the use of immune globulin, a risk ratio was calculated for the relation between the number of travellers not receiving immune globulin and cases of registered hepatitis A infection. This risk ratio was > 50,000 for travel to the Mediterranean part of Europe, approximately 100 for travel to Africa and approximately 300 for travel to Asia."}
{"id": "PMID:1476003", "title": "Hepatitis A in Norwegian troops.", "content": "More than 40,000 Norwegian troops have served in various UN peacekeeping operations since 1947. Coming from an area with low natural protection against hepatitis A, this disease has been a major concern to military authorities planning peacekeeping operations. More than 50 individuals have been repatriated due to hepatitis A, causing additional cost to the operations. After introduction of standard passive immunization with 2 ml immune globulins, reasonable protection was obtained for a limited time despite increasing risk of infection."}
{"id": "PMID:1476004", "title": "Expression of influenza neuraminidase in baculovirus-infected cells.", "content": "Recombinant influenza neuraminidase (NA, subtype 2, A/NT/60/68) was produced by recombinant baculovirus-infected insect cells. The recombinant NA retained enzyme activity and was located on the cell surface. Enzyme activity was both cell-associated and in the cell free supernatant; maximal NA activity was found in the supernatant. Recombinant NA was recognised by polyclonal antisera and by three monoclonal antibodies specific for NA (subtype 2). Enzyme activity was also neutralised by polyclonal antisera. Recombinant NA thus retains most of the immunological and activity properties of authentic influenza NA. Immunoprecipitation of [35S]Methionine-labelled cells and supernatant and partial purification of NA indicated that a approximately 50-kDa form of NA was present in the supernatant, whilst the expected size (approximately 67-kDa) was cell-associated. Purified recombinant extracellular virus was also enzymatically active, and contained the 67-kDa NA which was located on the membrane capsule of the virus. This suggests that the virus had acquired the cell-associated form of recombinant NA during the budding process from the cell."}
{"id": "PMID:1476005", "title": "Characterization of baculovirus-expressed hemagglutinin and fusion glycoproteins of the attenuated measles virus strain AIK-C.", "content": "With measles virus cDNA of the avirulent vaccine strain AIK-C, two cDNAs of H or F genes were amplified by the polymerase chain reaction. The amplified cDNAs were inserted respectively to the baculovirus transfer vector pAcYM1 derived from the nuclear polyhedrosis virus of Autographa californica (AcNPV). After co-transfection of the transfer vectors with AcNPV DNA to Spodoptera frugiperda cells, recombinant baculoviruses were screened by plaque assay, and the viruses containing H-cDNA or F-cDNA were named H-AIK or F-AIK, respectively. By Western blot analyses, the band around 80 kDa and some smaller bands were appeared in the H-AIK infected S. frugiperda cells, and the band around 40 kDa was detected in the F-AIK infected cells. Immunofluorescence studies on unfixed S. frugiperda cells infected with H- or F-AIK recombinants showed that both antigens were transported to the cell surface. When green monkey red blood cells were added to the recombinant infected cells, H-AIK infected cells showed haemadsorption, and cells infected with F-AIK lysed the red blood cells. The recombinant proteins elicited the neutralizing antibodies against measles virus."}
{"id": "PMID:1476006", "title": "[Polymyalgia rheumatica and giant cell arteritis; diagnosis and side effects of low-dose long-term glucocorticoid therapy].", "content": "Due to good therapeutic results and few side-effects so-called \"low-dose glucocorticoid therapy\" (ldgc) with daily glucosteroid dosage below 10 mg prednisolone-equivalent has recently been recommended in managing polymyalgia rheumatica and giant cell arteritis. This fact is of important interest, since mean therapy time is often over a period of five years. An open-prospective study with 75 patients in a rheumatological unit was done in which different clinical histories were examined and glucosteroid side effects of 47 patients who had received therapy over six months were analyzed. Main side-effect shown was osteoporosis (n = 7), other known steroid-side effects were quite seldom (less than 5%). Dosage regimens and therapy monitoring criteria are proposed."}
{"id": "PMID:1476007", "title": "[Recording muscle spasm in the musculus erector spinae using in vivo 31P magnetic resonance spectroscopy in patients with chronic lumbalgia and generalized tendomyopathies].", "content": "Using 31P nuclear magnetic resonance, the following parameters were determined in the resting musculus erector spinae of five patients suffering from chronic low back pain, five patients with fibromyalgia, and five healthy controls: Inorganic phosphate (Pi), phosphocreatine (PCr), ATP gamma, ATP alpha, ATP beta. The intracellular pH was derived from the chemical shift of Pi referenced to the PCr resonance. In addition, the Pi-Index was calculated according to the formula: Pi/(Pi + PCr). We discovered a tendency towards a shift of the Pi resonance in the alcalic direction, which was the larger, the stronger muscle spasm was found on palpation. The pH showed the most reliable relationship to the clinical status of muscle spasm. The surprising finding that there is no acidification within the spasmed muscle indicates that generalized hypoxia does not exist in this tissue. This has already been shown with PO2 measurements. An intracellular acidification is only recorded during maximal isometric contraction. Thus, ischemia cannot be responsible for pain experienced during muscle spasm."}
{"id": "PMID:1476013", "title": "[Regulation of dimethylbenzanthracene-induced P1-450 gene expression in human lung tumor cells in culture].", "content": "Dimethylbenzanthracene (DMBA) stimulates expression of P1-450 gene in human lung tumor cells (ChaGo). A concentration and time-dependent increase in the level of P1-450 specific mRNA sequences has been observed in ChaGo cells treated with sublethal concentrations of DMBA. The methylation pattern of \"-CCGG-\" sequence of most of the coding region and of the 3' end of P1-450 gene is not affected by such DMBA treatment; DMBA-treatment of the cell induces hypomethylation of only the 5' end \"-CCGG-\" sequences of the gene. These results demonstrate that DMBA-treatment of ChaGo cells induced increased expression of gene can be correlated to the increased degree of site specific hypomethylation of the internal \"-C-\" residues of the \"-CCGG-\" sequences located at the 5' end of the P1-450 gene. However, it is also possible to have other molecular mechanism of regulation."}
{"id": "PMID:1476008", "title": "[Determination of regional rate of glucose metabolism in lumbar muscles in patients with generalized tendomyopathy using dynamic 18F-FDG PET].", "content": "Generalized tendomyopathy (GTM), or fibromyalgia (FM), is a disease characterized by wide-spread pain in the musculoskeletal system which usually begins at a single site, e.g., as low-back pain or cervical syndrome, and develops into generalized pain over months or years. The disorder affects primarily women, beginning around the age of 35 and reaching its peak during or after the menopause. Its etiology is still unknown. Secondary forms are observed particularly in rheumatoid arthritis. In order to get more information on FM we determined the local metabolic rate of glucose in vivo in the skeletal muscle (lumbar region) with dynamic 18F-FDG positron emission tomography (PET). 2 healthy volunteers and 6 female patients with FM reaching in age from 31 to 53 years were scanned. As 18F-FDG PET scanning is a metabolic tool, it is crucial to observe standardized conditions of metabolic steady-state. We used, therefore, the hyperinsulinemic euglycemic insulin clamp technique to stimulate the myogenic glucose uptake under stable plasma-glucose levels. The local metabolic rates of glucose utilization were estimated with a non-linear least squares fit on the 3 compartment 18F-FDG-model. A lumped constant of 0.67 was assumed. Under glucose clamp conditions patients with FM showed a significantly (p < 0.001) lower metabolic rate of glucose (4.3 +/- 1.1) mumol/100 g tissue/min compared with normal volunteers (8.5 +/- 2.3 mumol/100 g/min). Due to a significantly (p < 0.005) increased glucose backflow from tissue into the vascular space (k2 in the kinetic model) the rate of phosphorylation was markedly reduced in patients with FM.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1476009", "title": "Immunohistochemical studies of age-associated amyloid deposition in the joint of senescence-accelerated mouse (SAM).", "content": "The senescence-accelerated mouse (SAM) is a murine model of accelerated senescence and consists of the senescence-accelerated prone mouse (SAM-P) and senescence-accelerated resistant mouse (SAM-R), the latter of which shows normal aging characteristics. SAM shows a high incidence of age-associated microscopic amyloid deposition in synovial joints and intervertebral discs and the lesion is histologically quite similar to that of humans. The amyloid fibril protein of these mice is well characterized as a murine systemic senile amyloid (ASSAM). Twenty SAM-P and three SAM-R mice were used for this immunohistological study. Synovial joints and intervertebral discs were stained by immunoperoxidase method (PAP) using anti-ASSAM and anti-mouse AA antibodies and compared with birefringence in a Congo-red-stained section. Positive staining was observed in annulus fibrosus of the intervertebral discs, blood vessels, synovia, and on the surfaces of the meniscus and articular cartilage, exactly at the same site where green birefringence in Congo-red staining was observed. Both ASSAM and AA existed in the articular structures of SAM and the incidence of AA was significantly correlated with systemic signs of inflammation at autopsy. Among blood vessels, synovium and articular cartilage, there was no one tissue where amyloid deposited earlier than others. It was postulated that amyloid is transported via synovial fluid as its fibrillar form or as a precursor and that it deposits on the surface of articular cartilage."}
{"id": "PMID:1476014", "title": "[A dynamic observation on the fate of samarium in mouse liver].", "content": "It is generally considered that the rare earth compounds are plasma membrane-impermeable, thus affecting the cells only on their surface. Recently, we found that after repeated injections to mice of large dose of samarium trichloride, a soluble compound of rare earth, samarium aggregates appeared in Kupffer cells and hepatocytes of liver. In this study, we aimed at observing the route by which samarium enters the liver cells and the process of the formation of samarium aggregates. Samarium trichloride was given to Swiss mice at one dose of 70 mg/kg intravenously. Thereafter, at different intervals from 15 min to 48 h after the injection, the samarium in liver was traced dynamically by electron microscopy and X ray microanalysis. From 15 min to 2 h both Kupffer cells and hepatocytes endocytosed samarium-containing particles and formed phagosomes, in which the ingested particles were progressively concentrated. Besides, the small phagosomes fused with each other. Phagocytosis was especially active in Kupffer cells. During the 4 h to 24 h many Kupffer cells were degenerated and broken. In hepatocytes the phagosomes gathered mostly around the bile canaliculi. Groups of highly electron-dense particles were found in the lumen of bile canaliculi, implying the excretion of samarium by bile. At the 48 h, the samarium-containing phagosomies were found still in both kinds of cells in the liver."}
{"id": "PMID:1476015", "title": "[The establishment of human anti-tetanus toxoid hybridomas with in vitro immunized human tonsil cells].", "content": "Human tonsil cells in vitro immunized with tetanus toxoid were fused with human-mouse heteromyeloma line RF to generate human-mouse hybridomas. Hybridoma 891112-50 was cloned and 2 subclones (891112-50-3 and -4) were obtained. The secreted antibodies from the subclones were antigen specific, since they did not cross react with three irrelevant antigens (OVA, TCS and F gamma G). The hybridomas were quite stable. After 13 passages in tissue culture flasks, they still retained their antibody secreting ability. From flow cytometry analysis the subclone 50-3 was more stable than the subclone 50-4. The human immunoglobulin contained in supernatant collected during regular passages was equivalent to 69.6 micrograms/ml."}
{"id": "PMID:1476010", "title": "The coexistence of mutilating rheumatoid arthritis, progressive systemic sclerosis and polycythemia vera--a case report.", "content": "A 41-year-old patient with mutilating rheumatoid arthritis and progressive systemic sclerosis, who developed a chronic myeloproliferative disorder polycythemia vera was observed. Some of the pathogenetic aspects of this case with special respect to the function abnormalities of peripheral blood polymorphonuclear cells are analyzed."}
{"id": "PMID:1476011", "title": "Association of rheumatoid arthritis with Kartagener's syndrome in a patient with HLA-DR1-DR4-B27 haplotype.", "content": "A case of severe seropositive rheumatoid arthritis associated with Kartagener's syndrome in a patient positive for B27, DR4, and DR1 has been presented. A number of immunological disturbances were observed, especially defective granulocyte function and depressed delayed hypersensitivity."}
{"id": "PMID:1476016", "title": "[Quantitative evaluation of the stability of antibody production by human-mouse hybridoma clones with flow cytometry analysis].", "content": "The paper described a method of quantitative stability analysis of antibody production by hybridoma clones with flow cytometry (FACS). Through FACS analysis the frequency of antibody-negative variants was measured. The rate of generation of antibody-negative variants/cell/generation (mu) could be calculated through Luria-Delbr\u00fcck fluctuation analysis. The results showed that the value of mu was correlated to the antibody production of hybridoma clones: the larger was the mu value, the more unstable was the antibody production by the hybridoma clones. The experimental results suggested that the clone was stable if its mu value was on the magnitude of 10(-3), while the clone was not stable if its mu value was on the magnitude of 10(-2). According to requirements of single cell for FACS analysis and presence of a variety of methods for dispersing cell aggregates to single cells, the authors regard that this method is fully suitable for analysis of cells in suspension or even in the form of aggregate."}
{"id": "PMID:1476017", "title": "[Synthesis cloning and expressions in E coli of human insulin A and B chain genes].", "content": "Human insulin A and B chain genes were designed and synthesized by using a rapid and simple method. The synthesized A and B chain genes were cloned separately. The expression (plasmids) pWR 590-HIA and pWR 590-HIB were constructed, and the two plasmids can direct the synthesis of the approximately 590 amino acid-long truncated beta-galactosidases fused to human insulin A or B chains. The fused A or B chain proteins were isolated from the fermented cells and cleaved with BrCN. The resulting mixtures were sulfonated and the sulfonated A and B chains were purified. Human insulin was obtained by using an A and B chain combination method."}
{"id": "PMID:1476018", "title": "[Studies on the function of Ser579 and Arg580 in beta-subunit of penicillin G acylase with the method of site-specific mutagenesis].", "content": "According to the comparison of amino acid sequence between PGA (Penicillin G Acylase) and PBPs (Penicillin Binding Protein), We suggest that No. 565-595 peptide fragment in beta-subunit of PGA may be a substrate-binding site of enzyme. Plasmid pTZGA was constructed by cloning the 2.6 kb PGA gene of pWGA into phagemid pTZ18U The technique of site-specific mutagenesis was used to study the role of residue No. 579 (Ser) and No. 580 (Arg) of PGA. Four kinds of mutants were obtained (Ser579-->Gly579, Arg580-->Gly580, Arg580-->Glu580, Arg580-->Lys580), both Glu580 and Gly580 mutants showed no activity of enzyme and Lys580 mutant remained 30% and Gly579 mutant kept 70% activity of wilde type. The same protein expression of four mutants according to the results of ELISA indicate that mutation does not affect the expression of PGA, but Arg580 residue may be essential for substrate-binding or catalysis of PGA."}
{"id": "PMID:1476019", "title": "A probable involvement of rice allergy in severe type of atopic dermatitis in Japan.", "content": "1006 patients with typical and atypical lesions of atopic dermatitis (AD) were analysed statistically. The clinical severity was closely correlated to serum IgE values and RAST (radio-allergosorbent test) positivity. The frequency of RAST-positive antigens was significantly correlated with serum IgE values (gamma = 0.712; p < 0.01). The analysis of multiple correlation between the clinical severity and each RAST score for mite, egg white and rice antigens suggested a strong contribution of rice allergy to the development of severe AD. 25 patients with severe AD and positive rice-RAST were treated by rice exclusion diet. The results were as follows: 9 cases remarkably responsive, 10 cases moderately responsive and 6 cases unresponsive. The rice-RAST titre decreased most remarkably in the 1st group. The wheat-RAST titre also decreased in the 1st, in spite of taking wheat foods every day, but increased in the 3rd. A probable role of rice allergy in severe AD in Japan is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1476020", "title": "Mass trial of hypoallergenic rice (HRS-1) produced by enzymatic digestion in atopic dermatitis with suspected rice allergy. HRS-1 Research Group.", "content": "The clinical usefulness of a hypoallergenic rice (HRS-1) which was produced by enzymatic decomposition of the constituent proteins of original rice was evaluated in a multicentre study in 44 subjects with recalcitrant atopic dermatitis (AD), who were suspected of having rice allergy. The subjects were fed for at least 4 weeks with HRS-1 instead of eliminating both regular rice and wheat from their daily diet. The extent of overall skin lesions was expressed by using the AD affected area and severity index (ADASI). A statistically significant decrease in ADASI was observed at the 2nd and the 4th week readings and at the end of the study. A provocation test with regular rice was carried out in 5 of 44 subjects following the HRS-1 therapy. An obvious increase in ADASI was found in all of these 5 cases just after this procedure. On final evaluation, 77% of the patients tested showed 'moderate' to 'remarkable' improvement, and 59% of the patients a 'moderate' to 'remarkable' reduction in use of the steroid ointment concomitantly used for the treatment. Finally, HRS-1 was evaluated as 'useful' or 'very useful' in 69% of the subjects."}
{"id": "PMID:1476021", "title": "Extreme dietary measures in the management of atopic dermatitis in childhood.", "content": "Of 63 children with severe atopic dermatitis who were treated with a diet eliminating all but 6 foods for a 6-week period, 9 (14%) abandoned the diet, 21 (33%) completed the diet but did not benefit, and in 33 (52%) there was significant benefit. However, the outcome at 12 months was the same regardless of the response to the diet because of the tendency for dermatitis to markedly improve in all three groups. Of 37 children with exceptionally severe atopic dermatitis treated with an antigen avoidance regimen comprising hospitalization, exclusive feeding with an elemental formula for a median duration of 30 days, and measures to reduce exposure to pet animal and dust mite antigens at home, 10 (27%) either failed to respond to the regimen or relapsed within 12 months, and sustained improvement was seen in 27 (73%) patients. A few-food diet or a strict anti avoidance regimen may be associated with improvement of atopic eczema where conventional treatments have failed."}
{"id": "PMID:1476022", "title": "High-dose-UVA1 phototherapy: a novel and highly effective approach for the treatment of acute exacerbation of atopic dermatitis.", "content": "High-Dose-UVA1 irradiation has recently been found to be a new, prompt-acting and highly effective phototherapeutic approach to the treatment of patients with acute exacerbation of atopic dermatitis. This therapeutic efficacy was demonstrated by a marked improvement of clinical symptoms as well as of laboratory parameters, which were found to reflect disease activity in atopic dermatitis. Investigation of the photoimmunological mechanisms responsible for the therapeutic effectiveness of this modality indicates that eosinophils and epidermal Langerhans cells may be targets for High-Dose-UVA1."}
{"id": "PMID:1476023", "title": "The treatment of difficult atopic dermatitis in childhood with oral beclomethasone dipropionate.", "content": "Beclomethasone dipropionate (BDP) is a synthetic glucocorticoid with great topical potency. It has previously been demonstrated to be an effective treatment for childhood atopic dermatitis (AD) when given orally. We have monitored linear growth and adrenal function in a group of children treated with oral BDP for severe AD. Stable control of disease was achieved in 10/14 patients (mean dose: 1000 micrograms/day, range 800-1800). At this maintenance dose, there was evidence of deceleration of linear growth in 7/10 patients. There was no significant difference between pre-treatment 8 a.m. plasma cortisol levels and those on the maintenance dose. However, there was a reduction in 24-hour urinary cortisol excretion during maintenance treatment, although this did not reach statistical significance. We regard oral BDP as a useful treatment in widespread childhood atopic AD that has not responded adequately to topical therapy. However, it is mandatory that growth be monitored carefully during its use."}
{"id": "PMID:1476024", "title": "Successful treatment of therapy-resistant atopic dermatitis with clobetasol propionate and a hydrocolloid occlusive dressing.", "content": "During recent years, 48 patients with therapy-resistant chronic skin lesions of atopic dermatitis have been treated once a week with clobetasol propionate lotion left under Duoderm occlusive patches. They had previously failed to respond, or responded only sparsely, to topical corticosteroids. The lesions resolved completely in 44 patients, while partial remission was observed in the remaining 4. The mean time needed to obtain complete remission was, for lichenifications, 2 weeks; pruriginous lichenoid papules, 12 days; chronic hand eczema, 2.5 weeks; nummular eczema, 8 days; perioral eczema, 11 days, and breast eczema, 10 days. Adverse experiences were mild and infrequent. The amount of topical corticosteroid required was reduced to at most one-twentieth and to as little as one-hundredth of the amount of common topical steroid treatment needed. We conclude that clobetasol propionate and Duoderm once a week is the best treatment for resistant lesions of atopic dermatitis."}
{"id": "PMID:1476025", "title": "Allergen-antibody complexes in the treatment of atopic dermatitis: preliminary results of a double-blind placebo-controlled study.", "content": "Twenty-three adult patients suffering from chronic atopic dermatitis (AD) have been treated by regular injections of complexes made of D. pteronyssinus allergens and specific autologous antibodies. A double-blind placebo-controlled protocol was followed for 4 months, then the patients were treated openly to complete a full year on active therapy. Preliminary results are presented for the first 8 months. Seventy-three percent of patients improved when treated with complexes, showing a mean improvement of more than 70% after 4 months. This study suggests that injections of allergen-antibody complexes is an effective treatment of at least some forms of AD and confirms that airborne allergens are significant exacerbating factors of AD."}
{"id": "PMID:1476026", "title": "Recent epidemiological and genetic studies in atopic dermatitis.", "content": "In a prospective computerized study, basic and minor features of atopic dermatitis were studied systematically in established cases of atopic dermatitis (AD; n = 428) and compared with subjects randomly collected from the caucasian normal population of young adults (NP; n = 659). Complete genetic data (history of AD, allergic rhinitis, allergic asthma) were obtained from the first-degree relatives of all subjects (about 9,000 family members). In young adults, atopy was found in 22.5% (AD 4.7%, allergic rhinitis 17.9%, allergic asthma 4.8%). Of 428 AD patients, 54% had 'pure' AD and 46% suffered from a 'mixed' type with concomitant respiratory allergies (RA). The general risk of developing AD and atopy increases with each first-degree family member already suffering from atopy. Our study further supports the evidence of a genetic influence on symptom specificity. Risk figures for genetic counselling are given. The complex interplay of atopic symptoms and signs in the diagnosis of AD has been analysed by a CART analysis. Compared with non-eczematous controls, the odds ratios (OR) of frequent features in AD are as follows: xerosis (OR 27.9, 95%-CI 23.2-33.8), itch when sweating (OR 25.4, 95%-CI 21. 1-30.1), white dermographism (OR 19.3, 95%-CI 16.2-23.2), wool intolerance (OR 15.8, 95%-CI 13.40-18.5), whereas the OR of elevated IgE (> 150 U/ml) was only 5.0 (95%-CI 4.3-5.8). But when comparing the AD patients with concomitant RA separately, the odds ratio is increased to 16.2."}
{"id": "PMID:1476027", "title": "Comparative effects of two topical antiseptics (chlorhexidine vs KMn04) on bacterial skin flora in atopic dermatitis.", "content": "In order to determine the efficacy and tolerance of two topical antiseptics, chlorhexidine vs KMn04 (diluted at 1:20,000), we compared their bacteriological and clinical effects in a randomized trial on 20 children with Atopic Dermatitis (AD) treated with topical steroids (desonide). After treatment, a clinical improvement was noted in the two groups, though without statistical differences. In vivo: Before treatment, Staphylococcus aureus (S.A.) density was high and predominant in both groups. After treatment, the decrease in S.A. was greater in the chlorhexidine group than in the KMn04 group, without significant difference. In vitro: At the clinical dilution used, there was a statistical difference (p < 0.05) between the number of killed bacteria in the chlorhexidine group (-3 log) and the number in the KMn04 group (-1 log). This study confirms the role and importance of the choice of a topical antiseptic in the treatment of AD."}
{"id": "PMID:1476028", "title": "Re-evaluation of skin lesion distribution in atopic dermatitis. Analysis of cases 0 to 9 years of age.", "content": "Distribution of skin lesions was studied in 1,012 patients under 10 years of age, with atopic dermatitis. Of these, 812 (80.2%) had an atopic history; 200 did not. Both categories were divided by age into five subgroups (3-5 months, 6-11 months, 1 year, 2-4 years and 5-9 years) and the incidence of lesions in each of 52 skin regions was compared between the positive and negative history groups and between different age groups. The results were as follows. 1. There was a change in predilection site, from the head (the scalp, face and peri-auricular area) to the neck and flexures (cubital and popliteal fossae) between 1 and 2 years of age. 2. The trunk (shoulders, chest, abdomen and back) was the most common predilection site in both infants and children. 3. Only the upper arm was affected more frequently on the external side than the internal side in all age groups. 4. The nose, mamillae, palms and feet were the least affected areas in all age groups. 5. Incidences in the positive history group were no higher than in the negative group."}
{"id": "PMID:1476029", "title": "Factors influencing the localization of atopic dermatitis.", "content": "Atopic dermatitis is clinically characterized by the involvement of preferential sites. Some of these localizations, such as the face in the first year of life and later on the flexural aspect of the limbs, are constant and thus characteristic of atopic dermatitis. They are probably determined by factors that are identical for all subjects, whereas the less constant localizations are probably influenced by individual factors. The author discusses from a clinical point of view the factors that can influence localization and the lack of involvement of certain sites in atopic dermatitis. An unusual localization of atopic dermatitis, such as around congenital nevi, is also discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1476030", "title": "The barrier function in atopic dry skin. Disturbance of membrane-coating granule exocytosis and formation of epidermal lipids?", "content": "Non-eczematous atopic dry skin (DS) shows an enhanced transepidermal water loss denoting an impaired water permeability barrier (WPB) function. The WPB is formed by intercellular lipid lamellae located between the horny cells of stratum corneum (SC). The lipids are provided via the exocytosis of membrane-coating granules (MCG). By differentiating two dynamic states of MCG, the ultrastructural morphometric comparison of atopic DS and healthy skin of controls revealed a retarded and incomplete extruding mechanism of these organelles. Additionally the structure and spacial organization of the epidermal lipids in DS and healthy skin were visualized and analysed by applying a special primary fixation (acrolein vapour) and post-fixation with ruthenium tetroxide. The present findings suggest that some pathologic extruding mechanism of MCG in DS may be responsible, at least partly, for the recently detected biochemical alterations of epidermal lipids and for the deficient WPB."}
{"id": "PMID:1476031", "title": "ADASI score: atopic dermatitis area and severity index.", "content": "The scoring system for atopic dermatitis presented is based on determination by point counting of involved body areas. On body diagrams, involved areas are colour-coded according to the severity of the skin changes and evaluated by applying a transparent grid. To obtain the ADASI score, the area fractions are weighted and multiplied by the intensity of the itching. The scoring values obtained are analysed by trend-and-time series analyses. These methods allow a clear statistical evaluation in each individual case. In a study on the effect of borage oil on atopic dermatitis, the value of this scoring system and of the statistical single-case analytic methods could be demonstrated."}
{"id": "PMID:1476032", "title": "The immunopathogenic role of food hypersensitivity in atopic dermatitis.", "content": "Food hypersensitivity is reported to play an immunopathogenic role in atopic dermatitis in approximately one-third of children. In 320 selected children with moderate to severe atopic dermatitis, 63% of children were found to have food hypersensitivity by double-blind placebo-controlled food challenges. Both IgE-mediated mast cell and mononuclear cell activation appear responsible for the eczematous lesions resulting from ingestion of food allergens."}
{"id": "PMID:1476033", "title": "Type I allergy to foods in atopic dermatitis. Comparison between RAST-positive and RAST-negative cases.", "content": "Radioallergosorbent tests (RASTs) with five common foods were performed in 183 patients with atopic dermatitis. The results showed that about half of the patients had type I allergy to at least one of the five foodstuffs. The RAST results correlated roughly to the severity of dermatitis. In each group of patients with mild, moderate and severe atopic dermatitis, positive RAST reactions to common foods occurred predominantly in patients who had a personal or a family history of respiratory atopy. Positive RASTs were rare in patients with pure atopic dermatitis who had neither personal nor family history of respiratory atopy. It seems likely that type I food allergy occurs predominantly in those patients with atopic dermatitis who have a predisposition to respiratory atopy."}
{"id": "PMID:1476034", "title": "Food immediate-contact hypersensitivity (FICH) and elimination diet in young children with atopic dermatitis. Preliminary results in 107 children.", "content": "In atopic dermatitis [AD], not only food consumption, but direct skin-contact too can provoke hypersensitivity reactions. We imitated food immediate-contact hypersensitivity [FICH] to cow's milk, egg, peanut or soy by a skin provocation test. This skin application food test [SAFT] was applied in 91 patients aged up to 5 years and suffering from AD, and in 16 healthy controls (all SAFT-negative). In the SAFT-positive patients (n = 61), FICH to egg was observed in 72%, to cow's milk in 47%, to peanut in 34% and soy in only 1 patient. SAFT and RAST scores correlated weakly. Nevertheless, many discrepancies between SAFT and RAST results were found. In 20 of the 61 (33%) patients with FICH, a flare-up in AD was noted at SAFT testing. Upon introducing dietary restrictions, AD improved impressively in 9 of 23 patients who could be followed up. FICH is an important symptom in children with AD and food allergy."}
{"id": "PMID:1476035", "title": "Study of immune-responsiveness to wheat antigen by IgG, IgA, and IgE immunoblotting with sera from patients with atopic dermatitis.", "content": "To investigate the immune mechanism underlying the IgE-mediated hypersensitivity to food antigens, wheat-flour proteins were extracted in mild condition, and IgG antibodies were detected by the ELISA method. Atopic dermatitis patients who had high scores for IgE-RAST were shown to have increased levels of IgG antibodies to wheat proteins. To define the allergenic polypeptides or epitopes in wheat proteins, each patient's serum was subjected to determination of IgG, IgA, and IgE antibodies to each protein component, using a highly sensitive immunoblotting method. Low molecular weight polypeptides bind specifically IgG, IgA, and IgE antibodies in serum from atopic dermatitis patients. Thus, there are specific components or epitopes in wheat proteins which are closely related to the disease states."}
{"id": "PMID:1476036", "title": "Lymphocyte transformation test for house dust mite in atopic dermatitis: relationship between mite antigens for type I and type IV allergy.", "content": "Using a crude extract obtained from Dermatophagoides farinae, and its four fractions (I, II, III and IV) partially purified by high-speed gel filtration chromatography, scratch tests and lymphocyte transformation tests (LTTs) were performed on 37 patients with atopic dermatitis. Crude mite antigen provoked positive scratch test reactions in 25 (68%), and positive LTT reactions in 19 (51%) of the 37 patients examined. Mite antigen fractions I, II, III and IV induced a positive LTT reaction in 19, 22, 17 and 7 patients, respectively. Of the 65 positive LTT reactions, 25 accompanied a positive scratch test to the antigen fraction which provoked the positive LTT reaction, but 40 accompanied a negative scratch test. These findings suggest that house dust mite antigen fractions for type IV allergy are different from those for type I allergy in a considerable proportion of patients with atopic dermatitis."}
{"id": "PMID:1476037", "title": "IgE-binding molecules on human Langerhans cells.", "content": "We have recently demonstrated that normal human Langerhans cells are able to bind IgE. The study of IgE-binding molecules on normal LC led to the characterization of three distinct structures able to bind IgE, viz. the low affinity receptor for IgE, Fc epsilon R2/CD23, the so-called IgE-binding protein epsilon BP which is the human homologous of the murine Mac-2 antigen, and finally the high affinity receptor for IgE, Fc epsilon RI. In this review, we summarize the most recent data on these structures and their putative physiological relevance is discussed with regard to the atopic disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1476039", "title": "Positive antinuclear antibody in atopic dermatitis.", "content": "Serum samples from atopic dermatitis (AD) patients were examined with two antinuclear antibody-detecting methods, using HEp-2 cells as substrate. 34.0% of 47 AD patients tested with FITC-conjugated polyvalent immunoglobulins (method 1) had positive antinuclear antibody (ANA). 26.3% of 57 AD patients examined with FITC-conjugated anti-IgG (method 2) had positive ANA. We found that AD patients who had facial lesions tended to have positive ANA, whereas severe AD patients tended to have high titres of ANA."}
{"id": "PMID:1476040", "title": "Study of circulating immune complexes in atopic dermatitis.", "content": "The authors examined sera from 92 patients (78 adults, 14 children) with atopic dermatitis (AD), for the presence of circulating immune complexes (CIC). Using the PEG precipitation technique they found an increase in CIC total protein. In the quantity of precipitated proteins, elevated IgA and IgG levels and decreased C3 in CIC were measured. Neither the acute nor the subacute stage of the disease, nor skin involvement, correlated with CIC. In increased content of CIC was found in patients who had AD with associated disease recurrent infections, recurrent conjunctivitis, asthma, allergic rhinitis) and especially with pustulosis varicelliformis Kaposi, i.e. eczema herpeticatum. The T lymphocytes, together with other surface complement receptor-positive cells, are able to induce CIC production and keep them in solution."}
{"id": "PMID:1476042", "title": "Secular change in the occurrence of atopic dermatitis.", "content": "Atopic dermatitis is a common disease, and population-based studies indicate that the frequency of atopic dermatitis has increased substantially during recent decades. It has been generally accepted that disease onset occurs before 7 years of age in 80-90% of the cases, and consequently the epidemiology of atopic dermatitis has been studied mostly in children on admission of first grade school. Before 1960 about 2-3% of children suffered from atopic dermatitis. In the 1960s, some 4-8% was recorded in several studies, and for those born after 1970 most researchers found that 9-12% developed atopic dermatitis during childhood. The diagnostic criteria of Hanifin and Rajka are cumbersome for population studies not designed specifically for children. In order to compare epidemiologic data from varying times and locations, a framework for questionnaire studies in atopic dermatitis is proposed."}
{"id": "PMID:1476041", "title": "The relationship between allergy, clinical symptoms and bronchial responsiveness in atopic dermatitis.", "content": "Atopic Dermatitis (AD) and asthma are closely associated with respect to epidemiology, hereditary factors and occurrence in the same individuals. Bronchial Hyperresponsiveness (BH), the hallmark of asthma, can also be a physiopathological feature of AD, even in the absence of clinical asthma. We studied 78 subjects with AD. A follow-up study was performed in 27 of these. Data on respiratory and dermatologic symptoms were collected by means of a standardized questionnaire. Skin reactivity was evaluated by prick testing, and in 57 subjects BH was assessed with a methacholine test (Mch). Twenty-one subjects had asthma and 36 showed a positive skin reaction. A PC20 FEV1 was measurable in 38 subjects. Males were found more likely to be Mch responders than females (p < 0.05). Mch responders also showed an earlier age at onset of AD than nonresponders (2.1 yrs vs. 6.2, p = 0.03). Determinants of the degree of BH were evaluated by a stepwise multiple regression analysis, taking the log of the slope of the concentration response curve as dependent variable. In the final model we found that the degree of BH was directly related to wheezing (p = 0.0017) and coughing (p = 0.04) and inversely related to lung function (p = 0.0082) and age (p = 0.0008). Neither skin reactivity nor grading of AD were statistically significant. The longitudinal study demonstrated that the courses of AD and BH seem to run parallel only in skin-negative subjects, whereas an increase in BH was observed in skin-positive subjects."}
{"id": "PMID:1476043", "title": "Mast cell invasion of peripheral nerve in skin lesions of atopic dermatitis.", "content": "To ascertain whether or not a spatial relationship between mast cells and peripheral nerves is present in skin lesions of atopic dermatitis, 10 biopsy specimens of the skin lesions were examined with both semi-thin and ultrathin serial sections. Mast cell invasion of peripheral nerves was observed in 9 out of the 10 biopsy specimens (4 subacute lesions, 3 lichenified lesions, and 3 prurigo lesions). The mast cells within peripheral nerves often showed degranulation, and the nerve fiber bundle showed conspicuous edema. The degranulation of mast cells within peripheral nerve bundles and edema of the nerve bundle may pay a role in provoking or aggravating itchiness of atopic dermatitis."}
{"id": "PMID:1476044", "title": "Are disturbances of omega-6-fatty acid metabolism involved in the pathogenesis of atopic dermatitis?", "content": "Recent evidence indicates that the primary defect in atopic dermatitis (AD) might concern the maturation and differentiation of T cells which infiltrate the skin or are unable to control T cell infiltration of the skin. Unfortunately, there is no information on thymus hormones, T cell differentiation factors or cytokines during early T cell maturation in atopic infants. One of these factors at fault might involve a deficiency of essential long-chain omega-6-fatty acids and E-type prostaglandins which are important for thymic T cell maturation and thymus hormone action. Deficiencies of 6-desaturated omega-6-fatty acids have been observed in plasma phospholipids, epidermal and red cell phospholipids of patients with AD, in umbilical cord plasma lecithin of newborn infants with increased cord blood IgE levels, in cord blood T-cells of 'atopy-at-risk' newborn infants, in atopic monocytes, in adipose tissue lipids of patients with AD, in breast milk lipids of mothers with a history of AD, and in breast milk lipids of mothers of infants with AD. Reduced release of arachidonic acid has been measured in atopic monocytes and platelets. Diminished formation of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) has been observed in atopic monocytes under stimulated and unstimulated conditions and in inflamed and non-inflamed atopic epidermis. PGE2 is able to suppress interleukin 4-induced IgE synthesis of human non-atopic mononuclear cells in vitro. We have demonstrated a suppressive effect of PGE1 and PGE2 on in vitro IgE synthesis of mononuclear blood cells of patients with AD and respiratory allergies.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1476045", "title": "Abnormalities of cutaneous microcirculation in atopic eczematics.", "content": "There are signs of abnormal microcirculation in atopics, yet reliable methods for its non-invasive measurement are scarce so far. Since the phenomenon of dermographism (D) elicited by blunt stroking of the skin reflects the functional response of cutaneous vessels to pressure, we studied the haemodynamics of D using laser-Doppler microfluxometry (LDF) and infrared thermography (IR-TH) in patients with atopic eczema (n = 23) and in healthy controls (n = 21) under standardized investigative conditions. Only in-patients not treated with corticoids were selected. LDF values showed a marked reduction in the intensity of hyperaemia in the patients as compared with the controls, according to the visual degree of the dermographic blanching effect (white, delayed white, indifferent; pink). A reduction of the radiating skin temperature vis-\u00e0-vis the controls was measured by IR-TH. These results yield evidence that dermographic pallor of atopic skin depends on the strength of local vasoconstriction, possibly including altered blood flow in cutaneous shunt vessels."}
{"id": "PMID:1476046", "title": "Allergic contact dermatitis in atopic dermatitis.", "content": "Of 73 adult patients attending a clinic specially provided to treat patients with atopic dermatitis, 31 (42%) showed one or more positive patch reaction on contact testing. There was a striking female preponderance in the patch test positive group (26F:5M) in contrast to those with negative test results (9F:17M). The commonest allergens identified were fragrances in 13 patients, nickel (7), rubber (5), lanolin (4) and formaldehyde (3). In 21 patients, topical preparations, cosmetic or medically prescribed, could be implicated. Contact sensitivity seems to be relatively common in adult patients who have a continuing problem with their atopic dermatitis. Recognizing this sensitization may be important in their management."}
{"id": "PMID:1476047", "title": "Effect of short-term egg exclusion diet on infantile atopic dermatitis and its relation to egg allergy: a single-blind test.", "content": "A unique, single-blind, controlled trial of egg exclusion was performed in infants under 3 years of age, with atopic dermatitis, and/or their breast-feeding mothers. All subjects were put on an exclusion diet, but assessment of the effect of egg exclusion was made without knowing the results of allergy the tests. Results showed that there was a statistically significant correlation between the effect of egg exclusion and egg allergy, but only in infants 3-6 months old. Combination with other allergies did not seem to affect the results at this age. These findings indicate that egg exclusion is effective in ameliorating skin symptoms of atopic dermatitis only in early infancy and in the presence of egg allergy, irrespective of combination with other food allergies. This may be correlated to high RAST scores to egg at this age."}
{"id": "PMID:1476049", "title": "Review of chemosystematics: multivariate approaches to oral bacteria and yeasts.", "content": "There are several problems related to the classification and identification of bacterial and yeast species assigned to the genera Actinobacillus, Haemophilus, Pasteurella, Bacteroides, Prevotella, Porphyromonas, Campylobacter, Wolinella, Treponema, Candida, Torulopsis, and Saccharomyces, most of which belong to the resident oral microflora. The present review was written to demonstrate how multivariate analyses of data on cellular fatty acids, sugars, enzyme activities, and lysis kinetics during ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and EDTA plus lysozyme treatment can be used to distinguish closely related species of these bacterial and yeast genera. With the exception of the Actinobacillus-Haemophilus-Pasteurella group, fatty acids were more discriminating than sugars. Enzymes from whole cells and outer membrane vesicles also contributed to taxonomic distinction. Apparently, chemosystematics, involving multivariate analyses, is a useful adjunct in oral microbial taxonomy."}
{"id": "PMID:1476050", "title": "The effect of ovariectomy on dentin formation and caries in adult rats.", "content": "Since acute osteoporosis is known to enhance bone remodeling and osteoid formation, it may also affect dentin apposition. We induced osteoporosis in 15-week-old Wistar rats by ovariectomy and dental caries by Streptococcus sobrinus infection in the presence of either a high sucrose (cariogenic) diet or a non-cariogenic diet. Intact animals with the same diets served as controls. After 99 days of cariogenic challenge the rats were killed, and the success of ovariectomy was confirmed by failure to detect ovarian tissue and observation of marked atrophy of the uterine horns. Areas of dentinal apposition during the experiment and carious lesions were quantified with a tetracycline method. Ovariectomy activated dentin formation significantly in rats fed either a high-sucrose or a non-cariogenic diet, indicating enhanced odontoblast function. The rate of dentinal apposition in adult rats was smaller than reported in young animals. The effect of ovariectomy on caries remained negligible."}
{"id": "PMID:1476051", "title": "The effect of phenytoin medication on dentin apposition, root length, and caries progression in rat molars.", "content": "To determine the effect of phenytoin (PHT) on dentin apposition and the rate of caries progression in dentin, 40 Wistar rats were treated daily for 35 days with intraperitoneal injections of 5,5-diphenylhydantoin. Twenty-eight controls received saline with pH adjusted to that of PHT. One PHT and one control group were fed a 43% sucrose diet, and the others a non-cariogenic pellet diet. Streptococcus sobrinus was inoculated to induce caries. Schiff staining was used to determine caries. The areas of dentin apposition and dentinal caries lesions were quantified after tetracycline staining. The root lengths were measured. PHT reduced slightly the dentin apposition and activated significantly the progression of the dentinal carious lesions. No difference in caries initiation was found. The high-sucrose diet reduced dentin apposition and increased the rate of progression of existing caries greatly. Our study suggests that both the high-sucrose diet and PHT have an effect on secreting odontoblasts, which can be seen as an alteration in dentin apposition and caries progression rates in dentin."}
{"id": "PMID:1476052", "title": "Adaptation of resin facings to cast gold alloy restorations in the mouth.", "content": "The occurrence of marginal spaces between the resin facing and gold alloy framework in 176 crowns and bridge retainers was studied. The restorations were made for canine teeth. The assessment of spaces at the cervical alloy-resin junction was carried out by examining slides of the buccal surfaces taken after application of disclosing agent. Spaces at the incisal alloy-resin junction were assessed by examining resin models under the stereomicroscope. Randomly selected restorations were grouped and examined with reference to length of clinical service (1, 3, 6, and 9 years). The methods were tested for reliability and consistency. The results showed that the frequency of cervical spaces tended to increase with length of clinical service, whereas the frequency of the incisal spaces seemed to remain unchanged. The most severely worn facings had the highest frequency of cervical spaces. In contrast, the least worn facings seemed to have the highest frequency of incisal spaces. For both the cervical and the incisal spaces the highest frequencies were found for relatively long resin facings."}
{"id": "PMID:1476053", "title": "Clinical evaluation of preventive and class-I composite resin restorations.", "content": "This study was initiated in 1986 in response to increased interest in restorative procedures favoring preservation of tooth substance and in the search for alternatives to dental amalgams. Eighty-seven preventive resin restorations in permanent molars and 35 occlusal composite resin restorations in primary molars (limited size) and 13 in premolars were followed up for 2 years. They were placed by a large number of operators, mainly dental students under supervision, and rated by five calibrated instructors in accordance with an internationally accepted system for the evaluation of the clinical performance of dental materials. One composite resin (Occlusin) was used. A survival model was used to calculate the cumulative theoretical number of successful treatments of children who had dropped out. For none of the 6 clinical variables was the success rate lower than 91%, and only 3 of 26 failures were of a nature requiring remake or correction. The failures occurred, with a few exceptions, during the 1st year of observation. The two types of restoration have thus proved to be efficient treatments fulfilling all reasonable requirements in modern operative dentistry."}
{"id": "PMID:1476054", "title": "Prosthodontic claims in the Swedish Patient Insurance Scheme.", "content": "The Swedish Patient Insurance Scheme includes a guarantee insurance for prosthetic treatment. Retreatments of failures, up to 2 years after cementation of fixed prosthodontics and 1 year after delivery of removable prosthodontics, are covered by the guarantee insurance scheme. Almost all private practitioners were included in this scheme at the time of the study in 1989. During a specific period all claims were studied at the time of reporting, when annexed radiographs and so forth could be analyzed. One hundred and thirty-six claims were recorded with regard to treatment injury, reasons for remake, latency times from cementation or delivery to diagnosis, and details about the teeth or constructions involved in the claim. The dentist's opinion of the cause of the failure was also recorded. The reports covered treatment injuries, most of them root perforations during preparation for a post. The guarantee claims for single crowns concerned porcelain fractures, loss of retention, and root fractures as the most frequent failures. For fixed partial dentures the failures were recorded as loss of retention, porcelain fractures, tooth or root fractures, and metal framework fractures in that order. The dentist gave information about his/her opinion of the reason for the failure in only 38.5% of the claims. There were, however, no clear findings about the reasons for the failures."}
{"id": "PMID:1476055", "title": "Acupuncture and occlusal splint therapy in the treatment of craniomandibular disorders. II. A 1-year follow-up study.", "content": "Eighty patients, of whom 22 were men and 58 women, participated in a 1-year follow-up study. All participants in the study showed signs and symptoms of craniomandibular disorders (CMD) and had had pain for more than 6 months at treatment start. The patients were randomly assigned to either acupuncture or occlusal splint therapy. Those patients who did not respond to either of the treatment modes were offered various additional therapies. The result showed that 57% of the patients who received acupuncture and 68% of the patients treated with occlusal splint therapy benefited subjectively (p < 0.01) and clinically (p < 0.001) from the treatment over a 12-month period. No statistically significant difference was found between the two groups as to the assessment variables. Those patients who received various additional therapies after acupuncture and/or occlusal splint therapy responded favorably to additional treatment in only a few instances. The study showed that acupuncture gave positive results similar to those of occlusal splint therapy in patients with primarily myogenic CMD symptoms over a 1-year follow-up period."}
{"id": "PMID:1476056", "title": "Accumulation of cholesteryl ester in atherosclerotic lesions.", "content": "This article reviews aspects of the molecular pathology of cholesteryl ester accumulation in atherosclerotic lesions. 1. Transcytosis of lipoproteins through a cultured endothelial monolayer. 2. Effects of platelets and PGI2 on intercellular transport of endothelial cells. 3. Transformation of macrophages to foam cells. 4. Cholesteryl ester deposition in the extracellular space of atherosclerotic lesions. The development and use of novel monoclonal antibodies recognizing atherosclerotic lesions and peroxidized lipoproteins prepared from then are also discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1476057", "title": "Atypical adenoma of the thyroid. A clinicopathologic and flow cytometric DNA study in comparison with other follicular neoplasms.", "content": "A clinicopathologic and DNA flow cytometric study was performed on seven patients (three males, four females) with atypical adenoma of the thyroid gland, using formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues. The results were compared with those of 30 follicular adenomas and 13 follicular carcinomas. The patients ranged in age from 32 to 74 years (mean; 55.8 years), and the mean follow-up period was 11.0 years. All patients except two who died of other diseases were free of thyroid disease after initial surgery. It showed that there was no evidence of clinical cancer in this follow-up study of patients operated on for atypical adenomas. Four of the atypical adenomas were diploid, two were aneuploid, and one was tetraploid. Twenty-seven of the 30 follicular adenomas were diploid. Three patients with aneuploid follicular adenoma were free of disease. Of the 13 follicular carcinomas with a mean follow-up period of 6.9 years, five were diploid, seven were aneuploid, and one was tetraploid. Two patients with aneuploid follicular carcinoma and one with diploid carcinoma developed lung metastases, and one patient each with diploid and aneuploid follicular carcinoma died of disease. There was no significant correlation between histologic features, ploidy status and prognosis among follicular carcinomas. The results of this study suggest that DNA flow cytometric analysis is not a useful tool for predicting the clinical behavior of follicular neoplasms."}
{"id": "PMID:1476058", "title": "Prognostic value of N-myc oncogene amplification and S-100 protein positivity in children with neuroblastic tumors.", "content": "Data on 43 neuroblastic tumors (30 neuroblastomas and 13 ganglioneuroblastomas) obtained from 22 untreated and 21 pretreated children, were analyzed to determine the correlation between N-myc oncogene amplification and immunohistochemically identified S-100 protein positivity. Sixteen patients in whom the tumor showed significant amplification of N-myc (more than ten copies) died, irrespective of S-100 protein positivity and other conventional factors. Among 27 patients with low amplification of N-myc (less than ten copies), the estimated progression-free survival for those whose tumors had numerous S-100 protein-positive cells (P group), and few or no positive cells (N group) was 75% and 17%, respectively (p < 0.0001). Thus, in addition to N-myc oncogene amplification as a reliable indicator of outcome, S-100 protein positivity should be useful for prediction of prognosis in children with neuroblastic tumors showing low amplification of N-myc. Correlations among these results and other clinical factors are briefly discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1476059", "title": "Immunohistochemical study of transforming growth factor beta, fibronectin, and fibronectin receptor in invasive mammary carcinomas.", "content": "Thirty-one cases of mammary carcinoma were examined immunohistochemically for the expression of transforming growth factor (TGF) beta, fibronectin (FN) and fibronectin receptor (FNR) in order to clarify the reason for the reported relationship between TGF beta expression and a high incidence of lymph node metastasis. It was revealed that TGF beta expression is closely related to the expression of FN, an intercellular matrix protein, and its cellular receptor FNR, one of the integrins. The interaction between FN and FNR in a tumor is considered to form the basis of the invasive nature of carcinoma cells. Thus, it is suggested that TGF beta expression in carcinoma cells induces the interaction between FN and FNR, which may lead to carcinomatous invasion resulting in lymph nodal metastasis."}
{"id": "PMID:1476060", "title": "An autopsy case of Crow-Fukase (POEMS) syndrome with a high level of IL-6 in the ascites. Special reference to glomerular lesions.", "content": "A 58-year-old man developed polyneuropathy, organomegaly, gynecomastia, skin pigmentation, and multiple myeloma (IgG-lambda type). Although transient clinical improvement was obtained with prednisolone and cyclophosphamide, his general condition deteriorated progressively, and he died 3 years after onset. Lymph nodes showed angiofollicular hyperplasia, and the sural nerve revealed segmental demyelination. At autopsy, the glomeruli were enlarged and showed mild mesangial cell proliferation with segmental mesangiolysis and proliferation of endothelial cells forming abnormal vessels. The massive volume of ascites contained a high level of interleukin-6 (IL-6). IL-6, a multifunctional cytokine, may be the pathogenic factor which induces the various clinical symptoms and pathological features of Crow-Fukase (POEMS) syndrome."}
{"id": "PMID:1476061", "title": "Wegener's granulomatosis. Associated with diffuse pulmonary hemorrhage.", "content": "The authors report a case of Wegener's granulomatosis with the unusual manifestation of diffuse pulmonary hemorrhage. A 58-year-old man complained of bloody sputum and fever. Chest X-ray films showed multiple nodular shadows in both lung fields. He was diagnosed as having Wegener's granulomatosis by transbronchial lung biopsy, which revealed necrotizing granulomatous inflammation with necrotizing vasculitis. Despite treatment with cyclophosphamide and prednisolone, his condition rapidly deteriorated. An extensive diffuse alveolar shadow appeared in both lung fields in chest X-ray films, anemia became worse, and he died of respiratory failure. Autopsy revealed diffuse alveolar hemorrhage with necrotizing capillaritis in addition to the typical pathological findings in Wegener's granulomatosis. The capillaritis was characterized by neutrophilic infiltration of alveolar septa, and fibrin thrombi in alveolar capillaries. Diffuse pulmonary hemorrhage is uncommon in Wegener's granulomatosis. However, once diffuse pulmonary hemorrhage occurs, the respiratory condition rapidly deteriorates and is life-threatening. Therefore, accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment are required."}
{"id": "PMID:1476062", "title": "Case report of primary cardiac lymphoma. The applications of PCR to the diagnosis of primary cardiac lymphoma.", "content": "A 75-year-old man initially complained of pollakiuria and low abdominal pain, and died of massive bleeding from an exacerbated gastric ulcer. The diagnosis of primary cardiac lymphoma was made postmortem. The tumor involved only the epicardium and myocardium, which met the criteria of primary cardiac lymphoma as defined by the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology. The lymphoma consisted of large cells and expressed the B cell marker, CD20. Although chronic inflammation due to chronic renal failure was observed in the pericardium around the lymphoma, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was conducted to detect monoclonality at the DNA level in lymphoma cells, which were shown to comprise a monoclonal population."}
{"id": "PMID:1476063", "title": "Extramedullary plasmacytoma of the thyroid, associated with follicular colonization and stromal deposition of polytypic immunoglobulins and major histocompatibility antigens. Possible categorization in MALT lymphoma.", "content": "A 78-year-old woman complaining of a neck mass underwent right hemithyroidectomy. The 7 x 6 cm thyroid tumor consisted predominantly of mildly atypical, epithelial membrane antigen-positive plasma cells and scattered lymphoid follicles. Features of follicular colonization (plasma cell infiltration into germinal centers) were noted. Numerous CD45RO-positive reactive T cells and a smaller number of CD20-positive blast-like B cells were also distributed among the plasma cell infiltrate. IgG, kappa-type monoclonality with J-chain reactivity was identified in the plasma cells, including those in the lymphoid follicles. The association of pre-existing lymphocytic thyroiditis was confirmed histologically in the non-tumorous thyroid tissue. The tumor exhibited deposition of reticulin fiber-rich, amorphous eosinophilic substances, provoking pronounced foreign body reactions. The deposit, polytypically immunoreactive for immunoglobulin gamma-, mu-, kappa- and lambda-chains, beta 2-microglobulin and HLA-DR, was scarcely reactive upon amyloid staining, and consisted ultrastructurally of electron-dense, non-fibrillar material and entrapped collagen fibers. Multiple myeloma was ruled out by laboratory, histologic and clinical examinations. The possible categorization of this extramedullary plasmacytoma of the thyroid within low-grade B cell lymphoma of the mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1476064", "title": "[Scanning and transmission electron microscopic studies of the ultrastructure of the corneal endothelium in developing human eye].", "content": "The ultra-microstructure of the human corneal endothelium was examined by scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The samples were corneas of 26 human eyes taken from fetuses of 5-22 weeks gestation and a newborn 10 months after birth. Corneal endothelium appeared at the seventh or eighth week after gestation. Initially, they formed an irregular structure of two to three layers. From the 17th week of gestation they formed a single layer, and assumed the form of a cuboidal epithelium. Scanning and transmission electron microscopy showed numerous microvilli protruding towards the anterior chamber. Within the microvilli uniform microtubules were observed. By the 20th week, these microvilli disappeared, and subsequently, a single long narrow cilium appeared in the center of each cell. Each cilium had an axial filament complex structure. This cilium involuted as development progressed, and was barely visible by the 10th month after birth. The significance of this cilium is not clear."}
{"id": "PMID:1476065", "title": "[Changes in sulfated proteoglycans in alkali injured rabbit cornea].", "content": "Morphological changes of sulfated proteoglycans (S-PGs) in the stroma of alkali injured rabbit corneas were examined electron-histochemically following cuprolinic blue (CB) dye binding. The injured eyes were followed for 2 months by slitlamp microscope and photographs. At 1 hour, 3 days, 1 week, 2 weeks, 1 month, and 2 months after the injury, the eyes were enucleated and studied. After 1 hour, while both collagen fibrils and the filaments of S-PGs had already become disarranged; the number of S-PGs appeared to decrease. From 3 days to 1 week after, the number as well as the electron-density of S-PGs were markedly decreased in all areas. After 2 weeks, CB-positive large filaments appeared in anterior stroma. These became larger, more abnormal in shape, and displayed a higher electron density 1 month later. Normally arranged S-PGs can be seen at 2 months later. It was concluded that S-PGs were diminished in alkali-injured corneas. Once they were replaced by abnormal filaments, they gradually recovered normal morphology. Further more the time course of S-PG change correlated with that of corneal transparency after alkali injury."}
{"id": "PMID:1476066", "title": "[Histological study of a model of keratoepithelioplasty in the rat].", "content": "A model for keratoepithelioplasty (KEP) was developed using the Lewis rat, and histological studies were performed using the model. The entire corneal epithelium was removed using a spatula and a 1.5-mm-width of the conjunctiva including the limbus was excised. An oval corneal lamellar graft (3 x 1.5 mm) with an intact epithelium taken from another Lewis rat was transplanted on the denuded limbus. Biomicroscopic observation showed significantly less vascular invasion in the part of the cornea adjacent to the lenticule than in other part of cornea, and clear cornea was maintained in the cornea adjacent to the lenticule. Histologically only few vessels were recognized in the lenticule, and the epithelial cells on the lenticule showed histological characteristics of corneal epithelium. These results indicate that surgical function of KEP can be obtained because the lenticules keep distance between corneal epithelium and conjunctival vessels. And it is also confirmed that this model is useful in research on the pathophysiological mechanism of KEP."}
{"id": "PMID:1476067", "title": "[The localization of aldose reductase mRNA in the rat lens].", "content": "The localization of aldose reductase (AR), which is thought to be involved in the pathogenesis of sugar and galactosemic cataracts, has been studied using various methods. The AR exists in the lens and its presence is considered to be important at the site of the cataractogenesis. In this study, the localization of AR messenger RNA (ARmRNA) in the lenses of 3-week old and fetal rats was studied by in situ hybridization using a complementary DNA to the rat AR gene. In the lens of 3-week-old rats, ARmRNA was present in the lens-epithelium and the equatorial superficial cortex. The distribution profile was similar to that of AR-immunoreactivities revealed by an immunocytochemical study. In the fetal lens, however ARmRNA was present in the epithelium and the equatorial region, while AR-immunoreactivity was observed mainly in the center of the lens."}
{"id": "PMID:1476068", "title": "[Effects of pre-instilled mydriatics on the intraocular concentration and anti-inflammatory action of topical 0.1% pranoprofen (3)--study on permeability factor].", "content": "The authors studied a mechanism of an increase in intraocular concentration of topical 0.1% pranoprofen (PPF) induced by pre-instilled mydriatics (0.5% tropicamide and 0.5% phenylephrine) in rabbit eyes. Ingredient solutions of mydriatics were instilled 60 minutes prior to instillation of PPF. The PPF concentrations in the cornea, aqueous humor and iris-ciliary body did not increase with pre-instilled benzalkonium chloride, chlorobutanol and tropicamide. The PPF concentrations were increased by pre-instilled phenylephrine (PHE), and the concentrations were 2 to 3 times higher than those without mydriatics. The PHE concentration in the aqueous humor was increased about 3 times in the presence of PPF. The octanol/water partition coefficient of PPF was increased in the presence of PHE. These data indicate that the increase of intraocular PPF concentration by the pre-instilled mydriatics was caused by PHE, and the enhancement of transcorneal permeability to PPF may have resulted from the formation of ion-pair complexes between PPF, an anionic drug, and PHE, a cationic drug."}
{"id": "PMID:1476069", "title": "[Spectral absorption characteristics of ocular tissues].", "content": "We studied the ocular spectral characteristics of monkey and rabbit eyes in the range of 300 to 900 nm. Measurements were performed on dissected specimens of the cornea, lens, vitreous, sensory retina and retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) plus choroid. Xanthophyll and monkey blood were also studied. Components of the ocular media showed high absorption over the ultraviolet range. The absorption curve of the sensory retina was similar to that of the ocular media. RPE plus choroid showed high absorption over the whole spectral range, with gradual decrease in absorption above 600 nm. The specific absorption curve of both xanthophyll and blood became manifest only when diluted to more than 1:20,000 in the former and to more than 1:100 in the latter. The spectral absorption of the ocular tissue thus became specific only when the thickness or density of the tissue was within a certain range."}
{"id": "PMID:1476070", "title": "[Dye leakage in indocyanine green fundus angiography of a laser photocoagulated lesion].", "content": "Argon green laser photocoagulation was performed on adult pigmented rabbit eyes at various intensities (parameters:500 microns spot size, 0.2 sec. exposure, and 70-, 100-, 150- and 200-mW power levels), and fluorescein and indocyanine green (ICG) angiography was performed within one hour after coagulation. Each coagulum of ICG angiography was hypofluorescent in the early phase and brightly fluorescent in the late phase. The fluorescein and ICG dyes spread from the periphery to the center in the moderate and large coagula. The characteristic finding of ICG angiography was expansion of ICG dye around the coagulum, regardless of the degree of the coagulation. This ICG leakage was intra-choroidal because there was no fluorescein dye leakage around the coagulum. We concluded that the ICG dye leakage shows damage to the choroidal vessels due to laser photocoagulation, and is not related to the barrier function of the retinal pigment epithelium."}
{"id": "PMID:1476071", "title": "[Topical timolol and blood-aqueous barrier permeability to protein in human eyes].", "content": "The effect of topical 0.5% timolol on the permeability of the blood-aqueous barrier to plasma protein was studied in ten young normal volunteers. Before and after instillation of timolol in one eye, simultaneous measurements of aqueous flow rate, f(t), by fluorophotometry and protein concentration in the anterior chamber, Ca(t), with a laser flare-cell meter were made in both eyes at hourly intervals. The coefficient of protein entry into the anterior chamber was calculated using an equation formulating protein dynamics in the anterior chamber from the changes in f(t), Ca(t), and plasma protein concentration. The Ca(t) in the treated eye showed a maximum increase of 37 +/- 4% (mean +/- SEM) as compared with that in the fellow eye 5 hours after instillation, while the f(t) in the treated eye showed a maximum reduction of 30 +/- 4% 2 hours after instillation. The intraocular pressure in the treated eye showed a maximum reduction of 3.0 +/- 0.3 mmHg 2 hours after instillation. No significant changes were found in the coefficient of protein entry in the anterior chamber between before and after timolol instillation or between timolol-treated and fellow untreated eyes. These results indicated that topical 0.5% timolol does not affect the permeability of the blood-aqueous barrier to plasma protein significantly."}
{"id": "PMID:1476072", "title": "[Fluorescein fundus angiography of optic nerve head in primary open angle glaucoma and low tension glaucoma].", "content": "Fluorescein fundus angiography was performed at angle of 20 degrees in the 58 low tension glaucoma (LTG) eyes (30 cases) and 77 primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) eyes (41 cases) and the relation of the optic nerve head fluorescein changes to visual field disturbances (stage classification of Kosaki) was compared between POAG and LTG groups. The filling defect of fluorescein in the deep area and the decrease in number of superficial capillaries were observed in the optic nerve head. The filling defect area of fluorescein in the optic nerve head corresponding to Bjerrum scotoma was recognized even in the mild visual field disturbance cases of both LTG and POAG. The following findings were noted in both LTG and POAG cases; expansion of the filling defect area and the decrease in number of superficial capillaries in the same area with progression of visual field disturbances. Filling defect area of fluorescein of the optic nerve head accorded with visual field disturbance area in 19 LTG eyes (32.8%) and 61 POAG eyes (79.2%). On the contrary, the filling defect area of the optic nerve head was wider than the visual disturbance area in 37 LTG eyes (63.8%) and 16 POAG eyes (20.8%). These findings suggest that blood circulatory disorders of the optic nerve head occurred earlier in LTG than in POAG and that the development of LTG might be closely associated with the blood circulatory disorders."}
{"id": "PMID:1476073", "title": "[A dissociation of thresholds between Goldmann kinetic perimetry and high-pass resolution perimetry in retinitis pigmentosa].", "content": "The authors studied the differences between the automated static perimetry of high-pass resolution perimeter (HRP) and the kinetic perimetry of the Goldmann perimeter in 12 patients with retinitis pigmentosa. In a total of 10 eyes of 6 patients, we found 19 quadrants in which the patients were not able to recognize the largest ring target even when the target was within the isopter of the Goldmann perimetry. Also, there were 10 quadrants in which the largest target was not recognized in a total of 6 eyes of 4 patients even though their visual field showed symmetrical isopter in upper and lower or right and left quadrants in the Goldmann perimetry. As a result, it was suggested that the causes of the dissocation were a greater decrease in sensitivity for the low spatial frequency target than the high spatial frequency target and/or a greater decrease in resolution sensitivity than light sensitivity in retinitis pigmentosa."}
{"id": "PMID:1476074", "title": "[National registry of retinoblastoma in Japan (1975-1982). The Committee for the National Registry of Retinoblastoma].", "content": "Clinical, pathological and follow-up data on 1,147 cases of retinoblastoma registered in Japan from 1975 to 1982 were statistically analysed. The cumulative survival rate of the 1,147 cases, calculated by the Kaplan-Meier method, was 93.0% at 5 years and 90.3% at 10 years. The survival rate of the 757 unilateral cases was 93.3% at 5 years and 92.3% at 10 years. For the 390 bilateral cases, however, the survival rate was 92.2% at 5 years and 86.7% at 10 years. A Cox multivariate analysis indicated that, among various clinical and pathological findings in the patients, extraocular invasion of the tumor is the most significant risk factor predictive of tumor death. The survival rate of those with extraocular invasion subsequently treated by local radiation and/or systemic chemotherapy was significantly better than the rate of those with extraocular invasion who did not receive aftercare. The cumulative incidence rate of second cancers in 409 cases of hereditary retinoblastoma was 4.8% at 10 years, 9.8% at 15 years and 15.7% at 20 years. The occurrence of a second cancer was the main cause of death in the hereditary cases after 10 years."}
{"id": "PMID:1476075", "title": "[Plasma fibrinopeptide A, fibrinopeptide B beta 15-42 and 4 other coagulation factors levels in patients with diabetic retinopathy].", "content": "Fibrinopeptide A (FPA), fibrinopeptide B beta 15-42 (FPB beta 15-42) and other coagulation factors (anti-thrombin III, thrombin-antithrombin complex, alpha 2-macroglobulin, plasmin inhibitor complex) were measured in the plasma of 101 patients with diabetes mellitus (DM). The levels in 80 healthy adults were also measured for comparative purposes. The mean levels of FPA, FPB beta 15-42 and the other 4 coagulation factors in the DM patients were significantly higher than in the controls (p < 0.05). The mean levels of FPA and FPB beta 15-42 in patients with diabetic retinopathy (DR) were higher than in those without DR, that is in those with proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) higher than in those with simple diabetic retinopathy (SDR). In patients after panretinal photocoagulation (PRP), the mean level of FPA was higher and that of FPB beta 15-42 was lower than in patients before PRP. In the SDR group, the level of FPB beta 15-42 was significantly correlated with the progression of diabetic retinopathy. We suggest that there was a close correlation between plasma FPA and FPB beta 15-42 levels and activity or progression of disease, and that the investigation of these levels may be useful for the judging of prognosis or effect of therapies of diabetic retinopathy."}
{"id": "PMID:1476076", "title": "[Fourier analysis of pattern visual evoked potentials and changes of the harmonic component in longstanding optic neuritis].", "content": "To determine the clinical usefulness of Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) for the detection of abnormal pattern visual evoked potentials (P-VEPs), the P-VEPs were recorded using a checkerboard pattern (check size: 14.4') which was reversed ranging from 4 to 16 per second. Fourteen eyes of 7 patients with longstanding optic neuritis and 15 eyes of age-matched normal controls were examined. Means and the standard deviation of the square root of the FFT power as a function of spectral frequency (1.953 x fHz, f = 1-17) were calculated and statistically significant levels between the two groups were studied for each reversal rate. When the reversal rate was more than 8/sec, The 1st or 2nd harmonic components decreased significantly in optic neuritis and the significant levels (p) of the 1st harmonic component were lower than that (p) of 2nd or 3rd harmonic component. When the reversal rate was 6/sec, the 1st and 2nd harmonic components decreased significantly and 1st harmonic component had the same level of significance as the 2nd harmonic component. When the reversal rate was 4/sec, the 2nd, 3rd, 5th and 6th harmonic components decreased significantly but 1st harmonic component did not. The level of significance of the 3rd harmonic component was the lowest followed by that of 2nd harmonic component.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1476077", "title": "[The relation between saccadic eye movements and electrooculogram during light and dark adaptations].", "content": "The relation between the amplitudes of saccadic eye movements and the resting potential changes detected around human eyeballs under light and dark adaptations was clarified by means of simultaneous measurements of electrooculogram (EOG) and eye movements. The authors previously reported that the potential changes are proportional to the horizontal saccadic eye movements within +/- 15 degrees (visual angle) under conditions of the room light of approximately 60 lux. There are few reliable data indicative of the presence of the above relations under light and dark adaptations. The result of the simultaneous measurements of EOG and eye movements during the light and dark adaptation at 2-minute intervals in 9 normal subjects showed that the resting potential changes were in direct proportion of the amplitudes of the saccadic eye movements at any time within +/- 20 degrees. In these experiments, the eye positions were monitored with the eye mark recorder during the eye movements. In case the eye positions excursioned from a target, the exact EOG was calculated by measuring eye positions and correcting the EOG errors."}
{"id": "PMID:1476078", "title": "[Short-term and long-term prognosis of recession-resection surgery for exotropia].", "content": "The short- and long-term results of recession-resection surgery on 141 exotropic patients were analyzed. The corrected angle of exodeviation one week after surgery was not affected by age at surgery, state of binocular vision or the type of intermittent exotropia. The corrected exodeviation was larger when the pre-operative exodeviation exceeded 30 prism diopters or when previous surgery had been performed. Since there was no difference between the angle of deviation at 4 and 8 years postoperatively, the period of four years was considered to be appropriate for long-term assessment. Post-operative exophoria of less than 15 prism diopters were obtained in patients whose short-term results were overcorrected or were under 5 prism diopters of exodeviation. The surgical guideline for exotropia should be determined considering the short-term and the long-term prognosis. It was concluded that the optimal time for surgery was between 5 and 10 years of age."}
{"id": "PMID:1476079", "title": "[Classification of congenital superior oblique palsy based on principal component analysis].", "content": "An attempt was to classify unilateral congenital superior oblique palsy principal component analysis. Each principal component was calculated by taking a linear combination of an eigenvector of the correlation matrix with a standardized original variable. The variables selected for the analysis were vertical deviation in the nine diagnostic positions of 51 cases measured by a synoptometer. The cumulative contributive percent of principal components showed that 88.5% of the variation were accounted for by the first three principal components. The first principal component accounted for 56.7% of the variation in samples indicating the extent of superior oblique palsy in which vertical deviation increases or decreases proportionately. The second principal component accounted for 20.6% of the variation of samples indicating the extent of the incomitance of vertical deviation with a vertical change of gaze. The third principal component accounted for 11.1% of the variation in the sample indicating the extent of the vertical deviation with a horizontal change of gaze."}
{"id": "PMID:1476080", "title": "[A case of invasion of the hyaloid artery into the lens].", "content": "A 6-year-old boy with hyaloid artery invasion into the crystalline lens is reported. Both lenses had localized opacities and some brown membranous tissue attached to the posterior lens capsule. He had bilateral persistent hyaloid arteries, and in the right eye this vessel penetrated the lens capsule and invaded the lens. The lens opacity had not increased for 6 years. In persistent hyperplastic primary vitreous we can often see the invasion of fibrovascular tissue into the lens, and this process usually leads to destruction and absorption of the lens. This is an unusual case because the lens showed no significant changes for long period of time in spite of vascular invasion into the lens."}
{"id": "PMID:1476081", "title": "[A case of primary orbital T-cell lymphoma].", "content": "A 46-year-old man presented with eyelid swelling and choroidal folds in the right eye. These symptoms were rapidly exacerbated, but inflammatory findings were not observed. MRI tomography confirmed the presence of an orbital tumor compressing the eyeball. In 67Ga scintigram, a hot spot was recognized only at the right orbital region. This orbital tumor was removed subtotally. It was diagnosed histologically as non-Hodgkin malignant lymphoma (diffuse medium cell-type) and stained on paraffin sections, using monoclonal antibodies immunohistochemically. Anti-LCA, anti-MT-1, anti-UCHL-1 antibodies were positive, and anti-MB-1 antibody was negative. The clinical stage was IE in the Ann-Arbor classification. He was treated by radiation and chemotherapy, but died because of opportunistic infection after 6 months. This is, so far as we know, the first case in Japan diagnosed as primary orbital T-cell type malignant lymphoma immunohistochemically."}
{"id": "PMID:1476082", "title": "Comparison of gentamicin toxicity in normal and diabetic rats.", "content": "Gentamicin treatment caused an elevation in serum urea and creatinine concentrations and ALT activity, associated with pathological changes in the liver and kidney. The pathological and blood chemistry changes were more severe in diabetic gentamicin-treated than in non-diabetic gentamicin-treated rats. Alloxan-diabetic rats had lowered blood glutathione concentrations which may have been responsible for the enhancement of gentamicin toxicity in these rats."}
{"id": "PMID:1476083", "title": "Disposition kinetics and dosage regimen of sulfapyridine in buffalo (Bubalus bubalis).", "content": "The disposition kinetics and dosage regimen of sulfapyridine were studied in buffalo calves following a single intravenous dose of 100 mg/kg. Distribution half-life (t1/2 alpha) elimination half-life (t1/2 beta) and Vd (area) was 0.181 +/- 0.008 h, 13.4 +/- 0.52 h and 0.59 +/- 0.03 L kg-1, respectively. Total body clearance, which represents the sum of all clearance processes, and tissue/plasma (T/P) ratio were calculated to be 31.1 +/- 2.28 ml kg-1 h-1 and 2.25 +/- 0.09, respectively. A satisfactory intravenous dosage regimen of sulfapyridine in buffalo would be 104 mg/kg followed by 75 mg/kg at 24 h intervals."}
{"id": "PMID:1476084", "title": "Immunization of day-old chickens against Newcastle disease.", "content": "The avirulent Newcastle disease virus strain designated NDV-6/10, selected by B. Lomniczi at the Veterinary Medical Research Institute, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, is completely safe for day-old chickens by aerosol vaccination. Aerosol immunization using the Hungarian-made MASTERDROP generator (particle size: maximum 7 microns) caused no vaccination reactions among 206,000 chickens with different maternal antibody levels. Other vaccines given simultaneously did not significantly affect the protection elicited against Newcastle disease (ND). Almost 100% and 90% of the aerosolized chickens survived subcutaneous challenge with 10(6) LD50 NDV at 30 and 50 days old, respectively. A single immunization is sufficient for broilers; however, parent flocks should be revaccinated at 7 so 8 weeks old."}
{"id": "PMID:1476085", "title": "Failure to detect a putative oestrus-indicating pheromone in the urine or vaginal secretions of female sheep.", "content": "Extensive use of gas chromatographic analysis of the volatile and non-volatile components of sheep urine and sheep vulvovaginal secretions at different stages of the oestrous cycle has not succeeded in identifying the putative oestrus-indicating pheromone produced by the ewe. However the putative pheromone is probably not a low molecular weight alcohol, diol, phenol, amine, amide, aldehyde, ketone, fatty acid or steroid."}
{"id": "PMID:1476086", "title": "Immunoreactive prolactin, progesterone and luteinizing hormone in the seminal plasma of buffalo (Bubalus bubalis).", "content": "The presence of immunoreactive prolactin, luteinizing hormone (LH) and progesterone in buffalo seminal plasma is reported for the first time. Correlations were obtained between various semen attributes and the levels of the above immunoreactive hormones. Statistically significant (P < 0.01) negative correlations were found between the levels of immunoreactive prolactin in semen and sperm motility and viability. The coefficient of multiple linear correlation (R2) between the levels of immunoreactive progesterone, prolactin and LH in the seminal plasma and the various attributes of semen revealed that immunoreactive progesterone and prolactin showed stronger interactions than did LH. The biological significance of these immunoreactive hormones in semen is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1476087", "title": "Feeding animal fats to sheep.", "content": "In an experiment lasting 7 weeks, 18% of the calculated energy requirement of 5 nonpregnant ewes was met by giving natural fats of animal origin mixed in the ration (at a level of 6.6%). Changes in certain blood and blood plasma parameters of lipid and energy metabolism were monitored at 5 time-points during the experiment. Samples of rumen fluid were taken three times for determining the concentrations of volatile fatty acids (VFA). Rumen fermentation was studied by in sacco method. Total lipid (TL) content of the liver and fatty acid composition of the liver tissue and subcutaneous adipose tissue (from the tailhead) were analyzed at the beginning and at the end of the experiment. At the concentration used in this experiment, fat supplementation caused neither digestive disturbances nor any other adverse changes in the animals' health status. It did, however, exert a significant influence on blood plasma lipid composition. TL and total cholesterol (TCh) concentration increased and blood glucose level decreased. A rise in triglyceride (TG) content was accompanied by a drop in free fatty acid (FFA) concentration. The in sacco experiments and volatile fatty acid (VFA) levels in the rumen fluid suggested an impaired crude fibre digestion in the rumen. At the same time, fat supplementation enhanced rumen proteolysis. The TL content of liver samples did not exceed the physiological limit. The liver biopsy samples had decreased myristic acid and increased stearic and oleic acid concentrations. No change occurred in the fatty acid composition of the fat depots."}
{"id": "PMID:1476088", "title": "Effect of dietary amino acids on in vitro rumen bacterial protein synthesis in buffaloes.", "content": "The effect of different ratios of urea to amino acid N at a fixed concentration of soluble sugars as energy source and varying levels of soluble sugars at optimum urea cell suspension was obtained from the rumen fluid of buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) calves fed on a growth ration. Under glucose fermentation, the bacterial protein content of the incubation mixture (I. M.) was increased to 3.91, 6.31 and 5.08 times the control value (urea alone) when 25, 50 and 75% of urea-N was replaced with amino acid N, respectively. With cellobiose, the corresponding increase was 4.06, 5.29 and 5.63 times. At 50% urea-N replacement with amino acid N (a ratio for maximum protein synthesis), the bacterial content was maximum when 1 g glucose or cellobiose per 100 ml of I. M. was added. Per cent incorporation of radioactivity from amino acids into bacterial protein was maximum at 25% amino acid N level with both the soluble sugar sources. The total amino acids incorporated into bacterial protein were, however, more at 50% than at 25% amino acid N level."}
{"id": "PMID:1476089", "title": "Comparative studies on in vitro mitogen-induced proliferation of peripheral blood lymphocytes in dog and breeding fox.", "content": "In vitro blastogenesis of dog and fox lymphocytes was compared by a microculture technique. The highest 3H-thymidine incorporation in cultures of dog lymphocytes was observed at day 3, while in those of fox at day 2, incubated either at 37 degrees C or at 39 degrees C. Lymphocytes cultured at 39 degrees C incorporated more tritiated thymidine than did cells cultured at 37 degrees C. The stimulation index (SI) of dog peripheral blood lymphocytes to both mitogens concanavalin A (Con A) and leucoagglutinin (LA) was in a similar range, while pokeweed mitogen (PWM) showed a weaker but significant stimulatory action. The blastogenesis of fox lymphocytes was the greatest in Con A stimulated cultures. The mitogenic potency of LA and PWM was about half of that of Con A, with no essential difference between them. Maximum lymphocyte proliferation of dog and fox was observed when culture media were supplemented with 10% fetal calf serum (FCS)."}
{"id": "PMID:1476090", "title": "Effect of T-2 toxin on egg production and hatchability in laying hens.", "content": "The effect of diets containing different levels of T-2 toxin on egg production and hatchability was studied in a four-week experiment using 100 laying hens of the SSL hybrid line and 10 cocks divided into 10 groups. Another aim of the experiment was to investigate how effectively the increased dietary vitamin E content neutralized the adverse effects of T-2 toxin. The diet of the control group (C) contained no mycotoxin, while those of the experimental groups included the following levels of T-2 toxin: groups 1, 2 and 3: 1 mg/kg, groups 4, 5 and 6: 5 mg/kg; groups 7, 8 and 9: 10 mg/kg. Vitamin E was added to the diet of groups C, 1, 4 and 7 at a rate of 50 mg/kg while to that of groups 2, 5 and 8 at a rate of 100 mg/kg. To the diet of groups 3, 6 and 9 no vitamin E was added. Contamination of the diet with T-2 toxin markedly decreased egg production and impaired hatchability. The production decrease was proportional to the T-2 toxin concentration of the diet. Increased dietary vitamin E concentration exerted no influence on egg production. However, during the first week of the experiment it significantly (P < 0.01) decreased the number of infertile eggs and significantly (P < 0.01) improved the hatching percentage. Dietary vitamin E concentration was in positive correlation with the hatching percentage; this correlation was rather close (r = 0.74) in the first week of the experiment."}
{"id": "PMID:1476091", "title": "Further monogeneans from Iranian freshwater fishes.", "content": "Thirteen Dactylogyrus, 1 Dogelius and 1 Tetraonchus species are first recorded on Iranian fishes. Of them, twelve Dactylogyrus species and Tetraonchus monenteron are identified with known species. Dogelius persicus sp. n. from Barbus sharpeyi, Barbus grypus and Carassobarbus luteus, as well as Dactylogyrus holciki from Chalcalburnus mossulensis and C. chalcoides are described as new species. Besides the first record of the above monogeneans, new host records are given to some known species."}
{"id": "PMID:1476092", "title": "Demonstration of Clostridium septicum infection in a goose flock.", "content": "Clostridium septicum infection causing 5.0 to 5.2% mortality is reported for the first time in the literature from six-week-old growing geese in three flocks comprising 5,200, 5,500 and 5,900 geese, respectively. The affected birds exhibited weakness, uncoordinated movement, ataxia and, frequently, oblique position of the head and neck (torticollis) as well as signs indicative of dysequilibrium. The affected birds died within 18-24 h. Gross pathological examination revealed anaemia, hepatitis with map-like necroses of irregular outline (Fig. 1), acute enteritis, pulmonary oedema and cardiac dilatation. Light and electron-microscopic examination showed that the sinusoids of the liver were markedly dilated (Fig. 2) and filled with serous exudate and gas (Figs 2 and 3), and the hepatocytes surrounding them exhibited severe oedema (Fig. 4). Among the hepatocytes, ciliated bacteria 7-10 mu in length and 1-3 mu in width, bounded by a well-defined cell wall and often showing signs of spore formation were observed (Figs 5 and 6). By bacteriological examination the pathogen was isolated, its properties were studied, and the clinical entity of malignant oedema was experimentally reproduced by intramuscular injection of guinea-pigs and rabbits. The applied antibiotic (oxytetracycline) and furazolidone therapy proved effective."}
{"id": "PMID:1476093", "title": "Studies on canine mammary tumours. I. Age, seasonal and breed distribution.", "content": "The incidence as well as age, seasonal and breed distribution of canine mammary tumours (n = 521) were studied at the Clinic of Obstetrics and Gynaecology of the University of Veterinary Science, Budapest, between 1985 and 1989. In 39 cases of mammary tumour, blood plasma oestradiol (E2) and progesterone (P) concentrations were also determined. Of all dogs referred to the clinics of the University in 1985, 0.7% had mammary tumour. On the average, 104 +/- 9.3 cases of mammary tumour were recorded at the Clinic of Obstetrics per year. This number did not increase after the Chernobyl atomic reactor catastrophe of 1986. The age distribution of canine mammary tumour found in this study shows good agreement with earlier data of the literature: mammary tumour showed the highest incidence in 10 years old dogs. The incidence of mammary tumour kept increasing with age until the 14th year of life (as expressed in per cent of animals of identical age). The number of mammary tumours was markedly higher in the spring (April-May) and autumn (September). This seasonality was demonstrable in 11 to 16 years old bitches, too. On the basis of the blood plasma E2 and P profiles, 61.5% of the clinically anoestrous animals were found to be cycling. The strikingly high ratio of pulis among dogs with mammary cancer was suggestive of a breed disposition."}
{"id": "PMID:1476094", "title": "Studies on canine mammary tumours. II. Oestradiol and progesterone receptor binding capacity and histological type.", "content": "Tissue samples taken from the mammary gland of 42 dogs (age: 6 to 12 years) were examined. Thirty-eight samples showed neoplasia: 36 were epithelial while the remaining 2 proved to be connective tissue tumours. Thirty-four % of the neoplasms were new benign tumours (most frequently adenoma and fibroadenoma) and 66% were malignant ones (mainly adenocarcinoma). The oestrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) binding capacity was determined on 21 tissue samples using the method of EORTC (1980). The connective tissue tumours and non-tumourous tissues contained no sexual steroid receptor. 71.4% of all tissue samples contained receptors. 61.9% of the samples was ER+, 42.8% was PR+, 33.3% contained both receptors, 28.6% was only ER+ and 9.5% only PR+. The average ER and PR binding capacity was 120.3 (5.0-622.8) and 266.7 (92.3-475.0) fmol/mg cytosol protein, respectively. No difference in receptor positivity was demonstrable between the benign and the malignant tumours. PR negativity accompanied by ER positivity was more common in the case of benign tumours. ER binding capacity tended to be correlated with age: this correlation could be described with a hyperboloid regression curve (r = -0.5931; 0.06 > p > 0.05)."}
{"id": "PMID:1476095", "title": "Sulfonamide residues in eggs.", "content": "In two series of experiments lasting 3 days each, laying hens were medicated with sulfonamides via the drinking water. In the first experiment 8 laying hens were given sulfaquinoxaline (SQ) at a dose rate of 400 mg/l, while in the second trial 16 laying hens received a 3:5:5 sulfonamide mixture containing sulfaquinoxaline (SQ), sulfadimidine (SDI) and sulfamerazine (SMN), at a dose of 390 mg/l. According to the water consumption data, the hens' daily sulfonamide intake was 53.6 and 56.9 mg/kg body mass, respectively. Eggs laid during and in the first 10 days after the treatment were collected and assayed for sulfonamide residues by spectrophotometry. The detection limit of the method was 0.16 mg/l and the recovery percentage was between 70 and 80%. Sulfonamide was found to appear already in eggs laid after the first day of treatment. The absorption half-life of the drug was 0.4-0.6 day in the egg-white and 0.93-1.08 day in the egg-yolk. Peak drug level in the egg-white was measured on the last day of medication, while in the egg-yolk within 3 days after the end of treatment. The residue measured in the yolk was 13-16% of that found in the egg-white. Acetylated sulfonamide could be measured in the yolk for 3 days after the treatment: its level reached 15%. On the basis of the elimination rate, complete elimination of sulfonamides requires at least 5.2-7.4 days. Therefore, observance of the generally accepted withdrawal time of 10 days is indispensable."}
{"id": "PMID:1476105", "title": "Treatment of Class II high angle malocclusions with the Herbst appliance: a cephalometric investigation.", "content": "The purpose of this study was to examine the results of treatment of Class II malocclusions by using two different designs of the Herbst appliance. Cephalometric records from lateral headplates of 19 consecutively treated Class II cases were evaluated. The headplates were taken before and after the treatment stage in which the Herbst appliance was used. The patients were divided into two groups: the first group, normohypodivergent, was treated with the Herbst appliance attached to bands; the second group, hyperdivergent, was treated with the Herbst appliance attached to acrylic splints in which a high-pull headgear was also used. The results were compared between these groups and with a control group age-matched from Bolton standards to match the changes in the Herbst samples against what might be expected in case of normal growth during similar periods of time. The results of the investigation revealed the following: (1) 9 months of treatment resulted in Class I dental arch relationships in all 19 cases; (2) the Herbst appliance attached to bands did not significantly modify the vertical growth pattern of the normohypodivergent patients; and (3) in hyperdivergent patients, the use of a Herbst appliance attached to acrylic splints in conjunction with the use of a high-pull headgear allowed a better control of the vertical dimension, as assessed by the cephalometric parameters (FA, FMA, Go-Gn-SN). The clinician should be aware of the different dentofacial changes induced in the vertical plane by different designs of the Herbst appliance to better program treatment strategy."}
{"id": "PMID:1476106", "title": "Histologic investigation of the human pulp after thermodebonding of metal and ceramic brackets.", "content": "Twenty-five human permanent teeth scheduled for extraction for orthodontic reasons were used to study the effect of thermodebonding on the pulp tissue. One week before brackets were removed the teeth were bonded with either metal or ceramic brackets, with two alternative adhesives. For debonding, three different techniques were used: (1) debonding of ceramic brackets warmed up indirectly by resistance heating of a metallic bow applied to the bracket slot, (2) debonding of metal brackets warmed up directly by inductive heating of the bracket itself, and (3) debonding of ceramic brackets warmed up indirectly by inductive heating of metallic plier tips, applied to the mesial and distal bracket surfaces. Teeth with metal brackets removed without heat by squeezing the wings together served as a control group. The teeth were extracted 24 hours after debonding and subjected to a light microscopic study after histologic preparation and staining. In addition, the location of adhesive remnants was evaluated. While the thermodebonding of metal brackets worked properly and without any obvious pulp damage, there were problems related to the thermodebonding of ceramic brackets: (1) if more than one heating cycle was necessary, several teeth showed localized damage of the pulp with slight infiltration of inflammatory cells, (2) bracket fractures occurred frequently, and enamel damage could be shown, and (3) often with Transbond (Unitek/3M, Monrovia, Calif.) as the adhesive, more than one heating cycle was necessary for bracket removal, and thus patients complained about pain."}
{"id": "PMID:1476107", "title": "An in vitro study of the bond strength of two light-cured composites used in the direct bonding of orthodontic brackets to molars.", "content": "This study examines methods of improving the bond strengths of the light-activated composites, Heliosit-orthodontic, and Transbond. Begg brackets were bonded onto each of the four surfaces of 50 molar teeth that had been previously extracted. The bonding systems used were Right-on (R), Heliosit-orthodontic (H), Heliosit with a precured composite resin on the mesh (HPC), Heliosit with a precured intermediate bonding resin on the mesh (HPR), Transbond (T), and Transbond with a precured layer of resin on the mesh (TPC). The shear bond strengths were tested on a M5K tensile tester, crosshead speed 0.5 mm/min. After bracket removal, the enamel surface of the bonding site was examined and assessed with the adhesive remnant index (ARI). The shear bond strength in mean mPa +/- 1 SD was found to be significantly greater for HPC, HPR, and TPC than for H (P < 0.001). The ARI scores suggest that bond failure is associated more with the micromechanical bond with enamel for HPC and HPR. The results indicate that the chemical properties of the two light-activated adhesives were improved by precuring on the mesh base of the bracket before bonding."}
{"id": "PMID:1476108", "title": "The effects of infraocclusion: Part 3. Dental arch length and the midline.", "content": "The third and final article in this series examines the effect of infraocclusion on the midline of the mandibular dental arch. From clinical observation, a shift in the dental midline to the side affected by infraocclusion seemed very common, and this could be explained within the terms of the hypothesis proposed in the first article. A method was devised on a panoramic radiograph to define and to distinguish the anatomic (skeletal) midline and the dental midline. This confirmed the existence of a dental shift to the affected side. The hemiarch length of each side was measured on the film, from the distal of the second deciduous molar/second premolar to both constructed midlines, and was found to be longer on the affected side, confirming an abnormally distal position of the first molar on that side."}
{"id": "PMID:1476109", "title": "The effectiveness of differential moments in establishing and maintaining anchorage.", "content": "The purpose of the present study is to both clinically and cephalometrically investigate maximum and minimum anchorage control in four first premolar extraction cases, using the \"differential moments (torque)\" concept. Data were obtained from the pretreatment and posttreatment lateral cephalometric radiographs of 30 patients, 13 boys and 17 girls, who were treated exclusively with \"differential torque\" mechanics. Of the 30 patients selected, 18 were classified as having Angle Class I malocclusion (crowded and/or bimaxillary alveolar protrusion) and 12 as having Angle Class II, Division 1 malocclusion (crowded and/or severe overjet). The sample was divided into two groups, according to the severity of crowding. Subjects with 6.0 mm or more of crowding, in at least one quadrant per arch, were placed in the maximum anchorage group, suggesting the desirability of maintaining a relatively stable position of the anchor unit. Subjects with less than 6.0 mm of crowding per quadrant were categorized as moderate or minimum anchorage cases, indicating desirability of some intermediate degree of controlled movement of the anchor teeth. Comparison of the two groups in each malocclusion category revealed their comparability with respect to molar relationship and incisor overjet. The major finding of this study is the clinical effectiveness of differential moments as a means of controlling intraoral anchorage. It proves to be optimal and controllable for clinical purposes, regardless of the type of malocclusion or the severity of crowding."}
{"id": "PMID:1476110", "title": "Cephalometric pattern of Jewish East European adolescents with clinically acceptable occlusion.", "content": "Knowledge of the normal dentofacial patterns of various ethnic groups is important for clinical and research purposes. The objective of this study was to describe the dentofacial pattern of one Jewish ethnic group and to compare it with accepted standards for other white populations. Lateral cephalometric radiographs of 18 children of Jewish East European origin with clinically acceptable permanent occlusion, ages 11 to 13 years, were used. A computer-aided cephalometric analysis was performed, and the mean values and standard deviations for the various cephalometric variables were obtained. When compared with some classical standards, it was found that this ethnic group tended toward a mild skeletal Class II, a convex profile, and a more vertical direction of growth. These features appeared in persons selected on the basis of a clinically acceptable occlusion, suggesting the existence of dental compensations. Understanding these natural accommodations of the dentition to skeletal variations can be clinically useful when establishing treatment goals."}
{"id": "PMID:1476111", "title": "A comparative and correlational study of the cranial base in North American blacks.", "content": "The purpose of this investigation was to compare the cranial bases of blacks and whites in regard to length, angulation, and flexure, and to determine what proportion of the differences in facial measurements can be explained by the variability seen in the cranial base. Standardized cephalograms of 100 native-born North American black adults were traced, analyzed, and compared with white values. The measurements selected depicted dependency and independency from the cranial base. Mean differences between the races and the sexes were assessed with the Student's t test. Models of linear regression between the cranial base measurements and all other parameters were computed for both sexes and correlation coefficient values calculated. This study established that the length of the cranial base in North American blacks is significantly shorter from that of whites. A strong biologic relationship was demonstrated between the length of the cranial base of blacks and their denture bases, the palatal, and occlusal planes. The data suggest that most of the cephalometric differences between blacks and whites are not simply anatomic for measurements using sella nasion as their reference plane."}
{"id": "PMID:1476112", "title": "Change in mandibular growth direction by means of a Herbst appliance? A case report.", "content": "The orthodontic treatment of a skeletal Class II, Division 1 malocclusion related to the general growth rate of the patient is described. The female patient was observed from the late juvenile period of growth to the termination of growth. The patient had a vertical facial growth pattern during the initial treatment and observation period (2.5 years). During treatment with the Herbst appliance and the activator, the mandible grew forward. During treatment with the fixed appliance and the period of retention, the vertical growth pattern of the mandible returned."}
{"id": "PMID:1476118", "title": "Death due to superficial soft tissue injuries.", "content": "A series of deaths due to multiple superficial injuries is reported. These cases represented 5% of a consecutive homicide series in the Northern Territory of Australia. All cases were characterized by extensive superficial injuries, particularly involving soft tissue, which were present over much of the body including the face, head, arms, legs, and trunk. Upper-limb fractures were present in some cases, as were fractured ribs. The internal organs and tissues were pale, but there was either little or no organ damage. No significant volume of free blood was found in any of the body cavities. In one case, fat emboli were identified in moderate numbers in the lung and kidney. Death due to multiple superficial soft tissue injuries has not previously been characterized in the literature."}
{"id": "PMID:1476119", "title": "Morphologic variations in 180 cases of sudden infant death and 180 controls.", "content": "The incidence of morphologic variations (MVs) was investigated in 180 infants who died unexpectedly and suddenly and in 180 age-matched nonsuddenly deceased infants. The same person (G.M.) performed a full postmortem and histologic examination on all of the infants, none of whom had significant malformations. The test group (TG) consisted of 146 infants whose death was unexplained, whereas group 3 (G3) consisted of 34 infants with adequately determined causes of death. The principal findings in the control group were prematurity, inflammatory and metabolic diseases, tumors, and traumatic lesions. MVs were present in 62% of the TG infants, in 47% of the G3 children, and in 22% of the controls. The differences between the TG and G3 on the one hand and the controls on the other are statistically significant (p < 0.001 and 0.05, respectively). In the TG, anomalies were twice, dysplasias three times, and dysmorphisms four times as common as in controls; in G3, four times as many dysplasias and dystropics were found as in controls. In the TG, 23% of the MVs were multiple as compared with 9% in G3 and 5% in controls. The pattern of distribution was not confined to certain organs. Among the relative high percentage of dysplasias, the large number of neuroblastomas is striking."}
{"id": "PMID:1476120", "title": "Sudden infant death with anomalous origin of the left coronary artery.", "content": "Autopsy of a 3-month-old girl, an apparent case of sudden infant death syndrome, revealed anomalous origin of the left coronary artery from the right aortic sinus. Acute angulation of the left coronary artery along the aortic root, as well as a focal intramyocardial course within the ventricular septum, may have contributed to episodic luminal narrowing. Anomalous coronary origins of similar type have been associated with sudden death in children, teenagers, and young adults, but have not necessarily been associated with sudden death in older adults. Somewhat similar malformations have been reported in sudden infant death; two cases involved the left coronary artery and six involved the right."}
{"id": "PMID:1476121", "title": "Sudden and unexpected death of a 6-month-old baby with silent heart failure due to anomalous origin of the left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery.", "content": "A 6-month-old girl died suddenly without any previous symptoms of heart failure. Autopsy examination showed cardiomegaly (97 g) with a severely fibrotized myocardium. The left coronary artery was originating from the pulmonary artery. Histologically, the myocardium showed myocardial infarcts of different ages, as well as grossly thickened arterial branches due to increased flow in left-right shunt. We suggest that rare anomalies of the coronary arteries should be considered in the autopsies of suspected sudden infant death syndrome cases."}
{"id": "PMID:1476122", "title": "Fatal hypokalemic thyrotoxic periodic paralysis presenting as the sudden, unexplained death of a Cambodian refugee.", "content": "For the last decade, death investigators have been aware of an unexplained syndrome of sudden death occurring among young adult Southeast Asian refugees. Presented here is a rare instance of fatal hypokalemic periodic paralysis associated with thyrotoxicosis masquerading as the sudden, unexplained death of a Cambodian refugee. The usual features of this syndrome were present, including relatively occult thyrotoxicosis, paralysis upon awakening following a high-carbohydrate meal, and hypokalemia. This case illustrates the value of thorough background death investigation and also illustrates the potential of misinterpreting traditional folk medicine coin rubbing (Cao Gio) as signs of physical abuse."}
{"id": "PMID:1476123", "title": "Sudden death due to lymphoplasmacytic hypophysitis.", "content": "We report the case of a 37-year-old mentally retarded woman who died suddenly with premortem clinical signs of diabetes insipidus. At autopsy, her pituitary was infiltrated and destroyed by a lymphoplasmacytic infiltrate, affecting the posterior pituitary more severely than the anterior pituitary. Vitreous electrolytes showed a pattern of hypertonic dehydration, compatible with diabetes insipidus."}
{"id": "PMID:1476124", "title": "Sudden death in angiodysplasia of the gastroesophageal junction.", "content": "A 22-year-old Korean soldier, who had received blows to the neck and epigastrium from an officer 10 h earlier, suddenly died after massive hematemesis. He had been in relatively good health except for episodes of blood-tinged vomiting approximately 5 and 7 months prior to this event. Postmortem examination revealed angiodysplasia involving the gastroesophageal junction, and the stomach was distended with blood. No abnormal findings were present around the whole viscera, and the duodenum was free of blood. The pathologic significance of upper gastrointestinal angiodysplasia as a potential source of bleeding and a chronologic correlation between the trauma and bleeding are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1476125", "title": "Sudden death in children due to mesenteric defect and mesenteric cyst.", "content": "Two cases of sudden death in young female children due to small intestinal volvulus are reported, which involved a mesenteric defect and a mesenteric cyst. Death due to small intestinal volvulus is uncommon, especially when complicated by either a mesenteric defect or cyst."}
{"id": "PMID:1476126", "title": "An autopsy case of infant death due to heat stroke.", "content": "We report an autopsy case of infant death due to heat stroke. On a winter day, a 52-day-old female baby was placed under a Japanese electric foot warmer with a coverlet (kotatsu) on an electric carpet warmer in a heated room at home. After about 5 h, the mother noticed that the baby was unconscious and took her to a hospital. Spontaneous respiration, however, was already absent, and the pupils were dilated. The trunk was hot; body temperature was 41.3 degrees C. The skin of the whole body was dry. Autopsy revealed second-degree burn injuries on the left side of the face and the dorsum of the left hand. Numerous marked petechiae and ecchymoses were found in the thymus (capsule and parenchyma), pleurae (visceral and parietal), pericardial cavity (internal and external surfaces), epicardium, and beneath the serosa at the origin of the aorta. In addition, there was congestion in various organs, edema in the brain and lungs, and hemorrhage in the lungs. Histopathologically, macrophages without hemosiderin granules were present in the alveoli. When the heating conditions at the accident were reproduced experimentally, the temperature in the electric kotatsu warmer rose to 50-60 degrees C. Thus, we concluded that misuse of the electric kotatsu caused heat stroke in this infant."}
{"id": "PMID:1476127", "title": "Unusual intravascular hemolysis in a case of fatal hypothermia.", "content": "A 55-year-old man was discovered dead inside a deep freezer maintained at -40 degrees C. After consuming a large quantity of alcohol, the man had become trapped in the freezer approximately 11 h before his body was found. The body was still frozen at the time of autopsy, but subcutaneous dendriform vessel repletion phenomenon was observed on the upper and lower extremities. Although this intravascular hemolysis resembled that which develops during putrefaction, in this case it was thought to be due to pooling and freezing of blood in subcutaneous vessels. Contributory factors included alcohol ingestion, vasodilation following vasoconstriction, vasomotor paralysis, and red cell sludging. Hemolysis followed freezing of the blood. When such phenomena are observed in a corpse, exposure to extreme cold should be suspected."}
{"id": "PMID:1476128", "title": "The clinical problem of occult cardiac amyloidosis. Forensic implications.", "content": "A 68-year-old man with known coronary heart disease experienced rapidly progressive cardiac dysfunction and was found to have occult cardiac amyloidosis at autopsy. The amyloidosis was undiagnosed during life and initially at autopsy. Marked diffuse involvement of the intramural coronary arteries by amyloid deposits resulted in severe luminal compromise of numerous medium and small vessels. The myocardium proper was virtually spared from amyloid deposits. Amyloid-related coronary narrowing contributed to cardiac ischemia and sudden death. The significance of amyloid coronary disease in this patient relates primarily to the difficulty in considering the diagnosis when other reasons for cardiac signs and symptoms preexist. Also, the adverse effects of amyloid coronary disease may be profound without direct myocardial involvement."}
{"id": "PMID:1476129", "title": "Rupture of splenic artery aneurysm.", "content": "Three cases of death from splenic artery aneurysm rupture were encountered from 1988 to 1991 at the Philadelphia Medical Examiner's Office. In two cases, cocaine was detected in the blood and was believed to have precipitated the rupture. Toxicologic testing for cocaine should be performed in all cases of splenic artery aneurysm rupture and its presence should be interpreted properly as contributory rather than incidental to death."}
{"id": "PMID:1476130", "title": "Fatal hemothorax from mycotic celiac artery aneurysm.", "content": "We present two cases of ruptured mycotic aneurysms infected with Staphylococcus aureus. Each patient had hemoptysis and in each case there was hemothorax caused by a ruptured mycotic aneurysm of the celiac artery. In case 1, the pathogenesis was transient Staphylococcus aureus septicemia infecting an atherosclerotic plaque with subsequent aneurysm formation and rupture. In case 2, the septicemia arose from an infected knee. The presentation of a celiac artery aneurysm as hemoptysis and as the cause of hemothorax is rare."}
{"id": "PMID:1476131", "title": "Unusual death of a farmer.", "content": "A farmer was found dead, in a pool of blood on his farm. Evidence indicated that the farmer had dragged himself or been dragged from the stable to the point where his body was found. With the exception of abrasions in the face, there were no other signs of injury. An autopsy revealed a depressed fracture of the skull and showed a venous air embolism to be the cause of death. The medicolegal interpretation of the findings left no doubt that the farmer was killed by a cow."}
{"id": "PMID:1476132", "title": "Traumatic transection. An unusual fatal pedestrian injury.", "content": "Speed, alcohol, and pedestrian injuries constitute disturbing components of the spectrum of trauma in the developing world. The complete fatal transection of a pedestrian, at the level of the lower abdomen, by an oncoming automobile traveling at high speed is described. The upper torso was found inside the vehicle, whereas the lower torso was projected some distance ahead, onto the highway. An accident analysis, in order to ascertain the speed of the automobile, is demonstrated and the biodynamic mechanisms of this injury are discussed. The nature of this injury is compared with that of traumatic hemipelvectomy following which survival has been reported."}
{"id": "PMID:1476133", "title": "A retrospective analysis of alcohol in medicolegal postmortems over a period of five years.", "content": "Violence and violent death are everyday events in present-day South Africa. Although this phenomenon may be attributed in great part to the sociopolitical environment, the single most important underlying common factor is the presence of alcohol in both the perpetrators of violence and their victims. We retrospectively studied 948 cases of 2,980 medicolegal autopsies done over a 5-year period. We found that 52.5% of cases tested positively for alcohol, with blood alcohol concentration varying from 0.008 to 0.048 g% (mean = 0.18). Male patients were more common and more likely to be positive than female patients. Breakdown of the cases into various modes of death showed that homicides, vehicular accidents, and suicides predominated. The results are in agreement with earlier studies done locally and elsewhere."}
{"id": "PMID:1476134", "title": "Traumatic seromuscular rupture of intestine.", "content": "A vehicular accident victim sustained multiple transverse split-thickness intestinal lacerations. This rare and distinctive seatbelt injury results from the impact of intestinal loops against the abdominal restraint, whereby the rigid muscle coat ruptures, while the integrity of inner layers is preserved."}
{"id": "PMID:1476135", "title": "Drinking and driving in Singapore, 1987 to 1989.", "content": "Between 1987 and 1989 there were approximately 5,000 cases of fatal and injury-sustained road traffic accidents, of which 2.3-3.0% were alcohol related (blood alcohol levels greater than the legal limit of 80 mg% ethanol). The offenders of alcohol-related accidents are mostly Chinese (> 79%), male (> 98%), and more often 30-40 years old. The majority of the alcohol-related accidents (> 74%) took place between 8 P.M. and 4 A.M. in fine weather and light traffic. Rear-end, head-on, and side-on collisions comprised > 60% of all the alcohol-related accidents, and losing control of vehicles approximately 30%. Drunken driving cases for the same period that were not accidents showed a number of characteristics similar to those for accidents. In Singapore, motorcycle riders and pedestrians are more prone to road fatality than other road-user groups. International comparisons of road fatalities per 100,000 population gave Singapore one of the lowest accident rates (8.1-8.4) as compared with countries such as Australia, the United Kingdom, the United States, New Zealand, Canada, and Japan."}
{"id": "PMID:1476136", "title": "Perak, Malaysia, mass poisoning. Tale of the Nine Emperor Gods and rat tail noodles.", "content": "In October 1988, a series of food poisoning cases occurred in the State of Perak in Malaysia. Most of the victims were children. Ultimately 13 children between the ages of 2.5 and 11 years died. Epidemiological investigations showed that the probable source of the poison was Loh See Fun, a noodles in the shape of a rat's tail. All the deceased ate the noodles from one supplier. Clinical and pathological findings were similar in each case. Postmortem examination was performed in 11 cases. Toxicological examination on organs in 10 cases showed a high concentration of aflatoxin in tissues of the deceased. High levels of boric acid were excreted from most of the victims. Histological examination of the liver in these cases showed necrotic changes found in aflatoxin poisoning. Combination of the epidemiological, clinical, toxicological, and pathological findings pointed to the fact that there was a common toxin or toxins responsible for the deaths. These were thought to be a combination of boric acid and aflatoxin."}
{"id": "PMID:1476137", "title": "Homicide by starvation.", "content": "Homicide by starvation is a very rare occurrence, especially when the victim is ambulant. This paper presents a case where the death of the individual went undiscovered for more than 3 weeks. A successful conviction for murder ensued. The paper also discusses social and pathological problems associated with this crime."}
{"id": "PMID:1476138", "title": "An unusual case of gas embolism.", "content": "We present an unusual case that resulted from the wrongful connection of a high-pressure oxygen cylinder to a venous cannula. The case history and the autopsy findings are given and the mechanism of death is described."}
{"id": "PMID:1476139", "title": "Homicidal traumatic asphyxia associated with pebble impaction of the upper airway.", "content": "The news media tend to sensationalize murders involving multiple methods because of their inherent brutality. Similarly, when addressing a jury, prosecutors often emphasize the most grisly part of a murder to ensure a speedy conviction. This paper reports a case of a teenage boy who was murdered by the use of multiple methods of asphyxia. The methods of asphyxial death and the reconstruction of the sequence of events by the medical experts during the murder trial played an important role in the conviction and ultimate sentencing of the perpetrators."}
{"id": "PMID:1476140", "title": "Characteristics relating to ovarian cancer risk: collaborative analysis of 12 US case-control studies. I. Methods. Collaborative Ovarian Cancer Group.", "content": "Data from 12 US case-control studies of ovarian cancer, conducted during the period 1956-1986 and representing some 3,000 cases and 10,000 controls, were pooled and reanalyzed. Separate analyses were conducted for four subgroups of the pooled data: invasive epithelial ovarian cancers in white women; epithelial ovarian cancers of low malignant potential in white women, epithelial ovarian cancers in black women, and nonepithelial ovarian cancers. This paper gives a brief description of the participating studies and describes the methods used in the collaborative analysis."}
{"id": "PMID:1476141", "title": "Characteristics relating to ovarian cancer risk: collaborative analysis of 12 US case-control studies. II. Invasive epithelial ovarian cancers in white women. Collaborative Ovarian Cancer Group.", "content": "Data collected from 2,197 white ovarian cancer patients and 8,893 white controls in 12 US case-control studies conducted in the period 1956-1986 were used to evaluate the relation of invasive epithelial ovarian cancer to reproductive and menstrual characteristics, exogenous estrogen use, and prior pelvic surgeries. Clear trends of decreasing risk were evident with increasing number of pregnancies (regardless of outcome) and increasing duration of breast feeding and oral contraceptive use. Ovarian dysfunction leading to both infertility and malignancy is an unlikely explanation for these trends for several reasons: 1) The trends were evident even among the highly parous; 2) risk among nulliparous women did not vary by marital status or gravidity; and 3) risk among ever-married women showed little relation to length of longest pregnancy attempt or history of clinically diagnosed infertility. Risk was increased among women who had used fertility drugs and among women with long total duration of premenopausal sexual activity without birth control; these associations were particularly strong among the nulligravid. No consistent trends in risk were seen with age at menarche, age at menopause, or duration of estrogen replacement therapy. A history of tubal ligation or of hysterectomy with ovarian conservation was associated with reduced ovarian cancer risk. These observations suggest that pregnancy, breast feeding, and oral contraceptive use induce biological changes that protect against ovarian malignancy, that, at most, a small fraction of the excess ovarian cancer risk among nulliparous women is due to infertility, and that any increased risk associated with infertility may be due to the use of fertility drugs."}
{"id": "PMID:1476142", "title": "Characteristics relating to ovarian cancer risk: collaborative analysis of 12 US case-control studies. III. Epithelial tumors of low malignant potential in white women. Collaborative Ovarian Cancer Group.", "content": "Epithelial ovarian neoplasms of low malignant potential, also called borderline ovarian tumors, have various features of malignancy, but they do not invade the ovarian stroma. Women with these tumors usually are younger when diagnosed and have better prognoses than do women with invasive tumors. There have been few epidemiologic studies of borderline tumors, and it is unclear whether there are etiologic differences between the two types of tumor behavior. Combined data from nine case-control studies, conducted from 1974 to 1986 and representing 327 white women with tumors of low malignant potential and 4,144 white controls, were used to evaluate the relation between these tumors and personal characteristics related to invasive ovarian cancer. The risk profile for tumors of low malignant potential was found to be similar to that for invasive tumors, with two exceptions: Compared with that of invasive tumors, risk of borderline tumors was less clearly reduced among women who had used oral contraceptives and more clearly elevated among women with a history of infertility."}
{"id": "PMID:1476143", "title": "Characteristics relating to ovarian cancer risk: collaborative analysis of 12 US case-control studies. IV. The pathogenesis of epithelial ovarian cancer. Collaborative Ovarian Cancer Group.", "content": "Two hypotheses have been proposed to explain the reduced risk of epithelial ovarian cancer associated with pregnancy and oral contraceptive use. The first states that some sequelae of ovulation increase the likelihood of malignancy and that pregnancies and oral contraceptives protect by suppressing ovulation. The second hypothesis states that circulating levels of pituitary gonadotropins increase the risk of malignancy and that pregnancies and oral contraceptives protect by suppressing secretion of these hormones. The authors evaluate the two hypotheses in light of combined data from 12 United States case-control studies of epithelial ovarian cancer in white women conducted from 1956 to 1986. While a number of observations support both hypotheses, there are exceptions. Differential risk reduction associated with pregnancy and oral contraceptive use (pregnancy being the more effective in young women and the less effective in older women) conflicts with the first \"ovulation\" hypothesis, while reduced risk associated with breast feeding and absence of altered risk associated with estrogen replacement therapy conflicts with the second \"gonadotropin\" hypothesis. Several findings would not have been predicted by either hypothesis, e.g., only weak trends relate cancer risk to age at menarche, and, among older women, no clear trends relate risk to age at menopause. Odds ratio attenuation due to errors in reporting personal characteristics may be responsible for some of these inconsistencies. Multidisciplinary research is needed to clarify the etiologic roles of ovulation and gonadotropin stimulation, both of which may enhance carcinogenesis in the ovarian epithelium."}
{"id": "PMID:1476144", "title": "Increased risk of breast cancer with alcohol consumption in postmenopausal women.", "content": "The association between breast cancer incidence and alcohol consumption among postmenopausal women was examined in the Iowa Women's Health Study. In January 1986, a cohort of 41,837 postmenopausal women, aged 55-69 years, completed a questionnaire that included alcohol intake and other information. Through December 1989, 493 incident breast cancer cases were identified. Age-adjusted relative risks of consumption of less than 1.5, 1.5-4.9, 5.0-14.9, and 15.0 g or more of alcohol per day compared with abstention were 1.08, 1.10, 1.08, and 1.28, respectively (p for trend = 0.11). After controlling for age, body mass index, age at first livebirth, age at menarche, and family history of breast cancer, the relative risks were 1.18, 1.20, 1.25, and 1.46 (p for trend = 0.04). Multivariate modeling, using Cox proportional hazards regression, revealed a significant multiplicative interaction between alcohol intake and noncontraceptive estrogen use. The relative risks of breast cancer associated with average daily alcohol consumption of 5.0-14.9 and 15.0 g or more were 1.88 (95% confidence interval 1.30-2.72) and 1.83 (95% confidence interval 1.18-2.85), respectively, among ever-users of estrogen; no association between alcohol and breast cancer was observed among never-users of estrogen."}
{"id": "PMID:1476145", "title": "Cancer identification using a tumor registry versus death certificates in occupational cohort studies in the United States.", "content": "Studies of cancer incidences among occupational cohorts are rarely performed in the United States because of incomplete registration and a limited time period available for follow-up. This study used data from concurrent studies of cancer mortality and incidence among a cohort of 4,528 fire fighters and police officers employed by the cities of Seattle and Tacoma, Washington, between 1944 and 1979 to examine the relative advantages of tumor registry and death certificate information. As expected, an increased ability to study relatively common cancers with low fatality rates was demonstrated using incidence data. The most dramatic example was seen for bladder cancer. Twenty-four bladder cancers had been diagnosed among the study cohort between 1974 and 1989, whereas only two deaths were attributed to this malignancy. The standardized incidence ratio for bladder cancer was 1.05 (95% confidence interval 0.67-1.55), whereas the corresponding standardized mortality ratio was 0.46 (95% confidence interval 0.05-1.65). The observed relative risk estimates for rapidly fatal cancers were similar using the two sources of information, and no increase in precision was observed. Of 142 persons in the registry area who died of cancer during the study period, 20 (14%) had a different site listed on the death certificate than was identified by the registry. Approximately 7% of the potential person-years of follow-up were lost due to migration out of the registry area; loss to follow-up was greater among older and short-term workers, but did not exceed 13% of the person-years. Population-based tumor registries can be a useful resource in the investigation of occupational cancer in the United States, especially for the study of cancers with high survival rates."}
{"id": "PMID:1476146", "title": "Calcium intake and blood pressure in elderly women.", "content": "The authors studied the relative importance of calcium intake as a correlate of blood pressure in a cross-sectional analysis of 6,517 nonblack women aged > or = 65 years from Portland, Oregon; Minneapolis, Minnesota; Baltimore, Maryland; and the Monongahela Valley near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, who enrolled in the Study of Osteoporotic Fractures in 1986. Dietary calcium intake was measured by using a modified food frequency questionnaire. There were weak associations between total calcium intake and blood pressure, such that each 1,000 mg/day increase in calcium intake was associated with a 1.5 mmHg decrease in systolic blood pressure (95% confidence interval -2.2 to -0.8, p < 0.0001) and a 0.5 mmHg decrease in diastolic pressure (95% confidence interval -0.8 to -0.20, p < 0.004). After adjustment for confounding variables, total calcium intake continued to have a weak inverse association only with diastolic blood pressure. The multivariate models revealed several stronger independent risk factors for blood pressure, including age, body mass index, alcohol consumption, and level of education (all p < 0.01). The small size of the inverse association between calcium intake and blood pressure limits its biological importance in this population of elderly women."}
{"id": "PMID:1476147", "title": "Alcohol, smoking, coffee, and cirrhosis.", "content": "Since most heavy drinkers do not develop alcoholic cirrhosis, other causes or predisposing factors are probable. The authors studied traits of 128,934 adults who underwent health examinations at the Oakland and San Francisco, California, facilities of the Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program from January 1978 to December 1985 in relation to subsequent hospitalization or death from cirrhosis of the liver. In analyses adjusted for nine covariates, past and current alcohol drinking were strongly related to cirrhosis risk, but usual choice of alcoholic beverage had no independent relation. Cigarette smoking was independently related to risk of alcoholic cirrhosis, with cigarette smokers of a pack or more per day at trebled risk compared with lifelong nonsmokers. Coffee drinking, but not tea drinking, was inversely related to alcoholic cirrhosis risk, with persons who drank four or more cups per day at one-fifth the risk of noncoffee drinkers. This inverse relation between coffee consumption and risk of alcoholic cirrhosis was consistent in many subsets, including persons free of gastrointestinal disease and those with 5 or more years before hospitalization or death. Cigarette smoking and coffee consumption were not consistently related to risk of hospitalization or death for nonalcoholic cirrhosis. These data could mean that cigarette smoking promotes alcoholic cirrhosis and that coffee drinking might be protective."}
{"id": "PMID:1476148", "title": "Maternal age as a risk factor for wheezing lower respiratory illnesses in the first year of life.", "content": "Postneonatal mortality due to respiratory illnesses is known to be inversely related to maternal age, but the possible role of young motherhood as a risk factor for respiratory morbidity in infants has not been thoroughly explored. The authors studied the incidence of lower respiratory tract illnesses during the first year of life, as ascertained by health plan pediatricians, in over 1,200 infants enrolled at birth between 1980 and 1984 in Tucson, Arizona. The incidence of wheezing lower respiratory tract illnesses increased significantly (p = 0.005) with decreasing maternal age, whereas the incidence of nonwheezing lower respiratory tract illness was independent of maternal age. A logistic regression was used to control for the effects of several known confounding factors. When compared with infants of mothers aged more than 30 years, adjusted odds ratios were 2.4 (95% confidence interval 1.8-3.1) for infants whose mothers were less than age 21 years (p < 0.0001), 1.8 (95% confidence interval 1.4-2.3) for infants whose mothers were aged 21-25 (p < 0.0001); and 1.4 (95% confidence interval 1.1-1.6) for infants whose mothers were aged 26-30 (p < 0.001). These results suggest that young motherhood is an important risk factor for wheezing lower respiratory tract illnesses during the first year of life. Both biological and social factors related to maternal age may explain these findings."}
{"id": "PMID:1476149", "title": "Five cross-sectional studies of grain elevator workers.", "content": "Five cross-sectional studies were conducted on grain workers in all the terminal elevators in British Columbia, Canada, at 3-year intervals from 1976 to 1988. Civic workers were studied in the same manner as a referent group. The studies consisted of questionnaires, spirometry using the same spirometers, allergy skin tests, and measurement of dust concentration by personal sampling. Although the dust concentration in the elevators was reduced progressively over the years, grain workers had more respiratory symptoms and lower lung function compared with the civic workers in each of the five cross-sectional studies. Exposure to grain dust was associated with significant reduction in forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) and forced vital capacity (FVC) but not in maximal midexpiratory flow rate or FEV1/FVC, suggesting reduction in volume which may be due to lesions in the lung parenchyma or in the small airways. Cigarette smoking was associated with significant reduction in FEV1, maximal midexpiratory flow rate, and FEV1/FVC due to airflow obstruction, but had no influence on FVC. Workers who took part in all five surveys tended to be a \"healthier\" selected group, but the grain workers still had lower lung function compared with the civic workers. This study confirmed previous findings that grain dust has adverse effects on the lungs. Cross-sectional study of the grain elevator workers proved to be a consistent and useful method to evaluate occupational health hazards."}
{"id": "PMID:1476150", "title": "The importance of biopsychosocial factors in the development of duodenal ulcer in a cohort of middle-aged men.", "content": "This study prospectively evaluated psychosocial as well as biologic, behavioral, and demographic factors in the development of duodenal ulcer. Baseline data were collected in 1963 on 8,458 Israeli men over age 40 years who had no history of duodenal ulcer. The subjects were followed for 5 years, and 254 reported the development of radiographically proven duodenal ulcer. The average annual incidence was six per 1,000 subjects. Multivariable logistic regression analysis confirmed several previously reported risk factors: smoking (odds ratio (OR) = 1.64, 95% confidence interval (Cl) 1.25-2.16), greater age (60 years and over) (OR = 1.85, 95% Cl 1.25-2.74), lower salary (OR = 1.50, 95% Cl 1.14-1.96), and lower systolic blood pressure (less than 140 mmHg) (OR = 1.58, 95% Cl 1.16-2.15). In addition, logistic regression analysis revealed a significant association of duodenal ulcer incidence with preceding measures of family stress, emotional support, and coping style. These were: increased family problems (OR = 1.60, 95% Cl 1.19-2.16), low level of perceived love and support from subject's wife (OR = 2.06, 95% Cl 1.05-4.05), and restraining retaliation when hurt by coworkers (OR = 1.89, 95% Cl 1.19-3.00). This study confirms several previously reported risk factors and underlines the importance of stress, lack of social support, and coping style in the development of duodenal ulcer."}
{"id": "PMID:1476151", "title": "Clostridium perfringens outbreak associated with minestrone soup.", "content": "Clostridium perfringens food poisoning usually occurs after animal protein foods such as meat or poultry are consumed. In November 1990, an outbreak of gastrointestinal illness occurred among attendees at a conference of cake decorators held in Michigan. All 42 conference attendees were surveyed. Thirty-two of 42 (76%) attendees reported gastrointestinal symptoms. The median incubation period was 6.5 hours (range, 1.5-15 hours). Ill persons were almost five times more likely to have consumed minestrone soup than were those who were not ill (relative risk = 4.92, 95% confidence interval 1.23-infinity). Bacteriologic analysis identified C. perfringens in the soup and in 11 of 12 stool specimens from ill persons. The soup was cooked 2 days prior to serving and was slowly cooled before refrigeration; it was briefly reheated on the day served. Failure to monitor time and temperature controls during the cooling and reheating of the soup probably allowed for C. perfringens proliferation in the minestrone soup. This investigation demonstrated that nonanimal protein sources, such as legumes, can support substantial C. perfringens growth and should be regarded as potential vehicles in C. perfringens outbreaks."}
{"id": "PMID:1476153", "title": "Estrogen replacement therapy in women with breast cancer: a survey of patient attitudes.", "content": "Estrogen replacement therapy (ERT) is suggested for women with symptomatic estrogen deficiency, but patients with breast cancer are advised against ERT because of concerns that ERT may precipitate cancer recurrence. The attitudes of women with breast cancer regarding ERT is critical in the design of appropriate strategies for the management of their menopause. A randomly selected group of 224 women with breast cancer responded to an anonymous survey that addressed the presence of menopause, antecedent therapies, symptoms related to estrogen deficiency, concerns about osteoporosis or heart disease, attitude about ERT, and perception about ERT-related cancer risk. Among women who completed the survey, 77% were postmenopausal and 81% had had multimodality therapy. Of menopausal women, 27% believed they needed some treatment for menopause and 8% had taken ERT since cancer diagnosis. Most women were afraid that ERT may precipitate cancer recurrence (78%) but they also were concerned about the menopause-related risk of osteoporosis (70%) and heart disease (72%). Overall, 44% of menopausal women were willing to consider ERT under medical supervision. Those treated with surgery alone were distinct in that 71% would consider ERT (p < 0.04). Premenopausal women were more concerned about osteoporosis (82% vs. 66% for postmenopausal), heart disease (92% vs. 73%), and the possibility that ERT may precipitate cancer recurrence (98% vs. 73%). Yet, at the same time, they were more willing to consider ERT under medical supervision (59% vs. 40% for menopausal). The present study underscores that women with breast cancer are very aware and concerned about the adverse health consequences of estrogen deficiency and would consider ERT under medical supervision.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1476154", "title": "Potassium and catecholamine concentrations in the immediate post exercise period.", "content": "The minutes immediately after cessation of strenuous exercise have been termed the \"vulnerable period\" regarding the occurrence of lethal cardiac arrhythmias. In the present study, we analyzed the rates of change with a high degree of temporal resolution of factors known to be associated with induction of arrhythmic activity. Thirteen subjects walked and ran on a treadmill to the point of exhaustion after a modified Bruce protocol. Samples were drawn from the antecubital vein immediately before exercise, at the moment exercise stopped, and at 1, 2, 3, 5, and 10 minutes of recovery. Plasma potassium concentration rose during exercise from 3.98 +/- .05 to 5.09 +/- .09 mEq/L. After the exercise period, plasma potassium fell rapidly. The mean maximum rate of change was -0.54 +/- .04 mEq/L/min, and -0.88 +/- .08 mEq/L/2 min. Plasma epinephrine concentration increased from 63 +/- 14 to 497 +/- 41 pg/ml and norepinephrine increased from 503 +/- 57 to 2800 +/- 519 pg/ml during exercise. During the first minute after cessation of exercise, the concentrations of both catecholamines increased still further. We propose that the rapid decline of potassium concentration while catecholamine levels are elevated to near maximal levels may contribute to the vulnerability of some individuals to post exercise arrhythmias."}
{"id": "PMID:1476155", "title": "Case report: a glucose responsive insulinoma--implication for the diagnosis of insulin secreting tumors.", "content": "Normal insulin secretagogues, including glucose, usually have little influence on insulin secretion from insulinomas. Therefore, insulinomas typically cause fasting hypoglycemia with relative hyperinsulinemia. This report describes a patient with hyperinsulinemia due to an islet cell adenoma with microadenomatosis, which, upon provocative in vivo testing, was found to be profoundly responsive to hypoglycemic and hyperglycemic stimuli. A 72 hr fast followed by brisk exercise resulted in a gradual reduction of serum glucose and insulin concentrations, but did not provoke symptomatic hypoglycemia. Oral glucose tolerance testing resulted in a prompt 10-fold increase in serum insulin accompanied by a mildly symptomatic and gradual fall in serum glucose to 30 mg/dl 90 minutes after glucose ingestion. An intravenous glucose challenge caused an acute increase in serum insulin to more than 1200 microU/ml with a resulting serum glucose of 11 mg/dl 25 minutes later, associated with loss of consciousness. Although a prolonged fast has proven to be the best diagnostic test for insulin secreting tumors, many other provocative tests that use normal insulin secretagogues have been somewhat useful in this regard. The patient in this report supports the concept that insulinomas vary widely in their response to a number of normal physiologic regulators of insulin secretion, including the serum glucose concentration. A variety of provocative tests may be needed to fully evaluate the rare patient in whom there is a strong clinical suspicion of insulinoma but who has a nondiagnostic prolonged fast."}
{"id": "PMID:1476156", "title": "Failure of therapy for tuberculosis in human immunodeficiency virus infection.", "content": "Optimum treatment of tuberculosis in persons with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is still being defined. Tuberculosis treatment failure in an HIV-infected patient is described and 10 similar cases from the medical literature are reviewed to search for common patterns associated with an adverse outcome of therapy in this setting. Six patients were poorly compliant. In nine patients, the subsequent episode of tuberculosis was disseminated or extrapulmonary; in four the central nervous system was involved. In five patients, a problem with rifampin usage was encountered: Three had rifampin-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis, one experienced an adverse reaction to rifampin, leading to withdrawal from the regimen after 1 week, and one was receiving a drug that may interfere with rifampin's antimycobacterial effect. This case report and literature review suggest that particular attention should be directed toward ensuring that patients with HIV infection comply with treatment of tuberculosis. For the majority of patients, the already stretched resources available for the treatment of tuberculosis and HIV infection should be devoted to compliance enhancement rather than to more prolonged or intensive drug regimens. However, it should be emphasized that patients with disseminated tuberculosis or central nervous system disease and those who are not able to receive rifampin because of drug resistance or an adverse reaction should be managed individually."}
{"id": "PMID:1476157", "title": "HIV and skin disease: the molecular biology of the human immunodeficiency virus.", "content": "The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a member of a family of retroviruses that cause chronic persistent infections in animals and in humans. The structure of this virus resembles that of other retroviruses but also contains important and complex regulatory elements. The expression of HIV can be influenced by the action of exogenous agents and cytokines. HIV has been isolated from a number of cell types, including cells in the skin, using sensitive detection methods such as the polymerase chain reaction and in situ hybridization. This article is a basic overview of the molecular biology of HIV and its presence in skin."}
{"id": "PMID:1476158", "title": "AIDS in Romania.", "content": "Of the 1446 AIDS cases reported in Romania, 79% were in the pediatric age group. Of these children, 28% lived with their families, 30% were orphans, and 42% were abandoned. Among the AIDS-affected children, 32% were less than 1 year old and 67% were 1-4 years old. The natural history of AIDS in Romania was characterized by a high death rate from opportunistic infections. Chronic undernutrition imposed by the communist program of \"rational feeding of the population,\" immunodepression induced by the radiation generated by the accident at Chernobyl, hard physical work in an environment intensely polluted by industrial waste, excessive use of injectable therapies and transfusions of HIV-untested blood, lack of education of the medical staff and the population, and tourism have contributed to the AIDS epidemic in Romania. Kaposi's sarcoma was infrequent (7.7%) in AIDS patients. However, a significant number of European-type Kaposi's sarcoma cases with negative tests for the HIV infection were reported."}
{"id": "PMID:1476159", "title": "Mechanism and role of insulin receptor endocytosis.", "content": "Like many other cell surface receptors for nutrients and polypeptide hormones, the insulin receptor undergoes a complex endocytotic itinerary. Upon insulin binding, the receptor is activated as a tyrosine-specific protein kinase and autophosphorylates. This autophosphorylation is necessary for the receptor to internalize. After endocytosis, the ligand (insulin) and its receptor are dissociated. Most of the insulin is degraded, whereas the receptors are largely recycled to the cell surface. The signals in the receptor that control and specify its endocytotic pathway are beginning to be understood. Through the techniques of in vitro mutagenesis, noninternalizing receptors have been engineered and their structural and functional properties have been analyzed. For example, the immediate submembranous domain of the insulin receptor has been found to contain sequences (Gly-Pro-Leu-Tyr and, to a lesser extent, Asn-Pro-Gln-Tyr) that are necessary for normal endocytosis. Receptors deleted or mutated in these sequences retain tyrosine kinase activity but fail to undergo endocytosis. Unlike the better understood low density lipoprotein and transferrin receptors, however, these sequences are not sufficient for endocytosis. An insulin receptor with only these sequences exposed in the cytoplasm does not internalize. Tyrosine kinase activity is thought to be needed to lead to autophosphorylation and a conformational change that exposes the otherwise buried endocytosis sequences in the normally dimerized insulin receptor. Non-internalizing mutants of the insulin receptor have been used to examine the role of endocytosis in insulin action. It was found that an endocytosis-defective receptor could induce a short-term metabolic action of insulin (glycogen synthetase stimulation) as well as longer-term mitogenic effects of insulin. Furthermore, insulin action deactivated after the hormone was removed from the noninternalizing receptors. Apparently, endocytosis is not necessary for insulin action, but probably is important for removing the insulin from the cell so the target cell for insulin responds in a time-limited fashion to the hormone."}
{"id": "PMID:1476160", "title": "Advances in monoclonal antibody therapy of cancer.", "content": "Tumor-associated antigens can be seen as unique targets for the delivery of anti-cancer therapy. Monoclonal antibodies directed at such antigens are increasingly being seen as important biologic reagents that will complement the group of existing cytotoxic drugs. This report briefly overviews recent advances in the field of monoclonal antibody therapy of cancer and provides insight regarding the promises and limitations of this novel therapeutic approach."}
{"id": "PMID:1476161", "title": "Characterization of cultured chemoreceptor cells dissociated from adult rabbit carotid body.", "content": "Short-term cell cultures were obtained from enzymatically dissociated carotid bodies from adult rabbits, and morphological and functional characterization of the cultured chemoreceptor cells were carried out. Under phase contrast, freshly isolated type I cells are round, bright, and 10-14 microns in diameter and exhibit strong fluorescence when stained with the glyoxylic acid technique. The content of endogenous dopamine in the cultures increased from 80 pmol/10(5) cells 2 h after plating the cells to 200 pmol/10(5) cells on the 3rd day, and the rate of synthesis and storage of [3H]dopamine from the precursor [3H]tyrosine increased from 1.7 pmol.10(5) cells-1.h-1 in 1-day cultures to 4 pmol.10(5) cells-1.h-1 on the 3rd day; the later values represent 80-85% of the expected values for the intact carotid body. After labeling with [3H]tyrosine, cultured chemoreceptor cells release [3H]dopamine when challenged by hypoxia, high external K+, or the protonophore dinitrophenol, the pattern of response being similar to that of the intact carotid body. When studied by whole cell clamp recording, individual chemoreceptor cells exhibit a marked variability in the properties of some ionic currents; the data, however, do not support the existence of distinct subpopulations of type I cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1476162", "title": "Negative-feedback regulation of excitation-contraction coupling in gastric smooth muscle.", "content": "The role of phosphatidylinositol (PI) turnover in excitation-contraction coupling was investigated in canine antral smooth muscle. Acetylcholine (ACh; 0.1-1 microM) transiently increased tissue levels of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate [Ins(1,4,5)P3] and increased the amplitudes of the plateau phase of slow waves and associated Ca2+ transients and phasic contractions. ACh also increased basal concentrations of cytosolic Ca2+ ([Ca2+]c), but these changes were not associated with an increase in resting tension. ATP (0.3 mM) had similar effects on Ins(1,4,5)P3 levels, basal [Ca2+]c, and resting tension. However, in contrast to the effects of ACh, ATP transiently reduced the amplitude of the plateau phase of slow waves and reduced the amplitudes of associated Ca2+ transients and phasic contractions. We investigated the possibility that two products of PI turnover, diacylglycerol (DAG) and Ins(1,4,5)P3, might provide negative feedback to regulate Ca2+ entry during slow waves. 1) DAG is known to activate protein kinase C (PKC). Activation of PKC by phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate (PDBu, 0.5 microM) reduced the amplitude of the plateau phase of slow waves and corresponding Ca2+ transients and phasic contractions. Assay of PKC showed that ACh, ATP, and PDBu stimulated enzyme activity. 2) Ins(1,4,5)P3 is known to increase [Ca2+]c by release of Ca2+ from internal stores. Basal [Ca2+]c was also increased by elevated external K+, ionomycin, thapsigargin, or caffeine. Each of these compounds reduced the amplitude and duration of slow waves. Results suggest that products of PI turnover may provide negative-feedback control of Ca2+ influx during slow waves, tending to reduce the amplitude of phasic contractile activity in gastric muscles. Differences in responses to ACh and ATP can be explained by a G protein-dependent mechanism in which ACh suppresses the voltage dependence of Ca(2+)-activated K+ channels."}
{"id": "PMID:1476163", "title": "Loss of suppression of GSH synthesis at low cell density in primary cultures of rat hepatocytes.", "content": "Primary cultures of adult rat hepatocytes shift into the growth phase when plated at low density (LD). We used this model to examine changes in glutathione (GSH) metabolism, since cells undergoing active growth may be more susceptible to environmental toxins. When primary cultures of adult rat hepatocytes were plated on collagen or Matrigel-precoated dishes, cell number and GSH varied inversely. This density effect on cell GSH occurred as early as 2 h after plating, when the media contained 1 mM methionine, but was delayed until 20 h if the media contained only 0.5 mM cystine. The density effect on GSH synthesis occurred in the absence of serum, hormones, changes in cell volume, GSH efflux, ATP levels, and uptake of methionine or cystine and was blocked by cycloheximide or actinomycin D. When methionine was available, the cellular cysteine level was 65% higher at LD than at high density (HD). gamma-Glutamylcysteine synthetase (GCS) activity was 64% higher at LD than at HD. GSH synthetase activity was unaffected by density. Both the increase in cellular cysteine levels and GCS activity were blocked by cycloheximide and actinomycin D. When cells were cocultured using cluster plates and Transwell inserts for 4 h, cell GSH of HD cells was unaffected by the density of cocultured cells; however, LD cells exhibited significantly lower GSH and GCS activity when cocultured with HD cells than when cocultured with LD cells. Cysteine levels were elevated in the LD cells regardless of the density of cocultured cells.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1476164", "title": "Calcium-activated phosphatidylcholine-specific phospholipase C and D in MDCK epithelial cells.", "content": "Calcium ionophore exposure generates diglycerides (DAG) from phosphatidylcholine (PC) hydrolysis in Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) epithelial cells. This study compares calcium ionophore-activated PC hydrolysis with the previously described phorbol ester-stimulated PC hydrolysis pathway using MDCK cells labeled with [14C]-linoleic acid. Lipid species were measured using thin-layer chromatography. DAG resulted in part from PC hydrolysis because DAG increased in cells labeled with [palmitoyl-2-14C]phosphatidylcholine. Neither protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitors nor PKC depletion affected the ionomycin (IONO)-induced increase in DAG. Ethylene glycol-bis(beta-aminoethyl ether)-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid prevented the increased DAG after IONO but not after phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate (PDBu) exposure. The EGTA effect was reversed by adding excess calcium but was not reversed by adding excess Mg2+. IONO exposure also increased phosphatidic acid (PA) production. The PA was produced by phospholipase D (PLD) because phosphatidylethanol was produced when IONO was added to the cells in the presence of ethanol. Although increasing concentrations of ethanol resulted in progressively less PA, it had no effect on increased DAG after IONO exposure at any time point tested. These data are consistent with both increased phospholipase C (PLC) and increased PLD activity following ionomycin. In contrast to IONO exposure, ethanol completely prevented the increase in DAG after PDBu exposure, consistent with DAG produced by PLD activation. These results demonstrate that calcium activates both PC-specific PLC and PLD in MDCK cells and that the calcium-activated pathway is independent of the previously described PKC activation pathways."}
{"id": "PMID:1476165", "title": "Expression of the Na-Ca exchanger in diverse tissues: a study using the cloned human cardiac Na-Ca exchanger.", "content": "In many cells including cardiac myocytes, cytoplasmic Ca is importantly controlled by the plasmalemmal Na-Ca exchanger (3, 8). The tissue diversity and differences in cellular environment raise the question whether the same exchanger is found in all tissues. Recent experiments using rod cells have demonstrated that at least two forms of Na-dependent Ca transport exist. We have examined this issue in various rat and human tissues using the cloned human cardiac Na-Ca exchanger cDNA. Northern blot analysis in these two species show that the major transcript of the Na-Ca exchanger is 7.2 kilobases in heart, brain, kidney, liver, pancreas, skeletal muscle, placenta, and lung. Furthermore, ribonuclease protection analysis in rats shows conservation of the 348-base pair segment tested in heart, brain, kidney, skeletal muscle, and liver. Additionally, Southern blot analysis suggests that a single gene encodes this Na-Ca exchanger. Finally, we show that the clone used to generate our probes encodes a completely functional Na-Ca exchanger. With the use of COS cells and 293 cells transfected with the cloned human cardiac Na-Ca exchanger, we tested the Ca transport properties of the Na-Ca exchanger, the voltage dependence of the Na-Ca exchanger, as well as the Na dependence of the transport function of the Na-Ca exchanger. We conclude that the cardiac form of the Na-Ca exchanger is completely functional when the cDNA is expressed in mammalian cell lines, and, furthermore, this \"cardiac\" form of the Na-Ca exchanger is naturally expressed in all human and rat tissues tested (but at varying levels)."}
{"id": "PMID:1476166", "title": "Transport of choline by plasma membrane vesicles from lung-derived epithelial cells.", "content": "A549 cells, a lung epithelium-derived cell line, were used as a model system to study choline transport by granular pneumocytes. Intact cells accumulated free choline against a concentration gradient by a low-affinity transport system with kinetic characteristics similar to that previously described for granular pneumocytes (Am. J. Respir. Cell Mol. Biol. 1: 455, 1989). Membrane vesicles prepared from these cells showed a 10-fold enrichment in plasma membrane marker enzymes with a vesicular H2O space of 5.7 +/- 0.05 (SE) microliters/mg protein. Vesicles showed a time- and concentration-dependent uptake of free [3H]choline in Na(+)-free medium. With 5 microM choline, choline uptake reached an apparent steady-state concentration gradient (inside/outside) of 50. 3H that was membrane associated (\"bound\" choline) represented approximately 5% of total uptake. In the presence of an initial gradient of NaCl, choline uptake showed an overshoot with a plateau value similar to Na(+)-free conditions; a similar effect was observed for plasma membrane vesicles from rat lung type 2 epithelial cells. The steady-state uptake of choline was inhibited at low pH (6.5) and by the presence of valinomycin or carbonyl cyanide p-tri-fluoromethoxyphenylhydrazone and was abolished when both were present. These results show that plasma membrane vesicles from A549 cells accumulate choline by binding to the membranes and by Na(+)-dependent and -independent transport mechanisms, the latter apparently reflecting a transmembrane proton gradient."}
{"id": "PMID:1476167", "title": "Regulation of pHi in Saos-2 cells by thrombin: roles of proteolytic activity and cytosolic calcium transients.", "content": "Some, if not all, of the cellular actions of alpha-thrombin are now believed to be mediated by proteolytic cleavage of the cell surface thrombin receptor to yield a tethered ligand that initiates signal transduction via the receptor. We have investigated the actions of alpha-thrombin on the regulation of cytosolic free Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) and intracellular pH (pHi) in human osteoblast-like Saos-2 cells. After acidification with nigericin, thrombin induced an acute increase of [Ca2+]i and a rise in pHi. The action of thrombin on pHi was dependent on activation of the Na(+)-H+ antiporter. Thrombin elicited parallel concentration-dependent increases in both [Ca2+]i and pHi, and the rise in [Ca2+]i was a prerequisite for the increase in pHi. Preincubation of thrombin with the active site proteolytic inhibitor, BOC-D-Phe-L-Pro-D,L-Lys-CF3, prevented the alkalinization response to thrombin but had little or no effect on the thrombin-induced rise in [Ca2+]i. Hirudin, a natural inhibitor of thrombin, acts by tight binding to several discrete regions on the thrombin molecule. Preincubation of thrombin with hirudin completely blocked the rise in both [Ca2+]i and pHi. These results demonstrate that the thrombin-induced rise in [Ca2+]i alone is not sufficient to cause alkalinization in Saos-2 cells. More importantly, our findings reveal that not all of the cellular actions of thrombin can be explained by proteolytic cleavage of the thrombin receptor and suggest that different domains on the thrombin molecule may be required for eliciting signals that raise [Ca2+]i and pHi in Saos-2 cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1476168", "title": "Role for diacylglycerol in mediating the actions of ACh on M-current in gastric smooth muscle cells.", "content": "The role of the second messenger diacylglycerol (DAG) in mediating muscarinic suppression of M-current, a type of a voltage-gated K+ current that is suppressed by acetylcholine (ACh), was examined in freshly isolated smooth muscle cells from toad stomach. Currents were recorded using a single electrode voltage clamp employing conventional microelectrodes. Extracellular application of 1,2-dioctanoyl-sn-glycerol (DiC8), a synthetic DAG that is a potent activator of protein kinase C (PKC), reversibly suppressed M-current. Current relaxations, representing the voltage-dependent closure of K+ channels underlying M-current, were also decreased by DiC8, although suppression was not always as complete as it was with ACh. In contrast, another DAG analogue, 1,2-dioctanoyl-3-thioglycerol, which has a structure closely related to DiC8 but does not activate PKC, failed to inhibit M-current. Furthermore, M-current induced by the beta-agonist isoproterenol, by a mechanism apparently mediated by adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (S. M. Sims, L. H. Clapp, J. V. Walsh, Jr., and J. J. Singer. Pflugers Arch. 417: 291, 1990), was also suppressed by DiC8. Both ACh and DiC8 were found to suppress endogenous and isoproterenol-induced M-current without altering the time course of M-current deactivation, suggesting that these agents act by decreasing the number of channels available to be opened. These results provide evidence that muscarinic regulation of M-current is mediated by DAG."}
{"id": "PMID:1476169", "title": "Osmoregulation of Na(+)-inositol cotransporter activity and mRNA levels in brain glial cells.", "content": "During plasma hypertonicity brain volume is regulated acutely by electrolyte uptake and chronically by accumulation of organic solutes such as inositol. Cultured rat C6 glioma cells, an astrocyte-like cell line, show a similar pattern of volume control. Volume regulatory accumulation of inositol requires external inositol, indicating that membrane transport plays a central role in this process. The inositol uptake pathway is Na+ dependent and exhibits Michaelis-Menten kinetics. Chronic hypertonic acclimation results in a twofold increase in the maximum velocity of the transporter without changing the Km. Hypertonic stress also results in a 17-fold increase in transporter mRNA. Elevation of mRNA levels precedes activation of the transporter by 4-6 h, suggesting that increased inositol uptake is mediated by synthesis and membrane insertion of new transport proteins. Reacclimation of hypertonic cells to isotonicity causes a rapid reduction of transporter mRNA levels to control levels within 4 h. In contrast, downregulation of transport activity does not begin until between 10 and 24 h after reexposure to isotonicity."}
{"id": "PMID:1476170", "title": "Endothelin-1 stimulates DNA synthesis and proliferation of pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells.", "content": "Endothelin-1 (ET-1), a 21-amino acid peptide released from the endothelium, elicits a variety of biological effects that include vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) contraction, release of secondary mediators, and cell proliferation. The present study was undertaken to examine the proliferative potential of ET-1 toward pulmonary artery VSMC in culture. In the presence of low serum and epidermal growth factor (EGF), ET-1 stimulated marked DNA synthesis and proliferation of VSMC. The contributing factor from serum appeared to be platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) because the antibody to PDGF eliminated the stimulatory activity. The antibody to EGF also prevented the stimulation, suggesting that both PDGF and EGF are required for the full expression of the VSMC growth-promoting activity of ET-1. A paradoxical aspect of ET-1 effect on VSMC was the ability of ET-1 to inhibit the EGF-stimulated DNA synthesis when the two factors were added together to a high baseline DNA synthetic activity. The inhibition was prevented if ET-1 was added 12-18 h after the addition of EGF or if ET-1 and EGF were added to a protein kinase C-depleted VSMC. The inhibition by ET-1 may be mediated by protein kinase C activation followed by inhibition of EGF binding to its receptor. The results indicate that ET-1 under appropriate conditions can modulate the growth of pulmonary artery VSMC in both positive and negative directions."}
{"id": "PMID:1476171", "title": "Simultaneous fluorescence measurement of calcium and membrane potential responses to endothelin.", "content": "Vasopressin stimulates calcium signaling and chloride-dependent depolarization in glomerular mesangial cells. We describe a technique whereby both calcium and membrane potential changes can be simultaneously monitored with fluorescent probes. This technique was validated by comparison with single parameter measurements in basal and vasopressin-stimulated mesangial cells. It was shown that the calibration for calcium is unaffected by that for membrane potential, whereas the calibration for membrane potential is affected by prior calcium calibration. Accordingly, it was necessary to calibrate for the former first. The technique was then applied to investigate the effects of endothelin, which was found to elicit a concentration-dependent calcium release response and a chloride-dependent depolarization of mesangial cells. The interaction between the calcium signaling response to vasopressin and endothelin was also investigated. When vasopressin stimulation occurred subsequent to endothelin stimulation, and vice versa, a calcium response was still evident. However, these agonists displayed partial heterologous desensitization in that prior stimulation with vasopressin attenuated the subsequent response to endothelin, and vice versa. This suggests the presence of functionally distinct hormone-responsive calcium pools. The technique of double-parameter fluorescent measurement outlined could potentially be applied to other cellular signaling parameters by the use of the appropriate probes."}
{"id": "PMID:1476172", "title": "Fish antifreeze proteins block Ca entry into rabbit parietal cells.", "content": "Many fish and insects have adapted to life at subfreezing temperatures by evolving so-called antifreeze proteins (AFP) that noncolligatively depress the freezing temperatures of aqueous solutions without affecting the melting temperature. AFP have been thought to function solely as antifreezes. Recently, however, we discovered that AFP also protect mammalian cells and organs from damage caused by exposure to hypothermic (above freezing) temperatures. It has been proposed that hypothermic damage is caused by changes in intracellular ionic content due to a reduction of active transport that is required to balance passive ion transport across cell membranes. Given this possibility, we tested whether AFP isolated from the Newfoundland ocean pout might reduce the Ca ion permeability of a mammalian cell, the rabbit gastric parietal cell, which has been particularly well studied in terms of Ca transport and signaling. Digital image processing of the Ca-sensitive fluorescent indicator fura-2 was used to measure intracellular free Ca in these cells. During stimulation with the cholinergic agonist carbachol, AFP inhibited passive Ca entry across the cell membrane without interfering with either the release of Ca from internal stores (indicating that the carbachol receptor and other signaling events were operational) or the normal active rates of Ca efflux from the cell (indicating that Ca pumping was also still intact). These results suggest that, in addition to their actual antifreeze properties, AFP may also help to confer cold tolerance in animals by preventing passive Ca entry into epithelial cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1476173", "title": "Disuse osteopenia is accompanied by downregulation of gene expression for bone proteins in growing rats.", "content": "Unilateral sciatic neurectomy (USN) resulted in cortical osteopenia in tibiae from the sciatic nerve-sectioned limb of growing rats. The bone deficit resulted from decreased periosteal addition; there were no changes in the indexes of bone resorption. The periosteal bone formation rate was reduced in the nerve-sectioned limb within 7 days of sciatic neurectomy, and this decrease persisted for at least 56 days. Steady-state mRNA levels for bone proteins were determined in periosteum isolated from tibiae and femurs 7 and 14 days after sciatic nerve section. Nerve section resulted in decreased levels of mRNA for osteocalcin, alkaline phosphatase, and possibly the prepro-alpha (I)-subunit of type I collagen (collagen). The effects were more pronounced in tibiae than femurs, corresponding to the greater degree of immobility induced by USN in the former bone. The results demonstrate that decreased bone formation precedes establishment of disuse cortical osteopenia in growing rats with no evidence for a change in bone resorption. Furthermore, the decreased bone formation is associated with, and may be due to, reduced mRNA levels for matrix proteins and other important bone proteins."}
{"id": "PMID:1476174", "title": "Lactate in rat skeletal muscle after hemorrhage measured by microdialysis probe calibrated in situ.", "content": "The interstitial lactate concentration in rat skeletal muscle was measured in the normal state and after hemorrhage using a microdialysis probe, and the values calculated by in vitro and in vivo calibration were compared. After withdrawal of 30% of the estimated total blood volume, the lactate concentration in the dialysate gradually increased and then maintained an almost constant level. It was found that interstitial lactate levels of skeletal muscle calculated by the in vitro calibration method were not significantly different from those calculated by in vivo calibration in both the normal state and after hemorrhage. These data indicate that the absolute lactate concentration in the muscle interstitium in the normal state and after acute hemorrhage can be practically measured by a microdialysis probe calibrated in vitro. From the comparison of lactate concentrations in blood and in the muscle interstitium, it was suggested that rat skeletal muscle functions as a lactate consumer, rather than as a lactate producer, after acute hemorrhage."}
{"id": "PMID:1476175", "title": "Effect of moderate cold exposure on 24-h energy expenditure: similar response in postobese and nonobese women.", "content": "Twenty-four-hour energy expenditure (EE) and substrate oxidation rates were measured two times in eight postobese women and eight matched controls. On one occasion the subjects were exposed to a room temperature of 16 degrees C, on the other to 24 degrees C. Cold exposure elicited a 2% increment in 24-h EE (P < 0.05), with similar response in the two groups. The slight increase in EE was entirely covered by an enhanced carbohydrate oxidation rate. Fasting plasma norepinephrine (NE) increased from 0.74 +/- 0.08 to 1.29 +/- 0.21 nmol/l under cold exposure (P < 0.05), with no group difference. The cold-induced increase in 24-h EE was positively correlated to the increase in NE concentration (r2 = 0.41, P = 0.01). Sleeping EE was found to be 5% lower in the postobese women than in the controls (P = 0.04). The postobese group also had higher 24-h nonprotein respiratory quotient than the control group (P = 0.04), which was due to a 26% lower lipid-to-carbohydrate oxidation ratio. The study demonstrates that the thermogenic response to cold is normal in women susceptible to obesity, but it supports previous reports of a slightly lower basal EE and lower lipid-to-carbohydrate oxidation ratio in postobese subjects."}
{"id": "PMID:1476176", "title": "Effects of high levels of fatty acids on functional recovery of ischemic hearts from diabetic rats.", "content": "In this study we determined the effects of high levels of fatty acids on recovery of heart function when present either during or after ischemia. Isolated working hearts from 6-wk streptozotocin diabetic and control rats perfused with 11 mM glucose were subjected to 25 min of global ischemia followed by 30 min of aerobic reperfusion. Four groups were studied: 1) 1.2 mM palmitate present before, during, and after ischemia; 2) 1.2 mM palmitate present before and during ischemia, followed by reperfusion in the absence of palmitate; 3) no palmitate before and during ischemia, followed by 1.2 mM palmitate during reperfusion; and 4) no palmitate before and during ischemia or during reperfusion. In control hearts, palmitate during reperfusion depressed recovery of function regardless of whether palmitate was present or absent during ischemia. In contrast, palmitate present during reperfusion did not depress recovery of mechanical function in the diabetic rat hearts. However, the presence of palmitate during ischemia itself in diabetic rat hearts was detrimental to recovery of mechanical function. The presence of palmitate during ischemia resulted in an accelerated rate of ATP loss and a decreased rate of lactate accumulation during ischemia, although this effect was similar in control and diabetic rat hearts. Our results demonstrate that high concentrations of fatty acids depress functional recovery of control rat hearts during the reperfusion period but depress recovery of function in diabetic rat hearts when present during ischemia itself."}
{"id": "PMID:1476177", "title": "Upregulation of V1a vasopressin receptors by glucocorticoids.", "content": "WRK1 cells (a rat mammary tumor cell line) exhibit a vasopressinergic receptor of V1a subtype tightly coupled to phospholipase C. Addition of dexamethasone to the culture medium principally potentiated the vasopressin-sensitive accumulation of inositol phosphates and to a lesser extent the NaF-sensitive phospholipase C activity. On the opposite, such treatment was without effect on the basal level of intracellular inositol phosphates or on bradykinin- or serotonin-sensitive phosphoinositide metabolisms. Glucocorticoid receptors were probably involved in these actions since dexamethasone was found to be more potent than aldosterone or corticosterone. Dexamethasone treatment also increased the number of vasopressin binding sites without affecting its affinity for vasopressin or other specific vasopressin analogues. These results strongly suggest that dexamethasone principally acts at the vasopressin receptor level by affecting its synthesis and/or the translation of its mRNA and also affects the G protein that couples the V1a receptor to the phospholipase C. These results explain how glucocorticoids may regulate the transduction mechanisms involved in vasopressin actions on WRK1 cells. They provide explanations for understanding the cross talk between adrenal steroids and hormones, which mobilize intracellular calcium."}
{"id": "PMID:1476178", "title": "Regulation of free fatty acid metabolism by insulin in humans: role of lipolysis and reesterification.", "content": "The regulation of lipolysis, free fatty acid appearance into plasma (FFA R(a)), an FFA reesterification and oxidation were examined in seven healthy humans infused intravenously with insulin at rates of 4, 8, 25, and 400 mU.m-2.min-1. Glycerol and FFA R(a) were determined by isotope dilution methods, and FFA oxidation was calculated by indirect calorimetry or by measurement of expired 14CO2 from infused [1-14C]palmitate. These measurements were used to calculate total FFA reesterification, primary FFA reesterification occurring within the adipocyte, and secondary reesterification of circulating FFA molecules. Lipolysis, FFA R(a), and secondary FFA reesterification were exquisitely insulin sensitive [the insulin concentrations that produced half-maximal suppression (EC50), 106 +/- 26, 91 +/- 20 vs. 80 +/- 16 pM, P = not significant] in contrast to insulin suppression of FFA oxidation (EC50, 324 +/- 60, all P < 0.01). The absolute rate of primary FFA reesterification was not affected by the increase in insulin concentration, but the proportion of FFA molecules undergoing primary reesterification doubled over the physiological portion of the insulin dose-response curve (from 0.23 +/- 0.06 to 0.44 +/- 0.07, P < 0.05). This served to magnify insulin suppression of FFA R(a) twofold. In conclusion, insulin regulates FFA R(a) by inhibition of lipolysis while maintaining a constant rate of primary FFA reesterification."}
{"id": "PMID:1476179", "title": "1,25(OH)2D3 blunts hormone-elevated cytosolic Ca2+ in osteoblast-like cells.", "content": "Cytosolic free calcium ([Ca2+]i) is an important regulator of bone cell physiology. We studied the interaction of vitamin D metabolites on the hormonal-activated Ca message system in the osteoblastic cell line UMR-106. The acute rise in [Ca2+]i induced by different calciotropic hormones [parathyroid hormone, prostaglandin E2 (PGE2)] was dose dependently blunted by 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D [1,25(OH)2D3; half-maximal inhibitory concn approximately 5 x 10(-11) M] and was initially observed after 8 h of preincubation. The 1,25(OH)2D3 metabolite of vitamin D was two orders of magnitude more potent than 24,25(OH)2D3 and 25(OH)D3. To discern between an effect of 1,25(OH)2D3 on hormonal-induced Ca2+ entry through the plasma membrane channel vs. release of Ca2+ from internal stores, we suspended fura-2-loaded cells in Mn2+ rather than Ca2+ buffers. In cells preincubated with 1,25(OH)2D3, [Ca2+]i release (indicated by [Ca2+]i transient) was significantly blunted, whereas Mn2+ influx (indicating Ca2+ flux across the plasma membrane) was unaltered, suggesting a selective effect of 1,25(OH)2D3 on hormonal-activated release of Ca2+ from intracellular stores. 1,25(OH)2D3 also inhibited the PGE2-induced production of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate. We conclude that, in osteoblasts, chronic (hours) incubation with 1,25(OH)2D3 leads to attenuated stimulation of the [Ca2+]i transduction pathway by calciotropic hormones. This effect of 1,25(OH)2D3 may provide a cellular basis for the synergism between the effects of vitamin D and calciotropic hormones at the bone level."}
{"id": "PMID:1476180", "title": "Production of parathyroid hormone-related protein by the rat mammary gland in pregnancy and lactation.", "content": "Production of parathyroid hormone-related protein by the rat mammary gland in pregnancy and lactation. Am. J. Physiol. 263 (Endocrinol. Metab. 26): E1077-E1085, 1992.--Production of parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP) by the mammary gland of Sprague-Dawley rats has been examined using immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization to detect PTHrP and PTHrP mRNA, respectively. PTHrP and PTHrP mRNA could be demonstrated in nests of epithelial cells of the developing mammary gland at day 14 of pregnancy and in the epithelial secretory cells lining the alveoli during the latter stages of pregnancy and during lactation. A specific radioimmunoassay was also used to measure the concentration of PTHrP secreted in the milk throughout lactation. The concentration of PTHrP in milk was relatively low initially but increased during the latter stages of lactation, whereas calcium concentrations remained virtually constant throughout lactation. No correlation was found between the concentrations of calcium and PTHrP in rat milk. These results show that PTHrP is present in rat milk and also in mammary tissue before parturition, and therefore it may assist in the development of the mammary gland during pregnancy."}
{"id": "PMID:1476181", "title": "Hypoxia causes glycogenolysis without an increase in percent phosphorylase a in rat skeletal muscle.", "content": "Stimulation of skeletal muscle to contract activates phosphorylase b-to-a conversion and glycogenolysis. Despite reversal of the increase in percentage of phosphorylase a after a few minutes, continued glycogen breakdown can occur during strenuous exercise. Hypoxia causes sustained glycogenolysis in skeletal muscle without an increase in percentage of phosphorylase a. We used this model to obtain insights regarding how glycogenolysis is mediated in the absence of an increase in percentage of phosphorylase a. Hypoxia caused a 70% decrease in glycogen in epitrochlearis muscles during an 80-min incubation despite no increase in percentage of phosphorylase a above the basal level of approximately 10%. Muscle Pi concentration increased from 3.8 to 8.6 mumol/g muscle after 5 min and 15.7 mumol/g after 20 min. AMP concentration doubled, attaining a steady state of 0.23 mumol/g in 5 min. Incubation of oxygenated muscles with 0.1 microM epinephrine induced an approximately sixfold increase in percentage of phosphorylase a but resulted in minimal glycogenolysis. Muscle Pi concentration was not altered by epinephrine. Despite no increase in percentage of phosphorylase a, hypoxia resulted in a fivefold greater depletion of glycogen over 20 min than did epinephrine. To evaluate the role of phosphorylase b, muscles were loaded with 2-deoxyglucose 6-phosphate, which inhibits phosphorylase b. The rate of glycogenolysis during 60 min of hypoxia was reduced by only approximately 14% in 2-deoxyglucose 6-phosphate-loaded muscles.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1476182", "title": "Development and application of a radioimmunoassay to detect interleukin-1 in rat peripheral circulation.", "content": "We describe the development and application of a radioimmunoassay to detect circulating interleukin (IL)-1 beta concentrations in the rat. No IL-1 immunoreactivity above the detection limit of the assay (100 pg/ml) could be detected in plasma of control rats. In contrast, immunoreactive IL-1 was detected after intravenous administration of rat recombinant IL-1 beta (rrIL-1 beta) or bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to rats. The effect of LPS on plasma immunoreactive IL-1 concentrations was time and dose dependent. The immunoreactive IL-1 response to LPS was prevented by in vivo macrophage depletion induced by liposome-directed macrophage suicide technique. Gel filtration of plasma from LPS-treated rats revealed the presence of a high and a smaller molecular form of immunoreactive IL-1. The small molecular immunoreactive IL-1 peak coeluted with rrIL-1 beta and probably represents the 17-kDa form of IL-1 beta. In conclusion, our data support the hypothesis that IL-1 secreted by macrophages can act as a humoral signal molecule to induce the immunological, metabolic, and neuroendocrine changes in response to bacterial LPS."}
{"id": "PMID:1476183", "title": "Chronic infusion of TNF-alpha reduces plasma T4 binding without affecting pituitary-thyroid activity in rats.", "content": "In the present study the effects of continuous administration of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), in a dose not affecting body temperature and food intake, on pituitary-thyroid function of rats were investigated. Male rats, bearing a venous catheter to allow repeated blood sampling, were intraperitoneally equipped with osmotic minipumps that continuously delivered recombinant human TNF-alpha (8.0 micrograms/day ip) or saline for 7 days. Infusion of TNF-alpha resulted in a significant decrease of plasma total thyroxine (T4) levels during days 2-5 of infusion as compared with the levels in saline-infused rats. This suppression of plasma T4 concentrations was caused by a decreased binding of T4 in plasma, as indicated by an increased percentage of free T4. TNF-alpha infusion did not significantly affect free T4 levels in plasma nor basal and thyrotropin-releasing hormone-stimulated TSH levels. The decreased binding of T4 was, at least partially, caused by a reduction of T4-binding prealbumin (TBPA) levels in plasma, which were significantly reduced during the first 3 days of TNF-alpha infusion. Plasma levels of free fatty acids were not affected by TNF-alpha. TNF-alpha treatment did not influence the plasma 3,5,3'-triiodothyronine (T3)-to-T4 ratio nor hepatic 5'-deiodinase activity. Plasma reverse T3 levels remained undetectable both in control and TNF-alpha-treated rats. Taken together, our findings indicate that chronic infusion of rats with TNF-alpha in a subpyrogenic and subanorectic dose induces a transient decrease of plasma T4 binding without affecting pituitary-thyroid activity and peripheral thyroid hormone metabolism.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1476184", "title": "Dose-dependent effects of aluminum on osteocalcin synthesis in osteoblast-like ROS 17/2 cells in culture.", "content": "This in vitro study evaluates the effect of aluminum (Al3+) on osteocalcin, a small protein that is produced by the osteoblast. After stimulation with various doses of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 [1,25(OH)2D3; 10(-11) to 10(-9) M], osteocalcin was consistently lower in the culture medium of ROS 17/2 osteoblastic cells conditioned with 5 microM Al(3+)-saturated transferrin (AlTR) than in apotransferrin (ApoTR)-treated controls. In a second experiment, cultures were conditioned with various doses of AlTR or ApoTR (1.6-8.0 microM) and stimulated with 10(-9) M 1,25(OH)2D3. High doses of AlTR (4.8-8.0 microM) resulted in lower medium and unchanged intracellular content of osteocalcin than treatment with equal amounts of ApoTR. However, in the same experiment, lower doses of AlTR or ApoTR (1.6 and 3.2 microM) yielded different results, i.e., increased medium and intracellular contents of osteocalcin in the Al(3+)-treated cells. Expression of osteocalcin mRNA was not altered in cultures conditioned with low (1.6 microM) or high (8.0 microM) concentrations of AlTR or ApoTR. Similarly, no effect of Al3+ was observed on total protein content, the rate of total protein synthesis, and the degradation of secreted osteocalcin in cultures conditioned with various doses of AlTR or ApoTR. These findings suggest that AlTR affects osteocalcin synthesis in a specific manner, without concomitant effects on the rate of total protein synthesis or on the rate of degradation of osteocalcin. This effect is dose dependent, i.e., low doses of AlTR stimulate and high doses suppress osteocalcin synthesis and/or secretion, and it appears to be posttranscriptional, since the expression of osteocalcin mRNA is not affected."}
{"id": "PMID:1476185", "title": "Effect of gender, body composition, and equilibration time on the 2H-to-18O dilution space ratio.", "content": "Physiological sources of variation in the 2H-to-18O dilution space ratio (DSR) were examined in 34 males and 20 females (4-78 yr; 14.7-143.2 kg; 1.8-61.0% body fat). Dilution spaces were obtained by time 0 extrapolation of isotope washout over 10-14 days, and body composition was obtained by underwater weight (adults) or bioelectrical impedance (children). The mean DSR was 1.050 +/- 0.015 (range 1.029-1.111), significantly higher (P < 0.001) than the traditionally assumed value of 1.029 based on exchange over 4 h. Use of the value 1.029 causes a systematic 8% overestimate of energy expenditure from doubly labeled water, relative to use of the value 1.05. The DSR was not related to body composition or age but was significantly higher (P < 0.05) in males (1.052 +/- 0.016) than in females (1.044 +/- 0.012). This gender effect was not explained by differences in the number of exchangeable hydrogens in the body. We conclude 1) variation in the 2H-to-18O DSR is not explained by body composition but is influenced by the chemical availability of exchangeable hydrogens to undergo exchange; 2) because the DSR is not easily predicted, use of the observed dilution spaces are recommended; 3) if a fixed DSR is used, values of 1.044 and 1.052 are recommended in females and males, respectively."}
{"id": "PMID:1476186", "title": "Central hypertensinogenic effects of glycyrrhizic acid and carbenoxolone.", "content": "The apparent mineralocorticoid excess syndrome of patients ingesting large amounts of licorice or its derivatives is thought to be caused by the antagonism by these compounds of the enzyme 11 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (11 beta-HSD). 11 beta-HSD inactivates cortisol and corticosterone, allowing the more abundantly produced glucocorticoids access to the mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) in the kidney, where they act as mineralocorticoids. We have found that the infusion of both glycyrrhizic acid, an active principle of licorice, and carbenoxolone, a synthetic analogue, into a lateral ventricle of the brain [intracerebroventricular (icv)] of a rat, at a dose less than that which has an effect when infused subcutaneously, produces hypertension. Furthermore, the hypertension produced by the oral administration of carbenoxolone or glycyrrhizic acid is blocked by the icv administration of RU 28318, an MR antagonist, at a dose below that which has an effect on blood pressure when infused subcutaneously. While the oral administration caused saline polydipsia and polyuria typical of chronic systemic mineralocorticoid excess, the icv licorice derivatives produced hypertension without affecting saline appetite. Sensitizing the rats to mineralocorticoid hypertension by renal mass reduction and increasing salt consumption was not necessary for the production of hypertension. These findings provide additional evidence for a central role in blood pressure control by mineralocorticoids that is distinct from their renal effects. They also suggest that more is involved in licorice-induced hypertension than only inhibition of 11 beta-HSD."}
{"id": "PMID:1476187", "title": "Effect of training on insulin-mediated glucose uptake in human muscle.", "content": "During insulin stimulation whole body glucose uptake is increased in trained compared with untrained humans. However, it is not known which tissue is responsible. Seven young male subjects bicycle trained one leg for 10 wk at 70% of maximal O2 consumption (VO2max). Sixteen hours after last exercise bout, a three-step euglycemic hyperinsulinemic clamp (clamp 1) was performed (insulin levels, means +/- SE: 9 +/- 1, 53 +/- 3, 174 +/- 5, and 2,323 +/- 80 was microU/ml), with measurement of arteriovenous differences and blood flow in both legs. After 6 days of detraining subjects were restudied, having exercised the untrained leg 16 h before. VO2max for trained (T) and untrained (UT) legs was 52 +/- 2 vs. 44 +/- 2 ml.min-1.kg-1 (P < 0.05). In clamp 1 glucose uptake in T and UT legs was 1.0 +/- 0.2 vs. 0.5 +/- 0.1 mg.min-1.kg-1 (basal), 9.7 +/- 2.3 vs. 6.7 +/- 1.7 (P < 0.05) (step I), 19.2 +/- 2.8 vs. 14.3 +/- 2.0 (P < 0.05) (step II), and 22.8 +/- 2.3 vs. 18.6 +/- 2.2 (P < 0.05) (step III). During insulin infusion lactate release (P < 0.05) [8.9 +/- 1.8 vs. 2.9 +/- 0.9 mumol.min-1.kg-1 (step I), 24.6 +/- 3.1 vs. 12.5 +/- 2.6 (step III)] and glycogen storage (P < 0.1) calculated by indirect calorimetry [6.7 +/- 2.3 vs. 5.0 +/- 1.7 mg.min-1.kg-1 (step I), 16.8 +/- 2.1 vs. 14.1 +/- 1.8 (step III)] were always higher in T than in UT legs. Release of glycerol, free fatty acids, and tyrosine and clearance of insulin were not influenced by training. Insulin-mediated glucose uptake was not increased after detraining or a single bout of exercise. In conclusion, training increases sensitivity and responsiveness of insulin-mediated glucose uptake in human muscle by local mechanisms. Glycolysis and glycogen storage are equally enhanced. The training effect represents a genuine adaptation to repeated exercise but is short lived. Insulin clearance in muscle is not influenced by training."}
{"id": "PMID:1476188", "title": "A reexamination of the effect of exercise on rate of muscle protein degradation.", "content": "The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of exercise on the rate of protein degradation in rat skeletal muscle. The rates of total and myofibrillar protein degradation were determined by the measurement of the rates of release of tyrosine and 3-methylhistidine, respectively, from the perfused single rat leg. This method measures the rate of protein degradation in the entire lower leg and does not suffer from the limitations inherent in methods that rely on urinary excretion. The rate of total protein degradation was increased by exercise and involved increased flux through the lysosomal pathway, while the breakdown of myofibrillar protein was unchanged. The changes in the rates of protein degradation during the recovery period were greatly influenced by energy intake. Again the rate of myofibrillar protein degradation was unchanged or slightly increased during the recovery period, after either level or downgrade running. Exercise did prevent the increase in the rate of total protein degradation caused by food restriction, which may have important implications in weight reduction diets."}
{"id": "PMID:1476189", "title": "Metabolic acidosis reverses the increase in serum 1,25(OH)2D in phosphorus-restricted normal men.", "content": "We tested the hypothesis that in humans, metabolic acidosis can disorder the metabolism of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D [1,25(OH)2D] by impairing the capacity for a sustained physiological stimulus to increase renal production of this hormone. Specifically, in seven healthy men in whom restriction of dietary phosphorus had doubled their serum concentration of 1,25(OH)2D, we induced metabolic acidosis of moderate severity with oral NH4Cl, administered for 7 days. With induction of acidosis, the serum concentration of 1,25(OH)2D decreased sharply and remained decreased and near constant throughout the period of acidosis, the decrease amounting to one-half of the increment induced by phosphorus restriction alone. The serum concentration of free 1,25(OH)2D also decreased, since the measured free fraction of 1,25(OH)2D was unaffected by NH4Cl. The decrease in serum 1,25(OH)2D was accounted for by a 16% increase in its metabolic clearance rate and by a 19% decrease in its production rate. Metabolic acidosis induced a modest increase in the concentrations of blood ionized calcium and serum phosphorus. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that serum levels of 1,25(OH)2D varied inversely and significantly with those of plasma hydrogen ion (R = -0.77, P < 0.001), but not with those of blood ionized calcium or serum phosphorus. These data demonstrate in humans that metabolic acidosis can substantially reverse the increase in serum concentration of 1,25(OH)2D induced by phosphorus restriction. The data provide evidence that acidosis can restrict the increase in renal production and serum concentration of 1,25(OH)2D effected by a sustained physiological stimulus."}
{"id": "PMID:1476190", "title": "Regulation of electrolyte and fluid secretion in salivary acinar cells.", "content": "The primary secretion from exocrine gland cells is a fluid rich in Na+ and Cl- with a plasmalike ionic composition. Activation of specific receptors on the plasma membrane by hormones and neurotransmitters, which leads to activation of the phosphoinositol metabolism, results in release of Ca2+ from internal Ca2+ stores. Intracellular free Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) then rises simultaneously at both the basolateral and luminal parts of the acinar cell, reaching maximum values within 1 s after stimulation. In parotid acinar cells, increased [Ca2+]i activates the opening of maxi K+ channels located on the basolateral membrane and Cl- channels presumably located on the luminal membrane, resulting in rapid loss of K+ and Cl- and water and cell shrinkage. Extracellular electroneutrality is maintained by a paracellular Na+ flux into the lumen. Because of the simultaneous activation of K+ and Cl- channels, secretion occurs at a virtually constant membrane potential of about -60 mV. After maximal muscarinic cholinergic stimulation, loss of K+, Cl-, and water results in an approximate 25% reduction in cell volume within 10-15 s after receptor activation. Concomitant with loss of Cl-, there is a loss of HCO3- from the cell, causing a decrease in intracellular pH of 0.1 pH units because of the carbonic anhydrase-mediated conversion of CO2 into H+ and HCO3-. H+ generated from the metabolism and HCO3- production is compensated for by extrusion of H+ by a Na(+)-H+ exchange mechanism, which is responsible for approximately 75% of net Na+ gain that occurs after stimulation. Increased [Na+]i activates the Na(+)-K+ pump, which in turn extrudes Na+ from the cells. In both the unstimulated and stimulated states, cellular production of HCO3- can drive a net uptake of Cl- via the Cl(-)-HCO3- exchange mechanism operating in parallel with the Na(+)-H+ exchanger. The operation of the Cl(-)-HCO3- exchanger is, together with a Na(+)-K(+)-2Cl- cotransport system, essential for maintainance of a high [Cl-]i both in the unstimulated state and during Cl- reuptake."}
{"id": "PMID:1476191", "title": "Actions of 5-hydroxytryptamine on myenteric neurons in guinea pig gastric antrum.", "content": "Intracellular recording methods were used to study the actions of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) on 257 myenteric neurons in the guinea pig gastric antrum. Application of 5-HT caused three types of postsynaptic responses. A fast-activating depolarizing response was accompanied by a decreased input resistance and desensitized quickly to repeated applications. It was mediated by a 5-HT3 receptor. A slowly activating depolarization, accompanied by an increase in the input resistance and enhancement of the excitability, was mainly observed in after hyperpolarizing/type 2 neurons. It was suppressed by the prokinetic benzamide compound renzapride, while classical 5-HT1-4 receptor antagonists had no effect, suggesting the involvement of a 5-HT1p receptor as described in small intestinal neurons. A long-lasting hyperpolarizing response, accompanied by a decreased input resistance, was observed in a small subset of neurons. This response seemed to be mediated by a 5-HT1a receptor. Superfusion of 5-HT caused a dose-dependent inhibition of the stimulus-evoked nicotinic cholinergic fast excitatory postsynaptic potential (EPSP), which was mediated by a presynaptic 5-HT1a receptor. 5-HT also presynaptically inhibited the slow EPSP."}
{"id": "PMID:1476192", "title": "Neuroimmune interactions: role for cholinergic neurons in intestinal anaphylaxis.", "content": "The role of cholinergic neurons in mediating chloride secretion in anaphylaxis was assessed in muscle-stripped segments of distal colon from guinea pigs immunized to bovine milk. beta-Lactoglobulin evoked a concentration-dependent increase in short-circuit current (Isc) in immune, but not nonimmune, tissues. The Isc response to beta-lactoglobulin was reduced by piroxicam, pyrilamine, and cimetidine. Tetrodotoxin and atropine reduced the Isc response to beta-lactoglobulin in immune animals, whereas mecamylamine and ICS 205-930 were ineffective. beta-Lactoglobulin evoked a concentration-dependent increase in acetylcholine (ACh) release in immune, but not nonimmune, animals. In immune tissues after challenge with beta-lactoglobulin, ACh release paralleled the change in Isc. Piroxicam, cimetidine plus pyrilamine, or a combination of piroxicam, cimetidine, and pyrilamine significantly reduced the release of ACh after beta-lactoglobulin challenge. Histamine, dimaprit, and prostaglandins E2 evoked an increase in ACh release. These results suggest that beta-lactoglobulin releases prostaglandins and histamine probably from mast cells. Secretory responses that occur when immune animals are challenged with beta-lactoglobulin result, in part, from activation of cholinergic neurons that utilize muscarinic synapses for transfer of signals to the epithelium."}
{"id": "PMID:1476193", "title": "Spatial analysis of transcriptional activation in fetal rat jejunal and ileal gut epithelium.", "content": "In the week before birth (days 15-21 of the 22-day gestation period), the fetal rat small intestinal epithelium undergoes rapid proliferation and differentiation. The developing gut changes from a mesenchymal tube lined by endoderm to a complex absorptive surface composed of differentiated epithelium overlying nascent villi. To begin to characterize the molecular events that take place in nascent intestinal epithelial cells as cytodifferentiation proceeds from jejunum to ileum, we examined spatial, temporal, and cellular patterns of transcriptional activation of the rat liver fatty acid-binding protein (L-FABP) and apolipoprotein (apo) AIV genes. In situ hybridization analyses revealed that transcription of both genes is activated in the jejunum between fetal days 17 and 18, yet their expression is not initiated in the ileum until 1-2 days later. Transcriptional activation proceeds in a \"wavelike\" fashion along the horizontal length of the gut and coincides with villus morphogenesis. As nascent villi emerge, heterogeneous cellular accumulation of L-FABP mRNA occurs in both fetal jejunal and ileal epithelium, but persists only in the ileum. In contrast, cellular expression of apo AIV mRNA in nascent epithelium is predominantly homogeneous in both regions of the gut. These results indicate that transcriptional activation in the fetal gut epithelium is a complex, dynamic process that is spatially regulated along the horizontal axis of the intestine. Initiation of transcription in enterocytes is closely linked to villus morphogenesis and histological cytodifferentiation."}
{"id": "PMID:1476194", "title": "Hepatic Na(+)-dicarboxylate cotransport: identification, characterization, and acinar localization.", "content": "Rat liver perfusion studies suggest that the transport of alpha-ketoglutarate (KG) and related dicarboxylates exhibits acinar heterogeneity, in that the uptake and subsequent metabolism of these organic anions appears to occur predominantly in the perivenous region. However, the isolated perfused liver as an experimental model cannot distinguish intra-acinar differences in either the rate of solute uptake and/or efflux or intracellular binding and/or metabolism. Therefore, the driving forces and acinar localization of KG transport were examined using rat basolateral liver plasma membrane vesicles (blLPMV) isolated from control animals and animals treated 24 h before with selective perivenous and periportal toxins [carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) and allyl alcohol (AA), respectively]. In control blLPMV, [14C]KG uptake into an osmotically sensitive space was markedly stimulated by an inwardly directed Na+ gradient but not by inwardly directed gradients of other monovalent cations. The Na+ ionophore, gramicidin, had a small but significant inhibitory effect on Na(+)-dependent KG uptake, demonstrating that KG uptake was not the result of an intravesicular positive Na+ diffusion potential. The protonophore, carbonyl cyanide-p-trifluoromethoxyphenylhydrazone, had no effect on Na+ gradient-driven KG uptake, indicating that KG uptake was not the indirect result of coordinated activities of Na-H and KG-OH exchange. Na+ gradient-driven KG uptake was electrogenic (occurring with the net transfer of positive charge), and cis-inhibited by other tricarboxylic acid cycle intermediates, including succinate, fumarate, and malate and by citrate, but not by the dicarboxylates oxalate and malonate nor by glutamate and taurocholate (TC).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1476195", "title": "Modulation of cat antral slow waves by ion substitution, Ca2+ and K+ channel blockade, and ACh stimulation.", "content": "Two distinct slow waves can be recorded from smooth muscle cells on the submucosal border (submucosal cells) and the myenteric border (myenteric cells) in the circular layer of the cat antrum. The present studies examined the effects of decreasing extracellular Na+ ([Na+]o) or Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]o), Ca2+ and K+ channel blockade, and acetylcholine (ACh) stimulation on \"submucosal\" and \"myenteric\" slow waves using intracellular recording techniques. Decreasing [Na+]o (30 mM) reduced the upstroke depolarization of slow waves from submucosal cells but had no effect on the upstroke depolarization of myenteric cells. Decreasing [Ca2+]o (0.5 mM) decreased the upstroke depolarization in cells from each area. Neither cadmium (200 microM) nor nifedipine (100 microM) had any effect on the upstroke depolarizations from both submucosal and myenteric slow waves. In contrast, nickel (5 mM), a nonselective Ca2+ channel blocker, decreased the upstroke depolarizations of slow waves from submucosal and myenteric cells. Slow waves from myenteric cells normally exhibit a plateau phase of several seconds duration. The amplitude of the plateau potential could be decreased by lowering [Na+]o or [Ca2+]o or by nickel, cadmium or nifedipine. In the presence of 30 mM Na+ slow waves from submucosal cells appeared to develop plateau potentials. K+ channel blockade with tetrabutylammonium (TBA, 5 mM) or cesium (10 mM) increased the upstroke depolarization and delayed membrane repolarization in slow waves from submucosal cells. TBA and cesium also increased the upstroke depolarization from myenteric cells but did not delay membrane repolarization. ACh (1 and 3 microM) caused the generation of plateau potentials in slow waves from submucosal cells and increased slow-wave duration.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1476196", "title": "Patterns of electrical activity and neural responses in canine proximal duodenum.", "content": "The patterns of electrical activity and neural inputs to the proximal duodenum between the pyloric sphincter and the sphincter of Oddi were studied in muscles of the dog. Smooth muscle cells in the most proximal region were electrically quiescent, but slow waves were recorded in all regions distal to the first few millimeters. Electrical activity was recorded from circular muscle cells near the myenteric and submucosal surfaces of the circular layer, and slow wave activity was similar in both regions. The nature of neural inputs was also characterized. With electrical field stimulation, responses in cells near the submucosal surface were predominantly excitatory junction potentials (EJPs); near the myenteric border responses were either inhibitory junction potentials (IJPs) or biphasic responses (i.e., small EJPs followed by IJPs). EJPs were blocked by atropine. IJPs were nonadrenergic and noncholinergic (NANC), and several experiments suggested that nitric oxide (NO), or a NO-releasing compound, serves as the inhibitory neurotransmitter in this region. Exogenous NO caused hyperpolarization of membrane potential. IJPs and the hyperpolarization response to NO were sensitive to apamin. These data describe the myogenic mechanisms and neurogenic apparatus that appear to regulate motility in the most proximal region of the duodenum."}
{"id": "PMID:1476197", "title": "Differential effects of ATP-MgCl2 on portal and hepatic arterial blood flow after hemorrhage and resuscitation.", "content": "Although ATP-MgCl2 administration after hemorrhage and resuscitation restores the decreased hepatic blood flow, it is not known whether this is due to the increase in portal blood flow or hepatic arterial blood flow. To study this, rats underwent a midline laparotomy (i.e., trauma induced) and were bled to and maintained at a mean arterial pressure of 40 mmHg until 40% of maximal shed blood volume was returned in the form of Ringer lactate (RL). The animals were resuscitated with four times the volume of the shed blood with RL, during and after which ATP-MgCl2 (50 mumol/kg body wt) or an equal volume of normal saline was infused intravenously over 95 min. Cardiac output and organ blood flow were determined by 85Sr-labeled microspheres at 90 min after the completion of resuscitation. The results indicate that portal blood flow and total hepatic blood flow decreased significantly after hemorrhage and resuscitation. ATP-MgCl2 treatment, however, restored these parameters to sham values. In contrast, hepatic arterial blood flow did not change significantly after either hemorrhage and resuscitation or ATP-MgCl2 infusion. Moreover, the depressed cardiac output was normalized and coronary blood flow was higher than shams after ATP-MgCl2 treatment. Unlike small intestinal blood flow, blood flows to the stomach, spleen, pancreas, mesentery, and cecum were not markedly affected with ATP-MgCl2 infusion. Thus the restoration of hepatic blood flow with ATP-MgCl2 treatment under such conditions is due to the increased portal blood flow, i.e., solely due to the increased small intestinal blood flow."}
{"id": "PMID:1476198", "title": "Osmolarity reduction transiently increases K+ conductance of confluent rat hepatocytes in primary culture.", "content": "Rat hepatocytes in confluent primary cultures were impaled with conventional microelectrodes. Reducing extracellular osmolarity by 80 mosmol/l leads to a transient hyperpolarization of cell membranes (maximum after 5 min) from -40 +/- 4 to -51 +/- 2 mV (n = 7). This hyperpolarization is blocked by 1 mmol/l Ba2+ and 0.5 mmol/l quinine. In ion substitution experiments, increasing K+ 10-fold (from 2.7 to 27 mmol/l) depolarizes membrane voltage by 9 +/- 2 mV in normosmotic solutions. In hyposmotic solutions this depolarization is increased to 20 +/- 1 mV at the time of maximum hyperpolarization and decreases thereafter to 8 +/- 2 mV (n = 4). Cable analysis reveals a transient decrease of specific membrane resistance that exactly parallels the increase in membrane voltage response to high K+. In addition, electrical coupling between cells continuously decreases under hyposmotic conditions, indicating that intercellular communication is affected. Reducing Cl- 100-fold (from 116.5 to 1.2 mmol/l; HCO(3-)-free solutions) depolarizes hepatocytes by 24 +/- 3 mV under normosmotic conditions. In hyposmotic solutions, this effect is increased to 39 +/- 4 mV at maximum hyperpolarization and decreases again to 26 +/- 3 mV (n = 8). This transient increase in the voltage response to Cl- removal is abolished by 0.5 mmol/l quinine (n = 5) and 1 mmol/l Ba2+ (n = 5), suggesting that it is indirect via changes in K+ conductance. This concept is corroborated by ion substitution experiments (HCO(3-)-free conditions), which show that under hyposmotic conditions voltage response to high K+ is considerably decreased in low Cl- solutions.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1476199", "title": "Aspirin-induced acute gastric mucosal injury is a neutrophil-dependent process in rats.", "content": "Aspirin, one of the most widely used drugs in the world, consistently produces gastric mucosal injury, but the pathogenic mechanisms are incompletely understood. The present study was designed to determine the role of neutrophils in aspirin-induced acute gastric mucosal injury. Gastric mucosal lesions induced by acidified aspirin (300 mg/kg) were completely prevented in rats that had been rendered profoundly neutropenic by anti-neutrophil serum. Aspirin-induced acute gastric mucosal lesions were also significantly, albeit incompletely, reduced in rats that had been rendered moderately neutropenic by methotrexate. Moreover, in the methotrexate-induced neutropenia model, the neutropenia-associated mucosal protection against aspirin-induced injury could be reversed by leucovorin rescue. Aspirin caused a marked and statistically significant reduction in gastric mucosal 6-ketoprostaglandin F1 alpha synthesis, but no significant changes in gastric mucosal leukotriene synthesis. Thus no gastric mucosal lesions were observed in profoundly neutropenic rats that were treated with aspirin, despite the marked inhibition of prostaglandin synthesis. These findings demonstrate that aspirin-induced acute gastric mucosal injury is a neutrophil-dependent process."}
{"id": "PMID:1476200", "title": "Uptake and metabolism of circulating fatty acids by rat intestine.", "content": "The present study was designed to investigate the uptake and metabolism of circulating fatty acids by the intestinal mucosa in rats actively absorbing glyceryl trioleate given intraduodenally to determine the plasma fatty acid contribution to mucosal triacylglycerol. Rats with duodenal, femoral vein, carotid artery, and mesenteric lymph duct cannulas were used. [3H]oleate was constantly infused into the femoral vein while glyceryl trioleate was infused into the duodenum (135 mumol/h). After 5 h of infusion, a mass and radioactive steady state existed in the plasma and mucosa. At 6 h of infusion, the plasma oleate specific activity was sixfold greater than mucosal oleate and 50 times greater than mucosal triacylglycerol oleate; 86% of the mucosal oleate disintegrations/minute were in triacylglycerol. Chylomicron triacylglycerol oleate specific activity was less than that of the mucosa. Furthermore, the percentage of mucosal triacylglycerol acyl groups composed of oleate was greater than the percentage of oleate in mucosal free fatty acids. The data indicate that fatty acids are taken up by the mucosa during active fat absorption and metabolized primarily to triacylglycerols by the mucosa. The triacylglycerols in the mucosa synthesized from circulating fatty acids are selected against as a precursor of chylomicron triacylglycerol. The results support our previous hypothesis suggesting that the mucosa has at least two pools of neutral lipid (J. Lipid Res. 23: 1009-1019, 1982) and that steady-state conditions as performed here yield different results from previous work using bolus tracer injection techniques."}
{"id": "PMID:1476201", "title": "Serum complement mediates endotoxin-induced cysteinyl leukotriene formation in rats in vivo.", "content": "To investigate potential mediators responsible for cysteinyl leukotriene formation during endotoxemia, male Fischer rats received an intravenous bolus injection of 5 mg/kg Salmonella enteritidis endotoxin and cysteinyl leukotrienes were measured by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The biliary excretion of leukotriene (LT) C4 (0.20 +/- 0.02 pmol.min-1.g liver-1) and N-acetyl-LTE4 (0.37 +/- 0.07 pmol.min-1.g-1) was increased by 190 and 1,000%, respectively, during the first 30 min after endotoxin injection. Endotoxin also caused a temporary reduction of hepatic ATP levels by 84%. Depletion of serum complement almost completely abolished the endotoxin-induced increase of cysteinyl leukotrienes in bile without affecting the biliary excretion mechanism. Intravenous injection of activated complement factors caused cysteinyl leukotriene formation and reduced the hepatic ATP content similar to endotoxin. Depletion of glutathione in the liver prevented cysteinyl leukotriene formation and the complement-induced ATP depletion. It is concluded that endotoxin-induced cysteinyl leukotriene generation in vivo is mediated predominantly through activation of complement. The vasoconstrictive cysteinyl leukotrienes are then responsible for ATP depletion in the liver."}
{"id": "PMID:1476202", "title": "L-glutamine with D-glucose stimulates oxidative metabolism and NaCl absorption in piglet jejunum.", "content": "To explore the relationship between intestinal fluid absorption and oxidative metabolism, we measured the effects of amino acids and glucose on piglet jejunal ion transport and oxygen consumption (QO2) in vitro. Jejunal QO2 was stimulated by L-glutamine and D-glucose but not by the nonmetabolizable organic solutes methyl beta-D-glucoside or L-phenylalanine. QO2 was maximally enhanced by the combination of D-glucose and L-glutamine (5 mM). Even though 5 mM L-glutamine was previously found to be insufficient to stimulate NaCl absorption, 5 mM L-glutamine enhanced jejunal NaCl flux when combined with equimolar mucosal D-glucose. Either D-glucose or methyl beta-D-glucoside caused an increase in short-circuit current (Isc), an increase in Na+ absorption in excess of Isc, and a decrease in Cl- secretion, when L-glutamine was substituted for D-glucose (10 mM) on the serosal side. This relationship suggests that mucosal sugars, if combined with L-glutamine, enhance neutral NaCl absorption as well as electrogenic Na+ flow. (Aminooxy)acetate, an inhibitor of alanine aminotransferase, abolished the stimulation of QO2 and the NaCl-absorptive response to L-glutamine. We conclude that the oxidative metabolism fueled by L-glutamine is linked to a NaCl-absorptive mechanism in the intestine. We propose that the CO2 produced by glutamine metabolism yields carbonic acid, which dissociates to H+ and HCO3-, which may stimulate parallel antiports in the apical membrane."}
{"id": "PMID:1476203", "title": "Quantitative assessment of epithelial lining fluid in the lung.", "content": "Current techniques for the measurement lung epithelial fluid (ELF) volume depend on the dilution by a known volume of wash fluid (bronchoalveolar lavage) of a resident solute, such as urea, in the ELF or of a foreign solute introduced at known concentration in the lavage fluid. Knowledge of the ELF volume allows calculation of solute ELF concentrations. Urea concentration in ELF is assumed to be the same as in plasma. Although epithelial permeability to urea is low, entry of urea from tissues to lavage fluid occurs during the procedure and may lead to erroneous estimates of ELF volume as may loss of foreign solutes. Ideally, the extent of urea entry or of foreign solute loss should be estimated in each lavage. Other cautions are 1) equal osmolality of wash fluid and plasma, 2) minimizing residence time of wash fluid, 3) minimizing wash fluid-to-ELF volume ratio, and 4) adequate analytic procedures."}
{"id": "PMID:1476204", "title": "Influence of extracellular matrix in tumor necrosis factor-induced increase in endothelial permeability.", "content": "We examined the possibility that alterations of the extracellular matrix (ECM) contribute to the tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha)-induced increase in endothelial monolayer permeability. Endothelial permeability to 125I-labeled albumin was determined using bovine pulmonary microvessel endothelial cell (BPMVE) monolayers grown to confluence on microporous (0.8 microns diam) gelatin- and fibronectin-coated polycarbonate filters. Treatment of BPMVE with TNF-alpha (10(2) to 10(4) U/ml for 4-24 h) produced concentration- and time-dependent increases in endothelial permeability that paralleled the changes in morphology from cobblestone to elongated cells and the formation of prominent intercellular gaps and actin stress fibers. We examined the role of ECM in these changes using filters coated with ECM made by the BPMVE. Fresh BPMVE seeded onto filters coated with ECM produced by TNF-alpha-treated BPMVE had two- to threefold higher 125I-albumin permeability values than BPMVE monolayers seeded onto filters coated with ECM from control cells (P < 0.05). BPMVE seeded onto ECM from TNF-alpha-treated BPMVE also developed intercellular gaps and centralized actin filaments characteristic of the TNF-alpha-treated BPMVE. This effect was not attributable to TNF-alpha adsorbed to ECM. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of ECM extracted from BPMVE treated with TNF-alpha showed decreased fibronectin. These findings suggest that the TNF-alpha-induced increase in endothelial permeability involves the loss of fibronectin and remodeling of the ECM. The increase in endothelial permeability may be secondary to decreased endothelial cell-ECM contacts resulting in elongation of cells and formation of intercellular gaps."}
{"id": "PMID:1476205", "title": "Platelets and a platelet-released factor enhance endothelial barrier.", "content": "The role of platelets in the maintenance of endothelial barrier is examined in an in vitro model of the microvasculature. Human platelets (6,000/microliters) perfused through a cell column of endothelial-covered microcarriers decrease paracellular permeability of sodium fluorescein (mol wt 342) to 63% of baseline values. This effect is reversible and a second application and removal of platelets produces a similar response. This effect occurs within 5 min and reverses within 10 min after platelet removal. The reduction in permeability is not due to mechanical obstruction of endothelial junctions, since the number of recirculating platelets is not reduced and releasate from unstimulated 2-h platelet incubations also decreases permeability. Releasate from platelets stimulated with 0.1 U/ml of thrombin for 15 min have the same permeability reducing effect. In this system, the platelet factors serotonin (10(-3) M) and ADP (10(-4) M) have no effect on permeability. However, the platelet factors adenosine (10(-4) M), ATP (10(-5) M), and beta-agonists decrease permeability. None of these appear to account for platelet permeability activity, since activity is not blocked by agents directed against these mediators (adenosine deaminase, apyrase, 8-phenyltheophylline, or propranolol). The active factor(s) is stable at -20 degrees C, heat stable, sensitive to trypsin, and has an apparent molecular weight > 100. We conclude that unstimulated platelets release a factor(s) that enhances endothelial barrier in vitro and may be important in maintenance of the normal in vivo barrier."}
{"id": "PMID:1476206", "title": "Interleukin-8 induces neutrophil accumulation but not protease secretion in the canine trachea.", "content": "The neutrophil enzyme elastase is a potent secretagogue of airway secretory cells, and elastase is present in high concentrations in sputum of patients with hypersecretion (e.g., cystic fibrosis, bronchiectasis). Interleukin-8 (IL-8), a recently discovered cytokine with potent neutrophil chemotactic properties in vitro, is also found in the sputum of these patients. We used an isolated tracheal segment in dogs in vivo to study the effect of IL-8 in causing neutrophil accumulation, elastase release, and secretion (by measuring lysozyme concentrations) in the luminal superfusate. IL-8 caused a potent time-dependent neutrophil accumulation at between 3 and 6 h. The effect was significant at 10(-9) and maximum at 10(-8) M. No increase in free elastase, cathepsin G, or lysozyme was detected in the superfusate. Thus, in contrast to previous studies showing that ragweed antigen causes the accumulation of neutrophil elastase which in turn causes lysozyme secretion, IL-8 causes neutrophil accumulation without granule secretion (or subsequent secretagogue activity). The findings were confirmed with dog and human neutrophils in vitro."}
{"id": "PMID:1476207", "title": "Effect of an anti-Mo1 MAb on ozone-induced airway inflammation and airway hyperresponsiveness in dogs.", "content": "Ozone inhalation causes neutrophil migration into the airway and airway hyperresponsiveness in dogs. The leukocyte adhesion molecule Mo1 (CD11b/CD18) is a heterodimeric glycoprotein the expression of which is necessary for neutrophil adhesion to endothelium. To evaluate the contribution of Mo1 to ozone-induced neutrophil influx and airway hyperresponsiveness, six dogs were treated intravenously with an Anti-Mo1 monoclonal antibody (3.75 mg/kg in normal saline) that binds to both human and canine Mo1, or the diluent alone, 1.5 h before inhaling ozone (3 ppm for 30 min), or dry air. Airway responses to doubling doses of inhaled acetylcholine (ACh) were measured before and after inhalation of ozone. Neutrophil influx was assessed by bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) performed after the second ACh inhalation. Treatment with anti-Mo1 prevented the ozone-induced influx of neutrophils into BAL. After diluent and inhaled dry air, the neutrophil count in BAL was 1.49 +/- 1.26 (SE) x 10(4) (5.0% of total cells). After diluent and inhaled ozone, the neutrophil count increased to 7.27 +/- 3.22 (SE) x 10(4) (22.6% of total cells) (P < 0.05). After anti-Mo1 and inhaled ozone, the neutrophil count was 1.48 +/- 0.62 (SE) x 10(4) (8.5% of total cells). Treatment with anti-Mo1 also significantly reduced the number of eosinophils in BAL after ozone. Ozone-induced ACh airway hyperresponsiveness was not prevented by treatment with anti-Mo1. These results indicate that expression of Mo1 is necessary for ozone-induced neutrophil migration into the airway lumen."}
{"id": "PMID:1476208", "title": "Teaching medical physiology in Brazil.", "content": "An analysis of physiology teaching in Brazil is carried out based on data collected from a questionnaire sent to 78 medical schools. It investigates faculty graduate degrees, time spent on teaching, audiovisual equipment available, evaluation of student performance, books in current use, and areas of research. Local results as compared with those from an international sample have shown a preference for lectures and that large departments are more concerned with research, but changes are underway to introduce computer simulations and modular instruction as a means to improve teaching."}
{"id": "PMID:1476209", "title": "Electroencephalography and evoked potentials: a PC-based analysis program for laboratory courses in physiology.", "content": "A computer program (EEG Analysis) was developed for the preclinical laboratory course in physiology held for medical and dental students. It offers an off-line analysis of a set of typical and frequently occurring physiological and pathological electroencephalogram (EEG) and evoked potential (EP) recordings, which are stored in an IBM-compatible personal computer (PC) system. The users are requested to measure and analyze the data sets and to work through a base of questions relevant in the frame of the particular topic. The program is structured in several exercises: calibration, pickup of non-EEG signals (eye movements, chewing), waveforms in EEG recordings from awake subjects (alpha-waves, beta-waves), desynchronization of cerebral activity (visual activation, acoustic activation, mental activation), habituation of cerebral activity upon acoustic stimuli, EEG recordings from asleep subjects (different sleep stages, sleep-specific EEG signals), epileptic seizures, and EPs (principle of averaging, visually evoked potentials in different cortical areas). The program runs under MS-DOS and is network capable. The software structure ensures maximal flexibility for rapid changes and adaptations of the program to specific needs of a particular EEG course. The program has been used for three years, and the response from > 800 students has been consistently positive."}
{"id": "PMID:1476210", "title": "The use of Apple Macintosh computers and Hypercard in teaching physiology laboratories.", "content": "A network of Apple Macintosh computers has been integrated into existing undergraduate physiology laboratories. Hypercard software programs replace the traditional laboratory handout; the text contains a number of buttons linked to cards that provide additional information on a particular subject. This additional information includes theory, the use of various instruments, expected results, and details on how to perform data analysis. This system of information layering allows students to work independently, at their own pace, and allows them to learn as much or as little as they consider necessary. Each computer is interfaced with a MacLab/4 data-acquisition unit, which permits the computer screen to display a four-channel chart recorder or a two-channel oscilloscope."}
{"id": "PMID:1476211", "title": "Project labs in physiology.", "content": "Projects in which students design and carry out their own experiments can be a basis for physiology laboratories. A sequence of such projects is described and evaluated informally. It is argued that these inquiry-oriented project labs serve to motivate and teach students important concepts and attitudes about the nature of science and their ability to participate actively in it. Although physiology laboratories are a standard part of physiology courses, teachers are not always clear about the purposes of these activities. At least three categories of purpose seem important: the conceptual, the motivational, and the technical. As laboratories are being replaced in some cases by videodisc or computer simulations, it is important to see which purposes can be served by simulations and which cannot. Project-based laboratories, even more than standard laboratories, can serve the technical, motivational, and conceptual purposes for our laboratory teaching."}
{"id": "PMID:1476212", "title": "A faculty research and training program for undergraduates in the sciences.", "content": "Faculty enthusiasm, with actual hands-on involvement, is a critical factor in establishing student research interest and excitement in a university or college science environment. Such faculty involvement is infectious to students and therefore key to restoring United States leadership in science and technology in the next decades. Most scientists acknowledge that they were initially attracted into scientific careers through one or two notable teachers who served as role models. However, with the introduction of so-called \"big science\" and its distraction of university faculty away from meaningful, direct student contacts, and with associated withdrawal of funding from \"little science\" in the college teacher's laboratory, research languishes in nearly all undergraduate teaching institutions. The inspiring college science teacher seems essentially gone, tired or burnt out, unable to keep pace with the rigorous demands of an active research lab while simultaneously meeting the exhausting load of 15-18 (or more) contact teaching hours per week. With all of the associated lecture preparations, student counseling, and Dean's committee assignments, the teacher has little or no scholarly \"think time\" or opportunity to inspire even the bright students. Without the teacher's honest and evident involvement and deep commitment, the student fails to experience the essential impact of a convincing role model. It is therefore necessary to restore the college science teacher's opportunity and aspirations to be personally involved in research. This can only be accomplished by providing time, facilities, incentives, and encouragement to do what originally attracted the teacher into a career in science and teaching in the first place.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1476213", "title": "The Predictions Table: a tool for assessing students' knowledge.", "content": "The Predictions Table (PT), a tool for determining students' knowledge, is described. The PT is a matrix consisting of a group of variables and a set of time periods. Students enter in the PT their qualitative predictions of the effects of a perturbation on a physiological system. The instructor or a teaching program can then evaluate the students' knowledge from these entries. An example is given from the teaching program CIRCSIM, which deals with blood pressure regulation. It shows the way that the program uses errors in the students' PT entries. CIRCSIM was evaluated and was found to have a statistically significant effect. It reduced the number of errors that students made in predicting the responses of the cardiovascular system to a perturbation. Also, students who worked in groups had significantly greater improvement than did control students. Using CIRCSIM also significantly reduces the number of relationship errors that the students make. They made even fewer errors when an instructor was present in the computer classroom while the students used CIRCSIM."}
{"id": "PMID:1476214", "title": "Use of computer-assisted courseware in teaching neuroscience: the Graphic Brain.", "content": "We describe the development of a computer-assisted instructional tool for the neurosciences. Designed to run on readily available MS-DOS computers, the Graphic Brain utilizes computer-generated static and animated images and accompanying text to assist in instruction of neuroanatomy and neurophysiology. We have used the Graphic Brain in our medical neuroscience course and report that, as measured anecdotally and by test scores, it facilitates student comprehension of the space- and time-varying aspects of anatomy and physiology. When the Graphic Brain is used as an adjunct to lecture, we find that we can cover the same material in 75% of the time required using traditional methods."}
{"id": "PMID:1476215", "title": "Complex medical case histories as portals to medical practice and integrative, scientific thought.", "content": "Complex clinicopathological conferences from the New England Journal of Medicine are used to introduce first-year medical and graduate students to scientific reasoning at the level of the whole organism and to help them mobilize and integrate the knowledge obtained in their previous studies. The approach involves outlining the etiology of the case history. This becomes a framework for thought allowing students to easily cope with the profusion of data. The method is cost effective: a single professor can interact with a large class, yet engage students on a one-to-one basis. It is a powerful adjunct to, but does not replace, lecture or small group activities such as problem-based learning. An annotated case history involving diabetes mellitus is provided."}
{"id": "PMID:1476216", "title": "Sensory adaptation: extracellular recording from locust wing hinge stretch receptor.", "content": "Good student laboratory exercises that do not require much manipulative or technical expertise of the student and that have minor equipment demands are hard to find. One experiment that has these desirable characteristics is the description of adaptation of the firing frequency of the locust forewing stretch receptor after elevation of the wing. Unambiguous recordings of the activity of the stretch receptor can be made using a simple monopolar hook electrode inserted into the thoracic cavity of a decapitated locust. Elevation movements of the forewing are simple to perform and measure. The response of the stretch receptor as a function of time and the stimulus history is monitored. Within a relatively short time it is possible to collect enough data to characterize thoroughly the adequate stimulus of a single sensory neuron. There is considerable scope for student innovation, and several important concepts of sensory physiology can be discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1476217", "title": "[Status of the oxygen transport system of hemoglobin in physiological pregnancy and pregnancy complicated by iron deficiency anemia].", "content": "The oxygen-binding properties of Hb molecule are unchanged in the third trimester of normal pregnancy and in pregnancy complicated by slight iron-deficiency anemia. Hb affinity to oxygen in whole blood is formed under the effect of the three main ligands H+, CO2, and 2,3-DPH. The development of hypocapnia in pregnant women results in elevation of pH values, reduction of pCO2, increase of intraerythrocytic 2,3-DPH concentration by 15-18%. Variously directed effects of H+, CO2, and 2,3-DPH on Hb affinity to O2 result in normal P50 values and therefore the Hb-O2 dissociation curve is not shifted to the right. Thus, in pregnant women with alkalosis 2,3-DPH effect on Hb affinity to oxygen completely eliminates H+ and CO2 effects but not compensates for Hb deficiency in the blood."}
{"id": "PMID:1476218", "title": "[Oxygen transport function of blood in late pregnancy toxemia in women with anemia].", "content": "The parameters of central hemodynamics and blood oxygen transport function were studied in 59 patients with anemia and late gestosis. The findings evidence that the status of central hemodynamics is mostly responsible for the oxygen supply. Marked reduction of the volumes of the stroke and cardiac ejection is observed with the gestosis augmentation. This may also be parallelled by an essential lowering of the effective and actual oxygen transport. Combined therapy of patients with late gestosis, suffering from anemia, aimed first of all, at liquidation of the peripheral arterial spasm and enhancement of cardiac productivity, is conducive to considerable improvement of oxygen transport."}
{"id": "PMID:1476219", "title": "[Acid-base equilibrium and blood gases in pregnant women with habitual abortion after metabolic therapy].", "content": "Blood oxygen transport, pH, acid-base status, urinary ketone level and urobilinogen were studied in 52 pregnant women in whom pregnancy ran a normal course and in 56 ones with a history of habitual abortions, treated for metabolic disorders. Signs of metabolic acidosis in the presence of respiratory alkalosis at the expense of pulmonary hyperventilation were detected in women with normal pregnancy. Follow-up of acid-base status and gases of blood, aciduria and ketonuria in pregnant women with a history of habitual abortions has revealed in them respiratory alkalosis signs presenting in hypoxemia and reduced oxygen saturation and ketonuria. Metabolic therapy included in combined therapeutic schemes for such patients actively influenced the processes of metabolic acidosis and ketonuria compensation, probably at the expense of its normalizing effect on intracellular metabolism. Metabolic therapy of pregnant women liable to spontaneous abortions, due to ovarian hypofunction had a marked antihypoxic effect, normalized the bicarbonate system status and was therefore conducive to improvement of oxygen transport to maternal tissues and the fetus."}
{"id": "PMID:1476220", "title": "[Endometrial Chlamydia infection in women with habitual abortion].", "content": "Endometrial, endocervical, and urethral specimens were obtained from 16 nonpregnant women with a history of habitual abortions. Chlamydia were isolated from the endometria of 4 women, but only in one case chlamydial intracytoplasmic incorporations in endometrial cells were detectable by the Romanovsky Giemza staining. Endometrial Chlamydia infection was diagnosed in 5 of the 16 patients. No Chlamydia were isolated from the cervix uteri or urethra of 2 patients with endometrial involvement. The study has demonstrated that eradication of intrauterine chlamydial infection before pregnancy improves the efficacy of treatment of habitual abortions. It is possible that asymptomatic chlamydial endometrial infection is injurious for the placenta."}
{"id": "PMID:1476221", "title": "[Study of fetal movements in normal spontaneous uterine activity and in its disorders by the end of pregnancy].", "content": "Parallel recording of spontaneous uterine activity and fetal movements, carried out in 102 pregnant women at the end of the third pregnancy trimester have shown a linear relationship between fetal movements and disorders of spontaneous uterine activity. The detected disorders permit a more objective assessment of fetal status and a timely start of corrective therapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1476222", "title": "[Immunologic aspects of the fetal growth retardation syndrome].", "content": "Serial measurements of allo- and autoimmune lymphocytotoxic antibodies (LCT-AB), circulating immune complexes (CIC) and heterophilic hemolysins were carried out over pregnancy weeks 24-40 in 63 pregnant women with small-for-date fetuses, 63 ones with other pregnancy complications, and in 15 ones with normal pregnancy. The mean allo- and auto-LCT-AB levels remained unchanged over the course of pregnancy and were virtually the same in all the examinees. CIC and heterophilic hemolysin levels were found growing in women with small-for-date fetuses starting from pregnancy week 28, as against the two reference groups. A direct relationship between abnormally high heterophilic hemolysin levels and blood rheology disorders could be traced. The incidence of unfavorable perinatal outcomes was increasing if heterophilic hemolysin levels surpassed 1.1 U optic density and the placenta was thin. These results permit considering the small-for-date fetus syndrome as a manifestation of immunity conflict in pregnancy."}
{"id": "PMID:1476224", "title": "[Morphological evaluation of fetal development after administration of Poterium sanguisorba for correction of fetoplacental circulation].", "content": "Polyphenol preparation of Poterium sanguisorba was tried for the treatment of experimental pregnancy abnormalities. The teratogenic and embryotoxic effects of the preparation administered in a dose of 0.75 LD50 were studied. The therapeutic doses of the drug are characterized by an immunostimulating effect on the mother and help correct the fetoplacental circulation and improve the fetal morphofunctional status."}
{"id": "PMID:1476225", "title": "[Ambulatory abortion, its advantages and economic effectiveness].", "content": "Presents data on abortions carried out by vacuum aspiration method in the earliest periods of unplanned pregnancy with the menses delay of up to 20 days in 622 women. The operation was performed in an outpatient setting. The incidence of immediate complications has made up 2.2%, late ones 4.13%; these values are much lower than after abortions during pregnancy weeks 6-12 (6.6 and 14.6%, respectively). The cost of such abortions, including the cost of treatment of late and immediate complications, makes up 9 rubles, whereas routine D&C costs 49 rubles. Vacuum aspiration abortion, carried out if menstrual bleeding is delayed by 16 to 20 days, is an effective, simple, and economic method of pregnancy discontinuation."}
{"id": "PMID:1476226", "title": "[A method of vacuum aspiration in early pregnancy in women with a history of severe gynecologic diseases].", "content": "Early (with the regular menstrual period absent for 6 to 20 days) artificial abortions were carried out in 61 women with a history of uterine myomas, cicatrix on the uterus, and developmental defects of the genitals. Analysis of early complications has shown that their incidence is virtually the same as in healthy women: 3.3%. Vacuum aspiration is an effective and safe method for early artificial abortions. A course of rehabilitation measures in the postoperative period reduces the incidence of early complications and is conducive to timely recovery of the normal cycle."}
{"id": "PMID:1476227", "title": "[Analysis of lochial acid-base equilibrium in an uncomplicated course of the postpartum period and in endometritis].", "content": "Lochial acid-base status was analyzed in 45 puerperants in whom the postpartum period ran an uncomplicated course or was complicated by endometritis. The normal course of the puerperium is associated with the development of metabolic acidosis in the uterine cavity, and this acidosis is completely compensated for at the expense of gas alkalosis. In slight endometritis metabolic acidosis augments, and grave endometritis is associated with the development of marked acidosis at the expense of the development of tissue hypoxia in the presence of metabolic acidosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1476228", "title": "[Structural changes in the endometrium of puerperae with high risk of development of endometritis in the postpartum period].", "content": "The endometrium of 72 puerperae referred to a high-risk group in respect of developing infectious complications was examined on days 3-18 of the puerperium. The periods of epithelialization and regeneration onset in abnormal course of the puerperium were detected, and the morphologic criteria of these processes specified. In cases with cesarean sections these processes started 2-3 days later than after spontaneous delivery. Bacteriologic examination of the uterine cavity contents is an indirect test for the detection of an infection; the final diagnosis may be made only after a comprehensive assessment of the endometrial status."}
{"id": "PMID:1476231", "title": "[Thymogen in the complex treatment of inflammatory diseases of the female genital system].", "content": "Thymogen, a new immunomodulating drug made in this country, was used in combined therapy of 46 patients with acute endomyometritis, exacerbations of chronic salpingo-oophoritis, purulent tubo-ovarian formations. Thymogen therapy was conducive to normalization of lymphocyte counts, absolute counts of T and B lymphocytes, increase of T lymphocyte functional activity. The drug is characterized by a desensitizing effect and induces no complications. Marked clinical effect recommends the immunomodulator thymogen for combined therapy of patients with inflammatory diseases of the uterus and its appendages."}
{"id": "PMID:1476232", "title": "[Prevention of hemorrhage in women with retroperitoneal pelvic tumors by embolization of the internal iliac arteries].", "content": "Presents data on the clinical course and surgical treatment of 26 patients with retroperitoneal tumors and hemangiomas of the pelvis. The diagnosis was confirmed by x-ray, echographic, computer tomographic, and angiographic data on pelvic vessels. To prevent bleedings, embolization of the internal iliac arteries and their branches as far as the 3-4th order was carried out in 9 patients with angiodysplasias and 4 with retroperitoneal pelvic tumors. Endovascular occlusion of the main vessels not only permitted surgery with the minimal blood loss, but was conducive to better visualization of the tissues and made the operation less traumatic."}
{"id": "PMID:1476233", "title": "[Diagnostic and surgical laparoscopy in polycystic ovary syndrome].", "content": "A total of 202 patients with polycystic ovaries were involved in examination. The study has distinguished the laparoscopic signs of polycystic ovaries: smooth glossy tightly stretched surface of the ovaries with a characteristic vascular pattern or loops; the presence of subcapsular cysts. Ovarian section shows small cysts with transparent or yellowish contents. The histologic signs are thickening of the protein coating, increased count of primary, secondary and cystic atretic follicles (by 2-5 times) and a lowered level of tertiary follicles. Clinical and hormonal signs include disordered rhythm of the menstrual cycle, stable anovulation, a high (over 2) LH/FSH index, an elevated T level. Laparoscopic resection of the ovaries to make their size normal is a method of choice among this technique, standard or wide ovarian biopsy."}
{"id": "PMID:1476234", "title": "[Prognostic possibilities in genital endometriosis].", "content": "A total of 64 patients with genital endometriosis were examined. The reference group included 120 phenotypically healthy women. The dermatoglyphic pattern of patients with genital endometriosis was defined, pointing to a genetic predisposition to genital endometriosis and reflecting the risk of its development. Together with other clinical and laboratory criteria, the dermatoglyphic studies permit an early diagnosis of endometriosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1476239", "title": "[Vestibular symptomatology and response to treatment with heterocyclic drugs].", "content": "Around 40 percent of the patients that we consult due to vertigo of a probable vestibular origin present an associated depressive syndrome. A study with patients with depressive symptoms and vestibular pathology of diverse aetiology in inactive phase is presented. Treatment using amitriptyline improves de evolutive prognosis of vestibular manifestations while observing a lower reappearance of symptomatology."}
{"id": "PMID:1476240", "title": "[Update of surgical criteria in thyroid pathology].", "content": "Review of an aleatory sample composed by 100 patients suffering some thyroid disorder, operated at ENT Department of the Hospital, during the last 5 years. Statistical evaluation of the significance and reliability of several parameters, clinical items, diagnostic tests and surgical judgements contrasted with the corresponding nowadays bibliography."}
{"id": "PMID:1476241", "title": "[Thyroglossal duct cysts].", "content": "Perusal of records concerning 14 patients diagnosed and operated for Cysts of the thyrolingual duct, in the last 5 years (1984-1989). In this term the AA. have had at their disposal the newly diagnostic methods introduced at their Hospital. Among the clinic features considered in the paper, for instance, the age, they point out the differences verified between the own series and that of other authors. In the first decade only 28.57%; 35.71% in the second decade; and beyond 30 years again 35.71% of cases. Sixty-seven was de elder one. As well is emphasized the sexes distribution: 72% account for men and 28% for women, in the AA's statistics. None of the operated showed malignancies and postoperative recurrences were null."}
{"id": "PMID:1476242", "title": "[Surgical pathology of the parathyroid glands].", "content": "This paper deals on the experience, in the work's milieu of the AA., about the surgery of the parathyroid glands. After some considerations regarding the embryology, morphology, pathophysiology and symptomatology of the parathyroids and the causes of its surgical pathology, they describe the cases treated at their Department. Contribution with the results gained through the diagnostic methods used by them. Lastly compare the own experience with that of other surgeons, in the light of the bibliographical review of the subject done."}
{"id": "PMID:1476243", "title": "[Neck adenopathies in epidermoid carcinomas of the piriform sinus: a retrospective study and 5-year survival].", "content": "Retrospective survey done with 27 patients of epidermoid carcinoma of the piriform sinus in order to ascertain the degree of regional spread--both clinic and histologic--of the neoplasm and also set up the relation between the actual adenopathies, the rate of recurrences and the actuarial survival at 5 years post-treatment term. The checked results show the bad prognosis of such tumors irrespective of the most aggressive surgery (partial hemipharyngectomy plus total laryngectomy plus neck dissection and postoperative X-ray therapy). The actuarial survival accounts for 29.6 percent after 5 years. The AA. confirm a great lymphophile tendency with an invasion percentage amounting to 55.6 percent but with a certain clinic-histologic disagreement. Relation between the frequency of adenopathies (clinical and histological), the survival and the recurrences at 5 years is indicative to a great extent that adenopathies are a pejorative circumstance of these neoplasms."}
{"id": "PMID:1476244", "title": "[Metastatic parotid tumors. Review of 28 cases].", "content": "A series of 28 patients with tumors metastatic to the parotid gland are reported. The most frequent histologic types were squamous cell carcinoma and melanoma. Most primary tumors occurred in the head and neck. A review of similar cases published in the literature reveals the lack of uniform criteria for the appropriate therapeutic approach for metastatic parotid gland tumors."}
{"id": "PMID:1476245", "title": "[Pharyngostoma following total laryngectomy].", "content": "Prospective study following 32 total laryngectomees with the aim of compare the efficacy of the pharyngo-esophageal closure alternatively stiching with vicryl and catgut. The use of vicryl resulted in 31 percent pharyngocutaneous fistulae versus 61 percent with catgut."}
{"id": "PMID:1476246", "title": "[Cervical lymphangioma].", "content": "Reporting a cervical Lymphangioma with satisfactory postoperative recovery. Bibliographic survey relating to the several approaches to diagnosis as well as schedules of treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1476251", "title": "Vaginal reconstruction by skin grafts: a scanning electron microscopic evaluation.", "content": "In order to evaluate the morphofunctional pattern of transplanted skin structural and ultrastructural studies on biopsies taken from surgically created neovaginae in three cases of vaginal agenesis were performed one and two years postoperatively. Two of the cases were associated with a rudimentary uterus, while the remaining one involved testicular feminization. Neovaginae were constructed by directly prolonging a pre-existing perineal introitus, to form a vesicorectal pouch, which was lined inside with gluteal skin autografts. All three patients reported satisfactory psychosexual behavior one year after operation. Light microscopy of the bioptic fragments demonstrated, even two years after surgery, features generally similar to those of the normal dermis and epidermis, and a keratinization rate as a rule, that did not range significantly from the norm. Scanning electron microscopy also confirmed the maturation of the cornified cells, since these were often seen to be desquamating and exhibited structures usually found in normal skin, such as double edges on the luminal surface--usually considered to be the morphological expression of squamous cell overlapping--and microwrinkles on disrupted apical and basal cytoplasmic flaps, which are considered reciprocal cell-gearing devices. Our results seem to indicate, therefore, that the transplanted skin, maintaining, on the whole, its integrity and viability despite an environment differing somewhat from the external one with regard to moisture, pH and temperature, shows a good adaptability, at least until the above mentioned time lapses."}
{"id": "PMID:1476252", "title": "Fine structure of the dorsal lingual epithelium of the crab-eating monkey, Macaca irus.", "content": "Light and electron microscopic observations of the dorsal lingual epithelium of the crab-eating monkey, Macaca irus, revealed three different regions: the epithelium on the anterior side of the filiform papillae, the epithelium on the posterior side of the filiform papillae, and the interpapillar epithelium. Whereas the basal and suprabasal cells are similar throughout, differences characterize the intermediate and surface layers. Keratohyalin granules appear predominantly in the intermediate layer of the epithelium on the anterior side of filiform papillae. In the epithelium on the posterior side of the filiform papillae, no keratohyalin granules are seen and, instead, tonofibrils are prominent. The cells begin to be significantly flattened. In the interpapillar epithelium, no keratohyalin granules and tonofibrils are seen, and the tonofilaments occupy almost the entire cytoplasm of the cells of the intermediate and surface layers, with the cells having larger volumes in these layers."}
{"id": "PMID:1476253", "title": "Development of the chick tongue. A scanning electron microscopical investigation.", "content": "With the aim of clarifying certain morphological aspects of lingual development, chick tongues between the 8th day of incubation and hatching and also during the early postincubation period were investigated by means of the Scanning Electron Microscope. During this time, the tongue anlage underwent some remarkable morphogenetic changes, mostly involving the superficial epithelium but also including the appearance of the lingual glands at the level of the lingual root. With regards to the epithelium, it was possible to observe that in the first days of the incubation period examined, the superficial cells appeared dome-shaped, with microvilli on the apical surface; later they tended to become more flattened, and the microvilli were replaced by a thick net of microplicae. During the final days of incubation, and after hatching desquamative phenomena became evident. At no site of the tongue rudiment were taste buds ever observed, possibly because of the different functional role played by the avian tongue in comparison with that of the mammals."}
{"id": "PMID:1476254", "title": "Ultrastructure and histochemical aspects of the oropharyngeal epithelium of Siren intermedia Le Conte.", "content": "The present electron microscopical and histochemical study of the oropharyngeal epithelium (OEPI) in Siren intermedia describes its various differentiated and developing cell types and cell contents. The OEPI is multilayered; it consists of a basal layer, a middle cell layer and a pavement layer. Three cell types are found in the pavement layer: pavement cells (PC), goblet cells (GC), and mitochondria-rich cells (MRC). These originate from basal cells and mature in the middle cell layer. The MRC is equipped with a tubule system that seems to be responsible for gaseous exchange. MRC and GC probably appear only in the caudal portions of the oropharynx. Electron microscopically, the goblet cell type appears uniform, except for the production of secretory granules; rostrad, these are largely PAS-positive and occipitad alcianophilic. The production of mucin granules is lower in the PC, where they accumulate as loose aggregations in the cell apex. Their contents react strongly to alcian blue. Only electron-lucent (loose) mucosubstances are exocytosed; they form the apically-situated acidic mucous coat of the PC. The possible osmoregulatory function of these mucins is discussed in relation to the model suggested by Kirschner (1982, in Gomme 1984)."}
{"id": "PMID:1476255", "title": "A preliminary study of craniofacial classification.", "content": "Cephalographic evaluations often hinge on univariate statistical analyses of their component dimensions. These analyses generally depict a progressive increase in cephalometric form with age. Such analyses are, however, complicated by the varied inter-dimensional correlations. But when the cephalometric dimensions were combined together in cluster analysis, complex associations between various age groups were noted in the 1-18 year range. Such multivariate analyses revealed far more complex craniofacial age changes than traditionally envisaged. These data therefore indicated the need for further investigation of such \"normocephalic gold standards\" before their value in craniofacial evaluation can be established."}
{"id": "PMID:1476256", "title": "Collagen fibril ultrastructure alters after glycanolytic digestion.", "content": "Fixed fragments of bovine nasal septum cartilage were digested for six hours either with testicular hyaluronidase or streptomyces hyaluronidase or flavobacter chondroitinase ABC, and observed with a transmission electron microscope. Collagen fibril diameters (D) were measured to evaluate the effect of enzymatic digestion on the fibril size. This resulted in an increased frequency (17% to 47%) of \"thin\" fibrils (80 to 32 nm), followed by a decrease (65% to 31%) of the frequency of \"mid\" fibrils (32 to 64 nm). The frequency of \"thick\" fibrils (over 64 nm) showed a moderate increase (18% to 22%). Considering the relationship between fibril diameter, fibril volume and collagen content, the apparently relevant increase in number of the \"thin\" fibrils corresponds to an alteration of only 4% of the total collagen. On the other hand the increase of the \"thick\" fibrils implies a conspicuous alteration of 20% of the total collagen. The observed fibril rearrangement after digestion may be explained in terms of the wrap of matrix proteoglycans around each fibril. The enzymatic removal of the proteoglycans could make \"mid\" collagen fibrils free to regress into \"thin\" as well as to merge together into \"thick\" fibrils."}
{"id": "PMID:1476257", "title": "[Non-invasive evaluation of venous obstruction. Reflux and function of the muscular mass of the calf with air plethysmography].", "content": "An study about the use of Air Plethysmography on venous occlusions is presented. Also, a comparison between Plethysmography and others non-invasive methods was made."}
{"id": "PMID:1476258", "title": "[Giant cervical angioma caused by \"malignant\" arteriovenous fistulae].", "content": "A case of angioma by malignant AV fistula (described by F. Martorell in 1970) is reported. Such kind of fistulas have usually a lethal course. The case reported underwent a surgical correction, and after a following of 10 years, no major complications have been reported."}
{"id": "PMID:1476259", "title": "[Importance of morphologic evaluation of carotid lesions in their correlation with cerebral ischemic pathology].", "content": "Authors present a review of 182 atheromatous plaques into the extracranial carotid trunks. Diagnosis of such pathologies were made by Eco-Doppler on 615 patients. Objective was to determinate the emboligen potential of the plaques following structural and functional criteria. Almost all the symptomatic plaques with functional disturbances showed some structural injury with emboligen potential. Two third parts of all the symptomatic diseases hemodynamically no-significant were associated with plaques with emboligen power. On stenosis higher than 70%, functional criterium was more important for study than structural criterium."}
{"id": "PMID:1476260", "title": "[Treatment of complications of in situ saphenous by-pass].", "content": "The early and late (2-12 months) complications of in situ bypass for 24 patients (limb salvage procedures) were presented. The early complications were: 1. Overlook branches of saphenous vein developed into A-V fistulas which religated (2 patients). 2. Graft occlusions (2 patients). A successful thrombectomy was carried out on one patient, while an above knee amputation was performed on the other patient. 3. A deep venous thrombosis (one being crural, the other femoral) was treated with medication therapy. We recorded late complications: two graft occlusions (after 3 and 6 months) where redo surgery was impossible for distal progression of occlusion disease. The following procedures must be done: per-operative angiography, adequate technique of anastomoses and defects of the femoral vein, postoperative application of medication therapy, observation of patients in the later post-operative period and routine control with Doppler US (1, 3, 6, 12 months)."}
{"id": "PMID:1476266", "title": "Fibrinolytic enhancement in diabetic microangiopathy with defibrotide.", "content": "Skin microcirculation was evaluated in 117 patients with diabetic microangiopathy over a period of six months. They were divided into two groups. Group 1 (64 patients) was treated with oral defibrotide, a new profibrinolytic drug, in association with diet and oral antidiabetic drugs. Group 2 (53 patients) was treated only with diet and antidiabetic agents. The microcirculation was studied by means of laser-Doppler flowmetry transcutaneous partial pressure of oxygen and carbon dioxide pressure measurements, and evaluation of capillary filtration. After six months, patients in group 1 improved their microcirculatory parameters in association with an improvement in signs and symptoms. Moreover, 30 patients in group 1 and 36 in group 2 were followed up for eighteen months, and the authors observed that the deterioration of the microcirculatory parameters was significantly slowed in diabetics treated with defibrotide. A decrease in plasma fibrinogen during defibrotide treatment was observed in all treated patients in association with an increased fibrinolytic activity. In conclusion, it appears that defibrotide, enhancing fibrinolysis, improved the microcirculation in diabetics, preventing further, progressive deterioration."}
{"id": "PMID:1476267", "title": "Effect of single oral administration of nilvadipine on cerebral blood flow in chronic cerebral infarction.", "content": "The effect of nilvadipine, a newly developed calcium antagonist, on regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) was investigated in 7 patients with chronic cerebral infarction. rCBF was measured by the 133Xenon inhalation method. Patients were given a single dose of 4 mg of nilvadipine after the first measurement of rCBF, and the second measurement was done one hour after the administration. All patients had hemiparesis and 2 of them had mild to moderate mental deterioration, but all patients could walk to the outpatient clinic by themselves. (1) rCBF of the affected side significantly increased by 22.7% after single oral administration of nilvadipine (p < 0.05). The increase of rCBF was significantly marked in frontal regions of the affected hemispheres. (2) No significant changes in blood pressure or end tidal partial pressure of carbon dioxide were observed during the examination. These results indicate that nilvadipine has a potent selective vasodilatory action on the cerebral arteries in patients with cerebral infarction."}
{"id": "PMID:1476262", "title": "[Inguinal pulsatile hematoma secondary to malignant melanoma invasion].", "content": "A case of an inguinal pulsatile hematoma, secondary to a malignant melanoma, is reported. Considerations about such type of diseases are made. Importance of anatomical Pathology is also noted."}
{"id": "PMID:1476268", "title": "Physical manipulation of subcutaneously implanted cardiac muscle in rat increased plasma atrial natriuretic peptide concentration.", "content": "To examine the effects of physical stretch on cardiac muscle endocrine activity, the authors transplanted whole neonatal hearts subcutaneously into the back and the ears of the correspondent mother (n = 9). Seven days later, physical manipulation was applied on the implanted heart by stretching the skin and the subcutaneous tissue encasing the implanted cardiac muscle, for a period of five to ten minutes. Such manipulation was repeated approximately every seven days postoperatively for a total of two to four times for each rat. The plasma atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) levels were measured by radioimmunoassay prior to and immediately following manipulation. Postmanipulation plasma ANP levels were found to increase from the premanipulation levels. At two weeks postimplant, the average increase was 290% with the highest single-specimen increase being nearly twelvefold. The increases observed at two and three weeks following implantation had Signed Rank Test p values of 0.015 and 0.042 respectively. The viability of the implanted hearts was confirmed by cell culture. Light microscopic immunocytochemistry detected ANP immunoreactivity in the implanted cardiocytes. The elevated plasma ANP concentration induced by the manipulation appeared to be correlated with the functional status of the implanted cardiocytes. (1) Subcutaneously transplanted neonatal myocardiocytes survived for at least three to four weeks while retaining the ability to produce ANP. (2) Physical manipulation of implanted heart induced ANP release. Therefore, cardiac ANP production and release is indeed stimulated by physical stretching."}
{"id": "PMID:1476264", "title": "[Hemodynamic evaluation of the patient with microvarices].", "content": "The present study included 21 lower limbs with micro varicosities, 56 lower limbs with retrograde flow-varicosities (positive Rivlin) and 35 health lower limbs. Technics used for diagnosis were: Doppler ultrasonography and strain gauge plethysmography. We found a higher incidence of valvular failure on the varicose patients with retrograde flow (showing changes on their viscoelastic features of their venous walls). On the contrary, patient with microvaricosities showed an hemodynamics similar to the healty patient: we did not found any difference on the variables analyzed between the two groups. We conclude that the presence of microvaricosities has no influence on the analyzed hemodynamic parametres."}
{"id": "PMID:1476269", "title": "Diagnosis of coronary artery disease with Tc 99m-methoxy isobutyl isonitrile and transesophageal pacing.", "content": "Recently the use of a new radioactive agent with physical and biological properties more favorable than those of thallium 201, methoxy-isobutyl-isonitrile (MIBI) labeled with technetium 99m (Tc 99m), has permitted simultaneous performance of perfusion and function studies in ischemic cardiopathy. Transesophageal atrial pacing (TAP) technique has evolved as an alternative provocative test of ischemia. The authors compared the capability of Tc 99m-MIBI myocardial scintigraphy, combined with TAP, with that of Tc 99m-MIBI, combined with maximal stress test, in the diagnosis of ischemic cardiopathy. They studied 11 patients with a clinical history of angina pectoris. Myocardial scintigraphy was performed at rest, after stress test, and after TAP. Finally, all the patients underwent coronary angiography. The analysis of myocardial perfusion images on both Tc 99m-MIBI associated with TAP and with stress demonstrated, in 165 myocardial segments examined: 143 normal, 20 reversible defects, 2 irreversible defects. The concordance of localization between coronarographic data and scintigraphic reversible and irreversible defects was 85%. In conclusion TAP proves to be a valid and sensitive provocative test of ischemia when combined with myocardial scintigraphy and with Tc 99m-MIBI."}
{"id": "PMID:1476270", "title": "Hyperfibrinogenemia and hyperviscous plasma in hypertensive Africans.", "content": "Changes in plasma fibrinogen concentrations (PFC) and relative plasma viscosity (RPV) were investigated in 61 Nigerian Africans while they were being treated for essential hypertension. The association of these hemorheologic variables with blood pressure was examined. An analogous study was done on 30 normotensive controls for comparison. The hypertensive patients had, overall, a significant increase in both PFC and RPV (p < 0.001) as compared with control values. However, 44.3% of the hypertensive patients had PFC and RPV values within the defined normal limits. This indicates that in a proportion of the hypertensives, treatment notwithstanding, PFC and RPV are altered only within the physiologic limits. Comparison of PFC and RPV with the degree of hypertension (mild: diastolic blood pressure (DBP) = 90mmHg; moderate: DBP = 91-99mmHg; severe: DBP > or = 100mmHg) showed significant stepwise increases at the moderate and severe levels as compared with the mild level of hypertension. The hyperfibrinogenemia and concomitant hyperviscous plasma observed in the present study could either play a role in the pathogenesis of the hypertension or be the consequence of the hypertension itself, at least in some patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1476265", "title": "[Various hemodynamic characteristics of the venous circulation of the lower limbs in the patient with recurrent varices].", "content": "The present study included a control group of 30 lower limbs without venous disease, a group of 30 lower limbs with primary varicosities and a group of 30 lower limbs with recidivant varicosities. Technics used for diagnosis were: Doppler ultrasonography and \"strain-gauge\" plethysmography. We found a relentisement of the venous flow on patients with recidivant varicosities. No differences on basal and maximal flow between primary and recidivant varicosities have been reported. It seems that no disturbances on the arterial flow are present. It seems also that patients with recidivant varicosities have no special incidence of valvular failure."}
{"id": "PMID:1476271", "title": "Critical degree of renal arterial stenosis that causes hypertension in dogs.", "content": "The minimum degree of renal arterial stenosis needed to cause hypertension was identified by renal arterial angiography of anesthetized dogs. The effects of renal nerves and prostanoids on the critical stenosis were also examined. The left renal artery was constricted concentrically by a radiolucent constrictor device, and the stenosis of the artery was evaluated by cineangiography with the kidney either innervated or denervated. At this time, renal blood flow, renal perfusion pressure, and systemic blood pressure were serially monitored. In another group of dogs, renal venous and aortic blood samples were taken as the stenosis increased; these were assayed for prostaglandin E2 and plasma renin activity. The same experiments were done again after treatment with a cyclooxygenase inhibitor, aspirin DL-lysine (54 mg/kg). With the kidney either innervated or denervated, systemic blood pressure began to increase when the stenosis was more than 70% of the diameter of the renal artery; the renal blood flow decreased when the stenosis was more than 75% of the diameter. Aspirin treatment attenuated the increase in blood pressure but did not affect the autoregulation of the renal blood flow when stenosis was 70% or less. Prostaglandin E2 production increased in the stenotic kidney when the stenosis was more than 70%; aspirin inhibited prostaglandin synthesis and suppressed the stimulation of renin release. These results suggest that whether there is innervation or not, the critical degree of renal arterial stenosis that causes hypertension is more than about 70% of the diameter in the presence of renal prostaglandins; in their absence, the critical point above which hypertension occurs is 75% or more."}
{"id": "PMID:1476272", "title": "Skin blood flow and current perception in pentoxifylline-treated diabetic neuropathy.", "content": "There are several anecdotal reports of improvement in diabetic sensory neuropathy following a course of pentoxifylline therapy. Pentoxifylline theoretically could improve skin blood flow, thus reducing ischemia at axonal endings. The authors used laser Doppler techniques to measure skin blood flow and measured sine wave current perception thresholds (CPTs) in pentoxifylline-treated diabetic patients with sensory neuropathy. Twenty-four patients completed a six-month course of treatment. These patients had a predominantly \"stocking\" neuropathy; all the major abnormalities on clinical, laser Doppler, and current perception testing were found on the lower extremity. Seventeen of the 24 patients reported symptomatic improvement. A careful, graded neurologic examination confirmed that improvement, with a decrease in symptom score on the lower extremity (SSDW) from a baseline of 5.0 +/- 0.7 to 3.5 +/- 0.7 (p < 0.01) and of physical score (PSDW) from baseline 22.0 +/- 2.0 to 16.0 +/- 1.9 (p < 0.01) after six months. On the lower extremity, there was an increase in laser Doppler measured flow score (FS) both at 35 degrees and at 44 degrees C. FSDW (35 degrees) increased from 10 +/- 2 to 14 +/- 3 at six months (p < 0.05). FSDW (44 degrees) increased from 58 +/- 5 to 77 +/- 7 at six months (p < 0.01). There was an improvement in sine wave current perception measured by current perception threshold score (TS). TSDW dropped from 150 +/- 32 to 84 +/- 28 at six months (p < 0.03). In patients with diabetic sensory neuropathy, pentoxifylline appears to improve skin blood flow. Current perception thresholds improve in tandem, corroborating improvement in clinical neurologic findings.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1476273", "title": "Contemporary treatment of venous lower limb ulcers.", "content": "The postphlebitic syndrome is a significant management problem that affects a large number of patients. Primary prophylaxis of deep-vein thrombophlebitis would reduce the risk of developing the postphlebitic syndrome and should be considered in high-risk patients. Patients who have had a phlebitis should be monitored with noninvasive tests of the deep venous circulation for the development of venous valve incompetence. Patients with venous hypertension should be placed in compression stockings to prevent the postphlebitic syndrome. In patients who progress to venous ulceration, several aggressive measures must be undertaken. Systemic treatment includes management of obesity, edema, immobility, poor nutrition, and comorbid illnesses. Some patients may require a short hospitalization of bed rest, lower limb elevation, and daily dressings and wound care. Outpatient therapy requires sustained compression of 35 to 40 mmHg at the ankle for many months to allow the ulcer to heal. The standard bandage material is Unna's boots, which is applied every one to two weeks by a trained nurse. Cadexomer iodide is an effective local treatment that helps debride the ulcer and accelerate healing. Finally, pentoxifylline therapy has also been shown to significantly improve the healing of venous ulcers."}
{"id": "PMID:1476263", "title": "[Airway involvement in the postoperative period of carotid endarterectomy. Report of a case].", "content": "We report a case of a fifty-seven year old man that was diagnosed a bilateral carotid disease and a carotid endarterectomy was practiced on him in the left carotid, and afterwards in a 12 day lapsus of time, the same was done in the right carotid. In the course of the immediate post-operative period, the patient presented a neck haematoma which required its removal and afterwards he developed a glottis oedema which called for the realisation of a tracheotomy in order to control the airway."}
{"id": "PMID:1476274", "title": "Venous occlusion secondary to subluxation of the shoulder--a case report.", "content": "This is the case report of an eighty-seven-year-old woman who was seen because of swelling of her left upper extremity and breast of one week's duration. She had a history of severe arthritis of the knees and had been wheelchair-bound for seven years. Venography showed compression of the cephalic vein and thrombosis of the distal basilic vein with extension into the axillary and subclavian veins. To the author's knowledge, this is the first case report of venous thrombosis in association with subluxation of the shoulder."}
{"id": "PMID:1476275", "title": "Aortitis syndrome with fatal acute aortic regurgitation due to aortic dilatation and aortic valve perforation--a case report.", "content": "This is a case report of a fifteen-year-old female with aortitis syndrome complicated by acute fatal aortic regurgitation due to the aortic valve perforation, as well as to aortic dilatation, which was confirmed by the autopsy. Aortic valve perforation was first recognized as the important cause of acute aortic regurgitation in the aortitis syndrome in this report."}
{"id": "PMID:1476276", "title": "Pacemaker malfunction due to subcutaneous emphysema--a case report.", "content": "The authors describe a cas of pacemaker malfunction due to a critical increase of impedance resulting from air entrapment in the pacemaker pocket."}
{"id": "PMID:1476277", "title": "[Patient-controlled analgesia: effect of adding continuous infusion of morphine].", "content": "This double blind study aimed to assess the effects of a continuous intravenous (i.v.) infusion of morphine added to an intermittent bolus patient controlled analgesia on morphine demand and related side-effects. Patients scheduled for abdominal and thoracic surgery (ASA 2 or 3) were randomly allocated postoperatively to three groups (n = 10 each): group 1 were given i.v. boluses of 2 mg of morphine (lockout interval = 15 min); the other two groups were given the same boluses as well as a continuous i.v. infusion of either 1 mg.kg-1 of morphine (group 2) or 2 mg.kg-1 (group 3). Pain was assessed with a visual analog scale before starting analgesia, and after 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 16, 24 and 36 h. Total and bolus morphine doses were recorded at the same time. Breathing rate and the level of sedation were measured every hour and blood gases every time 40 mg of morphine had been consumed. Morphine administration was stopped if breathing rate decreased to less than 10 c.min-1, the patient became too sedated, or PaCO2 rose to more than 45 mmHg. Pain scores were similar in the three groups. Total amounts of morphine were higher in groups 2 (56.8 +/- 23.8 mg) and 3 (116.2 +/- 41.8 mg) compared with group 1 (38.2 +/- 17.8 mg) (p < 0.05). Morphine administration was stopped in 5 patients in group 3 and in 1 in group 2 because PaCO2 had risen to more than 45 mmHg. Therefore, a continuous i.v. infusion is not required in patients receiving PCA, all the more so as this has deleterious respiratory effects."}
{"id": "PMID:1476278", "title": "[Effects of nifedipine premedication on peroperative hypothermia].", "content": "The intraoperative time-course of core temperature in patients premedicated with nifedipine (n = 30) was compared to that of control patients (n = 30). Distal oesophageal temperature (TCORE) was recorded every five minutes during total hip replacement in 60 adults ranked ASA 1 to 2. Patients in the control group were only premedicated with 100 mg of oral hydroxyzine. The treatment group consisted of 30 patients taking nifedipine for blood pressure control or coronary insufficiency. They were given 10 mg sublingual nifedipine as well as the hydroxyzine premedication. Anaesthesia was induced with thiopentone, fentanyl and vecuronium, and maintained with nitrous oxide in oxygen and halothane in a semi-closed circuit. The slopes of the time-course for TCORE were established for each patient, using two linear regressions, between 0 and 0.5 h and from 1 to 2 h. The two groups did not differ in age, weight, ambient temperature, blood pressure, heart rate, and volume of unwarmed blood transfused. TCORE differed significantly from the 25th minute on until the end of the study period. Contrary to all expectation the TCORE at 2 h was higher in the nifedipine group (34.85 +/- 0.09 degrees C) than in the control group (34.01 +/- 0.14 degrees C, p < 0.001). TCORE decreased more rapidly in the control group during the first study interval (0 to 0.5 h), -1.50 +/- 0.60 degrees C.h-1 vs -2.34 +/- 1.02 degrees C.h-1 (p < 0.001). The second slopes did not differ particularly (-0.96 +/- 1.32 degrees C.h-1 vs -0.90 +/- 0.42 degrees C.h-1 respectively).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1476279", "title": "[Postoperative shivering: analysis of main associated factors].", "content": "This study was carried out in 75 female patients, ranked ASA 1 or 2, during recovery from balanced general anaesthesia. It aimed to find out the main determinants of postoperative shivering and its thermal effects. Skin and oesophageal temperature were recorded every ten minutes. Mean skin and body temperatures, and the intraoperative energy balance were calculated. There was no additional source of heating. Shivering was ranked from 0 to 2. Statistical analysis showed that the starting mean core and body temperatures were the only factors correlated with shivering and its intensity, whereas mean skin temperatures, age and opioid doses were not. Between 33.5 and 36.5 degrees C, there was a linear relationship between the oesophageal temperature at the end of anaesthesia and the incidence of shivering. A decrease of 1 degrees C in core temperature increased the probability of shivering by 33%. At 35.4 degrees C, 50% of patients shivered. There was a homogenous group of patients whose oesophageal temperature at the end of anaesthesia was between 35 and 36 degrees C. In this group, there was no significant difference between starting skin temperatures, whether the patient shivered or not. However, the core temperature of those within that group that did shiver returned to normal levels more quickly than in those that did not shiver. These data underlined the essential role played by core temperature at the end of anaesthesia in postoperative shivering and its intensity, as well as the heat producing value of shivering. It would therefore seem logical to prevent postoperative shivering by avoiding intraoperative hypothermia."}
{"id": "PMID:1476280", "title": "[Prevention of postoperative nausea and vomiting by ondansetron].", "content": "This study was carried out to assess the efficacy of oral ondansetron, a new 5HT3 receptor antagonist, in patients undergoing thyroid surgery. It included 60 patients, randomly assigned to two groups, and receiving orally, 1 h before induction of anaesthesia, either 8 mg of ondansetron (n = 29) or a placebo (n = 30). One patient was excluded. The same anaesthetic protocol, consisting of 3 to 5 micrograms.kg-1 of fentanyl, 4 to 6 mg.kg-1 of thiopentone, and 0.5 mg.kg-1 of atracurium, was used in all. Anaesthesia was maintained with 50% nitrous oxide in oxygen with 0.8 to 1% endtidal concentration of isoflurane and additional boluses of 0.1 mg of fentanyl as required. The incidence and intensity of nausea, graded mild, moderate or severe, and the incidence of vomiting were recorded postoperatively. During the first twelve hours after surgery, 40% of patients in the placebo group had nausea (16.7% mild, 20% moderate and 6.7% severe), and 50% vomited. In the ondansetron group, nausea and vomiting occurred in 13.8% and 20.4% of patients respectively. The 4 patients in the latter group complained of major nausea. The differences between the groups were statistically significant: p = 0.025 for nausea and p = 0.042 for vomiting. It is concluded that oral ondansetron, 8 mg taken orally 1 h before surgery, significantly reduces the incidence of nausea and vomiting during the first twelve postoperative hours. As it is easy to use and has no side-effects, it might be of interest in day-case surgery patients, despite its high cost."}
{"id": "PMID:1476281", "title": "[A study of 11 ventilators for anesthesia: laboratory testing].", "content": "Eleven anaesthesia ventilators were instrumentally tested under various conditions. They included: Excel and Modulus II Plus (Ohmeda); 710 and Servo anaesthesia circle 985 (Siemens); Jollytronic (Soxil) and Elsa (Engstr\u00f6m); SA2 and Cicero (Dr\u00e4ger); ABT 4,300 (Kontron); Monnal A and the prototype Alys (Taema). The test circuit comprised a two compartment model lung, a pneumotachograph, a pressure gauge in the \"airway\". The volume was calculated as the integral of flow rate. Each machine was calibrated by the firms' technicians. Before each test, the pneumotachograph was calibrated using a 11 air syringe and the pressure gauge with a 5 cm water column. Each machine ventilated the model lung for 30 min before starting the tests. There were five tests: 1) reliability of the machine's spirometer, 2) reliability of the ventilation rate, 3) reliability of pressure measurements, 4) effect of increasing fresh gas flow on spirometry, 5) effect of increasing downstream resistances. In usual simulated ventilatory conditions, all the machines accurately delivered the setted ventilation and spirometric measurements were with minimal error only. Several ventilators (SA2, Excel, 710, Elsa, ABT 4,300) did not succeed in maintaining their performances when compliance was strongly decreased or resistance of the test lung notably increased. Resistance in the circuit during simulated spontaneous ventilation was < 3.6 cmH2O.l-1.s-1. Increasing fresh gas flow raised the minute volume delivered in six ventilators. It is concluded that, during extreme ventilatory conditions, the inspired volume must be adjusted so as to maintain the inspired tidal volume. However, ventilators which increase inspiratory time in response to an increased mechanical load cannot be adjusted by this way."}
{"id": "PMID:1476282", "title": "[In vivo rheologic studies of plasma substitutes].", "content": "The aim of this study was to compare in 60 ASA1 patients, the rheological effects of a 500 ml plasma substitute infusion at induction of general anaesthesia. The 60 patients were allocated into 6 groups of 10. Each group received either albumin 4%, or dextran 40 3.5%, or dextran 60 6%, or hydroxyethylstarch (HES) 200 6%, or modified fluid gelatin or Ringer lactate. The infusion extended over 30 minutes. In blood samples obtained before infusion, immediately after the end, three and 24 hours after the end of infusion, osmotic pressure, oncotic pressure, proteins and fibrinogen concentration were measured. Following rheological parameters were also assessed: plasma viscosity, blood viscosity at two shear rates (0.5 and 128 s-1), erythrocyte aggregation by primary and final aggregation times as well as total and partial dissociation thresholds. The determinations were carried out at haematocrit corrected to 40%. At intergroup analysis of the different substitutes compared to albumin 4%, with the exception of Ringer lactate, there was no significant modification of osmotic and oncotic pressures or fibrinogen concentrations. Only gelatin and dextran 60 modified the rheological parameters. The intragroup comparison did not demonstrate significant variations of osmotic and oncotic pressures. Fibrinogen concentrations remained unchanged up to the 24th hours, where they increased as a reaction to surgery. Similar changes of rheological parameters occurred for Ringer lactate, albumin 4% and dextran 40: decrease of plasma viscosity (< 10%) and blood viscosity (< 20% at shear rate of 0.5 s-1), increase of primary aggregation time (30-50%) with decrease of total dissociation threshold (10-20%). These changes ended 24 hours after infusion. Dextran 60 and gelatin elicited a modification of blood rheology until the 24th hour after the end of infusion. Such modifications did not occur with HES. It is concluded that when a rheological effect is required albumin 4% or dextran 40 3.5% should be used."}
{"id": "PMID:1476283", "title": "[Comparison of effects of Elohes and albumin on hemostasis in orthopedic surgery].", "content": "A prospective study was carried out to determine the effects of Elohes, a low molecular weight hydroxyethylstarch, on haemostasis. Sixteen patients due to undergo total hip replacement were randomly assigned to one of two groups: group A, who were to receive up to 21 of 4% albumin to replace blood loss, and group E, 1.51 of Elohes. Patients were then given concentrated red cell packs (RCP) and lactated Ringer's solution so as to have a haematocrit value of 30%, up to the fifth postoperative day. The amount of blood lost intraoperatively was calculated by weighing the swabs and measuring the volume aspirated. Haemostasis was investigated on the eve of surgery, 3 hours afterwards, and then every second day (days 1, 3 and 5). Total blood loss and the number of RCP transfused were similar in both groups: 1,517 +/- 425 ml and 3.5 RCP, and 1,428 +/- 250 ml and 3.25 RCP in groups A and E respectively. Blood albumin concentrations fell in group E as expected, the starch diluting blood proteins. Bleeding time (Simplate), activated partial thromboplastin time, prothrombin time changed in the same way in both groups throughout the study period after infusion of either Elohes or albumin. The concentrations in factors II, V, VII and X fell by 30% three hours after surgery. Values returned to normal between days 1 and 3, the concentrations of some factors rising to values greater than preoperative values because of the postoperative inflammatory process (fibrinogen, factor VIII von Willebrand). However, there were no significant differences between the two groups.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1476284", "title": "[Efficacy and tolerance of Elohes 6% during peroperative normovolemic dilution].", "content": "This study assessed the cardiovascular stability of intraoperative normovolaemic haemodilution carried out with 6% Elohes during the exchange, the intraoperative, recovery and postoperative periods, as well as its effects on coagulation and renal function. Ten patients, ranked ASA 1, were included. Patients were premedicated with 100 mg of hydroxyzine, and anaesthesia was induced with 2 mg.kg-1 propofol, 3 micrograms.kg-1 fentanyl, and 0.5 mg.kg-1 atracurium. Maintenance was obtained with propofol, fentanyl and 50% nitrous oxide in oxygen. Haemodilution, carried out with a peripheral venous catheter, size 14 G, consisted in the removal of 15 ml.kg-1 of blood and its simultaneous replacement with Elohes 6%. Heart rate, systolic, diastolic and mean blood pressures were recorded before anaesthetic induction, every 5 min during the haemodilution, and thereafter during surgery, recovery and postoperative periods, up to the third postoperative day. Blood haemoglobin, fibrinogen, prothrombin, sodium, potassium, urea and creatinine concentrations, haematocrit, platelet count, and bleeding and activated cephalin times were assessed before and immediately after haemodilution, and on postoperative days 1 and 3. A mean of 1,295 +/- 68 ml of blood were removed during a 32 +/- 2 min period, and replaced by 1,315 +/- 64 ml of Elohes. Haematocrit decreased from 44 +/- 1.1% to 29.7 +/- 0.8%. There were no significant alterations in other parameters, except for an increase in heart rate at the time of extubation. Cardiovascular parameters, as well as the haemodilution, were stable up to the end of the study period. It is concluded that replacing blood with Elohes for intentional haemodilution affords convenient cardiovascular stability.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1476285", "title": "[Efficacy and tolerance of Elohes in plasma exchanges].", "content": "This study aimed to compare two plasma substitution regimens used during plasma exchanges (PE). It was a prospective cross-over randomized trial. Each patient (n = 12) had two PE at a 48 h interval. During one PE, only albumin was administered (PEA), and during the other one, equal volumes of albumin and low molecular weight hydroxyethylstarch (HES) (Elohes) were given (PEA+E). The order in which these different protocols were used was random. Plasma was separated by filtration, and the total volume extracted was one and a half the plasma volume. The parameters recorded every 15 min until 1 h after the end of PE, were heart rate, blood pressure and central venous pressure (CVP). Plasma volume, calculated from the mean body haematocrit and blood volume, was measured before and after PE. The clinical and biological tolerance of the rapid infusion of a large volume of HES was also assessed. PE characteristics were similar in both groups. For PEA and PEA+E, PE lasted 152 +/- 21 min and 154 +/- 25 min; the plasma volume extracted was 3,907 +/- 772 ml and 3,933 +/- 717 ml; the volume of plasma substitute infused was 4,097 +/- 617 ml and 3,933 +/- 717 ml, respectively. As haemodynamic and biochemical values were not significantly different in both groups, they were pooled together irrespective of the order of PE.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1476286", "title": "[Systemic candidiasis].", "content": "Candida proliferate within the body of patients with deficient cellular immunity either by the haematogenous route or by adjacency. This condition is often found in hospital patients. It explains the increasing incidence of disseminated candidiasis. They are preferentially found in patients who have had complicated surgery, mostly of the gastrointestinal tract and the heart, or transplant surgery (except for kidney transplants), or who have had prolonged intensive care. Other patients concerned are neonates with a low birth weight, haemato-oncology patients, heroin addicts and AIDS patients. Clinical signs are usually unspecific. When there is widespread involvement, clinical signs can be defined by the secondary locations, especially within the kidneys, lung, endocardium and brain in surgical patients, and liver and spleen in haemato-oncology patients. Eye, skin, gastrointestinal tract, and indeed, muscle lesions which are easily accessible, should be looked for routinely. This helps to ascertain the diagnosis, by showing the presence of Candida in the tissues. Moreover, isolating Candida from places which are normally sterile confirms deep-seated candidiasis. However, the presence of Candida in urine, bronchi, or drainage fluids is only the witness of saprophytism. This underlines the usefulness of immunological tests, which should soon benefit from the availability of new kits for the detection of cytoplasmic antigens. Indeed, the search for antibodies or circulating metabolites do not provide, at present, significantly different results in patients who have only been colonised and in those who have a systemic candidiasis. Interesting results are only obtained by showing the presence of mannans, in research laboratories. For treatment, amphotericin B remains the standard antifungal agent, and the association of amphotericin B with flucytosine the recommended association. However, drugs such as the new triazoles, among which fluconazole is particularly well tolerated and efficient, may considerably alter the principles of treatment. Finally, combining a fungal decontamination of the gut should help reduce the very high death rate of systemic candidiasis."}
{"id": "PMID:1476287", "title": "[Current practice and attitude of anesthesiologists for prescribing preoperative investigative tests].", "content": "A telephone enquiry was undertaken to assess current practice among French anaesthetists, and to obtain their opinion, concerning preoperative laboratory screening tests. It included 204 anaesthetists, randomly selected from the membership directory of the French Society of Anaesthetics and Intensive Care. The sample was concordant with the distribution (sex and age) given by the specialists' list of the National Medical Council. It comprised 64.2% male anaesthetists, and the overall mean age was 44.2 years. On average, each anaesthetist carried out 26 elective and 4 emergency anaesthetist a week. An organized preanaesthetic consultation was available in only 73% of public hospitals. However, even when existing, it does not automatically concern all surgical stations of the hospital and only 59% of patients benefit from that consultation. In 55% of patients the screening tests had still been made before the preanaesthetic consultation for scheduled surgery. About 15% of patients were seen for the first time by an anaesthetist on the very day of surgery. A routine prescription of preoperative tests was not systematic. Non prescription ranged from 7 to 34% of patients, depending on the tests. The responders recognized that for the same tests the rate could be comprised between 21 and 66% of patients. Moreover, 38% of anaesthetists admitted that sometimes they did not see results of the prescribed tests before carrying out the anaesthetic. Overprescription of preoperative tests has been recognized. However, legal, organisational, relational or economical reasons are given which may explain difficulties met with to rationalize prescription of these tests."}
{"id": "PMID:1476288", "title": "[Postoperative intestinal intussusception in children].", "content": "Two cases of postoperative intussusception (POI) are reported. Both children, 13 and 6 months old, had long and difficult surgery for abdominal neuroblastoma after four courses of chemotherapy. Obstruction of the small intestine occurred on the fifth postoperative day, after feeding had been started again, in the first child, and on the third day in the second one. Surgery revealed a loose ileo-ileal invagination of 10 and 15 cm respectively, which was easily reduced. The postoperative course was uneventful in both cases. Although POI is a classical complication of abdominal surgery, it is often forgotten. In the cases described, the first surgical procedure combined most causative factors for POI: young age, preoperative chemotherapy, prolonged general anaesthesia, extensive retroperitoneal dissection close to components of the neurovegetative system. The use of opioids for postoperative analgesia may be an additional risk factor, as they alter intestinal motility. Epidural analgesia with local anaesthetics should be preferred in such cases."}
{"id": "PMID:1476289", "title": "[Value of biological tests in the early diagnosis of acute steatosis in pregnancy].", "content": "Four cases of acute fatty liver of pregnancy occurring over a ten year period are reported. All four patients had a caesarean section and one died postoperatively. The seven children (three twin pregnancies) were all alive. The early clinical signs were unspecific. Jaundice was the only one occurring in all patients. Routine biological tests before the jaundice develops may be of help for a diagnosis early enough to start the treatment in patients with unspecific gastrointestinal or hepatic manifestations, especially the liver function and blood coagulation tests. These latter allow to discord the diagnosis of viral hepatitis and the \"Haemolysis-Elevated Liver enzyme concentrations-Low Platelets\" (HELLP syndrome) respectively. Indeed, only a liver biopsy can ascertain the diagnosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1476290", "title": "[Carotid artery injury: value of Doppler screening in head injured patients].", "content": "A case is reported of a patient with a traumatic aneurysm of the intracranial part of the carotid artery occurring after a traffic accident. The patient was admitted in coma (Glasgow score 5), and presented with a depressed fracture of the frontal and parietal bones, a fracture of the left petrous pyramid and of the left anterior clinoid process, as well as of the right tympanic bone and temporomandibular joint. The borders of the left carotid canal seemed unaltered. Despite the lack of localised neurological signs, cervical and transcranial Doppler ultrasonography was carried out. Intracranial carotid blood flow was found to be altered on both sides. Angiography showed a false carotid aneurysm on the left side (carotid siphon portion C3), and a moderate irregular stenosis of the C2 part on the right. There were no brain lesions on the CT scan. Prophylactic treatment with heparin was started. The patient recovered normal consciousness within a fortnight. The false aneurysm increased in volume and was treated by embolisation. Flow speeds in the carotid siphons also returned to normal. The usefulness of routine screening of patients with petrous bone fractures with Doppler ultrasound is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1476291", "title": "[Difficult intubation managed by laryngeal mask and fibroscopy].", "content": "A case is reported of a patient due to undergo a combined kidney and pancreas transplant who proved to be difficult to intubate. This diabetic hypertensive 35-year-old male patient also had ankylosing spondylitis. Mouth opening was normal (more than fingers' breadth), the chin-sternum distance was 4 cm on full cervical flexion, and cervical extension was only slightly impaired. The Mallampati score was 1. Anaesthesia was induced with thiopentone, fentanyl and 6 mg of pancuronium. Mask ventilation was quite satisfactory. However, on laryngoscopy, the vocal cords could not be seen. Several attempts to carry out endotracheal intubation, including with a stylet, failed. A laryngeal mask (LM) was therefore applied to ventilate the patient correctly. It was not possible to pass a small endotracheal tube (6 mm diameter) through the LM tube, probably because of a small malposition of this latter. A paediatric fibroscope, passed through the LM tube, served as guide for the endotracheal tube. The mask was not removed, although its cushion was slightly deflated, so as not to extubate the patient. The benefits and usefulness of a laryngeal mask in predictable and unpredictable cases of difficult intubation are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1476300", "title": "Use of enzyme immunoassay and reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography to detect and confirm identity of dexamethasone in equine blood.", "content": "An enzyme immunoassay (EIA) was developed for detection of dexamethasone in equine blood. Dexamethasone 21-hemisuccinate-bovine serum albumin was used for immunization of rabbits, and prednisolone 21-hemisuccinate-horseradish peroxidase was used as enzyme conjugate. The assay had sensitivity in the low-picogram range (detection limit, 0.3 pg/well, 50% inhibition of binding at 4.5 +/- 0.7 pg/well). Apart from cortisol, which was recognized by the antiserum at concentration > 8.5 ng/ml, the dexamethasone antiserum failed to interfere with endogenous steroids, but cross-reacted with triamcinolone, flumethasone, and betamethasone. Thus, the antiserum was used to perform simultaneous screening for these synthetic glucocorticoids and to confirm their identity by combining reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) and EIA. The immunoreactivity obtained by direct serum measurements was characterized by means of 2 independent RP-HPLC systems. Serum extracts were submitted to RP-HPLC systems I and II, and the fractions were tested by EIA. Immunoreactive peaks were identified by comparing their retention time with that of the standard glucocorticoids used for calibration. Coinjection of an internal standard (methylprednisolone) in RP-HPLC system II yielded reproducible relative retention times. The effectiveness of the test system was evaluated, using blood from a horse treated with commonly used veterinary preparations of dexamethasone. Administration of the free alcohol of dexamethasone and of dexamethasone 21-trioxaundecanoate, both given IV, was detected, and the identity of each was confirmed for up to 48 hours. Intramuscular administration of dexamethasone 21-isonicotinate was continued for at least 14 days after injection of a therapeutic dose.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1476301", "title": "Association between growth indicators and volume of lesions in lungs from pigs at slaughter.", "content": "Conflicting findings exist among studies on the effect of pneumonia on growth in pigs. We determined the extent of pneumonia in market-weight pigs by use of an objective, volumetric method and linear regression analyses of mean daily gain and days-to-slaughter weight on the percentage of pneumonic lung. In a range of extent of pneumonia between 1.33 and 70.44%, a 10% increase in the volume of pneumonic lung was associated with a decrease in mean daily gain by 41.1 g and a 16.7-day increase in number of days to a slaughter weight of 104.5 kg."}
{"id": "PMID:1476302", "title": "Effects of anticoagulant and autoanalyzer on blood biochemical values of loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta).", "content": "We evaluated the effect of anticoagulant (lithium heparin, sodium heparin, or none) and type of autoanalyzer on selected blood biochemical values of the loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta). More differences were observed between the analytes in serum and those in the 2 types of plasma than were observed between the 2 types of plasma. Differences in electrolyte concentrations were not significant when plasma from sodium-heparinized blood was compared with plasma from lithium-heparinized blood. Serum is not recommended for reptilian studies because clot formation is unpredictable and because the time required for clotting may allow substantial changes in the chemical composition of the sample. For most determinants, values varied more between the 2 types of autoanalyzers than among the 3 anticoagulant treatments. These sources of variation must be considered when performing comparative studies."}
{"id": "PMID:1476303", "title": "Variability of alpha-tocopherol values associated with procurement, storage, and freezing of equine serum and plasma samples.", "content": "Recent evidence concerning the pathogenesis of equine degenerative myeloencephalopathy indicated that low blood alpha-tocopherol values are a factor in the disease process. Variables that could be introduced by a veterinarian procuring, transporting, or storing samples were evaluated for effects on alpha-tocopherol concentration in equine blood. These variables included temperature; light; exposure to the rubber stopper of the evacuated blood collection tube; hemolysis; duration of freezing time, with and without nitrogen blanketing; and repeated freeze/thaw cycles. It was found that hemolysis caused the greatest change in high-performance liquid chromatography-measured serum alpha-tocopherol values, with mean decrease of 33% (P < 0.001). Lesser, but significant (P < 0.01) changes in serum alpha-tocopherol values were an approximate 10% decrease when refrigerated blood was left in contact with the red rubber stopper of the blood collection tube for 72 hours and an approximate 5% increase when blood was stored at 20 to 25 C (room temperature) for 72 hours. Repeated freeze/thaw cycles resulted in a significant (P < 0.05) 3% decrease in alpha-tocopherol values in heparinized plasma by the third thawing cycle. Freezer storage for a 3-month period without nitrogen blanketing resulted in slight (2%) decrease in mean serum alpha-tocopherol values, whereas values in serum stored for an identical period under nitrogen blanketing did not change. A significant (P < 0.001) mean decrease (10.3%) in alpha-tocopherol values was associated with freezer (-16 C) storage of nitrogen blanketed serum for 6 months.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1476304", "title": "Studies of endotoxin-induced neutrophil migration in bovine teat tissues, using indium-111-labeled neutrophils and biopsies.", "content": "Neutrophil migration through bovine teat tissues into the teat cistern, after endotoxin infusion into the teat cistern, was determined in vivo by 2 experimental procedures, indium-111 labeling of blood neutrophils, and obtaining multiple biopsy specimens from the teat cistern tissues. In both experiments, the number of leukocytes in the teat cistern flushing samples was continuously measured. A lag phase of approximately 1 hour was required between endotoxin infusion into the teat cistern and the first observed neutrophil accumulation in the teat tissues. The rate of neutrophil accumulation in the teat tissues was highest between postinfusion (PI) hours 1 and 2, and the accumulation process ceased after PI hour 3. Neutrophils migrated toward the epithelium, and intraepithelial neutrophils were observed beginning approximately 2 hours after infusion, which coincided with the first influx of cells into the teat cistern. The cell influx into the teat cistern increased continuously up to PI hour 3, peaked between PI hours 3 and 5, and was close to preinfusion value at PI hour 22. Use of indium-111-labeled neutrophils in the study of the inflammatory process provides a reliable noninvasive method to quantify cell migration in vivo. Use of biopsies allows quantification of the number of cells in different tissue areas, but has the disadvantage of being invasive. These 2 procedures complement each other, and could be of use in future studies of the local inflammatory process."}
{"id": "PMID:1476305", "title": "Effects of dietary phosphorus and protein in dogs with chronic renal failure.", "content": "Four diets were formulated to contain: 16% protein and 0.4% phosphorus--diet 1; 16% protein and 1.4% phosphorus--diet 2; 32% protein and 0.4% phosphorus--diet 3; and 32% protein and 1.4% phosphorus--diet 4. Forty-eight dogs were fed diet 1 for 3 months after surgical reduction of renal mass, then were allotted to 4 groups of 12 dogs each, with equal mean values for glomerular filtration rate (GFR). Dog of groups 1-4 were fed diets 1-4, respectively, for 24 months. Data collected from the dogs during and at termination of the study were analyzed statistically for effects of dietary protein, phosphorus (P), time, and interactions between these factors. During the 24 months of study, 24 dogs developed uremia and were euthanatized for necropsy. Necropsy also was performed on the remaining 24 dogs after they were euthanatized at the end of the study. Dog survival was significantly enhanced by 0.4% P diets (vs 1.4% P diets), but survival was not significantly influenced by amount of dietary protein. The 0.4% P diets (vs 1.4% P diets) significantly increased the period that GFR remained stable before it decreased, but dietary protein did not have significant effect. Significant blood biochemical changes attributed to P, protein, and time were identified during the study. Terminally, plasma parathyroid hormone concentration was significantly increased from prediet values in all groups of dogs. Urine protein excretion was not significantly affected by dietary amount of either protein or P, when measured by either timed urine collection or urine protein-to-creatinine ratio.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1476306", "title": "Efficacy of a drug combination of praziquantel, pyrantel embonate, and febantel against helminth infections in dogs.", "content": "Tablets containing praziquantel, pyrantel embonate, and febantel were tested for efficacy against helminths in dogs. A single treatment with this drug combination gave 100% reductions in Toxocara canis and Taenia hydatigena in experimentally induced infections in dogs. In dogs with naturally acquired infections, treatment gave > 97 to 98% reductions in fecal egg counts attributable to Toxascaris leonina, T canis, and Uncinaria stenocephala. Efficacy against Trichuris vulpis was > 92%."}
{"id": "PMID:1476307", "title": "Efficacy of milbemycin oxime in chemoprophylaxis of dirofilariasis in cats.", "content": "Although cats are less susceptible to infection with Dirofilaria immitis than are dogs, the possibility of severe consequences from infection or adulticidal treatment renders preventive treatment a desirable alternative in endemic areas. To evaluate the efficacy of milbemycin oxime as a chemoprophylactic agent in cats, 48 cats were inoculated with infective D immitis larvae. Single oral treatment with 2.3 mg of milbemycin oxime (0.5 to 0.9 mg/kg of body weight) at 30 or 60 days after inoculation with infective larvae gave strong but incomplete protection. Treatment at 60, as well as 90, days after inoculation with infective larvae was completely effective in preventing development of infection. A control group of inoculated, but untreated, cats was monitored biweekly for hematologic changes and for changes in parasite-specific serum antigen and antibody concentrations. Pronounced increases in total leukocyte counts and eosinophil numbers were associated with the estimated time of in vivo molting from fourth- to fifth-stage larvae. Antibody reactivity correlated with infection status, but serum antigen concentrations through 161 days after inoculation were undetectable."}
{"id": "PMID:1476308", "title": "Regulation of matrix metabolism in equine cartilage explant cultures by interleukin 1.", "content": "Explant cultures were set up, using articular cartilage obtained from metatarsophalangeal joints of 11 horses. Explants from 2 horses were used to determine culture conditions appropriate for tissue viability. The cartilage explants maintained steady-state metabolism of proteoglycans during a 13-day evaluation period. The metabolic response of equine articular cartilage to incubation with recombinant human interleukin 1 (0.01 to 100 ng/ml) was studied, using cartilage obtained from the remaining 9 horses, age of which ranged from 3 months to 20 years. Interleukin 1 induced a dose-dependent release of glycosaminoglycan from the matrix during a 3-day incubation period. It also caused dose-dependent inhibition of glycosaminoglycan synthesis during a 3-hour pulse-labeling period. Explants obtained from older horses were significantly (P < 0.05) less responsive to interleukin 1, with respect to synthesis and release of glycosaminoglycan."}
{"id": "PMID:1476309", "title": "Investigation of glomerular lesions in dogs with acute experimentally induced Ehrlichia canis infection.", "content": "Six male Beagles were inoculated with Ehrlichia canis. Transient proteinuria was confirmed during the acute phase of infection by serial determination of urinary protein-to-creatinine ratio. Peak urine protein loss, consisting principally of albumin, was observed 2.5 to 3.5 weeks after inoculation. Renal biopsy specimens were obtained before inoculation, during peak proteinuria, and 10 weeks after inoculation when proteinuria had resolved. Renal tissue was evaluated by use of light, immunofluorescent, and electron microscopy to correlate specific glomerular lesions with development of proteinuria. Histologic examination revealed perivenular and interstitial infiltrates of lymphocytes and plasma cells localized principally to the renal cortex. Glomerular lesions were minimal to absent. Immunofluorescent staining revealed moderate to marked deposition of anti-canine IgG and IgM in the glomerular tufts and mesangium. Depositions of anti-canine complement factor C3 were not observed. Immunofluorescent staining persisted 10 weeks after inoculation, despite resolution of proteinuria, and probably represented passive trapping of immunoglobulins. Ultrastructural examination revealed fusion of podocyte processes that coincided with development of proteinuria. Electron-dense deposits or changes in the basement membrane were not observed. Morphometric measurements of average podocyte process length and percentage of coverage of basement membrane by podocyte processes were used to quantify the degree of process fusion. Both measurements increased significantly (P < 0.05) during peak proteinuria, and returned to preinoculation values when proteinuria had resolved 10 weeks after E canis inoculation. These findings indicated possible minimal-change glomerulopathy, rather than immune-complex glomerulonephritis, during acute E canis infection and could explain transient proteinuria without histologic evidence of glomerular disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1476310", "title": "Pharmacokinetics of intravenously and orally administered pyrimethamine in horses.", "content": "Single-dose pharmacokinetic variables of pyrimethamine were studied in horses. Pyrimethamine (1 mg/kg of body weight) was administered IV and orally to 6 adult horses, and plasma samples were obtained at frequent intervals thereafter. Plasma pyrimethamine concentration was assayed by gas chromatography, and concentration-time data were analyzed, using a pharmacokinetic computer program. The IV and oral administration data were best described by 3-compartment and 1-compartment models, respectively. The median volume of distribution at steady state after IV administration was 1,521 ml/kg and the median elimination half-time was 12.06 hours. Mean plasma concentration after oral administration fluctuated between a maximal concentration of 0.18 microgram/ml and 0.09 microgram/ml (24 hours after dosing). Bioavailability after oral administration was 56%."}
{"id": "PMID:1476311", "title": "Pharmacokinetics, penetration into cerebrospinal fluid, and hematologic effects after multiple oral administrations of pyrimethamine to horses.", "content": "Pharmacokinetics, CSF penetration, and hematologic effects of oral administration of pyrimethamine were studied after multiple dosing. Pyrimethamine (1 mg/kg of body weight) was administered orally once a day for 10 days to 5 adult horses, and blood samples were collected frequently after the first, fifth, and tenth doses. The CSF samples were obtained by cisternal puncture 4 to 6 hours after administration of the first, third, seventh, and tenth doses. Pyrimethamine concentration in plasma and CSF was quantified by gas chromatography, and plasma concentration-time data were analyzed, using a pharmacokinetic computer program. Repeated daily dosing resulted in accumulation of pyrimethamine in plasma, with steady state being achieved within 5 days, when the mean peak plasma concentration was more than twice that measured after the first dose. Pyrimethamine concentration in CSF was 25 to 50% of corresponding plasma concentration and did not appear to accumulate with successive administration of doses. Blood samples collected during and after the dosing regimen were submitted for hematologic analysis; neutrophil numbers decreased slightly, but remained within normal range for adult horses."}
{"id": "PMID:1476312", "title": "Effect of treatment with oxytetracycline during the acute stages of experimentally induced equine ehrlichial colitis in ponies.", "content": "Eighteen ponies were inoculated IV with Ehrlichia risticii-infected P388D1 mouse monocyte cells. Twenty-four hours after onset of fever (rectal temperature > 38.8 C), 9 ponies were treated with oxytetracycline (6.6 mg/kg of body weight, IV, q 24 h) for 5 days. The remaining 9 ponies served as infected nontreated controls. Mean scores of the following variables were not significantly different between groups on the day treatment was begun: rectal temperature, diarrhea, borborygmal sounds, feed intake, mental attitude, and evidence of a hyperresonant area in the abdomen. All ponies were observed for progression of clinical signs typical of ehrlichial colitis. Within 12 hours of initiation of treatment, only 1 treated pony had a rectal temperature > 38.8 C and most rectal temperatures were < 38.3 C. In contrast, only 2 control ponies had rectal temperatures < 38.8 C (mean rectal temperature values were significantly, P = 0.01, different between groups). In the treatment group, 4 ponies had no signs of depression after the first day of treatment, and only 1 had signs of depression after the second day of treatment (mean scores between groups were significantly different, P = 0.01). Feed intake remained normal in 4 treated ponies and improved in 4 of the remaining 5 after treatment began. Most of the control ponies had a progressive decrease in their feed intake during the observation period (mean scores between groups were significantly, P = 0.01, different). Three ponies in the control group and 2 ponies in the treatment group developed diarrhea before the treatment observation period began.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1476313", "title": "Clinical efficacy of tirilazad mesylate for treatment of endotoxemia in neonatal calves.", "content": "The clinical efficacy of the lazaroid, tirilazad mesylate, a new therapeutic agent for prophylaxis and treatment of endotoxemia, was evaluated in 24 neonatal Holstein calves. Endotoxemia was induced by IV infusion of commercial Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide (3.25 micrograms/kg of body weight) over 3 hours. Group-1 calves were given endotoxin alone; group-2 calves were given an infusion of 0.9% sterile saline solution, then were treated with tirilazad mesylate (1.5 mg/kg) 1 hour after the infusion was started. Group-3 calves were treated with tirilazad mesylate 1 hour after the start of the endotoxin infusion, and group-4 calves were given tirilazad mesylate 1 hour before the start of the endotoxin infusion. Clinical signs of endotoxemia were mitigated by tirilazad mesylate. In addition, tirilazad mesylate protected calves from endotoxin-induced hyperglycemia; treatment after endotoxin infusion decreased the severity of hypoglycemia and prevented lactic acidosis. Treatment with tirilazad mesylate after initiation of endotoxin infusion was as protective as was pretreatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1476314", "title": "Effects of endotoxin-induced mastitis on the pharmacokinetic properties of aditoprim in dairy cows.", "content": "Plasma disposition of aditoprim, a new dihydrofolate reductase inhibitor, was studied in healthy cows and cows with endotoxin-induced mastitis. A single dose of 5 mg of aditoprim/kg of body weight was administered IV to 5 healthy cows and to the same cows 3 weeks later at 2 hours after intramammary infusion of 0.1 mg of endotoxin into the rear quarters. Mastitis developed in all endotoxin-infused quarters and cows had systemic signs of disease (fever, tachycardia, depression) from 2 to 10 hours after infusion of endotoxin. Pharmacokinetic characteristics of aditoprim in healthy cows were a large volume of distribution (6.28 L/kg), a systemic clearance of 0.82 L/h/kg, and an elimination half-life of 7.26 hours. In cows with mastitis, plasma concentrations of aditoprim were lower between 5 and 26 hours after injection. The systemic clearance (1.00 L/h/kg) and the volume of distribution (12.25 L/kg) were significantly higher in cows with mastitis, but elimination half-life was not significantly different. The lower plasma concentrations of aditoprim between 5 and 26 hours after injection in cows with mastitis are explained by fluid compartment shifts and/or blood flow changes induced by mastitis, although increased elimination of aditoprim in cows with mastitis cannot completely be ruled out. The antibacterial activity of aditoprim is nearly the same as that of trimethoprim. The longer elimination half-life time of aditoprim, however, indicates that it may have a practical pharmacotherapeutic advantage over trimethoprim."}
{"id": "PMID:1476315", "title": "Median effective dosage of propofol for induction of anesthesia in dogs.", "content": "The median effective dosage (ED50) of propofol for induction of anesthesia was determined in 25 dogs premedicated with acepromazine, 0.05 mg/kg of body weight, and in 35 unpremedicated dogs. The ED50 was found to be 2.2 mg/kg in premedicated dogs and was 3.8 mg/kg in unpremedicated dogs. The mean +/- SD total dosage of propofol required to induce anesthesia in premedicated animals was 2.8 +/- 0.5 mg/kg and was 4.7 +/- 1.3 mg/kg in unpremedicated animals. Signs of excitement were observed in 5 of the unpremedicated dogs, but in none of those that were premedicated."}
{"id": "PMID:1476316", "title": "Cardiovascular and respiratory effects of propofol administration in hypovolemic dogs.", "content": "Cardiopulmonary effects of propofol were studied in hypovolemic dogs from completion of, until 1 hour after administration. Hypovolemia was induced by withdrawal of blood from dogs until mean arterial pressure of 60 mm of Hg was achieved. After stabilization at this pressure for 1 hour, 6 mg of propofol/kg of body weight was administered IV to 7 dogs, and cardiopulmonary effects were measured. After blood withdrawal and prior to propofol administration, oxygen utilization ratio increased, whereas mean arterial pressure, mean pulmonary arterial pressure, central venous pressure, pulmonary capillary wedge pressure, cardiac index, oxygen delivery, mixed venous oxygen tension, and mixed venous oxygen content decreased from baseline. Three minutes after propofol administration, mean pulmonary arterial pressure, pulmonary vascular resistance, oxygen utilization ratio, venous admixture, and arterial and mixed venous carbon dioxide tensions increased, whereas mean arterial pressure, arterial oxygen tension, mixed venous oxygen content, arterial and mixed venous pH decreased from values measured prior to propofol administration. Fifteen minutes after propofol administration, mixed venous carbon dioxide tension was still increased; however by 30 minutes after propofol administration, all measurements had returned to values similar to those measured prior to propofol administration."}
{"id": "PMID:1476317", "title": "Effects of chlorothiazide on urinary excretion of calcium in clinically normal dogs.", "content": "Administration of thiazide diuretics has been recommended to prevent calcium oxalate urolith development in dogs. To evaluate the effects of thiazide diuretics in dogs, 24-hour urine excretion of calcium was measured in 6 clinically normal Beagles after administration of chlorothiazide (CTZ) for 2 weeks, administration of CTZ for 10 weeks, and administration of calcium carbonate and CTZ for 2 weeks. Compared with baseline values, 24-hour urine calcium excretion did not decrease after CTZ administration. When CTZ was given at a high dosage (130 mg/kg of body weight), urinary calcium excretion was significantly (P < 0.04) higher than baseline values. Based on these observations, we do not recommend CTZ for treatment or prevention of canine calcium oxalate urolithiasis."}
{"id": "PMID:1476318", "title": "Pharmacokinetics of clindamycin phosphate in dogs after single intravenous and intramuscular administrations.", "content": "Clindamycin phosphate was administered to dogs at dosage of 11 mg/kg of body weight via IV and IM routes. The disposition curve for IV administration was best represented as a 2-compartment open model. Mean elimination half life was 194.6 +/- 24.5 minutes for IV administration and 234.8 +/- 27.3 minutes for IM administration. Bioavailability after IM administration was 87%. Dosage of 11 mg/kg, IV, given every 8 hours, provided serum concentration of clindamycin that exceeded the minimal inhibitory concentration for all Staphylococcus spp, as well as most pathogenic anaerobes, throughout the dosing interval. Intramuscular administration induced signs of pain and cannot be recommended."}
{"id": "PMID:1476319", "title": "Neuromuscular and cardiovascular effects of atracurium in isoflurane-anesthetized chickens.", "content": "Atracurium besylate, a nondepolarizing neuromuscular blocking agent, was administered to 24 isoflurane-anesthetized domestic chickens. Birds were randomly assigned to 4 groups, and atracurium was administered at dosage of 0.15, 0.25, 0.35 or 0.45 mg/kg of body weight. The time of onset of twitch depression, the amount of maximal twitch depression, and the duration of muscular relaxation were recorded. After return to control twitch height, atracurium was further administered to achieve > 75% twitch depression. When twitch depression reached 75% during noninduced recovery, 0.5 mg of edrophonium/kg was administered to reverse the muscle relaxation. Throughout the experimental period, cardiovascular, arterial blood gas, and acid-base variables were monitored. The effective dosage of atracurium to result in 95% twitch depression in 50% of birds, (ED95/50) was calculated, using probit analysis, to be 0.25 mg/kg, whereas the ED95/95, the dosage of atracurium to result in 95% twitch depression in 95% of birds, was calculated by probit analysis to be 0.46 mg/kg. The total duration of action at dosage of 0.25 mg/kg was 34.5 +/- 5.8 minutes; at the highest dosage (0.45 mg/kg), total duration increased to 47.8 +/- 10.3 minutes. The return to control twitch height was greatly hastened by administration of edrophonium. Small, but statistically significant changes in heart rate and systolic blood pressure, were associated with administration of atracurium and edrophonium. These changes would not be clinically relevant. In this study, atracurium was found to be safe and reliable for induction of muscle relaxation in isoflurane-anesthetized chickens."}
{"id": "PMID:1476320", "title": "Quantitative analysis of computer-averaged electromyographic profiles of intrinsic limb muscles in ponies at the walk.", "content": "The function of several intrinsic muscles of the fore-and hind limbs of 5 ponies walking normally was evaluated via surface electromyography. Electromyographic signals were band-pass filtered, rectified, linear enveloped, and standardized to the stride duration. Mean data from the muscles of the left and right limbs that were obtained from at least 30 strides in 2 recording sessions were recorded as electromyographic signals-time curves. The timing of muscle activity was determined from these graphs. On the basis of the major peaks in the electromyographic signal, muscle functions were identified. In the forelimb, the extensor carpi radialis muscle was involved in extension of the carpus at the end of the swing phase of the stride, and it provided support to flexion of the cubital joint at the beginning of the swing phase. The common digital extensor muscle extended the distal joints of the forelimb at the end of the swing phase. The ulnaris lateralis muscle provided support to extension of the cubital joint at the beginning of the stance phase, and the flexor carpi radialis muscle flexed the carpus at the beginning of the swing phase. The flexor carpi ulnaris muscle extended the cubital joint at the end of the swing phase. In the hind limb, the long digital extensor muscle flexed the tarsus at the beginning of the swing phase and extended the digital joints preceding the stance phase. The deep digital flexor muscle prevented overextension of the distal interphalangeal joint during the stance phase and flexion of the digital joints during the swing phase.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1476321", "title": "Effect of xylazine on the arrhythmogenic dose of epinephrine in thiamylal/halothane-anesthetized horses.", "content": "The effect of xylazine on the arrhythmogenic dose of epinephrine (ADE) was studied in 9 horses. Anesthesia was induced by administration of guaifenesin (50 mg/kg of body weight, IV) followed by thiamylal (4 to 6 mg/kg, IV) and was maintained at 1 minimal alveolar concentration (MAC) of halothane (0.89%). Base apex ECG and facial artery pressure were recorded. Epinephrine was infused in a sequence of arithmetically spaced increasing rates (initial rate 0.25 micrograms/kg/min) for a maximum of 10 minutes. The ADE was defined as the lowest epinephrine infusion rate to the nearest 0.25 micrograms/kg/min at which at least 4 premature ventricular depolarizations occurred in a 15-second period. Xylazine (1.1 mg/kg, IV) was administered after the control ADE was determined. Xylazine did not significantly alter the ADE (control, 1.12 +/- 0.38 micrograms/kg/min; xylazine, 1.21 +/- 0.46 micrograms/kg/min). Blood pressure increased transiently for 8 minutes after xylazine administration. Baseline systolic and diastolic arterial pressures and heart rate were not significantly different from control baseline pressures and heart rate 15 minutes after xylazine administration. Blood pressure and heart rate increased significantly during control and xylazine ADE determinations. Significant differences in pH, PaO2, PaCO2, or base excess were not observed between baseline and ADE in the control or xylazine groups. One horse developed atrial fibrillation, and 2 horses developed ventricular fibrillation during ADE determinations."}
{"id": "PMID:1476322", "title": "Changes in erythrocyte deformability in NaCl-induced right-sided cardiac failure in broiler chickens.", "content": "In this study, we tested the hypothesis that erythrocyte deformability is decreased in the development of cardiac failure induced by NaCl toxicosis. Deformability of erythrocytes and routine hematologic and biochemical variables were measured in 6 of 50 chickens that were given 5 g of NaCl/L in their drinking water from day 7 to day 42, and were compared with values in 6 of 50 healthy chickens given free access to tap water. Deformability was assessed by passing a 10% suspension of erythrocytes through a polycarbonate membrane with 5-microns pores. Chickens were euthanatized and heart and body weights were determined. Treatment with NaCl induced right-sided cardiac failure up to day 28. The ratios of heart weight to body weight were greater, for right ventricle by 20 to 64% and for left ventricle by 15 to 27%, attributable to NaCl treatment. Deformability of erythrocytes of NaCl-treated chickens was markedly decreased, in association with increased erythrocyte size and plasma Na+ concentration. However, only part of the decreased deformability could be explained by swelling of erythrocytes. Decreased deformability could not be explained by increased cell viscosity because mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration, the primary determinant of erythrocyte viscosity, was decreased. Because decreased deformability of erythrocytes has been demonstrated previously to be associated with increased vascular resistance, decreased deformability may have contributed to the development of right-sided cardiac failure in these chickens."}
{"id": "PMID:1476323", "title": "Isolation, propagation, and cryopreservation of equine articular chondrocytes.", "content": "Equine articular chondrocytes were isolated from explant cartilage cultures by digestion in a 0.075% collagenase solution for 15 to 19 hours. Cartilage from late-term fetal and neonatal foals resulted in mean chondrocyte yield of 51.99 x 10(6) cells/g of cartilage (wet weight), compared with a yield of 17.83 x 10(6) cells/g for foals 3 to 12 months old. Propagation of chondrocytes in monolayer and 3-dimensional culture was accomplished, using Ham's F-12 as the basal medium, with supplements of fetal bovine serum (10%), ascorbic acid, alpha-ketoglutarate, and L-glutamine. The medium was buffered with HEPES, and penicillin and streptomycin were added for microorganism control. In primary monolayer cultures of freshly isolated chondrocytes, the population doubling time was approximately 6 days. Dedifferentiation of chondrocytes toward a more fibroblastic-appearing cell was observed after the fifth passage (subculture), but was hastened by lower cell-plating density. Chondrocytes were frozen for periods of up to 9 months, using 10% dimethyl sulfoxide as the cryoprotectant. Cell viability of late-term fetal and neonatal foal chondrocytes after storage at -196 C decreased from 86% at 3 weeks to 31% at 12 weeks. Viability of cells derived from older foals and young adult horses was considerably better than that of cells from neonatal foals. Frozen chondrocytes can be stored for extended periods and thawed for immediate implantation or can be sustained in vitro in monolayer or 3-dimensional culture. Such cultures would be suitable for cartilage resurfacing experiments or in vitro assessment of various pharmaceuticals."}
{"id": "PMID:1476325", "title": "Collection of pancreatic exocrine secretions by formation of a duodenal pouch in cattle.", "content": "Collection of exocrine pancreatic secretions from cattle by use of a single-unit cannula was performed. The major advantage of the cannula was simple technical management. A small pouch of the duodenum into which the major pancreatic duct drains was formed. Continuity of the duodenum was reestablished by end-to-end anastomosis. A side arm of the cannula was inserted into the pouch to collect exocrine secretions, and the main portion of the cannula was placed cranial to the anastomosis to return pancreatic secretions to the small intestine between collection periods. The accessory pancreatic duct was ligated in 2 of 4 cattle to evaluate possible secretory contribution from this source. All cattle remained healthy after cannulation, and cattle gained approximately 100 kg of body weight in the 5 months after surgery. The mean secretory rate for exocrine pancreatic secretion in cattle was 106 +/- 6.8 ml/h. There was no effect of feeding on the pattern of secretion nor were there significant differences between cattle. A fistula formed between the pouch and duodenum approximately 120 days after surgery in the first 2 cattle used. Development of fistulas was prevented for 300 days in subsequently prepared cattle by use of surgical mesh around the cannulas, leading to functional cannulation sites. Preparation of a duodenal pouch appeared useful for long-term studies of pancreatic exocrine secretion in cattle."}
{"id": "PMID:1476324", "title": "Effect of sodium hyaluronate in collagenase-induced superficial digital flexor tendinitis in horses.", "content": "Superficial digital flexor tendinitis was induced in each forelimb of 8 horses by injecting 4,000 U of collagenase into the midmetacarpal region of the tendon. In each horse, each tendon was treated 24 and 96 hours after the collagenase injection with SC injections of sodium hyaluronate (treated limbs) or an equal volume of 0.9% NaCl solution (control limbs). Exercise was restricted for the first 3 weeks of the study, and a controlled exercise program was instituted for the remainder of the study. Horses were evaluated clinically for lameness, tendon swelling, and midmetacarpal limb circumference. Ultrasonographic examinations were performed regularly (11 examinations/horse) throughout the study, and all horses were euthanatized 12 weeks after collagenase injections. Tendons from 4 horses were harvested for biomechanical testing, and samples were obtained from tendons from the remaining 4 horses for biochemical analysis of collagen. Samples were obtained from all tendons for microscopic evaluation. Significant differences between treated and control tendons were not noticed in any of the variables examined in live horses, although trends toward less lameness in treated limbs and toward better healing on ultrasonographic examination in control limbs were recorded. Significant differences were not noticed in biomechanical or biochemical evaluations, and the only significant (P < 0.05) microscopic finding was more severe inflammation in tendons from treated limbs. This study did not reveal significant benefits of treatment with sodium hyaluronate outside a synovial sheath on tendon repair in collagenase-induced tendinitis."}
{"id": "PMID:1476326", "title": "Effects of a fixed compression load on the osteogenic effect of autogenous cancellous bone grafts in dogs.", "content": "A standardized cortical defect was created on the caudal cortex of the proximal portion of each ulna in 5 adult mixed-breed dogs. One gram of autogenous cancellous bone graft (ACBG) was obtained from the greater tubercle of the ipsilateral humerus. The cortical defect in the ulna of 1 limb was filled with 1 g of ACBG that had been compressed with 2-MPa pressure for 30 seconds. One gram of noncompressed ACBG was placed into the contralateral ulnar cortical defect. The compressed and noncompressed ACBG recipient sites were radiographed at weekly intervals. Dogs were euthanatized 8 weeks after surgery, and the ACBG recipient sites were harvested for histomorphometric analysis. Optical densitometry was performed on all radiographs. There was no significant difference between compressed and noncompressed ACBG with optical densitometry or histomorphometric analysis for total bone area. We concluded that there was no difference in osteogenic capability between compressed and noncompressed ACBG of equal mass."}
{"id": "PMID:1476327", "title": "Emergenesis. Genetic traits that may not run in families.", "content": "Traits that are influenced by a configuration--rather than by a simple sum--of polymorphic genes may not be seen to be genetic unless one studies monozygotic twins (who share all their genes and thus all gene configurations) because such \"emergenic\" traits will tend not to run in families. Personal idiosyncrasies that have been found to be surprisingly concordant among MZ twins separated in infancy and reared apart may be emergenic traits. More speculatively, important human traits like leadership, genius in its many manifestations, being an effective therapist or parent, as well as certain psychopathological syndromes may also be emergenic. These ideas reemphasize the importance of the role played in human affairs by genetic variation."}
{"id": "PMID:1476328", "title": "The lab versus the clinic. Effects of child and adolescent psychotherapy.", "content": "Four recent meta-analyses, involving more than 200 controlled outcome studies, have shown consistent evidence of beneficial therapy effects with children and adolescents. However, most of the studies involved experimental procedures, nonreferred subjects, specially trained therapists with small caseloads, and other features that may not represent conventional clinic therapy. Research focused on more representative treatment of referred clients in clinics has shown more modest effects; in fact, most clinic studies have not shown significant effects. Interpretation studies have not shown significant effects. Interpretation of these findings requires caution; such studies are few and most could profit from improved methodology. The clinic studies do raise questions as to whether the positive lab findings can be generalized to the clinics where most therapy occurs; however, the lab interventions that have worked so well may point the way to enhanced therapy effects in clinics."}
{"id": "PMID:1476332", "title": "Recent advances towards a meta-typology of human relationships.", "content": "After less than four decades, the field of family therapy has largely abandoned the search for a typology of interaction between persons or between groups. Granted no single typology can conceivably fathom the hyper-dimensionality of human interaction. However, mankind's earliest recorded efforts to explicate the structures of human family systems are perceived by examining two of the earliest books known to man. These documents, The Book of Genesis of The Old Testament and the ancient Chinese Book of Changes or I Ching, can be viewed as loosely integrated modules of a single framework that help explain one another. The author suggests that these linked, family oriented sources also were the basis of modern symbolic logic and information (or switching) theory. Together they can provide the foundation of a hyper-dimensional meta-typology of human interaction. This could integrate interactions at and between levels of neuronal synapses and networks, the cerebral hemispheres, self and other, family and disparate social systems, and various human groups, national, racial, ethnic or religious."}
{"id": "PMID:1476333", "title": "The elementary pragmatic model: from theory to therapeutic practice.", "content": "A theoretical family therapy model which classifies possible outcomes of dyadic interactions into sixteen basic types is presented. The theoretical rules which are also presented predict how determined changes occur from the interactions. The model is already the object of an utilization by the author and his group of therapists in family therapy. The work modalities and results obtained in clinical field are briefly explained."}
{"id": "PMID:1476334", "title": "Methods for evaluating normal and pathological couples and families according to the elementary pragmatic model.", "content": "Following the interactional view of the problem of human communication and relation, as developed by many authors in past years, a review of the research in the field of the relational test is briefly described. In particular, an interaction test which permits automatic data collection and processing is designed, which derives from the Elementary Pragmatic Model by De Giacomo et al. A low cost minicomputer system is an adequate support, being the implemented procedures self consistent ones."}
{"id": "PMID:1476335", "title": "Transactions in the family of the schizophrenic.", "content": "According to a large exemplification derived by the clinical practice, the relation between the schizophrenic's parents shows a concealed symmetry, that never escalates, but implies an endless excitement, that reassures the couple of their mutual consensus. As result, inhibition and inconclusiveness cause a loss of spontaneity and a reciprocal stereotyped characterization, connivingly accepted by both partners. Either a substitution without proxy or a swindle of one spouse by the other occurs in vital areas of their relation. The spouse's communication shows a continuous reciprocal attempt not to define their own relation, by the use of a wide wordiness, that includes different subjects and meanings in a confusive and spiral-shaped sequence. Such a kind of relation is assumed as originated by a massy influence of at least one spouse's family, that stops the couple at early stages of their relation."}
{"id": "PMID:1476336", "title": "Drugs and human interactions.", "content": "Some reflections and hypotheses on drugs and human interactions are presented from a psychiatric-psychotherapeutic point of view. Considering the drug both as an agent and a relational mediator, an attempt is made to systematize the interactive whole of the intraindividual and interindividual effects activated by drugs. The hypothesis is presented that pharmacological effects on mind are prevalently due to an energic action and that this action is status-specific, in other words relative to a mental-relational good order of the individual in that particular moment of his history. Concerning the extra-pharmacological effects in therapeutic relations, the values assumed from the drug during the course of the interaction are different and variable, depending in the same individual (patient or therapist) on superimposition of several experiential and semantic orders. Finally some elements of drug relational psychology are introduced."}
{"id": "PMID:1476337", "title": "Family typology: the search for language.", "content": "Twenty three years of collecting data about family systems has been an adventure. The first product of this work was a family typology; much later we realized that we had also defined the process for making a typology. A survey of the literature suggests that there are many different family typologies in use around the world and that each is supported by an idiosyncratic language. These language differences are just one sign that there is little correspondence between the published typologies. The author proposes that hyperdimensional and invisible aspects of the family obscure the relationships between the many typologies. It is suggested that all typologies are related but as each of the typologists is looking at a different \"visible\" part of the family the connections are not apparent. A theory called the \"Family Corpus\" is offered to explain the differences and begin to make relationships between the various typologies evident. Information is offered from the field of biophysics that may point a direction for further research in and understanding of families."}
{"id": "PMID:1476338", "title": "Typology of interactive models in depression.", "content": "Despite the increasing diffusion of the illness there is poor systemic investigation in the area of depression. This study examines the typology of interactive models of the depressed patient in the couple relationship, with the family of origin, the children, the outside world and the therapist. The couple relationship usually becomes an helping relationship with the depressive patients that assumes the \"care eliciting\" while the partner develops the \"care giving\" attitude. Sequential disqualification and negative self fulfilling prophecy are as well typical of the depressive couple. An intrusive bind with families of origin is very often activated by depressive behavior, and a transgenerational competition for taking care of one relative's chronic inability may rise. Some guidelines for a specific therapeutic strategy for depressive families together with some case examples are given. The role of the therapist's own depressive feelings when working with this type of families is considered."}
{"id": "PMID:1476339", "title": "Form and process in typology.", "content": "With Bateson we want to look for the structure that connects form, process and typology. We do not believe that distinctions are representation of dualism: according to the model proposed by the Second Cybernetics, the distinctions are considered as different sides, that is, an overlap of levels in which one term derives from the other. The logic of the relationship between form and process implies different levels in a self-reference model in which one part is pulled out of the other. At present, speaking about typology, makes sense in order to correlate some complex factors. The first one implies the multidimensionality of intrapsychic and relational reality. The second, a continuous process of self-consciousness of different analytic levels of \"reality\". The third considers a diagnosis (and typology) as a part of the \"information\" for the therapist, his patient, his family and his interpersonal context."}
{"id": "PMID:1476340", "title": "The interaction between cohesive systems and dispersive systems: creating the trigenerational therapeutic context.", "content": "The author presents a model for research investigation and clinical use that deals with the interaction between cohesive and dispersive family of origin systems as reflected in marital and family interaction in nuclear families: a) it studies the way the members of a family system group together and their resulting modes of relating, basing the study on a single variable family cohesion, with the centripetal and centrifugal forces that intervene in it. It separates families into cohesive and dispersive families without taking into consideration whether they are normal or pathological; b) it studies the interaction of these two family systems in the conjunction originated by the bond or union of a couple forming a new family. In other words, the interaction of the two family systems of origin has to be taken systematically into account as the nodal point of the newly created system, with the specific relational style and the different configurations that can be formed if both family systems of origin are cohesive, or if one is cohesive and the other dispersive, or, finally, if both are dispersive; c) it delineates the creation of the trigenerational therapeutic context. When considering a dysfunctional couple or family, the situational diagnosis and the therapeutic strategy are joined on the basis of these three configurations that represent distinct psychological fields. Therefore, the technical approach must be differentiated accordingly."}
{"id": "PMID:1476341", "title": "The family in different sub-cultures.", "content": "The family has been considered, according to the different angles from which research has been conducted, as an anthropological reality; as an institutional segment; as an etiopathogenetic nucleus; as a communicative environment. The family, taken as a highly complex (open-closed) system, is by now a common conception not only among family therapists, but also for those concerned--from a transcultural point of view--with individual and family dynamics in connection with extra-familial dynamics in a society in constant and rapid transformation. The therapists must be able to contribute to a reconstruction of the interactive dynamics of the family network, stimulating the contribution that each member may make to reparative, and at the same time creative, development. In the various family typologies the model of a therapeutic network flexibly based on cultural identification may be introduced."}
{"id": "PMID:1476342", "title": "From typologies to guidelines: the constructivistic perspective.", "content": "The aim of this article is to identify changes in the psychotherapeutic field brought forth by a different relation with the process of knowing. These pages are going to render explicit how the therapeutic process has evolved following the changes in the meta domain of ideas and thereafter consider the ways in which typology concepts can be utilized coherently with these new procedures. Typologies are therefore considered not as clear, exhaustive reference parameters but rather as guidelines. In the article I propose to utilize many explicative categories as non exhaustive organizing grids. I propose as well to render explicit that we as clinicians participate in the definition of the problem and in the attempt to solve it."}
{"id": "PMID:1476343", "title": "Relational typology in groups.", "content": "The aim of this work is to verify, starting from Foulkes' group-analytic perspective, the existence of a link between individual, family and group relational modality on one side, and the many group techniques on the other. This link is well outlined and defined: it is the need to harmonize, to integrate the different parts of the individual, the family, the group. The satisfaction of this need leads to well-being; its dissatisfaction leads to disorders and to the consequent relational modality. In particular, the lack or the reduction of the integrative and associative capacity leads to psychosis, while the disharmony of the different psychical functions leads to neurosis, and the body disharmony leads to psychosomatic disorders. Following Foulkes' group-analytic perspective, the author works out a new definition of man. Man is the final function of all the body functions."}
{"id": "PMID:1476344", "title": "An application of the elementary pragmatic model to electronic communication.", "content": "This article sets out a quantitative theory of the interaction among \"subjects\" which allows a description of the pragmatic aspects of communication. Within a system of interacting subjects each individual is described by means of a set of interaction parameters. In this way an interaction pattern relative to each subject can be defined. The model provides a \"change law\" which describes the evolution of individual patterns as a consequence of different communication events. This allows interaction deficiencies to be identified and suggests possible strategies for dealing with them. The theory was first developed in the area of clinical psychiatry and underwent two kinds of external verification: one psychometric-diagnostic, the other clinical. The theory was then applied to an economic environment in the behavioral study of decision-making processes. In this paper we suggest that it may be applied in computerized environments for cooperation support."}
{"id": "PMID:1476345", "title": "A living-in community for adolescents: a systemic methodology for training and management.", "content": "An experience in managing a lodging house for young psychotic girls is described. Model is referred to the relational theory. Meetings with families and educators, institutional crises and results are considered. Results pointed out the importance of managing on the Department territory in order to treat and rehabilitize psychotic patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1476346", "title": "Interactive typology in depression according to cognitive theory and systemic theory.", "content": "Both systemic and cognitive theories agree upon the importance of early learning in the development of depressive personality. The two theories disagree upon the meaning they give to the early experiences. According to cognitive theory the emotions bound to a significant and not reparable loss turn themselves into a pursuit of autonomy in order to prevent further grieves. In the grown-up person if autonomy is not reached or is lost, a depressive episode will rouse. According to the systemic theory, children learn emotions and behaviours of a depressed parent. The child also learns by himself or through the healthy parent the feeling of importance/inability to help. The grown-up person will make use of the depressed behaviour when he will feel unable to face by himself critical life events or to elice to care or attention by the partner."}
{"id": "PMID:1476347", "title": "The relational history of the family with a schizophrenic member.", "content": "Coherently with the systemic view, the authors consider the family interaction patterns in schizophrenia. Some typical redundant behaviours in the family system appear to be typical of the schizophrenic family. The authors investigate the family system and story through the international literature. Special emphasis in this work is placed upon the modalities of weaning from the parental figures, the conjugal bind of the parents and the interactive patterns with grandparents. In order to study these binds and according with many authors a fictitious family history is reported."}
{"id": "PMID:1476348", "title": "Relational patterns in families with a psychotic member during the infancy period.", "content": "The authors have focused their attention on \"pathological\" mechanisms which appear a long time before the onset of any psychotic symptom. It seems particularly interesting to find out, using clinical observations, if and how family relationships in their temporal dimension, present a particular organization from the beginning of their histories. The authors consider the possibilities of single out the presence of \"early indicators of pathology\" in families with a psychotic member. This was carried out by a questionnaire articulated in two sessions: the first section was in relation to the periods before and after the birth of children and the second in relation to the children's school period. The questionnaire was given to 15 families. The results seem to confirm the families difficulties in relation to the period before the onset of the symptoms in the patient."}
{"id": "PMID:1476349", "title": "Grief elaboration in families with handicapped member.", "content": "Families with handicapped member seem to follow the same five stages (rejection and isolation, anger, dealing with the problem, depression, acceptance) of Kubler-Ross grief elaboration theory while dealing with the narcissistic wound of a handicapped child. Some of these families show a block in one of the stages. The effort of psychotherapy is to remove the block and let them reach the last stage. In this paper families under systemic psychotherapeutic treatment are analyzed, who had in common the birth of a child with low or modest invalidating signs and psychotic or autistic features. The families structure did not show the characteristics of a psychotic family. Nevertheless either one or both parents ignored the evidence of their child disease and they built a \"disease-incongrous\" wait around the child, trying to push away the painful reality. The authors explain the importance of this approach for the improvement of the autistic traits."}
{"id": "PMID:1476350", "title": "Spiritual dimension in the dynamic relationship with the \"helping professions\".", "content": "The attention given to the spiritual dimension in the \"helping professions\" practice represents a major step for a coherent approach toward the ethical aspects in the resolving individual and familial conflicts; furthermore they can be used as a key in understanding dysfunctional relationship. Psychiatry interest for religion and mysticism must be considered within a wider framework of cultural changes of our society, from which neither religion, understood as a system of faith, nor medicine, as an answer to human suffering could remain indifferent. The evaluation of this aspect prevents the occurrence of \"burn-out\" syndrome in the \"helping professions\" workers, because it would give them the opportunity to a greater spiritual growth with expression of empathy, respect and better understanding of help request from their patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1476351", "title": "From psychotic \"tragedy\" to hysterical \"drama\": Anna history.", "content": "The authors present a multiple personality case. The characteristics of the family system seemed to be typical of psychotic families, but after a rightway look on the case, the therapists focussed their attention on several elements which had not come out before. Carefully analysing the case, they were able to find out well played \"roles\" or \"masks\", (particularly a \"great-seducer father\", and a \"very depressed mother\") a stressed \"characterization\" of the players and a double level of reality, as if members, although maintaining an inner capacity of self-definition, play a particular \"role\" on the family \"stage\", never revealing themselves to the others. These elements are to be considered as primal \"clues\" of \"emerging qualities\" of that family. The symptom metaphorically points out a different reality behind the \"masks\" and with its dramatization, its quick and short rising, its modifications depending on the environment, confirm a different interpretation of the case."}
{"id": "PMID:1476352", "title": "Family diagnosis, life cycle and cultural context.", "content": "The authors think that the evolutionary perspective is fundamental in family diagnosis. Therefore, they remark the value and the limits of the use of \"normal\" life cycle of the family as a map to evaluate the family, to assign meaning to its difficulties and to single out the possible goals of therapy. By means of a case example, the authors show how it is possible to utilize profitably the idea of life cycle, bearing in mind the cultural context of the family."}
{"id": "PMID:1476353", "title": "Attachment and detachment processes as a typological index of relational systems.", "content": "Attachment and detachment processes, as defined by modern attachment theories, place them as integrative between innate and acquired behaviors, like a regulatory system for every close relationship. As a consequence, family attachment styles, which proceed-throughout development-together with personal identity construction processes, stress the notion of relationship as a dialectical and interactive process, defining the irreducible duality of human experience, in which the personal individuality construction is linked, since the earliest phases of life, to the significant relationships. Dysfunctional patterns of attachment and detachment and self-construction processes interact in defining personal organizations one can observe in psychopathological situations; some clinical examples are proposed."}
{"id": "PMID:1476354", "title": "Linguistic production, process of meaning and the interactive pattern in avoiding anxiety.", "content": "The aim of this study is to work out a theoretical model that would at once be able to tackle the connection between emotions, thoughts, language and actions, since man has constant contact with others during his life, and to recognize the single basic concepts deriving from anxiety and desire. Our main concern is to follow the outcomes of anxiety, in order to understand how it is avoided, by which mental and emotional forms and ways of behaviour. Hence one can find the result of this process in interaction with others. In this perspective the process of meaning is autonomous, and neutrality is not only interpreted as a therapeutic directive, but as a fundamental aim of the therapy, related to controlling the anxiety and emotions which fill the field of conscience during interaction with the other."}
{"id": "PMID:1476355", "title": "Relational typologies in couples suffering from psychogenic infertility.", "content": "The couple is observed within a large network in which the wider family, friends, work and society are included. These individuals find a great difficulty in establishing well-grounded and authentic interpersonal relationships swinging between the desire of omnipotent self-sufficiency and the contrasted and suffered need for dependence. The third one, the child absent in their real existence, seems to be excluded also from relational possibilities. The quality of the couple relationship, the acceptance of treatments and of their possible failures is determined anyway by the balance and the harmony which existed before the stressing event (diagnosis). Very often, the failure of various therapeutic treatments is caused by a preexisting disagreement within those couples, who believed to solve their problems with a pregnancy."}
{"id": "PMID:1476356", "title": "Relationship patterns in \"folie \u00e0 deux\".", "content": "\"Folie \u00e0 deux\" is characterized by the communication of delusional ideas from one subject to other ones who have been living closely with him for a long time, usually his relatives. Before illness shows, there is a leader-follower relationship between partners, who are lacking of external sources of pleasure and are socially or culturally isolated. The dominating partner usually is a paranoic subject who strongly needs his ideas to be accepted by other people, while the dominated partner is a dependent subject who shares the other one's ideas in order to get pleasure from him and who is not able to criticize these ideas because of the lack for external influences. The two partners project hostility into the external world because, if the dominated partner does not share the other one's ideas, hostility will be projected into him and he will become very anxious. Interpersonal mechanisms in \"folie \u00e0 deux\" are similar to those which take place in brainwashing, hypnosis and psychotherapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1476357", "title": "Integrated history in a psychiatric ward.", "content": "The present study begins from the hypothesis that the psychiatric admission can be considered to be, in many cases, a symptomatical act in which the patient, his family, the relational context that sends him and the institution as a whole take part. Such hypothesis has become necessary at the moment of the request for hospitalization, together with news from the patient and from his context about: the sender, the motivations, the type of request, the type of the insufficiency-urgency it is responding, the phenomenon of the \"presenting disturbance\", a greater definition of the problem by everyone... This work will have the object to look for a correlation between the course of the illness and the life cycle, to attempt to give a historicity of the crisis and the request of the hospitalization, too often presented, lived, received and cured as historically closed."}
{"id": "PMID:1476358", "title": "Couple relationship in hysterical patients staying in a psychiatric ward.", "content": "The study starts from the observation about the high frequency of hysteric patient that spontaneously ask the psychiatric admission often with a consent of the husband. The hospitalization has revealed important clinical information, gained by the use of integrated story. In fact extending the observation about the familiar context of the hysteric patient, and in particular to the interaction with the partner, have showed some redundance: 1) patient were especially household; 2) with a lower education level; 3) were married with sons in the age of independency; 4) live important life events; 5) the husbands were often involved with the families of origin; 6) the symptomatology presented; 7) the beginning of the symptomatology often happen after the marriage and the birth of the first son; 8) the husbands of these patients present mostly an obsessive personality with hypochondriac manner; 9) the patient often manifest several dissatisfied request."}
{"id": "PMID:1476359", "title": "Theoretical considerations on the rehabilitation process.", "content": "In the present work some of the theoretical aspects which qualifies the rehabilitation process are pointed out. The context of rehabilitation should include the social network. The isomorphism between the rehabilitation process and the Batesonian concept of mind like \"the pattern which connects\" is as well emphasized. In this sense the rehabilitation (as the Batesonian mind) is a process imminent in the various contexts the patients deal with and elaborates the differences between these contexts. According to this view it is useful to refer to the Second Cybernetic epistemological model: the structural coupling between therapeutic system, family and social network is the goal of rehabilitation."}
{"id": "PMID:1476360", "title": "Typologies of family reaction to pediatric malignancies.", "content": "The psychologic adaptation of children with malignancies is influenced by the strategies that both the relatives and the other members of the family employ as a reaction towards the disease and the therapeutic progress. Our experience in the Department of Hematology of the University \"La Sapienza\": by carefully observing the communication styles, the distribution of roles, and the modification of the family organization up to the eventual adaptation to the disease, we have been able to identify various reaction typologies of the family, and also to evaluate their frequency and their varying functionality with time. A thorough analysis of these modalities of reaction may allow prompt recognition of problems related with psychologic and social adaptation of both the pediatric patient and his family, and may allow the adoption of pertinent strategies of intervention, in order to guarantee a better compliance throughout the whole therapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1476361", "title": "Interactive patterns in the schizophrenic family during hospitalization.", "content": "Our research is based on the cases of 40 patients diagnosed as schizophrenics and the patterns of their family interaction at the moment of the hospitalization, in order to formulate an initial analysis of the reason of admission as the first phase in a therapeutic process. With this intent the authors have conducted a catamnestic research on the charts of patients who have been divided in three groups according to the presence or absence of the parents. The following variables have been therefore taken into consideration: the referrals, her/his behavior at the moment of hospitalization, expectations and difficulties in widening the field of observation within the family."}
{"id": "PMID:1476362", "title": "Hysterical personality and family: a clinical case.", "content": "Within the framework of family typology, the therapist can organize and orient his own observations, by confronting the characteristics of a particular family system, with the models of a \"shared reality\". Structural and organizational analysis of the family system, according to a general typology, can also be useful when the therapist has to deal with a defined and a not specific symptom or disease, and when a differential diagnosis is necessary for its pragmatic effects. This is often the case of hysteria, which according to many authors can show today various, confused shapes, as depression, general existential discomfort, anorexia and bulimia, and forms of exhibited addition. The authors present a clinical case, trying to point out how a \"typology-oriented\" observation of the family system, allowed the therapists to clarify an individual condition, otherwise difficult to understand."}
{"id": "PMID:1476363", "title": "Interactive typology of the hypochondriacal patient.", "content": "Many authors agree on the idea that the affective and behavioural characteristic of a certain type of family encourages the use of the body as a primary means of communication with others. This way of communicating has usually been acquired during childhood and later, in the adult life, it appears again in the different social contests. Some authors like Alby, Levy, Baker, Parker, Lipscombe, Marcelli, Bianchi and others focus on this type of family interaction and the single characteristic of the personalities of each family member. These authors describe some relationship patterns used by hypochondriac patient such as: avoiding unpleasant situations, blaming others, adopt a sick-role as a way of controlling the relationship between existential events and somatic symptoms; relationship with physicians and the need to confirm her/himself."}
{"id": "PMID:1476369", "title": "Operational stability of enzymes. Acylase-catalyzed resolution of N-acetyl amino acids to enantiomerically pure L-amino acids.", "content": "The method of measuring enzyme deactivation by monitoring necessary addition of fresh enzyme to keep a constant degree of conversion in a CSTR at constant [E] x tau, the product of concentration of active enzyme [E] and residence time tau, was successfully applied to acylase I from porcine kidney and Aspergillus oryzae fungus. Fungal enzyme was found to be more stable than kidney enzyme. Activation by both Co2+ and Zn2+ ions also yielded increased operational enzyme stability: Co2+ and Zn2+ are better stabilizers than activators. Mg2+ and Ca2+ are found to be neither activators nor stabilizers. Fungal acylase partially deactivated by exposition to a metal-free medium in the CSTR was reactivated by addition of Zn2+, demonstrating that loss of Zn2+ from the enzyme molecule is mainly responsible for deactivation in a continuous reactor."}
{"id": "PMID:1476377", "title": "Amperometric assay of creatinine in urine by flow injection analysis based on conjugated reactions of immobilized enzymes. Simultaneous compensation of endogenous ammonia.", "content": "A flow-injection analysis biosensor system was developed for the amperometric assay of creatinine based on coupled reactions of three immobilized enzymes, using an oxygen electrode as the detection device. The ammonia produced by creatinine deiminase-catalyzed hydrolysis of creatinine was further converted into L-glutamate with two sequentially aligned enzyme reactors: glutamate dehydrogenase and glutamate oxidase. Endogenous ammonia was simultaneously compensated with a double peak recording system, where the flow was split after sample injection and rejoined before the glutamate dehydrogenase reactor. The system gave linear calibration in a range of 0.1-2.0 mM for creatinine and the first peak of ammonia, and 0.1-3.0 mM for the second peak of ammonia. One run was completed within two minutes. The system can be readily applied to the assay of creatinine in urine and showed good correlation with that from the currently used Jaffe method."}
{"id": "PMID:1476378", "title": "Ultramicrobiosensors for monitoring of neurotransmitters.", "content": "Carbon fiber electrodes are used to construct ultramicrobiosensors with 7-15 microns diameter. Electrochemical operations for preelectrolysis and measuring were examined for sensitive determination of hydrogen peroxide. Determination limit was 0.1 microM of hydrogen peroxide. Reproducible determination of hydrogen peroxide is possible even in samples containing albumin protein. A micro-acetylcholine sensor was fabricated by immobilizing acetylcholine esterase and choline oxidase on the carbon fiber by entrapment with PVA-SbQ. This sensor gave a linear calibration plot for the range from 0.1 to 1.0 mM with a linear correlation coefficient of 0.9842. A micro-glutamate sensor consisted of a platinized carbon fiber disk electrode modified with immobilized glutamate oxidase membrane. This sensor gave a linear calibration for the range 2 microM to 1.2 mM. Release of glutamate in the cerebellar cortex was detected after potassium stimulation."}
{"id": "PMID:1476385", "title": "Preparative enzymatic synthesis of activated neuraminic acid by using a microbial enzyme.", "content": "Using Escherichia coli K-235 as a production strain in a fed-batch fermentation process with an optimized sorbitol/yeast extract medium, we were able to produce 640 U of CMP-Neu5Ac synthetase in 10 l scale (64 U/l) and 9200 U (total enzyme) in 200 l scale (390 U/kg wet weight). By simple one-step purification procedures, enzyme preparations were obtained that could be used efficiently for the synthesis of CMP-Neu5Ac from CTP and Neu5Ac with over 90% yield, from Neu5Ac, CMP, and ATP or phosphoenolpyruvate by in situ generation of CTP, and from CTP, pyruvate, and ManNAc or GlcNAc by in situ generation of Neu5Ac."}
{"id": "PMID:1476387", "title": "New developments in the synthesis of natural and unnatural amino acids.", "content": "Amino acids play an important role in biochemistry and chemistry. They are the building blocks of proteins and play an essential role in the regulation of the metabolism of living organisms. In general, it can be stated that microbial processes (fermentation) are the industrial production methods of choice for large-scale production of naturally occurring proteinogenic L-alpha-H-amino acids, while for the production of synthetic D- and/or L-alpha-H-amino acids, several other methods are highly competitive. At DSM, several routes, i.e., (chemoenzymatic) synthesis, towards L-alpha-H and D-alpha-H-amino acids have been elaborated since the midseventies. A general process for the synthesis of natural as well as synthetic optically pure amino acids has been developed, using an enzymatic kinetic resolution step on racemic amino acid amides as the key step. In this case, both enantiomers of the alpha-H-amino acids are prepared in one single step. This process has been commercialized since 1988. More recent developments using L- or D-amino peptidases in combination with amino acid amide racemases and an asymmetric transformation concept are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1476394", "title": "The epidemiology of ruptured globes.", "content": "This retrospective study documented the demographics of 227 ruptured globes in 223 patients admitted to the Wills Eye Hospital over a two-year period from 1988 to 1990. The risk for a ruptured globe was greatest among 18-to-24-year-old men, during the noon to 8PM time frame, on Saturdays, and in the months of May, June, October, and November. The home was the most common injury setting, followed by the work place and assault. Twenty-four globes (11%) were enucleated within 11 weeks of hospital admission. These cases frequently were the result of assault, blunt-type injuries. A disproportionate number occurred in blacks."}
{"id": "PMID:1476395", "title": "Markers of vascular injury in Beh\u00e7et's disease associated with retinal vasculitis.", "content": "The pathogenesis of vascular damage in Beh\u00e7et's disease (BD) is still unknown. We investigated anticardiolipin antibodies (AC) in a genetically homogeneous group of Italian patients with BD and retinal vasculitis. In a subset, we examined the level of factor VIII-related antigen and antiendothelial cell antibodies (AECA). We found a high prevalence of AC; AECA were not found in most of our patients. Only three patients had raised levels of factor VIII-related antigen, all of whom had systemic involvement. We believe BD may be considered as a vasculitis of unknown origin in which several and different pathogenetic factors may play a role."}
{"id": "PMID:1476396", "title": "A case of frosted-branch retinal angiitis in a child.", "content": "We report the case of a patient with frosted-branch angiitis of the retina in a 3-year-old girl. She had acute visual disturbances OU, and we observed iritis, retinal edema, and retinal angiitis. Retinal angiitis showed the same condition as previously described, the so-called acute frosted retinal periphlebitis accompanied with vascular sheathing. Her eyes improved rapidly after administration of an oral corticosteroid, and during the ensuing four months, she had no recurrences."}
{"id": "PMID:1476397", "title": "Hyperprolactinemia and lens opacities.", "content": "We report the presence of lens opacities in patients with prolactin-secreting microadenomas of the pituitary gland. The occurrence of lens opacities was related to prolactin serum levels and appeared only in women. The mechanism by which prolactin induces cataract is not known, although this hormone could affect the lens's permeability to ions, water, sugars, and amino acids. Moreover, the lens opacities found in women but not in men seem to indicate synergism with estrogens."}
{"id": "PMID:1476398", "title": "Aldose reductase and diabetic retinopathy.", "content": "Serum aldose reductase activity was estimated spectrophotometrically in 25 normal subjects (Group A), 25 diabetic patients without retinopathy (Group B), and 25 diabetic patients with retinopathy (Group C). Serum aldose reductase levels were higher in diabetic patients with or without retinopathy than in normal subjects. Comparing the serum aldose reductase activity in diabetic patients with and without retinopathy showed the value was higher in the former group; this difference was statistically significant (P < .01). However, aldose reductase activity in proliferative and background retinopathy were equal and therefore not significant."}
{"id": "PMID:1476399", "title": "Cystoid macular edema after scleral buckling responsive to acetazolamide.", "content": "A 64-year-old man had an epiretinal membrane and cystoid macular edema two months after an uneventful scleral buckling procedure. The cystoid macular edema resolved after treatment with systemic acetazolamide, and there was marked visual improvement."}
{"id": "PMID:1476400", "title": "The reliability of adjustment in strabismus surgery.", "content": "It has been recommended that the position of the operated muscles be adjusted shortly after strabismus surgery to achieve better alignment on the first postoperative day and thereby ensure satisfactory later alignment. We compared prism cover test measurements on the first postoperative day with measurements within the first few months after surgery to determine whether day 1 measurements remained stable or whether they changed significantly, providing an inaccurate basis for adjustment. Our study found a fairly large variability in the deviation between the first and last day of the study. Eighteen percent of patients varied by 5 to 9D, and 49% differed by > 10D or more. Equally important was the finding that, had an adjustment been made, it would have made the final result worse than without adjustment. Both of these factors would seem to indicate a degree of variability that controverts the predictability of the adjustment procedure."}
{"id": "PMID:1476401", "title": "Ophthalmic complications in patients with malignant tumors of the nose and paranasal sinuses.", "content": "We examined 34 Japanese patients (16 men and 18 women) with malignant tumors of the nose and paranasal sinuses. Squamous cell carcinoma of the maxillary sinus was the most common tumor. During the patients' initial visits, several ophthalmic symptoms were noticed, including proptosis, epiphora, lid swelling, displacement of the globe, orbital mass, and sudden visual loss. In addition, several ocular and orbital symptoms and signs resulted from treatment with radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and surgery and from local recurrence of the tumor. Four patients underwent orbital exenteration, and one underwent evisceration. Five eyes had no light perception."}
{"id": "PMID:1476402", "title": "Autoimmune ischemic optic neuropathy associated with positive rheumatoid factor and transient nephrosis.", "content": "A young woman had recurrent anterior ischemic optic neuropathy for 18 years. During a recent episode of severe papillopathy in one eye, acute glomerulonephritis, transient low serum complement levels, and a high rheumatoid factor were detected. Despite long and careful follow-up, we could not diagnose systemic lupus erythematosus or any other specific connective tissue or autoimmune disease. We suspect transient disordered immunity may have contributed to provoking acute anterior ischemic optic neuropathy concomitant with acute glomerulonephritis despite the absence of generalized connective tissue disease. An extensive search for immunologic mechanisms in some patients with presumed idiopathic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy may be warranted because immunosuppressive treatment may be beneficial in preventing recurrences."}
{"id": "PMID:1476405", "title": "Comparative vitamin E requirements and metabolism in livestock.", "content": "It has been over 50 years since vitamin E was originally described as a lipid-soluble dietary constituent required for normal reproduction in rats. Vitamin E is recognized as an essential vitamin required for all classes of animals functioning predominantly as an intracellular antioxidant in maintaining the integrity of biological cell membranes. Although a wealth of information has been gathered on clinical signs of vitamin E deficiency, establishing its requirements for animals has been exceedingly difficult because of interrelationships with other dietary constituents. Vitamin E requirements for animals cannot be defined in isolation. Requirements are influenced by the amount and type of fat (particularly with monogastrics) and degree of fat oxidation in the diet; the presence of antioxidants; dietary selenium (closely interrelated with vitamin E), iron, copper, and sulphur amino acids, as well as the physiological status of the animal. Other factors to be considered in assessing vitamin E needs of animals under commercial production conditions include: a) variability of vitamin E content in feedstuffs; b) poor stability of vitamin E during processing and storage of feeds; and c) management practices resulting in overstressed animals. Information on the function of or requirements for vitamin E in animals is very incomplete. Estimated dietary vitamin E requirements for most animal species are in the range of 10-40 IU/kg of diet. Of particular concern is the lack of vitamin E requirement information regarding young dairy and beef calves. Although good experimental evidence indicates a beneficial role of supplemental vitamin E above physiological levels on overall performance, enhanced immunocompetence and preservation of meat and milk products, levels of vitamin E required to produce these desired effects needs to be firmly established. Present estimated dietary requirements for vitamin E across species may need to be redefined as new information becomes available about the role this nutrient plays in growth, health and overall metabolism."}
{"id": "PMID:1476406", "title": "Heat-killed Lactobacillus acidophilus inhibits adhesion of Escherichia coli B41 to HeLa cells.", "content": "Escherichia coli B41 (O101: K99: F41: ST+) adheres to HeLa 229 cells in a diffuse pattern. Heat-killed (100-105 degrees C) Lactobacillus acidophilus (Lact\u00e9ol strain) was found to inhibit this adhesion in a dose-dependent manner. This inhibitory action was lost after lysis of the L acidophilus, suggesting steric hindrance of E coli adhesion sites rather than competition for a common binding site. A thermostable factor (100-105 degrees C) excreted by L acidophilus into the medium may be required for the adhesion of L acidophilus to HeLa cells, and for the inhibition of adhesion of E coli to these cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1476407", "title": "[Immunohistochemistry of bovine lymphoid tissue: neutralization of the non-specific reactivities of serum anti-immunoglobulins by bovine serum].", "content": "In lymphoid tissue, the presence of high amounts of free proteins and immunoglobulins frequently leads to the observation of non-specific reactivities during immunohistochemical reactions. The types of anti-immunoglobulin sera utilized in these immunohistochemical reactions may be capable of identifying immunoglobulins secreted or harboured by the tissue cells under study, leading to non-specific marking. Incubation of these antisera with serum from the species in which the lymphoid tissue is studied neutralizes the non-specific reactivities connected with the presence of tissue immunoglobulins."}
{"id": "PMID:1476408", "title": "Pharmacokinetics and urinary excretion of sulfadiazine in buffalo calves.", "content": "Pharmacokinetics and urinary excretion of sulfadiazine were determined in buffalo calves following single oral administration (150 mg/kg). Kinetic evaluation of plasma levels was performed using a 2-compartment model. The absorption half-life and elimination half-life were 3.41 +/- 0.63 and 13.75 +/- 1.94 h, respectively. Based on this study, an optimal dosage regimen of sulfadiazine in buffalo calves would be 165 mg/kg, followed by 75 mg/kg at 12-h intervals. Sulfadiazine was mainly excreted in the urine as free amine, while the percentage of acetylated sulfadiazine was comparatively low."}
{"id": "PMID:1476403", "title": "[Prognostic significance of diagnostic delay in carcinoma of the endometrium: our experience].", "content": "Although endometrial carcinoma is characterized by a precocious symptomatology, in 28.4-22.6% of cases at the time of diagnosis it is found to be at clinical stage higher than I. In the present study the diagnostic delay is related to the stage of disease. Our data suggest that diagnostic delay can cause a higher risk of advanced-stage disease; all the cases of stage III and IV disease, in fact, were diagnosed after more than 7 months. Diagnostic delay was also directly related to depth of myometrial invasion; the mean diagnostic delay was significantly shorter in patients with stage I disease and superficial myometrial invasion (3.92 vs 8.76 months) (p < 0.001). Therefore, diagnostic delay is directly related to well-established prognostic variables as well as to clinical stage and depth of myometrial invasion."}
{"id": "PMID:1476404", "title": "[Report on obstetrical activity during the triennium 1985-1987. 4th Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinic, University of Milan, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, S. Gerardo Hospital, Monza].", "content": "The data of three years of activity (1985-1987) at the 4th Obstetrics and Gynecology Department of the University of Milan, S. Gerardo Hospital in Monza, for a total of 5595 deliveries and 5672 new-borns are reviewed. Each case of perinatal death has been evaluated for gestational age, weight, way of delivery and preexisting or pregnancy-induced maternal diseases, trying to single out the primary causes of death. In order to compare these data with the ones of the previous three years the results have been divided, following the gestational age, in two groups (less or more and equal than 28 weeks). Late perinatal death rate (including all the babies older than 24 weeks of gestational age, still-born or live-born and dead within the 28th day of life) has been 1.8%, compared to the 2.1% in the previous 3 years. Obstetrical procedures and neonatal outcomes are analyzed in depth. Puerperium was pathological in 8.9% of patients. Only 4.2% of women decided not to breast-fed their babies."}
{"id": "PMID:1476409", "title": "[Isolation of 2 coccidia of the genus Isospora from ducks in France].", "content": "The authors isolated 2 Isospora species from ducks: Isospora mandari and Isospora sp. This was the first report of the genus Isospora from the duck in France. One of the 2 isolated species (Isospora sp) has not been described in the duck before."}
{"id": "PMID:1476410", "title": "Disposition kinetics and dosage of cephalexin in cow calves following intramuscular administration.", "content": "Cephalexin was administered im to cow calves at a dose rate of 10 mg/kg bw. After im administration, the disposition kinetics of cephalexin followed a 1-compartment open model. The values of elimination half-life, volume of distribution and total body clearance were 2.00 +/- 0.13 h, 0.32 +/- 0.02 l/kg and 1.899 +/- 0.199 ml/kg/min, respectively. 58.8% of cephalexin administered was recovered in the urine within 24 h. A satisfactory intramuscular dosage regimen of cephalexin in cow calves would be 15 mg/kg administered at 9-h intervals."}
{"id": "PMID:1476411", "title": "Genetic variation in Brac, Croatia.", "content": "A serological survey of the Dalmatian island of Brac (Croatia), based on a total sample of 747 subjects, shows considerable local genetic variation. While the overall gene frequencies are much as expected from the island's geographical position, the local genetic heterogeneity is made up of differences between the inland and coastal villages, differences between the two coastal areas, and variation among the older inland villages. This heterogeneity is interpreted as deriving from the settlement process (founder effect), random differentiation, and the essentially local marriage pattern."}
{"id": "PMID:1476412", "title": "Is body fat distribution associated with cardiovascular risk factors in childhood?", "content": "The authors studied the association of cardiovascular risk variables with body fat distribution (BFD) in a cross-sectional sample of 743 Texas schoolchildren of both sexes ages 6-14 years. This association is well known in adults and several useful indices of BFD are available. Whether they are applicable to children remains a question of importance for epidemiological investigations in this age group. Canonical correlations between anthropometric (five skinfolds, four circumferences) and risk (blood pressures, cholesterol, pulse) variables ranged from 0.37 to 0.82 depending on sex/age group (p < 0.01). The skinfold vector suggested an association of risk with central fat at most but not all ages. The circumference vectors, on the other hand, suggest that size or fatness, not BFD, was related to risk. Partial correlation and stepwise regression of fatness and BFD indices with cardiovascular risk factors as dependent variables, showed that 'fatness' or 'size' was more clearly associated with risk factors than BFD. The variables most consistently entering the regression were hip circumference and sum of skinfolds. These results contrast with studies of adults or sexually mature adolescents, in which BFD is more clearly related to CV risk variables and the hip circumference is a 'low-risk' variable."}
{"id": "PMID:1476417", "title": "[Haptoglobin polymorphism--not only a genetic marker].", "content": "The biological activities of the haptoglobin polymorphism are controlled by continuous DNA sequences coding for the HP alpha and Hp beta polypeptide chains and forming with a linked Hp related gene the haptoglobin gene complex on chromosome 16. Probably, this DNA domain originates from the gene family of the serine proteases after having lost the informations for the proteolytic functions. Instead of this, the haptoglobins have acquired other qualities, among them the hemoglobin binding capacity, inserted into the Hp beta chain. The Hp polymorphism is constituted by the evolutionary progressive DNA sequences for the Hp alpha chains, which probably have activation functions. The haptoglobins display immunoregulative abilities, which can be immunosuppressive by inhibition of the lymphocyte reactivity or immunoinductive by influencing the IgM biosynthesis, adapted to the functional requirements. In this field, Hp 2-2 has a stronger effect than the two other Hp types. Moreover, the haptoglobins inhibit the prostaglandin synthesis and protect against harmful oxidation processes. These qualities are based on the hemoglobin binding ability and can be realized by Hp 1-1 with the comparatively highest efficacy. Further on, the haptoglobins are protease inhibitors. Finally, Hp 2-2 is associated with higher albumin and ceruloplasmin serum levels than Hp 2-1 and Hp 1-1. Evidently, the haptoglobins are inserted into a widely ramified network of biological functions. The selective advantages and disadvantages of the Hp polymorphism are noticeable under pathological conditions in case of malignant tumors, inflammations, autoimmune diseases, allergic illness, affective psychoses and affective lability favouring addiction."}
{"id": "PMID:1476418", "title": "Haptoglobin subtypes in a Bengalee population sample.", "content": "HP1 subtyping has been performed on a Bengalee population sample of heterogeneous caste composition. The total sample size comes to n = 140 nonrelated adult individuals (68 males, 72 females). The following allele frequencies were observed: HP*1F = 0.0714, HP*1S = 0.1178, and HP*2 = 0.8107. It can be pointed out that the HP subtype distribution pattern found in the Bengalee sample follows in general the Oriental distribution pattern, though some differences are seen, especially concerning the HP*1F frequency."}
{"id": "PMID:1476414", "title": "Stature, upward social mobility and the nature of statural differences between social classes.", "content": "Stature and educational level achieved were studied in 10 groups of 19-year-old Polish men born in 1967 and examined in 1986. Each group consisted of subjects equated for (1) parental education and occupation, (2) urban-rural residence and (3) number of children in family. It was found that within each group subjects who were secondary school students or graduates were on average taller than their age-mates who by the time of examination had never moved beyond the level of elementary or basic trade school. This result is consistent with the long-debated hypothesis that in industrial societies upward social mobility tends to be selective with regard to body height. Theoretically, such social selection could be expected to inflate the magnitude of social-class differences in stature by adding to them a genetic component. However, a mechanism can be envisaged by which preferential recruitment of taller individuals to upper social strata might indeed be at work and yet produce no differential distribution of genotypes along the social scale."}
{"id": "PMID:1476419", "title": "ABO segregation distortion in Visakhapatnam, India.", "content": "Distortions in mother-infant, mother-child and father-child segregation for the ABO system as well as in the sex of offspring are described in a sample from a maternity service and from families of Visakhapatnam, India. Some distortions follow the expected fetomaternal incompatibility depression, others the expected feto-maternal induction of tolerance, and some remain unexplained. A differential action of selective factors on male and female fetuses, infants and children was also found, but no hypothesis could be postulated to explain it. The mother-infant matrix was found to be different from the mother-child matrix probably due to the inclusion of the reproductive time only in the mother-infant matrix. Unexpectedly, father-child segregation distortions were also found."}
{"id": "PMID:1476420", "title": "Relationship between the lingual fossa depth, mesiodistal and bucolingual diameter of dental crown in permanent maxillary incisors with the living Slovenians.", "content": "On 311 dental stone casts of living children aged from 8 to 12 years, were measured the lingual fossa depth, MD diameter, and the BL diameter of the permanent maxillary incisors. The correlations and the differences of measured variables between left and right incisors, centrals and laterals, male and female incisors as well as the correlations between measured variables themselves were analysed. High left-right symmetry was established, except for directional asymmetry in female centrals. A significant positive correlation in terms of positive allometry between the lingual fossa depth and MD diameter was found. In the light of these results, the significance of the lingual fossa depth as a factor of strength is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1476415", "title": "Genetic structure of the Azores: marriage and inbreeding in Flores.", "content": "Flores is one of the smallest and most westerly islands of the Atlantic archipelago of the Azores. This preliminary account of the population's demography and genetic structure uses dispensations to contract consanguineous marriages taken from the Roman Catholic marriage registers in order to estimate mean inbreeding rates in the population over the period 1860-1980. Comparisons are made with inbreeding rates on the Portuguese mainland and elsewhere in Western Europe, and reasons suggested to explain the rather high rates of inbreeding encountered on Flores."}
{"id": "PMID:1476421", "title": "Windsurfer somatotypes.", "content": "On the basis of data gathered during a series of Pre-Olympic Trials and the World Championships, both held at Cagliari (Italy) in 1983 and 1986, respectively, the somatotypes of athletes practicing windsurfing were studied. The sample is composed of 79 male athletes: 22 Sardinians, 31 mainland Italians, and 26 Europeans. The Heath-Carter anthropometric method (1967) was used to somatotype the individuals under study. Both the total sample as well as the three subsamples are characterized by almost identical average values of the three components. A subsample of athletes was formed, who had obtained important performances in their carriers (victories in World, European and Italian championships, participation in the Olympic Games etc.). In this group of top athletes it was seen that the best results in windsurfing are obtained when there is an even development of the three components (2.57-2.68-2.97) or a slight ectomorphic predominance."}
{"id": "PMID:1476416", "title": "Comparison of two bioelectrical impedance analysis models for total body water measurement in children.", "content": "We compared two bioelectrical impedance analysis models, the right-sided tetrapolar method and an experimental cylindrical method, to total body water (TBW) determined by isotopic dilution in 37 prepubertal children aged 5-9 years, who were divided into development and cross-validation groups. Despite its theoretical advantage, no improvement in predicted TBW was seen with the experimental method. The best predictive equation, using the tetrapolar method, was TBW (kg) = 1.84 + 0.45 (height square/resistance) +0.11(weight); r2 = 0.98; SEE = 0.62 kg."}
{"id": "PMID:1476413", "title": "Growth during puberty in the XYY boy.", "content": "The availability of a cohort of eight unselected XYY boys identified by newborn cytogenetic screening has enabled their growth to be studied longitudinally in comparison with controls from the same population. While no difference had been found in dimensions at birth, increased height velocity in childhood resulted in the XYY boys being 7.6 cm taller at the onset of their pubertal growth spurt. Increased intensity of growth at puberty with a peak height velocity of 10.6 cm/year contributed to their adult height of 188.1 cm. XYY boys showed twice the male-female difference in height implying that genes on the Y chromosome exert a quantitative effect on the sexual dimorphism of growth."}
{"id": "PMID:1476422", "title": "[Hermann Schaaffhausen (1816-1893) and the early history of the profession of anthropology].", "content": "The most important and best-known merit of Hermann Schaaffhausen is the correct explanation of the Neanderthal man as a fossil human being. Considering his work in the field of paleoanthropology one can designate him as the founder of this anthropological discipline in Germany. Beyond that he was also very active in the \"Deutsche Anthropologische Gesellschaft\" of the 19th century and played an important role as an editor of the journal \"Archiv f\u00fcr Anthropologie\". Thus, Hermann Schaaffhausen can be considered as one of the most important founders of Physical Anthropology in Germany. He belongs to those persons to whom German Anthropology owes its acknowledgement as an academic subject in German universities."}
{"id": "PMID:1476423", "title": "Cloning of the Pseudomonas glumae lipase gene and determination of the active site residues.", "content": "The lipA gene encoding the extracellular lipase produced by Pseudomonas glumae PG1 was cloned and characterized. A sequence analysis revealed an open reading frame of 358 codons encoding the mature lipase (319 amino acids) preceded by a rather long signal sequence of 39 amino acids. As a first step in structure-function analysis, we determined the Ser-Asp-His triad which makes up the catalytic site of this lipase. On the basis of primary sequence homology with other known Pseudomonas lipases, a number of putative active site residues located in conserved areas were found. To determine the residues actually involved in catalysis, we constructed a number of substitution mutants for conserved Ser, Asp, and His residues. These mutant lipases were produced by using P. glumae PG3, from which the wild-type lipase gene was deleted by gene replacement. By following this approach, we showed that Ser-87, Asp-241, and His-285 make up the catalytic triad of the P. glumae lipase. This knowledge, together with information on the catalytic mechanism and on the three-dimensional structure, should facilitate the selection of specific modifications for tailoring this lipase for specific industrial applications."}
{"id": "PMID:1476424", "title": "Cloning and expression of a conjugated bile acid hydrolase gene from Lactobacillus plantarum by using a direct plate assay.", "content": "The conjugated bile acid hydrolase gene from the silage isolate Lactobacillus plantarum 80 was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli MC1061. For the screening of this hydrolase gene within the gene bank, a direct plate assay developed by Dashkevicz and Feighner (M. P. Dashkevicz and S. D. Feighner, Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 53:331-336, 1989) was adapted to the growth requirements of E. coli. Because of hydrolysis and medium acidification, hydrolase-active colonies were surrounded with big halos of precipitated, free bile acids. This phenomenon was also obtained when the gene was cloned into a multicopy shuttle vector and subsequently reintroduced into the parental Lactobacillus strain. The cbh gene and surrounding regions were characterized by nucleotide sequence analysis. The deduced amino acid sequence was shown to have 52% similarity with a penicillin V amidase from Bacillus sphaericus. Preliminary characterization of the gene product showed that it is a cholylglycine hydrolase (EC 3.5.1.24) with only slight activity against taurine conjugates. The optimum pH was between 4.7 and 5.5. Optimum temperature ranged from 30 to 45 degrees C. Southern blot analysis indicated that the cloned gene has similarity with genomic DNA of bile acid hydrolase-active Lactobacillus spp. of intestinal origin."}
{"id": "PMID:1476425", "title": "Rapid and sensitive method for detection of Shiga-like toxin-producing Escherichia coli in ground beef using the polymerase chain reaction.", "content": "A rapid and sensitive method for detection of Shiga-like toxin (SLT)-producing Escherichia coli (SLT-EC) with the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is described. Two pairs of oligonucleotide primers homologous to SLTI and SLTII genes, respectively, were used in multiplex PCR assays. The first pair generated a ca. 600-bp PCR product with DNA from all SLTI-producing E. coli tested but not from E. coli strains that produce SLTII or variants of SLTII. The second pair generated a ca. 800-bp PCR product with DNA from E. coli strains that produce SLTII or variants of SLTII but not from SLTI-producing E. coli. When used in combination, the SLTI and SLTII oligonucleotide primers amplified DNA from all of the SLT-EC tested. No PCR products were obtained with SLT primers with DNA from 28 E. coli strains that do not produce SLT or 44 strains of 28 other bacterial species. When ground beef samples were inoculated with SLT-EC strains 319 (O157:H7; SLTI and SLTII), H30 (O26:H11; SLTI), and B2F1/3 (O91:H21; SLTII variants VT2ha and VT2hb) and cultured in modified Trypticase soy broth for 6 h at 42 degrees C, an initial sample inoculum of as few as 1 CFU of these SLT-EC strains per g could be detected in PCR assays with DNA extracted from the broth cultures."}
{"id": "PMID:1476426", "title": "Detection of Aeromonas salmonicida from fish by using polymerase chain reaction amplification of the virulence surface array protein gene.", "content": "A DNA-based assay was developed to detect Aeromonas salmonicida from infected fish by analyzing tissues, feces, and the tank water in which the infected fish were held. This analysis was done both by direct detection from samples and after a bacterial outgrowth step. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of a 421-bp sequence from the 3' region of the surface array protein gene (vapA) of A. salmonicida provided a specific and sensitive method for the detection and identification of this important fish pathogen. The sensitivity of PCR detection of A. salmonicida directly from tissues was less than 10 CFU/mg. Furthermore, a detection level of 5 fg, equivalent to approximately 1 cell, was obtained by using purified chromosomal DNA as the template. This highly reproducible assay, which requires 45 min to complete, is therefore sensitive enough to be used as a noninvasive method for monitoring fish populations for the presence of carrier fish. Because the surface protein array (A-layer) is a virulence factor of A. salmonicida, PCR analysis with oligonucleotide primers directed at vapA can also be used to provide information on the potential virulence of a strain."}
{"id": "PMID:1476427", "title": "Electrochemical Ag+ for preservative use.", "content": "In contact experiments with different experimental conditions, electrochemical Ag+ solutions exhibited better antimicrobial effectiveness against bacteria, a yeast species, and a mold than did analogous silver solutions from inorganic salts. The particular characteristics of electrochemical Ag+, such as the mode of action, effectiveness at low concentrations, and stability, indicate that Ag+ could be used effectively in preservatives."}
{"id": "PMID:1476428", "title": "Microbial transformation of deoxynivalenol (vomitoxin).", "content": "Microbial inocula from rumen fluid, soil, and contents of the large intestines of chickens (CLIC) and of swine (SLIC) were tested for their ability to transform deoxynivalenol (vomitoxin) in vitro. Microorganisms in (CLIC) completely transformed pure vomitoxin, and this activity was retained through six serial subcultures. No alteration of the toxin by incubation with SLIC was detected, whereas 35% of the vomitoxin was metabolized in the original culture of rumen fluid and 50% was metabolized by the soil sample, though metabolism was decreased in subsequent subcultures of either sample. A single metabolite was isolated and identified as deepoxy vomitoxin. The increase in concentration of deepoxy vomitoxin in the culture medium corresponded with the decrease in vomitoxin concentration. The vomitoxin transformation rate was not affected by either the ratio of CLIC to vomitoxin (5 to 0.2 g of CLIC per mg of vomitoxin) or the initial concentration of vomitoxin (14 to 1,400 ppm) in the medium. Biotransformation of vomitoxin was completely inhibited when the pH in the medium was lowered to 5.20. Sodium azide at a 0.1% (wt/vol) concentration in the medium blocked the transformation of vomitoxin, suggesting that the deepoxidation of vomitoxin is an energy-dependent process. About 50% of the vomitoxin in moldy corn in culture medium was transformed by microorganisms from CLIC. The vomitoxin transformation rate in moldy corn was not affected when the concentration of CLIC changed from 0.2 to 0.8 g/ml of medium. Vomitoxin in the moldy corn was not transformed when CLIC were added to corn without culture medium.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1476429", "title": "The beta-mannanase from \"Caldocellum saccharolyticum\" is part of a multidomain enzyme.", "content": "The complete sequence of a beta-mannanase gene from an anaerobic extreme thermophile was determined, and it shows that the expressed protein consists of two catalytic domains and two binding domains separated by spacer regions rich in proline and threonine residues. The amino-terminal catalytic domain has beta-mannanase activity, and the carboxy-terminal domain acts as an endoglucanase. Neither domain shows homology with any other cellulase or hemicellulase sequence at the nucleic acid or protein level."}
{"id": "PMID:1476430", "title": "Monoclonal antibodies that detect live salmonellae.", "content": "Nine immunoglobulin G and nine immunoglobulin M murine monoclonal antibody-producing hybridomas reactive with live Salmonella bacteria were obtained from several fusions of immune spleen cells and Sp2/0 myeloma cells. The antibodies were selected by the magnetic immunoluminescence assay. The monoclonal antibodies were reactive with serogroups A, B, C1, C2, D, E, and K and Salmonella choleraesuis subsp. diarizonae. Each monoclonal antibody proved to be reactive with a distinct serotype. Clinical isolates belonging to these Salmonella serogroups could be detected. Reactivity with non-Salmonella bacteria proved to be minor."}
{"id": "PMID:1476431", "title": "Exploitation of gene(s) involved in 2,4-diacetylphloroglucinol biosynthesis to confer a new biocontrol capability to a Pseudomonas strain.", "content": "Tn5 mutagenesis and complementation analysis were used to clone a 6-kb genomic fragment required for biosynthesis of 2,4-diacetylphloroglucinol (Phl) from fluorescent Pseudomonas sp. strain F113. A recombinant plasmid, pCU203, containing this region partially complemented a Phl production-negative mutant (F113G22) derived from strain F113. When sugar beet seeds were sown into an unsterilized soil, in which sugar beet was subject to damping-off by Pythium ultimum, the emergence of sugar beet seeds inoculated with strain F113 was significantly greater than that of seeds inoculated with F113G22. Transfer of pCU203 into eight other Pseudomonas strains conferred the ability to synthesize Phl in only one of these strains, Pseudomonas sp. strain M114. Strain M114(pCU203) showed enhanced antagonism towards P. ultimum in vitro and significantly increased the emergence of sugar beet seeds in the same soil compared with emergence induced by the parent strain M114."}
{"id": "PMID:1476432", "title": "Biphenomycin A production by a mixed culture.", "content": "Production of biphenomycin A by Streptomyces griseorubiginosus 43708 was stimulated by a mixed culture with a partner strain, Pseudomonas maltophilia 1928. This stimulatory effect on biphenomycin A accumulation by the mixed culture was caused by the enzyme activity which strain 1928 possessed. It is suggested that in a mixed culture strain 43708 produces a precursor of biphenomycin A in culture broth and that strain 1928 converts the precursor to biphenomycin A."}
{"id": "PMID:1476433", "title": "Role of hydrogen peroxide in loss of culturability mediated by visible light in Escherichia coli in a freshwater ecosystem.", "content": "A study was made of the mechanisms by which visible light produces cell dormancy in Escherichia coli, resulting in loss of culturability. Visible light may act directly on the cells or generate photoproducts with a negative effect on the cells. In nonilluminated microcosms the addition of increasing concentrations of hydrogen peroxide, one of the photoproducts formed in natural aquatic systems, gave rise to the formation of nonculturable cells and injured culturable cells, and this negative effect depended on the concentration of peroxide. On the other hand, in illuminated microcosms the addition of compounds which eliminate hydrogen peroxide (i.e., catalase, sodium pyruvate, and thioglycolate) had a protective effect on the E. coli cells, as the CFU counts on minimal medium and on recuperation medium were significantly higher (P < 0.05) than those detected in the absence of these compounds. Furthermore, when hydrogen peroxide was eliminated, the CFU counts on recuperation medium did not fall significantly, indicating that nonculturable cells did not form. These results rule out the direct effect of visible light on the cells and show that hydrogen peroxide, generated photochemically, may be the cause of the loss of culturability of E. coli in illuminated systems."}
{"id": "PMID:1476434", "title": "Relationship of total viable and culturable cells in epiphytic populations of Pseudomonas syringae.", "content": "The direct viable count method, used to detect viable but nonculturable bacteria in aquatic systems, was modified to examine epiphytic populations of Pseudomonas syringae. Viable-population sizes determined from the number of cells that elongated when incubated with yeast extract and nalidixic acid were compared with those determined by the conventional plate count method. The plate count method accurately determined the number of viable cells in epiphytic P. syringae populations in a state of active growth under conditions of high relative humidity. The plate count method also accurately determined the number of viable cells in P. syringae inoculum, or a growing P. syringae population, subject to desiccation stress under conditions of low relative humidity. In epiphytic populations of P. syringae older than 80 h, however, the plate count underestimated the viable-population size by about two- to fourfold, suggesting that up to 75% of the P. syringae population was nonculturable. These nonculturable cells may have entered a starvation-survival state, induced by low nutrient availability in the phyllosphere environment. Epiphytic P. syringae populations undergoing rapid size changes due to growth and death under fluctuating environmental conditions in the field should be accurately enumerated by the plate count method. However, the possible underestimation of viable-population size under some circumstances should be considered in epidemiological studies of phytopathogenic bacteria and when genetically engineered microorganisms in terrestrial ecosystems are monitored."}
{"id": "PMID:1476435", "title": "Heterotrophic bacteria in an air-handling system.", "content": "Heterotrophic bacteria from structural surfaces, drain pan water, and the airstream of a well-maintained air-handling system with no reported building-related illness were enumerated. Visually the system appeared clean, but large populations of bacteria were found on the fin surface of the supply-side cooling coils (10(5) to 10(6) CFU cm-2), in drain pan water (10(5) to 10(7) CFU ml-1), and in the sump water of the evaporative condenser (10(5) CFU ml-1). Representative bacterial colony types recovered from heterotrophic plate count cultures on R2A medium were identified to the genus level. Budding bacteria belonging to the genus Blastobacter dominated the supply surface of the coil fins, the drain pan water, and the postcoil air. These data and independent scanning electron microscopy indicated that a resident population of predominantly Blastobacter bacteria was present as a biofilm on the supply-side cooling coil fins."}
{"id": "PMID:1476436", "title": "Characterization of two genes encoding Bacillus thuringiensis insecticidal crystal proteins toxic to Coleoptera species.", "content": "Bacillus thuringiensis EG2838 and EG4961 are highly toxic to Colorado potato beetle larvae, and only strain EG4961 is toxic to southern corn rootworm larvae. To investigate the cause of the different insecticidal activities of EG2838 and EG4961, cryIII-type genes toxic to coleopterans were cloned from each strain. The cryIIIB gene, cloned as part of an 8.0-kb EcoRI fragment of EG2838 DNA, encoded a crystal protein (CryIIIB) of 74,237 Da. The cryIIIB2 gene, cloned as part of an 8.3-kb PstI-Asp718 fragment of EG4961 DNA, encoded a crystal protein (CryIIIB2) of 74,393 Da that was 94% identical to CryIIIB. Analysis of the transcriptional start sites showed that cryIIIB and cryIIIB2 were initiated from a conserved region located within 130 nucleotides upstream from the translation start sites of both genes. Although the CryIIIB and CryIIIB2 proteins were similar in sequence, they displayed distinct insecticidal activities: CryIIIB was one-third as toxic as CryIIIB2 to Colorado potato beetle larvae, and CryIIIB2, but not CryIIIB, was toxic to southern corn rootworm larvae. Genes encoding crystal proteins of approximately 32 and 31 kDa were located adjacent to the cryIIIB and cryIIIB2 genes, respectively. The 32- and 31-kDa crystal proteins failed to enhance the insecticidal activities of CryIIIB and CryIIIB2."}
{"id": "PMID:1476437", "title": "Gene probe analysis of soil microbial populations selected by amendment with 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid.", "content": "Soils with a history of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) treatment at field application rates and control soils with no prior exposure to 2,4-D were amended with 2,4-D in the laboratory. Before and during these treatments, the populations of 2,4-D-degrading bacteria were monitored by most-probable-number (MPN) enumeration and hybridization analyses, using probes for the tfd genes of plasmid pJP4, which encode enzymes for 2,4-D degradation. Data obtained by these alternate methods were compared. Several months after the most recent field application of 2,4-D (approximately 1 ppm), soils with a 42-year history of 2,4-D treatment did not have significantly higher numbers of 2,4-D-degrading organisms than did control soils with no prior history of treatment. In response to laboratory amendments with 2,4-D, both the previously treated soils and those with no prior history of exposure exhibited a dramatic increase in the number of 2,4-D-metabolizing organisms. The MPN data indicate a 4- to 5-log population increase after one amendment with 250 ppm of 2,4-D and ultimately a 6- to 7-log increase after four additional amendments, each with 400 ppm of 2,4-D. Similarly, when total bacterial DNA from the soil microbial community of these samples was analyzed by using a probe for the tfdA gene (2,4-D monoxygenase) or the tfdB gene (2,4-dichlorophenol hydroxylase) a dramatic increase in the level of hybridization was observed in both soils.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1476438", "title": "Resistance of proline-containing peptides to ruminal degradation in vitro.", "content": "Mixed ruminal bacteria utilized an enzymatic digest of casein at a rate faster than that for an enzymatic digest of gelatin, but neither amino acid source was completely utilized even when the incubation period was as long as 96 h. Since the reaction of ninhydrin with the residual nonammonia, nonprotein nitrogen was more than twofold stronger when the samples were hydrolyzed with 6 N HCl, it appeared that much of the residual nitrogen was from peptides. Approximately 66% of the nonammonia, nonprotein, ninhydrin-reactive material could not be recovered as amino acids, but there was a significant decrease in total amino acid nitrogen when the samples were pretreated with a C18 Sep-Pak column to remove peptides. The resistant peptides had an abundance of proline, and subsequent incubations showed that synthetic dipeptides which contained proline were hydrolyzed slowly. Lysine appears to be the amino acid which is most apt to limit ruminant production. Dipeptides containing proline and lysine were hydrolyzed at least fivefold slower than lysine-alanine. Methionine, another potentially limiting amino acid, was also degraded at a slower (2.5-fold) rate when it was present as part of a proline dipeptide."}
{"id": "PMID:1476439", "title": "Effect of sodium chloride on the intracellular solute pools of Listeria monocytogenes.", "content": "The concentrations of intracellular solutes in Listeria monocytogenes were examined in cells grown at various concentrations of NaCl. At 5% NaCl, cells contained elevated concentrations of potassium and glycine betaine compared with concentrations in cells grown without NaCl. At 7.5% NaCl, cells contained increased concentrations of K+, glycine betaine, glycine, alanine, and proline. Only glycine betaine, choline, or glycine promoted growth on a solidified defined medium containing 4% NaCl; there was no growth at higher concentrations of NaCl in the defined medium."}
{"id": "PMID:1476440", "title": "Presence of human immunodeficiency virus nucleic acids in wastewater and their detection by polymerase chain reaction.", "content": "The human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) released by infected individuals or present in human and hospital wastes can potentially cause contamination problems. The presence of HIV-1 was investigated in 16 environmental samples, including raw wastewater, sludge, final effluent, soil, and pond water, collected from different locations. A method was developed to extract total nucleic acids in intact form directly from the raw samples or from the viral concentrates of the raw samples. The isolated nucleic acids were analyzed for the presence of HIV-1 by using in vitro amplification of the target sequences by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method. HIV-1-specific proviral DNA and viral RNA were detected in the extracted nucleic acids obtained from three wastewater samples by this method. The specificity of the PCR-amplified products was determined by Southern blot hybridization with an HIV-1-specific oligonucleotide probe, SK19. The isolated nucleic acids from wastewater samples were also screened for the presence of poliovirus type 1, representing a commonly found enteric virus, and simian immunodeficiency virus, representing, presumably, rare viruses. While poliovirus type 1 viral RNA was found in all of the wastewater samples, none of the samples yielded a simian immunodeficiency virus-specific product. No PCR-amplified product was yielded when wastewater samples were directly used for the detection of HIV-1 and poliovirus type 1. The wastewater constituents appeared to be inhibitory to the enzymes reverse transcriptase and DNA polymerase.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1476441", "title": "Determination of virulence of different strains of Listeria monocytogenes and Listeria innocua by oral inoculation of pregnant mice.", "content": "A pregnant mouse model was developed to follow the course of infection after peroral inoculation with six different strains of Listeria monocytogenes and one strain of Listeria innocua. Tissues were sampled and analyzed by microbiologic and histologic methods for 5 days postinoculation. In gnotobiotic pregnant BALB/c mice, L. monocytogenes Scott A (SA), serotype 4b, colonized the gastrointestinal tract, translocated to the livers and spleens of mice by day 1 postinoculation, and multiplied in these tissues until day 4. Infection of the placental tissues occurred by days 3 and 4 and was followed by infection of the fetuses. Little damage of colonic and cecal tissues was evident by histologic examination. Livers and spleens showed a cellular immune response; a similar immune response was not detected in the placentas or fetuses. A rough variant of L. monocytogenes SA which was as virulent as the parent strain in mice when injected intraperitoneally was less virulent perorally and did not consistently infect the fetuses. L. monocytogenes ATCC 19113, serotype 3a, did not colonize the gastrointestinal tract, nor was it isolated from any internal tissue. L. monocytogenes strains of serotypes 1/2a and 1/2b behaved like the SA strain in this mouse model. L. innocua colonized the gastrointestinal tract and translocated to the livers and spleens but did not survive in these organs and rapidly disappeared without infecting placental and fetal tissues. In comparison with gnotobiotic mice, conventional pregnant mice inoculated with L. monocytogenes strains showed less consistent infection. These results suggest that the gnotobiotic pregnant mouse is a useful model for detecting differences in virulence relating to colonization, invasiveness, and uteroplacental infection which cannot be detected by intraperitoneal inoculation of mice."}
{"id": "PMID:1476442", "title": "Cyclization characteristics of cyclodextrin glucanotransferase are conferred by the NH2-terminal region of the enzyme.", "content": "Cyclodextrin glucanotransferase (CGTase; EC 2.4.1.19) is produced mainly by Bacillus strains. CGTase from Bacillus macerans IFO3490 produces alpha-cyclodextrin as the major hydrolysis product from starch, whereas thermostable CGTase from Bacillus stearothermophilus NO2 produces alpha- and beta-cyclodextrins. To analyze the cyclization characteristics of CGTase, we cloned different types of CGTase genes and constructed chimeric genes. CGTase genes from these two strains were cloned in Bacillus subtilis NA-1 by using pTB523 as a vector plasmid, and their nucleotide sequences were determined. Three CGTase genes (cgt-1, cgt-5, and cgt-232) were isolated from B. stearothermophilus NO2. Nucleotide sequence analysis revealed that the three CGTase genes have different nucleotide sequences encoding the same amino acid sequence. Base substitutions were found at the third letter of five codons among the three genes. Each open reading frame was composed of 2,133 bases, encoding 711 amino acids containing 31 amino acids as a signal sequence. The molecular weight of the mature enzyme was estimated to be 75,374. The CGTase gene (cgtM) of B. macerans IFO3490 was composed of 2,142 bases, encoding 714 amino acids containing 27 residues as a signal sequence. The molecular weight of the mature enzyme was estimated to be 74,008. The sequence determined in this work was quite different from that reported previously by other workers. From data on the three-dimensional structure of a CGTase, seven kinds of chimeric CGTase genes were constructed by using cgt-1 from B. stearothermophilus NO2 and cgtM from B. macerans IFO3490. We examined the characteristics of these chimeric enzymes on cyclodextrin production and thermostability. It was found that the cyclization reaction was conferred by the NH2-terminal region of CGTase and that the thermostability of some chimeric enzymes was lower than that of the parental CGTases."}
{"id": "PMID:1476443", "title": "High-level expression of the Streptomyces clavuligerus isopenicillin N synthase gene in Escherichia coli.", "content": "The pcbC gene, which encodes isopenicillin N synthase (IPNS), was subcloned from Streptomyces clavuligerus into Escherichia coli by using the pT7 series of plasmid vectors. The polymerase chain reaction was used to introduce an NdeI site at the translation initiation codon of pcbC, allowing the gene to be inserted behind an E. coli type of ribosome binding site. This construction directed high-level expression of IPNS, but the IPNS was in an inactive form in inclusion bodies. Active IPNS was recovered by solubilizing and renaturing the protein."}
{"id": "PMID:1476444", "title": "Subculturing of a polychlorinated biphenyl-dechlorinating anaerobic enrichment on solid media.", "content": "An anaerobic culture capable of dechlorinating polychlorinated biphenyls was subcultured under strict anaerobic conditions on solid media containing sterilized river sediment. The dechlorination activity was transferred as a bacterial colony on a solid medium three times. After two transfers on solid medium, the culture was no longer methanogenic but still dechlorinated a mixture of tri- and tetrachlorobiphenyls. This demonstrates that anaerobic bacteria are responsible for the polychlorinated biphenyl dechlorination and can be grown without polychlorinated biphenyl on solid media."}
{"id": "PMID:1476445", "title": "Assessment of the Accuprobe Listeria monocytogenes culture identification reagent kit for rapid colony confirmation and its application in various enrichment broths.", "content": "The Accuprobe Listeria monocytogenes Culture Identification Reagent Kit, a nonradioactive probe, was evaluated as a colony confirmation test and in different selective or nonselective enrichment broths. The probe was 100% sensitive and 100% specific when applied to isolated colonies. The minimal detection limit in physiological saline was established to be about 10(5) CFU of L. monocytogenes. Hybridization done directly in broths seeded with L. monocytogenes showed variable results. Three nonselective broths (Todd-Hewitt broth, brain heart infusion broth, and tryptic soy broth) and one selective broth (FDA) gave positive reactions at an inoculum of 5 x 10(6) CFU, whereas two other selective broths (UVM, and PALCAMY) gave negative reactions with up to 10(8) and 10(9) CFU. In FDA broth, the level of detection of L. monocytogenes was not modified by the presence of other organisms in mixed cultures."}
{"id": "PMID:1476446", "title": "Cloning and sequence analysis of genes for dehalogenation of 4-chlorobenzoate from Arthrobacter sp. strain SU.", "content": "Strains of Arthrobacter catalyze a hydrolytic dehalogenation of 4-chlorobenzoate (4-CBA) to p-hydroxybenzoate. The reaction requires ATP and coenzyme A (CoA), indicating activation of the substrate via a thioester, like that reported for Pseudomonas sp. strain CBS3 (J. D. Scholten, K.-H. Chang, P. C. Babbit, H. Charest, M. Sylvestre, and D. Dunaway-Mariano, Science 253:182-185, 1991). The dehalogenase genes of Arthrobacter sp. strain SU were cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. Analyses of deletions indicate that dehalogenation depends on three open reading frames (ORFs) which are organized in an operon. There is extensive sequence homology to corresponding gene products in Pseudomonas sp. strain CBS3, suggesting that ORF1 and ORF2 encode a 4-CBA-CoA-ligase and a 4-CBA-CoA dehalogenase, respectively. ORF3 possibly represents a thioesterase, although no homology to the enzyme from Pseudomonas sp. strain CBS3 exists."}
{"id": "PMID:1476447", "title": "Application of ozone disinfection to remove Enterococcus seriolicida, Pasteurella piscicida, and Vibrio anguillarum from seawater.", "content": "Survival of bacterial fish pathogens, including Enterococcus seriolicida, Vibrio anguillarum, and Pasteurella piscicida, in ozonated seawater was determined in a batch system. Bacterial counts of all fish pathogens decreased at more than 0.040 to 0.060 mg of total residual oxidants (TROs) per liter, whereas no decrease in viable counts was observed at less than 0.018 to 0.028 mg of TROs per liter. The 99% inactivation point was achieved at concentrations of 0.111 mg/liter for E. seriolicida, 0.063 mg/liter for P. piscicida, and 0.064 mg/liter for V. anguillarum within 1 min. Moreover, the mean 99 and 99.9% killing concentration-contact time (C.t) products were 0.123 and 0.186 mg.min/liter for E. seriolicida, 0.056 and 0.084 mg.min/liter for P. piscicida, and 0.081 and 0.123 mg.min/liter for V. anguillarum, respectively. However, the mean 99 and 99.9% C.t products for the mixed population in coastal seawater were 0.200 and 0.621 mg.min/liter. These results strongly suggest that ozone treatment at more than 1.0 mg of TROs per liter for several minutes is able to disinfect seawater for mariculture efficiently."}
{"id": "PMID:1476448", "title": "Direct extraction of bacterial plasmids from food for polymerase chain reaction amplification.", "content": "In this report we describe a simple and rapid technique using DNA affinity columns that permits direct extraction of bacterial plasmids from a variety of foods for polymerase chain reaction amplification. The procedure was used to detect virulent enteroinvasive Escherichia coli in several artificially seeded matrices, including seafoods, greens, dairy products, enrichment media, and water. Polymerase inhibitors present in both foods and enrichment media were removed efficiently."}
{"id": "PMID:1476449", "title": "Applicability of an immunoblot technique combined with a semiautomated electrophoresis system for detection of staphylococcal enterotoxins in food extracts.", "content": "We studied the usefulness of an immunoblot technique for the detection of staphylococcal enterotoxins (SEs) in strains and food extracts. Food samples (milk, yogurt, hot dog sausage, cheese, and mayonnaise) were artificially contaminated with SEA through SEE. Protein A did not interfere with the results; it appeared on electrophoresis gels as bands with molecular weights higher than those of the SEs. Other food proteins were not revealed by the technique. The immunoblot technique proved to be fast, specific, and sensitive for the detection of SEs in foods."}
{"id": "PMID:1476450", "title": "Analysis of exopolysaccharide production by Lactobacillus casei CG11, isolated from cheese.", "content": "Exopolysaccharide-producing Lactobacillus casei CG11 was isolated from soft, white, homemade cheese. In basal minimal medium, it produces a neutral heteropolysaccharide consisting predominantly of glucose (about 75%) and rhamnose (about 15%). Plasmid curing experiments revealed that exopolysaccharide production by strain CG11 is linked to a plasmid approximately 30 kb in size."}
{"id": "PMID:1476452", "title": "African American women and depression: a review and critique of the literature.", "content": "African American women are often identified as a group at high risk for depression; they are also viewed as either delaying or not seeking treatment for the depression. The assessment, diagnoses, treatment, and prevention of depression in African American women require special sensitivity. To determine whether special sensitivity is shown to this population, this review examines the literature on African American women and depression, and critiques the major scales used in assessing depression. Violence is identified as an additional risk factor for depression in African American women. It is suggested that an interactive approach to risk factors for depression in African American women provides a better basis for psychiatric nursing practice with this population."}
{"id": "PMID:1476453", "title": "Individual psychodynamic psychotherapy with older adults: perspectives from a nurse psychotherapist.", "content": "This report reviews both historical and current literature pertaining to individual psychodynamic psychotherapy with older adults. Demographic projections for significant increases in the geriatric population are presented and linked with implications for mental health. Barriers to geriatric psychotherapy are examined, and themes common among older persons are identified. Benefits of psychotherapy to patients and psychotherapists are summarized. Literature on adult developmental theory is explored. Unique aspects of gender issues, transference, countertransference, and termination as described in the literature are presented. Implications for nursing practice include a recommendation for increased nursing efforts in the areas of practice, research, and theory building."}
{"id": "PMID:1476454", "title": "Empowerment support with adult female survivors of childhood incest: Part I--Theories and research.", "content": "This report is concerned with the concept of empowerment support as a nursing intervention that facilitates the development of mastery, competence, self-worth, and control in the adult female survivor of childhood incest. Empowerment support has been derived from Orem's theory of nursing system. In that theory, empowerment support is encompassed in particular \"methods of helping.\" Theories and research that relate to incest trauma and empowerment support are discussed from an interdisciplinary perspective."}
{"id": "PMID:1476455", "title": "Empowerment support with adult female survivors of childhood incest: Part II--Application of Orem's methods of helping.", "content": "This report addresses the integration and application of empowerment support with Orem's methods of helping, which include (1) providing a developmental environment, (2) psychological support, (3) guiding another, and (4) teaching another. Empowerment support is viewed as basic helping methods (supportive psychotherapy) for the psychiatric nurse to use with adult female survivors of childhood incest."}
{"id": "PMID:1476456", "title": "Stress and coping in families of children with myelomeningocele.", "content": "This pilot study examined differences in and relationships between parent health-related stressors (child care needs and parental concerns), daily hassles, and coping strategies of 17 mothers and 17 fathers of preschool and school-age children with myelomeningocele (MMC). Help related to play was the most frequent need among mothers; fathers needed the most help with school activities. Among the greatest concerns of both parents were their child's future and sufficient income. Too many things to do was a frequently mentioned hassle by both parents. Having faith in God was the coping strategy mentioned most often by both parents."}
{"id": "PMID:1476457", "title": "Integrating the bio into the biopsychosocial: understanding and treating biological phenomena in psychiatric-mental health nursing.", "content": "Advances in neuroscientific understandings of the interrelationships between brain, behavior, emotion, and cognition offer new opportunities for psychiatric-mental health nursing. Yet, even though the discipline conceptually embraces a biopsychosocial perspective as part of its holistic mandate, the factual integration of biological sciences into practice, research, and education is limited. Integrating the biological perspective into a holistic paradigm and progressing toward a discipline in which the biological, psychological, and social interact coherently and interdependently requires a dual focus on understanding and treating patients and their social and physical environments. We describe how in the past the discipline has strived toward understanding and treating patients from predominantly psychological and social perspectives. We also show how progress in the biology of mental health and illness provides new avenues for understanding and treating patients' responses to actual and potential health problems. This in turn will contribute to the emergence of a truly holistic discipline of psychiatric-mental health nursing."}
{"id": "PMID:1476458", "title": "Uncovering a hidden language: the effects of listening and talking on blood pressure and heart rate.", "content": "Listening and talking are essential to everyday life and especially to successful nursing interventions. Whereas the cardiovascular changes that occur during talking have been extensively documented, those that occur during listening have not been studied. Blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR) were measured in healthy men (N = 54) and women (N = 55) while they listened and talked. Talking resulted in significant increases in both BP and HR; although also significant, increases during listening were of a lesser magnitude. These cardiovascular changes were affected by the order of the dialogue activities (talking or listening first) and by gender."}
{"id": "PMID:1476460", "title": "Collaboration as a strategy for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome prevention.", "content": "An eight-session training model used a social interactive framework to combine theoretical and methodological aspects of peer counseling, cross-cultural communication, and transcultural nursing, with a conviction that the participants (volunteers from an ongoing, urban methadone maintenance program) had significant strengths on which to build. The objective was to assist urban, drug dependent black women in taking control of their own lives through collaboration with health care professionals to develop and promote culturally acceptable behavioral alternatives related to reduction of risk for human immunodeficiency virus. The collaborative approach focused on rewards of behavioral change and minimized attention to prevention of negative behaviors, while openly valuing input from the women who are potential health promoters in their own communities. Evaluation of the Peer Counseling Leadership Training Program suggested that the approach facilitated personal risk-reducing behavioral change, improved self esteem, and successfully promoted involvement in community-based prevention efforts."}
{"id": "PMID:1476461", "title": "Validation of addictions nursing diagnoses in a sample of alcohol abstainers 1 year posttreatment.", "content": "This study examined the fit between 26 Addictions Nursing diagnoses and a sample of clients who had maintained abstinence from alcohol use for 1 year after inpatient treatment for alcohol abuse. Data were obtained from interview transcriptions of 26 successful abstainers. Investigator identification of diagnoses were validated by expert nurse clinicians. Although participants had been abstinent for a year, 73% of the sample showed defining characteristics of 17 of the 26 diagnoses. In addition, the raters identified 3 human responses for which no diagnoses exist, 8 diagnoses that do not have defining characteristics that fit the data, and 13 additional defining characteristics that could be added to the list."}
{"id": "PMID:1476462", "title": "Circadian dysregulation in abused individuals: a proposed theoretical model for practice and research.", "content": "Trauma in the form of physical and sexual abuse remains a major issue confronting health professionals and society today. Despite the identification of large numbers of children at risk, no studies exist on the association between childhood abuse and the development of acute and long-term disruption of sleep/wake patterns. Furthermore, identification of the most effective nursing interventions to restore healthy sleep rhythms is sorely lacking. As a basic human process, sleep follows a circadian pattern, effecting sleep onset and stages. This article explores a possible model to link the sleep disruption seen in abuse children with circadian and rhythmic theories."}
{"id": "PMID:1476463", "title": "Cognitive nursing interventions with long-term care residents: effects on neurocognitive dimensions.", "content": "We recently reported that cognitive nursing interventions--such as cognitive-behavioral group therapy and focused visual imagery group therapy--administered over time may produce significant and lasting improvements in overall cognitive status in nursing home residents with slight to moderate cognitive impairment, when compared with subjects participating in educational discussion groups. To further elucidate the cognitive gains made by subjects, we reanalyzed the data focusing on the 15 neurocognitive parameters tested by means of the Modified Mini-Mental State Examination. Main effects of intervention were noted on neurocognitive operations involving abstraction and conceptual thinking, concentration and linguistic manipulation, and execution of auditorily presented language skills. Main effects for time were observed on short and medium term recall, fluency of category retrieval, abstraction and conceptual thinking, concentration and linguistic manipulation, and execution of visually presented commands. Intervention and time were found to produce interaction effects on subjects' ability to visually and linguistically identify objects and their praxic ability to recognize and redraw simple but intersecting geometric figures. From a functional brain perspective, these effects involved brain functions at higher cortical and subcortical/limbic levels, and lower and more basic cortical functions were not affected. These findings underscore the role of psychogeriatric nursing in maintaining or restoring cognitive function in nursing home residents with mild to moderate cognitive impairment, not only for the sake of cognition itself but also for the (corollary) sake of promoting functional independence and self-care in a high-risk population."}
{"id": "PMID:1476464", "title": "The conceptualization of impulsivity for psychiatric nursing practice.", "content": "This article conceptualizes impulsivity from the perspective of psychiatric nurses in the inpatient setting. A theoretical model of the nature and the process of impulsivity is developed phenomenologically from information obtained from psychiatric nurses and patient chart reviews. The impulsive event is characterized by three elements: (1) precipitants of the behavior, (2) characteristics of the impulsive event, and (3) staff response. The expression of these elements differentiates impulsivity according to patient domains of psychotic and nonpsychotic illnesses. The emerging differentiation provides the opportunity to develop distinct nursing interventions that target the impulsivity within each of these domains."}
{"id": "PMID:1476465", "title": "[Diversity of malaria in the Sahelo-Saharan region. A review apropos of the status in Niger, West Africa].", "content": "The concept of epidemiologic facies of malaria underlines the diversity in the expression of the disease in areas where important ecological variations interfere largely with transmission. Niger is quite a border region between the afrotropical fauna from the south and the Palearctic fauna from the north. The last one filters through the mountains where it maybe represents a relic of ancient paleoclimates. Annual variations of the northern limit of Anopheles arabiensis, in the Sahelo-Saharan region including some oasis, are related to temporary breeding places produced by seasonal rainfall, after estivation during the dry season or after a long migration with the wind. An. gambiae s.s is present in the south and along the Niger river, with An. funestus, even till Zinder. The northern limit of An. nili is the Niger river. The permanent variations of the environment induce great differences in the level of transmission between an intermediate stable situation in the south to an unstable one in the north. Epidemic outbreaks appear some years in vulnerable populations. The implementation of a malaria program supposes to take account of the various eco-epidemiologic situations all over the country. Even if mortality and morbidity became lower, natural precaution in some groups of people must be preserved."}
{"id": "PMID:1476466", "title": "[Severe malaria attacks in adults in Cameroon: comparison of 2 therapeutic protocols using quinine via parenteral route].", "content": "Increasing frequency and severity of cerebral malaria have become a major problem in the area of Yaound\u00e9 (Cameroon, Central Africa). Based on recent findings in pharmacokinetic parameters in cerebral malaria, a quinine infusion regimen (8 mg of quinine base/kg of body weight over 1 h followed by 8 mg of base/kg over 7 h, then 8 mg/kg over 8 h 3 times daily for 3 days) was randomly allocated to 10 patients; 10 others received a more classical regimen currently used in Cameroon of 8 mg of base/kg over 8 h, 3 times daily for 3 days. In the loading dose group, there was a significant decrease in the duration of coma (48%), and the parasite clearance times were reduced by 33%. This regimen has been safe and effective: it is recommended in Yaound\u00e9."}
{"id": "PMID:1476467", "title": "[Feasibility of mosquito control using insecticide-impregnated bednets in rural areas of Cameroon].", "content": "The feasibility of using impregnated bednets in a malaria control strategy has been evaluated in a rural area of Cameroon. The benefit is well perceived by the population in terms of protection against nuisance but not in terms of prevention of the disease. The correct use of bednets is, however, unsatisfactory. The material should be adapted to the various sleeping accommodations, and efforts for education and information directed towards the potential users should be intensified."}
{"id": "PMID:1476468", "title": "[Small-scale evaluation of the efficacy of growth-regulating insecticides on larvae of the Simulium damnosum complex (Diptera: Simuliidae)].", "content": "The efficacy of insect growth regulators was assessed in small scale tests on larvae of the Simulium damnosum complex (Diptera: Simuliidae) in the Ivory Coast. Three compounds [OMS 2015 (triflumuron), OMS 3009 (teflubenzuron), OMS 3013 (chlorfluazuron)] belong to the group of benzoylphenyl-urea substitutes; these IGR's are supposed to inhibit chitin synthesis. Two other compounds are Juvenile Hormone Analogs (JHA's) (OMS 3007 and OMS 3019). The last compound (OMS 3010) is a phenoxycarbamate. The first three compounds had a low efficacy on blackfly larvae, which is consistent with the literature data for another compound of this group: diflubenzuron. The other three compounds (OMS 3007, OMS 3010 and OMS 3019) were much more efficient, OMS 3010 and OMS 3019 showing high activity at low concentrations. These results would justify further studies on the effect of larval age and exposure parameters, and eventually full scale river tests."}
{"id": "PMID:1476469", "title": "[Results of tuberculosis treatment in a health district in Zaire].", "content": "The results of the treatment of tuberculosis have been evaluated among 407 patients distributed into 268 cases of pulmonary tuberculosis with positive smears (TP+), 70 pulmonary forms with negative smears (TP-) and 69 cases of extrapulmonary tuberculosis (TEP). A group 1 of 361 patients including new cases and late relapses and consisting of 236 TP+, 59 TP- and 66 TEP has been put through the treatment pattern: 2S6H7T7 + 10H7T7 or 2S6H7 + 10S2H2. Group 2, of 21 patients consisting of failures, early relapses and previously but irregularly treated cases, was given a pattern: 2R7E7H7Z7 + 10R2H2. In group 3, 25 new cases were given a short treatment: 2R7E7H7Z7 + 4R7H7. In group 1 we have recorded 68.42% cured patients, 8.59% failures and 14.40% neglects of treatment. The remaining 8.59% include deceased, transfers and patients put through extended treatment. The rate of cure was better among TEP patients (95.46%) than among TP- patients (79.66%) and TP+ patients (58.05%); failures were proved to be more frequent among TP+ patients (11.88%) than among TP- patients (3.39%) and TEP patients (1.51%). In group 2 and 3 successes have amounted to 95.24% and 84% respectively. Considering rates of cure, irregular treatments, neglects and failures with standard patterns (group 1), it appears to be desirable that rifampicin-including short patterns are added to antitubercular therapeutic strategies of developing countries."}
{"id": "PMID:1476470", "title": "Mansonella perstans filariasis: failure of albendazole treatment.", "content": "Infections with Mansonella perstans are common in certain parts of Africa and South America. There is no standard treatment at present. We evaluated the effect of albendazole on microfilaremia in ten consecutive patients. No decrease in microfilarial counts could be demonstrated after a median follow-up period of 45 days. Albendazole was not shown to be useful for treatment of Mansonella perstans filariasis."}
{"id": "PMID:1476471", "title": "Conjunctival rhinosporidiosis. Report of three cases from Zaire.", "content": "The authors report three cases of conjunctival rhinosporidiosis from Zaire, two of which are believed to be the first documented in the northeastern part of the country. All patients were males. Two patients were very young children, respectively 5 and 6 years old. The third patient was a 35-year-old man. The diagnosis was based on histopathology which revealed the characteristic features of Rhinosporidium seeberi. Total excision was the elective treatment. The disease recurred eleven months later in one case, probably from local dissemination of the parasite during surgery."}
{"id": "PMID:1476478", "title": "[Dental caries, fluoride tablets and enamel opacities].", "content": "While fluoridation is the most effective preventive measure against dental caries, it increases the risk of tooth mottling or fluorosis. A total of 2,003 children aged 5 to 21 years were examined by a dentist following the recommendations of WHO and the standardized system of M\u00f6ller and Poulsen, including X-ray investigation. The clinical aspects of fluorosis were classified on a 5-point scale. Data on the medical history, socioeconomic conditions, oral hygiene, carbohydrate ingestion and fluoride supplements of these patients were also collected. The majority of the 2,003 children, 1687 (84.2%), had never received dietary fluoride supplements. Only 93 (4.64% of the total) of the 316 children who had taken fluoride, regularly ingested the recommended daily dose of 1.0 mg F-. This group had 43.2% fewer incidents of tooth decay, and came from the higher socioeconomic environment. Tooth mottling was 9.58 times more frequent in this group of correctly protected children. However, the clinical aspects of fluorosis were minor, with no esthetic damage. These results suggest that the fluoride dosage regimen commonly proposed is effective against dental caries and does not need any change to reduce the risk of fluorosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1476479", "title": "[Variations of the skin permeability in premature newborn infants. Value of the skin vasoconstriction test with neosynephrine].", "content": "The skin of preterm infants is defective as a barrier and does not function like that of mature until about 2 weeks of age. Percutaneous drug absorption was studied by observing the blanching response to aqueous solutions of 10% Neosynephrin applied to a small area of skin on the internal surface of the thigh. The subjects, 10 preterm infants born at gestational ages 29 to 32 weeks (mean: 31 weeks 2 days), were tested when they were aged from day 0 to 7. The controls were 8 normal newborns aged 2 days. All preterm infants were tested a second time at the age 7 to 17 days (mean: 10 days). The blanching response was measured after 5 minutes, and graded on a scale of 0 to 4. The first test was positive grade 2 to 4 in all the preterm babies, while it was negative in the normal newborns. The second test was negative in 7 of the 10 preterm infants; in other 3, the grade was at least 50% lower. Infants nursed under radiant heaters were not different from the other infants. Skin permeability is increased in immature infants, but falls steadily until about the age of 10 days. The results of the Neosynephrin test could be useful in predicting the response to topically administered drug."}
{"id": "PMID:1476480", "title": "[Recessive osteopetrosis. Identification of a form of medium severity].", "content": "Several distinct forms of osteopetrosis have been identified. Some of the autosomally recessive inherited forms are benign, much like the autosomal dominant form. Others are more malignant. The clinical data, skeletal radiographs, histological features and histories of 32 children with osteopetrosis were analyzed retrospectively. The 32 patients, belonging to 20 sibships were divided into two groups. The first group included 24 patients, aged 1 day-11 months (mean 4.5 months), suffering from hepatosplenomegaly, anemia, thrombocytopenia and optic atrophy in early infancy. They also had a generalized increase in bone density, abnormal bone remodeling, rachitic lesions and a \"bone-within-bone\" appearance. Biopsies showed severe bone resorption and myelofibrosis. 19 of the 20 patients whose outcomes were known died during the first year of life. The second group included 8 patients, aged 40 days-3 years (mean: 11 months). Hepatosplenomegaly appeared later, anemia was less severe and thrombocytopenia occurred in only 1 patient. However, all 8 patients suffered from optic atrophy and 3 were deaf. Radiographs showed bone growth without rachitic lesions. Biopsies from 2 patients showed bone resorption, but no myelofibrosis. The outcome was less severe: 6 patients, now aged 8 months to 8 years, have survived, 3 of them for over 5 years. Genetic investigation showed patterns compatible with autosomal recessive inheritance in both groups, with similar sets of features within each sibship. This study reveals a new type of recessively inherited osteopetrosis. It can be classified as an intermediate form, distinct from both the malignant and the benign forms, and also distinct from osteopetrosis with carbonic anhydrase II deficiency."}
{"id": "PMID:1476481", "title": "[Respiratory form mof myasthenia gravis].", "content": "Extraocular, facial, bulbar and intercostal muscles are frequently affected in juvenile myasthenia gravis, especially during exacerbations. Acetylcholine receptor antibodies are often present in the blood in this type of myasthenic syndrome. A girl presented with an exertional dyspnea at the age of 13 years, that improved after rest. All investigations were negative, except for lung function tests that showed a restrictive pattern. The diagnosis of juvenile myasthenia gravis was finally made at the age of 15 years because of the recurrence of sudden exertional dyspnea and a history of subtle weakness on repetitive movement leading to poor suckling, together with vocal and occasional swallowing difficulties. Dyspnea immediately improved after intravenous injection of 1 mg neostigmine, but the response was transient. No acetylcholine receptor antibody was found and a search for thymoma proved negative. Ambenonium chloride (Mytelase) was effective on clinical exacerbations, but the only improved test after 9 months of treatment was the functional residual capacity. Anticholinesterase drugs must be tried in patients who present exertional dyspnea without bronchopulmonary or cardiac disease on the presumption of myasthenia gravis even when ocular or bulbar manifestations are absent."}
{"id": "PMID:1476477", "title": "[Sudden newborn infant death in maternity. Anatomo-clinical study of 31 cases].", "content": "All cases of sudden and unexpected death occurring in maternity were studied over a period of 6 years (1985-1991). Anamnestic data, results of clinical examination of the body and findings of bacterial screening of body fluids or tissues were collected. The results at necropsy were also collected following the protocol used, with parental consent, in all cases of sudden infant death syndrome. There were 31 cases of sudden and unexpected death. Of these, 48% occurred before the 24th hour of life, 68% before the 36th hour and 84% before the 72nd hour. The majority of death occurred at night (55% between midnight and 6 AM, 90% between 9 PM and 9 AM). Analysis of the data provided a precise cause of death in 25 cases (81%), and a probable cause in 4 cases (13%). The major causes were perinatal anoxia, generally associated with massive amniotic inhalation (16 cases), and maternal-fetal infection (9 cases). No cause was found in 2 cases. Despite the fact that the death occurred unexpectedly, half of the newborns showed warning signs, some hours before the event. These signs were either not detected or ignored. The incidence of sudden death in neonates is 0.15 to 0.36/1,000 live births. Its causes are generally correlated with common neonatal diseases. Its occurrence at night and the existence of warning signs raise questions concerning the care of neonates in maternity."}
{"id": "PMID:1476482", "title": "[Gray platelet syndrome].", "content": "Gray platelet syndrome is a rare (about 40 cases published), inherited disorder characterized by a marked decrease or absence of platelet alpha-granules and platelet specific alpha-granule proteins. A boy, aged 4 years, presented with frequent ecchymoses. Acute idiopathic thrombocytopenia purpura was diagnosed because of his reduced platelet count (36,000/mm3) and recent viral infection. Intravenous gammaglobulin infusion was followed by a small rise in the platelet count (125,000/mm3). The patient was reinvestigated a few months later because of persistent thrombocytopenia and the failure of the immunologic treatment. The bleeding time was long and the platelets on blood smears appeared gray. Electron microscopy revealed numerous vacuoles and very few or no alpha-granules. Platelet aggregation and adhesion were normal, but stimulated platelets failed to liberate factor 4 and beta-thromboglobulin, while the plasma levels of beta-thromboglobulin were elevated. The frequency of gray platelet syndrome is probably underestimated in those diseases resulting in thrombocytopenia and this will continue until blood smears are thoroughly examined. Synthesis of platelet specific alpha-granule proteins seems normal; but these proteins cannot be stored as there are very few, or no alpha-granules. This abnormality could lead to increased levels of such proteins in the plasma."}
{"id": "PMID:1476483", "title": "[Kidney failure induced by administration of acyclovir. Apropos of 2 cases].", "content": "There have been several reports of acyclovir-induced renal failure, when the drug has been administered intravenously and/or associated with water restriction. Case n. 1: A 14 year-old boy, was treated with intravenous acyclovir because of an acute encephalitis, possibly due to Herpes viral infection. The acyclovir dose was given erroneously high, 24 mg/kg, 3 times/day, with water restriction, 30 ml/kg/day. Creatininemia increased from 70 to 200 mumol/liter after 48 hours of treatment and was 426 mumol/liter after 5 days. It decreased within a few days after the acyclovir dose was reduced to 6 mg/kg/day and the water intake was increased to 80 ml/kg/day. Case n. 2: A 17 year-old girl was suffering from chronic renal failure due to bilateral kidney hypoplasia associated with hypertension (creatinine clearance: 40 ml/min/1.73 m2). She was given intravenous acyclovir, 20 mg/kg/day, with water restriction, 30 ml/kg/day, to treat acute meningoencephalitis, possibly due to Herpes infection. Creatininemia increased from 200 to 450 mumol/l within 8 days of treatment; it returned to initial values 5 days after cessation of acyclovir and rehydration. These 2 cases confirm the risk of renal impairment when acyclovir is administered intravenously. The risk is greater after bolus injections and when high doses are used. Water restriction is an additional risk, as was the chronic renal insufficiency in our second patient. A scheme of acyclovir therapy based on initial values of creatininemia is mandatory."}
{"id": "PMID:1476490", "title": "Parallel bonded cast attachments for removable partial dentures.", "content": "The original design of a semi-precision extra-coronal attachment for partial dentures is illustrated, and its fabrication in a cast non-precious bondable alloy is described. A step-by-step method is also described of bonding multiple attachments in parallel for the retention and support of removable partial dentures. Clinical cases are illustrated. The results of trials indicate that the method is clinically viable and, in selected cases, appears to offer distinct advantages over existing retention systems."}
{"id": "PMID:1476491", "title": "Prosthodontic procedures for implant reconstruction. 2. Post-surgical procedures.", "content": "There is essentially no flexibility in an osseo-integrated implant system, so that the final fit of the prosthesis must be absolutely precise. A simple approach to this problem is presented with details as to impression taking, confirmation of accuracy of the master cast, fitting of the cast metal framework and construction of the superstructure. The information presented describes a full arch fixed restoration attached to mandibular implants, but may easily be followed for the maxilla or modified for quadrant restorations."}
{"id": "PMID:1476492", "title": "Acrylic resins reinforced with woven highly drawn linear polyethylene fibres. 2. Water sorption and clinical trials.", "content": "The results reported in this paper are part of a continuing study of the reinforcement of acrylic denture base resins with highly drawn linear polyethylene fibres. Water sorption is significantly reduced by incorporation of these fibres, even though the water diffusion processes as such remain broadly unaffected. Clinical trials are encouraging and the reinforced dentures have been well accepted by all the patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1476493", "title": "The adaptation achieved by four root canal filling techniques as assessed by three methods.", "content": "Four root canal filling techniques--lateral condensation, McSpadden compaction, ultrasonic activation (Enac), and thermoplastic injection (Ultrafil)--were assessed for adaptation of the filling material to the canal wall. The adaptation and leakage were examined quantitatively using an electrochemical method and a linear dye penetration method, and qualitatively by radiographic evaluation. Using the electrochemical method, differences among obturation techniques were relatively small, although a greater proportion of the teeth that had been filled by lateral condensation exhibited no leakage. Radiographically, the techniques appeared to exhibit similar adaptation in the apical 6 mm. The techniques of lateral condensation and ultrasonic activation showed superior control of length of the root canal filling."}
{"id": "PMID:1476494", "title": "One-year clinical performance of PMDM-based dentine bonding agents.", "content": "Two PMDM-based dentine bonding agents and a microfilled composite were used to restore a total of forty non-undercut caries-free cervical abrasion lesions without enamel etching. Restorations were evaluated over one year and the loss rate calculated using a life table analysis. Marginal staining was assessed from colour photographs on a continuous linear rating scale. After one year, 5 per cent of Tenure bonded restorations were lost compared with 52 per cent of Mirage bonded restorations. Slight marginal staining was evident around Tenure bonded restorations after one year."}
{"id": "PMID:1476495", "title": "Multiple bilateral dens in dente involving all the premolars. Case report.", "content": "Dens in dente, also known as dens invaginatus, dilated composite odontoma or deep foramen caecum, is a developmental malformation which usually affects maxillary incisor teeth, particularly lateral incisors. It may occur, however, in teeth anywhere within the jaws but other locations are comparatively rare. It can occur within both the crown and the root, although crown invaginations are more common. In this paper a case of multiple bilateral dens in dente involving maxillary and mandibular premolars is presented."}
{"id": "PMID:1476496", "title": "Binder's syndrome due to prenatal vitamin K deficiency: a theory of pathogenesis.", "content": "There is evidence that vitamin K-deficiency during human pregnancy can be caused by the therapeutic use of warfarin or phenytoin. The pregnancy histories of three cases of Binder's syndrome are reported. One was associated with warfarin exposure, one with phenytoin exposure and one with alcohol abuse. It is proposed that Binder's syndrome can be caused by prenatal exposure to agents that cause vitamin K-deficiency. Sprague-Dawley rats were treated from postnatal day 1 to 12 weeks with daily doses of warfarin (100 mg/kg) and concurrent vitamin K1 (10 mg/kg). This regimen creates a net extra-hepatic vitamin K-deficiency. The treated rats developed with a distinct facial appearance characterized by a markedly reduced snout. Histological examination showed that the normally non-calcified septal cartilage was extensively calcified. It is proposed that normal growth of the septal cartilage is necessary for the development of the profile of the nose and midface and that normal growth will only take place while the septal cartilage is uncalcified."}
{"id": "PMID:1476497", "title": "Regression analysis of dexterity tests and dental students' practical examination results.", "content": "The desirability of some means of assessing potential dental students' dexterity is discussed and three new practical tests are described. Regression analysis was performed on the results and the subsequent correlations are presented. Further regression analysis was performed on examiners' scores in dental technology showing the inconsistencies. Results were not conclusive and it seems that the tests could possibly be used in an advisory role but little more."}
{"id": "PMID:1476498", "title": "Patient attendance compliance in periodontal therapy.", "content": "Attendance compliance of patients presenting for periodontal therapy during one calendar year at two practice locations (Perth, Western Australia and Darwin, Northern Territory) was observed over a period of three to four years, depending on whether the patients were seen in the earlier or latter part of the initial year. Both venues (full-time practice and visiting practice every quarter) gave very similar results, of around 10 per cent of patients who dropped out after initial consultation, without commencing treatment. As well, both venues showed a similar trend of subsequent patient 'attrition' after the initial phase of treatment, with the retention of approximately 40 per cent of the original group of patients after three to four years. Of these, a very high proportion (90 per cent) were totally compliant with maintenance recall appointments."}
{"id": "PMID:1476502", "title": "Cardiovascular problems and the elderly. Hypertension and cardiac failure.", "content": "Hypertension and cardiac failure are common problems in the elderly and lead to considerable illness and death. Many powerful drugs are now available to treat these disorders. Proper anti-hypertensive management is now recognised to significantly reduce stroke and total cardiovascular events in patients up to 80 years of age."}
{"id": "PMID:1476503", "title": "Abuse of the elderly. A hidden problem.", "content": "Only recently has abuse of the elderly been recognised as a problem. The author describes the types of abuse encountered, provides clues on how to detect them, outlines reasons for the occurrence of abuse and suggests what to do when a case of abuse is identified."}
{"id": "PMID:1476504", "title": "Rational drug therapy in the elderly or how not to poison your elderly patients.", "content": "Adverse drug reactions are more common and more serious in the elderly. Illness caused by medications is arguably the most significant treatable geriatric health problem. In this review, the author discusses the scope and origins of the problems, and describes some principles for minimising drug toxicity."}
{"id": "PMID:1476505", "title": "Is it dementia?", "content": "The recognition of early dementia remains a difficult task, calling on the clinician's alertness to subtle clues, skillful assessment and selective use of investigations. This approach may lead to earlier diagnosis, which can reduce carer stress, avoid unnecessary treatments and allow planning and management to begin. The diagnosis of dementia is not an end but the beginning of a partnership in which the general practitioner can greatly assist by adopting a caring and supportive role, while managing practical problems as they arise."}
{"id": "PMID:1476508", "title": "Opportunistic cervical screening among 50-70 year olds. A prospective study in general practice.", "content": "The very young and the elderly remain two of the more regular users of general practitioner services. Opportunistic screening such as immunisation surveillance, blood pressure recording and smoking cessation advice during routine surgery attendances are examples of simple, low-cost, good quality health promotion practices that are acceptable to those screened and are known to provide positive health benefits if properly dealt with. Elderly women, however, remain an at risk group for cervical cancer due to their poor screening rates. This study shows it is possible to substantially raise the screening rate by specifically targeting this age group. Two out of every three women advised to have a Pap smear agreed to the procedure. This resulted in a 73 per cent screening rate at the conclusion of the study. The modern general practitioner should seek to move away from the old shopkeeper role of general practice and instead use every consultation as an opportunity to improve the health standards of patients. This 'pro-active' role sets a greater emphasis on promoting better health through each and every doctor-patient encounter. Much of the workload of general practice has never been fully documented with the result that many of the preventive health measures promoted go unheralded. There is an ongoing need for quality general practice research by general practitioners if we are to maximise our potential in the health care we deliver.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1476511", "title": "Clinical trials in general practice. Should I participate?", "content": "This brief paper outlines the advantages for general practitioners participating in clinical trials. In particular, it is appropriate to conduct research in general practice clinical settings rather than in hospital based trials."}
{"id": "PMID:1476513", "title": "Dr Edward Charles Gawthorn. An expert in practice management.", "content": "Dr Ted Gawthorn's adult life started as a naval fighter pilot during World War II. He was led to medicine after meeting his future father-in-law who was a GP. An early involvement with the young RACGP led to many years of service and diverse contributions, among the most memorable being the development of the medical record system and the Manual for General Practice."}
{"id": "PMID:1476517", "title": "Phenomenology and the history of psychiatry.", "content": "Phenomenology is a word much abused in psychiatry. It has come to mean the objective description of the symptoms and signs of psychiatric illness, a synonym for clinical psychopathology as opposed to that other psychopathology which derives from psychoanalytic theory. Thus it is sometimes stated that the phenomenology of a condition is remarkably consistent although its psychopathology is varied. In truth, phenomenology is a technical term in psychiatry with a specific meaning quite distinct from and in a way opposite to that of objective psychopathology. The inappropriate use of the word is unfortunate not only for semantic reasons but also because there is a real danger that the concept to which it refers will be forgotten."}
{"id": "PMID:1476519", "title": "The neglect of prevention in psychiatry.", "content": "The prevention of mental disorders has been neglected but the public health burden now is too high for this to continue. Nearly one half of all mental and neurological disorders are amenable to primary prevention. Effective measures could be applied even in countries with few resources. By and large these measures all rely on available knowledge and commonly involve sectors other than health. This paper calls attention to the opportunities that offer but that have been so far largely unheeded."}
{"id": "PMID:1476520", "title": "The emergence of clinical psychology departments in Australian teaching hospitals.", "content": "Over recent years, clinical psychological services have diversified within the health sector, leading to a breakdown in the traditional nexus between clinical psychology and psychiatry, and to the emergence of the interdisciplinary field of behavioral medicine. From their earlier limited role as providers of psychometric assessments in educational and psychiatric hospital settings, clinical psychologists now provide a wide range of therapeutic services and research skills to general hospitals, universities, community health centres, and the private sector. This evolving trend has significant implications for the future structure and direction of clinical practices in clinical psychology, psychiatry and medicine."}
{"id": "PMID:1476521", "title": "Anxiety, depression and HIV related symptomatology across the spectrum of HIV disease.", "content": "Levels of anxiety and depression were assessed for 207 HIV seropositive homosexual/bisexual men (AIDS = 34, ARC = 72, asymptomatic HIV infection = 101), and 36 seronegative controls. Lymphocyte subset enumeration, history of opportunistic infections, and occurrence of HIV-related symptoms were recorded at the time of assessment. No differences between groups were found on age, educational level, state/trait anxiety or depression scores. Neither the number of symptoms reported, their duration, severity, frequency of occurrence, nor the proportion of patients who reported a specific symptom was different between the three HIV seropositive groups. Severity of anxiety and depression was related to the magnitude of symptomatology, but not associated with either degree of immunodeficiency, number of opportunistic infections or diagnostic group. Principal component analysis extracted five symptom factors (cognitive, affective, psychosocial, neurological and physical), none of which predicted state anxiety scores. However, affective and psychosocial symptom factors predicted trait anxiety and depression scores. The results indicate that ratings of anxiety and depression are independent of stage of HIV infection, may be in part mediated by constitutional and physical symptoms of HIV disease, but are primarily associated with the presence of psychological and psychosocial symptoms."}
{"id": "PMID:1476522", "title": "Assaults by patients: the experience and attitudes of psychiatric hospital nurses.", "content": "Four hundred and twenty-five nurses working in a 420 bed metropolitan psychiatric hospital were asked to complete a questionnaire about their experience of physical assault by patients and their attitude toward the problem. 61% returned the questionnaire. The overall mean annual rate of assault per nurse was 2.0, with student psychiatric nurses (mean 6.7) significantly more at risk than any other group. Nurses working in the psychogeriatric area reported more than double the rate of assaults reported by nurses working in rehabilitation services. 60% of respondents were female; there were very few sex differences in attitudes to assault. Overall, nurses reported a high tolerance for assault, although they recognised it as an experience that was often very traumatic psychologically. Views about managing assaultiveness differed widely, and this lack of consensus probably hinders the development of optimal strategies to deal with what is a major problem in many psychiatric units."}
{"id": "PMID:1476523", "title": "Obstructive sleep apnoea and depression--diagnostic and treatment implications.", "content": "Sleep apnoea (OSA), a common sleep disorder, is well recognised as a cause of morbidity including psychiatric disorders. There is increasing recognition of the link between OSA and depression. Sleep changes are intrinsic to depressive disorders, most notably disturbances of REM sleep; OSA causes predominantly REM sleep disturbances. The neuro-vegetative features of depression are similar or identical to the symptoms of OSA-an issue which has not achieved wide clinical recognition. A growing number of studies confirm the statistical link between the two conditions. The implications are twofold: OSA needs to be excluded in cases of chronic or resistant depression and treatment of OSA will make it easier to treat the primary depressive disorder. A new method of treatment for OSA, the Sullivan continuous positive airway pump (CPAP), raises the theoretical possibility of treating depression by this means as well."}
{"id": "PMID:1476524", "title": "Suicide precautions for psychiatric inpatients: a review.", "content": "This paper reviews the literature on the assessment and management of suicide risk of psychiatric inpatients. Even though a large number of scales have been developed to assist the prediction of suicide for patients admitted for suicide ideas and attempts, none of them were designed to predict suicide in the short term. However the Modified Suicide Intent Scale and the Hopelessness Scale appear to have the potential to predict immediate suicide risk. Risk factors associated with specific psychiatric conditions were all derived retrospectively and their predictive validities have not been established by prospective studies. Important issues relating to the management of suicidal inpatients, such as staff-patient relationships, use of constant observation and medical-legal aspects are reviewed."}
{"id": "PMID:1476525", "title": "Suicide in Singapore, 1986.", "content": "Three hundred and forty-two cases of suicide in Singapore (1986) were studied. The rates were highest among Indians males. Jumping from a height was the method used by 60% of the subjects, and the predominant associated factor as ascertained by the coroner was illness (51%), both physical and mental. About 40% had seen a doctor in the year prior to their death, and 20% had a history of a previous suicide attempt. The majority of cases killed themselves during the daylight hours."}
{"id": "PMID:1476526", "title": "Youth suicide and gender in Australia and New Zealand compared with countries of the Western world 1973-1987.", "content": "Based upon standardised mortality figures, between 1973-1987, Australian male suicide rose by 39%, and New Zealand male suicide by 53%. In both countries there were even greater increases in male youth suicides (15-24 years), 66% and 127% respectively. The female suicide statistics were more varied with a fall of -24% in Australia, but an increase of 26% in New Zealand. In both countries however, female youth suicide, relative to their general rates, increased. A comparison of youth suicide in the western world demonstrated that Australia and New Zealand were unique as they were the only countries in which male and female youth suicide levels were higher than their average rates."}
{"id": "PMID:1476527", "title": "Psychiatrists and their patients--confidential information in the wake of spycatcher.", "content": "This article examines a recent decision of the English Court of Appeal. It concerned a psychiatrist who examined and reported on a convicted murderer in a secure hospital. The report was commissioned by the patient's solicitors as evidence in support of his release. The report was emphatically unfavourable and the doctor insisted that it be revealed to the hospital authorities. The solicitors refused and litigation ensued. The courts were forced to rule on the conflict between the patient's right to privacy and the public interest in revealing the report."}
{"id": "PMID:1476528", "title": "The expert witness in forensic psychiatry.", "content": "Forensic psychiatry operates at the interface of the Justice and Health systems and has been defined as: \"That branch of psychiatry which requires special knowledge and training in the law as it relates to the mental state of the offender, or alleged offender\" [1]. As a consequence of working in this area, psychiatrists are often called into court to give evidence as \"expert witnesses\". This article examines some of the professional and legal issues involved in providing expert testimony. Secondly, it aims to outline some practical guidelines for giving evidence in the court-room. The predominant focus is on criminal, rather than civil, proceedings in which the forensic psychiatrist gives expert testimony; however much of the information is also relevant to other psychiatrists and psychologists undertaking this role in the legal arena."}
{"id": "PMID:1476529", "title": "Phobic reactions of mothers to their own babies.", "content": "A systematic review was carried out of all patients admitted to a specialised mother-baby unit who had significant phobic avoidance of their own infants. Demographic and diagnostic information on this group showed phobic avoidance to be common and associated with a range of psychiatric illnesses. There was a trend towards association with relatively prolonged admission. The relationship of such avoidance to attachment behaviour from mother to child is discussed. It is recommended that phobic symptoms warrant early recognition and treatment in their own right, simultaneously with treatment of the major illness."}
{"id": "PMID:1476530", "title": "Sexual abuse in Chinese children in Hong Kong: a review of 134 cases.", "content": "This is a retrospective study of 134 cases of sexual abuse in Chinese children aged 16 years or under in Hong Kong. The data with respect to the victim's age, sex, severity and type (intra- or extrafamilial) of abuse, perpetrator's characteristics and family disturbances were analysed. The overall profile is similar to that reported in the West. The reasons for the apparently low prevalence, younger age of victim and low proportion of male victims are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1476531", "title": "Differences between reports from children, parents and teachers: implications for epidemiological studies.", "content": "This study describes the different prevalences obtained when varying combinations of informants were used to identify emotional and behavioural disorders in a representative sample of 336 children living in two-parent families in the community of Adelaide, South Australia. When different informants were used to identify children with disorders, the estimated prevalences ranged from 3.3 +/- 1.6% to 17.9 +/- 4.1% for younger children, and 6.0 +/- 2.9% to 19.9 +/- 4.9% for older children. Results from the study highlight potential methodological problems which arise in epidemiological studies due to differences between reports from children, parents, and teachers describing childhood emotional and behavioural problems."}
{"id": "PMID:1476532", "title": "Case report of a female-to-male transsexual homicide offender.", "content": "A 22 year old female-to-male half-Aboriginal transsexual had been exposed to gross neglect and violence, separation and inconsistent cultural supports during childhood. Her mother had also been convicted of homicide in a context of alcohol and violence. Transsexual identification, antisocial behaviours, self mutilation, substance abuse and unmet dependency needs were evident from childhood or early adolescence. The killing was a confrontational peer group stabbing in a brawl under influence of alcohol--the male mode of homicide. This is the first known case in world literature of a female-to-male transsexual guilty of homicide."}
{"id": "PMID:1476533", "title": "Amygdalo-hippocampectomy for pathological aggression.", "content": "Two patients are reported, one with severe brain damage and epilepsy, and the other with limbic epilepsy, who were treated with unilateral microsurgical amygdalo-hippocampectomy for the control of rage and aggression. Both had significant improvement in their aggressiveness, and the second patient also improved in the frequency of his seizures and psychotic episodes. The significance of these observations for our understanding of the morphophysiological basis of rage and aggression is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1476544", "title": "2',3'-O-(2,4,6-trinitrophenyl)-8-azido-AMP and -ATP photolabel Lys-492 at the active site of sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+)-ATPase.", "content": "2',3'-O-(2,4,6-trinitrophenyl)-8-azido (TNP-8N3)-AMP, -ADP, and -ATP bind tightly to the Ca(2+)-ATPase of skeletal muscle sarcoplasmic reticulum and become covalently attached on irradiation at alkaline pH, concomitant with inactivation of ATPase activity (Seebregts, C. J., and McIntosh, D. B. (1989) J. Biol. Chem. 264, 2043-2052). The ATPase is derivatized to the extent of 2-3 nmol/mg protein (i.e. approximately 1/2 maximum phosphoenzyme levels) per irradiation period at equimolar concentrations of ATPase and nucleotide. Stability studies of the adduct formed at alkaline pH revealed that the linkage is labile, particularly if the protein is denatured by brief heat (60 degrees C) treatment (t1/2 = 4-8 h at 40 degrees C). Thermolysin digestion of derivatized vesicles resulted in the release of the majority of the TNP chromaphore as an unstable TNP-peptide adduct (t1/2 = 9 h at 25 degrees C) with the sequence FSRDR*SMS, where the missing residue is Lys-492 and is presumably that which is derivatized. The same peptide adduct, and in similar amounts, was isolated from the ATPase derivatized with either TNP-8N3-AMP or -ATP. Several lines of evidence, including the finding that ATP- and not acetyl phosphate- or Pi-dependent phosphorylation is blocked by derivatization, suggest that the lysyl residue is at the catalytic nucleotide binding site, but is not directly involved in phosphoryl transfer. Lys-492 and Phe-487, as well as neighboring Arg-476 and Lys-515 (labeled with fluorescein 5'-isothiocyanate), have all been highly conserved and probably contribute to a subdomain binding the purine and/or proximal phosphoryl groups of ATP."}
{"id": "PMID:1476545", "title": "Histiocytic cytophagic panniculitis: molecular evidence for a clonal T-cell disorder.", "content": "Histiocytic cytophagic panniculitis is a systemic disease of unknown etiopathogenesis that invariably involves the subcutaneous fat and is histologically characterized by phagocytosis of blood elements by histiocytes that appear to be benign. Immunophenotypic and genotypic studies of biopsy specimens of the lesions of a 58-year-old woman showed that the lymphocytic infiltrates accompanying the histiocytes in the subcutis were composed of clonal T-cells with rearrangement of the surface receptor gene. Our findings suggest that the primary abnormality in histiocytic cytophagic panniculitis may be a clonal T-cell proliferation."}
{"id": "PMID:1476547", "title": "Sequence analysis of the 5' flanking region of the human estrogen receptor gene.", "content": "We present the sequence of 2770 nucleotides of 5' flanking sequence of the human estrogen receptor (hER) gene. The positions of potential binding sites for a number of trans-acting factors including Sp1, OTF-1, INR, TATA and CAAT box factors as well as several half palindromic hormone responsive elements (HREs) have been mapped by comparison with the consensus binding sequences. A long alternating purine/pyrimidine (APP) tract which has the potential for structural diversity as indicated by site-specific cleavage with S1 nuclease is another feature of this region. The organization of this promoter region is compared to that of other cloned members of this family. The potential roles that these sequences may play in the transcriptional regulation of this gene are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1476551", "title": "Biphasic effect of ethanol on noradrenaline release in the frontal cortex of awake rats.", "content": "Ethanol elicited a biphasic effects on the extracellular noradrenaline (NA) concentrations in the rat frontal cortex, as assessed by microdialysis in awake animals. A low dose of ethanol (0.2 g/kg i.p.) raised NA output to about 160% of baseline levels. In contrast, a dose of 2 g/kg inhibited NA output to about 70% of pre-drug levels. These results suggest that the decrease in cortical NA output may reflect the sedative-hypnotic properties of ethanol at high doses, whereas the stimulation of extraneuronal NA may represent a biochemical correlate of the arousal and increased alertness elicited by low doses of ethanol."}
{"id": "PMID:1476552", "title": "Reports of physical symptoms and alcohol use: findings from a primary health care sample.", "content": "The relationship between alcohol consumption and physical health was examined in a primary health care sample of 366 adults. Unlike many previous studies that relied on static measures of medical diagnoses, the data reported here are repeated assessments of self-reported symptoms and alcohol use over 12 months. The results suggest, first, that drinking patterns in non-alcoholic samples fluctuate over time, and, second, that abstainers who have more prior illnesses or worse current health consistently report the greatest number of physical symptoms. The data highlight the importance of accounting for the health status of abstainers before comparing them with users of alcohol, and suggest that the presence of physical symptoms in addition to objective indices of health (e.g. the need for medication) may play a role in the initiation or maintenance of abstinence."}
{"id": "PMID:1476553", "title": "Ethanol-induced chronic myopathy in the young rat: a light and electron microscopic study in type I or type II fibre-rich skeletal muscles.", "content": "An investigation was made into the characteristics of an experimental chronic alcoholic myopathy in the young rat. Male Wistar rats were fed a diet for 6 weeks in which ethanol comprised 36% of total energy. Controls were pair-fed the same diet except ethanol was substituted by isoenergic glucose. Soleus (type I fibre-rich) and plantaris (type II fibre-rich) muscles were examined by light microscopy, histochemistry and electron microscopy. Muscles from ethanol-fed rats showed a low-grade myopathy and the diameters of individual type II fibres were reduced. Infrequent atrophic fibres were necrotic and undergoing phagocytosis. Ultrastructurally, there were no observable differences in the subcellular organelles of the alcohol-fed and control rats. It was concluded that alcohol causes a specific myopathic process in the rat, selectively affecting type II fibres. These changes correlate well with the abnormalities seen in human chronic alcoholic myopathy."}
{"id": "PMID:1476554", "title": "Metadoxine (pyrrolidone carboxylate of pyridoxine) antagonizes the locomotor-stimulatory effect of ethanol in mice.", "content": "The effects of metadoxine (pyrrolidone-carboxylic acid; PCA) and pyridoxine on the locomotor responses to ethanol in mice were compared. Metadoxine (200 and 400 mg/kg i.p.) and PCA (86 and 172 mg/kg) prevented, in a dose-related manner, the locomotor stimulant effect of a low dose of ethanol (1.5 g/kg i.p.), whereas pyridoxine (228 mg/kg i.p.) was completely ineffective. Neither compound modified the sedative effect of a high ethanol dose (2.5 g/kg i.p.). The results indicate that the antagonistic effect of metadoxine on ethanol stimulant response is due to the PCA component of the molecule."}
{"id": "PMID:1476555", "title": "The concentration of thiamin and thiamin phosphate esters in patients with alcoholic liver cirrhosis.", "content": "The blood and plasma concentrations of thiamin and thiamin phosphate esters were determined concomitantly by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) in 22 patients with alcoholic liver cirrhosis, and also in 10 of them 24 hr after a 100 mg thiamin i.m. injection. Sixteen patients were abstaining from alcohol at the time of the study, 6 were currently misusing alcohol. The control group included 30 healthy volunteers, of whom 10 were given the same thiamin injection as the patients. Blood thiamin diphosphate was the only compound decreased in the abstaining patients compared to controls (70.9 +/- 21.9 nmol/l vs. 84.4 +/- 19.0 nmol/l), but all thiamin compounds in blood and plasma were decreased in the misusing patients. All thiamin compounds (except blood monophosphate) were also significantly lower in the misusing than in the abstaining patients (plasma thiamin: 5.3 +/- 1.3 vs. 11.7 +/- 8.3 nmol/l; plasma monophosphate: 1.0 +/- 1.1 vs. 4.1 +/- 2.9 nmol/l; blood diphosphate: 45.7 +/- 18.3 vs. 70.9 +/- 21.9 nmol/l). Thiamin phosphorylation ratio was decreased in the patients after thiamin administration compared to controls (2.83 +/- 0.74 vs. 3.68 +/- 0.58). Plasma thiamin was higher in the abstaining patients than in the controls (11.7 +/- 8.4 nmol/l vs. 7.3 +/- 2.5 nmol/l), and above the mean + 2 SD of the controls in 31% of the abstaining patients. In conclusion, current ethanol misuse is associated with low thiamin concentrations, and liver cirrhosis is associated with a decreased thiamin diphosphate concentration and thiamin phosphorylation."}
{"id": "PMID:1476556", "title": "TRH test in alcoholics: relationship of the endocrine results with neuroradiological and neuropsychological findings.", "content": "Neuroradiological, neuropsychological and neuroendocrine parameters were evaluated in 20 non-depressed alcoholic men after 4 weeks (N = 11) or after at least 1 year (N = 9) of abstinence from alcohol and in normal men (N = 9). With regard to normal controls, 4-week abstinent alcoholics showed larger lateral and third ventricles, without modification in the number of cerebral sulci, and altered scores of tests evaluating subcortical and frontal function. Furthermore, in these patients the TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) and PRL (prolactin) responses to thyrotropin releasing hormone were higher than in controls, suggesting a reduced hypothalamic control of TSH and PRL secretion. Taken together, these findings suggest the presence of a frontal-subcortical disorder in alcoholics. Patients who had been abstinent from alcohol for at least 1 year were not distinguishable from controls for neuroradiological, neuropsychological and neuroendocrine findings, suggesting that the alcohol-related brain alterations are reversible after a long period of abstinence."}
{"id": "PMID:1476557", "title": "Intestinal iron absorption in chronic alcoholics.", "content": "Chronic alcohol misusers frequently accumulate significant amounts of excess iron, but the mechanism of this loading is unknown. In vivo whole-body retention studies demonstrated, on average, a two-fold increase in intestinal iron absorption in six male chronic alcoholics. Degrees of iron loading as assessed by serum ferritin or hepatic iron levels did not correlate with alcohol consumption or liver function tests. In vitro studies of iron uptake at varying medium iron concentrations by duodenal mucosa biopsies showed increased iron uptake by tissue from the chronic alcoholics, particularly at the highest medium iron concentration used. Analysis of the uptake data showed similar Michaelis-Menten kinetic constants for uptake by tissue from control subjects and alcoholics. The analysis showed, in addition, a linear component for 59Fe uptake. This component was five-fold greater for the tissue from the chronic alcoholics compared to the controls at the highest medium iron concentration. 57Co-cyanocobalamin was included in the incubation medium as a tissue extracellular fluid marker (ECF). It was found that the apparent distribution volume of the ECF marker, reflecting tissue permeability, was 75% higher for the biopsies from the alcoholics compared to control subjects. These results, together with the previous reports of enhanced in vitro and in vivo intestinal permeability to 51Cr-EDTA in chronic alcoholics, indicate that unregulated increased iron absorption via the non-carrier-mediated paracellular route contributes to the iron overload in chronic alcoholics."}
{"id": "PMID:1476558", "title": "Evaluation of plasma cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) activity as a marker of alcoholism.", "content": "Plasma cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) activity was measured in 52 alcoholics and 38 controls and compared with conventional laboratory markers of alcoholism. Mean daily alcohol intake was 180 g/day among the alcoholics and 10 g/day among the controls. Plasma CETP activity was 26% lower in the alcoholics (P < 0.001) and was inversely correlated with daily alcohol intake (r = -0.288, P < 0.05). CETP activity detected 63% of the alcoholics, and its specificity was 82% if the cut-off point was set at the mean CETP activity of the controls -1 SD. The mean -2 SD gave a very low sensitivity for CETP (8%) and cannot be used as its cut-off point. The sensitivities and specificities of gamma glutamyltransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, mean corpuscular volume and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol were similar to those of CETP activity when the cut-off point for CETP was mean -1 SD. The results thus indicate that plasma CETP activity is not sufficient as a single marker of alcoholism but could be used as an additional method to detect alcohol misuse, although its wide variation in normal population and the elaborate analysis limit its usefulness."}
{"id": "PMID:1476559", "title": "Serum trypsin-like activity in chronic alcoholized men: possible relationship with lipids, apoA-1 and apoB lipoproteins.", "content": "Chronic alcoholization is known to increase plasma trypsin levels. One-hundred and forty-six male chronic alcohol users were tested for serum trypsin-like activity (STA), total cholesterol (TC), LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C), HDL-/cholesterol (HDL-C), triglycerides (TG), apoA-1 and apoB lipoproteins. STA was positively correlated to LDL-C, TG and apoB rates and the CT/HDL-C index and negatively correlated to HDL-C and apoA-1 rates and the apoA-1/apoB index. Eighty-four patients with high STA (group B) compared to 62 patients with normal STA (group A) showed significantly higher LDL-C, TG, apoB rates and TC/HDL-C index contrasting with significantly lower HDL-C and apoA-1 rates and the apoA-1/apoB index. The two groups were matched for age, overweight, cigarette smoking and glycemia. Hepatic dysfunction does not explain the differences in the lipoproteic parameters. Such results would suggest that there may be a tryptic alteration of apoproteins in vivo as already demonstrated in vitro and experimentally suspected in vivo in some other studies. Competition by the trypsin-activated alpha 2 macroglobulin for the chylomicron-remnant LDL receptor-related protein may be evoked."}
{"id": "PMID:1476560", "title": "[Physiological evaluation of clothing made of new material for protection against the solar heat load].", "content": "The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of clothing made of a new material that is, the polyester staple containing the ceramics and to reflect the solar heat load on physiological responses during rest, exercise (50% VO2max) and recovery on a cycle ergometer. Six young female subjects exposed their back to an artificial solar heat load of an intensity of 680 kcal/m2/h with an air temperature of 30 degrees C. The data were compared to those obtained by wearing clothing made of cotton material. The results were as follows. The cardiac output and oxygen consumption obtained at the end of recovery were increased by solar heat load when the subjects wore cotton material. However, these values showed no significant increase when the subjects wore solar heat reflecting clothing. Furthermore, the cardiac output at the end of submaximal work and recovery were higher for the cotton material compared to the heat reflecting clothing in the solar heat load. The increase of cardiac output for the cotton material may show the increase of skin blood flow for the body heat dissipation. Those results suggest that the solar heat reflecting clothing may decrease the physiological strain like a blood redistribution for the body heat dissipation during exercise in summer sunlight."}
{"id": "PMID:1476561", "title": "Distribution of evaporation rate on human body surface.", "content": "Relative humidity (R. H), vapour pressure (Psk) and evaporation rate (Esk) of the human skin surface were measured at 29 points by an evaporimeter at 25 degrees C, 28 degrees C, 31 degrees C, 34 degrees C and 37 degrees C of air temperature (Ta), with 35 +/- 10 % R. H and air velocity of less than 0.2 m/s. The skin temperatures and the body weight loss were also measured by thermography and electronic balance. Ten healthy female subjects aged 22-34 years, wearing brassiere and shorts, took a supine and a prone posture during experiment. Comparisons of the obtained Esk with the previous results of other studies showed that there were no definite differences among the measuring methods of Esk, while it is ascertained that the calibration of the results to some standard values such as weight loss were more important to get accurate values of Esk. Distribution patterns of Esk were almost the same in the insensible zone but they remarkably changed in the sweating zone. According to the regression analysis of Esk and Ta, 29 regions were classified into the following 9 groups which showed similar values and changes of Esk with the air temperature: 1) face, 2) front upper trunk, 3) back upper trunk, 4) front lower trunk, 5) back lower trunk, 6) arm, 7) leg, 8) hand and foot and 9) palm, sole and axilla. These results were discussed in relation to the contributing factors such as the number and the capacity of the sweat gland, the regional skin temperature and the pressure-sweat response and also in relation to the skin wettedness."}
{"id": "PMID:1476562", "title": "On the visual recognition of moving letter.", "content": "The visual recognition (i.e., legibility) of moving object was studied. The numerical letters were mainly used as the objects. The influences of (1) direction of the movement, (2) thickness of line of letter (i.e., stroke width), and (3) design of letter to the visual recognition were measured. From these measurements, the optimal numerical letters were proposed in the first step of the study, which were called as IMAL(initial most optimal arabic letters). The visual recognition of both moving letters IMAL and letters JIS (Japan industrial standard) employed for motionless-state was compared for both the moving and the motionless states. In the presentation for motionless state, letters JIS showed lower error rate, but the statistical significance was not proved, while in the presentation for horizontally moving state letters IMAL showed better visual recognition than letters JIS was the significant level of 5%. Therefore, the useful numerical letters for moving state could be designed in the study. Moreover, the visual recognition of letters IMAL was evaluated for various moving velocities. The optimal moving velocities for both letters IMAL and JIS were found."}
{"id": "PMID:1476563", "title": "Effect of chronic hypoxia on skeletal muscle fiber type in adult male rats.", "content": "The effects of chronic hypoxia on muscle fiber distribution were investigated in 10-week-old male Wistar rats. Samples of the soleus and the plantaris muscles were extracted after the animals were exposed to normobaric hypoxia (10% O2) for 4 weeks. Histochemical myosin-based classification of skeletal muscle fibers was used. There was no evidence of transformation between different fiber types in either muscles. These results differ from those of previous studies. The rats used in those studies were younger, and it is difficult to distinguish the conversion of fiber types that occurs during normal development from other factors. These data suggest that chronic hypoxia does not affect muscle fiber type in adult rats."}
{"id": "PMID:1476564", "title": "The physical mechanisms of the perception of dampness in fabrics.", "content": "The detection of dampness in hygroscopic materials has been investigated both by subjective tests and by the application of a model of the physical mechanisms involved. Subjects were asked to rate the degree of dampness of a range of materials of different moisture contents after a short period of contact with the inner forearm. Skin and fabric inner surface temperatures were recorded. It was found that highly hygroscopic wool fabrics were perceived as being dryer and maintained a higher temperature at the skin surface than polyester, a less hygroscopic fabric, during fabric-skin contact. A physical model of the sorption/desorption process in hygroscopic materials has been developed from knowledge of fibre sorption kinetics and used to study the physical processes which take place at the skin-fabric interface during transient contact. These predictions agree well with the subjective responses and the measured temperatures."}
{"id": "PMID:1476565", "title": "[Comparison of submaximal front crawl and breast stroke swimming in relation to energy expenditure].", "content": "The purpose of this study was to compare the energy expenditure during submaximal front crawl (Fr) and breast stroke (Br) swimming. Six male college swimmers performed submaximal and maximal exercise tests in both styles in a swimming flume. In submaximal exercise tests, they swam at the following given velocities for 5 min, Br: 0.3, 0.5 and 0.7 m/sec; Fr: 0.3, 0.5, 0.7 and 0.9 m/sec. In maximal exercise tests, following submaximal swimming at 0.9 m/sec in Br and 1.1 m/sec in Fr, swimming velocity was increased progressively by 0.1 m/sec every 1 min until the subjects reached to voluntary exhaustion. VO2max obtained from the maximal swimming tests in Br and Fr were 4.27 and 4.18 l/min, respectively. And there was no significant difference between these two values. VO2 during Br and Fr swimming at four and five submaximal velocities were 1.06, 1.30, 1.79, 2.65 l/min and 1.17, 1.34, 1.63, 2.04, 3.05 l/min, respectively. And, it was found that VO2 at 0.3 and 0.9 m/sec were significantly different (p < 0.05 and p < 0.01) between Fr and Br. VO2 in both styles curvilinearly increased with swimming velocity, and these relationships were well fitted for the regression equation of the second order (Br: y = 3.84625x2 - 1.95914x + 1.310463,r2 = 0.999 (p < 0.05), Fr: y = 3.233446x2 - 2.28136x + 1.611524, r2 = 0.979 (p < 0.05)). It was calculated that the two curves crossed at a point on 0.49 m/sec, and that VO2 at this point was 1.27 l/min. This value equivalented to 30.4% VO2max in Br and 29.7% VO2max in Fr.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1476566", "title": "Thresholds for decrease in intracellular pH and increase in blood lactate during progressive exercise: 31P-MRS study.", "content": "The purpose of this study was to compare the intramuscular and the intravascular events in relation to energy metabolism during progressive arm exercise. Twelve healthy untrained Japanese males participated in this study as subjects. They performed wrist flexion in a ramp incremental load of 0.14 W/min until exhaustion. 31P-MR spectra were obtained from wrist flexor muscle before and throughout the exercise. Venous blood was also sampled from antecubital vein with one minute interval during the exercise, and a change in plasma lactate concentration (La) was observed. Intracellular pH (pH) was calculated from a chemical shift between phosphocreatine (PCr) and inorganic phosphate (Pi) of the 31P-MR spectra. Change in pH showed a threshold behavior during exercise. Threshold points at decline in pH (pHT), increase in Pi/PCr (PT), and increase in La (LT) were determined by piecewise linear regression analysis of minutes-by-minutes data. Mean values of pHT, PT and LT were 43.0, 42.5, and 24.8% of maximal work rate, respectively. LT was significantly smaller than pHT and PT. This result suggests that lactic acidosis has already existed when pH is kept at resting level, and pHT reflects the capacity of remaining intracellular biochemical homeostasis, which might be one of the physiological indices of muscle fatigue."}
{"id": "PMID:1476567", "title": "[The effects of the menstrual cycle on temporary threshold shift (TTS) and sex differences in TTS].", "content": "The aim of this research was to investigate the influences of the menstrual cycles of women on temporary threshold shift (TTS) and to compare the results with TTS of men. The subjects were, after 5 min rest, exposed to 100dB of continuous white noise for 8 min. The audiometry with a 4000 Hz test tone was done in the 45-min recovery process. In the three phases of the menstrual cycle, TTS tended to be lower in postovulatory phase than in preovulatory phase and during menstruation. The male TTS was higher than that of the female in all phases of menstrual cycle."}
{"id": "PMID:1476568", "title": "Prognostic value of EEG in neonatal meningitis: retrospective study of 29 infants.", "content": "Neonatal meningitis is associated with significant neurologic sequelae. Previous studies from our laboratory and others demonstrated electroencephalography (EEG) to be a useful tool in predicting long-term neurologic outcome in at-risk neonates. We, therefore, retrospectively studied 29 infants with culture-proved neonatal meningitis who died in the neonatal period or survived to follow-up at a mean of 34.4 months. Seventy-five EEGs were obtained during the acute phase of infection; the degree of EEG background abnormality proved to be an accurate predictor of outcome. Infants who had normal or mildly abnormal backgrounds had normal outcomes, whereas those with markedly abnormal EEGs died or manifested severe neurologic sequelae at follow-up. When the EEG was considered with the presence or absence of seizures and the level of consciousness, an accurate prediction of neurologic outcome was obtained in 27 infants (93%). Although the EEG patterns were generally nonspecific, some abnormalities, such as positive rolandic sharp waves, persistent hemispheric or focal voltage attenuation, suggested more specific pathology (i.e., deep white matter necrosis, large-vessel infarction and abscess, respectively). EEG was also valuable for the recognition of subtle and subclinical seizures. Therefore, we conclude that EEG is a valuable tool for predicting the long-term prognoses of infants with neonatal meningitis."}
{"id": "PMID:1476569", "title": "Head-upright tilt table testing in evaluation of recurrent, unexplained syncope.", "content": "Recurrent syncope is one of the most common problems referred to the pediatric neurologist for evaluation. Traditional evaluations are time consuming and expensive, and leave 40% of patients without a precise diagnosis. Vasovagal syncope has been believed to be a common cause of syncope; however, no reliable diagnostic modality has been available to confirm this theory. Head-upright tilt table testing has recently emerged as a useful tool in the evaluation and management of recurrent, unexplained syncope. In this review, we present the pathophysiologic mechanisms of vasovagal syncope and relate them to the reflexes triggered during head-upright tilt table testing. Additionally, we review the clinical data on the uses of this test in unexplained syncope, suggest a practical testing protocol, and elaborate potential therapeutic modalities that can be employed to prevent further episodes. Head-upright tilt table testing will likely become a standard test employed by both adult and child neurologists."}
{"id": "PMID:1476570", "title": "MRI findings in children infected by Borrelia burgdorferi.", "content": "Cranial magnetic resonance imaging abnormalities were observed in 8 children (5 boys, 3 girls; ages 4-14 years) with neurologic problems following infection by Borrelia burgdorferi, the etiologic agent of Lyme disease. Neurologic features included headache (6), behavioral changes (5), facial palsy (2), papilledema (2), papilledema with diplopia (1), disturbance of sleep pattern (2), and carpal tunnel syndrome (1). Two MRI studies demonstrated multiple focal areas of increased signal intensity in white matter on long TR (both proton-density and T2-weighted) images."}
{"id": "PMID:1476571", "title": "Prediction of dystrophin phenotype by DNA analysis in Duchenne/Becker muscular dystrophy.", "content": "Allele-specific molecular diagnosis of Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophies (DMD and BMD) has been largely dependent upon muscle biopsy for dystrophin protein assay. We performed lymphocyte DNA mutation analysis by polymerase chain reaction on 14 boys presenting with a clinical picture compatible with DMD or BMD. DNA analysis revealed that 12 of 14 boys had a deletion of the dystrophin gene, thus establishing the diagnosis of DMD/BMD. Furthermore, genotypes for 9 of 12 deletion patients permitted prediction of the specific allelic disorder (i.e., DMD or BMD). Subsequent dystrophin testing confirmed all of the DNA-based diagnoses. We propose that DNA mutation analysis be included in the initial evaluation of patients suspected of having DMD/BMD, thus potentially eliminating the need for muscle biopsy in the majority of patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1476574", "title": "Oral glucose lactate stimulation test in mitochondrial disease.", "content": "We selected 23 patients with neurologic diseases, including 15 boys and 8 girls from 1 month to 10 years of age, who were divided into mitochondrial and nonmitochondrial disease groups. All patients were required to fast and rest for at least 4-10 hours before the test. Glucose was administered orally using a 50% glucose:water solution at a dose of 1.75 mg/kg. Blood samples then were drawn from a retained heparinized venous line at 0, 30, 60, 120, and 180 min and tested for lactate and glucose levels. Of the mitochondrial disease group, 10 of 11 patients had an upward sloping curve of lactate metabolism; the one who had a flat line response was a patient who suffered from a free-fatty-acid metabolic defect presenting with a recurrent Reye-like syndrome. There was a relatively flat line response in the nonmitochondrial disease group except in a patient with alternating hemiplegia whose symptoms responded well to flunarizine therapy. A significant increase in blood lactate content at 60 min after glucose loading occurred in the mitochondrial disease group, in contrast to that of the nonmitochondrial group. Sensitivity and specificity of a 5 mg/dl increase in blood lactate concentration at 60 min was 72.7% vs. 91.7% Moreover, all 4 patients whose blood lactate increased by 13 mg/dl at 60 min were in the mitochondrial disease group."}
{"id": "PMID:1476575", "title": "Postnatal maturation of phrenic nerve in children.", "content": "The phrenic nerve at the pericardial level was examined postmortem in 17 children, ages 3 days to 8 years. Detailed macroscopic and histologic examination of the central nervous system in all patients disclosed no abnormalities. Quantitative developmental studies demonstrated that myelinated axons doubled in number from birth to age 1 year when a plateau was reached. The main period of growth in diameter of myelinated axons also corresponded to the first year when median diameters increased from 1.75 microns at 3 days of age to 3.0 microns by 8 months of age. Unmyelinated axons also grew significantly in the first 11 months when median diameters reached 1.4 microns. There was no significant increase in axonal diameter at later ages. The slope of the regression line for the number of myelin lamellae on axonal diameters increased with age until 6 months of age, whereas the dispersion around the regression lines decreased in the same period. This finding suggests a direct relationship between myelination and axonal growth. Significant maturation of the phrenic nerve occurs during the first year of life."}
{"id": "PMID:1476572", "title": "Auditory brainstem responses in congenital heart disease.", "content": "To evaluate the effect of chronic hypoxemia on brainstem maturation, auditory brainstem responses were examined in 70 children (32 with and 38 without cyanosis) who had congenital heart disease. Ninety-one age-matched normal children served as controls. At 1-3 months of age, the I-V interpeak latencies of cyanotic infants (mean +/- S.D.; 5.17 +/- 0.17 ms) were more prolonged than were those of controls (4.95 +/- 0.11 ms) and those without cyanosis (4.84 +/- 0.22 ms; P < .05; P < .01). At 4-11 months of age, the I-V interpeak latencies of cyanotic infants (4.85 +/- 0.13 ms) were more prolonged than were those of controls (4.67 +/- 0.19 ms) and those not experiencing cyanosis (4.5 +/- 0.17 ms; P < .05; P < .01). In the cyanotic children, there was a significant negative correlation between the I-V interpeak latency and oxygen partial pressure (P < .01) or oxygen saturation (P < .05). Three of the 70 patients (4.3%) with congenital heart disease had absent auditory brainstem response. These data indicate that chronic hypoxemia may be one of the factors in retarded brainstem maturation."}
{"id": "PMID:1476573", "title": "Clinicopathologic studies on leptomeningeal glioneuronal heterotopia in congenital anomalies.", "content": "Leptomeningeal glioneuronal heterotopia was observed in 40 of 129 autopsied infants (31%). It was present in 49% of patients who had congenital anomalies in general and in 65% of patients who had central nervous system malformations. Most of the leptomeningeal glioneuronal heterotopias appeared in the base of the brain (62.5%), midbrain (40%), frontal lobe (37%), and pons (35%). Leptomeningeal glioneuronal heterotopia is closely related to migration disorders on the basis of frequent association with polymicrogyria or neuronal heterotopias."}
{"id": "PMID:1476583", "title": "[Characterization of murine monoclonal antibodies against fetal erythrocytes].", "content": "Balb/c mice were immunized against papain-treated fetal erythrocytes and splenocytes were fused with Sp2/0-Ag-14 myeloma cells. Several hybrids secreting antibodies directed against antigenic determinants predominantly exposed on fetal and cord cells were selected and cloned twice. Antibodies NaM61-1A2 and NaM61-768 (IgM class) were shown to be specific for an endo-beta-galactosidase-sensitive oligosaccharide chain. The antigen, strongly expressed on fetal and cord cells, was identified as the i blood group antigen. The antibodies represent powerful blood group reagents to be use in conventional agglutination techniques as well as in the gel typing system and in indirect flow cytometry. The antibody NaM46-4A8 (IgG class) is specific for an antigenic structure expressed on fetal cells and accessible only after papain, ficin, bromelin and endo-beta galactosidase treatment. The antigen was not identified."}
{"id": "PMID:1476584", "title": "[Blood donors and anemia].", "content": "Biological examinations of 2,630 blood donors showed that 8.6% of them were suffering with anemia. In 4% of the cases we discovered iron deficit and an hemoglobinopathy was found in 0.64% of all the cases."}
{"id": "PMID:1476579", "title": "Autosomal recessive neurodegenerative disorder with trichorrhexis invaginata and ectodermal dysplasia.", "content": "Two siblings are reported with an autosomal recessive syndrome characterized by hair and skin abnormalities, hypoplastic nails, generalized hypotonia, absent reflexes, and progressive neurologic deterioration. Although this disorder shares clinical features with an ectodermal dysplasia syndrome with neurodegenerative changes, no specific neuropathologic findings were present. Instead, trichorrhexis invaginata was found in some hair shafts. Hair analysis may be helpful in classifying clinically confusing neurologic conditions."}
{"id": "PMID:1476576", "title": "Serial MRI and CT findings in infantile Krabbe disease.", "content": "Krabbe disease (globoid cell leukodystrophy) is an autosomal recessive childhood disorder characterized by severe motor and mental deterioration. The disease has been divided into 3 main types and further subdivided into several subtypes based on age of onset and symptoms. Initial clinical findings and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with several follow-up scans are presented to identify the order and extent of white matter involvement and developing brain atrophy in a child with the floppy infant variant of Krabbe disease. When the patient's clinical condition proceeded to stage 2, MRI disclosed severe involvement of the deep white matter around the atria and posterior limbs of the internal capsules. At the same time there was progression of normal myelination around the frontal horns. At age 32 months, the patient's clinical condition proceeded to stage 3; she did not interact with her environment. MRI revealed a significant decrease of white matter volume, generalized atrophy, and abnormal high signal in all white matter areas except the anterior limbs of the internal capsules. At the same time the volume of the central gray nuclei was decreased and also demonstrated abnormal high signal. Despite its sensitivity, MRI could not differentiate the findings of this variant of Krabbe disease from the classic form; therefore, subclassifications of Krabbe disease should be made on clinical grounds because they cannot be distinguished by biochemical or radiologic (MRI) criteria."}
{"id": "PMID:1476585", "title": "[Method for studying anti-complement reagents: use of freeze-thawed sensitized erythrocytes].", "content": "The use of red blood cells coated with complement fractions using low ionic strength saline conditions is part of the evaluation of anti-complement antibodies, specially monoclonal antibodies used for antiglobulin reagents. This work shows that such cells stored in liquid nitrogen allow satisfactory long-term studies except for the anti-C3g antibodies."}
{"id": "PMID:1476580", "title": "Eastern equine encephalitis presenting with a focal brain lesion.", "content": "Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) virus causes a severe meningoencephalitis with high morbidity and mortality. Despite numerous clinical reports of EEE, there are only 11 patients in whom cranial computed tomographic (CT) findings are described. In 6 patients, CT was normal and in 5 patients diffuse edema was present; none had a focal brain lesion. Based on these reports, it has been suggested that focal findings on CT support the diagnosis of herpes simplex encephalitis rather than EEE. The first patient with serologically-confirmed EEE and a focal lesion demonstrated by cranial CT and magnetic resonance imaging is described; these findings underscore the importance of including EEE in the differential diagnosis of encephalitides that can cause focal brain lesions on neuroimaging."}
{"id": "PMID:1476578", "title": "Chorea, eosinophilia, and lupus anticoagulant associated with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.", "content": "A child is reported with chorea as the initial presentation of acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Subsequent laboratory studies revealed marked eosinophilia and a lupus anticoagulant. No peripheral or central nervous system lymphoblasts were observed. The chorea, eosinophilia, and lupus anticoagulant all resolved once remission of the acute lymphoblastic leukemia was induced. It is suggested that acute lymphoblastic leukemia be included in the differential diagnosis of chorea and eosinophilia in childhood."}
{"id": "PMID:1476577", "title": "Sj\u00f6gren-Larsson-like syndrome with bone dysplasia and normal fatty alcohol NAD+ oxidoreductase activity.", "content": "We report a boy and girl with a \"new\" multiple congenital anomalies/mental retardation syndrome which resemblances Sj\u00f6gren-Larsson syndrome. Both patients had a concordant pattern of anomalies consisting of congenital lamellar ichthyosis with spontaneous improvement, moderate mental retardation, mild pyramidal involvement, telecanthus, flat facies, stubby long bones, and coxa valga. Severe myopia, ventriculoseptal defect, and postaxial polydactyly were present in the girl who had more severe bone involvement with dense, enlarged metaphyses, vertebral dysplasia, and advanced skeletal maturation of the lower limbs. Long-chain fatty alcohol NAD+ oxidoreductase (FAO) and steroid sulfatase were normal."}
{"id": "PMID:1476588", "title": "[Healthy aging: a holistic nursing theory].", "content": "\"Healthy aging\" is the theme of the International Nurses Day 1992, announced by the International Council of Nurses. This article discusses briefly critical questions, among which the following: How is the world aging? What are the most important health issues? What does \"Healthy aging\" really mean? What is the Greek philosophical view for aging? And what are the problems and perspectives of the nursing care of the elderly?"}
{"id": "PMID:1476593", "title": "Coadministration of haloperidol and SCH-23390 prevents the increase in \"perforated\" synapses due to either drug alone.", "content": "Perforated synapses, which have a discontinuous density along the postsynaptic membrane, undergo changes in numbers under various experimental conditions. We have previously shown that 14-day administration of haloperidol, a typical neuroleptic which induces extrapyramidal side effects (EPS) and tardive dyskinesia (TD) in patients, causes an increase in the percentage of perforated synapses within the caudate nucleus. This increase was reversed if the animals were taken off the drug for an equal period of time (14 days). There was no effect within the nucleus accumbens. The atypical antipsychotic drug, clozapine, which when administered precipitates a very much lower incidence of EPS and TD, had no effect on the percentage of perforated synapses within either the caudate or nucleus accumbens. Because clozapine binds to both dopamine (DA) D1 and D2 receptors, it was of interest to determine if any changes in perforated synapses occurred following administration of the specific D1 antagonist, SCH-23390. Furthermore, because the action of D2 agonist may be dependent on the activation of the D1 receptor, we asked whether concomitant blockade of the D1 receptor could prevent the increase in perforated synapses due to the action of haloperidol, a drug which upregulates D2 receptors. We found that 14-day treatment with SCH-23390 (1.0 mg/kg per day) or haloperidol (0.5 mg/kg per day) caused an increase in the percentage of perforated synapses within the caudate but not the nucleus accumbens. There was a corresponding increase in DA D1 and D2 receptors in the caudate following administration of SCH-23390 or haloperidol, respectively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1476587", "title": "[Aged patients and chronic illness].", "content": "Nursing personnel taking care of aged patients should thoroughly recognize respect and protect these special patients' rights. The nurse should also interpret and cope with the various problems arising from both functional and psychological diseases of the elderly, being also responsible for application of specially elaborated educational programmes on long-term care of chronic illness."}
{"id": "PMID:1476594", "title": "Effects of alcohol on E2 beta-stimulated luteinizing hormone in ovariectomized rhesus monkeys.", "content": "Anovulation is a frequent concomitant of alcohol abuse, but it has been difficult to assess the acute effects of alcohol on ovulation. Estradiol benzoate (E2 beta) can stimulate a luteinizing hormone (LH) surge in ovariectomized monkeys that appears to be associated with increased luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) pulse frequency and amplitude. The acute effects of alcohol (2.5 and 3.5 g/kg) and an isocaloric sucrose control solution on LH and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) secretory activity were studied in five ovariectomized monkeys 41 to 51 hours after administration of E2 beta (42 micrograms/kg, IM). Integrated plasma samples were collected at 20-minute intervals over 10 hours. Under sucrose control conditions, LH increased to 445 and 584 ng/ml within 46 to 49.3 hours after E2 beta administration in two monkeys and high-amplitude LH pulses were evident in three monkeys. Alcohol (2.5 and 3.5 g/kg) significantly decreased the number of LH peaks and valleys (p < 0.01). Peak blood alcohol levels averaged 195 and 291 mg/dl. After 2.5 g/kg alcohol, there was no LH surge or LH pulses in four of five monkeys. A delayed LH surge occurred in one monkey 48 to 50.6 hours after E2 beta when blood alcohol levels decreased to 62 mg/dl. After 3.5 g/kg alcohol, no monkey had an LH surge and pulsatile LH release was significantly reduced in comparison to control conditions (p < 0.01). FSH levels remained stable across alcohol and control conditions. These data suggest that alcohol attenuates pituitary release of LH in response to E2 beta stimulation. These findings are consistent with menstrual cycle disruptions observed in alcohol-dependent women, social drinkers, and in a primate model of alcoholism."}
{"id": "PMID:1476589", "title": "[Healthy elderly--healthy aging].", "content": "Human statistics show an extraordinary increase in the proportion of old people in the world, in Europe, and in Greece. The role of the nurse in covering the health needs of this group of the population is analyzed. Emphasis is placed in keeping old people active and independent."}
{"id": "PMID:1476595", "title": "Effect of repeated administration of antidepressants on serotonin uptake sites in limbic and neocortical structures of rat brain determined by quantitative autoradiography.", "content": "The binding of 3H-cyanoimipramine, a selective radioligand for the serotonin (5-HT) transporter, was measured by quantitative autoradiography on sections of rat brain to determine if 5-HT uptake sites are regulated by repeated administration of antidepressants. The drugs studied included selective inhibitors of the uptake of 5-HT (citalopram, sertraline) or norepinephrine (protriptyline). Also, effects of inhibitors of monoamine oxidase (MAO) that inhibit both type A and type B MAO (phenelzine), or just type B MAO (deprenyl), were investigated. In addition, the atypical antidepressant mianserin, which has antagonist properties at both alpha 2 adrenoceptors and 5-HT2 receptors, was studied. A total of 19 limbic areas and 4 regions of the parietal cortex were quantitated. The binding of 3H-cyanoimipramine was increased (14% to 31%) by phenelzine and deprenyl in a total of 3 brain areas and decreased (15% to 21%) by sertraline in 4 brain areas. Citalopram, protriptyline, and mianserin produced no statistically significant effect in any brain region examined. The results indicate that different types of antidepressants do not exert consistent or substantial regulatory effect on the density of uptake sites for 5-HT in the limbic system or parietal cortex."}
{"id": "PMID:1476590", "title": "[Outpatient care and social rehabilitation of psychiatric patients in a halfway house].", "content": "This paper deals with the foundation and the function of a half-way house, whose intention is the social and professional restoration of psychiatric patients. The half-way house is one of the latest developments of social psychiatry."}
{"id": "PMID:1476596", "title": "Candidate natural killer cell receptors.", "content": "Among the high points of immunological discovery has been the identification of antigen-recognizing receptors on B and T cells. Of the lymphocyte populations, only the NK cell receptor remains unknown. Consequently, any newly-recognized, cell-surface molecules expressed selectively on NK cells, especially ones that can transmit a signal to the cell upon appropriate ligand interaction, are possible candidates. This article describes such candidates."}
{"id": "PMID:1476597", "title": "The evolution of immune memory and germinal centers.", "content": "Antibody responses in homoiothermic and poikilothermic vertebrates are significantly different in their heterogeneity and affinity range, and in the speed of the secondary response following repeated antigenic stimulation. This article presents the hypothesis that the evolutionary development of unique lymphoid structures, the germinal centers, in combination with the development of a distinct B-cell lineage, is a determining feature of these differences."}
{"id": "PMID:1476598", "title": "The cognitive principle challenges clonal selection.", "content": "Here, Irun Cohen argues that the clonal selection paradigm is no longer a convenient paradigm for organizing thinking about the immune system. He contends that most immunologists now investigate questions for which the clonal selection paradigm makes no provision and that one of its major tenets is contradicted by the prevalence of natural autoimmunity. Instead, he proposes a cognitive paradigm."}
{"id": "PMID:1476600", "title": "The extrathymic T-cell development pathway.", "content": "In normal mice, not all T-lineage cells are generated and selected in the thymus; an alternative, extrathymic, development pathway exists. Extrathymic T cells are rare in the spleen and lymph nodes, but are abundant in some tissues, such as the gut. Here, Benedita Rocha, Pierre Vassalli and Delphine Guy-Grand discuss the rules of selection of extrathymic T cells, assess the possible role of these cells in the defence of epithelial integrity and their potential role in autoimmune disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1476601", "title": "Thymic selection: a matter of life and death.", "content": "Mice transgenic for the T-cell receptor (TCR) were instrumental to the understanding that developing alpha beta T cells undergo programmed cell death unless the TCR beta gene properly rearranges and produces receptors of appropriate specificity. The delineation of developmental pathways for 'conventional' alpha beta T cells has resulted in the recognition of a different lineage of alpha beta T cells that develop in the thymus, the function of which remains to be elucidated."}
{"id": "PMID:1476605", "title": "Rat granulosa cells express the gonadotrophin-releasing hormone gene: evidence from in-situ hybridization histochemistry.", "content": "There is still debate as to whether natural sequence gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) is produced in the mammalian gonads and concerning its potential role as a paracrine modulator of gonadal function. To address this question, we have used in-situ hybridization histochemistry with an oligonucleotide probe complementary to the GnRH decapeptide coding sequence, to determine the cellular site(s) of expression of the GnRH gene in rodent ovaries. GnRH mRNA was detected in granulosa and thecal cells from ovarian follicles at all stages of development (primary-->Graafian), with no significant change in grain density during follicular development. The granulosa cell compartment always contained more mRNA than the thecal cell compartment. Corpora lutea expressed the GnRH gene to the same extent as thecal cells. These results indicate that preproGnRH mRNA is detectable under physiological conditions in the mammalian ovary, though whether this produces authentic GnRH decapeptide or an alternative protein product is not known. The physiological significance of these findings remains to be determined."}
{"id": "PMID:1476606", "title": "Transforming growth factor-beta 1 production in porcine thyroid follicular cells: regulation by intrathyroidal organic iodine.", "content": "The present studies have demonstrated the production of transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-beta 1) by porcine thyroid follicular cells (TFCs) maintained in vitro as subconfluent monolayers, and have confirmed a stimulatory effect of iodide on thyroidal TGF-beta 1 mRNA and peptide release. RNA extracted from TFCs maintained in the absence of iodide contained a 2.5 kb transcript which hybridized specifically with a cDNA probe for human TGF-beta 1, and which showed an approximate doubling in intensity in cells exposed to 10 mumol NaI/1. In the presence of the anti-thyroid thionamide drug methimazole (MMI; 1 mmol/l), the action of iodide on TGF-beta 1 mRNA was attenuated, although MMI alone had no effect on the control level of TGF-beta 1 mRNA. The TGF-beta 1 peptide content of TFC-conditioned media (TFC-CM) was assessed using the fetal mink lung cell line Mv1Lu, in which activated TGF-beta 1 specifically suppresses trichloroacetic acid-precipitable [methyl-3H]thymidine incorporation. Newly conditioned TFC-CM stimulated [methyl-3H]thymidine incorporation into Mv1Lu cells, but after heat treatment to inactivate growth stimulators and activate the latent TGF-beta 1 component this medium inhibited [methyl-3H]thymidine incorporation. This inhibitory effect was prevented by immunoadsorption of TFC-CM with a TGF-beta 1-neutralizing antiserum, confirming the specificity of the inhibitory response. The inhibitory activity of TFC-CM was increased when the TFCs were preincubated with 10 mumol NaI/1, and lost when TFCs were exposed to MMI. In conclusion, TFCs produce TGF-beta 1 mRNA and TGF-beta 1 peptide, which are both increased by iodide treatment in vitro.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1476607", "title": "Expression of the clusterin gene in the tissues of Booroola sheep which were homozygotes or non-carriers of the fecundity gene FecB.", "content": "Clusterin or sulphated glycoprotein-2 is a major component of the rete testis fluid, synthesized by the rete testis epithelial cells and Sertoli cells. Differences in the two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis pattern of clusterin-like proteins have been reported in rete testis fluid from Booroola rams carrying the fecundity gene FecB, when compared with that from non-carrier rams. In order to determine whether the FecB gene influences the expression of the clusterin gene, we used a rat clusterin cRNA probe to investigate mRNA species in the tissues of homozygous (BB) or non-carrier (++) Booroola sheep. Northern blots of polyadenylated RNA showed hybridization to the cRNA probe in the testis, ovarian follicles, corpora lutea and stroma, pituitary and liver. A major mRNA transcript was observed at 2.3 kb and a minor transcript in some tissues at 0.8 kb. Densitometry of the autoradiographs revealed no FecB-specific differences in the densities of the hybridization signals from ++ and BB testis or ovarian follicle, corpora lutea or stromal RNA. We conclude that the gene for ovine clusterin is expressed widely in the tissues of sheep and that its expression is not affected by the presence of the FecB gene."}
{"id": "PMID:1476608", "title": "The first disulphide loop of the rabbit growth hormone receptor is required for binding to the hormone.", "content": "Residues within the first disulphide loop of the GH receptor are highly conserved, and the two cysteines forming this motif are conserved across many cytokine receptors. We have used site-directed mutagenesis and the polymerase chain reaction with splicing by overlap extension to show that these residues are essential for binding of bovine (b)GH and human (h)GH to the rabbit GH receptor. When all residues within this loop were replaced with an equivalent polyalanine sequence, hormone binding was abolished. Conversion of Arg 39 within the loop to aspartate (R39D) decreased affinity for bGH by up to 20-fold. Conversion of Glu 42 to lysine (E42K) also resulted in a fivefold loss of affinity for bGH. However, charge reversals at Lys 37, Glu 44 and the conversion of Leu 43 to an arginine (as in the human receptor) were without a major effect on bGH binding. The lack of effect of the L43R mutation on bGH affinity, despite a significant (threefold) decrease in hGH affinity, argues against a role for Arg 43 as a residue conferring primate GH-binding specificity on the human receptor. Examination of the affinities of poly Ala, R39D and E42K mutants for a variety of hormone-binding-site directed and other monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) to the GH receptor revealed that these mutations were without a major effect on tertiary structure. It is of interest that the epitopes for the hormone-binding inhibitory MAbs 263 and 7 are located within this first loop, since the poly Ala mutation abolished the binding of both MAbs, and the R39D mutation abolished binding of MAb 7.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1476609", "title": "Analysis of DNA structure in the human insulin gene-linked polymorphic region in vivo.", "content": "An altered DNA structure exists within the hypervariable region located 360 bp upstream of the human insulin gene. The aim of the present study was to determine whether this structure exists in the insulin gene in vivo, and whether its presence is related to the expression of the insulin gene. However, since there were no clonal human beta-cell lines available for such studies, the human insulin gene was transfected into a rat insulinoma-derived beta-cell line and several human insulin-expressing clones were selected. One such cell line was treated in vivo with the DNA structural probe bromoacetaldehyde and the chromosomal DNA was extracted. Following digestion with TaqI and subsequent digestion with S1-nuclease to cleave at the bromoacetaldehyde-reactive sites, the DNA was subjected to agarose gel electrophoresis, and insulin gene fragments were detected by Southern blot analysis. Bromoacetaldehyde generated subfragments of 2500, 1700 and 800 bp in the human insulin gene isolated from the rat beta-cell line, while the human insulin gene in the non-expressing HeLa cell line was unreactive to bromoacetaldehyde. These results suggest that an altered structure might exist in the insulin gene-linked polymorphic region of the human insulin gene in vivo, and that this structure may play a role in the expression of the insulin gene."}
{"id": "PMID:1476610", "title": "Characterization of the extracellular region of the human thyrotrophin receptor expressed as a recombinant protein.", "content": "DNA encoding the N-terminal 415 residues of the human thyrotrophin receptor (predicted to code for the large extracellular region) was introduced into Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells using the glutamine synthetase/cytomegalovirus amplifiable expression system, and into E. coli using the pGEX-3X expression vector. Substantial quantities of insoluble fusion protein product resulted from bacterial expression; by Western blot analysis, this was shown to be reactive with anti-receptor antibodies raised against a peptide corresponding to residues 313-330. Immunoreactivity was not retained by the solubilized protein. In eukaryotic expression, several successful CHO transfectants were observed and one (ExG2) was characterized thoroughly. Using agarose-bound Concanavalin A, a glycoprotein with an M(r) of approximately 60,000 was detected in a detergent extract of metabolically labelled ExG2 cells, agreeing with the predicted molecular size of 45,000, plus carbohydrate. The same protein could also be detected by immunoprecipitation using the experimental anti-peptide antisera and also sera from patients with Graves' disease. The protein was immunoreactive in Western blot analyses of ExG2 cells using the experimental antisera but not the pathological sera, supporting the view that linear sequences are not sufficient for autoantibody binding. These are the first studies in which visualization of eukaryotically expressed recombinant receptor by such immunological techniques has been possible, presumably because of the higher expression of the glutamine synthetase system. Surprisingly, the recombinant protein was retained within the cells rather than being secreted. The recombinant protein was very effective at absorbing the adenylate cyclase-stimulating activity of the sera from patients with Graves' disease, but not that of thyrotrophin. This suggests that the large N-terminal extracellular region contains epitopes for stimulatory autoantibodies, but that high affinity thyrotrophin binding requires additional components."}
{"id": "PMID:1476611", "title": "Microheterogeneity of thyroid-stimulating hormone from the pituitaries of euthyroid, hypothyroid and hyperthyroid rats.", "content": "The microheterogeneity of pituitary thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) is dependent on variations in the hormone's carbohydrate moieties. In this study, changes in the pattern of heterogeneity have been assessed by chromatofocusing, which separates the isospecies on the basis of their isoelectric points (pI). Rats (n = 6 per group) were either untreated or rendered hypo- or hyperthyroid by including in the drinking water either propylthiouracil (0.05% for 8 weeks) or thyroxine (T4; 4 mg/l for 6 weeks) before they were killed at 16 weeks. On autopsy, serum TSH and total T4 were (means +/- S.E.M.): 2 +/- 0.3 micrograms TSH/l and 64 +/- 5 nmol T4/l (control); < 1 microgram TSH/l and 133 +/- 6 nmol T4/l (hyperthyroid); 58 +/- 6 micrograms TSH/l and 32 +/- 6 nmol T4/l (hypothyroid). The pituitaries were individually homogenized and the TSH isoforms separated by chromatofocusing over a pH range of 7-4. Fractions were assayed for TSH by radioimmunoassay. TSH from the control group was distributed into seven major peaks with pI values of (means +/- S.E.M., n = 6) 6.9 +/- 0.1, 6.6 +/- 0.1, 6.2 +/- 0.1, 5.8 +/- 0.1, 5.5 +/- 0.1, 5.2 +/- 0.1 and 4.8 +/- 0.1; 7 +/- 3% of the TSH had a pI of < 4.0. Six peaks of TSH were conserved in the hypothyroid group (with pI values of 6.8 +/- 0.1, 6.5 +/- 0.1, 6.2 +/- 0.1, 5.8 +/- 0.1, 5.4 +/- 0.1 and 5.2 +/- 0.1), and 11 +/- 4% of the hormone had a pI of < 4.0.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1476612", "title": "Different isoforms of human pituitary thyroid-stimulating hormone have different relative biological activities.", "content": "The relationship between the immunological and biological activities of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) isoforms present in the three human pituitary preparations 68/38 (1st IRP), 80/558 (2nd IRP) and 63/14 (MRC Research Standard A) was investigated. The isoforms were separated by chromatofocusing. Six peaks of immunoactivity were detected in 80/558, with pI values (means +/- S.E.M.) of 6.6 +/- 0.1, 6.2 +/- 0.1, 5.9 +/- 0.1, 5.5 +/- 0.1, 5.2 +/- 0.1 and 4.9 +/- 0.1. Four peaks, with pI values of 6.8 +/- 0.1, 5.9 +/- 0.1, 5.5 +/- 0.1 and 5.2 +/- 0.1, were observed for 68/38. Standard 63/14 had five peaks, with pI values of 6.9 +/- 0.1, 6.4 +/- 0.1, 5.9 +/- 0.1, 5.4 +/- 0.1 and 4.9 +/- 0.1. For each standard, six fractions around the peak areas and at the top and bottom of the gradient were pooled and microconcentrated to < 1.0 ml. Microconcentrated TSH samples were assayed in three TSH bioassays based upon FRTL-5 thyroid cells, utilizing cyclic AMP accumulation, iodide and thymidine uptake as end-points and standard 80/558 as reference preparation. The more acidic forms of TSH showed a higher biological:immunological (B:I) ratio for cyclic AMP accumulation with, for example, 63/14 having a maximum of 3.7 (pI 4.9) and a minimum of < 0.7 (pI 6.9). In contrast, the maximum and minimum B:I ratios for iodide uptake for 63/14 were 3.8 (pI 6.9) and < 0.8 (pI 4.6), and for thymidine uptake, maximum and minimum ratios were 7.2 (pI 6.9) and 1.1 (pI 4.6) respectively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1476613", "title": "Intraperitoneal insulin is more potent than subcutaneous insulin at restoring hepatic insulin-like growth factor-I mRNA levels in the diabetic rat: a functional role for the portal vascular link.", "content": "There is evidence that the hormonal control of hepatic IGF-I production is mediated by GH and insulin. To elucidate the role of these hormones further we administered s.c. or i.p. insulin (at 2.5 and 5.0 IU/day) and/or GH (0.8 IU/day) to rats made diabetic with streptozotocin 16 days previously. Hepatic IGF-I production was then assessed by quantifying hepatic IGF-I mRNA levels by autoradiography of Northern blots. Diabetes resulted in a fivefold reduction in hepatic IGF-I mRNA levels (optical density (OD) of the 0.7-1.1 kb band: controls, 1.3 +/- 0.09; diabetics, 0.28 +/- 0.08; P < 0.01), which was not significantly changed by treatment with s.c. insulin (OD: low dose, 0.55 +/- 0.05; high dose, 0.58 +/- 0.05) or low dose i.p. insulin (OD: 0.40 +/- 0.03). High dose i.p. insulin enhanced hepatic IGF-I mRNA levels (OD: 0.93 +/- 0.23) compared with diabetic rats (P < 0.01) and those given high dose s.c. insulin (P < 0.04), despite the blood glucose values being similar in the treated groups (i.p., 4.72 +/- 0.29 mmol/l; s.c., 3.32 +/- 0.03 mmol/l). Administration of GH alone partially restored the hepatic IGF-I mRNA level (OD: GH-treated, 1.00 +/- 0.05; diabetic, 0.28 +/- 0.08; P < 0.01), whilst having no effect on blood glucose values (diabetic, 36.35 +/- 0.45 mmol/l; GH-treated, 38.65 +/- 2.39 mmol/l). Additional administration of s.c. insulin completely restored IGF-I mRNA levels to those of controls (OD: low dose, 1.35 +/- 0.14; high dose, 1.27 +/- 0.18).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1476614", "title": "Characterization of rat gastric inhibitory peptide cDNA.", "content": "Gastric inhibitory peptide (GIP) is a 42 amino acid gastrointestinal peptide which inhibits gastric acid secretion and stimulates pancreatic insulin secretion in the presence of glucose. Here we report the sequence of the cDNA encoding the rat GIP precursor. PreproGIP was 144 amino acids in length and comprised the GIP peptide itself, N- and C-terminal flanking peptides of 22 and 59 amino acids respectively and a typical hydrophobic signal peptide. The sequence indicated that GIP is released from its precursor by cleavage at single arginine residues. The C-terminal flanking peptide may have an important function since it was well conserved and contained a region of 16 amino acids with only a single, conservative replacement. Rat GIP mRNA was found in the duodenum and jejunum. Levels of GIP mRNA in the duodenum were increased twofold after a period of 2 days of starvation. There was no detectable expression of the GIP gene in other parts of the gastrointestinal tract or in other endocrine tissues. However, in pancreatic mRNA preparations, a larger mRNA was detected after low stringency hybridization. This could represent a further member of this gene family."}
{"id": "PMID:1476615", "title": "Cloning of a bullfrog growth hormone cDNA: expression of growth hormone mRNA in larval and adult bullfrog pituitaries.", "content": "A GH cDNA was specifically amplified from cDNAs constructed from total RNA of bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana) adenohypophyses employing the DNA polymerase chain reaction. Sequencing analysis revealed that the cDNA clone thus obtained was 654 bp in length, and included an open reading frame encoding the entire sequence of mature GH, with its signal peptide. Slight discrepancies were noted between the deduced amino acid sequence and that determined by direct protein sequencing of purified bullfrog GH or that deduced from the nucleotide sequence reported previously. The length of the bullfrog GH mRNA was estimated to be about 1.2 kb by Northern blot analysis. Homologies of nucleotide and amino acid sequences between GH and prolactin of bullfrog origin were 48% and 26% respectively. Using the cDNA as a probe, the content of GH mRNA in the pituitary of larval and adult bullfrogs was measured. GH mRNA levels were relatively low at the preclimax stage, and rose markedly during climax. In juvenile frogs, GH mRNA levels in the pituitary were extremely high and declined towards adulthood. This finding suggests that the increase in plasma and pituitary GH levels reported previously accompanies the increase in GH synthesis."}
{"id": "PMID:1476616", "title": "Cell-specific expression of aromatase and LH receptor mRNAs in rat ovary.", "content": "Current understanding of the endocrine and paracrine regulation of follicular oestrogen synthesis predicts that aromatase cytochrome P450 (P450arom) mRNA is inducible by FSH in granulosa cells. LH receptor mRNA is constitutively expressed in thecal/interstitial cells, and is also thought to be induced in granulosa cells in response to joint stimulation by FSH and oestrogen. This study provides direct evidence that FSH induces the ovarian P450arom gene selectively, perhaps exclusively, in the granulosa cells of Graafian follicles. FSH-induction of LH receptor mRNA occurs simultaneously but is independent of oestrogen synthesis per se."}
{"id": "PMID:1476617", "title": "Rod-cone interaction in carp retina: an analysis of electroretinographic B-waves.", "content": "Changes in electroretinographic b-wave in the presence of background lights of increasing intensity were examined in isolated, superfused carp retinas. Within a certain range of ambient illumination b-waves elicited by red (695 nm) test flashes against dimmer background lights were smaller in size than against brighter ones. Accordingly, incremental thresholds for red flashes decreased as the intensity of background lights increased within this intensity range. The results suggest that cone pathways may be suppressed by rods in darkness and dim illumination. The phenomenon was absent for photoreceptor potentials (PIII components), indicating that the rod-cone interaction occurs in second-order retinal neurons."}
{"id": "PMID:1476618", "title": "The formation and crystal structure of dihydronitidine and discussion of anticancer mechanism of nitidine cation.", "content": "The paper reports the formation and crystal structure of dihydronitidine, expounds the reasons and conditions of easily formed oxynitidine, and discusses anticancer mechanism of nitidine (cation). The crystallographic parameters of dihydronitidine are: space group P(2)1/n, a = 12.54(1), b = 9.148(5), c = 14.748(8) A, beta = 92.12(6)degrees, Z = 4. 4108 independent reflections were collected within the range of 3 degrees < or = 2 theta < or = 54 degrees, of which 2137 intensity data with I > or = 3 sigma (I) were used in the structural determination. The crystal structure has been refined by full matrix least-square method to a final R of 0.050."}
{"id": "PMID:1476620", "title": "Bispecific antibodies.", "content": "Bispecific antibodies--molecules combining two different antigenic specificities--are currently being developed as new agents for immunotherapy and for basic studies in cell biology. Bispecific antibodies (BsAb) are prepared by chemically linking two different monoclonal antibodies or by fusing two hybridoma cell lines to produce a hybrid-hybridoma. Both of these approaches present challenges with respect to yield and purity that should eventually be solved through newer molecular genetic approaches. BsAb have been used to demonstrate that specific surface molecules can trigger leukocytes to either phagocytose or kill tumor cells, viruses, parasites, and infected cells. Such trigger molecules include CD3 on T lymphocytes and Fc receptors for IgG on monocytes, macrophages, and natural killer cells. BsAb have also been used experimentally to localize toxins to tumor sites and fibrinolytic agents to areas of thrombosis, to study the molecular specificity of particular receptors, and as adjuvants in in vitro models of vaccines for infectious disease. The limited clinical trials that have occurred to date, primarily for therapy of tumors, suggest that BsAb may offer considerable promise for therapeutic applications, including cancer, heart disease, infectious disease, allergy, and autoimmunity."}
{"id": "PMID:1476622", "title": "The immunology of the eye and its systemic interactions.", "content": "Advances in immunology have provided us with new insights about the ocular inflammatory response. Still, the etiology and pathophysiology of many uveitides remain unclear. Factors such as the blood-ocular barrier, sequestration of retinal antigens, local immunomodulators in the aqueous humor, and anterior chamber-associated immune deviation (ACAID) interact and render the eye an immunologically \"privileged\" site. On the other hand, human leukocyte antigen complex (HLA) interactions, the immunopathology of hypersensitivity reactions, T-cell mediated disease, and autoimmunity are associated pathogenic mechanisms of immune-related ocular disease. In this paper, we review some of the immunologic characteristics of the eye and their relationship to intraocular inflammation. Clinocopathologic correlations are presented. Also, perspectives of current and future research, as well as diagnostic and treatment strategies, are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1476621", "title": "Genetically engineered antibodies: progress and prospects.", "content": "Techniques of genetic engineering and expression have been applied to the production of antibodies in a variety of expression systems. Novel antibodies have been produced with a variety of modifications: as chimeric antibodies, as \"humanized\" antibodies, with catalytic groups, as bifunctional or fusion proteins, and as functional fragments such as Fabs or Fvs. The domain structure of the antibody is favorable to such manipulation; the novel proteins often retain their antibody-derived activity and acquire new properties as well. Chimeric and complementarity-determining region (CDR)-grafted antibodies have been effective in immunotherapy, but problems of immunogenicity remain. Combinatorial libraries produced in bacteriophage may present an alternative to animal immunization as a source of antigen-binding specificities. Structural and mutational analysis of variable regions is providing useful information about the requirements of the variable region for antigen binding. Careful analysis and comparison of effector functions among immunoglobulin isotypes may be applied to the design of effective therapeutic antibodies."}
{"id": "PMID:1476623", "title": "Magnetic resonance imaging of osteomyelitis.", "content": "Early diagnosis and detection of osteomyelitis and differentiation of soft-tissue infection from bone involvement is a difficult clinical and imaging problem. Magnetic resonance imaging has proven to be as sensitive as bone scintigraphy in the early detection of osteomyelitis, and, with its superior spatial resolution, MR is often more specific than planar scintigraphy in differentiating bone from soft-tissue infection and separating arthritis, cellulitis, and soft-tissue abscess from osteomyelitis. In several comparative studies, MR has been more advantageous in detecting the presence and determining the extent of osteomyelitis over scintigraphy, CT scan, and conventional radiography. MRI may facilitate differentiation of acute from chronic osteomyelitis and may help to detect foci of active infection in the presence of chronic inflammation or posttraumatic lesions. MRI has a large role in evaluating the presence and extent of spondylitis and epidural abscess and certain distribution features may help recognize tuberculous spondylitis. Gadolinium-enhanced MR could be helpful in delineating the meninges and demonstrating the border and extent of epidural abscesses."}
{"id": "PMID:1476657", "title": "Immunomodulating activity of 1,2-difattyacyl-3-mercaptoglycerol adducts.", "content": "Adducts of 1,2-diacyl-(2RS)-3-mercaptoglycerol to 3-maleimidopropionic acid and to 3-maleimidopropionyl-L-alanyl-D-isoglutamine as well as a new lipophilic MTP derivative have been analysed for their immunomodulating activity in comparison to the well known adjuvants CFA and IFA using a suboptimal concentration of BSA as antigen. A concentration-dependent immunostimulating activity was established for these lipophilic molecules when applied in water/oil (IFA) emulsions. The results clearly indicate that the new series of compounds behave as competent adjuvants, a fact which is further supported by the immunoadjuvant effect triggered by two of these diacylthioglyceryl adducts as examples, even when applied in aqueous systems. In the light of these findings it seems promising to use these thiol-functionalized molecules to build in immunoadjuvancy via the maleimide-thiol reaction principle. Attachment of such \"sticky fingers\" to peptides might enhance interaction of haptens and immunogens with cell membranes and thus, may represent a useful tool for inducing or increasing immunological responses to synthetic antigen presenting systems."}
{"id": "PMID:1476658", "title": "An effective method for the synthesis of neoglycoproteins and neogangliosideproteins by use of reductively aminated sulfhydryl-containing carbohydrate conjugates.", "content": "A highly effective method for the synthesis of neoglycoconjugates has been developed. The technique is based on two steps. First, a sulfhydryl group is introduced into the carbohydrate by reductive amination with cysteamine, and secondly the sulfhydryl group carrying carbohydrate is coupled to a protein or carrier via a disulfide bridge. The method was used to couple sialic acid-containing carbohydrates such as N-acetylneuraminyllactose and the carbohydrate moieties of gangliosides (GM1, GM3 and GD1b) to bovine serum albumin. Biological functionality of the generated GM1- and GD1b-neoglycoprotein was demonstrated by a choleratoxin-binding assay and an immunoassay, respectively. The applicability of neoglycoconjugates for the quantification of gangliosides in solution by a competitive assay is shown."}
{"id": "PMID:1476659", "title": "Determination of lectin-cell-binding parameters by a new agglutination technique.", "content": "We applied a recently described technique which is based on a light transmission/scattering method to determine the association characteristics of the Geodia lectin to sheep erythrocytes. The agglutination assays were performed in a total volume of 3 ml with 5.4 x 10(6) erythrocytes/ml. At a concentration of 360 ng/ml 50% of the lectin molecules were bound to the cells within the first 10 s of incubation. Scatchard analyses revealed an association constant (K(a)) of 0.9 +/- 0.1 x 10(8) M-1 and a number of 3.8 +/- 0.6 x 10(6) lectin binding sites on one erythrocyte. The method was also successfully applied to determine quantitatively the inhibitory potential of sugars competing with cell surface glycoproteins for the lectin binding site. At a lectin concentration of 360 ng/ml 1 mM of lactose or 70 mM of D-N-acetylgalactosamine are required to inhibit lectin-mediated agglutination by 50%. These analyses confirm the potential of the novel light absorption agglutination technique to evaluate lectin characteristics."}
{"id": "PMID:1476660", "title": "Ascorbate-dependent capacity of dialysed rat liver cytosol to prevent nonenzymatic lipid peroxidation.", "content": "The capacity of rat liver cytosol to decrease Fe/ADP ascorbate-induced lipid peroxidation in microsomes was evaluated using the chemiluminescence technique and measuring the formation of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS). The inhibiting effect of dialysed cytosol depended on the ascorbate concentration and was highest in the range of 1.0mM. Precipitation of cytosolic proteins with ammonium sulfate at 53% saturation yielded an active antioxidative fraction. Gel-filtration on Sephadex G-200 led to the separation of at least two cytosolic compounds of approximate molecular masses of 60 kDa and > 400 kDa. Both factors were active at 1.0mM ascorbate in the presence of freshly prepared microsomes. No inhibition of lipid peroxidation was observed using microsomes stored for one month at -70 degrees C."}
{"id": "PMID:1476661", "title": "Approaches to the preparation of 6- and 7-methyl-8-substituted pterins: Part 1. The effect of reaction conditions on isomer distribution and a novel approach to isomer separation.", "content": "A new approach to the preparation of 6- and 7-methyl-8-alkylpterins is reported. This procedure relies primarily on the separation of the isomers due to their different propensities to form adducts with hydrogensulfite. The primary synthesis of 6-methyl-8-propylpterin was achieved by the condensation of 2,5-diamino-6-(propylamino)pyrimidin-4(3H)- one with pyruvic aldehyde in the presence of NaHSO3 at pH 4. This results in a solid product which was found to be > 98% pure 6-isomer in the form of the HSO3- adduct. Further treatment by a simple procedure gave the final product as the pterin hydrochloride greater than 99.5% isomer pure. The 7-methyl isomer was obtained from the filtrate of the primary synthesis by a cation exchange chromatographic procedure, again exploiting the different propensities of the two isomers to form adduct. The effect of reaction conditions and the nature of the 8-substituent on the proportions of the isomeric products produced by the above condensation reaction was investigated by a series of small scale syntheses. It was found that the proportion of the two isomeric products was dependent on the size of the 8-substituent and, to a lesser extent, the pH of the reaction mixture. For large 8-substituents such as n-propyl, isopropyl and 2-hydroxyethyl, 6-methyl isomer was the predominant product under all conditions. The presence of HSO3 [symbol: see text] did not generate any significant regioselective effect toward further formation of 6-isomer but had either negligible effect on the product distribution or increased the amount of 7-isomer formed. For the small methyl 8-substituent, the major product in the absence of HSO3 [symbol: see text] was found to be 7-isomer at all pH values. However, in the presence of HSO3 [symbol: see text] the major product became the 6-isomer. A 1H-NMR study of the nature of pyruvic aldehyde in acidic water solution is reported which shows that pyruvic aldehyde exists primarily as the monohydrated geminal ketodiol with a lesser proportion of the bishydrated vicinal diol. No free aldehyde was observed by 1H-NMR. The implications of these findings and the product distribution experiments are discussed in relation to the mechanism of the reaction and the role of HSO3 [symbol: see text] within this mechanism."}
{"id": "PMID:1476662", "title": "pH-dependence of the structure and degradation of 8-alkyl-substituted pterins.", "content": "Structures of 8-(2-hydroxyethyl)pterins (8-11) investigated using 1H- and 13C-NMR and UV/vis spectroscopies showed a complex dependence on pH, solvent and 6,7-substitution pattern. In acid, only one cation was observed for all the pterins. In neutral aqueous solution, only one neutral form, the normal quinonoid tautomer, was observed for 7-unsubstituted pterins 9 & 11, but two neutral tautomeric forms, quinonoid and 7-exo-methylene, were observed for 7-CH3 substituted pterins 8 & 10 with 70% and 92%, respectively, of quinonoid. The neutral pterins in MeOH, however, showed a different distribution of structural forms: quinonoid and a five-membered intramolecular ether forms were observed for 7-unsubstituted pterins 9 & 11 as 60% and 25%, respectively, of quinonoid, while quinonoid and 7-exomethylene forms were observed for 7-CH3 substituted pterins 8 & 10 as 10% and 50%, respectively, of quinonoid. In base, for 7-unsubstituted pterins 9 & 11 only the intramolecular ether forms were observed, while for the 7-CH3 substituted pterins 8 & 10 two anion forms, the 7-exo-methylene and intramolecular ether, were observed in the ratio 2:1. Investigation of the distinctive proton-resonance pattern of the ethanomoiety of the intramolecular ether anion of 9 using 600 MHz NMR and spectrum simulation, indicated all four protons have different chemical environments. One conformation of the cyclic-ether ring satisfying the experimental data has been deduced, and the conformational energetics of the ring studied further using AM1 semiempirical quantum chemical calculations. Structural distributions of 8-methylpterins 12-15 were also studied in base only. These showed the 7-unsubstituted pterins 13 & 15 existed solely as the hydrated anion forms, while the 7-CH3 substituted pterins 12 & 14 existed predominantly as the 7-exo-methylene anions. Spectroscopic investigations of the degradation processes of 8-(2-hydroxyethyl)pterins and 8-methylpterins in base indicated a complex pattern of oxidation, ring opening and elimination reactions as a function of time. Using authentic samples, the 7-oxo compounds 16 & 17 and ethanolamine were identified, and evidence for ring-opened forms was obtained by comparison with the relevant 2,5-diamino-6-alkyl-aminopyrimidin-4(3H)-ones 1 & 2. Characteristically different degradation pathways for 7-CH3 and 7-unsubstituted compounds were established."}
{"id": "PMID:1476663", "title": "Human immunoglobulin genes of the kappa type. The long-range map of an orphon V kappa gene region.", "content": "As was previously shown by Zimmer et al. (EMBO J. 9, 1535-1542, 1990 and Biol. Chem. Hoppe-Seyler 371, 939-951, 1990), the so-called W regions comprising 11 V kappa pseudogenes are located on the long arm of chromosome 2, very closely to the centromere. They are probably derived by a pericentric inversion and amplification events from gene regions of the kappa locus, which is located on the short arm of chromosome 2 also very closely to the centromere. The restriction map of the W regions was now extended from the previous 1.2 Mb to 4.3 Mb and, at the same time, revised with respect to certain features. This was made possible by a new hybridization probe specific for the Wc region and by the improved resolution and extended range of pulsed field gel electrophoresis. On the basis of the long-range maps of the W regions and the kappa locus the V kappa genes of the kappa locus have to be at least 2.5 Mb apart. This distance can be taken also as a minimal estimate for the size of the centromere DNA of chromosome 2; it is quite possible that the size is much larger."}
{"id": "PMID:1476664", "title": "Isolation and structure elucidation of neuropeptides of the AKH/RPCH family in long-horned grasshoppers (Ensifera).", "content": "An identical neuropeptide was isolated by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography from the corpora cardiaca of the king cricket, Libanasidus vittatus, and the two armoured ground crickets, Heterodes namaqua and Acanthoproctus cervinus. The crude gland extracts had adipokinetic activity in migratory locusts, hypertrehalosaemic activity in American cockroaches and a slight hypertrehalosaemic, but no adipokinetic, effect in armoured ground crickets. The primary structure of this neuropeptide was determined by pulsed-liquid phase sequencing employing Edman chemistry after enzymically deblocking the N-terminal 5-oxopyrrolidine-2-carboxylic acid residue. The C-terminus was also blocked, as indicated by the lack of digestion by carboxypeptidase A. The peptide was assigned the structure [symbol: see text]Glu-Leu-Asn-Phe-Ser-Thr-Gly-TrpNH2, previously designated Scg-AKH-II. The corpora cardiaca of the cricket Gryllodes sigillatus contained a neuropeptide which differed in retention time from the one isolated from the king and armoured ground crickets. The structure was assigned as [symbol: see text]Glu-Val-Asn-Phe-Ser-Thr-Gly-TrpNH2, previously designated Grb-AKH. This octapeptide caused hyperlipaemia in its donor species. The presence of the same peptide, Scg-AKH-II, in the two primitive infraorders of Ensifera, and the different peptide, Grb-AKH, in the most advanced infraorder of Ensifera, supports the evolutionary trends assigned formerly from morphological and physiological evidence."}
{"id": "PMID:1476665", "title": "Effects of T-2 toxin on ethanol production by Saccharomyces cerevisiae.", "content": "A trichothecene mycotoxin, T-2 toxin, inhibits several aspects of cellular physiology in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, including protein synthesis and mitochondrial functions. We have studied growth of, glucose utilization by, and ethanol production by S. cerevisiae and show that they are inhibited by T-2 toxin between 20 and 200 micrograms/ml in a dose-dependent manner. At 200 micrograms/ml, T-2 toxin causes cell death. This apparent inhibition of ethanol production was found to be the result of growth inhibition. On the basis of biomass or glucose consumption, T-2 toxin increased the amount of ethanol present in the culture. This suggests that T-2 inhibits oxidative but not fermentative energy metabolism by inhibiting mitochondrial function and shifting glucose catabolism toward ethanol formation. As T-2 toxin does not directly inhibit ethanol production by S. cerevisiae, this system could be used for ethanol production from trichothecene-contaminated grain products."}
{"id": "PMID:1476670", "title": "Oral or percutaneous administration of lipopolysaccharide of small molecular size may cure various intractable diseases: a new version of Coley's toxin.", "content": "Based on our new finding that an inflammation in which tumor necrosis factor (TNF) is primed or triggered (ontogenic inflammation) can regulate the homeostasis in ontogenesis, we have identified a new lipopolysaccharide from wheat flour (LPSw) that can induce ontogenic inflammation in adult mice. LPSw can prime adult mice to produce TNF when given orally or percutaneously, suggesting that it may maintain homeostasis in adults. LPSw can cure experimental animals of diabetes, hyperlipidemia, ulcer, and herpes. It can also stimulate bone resorption and egg-laying, and shows a strong analgesic effect that is blocked by naloxone. This effect even allows a release from drug addiction. Suppression of serum cholesterol level by oral uptake of LPSw in Watanabe heritable hyperlipidemic (WHHL) rabbit was also observed. Infection of toxoplasma was prevented by oral uptake of LPSw. The realization that a single oral or percutaneous administration of LPSw may be a cure for multiple intractable diseases may lead to the presentation of a nontoxic type of Coley's toxin, which is known to be an efficient cancer treatment, but has high toxicity."}
{"id": "PMID:1476671", "title": "Construction and characterization of a high-affinity chimeric anti-colorectal carcinoma antibody ccM4.", "content": "We have produced a high-affinity chimeric anti-colorectal carcinoma antibody, ccM4, chimerized in both heavy and light chains by the construction of two expression vectors, the chimeric heavy-chain expression vector mpSV2neo-EP1-Vm4Cr1 and chimeric light-chain vector mpSV2gpt-EP1-VKCK. These vectors contained the neo or gpt gene as a selection marker, the murine immunoglobulin promoter and enhancer (EP1), the genomic DNA fragments of human immunoglobulin constant region (CK and C gamma 1), and murine cDNA fragments of VH and VK region amplified and cloned directly from the B72.3 hybridoma RNA by the polymer chain reaction technique. These two vector DNAs were sequentially transfected into the SP2/0Ag14 cell line. Transfectants were selected in media containing both G418 and mycophenolic acid. The ccM4 antibody was purified from transfectant supernatants with positive binding reactivity for the TAG72 antigen on a protein A column. We demonstrated that ccM4 antibody retained the same high binding reactivity for the TAG72 antigen as its counterpart, the high-affinity chimeric heavy-chain cB72.3m4 antibody. The ccM4 antibody bound specifically to human colon cancer cells, displayed biodistribution patterns similar to cB72.3m4 antibody, and mediated effective antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity to human OVCAR3 tumor cells. Therefore, the high-affinity chimeric ccM4 antibody should be useful in cancer immunotherapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1476666", "title": "Distribution of vasotocin- and mesotocin-like immunoreactivities in the brain of the South African clawed frog Xenopus-laevis.", "content": "In order to obtain more insight into primitive and derived conditions of neuropeptidergic systems in vertebrates, in particular amphibians, we have studied immunohistochemically the distribution of vasotocin (AVT) and mesotocin (MST) neuronal elements in the brain of the South African clawed frog Xenopus laevis. Apart from a well-developed hypothalamohypophysial system, the antibodies revealed the existence of extrahypothalamic AVT- and MST-immunoreactive cell groups as well as extensive extrahypothalamic networks of immunoreactive fibres, thus confirming the phylogenetic constancy of this condition in vertebrates. The wide distribution of AVT- and MST-immunoreactive fibres throughout the brains of amphibians suggests that the two neuropeptidergic systems are involved not only in hypothalamohypophysial interactions, but also, as in mammals, in a variety of other brain functions. In particular, the relationship of AVT- and MST-immunoreactive fibres with catecholaminergic cell bodies was noted. The present study has underscored once again that considerable differences in relative densities of AVT- and MST-immunoreactive fibres occur between species, even within a single order of vertebrates."}
{"id": "PMID:1476672", "title": "Relation between the biologic activities and chemical structures of synthetic microbial lipopeptide analogs in mice.", "content": "Mitogenicity, lethal toxicity, and antitumor activity against Meth A fibrosarcoma of chemically synthesized lipopeptide analogs, S-[2,3-bis(palmitoyloxy)-2R-propyl]-N-[(2,2,2)-tri- chloroethoxycarbonyl: Troc group]-cysteinyl-seryl-seryl-asparaginyl-alanine (compound KAB-2), which contain the amino acid sequence of lipopeptide in Escherichia coli, S-[2,3-bis(palmitoyloxy)- 2R-propyl]-N-(Troc- or amino-group)-cysteinyl-asparaginyl-seryl-glycyl-glycine (compound KAB-14 or -20), which is found in the amino acid sequence of lipopeptide in Streptomyces, and the compounds binding one to six amino acids, were examined. The analogs showed the mitogenic activity toward splenocytes of C3H/He mice. Low concentrations (0.4 and 2.0 micrograms/ml) of compounds KAB-20 and -21, which have five and six amino acids, respectively, increased the incorporation of [3H]thymidine better than a high concentration (50 micrograms/ml), suggesting that KAB compounds carrying amino groups exert better mitogenicity than KAB compounds carrying Troc group. The decrease of amino acid number in lipopeptide analogs appears to result in a lowering of mitogenicity at low concentrations. KAB-14 and KAB-2 did not exhibit the lethality at a high dose of 50 micrograms/mouse in galactosamine-loaded C57BL/6 mice. By twice intravenous injections of 50 micrograms against Meth A fibrosarcoma in BALB/c mice, KAB-2 showed a higher inhibitory effect than KAB-14. Based on these results, we concluded that the difference of amino acid sequence in the synthetic lipopeptides affects the potency of biologic activities."}
{"id": "PMID:1476667", "title": "Production and immunohistochemical application of monoclonal antibodies against delta sleep-inducing peptide.", "content": "Monoclonal antibodies were produced following immunization of rats with delta sleep-including peptide (DSIP). The spleen cells of the rats were fused with the myeloma cell line SP2/0. The supernatants of hybridomas were screened on a solid-phase immunoassay using dot-immunobinding of DSIP and some DSIP fragments. The supernatants of six stable producer clones were found to react with DSIP. From this procedure it was also deduced that all these monoclonal antibodies recognized epitope(s) of the penta carboxy-terminal region of DSIP (DSIP5-9). Application of these monoclonal antibodies to rat median eminence sections gave a strong immunolabelling of a large population of fibres and terminal-like structures, mainly localized through the lateral areas. Elution-restaining experiments using a monoclonal antibody to DSIP and a polyclonal antiserum to luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) showed that the patterns of immunoreactivity respectively visualized overlap almost completely. Although numerous LHRH-immunoreactive neuronal elements were also easily demonstrated in the median eminence of the mouse, the hamster and the gerbil species, incubation of sections with monoclonal antibodies to DSIP failed to give any immunoreaction. Taken together these data argue for the independence of the DSIP/LHRH immunolabelling systems. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that DSIP5-9-related epitopes detected in the rat median eminence have no counterpart in the three other rodent species investigated. These species differences may reflect the fact that the carboxy-terminal sequence of the nonapeptide DSIP originally discovered in the rabbit is not conserved in all rodent species."}
{"id": "PMID:1476668", "title": "Distribution of histochemically reactive zinc in the forebrain of the rat.", "content": "The major cytoarchitectonic regions of the rat brain that stain with the Timm-Danscher metal stain were tested with the fluorescent probe for zinc, 6-methoxy 8-para toluene sulfonamide quinoline (TSQ). Throughout most of the striatum, cerebral cortex and limbic system, the diffuse, even neuropil staining produced by the Timm-Danscher method was mirrored by comparable fluorescence in TSQ-stained sections. Blockade of the TSQ fluorescence by prior treatment with sulphide indicated that the Timm-Danscher and the TSQ procedures both labeled the same pool of endogenous metal, which is inferred to be the zinc that is in axonal boutons. It is concluded that the Timm-Danscher staining generally indicates zinc-containing axonal boutons. The distribution of the zinc-containing axonal boutons throughout the forebrain is described."}
{"id": "PMID:1476673", "title": "Antitumor effect of recombinant human tumor necrosis factor-alpha analog combined with desmuramyl dipeptides LK-409 or LK-410 on sarcoma in mice.", "content": "Antitumor effect of recombinant human tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha lacking one to three amino acids from the N terminal part (TNFNv3) was tested for its antitumor effect on subcutaneous fibrosarcoma SA-1 tumors. Peritumoral treatment with 5 x 10(4) U TNFNv3 three times every second day significantly delayed tumor growth. Treatment with 10 times higher dose (5 x 10(5) U) produced 6.0 +/- 1.0 days tumor growth delay, but had side effects such as weight loss. The two new desmuramyl N-acyl dipeptides, LK-409 and LK-410, also exhibited such effect; however, the tumor growth delay was barely significant. The treatment was performed with two concentrations (2.5 micrograms and 25.0 micrograms) applied intraperitoneally for 5 consecutive days, without a dose-dependent effect. Combined treatment with TNFNv3 and desmuramyl dipeptides augmented the antitumor effect of treatments. The effect was additive and significant in the combination of 2.5 micrograms LK-410 with 5 x 10(5) U TNFNv3. LK-410 treatment also reduced the side effects of TNFNv3. The results indicate that combined treatment with both biological response modifiers is effective in tumor treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1476675", "title": "Posttranslational modifications of nerve cytoskeletal proteins in experimental diabetes.", "content": "Axonal transport is known to be impaired in peripheral nerve of experimentally diabetic rats. As axonal transport is dependent on the integrity of the neuronal cytoskeleton, we have studied the way in which rat brain and nerve cytoskeletal proteins are altered in experimental diabetes. Rats were made diabetic by injection of streptozotocin (STZ). Up to six weeks later, sciatic nerves, spinal cords, and brains were removed and used to prepare neurofilaments, microtubules, and a crude preparation of cytoskeletal proteins. The extent of nonenzymatic glycation of brain microtubule proteins and peripheral nerve tubulin was assessed by incubation with 3H-sodium borohydride followed by separation on two-dimensional polyacrylamide gels and affinity chromatography of the separated proteins. There was no difference in the nonenzymatic glycation of brain microtubule proteins from two-week diabetic and nondiabetic rats. Nor was the assembly of microtubule proteins into microtubules affected by the diabetic state. On the other hand, there was a significant increase in nonenzymatic glycation of sciatic nerve tubulin after 2 weeks of diabetes. We also identified an altered electrophoretic mobility of brain actin from a cytoskeletal protein preparation from brain of 2 week and 6 week diabetic rats. An additional novel polypeptide was demonstrated with a slightly more acidic isoelectric point than actin that could be immunostained with anti-actin antibodies. The same polypeptide could be produced by incubation of purified actin with glucose in vitro, thus identifying it as a product of nonenzymatic glycation. These results are discussed in relation to data from a clinical study of diabetic patients in which we identified increased glycation of platelet actin. STZ-diabetes also led to an increase in the phosphorylation of spinal cord neurofilament proteins in vivo during 6 weeks of diabetes. This hyperphosphorylation along with a reduced activity of a neurofilament-associated protein kinase led to a reduced incorporation of 32P into purified neurofilament proteins when they were incubated with 32P-ATP in vitro. Our combined data show a number of posttranslation modifications of neuronal cytoskeletal proteins that may contribute to the altered axonal transport and subsequent nerve dysfunction in experimental diabetes."}
{"id": "PMID:1476677", "title": "Regenerating neurons. Changes in protein phosphorylation.", "content": "We have been studying the phosphorylation of proteins of both normal and regenerating superior cervical ganglia of the rat. Here we report the incorporation of radioactive phosphate into proteins of ganglia homogenates incubated with 32P-labeled ATP under various conditions at day 3 after postganglionic axotomy. The proteins were analyzed by two-dimensional electrophoresis followed by autoradiography. Incubation in the presence of Ca2+ or Ca2+ plus cyclic AMP produced only about 20 spots corresponding to distinctly labeled proteins. This number was reduced to about five under EGTA plus cyclic AMP conditions, whereas the presence of EGTA alone suppressed the phosphorylation reaction almost totally. All these proteins fell within the narrow pI range of 4-6, whereby no qualitative differences between regenerating and control cases were observed. However, the growth-associated protein, variously designated GAP-43, B-50, F-1, and pp-46, had enhanced levels of phosphate incorporation in regenerating ganglia compared to controls. Injury also caused consistently higher levels of phosphorylation of proteins running in the position of alpha- and beta-tubulin. Since these three proteins are major constituents of regenerating axons, these results suggest that the changes in their phosphorylation induced by injury may be involved in the regulation of their transport."}
{"id": "PMID:1476674", "title": "Changes in cytoskeletal protein synthesis following axon injury and during axon regeneration.", "content": "Injury to the axons of facial motoneurons stimulates increases in the synthesis of actin, tubulins, and GAP-43, and decreases in the synthesis of neurofilament proteins: mRNA levels change correspondingly. In contrast to this robust response of peripheral neurons to axotomy, injured central nervous system neurons show either an attenuated response that is subsequently aborted (rubrospinal neurons) or overall decreases in cytoskeletal protein mRNA expression (corticospinal and retinal ganglion neurons). There is evidence that these changes in synthesis are regulated by a variety of factors, including loss of endoneurially or target-derived trophic factors, positive signals arising from the site of injury, changes in the intraaxonal turnover of proteins, and substitution of target-derived trophic support by factors produced by glial cells. It is concluded that there is, as yet, no coherent explanation for the upregulation or downregulation of any of the cytoskeletal proteins following axotomy or during regeneration. In considering the relevance of these changes in cytoskeletal protein synthesis to regeneration, it is emphasized that they are unlikely to be involved in the initial outgrowth of the injured axons, both because transit times between cell body and injury site are too long, and because sprouting can occur in isolated axons. Injury-induced acceleration of the axonal transport of tubulin and actin in the proximal axon is likely to be more important in providing the cytoskeletal protein required for initial axonal outgrowth. Subsequently, the increased synthesis and transport velocity for actin and tubulin increase the delivery of these proteins to support the increased volume of the maturing regenerating axons. Reduction in neurofilament synthesis and changes in neurofilament phosphorylation may permit the increased transport velocity of the other cytoskeletal proteins. There is little direct evidence that alterations in cytoskeletal protein synthesis are necessary for successful regeneration, nor are they sufficient in the absence of a supportive environment. Nevertheless, the correlation that exists between a robust cell body response and successful regeneration suggests that an understanding of the regulation of cytoskeletal protein synthesis following axon injury must be a part of any successful strategy to improve the regenerative capacity of the central nervous system."}
{"id": "PMID:1476678", "title": "Actin in emerging neurites is recruited from a monomer pool.", "content": "Does actin in the emerging axons of regenerating neurons arise from the assembled or unassembled actin pool in the cell soma? We investigated this question by loading neurons with one of two fluorescently labeled molecules: rhodamine actin (r-actin) and rhodamine phalloidin (r-phalloidin). The assembly behavior of r-actin in vitro was identical to unlabeled actin. R-phalloidin binds tightly only to the filamentous form of actin (F-actin) and stabilizes filaments against disassembly. Hence, r-phalloidin-tagged filaments should be less likely to disassemble than r-actin-tagged filaments. Neurons of 10-d-old chick embryos were loaded with r-actin or r-phalloidin by triturating trypsinized dorsal root ganglia in isotonic sucrose containing the fluorescently tagged molecule. Isolated neurons were plated on glass coverslips in modified L15 medium containing nerve growth factor. Video images of the live cells on a thermoregulated stage were acquired with a computer imaging system. After 24 h in culture, the fluorescence distribution of r-phalloidin and r-actin was examined in live neurons of comparable morphology, neurite outgrowth, and intensity of somal fluorescence. Greater than 90% of the neurons labeled with r-actin (n = 81) contained detectable levels of fluorescence in emerging neurite fibers, often extending to the tip of the growing process. Less than 10% of the neurons labeled with r-phalloidin (n = 53) contained any fluorescence in the neurite fibers. In those that did contain fluorescence, the r-phalloidin usually was confined to the proximal segment of the neurite, and in no case was it found at the growing tip. Confocal microscopy and cooled CCD imaging of fixed neurons showed that all structures that incorporated r-actin or r-phalloidin also stained with bodipy phallacidin. This colocalization confirms the association of rhodamine-tagged species with F-actin. Our data support a model in which actin, needed in early stages of neurite outgrowth, arises from a pool in the soma that is capable of disassembly."}
{"id": "PMID:1476676", "title": "Neuronal protein NP185 is developmentally regulated, initially expressed during synaptogenesis, and localized in synaptic terminals.", "content": "Evidence is presented here that demonstrates the presence of NP185 (AP3) in neuronal cells, specifically within syn-aptic terminals of the central nervous system and in the peripheral nervous system, particularly in the neuro-muscular junction of adult chicken muscle. Biochemical results obtained in our laboratories indicate that NP185 is associated with brain synaptic vesicles, with clathrin-coated vesicles, and with the synaptosomal plasma membrane. Also, NP185 binds to tubulin and clathrin light chains and the binding is regulated by phosphorylation (Su et al., 1991). Based on these properties and the data reported here, we advance the postulate that NP185 fulfills multiple functions in synaptic terminals. One function is that of a plasma membrane docking or channel protein, another of a signaling molecule for brain vesicles to reach the synaptic terminal region, and a third is that of a recycling molecule by binding to protein components on the lipid bilayer of the synaptic plasma membrane during the process of endocytosis. In support of these premises, a thorough study of NP185 using the developing chick brain, adult mouse brain, and chicken straited muscle was begun by temporally and spatially mapping the expression and localization of NP185 in evolving and mature nerve endings. To achieve these objectives, monoclonal antibodies to NP185 were used for immunocytochemistry in tissue sections of chicken and mouse cerebella. The distribution of NP185 was compared with those of other cytoskeletal and cytoplasmic proteins of axons and synapses, namely synaptophysin, vimentin, neurofilament NF68, and the intermediate filaments of glial cells (GFAP). The data indicate that expression of NP185 temporally coincides with synaptogenesis, and that the distribution of this protein is specific for synaptic terminal buttons of the CNS and the PNS."}
{"id": "PMID:1476693", "title": "[Comparative measurements with breath alcohol measuring devices].", "content": "During a drinking experiment 12 persons were tested with two different breath-alcohol analysers. Both instruments fulfill essential requirements according to the expertise of the Federal Health Office concerning the forensic applicability of breath analysers. One instrument was equipped with different measuring systems (infrared system and fuel cell). The other instrument had only an infrared system and in each case two measurements were performed with this system. With both instruments breath temperature and breath volume were determined, so that the BrAC values could be compared after they were related to the reference temperature of 34 degrees C. Taking into consideration the course of BrAC as a function of time a measuring precision of all systems was found which can be characterized by a standard deviation of less than 0.01 mg/l."}
{"id": "PMID:1476694", "title": "[Glue solvent as the cause of a \"breath alcohol value\" of \"1.96 promille\"].", "content": "After sniffing of glue solvents (mixture of aliphatic hydrocarbons: boiling fraction 60-90 degrees C, ethylacetate and toluene) a blood alcohol concentration of 1.96 permille was indicated with an instrument using the infrared wavelength of 3.4 micrometer for the spectrophotometrical determination of breath alcohol. Testing of the individual solvents with a simple manual procedure showed linear relationships between concentrations in breathing air and the false positive breath alcohol values. Aliphatic hydrocarbons predominantly are responsible for the false positive breath alcohol determination. With 500 micrograms/liter a value of nearly 1.5 permille can be produced (using the factor of 2100 for the calculation of the blood alcohol concentration from breath alcohol). With ethylacetate or toluene up to 1 milligram/liter 0.5 permille ethanol in the blood will erroneously be found. The problem of recognition of crossreactive other gases by the measurement at two wavelengths (3.4 and 9.2 micrometer) is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1476695", "title": "[Modification of Alcomat breath alcohol determination by benzine].", "content": "We examined the period breath-alcohol values may be falsified owing to gasoline vapors with regard to the Alcomat currently used in routine tests. In a sober test person the breath-alcohol concentration was found to be 0.10/1000 24 min. after the inhalation of gasoline vapors, whereas the value measured after 28 min. was still 0.09/1000. 63 min. after the clothes had been moistened with gasoline, a breath-alcohol concentration of still 0.11/1000 could be identified immediately after inhalation."}
{"id": "PMID:1476696", "title": "[Criteria for the evaluation of programs for rehabilitation of apprehended drivers].", "content": "The preparation of criteria for the judgment of programs provided for rehabilitation (re-education) of delinquent drivers is in regard of the development of these measures--likewise in European foreign countries--necessary to secure their suitableness, their effectiveness, their controlled optimization, their credibility and their quality. Only programs (courses) can be suitable, which apply for the psychological knowledge about measures for behavior modification so that it relates perfectly to the target group. These measures have to be investigated for their effectiveness--especially if they result in legal consequences. Therefore the fundamental demand of Wittmann (1985) has to be repeated: Evaluation is a necessary, unquestioned task of all social institutions, which long for a rational manifestation and justification of their activity. Finally, behavior modification of delinquent drivers require a continuous safe-guarding of their quality within the scope of the acknowledged norms in Europe."}
{"id": "PMID:1476700", "title": "Purification and characterization of a 32-kDa protein that localizes to the sea urchin extraembryonic matrix, the hyaline layer.", "content": "We have purified a 32 kilodalton (kDa) protein that localized with isolated, intact hyaline layers prepared from 1-h-old embryos. The protein appeared not to bind calcium and was not quantitatively released from 1-h-old embryos in the absence of Ca2+ and Mg2+. Using polyclonal antiserum prepared against the 32-kDa protein, the antigen was detected throughout embryonic development. By the hatched blastula stage of development, the 32-kDa protein was replaced by a species of slightly smaller molecular mass. Quantitative determination indicated that the 32-kDa protein accounted for approximately 6% of the total protein present in the sea urchin egg. This result is suggestive of a structural role for the 32-kDa protein that is required throughout embryonic development, although perhaps in a modified form from the hatched blastula stage on."}
{"id": "PMID:1476701", "title": "Two squid skin proteoglycans each containing chondroitin sulfates with different sulfation patterns.", "content": "Two chondroitin sulfate containing proteoglycans, amounting to approximately 6% of the tissue proteoglycans, were isolated from the skin of the squid. They were almost completely extracted by 4 M guanidine hydrochloride in the presence of proteinase inhibitors, and then they were separated by DEAE-Sephacel chromatography and isolated by further chromatography on Sepharose CL-4B. Each proteoglycan contained two types of chondroitin sulfates that differed in their sulfation patterns. One proteoglycan (molecular mass (M(r)) 5.6 x 10(5)) contained, on the average, four chondroitins (M(r) 8.4 x 10(4)) and five chondroitin sulfates (M(r) 3.4 x 10(4)), whereas the other proteoglycan (M(r) 5.2 x 10(5)) contained three chondroitin sulfates (M(r) 1.1 x 10(5)) and five oversulfated chondroitin sulfates (M(r) 4.3 x 10(4)). The glycosaminoglycans were released from the proteoglycans by treatment with alkaline borohydride, separated from the oligosaccharides by chromatography on Bio-Gel P-30, and isolated by chromatography on DEAE-Sephacel and Sepharose CL-6B. Chondroitin sulfates were degraded by chondroitinase AC to an extent of 70% and consisted of significant amounts of disaccharides sulfated at C-4 of the galactosamine, disulfated disaccharides, and small amounts of nonsulfated disaccharides, as well as disaccharides that bore sulfates at C-6. Oversulfated chondroitin sulfate was degraded by chondroitinase AC to only 40% and contained appreciable amounts of disulfated and trisulfated disaccharides. The glycosaminoglycans also contained neutral monosaccharides; glucose was the predominant neutral sugar. A part of the oligosaccharides of both proteoglycans was of identical structure to that of chondroitin sulfate."}
{"id": "PMID:1476697", "title": "[Correlation of the lipophilicity of the active agents with their topical anti-inflammatory activity].", "content": "The present study concerns the relation between the therapeutic activity of some FANS in formulation for topical use and their lipophylic nature. The efficacy of topic formulations of three widely used FANS: cinnoxicam, piroxicam and diclofenac have been evaluated through the decrease of plantar edema induced by egg's white in the rat's hind paw. The volume increases after one hour were 55% in the group of rats treated with cinnoxicam, 64% in the animals treated with piroxicam and 79% in those treated with diclofenac, against 86% of control group. The partition coefficient (P) of the three active drugs have been detected. The P found for the three drugs 4.9, 3.3, 0.9 respectively demonstrate the direct correlation between the pharmacological activity of the topic formulation and its lipophylic nature."}
{"id": "PMID:1476702", "title": "In vivo behaviour of rat transferrin bearing a hybrid glycan and its interaction with macrophages.", "content": "Production of rat transferrin containing a single hybrid glycan was induced by treating rats with swainsonine, an inhibitor of alpha-mannosidase II. The principal component of this variant transferrin containing one sialic acid residue per mole of protein was separated from other forms of transferrin by anion-exchange chromatography, followed by lectin affinity chromatography. Transferrin bearing the hybrid glycan was degraded in vivo with a half-life of 14 h as compared with 40 h for transferrin containing a standard diantennary glycan. By using 125I-labelled tyramine-cellobiose, a label whose discharge from lysosomes is strongly retarded, organs rich in reticuloendothelial elements (liver, bone marrow, lungs, and spleen) were identified as the major sites of catabolism of the transferrin variant. The liver took up more 59Fe from the variant (26% of the dose in 90 min) than from control rat transferrin (12%). The excess iron uptake was reduced by the intravenous injection of either human transferrin or ovalbumin, and it was abolished by administering both. Macrophages from bone marrow and lungs degraded the transferrin variant in vitro. The degradation was significantly enhanced when transferrin receptors were blocked by human transferrin, and it was significantly reduced by ovalbumin and methyl glucopyranoside."}
{"id": "PMID:1476703", "title": "In vitro transfer of N,N'-diacetylchitobiose to glycoproteins in rat liver nuclei.", "content": "This work demonstrates that (N-acetyl[14C]glucosamine)2 is transferred from dolichyl pyrophosphate-(N-acetyl[14C]glucosamine)2 to endogenous nuclear glycoproteins. The (N-acetyl[14C]glucosamine)2 moiety is N-linked, since it can be released from the tryptic glycopeptides by N-glycosidase F and by hydrazinolysis, but not by beta-elimination. The biological significance of this direct transfer of N,N'-diacetylchitobiose to nuclear proteins remains to be elucidated."}
{"id": "PMID:1476698", "title": "Microbiological control of pharmaceutical products containing preservatives: drawbacks of the method of membrane filtration.", "content": "Microbiological assays carried out on membranes employed for the filtration of solutions of preservatives with concentration used in pharmaceuticals, demonstrated that such membranes, even after washing with 300 ml (100 ml X 3) of peptone water according to the guidelines of the Pharmacopoeia, maintain very frequently a remarkable antimicrobial activity revealed by inhibition zones and by disappearance or decrease of the number of colonies forming units. Such drawbacks can interfere negatively with the microbiological controls of pharmaceuticals containing preservatives."}
{"id": "PMID:1476704", "title": "Purpurogallin is a more powerful protector of kidney cells than Trolox and allopurinol.", "content": "Phase contrast and electron microscopic experiments demonstrated that oxyradicals generated with xanthine oxidase and hypoxanthine markedly damage rat kidney mesangial and porcine tubular epithelial cells. Purpurogallin, a phenol found in oak nutgalls, prolongs survival of the xanthine oxidase exposed renal cells three- to nine-fold longer than those without purpurogallin present. At levels equimolar to purpurogallin, either Trolox or allopurinol is less effective in delaying cell necrosis. Purpurogallin scavenges not only xanthine oxidase generated oxyradicals, but also non-enzymatically produced peroxyl radicals, more actively than equimolar levels of Trolox or allopurinol. Purpurogallin inhibits xanthine oxidase with severalfold higher potency than allopurinol and its more active metabolite oxypurinol. Therefore, purpurogallin is a stronger antioxidant than Trolox and a more potent inhibitor of xanthine oxidase than allopurinol as well as oxypurinol."}
{"id": "PMID:1476705", "title": "Slow troponin C is present in both muscle and nonmuscle cells.", "content": "A common primer was used for synthesis of cDNAs from both chicken fast and slow troponin C (TnC) mRNAs. Synthesis of double-stranded cDNAs and their amplification by polymerase chain reaction gave specific products corresponding to these mRNAs. This method was used for determining the presence of TnC mRNAs in various tissues. Our results show that while the fast TnC mRNA is expressed only in the muscle cells, slow TnC mRNA is expressed in a number of nonmuscle cells. Not all nonmuscle cells, however, express slow TnC mRNA. Liver and brain tissues showed the presence of high levels of this mRNA, while it was absent in chicken smooth muscle and embryonic skin. The slow TnC mRNA was very stable in cardiac muscle cells. It degrades with a half-life of approximately 94 h. The same mRNA was less stable in skeletal muscle and liver cells. The half-lives were found to be only between 13 and 16 h in these cells. Our results suggest that slow TnC mRNA may function as the nonmuscle isoform of this contractile protein. Since slow TnC mRNA is the only TnC isoform present in cardiac muscle, liver and brain, it is possible that besides its role in regulating contraction of striated muscle slow TnC can also function in processes other than muscle contraction."}
{"id": "PMID:1476706", "title": "Estrogen sulfotransferase distribution in tissues of mouse and guinea pig: steroidal inhibition of the guinea pig enzyme.", "content": "The highest total activity of estrogen sulfotransferase in guinea pig is in liver and the highest specific activities are in the adrenal and the midgestational chorion. Guinea pig gonads contain scarcely detectable activities. In CD-1 mice the highest specific activity is in testis and the highest total activity is in late placenta. Adrenals from both sexes and ovaries contain minimal activities, while liver and fetal membrane activities are remarkably low. In CD-1, DBA, C57BL, and BALB mice, qualitative patterns are similar. Purified or partially purified estrogen sulfotransferase from guinea pig adrenal and chorion were used to study the effect of a number of possible steroidal inhibitors. Considerable structural specificity is evident within a range of steroids, even among some which are not substrates. Pregnenolone is the most effective 21-carbon inhibitor and, in general, more highly hydroxylated forms are less inhibitory. Within a series of 21-, 19- and 18-carbon steroids, the structure of the A ring appears to be extremely important in regard to inhibitory effects."}
{"id": "PMID:1476707", "title": "Kinetics of inactivation of 4-aminobutyrate aminotransferase by 3-bromopyruvate.", "content": "3-Bromopyruvate inhibited 4-aminobutyrate aminotransferase (EC 2.6.1.19) from Pseudomonas fluorescens, apparently irreversibly. Kinetics of this inactivation were studied by continuously monitoring the enzyme reaction at 30 degrees C in the presence of inhibitor. Irrespective of how high an inhibitor concentration was present, a maximum rate of inactivation was eventually achieved (5.9 x 10(-3) s-1), indicating the formation of a reversible inhibitor-enzyme complex before the final inactivation step. The dissociation constant of this complex was found to be 6.5 microM. This affinity labelling by 3-bromopyruvate suggests the presence of essential sulphydryl groups on the enzyme, since this compound is known to preferentially alkylate cysteinyl residues."}
{"id": "PMID:1476708", "title": "Virotoxins polymerize actin and induce membrane fragmentation in cytoplasmic preparations of Amoeba proteus.", "content": "Virotoxins and phalloidin are peptides that induce actin polymerization in vitro. We have compared the effect of five virotoxins and phalloidin on the ultrastructure of spread preparations of Amoeba proteus cytoplasm. Like phalloidin, the five virotoxins induce polymerization of cytoplasmic actin. Moreover, the virotoxins, but not phalloidin, induce membrane fragmentation in small spherical vesicles. We, therefore, conclude that these virotoxins may have another membrane-bound target besides actin."}
{"id": "PMID:1476709", "title": "Amino acid pools in developing Chlamydomonas reinhardtii: vegetative cells, gametes, and mature zygotes.", "content": "Free amino acid pools were examined for cultures of vegetative cells, gametes, and mature zygotes of the unicellular green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii (Dangeard). The total pool of amino acids found in premature gametes of strains 137c+ (10.0 pmol-micrograms protein-1) and 137c- (10.8 pmol.micrograms protein-1) decreased to levels about half that seen in vegetative 137c- cells (19.8 pmol.micrograms protein-1). Following light activation, amino acid pools in these gametes increased to 18.7 pmol.micrograms protein-1 in 137c+ cells and 20.0 pmol.micrograms protein-1 in 137c- cells. With the exception of cystine, individual amino acid pools in these cells had increased once more to levels similar to those seen in vegetative cells grown in liquid medium. Levels of cystine remained one to two orders of magnitude lower than that seen in vegetative cells. Mature 137c+ and 137c- gametes mixed in solutions of either 2 mM cystine or 2 mM cysteine (half-cystine) suffered a 52-64% reduction, respectively, in the number of vis-\u00e0-vis conjugative pairs formed. This suggests that pools of endogenous cystine may play a role in the onset of mating. In zygotes levels of all amino acid pools, except histidine, were depressed; levels of cystine, valine, and phenylalanine were nondetectable in these cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1476710", "title": "Statistical analysis of trends in urban ozone air quality.", "content": "The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the use of some statistical methods for examining trends in ambient ozone air quality downwind of major urban areas. To this end, daily maximum 1-hr ozone concentrations measured over New Jersey, metropolitan New York City and Connecticut for the period 1980 to 1989 were assembled and analyzed. This paper discusses the application of the bootstrap method, extreme value statistics and a nonparametric test for evaluating trends in urban ozone air quality. The results indicate that although there is an improvement in ozone air quality downwind of New York City, there has been little change in ozone levels upwind of New York City during this ten-year period."}
{"id": "PMID:1476722", "title": "Nonradioactive southwestern analysis using chemiluminescent detection.", "content": "Replacing radioactively labeled probes by nonradioactive ones and detection by chemiluminescence instead of colorimetry allows a nonhazardous handling and offers the possibility of easily reprobing filters in Southwestern analysis. Using the described procedure, we were able to determine the molecular weight of DNA-binding proteins and achieve a high signal-to-noise ratio."}
{"id": "PMID:1476723", "title": "A simple and sensitive enzyme-mediated assay of biotin.", "content": "Free biotin was quantitated by a competition by coating biotin-bovine serum albumin conjugate on a polystyrene microplate for binding to avidin-beta-galactosidase conjugate. The enzyme conjugate remaining on the plate surface as a result of the competition was detected by reaction with one of the following fluorogenic substrates, resorufin beta-D-galactoside and fluorescein di-beta-D-galactoside, in a fluorescence plate reader. Free biotin as little as 0.1 nmol can be routinely detected."}
{"id": "PMID:1476724", "title": "High-yield recovery of recombinant DNA from poorly growing cosmid and lambda genomic clones.", "content": "Certain genomic sequences cannot be recovered efficiently in cosmid or lambda bacteriophage clones, presenting a barrier to efforts to construct a contiguous cloned library of a genome. We have encountered such sequences during our efforts to isolate cosmid and bacteriophage lambda clones carrying members of the human type 2 cystatin gene family. Several cosmid clones constructed in the pWE 15 vector did not survive purification, and using standard techniques, we were unable to obtain significant amounts of cosmid DNA from those clones we could purify. Similarly, several lambda bacteriophage clones constructed in the lambda DASH II vector could not be purified, and those lambda clones we were able to isolate gave low titers in liquid lysates. In this paper, we describe generally applicable methods for preparing high yields of recombinant DNA from such recalcitrant cosmid and lambda clones constructed in these vectors."}
{"id": "PMID:1476725", "title": "Simultaneous synthesis of degenerate oligonucleotides of variable length.", "content": "Most mutagenic studies have emphasized the exchange of residues but disregarded the variation in length as the other aspect of protein variability. In this report a novel strategy to simultaneously synthesize degenerate mutagenic oligonucleotides of variable length is reported. Synthesis is done on a normal automated DNA synthesizer with modifications only in the program. Product of such synthesis can be used as a mutagenic oligonucleotide for construction of mutant proteins with variable length of inserts."}
{"id": "PMID:1476726", "title": "Taq DNA polymerase for labeling DNA using random primers.", "content": "The efficiency of labeling DNA with Taq DNA polymerase for probing nucleic acid blots was evaluated as an alternative to the more common procedure of using the Klenow fragment. The DNA was labeled with Taq DNA polymerase using random primers. The DNA was labeled specifically and efficiently. Synthesized DNA showed fragments of sizes smaller than those produced by the Klenow fragment and could be performed with as little as 0.5 pg of DNA. The use of Taq DNA polymerase appeared to be limited by the amount of radiolabeled nucleotide used and was more sensitive to non-optimized conditions in the reaction mixture than the Klenow fragment. The relative amounts of incorporated nucleotide in comparable conditions were, on occasions, 10% to 25% lower with Taq DNA polymerase than when using the Klenow fragment; nevertheless, the use of the Taq DNA polymerase to label DNA with random primers offers a very good alternative to the Klenow fragment as shown by this report."}
{"id": "PMID:1476727", "title": "Transient expression and histological localization of a gus chimeric gene after direct transfer to mature cowpea embryos.", "content": "Transient expression of a chimeric gus reporter gene was demonstrated in cowpea embryonic cells after direct gene transfer. This report shows that seed-derived embryos express the reporter gene at high frequency after passive or electroporation-mediated DNA transfer."}
{"id": "PMID:1476728", "title": "Circular dichroism user facility at the National Synchrotron Light Source: estimation of protein secondary structure.", "content": "The ultraviolet circular dichroism of a protein can be used to estimate the net fraction of its amino acids in different classes of secondary structure. Recent advances in the accuracy of such calculations have resulted from improved computational techniques, as well as extension of the spectral region analyzed to wavelengths less than 180 nm, a wavelength range beyond the limit of most laboratory-based circular dichroism spectrometers. We describe a spectrometer that uses UV radiation from the National Synchrotron Light Source at the Brookhaven National Laboratory to record circular dichroism spectra of proteins (and other biologically important molecules) in aqueous solution over the optimum wavelength range required for calculation of secondary structures. This instrument is available for use by scientists from academic, commercial and research institutions."}
{"id": "PMID:1476729", "title": "Rapid high-efficiency site-directed mutagenesis by the phosphorothioate approach.", "content": "Several improvements to the existing phosphorothioate-based site-directed mutagenesis methodology are reported, and here it is demonstrated that the new procedure is able to produce large deletions, insertions and point mutations rapidly and with very high efficiency. The time required for the polymerization step has been reduced by using T7 DNA polymerase to extend the mutant oligonucleotide primer-template. The reaction produces good yields of double-stranded closed-circular DNA and some partially polymerized template. The reaction was treated with T5 D15 exonuclease to selectively destroy partially polymerized single-stranded phage DNA that may otherwise contribute to an increased background of wild-type transformants. The use of these enzymes greatly facilitates the implementation of the phosphorothioate-based site-directed mutagenesis method by requiring less template DNA and by allowing all the in vitro manipulations to be completed in a day. In its present form the method may easily be automated, enabling large systematic site-directed mutagenesis projects to be undertaken."}
{"id": "PMID:1476730", "title": "Synthesis of cRNA probes from PCR-generated DNA.", "content": "We have compared RNA polymerase promoter activities in PCR-generated DNA fragments for use in the in vitro transcription of cRNA probes. Sense oligonucleotide primers, specific for the mouse acidic fibroblast growth factor gene, were synthesized with 5' extensions containing promoter sequences for the T7, T3 and SP6 RNA polymerase promoters. A common antisense primer was used with each of the promoter/aFGF primers to prepare PCR-generated DNA fragments (minigenes). In vitro transcription efficiency for each of these constructs was evaluated by incorporation of radioactivity into the cRNA products. We find that both the T7 and T3 promoters can direct the synthesis of cRNA probes of high specific activity from a PCR-generated DNA fragment, but that SP6 cannot. No detectable cRNA product was obtained using either T7 polymerase on the T3/minigene or T3 on the T7/minigene. Antisense cRNA probes, transcribed from minigene constructs were used for both Northern and in situ hybridization studies. A PCR-generated DNA fragment with RNA polymerase promoter sequences at each end provides a single template for synthesis in vitro of either sense or antisense cRNA probes."}
{"id": "PMID:1476731", "title": "An efficient and reliable method for cloning PCR-amplification products: a survey of point mutations in integrin cDNA.", "content": "A highly efficient, non-labor-intensive method for cloning DNA fragments produced by PCR amplification was used to carry out a rapid survey of potential point mutations in integrin alpha 6 cDNA from 17 different cell-type sources. The method includes glass powder purification of the PCR reaction mixture, followed by simultaneous treatment with T4 polynucleotide kinase and DNA polymerase I, and another glass powder purification. Sequences from multiple subclones of each cell type were readily generated, aligned and checked for mismatches. Several commonly used alternative procedures were compared for cloning efficiency and size-fidelity of inserted DNA fragments."}
{"id": "PMID:1476732", "title": "Minimal electrophoresis time for DNA sequencing.", "content": "This study presents a mathematical approach that allows one to determine the shortest electrophoresis time and migration path length required for DNA sequencing. The calculation was applied to the capillary electrophoresis of a DNA sequencing separation and showed that acceptable resolution could be obtained using a shorter path length than anticipated."}
{"id": "PMID:1476733", "title": "CircumVent thermal cycle sequencing and alternative manual and automated DNA sequencing protocols using the highly thermostable VentR (exo-) DNA polymerase.", "content": "CircumVent thermal cycle and standard DNA sequencing protocols utilizing the cloned and highly thermostable VentR (exo-) DNA polymerase are described. The thermal cycle sequencing procedures are advantageous because they allow fast and simple semiautomation of the sequencing reaction; make possible the direct DNA sequencing of PCR products, bacterial colonies and phage plaques; require only femtomoles of template DNA; eliminate the requirement of an independent primer annealing step; remove the requirement of denatured plasmids for sequencing double-stranded templates; and use a highly thermostable DNA polymerase for sequencing through potential recalcitrant secondary structure domains and large linear double-stranded DNA templates such as lambda derivatives. More standard methods of DNA sequencing (i.e., a one-step protocol and a labeling-termination protocol) are also presented. For each protocol, alternatives for choice of label and method of labeling are presented, including the use of 5' biotinylated primers for chemiluminescent DNA sequencing and fluorinated primers for automated sequencing using the BaseStation Automated DNA Sequencer."}
{"id": "PMID:1476737", "title": "A simple, efficient method to create a cDNA library.", "content": "The simplified \"All In One Tube\" protocol for constructing a cDNA library combines the advantages of the \"Classic method\" and the Okayama-Berg method while overcoming some of their drawbacks. In this method, adding adapters, linkers or enzyme digestion steps are no longer necessary after cDNA synthesis, thus making it quicker and especially useful when dealing with small samples of mRNA."}
{"id": "PMID:1476738", "title": "pGSTag--a versatile bacterial expression plasmid for enzymatic labeling of recombinant proteins.", "content": "We report on the construction of a plasmid, pGSTag, that directs the expression in E. coli of a glutathione S-transferase fusion protein that contains a high affinity phosphorylation site by protein kinase-A (PK-A). The fusion protein, following purification from crude bacterial lysates by substrate affinity chromatography, can be labeled in vitro to high specific activity with purified PK-A and 32P-gamma-ATP. Because labeling takes place while the fusion protein is immobilized on a solid support, the unincorporated label and enzyme can be washed away. Using the leucine-zipper domains of cAMP response element binding (CREB) proteins and CCAAT/enhancer binding protein (C/EBP)-like proteins as a model system, we show that the labeled protein, after elution from the affinity resin, can be used as a probe to detect interacting (dimerizing) species in a nitrocellulose-based ligand blot assay. The utility of this system for the creation of labeled protein probes is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1476739", "title": "Quantitation of radioactively labeled RNA by hybrid selection using biotinylated oligonucleotides.", "content": "We describe a procedure to quantify specific, radioactively labeled RNA sequences. This procedure combines hybrid selection of an RNA using biotinylated oligonucleotides with gel electrophoretic analysis of the selected RNA. We show that the hybrid selection procedure is specific and quantitative. It enriches a specific RNA sequence at least 600-fold. Specificity and sensitivity are increased to at least 10,000-fold enrichment by a combination of RNase T1 digestion of the RNA:oligonucleotide hybrid prior to selection, followed by gel electrophoretic fractionation of the selected RNA fragment. Furthermore, this modification allows one to quantify specific regions of an RNA transcript, as well as to monitor several different RNA sequences in one experiment. It is estimated that the sensitivity of this procedure is high enough to detect specific RNA sequences present at 1 part in 100,000."}
{"id": "PMID:1476740", "title": "Exonuclease cycling assay: an amplified assay for the detection of specific DNA sequences.", "content": "An assay is described in which an oligonucleotide probe is specifically digested by lambda exonuclease only when it is annealed to its complementary sequence. In this assay, a cycling effect occurs whereby a small amount of target sequence acts as a specific co-factor in the enzymatic degradation of a larger number of molecules of an oligonucleotide probe. This amplification principle is demonstrated and the effect of the oligonucleotide probe sequence investigated. The necessary steps needed to convert this effect into a useful diagnostic tool are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1476741", "title": "A more stringent choice of primers can improve the performance of fluorescent automated DNA sequencers.", "content": "Some primers frequently used in the double-stranded dideoxy DNA sequencing technique with radioactive markers are not suited for fluorescent detection. In fact oligonucleotides have a different annealing efficiency related to their base sequence, and this is reflected in nonequivalent results, particularly in fluorescent automated DNA sequencing. We present a method for the evaluation of primer performance in automated DNA sequencers and show its application to the search for a better set of primers for pBluescript vector."}
{"id": "PMID:1476742", "title": "Chemiluminescent detection of alkaline phosphatase in PhastGel.", "content": "A chemiluminescent assay has been applied to the detection of alkaline phosphatase on PhastGel containing lysates of preimplantation mouse embryos. The very sensitive detection capabilities reported for the chemiluminescent system led to the investigation of its applicability to the characterization of the alkaline phosphatases in one embryo or less and to compare the sensitivity of two different commercial alkaline phosphatase chemiluminescent assays to a colorimetric assay."}
{"id": "PMID:1476743", "title": "Rapid identification of high affinity peptide ligands using positional scanning synthetic peptide combinatorial libraries.", "content": "We describe here a conceptually unique set of individual synthetic peptide combinatorial libraries (SPCLs), termed a positional scanning SPCL (PS-SPCL), that can be used for the rapid (i.e., a single day) identification of peptide sequences that bind with high affinity to antibodies, receptors or other acceptor molecules. The PS-SPCL described here is made up of six individual positional peptide libraries, each one consisting of hexamers with a single position defined and five positions as mixtures. As an example of the utility of such PS-SPCLs, the antigenic determinants recognized by two different monoclonal antibodies were correctly identified upon a single screening."}
{"id": "PMID:1476744", "title": "A simple computer program with statistical tests for the analysis of enzyme kinetics.", "content": "A simple computer program that calculates the kinetic parameters of enzyme reactions is described. Parameters are determined by nonlinear, least-squares regression using either Marquardt-Levenberg or Gauss-Newton algorithms to find the minimum sum of squares. Three types of enzyme reactions can be analyzed: single substrate reactions (Michaelis-Menten and sigmoidal kinetics), enzyme activation at a fixed substrate value or enzyme inhibition at a fixed substrate value. The user can monitor goodness of fit through nonparametric statistical tests (performed automatically by the computer) and through visual examination of the pattern of residuals. The program is unique in providing equations for activator and inhibition analysis as well as in enabling the user to fix some of the parameters before regression analysis. The simplicity of the program makes it extremely useful for quickly determining kinetic parameters during the data-gathering process."}
{"id": "PMID:1476746", "title": "A shell program for the design of PCR primers using genetics computer group (GCG) software (7.1) on VAX/VMS systems.", "content": "A number of software analysis packages for the design of PCR primers are available for PCs; however, software for users that depend on VAX/VMS operating systems is not available. By treating oligonucleotides as RNA molecules, I have designed an alternative means toward studying oligonucleotide interactions using software that is currently available from The Genetics Computer Group (GCG, Madison, WI). The oligonucleotide interactions with self and non-self are analyzed by the GCG FOLD program, a program which finds a secondary structure of minimum free energy for an RNA molecule. This approach allows the identification of self-priming primer pairs, and the interaction energies provide a guideline for the prediction of optimal PCR primers."}
{"id": "PMID:1476747", "title": "ProSearch: fast searching of protein sequences with regular expression patterns related to protein structure and function.", "content": "This report describes the implementation of ProSearch, a computer program that can efficiently search for motifs in protein sequences. ProSearch currently uses motifs that are contained in the PROSITE database, but user-developed patterns can easily be added to any search. ProSearch can generate a report identifying the patterns present in a given protein sequence, their locations and, if desired, a short description of the identified patterns. The program is written in AWK (a small interpreted computer language), which can run on all computer platforms commonly found in laboratories. ProSearch can search a 348-amino acid protein for 690 patterns in less than 5 s on a typical workstation."}
{"id": "PMID:1476748", "title": "Application of the polymerase chain reaction to the ribonuclease protection assay.", "content": "We have developed a modified RNase protection assay in which the antisense RNA probe is prepared from a PCR-amplified DNA template rather than from a linearized plasmid DNA template. In this assay, an RNA polymerase promoter sequence is attached to the 5' end of the antisense PCR primer. Using this modified antisense primer in conjunction with the paired sense primer, PCR amplification generates a linear DNA template that includes an RNA polymerase promoter sequence. Transcription in vitro initiated by the incorporated promoter in the presence of RNA polymerase and ribonucleotide triphosphates produces a radiolabeled run-off antisense RNA transcript, which can then be used as probe for RNase protection analysis. Probes generated by this method obviate the need to subclone DNA sequences into transcription vectors for synthesis of antisense transcripts. Due to the simplicity of its design and the lack of need for subcloning, this strategy offers greater flexibility than conventional methods for the production of single-stranded RNA probes, and thus facilitates the implementation of the ribonuclease protection assay."}
{"id": "PMID:1476749", "title": "Practical applications in molecular biology of sensitive fluorescence detection by a laser-excited fluorescence image analyzer.", "content": "A new kind of fluorescence image analyzer was developed for a variety of uses, especially in molecular biology. Compounds labeled with fluorescent groups on a gel or nitrocellulose membrane are excited with 532 nm of light from a green laser. The fluorescence emitted passes through light-collecting fibers to a photomultiplier. Imaging data converted from the emitted light are analyzed by a microcomputer and stored on a magnetic optical disk. Dideoxy DNA sequencing was done with the same amount of DNA used for autoradiography, and the sequencing ladders obtained from gel scanning were automatically converted to sequence data by the analyzer. When an agarose gel was analyzed after electrophoresis, DNA stained with ethidium bromide was detected by the analyzer with higher sensitivity rather than by the conventional photographic method. Nylon and nitrocellulose membranes could be read by the analyzer, so blot hybridization experiments can be done without radioisotopes. High-quality computer storage of the imaging data from gel electrophoresis and hybridized membranes, including pulsed-field gels, make it possible to quantify image intensity and to construct many kinds of databases."}
{"id": "PMID:1476750", "title": "Progestins in breast cancer treatment. A review.", "content": "The two most widely used synthetic progestins in breast cancer treatment, medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) and megestrol acetate (MA), are reviewed with regard to pharmacological, endocrinological and clinical aspects. In high oral doses as second- or first-line endocrine therapy in advanced breast cancer, they give a similar response rate as tamoxifen (TAM) and aminoglutethimide (AG). The mechanism of action is probably complex. Considerable changes in serum levels of different hormones are induced by progestin treatment. The decrease of serum estrone sulfate (E1S) may be part of the therapeutic mechanism. Some studies suggest that the two drugs, MPA and MA, have a different mode of action, and possibly a low cross resistance. Randomized studies using the two progestins with a cross-over design may answer these questions. Further studies on the influence of progestin on different receptors and growth factors are warranted. To determine the most effective clinical dose of the two progestins, studies with increasing therapeutic doses are needed."}
{"id": "PMID:1476751", "title": "Statistical tests in medical research.", "content": "Various propositions have been made to improve the statistical quality of medical journals: using statistical referees, promoting better collaboration between statisticians and researchers, and teaching of basic statistics to clinicians. The most frequent errors found in medical articles are misinterpretation of p-values or non-significant results and confusion between statistical and clinical significance, inappropriate use of tests requiring precise assumptions, inappropriate or not controlled multiple testing and particularly testing of post hoc hypotheses, and overemphasis on p-values. Many errors arising from the misinterpretation of results of statistical hypothesis tests, the basic principles of this methodology are emphasized, and the usual fallacies found in the medical literature are reviewed."}
{"id": "PMID:1476752", "title": "Risk factors for screen-detected breast cancer. A case-control study.", "content": "Risk factors for breast cancer (BC) detected in mammography screening were sought using a questionnaire among 31,927 women aged from 40 to 74 years who attended screening. Data from 204 women with screen-detected BC were compared with those of 612 controls who did not have BC in screening. Mothers of women with BC had more often BC than those of the controls (8% vs. 3%, odds ratio, OR, 3.18, 95% CI 1.59-6.35). Women with screen-detected BC were older at their first childbirth (25.7 years vs. 24.7 years, OR 1.61, 1.14-2.33), and younger at menarche (13.6 years vs. 13.8 years, OR 1.38, 1.00-1.91), but there was no significant difference in the body mass index, number of pregnancies, breast size, smoking, or in the use of contraceptive pills between the cases and the controls. In multivariate logistic regression analyses, late age at the first childbirth, BC in the mother, and early age at menarche were independent risk factors for screen-detected BC but they appear to be of limited value in targeting screening in the female population aged from 40 to 74 in order to improve its cost-effectiveness."}
{"id": "PMID:1476753", "title": "Flow cytometry DNA analysis and prediction of loco-regional recurrences after mastectomy in breast cancer.", "content": "The study concerns whether DNA flow cytometry and estrogen receptor analysis might help predict which breast cancer patients, particularly node-positive ones, were at the greatest risk of developing loco-regional recurrence (LRR). Such patients would best benefit from postoperative radiotherapy following modified radical mastectomy and axillary lymph node dissection. After this type of surgery, 506 patients were followed up for a median time of nearly 5 years. Among the 235 patients given postoperative radiotherapy, the loco-regional control rate was 100% in N0 cases (n = 93), 94% in cases with 1-3 positive nodes (n = 90), 93% in cases with 4-9 positive nodes (n = 43), and 67% in cases with 10 or more positive nodes (n = 9). Among the 271 non-irradiated patients, the corresponding figures for loco-regional control were 91% in N0 cases (n = 141), 71% in cases with 1-3 positive nodes (n = 84), 65% in cases with 4-9 positive nodes (n = 31), and 67% in cases with 10 or more positive nodes (n = 15). Ploidy status, level of S-phase fraction, estrogen receptor content, and primary tumor size did not, in the present material, yield significant additional information with regard to the risk of LRR in the different nodal subgroups, a finding confirmed in multivariate analysis where the only significant predictor of LRR was the number of positive nodes (p = 0.01). Adjuvant tamoxifen treatment could not replace postoperative radiotherapy for achieving loco-regional tumor control, the overall rate of which was 81% among patients treated with tamoxifen only (n = 117), as compared with 98% among those also treated with radiotherapy (n = 54) (p = 0.003)."}
{"id": "PMID:1476754", "title": "Breast cancer-associated antigen CA 15.3 in liver cirrhosis.", "content": "The tumor marker CA 15.3 was studied in 85 patients with liver cirrhosis. Nine patients (10.6%) had abnormal levels of CA 15.3 with the highest values in cases of Child's C patients. However, Child's classes were not significantly associated with the level of the antigen. We found significant correlations with some laboratory tests, especially IgA. All patients with an elevated CA 15.3 value also had abnormal levels of IgA, and multivariate analysis showed that IgA was the only independent factor associated with CA 15.3. Although IgA is a marker of alcoholic liver disease, other markers of alcoholism were not associated with CA 15.3. Cytolysis and cholestasis were not significantly associated with the CA 15.3 level, but liver dysfunction seemed to be involved. Liver disease does not substantially limit the usefulness of CA 15.3 in the cancer patient who also has liver cirrhosis, since both the percentage of abnormal values and the elevation of the serum levels are moderate in cirrhotic patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1476755", "title": "Development of resistance to antitumor chloroethylnitrosoureas in vitro in brain tumor cells.", "content": "Rat brain tumor cell lines (9L, C6-1, C6-2), human brain tumor cells (T98G), and HeLa S3 cells were studied to assess their acquired resistance to the chloroethylnitrosoureas (CENUs), 1-(4-amino-2-methyl-5-pyrimidinyl)methyl-3-(2-chloroethyl)-3-nitrosourea hydrochloride (ACNU) and methyl-6-[3-(2-chloroethyl)-3-nitrosoureido]-6-deoxy-alpha-D-glucopyr anosid e (MCNU), after 10 repeated exposures of a panel of different drug concentrations. Assay end-point was colony-forming ability after 24-h drug exposure. Intrinsic resistance was tested at the 10% survival dose (SD10) and C6-1, T98G, and HeLa S3 cell lines were 3 to 16 times more resistant to ACNU than 9L and C6-2 cell lines. After repeated exposures to ACNU, 9L and C6-2 cells acquired 2- and 5-fold resistance to ACNU respectively, whereas C6-1 and T98G cells retained a resistance almost equivalent to the respective parent cells. HeLa S3 cells also acquired resistance to ACNU, as evidenced by a 3.5-fold increase. The SD10 of the cells to MCNU ranged from 4.3 microM (C6-2 cells) to 151.7 microM (T98G cells). After long-term exposure to MCNU, all five cell lines became significantly resistant compared to their respective parent cells. The easily obtained acquired resistance to CENUs suggests a clinical disadvantage of continual and repeated adjuvant monochemotherapy with these agents."}
{"id": "PMID:1476756", "title": "The effect of ondansetron on radiation-induced emesis and diarrhoea.", "content": "Fractionated radiotherapy of malignancies in the abdomen induces nausea and vomiting in approximately 50% of the patients. During abdominal irradiation the damaged gastrointestinal mucosa releases 5-HT with ensuing activation of 5-HT3 receptors which may explain the nausea and vomiting. Ondansetron is a new 5-HT3-antagonist with antiemetic properties. In this consecutive study, 33 patients receiving fractionated upper abdominal irradiation (> or = 100 cm2, 1,8-4 Gy daily dose for a mean of 13 days) were treated with ondansetron (8 mg t.d.s. p.o.). Emesis was completely controlled in 26/33 (79%) patients throughout their radiation course, which embraced 628 (94%) treatment days. Ondansetron was well tolerated. Eleven patients developed mild constipation. No patients experienced diarrhoea (a common distressing side-effect of abdominal irradiation). It is suggested that ondansetron can be of value in preventing emesis in patients receiving fractionated radiotherapy. The possible beneficial effect in preventing diarrhoea must be further evaluated."}
{"id": "PMID:1476757", "title": "A PET system based on 2-18FDG production with a low energy electrostatic proton accelerator and a dual headed PET scanner.", "content": "We have developed a comparatively inexpensive PET system, based on a rotating scanner with two scintillation camera heads, and a nearby low energy electrostatic proton accelerator for production of short-lived radionuclides. Using a 6 MeV proton beam of 5 microA, and by optimization of the target geometry for the 18O(p,n)18F reaction, 750 MBq of 2-18FDG can be obtained. The PET scanner shows a spatial resolution of 6 mm (FWHM) and a sensitivity of 80 s-1kBq-1ml-1 (3 kcps/microCi/ml). Various corrections are included in the imaging process, to compensate for spatial and temporal response variations in the detector system. Both filtered backprojection and iterative reconstruction methods are employed. Clinical studies have been performed with acquisition times of 30-40 min. The system will be used for clinical experimental research with short- as well as long-lived positron emitters. Also the possibility of true 3D reconstruction is under evaluation."}
{"id": "PMID:1476758", "title": "The objective response of brain metastases on radiotherapy. A prospective study using computer tomography.", "content": "A prospective study was performed to establish the objective response of brain metastases after radiotherapy. Twenty-five patients with a total of 53 metastatic lesions were evaluated approximately 6 weeks after completing the treatment (30 Gy/2,5 weeks). Clinical response was seen more often than objective response, due probably to concomitant use of corticosteroids and to most patients having multiple metastases. Clinical response, although important for the patient, does not well reflect the objective response. In 48% of the cases there was agreement between the clinical and the radiodiagnostic findings. The tumor size was an important prognostic factor for prediction of complete response. The majority of patients who achieved complete remission of at least one of the metastatic lesions, did not show recurrence of the neurological symptoms."}
{"id": "PMID:1476759", "title": "Tolerance of rat small intestine to localized single dose and fractionated irradiation.", "content": "The tolerance of rat small intestine to localized single-dose and fractionated irradiation was assessed. In 168 rats, bilateral orchiectomy was performed and a loop of small intestine was transposed to the left part of the scrotum. Beginning 3 weeks postoperatively, single dose (18-24 Gy) or fractionated (4.2 Gy or 5.6 Gy per fraction) x-irradiation was delivered to the transposed intestine. The animals were observed for complications, and groups of animals were killed 2 and 26 weeks after completion of irradiation for assessment of injury. Mortality (i.e. the occurrence of lethal intestinal complications) and a semiquantitative histopathologic scoring system were used as endpoints to assess the degree of radiation injury. The most frequent intestinal complications were enterocutaneous fistula formation and intestinal obstruction. Logistic regression analysis ov complications data was used to estimate LD50 values and the alpha/beta ratio. There was good correlation between histopathologic scores and the incidence of lethal complications. The estimated LD50 values were 22.1 +/- 0.5 Gy, 37.0 +/- 4.4 Gy and 51.0 +/- 5.3 Gy for the single dose regimen and the fractionated regimens of 5.6 Gy and 4.2 Gy respectively. The estimated alpha/beta ratio was 10.7 +/- 2.4 Gy. The goodness of fit of the linear-quadratic isoeffect model to our data was satisfactory. Our results indicate that acute mucosal damage may be pathogenetically involved in the development of intestinal complications."}
{"id": "PMID:1476763", "title": "[The SAVE trial: rational basis, results, and reflections].", "content": "Recent concepts about post-infarction left ventricular remodeling, which is the basis for heart failure in these patients, as well as its prevention by ACE inhibitors are briefly summarized. Those data were the rationale for the SAVE trial. The most important initial aspects of this trial (general objective, pre-specified endpoints, inclusion and exclusion criteria, etc.) are then described as well as the basal characteristics of the respective cohort. The most important results of the SAVE trial, now in press, are subsequently presented. Several clinical guidelines, derived from these results, are then suggested. Finally, some new questions, both clinical and pathophysiological, and originated by the results from the SAVE results, are commented."}
{"id": "PMID:1476764", "title": "[Variability of heart rate: a perspective].", "content": "The present work is an attempt to provide a general overview on the current methods and applications of heart rate variability (HRV), starting from the underlying mechanisms of cardiac rhythmic automaticity and the influence on heart rate of biological modulators, namely autonomous nervous system. Different evaluation methods for HRV are compared in what concerns the duration of the records under analysis and the mathematical approach (spectral/non-spectral). Finally, clinical applications of HRV are mentioned, some of them the Department is particularly interested in, namely coronary heart disease, heart failure and diabetic neuropathy. The authors conclude, minding some aspects susceptible of discussion in the future of this technique."}
{"id": "PMID:1476765", "title": "[Pericarditis in the acute phase of myocardial infarction: incidence and clinical significance].", "content": "To evaluate the incidence and the clinical significance of pericarditis in the acute myocardial infarction. Retrospective study. The Coronary Care Unit of a University Hospital. We have studied 668 consecutive patients with their first acute myocardial infarction admitted at the Coronary Care Unit, Hospital General de Galicia, Santiago de Compostela, Spain, in the years 1983 to 1988. Pericarditis was defined as the presence of a pericardial friction rub on auscultation during the hospital course. Pericarditis was noted in 86 patients (12.8%), who were considered as group A. The remain 582 patients were considered as group B. Statistical analysis was carried out using the BMDP statistical package. Pericarditis occurred in 12.8% of the patients. Patients with, compared to those without, pericarditis had a lower age (59.0 +/- 12.4 years; p = .0005), and a higher percentage of males (86.1% versus 75.6%; p = .038), an a higher percentage of smokers (63.9% versus 48.6%; p = .01). The delay to the hospital admission was greater in group A (12.6 +/- 18.5 hours versus 8.0 +/- 11.7 hours; p = .0024). Pericarditis more often occurred in the setting of anterior wall myocardial infarction and in Q-wave infarct. The group A had a higher CPK peak (1877.5 +/- 1548.9 UI/L versus 1240.2 +/- 961.5 UI/I; p = .001) and a higher peak of CK-MB (213.7 +/- 134.7 UI/L versus 160.8 +/- 112.9 UI/L; p = .001). In-hospital mortality was significantly lower in group A (6.9% versus 17.2%; p = .016). The multivariate analysis by stepwise logistic regression identified the Q- wave myocardial infarct, the age, the delay to the hospital admission, the peak of MB creatine kinase and location of infarct as the only independent predictive variables for the pericarditis occurrence. We conclude that the pericarditis in the setting of Q-wave myocardial infarction, with anterior wall location, and is related to transmural extension of the myocardial necrosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1476766", "title": "[Combined infarction: angiography and electrocardiographic diagnosis].", "content": "Combined infarction can be defined as the presence of ST segment elevation simultaneously in anterior and inferior leads. Their possible anatomical and physiopathological causes are suggested. Four cases of combined infarction, three of them in previously asymptomatic patients are presented, with their electrocardiographic and angiocoronarography patterns. Acute phase and 24 hours ECG ST changes are analysed and the possibility of an indirect approach to the angiographic diagnosis, is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1476767", "title": "[Pulmonary embolism--mortality risk].", "content": "We conducted a retrospective analysis on 311 patients with clinical diagnosis of pulmonary embolism (PE) in a period of 3 years. 163 patients were excluded based on clinical-laboratorial criteria. The remaining 146 patients had a median age of 69 years (range: 30-91 years). 54% of the patients were male. We found dyspnea (94%), abnormal cardiopulmonary observation (89%), risk factors for venous thromboembolism (74%), tachycardia (53%), cyanosis (49%), and neck vein distension (45%) to be the most frequent findings. 64% of the patients had heart failure, 32% had myocardial ischemia, 13% had cancer, and 11% had myocardial infarction. Lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) was higher than two-fold in 54% of the patients. There was severe hypoxemia in 55% of the cases and hypocapnia in 43% of the cases. Creatinine phosphokinase (CPK) was elevated in 16% of the cases. Electrocardiography was suggestive of PE in 37% of the cases. Echocardiography showed right heart dysfunction in 30% of the cases, 92% of the patients were treated with heparin, 37 patients (25%) died, 54% of which during the first 4 days after admittance. Trying to define an index of mortality in PE we evaluated all patients by discriminant analysis coming up with 14 items with good discriminative power. By approximation of their odds-ratios we determined how many points would correspond to each item in the total sum.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1476768", "title": "[Transesophageal echocardiography study of mitral valve prosthesis].", "content": "Transesophageal (TEE) and Transthoracic (TTE) comparative echocardiographic analysis of patients with mitral valve prosthesis. Prospective study. In hospital and out patients with mitral prosthesis in a follow-up study by the Cardiology Department and referred to the echocardiographic laboratory of Gregorio Mara\u00f1on General Hospital, Madrid. We studied 90 consecutive patients with mitral prosthesis diagnosis. Comparative and prospective echocardiographic study of transthoracic and transesophageal techniques in mitral prosthesis pathology. TTE diagnosed 18% of dysfunctioning mitral prosthesis patients compared to 56% of cases identified by TEE. TTE observed 1% of mitral prosthesis vegetation compared to 8.8% by TEE. TEE diagnosed left atrial thrombosis in 2.2% and TEE in 10%. Left atrial spontaneous dynamic contrast was identified exclusively by TEE in 55% of all cases. Paravalvular mitral prosthesis leak was correctly identified exclusively by TEE in 20% of cases. TEE has a greater diagnostic capacity compared to TTE in mitral prosthesis patients. This technique can give a greater security in evaluating mitral prosthesis thrombi, vegetations and leak, establishing a more precise diagnosis of mitral prosthesis dysfunction. The authors concluded that TEE is the technique of choice in noninvasive evaluation of patients admitted with the suspicion of mitral prosthesis dysfunction."}
{"id": "PMID:1476769", "title": "[Hemorrheologic changes in the hypertensive elderly patient].", "content": "The aim of this work is to make a review of the papers about hemorheology and hypertension on the aged. The paucity of the works did not allow any conclusions. However, some of the drugs frequently used have tight links with hemorheology, which must be in our minds when dealing with old people."}
{"id": "PMID:1476770", "title": "Nonpharmacological treatment of supraventricular tachycardia.", "content": "Although pharmacological treatment is often effective in preventing or controlling attacks of tachycardia it is palliative rather than a cure. Some Arrhythmias are refractory to drug therapy and long-term antiarrhythmic agents are associated with side-effects, life-threatening toxicity, poor patient compliance and considerable cost. On the other hand, enhanced knowledge of electrophysiological mechanisms and advanced technology have resulted in the more and more widespread use of several nonpharmacological methods of treating arrhythmias. It is the purpose of this review to discuss the present status of nonpharmacological therapy of supraventricular tachycardia and comment upon its current role in the management of patients presenting with these arrhythmias."}
{"id": "PMID:1476771", "title": "Biological complexes of poly-beta-hydroxybutyrate.", "content": "Short-chain complexed poly-beta-hydroxybutyrate, 130-170 monomer units, is a ubiquitous constituent of cells, wherein it is usually associated with other macromolecules by multiple coordinate bonds, or by hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions. This conserved PHB has been isolated from the plasma membranes of bacteria, from a variety of plant tissues, and from the plasma membranes, mitochondria, and microsomes of animal cells. In bacterial membranes, PHB has been found complexed to the calcium salts of inorganic polyphosphates, and to single-stranded DNAs. The ability of PHB to solvate salts, consisting of cations having high solvation energies and large delocalized anions, is in accordance with its molecular characteristics, that of a flexible linear molecule possessing a large number of electron-donating ester oxygens suitably spaced to replace the hydration shell of cations. In turn, PHB may be rendered soluble in aqueous media by complexation to water-soluble proteins, such as serum lipoproteins and albumin. Such solvates are highly resistant to hydrolytic enzymes. These findings suggest that the physiological roles of this unique biopolymer may include the solvation of salts of polymeric anions to facilitate their movement through hydrophobic barriers, and the protection of cellular polymers from enzymatic degradation."}
{"id": "PMID:1476772", "title": "Poly-beta-hydroxybutyrate in staphylococci.", "content": "Staphylococci--chemoorganotrophic bacteria whose main habitats are human and animal organisms--can accumulate poly-beta-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) in their cells. The polymer is metabolized in endogenous turnovers preceding degradation of aminoacids, proteins and RNA. PHB depolymerase was not found in staphylococci but beta-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase was estimated, purified and characterized."}
{"id": "PMID:1476773", "title": "Molecular basis for biosynthesis and accumulation of polyhydroxyalkanoic acids in bacteria.", "content": "The current knowledge on the structure and on the organization of polyhydroxyalkanoic acid (PHA)-biosynthetic genes from a wide range of different bacteria, which rely on different pathways for biosynthesis of this storage polyesters, is provided. Molecular data will be shown for genes of Alcaligenes eutrophus, purple non-sulfur bacteria, such as Rhodospirillum rubrum, purple sulfur bacteria, such as Chromatium vinosum, pseudomonads belonging to rRNA homology group I, such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Methylobacterium extorquens, and for the Gram-positive bacterium Rhodococcus ruber. Three different types of PHA synthases can be distinguished with respect to their substrate specificity and structure. Strategies for the cloning of PHA synthase structural genes will be outlined which are based on the knowledge of conserved regions of PHA synthase structural genes and of the PHA-biosynthetic routes in bacteria as well as on the heterologous expression of these genes and on the availability of mutants impaired in the accumulation of PHA. In addition, a terminology for the designation of PHAs and of proteins and genes relevant for the metabolism of PHA is suggested."}
{"id": "PMID:1476774", "title": "Polyhydroxyalkanoate production in recombinant Escherichia coli.", "content": "The bacterial species Escherichia coli has proven to be a powerful tool in the molecular analysis of polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) biosynthesis. In addition, E. coli holds promise as a source for economical PHA production. Using this microorganism, clones have been developed in our laboratory which direct the synthesis of poly-beta-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) to levels as high as 95% of the cell dry weight. These clones have been further enhanced by the addition of a genetically mediated lysis system that allows the PHB granules to be released gently and efficiently. This paper describes these developments, as well as the use of an E. coli strain to produce the copolymer poly-(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHB-co-3HV)."}
{"id": "PMID:1476775", "title": "Microbial degradation of natural and of new synthetic polymers.", "content": "In landfills, deposited waste material is usually faced with strictly anoxic conditions. This means that the design of new biodegradable polymers must take into consideration that degradation should be possible especially in the absence of molecular oxygen. Poly-beta-hydroxybutyrate is depolymerized by the anaerobic fermenting bacterium Ilyobacter delafieldii through an extracellular hydrolase. Monomers are degraded inside the cells through classical beta-oxidation. Polyalkanoates containing odd-numbered or branched-chain acid monomers should he degraded in an analogous manner; in most cases the final mineralization of these residues requires special pathways. A comparison of the chemistry of natural polymer biodegradation leads to the conclusion that synthetic biodegradable polymers should be designed in the future to contain linkages which can be cleaved by extracellular hydrolytic enzymes. Recent findings on aerobic and anaerobic bacterial degradation of synthetic polyethers suggest that natural evolution of new depolymerizing enzymes, perhaps from existing hydrolases, could be possible in a reasonable amount of time, provided that the monomers are likely energy sources for a broad variety of microbes."}
{"id": "PMID:1476776", "title": "Biodegradation of polyhydroxyalkanoates.", "content": "Degradation of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) and copolymers with 3-hydroxyvaleric acid was investigated in natural environments, and the microorganisms involved were isolated and identified. The influence of abiotic and biotic factors on the degradation is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1476777", "title": "Fungal degradation of polyhydroxyalkanoates and a semiquantitative assay for screening their degradation by terrestrial fungi.", "content": "The current problems with decreasing fossile resources and increasing environmental pollution by petrochemical-based plastics have stimulated investigations to find biosynthetic materials which are also biodegradable. Bacterial reserve materials such as polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) have been discovered to possess thermoplastic properties and can be synthesized from renewable resources. Poly-beta-hydroxybutyric acid (PHB) is at present the most promising PHA; and BIOPOL, its copolymer with poly-beta-hydroxy-valerate (PHV), is already industrially produced (ICI, UK), and used as packaging material (WELLA, FRG). According to the literature, PHA degradation has so far mainly been observed in bacteria; only under certain environmental conditions has fungal degradation of PHAs been indicated. Since fungi constitute an important part of microbial populations participating in degradation processes, a simple screening method for fungal degradation of BIOPOL, a PHA-based plastic, was developed. Several media with about 150 fungal strains from different terrestrial environments and belonging to different systematic and ecological groups were used. PHA depolymerization was tested on three PHB-based media, each with 0.1% BIOPOL or PHB homopolymer causing turbidity of the medium. The media contained either a comparatively low or high content of organic carbon (beside PHA) or were based on mineral medium with PHA as the principal source of carbon. The degradation activity was detectable due to formation of a clear halo around the colony (Petri plates) or a clear zone under the colony (test tubes).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1476778", "title": "Intracellular degradation of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) granules of Zoogloea ramigera I-16-M.", "content": "Intracellular degradation of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) in bacteria is not yet clear. The properties of the autodigestion of native PHB granules from Zoogloea ramigera I-16-M were examined. The release of D(-)-3-hydroxybutyrate was observed only at pH values higher than about 8.5 and at relatively high ionic strength (optimal concentration 200 mM NaCl). Triton X-100 and diisopropylfluorophosphate inhibited this reaction. Addition of the supernatant fraction of Z. ramigera did not increase the release of D(-)-3-hydroxybutyrate from the native PHB granules. On the other hand, using the protease-treated PHB granules from Alcaligenes eutrophus as a substrate, PHB depolymerase activity was detected in the supernatant fraction of Z. ramigera cells. The soluble PHB depolymerase showed similar properties to the enzyme in the PHB granules. Since PHB depolymerase activity was found in fractions containing D(-)-3-hydroxybutyrate oligomer hydrolase activity, which were separated by DEAE-Toyopearl or by Sephacryl S-100, it is possible that the intracellular PHB depolymerase is identical to the oligomer hydrolase which has been purified already."}
{"id": "PMID:1476779", "title": "Biodegradability of polymers in the environment: complexities and significance of definitions and measurements.", "content": "There is a world-wide research effort to develop biodegradable polymers as a waste-management option for polymers in the environment. This effort may prove to be fruitless unless we can agree on a definition and test protocols--what do we expect biodegradable polymers to do in the environment and how do we demonstrate that they do what we expect? Establishing a definition and test protocols is not trivial; the task is made complex by the wide range of disciplines involved directly in or interested in the subject, including polymer scientists, biochemists, environmentalists, legislators, and laypeople, all with their own perspectives and expectations. In this paper, I present arguments in favor of biodegradable polymers and indicate what remains to be done to satisfy detractors that they represent a viable option for polymer waste-management."}
{"id": "PMID:1476780", "title": "Unidentified multiple congenital abnormalities in twins. A population-based Hungarian study.", "content": "Of 1038 index patients with multiple congenital abnormalities, 34 were twins. This 3.3 per cent is higher than the Hungarian birth rate of about 2.1 per cent. However, after the exclusion of cases with congenital abnormality association of low birth weight newborn infants and with genital anomalies of the male, the twin birth rate was 1.8 per cent. Thus, the unidentified multiple congenital abnormalities have no common cause with twinning."}
{"id": "PMID:1476781", "title": "Effect of thyroxine administration on renal functions in newborn infants with perinatal asphyxia.", "content": "The study was undertaken to assess the influence of thyroxine given to improve respiratory adaptation in asphyxiated neonates on the recovery of compromised renal functions. Two groups of infants with perinatal asphyxia were selected for the study. Group I consisted of 8 infants treated conventionally, while Group II included 7 infants who in addition to standard therapy were administered 50 micrograms thyroxine at admission and repeated 24 hours later. Their respective mean gestational ages were 38.7 weeks (range: 34-42 weeks) and 37.4 weeks (range: 34-41 weeks). The studies were performed on days 1, 7 and 14 and the results compared to those obtained in 13 healthy neonates with the gestational age of 39.2 weeks (range: 38-41 weeks) (Group III). Asphyxiated neonates had significantly higher plasma uric acid, xanthine, hypoxanthine and creatinine levels (p < 0.05), while their GFR proved to be markedly reduced (p < 0.01) when compared to the values of healthy controls. Moreover, there was a significant elevation of urinary excretion of NAGA (p < 0.001), urine osmolality (p < 0.05), PENa, FECa, RFI (p < 0.05) in infants presenting with perinatal asphyxia. Renal tubular responsiveness to aldosterone measured as TTKG was also found to be depressed (p < 0.025). In response to thyroxine therapy renal functional recovery appeared to be accelerated as indicated by the lower plasma creatinine level, lower rate of fractional electrolyte and urinary NAGA excretion and improved reactivity to aldosterone on days 7 and/or 14 as compared to those obtained in neonates presenting with asphyxia but without thyroxine therapy. The results seem to suggest that thyroid hormones may have an important role in the recovery of renal functions in newborn infants suffering from perinatal asphyxia."}
{"id": "PMID:1476782", "title": "Bicarnesine-treated carnitine deficient myopathy: clinico-chemical investigations.", "content": "Authors report on a Bicarnesine replacement therapy in an infant girl patient suffering from carnitine deficient myopathy diagnosed at 1 year of age. The hypotonic patient's motoric functions improved and she became able to walk as a result of therapy applied, but the pathological process generalized to encephalomyopathy. Free and esterified carnitine were determined from the serum and muscle biopsymaterial. After the Bicarnesine-supplementation the serum carnitine fractions elevated."}
{"id": "PMID:1476783", "title": "Decrease in the antioxidant capacity of red blood cells in children with celiac disease.", "content": "The erythrocyte glutathione metabolism of 11 children with acute celiac disease (CD), 11 children under gluten free diet with CD and 5 children with cow's milk allergy was compared to that of 11 children with nutritive iron deficiency and to 22 healthy children as controls. Erythrocyte glutathione (GSH) content of celiac children was elevated and the glutathione disulfide (GSSG) level was significantly decreased as compared to normal controls. Erythrocyte GSSG/GSH ratio in acute CD differed also from the one in iron deficiency. In vitro oxidative load of acetylphenylhydrazine proved the impaired glutathione stability of the erythrocytes in acute CD and cow's milk allergy. A parallel rise of methemoglobin and hemichrome level of blood cells was seen. Further on, the selenium content of the red blood cells of CD patients decreased. All alterations of the erythrocyte tended to normalize during the dietetic period. These data suggest a reduced protective capacity of erythrocytes in CD and in cow's milk allergy in childhood against oxidizing stresses."}
{"id": "PMID:1476784", "title": "Adolescent mothers: do they breast-feed less?", "content": "Two groups of mothers with infants between sixty and eighty-nine days of age, from the same Health Area of the city of Havana were studied. The first group's age was nineteen years or less and members of the second one were twenty to twenty-five years old. The sociocultural level of the older group was significantly more favourable. The proportion of mothers exclusively breast-feeding was lower among the teenagers, and the frequency of complete weaning by the end of the third month was higher in their group. Duration of breast-feeding, either exclusive or combined with bottle-feeding was also shorter in the group of adolescent mothers, and frequency of diarrheal episodes was higher among their infants; body weight for age and body weight for length showed a shift towards lower percentile channels in these infants. Such differences were evident despite of that both groups of mothers had the same opportunity to receive information about the advantages of breast-feeding and there were no differences in the frequency and quality of prenatal care."}
{"id": "PMID:1476788", "title": "Minimizing false positive diagnoses in newborn screening for galactosemia.", "content": "Heat and humidity, rather than summertime heat alone, cause extensive loss of galactose-1-phosphate uridyltransferase activity in mailed blood spots and seem to account for false positive diagnoses of galactosemia. The spots are partially protected from the effects of atmospheric humidity if they are allowed to dry and then are sealed in a plastic freezer bag before being exposed to higher humidity. Conversely, extensive loss of transferase activity occurs if the samples are sealed in the bags before the spots are dry. The fluorescence from transferase activity can be monitored with greater sensitivity fluorometrically than visually. A simultaneous fluorometric determination of phosphoglucomutase activity reveals whether decreased transferase activity represents sample deterioration or galactosemia. Mg2+ and a sulfhydryl agent, such as dithiothreitol, are needed for activity of phosphoglucomutase, an enzyme in the sequence leading to the fluorescent substance (NADPH). They must be added in certain modifications of the assay."}
{"id": "PMID:1476789", "title": "Purification and characterization of glutathione transferase from psoriatic skin.", "content": "The glutathione transferases (GSTs) comprise a family of enzymes that catalyze the conjugation of glutathione with certain hydrophobic compounds, bind various hydrophobic compounds, and have selenium-independent glutathione peroxidase activity. Of the four classes of GST, the pi class is the only one present in keratinocytes, and pi-class GST is elevated in psoriatic epidermis. We have purified and characterized GST from psoriatic scales. Immunoreactivity was observed with pi class antisera, and amino terminal sequencing showed identity with GST from human placenta and cultured human keratinocytes. We conclude that the majority of GST activity in psoriatic skin is due to a pi-class isoenzyme, and pi-class GST may represent an index for hyperproliferation."}
{"id": "PMID:1476790", "title": "Analysis by fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry of phospholipids from tubuli, glomeruli, and urine of normal rats and rats with acute renal failure.", "content": "Fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry was used to characterize phospholipids from tubuli and glomeruli of normal rats and rats with acute renal failure. It was possible to assess the molecular species of the principal phospholipidic classes. In all of them, the most abundant species contained a residue of arachidonic acid. The phospholipids of urine were also analyzed, showing the presence of the major molecular species of several phospholipid classes. Excretion of phospholipids was greater in urine from rats with acute renal failure."}
{"id": "PMID:1476791", "title": "The effect of drug exposure on thyroid hormone levels of newborns.", "content": "This study examines the effect of women's alcohol abuse during pregnancy on the thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and thyroxine (T4) levels of their babies at birth. Forty-seven babies were born to mothers identified as substance abusers. Maternal use of marijuana and/or cocaine did not result in newborns' TSH and T4 hormone levels being significantly different from non-substance-abusing controls' TSH and T4 levels. Alcohol use, however, was significantly linked to lower newborn TSH levels, lower than TSH levels of a control sample of newborns whose mothers used marijuana and/or cocaine, and lower than a control sample of newborns whose mothers abused no substances. This finding suggests further investigation of possible links between thyroid functioning and fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS)."}
{"id": "PMID:1476792", "title": "Pyrimidine nucleotide synthesis in the rat mammary gland: changes in the lactation cycle and effects of diabetes.", "content": "Measurements have been made of the activities of the enzymes of the de novo and salvage pathways of pyrimidine synthesis (carbamoyl phosphate synthetase II (glutamine) (EC 6.3.5.5); dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (EC 1.3.99.11); the overall activity of Complex II (orotate phosphoribosyl pyrophosphate transferase (EC 2.4.2.10) and orotidine 5-phosphate decarboxylase (EC 4.1.1.23); uracil phosphoribosyltransferase (EC 2.4.2.9)) in the mammary gland of rats at different stages of the lactation cycle and the effects of diabetes on the activity of these enzymes in lactation have been studied. From a consideration of the changes in enzyme activities and the changes in the tissue concentration of phosphoribosyl pyrophosphate, an activator of the de novo pathway and substrate for both the de novo and salvage routes, it is concluded that the de novo pathway is the major route of pyrimidine synthesis in mammary tissue. Diabetes decreases the activity of the enzymes of the de novo pathway; the effects are particularly marked for Complex II. The present results on pyrimidine synthesis are compared to the pattern for purine synthesis previously published."}
{"id": "PMID:1476793", "title": "Parenchymal organ cystine depletion with long-term cysteamine therapy.", "content": "Nephropathic cystinosis is a lysosomal storage disorder characterized by renal failure, multisystem organ damage, and poor growth. Oral cysteamine therapy retards renal deterioration and enhances growth, but parenchymal organ cystine depletion has never been documented. We measured skeletal muscle cystine in 11 cystinosis patients not treated with cysteamine; analysis of their values plus 11 published values showed that muscle cystine increases linearly with age in cystinosis patients (slope, 0.074 nmol half-cystine/mg wet wt/year). In contrast, 15 patients treated for 4 to 11 years with oral cysteamine had a relatively constant muscle cystine content (slope, 0.004 nmol half-cystine/mg wet wt/year). The treated patients' mean muscle cystine, 0.091 +/- 0.064 (SD) nmol half-cystine/mg wet wt, was significantly less (P < 0.001) than that for the 11 youngest untreated patients, 0.754 +/- 0.534 nmol half-cystine/mg wet wt. On postmortem examination, a 9-year-old cystinosis patient treated for 8 years with oral cysteamine had liver, kidney, pancreas, lung, and spleen cystine values 5 to 90 times lower than those of an untreated age-matched control. We conclude that long-term oral cysteamine therapy routinely depletes cystinotic skeletal muscle of cystine; cysteamine is the treatment of choice for the prevention of both renal and nonrenal complications of cystinosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1476794", "title": "PCR-SSCP: a method for detection of mutations.", "content": "PCR-SSCP (polymerase chain reaction-single-strand conformation polymorphism) analysis is one of the simplest and perhaps one of the most sensitive methods for detection of mutations based on PCR technology. The principles of PCR-SSCP, guidelines for experiments, and applications of this technique in various fields are reviewed."}
{"id": "PMID:1476795", "title": "Creation of a yeast artificial chromosome fragmentation vector based on lysine-2.", "content": "Yeast artificial chromosome (YAC) fragmentation vectors have proven to be useful reagents for mapping and modifying YAC clones through homologous recombination. Such vectors can be employed to remove a noncontiguous sequence present in chimeric YAC clones. However, previous fragmentation vectors have been based on auxotrophies not present in the background of most recombinant YAC libraries, which therefore makes them difficult to use. We have constructed an acentric YAC deletion vector pBCL that is fully compatible with AB 1380, the yeast host used in the majority of human total genomic YAC libraries. Transformation of three unrelated YACs with linearized pBCL yielded derivative clones with the expected phenotype at rates of 27%-49%. Analysis of a random cohort of these clones by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and Southern blotting revealed single deleted structures in 31 of 34 clones. Using this vector, a nested set of deletion derivatives can efficiently and reliably be generated from human recombinant YAC clones."}
{"id": "PMID:1476796", "title": "A plasmid that improves the efficiency of foreign gene expression by intracellular T7 RNA polymerase.", "content": "To facilitate the construction of recombinant plasmids for expressing cloned genes with T7 RNA polymerase supplied by recombinant vaccinia virus, a plasmid expression vector was designed by combining parts of plasmids pTZ18R, pBluescript II KS+, and pAR2529. The 3043-bp plasmid pTF1 has a T7 RNA polymerase promoter, multiple cloning site for insertion of foreign genes, and a T7-specific transcription termination signal. Plasmid pTF1 had several advantages compared with the reference plasmid pAR2529, including more efficient replication in bacteria, greater flexibility in the insertion and subcloning of foreign genes, and increased efficiency of liposome-mediated introduction into cultured cells for expression of the foreign gene."}
{"id": "PMID:1476797", "title": "Affinity capture electrophoresis for sequence-specific DNA purification.", "content": "A new method, affinity capture electrophoresis (ACE), has been developed for the sequence-specific isolation of DNA. The target DNA is complexed with a biotinylated probe and electrophoresed in a gel equipped with a trap of immobilized streptavidin. This selectively captures the target molecule and its biotinylated probe, while other nontarget molecules pass through the trap. The target DNA is subsequently recovered from the trap by destroying the interaction between the target DNA and the biotinylated probe. Two variations of this technique, one using triple-helix formation and the other using hybridization with a uracil-containing DNA probe at the end of the target fragment, proved effective in model experiments. Since this technique requires no denaturation and handles DNA inside an agarose gel matrix, it is, in principle, applicable to the isolation of very large DNAs."}
{"id": "PMID:1476809", "title": "[Purine catabolites and pial arteriolar diameter in transient cerebral ischemia].", "content": "In transient cerebral ischemia, extracellular purine catabolites and pial arteriolar diameter were measured continuously. Ischemia during one hour was induced by unilateral occlusion of left middle cerebral artery in feline. Extracellular purine catabolites were sampled by in vivo brain microdialysis technique from the gray matter at ectosylvian gyrus. These catabolites were analyzed by HPLC system. Simultaneously, reactivity of pial arteriole was observed and its diameter was measured through the cranial window using intravital microscope and width analyzer. Extracellular concentrations of adenosine, inosine, hypoxanthine and xanthine were found to be 0.80 +/- 0.16 microM, 2.01 +/- 0.95 microM, 4.01 +/- 2.73 microM and 3.93 +/- 2.39 microM, respectively. During ischemia, the concentration of adenosine increased 8.7-fold and arteriolar diameter was 170% of the resting state. These findings in extracellular adenosine concentration and pial arteriolar diameter during ischemia support a role of adenosine in regulation of cerebral blood flow. After reperfusion, arteriolar diameter had returned to 120% of the resting state. But 50 min after reperfusion, pial arteriole began to dilate again coincident with the peak of xanthine concentration. These results suggest that free radicals were produced and could affect pial arterioles 50 min after reperfusion."}
{"id": "PMID:1476810", "title": "[The motility of IL-2 activated lymphocytes into malignant glioma].", "content": "The effects of glioma culture supernatant (GCS) and interleukin-2(IL-2) on the motility of autologous stimulated lymphocytes (ASL) were studied by using collagen gel system, chemotaxic chamber system and flow cytometric analysis. GCS inhibited the migration of ASL into collagen gel. It enhanced the ASL motility and the expression of CD 26 antigen on the cell surface. IL-2 inhibited the migration of ASL into collagen gel and had no influence on the motility of ASL, but enhanced the expression of CD 26 antigen. On the other hand, a clinical glioma specimen showed limited depth of ASL migration when injected into the tumor cavity in addition to the formation of fibrin like membrane on its surface and a layer of degenerated ASL under it. To make ASL therapy more effective to malignant glioma, the following measures should be recommended; 1) inject adequate volume of IL-2 into tumor cavity, 2) reduce the frequency of ASL administration, 3) wash out of glioma secreting factors, degenerated ASL and glioma cells in addition to reduce the volume of tumor tissue."}
{"id": "PMID:1476811", "title": "[Proliferation kinetics of human brain tumors by in situ double labeling with bromodeoxyuridine and iododeoxyuridine].", "content": "Nineteen patients with human brain tumors (9 gliomas, 6 metastatic brain tumors, 3 meningiomas, 1 neurinoma) received intravenous infusions of iododeoxyuridine (IUdR) and bromodeoxyuridine (BUdR) at different time sequences, to estimate the duration of S-phase (Ts) and the potential doubling time (Tp) of individual tumors. Excised tumor specimens were reacted with Br-3, a monoclonal antibody that identifies only BUdR, and with IU-4, a monoclonal antibody that recognizes both IUdR and BUdR, and then were stained immunohistochemically. The BUdR LIs varied from 0.9% to 26.0%, reflecting the malignancy of each tumor. Despite the difference in LIs, however, the Ts measured was fairly uniform. The Ts was 8.9 +/- 1.8 hrs (mean +/- SD) in malignant gliomas, 9.2 +/- 2.5 hrs (mean +/- SD) in metastatic brain tumors and 9.2 +/- 0. 3 hrs (mean +/- SD) in meningiomas, respectively. In contrast, the Tp varied from 1.3 to 12.4 days in malignant gliomas and from 1.2 to 4.4 days in metastatic brain tumors. Double logarithmic regression analysis showed a close correlation between the BUdR LI and Tp in human brain tumors with LI > 1%. Double labeling studies with BUdR and IUdR allow some of the proliferation characteristics to be determined from a single biopsy specimen and provide more useful information of each tumors than can be obtained by single-labeling studies with BUdR."}
{"id": "PMID:1476812", "title": "[Recurrent cases of chronic subdural hematoma--its clinical review and serial CT findings].", "content": "Eighty-eight cases (114 hematomas) of chronic subdural hematoma (SDH) were treated surgically using irrigation with or without drainage. 13 cases (14.8%), 13 hematomas (11.4%) showed recurrence after the 1st operation. They were compared with non-recurrent cases using clinical reviews and serial CT findings. The result of the study showed that all of the patients in whom recurrence occurred were male and elderly (mean age 70.4 years). Many of these recurrences occurred in cases of bilateral SDH, on the left hematoma side, and at intervals within 7 days from the onset of clinical symptoms after the 1st operation. All recurrent cases were treated surgically using irrigation without drainage. In preoperative CT findings, it was shown that high density areas and small-sized hematomas were detected at a slightly higher rate in recurrent cases than in non recurrent cases. In postoperative CT findings, it was shown that many of the recurrent patients deteriorated during an interval from 2 weeks to 2 months. It was shown that non-recurrent patients had become almost normal by 3 months after the operation. Residual air volume into the subdural space within 7 days in recurrent cases was greater than in non-recurrent cases. Therefore, using irrigation with drainage, planning the operative timing, and reduction of residual air volume into subdural space are proposed as suitable means to avoid recurrence of SDH. Patients of SDH need postoperative follow-up during an interval up to 3 months."}
{"id": "PMID:1476813", "title": "[Analysis of intracranial pressure pulse wave in experimental hydrocephalus].", "content": "Much has been written about the relationship between the pulse pressure (PP) of the intracranial pressure pulse wave (ICPPW) and ventricular dilatation. Some data suggest that high PP is the cause of ventricular dilatation, and other authors have reported that high amplitude of PP results from decreased intracranial compliance. In order to clarify these points, the amplitude of PP and Pressure-Volume Response (PVR: an indicator of intracranial compliance) were measured in bilateral ventricles using Howchwald's hydrocephalic model (right-left difference in ventricle size is clear, due to hemicraniectomy). Hydrocephalus was developed by means of intracisternal injection of a Kaolin powder solution using dogs. The mean ICP, amplitude of the PP, PVR and ventricular size (studied by MR image) were evaluated under pathological conditions induced by the following procedures. Group A: control. Kolin induced hydrocephalus without craniectomy. Group B: Kaolin induced hydrocephalus with right side craniectomy. Group C: Kaolin induced hydrocephalus with right side craniectomy and dural resection. Group D: Kaolin induced hydrocephalus with right side craniectomy, dural resection and temporal muscle resection. Using MR imaging, the same degree of symmetrical ventricle dilatation were identified in all groups except Group D. Group D alone demonstrated the difference of ventricular size (craniectomy side > non craniectomy side). There was no appreciable difference in mean ICP between each group. However the amplitude of PP and the PVR decreased stepwise from Group A to Group D. The difference of the amplitude of the PP and PVR between the right and left ventricles in each group was not significant. Even in the larger ventricle side (right) of Group D, the amplitude of PP was same as that of the left ventricle, and much smaller than that of other groups. The results of our research suggest that: 1) There was no relation between the ventricular dilatation and the amplitude of PP. This means that the increased amplitude of PP was not the cause of the ventricular dilatation in this model. 2) These evidences suggest that a high degree of correlation exists between the amplitude of PP and the PVR. This means that PP can be a good parameter of the intracranial compliance in this model."}
{"id": "PMID:1476814", "title": "[Quantitative fluorescence-immunohistochemistry of presynaptic terminals using a monoclonal antibody against a synaptic vesicle-specific protein (SVP-38) in paraffin sections].", "content": "We developed a method for investigating impairment of synaptogenesis quantitatively involving measurement of the fluorescence intensity emitted by immunohistochemically stained paraffin sections of rat brain using a monoclonal antibody (Mab 171B5) against a synaptic vesicle protein (SVP-38). We applied this method to congenitally hydrocephalic and non-hydrocephalic brains of HTX-rats, and compared the postnatal changes in the fluorescence intensity in the molecular layer of the cerebral cortex. In non-hydrocephalic HTX-rats, the fluorescence intensity remained nearly unchanged from the 1st to 7th postnatal day and then increased at an almost linear rate until the 21st postnatal day, when it reached 4.5 times the value on the 7th postnatal day. The increase thereafter was gradual until the 28th postnatal day. In hydrocephalic HTX-rats, the fluorescence intensity showed a marked reduction on the 28th postnatal day (p < 0.01). This finding indicated impairment of synaptogenesis. We believe that this method provides useful information for evaluating the impairment of synaptogenesis in various pathological conditions in mammarian brains. The basic aspects of this method which support its validity are also discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1476815", "title": "[An autopsy case of acute encephalopathy associated with hypertrophy of the inferior olives].", "content": "We presented an autopsy case of a severely handicapped girl with sequelae of acute encephalopathy at 10 months old. The autopsy findings were diffuse leukomalacia in cerebral medulla, loss of nerve cells and marked gliosis in thalamus, leukomalacia with fibrous gliosis in central tegmental tracts, and marked fibrous gliosis of the cerebellar hemisphere. Purkinje cells were spared much more than granular cells. Hypertrophy of the nerve cells in the inferior olives were seen and the bundles of its efferent nerve fibers were thin. This case is worth reporting that she has suffered from brain damage about 8 years before, and the inferior olives are hypertrophic yet."}
{"id": "PMID:1476816", "title": "[Correlation between sequential changes in angiographical findings and clinical deteriorations during management for dural AVM of the cavernous region].", "content": "The authors treated five patients with dural arteriovenous malformation of the cavernous region (DAVM) by cervical compression procedure as the initial treatment. In four of five patients clinical symptoms were aggravated during that period. The period between the beginning of cervical compression and the deterioration of clinical symptoms ranged from 11 to 20 days. In three of four patients, the angiography examined at the time of deteriorations confirmed the same amount of A-V shunt flow and otherwise the remarkable decrease of the draining pathway compared to the findings of the angiogram performed before the management. The angiography examined at the time of the remission of the symptoms showed the increase of the draining pathway in two patients and the resolution of the DAVM in another. These findings indicate that clinical courses of the DAVM and the amount of the draining pathway correlate to each other and that cervical compression procedure may occlude the important draining pathway of the DAVM."}
{"id": "PMID:1476817", "title": "Functional determinants of bone structure: beyond Wolff's law of bone transformation.", "content": "Frost has suggested that functional loading controls bone mass and form as a thermostat controls temperature--by homeostatic regulation (i.e., by negative feedback). Yet, the literature contains many results that appear incompatible with the \"mechanostat\" hypothesis. We propose that a different type of regulation--epigenetic--is important in many aspects of bone adaptation. Epigenetic regulation, as we describe it, involves positive feedback loops and promotes differentiation as it forces elements of a system to choose between two extreme levels called attractors. Our review of bone adaptation data suggests that lamellar bone formation is regulated homeostatically, whereas the formation of woven-fibered bone or fracture callus is regulated epigenetically, that is, woven bone formation is brought about by a positive feedback loop that stimulates osteoblasts to a state of greater individual activity. This positive feedback loop may involve transforming growth factor beta (TGF beta), for which autocrine induction has been demonstrated in vivo, as well as other factors, including insulin-like growth factor (IGF) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2). The importance of this model is that it provides a mechanism for many unexplained nonlinear events that have been observed in bone adaptation experiments. Furthermore, it provides insights into the genesis of woven bone, which is a critical step in the process of bone healing and regeneration."}
{"id": "PMID:1476818", "title": "Characteristic localization of carbohydrates in osteoclasts by lectin cytochemistry.", "content": "Lectin cytochemistry was performed to clarify the process of glycosylation and the localization of glycocalyx in osteoclasts. Microslicer sections of decalcified rat tibiae were incubated in the presence of HRP-conjugated lectins (Con A, PNA, MPA, WGA, UEA-1). Lectin reactions in cell organelles revealed that glucose (Glc) and mannose (Man) are transferred to carbohydrate chains in nuclear envelopes, rough endoplasmic reticuli, and the cis and medial sides of the Golgi apparatus. N-acetylgalactosamine (GalNAc), N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc), and/or N-acetylneuraminic acic (NANA) residues are transferred, in turn, in the Golgi apparatus. Lectin reactions detected in lysosomal structures suggest that some sugar residues are incorporated into carbohydrate chains of hydrolytic enzymes, such as acid phosphatase and arylsulfatase. Others would be transported to plasma membranes as glycocalyx. PNA and MPA reactions were most evident on ruffled borders of osteoclasts. On the other hand, cement-line-like structures on bone surfaces displayed Con A, MPA, and WGA positive reactions. The following factors suggest that osteoclasts actively metabolize sugar: characteristic localization of glycocalyx in osteoclasts reflect the polarity of osteoclasts, and carbohydrate complexes in cement-line-like structures seem to play an important role in the coupling phenomenon in bone tissue."}
{"id": "PMID:1476819", "title": "Structural changes in rat bone subjected to long-term, in vivo mechanical loading.", "content": "Woven bone formation is commonly observed when grossly altered loading conditions are imposed upon living bone tissue. The fate of this woven bone with time has not been fully characterized. In this study, rats underwent daily bending of the right tibia for a period of 3 to 14 weeks. New bone was formed in the region of maximum bending stresses on the right tibiae of all rats that underwent daily loading. The new bone was at first poorly mineralized with disorganized collagen structure. With time, the new bone consolidated into a well mineralized primary bone structure similar in appearance to pre-existing nonlamellar bone within the tibial cortex. Using the data from this study and previous studies, we were able to outline the sequence of events that occur during bone adaptation in the rat tibia loading model. Explosive new woven bone formation began to occur five days after the initial four-point bending session, and the amount of woven bone reached a peak after about 15 days. After the third week the new bone began to consolidate. Rapid mineralization occurred during the third and fourth weeks, with less rapid mineralization occurring for several weeks thereafter. After the 14 weeks, the new bone was fully mineralized, and new bone formation had stopped."}
{"id": "PMID:1476820", "title": "The effect of fluoride treatment on bone mineral crystals in the rat.", "content": "In order to investigate the effect of fluoride on bone mineral crystals, we gave groups of female rats 8 mM NaF/L water and distilled water to control groups. The rats were sacrificed at six weeks, three months, and six months. The fluor content of the bone was determined by neutron activation. X-ray diffraction showed no difference in bone crystal size/strain with fluoride treatment. Fourier transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) showed an increased crystallinity in fluoride-fed animals, which seems to be associated with a decrease of labile phosphate environment. Three carbonate bands have been found in fluoridated and normal bone samples. The distribution of carbonate ions on type A and B sites is strongly affected by fluoride. Type A carbonate is always present in bone, but decreases with increasing bone fluoride content. A carbonate band found at 866 cm-1 may correspond to a fluoride interaction with type B carbonate ions. Lastly, phosphate bands have been found to be shifted towards high wave number, which is probably related to the change in unit cell size induced by the fluoride ion. All these changes induced by fluoride reduce the solubility of bone crystals by direct incorporation of fluoride ions in the apatite lattice and by decreasing the labile phosphate environments."}
{"id": "PMID:1476821", "title": "Osteoporotic fractures: an unusual presentation of haemochromatosis.", "content": "The association of haemochromatosis and osteoporosis is well established, but it is unclear whether this is due to iron overload, hypogonadism, liver disease, or diabetes mellitus. We describe a young eugonadal male patient with osteoporotic fractures as a presenting feature of haemochromatosis, suggesting that factors other than hypogonadism contribute to osteoporosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1476822", "title": "Impaired bone activity in aged rats: alterations at the cellular and molecular levels.", "content": "We have used a model of rapid bone induction and resorption in rats initiated by the removal of bone marrow to define age-associated deficits. Here we report the sequential expression of various genes implicated in the formation and removal of bone following marrow ablation. Significant increases in alkaline phosphatase and procollagen alpha 1(I) mRNA were observed by day 5, and of osteocalcin and osteopontin by day 6. At their peak, these mRNA levels were elevated three- to eight-fold and correlated with histological evidence of bone formation. No change in collagen II mRNA was observed, indicating that there was no cartilage phase. Collagenase activity increased 10-fold at day 9 and coincided with the beginning of bone resorption. Actin mRNA, a reference gene marker, remained at constant levels. Comparison of the response between adult (6 mo.) and old (24 mo.) rats showed the same temporal pattern, but a lower expression of bone-related genes in older rats. Histological examination also showed that the bone volume and osteoblast number at day 6 were significantly lower in old rats. Furthermore, the percentage of mineralized bone was greatly reduced in the aged rat. This model system is currently being used to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions to up-regulate the bone activity in senescent rats."}
{"id": "PMID:1476823", "title": "Do different fluorochrome labels give equivalent histomorphometric information?", "content": "Substances that bind calcium are given to determine where and how fast bone is forming. Several vital dyes are used (tetracycline, calcein, alizarin, xylenol), but it is not known whether the histomorphometric results they provide are equivalent. This work tests whether different fluorochrome labels give the same results when they are quantitatively measured. Twelve-week-old rats (n = 58) were divided into six groups and given double labels IP of calcein, tetracycline HCl, alizarin complexone, or xylenol using a 1-7-1 scheme. Two other groups received either calcein followed by tetracycline, or tetracycline followed by calcein. Our results show that (a) tetracycline hydrochloride leads to a significant underestimation of mineralizing surface when given as the second label, probably because of its weak fluorescence; (b) there were no differences among any of the non-tetracycline labels for any of the histomorphometric measurements; (c) there was no evidence of osteoblast suppression with any label; and (d) there was no evidence that tetracycline caused increased osteoblast resting periods."}
{"id": "PMID:1476825", "title": "Synthesis of pyrimidine derivatives of amino acids using pig liver esterase and pancreas lipase.", "content": "The parent methyl ester of the N-1 substituted 5-chloropyrimidinone is hydrolysed by pig liver esterase to the corresponding carboxylic acid. The acid chloride was made with PCl5 in toluene, and coupling with benzyl and methyl esters of selected L-amino acids to the corresponding amides was done in dichloromethane in the presence of triethylamine. The benzyl and methyl ester protecting groups were hydrolysed with pancreas lipase or esterase in a pH-stat to yield the corresponding carboxylic acids."}
{"id": "PMID:1476826", "title": "Tetrin polypeptides are colocalized in the cortex of Tetrahymena.", "content": "There is a complex system of 2- to 5-nm filaments in the oral apparatus of Tetrahymena. Four major subunit proteins, called tetrins, have been isolated from the filaments. These proteins, showing apparent molecular weights in polyacrylamide gels of 79-89 kDa, will assemble in vitro into 2- to 5-nm filaments. Tetrin filaments in vivo show different packing arrangements in different regions of the oral apparatus. We sought to determine the distributions of tetrin polypeptides within the complex oral structure by obtaining monoclonal antibodies specific for individual tetrins, then mapping their distributions within the oral apparatus using standard fluorescence microscopy, confocal laser scanning fluorescence microscopy, and electron microscopy. The results indicate that the four tetrin polypeptides are colocalized everywhere within the oral apparatus of Tetrahymena. Tetrin-binding proteins or specific nucleating structures may need to be invoked to explain the complex organization of the tetrin network. The 16 monoclonal antibodies obtained were also used to search for evidence of immunological relationships between tetrin and cytoskeletal proteins in multicellular organisms. None was found."}
{"id": "PMID:1476833", "title": "The impact of agency policies and protocols on breastfeeding.", "content": "Health care agency policies and protocols exert a considerable effect on the initiation and continuation of breastfeeding. Supportive practices, protocols, policies, and philosophies are outlined, and the most prevalent nonsupportive practices are described. Other agency factors affecting the support of breastfeeding, such as diagnostic procedures and medical and surgical interventions, are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1476834", "title": "Supporting breastfeeding: how to implement agency change.", "content": "Health care agency policies and protocols that negatively influence breastfeeding initiation and continuance can be changed to provide a supportive milieu for breastfeeding mothers and their infants. This change must be systematic and purposeful to be effective. Agency personnel must become aware of the need for change and be guided by a credible change agent through a process of goal-setting, assessing the present, educating staff, educating consumers, assessing and documenting care, and evaluating results. Outcome and continuing evaluation can be measured against the WHO/UNICEF's (World Health Organization and United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund) \"Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding.\""}
{"id": "PMID:1476828", "title": "Distribution of viral RNA molecules during the adenovirus type 5 infectious cycle in HeLa cells.", "content": "Viral RNA was localized ultrastructurally by in situ hybridization with a biotinylated viral DNA probe and colloidal gold label in HeLa cells during infection with adenovirus type 5. Transcription was monitored by high-resolution autoradiography after short pulses with tritiated uridine. At the earliest stage of virus-induced nuclear transformation, viral RNA was restricted to the small compact fibrillar \"early replicative sites\" which we had previously demonstrated to be the site of viral DNA replication (Puvion-Dutilleul and Puvion, 1990b). Protease-DNase-treated sections revealed that these fibrillar masses rapidly enlarged and gave rise to a juxtaposed loose fibrillogranular structure devoid of viral RNA. Subsequently, the function of the compact fibrillar zones changed to become the sites of accumulation of single-stranded (ss) viral DNA molecules, and the contiguous new fibrillogranular zones (previously named the peripheral replicative zones, Puvion-Dutilleul and Puvion, 1990a) became not only the centers of replicating viral double-stranded DNA but also the only sites of viral RNA molecules including the elongating RNA transcripts. Pulse-chase experiments revealed an unexpected accumulation of RNA molecules in these extranucleolar regions of infected nuclei."}
{"id": "PMID:1476835", "title": "Breastfeeding success and failure: implications for nurses.", "content": "Breastfeeding is a relationship and a method of communication. Breastfeeding success or failure is a personally defined experience that is based on a woman's individual perceptions and self-definition. This article discusses various aspects of relationship and communication as they relate to the breastfeeding experience and the effect of connections and disconnections in the mother-infant and mother-nurse relationships. The major goal of the nursing care is to support and encourage a \"growth fostering\" relationship that is based on mutuality and empathy, regardless of the duration of the breastfeeding experience."}
{"id": "PMID:1476827", "title": "A nuclear magnetic resonance imaging technique designed for studies of water in plant leaves.", "content": "A new imaging technique is described which uses nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) to create a water profile of plant leaves. The water profile shows the average distribution of water as a function of depth into a leaf along a line perpendicular to the leaf surface; it can be used to measure the thickness of cell layers and the quantity of water in each layer. Two-dimensional NMR methods were used to avoid chemical shift distortion which degrades the resolution in leaf images made by conventional NMR techniques; image resolution was improved further by deconvolution analysis. To illustrate its application, the technique was used to follow changes in the internal structure of developing leaves."}
{"id": "PMID:1476836", "title": "Promoting breastfeeding success: an overview of basic management.", "content": "The management of breastfeeding can have a powerful effect on its outcome. To promote success, the nurse must use strategies that are based on an understanding of lactation and the breastfeeding infant. The nurse also must guard against strategies that, although intended to be helpful, sabotage the delicate breastfeeding relationship. Success-promoting and sabotaging strategies are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1476830", "title": "The three-dimensional structure of trypsin-treated Staphylococcus aureus alpha-toxin.", "content": "Trypsin treatment of staphylococcal alpha-toxin cleaves the molecule into two roughly equally sized parts, which results in inactivation of the toxin. Tetragonal arrays of oligomers, closely resembling the native ones, can however be formed on lipid layers. From tilted views of negatively stained crystals a 3D structure to 23 A resolution has been determined by electron microscopy and image processing. On comparison with the 3D structure of the native alpha-toxin (Olofsson et al., J. Mol. Biol. 214, 299-306, 1990) the subdomains are more separated, confirming the differences found when comparing the projection maps (Olofsson et al., J. Struct. Biol. 106, 199-204, 1991). The tryptic cleavage takes place in a postulated hinge region. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that the conformational change required for inducing the membrane permeabilizing property takes place in this region. Furthermore, we present a refined projection map at approximately 10 A resolution based on the analysis of a large number of crystals using unbending methods."}
{"id": "PMID:1476829", "title": "Structure of paracrystalline arrays on outer membranes of rat-liver and rat-heart mitochondria.", "content": "Crystalline arrays are induced in outer membranes of rat-liver and rat-heart mitochondria by phosphotungstate and silicotungstate. The basic structure of the arrays has been determined by correlation averaging of electron microscopic images of side views of tubular arrays and en face views of planar arrays. The arrays consist of rows of bilobed projecting subunits and are similar (in lattice parameters and projected subunit dimensions) to periodic arrays of ion transport ATPases, e.g., arrays of Ca(2+)-ATPase induced by vanadate in sarcoplasmic reticulum. Hexokinase-labeled colloidal gold particles do not specifically decorate the arrays, suggesting that the hexokinase receptor (VDAC channel) is not a component of the arrays."}
{"id": "PMID:1476837", "title": "The breastfeeding dyad: early assessment, documentation, and intervention.", "content": "The early postpartum period is a critical time for the establishment of lactation. Although newborns are well equipped with reflexes that enhance breastfeeding, many aspects of the experience can be assisted by the knowledge and skills of clinicians. To prevent negative outcomes for mothers and infants, it is essential that the clinician make an accurate assessment of breastfeeding technique and milk intake by the infant. An understanding of the mechanics of milk transfer serves as a foundation for developing interventions to be applied to the common breastfeeding challenges (including difficult latch-on, nipple trauma, and lack of nutritive suckling) that can jeopardize effective breastfeeding."}
{"id": "PMID:1476831", "title": "The use of field emission in-lens scanning electron microscopy to study the steps of assembly of the nuclear envelope in vitro.", "content": "At mitosis the nuclear envelope (NE) is disassembled to allow chromosome separation. In telophase it is reassembled as the chromosomes decondense. Cell-free extracts of Xenopus eggs have been used extensively to study assembly of the NE and the nuclear pore complexes (NPCs), providing several models for the steps involved. The NE is a surface structure which in cell-free extracts is easily exposed. It is appropriate, therefore, to use a surface imaging technique to study NE dynamics. Field emission in-lens scanning electron microscopy (FEISEM) provides the opportunity to image surfaces, directly, and to visualise details of structures such as the NPC. Here we show the feasibility and value of FEISEM to study the steps of NE formation. Nuclei have been assembled in vitro and fixed at different time points during assembly, followed by conductive staining, platinum coating, and visualisation by FEISEM. Changes on the nuclear surface with time are shown. Details of the surface of chromatin and the cytoplasmic face of NPC structure are demonstrated without the need to isolate the structures from the nucleus."}
{"id": "PMID:1476838", "title": "Medication use in the breastfeeding mother.", "content": "Historically, the risks associated with drugs in breast milk were not a major clinical concern. The small percentage of infants who were breastfed and the low use of drugs in postpartum women stimulated little interest in studying medication use in the breastfeeding mother. However, explosive growth in the number of new pharmacologic agents, concerns over environmental contaminants, and a significant increase in breastfeeding, dramatically altered the interest in this clinical issue. Providers of health care to women and children often are asked to advise breastfeeding women on the choice and risks of a particular medication. However, medical professionals too often simply discourage breastfeeding when this situation arises. This short review examines factors that determine whether a drug that enters breast milk poses a risk to the breastfeeding infant. A series of questions and practical decisions are presented that should enable nurses and other health care providers to more effectively address the issue of medication use in a breastfeeding woman."}
{"id": "PMID:1476839", "title": "Insufficient milk supply syndrome.", "content": "Insufficient milk supply syndrome is a complex phenomenon and a major reason reported by mothers worldwide for early termination of breastfeeding. A review of the literature suggests possible explanations for insufficient milk but fails to indicate conclusively why it is such a problem. Nursing management of real and perceived insufficient milk syndrome (IMS) is an important part of encouraging breastfeeding success."}
{"id": "PMID:1476840", "title": "Breastfeeding and jaundice: cause for concern?", "content": "Jaundice occurs in 50-75% of newborn infants and is noted to occur more frequently and with greater severity in breastfed infants. However, despite years of investigation of this common problem, many aspects of neonatal jaundice in healthy breastfed infants remain unexplained. Knowledge of the types, pattern, and causes of jaundice in healthy breastfed neonates is reviewed, and the potential effect of treatment options is discussed. Practices and interventions used by health care professionals that may decrease the duration of breastfeeding and increase the incidence and severity of jaundice experienced by newborns also are explored."}
{"id": "PMID:1476832", "title": "Visualization of myosin helices in sections of rapidly frozen relaxed tarantula muscle.", "content": "Tarantula leg muscles in the relaxed state were rapidly frozen against a copper block cooled with liquid helium. Thin longitudinal sections of freeze-substituted specimens, both live and skinned, clearly showed the helical tracks of crossbridges on the surface of the myosin filaments, which are not preserved by conventional fixation. Fourier transforms of selected filaments showed a myosin layer line pattern, similar to that observed in X-ray diffraction patterns of intact tarantula muscle, extending to the sixth order of the 43.5 nm X-ray repeat. The phases of corresponding reflections were similar on the two sides of the meridian on the first layer line, and the crossbridge arrangement showed a line of mirror symmetry running down the center of the filament. These observations show that the number of helices (N) is even, in agreement with N = 4 determined from image analysis of negatively stained, isolated tarantula filaments (Crowther et al., J. Mol. Biol. 184, 429-439, 1985). Filtered images showed clear detail of the crossbridge helices and were similar to filtered images of negatively stained, isolated thick filaments. Thus, rapid freezing combined with freeze-substitution preserves the crossbridges in a three-dimensional arrangement approximating that occurring in vivo."}
{"id": "PMID:1476841", "title": "Breastfeeding the premature infant.", "content": "Breastfeeding the premature infant is both possible and desirable. Premature infants derive benefits from breast milk that they can not receive from formula. Nutritional issues look at the components of breast milk as they relate to brain growth and development and disease protection in the acute setting and later in childhood. Recommendations for clinical practice are provided, as are information on expressing and collecting milk, breastfeeding readiness, putting the infant to breast, and discharge planning."}
{"id": "PMID:1476842", "title": "Breastfeeding the infant with a cleft defect.", "content": "Infants with cleft defects should be assisted to feed at the breast whenever a mother chooses this as the method of feeding. This is an ideal choice for such infants because it encourages normal, physiologic muscular involvement of the mouth and face, it benefits speech development, and it provides protection against upper respiratory infections, particularly otitis media. Successful breastfeeding helps normalize the infant to the family. Unfortunately, the attitude that infants with cleft defects cannot be breastfed often has been the first and most consistent response that the parents and families receive from their health care providers. Health care professionals must provide interventions to facilitate breastfeeding and thus normalize and empower these infants. The first days of life are extremely important for imprinting and learning what position works best."}
{"id": "PMID:1476843", "title": "Breastfeeding the neurologically impaired infant.", "content": "Care of neurologically impaired infants usually is complex and challenging. Mothers of these infants who want to breastfeed should be supported, given sound information, and assisted to set realistic expectations. The health care team can provide guidance while continuously assessing the infant's status. When and if the infant will feed from the breast cannot be predicted, but the lactation consultant and other members of the health care team should support the mother to do what she can and wants to do for her infant."}
{"id": "PMID:1476844", "title": "The slow-gaining breastfeeding infant.", "content": "Several options are outlined for caring for the slow-gaining breastfed infant when the goal is to continue breastfeeding. A review of pertinent causative factors and simple management solutions are included. Infants with organic causes of slow weight gain can safely be breastfed by using a feeding tube device at the breast. Other feeding options can be explored with the parents, but safety, comfort of the infant, energy conservation, the parents' emotional and time capabilities, and long-term ability to maintain lactation must be considered. A careful follow-up plan is outlined, mostly for encouragement until the problem is corrected and the infant weans himself from the feeding tube if supplementation was required."}
{"id": "PMID:1476845", "title": "Breastfeeding more than one: multiples and tandem breastfeeding.", "content": "The concurrent breastfeeding of two or more infants is associated with multiple births or non-twin siblings, which sometimes is referred to as tandem breastfeeding. In these situations, the \"supply and demand\" production principle of lactation is a compensatory mechanism. It ensures the availability of adequate amounts of human milk, no matter how many infants are breastfeeding. A lack of time for the increased number of breastfeedings, physical and emotional difficulties associated with caring for more than one infant, and a lack of social support generally are greater hindrances than an inability on the part of the mother's body to produce milk for all infants. The nurse helps by explaining the process of milk production adaptability and sharing intervention strategies to help the mother minimize the obstacles to breastfeeding more than one."}
{"id": "PMID:1476846", "title": "Breastfeeding and the chemically dependent woman.", "content": "Chemical dependence in pregnant and postpartum women is an issue of concern for perinatal nurses. Special concerns arise when a chemically dependent woman chooses to breastfeed her infant. This article discusses the effects of the most common drugs of abuse on lactation and the neonate and criteria for and benefits of breastfeeding for this population."}
{"id": "PMID:1476847", "title": "Breastfeeding after breast surgical procedure or breast cancer.", "content": "As more older women bear and breastfeed children, an increasing number will have lactation risk factors, such as a cosmetic or diagnostic breast surgical procedure or breast radiation therapy after breast cancer. The chief risk of breast operation can be attributed to periareolar breast incisions, which sever milk ducts and disrupt innervation, whereas radiation therapy causes diffuse damage, including atrophy of the lobules. Prenatal recognition of women at risk, early intervention to maximize milk yield, and close medical follow-up should permit accurate assessment of lactation potential and the tailoring of a plan of care that allows for satisfying breastfeeding without compromising an infant's nutritional well-being."}
{"id": "PMID:1476848", "title": "Breastfeeding during maternal or infant illness.", "content": "The continuation of breastfeeding during a hospital stay is not only possible, it can be beneficial for both the mother and the infant. The ill mother avoids breast engorgement and possible mastitis; the infant of an ill mother continues to receive, in breast milk, antibodies to the mother's illness. Through breast milk, an ill infant receives antibodies to his illness, liquids, and an easily digested, nourishing food. In addition, the physical and emotional comfort the mother and infant give each other eases the job of the nurse who cares for them. Hospital policies that take a woman's lactational status into account and encourage breastfeeding should be the accepted standard."}
{"id": "PMID:1476849", "title": "Diets and eating disorders: implications for the breastfeeding mother.", "content": "Although research is inconclusive or lacking, breastfeeding women who are on special diets or who have eating disorders are in need of nutritional counseling. This article provides information about the dietary risks of breastfeeding women, particularly those on weight-loss diets and vegetarian diets, and breastfeeding women who have anorexia or bulimia. Recommendations for dietary guidance are given based on information available about breastfeeding and maternal nutrition. Additional research is needed to determine the effect of the lactating woman's nutrition on her health and the health of her child."}
{"id": "PMID:1476850", "title": "Maternal employment and breastfeeding.", "content": "A high percentage of mothers return to work during their infant's first year of life. Recent studies indicate that mothers who return to work early and for more than 20 hours a week wean earlier, on the average, than other women. However, within employment subcategories, women vary widely in breastfeeding duration. Studies done in England and Minnesota indicate that variables from Ajzen and Fishbein's Behavioral Intention Model (BIM) can be helpful in explaining some of the variations in length of breastfeeding that are not explained by work-related variables. The variables in this model are motivational in nature. Clinicians can apply research to practice by assessing selected factors that have been demonstrated to predict breastfeeding duration, eg, breastfeeding knowledge, work-related variables, and motivational variables. Then interventions can be focused on gaps in a woman's knowledge or motivational system and on what she needs to know to return to work and breastfeed."}
{"id": "PMID:1476851", "title": "The father's role in breastfeeding.", "content": "The father plays an important role in breastfeeding, and the nurse can encourage fathers to become participants in the care of their breastfeeding infants. This article presents a whimsical overview of how a father can participate in this most important relationship through supporting and assisting the mother and developing comforting skills for the infant."}
{"id": "PMID:1476852", "title": "Cultural sensitivity in the promotion of breastfeeding.", "content": "Despite the efforts of health care providers, the problem of low and decreasing breastfeeding rates among low-income women and women of color persists. Failure to make progress in this crucial area makes it essential to develop new strategies and models for culturally appropriate promotion of breastfeeding. Sensitive cultural assessment helps to gather information regarding cultural characteristics that may affect clients' behaviors. Strategies for the promotion of breastfeeding should be based on an awareness of the sociocultural barriers to breastfeeding in a particular community. General approaches for assessing and overcoming cultural barriers are addressed."}
{"id": "PMID:1476853", "title": "A strategy for promoting breastfeeding among economically disadvantaged women and adolescents.", "content": "Best Start is an innovative social marketing approach to promote breastfeeding among low-income women. Focus group interviews were used to identify the determinants of infant-feeding decisions and the most effective strategies for encouraging women to breastfeed. Motivations and perceived barriers related to breastfeeding and social network influences on feeding choice are discussed. The findings were used to design a multifaceted breastfeeding promotion campaign aimed at new mothers, family members, health professionals, and the community at large."}
{"id": "PMID:1476854", "title": "The lactation consultant: part of the health care team.", "content": "The role of the lactation consultant in the health care team is examined, as is the need for specialized breastfeeding assistance by consumers within the childbearing cycle. An overview of certification for lactation consultants is reviewed. Differentiation of the roles of perinatal nurses and lactation consultants related to breastfeeding assistance is identified. The role of health care providers in breastfeeding advocacy is addressed."}
{"id": "PMID:1476855", "title": "Stereoselective binding and activity of oxotremorine analogs at muscarinic receptors in rat brain.", "content": "The activities of the enantiomers of BM-5 were examined to measure muscarinic cholinergic selectivity in the central nervous system. Autoradiographic studies assessed the ability of each enantiomer to inhibit the binding of [3H]-(R)-quinuclidinyl benzilate ([3H]-(R)-QNB) to muscarinic receptors in the rat brain. (+)-(R)-BM-5 inhibited [3H]-(R)-QNB binding to rat brain sections at concentrations below 1.0 microM, while 100-fold higher concentrations of (-)-(S)-BM-5 were required for comparable levels of inhibition. Analysis of the autoradiograms indicated that both stereoisomers had a similar distribution of high affinity binding sites. Each enantiomer displayed higher affinity for muscarinic receptors in the superior colliculi and lower affinity for receptors in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus. (+)-(R)-BM-5 and oxotremorine inhibited adenylyl cyclase activity in the cerebral cortex with efficacies comparable to that for acetylcholine. (+)-(R)-BM-5 was 26-fold more potent than (-)-(S)-BM-5 in inhibiting adenylyl cyclase. Oxotremorine-M and carbamylcholine stimulated phosphoinositide turnover in the cerebral cortex. Oxotremorine had lower activity and (+)-(R)-BM-5 was essentially inactive at comparable concentrations. The difference in activity of the two enantiomers indicates a remarkable stereochemical selectivity for muscarinic receptors. The stereoselectivity index is comparable for both the autoradiographic assays (48) and measures of adenylyl cyclase activity (26) in the cerebral cortex."}
{"id": "PMID:1476856", "title": "Cytochrome P-455 nm complex formation in the metabolism of phenylalkylamines. XII. Enantioselectivity and temperature dependence in microsomes and reconstituted cytochrome P-450 systems from rat liver.", "content": "Formation of metabolic intermediate (MI) complexes was studied with the enantiomers of amphetamine, 1-phenyl-2-pentanamine, N-hydroxyamphetamine, and 2-nitroso-1-phenylpropane (the C-nitroso analogue of amphetamine). Three different enzyme systems were used; liver microsomes from phenobarbital pretreated rats and two reconstituted systems containing the P450 2B1 and P450 2C11 forms of cytochrome P-450. Enantioselective complex formation in microsomes was shown for the amines and the nitroso compound, but not for the hydroxylamine. The highly purified P450 2B1 system formed the MI complex with all substrates tested, and the enantioselectivity observed with the microsomal system was reproduced. In the P450 2C11 system the nitroso compounds were completely inactive, whereas the enantiomers of N-hydroxyamphetamine still produced the complex at a high rate. Changes in temperature were shown to affect (R)-2-nitroso-1-phenylpropane more than its enantiomer. Both enantiomers showed biphasic Arrhenius plots for MI complex formation in microsomes (breaks around 22 degrees C), but the activation energies of the (R)-isomer were about five times higher than those of the (S)-isomer. A theory is presented which suggests different modes of interaction with the active site of P-450 to account for the different behaviour of the various substrates."}
{"id": "PMID:1476857", "title": "Enantioselectivity in the induction of peroxisome proliferation by 2-ethylhexanoic acid.", "content": "The stereoselectivity of the peroxisome proliferation potency of 2-ethylhexanoic acid (2-EHA), a metabolite of the plasticizer di-(2-ethylhexyl) adipate, was investigated in vitro. The enantiomers of 2-EHA were prepared via the semipreparative HPLC resolution of their diastereoisomeric (+)-(R)-1-phenylethylamine derivatives and the subsequent hydrolytic cleavage. Monolayers of hepatocytes were incubated 3 days with solution of (-)-(R), (+)-(S), and (+/-)-2-EHA. The peroxisome proliferation potency was measured by means of determination of the peroxisomal palmitoyl coenzyme A oxidation. The theoretical induction component due to each enantiomer were calculated from the experimental data considering the enantiomeric purities of the acids. The (+)-(S)-enantiomer was found to be the most potent inducer e.g., the eutomer, while the (-)-(R) was the distomer. The eudismic ratio was about 1.6 and the racemic mixture exhibited an intermediary potency. These results, obtained in vitro in conditions avoiding confounding factors such as pharmacokinetics, suggest that the peroxisome proliferation induced by 2-ethylhexanoic acid is a stereoselective phenomenon."}
{"id": "PMID:1476858", "title": "Enantioselective pharmacodynamics of the nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug ketoprofen: in vitro inhibition of human platelet cyclooxygenase activity.", "content": "The pharmacological activity of ketoprofen enantiomers was investigated in humans by an in vitro method. The antiplatelet effect of ketoprofen was assessed by measuring the inhibition of platelet thromboxane B2 (TXB2) generation during the controlled clotting of whole blood obtained from each of four healthy volunteers. Ketoprofen was added separately to whole blood as a range of concentrations of (1) predominantly (S)-ketoprofen, (2) racemic ketoprofen, and (3) predominantly (R)-ketoprofen. (S)-Ketoprofen was found to be solely active at inhibiting human platelet TXB2 production; (R)-ketoprofen was devoid of such activity and did not modify the potency of its optical antipode. A relationship between the percentage inhibition of TXB2 generation and the unbound concentration of (S)-ketoprofen in serum was modelled according to a sigmoidal Emax equation. The mean (+/- SD) serum unbound concentration of (S)-ketoprofen required to inhibit platelet TXB2 generation by 50% (EC50) was 0.320 (+/- 0.062) ng/ml. This value for ketoprofen is considerably lower than previously reported values for (S)-ibuprofen and (S)-naproxen."}
{"id": "PMID:1476859", "title": "Measurement of the (R)- and (S)-isomers of warfarin in patients undergoing anticoagulant therapy.", "content": "An achiral/chiral high-performance liquid chromatographic system for the analysis of total warfarin together with the (R)- and (S)-enantiomers in clinical samples has been developed. The achiral analysis is achieved using a C8 column, which is coupled to a chiral stationary phase, alpha 1-acid glycoprotein (AGP), thereby allowing for analysis of warfarin isomers without interfering serum peaks. A 0.015 M phosphate buffer mobile phase with 15% v/v propan-2-ol (pH 7.0) was used on the C8/AGP system. UV analysis at 308 nm was used for quantitation of total warfarin on the C8 column and fluorescence (excitation 300 nm, emission 390 nm) detection was employed for isomer quantitation on the AGP. Retention time of total warfarin on the C8 column was 5.95 min, while that of the (S)- and (R)-warfarin on the AGP column was 10.38 and 12.69 min, respectively. Peak resolution of the warfarin isomers was 1.64. All serum samples were subjected to solid-phase extraction. Data from two patients in a single dose study indicate that a two-compartmental model could represent the warfarin concentration-time data with enterohepatic circulation. In some patients studied during steady state therapy, concentrations of (S)-warfarin were greater than (R)-warfarin indicating that the clearance of the former is slower in these patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1476860", "title": "Discrimination in resolving systems: ephedrine-mandelic acid.", "content": "Resolution of mandelic acid with (-)-(1R,2S)-ephedrine in water and ethanol produces intermediate diastereomeric salts with greatly disparate solubilities and melting points. Single crystal X-ray analysis of the less (L) and more (M) soluble (-)-ephedrinium mandelates (I, II) shows crystal structures which are isosteric, each crystallizing in the monoclinic system, space group C2. Protonated ephedrines occupy the same relative positions in the L- and M-salts, and mandelates are in the same general locations. Hydrogen bonds link alternating protonated ephedrine nitrogens and mandelate carboxylate oxygens in each salt forming columns of ions. The helical H-bonded chain winds down the crystallographic 2-fold screw axis. Additional H-bonds form between 2-fold related mandelates in the L-salt. Mixed crystals, containing both mandelate isomers, (2R)- and (2S)-mandelates, are obtained from the resolving system partly depleted of the L-salt. A specimen with nearly equal amounts of the mandelates (III) is also isosteric with the commensurate structures. I (294K), L-salt: a = 18.160(7), b = 6.538(2), c = 13.898(4) A, beta = 92.02(3) degrees, V = 1649.1(9) A3; IIa (294K), M-salt: a = 17.978(11), b = 7.164(4), c = 13.574(6)A, beta = 96.41(4) degrees, V = 1737.3(16) A3; IIb (223K), M-salt: a = 17.805(8), b = 7.115(2), c = 13.50(5) A, beta = 96.89(3) degrees, V = 1697.9(15) A3; III (294K), mixed-salt: a = 18.184(22), b = 6.792(7), c = 13.808(19) A, beta = 93.74(10) degrees, V = 1701.7(35) A3."}
{"id": "PMID:1476861", "title": "Direct coupled column separation and determination of the diastereomeric glucuronides of almokalant, a new class III antiarrhythmic drug, in human urine.", "content": "A reversed-phase coupled column separation (CCS) system for the analysis of two diastereomeric glucuronides of almokalant, a new class III antiarrhythmic drug, in human urine is described. After direct injection of urine samples (50 microliters) the glucuronides were isolated by complex formation on a terbium(III) loaded strong cation exchanger at alkaline pH. The solutes were eluted from the precolumn by an acidic mobile phase, enriched and separated on Hypercarb (porous graphitic carbon) as analytical column with 0.1 M acetic acid pH 2.8 and 30% acetonitrile as mobile phase. The calibration graph was linear (r2 = 0.9999) and the detection limits were in the low picomole (UV) or femtomole (fluorescence) range. Optimization of the analytical column revealed that elution order and selectivity for the glucuronides were dependent on the buffer agent and temperature used. By appropriate choice of mobile phase conditions all four diastereomers could be separated."}
{"id": "PMID:1476862", "title": "Indirect chiral separation and analyses in human biological fluids of the stereoisomers of a thienothiopyran-2-sulfonamide (TRUSOPT), a novel carbonic anhydrase inhibitor with two chiral centers in the molecule.", "content": "The indirect chiral separation of the four stereoisomers (1)-(4) of a novel carbonic anhydrase inhibitor with two chiral centers in the molecule is reported. The method is based on chemical derivatization of the secondary amino group of the inhibitor with chiral isocyanate, formation of diastereomeric urea derivatives, each with three chiral centers in the molecule, and their separation under nonchiral HPLC conditions. The attempts to separate racemic mixture (1) + (2) from its diastereomeric counterpart (3) + (4) under nonchiral conditions, and to separate enantiomers (1) and (2) directly on a chiral stationary phase (CSP) are also reported. The indirect method was utilized for the assessment of an in vivo inversion of configuration at either one or both chiral centers of the molecule of (1). Analyses of selected whole blood and urine samples from human subjects after multiple bilateral topical ocular dosing with (1) did not reveal the presence of any of the three possible stereoisomers (2)-(4) of (1) indicating that the inversion of configuration at neither one nor two chiral centers of (1) occurs in vivo."}
{"id": "PMID:1476863", "title": "Growth of Salmonella and competing flora in five commercial Rappaport-Vassiliadis (RV)-media.", "content": "Growth of 18 Salmonella strains belonging to 11 serotypes and the bacterial flora of deep-frozen broiler carcasses was examined in five commercial Rappaport-Vassiliadis (RV) media. Growth was measured by an automated turbidometer (Bioscreen). Significant differences in performance between the media investigated were observed. The unequal performances were ascribed to differences in the concentration of magnesium chloride (MgCl2) and the type of peptone used."}
{"id": "PMID:1476864", "title": "Survival of hog cholera virus (HCV) in sausage meat products (Italian salami).", "content": "Survival of hog cholera virus (HCV) was determined in several sausage meat products (Italian salami) prepared with meats from experimentally infected hogs slaughtered at the peak of disease. Meats were processed following the technology applied by the main factories of the typical Italian production. The survival of HCV was assessed through inoculation in both PK 15 cell monolayers and fully susceptible piglets. In all types of sausages examined HCV was detected up to 75 days of curing by piglet inoculation. This technique was much more sensitive than use of cell culture."}
{"id": "PMID:1476865", "title": "Ropy slime-producing lactic acid bacteria contamination at meat processing plants.", "content": "At three Finnish meat processing plants the processing rooms, meat trimmings and carcasses were examined for the presence of ropy slime-producing lactic acid bacteria. Bacterial isolates similar to ropy slime-producing lactobacilli strains able to produce ropy slime on meat products, were recovered from the processing rooms and meat trimmings, indicating that these rooms and raw materials are a source of contamination for ropy bacteria. The ability to produce ropy slime would appear to be a common characteristic of lactobacilli, since altogether 10 different ropy lactobacilli groups were isolated in this study."}
{"id": "PMID:1476866", "title": "Inhibition of PCR by components of food samples, microbial diagnostic assays and DNA-extraction solutions.", "content": "We have tested the influence on the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of a large number of compounds found in food, in media used for selective propagation of food-borne pathogens or in DNA-extraction methods. PCR was found to be sensitive to large volumes of complex food samples containing high amounts of fat and protein, however, an extraction procedure based on treatment with hot NaOH/SDS reduced the effect significantly. Some culture media (Fraser, MLEB, MRB and Rappaport) interfered with the analysis and for most of the media it was possible to assign the inhibitory effect to one or more individual components. Several compounds (detergents, lysozyme, NaOH, alcohols, EDGA, EGTA) used in DNA extraction procedures were found to have some inhibitory effect. The inhibitory effects need to be taken into consideration when designing new tests."}
{"id": "PMID:1476867", "title": "Detection of Clostridium perfringens enterotoxin gene by the polymerase chain reaction amplification procedure.", "content": "The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) procedure was evaluated to see if it is a simple and rapid method to detect Clostridium perfringens enterotoxin gene. The method, involving the use of two synthesised primers and gene amplification by the PCR procedure, detects a DNA fragment of 364 base pairs of C. perfringens enterotoxin gene by gel electrophoresis. The enterotoxin gene of strains was detected by use of purified chromosomal DNA. The supernatant of sporulating cultures in a sporulating medium was able to be used as template DNA. Template DNA can be obtained by merely culturing the strain in DS medium, a sporulating medium, for 48 h at 37 degrees C. All C. perfringens strains showing positive results in the PCR procedure were demonstrated to produce enterotoxin by a conventional method and all strains showing negative results were enterotoxin negative. To detect the enterotoxin gene in stool specimens by the PCR procedure, the specimen was heat-treated for 10 min at 90 degrees C and cultured in a sporulating medium, the supernatant of which was used as template DNA. From the stool specimens showing positive results in the PCR procedure by this method, enterotoxigenic C. perfringens was isolated from the heat-treated specimens. Thus, it is possible to detect enterotoxigenic C. perfringens in stools without isolation of the organism."}
{"id": "PMID:1476868", "title": "Application of pyrolysis mass spectrometry to the investigation of outbreaks of food poisoning and non-gastrointestinal infection associated with Bacillus species and Clostridium perfringens.", "content": "Eighteen isolates of Bacillus species and 15 of Clostridium perfringens, all of which had been associated with outbreaks of either food poisoning or non-gastrointestinal infection (NGI), were examined for relatedness by pyrolysis mass spectrometry (PyMS). The PyMS-analysis correctly clustered all the groups of epidemiologically related isolates of both genera, and distinguished all the single, epidemiologically unrelated isolates of the same species. PyMS is a simple, rapid and inexpensive technique which can provide useful and accurate inter-strain comparisons within both the Bacillus and Clostridium genera in complete accord with conventional serological typing results."}
{"id": "PMID:1476869", "title": "Effect of tomato juice addition on the growth and activity of Lactobacillus acidophilus.", "content": "Addition of tomato juice to skimmed milk stimulated the growth of Lactobacillus acidophilus. It resulted in higher viable counts, shorter generation time and improved sugar utilization with more acid produced and lower pH for the strains tested. Varying results were obtained for the five strains examined."}
{"id": "PMID:1476870", "title": "Study of surface yeast flora of Roquefort cheese.", "content": "The change in yeast flora on the surface of two batches of Roquefort cheese was monitored over a period of 6 months. 401 isolates were determined and their technological properties were investigated. The main species isolated were: Debaryomyces hansenii and its non sporulating form Candida famata, Kluyveromyces lactis and its non sporulating form Candida sphaerica and Candida species. The species Debaryomyces hansenii inoculated on the surface of the cheese in one of the batches just before the salting phase was abundant throughout the ripening phases but never exceeded 50% of the yeast count. About 80% of the isolates of each species were resistant to 15% (w/v) of sodium chloride. Most of the species were able to assimilate lactose and lactic acid. 50-90% of the isolates of each species were able to hydrolyze rapeseed oil and glycerol tributyrate. Ten isolates among 401 hydrolyzed gelatin. Most of them were able to assimilate cadaverine, histamine, putrescine and tyramine."}
{"id": "PMID:1476871", "title": "Increased activity of lymph node cells in thermal injury.", "content": "While trauma-induced suppression of T-cell responses is well documented, only few studies address lymphocyte activation. The aim of this study was to investigate the functional activity of lymph node cells in rats subjected to scald injury, proliferative activity, cytokine production, and responsiveness to exogenously added cytokines was evaluated in cells from lymph nodes draining burned tissue and from distant, nondraining lymph node cells. Results presented clearly show that lymph node cells in scalded rats are activated in vivo although the extent of proliferation and pattern of cytokine production differ: a) proliferative activity was elevated both in draining and distant lymph nodes, but was more pronounced in cells from lymph nodes draining the injured region; b) increased production of IL-2, and particularly IL-1 and IL-6 was found and coincides well with peak of proliferative activity of draining lymph node cells; IL-2 production by distant lymph node cells remained unchanged, IL-1 and IL-6 production was significantly increased coinciding with increased proliferation; c) increased responsiveness to exogenously supplied cytokines was found in draining lymph node cells, while it remained unchanged in nondraining lymph node cells. Early activation of lymphocytes demonstrated in our experiments could be one of the previously unrecognized consequences of trauma-induced immunosuppression."}
{"id": "PMID:1476872", "title": "Effect of human thyroglobulin on the production of platelet activating factor from peripheral blood mononuclear cells from patients with autoimmune thyroid diseases.", "content": "Platelet activating factor (PAF), a phospholipid mediator, has been found to play a role in immune reactions, as well as in many pathophysiological alterations in certain disorders. To determine whether there might be a potential role of PAF in the development of autoimmune thyroid diseases (AITD) we have measured in vitro production of PAF by cultures of pokeweed mitogen-stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) obtained from 13 patients with Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) and 22 patients with Graves' disease (GD), as well as 18 normal control subjects. Similarly, the levels of PAF in cultures of PBMC after relevant [human thyroglobulin (Tg) and human thyroperoxidase (TPO)] antigenic stimulation in the same preparations were measured by a RIA kit. The basal values of PAF were significantly higher in the PBMC preparations from HT patients than in other two groups. In HT preparations, but not in controls, Tg antigen significantly increased the production of PAF. In GD preparations the response to Tg antigen was also present, but the release of PAF did not reach the levels in control group of preparations. Significantly lower values of PAF production were found in preparations from hyperthyroid GD when compared to the results of preparations from GD patients who were euthyroid and to the results of normal control preparations. The type of treatment and chronicity of disease may also have played some role in these findings, since those treated with radioactive iodine had lower values than those patients who became euthyroid using only antithyroid drugs.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1476873", "title": "Ontogeny of lymphocyte activating factors in conventional and germfree rats.", "content": "Immune regulatory cytokines have previously been demonstrated outside the immune system in, e.g., the skin, testis, and brain, and suggested to serve as barrier site defence mediators. We have recently demonstrated constitutive production of an interleukin-1 (IL-1)-like factor(s) in the proximal gastrointestinal tract, liver, and placenta of adult rats. In the present study we have investigated the developmental production of IL-1-like factors in these tissues in conventional rats and in rats raised under germfree conditions. Slight IL-1 bioactivity was detected at a gestational age of 18 days in the skin and esophagus, and on day 19 significant amounts were detected in the skin, tongue, esophagus, and stomach. The activity was maximal at gestational day 20-21, and stationary at all later time-points. The placenta and liver contained high amounts of IL-1 activity throughout fetal life. The brain showed a transient appearance of IL-1 bioactivity at a gestational age of 19-21 days, but no activity at later time-points. Germfree rats showed no significant difference in the ontogeny or amounts of IL-1 bioactivity compared to conventional rats. It can be concluded that the IL-1 bioactivity appears at a definite time point in all measured tissues in fetal life and that exposure to microbial antigens does not seem to influence its production. As the investigated tissues show a high proliferation rate, it is tempting to suggest that the detected IL-1 (-like factors) might have an alternate function in these tissues, e.g., to serve as growth factors."}
{"id": "PMID:1476876", "title": "Immunological characterization of pulmonary intravascular macrophages.", "content": "Pulmonary intravascular macrophages (PIMs) are lung macrophages found apposed to the endothelium of pulmonary capillaries. In many species, they are responsible for the clearance of blood-borne particulates and pathogens; however, little else is known about their roles as immunologic effector cells. We compared PIMs with pulmonary alveolar macrophages (PAMs) to determine the relative immunological activities of these two cell populations. Our results suggested that both populations possess similar phagocytic and bactericidal activities. In assays measuring cytotoxicity, PIMs were more cytotoxic than PAMs against virally infected target cells; however, differences between these macrophage populations were not as marked when noninfected targets were used. LPS-stimulated PIMs produced more T-cell proliferative cytokines than PAMs, and both populations of nonstimulated macrophages produced similar amounts of the cytokines. In contrast, PAMs produced more TNF alpha and NO2- than PIMs when both populations were stimulated with LPS; however, nonstimulated PAMs and PIMs produced similar amounts of TNF alpha and NO2. These data suggest that bovine PIMs are immunologically active. Differences between the degrees of activity of PIMs and PAMs indicate that these macrophage populations may have different roles in lung surveillance."}
{"id": "PMID:1476877", "title": "Characterization of the mucosal immune response to 2-acetylaminofluorene-protein conjugates.", "content": "Many environmental carcinogens gain access to the body only after traversing a mucosal surface. Due to their small size, most carcinogens are not recognized by the immune system and pass unhindered from the external to the internal environment. In previous studies, we demonstrated that secretory IgA directed against the carcinogen 2-acetylaminofluorene (AAF) can be elicited by covalently coupling AAF to the mucosal immunogen cholera toxin (CT). Rabbit intestines receiving secretions containing secretory IgA anti-AAF demonstrated a marked reduction in transmucosal absorption of carcinogen from the intestinal lumen to the mesenteric blood supply. In actively immune animals, however, recent data suggests that the disposition of luminal carcinogen may be influenced by the relative abundance of serum versus mucosally-based immunoglobulins. Our objective was to quantify the amount and isotype distribution of antibodies produced in response to AAF-carrier protein conjugates administered via different routes; using traditional parenteral carrier proteins and routes of administration, compared to mucosal carrier proteins and routes of administration. Administration of AAF-cholera toxin conjugates to isolated ileal (Thiry-Vella) loops in rabbits elicited a vigorous sIgA anti-AAF response in ileal secretions, with low levels of serum or intestinal IgG, or serum-based IgA produced concomitantly. All parenteral immunization protocols generated extremely high titers of serum IgG anti-AAF, with only moderate levels of sIgA produced concomitantly, even when mucosal boosting followed parenteral priming. When AAF-CT mucosal boosts were administered after intraperitoneal priming, a dramatic rise in serum, not secretory IgA was observed."}
{"id": "PMID:1476878", "title": "Diminished immunoglobulin synthesis after stimulation of mononuclear cells from periodontal disease tissue.", "content": "Gingival mononuclear cells from patients with adult periodontitis were cultured to determine the potential for IgG production. All samples (N = 27) showed IgG synthesis. Some samples demonstrated IgG synthetic activity over the entire period in culture, often with maximum synthesis after 8 days. Other samples showed IgG synthesis during the first half of the culture period and then little detectable production for the remainder. Cells were either untreated or treated with one of several different known mitogens during the culture period. Total IgG synthesis by peripheral blood lymphocytes was enhanced in the presence of pokeweed mitogen, E. coli lipopolysaccharide and killed. A. actinomycetemcomitans. In contrast, IgG synthesis by gingival cells in the presence of these same additives was significantly reduced when compared to gingival cell synthesis in the absence of mitogens; suggesting the presence of suppression in this system. These differences in responsiveness may be attributable to the unique combination of T cells found in the gingival tissues of patients with periodontal diseases. The patterns of IgG synthesis by gingival cells were different from those of peripheral blood cells from the same patient. This finding verified the distinctiveness of local immunoregulatory mechanisms in periodontal disease tissue from those found systemically."}
{"id": "PMID:1476874", "title": "Peyer's patches and mesenteric lymph nodes are the sites of first appearance of IgE bearing B lymphocytes and hapten specific IgE antibody forming cells in BPO-KLH sensitized mice.", "content": "Antigen specific IgE responses originate in gut associated lymphoid tissue (GALT) of mice sensitized with benzylpenicilloyl-keyhole limpet hemocyanin (BPO-KLH) in alum, regardless of the route (intraperitoneal [i.p.], oral [gavage], subcutaneous [s.c.], intramuscular [i.m.] or intravenous [i.v.]) used for immunization. When BALB/c mice were injected i.p. with BPO-KLH (10 micrograms) in alum, B lymphocytes bearing membrane bound IgE (sIgE+B cells) first appeared simultaneously in Peyer's patches (PP) and mesenteric lymph node (MLN) on day 8. BPO specific IgE antibody forming cells (AFC) also appeared in PP on day 8, but were not found in MLN until day 10. On day 8, no sIgE+B cells or IgE AFC were found in bone marrow (BM) or other lymphoid organs. The appearance of sIgE+B cells and IgE AFC in PP and MLN was transient; these cells were no longer detected in PP on days 14 and 24, respectively, or in MLN on days 14 and 36, respectively. sIgE+B cells and IgE AFC did not appear in spleen until day 12, where they were detected through day 70. Although sIgE+B cells were never found in BM, IgE AFC appeared in BM on day 18, where they were detected through day 70. No sIgE+B cells or IgE AFC were found in other lymph nodes (OLN) on days 0-70. Boosting did not induce the reappearance of sIgE+B cells or IgE AFC in PP, the reappearance of sIgE+B cells in MLN, the appearance of sIgE+B cells in BM, or the appearance of sIgE+B cells or IgE AFC in OLN.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1476875", "title": "T cell functions of IL-2-activated tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes from renal cell carcinoma.", "content": "Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is one of the few cancers partially sensitive to biotherapy. However, involvement of T cell immunity in host-defense against autologous tumor cells remains unclear. This manuscript investigated T cell functions of interleukin-2 (IL-2)-activated tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) from human RCCs by studying their oligoclonality, cytotoxicity, and cytokine production. IL-2-activated RCC-TILs from 17 of 33 cases (52%) (p < 0.01 vs. IL-2-activated patients' peripheral blood mononuclear cells, PBMC) displayed oligoclonal expansion as determined by seven different monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) to T cell receptor (TCR) V alpha or beta regions after 2 to 5 weeks in culture. By comparison, IL-2-activated PBMC from only 1 of 15 healthy donors (7%), 3 of 23 patients (13%), and IL-2-activated lymphocytes from nontumorous kidney from 1 of 8 (12.5%) cases (V beta 5.1) did. Specifically, IL-2-activated RCC-TILs showed oligoclonal expansion of V alpha 2+ cells (8/33 cases, p < 0.05 vs. IL-2-activated patient's PBMC), V beta 5.1+ cells (6/33), V beta 8+ cells (4/33), V beta 12+ cells (4/33), and V beta 6.7+ cells (2/33). Oligoclonal expansion of plural TCR V regions was observed in 6 of 33 cases. IL-2-activated RCC-TILs from 4 of 16 cases produced higher levels of interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) in culture with autologous tumor cells than with allogeneic tumor cells. Those from 11 of 16 cases did not produce IFN-gamma in response to autologous tumor cells, and the remaining case produced it in a major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-nonrestricted manner. IL-2-activated RCC-TILs with oligoclonal expansion in 4 of 5 cases showed IFN-gamma production in response to the corresponding anti-TCR V region mAb as well as anti-CD3 mAb. IL-2 and IL-4 were not detected in any cases tested. IL-2-activated RCC-TILs displayed cytotoxicity relatively restricted to autologous tumor cells in only 1 of the 16 cases evaluated, MHC-nonrestricted cytotoxicity in 12 cases, NK activity in one case and no cytotoxicity in two cases. In summary, IL-2-activated RCC-TILs demonstrated the oligoclonality in approximately half of the cases (17 of 33, 52%), but rarely displayed either autologous tumor-specific-IFN-gamma production (4 of 16 cases) or -cytotoxicity (1 of 16 cases)."}
{"id": "PMID:1476882", "title": "A nurse-led 'stop smoking' initiative.", "content": "A one-week smoking awareness initiative and subsequent audit in a general practice are described. All patients attending morning surgery during the study period were offered the opportunity to discuss smoking habits at a smoking awareness clinic: 84 smokers attended. They were interviewed by the practice preventive care nurse who took a smoking history, monitored carbon monoxide (CO Hb) levels and offered a follow-up appointment. CO Hb provided immediate feedback on the effect of smoking and patients who smoked 20 or more cigarettes per day had an average CO Hb of 16.1 per cent. Fifteen per cent of smokers made a commitment to stop smoking and agreed to attend follow-up clinics. A random sample (50) of attenders at the initial Smoking Awareness Clinic (84) were followed up by questionnaire six months later. There were 29 replies (58 per cent); 19 patients (65 per cent) found the visit to the clinic helpful, 14 (48 per cent) reduced the number of cigarettes they smoked, and 11 (38 per cent) altered some other aspect of their lifestyle, of whom four modified their diet and four increased exercise. Five patients claimed they had given up smoking."}
{"id": "PMID:1476885", "title": "Fluoride: spanning the health divide.", "content": "This article describes the causes and prevention of tooth decay, with particular emphasis on the role of fluoride. Focusing on the North West of England, social class differences in the prevalence of tooth decay, and hence the need for water fluoridation, are discussed. Finally, the role of non-dental health professionals in dental health promotion is outlined."}
{"id": "PMID:1476898", "title": "Appropriate use of HRT post-menopause.", "content": "The last decade has seen a dramatic increase in the use of, and interest in, hormone replacement therapy (HRT) in the United Kingdom, with its undoubted benefits in relieving distressing symptoms associated with the menopause, protecting the skeleton and preventing ischaemic heart disease. Recent studies, however, suggest that compliance with therapy tends to be poor. In this article, the author examines some of the reasons why the drop-out rate is so high in women who start hormone replacement therapy, and suggests there are three broad areas in which there is need for improvement: more counselling of patients, dispelling unrealistic expectations which some women may have of HRT and, most importantly, the need for the individualization of therapy to suit the woman's requirements."}
{"id": "PMID:1476909", "title": "Recurrent cranial polyneuropathy.", "content": "General considerations on recurrent cranial polyneuropathy are made. In addition, a study carried out in 42 patients with recurrent cranial polyneuropathy (RCP) permitted the assessment of some parameters closely related to age, sex and evolution in order to elaborate an etiopathologic hypothesis. Female cases prevailed (31 females, 11 males); the interval between two episodes varied from 1 month to 39 years. 117 episodes were found (from 2 to 8 episodes in one patient). Immune, vascular and entrapment aspects are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1476910", "title": "Outcome in ischaemic stroke: carotid versus vertebro-basilar territory.", "content": "Clinical study and laboratory investigations were performed in 166 carotid ischaemic stroke (CIS) patients and 64 vertebro-basilar ischaemic stroke (VBIS) patients. The study revealed some features of VBIS: significant male predominance (p < 0.001), better outcome (for modified Rankin Scale (MRS)) (p < 0.01), significant number of different triggering factors (p < 0.001). Nonsignificant differences in mortality were found in both groups (p > 0.05). Myocardial infarction was an important associated cause of death."}
{"id": "PMID:1476911", "title": "Calcium blockers in ischemic stroke.", "content": "The study investigated the evolution of 72-nifedipine treated cases with ischemic stroke. Dipyridamole was administered to 72 controls. Subjects showed clinical improvement, thus calcium blockers can constitute a therapy alternative. A good influence of nifedipine was remarked in blood pressure."}
{"id": "PMID:1476915", "title": "Mutant p53 oncogene expression in keratoacanthoma and squamous cell carcinoma.", "content": "The tumour suppressor gene p53, located on the short arm of chromosome 17, encodes for a nuclear protein which regulates cell proliferation by inhibiting cells entering S-phase. p53 mutations are alleged to be the commonest genetic abnormality in human cancer. We studied mutant p53 oncoprotein expression, using PAb1801 monoclonal antibody immunohistochemistry, in 25 'ideal' keratoacanthomas and 26 well-, 19 moderately and 18 poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinomas of the skin. While there was a highly significant trend in the proportion of p53 oncoprotein-positive lesions from keratoacanthomas to poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinomas (chi 2 = 17.13, df = 1, exact P = 0.00003), p53 expression was inadequate for distinguishing keratoacanthoma from well-differentiated squamous cell carcinoma (chi 2 = 2.55, df = 1, exact P = 0.18; corresponding to a sensitivity of 0.84 and a specificity of only 0.36)."}
{"id": "PMID:1476916", "title": "Density and morphology of Langerhans cells in basal cell carcinomas of the face and trunk.", "content": "We investigated the density and morphology of Langerhans cells in epidermal sheets of basal cell carcinomas in chronically sun-exposed skin (face) and less exposed skin (trunk) of 65 patients. Langerhans cells in perilesional and control skin at the same anatomical sites as the tumours were also examined. Two markers (ATPase and OKT6) were used in a parallel fashion to identify Langerhans cells. The density of the cells was reduced, and their morphology was changed in epidermis overlying tumours of both the face and trunk. These alterations were confined to tumour areas, as Langerhans cells in perilesional skin were normal when compared with control skin at both anatomical sites. Results with both markers were the same."}
{"id": "PMID:1476917", "title": "A novel tissue preservation medium for immunoperoxidase staining of skin biopsies.", "content": "The requirement for unfixed tissue is a major drawback in the use of immunohistochemistry for the diagnosis of inflammatory and neoplastic disease. We describe the use of a novel gel transport medium (U.K. Patent No. WO 90/07703, international patent applications pending) to preserve unfixed skin biopsies from allergic contact dermatitis reactions for 1 week prior to frozen section and immunohistochemistry for leucocyte antigens. The medium can be used with biopsies up to 6 mm3 and does not require any alteration in the usual frozen section or immunohistochemical staining procedures. The results show a subjective improvement in both morphology and staining quality. We believe this to be due to improved cutting of the sections and reduced background staining of collagen. This transport medium should be of considerable benefit to the provision of a clinical service, because it allows tissue for immunohistochemical examination to be taken at locations distant from the pathology laboratory."}
{"id": "PMID:1476913", "title": "Statistical study of lethal stroke.", "content": "Deceased cases with cerebral infarction and hemorrhage constituted the subjects of the present study. They were divided into two groups: 127 cases in group 1 (1954-1959) and 427 cases in group 2 (1977-1982). The purpose of the study was to compare clinical data to evidence any statistical difference between groups. No statistically significant difference was noticed, except the increase of age mean in both diagnoses due to the overall increase of age mean of the population (2.5-10 yrs)."}
{"id": "PMID:1476918", "title": "Interleukin 1 immunoreactivity in sebaceous glands.", "content": "Interleukin 1 (IL-1) immunoreactivity in sebaceous glands was studied in paraffin sections of normal human skin. A panel of antibodies against IL-1 alpha and beta was tested using an immunoperoxidase labelling method. All the antibodies showed a similar specific labelling pattern: both glandular and ductal cells were immunoreactive for both IL-1 alpha and beta, provided optimal tissue fixation was used."}
{"id": "PMID:1476919", "title": "Rat hair follicle growth in vitro.", "content": "Pelage hair follicles were isolated by gentle microdissection from 8-12-day-old rats, and maintained in supplemented Williams E medium. Length measurements made on freshly isolated hair follicles, and at 24-h intervals, showed a significant increase in hair follicle length over 48 h, after which time no further significant increase in length was observed. Photomicrographs of maintained follicles showed that this increase in hair follicle length could be attributed to the production of a keratinized hair shaft. Histology and [methyl-3H] thymidine autoradiography of freshly isolated hair follicles showed the dermal papilla to be elongated, with thymidine uptake located predominantly in the matrix cells of the hair follicle bulb adjacent to the dermal papilla. This pattern remained unaltered for the first 48 h of maintenance, but after 72 h the dermal papilla had rounded into a tight ball of cells, with very little thymidine uptake occurring in the adjacent matrix cells. On maintenance, fetal calf serum (FCS), epidermal growth factor (EGF) and 12-o-tetradecanoyl phorbol 13-acetate (TPA) all significantly stimulated [methyl-3H] thymidine and [U-14C] leucine uptake, but inhibited hair follicle elongation. Insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) had no significant effect on rates of hair follicle elongation and [methyl-3H] thymidine uptake, but significantly stimulated rates of [U-14C] leucine uptake. Transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-beta 1) significantly inhibited both the rate of [methyl-3H] thymidine uptake and hair follicle elongation."}
{"id": "PMID:1476920", "title": "DERMIS: a computer system for assisting primary-care physicians with dermatological diagnosis.", "content": "DERMIS is a computerized skin disease diagnostic prompting system which has been derived from the prospective study of 5203 cases. It has been designed for use by non-dermatologists such as general practitioners. The program produces a list of reasonable diagnoses based on probabilities calculated using Bayes' theorem. Out of 221 precise diagnoses made by the dermatologist in the clinic, 42 groupings were created to encompass the most common or important diseases encountered in general practice. Four 'remainder' or 'send to specialist' groups were included for the 13% of uncommon conditions. The program, when tested by 'one out' analysis on the original cases, placed the correct diagnosis first on 76% of occasions, and within the first three on 95% of occasions. In 76 of 125 cases randomly selected from the data base, a request for diagnostic assistance had been made by the referring general practitioner. It has been estimated that in 54 of these 76 cases the DERMIS system could have provided differential advice with the correct diagnosis appearing at the top of the list. The system has been written in MUMPS and runs on an IBM-compatible desk-top computer. The software allows real time data entry. Arrangements are in hand for performing clinical trials of the system in general practice. If current performance is maintained, and the response to the system's output is favourable, then DERMIS might well enhance performance in medical decision making for the benefit of patients, medical services and budget holders."}
{"id": "PMID:1476921", "title": "The influence of food on 8-methoxypsoralen serum concentration and minimal phototoxic dose.", "content": "Ten adult volunteers were given three oral doses of 0.46-0.56 mg/kg body weight of 8-methoxypsoralen (8-MOP) in a liquid formulation under fasting conditions, and after ingestion of a low-fat or fat-rich breakfast. 8-MOP serum levels and photosensitivity were measured 0.5-4 h after drug ingestion. The 1-h 8-MOP serum levels and photosensitivity were significantly higher in fasting conditions than after ingestion of a low-fat or fat-rich meal (intra-individual median difference in photosensitivity 7.5 J/cm2). On 12 of 20 occasions when the drug was taken after food ingestion, the 1-h 8-MOP serum concentration was below 30 ng/ml. A survey of 43 out-patients undergoing regular PUVA treatment showed that the frequency of erythemal reactions was significantly higher when 8-MOP was ingested with a > 50% smaller quantity of food than usual (P < 0.005). This study demonstrated food-induced variations in 8-MOP photosensitivity both in an experimental situation and in an out-patient survey. In order to optimize the therapeutic effect of PUVA, the quantity of food taken before 8-MOP should remain constant, and the timing of UVA irradiation should be adjusted according to the preceding food intake."}
{"id": "PMID:1476922", "title": "Therapy of alopecia areata with diphencyprone.", "content": "The properties of diphencyprone (DPC), its possible mechanism of action in the therapy of alopecia areata (AA), and its side-effects are summarized. The results of our own study of treatment in 45 patients with AA, with a mean treatment duration of 72 (15-146) weeks, are presented, and compared with the results of previous studies. We suggest that, in future, therapy protocols should define entry criteria and therapy results more precisely, and include follow-up assessments to establish the length of remission. In view of the low response rates and short lengths of remission, the indications for DPC therapy should be set more rigorously."}
{"id": "PMID:1476923", "title": "Restrictive dermopathy: a disorder of fibroblasts.", "content": "Restrictive dermopathy is a rare, lethal genodermatosis, characterized by a thin, tightly adherent skin which causes a dysmorphic facies, arthrogryposis and respiratory insufficiency. The recorded cases to date show a remarkable phenotypic similarity. Thinning of the dermis and the arrangement of collagen in parallel bundles appear to be constant findings. We have found many dead and degenerating fibroblasts in the dermis on ultrastructural examination, and have demonstrated their poor growth in vitro. Studies of collagen from a skin sample showed a marked increase in mature cross-links, indicating a decrease in skin collagen turnover. These findings suggest a primary disorder of fibroblasts, and may explain the apparent arrest in growth and differentiation of the skin which appears to be important in the pathogenesis of this rare condition."}
{"id": "PMID:1476924", "title": "Diffuse primary cutaneous amyloidosis.", "content": "A case of extensive primary cutaneous amyloidosis exhibiting both macular and lichenoid lesions is reported. Lesions were arranged in a distinctive linear pattern covering much of the trunk and limbs, in places following Blaschko's lines. The coexistence of macular and lichenoid lesions suggests that this is an unusual variant of biphasic cutaneous amyloidosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1476925", "title": "Acquired tufted angioma showing spontaneous regression.", "content": "We report a 62-year-old woman with acquired tufted angioma. Several scattered reddish nodules were present on the neck and upper chest. During a follow-up period of 6 months, some of the lesions showed transient spontaneous regression and one disappeared completely. Electron microscopy revealed that a few tumour cells contained Weibel-Palade bodies in their cytoplasm."}
{"id": "PMID:1476926", "title": "Do pigmented naevi in albinism provide evidence of tyrosinase positivity?", "content": "We investigated a 4-year-old Japanese boy with oculocutaneous albinism who had a solitary pigmented mole measuring 5 mm in diameter on his back. An electron microscopic tyrosine incubation test and a DOPA reaction test clearly demonstrated the presence of tyrosinase activity in the patient's hypopigmented skin. The presence of tyrosinase activity was confirmed by tests on hair bulb samples. Histopathological evidence showed that the mole was a typical compound cellular naevus with melanin pigmentation. Although no reports to date have focused on the relationship between pigmented naevi in albinism and tyrosinase activity, our findings suggest that the occurrence of pigmented naevi in an albino may indicate the presence of tyrosinase activity."}
{"id": "PMID:1476942", "title": "Ganglioglioma in children. A review of 32 cases at the University of Florida.", "content": "The entity ganglioglioma in children seems to be an increasingly more common tumor. Most of these lesions are pathologically and clinically benign but have a pathological and clinical continuum in their behavior. Gross total resection, especially involving the lesions in the supratentorial compartment, is often curative. The most common symptom, seizures, in this group of lesions, can often be alleviated with removal of the tumor. This may be enhanced with the use of corticography at the initial surgery. The group of lesions located in the brainstem are more difficult to control and may require multiple operations and other therapies including radiation and chemotherapy for optimum outcome. Malignant lesions in the ganglioglioma series are rare and optimum therapy for these tumors is not well defined at this time. Pathologically, this group of tumors needs better definition for designing the best therapy. We are planning a survey both retrospectively and prospectively with flow cytometry and the use of various makers such as the K167 proliferation antigen to better define potential biological behavior. Clearly, a broader discussion with the patient and family is indicated when one of these tumors is discovered and operated."}
{"id": "PMID:1476948", "title": "The halo vest apparatus: essentials for patient management.", "content": "Cervical spine trauma or disease, regardless of its cause, warrants prompt diagnosis and treatment. The halo vest apparatus is an external fixation device which is used extensively in the management of these individuals. Since patient management may pose some difficulties, expert knowledge is essential. In this paper we describe our experiences in the management of this challenging group of patients. Our discussion will focus on management techniques and strategies which include hygiene, activity, mobility and emergency procedures."}
{"id": "PMID:1476949", "title": "The Glasgow Coma Scale: a critical look.", "content": "Today much of our knowledge about a patient's level of consciousness is given to us by his or her score on the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS). Since its development at the University of Glasgow in 1974, it has been widely adopted, become an integral component of the hourly \"neuro assessment\", and is typically incorporated into the graphic assessment portion of the patient's medical record. Once the information has been documented, the pure data itself is lost as the documented form takes on an interpretative meaning or a reality that is different from the clinical state experienced by the patient. The formation of this \"new\" reality occurs in two separate phases: in the completion of the scale and in its reading. There are various factors or forces that affect the completion and use of the scale. These are important as they are not visible in the scale itself; however, their effects are evident in the coma score obtained. These forces include the design of the GCS and the manner in which the tool is taught and used. The purpose of this paper is to discuss these factors and to delineate how they create a reality that may not accurately depict the patient's level of consciousness."}
{"id": "PMID:1476950", "title": "The cardiopulmonary complications of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage: current trends in management.", "content": "It is well established that excessive sympathetic activity, resulting in the development of cardiopulmonary complications, commonly occurs in patients who have suffered aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage. Cardiac dysfunction and neurogenic pulmonary edema are life threatening conditions that have serious implications with regard to patient outcome. The purpose of this article is to familiarize the neuroscience practitioner with the effects of subarachnoid haemorrhage on the heart and lungs and to provide an update in terms of current medical and nursing management trends. It is vital that these patients receive aggressive therapy including definitive surgical treatment of the aneurysm, vigilant monitoring for cardiopulmonary complications and prompt medical and nursing intervention should they occur. A brief review of the anatomy and physiology of the sympathetic division of the autonomic nervous system will be presented. In addition, the theories that have been proposed to explain the underlying pathogenesis will be introduced. Medical and nursing management strategies will also be addressed."}
{"id": "PMID:1476951", "title": "Functional hemispherectomy.", "content": "Complete hemispherectomies were performed throughout the 1950's and early 1960's for the treatment of medically refractory seizures associated with hemiplegia. In 1964 a study published by Laine, Pruvet and Ossen reported a late post operative complication; superficial cerebral hemosiderosis. This, with its associated neurological deterioration, hydrocephalus, and at times death, led to disfavor with the procedure. It was replaced by the subtotal hemispherectomy which effectively eliminated the late complication of superficial cerebral hemosiderosis but was less successful in controlling seizures. Results decreased from 85% showing improved seizure tendency to 68%. Dissatisfied with these results, a hybrid operation was designed by Dr. Rasmussen and Dr. Villemure known as functional hemispherectomy. Removing less cortical tissue but disconnecting the remaining tissue provided a functionally complete but anatomically incomplete removal. Patients, having undergone this surgery, have obtained the same degree of seizure reduction without any of the late complications of the complete hemispherectomy. Our presentation will discuss the preoperative, operative and post-operative course of these patients. Criteria for surgery will be reviewed. A description of the surgical procedure will be included so that one can understand why the complications of aseptic meningitis, hydrocephalus, cerebral hemosiderosis and altered motor function will or will not occur postoperatively. Concerns of family and patient will be addressed throughout the presentation."}
{"id": "PMID:1476953", "title": "Functional electrical stimulation (FES) systems for restoration of motor function of paralyzed muscles--versatile systems and a portable system.", "content": "Multichannel functional electrical stimulation (FES) systems were developed to restore the motor functions of the paralyzed muscles, i.e. two kinds of versatile systems for laboratory use and a practical portable system were developed. The first microcomputer-based FES system was composed of an 8 bit microcomputer (PC-8801mkII) with a voice recognition board and 30 stimulation outputs, in which the voice commands were used for selecting a motion pattern, and for executing (start), (hold), (restart) and (stop) commands. In combination with the voice commands, a proportional control command detected from a head angle sensor was used for volitional control of motion. The second microcomputer-based FES system was composed of a 16 bit microcomputer (PC-9801 UV or compatible) with flexible control capabilities (e.g. respiratory sensors) for volitional control and with 64 stimulation outputs. An originally designed practical portable FES system was 89 x 145 x 31 mm in dimension and 380 g in weight. This paper describes the system configurations, the control methods of these FES systems and three examples of the clinical applications of the FES systems."}
{"id": "PMID:1476954", "title": "A simple and practical method for evaluating overall measurement error of joint moments obtained by a force plate and a position sensing device.", "content": "Joint moments are now widely used in the field of gait analysis and sports biomechanics. They are usually calculated from the data obtained by a force plate and a position sensing device. Although separate assessment of the measurement error of a force plate and a position sensing device is possible, it can give only the worst case estimate of the joint moments. A simple and practical method is presented here which can give an estimate of the overall error of the combined system. The basic principle of this method is that if a lumped load is applied to a point where the joint center is supposed to be located and the moment is calculated about this point, then the moment should be zero. Thus, the deviation of the calculated moment from zero will give an estimate of the overall error. Examples of experimental data of a joint moment measuring system are given to validate this method. Various factors which contribute to the overall error are discussed and a method of reducing it by software compensation is presented."}
{"id": "PMID:1476955", "title": "Modelling exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage in racing thoroughbreds.", "content": "Exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH) affects a large portion of racing thoroughbred horses. Sites of hemorrhage and causal mechanisms remain unestablished. Our mathematical model was constructed to test the hypothesis that EIPH could be caused by a combination of respiratory and circulatory mechanical factors occurring during exercise. Various physiological data for respiration, blood circulation and exercise were incorporated into the model. Results show that inhalation pressure drops across airway resistances become great enough during exercise to cause rupture of capillaries for both bronchial and pulmonary systems."}
{"id": "PMID:1476956", "title": "Data compression of electrocardiograms for long-time digital recording in IC memory.", "content": "To realize a digital recorder capable of long-time recording of electrocardiograms (ECGs) in IC memories, the methods of data compression were studied and the accuracy of reconstructed ECGs from the compressed ones was evaluated. Concretely, the variant of MSAPA was used as a data compression algorithm in order to store ECGs in IC memories for 12-24 h. The fabricated digital recorder used an 8 bit CPU with the function of data compression and was capable of operating in real time at a sampling rate of 200 Hz. With bit compression, 24 samples of American Heart Association ECGs were compressed to an average value of 16.8% under the condition of an error limit of 30 microV (120 microV in QRS); the average maximum recording time in 1 Mbyte IC memories was 8.5 h. In a comparison of the reproduction accuracy and errors produced by a small analog tape recorder with those produced by the digital method, the digital system was shown to be superior to the analog system."}
{"id": "PMID:1476957", "title": "On the intracranial pressure-volume curve.", "content": "The intracranial pressure-volume curve is considered and a new mathematical model proposed to describe it. Researchers and clinicians currently use an exponential curve to describe the increase in intracranial pressure following a rapid increase in the fluid volume in the cranial vault. It is argued in this paper that a form of logarithmic curve, derived from elementary physical principles, can also be used. An upper limit to the extra volume is an intrinsic feature of the model and the argument does not require a variable compliance to be associated with the system."}
{"id": "PMID:1476959", "title": "The head louse in Sierra Leone: an epidemiological study among school children, in the Njala area.", "content": "A survey of five primary schools in the Njala area, Sierra Leone showed that Pediculus humanus capitis infestation is wide-spread. The overall prevalence was 6.8% among 1007 school children examined. Infestation rates varied between schools from 1.4% to 14.6% and the prevalence of infestation increased with age, from 3.1% among class I children to 10.2% among class IV and decreased to 4.9% among class VI children. Females had a higher infestation rate (8.3%) than their male counterparts (5.4%). The infestation rate was higher' in children whose fathers were Farmers (9.4%) followed by Traders (7.8%), Artisans (6.5%) and Professionals who had the lowest infestation rate of (5.8%). Sharing of beds, beddings and combs had a significant effect (P < 0.01) on the rate of infestation. The infestation was light, therefore, impetigo was minimal. Overcrowding at home is the main factor facilitating the transmission of the infestation from one head to another among these children."}
{"id": "PMID:1476961", "title": "More enlightenment on the essence of applying Fisher's Exact test when testing for statistical significance using small sample data presented in a 2 x 2 table.", "content": "The paper illustrates the inconsistent behaviour of the Chi-Square test when applied onto 2 x 2 tables involving independent samples and a small overall sample size. The appropriateness of applying this test to a given 2 x 2 table was judged by the degree of agreement between the probability associated with a value of Chi-Square for that table and that obtained by direct application of Fisher's Exact Test. Data from two different studies were used for the illustration. For one of the tables, the two tests led to divergent conclusions about the Null Hypothesis (H degrees) being tested; and the two probabilities were found to differ quite significantly. When the same procedures were repeated for the data in another 2 x 2 table (also involving a small sample size) the two tests led to the same conclusion about Ho; and in this latter case, the two probabilities were approximately equal: thus implying good approximate accuracy of the Chi-Square test relative to the Exact Test. To avoid these unantisipated variations of results from the Chi-Square test when it is applied onto 2 x 2 tables involving small sample sizes, Fisher's Exact Test is further recommended as a definitive test, always to be resorted to for fourfold tables involving small sample sizes and independent samples."}
{"id": "PMID:1476960", "title": "Primary post-partum haemorrhage at a university hospital in Nigeria.", "content": "Two hundred and four cases of primary postpartum haemorrhage were compared with the same number of normal post-partum mothers, during a period of two years at a University Hospital in Ilorin, Nigeria. Majority of the women (71%) who suffered from primary post-partum haemorrhage were in the age group 15 to 29 years, and there was no difference in the age distribution between the study and the control groups. Primary post-partum haemorrhage occurred more in the primipara and grand-multipara compared with the control and the differences is statistically significant. Atony of the uterus was the commonest cause of post-partum haemorrhage and this was attributed to mismanagement of labour. Many of the women with post-partum haemorrhage had vaginal delivery but the difference in the mode of delivery between the study and the control groups was statistically significant. Anaemia and hypovolaemic shock were the two commonest avoidable complications and the preventable measures and the need for further investigations of cases of primary post-partum haemorrhage are highlighted."}
{"id": "PMID:1476963", "title": "Antibiotic susceptibility patterns and plasmid profile of Helicobacter isolates from Nigeria.", "content": "Antibiotic susceptibility testing and plasmid screening of 50 local isolates of Campylobacter coli and Campylobacter jejuni were done. All isolates were sensitive to ofloxacin but were resistant to ampicillin, cloxacillin, penicillin, streptomycin and aztreonam. A large number of isolates were sensitive to nalidixic acid (96%), ceftriaxone (96%) and chloramphenicol (86%). It is noteworthy that nine (18%) of the isolates were resistant to each of erythromycin, 15 (30%) were found to harbour plasmid DNA ranging in sizes from 2.0 to 45 megadalton. Resistance to tetracycline in one isolate was associated with the carriage of a 45-megadalton plasmid."}
{"id": "PMID:1476964", "title": "Bacteriological investigation of infected root canals in Benin City, Nigeria.", "content": "Possible viable bacteria were isolated and determined through culture based on paper point inoculation from infected root canals of 50 patients who presented for endodontic therapy at the school of Dentistry, University of Benin Teaching Hospital and Central Hospital, Benin City. Eighty-one strains of bacteria were isolated from 50 patients. The bacterial isolates were Streptococcus species, (51), Klebsiella species (17), E. coll (5), Staphylococcus aureus (3), Micrococcus species (2), Neisseria spp. (2) and Lactobacillus. The isolation of Klebsiella spp from the study is particularly interesting, constituting 21% of all the isolated bacteria. The implications of these findings in root canal infections are presented."}
{"id": "PMID:1476965", "title": "Male breast carcinoma in eastern Nigeria--a 13 year study.", "content": "A 13 year review of carcinoma of the male breast in an African Population is presented. Its incidence, Clinical presentation, diagnosis and modalities of treatment are critically analysed. The literature is reviewed and such topical issues as risk factors, prognostic indices and modern concepts on the possible aetiological mechanisms of development of human breast cancer are discussed. Finally suggestions are offered on possible strategies to improve the bleak survival rate."}
{"id": "PMID:1476966", "title": "Renovascular hypertension in a newborn: necessity of assessing blood pressure routinely.", "content": "A 7-day old neonate presented with heart failure secondary to severe hypertension. The hypertension was discovered on day 9 of life. Control of his hypertension was a difficult problem eventually requiring continuous intravenous sodium nitroprusside therapy, and ultimately a nephrectomy. The nephrectomized specimen revealed renal artery stenosis, renal artery thrombosis and renal vein thrombosis. His eventual outcome was excellent."}
{"id": "PMID:1476967", "title": "Disseminated cutaneous sporotrichosis associated with anergic immuno-suppression due to miliary tuberculosis.", "content": "A 52-years-old policeman suffering from tuberculous meningitis, developed pseudo-umbilicated nodular skin lesions which increased rapidly in size during the course of his illness. Histology revealed cutaneous sporotrichosis. Human immuno-deficiency virus infection was excluded by absence of history of exposure and repeated negative serological test for HIV antibodies. The tuberculin test was also negative. Anti-tuberculous therapy failed to prevent a fatal outcome 3 months after admission to hospital. The possibility that the usually presentation of disseminated cutaneous sporotrichosis was an opportunistic infection facilitated by immuno-deficiency accompanying anergy of miliary tuberculosis is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1476968", "title": "Neurological complication following tetanus toxoid immunization. A case report.", "content": "A 33-year-old Nigeria male developed fever, malaise, headache, muscle weakness and polyneurutis 24 hours after administration of tetanus toxoid. These manifestations however cleared within 72 hours. No other identifiable agents or predisposing factors were identified to explain this phenomenon."}
{"id": "PMID:1476972", "title": "Acquired lacrimal drainage obstruction: an etiologic classification system, case reports, and a review of the literature. Part 1.", "content": "The cause of acquired lacrimal drainage obstruction may be primary or secondary. Primary acquired nasolacrimal duct obstruction results from inflammation of unknown cause that eventually leads to occlusive fibrosis. Secondary acquired lacrimal drainage obstruction, the theme of this report, may result from a wide variety of infectious, inflammatory, neoplastic, traumatic, or mechanical causes. An etiologic classification system for acquired lacrimal drainage obstruction is proposed, and it is illustrated by representative patients from the author's practice and discussed with reference to published reports."}
{"id": "PMID:1476973", "title": "Investigation of automated perimetry in the evaluation of patients for upper lid blepharoplasty.", "content": "We investigated the application of automated perimetry in the evaluation of 17 patients for upper lid blepharoplasty. Visual fields were assessed by a 114 point threshold related screening test of the superior visual field on the Humphrey Allergan Model 640 visual field analyzer. Patients enrolled in the study underwent a complete oculoplastic evaluation prior to and at 4-6 weeks after their procedure. Postoperatively, the visual field as measured by the number of points seen, increased by 26.2% (p < 0.000001). Improvement in visual field results was most dramatic in patients whose margin reflex distance (MRD) was < or = 3.5 mm. This effect was related to excision of redundant eyelid tissue rather than a change in MRD after blepharoplasty. Above this MRD level, blepharoplasty did not significantly improve the patients superior visual field. These results suggest that automated perimetry provides valuable information to document visual field changes for medicolegal and insurance purposes."}
{"id": "PMID:1476969", "title": "On-table lavage in the management of sigmoid volvulus: a review.", "content": "Sigmoid volvulus is a leading cause of bowel obstruction in many parts of Africa. Several aspects of management remain controversial, particularly the operative strategy to be adopted in patients in whom sigmoidoscopy has failed to deflate viable bowel. On-table lavage is especially useful in these circumstances, allowing safe primary resection and anastomosis. This short review summarizes the theoretical and clinical background to such an approach."}
{"id": "PMID:1476974", "title": "Eyelid avulsion: a clinical and experimental study.", "content": "Traumatic eyelid avulsion is reported infrequently. We cared for an 18-year-old man who lost > 75% of his right upper eyelid. The tissue was recovered 10 h following the initial trauma. Successful surgical reimplantation resulted in a functional upper eyelid with extensive madarosis. An experimental study was undertaken to attempt to determine the optimal method for preservation of avulsed eyelid tissue. Experimental surgery was performed to simulate repair of eyelid avulsion. The postoperative changes in experimentally reimplanted eyelids parallel those noted in the clinical example of eyelid avulsion. This clinical example and experimental study suggested the following management principles for handling avulsed eyelid tissue: eyelid tissues should not be immersed in saline; avulsed eyelid tissues should be stored at 4 degrees C; if reimplantation time is < 6 h, storage in a cold moist environment is adequate."}
{"id": "PMID:1476970", "title": "Strategies to contain the spread of AIDS: A review.", "content": "An attempt has been made to review the available strategies to contain the spread of the Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS). Also options for clinical management of AIDS' patients are summarized. Development and production of a suitable vaccine is the ultimate goal in the attempts to stop the spread of AIDS. This however has been hampered by the continuous replication and mutation of the Human Immuno-deficiency Virus (HIV) within the body of an infected person. For now, effective health education is the most realistic method of controlling the spread of AIDS."}
{"id": "PMID:1476975", "title": "Mohs histographic surgery and ophthalmic plastic reconstruction.", "content": "A retrospective analysis of 43 consecutive cases of primary and recurrent basal cell carcinomas is presented. Each patient's tumor was first managed by Mohs histographic surgery followed by opthalmic plastic reconstruction within 24 h. A review of the age distribution and gender of patients included in this study reveals a sizeably younger population and a increased incidence of females as compared to previous studies. The success rate was high and approached the experience of other authors. Invariably the Mohs failures were among those patients that required six to eight sequential layers but failures do occur in primary cases outside the medial canthus."}
{"id": "PMID:1476976", "title": "Venous engorged tissue flaps treated with medicinal leeches.", "content": "We evaluated the ability of leeches to improve the tolerance of pedicle flaps to periods of venous congestion. Axial pedicle flaps were created on 14 rabbit ears; the venous circulation of each flap was compromised with a suture ligature. Medicinal leeches were applied to seven flaps; the other seven flaps were untreated. Tissue viability was assessed by both clinical examination and fluorometric analysis of fluorescein dye delivery. Leech-treated flaps showed poorer reperfusion than untreated flaps. No statistically significant difference was found in comparing the two groups."}
{"id": "PMID:1476977", "title": "Surgical treatment of thyroid-related lower eyelid retraction: a modified approach.", "content": "A 15-year retrospective study was performed in 68 patients who underwent scleral implantation for correction of lower eyelid retraction related to Graves' disease. Three variations of the scleral implantation procedure were used over three time periods. Scleral grafting alone (\"old\" procedure) was performed in 53 patients from 1974 to 1985. Because of persistent lower lid retraction postoperatively, this procedure was modified. Beginning in 1986, a lateral canthal suspension consisting of either a lateral tarsal strip or a lateral tarsorrhaphy was added to the scleral implantation (\"intermediate\" procedure) and was performed in seven patients. Since 1988, the procedure has been further modified to include both a lateral tarsal strip and a lateral tarsorrhaphy (\"new\" procedure). Eight patients underwent this procedure. Analysis with Student's t test indicated a statistically significant reduction in lower lid retraction when using the new procedure, as measured by a reduction in the margin reflex distance-2, the distance from the corneal light reflex to the central lower lid (p = 0.02), and by a reduction in inferior central scleral show, the distance from the central lower lid to the inferior limbus (p = 0.02). An analysis of covariance, controlling for age, Hertel exophthalmometry readings, and length of follow-up, also indicated that the reduction in the postoperative margin reflex distance-2 was significant (p = 0.04)."}
{"id": "PMID:1476978", "title": "Lid splitting with lash resection for cicatricial entropion and trichiasis.", "content": "Lid margin splitting at the gray line with resection of the lash-bearing anterior lamella of the eyelid is a simple and effective treatment for cicatricial entropion and trichiasis. Twenty-six patients underwent this procedure with good results."}
{"id": "PMID:1476979", "title": "Collagen shield contact lens use after eyelid surgery.", "content": "The use of collagen shields to enhance comfort and facilitate recovery after eyelid surgery was studied. Thirty-two patients undergoing various eyelid procedures were studied. In 10 patients, bilateral surgery was performed and the contralateral eye was used as a control. In patients with unilateral surgery, 20 of 22 patients exhibited comfortable postoperative courses, and in patients with bilateral surgery, eight of 10 patients had less conjunctival injection, chemosis, corneal staining, or lid edema on the side with the collagen shield. The only complications occurred with the 72-h lens, which tended to irritate the cornea and have a variable dissolution time."}
{"id": "PMID:1476980", "title": "The use of Q-switched Nd:Yag laser for removal of permanent eyeliner tattoo.", "content": "We present the results of a pilot study of the use of Nd:Yag laser in the removal of permanent eyeliner tattoos. Fourteen eyelids were treated, and in all cases a reduction in pigmentation was achieved although responses were variable. The advantages of such therapy over existing techniques are described. The technique offers a useful reduction of permanent eyeliner pigmentation and is particularly suited to treatment of localized areas of imperfect application or pigment migration."}
{"id": "PMID:1476981", "title": "Acute dacryoadenitis and Crohn's disease: findings and management.", "content": "Concurrent orbital pseudotumor and Crohn's disease, although rare, have been described. To the best of our knowledge, pseudotumor isolated to the lacrimal gland (dacryoadenitis) with concurrent Crohn's disease has never been reported. We present the clinical course and ultrasonographic and radiologic findings of an acute case of isolated bilateral lacrimal gland pseudotumor in a patient with Crohn's disease. The treatment and review of the literature are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1476982", "title": "Oncocytoma of the caruncle.", "content": "Oncocytomas of the ocular adnexa are rare, but when they occur, are most commonly located on the caruncle. Oncocytic carcinomas have been reported but the majority of caruncular oncocytomas are benign. The lesions present as small, cystic, tan-to-red lesions. Histologically, the oncocytes are arranged in an adenomatous pattern. The cells have central nucleoli surrounded by eosinophilic cytoplasm. Electron microscopically, the cytoplasm is filled with mitochondria. As the packing of mitochondria increases, the nucleoli become eccentric and pyknotic, possibly suggesting an end-stage process. A typical clinical case is presented."}
{"id": "PMID:1476983", "title": "Tension pneumoorbitus.", "content": "Posttraumatic tension orbitus developed in a young man causing subconjunctival emphysema and proptosis. Intraocular pressures were monitored as a means of indirectly measuring intraorbital pressure. The patient was serially examined for evidence of compressive optic neuropathy. Because of the possibility of orbital pressure increasing several hours from the time of injury, we recommend monitoring of these patients through intraocular pressure measurement and evaluation of the optic nerve for evidence of compression. Our findings, however, do support previous documentation that the intraocular pressure rise following orbital trauma with orbital emphysema is usually not of sufficient severity or duration to result in visual compromise."}
{"id": "PMID:1476985", "title": "Differential scanning calorimetric studies on bovine serum albumin: III. Effect of sodium dodecyl sulphate.", "content": "Measurements of differential scanning calorimetry (d.s.c.) have been made on the complex bovine serum albumin (BSA)--sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) under various conditions. There are two peaks P1 and P2 in the d.s.c. curve for BSA at pH 7 and in the absence of NaCl, indicating the presence of the heat-induced transition of BSA. There are three peaks P1, P2 and P3 in the curve for the system with the molar mixing ratio SDS/BSA = 1. With the increase in the amount of SDS, the peak P3 grows at the expense of P1 and P2. There is only a single peak P3 in the curve for the systems SDS/BSA > 7, and no peak at SDS/BSA = 50 and 100. There is a single peak P12 in the curve for BSA at pH 7 and in the presence of 0.05 M NaCl, indicating that the heat-induced transition is suppressed. There are two peaks P12 and P3 for the systems SDS/BSA = 1-5; the area ratio of the peak P3 to P12 increases with the increase in the amount of SDS. There is only a single peak P3 when SDS/BSA > 7, and no peak at SDS/BSA = 50. It is concluded that the peak P3 is a product of SDS regardless of the presence or absence of NaCl. Values of thermal denaturation temperature (Td) and enthalpy (delta H) of thermal denaturation indicate that the complex AD12 (A = BSA, D = SDS) is in the most thermostabilized state.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1476986", "title": "Solution conformation of a pectin fragment disaccharide using molecular modelling and nuclear magnetic resonance.", "content": "In the present study, the conformational behaviour of methylated pectic disaccharide 4-O-alpha-D-galactopyranurosyl 1-O-methyl-alpha-D-galactopyranuronic 6,6'-dimethyl diester 1 has been completely characterized through combined n.m.r. and molecular modelling studies. The 1H-1H n.O.e. across the glycosidic bond was measured by both steady-state and transient 1D and 2D experiments. In parallel, the complete conformational analysis of the disaccharide has been achieved with the MM3 molecular mechanics method. The conformation of the pyranose ring is confirmed by the excellent agreement between the experimental and calculated intracyclic scalar coupling constants. The iso-energy contours displayed on the 'relaxed' map indicate an important flexibility about the glycosidic linkage. There is no significant influence of the methoxyl group on the conformational behaviour of the disaccharide. The theoretical n.m.r. data were calculated taking into account all the accessible conformations and using the averaging methods appropriate for slow internal motions. 3JC-H coupling constants were calculated using an equation suitable for C-O-C-H segments. The agreement between experimental and theoretical data is excellent. Within the potential energy surface calculated for the disaccharide, several conformers can be identified. When these conformations are extrapolated to a regular polymer structure, they generate pectins with right- and left-handed chirality along with a two-fold helix. These different types of helical structure are the result of small changes in conformation, without any drastic variation of the fibre repeat."}
{"id": "PMID:1476987", "title": "Biosynthesis of poly(3-hydroxyalkanoate) from amino acids.", "content": "It was found that an optically active copolyester, poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate), denoted as P(3HB-co-3HV), is synthesized by Alcaligenes eutrophus H16 from several amino acids under various fermentation conditions. The optimum condition for the biosynthesis from one amino acid, threonine, was investigated and its biosynthetic pathway was discussed on the basis of the relation between the fermentation condition and the co-monomer composition of the produced polyesters."}
{"id": "PMID:1476988", "title": "Unfolding and refolding of hen egg-white riboflavin binding protein.", "content": "The unfolding and refolding of riboflavin-binding protein (RfBP) from hen egg-white induced by addition of guanidinium chloride (GdnHCl), and its subsequent removal by dialysis have been studied by c.d. and fluorescence for both the native and reduced protein. The reduction of its nine disulphide bonds causes a reduction in the secondary structure (alpha-helix plus beta-sheet) from 63% to 33% of the amino acid residues. Unfolding of the native protein occurred in two phases; the first involving a substantial loss of tertiary structure, followed by a second phase involving loss of secondary structure at higher GdnHCl concentrations. By contrast this biphasic behaviour was not discernible in the reduced protein. The loss of ability to bind riboflavin occurred after the first phase of unfolding. Comparison of unfolding of the holoprotein and apoprotein suggested that riboflavin has only a small stabilizing effect on the unfolding process. After removal of GdnHCl, the holoprotein, apoprotein and reduced protein assumed their original conformation. The significance of the results in relation to various models for protein folding is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1476989", "title": "A peptide from Tetrahymena disrupts subunit organization of E. coli RNA polymerase.", "content": "Incubation of the E. coli RNA polymerase with a polypeptide factor from the protozoan Tetrahymena reduces the affinity of the holoenzyme for DNA. SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the peptide-treated RNA polymerase showed that the band pattern of the polymerase subunits was strongly altered. The three large subunits, beta', beta and sigma, disappear and a high number of rapidly migrating bands appeared. However, a brief heat treatment of the samples almost restored the original RNA polymerase subunit composition, and in addition a high molecular weight protein band approximately 240 kDa appeared. It is suggested that the Tetrahymena peptide specifically binds to the RNA polymerase and changes the structures of the large subunits."}
{"id": "PMID:1476990", "title": "Susceptibilities of bacterial cellulose containing N-acetylglucosamine residues for cellulolytic and chitinolytic enzymes.", "content": "Detailed characterization of enzyme susceptibility of bacterial cellulose containing N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) residues (N-AcGBC) which possess high susceptibility for cellulase and lysozyme and slight susceptibility for chitinase was studied. Turbidimetric lysozyme assay of N-AcGBC showed that (i) the susceptibilities of various N-AcGBCs for lysozyme were proportional to GlcNAc content, and (ii) N-AcGBC homogenates were divided into two groups based on the rate of turbidity reduction (not dependent on GlcNAc content). High reactivity of N-AcGBC for lysozyme would arise from fine microfibrils characteristic of bacterial cellulose (BC) and random distribution of GlcNAc residues in N-AcGBC because water soluble oligomers of N-AcGBC produced by lysozymic hydrolysis did not inhibit lysozyme activity; however, the random distribution of GlcNAc seemed to result in the slight susceptibility of N-AcGBC for chitinase. The rate of cellulolytic turbidity reduction of N-AcGBC was slower than that of BC, which arose from the inhibition for binding of cellulase by GlcNAc residues."}
{"id": "PMID:1476991", "title": "Pharmacophoric pattern matching in files of three-dimensional chemical structures: use of bounded distance matrices for the representation and searching of conformationally flexible molecules.", "content": "This paper discusses the use of bounded distance matrices for the representation of conformationally flexible three-dimensional (3D) molecules. It is shown that pharmacophoric pattern searches of databases of flexible 3D molecules represented in this way can be carried out using screen and geometric searching algorithms that are analogous to those used for searching databases of rigid 3D structures. Molecules matching a query pattern after the geometric search must then undergo a final conformational search to determine whether they can, in fact, adopt a conformation that matches the query. An analysis of this three-stage searching procedure shows that searching databases of flexible 3D molecules is extremely demanding of computational resources."}
{"id": "PMID:1476992", "title": "Searching for geometric molecular shape complementarity using bidimensional surface profiles.", "content": "The study presented herein is a bidimensional approach to the complementarity of two molecular surfaces. From two chosen sections we have established a methodology of generating the optimal matching of two shapes. Our approach consists in describing two molecular surface sections by a shape vector (the angular profile), in finding their matching patterns by comparison of the two profiles, and in optimizing the relative locations of the two sections in two-dimensional space, using rotations and translations defined by geometric characteristics. The set of optimal configurations are successively displayed on a screen. Satisfying results have been obtained for the matching of the complex kallikreine A-trypsin pancreatic bovin 2. This efficient method could be used as a preprocessing for a tridimensional shape complementarity approach between two molecular surfaces."}
{"id": "PMID:1476993", "title": "KEY, LOCK, and LOCKSMITH: complementary hydropathic map predictions of drug structure from a known receptor-receptor structure from known drugs.", "content": "Three new routines (LOCK, KEY and LOCKSMITH) for the program HINT (hydrophobic interactions) are described and demonstrated. The KEY routine uses receptor structure to model the hydropathic profile of the ideal substrate for the receptor. The LOCK routine uses substrate or drug structure to model the hydropathic character of the receptor. LOCKSMITH is an algorithm designed to highlight the significant hydropathic features from a collection of agents. Ten allosteric modifiers of hemoglobin that have been characterized biologically and with X-ray diffraction to determine their protein binding sites/conformations illustrate the KEY and LOCKSMITH routines: The LOCKSMITH composite map correctly identifies the structural features and conformation of the more active modifiers. In addition, many hydropathic features of the \"ideal\" drug predicted by the KEY map overlap with actual structural features of the most active hemoglobin allosteric modifiers."}
{"id": "PMID:1476994", "title": "Photorealistic image generation of molecular structure on PC screen using the ray-tracing technique.", "content": "A PC version of three-dimensional molecular graphics package has been developed to run under MS-DOS environment on IBM PC-compatible computers equipped with a VGA graphics board. The program consists of two parts: a menu-driven interactive system module in EGA mode, and a ray-tracing module in VGA mode. In the 256-color VGA mode, ray-tracing images are represented with a 4-color map, with 64 levels for each color: 32 levels of illuminance and 32 levels of saturation. Molecular structure can be analyzed along various directions with various light sources. Ray-tracing images are also represented in a 16-color EGA mode with the half-toning method, which can display 76 gray levels for each color. To obtain good photo-realistic images in an efficient way, we have used two light sources, with an intensity ratio of 7:3, which are located in front of the top right and bottom left corners of the screen."}
{"id": "PMID:1476995", "title": "An easily fixed error in the Nyburg algorithm for discovering the best fit between molecules.", "content": "The extremely popular Nyburg algorithm for discovering the best fit between two molecules or fragments has an error that can give a false best fit under some circumstances. This error is described, and a simple fix is provided. The original Nyburg program (BMFIT) is compared to Sippl's program of 1991."}
{"id": "PMID:1476996", "title": "POCKET: a computer graphics method for identifying and displaying protein cavities and their surrounding amino acids.", "content": "A new interactive graphics program is described that provides a quick and simple procedure for identifying, displaying, and manipulating the indentations, cavities, or holes in a known protein structure. These regions are defined as, e.g., the xo, yo, zo values at which a test sphere of radius r can be placed without touching the centers of any protein atoms, subject to the condition that there is some x < xo and some x > xo where the sphere does touch the protein atoms. The surfaces of these pockets are modeled using a modification of the marching cubes algorithm. This modification provides identification of each closed surface so that by \"clicking\" on any line of the surface, the entire surface can be selected. The surface can be displayed either as a line grid or as a solid surface. After the desired \"pocket\" has been selected, the amino acid residues and atoms that surround this pocket can be selected and displayed. The protein database that is input can have more than one protein \"segment,\" allowing identification of the pockets at the interface between proteins. The use of the program is illustrated with several specific examples. The program is written in C and requires Silicon Graphics graphics routines."}
{"id": "PMID:1476997", "title": "Molecular illustration in black and white.", "content": "Two-dimensional image processing techniques are used to create black and white illustrations from conventional z-buffer images. The illustrations appear to be composed of lines--outlines, contour lines, and hatched shading--but are calculated as grey-scale raster images. They have the advantage of faithful reproduction in publication and ease of display on workstations and laser printers. A FORTRAN source code is provided."}
{"id": "PMID:1476998", "title": "MOL3D--a modular and interactive program for molecular modeling and conformational analysis: II. Extended modules.", "content": "The new release of MOL3D, a molecular modeling program written in FORTRAN, contains not only enhanced graphic capabilities, but also an improved module for intermolecular calculations that allows rigid and flexible docking. Various interfaces have been added to some well-known and widely diffused programs, such as MM2, AMBER and MOPAC, and to the Cambridge Crystallographic Database. Finally a graph manager and a samples database have been added, which allow efficient searches with various requirements concerning structural templates, pharmacophoric three-dimensional (3D) constraints, and the field of biological activity, if any."}
{"id": "PMID:1476999", "title": "SQUID: a program for the analysis and display of data from crystallography and molecular dynamics.", "content": "SQUID is a flexible computer program that allows the analysis and display of molecular coordinates from crystallography, NMR, and molecular dynamics. The program can also display two-dimensional and three-dimensional data using many graph types, as well as perform array processing of data with numerous intrinsic functions. Graphics are based on the use of \"move\" and \"draw\" instructions, allowing easy development of new device drivers, including vector plotters."}
{"id": "PMID:1477000", "title": "Using a RIBBON program to illustrate lipid bilayer packing.", "content": "We describe the use of the Priestle RIBBON program suite for the illustration of lipid bilayer packing. The hydrocarbon chains of lecithin-like molecules are representable by beta-sheet arrows. The lateral packing, packing across the bilayer midline and any twisting, bowing, or curling of the polymethylene chain are readily detectable."}
{"id": "PMID:1477001", "title": "A unique structural feature of a phospholipase A2 is probed by molecular dynamics.", "content": "The unusual catalytic network, revealed by the crystal structure of one of the two phospholipases A2 (PLA2) from the venom of the crotalid A.p.piscivorus has been probed using molecular dynamics. The catalytic network has been remodeled to a conformation similar to that found in all other PLA2, and the modeled structure has been submitted to energy minimization and molecular dynamics simulation, to explore the conformational space of the network. The calculations have yielded a large reorganization of the catalytic network, which gets a conformation close to that of the crystal structure. These results suggest that the unusual catalytic network observed in the studied PLA2 is a structural feature of the protein and not a crystal artifact."}
{"id": "PMID:1477002", "title": "The usage of pregnancy tests in one health district.", "content": "To investigate the total number of pregnancy tests performed and the proportion that are repeated in one health district. To relate these results to the number of conceptions. Collection of data related to the numbers of pregnancy tests performed from all sources. Surveys of women booking for antenatal care or undergoing nonroutine obstetric ultrasound examination. One health district in the south of England. About five pregnancy tests were performed for each proven pregnancy. Nearly two-thirds of tests were purchased over the counter, the remainder being carried out by hospital laboratories and pregnancy advisory services. Very few women had their pregnancy diagnosed on clinical grounds alone and a small number of ultrasound examinations were apparently performed in lieu of chemical tests. Repeated testing was more likely in primiparous women (P < 0.005). Chemical pregnancy tests appear to be trusted more than clinical examination for the diagnosis of pregnancy by women and doctors. When there is no medical urgency, women who want formal confirmation of pregnancy should be advised that home testing kits will provide the quickest results."}
{"id": "PMID:1477003", "title": "Induction of abortion with mifepristone and misoprostol in early pregnancy.", "content": "To investigate the clinical efficacy of the combination of mifepristone and an orally active prostaglandin, misoprostol, for early medical termination. Women with amenorrhoea < or = 56 days were given 200 mg mifepristone. 48 h later, 600 micrograms misoprostol was given orally. Medical Termination Unit, Simpson Memorial Maternity Pavilion, Edinburgh. 100 women requesting medical termination of pregnancy. Evacuation of uterus for incomplete abortion or on-going pregnancies. One woman had an incomplete abortion prior to administration of misoprostol. 92 (93%) out of 99 women had complete abortion following administration of misoprostol. There were three on-going pregnancies (3.0%, 95% confidence limits (CL) 0.6-8.6) and four incomplete abortions with this regimen (4.0%, 95% CL 1.1-10.0). 24% women vomited and 7% had diarrhoea following administration of misoprostol. 62% did not require any analgesia. The combination of misoprostol with mifepristone is inexpensive, simple, effective, noninvasive and an acceptable alternative to current regimens for medical termination."}
{"id": "PMID:1477004", "title": "A prospective, randomised, cross-over study comparing the effects of clomiphene citrate and cyclofenil on endometrial morphology in the luteal phase of normal, fertile women.", "content": "To examine the effect of two anti-oestrogens, clomiphene citrate and cyclofenil, on endometrial morphology in the luteal phase. A prospective, randomised, cross-over study. Jessop Hospital for Women, Sheffield, UK. 10 women who were previously fertile and regularly cycling. The administration of clomiphene citrate or cyclofenil in the treatment cycles. A LH timed endometrial biopsy was taken on day LH + 6. Histological dating and morphometric analysis of the endometrial sample. Only one out of 10 subjects had abnormal endometrium. There was no difference in the results between cycles treated with clomiphene citrate and cyclofenil. Clomiphene citrate or cyclofenil does not have a major adverse effect on endometrial morphology in the luteal phase of normal fertile subjects. The possible adverse effects of anti-oestrogens on endometrium may have been previously overestimated."}
{"id": "PMID:1477013", "title": "The relation between bone mineral density and early pregnancy loss.", "content": "To determine if women who suffer from early pregnancy loss are at increased risk of osteoporosis later in life. Part of a community screening project for bone mineral density (BMD). 392 women aged 50-54 who had had from 0 to 6 miscarriages out of 0 to 8 term pregnancies. BMD measured using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry at both the lumbar spine and the proximal femur. The mean BMD in nulligravid women was not significantly different from those whose only pregnancies ended in early loss. There was no significant correlation between the BMD at either the lumbar spine or the proximal femur and the number of miscarriages (r = 0.03 and 0.01, respectively). The BMD of the lumbar spine and femoral neck were not affected by parity (P = 0.08 and P = 0.87, respectively). The risk of osteoporosis was not influenced by parity or the number of previous miscarriages."}
{"id": "PMID:1477014", "title": "Episiotomy and perineal lesions in spontaneous vaginal deliveries.", "content": "To evaluate the influence of mediolateral episiotomy on the perineal state after spontaneous, singleton vaginal deliveries with fetus in the occiput anterior position. The study was a population based, observational study. Two approaches were used in the analyses. Initially, we considered the parturients as quasi-randomised to one of three equally sized groups of midwives with different attitudes towards episiotomy. Secondly, we studied the effect of episiotomy on the state of the anal sphincter, controlling for birthweight, parity, and duration of second stage of labour. 2188 pregnant women delivering consecutively. Perineal lacerations and tear of the anal sphincter. Women allocated to the group of midwives with the lowest rate of episiotomy were more likely to have intact perineum after delivery (OR = 1.8 (1.4-2.2)), had a slight tendency towards more perineal lacerations (OR = 1.3 (1.0-1.5)), but no increase risk of having tear of the anal sphincter, compared with the women allocated to the two groups of midwives with higher frequencies of episiotomy. The second approach showed that episiotomy was related to an increased risk of tear of the anal sphincter (OR = 2.3 (1.2-4.6)). However, this relation was not found among the group of parturients delivered by the midwives with the lowest rate of episiotomy (22%). Our results encourage a conservative approach to the use of mediolateral episiotomy, and in the light of previous findings, it seems reasonable to suggest that episiotomy should ideally be used in about one in five spontaneous vaginal deliveries."}
{"id": "PMID:1477015", "title": "A comparison of perinatal outcome, antenatal and intrapartum care between England and Wales, and France.", "content": "To compare the national statistics of England and Wales with the national statistics of France, and see if there are significant differences in obstetric care resulting in a significantly different perinatal outcome. Retrospective analysis of national statistics 1970-1989 (latest available figures) relating to perinatal outcome, antenatal and intrapartum care. HIPE and DoH statistics (England and Wales); INSERM statistics (France). Pregnant women residents of England and Wales, and of France. Different aspects of obstetric care for which comparable data were available from national statistics. Perinatal mortality rate, incidence of low birth weight and preterm delivery; type of antenatal care, number of antenatal visits and in-patient admission rate; induction of labour rate, incidence of acceleration of labour with oxytocin, incidence of spontaneous and operative deliveries and person undertaking delivery; episiotomy rate and postnatal in-patient stay. More antenatal intervention and marginally less intrapartum intervention in England and Wales as compared with France. No significant difference in the perinatal mortality rate, in the incidence of low birth weight or preterm delivery, with similar trends being observed over the two decades. Significant differences in obstetric practices between the two countries without a major difference in perinatal outcome."}
{"id": "PMID:1477016", "title": "Perinatal outcome of pregnancies complicated by vaginal bleeding.", "content": "To examine the effect of first and/or second trimester vaginal bleeding on pregnancy outcome. A prospective one-year birth cohort. Two northernmost administrative districts of Finland. 8718 singleton pregnancies, of whom 807 (9.3%) reported bleeding during the first (601) and/or second trimester (206); light bleeding in 595 cases and heavy bleeding in 212. The remaining 7911 women served as a reference group. Low birth weight rate (LBW), preterm birth rate, congenital malformations and perinatal mortality rate. Bleeding was most frequent in women of more advanced age (> or = 35 years old), with previous miscarriages, with infertility problems or using an IUCD prior to the pregnancy. Parity, smoking and social status were not associated with bleeding. Caesarean section rate and placental complications during the third trimester and at delivery were more common among the bleeders than in the reference group. The LBW rate was three-fold among the bleeders and the preterm birth rate two-fold. The risk (OR) of a LBW infant among second trimester bleeders was 4.1 (95% CI 2.6-6.4), that of preterm birth 2.9 (95% CI 1.9-4.6), and that of congenital malformations 2.9 (95% CI 1.7-4.7). No association existed between bleeding and perinatal mortality. Bleeding during the second trimester indicates a poor pregnancy outcome and an increased risk of LBW, and preterm birth and/or congenital malformation."}
{"id": "PMID:1477017", "title": "A randomised placebo controlled trial of labetalol in the treatment of mild to moderate pregnancy induced hypertension.", "content": "To determine the need for, and efficacy of, treatment with labetalol in women with mild-to-moderate pregnancy induced hypertension (PIH). Prospective double-blind randomised placebo controlled study. Maternity units of five hospitals in the Trent Region. 144 women (86 primigravid) who developed PIH after 20 weeks gestation. Treatment with oral labetalol up to 600 mg daily or placebo with subsequent care of treatment failures in accordance with the attending obstetrician's practice. Number of days spent as an antenatal inpatient; the development of proteinuria; the perceived need for induction of labour or elective caesarean section; and gestation age at delivery. Labetalol significantly lowered the blood pressure and reduced the incidence of proteinuria. However, neither the number of days spent as an antenatal inpatient, nor the perceived need for induction of delivery or elective caesarean section, nor the gestation age at delivery differed significantly between the two treatment groups. Post-randomisation consideration of early (< or = 32 weeks) and late (> 32 weeks) onset groups showed the placebo treated early-onset group (n = 15) to have more patients with severe hypertension (> 150/110 mmHg) and a greater requirement for additional antihypertensive therapy prior to labour than the group treated with labetalol (n = 16). Anti-hypertensive intervention therapy in pregnancy induced hypertension has been examined using a placebo controlled randomised double-blind trial of labetalol in pregnancy. The maximum blood pressure prior to labour and the incidence of proteinuria was reduced in women on active therapy. However, the length of gestation was not significantly prolonged and indices of clinical outcome were not significantly altered. The appropriateness of pharmacological therapy for late-onset PIH may be questioned."}
{"id": "PMID:1477018", "title": "Early teenage pregnancies in Hull.", "content": "To determine the pattern, obstetric outcome and factors that predispose to pregnancies in young teenagers in Hull. Retrospective study of case records of pregnancies from 1977 to 1988 in girls aged 16 years or less and in a control group of nulliparous women aged 20-24 years. Hull health district hospitals. 1,660 pregnant teenagers and 3,576 nulliparas aged 20-24 years. Ages at pregnancy, number of pregnancies per year, gestational age at booking and delivery, antenatal complications, mode of delivery, utilization of contraceptives and some social factors. Of the 1,660 pregnancies in the young adolescents, 59-6% were terminations. The youngest girl was 11. The average annual incidence of early teenage pregnancies was 10.5 per 1,000 girls aged 10-16 compared to 6.4 per 1,000 in England and Wales. Physical characteristics and pattern of antenatal care were similar in the study and control groups. Anaemia was 2.53 times as common in teenagers (95% CI 2.19-2.9; P < 0.0001) while hypertension alone was 1.7 times as frequent (95% CI 1.28-2.4; P = 0.002). Pre-eclampsia and proteinuric disorders were similar in the two groups. Apart from prolonged pregnancy, which was significantly less common in the index group, other gestational ages at delivery and birthweights were the same in both groups. The caesarean section rate in the index group was 0.56 times that in the control group (95% CI 0.4-0.75; P < 0.0001) but forceps deliveries were 2.37 times as common in the index group (95% CI 1.80-3.12; P < 0.0001). The uncorrected perinatal mortality rates were 13.6/1000 and 15.7/1000 in the index and control groups respectively. Early teenage pregnancies are common in Hull and, contrary to previous reports, are physically well tolerated by the early adolescents who book early and attend antenatal clinics regularly. Ineffective utilization and ignorance of contraceptive methods are contributory factors. We recommend that emphasis should be placed on providing contraceptive services for teenagers and adopting a more purposeful and holistic approach to sex education."}
{"id": "PMID:1477019", "title": "Erythropoietin levels in amniotic fluid and extraembryonic coelomic fluid in the first trimester of pregnancy.", "content": "The aim was to measure erythropoietin levels in amniotic fluid and extraembryonic coelomic fluid from 7-12 weeks' gestation. Twenty healthy women with ultrasonographically normal first trimester pregnancies prior to surgical termination. Paired samples of amniotic fluid and extraembryonic coelomic fluid were collected by transvaginal ultrasound guided needling. Erythropoietin was measured in both pregnancy fluids using a radioimmunoassay. There was a highly significant difference between erythropoietin levels in extraembryonic coelomic fluid (median level 15.45 mU/ml; range 6.8-32.1 mU/ml) and those in amniotic fluid (median 5.0 mU/ml; range < 5.0-5.8 mU/ml) (P < 0.0001; Mann-Whitney U-test). The levels of erythropoietin in maternal serum (median 15.4 mU/ml; range 5.6-29.4 mU/ml) were similar to those in the extra-embryonic coelom (P = 0.81; Mann-Whitney U-test). No relation was demonstrated between erythropoietin levels in amniotic fluid or coelomic fluid and stage of gestation. High levels of erythropoietin in coelomic fluid suggests that the hormone is involved in the process of human extraembryonic erythropoiesis. The exact regulatory role remains unknown."}
{"id": "PMID:1477020", "title": "Pulsatile umbilical venous flow and its clinical significance.", "content": "To determine the prevalence and significance of pulsatile waveforms from the umbilical vein. A tertiary referral clinic for high risk pregnancies. 209 fetuses from 24-41 weeks gestation. The presence of pulsatile waveforms in the umbilical vein and the pregnancy outcome. 9/209 fetuses demonstrated pulsatile waveforms and seven had severe growth retardation or congenital anomalies of the heart. Pulsatile flow and abnormalities of the inferior vena cava waveforms were observed in these seven but not in the two infants who were born at term. Double pulsations are described for the first time. Examination of the umbilical venous waveform for pulsatile flow is a useful test as it indicates the presence of asphyxial cardiomyopathy or congenital heart lesions."}
{"id": "PMID:1477021", "title": "Serum prolactin concentration in normal and small for gestational age fetuses.", "content": "To study fetal and maternal serum prolactin concentrations in appropriately-grown (AGA) fetuses and in small for gestational age (SGA) fetuses. A cross-sectional study of 27 AGA and 27 SGA fetuses undergoing cordocentesis for prenatal diagnosis or for determination of fetal karyotype and acid-base balance. Serum prolactin concentration was measured by radioimmunoassay. Harris Birthright Research Centre for Fetal Medicine. In the AGA group, both fetal and maternal serum prolactin concentration increased significantly with gestation (P < 0.001 and P < 0.01, respectively). In the SGA group, the fetal concentration of prolactin was significantly higher (P < 0.05), but the maternal serum prolactin concentration was not different from that of the AGA group. The finding of prolactin in the fetal circulation suggests that the anterior lobe of the pituitary is functioning from at least 12 weeks gestation. The increased serum prolactin concentration in SGA fetuses may be the consequence of hypoglycemic stress on the pituitary or the relative immaturity of the inhibitory hypothalamic-pituitary pathways."}
{"id": "PMID:1477022", "title": "Alpha thalassaemia hydrops fetalis in the UK: the importance of screening pregnant women of Chinese, other South East Asian and Mediterranean extraction for alpha thalassaemia trait.", "content": "Alpha zero (alpha 0 or alpha-1) thalassaemia is an important genetic risk for women originating from Hong Kong, Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines or South China. Cypriots are also at risk. Carriers of alpha zero thalassaemia trait can be detected by routine haemoglobinopathy screening. When a couple are both carriers, in each pregnancy there is a 25% risk that the fetus will have alpha thalassaemia hydrops fetalis; this is fatal for the fetus and carries serious obstetric and psychological risks for the mother. Most informed couples at risk request prenatal diagnosis and selective abortion. This study investigates the effectiveness of screening, counselling and prenatal diagnosis for alpha thalassaemia hydrops fetalis in the UK. Retrospective analysis of the notes. 18 couples attending University College Hospital London for prenatal diagnosis of alpha thalassaemia hydrops fetalis since 1982. The study shows underdiagnosis of both alpha zero thalassaemia trait and alpha thalassaemia hydrops fetalis leading to avoidable stillbirths and complications in pregnancy. We recommend early screening for alpha zero thalassaemia trait for all women of Southeast Asian or eastern Mediterranean origin and the offer of prenatal diagnosis when indicated. The diagnosis of alpha thalassaemia hydrops fetalis should be considered in women of the relevant ethnic origin who have a stillbirth, neonatal death, abnormal ultrasound findings at fetal anomaly scanning (especially a large placenta), or who develop pre-eclampsia."}
{"id": "PMID:1477023", "title": "Histological incomplete excision of CIN after large loop excision of the transformation zone (LLETZ) merits careful follow up, not retreatment.", "content": "To quantify and analyse the influence of a histological report of incomplete excision of CIN after LLETZ on frequency of detection of residual CIN. Review of a computerised database of sequential women treated by LLETZ. Initial follow-up was three months post-treatment. The Colposcopy Clinic, Regional Department of Gynaecological Oncology, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, UK. 721 women with CIN diagnosed histologically on LLETZ specimens. In spite of a first time treatment success rate of 95% at 3 months, only 56% of the women were reported to have complete histological excision of CIN. A report suggesting incomplete excision was more likely with more severe CIN, extensive lesions and involvement of the endocervical canal. Furthermore, 21% with residual CIN had apparent complete excision of CIN at LLETZ. A histological report of incomplete excision of CIN at LLETZ does not equate with residual disease. The high treatment success rate of LLETZ means that a report of incomplete excision should stimulate close colposcopic and cytologic follow-up to identify the small number of women with residual CIN after therapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1477024", "title": "A longitudinal study of pelvic inflammatory disease.", "content": "To study the microbiology and long term prognosis of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). A prospective study of women with laparoscopically confirmed PID. Teaching hospital in central London. 23 women with PID. Microbiological investigations at the time of diagnosis and at follow up; subsequent fertility and the occurrence of pelvic pain. PID diagnosed by laparoscopy was regarded as moderate to severe in 15 cases. Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Chlamydia trachomatis, Mycoplasma hominis and Ureaplasma urealyticum or a combination of these micro-organisms were detected most frequently in the cervix, less often in the endometrium and least in the tubes, C. trachomatis being the micro-organism found most commonly in the tubes. There was serological evidence of acute chlamydial infection in 13 of 20 cases in which paired sera were available and a serological response to M. hominis in 9 of 12 cases in which it was possible to evaluate the results. On the basis of microbiological and serological results, C. trachomatis appeared to be the most important aetiological agent in 10 cases, N. gonorrhoeae in four cases, M. hominis in three cases and U. urealyticum in none; in five cases, two of these micro-organisms appeared to be of equal importance. After 1 to 3 years, 33% of the women were having difficulty conceiving and 56% continued to complain of pelvic pain. It is difficult to be certain of the infectious cause of PID in any given case. However, the evidence that N. gonorrhoeae and C. trachomatis are pathogens is very strong. M. hominis may be responsible for a few cases on its own or together with other micro-organisms."}
{"id": "PMID:1477025", "title": "Distribution of prostaglandin E2 in gastric and duodenal mucosa: possible role in the pathogenesis of peptic ulcer.", "content": "Prostaglandin E which is present abundantly in the gastric mucosa is a powerful inhibitor of gastric acid secretion and a stimulus to gastric mucus production. In addition, prostaglandin E2 inhibits ulcer formation in animals, and the synthetic analogues of prostaglandin E have successfully been used in the treatment of patients with gastric and duodenal ulcer disease. To evaluate the role of endogenous prostaglandin E2 in the pathogenesis of the peptic ulcer disease, we measured mucosal prostaglandin E2 levels in patients with gastric and duodenal ulcer disease and compared with that of non-ulcer control persons. The study population was made up of 44 non-ulcer persons, 36 patients with a benign gastric ulcer, and 48 with a duodenal ulcer. Every mucosal specimen, taken from the antrum and from the duodenal bulb, were homogenized, mixed with 1 M HCl, and centrifuged. After removal of the supernatant, precipitate was eluted with ethyl acetate in the Amprep C18 minicolumn. Then the extracted prostaglandin E2 in the ethyl acetate fractions was converted into its methyl oximate derivatives, and the prostaglandin E2 level was measured by radioimmunoassay. During the procedure any homogenized specimen which was looking grossly bloody was removed from the assay in order to avoid any possible contamination or prostaglandin E2 in blood. In non-ulcer persons, the mean values was 258.17 +/- 127.03 pg/mg. tissue in antrum and 121.07 +/- 67.46 pg/mg. tissue in duodenal bulb. The corresponding values were 186.42 +/- 70.51 pg/mg. tissue, 79.44 +/- 39.04 pg/mg. tissue in gastric ulcer patients and 204. 94 92.03 pg/mg. tissue, 99.66 +/- 56.10 pg/mgl. tissue in duodenal ulcer patients respectively. Gastric ulcer patients have the significantly lower level of the antral and duodenal prostaglandin E2 (p < 0.005). Those levels of duodenal ulcer patients were also significantly lower than those of non-ulcer persons (p < 0.025 & 0.05). Antral prostaglandin E2 level increased to 305.21 +/- 104.91 pg/mg. tissue in the gastric ulcer patients (p < 0.005) and to 271.02 +/- 93. 23 pg/mg. tissue in the duodenal ulcer (p < 0.005) when the ulcer crater was healed. The duodenal bulb prostaglandin E2 level was also increased in the healed stage of ulcer, e. g., 128.84 +/- 57.62 (p < 0.005) and 112.60 +/- 42.25 pg/mg. tissue, respectively. These results suggest that prostaglandin deficiency in the antral and duodenal bulb mucosa may have an important role in the pathogenesis of peptic ulcer disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1477026", "title": "Biliary proteins in patients with and without gallstones.", "content": "Nucleation from supersaturated bile of calcium salts of cholesterol and bilirubinate is essential in the formation of gallstone. Nucleation requires gallbladder mucin and its main component, glycoprotein, may contribute to gallstone formation by providing a nidus or matrix for precipitation of lipid components. However, biliary protein patterns of patients with gallstones have not been completely explored. We have tried to extract, isolate and characterize the proteins in patients with gallstones and without gallstones. 21 bile samples were obtained from patients with different types of gallstones and with no stones at cholecystectomy. Biliary protein concentrations were measured by Lowry and Bensadoun methods, and individual glycoproteins from each of the patients were compared by silver staining and densimetric quantification of Sodium Dodesyl Sulfate Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis. 1) Among 16 gallstones, 5 were cholesterol stones, 5 were calcium bilirubinate stones, and 6 were black pigment stones. 2) The mean protein concentration was highest in bile with cholesterol stones (47.6 mg/ml), 24.2 mg% in bile without gallstones, and 15.9 mg/ml in brown pigment stones. 3) Cholesterol gallstones were found to have 14.2 KD glycoproteins, whereas pigment stones were found to have 66 KD glycoproteins. Gallbladder proteins from both cholesterol and pigment stones play an important role in the nucleation and growth of calcium salt crystals."}
{"id": "PMID:1477027", "title": "Extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy of primary intrahepatic stones.", "content": "Extracorporeal shockwave lithothripsy (ESWL) was performed in intrahepatic stone patients (n = 18) by Dornier MPL 9,000 with ultrasound guidance. The patients had T-tube (n = 9) or percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage tube (n = 9). Average treatment session was four and shock-wave numbers were in the range of 3,064 to 12,000 (average 6,288 shocks). Intrahepatic stones were removed completely in 16 patients over a 3 month period by ESWL and combined stone extraction maneuver such as cholangioscopic or interventional radiologic method. Extracorporeal shockwave lithothripsy was very helpful in facilitating extraction of stones in unfavorable locations or located above the severe stricture. In summary, extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy, followed by percutaneous stone extraction, will provide an improvement in the success rate and duration of treatment required for complete removal of primary hepatolithiasis."}
{"id": "PMID:1477028", "title": "Production of interleukin-2 (IL-2) and expression of IL-2 receptor in patients with IgA nephropathy.", "content": "IL-2 production has been measured in several disease including type I diabetes mellitus, systemic lupus erythematosus, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome and active pulmonary sarcoidosis and its pathogenetic role was suggested. In IgA nephropathy, altered T cell subsets were reported to be associated with increased synthesis of IgA. The altered IL-2 production and the expression of IL-2 receptor might be involved in the pathogenesis of IgA nephropathy. To investigate the role of T cell mediated immunity in the pathogenesis of IgA nephropathy, the immune parameters such as T cell subsets, NK cell activity, interleukin-2 (IL-2) production and IL-2 receptor expression on peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were measured before and/or after phytohemagglutinin (PHA) stimulation in 15 patients with IgA nephropathy. Age and sex matched 15 healthy controls and the correlations between the IL-2 production and immune parameters were evaluated. The mean percentages of T helper/inducer cells (CD4), T suppressor/cytotoxic cells (CD8) and the CD4/CD8 ratio of the patients were not different from those of controls and the proportions of CD8 CD11b cell in the patients (21.0 +/- 3.6%) were significantly lower than those in controls (30.5 +/- 5.3%) (p < 0.005). The production of IL-2 by fresh PBMC of both patients and controls was in undetectable ranges. The production of IL-2 by PHA stimulated PBMC of patients was significantly higher than that of controls (140.03 +/- 43.2 U/ml vs 106.5 +/- 42.1 U/ml, p < 0.05). The proportions of lymphocytes expressing the IL-2 receptor (CD25) before the stimulation with PHA in patients were 1.22 +/- 1.00 percent and were not different from those in controls (1.12 +/- 0.78 percent). The correlations between the production of IL-2 and the concentrations of serum IgA, the degrees of histologic alterations and the proportions of CD8 and CD8CD11b cells were not significant. There was a weak tendency of a positive correlation (p < 0.1) between the production of IL-2 and the proportions of CD4 cells, and the CD4/CD8 ratio showed a significant correlation with the production of IL-2 (p < 0.05). After PHA stimulation, the mean percentages of lymphocytes expressing the IL-2 receptors in patients were increased to 47.6 +/- 8.9 percents which is higher than those (40.4 +/- 9.9%) in controls (p < 0.05). The NK cell activity of the patients was higher than that of controls (75.6 +/- 19.6% vs 56.1 +/- 16.2%, p < 0.005), and was well correlated with the production of IL-2 by PBMC (r = 0.89, p < 0.05). It seemed that patients with IgA nephropathy have an 'latent' cellular immunoregulatory dysfunction that becomes apparent on the stimulation of extrinsic antigens or mitogens."}
{"id": "PMID:1477029", "title": "Heterogeneous changes of serum potassium levels in NIDDM patients on oral glucose load.", "content": "Ten noninsulin dependent diabetic patients (NIDDM) without baseline hyperkalemia and with normal aldosterone levels when given 100 g of glucose orally revealed heterogeneous responses in serum potassium changes. Six diabetics had paradoxical increases in serum potassium levels averaged 0.44 mEq/L (range, 0.1 to 1.1 mEq/L) and were accompanied by increases in plasma aldosterone levels. On the contrary, four other noninsulin dependent diabetics and four nondiabetic control subjects had gradual decreases in serum potassium levels with simultaneous decreases in plasma aldosterone levels. These rises and falls in serum potassium concentrations coincided with changes in serum osmolality related mostly to the degree of increases in serum glucose following oral glucose administration. pH of venous blood didn't show any relevant and significant changes with changes of serum potassium levels following oral glucose load. This finding suggests that osmotic mechanisms with various degree of well known abnormal insulin secretion and resistance to insulin action in target tissues in NIDDM patients may account for these heterogeneous responses in serum potassium changes after glucose load, and normal aldosterone levels may not be sufficient to prevent glucose induced increases in serum potassium in NIDDM patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1477030", "title": "Computed tomographic correlation with pituitary function in Sheehan's syndrome.", "content": "Twenty six patients with Sheehan's syndrome were studied with high-resolution computed tomography (CT) and the sequential pituitary stimulation test in order to correlate the CT findings of the sella turcica with the pituitary reserve functions. CT revealed 21 completely empty sella (CES), 4 partially empty sella (PES) and 1 normal sella. Panhypopituitarism occurred in 1 of 4 patients with PES and 20 of 21 with CES. One patient showing normal sella had a normal preservation of prolactin (PRL), thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and lutenizing hormone (LH). In all patients with PES and CES, growth hormone (GH) responses to hypoglycemia and PRL responses to thyrotropin releasing hormone (TRH) were blunted. Three (75.0%) with PES had normal basal cortisol levels, which were more frequent than two (9.6%) with CES; however, most of the PES (3 of 4) and CES (20 of 21) demonstrated blunted cortisol responses to hypoglycemia. Three (75.0%) with PES and only one (4.8%) with CES had normal thyroxine levels and TSH responses to TRH. None with PES showed decreased basal and stimulated levels of FSH and LH, whereas 15 of 21 with CES did. The pituitary functions of the patients having considerable amounts of pituitary remnants visualized by CT were relatively preserved for TSH, cortisol, FSH and LH. Considering the above results, changes in the amounts of pituitary remnants detected by CT might correlate with hormonal secretory capacity."}
{"id": "PMID:1477031", "title": "The effect of Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus allergens on proliferation and CD23 antigen expression of peripheral blood lymphocytes from atopic patients.", "content": "The low affinity IgE receptor (Fc epsilon RII/CD23) has been proposed to be involved in the regulation of IgE synthesis. The present study was undertaken to investigate the responses to in vitro stimulation by allergen (Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus; D.p) and/or interleukin-4 (IL-4) of peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs) isolated from atopic and non-atopic subjects. IL-4 induced up to 5 fold increase in CD23 expression on PBLs from both atopic patients and normal controls, whereas the D.p extract increased CD23 expression on cells from 7 of 8 atopic donors and from 2 of 8 normal controls. The combination of IL-4 and allergen had an additive effect of CD23 expression. PBLs from 6 of 8 atopic patients but 1 of 8 normal controls showed significant proliferative responses to D.p extract whereas IL-4 did not induce any cell proliferation. The dose of D.p extract required for the maximal CD23 expression was 20 fold higher than that for cell proliferation. These results imply that allergen stimulation, presumably through proliferating allergen specific T cells which secrete IL-4, activates B cells from most atopic donors and a few non-atopic donors resulting in increased CD23 expression. This allergen-mediated CD23 expression may play an important role in specific IgE production."}
{"id": "PMID:1477032", "title": "Percutaneous mitral valvuloplasty in a mid-term pregnant woman with severe rheumatic mitral stenosis.", "content": "A 28-year-old woman with severe mitral stenosis underwent percutaneous mitral valvuloplasty at 26 weeks' gestation. Balloon dilation using a double 18-18 mm balloon resulted in improvement in mean mitral pressure gradient (32 to 8 mmHg) and in calculated mitral valve area (0.9 to 2.4 cm2) without complications and any evidence of fetal distress during procedures with an estimated radiation exposure to the fetus of 0.13 rem. This procedure resulted in the disappearance of symptoms of congestive heart failure and allowed for normal full term spontaneous delivery of a 3.51 Kg boy without any complication."}
{"id": "PMID:1477033", "title": "Diastolic mitral regurgitation in intact mitral valve detected by color Doppler echocardiography in a patient with acute aortic regurgitation.", "content": "A 38-year-old man was admitted with coingestive heart failure due to infective endocarditis. Echocardiography with color Doppler imaging revealed severe aortic regurgitation, mitral valve premature closure and diastolic mitral regurgitation. The flow of the diastolic mitral regurgitation was directed to the posterior wall of the left atrium through just behind the posterior mitral leaflet. The diastolic mitral regurgitation was observed only in the period of late diastole and no mitral regurgitation could be detected in the systolic phase. After successful aortic valve replacement, the diastolic mitral regurgitation disappeared completely."}
{"id": "PMID:1477034", "title": "Nosocomial Legionnaire's disease--a case report and review of the literature.", "content": "We report a case of nosocomial legionellosis in a 63 year-old man who was managed with neurosurgery under the diagnosis of subarachnoidal hemorrhage and complicated pneumonia in the intensive care unit. A legionella species was reported from sputum culture and direct immunofluorescent antibody test revealed L. pneumophila (serogroup 2). Our patient's pneumonia was cured with medical therapy including erythromycin and was the first case of microbiologically confirmed legionellosis in Korea."}
{"id": "PMID:1477036", "title": "Myopia following penetrating keratoplasty for keratoconus.", "content": "The frequent occurrence of spherical myopia after penetrating keratoplasty for keratoconus is partly the result of the excessive dioptric power of the grafted cornea which occurs when the diameter selected for the donor button is greater than the diameter of the host incision. This excessive power could be reduced by eliminating disparity between the diameters of the graft and host. To determine what proportion of the myopia in these eyes would persist as a result of axial myopia the axial lengths of 60 patients grafted for keratoconus and 25 emmetropic controls were compared. A keratometry, objective refraction, and contact probe ultrasonic biometry were performed on all eyes. A comparison of the results with a representational schematic eye indicated that the mean spherical refractive error of the grafted keratoconic eyes (-4.83 dioptres) was the combined effect of steepness of the corneal graft (mean radius of curvature 7.46 mm) and an abnormally great axial length (mean 24.84 mm). The increased axial length was mainly the result of elongation of the posterior segment of the globe with a small contribution from an increased anterior chamber depth. Though axial myopia is common in keratoconus, a further study of 70 keratoconic eyes that had not been grafted showed no statistically significant correlation between the posterior segment length and the severity of corneal ectasia. These data suggest that even if excessive corneal power is eliminated after penetrating keratoplasty for keratoconus the associated axial myopia would still produce a mean spherical refractive error of at least -2.8 dioptres."}
{"id": "PMID:1477037", "title": "Deep lamellar keratoplasty on air with lyophilised tissue.", "content": "Deep lamellar keratoplasty on air involves injecting air into the corneal stroma to expand it to several times its normal thickness. This method is designed to facilitate dissection of the deep stroma and reduce the risk of perforation of Descemet's membrane when carrying out deep lamellar keratoplasty. We have modified the technique by using prelathed freeze-dried donor tissue and report our results in a series of patients with corneal stromal scarring owing to a variety of corneal problems, namely, keratoconus, pterygium, and herpes zoster ophthalmicus. All patients achieved best corrected postoperative visual acuity of 6/12 or better without problems associated with graft failure or rejection. Histopathological examination of corneal tissue following air injection showed surgical emphysema within the cornea and separation of deep stromal fibres from the underlying Descemet's membrane."}
{"id": "PMID:1477038", "title": "Prognostic importance of ophthalmic manifestations in childhood leukaemia.", "content": "In order to assess the systemic prognosis of children with leukaemic ocular involvement, 63 of 131 patients admitted to hospital with acute leukaemia were evaluated ophthalmically. A total of 28 of 63 showed ophthalmic involvement and were followed up for up to 84 months. Twenty seven of 28 patients (96.4%) died within 28 months after the onset of ocular involvement and within 83 months after the onset of leukaemia. The 5 year survival rate of patients with ophthalmic manifestations was 21.4% (6/28). This survival rate was significantly lower than that of those who lacked ophthalmic manifestations (16/35: 45.7%, p < 0.05). All of the patients with ophthalmic manifestations had either bone marrow relapse or central nervous system leukaemia. The prognosis was related to risk factors such as central nervous system leukaemia or bone marrow relapse in most cases."}
{"id": "PMID:1477039", "title": "Ultrasound morphology of carotid lesions in retinal ischaemia.", "content": "The extracranial carotid arteries of 165 patients with retinal ischaemic symptoms were examined with duplex ultrasound. Both the degree of stenosis and the morphological appearance of the lesions were examined. Ipsilateral carotid artery disease was found in 88% of patients. Degrees of stenosis of between 50-99% were found in 33% of patients, the majority of these lesions being complex heterogeneous in nature. Stenosis of < 50% was found in 40% of arteries. The majority of lesions causing < 20% stenosis were homogeneous in nature. However, in stenosis of 20-49%, 63% of lesions were found to be complex heterogeneous. A similar distribution of lesions was found in the contralateral carotid arteries. It is important to examine both ipsilateral and contralateral arteries, and to evaluate the morphological characteristics of all lesions causing > 20% stenosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1477040", "title": "Amaurosis fugax in young people.", "content": "Nine young adults (median age 19.5 years) who suffered from amaurosis fugax (AF) are described. The attacks of AF were short in duration and preceded by premonitory symptoms in five cases and by a migrainous headache in two. In five patients the visual loss progressed in a lacunar pattern unlike the 'curtain' pattern characteristic of AF in older patients. Investigation revealed no evidence of an embolic or atheromatous aetiology. In two cases a minor abnormality was found on echocardiography. We conclude that AF in young adults has a different clinical pattern and may have a different aetiology, possibly migrainous, compared with that seen in older patients. The pattern of visual loss in some of the cases suggests that the choroidal circulation rather than the retinal circulation is primarily affected."}
{"id": "PMID:1477041", "title": "Endoscopic visualisation of the human nasolacrimal system: an experimental study.", "content": "Orthograde and retrograde endoscopy of the upper and lower nasolacrimal system was performed using two prototype ultrathin (0.5 mm and 1.1 mm diameter) fibrescopes on four cadaver heads. Appearances were verified by subsequent dissection. The procedure, which we term 'dacryocystoscopy' is described. With modifications this technique may have clinical applications in the treatment of nasolacrimal disorders."}
{"id": "PMID:1477042", "title": "Copper levels in human mixed, nuclear brunescence, and posterior subcapsular cataract.", "content": "The study was undertaken to determine the copper content in different human cataractous lenses. The level of copper increased with increasing age in nuclear brunescence and mixed cataractous lens and a low amount of copper was observed in the posterior subcapsular cataractous lens with increasing age. Cataractous lenses of females have greater amounts of copper compared with males."}
{"id": "PMID:1477043", "title": "A new local anesthesia technique for cataract extraction by one quadrant sub-Tenon's infiltration.", "content": "A new technique of local anesthetic administration has been used for 50 patients undergoing cataract extraction. The simple technique involves direct transconjunctival infiltration of local anaesthetic directly to the sub-Tenon's space, in the inferior-nasal quadrant, using a blunt 19-gauge Southampton cannula. This method seeks to avoid the risks of retrobulbar haemorrhage, perforation of the globe, damage to the optic nerve, and injection into the subarachnoid space, whilst providing prolonged and reliable anaesthesia. Akinesia is achieved by the inferior-nasal placement of solution and if not sufficient, a top-up can easily be given. Patients graded any discomfort or pain using a 10 cm visual analogue graphical pain score chart with numerical and descriptive rating scale. The delivery of 50:50 mixture of lignocaine 2% and bupivacaine 0.5% anaesthetic was evaluated by patients with a median response of 'slight discomfort'. The operative procedure was graded with a median of 'no pain or discomfort', both for extracapsular cataract extraction and phakoemulsification. This is a new, modified, sub-Tenon technique which is simple, reliable, and which offers excellent anaesthesia and akinesia and avoids a sharp instrument being passed into the orbit."}
{"id": "PMID:1477044", "title": "One stage adjustable sutures: practical aspects.", "content": "Strabismus surgery using one stage adjustable sutures was carried out under local anaesthesia in six patients with good results. The criteria for patient selection and the surgical technique are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1477045", "title": "A photometric study of the effect of pupil dilatation on Nd:YAG laser iridotomy area.", "content": "A photometric study of the effect of pupil dilatation on Nd:YAG laser iridotomy area was performed in 21 eyes of 21 patients. The iridotomy area was 0.075 (0.055) mm-2 (mean (SD)) before pupil dilatation and 0.073 (0.070) mm-2 after pupil dilatation (t test NS). Iridotomy area after pupil dilatation correlated with iridotomy area before pupil dilatation (r = 0.815, p < 0.01) but did not significantly correlate with measures of iridotomy shape or position, or with changed iris area following pupil dilatation. Two iridotomies became reduced to less than 20% of their initial area following pupil dilatation. Our findings suggest that the only effective method of avoiding development of unacceptably small iridotomy area after pupil dilatation is to create a sufficiently large iridotomy at the time of initial laser surgery."}
{"id": "PMID:1477047", "title": "A case of amniotic band syndrome with bilateral epibulbar choristoma.", "content": "An autopsy case of amniotic band syndrome with bilateral epibulbar choristoma is described. The left eye reveals a complex choristoma and the right eye a dermis-like choristoma. Both choristomatous lesions included lenticular tissue suggesting that rupture of the amnion, which is the initial event of amniotic band syndrome, might have occurred at about the fourth week of gestation. Since the other systemic manifestations of amniotic band syndrome are considered to be compression deformities of the fetus caused by oligohydramnios or amniotic band, the occurrence of epibulbar choristomas in both eyes in this case suggests that a compression mechanism may play a role in the pathogenesis of epibulbar choristoma."}
{"id": "PMID:1477048", "title": "Periocular migration of an intraocular lens.", "content": "A woman presented with a painful eye 6 weeks after cataract extraction and intraocular lens implantation. In the past she had had a sector iridectomy for iris bomb\u00e9 caused by chronic anterior uveitis. On examination the three central corneal sutures were absent, whilst the medial and lateral sutures had broken and were protruding from the section. The eye was quiet and the section intact. Combined clinical and ultrasound examination failed to locate the intraocular lens. Four months postoperatively, while being fitted for contact lenses for the correction of aphakia, the intraocular lens appeared from the superior fornix."}
{"id": "PMID:1477049", "title": "Colour Doppler ultrasound in the management of a case of cranial arteritis.", "content": "Colour Doppler ultrasound allows simultaneous B scan and Doppler imaging and can be employed to determine the velocity of blood flow in the vasculature of the eye and orbit. We describe a case of cranial arteritis (giant cell arteritis) in which serial velocimetry recordings were obtained. At one stage in the disease process no blood flow was detectable in the orbit despite previously reliable recordings. This coincided with a deterioration of the clinical state of the patient as signified by recurrent anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy despite controlled symptomatology and erythrocyte sedimentation rate by prednisolone therapy. Subsequent increase in the immunosuppressive therapy was accompanied by a return of blood flow in the orbit. Colour Doppler ultrasound may prove to be a useful examination technique in the diagnosis and management of cranial arteritis."}
{"id": "PMID:1477050", "title": "Complicated extracapsular cataract surgery in pseudoexfoliation syndrome: a case report.", "content": "Crystalline lens dislocation and zonular dialysis during intraocular surgery are recognised features of the pseudoexfoliation syndrome (PES). A case is reported in which zonular dialysis occurred in both eyes during extracapsular cataract extraction. In particular surgery was complicated by difficulty in performing anterior capsulotomy. Careful preoperative assessment and peroperative technique may help to reduce the risk of surgical complication in PES."}
{"id": "PMID:1477051", "title": "Nocardia choroidal abscess.", "content": "Nocardia is a Gram positive, aerobic, filamentous branching micro-organism that rarely causes human infection. When infection does occur it usually takes the form of a subcutaneous abscess or a pneumonia-like illness. We describe a case of a patient with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia who developed painless loss of vision in the right eye secondary to a choroidal abscess after a prolonged course of treatment on several immunosuppressive agents. The patient also complained of right shoulder pain that was unresponsive to conventional therapy, and had been admitted and treated for several episodes of 'pneumonia'. A diagnostic transvitreal fine-needle aspiration biopsy of the ocular lesion was performed which demonstrated Nocardia asteroides. This allowed for appropriate antibiotic therapy to be instituted early in the course of the infection and prompted the systemic work-up which also demonstrated central nervous system and arthropic nocardial infection."}
{"id": "PMID:1477052", "title": "Eye movement tics.", "content": "An 8-year-old girl presented with opsoclonus-like eye movement and an 18 month history of intermittent facial tics. Investigations were all normal. Electro-oculography showed the eye movements to be of variable amplitude (10-40 degrees), with no intersaccadic interval, and with a frequency of 3-4 Hz. Saccades, smooth pursuit, optokinetic, and vestibular reflexes were all normal. These abnormal eye movements eventually disappeared. It is thought that they were a form of ocular tics."}
{"id": "PMID:1477053", "title": "Primary uveal B immunoblastic lymphoma in a patient with AIDS.", "content": "A case of primary intraocular malignant lymphoma without cerebral involvement is reported in a 30-year-old man with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. The study of the enucleation specimen showed a B immunoblastic lymphoma with a CD30 positive anaplastic large cell component. There was no involvement of the adnexal structures of the orbit. The patient subsequently completed non-surgical staging showing no extension of the tumour. The clinical course was rapidly fatal with dissemination to the pericardium and pleura."}
{"id": "PMID:1477056", "title": "The physiology and pathology of the esophagus.", "content": "The esophagus and trachea derive from the foregut during the 4th week of development and is constructed as a part of the gut: longitudinal and circular muscle bundles are connected to a functional system together with collagen and elastic fibers. The action of the cricopharyngeal \"pinch-cock\" is pronounced in the newborn. In the region of the upper orifice ganglion cells are absent and venous vessels are oriented in a longitudinal direction. The myoelastic fiber system is in the lower part of the esophagus arranged as a stretching system, and the esophagus becomes longer and narrower by traction. The blood vessels derive from the thyroid arteries, the aorta, the bronchial arteries, the left gastric artery and the left inferior phrenic artery. Poor zones of vascularity are in the middle of the ventral and dorsal plane."}
{"id": "PMID:1477057", "title": "Diaphragmatic hernia in infancy and childhood--20 years experience.", "content": "Congenital diaphragmatic hernia through the foramen of Bochdalek usually presents with severe respiratory symptoms soon after birth. Despite successful repair of the defect the mortality rate still remains high. This may be due to co-existing pulmonary hypoplasia with pulmonary hypertension and concomitant right-to-left shunting. In order to find factors that predispose for good or bad outcome as well as to compare different modalities of treatment being used at our hospital, this twenty-year retrospective study was undertaken. It is confirmed that the extent of pulmonary hypoplasia at birth rather than the promptness of surgical repair and the skill of intensive care appears to be the major mortality factor. Initial experiences from extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) are promising."}
{"id": "PMID:1477058", "title": "Nissen fundoplication for gastro-esophageal reflux in repaired tracheo-esophageal fistula.", "content": "One hundred and fifty three patients had repair of tracheo-oesophageal fistula in a 15 year period of observation. Of these 55 had associated gastro-oesophageal reflux and of these 12 (8%) underwent a Nissen fundoplication. All patients manifested significant failure to thrive but weight-gain was documented in all patients following their fundoplication. Twenty five percent of patients demonstrated recurrent reflux in this study and emphasises the difficulty of treating gastro-oesophageal reflux in repaired tracheo-oesophageal fistula patients. Careful selection is important."}
{"id": "PMID:1477059", "title": "Laparoscopic surgery in children and adolescents with suspected appendicitis: results of medical technology assessment.", "content": "Laparoscopy has been performed in 43 patients aged up to 18 years with suspected appendicitis; 20 were children 8-15 years and 23 adolescents 16-18 years of age. Diagnostic laparoscopy was successful in 36 (84%) patients; in 7 (16%) subsequent laparotomy was necessary to establish the diagnosis, in 4 (9%) because the appendix was not visualized. Laparoscopic appendectomy was done in 33 (77%) patients, additional laparoscopic adhesiolysis in four and inversion of a diverticulum in one. Changing to laparotomy during the laparoscopic operation was necessary in one patient because of a technical problem and in another because of bleeding of the appendicular artery. Laparoscopy was totally free of complications in 33 (77%) patients; another 9 (21%) had surgical or technical problems without negative outcome for the patient. In one (2%) patient a wound infection led to a negative outcome; there were no other laparoscopy-related events. The mean intensity of pain on the first day after laparoscopic appendectomy was 31 points (Visual Analogue Scale with 100 points) and decreased to nearly zero on the third day; 37% of patients needed opioids on the first and none on the third day. There was no statistical difference for pain intensity and consumption of analgesics after appendectomy via laparoscopy versus laparotomy. We conclude that diagnostic and therapeutic laparoscopy in children and adolescents with suspected appendicitis is a safe and effective procedure."}
{"id": "PMID:1477060", "title": "Isolated bowel injury in blunt abdominal trauma in childhood.", "content": "From a total of 734 children with a blunt abdominal trauma admitted to the hospital in the past 15 years, 21 patients (3%) sustained an isolated injury of the bowel (8 duodenal, 9 jejunal and 4 colon ruptures). All patients were laparotomized without a postoperative mortality. Accompanying abdominal injuries were seen only in duodenal ruptures (pancreatitis and one choledochal and pancreatic ruptures). In 85% the blunt violence was caused by bicycle accidents due to the handle bar, in one case by a car accident and in 3 children by falls. Accurate diagnosis was only possible regarding the history, the mechanism of the accident and an exact repeated clinical examination. Despite further investigations of blood chemistry laboratory findings, ultrasound and x-ray, no further confirmation of the diagnosis could be achieved. Complications, occurring in 14% of our patients, were not related to the trauma itself, but caused by a delayed diagnosis and therapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1477061", "title": "The significance of multiple trauma in children.", "content": "Accident-related injuries, mainly traffic-connected, are the most serious threat to health and most-frequent cause of death in the pediatric age group. Usually these are multi-system injuries. While the total number of accidents has decreased over the last 20 years, traffic accidents have become more serious. Conventional prognostic scores are not applicable in children with multiple injuries because of their essential pathophysiologic differences with adults. The Pediatric Trauma Score closes this gap. It is simple to use and provides high reliability."}
{"id": "PMID:1477062", "title": "Treatment of ruptures of the symphysis and iliosacral joint in pediatric patients.", "content": "The three osseous parts of the human pelvis form a continuous structure because of the symphysis and both iliosacral joints that-owing to their mobility-make possible a shock-absorption of vertical forces. The goal in the treatment of ruptures of the symphysis and/or of the sacroiliac joints is the restoration of functioning joints. Especially in the adolescent, a stiffening of these joints has to be avoided. Therefore, we treat ruptures of the pelvic joints with an overbridging banding that preserves the function of shock absorption. Due to utilisation of a banding, made up of polydioxanone, another operation to remove internal fixation material is not necessary. Rupture of the symphysis or iliosacral joint in the pediatric patient is very rare. Only three among the 67 patients whom we operated on because of a rupture of the symphysis or iliosacral joints between 1984 and 1990 were children. These were an eleven-year-old girl and a nine-year-old boy, who had suffered a rupture of the symphysis, and an eight-year-old boy with a disrupted iliosacral joint. In these children a banding with PDS suture was performed. At a follow-up examination, the children were free from pain and did not feel restricted in their daily routine or their physical activities."}
{"id": "PMID:1477063", "title": "Elective testicular biopsy at the end of maintenance treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia. A prospective study.", "content": "Open testicular wedge biopsy has electively been performed prior to completion of maintenance therapy for acute lymphoblastic leukemia. 25 boys during 6 years were included in this prospective study. Three boys developed testicular enlargement while on maintenance therapy and biopsies confirmed testicular leukemia. The remaining 22 boys were biopsied at termination of maintenance therapy. Occult testicular relapse was revealed on histologic examination in only one boy with normal testicular size. During the follow-up period, one boy developed overt testicular relapse two months after negative biopsy. These results will not justify electively performed routine biopsy prior to termination of chemotherapy. Instead, careful and minute clinical examination of the testicles, estimating their size and consistence, should be performed regularly at short intervals."}
{"id": "PMID:1477065", "title": "Incomplete bilateral transverse facial cleft--a previously unreported associated defect of the Kallmann's syndrome.", "content": "In 1944 Kallmann et al described sex-linked inheritance of hypogonadotropic hypogonadism with anosmia and noted the co-occurrence cleft lip, cleft palate and cranio-facial asymmetry. Since then, other clinical cases associated with various skeletal, ophthalmic, urogenital, cardiovascular and central nervous system disorders have been reported. This article presents the case of a 17-year-old girl with a bilateral incomplete facial cleft in association with the Kallmann's syndrome, a previously unreported connection. We describe the plastic surgical reconstruction of the bilateral incomplete facial cleft. The mechanism of this embryopathologic association of the Kallmann's syndrome is, we suggest, due to a developmental disturbance in the region of the median forebrain organizer and associated structures, possibly in connection with a pleiotropic genetic mechanism."}
{"id": "PMID:1477066", "title": "Echocardiographic proof of pulmonary hypertension with irreversible increased resistance in the pulmonary circulation as a complication after placement of a ventriculo-atrial shunt for internal hydrocephalus.", "content": "Increased resistance in the pulmonary vessels in children with ventriculo-atrial shunts is a rare and often unrecognized permanent complication. We report 2 children in whom this diagnosis was detected by two-dimensional echocardiography. The first patient received a ventriculo-atrial shunt at age 9 days for congenital internal hydrocephalus. At 17 months it had to be replaced because of infection of the efferent catheter limb. At 22 months at a routine follow-up the echocardiographic diagnosis of pulmonary hypertension was made. Invasive studies confirmed the presence of irreversible increased resistance in the pulmonary circulation. The second patient received a ventriculo-atrial shunt at age 13 months because of a cerebral cyst. After repeated catheter infections, at 28 months a ventriculo-peritoneal shunt was placed. At age 4 years the diagnosis of pulmonary hypertension was made by routine echocardiography. This finding was confirmed by invasive studies. The left pulmonary artery was completely occluded. Both patients had developed microemboli, caused or aggravated by catheter sepsis, in the second case probably through contiguous clot growth up to complete occlusion of the left pulmonary artery. Therapeutic measures seemed not to be indicated. Two-dimensional echocardiography proved to be a reliable method for diagnosing increased resistance and pulmonary hypertension. We recommend routine echocardiography for follow-up in all children with ventriculo-atrial shunts."}
{"id": "PMID:1477067", "title": "Chronic organoaxial malrotation of the stomach in childhood.", "content": "During a six-month period five patients presented to The Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children between the ages of three weeks and three years with recurrent vomiting and failure to thrive. All were diagnosed as having organoaxial malrotation of the stomach by barium meal examination. Symptoms were refractory to conservative management but combined gastropexy and fundoplication was successful in all cases."}
{"id": "PMID:1477068", "title": "Continuous arteriovenous hemofiltration (CAVH) in a premature newborn as treatment of overhydration and hyperkalemia due to sepsis.", "content": "If renal replacement therapy is required in the neonatal period, peritoneal dialysis is generally applied. In some cases, for example after extensive abdominal surgery, peritoneal dialysis is not possible. Continuous arteriovenous hemofiltration may then be an attractive alternative. The present paper describes the positive results in a 1265 g premature baby."}
{"id": "PMID:1477070", "title": "Malignant melanoma in a three-year-old child.", "content": "Malignant melanoma is an uncommon tumor in childhood. We report on a case occurring in a 3-year-old child with congenital multiple melanocytic nevi."}
{"id": "PMID:1477071", "title": "Cystic degeneration in non-ossifying fibroma.", "content": "Two unusual cases of non-ossifying fibromas in boys of 4 years with partial cystic degeneration are presented. The osseous cavities did not respond to corticosteroids."}
{"id": "PMID:1477072", "title": "Report on a case of Hutchinson-Gilford progeria, with special reference to orthopedic problems.", "content": "Hutchinson-Gilford progeria is a very rare syndrome of premature aging and often features many orthopedic abnormalities. This is a case report on a young boy suffering from progeria. His orthopedic history included bilateral talus deformities of the feet, bilateral dislocated hips, pes planus, a fractured femur (which healed without complications), aseptic necrosis in the left nuclear head of the femur, bilateral fixed hip flexion deformities, bone dysplasia, osteoporosis and osteolysis."}
{"id": "PMID:1477073", "title": "Improving responses in hepatomas with circadian-patterned hepatic artery infusions of recombinant interleukin-2.", "content": "Previous studies on continuous hepatic artery infusions of recombinant interleukin-2 (IL-2) have shown that in a nontumor-bearing animal a continuous infusion given in a circadian \"day cycled\" pattern was much less toxic and could be given with 10 times higher doses of IL-2 than if the constant pattern of infusion was used. In the present study, circadian-patterned continuous hepatic artery infusions of IL-2 were used in hepatoma-bearing rats. Doses of 10 mg/m2/day could be tolerated when IL-2 was given in a \"day cycle\" rhythm. Control animals were given 1 mg/m2/day of constant infusion IL-2, which was the highest hepatic artery infusion dose tolerated at a constant rate without mortality in nontumor-bearing animals. Animals treated with the constant infusions of IL-2 had a 37.5% mortality rate and a 25% objective response rate in measurable tumor size. Animals receiving the \"day cycle\" had no mortality and a 100% objective response rate. The conclusion was that \"day cycled\" circadian-patterned continuous hepatic artery infusions of IL-2 could be given with much lower toxicity and much improved tumor response rates than constant continuous infusions."}
{"id": "PMID:1477074", "title": "Interleukin-6 increases carcinoembryonic antigen and histocompatibility leukocyte antigen expression on the surface of human colorectal carcinoma cells.", "content": "Human colorectal carcinoma cells that were treated in vitro with interleukin-6 (IL-6) expressed increased levels of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and normal histocompatibility leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I on their cell surface. The IL-6 mediated increase of CEA expression on the surface of a moderately differentiated colon carcinoma cell line (WiDr) was time- and dose-dependent. A 5-day treatment of the WiDr cells with 100 U IL-6/ml increased the percentage of cells that expressed CEA from 29 to > 80% and enhanced the level of HLA class I expression. The increase in CEA expression as a result of IL-6 treatment was also observed using SDS-PAGE/Western blot analyses, and subsequent Northern blot analyses revealed concomitant increases in CEA-related mRNA transcripts. A comparison of the increases in CEA expression after IL-6, interferon-beta, and interferon-gamma on a nanomolar basis revealed that IL-6 was more potent than either of the interferons. Of 11 different human colorectal tumor cell lines that were treated with IL-6, CEA and/or HLA class I expression were increased in five. Thus, IL-6 can act directly on human colon carcinoma cells and selectively increase the expression of CEA and HLA class I antigens, which may provide some insight into the mechanisms involved in the ability of IL-6 to suppress in vivo tumor growth."}
{"id": "PMID:1477075", "title": "Induction of circulating phospholipase A2 activity by intravenous infusion of endotoxin in patients with neoplasia.", "content": "The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of repeated intravenous infusions of endotoxin (EN) in patients with cancer on the systemic release of extracellular proinflammatory phospholipase A2 (PLA2) and its relationship to the release of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and interleukin-6 (IL-6). Six patients received 15 infusion of EN isolated from Salmonella abortus equi at a dose of 4 ng/kg. Marked increase in the activity of circulating PLA2 was noted within 3 h after the first EN infusion and reached a maximal level of 20.4-fold greater than baseline 24 h after infusion. In five patients challenged with EN 2 weeks later, PLA2 reached peak levels 15.5-fold greater than baseline. In two patients who received three sequential daily infusions, the incremental increase in PLA2 activity after the second and third challenge reached maximum levels 6 h after EN infusion. PLA2 response followed those of TNF and IL-6 but was quantitatively different. Whereas maximal levels of TNF and IL-6 declined substantially after repeat EN challenges, no such decline occurred in PLA2 activity. Since, in the clinical setting of gram-negative sepsis, there is recurrent increase in circulating EN, our study approximates this clinical situation and shows that extracellular release of PLA2 follows temporally that of proximal cytokines such as TNF and IL-6. These cytokines may be related to PLA2 release and sustained high activity in the systemic circulation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1477076", "title": "Cytokine induction and therapeutic synergy with interleukin-2 against murine renal and colon cancers by xanthenone-4-acetic acid derivatives.", "content": "Derivatives of xanthenone-4-acetic acid (XAA) have been found to have similar activity to flavone-8-acetic acid against transplantable solid tumors. Some of these compounds were compared to flavone acetic acid (FAA) in their ability to induce cytokines as well as to mediate antitumor effects against murine renal cancer (Renca) and a mouse colon cancer (MCA-38). 5-Methyl-XAA and 5-chloro-XAA proved to be more potent than FAA on a mg/kg basis for induction of the genes for IFN alpha, IFN gamma, and TNF alpha, and for IFN and TNF activities in the sera of treated mice. These effects were sharply dose dependent. On the other hand, 7-methyl-XAA, which has no antitumor activity, did not induce these genes. In addition, 5-methyl-XAA and 5-chloro-XAA but not 7-methyl-XAA synergized with recombinant human interleukin-2 (rhIL-2) for the treatment of Renca and MCA-38. Doses of the active derivatives that failed to induce cytokines also exhibited no therapeutic synergy with rhIL-2. These results suggest that at least some of the antitumor effects of these XAA derivatives are related to their ability to induce cytokines."}
{"id": "PMID:1477077", "title": "A pilot study of the combination of interleukin-2-based immunotherapy and radiation therapy.", "content": "A clinical trial was undertaken to evaluate the feasibility of combining radiation therapy and immunotherapy. Twenty-eight patients with metastatic cancer were treated with rapid fractionation radiation up to 2,000 cGy, followed within 24 h by a course of interleukin 2 (IL-2) at 720,000 IU/kg or tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and IL-2 at 720,000 IU/kg. All patients tolerated treatment without any apparent increase in toxicity referable to the irradiation. Four patients had significant shrinkage of tumor at the irradiated site. Only two patients showed significant tumor shrinkage both inside and outside of the irradiated field. While rapid fractionation radiation can be safely administered in combination with immunotherapy, we observed no apparent synergy in antitumor effect in this small number of patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1477078", "title": "Sequential chemotherapy and immunotherapy for the treatment of metastatic melanoma.", "content": "Interferon (IFN) has numerous biological properties, and more recently a new role for interferon has emerged, as a modulator of cytotoxic chemotherapeutic agents. This is based upon preclinical data that demonstrate additive and/or synergistic effects of IFN with a number of anticancer drugs including cisplatin against human cancer cell lines. Therefore, we evaluated the outpatient use of recombinant alpha 2a-interferon, 3-15 MU/m2 given on 3 consecutive days, subcutaneously, followed by intravenously administered cisplatin, 25-60 mg/m2, every 21 days. In this phase I clinical study, 23 patients with advanced malignant melanoma were treated. Dose-limiting toxicities included decline in performance status, fatigue, and anorexia. No synergistic or unpredictable toxicities were seen. Of the 20 patients who completed two cycles of therapy, there were three partial responses, for an overall response rate of 15%. Interestingly, responses occurred at the intermediate dose levels."}
{"id": "PMID:1477079", "title": "Repetitive weekly cycles of 4-day continuous infusion of recombinant interleukin-2: a phase I study.", "content": "A phase I trial was performed with a new interleukin-2 (IL-2) given as a continuous intravenous infusion in patients with solid tumors. The objectives of the study were to examine the feasibility of administering IL-2 in 4-day cycles for 4 consecutive weeks, and to investigate the response pattern of peripheral blood lymphocytes. Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and IL-2 serum concentrations were also measured. Prior to this study, IL-2 had been tested at increasing dosages during one 4-day cycle, and it appeared that a dose of 1300 mcg/m2/day was tolerated. However, when this treatment schedule was maintained for 4 consecutive weeks, the maximum tolerated dose was 430 mcg/m2/day. In this schedule, a dose-dependent progressive increase in rebound lymphocyte count occurred after each weekly cycle, resulting in a 5-70-fold increase after the 4th cycle. Serum TNF peak concentrations also showed a tendency to increase during each subsequent cycle, while serum IL-2 peak concentrations showed a paradoxical decrease. Clinical toxicity comprised several events, which, possibly, could be ascribed to autoimmune phenomena. Myocardial infarction as a late toxicity of IL-2 is suggested. One complete response (renal carcinoma) and two partial responses (renal and breast carcinoma) were documented, one of these occurring in a patient who previously had shown a transient response on interferon therapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1477080", "title": "[Pathology of the placenta. XII. Tumors of the umbilical cord and placenta].", "content": "Benign and malignant tumours of the umbilical cord and placenta are the topics covered in Part XII of this general account under the above heading. Angiomas, angiofibromas and teratomas, all of them of rare occurrence, are the benign tumours, with the chorioangioma being the best known of them. The trophoblast tumours proper include chorionic epitheliomas and choriocarcinomas. While histological differentiation is not possible between these two, they still are biologically benign or malignant. They may develop in the wake of normal pregnancy or abortion or hydatidiform mole. Southeast Asia is a geographically preferred region for hydatidiform mole and chorionic epithelioma. Differentiated growth behaviours of trophoblast tumours are attributable to immunological aspects. It is certainly a rare event to have a high degree of tissue compatibility (HLA antigens) between tumour and maternal organism. This may at least offer an explanation for the low incidence of choriocarcinomas in the northern hemisphere. In Southeast Asia, efforts should be made to clear up the causative background of high incidence of hydatidiform mole, since the latter most probably is the basis for development of choriocarcinoma."}
{"id": "PMID:1477081", "title": "[Immunohistochemical studies using synaptophysin in intestinal biopsies in Hirschsprung disease].", "content": "Rectal biopsies of 5 children with Hirschsprung's disease and biopsies of 41 patients with chronic constipation of other causes, such as neuronal intestinal dysplasia, hypoganglionosis and chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction (CIPSO), were investigated, using a monoclonal antibody against synaptophysin. Electron microscopy was performed in some cases. Synaptophysin, which stained adrenergic, cholinergic and neuroendocrine structures, as well, consequently, was not a suitable marker for one particular transmitter system. Normo-, hypo- and hyperganglionotic submucous plexuses were reliably stained. Hypertrophic submucosal nerve fibers, characteristic of Hirschsprung's disease, were of poor synaptophysin positivity, whereas acetylcholinesterase-positive mucosal nerve fibers exhibited stronger immunoreactivity. A comparable but regionally varying staining reaction in mucosal nerve fibers was found in CIPSO cases. Mucosal portions of histologically normal biopsies were synaptophysin-negative. Synaptophysin antibodies may support acetylcholinesterase investigation and thus are useful under diagnostic aspects. However, they are practicable neither for better distinction in differential diagnosis of Hirschsprung's disease nor for pathogenetic research."}
{"id": "PMID:1477082", "title": "[Nuclear ultrastructure of binuclear and trinuclear hepatocytes].", "content": "Binucleated and less frequently trinucleated hepatocytes appear in human and animal livers under normal conditions as well as in pathological cases. To provide further ultrastructural data hepatocyte nuclei were investigated in different pathological states. Important results of this study are: Size of the nuclei and structure of the karyoplasm as well as size and localization of the nucleolus are obviously, same in most of the binucleated hepatocytes. In a small percentage of hepatocytes the following findings have been made: One of the nuclei will be light microscopically overlooked due to its small size pretending mononucleated cells. The disappearance of one of the nuclei results in an increase of the number of mononucleated cells and should therefore be evaluated like a decrease of binucleated hepatocytes: a pathological incident. Functional differences between both nuclei become morphologically obvious during virus replication, e.g. HBc-particle production is restricted to one of the nuclei. These results seem to consist rather with amitotic than mitotic cell division."}
{"id": "PMID:1477083", "title": "Histological investigation for comparison of cartilaginous tumors of unknown biological course with unequivocal chondrosarcomas.", "content": "Morphological findings recorded from chondromatous tumors of unknown biological behaviour (n = 40) were compared with those obtained from unequivocal chondrosarcomas (n = 27), and the histological results were evaluated by clinical outcome. The morphological details were analysed by histological set up and summarized by Mirra et al. (1985): Two benign patterns, the enchondroma encasement pattern and the island of cartilage patterns, were the most common findings in cartilaginous tumors of unknown biological behaviour. Malignant patterns, such as chondrosarcoma permeation, invasion of the Haversian system, soft tissue mass and bands of fibrosis patterns were detected only in unequivocal chondrosarcomas. However, the enchondroma encasement pattern could be focally demonstrated also in central chondrosarcomas (n = 3), a phenomenon, which in our opinion could not be interpreted as being indicative of a preexisting benign lesion. Morphological classification of chondromatous tumors of unknown biological behaviour, as a group of benign cartilaginous tumors, enables their discrimination from unequivocal chondrosarcomas. This was also confirmed by the significant difference (p = 0.0065; Mantel-Cox) among survival curves after Kaplan and Meier (1958). We conclude that the above criteria, when applied with due caution, are helpful in classifying chondromatous tumors."}
{"id": "PMID:1477084", "title": "Information analysis of immune and endocrine organs. Morphological changes in the course of infection.", "content": "Morphological and morphometric studies were conducted into lymphoid and endocrine organs of 259 human adults and infants with pyoinflammatory diseases (PID) and of 300 experimental mice. Informative and correlation analyses of the data thus recorded provided evidence to the effect that in the course of an infection process adaptation and compensation responses were characterized by intensified exchange of information within the immune-endocrine system (IES). Septic courses of PID were found to be accompanied by impairment of inter-organ correlations, increase in information entropy and progressive structural disorganization of the IES."}
{"id": "PMID:1477085", "title": "HTLV-I associated gastric lymphoma.", "content": "A large gastric lymphoma was detected in a 42-year-old woman who was seropositive for HTLV-I. The tumor was histologically shown to be of diffuse large cell type, and phenotypic analysis revealed high expression of CD3 and CD4, indicative of a helper/inducer type of T-cell lymphoma. In Southern blot analyses, the tumor cells showed T-cell receptor re-arrangement and contained proviral DNA of HTLV-1."}
{"id": "PMID:1477086", "title": "[Classification of causes of death in humans].", "content": "The cause of death of 2631 deceased persons (2418 adults, 213 children) was determined. Classification is proposed by monocausative, relatively monocausative, competitive and complex causes of death. This classification would be in accordance with types of dying, as suggested by Thieke and Nizze [17]. A comparison of results has revealed far-reaching agreement between the two principles of classification with regard to frequency distribution of causes, except for the category of complex causes which, however, was of minor importance in our investigations. This was attributed to the fact that classification was facilitated by consideration of epistemological approaches. Differences among categories of causes were attributable also to age and sex of the cases studied, both adults and children."}
{"id": "PMID:1477087", "title": "[Capillarosclerosis of the lower urinary tract and chronic alcohol consumption].", "content": "Between 1984 and 1987, autopsies were performed on 214 decreased who were safely assumed to have been chronic consumers of alcohol. Histological investigations were conducted on 84 ureters, with twelve of them (14.3 percent) exhibiting capillarosclerosis. This statistical relationship between alcohol consumption and capillarosclerosis was not attributable to action of alcohol on the capillaries but most probably had been a consequence of polytoxicomania, e.g. chronic alcohol abuse in concomitance with intake of phenacetin-containing medicaments. Accidental post-mortem finding of capillarosclerosis may be interpreted as a relative indicator to chronic alcohol consumption."}
{"id": "PMID:1477088", "title": "Polygenic influences on the length of oestrous cycles in inbred mice involve MHC alleles.", "content": "Genetic influences on female reproductive cycles were analysed in histocompatibility-congenic strains of mice. Oestrous cycles of young, virgin mice of inbred-congenic strains, hybrid crosses (F1), and parental-hybrid backcrosses (F2) were monitored for 3 months. Oestrous cycles were categorized by length (inter-oestrous interval): 4, 5, 6, or 7-14 days. Mice with the following H-2 haplotypes had a greater proportion of 5-day oestrous cycles: H-2b, H-2r, H-2h2, H-2h4, and H-2i5. In contrast, the H-2k and H-2d haplotypes had mostly 4-day oestrous cycles. Influences of H-2 haplotype were seen on two genetic backgrounds, C57BL/10Sn and C3H. Non-H-2 alleles were also implied by different patterns of cycles between strains with the same H-2b haplotype: C57BL/10Sn with predominantly 5-day cycles vs. C57BL/6J with a mix of 4- and 5-day cycles. The genetic basis for strain differences was investigation in F1 hybrids and their backcrosses. F1 hybrids of an H-2b (C57BL/10Sn; 5-day cycles) and an H-2k (B10.BR; 4-day cycles) strain had mostly 5-day cycles, indicating dominance of an H-2b allele(s). However, F1 hybrids from the reciprocal B6 x B10 cross (both H-2b) also display a preponderance of 5-day cycles, indicating dominance of a non-H-2 autosomal allele from the C57BL/10Sn strain. Among F2 mice, a '4-day' phenotype segregated with homozygosity for the k haplotype (P < 0.05, chi 2). These findings demonstrate the influence of genetic differences at the major histocompatibility complex on oestrous cycles."}
{"id": "PMID:1477089", "title": "DNA typing of HLA-DQ alleles by gene amplification of DQA and DQB variable exons: analysis of DQA/DQB haplotypes.", "content": "In the present report, we describe a DNA typing method that allows detection of all the polymorphic variants of DQA1 and DQB1 second exons. By the oligotyping procedure provided in this paper, we are able to identify 8 DQA1 and 13 DQB1 alleles and to type random individuals in any heterozygous combination. We provide the hybridization and washing temperatures for using either 32P labelled or non-radioactive probes. The discrimination power of this procedure, compared to serological and cellular techniques, is remarkable. Therefore, this typing method finds perfect application in transplantation immunology and it will be very helpful to optimize the matching of unrelated donors before BMT. It is apparent from our results that despite the linkage disequilibrium present between DQ and DR loci, a DR specificity may frequently be associated to different DQ haplotypes. This is the case for DR4, DR7, DR8, DR9, and DR13 specificities."}
{"id": "PMID:1477090", "title": "The HLA-DRB1*0405 haplotype is most strongly associated with IDDM in Algerians.", "content": "Insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) in Caucasians is strongly associated with HLA-DR3-DQ2 and DR4-DQ8. In order to investigate the HLA class II associations with IDDM in Algerians, we have used polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequence specific oligonucleotide analysis (SSO) to identify DQA1, DQB1, and DRB1 alleles, haplotypes and genotypes in 50 unrelated IDDM patients and 46 controls from a homogeneous population in Western Algeria. Both DRB1*0301-DQA1*0501-DQB1*0201 (DR3-DQ2) and DRB1*04-DQA1*0301-DQB1*0302 (DR4-DQ8) haplotypes were found at increased frequencies among the patients compared to controls (45% vs. 13%, RR = 5.5, Pc < 10(-5) and 37% vs. 4%, RR = 12.9, Pc < 10(-4), respectively). Among the latter, in contrast to other Caucasian populations, only DRB1*0405-DQA1*0301-DQB1*0302 was significantly increased in the Algerian patients (25% vs. 1% in controls, RR = 30.3, Pc < 10(-3). Accordingly, the highest risk of disease was observed in DRB1*0301-DQA1*0501-DQB1*0201/DRB1*0405-DQA1+ ++*0301-DQB1*0302 heterozygotes (34% in patients vs. 0% in controls; RR = 49; Pc < 10(-3). This observation and its comparison with DR-DQ haplotypes in other ethnic groups suggest that the DRB1*0405 allele which encodes an Asp57-negative beta chain may contribute to IDDM susceptibility in a similar way as Asp57-negative DQ beta chains."}
{"id": "PMID:1477091", "title": "One-step molecular HLA-DR prescreening employing a set of 14 sequence specific oligonucleotides in a non-radioactive tetramethylammonium chloride hybridization protocol.", "content": "A novel non-radioactive protocol for molecular generic HLA-DR typing is introduced, employing sequence specific oligonucleotides (SSOs) enzymatically 3'-labelled with biotin-14-dATP via terminal deoxynucleotidyltransferase in a tetramethylammonium chloride hybridization procedure. The detection reaction is carried out, using streptavidin conjugated horseradish peroxidase which is bound to the SSOs, in combination with a light emitting detection system. Fourteen SSOs and one control SSO are employed for generic HLA-DR typing in a one-step protocol. In order to demonstrate the suitability of this procedure, 5 homozygous typing cell lines and samples of 11 pretyped individuals which include most serologically defined HLA-DR specificities (DR1, 2, 3, 4, 11, 12, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 52, and DR53) are analysed with the panel of 14 SSOs. The typing results show that this protocol, which avoids the use of radioisotopes, combines high specificity and easy handling. It also allows typing of poorly amplified samples because even after longer exposition times no false positive signals were observed and is particularly suitable for routine molecular HLA-DR typing on the generic level. In addition it can easily be adapted to DP and DQ typing or DR subtyping."}
{"id": "PMID:1477092", "title": "Diallelic polymorphism may explain variations of the blood concentration of mannan-binding protein in Eskimos, but not in black Africans.", "content": "Mannan-binding protein (MBP) is a lectin which, upon binding to certain carbohydrates, activates the classical pathway of complement without the involvement of antibody or C1q. Deficiency of the MBP is associated with an opsonic defect and recurrent infections during early life. An amino acid substitution in the exon 1 at codon 54 in the MBP gene (GGC [glycine] to GAC [aspartic acid]) has been shown to be closely associated with low MBP concentration in Caucasoids. The gene frequency of the mutant allele in this population has been estimated at 0.13. In the study described here, we investigated the association between the mutant allele and MBP protein concentration in Eskimos from East-Greenland and black Africans from the Baringo District in Kenya. The frequency of the GAC allele was identical in Eskimos and Caucasoids (0.13). No overlap with regard to MBP concentration between the genotypes was found in the Eskimos. In contrast, the Africans revealed a low frequency of the GAC allele (0.009). However, the median MBP protein concentration was approximately 5 times lower among the Africans than the Eskimos. In 12.6% of the Africans and in 2.5% of the Eskimos, MBP was undetectable. Thus, MBP deficiency is the most frequent immunodeficiency so far described. The high prevalence of MBP deficiency among healthy individuals indicates that MBP deficiency also confers some selective advantages. We advance the hypothesis that MBP deficiency is maintained in populations because MBP deficiency decreases the infectivity of some intracellular micro-organisms which are dependent on opsonization."}
{"id": "PMID:1477093", "title": "C5 deficiency in A/J mice is not associated with resistance to the development of secondary amyloidosis.", "content": "The aim of the study was to determine whether C5 deficiency in the mouse is associated with resistance to the development of secondary amyloidosis. Chronic inflammation was induced in the F2 progeny, derived from matings between amyloid-susceptible and amyloid-resistance mice, by daily injections of azocasein for thirty days. Using a restriction fragment length polymorphism generated by digestion of genomic DNA with the restriction enzyme HindIII, C5 sufficient and deficient DNA can be clearly differentiated. Eight mice were found to be C5 sufficient, 32 were heterozygotes and 14 were found to be C5 deficient. Grading of the splenic amyloid load from negative to 4+ was performed after staining tissue squashes with Congo red and viewing them under a polarizing microscope. Seventeen mice were noted to have negative to trace, 18 had moderate (1+ - 2+) and 19 had heavy (3+ - 4+) amyloid deposition. There was no correlation between splenic amyloid load and C5 deficiency. Based on these results it is clear that C5 deficiency and resistance to secondary amyloidosis are not associated."}
{"id": "PMID:1477094", "title": "The removal of the type-2 copper from Rhus vernicifera laccase.", "content": "We have studied the removal of the type-2 copper from tree laccase (Rhus vernicifera) by treatment with EDTA at pH 5.2 in the presence of a redox buffer containing ferri- and ferrocyanide. The efficiency with which the copper is removed depends on the Fe(CN) 6(4-)/Fe(CN) 6(3-) ratio. We have varied this ratio from approx. 2:1 to about 50:1 and the best results were obtained with the highest ratio, i.e., the most cathodic solution potential. Nevertheless, the presence of Fe(CN) 6(3-) is required for the procedure to be effective. Although we cannot exclude the possibility that a mixed-valence form of laccase is the reactive species, we believe the results are better explained by a model which assumes that the removal of the type-2 copper depends upon an ordered sequence of oxidation-reduction reactions. Specifically, we propose that the copper is released as the monovalent ion from previously reduced laccase and then reoxidized in solution and sequestered with EDTA. The reoxidation step drives the reaction because recombination with the protein is inhibited when copper is in the divalent form. In testing this model, we have also shown that the type-2 copper can be removed under strictly reducing conditions when 4,4'-dicarboxy-2,2'-biquinoline (BCA) is present to complex the copper(I) ion. Although the BCA method is effective, the reaction takes longer, perhaps because of the limited solubility of BCA at the pH values of interest. Finally, we have found that the best results are obtained with either method when a cyanometalate ion such as Fe(CN) 6(3-) or Co(CN) 6(3-) is present in the medium. The exact role of this factor has yet to be established, but there is no indication that free cyanide has a role in the process. The most likely interpretation is that some type of binding interaction with the protein facilitates copper release."}
{"id": "PMID:1477095", "title": "Kinetic properties of type-II ATP diphosphohydrolase from the tunica media of the bovine aorta.", "content": "The kinetic properties of type-II ATP diphosphohydrolase are described in this work. The enzyme preparation from the inner layer of the bovine aorta, mostly composed of smooth muscle cells, shows an optimum at pH 7.5. It catalyzes the hydrolysis of tri- and diphosphonucleosides and it requires either Ca2+ or Mg2+ for activity. It is insensitive to ouabain (3 mM), an inhibitor of Na+/K(+)-ATPase, to tetramisole (5 mM), an inhibitor of alkaline phosphatase, and to Ap5A (100 microM), an inhibitor of adenylate kinase. In contrast, sodium azide (10 mM), a known inhibitor for ATPDases and mitochondrial ATPase, is an effective inhibitor. Mercuric chloride (10 microM) and 5'-p-fluorosulfonylbenzoyl adenosine are also powerful inhibitors, both with ATP and ADP as substrates. The inhibition patterns are similar for ATP and DP, thereby, supporting the concept of a common catalytic site for these substrates. Apparent Km and Vmax, obtained with ATP as the substrate, were evaluated at 23 +/- 3 microM and 1.09 mumol Pi/min per mg protein, respectively. The kinetic properties of this enzyme and its localization as an ectoenzyme on bovine aorta smooth muscle cells suggest that it may play a major role in regulating the relative concentrations of extracellular nucleotides in blood vessels."}
{"id": "PMID:1477096", "title": "Specific binding sites on human phagocytic blood cells for Gly-Leu-Phe and Val-Glu-Pro-Ile-Pro-Tyr, immunostimulating peptides from human milk proteins.", "content": "Two immunostimulating peptides were isolated from human milk proteins by enzymatic digestion, the tripeptide GLF and the hexapeptide VEPIPY. These peptides increased the phagocytosis of human and murine macrophages and protected mice against Klebsiella pneumoniae infection. The present study showed that this activity may be correlated to the presence of specific binding sites on human blood phagocytic cells. The receptor molecules implicated were different for the two peptides. [3H]GLF specifically bound to PMNL and monocytes, whereas [3H]VEPIPY only bound to monocytes. The leukemic promyelocytic cell line HL-60 differentiated into granulocytes or into macrophages (depending on inducer used) coroborated these results. Specific binding of [3H]GLF on plasma membrane preparations of human PMNL (20 degrees C) was saturable and Scatchard analysis indicated two classes of binding sites: high-affinity sites of Kd 2.3 +/- 1.0 nM and Bm 60 +/- 9 fmol/mg protein and low-affinity sites of Kd 26.0 +/- 3.5 nM and Bm 208 +/- 45 fmol/mg protein. [3H]GLF binding was inhibited in a concentration-dependent manner by various analogous peptides, such as LLF, GLY, LLY and RGDGLF, but not by RGD, RGDS, VEPIPY and the chemotactic peptide f-Met-Leu-Phe (f-MLF). Only at high concentrations the direct analog MLF competed with labeled GLF. An important inhibitory effect was also observed with C1q component of the complement whereas C3 and BSA were uneffective. Specific binding of [3H]VEPIPY on monocyte membranes (20 degrees C) was saturable and Scatchard analysis was consistent with one class of binding sites of Kd 3.7 +/- 0.3 nM and Bm 150 +/- 6 fmol/mg protein."}
{"id": "PMID:1477097", "title": "A novel alpha-type fibrinogenase from Agkistrodon rhodostoma snake venom.", "content": "By means of CM-Sephadex C-50 column chromatography, gel-filtration on sephadex G-75 and Sephacryl S-200 columns, a purified fibrinogenase, kistomin, was obtained from venom of Agkistrodon rhodostoma. It was a single peptide-chain with a molecular mass of about 21,800 Da containing about 202 amino-acid residues as revealed by amino acid analysis. Kistomin preferentially cleaved A alpha- and subsequently the gamma-chain of fibrinogen, leaving the B beta-chain unaffected. Its fibrinogenolytic activity was estimated to be 36.6 +/- 4.5 mg/min per mg protein and was inhibited by the pretreatment of EDTA, suggesting that it is a metalloproteinase. Its fibrinogenolytic activity in platelet-poor plasma is much less potent as compared to that in purified fibrinogen solution. It inhibited ristocetin-induced aggregation of human platelets in a dose-dependent manner in the presence of von Willebrand factor."}
{"id": "PMID:1477098", "title": "Quantitation of molybdopterin oxidation product in wild-type and molybdenum cofactor deficient mutants of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii.", "content": "A simple and reliable procedure of oxidation of molybdenum cofactor (MoCo) from molybdoenzymes by autoclaving samples at 120 degrees C for 20 min yielded a single predominant fluorescent species that could be quantitatively determined by reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography. This method allowed detection and quantitation of molybdopterin in cell-free extracts of the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. The MoCo oxidation product from C. reinhardtii has the same chromatographic and spectral properties as that of milk xanthine oxidase and chicken liver sulfite oxidase. The oxidized species was also detected in molybdenum cofactor mutants of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii defective at the nit-3, nit-4, nit-5/nit-6 and nit-7 loci, which strongly suggests that active molybdenum cofactor itself is not directly involved in the control of its own biosynthetic pathway."}
{"id": "PMID:1477099", "title": "Three matrix metalloproteinases form a non-covalent association with the rhoptry-associated protein-1 of Plasmodium falciparum.", "content": "During the characterization of malaria vaccine candidate proteins, three metalloproteinases having a molecular mass of 220, 95 and 70 kDa were found to be co-isolated with the rhoptry-associated protein-1 (RAP-1) complex, but not with RAP-3 or gp195. These enzymes were also found in detergent extracts of saponin-lysed Plasmodium falciparum. Of nine proteinase inhibitors tested, only EDTA was found to abrogate activity. Dose-dependent curves were determined for several metal ions and cobalt was found to synergistically enhance enzyme activity. The gelatinases were immunoprecipitated with monospecific polyclonal antisera to macrophage and fibroblast gelatinase; however, these sera did not react with intracellular parasites by indirect immunofluorescence. These results indicate that the matrix metalloproteinases co-isolated with RAP-1 originate from human serum used to cultivate P. falciparum in vitro."}
{"id": "PMID:1477100", "title": "Molecular modeling of the 3-D structure of cytochrome P-450scc.", "content": "Sequence-alignment studies of the bovine mitochondrial cholesterol side-chain cleavage enzyme cytochrome P-450scc with the bacterial cytochrome P-450cam (camphor hydroxylating enzyme) have been undertaken. Our novel alignment of the sequences revealed 69 identical residues and many highly conserved regions. The results of the sequence alignment studies were used to model the 3-D structure of P-450scc based on the available crystal structure of P-450cam. The major insertions in the sequence are found mainly on four external-loop regions of the molecule, while the core structure of P-450cam is retained with subtle internal modifications. The most hydrophobic of these four external loops is proposed as a candidate for membrane attachment."}
{"id": "PMID:1477101", "title": "Purification and amino-acid sequence of a nerve growth factor from the venom of Vipera russelli russelli.", "content": "Nerve growth factor (NGF) was purified from the venom of Vipera russelli russelli by Sephadex G-50 gel filtration, S-Sepharose column chromatography and Blue-Sepharose CL-6B column chromatography. The purified NGF was found to be a glycoprotein, whose apparent molecular mass was estimated to be about 17.5 kDa by SDS-PAGE. The amino-acid sequence was determined by a combination of conventional methods. The V. r. russelli NGF was composed of 117 amino-acid residues with one residue, Asn-21, being N-linked glycosylated and the molecular mass of its protein portion was calculated to be 13,280 Da."}
{"id": "PMID:1477102", "title": "Characterization of cardiac Na+/Ca(2+)-exchange by site-directed polyclonal antibodies.", "content": "Cardiac Na+/Ca(2+)-exchange is an integral membrane protein consisting of approx. 970 amino acids with as many as 12 membrane-spanning and 11 extramembranal regions (Nicoll, D.A., Lognoni, S. and Philipson, K.D. (1985) Science 250, 562-565). Based upon primary sequence information, 3 amino-acid sequences located in either extramembranal segment a or f, consisting largely of acidic amino-acids, were selected for the production of synthetic peptides. The peptides were cross-linked to carrier ovalbumin and used to generate site-directed polyclonal antibodies (sd-Ab). Western blot analysis of bovine cardiac sarcolemmal (SL) proteins demonstrated that sd-Ab against segment a and 1 against loop f recognized a 70 kDa protein and a lower molecular mass band at 55 kDa under reducing conditions. A different loop f sd-Ab failed to recognize the 70 kDa protein but did associate with a 120, 65 and 55 kDa protein under the same conditions. Under non-reducing conditions, antibodies to all three peptides recognized the 65 kDa protein. All sd-Ab were blocked by addition of their respective peptides and were not inhibited by either of the other peptides. A sd-Ab against loop f was immobilized to an affinity support matrix and used to immunoprecipitate detergent solubilized cardiac SL vesicle protein. Immunoprecipitated protein was reconstituted into proteoliposomes which demonstrated Na+/Ca(2+)-exchange activity. Immunoprecipitated protein cross-reacted with sd-Ab against all three peptides with bands at 120, 70 and 55 kDa on Western blots. Tryptic digests of native SL vesicles abolished recognition of segment a sd-Ab for SL proteins while having little or no affect on reactivity to the protein by both sd-Ab against loop f. Digestion of the SL vesicle protein with endoproteinase Arg C did not alter sd-Ab recognition. The results suggest that specific domains of the cardiac Na+/Ca(2+)-exchanger depending upon the conformation of the protein, may not be available for antibody binding. The 70 kDa polypeptide appears to include the N-terminal region of the protein and what is believed to be a large cytoplasmic extramembranal loop. Limited proteolysis by trypsin and endoproteinase Arg C yielded results consistent with the model which places the N-terminus of the protein on the extracellular surface and a large extramembranal segment (loop f) on the cytoplasmic side of the SL membrane."}
{"id": "PMID:1477103", "title": "Phosphofructokinase from white muscle of the rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss: purification and properties.", "content": "Phosphofructokinase was purified and characterized from the white skeletal muscle of rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss. Purification involved three steps: ion-exchange chromatography on hydroxyapatite and affinity chromatography on phosphocellulose and ATP-agarose. A final specific activity of 75 units per mg of protein at 22 degrees C and pH 7.2 with 40% recovery was obtained. The purified enzyme gave a single band on SDS-PAGE with a subunit molecular mass of 76.5 +/- 0.6 kDa. Based on gel filtration analysis, the active form of the enzyme was found to be composed of six identical subunits. A high isoelectric point (7.1) was found for this enzyme. Arrhenius plots of the enzyme activity showed a sharp transition at 15-16 degrees C. The pH optimum of the enzyme was 8.0-8.5 at physiological level of ATP and positive modulators shifted the optimum to lower pH values. Amino-acid analysis revealed a lower content of the aromatic residues Phe, Tyr and Trp and higher level of Ser residue than in the rabbit muscle enzyme."}
{"id": "PMID:1477104", "title": "Human serum amyloid P-component (SAP) selectively binds to immobilized or bound forms of C-reactive protein (CRP).", "content": "The two homologous human pentraxins, C-reactive protein (CRP) and serum amyloid P-component (SAP), specifically bind to each other only when the CRP is in an immobilized form bound to one of its ligands or to an antibody. CRP did not bind to immobilized SAP. The binding of SAP to immobilized forms of CRP was Ca(2+)-dependent and of sufficient affinity to occur in the presence of serum or purified serum proteins. SAP bound preferentially to a synthetic peptide corresponding to the Ca(2+)-binding region of CRP. Monoclonal antibodies to a synthetic peptide corresponding to the Ca(2+)-binding region selectively inhibited the binding interaction. Proteolytic cleavage of CRP between residues 146 and 147 within the Ca2+ binding region abolished the SAP-binding site; however, the intact subunits of the pentameric CRP were capable of binding SAP. The significance of the binding interaction is that it may serve as the basis for localization of SAP to sites of tissue damage or repair, sites where CRP is selectively deposited."}
{"id": "PMID:1477105", "title": "Biochemical characterization of crystallins from pigeon lenses: structural and sequence analysis of pigeon delta-crystallin.", "content": "Crystallins from pigeon eye lenses were isolated and purified by gel-permeation chromatography and characterized by gel electrophoresis, amino-acid composition and sequence analysis. Alpha- and beta-crystallins could be obtained in relatively pure forms by single-step size-exclusion chromatography whereas an extra step of ion-exchange chromatography was needed for the separation of delta-crystallin from the beta-crystallin fraction. In contrast to most characterized vertebrate species, a large amount of glycogen is eluted as a high molecular form in the first peak of the gel filtration column. Pigeon delta-crystallin, similar to duck and reptilian delta-crystallins, exists as a tetrameric structure of about 200 kDa in the native form and is composed of one major subunit of 50 kDa with heterogeneous isoelectric points spreading in a range of 4.7 to 6.8. In contrast to those obtained from duck, goose and caiman, delta-crystallin isolated from the pigeon lens possessed very little argininosuccinate lyase activity. However, pigeon delta-crystallin can still cross-react with the antibody against enzymically active duck delta-crystallin as revealed by the sensitive immunoblotting technique. It was also shown that the delta-crystallin content of the total pigeon soluble proteins decreased with the age of the animal. Structural analysis of purified delta-crystallin fraction was made with respect to its amino-acid composition and protein primary sequence. N-terminal sequence analysis indicated the presence of blocked amino-termini in all crystallin fractions of pigeon lenses. Therefore, a sequence analysis of PCR (polymerase chain reaction) amplified delta-crystallin cDNA was employed to deduce the protein sequence of this crystallin. Structural comparison of delta-crystallin sequences from pigeon, chicken and duck lenses casts some doubts on the recent claim that His-89-->Gln mutation in the chicken delta-crystallin may account for the loss of argininosuccinate lyase activity in this avian species, as compared to high enzymic activity in the duck crystallin (Barbosa et al. (1991) J. Biol. Chem. 266, 5286-5290)."}
{"id": "PMID:1477106", "title": "Reversible interactions between plasminogen activators and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1.", "content": "We have shown that the urokinase (UK) kringle domain contains a high-affinity plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) binding site, responsible for the 10-fold faster complex formation between UK and PAI-1 than between PAI-1 and low-molecular-weight urokinase (LMWUK). Complex formation between UK and PAI-1, but not between LMWUK and PAI-1, was suppressed 10-fold in the presence of peptide U-107 derived from the UK kringle domain. Peptide U-373 derived from the UK catalytic domain slowed complex formation between UK and PAI-1 and also LMWUK and PAI-1. Inactivation of tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA) by PAI-1 was slowed 10-fold in the presence of peptides derived from the tPA finger and kringle-2 domains. DFP-inactivated (DIP) UK and both forms of DIP-tPA inhibited PAI-1 binding to U-107 and to U-373 whereas single-chain urokinase-type PA (scuPA) was unable to compete with either peptide for PAI-1 binding. These data suggest that the reversible PAI-1 binding site in the UK A-chain plays a role in the rapid association with PAI-1 as important as those that reside in the tPA A-chain and that reversible PAI-1 binding sites are expressed on the surface of UK upon conversion from scuPA, in contrast to tPA."}
{"id": "PMID:1477107", "title": "Mass spectrometry in the integrated strategy for the structural analysis of protein variants.", "content": "A significant proportion of genetic disorders are caused by point mutations in proteins, and many variants of haemoglobin have been characterized by mass spectrometry. The strategy employs fast atom bombardment and/or tandem mass spectrometry of enzymatically digested peptides for elucidating the type and position of the mutations. Electrospray ionization mass spectrometry is useful for detecting mutations in the intact protein molecule, but the competence diminishes with increasing mass or increasing number of 13C atoms. Recent developments of DNA techniques requires us to re-evaluate the status of mass spectrometry in this field. The role of mass spectrometry in the structural analysis of protein variants is discussed, and is compared with chemical methods and DNA strategies."}
{"id": "PMID:1477108", "title": "Validation of a gas chromatographic/mass spectrometric method for the determination of (E)-beta-fluoromethylene-m-tyrosine and its active metabolite in human plasma and urine.", "content": "(E)-beta-Fluoromethylene-m-tyrosine (FMMT, MDL 72394) represents a prodrug approach to site-selective, irreversible inhibition of monoamine oxidase. A sensitive and specific method for the quantification of FMMT and its active metabolite (MDL 72392) in human plasma and urine has been developed for future pharmacokinetic studies. The procedure consists of a liquid-liquid extraction of plasma and urine samples, esterification with HCl/butanol and, subsequently, N-acylation with pentafluoropropionic anhydride. This is followed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry employing negative ion chemical ionization. The precision and the accuracy of the method have been optimized by using two internal standards: MDL 72661 (a methyl homologue of FMMT) for the quantification of FMMT, and MDL 72761 (a methyl homologue of MDL 72392) for the quantification of MDL 72392. The method has been validated for FMMT and MDL 72392 over the concentration range 2.5-400 pmol ml-1 with a limit of quantification for both compounds of 2.5 pmol ml-1. Sample clean-up and selected ion monitoring by mass spectrometry ensured the specificity and sensitivity required for the pharmacokinetic evaluation of FMMT and MDL 72392."}
{"id": "PMID:1477109", "title": "Fast atom bombardment, electron ionization and chemical ionization mass spectrometry of 1,2,3-benzenetricarboxylic acids, inhibitors of the mitochondrial tricarboxylate carrier.", "content": "It has been discovered that 1,2,3-benzenetricarboxylic acid and some 5-substituted derivatives are specific and competitive inhibitors of the mitochondrial tricarboxylate carrier. In order to characterize these acids a study was carried out using electron ionization (EI), chemical ionization (CI) and fast atom bombardment (FAB) mass spectrometry on the free acids, the potassium salt of 1,2,3-benzenetricarboxylic acid and the corresponding methyl esters. Unimolecular decomposition processes were also studied using B/E linked scan experiments in order to correlate peaks present in the FAB mass spectra of the above compounds. The FAB ionization method, as expected, was the most suitable for analysing the very polar and thermolabile acids and the only method which could be used for the analysis of the potassium salt. EI and CI turned out to be appropriate methods for analysing the less polar and thermostable trimethyl esters."}
{"id": "PMID:1477110", "title": "Characterization of the molecular species of glycerophospholipids from rabbit kidney: an alternative approach to the determination of the fatty acyl chain position by negative ion fast atom bombardment combined with mass-analysed ion kinetic energy analysis.", "content": "An alternative approach to identifying fatty acid chain position in the molecular species of glycerophospholipids has been studied and developed. The fatty acyl groups esterified to the glycerol backbone in isomeric glycerophosphatidyl-choline, -serine and -ethanolamine as well as glycerophosphatidic acid can be detected by the presence of a pair of anions derived from phosphatidic acid parent ions (M minus the polar head groups in glycerophospholipids), designed to be [M--polar head--R2COOH]- and [M--polar head--R2CO--H]-, produced by negative ion fast atom bombardment combined with mass-analysed ion kinetic energy analysis. Because of the significant abundance of [M--polar head--R2COOH]- anion, fatty acid chains differing by 2 Da can be distinguished by accurate measurements of the electrostatic voltage related to this ion. Three-volt differences can be evidenced. Using this approach, the molecular species of glycerophosphatidyl-choline, -serine, -ethanolamine and -inositol from rabbit kidney were characterized after the separation of both class and species by normal and reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography, respectively. We identified 11 arachidonoyl-containing molecular species of glycerophospholipids and the other 17 lipid molecules in this biological material. A couple of 1- alkenyl-2-arachidonoyl-sn-glycerol-3-phosphoethanolamine species, identified as plasmalogen GPE 16:0-20:4 and plasmalogen GPE 18:0-20:4, were found for the first time in rabbit kidney."}
{"id": "PMID:1477111", "title": "Determination of erythromycin A in salmon tissue by liquid chromatography with ion-spray mass spectrometry.", "content": "A reverse-phase liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) method, incorporating gradient elution, is described for the characterization of residual erythromycin A and its metabolites in salmon tissue. The method uses ion-spray, a mild atmospheric pressure ionization technique which provides an abundant protonated molecule well suited for selected ion monitoring experiments. Tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) using collision-induced dissociation was used to provide structural information. The LC/MS method was tested for the analysis of salmon tissue spiked with erythromycin A at levels between 0.01 and 1 p.p.m. A simple extraction and clean-up procedure, slightly modified from that described by Takatsuki et al. (J. Assoc. Off. Anal. Chem. 70, 708 (1987)), was used in this work. Using selected ion and selected reaction monitoring techniques, the LC/MS and LC/MS/MS methods provided detection limits of < 10 and 50 ng g-1, respectively. Confirmatory full-scan LC/MS and LC/MS/MS spectra were obtained at the 0.5 and 1 microgram g-1 levels, respectively. Using a combination of these techniques, the presence of residual erythromycin A was confirmed in the tissue of fish administered medicated feed containing the antibiotic. In addition, several metabolites and degradation products of erythromycin A, including anhydro-erythromycin and N-demethyl-erythromycin, were detected and where possible confirmed by comparison with authentic compounds. Although this analytical method has been shown to afford the necessary sensitivity and precision, application of these techniques to high-throughput quantitative analyses will require development of an improved clean-up procedure and preferably also of a suitable surrogate internal standard."}
{"id": "PMID:1477112", "title": "On-line high-performance liquid chromatographic/gas chromatographic/tandem ion trap mass spectrometric determination of levamisole in milk.", "content": "On-line high-performance liquid chromatography/high-resolution gas chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry, performed on a quadrupole ion trap, has been used as a rapid method for the quantification of the anthelmintic drug levamisole in raw milk extracts following a simple extraction procedure. Detection at the 0.5 p.p.b. level and a linear response in the 10-0.5 p.p.b. range is demonstrated. Multiple-scan monitoring techniques have been used to acquire chemical ionization tandem mass spectra and electron impact mass spectra in a single chromatographic run."}
{"id": "PMID:1477113", "title": "Two-dimensional electrophoresis of urine specimens from patients with renal disease.", "content": "In an effort to develop non-invasive markers capable of characterizing renal disease with greater sensitivity and specificity than those currently available, urinary proteins were studied by high-resolution two-dimensional electrophoresis in order to catalog those proteins which appeared to be most affected by a variety of renal diseases. Urine specimens were prepared by high-pressure liquid chromatography and subjected to two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. Proteins were visualized with silver stain. Gels from 17 patients were analyzed in detail and compared to standard maps of human urinary proteins and plasma. The two-dimensional gels displayed approximately 100 times the number of proteins demonstrated by high resolution agarose electrophoresis. We have identified 34 proteins whose urinary concentrations were most affected by renal disease. Twenty seven were of plasma origin, based upon comigration with plasma samples (17 of unknown identity and function). Seven proteins were observed in normal urine but not present in plasma. These proteins, which may represent kidney tissue proteins, were not apparent in the urine of patients with proteinuria, most likely due to dilutional effects."}
{"id": "PMID:1477114", "title": "Monoclonal gammopathy in a 30 weeks old premature infant.", "content": "The occurrence of monoclonal gammopathy in childhood is extremely rare. This report describes the presence of a monoclonal immunoglobulin in a 30 week old premature infant, incidentally discovered by two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (2D-PAGE) during an ongoing study of the plasma/serum protein development. Comparative analysis of the electrophoretogram of the infant with 'reference' protein maps revealed the presence of an 'abnormal' immunoglobulin light chain spot. A spot having an identical apparent molecular weight and isoelectric point was also detected after 2D-PAGE of the mother's plasma and its Protein-A purified immunoglobulin fraction. The observation of a monoclonal gammopathy in a premature infant, most likely transmitted from his mother, highlights the potential usefulness of 2D-PAGE in the clinical laboratory."}
{"id": "PMID:1477115", "title": "Rapid and automated characterisation of seed genotype using Micrograd electrophoresis and pattern-matching software.", "content": "New precast microgels are described for use in quickly identifying seed of cereal varieties by determining protein composition within an hour. For example, gliadin proteins are extracted from crushed wheat grain, wheatmeal or flour with ethylene glycol (centrifugation not necessary) and 5 microliters extract is applied to a Micrograd gel (3-15% gel gradient) for ten minutes' electrophoresis at 300 volts in sodium lactate buffer (pH 3.1). Alternatively, precast gels are available for SDS gel electrophoresis for examining a different aspect of grain composition as a means of identification. To further expedite identification, software packages have been developed to match the protein pattern for an unknown sample against those of authentic samples, thus to provide quick and definite identity, based on electrophoretic banding, densitometer scan, HPLC profile, multiple antibody reaction or RFLP pattern (PatMatch program). Furthermore, the program WhatWheat offers advice on the best combination of methods to use for a specific task of identification."}
{"id": "PMID:1477116", "title": "Three electrophoretic techniques comparison for des-gamma-carboxyprothrombin detection.", "content": "Des-gamma-carboxyprothrombin (DCP) is a marker that appears in the blood when modifications of vitamin K-dependent proteins carboxylation cycle occur. About 280 human plasma samples of diverse origins were tested by three different electrophoretic techniques for the evaluation of DCP: rocket immunoelectrophoresis (RIE) before and after barium carbonate adsorption, crossed affinoimmunoelectrophoresis (CAIE) and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in presence of calcium lactate followed by immunoblotting (PAGE-blot). A good correlation was found between CAIE and PAGE-blot in the CAIE detection limit, but not between RIE and the two other techniques. PAGE-blot was more sensitive than RIE and CAIE and allowed reliable quantification of abnormal prothrombin in plasma."}
{"id": "PMID:1477118", "title": "Western blotting of transforming growth factor beta 2. Optimization of the electrophoretic transfer.", "content": "The highest reported detection sensitivity of reduced monomeric transforming growth factor (TGF) beta 2 by Western blotting is 50 ng. The biologically active TGF-beta 2, which is the non-reduced dimeric protein, is even more difficult to detect by this technique. The low sensitivity is due to the poor electrophoretic transfer of the protein from the polyacrylamide gel to the blotting matrices under standard transfer conditions. By studying the effects of different blotting matrices, transfer cells, blotting buffers and their methanol content, current settings and the electrotransfer time, we have established optimal conditions for the blotting of this protein. The pH of the buffer and the blotting time are the most important factors which influence the electrotransfer yield. Optimal transfer of the TGF-beta 2 protein was achieved on PVDF membrane with semi-dry transfer for 4 h at 9 V, using 10 mM CAPS, pH 11.0, containing 5% methanol as transfer buffer. Combined with the use of a commercial antibody and an immunoblot assay kit, our optimised blotting method can detect 2 ng of the dimeric TGF-beta 2."}
{"id": "PMID:1477117", "title": "Red blood cell protein map: a comparison between carrier-ampholyte pH gradient and immobilized pH gradient, and identification of four red blood cell enzymes.", "content": "The aim of this study was (a) to establish a red blood cell (RBC) protein map with immobilized pH gradient for the first dimension (b) to compare the pattern with previously published RBC protein map obtained with carrier-ampholyte pH gradients and (c) to localize four new enzymes on the map (i.e. 6-phosphogluconic dehydrogenase, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase). This publication provides the most updated RBC polypeptide pattern with twelve proteins or enzymes localized on the map."}
{"id": "PMID:1477119", "title": "Two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoretic characterization of proteins from organs of C3H mice expressing the scurfy (sf) genetic mutation during early and late stages of disease progression.", "content": "Scurfy (sf), is an X-linked recessive lethal mutation that occurs spontaneously in the C3H mouse. The disease is characterized by lymphoid and hematopoietic dysfunction. Affected males are of small stature and exhibit scaliness and crusting of the eyelids, ears, tail, and feet, marked splenomegaly, moderate hepatomegaly, enlarged lymph nodes, and atrophy of the thymus. The average lifespan of the affected hemizygous males (sf/y) is 24 +/- 0.7 days. Total cellular proteins were extracted from pooled samples of thymus and spleen obtained from combined litters of mice. Tissue-specific protein profiles characteristic of either sf mutant or normal mice were analyzed by two dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (2DPAGE) at different stages of the phenotypic expression of the sf mutation, to identify changes in protein patterns that might be associated with the progression of the disease. The resultant gels were silver stained, digitized, and analyzed, by image analysis utilizing a pipelined image processor connected to a host computer. At 14 +/- 1 days of age, protein patterns from sf mutant and normal mice control organs showed considerable homogeneity, although there were proteins identified unique to the sf mutant and to the normal controls. At 20 +/- 1 days of age, the pattern differences between the sf mutant and normal control increased markedly. Differences were expressed as the percent of proteins that were unique to either the sf mutant or the normal control from the total number of each type. The percent of proteins that increased or decreased in the three organs utilized in this study ranged between 21%-39% at 14 days and were between 25%-54% at 20 days. Differences in protein expression between the normal and sf mutant as the disorder progressed for each of the three tissues examined. In addition, thymus protein profiles from 9 day old littermates that were phenotypically normal but genotypically unknown were evaluated to determine if marker proteins could be identified for the sf mutation. Limited protein changes were noted at relative molecular weights of 66, 60, 54, 39, 37, 33, 25, 23, 27, and 11 kDa. These data suggest that the sf mutation follows a trackable pattern of protein expression and repression different than the normal control C3H mouse. Several potential marker proteins associated with the sf mutation were identified in 9 day thymus prior to the phenotypic expression of the disease. These putative biomarkers may be useful for characterizing the sf mutation and the mutant may act a possible model the Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome (WAS)."}
{"id": "PMID:1477137", "title": "Yeast 5S rRNA binding to ribosomal protein L1a alters the fluorescence of tryptophan residues lying outside the binding site.", "content": "The yeast ribosomal protein L1a contains two tryptophan residues located at positions 95 and 183. Spectrofluorometric analysis showed that the average tryptophan environment is moderately polar. Quenching studies of the yeast 5S rRNA-L1a protein complex (RNP) with acrylamide and iodide revealed tryptophan heterogeneity. The two tryptophan residues are located in the non-RNA-binding region of the L1a molecule. However, dissociation of the yeast 5S rRNA-L1a protein RNP complex to its components resulted in a decline of tryptophan fluorescence. The observation implied that the environment of the tryptophan-containing L1a regions which were not known to be involved in RNA binding was influenced by association with the 5S rRNA molecule."}
{"id": "PMID:1477138", "title": "Secondary structure at the beginning of the poly(A) sequence of mouse beta-actin messenger RNA.", "content": "A portion of the beta-actin mRNA of mammalian cells is believed to lack a poly(A) tail, because of its failure to bind to oligo(dT)-cellulose. S1 mapping and Northern blot analysis of this mRNA shows it to contain a poly(A) sequence of about 60 nucleotides. Only about 20-40 nucleotides are available for interaction with oligo(dT). The rest is masked, presumably by base-pairing with a poly(U) stretch present in the 3' non-coding region of the mRNA. A similar configuration occurs in the bulk of the actin mRNA, which carries a poly(A) tail with sizes ranging from approximately 60 to 200 nucleotides."}
{"id": "PMID:1477139", "title": "Isolation and sequence of the murine Fgf6 cDNA.", "content": "We have studied the structure of the murine Fgf6 gene encoding a fibroblast growth factor with the purpose of looking for putative regulatory sequences in the 5' and 3' non-coding regions. The Fgf6 cDNA contains a very long 3' untranslated portion of 4015 nucleotides."}
{"id": "PMID:1477140", "title": "Deviant energetic metabolism of glycolytic cancer cells.", "content": "The central glycolytic and oxidative pathways and the ATP-producing mechanisms differ in sane and malignant cells by their regulation and dynamics. Fast-growing, poorly-differentiated cancer cells characteristically show high aerobic glycolysis. In the same way, cholesterol biosynthesis, which occurs by normal pathways in tumors, is deficient in feed-back regulation and in sterol-transport mechanisms. Other metabolic ways are deficient, as for example, intramitochondrial aldehyde catabolism, at the origin of a possible acetaldehyde toxicity, which can be circumvented by the synthesis of an unusual and neutral product for mammalian cells acetoin, through tumoral pyruvate dehydrogenase. If most of the glycolytic pyruvate is deviated to lactate production, little of the remaining carbons enter a truncated Krebs cycle where citrate is preferentially extruded to the cytosol where it feeds sterol synthesis. Glutamine is the major oxidizable substrate by tumor cells. Inside the mitochondrion, it is deaminated to glutamate through a phosphate-dependent glutaminase. Glutamate is then preferentially transaminated to alpha-ketoglutarate that enters the Krebs cycle. Glutamine may be completely oxidized through the abnormal Krebs cycle only if a way of forming acetyl CoA is present: cytosolic malate entering mitochondria is preferentially oxidized to pyruvate + CO2 through an intramitochondrial NAD(P)(+)-malic enzyme, whereas intramitochondrial malate is preferentially oxidized to oxaloacetate through malate dehydrogenase, thus providing a high level of intramitochondrial substrate compartmentation. These and other regulatory aberrations in tumor cells appear to be reflections of a complex set of non-random phenotypic changes, initiated by expression of oncogenes."}
{"id": "PMID:1477141", "title": "Effects of high glucose concentration on survival and respiration of human endothelial cells.", "content": "To determine whether or not endothelial cell survival was decreased after incubation with high glucose concentrations in culture media, we studied the influence of D-glucose or L-glucose (a non-metabolizable stereoisomer of D-glucose) on cell survival using the trypan-blue exclusion test. Simultaneously, the MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5 diphenyl tetrazolium bromide) assay was used to measure both the mitochondrial respiratory chain activity and cell viability. Respiratory chain activity per cell increased when D-glucose concentrations rose but at the same time trypan-blue excluded cells were decreased. Comparison with data in the literature showed that the MTT assay was not reliable for studies involving endothelial cell survival when glucose reduction was affected on these cells. It seems important to check MTT assay reliability carefully when it is used for drugs affecting glucose metabolism, or with other cell types."}
{"id": "PMID:1477142", "title": "Alterations in microsomal and plasma membranes during liver regeneration.", "content": "Investigations have been carried out on the alterations of membrane lipids and some enzyme activities during liver regeneration. The results indicated that 32 h after partial hepatectomy the membrane phospholipids per mg protein were augmented. The cholesterol esters were also increased in both microsomal and plasma membranes. The specific radioactivity of the separate phospholipid fractions, estimated by incorporation of 14C-palmitate into the phospholipid molecules, was higher in membranes from partially hepatectomized rats, compared to sham-operated ones, indicating an enhanced phospholipid synthesis. The content and specific radioactivity of diacylglycerols and triacylglycerols was enhanced in both types of membranes from regenerating liver. Moreover, we observed a fluidization of these membranes, which is illustrated by the decrease of the structural order parameter (SDPH) of the lipid bilayer as well as by the elevation of the excimer to monomer fluorescent ratio (IE/IM). 1,6-Diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene and pyrene were used as fluorescent probes for determination of the membranes physical state. Palmitoyl-CoA and oleoyl-CoA synthetase, acyl-CoA: lysophosphocholine and acyl-CoA:lysophosphoethanolamine acyltransferase as well as phospholipase C activities were augmented in membranes from partially hepatectomized rats. The biological significance of these alterations in the process of liver regeneration is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1477143", "title": "Effect of experimental hypothyroidism on the control of 6-phosphofructo-1-kinase activity in rat jejunal mucosa.", "content": "Changes in the activity of 6-phosphofructo-1-kinase (PFK, EC 2.7.1.11) from the epithelial cells of rat small intestine during experimental hypothyroidism were studied. Hypothyroidism resulted in significant decreases in the plasma concentrations of total tri-iodothyronine, free tri-iodothyronine, total thyroxine, free thyroxine and insulin. These changes were associated with a significant increase in the plasma concentration of thyrotropin. The total activity and activity ratios (activity at 0.5 mM fructose 6-phosphate at pH 7.0/activity at pH 8.0 (v0.5/V)) of jejunal PFK of hypothyroid rats were significantly diminished as compared to control rats. PFK of hypothyroid rats was more sensitive to inhibition by ATP. The mucosal enzyme of both control and hypothyroid state was sensitive to stimulation by AMP and fructose 2,6-bisphosphate. It is concluded that during hypothyroidism the rate of glycolytic pathway in the small intestine is reduced as a result of a fall in glucose uptake, and the subsequent kinetic changes of PFK are primarily to maintain the concentrations of fructose 6-phosphate (and glucose 6-phosphate) during the reduced glycolytic flux. These changes in PFK activity may be caused by changes in plasma insulin concentrations, glucose utilization and fructose 2,6-bisphosphate concentrations."}
{"id": "PMID:1477146", "title": "Self-regulation of respiratory sinus arrhythmia.", "content": "Respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA)--the peak-to-peak variations in heart rate caused by respiration--can be used as a noninvasive measure of parasympathetic cardiac control. In the present study four strategies to increase RSA amplitude are investigated: (1) biofeedback of RSA amplitude, (2) biofeedback of RSA amplitude plus respiratory instructions, (3) respiratory biofeedback, and (4) respiratory instructions only. All four procedures produce a significant increase of RSA amplitude from the first physiological control trial compared to baseline. This increase is faster for the groups that received respiratory biofeedback and respiratory instructions only than for the two groups that received biofeedback of RSA amplitude, the increases being equivalent for the four groups in the third session. All subjects of the group that received biofeedback of RSA amplitude only reported respiratory strategies in order to achieve the increase in RSA. Possible clinical implications of these results for parasympathetic cardiac control and cardiovascular disorders are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1477147", "title": "Self-regulation of slow cortical potentials in psychiatric patients: schizophrenia.", "content": "Slow cortical potentials (SCPs) are considered to reflect the regulation of attention resources and cortical excitability in cortical neuronal networks. Impaired attentional functioning, as found in patients with schizophrenic disorders, may covary with impaired SCP regulation. This hypothesis was tested using a self-regulation paradigm. Twelve medicated male schizophrenic inpatients and 12 healthy male controls received continuous feedback of their SCPs, during intervals of 8 s each, by means of a visual stimulus (a stylized rocket) moving horizontally across a TV screen. The position of the feedback stimulus was a linear function of the integrated SCP at each point in time during the feedback interval. Subjects were required to increase or reduce negative SCPs (referred to pretrial baseline) depending on the presentation of a discriminative stimulus. The correct response was indicated by the amount of forward movement of the feedback stimulus and by monetary rewards. Schizophrenics participated in 20 sessions (each comprising 110 trials), while controls participated in 5 sessions. Compared with the healthy controls, schizophrenics showed no significant differentiation between negativity increase and negativity suppression during the first sessions. However, in the last 3 sessions, patients achieved differentiation similar to controls, demonstrating the acquisition of SCP control after extensive training."}
{"id": "PMID:1477154", "title": "Morphological study on the stomach of the lesser mouse deer (Tragulus javanicus) with special reference to the internal surface.", "content": "The stomach of the lesser mouse deer (Tragulus javanicus) was observed macroscopically. It consisted of only three compartments, rumen, reticulum and abomasum without omasum. The rumen was S-shaped with large ventral and caudoventral blind sacs and the reticulum was larger than the abomasum. Internally, the rumen was covered with numerous ruminal papillae even on the pillars and the ruminoreticular fold. These papillae were leaf- or tongue-like shaped and varied in size and density. The reticulum had honey-combed crests and the secondary crests were found rarely. The lips of the reticular groove were prominent and more developed in the aboral part than in the oral one. A sac-like transition zone, which had more prominent mucosal folds than had the floor of the reticular groove, was observed between the caudal end of the reticular groove and the abomasum. Mucosal folds of the abomasum were spiral, low but rather thick. These findings were discussed in view of comparison with other ruminants and of possible functional implications."}
{"id": "PMID:1477150", "title": "[Complementary artificial nutrition in kidney failure].", "content": "Denutrition of the uremic patient is a substantial contributing factor to the high rate of morbimortality. At the present time there are no resources which slow the catabolic situation conditioned by humoral or hormonal factors, but resources are available which act on the nutritional factors. The aim of this paper is to study the effect of additional administration of a complete enteral diet, but high in calories and in proteins, on the nutrition of dialysis patients. Six patients undergoing periodic hemodialysis and without metabolic illness were selected: 236 ml of the solution was administered orally on a daily basis for two months. They were studied statistically using the SIGMA Program, with application of the comparison of paired averages, the variations of anthropometric and analytical data and urea kinetics. The results revealed a significant body weight increase, from 58 to 60 kg, and of the tricipital fold from 10 to 12 cm: both variations were statistically significant (p < 0.01). There were no variations in the analytical data, or in the urea kinetics (the PCR was 0.8 g/kg/day and the Kt/V was 0.8). It is concluded that it significantly improves the nutritional state, there are no side effects and it does not detract from the efficacy of the dialysis. Therefore, and although the indication for which it was designed was for predialysis patients, we think that those under periodic hemodialysis--and, form the same reasons, acute kidney failure patients--might be areas for the use of this product."}
{"id": "PMID:1477155", "title": "Changes of splenic lymphocyte subpopulation in mice inoculated with Babesia microti and Babesia rodhaini.", "content": "Changes of splenic lymphocyte subpopulation after Babesia microti and Babesia rodhaini inoculation in mice were examined by flow cytometric analysis. The B. microti inoculated mice showed a longer period of time from inoculation to the onset of increase or decrease parasitaemia (%), packed cell volume, total spleen cell numbers and surface immunoglobulin positive splenic cell numbers than respective periods in B. rodhaini inoculated mice. The Thy-1 positive cell numbers in B. microti inoculated mice and B. rodhaini inoculated mice pre-immunized with homologous parasites were significantly higher than that of B. rodhaini inoculated mice. The ratio of L3T4 positive cell/Lyt-2 positive cell after inoculation with B. microti was quite similar to that in B. rodhaini mice pre-immunized. However, the ratio in B. rodhaini inoculated mice revealed a lack of an increasing phase. These results suggested that the T-cell dependent early immune response, especially suppressor activity, was closely related to the difference in the course of infection between the non-lethal B. microti and the lethal B. rodhaini infection in mice."}
{"id": "PMID:1477151", "title": "[Control over the bacteriological quality of preparations for TPN by the sequential sampling technic].", "content": "A sequential microbiological control was carried out, using a total filtration method, on a sample selected at random from among those prepared on a daily basis and kept at room temperature for twenty-four hours, in order to determine any possible contamination by fungi, bacteria or yeasts. The results obtained were submitted to accumulated sum statistical sampling, the adjustment for which followed a binomial distribution model. For alpha = 0.05, levels of 0.04 and 0.12 respectively were fixed for acceptable quality (NCA) and for rejection (NCR). It was shown that the regulations on work in the unit for the preparation of NPT mixtures is satisfactory, as the latest results obtained are within the NCA established and, as a value, it is sufficiently exacting. The imperative need for routine microbiological control is also made clear, in order to maintain and improve the standard of quality in the section."}
{"id": "PMID:1477156", "title": "Cytogenetical and molecularbiological studies on a bovine XY female.", "content": "A bovine XY female in Holstein-Friesian heifer, which appeared as female with uterus and ovaries but did not show the estrus until 23 months old after the birth, was cytogenetically and molecularbiologically examined. As results of chromosome analysis, leucocyte and fibroblasts from skin, spleen and kidney examined had only metaphase plates with 60, XY. From these results and the clinical characteristics, this case was clearly diagnosed as a pure XY female. It was ascertained that the two genes, ZFY and AMG gene which located on the short arm of the Y chromosome (Yp) were detected in normal bulls and a XY female, but were not detected in normal cow, mother cow and half-sib heifer by Southern blotting."}
{"id": "PMID:1477152", "title": "[The correction of metabolic disorders in severely burned patients by enteral hyperalimentation].", "content": "An investigation was carried out of the metabolic processes, and some procedures for standardizing them, for patients with severe burns receiving uniformly distributed dosified high-calorie catheter alimentation, i.e. enteral hyperalimentation, in addition to the hospital's daily diet. Fifteen types of mixtures of Combustal were used, made and preserved ad hoc, and two commercial probe alimentation liquid products--Biosorbin-MCT (Pfrimmer-Kabi) and Fresubin (Fresenius AG). The average period taken to normalize the nitrogen balance was sixteen days counted from commencement of hyperalimentation. While it shifted the nitrogen balance figures from negative to positive, it was also seen to reduce A and C phospholipase activities in serum, while the level of excretion of nitrogenated amino acids and creatine remained high. During this time, pseudocholinesterase activity dropped, with the concentration of fibronectine in serum, which indicates low levels of biosynthetic processes and insufficiency in the reticuloendothelial system. The average value for the determination of lipids in general remained normal throughout the catheter feeding period. To ensure complete normalization of the metabolic process in patients suffering severe burns, enteral hyperalimentation must be extended for at least one month."}
{"id": "PMID:1477157", "title": "Anti-erythrocyte membrane antibodies detected in sera of dogs naturally infected with Babesia gibsoni.", "content": "Due to the potential for anti-erythrocyte membrane antibodies as possible enhancers of erythrocyte destruction, the presence of serum anti-erythrocyte membrane antibodies in 31 dogs with Babesia gibsoni infection admitted to a veterinary hospital was investigated by an enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and immunoblotting analyses. This infection resulted in an increase of anti-erythrocyte membrane antibodies in 84% (IgG) and 74% (IgM) of 31 infected dogs, respectively. This was confirmed by the similarity in the protein profiles of the erythrocyte membrane antigens immunoblotted with rabbit antiserum to dog erythrocyte membrane antigens and infected dog serum. These results suggest the production of anti-erythrocyte membrane antibodies was induced by B. gibsoni infection."}
{"id": "PMID:1477148", "title": "[Linoleic acid and the immune system. Controversies about lipid emulsions].", "content": "The selection of a given lipidic function for nutritional backup requires not only knowledge of the metabolism of the different existing lipidic emulsions and of their specific therapeutic indications, but also of their contraindications and controversies because, apart from their calorific value, the contribution of liposoluble vitamins and their function in preventing essential fatty acid deficiencies, we know that they are powerful metabolic modulators. This in associated with the fact that manipulation of dietary lipids (enteral or parenteral) can affect and modulate the response to the disease, attack or infection by improving or impairing the different immune functions. This review is focused on the scientific publications which have examined the varying effects of lipidic emulsions, in quantity and in quality (particularly linoleic acid) on the immune system, on the fatty acid composition of the cellular membranes and on the production of and prostaglandins and leukotrienes. An update is given of the known interrelation between lipids and immunity, with appraisal of triglycerides and long-medium -- and short-chain fatty acids, mixtures of medium -- and long-chain triglycerides, the proportions between infinity-3/infinity-6, and structured lipids."}
{"id": "PMID:1477158", "title": "Glomerular lesions in unilateral nephrectomized and diabetic (UN-D) mice.", "content": "Experimental diabetes was induced in both control and unilaterally nephrectomized male mice by injecting streptozotocin (SZ) (50 mg/kg x 5 days) one week after nephrectomy. The time course changes in the glomerular lesions were examined for up to 12 weeks after completion of the SZ-injection (12WAI). In unilateral nephrectomized and diabetic mice, mild segmental expansion of the mesangial area developed at 4WAI, and it progressed to prominent segmental glomerulosclerosis at 12WAI. In the electron microscopic examination at 12WAI, marked expansion of the mesangial area, segmental thickening of the glomerular basement membrane, fusion of the foot processes of podocytes and a prominent increase in the number of microvilli of capillary endothelial cells were observed. On the other hand, mild to moderate expansion of the glomerular mesangial area was only sporadically found in unnephrectomized diabetic mice at 12WAI. Interestingly, Bowman's capsules of diabetic mice were generally lined with flattened epithelia but those of non-diabetic mice with cuboidal or low columnar epithelia."}
{"id": "PMID:1477153", "title": "[Food composition tables: a practical appraisal].", "content": "We have revised the most common food composition tables published in Spain, France, Germany, England and the United States of America. In this article we have collected information concerning the points that may describe the size, format, numbers of items and numbers of nutrients in each table, so it can help professionals to know which of them may suit his needs properly."}
{"id": "PMID:1477149", "title": "[A histopathological study of the hepatic changes induced by parenteral nutrition in the rat].", "content": "Total parenteral nutrition is associated with hepatic metabolic and morphologic changes. Histological alterations induced by administration of glucose plus amino acids (group A) or glucose plus amino acids and lipids (group B) have been investigated in the rat. Parenteral nutrition provided 187 kcal/kg/day in both groups of animals. Rats in group B received 30% of nonprotein calories as lipids (Intralipid). In group A the most frequent histopathological findings were inflammation, portal edema and microesteatosis. Those alterations did not disappear by lipid addition, being frequent the existence of congestive phenomenons and esteatosis together with occasional pigment deposits in Kupffer cells. Those data suggest that supplementation of solutions with LCT-base lipid emulsions does not compensate for the histopathological alterations induced by parenteral nutrition."}
{"id": "PMID:1477159", "title": "Serum resistance and aerobactin iron uptake in avian Escherichia coli mediated by conjugative 100-megadalton plasmid.", "content": "A total of 115 strains of Escherichia coli isolated from chickens with colisepticemia in Japan were examined for chicken lethality and virulence factors. It was found that serum resistance and aerobactin-mediated iron uptake are the most prevalent characteristics in these strains. Among them, S-20, a representative virulent strain of serotype O2, was further studied. S-20 harbored a conjugative 100-megadalton (Mdal) plasmid, designated pKI100. Curing and reintroduction experiments showed that pKI100 encodes both serum resistance and aerobactin-mediated iron uptake, and the diminished virulence of the pKI100-cured strain was fully restored by the reintroduction of the plasmid. These results demonstrated that pKI100 is the virulence plasmid of the S-20 strain, and that serum resistance and aerobactin-mediated iron uptake are the virulence factors in E. coli strains which cause avian colibacillosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1477160", "title": "Developmental capacity of reconstituted mouse embryos: influences of nucleus and cytoplasm sources.", "content": "This study was undertaken to examine the developmental capacity of reconstituted mouse embryos, and the influences of nucleus and cytoplasm on the development of these embryos following reciprocal pronuclear transplantation between in vitro 2-cell blocked and nonblocked embryos. Karyoplast containing pronuclei was transferred into the perivitelline space of the enucleated zygote and fused to cytoplasm with electrofusion. Maximum fusion rate was obtained when a field strength of 1.5 kV/cm was used. The fusion rates were high (86.2 +/- 3.2 to 90.6 +/- 2.0%) regardless of the strains of donor nucleus and recipient cytoplasm. Developmental rates of reconstituted embryos to the blastocyst stage, which were similar to that of the F1 (C57BL/6J x CBA) control were high when F1 embryos were used as the cytoplasm recipients (88.8 +/- 1.5 and 91.9 +/- 2.0%). When ICR embryos were used as the recipient cytoplasm, developmental rates were significantly reduced (71.5 +/- 2.9 and 54.1 +/- 3.2%), and affected by the source of nucleus. There were no significant differences in the cell number of embryos that developed to blastocysts and in the developmental rates to live young among the embryos reconstituted with different nuclei and cytoplasm, and the ICR control. The results of this study show that the development of reconstituted embryos is hardly affected by nuclear transplantation and electrofusion procedures. It is indicated that the recipient cytoplasm, rather than the donor nucleus, has the greater influence on the in vitro development of the reconstituted embryos to the blastocyst stage."}
{"id": "PMID:1477161", "title": "Interaction between Bordetella bronchiseptica and toxigenic Pasteurella multocida on the nasal mucosa of SPF piglets.", "content": "The interaction between Bordetella bronchiseptica and type D toxigenic Pasteurella multocida was studied in five groups of 4 specific-pathogen-free (SPF) piglets each. At 28 days of age, piglets of groups 3 and 4 were inoculated into both nostrils with 10(8) colony-forming-units (CFU) of a non-dermonecrotic toxin (DNT)-producing, phase I strain of B. bronchiseptica. Piglets of groups 1 and 3 were treated intranasally with a sonic extract of the non-toxic strain of B. bronchiseptica and those of groups 2 and 4 with B. bronchiseptica DNT into the left nostril. Sonic extract and DNT treatment was started at 33 days of age and lasted for 5 days. Piglets of group 5 served as controls. At the age of 37 days, piglets of all groups except group 5 were inoculated into both nostrils with 5 x 10(7) CFU of toxigenic P. multocida. At slaughter at 50 days of age, P. multocida was recovered from the left nasal cavity of 3 piglets of group 2 and all piglets of group 4. In piglets inoculated with B. bronchiseptica DNT the mucosal epithelial cells of the left nasal cavity showed loss of cilia, regressive lesions such as vacuolation, karyopycnosis and necrosis, hypertrophy of the epithelium, infiltration of the epithelium and submucosa by inflammatory cells, could also be seen. The results suggest that action of the B. bronchiseptica DNT on the nasal mucosa is a precondition of the growth of P. multocida in the nasal cavity.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1477162", "title": "Effects of estrogen and progesterone on the development of the mammary gland and the associated blood vessels in ovariectomized mice.", "content": "Effects of estrogen and progesterone on the first abdomino-inguinal mammary gland and the associated blood vessels in ovariectomized mice were investigated morphometrically, and light and electron microscopically. Although there were no significant differences in the area of the fat pad of the mammary gland among the experimental groups, the area of the mammary parenchyma and diameters of the blood vessels supplying the mammary gland, i.e., A. et V. circumflexa ilium profunda and A. et V. epigastrica caudalis superficialis, reached the maximal value in ovariectomized mice treated with estradiol (E) + progesterone (P). Similarly, the blood capillaries around buds and ducts of the mammary gland were most densely distributed in E + P treated mice. In the adipose tissues of the mammary stroma in intact mice, fat cells were of multilocular type in the peripheral regions around the main vessel, and of unilocular type in the other part. In E and E + P treated mice, however, fat cells were mostly of unilocular type. These findings suggest that the formation of mammary fat tissues may occur in advance of that of the mammary parenchyma. By TEM, epithelial cells of the mammary parenchyma contained a large number of mitochondria and ribosomes, well-developed Golgi apparatus and rER, and large lipid droplets. Endothelial cells of blood capillaries displayed numerous pinocytotic vesicles, longer marginal folds and microvillous processes. Each organelle in these two cell types increased in number or developed to a greater degree in E + P treated mice than the other experimental groups.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1477163", "title": "Interrelationship between lipid droplets and mitochondria in brown adipocytes of the hamster.", "content": "The interrelationship between lipid droplets and mitochondria in the interscapular brown adipose tissue of the hamster was investigated by electron microscopy. The membranous structure of mitochondria began to degenerate at the site in contact with lipid droplets. From that site, mitochondrial cristae also began to collapse. After being completely surrounded by lipid droplets, these degenerating mitochondria became vacuolated within them. Finally, lipid infiltrated into these vacuoles. Mitochondrion-like structures found in the lipid droplets may be possibly residues of the degenerating mitochondrial membranes."}
{"id": "PMID:1477164", "title": "Sudden cardiac death in calves with experimental heavy infection of Strongyloides papillosus.", "content": "For obtaining the preliminary data on the pathogenesis of sudden death in calves naturally heavily infected with Strongyloides papillosus, we monitored 8 Holstein calves experimentally infected with the larvae on electrocardiographic and pneumographic changes. Six calves died suddenly on days 11 to 17 after infection. Sinus tachycardia had been recorded continuously since 1 to 6 days before death. Heart rates increased gradually until death. Since 1 or 2 days before death, various patterns of tachyarrhythmia and bradyarrhythmia had been observed among patterns of sinus tachycardia. Arrhythmias included serious ventricular premature beat, paroxysmal ventricular tachycardia, complete atrioventricular block and so on. The terminal pattern observed suddenly in all of the cases was ventricular arrhythmias consisting of serial ventricular tachycardia, flutter and fibrillation, which were followed by respiratory arrest. Abnormal pneumograms were not obtained before the terminal ventricular fibrillation. Two of 8 calves recovered from the infection, only one of which showed sinus arrest and the second degree of atrioventricular block transiently. We concluded that calves heavily infected with the larvae died due to sudden cardiac arrest."}
{"id": "PMID:1477165", "title": "Immunohistochemical morphometry of pancreatic islets in the cat.", "content": "The application of immunohistochemical technique with antisera for glucagon (Glu), insulin (Ins), somatostatin (Som) and pancreatic polypeptide (PP) to serial sections of the cat pancreas permitted the quantitative evaluation of the population of 4 endocrine cell types and that of the area, larger diameter and density of islets. The pancreas was divided macroscopically into the 4 portions, duodenal, gastric, anastomotic and splenic. The duodenal portion was characterized by the localization of PP-immunoreactive (IR) cell-rich islets, the dissemination of PP-IR cells in the exocrine parenchyma and the absence of Glu-IR cells. In the duodenal portion, the area, the larger diameter and the density of islets were significantly smaller than those in the other 3 portions. On the contrary, the other 3 portions were marked with the deficiency of PP-IR cells and the existence of Glu-IR cell-rich islets. Ins-IR cells, identified as compact cell masses without any other types of cells, occupied a major part of every islet, composing much the same population throughout the 4 portions. The Som-IR cell population appeared to be closely in parallel with the Glu-IR cell population in all of the portions. It is concluded that all islets are similar in the Ins-IR cell population, but different in the complementary arrangement of Glu- and PP-IR cells. Based on this difference, 2 types of islets can be classified."}
{"id": "PMID:1477166", "title": "Effect of 50 kilobase-plasmid, pKDSC50, of Salmonella choleraesuis RF-1 strain on pig septicemia.", "content": "Salmonella choleraesuis strains with and without 50-kilobase plasmid (pKDSC50) were intravenously inoculated into Yorkshire pigs. By the inoculation of 7.2 x 10(5) - 3.5 x 10(7) cells, RF-1 strain with pKDSC50, but not 31N-1 strain without the plasmid, caused a septicemia. The inoculation of 8.7 x 10(9) RF-1 cells killed pigs at 2-4 day postinfection with severe hemorrhage on the whole body. Pigs with a similar number of 31N-1 cells (8.3 x 10(9) cells), showed milder hemorrhage, and they died at 6 day postinfection. These results indicated that pKDSC50 is required for RF-1 strain to express the full virulence causing a heavy cutaneous pig septicemia."}
{"id": "PMID:1477167", "title": "Growth activity of bovid herpesvirus 1 in bovine follicular oocytes with cumulus cells.", "content": "Bovine follicular oocytes collected from bovine ovaries were exposed to bovid herpesvirus 1 (BHV-1). After washings, these oocytes were cultured to mature. As a result BHV-1 could not be removed from the oocytes and could replicate in the oocytes with cumulus cells, but not in the oocytes without the cells. Moreover, the specific fluorescence for BHV-1 was detected in the cumulus cells by a indirect immunofluorescent technique. Therefore these findings suggested BHV-1 could be absorbed in the oocytes but the replication of BHV-1 was done in the cumulus cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1477168", "title": "Enhancing effect of butorphanol on medetomidine-induced sedation in pigs.", "content": "Enhancing effect of an opiate agonist-antagonist butorphanol (0.2 mg/kg) on sedation induced by medetomidine (80 micrograms/kg) was evaluated in pigs. Butorphanol significantly enhanced the depth of medetomidine-induced sedation and prolonged the duration of that assessed by posture score and spontaneous movement of pigs. The combination of medetomidine and butorphanol produced excellent muscle relaxation and moderate surface analgesia which was enough for procedures with mild pain in pigs."}
{"id": "PMID:1477169", "title": "Species-specific kinetics of mouse renin contribute to maintenance of normal blood pressure in transgenic mice with overexpressed human angiotensinogen.", "content": "Angiotensinogen, the precursor of a vasoactive octapeptide angiotensin II, is the only known natural substrate of renin, and its reaction exhibits strict species specificity and is the rate-limiting step in the renin-angiotensin system that controls the blood pressure. We measured blood pressure and heart rate of the transgenic mice with overproduced human angiotensinogen, and showed no significant difference in these parameters between transgenic and nontransgenic mice. We also provided evidence that mouse renin could not cleave human angiotensinogen, indicating a lack of angiotensin production from the human substrate. These results suggested that the blood pressure of transgenic mice is normally maintained, probably due to the inability of mouse renin to release angiotensin from the transgene products."}
{"id": "PMID:1477170", "title": "Studies on closure of the ductus arteriosus in perinatal rats.", "content": "Measurements of the inner diameters (calibers) of the ductus arteriosus (DA) and pulmonary artery (PA) were made in late fetal rats and newborn rats, the latter being obtained by spontaneous or caesarean delivery. The fetal and newborn pups were frozen instantly with an acetone-dry ice mixture. The chests of these whole-body frozen pups were shaved with a surgical knife gradually from the back toward the ventral side to expose the DA and PA for measurements of their calibers. As a result, it was revealed that the DA was almost closed 180 min after birth, but that the closure and shrinkage of the DA were accelerated to some extent by caesarean delivery. On the other hand, there was no remarkable change in the PA throughout the postnatal period observed, regardless of the type of delivery, spontaneous or caesarean."}
{"id": "PMID:1477171", "title": "Implantation in both of the uterine horns after the unilateral intrauterine insemination in rabbits.", "content": "Artificial insemination was carried out by injecting semen into the upper part of the left uterine horn in rabbits with a duplex uterus. Ovulation was then induced by administration of hCG. As a result, implanted fetuses were observed not only in the left uterine horn but also in the right uterine horn. However, when similar insemination was carried out after ligation of the right utero-tubal junction, fertilization did not occur in the right oviduct. From these finding, we conclude that some of the spermatozoa injected into the left uterine horn was discharged into the vagina, entered the right uterine cervical canal, and reached the right oviduct to fertilize the ova."}
{"id": "PMID:1477172", "title": "Pituitary dependent hyperadrenocorticism in a cat.", "content": "A cat that was suspected some insulin resistance was diagnosed as pituitary dependent hyperadrenocorticism from an adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) stimulation test, dexamethasone suppression test and measure of endogenous plasma ACTH concentration. Histopathological examination revealed chromophobe adenoma in pituitary gland and hyperplasia in adrenal cortex."}
{"id": "PMID:1477173", "title": "Listeric septicemia with meningitis in a neonatal calf.", "content": "A 9-days-old calf which had exhibited depression and difficulty to stand and walk was examined pathologically and bacteriologically. The primary pathological changes consisted of multifocal necrosis in several visceral organs and fibrinopurulent meningitis. The necrotic lesions were most frequently found in the liver, and accompanied with mononuclear cell infiltration and Gram-positive small bacilli. The organisms were also present in the foci of mononuclear cells at the central gray matter of the mesencephalon. Listeria monocytogenes was isolated from the brain and other organs of the whole body."}
{"id": "PMID:1477174", "title": "Cardiopathological observation on a case of persistent ventricular tachycardia in a pony mare.", "content": "A 20-year-old pony mare with persistent ventricular tachycardia (VT) was examined cardiopathologically. At necropsy, the heart was enlarged and rounded with both ventricular dilatation. In a longitudinal section of the ventricular septum, a large grayish white patchy lesion (5 x 25 mm) was detected in the relatively higher portion. Microscopically, the lesion was extensive myocardial fibrosis located in the vicinity of the proximal part of the left bundle branch. Partially the fibrotic lesion was in contact with the branch. Such a lesion might play an important role in creating a suitable background for the development of VT via automaticity or reentry mechanism."}
{"id": "PMID:1477175", "title": "Changes in the level of plasma cortisol, progesterone and total testosterone in developing hairless dogs.", "content": "Changes in the levels of plasma cortisol, progesterone and total testosterone were examined in developing hairless and haired dogs. Cortisol levels in the hairless dogs seemed to be higher than those in haired dogs within the age of 4-5 weeks. No apparent changes were seen in the level of plasma progesterone between the groups of hairless females and haired females. Total testosterone levels in hairless males showed to be significantly lower than those in haired males at the age of 13-21 weeks."}
{"id": "PMID:1477176", "title": "Chromosome-sized DNA of Malassezia pachydermatis by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis.", "content": "The genome of Malassezia pachydermatis isolates from dogs was resolved into six chromosomes by using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and their molecular sizes were calculated as 820, 1,100, 1,400, 1,470, 1,660 and 1,820 Kb, respectively. Comparison of electrophoretic patterns suggested that the chromosomes of M. pachydermatis were homozygous."}
{"id": "PMID:1477177", "title": "Changes in anti-erythrocyte membrane antibody level of dogs experimentally infected with Babesia gibsoni.", "content": "To account for the conflict between the excessive destruction of erythrocytes and the number of parasitized erythrocytes in dogs infected with Babesia gibsoni, we examined the correlation between anti-erythrocyte membrane antibody level (AEMAL) and the number of erythrocytes (RBC count) in dogs with experimentally induced babesiosis using hematological examination and an enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). In the infected dogs without splenectomy, more prominent reduction in RBC count accompanied with the elevated AEMAL was presented than anticipated from parasitemia until the 21st day. Furthermore, autoagglutinated erythrocytes and spherocytes were demonstrated in blood films. These results suggest that a humoral immunologic mechanism may be involved in a decrease in RBC count in dogs infected with B. gibsoni."}
{"id": "PMID:1477178", "title": "The first outbreak of fowl cholera in Muscovy ducks (Cairina moschata) in Japan.", "content": "The first outbreak of fowl cholera occurred in a flock of Muscovy ducks (Cairina moschata) in Okinawa Prefecture of Japan in November 1990. Fifty (25%) of 200 birds in a farm died of an acute disease. Remaining birds recovered after treatment with oxytetracycline. Pasteurella multocida subsp. multocida was isolated in pure culture from all tissues tested from two dead birds. Serovars of the isolates were identified as Carter's capsular type A. Heddleston's type 3.4.12, and Namioka's type 5:A which have not been demonstrated in Japan. Pathologically, multiple necrosis and bacterial aggregates were prominent in several organs, particularly in the liver. The isolate killed chickens when inoculated intravenously at a concentration of 10(8) colony forming units."}
{"id": "PMID:1477179", "title": "A scanning electron microscopic study on the difference between white and brown adipose tissues in the rat.", "content": "Lipid globules in the white and brown adipose tissues in the rat were well preserved with prolonged postfixation in OSO4. The difference between the surface of white adipose tissue and that of brown adipose tissue was observed in such a way that the surface of the brown adipocyte was lumpy owing to the presence of intracellular lipid globules, and that the surface of the white adipocyte was considerably smooth. After the matrix of lipid globules was dissolved during specimen preparation, the subgranules embedded in the matrix were disclosed on the inner surface of the lipid globules. The cut surface of the white adipocyte contained a large lipid droplet and the amount of cytoplasm was poor, whereas the brown adipocyte had several lipid droplets and many small granules in the cytoplasm."}
{"id": "PMID:1477180", "title": "Biochemical parameters following capture myopathy in one Arabian oryx (Oryx leucoryx).", "content": "Twenty-three biochemistry parameters and hematocrit were followed during 10 days in a 13 months old Arabian Oryx (Oryx leucoryx) during capture myopathy. An increase was found in bilirubin, creatine-kinase, alanine aminotransferase, and aspartate aminotransferase levels, but not in potassium level. Most of the parameters analyzed were the first given for this species."}
{"id": "PMID:1477181", "title": "Production of granulocyte/macrophage colony-stimulating factor in human airways during allergen-induced late-phase reactions in atopic subjects.", "content": "Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and interleukin-3 (IL-3) are hematopoietic growth factors that have been shown to induce proliferation and activation of inflammatory cells, and may play a role in allergic reactions. Since little is known about the involvement of cytokines in allergic inflammation in the lung, the levels of GM-CSF and IL-3 were measured in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluids obtained in the late phase after segmental lung antigen (Ag) challenge in 14 allergic rhinitis subjects with or without bronchial asthma. BAL fluids either after Ag (ragweed, dust mite, or timothy) or saline control challenge were recovered 19 h later. In 6 of the 14 patients, BAL fluids were concentration-dialyzed (20x) and assayed for cytokine activity. Cytokine assays were performed using the human megakaryocytic leukemic cell line M-07e, which is responsive to either GM-CSF or IL-3. The level of GM-CSF-equivalents was approximately 25 times higher in Ag-challenged sites (49.9 +/- 12.7 pg/ml; mean +/- SEM), compared to saline challenge sites (2.2 +/- 1.0, p < 0.01, n = 9). Neutralization experiments using a polyclonal specific antibody (Ab) against GM-CSF and IL-3 revealed that the bulk of the activity was GM-CSF. BAL fluids from Ag- and saline-challenged sites in one nonatopic subject contained no significant GM-CSF activity. Furthermore, the level of GM-CSF in Ag-challenged BAL fluid and the percentage of eosinophils in BAL from each subject correlated significantly (r = 0.73, p < 0.005, n = 14).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1477182", "title": "Modulation of blood-brain barrier permeability by tumor necrosis factor and antibody to tumor necrosis factor in the rat.", "content": "In an attempt to understand the role of TNF in the central nervous system (CNS) pathophysiologic events associated with bacterial meningitis, we examined the effect of intravenous vs. intracisternal administration of TNF alpha on penetration of circulating 125I-labeled albumin into cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and CSF white blood cell (WBC) counts in rats. Intracisternal administration of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) resulted in dose- and time-dependent alterations of the CSF penetration and CSF WBCs, while intravenous administration of TNF-alpha did not induce any changes. These changes by intracisternal TNF were abolished by heat treatment of TNF or coadministration of MAb to TNF-alpha. Mab to TNF-alpha also significantly reduced the CSF penetration of circulating albumin in experimental hematogenous Haemophilus influenzae type b meningitis in infant rats but this salutary effect required both intravenous and intracisternal administration. However, MAb to TNF-alpha failed to affect CSF pleocytosis in experimental hematogenous meningitis. These findings suggest that some of CNS pathophysiologic changes in bacterial meningitis may be a result of the local production of TNF but other host inflammatory responses may also participate in CNS inflammation in hematogenous bacterial meningitis."}
{"id": "PMID:1477183", "title": "Transforming growth factor-beta inhibits human T-cell proliferation through multiple targets.", "content": "This study investigates further the inhibitory effects of transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) on human T-lymphocyte responses to mitogenic stimulation. T cells were stimulated either with mitogenic concentrations of PHA or with submitogenic concentrations of Con A followed by the addition of IL-2. DNA synthesis ([3H]thymidine incorporation) in both systems was inhibited by 60-69% in the presence of TGF-beta, with maximal reduction occurring on days 4 and 5 of culture. Cell surface expression of transferrin receptor (TfR) and IL-2 receptor-alpha (p55) were inhibited by 20-80% in the Con A/rIL-2 system and 20-45% in the PHA system in the presence of TGF-beta. In addition, mitogen-induced up-regulation of TfR and IL-2R mRNA levels were inhibited by TGF-beta. Finally, we investigated the effect of TGF-beta on the assembly of clathrin monomers into assembled coated pits and vesicles, and essential step in TfR and IL-2R alpha turnover. Stimulation of T cells using either mitogen system resulted in an increase in the level of assembled clathrin, which was almost completely inhibited by TGF-beta. These findings suggest that TGF-beta may act at several sites in mitogen-mediated proliferative pathways to contribute to the inhibition of T-cell proliferation."}
{"id": "PMID:1477184", "title": "Human hybridoma-derived suppressor factor 160 and transforming growth factor-beta are different molecules.", "content": "We have previously identified a suppressor factor (SF), designated 160 constitutively produced by human T-T-cell hybridomas generated by fusing Con A-activated human peripheral blood lymphocytes from a normal donor with cells of the Jurkat tumor T-cell line (Hybridoma 8:127-151, 1989). The 160 SF inhibited in vitro proliferative responses to polyclonal activators and allogeneic cells, and immunoglobulin synthesis and secretion of human and mouse lymphocytes. We investigated whether the hybridoma-derived 160 SF and transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) are distinct molecules. TGF-beta has been shown to inhibit a number of lymphocyte responses. In agreement with our previous findings, the 160 SF abrogated the proliferative responses of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) to mitogens and allogeneic cells in mixed lymphocyte culture. In contrast, TGF-beta, added to the PBMC cultures at the same time with the mitogen or the stimulating allogeneic cells, had no effect on the proliferative response. Acid treatment of the 160 SF completely abolished the 160 SF activity. In contrast, this treatment results in activation of the latent TGF-beta form to the active form, and acidification does not affect the function of existing active TGF-beta. A polyclonal anti-TGF-beta antibody did not detect TGF-beta by Western blotting in concentrated (10x) 160 SF preparations. In addition, the 160 SF did not induce the anchorage-independent growth of NRK fibroblasts in the presence of EGF.TGF-beta at concentrations as low as 1 ng/ml, in the presence of EGF, induced the anchorage-independent growth of the anchorage-dependent indicator NRK cells.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1477185", "title": "Contrasting effects of interferon-gamma and interleukin-4 on neopterin generation from human adherent monocytes.", "content": "The production of neopterin is closely correlated with activation of cell-mediated immunity. Neopterin appears to be produced by human macrophages specifically stimulated with interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma). Interleukin-4 (IL-4), a B and T stimulatory factor, has recently been shown to inhibit monocyte/macrophage functions, including the ability to suppress monocyte-generated cytokines. In this report we confirmed previous studies that identified the monocyte/macrophage as the main producing cell among human blood cells and that secretion is stimulated by IFN-gamma and lipopolysaccharides (LPS). IL-4 inhibits the generation of neopterin from unstimulated monocytes. This inhibitory effect was dose dependent and occurred at concentrations lower than 0.01 ng/ml. However, IL-4 had only a minimal inhibitory effect on LPS-induced generation of neopterin and could not reverse IFN-gamma-induced neopterin secretion from adherent monocytes. Furthermore, we report that LPS induced IFN-gamma production in monocyte culture. This production is strongly inhibited by IL-4 treatment. These findings indicate that IL-4 can regulate the synthesis of neopterin by adherent blood mononuclear cells and provide further evidence that LPS-induced neopterin in macrophages may act by IFN-gamma-independent mechanisms."}
{"id": "PMID:1477186", "title": "Beta-endorphin inhibits interleukin-2 release and expression of interleukin-2 receptors in concanavalin A-stimulated splenic lymphocytes.", "content": "beta-endorphin, when added at the same time as the mitogenic lectin concanavalin A to mouse BALB/c spleen lymphocytes, inhibits cell proliferation. The suppressive effect of beta-endorphin is not exercised through a cAMP-dependent mechanism and is also observed when splenic lymphocytes are stimulated with phytohemagglutinin (4 micrograms/ml), anti-CD3 monoclonal antibody, or the Ca2+ ionophore A23187 (250 nM) and phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (1 ng/ml). The inhibitory effect of beta-endorphin on lymphocyte proliferation is dose and time dependent: when beta-endorphin is added 20 h after Con A stimulation no suppression of lymphocyte proliferation is observed. beta-Endorphin inhibits, in a dose-dependent manner, the release of interleukin-2 in concanavalin A-stimulated splenic lymphocytes, measured 24 h after stimulation. beta-Endorphin also controls the appearance of interleukin-2 receptors in the plasma membrane, but does not regulate the expression of the c-myc protooncogene. These data indicate that beta-endorphin inhibits lymphocyte activation signal transmission, downstream the generation of the second messengers Ca2+ and diacylglycerol and the expression of the protooncogene c-myc, by blocking interleukin-2 release and interleukin-2 receptors expression. Once the cells are in the G1 stage, beta-endorphin is no longer able to block lymphocyte proliferation."}
{"id": "PMID:1477188", "title": "Tracer kinetic evidence for abnormal methyl metabolism in schizophrenia.", "content": "The original transmethylation hypothesis of schizophrenia has evolved with time and experiment to the present concept that a defect in the methyl-carbon metabolic pathway may be causative in this illness. Various researchers have proposed that specific steps in the methyl-carbon pathway may be defective, and have presented evidence to support these possibilities. We have tested the general concept of the hypothesis by administering methionine labeled with 11C or 14C in the S-methyl carbon to patients with schizophrenia and to controls and measured the expiration of 11CO2 and 14CO2. We found that the rate and total expiration of labeled CO2 were three times less in the patients than in the controls, with no overlap of data points in the two groups. Specific steps in the methylcarbon pathway that might be defective and produce the results seen here are discussed in light of this and other researchers' findings."}
{"id": "PMID:1477189", "title": "Magnetic resonance imaging of the posterior fossa in autism.", "content": "The brainstem-cerebellar circuitry has been implicated in the pathophysiology of autism for several decades. Recent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies of the posterior fossa have reported various abnormalities, the most noteworthy of which has been selective hypoplasia of the neocerebellar vermis. However, these initial MRI studies are limited by problems in both subject and control selection. The present study was undertaken to further investigate these MRI findings and the role of the cerebellum in autism, taking into consideration these methodologic issues. Eighteen high-functioning autistic subjects were recruited and matched with 18 normal controls on the basis of age, gender, IQ, race and socioeconomic status (SES). The midsagittal areas of the cerebellar vermis, vermal lobes, and the fourth ventricle were measured on 3 mm contiguous magnetic resonance images. Mean areas and standard deviations were comparable for all regions of interest and no statistically significant between-group differences were found. These negative findings argue against theories of autism based on gross structural abnormalities of the cerebellum. Previous reports of posterior fossa abnormalities may be related to technical and methodological factors, based on comparison of extant literature and recently available normative data."}
{"id": "PMID:1477190", "title": "Lithium in combination with perphenazine: effect on plasma monoamine metabolites.", "content": "The addition of lithium to perphenazine altered the pattern of plasma homovanillic acid (HVA) during the course of treatment for acute psychosis. In the perphenazine-treated group plasma HVA declined significantly by days 7-9 of treatment, whereas in the perphenazine-plus-lithium group plasma HVA tended to increase. The pattern for plasma methoxyhydroxyphenethyl-glycol (MHPG) was not significantly different for the two groups. The addition of lithium to a neuroleptic may enhance the metabolism of dopamine."}
{"id": "PMID:1477191", "title": "Sleep EEG effects of 3,4-methylenedioxyethamphetamine (MDE; \"eve\") in healthy volunteers.", "content": "3,4-methylenedioxyethamphetamine (MDE; \"Eve\") exerts similar psychotropic effects in humans as 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA; \"Ecstasy\") and is less toxic in animal studies. We conducted a double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over sleep electroencephalogram (EEG) study with healthy volunteers. One hundred forty milligrams of MDE or placebo were administered PO in six subjects at 11 PM. Sleep EEG was registered from 11 PM-7 AM the next morning. All subjects had a normal sleep onset latency. They all awoke 60 to 120 min after administration of MDE and stayed awake for at least 150 min (total sleep time, TST MDE < placebo and intermittent time awake MDE > placebo: p < 0.001). After again falling asleep rapid eye movement (REM) sleep was totally suppressed (REM during time in bed, TIB MDE < placebo: p < 0.001). A cyclic alternation of relatively long periods of slow wave sleep (SWS) with periods of light sleep occurred in three subjects during the second part of the night (stage 4 in second part of night MDE > placebo: p = 0.16). The effects of MDE on sleep variables largely demonstrate the stimulant, amphetamine-like properties of MDE."}
{"id": "PMID:1477192", "title": "Late cognitive event-related potentials in adult Down's syndrome.", "content": "Event-related electroencephalogram (EEG) potentials (ERPs) using two different tasks were measured in 14 adults with Down's syndrome (DS; mean age 32 years) without clinically detectable cognitive decline. Two groups, young healthy (YH) and old healthy (OH) adults, served as controls. In the oddball task, DS had prolonged N1 and earlier P2 latencies than the control groups. P3 latency was delayed in comparison to YH. In the PushWait task, P3 latency was later in DS than in YH and OH. In both tasks, DS showed a marked amplitude shift towards positivity overlapping the N1-P2 complex and seemingly also P3: The P3 amplitude evoked by target tones and by \"Push\" was shifted towards anterior sites resulting in a Cz maximum. Changes of the N1 latency and amplitude in DS may be related to enhanced arousal during stimulus processing, indicating a possible defect of central inhibitory mechanisms. The study suggests that differentiated ERP procedures provide information on adult DS cognition exceeding those given by mere P3 latency measurements. Such procedures may be useful in the evaluation of the cognitive decline due to precocious aging or Alzheimer-type dementia in DS."}
{"id": "PMID:1477193", "title": "Heightened motor activity level in male offspring of substance abusing fathers.", "content": "Heightened activity level has been implicated in the liability for substance abuse, but no prior research has directly examined motor activity in a sample of prepubertal boys at high-risk for substance abuse. The magnitude of behavioral activity of 10-12 year-old sons of substance abusing fathers (SA +) (n = 42) and controls (SA -) (n = 60) was assessed using a microprocessor-based activity monitor during tasks that demanded significant concentration, effort, and constraint on motor activity, and when no such demands were present. Psychiatric status, measures of temperament traits, and measures of internalizing and externalizing behaviors were also obtained on the boys. Although the groups did not differ during the lower demand task, SA + boys showed significantly greater motor activity than SA - boys during the tasks that required concerted effort, attention, and behavioral suppression. Multiple regression analysis indicated that under the low-demand condition, the presence of an anxiety disorder in the boy was the only significant predictor of activity level. However, under the conditions that demanded effort, concerted attention and behavioral suppression, SA + group membership, and having low rhythmicity (as a temperament trait) predicted heightened activity. Statistically controlling for rhythmicity, the SA + boys were estimated to have about 24% higher activity than control boys. The results suggest that heightened motor activity may be associated with susceptibility to substance abuse."}
{"id": "PMID:1477194", "title": "The relationship between onsets of depression and sudden drops in solar irradiation.", "content": "In a retrospective single-case study of a patient (L.S., the first author), who suffers from recurrent depression, we compared the onsets of his depression with meteorological data on light intensity, independently obtained, for the years 1975-1988. During those years there were 24 onsets or worsening of an existing depressive episode. Eleven of these occurred in the months September-December. Seven of these 11 autumn/winter onsets and 12 of the remaining 13 non-autumn/winter onsets coincided with a period of unusually low natural light intensity. Thus, 19 of 24 onsets (79%) were associated with falling light intensity, regardless of season. Some episodes that were not related to falling light intensity were associated with life events. For the years prior to the patient's use of light therapy, there was a statistically significant relationship between falling light and onset of depression. This supports the suggestion that depressive episodes (in certain individuals) may be triggered by unusually dull weather, regardless of season."}
{"id": "PMID:1477195", "title": "Metalloproteinase activities expressed during development and maturation of the rat prostatic complex and seminal vesicles.", "content": "The objective of this study was to characterize proteinase activities expressed during development and maturation of the prostate gland and seminal vesicles of the rat by using gelatin-and casein-containing SDS polyacrylamide gel zymography. The prostatic complexes of 2- and 10-day-old animals and the individual lobes of the prostate (ventral, dorsolateral, and anterior [coagulating gland]) and the seminal vesicles of 15-day-old animals expressed prominent gelatinolytic activities of approximately 64, 71, and 76 kDa. These activities had properties of metalloproteinases; i.e., they were stimulated by Ca2+ and inhibited by EDTA and EGTA. They were greatly diminished by 52 days of age (immediately postpuberty) and were not detected in the dorsal lobe of the adult. Less active gelatinolytic proteinases with molecular masses of approximately 34 and 43 kDa were expressed in the developing prostatic complexes and individual lobes and seminal vesicles, but they were not detected in postpubertal animals. Weak gelatinolytic activities of 82, 85, and 89 kDa were found in the prostatic complexes; these activities were greatly diminished in all prostate lobes with sexual maturation but were expressed in the seminal vesicles at all ages. A large-molecular-mass Ca(2+)-independent proteinase of 130 kDa or greater was first detected in the dorsolateral prostate at 21 days of age. This activity was expressed in both the lateral and dorsal lobes of the adult but was greater in the lateral lobe. Proteinase activities of about 22 and 26 kDa that were not stimulated by Ca2+ were detected in the ventral prostate at 15 days of age by means of both gelatin and casein gels.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1477196", "title": "Comparison of norepinephrine and serotonin vasoconstriction of the rat isolated testicular subcapsular artery at physiological and elevated transmural pressures.", "content": "This laboratory has previously described an in vitro preparation showing that the isolated testicular subcapsular artery of the adult rat has a novel triphasic transmural pressure-diameter myogenic response curve consisting of vasodilatation from 20 to 40 mm Hg, vasoconstriction from 40 to 100 mm Hg, and vasodilatation from 100 to 180 mm Hg, suggesting that the myogenic response of this artery between 40 and 100 mm Hg may have an important role in the autoregulation of the testicular blood supply. In the present studies, a 10-mm length of the adult rat isolated testicular subcapsular artery was cannulated and pressurized by an adjustable-height reservoir. External and internal arterial diameters were measured by a digital filar micrometer eyepiece. Dose-response curves for norepinephrine and serotonin were generated in a double-bath artery chamber at transmural pressures of 70 and 140 mm Hg, using half of the same artery for each pressure. Norepinephrine (3 x 10(-8) to 1 x 10(-5) M) produced a dose-dependent vasoconstriction at 70 mm Hg, with the highest dose causing a 31.4% decrease in lumen cross-sectional area (p < 0.05). Serotonin (3 x 10(-8) to 1 x 10(-6) M) produced a stronger dose-dependent vasoconstriction at 70 mm Hg, with the highest dose causing a 72.7% decrease in lumen cross-sectional area (p < 0.05). In marked contrast, the same concentration of norepinephrine and serotonin were found to have no statistically significant effect on the lumen cross-sectional area of the isolated testicular subcapsular artery at a transmural pressure of 140 mm Hg.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1477197", "title": "Mature domestic cat oocyte does not express a cortical granule-free domain.", "content": "A premature release of cortical granules (CG), found in the cortex of unfertilized oocytes, and the resulting formation of a CG-free domain (CGFD) over the metaphase II spindle are associated with nuclear maturation in the hamster and mouse. The objectives of our study were to characterize and compare the distribution of CG in immature, in vitro-matured, and in vivo-matured domestic cat oocytes while determining if a CGFD is formed that may be useful as a marker for stage and normalcy of oocyte maturation. Immature, intrafollicular oocytes were collected from ovaries obtained from local veterinary clinics, and a portion of these oocytes were matured in vitro. In vivo-matured, metaphase II oocytes were flushed from the oviducts of gonadotropin-treated, ovariohysterectomized cats. CG were visualized by Lens culinaris agglutinin-biotin/Texas red-strepavidin fluorescence, routine transmission electron microscopy, and Lens culinaris agglutinin-biotin/gold-labeled strepavidin transmission electron microscopy. No CGFD was detected in any domestic cat oocyte. Immature, in vitro-matured, and in vivo-matured oocytes had similar, uniform distributions of CG throughout the entire cortical region as measured by fluorescence microscopy. In vivo-matured oocytes were further examined by transmission electron microscopy, which confirmed the lack of a CGFD. All oocytes contained CG having a mean diameter of 0.28 +/- 0.03 micron/granule and a mean density of 51.5 +/- 13.0 CG/100 microns of plasma membrane.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1477198", "title": "Competition between zonae pellucidae and a proteinase inhibitor for sperm binding.", "content": "Murine sperm bind a proteinase inhibitor of seminal vesicle origin at ejaculation. The inhibitor binds in the acrosomal region of the sperm head and is removed during in utero or in vitro incubation. Adding inhibitor to sperm reduces their ability to bind zonae, while adding the purified inhibitor binding site to cumulus-free, zona-intact oocytes reduces the ability of the oocytes to bind sperm. Immuno-aggregation of the inhibitor binding site results in exocytosis of the acrosome. These observations suggest that the inhibitor binding site may participate in zona binding and the acrosome reaction. If the inhibitor binding site binds both the zona and the seminal inhibitor, then these components should compete with each other for that site on the sperm. We show that purified seminal inhibitor, as well as other proteinase inhibitors, block zona-induced acrosome reactions. Likewise, zona glycopeptides block inhibitor/anti-inhibitor-induced acrosome reactions in a concentration-dependent fashion. The inhibitor/anti-inhibitor-induced acrosome reaction is sensitive to pertussis toxin and proteinase inhibitor and thus is similar to zona-induced reactions. These findings support the suggestion that the trypsin inhibitor binding site on the head of the sperm functions to insure sperm-zona binding and induction of the acrosome reaction."}
{"id": "PMID:1477199", "title": "Intrauterine position effects on steroid metabolism and steroid receptors of reproductive organs in male mice.", "content": "Mice differ in their adult reproductive characteristics as a function of whether they developed in utero between two male fetuses (2M males), which have higher testosterone levels, or between two female fetuses (0M males), which have higher estradiol levels. The present study was designed to further characterize biochemical parameters of 2M and 0M adult male mice. Activities of testicular steroidogenic enzymes, namely delta 5-3 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase/isomerase, 17 alpha-hydroxylase, and C17,20-lyase (C21SCC P450), were measured by means of radiometric assays and HPLC fractionation of substrate and products. Activity of 5 alpha-reductase in both seminal vesicle and prostate was measured by similar techniques. Estrogen and androgen receptor concentrations, which indicate capacity to respond to steroid hormones, were also examined in the accessory sex organs. For both seminal vesicle and prostate, 5 alpha-reductase activities were approximately 60% greater in 2M males than in 0M males, indicating greater capacity to form dihydrotestosterone from testosterone in organs from 2M mice. No significant differences were found in testicular steroidogenic enzymes between 2M and 0M animals, whereas the trend for all three activities was higher for 2M males than for 0M males. While no differences were found in estrogen receptor concentrations, 0M prostates had three times the concentration of androgen receptors (occupied receptors) compared to 2M prostates. Our findings suggest that intrauterine fetal position exerts a significant influence on subsequent adult androgen metabolism and androgen responsiveness in reproductive organs of adult male mice."}
{"id": "PMID:1477200", "title": "Gonadotropin-independent mechanisms participate in ovarian responses to realimentation in feed-restricted prepubertal gilts.", "content": "Short-term feed restriction in prepubertal gilts suppresses episodic LH secretion in the absence of changes in body weight or composition. To assess non-gonadotropin-mediated effects of realimentation at the ovarian level, 52 gilts were assigned to six treatments after 7 days (Days 1-7) of maintenance feeding (approximately 30% ad libitum). Groups R12 and R9 were maintenance-fed Days 8-12 or Days 8-9, respectively; A12 and A9 were fed to appetite Days 8-12 or Days 8-9, respectively. Groups R9P and A9P were fed as groups R9 and A9 were but received 750 IU eCG at 1500 h on Day 8. Groups R12 and A12 were ovariectomized at 1500 h on Day 12, and all other groups were ovariectomized at 1500 h on Day 9. All gilts received oral progestogen (15 mg allyl trenbolone) from Day 1 to ovariectomy, to antagonize the usual increases in endogenous gonadotropins that follow realimentation. Blood samples were obtained at 10-min intervals during selected windows during the experiment. Ovarian follicles were analyzed for development and steroidogenesis, and plasma samples were analyzed by RIA to determine concentrations of LH, FSH, insulin, and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1). Allyl trenbolone abolished pulsatile LH secretion, and realimentation did not stimulate LH or FSH secretion, with the exception of FSH secretion on Day 8 in A9 gilts. Postprandial insulin concentrations on Day 9 were greater after feeding to appetite (A9, A9P, and A12) than after feed restriction (R9, R9P, and R12). Pre- and postprandial IGF-1 concentrations were higher in re-fed gilts on Day 9 (A9 and A12) and Day 12 (A12) than in feed-restricted gilts. Follicular diameter, fluid volume, and basal granulosa cell estradiol synthesis per follicle were greater in A12 gilts than in R12 gilts, although there was no difference between A9 and R9 gilts. There was no effect of realimentation on follicular fluid concentrations of estradiol or testosterone, or on androgen-driven granulosa cell estradiol synthesis. Treatment with eCG increased follicular diameter, fluid volume, basal and androgen-driven estradiol synthesis, and fluid estradiol concentrations without interaction with feeding level. In conclusion, in the absence of LH elevations, realimentation over 5 days exerts effects at the ovary, increasing follicular growth and estradiol synthesis. These effects may be mediated by insulin, IGF-1, or unmeasured growth factors and would be expected to synergize with increases in endogenous gonadotropin that follow realimentation."}
{"id": "PMID:1477201", "title": "Immunoneutralization of inhibin suppresses reproduction in female mink.", "content": "This study determined whether immunoneutralization of inhibin affected gonadotropin secretion, embryo development, and ovarian function in mink. Adult female mink (n = 10) were immunized with bovine inhibin alpha 1-26 gly-tyr (bINH, 100 micrograms) conjugated to human alpha globulins (HAG), or with HAG alone (n = 10, controls), mixed with Freund's complete adjuvant. A series of five boosters containing bINH or HAG were then administered during a 2-yr period. Titers of bINH antibodies and serum concentrations of gonadotropins were determined for each breeding season in 1990 and 1991. Each year after whelping, we determined gestation length; sex, number, and weight of live and dead kits per litter at birth; and number and weight of kits per litter 3 wk after whelping. Results were pooled for statistical analysis. Bovine INH antibody titers (percent 125I-bINH bound to serum diluted 1:8000) were 53 +/- 3% vs. 2 +/- 0.6%, and serum concentrations of FSH were higher (p < 0.05) in bINH-immunized mink compared with controls (144 +/- 23 vs. 67 +/- 12 ng/ml). However, number (3.8 +/- 0.2 vs. 5 +/- 0.4) and weight (8 +/- 0.3 vs. 9.7 +/- 0.4 g) of kits per litter at birth and number of kits per litter alive 3 wk after birth (2.9 +/- 0.5 vs. 4.7 +/- 0.4) were lower (p < 0.05) in bINH-immunized mothers compared with controls. During the nonbreeding season in 1991, a single injection of hCG (100 IU) was administered to bINH-immunized and control mink; 24 h later blood was sampled, and organ weights were determined.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1477202", "title": "Role of human sperm phospholipase A2 in fertilization: effects of a novel inhibitor of phospholipase A2 activity on membrane perturbations and oocyte penetration.", "content": "Phospholipase A2 was isolated from human sperm and its potential role in the membrane fusion events of fertilization was examined. Highly purified enzyme hydrolyzed the phospholipids of [1-14C]oleate-labeled Escherichia coli optimally at neutral to alkaline pH with 5 mM CaCl2 and 150 mM NaCl (specific activity = 20 mumol/min/mg). Activity was inhibited in a dose-dependent manner by an oligomer of prostaglandin B1 (IC50 = 1.5 microM) reported to inhibit human phospholipases A2 in vitro and in situ. Sperm phospholipase A2 injected into mouse foot pad induced a dose-dependent edema that was inhibited by oral administration of prostaglandin Bx (IC50 < or = 10 mg/kg) or by pretreatment of the enzyme with 4-bromophenacyl bromide. Human sperm phospholipase A2 (10 micrograms) induced fusion of phosphatidylserine vesicles in the presence of 1 mM calcium chloride by approximately 80% (+/- 10%) as determined by monitoring turbidity (O.D.400) and efficiency of fluorescence resonance energy transfer. This enzyme-induced fusion was accompanied by phospholipid hydrolysis, and both fusion and phospholipid degradation were inhibited by more than 60% when enzyme was preincubated with 5 microM prostaglandin Bx. Sperm penetration of zona pellucida-free hamster oocytes was inhibited in a dose-dependent fashion when sperm were incubated with prostaglandin Bx (IC50 approximately 15 microM) during capacitation; sperm motility was not affected by this treatment. Capacitation in the presence of prostaglandin Bx had little to no effect on the in vitro acrosome reaction. These results suggest that sperm phospholipase A2 and its modulators may contribute to membrane fusion events in mammalian fertilization."}
{"id": "PMID:1477203", "title": "Bovine luteinizing hormone (LH) isoforms and amounts of messenger ribonucleic acid for alpha- and LH beta-subunits in pituitaries of cows immunized against LH-releasing hormone.", "content": "Ovariectomized beef cows were actively immunized against LHRH to test the hypothesis that decreased stimulation of gonadotropes would alter the distribution of LH isoforms and amounts of mRNA for subunits of LH in the pituitary. Eight long-term (3 yr) ovariectomized beef cows were randomly assigned to one of two treatments: immunization against LHRH conjugated to human serum globulin (n = 4) and nonimmunization (control, n = 4). Mean concentration of serum LH in cows immunized against LHRH (1.0 +/- .83 ng/ml) was less (p = 0.01) than in control cows (5.0 +/- 0.83 ng/ml). Amounts of alpha- (p = 0.13) and LH beta-subunit (p = 0.10) mRNA tended to be reduced in cows immunized against LHRH compared to control cows. However, weight of the anterior pituitary and concentrations of LH in this gland did not differ (p = 0.90) among cows from the two groups. Pituitary extracts were chromatofocused on pH 10.5-7.0 gradients, and concentrations of LH in eluent fractions were determined by RIA. Extracts of all pituitaries resolved into nine isoforms (designated A through H and Z beginning with the most basic form). Only isoform F (mid-alkaline elution, pH = 8.8) was influenced by treatment (p = 0.05). Cows immunized against LHRH had a greater relative amount of isoform F (42.1 +/- 1.4%) than controls (37.2 +/- 1.4%). In summary, immunization of cows against LHRH altered 1) circulating concentrations of LH, 2) amounts of mRNA for the subunits of LH, and 3) distribution of intrapituitary LH isoforms without changing the concentrations of LH in the anterior pituitary."}
{"id": "PMID:1477204", "title": "Compensatory development in preimplantation mouse embryos derived from delayed mating.", "content": "Rodent embryos resulting from delayed mating grow relatively faster than those resulting from normal mating. To evaluate this phenomenon quantitatively, in the present study we compared the number of cells at the preimplantation stage of mouse embryos derived from normal mating and those derived from delayed mating (3 and 6 h after ovulation). The mean cell numbers (45.4 and 43.0 for delayed mating at 3 and 6 h postovulation, respectively) of embryos at 77 h postcoitus (hpc) in the delayed mating groups were greater than that (38.4) of the normal mating group. Further, when the mean cell numbers (38.8 and 38.5) in the delayed mating groups were counted at 74 hpc, they were almost equal to that of the normal mating group at 77 hpc. The study demonstrated that preimplantation mouse embryos derived from delayed mating progress more rapidly than their normally mated counterparts. However, a 3-h advance in development seems to be the limit of this increased rate of growth, even when the time interval from ovulation to mating is longer than 3 h. The mechanism(s) of this interesting compensatory phenomenon should be investigated."}
{"id": "PMID:1477205", "title": "Initiation and maintenance of in vitro decidualization are independent of hormonal sensitization in vivo.", "content": "The effects of in vivo hormonal sensitization on the competence of uterine stromal (US) cells to decidualize in vitro were assessed. In vitro differentiation of uterine stroma isolated from Day 4 pregnant rats, sensitized to respond to a decidual stimulus, was compared to that in nonsensitized immature, castrated or cycling rats. The initiation of in vitro decidualization--as monitored by the expression of the decidual markers desmin and laminin in rat US cells--was independent of the hormonal status of the animal from which the cells were isolated and occurred in the absence of serum in the medium. Differentiation was accelerated in high-density cultures where contact inhibition suppressed proliferation and decreased the extent of cell growth. The extent to which in vitro decidualization imitates in vivo stromal cell differentiation was assessed by comparing decidualization in the rabbit, a species with only a limited decidual cell response, and in the rat. US cells isolated from nonpregnant rabbits differentiated in vitro by expressing laminin, but not desmin. Indirect immunofluorescence of frozen uterine sections from pregnant and nonpregnant rabbits validated in vitro differentiation as a faithful reflection of the in vivo program of decidualization. Although the program of US cell differentiation may vary between the species, initiation of differentiation in vitro appeared to be independent of hormonal preparation in vivo for both the species examined."}
{"id": "PMID:1477206", "title": "Ontogeny and cellular localization of 125I-labeled basic fibroblast growth factor and 125I-labeled epidermal growth factor binding sites in ovaries from bovine fetuses and neonatal calves.", "content": "We have recently reported that although specific 125I-FSH receptors are present in granulosa cells from primary and secondary follicles, gonadotropin responsiveness is very low in ovaries from bovine fetuses, which consist mainly of preantral follicles with few early antral follicles. It is well established that a number of polypeptide growth factors show pronounced mitogenic effects on follicular cells. Therefore, we have compared autoradiographically the ontogeny and cellular localization of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and epidermal growth factor (EGF) binding activities to assess their possible involvement in the regulation of early follicular growth in fetuses and neonatal calves. Follicular growth was initiated around Day 180 of gestation in fetuses. 125I-bFGF binding values were high in granulosa cells from preantral follicles (mean +/- SEM, 7.8 +/- 1.1-9.8 +/- 0.7 grains/cell, 0.05-0.15-mm diam.) but decreased in early antral follicles (0.16-3.0 mm) to a constant level (5.7 +/- 1.2 grains/cell). Specific 125I-EGF binding values were low in preantral follicles but showed a 2.5- and 5.0-fold increase in both granulosa cells and the theca interna from antral I (0.16-0.5 mm) and antral II follicles (0.6-3.0 mm), respectively. In atretic follicles, 125I-bFGF specific binding values were high (10.4 +/- 0.8 grains/cell), whereas 125I-EGF binding levels were significantly reduced or absent. None of the radioligands tested bound significantly to primordial follicles. There was no age-related difference in any ligand binding to follicles of comparable size. These results provide novel evidence that bFGF, a potent mitogen, is involved in the regulation of granulosa cell function as early as the preantral stage in cattle.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1477207", "title": "Ontogeny and cellular localization of 125I-labeled insulin-like growth factor-I, 125I-labeled follicle-stimulating hormone, and 125I-labeled human chorionic gonadotropin binding sites in ovaries from bovine fetuses and neonatal calves.", "content": "In a previous study we reported that ovaries from bovine fetuses, which consist mainly of preantral follicles with few antral follicles, are weakly responsive to gonadotropins (FSH and LH). Insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) is known to enhance gonadotropin responsiveness in vitro, but there is a lack of consistent data on the involvement of IGF-I, FSH, and LH during early stages of folliculogenesis in cattle. In the study reported here, we assessed autoradiographically the ontogeny of 125I-gonadotropin and 125I-IGF-I binding activities during preantral and early antral stages in cattle. Follicular growth was initiated around Day 180 of gestation in fetuses. The density of 125I-FSH binding was high in granulosa cells from primary (mean +/- SEM 10.5 +/- 0.7 grains/cell, 0.05-mm diam.) and secondary follicles (10.8 +/- 0.8 to 13.6 +/- 1.2 grains/cell, 0.06-0.15 mm) but increased significantly (p < 0.05) in early antral follicles (18.2 +/- 1.1 grains/cell, 0.16-3.0 mm). Specific 125I-IGF-I binding levels were low in granulosa cells from preantral follicles, averaging 2.5 +/- 0.6-3.1 +/- 0.9 grains/cell. However, after antrum formation, the density of 125I-IGF-I binding increased significantly (p < 0.05) with follicular diameter in granulosa cells and was 5.7 +/- 0.7 and 9.1 +/- 0.6 grains/cell for antral I (0.16-0.5 mm) and antral II (0.6-3.0 mm) follicles, respectively. 125I-FSH and 125I-IGF-I binding densities were low in theca cells from preantral and early antral follicles as well as in the interstitial tissue and granulosa cells from atretic follicles.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1477208", "title": "Regulation of the synthesis and secretion of transferrin and cyclic protein-2/cathepsin L by mature rat Sertoli cells in culture.", "content": "While numerous studies have examined the response of immature rat Sertoli cells to specific hormones and growth factors, the regulation of mature cells in vitro has not been well examined because highly purified cells have been difficult to isolate. We now describe a detailed method for isolating Sertoli cells from mature (> 60 days of age) rats and generating primary cultures of these cells greater than 90% in purity. We demonstrate that cell density, hormones, and growth factors regulate the synthesis or secretion of two Sertoli cell products, transferrin and Cyclic Protein-2 (CP-2)/cathepsin L. Cell density modulated the response of mature Sertoli cells to some hormones; insulin (at 10 micrograms/ml) and epidermal growth factor (EGF) acted synergistically to stimulate transferrin synthesis by 80% when cells were cultured at a density of 1.65 x 10(5) cells/cm2 but had no effect on transferrin synthesis by cells cultured at 1.46 x 10(5) cells/cm2. A mixture of FSH, retinol, and testosterone increased transferrin synthesis by 30% at both cell densities, and this stimulation was independent of the effect of EGF and insulin. CP-2/cathepsin L synthesis was significantly stimulated by increased cell density. FSH, retinol, and testosterone also stimulated CP-2/cathepsin L synthesis by 30%; however, this stimulation just missed being statistically significant. Finally, we demonstrated that secretion of transferrin and CP-2 was reduced when cells were cultured in the presence of interleukin-1 alpha, a cytokine synthesized by Sertoli cells.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1477209", "title": "Isolation and characterization of a 25-kilodalton protein from mouse testis: sequence homology with a phospholipid-binding protein.", "content": "A 25-kDa epididymal secretory protein (MEP 9), isolated from mouse epididymal fluid, has recently been characterized in our laboratory [Rankin et al., Biol Reprod 1992; 46:747-766]. The polyclonal antibody raised against this protein was found to recognize a 25-kDa component in epididymal fluid and testicular extract. The 25-kDa testicular antigen (MTP) was purified by means of ammonium sulfate precipitation, gel filtration, and anion-exchange chromatography; MTP was found to be similar to MEP 9 in several properties including molecular mass (25 kDa), isoelectric point (pI 6.0), and immunoreactivity when the proteins were resolved in the presence of SDS (one-dimensional and two-dimensional PAGE). However, when the proteins were resolved under non-denaturing conditions, MTP showed strong immunoreactivity while MEP 9 did not. This observation suggests that although the 25-kDa antigens from the epididymal fluid and testicular extract are quite similar, they may have different immunological conformations. When analyzed for amino acid composition and partial amino acid sequence, the testicular antigen showed substantial homology (> 80%) with a phosphatidylethanolamine-binding protein characterized from bovine brain. MTP also showed phosphatidylethanolamine-binding activity (Kd = 1.95 x 10(-5) M, Bmax = 1.86 nmol/micrograms MTP), suggesting that the mouse 25-kDa protein is a member of the phospholipid-binding protein family and may have a role in lipid metabolism during sperm maturation."}
{"id": "PMID:1477210", "title": "Immunolocalization of a 25-kilodalton protein in mouse testis and epididymis.", "content": "We have recently observed that a polyclonal antibody raised against a mouse epididymal luminal fluid protein (MEP 9) recognizes a 25-kDa antigen in mouse testis and epididymis [Rankin et al., Biol Reprod 1992; 46:747-766]. This antigen was localized by light and electron microscopic immunohistochemistry. The immunoreactivity in the testis was found in the residual cytoplasm of the elongated spermatids, in the residual bodies, and in the cytoplasmic droplets of spermatozoa. In the epididymis, the epithelial principal cells were stained from the distal caput to the distal cauda. Immunogold labeling in the principal cells showed diffuse distribution without preferential accumulation in either the endocytic or the secretory apparatus of the cells. In the epididymal lumen, the immunoreactivity was restricted to the sperm cytoplasmic droplets. No membrane-specific labeling was observed in luminal spermatozoa, cytoplasmic droplets, or isolated sperm plasma membranes. Three weeks after hemicastration or severance of the efferent ducts, a normal distribution of the immunoreactive sites was found in the epididymis. Immunoreactivity, was also detected in the epididymal epithelium of immature mice as well as in that of XXSxr male mice having no spermatozoa in the epididymis. These results suggest that the immunoreactivity seen in the principal cells originates from synthesis rather than endocytosis of the testicular protein from disrupted cytoplasmic droplets. Furthermore, these results suggest that the 25-kDa protein is synthesized independently by both testis and epididymis."}
{"id": "PMID:1477211", "title": "Molecular analysis of the antigenicity and immunogenicity of recombinant zona pellucida antigens in a primate model.", "content": "The studies reported here are the first to demonstrate that recombinant zona pellucida (ZP) proteins will elicit a humoral immune response that recognizes native ZP proteins. Three cDNAs encoding rabbit ZP protein antigens expressed in bacteria were used to immunize cynomolgus monkeys. Four groups of six monkeys each were immunized with bacterially expressed cro-beta-galactosidase recombinant proteins encoded by a full-length cDNA (rc55) encoding the 55-kDa rabbit ZP recombinant protein (rec55), two partial cDNAs (rc75a and rc75b) encoding two recombinant peptides (rec75a and rec75b) of the 75-kDa rabbit ZP protein, and the plasmid-encoded cro-beta-galactosidase control protein. Initial immunizations with these fusion proteins using the muramyl dipeptide adjuvant did not elicit significant levels of antibodies to native or recombinant ZP proteins. Further immunizations were therefore carried out using recombinant ZP proteins conjugated to either protein A or keyhole limpet hemocyanin. Antibodies were detected in the groups immunized with the rec55 and rec75a; however, no antibodies were generated against the rec75b protein. These antibodies have been characterized by two-dimensional PAGE immunoblotting and shown to recognize antigenic domains associated with two of the native rabbit ZP proteins. Reprobes of these immunoblots with sheep anti-total native rabbit ZP proteins, affinity-purified on pig ZP, further demonstrate that a fourth distinct rabbit ZP antigen may be present. The characterization of species-conserved antigenic domains of mammalian ZP proteins is important for studies of the functional regions of ZP proteins and is critical for the design of safe and effective contraceptive vaccines."}
{"id": "PMID:1477212", "title": "Changes in concentration of adenosine triphosphate and adenosine diphosphate in individual preimplantation sheep embryos.", "content": "Concentrations of ATP and ADP were measured in 156 sheep embryos by means of an ultramicrofluorescence assay. Stages of preimplantation development measured included unfertilized oocytes through blastocyst-stage embryos. ATP concentrations remained constant through the 8-cell stage; then ATP decreased significantly (p < 0.025) at the morula stage and remained low through the blastocyst stage. ADP concentrations did not change throughout the embryonic stages measured. Decreased levels of ATP with constant levels of ADP caused the ATP:ADP ratio to decrease significantly (p < 0.025) between the 8-cell and morula stages. We suggest that the increase in glucose uptake by sheep embryos observed at the morula stage of development may be due, in part, to a decrease in the ATP:ADP ratio."}
{"id": "PMID:1477213", "title": "Endocrine and ovarian responses associated with the first-wave dominant follicle in cattle.", "content": "To examine endocrine and biochemical differences between dominant and subordinate follicles and how the dominant follicle affects the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis in Holstein cows, the ovary bearing the dominant follicle was unilaterally removed on Day 5 (n = 8), 8 (n = 8), or 12 (n = 8) of synchronized estrous cycles. Follicular development was followed daily by ultrasonography from the day of detected estrus (Day 0) until 5 days after ovariectomy. Aromatase activity and steroid concentrations in first-wave dominant and subordinate follicles were measured. Intact dominant and subordinate follicles were cultured in 4 ml Minimum Essential Medium supplemented with 100 microCi 3H-leucine to evaluate de novo protein synthesis. Five days after unilateral ovariectomy, cows were resynchronized and the experiment was repeated. Follicular growth was characterized by the development of single large dominant follicles, which was associated with suppression of other follicles. Concentrations of estradiol-17 beta (E2) in follicular fluid and aromatase activity of follicular walls were higher in dominant follicles (438.9 +/- 45.5 ng/ml; 875.4 +/- 68.2 pg E2/follicle) compared to subordinate follicles (40.6 +/- 69.4 ng/ml; 99.4 +/- 104.2 pg E2/follicle). Aromatase activity in first-wave dominant follicles was higher at Days 5 (1147.1 +/- 118.1 pg E2/follicle) and 8 (1028.2 +/- 118.1 pg E2/follicle) compared to Day 12 (450.7 +/- 118.1 pg E2/follicle). Concentrations of E2 and androstenedione in first-wave dominant follicles were higher at Day 5 (983.2 +/- 78.2 and 89.5 +/- 15.7 ng/ml) compared to Days 8 (225.1 +/- 78.6 and 5.9 +/- 14.8 ng/ml) and 12 (108.5 +/- 78.6 and 13.0 +/- 14.8 ng/ml). Concentrations of progesterone in subordinate follicles increased linearly between Days 5 and 12 of the estrous cycle. Plasma concentrations of FSH increased from 17.9 +/- 1.4 to 32.5 +/- 1.4 ng/ml between 0 and 32 h following unilateral removal of the ovary with the first-wave dominant follicle. Increases in plasma FSH were associated with increased numbers of class 1 (3-4 mm) follicles in cows that were ovariectomized at Day 5 or 8 of the cycle. Unilateral ovariectomy had no effects on plasma concentrations of LH when a CL was present on the remaining ovary. First-wave dominant follicles incorporated more 3H-leucine into macromolecules and secreted high (90,000-120,000) and low (20,000-23,000) molecular weight proteins that were not as evident for subordinate follicles at Days 8 and 12.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1477214", "title": "Pituitary response to repeated copulation and/or gonadotropin-releasing hormone administration in llamas and alpacas.", "content": "The response of the pituitary gland and ovary to repeated copulatory periods and/or gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH, i.v. 1000 micrograms) administration was determined in llamas and alpacas. Eighty adult females (41 llamas and 39 alpacas with ovulatory follicles) were divided into three general groups for each species as follows: copulation (one or two copulations at either 6- or 24-h intervals) GnRH treatment (one or two treatments at either 6- or 24-h intervals), and combined treatment (copulation followed by GnRH treatment, or GnRH followed by copulation at either 6- or 24-h intervals). An additional control (nontreated) group was composed of 4 llamas and 4 alpacas. The first copulation or treatment with GnRH provoked LH release sufficient to cause ovulation in most of the females (alpacas, 89%; llamas, 92%); urinary pregnanediol glucuronide values, used to verify ovulation, were significantly elevated 48 h after copulation and/or GnRH treatment. A second stimulus, copulation or GnRH, provoked no LH response with concentrations similar to those in nontreated controls and in females not ovulating. Llamas and alpacas thus were refractory to a second copulatory or GnRH stimulus with regard to LH release for up to 24 h following an initial ovulatory release of LH."}
{"id": "PMID:1477215", "title": "Biosynthesis and immunocytochemical localization of an estrogen-dependent glycoprotein and associated morphological alterations in the sheep ampulla oviduct.", "content": "Published reports have shown that an M(r) 90,000-92,000 protein is released into the oviductal lumen of the sheep, during estrus at a time corresponding to ovulation and fertilization, where it associates with the embryo. The objectives of this study were (a) to determine whether estradiol-17 beta (E) alone or in combination with progesterone (P) induces the synthesis of the M(r) 90,000-92,000 protein from the ampulla and/or isthmus oviduct; (b) to monitor structural alterations in oviductal epithelial cells associated with the synthesis of this protein; and (c) to generate a polyclonal antiserum to the protein and use the antiserum to verify its cellular location and tissue specificity. Oviductal flushings and explant culture media were obtained from ovariectomized animals treated with E alone or with E plus P. The M(r) 90,000-92,000 protein was present in 3H-leucine- and 3H-glucosamine-labeled culture media of the ampulla (not isthmus) oviduct in animals treated with E alone or with E plus P. The glycoprotein was detected in gels of oviductal flushings obtained from animals treated only with E. A specific polyclonal antiserum to the protein was made and cross-reacted on Western blots of oviductal flushings from E-treated animals and ampulla (not isthmus) oviduct culture media from animals treated with E alone or with E plus P. The secretory apparatus of the epithelial cells of the ampulla oviduct matured and differentiated in response to E. Light and electron microscopic immunocytochemistry localized the M(r) 90,000-92,000 glycoprotein to secretory granules in the nonciliated cells of the ampulla oviduct. Immunoperoxidase reaction product was absent in tissue sections and Western blots of other reproductive and nonreproductive tract tissues obtained from steroid-treated animals. Therefore, the secretory cells of the ampulla oviduct of the sheep synthesize and release an E-induced, oviduct-derived M(r) 90,000-92,000 glycoprotein."}
{"id": "PMID:1477216", "title": "Fluctuations of lactoferrin protein and messenger ribonucleic acid in the reproductive tract of the mouse during the estrous cycle.", "content": "The physiological role of lactoferrin (LF), the major estrogen-inducible protein in the murine uterus, is unclear; however, LF may be a useful marker for the study of estrogen action in the uterus. Thus, the expression of LF mRNA and the localization of the protein in genital tract tissues and secretions of female mice (6-8 wk old) at different stages of the estrous cycle were investigated. Uterine luminal fluid (ULF) was analyzed for LF by means of gel electrophoresis and Western blot techniques; LF mRNA and protein were identified in reproductive tract tissues through in situ hybridization and immunocytochemistry. At diestrus, the level of LF mRNA was low, and staining for the protein was very light in uterine epithelial cells; LF was undetectable in ULF. At proestrus, LF mRNA and protein increased in the uterine epithelium and LF was readily detectable in ULF. LF mRNA and protein reached the highest levels at estrus. At early metestrus as compared to estrus, LF mRNA and protein were detected in decreasing amounts in uterine epithelial cells; the protein was undetected in ULF. By late metestrus and diestrus, LF mRNA and protein returned to a low level, and the protein was undetectable in ULF. LF protein was also demonstrated by immunocytochemistry in the epithelium of the oviduct, cervix, and vagina. LF protein fluctuation similar to that observed in the uterus was seen in these tissues; however, the uterus demonstrated the most dramatic changes in the number of epithelial cells involved in LF production during the estrous cycle. In summary, LF mRNA and its expression in uterine epithelial cells of the mouse varied with the stage of the estrous cycle. These results, combined with previously reported findings that LF is a major constituent of mouse ULF under the influence of estrogen, suggest that LF may play an important role in normal reproductive processes."}
{"id": "PMID:1477217", "title": "Evaluation of new anti-infective drugs for the treatment of chancroid. Infectious Diseases Society of America and the Food and Drug Administration.", "content": "Chancroid is a mucocutaneous infection caused by Haemophilus ducreyi that produces ulcerative lesions and enhances the efficiency of transmission of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Confirmation of infection by culture of H. ducreyi is essential in therapeutic trials. Minimal inhibitory concentrations of antibiotics for the isolate should be determined by agar dilution. Patients should be evaluated by appropriate laboratory tests for syphilis, infection with herpes simplex virus, gonorrhea, and (in North America) infection with Chlamydia trachomatis. The clinical history of the disease should be recorded and ulcers, buboes, and lymphadenitis mass described. Whenever possible, study participants also should be tested for HIV infection. Randomized, prospective, double-blind, active-control comparative clinical trials are preferred for evaluation of the safety and efficacy of new anti-infective drugs. Otherwise-healthy men and women should be enrolled in these studies. Patients with active syphilis or genital herpes should be excluded. Microbiological and clinical outcomes are paramount."}
{"id": "PMID:1477218", "title": "Evaluation of new anti-infective drugs for the treatment of vaginal infections. Infectious Diseases Society of America and the Food and Drug Administration.", "content": "The three major vaginal infections are yeast vulvovaginitis, Trichomonas vaginalis vaginitis, and bacterial vaginosis. In terms of signs and symptoms, these disorders overlap substantially with one another and with other infections. Therefore, the diagnosis of candidiasis and trichomoniasis requires isolation of the responsible pathogen. For the diagnosis of bacterial vaginosis, all other potential causes of vaginal infection must be excluded and specified laboratory criteria must be met. Clinical trials must be carefully designed to control for coexisting pathogens, for potential efficacy of treatment against more than one microbe, and for variable end points used to define clinical response. Prospective, randomized, double-blind, active-control comparative studies are preferred. Follow-up evaluations 5-7 days and 4-6 weeks after the completion of therapy are required for the assessment of outcome. Laboratory studies of vaginal fluid (culture and/or microscopic examination) are paramount in the final appraisal of outcome."}
{"id": "PMID:1477219", "title": "Evaluation of new anti-infective drugs for the treatment of uncomplicated gonorrhea in adults and adolescents. Infectious Diseases Society of America and the Food and Drug Administration.", "content": "Gonorrhea is among the most common sexually transmitted diseases. Treatment for uncomplicated gonorrhea should be efficacious in > or = 95% of cases. Because patients with gonococcal infections often have other sexually transmitted diseases concurrently, individuals enrolled in clinical trials of therapy for gonorrhea should also be evaluated for infection with Chlamydia trachomatis and for syphilis. Testing for other pathogens should be considered in light of the clinical presentation. The presence of gonococcal infection is defined by a positive culture of a specimen obtained from an appropriate mucosal site. Patients enrolled in clinical trials should be otherwise-healthy adults who agree to return for follow-up assessment. These patients should be stratified by gender and anatomic site of infection. The preferred study design is a prospective, randomized, double-blind, active-control comparison. In some circumstances, however, historical controls may suffice. The study drug must have an efficacy rate of > or = 95% in genital and rectal infections. Microbiological eradication, demonstrated by negative cultures of samples from all potentially infected mucosal sites at follow-up, is the sole determinant of efficacy."}
{"id": "PMID:1477220", "title": "Evaluation of new anti-infective drugs for the treatment of sexually transmitted chlamydial infections and related clinical syndromes. Infectious Diseases Society of America and the Food and Drug Administration.", "content": "This guideline addresses clinical trials of new antimicrobial agents in the treatment of uncomplicated genital infections caused by Chlamydia trachomatis and of syndromes resembling chlamydial infections. The most common clinical manifestations of chlamydial infection are urethritis in men and mucopurulent cervicitis in women. However, many chlamydial infections are not associated with inflammatory symptoms or signs. Culture is the diagnostic standard for defining the presence of C. trachomatis, although nonculture tests may be used in screening patients for enrollment in clinical trials. Susceptibility testing for C. trachomatis is laborious and difficult to standardize; only a few clinical isolates need to be tested in vitro. Prospective, randomized, double-blind, active-control comparative studies are recommended. Eradication of C. trachomatis defines both microbiological success and overall cure for chlamydial infection, but clinical and nonmicrobiological laboratory criteria are paramount in assessing the therapeutic response in nonchlamydial urethritis or cervicitis."}
{"id": "PMID:1477221", "title": "Evaluation of new anti-infective drugs for the treatment of syphilis. Infectious Diseases Society of America and the Food and Drug Administration.", "content": "Syphilis is caused by Treponema pallidum, a spirochetal bacterium pathogenic only for humans. The clinical course of disease is divided into three stages interspersed by periods of latency. Penicillin remains the treatment of choice for all stages of infection; tetracycline or erythromycin may be used as therapeutic alternatives in defined circumstances. Patients enrolled in clinical trials should be evaluated clinically, microscopically, and serologically for the presence of the spirochete. All participants, after undergoing counseling and giving informed consent, should be tested for infection with human immunodeficiency virus. Specific criteria exist for diagnosis of syphilis and response to therapy. It may be desirable to perform a small, uncontrolled, open trial of a new anti-infective drug for the collection of preliminary evidence of efficacy. A larger-scale, randomized, active-control comparative clinical trial is necessary to prove efficacy."}
{"id": "PMID:1477222", "title": "Evaluation of new anti-infective drugs for the treatment of selected infections of the skin and skin structure. Infectious Diseases Society of America and the Food and Drug Administration.", "content": "No method for classifying infections of the skin and skin structure is uniformly accepted. Therefore, each protocol for the evaluation of new anti-infective drugs must include definitions of the skin and skin-structure infections to be treated. Clinical findings may suggest the etiology. Cultures should be performed by the best available technique. Because the yield of pathogens from sites of skin and skin-structure infection is often low, monitoring of the clinical response to therapy is paramount. Randomized, double-blind, active-control comparative studies are needed, and maintenance of blinding is recommended, even with a change in the route of administration of the study and/or control drugs. The period of follow-up should be defined for each type of infection."}
{"id": "PMID:1477223", "title": "Evaluation of new anti-infective drugs for the treatment of osteomyelitis in adults. Infectious Diseases Society of America and the Food and Drug Administration.", "content": "Cases of osteomyelitis can be divided into four categories: acute hematogenous, vertebral, secondary to a contiguous focus of infection without vascular disease, and secondary to a contiguous focus of infection with vascular disease. Each category may be further divided into acute and chronic forms. Clinical symptoms persisting for > or = 10 days correlate roughly with the development of necrotic bone and chronic osteomyelitis. Patients enrolled in clinical trials should generally be > or = 12 years of age. Prior antimicrobial treatment does not exclude patients if the culture of a bone sample obtained at the time of enrollment yields pathogenic bacteria. Randomized, double-blind, active-control comparative studies are encouraged. Clinical outcome should be assessed during therapy and within 5-9 days, 4-6 weeks, and 11-13 months after completion of therapy. In the final assessment, clinical appraisal is paramount."}
{"id": "PMID:1477224", "title": "Evaluation of new anti-infective drugs for the treatment of acute hematogenous osteomyelitis in children. Infectious Diseases Society of America and the Food and Drug Administration.", "content": "Most children with acute hematogenous osteomyelitis have no preceding illness. Their early symptoms are pain and fever. A bacterial etiology is established in approximately 75% of cases by needle aspiration of the affected site or blood culture. Clinical trials should be limited to cases of bacterial origin. The antimicrobial agents studied should be active against Staphylococcus aureus and streptococci. If children < 5 years of age are included, the drug should also be active against beta-lactamase-negative and -positive strains of Haemophilus influenzae. Randomized, prospective, double-blind comparative studies are preferable to open, evaluator-blinded trials. Clinical outcome is appraised by physical signs and symptoms. A successful microbiological outcome consists of presumptive eradication. The final assessment should be made 1 year after completion of therapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1477225", "title": "Evaluation of new anti-infective drugs for the treatment of infectious arthritis in adults. Infectious Diseases Society of America and the Food and Drug Administration.", "content": "This guideline describes clinical trials of new anti-infective drugs for the treatment of septic arthritis due to bacteria other than Neisseria gonorrhoeae in adults. Septic arthritis is associated with fever and with physical findings at the affected joint. Diagnosis is established by culture of synovial fluid. Treatment includes the administration of antimicrobial drugs and drainage of the joint by needle aspiration or surgery. Multicenter, randomized comparative clinical trials that are single-, double-, or evaluator-blinded should be performed. However, an open trial of a new antimicrobial agent with historical controls is acceptable. Patients should receive treatment for at least 2-3 weeks. After 5 days of antimicrobial therapy, synovial fluid should be sterile and clinical signs and symptoms should have diminished. Patients should be followed for 2-4 weeks after completion of therapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1477226", "title": "Evaluation of new anti-infective drugs for the treatment of acute suppurative arthritis in children. Infectious Diseases Society of America and the Food and Drug Administration.", "content": "Diagnostic criteria for bacterial suppurative arthritis include the demonstration of an inflammatory exudate by aspiration of synovial fluid and the isolation of bacteria from cultures of synovial fluid and/or blood. Clinical manifestations include joint effusion, swelling, tenderness, and pain, with or without redness of the overlying skin. Management consists of antimicrobial therapy, measures designed to relieve symptoms, surgical drainage of infected fluid, and physical therapy. Studies of new anti-infective therapy should be limited to cases of bacterial origin. Prospective, randomized, double-blind, or evaluator-blinded, active-control comparative clinical trials should be performed. Clinical response is characterized as success (cure), failure, or indeterminate outcome. The most common successful microbiological outcome is presumptive eradication. Follow-up should continue for 1 year before the final assessment."}
{"id": "PMID:1477227", "title": "Evaluation of new anti-infective drugs for the treatment of infections of prosthetic hip joints. Infectious Diseases Society of America and the Food and Drug Administration.", "content": "Infections of a prosthetic hip are of three types: acute contiguous, chronic contiguous, and hematogenous. Acute contiguous infections result from contamination of the operative field at the time of surgery; clinical manifestations of infection become apparent within 6 months. Chronic contiguous infections are diagnosed 6-24 months postoperatively and are believed to be caused by intraoperative contamination. Hematogenous seeding of prosthetic joints accounts for infections that develop > or = 2 years after surgery. Fever and pain or dysfunction of the joint may be the only signs or symptoms of prosthetic hip joint infection. Definitive diagnosis is established by culture of a needle aspirate from the joint space or by intraoperative culture. Prospective, randomized, double-blind or evaluator-blinded, active-control comparative studies are preferable to open trials. Success rates 10-14 weeks after completion of a 4- to 6-week course of antimicrobial therapy should be > or = 90%."}
{"id": "PMID:1477228", "title": "Evaluation of new anti-infective drugs for the treatment of acute bacterial meningitis. Infectious Diseases Society of America and the Food and Drug Administration.", "content": "Predisposing conditions for acute bacterial meningitis include prematurity, young age, management in an intensive care setting, low socioeconomic background, and crowded living conditions. Clinical findings vary with age and may be nonspecific (altered feeding behavior) or specific (Kernig and Brudzinski signs). Examination and culture of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) are essential for diagnosis. Antigen identification in CSF, serum, or urine by latex agglutination or other techniques can be useful in the identification of the pathogen. Randomized, controlled studies with a single-, double-, or evaluator-blinded design are encouraged. Among neonates, infants, and children, CSF should be examined again 24-36 hours after initiation of therapy. Outcomes should be judged by both clinical and microbiological criteria. Assessment of microbiological outcome is paramount."}
{"id": "PMID:1477229", "title": "Evaluation of new anti-infective drugs for the treatment of cryptococcal meningitis. Infectious Diseases Society of America and the Food and Drug Administration.", "content": "Cryptococcus neoformans may infect persons with intact or compromised host defenses. Clinical manifestations generally correlate directly with the degree of immunosuppression. Treatment is prescribed on the basis of the severity of disease and the degree of immunosuppression. Cryptococcal meningitis is the most common clinical form of cryptococcal infection and the most amenable to study in clinical trials. The current standard of care for cryptococcal meningitis is therapy with amphotericin B. Despite clinical improvement and microbiological suppression of the organism at the completion of therapy, the microbiological outcome will be identified as presumptive persistence if treatment is continued. Patients should be observed for 1 year after completion of therapy before a final assessment is made."}
{"id": "PMID:1477230", "title": "Evaluation of new anti-infective drugs for the treatment of viral encephalitis. Infectious Diseases Society of America and the Food and Drug Administration.", "content": "Viral encephalitis may develop subsequent to viremia, via neuronal spread, or by arthropod vector. Diagnosis often requires invasive studies such as lumbar puncture and brain biopsy. This guideline addresses herpes simplex, rabies, and arbovirus infections of the central nervous system. Clinical trials should be designed according to the availability of approved therapeutic agents. Study designs with an active control (herpesvirus), a placebo control (arbovirus), or no control (rabies virus) are recommended. Outcome should be assessed 4-6 weeks, 4-6 months, and 11-13 months after the completion of therapy. For newborns with encephalitis, outcome should be assessed yearly through the age of 5 years. Assessment of clinical outcome is paramount."}
{"id": "PMID:1477231", "title": "Evaluation of new anti-infective drugs for the treatment of toxoplasma encephalitis. Infectious Diseases Society of America and the Food and Drug Administration.", "content": "Toxoplasma gondii is a protozoan that exists in three forms, all of which are potentially infectious for humans. After acute infection, cysts persist in the central nervous system and extraneural tissue. Human hosts with compromised immunity, particularly those with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, are vulnerable to reactivation and dissemination. The most common clinical expression of toxoplasma infection is encephalitis. The diagnosis is established by clinical presentation, computed tomography and/or magnetic resonance imaging, and detection of antibodies to T. gondii in serum of patients positive for human immunodeficiency virus. Brain biopsy may be performed. Protocols may be developed for the evaluation of new regimens for the treatment of acute encephalitis, the suppression of disease after treatment, or the prevention of reactivation before the onset of clinical disease. Assessment of clinical outcome is paramount."}
{"id": "PMID:1477232", "title": "Evaluation of new anti-infective drugs for the treatment of febrile episodes in neutropenic patients. Infectious Diseases Society of America and the Food and Drug Administration.", "content": "The use of empirical antimicrobial therapy has significantly reduced the morbidity and mortality associated with untreated infections in febrile neutropenic patients. This guideline describes clinical trials of the safety and efficacy of new antimicrobial drugs in this population of patients. Fever and neutropenia should be precisely defined in each protocol. Patients should be randomized to treatment with a new or active-control drug regimen, stratified on the basis of type of cancer and age, and treated until resolution--as defined in the protocol--is attained. Outcome should be assessed both for cases with a defined microbial etiology and for those without. Final microbiological outcome is important for cases with identified pathogens, but clinical outcome is paramount."}
{"id": "PMID:1477233", "title": "Evaluation of new anti-infective drugs for the treatment of urinary tract infection. Infectious Diseases Society of America and the Food and Drug Administration.", "content": "The term urinary tract infection (UTI) encompasses a broad range of clinical entities that share one characteristic: a positive urine culture. Clinical manifestations and responses to therapy are diverse even when comparable numbers of a particular bacterial species are identified on urine culture. These guidelines include discussion of acute uncomplicated cystitis, acute uncomplicated pyelonephritis, and complicated infections of the urinary tract. It is proposed that the finding of > or = 10(3) cfu/mL of urine defines significant bacteriuria in acute uncomplicated cystitis, > or = 10(4) cfu/mL in acute uncomplicated pyelonephritis and UTI in men, and > or = 10(5) cfu/mL in complicated UTI. The preferred clinical study design is prospective, randomized, and controlled with an active agent. Ideally, treatment with antimicrobial agents should eradicate the infecting organism, bring about the resolution of clinical signs and symptoms, have few adverse effects, and prevent reinfection."}
{"id": "PMID:1477234", "title": "Evaluation of new anti-infective drugs for the treatment of acute infectious diarrhea. Infectious Diseases Society of America and the Food and Drug Administration.", "content": "This guideline includes diarrhea causing infantile mortality in which a bacterial pathogen is recovered and for which oral rehydration therapy is an important component of care as well as traveler's diarrhea (with or without recovery of a pathogen). Diarrhea is defined as the passage of three or more unformed stools per day plus--in all patients except infants--one or more signs or symptoms of enteric infection. The preferred study design is prospective and randomized, with an active concurrent control and (when possible) blinding. Placebo-controlled trials may be performed if the severity of disease is judged by the investigator to be mild or moderate. It is desirable that both clinical and microbiological outcome be determined. Microbiological eradication is paramount."}
{"id": "PMID:1477235", "title": "Evaluation of new anti-infective drugs for the treatment of typhoid fever. Infectious Diseases Society of America and the Food and Drug Administration.", "content": "Typhoid fever is an acute febrile illness caused by Salmonella typhi. The evidence of blood-borne infection required for study entry includes clinical signs and symptoms plus confirmation of the presence of S. typhi in blood or other tissues or body fluids. The preferred study design is prospective and randomized with an active concurrent control. It is preferred that the investigator or an evaluator be blinded to therapy. In general, treatment should be administered for 2 weeks until it is demonstrated that a shorter course is as efficacious and as safe. Follow-up cultures of specimens from sites originally shown to be infected with S. typhi should be performed unless the diagnostic procedure places the patient at unnecessary risk."}
{"id": "PMID:1477236", "title": "Evaluation of new anti-infective drugs for the treatment of cholera. Infectious Diseases Society of America and the Food and Drug Administration.", "content": "Cholera is an acute gastrointestinal infection caused by Vibrio cholerae. It is characterized by watery diarrhea that may lead to massive fluid loss, which in turn may result in hypotension, shock, and death within hours. Key to the treatment of cholera is fluid replacement. Anti-infective therapy decreases the severity and duration of diarrhea and the duration of shedding of V. cholerae. Enrolled patients should have diarrhea that is moderate to severe and a culture that ultimately yields V. cholerae. A prospective, randomized, active-controlled clinical trial is preferred. Studies should be double-blinded or evaluator-blinded. The rapidity with which the organism is eliminated from stool may be assessed. Both clinical and microbiological outcome should be determined. Assessment of microbiological eradication is paramount, since fluid replacement may suffice for treatment of signs and symptoms."}
{"id": "PMID:1477237", "title": "Evaluation of new anti-infective drugs for the treatment of diarrhea caused by Giardia lamblia. Infectious Diseases Society of America and the Food and Drug Administration.", "content": "Giardia lamblia is a flagellate protozoan that produces symptoms by infecting the small bowel and biliary tract in the trophozoite form. Diagnosis is currently established by microscopic visualization of the organism in appropriate intestinal contents (stool, small-bowel contents, or biopsy specimen). Adult patients with diarrhea and one or more enteric symptoms may be enrolled in clinical trials of new drugs for the treatment of giardial disease. A randomized, double-blind, active-concurrent-control design is recommended. Post hoc stratification by age, immune status, chronicity of disease, and ease of establishing diagnosis (organism load) may be performed. Microbiological assessment 48 hours to 7 days after the completion of therapy is paramount for determining final outcome."}
{"id": "PMID:1477238", "title": "Evaluation of new anti-infective drugs for the treatment of diarrhea caused by Cryptosporidium. Infectious Diseases Society of America and the Food and Drug Administration.", "content": "Cryptosporidium is a coccidian protozoan that produces symptoms by infesting the small bowel. The illness is characterized by watery stools, anorexia, weight loss, and abdominal pain. Diagnosis is made by visualization of the organisms on microscopic examination of stool. There currently is no approved therapy for this infection. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study design is recommended. Stratification of patients by age and immune status should be considered. Two stool samples obtained 48 hours to 7 days after completion of therapy should be negative for Cryptosporidium oocysts. Assessment of microbiological outcome is paramount."}
{"id": "PMID:1477239", "title": "Evaluation of new anti-infective drugs for the treatment of diarrhea caused by Entamoeba histolytica. Infectious Diseases Society of America and the Food and Drug Administration.", "content": "Entamoeba histolytica causes colonic infection that ranges from asymptomatic carriage to invasive disease with infection of extraintestinal organs, particularly the liver. The disease occurs in both sporadic and epidemic forms. Diagnosis requires visualization of trophozoites or cysts by microscopic examination of stool, colonic scrapings, or biopsy specimens. Patients with either asymptomatic or symptomatic disease may be eligible for clinical trials. A prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study design is recommended for asymptomatic carriers and an active-concurrent-control study design for symptomatic patients. Final outcome should be assessed 48 hours to 7 days after completion of therapy. Assessment of microbiological outcome is paramount."}
{"id": "PMID:1477240", "title": "Evaluation of new anti-infective drugs for the treatment of chronic carriage of Salmonella. Infectious Diseases Society of America and the Food and Drug Administration.", "content": "The chronic carriage of salmonellae is defined as the shedding of a Salmonella species for > or = 1 year, as documented by an initial positive culture of a stool sample obtained at least 1 month after resolution of the acute illness and repeated positive cultures for at least 1 year. Clinical trials of investigational anti-infective drugs for the treatment of the salmonella carrier state may be conducted with a placebo control or an active concurrent control. A crossover design also may be employed for establishing efficacy. Patients should generally receive therapy for at least 6 weeks. Outcome will be assessed only by microbiological criteria. Determination of the interval required for the suppression of salmonellae and follow-up for 6 months after completion of therapy are recommended."}
{"id": "PMID:1477241", "title": "Evaluation of new anti-infective drugs for the treatment of antibiotic-associated colitis. Infectious Diseases Society of America and the Food and Drug Administration.", "content": "Colitis due to Clostridium difficile is diagnosed in 10%-15% of hospitalized patients who develop diarrhea after treatment with antimicrobial drugs. Diagnosis is based on the concurrence of diarrhea, one or more signs or symptoms of enteric intoxication, and stool from which toxigenic C. difficile is isolated or from which its toxins are identified. Clinical trials evaluating therapy may be placebo controlled (for mild disease) or concurrently controlled with an active drug. A randomized, double-blind study design is preferred. Outcome should be assessed by monitoring of the degree of inflammation of the bowel mucosa, the intensity and severity of diarrhea, the duration of illness, changes in stool form, and the eradication of C. difficile or its toxins from stool. Because C. difficile can be a component of the normal gastrointestinal flora, assessment of clinical outcome is paramount."}
{"id": "PMID:1477242", "title": "Evaluation of new anti-infective drugs for the treatment of gastritis and peptic ulcer disease associated with infection by Helicobacter pylori. Infectious Diseases Society of America and the Food and Drug Administration.", "content": "Helicobacter pylori is a gram-negative, microaerophilic, spiral bacillus. Infection by this organism is currently believed to be the major cause of type B gastritis. Inflammation and infection may persist for years in the absence of therapeutic intervention. There is currently no approved antimicrobial therapy for gastritis. Clinical investigations have shown that combination regimens including bismuth salts and antimicrobial drugs result in the relief of symptoms, the resolution of histologic evidence of gastritis, the eradication of H. pylori, high rates of ulcer healing, and lower rates of ulcer relapse than have been found with other therapies (antacids and H2 antagonists). A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study design is recommended for evaluation of new therapies. Study participants should have their progress monitored by endoscopy performed at enrollment, at completion of therapy, and 3 months thereafter. Assessment of microbiological outcome is paramount for final evaluation of the patient."}
{"id": "PMID:1477243", "title": "Evaluation of new antifungal drugs for the treatment of systemic fungal infections. Infectious Diseases Society of America and the Food and Drug Administration.", "content": "These guidelines are applicable to all fungal pathogens that produce systemic infections in humans. Specific examples are provided whenever they might clarify special issues. Systemic fungal infections usually are divided into two broad categories: endemic systemic fungal diseases, which occur classically in healthy hosts, and opportunistic fungal diseases, which occur almost exclusively in patients with impaired host defenses. Both the increasing frequency of disseminated histoplasmosis and coccidioidomycosis in patients with AIDS and the occurrence of candidemia due to vascular-line infections have begun to blur this distinction. The fungi included in these guidelines are Histoplasma capsulatum, Coccidioides immitis, Blastomyces dermatitidis, Candida species, Cryptococcus neoformans, Aspergillus species, and Sporothrix schenckii. Diagnosis of infections caused by these fungi should be based on culture of infected body fluids or tissues whenever possible. Cryptococcal and coccidioidal meningitis are exceptions. Amphotericin B remains the standard comparative agent for most new agents. Further studies of the efficacy of new oral agents used alone or after a hospital course of amphotericin B are needed. The agents currently available are usually inadequate for eradication of fungal infections in patients with AIDS, who may need prolonged treatment. Final assessment for these patients may need to be classified as clinical cure with presumed microbiologic persistence."}
{"id": "PMID:1477244", "title": "Evaluation of new anti-infective drugs for the treatment and prevention of tuberculosis. Infectious Diseases Society of America and the Food and Drug Administration.", "content": "This guideline addresses the evaluation of new antimycobacterial drugs in the treatment and prevention (secondary prophylaxis) of infection by M. tuberculosis. Patients may be enrolled in clinical trials on the basis of clinical and/or microbiological criteria. A therapeutic regimen will likely include a combination of drugs; a randomized, active-control, comparative clinical trial is recommended. If appropriate samples can be obtained for culture during follow-up without placing the patient at unwarranted risk, the assessment of microbiological outcome is paramount. Prophylaxis will probably require a single drug, and a similar study design is preferred."}
{"id": "PMID:1477245", "title": "Evaluation of new anti-infective drugs for the treatment and prevention of infections caused by the Mycobacterium avium complex. Infectious Diseases Society of America and the Food and Drug Administration.", "content": "The bacteria of the Mycobacterium avium complex are ubiquitous; thus it is often difficult to distinguish environmental contamination from colonization or infection. Patients with either pulmonary or disseminated infection may be enrolled in clinical trials. Disseminated disease occurs mostly in patients infected with the human immunodeficiency virus. In general, a randomized, active-control, double-blinded clinical trial is preferred; there should at least be a blinded evaluator. With regard to immunosuppressed populations, new antimycobacterial drugs need to be evaluated not only for the treatment but also for the prevention of disease. For trials of prophylaxis a placebo-controlled design is ethical until a drug is proven effective; then the use of an active-control regimen is appropriate. Since no regimen has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for treatment or prevention of disease caused by the M. avium complex, demonstration of the superiority of the study regimen to the control regimen should be the objective of the clinical trial."}
{"id": "PMID:1477246", "title": "Evaluation of new anti-infective drugs for the treatment of disease caused by Mycobacterium kansasii and other mycobacteria. Infectious Diseases Society of America and the Food and Drug Administration.", "content": "Mycobacterium kansasii is a photochromogenic nontuberculous mycobacterium that usually causes infections of the respiratory tract in humans. Although spontaneous resolution of infection has been reported, most patients require antimycobacterial therapy. A three- or four-drug combination--isoniazid, rifampin, and ethambutol and/or streptomycin--usually is prescribed. For evaluation of a new drug, a randomized, double-blind or evaluator-blinded, active-control comparative study design is recommended. Treatment should continue for 18-24 months, and follow-up evaluations should be conducted every 6 months for 3 years. Microbiological outcome is paramount."}
{"id": "PMID:1477247", "title": "Evaluation of new anti-infective drugs for surgical prophylaxis. Infectious Diseases Society of America and the Food and Drug Administration.", "content": "It has been established by substantial research that antimicrobial prophylaxis for various surgical procedures can reduce the risk of postoperative morbidity and mortality. When the incidence of infectious complications is high, the reduction with prophylaxis is most dramatic. However, even for many \"clean\" procedures (vascular procedures, total joint replacement), the small reduction in potentially calamitous complications justifies the use of prophylaxis. Many issues of detail remain unanswered: timing and duration of administration of antimicrobial drug; type of drug; use of topical anti-infective agents as ancillary measures; and choices for high-risk individuals and others ordinarily excluded from clinical trials. An approach to the conduct of clinical trials of anti-infective drugs for surgical prophylaxis is provided. Both general guidelines and specific recommendations for total hip replacement, colorectal operations, appendectomy, and transurethral resection of the prostate are included."}
{"id": "PMID:1477248", "title": "Evaluation of new anti-infective drugs for the treatment of intraabdominal infections. Infectious Diseases Society of America and the Food and Drug Administration.", "content": "These guidelines deal with the evaluation of anti-infective drugs for the treatment of intraabdominal infections. The clinical entities consist of infections arising from any part of the gastrointestinal tract, from the distal esophagus to the colon. These include surgical infections of the bowel, biliary tree, liver, spleen, and pancreas. Virtually all intraabdominal infections are due to multiple microorganisms resident in the gastrointestinal tract; these include aerobes and facultative and obligate anaerobes. Infections are classified as complicated (requiring an operative procedure), uncomplicated (managed medically), and postoperative wound (the operative procedure should be curative, but anti-infective drugs are used to prevent further infection at the site). Clinical criteria are paramount for entry into a study and for evaluation of efficacy. For complicated infections an adequate operation is an important determinant of outcome and needs assessment. Cultures of purulent intraabdominal fluid or abscess material are the only valid microbiologic indicators of infection. The acute physiology and chronic health evaluation score is useful in defining the severity of acute illness. The control regimen should consist of effective, established drugs and surgical procedures for the condition. Duration of therapy for complicated infections is usually 5-14 days; for uncomplicated infections, 3-7 days; and for postoperative wound infection, 2-5 days. Periodic assessment of safety and efficacy must be conducted during therapy. The outcome at final assessment is cure, failure, or indeterminate."}
{"id": "PMID:1477249", "title": "General guidelines for clinical bacteriology. Infectious Diseases Society of America and the Food and Drug Administration.", "content": "This guideline summarizes recommendations for (1) developing cogent procedures for diagnosis and antimicrobial susceptibility testing; (2) developing quality-control parameters for the microbiological components of clinical trials; (3) continually updating U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidelines; (4) reviewing microbiological recommendations from other groups, such as Microbiology Subcommittees of the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards; and (5) improving the microbiological aspects of FDA package inserts for antimicrobial drugs. Sensitive and specific methods for isolation and identification of pathogens are essential to the proper conduct of clinical trials. Susceptibility tests should be performed in an accurate and reproducible fashion. Verification of results in a reference laboratory is encouraged to monitor quality control."}
{"id": "PMID:1477250", "title": "Evaluation of new anti-infective drugs for the treatment of acute pelvic infections in hospitalized women. Infectious Diseases Society of America and the Food and Drug Administration.", "content": "This set of guidelines deals with evaluation of anti-infective drugs for treatment of acute pelvic infections in hospitalized women. The clinical entities include infectious complications of cesarean section; elective hysterectomy; and septic, incomplete abortion. Conditions including endomyometritis, cuff cellulitis, pelvic cellulitis, parametritis, phlegmon, and pelvic abscesses may arise due to a variety of bacterial species, both aerobic and anaerobic, that comprise the endogenous flora of the lower reproductive tract. Anaerobic bacteria have assumed particular importance, and therapy should be directed against such organisms. The roles of enterococci, chlamydiae, and mycoplasmas remain uncertain. Culture samples must be obtained under conditions assuring minimal vaginal contamination. Before a new drug may be used for treatment of human pelvic infections, considerable information is necessary about its antimicrobial spectrum as well as its safety and efficacy. Placebo-controlled trials are considered unethical. Historical controls may be used, but concurrent active control comparative trials are preferred. Parenteral administration is recommended for at least the initial 4 days of therapy, but orally administered drugs may be evaluated for completion of longer courses. The expected cure rate is approximately 90%. Uncomplicated infections should be treated for at least 4 days; more complicated infections may require prolonged therapy. Although clinical cure is paramount, microbiologic response must also be taken into account. In the final assessment, outcome will be classified as cure, failure, or indeterminate."}
{"id": "PMID:1477251", "title": "General guidelines for the clinical evaluation of anti-infective drug products. Infectious Diseases Society of America and the Food and Drug Administration.", "content": "This document provides new general guidelines for the design and execution of studies evaluating anti-infective drugs for the prevention or treatment of infectious diseases. The first step in evaluation is the determination of in vitro microbial susceptibility. Next, studies are conducted in animals. Several animal models provide information useful in the prediction of appropriate dosing and activity in humans. If the results of these studies are favorable, staged clinical trials are then conducted. These guidelines reflect changes in the practice of medicine, dealing with topics such as the switch from parenteral to oral drug administration during a course of therapy, treatment in settings other than acute-care hospitals, and the use of alternative comparison drugs for the study of indications or dosing schedules not covered by the product label. Because further changes in practice are anticipated, the present guidelines will need to be updated and revised periodically."}
{"id": "PMID:1477252", "title": "Evaluation of new anti-infective drugs for the treatment of acute pelvic inflammatory disease. Infectious Diseases Society of America and the Food and Drug Administration.", "content": "Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) is a syndrome unrelated to pregnancy or surgery and characterized by lower abdominal pain and tenderness, cervical motion tenderness, and adnexal tenderness. Fever, leukocytosis, and the results of laboratory tests are used to support the diagnosis. Participants in clinical trials should be stratified into two groups: those with and those without tubo-ovarian abscess--i.e., those with complicated and those with uncomplicated PID. Diagnostic studies and treatment should be directed at four major groups of pathogens: Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Chlamydia trachomatis, anaerobic bacteria, and facultative bacteria such as Escherichia coli. Women requiring hospitalization should generally be treated as inpatients for at least 4-7 days; outpatient therapy should then be instituted to complete a 14- to 21-day course. Clinical and laboratory evaluations should be conducted daily during hospitalization and both 2-4 days and 2-4 weeks after the completion of therapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1477253", "title": "Evaluation of new anti-infective drugs for the treatment of respiratory tract infections. Infectious Diseases Society of America and the Food and Drug Administration.", "content": "These guidelines deal with the evaluation of anti-infective drugs for the treatment of respiratory tract infections. Five clinical entities are described: streptococcal pharyngitis and tonsillitis, otitis media, sinusitis, bronchitis, and pneumonia. A wide variety of microorganisms are potentially pathogenetic in these diseases; these guidelines focus on the bacterial infections. Inclusion of a patient in a trial of a new drug is based on the clinical entity, with the requirement that a reasonable attempt will be made to establish a specific microbial etiology. Microbiologic evaluation of efficacy requires isolation of the pathogen and testing for in vitro susceptibility. Alternatively, surrogate markers may be used to identify the etiologic agent. The efficacy of new drugs is evaluated with reference to anticipated response rates. Establishment of the microbial etiology of respiratory tract infections is hampered by the presence of \"normal flora\" of the nose, mouth, and pharynx, which may include asymptomatic carriage of potential pathogens. This issue is addressed for each category of infection described. For example, it is suggested that for initial phase 2 trials of acute otitis media and acute sinusitis tympanocentesis or direct sinus puncture be used to collect exudate for culture. Acute exacerbations of chronic bronchitis also present difficulties in the establishment of microbial etiology. These guidelines suggest that clinical trials employ an active control drug but leave open the possibility of a placebo-controlled trial. For pneumonia, the guidelines suggest the identification and enrollment of patients by the clinical type of pneumonia, e.g., atypical pneumonia or acute bacterial pneumonia, rather than by etiologic organism or according to whether it was community or hospital acquired. For each respiratory infection, the clinical response is judged as cure, failure, or indeterminate. Clinical improvement is not acceptable unless quantitative response measures can be applied."}
{"id": "PMID:1477254", "title": "Evaluation of new anti-infective drugs for the treatment of infective endocarditis. Infectious Diseases Society of America and the Food and Drug Administration.", "content": "These guidelines describe the design and implementation of clinical trials to assess the safety and efficacy of anti-infective drugs for the treatment of infective endocarditis. Identification and enrollment of patients in clinical trials is based on a modification of traditional criteria. To accrue a sufficient number of patients, only those with streptococcal or staphylococcal endocarditis should be included in studies. Results of treatment with approved drugs allow for projection of expected bacteriologic cure rates and survival rates. Prospective randomized, double-blind studies are recommended. These guidelines are based on the premise that future protocols may include shorter courses of therapy, combinations of drugs, or progression from parenteral to oral therapy. Clinical response is judged as cure, failure, or indeterminate; there is no \"improved\" category. Microbiologic response is categorized as eradication, persistence, or relapse. When a patient has shown no clinical evidence of active disease for a protracted period, there may be no need to perform a posttreatment blood culture; for such patients, the microbiologic response is termed presumptive eradication. Several months of follow-up may be necessary to detect late relapses."}
{"id": "PMID:1477255", "title": "Special issues in clinical trials of new anti-infective drugs for the treatment of sexually transmitted diseases. Infectious Diseases Society of America and the Food and Drug Administration.", "content": "Several special issues arise in relation to clinical trials of therapy for sexually transmitted diseases. These issues include the desirability of including adolescents and both pregnant and nonpregnant women in the trial, the use of unapproved control regimens, problems with antimicrobial susceptibility testing due to inadequate methodology and the need for prompt treatment, the need to assess agents for treatment of syndromes of unknown microbial etiology, toxicity considerations related to the use of single-dose regimens, management of the sexual partners of the participants in the trial, analysis of data despite the high frequency of minor protocol violations, sexual reexposure to infection during the trial, and the potential for loss, alteration, or falsification of data because of the relative simplicity of the usual protocol design and the diagnostic reliance on specimens that are routinely discarded."}
{"id": "PMID:1477256", "title": "Evaluation of new anti-infective drugs for the treatment of genital infections due to herpes simplex virus. Infectious Diseases Society of America and the Food and Drug Administration.", "content": "This guideline addresses clinical trials of new therapies for genital infections due to herpes simplex virus (HSV). Of the two types of virus, HSV-2 is the more common pathogen. Both HSV-1 and HSV-2 become latent in sacral nerve root ganglia and intermittently reactivate. Patients who have frequent recurrences (more than four per year) may be candidates for long-term suppressive therapy. In both first-episode and recurrent genital HSV infections, lesions should be cultured for HSV. Testing for human immunodeficiency virus is encouraged but not required. Serum antibodies to HSV-1 and HSV-2 should be quantitated at enrollment and 3-5 weeks thereafter. Randomized, double-blind, active-control comparative studies are generally recommended. Placebo-controlled trials may be appropriate for recurrent genital herpes or for suppression of recurrences. Final evaluation should generally take place 10-15 days after the completion of therapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1477257", "title": "Solidifying liquid with novel initiation system for detachable balloon catheters.", "content": "In endovascular surgery, to permanently hinder blood inflow into an aneurysm for example, a catheter is percutaneously introduced into an artery and the balloon is positioned and inflated by a solidifying liquid and then released into the diseased part. A novel solidifying liquid for the inflated balloon curable under the continuous feeding of oxygen through the wall of the balloon is described here. Glucose oxidase which oxidizes glucose producing hydrogen peroxide was used for polymerization of the solidifying liquid. This solidifying liquid cured even in the presence of oxygen and water. It was radiopaque when mixed with the iodinated X-ray contrast chemical iopamidol. In addition, the solidified liquid had appropriate mechanical properties. The endovascular surgery could be carried out safely using it."}
{"id": "PMID:1477258", "title": "Influence of substratum wettability on the strength of adhesion of human fibroblasts.", "content": "To determine the strength of adhesion and the detachment mechanisms of fibroblasts from substrata with different wettability, the behaviour of adhered cells was studied in a parallel-plate flow chamber during exposure to shear. Adhered cells were observed in situ, i.e. in the flow chamber, by phase-contrast microscope and images were analysed semiautomatically. Detachment was found to be dependent both on shear stress and time, although a critical shear stress can be found below which no detachment occurs. On all substrata, cells round up before detachment and are approximately spherical immediately before detachment. The strength of adhesion calculated ranged from 0.6-3.5 x 10(-10) N per cell on FEP-Teflon (the least wettable material included) to 9.4 x 10(-9) N per cell for glass (the most wettable). Ease of detachment seemed to decrease with increasing wettability. However, cells reacted more strongly with tissue culture polystyrene (TCPS) than expected on the basis of its wettability, probably due to surface chemistry."}
{"id": "PMID:1477259", "title": "Endothelial cell adhesion on polyurethanes containing covalently attached RGD-peptides.", "content": "Peptides based on cell-adhesive regions of fibronectin, Arg-Gly-Asp-Ser (RGDS), and vitronectin, Arg-Gly-Asp-Val (RGDV), were covalently bound to a polyurethane backbone via amide bonds. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopies were used to monitor the reactions. The amount of grafted peptide was determined by amino acid analysis. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) suggested the presence of the grafted peptide at the polymer-air interface in vacuo. Dynamic contact angle analysis showed that, in water, the peptide-grafted polyurethane surfaces were more polar than the underivatized polyurethane indicating enrichment of peptide groups at the surface. The attachment and spreading of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) on the underivatized and peptide-grafted polyurethanes was investigated. The GRGDSY- and GRGDVY-grafted substrates supported cell adhesion and spreading even without serum in the culture medium. The GRGDVY-grafted substrate supported a larger number of adherent cells and a higher extent of cell spreading than the GRGDSY-grafted substrate. These RGD-containing peptide-grafted polyurethane copolymers may be useful in providing an easily prepared cell-adhesive substrate for various biomaterial applications."}
{"id": "PMID:1477260", "title": "In vitro leucocyte adhesion to modified polyurethane surfaces. I. Effect of ionizable functional groups.", "content": "To study the effect of ionizable functional groups on the adhesion of leucocytes to surfaces, both poly(ethyleneimine) and poly(acrylic acid) were immobilized on polyurethane films, resulting in the introduction of amine and carboxylic acid groups, respectively. This was confirmed by contact angle measurements and XPS analysis. In vitro adhesion of granulocytes and lymphocytes on untreated and modified surfaces was compared. The number of adherent cells on modified surfaces as a function of time was significantly higher than on untreated surfaces. This effect was most pronounced for the adhesion of lymphocytes to surfaces modified with amine groups. In this case, the number of adherent cells after 1 h of exposure was three times higher than on untreated surfaces. A moderate enhancement of leucocyte adhesion was observed in the case of surfaces modified with carboxylic acid groups. There is evidence that these groups were not ionized under the experimental conditions used. The modification procedures described may be used to improve polyurethane filters for the removal of leucocytes from blood."}
{"id": "PMID:1477261", "title": "RGD-albumin conjugate: expression of tissue regeneration activity.", "content": "Albumin conjugated with Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) has cellular adhesive activity comparable to that of fibronectin in vitro. This study examined whether RGD-albumin conjugate (RGD-ALB) can promote soft tissue ingrowth into a porous matrix in vivo. Polyurethane sponges with 150-500 microns pore size adsorbed with RGD-ALB, fibronectin and albumin were implanted in the subcutaneous tissue of rats. The RGD-ALB-adsorbed sponge exhibited tissue ingrowth comparable to that of the fibronectin-adsorbed sponge at the early period of implantation. On the other hand, the tissue ingrowth was markedly retarded for non-adsorbed and albumin-adsorbed sponges. The enhanced tissue ingrowth found for RGD-ALB and fibronectin was deduced to be mainly a result of its cell-adhesion activity. It is concluded that RGD-ALB exhibits tissue ingrowth-promoting activity at the initial stage of wound healing as effectively as fibronectin."}
{"id": "PMID:1477262", "title": "Influence of cement layer thickness on the adhesive bond strength of polyalkenoate cements.", "content": "The fracture toughness and yield stress values of model zinc polycarboxylate and glass polyalkenoate cements have been used to calculate plastic zone sizes. The size of the plastic zone at the crack tip in these materials has been used to predict whether cement layer thickness is likely to influence the adhesive bond strength. In the model zinc polycarboxylate cement studied, the plastic zone size was comparable to the cement layer thickness and had a pronounced influence on the shear bond strengths obtained. In contrast, the plastic zone sizes obtained for the glass polyalkenoate cements were much smaller and the shear bond strengths were found to be much less dependent on cement layer thickness."}
{"id": "PMID:1477263", "title": "Novel acrylic resins for dental applications.", "content": "A heat-cured resin based on a copolymer of bis-phenol-A glycidyl methacrylate (bis-GMA) and tetrahydrofurfuryl methacrylate (THFM) was investigated. Workable pastes were made by adding 90/10 w/w bis-GMA/THFM copolymer powder to a 70/30 w/w monomer of the same composition. The organic filler content was 60-64% w/w. Young's modulus, flexural strength, impact strength, hardness, water absorption and desorption, linear thermal expansion, polymerization shrinkage and glass transition temperature were determined. The materials studied showed high elastic modulus, hardness and glass transition temperature. A relatively low linear thermal expansion was obtained but poor impact strength and low flexural strength, indicating brittleness. Acceptable values were obtained for water absorption."}
{"id": "PMID:1477264", "title": "Effect of amplitude of micromotion on bone ingrowth into titanium chambers implanted in the rabbit tibia.", "content": "The micromotion chamber for implantation in the rabbit tibia consists of two titanium components that have a 1 mm contiguous pore for bone ingrowth. The fixed, outer cylinder of the chamber contains a movable inner core that can be manually rotated. The model is unique because specific, discrete, daily periods of motion of a predetermined amplitude and frequency can be delivered to the ingrowing tissue. In the present study, we compared the histological and scintigraphic results of bone ingrowth into chambers having a congruently shaped interface that was moved 20 cycles/d with an amplitude of either 0.5 or 0.75 mm. Histological sections from both amplitude groups contained extensive new woven and trabecular bone, embedded in a fibrovascular network. However, the chambers with a larger amplitude of motion yielded less bone ingrowth than those with a smaller amplitude. These studies suggest that short, discrete periods of motion can stimulate the formation of fibrous tissue rather than bone using the parameters chosen in this model."}
{"id": "PMID:1477265", "title": "Chitosan beads and granules for oral sustained delivery of nifedipine: in vitro studies.", "content": "Nifedipine was embedded in a chitosan matrix to develop a prolonged-release form. The in vitro release profiles of nifedipine from chitosan beads and microgranules were monitored by UV spectrophotometer. The studies were performed in a rotating shaker (100 rev min-1) in 0.1 M HCl buffer (pH 2.0) or 0.1 M phosphate buffer (pH 7.4). Comparison was made between drug-loaded microbeads and microgranules. The amount and percentage of drug release were much higher in HCl than in phosphate buffer, probably due to the salt formation of the matrix (chitosan hydrochloride) at acid pH. The release rate of nifedipine from chitosan matrix was slower for beads than granules. These findings suggest the possibility of modifying the formulations to obtain the desired controlled release of the drug in an oral sustained-delivery system."}
{"id": "PMID:1477266", "title": "New method for analysis of biodegradable polyesters by high-performance liquid chromatography after alkali hydrolysis.", "content": "A new method was developed for analysis of biodegradable polyesters, which involves alkali hydrolysis of polyesters to the corresponding hydroxyacids and determination of the hydroxyacids by high-performance liquid chromatography. It can be used to monitor weight change in polyesters and change in molecular ratio of the hydroxyacid constituents of polyesters during in vitro and in vivo degradation."}
{"id": "PMID:1477267", "title": "Soft tissue response to different types of sintered metal fibre-web materials.", "content": "Recently, it has been demonstrated that the soft tissue response to polymeric filter implants was predominantly dependent on the implant surface topography and that variation in the implant material had little effect. The purpose of this study, therefore, was to compare histologically the soft tissue response to sintered fibre-web implants made from different materials and with varying web porosity. Three different fibre-web materials with two different weights and two different porosities were used. The implants were inserted subcutaneously in the dorsum of rabbits. The implants were left in situ for 4 and 12 wk. Histological and tissue compatibility evaluations were performed. It is found that all the tested fibre-web materials show a good biocompatible behaviour. In addition, the results appear to indicate a relation between flexibility of an implant material and tissue behaviour."}
{"id": "PMID:1477269", "title": "[Physical mechanisms of solid-protein interactions in the interface between amorphous silicon carbide and fibrinogen].", "content": "State of the art in biomaterial research and implant design is a compromise between functionality and biocompatibility. Consequently the results often have disadvantages with respect to both aspects. In regard to biocompatibility the activation of the clotting system by alloplastic materials is of great significance, because it necessitates anticoagulant therapy. Further improvements of implant technology require an understanding of the interactions between blood and implants. Therefore a microscopic model of thrombogenesis at alloplastic surfaces will shortly be presented, which relates thrombogenicity of a material to the electronic structure of its surface. The requirements for high hemocompatibility, which result from this model--especially in regard to the density of states and the conductivity at the surface--are fulfilled by an amorphous alloy of silicon and carbon (a-SiC:H). The advantage of amorphous materials is that they do not obey stoichiometric rules. Thus they allow a continuous adjustment of the electronic parameters without fundamental changes of their mechanical and chemical properties. The theoretical results where checked by total internal reflection intrinsic fluorescence spectroscopy (TIRIF) as well as thrombelastography experiments (TEG). In comparison to conventional materials like titanium or LTI carbon the TEG-clotting time of a-SiC:H-coatings is prolonged in excess of 200%. As a consequence a-SiC:H is well suited as a hemocompatible coating material for hybrid structuring of cardiovascular implants."}
{"id": "PMID:1477270", "title": "[CO2 angiography: measuring blood flow with injected gas bubbles].", "content": "The use of CO2 gas as a contrast medium for visualizing blood vessels has been considerably facilitated by the development of a gas metering device for mechanical injection of CO2. The present paper describes the possibility of using CO2 not only for visualizing blood vessel morphology, but also for the diagnostic evaluation of the haemodynamics within the vessels. For this reason in vitro experiments with an artery simulation model were undertaken to examine the behaviour of injected gas bubbles. The information thus obtained was then translated to animal experiments."}
{"id": "PMID:1477271", "title": "[Method for in vivo measurement of intraosseous pressure of the patella].", "content": "During the development of degenerative joint disease (osteoarthritis, chondropathy), a diagnostic or even pathogenetic role is attributed to the phenomenon of intraosseous pressure (IOP). Owing to technical problems and a lack of systematic experimental or clinical studies on the control mechanisms of the IOP, the actual importance of this factor is still not known with certainty. Now, a measuring method that enables correct recording of the IOP and standardized on-line processing of the measured signal minimize artefact-related problems. The technique is evaluated for reliability in an in vitro model of the human patella and in a limited clinical study of the IOP in patients undergoing knee surgery for various reasons. Factors such as intra-articular effusion, joint position or changes in intra-articular soft tissue are examined for their influence of the primary signal."}
{"id": "PMID:1477272", "title": "Looking at proteins: representations, folding, packing, and design. Biophysical Society National Lecture, 1992.", "content": "Looking at proteins is an active process of interpretation and selection, emphasizing some features and deleting others. Multiple representations are needed, for such purposes as showing motions or conveying both the chain connectivity and the three-dimensional shape simultaneously. In studying and comparing protein structures, ideas are suggested about the determinants of tertiary structure and of folding (e.g., that Greek key beta barrels may fold up two strands at a time). The design and synthesis of new proteins \"from scratch\" provides a route toward the experimental testing of such ideas. It has also been a fruitful new perspective from which to look at structures, requiring such things as statistics on very narrowly defined structural categories and explicit attention to \"negative design\" criteria that actively block unwanted alternatives (e.g., reverse topology of a helix bundle, or edge-to-edge aggregation of beta sheets). Recently, the field of protein design has produced a rather unexpected general result: apparently we do indeed know enough to successfully design proteins that fold into approximately correct structures, but not enough to design unique, native-like structures. The degree of order varies considerably, but even the best designed material shows multiple conformations by NMR, more similar to a \"molten globule\" folding intermediate than to a well ordered native tertiary structure. In response to this conclusion, we are now working on systems that test useful questions with approximate structures (such as determining which factors most influence the choice of helix-bundle topology) and also analyzing how natural proteins achieve unique core conformations (e.g., for side chains on the interior side of a beta sheet, illustrated in the kinemages)."}
{"id": "PMID:1477273", "title": "Conformational changes in cubic insulin crystals in the pH range 7-11.", "content": "To determine the effect of variations in the charge distribution on the conformation of a protein molecule, we have solved the structures of bovine cubic insulin over a pH range from 7 to 11 in 0.1 M and 1 M sodium salt solutions. The x-ray data were collected beyond 2-A resolution and the R factors for the refined models ranged from 0.16 to 0.20. Whereas the positions of most protein and well-ordered solvent atoms are conserved, about 30% of residues alter their predominant conformation as the pH is changed. Conformational switching of A5 Gln and B10 His correlates with the pH dependence of monovalent cation binding to insulin in cubic crystals. Shifts in the relative positions of the A chain NH2-terminal and B chain COOH-terminal groups are probably due to titration of the A1 alpha-amino group. Two alternative positions of B25 Phe and A21 Asn observed in cubic insulin at pH 11 are similar to those found in two independent molecules of the 2Zn insulin dimer at pH 6.4. The conformational changes of the insulin amino acids appear to be only loosely coupled at distant protein sites. Shifts in the equilibrium between distinct conformational substates as the charge distribution on the protein is altered are analogous to the electrostatically triggered movements that occur in many functional protein reactions."}
{"id": "PMID:1477274", "title": "Conformational analysis of apolipoprotein A-I and E-3 based on primary sequence and circular dichroism.", "content": "The primary and secondary structure of human plasma apolipoprotein A-I and apolipoprotein E-3 have been analyzed to further our understanding of the secondary and tertiary conformation of these proteins and the structure and function of plasma lipoprotein particles. The methods used to analyze the primary sequence of these proteins used computer programs: (a) to identify repeated patterns within these proteins on the basis of conservative substitutions and similarities within the physicochemical properties of each residue; (b) for local averaging, hydrophobic moment, and Fourier analysis of the physicochemical properties; and (c) for secondary structure prediction of each protein carried out using homology, statistical, and information theory based methods. Circular dichroism was used to study purified lipid-protein complexes of each protein and quantitate the secondary structure in a lipid environment. The data from these analyses were integrated into a single secondary structure prediction to derive a model of each protein. The sequence homology within apolipoproteins A-I, E-3, and A-IV is used to derive a consensus sequence for two 11 amino acid repeating sequences in this family of proteins."}
{"id": "PMID:1477275", "title": "Matrix-assisted laser desorption mass spectrometry of rhodopsin and bacteriorhodopsin.", "content": "Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometry has been used to obtain accurate molecular weight information for the integral membrane proteins bacteriorhodopsin and bovine rhodopsin desorbed from solubilized membrane preparations. Mass differences in the molecular weights measured for bleached and unbleached bacteriorhodopsin and rhodopsin indicate the removal of the retinal chromophores upon bleaching. The MALDI technique was also successful for determination of the major cleavage products obtained upon treatment of membrane bound rhodopsin with endoproteinase Asp-N and thermolysin. Our results indicate that the MALDI method is a useful means of obtaining accurate molecular weight information on hydrophobic proteins isolated in their native membranes."}
{"id": "PMID:1477276", "title": "Structural comparison of metarhodopsin II, metarhodopsin III, and opsin based on kinetic analysis of Fourier transform infrared difference spectra.", "content": "Fourier transform infrared difference spectra were measured at 30-s intervals after a complete bleach of rhodopsin (rho) samples at 20 degrees C and three different pH values. At each pH, all of the spectra could be fit globally to two exponential decay processes. Using a branched unimolecular kinetic model in which metarhodopsin II (meta II) is hydrolyzed to opsin and retinal both directly and through metarhodopsin III (meta III), we calculated rho-->meta II, rho-->meta III, and rho-->opsin difference spectra at each of the pH values and obtained estimates for the microscopic rate constants at each pH. Because of assumptions that had to be made about the branching ratio between the meta II decay pathways, some uncertainties remain in our calculated rho-->meta III difference spectrum at each pH. Nevertheless, our data covering long time ranges, especially those obtained at pH 8, place significant new constraints on the spectrum of meta III and thus on its structure. The rho-->meta II spectrum shows no significant pH dependence over the range examined (pH 5.5-8). However, the rho-->meta III and rho-->opsin spectra each include a limited subset of pH-dependent peaks, which are mostly attributable to titratable amino acid side chains. Our observations can be used to refine an earlier conclusion that the visual pigment refolds to a rhodopsin-like conformation during meta II decay (Rothschild, K.J., J. Gillespie, and W.J. DeGrip. 1987 Biophys. J. 51:345-350). Most of this refolding occurs in the same way at pH values ranging from 5.5 to 8 and whether meta II decays to meta III or opsin. Meta II displays unique spectral perturbations that are mostly attributable to a few residues, probably including three to four aspartic or glutamic acids and an arginine."}
{"id": "PMID:1477277", "title": "Single photon radioluminescence. I. Theory and spectroscopic properties.", "content": "The excitation of a fluorescent molecule by a beta-decay electron (radioluminescence) depends upon the electron energy, the distance between radioactive 'donor' and fluorescent 'acceptor', and the excitation characteristics and solvent environment of the fluorophore. The theory for calculation of single photon radioluminescence (SPR) signals is developed here; in the accompanying paper, measurement methods and biological applications are presented. To calculate the three-dimensional spatial profile for electron energy deposition in an aqueous environment, a Monte Carlo calculation was performed incorporating theories of electron energy distributions, energy loss due to interactions with matter, and deflections in electron motion due to collisions. For low energy beta emitters, 50% of energy deposition occurs within 0.63 micron (3H, 18.5 keV), 22 microns (14C, 156 keV), 25 microns (35S, 167 keV), and 260 microns (36Cl, 712 keV) of the radioisotope. In close proximity to the beta emitter (100 nm, 3H; 10 microns, 14C) the probability for fluorophore excitation is approximately proportional to the inverse square of the distance between the beta emitter and fluorophore. To investigate the other factors that determine the probability for fluorophore excitation, SPR measurements were carried out in solutions containing 3H and a series of fluorophores in different solvents. In water, the probability of fluorescence excitation was nearly proportional to the integrated absorbance over a > 1,000-fold variation in absorbances. The probability of fluorescence excitation was enhanced up to 2,600-fold when the fluorophore was in a \"scintillant\" aromatic or hydrocarbon solvent. SPR emission spectra were similar to fluorescence emission spectra obtained with photon excitation. The single photon signal due to Bremsstrahlung increased with wavelength in agreement with theory. The distance dependence for the SPR signal predicted by the model was in good agreement with measurements in which a 14C donor was separated by known thicknesses of water from a fluorescently-coated coverglass. Quantitative predictions for radioluminescence signal as a function of donor-acceptor distance were developed for specific radioisotope-fluorophore geometries in biological samples."}
{"id": "PMID:1477278", "title": "Single photon radioluminescence. II. Signal detection and biological applications.", "content": "A quantitative theory for excitation of fluorescent molecules by beta decay electrons is reported in the accompanying manuscript; experimental detection methods and biological applications are reported here. The single photon signals produced by an excited fluorophore (single photon radioluminescence, SPR) provide quantitative information about the distance between radioisotope and fluorophore. Instrumentation was constructed for SPR signal detection. Photons produced in a 0.5-ml sample volume were detected by a cooled photomultiplier and photon counting electronics. To minimize electronic noise and drift for detection of very small SPR signals, a mechanical light chopper was used for gated-signal detection, and a pulse height analyzer for noise rejection. SPR signals of approximately 1 cps were reproducibly measurable. The influence of inner filter effect, sample turbidity, and fluorophore environment (lipid, protein, and carbohydrate) on SPR signals were evaluated experimentally. SPR was then applied to measure lipid exchange kinetics, ligand binding, and membrane transport, and to determine an intermolecular distance in an intact membrane. (a. Lipid exchange kinetics.) Transfer of 12-anthroyloxystearic acid (12-AS) from sonicated lipid vesicles and micelles to vesicles containing 3H-cholesterol was measured from the time course of increasing SPR signal. At 22 degrees C, the half-times for 12-AS transfer from vesicles and micelles were 3.3 and 1.1 min, respectively. (b. Ligand binding.) Binding of 3H-oleic acid to albumin in solution, and 3H-2,2'-dihydro-4,4'-diisothiocyanodisulfonic stilbene (3H-H2DIDS) to band 3 on the erythrocyte membranes were detected by the radioluminescence of the intrinsic tryptophans. The SPR signal from 5 microCi 3H-oleic acid bound to 0.3 mM albumin decreased from 13 +/- 2 cps to 3 +/- 2 cps upon addition of nonradioactive oleic acid, giving 2.7 high affinity oleic acid binding sites per albumin. The SPR signal from 1 microCi 3H-H2DIDS bound selectively to erythrocyte band 3 in erythrocyte ghosts (1.5 mg protein/ml) was 2.2 +/- 0.8 cps. (c. Membrane transport). Dilution of J774 macrophages loaded with 3H-3-O-methylglucose and BCECF gave a decreasing SPR signal with a half-time of 81 s due to methylglucose efflux; the SPR measurement of the efflux rate was in agreement with a conventional tracer efflux rate determination by filtration. 20 microM cytochalasin B inhibited efflux by 97%. (d. Distance determination.) The SPR signal from erythrocyte membranes labeled with 27 microCi 3H-oleic acid and 10 microM of fluorescein-labeled wheat germ agglutinin was 5.7 +/- 0.5 cps, giving an average glycocalyx-to-bilayer distance of 5 nm. The results establish methods for experimental detection of SPR signals and demonstrate the applications of radioluminescence to the measurement of lipid exchange kinetics, ligand binding, membrane transport, and submicroscopic distances in intact membranes in real time."}
{"id": "PMID:1477279", "title": "Poisson-Boltzmann analysis of the lambda repressor-operator interaction.", "content": "A theoretical study of the ion atmosphere contribution to the binding free energy of the lambda repressor-operator complex is presented. The finite-difference form of the Poisson-Boltzmann equation was solved to calculate the electrostatic interaction energy of the amino-terminal domain of the lambda repressor with a 9 or 45 base pair oligonucleotide. Calculations were performed at various distances between repressor and operator as well as at different salt concentrations to determine ion atmosphere contributions to the total electrostatic interaction. Details in the distribution of charges on DNA and protein atoms had a strong influence on the calculated total interaction energies. In contrast, the calculated salt contributions are relatively insensitive to changes in the details of the charge distribution. The results indicate that the ion atmosphere contribution favors association at all protein-DNA distances studied. The theoretical number of ions released upon repressor-operator binding appears to be in reasonable agreement with experimental data."}
{"id": "PMID:1477280", "title": "Assembly-associated structural changes of bacteriophage T7 capsids. Detection by use of a protein-specific probe.", "content": "To detect changes in capsid structure that occur when a preassembled bacteriophage T7 capsid both packages and cleaves to mature-size longer (concatameric) DNA, the kinetics and thermodynamics are determined here for the binding of the protein-specific probe, 1,1'-bi(4-anilino)naphthalene-5,5'-di-sulfonic acid (bis-ANS), to bacteriophage T7, a T7 DNA deletion (8.4%) mutant, and a DNA-free T7 capsid (metrizamide low density capsid II) known to be a DNA packaging intermediate that has a permeability barrier not present in a related capsid (metrizamide high density capsid II). Initially, some binding to either bacteriophage or metrizamide low density capsid II occurs too rapidly to quantify (phase 1, duration < 10 s). Subsequent binding (phase 2) occurs with first-order kinetics. Only the phase 1 binding occurs for metrizamide high density capsid II. These observations, together with both the kinetics of the quenching by ethidium of bound bis-ANS fluorescence and the nature of bis-ANS-induced protein alterations, are explained by the hypothesis that the phase 2 binding occurs at internal sites. The number of these internal sites increases as the density of the packaged DNA decreases. The accompanying change in structure is potentially the signal for initiating cleavage of a concatemer. Evidence for the following was also obtained: (a) a previously undetected packaging-associated change in the conformation of the major protein of the outer capsid shell and (b) partitioning by a permeability barrier of the interior of the T7 capsid."}
{"id": "PMID:1477281", "title": "Image analysis shows that variations in actin crossover spacings are random, not compensatory.", "content": "A recent paper by Bremer et al. (1991. J. Cell Biol. 115:689-703) has argued that the random angular disorder model for actin is wrong, and that the variations in crossover spacing observed in electron micrographs of F-actin filaments can be best explained by a compensatory disorder caused by the lateral slipping of the twin (or two-start) strands which comprise the actin filament. We have analyzed the images of F-actin presented in Bremer et al. and show that their data argues against compensatory disorder and in favor of random disorder, independent of the cause of the disorder. We also revise our estimate of the angular component and show that the magnitude of this disorder is about 5-6 degrees per subunit, which is less than the 10-12 degrees that we originally proposed."}
{"id": "PMID:1477282", "title": "Bending stiffness of lipid bilayers. I. Bilayer couple or single-layer bending?", "content": "To describe the resistance of a bilayer to changes in curvature two mechanisms are distinguished which are termed bilayer couple bending and single-layer bending. In bilayer couple bending, the resistance arises from the 2-D isotropic elasticity of the two layers and their fixed distance. Single-layer bending covers the intrinsic bending stiffness of each monolayer. The two mechanisms are not independent. Even so, the distinction is useful since bilayer couple bending can relax by a slip between the layers from the local to the global fashion. Therefore, the bending stiffness of a bilayer depends on the time scale and on the extent of the deformation imposed on the membrane. Based on experimental data, it is shown by order of magnitude estimates that (a) the bending stiffness determined from thermally induced shape fluctuations of almost spherical vesicles is dominated by single-layer bending; (b) in the tether experiment on lipid vesicles and on red cells, a contribution of local bilayer couple bending can not be excluded; and (c) at the sharp corners at the leading and the trailing edge of tanktreading red cells, local bilayer couple bending appears to be important."}
{"id": "PMID:1477283", "title": "Determination of transmembrane pH gradients and membrane potentials in liposomes.", "content": "Techniques for determining large transbilayer pH gradients (delta pH) and membrane potentials (delta psi) induced in response to delta pH in large unilamellar vesicle liposomal systems by measuring the transbilayer redistribution of radiolabeled compounds have been examined. For liposomes with acidic interiors, it is shown that protocols using radiolabeled methylamine in conjunction with gel filtration procedures to remove untrapped methylamine provide accurate measures of delta pH in most situations. Exceptions include gel state lipid systems, where transbilayer equilibration processes are slow, and situations where the interior buffering capacity is limited. These problems can be circumvented by incubation at elevated temperatures and by using probes with higher specific activities, respectively. Determination of delta pH in vesicles with a basic interior using weak acid probes such as radiolabeled acetate in conjunction with gel filtration was found to be less reliable, and an alternative equilibrium centrifugation protocol is described. In the case of determinations of the membrane potentials induced in response to these pH gradients, probes such as tetraphenylphosphonium and thiocyanate provide relatively accurate measures of the delta psi induced. It is shown that the maximum transmembrane pH gradient that can be stably maintained by an egg phosphatidylcholine-cholesterol 100-nm-diam large unilamellar vesicle is approximately 3.7 units, corresponding to an induced delta psi of 220 mV or transbilayer electrical field of 5 x 10(5) V/cm."}
{"id": "PMID:1477284", "title": "Effect of the chirality of the glycerol backbone on the bilayer and nonbilayer phase transitions in the diastereomers of di-dodecyl-beta-D-glucopyranosyl glycerol.", "content": "We have studied the physical properties of aqueous dispersions of 1,2-sn- and 2,3-sn-didodecyl-beta-D-glucopyranosyl glycerols, as well as their diastereomeric mixture, using differential scanning calorimetry and low angle x-ray diffraction. Upon heating, both the chiral lipids and the diastereomeric mixture exhibit characteristically energetic L beta/L alpha phase transitions at 31.7-32.8 degrees C and two or three weakly energetic thermal events between 49 degrees C and 89 degrees C. In the diastereomeric mixture and the 1,2-sn glycerol derivative, these higher temperature endotherms correspond to the formation of, and interconversions between, several nonlamellar structures and have been assigned to L alpha/QIIa, QIIa/QIIb, and QIIb/HII phase transitions, respectively. The cubic phases QIIa and QIIb, whose cell lattice parameters are strongly temperature dependent, can be identified as belonging to space groups Ia3d and Pn3m/Pn3, respectively. In the equivalent 2,3-sn glucolipid, the QIIa phase is not observed and only two transitions are seen at 49 degrees C and 77 degrees C, which are identified as L alpha/QIIb and QIIb/HII phase transitions, respectively. These phase transitions temperatures are some 10 degrees C lower than those of the corresponding phase transitions observed in the diastereomeric mixture and the 1,2-sn glycerol derivative. On cooling, all three lipids exhibit a minor higher temperature exothermic event, which can be assigned to a HII/QIIb phase transition. An exothermic L alpha/L beta phase transition is observed at 30-31 degrees C. A shoulder is sometimes discernible on the high temperature side of the L alpha/L beta event, which may originate from a QIIb/L alpha phase transition prior to the freezing of the hydrocarbon chains. None of the lipids show evidence of a QIIa phase on cooling. No additional exothermic transitions are observed on further cooling to -3 degrees C. However, after nucleation at 0 degrees C followed by a short period of annealing at 22 degrees C, the 1,2-sn glucolipid forms an Lc phase that converts to an L alpha phase at 39.5 degrees C on heating. Neither the diastereomeric mixture nor the 2,3-sn glycerol derivative shows such behavior even after extended periods of annealing. Our results suggest that the differences in the phase behavior of these glycolipid isomers may not be attributable to headgroup size per se, but rather to differences in the stereochemistry of the lipid polar/apolar interfacial region, which consequently effects hydrogen-bonding, hydration, and the hydrophilic/hydrophobic balance."}
{"id": "PMID:1477285", "title": "Streptavidin binding to biotinylated lipid layers on solid supports. A neutron reflection and surface plasmon optical study.", "content": "Neutron reflection and surface plasmon optical experiments have been performed to evaluate structural data of the interfacial binding reaction between the protein streptavidin and a solid-supported lipid monolayer partly functionalized by biotin moieties. Since both experimental techniques operate in a total internal reflection geometry at a substrate/solution interface, identical sample architectures allow for a direct comparison between the results obtained with these two recently developed methods. It is found that a monomolecular layer of dipalmitoyllecithin doped with 5 mol% of a biotinylated-phosphatidylethanolamine shows a thickness of d1 approximately (3.4 +/- 0.5) nm. Binding of streptavidin to the biotin groups results in an overall layer thickness of d = (5.9 + 0.5) nm that demonstrates the formation of a well-ordered protein monolayer with the (biotin+spacer) units of the functionalized lipids being fully embedded into the binding pocket of the proteins. It is demonstrated by model calculations that a more detailed picture of the internal structure of this supramolecular assembly can only be obtained if one uses deuterated lipid molecules, thus generating a high contrast between individual layers."}
{"id": "PMID:1477286", "title": "Tandem linkage of Shaker K+ channel subunits does not ensure the stoichiometry of expressed channels.", "content": "Shaker K+ channels are multimeric, probably tetrameric proteins. Substitution of a conserved leucine residue to valine (V2) at position 370 in the Drosophila Shaker 29-4 sequence results in large alterations in the voltage dependence of gating in the expressed channels. In order to determine the effects of this mutation in hybrid channels with a fixed stoichiometry of V2 and wild-type (WT) subunits we generated cDNA constructs of two linked-monomeric subunits similar to the tandem constructs previously reported by Isacoff, E. Y., Y. N. Jan, and L. Y. Jan. (1990. Nature (Lond.). 345:530-534). In addition, we constructed a tandem cDNA containing a wild-type subunit and a truncated nonfunctional subunit (Sh102) that suppresses channel expression. We report that the voltage-dependence of the channels produced with WT and V2 subunits varied significantly with the order of the subunits in the construct (WT-V2 or V2-WT), while the WT-Sh102 construct yielded currents that were much larger than expected. These results suggest that the tandem linkage of Shaker subunits does not guarantee the stoichiometry of the expressed channel proteins."}
{"id": "PMID:1477287", "title": "Are weakly binding bridges present in resting intact muscle fibers?", "content": "Several experimental results (Schoenberg, M. 1988. Biophys. J. 54:135-148) have shown that the force response of relaxed skinned muscle fibers to fast stretches arises from the presence of cross-bridges rapidly cycling between attached and detached states. These bridges were identified with the M.ATP<-->AM.ATP and M.ADP.Pi<-->AM.ADP.Pi states seen in solution and are commonly referred to as weakly binding bridges. In this paper we have investigated the possibility that weakly binding bridges are also present in resting intact muscle fibers. The force response to fast stretches can be accounted for by assuming the presence in the fiber of a viscous and a viscoelastic passive component arranged in parallel. None of these components has the properties previously attributed to weakly binding bridges. This shows that in intact resting fibers there is no mechanical evidence of attached cross-bridges, suggesting that, under physiological conditions, either the M.ATP or M.ADP.Pi states have a negligibly small affinity for actin or the AM.ATP and AM.ADP.Pi cross-bridge states are unable to bear tension and contribute to fiber stiffness."}
{"id": "PMID:1477289", "title": "The physiological role of atrial natriuretic factor.", "content": "The physiological role of atrial natriuretic factor in the regulation of cardiovascular homeostasis has not yet been defined. The principal mechanisms that control biosynthesis, secretion and clearance of the peptide, however, are well characterized. In addition, several biological functions of the peptide, originally identified by studying the results of exogenous administration, have been confirmed in humans and in experimental animals at physiological blood levels, as well as with the help of pharmacological tools such as clearance inhibitors and monoclonal antibodies. This article reviews the principal biological actions of atrial natriuretic factor in the context of their physiological significance."}
{"id": "PMID:1477290", "title": "Energy metabolism of the hypertrophied heart studied by 31P nuclear magnetic resonance.", "content": "We report studies on the isolated hearts of rats treated with triiodothyronine (0.2 mg/kg daily) for 14 days, on spontaneously hypertensive rats (12 and 21 weeks old, Lyon strain) and on their respective controls. A 30% increase in cardiac weight was developed with triiodothyronine and a 40% increase in heart weight in the presence of spontaneous hypertension. The hearts were perfused in the presence of 2 mM pyruvate and the intracellular content of phosphocreatine, inorganic phosphate and ATP measured by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy with 31P. The left ventricular developed pressure was measured with an intraventricular balloon. Changes in contractile strength were induced by stepwise modifications of the extracellular concentration of calcium from 0.5 mM to 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0 mM. In all experimental groups, each increase in the extracellular calcium induced an increase in the developed pressure, together with a decrease in phosphocreatine and an increase in inorganic phosphate; the ATP level remained unchanged. These metabolic changes increased progressively with the increase in developed pressure. In the hearts of animals treated with triiodothyronine and of the 21 weeks old hypertensive rats, the extent of changes in phosphocreatine and inorganic phosphate was the same as in the controls; but, in the hearts of 12 weeks old hypertensive rats, the changes were significantly greater than in their controls. These observations suggest that, during the development of cardiac hypertrophy from spontaneous hypertension, there is a transitory deficiency in the capacity for aerobic ATP production relative to the rate of hydrolysis of ATP induced by an inotropic effect."}
{"id": "PMID:1477291", "title": "Dimensions of the left atrioventricular valve and its components in normal human hearts.", "content": "The posterior cusp of the left atrioventricular valve was studied in 100 cadavers of Brazilians. There were 58 Caucasians and 42 non-Caucasians, 65 males and 35 females. Their age ranged from 18 to 72 years. In 91% of the cases the posterior cusp had 3 leaflets (posteromedial or right, intermediate, and anterolateral or left). The intermediate leaflet was wider (mean 18.8mm) and higher (mean 12.7mm) than the other two. All leaflets of the posterior cusp were shorter than the anterior cusp, a feature that confers on the posterior cusp the role of a supporting structure in addition to its role in the completion of closure of the left atrioventricular ostium."}
{"id": "PMID:1477292", "title": "Regression of left ventricular hypertrophy and susceptibility to reperfusion-induced arrhythmias after DOCA-salt hypertension in the rat.", "content": "Treatment with deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA) and salt for 12 weeks consistently induced hypertension in rats. Groups of treated rats and age-matched normotensive controls were killed 2 and 14 weeks after stopping the treatment. Two weeks after treatment with the corticoid, all the treated rats had left ventricular hypertrophy. Fourteen weeks after treatment the spontaneous regression of the hypertension was very variable, giving a wide range of ratios of left ventricular to body weight. The hearts were Langendorff-perfused and subjected to occlusion of the left coronary artery for 10 minutes at 37 degrees C. During reperfusion for 5 minutes, the severity of ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation was assessed. Two weeks after treatment, the incidence and duration of ventricular fibrillation were significantly greater in the treated hearts than in normal hearts. Fourteen weeks after treatment, the hearts with a ratio of left ventricular to body weight greater than 2.40 mg/g displayed a greater incidence of sustained ventricular fibrillation than controls and the median duration of ventricular fibrillation in this group was high. Conversely, the incidence of sustained ventricular fibrillation was lower in the treated group in which regression of the ratio of left ventricular to body weight was less than 2.40 mg/g; and the median duration of ventricular fibrillation was also reduced after regression of the left ventricular hypertrophy. This study provides evidence that regression of left ventricular hypertrophy may confer a reduced susceptibility to arrhythmias."}
{"id": "PMID:1477293", "title": "Diacylglycerol fatty acid composition is related to activation of protein kinase C in cultured cardiomyocytes.", "content": "Using cultures of beating neonatal rat cardiomyocytes we have studied the fatty acid composition of the diacylglycerol produced after different stimulation times with an alpha 1-agonist (phenylephrine) and we have related it to the previously reported time course of the activation of particulate protein kinase C, in control cells and in cells grown in a medium supplemented with docosahexaenoic acid. Gas chromatography of the diacylglycerol produced after stimulation revealed significant differences between control cells and cells treated with docosahexanoic acid. In the cells treated with docosahexanoic acid, the more persistent activation of the membrane-bound protein kinase C might be sustained by an enrichment of diacylglycerol with docosahexanoic acid. The modification of the fatty acid composition of diacylglycerol can cause an alteration in the response of the cells to alpha 1-adrenoceptor stimulation."}
{"id": "PMID:1477294", "title": "Anti-IgE autoantibodies: a possible specific feedback on the cytokine network in allergy?", "content": "We propose a theoretical model based on the cytokine network, that provides the necessary signals so that basically all human beings can produce IgE but not all have to develop allergic disease. Our hypothesis implies that anti-IgE autoantibodies are a kind of emergency brake neutralizing the IgE induced by the cytokine network. In the normal individual the system would come to halt at this point. However, the atopic individual, due to a small difference in his or her B cell repertoire, will produce the wrong type of anti-IgE antibody. Allergic disease can now develop because IgE is not perfectly neutralized. The wrong type of anti-IgE antibody that is now produced may even aggravate the disease as some of these autoantibodies may induce IgE synthesis or trigger effector cells that in turn generate a Th2 like cytokine pattern closing the vicious circle. We believe that because of the potency of the powerful and archaic cytokine network, we have to dispose of such a specific control mechanism by autoantibodies."}
{"id": "PMID:1477300", "title": "High-level expression and characterization of a mouse-human chimeric CD4 antibody with therapeutic potential.", "content": "The use of murine anti-CD4 monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) has shown considerable promise for the treatment of allograft rejection and rheumatoid arthritis. We have constructed mouse-human anti-CD4 antibodies with the goal of increasing their clinical potential by decreasing immunogenicity and improving effector functions. The chimeric antibodies were constructed by cloning the heavy and light chain variable regions of M-T412, a murine antibody raised against the human CD4 antigen, and joining them to the human G1, G4, or kappa constant regions in mammalian expression vectors. After transfection into mouse myeloma cells, stable cell lines were isolated that secrete up to 140 micrograms/ml chimeric antibody in static culture. The chimeric antibodies were equivalent to the murine antibody in their binding characteristics and relative affinities. However, the chimeric M-T412 MAbs have enhanced activity when compared to the murine G2a MAb in mediating antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity using human CD4+ target and effector cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1477301", "title": "Immunization of SCID-Hu mice and generation of anti-hepatitis B surface antigen-specific hybridomas by electrofusion.", "content": "Human hybridomas with specificity for recombinant hepatitis B surface antigen (HBSAg) were produced by adoptive transfer of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells prepared from HBSAg-immune donors to CB.17 mice bearing the severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) phenotype. A total of ten SCID-Hu mice were immunized with recombinant HBSAg. Eight SCID-Hu mice found to have human HBSAg antibody in their serum were sacrificed, and single-cell suspensions were made from their spleens. The SCID-Hu spleen cells were electrofused to the mouse-human fusion partner H7. HBSAg-specific hybridomas were recovered from all fusions. This method may provide the means for the production of other human hybridomas and may, in some cases, circumvent the need for in vitro immunization or Epstein-Barr virus transformation of human B lymphocytes."}
{"id": "PMID:1477295", "title": "The effects of interleukin-1 on pancreatic beta cell function in vitro depend on the glucose concentration.", "content": "Insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus is characterized by progressive autoimmune destruction of pancreatic Beta cells mediated by ill-defined effector mechanisms. Experimental data suggest that cytokines, e.g. interleukin 1 and tumor necrosis factor, could play a fundamental role. The aim of this study was to analyze the effect of recombinant IL-1 beta (rIL-1 beta) on both islet functional capacity and morphology, using long-term cultures and various glucose concentrations. Islet cultured with 1 g/l (5.5 mmol/l) glucose maintained normal insulin- secretion and morphology for more than two months. In contrast, islets cultured with 2 g/l (11 mmol/l) glucose showed an altered insulin secretion and a shorter survival (40 days). At 11 g/l (60 mmol/l) glucose, islets died by 2 weeks of culture. rIL-1 beta exerted a cytotoxic effect on islet cells only when added to cultures containing supraphysiological glucose concentrations. But, in the presence of 1 g/l glucose, the addition of rIL-1 beta (40 ng/ml) for prolonged periods (14 days), did not alter islet function. Our results suggest that in auto-immune type I diabetes, IL-1 beta represents an aggravating factor in lesion formation more than a primary pathogenic mechanism."}
{"id": "PMID:1477302", "title": "Growth of hybridoma cells and antibody production in agamma calf serum.", "content": "An agamma calf serum (ACS) was compared to fetal bovine serum (FBS) and calf serum supplemented growth media for both murine and human fusion partners and derived hybridoma cells. The variables analyzed were cloning efficiencies, growth characteristics, and MAb production levels. Cultures were established in each serum source, and supernatants were kept for analysis. For cloning efficiencies, the results indicate that although there is no clear advantage in the performance of FBS-supplemented medium, ACS-supplemented RPMI 1640 medium can be used to clone hybridomas and the fusion partners. When analyzed for MAb production in the various sera, the hybridoma cell lines used in this study appeared to produce up to twice as much immunoglobulin when grown in ACS as when grown in supplemented medium. IgG- and IgM-secreting hybridoma cultures should be checked independently for antibody production. Six out of eight murine and human hybridoma cell lines produced higher levels of MAbs when grown in ACS."}
{"id": "PMID:1477298", "title": "Interleukin-1 binding, internalization, and processing in a murine osteoblastic cell line, MC3T3.E1.", "content": "We have investigated the interaction of IL-1 and its receptor on a murine osteoblastic cell line, MC3T3.E1, with regard to binding, internalization, and the fate of the receptor-ligand complex following internalization. Binding experiments indicated that this cell line possesses a high affinity receptor (Kd 1.02 x 10(-10) M) that binds both IL-1 alpha and IL-1 beta, and has approximately 6500 receptors per cell. Cross-linking experiments indicated that the receptor has a molecular weight of 100,000 daltons. Binding of IL-1 to the receptor is inhibited by the Interleukin Receptor Antagonist Protein (IRAP). These characteristics suggest that the murine osteoblastic receptor resembles that found on T lymphocytes and fibroblasts. Internalization experiments showed that this process is fairly rapid and results in degradation of the ligand and subsequent loss of degraded IL-1 from the cell. In this respect, processing of the receptor-ligand complex mimics that observed with IL-1 receptors on murine bone marrow cells, pre-B cells, and macrophages. Although the reasons for these differences are unclear, it may be that, unlike fibroblasts, osteoblasts may function as an effector cell which rapidly removes IL-1 from the immediate environment via ligand degradation while at the same time initiating bone resorption via stimulation of osteopontin biosynthesis."}
{"id": "PMID:1477296", "title": "Organization and chromosomal localization of the human interleukin 5 receptor alpha-chain gene.", "content": "The gene for the hIL-5R alpha subunit, which is present in a single copy in the human genome, has been analysed in detail. It is located on chromosome 3 in the region 3p26. The gene organization reflects its relationship to the cytokine/haematopoietin receptor superfamily. Three introns are located in the 5' untranslated region. The subsequent exons determine the functional domains of the hIL-5R alpha protein: the signal peptide, three fibronectin type III-like (FN-like) modules, each built up by two exons, the membrane anchor and two exons forming the cytoplasmic tail, the first of which contains the proline cluster region. In addition, a specific exon generating a soluble isoform is located before the membrane anchor exon. This specific exon contains an in frame TAA stop codon, followed by a polyadenylation signal. Hence, a normal splicing event leads to a soluble IL-5R alpha variant, whereas alternative splicing is required for cell membrane anchoring. A second area of alternative splicing is found in the 5' leader sequence, and possibly relates to the presence of short open reading frames preceding the main ATG. All intron-exon junctions meet the GT-AG rule. The gene structures of all cytokine/haematopoietin receptors documented so far have also been compared with respect to intron phasing. This shows that all introns between the FN-III-like modules are of the +1 type, but in addition, splice sites within the Cys-module and WS-WS-module are invariably of the +2 and 0 type, respectively."}
{"id": "PMID:1477304", "title": "Assessment of memory complaint in age-associated memory impairment: the MAC-Q.", "content": "Few brief self-report memory questionnaires are available, and non has been well validated. We designed a brief questionnaire, the MAC-Q, to assess age-related memory decline. Validity and reliability of the MAC-Q were assessed in 232 subjects meeting diagnostic criteria for age-associated memory impairment (AAMI). Concurrent validity of the MAC-Q was supported by a significant correlation (r = .41, p < .001) with a lengthy, well-validated memory questionnaire. Multiple regression analysis indicated that memory test scores were significant predictors of MAC-Q scores. MAC-Q scores were not predicted by Hamilton Depression Scale scores, suggesting that memory complaint in AAMI is not related to affective status. Internal consistency and test-retest reliability of the MAC-Q were satisfactory. Our data support the validity and reliability of the MAC-Q, a new brief memory questionnaire. The MAC-Q is of particular relevance to the assessment of AAMI, but should also prove useful in any clinical or research setting requiring a brief index of memory complaint."}
{"id": "PMID:1477305", "title": "Personality in recovered depressed elderly.", "content": "Personality traits in euthymic elderly subjects with and without past histories of major depressive episodes were assessed using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R and the Social Adjustment Scale-SR. Recovered depressed subjects were characterized by significantly more personality traits from DSM-III-R Clusters B and C than controls, and they exhibited differences in social adjustment, as well. Subjects who have recovered from depressive episodes may show significant differences in personality and social adjustment that might represent residua of past depression, a trait characteristic, or a risk factor for recurrence."}
{"id": "PMID:1477297", "title": "The biological activities of gro beta and IL-8 on human neutrophils are overlapping but not identical.", "content": "Gro beta and IL-8 are two members of the small induced secreted (SIS) cytokine family (C-X-C subgroup) with proinflammatory activities on neutrophils. In order to assess whether or not the interaction with their receptors results in similar biological actions, we compared the two cytokines in five different bioassays. Gro beta showed similar biological activities as IL-8 in tests of chemotaxis, induction of the respiratory burst, and induction of interleukin 6 (IL-6) production. However, for two other biological activities: augmentation of the expression of CD11b on the cell surface and rapid elevation of the intracellular calcium concentration, maximal effects required 100 times more gro beta than IL-8. Taken together, these results suggest that the stimulation of the IL-8 or gro beta receptor evokes three similar responses, but that only the activation of the IL-8 receptor and not that of gro beta results in elevated CD11b expression and calcium mobilization in human neutrophils."}
{"id": "PMID:1477299", "title": "Soluble interleukin-2 receptor and soluble CD8 molecules in cerebrospinal fluid and serum of patients with multiple sclerosis.", "content": "The purpose of this study was to analyse soluble interleukin-2 receptor (sIL-2R) and soluble CD8 (sCD8) molecules in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum of 18 patients with definite multiple sclerosis (MS) and of 16 with noninflammatory neurologic diseases (NIND). All MS patients suffered from an exacerbation of the relapsing-remitting form of the disease within one month before examination. The mean serum levels of sIL-2R and sCD8 in the MS patients were not significantly different from those of NIND patients. Only one patient with MS had detectable sIL-2R in the CSF. CSF sCD8 was detectable in 10 of 18 MS patients and in 1 of 16 NIND patients. Our data indicate that the CSF and serum sIL-2R concentrations do not correlate with the disease activity. Conversely, increased levels of sCD8 only in the CSF of MS patients support the hypothesis of an intrathecal activation of CD8+ cells in MS. We think that CSF sCD8 can be a useful marker for the presence of activated T cells in the central nervous system."}
{"id": "PMID:1477306", "title": "Safety and effectiveness of low-dose clozapine in psychogeriatric patients: a preliminary study.", "content": "The short- and long-term treatment tolerance of low-dose clozapine was retrospectively investigated in 18 psychogeriatric patients. Discontinued use of the drug because of side effects or inefficiency was required for only four patients. In the long-term treatment group leukopenia was not observed, and disturbances of liver function appeared to be very infrequent. A second group of seven severely demented psychogeriatric inpatients who were currently being treated with low-dose clozapine underwent a withdrawal study in order to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of the drug, measured by the NOSIE and the SCAG scales. The results indicate that for patients such as these, with paranoid or socially disturbing behavior who also tend to develop severe neurological side effects with classical neuroleptics, a low-dose administration of clozapine is an acceptable alternative treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1477307", "title": "Temporal patterns of agitated nursing home residents.", "content": "Twenty-four highly agitated, cognitively impaired nursing home residents were studied in depth to determine whether they manifested temporal patterns of agitation. Results demonstrated that agitated behaviors were significantly associated with temporal factors. For instance, residents made more requests for attention during lunch than other time periods, and residents screamed most often during the night. Some agitated behaviors (e.g., aggression) were manifested more frequently in the evening than in the day, consistent with the notion of sundowning in the nursing home. Implications of temporal patterns of agitation for caregivers of severely cognitively impaired and agitated nursing home residents are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1477308", "title": "The effect of a single low dose of trihexyphenidyl on memory functioning in the healthy elderly.", "content": "Medications with anticholinergic properties, when taken at therapeutic doses, are known to adversely affect memory functioning in young adults and the elderly. However, their impact at lower doses in geriatric persons has been less thoroughly studied. We investigated the impact of a single 2-mg dose of trihexyphenidyl on memory functioning in 20 healthy elderly subjects using a within-subjects, double-blind comparison with a placebo. Memory functioning was evaluated using subtests of the Wechsler Memory Scale. Subjects also rated the perceived impact of medication on their performance following memory testing. Results indicated that the single 2-mg dose of trihexyphenidyl produced impaired performance on measures of immediate and half-hour delayed recall of complex verbal and visual material when compared to the placebo condition. However, differences were not found on several other memory measures, including general orientation, attention-concentration, and learning of word associations. The significance of these selective memory deficits and suggestions regarding future research are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1477309", "title": "Facial recognition: a cognitive study of elderly dementia patients and normal older adults.", "content": "Dementia patients' and normal elderlies' recognition of familiar, ordinary emotional and facial expressions was tested. In three conditions subjects were required to name the emotions depicted in pictures and to produce them while presented with the verbal labels of the expressions. The dementia patients' best performance occurred when they had access to the verbal labels while viewing the pictures. The major deficiency in facial recognition was found to be dysnomia related. Findings of this study suggest that the connection between the gnostic units of expression and the gnostic units of verbal labeling is not impaired significantly among the dementia patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1477310", "title": "Clinico-tomographical aspects in the pathogenesis of vascular dementia.", "content": "This article discusses the role of some pathogenetical factors in the main morphological variants of vascular dementia and their correlation with certain clinical parameters. On the basis of computer-tomographical (CT) studies of 62 patients with dementia, it was possible to distinguish three groups of patients, according to the type of parenchymatous brain lesions: (1) 14 patients with \"pure\" leukoaraiosis (LA); (2) 23 patients with ischemic foci (IF), and (3) 25 patients with a combination of LA and IF. A comparative study of these groups confirmed the concept that in the development of LA and dementia related to it, a special role is being attributed to such factors as arterial hypertension and aging."}
{"id": "PMID:1477311", "title": "The effect of dementia on acute care in a geriatric medical unit.", "content": "Treatment of dementia costs billions of dollars in long-term care and community services every year. Dementia also burdens the acute care system and may contribute to financial problems for hospitals serving large numbers of demented elderly. In a specialized geriatric medical unit devoted to acute care of the frail elderly, Alzheimer's disease and vascular and mixed dementias afflicted 63% of inpatients and were associated with excess consumption of nursing resources, complications of treatment, nosocomial infections, lengthy hospitalizations, and financial losses to the hospital. Due in part to the effects of dementia on mobility, continence, and nutrition, demented patients suffered more frequently from life-threatening infections, sepsis, iatrogenic disease, and prolonged hospital stays. Hospital losses were 75% higher for demented patients than for nondemented patients. Dementia affected the majority of acute care patients in this study. However, it was rarely coded as an admitting diagnosis, even though it may have been the proximate cause of the medical morbidity which led to the acute hospitalization. In addition, despite the significant impact of dementia on the hospital course and costs, it was a factor in hospital reimbursement in less than one third of cases. The results indicate that dementia was not considered to be an acute diagnosis, nor was it recognized as a complex medical illness. The impact of dementia on acute hospitalization, including the mechanisms by which dementia prolongs the hospital stay, requires further investigation."}
{"id": "PMID:1477312", "title": "Dementia syndromes in nursing home patients.", "content": "Patients (n = 191) living in four comparable somatic nursing homes (NH) (nursing homes for physical illness) were studied in order to evaluate dementia syndromes. Dementia and symptoms of depressed mood occurred frequently (72% and 63%, respectively). Dementia was often undiagnosed at admittance. Neither the length of time spent in institutions, nor marital status, age, or sex seemed to be of more than minor importance to the prevalence of dementia syndromes. Concerning functional impairment, convergence of findings across the societies studied indicates that psychiatric symptoms and psychopathology are intrinsic parts of long-term care of the elderly."}
{"id": "PMID:1477314", "title": "Inappropriate placement of residents in psychiatric nursing homes in Bergen, Norway.", "content": "The mental and physical capacities of all residents in psychiatric nursing homes in Bergen were studied. It was found that 95% were moderately or severely mentally impaired and 53% received antipsychotic medication regularly. By objective criteria, 47.9% were considered improperly placed. These patients typically had had a long stay in the institution, were immobile, and were given antipsychotic drugs infrequently."}
{"id": "PMID:1477315", "title": "The natural immune barrier to xenotransplantation.", "content": "As the shortage of available organs for transplantation becomes critical, many investigators have turned to the possibility of using animals as a source of donor organs. Although there have been several attempts to use organs from closely related species for transplantation into human, there is relatively little experience in the use of nonprimate animals as clinical donor animals. The major problem in transplants between widely disparate species is hyperacute rejection, a rapid and violent rejection reaction that leads to the destruction of the graft within minutes or hours. Hyperacute rejection appears to be triggered by components of natural immunity, most notably natural antibodies and complement. Recent data suggest that hyperacute rejection may not represent an insurmountable barrier to discordant xenotransplantation. There have recently been several examples of survival of grafts in recipients in the face of antigraft antibodies and an intact complement system referred to as accommodation. Once hyperacute rejection can be averted, it becomes necessary to consider elicited cellular responses. There are a number of issues to be considered in the clinically relevant model of porcine to primate xenografts. These include the size of the responding T-cell repertoire and the extent to which the cell adhesion molecules and cytokines of the donor will be able to stimulate recipient immune responses. Finally, the interactions between T cells and the cells forming the inner layer of blood vessels may have profound effects on the outcome of the graft."}
{"id": "PMID:1477316", "title": "Chronic lactic acidosis in a patient with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome and mitochondrial myopathy: biochemical studies.", "content": "A 30-yr-old man with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome treated with zidovudine developed biopsy-proven mitochondrial myopathy. Chronic lactic acidosis (lactate, 10 +/- 1 mmol/L) persisted for more than 5 wk. Liver function tests were normal, but the concentration of lactose rose to 16.1 mmol/L when 500 mmol of ethanol was infused. The concentration of lactose rose by only 1.5 mmol/L with maximally tolerated exercise. If this mitochondrial lesion compromised flux through the electron transport system, increased turnover of ATP with exercise should have exacerbated the degree of lactic acidosis because of increased need to regenerate ATP via glycolysis. Two possible explanations will be discussed: first, there was both a rapid rate of production of lactic acid in affected muscles in conjunction and an equally rapid rate of removal by uninvolved organs. Second, there was a low net rate of production of lactic acid in involved muscles despite the exercise."}
{"id": "PMID:1477317", "title": "Flow cytometric evaluation of cytotoxic peripheral blood lymphocytes in acute renal graft rejection.", "content": "The presence of the S6F1+ epitope on the surface of CD8+ lymphocytes is believed to be uniquely representative of cytotoxic subpopulations. A preliminary study was conducted to evaluate the CD8+ S6F1+ peripheral lymphocytes by flow cytometry in patients undergoing renal allograft biopsy for allograft dysfunction. Lymphocytes, obtained at the time of biopsy, were analyzed by flow cytometry with CD8-FITC/S6F1-RD1 as the test monoclonal antibody and MsIgG-RD1/MsIgG-FITC as internal control. A 100% increase in S6F1+ cells over internal control was considered to be positive result. The results were correlated with the histopathologic findings in 14 instances of allograft dysfunction occurring 26.5 +/- 11.6 days posttransplantation. The histopathologic diagnosis was acute cellular rejection in eight cases, acute tubular necrosis in four, and cyclosporine nephrotoxicity in two. Flow cytometric detection of an increase in S6F1+ cells yielded a sensitivity of 87.5% and a specificity of 83.3% for the diagnosis of acute rejection. It would appear that the use of a monoclonal antibody to detect increases in the number of CD8+ S6F1+ peripheral lymphocytes is a valuable test for the detection of acute allograft rejection in the initial period after transplantation."}
{"id": "PMID:1477318", "title": "A multivariate analysis of mortality and hospital admissions with high-flux dialysis.", "content": "The use of high-flux dialysis in clinical practice increased rapidly despite an absence of reports on the clinical effectiveness of the technique. Mortality and hospital admission rates of patients treated with high-flux dialysis were evaluated and compared with those of patients treated with conventional dialysis in a hospital-based renal dialysis unit in northern California. By use of a retrospective, cross-over design, 253 patients enrolled in the dialysis unit from January 1987 to January 1991 were studied. During this period, 107 patients were treated with high-flux dialysis for at least 1 month, and all but 17 of them had received conventional dialysis before switching to high-flux dialysis. The remaining 146 patients were treated with only conventional dialysis. Of the 80 patients who died during the study period, 69 were receiving conventional dialysis and 11 were receiving high-flux dialysis. The multivariate analyses, adjusted for age, gender, ethnic background, type of renal failure, comorbid conditions, and duration of ESRD, showed that annual mortality was substantially less for patients treated with high-flux dialysis compared with that for patients treated with conventional dialysis (7 versus 20%; P < 0.001). The difference in the rate of hospital admissions was not statistically significant. In this nonexperimental study, methods were applied to control for selectivity bias and other factors that might confound the apparent treatment effect. The findings suggest that the potential benefits of high-flux dialysis are sufficient to justify further confirmation in a randomized, controlled trial."}
{"id": "PMID:1477319", "title": "Outcomes of cardiopulmonary resuscitation in dialysis patients.", "content": "Patients with renal failure are believed to have a poor survival rate after cardiopulmonary resuscitation, but there is little specific information about the outcomes of cardiopulmonary resuscitation in dialysis patients. To be better able to inform dialysis patients and assist them in decision making about cardiopulmonary resuscitation, the eight-year experience with cardiopulmonary resuscitation in dialysis patients at a university dialysis program was analyzed and outcomes were compared with those of a control group of nondialysis patients undergoing cardiopulmonary resuscitation during the same time period in the same hospital. Of 221 dialysis patients experiencing cardiopulmonary arrest, 74 (34%) had CPR compared with 247 (21%) of 1,201 control patients (P = 0.0002). Six of 74 (8%; 95% confidence interval, 2 to 14%) dialysis patients survived to hospital discharge compared with 30 of 247 (12%; 95% confidence interval, 8 to 16%) control patients (P = not significant). At 6 months after CPR, 2 (3%) of 74 dialysis patients were still alive compared with 23 (9%) of 247 controls (P = 0.044); this difference was not explained by age or comorbid conditions. Twenty-one (78%) of the 27 successfully resuscitated dialysis patients died a mean of 4.4 days later; 95% were on mechanical ventilation in an intensive care unit at the time of death. It was concluded that cardiopulmonary resuscitation is a procedure that rarely results in extended survival for dialysis patients. In discussions about cardiopulmonary resuscitation with dialysis patients, nephrologists should provide this information."}
{"id": "PMID:1477320", "title": "Eosinophilia and cellular cytokine responsiveness in hemodialysis patients.", "content": "Eosinophilia in hemodialysis (HD) patients has been associated with allergy to dialyzers and exaggerated activation of complement during HD. Its etiology, however, remains unknown. Complement activation can lead to cytokine production, and interleukin-2 (IL-2) administration has been shown to cause eosinophilia. Because abnormalities in cellular cytokine production in renal patients were previously demonstrated, the relationship between dialysis-associated eosinophilia and IL production in this HD population was studied. Twelve patients on chronic HD therapy with normal eosinophil counts (mean, 0.23 +/- 0.03 cells/nL) were compared with nine patients with eosinophilia (mean, 0.85 +/- 0.17 cells/nL). Measurements of cellular IL-1 and IL-2 production were performed before (pre) and after (post) HD with cuprammonium dialyzers. In patients with eosinophilia, stimulated cellular IL-1 production increased by 117 +/- 40% (P < 0.01) when post-HD measurements were compared with pre-HD values and IL-2 production increased by 127 +/- 65% (P < 0.05). In contrast, there was no difference in stimulated cellular cytokine production when values before and after HD were compared in patients without eosinophilia. Individual responses were reproducible during subsequent dialysis. It was concluded that cellular cytokine production in response to HD is not uniform. Eosinophilia is a clinically useful marker of exaggerated HD-associated cytokine production. Cytokine production depends on individual responsiveness and is probably related to atopy.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1477321", "title": "Phosphate transport in brush border membranes from uremic rats. Response to phosphonoformic acid.", "content": "Phosphate retention in chronic renal failure may result in the development of secondary hyperparathyroidism and renal osteodystrophy. Thus, the addition of a specific phosphaturic agent may be beneficial in the treatment of chronic renal failure. Phosphonoformic acid (PFA), a specific and competitive inhibitor of Na(+)-Pi cotransport in renal and intestinal brush border membrane vesicles (BBMV), can induce phosphaturia in thyroparathyroidectomized (TPTX) rats. The aim of this study was to determine if PFA retains its inhibitory activity in uremic intestine and kidney. The effect of PFA, and its derivative phosphonoacetic acid (PAA), added in vitro, on Pi transport in BBMV prepared from the intestine and the remnant kidney of 5/6 nephrectomized (NX) rats was studied. In intestinal BBMV, the time course of Pi transport was not significantly different between NX and sham-operated (SH) control rats. Compared with SH, Na(+)-dependent Pi transport was reduced in BBMV from remnant kidney of NX, with no difference in Na(+)-independent or equilibrium uptakes. The reduced transport was specific for Pi with no change in Na+ gradient-dependent L-proline uptake, suggesting a normal Na+ conductance in uremic BBM. PFA and PAA produced a marked inhibition of Na(+)-Pi cotransport in intestinal and renal BBMV from NX and SH with similar relative inhibitory potency in uremic and control BBMV. It was concluded that the relative inhibitory potency of PFA or PAA on intestinal and renal Na(+)-Pi cotransport is preserved in uremia."}
{"id": "PMID:1477322", "title": "Measurement of albumin reflection coefficient with isolated rat glomeruli.", "content": "Macromolecular permeability of the glomerular capillary has been inferred from the clearance of endogenous protein or infused macromolecules. Permeability is increased after treatment with polycations as well as after renal injury. It has previously been shown that the capillaries of glomeruli isolated from normal mammals expand or collapse in response to transcapillary albumin gradients and that the magnitude of the changes in capillary volume and in total glomerular volume are directly proportional to the applied oncotic gradients. In the experiments presented here, the volume responses of control glomeruli and of glomeruli treated with protamine (100 to 600 micrograms/mL for up to 60 min) were used to calculate the albumin reflection coefficient, sigma albumin, and the convectional permeability, P convectional albumin = (1 - sigma albumin), of the capillary wall. Sigma albumin for normal glomeruli was about 1 (P convectional albumin = 0); sigma albumin fell to a minimum of 0.2 +/- 0.1 (P convectional albumin = 0.8 +/- 0.1) after incubation with protamine sulfate (600 micrograms/mL) for 30 min. Retraction and fusion of podocyte foot processes and denudation of the underlying matrix was seen on scanning electron micrographs of protamine-treated glomeruli. These results confirm that it is possible to study macromolecular permeability of the glomerular capillary in vitro and to calculate sigma albumin independent of hemodynamic and systemic humoral influences. This method will permit the assessment of the effects of individual mediators of glomerular injury and the study of glomeruli from kidneys affected by experimentally induced or naturally occurring renal diseases."}
{"id": "PMID:1477323", "title": "Rat glomerular epithelial cells in culture express characteristics of parietal, not visceral, epithelium.", "content": "Glomerular epithelial cells (GEC) in culture are derived from intact isolated glomeruli. Although there is general agreement about distinguishing GEC from mesangial and endothelial cells, there is still uncertainty regarding the visceral versus parietal origin of cultured GEC. If these cells are to provide a useful model system, it is necessary to establish well-defined cell populations. The purpose of this study was to evaluate this important issue by comparing the characteristics of cultured GEC with glomerular epithelium from rat kidney sections. By electron microscopy, GEC were polygonal, with cilia and desmosomes between cells, similar to parietal cells in situ. Because intermediate filaments are specifically expressed in differentiated cells in the kidney, the expression of intermediate filaments in cultured GEC were compared with those of intact glomeruli. Cultured GEC are positive for cytokeratin and negative for vimentin and desmin, identical to parietal cells in situ. In contrast, podocytes are positive for vimentin and desmin and negative for cytokeratin. In vivo, podocytes express gp330 and puromycin-aminonucleoside (PAN) susceptibility, which are used as markers for cultured GEC. Immunoperoxidase staining of rat kidney sections with monoclonal anti-gp330 demonstrated gp330 localization to the cell surface and coated pits of the parietal cells, similar to its localization in podocytes. The presence of gp330 in cultured GEC was confirmed by immunoblot. PAN administration to rats induced vacuolization and detachment from the basement membrane in the parietal cells of Bowman's capsule, similar to the cytotoxicity observed in podocytes.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1477324", "title": "Plasma renin activity and the renal response to nitric oxide synthesis inhibition.", "content": "Inhibition of systemic endothelium-derived relaxing factor (EDRF) synthesis with L-Nw-nitroarginine (L-NAME) results in decreased RBF, which can be reversed by acute blockade of angiotensin II (AII). Because AII is particularly elevated in the renal circulation, it was hypothesized that the degree of renal vasoconstriction produced by L-NAME in Inactin-anesthetized rats is related to PRA. To test this, PRA was chronically increased or suppressed by the manipulation of dietary sodium (eating 0.03% sodium chow or deoxycorticosterone acetate plus drinking 1% NaCl, respectively). After 10 days, rats were anesthetized for determination of blood pressure (BP) and RBF before and after L-NAME (10 mg/kg body wt). In rats with high PRA (61.6 +/- 10.4 ng of angiotensin I [Al]/mL/h; N = 8), L-NAME increased BP by 29 +/- 2 mm Hg (from 110 +/- 4 to 139 +/- 5 mm Hg; P < 0.001), decreased RBF by 27% (from 7.9 +/- 0.3 to 5.8 +/- 0.3 mL/min/g kidney wt; P < 0.001), and increased renal vascular resistance (RVR) by 67% (from 14.5 +/- 0.9 to 24.2 +/- 1.1 resistance units [RU]; P < 0.001). When rats with high PRA (N = 8) were treated with 10 mg/kg body wt of DuP 753, on AII receptor antagonist, L-NAME similarly increased BP by 30 +/- 5 mm Hg (from 81 +/- 3 to 111 +/- 5; P < 0.001) but RBF did not change and RVR increased by only 31% (from 10.9 +/- 0.8 to 13.3 +/- 0.7 RU; P < 0.005).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1477325", "title": "A new noninvasive quantification of renal blood flow with N-13 ammonia, dynamic positron emission tomography, and a two-compartment model.", "content": "In order to determine if dynamic positron emission tomography (PET) and N-13 ammonia can be used to quantitate regional RBF (rRBF) noninvasively, six anesthetized dogs were examined with PET imaging after an iv bolus administration of 5 mCi of N-13 ammonia. Renal time activity curves and the arterial input function were derived from regions of interest drawn over the renal cortex and abdominal aorta, respectively. For calculation of rRBF, less than 120 s of the initial data were used to minimize contamination by plasma metabolites of N-13 radioactivity. rRBF was quantitated with a two-compartment model, and the results were compared with simultaneously acquired microsphere blood flow measurement. Fourteen experiments were performed in six dogs, and four regions of interest on renal cortex were selected on each PET image. RBF derived from dynamic PET imaging with N-13 ammonia was linearly related to microsphere (MS) values (rRBF = 1.06 x MS - 0.17; r = 0.91). Mean rRBF in the canine experiments was 4.0 mL/min/g. The results indicate that dynamic N-13 ammonia renal PET can provide noninvasively quantitative rRBF."}
{"id": "PMID:1477326", "title": "Additive antiproteinuric effect of converting enzyme inhibition and a low protein intake.", "content": "The hypothesis that converting enzyme inhibition and a protein-restricted diet could have additive antiproteinuric effects has been tested. A group of 17 patients with proteinuria in excess of 3 g/24 h per 1.73 m2 of body surface area were submitted to a 3-wk period of study, after a 4-wk wash-out period during which protein intake was 1.0 g/kg per day and in the absence of any medication. During the first and second weeks of the study, protein intake was lowered to 0.3 g/kg per day, and in the third week, it returned to 1.0 g/kg per day. Enalapril (20 mg daily) was administered during the second and third weeks of the study. Initially and at the end of each week thereafter, we determined blood pressure, GFR (inulin clearance), RPF (para-aminohippurate clearance), plasma sodium and potassium, PRA and aldosterone, and the 24-h urine excretion of sodium potassium, protein, and urea. The low protein intake during the first week induced a significant fall of proteinuria (P < 0.01), GFR (P < 0.01), and RPF (P < 0.01) in the absence of changes in filtration fraction. The addition of enalapril induced a further decrease of proteinuria (P < 0.01) and a fall in filtration fraction (P < 0.05), whereas plasma potassium, PRA, GFR, and RPF values increased (P < 0.01). The rise in protein intake during the last week of the study induced a significant rise in proteinuria, GFR, and RPF (P < 0.01), although the first of these parameters attained values significantly lower (P < 0.05) than those observed initially.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1477327", "title": "Amelioration of ischemic acute renal failure by dietary fish oil administration in conscious dogs.", "content": "The hypothesis that dietary fish oil would protect dogs from ischemic acute renal failure was tested. Fish oil (eicosapentaenoic acid, 55 mg/kg per day, and docosahexaenoic acid, 40 mg/kg per day was given to eight instrumented, female, beagle dogs for 6 wk, while seven control dogs received vehicle. After 3 wk, unilateral nephrectomy was performed and a pneumatic cuff with flow probe was placed around the remaining renal artery of each dog. Three weeks thereafter, the cuff was inflated for 120 min. Renal function, RBF, and prostanoid excretion were measured 24 and 72 h after ischemia. In dogs receiving fish oil, blood pressure, GFR, RBF, renal vascular resistance (RVR), cholesterol, triglycerides, and prostanoid excretion were measured weekly for 6 wk. Further, cytosolic calcium was measured before and five times after fish oil. Blood pressure decreased, serum cholesterol and triglycerides decreased, and the cytosolic calcium within platelets decreased. The urinary excretion (expressed as picograms per milligram of creatinine) of the thromboxane (TX) metabolite TXB2 and the excretion of prostaglandin (PG)E2, as well as the excretion of the PGI2 metabolite 6-keto PGF1 alpha were decreased. GFR, RBF (Cl inulin and Cl para-aminohippuric acid), and RVR were not influenced by fish oil. Unilateral nephrectomy decreased GFR and RBF and increased RVR as expected, whereas it further decreased prostanoid excretion. Acute renal ischemia caused a significant, reversible decrease in GFR and urine volume in vehicle-treated animals, whereas no significant effect on renal function or urine volume was observed in animals pretreated with fish oil.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1477328", "title": "Omega-3 fatty acid supplementation in primary nephrotic syndrome: effects on plasma lipids and coagulopathy.", "content": "The effect of fish oil dietary supplementation on the dyslipidemia and coagulopathy of seven patients with nephrotic syndrome and hypoalbuminemia due to primary kidney disease was studied. Plasma lipids, platelet aggregation studies, simplate bleeding time, and fibrinogen levels were determined before and after 6 wk of treatment with fish oil (15 g/day of MaxEPA; 2.7 g of eicosapentenoic acid (EPA) and 1.8 g of docosahexenoic acid. Urea kinetics were determined from urine-urea concentration, urinary proteina, and urine volume. A 3-day dietary intake record was obtained from each patient before and after 6 wk of fish oil supplementation. There was no significant dietary change in protein, fat, or carbohydrate intake over the time period of the study. At study end, total triglycerides decreased from 2.98 +/- 1.31 to 2.18 +/- 1.14 mmol/L (P = 0.002), and very low-density lipoprotein-triglycerides decreased from 2.35 +/- 1.34 to 1.28 +/- 1.07 mmol/L (P = 0.01). Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol increased from 5.18 +/- 1.74 to 7.35 +/- 2.83 mmol/L (P = 0.005). No significant changes occurred in bleeding time, platelet count, hematocrit, red blood cell flexibility, or whole blood viscosity. Platelet aggregation responses to collagen and arachidonic acid were consistently reduced after treatment, but there was no change in platelet response to ADP. The platelet membrane phospolipids showed a significantly increased incorporation of EPA after the fish oil diet (P = 0.03).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1477331", "title": "Hypo-triploid acute myeloid leukemia with isochromosome 11q.", "content": "A 78-year-old male developed acute myeloid leukemia (AML, M2) with an isochromosome 11q (i(11q)) in hypo-triploid populations. He died 2 months later from the leukemia without having responded to chemotherapy. We reviewed 12 cases in the literature with i(11q) in hematopoietic neoplasms and found that the i(11q) is associated with complex chromosome abnormalities and with elderly patients. Ten out of the 13 patients had an AML phenotype, and they had poor response to chemotherapy and a short survival. The i(11q) may be a non-random chromosome aberration in hematopoietic neoplasms."}
{"id": "PMID:1477332", "title": "Analysis of growth failure in children treated for acute lymphoblastic leukemia.", "content": "Growth patterns were surveyed in 303 children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia who had remained in continuous first complete remission for a minimum of 1 year (median 3 years). Chemotherapy was given for 3 years, and central nervous system prophylaxis consisted of cranial irradiation at a total dose of 18 Gy or intravenous high-dose methotrexate (1.5-6 g/m2 for three to six doses). Intensive chemotherapy, including cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, and cytosine arabinoside was given to children with high-risk features. Two of 205 children with low- or intermediate-risk features and 13 of 98 children with high-risk features showed a decrease in the growth rate of less than -2 SD. In 14 of these 15 patients, the age at onset was over 9 years and growth failure became most predominant in the prepubertal period: ten of these children showed a tendency toward delayed pubertal development, but eight showed later catch-up growth with pubertal maturation after completion of chemotherapy. Thus, chemotherapy appeared to contribute temporarily to the growth failure and gonadal impairment that occurred in the prepubertal period. No obvious correlation between the administered cranial irradiation and growth failure was found, but further study with a longer follow-up will be necessary to determine the long-term effects of irradiation on subsequent growth patterns in children."}
{"id": "PMID:1477333", "title": "Intracellular and serum levels of aldolase activity in B chronic lymphocytic leukemia.", "content": "Intracellular and serum activities of aldolase (ALS) were biochemically determined in lymphocyte subpopulations from normal subjects and patients with B-chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL). Aldolase activity was significantly lower in T cells of CLL than in normal T cells (2.9 +/- 1.5 vs. 4.7 +/- 2.1 Sigma Units (SU)/6 x 10(6) cells, p < 0.05). The aldolase activity also was significantly (p < 0.001) lower (3.1 +/- 1.9 SU/6 x 10(6) cells) in CLL B lymphocytes than in normal B lymphocytes (18.1 +/- 6.5 SU/6 x 10(6) cells). Moreover, the serum levels of ALS in all patients with B-CLL were higher than that in normal subjects (8.1 +/- 5.8 vs. 2.2 +/- 0.8 SU/ml, p < 0.02). Our findings demonstrate that T lymphocytes from patients with B-CLL display enzyme activity different from that of normal T cells. This may reflect the abnormal maturity of the residual T cell population in B-CLL."}
{"id": "PMID:1477334", "title": "Electrostatic interaction influences cell adhesion?", "content": "The effect of electrostatic forces on the adhesion of LEP-19 diploid embryonal fibroblasts, Hep-2 laryngeal carcinoma cells, Raji lymphoblastoma cells and Sp 2/0 myeloma cells was examined in vitro. Adhesivity of all tested cell lines was higher on the cationized glass than on untreated or anionized glass. The negatively charged sialic acids on the cell surface play a role in cell adhesion. The participation of electrostatic interaction is independent of the energy metabolism in serum-free conditions."}
{"id": "PMID:1477335", "title": "Target antigens of anti-platelet antibodies in patients with steroid-resistant ITP of recent onset. Canadian Apheresis Study Group.", "content": "Recent application of Western blotting procedures in the detection of anti-platelet antibodies has permitted more refined definition of reactivity. We report on the results of anti-platelet antibody assays in a series of 19 patients with recently diagnosed (less than 6 months duration) steroid-resistant, idiopathic thrombocytopenia purpura (ITP). At presentation, six of the 19 patients had a positive test for platelet-associated IgG (PAIgG) as measured by the direct radial-immunodiffusion (RID) assay, whereas three of the 19 were positive with the direct-platelet-suspension-immunofluorescence test (DPSIFT). The indirect-platelet-suspension-immunofluorescence test (IPSIFT) demonstrated antibodies in seven of the sera. Following Western blot (WB) analysis, the serum of 7/19 patients (only three of which were positive in the IPSIFT) could be shown to react with platelet antigens. Two patterns were seen: in four cases there were bands of apparent molecular weights of 60,000, 55,000 and 50,000; in the other three samples, a single band near 90,000 was demonstrated. Unlike the situation reported for chronic ITP, no reactivity was seen against higher molecular weight antigens other than the 'non-specific' binding at apparent molecular weight 200,000 which is also seen with normal sera. The data suggest that antibodies reacting against specific platelet antigens are present in the serum of some patients with recent onset ITP."}
{"id": "PMID:1477336", "title": "Cavitating Pneumocystis pneumonia in an autopsied case of adult T-cell leukemia.", "content": "Cavitating necrosis is rare in Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia. In this report, we describe an autopsy patient with adult T-cell leukemia associated with cavitating Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia. The patient, a 61-year-old woman, died of an acute crisis of adult T-cell leukemia associated with diffuse pulmonary infection of Pneumocystis carinii. Postmortem examination revealed necrotic foci in both lungs, one of which, in the left lower lobe, had a central cavitation. Microscopically, leukemic cell infiltration was abundant in the lung parenchyma but not in the necrotic lesions. Pneumocystis carinii organisms were distributed diffusely in the alveoli and also in the cavity wall. Intranuclear and intracytoplasmic inclusion bodies were scattered in the lung indicating cytomegalovirus infection. However, no bacterial or fungal infection was detected in the lungs, even in the necrotic lesions. Cavitating Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia occurs in other immunodeficiency diseases apart from AIDS. To our knowledge, this report is the first case of cavitating Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia in adult T-cell leukemia."}
{"id": "PMID:1477337", "title": "[Effects of verapamil on the development of pain syndrome in rats after section of the sciatic nerve].", "content": "The effect of daily verapamil administration (5 mg/kg) on pain sensitivity, bioelectric activity of cerebral cortex and microcirculation was studied in rats with cut sciatic nerve. Verapamil untreated rats showed hyperalgesia, autotomies and hypersynchronic discharges in contralateral hemisphere, increased range of evoked potentials and disorders in microcirculatory system which evidence developing pain syndrome. Early introduction of verapamil after the nerve cut prevented the emergence of pain syndrome."}
{"id": "PMID:1477338", "title": "[Effects of haloperidol on extracellular contents of dopamine and its metabolites in the septum of rats during interspecies aggression].", "content": "The extracellular levels of dopamine (DA) and its metabolites in the septum of freely moving rats were studied using \"push-pull\" method during muricidal aggression before and after haloperidol (2 mg/kg, i. p.) treatment. Mouse-killing activity of the rats was accompanied by significant reduction of the output of DA and metabolites in this brain area. Haloperidol suppressed muricidal activity of the rats and increased the extracellular levels of DA metabolites. In contrast, the decrease of DA release monitoring during killing activity was not affected by haloperidol administration. Possible role of the septal dopaminergic mechanisms underlying muricidal behaviour and the drug effects is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1477339", "title": "[Protection of cultured hippocampal neurons in hypoxia and subsequent reoxygenation by antioxidant from the spatially hindered phenols class].", "content": "The influence of antioxidant from hindered phenols (U-18) on a hypoxic neurodestructive effect in mouse hippocampal cell cultures was studied. Morphological and biochemical quantitative analysis of neuronal damage showed that U-18 attenuates nerve cell death resultant from 6-7-hour hypoxia and subsequent 12-hour posthypoxic reoxygenation. This antidestructive action of U-18 was observed upon its introduction in nutrient medium both before and immediately after hypoxic period. Thus, our results suggest that peroxidant reactions play a pivotal role in hypoxic neuronal injury and probably participate in this neurodestructive process mainly during posthypoxic reoxygenation period."}
{"id": "PMID:1477340", "title": "[Comparative electrophoretic characteristics of alkaline phosphatase isoforms in maternal blood and shaggy chorion extracts at various periods of pregnancy].", "content": "A comparative study of enzyme alkaline phosphatase (AP) of plasma and chorion placental extracts was made in various terms of pregnancy by PAAG electrophoresis. It is shown that the first three month chorion extract contained 1 thermolabile (TL) and 1 or 3 thermostable (TS) fractions of AP. In the second trimester of intrauterine development the activity of TL fraction disappeared, the number of TS forms increased. The early plasma period (6-12 weeks) was characterized by 2 TL non-placental forms, from the second half they added to 1 or 3 TS placental fractions, and before delivery TS enzyme appeared in the liver AP which had no analogue in the placenta. It is concluded that only the fastest placental TS AP forms (1 or 3) appear in maternal blood from the second trimester of gestation."}
{"id": "PMID:1477341", "title": "[Functional heterogeneity of the atrial myocardium in patients with congenital and acquired heart defects].", "content": "In experiments on atrium trabeculae the heterogeneity of myocardium contractile activity in patients operated on for inborn or acquired heart defects was studied. Contractile activity was assessed in isometric regime of muscle drugs work. The degree of functional heterogeneity was reported to differ in myocardium biopsies from patients with inborn or acquired heart defects. The difference was expressed in susceptibility to stimulating action or electrical impulses and in the degree of the change of myocardium contractile activity. The study of human myocardium functional heterogeneity is likely to present a new approach to increase efficacy of the work of pathologically changed heart muscle."}
{"id": "PMID:1477342", "title": "[Effects of ultraviolet irradiation on the Na/H exchange rate in erythrocytes of healthy subjects and patients with atherosclerosis of lower limb arteries].", "content": "Na+/H+ exchange rate in erythrocytes of patients with atherosclerosis of lower limb arteries is less than in erythrocytes of healthy subjects. Ultraviolet exposure of the patients blood in vitro activates Na/H exchange in erythrocytes."}
{"id": "PMID:1477343", "title": "[Phenotypes of dendritic cells in central lymph of healthy rabbits and during correction of experimental atherosclerosis].", "content": "Dendritic cells of central lymph of rabbits have been identified according to the form of the cell body, characteristics of formation and branchiness of its processes in health, in atherosclerosis, its correction with radon, polyphenol preparations made of Sanguisorba officinalis and in combination of the latter. Two main types of dendritic cells have been distinguished. Type I is characterized by a rounded body with clear outlines, protrusions and one compact process. Such cells are often found in lymph of intact animals. Type II has a cell body of various forms with two and more compact or branching processes. This type is mainly detected in atherosclerosis and its correction. The prevalence of the above phenotypes of dendritic cells is attributed to the response of the immune system to atherosclerosis and its correction."}
{"id": "PMID:1477344", "title": "[Dynamics of glycosylated hemoglobin and malondialdehyde contents in experimental diabetes mellitus].", "content": "The levels of HbAIc, malonic dialdehyde (MDA), sugar and insulin were measured in the blood of dogs with experimental diabetes mellitus. HbAIc increased from postoperative week 4 to week 8 of the observation period. MDA levels stood high for postoperative week 1, returned to the baseline, rerose on week 4 and remained high till week 8. Hyperglycemia was observed through the whole experiment."}
{"id": "PMID:1477345", "title": "[Study of tissue proteoglycans by means of infrared spectroscopy].", "content": "The infrared spectra of the hyalin cartilage vitreous body, cornea, sclera and spectra of standard normal Na(+)-salts of hyaluronic acid, chondroitin-4-sulfate, chondroitin-6-sulfate, protein-chondroitin-keratan-sulfate, aggregates of proteoglycans of the hyalin cartilage, heparin fractions containing 3 and 4 residues of sulfuric acid per dimer of polymer were obtained. The comparative analysis of the spectra for tissues and of the spectra for proteoglycans made it possible to identify different proteoglycans in the same tissues."}
{"id": "PMID:1477346", "title": "[Organic calcium antagonists verapamil and ryodipine prevent an increase of free calcium in synaptosomes of the rat brain during corazol kindling].", "content": "In experiments on Wistar male rats it was shown that i.p. administration of verapamil or ryodipine (1,4-dihydropyridine) 15 min before each daily injection of pentylenetetrazol (PTZ) in a subconvulsive dose 30 mg/kg during 28 days significantly delayed the development of PTZ-induced kindling and attenuated kindled seizure reactions during 21-23 days as compared with control. One week after kindling an increase in free Ca2+ concentration in control rat brain synaptosomes by 60% was revealed; the treatment by verapamil and ryodipine prevented this increase. Nevertheless, Ca2+ antagonists studied at least under our experimental conditions inspite of a significant decrease in free Ca2+ concentration in synaptosomes would not completely prevent the development of kindling. Thus, an alteration in calcium homeostasis will not be the only mechanism of plasticity and long-term changes of neurons during kindling."}
{"id": "PMID:1477347", "title": "[Oxygen tension and water-soluble products of lipid peroxidation in blood of volunteers in hypobaric hyperoxia].", "content": "Oxygen tension in the arterial blood with transcutaneous method (tcPO2) and TBA-active products of venous blood plasma were measured during simulation of extravehicular activity. There was a parallel increase of tcPO2 and the level of TBA-active products upon introduction of hypobaric hyperoxia factor. Detrimental action of lipid peroxidation products on erythrocyte membranes can be one of the factors of anemia during space flight."}
{"id": "PMID:1477348", "title": "[Experimental atherosclerosis and its correction with Co-35].", "content": "Initial and Co-35-induced parameters of lipid metabolism and hemostasis were studied in rabbits with experimental atherosclerosis. Control atherosclerotic animals were administered cobalt chloride and placebo. The findings demonstrated initially increased levels of cholesterol, lecithin, beta-lipoproteins, lysolecithin, sphingomyelin, cephalin, saturated acids in low levels of phosphatidylserine, polyglycerophosphatide and unsaturated acids. Hemostasis was characterized by hypercoagulation. A course of Co-35 brought about positive shifts in both lipid metabolism and hemostasis. Co-35 is recommended as an effective means against atherosclerosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1477349", "title": "[Thymosin alpha(1)--an endogenous modulator of alpha-thrombin recognition site].", "content": "Thymosin alpha 1-inhibited fibrinogen clotting activity of alpha-thrombin, but not amidolysis of H-D-Phe-Pip-Arg-pNA. Modulation of thrombin interaction with rat peritoneal mast cells (RPMC) by suppressors of additional recognition binding site (thymosin and heparin) was studied. Thrombin-induced pHi changes of RPMC were controlled with pH-sensitive fluorescent dye, BCECF. Thrombin caused a biphasic changes in pHi: rapid cell acidification (0.02) followed by slow alkalinization (0.06 above baseline for 18 min). Thymosin suppressed thrombin-induced pHi increase above resting level. Similar changes in pHi were observed after modification of additional recognition binding site by heparin. Beta/gamma-thrombin with disrupted additional binding site was shown to induce only a decrease of pHi. It is concluded that thymosin alpha 1 is endogenous modulator of alpha-thrombin activity."}
{"id": "PMID:1477350", "title": "[Effects of vitamins A, E, C and P on intensity of blood coagulation in experimental animals].", "content": "In experiment on white rats it was shown that preventive 12-day administration of vitamins A, E, C, P decreases the death rate of animals with exogenous thromboplastinemia and reduces hemocoagulative changes, microcirculation disorders, destructive changes of functionally active elements of inner organs. The protective effect of the above vitamins combination in thromboplastinemia is promoted by hypoactivity of platelet aggregation, by low thromboplastic activity of erythrocytes, by limited destruction of vascular endothelium."}
{"id": "PMID:1477352", "title": "[Effects of pyrazidol on resistance of animals to hypobaric hypoxia].", "content": "The influence of monoamine oxidase type A inhibitor pyrazidol on rats sensitivity to hypobaric hypoxia was investigated. Preliminary pyrazidol administration shows evident protective effect under hypoxia. It increases animals survival at the altitude of 12,000 m above the sea level, prevents lungs affection and erythrocyte membrane destabilization at the altitude of 9,000 m during 3 hours. Plasma total peroxidase activity, extraerythrocyte hemoglobin concentration and free iron content were used as the indexes of erythrocyte membrane stability reflecting the organism state under stress effects."}
{"id": "PMID:1477353", "title": "[Metabolism of articular cartilage in the presence of interleukin-I alpha, its inhibitor and blood serum].", "content": "The study was made of the effect which interleukin receptor antagonist protein (IRAP) and bovine serum have on interleukin-1 alpha (IL1a) activity in cartilage culture of young bulls. It was established that IL1a leads to cartilage degradation as shown by an increase of sulphated glycosaminoglycans (sGAG) in culture medium and their decrease in tissue, inhibition of proteoglycan (PG) synthesis by chondrocytes. This effect of IL1a is suppressed by IRAP. In serum-free culture the cartilage tissue produced proteoglycans in much less quantities. In these conditions IL1a stimulated chondrocytes, cytokine did not respond to IRAP."}
{"id": "PMID:1477354", "title": "[Anomalous excretion of glycosaminoglycans in patients with syringomyelia].", "content": "Glycosaminoglycan (GAG) urine concentrations in syringomyelia patients were much higher than in healthy subjects from January to September. Maximum values of GAG excretion (twice as much as control) in affected patients were observed in spring and summer (from March to July). The results suggest that syringomyelia is accompanied by disorders in GAG connective tissue accumulation."}
{"id": "PMID:1477355", "title": "[Free-radical mechanism of antimicrobial action of xanthine oxidase and lactoperoxidase].", "content": "The interaction between milk xanthine oxidase (XO) and lactoperoxidase (LP) in model system and antimicrobial action of these enzymes on Escherichia coli 0-111 were studied. It was shown, that bacterial superoxide dismutase (SOD), which transforms O2-. (XO-reaction product) into H2O2 (substrate of LP), is necessary for binding of the reaction sequence: XO-->LP-->antimicrobial products. It is suggested, that these enzymes unite in the protective system in intestinal infections of newborns. Bacterial SOD in this case acts as the key factor, creating the system."}
{"id": "PMID:1477356", "title": "[Effects of the fraction (1-10 kDa) of the brain of a Yakut horse on kinetic parameters of Ca2+ transport system in sarcolemma vesicles of cardiomyocytes].", "content": "The effect of the fraction (1-10 kDa) obtained from the brain of cold-adapted animal (Yakut horse) on Ca2+ transport in sarcolemma vesicles of cardiomyocytes was investigated. It was shown that during insertion of Yakut horse brain fraction into incubation medium at the concentration from 10(-9) M to 3.10(-5) M at Ca2+ transport substrate concentration from 0.1 mM to 1.0 mM, the rate of Ca2+ passive penetration into vesicles slightly increased and at Ca2+ transport substrate concentration 3 mM, which is physiologic, a decrease of rate values was established for all concentrations of the fraction (1-10 kDa) of Yakut horse. While studying the kinetics of an active Ca2+ transport for all investigated concentrations of the fraction (1-10 kDa) of Yakut horse brain from 10(-9) M to 3.10(-5) M at Ca2+ concentration in incubation medium from 10(-7) to 3.10(-6) M, calcium accumulation rates by vesicles exceeded control values. So we can suppose that application of brain fraction (1-10 kDa) of genotypically cold-adapted animal, results in a decrease of intracellular Ca2+ concentration."}
{"id": "PMID:1477357", "title": "[Endocytosis by liver cells during stimulation of the mononuclear phagocyte system by yeast polysaccharides].", "content": "Endocytosis (phagocytosis, fluid-phase- and receptor-mediated endocytosis) by liver cells, lysosomal enzyme activities have been studied during macrophages stimulation by yeast polysaccharides. It was shown that like macrophages stimulator zymosan, yeast polysaccharides cryelan and rhodexman increased the carbon particles phagocytosis. The most effective was intravenous administration of yeast polysaccharides. Compared to rhodexman, the effect of cryelan was more prominent. Macrophages stimulation was followed by suppression of fluid-phase endocytosis by liver cells. Increased activity of cathepsin B was discovered on day 5 after macrophages stimulation (proteinase, most typical for macrophages enzymes)."}
{"id": "PMID:1477359", "title": "[Effects of cortisol on calcium contents of lymphocytes in patients with bronchial asthma].", "content": "A fluorescent probe was used to study hydrocortisone (10 microM) action on mitogen-stimulated free cytoplasmic calcium level in lymphocytes of patients with bronchial asthma. The patients were divided into two groups according to their sensitivity to glucocorticoid therapy. Hydrocortisone-specific calcium-blocking effect was absent in hormone-resistant patients. Lymphocytes of hormone-sensitive patients responded to hydrocortisone administration by a decline of mitogen-induced calcium level."}
{"id": "PMID:1477360", "title": "[Effects of systemically-administered beta-casomorphin-7 on nociception in rats].", "content": "The influence of food-derived heptapeptide beta-casomorphin-7 (beta-CM-7) on pain sensibility of white rats was studied by tail flick test. As shown for doses 10 and 20 mg/kg intraperitoneally, injected beta-CM-7 induced significant analgesia; lower peptide concentration (5 mg/kg) was ineffective. As a whole, there is a significant positive correlation between the intensity of analgesia and the quantity of administered exorphine. These changes of pain sensibility were observed for one hour after injection of heptapeptide; further measurements showed no significant difference of time reaction between control and experimental groups of rats. It was found out that animals with high native level of pain sensibility (4-8 sec) made the main contribution to manifestation of analgesia."}
{"id": "PMID:1477361", "title": "[Effects of melatonin and epiphysectomy on electrical activity of the rat brain at different times of the day].", "content": "The pineal hormone melatonin in a dose-effect manner (0.1, 1 and 10 mg/kg) reorganized EEG spectral characteristics of rat sensorimotor cortex and hippocampus, decreasing medium (6-12 Hz) and high frequency (12-22 Hz) waves only in the evening. On the contrary, pinealectomy increased high-frequency waves only during morning hours. It is suggested that the observed changes may accompany anxiolytic and hypnotic effects of melatonin."}
{"id": "PMID:1477363", "title": "[Effects of diisopropylfluorophosphate, paraoxon and dichlophos on [3H] quinuclidinyl benzylate binding to the rat striatum synaptic membranes].", "content": "The binding of [3H] quinuclidinyl benzilate (QNB) to rat striatum membranes after diisopropylfluorophosphate (DFP) induced seizures was characterized. There was a 36% decrease in Kd and a 33% decrease in the number of muscarinic receptors. Paraoxon caused inhibition fo [3H] QNB binding to the striatal membranes of intact rats. It is possible that a direct action of DFP on the muscarinic receptor is not the cause of anti-cholinesterase-induced changes in [3H] QNB binding."}
{"id": "PMID:1477364", "title": "[Ultrastructure of donor blood lymphocytes incubated with Amanita phalloides poison].", "content": "Heparinized donor blood was investigated incubated with Amanita Phalloides poison in the dose of 0.05 and 0.5 LD100 during 1 and 3 hours. Lymphocyte structure changes showed cytoplasma and organoid membrane destabilization, cytoplasma degranulation, appearance of autolysis foci and lysed cells. This destruction became particularly marked with increasing poison dose and infusion time."}
{"id": "PMID:1477365", "title": "[Is aspartic acid regulator of hemopoiesis?].", "content": "The effect of aspartic acid on myelopoiesis was examined. A method of bone marrow cultivation was used in diffusion chambers in vivo. We found that injection of 1 x 10(-4) g/kg aspartic acid to intact rats during 5 days resulted in increase of cloning efficiency of granulocyte-progenitor cells by 24 per cent and growth of cluster/colony-forming unit fibroblastic. On the basis of these data we came to the conclusion that aspartic acid acts directly on hemopoietic cells and stromal system."}
{"id": "PMID:1477367", "title": "[Submicroscopic features of cecal cells in experimental Escherichia infection].", "content": "Ultrastructural changes of the caecum cells were studied for the period from 15 minutes to 2 weeks after inoculation using the model of experimental escherichiosis. Evolution processes in relation to different caecum cell populations were followed up submicroscopically. Ultrastructural changes observed evidence derangement of protein and water-salt cell metabolism, immune trends of experimental escherichiosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1477368", "title": "[Lipid metabolism in experimental virus infections].", "content": "The effect of herpes simplex virus (HSV) and influenza virus (IV) on lipid metabolism was studied. In conditions of acute herpetic infection of rabbits we detected typical dyslipidemia, characterized by increased contents of total cholesterol, beta-cholesterol and triglycerides in the absence of trustworthy differences in concentrations of alpha-cholesterol. The use of antiherpetic preparation furavir, on the background of infection, corrected lipid spectrum of the infected animals. Blood lipid disturbances in acute influenza virus infection of mice were not detected. HSV infection of cell culture of human aorta was accompanied by increased accumulation of free lipids in cells. IV infection, in the same conditions of experiment, did not change the contents of intracellular lipids. The obtained data deepen the existing notions of herpetic and influenza infections pathogenesis and may be useful in understanding etiopathogenesis of certain somatic metabolism diseases."}
{"id": "PMID:1477369", "title": "[Effects of alcoholic intoxication in the antenatal period on the development of male germ cells].", "content": "During 1-20 days of pregnancy rats were given 20% alcohol orally in a dose 0.4 mg/kg bw. This led to a significant increase in the nuclear volume of germ cells in male 19-day embryos. A karyological analysis of 2-month offspring germ cell generations at stage VII of seminiferous epithelium cycle revealed a reliable decrease in the number of spermatids on step 7 of development after introduction of antenatal alcohol. The increased proportion of spermatocytes with meiotic chromosomes pathological behaviour due to alcohol was determined by the proposed quantitative analysis of meiotic divisions."}
{"id": "PMID:1477370", "title": "[Effect of antenatal action of Thio-Tepa on spermatogenesis of mature 101/N and CBA mice].", "content": "On pregnancy day 12 101/H and CBA mice were injected intraperitoneally 2.5 mg/kg bw thiophosphamide. 3.5-month-old male offspring were sacrificed. The drug effect on the testes was evaluated by karyologic analysis of the germ cell generations on stage 7 of the seminiferous epithelium cycle. A reliable reduction in the number of spermatogonia A, preleptotene and pachytene spermatocytes and spermatids at development stage 7 was found in 101/H mice. There were interspecific differences in spermatogenesis intensity in intact animals and recovery of germ cell pool after thiophosphamide action inducing toxicity."}
{"id": "PMID:1477371", "title": "[Phenylalanine hydroxylase-like antibody in human chorionic villi].", "content": "An antigen similar by electrophoretic mobility to liver phenylalanine hydroxylase (PH) and cross-reacting with monoclonal antibody PH8 against liver PH was detected in extracts of soluble proteins in 6 from 23 samples of chorionic villi. An antigen with electrophoretic mobility corresponding to 40-41 kDa was detected in extracts of membrane proteins from these 23 samples by immunoblotting with monoclonal antibody PH8. Its molecular weight was similar to that of major chymotryptic peptide of human liver PH. The content of the antigen varied with samples and was less than 20 ng/mg of the extracted protein. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis revealed only 1 spot of the antigen. The antigen did not react with monoclonal antibodies PH7 and PH9 epitopes of which were located in N-terminal fragment of liver PH. These data suggest that the antigen of membrane fraction could be a PH protein without N-terminal domain."}
{"id": "PMID:1477372", "title": "[Changes in nucleotide DNA structure and adhesive properties of blood leukocytes in early period after irradiation of animals].", "content": "Postirradiation changes of adhesive properties and supercoiled nucleoid DNA structure of blood leukocytes were studied in Macaca nemestrina and in rats. The dynamics of membrane changes demonstrated a temporary increase of the leukocyte adherence 24 h after nonlethal irradiation of rats, followed by a decrease of this parameter to normal levels on h 48. After lethal irradiation of both animal species the increase in adhesive leukocytes fraction was shown already on hr 3. This higher index was observed until the end of experiments (5 days). Early (on h 3-6) temporary loosing of supercoiled DNA structure was demonstrated in the total blood leukocytes of nonlethally irradiated animals, this seems to be connected with lymphocyte changes. This process was not dependent on altered adhesive properties of leukocyte membranes. The membrane changes of leukocytes preceded decondensation of supercoiled DNA after lethal irradiation of animals. Loosing of supercoiled DNA progressively increased on hour 24 and in later postirradiation period."}
{"id": "PMID:1477373", "title": "[Plasmid DNA transfection in fibroblasts of athymic rats].", "content": "Nontumorigenic clone FR-7 cl 13 from fibroblasts of athymic rat was obtained from stroma of human colon carcinoma xenograft propagated on nude animals. Spontaneous transformation of this cells was absent after 40 passages in vitro and treatment with pSV2neo. But cells give rise to tumors in athymic mice after transfection with pEJ. This cell clone can be recommended as cells-targets for transfection."}
{"id": "PMID:1477374", "title": "[Dynamics of chemiluminescence response of Syrian hamster blood neutrophils to the growth of 10 different strains of tumor cells].", "content": "The production of H2O2 by blood neutrophils of Syrian hamsters, bearing 10 different transplanted tumors was studied at different stages of tumor growth by the luminol-dependent chemiluminescence (CL) test. It was demonstrated that during the tumors growth, two types of the blood neutrophils CL reaction can be registered. The first type of reaction represents very early and significant decrease of spontaneous CL of blood neutrophils, already evident before the appearance of palpable tumor nodules in animals, bearing in vivo selected cell strains. Subsequent subcutaneous tumor appearance in the animals was followed by increased CL of neutrophils. The second type of reaction was characteristic for in vitro transformed cells never selected in vivo. In this case the increase of CL of blood neutrophils at early stages of tumor growth was followed with the decrease of this activity at the period of active tumor growth. Possible relation of this reactions to the survival and growth of different tumor cells in vivo is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1477375", "title": "[Lesions of ventricular cardiomyocytes in experimental massive pulmonary embolism].", "content": "The damage of ventricular myocardial cells during acute experimental massive pulmonary embolism (MPE) was studied by light, polarization and electron microscopy on anaesthetized dogs. In cases, when MPE was followed by heart failure, the deep ir reversible damage of myofibrils took place, and the relative volume of myofibrils decreased in both ventricles. The damage of right ventricular myocardium, which works against increased postload during MPE, may be reason of right ventricular insufficiency."}
{"id": "PMID:1477376", "title": "[Morphofunctional bases of the choice of nerves for reinnervation of transplanted heart].", "content": "In two series of experiments on 61 dogs it was found that from all the nerves approaching the heart, the largest are on the ascending aorta, pulmonary trunk and pericardium transilicual tuck along which they cross the left pulmonary artery on the way to the dorsal surface of this organ. These nerves are able to provide the adequate heart activity under cardiovascular system loading. It is they that should be primarily used for transplanted heart reinnervation."}
{"id": "PMID:1477377", "title": "[Identification of components of the extracellular matrix in trophoblastic cell columns of human placenta].", "content": "The distribution of five components of the extracellular matrix was studied in human placenta (9-12 and 39-40 weeks of gestation) by an indirect immunofluorescence method with polyclonal monospecific antibodies. In trophoblastic cell columns fibronectin, collagen types IV and V formed homogeneous deposits, whereas collagen types I and II comprised small conglomerates and scanty, discrete granules. The origin of these macromolecules was discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1477378", "title": "[Morphological changes in the central nervous system of dogs with unilateral lesions of carotid arteries].", "content": "16 dogs were subjected to either ligation or kinking of a single carotid artery and the resultant changes in the cortical hemisphere were studied. Light and electron microscopy findings indicate reversibility of the induced pathological processes both in microcirculation and in neurons proper."}
{"id": "PMID:1477380", "title": "[Structural-functional state of the thyroid gland after thymectomy].", "content": "The dynamics of morphologic and biochemical indices of the thyroid gland in puberal rats has been considered. The data obtained suggest that the thymus hormones deficiency in blood circulation after thymectomy affect thyroid-stimulating functions of adenopituitary and thyroliberin production in hypothalamus that results in significant depression of thyroid function, whereas the enhancement of thyroid function to 20-month follow-up has no central genesis but is rather a result of autoimmune processes activation when thymus is removed."}
{"id": "PMID:1477382", "title": "Anti-tobacco measures in the world: the French case.", "content": "The devastating long-term effects of tobacco smoking registered in the developed world and now imminent in the developing world must be responded to on national and international levels. In France, governmental tobacco control action began in 1976. Despite the high rates of premature mortality among men and women, legislative controls that were introduced were not enforced. Over the past decade, overall smoking prevalence has remained stable, reflecting growth in women's rates which compensates declines in men's rates. Comprehensive tobacco control measures should include prohibiting tobacco advertising, real tobacco retail price increases and regulations protecting non-smokers in public places. New legislation was voted in 1991 both in France and in the European Community. These measures, reinforced by a framework of continuing public education, may be an important step towards effective health promotion."}
{"id": "PMID:1477383", "title": "Humoral response to Mycobacterium tuberculosis in patients with human immunodeficiency virus infection.", "content": "The effect of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) on mycobacterial antibody production was investigated. Using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for detecting IgG against Mycobacterium tuberculosis PPD, it was observed that individuals at risk of HIV infection show a pattern of humoral response to the tubercle bacillus similar to that previously found in the immunocompetent population not exposed to risk factors: 6 of 12 (50.0%) tuberculosis cases had elevated levels of antibodies to PPD and 27 of 30 (90.0%) asymptomatic individuals had antibody levels within the normal range. In an HIV-seropositive group without AIDS indicator diseases, 8 of 22 (36.4%) tuberculous patients had detectable mycobacterial antibodies whereas 156 of 164 (95.1%) non-tuberculous subjects did not. Among AIDS cases, only 1 of 20 (5.0%) patients with tuberculosis and none of 53 non-tuberculous subjects showed a positive result. The study evidenced an increasing humoral unresponsiveness to PPD in the progression of HIV infection to AIDS. Thus, a serodiagnostic method for detecting tuberculosis such as the ELISA here employed noticeably decreases its utility in the latency stage of the HIV infection, and it is practically useless in clinical AIDS."}
{"id": "PMID:1477384", "title": "In vitro, in vivo, and intracellular chemotherapeutic activity of B746, a clofazimine analogue against Mycobacterium avium complex.", "content": "B746, an analogue of clofazimine, was compared with the parent compound for its activity against Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC), using several methods. All the studies using simulated in vivo conditions, and those with macrophages from healthy mice or from those treated with these drugs, revealed B746 to be similar to clofazimine. When used alone against experimental MAC infections in beige mice, B746 required an optimal dose of 20 mg/kg. At that dose it proved to be inferior to clofazimine, given at the same dose, but was slightly superior to streptomycin given intramuscularly at 150 mg/kg. On the other hand, in combination with other drugs, it proved to be inferior when given along with either clofazimine or streptomycin. Addition of B746 did not improve the chemotherapeutic efficacy of streptomycin-clofazimine combination in the treatment of established MAC infections of beige mice."}
{"id": "PMID:1477385", "title": "HIV-related tuberculosis in England and Wales.", "content": "Numbers of tuberculosis notifications in England and Wales increased by 8% from 1987 to 1989. An analysis of notifications by age and sex has been undertaken to determine whether this increase has been due to an increase in young male adults, as has occurred in the USA, implying that HIV is largely responsible for the increase in notifications. Though notifications increased by 9.5% in younger males between 1987 and 1989 they also increased by over 10% amongst most age groups of females, and elderly males. These findings would suggest that there are a number of factors causing a rise in tuberculosis notifications, and that HIV is not yet directly implicated in England and Wales."}
{"id": "PMID:1477386", "title": "Cohort study of HIV-positive and HIV-negative tuberculosis, Nairobi, Kenya: comparison of bacteriological results.", "content": "We have set up a cohort of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) positive and negative patients with tuberculosis in order to address the problems associated with HIV-related tuberculosis. We present here the results of sputum smear microscopy, culture, mycobacterial identification tests and drug susceptibility assays from specimens taken at presentation. In this selected population of largely pulmonary tuberculosis cases, HIV infection is not associated with significant differences in sputum smear positivity rate, culture positivity rate or initial drug resistance. No atypical mycobacteria were found. Direct sputum smear examination remains specific for the diagnosis of tuberculosis in Kenya in spite of the presence of HIV. HIV infection was not associated with an increase in the proportion of pulmonary cases still culture-positive at 6 months. However a significant increase in the proportion of cases still culture-positive at 6 months was seen in those with initially resistant strains and also in those treated with standard regimen (streptomycin, thiacetazone and isoniazid for 1 month followed by thiacetazone and isoniazid for 11 months, 1STH/11TH) rather than a short-course, rifampicin-containing regimen (rifampicin, pyrazinamide and isoniazid for 2 months, together with streptomycin for the first month and followed by 6 months of thiacetazone and isoniazid, SHRZ/6TH)."}
{"id": "PMID:1477387", "title": "Heaf status 12 years after infant BCG immunization.", "content": "Uncertainty exists over the long-term influence of Heaf status and immunity of infant BCG immunization. BCG is offered to all Leeds Asian infants with uptake estimated at 86%. We have examined the effect of this immunization policy on the Heaf status of all 12- to 13-year-old children tested in the city in 1988. 6363 children (431 Asians) were eligible for Heaf testing of whom 5379 (366 Asians) were tested. 90 (25%) Asians and 4596 (92%) non-Asians had a Heaf grade 0-1 with no definite previous BCG and were, using current UK Department of Health recommendations, eligible for BCG immunization. With an annual incidence of tuberculosis in Asian children in Leeds of only 6 per 100,000 it is probable that most of the 75% of Asian children who did not require immunization had persisting immunity from their infant BCG rather than as a result of primary infection. We conclude that infant BCG immunization is effective at providing appropriate immunity, avoiding repeat BCG, in most children at age 12 years."}
{"id": "PMID:1477388", "title": "Tuberculous infection in a rural population of south India: 23-year trend.", "content": "A survey was conducted in Bangalore district of south India between February 1984 and January 1986 to study the tuberculosis infection rate. The data from this survey, along with the information derived from the earlier ones in the same area conducted between 1961-1968, have been used in the report to study the trend of tuberculosis. Tuberculin test results in 0- to 14-year-old unvaccinated children from each survey were distributed, and based on the antimode, infected persons were identified. The standardized prevalence rates in population from the surveys were converted into risk rates by using the TSRU methodology and compared. The average annual risk of infection of 1.1% observed in 1961 declined to 0.61% in 1985, representing a decline of approximately 37% in nearly 23 years. This amounted to an average decline of 3.2% per annum over the period. The trend probably represented a natural dynamics. Whether organized intervention played some role could not be commented upon. Similar studies in other parts of the country are recommended in order to have information on the trend in the country as a whole."}
{"id": "PMID:1477389", "title": "Drug resistance of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in Korea.", "content": "Drug resistance of Mycobacterium tuberculosis has been investigated with isolates from patients screened from a sample population of the nationwide tuberculosis prevalence surveys or from routine cultures. The results showed a close inverse relationship between the prevalence of drug resistance and the efficiency of the past or current National Tuberculosis Control Program (NTP) treatment regimens. Individual drug resistance also showed a close relationship with the extent of use of the relevant drugs. Drug resistance was found in 38.0% of M. tuberculosis isolates from patients in the 1965 survey and remained unchanged until it increased to 48.0% in 1980. The resistance prevalence, however, dropped to 25.3% in the 1990 survey. Such a decrease coincided fairly well with a continuous increase of the treatment efficiency (from 60% in 1984 to 77% in 1989) in the 1980s. Initial drug resistance (IR) also showed a similar trend, namely 26.2% in 1965, 23.9% in 1970, 20.1% in 1975, 30.6% in 1980, 17.4% in 1985 and 15.0% in 1990. A higher prevalence of IR was observed among urban patients than rural patients and among young as opposed to old patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1477390", "title": "Analysis of case-finding process of tuberculosis in Korea.", "content": "A total of 630 pulmonary tuberculosis patients newly registered with the health centres in the Republic of Korea were interviewed to determine their process of case-finding. One-quarter of the cases had a previous history of tuberculosis. About 70% of these retreatment cases had been treated for less than 1 year, indicating the importance of more thorough follow-through during treatment. Almost all of the cases had at least one standard symptom, with fatigue being most frequent, followed by cough and sputum. On developing the illness, about 40% of the cases were motivated to seek medical help after seeking advice from people other than family members such as friends or health workers. Half of the patients first went to the health centre, and one-third to a private clinic. The average time between the onset of symptoms and the initial medical consultation was 1.8 months (patient's delay). This delay is longer in the rural areas; besides location no other patient characteristics had any correlation with patient's delay. Nearly 80% of all cases were diagnosed as tuberculous within the first 2 weeks. Health centres diagnosed cases faster than private clinics and thus had a shorter doctor's delay. Mean total delay (patient's delay plus doctor's delay) was 2 months, with 80% of this being patient's delay."}
{"id": "PMID:1477391", "title": "Liver transplantation: an unheralded probable risk for tuberculosis.", "content": "We present a patient who underwent orthotopic liver transplantation and died of previously undiagnosed pulmonary tuberculosis (TB). TB is known to complicate liver transplantation in rare circumstances. Liver transplantation is an unheralded risk factor for development of TB because of possible activation of latent infection or primary TB in immunosuppressed hosts. A tuberculin skin test should always be performed preoperatively. Preventive treatment with isoniazid is indicated when immunosuppressive therapy is started in patients with high TB risk. Radiographic signs of previous granulomatous disease may be important when tuberculin skin test is negative, unknown or anergy is present. TB is preventable--with a high degree of suspicion where TB is endemic and proactive programs, most TB cases in transplant recipients can be avoided."}
{"id": "PMID:1477392", "title": "Tuberculous pyomyositis in a renal transplant recipient.", "content": "Infections are a major cause of morbidity and mortality in renal transplant recipients. Although these patients are susceptible to many types of infection, soft tissue infections are rare. We report a case of tuberculous pyomyositis involving the left erector spinae muscle but with no other manifestations of tuberculosis. The diagnosis was suspected from the CT scan appearance and confirmed by microscopy and culture of the pus. Surgical incision and drainage, together with antituberculosis therapy, cured the infection. The relevant literature is briefly reviewed."}
{"id": "PMID:1477397", "title": "[Factors associated with levels of physical activity at work and during leisure time].", "content": "Factors associated with levels of physical activity at work and during leisure time were analyzed among 577 subjects who had been selected as population controls for a case-control study by random selection from telephone directories. The intensity of physical activity at work was inversely associated with body mass index, the proportion of professionals & managers, consumption of western style breakfast, coffee, butter/margarine, and whisky; and positively associated with rice intake. Frequency of physical activities during leisure time was positively associated with consumption of vegetables, fruits, mushrooms, milk, cheese and coffee, and moderation in eating; and inversely associated with rice intake and the prevalence of gastrointestinal symptoms and medication. The association of physical activity with these factors should be considered in studying its relationship to disease risk."}
{"id": "PMID:1477398", "title": "[Lifestyle differentials by occupational group].", "content": "Mortality and morbidity differ by occupational group. To clarify factors which account for these variations, lifestyle and other health habits were analyzed according to a subject's main occupation for 12,130 men and 12,759 women. Intake of Western-style foods and fruits and vegetables increased and those of Japanese-style foods and instant foods decreased in the following occupational order; (1) professionals & managers, (2) clerical, (3) sales, (4) service & transportation and (5) agricultural, forestry, fisheries, mining & production process workers. The prevalence of cigarette smoking by subjects themselves and by their parents were higher in service workers than in the other workers for both men and women. Clerical workers, professionals and managers participated more frequently in stomach cancer screening tests than the other workers, and women in these occupational groups had higher prevalences of early menarche and late first childbirth. These differences in characteristics of occupational groups may contribute to the inequalities in health."}
{"id": "PMID:1477399", "title": "[Health problems treated by primary care physician].", "content": "For the purpose of clarifying functions expected of primary care physicians (PC physicians) in Japan, a study of the types and frequencies of health problems seen in primary care clinics located in three areas, together with consultation/referral rates of the patients to other institutes. The study was conducted using ICHPPC-2 (Japan version) which had been compiled by WONCA as a classification of diseases. In order to obtain much more generalized characteristics of the primary care, clinics located in the city, suburban district and remote places in the mountains were studied. The results were as follows: 1) The health problems treated by the clinics in each of the three areas were respectively: 162 types/7,207 items/4 months: 303 types/17,519 items/2 years: and 280 types/61,916 items/2 years. 2) The consultation/referral rates were under 2%. 3) PC physicians treated over 98% of the health problems encountered. This was found by the investigation, which had been intended to disclose a range of so-called COMMON DISEASES treated by PC physicians themselves, based on a relation between the referral rates and the types of health problems. The above findings suggested that the COMMON DISEASES should include at least 95% of the health problems which had been treated by the PC physicians. This corresponded to approximately 100 types of diseases."}
{"id": "PMID:1477400", "title": "[Suicide deaths among psychiatric patients--a study based on vital statistics].", "content": "Utilizing data from the Vital Statistics in 1987 of the Ministry of Health and Welfare, a study was performed to estimate suicide mortality rates among psychiatric in and out-patients. Mental disorder was recorded as being present on 1,755 certifications of suicide deaths (984 men and 771 women). Suicide rate per 100,000 person-years in psychiatric in-patients was 167.3 for males, 116.0 for females. Compared with the general population, this represented an age-standardized mortality ratio (SMR) of 4.5 for males and 5.3 for females. For out-patients the suicide rate was 135.7 for males and 103.7 for females, and the SMR was 4.6 and 5.9 respectively. Considering that the possibility of omission of mental disorders in a death certificate is greater for an out-patient than that for an in-patient, it is concluded that the suicide rate of psychiatric out-patients is greater than that of in-patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1477401", "title": "[Practical use of mortality statistics and mass examination results by health workers in the local authority of the community].", "content": "In Kochi prefecture, the prefectural health service bureau tabulates both mortality statistics and mass examination results for each community and the tabulated report is sent annually to public health services staff in each local authority. While recognizing its limitations, methods of how to use the annual report are demonstrated. For example comparison of the mortality statistics and the mass examination results of the male population of A town, which is administered by Susaki Health Center, to that of the combined male population of all the towns administered by the health center shows that although the mortality rate for cerebrovascular disease for the A town-male population had been much higher than that of the combined male population in the early 1980's, the difference disappeared in the late 1980's. On the other hand, prevalence of systolic hypertension in the A town-male population continued to be higher than that for the combined male population in the late 1980's. Therefore hypertension prevention programs appears to still have significance in the A town-male population. Certain weaknesses exist in this annual report. In the comparison of mass examination results among different populations, the presence of selection bias of those receiving examinations should be considered. Standardization of mass examination procedures and quality controls of the examinations should also be considered. To get health workers to utilize the annual report further, the reported items should be improved. Particularly useful would be tabulation by residential subdivision and occupation."}
{"id": "PMID:1477402", "title": "[A study on personal information system using movable media for effective welfare services].", "content": "A data system which enables utilization of individual patient data by public health nurses, physicians and home helpers, is required both for the continuous and comprehensive monitoring of the various needs of the aged receiving care services at home in the local district and for facilitating welfare services. Therefore, an experimental and comprehensive system for public health, medical services and welfare was put into practice for district public health services for the aging society. The results of this trial system shows that this system is useful indeed for the welfare services, though it also has several problems."}
{"id": "PMID:1477403", "title": "Evaluation of acidic heteropolysaccharide structures in Rhizobium leguminosarum biovars altered in nodulation genes and host range.", "content": "1H-NMR spectroscopy showed that the extracellular heterpolysaccharides (EPS) from derivatives of Rhizobium leguminosarum bv. trifolii ANU843 altered in pSym nod composition or function (transposon insertions, deletion of pSym, induction by flavone, and introduction of cloned pSym nod regions from ANU843 and R. l. bv. viciae 248 on recombinant plasmids into the pSym-cured background of ANU843) differed only in 3-hydroxybutyrate stoichiometry per octaglycosyl unit. This change in EPS was likely to be an indirect effect of altered growth during expression of pSym nod genes in the presence of the flavone. No modifications were found in EPS made by R. l. bv. phaseoli 8002 when its resident pSym was deleted or replaced with pSym from R. l. bv. viciae 248, or with a derivative of this pSym lacking the host-specific nodulation genes nodFELMNTO. Thus, although certain O-acyl noncarbohydrate substitutions in EPS are affected by pSym nod genes (including the ones that determine host range) in certain backgrounds of R. leguminosarum, this change does not occur universally among all strains of R. leguminosarum. We conclude that the structure of the acidic EPS does not control host-specific nodulation of white clover, hairy vetch, and beans for the strains of R. leguminosarum tested here."}
{"id": "PMID:1477410", "title": "Current treatment of obesity: a behavioral medicine perspective.", "content": "Obesity is a complex biopsychosocial phenomenon. It has a profound effect on patients' physical and psychological health. Due to the complexity of the problem and the recidivism following treatment, it is recommended that obese patients receive in-depth interdisciplinary evaluation to match them appropriately to comprehensive treatment. Participation in an interdisciplinary comprehensive active weight loss treatment program followed by participation in a professionally led biweekly behavioral maintenance program that included social influence and aerobic exercise has generated maintenance of 83% of initial weight loss at an 18-month follow up. This comprehensive multi-disciplinary treatment approach, best offered in a behavioral medicine center setting, represents state-of-the-art treatment at this time and can result in long-term medical and psychological benefits for the obese patient."}
{"id": "PMID:1477404", "title": "A new multigene family inducible by tobacco mosaic virus or salicylic acid in tobacco.", "content": "A previously undescribed cDNA family was isolated from tobacco challenged with tobacco mosaic virus (TMV). A cDNA library was constructed with mRNA from upper leaves of Xanthi nc tobacco plants that had been inoculated with TMV on the lower leaves 11 days previously. The library was screened differentially with radiolabeled cDNA synthesized with mRNA from upper, uninoculated leaves of either TMV-inoculated or mock-inoculated tobacco plants. The new cDNA family, designated SAR8.2, had at least five expressed members, one or more of which were inducible by TMV inoculation and by salicylic acid treatment. The cDNAs encoded small, highly basic proteins containing N-terminal hydrophobic signal peptides and highly conserved cysteine-rich C-terminal domains. One of the SAR8.2 family members contained a direct repeat of the C-terminal domain in tandem. Hybridization of SAR8.2 cDNA to tobacco genomic DNAs indicated a gene family of 10-12 members."}
{"id": "PMID:1477405", "title": "Sequence and expression of a wheat gene that encodes a novel protein associated with pathogen defense.", "content": "Wheat (Triticum aestivum) exhibits local acquired resistance to the powdery mildew pathogen Erysiphe graminis f. sp. tritici. The resistant state can be induced by a preinoculation with the nonhost pathogen E. g.f. sp. hordei, the barley powdery mildew, and is accompanied by the activation of putative defense genes. Here, we report the sequence of a pathogen-induced gene, WIR1a, and a corresponding cDNA, WIR1, that encode novel defense-related proteins of 88 and 85 amino acids, respectively. Analysis of the primary structure of these proteins predicts them to be integral membrane proteins with extracytoplasmic C-terminal domains rich in proline and glycine, through which the proteins possibly interact with the cell wall."}
{"id": "PMID:1477406", "title": "Expression of a modified Dutch elm disease toxin in Escherichia coli.", "content": "The fungal toxin associated with Dutch elm disease, cerato-ulmin, has been produced in the bacterium Escherichia coli by the assembly of oligonucleotides according to the unpublished amino acid sequence of the toxin. This toxin was produced at approximately 80 micrograms/L of cell culture as a fusion to glutathione S-transferase. We synthesized the toxin as a fusion protein to improve purification and stability. Recombinant cerato-ulmin was analyzed by immunoblot analysis and then separated from its fusion partner by thrombin. We incorporated this molecule into an appropriate medium to test the activity of the toxin on the growth of American elm callus cultures."}
{"id": "PMID:1477415", "title": "Broad-spectrum photoprotection: the roles of tinted auto windows, sunscreens and browning agents in the diagnosis and treatment of photosensitivity.", "content": "Since window glass absorbs sunlight below 320 nm, it provides a means of assessing sensitivity to longer wavelengths, i.e. UVA and visible radiation. Positive responses to the query of whether symptoms develop in the auto with the windows up must now be interpreted with regard to the possible presence of tinted plastic film on side and rear windows. These films block nearly all UVA radiation, as does the plastic interleaf of windshields. Thus, occupants of an auto equipped with plastic film receive photoprotection from UVB radiation and well into the UVA region. We define three classes of topical sunscreens: (1) conventional UVB screens, (2) broad-spectrum preparations containing a UVB screen and a UVA absorber and (3) browning agents such as dihydroxyacetone (DHA) that produce a skin coloration that absorbs in the low end of the visible region, with overlap into long-wavelength UVA. By considering responses of photosensitive persons in autos with tinted or untinted windows, coupled with efficacy of appropriate sunscreens, we produced an algorithm defining three photosensitivity subsets. Persons sensitive to long-wavelength UVA and/or visible radiation will benefit from tinted auto windows. In particular, patients with lupus erythematosus (LE) have actively promoted legislation allowing tinted windows. Support for their position is documented by recent reports of induction of lesions in LE patients by exposure to UVA and visible radiation. The brown color produced by DHA is a useful adjunct to the screening action of broad-spectrum sunscreens. Development of a durable color overnight allows application of the DHA preparation in the evening, thus eliminating possible interference with sunscreen use during the day."}
{"id": "PMID:1477416", "title": "Clinical controversy on the effect of topical ciclosporin: what is the target site?", "content": "In recent years attempts have been made to treat T-cell-mediated skin diseases with topical therapeutics. Based on clinical data on the local treatment of recalcitrant erosive lichen planus (LP) with ciclosporin (CS) we discuss in vitro and in vivo studies on percutaneous absorption of CS, drug localization and drug metabolism in the skin as well as clinical data. Clinically relevant immunosuppressive activity depends not only on drug distribution in the target organ skin. The inhibition of T cell response is also dependent upon T cell subsets involved and the activation stage of the T cell. There are different proportions in T cell subpopulations during different evolutional stages of LP. Thus responsiveness to therapy with this drug may depend on the disease activity. Furthermore lymphocyte migration throughout various organs in the body including skin depend on a variety of molecular and cellular interactions. Whether local CS is sufficient to inhibit these interactions or to inactivate already activated T cells remains unclear. Assuming that the T lymphocyte is the target site for CS, local therapy reaches only a small fraction of the T cell population. This may be insufficient, and a systemic inhibition of helper/inducer T lymphocyte function is needed for successful therapy. With CS and with other drugs it seems that percutaneous absorption is not the only key to variable clinical responses to topical therapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1477417", "title": "Generation of terminal complement complexes in psoriatic lesional skin.", "content": "The complement system is thought to play an important role in the recruitment of neutrophils within the epidermis. In the present study we examined whether or not complement activation in psoriatic lesional skin results in the deposition of terminal complement complexes within the epidermis by measuring levels of SC5b-9 in the plasma and horny tissues of psoriatic patients. The levels of SC5b-9 in psoriatic plasma were significantly higher than those of controls or those of patients with atopic dermatitis. However, when the levels of SC5b-9 in the psoriatic plasma were compared before and after successful treatment of psoriasis, a significant reduction was observed after treatment. Studies of total protein extracts from lesional skin showed that, while no SC5b-9 was detected in the noninflammatory horny tissues, there were high levels of SC5b-9 in lesional horny tissues of psoriasis. By immunofluorescence using a monoclonal antibody to the C5b-9 neoantigen, deposition of C5b-9 was observed only in the stratum corneum of psoriatic skin. Thus the results of the present study suggests that in psoriatic lesional skin, the complement system is activated and that this complement activation proceeds all the way to the terminal step, generating membrane attack complex."}
{"id": "PMID:1477418", "title": "Light exposure of the lower leg as a pathogenetic factor in the occurrence of malignant melanoma.", "content": "Of the 1,198 women and men studied in Mainz from 1966 to 1987 there was an approximately fivefold increase in the incidence of melanoma. Among the men melanomas on the trunk (59.9%) predominated, whereas among the women melanomas on the extremities (40.0%) were more common, especially on the lower leg (26.3%). Comparing the decades 1966-1976 and 1977-1987 there was a significant decrease in melanomas affecting women's lower legs (1966-1976: 33%,; 1977-1987: 24.2%). Fashion-dependent sun exposure of this body area might offer an explanation. It could be demonstrated that common stocking materials do not sufficiently protect against UV radiation (average permeability for UV light about 55%), therefore an intense sun exposure of the lower leg in the fifties and sixties (nylon stockings and knee-long skirts) and a less intense sun exposure in the seventies (skirts of all lengths and trousers) can be assumed. The difference in the incidence of women's melanomas on the lower leg in our two subgroups correlates indeed with the fashion-dependent insolation 10-20 years before tumour diagnosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1477419", "title": "Lack of effect after local treatment with a new ciclosporin formulation in recalcitrant erosive oral lichen planus.", "content": "We treated 7 patients with recalcitrant enoral lichen planus (Lp) with a new hydrophilic ciclosporin (CS) formulation during 8 weeks. The preparation with proven in vivo percutaneous absorption was designed for topical use and contained 100 mg CS/g formulation. The patients applied a cumulative daily dose of about 126 mg CS. We did not see the previously reported clinically impressive response with our CS formulation. No CS was detected in the blood of our patients. We conclude that percutaneous absorption of CS is not the key event to the clinical responses. Clinical benefit after CS in enoral Lp seems rather to the clinical responses. Clinical benefit after CS in enoral Lp seems rather to be related to a systemic effect of the drug."}
{"id": "PMID:1477420", "title": "Renal impairment probably induced by etretinate.", "content": "A 83-year-old patient had been treated for pityriasis rubra pilaris with 70 mg etretinate daily. He developed acute renal impairment, with creatinine levels reaching 73 mg/l on day 7. After discontinuation of etretinate, all biological changes were reversible. Although renal impairment is not considered as retinoid side effect, the chronology of renal changes is very suggestive of etretinate responsibility."}
{"id": "PMID:1477421", "title": "Apudoma and subcorneal pustular dermatosis (Sneddon-Wilkinson disease).", "content": "The subcorneal pustular dermatosis (SPD) is a rare dermatosis. IgA monoclonal gammapathy is the most frequently associated disease with the SPD. We report a case of SPD in a patient with metastatic apudoma, an association not previously described. The rare nature of both diseases suggests that this association is not fortuitous."}
{"id": "PMID:1477422", "title": "Eosinophilic pustular folliculitis starting initially only with palmoplantar pustular lesions. Report of a case and review of the literature.", "content": "We report a 23-year-old Japanese male with eosinophilic pustular folliculitis (EPF) that had started with palmoplantar rash. Only when follicular pustules appeared on the bilateral cheek 31 months later, we revised our initial diagnosis of pustulosis palmaris et plantaris (PPP) to EPF, and all the skin eruptions cleared mostly with indomethacin. A review of the Japanese literature for the past 20 years disclosed that in 207 cases of EPF so far reported, palmoplantar pustular lesion was noted in 38 (18%). Among them, in 16 cases (8%) the skin lesions started first from the palmoplantar region with the average period of 26 months until the appearance of other eruptions of EPF. None of them was diagnosed as EPF when skin lesions were localized only to the palmoplantar region. When we find pustules on the palmoplantar region, we should suspect the possibility of early lesions of EPF as well as PPP. Histopathologic demonstration of multilocular pustules located in the upper epidermis containing numerous eosinophils in the palmoplantar pustular lesions, together with the dramatic therapeutic response to indomethacin greatly favor the diagnosis of EPF."}
{"id": "PMID:1477423", "title": "Acute follicular graft-versus-host disease.", "content": "We documented by clinical, histopathologic and immunohistochemical analysis a case of acute follicular graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), in which an erythematous-to-violaceous follicular papular eruption constituted the major clinical pattern of cutaneous involvement. Although acute follicular GVHD is rare, it is important to recognize it as an early skin manifestation of acute cutaneous GVHD allowing prompt therapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1477424", "title": "Atrichia and papular lesions: report of a case.", "content": "We report a case of atrichia with papular lesions in a 4-year-old girl. The scalp was completely hairless since birth, except for dark, shiny, coarse hair on the frontoparietal region. Eyelashes and eyebrows were sparse. Numerous papular lesions developed on the hairless scalp, cheeks and neck during the second year of life. Teeth and sweating function were normal. The family history was negative. Histologic examination of a papular lesion showed the presence of a keratin-filled cyst in contact with the overlying epidermis. The pathology of the bald scalp showed the presence of tubular epithelial structures devoid of hair bulbs extending from the epidermis to the deep dermis and the superficial hypodermis. Sebaceous and outer root sheath differentiation was evident in most of the tubular structures that also frequently contained small ducts surrounded by two or three layers of flat epithelial cells. The superficial dermis contained horny cysts, similar to those present on the cheeks."}
{"id": "PMID:1477425", "title": "Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans: ultrastructural investigation.", "content": "The ultrastructural aspects of nucleus and cytoplasm of tumor cells and the interstitial material of dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans are described in detail, especially the very peculiar labyrinthic nucleus. Opinions about its development are reviewed; some, such as melanocytic, neural, histiocytic and smooth muscle proliferation, might be discarded. The myofibroblast appears as the most probable stem cell."}
{"id": "PMID:1477426", "title": "Sneddon's syndrome: generalized livedo reticularis and cerebrovascular disease. Importance of hemostatic screening.", "content": "We report two cases of Sneddon's syndrome. Both cases had widespread livedo reticularis with repeated cerebrovascular accidents without persistent neurological deficit. In one case, hemostatic examination revealed an imbalance of plasminogen activator-inhibitor values, possibly related to the thrombogenic propensity of the syndrome. Treatment with acetylsalicylic acid led to normalization of hemostatic parameters and resulted in a symptom-free period of more than 10 months. The importance of hemostatic screening in patients with Sneddon's syndrome is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1477427", "title": "Neonatal treatment of giant naevi.", "content": "A technique of curettage of giant congenital naevi in newborns was proposed by Moss in 1987. We used this technique in 6 children during the last 2 years. The long-term aesthetic results appear to be better than those observed after other methods of treatment. Light microscopy of the pigmented skin confirmed the presence of the majority of naevus cells in the upper dermis. For 3 patients, cultures of the curetted cells showed a melanocyte behaviour similar to that seen in malignant melanoma. These observations are limited to in vitro cultures and are not representative of the in vivo evolution as biopsies of the remaining naevus cells at 3 months of age did not show any malignant characteristics."}
{"id": "PMID:1477428", "title": "A case of Omenn-like immunodeficiency syndrome.", "content": "We report the case of a child with a variant of the Omenn immunodeficiency syndrome. He presented with erythroderma, lymphadenopathy, hepatosplenomegaly, failure to thrive, and recurrent purulent infections. The immunological studies showed marked disturbances in the subpopulations and functions of T lymphocytes, which suggests a defect in T cell differentiation as the cause of the disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1477429", "title": "Lung cancer with skin metastases.", "content": "Skin metastases in the fingertips were the first-presenting symptom of a still occult, giant-cell bronchial carcinoma. We report the presentation, diagnosis and clinical course."}
{"id": "PMID:1477430", "title": "Acitretin as cancer chemoprophylaxis in a renal transplant recipient.", "content": "The use of acitretin in a renal transplant recipient who had been treated for several premalignant and malignant skin lesions is the subject of this case report. During the treatment period no new dysplastic lesions developed."}
{"id": "PMID:1477431", "title": "Transient acanthosis-nigricans-like dermatosis in re-epithelializing lesions of pemphigus foliaceus.", "content": "A patient is described who developed hyperkeratotic, hyperpigmented plaques, similar to acanthosis nigricans in re-epithelializing erosions of pemphigus foliaceus. The lesions regressed completely after a few months. This phenomenon can be attributed to a K\u00f6bner phenomenon after epidermal damage or can be a result of systemic corticosteroid therapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1477432", "title": "Intraepidermal neutrophilic IgA dermatosis: pemphigus-like IgA deposits.", "content": "A case of intraepidermal neutrophilic IgA dermatosis with intercellular IgA deposit in the upper epidermis is reported. Indirect immunofluorescence was negative but immunoelectrophoresis showed a slight increase of IgA. The chemotactic activity of neutrophils was normal. Colchicine controlled the lesions."}
{"id": "PMID:1477433", "title": "Oral cyclosporin and alopecia areata.", "content": "A 30-year-old woman with severe alopecia areata of the scalp was treated with oral cyclosporin for 3 months. Clinical, histological and immunohistochemical assessments failed to reveal any improvement."}
{"id": "PMID:1477434", "title": "Genital squamous-cell carcinoma after PUVA therapy.", "content": "Among our patients treated with very high doses of PUVA (more than 1,500 J/cm2) for recalcitrant disseminated psoriasis, three developed squamous-cell carcinoma of the genitalia. The tumors were located on the scrotum in all patients; one of them displayed three times running a carcinoma of the dorsal aspect of the penis. All these genital tumors arose more than 2 years after PUVA cessation, in patients with previous arsenic and tar treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1477435", "title": "Erosive adenomatosis of the nipple.", "content": "Two cases and histological observations of erosive adenomatosis of the nipple are presented in detail, and the literature on the subject is reviewed. Erosive adenomatosis is a rare but clearly delineated pathology of the nipple and seems to be essentially benign. Careful clinical and histological examinations with complete investigation of the breast are required for the diagnosis. Nonmutilating curative surgery can be performed."}
{"id": "PMID:1477436", "title": "Thallium-201 myocardial imaging in patients with coronary artery disease: comparison of intravenous adenosine and oral dipyridamole.", "content": "To compare thallium-201 (201Tl) myocardial perfusion imaging following intravenous adenosine and oral dipyridamole. Open-label, randomized, comparison. Outpatient, university-affiliated clinic. Fifteen patients with angiographically documented coronary artery disease. Planar 201Tl myocardial perfusion imaging following both intravenous adenosine 140 micrograms/kg/min for six minutes and oral dipyridamole suspension 300 mg. A comparison between adenosine and dipyridamole was made in the following areas: concordance in interpretation of 201Tl scintigrams, cardiac and noncardiac 201Tl uptake and clearance, hemodynamic and electrocardiographic changes, and adverse effects. The scintigraphic studies showed perfusion defects in 13 patients (87 percent) after dipyridamole and in 15 patients (100 percent) after adenosine. 201Tl uptake and clearance were quantitated in nine myocardial segments and in four extracardiac segments in each patient. 201Tl uptake was not significantly different between adenosine and dipyridamole studies in most cardiac regions. Extracardiac 201Tl uptake was significantly less in the liver and splanchnic regions following adenosine compared with dipyridamole. 201Tl clearance was not significantly different following adenosine and dipyridamole except in the anterolateral region in the anterior view. Hemodynamic changes following administration of intravenous adenosine and oral dipyridamole were not significantly different. Adverse effects were more common with adenosine than with dipyridamole. Adverse effects with adenosine were transient; however, adverse effects with dipyridamole were prolonged and required reversal with aminophylline in 2 patients. No patients required termination of the adenosine infusion or administration of aminophylline. These preliminary data suggest that adenosine 201Tl imaging may be a useful alternative to dipyridamole 201Tl imaging. Although adenosine produces more frequent adverse effects, they are generally better tolerated than those associated with dipyridamole."}
{"id": "PMID:1477437", "title": "Mathematical examination of dual individualization principles. (III): Development of a scoring system for pneumonia staging and quantitation of response to antibiotics: results in cefmenoxime-treated patients.", "content": "In order to quantitatively express the important, time-related aspects of response to antimicrobial therapy in patients with pneumonia, we required validated measures of the time course of events during the infection. To quantitate the changes in clinical status in relation to changes in cultures, we developed a scoring system to be used for patient assessment during therapy. Retrospective data collection, prospective analysis of factors. Intensive care unit, Millard Fillmore Hospital. Twenty-eight patients with nosocomial pneumonia. Clinical parameters were assessed daily for the duration of antimicrobial therapy. Using linear regression, the rate of clinical change in each patient treated was quantified. Eradication of the pathogen was determined by serial cultures of the infection site. Seventeen of the patients demonstrated eradication of the organism, and 11 demonstrated persistence of the pathogen (7 were considered colonization). The system described the patients at baseline in that the mean baseline scores were similar in both groups of patients (p = 0.79). Patients in whom the pathogen was eradicated showed a rate of clinical improvement significantly different from those who had persistence of the organism (p = 0.04). In patients demonstrating eradication, the time to eradication inversely correlated with the rate of clinical improvement (p < 0.05). Of the ten parameters descriptive of the disease, those most sensitive to change after eradication of bacteria were body temperature, bacterial Gram stain, white blood cell Gram stain, and volume of sputum. In this set of pneumonia patients, the scoring system effectively quantified both baseline and time-related changes in clinical status. The system distinguished between the clinical course of the patient with organism eradication versus organism persistence. A shorter time to eradication was associated with a better clinical response. Prospective study of the system will determine its sensitivity."}
{"id": "PMID:1477438", "title": "Prolonged recurrence of pentamidine-induced torsades de pointes.", "content": "To report a case of recurrent pentamidine-induced torsades de pointes (TdP) and to review previously reported cases in the literature. Medical records of the subject patient, case reports, and relevant studies identified by MEDLINE. Data were abstracted from pertinent published sources by one author and reviewed by the remaining authors. A 43-year-old woman with AIDS experienced pentamidine-induced TdP. TdP and other cardiac arrhythmias recurred repeatedly for 13 days after pentamidine therapy was discontinued and in the presence of normal magnesium and potassium serum concentrations. Infusions of magnesium, lidocaine, and isoproterenol were used to treat the arrhythmias. The exact mechanism of pentamidine-induced TdP has not been clearly established. It is postulated, however, that the similarity of pentamidine's structure to procainamide may contribute to its proarrhythmic effects. The tissue-binding capacity of pentamidine may result in a prolongation of its effects. No distinctive characteristic appears to predispose people to the development of cardiac arrhythmias. Laboratory values that should be monitored include serum magnesium, potassium, and creatinine. The corrected QT interval also should be monitored. Recurrent arrhythmias may be seen for many days after intravenous administration of pentamidine has been discontinued. Clinicians should consider this phenomenon as they decide how to monitor patients who have received this drug."}
{"id": "PMID:1477439", "title": "Possible severe thrombocytopenia associated with a single dose of plicamycin.", "content": "To report a case of possible severe thrombocytopenia associated with administration of a single dose of plicamycin. A 73-year-old man with prostate cancer was admitted to the hospital with hypercalcemia (total serum calcium concentration 4.02 mmol/L) and a low baseline platelet count (152 x 10(9)/L). Because of his symptomatic hypercalcemia, he was treated with NaCl 0.9%, furosemide, oral inorganic phosphate, and a single dose of plicamycin (15 micrograms/kg). Five days after plicamycin administration his platelet count decreased to 52 x 10(9)/L, and continued to decrease further even after the transfusion of four units of platelets to a nadir of 7 x 10(9)/L (hospital day 20). A second transfusion produced a small increase in his platelet count. The patient's clinical status continued to deteriorate, however, and he subsequently died. Plicamycin and other drugs that may induce thrombocytopenia are reviewed. The time course between plicamycin administration and the development of thrombocytopenia in our patient is assessed. Other contributing factors such as a low baseline platelet count and advanced age are also addressed. It is likely that the severe thrombocytopenia experienced by our patient was caused by a single dose of plicamycin. Adjusting the dosage for a patient's renal function as well as close monitoring of the platelet count are necessary when administering this drug. We report this case to remind clinicians of the potential for the development of severe thrombocytopenia following administration of a single dose of plicamycin."}
{"id": "PMID:1477440", "title": "Verapamil overdose: case report and review of the literature.", "content": "To report the presentation and controversies regarding therapy of an 18-year-old man following a life-threatening ingestion of verapamil. An 18-year-old man ingested large quantities of dipyridamole, trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, amoxicillin, and verapamil. He presented to an outlying hospital and was initially conscious. Soon thereafter, the patient had a seizure; he required intubation, developed cardiac conduction abnormalities, and became hypotensive. The patient required pharmacologic pressors and a pacemaker for transfer to our institution. At our institution, vigorous fluid resuscitation, cardiac pacing, and careful attention to acid/base and electrolyte management provided the basis of therapy. The patient recovered without deficit and was discharged from the intensive care unit five days later. Current controversies regarding the management of verapamil overdose are reviewed. Removal of the drug by gastric lavage is a mainstay of therapy. Administration of syrup of ipecac is contraindicated. Although specific recommendations for calcium dosing in the overdose situation have not been rigorously studied, maintenance of a normal serum ionized calcium concentration is suggested. An exogenous catecholamine, rather than dopamine, may be the drug of choice for treating hypotension. Cardiopulmonary bypass provides a method for drug removal in cases of severe toxicity; however, this invasive method requires further study. Management of fluid/electrolyte, acid/base, and ventilation abnormalities is required to treat large ingestions of verapamil. Treatment guidelines for critical care clinicians are provided."}
{"id": "PMID:1477441", "title": "Fixed drug eruption of the scrotum due to methylphenidate.", "content": "To report two cases of fixed drug eruption induced by methylphenidate. Two children with attention deficit disorder treated with methylphenidate as a simple drug developed fixed drug eruption of the scrotum. Drug discontinuation was followed by a complete resolution of the skin eruption. Rechallenge resulted in the same drug rash. Macrophage migration-inhibiting factor (MIF) assay with methylphenidate was positive. The pathogenesis of fixed drug eruption and the role of MIF assay in the diagnosis of adverse drug reaction is discussed. Fixed drug rash induced by methylphenidate is a possible but rare phenomenon."}
{"id": "PMID:1477442", "title": "Toxicity potential of oral lidocaine in a patient receiving mexiletine.", "content": "To report a case of toxicity from orally administered lidocaine in a patient with cardiomyopathy receiving concurrent mexiletine therapy. Case reports, review articles, and studies identified by search of the MEDLINE database and Current Contents. All reports of toxicity from orally administered lidocaine were reviewed. Lidocaine, a local anesthetic, is widely used to treat cardiac arrhythmias. Toxicity with the parenteral form occurs frequently. In contrast, there are few reports of toxicity with oral lidocaine, most of them occurring in children receiving large doses relative to body weight. We report a case of intoxication in an adult with severe cardiomyopathy and concurrent mexiletine therapy who received only two doses of oral lidocaine. Although it is rarely reported in adults, clinicians must be alert to the possibility of toxicity from orally administered lidocaine. This is most likely to occur in patients with conditions known to reduce lidocaine clearance, when higher-than-usual doses are administered, or when concurrent therapy with oral lidocaine analogs may be present."}
{"id": "PMID:1477446", "title": "Taurine: an essential amino acid to prevent cholestasis in neonates?", "content": "To review the evidence that taurine can prevent cholestasis in neonates. MEDLINE and EMBASE searches were conducted to identify both animal and human data regarding taurine's role in bile acid conjugation and liver disease (key terms: taurine, children less than two years old). Emphasis was placed on human data supplemented by relevant animal data. Taurine appears to more effectively conjugate bile acids than glycine, and the end-products of conjugation are more soluble. Taurine deficiency may increase glyco-conjugates of bile acids and result in cholestasis. Although the cause of neonatal cholestasis probably is multifactorial, there are data indicating that adequate taurine may prevent cholestasis in neonates. Taurine should be considered an essential amino acid for neonates and should be included in total parenteral nutrition solutions for these patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1477447", "title": "Transdermal fentanyl.", "content": "To review the use of transdermal fentanyl for the treatment of moderate to severe chronic pain. The article provides background on the pharmacology and pharmacokinetics of the drug, as well as the properties of the transdermal system. In addition, clinical trials, adverse effects, and therapeutic considerations and recommendations are presented. Clinical trials, review articles, and reference texts. Comparative clinical trials involving the use of transdermal fentanyl on postoperative and chronic pain patients. Data from clinical human trials published in the English language were reviewed. Trials were assessed by sample size, opioid dosage regimen, and therapeutic outcome. Transdermal fentanyl was found to be effective in the control of chronic and postoperative pain. In one trial the overall patient satisfaction with pain control was 79 percent for the transdermal fentanyl group and 44 percent for the placebo group. In another trial, the amount of additional parenteral morphine was significantly lower for the group receiving transdermal fentanyl than for the placebo group (49.9 +/- 4.9 vs. 77.0 +/- 6.3 mg, respectively, p < 0.01). The most common adverse effects recorded were nausea (45-85 percent), pruritus (14-60 percent), and sedation (40-59 percent). The cost of analgesic therapy with this delivery system is higher than that of parenteral opioid analgesia, but less than patient-controlled analgesia. The transdermal fentanyl formulation offers some minor advantages over other forms of conventional pain management. Results of early clinical trials are promising, but more studies are needed to evaluate its long-term effectiveness and adverse effects. Specifically, comparisons with standard parenteral and patient-controlled opioid analgesia in chronic malignant and nonmalignant pain are necessary for adequate evaluation of transdermal fentanyl."}
{"id": "PMID:1477448", "title": "Continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis: a review of its mechanics, advantages, complications, and areas of controversy.", "content": "The primary objective of this article is to review the mechanics, advantages, complications, pharmacokinetics, and future trends of continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) as they pertain to pharmacotherapy. Pertinent articles were obtained from an English-language literature search using MEDLINE (1980-1991), Index Medicus (1987-1990), and bibliographic reviews of review articles. Indexing terms included peritoneal dialysis, pharmacokinetics, peritonitis, vancomycin, and fluoroquinolones. All clinical studies comparing organism recovery methods and treatment of peritonitis have methodologic limitations (e.g., comparison of disparate patient groups, different definitions of peritonitis, lack of follow-up, lack of control for sterile cultures) that may affect the reported results. CAPD is an alternative to hemodialysis for the treatment of endstage renal disease and has many complications, leading to significant morbidity. This indicates that CAPD is not appropriate for all patients. Using blood-culturing techniques to culture for dialysate is most productive, but also the most costly. There are few data to indicate exactly the drugs, doses, and durations of choice for peritonitis. Both intraperitoneal and oral administration appear to be appropriate."}
{"id": "PMID:1477449", "title": "Contribution of the human kidney to the metabolic clearance of drugs.", "content": "To demonstrate that the human kidney is capable not only of filtering and secreting drugs and their metabolites, but also of carrying out conjugation reactions such as acyl glucuronidation, N-glucuronidation, and glycination. Plasma concentrations and renal excretion rates of drugs are measured and renal clearance is calculated in a series of selected pharmacokinetic studies in healthy human volunteers (some studies were conducted in the authors' laboratory and others were reported in the literature). BACKGROUND THEORY: It is generally agreed that the liver plays the dominant role in drug metabolism, and that the function of the kidneys is limited to excretion of parent drug and metabolites. This can be easily understood when a metabolite is present in both plasma and urine. When the metabolite is present in urine but is not measurable in plasma, then the possibility exists that the metabolite is formed by the kidneys. \"Simple\" excretion by the kidneys is demonstrated for sulfatroxazole/sulfamethoxazole. Ether glucuronides of codeine are formed in the liver, and the resulting glucuronide is excreted by the kidneys. Possible formation of N1- and N2-glucuronides by the kidneys is demonstrated for sulfadimethoxine, sulfametomidine, and sulfaphenazole. Acyl glucuronidation of probenecid and nalidixic acid is carried out by the kidneys. The acyl glucuronidation of probenecid shows a capacity-limited formation/excretion rate of 46 mg/h, which is subject dependent. During this process, the acyl glucuronidation of co-administered nalidixic acid is reduced from 53 to 16 percent compared with that of nalidixic acid alone. Probenecid and its acyl glucuronidation do not inhibit the ether glucuronidation of codeine in the liver, but only interfere with the active tubular secretion process. The acyl glucuronidation of the nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug naproxen and its metabolite, O-desmethylnaproxen, may be carried out by the liver and kidneys. Glycination of benzoic acid and salicylic acid is carried out in both the liver and kidneys. It is difficult to recognize renal drug metabolism in the intact human body (in vivo); the glucuronides or conjugates must be measured via direct HPLC analysis. In cases where the metabolite is present in high concentrations in urine but not in blood, there may be an indication that the kidneys are responsible for the formation of the metabolite. Impaired kidney function not only affects renal excretion but may also affect renal metabolism."}
{"id": "PMID:1477450", "title": "Haemophilus influenzae type B conjugate vaccines.", "content": "To review the epidemiology of Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) disease, the first Hib vaccine and its limitations, the characteristics and clinical efficacy of the newer conjugate vaccines, and the current recommendations for administration of Hib vaccines. Pertinent literature was identified via a MEDLINE search. Additionally, references cited in published articles were used as data sources. Studies describing the epidemiology of Hib disease and the efficacy and/or immunogenicity of the Hib vaccines are reviewed. Serious invasive disease secondary to Hib infection causes significant morbidity and mortality in children between the ages of three months and five years. The original Hib vaccine was found to be ineffective in stimulating an adequate immune response in children younger than two years of age. The new Hib conjugate vaccines provide superior efficacy and immunogenicity compared with the original unconjugated vaccine. They stimulate an immune response that is distinctly different from that elicited by the original vaccine. Two vaccine products are currently licensed for use in children as young as two months of age, thus conferring immunity to those children at highest risk for Hib disease. The new Hib conjugate vaccines provide excellent efficacy and, when used as recommended, may significantly reduce the incidence of invasive Hib disease and its sequelae."}
{"id": "PMID:1477451", "title": "Intravenous-to-oral stepdown program: four years of experience in a large teaching hospital.", "content": "To assess the impact of an intravenous-to-oral (iv-po) stepdown program on the relative use of oral and parenteral dosage forms of select antimicrobials. A retrospective review of drug utilization records before and after a trial comparing metronidazole and clindamycin prescribing trends from a 12-month baseline period to a four-year follow-up period. One thousand-bed Canadian tertiary care referral teaching center. An authorized iv-po stepdown program was developed to promote the oral route of drug administration. Reminders of iv-po stepdown were produced for metronidazole and clindamycin and these notes were sent to nursing units with the parenteral dosage form. The notes then were attached to the front of the health record to serve as a reminder to prescribers that an equally effective, well-tolerated, and less-expensive oral dosage form was available for use. A 44 percent relative increase in the use of oral metronidazole and a 79 percent relative increase in the use of oral clindamycin occurred. When acquisition and delivery costs were considered, cumulative cost savings from 1988 to 1991 resulted for metronidazole ($31,920) and clindamycin ($53,880). This intervention represents a simple yet effective method of promoting a process of stepdown from parenteral to oral antibiotic therapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1477452", "title": "Current treatment recommendations for leishmaniasis.", "content": "To review the epidemiology, clinical presentation, risk factors for transmission, and pathogenesis of leishmaniasis, as well as current treatment options for this disease. DATA SOURCES/DATA SELECTION: We reviewed unclassified medical-threat briefing material, subject-matter reviews, and case reports from the world's infectious disease literature. We concentrated on literature pertaining to the pathogenesis and management of leishmaniasis indigenous to Southwest Asia. Data from subject reviews published in the English language were evaluated. Case reports and clinical trials provided supplemental data on evolving theories and management options. The clinical presentation of leishmaniasis is highly variable. Management relies heavily upon the use of parenteral antimonial drugs. Although these agents are effective in most cases, toxicity and the emergence of resistance limit the usefulness of standard therapies. Alternative treatment modalities include heat, surgical curettage, ketoconazole, metronidazole, pentamidine, rifampin, amphotericin B, aminoglycosides, allopurinol, and immunotherapy. Although the number of reported cases of leishmaniasis in the US has generally been low, there is a possibility that more cases may be reported in the future because of the large number of military personnel returning to this country from endemic areas. Medical personnel, particularly those working in governmental institutions, should be familiar with the pathogenesis of this unusual infection as well as potential treatment options."}
{"id": "PMID:1477459", "title": "Lipoprotein(a) levels in the nephrotic syndrome.", "content": "We investigated serum lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] levels in 20 patients with the nephrotic syndrome. Lp(a) levels in the nephrotic syndrome patients were significantly higher than those in a control group (30.4 +/- 22.5 vs 10.4 +/- 17.7 mg/dl). Overall, the serum Lp(a) and lipid levels showed no relationship, but on an individual basis the serum Lp(a) level varied with the serum levels of total cholesterol and low density lipoprotein cholesterol in the nephrotic syndrome patients. Our findings suggest that a decrease in serum albumin led to increased hepatic Lp(a) synthesis. It is well known that thrombotic disease supervenes on hypercoagulability in the nephrotic syndrome, so the determination of Lp(a) levels in these patients may provide information which is useful for preventing thrombotic complications."}
{"id": "PMID:1477460", "title": "Clinical application of the polymerase chain reaction for a rapid diagnosis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection.", "content": "A gene amplification method of Mycobacterium tuberculosis DNA by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has been devised. A primer pair used in this study is 5'GTTGCCGTGGCGG TATCGG3' and 5'GCGACATTACGGGGCAGGTGG3', which brackets a 152-base region encoding the 65KD antigen, and a specific probe is 5'TTTGGGGTCATCTTTGGAGCG3'. The procedure could be completed within 2 days. The specificity and the sensitivity of the PCR for M. tuberculosis complex in identifying M. tuberculosis complex did not conflict with the conventional methods at all. Using this method, we could diagnose three cases of the disease, which had been very difficult to diagnose by the conventional methods, by detecting the DNA from the blood, liver biopsy specimen, lung aspirate, and pleural effusion."}
{"id": "PMID:1477461", "title": "Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis associated with the syndrome of inappropriate secretion of antidiuretic hormone.", "content": "A 71-year-old female with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) developed the syndrome of inappropriate secretion of antidiuretic hormone (SIADH) during respiratory failure due to atrophy of the respiratory muscles. Serum sodium concentration fell to 116 mEq/l and then returned to the normal range after water restriction and respiratory care. This is considered to be the first case report of ALS associated with SIADH."}
{"id": "PMID:1477462", "title": "Polysplenia syndrome with various visceral anomalies in an adult: embryological and clinical considerations.", "content": "A 26-year-old female with polysplenia syndrome is reported. She had numerous visceral anomalies including polysplenia, a short pancreas, a preduodenal portal vein, malrotation of the bowel, azygos continuation of the inferior vena cava, bilateral hyparterial bronchi and symmetrical liver lobation. Embryological and clinical considerations of polysplenia syndrome are described."}
{"id": "PMID:1477463", "title": "Familial spinal xanthomatosis with sitosterolemia.", "content": "A family with multiple spinal xanthomas and sitosterolemia is described. A 48-year-old woman presented with paraplegia due to multiple intradural extramedullary tumors. The patient also showed marked tendon xanthomas and analysis of sterol composition in both plasma and the xanthoma established the diagnosis of the rare inherited metabolic disease, sitosterolemia and xanthomatosis. Two other siblings in the family presented with marked tendon xanthomas and coronary atherosclerosis, but did not show any neurological signs or symptoms. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) study revealed multiple intradural extramedullary tumors in spinal canals of the proband and her sister, but not in the other affected sibling (brother). This is the first report of familial occurrence of multiple extramedullary spinal tumors due to the inherited metabolic abnormality."}
{"id": "PMID:1477464", "title": "Recurrent hemoptysis due to aortobronchopulmonary fistula of false aortic aneurysm associated with repair of rupture of the sinus of Valsalva.", "content": "A 54-year-old man presented with recurrent hemoptysis of one year duration. Computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) demonstrated a saccular aneurysm of the ascending aorta. The aneurysm was intraoperatively found to have formed on the superior surface of the site of aortotomy suture placed during previous repair of rupture of the sinus of Valsalva and to have a fistulous communication to the lung. CT and MRI were very useful in the diagnosis of the aneurysm as the cause of hemoptysis."}
{"id": "PMID:1477465", "title": "Food-dependent exercise-induced anaphylaxis.", "content": "A 58-year-old farmer was admitted to our hospital because of repeated episodes of anaphylaxis. He had experienced 12 episodes of anaphylactic shock over the previous 17 years. These attacks included three episodes of bee sting. In general, the episodes occurred during farm work (exercise) and within two hours of eating cake in the afternoon. Because an immediate skin reaction to wheat flour was highly positive, a diagnosis of wheat allergy was considered. These findings suggested that his illness was consistent with food-dependent exercise-induced anaphylaxis."}
{"id": "PMID:1477466", "title": "Disseminated carcinomatosis of bone marrow from submucosal carcinoma in adenoma of the rectum.", "content": "A 62-year-old man was admitted because of paresis of the legs and a bleeding tendency. He was diagnosed as metastatic bone cancer with disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC). In spite of treatment, his general condition progressively deteriorated and he died of respiratory failure 13 days later. Autopsy revealed a carcinoma in adenoma in the rectum. Although the depth of cancer invasion was confined to the submucosal layer, disseminated carcinomatosis of the bone marrow and tumor emboli in blood vessels of the lung were present."}
{"id": "PMID:1477467", "title": "Wegener's granulomatosis with papillary adenocarcinoma of the thyroid.", "content": "A 59-year-old woman was admitted with scleritis, sinusitis, skin eruptions, nodular lesions of both lung fields in chest X-ray films and renal failure. Skin biopsy and elevation of the titer of anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody confirmed Wegener's granulomatosis. A right nodular goiter was palpated and a diagnosis of thyroid cancer was made based on aspiration cytology. Although combined therapy with cyclophosphamide and corticosteroid was started and the Wegener's granulomatosis improved and disappeared except for the renal lesion, the renal failure worsened and she died. Apparently only 2 cases of Wegener's granulomatosis complicated with carcinoma as in this case have been reported."}
{"id": "PMID:1477468", "title": "Malignant hyperthermia caused by intravenous lidocaine for ventricular arrhythmia.", "content": "We encountered a case of malignant hyperthermia caused by intravenous lidocaine which had been administered as treatment for a ventricular arrhythmia. The patient, a 72-year-old male, was admitted with chronic renal failure and aortic valvular stenosis. His chronic renal failure progressed, and congestive heart failure developed, and ventricular arrhythmias occurred frequently. For the treatment of these arrhythmias, lidocaine was injected and continuous infusion was started. Despite initial improvement in symptoms and laboratory data following hemofiltration, refractory ventricular tachycardia occurred. The patient was treated with large doses of lidocaine. His body temperature rose to a maximum of 41.7 degrees C, and generalized muscular twitching was observed before he lost consciousness. Serum and urinary myoglobin levels became elevated. This abnormally high fever was relieved only by dantrolene sodium. After we made a diagnosis of malignant hyperthermia and stopped the lidocaine infusion, the high fever resolved quickly. It is important to note that malignant hyperthermia can be caused by lidocaine and amide-linked local anesthetics."}
{"id": "PMID:1477469", "title": "Endotracheobronchial lidocaine concentrations during flexible fiberoptic bronchoscopy (FFB).", "content": "Lidocaine concentrations in 49 endotracheobronchial aspirates ranged from 12,580 to 23 micrograms/ml. The aspirates taken from the larger airway contained higher concentrations of lidocaine than those obtained from the smaller airway. Of the aspirates collected before 10 minutes after the final lidocaine administration, the lidocaine concentration of 7 (24.1%) of 29 specimens was greater than 3,000 micrograms/ml, however, in the aspirates collected after 10 minutes, only 1 (5%) of 20 specimens showed a concentration greater than 3,000 micrograms/ml. Using the dilution technique method (DTM) of lidocaine in the fiberscope (FS) suction channel, gradual injection of a 2 ml saline solution into the suction channel and removal of the saline solution in the suction channel were performed immediately with a suction machine; the statistically significant differences (p < 0.001) between lidocaine concentrations in the specimens before and after the DTM procedure were determined."}
{"id": "PMID:1477470", "title": "Lymphocyte subsets in muscle biopsies of human T-lymphotropic virus type I carriers with polymyositis.", "content": "Recent epidemiologic studies have shown that human T-lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) is associated with polymyositis. To clarify the histological features of HTLV-I positive polymyositis, we studied muscle tissue from two groups of patients with polymyositis, those seropositive for HTLV-I (5 patients) and those seronegative (5 patients). We examined the lymphocyte subsets in muscle biopsies using monoclonal antibodies. In the endomysium, a variable number of T-lymphocytes and macrophages and a smaller proportion of B-lymphocytes were found in both groups. In both HTLV-I positive and negative patients a variable number of T-lymphocytes and macrophages, with a smaller number of B-lymphocytes, were found in the perimysium. As a whole, the T-lymphocytes were predominantly of the helper/inducer phenotype in both groups. We failed to find any specific phenotype distribution among T-cells infiltrating the muscle of HTLV-I carriers with polymyositis."}
{"id": "PMID:1477471", "title": "Resistance to ketosis in moderately obese patients: influence of fatty liver.", "content": "To elucidate whether the presence of fatty liver influences ketogenesis in obesity, the metabolic and hormonal changes in basal and low-dose epinephrine (EPI)-stimulated states were studied in 12 obese patients (OB) with normal glucose tolerance, consisting of 6 without fatty liver (OBN) and 6 with fatty liver (OBF). In the basal state, the total ketone body (TKB) concentration and the TKB to free fatty acid (FFA) ratio were significantly (p < 0.01) lower in the OBF than in the OBN group, despite elevated, but comparable, FFA levels in both groups. The basal FFA level and the TKB/FFA ratio correlated with the degree of fatty liver (p < 0.05-0.01). EPI infusion resulted in accelerated lipolysis and diminished FFA-induced ketogenesis, similar to the findings of the basal data. These results suggest that fatty liver per se is related to diminished FFA-induced ketogenesis, leading to resistance to ketosis in obesity."}
{"id": "PMID:1477472", "title": "Incidence of anti-mouse IgG in normal subjects and patients with autoimmune thyroid disease.", "content": "Serum antibodies to mouse IgG occasionally interfere with two-site immunometric assays in which mouse monoclonal antibodies are used. We examined the titers of antibodies to mouse IgG in serum samples from normal subjects and patients with autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD) using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Anti-mouse IgG antibodies were positive in 7/119 patients with Graves' disease (5.9%) and 3/60 patients with Hashimoto's thyroiditis (5.0%). One of the 15 patients with a thyroid neoplasm (6.7%) also had antibodies to mouse IgG, as did 5/60 healthy subjects (8.3%). These antibodies were either of the IgG or IgM class. There was no significant difference in the incidence of positive anti-mouse IgG antibody between normal subjects and patients with AITD. It is important to note this high incidence of antibodies to mouse IgG due to the potential of interference with immunometric assays employing mouse monoclonal antibodies."}
{"id": "PMID:1477473", "title": "Coronary artery disease in patients with arteriosclerosis obliterans of the lower extremities or aortic aneurysm.", "content": "Routine coronary angiography was performed in order to determine the incidence and clinical condition of coronary artery disease in 37 patients with arteriosclerosis obliterans or aortic aneurysm. Coronary angiography demonstrated significant stenosis in 12 (57%) of 21 patients with arteriosclerosis obliterans and in 7 (44%) of 16 patients with aortic aneurysm. The prevalence of risk factors for arteriosclerosis was similar for patients with arteriosclerosis obliterans and those with aortic aneurysm, and similar for patients with and without coronary artery stenosis. But coronary artery disease is often silent in patients with arteriosclerosis obliterans."}
{"id": "PMID:1477474", "title": "Distribution of Alu and L1 repeats in human YAC recombinants.", "content": "Evidence is accumulating that the two major families of interspersed repeated human DNA sequences, Alu and L1, are not randomly distributed. However, only limited information is available on their relative long-range distribution. We have analyzed a set of randomly selected, human Chromosome (Chr) 11-specific YAC recombinants constituting a total length of about 2 Mbp for the local and global distribution of Alu and L1 repeats: the data show a strong asymmetry in the distribution of these two repeat classes and give weight, at the long-range molecular level, to previous studies indicating their partition in the human genome; they also suggest a strong tendency for L1 repeats to cluster, with a higher proportion of full-length elements than expected."}
{"id": "PMID:1477475", "title": "The AXB and BXA set of recombinant inbred mouse strains.", "content": "The recombinant inbred (RI) set of strains, AXB and BXA, derived from C57BL/6J and A/J, originally constructed and maintained at the University of California/San Diego, have been imported into The Jackson Laboratory and are now in the 29th to 59th generation of brother-sister matings. Genetic quality control testing with 45 proviral and 11 biochemical markers previously typed in this RI set indicated that five strains had been genetically contaminated sometime in the past, so these strains have been discarded. The correct and complete strain distribution patterns for 56 genetic markers are reported for the remaining RI strain set, which consists of 31 living strains and 8 extinct strains for which DNA is available. Two additional strains, AXB 12 and BXA 17, are living and may be added to the set pending further tests of genetic purity. The progenitors of this RI set differ in susceptibility to 27 infectious diseases as well as atherosclerosis, obesity, diabetes, cancer, cleft palate, and hydrocephalus. Thus, the AXB and BXA set of RI strains will be useful in the genetic analysis of several complex diseases."}
{"id": "PMID:1477476", "title": "The murine leukemia inhibition factor gene (Lif) is located on proximal chromosome 11, not chromosome 13.", "content": "Lif, the murine gene encoding leukemia inhibition factor (LIF), has been previously localized to proximal Chromosome (Chr) 11. Hilda, the murine gene encoding \"human interleukin in DA cells\" (HILDA) has been localized to Chr 13. Since these two growth factors are identical, the proposal for two different structural loci is intriguing. To address this issue, blot hybridization methods have been used to establish the position of the structural gene sequence unambiguously. DNAs from somatic cell hybrids, recombinant inbred mice, and backcross mice have been probed with a sequence that encodes LIF/HILDA. The results support the assignment of this sequence to proximal Chr 11. These studies also establish a synteny group, including Lif and Tcn-2, the structural gene for transcobalamin 2, that is conserved between man and mouse."}
{"id": "PMID:1477477", "title": "Assignment of three rat integrin genes to chromosome 19 (ITGB1), chromosome 3 (ITGA4), and chromosome 7 (ITGA5).", "content": "By means of somatic cell hybrids segregating rat chromosomes, we determined the chromosome localization of three rat beta 1 family integrin genes. ITGB1 was assigned to Chromosome (Chr) 19, ITGA4 to Chr 3, and ITGA5 to Chr 7. These chromosome assignments reveal or confirm homology between two pairs of rat and human chromosomes (rat Chr 3-human Chr 2; rat Chr 7-human Chr 12)."}
{"id": "PMID:1477479", "title": "Exogenous but not endogenous PGE2 modulates pony tracheal smooth muscle contractions.", "content": "The modulatory role of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) was examined in pony tracheal smooth muscle strips. Although exogenous PGE2 inhibited the contractile response to both electrical field stimulation (EFS) and acetylcholine (ACh) in a dose-dependent manner, the concentration required to inhibit the response to EFS (10 nM) was less than that required to inhibit the response to ACh (0.1 microM). Cyclooxygenase inhibition with aspirin or meclofenamate had no effect on either the response to EFS or to ACh even though PGE2 production was inhibited. Our results demonstrate that in ponies as in other species, exogenous PGE2 can inhibit the airway smooth muscle's response to EFS and ACh. However, the failure of cyclooxygenase inhibition to alter the response to EFS and ACh suggests that endogenous prostanoids do not exert a significant modulatory effect on pony tracheal smooth muscle in vitro."}
{"id": "PMID:1477480", "title": "The inhibitory effect of furosemide on the contractile response of equine trachealis to cholinergic nerve stimulation.", "content": "The effects of furosemide on the responses of equine trachealis muscle with and without epithelium to electrical field stimulation (EFS) and exogenous acetylcholine (ACh) were investigated in organ baths. Tissues were pretreated with guanethidine and the parameters used for EFS were those previously demonstrated to activate postganglionic cholinergic neurons. In tissues with intact epithelium, furosemide (100 microM) shifted the frequency-response curve to the right. In the preparations without epithelium, furosemide did not affect the response to EFS. Neither in epithelium-on nor in epithelium-off tissues was the ACh dose-response curve affected by the administration of furosemide. We conclude that furosemide (100 microM) decreases the equine tracheal smooth muscle responses to EFS through inhibition of cholinergic neurotransmission, and that this effect is dependent on epithelium."}
{"id": "PMID:1477481", "title": "Atypical presynaptic alpha-adrenoceptor modulation of neurally-mediated cholinergic responses in guinea-pig tracheal smooth muscle.", "content": "Cholinergic excitatory nerves in guinea-pig trachea are subject to inhibitory control by presynaptic alpha 2-adrenoceptors. Recently, the nature of these receptors has come into question insofar as the presynaptic inhibitory effects of the alpha 2-adrenoceptor agonist, clonidine, in the guinea-pig trachea have been shown to be antagonized by the alpha 2-adrenoceptor antagonist, yohimbine, as well as the alpha 1-adrenoceptor antagonist, prazosin. This inhibitory action of prazosin had not been described previously in the airways and may relate to the use of norepinephrine rather than clonidine as the alpha-adrenoceptor agonist in earlier studies. The present study evaluates the susceptibility of norepinephrine-induced inhibition of neurally-mediated cholinergic excitatory responses to antagonism by prazosin and yohimbine under conditions identical to those which showed clonidine to be sensitive to these antagonists. In tissues pretreated with guanethidine, propranolol and indomethacin, norepinephrine (1 microM) induced a 37-fold rightward shift of the frequency-response curve for neurally-mediated cholinergic contractions which was reversed partially by pretreatment of tissues with yohimbine. Norepinephrine also caused a concentration-dependent inhibition of cholinergic 'twitch' responses induced by intermittent (1 Hz) nerve stimulation. This action of norepinephrine was antagonized in a concentration-dependent manner by yohimbine but was unaffected by prazosin. These results indicate that in guinea-pig trachea the presynaptic inhibitory actions of norepinephrine on cholinergic nerves are mediated via classical alpha 2-adrenoceptors, i.e. receptors that can be blocked by yohimbine but not by prazosin.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1477482", "title": "A novel method to assess airway function parameters in chronically instrumented, unrestrained guinea-pigs.", "content": "A new method has been developed to measure airway functions in unanaesthetized, unrestrained guinea-pigs. The technique utilizes a specially designed pneumotachograph that is placed inside the trachea, and a saline-filled balloon, placed inside the pleural cavity. The pneumotachograph consists of a stainless steel cylinder with coaxial and perpendicular tubes attached to it, measuring the total pressure and the lateral pressure in the trachea, respectively. Via air-filled silicon conducting tubes, subcutaneously driven and permanently attached to the neck of the animal, the pressures are fed into a differential pressure transducer, yielding a pressure difference proportional to the airflow in the trachea. Via a saline-filled tubing, the pleural balloon is similarly attached to the neck of the animal, and pleural pressure (Ppl) is measured using a second pressure transducer. These data permit calculation of airway functions in conscious, unstressed animals. Control values for airway resistance (RAW), Ppl, tidal volume and respiratory frequency are all in the range of results reported previously for this species. A very significant correlation between RAW and Ppl (P < 0.001) was observed, indicating that sole Ppl-measurement can be used as a relatively simple and sensitive method to assess bronchial obstructive reactions in unrestrained guinea-pigs. Using a specially designed provocation cage, which allowed the animals to remain in a stress-free, unrestrained condition, the method has been successfully applied for the assessment of the dose-dependent bronchoconstrictor sensitivity to histamine as well as to allergen-induced early and late phase airway reactions.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1477483", "title": "Gas exchange and regional redistribution of pulmonary blood flow during resuscitation of acute pulmonary bead embolization.", "content": "Acute pulmonary embolism (PE) was induced by injecting polystyrene beads into the right atrium of 18 anaesthetized dogs. The animals were resuscitated for 45 min with either Ringer's Lactate (RL), norepinephrine (NE) or isoproterenol (IP). The multiple inert gas elimination technique (MIGET) was used to estimate the distributions of ventilation (V) and blood flow (Q) to different V/Q regions. Measurements were made prior to embolism, 10 min after PE and during the resuscitative phase. Microspheres with three different radioactive labels were also used to mark blood flow distribution to different lung regions in these three phases. The data show that cardiac output decreases after PE, while perfusion to shunt and low V/Q regions increases. Pulmonary blood flow heterogeneity, estimated from the MIGET data, is also increased after PE. Resuscitation by RL or NE consistently increases cardiac output but IP does so inconsistently and is associated with systemic hypotension. All three methods of resuscitation cause increases in perfusion to the shunt and low V/Q regions but no change in perfusion heterogeneity in the remaining V/Q units. Increases in regional blood flow during resuscitation occur preferentially in the less embolized areas. The concomitant increase in perfusion to shunt and low V/Q units suggests that increased perfusion to these less embolized regions results in further hypoxemia despite improvement in cardiac output."}
{"id": "PMID:1477486", "title": "The administration of psychotropic and anticonvulsant drugs to children with profound intellectual disability and multiple impairments.", "content": "A national (England and Wales) postal survey of families with a son or daughter with profound intellectual disability and multiple physical and sensory impairments who lived at home was undertaken. A section of the questionnaire dealt with prescription of major tranquillizers, drugs with a sedative function, anticonvulsants and stimulants, while among other variables information was also collected on sex, age, behaviour problems, sleep difficulties and epilepsy. Of children and adults: 5.3 and 7.9%, respectively, were receiving major tranquillizers; 28.5 and 24.5%, respectively, were prescribed drugs with a sedative function; and 53.4 and 52.7% were in receipt of anticonvulsants, with no individuals in receipt of stimulants. Only 1.5% of the total sample received major tranquillizers, drugs with a sedative function and anticonvulsants, though 18.9% were prescribed drugs from two classes, notably drugs with a sedative function and anticonvulsants. In all, 66.3% of the combined child and adult samples received at least one drug from the classes investigated. No sex bias in prescribing was found. Receipt of major tranquillizers bore some relation to reported behaviour problems, while administration of sedatives and anticonvulsants were related respectively to reports of sleep problems and occurrence of epilepsy."}
{"id": "PMID:1477487", "title": "Activities and engagement in day services for people with a mental handicap.", "content": "Policy on the role and function of day services for adults with mental handicaps has changed considerably during the last 2 decades. What such settings offer their users has also changed as services have attempted to evolve in line with policy. However, the impact of these changes has gone largely unevaluated. This paper describes a study of two day centres to categorize the activity programmes of these services, and to assess service user and staff behaviour prior to a larger scale study of such services in Wales. The two centres were found to differ significantly in their programmes but not in the extent to which activities were organized in the community. Service user participation in activities varied with activity type, group composition and activity location. Whether activities were organized for the full duration of the timetabled sessions was critical to the interpretation of the extent of service user engagement. Staff showed a commendable orientation to clients and their activities in both services. Differences in the activity programmes of the two centres are discussed in terms of a continuing lack of clarity over the purposes of such day services in general. The relevance of some activities to objectives is questioned. Concern is also expressed about the resulting level of engagement achieved in planned activity."}
{"id": "PMID:1477488", "title": "Prediction of the number of Down's syndrome infants to be born in England and Wales up to the year 2000 and their likely survival rates.", "content": "Using current demographic projection of maternal age-structure, age-specific fertility rates, and the availability, detection and utilization rates of prenatal diagnosis and subsequent termination rates, predictions are made of the likely numbers of births with Down's syndrome (DS) in England and Wales to be expected up to the year 2000. Further predictions are made of age-specific prevalence of the condition bearing in mind recent trends in survival. These figures show that, despite current screening policies based on maternal age alone, the observed live birth prevalence of DS will rise to levels higher than have been seen for 20 years. Together with consistently increased survival, this will mean that, throughout the next century, the population prevalence of DS will be higher than ever before. Work based in other countries has reached similar conclusions. As the prevention of all births affected by DS is not possible in the forseeable future, and some would argue that it is not desirable, society will need to provide for those affected."}
{"id": "PMID:1477489", "title": "Appraised significance of intellectual disability for parents of children in three age cohorts: exploring the stress process.", "content": "The conceptualization of stress as a process involving stressors, mediators and manifestations of stress has opened up a way of more systematically investigating the impact of perceptions on stress experienced by parents of children with intellectual disabilities. Results obtained at the end of the first part of a two-stage panel design study indicate that appraised significance perceptions of parents are potentially exacerbating mediators of parental stress. Findings of a multiple regression analysis were interpreted as being consistent with the proposition that the parent-appraised significance of the child's disability for their parental role becomes increasingly salient as an exacerbating mediator of parental stress during the later childhood to early adolescent years. An attempt will be made to test this proposition when the children in the 3-5 year old cohort moves into the 10-12 year-old age category."}
{"id": "PMID:1477490", "title": "Increases in knowledge following a course of sex education for people with intellectual disabilities.", "content": "Although sex education programmes are thought to be useful in teaching people with intellectual disabilities, there is very little evidence that the material taught is retained by clients. This paper reports data which has been collected routinely on a sex education programme. Forty-six subjects were assessed on their level of sexual knowledge in seven areas: parts of the body, masturbation, male puberty, female puberty, intercourse, pregnancy and childbirth, and birth control and venereal disease. They were retested after a 9-month sex education programme and tested again at a 3-month follow-up. A control group of 14 subjects were tested on two occasions, 4 months apart. There were significant and substantial increases in sexual knowledge on all areas for the experimental group. The control group showed no corresponding increases in knowledge."}
{"id": "PMID:1477491", "title": "A double-blind comparison of zuclopenthixol tablets with placebo in the treatment of mentally handicapped in-patients with associated behavioural disorders.", "content": "Fifty-two mentally-handicapped in-patients with associated behavioural disorders were entered into this double-blind trial comparing zuclopenthixol dihydrochloride tablets (10 mg) with placebo. The study consisted of a 6-week open phase, in which all patients were treated with zuclopenthixol tablets, followed by a 12-week double-blind phase where approximately half of the patients were transferred to placebo tablets. Demographic data was obtained from the patients at entry to the study. Clinical assessments were performed at weeks 6, 7, 8, 10, 14 and 18 using the Clinical Global Assessment (CGA), a Behavioural Disorder Assessment prepared specially for this study, and a side-effect check list. Analyses of the rating scales showed significant differences in favour of zuclopenthixol at end-point on the item 'improvement in behaviour disorder' from the CGA and at week 14 and end-point on the Assessment of Behavioural Disorder. All other results demonstrated a favourable trend towards the zuclopenthixol treatment. Side-effects were reported slightly more frequently in the zuclopenthixol group, but generally, they were not a problem."}
{"id": "PMID:1477492", "title": "Behavioural continence training in mental handicap: a 10-year follow-up study.", "content": "Ten years after continence training, 14 severely and profoundly mentally handicapped individuals were found to have substantially maintained their improvements in bladder control. Completely independent self-initiated toileting had not been maintained, but the level of prompting to toilet was considerably less than before training. Those who had received intensive individual training fared much better than those who had received less intensive group training. Intensive individual training was found to be cost effective and resulted in very substantial savings in career time."}
{"id": "PMID:1477493", "title": "A psychodynamic approach to emotional difficulties within a social framework.", "content": "Emotional difficulties and their relationship to challenging behaviour are recognized and treated in a normal environment, providing a measurable reduction in maladaptive and anti-social behaviour. The implications for community care are highlighted."}
{"id": "PMID:1477498", "title": "[Analysis of the treatment with traditional Chinese medicine in chronic glomerulonephritis based on histopathologic type].", "content": "The histopathologic type of 189 cases of chronic glomerulonephritis (GN) were confirmed by renal biopsies, they were subdivided into 3 groups. 77 patients of Western medicine (WM) group was treated by conventional WM (prednison or CTX), and after treatment the total effective rate was 55.8%. The TCM-WM group was treated by the same WM plus treatment according to Syndrome Differentiation with Chinese medicinal herbs, and the total effective rate was 86% in 50 patients. The TCM group was treated by Chinese medicinal herbs, and the total effective rate was 67.3% in 62 cases. There was very significant difference (P < 0.01) between the WM and the TCM-WM group. Among the patients of TCM-WM and TCM groups, 67% of 112 cases were manifested as Dampness-Heat Syndrome, so it suggested that one of the important method for GN treatment is clearing away Dampness-Heat. The effects of TCM-WM group is much better than the WM group in treating mesangio-proliferative GN and membranous GN. It was difficult for WM in treating IgA nephropathy, membrano-proliferative GN and focal glomerulosclerosis, but Chinese medicinal herbs were effective with replenishing Qi and strengthening the Spleen, clearing away Dampness-Heat, promoting blood circulation and relieving Stasis, etc."}
{"id": "PMID:1477499", "title": "[Pathogenic factor (Dampness-heat) of glomerulopathy].", "content": "Mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis (MsPGN) induced by chronic serum sickness in rabbits coincide with the human chronic progressive glomerulonephritis resulted from repeated infection, which is similar to pathologic changes of Dampness-Heat Syndrome. The experimental model of MsPGN was treated by Abelmoschus manihot. which could remove the Dampness-Heat. The amount of proteinuria in treating and control group were 62.68mg/24hr and 121.94mg/24hr respectively (P < 0.05), the number of cells in glomeruli were 61.54 and 80.39 respectively (P < 0.01), and diameters of glomeruli were 102.43 microns and 121.13 microns respectively (P < 0.01). It suggested that the drug could alleviate circulating immune complex (CIC) mediated renal injury."}
{"id": "PMID:1477494", "title": "Long-term cultures of mouse bone marrow cells: a model for studying the generation of natural killer cells.", "content": "We investigated the generation of natural killer (NK) cells, using a long-term bone marrow culture (LTBMC) system. Mouse bone marrow cells were cultured for 2 weeks in complete medium without growth factors to obtain an enriched population of NK precursor cells. When these cells were recultured in the presence of interleukin-2 (IL-2) and conditioned medium (CM) from LTBMC, lytic NK cells were generated within 4 days. Replacing CM with fresh medium, before adding IL-2, decreased NK cell generation markedly, suggesting that endogenous factors present in CM were necessary for IL-2 induction of NK cells. NK cell precursors were also cultured with a combination of IL-2 and interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) or IL-2 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), but no CM. Results show that IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha were able to substitute CM. The addition of anti-IFN-gamma or anti-TNF-alpha antibodies to LTBMC cells, cultured in the presence of IL-2 and CM, inhibited cytotoxicity induction in a dose-dependent manner. The data indicate that IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha production may be required for IL-2 induction of NK activity, and are consistent with the hypothesis that NK generation involves collaboration between IL-2 and other bone marrow microenvironmental growth factors."}
{"id": "PMID:1477500", "title": "[Effect of baoyuantang on erythroid progenitor and clinical observation in chronic renal failure patients].", "content": "The erythroid colony formating ability and the therapeutic efficacy were investigated in patients with chronic renal failure (CRF) before and after treatment with baoyuantang. The results showed that the number of CFU-E, BFU-E of bone marrow was found lower in CRF patients than that in normal controls, and there was inhibitory action in the CRF serum on the number of CFU-E, BFU-E of normal human bone marrow. After treatment with baoyuantang, the amount of Hb was increased and creatinine decreased in CRF patients, and its effective rate reached 83.3%. The above-mentioned inhibitory action in CRF serum was also reduced post-treatment. The results indicated that baoyuantang could increase the ability for proliferation and differentiation of erythroid progenitor and adjust anemia in CRF patient."}
{"id": "PMID:1477501", "title": "[Treatment of 100 children with infantile nephrotic syndrome by integrated traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine].", "content": "For ten years (1979-1989), 150 cases of infantile nephrotic syndrome were treated by integrated TCM and Western medicine (WM). The WM group (50 cases) was treated by conventional WM drugs (prednisone, CLB, etc) and the TCM-WM group (100 cases) was treated by the above-mentioned WM plus treatment according to Syndrome Differentiation with decoction of Chinese medicinal herbs. Wulin San, Zhenwu Tang and Zhibai Dihuang Tang were selected in treating Spleen-Qi Deficiency distressed by Dampness, both Spleen-Kidney Yang Deficiency and both Liver-Kidney Yin Deficiency Syndrome respectively. The total effective rate was 100%, and the efficacy of TCM-WM group was higher than that of WM group (P < 0.005). The efficacy of TCM-WM treatment of nephritic nephropathy was far better than that of simple nephropathy (P < 0.05). Also the efficacy of TCM-WM was superior in raising plasma albumin and reducing blood cholesterol than that of WM (P < 0.001). The cellular immunity function and plasma cortisol of TCM-WM group were significantly improved than that of WM, P < 0.01 and 0.001 respectively. The result showed that the curative effect of the TCM-WM group in treating nephrotic syndrome was much better than that of WM alone."}
{"id": "PMID:1477495", "title": "Non-lytic pre-NK cells are enriched in the spleen as a result of long-term depletion of mature NK cells with anti-NK-1.1 monoclonal antibody.", "content": "In this study, we wanted to establish a new model as an alternative to bone marrow, where non-lytic pre-NK cells can be further studied with respect to phenotype and relation to other haematopoietic cell lineages. B6 mice were depleted of mature NK cells by either weekly injections from birth, or a single injection as adults, with the monoclonal antibody anti NK-1.1, and the frequency of interleukin-2 (IL-2)-responding cells (as determined by cytotoxicity or proliferation) was investigated. By comparing the frequency of IL-2-induced cytotoxic cells between NK-1.1(-) mice depleted from NK cells by a single injection with those depleted from birth, we observed a 3-fold higher frequency in mice depleted from birth [1/(11,941 +/- 30) vs. 1/(29,903 +/- 104)]. Non-lytic pre-NK cells were further enriched by selective in vitro depletion of sIg+, CD4+ and CD8+ cells. In this non-B, non-T spleen cell population the frequency of cells proliferating in response to 7 days culture with IL-2 or IL-3 was 2-fold higher in NK-1.1(-) mice than in control mice [1/(4,340 +/- 27) vs. 1/(9,250 +/- 67) and 1/(3,370 +/- 41) vs. 1/(7,610 +/- 50), respectively]. We conclude that NK depletion from birth results in an enhanced frequency of pre-NK cells, and propose this as a model to further study the identity of the progenitor and pre-NK cell."}
{"id": "PMID:1477496", "title": "Enhanced splenic bacterial clearance and neutrophilia in anti-NK1.1-treated mice infected with Pseudomonas aeruginosa.", "content": "The purpose of the present study was to further delineate the role of natural killer (NK) cells in the early stages of resistance to infection by Pseudomonas aeruginosa, strain PAO1. Intravenous injection of the monoclonal antibody alpha-NK1.1 resulted in an 82% reduction in NK cell activity of normal mice, as measured by a standard 4-hour 51Cr release assay. Splenic bacterial clearance was examined in mice treated with this antibody 12 h prior to infection with a sublethal dose (10(6)) of PAO1. At 2, 4, and 6 h postinfection there was significant enhancement (up to 10-fold) of clearance in mice treated with alpha-NK1.1 when compared to untreated infected control animals. Interestingly, the enhanced clearance of PAO1 in the spleens of NK-depleted mice was found to be coupled to a significant increase in neutrophils. Normal murine spleens were found to contain 1-2% neutrophils, which increased to 6-7% following sublethal infection. However, in mice treated with alpha-NK1.1 and infected, splenic neutrophils increased up to 15% during the early stages of infection. The data presented here suggests that NK cells do not have direct bactericidal activity against Pseudomonas, but may regulate other effector cells, such as neutrophils-an indirect role for natural killer cells, probably mediated in vivo by their production and secretion of cytokines."}
{"id": "PMID:1477497", "title": "Effect of human transferrin on the engraftment of allogeneic bone marrow in various strans of lethally irradiated mice.", "content": "The effect of human iron-saturated transferrin (siderophilin) on the engraftment of H-2-incompatible bone marrow and on the induction of durable allogeneic, hemopoietic chimerism was investigated in BALB/c mice grafted with bone marrow from C57BL/6 donors, and in C57BL/6 mice grafted with bone marrow from C3H/He donors. Administration of transferrin to mice after irradiation and marrow transplantation resulted in considerable protection, yielding permanent allogeneic chimerism in BALB/c mice. No effect was observed in the C57BL/6 mice in which transplantation of bone marrow from C3H/He donors provided a high survival rate even without any further treatment. Serum levels of transferrin were remarkably constant in these mice and no significant differences were seen in the circadian cycle, after lethal irradiation and at different times after marrow transfer. A modest rise of transferrin occurred only in the course of chronic graft-versus-host disease. It thus seems that the promoting effects of transferrin [Pierpaoli et al: Cell Immunol 1991; 134:225-234] depend on the murine, histoincompatible H-2 combination utilized and is not attributable to quantitative changes of transferrin levels after marrow transplantation. The utilization of more specific activity of the transferrin is thus feasible."}
{"id": "PMID:1477502", "title": "[Clinical and experimental studies of royal made ping an dan on treatment of motion sickness].", "content": "This paper presents the results of clinical observation and experimental research of Royal Made Ping An Dan (RPAD) of the Imperial Hospital of Qing Dynasty. The clinical results showed that RPAD was effective in treating 343 patients with motion sickness, and their average time for producing effect was 24.1 +/- 13.5 minutes. The total effective rates of dramamine group and Ren Dan group were 69.4% and 67.7% respectively, the latter included 45.7% of basically cured and 55.0% of markedly effective cases. There were significant differences among these groups (P < 0.05-0.01). It revealed that the effect of RPAD was better than that of dramamine and Ren Dan. According to laboratory findings, RPAD had the ability of alleviating symptoms of motion sickness and inhibiting eyeball tremor and improving meningeal microcirculation of experimental animals."}
{"id": "PMID:1477503", "title": "[Preliminary report of the treatment of luteal phase defect by replenishing kidney. An analysis of 53 cases].", "content": "53 patients with Luteal phase defect (LPD) were treated with different Chinese medicinal herbs at different phases of menstrual cycle. On the 5th day of the menstrual cycle, the treatment was implemented with the rationale of \"nourishing the Kidney Yin, invigorating the Spleen and replenishing the Qi, promoting the blood circulation and enriching the Blood\" which might promote follicular development. The principle for the postovulatory treatment was that \"invigorating the Kidney and strengthening the Yang\" might enhance the development of corpus luteum and maintain its function. The patients were treated for three menstrual cycles. There were significant improvement in the luteal phase of endometrium, and prolonged basal body temperature elevation in progestational stage with a tendency for normalization of the wave forms and its amplitude after the treatment. In the mid-progestational stage, the level of serum LH and PRL were reduced (P < 0.05) and that of serum progestin (P) rose significantly (P < 0.01), as compared with those before the treatment. The findings suggested that Chinese herbal medicines capable of replenishing the Kidney could regulate the hypothalamus-pituitary-ovarian axis and thus improve the luteal function. Among the 53 cases, 22 (41.5%) conceived but 68.18% of them required other measures to preserve the pregnancy."}
{"id": "PMID:1477504", "title": "[Therapeutic changes in nephrotic syndrome treated with yiqi huoxue jiedu decoction and corticosteroid].", "content": "Plasmic and urinary TXB2 and 6-Keto-PGF1 alpha of 87 patients of nephrotic syndrome (NS) and 25 healthy subjects were measured by RIA, and the influence of Yiqi Huoxue Jiedu decoction (YHJ) and corticosteroid on above-mentioned parameters was investigated. Plasmic and urinary TXB2 as well as the ratio of TXB2/6-K-PGF1 alpha of both types of NS increased (P < 0.01-0.05). The plasmic TXB2 of II type was higher than that of I type of NS (P < 0.01), 6-K-PGF1 alpha increased as well (P < 0.05). After treatment, plasmic and urinary TXB2 of both types of NS were remarkably lower (P < 0.01), while urinary 6-K-PGF1 alpha increased significantly (P < 0.05). In comparing with pre-treatment investigation, the plasmic 6-K-PGF1 alpha of II type was reduced (P < 0.05). It was shown that YHJ would inhibit the synthesis of TXA2 and regulate the TXA2-PGI2 balance. YHJ was markedly effective in producing TXB2 and 6-K-PGF1 alpha increase, its therapeutical effects was better to patients with Yin Deficiency and both Qi-Yin Deficiency, but not so well with Yang Deficiency Syndrome."}
{"id": "PMID:1477505", "title": "[Abnormality of T lymphocyte subsets in aged persons with kidney deficiency syndrome and its influence on immunologic regulation].", "content": "T lymphocyte subsets were investigated in 57 aged persons with Kidney Deficiency Syndrome as well as in 30 normal controls with application of the monoclonal antibody (OKT3, OKT4, OKT8). The results showed that the percentage of OKT3, OKT4 in the aged persons was significantly lower than that of control (P < 0.01), while OKT8 was significantly higher (P < 0.01). The OKT4/OKT8 ratio was significantly lower than that of control (P < 0.01). However, the above-mentioned changes were more evident in the Kidney Yang Deficiency Syndrome than those in Kidney Yin Deficiency Syndrome (P < 0.01). The further analysis indicated that the aged persons with Kidney Yang Deficiency appeared as marked positive correlation (r = 0.64, P < 0.001) between the OKT4/OKT8 ratio and IgA, and they also appeared as marked negative correlation (r = -0.89, P < 0.001 and r = -0.665, P < 0.001 respectively) between the OKT4/OKT8 ratio and C3 or CIC. The results suggested that the imbalance of the cell mediated immunity expressed by the T lymphocyte subsets in aged persons with Kidney Deficiency might be one of the essences of senility."}
{"id": "PMID:1477506", "title": "[Immunohistochemical study on the enteroendocrine cells of the small intestine in experimental spleen deficiency syndrome in rats].", "content": "50 adult Wistar male rats were used and divided into 4 groups, i.e. normal control group, experimental Spleen Deficiency group induced by rhubarb, spontaneous recovery group and therapeutic group treated with Chinese recipe (Si Jun Zi decoction). All the animals of the 4 groups were killed simultaneously, and the jejunum and ileum were removed and processed for demonstration of gastrin cells and 5-HT cells according to immunohistochemical PAP technique. In addition, HE stained samples were prepared. The immunoreactivities of the two types of enteroendocrine cells were observed and semiquantitative estimation were performed under light microscopy. In addition, the immunoreactivities of 5-HT cells in normal control and experimental Spleen Deficiency group were measured by microspectrocytophotometer (MPV 2, Leitz). All the data were treated statistically. This study revealed that there were no obvious histological changes in the mucosa among the 4 groups. In the jejunum, the percentage of gastrin cells(+) in experimental Spleen Deficiency group was more than that of the normal control group, while the percentage of gastrin cells( ) was less than that of the normal control group. As compared with spontaneous recovery group, it showed contrary to the above result in the therapeutic group. No gastrin cells were found in the ileum in all the 4 groups. the percentage of 5-HT cells did not show significant changes in the jejunum and ileum among the 4 groups. But immuno-reactivity in the 5-HT cell was less than that of the normal control group in the jejunum of the Spleen Deficiency group.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1477515", "title": "Long term tumorigenicity of a single application of indomethacin or Amuno in adolescent and in adult male Sprague Dawley rats.", "content": "200 adolescent (Group I) and 200 adult male Sprague Dawley rats (Group II) were divided into 4 subgroups of 50 animals each. Animals were treated on the 29th (Group I) or 98th day of life (Group II) either with acetone or Amuno carrier in acetone or Amuno on acetone (2.5 mg indomethacin/100 g animal weight in acetone) or with the pure substance indomethacin 2.5 mg/100 g of animal weight in acetone, giving a single application on the shaved dorsal skin. Subsequently the animals remained under observation until their deaths, followed by autopsy and histopathologic examination of several organs. The rats treated with Amuno of indomethacin in the adolescent stage showed lower body weights and a shorter total survival time. The adolescent animals treated with Amuno or indomethacin showed a significantly higher rate of interstitial testicular tumors of the Leydig tumor type, adenomas and adenocarcinomas of the small and large intestine as well as hepatocellular tumors. The total number of neoplasias was higher in the animals treated with Amuno or indomethacin compared to those treated with acetone or carrier with acetone. Application of Amuno or indomethacin also resulted in a higher rate of hyperplasias (sole of foot, lymph nodes, prostate). The impairment of the synthesis of prostaglandins caused by indomethacin apparently results in starting complex pathomechanisms which have effects until the late death of the animals. Adolescent animals were affected more frequently by the application of indomethacin as were already adult animals."}
{"id": "PMID:1477516", "title": "Delayed fetal development in two models of disturbed pregnancy of rats. Effect on mortality, body mass development, blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and urinary ammonium concentrations during the first week of extrauterine life.", "content": "To induce pregnancy disturbance, two models were used (\"endotoxin-model\" and \"stress-model\"), both causing decreased fetal body mass. Fetuses were delivered by Caesarean section in the morning of the 21st gestational day. Postnatal mortality rate during rearing for one week amounted to 12% in controls and was enhanced in the endotoxin- and stress-models (to approximately 25% and approximately 30%, respectively). During this period body mass gain of surviving pups was significantly delayed in the stress-model (approximately 140% of birth mass), compared with controls or pups of the endotoxin-model (160% and 155%, respectively). Additionally, decreased BUN concentrations were registered in newborns as well as 7-day-old pups of the stress-model. Urinary ammonium concentrations were not changed significantly. Possible alterations of metabolic processes in pups of the stress-model are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1477511", "title": "[In vivo and in vitro biocompatibility tests of endodontic cements].", "content": "The major goal endodontic therapy has been achieved by condensing filling materials into the root canal. It's not uncommon to find excess material into the periapical tissue. It therefore becomes obligatory to use fillings materials that have acceptable biocompatibility. The purpose of this investigation was to obtain a \"toxicity profile\" of some endodontics materials and to compare our observations to results present in literature. The gutta-percha and five endodontic filling cements were tested \"in vivo\" and \"in vitro\". The in vivo biocompatibility involved the placement of the test material in 10 mm. Teflon tubes with an outer diameter of 1.3 mm which were implanted subcutaneously into rats. The implants were left in situ for periods of 30 and 90 days. The \"hemolysis test\" is designed for \"in vitro\" evaluations. The histological examination showed different intensity and extent cellular responses. In some cases severe infiltration of inflammatory cell and areas with necrotic were seen. At conclusion, the endodontics material evaluated showed slight, moderate and severe reactions; therefore a different pattern in tissue response."}
{"id": "PMID:1477517", "title": "Metastatic capacity of Burkitt's lymphoma cell lines in nude mice.", "content": "Burkitt's lymphoma (BL) cell lines estimated in a previous study as having a high, low and no tumourigenicity (7) were intravenously (i.v.) injected into preirradiated (480 rad) nude mice. BL cell lines with a high tumourigenic potential produced metastatic tumours in the brain, spinal cord, bone marrow, stomach and kidney, but did not disseminate into the lung, liver, ovary and spleen. The survival time of the tumour bearing animals ranged from 2 to 10 weeks. The majority of mice i.v. injected with highly tumourigenic BL cell lines showed paresis or paralysis of the hind legs. This was associated with the presence of neoplastic nodules either in the brain and/or in the spinal cord. In animals with metastasis to the stomach and kidney progressive cachexia was observed. The described experimental model of metastatic BL tumours in nude mice can effectively be used for the in vivo study of new therapeutic molecules such as monoclonal antibodies coupled or not to substances, toxic to tumour cells. This model can also be useful for the identification and analysis of homing properties of BL cells and their implication in BL pathogenesis."}
{"id": "PMID:1477518", "title": "Frequency of spontaneous tumors in Wistar rats in 30-months studies.", "content": "Tumors occurring in 450 male and 450 female control rats of the strain Wistar (BOR:WISW (SPF Cpb), breeder: Winkelmann, Borchen) employed in 9 control groups from 7 different 30-month studies were compiled on the basis of histopathology reports. 445 male and 448 female rats were evaluated. The remaining animals were unavailable due to autolysis. A total of 1211 tumors (565 in males, 646 in females) were seen in 716 rats (333 males, 383 females), 251 of which were classified as malignant (100 in males, 151 in females). About 44% of all primary tumors were located in the pituitary and adrenals alone. Average frequencies of primary tumors: pituitary 35.4%, uterus 34.0%, adrenals 26.5%, testes 15.8%, thyroid gland 11.8%, mammary glands 11.4% and 22.5% in females respectively, skin/subcutis 6.3%, ovaries 2.9%, endocrine pancreas 2.5%, hemolymphoreticular system 2.3%, liver 1.9%, heart 1.7% and various other organs showing tumor frequencies of less than 1.5%. Male animals exhibited strikingly more tumors of the adrenals, skin, endocrine pancreas, heart and brain, while pituitary tumors were predominant in females. A comparison of these data with those from 24-month studies in Wistar rats from the same breeder shows a considerable increase above all in the number of primary tumors, the number of tumor bearers as well as the number of tumors in the pituitary, adrenals, testes, mammary glands and heart. An extension of carcinogenicity studies to 30 months probably makes it harder to recognise tumorigenic effects of test substances, at least in some organs, than in two-year studies because of the high and variable spontaneous tumor rates."}
{"id": "PMID:1477513", "title": "Morphological effects produced, in vitro, by ferric oxalate treatment of enamel surfaces. A preliminary SEM study.", "content": "The morphological changes produced, in vitro, by application of ferric oxalate on enamel surfaces were examined by scanning electron microscopy. Exposure of human enamel surfaces to ferric oxalate (5.3% w/w aqueous solution or added to phosphoric or citric acid) resulted in cleaned, activated enamel surfaces and a mild etching which increased surface roughness and porosity. Deposition of crystal formations occurred in approximately 50% of the examined areas. Crystals bond firmly to the porous underlying surfaces and resist washing with 5, 10 or 20 ml of distilled water."}
{"id": "PMID:1477519", "title": "Tissue oxygen pressure (ptO2) in extracellular volume expansion and hypervolemic polyglobulia.", "content": "Muscle tissue oxygen pressure (ptO2) was measured in rats employing the microwire platin electrode according to Kessler and L\u00fcbbers. In extracellular volume expansion up to 50% above the normal volume the ptO2 histograms are situated within the normal range. Increase of the interstitial space for oxygen diffusion seems to be effectively counterbalanced by increased cardiac output. In hypervolemic polyglobulia, hematocrit about 60%, four rats presented normal ptO2 levels. In one animal only the ptO2 histogram was shifted to the left (lower values); in this rat also cardiac output was considerably reduced."}
{"id": "PMID:1477520", "title": "Influence of bile acids on stimulated lipid peroxidation and hydrogen peroxide production in rat liver microsomes.", "content": "Bile acids were found to be effective antioxidants in bile and intestine. The influence of different bile acids on the NADPH-Fe(++)-stimulated lipid peroxidation (LPO) and cytochrome P-450 dependent hydrogen peroxide production (H2O2) in rat liver microsomes was investigated in vitro. LPO was determined as production of thiobarbituric acid reactants (TBAR). Different tri-, di- and monohydroxylated bile acids and cholesterol were given to the incubation mixture in concentrations ranging from 10(-5) to 10(-3) M. Sodium salts of cholic, tauroglycocholic and deoxycholic acids as well as cheno-deoxycholic, ursodeoxycholic, lithocholic acids and cholesterol did not alter the microsomal production of TBAR. H2O2 formation was significantly decreased by sodium deoxycholate whereas cholesterol increased H2O2 production up to 4 times. These results show that bile acids were not able to protect microsomal membrane lipids against peroxidative damage. Cholesterol mediated H2O2 formation as a source of hydroxyl radicals had no toxic effect concerning LPO, TBAR were not enhanced significantly."}
{"id": "PMID:1477512", "title": "[The mechanical behavior and biocompatibility of different modern ideas of partial fixed free-end saddle dentures].", "content": "This research is aimed to check the mechanical holding and the biocompatibility at various conceptions of removable partial dentures with free saddles, constituted from satellite alloys. As a matter of fact, the duality of the supporting surface in this kind of dental prosthesis sets biological problems, that one must try to sort out in the best way. It consists of three in vitro experimentations to point out the type or the types of framework answering in the best way to biomechanical and biological requirements. The very same equipment has been used on that three experimentations adapting it to the needs. It's \"a machine to overdrive\", imagined into the building of \"L'Ecole sup\u00e9rieure d'A\u00e9ronautique de Toulouse\"; this machine is made of an electric engine with an axis of rotation, of two speed reducers giving a motion, of one turn by second, of a knee-joint converting a rotary motion to an alternating motion, of a lever-arm enclosing supporting the weights, of a needle with a foam point which secure the saddles or the strategic zones, of two supporting mandibular and maxillary framework resin patterns, and on the areas representing the osteo-mucosa support capped uniformly with a compressible silicone material of on millimetre thick, of one dynamometer and of an accurate comparator to check the strength used, and the displacement tested zones. The first part consists in testing the amplitude of the saddle displacement and the mobilization of strategic joining areas from various frameworks used. So we can infer the impact on the mucosa during the function. That is why six types of frameworks have been achieved in Wironit satellite alloy showing mechanical qualities admitted to be excellent and to be subject to very accurate experiment conditions with 30 Kz strength (Lundeen and Gibbs, 1982). The results are interpreted through the reading of histograms which X-AXIS represent the points where motions have been located and the Y-AXIS represent the motion at 1/100th millimetre. It allows to show the existence more or less important of the saddle displacement which is not far from the mucosa one and constitute therefore on the biological view point a favourable component but also the existence of tensions in level of some strategic zones which let foresee, for same, a risk of weariness.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1477521", "title": "The glycosaminoglycans in cultures of stimulated rat peritoneal macrophages. 1. Pattern and biosynthesis of glycosaminoglycans.", "content": "Macrophages produce and secrete proteoglycans. They are involved in inflammation and may contribute to the glycosaminoglycans (GAG) and proteoglycans (PG) characteristic of the inflamed area. This possible contribution was studied with rat peritoneal macrophages (pMP) in vitro. The total amount, composition, and neosynthesis of the GAG (as the main constituents of PG) were determined in cultured pMP of normal rats or rats pretreated with casein, BCG, thioglycolate or carrageenan. Partly the stimulated pMP were further activated with LPS or PMA. The rat pMP contained non-sulfated GAG, chondroitin sulfate and heparan sulfate but no dermatan sulfate. The GAG amount per cell increased with duration of the culture. In most cases the final level of GAG roughly corresponded to that of 12 micrograms hexuronic acid per 10(6) cells. It was lower after BCG stimulation (25%) and higher in pMP stimulated by both casein and LPS (200%). The average percentage of the GAG secreted (40%) was enhanced with pMP stimulated by carrageenan (87%) or casein plus LPS (69%). The pattern of the GAG in cultural media, cell coat and cells differed markedly. Thus the cell coat contained a higher amount of heparan sulfate. Differences due to stimulation were mainly seen in the reduced sulfation of the CS-proteoglycan secreted (casein-, BCG-pMP). According to studies on the incorporation of 35S-sulfate and 3H-acetate the GAG of the cell coat are less labeled and more conservative. The bulk of newly synthesized GAG/PG is secreted. This secretion appears an important property of macrophages the cause of which is speculative."}
{"id": "PMID:1477522", "title": "Influence of low birth weight on subsequent reproductive performance of female rats.", "content": "Female rats which were born underweight had lower absolute body mass throughout the whole experimental period than female litter mates with normal birth weight (controls). Their reproductive performance observed during three consecutive pregnancies was not different from that of controls except for lower litter size in the 1st pregnancy. Thus at least for rats, low spontaneous birth weight of females does not indicate subsequent poor pregnancy outcome."}
{"id": "PMID:1477514", "title": "Developmental malformations of human tongue and associated syndromes (review).", "content": "The development of the tongue begins as known, in the floor of the primitive oral cavity, when the human embryo is four weeks old. More specifically, the tongue develops from the region of the first three or four branchial arches during the period that the external face develops. Malformations of the tongue, are structural defects, present at birth and happening during embryogenesis. The most common malformations are: 1. Aglossia 2. Microglossia, which is always combined with other defects and syndromes, like Mo\u00ebbius syndrome 3. Macroglossia, which is commonly associated with cretinism, Down's syndrome, Hunter's syndrome, Sanfilippo syndrome and other types of mental retardation 4. Accessory tongue 5. Long tongue 6. Cleft or Bifid tongue, condition very usual in patients with the orodigitofacial syndrome 7. Glossitis Rhombica Mediana, a developmental malformation? 8. Lingual thyroid. Malformations are extensively analysed and discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1477523", "title": "Characterization of YB2/0 cell line by counterflow centrifugation elutriation.", "content": "The non-secreting rat myeloma cell line YB2/0 could be separated into different cell fractions by counterflow centrifugal elutriation. The obtained fractions are analyzed by morphology studies, morphometrics, clonogenic assays and flow cytometry. The methodology is extensively described. A separation of different cell fractions according to cell cycle stages was achieved. This implies further application possibilities for clinical use like the in vitro fractionation of autologous bone marrow prior to transplantation in patients with multiple myeloma."}
{"id": "PMID:1477529", "title": "Population cytogenetics.", "content": "Chromosome variants are well established as useful genetic markers and integral components both of the genetic structure of populations, and in speciation. The current explosion of molecular techniques is facilitating the localization of many DNA sequences, while a reassessment of the fitness of chromosome mutants challenges some classical views on polymorphism and polytypy. Recent experiments on hybrid zones and mathematical modelling have greatly clarified the formation and evolution of chromosome races."}
{"id": "PMID:1477524", "title": "Functional heterogeneity in cingulate cortex: the anterior executive and posterior evaluative regions.", "content": "The cingulate gyrus is a major part of the \"anatomical limbic system\" and, according to classic accounts, is involved in emotion. This view is oversimplified in light of recent clinical and experimental findings that cingulate cortex participates not only in emotion but also in sensory, motor, and cognitive processes. Anterior cingulate cortex, consisting of areas 25 and 24, has been implicated in visceromotor, skeletomotor, and endocrine outflow. These processes include responses to painful stimuli, maternal behavior, vocalization, and attention to action. Since all of these activities have an affective component, it is likely that connections with the amygdala are critical for them. In contrast, posterior cingulate cortex, consisting of areas 29, 30, 23, and 31, contains neurons that monitor eye movements and respond to sensory stimuli. Ablation studies suggest that this region is involved in spatial orientation and memory. It is likely that connections between posterior cingulate and parahippocampal cortices contribute to these processes. We conclude that there is a fundamental dichotomy between the functions of anterior and posterior cingulate cortices. The anterior cortex subserves primarily executive functions related to the emotional control of visceral, skeletal, and endocrine outflow. The posterior cortex subserves evaluative functions such as monitoring sensory events and the organism's own behavior in the service of spatial orientation and memory."}
{"id": "PMID:1477530", "title": "Biology and applications of human minisatellite loci.", "content": "Highly repetitive minisatellites' include the most variable human loci described to date. They have proved invaluable in a wide variety of genetic analyses, and despite some controversies surrounding their practical implementation, have been extensively adopted in civil and forensic casework. Molecular analysis of internal allelic structure has provided detailed insights into the repeat-unit turnover mechanisms operating in germline mutations, which are ultimately responsible for the extreme variability seen at these loci."}
{"id": "PMID:1477525", "title": "Early breakdown of dendritic bundles in the retrosplenial granular cortex of hypertensive rats: prevention by antihypertensive therapy.", "content": "Layer II pyramidal neurons in retrosplenial granular cortex (Rg) give rise to apical dendrites that bundle together tightly in layer Ic and Ib and spread out in layer Ia, where they arborize extensively. These dendritic bundles in Rg become disorganized in very old rats. Since hypertensive rats appear to age more rapidly than normotensive rats, we tested the hypothesis that the disorganization of the dendritic bundles in layer I of Rg is present at a much earlier age in hypertensive rats [spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR)] compared to normotensive rats [Sprague-Dawley rats (SD)]. Further, we tested the hypothesis that long-term, antihypertensive drug treatment (captopril) prevents or attenuates the breakdown of the dendritic bundles in Rg of SHR. The retrograde tracer Fluorogold was injected into Rg to document the morphology of the apical dendrites of the layer II Rg neurons. In 4-month-old SD and SHR, most densely labeled layer II neurons have labeled apical dendrites that are confined to the dendritic bundles in layer Ib and Ic, and these dendrites arborize extensively only in layer Ia of Rg. In 14-month-old SD this pattern is preserved, but in contrast, in 14-month-old SHR most of the labeled apical dendrites lie outside the bundles, and less than half these dendrites reach layer Ia. Chronic antihypertensive therapy significantly attenuates this disorganization in 14-month-old SHR. These data indicate that in SHR, the layer II neurons in Rg are highly vulnerable to the combined effects of hypertension and aging, and the results suggest that hypertension is a primary contributor to these structural alterations."}
{"id": "PMID:1477531", "title": "DNA fingerprinting in non-human populations.", "content": "DNA fingerprinting of non-human populations is beginning to fulfill its early promise, and in the past year there has been a flush of papers on mammalian breeding systems. However, many people, particularly field workers, believe that progress in this area has been slow. Attention is now focused on two amenable alternatives: microsatellite polymorphisms and randomly amplified polymorphic DNA. Of these, it is probable that microsatellites hold the key to rapid, efficient and highly informative screening of the genetic variability that exists within natural populations."}
{"id": "PMID:1477532", "title": "Genetic relationships among the apes and humans.", "content": "Epistemological difficulties and contradictory sets of molecular genetic data show that the question 'What is our closest living relative?' is surprisingly difficult to answer decisively. It is highly likely that we have not a single closest relative but, at the genus level, two equally close ones."}
{"id": "PMID:1477533", "title": "Mammalian sex chromosomes: design or accident?", "content": "Mammalian sex chromosomes evolved (and are still evolving) from a homomorphic pair by the progressive loss of active genes from the Y chromosome. Among the changes that have accompanied this differentiation, it is difficult to determine causes, effects and correlates. Comparative studies suggest that the choice of a gene, and thus a chromosome pair, to control the sex-determining pathway may be quite arbitrary, and that sex chromosomes and sex-determining genes are more likely to be the products of random changes than the products of selection for function."}
{"id": "PMID:1477527", "title": "Attention and sentence processing deficits in Parkinson's disease: the role of anterior cingulate cortex.", "content": "Parkinson's disease (PD) is a complex neurodegenerative condition involving a motor disorder that is related to reduced dopaminergic input to the striatum. Intellectual deficits are also seen in PD, but the pathophysiology of these difficulties is poorly understood. Regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) was studied in neurologically intact subjects during the performance of attention-demanding, sentence processing tasks using positron emission tomography (PET). The results demonstrated significantly increased rCBF in a distributed set of cerebral regions during the detection of an adjective or a particular agent in a sentence, including anterior cingulate cortex, left inferior and middle frontal cortex, left inferior temporo-occipital cortex, posterolateral temporal cortex, left caudate, and left thalamus. We identified defects in this cerebral network by studying PD patients with two PET techniques. Resting PET studies revealed a significant correlation between regional cerebral glucose metabolism in anterior cingulate cortex and deficits in attending to subtle grammatical aspects of sentences. Studies of PD patients with the PET activation technique revealed little change in anterior cingulate and left frontal CBF during performance of the adjective detection or agent detection tasks. These data suggest that a defect in anterior cingulate cortex contributes to the cognitive impairments observed in PD."}
{"id": "PMID:1477528", "title": "Reorganization of cingulate cortex in Alzheimer's disease: neuron loss, neuritic plaques, and muscarinic receptor binding.", "content": "Pathology related to dementia of the Alzheimer type (DAT) develops later in cingulate cortex than in medial temporal areas. Therefore, end-stage cases have earlier forms of pathology in cingulate cortex, and postmortem studies of this region may provide a window on processes that temporal cortices pass through decades before death. Five classes of DAT have been described on the basis of neuron degeneration and receptor binding in posterior cingulate cortex. The present study assessed binding of 3H-oxotremorine-M with pirenzepine (OXO-M/PZ), a protocol for presynaptic muscarinic receptors, and thioflavin S-stained neuritic plaques (NPs) in cingulate area 23a in 12 DAT cases distributed over four classes of pathology and in nine age-matched control cases. OXO-M/PZ binding was significantly elevated in layers I, II, IV, and VI of all DAT cases and was very high in layer V compared to control cases. Almost 75% of the layer Va increase was due to binding in classes 2 and 3, while classes 1 and 4 were least affected. In class 3 cases, neuron density in layer Va was inversely correlated with OXO-M/PZ binding (r = -0.98) and primitive NP densities (r = -0.93). The close association between neuron densities and presynaptic muscarinic ligand binding in some classes confirms that there are independent classes of DAT. The high and inverse correlations between cortical pathology and ligand binding in class 3 cases suggest that there is a progression in class 3 pathology. Finally, elevated OXO-M/PZ binding and a report of increased choline uptake suggest that cholinergic axons sprout in DAT, and this sprouting may be associated with a progressive loss of postsynaptic elements."}
{"id": "PMID:1477534", "title": "The evolution of protein domains and the organizational complexities of metazoans.", "content": "There is an increasingly heated debate on the very existence of a 'universe of exons' and on the types of genomes that existed after the RNA world. What has been lost in the excitement are the biological issues that relate to the rapid emergence of phenotypic novelties. These issues can be examined by integrating data on protein domains and genomic evolution with the geochemical and palaeontological records."}
{"id": "PMID:1477526", "title": "Posterior cingulate cortex: sensory and oculomotor properties of single neurons in behaving cat.", "content": "The posterior cingulate cortex of the cat is strongly linked to cortical areas with sensory and oculomotor functions. We have now recorded from feline posterior cingulate neurons in order to determine whether they are active in conjunction with sensory events and eye movements. The results described here are based on monitoring the electrical activity of 195 single neurons in the posterior cingulate cortex of three cats equipped with surgically implanted scleral search coils and trained to fixate visual targets. Posterior cingulate neurons carry tonic orbital position signals and are phasically active in conjunction with saccadic eye movements. Activity related to eye movements and gaze is attenuated but not abolished by the elimination of visual feedback. Posterior cingulate neurons also are responsive to visual, auditory, and somatosensory stimulation. Systematic testing with visual stimuli revealed that responses are sharply reduced due to refractoriness at rates of stimulation greater than a few per second. These results conform to the theory that posterior cingulate cortex is involved in processes underlying visuospatial cognition."}
{"id": "PMID:1477535", "title": "Position effect and related phenomena.", "content": "Position-effect variegation in Drosophila, the mosaic expression of genes juxtaposed to heterochromatin, remains an enigmatic long-range phenomenon. While the chromatin-conformation model has been challenged, compelling contrary evidence is lacking. Nevertheless, progress has been made in the genetic and molecular analysis of genes involved in the process of heterochromatin formation and in the characterization of genetic elements normally located in pericentric heterochromatin. In addition, telomeric position effect in yeast provides a new model system for the study of the quasi-stable inheritance of an inactivated state."}
{"id": "PMID:1477536", "title": "Nuclear architecture in plants.", "content": "Nuclei are dynamic structures that move through the mitotic cell cycle, are involved in differentiation, and divide and fuse during reproduction. The DNA contents of nuclei from different plants vary by 2500-fold. The design and structure of nuclei is, therefore, both flexible and versatile. Features relating to genome, chromosome, and maybe even gene localization during interphase are now emerging. At the chromosomal level, studies of scaffold associations and DNA sequence organization are indicating structures that impose nuclear architecture."}
{"id": "PMID:1477537", "title": "Chloroplasts.", "content": "New features of chloroplast gene expression are continually being discovered, particularly in the area of post-transcriptional RNA processing. RNA editing of chloroplast pre-mRNAs occurs in both monocotyledons and dicotyledons, and involves both initiator and internal codons. The view of introns as mobile genetic elements expands both with the identification of additional twintrons in Euglena chloroplast genes and with studies on the homing group I introns of Chlamydomonas."}
{"id": "PMID:1477538", "title": "Polymerase evolution and organism evolution.", "content": "The continuing exploration of the structure-function relationships of polymerases and the use of polymerases as phylogenetic tools complement each other, as seen in the literature for the past year. DNA-dependent RNA-polymerase gene sequences, in particular, have been used both to define functional domains in the protein encoded and recently to explore fundamental questions in evolution."}
{"id": "PMID:1477539", "title": "Selection-induced mutations.", "content": "Some spontaneous mutations are specifically 'adaptive' in two ways: in that they occur more often when they are useful than when they are irrelevant to the survival of the cell; and in that they occur as specific responses to selective pressures. These 'selection-induced mutations' occur both in bacteria and in the eukaryotic microorganism, yeast."}
{"id": "PMID:1477541", "title": "Sleep and dreaming: induction and mediation of REM sleep by cholinergic mechanisms.", "content": "The most important recent work on the neurobiology of sleep has focused on the precise cellular and biochemical mechanisms of rapid eye movement sleep mediation. Direct and indirect evidence implicates acetylcholine-containing neurons in the peribrachial pons as critical in the triggering and maintenance of rapid eye movement sleep. Other new studies provide support for the hypothesis that the cholinergic generator system is gated during waking by serotonergic and noradrenergic influences. A growing consensus regarding the basic neurobiology has stimulated new thinking about the brain basis of consciousness during waking and dreaming."}
{"id": "PMID:1477542", "title": "Neuronal basis of behavior.", "content": "In addition to describing behavior in terms of neuronal properties and interconnections, some studies are using these well defined neuronal circuits to see how the circuits interact, how they develop, and how they are modified by experience, hormones and neuromodulators. The ready availability of computers and computational techniques has helped in some efforts, as have improvements in physiological and morphological techniques. The major insights, however, still come from experiments that ask clear and direct questions. This review highlights some of the promising approaches and suggests some general features of how neuronal circuits produce behavior."}
{"id": "PMID:1477543", "title": "The cerebellum and motor learning.", "content": "Lesions of the cerebellum and its associated circuitry abolish or impair several types of motor learning. It is controversial whether these lesions damage the motor memory or its performance. Recent work is evaluated in the light of the original suggestions by Marr, Albus and Gilbert that the cerebellar cortex is a preferred locus for reflex plasticity and motor learning."}
{"id": "PMID:1477544", "title": "Automatic control of limb movement and posture.", "content": "Studies are reviewed that address the problem of the variables controlled by the central nervous system in the maintenance of body posture and limb movement against disturbing forces. The role of global variables of control, which take into account the dynamic state of the limb, is discussed. Neural substrates that are involved in the distributed control of kinematic and dynamic parameters are also considered."}
{"id": "PMID:1477545", "title": "Sensory-motor coordination during grasping and manipulative actions.", "content": "Goal-directed grasping and manipulation of objects are human skills that depend on automatic sensory control in which predictive feed-forward mechanisms integrate somatosensory and visual signals with sensory-motor memory systems. Memory representations of physical and task-relevant properties of the object play a pivotal role. Anticipatory strategies are crucial when purposeful actions arise from learned relationships between afferent patterns and efferent commands. The development of even elementary precision grip skills is a protracted process not concluded until early adolescence. Not surprisingly, the neural control of manual actions engages most central nervous system areas known to be involved in motor control."}
{"id": "PMID:1477546", "title": "Role of proprioceptors in neural control.", "content": "The conventional notion that peripheral muscle-related signals provide the basis for resistance to external perturbations is no longer sufficient. Proprioceptive information seems to be required for spatial steering of multi-joint movements, and also for temporal coordination among the joints in certain tasks. In rhythmic movements, peripheral and centrally generated signals appear to interact in a complementary manner. The complex effects of proprioceptive afferents on motor output continue to be delineated vigorously. Global effects of local perturbation in multi-joint contexts are emerging as being particularly significant."}
{"id": "PMID:1477547", "title": "The prefrontal cortex and internally generated motor acts.", "content": "The neuroanatomical and neurophysiological data that have been obtained from experimental primates are converging on a framework for understanding the prefrontal influence on motor output. The framework isolates internally memory-based functions from externally guided sensory-based functions, identifies the internally-based functions with prefrontal circuits, the sensory-based functions with premotor circuits, and integrates the specializations of prefrontal, premotor and subcortical structures in the control of motor acts."}
{"id": "PMID:1477548", "title": "Medial wall motor areas and skeletomotor control.", "content": "The results of recent studies in primates provide convincing evidence that the cortex on the medial wall of the hemisphere contains multiple areas concerned with the generation and control of body movement. Highlights of these findings include the demonstration that each of these motor areas has substantial direct projections to the spinal cord, somatotopically organized projections to the primary motor cortex, a 'motor' map, revealed by intracortical stimulation, and neuronal activity that precedes trained hand movements."}
{"id": "PMID:1477549", "title": "Evidence for the lateral intraparietal area as the parietal eye field.", "content": "It has long been appreciated that the posterior parietal cortex plays a role in the processing of saccadic eye movements. Only recently has it been discovered that a small cortical area, the lateral intraparietal area, within this much larger area appears to be specialized for saccadic eye movements. Unlike other cortical areas in the posterior parietal cortex, the lateral intraparietal area has strong anatomical connections to other saccade centers, and its cells have saccade-related responses that begin before the saccades. The lateral intraparietal area appears to be neither a strictly visual nor strictly motor structure; rather it performs visuomotor integration functions including determining the spatial location of saccade targets and forming plans to make eye movements."}
{"id": "PMID:1477550", "title": "Hypothalamic neuropeptide Y regulation of feeding and energy metabolism.", "content": "Neuropeptide Y is an important regulator of energy intake and expenditure. The central portion of this regulatory system appears to reside in the arcuate nucleus/paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus. The effects of neuropeptide Y on energy metabolism include increased food intake, decreased thermogenesis and increased white fat storage."}
{"id": "PMID:1477552", "title": "Functional homologs of the Arabidopsis RPM1 disease resistance gene in bean and pea.", "content": "We showed that a bacterial avirulence (avr) gene function, avrPpiA1, from the pea pathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv pisi, is recognized by some, but not all, genotypes of Arabidopsis. Thus, an avr gene functionally defined on a crop species is also an avr gene on Arabidopsis. The activity of avrPpiA1 on a series of Arabidopsis genotypes is identical to that of the avrRpm1 gene from P.s. pv maculicola previously defined using Arabidopsis. The two avr genes are homologous and encode nearly identical predicted products. Moreover, this conserved avr function is also recognized by some bean and pea cultivars in what has been shown to be a gene-for-gene manner. We further demonstrated that the Arabidopsis disease resistance locus, RPM1, conditioning resistance to avrRpm1, also conditions resistance to bacterial strains carrying avrPpiA1. Therefore, bean, pea, and conceivably other crop species contain functional and potentially molecular homologs of RPM1."}
{"id": "PMID:1477553", "title": "Downstream DNA sequences are required to activate a gene expressed in the root cortex of embryos and seedlings.", "content": "We showed previously that a gene, designated AX92, which is expressed at an early stage of cortex differentiation in the root apex of oilseed rape seedlings, is also expressed in embryos. To compare AX92 gene regulation during embryo-genesis and postembryonic growth, we constructed a chimeric gene consisting of AX92 5' and 3' untranslated and flanking regions fused with a beta-glucuronidase protein coding region. We showed that the chimeric gene is active in both developing cortex cells in the root apical meristems of transgenic oilseed rape seedlings and in cortex cells at the root end of embryonic axes. To determine whether the AX92 gene is regulated by a common mechanism in embryos and seedlings, we analyzed the expression of modified chimeric genes. We showed that the AX92 chimeric gene is regulated combinatorially and that DNA sequences located 3' of the protein coding region are necessary for its activation in the root cortex of both embryos and seedlings. Our results suggest that common regulatory sequences are required to activate the gene in the embryonic and postembryonic root cortex."}
{"id": "PMID:1477554", "title": "Regional and cell-specific gene expression patterns during petal development.", "content": "We investigated gene expression patterns that occur during tobacco petal development. Two petal mRNA classes were identified that are present at elevated levels relative to other organs. One class is represented equally in the unpigmented tube and pigmented limb regions of the corolla. The other class accumulates preferentially within the limb region. Limb-specific mRNAs accumulate at different times during corolla development, peak in prevalence prior to flower opening, and are localized in either the epidermal cell layers or the mesophyll. The epidermal- and mesophyll-specific mRNAs change abruptly in concentration within a narrow zone of the limb/tube border. Preferential accumulation of at least one limb-specific mRNA occurs within the corolla upper region early in development prior to limb maturation and pigment accumulation. Limb-specific mRNAs also accumulate preferentially within the unpigmented corolla limb region of Nicotiana sylvestris, a diploid progenitor of tobacco. Runoff transcription studies and experiments with chimeric beta-glucuronidase genes showed that petal gene organ, cell, and region specificities are controlled primarily at the transcriptional level. We conclude that during corolla development transcriptional processes act coordinately on limb-specific genes to regulate their regional expression patterns, but act individually on these genes to define their cell specificities."}
{"id": "PMID:1477555", "title": "An Arabidopsis mutant defective in the general phenylpropanoid pathway.", "content": "Mutants of Arabidopsis deficient in a major leaf phenylpropanoid ester, 2-O-sinapoyl-L-malate, were identified by thin-layer chromatographic screening of methanolic leaf extracts from several thousand mutagenized plants. Mutations at a locus designated SIN1 also eliminate accumulation of the sinapic acid esters characteristic of seed tissues. Because of increased transparency to UV light, the sin1 mutants exhibit a characteristic red fluorescence under UV light, whereas wild-type plants have a blue-green appearance due to the fluorescence of sinapoyl malate in the upper epidermis. As determined by in vivo radiotracer feeding experiments, precursor supplementation studies, and enzymatic assays, the defect in the sin1 mutants appears to block the conversion of ferulate to 5-hydroxyferulate in the general phenylpropanoid pathway. As a result, the lignin of the mutant lacks the sinapic acid-derived components typical of wild-type lignin."}
{"id": "PMID:1477556", "title": "Gibberellin-responsive elements in the promoter of a barley high-pI alpha-amylase gene.", "content": "Deletion analysis has previously shown that the major gibberellic acid (GA)- and abscisic acid (ABA)-responsive elements in the promoter of a high-pI alpha-amylase gene of barley are located downstream of -174 (Jacobsen and Close, 1991). We have used transient expression assays in barley aleurone protoplasts to identify sequences between -174 and +53 that confer GA and ABA responsiveness on expression of a beta-glucuronidase reporter gene. Using alpha-amylase promoter fragments and synthetic oligonucleotides fused to minimal promoters, we have shown that the hormone-responsive region is located between -174 and -108. A single copy of this region fused to a minimal alpha-amylase promoter (-41) conferred both GA- and ABA-responsive expression on the reporter gene comparable to the positive control, Am(-174)IGN. Multiple copies of this region were able to activate even greater levels of expression. Site-directed mutagenesis was used to determine the functional importance of the conserved motifs (-169pyrimidine box, -143TAACAAA box, and -124TATCCAC box) and nonconserved intervening sequences within the region between -174 and -108. Our results showed that both the TAACAAA and TATCCAC boxes play an important role in GA-regulated expression. We propose that the TAACAAA box is a gibberellin response element, that the TATCCAC box acts cooperatively with the TAACAAA box to give a high level of GA-regulated expression, and that together these motifs form important components of a gibberellin response complex in high-pI alpha-amylase genes. The TAACAAA box also appears to be the site of action of ABA.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1477557", "title": "Definition and functional implications of gibberellin and abscisic acid cis-acting hormone response complexes.", "content": "The mechanisms by which cis-acting hormone response elements affect transcription is unclear. In this study, we demonstrated that a second \"coupling element,\" identified as O2S, must be present to allow a single copy of either the gibberellin response element (GARE) or the abscisic acid response element (ABRE) to mediate their hormonal effects in the barley Amy32b alpha-amylase gene promoter. The interactive effects of the O2S and the GARE are constrained positionally and spatially; thus, together they form a gibberellin response complex (GARC). The absolute requirement of the O2S for function of the ABRE demonstrates that these together form an abscisic acid response complex (ABRC). A second copy of the GARE can substitute for the O2S in the GARC, but only in one orientation. By expressing the GARC-containing and ABRC-containing promoters in developing aleurone tissue, we showed that hormonal effects prevent alpha-amylase gene expression during the second half of grain development, but other mechanisms suppress expression earlier. Our results suggest that the specific sequence serving as a coupling element in a given gene promoter will greatly affect where and when the GARE or ABRE will be able to regulate transcription."}
{"id": "PMID:1477558", "title": "Alternative 3' splice acceptor sites modulate enzymic activity in derivative alleles of the maize bronze1-mutable 13 allele.", "content": "The defective Suppressor-mutator (dSpm)-induced allele bronze1-mutable 13 (bz1-m13) and many of its derivative alleles are leaky mutants with measurable levels of flavonol O3-glucosyltransferase activity. This activity results from splicing at acceptor site-1, one of two cryptic 3' splice sites within the dSpm insertion in bz1-m13. In this study, splicing in bz1-m13 change-in-state (CS) alleles CS-3 and CS-64 was shown to be altered from bz1-m13; previous work found altered splicing in CS-9. CS-64 is a null allele and lacks the acceptor site-1-spliced transcript because this site is deleted. CS-3 and CS-9 had increased levels of the acceptor site-1 transcript relative to bz1-m13 and increased enzymic activities. A deletion in CS-9 altered splicing by eliminating acceptor site-2. Both acceptor sites were intact in CS-3, but a deletion removed most of a 275-bp GC-rich sequence in dSpm. This suggests that GC-rich sequences affect splicing and is consistent with models postulating a role for AU content in the splicing of plant introns. Splicing does not necessarily occur, however, at the junction of AU-rich intron sequences and GC-rich exon sequences."}
{"id": "PMID:1477566", "title": "Electroacupuncture in fibromyalgia: results of a controlled trial.", "content": "To determine the efficacy of electroacupuncture in patients with fibromyalgia, a syndrome of unknown origin causing diffuse musculoskeletal pain. Three weeks' randomised study with blinded patients and evaluating physician. University divisions of physical medicine and rehabilitation and rheumatology, Geneva. 70 patients (54 women) referred to the division for fibromyalgia as defined by the American College of Rheumatology. Patients were randomised to electroacupuncture (n = 36) or a sham procedure (n = 34) by means of an electronic numbers generator. Pain threshold, number of analgesic tablets used, regional pain score, pain recorded on visual analogue scale, sleep quality, morning stiffness, and patient's and evaluating physician's appreciation. Seven of the eight outcome parameters showed a significant improvement in the active treatment group whereas none were improved in the sham treatment group. Differences between the groups were significant for five of the eight outcome measures after treatment. Electroacupuncture is effective in relieving symptoms of fibromyalgia. Its potential in long term management should now be studied."}
{"id": "PMID:1477567", "title": "Tobacco and myocardial infarction: is snuff less dangerous than cigarettes?", "content": "To estimate the risk of myocardial infarction in snuff users, cigarette smokers, and non-tobacco users in northern Sweden, where using snuff is traditional. Case-control study. Northern Sweden. All 35-64 year old men who had had a first myocardial infarction and a population based sample of 35-64 year old men who had not had an infarction in the same geographical area. Tobacco consumption (regular snuff dipping, regular cigarette smoking, non-tobacco use) and risk of acute myocardial infarction. 59 of 585 (10%) patients who had a first myocardial infarction and 87 of 589 (15%) randomly selected men without myocardial infarction were non-smokers who used snuff daily. The age adjusted odds ratio for myocardial infarction was 0.89 (95% confidence interval 0.62 to 1.29) for exposure to snuff and 1.87 (1.40 to 2.48) for cigarette smoking compared with non-tobacco users, showing an increased risk in smokers but not in snuff dippers. Regular cigarette smokers had a significantly higher risk of myocardial infarction than regular snuff dippers (age adjusted odds ratio 2.09; 1.39 to 3.15). Smoking, but not snuff dipping, predicted myocardial infarction in a multiple logistic regression model that included age and level of education. In middle aged men snuff dipping is associated with a lower risk of myocardial infarction than cigarette smoking."}
{"id": "PMID:1477568", "title": "Risk of schizophrenia in adults born after obstetric complications and their association with early onset of illness: a controlled study.", "content": "To determine whether obstetric complications occur to excess in the early histories of individuals who go on to develop schizophrenia when compared with controls, and to seek clinical correlates of any such excess. Contemporaneous maternity hospital records were identified and extracted verbatim, and these extracts evaluated for obstetric complications by two independent assessors who were blind to subjects' status. 65 patients having an ICD-9 diagnosis of schizophrenia, the records of the previous same sex live birth being deemed to be those of a control subject. Presence of one or more obstetric complications recorded in maternity notes of patients and controls. When two recognised scales for specifying obstetric complications were used the patients with schizophrenia were significantly more likely than controls to have experienced at least one obstetric complication (odds ratio 2.44, 95% confidence interval 1.08 to 6.03). Patients also showed a greater number and severity of and total score for obstetric complications, fetal distress being the only complication to occur to significant individual excess (present in five (8%) patients, absent in controls). There was a marked sex effect, male patients being more vulnerable (odds ratio 4.24, 1.39 to 12.90) to such complications. Obstetric complications in patients were unrelated to family history or season of birth but were associated with a significantly younger age at onset of illness (mean difference--4.5 years,--1.2 to--7.8 years). Patients with schizophrenia, particularly males, have an excess of obstetric complications in their early developmental histories, and such complications are associated with a younger age at onset of their disease. Though the data are not conclusive, they also suggest that obstetric complications may be secondary to yet earlier events."}
{"id": "PMID:1477573", "title": "Discovery of antibodies.", "content": "Passive immunisation has been used in clinical practice since the end of last century, mainly for prophylaxis. Success of early treatments was marred by anaphylactic reactions and serum sickness because antibodies or antitoxins were not raised in humans. Recombination of gene segments during antibody synthesis means that specific antibodies for numerous antigens can be produced from a limited gene pool. Killer lymphocytes, phagocytes, and complement then bind to the constant region of the antibody facilitating elimination of the pathogen. Development of a method of obtaining large quantities of antibodies against a specific antigen (monoclonal antibodies) offers the possibility of initiating host defence mechanisms against any unwanted antigen, though some problems still remain in preventing the body from attacking the monoclonal antibody."}
{"id": "PMID:1477576", "title": "Maintaining excellence: the preservation and development of specialised services.", "content": "The advent of the Tomlinson inquiry draws attention to the need to strike a balance between market led and planned approaches to health care delivery. This is important not just for hospital rationalisation but also for the preservation and development of services which are provided in a smaller number of hospitals. Specialised services are often in the forefront of raising standards of care and introducing new developments and innovations. They are the only option for a small number of patients with serious illnesses. In the internal market for health care provision created by the 1990 NHS reforms more sophisticated and flexible mechanisms must be found to provide stability for specialised services while at the same time enabling the benefits of purchaser choice and provider competition to be realised."}
{"id": "PMID:1477577", "title": "Using a mock trial to make a difficult clinical decision.", "content": "Many clinical decisions have to be taken with inadequate scientific information. Reaching a consensus among experts has been tried as one response to this problem. Another, described here, is to use legal process to dissect a difficult question. In this case a mock trial--using barristers, expert witnesses, and a jury--was conducted on whether bone marrow transplantation should be offered to all children with symptomatic sickle cell disease. Transplantation seems to offer about a 90% cure rate for a condition that may kill 15% of children before they reach 20. But transplantation carries a 10% risk of death or severe disability, and doctors cannot predict which children will suffer severely from their sickle cell disease and which will suffer little or nothing. The jury eventually reached a majority decision that transplantation should not be offered now to all symptomatic children."}
{"id": "PMID:1477596", "title": "[Intensive care of tumor patients].", "content": "There is no substantial difference in the prognosis of cancer patients after intensive care compared to certain other groups of patients except for the tumor patient with major respiratory problems. Hence, the general refusal of intensive care for cancer patients is not justified. Rather indication for intensive care needs careful examination of several aspects including medical science and ethics. Particular ethical problems arising in intensive care for cancer patients can be reduced by open communication between the medical team and the patient as well as between the medical specialists."}
{"id": "PMID:1477601", "title": "Heterogeneity of immunohistochemical staining with pulmonary surfactant protein A among fractionated alveolar macrophages which involves metabolism of pulmonary surfactant.", "content": "Alveolar macrophages (AM) which are separated into four fractionated subpopulations (I, II, III and IV), represented differential immunohistochemical staining with antibody against pulmonary surfactant protein A (SP-A). In light microscopy, the least dense AM (fraction I) were intensely stained with antibody to SP-A in numerous granules of the cytoplasm, whereas the most dense cells (fraction IV) showed immuno-reactivity with the antibody in several granules distributed in the spreading and elongating cytosol. By Western blot analysis, antibody to SP-A recognized a triplet of nature molecules of SP-A in AM lysate. However, the antigen of the AM lysate almost disappeared when the cells were cultured for more than two days, which indicate that AM do not synthesize SP-A and have digested intracellular SP-A during the cultivation. Immunoelectron microscopically, AM of fraction IV sometimes had very large vacuoles including lamellar body-like structures, probably pulmonary surfactant immediately after taken up from the alveolar lumen by them, which were heavily deposited with gold particles indicating antigenic site of SP-A. Whereas cells of fraction I contained numerous cytoplasmic vacuoles that were frequently labelled with the immuno-gold particles and were not associated with lamellar body-like structures, which may indicate that the materials in the vacuoles are digesting. The results of this experiments suggest that pulmonary surfactant, layered on the alveolar epithelium, is in part taken up by higher dense AM and is digested during a process of their maturation in the direction of lower dense cells, which undergo an important role of metabolism of pulmonary surfactant by AM subpopulations."}
{"id": "PMID:1477602", "title": "The requirements for activation of an antigen specific T-cell clone via the CD3 complex.", "content": "We have studied the requirements for the activation of the haemagglutinin peptide specific cloned T-cell HA1.7 by anti-CD3 antibodies and the mechanism of modulation of the CD3 complex. Cross-linking of the complex either by a soluble antibody second layer or an immobilized matrix of antibody is necessary for induction of a proliferative response. This proliferative response is totally dependent on exogenously added IL-2. Modulation of the cross-linked CD3 complex is by patching, capping and internalization of the antigen and is not essential for the proliferative response."}
{"id": "PMID:1477597", "title": "[Chances and risks of predictive medicine].", "content": "Ethical reasoning for predictive medicine is closely related to evaluating its chances and risks, for the individual (including future generations) and society. An optimistic viewpoint will emphasize the chances of predictive medicine. Yet it will be of great importance to differentiate overall political perspectives and the effects of any single operational step in regard to its life saving properties. Whenever predictive medicine leads to irresponsible risk it has to be disapproved of."}
{"id": "PMID:1477598", "title": "[Ethical questions of prenatal medicine].", "content": "The paper presents data on prenatal human development studied by non-invasive sonography. Furthermore clinical application of prenatal diagnostic procedures and their possibilities in the future are discussed. These facts are the basis of ethical judgement in prenatal medicine."}
{"id": "PMID:1477603", "title": "Inhibitory effect by 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 on concanavalin A-stimulated proliferation of rat thymic lymphocytes.", "content": "It has been reported that vitamin D3 derivatives promote the differentiation of monocytes into macrophages, while the derivatives suppress mitogen-stimulated proliferation of human peripheral blood-mononuclear cells (PBMC). However, their effect on thymic lymphocytes which are in the course of differentiation and maturation into T cells has not been thoroughly examined. The authors studied the inhibitory effect by 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 [1,25-(OH)2D3] on concanavalin A (Con A)-stimulated proliferation of rat thymic lymphocytes and explored its mechanism. The proliferation of rat thymic lymphocytes stimulated with Con A was suppressed by 1,25-(OH)2D3 in a dose-dependent manner between a range of 10(-10) M to 10(-8) M. Because this suppressive action of 1,25-(OH)2D3 was markedly reduced by removal of coexisting adherent cells or by treatment with indomethacin which suppresses the prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) synthesis, it seems likely that PGE2, released from macrophages with the stimulation of 1,25-(OH)2D3, is involved in the suppressive action. Further studies on the inhibitory mechanism clarified that PGE2 from the contaminated macrophages suppressed the formation and release of interleukin-2 (IL-2), whereas the expression of IL-2 receptors on thymic lymphocyte with Con A stimulation was not affected. These results suggest that vitamin D3 derivatives might possibly contribute to regulation of in vitro proliferation of thymic lymphocytes."}
{"id": "PMID:1477604", "title": "23Na NMR evaluation of human erythrocytes Na+/K+/CL-cotransport. A study in elderly hypertensives.", "content": "The behaviour of sodium transport systems across the cell membrane has been poorly investigated in elderly hypertension. Sodium efflux driven by Na+/K+/Cl-cotransport activity was therefore investigated (using a novel NMR-spectroscopy method) in 5 elderly hypertensive males (mean age 78 +/- 5 years) and 5 normotensive controls (mean age 79 +/- 3 years). In order to exclude any change in cotransport activity secondary to metabolic abnormalities, both patients and controls were non-obese and had normal glucose and lipid metabolisms. The Na+/K+/Cl-cotransport evaluation was performed after three months of pharmacological wash-out, under a diet containing 120 mEq of Na+/day. The resulting data showed that Na+ efflux due to outward Na+/K+/Cl-cotransport was higher in hypertensive group than in the normotensive one (0.50 +/- 0.10 mmol Na+/l cells/hr. vs 0.33 +/- 0.03 mmol Na+/l cells/hr., respectively, p < 0.05). Intracellular Na+ content was similar in both groups. At variance with previous data from the literature, our findings indicate that the Na+/K+/Cl-cotransport activity is elevated in elderly hypertensives."}
{"id": "PMID:1477599", "title": "[Basic principles of genetic counseling].", "content": "Genetic counseling and diagnosis are increasingly significant for individual and social life. In view of inherent practical and ethical problems in medical practice, the definition of rules in this field seems necessary. The paper provides a compilation and short argumentation of such rules. They should establish a certain qualitative standard and can serve as a foundation for future discussion."}
{"id": "PMID:1477605", "title": "[protein synthesis in alkylated bacteriophage T7].", "content": "We have studied the toxic effects of alkylating agents with a well characterized model: phage T7. Treatment of bacteriophage T7 with methyl methanesulfonate led to perturbation of phage-specific protein synthesis. Synthesis of class I and II proteins was prolonged, while production of class II and III proteins was delayed. This delay increased for proteins coded by genes located further to the right on the T7 genetic map. In extracts prepared from cells infected by alkylated phage, the specific activity of T7 RNA polymerase was decreased. These results suggest that the toxic action of methyl methanesulfonate is directed towards viral transcription."}
{"id": "PMID:1477606", "title": "DNase I digestion as a tool for the quantitative evaluation of C-heterochromatic-DNA in situ.", "content": "The amount of DNA resisting the C-banding pre-treatments (C-heterochromatic-DNA) was found to account for the interspecific differences of genome size in different Primate groups. The evaluation of this parameter is therefore of great interest in cytotaxonomy. In this work, DNase I digestion was used instead of the pre-treatments C-banding, in an attempt to set up a suitable method for the quantitative evaluation of C-heterochromatic-DNA in both metaphase chromosomes and interphase chromatin. In fact DNase I is known to preferentially digest \"active or potentially active\" chromatin, and the highly repetitive and inactive DNA in C-heterochromatin should characteristically resist DNase I cleavage. As a model system, differently fixed mouse splenocytes were treated with DNase I for various times, and the digestion was monitored by flow cytometry after propidium iodide staining. In addition, mouse metaphase preparations from lymphocyte cultures were also digested with DNase I, and the amount of residual DNA was evaluated by static microfluorometry. Under controlled conditions of fixation, enzyme concentration, time and temperature, the same limit-digest can be obtained in both interphase nuclei and metaphases, which corresponds to the amount of residual DNA after C-banding and has a C-banding-like pattern in chromosomes."}
{"id": "PMID:1477607", "title": "The levels of vascular smooth as well as skeletal muscle actin mRNAs differ substantially among both myoblast and fibroblast lines with different skeletal myogenic potentials.", "content": "Little is known about the factors which regulate vascular smooth muscle (vsm) actin gene expression during skeletal myogenesis in culture. We have therefore looked for differences in the levels of accumulation of vsm actin mRNA among six mouse cell lines differing in apparent myogenic potential or in the complement of myogenesis determination genes which they express: NIH 3T3 and 10T1/2 non-myogenic fibroblasts and four myogenic lines--3T3-MyoD1 and 10EMc11s, MyoD/myogenin expressing sublines of the fibroblast lines, derived by transfer into the parent lines of a MyoD cDNA expression construct; C2C12, which expresses all four known myogenesis determination genes; and BC3H1, which expresses myf-5, myogenin, little herculin, and no MyoD. In differentiated cells of all four myogenic lines, vsm actin mRNA was expressed at levels dramatically higher than in growth-arrested NIH 3T3 cells, consistent with expression of vsm actin mRNA as an intrinsic part of the skeletal myogenic program somehow directed by myogenesis determination gene products. Interestingly, however, the level of vsm actin mRNA in growth arrested C3H10T1/2 fibroblasts was also dramatically higher than that in NIH 3T3. In view of these findings, and of the relative ease with which 10T1/2 as opposed to NIH 3T3 cells can be converted to myogenic lines, we hypothesize that factors which can act to regulate vsm actin gene expression in the absence of myogenesis determination gene expression may also influence the skeletal myogenic potential of the cells in which they are found. Among the myogenic lines, the ratio of vsm to skm actin mRNA was highest in BC3H1 cells, raising the possibility that were these cells forced to express MyoD and/or more herculin, as do the other myogenic lines, the ratio would decrease. Thus both fibroblast and myogenic lines will be useful for investigating the mechanisms controlling skeletal myogenesis and vsm and skm actin gene expression during myogenesis."}
{"id": "PMID:1477608", "title": "Synthesis of a prolactin-like peptide by natural killer cells: positive regulation by CD16 and exogenous prolactin.", "content": "We have previously shown that Prolactin (PRL) activates the native and the in vitro acquired cytotoxicity and the DNA synthetic activity of Natural Killer (NK) cells. Here we show that the supernatant and the cell lysate of NK cells express a 35S-labelled 50 kDa peptide specifically immunostained by two different PRL-antisera. The supernatant of NK cells was biologically active in a Nb2 assay and the activity could be adsorbed by an anti-PRL antiserum. The production of the PRL-like peptide only occurred when NK cells were isolated through binding to immobilized immunocomplexes, the biological ligand for CD16, and was positively modulated by exogenous PRL. These results indicate that PRL, produced by NK cells following stimulation, may act in an autocrine fashion to maintain and/or activate the NK cell function."}
{"id": "PMID:1477609", "title": "Macular disease in an elderly population.", "content": "In order to obtain more accurate information concerning the prevalence of macular diseases in an elderly population, a clinical study was undertaken on a sample of 430 members of the general population over the age of 65 years in London. Degenerative age-related macular changes were clinically visible in about 25%, and 2.8% had a lesion causing loss of visual acuity due to macular disease. Age was the only risk factor identified for age-related changes. No correlation was identified with the prevalence of hypertension, smoking, or diabetes mellitus between groups. In addition, symmetry was shown in the number of drusen, as well as their size, density and fluorescence in the central and peripheral areas between the eyes of affected subjects. The prevalence data from this study represent a baseline for the interpretation of hospital-based data and for the planning of health care."}
{"id": "PMID:1477610", "title": "Systemic absorption of ocular cyclopentolate in children.", "content": "Cyclopentolate plasma levels were quantitated and heart rate and pupil size were monitored after ocular application of the drug to juveniles. In all, 12 children were given one 35-microliters eyedrop of either 1% cyclopentolate (n = 6) or placebo (n = 6) in randomized order in the lower cul-de-sac of one eye. A sensitive radioreceptor assay was used to determine the systemic drug absorption. With the exception of one child, detectable cyclopentolate concentrations were seen in plasma at as early as 3 min after the ocular drug application. There was a marked interindividual variation in peak plasma cyclopentolate concentrations ranging from undetectably low to 5.8 ng/ml (median, 2.9 ng/ml). In some children a second drug concentration peak was detected. Cyclopentolate increased the pupillary diameter from 4.8 +/- 1 mm before drug application to 8 +/- 0.9 mm at 30 min after administration, but the children's heart rate did not alter."}
{"id": "PMID:1477611", "title": "Diurnal variation in refraction after excimer laser photorefractive keratectomy.", "content": "Diurnal fluctuations in vision are common after radial keratotomy (RK), associated with a myopic change in refraction and keratometric power mostly in the morning. After photorefractive keratectomy (PRK), only a small percentage of patients report fluctuations of vision. We tested ten such patients who had undergone excimer laser PRK with regard to refraction, keratometry, and visual acuity 5 to 20 months after surgery. Patients were examined five times during one day from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Ten volunteers serving as a control group were examined following the same protocol. None of the patients showed an increase in minus spherical power of the manifest refraction between morning and evening. The change in manifest refraction from morning to evening was +0.3 D +/- 0.3 D, which was not significantly different from the control group. The change in refraction did not correlate with keratometric power, follow-up time of age of the patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1477612", "title": "Results of silicone oil removal from eyes treated with retinectomies.", "content": "We reviewed the results of silicone oil removal from 32 eyes that had been treated with peripheral retinectomies during vitrectomy for retinal detachment with proliferative vitreoretinopathy. With a minimum follow-up of 6 months, 3 developed a retinal detachment after silicone oil removal. Twenty-eight eyes attained a final visual acuity of 0.1 or better and 15 eyes attained 0.2 or better. Only in 3 eyes was visual acuity decreased after silicone oil removal, whereas 20 eyes showed an improvement in vision. One eye was hypotonous and 11 eyes required antiglaucomatous agents at the last examination. Final visual acuity as well as final intraocular pressure did not correlate with either the retinectomy size or with the duration of the silicone oil tamponade."}
{"id": "PMID:1477613", "title": "Diffuse field loss and diffuse retinal nerve-fiber loss in glaucoma.", "content": "A total of 61 eyes of 61 patients were examined by light-sense, flicker and resolution perimetry. All fields were classified as being normal or showing diffuse loss, localized defects or diffuse plus localized loss. For the assessment of diffuse field loss, cumulative defect curves were derived. Retinal nerve-fiber layer (RNFL) loss was assessed by a semiquantitative scoring technique. In light-sense and flicker perimetry, the total diffuse and total overall RNFL scores for eyes with diffuse field loss were approximately twice those obtained for eyes without diffuse field loss. These differences were highly statistically significant (P = 0.0055 and 0.0087 for light-sense perimetry, P = 0.0033 and 0.0042 for flicker perimetry). In resolution perimetry, eyes with diffuse field loss also showed higher RNFL scores; the differences, however, were not statistically significant. The results show that diffuse field loss in light-sense and flicker perimetry is accompanied by diffuse nerve-fiber loss."}
{"id": "PMID:1477614", "title": "The selective effects of elevated intraocular pressure on temporal resolution.", "content": "Twenty-seven eyes of 27 patients with normal tension glaucoma (NTG), 68 eyes of 68 patients with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG), and 11 eyes of 11 patients with special forms of high-tension glaucoma (SHTG) including (pigmentary glaucoma, angle-closure glaucoma, secondary glaucoma, etc.), were examined by automated light-sense and temporal resolution perimetry. Light-sense perimetry was performed with the Humphrey Field Analyzer, using program 30-2. Temporal resolution perimetry was conducted with a system developed by Lachenmayr. Global field indices were calculated for all visual fields and modalities: mean defect (MD) for light-sense perimetry and mean flicker defect (FD) for flicker perimetry. For each of the three glaucoma groups there was a significant linear correlation of FD over MD. The slope of the regression line (regression coefficient a) increased with increasing maximal pressure level of the glaucomatous group: for NTG a = 0.6671, for POAG a = -1.2413, and for SHTG a = -2.235. The differences of the regression coefficients between NTG and POAG and between NTG and SHTG were statistically significant (P = 0.0366 and P = 0.0046, respectively). The results of the present study provide evidence that the relative amount of damage to flicker compared to light-sense perimetry increases with increasing maximal pressure level of a glaucomatous population. Thus, flicker perimetry may be a tool for the identification of eyes with pressure-produced damage."}
{"id": "PMID:1477615", "title": "Pseudoexfoliation syndrome and glaucoma. Does glaucoma capsulare exist?", "content": "Pseudoexfoliation syndrome (PES) is seen in patients with a characteristic deposition of material on the anterior preequatorial region of the lens and on a variety of surfaces throughout the anterior segments of the eye. A high frequency of associated glaucoma has also been reported. In spite of numerous clinical and histological investigations, the mechanisms for the glaucoma are unclear. In a series of 5154 patients referred to our hospital for cataract extraction we found a prevalence of 6.1% (n = 314). In 51 of these patients (16.2%) glaucoma was diagnosed in contrast to 33 patients (10.9%) in an age-matched control group. The prevalence of glaucoma in PES patients and the control group was not statistically different, so our findings in cataract patients do not support the interpretation that there is a clinical entity called \"glaucoma capsulare.\""}
{"id": "PMID:1477616", "title": "The pattern-electroretinogram in glaucoma and ocular hypertension. A cross-sectional and longitudinal study.", "content": "The pattern electroretinogram (PERG) is an indicator of retinal ganglion cell function. We studied the PERG in 65 normal eyes, in 52 eyes in early stages of glaucoma, and in 28 ocular hypertensive (OHT) eyes. The PERG was recorded using steady-state high contrast (98%) counterphasing checkerboard patterns at check sizes of 0.8 degrees and 15 degrees at 16 reversals/s and 98% contrast. Stimulation area was 27 degrees x 30 degrees. When compared to normals, in glaucoma eyes PERG amplitudes are reduced to 56 +/- 3.6%, (P < 0.0001) for 0.8 degrees and to 79 +/- 4.0% (P < 0.001) for 15 degrees check sizes. Preferential reduction for the small check size allows classification of patients on an individual basis: using discriminant analysis, normal and glaucoma eyes were classified with a sensitivity of 82.7% and a specificity of 90.8%. Nineteen of 28 OHT eyes were classified as pathological. Eyes with OHT were followed up to test whether the PERG can be used to predict visual field damage. At the repeat visit 5 to 35 months later (mean follow-up 20.2 +/- 8.2 months), in eyes with normal PERGs the average loss in mean sensitivity was -0.61 +/- 0.5 dB, while in eyes with pathological PERGs it was -2.6 +/- 0.7 dB (P = 0.05). Findings suggest that the PERG can be used to discriminate between OHT patients who will develop visual field loss and those who will not. Thus, the PERG may be a test of visual function helpful to decide which OHT patients require treatment before visual field deterioration and optic nerve damage have begun."}
{"id": "PMID:1477617", "title": "Size of glaucomatous optic discs.", "content": "In normal eyes, the optic disc size shows a high interindividual variability. In the diseased eye, some optic nerve anomalies and diseases occur preferentially in small optic discs, and some are more common in large optic nerve heads. We conducted a study to determine whether glaucoma subtypes are correlated with the optic disc size or not. Stereo optic disc photographs of 997 eyes with primary open-angle glaucoma, 44 eyes with normal-tension glaucoma, 129 eyes with pseudoexfoliative glaucoma, and 850 normal eyes were examined. Compared to eyes with primary open-angle glaucoma (mean optic disc area: 2.63 +/- 0.61 mm2), the optic disc was significantly larger in eyes with normal-tension glaucoma (2.96 +/- 0.73 mm2; P < 0.05), and it was smaller but not significantly smaller in eyes with pseudoexfoliative glaucoma (2.53 +/- 0.51 mm2). Eyes with primary open-angle glaucoma and normal eyes (2.69 +/- 0.69 mm2) did not differ significantly in optic disc size. The abnormally large optic disc in eyes with normal-tension glaucoma may be important diagnostically and pathogenetically."}
{"id": "PMID:1477618", "title": "Comparison of modulation transfer function and through focus response with monofocal and bifocal IOLs.", "content": "We analyzed modulation transfer function (MTF) and through focus response (TFR) of the TRUE VISTA bifocal IOL and monofocal IOLs and compared the experimental and clinical data. MTF and TFR were measured at different pupil sizes (2, 3, 4 mm), base powers (14, 21, 27 D), add powers (2, 3, 4 D), and distance zone diameters (1.25, 1.5, 1.75 mm). Standards were established to correlate MTF and contrast sensitivity, as well as TFR and the defocus curve measured clinically. MTF of TRUE VISTA decreased with increasing pupil size and base power. A near add of 4 D showed the best MTF at distant and near focus. MTF of TRUE VISTA at near focus was lower than at distant focus and MTF at distant focus was lower than MTF of monofocal IOLs. TFR and the defocus curve correlated closely. MTF and contrast sensitivity of TRUE VISTA at far and near focus also correlated closely. MTF and contrast sensitivity of monofocal IOLs and TRUE VISTA at distant focus did not correlate. MTF was considerably better with monofocal IOLs while contrast sensitivity was slightly better only at low contrast. However, MTF of monofocal IOLs was much higher than MTF of a normal eye while MTF of TRUE VISTA at distant focus was only slightly lower than the MTF of a normal eye. Using MTF of a normal eye as a threshold, our results demonstrated a close correlation between experimental and clinical findings. MTF and TFR may therefore reliably predict the performance of bifocal IOLs."}
{"id": "PMID:1477619", "title": "Ocular toxoplasmosis: the role of cellular immune defense in the development of recurrences. Results from animal experiments.", "content": "Five toxoplasmosis-free animals and ten animals that had been immunized intraocularly against toxoplasma organisms were used in a rabbit model of ocular toxoplasmosis. Five of the ten immune animals were immunosuppressed by cyclosporin A at a cellular level. Experimental toxoplasmic retinochoroiditis occurred in all animals, a process that in complete contradiction to experience reported previously. In the rabbit model, immunity after a past history of toxoplasma infection has thus far appeared to be a safe form of protection from experimental ocular toxoplasmosis. The concept of \"immunological privilege of the eye\" is discussed as the cause for the unexpected results."}
{"id": "PMID:1477620", "title": "The effects of basic fibroblast growth factor on bovine retinal pigment epithelium in vitro.", "content": "Basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) has been reported to initiate DNA synthesis in a variety of cells involved in the pathogenesis of proliferative vitreoretinal disorders, e.g., glial cells and fibroblasts. We analyzed the mitogenic effects of bFGF on cultured bovine retinal pigment epithelial cells in relation to time and dose response regulations and culture conditions. Maximum stimulatory effect of bFGF (+70% compared to control group) was found on day 3 following treatment of cultures with 80 ng/ml bFGF. The action of bFGF seems to depend on the serum concentration in the culture media, which means that cofactors may be present in the serum and potentiate the effects of bFGF on cell proliferation."}
{"id": "PMID:1477621", "title": "Effect of histamine on the membrane potential of cultured human nonpigmented ciliary epithelial cells.", "content": "The effect of histamine on the membrane potential of cultured human nonpigmented ciliary epithelial cells was examined using intracellular microelectrodes. The resting voltage was Vm = 42 +/- 0.7 mV (n = 41). Histamine (10(-6) mol/l) induced transient hyperpolarization (V = 19.4 +/- 1.2 mV, n = 35) and subsequent depolarization when applied for more than 1 min. The histamine effect was completely inhibited by the H1 antagonist diphenhydramine (10(-6) mol/l), but not influenced by the H2 antagonist cimetidine (up to 10(-3) mol/l). When histamine was applied repeatedly in the absence of external calcium, the amplitude of the hyperpolarization decreased until finally no response was observed. Ba2+ (2 mmol/l) and quinidine (1 mmol/l), both inhibitors of potassium conductance, significantly reduced histamine-induced hyperpolarization. It was also reduced when cells were depolarized by 40 mmol/l extracellular potassium and almost completely abolished in the presence of 80 mmol/l external potassium. We conclude that H1 receptors mediate hyperpolarization by increasing potassium conductance, probably via transient release of intracellularly stored calcium."}
{"id": "PMID:1477622", "title": "Fluorescence characteristics of indocyanine green in the normal choroid and in subretinal neovascular membranes.", "content": "Indocyanine green angiography with scanning laser ophthalmoscopy is a new supplementary method studying subretinal neovascular membranes. However, it is still controversial as to whether of not exudation of this dye occurs from regular choroidal vessels or such membranes. Fluorescence of the macula area, a parapapillary retinal vein, and of venous blood and plasma was therefore measured with a picture analysis system in five healthy young volunteers. Furthermore, the angiograms of 150 subretinal neovascular membranes were reviewed. Membrane fluorescence was measured in ten exemplary cases and compared with the background fluorescence. The results show that macula fluorescence is detectable much longer than the fluorescence of retinal vessels. However, a comparison with the fluorescence of blood and plasma samples revealed that this late fluorescence must be caused by retinal and choroidal capillaries with a significantly reduced hematocrit. It is not caused by apposition or exudation of indocyanine green. The same was true for the majority of subretinal neovascular membranes. Exudation was rarely detected in membranes that were regularly surrounded by exudates but could be induced by laser coagulation. These observations indicate that exudation occurs only after massive destruction of the endothelial barrier. The results are important for the interpretation of indocyanine green angiograms and for possible photodynamic therapy with this dye."}
{"id": "PMID:1477623", "title": "Congenital grouped albinotic spots: a rare anomaly of the retinal pigment epithelium.", "content": "We describe the fundus findings of a 6-year-old girl with congenital grouped albinotic retinal pigment epithelial spots distributed over the fundus including the macular area. Apart from the fundus changes functional and electrophysiologic findings were normal, and the family history was uneventful. At follow-up 3 years later, no progression was noted."}
{"id": "PMID:1477624", "title": "Cone dystrophies: clinical and electrophysiological findings.", "content": "We analyzed the clinical and electrophysiological findings of 77 patients suffering from progressive cone or cone-rod dystrophies. The onset of symptoms was at the average age of 19.7 +/- 19.4 years. In some patients, the disease started within the 5th decade. The mean visual acuity was 0.19 +/- 0.2, while in 38%, the visual acuity was lower than 0.1. Color vision defects and visual field defects were found in most patients. The electrooculogram was recorded in 59 patients and was normal in only 19. On the electroretinogram (ERG), 60 patients had a reduction of the 30-Hz flicker amplitude and of the responses at maximum stimulus intensity when dark and light adapted. The ERG alterations showed a correlation to the visual field defects and to the reduction of the light rise on the electrooculogram. No correlation existed between the ERG amplitudes and visual acuity or color vision. Ophthalmoscopically, the posterior pole was normal in 25 patients. In the remaining patients, fundus changes ranged from mild pigment irregularities to severe pigment clumping. No correlation between fundus changes and functional findings existed."}
{"id": "PMID:1477625", "title": "Sclerokeratoplasty in recurrent pterygium.", "content": "There are many methods for the treatment of recurrent pterygium, and lamellar keratoplasty seems to be the most effective of them. A new method has been developed for the surgical treatment of recurrent pterygium. The most important steps in the procedure are: total removal of the cicatrix and then covering the bare corneoscleral surface with a single piece of corneoscleral tissue taken from a cadaver bulb. The operation was carried out in 11 cases. The follow-up period varied from 10 months to 4 years, the average being 28.7 months. No recurrences were observed. Pseudopterygium developed following the ninth removal of the recurring pterygium; however, even 2 years after the operation, it did not reach the area of the pupil."}
{"id": "PMID:1477626", "title": "Transscleral suture fixation of posterior chamber intraocular lenses through the ciliary sulcus: endoscopic comparison of different suture techniques.", "content": "Two technical difficulties exist in transscleral suture fixation of posterior chamber intraocular lenses (PCL) in the ciliary sulcus: first, exact needle penetration of the sulcus and second, exact positioning of the PCL haptics in the sulcus. We used, for the first time, intraocular endoscopy to visualize the site of needle penetration and the final location of the haptics in patients. It turned out that with our previously described standard techniques, precision was far less than anticipated. Thus, new technical ways had to be sought to improve the precision of positioning. In secondary implantation, we achieved best results when the needle was passed from the outside before opening the eyeball, taking advantage of a precisely prepared blue-white line. Passing the needle in an already hypotonic eyeball gives much less precise results. In combination with perforating keratoplasty, passing the needle from the inside by feeling one's way into the sulcus with the needle tip gives the best results. Correct positioning of the PCL haptics is at least as difficult as is needle penetration, a fact which up to now has mostly been ignored. More suitable lens designs may offer a solution for this problem. Their clinical value has to be established by intraocular endoscopy."}
{"id": "PMID:1477627", "title": "Asthenopia: frequency and objective findings.", "content": "Fifty young adults were interviewed about the asthenopic symptoms experienced in the preceding 6 months by means of a questionnaire; they then underwent ophthalmic investigation. We established the frequency of occurrence of single asthenopic symptoms and looked for their prevalence in subgroups determined by objective findings such as phorias, different accommodation widths, different fusional vergence widths, and others. The frequencies of single complaints were: headache 42/50 (84%), ocular pain 17/50 (34%), foreign body sensation 25/50 (50%), red eyes 22/50 (44%), photophobia 24/50 (48%), double vision 5/50 (10%), difficulties when changing fixation distance 21/50 (42%). We did not find any obvious preference for one of the symptoms in any of the subgroups mentioned above."}
{"id": "PMID:1477628", "title": "Diffuse field loss and central visual function in glaucoma.", "content": "Eighty-two eyes of 82 patients with different types of glaucoma were examined with program 30-2 of the Humphrey Field Analyzer. Forty-six of 82 eyes (56.1%) had diffuse field loss and 36/82 (43.9%) eyes had no diffuse field loss according to the cumulative defect curves. Various foveal threshold criteria including temporal transfer and color vision were tested in all eyes. All criteria showed a loss of sensitivity in the presence of diffuse field loss. The loss of sensitivity was statistically significant for the high-frequency end of the foveal temporal contrast-sensitivity function (P = 0.0498), for foveal flicker-fusion frequency (P = 0.0275) and for foveal and parafoveal blue-on-yellow sensitivity (fovea: P = 0.0009; 4 parafoveal points: P = 0.0001; 16 points in the central 10 degrees: P < 0.0001). The loss in sensitivity was not statistically significant for the low and intermediate temporal frequencies of the foveal temporal contrast-sensitivity function and for the FM 100-Hue loss score. All temporal threshold criteria showed a low sensitivity (25-37%) and a low negative predictive value (48-50%) for the presence of diffuse field loss. Their specificity (75-94%) and positive predictive value (65-83%) are high, however. Thus, whenever one of the foveal temporal threshold criteria as used in the present study is abnormal, the probability is very high that there is some diffuse field loss."}
{"id": "PMID:1477629", "title": "Contact cw-Nd:YAG laser cyclophotocoagulation for treatment of refractory glaucoma.", "content": "Contact cw-Nd:YAG laser transscleral cyclophotocoagulation was performed on 42 patients (44 eyes) with glaucoma who were not responding to medical treatment or had failure of prior surgical procedures. No selection was made as to the type of glaucoma (congenital, primary, secondary due to trauma or inflammation). We applied between 16 and 60 exposures 0.5-2 mm posterior to the limbus. Prior to cyclophotocoagulation the mean intraocular pressure (IOP) was 40.4 mm Hg (+/- 8.0). As a result of the treatment, the mean IOP was lowered to 21.1 mm Hg (+/- 5.2). In eyes with congenital, neovascular, and inflammatory glaucoma, a therapeutic effect could only be achieved by repeated coagulations. The patients were followed for a mean of 4.8 months (3-7 months). One eye developed a transient choroidal detachment. In two eyes, iris hemorrhages were noted. Contact cyclophotocoagulation is generally well tolerated. Randomized studies are to be carried out to confirm whether cyclophotocoagulation is an effective tool in the treatment of glaucoma. Until then, cyclophotocoagulation should be restricted to cases not responding to conventional therapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1477630", "title": "The properties of perimetric thresholds in normal and glaucomatous eyes.", "content": "In perimetry, threshold is defined as the stimulus intensity at which the frequency of perception is 50%. Around the threshold, there is a transition zone in which the frequency of perception turns from 0% to 100%. We examined the frequency-of-seeing-function in 21 persons with and without pathological damage at various locations in the visual field. We used the classic method of constant stimuli: 12 different stimulus intensities were presented 25-50 times each. The results were: (1) The frequency-of-seeing curve showed the typical S-shaped transition zone as is known from other psychophysical thresholds. The slope of the curve and thereby the size of the transition zone varied by a factor of 17. The 'threshold coefficient,' which is the difference between the intensities that provoke a 50% and a 84% frequency-of-seeing, ranged from 1.13 to 19.83 dB. (2) The threshold coefficient was strongly correlated with the threshold level itself (r2 = 0.596). (3) Other influencing factors such as pathological damage or peripheral location appeared to be covariant, because they influenced the threshold level. A substantial influence of these factors on the threshold coefficient could not be found. Different fluctuations of the threshold are therefore mainly an effect of the threshold level. This may serve as a anticipatory knowledge that allows the optimization of staircase measurement procedures and enables the improvement of the statistical analysis of visual fields."}
{"id": "PMID:1477631", "title": "Number of stimuli as a reliability parameter in perimetry.", "content": "Catch trials test patient performance during automated, static perimetry, but their adequacy to estimate reliability is uncertain even though up to 10% of the test time is reserved for catch trials. The 308 visual fields (program G1, all 3 phases, Octopus 201) of 308 eyes of 308 glaucoma, suspected glaucoma, and normal subjects were studied. The 108 visual fields (mean sensitivity > 10 dB; corrected loss variance < 50 dB2) without false responses to catch trials were considered reliable. A multiple linear regression analysis of these 108 fields was performed and revealed the following result (r2 = 0.751): Number of stimuli = 480 + (40.short-term fluctuation) + (8.8.the square root of the index corrected loss variance) - (2.2.mean sensitivity). This equation was used to estimate the number of stimuli required of a reliable subject to complete an examination. Excess stimuli would thus be a sign of reduced reliability. The difference between the estimated and the actual number of stimuli was called the 'stimulus discrepancy'. In 169 fields with false-positive and 58 fields with false-negative responses, the false-positive and false-negative responses correlated with the 'stimulus discrepancy' (r = 0.19, P = 0.014; r = 0.29, P < 0.026, respectively). The number of stimuli depends not only on reliability but also on the software and hardware of the perimeter. 'Stimulus discrepancy' may be an additional useful perimetric reliability parameter which does not require extra testing time."}
{"id": "PMID:1477632", "title": "Multiple-stimulus presentation and voice control in automated perimetry.", "content": "In all, 55 eyes of 55 patients were examined prospectively in random order with the Humphrey field analyzer [central field 76 points, full threshold strategy, single-stimulus presentation, response-button control (HFA 1); central field 76 points, defect-depth strategy, response-button control (HFA 2)] and the Dicon TKS-4000 [central field 76 points, defect-depth strategy, multiple-stimulus presentation, response-button control (DIC 1); central field 76 points, defect-depth strategy, multiple-stimulus presentation, voice control (DIC 2)]. Some 26 patients (47%) had glaucomatous field defects, 7 patients (13%) had lesions of the visual pathway, 5 patients (9%) had normal fields. The other 17 patients (31%) had field defects due to vascular lesions of the retina or the optic nerve, retrobulbar neuritis, cataract, dysthyroid optic neuropathy, disorders of the macula, or human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) retinopathy. The mean testing time for the whole study population was 5.2 +/- 2.7 min for DIC 1. The difference from the mean testing time for HFA 2 (6.4 +/- 2.7 min) is statistically significant (p = 0.0013). DIC 2 reduces the mean testing time to 4.9 +/- 2.6 min. The difference from DIC 1 is not statistically significant (p = 0.8110). A multiple-stimulus presentation and voice control seem to be useful methods to reduce the testing time in automated perimetry without a loss of accuracy. Voice control, as used in the DICON TKS 4000, still has to be improved, however."}
{"id": "PMID:1477633", "title": "Horner's syndrome: a retrospective analysis of 90 cases and recommendations for clinical handling.", "content": "The records of 90 cases of oculosympathetic paresis (1982-1991), 39 women and 51 men aged between 3 months and 82 years, were evaluated. The mean baseline anisocoria was 0.92 mm but did not exceed 2.4 mm. The mean difference in the position of the upper eyelid was 2.3 mm. Enophthalmus of 1 mm or more was found in only 25% and exophthalmus of 1 mm or more, in 18%. Exophthalmus or enophthalmus of more than 2 mm was not encountered. The cocaine test (5% solution in most cases) was performed in 85 cases and could be quantified in 65 cases. The average dilation of the involved pupil was 0.52 mm, whereas the normal pupil dilated 2.14 mm. The average postcocaine anisocoria was 2.54 mm. Hydroxyamphetamine 1% dilated the involved pupil in cases with presumed preganglionic lesions slightly more than the normal fellow pupil (2.39 mm and 2.09 mm respectively). The difference was significant (P < 0.05). In postganglionic lesions, the hydroxyamphetamine dilation was 0.57 mm. The hydroxyamphetamine test had a specificity of 90% for postganglionic lesions and 88% for preganglionic. An underlying acquired disease could be identified in 53 cases; 6 cases were congenital. In 37 cases (including the congenital ones), no cause was found. Among the 33 preganglionic lesions, only one malignant tumor was found, whereas 6 malignant tumors were encountered among the 20 postganglionic cases. Additional ocular motor palsies or other local signs were present in these 6 cases. Goiter was frequently associated with preganglionic Horner's syndrome."}
{"id": "PMID:1477634", "title": "Diffuse loss of rod function in autosomal dominant retinitis pigmentosa with pro-347-leu mutation of rhodopsin.", "content": "There is considerable variety among the clinical features of autosomal dominant retinitis pigmentosa (ADRP). This is probably at least in part due to genetic heterogeneity. Recently, various mutations of the rhodopsin gene have been detected in some ADRP families. We report on six patients from two families with ADRP who were investigated by means of psychophysical and electrophysiological methods. All displayed the same rhodopsin gene mutation at codon 347, which exchanges the amino acid proline for leucine (pro-347-leu). The patients had early-onset night blindness and impaired side vision as of the end of their second life decade. They produced monophasic dark-adaptation curves, showing a lack of rod function and elevated cone thresholds. Dark-adapted two-color threshold perimetry using 500- and 650-nm stimuli revealed a diffuse loss of rod function and centrally preserved cone function. The electroretinogram was nonrecordable at the age of about 30 years. A certain variability of visual function loss was noted among patients in the overall severe course of the disease, but the clinical findings of this genotype corresponded to type 1 ADRP of Massof and Finkelstein in all cases."}
{"id": "PMID:1477635", "title": "Fluorescence characteristics of drusen during indocyanine-green angiography and their possible correlation with choroidal perfusion.", "content": "The fluorescence of drusen and their correlation with choroidal perfusion was investigated using indocyanine-green videoangiography in 37 patients (mean age, 66 +/- 16 years) with juvenile and senile drusen. Most senile drusen (89%) blocked choroidal indocyanine-green fluorescence, and only three patients had small, weakly hyperfluorescent drusen at the vascular arcade. In contrast, all juvenile drusen (patients aged 31-52 years) demonstrated strong hyperfluorescence. Impaired choroidal perfusion was not detected. In 33% of the patients, all of them older than 60 years, moderate choroidal hypofluorescence could be explained by the presence of confluent drusen and/or a thickening of the pigment epithelium-Bruch's membrane complex. The results of the present study demonstrate that indocyanine-green angiography enables the differentiation of juvenile drusen from senile drusen, which could be an indication of a differing pathogenesis for the two diseases. Indocyanine-green hyperfluorescence of drusen must be caused by the transmission of choroidal fluoresence. This jeopardizes the hypothesis that the fluorescein fluorescence of drusen is invariably caused by storage of the dye. Our results contradict previous fluorescein studies that have demonstrated impaired choroidal perfusion in patients with age-related macular degeneration."}
{"id": "PMID:1477636", "title": "Central subretinal hemorrhage from a retinal arterial macroaneurysm--two-step treatment with laser and vitreoretinal surgery.", "content": "Central subretinal hemorrhage can be a complication of arterial retinal macroaneurysm. Subretinal bleeding may lead to mechanical and toxic damage of photoreceptors, causing persisting central scotomas. Prophylactically, we perform a two-step therapy using an argon laser and vitreoretinal surgery to achieve coagulation of the bleeding source and drainage of subretinal blood."}
{"id": "PMID:1477637", "title": "Lipoprotein (a): a risk factor for retinal vascular occlusion.", "content": "The protein moiety of lipoprotein (a) consists of apoB-100 and apolipoprotein (a). Lipoprotein (a) is an independent risk factor for premature atherosclerosis. Apolipoprotein (a) and plasminogen are structurally homologous. Through interference with the fibrinolytic system, lipoprotein (a) may act as a thrombogenic factor. In the present study, we determined lipoprotein (a) concentrations in 84 patients (60 men and 24 women) with retinal vascular occlusion (RVO) and in 2 groups of healthy volunteers (n = 40 and 46). In all, 29% of the patients had Lp (a) levels of above 300 mg/l. In the two reference groups, only 10% and 9% of the subjects exceeded this level. According to the chi-square test, the association between Lp (a) levels and RVO was significant. Lp (a) concentrations did not differ between patients with arterial occlusion and those with venous occlusion. No difference in the total cholesterol, triglyceride, or LDL-cholesterol values was observed between patients and controls. We therefore conclude that Lp (a) represents an independent risk factor for RVO."}
{"id": "PMID:1477638", "title": "A method of lens extraction for the injection of liquid intraocular lenses.", "content": "A method for the injection of liquid intraocular lenses into the capsular bag would offer many benefits in the treatment of cataracts. The corneoscleral incision could be made even smaller, the lens diaphragm would be conserved more physiologically, and a method of therapy for presbyopia might eventually be possible. As a prerequisite, a method of endocapsular lens removal is needed. We have developed such a method for our experiments on the injection of liquid intraocular lenses in the enucleated pig eye. We use a bimanual technique through two opposing 1-mm corneoscleral incisions and two openings measuring 1 mm in diameter in the peripheral anterior capsule. By using curved needles and suction tips, we could remove the capsular contents completely. The injected material was polymerized in situ by exposure to blue light and resulted in an optically clear cast of the lens capsule of surprisingly good optical quality."}
{"id": "PMID:1477639", "title": "Light-induced endocapsular polymerization of injectable lens refilling materials.", "content": "The use of advanced phacoemulsification techniques enables the surgeon to remove opacified lens material while preserving a nearly complete capsular bag. For this reason, several groups are presently working on lens refilling techniques. We have developed a method for the injection of a liquid monomer into the lens capsule. The material can be polymerized by exposure to cold light (wavelength, 400-500 nm) within the capsular bag. Using cell-culture experiments, we selected an optically clear material that has cytotoxic properties when placed in direct contact with cells but does not release cytotoxic substances into the surrounding medium. We have shown that reflux of the liquid monomer into the anterior chamber can be avoided by using a material that can be polymerized within the capsule. Initial experiments in rabbits indicate that the technique can be used without inducing a significant postoperative inflammatory response or leading to morphological changes in the cornea or the retina."}
{"id": "PMID:1477640", "title": "Tear secretion in dry eyes as assessed by objective fluorophotometry.", "content": "To date, little information has been available about the actual amount of tear secretion in dry eyes. In the present study tear secretion was studied in 20 consecutive dry eye patients [40 eyes; Schirmer test after topical anesthesia < 5.5 mm/5 min; at least moderate squamous metaplasia of the conjunctival epithelium; bengal rose staining (Bijsterveld score > 4); severe dry eye complaints]. Tear secretion was evaluated by automated, computerized objective fluorophotometry and compared with that in an age-matched healthy control group. Tear secretion of the dry eyes examined was found to have decreased drastically (0.2 +/- 0.2 microliters/min) compared with that in healthy control eyes (1.2 +/- 0.5 microliters/min; P < 0.001). None of the dry eyes had a tear secretion of > 0.4 microliters/min."}
{"id": "PMID:1477641", "title": "Clinical use of recombinant plasminogen activator for intraocular fibrinolysis.", "content": "In a preliminary clinical study, recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA) was injected into the anterior chamber of 18 eyes and into the vitreous cavity of 2 eyes in a total of 20 patients. The clinical indications were severe fibrin formation after filtering operations for glaucoma (8 eyes), diabetic neovascular glaucoma (3), fibrin and hemorrhage after vitrectomy (3), keratoplasty (3), posterior chamber lens implantation (1), trauma (1), and endophthalmitis (1). Complete fibrinolysis within a minimum of 2 h was achieved in 81% of 26 injections. Although doses of about 12 micrograms rt-PA were generally given, in our observations, 6 micrograms proved to be sufficient for rapid fibrinolysis in selected cases. Injections of rt-PA should not be considered before the 3rd postoperative day so as to avoid rebleeding and recurrent fibrin formation. No toxic intraocular side effect was observed after the use of rt-PA in this study."}
{"id": "PMID:1477642", "title": "Block excision of congenital and infantile nonpigmented epithelial iris cysts. Report on eight infants.", "content": "Spontaneous congenital and acquired nonpigmented epithelial iris cysts are rare unilateral lesions of the anterior uvea. From 1980 to 1991, eight infants with progressive nonpigmented epithelial iris cysts were successfully treated by block excision. This technique consists of simultaneous removal of the adjacent iris, the pars plicata of the ciliary body, and all layers of the sclera and cornea in contact with the lesion that serve as a shell for the proliferating epithelium. The resulting defect is covered with a tectonic corneoscleral graft. Five of the children, whose ages ranged from 1 month to 7 years (average, 3.7 years), presented with a congenital nonpigmented epithelial iris cyst and three infants presented with a cystic epithelial ingrowth following perforating injury. On histopathological examination, all but one patient revealed epithelial involvement of the surface of the ciliary body. All patients were followed for an average of 45.5 months. The long-term visual acuity of our very young patients was encouraging, ranging from 20/200 to 20/20. No recurrence of iris cysts was noted and no enucleation was necessary. Our results indicate that block excision may be the treatment of choice for congenital and infantile nonpigmented epithelial iris cysts."}
{"id": "PMID:1477643", "title": "A colour-flicker analysis of visual function in patients with retinal detachment.", "content": "Patients with a history of retinal detachment were examined by the following tests: (1) setting of an isoluminant match between yellow and green constituent squares of a checkerboard and (2) measurement of the flicker fusion frequency for a contrast-reversal of this yellow-green pattern. The results suggest that the test may provide useful data for assessing the severity of any damage to a given part of the retina. The fusion frequencies range from over 10 Hz (normal) to about 2 Hz for a severely impaired retina. The data for the relative amounts of red and green light needed to achieve a match rarely show any abnormality; thus, a standard anomaloscope test or pseudoisochromatic plates would not detect these deficiencies."}
{"id": "PMID:1477644", "title": "Mucinous sweat-gland adenocarcinoma of the eyelid.", "content": "A case of mucinous sweat-gland adenocarcinoma of the eyelid, clinically diagnosed as a cyst, is presented. This lesion, although accounting for a small proportion of all sweat gland tumors, has a predilection for the eyelid. It is locally aggressive, has metastatic potential, and wide local excision is recommended as the primary procedure. This case illustrates the clinical, macroscopic, and histopathological features of a rare primary malignancy of the eyelid."}
{"id": "PMID:1477645", "title": "Acute leukemias with the t(4;11)(q21;q23).", "content": "The t(4;11)(q21;q23) has been associated with marked lineage heterogeneity. Most of the reported cases were classified as acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). The t(4;11) is one of the commonest specific chromosomal translocations in ALL, occurring in 2% of childhood and 5% of adult cases. In childhood ALL, this translocation is associated with female sex, age less than 1 year, hyperleukocytosis, CD10-/CD19+ B-precursor cell immunophenotype, and myeloid-associated antigen (CD15) expression. There also appears to be an age-related difference in treatment outcome. Adults had the worst prognosis, and children aged 1 to 9 years appeared to have a better outcome than infants or adolescents. Reported cases of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) or secondary leukemia with the t(4;11) have not been well characterized. It is intriguing that virtually all of the reported cases with secondary leukemia had received epipodophyllotoxins or doxorubicin, agents that affect topoisomerase II and are associated with secondary AML characterized by 11q23 abnormalities. Identification of the involved gene(s) in the t(4;11) will provide a molecular approach permitting more accurate classification of these cases."}
{"id": "PMID:1477646", "title": "Measurement of proliferation indices in non Hodgkin's lymphoma--is it useful?", "content": "In this review we discuss the possible value of additional information concerning growth characteristics of NHL's for the prognosis of the individual patient. Techniques for measuring cell cycle kinetic parameters (e.g. S-phase assessment) and proliferation related antigens (e.g. anti-transferrin receptor and Ki67) are shortly reviewed. This is followed by an overview of proliferation studies in NHL. Until now in most of these studies overall measurements of tumour tissue have been performed. Moreover the parameters that have been assessed are related to proliferation state rather than proliferation rate. None of the methods used has a convincing superiority with regard to clinical outcome. In the future, tumour specific assessment (by means of double-labeling techniques) of proliferation rate parameters might provide information, more relevant to the prognosis of the individual patient with NHL."}
{"id": "PMID:1477647", "title": "Sinus histiocytosis with massive lymphadenopathy.", "content": "To date, the morphological aspects of sinus histiocytosis with massive lymphadenopathy (SHML) have been fully described. The disease is characterized by an enlargement of lymph nodes in which the sinuses are dilated and infiltrated by histiocytes, often phagocytosing lymphocytes. Even if the prognosis is usually benign and not requiring therapy, several fatal cases have been reported. The etiology is still obscure and the biology is not yet completely clear. Recent immunophenotypical studies suggest that histiocytes may belong to the T-zone associated histiocyte lineage. They may be cytologically homogeneous, but can express different antigenic patterns according to their stage of differentiation. Cytogenetic and molecular aspects of the disease have only been sporadically investigated. In order to better understand the pathogenesis of SHML, which seems to be a disorder lying in between the fields of infections, immunological disease and neoplasia, it is considered very useful to systematically employ a variety of immunophenotypical, cytogenetic and molecular techniques to study the disease, particularly in cases which are clinically atypical or with a more aggressive evolution."}
{"id": "PMID:1477648", "title": "F-MACHOP in advanced aggressive lymphoma.", "content": "The results of our ten years experience indicate that F-MACHOP, conceptually designed to exploit cell kinetic and synergistic principles, is an effective regimen with acceptable toxicity in a large proportion of adults with advanced stages of diffuse large cell or small non-cleaved cell lymphoma. More than 60% of all treated patients all expected to achieve long-term EFS. Patients achieving CR within 3 courses have a very high chance of being cured of their disease and do not require, in our opinion, intensification with other regimens. On the other hand the identification of a group of patients with poorer outcome (i.e. those failing to achieve an early CR) enabled testing of the potential efficacy of superintensive salvage regimens. Together with other 6 Italian hematologic institutions, we have recently participated in a prospective comparative randomized trial in which F-MACHOP was compared to MACOP-B in adults with advanced stages of diffuse large cell or small non-cleaved cell lymphoma. The preliminary results of this trial appear to confirm that F-MACHOP is an effective and tolerable regimen in such patients and there is a suggestion that its efficacy is superior to that of MACOP-B. This trial was closed to accrual in September 1991 and we look forward to the first complete analysis in March 1992."}
{"id": "PMID:1477649", "title": "A phase I/II study of dose and administration of non-glycosylated bacterially synthesized G-M CSF in chemotherapy-induced neutropenia in patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphomas.", "content": "Recombinant human granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (rhGM-CSF) derived from E. coli was administered to 24 previously untreated patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma following the first cycle of CHOP chemotherapy. Four dose levels were examined, 1.5, 3.0, 5.5 and 11 micrograms/kg and patients were randomized to receive the drug either once or twice daily subcutaneously (s.c.). During rhGM-CSF treatment, the leucocyte counts increased up to 3-4 fold in 20/24 patients, reaching a peak 24-48 (mean 35) hours after initiation of rhGM-CSF. The leukopenic period in cycle one of the CHOP chemotherapy with rhGM-CSF, was shorter than after the course of chemotherapy without rhGM-CSF and also shorter when compared to cycle one of CHOP in the 127 historical controls (p < 0.05 and p < 0.001 respectively). Similar results were observed for neutrophil counts. No effect was seen on platelet counts at nadir but a significant, although moderate increase occurred in the recovery period on days 15 and 22 when compared to control cycles and historical controls. When dose levels were compared, there was only a trend to higher WBC counts at the higher dose groups (5.5 and 11 micrograms/kg) when compared to the two lower dose groups (1.5 and 3.0 micrograms/kg). In the overall evaluation there was no statistical significant difference in results between patients treated s.c. once daily versus twice daily. However when only the two highest dose levels (5.5 + 11 micrograms/kg) were compared, s.c. administration of rhGM-CSF twice daily led to higher leucocyte counts than once daily in the recovery period on day 15 (p < 0.05).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1477650", "title": "Childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia immunophenotypes and their prognostic significance: experience of the IGCI-study in 389 children. International Society for Chemo-immunotherapy (IGCI-Vienna) Cooperative Group.", "content": "The prognostic significance of immunophenotype and other features including sex, age, anaemia, WBC, FAB type, and PAS staining were analysed in a group of 389 children newly diagnosed as acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and treated according to the BFM 1981/1983 protocol. The CR rate was higher (82-94%) in immunophenotypic subgroups defined as 'non-B' compared with B-ALL (54%). The probability of being in CCR at the end of follow up was 0.68 (median. observation, 3 years). Using the stepwise Cox regression analysis the following independent factors predictive of duration of CCR were selected (relative risk in brackets): 1. WBC (> 25G/1:< 25G/1 = 2.0, P = 0.0008), 2. age (> 10y:2-10y = 1.3, P = 0.04), 3. CALLA positivity (neg.:posit. = 2.4, P = 0.04), 4. CALLA within B-cell progenitor ALL (pre;preB,Calla-:Calla+ = 1.7, P = 0.007). T-ALL appeared to have a worse prognosis than U-ALL and B-progenitor derived ALL but it did not retain independent prognostic significance in multivariate analysis."}
{"id": "PMID:1477651", "title": "The role of IL-4 in human myeloid leukemia: stimulation of RNA synthesis and transduction of differentiation signals through an IL-4 receptor leads to functional and HLA positive HL-60 cells.", "content": "The ectopic expression of lineage markers on irrelevant cell types may be of importance in the differentiation pathway(s) of these cells. One example, that is the subject of this study, is the presence of the interleukin-4 (IL-4) receptor on the surface of the human HL-60 myeloid leukemia cell line. The presence of such a receptor, that at first seems to be a simple genetic misprogramming, has an unusual biological function: It serves as a bridge to link the B cell growth factor IL-4 in order to transduce a number of differentiation signals in this M2 acute myeloid leukemia (AML) population. Signal transduction is followed by stimulation of RNA synthesis and subsequent induction of differentiation. Daily administration of low IL-4 dose yields proliferative senescent cells that exhibit 66% of growth inhibition in a 5-day tritiated thymidine incorporation assay. These cells clearly exit from the standard M2 morphology and show more mature characteristics as assessed by the Giemsa-Wright staining technique, followed by a 2-fold increase of the monocyte-granulocyte-specific Mac-1 surface antigen. Cellular function is also affected positively since phagocytosis of latex beads increases considerably after IL-4 treatment. Finally, as reported for normal human and murine monocytes and macrophages, the receptor-ligand interaction augments the levels of the class I and class II antigenic determinants by approximately 60%. Our results suggest that ectopic expression of markers may be a \"distinct\" event required during a short period in the differentiation of certain hemopoietic cells leading to mature and normal phenotypes."}
{"id": "PMID:1477652", "title": "EoL-1, a human eosinophilic cell line.", "content": "EoL-1 cells, a recently established human eosinophilic leukemia cell line, have cytological features of myeloblasts under normal culture conditions, and differentiate not only phenotypically but also functionally into eosinophils by a number of stimuli. EoL-1 cells are particularly useful for analyzing leukemic cell differentiation and the properties of malignant eosinophils. EoL-1 cells are also a useful in vitro model for studying human eosinophil functions and their regulation."}
{"id": "PMID:1477653", "title": "High incidence of myeloproliferative disorders in Ashkenazi Jews in northern Israel.", "content": "We have analysed epidemiological parameters in 339 patients with myeloproliferative disorders (MPD) diagnosed in northern Israel between 1975 and 1989 as having polycythemia vera (191 patients), agnogenic myeloid metaplasia (AMM) (113) and essential thrombocythemia (ET) (36). Mean average annual incidence was 11.4 per 1 million residents for polycythemia vera, 6.5 for AMM and 2.1 for ET. For all three diseases the average annual incidence increased with age and was 10 times higher in patients over 65 years compared to those less under the age of 45 years. Four percent of all patients had relatives with MPD. Incidence of MPD in Jews was 10 fold higher than expected compared to Arabs and this difference was noted for all 3 diseases. The incidence in Ashkenazi Jews originating from eastern and central Europe, was 10 and 20 folds higher than in Sephardic Jews and Arabs respectively. Mean age at diagnosis of MPD in Arabs and Sephardic Jews was lower than in Ashkenazi Jews (52 and 56 years compared to 64 years P < 0.05). Likewise, mean age at diagnosis was lower in the 11.5% of MPD patients with prior exposure to biological or chemical hazards compared to unexposed individuals (58 years versus 63 years, P < 0.02). These data demonstrate a cluster of MPD in Ashkenazi Jews in northern Israel and emphasize the importance of genetic predisposition possibly interacting with acquired factors in the pathogenesis of these disorders."}
{"id": "PMID:1477656", "title": "Sequencing of PCR-amplified DNA.", "content": "Alternatives for sequencing of PCR products essentially fall into one of two categories; generation of single-stranded DNA for sequencing or the direct sequencing of double-stranded product. Of the two alternatives, sequencing of double-stranded PCR products is likely to be of greatest immediate significance in terms of general applicability and rapidity. Double-stranded sequencing allows the use of the PCR product for other purposes either prior to or subsequent to generation of sequence data. The single-stranded sequencing methods generally require some prior decision regarding sequencing of the product. Assisted by automated workstation development, sequencing of single-stranded DNA PCR products generated either during thermal cycling or following affinity-capture strand separation may have significant future utility, particularly in genome mapping and routine clinical diagnosis. Despite template type and protocol differences, in all situations the purity and concentration of PCR-amplified DNA template used remains the most critical factor determining the efficiency and reliability of nucleotide sequencing methods."}
{"id": "PMID:1477657", "title": "Quantitative determination of rare mRNA species by PCR and solid-phase minisequencing.", "content": "We present a new method for quantification of mRNA, in which the limitations of the current quantitative PCR methods can be overcome. A known amount of a synthetic RNA standard differing from the mRNA to be quantified by a single nucleotide is reverse-transcribed and amplified together with the mRNA template using a biotinylated primer. The biotinylated PCR product is immobilized on a streptavidin-coated solid support and denatured. The ratio between the two amplified sequences is determined by separate \"mini-sequencing\" reactions, in which a detection step primer annealing immediately adjacent to the site of the variable nucleotide is elongated by a single labeled dNTP complementary to the nucleotide at the variable site. The ratio between the incorporated labels accurately determines the ratio between the two sequences in the original RNA sample. We applied this method to quantify the mRNA of human aspartylglucosaminidase (AGA) in tissues and cultured cells. AGA is a lysosomal enzyme participating in the degradation of glycoproteins. A mutation in the AGA gene abolishes the enzyme activity and leads to aspartylglucosaminuria (AGU), a recessively inherited metabolic disorder. The mRNA quantification revealed that the normal and mutant genes are expressed at similar levels in kidney, liver, and cultured fibroblast, whereas the amount of AGA mRNA in normal placenta and brain is significantly higher than that found in the corresponding samples from AGU patients. The method presented here is generally applicable for PCR-based quantification of rare mRNAs and DNA as well."}
{"id": "PMID:1477658", "title": "Preferential PCR amplification of alleles: mechanisms and solutions.", "content": "The preferential PCR amplification of one allele relative to another in a heterozygous sample could result in an incorrect or ambiguous genetic typing of that sample. There are several mechanisms that could potentially lead to such preferential PCR amplification. First, preferential amplification can result from significant GC% differences between alleles if the conditions of the reaction (denaturation temperature (Tden), duration at the Tden' salt and co-solvent concentrations, etc.) allow the denaturation of one allele but not the other (differential denaturation). For example, the DQa1.1, -1.2, and -1.3 alleles of the HLA-DQa locus do not amplify at a Tden < 89 degrees C; these same conditions still allow amplification of the DQa2, -3, and -4 alleles. However, no differences in amplification efficiency were found between the different HLA-DQa alleles when the Tden was set at the recommended Tden of 94 degrees C, even after as many as 102 cycles of amplification. Second, for PCR-based genetic typing systems in which the PCR products from different alleles differ in length, preferential amplification of the shorter allelic product can occur. Experiments in which the variable number tandem repeat (VNTR) marker D17S5 (YNZ22) was amplified under various conditions suggest that the smaller allelic products are amplified preferentially when Taq polymerase is limiting. Preferential amplification of VNTR alleles can also occur if the target DNA is sufficiently degraded. Third, when the initial number of genomes sampled is very small, stochastic fluctuation in the number of copies of each allele can result in what appears to be preferential amplification. Finally, less efficient priming of DNA synthesis of one allele versus another can occur because of mismatches between the primer and the specific allelic template, resulting in preferential amplification of the other allele. General strategies to avoid preferential amplification are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1477659", "title": "The rat genome contains a p53 pseudogene: detection of a processed pseudogene using PCR.", "content": "The p53 gene is the most frequently mutated gene in human cancer. Our investigation of this gene in radiation-induced tumors led to the discovery of a processed pseudogene in the rat genome. We amplified eight coding exons of the p53 gene using rat liver DNA as template, and, in each case, one major amplification product was apparent on agarose gels. When we selected primers to amplify fragments containing more than one exon, two major products were apparent. In each case, the size of the larger amplification product was consistent with that of the expected p53 fragment. The sizes of the shorter amplification products suggested that these fragments are amplified from a processed p53 pseudogene. When the blotted fragments were probed with sequences internal to the amplification primers, both the gene and putative pseudogene fragments were seen. Sequences of the shorter coamplicons have high homology with the p53 cDNA and cross intron splice junctions. These findings suggest that the rat genome contains a processed p53 pseudogene. The data demonstrate the usefulness of the polymerase chain reaction for revealing processed pseudogenes, and suggest that the pseudogene can be used as an internal control when amplifying the rat p53 gene."}
{"id": "PMID:1477660", "title": "Simplified template preparation and improved direct sequencing using Taq polymerase.", "content": "A streamlined version of direct dideoxy sequencing is presented that includes template preparation as well as sequencing protocols. The method is used routinely to sequence double-stranded PCR products after minimal purification with one of the primers used in amplification. Either 35S or 32P labeling can be used with equally good results."}
{"id": "PMID:1477661", "title": "Quantitative RNA and DNA gene amplification can rapidly monitor HIV infection and antiviral activity in cell cultures.", "content": "We have developed a quantitative gene amplification procedure to assess the replication of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in cell cultures and evaluate the effect of drugs on viral replication. Increases in HIV gag RNA and DNA in phytohemagglutinin-stimulated normal peri-pheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) infected with HIV at very low multiplicity of infection paralleled the production of HIV p24 antigen in culture supernatants. Quantitative gene amplification was able to monitor the accumulation of viral nucleic acids in control cultures and demonstrate the effect of various concentrations of azidothymidine (AZT) on the replication of both AZT-sensitive and -resistant strains of HIV. The sensitivity of patient-derived virus strains to AZT could also be successfully measured by these procedures. The results of our studies suggest that quantitative measurement of HIV gag RNA and DNA can be used to monitor the kinetics of viral replication, antiviral activity, viral drug resistance, and mechanism of drug action."}
{"id": "PMID:1477662", "title": "Detection of influenza A and B in respiratory secretions with the polymerase chain reaction.", "content": "Influenza A and B are RNA-containing viruses that frequently infect humans. Currently, sensitive detection of these viruses requires fresh respiratory secretions and special facilities for culture. To facilitate diagnosis of influenza, the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used in the present studies to detect DNA produced by reverse transcription of influenzal RNA in vaccines, tissue culture fluids, and stored respiratory secretions. Primers were directed at targets on the highly conserved segment 7 (matrix gene) of influenza A (212-bp product) and B (365-bp product). The primers were completely type specific. Critical variables in the assay were the concentration of pleotropic salts used during preparation of samples, the use of carrier RNA and RNase inhibitors during sample preparation, and the use of optimum K+ and Mg2+ levels at each step. Studies of 33 patients with symptoms of viral respiratory infection whose nasal washes had been cultured and frozen for up to 1 year before assay showed that PCR provided type-specific detection of influenza with a sensitivity comparable to that of culture of the fresh secretions. The assay offers a powerful test for detection of devitalized influenza viruses and may be useful in both diagnostic work and epidemiological studies of influenza."}
{"id": "PMID:1477668", "title": "A novel method for site-directed mutagenesis using PCR and uracil DNA glycosylase.", "content": "A novel method for site-directed mutagenesis of DNA sequences based on the use of the PCR is described. The method uses two oligonucleotide primers that contain the desired sequence change and overlap at their 5' ends. In addition, the thymine residues in the overlap region have been substituted with deoxyuracil. Amplification of the template plasmid by PCR results in incorporation of the primers and the desired mutation into the PCR product. Excision of the deoxyuracil residues in the PCR products by uracil DNA glycosylase (UDG) destablizes base-pairing at the ends of DNA molecules and thus generates 3' protruding ends in the opposite strand. Due to overlapping nature of the primers, the resulting 3' protruding ends are complementary and can anneal rapidly after treatment with UDG. When the entire plasmid is amplified, a linear mutant PCR product is generated that circularizes after treatment with UDG. Circularized molecules can then be transformed into competent cells without ligation, generating transformants with the mutant genotype. Alternatively, the gene of interest is amplified in two segments using overlapping mutant primers and cloned in the desired orientation into pAMP1 by UDG cloning. Application of this method to site-specific mutagenesis of the lacZ alpha gene and the human c-raf oncogene was demonstrated. The accuracy of the mutations was confirmed by nucleotide sequence analysis as well as phenotypic assays. The method is rapid, highly efficient (> 99%), and applicable to genes cloned in any vector as well as to genomic DNA or RNA.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1477669", "title": "A lock-docking oligo(dT) primer for 5' and 3' RACE PCR.", "content": "We describe a method that can be used to obtain and sequence 3' and 5' ends of cDNA transcripts directly from PCR products. The method employs a modified oligo(dT) primer that enables it to \"lock-dock\" at the junction of gene-specific cDNA sequence and a natural (3') or appended (5') poly(A) tail. As a result, discrete, first-round PCR products are obtained that are easily isolated and sequenced directly."}
{"id": "PMID:1477670", "title": "Improved blood sample processing for PCR.", "content": "To simplify our procedure for blood sample processing for PCR, we introduced a simpler, shorter, and more cost-effective method for the separation of peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) and DNA extraction for amplification with Taq polymerase. By this method, blood samples are processed in two simple 15-min steps: (1) separation of PBLs from whole blood by red blood cell lysis with the Roche Specimen Washing Solution, and (2) DNA extraction by heat-detergent treatment of separated PBLs. This new method is simpler than the standard Ficoll-Hypaque method for PBLs separation and Proteinase K digestion for DNA extraction. It is not inhibitory to DNA amplification and it allows effective processing of blood samples even after prolonged storage (as long as 8 days) at room temperature."}
{"id": "PMID:1477671", "title": "Detection of mutation delta F508 in the cystic fibrosis gene using allele-specific PCR primers and time-resolved fluorometry.", "content": "A method to detect the main cystic fibrosis (CF) mutation delta F508 from dried blood spots, whole blood, or saliva using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and time-resolved fluorometry (TRF) is described. Samples are treated by boiling in mild alkaline solution, after which two allele-specific PCR reactions are performed. Allele-specific primers and a common biotinylated primer are used in the amplification reactions. To detect the PCR product, an europium-labeled oligonucleotide, complementary to the biotinylated strand of the PCR product, is used in a solution hybridization. Hybridization is done in streptavidin-coated microtitration wells, making the detection easy to perform. After a washing step, the bound label is detected using a time-resolved fluorometer. To analyze function of the assay, 20 dried blood spot samples were tested. PCR amplification of the deletion region combined with gel retardation assay was used as a control method. In the initial testing, 2 samples giving discrepant results in the two assays were found. In addition, 17 samples from known CF patients together with 6 normal control samples were analyzed. Among these patient samples, 10 homozygotes and 6 carriers for mutation delta F508 were found."}
{"id": "PMID:1477672", "title": "Detection of the most common mutations causing beta-thalassemia in Mediterraneans using a multiplex amplification refractory mutation system (MARMS).", "content": "A rapid, simple, cost-effective, non-radioactive method for detection of the most common mutations causing beta-thalassemia in Mediterranean people has been developed by combining multiplexing with the amplification refractory system. This approach, the multiplex amplification refractory mutation system (MARMS), provides an easy assay for direct detection of normal and mutant beta-globin genes in homozygotes and heterozygotes. The strategy involves multiplex PCR of four of the five regions of interest within the beta-globin gene in a single reaction containing a common oligoprimer and either the normal or mutant oligonucleotides corresponding to IVS-1 nucleotide 1 or IVS-1 nucleotide 6, IVS-1 nucleotide 110, codon 39, and IVS-2 nucleotide 1 regions. Primers are chosen so that the sizes of the four PCR products differ, thereby facilitating detection on agarose gels following amplification. Patient samples are primed with either four normal or four mutant oligonucleotide mixtures and the common oligoprimer, and PCR products run in parallel on gels to detect band presence or absence. This approach simplifies mutation detection and shows promise for automation employing fluorescent-tagged primers."}
{"id": "PMID:1477673", "title": "Immunomagnetic recovery of Chlamydia trachomatis from urine with subsequent colorimetric DNA detection.", "content": "There is need for integrated systems that provide rapid and sensitive diagnosis of Chlamydia trachomatis. Here we describe for the first time that specific antibodies to a C. trachomatis surface protein can be used for magnetic recovery of bacteria directly from crude urine samples. The combination of immunomagnetic separation (IMS), where the bacterial cells are both purified and concentrated, with a colorimetric PCR assay makes the method sensitive and suitable for routine clinical screening in microtiter format. No filtrations, centrifugations, extractions, or electrophoretic techniques are required throughout the whole procedure. Using magnetic beads as the solid phase, the colorimetric detection of immobilized amplified nucleic acids (DIANA) also allow direct DNA sequencing of positive samples for more detailed analysis. Of the 27 urine samples analyzed, eight were found to be positive using this method. Only five out of these eight were determined to be positive by cell culture."}
{"id": "PMID:1477677", "title": "Estradiol-promoted accumulation of receptor in nuclei of porcine endometrium cells. Comparison of the retention of receptor in nuclei during subcellular fractionation of untreated and hormone-treated cells.", "content": "Nuclei were isolated from porcine endometrium of castrated pigs either unexposed or exposed to estradiol in vivo by two techniques, one of which included a hypotonic step. Aliquots were analyzed for estradiol content. Receptor was extracted from buffered, Surfynol-stabilized suspensions by either (a) KCl alone, (b) in combination with dithiothreitol, or (c) by dithiothreitol with polypentosanesulfate and addition of KCl. The yields rose from a-->c. The same proportional gains with increasing extractant efficacies were obtained from nuclei of unstimulated and estradiol-treated cells. Receptor recovery with extractant \"c\" rose linearly over the range of 9-80 x 10(6) nuclei/mL and was independent of the technique used for isolation. Nuclear fractions isolated using steroid-free solutions contained more estrogen receptor than estradiol; the numerical excess in control nuclei persisted in the nuclei of stimulated cells featuring a stoichiometric rise of ligand and receptor contents. The increase of receptor contents in nuclei isolated from hormone-stimulated cells coincided with a decline in the cytoplasmic fractions. An excess of hormone over receptor was seen only when nuclei were isolated from untreated cells with media containing 10 nM estradiol. Our data strengthen earlier notions of an estradiol-promoted receptor translocation into the nucleus and are not compatible with the ligand-filling hypothesis of preexisting nuclear binding sites."}
{"id": "PMID:1477678", "title": "Estradiol-promoted accumulation of receptor in nuclei of porcine endometrium cells. Immunogold electron microscopy of resting and estradiol-stimulated cells.", "content": "Endometrium was collected by curettage from castrated pigs, either untreated or exposed to estradiol in vivo by intrauterine injection, and processed for electron microscopy. The resin LR Gold was used for embedding, and sections were floated on droplets of 10 nm diameter gold particles, coated with the immunoglobulin-G1 (IgG1) fraction or its Fab2 fragment of a monospecific polyclonal antiserum raised in goats against the C-terminal half of the estradiol receptor. On average, only one gold particle per microns 2 became attached in the cytoplasmic area of untreated cells, whereas four were found over the nuclear area. These figures rose to 2-3/microns 2 and 15-26/microns 2, respectively, within 10 min after exposure to estradiol. The labeling intensities of nuclei in cell clusters and of coprocessed nuclei released from cells ruptured during curettage were identical in all situations. Nuclear pores were frequently tagged after estradiol treatment. The proportions of tagging densities in nuclei of untreated and estradiol-exposed cells corresponded to those of receptor contents measured in extracts of isolated nuclei by ligand binding. This correlation was not seen for the cytoplasmic compartment of untreated cells, the scarce tagging of which is interpreted by hidden antigenic determinants. Our morphological analyses support the conclusions drawn from biochemical data (Sierralta et al., 1992) of an estradiol-promoted translocation of receptor from the cytoplasm into the nucleus."}
{"id": "PMID:1477679", "title": "Short-term in vivo regulation of prolactin receptors in the liver, testes, kidneys, and mammary gland of rats.", "content": "Infusion of 17-beta-estradiol for 3 h caused a more than 100% increase in the number of PRL receptors (PRL) in the microsomal liver fraction of male rats without affecting the hormone-receptor affinity. A small but significant increase in PRL receptors also was found in testes but not kidneys. Testosterone infusion to female virgin rats for a similar time period resulted in some nonsignificant decreases in PRL receptors in the liver but not the mammary gland or kidneys. Testosterone infusion to males or 17-beta-estradiol infusion to females did not change the number or affinity of PRL and growth hormone receptors. The level of serum PRL was not influenced during infusion with both hormones."}
{"id": "PMID:1477680", "title": "Microsomal steroid receptors in target tissues.", "content": "Target tissues contain microsomal receptors for steroid hormones. High-affinity, low-capacity binding sites for steroids are located in the endoplasmic reticulum and do not bind DNA. Studies by diverse groups on the nature and function of these receptors using biochemical and morphological approaches are discussed. The findings indicate that microsomes can be the site of receptor synthesis. Microsomes can also play a role in the control of receptor recycling and/or receptor processing after the complexes exit the nucleus of target cells. Moreover, microsomal receptors may be involved in posttranscriptional actions of steroid hormones."}
{"id": "PMID:1477681", "title": "Ophthalmic drugs and anesthesia interactions.", "content": "Ophthalmic medications are often overlooked in the preoperative evaluation for patients experiencing surgery and anesthesia as \"just eye drops.\" Both acute and chronic administration of these agents affects the anesthesia practitioner. Virtually every patient experiencing anesthesia for cataract extraction will have other nonanesthetic medications administered perioperatively. Medications are dispensed throughout the age continuum for the treatment of glaucoma on a chronic basis. All of these medications have the potential to cause morbidity and mortality by themselves or in combination with other drugs, to include anesthetic agents. This article focuses on the more common agents the anesthetist will encounter."}
{"id": "PMID:1477682", "title": "Ambulatory ophthalmic surgery and the Health Care Financing Administration's Outpatient Surgery Generic Quality Screen Guidelines.", "content": "The quality of care rendered in ambulatory ophthalmic surgical centers is subject to the standards outlined in the Health Care Financing Administration's \"Outpatient Surgery Generic Quality Screen Guidelines.\" Ophthalmic Surgery accounts for 28.2% of all ambulatory surgery performed in the United States. Diabetes, respiratory disorders, renal failure, and hypertension are a few of the clinical problems that are handled in a nontraditional fashion in ophthalmic surgery facilities throughout the United States with excellent results and low incidence of complications. Trends in the clinical management of patients in ophthalmic surgical centers are described by data obtained in a survey conducted by the anesthesia and surgical staff of the Parris-Castoro Cataract and Laser Center in Bel Air, MD. The survey addressed the current trends in obtaining history and physicals, electrocardiograms, chest radiographs, and laboratory studies before outpatient ophthalmic surgery."}
{"id": "PMID:1477683", "title": "Periocular regional block: experience with a two-point injection technique.", "content": "As an alternative to traditional retrobulbar needle placement during regional anesthesia of the eye, a two-point injection technique has been successfully employed which uses less aggressiveness in needle tip approach to key structures and affords good lid akinesia without need of separate blockade of facial nerve branches. While this technique is more closely related to so-called \"peribulbar\" approaches in terms of needle direction and volume of anesthetic administered, it is recognized that final needle tip placement with any technique may, at times, be difficult to ascertain. This emphasizes the need for more generic terminology in block description such as \"periocular\" or \"ocular regional blockade.\""}
{"id": "PMID:1477684", "title": "A review of anesthesia for the open globe.", "content": "There are many factors, both physiological and pharmacological, that influence IOP during anesthesia. The choice of anesthetic technique must consider factors other than IOP such as the patient's general condition, concomitant injuries, and the nature of the operation. At this time, there is no ultrarapidly acting neuromuscular blocking agent to allow succinylcholine to be completely abandoned and no method of succinylcholine pretreatment is completely effective in blocking the increase of IOP. The anesthesia provider must balance the overall risk to the patient with the risk to the injured eye when deciding if succinylcholine is to be used. The controversy regarding the actual risk that succinylcholine presents to the open eye has gone on for years and can be expected to continue."}
{"id": "PMID:1477685", "title": "Retrobulbar block for open-eye injuries: a report of 19 cases.", "content": "In open-eye injuries, which are often emergency procedures where the patient may have a full stomach or be in precarious health, retrobulbar anesthesia offers definite advantages over general anesthesia. A \"low-volume\" technique is described which gives adequate anesthesia without dangerously increasing intraocular pressure. A table containing the salient description and outcome of 19 anesthetics given in this manner is included."}
{"id": "PMID:1477688", "title": "Propofol-fentanyl versus midazolam-fentanyl: a comparative study of local sedation techniques for cataract surgery.", "content": "Administering intravenous sedation in conjunction with intraoperative monitoring to cataract surgery patients is a widely accepted technique. Numerous articles report local sedation techniques for cataract surgery that are, in essence, abbreviated general anesthetic techniques for insertion of the retrobulbar block (RBB). Because of variations in levels of consciousness, a number of complications have been encountered with this specific patient population, ie, movement upon insertion of the RBB, intraoperative patient movement, confusion, hypotension, respiratory depression, and respiratory arrest. In an attempt to meet the specific needs of this patient population, a study comparing propofol-fentanyl with midazolam-fentanyl was initiated. Seventy-five (ASA 1 to 3) patients were randomly assigned to two groups: propofol-fentanyl (P/F) or midazolam-fentanyl (M/F). The mean age of patients in the P/F group was 71.1 +/- 13 SD, and the mean age in the M/F group was 74.4 +/- 8.8 SD. All patients entered the operating room unpremedicated. Before the RBB, patients in both groups were given a single intravenous dose of 50 micrograms fentanyl. Propofol (mean dose, 24.7 mg) or midazolam (mean dose, 1.58 mg) was then titrated to slurred speech or nystagmus. Patients' responses to the RBB were evaluated and recorded by an objective observer. The amnestic properties of both agents were evaluated by patient questioning at 10 minutes and 24 hours. Levels of discomfort were evaluated on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being extremely uncomfortable and 5 being noticeable without pain. Respiratory depressant effects of both techniques was assessed via continuous pulse oximetry. Results were analyzed using the chi 2 test, rank t test, and SD.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1477689", "title": "Artificial blood substitutes.", "content": "Investigations directed toward the development of an effective artificial blood substitute are continuing as concerns remain regarding the safety and adequacy of the nation's blood supply. Perfluorochemical compounds, modified hemoglobin solutions, and microencapsulated hemoglobin represent the major areas of research. If a successful red cell substitute can be developed, many problems inherent in current blood transfusion practices could be alleviated, particularly in emergency situations."}
{"id": "PMID:1477691", "title": "Anesthetic concerns and complications during suspension microlaryngoscopy procedures.", "content": "The use of lasers during microsurgery on the larynx is becoming more commonplace in the operating rooms of many hospitals. Because of the intense cardiovascular response to suspension microlaryngoscopy and the short duration of these cases, the anesthesia provider is faced with one of the most challenging anesthetic cases. This article includes a brief introduction to suspension microlaryngoscopy, a case study, a description of suspension microlaryngoscopy, and the anesthetic concerns and possible complications of importance during suspension microlaryngoscopy."}
{"id": "PMID:1477692", "title": "Anesthetic implications for the surgical patient prescribed psychotropic medications.", "content": "The anesthetist must be aware of anesthesia implications for the surgical patient who is taking prescribed psychotropic medications. The number of patients taking psychotropic medications who present for surgery is increasing. Psychotropic medications combined with anesthesia can produce serious complications. This article reviews commonly known psychotropic medications and introduces the anesthetic implications of two new drugs, fluoxetine and buspirone."}
{"id": "PMID:1477693", "title": "Total intravenous anesthesia with a continuous propofol-alfentanil infusion.", "content": "A total intravenous anesthetic using propofol and alfentanil was evaluated to determine if it would provide a shorter recovery-room stay than a more traditional balanced anesthetic using isoflurane and alfentanil. Forty-three ASA I or II patients between 17 and 50 years of age undergoing major abdominal or orthopedic procedures were studied. The propofol group received alfentanil 50 mg/kg followed by propofol 1 mg/kg for anesthesia induction. Continuous propofol infusion was initiated at induction using 170 mg/kg/min for 10 minutes, followed by 130 mg/kg/min for 10 minutes, then maintained at 100 mg/kg/min until 10 minutes before the end of surgery. Ventilation was supported with an air-oxygen mixture. The group receiving balanced anesthesia received alfentanil 1 mg/kg, and anesthesia was induced with sodium thiopental 4 mg/kg. A 1% isoflurane inhalation with air-oxygen was initiated immediately upon induction. Both groups received a continuous infusion of alfentanil titrated to maintain heart rate within 10% of preinduction levels. Recovery from anesthesia was measured using a subjective pain assessment, a verbal fluency test, and a short-term memory test. No differences were detected in the rate of recovery at 30 minutes or 60 minutes postextubation. Hemodynamic stability during induction and intubation was slightly better in the propofol group than in the isoflurane group. One episode each of intraoperative awareness and delayed eye opening occurred in the propofol group. Total intravenous anesthesia using propofol and alfentanil is just as effective as a balanced inhalation anesthetic and provides equally rapid recovery. However, practitioners are cautioned to include an amnestic adjuvant when using propofol as the sole anesthetic agent."}
{"id": "PMID:1477699", "title": "Carbon dioxide lasers in anesthesia.", "content": "Carbon dioxide lasers have been used in medicine since the 1960s. They have created new challenges for the anesthesia provider. A review of laser physics, laser characteristics, potential complications, and anesthetic techniques is presented."}
{"id": "PMID:1477700", "title": "The legislative scheme of pre-trial destruction or lawful disposal of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances in India.", "content": "The present article provides a description of the practice of pre-trial destruction of seized narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances in India as provided for in the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, and the Customs Act, 1962, and in the context of the United Nations Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances of 1988. It includes explanations of why, as well as how, the pre-trial destruction of such substances should be carried out."}
{"id": "PMID:1477701", "title": "Drug abuse and illicit trafficking in Italy: trends and countermeasures, 1979-1990.", "content": "The author begins with a discussion on trends in drug abuse and trafficking in Italy in the period 1979-1990, when the country was experiencing major heroin-related problems and the situation with regard to cocaine trafficking and abuse was rapidly deteriorating. He then describes the organization of the anti-drug services in Italy and identifies strategies pursued by the Italian Government with a view to intensifying its activities in international drug control."}
{"id": "PMID:1477702", "title": "Law enforcement approaches and measures used in countering illicit drug problems in Thailand.", "content": "The Government of Thailand, which has long recognized the serious threat posed by illicit drugs, has implemented stringent law enforcement measures aimed at suppressing illicit drug trafficking by dismantling clandestine laboratories, intercepting essential chemicals, effecting significant seizures and eradicating illicit crops. In addition, the Government has taken steps to initiate the enactment of legislation providing for the confiscation of proceeds derived from illicit drug trafficking activity. Furthermore, it has maintained and strengthened its already close bilateral and multilateral cooperation in the field of drug abuse control."}
{"id": "PMID:1477703", "title": "Analysis of heroin seized in France.", "content": "Because of the increase in heroin trafficking in France, it was decided that data on samples of heroin seized in the country would be filed in a computer in the Interregional Forensic Science Laboratory at Lyon. The computer file has made it possible to identify certain physical and chemical similarities among samples of seized heroin. According to the data in the computer file, the colour, purity, diluents etc. of the heroin offered on the street has changed significantly since 1987. The Laboratory will be in a better position to identify the geographical sources of heroin seized in France once samples of seized heroin have been obtained directly from their countries of origin."}
{"id": "PMID:1477704", "title": "Drug control: policies and practices of the International Criminal Police Organization.", "content": "Drug trafficking and drug abuse are among the major social issues that the world has to grapple with. The far-reaching consequences of drug abuse in humanitarian, social and economic terms have led to intensive action on the part of Governments, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations. The International Criminal Police Organization (ICPO/Interpol) plays a key role as the central command for the joint efforts of the national law enforcement agencies of its 158 member States. The present paper outlines the role of ICPO/Interpol, particularly its Drugs Sub-Division, in international drug control efforts. It includes a discussion of ICPO/Interpol policies and practices related to drug control and of recent developments in its information and communication capabilities."}
{"id": "PMID:1477705", "title": "Drug control policies in some parts of Asia.", "content": "The Asian region has experienced drug problems ever since opium was exported to China in the eighteenth century. Today, in some parts of the region, high priority is placed on drug control policies relating, for example, to the eradication of opium poppy cultivation, criminal sanctions against drug trafficking, and treatment programmes for drug-dependent persons. Some good results have been achieved in recent years: according to estimates, opium cultivation in at least one country in the region has decreased; the number of new cases involving drug-dependent persons is falling in a number of countries; and major drug trafficking syndicates have been disbanded."}
{"id": "PMID:1477706", "title": "Patterns of drug trafficking and countermeasures: the personal view of a veteran.", "content": "In the present paper, a law enforcement official with nearly 40 years of experience in combating drug trafficking provides insight that may prove useful to persons in other organizations and/or cultures. He examines, in particular, the development, at the national level, of drug control legislation, a drug law enforcement strategy and a drug intelligence unit."}
{"id": "PMID:1477710", "title": "Vascular endothelium.", "content": "Endothelium lines all blood vessels and the cardiac cavities and has a central role in cardiovascular homeostasis. It releases several potent substances which mediate the control of vascular tone and cardiac contraction. Endothelial dysfunction is implicated in many disease states. Elucidation of the underlying mechanisms is likely to lead to novel therapeutic strategies."}
{"id": "PMID:1477713", "title": "Advances in the management of gastroenteritis in children.", "content": "Gastroenteritis continues to be an important problem in developed communities, although less so than in the past. Most children can be managed at home with oral rehydration therapy. Only those children with severe dehydration require hospital admission and intravenous therapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1477711", "title": "Cutaneous manifestations of malignant disease.", "content": "This review discusses the more common cutaneous disorders associated with internal malignancy. Some rare but specific entities are included, and some recently recognized associations are highlighted. Particular emphasis is given to the key physical signs, which can alert the physician to the possibility of underlying neoplastic disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1477716", "title": "Management of an abnormal smear.", "content": "Women with a smear that suggests the presence of moderate or severe dyskaryosis should be referred for colposcopic examination. This article outlines briefly the principles of colposcopy and treatment of these abnormalities using large loop excision of the transformation zone."}
{"id": "PMID:1477714", "title": "Assessment of students.", "content": "Assessment can use the written word, the spoken word or practical activity. Often the learner has little idea of the purpose of the assessment or the expectations. Here I present a brief outline for designing assessments and balancing assessment techniques in relation to the purposes and content of the learning experience."}
{"id": "PMID:1477712", "title": "Magnetic stimulation of the nervous system.", "content": "Magnetic brain stimulation is a painless method of exciting cortical neurons and provides a measure of corticospinal tract function. Its clinical role is currently limited though advances in coil design may lead to wider clinical applications and to greater understanding of how the cerebral cortex functions in vivo."}
{"id": "PMID:1477723", "title": "Streetlife and delinquency.", "content": "The correlation between class and delinquency often observed in areal studies and assumed in prominent sociological theories is elusive in studies of individuals commonly used to test these theories. A restricted conceptualization of class in terms of parental origins and the concentration of self-report survey designs on adolescents in school have removed from this area of research street youth who were once central to classic studies of delinquency. We argue that street youth experience current class conditions that cause serious delinquency, and that life on the street is an important intervening variable that transmits indirect effects of control and strain theory variables, including parental class origins. Data gathered from nearly 1000 Toronto school and street youth are analyzed with important implications for the conceptualization of class and delinquency, testing and integrating sociological theories of delinquency, the measurement of delinquency, and the use of cross-sectional and longitudinal research designs. Our findings especially encourage incorporation of street-based samples into research on class-based aspects of theories of delinquency."}
{"id": "PMID:1477724", "title": "Striatal extracellular dopamine in conscious vs. anesthetized rats: effects of chloral hydrate anesthetic on responses to drugs of different classes.", "content": "Many investigations using the microdialysis technique have been performed in anesthetized animals, both in this laboratory and elsewhere. Concern arises with this preparation that the anesthetic may compromise neuronal function, or that it may interact with test drugs affecting neurotransmitter overflow. In addition, in these studies the microdialysis probe typically is introduced into the brain on the day of testing, and data collection commences within an hour or two following probe insertion. It has been suggested that transmitter recovered in the perfusate probably represents leakage due to tissue damage as well as exocytotic release, and may not accurately reflect neuronal responses to the manipulations of interest. Such potential confounds present important implications for the interpretation of data from these studies. The present investigation examined the effects of chloral hydrate anesthetic on (1) basal dopamine (DA) overflow in the anterior striatum, and (2) DA responses to systemically delivered drugs of two different classes known to influence DA activity. Three putative indices of impulse-dependent release were measured: (a) the time course and stability of basal DA overflow over several hours; (b) sodium channel involvement by adding tetrodotoxin (TTX) to the artificial CSF; and (c) calcium channel involvement using magnesium (Mg) in a calcium-free perfusate. Basal DA levels became stable in both conscious and anesthetized preparations by the second hour after probe insertion. Levels of recovered DA overflow in the anterior striata of conscious rats were approximately double those in chloral hydrate-anesthetized rats. Consistent with other findings, this suggests a general depression of CNS function by chloral hydrate.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1477725", "title": "Behavioral and neurochemical indices of barrel cortex-basal ganglia interaction.", "content": "Previous experiments from our laboratory have shown a wide variety of time-dependent lateralized changes in behavior and nigrostriatal function following unilateral manipulation of the mystacial vibrissae of rats. The present experiment investigated the effects of unilateral radiofrequency lesion of the cortical vibrissae representation (the barrel fields) in light of these results. We measured lateralized changes in behavior as well as tissue monoamines in neostriatum and substantia nigra, between 1 and 16 days post-lesion. Short-term asymmetries in exploratory behavior (thigmotactic scanning) and neostriatal serotonin metabolism that lasted up to day 6 were seen. In substantia nigra, time-related asymmetries in dopamine concentrations were found with higher ipsilateral values on day 3 and higher contralateral values on day 6. After day 6, the animals had recovered from these acute effects and thereafter, neostriatal dopamine metabolism became asymmetrical. Also during this time, they showed a directional bias in spontaneous and apomorphine-induced turning. Finally, neostriatal serotonin was bilaterally elevated on day 16. These results parallel some of the effects previously seen following unilateral removal of the vibrissae, indicating that the barrel cortex is a critical link in the functional interaction between the vibrissae and basal ganglia."}
{"id": "PMID:1477726", "title": "Unilateral neostriatal kainate, but not 6-OHDA, lesions block dopamine agonist-induced ascorbate release in the neostriatum of freely moving rats.", "content": "Unilateral kainate lesions of the neostriatum and 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) lesions of the medial forebrain bundle were used to assess the role of neostriatal and ascending dopaminergic neurons, respectively, on dopamine-agonist induced release of neostriatal ascorbate as measured voltammetrically in freely moving rats. Electrochemically modified, carbon-fiber electrodes recorded the effects of direct (a combination of 10 mg/kg SKF-38393 and 1.0 mg/kg quinpirole) as well as indirect (2.5 mg/kg D-amphetamine or 20.0 mg/kg GBR-12909) dopamine agonists. Relative to controls, kainate, but not 6-OHDA, lesions abolished the ability of both direct and indirect dopamine agonists to induce neostriatal ascorbate release. These results suggest that unlike dopaminergic afferents, neostriatal output pathways play a critical role in the modulation of neostriatal ascorbate levels."}
{"id": "PMID:1477727", "title": "Antiparkinsonian drugs and in vitro excitotoxicity.", "content": "N-Methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor activation has been implicated in the pathogenesis and clinical expression of Parkinson's disease. Because some antiparkinsonian drugs have NMDA antagonist properties, we examined their effects on NMDA toxicity, measured by lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release, in neuron-enriched cerebrocortical cultures. Amantadine reduced NMDA toxicity with half-maximal reduction at approximately 30 microM, while trihexphenidyl, L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-DOPA), bromocriptine and selegiline were ineffective, and benztropine was itself toxic. Amantadine and related drugs could not only reduce parkinsonian symptoms, but also modify underlying neurodegenerative processes."}
{"id": "PMID:1477728", "title": "Visualization of dopamine nerve terminals by positron tomography using [18F]fluoro-beta-fluoromethylene-m-tyrosine.", "content": "[18F]-6-Fluoro-beta-fluoromethylene-m-tyrosine ([18F]FFMMT) was evaluated as a potential imaging agent for dopamine nerve terminals using positron emission tomography (PET). Biodistribution and time course of this tracer in mice after i.p. injection was consistent with the distribution of dopamine. PET imaging studies involving rhesus macaques showed specific uptake in the dopamine-rich caudate-putamen region. This specific localization was blocked by inhibiting the enzyme L-aromatic amino acid decarboxylase and the transport of the tracer into brain was shown to be stereospecific. These results show the promise of L-[18F]FFMMT as a PET tracer in monitoring degeneration of the CNS dopamine system."}
{"id": "PMID:1477729", "title": "Single retinal ganglion cells sending axon collaterals to the bilateral superior colliculi: a fluorescent retrograde double-labeling study in the Japanese monkey (Macaca fuscata).", "content": "Single retinal ganglion cells projecting bilaterally to the superior colliculi (SC) by way of axon collaterals were revealed in the Japanese monkey (Macaca fuscata). After injecting Fast blue into the SC on one side and Diamidino yellow into the SC on the opposite side, some retinal ganglion cells were double-labeled with both tracers. Most of them were large cells (more than 25 microns in diameter), and were localized in a narrow strip around the vertical meridian of the retina on each side. This retinal area roughly corresponds to the reported strip of nasotemporal overlap, where both crossed and uncrossed retinofugal projections arise."}
{"id": "PMID:1477730", "title": "Serotonin-dependent cerebral activation: effects of methiothepin and other serotonergic antagonists.", "content": "In scopolamine-treated (5.0 mg/kg, s.c.) rats hippocampal rhythmical slow activity (RSA) and neocortical low voltage fast activity (LVFA) occur only in close correlation with head movements, spontaneous changes in posture, or locomotion (Type I behavior). Previous work indicates that such scopolamine-resistant RSA and LVFA are dependent on ascending serotonergic projections. A test of 9 serotonergic antagonists (methiothepin; ritanserin; ketanserin; pizotifen; mianserin; pirenperone; ICS-205-930; metoclopramide; methysergide) showed that methiothepin produces a partial reduction in RSA and LVFA in scopolamine-treated rats, while the other antagonists are completely inactive over a wide range of doses. It may be that serotonergic cerebral activation depends on both 5-HT1 and 5-HT2 receptors."}
{"id": "PMID:1477731", "title": "Inhibitory effect of xylamine on the uptake of [3H]norepinephrine into primary astrocyte cultures.", "content": "Primary astrocyte cultures from neonatal rat brains show a Na+-dependent, desipramine-sensitive uptake of [3H]norepinephrine ([3H]NE). Xylamine, a nitrogen mustard, attenuated this uptake of [3H]NE into the astrocytes (IC50 = 0.8 microM). The dose-dependent reduction of [3H]NE uptake by xylamine indicated competitive kinetics. However, xylamine lost the effect if the active transport inhibitor, ouabain or iodoacetate, was also incubated during the pretreatment period of if Na+ was absent. The activity of Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase in astrocytes was not modified by xylamine at the concentrations sufficient to block the uptake of [3H]NE. These findings suggest that xylamine has the ability to compete with the transport of [3H]NE into astrocytes through an effect on the carrier instead of an action on enzymatic activity."}
{"id": "PMID:1477732", "title": "Magnocellular neurosecretory neurons with ferritin-like immunoreactivity in the hypothalamic supraoptic and paraventricular nuclei of the rat.", "content": "Immunohistochemistry for rat liver ferritin (FRT) revealed an intensive labeling in some structures of the rat brain. In the supraoptic (SON) and paraventricular (PVN) hypothalamic nuclei, almost all neurosecretory neurons with vasopressin (AVP)-like immunoreactivity were immunostained with FRT. After water deprivation, a marked enlargement of cell body and an immunoreactivity to transferrin receptors were found in AVP-, FRT- and double (AVP+FRT)-labeled neurons in the SON and PVN."}
{"id": "PMID:1477733", "title": "Perforated-patch method reveals extracellular ATP-induced K+ conductance in dissociated rat nucleus solitarii neurons.", "content": "Extracellular adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP)-induced responses were investigated in acutely dissociated rat nucleus tractus solitarii (NTS) neurons, using nystatin perforated-patch and conventional whole-cell patch-clamp recordings. Extracellular application of ATP could evoke the inward currents with both methods. An additional outward current was observed only with the perforated patch method. The outward current resulted in an increase of K+ conductance which was activated by Ca2+ influx through the ATP receptor-channel complex."}
{"id": "PMID:1477734", "title": "Induction of c-Fos immunoreactivity in the rat forebrain by conditioned and unconditioned aversive stimuli.", "content": "The protein product of the c-fos proto-oncogene was immunocytochemically localized in forebrain regions of adult male Lewis rats subjected to a physically aversive footshock stimulus or a Pavlovian-conditioned, non-aversive, auditory stimulus. Animals receiving the conditioned stimulus were first conditioned by repeatedly pairing electric footshock, the unconditioned stimulus (US), with an auditory cue, the conditioned stimulus (CS). These animals were later tested with the CS in the absence of the US, a procedure which, like footshock itself, suppresses immune function. In animals exposed to the conditioned or unconditioned stressor, c-Fos was strongly expressed in cells of the paraventricular nuclei (PVN) of the hypothalamus, some of which contain corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), and other forebrain areas directly associated with autonomic function, the ventral lateral septal nuclei (LSV), the medial amygdaloid nuclei (AME), the sensorimotor cortex, the basal ganglia and thalamic nuclei. Control animals exhibited very little or no c-Fos in the above areas. The identified forebrain nuclei can now be targeted for further study aimed at elucidating their role in stress-induced immune alteration."}
{"id": "PMID:1477735", "title": "Androgen receptor immunoreactivity in intact and castrate guinea pig using antipeptide antibodies.", "content": "We developed and used antibodies to an androgen receptor (AR)-specific synthetic peptide (amino acids 201-222 of the human androgen receptor) to localize AR in the brain and peripheral tissues of intact and castrate adult male guinea pigs. Immunoreactivity was localized to the nucleus of epithelial and stromal cells in the prostate of intact animals. Immunostaining was abolished in the prostate 4 days following castration. Androgen receptor immunoreactivity was found in brain nuclei known to be involved in reproductive and other androgen-dependent behaviors, including the preoptic area, medial basal hypothalamus, and anterior pituitary gland. Castration had no effect on the distribution or intensity of AR immunostaining in the brain. These data indicate a differential regulation of AR in the brain compared to peripheral tissues."}
{"id": "PMID:1477736", "title": "D-fenfluramine effects on hypothalamic monoamine activities and their hormonal correlates.", "content": "In order to test the hypothesis that the anorectic effects of D-fenfluramine involve mediation by increased serotonin (5-HT) activity we examined the effects of acute and chronic D-fenfluramine on the hypothalamic activities of 5-HT as well as the other major monoamine neurotransmitters noradrenaline (NA) and dopamine (DA). Precise and specific gas chromatograph/mass spectrometer analyses of NA, 5-HT and DA and their primary metabolites dihydroxphenylethyleneglycol (DHPG), 5-hydroxyindolacetic acid (5-HIAA) and dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC), respectively, were made in combination with analysis of the hormonal correlates of the monoamines, glucose and adrenocorticotropin for NA, thyroid-stimulating hormone for 5-HT and prolactin for DA. Acute D-fenfluramine increased NA, while reducing 5-HT, functional activity. Chronic and acute after chronic, D-fenfluramine decreased both NA and 5-HT functional activity. The effect of acute D-fenfluramine on the DA system is consistent with a post-synaptic blockade which is compensated for by chronic treatment. Since chronic D-fenfluramine acted to depress noradrenergic tone, a further study was undertaken which showed that chronic D-fenfluramine does not impair the ability noradrenergic/sympathetic system to respond to stress. The results indicate that D-fenfluramine may not exert its anorectic and weight loss effects via serotonergic agonism and involvement of the NA and/or DA systems is likely."}
{"id": "PMID:1477737", "title": "Excitotoxin paraventricular nucleus lesions: stress and endocrine reactivity and oxytocin mRNA levels.", "content": "Electrolytic lesion of the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of the hypothalamus blocks the tachycardia response to stress. The current study examined the effects of chemical lesion of PVN parvocellular neurons on the cardiovascular and endocrine responses to stress and on the content of hypothalamic oxytocin (OT) mRNA levels. Acute footshock stress increased heart rate in both ibotenic acid lesion and control groups of animals; however, the tachycardia was significantly lower in animals with a PVN lesion than the controls. Lesion of the PVN also attenuated the increase in plasma OT induced by stress, 4-fold in the lesion group versus 20-fold for the controls. There was not a generalized decrease in hormonal responsiveness since the OT response to an osmotic challenge was exaggerated in the lesion group. There was no difference between the groups in the arterial pressure and vasopressin responses to acute stress. Neurotoxin lesions of the PVN also resulted in significant depletions of VP and OT in all levels of the spinal cord and decreased OT levels in the dorsal brainstem. Ibotenic acid lesions of the PVN resulted in no significant changes in OT mRNA in the PVN, SON and PP. In addition, the 48-h dehydration resulted in a significant increase in plasma OT and OT mRNA in the PVN. These data indicate that the parvocellular neurons of the PVN play a role in integration of cardiovascular and endocrine responses to both stressful and osmotic stimuli and provide further evidence that parvocellular OT and VP neurons project to the brainstem and spinal cord."}
{"id": "PMID:1477738", "title": "[Use of a disposable peroperative autotransfusion device in uncomplicated vascular surgery].", "content": "We used a simple single process to recover total blood during surgery. All the process stands on a low burdensome jib and does not require additional staff in theater. Its cost is low. The indications concern all surgical operations enduring low or mean bleeding, except in septic and cancer surgery. It may be used in emergencies, even in war surgery with an incorporated source of depression."}
{"id": "PMID:1477739", "title": "[Postoperative autotransfusion in total hip and knee prostheses].", "content": "The Solcotrans orthopaedic system was used post-operatively in one hundred patients. The following findings were made concerning the blood collected: absence of bacterial contamination; reduction of cellular elements; destruction of clotting factors; increased free haemoglobin. Clinical observation and biological checks established the absence of any disturbance of coagulation and of renal function due to the transfusion of haemolyzed blood. Only blood collected during the first ten hours postoperatively was retransfused. No attempt was made to correct the state of haemodilution considered of benefit in the prevention of thrombo-embolism. In 90% of the cases transfusion of homologous blood in the postoperative phase was avoided. The method seems appropriate in orthopaedic surgery when postoperative bleeding is expected but should be used cautiously in re-interventions. It is to be avoided in malignancies and septic cases. Since the writing of this paper three hundred more cases were done without incident."}
{"id": "PMID:1477740", "title": "[The value and limitations of autotransfusion in traumatology].", "content": "29 autotransfusions were realised in severe cases of trauma (20% of a sample of 143 traumatic emergencies). The recovery of haemothorax blood as well as the peroperative collection by a Cell Saver allowed the retransfusion of 1989 +/- 1,838 ml (225-7070 ml) of autologous blood, amounting to 56% of the average blood loss. A total of 69% of the patients received homologous blood. Eight patients (where the haemorrhage amounted to 143% of the blood volume) showed some coagulation troubles. Autotransfusion assures the immediate availability of blood while reducing the immunological and viral transfusion risks. Therefore haemothorax autotransfusion should be used systematically. Peroperative recollection by a cell-separator works well but is technically more tedious."}
{"id": "PMID:1477741", "title": "[Delayed autologous transfusion in prosthetic surgery of the hip and knee].", "content": "Blood sparing methods used during hip or knee prosthesis implantation or change in 360 patients during the years 1990-1992 were evaluated. For delayed transfusion of autologous blood the main counter-indication was unstable cardiovascular condition. Such cases being excluded, the method was used in 64.2% of all cases. No homologous blood was needed in 68.9% of patients. This result was obtained in 55% of the cases by delayed transfusion of autologous blood and in 13.9% by peroperative normovolaemic haemodilution."}
{"id": "PMID:1477744", "title": "[Methods of reducing peroperative bleeding].", "content": "The reduction of bleeding during surgery can be aimed at for two reasons: to facilitate the operation by providing a bloodless field and/or to avoid blood loss requiring compensation by transfusion. These aims can be reached by reducing blood pressure or by acting on blood-clotting. For inducing hypotension sodium nitroprussiate and isoflurane are mainly used. Complex and precise monitoring is required for patient safety. Two drugs have been used to diminish bleeding: desmopressin and aprotinin. With the latter an important reduction (40 to 50%) of the blood loss has been achieved."}
{"id": "PMID:1477747", "title": "[The transfusion card: value, limitations].", "content": "The transfusion-sheet is an important document which appears first in the French legislation on May 1985 the 17. Its aim is to keep a close watch over transfusion of red blood cells, platelet concentrates and fresh frozen plasma and also immunohematologic evolution of data for every patient. In spite of its importance for everyone in charge of transfusion practice (physicians, biologists, transfusion center,...), a lot of problems may be observed in the strict and complete updating of the document. Informatisation of all the steps of the medical and biological practice appears of crucial interest to perfect its use."}
{"id": "PMID:1477749", "title": "[Use of Cell Saver 4 in traumatology. Apropos of 9 cases].", "content": "During a recent seven mouth period of time, patients with intrathoracic and intraabdominal injury had recovery of shed blood utilizing a Haemonetics Cell Saver. Blood is suctioned from the surgical field or with tube thoracostomy. Autotransfusion is sufficient for four patients; five others patients need blood transfusion, for intraoperative or postoperative hemorrhage. However, the decrease of transfusion requirement is evident, and autotransfusion is equivalent to 8.6 concentrated red cells units for each patient, as 2.6 homologous bank blood concentrated red cell units. The difficulties are nurse training, and cost (to be compared with homologous bank blood cost); but autotransfusion with Haemonetics Cell Saver 4 is sizeable part of transfusion therapy of acute trauma."}
{"id": "PMID:1477753", "title": "[A comparative study in children of 3 anesthetic techniques using plethysmography, pulse oximetry and the level of postoperative pain].", "content": "This study compares three techniques of anesthesia on the ground of the course of plethysmography, pulse oximetry and evaluation of postoperative pain in 75 pediatric patients divided into 3 groups. Results show that combined anesthesia, intravenous and regional anesthesia, has a less desaturation incidence, a better development of plethysmography and a positive reply to postoperative pain."}
{"id": "PMID:1477754", "title": "[Blood saving in bone prosthetic surgery. Apropos of 426 cases].", "content": "Perioperative blood salvage during hip and knee prosthetic surgery have been evaluated in a series of 345 patients who underwent a total of 426 surgical procedures. In 85 per cent of the cases, no additional homologous transfusion was required. In the patients who benefited from autotransfusion the quantity of bank blood transfused was 10 times less than in patients who were not autotransfused."}
{"id": "PMID:1477755", "title": "[Considerations on the monitoring of soda lime. Consideration technique].", "content": "The choice of ethyl violet as a pH indicator in soda lime is not the best. Color change happens too late because pH alteration of the surface of soda lime is slower than in the core of the canister. Clinical and comparative measurement of wall temperature of two in series canisters is a good precaution. If the down stream canister is warmer than the upstream one, you must change the latter."}
{"id": "PMID:1477758", "title": "[Auriculo-ventricular conduction disorder following a continuous administration of propofol. Apropos of a case].", "content": "A case is reported of atrioventricular conduction trouble (M\u00f6bitz I block) during propofol-fentanyl anaesthesia in a healthy 22 year old patient. All troubles disappeared after IV atropine and isoflurane administration instead of propofol infusion."}
{"id": "PMID:1477759", "title": "[Postoperative rhabdomyolysis following surgery of a pheochromocytoma].", "content": "The authors reports one case of post operative rhabdomyolysis after surgery of pheochromocytomas. The diagnosis of rhabdomyolysis suspected on acute renal failure was confirmed on the increase of CPK and myoglobin blood levels. The findings on physical examination were normal. In this particular case, the operative position seems not implicated in the genesis of this rhabdomyolysis. Nevertheless, the long duration of surgery (4 h) is the major factor encountered in this pathology. Evolution was satisfactory after three haemodialysis sessions."}
{"id": "PMID:1477763", "title": "[Pocket informatics in anesthesia].", "content": "A simple, easy to use and inexpensive computerized system could optimize the evaluation of anaesthetic activities. Full processing of information remains our ideal but its difficulties and cost make it hardly possible yet. On the other hand, each anaesthetist can use, for example, a pocket Psion Computer which allows to register 15 items for each anaesthesia. All data are subsequently transferred to a Macintosh central computer. However this activity recording cannot be a substitute for the medical anaesthesia chart which remains essential."}
{"id": "PMID:1477766", "title": "Technique of ocular regional anesthesia.", "content": "Regional anaesthesia by retrobulbar injection by the anaesthetist is recommended for day care ophthalmic surgery. Patient management and anaesthetic technique are detailed. The preferred anaesthetic is 2% lidocaine with hyaluronidase and adrenaline added. Fine, sharp pointed needles are recommended."}
{"id": "PMID:1477767", "title": "[Interpleural anesthesia].", "content": "In 1986, Reiestad and Str\u00f6mskag introduced interpleural postoperative analgesia with local anaesthetic solutions. The aim of this review was to describe the physiological mechanisms, indications and limits of this new mechanisms, indications and limits of this new technic. Interpleural analgesia has been successfully used for pain relief after cholecystectomy by subcostal incision. Nevertheless, the potential side-effects of this technic and the reduction of the postoperative pain with the use of coelioscopic approach discard interpleural analgesia. After thoracotomy, if this technic seemed to be simple by visual placement of the catheter tips by the surgeon, most of the studies failed to demonstrate reduction of postoperative pain. Finally, interpleural analgesia has recently been shown to be effective in the management in various chronic pain syndromes of the upper abdomen (pancreatitis...) and thorax (postherpetic neuralgia, upper extremity reflex sympathetic dystrophy). The efficacy of this technic for long-term chronic pain involves the blockade of the sympathetic chain of the injected side."}
{"id": "PMID:1477768", "title": "[Patient-controlled analgesia by the peridural route and classical methods of analgesia].", "content": "Patient controlled analgesia was developed to compare drug effects. Later its psychological implications were studied. Drug administration by intravenous or epidural injection has been used. The latter provides relief with much smaller doses. Simultaneous use of opioids and anti-inflammatory drugs enhances the analgesic effects. For pain relief in childbirth, opioids need to be combined with local anaesthetics for best results. Little has been achieved by patient controlled analgesia in the treatment of chronic pain."}
{"id": "PMID:1477769", "title": "[Intracerebral morphine therapy in cancer patients].", "content": "An overview of recent studies concerning opioids and their pharmacokinetics is presented. In the light of these findings it is shown that intracerebral administration may be justified. The authors experience with 63 cases is detailed: all cancer patients in the final stage. Initial dosage by the intraventricular route was 500 to 700 microgram-day but in one case twice daily injections of 1.200 microgram were needed. The dosage needed doubled over the observation period of 2 to 3 months. The mean length of survival was 75 days. Among complications nausea and vomiting were observed in 15 to 35% of the cases, sweating and pruritus in 15%, urinary retention in 15 to 20%. In some cases euphoria, motor excitement and hallucinations occurred. Chronic constipation was present in all cases. Two cases of meningitis were successfully treated by antibiotics. Pain relief was judged excellent or good in 75% of the cases. In 20% other analgesics had to be added to the treatment. In 5% the method failed."}
{"id": "PMID:1477770", "title": "[Trans-sacral extradural anesthesia in pediatrics].", "content": "Between 1988 and 1991 1,714 extradural anaesthesias by the transsacral or lumbosacral route have been performed. The anesthetic has always been mepivacaine 1%. Puncture between sacral vertebrae was practiced in 1,308 cases and by the lumbosacral approach in 406. Anaesthesia was for urogenital surgery in the majority of cases but also for orthopedic, abdominal and thoracic surgery. There have been 12 failures (0.7%) and a total of failures and complications was registered numbering 42 or 2.47%. No serious complication occurred."}
{"id": "PMID:1477771", "title": "[Intrathecal morphine therapy in children with cancer].", "content": "Five children with cancer pain were given continuous intrathecal morphine or fentanyl infusion associated with bupivacaine 0.25% without epinephrine. The morphine daily dose varied from 0.1 mg.kg-1 to 1 mg.kg-1, the maximum daily dose of fentanyl was 0.1 mg.kg-1 associated with the same dose of intravenous fentanyl, and the maximum daily dose of bupivacaine was 1 mg.kg-1. Intrathecal treatment was started after oral and epidural morphine treatment had failed. The children were at home, under the care of several nurses and physicians. A satisfactory analgesia was achieved until demise occurred. In all children, urinary retention was the only side effect of the therapy. Therefore, intrathecal opioid and bupivacaine may be indicated after oral morphine therapy has failed in children with advanced cancer refractory pain."}
{"id": "PMID:1477772", "title": "[Spinal pain].", "content": "Three hundred and nine patients complaining of cervical, dorsal or lumbar pain or sciatica were explored by digital subtraction epidurography then treated with local steroids. This treatment was very efficient with 5% failure. Only 19% of the herniated discs required surgery."}
{"id": "PMID:1477773", "title": "[The neurostimulator in loco-regional anesthesia].", "content": "The physiological basis of neurostimulation is recalled and its use for the placement of needles for neural blockade described. After an account of available equipment, the author gives his reasons for preferring some of it. Based on experience gained with more than ten thousand cases, a protocol for using neurostimulation to insure close placement of needles to the nerves to be blocked. The advantages and disadvantages of available needles are stated. The indication for the use of neurostimulation in the practice of infiltration anaesthesia are enumerated and its advantages stressed. Finally its limitations and complications are presented."}
{"id": "PMID:1477775", "title": "[Spinal administration of analgesic substances in the treatment of chronic pain].", "content": "The various forms of chronic pain conditions are described and related to recent knowledge of their neurophysiology. The pharmacology and mode of action of substances used for pain relief by intrathecal, subdural or peridural injection is presented. The modalities of their application, the results obtained and the complications encountered are detailed."}
{"id": "PMID:1477776", "title": "[Physiopathology of combined peridural and general anesthesia].", "content": "General anaesthesia alters self-regulation of arterial pressure by lowering the sympathetic tone to his baseline level. More important is the sympathetic stimulation before general anaesthesia, more important will be the decrease in arterial pressure after induction. Epidural anaesthesia always leads to a sympathetic blockade. The extent and the speed of appearance of this blockade condition the magnitude of the decrease of arterial pressure. So, general anaesthesia and epidural anaesthesia both modifying deeply the autonomic nervous system, their association can only be performed on hemodynamically stable patients for a non hemorrhagic surgery. Correcting a deep arterial hypotension demands first of all the use of vasoconstricting agents the choice of which depends on the site of the epidural anaesthesia and on the cardiovascular condition of the patient. However, although the combined use of the two techniques is attractive, it does not seem to improve cardiovascular nor respiratory morbidities in high risk patients compared with classical general anaesthesia. Nevertheless, the high value of epidural analgesia may improve the postoperative course."}
{"id": "PMID:1477778", "title": "[Pharmacokinetics of local anesthetics in children].", "content": "Anatomical and physiological differences between children and adults may induce changes in absorption, distribution and elimination of local anesthetics throughout life. Absorption is faster and the Cmax may be higher in children than in adults. In addition, the volume of distribution is larger, and the Cmax is lower and the terminal half-life is longer in children than in adults. The low level of albumin and alpha-1-acid-glycoprotein until 6 months of life, may result in an increase in free fraction of drugs, as it has been demonstrated for bupivacaine. In clinical practice, the decrease in protein binding in infants may lead to careful use before the age of 6 months. It seems preferable to use drugs with moderate protein binding and high hepatic extraction ratio such as lidocaine; the repeated injection of epidural bupivacaine should be careful used because of the longer terminal half-life; maximum dosage regimens are for lidocaine 10 mg.kg-1 and for bupivacaine 2.5 mg.kg-1."}
{"id": "PMID:1477782", "title": "[Complementing loco-regional anesthesia in children].", "content": "An accomplishment to loco-regional anesthesia. Yes! but dependent on the age of the child; rather mild general anesthesia than progressive sedation. This should not lead to the neglect of certain basic principles: a faultless technique including the highest security standards without neglecting the psychological aspect. Use of these technique as means of outpatient treatment will be the future outlook."}
{"id": "PMID:1477784", "title": "Characterisation of Rhizobium isolates by amplification of DNA polymorphisms using random primers.", "content": "The use of single random primers, selected in the absence of target sequence information, has been shown to be effective in producing DNA amplifications that provide fingerprints which are unique to individual organisms. DNA amplification by random priming was applied to the DNA from isolates of Rhizobium leguminosarum biovar trifolii. Amplification products were produced using a number of primers, and the resulting fingerprints allowed strain differentiation. However, the effectiveness of primers was dependent upon length and GC content. It was also possible to amplify DNA directly from cells in culture and in nodule tissue. Lysis of these cells was achieved simply through heat applied in the initial DNA denaturation stage of the thermal reaction. The ability to produce varied amplification patterns from different Rhizobium isolates, especially directly from nodules, gives this method potential for use in examining genetic structures and relationships in Rhizobium populations."}
{"id": "PMID:1477785", "title": "Incorporation of cysteine by Borrelia burgdorferi and Borrelia hermsii.", "content": "The growth rate of Borrelia burgdorferi and Borrelia hermsii in BSK II medium prepared with cysteine-free or cysteine-containing (0.185-5.92 mM) CMRL 1066 medium was studied. In media with cysteine-free CMRL 1066, growth of borreliae was detectable, although it was reduced by approximately 80%. Bacterial growth was maximal when the concentration of cysteine in CMRL 1066 reached 1.48 mM, which represents the standard cysteine concentrations of the medium; higher concentrations inhibited the growth of borreliae. Cysteine incorporation, measured by the uptake of radiolabeled cysteine, showed that cysteine enters B. burgdorferi and B. hermsii cells by passive diffusion. Labeling studies of borreliae with [35S]cysteine indicated that B. burgdorferi has several cysteine-containing proteins, including ones at 22, 30 (OspA), and 34 kDa (OspB), whereas B. hermsii showed only two [35S]cysteine-incorporating proteins, at 22 and 24 kDa, which were exposed onto the outer cell surface. In addition, most of the cysteine-incorporating proteins could be biosynthetically radiolabeled when bacterial cells were grown in vitro with [3H]palmitate, and the differences in cysteine incorporation observed between B. burgdorferi and B. hermsii were found to be correlated with differences in lipoproteins."}
{"id": "PMID:1477786", "title": "Expression of the 4-chlorobenzoate dehalogenase genes from Pseudomonas sp.-CBS3 in Escherichia coli and identification of the gene translation products.", "content": "The genes encoding the 4-chlorobenzoate dehalogenase of Pseudomonas sp. strain CBS3 were, in an earlier study, cloned in Escherichia coli DH1 with the cosmid vector pPSA843 and then mobilized to the 4-chlorobenzoate dehalogenase minus strain Pseudomonas putida KT2440. In this paper we report on the expression of 4-chlorobenzoate dehalogenase in these clones and on the polypeptide composition of the active enzyme. The dehalogenase activity in whole cells suspended in 3.2 mM 4-chlorobenzoate (30 degrees C) was determined to be approximately 27 units (micromoles 4-hydroxybenzoate produced per minute) per 100 g of E. coli-pPSA843 cells and approximately 28 units per 100 g of P. putida-pPSA843 cells. Dehalogenase activity in fresh cellular extracts (pH 7.4, 30 degrees C) prepared from the E. coli and P. putida clones was unstable and at least 20-fold lower than that observed with the whole cells. The polypeptide components of the dehalogenase were identified by selective expression of the cloned dehalogenase genes and analysis of the gene translation products. Analysis of dehalogenase activity in omega insertion mutants and deletion mutants circumscribed the dehalogenase genes to a 4.8-kilobase (4.8 kb) stretch of the 9.5-kb DNA fragment. Selective expression of the dehalogenase genes from a cloned 4.8-kb DNA fragment in a maxicell system revealed a 30-kDa polypeptide as one of the components of the dehalogenase system. Selective expression of the dehalogenase genes using the T7 polymerase promoter system revealed the 30-kDa polypeptide and 57- and 16-kDa polypeptide products. Determination of which of the three polypeptides were translated in deletion mutants provided the relative positions of the encoding genes on a single DNA strand and the direction in which they are transcribed."}
{"id": "PMID:1477787", "title": "Antimicrobial activity of 2-aminophenoxazin-3-one under anaerobic conditions.", "content": "Potential toxicity of 2-aminophenoxazin-3-one to 20 bacterial species and two fungi and its inactivation under anaerobic conditions were investigated. Minimum inhibitory concentration for cellulolytic bacteria was in the range of 50-100 micrograms.mL-1, but at 100 micrograms.mL-1 of 2-aminophenoxazin-3-one, there was no effect on the growth of any of the noncellulolytic bacteria. Four noncellulolytic bacterial strains showed no inhibition of growth, even at 200 micrograms.mL-1 of this compound. Under anaerobic conditions and in the presence of cysteine, the long wavelength absorption band of this compound slowly shifted from about 434 to 320 nm, and its inhibitory effect on RNA synthesis was relieved after one-half of a generation time in cultures of cellulolytic ruminal bacteria. A similar shift of absorption band was observed in rumen fluid filtered through a 0.22-microns Millipore filter. It was concluded that protonation of 2-aminophenoxazin-3-one under anaerobic conditions present in the rumen would considerably reduce its potential toxicity to cellulolytic bacteria."}
{"id": "PMID:1477788", "title": "Detection of enterotoxigenicity of Staphylococcus aureus strains: a comparative use of the modified Ouchterlony precipitation test, reversed passive latex agglutination test, and avidin-biotin ELISA.", "content": "The avidin-biotin enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), reversed passive latex agglutination (RPLA) test, and the modified Ouchterlony precipitation test (MOPT) were compared in detecting enterotoxin production by Staphylococcus aureus strains. A total of 1015 strains isolated from human beings, animals, and foods were tested for staphylococcal enterotoxins A (SEA), B (SEB), and C (SEC). Of these, 495 (48.8%), 467 (46.0%), and 204 (20.1%) were classified as enterotoxigenic by the ELISA, RPLA test, and MOPT, respectively. The difference in the number of strains classified as enterotoxigenic by the ELISA and RPLA test was not significant (P > or = 0.05; chi 2), but both tests detected significantly (P < 0.001; chi 2) more enterotoxigenic strains than the MOPT. The combined use of the three assay systems classified 258 (25.4%), 278 (27.4%), and 263 (25.9%) of 1015 strains tested as positive for SEA, SEB, and SEC, respectively. However, the three systems were all positive in only 29.1% of SEA-producing strains, 32.0% of SEB-producing strains, and 25.1% of SEC-producing strains. The MOPT was negative when the corresponding ELISA and RPLA test were positive (46.9% for SEA, 43.5% for SEB, and 40% for SEC); the RPLA test was negative when the corresponding ELISA was positive (10.5% for SEA, 15.5% for SEB, and 25.5% for SEC); and the ELISA was negative when the RPLA test was positive (13.6% for SEA, 9.0% for SEB, and 9.5% for SEC). All factors considered, the RPLA test appears most suitable for quantitatively screening large numbers of strains for staphylococcal enterotoxins."}
{"id": "PMID:1477789", "title": "Yeasts associated with Drosophila in tropical forests of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.", "content": "The distribution and diversity of yeast species vectored by and from the crop of eight species groups of Drosophila is described for two rain forest sites and an urban wooded area in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The typical forest Drosophila groups guarani, tripunctata, and willistoni showed a higher diversity of yeasts than the cosmopolitan melanogaster species group, suggesting different strategies of utilization of substrates. Apiculate yeasts, including Kloeckera apis, Kloeckera javanica, and Kloeckera japonica, were the prevalent species. Geotrichum spp. and Candida citea were also frequent isolates in the forest sites. Similarities between the yeasts from the external surfaces and crops of Drosophila suggested that the feeding substrates were the main source of the yeasts vectored by these flies. Most of the yeasts were strong fermenters and assimilated few compounds, usually sucrose, cellobiose, and glycerol. This indicated a preference of the flies for food sources such as fruits. Some yeasts were primarily isolated from one group of Drosophila; for example, Kloeckera javanica from the melanogaster group, Debaryomyces vanrijiae var. yarrowii from the tripunctata group, and Kluyveromyces delphensis from the willistoni group. These associations and differences in the yeast communities among the fly groups suggested a differentiation of diets and specialization of the yeast-Drosophila association in the tropical forests."}
{"id": "PMID:1477790", "title": "Thiamine secretion in yeast.", "content": "To isolate thiamine excretors and (or) overproducers, 188 cultures belonging to nine yeast and three fungal genera were screened. Nine excreted thiamine as determined by both the presence of cross-feeding zones on a thiamine-free agar medium seeded with a thiamine-requiring yeast strain and by the direct detection of excreted thiamine on agar plates. Several of these cultures produced several-fold more intracellular thiamine than the general culture population. Thiamine-requiring strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and S. uvarum (carlsbergensis) were identified and were tentatively assigned to 10 complementation groups."}
{"id": "PMID:1477791", "title": "The thermostable direct hemolysin of Vibrio parahaemolyticus is a pore-forming toxin.", "content": "The hemolytic mechanism of thermostable direct hemolysin (TDH), a possible virulence factor of Vibrio parahaemolyticus, was studied. We demonstrated that TDH acts as a \"pore-forming toxin\" in temperature-dependent and -independent steps. The first temperature-dependent step requires only about 1-2 min incubation at 37 degrees C and makes a \"pore\" with a functional diameter of approximately 2 nm. The pore size was deduced from the molecular diameter of the colloidal inhibitory polysaccharides. The formation of the pores on TDH-treated erythrocyte membranes was also demonstrated by electron microscopic examination. The second step, which is a temperature-independent lytic step, causes the erythrocytes to swell owing to a colloidal osmotic influx of water via the \"pores\" into cells, resulting in erythrocyte lysis (or rupture) owing to increased intracellular pressure."}
{"id": "PMID:1477792", "title": "Specificity of the microimmunofluorescence assay for the serodiagnosis of Chlamydia pneumoniae infections.", "content": "Chlamydia pneumoniae infections are mostly confirmed using an indirect microimmunofluorescence test for which potential cross-reactions between antigens from different chlamydial species are not well documented. Using this assay, 928 sera (507 subjects) submitted for Chlamydia pneumoniae serology were tested for specific IgM and IgG to this bacteria using the TW-183 antigen. IgM and IgG reactivities to Chlamydia trachomatis serotypes C, D, E, and L2 and Chlamydia psittaci strain 6BC antigens were also tested. A sample was interpreted as positive only when evenly fluorescent elementary bodies were observed. Twenty-five subjects (4.9%) showed serological evidence of recent Chlamydia pneumoniae infection (IgM positive and (or) IgG seroconversion); 11 of them also showed serological evidence of recent infection with at least one other chlamydial species. Specificity was 50 and 63% for IgM and IgG detection, respectively. These results suggest that mixed or temporally related infections might occur, or, more likely, that some Chlamydia pneumoniae IgM or IgG reactivities might be due to heterotypic antibodies."}
{"id": "PMID:1477793", "title": "Prolonged survival of Bordetella pertussis in a simple buffer after nasopharyngeal secretion aspiration.", "content": "A simple method for recovery of Bordetella pertussis is described using phosphate-buffered saline containing a casein hydrolysate for transporting secretions collected by nasopharyngeal aspirate. Bordetella pertussis was reisolated from 92% of clinical specimens held at 4 degrees C for 1 week and from all specimens held at -20 degrees C. This method will facilitate the centralization of laboratory facilities for the diagnosis of pertussis."}
{"id": "PMID:1477794", "title": "Disparate efficacy of tobramycin on Ca(2+)-, Mg(2+)-, and HEPES-treated Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms.", "content": "Mucoid exopolysaccharide (MEP) obtained from Pseudomonas aeruginosa 579 was suspended in 10 mM N-2-hydroxyethylpiperazine-N'-2-ethanesulfonic acid (HEPES) pH 7.2 containing 0.1-10.0 mM of CaCl2.2H2O or MgCl2.4H2O. MEP treated with HEPES or < 5.0 mM of the Ca2+ or Mg2+ salts remained soluble and bound tobramycin in an equilibrium dialysis bioassay. MEP treated with 5.0 or 10.0 mM of the Ca2+ or Mg2+ salts did not bind tobramycin. Five and 10 mM Ca(2+)-treated MEP precipitated but Mg(2+)-treated MEP did not. Pseudomonas aeruginosa 579 biofilms formed using a defined growth medium having < 1 mM Ca2+ or Mg2+ were treated for 1 h with 10 mM HEPES +/- 5.0 mM CaCl2.2H2O or MgCl2.4H2O, prior to an 8-h exposure to HEPES, or the defined growth medium, +/- 125 micrograms/mL of tobramycin. The tobramycin kill kinetics for the HEPES-, Mg(2+)-, and Ca(2+)-treated biofilms were similar and gradual from T = 0-6 h. The viability of the HEPES- and Mg(2+)-treated populations declined sharply (from 6 to 8 h). Bacteria dispersed from the MEP in control biofilms at 0 and 8 h did not grow in the presence of 7.81 micrograms/mL of tobramycin. Thus, binding of tobramycin of P. aeruginosa 579 MEP may not be as influential to the impediment of tobramycin diffusion as is the steric hindrance imposed by the Ca2+ condensation of the polymer."}
{"id": "PMID:1477795", "title": "Pharmacokinetic evaluation of ceftiofur in serum, tissue chamber fluid and bronchial secretions from healthy beef-bred calves.", "content": "Ceftiofur is a new broad spectrum cephalosporin marketed for the treatment of acute bovine respiratory disease. In this investigation ceftiofur was administered by intramuscular injection, at 24 h intervals, to healthy beef-bred calves for four days at dosages of 2.2 and 4.4 mg/kg of body weight, with 4 wk intervals between dosing regimens. Serum, tissue chamber fluid (TCF), and bronchial secretion (BS) concentrations of ceftiofur were measured by microbiological assay after the first and fourth dose of each dosing regimen. Peak serum concentrations (Cmax) of 8.8 micrograms/mL and 17.3 micrograms/mL were obtained approximately 2 h (Tmax), the time of mean peak concentration) after single injections of 2.2 mg/kg and 4.4 mg/kg, respectively. The Cmax was increased approximately twofold following multiple doses of 2.2 mg/kg (Cmax = 13.1 micrograms/mL) and 4.4 mg/kg (Cmax = 24.1 micrograms/mL). Ceftiofur accumulated slowly into TCF and peak concentrations were found to be approximately 14% of those observed in serum after the first dose and approximately 24% after multiple dosing. Concentrations of ceftiofur in BS were obtained rapidly with peak concentrations reaching 45% of the serum Cmax after the first dose. After multiple dosing the Cmax for BS was approximately 25% of the serum Cmax. This study found that both the 2.2 mg/kg and 4.4 mg/kg dosing regimens resulted in continuous serum, TCF and BS concentrations of ceftiofur that exceeded the minimal concentration required to inhibit the bacteria most frequently isolated from calves with acute bovine respiratory disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1477796", "title": "A cohort study of coagulase negative staphylococcal mastitis in selected dairy herds in Prince Edward Island.", "content": "The epidemiology and importance of coagulase negative staphylococcal (CNS) mastitis in Prince Edward Island had not been documented. To investigate this, a cohort of 84 cows at seven farms were quarter sampled eight times over a lactation, commencing with samples taken prior to drying off in the previous lactation. Thirteen species of CNS were isolated. The quarter prevalence of CNS mastitis varied from 4.8% to 6.4% in the first five months of lactation and increased to 14.2 to 16.6% in the last four months of lactation. The geometric mean somatic cell counts (SCC) for quarters infected with CNS and uninfected quarters were 90 x 10(3) and 64 x 10(3) respectively (difference significant at p > 0.005). The two month new infection risk of CNS was 9.0% while the two month elimination risk was 74.4%. Infection with CNS did not alter the risk of subsequent infection with Staphylococcus aureus. The results from this project support the classification of CNS as a minor pathogen in mastitis control programs."}
{"id": "PMID:1477797", "title": "Effects of bovine leukemia virus infection on production and reproduction in dairy cattle.", "content": "The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of bovine leukemia virus (BLV) infection on production, reproduction and longevity in dairy cattle. The study population was a commercial Holstein dairy herd of approximately 400 milking cows. Cattle were tested for antibodies to BLV at least annually for three years and when culled. Four groups of culled cows were compared: seronegative cows (n = 79), seropositive cows without lymphocytosis (n = 176), seropositive cows with lymphocytosis (> or = 9,000 lymphocytes/microliter) (n = 74), and seropositive cows with lymphosarcoma (n = 29). Seropositive groups of cows were bred more times and had longer calving intervals than seronegative cows. The seropositive groups had greater 305-day ME (mature equivalent) FCM (3.5% fat-corrected milk) per lactation and were older when culled than seronegative cows. However, the percent fat per lactation was greater in seronegative cows. In the last complete lactation, differences in 305-day ME FCM, days open and cull age between groups were reduced and none were significant (p > 0.05). In the cull lactation, only cows with lymphocytosis had reduced milk production relative to seronegative cows, although this difference was not significant. After adjustment for initial production and reproductive values, only seropositive nonlymphocytotic cows were culled at a significantly older age than seronegative cattle. Lymphocytotic cows were culled four months younger on average than nonlymphocytotic seropositive cows. Hence, BLV infected cows had greater milk production on average than uninfected cows. Adverse effects of BLV infection were primarily limited to lymphocytotic cows which were culled earlier and had reduced milk production in the cull lactation."}
{"id": "PMID:1477798", "title": "Immune response of pigs to parenteral vaccination with an aromatic-dependent mutant of Salmonella typhimurium.", "content": "Cellular and humoral immune responses to parenteral vaccination with an aromatic-defined (aroA) Salmonella typhimurium and to oral challenge with the S. typhimurium parent strain were examined in pigs. The effectiveness of aroA S. typhimurium vaccination for prevention of clinical disease following challenge was also evaluated. A split litter model was utilized and analysis of variance was by least squares. The statistical model accounted for the effects of vaccination and litter. Parenteral vaccination of pigs with the aroA mutant induced a significant O-polysaccharide (O-ps) specific lymphocyte blastogenic response as well as a significant antibody response to O-ps, lipopolysaccharide and killed bacteria. The aroA strain was avirulent in pigs, was not shed in the feces and significantly reduced the severity of diarrhea following oral challenge."}
{"id": "PMID:1477799", "title": "Antibody avidity in swine lymphocyte antigen-defined miniature pigs.", "content": "Antibody avidity to hen egg white lysozyme (HEWL) was measured by thiocyanate ion elution enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in swine lymphocyte antigen (SLA) defined miniature pigs. Serum antibody avidity was evaluated on day 14 and 30 after primary (day 0) and secondary (day 14) immunizations in eight to ten week old miniature pigs previously typed for swine lymphocyte antigen genotype. The effect of SLA genotype, litter, and gender on anti-HEWL antibody avidity was determined by least squares. Antibody avidity varied amongst individuals. Antibody avidity maturation was observed as a mean rise in antibody avidity from primary response (0.89 +/- 0.64) to secondary response (1.23 +/- 0.54) (p < 0.0005). Overall, SLA genotype did not significantly influence antibody avidity or avidity maturation, but pigs of dd genotype had greater avidity maturation between primary and secondary responses than other genotypes. Litter effects significantly affected antibody avidity and maturation."}
{"id": "PMID:1477800", "title": "Streptomycin-resistant Escherichia coli as a marker of vulvovestibular contamination of endometrial culture swabs in the mare.", "content": "To investigate the vulvovestibular contamination of endometrial culture swabs in the mare, a liquid culture of a streptomycin-resistant strain of Escherichia coli was applied to the vulvovestibular area of mares and used as a marker of contamination of endometrial culture swabs. Prior to taking endometrial swabs, the perineal area was washed with soap, rinsed with water, and dried. Endometrial culture swabs were taken from mares that were in anestrus or diestrus and from mares that were in estrus. When a manual transvaginal swabbing technique was used, 22 of 24 endometrial swab specimens from 12 mares were contaminated with the experimental bacterial strain; culture of only one endometrial swab yielded more than nine colonies. When a speculum approach was employed, three of 12 swab specimens from 12 mares yielded between one and three colonies. The stage of cycle had no effect on the extent of contamination, but the proportion of positive cultures was significantly smaller when swabs were taken via a vaginal speculum approach, compared to a manual transvaginal approach. Complete preclusion of vulvovestibular contamination of endometrial swab specimens was not achieved; however, fewer than ten colonies can be expected even in mares in which the vulvovestibular area has been thoroughly contaminated with a broth culture, provided that the perineal area is adequately cleaned prior to swabbing."}
{"id": "PMID:1477801", "title": "Ultrastructure and molecular characterization of Fusobacterium necrophorum biovars.", "content": "The ultrastructural features and molecular components of 18 strains of Fusobacterium necrophorum biovars A, AB and B, isolated from animal and human infections, were examined by electron microscopy, multilocus enzyme electrophoresis (MEE) and by sodium dodecyl sulfate-gradient polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). High resolution scanning electron microscopy revealed that the strains possessed a convoluted surface pattern. Transmission electron microscopy showed that all strains possessed a cell wall structure typical of gram-negative bacteria. Bleb formation was not uncommon. Numerous extracellular materials, resembling lipopolysaccharide (LPS) fragments, surrounded cells of both human strains and biovar B animal strains. Biovar A field strains revealed capsules as stained by ruthenium red whereas a stock culture strain showed the capsule only when immunostabilized with hyperimmune serum. Starch gel electrophoresis showed all strains to possess adenyl kinase, glutamate dehydrogenases and lactate dehydrogenase; each enzyme migrated uniformly (monomorphic) among the strains and represented an electrotype. However, SDS-PAGE indicated differences in the protein profiles between all of the strains; the most distinctly different was a human isolate (FN 606). Silver staining to detect LPS showed extensive \"ladder\" patterns among the majority of biovar A strains but not in the animal biovar B strains. Immunoblotting of LPS with a rabbit antiserum prepared against phenol extracted LPS from a biovar A animal isolate (LA 19) suggested marked variability in the LPS antigens among the isolates studied."}
{"id": "PMID:1477802", "title": "Measurement of the cytotoxic effects of different strains of Mycoplasma equigenitalium on the equine uterine tube using a calmodulin assay.", "content": "The cytopathic effects induced by five strains of Mycoplasma equigenitalium for cells of equine uterine tube explants were tested by measuring changes in cellular and extracellular concentrations of calmodulin (CaM). Calmodulin concentrations in samples of total homogenate (TH) and total homogenate supernates (THS) of the infected equine uterine tube explants were significantly lower than respective measurements on noninfected controls. In tissue culture medium fractions (TCM) of some infected explants, CaM concentrations were significantly higher than noninfected controls (p > 0.95). The results suggest that M. equigenitalium colonization on ciliated cells of the equine uterine tube can affect the permeability of the cell membrane leading to leakage or release of CaM during cell breakdown. Measurement of CaM concentrations in samples of TH revealed significant differences in the cytotoxic effects induced by different strains of M. equigenitalium on the equine uterine tube (EUT). The data suggests that some strains of M. equigenitalium may have a role in reproductive failure in the mare. In addition comparisons of the means of the concentrations of CaM in samples of TH or THS in EUT explants from four mares in the follicular and four in the luteal phase of the estrous cycle were found to be not significantly different."}
{"id": "PMID:1477803", "title": "Effect of oral administration of sulfadiazine and trimethoprim in combination on thyroid function in dogs.", "content": "The effect of oral administration of sulfadiazine and trimethoprim in combination on serum concentrations of thyroxine (T4), triiodothyronine (T3) and free thyroxine (fT4) and the thyroid hormone response to thyrotropin administration was assessed. Six dogs were administered sulfadiazine (12.5 mg/kg) and trimethoprim (2.5 mg/kg) orally for 28 days; six untreated dogs acted as controls. Serum T4, T3 and fT4 were determined weekly during and for four weeks after treatment. Thyrotropin response tests were performed prior to treatment, after four weeks of treatment and three weeks after stopping treatment. There were no significant differences in mean serum T4, T3 or fT4 concentrations between treated and control groups at any time during the study. Mean concentration of serum T4 over time did not differ significantly from baseline concentration in either group. Significant differences in the mean serum T3 and fT4 concentrations occurred at several time points in treatment and control groups, and were apparently unrelated to treatment. Significant differences in the T4 or T3 response to thyrotropin administration within or between groups were not present. Serum T3 and fT4 concentrations fluctuate in normal dogs. Administration of sulfadiazine and trimethoprim in combination does not affect tests of thyroid function in the dog."}
{"id": "PMID:1477804", "title": "Approaches for genetic purity testing of live recombinant viral vaccines using a human adenovirus:rabies model.", "content": "A two part purity testing regimen for genetically engineered live viral vaccines is described using a human adenovirus 5: rabies glycoprotein gene recombinant as a model vaccine. Initially, restriction endonuclease analysis of the recombinant viral genome verified the integrity of the recombinant construct and identified the vector genome. The second stage employed the polymerase chain reaction to facilitate a more detailed study of the target rabies glycoprotein cassette. The size of the target region was predicted from known nucleic acid sequence information and compared to that obtained after electrophoresis with molecular weight standards. Digestion of the polymerase chain reaction product with a second restriction endonuclease cleaved the target into a number of small fragments. Resolution of the fragments by gel electrophoresis allowed analysis of the target region alone, verifying its identity and integrity."}
{"id": "PMID:1477805", "title": "Bovine platelets retain functional activity in the presence of penicillin G.", "content": "It has been reported that antibiotics of the penicillin family impair the functional response of human, canine and lapine platelets to a broad range of agonists. In contrast, we have shown that the bovine platelet retained full functional responses to stimulation by adenosine diphosphate (ADP) or platelet activating factor (PAF) following administration of penicillin G to clinically normal cattle at 20,000 IU/kg for three days. The aggregation response to collagen was transiently reduced to approximately 50% of pretreatment values, but only while the drug was detectable in the circulation. When penicillin was added to platelet rich plasma suspensions, ADP-induced aggregation was similar to that of the control untreated platelets, while the PAF-induced aggregation response was reduced by not more than 25%. Only collagen-induced aggregation exhibited a modest dose-dependent inhibitory response in the presence of penicillin. It is postulated that the relative insensitivity of the bovine platelet to penicillin may be related to differences in postreceptor biochemical events compared to the human platelet."}
{"id": "PMID:1477806", "title": "Alkaline phosphatase isoenzymes in feline serum using an agarose gel alkaline phosphatase kit method.", "content": "Total serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity is the product of the combined activity of isoenzymes from a number of tissue sources. In this study, a commercially available kit for electrophoretic separation of ALP isoenzymes in an agarose gel was used to separate ALP isoenzymes in feline tissue extracts and serum. Five separate bands of ALP activity were identified. These bands were numbered 1 to 5 with band 1 having the most anodal migration. The tissue of origin corresponding to the migration position of the isoenzymes are as follows: Band 3 was the liver isoenzyme, band 4 was the bone isoenzyme and ALP isoenzymes of both intestine and kidney migrate in the position labelled band 5. Band 1 appears to be related to albumin and does not represent true ALP activity. The tissue source of band 2 (a and b) was not identified. Serum ALP activity of mature, healthy cats is primarily of liver origin. Immature cats (< 1 year of age) have a greater proportion of the bone isoenzyme in the serum."}
{"id": "PMID:1477807", "title": "A study of repair cartilage from osteochondrotic humeral condyles of swine: preliminary report.", "content": "A total of 16 animals, including 12 lame and four normal boars, were used. All lame boars had severe osteochondrotic humeral condyles in which repair cartilage tissues originating from subchondral bone were observed. Quantitative chemical studies of repair cartilage and normal cartilage were carried out using humeral condyles from four selected animals (two lame and two normal boars, respectively). The repair cartilage contained a higher concentration of collagen and lower concentration of proteoglycan than did the normal cartilage, consistent with the light microscopic observation of fibrous and fibrocartilaginous tissues in the repair cartilage. The proportion of proteoglycan extractable with 4M-guanidine hydrochloride was less in the repair cartilage than the normal cartilage. The proportion of proteoglycan that can interact with hyaluronic acid was also less than normal in the repair cartilage."}
{"id": "PMID:1477808", "title": "Sex does not influence serum osteocalcin levels in standardbred horses of different ages.", "content": "The influence of sex on serum osteocalcin levels was studied in 99 Standardbred horses, 52 males and 47 females. The age varied between the day of birth and five years old. A significant inverse correlation (r = -0.87, p < 0.01) was observed between serum osteocalcin level and the age of the animal. Sex did not influence serum osteocalcin level (p > 0.05). When the subjects were divided into five age groups of six months or less, 6 to 18, 18 to 24, 24 to 36 and between 36 and 60 months, no significant influence of sex was noted. A predictive model for serum osteocalcin levels (y = 52.19 - 0.026 age in days, r2 = 0.76) for Standardbred horses aged between the day of birth and five years is described."}
{"id": "PMID:1477809", "title": "The use of an implantable central venous (Hickman) catheter for long-term venous access in dogs undergoing bone marrow transplantation.", "content": "Methods were developed for the insertion and maintenance of long-term central venous catheters in dogs in order to provide reliable venous access during bone marrow transplantation. Single-lumen, 9.6 Fr Hickman catheters with a VitaCuff were used. The catheter was inserted into the jugular vein via a surgical cut-down, and tunnelled subcutaneously to exit over the thoracic spine. Fluoroscopic guidance was necessary to ensure proper positioning of the catheter tip in the right atrium. The catheter was secured at the venous entrance site with a grommet and at the cutaneous exit site with a finger-cuff suture. The exit site was bandaged; dressings were changed daily. Five dogs were studied. Catheter insertion and maintenance techniques were developed using two dogs. For the other three dogs, which developed 7 wk of profound myelosuppression induced by total body irradiation, the catheters were used for blood sampling and infusions of antibiotics, fluids, and blood products. For these three dogs there were 261 total catheter-days. Complete catheter obstruction did not occur. Partial obstruction (inability to withdraw blood) occurred for 13 days with one catheter. The tip of this catheter was in the cranial vena cava. One irradiated dog had a staphylococcal exit site infection for several days after catheter insertion, which resolved with antibiotic therapy. Infections of the subcutaneous tunnel, and catheter associated bacteremia, were not identified. Infectious and hemorrhagic complications of myelosuppression were less severe than in six other dogs where intermittent venipuncture was used for vascular access during radiation induced myelosuppression. In conclusion, long-term central venous catheterization is feasible in dogs during profound myelosuppression and markedly facilitates patient management."}
{"id": "PMID:1477817", "title": "The assessment of dimensions relevant to adult reciprocal attachment.", "content": "The development and potential clinical uses of the Adult Attachment Dimensions Questionnaire is described. The seven scales of the Adult Attachment Dimensions Questionnaire relate to the aspects of a relationship formed to promote and maintain security. The underlying theory is founded on John Bowlby's work on the attachment behavioural system. The empirical validation was accomplished through three studies involving a clinical group and a non clinical group in a hospital setting and respondents to a community survey. Psychometric validation included measures of internal reliability, test-retest reliability, and construct validity through factor analysis. The resultant 35 item questionnaire should be useful to both clinicians and researchers interested in the characterization of the attachment system for adults."}
{"id": "PMID:1477818", "title": "[An inventory for the evaluation of dangerousness in mental patients].", "content": "The authors of the article propose an inventory for the systematic assessment of the dangerousness of psychiatric patients. This clinical tool is qualitative and is helpful in a case-by-case approach. The prediction of violent behaviour is discussed; quantitative and qualitative research perspectives are also mentioned."}
{"id": "PMID:1477819", "title": "Risk and protective factors affecting children in foster care: a pilot study of the role of siblings.", "content": "A retrospective chart review of 115 siblings (from 48 families) simultaneously taken into the care of a Children's Aid Society was conducted. These children were a very neglected group at great risk of developing mental illness. There was a significant correlation between the number of symptoms the child had while in the receiving home and the time spent in foster care. Protective factors correlated with fewer symptoms at home but not while the child was in care. Being in care resulted in better performance at school, fewer symptoms and involvement in more extracurricular activities. High risk children made up their losses. While in foster care, 53% were eventually separated from their siblings. Children were more likely to be separated from their siblings if they were older, their father was physically ill or their parents were separated. Children who were separated from their siblings had more risk factors and placements while in care. However, they had fewer symptoms and better school performance while they were in foster care and fewer symptoms at discharge than the siblings who stayed together."}
{"id": "PMID:1477820", "title": "Cognitive-behavioural treatment of panic disorder during pregnancy and lactation.", "content": "The treatment of panic disorder during pregnancy and lactation poses special problems. It is important that both the practitioner and patient consider a number of issues to find the most appropriate treatment for the patient. New cognitive-behavioural treatment options often circumvent the problems of pharmacotherapy for pregnant or lactating women while providing therapeutic benefits which are at least equivalent."}
{"id": "PMID:1477821", "title": "Psychiatric disorders in adopted children: a profile from the Ontario Child Health Study.", "content": "Studies of clinical populations suggest that adopted children are overrepresented among children using mental health facilities, whereas studies using non clinical populations of adopted children have reached mixed conclusions about whether or not there is an increased psychological risk associated with adoption. Data from the Ontario Child Health Study, a community survey of children aged four to 16 years, which included a subpopulation of adopted children, were used to: 1. profile the characteristics of adoptive families; 2. examine the strength of adoptive status as a marker for psychiatric and educational morbidity; and 3. determine the extent to which adoptive status has an independent relationship with psychiatric and educational morbidities. The findings were: 1. adoptive mothers were significantly older than non adoptive mothers, but otherwise adoptive families did not differ significantly from non adoptive families, 2. adoption in boys, but not in girls, was a significant marker for psychiatric disorder and poor school performance; adoption in adolescent girls was a significant marker for substance use; and 3. multivariate analyses demonstrated no independent effect of adoption on psychiatric disorder or poor school performance; for adolescents, adoptive status did have an independent relationship with substance use for girls. The implications of these findings will be discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1477822", "title": "A preliminary report on the discrepancy between clinical and test evaluations of competence.", "content": "This report demonstrates the discrepancy that can occur between clinical and test evaluations of competence. It presents retrospective examination of 35 assessments of competence performed on 24 subjects by a multidisciplinary competency panel. The findings of the panel are compared with the subjects' results on the Cognitive Competency Test and on the Mini-Mental State Examination. The results show that the multidisciplinary competency panel will more often find subjects competent than indicated by their psychometric test scores. A process approach to the use of tests is recommended. Reliance on tests to decide the outcome of difficult cases does not appear to be warranted."}
{"id": "PMID:1477823", "title": "Assessing psychopathology in Korean immigrants: some preliminary results on the SCL-90.", "content": "The goal of this study was to respond to a pressing need for translated versions of existing measurement scales that can reliably and validly rate degree of psychopathology among various groups of Asian immigrants. Specifically, the study investigated the cross-cultural utility of the Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90) by examining scores of community and patient samples of Korean immigrants and comparing them with norms for Americans and for Koreans living in Korea. Several analyses were also performed to establish the cross-cultural utility of the SCL-90. First, the reliability of the Korean version of SCL-90 was compatible with that of the original scale. Second, the scores of patient samples were unequivocally escalated compared with the scores of community samples within each population (Koreans, Korean immigrants and Americans), providing a partial confirmation of the concurrent validity of the SCL-90. Third, the cross-cultural validity of the scale was assessed by examining the scores of the patient samples. As expected, both symptom profiles and symptom levels were virtually invariant in the three patient samples. However, results of the study were clear in demonstrating that the SCL-90 scores of the community sample of Korean immigrants were substantially higher than the community norms of both North American and Korean samples."}
{"id": "PMID:1477824", "title": "[Narcosis under barbiturates: mutism].", "content": "The authors review the history and current uses of the amytal interview. This technique was quite popular over 50 years ago when it began, but has been ignored for the past ten years. A clinical case of mutism is described in this research to illustrate the usefulness of the amytal interview. In this particular case, the narcosis has permitted the uncovering of delusions and consequently the administration of the appropriate treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1477825", "title": "Behavioural disturbances in the demented elderly: phenomenology, pharmacotherapy and behavioural management.", "content": "Behavioural disturbances in the demented elderly cause a significant amount of distress both to the patients and their caregivers. This article first summarizes the phenomenology associated with these disturbances. It then deals with the pharmacological methods of reducing these disturbances. Finally, it deals with some of the more recent advances in combining the insights of behavioural modification with those of neuropsychology in finding non pharmacological methods of reducing problematic behaviours. It is stressed that a combination of the two approaches is most likely to be required, and most likely to be successful, in the individual case."}
{"id": "PMID:1477826", "title": "Screening psychiatric patients for Axis II disorders.", "content": "This study examined the usefulness of the SCID-PQ on a sample of 82 inpatients as a screening measure for Axis II disorders. The SCID-PQ proved effective (i.e., resulted in a very low false negatives and moderate false positives) in screening for seven of the 11 DSM-III-R personality disorders. Of the four remaining disorders, minor modifications were suggested which resulted in improved classification rates for dependent and schizoid personality disorders."}
{"id": "PMID:1477827", "title": "Pyridoxine, ascorbic acid and thiamine in Alzheimer and comparison subjects.", "content": "We compared the intake and functional levels of vitamins B6, C and B1 in 15 pairs of Alzheimer's disease and normal subjects. These were similar in both groups, except that B1 had lower functional values for the subjects with Alzheimer's disease. This suggests that it is unlikely that B6 or C could be used in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. The role of B1 needs further exploration."}
{"id": "PMID:1477841", "title": "[Gallstones: a choice of treatments].", "content": "This article presents a profile of the 20-year evolution in the treatment of gallbladder stones. The author herself works in a modern hepato-biliary and pancreatic surgical department of Hospital Saint-Luc in Montreal. The role of the gallbladder, its pathophysiology and the symptoms of gallbladder syndrome are explained. The main objective of the article is to inform the nurse that, along with traditional surgical treatment, other treatments, non-surgical as well as surgical, do exist. The general public is aware of new methods such as laparoscopic cholecystectomy. This surgical procedure is explained along with other choices of treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1477842", "title": "[Positive results from light therapy].", "content": "In their original May 1991 article, (this journal), the authors described the guidelines for, and results of, implementation of artificial light therapy in a Sherbrooke Hospital psychiatric unit for the treatment of seasonal affective disorder. In the present article, the authors describe an evaluation conducted to determine if there were specific aspects relating to the client or the therapy that had a direct influence on the results, and if it was necessary to develop new guidelines or parameters to guide future administration of treatments. They also wanted to obtain a typical portrait of their clients. Eighteen clients were treated on an outpatient basis during the winter of 1990-91. All but two completed their treatment programs and took part in the evaluation. The majority of the clients identified were women (94 per cent); 56 per cent were unmarried; and of those of working age, all were regularly employed except one. The greatest majority of clients had no social activities, 69 per cent had a history of psychiatric problems and 44 per cent were taking anti-depressants. Because of the artificial light therapy, improvement was noted in their level of energy, social activities, sleep, appetite and emotional state."}
{"id": "PMID:1477843", "title": "[Family intervention according to Roy. Planning, execution and evaluation].", "content": "Last month, the author presented the first two steps necessary in the development of a nursing care plan. This care plan utilized Sister Callista Roy's conceptual model and was designed to evaluate the family system. The readers became familiar with the Joly family, whose family system was evaluated (this included Diane and Jessie). Analysis of the collected data identified two nursing diagnoses and the author explained the way that nursing diagnosis is derived. The first identified nursing diagnosis revealed a threat to the beneficiary, the second diagnosis revealed a threat to the family system. This second article is devoted to the three other steps involved in the development of a nursing care plan that will assist the nurse in developing a systematic strategy in caring for this type of family. The planning step consists of the identification of objectives for care. These objectives must be specific, measurable and realistic as well as able to answer the question: \"What changes are intended for this family?\" Suggestions are offered for objective development. Once the objectives are finalized, the nurse chooses pertinent and realistic interventions that permit her/him, as well as Diane, to attain the identified objectives. The nurse's interventions are centred around stimuli that are increased, decreased or maintained by the goal of modifying or reinforcing observed behaviors. In the care plan example developed for the Joly family, the identified interventions are not all inclusive and serve as suggestions. During the course of the interventions the nurse must constantly readjust and adapt the interventions to fit with changing needs.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1477846", "title": "Management of sodium abnormalities in patients with CNS disease.", "content": "The CNS plays an integral role in the neuroendocrine regulation of sodium and water homeostasis. Therefore, disturbances of this function are common in patients with CNS disease. The body's sodium and water content are tightly regulated in order to maintain normal osmolality and intravascular volume. Complex neural, humoral, and renal mechanisms integrate information regarding osmolality, intravascular volume, blood pressure, and intake of sodium and water. They act to modify intake and excretion of sodium and water and vascular tone. Most sodium abnormalities in patients with CNS disease result from altered water excretion secondary to disturbed release of antidiuretic hormone (ADH). Insufficient release is seen with lesions in or near the optic chiasm and pituitary gland and results in diabetes insipidus (DI). DI is common following surgery or trauma in this region and care must be exercised in treating these patients because of the potentially variable and transient nature of the disturbance. The syndrome of inappropriate release of ADH is seen in a wide variety of CNS disorders and produces a dilutional hyponatremia. Symptomatic hyponatremia should be managed aggressively with diuretics and hypertonic saline followed by fluid restriction. However, very rapid correction or overcorrection should be avoided. In some patients, especially those with acute subarachnoid hemorrhage, disturbed sodium regulation appears to contribute to hyponatremia. Patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage and hyponatremia should not be fluid restricted, because of the risk of exacerbating vasospasm, but treated with large volumes of isotonic saline."}
{"id": "PMID:1477847", "title": "Coadministration of vigabatrin and valproate in children with refractory epilepsy.", "content": "The effects of adding vigabatrin (GVG) to the antiepileptic regimens of 16 children with refractory epilepsy have been studied. One-half of the regimens included sodium valproate (VPA). Parameters studied were seizure reduction, platelet GABA-T activity, and steady-state plasma concentrations (CSS) of GVG and VPA. Add-on GVG reduced the seizure frequency both in patients receiving VPA (from 42.9 to 4.5 seizures/month, p < 0.01) and in those without VPA (from 60.0 to 31.7 seizures/month, p < 0.05). GVG also reduced GABA-T activity in both groups (from 19.4 to 5.4, p < 0.001 and from 8.3 to 4.5 pmol/min/mg of protein, p < 0.05, respectively). Seizure reduction and GABA-T inhibition were greater in patients taking VPA than in those who were not. In patients receiving VPA, no significant changes were observed in VPA CSS values before and after the addition of GVG. On the other hand, no differences were found in GVG CSS values between patients with and without VPA. It is concluded that the coadministration of GVG to valproate reduces the frequency of seizures in refractory epileptic children and does not affect the steady-state plasma concentrations of either drug. Therefore, their association could be useful in clinical practice."}
{"id": "PMID:1477848", "title": "Effect of propranolol in head tremor: quantitative study following single-dose and sustained drug administration.", "content": "The effect of the beta-adrenoceptor antagonist propranolol has been investigated in nine patients suffering from isolated (six patients) or prominent (three patients) essential tremor of the head. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled study the tremorolytic efficacy of propranolol has been assessed by a quantitative accelerometric method after a single oral dose (120 mg) and following 2 weeks of sustained treatment with two different dosage regimens of the drug (120 and 240 mg daily). As compared with placebo, a significant reduction in tremor magnitude was found following a single oral dose but not on sustained administration of the beta-blocker at either dosage. The results suggest that the efficacy of sustained propranolol on isolated or prominent essential head tremor is less predictable and satisfactory than expected on the basis of the single-dose response, as compared with hand tremor."}
{"id": "PMID:1477849", "title": "The clinical efficacy of single morning doses of levodopa methyl ester: dispersible Madopar and Sinemet plus in Parkinson disease.", "content": "For many patients with Parkinson disease and levodopa-related motor fluctuations, the latency to onset of action of a single dose of a levodopa preparation may be both long and variable. In an effort to find a more rapidly acting and reliable preparation of levodopa, we therefore studied the efficacy of single doses of an oral solution of 250 mg of levodopa methyl ester (ME) with benserazide, 50 mg and of a molar equivalent dose of dispersible Madopar (DM) (50/200) in 13 patients in the fasting state after overnight drug withdrawal. The response of seven of these patients was compared to that after two Sinemet 25/100. The latency to \"on\" was equally fast with ME and DM, and significantly faster than after standard Sinemet. The duration of \"on\" was similar with all three. Because of this more rapid relief of \"off\" periods, both ME and DM offer a potential clinical advantage over standard preparations of levodopa."}
{"id": "PMID:1477850", "title": "No effect of chronic bromocriptine therapy on levodopa pharmacokinetics in patients with Parkinson's disease.", "content": "We studied the effect of chronic bromocriptine cotherapy on levodopa kinetics in seven patients with Parkinson's disease who were receiving levodopa therapy. Plasma levodopa concentrations were measured after a standard oral levodopa fasting dose over a 5-hour period, on two different sessions, without and with bromocriptine at a fixed daily dose of 15 mg. We found no statistically significant difference in the rate and extent of levodopa absorption between the two treatments, with minimal intrasubject variability. Our observations suggest that chronic bromocriptine cotherapy is unlikely to affect the plasma levodopa pharmacokinetics under standardized intake conditions or to contribute to a less predictable pattern of drug plasma concentrations."}
{"id": "PMID:1477851", "title": "Tolerability of oral dextromethorphan in patients with a history of brain ischemia.", "content": "Twelve patients with a history of cerebral ischemia were randomized to treatment with the N-methyl-D-aspartate antagonist dextromethorphan (60 or 90 mg p.o. q.i.d.) or placebo for 2 weeks in a randomized, safety study. Neuropsychological testing did not detect evidence of cognitive dysfunction; however, side effects including lightheadedness, drowsiness, nausea, decreased coordination, and unsteady gait were reported by several patients while taking dextromethorphan."}
{"id": "PMID:1477852", "title": "Therapeutic interventions to reduce rates of hospitalization and death in patients with heart failure: new clinical evidence.", "content": "The high prevalence and poor prognosis of heart failure are a major concern. Hospitalization for heart failure accounts for a major proportion of health-care expenditure. A number of large clinical trials have been initiated to assess therapeutic strategies to improve prognosis for patients with this condition. Results from one of the largest and most recently completed of such studies, the Studies of Left Ventricular Dysfunction (SOLVD) trial, demonstrate that addition of the long-acting angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor, enalapril to conventional therapy with diuretics and digoxin is associated with reduced rates of mortality and hospitalization for heart failure. Activation of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) appears to play an important role in the pathogenesis of this condition. The effects of treatment with this ACE inhibitor may be related to the degree of RAAS suppression it affords."}
{"id": "PMID:1477853", "title": "Long-term magnesium supplementation in essential hypertension.", "content": "The main objective of this clinical trial was to evaluate the effects of magnesium pidolate (15 mmol/day) on blood pressure at rest and during sympathetic stimulation induced by cold, isometric and tilt test; peripheral blood flow has been evaluated by strain-gauge plethysmography. Fourteen mild to moderate hypertensives (8 males, 6 females, age range 40-60 years) were randomly given magnesium or placebo in a double-blind parallel clinical trial for 6 months. In the actively treated group magnesium urinary excretion increased from 5.3 +/- 2 to 7.7 +/- 2 mmol/24 h, and serum magnesium changed from 0.9 +/- 0.1 to 1.0 +/- 0.2 mmol/l. On magnesium, BP changed at rest from 156/97 +/- 12/4 to 149/90 +/- 8/3 mm Hg, during cold pressor test from 169/105 +/- 9/6 to 174/105 +/- 15/4, during isometric exercise from 170/107 +/- 13/9 to 170/105 +/- 20/6, and during tilt test from 149/96 +/- 11/6 to 153/96 +/- 17/7 mm Hg. Similar changes were observed in the placebo group. Peripheral resistances were 14.7 +/- 4 and 9.8 +/- 2 PRU before and after magnesium, respectively. These data indicate that long-term magnesium pidolate supplementation does not affect blood pressure at rest and during sympathetic stimulation, despite a slight, nonsignificant reduction in forearm peripheral resistance."}
{"id": "PMID:1477854", "title": "Facilitated recovery of cardiac performance by triiodothyronine following a transient ischemic insult.", "content": "Reperfusion following a transient ischemic insult has been shown to result in a delayed recovery of myocardial function. A reduction in plasma triiodothyronine (T3) has been reported in these acute cardiovascular challenges. To test whether the replacement of T3 can facilitate the recovery of myocardial function following a transient regional ischemia, we investigated cardiac performance for 3 h after a 15-min, left anterior descending coronary artery occlusion in a canine model. Three groups of dogs were studied: I--control (n = 10); II--receiving T3 (0.25 micrograms/kg i.v. and 0.25 micrograms/kg/h for 3 h, n = 9), and III--receiving T3 (0.25 micrograms/kg i.v. and 0.5 micrograms/kg/h for 3 h, n = 9). Three hours following reperfusion, the T3 level in blood was significantly decreased in group I. Concomitantly, local segmental shortening was reduced from preocclusion control levels in group I (15.2 to 5.1%, p < 0.05), but recovered in both treated groups. The endsystolic elastance (Ees) and the external work (EW) efficiency (EW/PVA) in group I were depressed from preocclusion control (Ees = 95.5 +/- 0.8%; EW/PVA = 90.2 +/- 1.8%, both p < 0.05), the effective arterial elastance (Ea) and ventriculoarterial coupling (Ea/Ees) in group I were still elevated from preocclusion control (Ea = 122.5 +/- 5.1%; Ea/Ees = 128.3 +/- 5.3%, both p < 0.05). But these measures of global cardiac performance in the treated groups recovered following reperfusion, and the extent of recovery was dose dependent. These data suggest that T3 facilitates recovery of the stunned myocardium by improvement in local and global contractile function, in ventriculoarterial coupling, and in the energy efficiency."}
{"id": "PMID:1477855", "title": "Occurrence of chest pain more than 24 hours after hospital admission in acute myocardial infarction and its relation to prognosis.", "content": "In 857 consecutive patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI), the occurrence of chest pain more than 24 h after hospital admission is described and related to death or reinfarction during one year of follow-up. Prolonged chest pain was observed in 333 patients (39%). In this group 15% died and 7% developed reinfarction during the first month as compared with 10% (p < 0.05) and 2% (p < 0.01) respectively in patients without prolonged pain. However, during one year of follow-up mortality did not differ significantly between patients with (27%) and without (24%) prolonged pain. The 1-year reinfarction rate was similar in the two groups (18% and 14%, respectively; NS). We conclude that AMI patients with prolonged chest pain have a particularly high mortality during the first month. However, during a longer follow-up the prognosis is similar in patients with and without prolonged chest pain."}
{"id": "PMID:1477856", "title": "Transesophageal echocardiographic findings in partial and complete papillary muscle rupture complicating acute myocardial infarction.", "content": "Papillary muscle rupture occurred in two patients with recent inferior myocardial infarction. In one case with partial rupture transesophageal echocardiography in the standard four-chamber view did not visualize the rupture and in the second case with complete rupture it provided incomplete diagnostic information. A not previously described transgastric longitudinal scanning of the left ventricle provided complete delineation of the lesion and it was of great value in the diagnosis and management of this potentially lethal complication. Both patients were operated upon and had a favourable outcome."}
{"id": "PMID:1477857", "title": "Comparison between end-systolic pressure-volume and end-systolic wall stress in determining left ventricular contractility with increased afterload.", "content": "This study compared end-systolic pressure-volume relationship (P/V) versus wall stress index (WS) as a tool for the evaluation of ventricular contractile state during upright isometric exercise. Both indices of contractility exhibit significant (p < 0.001) increase during exercise compared to resting values. The correlation coefficients for the two indices of contractility were r = -0.45 for exercise and r = -0.70 for rest. Both were significant at the p < 0.01 level. The correlation of the difference scores between rest and exercise as computed by both indices was low (-0.20) and insignificant. These data suggest that changes in contractility from rest to exercise as measured by one index do not reflect the pattern of individual differences that are measured by means of the other index. However, from a reliability point of view, it seems appropriate to prefer the use of P/V index over the WS index in order to determine contractile state."}
{"id": "PMID:1477858", "title": "Diastolic perfusion time and exercise posture in coronary artery disease patients: correlation with ST segment changes.", "content": "The relationship between either heart rate or diastolic time and ST segment depression has been evaluated during supine and upright exercise in 16 coronary artery disease patients. Diastolic perfusion time and ST segment depression were related by a linear regression, which was independent of exercise posture. The entity of ST segment depression was greater during supine than in upright exercise for the same heart rate. The assessment of the relationship between heart rate and diastolic perfusion time during two exercises showed that at the same heart rate, diastolic perfusion time was shorter in supine posture. In conclusion, the greater entity of ST segment depression induced by supine rather than upright exercise might be explained by the effect of supine posture on diastolic perfusion time."}
{"id": "PMID:1477859", "title": "Influence of age and sex on left ventricular anatomy and function in normals.", "content": "Using digitized M-mode echograms, we evaluated the influence of sex on age-related changes of left ventricular (LV) anatomy and function in a normal population (75 males and 75 females, subdivided in age groups for each decade from 20 to 70 years). Aging is accompanied with an increase in septal and wall thickness in both males and females and in LV diameter only in males, with a progressive increase of LV mass more pronounced in males than in females. As regards LV function we found a progressive slowing of relaxation in females and of both contraction and relaxation in males, not related to changes in LV mass."}
{"id": "PMID:1477863", "title": "[The importance of the Czech Medical Society yesterday and today].", "content": "Fourteen physicians headed by Jan Evangelista Purkyn\u0115 signed the proposed by-laws of the Czech medical society in october 1861. Emperor's approval was received 26th june 1862 and in july Purkyn\u0115 was elected the first president. The same illuminated personalities were the founders of the Casopis l\u00e9kar\u016f cesk\u00fdch--the Czech medical Journal which has remained the most important Czech periodical until the present time. The aims of the Society were to cultivate medical science and promote Czech language in medicine. Weekly scientific sessions, medical periodical and publication of monographs related to medicine were the means how to achieve the aims. The Czech Medical Society became soon the centre of medical science in Bohemia. Its members were among the foremost fighters for the use of Czech language in Charles university and their relentless effort helped much to the establishment of the Czech Univerzity in 1882 and Czech medical faculty a year later. In subsequent years the Society was also involved in professional problems related to social health insurance, medical fees, ethical problems and other relevant questions such as the establishment of medical chambers. The activity of the Czech medical Society was never interrupted during its 130 years of existence, although there were several difficult periods in its life, mainly during the first and second world war and also in the past 40 years. In spite of the atomization of medicine the Czech medical Society has been continuing its eminent mission to create communication and establish close links between the medical science and practical medicine by systematically bringing new knowledge in medicine and biology to general physicians and by putting together physicians, surgeons and basic scientists. The task for the future is seen in optimal transfer of new knowledge and ideas from scientists to practicians and vice versa; and to take care of the highest possible moral and ethical standard required for humane medicine. Tradition and achievements of our teachers is binding and we are looking forward to better future in united Europe."}
{"id": "PMID:1477864", "title": "[130 years of the Czech Medical Society in Prague].", "content": "The author reminds that 130 years ago the Czech Medical Society in Prague was founded. He mentions the difficulties which proceeded this historically important event during the Austrian monarche where the leading language was German and all attempts to introduce Czech into public life were impossible. The author mentions the names of those with the greatest merits as regards the foundation of the Society: J. E. Purkyn\u0115, B. Eiselt, J. Podlipsk\u00fd and E. Gr\u00e9gr who achieved after repeated attempts that the foundation of the Society was granted and its activities were started in July 1862. The first elected chairman was Jan Evangelista Purkyn\u0115. The author mentions briefly also the activities of the Society during the German occupation and subsequent years. If in 1862, the time of foundation, the Society had only 150 members, at present it has 1500 members and is not only the oldest but also the largest medical society in this country."}
{"id": "PMID:1477865", "title": "[Lipoperoxides and atherosclerosis].", "content": "The theory of the pathogenetic role of lipoperoxides in atherosclerosis and thrombosis is very topical at present. It unifies the theory on the role of free oxygen radicals with the theory of damage of the vascular wall and with the theory of impaired lipid metabolism. It makes possible also a new interpretation of known risk factors. It is also based on the most recent results of molecular biology (role of monocytes-macrophages)."}
{"id": "PMID:1477860", "title": "A new balloon-expandable tantalum stent (Strecker-Stent) for the biliary system: preliminary experience.", "content": "Placement of a balloon-expandable metallic stent (Strecker-Stent) for biliary drainage has been attempted in 30 patients. The stent was successfully implanted in 22 patients; in the remaining 8 patients, dilatation of the biliary stricture prior to stent placement was inadequate and delivery of the Strecker-Stent was, therefore, not possible. Insufficient balloon dilatation was related to the rigid nature of the stricture and to pain experienced during dilatation. During 2-9 months follow-up, 3 of 21 patients (14%) presented with reocclusion of the stented bile ducts. In all other patients, biliary drainage remains adequate. No major complications related to stent placement were observed."}
{"id": "PMID:1477866", "title": "[Blood platelets, lipid peroxidation and antioxidants].", "content": "The paper reviews published data on the products of platelet lipid peroxidation, their role in blood coagulation as other physiological and pathological processes. The authors discuss the significance of anti-oxidants (selenium, glutathione peroxidase, reduced glutathione and vitamin E) in removing excessive hydroperoxides and thus in the control of platelet functional activity. Changes in platelet arachidonic acid metabolites and in antioxidants were found in a number of pathological conditions such as diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular diseases."}
{"id": "PMID:1477867", "title": "[Incidence and changes in mitral regurgitation in balloon valvotomy of the mitral valve. A color Doppler study].", "content": "The objective of the work was a detailed examination of the incidence and changes of mitral regurgitation (MR) in conjunction with percutaneous transluminal valvotomy of the mitral valve (VMCH). Using coloured Doppler mapping, the authors examined a total of 40 patients before and in the course of one week after VMCH. They assessed the number of regurgitation jets the site of their development, the timing and haemodynamic impact of MR. Knowing the site of development of MR, the authors were able to assess whether the regurgitation after VMCH persisted, developed de novo or disappeared. The total number of mitral regurgitation increased after VMCH from 38 to 51 (increase by 34%, p < 0.05) with a significant rise of the number of double regurgitation jets (4 before as compared with 12 after VMCH, p < 0.05). Before VMCH the authors recorded a holocystic MR in 53%, after VMCH in 86% of the patients (p < 0.01). While before VMCH almost half the regurgitation jets originated in the central portion of the valve, after VMCH MR originated mainly from the area of commissures (48% regurgitation jets before, 79% after VMCH, p < 0.01). Only in 33% of MR after VMCH persisting regurgitation was involved, almost half (47%) of 38 regurgitation jets present before VMCH, disappeared after valvulotomy. MR displays a considerable variability. This may be one of the reasons why prediction of the development and severity of MR after PTMV is difficult."}
{"id": "PMID:1477861", "title": "Metallic stents in benign biliary strictures: three-year follow-up.", "content": "Eighteen patients with recurrent benign biliary strictures (BBS) were selected for metallic stents placement because they failed to respond to percutaneous balloon dilatation. None were candidates for surgical corrections. We used \"Z\" single or double stents in 17 cases and a Wallstent in 1 case. After more than 3 years of follow-up (average period 37 months, range 30-41 months), 10 patients (55.5%) were asymptomatic without signs of bile stasis; 5 patients (27.7%) had recurrence of symptoms and were eventually retreated; and 3 patients (16.6%) died, 2 of obstructive jaundice and liver failure and 1 of metastatic gastric cancer. Recurrence was due to stent occlusion by tissue ingrowth in 3 cases, stent migration in 1 case, and an inflammatory lesion of the papilla of Vater in another case, with patency of the metallic stent. The overall patency rate, at 3-year follow-up was 68.7%. In our series, the main factor determining long-term patency of metallic stents has been reactive tissue ingrowth. Nevertheless, long-term results obtained with metallic stents in recurrent benign biliary strictures should be considered satisfactory. In selected patients, metallic stents may represent the only long-term treatment available for maintaining bile flow."}
{"id": "PMID:1477868", "title": "[Comparison of the properties of spot and ring electrodes in transesophageal cardiac pacing].", "content": "The authors compare diagnostic oesophageal pacing of the left atrium by a ring and spot electrode using poles with an area of 20 mm2 oriented towards the left atrium. The examination was made in 15 volunteers, aged 37 +/- 5 years (range 28-43 years). In different depths of the oesophagus the threshold of stimulation was assessed (PS) and the threshold of perception of stimulation (PV) of the left atrium. At each of the examined levels the amplitude of waves A and V was determined as well as the A/V ratio. The change from a ring to a spot electrode reduces the PS from 12.2 +/- 2:3 (8.0-15.0 O) mA to 8.0 +/- 1.3 (6.0-10.0) mA. When the spot electrode is used, the difference between PS and PV is markedly reduced; one third of the examined subjects can be stimulated without subjective perception. The amplitude of the A wave recorded by means of the spot electrode was not reduced, as compared with the ring electrode and the optimal A/V ratio above 2:1 was recorded by the spot electrode on a longer section of the oesophagus. Evidence was also provided that the lowest PS is 3-4 cm beneath the site of recording of the maximum amplitude of wave A."}
{"id": "PMID:1477869", "title": "[Changes in liver histones in rats after single, continuous and combined irradiation with gamma rays].", "content": "The authors examined the concentration and total contents of histones and the relative ratio of different fractions of histones in the liver of rats after a single (6 Gy), continuous (total dose 1.4 Gy cumulated at rate of 0.1 Gy per day) and combined continuous and single irradiation with gamma rays. The most extensive changes of histones were revealed after combination of continuous and single irradiation. Continuous irradiation did not lead to activation of reparative mechanisms which would mitigate the response to the subsequent single irradiation. The summation of effects is apparent from the fact that in the liver, contrary to organs with active cellular proliferation, irradiation with small doses does not increase the resistance to the subsequent irradiation, on the contrary, cumulation of damage was observed."}
{"id": "PMID:1477862", "title": "Role of the Gianturco expandable metal stent in the management of tracheobronchial obstruction.", "content": "This paper reports our experience in treating localized airway obstruction with expandable metal stents. Nine patients were treated for malignant obstruction and 6 for benign obstruction. The main indications for treatment were imminent asphyxia, breathlessness and/or repeated chest infections. All but 2 patients had received other treatments before referral. Seven patients with malignant obstruction had extrinsically compressed airways and all derived a sustained symptomatic improvement. Two patients with recurrent tracheal obstruction caused by intraluminal tumor gained lasting relief with the use of a covered expandable metal stent. All 6 patients with benign strictures were improved, although 2 developed recurrent obstruction caused by granulation tissue growing within and beyond the stent. It is concluded that the expandable metal stent provides an effective and noninvasive method of relieving large airway obstruction. As the long-term tissue tolerance to this type of stent is not known, caution is advised in the management of benign strictures. In patients with malignant obstruction, however, the expandable metal stent would appear to have considerable potential as a palliative treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1477870", "title": "[Hydrocortisone decreases blood flow in bones in sham-operated and oophorectomized female rats].", "content": "In an experiment on 38 75-day-old female rats--sham-operated or oophorectomized (OOX)--the authors assessed the effect of hydrocortisone administration (0.01% in the diet for four weeks) on the blood flow in the tibia and distal end of the femur (uptake of 85Sr microparticles). In the tibia they assessed also the density (according to the Archimed principle) and the weight of ashes per volume unit of bone. OOX increases significantly local circulation in both bones. After hydrocortisone these values are significantly lower in sham-operated and OOX rats as compared with controls and also significantly lower in the group OOX+hydrocortisone, as compared with group OOX. The density and weight of ashes from the tibia are not affected by hydrocortisone; the minute volume of the heart per 100 g body weight of rats is not altered in any group. The mechanism of the described hydrocortisone effects on circulation is not known. In the discussion the authors indicate possible associations of blood flow and the osteoblast and prostaglandin function in bony tissue."}
{"id": "PMID:1477874", "title": "A comparative study of the schizontocidal efficacy and safety of artemether versus chloroquine in uncomplicated malaria.", "content": "Forty-seven patients with uncomplicated falciparum malaria were randomly assigned to receive either artemether (n = 24), 9.6 mg/kg body weight intramuscularly over five days or chloroquine (n = 23), 25 mg/kg body weight orally. Patients were kept in hospital for seven days followed by review on days 14, 21 and 28. Five patients on chloroquine were withdrawn before day seven due to treatment failure. Of the remaining patients, parasite clearance time was 33.0 +/- 13.6 hours for the artemether group and 63.3 +/- 14.7 hours for patients on chloroquine (p < 0.001). No significant difference was recorded in fever clearance time between the two groups of patients. Recrudescence rate for patients on artemether was 14.3 pc compared to 57.1 pc for the chloroquine group (p < 0.05). No major adverse events were recorded for either treatment group although five patients on artemether had a transient spike of temperature after clearance of parasitaemia. In conclusion, our study has shown that no major adverse events were experienced by patients on artemether and the rate of parasite clearance for the artemether group was superior to that of patients on chloroquine."}
{"id": "PMID:1477875", "title": "The causes of perinatal mortality in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe.", "content": "The causes of all perinatal deaths at Mpilo Maternity Hospital were investigated over a 12-month period, during which there were a total of 466 stillbirths and 379 neonatal deaths, with a perinatal mortality rate of 36.0/1000 births in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. The causes of death were in order of importance; congenital syphilis (20.5 pc), birth asphyxia (18.8 pc), unexplained stillbirths (11.8 pc), hyaline membrane disease (11.5 pc) neonatal septicaemia (10.8 pc), congenital malformations (7.7 pc), pregnancy induced hypertension (5.4 pc), placental abruption (4.9 pc), congenital infection (2.2 pc) and other causes (6.4 pc). Eleven pc of mothers booking in antenatal clinics had positive syphilis serology. Most were successfully treated. But over 400 mothers with early syphilis escaped treatment usually because they booked late or failed to book at all at antenatal clinics (74 pc) and occasionally because they had false negative results or were infected after early booking (27 pc). They delivered 101 stillbirths, most of whom died prematurely before labour and often had abdominal distension. There were 72 neonatal deaths, most of whom were preterm babies with respiratory distress and often hepatosplenomegaly. One half of the deaths from asphyxia were caused by prolonged obstructed labour and one quarter by prolapsed cord, stuck head in breech delivery and retained second twin. The incidence of both early and late onset neonatal septicaemia was very high with Group B Streptococci, Kliebsiella and Staphylococcus aureus the predominant pathogens. Improved antenatal, intrapartum and neonatal care could substantially reduce the perinatal mortality rate by preventing congenital syphilis and birth asphyxia and by treating hyaline membrane disease and neonatal septicaemia."}
{"id": "PMID:1477876", "title": "The immunoglobulin levels in infants attending a routine health clinic at Mbare Polyclinic.", "content": "This study establishes the reference ranges for immunoglobulins in health infants attending a City Health Polyclinic. There were sex differences in the immunoglobulin level (p < 0.05). A wide range of immunoglobulins concentrations were apparent. This was consistent with other reports. In addition, an age dependency in the immunoglobulin levels was also observed. This study is constituted in the understanding of immunoglobulin pathology."}
{"id": "PMID:1477877", "title": "The molecular epidemiology of rotavirus infection in Ga-Rankuwa, southern Africa.", "content": "Rotaviruses were detected in 32.8 pc (96/292) of stool specimens collected from infants and young children with gastroenteritis attending the rehydration unit at Ga-Rankuwa Hospital between January and December 1989. A seasonal distribution was observed with an increase in numbers shedding the virus during the colder months of the year. Based on variations in the migration pattern of the RNA genome segments when passed through polyacrylamide gels, seven different RNA electrophoretypes were identified; 82 pc of the patients had virus with long patterns and 17 pc with short patterns. A mixed infection was observed in one case with both a long and a short virus. A single dominant long electrophoretype persisted throughout the 12 month study period, whereas the other minor types co-circulated at varying intervals."}
{"id": "PMID:1477878", "title": "Antimicrobial activity of essential oil from Hoslundia opposita.", "content": "The essential oil from the leaves of Hoslundia opposite was extracted by hydrodistillation. GC/MS analysis of the volatile oil showed that it contains largely the sesquiterpenes and sesquiterpene alcohols. The essential oil was tested against eight different bacterial species and one fungal species. The antibacterial and antifungal properties of the essential oil from Hoslundia opposite were determined by using seeded agar plates with wells into which was placed the oil, and flasks of yeast extract and sucrose broth for mycelial growth of Aspergillus niger. After incubation for 24 hours, the diameter of the inhibition zone was measured for the antibacterial tests and after seven days, the dry weight of the mycelia was measured and a percentage of inhibition calculated using controls where no samples were added. The results obtained showed that the essential oil from this plant has significant activity against Aspergillus niger, Acinetobacter calcoacetica, Brochothrix thermosphacta and Flavobacterium suaveolens. These were most affected by the volatile oil from Hoslundia opposita."}
{"id": "PMID:1477879", "title": "Development of Health Systems Research and National HSR networking in Zimbabwe.", "content": "Health Systems Research (HSR) aims at improving the quality of health care delivery through health managers with a management tool for decision making. Since 1988, over 100 health cadres from provincial and district health teams, central hospitals and municipalities have received training in HSR methodology. This training has resulted in the implementation of 12 research projects with the results being used to solve immediate problems identified. The development of HSR in Zimbabwe has focused on training priority setting for essential health research and the development of infrastructure and local resource groups to sustain the initiative. The HSR unit in conjunction with the Medical Research Council of Zimbabwe (MRCZ) have developed a computerised databank for keeping track of all health and medical research conducted in the country. The databank is a mechanism for co-ordinating and promoting research through minimising duplication of research effort in the dissemination and utilisation of research findings. Prospects for HSR in Zimbabwe are good; further development requires adequate funding, networking of all research groups and a national commitment to build a critical mass of trained health research manpower at all levels."}
{"id": "PMID:1477880", "title": "Asymptomatic significant bacteriuria among pregnant and non-pregnant women in Sagam, Nigeria.", "content": "In a study carried out among 510 pregnant and 304 non-pregnant women at Ogun State University Teaching Hospital, Sagamu, 122 (23.9 pc) of the pregnant women and 37 (2.2 pc) of the non-pregnant women had significant bacteriuria. The rate amongst the pregnant women was significantly higher than in non-pregnant women (P < 0.001). There was a correlation between pyuria and significant bacteriuria in 45 (8.8 pc) of the pregnant women and in 11 (3.6 pc) of the non-pregnant women. Significant bacteriuria was closely associated with nulliparae. Most of the pregnant women with significant bacteriuria belonged to the low socio-economic group. Unlike in previous studies in this country, the most prevalent organism in this study was the Staphylococcus aureus."}
{"id": "PMID:1477881", "title": "New trends in chloroquine efficacy in the treatment of malaria: significance of low (scanty) parasitaemia in an endemic area, with emerging chloroquine-resistant P. falciparum.", "content": "In a continuous malaria therapy surveillance, using in vivo (WHO) seven-day-test, extended to 14 days follow up, we evaluated the significance of low (scanty) parasitaemia, in an area with chloroquine resistance P. falciparum (CRPF), where self-medication is widely practised. We found that 30.9 pc of the patients screened had Plasmodium species, and 71.4 pc of these had low parasite counts of less than 500 parasites/mm3, whole blood. Eight pc of these were febrile and 41.7 pc of the parasite strains were not susceptible to chloroquine. Parasite strains from four of the patients were also resistant to other antimalarials. These patients gave psychosomatic symptoms, and were seen by a psychiatrist. We conclude that 41 pc of the patients with low parasite counts consist of patients with CRPF and/or multiple-drug resistant P. falciparum in this area. These do not only cause chronic anaemia, but also may be responsible for moderate psychosomatic symptoms in all ages."}
{"id": "PMID:1477882", "title": "Tonometer-induced corneal injury: a report of two cases.", "content": "To avoid cross-infection, tonometers are sterilised before use on patients. When not carefully handled, the sterilising solutions could cause ocular injury. Two cases of corneal damage caused by alcohol used in sterilising the Schiotz tonometer are reported. Suggestions are made on how to avoid such iatrogenic injuries."}
{"id": "PMID:1477883", "title": "Congenital cystic dilation of the intrahepatic bile ducts (Caroli's disease): report of a case and review of the literature.", "content": "A case of congenital cystic dilation of the intrahepatic ducts (Caroli's disease) or type V congenital intrahepatic duct cysts, which was followed for eight years after successful surgical extirpation of the cyst is reported. The presentation and management of this relatively rare entity is discussed and there is a review of the literature."}
{"id": "PMID:1477888", "title": "Characterization of smooth muscle caldesmon as a microtubule-associated protein.", "content": "We have previously shown that nonmuscle caldesmon copurified with brain microtubules binds to microtubules in vitro [Ishikawa et al.: FEBS Lett. 299:54-56, 1992]. To explore the role of caldesmon in the functions of microtubules, further characterization was performed using smooth muscle caldesmon, whose molecular structure and function have been best-characterized in all caldesmon species. Smooth muscle caldesmon bound to microtubules with a stoichiometry of five tubulin dimers to one molecule of caldesmon with the binding constant of 1.1 x 10(6) M-1. The binding of caldesmon to microtubules was inhibited in the presence of Ca2+ and calmodulin. Partial digestion of the caldesmon with alpha-chymotrypsin revealed that the binding site of the caldesmon for microtubules lay in the 34-kDa C-terminal domain. When the caldesmon was in the dimeric form in the absence of a reducing agent, the caldesmon cross-linked microtubules to form bundles. Further, the caldesmon potentiated the polymerization of tubulin, and inhibited the in vitro movement of microtubules on dynein. These results suggest that caldesmon may be involved in the regulation by Ca2+ of the functions of microtubules."}
{"id": "PMID:1477889", "title": "Thrombin, epidermal growth factor, and phorbol myristate acetate stimulate tubulin polymerization in quiescent cells: a potential link to mitogenesis.", "content": "Previous studies suggest that alterations in the microtubule (MT)-tubulin equilibrium during G0/G1 affect mitogenesis. To determine the effect of growth factors on the MT-tubulin equilibrium, we developed a radioactive monoclonal antibody binding assay (Ball et al.: J. Cell. Biol. 103:1033-1041, 1986). With this assay, 3H-Ab 1-1.1 binding to cytoskeletons in confluent populations of cultured cells is proportional to the number of tubulin subunits polymerized into MTs. We now show that purified alpha-thrombin increases 3H-Ab 1-1.1 binding to cytoskeletons of serum-arrested mouse embryo (ME) fibroblasts from 1.5- to 3-fold. This stimulation is dose-dependent and correlates with concentrations of thrombin required for initiation of DNA synthesis. Other mitogenic factors, epidermal growth factor (EGF) and phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA), also stimulate MT polymerization. Addition of colchicine (0.3 microM) eight hours after growth factor addition, blocks stimulation of 3H-thymidine incorporation by thrombin, EGF, or PMA, suggesting that tubulin polymerization or subsequent events triggered by MT polymerization are required for cells to enter a proliferative cycle. Consistent with models for autoregulation of tubulin synthesis, thrombin, EGF, and PMA all increase tubulin synthesis 9 to 15 hr after growth factor addition, raising the possibility that the decrease in free tubulin and subsequent stimulation of tubulin synthesis is linked to progression of cells into a proliferative cycle. Colchicine addition to these cells also stimulates DNA synthesis, but colchicine-stimulated cells enter S phase 6 to 8 hr later than those stimulated by growth factors. This delayed stimulation may be related to the time required for degradation of tubulin-colchicine complexes below a critical level. These data suggest that regulation of cell proliferation may be linked to increased MT polymerization and the resulting decrease in free tubulin pools."}
{"id": "PMID:1477891", "title": "Epidemiology of low back pain.", "content": "At present, although there have been many epidemiological studies of risk factors for low back pain, there are few risk factors established in prospective studies; and our understanding of them remains relatively crude. Individuals in jobs requiring manual materials handling, particularly repeated heavy lifting and lifting while twisting, are at increased risk of back pain leading to work absence. In addition, exposure to whole-body vibration and job requirements for static postures are associated with back pain. Individual trunk strength has not been consistently demonstrated as associated with back pain; although there is some suggestion that when work requirements for heavy lifting exceed individual capacities, back pain is more likely to occur. The pattern of peak age at onset in the 20's is consistent with back pain development early in working life. Among other individual characteristics, only cigarette smoking has consistently been associated with back pain; and the biological mechanism for this finding is not understood. Evidence with respect to spinal flexibility, aerobic capacity, educational attainment and other variables is suggestive but not consistent. There is some evidence that the individual's relation to work, expressed as job satisfaction or supervisor rating, is also related to work absence due to back pain. While it is possible to describe, however crudely, the characteristics placing people at risk for back pain leading to work absence and/or medical attention, the problem of predicting chronicity and thus identifying patients for more intensive clinical intervention remains unresolved. At this time, only age of the patient and certain clinical features of the back pain such as the presence of sciatic symptoms, duration of the current episode, and history of prior episodes are consistently demonstrated predictors. In chronic patients, there is suggestive evidence that spinal flexibility, trunk strength, and certain psychological characteristics such as coping skills, fear and avoidance of pain or movement, job satisfaction, attribution of fault and hysterical or hypochondriacal features are associated with treatment failure. In addition, there is suggestive evidence that the availability of alternative work placement may allow for earlier return to work than otherwise. While the availability of disability compensation in excess of usual wages may serve as a disincentive to return to work. The latter-cited remain to be verified, while findings in chronic patients remain to be tested in acute. Further, the role of physical demands of work in duration of back pain episodes has not been well studied."}
{"id": "PMID:1477892", "title": "Back pain in children and teenagers.", "content": "Controversial opinions have been published concerning the frequency of LBP among children and adolescents. Studies from orthopaedics or neurosurgical departments have reported low figures for prevalence of specific LBP due to serious disorders. Field surveys, on the contrary, have shown that cumulative life prevalence of non-specific LBP in children and teenagers can be comparable to the prevalence data for adult populations. Some specific diagnoses are more common or characteristic of children complaining of LBP. Age, gender, sports activities and family history of LBP have been found to be significantly associated with an increased prevalence in non-specific LBP among children. Low back pain among children and teenagers is common and should be recognized. This chapter provides guidelines for a clinical approach and differential diagnoses. Most back pain in these age groups is benign and should be treated as such."}
{"id": "PMID:1477896", "title": "Psychosocial issues in the prevention of chronic low back pain--a literature review.", "content": "This chapter has reviewed research on psychological and social factors associated with the onset and progression of low back pain. From this review it can be concluded that psychosocial traits appear to be important contributors to the course of pain and disability though methodologically well-designed longitudinal studies are rare. For this reason it is difficult to assess the relative importance of, for example, psychological distress compared with work stress. Furthermore, the mechanisms by which specific variables effect back pain remain unknown. The answer, no doubt, lies in longitudinal studies which employ multicausal models. It has been noted the psychosocial treatments which have proven effective for chronic pain populations are rarely assessed with acute pain patients. Some problems are the inaccessibility of acute back pain sufferers to psychologists, the difficulty of isolating the effect of one component of a multidisciplinary programme and the lack of uniform practice of psychosocial techniques. None the less, programmes which include psychosocial interventions appear to have superior results to those which do not. Since these techniques are often simple and inexpensive to include they should be incorporated into all treatment programmes where the potential for chronic pain syndrome exists. Gaps and flaws in current research methodologies have been identified and suggestions for future investigations have been proposed. In addition we have attempted to provide some practical guidelines for health care professionals to help them identify salient psychosocial issues which may effect the course of their patient's treatment. Recommendations for assessment and referral are also provided."}
{"id": "PMID:1477897", "title": "Back schools in prevention of chronicity.", "content": "This chapter has reviewed the role of back school and educational programmes for the common and non-specific acute and subacute low back pain patient. The following seems to come out of this review. Education is an important part of patient care. However, several questions arise about the content of the education, the selection of patients, the patient compliance to instruction given, how the information is retained, and which outcome measures should be used. It is also important to realize that the back school is a modality or a tool that may be used as an adjunct, but as a sole treatment it seems to have less impact than in combination with other structured or goal-oriented programmes. When a back school is instituted in a hospital or in industry, it requires administrative and budgetary support and a multidisciplinary staff to successfully carry out the programme. The information given must be adapted to the needs of the participants and all members of the team must give the same information to the patient. A poorly structured back school where patients are dumped because the physician or other health care provider has nothing else to offer is a poor solution for the patient, a poor solution for the health care provider, and can only increase the patient's discomfort and health care costs."}
{"id": "PMID:1477898", "title": "Prevention of low back pain: basic ergonomics in the workplace and the clinic.", "content": "Redesigning the job is a strategy for preventing low back injuries at work or for accommodating injured employees who return to work. An evaluation of the physical job demands is necessary in either strategy. Several job demands are associated with low back pain and injury--heavy physical work, static or postural effort, dynamic work-load and exposure to wholebody vibration. Traditional work measurement studies emphasize a rigorous task analysis. By adding biomechanical, physiological and psychophysical measurements, a comprehensive evaluation is possible. There is no standard scheme for a workplace evaluation. The method depends on the end use of the analysis. Job evaluation for workplace design requires an emphasis on equipment and work conditions; evaluation for placement of injured employees should emphasize the operational demands of the tasks. Few studies considered the multifactorial aetiology of low back pain. Most studies that measured the magnitude of biomechanical, physiological and psychophysical stresses attempted to define peak work-loads. The attempt to evaluate the effects of subacute cumulative traumas is only in the beginning. Most ergonomic intervention programmes modify the loads, the design of objects handled, lifting techniques, workplace layout and task design. The effectiveness of these interventions in controlling medical costs or morbidity has not been clearly demonstrated. Consequently, occupational risk factors may be more important for evaluating disability. Job familiarity is the key to effective medical management. Ergonomic analysis procedures may be useful within rehabilitation settings that also provide placement services. The reason is that they facilitate communication between all elements involved in the rehabilitation process. Proper communication procedures are also crucial in implementing ergonomic interventions in the workplace. A health care provider should be part of a task force that oversees these interventions. Future effort should be directed to finding a method that health care practitioners could be competent to carry out effectively in a clinical setting. Expert systems offer promising results in disseminating ergonomic knowledge in primary and secondary health care facilities."}
{"id": "PMID:1477899", "title": "[Nuclear size and character of the nucleolar organizer in benign and malignant follicular tumors of the thyroid gland].", "content": "Histologic sections of 11 benign and 11 malignant follicular tumours of the thyroid were compared from the point of view of subsequent practising cytologic diagnosis. Following features were analysed in 100 randomly chosen thyreocytic nuclei: maximal nuclear diameter, nucleolar organizer rates (AgNOR) inside and outside the nucleoli, total AgNOR according to a modified Crocker s et al. method, total nucleolar rate and maximal nucleolar diameter, proportion of maximal nucleolar diameter and maximal nuclear diameter, AgNOR in vicinal nontumorous thyreocytes. All of them except total AgNOR did not show any significant differences according to modified t-test. But the increase of total AgNOR in follicular carcinomas lost its significance in Duncan's test of variance analysis because of a high maximal nucleolar diameter regarding big figures in 4 carcinomas (2 of them oxyphilic celled). In most tumours AgNOR inside nucleoli could not be reliably distinguished and quantified even after shortening of silver impregnation. Mean maximal nuclear diameter bigger than 7 nm, indicating malignant follicular lesion according to literature, could not be verified in 8 tumours- it was smaller in 5 carcinomas and bigger in 3 benign tumours. Proportion of maximal nucleolar diameter and maximal nuclear diameter was stable in benign and malignant tumours as well as the AgNOR in peritumorous thyreocytes. All the analysed nuclear features are lacking in sufficient prediction value for distinction of benign and malignant follicular tumours of the thyroid."}
{"id": "PMID:1477900", "title": "[Preparation of bone marrow obtained by trephination biopsy].", "content": "Easy paraffine technique in processing of bone marrow samples is convenient for structural evaluation and for immunohistology as well. A short fixation in 10% formalin will do, especially when combined with decalcination in Chelaton III. Preparation of sections, staining and immunohistology are analogous to other tissues. Nevertheless, it would be better try to dilute antibodies higher than is usually recommended even if a longer incubation were needed. Intensity of staining can be increased by performing lead sulphocyanate treatment in a microwave oven."}
{"id": "PMID:1477901", "title": "[Evaluation of bone marrow samples obtained by trephination biopsy].", "content": "A well performed and processed trephine renders a perfect idea about tissue and cellular structure of bone marrow. Gentle taking and adequate processing of a sample are a prerequisite for successful biopsy. The most convenient and often sufficient is the paraffine technique with an entry evaluation of the first section and setling up the group diagnosis. Another time, it stimulates further choice of immunohistology and electron microscopy. There are presented detailed evaluation schemes for marrow suppression, hyperplasias, myelofibroses and tumours. They were checked in a group of 400 cases."}
{"id": "PMID:1477902", "title": "[Fibromatoses and related disorders in childhood].", "content": "A retrospective study of fibromatoses and related diseases was performed on a series of 34 children. Aggressive forms of fibromatoses similar to those in adults as well as typical forms of childhood fibromatoses and fibrous proliferations, such as sternocleidomastoid tumor, infantile myofibromatosis, digital fibromatosis and fibrous hamartoma were observed. Immunohistochemistry revealed muscle specific actin in eleven out of 13 cases, including hyaline cytoplasmic inclusions in digital fibromatosis. In two patients with infantile myofibromatosis a coexpression of actin and desmin was found. One of two cases of infantile type of aggressive fibromatosis was weakly actin positive whereas the other was negative. This result suggests poorly differentiated character of cells in infantile fibromatosis. Clinicopathologic correlation showed that extraabdominal fibromatoses had a strong propensity for local recurrence. Multiple lesions affecting different muscle groups were diagnosed in two boys. Abdominal fibromatosis affected two girls and two boys, in contrast to adult forms which occur exclusively in women."}
{"id": "PMID:1477903", "title": "[Secondary adenocarcinoma of the ovary and problems in diagnosis].", "content": "In a group of 10 secondary ovarian adenocarcinomas primary tumours were verified by biopsy in colorectal region (8 cases), once in gall bladder and once in appendix. The age of patients varied between 36 up to 60 years. The lesion was unilateral in 8 cases, bilateral in two. Six colorectal adenocarcinoma secondaries reminded a bit of endometroid carcinoma. Two colorectal and a gall bladder carcinoma secondaries resembled ovarian mucinous cystadenocarcinoma. Signet ring cells were not present. Appendical mucinous cystadenocarcinoma produced a metastasis that was alike borderline ovarian mucinous cystadenoma. Intracellular mucin reaction was negative or focally positive in former 6 cases, a diffuse positivity was found in 4 cases."}
{"id": "PMID:1477904", "title": "[Undetected psychiatric disorders in primary health care. A need for psychotherapy].", "content": "In joint collaboration of both Institutes the Leipzig-south survey of need of psychotherapy was replicated in a representative sample (N = 1708) of patients waiting one year to be examined and/or treated in out-patient departments of general practitioners and other specialists (gynaecology, orthopaedic surgery and internal medicine) in one district of Prague City (N = 1461) and a rural district in Krom\u0115r\u00edz (N = 247). In a preceding pilot study (N = 207) the zero hypothesis of unspecificity of the Leipzig methodology was rejected. Roughly corresponding proportions of three classes of the need of psychotherapy (defined by means of cluster analysis) were found in the geographic areas, compared in waiting rooms of all out-patient departments except the evidently lower need of psychotherapy found in the rural GP's waiting rooms. Highest rates were those in waiting rooms of gynaecologists and orthopedic surgeons. The GHQ-60 and the Leipzig classifications were compared in both CS samples: 35.1% of male and 30.6% of female respondents did not need psychotherapy and very probably were not psychiatric cases. In 32.5% of males and 36.9% of females the need of generally oriented psychotherapy was combined with suspected hidden psychopathology. 3.8% male and 6.9% female respondents were very probably hidden psychiatric cases and in need of specifically oriented psychotherapy. Predictors of both measures of hidden psychopathology used were obtained from descriptions of personality, demographic background and health care need and attitudes case history by means of multivariate statistical techniques. 12 of 23 descriptors explained 48.8% variance of the global GHQ-60 score. An agreement of 62.9% of the need of psychotherapy back classification was attained by discriminant function using 11 of 23 descriptors. In both procedures the factor analysis derived dimensions of personality were found to be the most potent class of predictors."}
{"id": "PMID:1477905", "title": "[Epilepsy and intelligence. I. Intellectual status in a group of 215 ambulatory patients].", "content": "A group of 119 men and 96 women, mean age 32.8 years, with a mean onset of the disease at the age 13 years was examined by Wechsler's intelligence test for adults (Wechsler-Bellevue). They assessed the mean intellectual level, total IQ mean = 104.4, s = 15.3. The intellectual performance of female patients had roughly a normal distribution, in men it was shifted slightly to higher zones. The mean absolute difference of the verbal IQ and performance IQ was mean = 8.4, s = 7.0, median = 7. The results are consistent with some more recent data in the literature on good intellectual abilities of the majority of epileptic subjects. The authors discuss the causes of frequent erroneous ideas of laymen and health professionals on an association of epilepsy and intellectual inadequacy. Among others there persists prejudice, problems of patients as regards memory, problems in the psychosocial sphere, psychopathological manifestations, adverse side-effects of drugs, sequelae of transient impairment of consciousness manifested clinically by short-term reduced performance. Real impairment of epileptic patients are assessed best by special neuropsychological methods, however, evaluation of intellectual abilities is necessary."}
{"id": "PMID:1477906", "title": "[Structural changes in the brain in schizophrenia and affective psychoses].", "content": "Kraepelin (1896) and Bleuler (1916) were convinced that schizophrenia has an anatomical basis. Evidence is provided now by visualization methods made in vivo and stereometric methods used in neuropathology. Schizophrenia is associated with enlargement of the lateral and the third ventricle, widening of the sulci between gyri of the cerebral cortex, a decline of the weight of the brain, volume of the cerebral cortex and central gray matter. Histological examination reveals reduction of the parahippocampal gyrus thickness, changes in the hippocampus are controversial. Numerical atrophy of neurons was found in the mediodorsal nucleus of the thalamus, amygdaloid nucleus, prefrontal cortex, impaired pattern of neuronal modules were found in the g.cinguli. Some anatomical changes correlate with differences revealed by neuropsychiatric examination, positron emission tomography and examination of evoked potentials. Schizophrenia can be at least in some instances the consequence of developmental disorder of the brain. The problem of continuity of schizophrenia and affective psychoses is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1477910", "title": "Syntheses of cerulenin and its analogs. II. Synthesis and biological activity of dl-carbacerulenin, a carbocyclic analog of cerulenin.", "content": "2,3-Epoxy-4-hydroxy-4-((E,E)-3,6-octadienyl)cyclopentanone (dl-carbacerulenin 5) was synthesized via the epoxyketones 15a and 15b as a mimic of the active form of the antibiotics cerulenin 1, a potent inhibitor of fatty acid synthetase (FAS). The monobenzyl ethers (12 and 13), synthetic intermediates of 15, were prepared by direct benzylation of the epoxycyclopentene (7). Inhibitory activity of synthesized 5 toward yeast FAS was less than that of cerulenin by a factor of 1000."}
{"id": "PMID:1477911", "title": "Isoflavanones from the heartwood of Swartzia polyphylla and their antibacterial activity against cariogenic bacteria.", "content": "The methanolic extract of Swartzia polyphylla DC. heartwood had antibacterial activity against cariogenic bacteria, the mutans Streptococci. The chromatographic purification of the extract afforded seven flavonoids. Among them, three known isoflavanones, dihydrobiochanin A, ferreirin and darbergioidin, and one new isoflavanone, 5,2',4'-trihydroxy-7-methoxyisoflavanone (dihydrocajanin) had potent antibacterial activity against cariogenic bacteria. This effect was not detected on isoflavone derivatives. A comparative antibacterial study of various flavonoids was further performed, and their structure-activity relationship was discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1477912", "title": "Structures and conformations of metabolites of antitumor cyclic hexapeptides, RA-VII and RA-X.", "content": "Metabolites of antitumor cyclic hexapeptides, RA-VII and -X which were isolated from Rubia cordifolia were studied by hepatic microsomal biotransformation in rats and in bile juice of rabbits to which these drugs were administered intravascularly. Their structures and conformations were elucidated by two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance techniques, temperature effect on NH protons and nuclear Overhauser effect experiments. Specific N-demethylation of Tyr-3, O-demethylation and hydroxylation at aromatic rings of Tyr-3 and -5 were observed. Compared with metabolites of RA-VII, most of RA-X was excreted unchanged in the bile juice. Relationship among their structures, conformations and antitumor activities is also discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1477913", "title": "Three new oleanene glycosides from Sophora flavescens.", "content": "Three new oleanene glycosides, sophoraflavosides II-IV (2-4) were isolated together with sophoraflavoside I (1) as the corresponding methyl ester forms from Sophorae Radix, the fresh roots of Sophora flavescens AITON (Leguminosae). Their structures have been elucidated as oxytrogenin 3-O-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1-->2)-beta-D-galactopyranosyl-(1-->2)-beta -D- glucuronopyranoside (2), 3-O-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1-->2)-beta-D-galactopyranosyl-(1-->2)-beta -D-glucuronopyranosyl oxytrogenin 22-O-alpha-L-arabinopyranoside (3) and 3-O-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1-->2)-beta-D-galactopyranosyl-(1-->2)-beta -D-glucuronopyranosyl oxytrogenin 22-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(1-->2)-alpha-L-arabinopyranoside (4), along with unambiguous characterization as 3 beta,22 beta,24-trihydroxyolean-12-en-29-oic acid for their sapogenol, named oxytrogenin (5) on the bases of chemical reactions and spectral analyses."}
{"id": "PMID:1477914", "title": "Triterpene glycosides from the bark of Robinia pseudo-acacia L. I.", "content": "From the bark of Robinia pseudo-acacia L., five new triterpene glycosides, robiniosides A-D (3, 5-7) and compound III (4), were isolated and their structures were elucidated as 3-O-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl(1-->2)-beta-D-glucopyranosyl(1-->2)-beta-D- glucuronopyranosyl 3 beta,22 beta-dihydroxyolean-12-en-29-oic acid (3), 3-O-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl(1-->2)-beta-D-galactopyranosyl(1-->2)-beta-D -glucuronopyranosyl 3 beta,22 beta,24-trihydroxyolean-12-en-29-oic acid (4), whose sapogenol was unambiguously characterized and designated as oxytrogenin, 3-O-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl(1-->2)-beta-D-glucopyranosyl(1-->2)-beta-D glucuronopyranosyl oxytrogen (5), 3-O-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl(1-->2)-beta-D galactopyranosyl(1-->2)-beta-D-glucuronopyranosyl oxytrogenin 22-O-alpha-L-rhamnopyranoside (6), 3-O-alpha-L- rhamnopyranosyl(1-->2)-beta-D-glucopyranosyl(1-->2)-beta-D-glucuronop yranosyl oxytrogenin 22-O-alpha-L-rhamnopyranoside (7), respectively, together with two known triterpene glycosides, kaikasaponin III (1) and 3-O-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl(1-->2)-beta-D-galactopyranosyl(1-->2)-beta-D - glucuronopyranosyl 3 beta,22 beta-dihydroxyolean-12-en-29-oic acid (2)."}
{"id": "PMID:1477915", "title": "High performance liquid chromatographic determination of bound sulfide and sulfite and thiosulfate at their low levels in human serum by pre-column fluorescence derivatization with monobromobimane.", "content": "A sensitive and specific high performance liquid chromatographic method for the determination of sulfide, sulfite, and thiosulfate was established. Inorganic sulfur anions were converted into fluorescent derivatives with monobromobimane. The derivatives were separated on a coupled column chromatography with a reversed-phase octadecyl silica column connected with a weakly basic anion exchanger column by isocratic elution with acetic acid solution (pH 3)-acetonitrile (13:3, v/v) containing 25 mM NaClO4. The method was applied to the determination of bound sulfide and sulfite and thiosulfate in normal human serum. Thiosulfate could be determined directly by use of an ultrafiltered sample. For the determination of bound sulfide and sulfite, the pretreatment step with continuous flow gas dialysis was effective for the sample after releasing sulfide and sulfite by reduction with dithiothreitol. The limits of quantification by the present method were 0.05 microM for thiosulfate, 0.5 microM for bound sulfide, and 0.2 microM for bound sulfite."}
{"id": "PMID:1477916", "title": "Studies on thermophile products. V. Immunosuppressive profile in vitro of Bacillus stearothermophilus component, Fr.5-B.", "content": "The immunosuppressive profile of Bacillus stearothermophilus UK563 component, Fr.5-B, is presented in in vitro studies. Fr.5-B (0.1-1000 ng/ml), provided it was added at the initiation of mixed leukocyte reaction (MLR), inhibited dose-dependently the incorporation of tritiated thymidine ([3H]TdR) into mouse spleen cells and human peripheral blood lymphocytes. Even the addition of Fr.5-B 48 h after the onset of culture suppressed mouse MLR, unlike cyclosporin A (CYA). Fr.5-B significantly inhibited cytotoxic T lymphocyte generation determined by [3H]TdR-release micro-cytotoxicity assay by using mouse mastocytoma P815 as targets. Moreover, this component decreased dose-dependently the expression of class II major histocompatibility molecules (Ia) on mouse peritoneal macrophages induced by concanavalin A supernatant. The present results revealed the unique immunosuppressive property of Fr.5-B which was different from that of CYA."}
{"id": "PMID:1477917", "title": "Inhibitory effects of glycyrrhetic acid derivatives on 11 beta- and 3 alpha-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases of rat liver.", "content": "Glycyrrhetic acid (GA), an aglycone of glycyrrhizin (GL), is a potent inhibitor of 11 beta- and 3 alpha-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases. 11 beta-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase activity of rat liver microsomes was potently inhibited by GA, 3-deoxyglycyrrhetic acid (3-deoxyGA), 3-ketoglycyrrhetic acid (3-ketoGA), 3-epiglycyrrhetic acid (3-epiGA) and 11-deoxoglycyrrhetic acid (11-deoxoGA), with I50 values of 2-4 x 10(-7) M. However, 18 alpha-stereoisomers (I50 = 3-7 x 10(-6) M) of GA, 3-deoxyGA and 11-deoxoGA were one tenth less inhibitory on the enzyme activity than the corresponding 18 beta-isomers. On the other hand, 18 alpha-stereoisomers of GA, 3-deoxyGA and 11-deoxoGA inhibited 3 alpha-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase activity of rat liver cytosol more potently than the corresponding 18 beta-isomers. I50 values of 18 alpha- and 18 beta-isomers were 2 and 7 x 10(-6) M, respectively, in the case of GA, 8 and 20 x 10(-6) M in 3-deoxyGA, 3 and 20 x 10(-6) M in 11-deoxoGA. These results indicate that the 18 beta-conformation of oleanane is important for the inhibition of 11 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase but on the contrary the 18 alpha-conformation is important for the inhibition of 3 alpha-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase."}
{"id": "PMID:1477918", "title": "An acidic polysaccharide having immunological activities from the rhizome of Cnidium officinale.", "content": "An acidic polysaccharide, designated as cnidirhan AG, was isolated from the rhizomes of Cnidium officinale Makino. It was homogeneous on electrophoresis and gel chromatography, and its molecular mass was estimated to be 5.1 x 10(4). It showed pronounced reticuloendothelial system-potentiating activity in a carbon clearance test, and had a remarkable effect on both anti-complementary and alkaline phosphatase-inducing activities. It is composed of L-arabinose: D-galactose: D-glucuronic acid in the molar ratio of 2:6:1, in addition to small amounts of O-acetyl groups. Methylation analysis, carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance, controlled Smith degradation and limited acid hydrolysis indicated that the core structural features of cnidirhan AG include a backbone chain composed of beta-1,3-linked D-galactose residues. Some of the galactose units in the backbone carry beta-D-galactosyl side chains at position 6. Both alpha-L-arabinosyl arabinose side chains and terminal beta-D-glucuronic acid residues are linked to the core galactan units."}
{"id": "PMID:1477919", "title": "Design and preparation of pulsatile release tablet as a new oral drug delivery system.", "content": "To achieve time-controlled or site specific delivery of a drug in the gastrointestinal tract, an orally applicable pulsatile drug release system with the dry-coated tablet form was developed. The system consisted of a less water permeable outer shell and a swellable core tablet; from such a system, the drug was expected to be rapidly released after a certain period of time on the basis of time-controlled disintegration mechanism. Various model disks of outer shell, consisting of hydrogenated castor oil and polyethyleneglycol 6000, were tested for their water penetration rate. The experimental results showed that water penetration proceeded obeying the boundary retreating mechanism, so that the lag time of the system could be controlled by changing either the thickness or the composition of the outer shell. The swelling force of various commercially available disintegrants was quantitatively compared, and it was found that carboxymethylcellulose calcium was the preferable disintegrant to be used for the core tablet. On the basis of the results of a series of fundamental studies, various pulsatile release tablets of isoniazide with different lag times were designed. In the in vitro dissolution test, typical pulsatile release was achieved for all the tablets prepared, and a good correlation was found between the observed lag time and the estimated lag time calculated from an empirical equation deduced from the thickness and polyethyleneglycol 6000 content of the outer shell."}
{"id": "PMID:1477920", "title": "Absorption enhancement of polypeptide drugs by cyclodextrins. I. Enhanced rectal absorption of insulin from hollow-type suppositories containing insulin and cyclodextrins in rabbits.", "content": "The absorption of insulin (from porcine pancreas) from the rectum of rabbits after the administration of hollow-type suppositories containing insulin and five kinds of cyclodextrins (CyDs) was investigated. Three types of suppositories were employed: suppository I containing insulin (approximately 26 IU/mg) and various amounts of each CyD in citric buffer solution at pH 3.0 or powder in its cavity, suppository II containing CyD without insulin, and suppository III containing insulin without CyD. Without CyD, the insulin and glucose levels in plasma were unchanged, whereas a significant increase in the plasma insulin concentration and a marked decrease in the glucose levels were found following simultaneous administration of insulin and CyDs by suppository I. The enhancing effect of CyD on rectal insulin absorption (absorption-enhancing effect) by chemically modified CyDs (heptakis(2,6-di-O-methyl)-beta-CyD (DM-beta-CyD) and 2-hydroxypropyl-beta-CyD (HP-beta-CyD)) was higher than those by natural CyDs (alpha-, beta-, and gamma-CyD). The area under the plasma concentration-time curve (AUC) and Cmax of insulin significantly decreased with the preadministration (administration of CyD 6, 24 and 48 h before rectal insulin administration) of DM-beta-CyD. The absorption-enhancing effect disappeared 24 h after preadministration. These results suggest that CyDs enhance insulin absorption from the rectum, and that attenuation of the membrane transport barrier function in the rectum recovers at a maximum of 24 h after administration of CyDs."}
{"id": "PMID:1477921", "title": "Photo-stability of the new antiplatelet agent, KBT-3022 (ethyl 2-[4,5-bis(4-methoxyphenyl)thiazole-2-yl]pyrrol-1-ylacetate) in aqueous solutions containing acetonitrile.", "content": "The photo-stability of ethyl 2-[4,5-bis(4-methoxyphenyl)thiazole-2-yl]pyrrol-1-ylacetate, KBT-3022 in aqueous solutions containing acetonitrile was investigated under the light of a high pressure mercury lamp. Its main photo-degradation product was assumed to be ethyl 5-hydroxy-5-[4,5-bis(4-methoxyphenyl)thiazole-2-yl]-2-oxo-3-pyrrolin+ ++-1-ylacetate. KBT-3022 was also found to undergo ester hydrolysis by heat in both acidic and basic aqueous solutions, but its hydrolysis was confirmed to be negligible in the range of pH 3-9 at room temperature (25 degrees C). Further, its photo-stability with exposure to the high pressure mercury lamp was comparable to that with exposure to a fluorescent lamp. Therefore, it is considered feasible to simulate the photo-stability of KBT-3022 in aqueous solutions containing acetonitrile by exposure to all other light sources including diffuse daylight, if the cumulative number of photons of the light can be determined by actinometry."}
{"id": "PMID:1477922", "title": "A study of the phase transition behaviours of cholesterol and saturated egg lecithin, and their interaction by differential scanning calorimetry.", "content": "The thermal behaviours of hydrogenated egg lecithin (PC) and cholesterol (C) in anhydrous form and in aqueous dispersions were studied by differential scanning calorimetry. The role of C in phase transitions of C-PC mixtures prepared by physical mixing or coprecipitating from chloroform has been examined. C underwent a phase transition at 34 degrees C and a second one at 76-78 degrees C which depended on the thermal history of the samples. C lowered the gel to liquid crystalline phase transition temperature (Tt) of the aqueous dispersions prepared from C-PC coprecipitates, broadened the endothermic peak at the Tt, and at 1:1 molar ratio the C-PC system did not undergo the phase transition. The C-PC interaction was observed below the Tt. In aqueous dispersions prepared from C-PC physical mixtures, C did not influence the phase transition and acted like an inert diluent. Pellets prepared from C-PC mixtures formed myelin bodies as a result of their erosion in 0.185 M borate buffer (pH 7.4) at below Tt, but the thermal behaviours of these myelin bodies were different for pellets prepared differently. Addition of bovine serum albumin (BSA) (10%, w/w) to the physical mixtures or coprecipitates of C-PC, or to PC alone did not show any effect on the thermal behaviours of their aqueous dispersions at the Tt."}
{"id": "PMID:1477923", "title": "Relationships between biological potency and electronic states of polychlorinated dibenzofurans and polychlorinated biphenyls.", "content": "It was found that the differences between the frontier molecular orbital energies (epsilon homo - epsilon lumo = delta epsilon) in polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) have a correlationship with the magnitude of the biological activity which is influenced by both the number and position of chlorine atom substituents on PCDFs and PCBs skeletons. Moreover, it was found that the delta epsilon's values of PCBs are classified into two types which coincide with the well-known classification of PCBs to types of 3-methylcholanthrene and phenobarbital according to their biological activities. The relationship between delta epsilon and biological activity in these xenobiotics suggests that the congeners having small delta epsilon values as 2,3,4,7,8-pentaCDF, 2,3,4,6,7-pentaCDF, 3,4,5,3',4'-pentaCB, and 3,4,5,3',4',5'-hexaCB form stable molecular complexes with an Ah-receptor, e.g. (2,3,4,7,8-PentaCDF-Ah-receptor), while the congeners having large delta epsilon values are strongly suggested to be unstable in a complex formation. Thus, this work presents an explanatory method to help understand the structure-activity relationship of the xenobiotics PCDFs and PCBs."}
{"id": "PMID:1477924", "title": "Studies on the constituents of edible and medicinal plants. III. Effects of seven limonoids on the sleeping time induced in mice by anesthetics.", "content": "Effects of seven limonoids, obakunone (1), 7 alpha-obakunol (2), 7 beta-obakunol (3), limonin (4), 7 alpha-limonol (5), 7 beta-limonol (6) and nomilin (7), on the sleeping time induced in mice by anesthetics were assayed. All the limonoids, except for 2, shortened the sleeping time induced by alpha-chloralose and urethane. 7 gave the highest reduction rate of sleeping time, and the order of the reduction rate of sleeping time was as follows; 7 > 1 and 3 > 4, 5 and 6. As the chemical structures of these compounds are similar to each other, the relationship between the structure and the effects of limonoids on sleeping time was discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1477925", "title": "Calculation of skin permeability coefficient for ionized and unionized species of indomethacin.", "content": "The contribution of ionized and unionized species to the overall permeation of weak electrolytes through the skin was investigated to determine the effect of pH in the vehicle on the permeability of indomethacin (IDM), as a model drug, through hairless rat skin. The permeability of IDM through polydimethylsiloxane (silicone) and poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (pHEMA) membranes which may reflect lipid and aqueous pathway, respectively, was also measured for comparison. As the pH in the vehicle increased, there was an exponential increase in the skin permeation rate of IDM. The permeation rate of IDM through the silicone membrane was constant independent of pH, whereas that through the pHEMA membrane increased with increasing pH, similar to the skin permeation. The permeability coefficients of ionized and unionized species through the skin estimated using the skin permeation rates and solubilities of IDM at various pHs were 1.50 x 10(-7) and 2.79 x 10(-5) cm/s, respectively. These results indicated that the permeation of ionized species greatly contributed to the total permeation of IDM at higher pH, and that the total permeation rate of IDM was determined by the permeation of unionized species at lower pH. These contributions depend on the pH and pKa values and the ratio of permeability coefficient of each species. It was also confirmed that the skin has at least two kinds of permeation pathways and these two species permeate through a different pathway."}
{"id": "PMID:1477926", "title": "Absorption of diltiazem in beagle dog from pulsatile release tablet.", "content": "An orally applicable pulsatile drug delivery system in dry-coated tablet form was prepared using diltiazem hydrochloride as the model drug, and a polyvinyl chloride-hydrogenated castor oil-polyethyleneglycol mixture as the outer shell of the tablet. In vitro drug release from the prepared tablet exhibited a typical pulsatile pattern with a 7 h lag phase (non-drug release period). This dosage form was orally administered to three beagle dogs under non-fasting and fasting conditions, and the plasma concentration level of diltiazem was determined according to time after administration. The result of the in vivo study in non-fasting dogs suggested that the drug could be released in the gastrointestinal tract as in the in vitro test. However, under the fasting condition, a large difference in the plasma concentration profile was found, suggesting that the disintegration time of the tablet tended to be influenced by the feeding condition of subject."}
{"id": "PMID:1477927", "title": "Effect of l-menthol on the permeation of indomethacin, mannitol and cortisone through excised hairless mouse skin.", "content": "The effect of l-menthol on the skin permeability of mannitol, cortisone or indomethacin was examined by an in vitro penetration technique with hairless mouse skin. The donor solution was prepared with phosphate buffered saline, ethanol:buffered saline (20:80, v/v) or ethanol:buffered saline (20:80, v/v) containing 1% (w/v) l-menthol. Although ethanol showed little enhancing effect, l-menthol in an aqueous ethanol vehicle at pH 7.4 increased the permeability coefficients of mannitol and indomethacin by about 100 times that of the control (an aqueous vehicle) and increased that of cortisone by about 10 times. l-Menthol, however, scarcely enhanced the penetration of indomethacin at pH 3.0, the majority of the species being in unionized form. These results suggested that the menthol-ethanol-aqueous system enhanced skin permeability through a direct effect on the polar and/or lipid pathways, while the thermodynamic activity of the penetrant molecule in the delivery vehicle might also influence the effectiveness of the penetration enhancer."}
{"id": "PMID:1477928", "title": "Enhancing effect of cyclodextrins on nasal absorption of insulin and its duration in rabbits.", "content": "The absorption of insulin (from porcine pancreas) in rabbits after the nasal administration of aqueous preparations containing insulin and five kinds of cyclodextrins (CyDs) in phosphate buffer solution at pH 7.0 was investigated. Without CyD, the insulin and glucose levels in plasma were unchanged, whereas a marked increase in the plasma levels of insulin and a decrease in glucose concentrations were observed following the simultaneous administration of insulin and CyD such as alpha- and heptakis (2,6-di-O-methyl)-beta-CyD (DM-beta-CyD). The largest enhancing effect on the nasal absorption of insulin was obtained by DM-beta-CyD. To evaluate the duration of the absorption-enhancing effect of CyDs, preadministration (administration of CyD 0.5, 6, 12 and 24 h before insulin administration) was performed. The area under plasma concentration-time curve (AUC) and Cmax of insulin significantly decreased with the preadministration of DM-beta-CyD 6, 12 and 24 h before nasal administration. The absorption-enhancing effect disappeared 24h after the preadministration. These findings demonstrate that CyDs enhance the nasal absorption of insulin, and the recovery of the membrane transport barrier function in nasal mucosa is achieved, at the latest, 24 h after the administration of CyDs."}
{"id": "PMID:1477929", "title": "Effect of d-limonene on the amounts of ethanol and indomethacin penetrated from aqueous gel ointments to rat skin.", "content": "The amounts of d-limonene, ethanol and indomethacin (IMC) which were transferred from aqueous gel ointments to the skin were determined in rats. The concentration of IMC in the skin correlated well with the plasma concentration of IMC percutaneously absorbed from the gel ointment. The increase of d-limonene concentration in the gel ointments was directly proportional to the accumulation of ethanol in the skin. The amount of ethanol in the skin was closely associated with the percutaneous absorption of IMC. As a possible mechanism for enhancement action of d-limonene and ethanol, it was considered that, at first, d-limonene penetrates into the skin under coexistence with ethanol and may change the barrier structure of the stratum corneum. The transfer of ethanol to the skin is thereby enhanced under the coexistence of d-limonene in the skin. Thus, the permeation of IMC can be promoted due to its affinity with ethanol."}
{"id": "PMID:1477930", "title": "Interaction between polyethylene films and bromhexine HCl in solid dosage form. V. Effect of packaging materials on the sorption of bromhexine HCl.", "content": "A prevention method of the sorption of bromhexine HCl to plastic materials used in packaging was investigated. Four kinds of plastic packaging materials were used: Polyethylene (PE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polypropylene (PP) and polyacrylonitrile (PAN). Three polyethylenes having different densities were used. No effect of PE density on the sorption of bromhexine HCl from granules was observed. The effects of different kinds of plastics on the sorption of bromhexine HCl from solution and granules were studied. The sorption of bromhexine HCl to PAN, which had a high relative dielectric constant, was the most depressed among the four plastics. The sorption of meclizine HCl to PAN from the solution was also lowest, the same as bromhexine HCl."}
{"id": "PMID:1477931", "title": "Effects of phenylalaninol on centrally induced gastric acid secretion.", "content": "The effects of phenylalaninol (D-isomer) on gastric acid secretion and gastric ulcer were studied in rats. The compound reduced the gastric acid secretion stimulated by intracisternal thyrotropin releasing hormone and intravenous 2-deoxy-D-glucose, but not that stimulated by subcutaneous carbachol or histamine. Phenylalaninol prevented stress- and indomethacin-induced gastric ulcers. We conclude that phenylalaninol inhibits ulcer formation mainly by central inhibition of gastric acid secretion."}
{"id": "PMID:1477932", "title": "Thunberginols A, B, and F, new antiallergic and antimicrobial principles from hydrangeae dulcis folium.", "content": "Six new antiallergic and antimicrobial principles, thunberginols A, B, C, D, E, and F, were isolated from Hydrangeae Dulcis Folium, the fermented and dried leaves of Hydrangea macrophylla SERINGE var. thunbergii MAKINO. The chemical structures of thunberginols A, B, and F have been determined on the basis of chemical and physiocochemical evidence. Thunberginols A, B, and F showed more potent antiallergic activity than phyllodulcin, hydrangenol, and AA-861 in the in vitro test using the Schults-Dale reaction in sensitized guinea pig bronchial muscle. Thunberginols A, B, and F also exhibited antimicrobial activity against oral bacteria."}
{"id": "PMID:1477934", "title": "[Pathological and clinical study of the primary B and T cell lymphomas of intestines].", "content": "Thirty-one cases of primary non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of intestine were typed with monoclonal antibodies UCHL1, Ki-B5, L26 and Ki-MiP. Among them, there were 21 B cell lymphomas and 10 T cell lymphomas. Morphologically, the low-grade MALT lymphomas consisted of centrocyte-like cells, accompanying frequently with lymphoepithelial lesions and residual germinal centers, whereas the T cell lymphomas consisted of pleomorphic lymphoma cells, always accompanying with vascular infiltration, massive necrosis, atrophy of intestinal villi, phagocytosis of reactive histiocytes and epithelitropism. Clinically, T cell lymphomas of intestine occur more frequently in the young adults, usually with fever and diarrhea and is worse in prognosis than that of B cell lymphomas of the similar location."}
{"id": "PMID:1477935", "title": "[Histological localization of mucin core polypeptide MUC-2 in application to the differential diagnosis of adenocarcinoma].", "content": "Human mucin core cDNA-MUC-2 has been cloned and sequenced. Its major portion consists of amino acids tandem in arrangement with repetition in its sequence, locating at the 11th chromosome. Antibody against polypeptide MUC-2 was used for immunohistochemical SABC staining in order to investigate the expression of MUC-2 in human normal and cancerous tissues. The results revealed that MUC-2 was expressed in normal intestine and prostate, and accumulated in the colorectal cancer tissues, but not in other normal tissues or only weakly expressed in a few cases of pancreas, lung and breast cancers. If used in combining with monoclonal antibody against MUC-1, which is known to be expressed in normal and cancer tissues of pancreas, lung and breast, it is considered to be valuable for the differential diagnosis in detecting the origin of metastatic adenocarcinoma."}
{"id": "PMID:1477936", "title": "[Electron microscopy microanalysis and quantitative detection of trace elements in carcinoma of the colon].", "content": "The spectrum of trace elements was determined in 19 cases of colon carcinoma with analytical electron microscope. Besides, the quantities of trace elements in the cancerous tissue and the mucosa beyond the site of cancer were measured in 31 cases by flameless atomic absorption spectrophotometry. A reprocessing technique was applied to convert the paraffin sections directly to resin sections in order to recover the assessment of elements in these tissues. Fe, Al and macro elements Ca, S were recovered in 100% of the cases in both the cancer tissue and the mucosa taken beyond the site of cancer. The recovery rates of Ni and macro elements including K, Mg, P, Cl were 50%. The recovery rates of Si in poorly-differentiated adenocarcinoma were higher than that in the mucosa far from the cancer site. The levels of Cu, Zn and Ni in the cancerous tissue were lower than those detected in the mucosa (P < 0.01). No significant difference was noticed between the cancerous tissue and the mucosa beyond the site of cancer on Fe, Mn, Pb, Co and Cr contents."}
{"id": "PMID:1477937", "title": "[An immunohistochemical and ultrastructural survey on smooth muscle tumors of the alimentary tract].", "content": "33 cases of smooth muscle tumors of the alimentary tract were analysed. Among them, 18 cases showed positive reaction to desmin, including one out of two cases of esophageal neoplasms, 6 out of 11 cases of gastric neoplasms, 5 from 12 cases of small intestinal neoplasms, 6 from 8 cases of large intestinal neoplasms, 14 out of 21 cases of benign tumors as well as sarcomas in grade I, and 4 from 12 cases of sarcomas in grade II and III (only mild positive result obtained in grade II and III-sarcomas). S-100 protein staining was performed in 27 cases and positive reaction was obtained only in five. Among them, 2 cases showed prominent positive reaction. 20 cases were studied by electron microscopy, and cytoplasmic myofilaments as well as dense bodies were demonstrated in 7 cases. All of them were the benign neoplasm or sarcoma in grade I. The conclusion is that most stromal tumors of the digestive system are originating from the smooth muscle, except very few cases are neurogenic in origin."}
{"id": "PMID:1477938", "title": "[Oncogene expression and point mutation in human pancreatic adenocarcinomas].", "content": "By nucleic acid hybridization and PCR techniques, oncogene expression in normal human pancreatic tissue as well as 4 human pancreatic adenocarcinoma cell lines were studied. Additionally, c-Ki-ras gene point mutation were also detected in the paraffin embedded sections collected from 34 cases of surgical specimens resected due to pancreatic adenocarcinoma. The results showed that none of the 5 oncogenes described was expressed in the normal human pancreatic tissue, whereas, all the human pancreatic adenocarcinoma cell lines expressed c-myc and c-Ki-ras oncogenes. 28 out of 34 cases (82.4%) of human pancreatic adenocarcinomas had c-Ki-ras gene codon 12 point mutation."}
{"id": "PMID:1477939", "title": "[Phenotypic changes of mast cells during hepatocarcinogenesis in rats].", "content": "Sequential observation was made to detect the phenotypic change of mast cells during the process of dimethylaminoazobenzene-induced hepatocarcinogenesis in rats by cytochemistry, immunocytochemistry and electron microscopy. The number of mast cells in the liver tissues increased in various extent 4 weeks following the exposure to carcinogen. The increasing tendency was speeded up as time proceeded. At the 16th week, the number of mast cells reached to seven times as that in the normal rats. The mast cells appeared in the early stage of carcinogenesis were connective tissue mast cells (CTMC). From the 16th week on, mucosal mast cell (MMC) could be detected in some animals, but its number was much less than that of CTMC. In the late stages of experiment, the number of mast cells increased markedly, which showed positive reaction by ARMCP I and ARMCP II staining respectively and were to be brown or blue in color by combined Alcian blue. PAS. ABC staining. At the same time, an inter mediate type of mast cell between MMC and CTMC, light brown in color was also observed. Immunocytochemically, these cells presented ARMCP II positive reactivity. In various kinds of liver tumours formed at 26th week, mast cells occurred in a quite varying amount in different animals. No relationship was found between the amount of mast cells and the cell type or differentiation of the tumours, while the phenotypic distribution of mast cells was closely correlated with the histological type. The development and ultrastructural characterization of mast cells in the portal tracts and sinusoids were also investigated."}
{"id": "PMID:1477940", "title": "[A study of duck hepatitis B virus infection in Chinese ducklings].", "content": "Intraperitoneal inoculation of duck hepatitis B virus in three different dosages (9 x 10(7), 1.8 x 10(8), 9 x 10(8) DHBV particles) into 3 to 21 day-old Chinese ducklings provided from a DHBV free flock produced a persistent infection up to 93.3% in 60 animals. The serum and liver specimens of these ducklings were examined by DNA dot blot hybridization on the 30th day after inoculation. The results showed that: (1) examination of viral DNA in liver was more sensitive and reliable than estimation of the DNA in serum for detecting DHBV infection in inoculated ducklings; (2) the liver DHBV DNA level did not coincide with the degree of liver hepatitis induced; (3) 21-day-old Chinese ducklings were also susceptible to DHBV infection, the infection rate of this group was 100% (10/10)."}
{"id": "PMID:1477941", "title": "[Study of collagen abnormality in Marfan's syndrome].", "content": "Unique picrosirius-polarization method was used to detect the distribution of collagen fibers in aorta and skin of patients with Marfan's syndrome (MS). The adventitia of aortae of MS patients was noticed to be composing of a certain amount of thin type III collagen fibers, and the reticular layer of skin consisted of large amount of thin type III collagen fibers. The results indicated that the distribution of collagen type in Marfan's syndrome becomes abnormal. Hydroxyproline assay analysis showed no significant difference obtained on the total collagen content of aorta and skin between the MS patients and the controls. Anyhow, content of acid soluble collagen in the aortae of MS patients was learnt to be increased significantly (P < 0.01). CNBr-cleavage electrophoresis showed also change of fragment CB8 band in one case."}
{"id": "PMID:1477942", "title": "[Analysis of DNA ploidy in 3,050 cases of malignant tumors].", "content": "DNA ploidy in paraffin-embedded sections collected from 3,050 cases of malignant tumors was analysed by flow cytometry. The result showed that DNA index distribution was ranged from 0.6 to 2.6, mostly at 1.10 to 1.85. DNA ploidy distribution showed that 536 cases (17.6%) were DNA diploid tumors; 2,227 cases (73.0%) were tumors with DNA aneuploid; 126 cases (4.1%) accompanied with tetraploid; and 161 cases (5.3%) with multiploid. Additionally, relationship between the histologic type as well as the grading and DNA ploid were also analysed in 1,117 cases of malignant tumors. The results indicated that DNA index was not correlated with the histologic typing, but correlated with the histologic grading (grade I DI = 1.24, grade II DI = 1.38, grade III DI = 1.51). It's considered that flow cytometry DNA grade index may be an objective and precise quantitative marker in judging the degree, grade and differentiation of tumor malignancy."}
{"id": "PMID:1477943", "title": "[Study of the cultured human endothelial cells infected by epidemic hemorrhagic fever virus].", "content": "Virus antigen could be detected in the cytoplasm of infected human endothelial cells (HEC) by immunofluorescent assay (IFA) 2 to 10 days after the inoculation of epidemic hemorrhagic fever virus (EHFV), but no apparent histologic changes could be found by phase contrast light microscopy, as well as no mature virus particles could be detected under the transmission electron microscope. Reinoculation of the freeze-melt supernatant of HEC 8 days after the inoculation of EHFV to EHFV susceptible Vero E-6 cells, viral antigen could be detected in most of these cells and mature EHFV particles or viral inclusion bodies could also be obtained in the cytoplasm under transmission electron microscope. The results show that HEC is a susceptible target cell to EHFV and infection by this virus may not give apparent cytopathogenic effect in HEC."}
{"id": "PMID:1477944", "title": "[Endothelial cell injury induced by linoleic acid hydroperoxide and atherosclerosis].", "content": "Effect of lipid peroxidation on the development of atherosclerotic lesions was studied in 10 diet-induced hyper cholesterolemic rabbits. By the end of the 3rd week of hypercholesterolemia, lipid peroxidative injury of the endothelial cells was induced by injecting linoleic acid hydroperoxide into a defined segment of the carotid artery. By the end of the 8th and 10th week light and electron microscopy revealed that atherosclerotic lesions mainly the fibrous plaques developed in certain segments of the artery described. The results indicate that under hypercholesterolemic condition, endothelial peroxidative injury may promote and intensify the process of atherogenesis. Furthermore, endothelial peroxidative injury which is characterised by the presence of plasma membrane blebbing can also be induced by hypercholesterolemia."}
{"id": "PMID:1477945", "title": "[Study on the capillary permeability of myocardium in diabetic rats].", "content": "The alteration of myocardial capillary permeability (MCP) in experimental diabetic rat was investigated by using cationic ferritin as a tracer. Diabetes was induced by injection of streptozocin (70mg/kg b.w.ip.). Vehicle injected, age and body weight-matched rats were served as the controls. The myocardial tissue was examined by the end of 2,7, and 9 months or even longer after diabetes induction. Results showed that (1) MCP was significantly increased in diabetic rats in comparing with that of the controls; (2) The increase of permeability became more pronounced with prolongation of the course of diabetes; and (3) the increase of MCP preceded the capillary basal laminar thickening demonstrated by electron microscopy. These findings suggest that increased MCP may play a role in the pathogenesis of basal laminar thickening and myocardial complications in diabetic state."}
{"id": "PMID:1477950", "title": "Cells from the early chick optic nerve generate neurons but not oligodendrocytes in vitro.", "content": "We have recently described neuronal potentialities in neuroepithelial cells of the embryonic chicken optic nerve (Giess et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 87 (1990), 1643-1647). To further investigate the developmental repertoire of optic nerve cells, oligodendroglial development was studied in cultures of optic nerve explanted at various developmental stages. Oligodendrocyte differentiation was analyzed using antibodies directed against galactocerebrosides (Gal-C) and against sulfatides. Optic nerves removed at embryonic days 5 and 6 (E5-E6) never gave rise in culture to differentiated oligodendrocytes, even after 3 weeks in vitro. In contrast, in cultures of optic nerves removed from E7 or older embryos, cells expressing both oligodendrocyte markers were rapidly and invariably observed. Absence of oligodendrocytes before E7 was not due to culture conditions being inadequate to support the differentiation of early precursors along this pathway, since neuroepithelial cells from E2 and E4 trunk neural tube cultivated in the same conditions expressed Gal-C after respectively 16 and 10 days. These results demonstrate that the optic nerve territory is initially devoid of oligodendrocyte potentialities. Whether oligodendrocyte precursors that, around E7, populate the optic nerve are induced by a specific developmental signal occurring at this stage or migrate from outside the optic nerve remains to be determined."}
{"id": "PMID:1477951", "title": "Isolation of IFAPa-400 cDNAs: evidence for a transient cytostructural gene activity common to the precursor cells of the myogenic and the neurogenic cell lineages.", "content": "Differentiation of neural and muscle cells is characterized by a switch in the expression of the type of intermediate filament protein subunit. In these lineages, vimentin is transiently expressed in the initial stages of development and is gradually replaced by a tissue specific protein. We have identified a giant developmentally regulated antigen (IFAPa-400) which colocalizes with vimentin in the precursor cells of the neurogenic and myogenic lineages of the chick embryo [Chabot and Vincent (1990) Dev. Brain Res. 54, 195-204; Cossette and Vincent (1991) J. Cell Sci. 98, 251-260]. Based on the expression of this protein during neurogenesis and myogenesis, we hypothesize that IFAPa-400 and vimentin define a special intermediate filament network, common to the non-differentiated cells derived from the neuroectoderm and those of the myogenic tissues. We report here the isolation and sequence of partial cDNAs encoding more than 400 amino acids of the carboxy-terminus of this protein. RNA blot analysis and in situ hybridization indicate that IFAPa-400 represents a bona fide developmentally regulated gene product. These results further confirm that IFAPa-400 mRNA transcripts are limited to the early precursor cells of both neurogenic and myogenic lineages."}
{"id": "PMID:1477952", "title": "Testosterone fails to save androgen-sensitive rat motoneurons following early target removal.", "content": "Axotomy during development can result in the death of up to 100% of the affected motoneurons. However, axotomy-induced death can be significantly reduced by administration of androgens in young rats. Motoneuron death in the spinal nucleus of the bulbocavernosus (SNB) has previously been shown to be regulated by androgens during development. the present experiment examined the effects of androgen treatment on the survival of SNB motoneurons after target removal and concomitant axotomy early in development. On the day of birth, two target muscles of SNB motoneurons of male and female rats were bilaterally extirpated. Target removal resulted in a dramatic loss of SNB motoneurons within 48 h of surgery, with an ultimate loss of virtually all motoneurons projecting to the extirpated muscles by postnatal day 10. Treatment with testosterone failed to save SNB motoneurons from target removal-induced death. Pups treated with testosterone after target removal did not differ in the pattern or timing of motoneuron loss from untreated pups at any age examined. Counts of degenerating cells in the SNB reflected the extensive motoneuron loss and also did not differ with testosterone treatment. These results indicate that testosterone cannot save the androgen-sensitive SNB motoneurons from death after target removal and concomitant axotomy early in development. The failure of testosterone treatment to rescue SNB motoneurons in the absence of the SNB target musculature further suggests that during normal development, both androgens and target muscles are necessary for SNB motoneuron survival."}
{"id": "PMID:1477953", "title": "Plasticity and ontogeny of the central 5-HT transporter: effect of neonatal 5,7-dihydroxytryptamine lesions in the rat.", "content": "5,7-Dihydroxytryptamine (5,7-DHT) is unique as a serotonin (5-HT) neurotoxin in that i.p. injection of neonatal rats increases concentrations of 5-HT in brainstem while depleting 5-HT in cortex, hippocampus and spinal cord. To study the mechanism of this effect we measured the 5-HT transporter or uptake site, a presynaptic marker, using [3H]paroxetine binding. There were significant regional differences in Bmax of vehicle-injected rats: brainstem, diencephalon > striatum, cortex, spinal cord > hippocampus, cerebellum. There were also regional differences in the ontogeny of bindings sites: at postnatal day 7, [3H]paroxetine sites were 39% of adult levels in cortex compared to 63% in brainstem. Thirty days after 100 mg/kg 5,7-DHT i.p., Bmax of [3H]paroxetine binding was significantly increased in brainstem (+67%) and diencephalon (+136%), whereas it decreased in cortex (-59%), hippocampus (-94%) and spinal cord (-99%), striatum (-41%) and cerebellum (-37%). KD remained unaltered. In dose-response studies (0-200 mg/kg), 50 mg/kg was the threshold dose for Bmax effects and 200 mg/kg was lethal. In weekly time-course studies, changes were apparent 1 week after 5,7-DHT lesions. Binding site increases in diencephalon and brainstem were not maximal until 3 weeks after injection, whereas percent decreases in cortical sites remained unchanged at each week studied. Lesion effects on the ontogeny of [3H]paroxetine binding sites were region-dependent: cortical sites continued to increase with age but spinal sites did not. There was no significant recovery in spinal cord.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1477954", "title": "Rat embryonic septal neurons survive and express cholinergic properties in isolation and without nerve growth factor.", "content": "We studied survival and expression of cholinergic properties in embryonic septal neurons grown in very low density microcultures (1-7 cells per Terasaki well). Even in cultures containing only a single neuron, at least 10% of plated neurons survived for 2 weeks or more in medium containing fetal calf serum or an acid-stable fraction (55,000 Da) of horse serum. Of these surviving neurons, 30-40% stained positively for acetylcholinesterase (AChE) or nerve growth factor (NGF) receptor, even though the culture medium lacked detectable levels of NGF, brain-derived neurotrophic factor, and fibroblast growth factor. Addition of NGF or an antibody against NGF had no effect on either neuronal survival or the percentage of neurons staining positively for AChE or NGF receptor after 18-20 days in vitro. There was no cell division in medium containing the serum fraction, but when 10% fetal calf serum was present cell division occurred in some of the cultures, and in half of these cases at least one of the clonal progeny became AChE-positive. These results demonstrate that some embryonic septal cells can survive at least 2 weeks and develop cholinergic neuronal properties in the absence of other cells or NGF."}
{"id": "PMID:1477955", "title": "Transient pattern of exuberant projections of olfactory axons during development in the rat.", "content": "The purpose of our study was twofold: (1) to trace the development of the olfactory axons from early embryonic stages until the mature pattern of connectivity and (2) to determine whether a transient penetration of them exists beyond the olfactory glomeruli. Two techniques were employed: DiI applied in the olfactory epithelium after aldehyde fixation, and olfactory marker protein (OMP) immunostaining. At E13 and E14 olfactory axons were observed spreading over the telencephalic vesicle and entering deeply into the prospective olfactory bulb, extending near the ventricular zone. Growth cones were seen at the end of these axons. At E15, the bundles of olfactory axons form a network, in which axons, growth cones and cells were seen. Some of these axons entered the olfactory bulb. Using OMP immunostaining olfactory axons were observed along the external plexiform layer, the mitral cell layer and in the granular layer from E19 to P6. At P9 some OMP immunoreactive axons were observed in the external plexiform layer. No OMP immunostained axons could be observed outside the glomeruli at P10. Our conclusions are that a transient immature pattern of early invasion over the telencephalic vesicle and of the olfactory bulb by olfactory axons occurs in the olfactory system. By the second postnatal week the glomerular layer reaches its mature configuration, and no olfactory fibers are seen outside the glomerular layer."}
{"id": "PMID:1477956", "title": "Ontogeny of hippocampal afterdischarges in the urethane-anesthetized rat.", "content": "Experimental studies have shown that seizure manifestations vary as the brain develops. This study investigated the characteristics of afterdischarges in the hippocampal circuits at various ages in the developing rat. Rats from the following post-natal periods were tested: PN 10-11, PN 14-15, PN 17-19, PN 21-23 and PN 25-27. Animals were anesthetized with urethane and recording electrodes placed in the hippocampus bilaterally. Stimulating electrodes were placed in the left CA3 region and in the angular bundle. Afterdischarges were produced in all animals using stimulus trains of 20 or 50 Hz. Rats in the PN 10-11 and 14-15 age groups had afterdischarges that consisted of population spikes in CA1 and broad positive potentials in the dentate gyrus. Between PN 17 and 19, maximal dentate activation, which consists of bursts of large amplitude population spikes in the dentate gyrus, first appeared in response to 20 Hz stimulation to CA3 or either 20 or 50 Hz stimulation to the angular bundle. Rats older than 21 days had afterdischarge patterns like those recorded in the adult. These data indicate that, in the rat, the seizure capabilities of the limbic circuits go through a major transition period around PN 17-19. The appearance of maximal dentate activation marks the ability of the developing rat brain to produce and sustain reverberatory seizure discharges."}
{"id": "PMID:1477957", "title": "Ontogeny of a sexually dimorphic nucleus in the preoptic area of the Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica).", "content": "The nucleus preopticus medianus (POMn) is a sexually dimorphic nucleus in Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) that is critically involved in the hormonal activation of male copulatory behavior. The larger volume apparent in males appears to depend upon circulating testosterone [Brain Res., 416 (1987) 59-68; J. Comp. Neurol., 303 (1991) 443-456]. The present study determined when during normal development this nucleus becomes dimorphic. POMn and a control nucleus, the nucleus commissurae pallii (nCPa), were traced from Nissl-stained coronal sections (40 microns) from animals sacrificed at 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7 weeks of age. Areas were measured and used to calculate volume. POMn volumes were not significantly different in males and females through 5 weeks of age. The dimorphism in POMn volume then became apparent at 6 weeks of age as a function of an increase in male POMn volume between 5 and 6 weeks of age. No significant differences were apparent at any developmental age in nCPa volume. The appearance of a sexual dimorphism in POMn volume is coincident with the pubertal surge in testosterone that occurs between 5 and 6 weeks of age [Horm. Behav., 11 (1978) 175-182], and is also coincident with behavioral sexual maturity."}
{"id": "PMID:1477958", "title": "Localization and developmental expression of a novel protein kinase C delta gene.", "content": "The expression and localization of a novel protein kinase C delta (nPKC delta) mRNA were investigated using Northern blotting and in situ hybridization in the developmental process of mouse brain. In adult mice, nPKC delta was abundantly expressed in the thalamus, moderately in the pons and the cerebellum, but faintly in the cerebral cortex and the spinal cord. By in situ hybridization, the signals were observed specifically at the sensory and motor relay nuclei of the thalamus, the dorsal cochlear nuclei of the pons, and the molecular layer of the cerebellum. When developmental changes in the expression of nPKC delta gene were analyzed by in situ hybridization, it was not detectable in embryonic and neonatal brains, very weakly expressed in the thalamus in the first week, and highly expressed at two weeks of age. These results suggest that the gene expression of nPKC delta is strictly controlled by both the cell type and the developmental process."}
{"id": "PMID:1477959", "title": "Pre- and post-natal ontogeny of thyrotropin-releasing-hormone in the rat spinal cord: an immunocytochemical study.", "content": "This work aimed at providing by means of immunocytochemical techniques a detailed study of the ontogeny of thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) in the spinal cord of the rat. We report the first appearance of TRH-immunoreactive fibers in the ventral funiculus of thoracic and lumbar levels at embryonic day 17. At embryonic day 18, fibers penetrated the ventral gray matter towards the central canal. At embryonic day 19, the first immunoreactive fibers were seen in the intermediolateral cell column at upper thoracic levels. This region was invaded at lower thoracic levels on the day of birth. At this time, TRH-immunoreactive axodendritic synapses were observed in the ventral horn and in the intermediolateral cell column. Immunoreactivity increased in these regions until post-natal day 21 when the adult pattern of TRH immunoreactivity was established in the sympathetic nuclei and in the ventral horn. However, a transient TRH-like immunoreactivity was detected in lamina IIi of the dorsal horn between post-natal days 14 and 30: at ultrastructural level, immunoreactive varicosities were seen to establish axodendritic synapses. In conclusion, TRH is one of the earliest peptidergic systems established in the spinal cord and it presents extensive temporal and topographical similarities with the serotonergic system with which it could be colocalized."}
{"id": "PMID:1477960", "title": "Acetyl-L-carnitine has a neuromodulatory influence on neuronal phenotypes during early embryogenesis in the chick embryo.", "content": "Studies from this laboratory and others have demonstrated that neuroblasts in early embryogenesis exhibit a high degree of plasticity with respect to neurotransmitter phenotype. The critical period within which these neuroblasts are sensitive to the effects of endogenous neurotrophins has been defined as 1-3 days of development in the chick embryo. In this study, we examined the influence of acetyl-L-carnitine (ALCAR) administered in ovo during embryonic days 1-3 (E1-E3) and sacrificed at embryonic day 8 (E8) on cholinergic and GABAergic neuronal phenotypes using as neuronal markers the activities of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) and glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD), respectively. Phenotypic expression was assessed in 3 distinct anatomical regions of the embryonic brain: cerebral hemispheres (CH), optic lobes (OL), and diencephalon-midbrain-brainstem (DMBS). A single administration of ALCAR at embryonic day 1 resulted in a dose-dependent increase in ChAT activity and decrease in GAD activity in CH. ChAT activity was again increased and GAD activity decreased in CH from embryos that were administered ALCAR (100 micrograms/50 microliters/day) daily from embryonic day E1 to E3. No change was observed in either ChAT or GAD activity in OL in response to ALCAR administration during the critical period (E1-E3) at doses ranging from 10 to 500 micrograms/day. In the DMBS, the activity of ChAT exhibited a marked increase at lower doses (10 micrograms) followed by a marked decrease at higher doses (500 micrograms) of ALCAR. The decrease in ChAT activity in DMBS was again observed at an ALCAR dose of 100 micrograms/day when administered from E1 to E3.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1477961", "title": "Expression of the HBNF (heparin-binding neurite-promoting factor) gene in the brain of fetal, neonatal and adult rat: an in situ hybridization study.", "content": "HBNF (heparin-binding neurite-promoting factor) and MK (midkine) are members of a newly recognized family of proteins, the expression of which is developmentally regulated. These proteins are expressed highest during fetal development in many tissues but they seem to be rather restricted to the brain in adult animals. Gene expression for these proteins is inducible by retinoic acid in embryonal carcinoma cell lines. They induce neurite outgrowth in cultured neurons, and they are characterized by high sequence conservation between species. While the function(s) of these proteins are unknown, available evidence suggests possible roles in the development and the maintenance of neural tissues. This in situ hybridization study investigates the temporal and spatial expression pattern of the HBNF gene in the brain of developing rats. The HBNF gene is highly expressed in the neuroepithelium and the ependyma from fetal day 15 on. Although most ependymal structures express the gene strongly, a few restricted areas of the ependyma do not express HBNF (ventral part of the fourth ventricle, subcommissural organ). In the brain parenchyma, HBNF is expressed in the thalamo-hippocampal area from fetal day 15 and in the cerebral cortex from fetal day 16, with high expression occurring in the superficial layers of the cortex. The nature of the cells expressing the gene, while difficult to ascertain, is probably glial for the most part. However, certain neurons (in limited areas of the brain parenchyma) and most pial cells (in the meninges), also express the gene. HBNF gene expression decreases sharply a few days after birth. HBNF mRNA is also detectable at fetal days 15 and 16 in the face fetal mesenchyma. In the adult rat brain, the expression of the HBNF gene appears to be restricted to neurons of the hippocampus and of the olfactory bulb and to the superficial layers of the cortex. The structurally related MK gene, though not extensively studied here, shows an entirely different temporal and spatial expression pattern. MK gene is weakly expressed during ontogeny in most brain areas, and in the adult animal, MK mRNA is present only in the choroid plexus. The intense and widely distributed expression of the HBNF gene in several cell populations in the fetus, the progressive spatial and quantitative restriction of HBNF gene expression with brain differentiation, as well as the properties of the protein suggest important and diverse functions for HBNF in cellular interactions and cell differentiation in the developing brain, that must act temporally and spatially by ways distinct from its MK companion molecule."}
{"id": "PMID:1477962", "title": "The role of olfactory bulb norepinephrine in early olfactory learning.", "content": "Wistar rat pups were implanted with bilateral olfactory bulb cannulas on postnatal day 5 (PN5). On PN6, pups were trained in an olfactory classical conditioning task with peppermint odor as the CS and tactile stimulation/stroking as the UCS. Pups were randomly assigned to either PAIRED, BACKWARD or ODOR-only conditions. Half the pups in each group received intrabulbar infusions of 100 microM propranolol and half received intrabulbar infusions of saline during the training session. Propranolol infusions blocked acquisition of the learned odor preference expressed by PAIRED saline-infused pups. Diffusion of the infusate was checked in additional pups by infusing [3H]NE and performing LSC analysis. Infusate concentration did not significantly differ between the anterior and posterior halves of the bulb, but were sharply lower in the olfactory peduncle and more posterior areas. The results suggest that olfactory bulb NE is critical for early olfactory learning."}
{"id": "PMID:1477963", "title": "Local perineal implants of anti-androgen block masculinization of the spinal nucleus of the bulbocavernosus.", "content": "Female rats were injected with testosterone propionate on the 1st and 3rd days of life. In addition, some females received 200 micrograms of the anti-androgen, hydroxyflutamide. Females receiving anti-androgen directly to the perineum, including the muscles bulbocavernosus and levator ani, had fewer surviving spinal nucleus of the bulbocavernosus (SNB) motoneurons than did females receiving the anti-androgen systemically. These results indicate that androgen acts upon the target muscles to spare developing SNB motoneurons from death."}
{"id": "PMID:1477964", "title": "A narrow window of intracellular calcium concentration is optimal for neurite outgrowth in rat sensory neurones.", "content": "We have examined neurite outgrowth in rat sensory neurones when cytosolic free calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i) was varied in the range 0-60 nM. Neurite outgrowth was maximal at 35 nM [Ca2+]i and was reduced at higher and lower values of [Ca2+]i. These results provide direct evidence for Mattson and Kater's suggestion of an optimal calcium range for growth cone function."}
{"id": "PMID:1477965", "title": "Canadian Society of Clinical Chemists position paper: standardization of selected polypeptide hormone measurements.", "content": "This Canadian Society of Clinical Chemists (CSCC) sponsored position statement addresses the problem of nonuniformity of standardization of polypeptide hormone analyses. First we review the structural diversity of selected polypeptide hormones including growth hormone (GH), prolactin, follitropin (FSH), lutropin (LH), human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), and thyrotropin (TSH) and the problem that this heterogeneity creates. The history and availability of reference materials for the analyses of these hormones are then summarized. Finally we make a list of recommendations regarding standardization, methods of measurement, and reporting of polypeptide hormone results. Implementation of the recommendations will lead to improvement in inter-laboratory comparability and more useful hormone assays."}
{"id": "PMID:1477966", "title": "Mechanism of differential inhibition of lactate dehydrogenase isoenzymes in the BMC LD-1 assay.", "content": "The mechanism of inhibition of lactate dehydrogenase (LD) isoenzymes by guanidinium thiocyanate (GSCN) used in the LD-1 assay developed by Boehringer Mannheim Corporation (BMC) was investigated. Michaelis-Menten inhibition kinetics for the individual isoenzymes revealed that GSCN competitively inhibited LD-1 in the presence of lactate and NAD+, but is a noncompetitive inhibitor of LD-5. LD-2 and LD-3 exhibited mixed inhibition kinetics. The inhibition constants were two- to threefold smaller for LD-5 than for LD-1. Time-dependent studies also showed that the isoenzymes underwent a different rate of inactivation by GSCN. LD-5, LD-3, and LD-2 were rapidly inactivated within 1 min under the BMC assay conditions, whereas LD-1 lost only about 20% of activity after 10 min. The presence of lactate further protects LD-1, but not other isoenzymes. Under this condition, LD-1 was not inactivated during the initial 6 min of reaction. Separate experiments demonstrated that both guanidinium and thiocyanate ions are responsible for the inactivation process that was found to be irreversible. We speculate that GSCN selectively denatures the M subunit of LD. The H subunit is less susceptible to denaturation and is further stabilized by lactate."}
{"id": "PMID:1477967", "title": "A novel colorimetric method for assaying arginase activity.", "content": "Arginase catalyzes the conversion of arginine to urea and ornithine in the liver of ureotelic animals. Higher activity of this enzyme is found in tumors as well as in the sera of patients with hepatic diseases. We have developed a simple colorimetric method for its determination. This is based on the determination of residual arginine, after its conversion with p-nitrophenyl glyoxal (PNPG) at pH 9.0 in the presence of sodium ascorbate. The reaction product obeys Beer's law in the range of 0.01-0.20 mmol/L arginine with an arginine-equivalent molar extinction coefficient of 0.65 x 10(4) M-1 cm-1. The decrease in absorbance in the presence of arginase correlates with the enzyme activity. Color development as well as termination of enzyme activity is achieved by addition of a single reagent, thereby obviating the use of many chemicals necessary in other methods. The sensitivity of this method is equivalent to those of currently available procedures but has the added advantages of greater convenience."}
{"id": "PMID:1477968", "title": "Heterogeneity of hairy cell tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase.", "content": "The human nonerythrocytic acid phosphatases (AcP) are composed of seven distinct activity bands in nondenaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) when stained using either 1-naphthyl phosphate or naphthol ASBI phosphate as substrate. They are numbered 0, 1, 2, 3, 3b, 4, and 5 according to their increasing mobility toward the cathode in acidic conditions. Of these, only the most cationic \"band 5\" is tartrate resistant (TRAcP). When naphthol ASBI phosphate is used as substrate, AcP activity can also be stained in situ. In the presence of tartrate, activity remains strong in the hairy cells (HC) of hairy cell leukemia (HCL). Thus, the TRAcP stain has remained a reliable marker for HC. To investigate the function of TRAcP in HC, we purified two isoforms of TRAcP from HCL spleen tissue and found them to have similar substrate specificities and inhibitor sensitivities. In this report, we describe in detail the methods for TRAcP purification and compare some of the structural properties of the two isoforms to reinforce the concept that human TRAcP is a heterogeneous group of related enzymes. Band 5 represented only 15-20% of the total TRAcP extracted from HCL spleen. The remaining 80% of TRAcP hydrolyzed p-nitrophenyl phosphate but not naphthol ASBI phosphate and was not detectable in acidic, nondenaturing PAGE gels. Band 5 was solubilized from tissue using 500 mmol/L NaCl after previous extraction with 0.5% (v/v) NP-40 removed most other AcP and TRAcP activity.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1477969", "title": "Antibodies to the p53 tumor suppressor gene product quantified in cancer patient serum with a time-resolved immunofluorometric technique.", "content": "We have developed new methodology for quantifying antibodies to the p53 tumor suppressor gene product in human serum. The assay involves solid-phase immobilization of a monoclonal anti-p53-specific antibody that is then reacted with a tumor cell line lysate containing mutant p53. The immunopurified p53 antigen acts as an immunosorbent for the serum p53 antibodies that are then detected by reaction with a goat anti-human immunoglobulin G antibody labeled with alkaline phosphatase (ALP). ALP activity is then measured with enzymatically amplified time-resolved fluorometry. The developed assay has many advantages over the radioactively labeled techniques previously used. In a preliminary clinical study involving 790 patient sera, we have identified 16 positive samples (2%). Highest titers were observed in a patient with melanoma and two breast cancer patients. Further studies are needed to improve the sensitivity of this test and to evaluate its possible use for cancer diagnosis, prognosis or monitoring of therapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1477970", "title": "An automated biotin-streptavidin procedure for progesterone evaluation.", "content": "An automated biotin-streptavidin procedure for measuring progesterone in serum is described. The method is linear up to 98.3 nmol/L and the calibration curve is stable for at least 14 days. The lower limit of progesterone detection is 0.70 nmol/L. Although serum is the preferred specimen, progesterone levels can be measured in EDTA, heparin, or citrated plasma. There is no interference from samples with monoclonal proteins or from hemoglobin and bilirubin at concentrations of 9.62 g/L and 899 mumol/L, respectively. Lipemic samples will lower the progesterone levels. Total imprecision of the method in the range of 19-80.4 nmol/L gave CVs between 4.6 and 7.3%. Progesterone values obtained with this biotin-streptavidin procedure agreed with those obtained by the DPC RIA assay (r = 0.991). The biotin-streptavidin procedure can be used as an alternative to RIA for measurement of progesterone."}
{"id": "PMID:1477971", "title": "Congenital hypomagnesemia: alternatives to tissue biopsies for monitoring body magnesium status.", "content": "We have been monitoring a 12-year-old boy (his present age) suffering from selective magnesium (Mg) malabsorption. After ascertaining his Mg status, we attempted to maintain Mg balance through the use of oral supplements. Plasma and erythrocyte Mg concentrations were monitored at bimonthly intervals. However these measurements did not accurately reflect Mg status and we subsequently measured Mg in the following tissues: lymphocyte, tooth, and hair. Levels of Mg in stable tissues such as temporary teeth and lymphocytes, unfailingly revealed a marked deficit in Mg that was only two-thirds of the normal levels found in the control group. The use of these readily-accessible stable tissues can thus obviate the need for muscle or bone biopsy. Unfortunately the level in hair is higher than in healthy subjects, and thus does not constitute an adequate measure of Mg status."}
{"id": "PMID:1477972", "title": "Apolipoprotein B gene polymorphism and plasma lipids and lipoproteins in a Canadian Caucasian population.", "content": "We have investigated the frequency of Hind III DNA polymorphism of the human apolipoprotein B gene in a Canadian Caucasian population with coronary artery disease, as documented by angiography, and a healthy control population. Patients had significantly (p < 0.05) higher levels of cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL-cholesterol, apolipoprotein B, and lower level of apoAI compared to the controls. Restriction fragment-length polymorphism analysis detected nine hybridizable fragments denoted as H1 to H9. The H1, H2, H3, and H7 alleles were polymorphic. The [H4-H9] genotype seems to be the normal genotype within the population studied since it was detected in 69% of the control group. The [H1-H9] genotype was most frequently observed in the patients (frequency = 0.68). We were unable to strongly associate any of the alleles or genotypes detected with the changes in lipids. The additional alleles observed in the patient group may indicate possible mutations at the 3' end of the apolipoprotein B gene locus."}
{"id": "PMID:1477973", "title": "The BT-PABA/PAS test in tropical diabetes.", "content": "A 'screening' test is needed to identify patients with chronic pancreatitis among diabetics in tropical field surveys. We have examined the potential diagnostic yield of the BT-PABA/PAS test of exocrine pancreatic function in this setting. The recoveries of both PABA and PAS in eight healthy controls from Madras, south India, were lower than in controls from Manchester, north west England (mean +/- S.D., 51 +/- 11 vs. 79 +/- 7%, P < 0.001 for PABA; 52 +/- 11% vs. 81 +/- 7%, P < 0.001 for PAS) but the % PABA/PAS excretion index (PEI) was similar (0.96 +/- 0.14 vs. 0.96 +/- 0.06). Using a cut-off value of 0.75 for the PEI in a study group including eight patients with chronic pancreatitis and 26 with primary forms of diabetes, test sensitivity was 75%, specificity 92%, positive predictive value 75%, negative predictive value 92% and efficiency 88%."}
{"id": "PMID:1477974", "title": "Detection of erythrocyte membrane components in hemoglobin-based blood substitutes.", "content": "Two methods for the detection of membrane components in human stroma-free hemoglobin solutions are described. The first is a phospholipid assay with a detection limit of 0.5-1 nmol phospholipid/ml hemoglobin-solution. For the detection of membrane proteins an immunoassay with a monoclonal antibody against glycophorin alpha was developed (detection limit 0.01% of the original amount). These methods were used to determine the purity of Hb solutions prepared in two different ways. Hb solutions prepared by filtration of red blood cells, gradually swollen in hypotonic buffer, contained 0.25% of the original amount of phospholipid and no detectable glycophorin alpha. For Hb solutions prepared in a similar way from red blood cells lysed in water, the values for phospholipid and glycophorin alpha were 2.5% and 0.06%, respectively. The determination of both glycophorin alpha and phospholipid gives a useful indication of the purity of Hb solutions."}
{"id": "PMID:1477975", "title": "Serum neurone-specific enolase levels in patients with neuroendocrine and carcinoid tumours.", "content": "We have examined concentrations of neurone-specific enolase (NSE) in sera from 18 patients with various neuroendocrine tumours, 26 patients with carcinoid tumours, 21 patients with non-neuroendocrine tumours and 37 control individuals. No statistically significant difference between the concentrations in patients with neuroendocrine tumours and patients with carcinoid tumours was found. However the NSE concentrations in patients with carcinoid and neuroendocrine tumours, when these two groups were combined, were significantly different from the patients with non-neuroendocrine tumours or the control individuals (P < or = 0.01). 38.5% of the patients with carcinoid tumours had raised NSE concentrations in serum; 55.5% of those with non carcinoid neuroendocrine tumours had raised concentrations. There appeared to be no correlation between the NSE concentrations and the extent of metastases."}
{"id": "PMID:1477980", "title": "Quantitative analysis of extracellular-superoxide dismutase in serum and urine by ELISA with monoclonal antibody.", "content": "The superoxide anion has been implicated in a wide range of diseases. The major protector against superoxide anion in the extracellular space is extracellular-superoxide dismutase (EC-SOD). EC-SOD is the major SOD isozyme in plasma and forms an equilibrium between the plasma phase and heparan sulfate proteoglycan on the surface of the endothelium. An ELISA method for the measurement of human EC-SOD with monoclonal antibody was established. The proposed method had a high sensitivity (assay range, 0.05-50 ng/ml), good recovery (recovery percentage, 96.9 +/- 5.6%) and reproducibility (within-day assay, C.V. = 8.6-10.2%; between-day assay, C.V. = 6.5-11.7%). EC-SOD levels in sera from healthy persons are clearly divided into two groups: a lower group (Group I, below 120 ng/ml, n = 146) and higher group (Group II, above 400 ng/ml, n = 10). The EC-SOD in Group I were almost normally distributed and the mean level was 55.8 +/- 18.8 ng/ml. The serum EC-SOD level assayed by ELISA correlated well with serum SOD activity. The serum EC-SOD in Group I is heterogeneous with regard to affinity for heparin-Sepharose and could be separated into three approximately equal fractions, whereas the EC-SOD in Group II is mainly one fraction with a high affinity for the column. The apparent molecular weight and carbohydrate structure of serum EC-SOD in Group II are identical to those in Group I. The high EC-SOD level in sera from some individuals may reflect the excessive stimulation of EC-SOD synthesis in vivo or the growth of selected cells in vivo, because EC-SOD is known to be expressed by a few cell types in vivo as a high-heparin-affinity subtype."}
{"id": "PMID:1477981", "title": "Platelet hyperreactivity in hyperlipidaemia with specific reference to platelet lipids and fatty acid composition.", "content": "Platelet function after thrombin stimulation, the fatty acid composition of individual phospholipids, and levels of lipid components (cholesterol, cholesterol ester, phospholipids and triglycerides) were determined in total membranes of platelets from hyperlipidaemic (HL) and control subjects. Platelet aggregation, thromboxane (TX) B2 production and serotonin release was significantly greater in HL patients than in controls. Levels of platelet cholesterol, total phospholipids, cholesterol ester and triglycerides, were significantly higher in the HL patients. Small differences between the two groups were observed for the phospholipid fatty acid patterns. However, levels of arachidonic acid (AA) were significantly higher in phosphatidylinositol (PI) of HL patients (40.01 +/- 6.59 mol%) as compared to the controls (31.52 +/- 9.91 mol%) (P = 0.002). The higher levels of AA in PI, which is considered a donor pool for eicosanoid synthesis, may be an additional mechanism for the well documented platelet hyperfunction and greater TXB2 production in hyperlipidaemic subjects."}
{"id": "PMID:1477984", "title": "Measurement of ascorbic acid in platelets and its relationship to polymorphonuclear leukocyte levels.", "content": "A simplified method for measuring ascorbic acid (AA) concentrations in platelets is described. Platelet ascorbate was determined as the difference in concentrations between platelet rich plasma and platelet free plasma. In 20 healthy individuals concentrations of AA in platelets and polymorphonuclear leukocytes were found to be significantly correlated (r = 0.72, P < 0.01). Measurement of platelet ascorbate may provide an estimate of tissue AA status."}
{"id": "PMID:1477985", "title": "Polyclonal immunoglobulin M: location of glycation sites.", "content": "A four step purification procedure for polyclonal human serum IgM was elaborated, including ultracentrifugation, ammonium sulfate and polyethyleneglycol precipitations and diffusion-exclusion gel chromatography. IgM was glycated in vitro both in the presence of [14C]glucose and with unlabeled glucose. Influence of incubation time up to 10 days and of glucose concentration between 10 and 60 mmol/l were studied. With 10 mmol/l glucose, a molar ratio glucose/IgM of 5.7 was attained in 10 days. Increase of glucose concentration up to 60 mmol/l led to a molar ratio of 16.0. Both basal and in vitro glycation were evaluated by 3H-labeling by gel filtration and Concanavalin A-Sepharose chromatographies. Glycation occurs mainly on the heavy chains (> 85%), particularly on the Fd region."}
{"id": "PMID:1477986", "title": "Characterization of the gliadin-derived peptides which are biologically active in coeliac disease.", "content": "Reversed-phase HPLC on C18 silica gel at pH 3.5 was used to separate peptides in fraction 9, a mixture of peptides of unknown composition obtained from an enzymic digest of wheat gliadin. This fraction, which has been shown to be toxic to individuals with coeliac disease, yielded a principal peak as well as many minor peaks after HPLC. The significant peaks were subjected to amino acid analysis. The principal peak obtained was purified by rechromatography at pH 6.0 and shown to contain a dodecapeptide of sequence H-Arg-Pro-Gln-Gln-Pro-Tyr-Pro-Gln-Pro-Gln-Pro-Gln-OH. This peptide may have been derived from regions in the A-gliadin molecule corresponding to amino acids numbered 75-86 or from homologous regions in other gliadin molecules. Preliminary results indicate that it is active in two in vitro models of coeliac disease and that it could be the source of one of the undigested peptides (Hexapeptide II, (Glx)3, (Pro)2, Tyr) obtained from coeliac mucosal digestion of fraction 9. Some active serine-containing peptides were also obtained from chromatography at pH 3.5 and attempts are being made to correlate these with the other undigested peptide (Hexapeptide I) of composition (Glx)3, (Pro)2, Ser, obtained after coeliac mucosal digestion of fraction 9."}
{"id": "PMID:1477987", "title": "Copper metabolism--a factor in gestational diabetes?", "content": "The purpose of the present work was to investigate whether there is an involvement of copper metabolism in the mechanism of gestational diabetes mellitus. No statistically significant differences were found in serum copper and ceruloplasmin concentrations between healthy pregnant women and women with gestational diabetes mellitus. The activity of ceruloplasmin in women with gestational diabetes mellitus was slightly higher and its specific activity significantly raised. The CuZn superoxide dismutase activity was significantly increased (P < 0.05) in women with gestational diabetes mellitus, comparing the two groups by matched pairs according to age. The results indicate that oxidative stress may have a role in gestational diabetes mellitus and that reduced concentrations of copper are not the cause of this stress."}
{"id": "PMID:1477988", "title": "Differences in erythrocyte sodium transport between human plasma and artificial medium: the role and character of sodium efflux and influx stimulating plasma factors.", "content": "The main objective of this study was to further characterize the plasma factor(s) which stimulate sodium efflux from erythrocytes, which we reported previously. Dialysis of plasma against an artificial medium using membranes with varying molecular mass cut-off points revealed relative molecular mass(es) of the factor(s) of 100-1000 Da. The factor(s) could be absorbed on Dowex at pH 1.5 and Amberlite at pH 11.0, indicating 'Zwitterionic' character. They are hydrophilic and resistant to acid hydrolysis. These characteristics and direct measurements of contents made amino acids likely candidates for the efflux stimulating properties of the factor(s). Indeed, plasma amino acids added to artificial medium could abolish the sodium efflux difference between plasma and the artificial medium. The efflux stimulating effect of amino acids appeared not to be the result of sodium influx stimulation. A coincident finding was that plasma also contains dialyzable sodium influx stimulating factor(s) which are not amino acids."}
{"id": "PMID:1477989", "title": "Protection of vascular basement membrane and microcirculation from elastase-induced damage with a fluorinated beta-lactam derivative.", "content": "N-(2-chloromethylphenyl) 3,3-difluoroazetidin-2-one (AA 231-1), a specific suicide-type inhibitor of elastase which is known to suppress the lysis of chromogenic oligopeptides, elastin and elastic fibers, is effective also in preventing the degradation of the vascular basement membrane. The degradation of porcine glomerular basement membrane by purified human leukocyte elastase (HLE), was reduced in proportion of inhibitor dose (8.3 microM for 50% inhibition). It is noteworthy that there was no reduction of the inhibitory effect when the addition of AA 231-1 was delayed for 1 h after the addition of the enzyme to the substrate. In the guinea pig, reduction of the dermal microhemorrhage due to HLE was related to the dose of inhibitor and to its preincubation time with HLE before intradermal injection. The inflammatory hemorrhage associated with the Arthus skin reaction was moderately depressed by AA 231-1 in situ. A part of the vascular permeability induced by HLE also responded to the inhibitor. In spite of the tissular diffusion and the time-dependence parameters which restrict responsiveness of elastase to AA 231-1 in vivo this biochemical compound should be helpful in the study and possibly the cure of vascular injury related to elastase."}
{"id": "PMID:1477992", "title": "When do we treat hypercholesterolemia?", "content": "Although the relationships between elevated total and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and coronary heart disease (CHD) are relatively well established and published treatment guidelines are available, clinicians face a number of complex issues when deciding whom to treat. Specific patient characteristics and potential risk factors, of which less is known, may influence treatment decisions. In this presentation, the current guidelines for treating patients with hypercholesterolemia are reviewed and therapeutic issues that must be considered when selecting patients for treatment are identified."}
{"id": "PMID:1477993", "title": "Therapeutic intervention for hypercholesterolemia.", "content": "In previous presentations in these proceedings, the important relationships between cholesterol and coronary heart disease (CHD) have been reviewed. Guidelines, for Europe and the United States, for screening and intervention in persons with elevated total or low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol have been compared. In this presentation, the current approaches for dietary and drug treatment of hypercholesterolemia are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1477994", "title": "Cholesterol and cardiovascular disease: how strong is the evidence?", "content": "The relationship between elevated serum cholesterol and cardiovascular disease, specifically coronary heart disease (CHD), has been and continues to be a source of debate in the medical community. Other issues under debate include criteria for screening for elevated cholesterol, criteria for treatment, and whether intervention to lower elevated cholesterol prior to a cardiac event is cost effective. Most physicians believe this latter statement to be true; however, reports of no decrease in overall mortality rates in those without clinical coronary disease in whom aggressive lowering of cholesterol is achieved may have contributed to the lack of consensus on this most important issue. In this presentation the evidence that links cholesterol and CHD is reviewed and it is demonstrated that lowering elevated cholesterol concentrations can improve quality of life and life expectancy."}
{"id": "PMID:1477997", "title": "Prostaglandins and the cervix.", "content": "The dramatic capabilities of prostaglandins to modify the condition of the uterine cervix have been exploited to the considerable benefit of patients who require therapeutic interventions for labour induction and termination of pregnancy. This will continue to be an important facet of clinical obstetric and gynaecologic practice, although further refinements and improvements in techniques seem certain to continue."}
{"id": "PMID:1477996", "title": "Prostaglandins in the ovary and fallopian tube.", "content": "More than 20 years following the recognition of a possible role for eicosanoids in ovarian function a physiological role for prostaglandins and/or leukotrienes in human ovulation, corpus luteum function and tubal motility remains to be demonstrated. With respect to ovarian function, the well-characterized preovulatory rise in eicosanoid production in animal species and humans, in conjunction with the large body of experimental evidence employing inhibitors of prostaglandin synthesis and replacement of individual prostaglandins, has provided strong evidence for a role in follicular rupture independent of other LH-mediated ovulatory events. The possible mechanism of prostaglandin-induced follicle rupture may involve stimulation of proteolytic activity via substances such as plasmin and PA; however, this is controversial. A role for prostaglandins in ovarian luteal function is well established in laboratory animals and large ruminant species, where PGF2 alpha derived from the uterus has been demonstrated to be the luteolytic factor. In humans, luteal function may be influenced by local intraovarian eicosanoid production, which has been suggested to involve the paracrine interaction of local ovarian hormones such as oxytocin, noradrenaline, insulin and IGFs, to name but a few. Several lines of evidence have also implicated prostaglandins as an aetiological factor in ovarian pathological states such as seen in the OHSS. However, the bulk of clinical experimental evidence to date has failed to support this contention. Prostaglandin production has likewise been well characterized in the fallopian tube in both humans and animal species. Whereas a role for prostaglandins in tubal transport has been demonstrated with animal species such as the rabbit, several studies have failed to define a similar function in humans. More recently, direct injections of prostaglandin analogues into the fallopian tube and the corpus luteum have been shown to be efficacious as a treatment for ectopic pregnancy. Whether the primary mechanism of action involves effects on tubal musculature or corpus luteum function, or is simply a local vascular effect, remains to be demonstrated. Therefore, although the physiological role for eicosanoids in ovarian and tubal function remains unclear, particularly in the human, an increasing body of recent evidence has suggested an important paracrine function for this class of cellular mediators whose interaction with other more recently characterized local ovarian factors has only begun to be recognized."}
{"id": "PMID:1477999", "title": "The role of prostaglandins in obstetrical disorders.", "content": "All pregnancy-associated tissues are capable of producing prostaglandins including PGI2 and TXA2. In normal pregnancy there is a dominance of PGI2 over TXA2 which may contribute to the maternal circulatory adaptation to pregnancy. Furthermore, both fetoplacental PGI2 and TXA2 production are important regulators of the fetal blood supply. It has been clearly established that in pre-eclampsia PGI2 production decreases in the fetoplacental tissues and quite probably also in the maternal tissues. The effect of this change may be further exaggerated by the simultaneous stimulation in pre-eclampsia of TXA2 production. The reason for PGI2 deficiency is not known. Other vasoactive agents, such as endothelin, may act in concert with prostaglandins. Relative PGI2 deficiency is likely to exist also in IUGR and lupus anticoagulant syndrome of pregnancy. In the latter, lupus anticoagulant may directly inhibit the synthesis of PGI2. One study suggests PGI2 deficiency also in early pregnancies of women with a history of repeated abortions. Prostaglandin production increases during full-term labour, and similar but smaller changes also occur in preterm labour. A silent bacterial infection may trigger the onset of preterm labour through cytokine-stimulated increase of prostaglandin production. No data were found on prostaglandin production in post-term pregnancies. That oligo-polyhydramnios is possibly prostaglandin mediated is suggested by the control of polyhydramnios by indomethacin treatment. Smoking decreases the production of PGI2 and possibly increases that of TXA2, which may lead to decreased blood flow and IUGR. Which constituent of cigarette smoke exerts this effect is not known. Ethanol consumption causes aberrations in prostaglandin metabolism which cannot be directly connected with fetal alcohol effects."}
{"id": "PMID:1478004", "title": "Therapeutic drug monitoring in saliva. An update.", "content": "This article re-examines the issue of salivary therapeutic drug monitoring (STDM). The anatomy and physiology of saliva and the salivary glands, as well as the effects of disease and drugs on salivary secretion and composition, are discussed briefly. Drugs for which therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) has been shown useful are individually considered to determine if salivary drug concentrations (Csal) are reflective of plasma free drug concentrations (C(up)). That is, is the Csal/C(up) ratio time- and concentration-independent, as supported by a review of literature data? The primary determinant which appears to govern the potential utility of STDM for many of the drugs is the pKa of the drug. Drugs which are not ionisable or are un-ionised within the salivary pH range (phenytoin, carbamazepine, theophylline) are candidates for STDM based on current literature data. Digoxin and cyclosporin are potential candidates for STDM; however, further studies are necessary to confirm these preliminary findings. On the basis of current literature data, STDM does not appear to be useful for other drugs therapeutically monitored in serum/plasma."}
{"id": "PMID:1478005", "title": "Optimisation of immunosuppressive therapy using pharmacokinetic principles.", "content": "Clinical experience with immunosuppressive therapy is more extensive in the area of preventing the rejection of transplanted organs than in the treatment of autoimmune diseases. Among the many pharmacological agents presently in use, only prednisone (or methylprednisolone) and cyclosporin require dosage individualisation. Sources of interindividual variability in the pharmacokinetics of prednisone have been identified and are guiding the selection of individual dosage rates. As an alternative, a single timed concentration can determine an apparent value for prednisone clearance from which an individual dosage can be calculated. In contrast, numerous sources of inter- and intraindividual variability in cyclosporin pharmacokinetics prevent the easy selection of safe and effective starting dose rates. Indeed, test doses of cyclosporin followed by series of blood samples and the calculation of individual pharmacokinetic parameters are needed to assure successful immunosuppression right from the start. Furthermore, only continued monitoring sustains immunotherapy vis-\u00e0-vis intraindividual variability and a narrow therapeutic range of cyclosporin concentrations."}
{"id": "PMID:1478003", "title": "Clinical pharmacokinetics of metronidazole and other nitroimidazole anti-infectives.", "content": "Metronidazole was first introduced for the treatment of trichomoniasis. Its therapeutic use has subsequently been expanded to include amoebiasis, giardiasis and, more recently, anaerobic infections. Most of the early pharmacokinetic studies employed nonspecific assays such as microbiological and chemical assays. These assays were not able to differentiate the parent drug from the metabolites or other interfering substances. Pharmacokinetic data obtained through the use of specific chromatographic techniques provide the basis for this review of recent pharmacokinetic findings concerning metronidazole and other nitroimidazole antibiotics. When given intravenously or orally at usual recommended doses, metronidazole attains concentrations well above the minimum inhibitory concentrations for most susceptible micro-organisms. The drug has an oral bioavailability approaching 100%. Rectal and vaginal administration results in a smaller amount of drug absorption and lower serum concentrations. Metronidazole has limited plasma protein binding but can attain very favourable tissue distribution, including into the central nervous system. The drug is extensively metabolised by the liver to form 2 primary oxidative metabolites: the hydroxy and acetic acid metabolites. The kidney is responsible for the elimination of only a small amount of the parent drug; however, normal excretion of the 2 metabolites is dependent on the integrity of kidney function. The metabolism of metronidazole was found to vary among patient groups. Preterm and term infants have lower total body clearance (CL) and prolonged elimination half-lives. However, children older than 4 years old were observed to have pharmacokinetic parameters similar to those in adults. Reduced CL was also observed in children who are malnourished. Elderly patients have reduced renal excretion of both the parent drug and hydroxy metabolite. Pharmacokinetic parameters in pregnant patients were not significantly different from those in nonpregnant women; however, the drug is distributed into breastmilk and the infant will be exposed to the drug through the nursing mother. Patients undergoing gastrointestinal surgery or having enteric diseases and those who are hospitalised or critically ill also have altered pharmacokinetics. Metabolism of the drug is reduced in patients with liver dysfunction, giving delayed production of metabolites. In contrast, renal failure has little effect on the elimination of the parent drug, but affects the excretion of the metabolites more significantly. Haemodialysis was found to remove a substantial amount of the metronidazole while the effect of peritoneal dialysis was more limited. Energy and protein deficient diets as well as occupational exposure to gasoline did not alter metronidazole pharmacokinetics. However, the effect of alcohol consumption on metronidazole CL requires further study.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1478006", "title": "Time course of trough serum gentamicin concentrations in preterm and term neonates.", "content": "Trough serum concentrations (Cmin) of gentamicin were followed during up to 96h of treatment in 44 neonates (17 preterm and 27 term), treated with intramuscular gentamicin 2.5 +/- 0.3 mg/kg (mean +/- SD) twice daily, a dosage that was not changed during the follow-up period. Relationships with patients' gestational age, postnatal age, postconceptional age and bodyweight were analysed to identify circumstances in which gentamicin should be monitored. Gentamicin Cmin values after 24h correlated better with neonate's postconceptional age (r = -0.42) or gestational age (r = -0.37) than with postnatal age or bodyweight. Correlations with postconceptional age and gestational age improved after 96h (r = -0.71 and r = -0.67, respectively). From 24 to 96h Cmin increased from 1.5 to 2 mg/L (p < 0.001) in the preterm neonates and from 1.5 to 2.5 mg/L (p < 0.01) in those preterm neonates < or = 32 weeks of gestational age, while differences between neonates < or = 3 days and > 3 days of postnatal age were nonsignificant. The Cmin at 24h was potentially toxic (> 2 mg/L) in 9% of the neonates (12% of preterm and 7% of term neonates). At 96h, the percentage of neonates with toxic Cmin values increased to 25% (65% of all preterm neonates and 100% of preterm neonates < or = 32 weeks of gestational age), whereas in term neonates it decreased to 0%. In conclusion, in preterm neonates < or = 32 weeks of gestational age a dosage of 2.5 mg/kg every 24h should be used, and gentamicin concentrations should be monitored. However, in term neonates > 7 days of postnatal age a dosage of 3.5 mg/kg twice daily should be recommended."}
{"id": "PMID:1478007", "title": "Cigarette smoking increases the mean platelet volume in elderly patients with risk factors for atherosclerosis.", "content": "To study the effects of cigarette smoking and atherosclerosis on platelet size, we measured the mean platelet volume (MPV) and other platelet parameters in 142 elderly smokers and nonsmokers with or without atherosclerotic risk factors. The MPV and the platelet count were highest and their inverse correlation was strongest in the atherosclerotic smokers (r = 0.54, P < 0.05) when compared with the nonsmoking and non-atherosclerotic groups. A 10% decrease of MPV was found in 8 smoking subjects in the atherosclerotic group, who successfully discontinued smoking (P < 0.05). These results suggest that smoking may increase platelet consumption in atherosclerotic vessels and that subsequently megakaryocytes are activated to produce larger platelets, which are more active. Thus, an increase in MPV due to smoking may also contribute to the acceleration of atherosclerosis and should be considered as a risk factor for atherosclerotic disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1478008", "title": "Haematological phenotypes in a family with triplicated alpha-globin gene, beta zero 39 and delta+27 thalassaemia mutations.", "content": "In this paper we report an unusual Sardinian family, in which the heterozygosity for beta zero 39-thalassaemia and for triple alpha-globin gene complex have been found in two members: the former showing a high HbA2 mild thalassaemia intermedia syndrome, the latter, her daughter, showing a normal HbA2 thalassaemia trait. Molecular analysis revealed the daughter to also be a carrier of a delta+27-thalassaemia point mutation, which in trans to the beta zero 39 defect invariably normalizes the HbA2 levels."}
{"id": "PMID:1478009", "title": "A comparison of differential white cell counting on the Coulter VCS and the Technicon H1 using simple and multiple regression analysis.", "content": "This study uses the statistical methods of simple and multiple regression to compare the differential white blood count on the Coulter VCS and Technicon H1 analysers. The results demonstrate that both are good at distinguishing lymphocytes, neutrophils and eosinophils. Monocyte differential counts show disappointing correlation, both by simple and multiple regression techniques. Basophils, though less frequently a clinical problem, also correlated poorly in this study."}
{"id": "PMID:1478010", "title": "The effect of hypotonicity on the mean platelet volume of patients with thrombo-embolism.", "content": "When dipotassium EDTA anticoagulated platelet rich plasma was incubated against a range of hypotonic saline concentrations, platelet volume was seen to change in a particular and reproducible fashion. When platelets taken from patients suffering a thromboembolic episode were tested in the same manner, a different pattern of response was observed the platelets being far less tolerant to osmotic stress. Similar changes occurred in platelets from ante-natal subjects. Platelets from both groups regained their tolerance to hypotonicity following either the thromboembolic incident or parturition respectively."}
{"id": "PMID:1478011", "title": "The use of interferon-gamma-treated U937 cells in chemiluminescence assays to detect red cell, platelet and granulocyte antibodies of potential clinical significance.", "content": "The chemiluminescent (CL) response of interferon-gamma-treated U937 (IFN-U937) cells to sensitized target cells has been used to detect red cell, platelet and granulocyte antibodies. A clone of U937 cells was selected which expressed Fc receptor I (Fc gamma RI) and which, after incubation with IFN-gamma for 72 h, was capable of generating high levels of lucigenin-enhanced CL. The CL responses of IFN-U937 cells and peripheral blood human monocytes to sensitized red cells, platelets or granulocytes were then compared. Assays using monocytes or IFN-U937 cells were of comparable sensitivity for detection of antibodies against all three types of target cell. In addition, the use of IFN-U937 cells reduced interassay variation and simplified assay performance. The potential clinical usefulness of these CL assays was suggested by the ability of both monocytes and IFN-U937 cells to respond to red cells, platelets or granulocytes sensitized with sera from pregnant women whose babies had either haemolytic disease of the newborn (HDN), alloimmune thrombocytopenia or alloimmune neutropenia respectively. In addition, monocytes and IFN-U937 cells both responded to red cells sensitized with antibodies against a variety of specificities of assumed (although not documented) clinical significance for blood transfusion recipients. In contrast, monocytes and IFN-U937 cells responded only weakly to red cells sensitized with either anti-D in sera from mothers of babies unaffected by HDN, or with antisera containing high titre antibodies with specificities not normally associated with significantly reduced red cell survival."}
{"id": "PMID:1478018", "title": "Respiratory physiology in pregnancy.", "content": "In conclusion, it is important to appreciate the anatomic and physiologic adaptations in pregnancy in order to accurately diagnose and treat cardiopulmonary disease states in the gravid woman. Without knowing what constitutes normalcy in pregnancy, inappropriate diagnosis and interventions may occur. Furthermore, this knowledge is fundamental for understanding how disease states affect pregnancy and how pregnancy affects disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1478019", "title": "Dyspnea during pregnancy. Distinguishing cardiac from pulmonary causes.", "content": "Dyspnea is common during normal pregnancy; however, a variety of significant cardiac and pulmonary disorders present with this as a cardinal symptom. This article describes the cardiopulmonary and clinical findings of pregnancy as well as specific disease indicators in the more common causes of cardiac and pulmonary dyspnea during pregnancy."}
{"id": "PMID:1478020", "title": "Asthma in pregnancy.", "content": "Most gravidas with asthma can be managed with an inhaled beta-adrenergic agonist (terbutaline or epinephrine) and beclomethasone dipropionate. The administration of prednisone to control exacerbation of asthma is appropriate and should not be withheld if current medications are inadequate. The outcome of pregnancy in gravidas with asthma can approach that of the general population if asthma is controlled effectively. There may be an increased incidence of preterm deliveries or preeclampsia in women with asthma during pregnancy."}
{"id": "PMID:1478021", "title": "Restrictive lung disease in pregnancy.", "content": "Restrictive ventilatory defects characterized by a reduction in lung volumes and an increase in the ratio of forced expiratory volume in 1 second to forced vital capacity occur when lung expansion is limited because of alterations in the lung parenchyma or because of abnormalities in the pleura, chest wall, or neuromuscular apparatus. Few studies have examined pregnant women with carefully defined restrictive lung disorders. The majority of pulmonary diseases have their onset after the childbearing years. When present, most do not alter fertility. Further, these disorders are only a relative contraindication to pregnancy because both the fetus and mother are able to survive without a high risk of increased morbidity or mortality. The clinical course of sarcoidosis is generally not altered by pregnancy. Factors indicative of a poor prognosis in sarcoidosis and pregnancy include parenchymal lesions on chest radiography, advanced roentgenologic staging, advanced maternal age, low inflammatory activity, requirement for drugs other than corticosteroids, and the presence of extrapulmonary sarcoidosis. Pregnancy seldom has a significant effect on the course of the connective tissue diseases. In PSS with significant renal involvement, pregnancy has the potential for poor fetal prognosis and the risk of maternal death due to a lethal progression of renal failure. Worsening of SLE is uncommon in pregnancy, and prophylactic therapy is generally not necessary. Most women with LAM are advised to avoid pregnancy or the use of estrogens because of the concern that it will lead to worsening of their disease. The incidence of kyphoscoliosis in pregnancy is relatively high. Premature birth rates are higher than that in the normal population. The risk of progression of the abnormal curve in a scoliotic patient appears low. However, women with unstable scolioses at the time of pregnancy can demonstrate progression of the curve with the pregnancy. Respiratory complications during pregnancy in patients with kyphoscoliosis have been reported but in general are not serious if appropriately managed. As a rule, patients with severe restrictive lung disease (i.e., vital capacity < 1 L) should be advised to avoid pregnancy or consider therapeutic abortion. If such a patient decides to continue the pregnancy she should be provided with optimal medical management of her underlying disease and should consider delivery by cesarean section."}
{"id": "PMID:1478022", "title": "Fertility and pregnancy in patients with cystic fibrosis.", "content": "Issues related to fertility and pregnancy, once moot, are now extremely relevant to the care of a growing number of CF patients entering adulthood. With rare exception, men are infertile, due to the almost universal presence of malformations of the reproductive tract causing obstructive azoospermia. Emphasis in the care of these patients should be directed toward confirmation of infertility and counseling to allay anxieties. In contrast, a significant albeit unknown proportion of women are fertile and a steadily increasing number of these women are conceiving. The accumulated clinical experience has demonstrated that pregnancy is well-tolerated by patients with mild disease while associated with increased maternal and fetal complications in those with severe disease. In light of current uncertainties in accurately predicting outcome in all but the most clear-cut cases, the physician must exercise clinical judgment in providing a realistic assessment of the medical risks involved and of the advisability of pregnancy. This assessment should be based on a thorough and objective evaluation of the pulmonary, cardiac, and nutritional status of the patient. Future efforts, assisted by data collected for the national CF patient registry, should be directed toward better defining the long-term impact of pregnancy on the natural history of CF and more precisely defining the pregravid parameters useful in predicting outcome for both mother and child."}
{"id": "PMID:1478023", "title": "Respiration during sleep in pregnancy.", "content": "Several changes in maternal physiology may profoundly alter sleep, especially during late pregnancy. Any condition that causes maternal hypoxemia will be worsened during sleep, particularly in the supine position. Although high circulating levels of progesterone increase respiratory drive during sleep, in at least some women this protective mechanism is insufficient to prevent sleep-disordered breathing and hypoxemia. The true incidence of sleep-disordered breathing during pregnancy remains unknown. Although many women report sleep disturbance during pregnancy, those with severe snoring, observed irregular breathing with sleep, or excessive daytime somnolence should be referred for clinical polysomnography. With few data thus far available, nasal CPAP would appear to be the treatment of choice. Given the possible consequences of sleep apnea for fetal outcome, any significant sleep-disordered breathing is probably an indication for treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1478024", "title": "Deep venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolism in pregnancy.", "content": "Deep venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolism are relatively frequent occurrences in pregnancy and the postpartum period. The diagnosis of deep venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolism requires accurate objective tests because clinical diagnosis is unreliable. Procedures that expose the fetus to ionizing radiation must sometimes be performed to make an accurate diagnosis; current evidence suggests that the adverse effects to the fetus associated with such procedures are minimal. Heparin is the anticoagulant of choice during pregnancy and is used for both the treatment and prevention of venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolism. Patients with deficiencies of antithrombin III, protein C, or protein S as well as patients with antiphospholipid antibodies are at increased risk for thrombotic complications and require particular vigilance during pregnancy."}
{"id": "PMID:1478025", "title": "Amniotic fluid embolism.", "content": "Amniotic fluid embolism is the most unpredictable and catastrophic complication of pregnancy, accounting for 10% to 20% of maternal deaths. The pulmonary edema commonly seen in this syndrome is probably due primarily to alveolar capillary leakage and may be potentiated by high maternal extracellular volume, low colloid osmotic pressure, and, in some patients, by depressed myocardial function. In patients in whom resuscitation is successful, diuresis leads to rapid resolution of pulmonary edema. Amniotic fluid does not ordinarily enter the maternal circulation, and the identification of large numbers of fetal squames in the postpartum pulmonary microvasculature is probably of clinical significance."}
{"id": "PMID:1478026", "title": "Pleural disease in pregnancy.", "content": "Pleural effusions, pneumomediastinum, and pneumothorax are known complications of pregnancy. Although reported in small series and anecdotal case reports, the serious nature of these complications and the potential for misdiagnosis during the events of labor and delivery warrant a careful review of the available literature. In this article the incidence, clinical manifestations, and, where appropriate, therapeutic options of these disorders are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1478027", "title": "Pneumonia complicating pregnancy.", "content": "Although pregnancy is infrequently complicated by pneumonia, lung infection by bacteria, viruses, and fungi can pose serious maternal and fetal hazards. Pneumonia may lead to preterm labor and certain infecting agents, most notably the HIV virus, can cross the placenta and lead to neonatal infection. There is some evidence that the incidence of pneumonia in pregnancy may be increasing among certain populations. In addition, infections caused by viruses (varicella and influenza) and fungal agents, ordinarily controlled by cell-mediated immunity, may be more virulent to pregnant women, thereby adding to maternal mortality. Beyond the influence of these pregnancy-induced changes in immunity, there are certain physiologic changes in pregnancy that make it more difficult for the pregnant woman to sustain any type of respiratory infectious insult. Certain types of pneumonias, particularly influenza and aspiration, may be avoided if patients at risk are identified and existing strategies for prevention are applied. When the pregnant women is treated for lung infection, the safety of antimicrobial agents must be considered, and therapy may differ from that used in the nonpregnant patient."}
{"id": "PMID:1478028", "title": "Tuberculosis and pregnancy.", "content": "After decades of decline, tuberculosis case rates are again increasing in the United States. The increases have been most dramatic among minority young adults of childbearing age. The availability of adequate chemotherapy means that the outcome for both mother and child in pregnancy complicated by tuberculosis should be good. Complete case finding and screening of high-risk adults is essential to bring tuberculosis under control again."}
{"id": "PMID:1478029", "title": "Sepsis in pregnancy.", "content": "Sepsis remains an uncommon, but potentially devastating problem in the previously healthy pregnant patient. Although septic sequelae, including organ failure and shock, are unusual, they are likely to lead to morbidity and mortality as high, or higher, than in the general population. At the present time, hemodynamic support, surgery, and antimicrobial therapy aimed at reducing polymicrobial aerobic and anaerobic infection remain the gold standard of therapy. New antimediator and anti-inflammatory therapies offer promise of improved survival in the general and obstetric population with severe sepsis."}
{"id": "PMID:1478032", "title": "Impotence in diabetes: aetiology, implications for treatment and preferred vacuum device.", "content": "In an assessment of the contributions of autonomic neuropathy and vascular disease to the aetiology of male impotence in diabetes, evidence of autonomic neuropathy was identified in 23/39 (59%) individuals complaining of impotence. Thirteen of 26 men aged < 60 years tested with an intracorporeal injection of papaverine experienced little or no response and seven had tumescence but no rigidity. Radioisotope phallography demonstrated vascular disease in six of these seven, suggesting evidence of a vascular component in 19/26 (73%). Only one patient had non-organic impotence. Overall, evidence of vascular disease alone was demonstrated in 10/26 (38%), vascular disease plus autonomic neuropathy in 9/26 (35%), and autonomic neuropathy alone in 6/26 (23%). Many diabetic men complaining of impotence appear to have a significant vascular component which renders intracorporeal papaverine treatment ineffective. We compared the performance of a vacuum constriction-band (Erecaid) and condom-type (Synergist) device in 10 randomly selected men from this group. The devices, provided in random order for 5 months each, were assessed by questionnaire and interview of both the patient and partner. Two couples defaulted and another could use neither device. Although erectile capacity could be restored in the remainder, subsequent intercourse was only deemed satisfactory to both partners in five couples, who unanimously preferred the constriction-band device. In treatment with vacuum devices the constriction-band type seems to be the device of choice; the condom type should probably be reserved for those unable to use the constriction-band type."}
{"id": "PMID:1478033", "title": "A cross-sectional study of echocardiographic indices, treadmill exercise capacity and microvascular complications in Nigerian patients with hypertension associated with diabetes mellitus.", "content": "Associations between hypertension and cardiovascular complications of diabetes mellitus in Nigerians, were examined in a cross-sectional study. 20 hypertensive-diabetic patients, 16 hypertensive patients, 10 non-hypertensive diabetic patients and 10 age- and sex-matched healthy controls, underwent M-mode and cross-sectional echocardiography, and Bruce-protocol treadmill exercise performance. Left ventricular (LV) mass indices (+/- SD) were significantly higher in hypertensive patients (164 +/- 12gm-2), diabetic (158 +/- 17gm-2) and hypertensive diabetic patients (125 +/- 129gm-2) compared with normal controls (111 +/- 17gm-2) p < 0.01. However, the LV mass index in the hypertensive-diabetic patients was significantly less than in hypertensive (p < 0.05) or normotensive diabetic patients (p < 0.05). Systolic cardiac contractility measured as fractional fibre shortening, was preserved in the hypertensive patients (24 +/- 4%) compared with the healthy controls (23 +/- 4%), but was depressed in diabetic patients (19 +/- 3%) and to a greater extent in the hypertensive-diabetic patients (15 +/- 4% p < 0.01). Treadmill exercise tolerance time was reduced independently in hypertension (309 +/- 73 seconds) or diabetes (321 +/- 119 seconds), p < 0.05, but was further impaired in hypertensive-diabetic patients (289 +/- 110 seconds) p < 0.01 compared to the healthy controls (490 +/- 156 seconds). The patients with hypertension and diabetes had a greater degree of proteinuria (p < 0.001) and a higher frequency of retinopathy (p < 0.001), in comparison to those with hypertension or diabetes alone."}
{"id": "PMID:1478034", "title": "Risk factors for peripheral vascular disease in hypertensive subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus.", "content": "Possible factors predisposing to peripheral vascular disease (PVD) in hypertensive subjects with Type 2 diabetes mellitus were studied. Details of age, sex, duration of diabetes, blood pressure, and smoking habit were recorded in 180 subjects of either White, West Indian Black or Asian ethnic origin. Glycosylated haemoglobin, fasting serum total cholesterol, total high density lipoprotein (HDL), HDL2, low density lipoprotein (LDL-cholesterol), and triglycerides were measured in all subjects. Peripheral vascular disease was defined as an ankle/brachial systolic pressure < 1.0 as measured by the Doppler technique. Multivariate analysis was performed and the following factors were identified as being strongly associated with the presence of PVD with a statistical significance of p < 0.001; LDL-cholesterol, total HDL-cholesterol, age, male sex, diet or oral hypoglycaemic therapy, diastolic blood pressure, and of p < 0.003; systolic blood pressure. When blood pressure was excluded from the analysis the other factors retained their predictive value. We conclude that hypertension and dyslipidaemia are important risk factors for peripheral vascular disease in Type 2 diabetes mellitus."}
{"id": "PMID:1478035", "title": "A double blind study of the effect of acipimox on serum lipids, blood glucose control and insulin action in non-obese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.", "content": "Hyperlipidaemia, in particular raised concentrations of serum triglycerides, together with raised plasma non-esterified fatty acid concentrations, is common in patients with Type 2 (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus and may be associated with insulin insensitivity. Thirty non-obese Type 2 diabetic patients (15 controlled with diet alone and 15 with diet plus oral sulphonylurea therapy) were therefore recruited to take part in a double-blind, randomized, crossover comparison of acipimox (250 mg three times daily for 3 months) and placebo. Serum lipids, blood glucose control, insulin sensitivity, and glucose tolerance were measured before and after each treatment period. There was a significant decrease in serum triglycerides (2.05 +/- 1.08 vs 2.91 +/- 1.75: p < 0.005), cholesterol (5.66 +/- 1.02 vs 6.26 +/- 1.17: p = 0.0005), and apoprotein B (1.32 +/- 0.23 vs 1.44 +/- 0.25: p < 0.05) while HDL cholesterol and apoprotein A-1 concentrations were unchanged. There was no change in blood glucose control measured by fasting glucose, insulin, and HBA, concentrations, but there was a significant improvement in insulin action assessed by glucose-insulin infusion. Although plasma non-esterified fatty acid concentrations were lower during the oral glucose tolerance test after acipimox, there was no difference in either the peak or 2-h plasma glucose concentrations and the total area under the glucose curve did not change. Acipimox was well tolerated and no patients withdrew from the study for drug-related symptoms. Thus, acipimox effectively lowers serum cholesterol and triglycerides in patients with Type 2 diabetes without adversely altering blood glucose control, and appears to improve insulin sensitivity."}
{"id": "PMID:1478036", "title": "Insulin injection site tissue depths and localization of a simulated insulin bolus using a novel air contrast ultrasonographic technique in insulin treated diabetic subjects.", "content": "Subcutaneous adipose tissue depth was measured in 50 randomly selected Type 1 diabetic patients by real-time ultrasound at five standard sites commonly used for injection. Tissue depths were often less than the length of the standard insulin syringe needle (12-13 mm) at the arm and thigh injection sites, especially in men. Thus, if the currently recommended perpendicular injection technique were to be employed, there would, in theory, be an appreciable risk of intramuscular insulin deposition. In order to determine the true site of deposition in those at risk (injection site tissue depth of < 12 mm), a novel air-contrast ultrasound imaging technique was developed. A mixture of 0.1 ml of air and 0.2 ml of sterile 0.9% saline was self-injected into an anterior thigh site by 30 subjects using their usual technique. The site of the resultant tissue depot was located by ultrasound. Sixty-three percent of the depots were localized to true subcutaneous tissue and the remaining 37% to between the fascial planes overlying muscle. None of the subjects proved to be injecting into muscle. These results contrast with predictions of the risk of intramuscular injection made from the ultrasound measurement of subcutaneous tissue alone at the anterior and lateral thigh sites of, respectively, 100 and 97% for men and 42 and 37% for women. Although 11 of the 30 subjects claimed to be using a full-depth perpendicular injection technique, on direct observation only four proved to be injecting perpendicularly and none of these to the full depth of the needle.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1478037", "title": "A simple method for quantitation of insulin sensitivity and insulin release from an intravenous glucose tolerance test.", "content": "Both insulin secretion and insulin sensitivity are important in the development of diabetes but current methods used for their measurements are complex and cannot be used for epidemiological surveys. This study describes a simplified approach for the estimation of first phase insulin release and insulin sensitivity from a standard 40-min intravenous glucose tolerance test (IVGTT), and compares these parameter estimations with the sophisticated minimal model analysis of a frequently sampled 3-h IVGTT and the euglycaemic clamp technique. For the simplified IVGTT, first phase insulin release was measured as the insulin area above basal post glucose load unit-1 incremental change (i.e. peak rise) in plasma glucose over 0-10 min, and insulin sensitivity as a rate of glucose disappearance (Kg) unit-1 insulin increase above basal from 0-40 min post-glucose load in 18 subjects who were studied twice, either basally or in a perturbed pathophysiological state (i.e. pre- and post-ultramarathon race, n = 5; pre- and post-20 h pulsatile hyperinsulinaemia, n = 8; pre- and post-thyrotoxic state, n = 5). A further 12 subjects were compared by IVGTT, and glucose clamp. In addition, seven dogs were studied three times by IVGTT during normal saline infusion and after short-term (1/2 hour) or long-term (72 hour) adrenaline infusions. First phase insulin release and insulin sensitivity estimated from the simplified IVGTT as calculated by the two methods correlated closely (rs = 0.89 and rs = 0.87, respectively), although less precisely in markedly insulin-resistant subjects and the slopes and y intercepts of the linear regression lines were similar in the basal and perturbed states.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1478038", "title": "T-cell receptor constant beta chain polymorphisms and susceptibility to type 1 diabetes.", "content": "Several groups have previously shown that the T-cell receptor (TCR) constant-beta (C beta) chain locus is associated with susceptibility to Type 1 diabetes, although other studies have failed to show this. We have extended these studies by investigating 125 individuals with Type 1 diabetes and failed to confirm the significantly increased frequency of the 10;9.2 kb TCR-C beta/Bgl-II genotype in our patient population. However, further analysis showed that the 10;9.2 kb TCR-C beta genotype was significantly increased in those patients with no microvascular complications after 20 years of diabetes compared to those patients with complications (proteinuria, overt neuropathy, and moderate or severe retinopathy) 69.2% vs 31.7%, respectively, p < 0.005 Pc = 0.025). Similar results were also found in a second group of 74 patients who were analysed in the same way. Hence, the failure of some investigators to confirm the association between TCR-C beta and Type I diabetes may be due to heterogeneity in the patient populations being studied."}
{"id": "PMID:1478039", "title": "The quality and relevance of peripheral neuropathy data on a diabetic clinical information system.", "content": "Routinely collected peripheral neuropathy data entered on a diabetic clinical information system since 1979 have been audited for completeness, consistency, accuracy (inter-observer variation), validity by comparison with biothesiometry, and relevance by life table analysis for foot ulceration. Peripheral neuropathy was defined by a neuropathy disability score > or = 4. The data were 98% complete. Forty-nine of 3405 (1.4%) had inconsistent records. Agreement between observers for clinical examination was significant (p < 0.05) for aggregate neuropathy score and its individual components except the knee jerk: Kappa score for observer variation for neuropathy score 0.56 (95% confidence interval 0.36-0.76). There was good agreement between neuropathy defined as aggregate score > or = 4, and as combined vibration perception thresholds for both feet > 60 V: Kappa statistic 0.62 (95% confidence interval 0.44-0.80). The chance of developing a foot problem in 3 years increased from 3% for patients with a score of zero to 45% for people with a score of between 9 and 12. We conclude that the calculation of a clinical neuropathy score is a simple, valid and relevant method for diabetes care both in hospital and the community. When combined with palpation of peripheral pulses most patients at risk of foot ulceration can be identified allowing targeting of preventive chiropody and orthotic resources."}
{"id": "PMID:1478040", "title": "Prescribing and dispensing of insulin: margins for error?", "content": "To investigate recent anecdotal reports of incorrect insulin dispensing, we compared retail pharmacists' and doctors' understanding of commonly used insulin brands. Eighty pharmacists, 29 general practitioners (GPs), and 31 junior hospital doctors were interviewed and completed a questionnaire concerning the duration of action and formulation of 17 insulins. Views on dispensing of alternative insulins were sought from the pharmacists. Fifteen insulin pairs in two columns, 'insulin prescribed' and 'dispense instead', were presented and pharmacists and doctors asked if substitution was appropriate. Mixtard, Penmix and Actrapid were the best understood insulins, Insulatard, Humulin Zn and Protaphane the worst. Both GPs (p = 0.014) and hospital doctors (p < 0.001) scored better than pharmacists. No pharmacist stated that they would routinely dispense alternative insulin, 27 out of 80 not even in an emergency, though 37 were prepared to do so in such a situation after checking, usually with a doctor or in the relevant literature. Sixteen pharmacists, 24 GPs, and all 31 hospital doctors completed the section on insulin pairs but accuracy at identifying appropriate substitutions was poor. These findings coupled with confusing insulin nomenclature may lead to dangerous dispensing errors."}
{"id": "PMID:1478041", "title": "A survey of lower limb amputation in diabetic patients.", "content": "A retrospective survey of non-traumatic and non-neoplastic lower limb amputations in Newcastle upon Tyne during 1989-91 was performed. Hospital data were cross-checked with the local limb fitting centre to ensure 100% ascertainment. The diabetic patients were found to be 39% of amputees and 42% of operations (all levels). Incidence of diabetes amputation was 5.7 per 100,000 population per year. Fifteen percent of the diabetic patients had diabetes first diagnosed when they were admitted for amputation. For the known diabetes patients, 46% were under diabetes care by general practitioners only. Forty-seven percent of the patients who were under the care of a hospital service for diabetes had incomplete foot examination and assessment. Mortality rate within 30 days after diabetic amputation was 10% and median life expectancy following amputation was 22 months. It seems likely that assessment and management of the diabetic foot remains suboptimal in Newcastle, and that protocols and audit of care could lead to improvements without additional resources."}
{"id": "PMID:1478042", "title": "Staphylococcal septicaemia complicating intracavernosal autoinjection therapy for impotence in a man with diabetes.", "content": "Intracavernosal injection of vasoactive drugs is a safe, effective, and commonly used treatment for impotence in diabetic men. In prospective studies infection has rarely occurred. We report a case of life-threatening Staphylococcal septicaemia complicating this treatment in a 61-year-old man with Type 2 diabetes, probably due to a combination of an unsterile technique and drug-induced priapism. Infection is a potential risk in diabetic men using intracavernosal injection therapy and those offered it should be informed of the importance of a scrupulous sterile technique and the need to seek urgent medical help for decompression if an erection persists for more than 4-6 h."}
{"id": "PMID:1478043", "title": "Pre- and postoperative glucose levels for eliciting hypoglycaemic responses in a patient with insulinoma.", "content": "Counterregulatory hormones and hypoglycaemic symptoms were studied during a gradual decline in plasma glucose in a 66-year-old man before and 9 weeks after removal of an insulin-producing tumour. Before surgery the adrenaline started to respond first at plasma glucose 2.8 mmol l-1. He reported no autonomic symptoms although plasma glucose fell to 2.3 mmol l-1 with a corresponding adrenaline rise to 4.64 nmol l-1. After surgery adrenaline responded at a plasma glucose of 3.7 mmol l-1 and he started to sweat and tremble at a plasma glucose of 3.1 mmol l-1 (corresponding adrenaline 2.63 nmol l-1). The lack of autonomic symptoms preoperatively may indicate adrenaline insensitivity, possibly as a result of repeated hypoglycaemia."}
{"id": "PMID:1478044", "title": "Phrenic neuropathy in association with diabetes.", "content": "We report the case of a 51-year-old man who presented with breathlessness on exertion and orthopnoea in association with Type 2 diabetes mellitus. Investigation showed bilateral diaphragmatic paralysis due to phrenic neuropathy. There was no evidence of neuropathy or microvascular disease elsewhere. Phrenic neuropathy may be an important, albeit rare, complication of diabetes and diaphragmatic function should be considered in any patient with unexplained breathlessness and orthopnoea."}
{"id": "PMID:1478046", "title": "Diagnosis of typhoid fever by two serologic methods. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay of antilipopolysaccharide of Salmonella typhi antibodies and Widal test.", "content": "Serum samples from 85 patients with proven typhoid fever, 11 patients with p-typhoidal fever, 101 patients with febrile non-typhoidal, and 130 healthy subjects were tested for immunoglobulin G (IgG), IgA, and IgM antilipopolysaccharide (LPS) of Salmonella typhi antibodies by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and Widal test. The levels of all three classes of immunoglobulin anti-LPS of S. typhi were higher in typhoid patients than in healthy or febrile nontyphoidal groups; we selected various combinations between the three classes of immunoglobulin to obtain the best combination of sensitivity and specificity. The sum of the absorbance values obtained from the ELISA assay for IgG+IgA+IgM (sigma lgs) was the best choice for diagnostic utility for typhoid fever. We selected a positive test at a decision level of sigma lgs > or = 1.2 with a sensitivity of 94% and a specificity of 92% with a frequency of false negative of 5.9%. The frequency of false positives for healthy controls was 7.7% and, for the febrile nontyphoidal group, it was 7.9%. We also compared receiver (or relative) operating characteristic (ROC) curves for the diagnostic usefulness of the ELISA with that of the Widal test, whose merits and limitations, especially in endemic regions, are discussed. The ELISA assay was much more sensitive and specific than any combination of the Widal test, and hence it could be a useful tool for the serologic diagnosis of typhoidal fever with a single blood sample."}
{"id": "PMID:1478052", "title": "Usefulness of the resting electrocardiogram in the elderly.", "content": "The ECG is useful in diagnosing acute myocardial infarction and unrecognized Q-wave myocardial infarction in the elderly. Unrecognized myocardial infarction and myocardial infarction associated with clinical symptoms have a similar incidence of new coronary events. Ischemic ST-segment depression on the resting ECG is associated with an increased incidence of new coronary events. The ECG is useful in the diagnosis of LV hypertrophy but is less sensitive and less specific than echocardiography in diagnosing LV hypertrophy. ECG LV hypertrophy is associated with an increased incidence of cardiovascular events in the elderly. However, echocardiographic LV hypertrophy is more sensitive in predicting new coronary events, atherothrombotic brain infarction, and congestive heart failure than is ECG LV hypertrophy. The ECG is also useful in diagnosing conduction defects and arrhythmias in the elderly. In the elderly, left bundle branch block, intraventricular conduction defect, Type II second-degree atrioventricular block, and pacer rhythm are associated with an increased incidence of new cardiac events, whereas right bundle branch block, left anterior fascicular block, and first-degree atrioventricular block are not. In the elderly, atrial fibrillation is associated with an increased incidence of thromboembolic stroke and new cardiac events. Premature atrial complexes and paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia are not associated with an increased cardiac risk. Complex ventricular arrhythmias on the resting ECG are associated with an increased incidence of cardiac events in elderly patients with heart disease but not in elderly patients without heart disease.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1478047", "title": "Evaluation of Syngene DNA-DNA probe assays for the identification of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex and the Mycobacterium avium complex.", "content": "Two hundred mycobacterial cultures were used to evaluate two alkaline-phosphatase-labeled DNA probe (SNAP) kits developed by Syngene (San Diego, CA) for identification of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex and M. avium complex. The M. tuberculosis complex SNAP probe, when compared with standard biochemical identification tests, gave results that were in agreement at 100% sensitivity and 98.7% specificity. Ninety-nine M. avium complex strains that were previously tested by the Gen-Probe M. avium complex probe assays and mycolic acid analysis were included to evaluate the M. avium complex SNAP assay which contained three probes, A (avium), I (intracellulare), and X. Eight strains identified as members of the M. avium complex by biochemical tests did not react with the three SNAP probes. These strains were also negative by the Gen-Probe assays. However, 23 strains identified as M. avium complex by biochemical tests and mycolic acid analysis and negative with the Gen-Probe assays gave positive results with the X probe and negative results with the A and I probes of the SNAP assay."}
{"id": "PMID:1478053", "title": "Organ damage in shock, disseminated intravascular coagulation, and stroke.", "content": "Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) may cause multiple organ failure. Although DIC may cause capillary occlusion in any and all organs, the lungs, liver, kidneys, gut, heart and brain are particularly affected. Focal brain necrosis can also be caused by DIC. Fibrinolytic therapy will often restore significant blood flow to the capillaries of the lungs. This results in significant increase in lung function because the lung is more resistant to actual necrosis and will resume function once circulation is restored. Administration of fibrinolytic therapy will also prevent liver and kidney failure if started within four hours after trauma. This therapy, when given in low doses intravenously over a twenty-four hour period, has little effect on the coagulation mechanism, and abnormal bleeding, therefore, has not been a concern. It is speculated that if plasminogen activators are effective and safe for treating the intravascular clots of DIC, then perhaps they would be effective in treating other types of intravascular coagulation in the brain, such as various types and degrees of stroke."}
{"id": "PMID:1478054", "title": "The debut of geriatric medicine.", "content": "The transition from mystical to scientific medicine for the aging patient is in part due to the observations of Christoph Wilhelm Hufeland. Though centuries old, his observations ring true even for today's comprehensive therapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1478048", "title": "Evaluation of Syva's enzyme immunoassay for the detection of Chlamydia trachomatis in urogenital specimens.", "content": "A newly developed microwell enzyme immunosorbent assay (EIA) system by Syva Company (Palo Alto, CA) can detect Chlamydia trachomatis in < 3 hr. It uses a polyclonal antibody to chlamydial lipopolysaccharide and end points are determined with a spectrophotometer. Three clinical trial sites (University of California Medical Center, San Francisco, CA; University of Washington, Seattle, WA; and Louisiana State University Medical Center, New Orleans, LA), compared this EIA with tissue culture (TC) for identifying Chlamydia in urogenital specimens. Overall prevalence by TC was 10.4% (136 of 1306). When tests were compared with TC (using vials or microtiter plates and a fluorescent antibody stain), we found an EIA sensitivity of 93.4% (127 of 136) and a specificity of 98.1% (1148 of 1170). This EIA has a performance profile that is, at the very least, comparable with other nonculture methods for diagnosing genital tract infections with C. trachomatis."}
{"id": "PMID:1478056", "title": "Immunosenescence.", "content": "The aging immune system, while showing little in the way of quantitative changes, demonstrates important functional changes, especially T-cell functions. In addition to increased susceptibility to some infections, there is an increased likelihood of autoantibody production, and the emergence of monoclonal antibodies and other lymphoproliferative disorders. The role of the immune system in degenerative processes, and susceptibility to malignant processes requires further investigation. Biotechnology is producing many new methods of modulating immune function, with ever increasing specificity. Thus the future holds great promise for overcoming the effects of immunosenescence."}
{"id": "PMID:1478050", "title": "Haemophilus test medium interpretive criteria for disk diffusion susceptibility tests with cefdinir, cefetamet, cefmetazole, cefpodoxime, cefdaloxime (RU29246, HR-916 metabolite), and trospectomycin.", "content": "The disk diffusion zones and the MICs of six newer antimicrobials with significant activity against Haemophilus influenzae were compared using the Haemophilus test medium (HTM) and National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards methods. The rank order of potency was cefpodoxime (MIC50, < or = 0.03 micrograms/ml) > cefetamet > cefdinir > cefdaloxime = trospectomycin > cefmetazole (MIC50, 2 micrograms/ml). Susceptible breakpoint interpretive criteria for HTM tests were established that conformed to prior recommendations for each drug when tested against other species. Absolute agreement between methods ranged from 89% to 100% with < or = 1% false-susceptible interpretive errors. The recommended, tentative disk diffusion susceptible interpretive criteria were for 5-micrograms cefdinir disks > or = 20 mm (MIC correlate, < or = 1 micrograms/ml); for 10-micrograms cefetamet disks > or = 18 mm (MIC correlate, < or = 4 micrograms/ml); for 30-micrograms cefetamet disks > or = 21 mm (MIC correlate, < or = 4 micrograms/ml); for 30-micrograms cefmetazole disks > or = 16 mm (MIC correlate, < or = 16 micrograms/ml); for 10-micrograms cefpodoxime disks > or = 21 mm (MIC correlate, < or = 2 micrograms/ml); for 30-micrograms cefdaloxime disks > or = 23 mm (MIC correlate, < or = 2 micrograms/ml) and for 30-micrograms trospectomycin disks > or = 17 mm (MIC correlate, < or = 16 micrograms/ml). beta-Lactamase-negative, ampicillin-resistant (BLNAR) H. influenzae isolates consistently had the highest MICs for each cephalosporin tested.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1478057", "title": "An overview of antimicrobial therapy.", "content": "Dealing with infections is an integral part of clinical practice. The vast number of antimicrobial agents available, with new ones being introduced constantly, behooves practitioners to keep abreast of the properties, antimicrobial activities, clinical uses and possible adverse effects of these agents. This article attempts to present an overview on several classes of antimicrobial agents commonly used in our daily practices, with the hope of steering our colleagues toward rational and judicious usage of these potent medications."}
{"id": "PMID:1478051", "title": "Surgical wound infection by Aspergillus fumigatus in liver transplant recipients.", "content": "Cutaneous aspergillosis is generally associated with immunosuppression, burns, and major trauma. Most cases are acquired by direct inoculation, although cutaneous involvement does occasionally occur with disseminated disease. Surgical wound infections caused by Aspergillus species are very unusual and to our knowledge have not been described in the setting of organ transplantation. We describe two liver transplant recipients who developed wound aspergillosis during a nosocomial outbreak of Aspergillus infection. Infection developed in the second and fourth postoperative week respectively, and in both cases wound appearance mimicked necrotizing fasciitis. Both patients died despite local debridement and antifungal therapy with amphotericin B. Aspergillus must be added to the list of potential pathogens of surgical wounds, especially in the setting of organ transplantation."}
{"id": "PMID:1478049", "title": "Susceptibility testing interpretive criteria and drug stability for cefdinir, cefetamet, and cefpodoxime against Neisseria gonorrhoeae.", "content": "Cefdinir, cefetamet, and cefpodoxime, three orally administered cephalosporins, were tested against 100 strains of Neisseria gonorrhoeae having various antimicrobial susceptibility patterns. Triplicate testing of each organism strain was performed for all agar dilution and disk diffusion tests. Cefdinir was the most active compound (MIC90) micrograms/ml) especially against gonococci with chromosomal-mediated resistance to penicillin. The recommended susceptible interpretive criteria were as follows: for the 5-micrograms cefdinir disk, > or = 31 mm (MIC correlate, < or = 0.25 microgram/ml); for the 10-micrograms cefetament disk, > or = 29 mm (MIC correlate, < or = 0.5 microgram/ml; for the 30-micrograms cefetamet disk, > or = 31 mm (MIC correlate, < or = 0.5 microgram/ml); and for the 10-micrograms cefpodoxime disk, > or = 29 mm (MIC correlate, < or = 0.5 microgram/ml). No organisms resistant to these new cephalosporins were detected. Cefdinir, cefetamet, and defpodoxime were stable in GC agar medium for at least 21 days when stored at 2 degrees-5 degrees C."}
{"id": "PMID:1478059", "title": "Isolation of two odorant-binding proteins from mouse nasal tissue.", "content": "1. Two soluble proteins, with good affinity to tritiated 2-isobutyl-3-methoxypyrazine, have been purified from mouse nasal mucosa. 2. The first protein is a heterodimer with subunits of apparent M(r) 18 and 19 kDa and isoelectric point of 4.9; the second is a monomer of M(r) 21 kDa and isoelectric point of 4.8. 3. The characteristics of these binding proteins are compared with those of the other known OBPs and urinary proteins and their putative role is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1478060", "title": "Organization of non-vertebrate globin genes.", "content": "The organization of non-vertebrate globin genes exhibits substantially more variability than the three-exon, two-intron structure of the vertebrate globin genes. (1) The structures of genes of the single-domain globin chains of the annelid Lumbricus and the mollusc Anadara, and the globin gene coding for the two-domain chains of the clam Barbatia, are similar to the vertebrate plan. (2) Genes for single-domain chains exist in bacteria and protozoa. Although the globin gene is highly expressed in the bacterium Vitreoscilla, the putative globin gene hmp in E. coli, which codes for a chimeric protein whose N-terminal moiety of 139 residues contains 67 residues identical to the Vitreoscilla globin, may be either unexpressed or expressed at very low levels, despite the presence of normal regulatory sequences. The DNA sequence of the globin gene of the protozoan Paramecium, determined recently by Yamauchi and collaborators, appears to consist of two exons separated by a short intron. (3) Among the lower eukaryotes, the yeasts Saccharomyces and Candida have chimeric proteins consisting of N-terminal globin and C-terminal flavoprotein moieties of about the same size. The structure of the gene for the chimeric protein of Saccharomyces exhibits no introns. According to Riggs, the presence of chimeric proteins in E. coli and other prokaryotes, such as Alcaligenes and Rhizobium, as well as in yeasts, suggests a previously unrecognized evolutionary pathway for hemoglobin, namely that of a multipurpose heme-binding domain attached to a variety of unrelated proteins with diverse functions. (4) The published globin gene sequences of the insect larva Chironomus have an intron-less structure and are present as clusters of multiple copies; the expression of the globin genes is tissue and developmental stage-specific. Furthermore, the expression of many of these genes has not yet been demonstrated despite the presence of apparently normal regulatory sequences in the two flanking regions. Unexpectedly, Bergtrom and collaborators have recently shown that at least three Ctt globin II beta genes contain putative introns. (5) Pohajdak and collaborators have found a seven-exon and six-intron structure for the globin gene of the nematode Pseudoterranova which codes for a two-domain globin chain. Although the second and fourth introns of the N-terminal domain correspond to the two introns found in vertebrate globin genes, the position of the third intron is close to that of the central intron in plant hemoglobins.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1478061", "title": "Proteinases and proteinase inhibitors as modulators of animal cell growth.", "content": "1. Three distinct lines of evidence indicate that proteinases are involved in the growth of cultured animal cells. 2. Endogenous growth-related proteinases have been identified, and exogenous proteinases can also stimulate cell proliferation, probably by different mechanisms. In some cases, higher concentrations of proteinases are cytotoxic. 3. Proteinase inhibitors, not surprisingly, inhibit cell growth, but can also be mitogenic at sub-inhibitory concentrations. 4. There must, therefore, be at least three major cellular processes in which proteinases or proteinase inhibitors can operate to exert a direct effect on cell proliferation. 5. Details of one action of an exogenous proteinase, typified by thrombin and the thrombin receptor, are becoming clear at the molecular level, but thrombin probably activates at least two intracellular signalling systems, as well as acting as a growth inhibitor in some situations. 6. Much remains to be investigated in other examples."}
{"id": "PMID:1478062", "title": "Comparative study of the responses of bovine and mouse intestinal mucosa to iron-dependent lipid peroxidation.", "content": "1. The extent of lipid peroxidation in vitro, as indicated by the production of malonaldehyde, was significantly different in homogenates of bovine and mouse intestinal mucosa. 2. Mouse intestinal mucosa was resistant to non-enzymatic lipid peroxidation whereas bovine intestinal mucosa was not. 3. Iron-dependent lipid peroxidation in bovine intestinal mucosa depends on the position the cells occupy along the crypt-villus axis. 4. The addition of methanolic extracts from bovine intestine to mouse liver homogenates produced a considerable increase in non-enzymatic peroxidation whereas those from mouse intestinal mucosa had no effect."}
{"id": "PMID:1478063", "title": "Heat shock protein response in phosphorus-deficient heat-stressed broiler chickens.", "content": "1. During acute in vivo heat stress, a normal heat shock protein (HSP) response was not inducible in chickens deficient in inorganic phosphorus (P(i)-deficient). 2. Small quantities of HSP 70 and HSP 90 were induced, but little or no HSP 23 was induced in P(i)-deficient chickens compared to P(i)-adequate chickens. 3. Increased susceptibility of P(i)-deficient chickens to acute heat stress was attributed to their inability to produce an adequate HSP response."}
{"id": "PMID:1478064", "title": "Inverse relation in the de novo arginase synthesis and nitric oxide production in murine and rat peritoneal macrophages in long-term cultures in vitro.", "content": "1. The de novo synthesis of arginase was much higher in murine than in rat peritoneal macrophages. This process was inhibited irreversibly by protein synthesis inhibitors and reversibly by glycolysis blockers. 2. Rat macrophages produce more nitric oxide (NO) than murine cells. NO production was inhibited by the inhibitors of protein synthesis or glycolysis. 3. The loading of macrophages by exogenous arginine for 24 hr in vitro resulted in the increase of arginase and nitrite in macrophages to different extents. 4. No great differences in lysozyme production was observed. 5. The proportion of arginine taken up and incorporated is contrasted in murine and rat macrophages."}
{"id": "PMID:1478065", "title": "Effects of ATP level on glutathione regeneration in rabbit and guinea-pig erythrocytes.", "content": "1. Effects of ATP level on GSH regeneration were studied in the rabbit and guinea-pig erythrocytes. 2. There was a species difference in the efficacy of adenine, inosine and glucose as substrates for ATP recovery in the erythrocytes. 3. Erythrocytes GSH regeneration rate was found to be dependent on the cellular level of ATP in both the species."}
{"id": "PMID:1478066", "title": "Effects of phenol compounds, glutathione analogues and a diuretic drug on glutathione S-transferase, glutathione reductase and glutathione peroxidase from canine erythrocytes.", "content": "1. Phenol compounds (ellagic acid, quercetin and purpurogallin), glutathione analogues (S-hexylglutathione and S-octylglutathione) and a diuretic drug (ethacrynic acid) were compared for their inhibitory effects on glutathione S-transferase (GST), glutathione reductase (GR) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) in the canine erythrocytes. 2. All these compounds inhibited GST activity; quercetin was found to be the most potent inhibitor. 3. Ellagic acid, purpurogallin, quercetin and ethacrynic acid inhibited GR activity; S-hexylglutathione and S-octylglutathione had no effect on GR and GSH-Px activities. 4. Quercetin and purpurogallin inhibited GST non-competitively toward glutathione, whereas ellagic acid showed a competitive inhibition. Ellagic acid and purpurogallin inhibited GR non-competitively toward oxidized glutathione."}
{"id": "PMID:1478067", "title": "Heparin-binding properties of lactoferrin and lysozyme.", "content": "1. Binding of biotin-heparin to immobilized lactoferrin and lysozyme was optimum at pH 6.0, 100 mM NaCl. Complex interactions between NaCl and CaCl2 concentrations were observed for heparin binding to both proteins. 2. The metal ions Cu2+, Zn2+, Fe2+ and Fe3+ inhibited heparin binding, with half-maximal inhibition of binding to lactoferrin occurring between 600 microM and 1 mM and for lysozyme between 500 and 800 microM. 3. Binding of biotin-heparin to both proteins was inhibited to varying degrees by heparin, heparan sulfate, chondroitin sulfate A, dextran sulfate and DNA."}
{"id": "PMID:1478068", "title": "Glutathione reductases from a variety of sources are inhibited by physiological levels of glutathione.", "content": "1. Glutathione reductase from human platelets, bovine intestinal mucosa, yeast and E. coli were inhibited in vitro by physiological levels of reduced glutathione with IC50s of 6.61 mM, 2.92 mM, 2.40 mM and 12.11 mM, respectively. 2. A steady-state kinetic examination revealed that glutathione inhibited the NADPH oxidation (at constant [glutathione-disulphide]) catalysed by the eucaryotic enzymes uncompetitively, whereas the E. coli enzyme appeared unaffected by glutathione concentrations of up to 10 mM. 3. With respect to glutathione inhibition of glutathione-disulphide reduction (at constant [NADPH]), the human enzyme was inhibited uncompetitively; the bovine and yeast enzymes displayed apparent mixed hyperbolic inhibition; the E. coli enzyme was inhibited competitively."}
{"id": "PMID:1478069", "title": "Studies on the blood of fallow deer (Dama dama) and red deer (Cervus elaphus): haematology, red cell enzymes, metabolic intermediates and glycolytic rates.", "content": "1. Blood samples were obtained from fallow deer (Dama dama) and red deer (Cervus elaphus). Basic haematology, red cell enzymes, and metabolic intermediates and the glycolytic rate of the red cells incubated with different substrates were measured. 2. The major findings were (i) the activity of glucose phosphate isomerase was notably high in the red blood cells of the red deer; (ii) red deer cells also utilized adenosine more efficiently than those of fallow deer and (iii) red cells of both species utilized galactose more efficiently than other species of ruminants."}
{"id": "PMID:1478070", "title": "Effect of energy metabolism on 13C/12C-ratios in milk fat and lactose of cows.", "content": "1. The ratios of stable carbon isotopes 13C/12C in milk constituents of Holstein dairy cattle were investigated by mass spectrometry. 2. Under physiological feeding conditions the natural abundance of 13C in lactose was greater than in milk fat. 3. Reduction of energy intake diminished the abundance of 13C in lactose resulting in values similar to those of fat. 4. It is suggested that by comparing the 13C/12C ratios in milk fat and lactose the metabolic energy state of cows may be rated."}
{"id": "PMID:1478071", "title": "High-affinity calcium-stimulated, magnesium-dependent adenosine triphosphatase in Trypanosoma cruzi.", "content": "1. A high-affinity (Ca2+ + Mg2+)-ATPase and a low-affinity Mg(2+)-ATPase were identified in the 105,000 g fraction from epimastigote forms of Trypanosoma cruzi, the agent of Chagas' disease (Tulahuen strain). 2. Activities were conserved after enzyme solubilization with deoxycholate. 3. The Ca(2+)-stimulated ATPase activity was (a) lower than that of the Mg(2+)-ATPase; (b) inhibited by p-chloromercurobenzoate and orthovanadate and (c) insensitive to oligomycin. 4. Optimal stimulation by Ca2+ was observed at pH 6.5-6.8 in the presence of 1 mM MgCl2 and 0.1 M KCl. 5. The Mg(2+)-ATPase was insensitive to p-chloromercurobenzoate and orthovanadate and did not require KCl for activity. 6. Kinetic analysis of the (Ca2+ + Mg2+)-ATPase yielded a half-maximal stimulating concentration of 1.1 microM for Ca2+ and a Km of 66 microM for ATP. 7. The (Ca2+ + Mg2+)-ATPase clearly differed from the Ca(2+)- or Mg(2+)-ATPases previously characterized in the same strain of T. cruzi (Frasch et al., 1978; Comp. Biochem. Physiol. 60B, 271-275)."}
{"id": "PMID:1478072", "title": "Bitis arietans nerve growth factor is a disulphide-linked homodimer.", "content": "1. Nerve growth factor from Bitis arietans venom was isolated in high yield and purified to homogeneity using a rapid two-step procedure involving gel exclusion chromatography and reversed-phase HPLC. 2. On polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in SDS, the NGF migrates as a 25 kDa homodimer and is thus atypical of other Viperid NGFs. 3. Evidence suggests that, unlike mammalian beta NGFs, the subunits of the Bitis arietans homodimer are covalently linked by a disulphide bond(s). 4. Partial sequence analysis shows that only 6 out of the first 21 amino acids are identical with those of cobra NGF including cys-14 and val-21 which are known to be important for NGF activity."}
{"id": "PMID:1478073", "title": "Histidine dipeptide levels in ageing and hypertensive rat skeletal and cardiac muscles.", "content": "1. In rat skeletal muscles (longissimus dorsi and quadriceps femoris), carnosine and anserine levels decreased 35-50% during senescence, and were 35-45% lower in hypertensive rats compared to normotensive levels. 2. In rat left ventricular cardiac muscle, although no free carnosine and anserine were detected, the total level of histidine dipeptides declined 22% during senescence and in hypertensive animals decreased 35% compared to normotensive levels. 3. The significance of these changes in relation to the possible antioxidant roles of histidine dipeptides in muscle is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1478083", "title": "Left visuo-spatial neglect: a meaningless entity?", "content": "Six patients with unilateral right hemisphere damage are reported. Each patient performed two tasks that are traditionally regarded as diagnostic for left (peripersonal) visuospatial neglect: target cancellation and horizontal line bisection. Two patients were unimpaired on both tasks, and two were impaired on both. The two remaining patients showed a classic (and reliable) double-dissociation between the tasks. One of the patients who scored within normal limits on both cancellation and bisection showed left sided omissions on representational drawing. We argue that these results question the validity of any unitary concept of unilateral visuo-spatial neglect in peripersonal space."}
{"id": "PMID:1478084", "title": "Preservation of priming for interactive context in amnesics.", "content": "The performance of a group of 12 amnesics of mixed aetiology was compared with that of two groups of normal subjects on a priming task in which subjects' spontaneous definitions of homonyms were biased in accordance with the sense of interactive context words which had earlier been shown with the homonyms. The amnesics showed significant and normal levels of interactive context priming even when the amount of attention paid to the interactive context words was minimized during training. Reducing the amount of attention paid to the context words during training did, however, decrease the amount of priming, shown by both groups of subjects, to the same degree. It also decreased recognition of trained homonym-context word pairs to a similar extent in amnesics and normal people. In an additional condition of the study, it was shown that normal subjects were aware of the meaningful relationship between homonyms and context words even when the amount of attention they paid to context words was minimized during training. Priming seemed to be stochastically independent of recognition and was also unrelated to signs of frontal lobe damage, intelligence or explicit memory. All three groups of subjects showed similar and significant levels of priming regardless of whether or not only definitions that made no direct reference to the context words were scored. It was concluded that amnesics have preserved priming for interactive context words that are encoded with low levels of attention even though there is evidence that they have a disproportionate recognition deficit for this kind of information under these conditions. The theoretical implications of the results are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1478085", "title": "\"Cognitive activity\" monitored by non-invasive measurement of cerebral blood flow velocity and its application to the investigation of cerebral dominance.", "content": "We have developed a method of non-invasively detecting language lateralisation by measuring the increase in middle cerebral artery blood flow velocity occurring during a word association task, using transcranial Doppler ultrasonography. All exclusively right handed subjects (N = 12) showed a relative increase in left sided flow velocity during the task; mean rise was 4.04% on the left, and -0.03% on the right (p < 0.002). Left handed subjects (N = 6) showed a mixed pattern with three showing much greater increases (> 5%) in left, compared with right, hemisphere flow velocity, and three showing only small differences between left and right sides, possibly reflecting bilateral language representation. This technique offers potential not only in studying patterns of cerebral dominance, but also in studying cognitive responses to other stimuli."}
{"id": "PMID:1478086", "title": "Five tests of hand skill.", "content": "Four group tests of hand skill, square marking (SQUARES), dotting between targets (DOTS), line drawing between targets (LINES) and punching holes through targets (HOLES), were given to samples of undergraduates and schoolchildren, most of whom were also tested individually on a peg moving task (PEGS). Findings for PEGS were shown to be comparable to those of previous samples. Each new task was compared with PEGS for a standard measure of hand skill asymmetry (R-L%) using 4 criteria of comparison. For 3 criteria there was good agreement: correlations were statistically significant, hand preference subgroups were similar for rank order and the extent of asymmetry was more strongly associated with left hand scores than with right hand scores. This last finding was true for all of 12 comparisons for differing tests and samples, indicating that the finding is unlikely to be an artefact of score transformations as suggested by Bishop (1990a, 1990b). The fourth criterion of comparison, the distribution of R-L% scores, differed between the tasks. All of the new tasks found larger differences between the hands than PEGS. Whereas the shape of the distribution was unimodal for PEGS, as in previous studies, the distributions for DOTS and HOLES were clearly bimodal. Possible reasons for the larger between hand differences for some tasks are considered. It is suggested that the main difference between PEGS (and also to a lesser extent LINES) in comparison with DOTS and HOLES lies in the demand characteristics of the testing situation. Tasks which merely invite subjects to mark as many targets as possible in a unit of time may underestimate the skill of the nonpreferred hand."}
{"id": "PMID:1478087", "title": "Visual agnosia: a case of reduced attentional \"spotlight\"?", "content": "A case study is presented of a patient with presenile dementia, for whom the dominant clinical feature from onset was a visual agnosia. The characteristics of the patient's visual agnosia were investigated in light of her apparent use of a \"feature-by-feature\" strategy to identify objects. Results from various tasks showed that the patient was unable to use global shape information or other grossly defined property cues characteristic of a \"wide angle\" attentional processing stage (Treisman, 1988) in object recognition. The patient appeared instead to rely on 'parts' or identifying features of the objects for object recognition. The patient showed significant improvement when the size of the drawing was reduced in size, thus suggesting that the disorder may be functionally localized to a reduction of the patient's attentional \"spotlight\"."}
{"id": "PMID:1478088", "title": "Hemispheric interactions: the bilateral advantage and task difficulty.", "content": "Twenty-five normal subjects made \"same-different\" responses to dot patterns presented in the LVF, RVF or bilaterally. Task difficulty was manipulated in each condition by varying the number of dots in the two patterns presented from two to four to six. The pairs of patterns always had the same number of dots on a given trial. Response latency and accuracy worsened as the number of dots increased for all three presentation conditions and for both \"same\" and \"different\" judgements. Overall, responding was faster and the number of errors lower on Bilateral presentations. For response latencies to identical patterns of dots, the size of the bilateral advantage increased relative to RVF responding as task difficulty increased but did not change significantly relative to LVF responding. When the two patterns were not identical the size of the advantage did not change as task difficulty increased. \"Same\" judgements were faster but less accurate than \"different\" judgements. A model of hemispheric interactions is proposed to account for the findings."}
{"id": "PMID:1478089", "title": "Discrepant oral and written spelling after left hemisphere tumour.", "content": "Repetition, reading, confrontation naming, and oral and written spelling were studied in a 57 year-old man with a left hemisphere tumour. These tasks were repeated over a period of two weeks when the patient was being treated for brain oedema prior and subsequent to neurosurgical intervention. In the context of intact repetition and good reading, the most striking finding was a significant qualitative and quantitative discrepancy between oral and written spelling, with the latter task more severely affected. The pattern on oral spelling was that of lexical (or surface) agraphia. On written output, however, orthographic errors predominated. The relatively greater impairment of written spelling was not secondary to a motoric or visuo-spatial deficit. The observed patterns are not easily accommodated by current models of writing."}
{"id": "PMID:1478090", "title": "A multidimensional model of cellular effects on the spread of electrotonic currents and on propagating action potentials.", "content": "This study was designed to develop a two-dimensional cellular model of uniform anisotropic muscle and to determine how irregularities of shape and variations in size of cardiomyocytes influence the passive (electrotonic) spread of currents at a microscopic level. A secondary purpose was to determine how the passive transfer of impressed currents across the gap junctions is related to the charge flow across the gap junctions during active propagation of depolarization. The decrease in electrotonic Vm with distance at a large size scale was described by a single exponential in both the longitudinal and transverse directions, as occurs in a continuous anisotropic medium. At a microscopic level, however, the falloff of Vm with distance was directionally different. Longitudinally, Vm decreased primarily along the length of cells, with small step-like decreases at the intercalated disks. Transversely, Vm was more nearly isopotential throughout each cell, and most of the decay in Vm occurred as large step-like decreases across the borders of the cells. Different gap junctions were used for charge flow for longitudinal versus transverse electrotonus. Remarkably similar results were obtained for propagating action potentials, i.e., different gap junctions were used for longitudinal versus transverse conduction. A major implication of the results is that it may be possible to gain information about the different longitudinal and transverse effects of the nonhomogeneous distribution of the cellular connections by improved measurements of propagation at a microscopic level."}
{"id": "PMID:1478091", "title": "Cardiac propagation simulation.", "content": "We have completed a range of membrane-based simulations of action potential propagation in two- and three-dimensional models of ventricular myocardium. The two-dimensional simulations included a bidomain representation of the myocardium which explicitly characterized the component volume conductors in the intracellular, interstitial, and extracellular spaces. With these simulations, we studied the contribution of the extracellular volume conductor to transmural myocardial propagation during depolarization. We also used two-dimensional bidomain simulations to study the effect of the interstitial volume conductor in the setting of planar myocardial depolarization with nominal and extreme tissue conductivities. Our three-dimensional simulations included a monodomain representation of the myocardium which characterized the three component volume conductors as a single lumped conductor. With these simulations, we examined the effects of the intramural rotation of the fiber axes on the timing and pattern of activation. To achieve practical solution times, we extended numerical techniques from previous reports and developed a range of new techniques applicable to this class of problems. Simulations of the depolarization wavefront used the nonlinear Ebihara and Johnson membrane equations for the fast sodium current as the membrane model. Simulations of the full action potential cycle combined the Ebihara and Johnson fast sodium current with the Beeler and Reuter membrane equations. Our results demonstrated that the individual volume conductors and the rotation of fiber axes have unique and identifiable consequences on the electrical activation in models of ventricular myocardium."}
{"id": "PMID:1478092", "title": "Models of the spreading of excitation in myocardial tissue.", "content": "We consider a macroscopic model of the excitation process in the anisotropic myocardium involving the transmembrane, extracellular, and extracardiac potentials v, ue, and u0. The model is described by a reaction-diffusion (R-D) system, and the component v exhibits a front-like behavior reflecting the features of the excitation process. In numerical simulations, the presence of a moving excitation layer imposes severe constraints on the time and space steps to achieve stability and accuracy; consequently, application of the model is very costly in terms of computer time. An approximate model has been derived from the R-D system by means of a singular perturbation technique, and it is described by an eikonal equation, nonlinear and elliptic, in the activation time psi (x). Larger space steps are possible with this equation. From psi (x), we can derive, for a given instant t, the transmembrane potential v and subsequently, by solving an elliptic problem, we can compute the corresponding extracellular and extracardiac potentials ue and u0. The results of the R-D and the eikonal models applied to a portion of the ventricular wall are in excellent agreement; moreover, the eikonal model requires only a small fraction of the computer time needed by the R-D system. Therefore, for large-scale simulations of the excitation process, only the eikonal model has been used, and we investigate its ability to cope with complex situations such as front-front collisions and related potential patterns."}
{"id": "PMID:1478093", "title": "The use of spectral methods in bidomain studies.", "content": "A Fourier transform method is developed for solving the bidomain coupled differential equations governing the intracellular and extracellular potentials on a finite sheet of cardiac cells undergoing stimulation. The spectral formulation converts the system of differential equations into a \"diagonal\" system of algebraic equations. Solving the algebraic equations directly and taking the inverse transform of the potentials proved numerically less expensive than solving the coupled differential equations by means of traditional numerical techniques, such as finite differences; the comparison between the computer execution times showed that the Fourier transform method was about 40 times faster than the finite difference method. By application of the Fourier transform method, transmembrane potential distributions in the two-dimensional myocardial slice were calculated. For a tissue characterized by a ratio of the intra- to extracellular conductivities that is different in all principal directions, the transmembrane potential distribution exhibits a rather complicated geometrical pattern. The influence of the different anisotropy ratios, the finite tissue size, and the stimuli configuration on the pattern of membrane polarization is investigated."}
{"id": "PMID:1478094", "title": "Finite element methods for the biomechanics of soft hydrated tissues: nonlinear analysis and adaptive control of meshes.", "content": "This chapter addresses computationally demanding numerical formulations in the biomechanics of soft tissues. The theory of mixtures can be used to represent soft hydrated tissues in the human musculoskeletal system as a two-phase continuum consisting of an incompressible solid phase (collagen and proteoglycan) and an incompressible fluid phase (interstitial water). We first consider the finite deformation of soft hydrated tissues in which the solid phase is represented as hyperelastic. A finite element formulation of the governing nonlinear biphasic equations is presented based on a mixed-penalty approach and derived using the weighted residual method. Fluid and solid phase deformation, velocity, and pressure are interpolated within each element, and the pressure variables within each element are eliminated at the element level. A system of nonlinear, first-order differential equations in the fluid and solid phase deformation and velocity is obtained. In order to solve these equations, the contributions of the hyperelastic solid phase are incrementally linearized, a finite difference rule is introduced for temporal discretization, and an iterative scheme is adopted to achieve equilibrium at the end of each time increment. We demonstrate the accuracy and adequacy of the procedure using a six-node, isoparametric axisymmetric element, and we present an example problem for which independent numerical solution is available. Next, we present an automated, adaptive environment for the simulation of soft tissue continua in which the finite element analysis is coupled with automatic mesh generation, error indicators, and projection methods. Mesh generation and updating, including both refinement and coarsening, for the two-dimensional examples examined in this study are performed using the finite quadtree approach. The adaptive analysis is based on an error indicator which is the L2 norm of the difference between the finite element solution and a projected finite element solution. Total stress, calculated as the sum of the solid and fluid phase stresses, is used in the error indicator. To allow the finite difference algorithm to proceed in time using an updated mesh, solution values must be transferred to the new nodal locations. This rezoning is accomplished using a projected field for the primary variables. The accuracy and effectiveness of this adaptive finite element analysis is demonstrated using a linear, two-dimensional, axisymmetric problem corresponding to the indentation of a thin sheet of soft tissue. The method is shown to effectively capture the steep gradients and to produce solutions in good agreement with independent, converged, numerical solutions."}
{"id": "PMID:1478095", "title": "Glycerol permeability of human spermatozoa and its activation energy.", "content": "Glycerol has commonly been employed as a cryoprotectant in cryopreservation of human spermatozoa. However, the addition of glycerol into the sperm before freezing and the removal of glycerol from the sperm after freezing and thawing result in anisotonic environments to the cells, which can cause cell injury. To define optimal procedures for the addition/removal of glycerol and to minimize the cell injury, one needs to know the kinetics of glycerol permeation across the sperm plasma membrane at different temperatures. For this, one has to determine the permeability coefficient of glycerol (Pg) and its activation energy (Ea). Values of Pg at different temperatures and at different glycerol concentrations were determined by measuring the time required for 50% spermolysis in hyperosmotic glycerol solutions which were hypotonic with respect to electrolytes. Value of the Ea was determined assuming an Arrhenius type temperature dependence of Pg. A dual fluorescent staining technique (propidium iodide and 6-carboxyfluoroscein diacetate) and flow cytometry were used to measure the spermolysis. The values of Pg in 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 M glycerol at 22 degrees C are 1.62, 1.88, 1.68, and 1.54 x 10(-3) cm/min, respectively. The values of Pg in 1 M glycerol at 0, 8, 22, and 30 degrees C are 0.33, 0.54, 1.88, and 2.60 x 10(-3) cm/min, respectively. The value of Ea is 11.76 kcal/mol."}
{"id": "PMID:1478096", "title": "Deterioration of cold-stored tissue specimens due to lipid peroxidation: modulation by antioxidants at high subzero temperatures.", "content": "It is often necessary to store tissue specimens in subzero conditions for assay in batches. During storage at -20 degrees C we found that sufficient lipid peroxidation occurred in rat liver homogenates in phosphate-buffered saline to affect subsequent malondialdehyde assays. This peroxidation did not occur at -196 degrees C. The ratio of oxidized to reduced glutathione increased with storage at -20 degrees C and the level of conjugated dienes increased progressively. The addition of a specific free radical scavenger, superoxide dismutase (200 u/ml) reduced the level of malondialdehyde (P < 0.001) during -20 degrees C storage for periods of 28 days but failed to prevent the changes in the glutathione ratio or dienes. Storage in a less specific free radical scavenger, 0.25 molar sucrose/EDTA, instead of phosphate-buffered saline totally prevented the malondialdehyde production over similar storage periods."}
{"id": "PMID:1478097", "title": "Noradrenaline content of the tissue and nerve in the rabbit ear after freezing injury.", "content": "The aim of this study was to investigate the development of the demarcation line in the rabbit ear upon injury by experimental freezing and thawing. For this purpose the sequential changes in noradrenaline (NA) content in the tissue and nerve of the ear were determined by liquid chromatography. Frostbite was inflicted with a glass bottle filled with liquid nitrogen and specimens were taken from the injured area, the probable demarcation line area and the healthy area 1, 3, and 7 days after frostbite. Control samples were taken from the normal contralateral ear. Tissue NA levels in the injured area and the probable demarcation line area were significantly lower than those in corresponding areas of the control ear after 1 day. Day 3 NA levels in the demarcation line area were 90% higher than those on Day 1 in this area and were not significantly different from Day 3 levels in the control ear. By Day 7, NA levels in the demarcation line area were down to 70% of the Day 3 levels. NA levels in the central nerve at the probable demarcation line were much higher than those in the control ear nerve and also showed a peak on Day 3. In conclusion, the results suggest that NA is released from the adrenergic nerves and the reaction at the probable demarcation line is strongest on the third day."}
{"id": "PMID:1478103", "title": "Acute respiratory failure and ECMO.", "content": "In recent years, we have experienced advances in treatments for severe ARDS. One that holds promise for these critically ill adult patients is ECMO, which can provide gas exchange and lung rest for the patient in severe reversible respiratory failure. Advances in ECMO techniques, appropriate patient selection and the development of heparinized tubing will all improve the potential for survival in patients who are placed on ECMO therapy in the future."}
{"id": "PMID:1478110", "title": "Circumcision--an update.", "content": "Circumcision will likely continue to be a frequently performed procedure during the neonatal period. Rather than allowing it to be an emotion-laden issue, clinicians should keep abreast of ongoing developments in the field and be able to present thorough, objective counseling. Informed parental refusal requires no less."}
{"id": "PMID:1478112", "title": "Circadian relations among cardiovascular variables of young adults.", "content": "Every 4 hours for 24 hours, 14 clinically healthy young individuals (6 women and 8 men), 26 +/- 4 years of age, measured systolic (S) and diastolic (D) blood pressure (BP) by sphygmomanometer and heart rate by ECG and did impedance cardiography under usual living conditions. Stroke volume (SV), cardiac output (CO) and total peripheral resistance (TPR) were calculated. Time series of SBP, DBP, HR, SV, CO and TPR were analyzed by single and population-mean cosinor. A circadian cardiovascular rhythm is demonstrated by rejection of the zero amplitude assumption in the population-mean cosinor test for SBP, DBP, HR, SV, CO and TPR (P < 0.01). TPR peaks around 0400 (-61 degrees from local midnight), in antiphase with all other variables, their acrophase occurring around 1600 (-240 degrees). A circadian rhythm of statistical significance or of borderline statistical significance is found for all variables except TPR in women. Circadian rhythm characteristics were otherwise mostly similar in men and women with a statistically significant gender difference found by parameter tests only for the MESOR and amplitude of SBP."}
{"id": "PMID:1478113", "title": "Age, gender and circadian or circasemidian blood pressure and heart rate variation of children.", "content": "Systolic (S) and diastolic (D) blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR) of clinically healthy children (24 boys and 15 girls) 3 to 7 years of age were measured with a standard mercury sphygmomanometer at 3-hour intervals for 24 hours in April 1991. The children slept and/or rested from 2100 to 0700 and napped from 1230 to 1530; they had meals at 0730, 1200 and 1800. A statistically significant circadian and about 12-hour (circasemidian) component of variation is documented for SBP and DBP of boys and girls and for HR of boys. No gender difference was found for the circadian and circasemidian components. A positive correlation with age is found for the MESOR and circadian amplitude of SBP and DBP (p < 0.05); a negative correlation with age is found for the MESOR of HR (p < 0.001)."}
{"id": "PMID:1478114", "title": "Rats grouping and the circadian and ultradian synchronization of their carbon dioxide emission by a light-dark 12:12 h alternation.", "content": "Carbon dioxide emission (VCO2) was continuously recorded during 19 consecutive days in 25 Sprague Dawley young male rats placed in the same \"respiratory chamber\", grouped by 5 (G) and then separated (S). All rats were in controlled environmental conditions (20 degrees C temperature, humidity, ventilation, food and water ad libitum) and submitted to a light (100 lux)-dark alternation (LD 12:12). The curves obtained with the respiratory chamber CO2 concentration sampled every 20 minutes were analyzed for circadian periods, amplitudes, phases, ultradian peak oscillation intervals and amplitudes, and VCO2 time variations at L-->D and D-->L light transitions. Analysis of variance and t test show circadian amplitudes significantly (P < 0.001) higher (by 40.9%) than in S; moreover, ultradian peak amplitudes were higher in G than in S (by 78.0% in L and 105.8% in D). The circadian and ultradian (tau > 40 min) period intervals were not significantly different in G and in S. Circadian phase differences between L-->D and D-->L were significantly greater in S (by 50.3 min) but not in G. Light transitions did not significantly modify ultradian phases in G and in S. This data shows a better LD 12:12 synchronization in G than in S, resulting mostly from an increased respiratory amplitude modulation due to interindividual interactions."}
{"id": "PMID:1478115", "title": "Age-variant and age-invariant rhythmicities in the cortical and hippocampal electrical activities of neonatal rats.", "content": "The neocortical and hippocampal electrical activities were studied in 8, 15, 22, and 29-day-old rats. Segments of EEG recorded for 4 hours were analyzed by means of fast Fourier transformation. The sleep-wake activity stages were determined. The developments in the neocortical and hippocampal EEG activities were characterized by the gradual appearance of adult-like EEG waves and a shift towards higher frequencies in the theta wave range of the hippocampal electrical activity. The power value in the theta range, however, exhibited age-invariant rhythmicities with cycle lengths of about 9.5-11 and 16-22 min. The manifestation of such an age-invariant rhythm can be interpreted as an electrical manifestation of the rest-activity cycle originally described by KLEITMAN25."}
{"id": "PMID:1478122", "title": "[Changes in LAK cell activity in chronic viral hepatitis and treatment with autologous LAK cell transfusion].", "content": "We investigated the activity of LAK cells in 10 patients with chronic persistent hepatitis, 20 patients with chronic active hepatitis, 21 patients with post-hepatitic cirrhosis and 21 normal persons. The values were 36.87 +/- 7.44, 30.38 +/- 5.36, 28.84 +/- 4.95 and 44.50 +/- 4.75 respectively (P < 0.05). The LAK cell activity in patients with chronic hepatitis was lower than that of normal persons, especially in those with chronic active hepatitis and post-hepatitic cirrhosis. The causes of lower LAK cell activity in patients with chronic hepatitis were less expression of IL2 receptors on precursors of LAK cells and existing serum LAK cell inhibition factors. We further studied 9 patients with chronic hepatitis B treated with autologous LAK cell transfusions. Factors favoring a more effective result were female sex, ALT elevation after treatment, activity of LAK cells > 10%, and inhibition factor of LAK effector cells existing in serum of patients, with inhibition rate < 50%. These factors might be used as the indications in selecting cases for treatment and predicting the effect of the treatment. As the number of cases observed was rather small, further investigation is needed."}
{"id": "PMID:1478123", "title": "[Hepatitis E in Hetian city. Analysis of 562 cases].", "content": "Between August and September 1987, 562 patients were hospitalized with acute non-A, non-B hepatitis. The male to female ratio was 1.4:1, and 75% of the patients was of 15-40 years of age. Jaundice developed in 87%. The overall case-fatality rate was 1.4%, but it was highest among pregnant women (5.2%) and newborn infants (24.2%). In general, the disease was self-limited with no evidence of chronic infection. Liver biopsies obtained during the acute illness showed portal inflammation and cytoplasmic cholestasis. Of 31 specimens of stool examined with a prototype ELISA for HEV antigen, 8 were found to be 'positive' and confirmed with immune electron microscopy (IEM). IEM examination of 'patients' stool revealed 27-32 nm viruslike particles. Inoculation of rhesus monkeys with patients stool containing virus-like particles produced acute hepatitis and the acute phase serum reacted with these particles in IEM, while preinoculation serum specimens were non-reactive."}
{"id": "PMID:1478124", "title": "[The determination of serum hepatitis B virus DNA by polymerase chain reaction in hepatitis B patients treated with alpha-interferon].", "content": "To clarify the status of HBV in serum of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients who were treated with alpha-interferon, we determined the serum HBV DNA before and after treatment in 15 CHB patients with polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Before treatment all the 15 patients were HBsAg and HBeAg positive. HBV DNA was also positive with dot-blot hybridization (DB), PCR, ethidium bromide (PCR-EB) and PCR Southern-blot hybridization (PCR-SBH). HBeAb was negative in all the 15 patients. 12 patients has the determination repeated 2 to 39 weeks after treatment, 7 out of the 12 patients became HBeAg negative and HBV DNA also negative with DB and PCR-EB. However, in 5 of the 7 patients HBV DNA was still positive with PCR-SBH. Seroconversion of HBeAb from negative to positive occurred in 4 of the 12, but HBV DNA of the 4 patients remained positive with PCR-SBH. After an interval of one and half year or more following treatment 12 patients repeated the examination, only 5 of the 12 patients became seronegative for HBeAg and HBV DNA with DB and PCR-EB, but in 4 of the 5 HBV DNA was positive with PCR-SBH. Two of the 5 were seropositive for HBeAb and HBV DNA with PCR-SBH. The mechanism of residual viraemia after alpha-interferon treatment in CHB patients is uncertain."}
{"id": "PMID:1478116", "title": "Circadian variation of abnormal heart beats in an elderly population and their relation to sudden cardiac death.", "content": "The relationships between the circadian variation of abnormal heart beats and the circadian variation in sudden cardiac death warrant further discussion for the high correlations demonstrated here are difficult to ignore. In the healthy group abnormal beats showed a high correlation of their circadian variation with that of sudden cardiac death which is independent of heart rate. As a result the conclusion that the relationship of the circadian variations of abnormal heart beats and sudden cardiac death is merely dependent on a mutual dependence on activity is not supported here. The present data illustrates a strong association between arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death. The relationship of sudden cardiac death with abnormal heart beats demonstrated here, however, cannot confirm a causal role of the latter on the former for both may be responding to circadian variations of some underlying mechanism such as ischemia. Additionally the population studied here, although relatively comparable in terms of living conditions and other significant factors, was not strictly age-matched with those from the sudden cardiac death study warranting further caution in interpreting the association demonstrated here. The results from the unhealthy group, although somewhat limited, indicate that cardiovascular morbidity may alter the relationship of sudden cardiac death and abnormal heart beats. Such a result could be explained by the presence of other forms of heart disease which could be responsible for sudden cardiac death in the unhealthy group. An interesting question to ask concerning the data presented above is whether or not significant circadian variations in in the frequency of abnormal heart beats could have been demonstrated when exogenous factors such as meal times and activity were altered. The data on in hospital sudden cardiac death indicates that the circadian variation in sudden cardiac death is significantly altered by the radical changes in routine which accompany hospitalization. If the relationship between the circadian variation of sudden cardiac death and abnormal heart beats is as strong as the results presented here indicate, it is likely that the alteration of such exogenous factors would also change the circadian variation of abnormal heart beats. The results of the present study indicate that both the circadian variation in abnormal heart beats, and its relationship to sudden cardiac death, warrant further study."}
{"id": "PMID:1478125", "title": "[Effect of captopril on the exercise performance in patients with congestive heart failure].", "content": "We studied the effect of captopril on exercise performance in 30 patients with congestive heart failure using a randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled method. 4-week captopril treatment can significantly increase the exercise tolerance time and work load, heart function, blood flow in exercising lower limbs as well as oxygen metabolic capacity. However, 3-day captopril treatment had no effect on exercise performance. A significant correlation was found between improvement in exercise performance and the pretreatment level of plasma angiotensin II. The increased levels of plasma prostaglandins E 2 and I 2 after captopril treatment were also correlated with improvement of exercise performance. The results indicated that long-term captopril treatment can increase exercise performance in congestive heart failure by improving both central and peripheral hemodynamics and metabolism. Certain vasomotor or endocrine factor may play a mediate role in the above changes."}
{"id": "PMID:1478126", "title": "[Bronchial carcinoid. A clinical, roentgenological and pathological study of 17 cases].", "content": "17 cases with bronchial carcinoid were reported. 16 cases of them were proved pathologically after pulmonary resection, and the remaining one was confirmed histopathologically through bronchoscopic biopsy. 64.7% was under 40 years of age. The main clinical manifestations were cough, hemoptysis, fever and repeated pneumonitis. In one patient, the carcinoid was associated with Cushing's syndrome. Chest roentgenograms showed lesions centrally located in 12 cases, and peripherally located in 5 cases. Histological examination revealed 15 typical and 2 atypical carcinoid tumors. This disease was usually misdiagnosed as lung cancer, tuberculoma and benign tumors. Chest X-ray examination and fiberoptic bronchoscopic biopsy are helpful to the diagnosis of the disease. Pulmonary resection was performed in 16 cases. Two patients had hilar lymph node metastases, one of them had also involvement of pericardium. There was no operative mortality. In the follow-up study, the disease-free actuarial survival following pulmonary resection was 92.9% at 5 years. 2 patients died. One died of respiratory failure 4 months after pneumonectomy, the other died of pericardium involvement of carcinoid 8 months after operation. Resection is the only effective treatment for bronchial carcinoid."}
{"id": "PMID:1478127", "title": "[Study on anti-histone fraction antibodies in patients with rheumatic diseases].", "content": "By using Western blot method, we studied the antihistone fraction antibodies in sera of patients with rheumatic diseases. After analysed with SDS-PAGE, the histone could be separated into H1, H3, H2B, H2A and H4 fractions. The positive rate of anti-histone fraction antibodies was highest (82.1%) in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients, especially in active stage. In 28 SLE patients, the positive rates of anti-H2B, -H1, -H3, -H2A and -H4 were 78.6%, 60.7%, 50.0%, 35.7% and 7.1% respectively. The results revealed that the determination of anti-histone fraction antibodies was beneficial to the diagnosis of SLE."}
{"id": "PMID:1478128", "title": "[A study on phenytoin pharmacokinetics in 15 patients with refractory epilepsy].", "content": "Monitoring of serum concentration and studying of individual clinical pharmacokinetics of phenytoin (PHT) were made in 15 patients with refractory epilepsy who had taken PHT and other antiepileptic drugs for a long time. The results showed that 10 of them were tolerant to PHT and their effective doses were higher than the routine ones; 2 of them showed striking fluctuation of serum PHT concentration within 24 hours; In the remaining patients serum PHT concentration during menstruation was much lower than that during ovulation. According to their different characteristics we gave them reasonable and individualized adjustment in dose and time interval of taking PHT. The seizures of all the patients were controlled satisfactorily. It is suggested that some of the patients with refractory epilepsy may have special PHT pharmacokinetics."}
{"id": "PMID:1478129", "title": "[Clinical and pathological features of type I and III membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis].", "content": "Analysis and comparisons were made between the clinical and pathological data obtained from 42 cases of type I and 17 cases of type III membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis (MPGN). It was shown that type I MPGN differed from type III remarkably in following respects: (1) Nephrosis was a salient feature of type III while hypertension, impairment of renal function and hematuria were more common in type I. (2) Pathological glomerular sclerosis, tubular interstitial changes and crescents formation occurred frequently in type I but not in type III. (3) Long term prognosis for type III was much better than type I. It is concluded the type III MPGN is a distinct clinical entity which differs from the classical type I MPGN in many aspects."}
{"id": "PMID:1478130", "title": "[Flow cytometric analysis of bone marrow cell cycles in patients with hematologic diseases].", "content": "Cell cycle phases of bone marrow cells from 8 patients with iron deficiency anemia (IDA), 8 aplastic anemia (AA), 30 myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), 41 acute leukemia (AL) before treatment, 8 acute leukemia in relapse, 17 acute leukemia in complete remission (CR), 12 chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) and 4 chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) were analysed with flow cytometry. The proportions of phases of S. G2 M in patients with IDA, refractory anemia, and refractory anemia with ring sideroblast were similar to these in normal controls (P > 0.05). However, they were significantly lower in patients with AA, refractory anemia with excess of blast (RAEB) and transformed RAEB than those in normal controls (P < 0.01, respectively), and CML patients than in normal controls (P < 0.05). The S G2M% was apparently higher in patients with CML than that in CLL (P < 0.01). But, there was no difference between in ALL and ANLL (P > 0.05). It was higher in patients with AL in CR and in relapse than AL before treatment (both P < 0.01). It was still lower in the former than that in normal controls. (P < 0.05). The clinical significance of cell cycle status was also discussed in this paper."}
{"id": "PMID:1478132", "title": "[Serum concentrations of amitriptyline and its metabolites and clinical effect in depressive patients].", "content": "The serum concentrations of amitriptyline and its 3 metabolites--nortriptyline, 10-hydroxy-amitriptyline and 10-hydroxy-nortriptyline were determined in 18 depressive patients treated with amitriptyline for 6 weeks. The relationships between the serum concentrations and the clinical effects were statistically analyzed and showed significant correlations. The authors suggest that the total TAD serum concentration (280 ng/ml) can be used as the index for clinical efficacy, so far as the above data are concerned."}
{"id": "PMID:1478133", "title": "[A comparative study of rapid and non-rapid cycling types in bipolar affective disorder].", "content": "It was a prospective and comparative study on the two types of bipolar affective disorder--rapid cycling (RC) and nonrapid cycling (NRC). Each group contains 51 cases separately. Both of the two types are included in bipolar disorder, so they have a lots in common in respect of clinical phenomenology. But the episode frequency of some patients in RC group is characterized as extremely rapid cycle. And there are more premorbid psychosocial factors in RC group than that in NRC group. In contrast with NRC, the RC is more common in type II bipolar disorder. We think that RC is a clinical subtype in bipolar affective disorder, having a close bearing on type II. For the function of HPT axis, we investigated the premorbid thyroid history and observed its changes, but no abnormal signs were found. Plasma level of TSH was determined among some cases in the two types, all the results are in normal range, and the average level of TSH was not significantly different between the groups."}
{"id": "PMID:1478134", "title": "[A correlative study on post-stroke depression and CT, physical, psychological and social parameters].", "content": "58 acute hospitalized CVD patients were selected as study group. Each patient was administered a series of standardized quantitative measures. As a result, we found a significant difference between hemisphere (L: 55% vs R: 28% P < 0.05), and the difference was result from the highest incidence rate of PSD observed in the left anterior CVD subgroup. Meanwhile, those with left anterior lesion (cortical and subcortical) had the greater severity of depression than any other lesions. A strong negative correlation between the severity of depression and AP% was observed for left CVD group. The result of multiple stepwise regression analysis not only support the notions mentioned above but also shown up that a few factors other than location of the lesion had impact on the PSD. Finally, authors discussed the heterogenous causes of PSD and think probably biological etiology involved in the formation of PSD."}
{"id": "PMID:1478135", "title": "[Active music therapy for senile depression].", "content": "68 cases with senile depression were divided randomly into two groups--test group and control group. Patients of both groups received same antidepressive drugs while for the patients in the test group active music therapy was provided everyday in addition and the course of music therapy was 8 weeks. Patients in the test group showed improvement of their symptoms at the end of first week while most patients in the control group were getting somewhat better at the 3rd-4th week. The effectiveness of combined treatment in the test group is better than that in the control group. Patients in the test group became calm and active and the atmosphere on the ward appeared to be somewhat harmonized so that it was beneficial to the nursing care."}
{"id": "PMID:1478136", "title": "[Comparative studies of brain CT scan in schizophrenia].", "content": "CT Scan was undertook to 48 schizophrenics and 30 healthy volunteers. The results revealed that: the incidence rate of CT abnormalities was higher in schizophrenics than in normal control; the incidence rate of CT abnormalities in winter-born schizophrenics was higher than in non-winter-born patients; the incidence rate of abnormalities was higher in familial type schizophrenics than in sporadic type; the incidence rate in negative symptom schizophrenics was higher than in positive symptom patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1478137", "title": "[The patterns of the health care seeking behavior and related factors in the schizophrenic patients].", "content": "Three hundreds schizophrenic out-patients, from 6 different socioculture background psychiatric facilities in Hunan were investigated by structured interview with definite schedule. The results show that after the recognition of the problem by decision maker, 45% subjects were delayed at least one month for help-seeking, 61.3% subjects first visited the non-psychiatric agencies, and 74.3% subjects has counselled with non-psychiatric doctors or healers at least one time, especially to the healer providing superstitious or religious therapy. The help-seeking styles mainly attributes to the lower socioeconomic status of the family, inconvenient referral to the psychiatric facilities, especially if the decision maker is a female, rural resided under-educated person knowing nothing of modern psychiatry. Based on these findings, the authors urge to improve scientific psychiatric care knowledge in population, develop the resource of mental health service to facilitate the radical change of help seeking behavior of the population."}
{"id": "PMID:1478138", "title": "[A comparative study on 8 high and low density families of schizophrenia].", "content": "The writers select 8 families with high density of schizophrenia from Wuhan local data of psychiatric epidemiology. Among first degree relative of each family there are 3 or more than 3 sufferers. The selection is compared with 8 low density families of schizophrenia chosen by random. The comparison indicates that the total suffering ratio in high density families and their 1st. 2nd and 3rd degree relatives suffering ratio differ notably from the total suffering ratio of the low density families and their corresponding relatives (P < 0.01, respectively). There is also marked difference on the full brother or sister suffering ratio. The ratio of consanguineous marriage, course of illness and prognosis are also different between the high density family group and the low group. The result suggests that the high density group has high heredity- ability. But it is hard to explain the genetic mode through general analytic method. The writers agree with Mr Jiang sanduo's opinion that schizophrenic is a polygenic disease with a major dominant gene."}
{"id": "PMID:1478139", "title": "[A research on near-death experiences of survivors in big earthquake of Tangshan, 1976].", "content": "81 survivors with Near-Death Experiences (NDEs) in a severe earthquake (Tangshan, 1976) were reviewed. Among them 40 NDE phenomena were found and strange bodily sensation, thought unusually vivid, loss of emotions, unusually bodily sensations, life seemed dream, feeling of being dead, feeling of peace or cuphoria, life review or \"panoramic memory\" and thinking unusually fast comprised more than half of the group. It seemed that our observation was somewhat different from that of pasricha (India) and Greyson. In our series, the survivors with more than 7 scores on Greyson's NDE scale account for 32 cases, and in whom, the cognitive and transcendental types comprise the great part. This findings suggest that the components, sequences and types of NDE might be correlated to races, regions, psychological and cultural backgrounds, and kinds of event."}
{"id": "PMID:1478140", "title": "[Clinical studies of the treatment of hypertensive cerebral hemorrhage by simple serotaxic exsuction].", "content": "51 cases of hypertensive cerebral hemorrhage (Group A) treated with exsuction on the basis of the medical conservative therapy are reported. And meanwhile a control group of 51 cases (Group B) is treated only with conservative therapy. Comparison of the result of these two groups shows that complete absorption of hematoma in Group A appears 2 weeks earlier than that of group B; both the mortality rate and the disability rate are significantly lower in the former. Follow-up study shows that most cases of group A enjoy their lives very well. Indication of exsuction, operation maneuvers, operation methods and the correlation between the volume and site of hematoma and curative effect are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1478141", "title": "[Experimental study of erythrocyte deformation].", "content": "A laser diffraction system was used to study the deformation of RBC. This work indicated: 1. There was a decreased tendency accompanied with age increased, especially at pre-elderly period. 2. The deformability of patients with acute ischemic stroke was significantly decreased. This result emphasized that DI value should be considered as a peculiar index for diagnosis and treatment. 3. Abnormal calcium accumulation in RBC may play a crucial role in governing RBC deformability. It provided one of the basis of potential therapy of calcium antagonist. 4. The quantitative relation of deformation and SOD activity of RBC need to be researched."}
{"id": "PMID:1478142", "title": "[An experimental study of arginine vasopressin on acute ischemic brain edema in gerbils (1)].", "content": "The purpose of this experiments is to study the role of arginine vasopressin (AVP) in acute ischemic brain edema of mongolian gerbils. The results showed that the contents of AVP in ischemic cortex, hypothalamus and striatum increased remarkably in 15-120 minutes after ischemia, while the contents of AVP had no change in pons-medulla which was not affected from ischemia, and there was relationship between the contents of AVP in cortex and the ischemic cortical edema. Intracerebroventricular injection (ICV) of AVP exacerbated the ischemic cortical edema and it showed dose-response correlation. While ICV of AVP antiserum significantly decreased ischemic cortical edema. These suggested that AVP was involved in the pathophysiologic process of acute ischemic brain edema. The increasing of AVP contents in ischemic brain regions could exacerbate the formation of ischemic brain edema."}
{"id": "PMID:1478143", "title": "[Non-activated platelet cytoplasmic ionized calcium in patients with acute ischemic stroke and healthy controls].", "content": "Non-activated platelet cytoplasmic ionized calcium was measured in Aequorin-loaded Gel-filtered platelets in 43 patients with acute ischemic stroke and 32 healthy controls. Platelet cytoplasmic ionized calcium is 2,596 +/- 0,674 mumol/L in controls, 3,370 +/- 1,339 mumol/L in the patients with acute ischemic stroke. Platelet cytoplasmic ionized calcium is increased in the stroke patients as compared to controls (P < 0.01). This indicates that there may be a lower threshold in platelet of stroke patient for activation. Moreover, increased platelet cytoplasmic ionized calcium may be a risk factor for thrombus propagation and aggravation of clinical manifestation."}
{"id": "PMID:1478144", "title": "[Diagnostic value of magnetic resonance imaging in multiple sclerosis].", "content": "Brain MRI findings in 16 clinical cases of MS were compatible with multiple lesions in the brains in 14 cases. Cerebral lesions were detected in 12 cases without symptoms or signs referable to the cerebral hemispheres. When compared with t*he findings CT scannings, evoked potentials, and oligoclonal bands in the CSF, MRI findings appeared to be the most effective means for confirming the diagnosis of MS, but they would not indicated the course, the times of relapse and the activity of the disease process."}
{"id": "PMID:1478145", "title": "[Factors affecting prognosis of cryptococcal meningitis].", "content": "By analyzing 26 cases of clinic data in cryptococcal meningitis. The author found that the poor prognosis in cryptococcal meningitis depends on following factors: 1. younger age of patients, 2. abrupt onset, 3. course prolonged over 6 weeks, 4. complicated extracerebral cryptococcal infections and many underlying disease, 5. used corticosteroids and antibiotics longtime, 6. higher CSF pressure and lower CSF cells count most of which is neutrophilic leukocyte."}
{"id": "PMID:1478146", "title": "[A follow-up study of 420 cases of cerebral cysticercosis].", "content": "420 patients with cerebral cysticercosis, including 97 with intracranial hypertension, were treated by praziquantel 30-50 mg/kg a day, 7-10 days a course. Of the 420 patients, 252, 144 and 24 were treated for one, two and three courses respectively. 1-6 years' follow-up study showed 366 were completely recovered (87.14%) and 399 had effect (95.00%); 12 had inefficacy and 9 died (5.00%). It is believed that the serious acute allergic reactions might be eliminated by \"desensitization\" of a small dose of praziquantel; intracranial hypertension can be lowered by intrathecal injection of dexamethasone; and ventricular and intra-ocular cysticercosis can also be treated by praziquantel."}
{"id": "PMID:1478149", "title": "Multiple organ failure syndrome.", "content": "Tissue injury, whether from infection, blood or volume loss, trauma, or inflammation such as pancreatitis, induces local and systemic responses. The systemic responses include shock, reperfusion, systemic inflammation (hypermetabolism) with primary organ dysfunction, and secondary organ dysfunction that either becomes progressive and leads to death or from which the patient recovers and enters into a period of prolonged rehabilitation. Each of these responses has its pathogenesis and treatments that are appropriate and effective. The research indicates that the responses may contribute to the development of cell and organ injury and to progressive multiple organ failure syndrome and death, particularly in the case of the systemic inflammatory response. Current therapy is designed to rapidly remove the cause of injury, resuscitate the microcirculation, and institute nutrition therapy to prevent single and generalized nutrient deficiencies and promote repair and healing. Newer therapies are designed to modulate the inflammatory response itself to minimize its injury potential and promote tissue repair and recovery of the patient. Genetic regulation of metabolism is also a pathogenetic mechanism. Its role in these responses is just starting to be understood--new therapies will need to await this understanding. Once the patient begins to recover, rehabilitation tends to be long and problematic. Nonetheless, significant survival rates are now occurring, with continued improvements expected in response to the newer therapeutic approaches. Planned rehabilitation thus becomes an important component of effective recovery. Professionals trained in critical care and well versed in cellular and molecular biology provide the milieu within which continued improvements in prevention, therapy, and outcome will continue to occur."}
{"id": "PMID:1478150", "title": "Insulin autoantibodies in patients with autoimmune diseases.", "content": "Insulin antibodies (IAA) can be detected in the serum of the majority of newly diagnosed IDDM patients prior to insulin therapy. In first degree relatives of IDDM patients, IAA are associated with an increased risk of development of IDDM. However, the disease specificity of IAA, detected by radiobinding assays, has not been addressed. We thus tested sera from patients with autoimmune disease for IAA. One of 29 (3%) patients with Graves' disease and five of 27 (19%) patients with SLE had IAA levels exceeding the range for normal controls. IAA were not detected in sera from 29 patients with Addison's disease, 15 patients with pernicious anaemia or 10 patients with increased gamma globulins. Non-specific binding of 125I-labelled insulin was increased in serum from 14 (21%) samples from patients with Graves' disease, 10 (37%) patients with SLE, one (3.2%) of 29 patients with Addison's disease and two (13%) of 15 patients with pernicious anaemia. The increased non-specific binding most likely relates to immunoglobulin binding as it was also found in eight of 10 patients with oligoclonal or polyclonal increase in gamma globulins. Our findings suggest that moderate elevations of IAA are not uncommon in patients with SLE, in whom increased non-specific binding of insulin is also common. This observation is of importance in preclinical diabetes screening studies."}
{"id": "PMID:1478151", "title": "Postprandial hypotension in patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.", "content": "This study attempted to determine whether postprandial hypotension (PPH) is associated with diabetes mellitus by 24-h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (24-h ABPM) and by monitoring blood pressure during 75-g oral glucose tolerance test (75-g OGTT) in 15 normal subjects and 35 patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. When we defined PPH as a postprandial decrease in systolic blood pressure of greater than 20 mmHg, the incidence of PPH in diabetics was 37% by 24-h ABPM and 20% by 75-g OGTT. The incidence of proliferative retinopathy and proteinuria was greater in diabetics with PPH than in those without PPH. All of the patients with PPH had somatic and autonomic neuropathy. The C-peptide response was lower in diabetics with PPH than in those without PPH. We revealed the presence of PPH in diabetics, and found that PPH was closely related to disease severity, especially diabetic autonomic neuropathy."}
{"id": "PMID:1478152", "title": "Is diabetes always diabetes?", "content": "Diabetes is always taken to be a life-long diagnosis. In order to re-examine this question, 75 g glucose tolerance tests (OGTT) were performed twice on 37 previously confirmed diabetic patients (mean duration of diabetes of 4.6 years; range 1-15 years) with normal glycosylated haemoglobin levels on regular review. Weight loss since institution of a healthy diet was 7.6 +/- 4.8 kg (+/- SE). Normal glucose tolerance was found in 27% of patients and impaired glucose tolerance in 21% with no significant change on rechallenge. HbA1 was 6.3 +/- 1.5% (+/- SD) (normal < 7.5%) in patients with normal glucose tolerance compared to 7.0 +/- 0.9% (+/- SD) in those with impaired glucose tolerance, P < 0.05. The response of the OGTT in these patients varied with dietary intake and weight. Such individuals could be regarded as having perfectly controlled diabetes or alternatively to have been cured. The definition of diabetes should be reviewed to allow people to escape the diagnosis where permanent change in dietary habits is established."}
{"id": "PMID:1478155", "title": "Diabetic nephropathy: duplex Doppler ultrasound findings.", "content": "To evaluate the correlations among Doppler sonographic findings, morphologic sonographic findings, and laboratory findings representing renal functional status, duplex Doppler sonography of the kidney was performed in 32 patients with diabetes mellitus. Resistive indices obtained in the region of the arcuate or the interlobar arteries in patients with elevated serum creatinine levels were significantly higher than those in patients with normal serum creatinine levels (P < 0.05). Also, there was a significant correlation between the resistive indices and creatinine clearance levels (correlation coefficient, -0.828). There was a significant difference between the serum creatinine levels of patients with normal renal cortical echogenicity and those with increased cortical echogenicity (P < 0.05). Analysis of the Doppler spectrum of the intrarenal arteries in conjunction with careful evaluation of the renal cortical echogenicity may be helpful in sonographic prediction of the renal functional status in patients with diabetes mellitus."}
{"id": "PMID:1478156", "title": "Micral-Test: a qualitative dipstick test for micro-albuminuria.", "content": "Micro-albuminuria is a very sensitive predictor of the development of renal disease in insulin- and non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. A reliable dipstick test for routine screening for micro-albuminuria is, therefore, desirable. Such a test has been developed by Boehringer Mannheim, Germany, and marketed as Micral-Test. It is an immunological slide-test with semi-quantitative properties. To evaluate its performance as a screening test we compared it with a turbidimetric immuno-assay. In 396 urine specimens from 132 patients, sensitivity was 91% and specificity 96% for a discriminating albumin level of 20 mg/l. Correlation with quantitative values was reasonable (r = 0.73). We also tested for micro-albuminuria, defined as mean albumin excretion rate of > or = 20 micrograms/min, determined with the turbidimetric immuno-assay in timed overnight urines on three consecutive days, whereas Micral-Test was considered to be positive for micro-albuminuria if the albumin concentration in one of the three urine samples was > or = 20 mg/ml. In 132 patients, the sensitivity of Micral-Test was 82% and the specificity 86%. Albumin excretion rate in all false-negative results was < 50 micrograms/min. We therefore concluded that Micral-Test is a useful qualitative screening test for micro-albuminuria in diabetic patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1478157", "title": "Possible relevance of lipid peroxidation and thromboxane production to the initiation and/or evolution of microangiopathy in non-hyperlipidemic type 2 diabetes mellitus.", "content": "To investigate the possible relevance of free radicals and prostanoids to the mode of initiation and/or evolution of microangiopathy in diabetes mellitus, we measured serum lipid peroxides (LPO), an accepted index of intravascular free radicals, and plasma 11-dehydrothromboxane B2 (11-dehydro-TXB2), a stable metabolite of vasoactive thromboxane A2 released from platelets, in 95 patients with normolipidemic type 2 (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus at different stages of the disease. In general, either LPO or 11-dehydro-TXB2 was significantly greater in the patients, as a group, than in the matched controls (3.82 vs. 2.65 nmol/ml, P < 0.01 for LPO; and 17.3 vs. 5.8 pg/ml, P < 0.01 for 11-dehydro-TXB2). In patients, both LPO and 11-dehydro-TXB2 increased according to the severity of their diabetic retinopathy. A highly significant positive correlation existed between the LPO values and 11-dehydro-TXB2 in the patients (r = 0.64, P < 0.0001), while there was no such relationship in the controls (r = 0.18, P = NS). No difference in serum levels of apolipoproteins A-I, A-II, B, C-II, C-III, or E was observed between the patients and controls. Short-term glycemic control (25 cal/kg of standardized body weight/day, for 8 weeks) resulted in a small but significant reduction in LPO (4.2 vs. 4.6 nmol/ml, control; P < 0.05) without alteration in 11-dehydro-TXB2. There was a tendency towards deterioration in LPO according to the improvement in glycemic control. These results appear consistent with the view that, in addition to LPO, the release of TXA2 from activated platelet in the human circulation could be an important factor for the initiation and/or evolution of microangiopathy in diabetic patients even when they are not apparently hyperlipidemic. Further, the results of the present study emphasize the notion that more tight control of serum lipids is worthy of serious consideration in preventing the advance of diabetic microangiopathy."}
{"id": "PMID:1478158", "title": "Glucagon-glucose (GG) test for the estimation of the insulin reserve in diabetes.", "content": "The residual B-cell function was examined by means of the plasma C-peptide response 6 min after a combined injection of glucagon and glucose (GG test) or conventional glucagon test (G test) in four insulin-dependent diabetic patients (IDDM group), in 18 diabetic patients treated with insulin (Insulin group), 31 treated with oral hypoglycemic agents (SU group) and 27 treated with diet only (Diet group) and in 22 borderline cases. By GG test, 6-min C-peptide values of the IDDM group were 0.27 +/- 0.05 nM (n = 4) and were significantly lower than those of the Insulin group (0.89 +/- 0.09 nM, n = 12), the SU group (1.42 +/- 0.10 nM, n = 13), the Diet group (2.47 +/- 0.22 nM, n = 11) and the borderline cases (3.38 +/- 0.22 nM, n = 11). Patients with a 6-min C-peptide concentration below 0.75 nM by GG test appeared to be insulin-requiring patients. In the G test, plasma C-peptide concentrations at 6 min were 0.35 +/- 0.08 nM in the IDDM group (n = 2), 0.72 +/- 0.20 nM in the Insulin group (n = 7), 1.08 +/- 0.09 nM in the SU group (n = 20), 1.40 +/- 0.19 nM in the Diet group (n = 17) and 2.05 +/- 0.21 nM in the borderline cases (n = 12). Some of the Diet group patients showed extremely low C-peptide responses. When comparing the GG test and G test in individual cases, a greater C-peptide response was seen with the GG test in all cases except for IDDM patients.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1478159", "title": "Low toxic derivatives of istamycin B: synthesis and preliminary evaluation.", "content": "3-O-Demethylistamycin B derived from istamycin B was one of the most potent aminoglycoside antibiotics against various bacteria. 3-O-Demethylistamycin B, however, showed considerable acute toxicity in mice. The authors attempted to prepare the derivatives of istamycin B having high potency and low toxicity. The selective N-acylation or N-amidination at the C-2 position of istamycin B could not improve the acute toxicity. The replacement of the amino group at the C-2 position of istamycin B by a hydroxyl group markedly decreased the acute toxicity. Among 2'-deamino-2'-hydroxyistamycins, 4-N-(beta-alanyl)-2'-deamino-3-O-demethyl-2'-hydroxyistamycin B0 (9d) showed good antibacterial activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and a low acute toxicity in mice."}
{"id": "PMID:1478160", "title": "New hydroxybenanomicins produced by Actinomadura.", "content": "A soil microorganism, Actinomadura sp. MH193-16F4, produces an antifungal antibiotic benanomicin A and several related compounds. Among them, benanomicin A is the best candidate as a chemotherapeutic agent in terms of antifungal activity, toxicity and water-solubility. Three novel hydroxyl congeners, 3'-hydroxybenanomicin A, 7-hydroxybenanomicin A and 7-hydroxybenanomicinone have been isolated from the culture broth of the MH193-16F4 strain or its mutant. Interestingly, 3'-hydroxy-benanomicin A was as effective as benanomicin A, but the 7-hydroxy congeners were inactive. The inactive congeners differ from benanomicin A and 3'-hydroxyenanomicin A in their conformational structures at C-5 and C-6."}
{"id": "PMID:1478161", "title": "The sensitivity of clinical bacteria isolated in Scotland to the oral cephalosporin, cefdinir.", "content": "The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of cefdinir (CI-983, FK-482), cephalexin cefuroxime, cefixime and ceftazidime were determined against clinical isolates. Cefdinir was as effective as cefixime against Haemophilus and Moraxella (Branhamella) strains and both were more effective than cefuroxime. Against streptococci, cefdinir was much more effective than cefixime and had similar efficacy to cefuroxime. Against staphylococci, cefdinir had the lowest MIC50 of all of the drugs tested. The efficacy of these antibiotics was tested against Escherichia coli K12 strains harbouring 16 of the new extended-spectrum plasmid-mediated beta-lactamases, and cefdinir was more effective than ampicillin, cephalexin, cefuroxime, ceftazidime and aztreonam."}
{"id": "PMID:1478162", "title": "Sub-inhibitory concentrations of brodimoprim inhibit adhesion of E. coli to human uroepithelial cells.", "content": "Bacterial adhesion to mucosal surfaces is a prerequisite for infection. Several antibiotics at sub-inhibitory concentrations (sub-MICs) have been shown to affect the adhesive ability of bacteria, usually decreasing adherence in vitro. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of brodimoprim, a broad-spectrum antibiotic, on E. Coli adhesiveness to uroepithelial cells. Sub-inhibitory concentrations of brodimoprim, up to 1/16 MIC, significantly reduced the percentage of adhesion of E. Coli to epithelial cells. At these concentrations, brodimoprim strongly diminished the adhesiveness of E. Coli, causing the growth of filamentous shapes lacking in pili and therefore unable to adhere to epithelial cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1478163", "title": "Cefaclor as a prophylactic agent for recurrent urinary infections: a comparative trial with macrocrystalline nitrofurantoin.", "content": "Eighty women with recurrent urinary infections (a median of seven episodes per year) were randomized to twelve months prophylaxis with cefaclor 250 mg or macrocrystalline nitrofurantoin 50 mg, at night. Seventy-three patients (37 given cefaclor and 36 given macrocrystalline nitrofurantoin) were assessable for efficacy. The incidence of radiological abnormalities in the two treatment groups was 23% and 30% respectively. Ninety-five percent of the patients taking cefaclor were symptomatically improved during the twelve months of prophylaxis and 86% remained abacteriuric; corresponding figures in the group taking macrocrystalline nitrofurantoin were 86% and 85% respectively. There were 88 breakthrough infections in patients taking cefaclor (6 resistant strains), and 9 in those patients taking macrocrystalline nitrofurantoin (6 by resistant strains). The mean interval between symptomatic episodes on prophylactic therapy increased by 5.6-fold in patients taking cefaclor, and 4.3-fold in those taking macrocrystalline nitrofurantoin. Resistant coliforms were found in only 3 out of 37 patients studied after twelve months prophylaxis; these organisms did not proceed to cause infections. All 80 patients were assessable for adverse events: 5 out of 39 taking cefaclor (12.8%) reported an event \"probably\" associated with the antibiotic, and 3 (7.7%) stopped taking the drug for various reasons; corresponding figures for macrocrystalline nitrofurantoin were 17.1% and 9.8% respectively. Patients with a radiological abnormality responded well to long-term low-dose prophylaxis with either agent. Cefaclor seems to offer an alternative to macrocrystalline nitrofurantoin for the prophylaxis of recurrent urinary infections in women."}
{"id": "PMID:1478164", "title": "Effects of bezafibrate on biosynthesis of cholesterol and on degradation of native and acetylated low-density lipoproteins in incubated human monocytes.", "content": "The effects of bezafibrate on 14C-acetate incorporation into non-saponifiable lipids and on degradation of native and acetylated [125I] low-density lipoproteins (LDL) in cultured human monocytes has been evaluated. The presence of bezafibrate in the incubation medium resulted in a decrease of labelled acetate incorporation into non-saponifiable lipids. In parallel with the decrease in sterol synthesis, bezafibrate produced an increase in total and specific degradation of native low-density lipoproteins, whereas the degradation of acetylated low-density lipoproteins was not affected by the drug. These data, though obtained with concentrations of bezafibrate in the incubation medium greater than those encountered in ordinary therapeutic conditions, support the hypothesis that bezafibrate inhibits cholesterol biosynthesis and increases removal of low-density lipoproteins by activating the specific receptor pathway."}
{"id": "PMID:1478165", "title": "Anti-inflammatory action of AGF44, a ganglioside ester derivative.", "content": "Gangliosides (GA) have been shown to promote axonal sprouting and growth of injured peripheral nerves, and enhance functional biochemical and morphologic recovery after CNS damage. Moreover, it has recently been shown that the natural ganglioside mixture (GM1 + GD1a + GD1b + GT1b) from bovine brain is endowed with powerful anti-inflammatory activity in rodents. Here we report that the novel semisynthetic ganglioside derivative AGF44, the isopropyl ester of monosialoganglioside GM1, displays a potent anti-inflammatory activity when orally or topically administered in various models of acute inflammation. AGF44 was effective (0.5-5 mg/kg p.o. or 0.5% gel topical application) in reducing rat paw oedema induced by either carrageenin, histamine, bradykinin, serotonin, nystatin or kaolin. Moreover, crossed confrontation with the effects elicited by other anti-inflammatory agents revealed that AGE44 seems to act through a different pathway than NSAIDs, steroids or antihistaminic/antiserotoninic agents."}
{"id": "PMID:1478168", "title": "[Adjuvant hormonal therapy in lymph node-negative breast carcinoma patients in the postmenopause].", "content": "The effect of adjuvant treatment with tamoxifen on recurrence and survival rates was determined in a prospective randomized trial in 98 postmenopausal women (mean age 62.7 [49-77] years) with lymph node-negative breast cancer who had undergone modified radical mastectomy with axillary lymphadenectomy. The tamoxifen group (n = 48) received 10 mg of the drug twice daily for one year. After a mean period of 8 (6-11) years the tamoxifen group had a significantly higher rate of survival without recurrence than the control (no tamoxifen) group (83% vs 61.5%, P = 0.02) and a higher overall survival rate (95% vs 81.9%, P = 0.05). These results indicate that adjuvant tamoxifen favourably influences the prognosis for postmenopausal women with lymph node-negative breast cancer after radical mastectomy with axillary lymphadenectomy."}
{"id": "PMID:1478169", "title": "[Extracorporeal shockwave therapy in endoscopic therapy-refractory gallstones].", "content": "Extracorporeal shock-wave lithotripsy (ESWL) was undertaken in 36 patients (12 men, 24 women; mean age 70.9 +/- 2.4 years) with extra- or intrahepatic bile duct stones which could not be removed endoscopically. Stone fragmentation was successful in 32 patients with stones in the choledochal duct and in one with stones in the left hepatic duct. Fragmentation failed in two patients with stones in the left hepatic duct and one with stones in the cystic duct. 26 of the 36 patients were free of stone after spontaneous passage (n = 3) or after endoscopic removal of the residual concrements (n = 23). Complications occurred in only five patients during or after ESWL (cardiac arrhythmias, respiratory failure, pancreatitis, cholangitis).--These data point to ESWL being clearly preferable to surgical intervention in bile duct stones refractory to endoscopic treatment, especially in the elderly with an increased perioperative risk."}
{"id": "PMID:1478170", "title": "[Cocaine poisoning from transport of the drug in the gastrointestinal tract (the body-packer syndrome)].", "content": "Three days after arriving in Switzerland from Bolivia a 35-year-old man presented at a casualty department. He was anxious, agitated and hallucinating, and he expressed delusional ideas of being poisoned. As a general physical examination was without abnormal findings he was thought to suffer from a psychiatric disorder. It was only when he had evacuated in stool a long oval foreign body, packed in plastic sheeting and filled with a dark paste, that cocaine poisoning due to cocaine transport in the gastrointestinal tract (body packer syndrome) was suspected. Plain X-ray of the abdomen revealed numerous regular structures of poor X-ray contrast and the urine contained cocaine metabolites, confirming the tentative diagnosis. As the patient's state of consciousness deteriorated and he had a grand mal seizure, an emergency laparotomy was performed. 78 packages (two of them had opened) were removed by gastro- and caecotomy. Total cocaine weight was 650 g. He was discharged from hospital after 11 days, free of symptoms."}
{"id": "PMID:1478171", "title": "[Hemosuccus pancreaticus due to a pressure ulcer in pancreatolithiasis].", "content": "Ultrasound examination in a 32-year-old man with epigastric pain and slightly elevated serum amylase level (66 U/l) revealed cysts in the head and tail of the pancreas as well as nonhomogeneous pancreas parenchyma as signs of chronic pancreatitis. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) additionally showed pancreatolithiasis. Melena occurred 7 months later, haemoglobin concentration decreasing to 8.7 g/dl. Endoscopy revealed bleeding into the duodenum via the papilla major. Angiography excluded vessel rupture. Haemostasis was achieved by occlusion of the pancreatic duct with fibrin glue, but the procedure had to be repeated twice within the next 8 months. Three months later ERCP was performed because of melena with massive haematemesis (haemoglobin level 6.5 g/dl). Stones were no longer demonstrated. At the previous location a pressure ulcer was now demonstrated, together with fresh blood in the pancreatic duct. After the stones had passed the ulcer healed and the patient has been symptom-free for over 13 months."}
{"id": "PMID:1478183", "title": "Characterization of the insulin resistance in liver cirrhosis: a comparison with non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus.", "content": "To characterize the mechanisms of insulin resistance in liver cirrhosis (LC), we estimated the peripheral tissue sensitivity and responsiveness to insulin using the euglycemic clamp technique and determined the insulin binding to erythrocytes in patients with compensated LC as well as in patients with non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). The insulin dose-response curves of the glucose metabolic clearance rates (MCR) were shifted to the right and downward both in patients with LC and NIDDM, indicating a reduced sensitivity and responsiveness to insulin. In the cirrhotics, MCR at the maximally effective insulin level, an index of insulin responsiveness, was correlated with fasting insulin levels (r = -0.57, P < 0.01) and sigma BG in 75 gOGTT (r = -0.43, P < 0.05), but no correlations were found between them and the diabetics. Although specific insulin bindings to erythrocytes were significantly lower in patients both with LC and NIDDM, Scatchard analysis revealed a significant decrease in the number of insulin receptors in the cirrhotics, and a decrease in the empty-site affinity in the diabetics. These findings suggest that insulin resistance in LC consists of a combination of binding and postbinding defects. The latter defect may be caused by basal hyperinsulinemia and contribute to the development of glucose intolerance. Although binding and postbinding abnormalities are also found in NIDDM, the mechanisms of insulin resistance in LC and NIDDM may be different."}
{"id": "PMID:1478184", "title": "Secretory regulation of 19-hydroxyandrostenedione in normal man.", "content": "To evaluate the secretory regulation of 19-hydroxyandrostenedione (19-OH-AD), its plasma concentration was measured before and after stimulation and inhibition tests for the ACTH-adrenal axis and the renin-angiotensin system in 50 normal subjects. Basal levels of plasma 19-OH-AD did not correlate with either those of plasma renin activity (PRA) or the plasma aldosterone concentration (PAC), but positively correlated with those of plasma cortisol. Plasma 19-OH-AD was stimulated by 0.25 mg ACTH-(1-24) and was suppressed by 1 mg dexamethasone (DEX) as were plasma cortisol and PAC. On the other hand, with 2-h standing alone or iv 40 mg furosemide plus 2-h standing, plasma 19-OH-AD and cortisol did not increase but PRA and PAC did. With iv furosemide plus 2-h standing with 3 mg DEX pretreatment, plasma 19-OH-AD and cortisol did not respond either, but PRA and PAC increased. With 25 mg oral captopril following 1-h standing with 3 mg DEX pretreatment, plasma 19-OH-AD and cortisol did not change but PAC decreased. These results indicate that the secretion of 19-OH-AD is mainly under the control of the ACTH-adrenal axis rather than the renin-angiotensin system."}
{"id": "PMID:1478185", "title": "Plasma free fatty acids, inhibitor of extrathyroidal conversion of T4 to T3 and thyroid hormone binding inhibitor in patients with various nonthyroidal illnesses.", "content": "In order to clarify the role of free fatty acid (FFA) in thyroid hormone abnormalities in patients with nonthyroidal illness, thyroid function, FFA, inhibitor of extrathyroidal conversion of T4 to T3 (IEC) and thyroid hormone binding inhibitor (THBI) were studied in 99 patients with various nonthyroidal illnesses including diabetes mellitus (DM) (n = 35), liver cirrhosis (LC) (n = 33), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (n = 17) and chronic heart failure (CHF) (n = 14). Patients were divided into three groups based on the level of serum T3: Group I (T3 < 50 ng/dl), Group II (50 < or = T3 < 80) and Group III (80 < or = T3). Serum T4, FT3 and the T3/T4 ratio decreased significantly in the order Group III, Group II and Group I (Group III > II > I). The plasma FFA level was 0.91 +/- 0.12 mmol/l in Group I (P < 0.05, vs. Group III), 0.65 +/- 0.06 in Group II and 0.54 +/- 0.04 in Group III, respectively. The incidence of positive IEC was 80.0% in Group I (P < 0.05, vs. Group III), 53.7% in Group II (P < 0.05, vs. Group III) and 34.2% in Group III. However, IEC was not correlated with the serum T3 concentration. The incidence of positive THBI was 80% in Group I (P < 0.05, vs. Group III), 68.3% in Group II and 47.4% in Group III, but THBI was not correlated with the serum T4 level. Positive correlations were observed among FFA, IEC and THBI (P < 0.001).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1478186", "title": "Biochemical studies of the relationship between iodothyronine 5'-monodeiodinase and protein disulphide isomerase in rat liver.", "content": "The relationship between type I iodothyronine 5'-monodeiodinase (5'-MD) and protein disulphide isomerase (PDI) was investigated by using a synthetic 18-amino acid peptide (LAP475c), which corresponds to the sequence of amino acids at position 373-390 of PDI including its active site, and anti-LAP475c antibody. Western blot analysis revealed that our anti-LAP475c antibody was highly specific for 57K protein in solubilized rat liver microsomal protein (SRLMP) that corresponded to PDI. Anti-LAP475c IgG (1:100 dilution) precipitated 46% of 5'-MD. These data suggest that PDI may play a regulatory role in the 5'-monodeiodination reaction."}
{"id": "PMID:1478187", "title": "Simultaneous administration of TRH and sulpiride caused additive but not synergistic PRL responses in normal subjects.", "content": "In order to study the mode of action of TRH and sulpiride in man, we administered TRH (500 micrograms, iv) and sulpiride (DA D2 receptor antagonist, 100 mg, im) simultaneously to 6 normal females (20-21 yr). Normal females showed significantly greater PRL increments and AUC in response to the combined administration compared to a single administration of each agent (P < 0.05-0.01), while the increment and AUC in response to the combination did not exceed the sum of those responses to a single administration. In contrast, the combined administration of TRH and sulpiride did not elicit an enhanced response of plasma TSH. These results indicate that the sites of action of TRH and sulpiride might be different from each other, and these agents work additively with no interaction in human lactotrophs."}
{"id": "PMID:1478188", "title": "In vitro monitoring activation by the ligands and specific DNA-binding of the glucocorticoid receptors.", "content": "The glucocorticoid receptor is a member of the steroid and thyroid hormone receptor superfamily and acts as a ligand-activated transcription factor. To reconstitute the molecular mechanisms underlying the cellular response to soluble receptor ligands, we have exploited a cell-free system that exhibits glucocorticoid-induced activation of the latent cytosolic glucocorticoid receptor to an active DNA-binding species. We demonstrate here that cytosol from a rat hepatoma cell, M1.19, contains glucocorticoid receptor-specific immunoreactivities and target DNA-binding activities. Moreover, specific DNA-binding activities of M1.19 cytosol were dose-dependently induced by dexamethasone treatment, and linearly correlated with the hormonal induction of chloramphenicol acetyltransferase activity at the corresponding concentrations. These results indicate that the cytosolic glucocorticoid receptor could be converted in a DNA-binding form under cell-free conditions and the ligand appears to play a crucial role in the direct control of the level of functional activity of a given ligand-receptor complex."}
{"id": "PMID:1478189", "title": "Adrenalectomy enhances the susceptibility of pancreatic islets to interleukin-1 beta: immunohistochemical study.", "content": "To determine the importance of adrenal steroid in the effects of interleukin-1, we investigated changes in the number of islet cells reactive toward antiserum to insulin (anti-Ins) by intraperitoneal administration of recombinant human interleukin-1 beta (IL-1) in intact and adrenalectomized (ADX) rats. IL-1 significantly reduced serum insulin levels in ADX rats only, while it similarly decreased plasma glucose levels. In intact rats, IL-1 did not affect the number of islet cells reactive to anti-Ins, although cytoplasmic immunostaining tended to be reduced by IL-1 treatment. Only adrenalectomy decreased the number of islet cells immunostained by anti-Ins. Furthermore, IL-1 treatment significantly reduced the number of islet cells reactive to anti-Ins in ADX rats. The present study immunohistochemically supported our working hypothesis that the withdrawal of adrenal steroids by adrenalectomy enhances the islet cell sensitivity to exogenous administration of IL-1."}
{"id": "PMID:1478190", "title": "A case of primary hyperparathyroidism due to an oxyphil cell adenoma.", "content": "A 59-year-old woman with primary hyperparathyroidism was found to have a parathyroid adenoma behind the left clavicle. Preoperatively, it appeared as a hypoechoic mass on ultrasonography, as a hot nodule on thallium scintigraphy, and as a high signal on T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging. Histological, immunohistochemical and ultrastructural studies of the surgically resected tumor revealed a parathyroid adenoma composed mainly of oxyphil cells with production of a parathyroid hormone. Moreover, a multilocular lesion of lymphangiectasia was contained. Hypercalcemia was alleviated postoperatively. These observations corroborated a functioning parathyroid oxyphil cell adenoma. This is the first case report of functioning oxyphil cell adenoma of the parathyroid gland with lymphangiectasia in Japan."}
{"id": "PMID:1478191", "title": "Effects of age, sex and renal function on urinary insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) levels in adults.", "content": "Insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) levels in urine were measured in adults using specific RIA after extraction with acid-ammonium sulfate. Mean (+/- SD) total urine IGF-I values were 267.9 +/- 112.9 ng/day and 167.8 +/- 73.2 ng/g creatinine (Cr) in 17 normal young adults. There was a positive correlation (r = 0.785, P < 0.001) between IGF-I values in early morning urine and those of 24 h urine when they were corrected by urinary Cr. IGF-I values in early morning urine were ranged from 60 to 1,100 ng/gCr with a mean value of 309.6 ng/gCr in 178 normal adults aged 21-80 yr. There was a consistent trend towards higher urinary IGF-I values in males during aging and this trend did not reach statistical significance until the sixth and seventh decades. There was a positive correlation (r = 0.465, P < 0.005) between urinary IGF-I values and age in males but not in females. Although urinary IGF-I values were higher in females than in males of the second and third decades, no sex difference was found in older adults. Urinary IGF-I values were correlated reversely with 24 h Cr clearance (CCr) and positively with urinary beta 2-microglobulin (beta 2-MG) levels in patients with renal dysfunction. These findings indicate that urinary IGF-I levels are influenced by age, sex and renal function in adults."}
{"id": "PMID:1478192", "title": "Effect of 1-desamino-8-D-arginine vasopressin (DDAVP) on vasopressin release and blood pressure during hemorrhage.", "content": "Whether or not 1-desamino-8-D-arginine-vasopressin (DDAVP) reduces blood pressure or affects the release of arginine vasopressin (AVP) and renin is controversial, although evidence suggests AVP and renin are important in maintaining blood pressure during hemorrhage. We therefore investigated the effect of DDAVP on endogenous release of AVP and renin and on blood pressure during hemorrhage in dogs. In the control group the hemorrhage was performed at a rate of 0.4 ml.kg-1.min-1 for 40 min from the femoral artery. The plasma AVP concentration and renin activity (PRA) increased progressively in response to the hemorrhage, from 7.5 +/- 0.5 to 40.3 +/- 7.3 pg.ml-1, and from 11.8 +/- 1.5 to 20.5 +/- 4.2 ng.ml-1.h-1, respectively, while blood pressure decreased slightly. In the DDAVP group, intravenous infusion of DDAVP (2.5 ng.kg-1.min-1 for 40 min) and hemorrhage were simultaneously performed. The plasma DDAVP concentration increased progressively to 218 +/- 21.0 pg.ml-1. There was no significant difference, however, between the control and DDAVP groups in the response of AVP, PRA and blood pressure. The results suggested that DDAVP may not affect the release of AVP and renin or blood pressure during hemorrhage."}
{"id": "PMID:1478193", "title": "Chemical systems for delivery of antiepileptic drugs to the central nervous system.", "content": "The chemical delivery system (CDS) approach, a recently developed procedure conceived to enhance the specific central nervous system (CNS) uptake of drugs, has been applied to several antiepileptic agents. CDSs based on dihydropyridine<-->pyridinium salt type redox targetors, reversibly linked to the drug, were designed, synthesized and tested for some traditional (phenytoin, valproate) and potential (stiripentol) antiepileptic drugs, as well as some compounds (GABA, adenosine) with important roles in epileptogenesis. Physicochemical, in vitro stability, in vivo tissue distribution, activity and toxicity studies were performed for the new derivatives. The results of these investigations indicated that selected CDSs possessed properties required for delivering the drugs to the CNS. In vivo experiments indicated improved brain uptake and enhanced pharmacologic activity in some of the examined cases. On the other hand, no toxic side effects were registered during the studies. Properly developed CDSs could enhance the therapeutic indexes of the anticonvulsant drugs."}
{"id": "PMID:1478194", "title": "Anticonvulsant action of lamotrigine during ontogenesis in rats.", "content": "The anticonvulsant actions of lamotrigine and phenytoin against pentylenetetrazol-induced seizures were compared in laboratory rats during ontogenesis. Both drugs (lamotrigine in doses of 2.5, 5, 10, and 20 mg/kg and phenytoin in doses of 5, 10, 30 and 60 mg/kg) were injected intraperitoneally 30 min before pentylenetetrazol. Phenytoin and lamotrigine did not affect the incidence or latency of minimal (i.e., predominantly clonic, nongeneralized) seizures, although pretreatment with phenytoin changed the pattern of this phenomenon from short (10-30-s) seizures to long-lasting 'status of minimal seizures'. Both drugs abolished selectively the tonic phase of major, i.e., generalized tonic-clonic seizures, usually without any influence on the clonic phase of these seizures. Only the highest dose of phenytoin in adult animals suppressed the generalized tonic-clonic seizures as a whole. The study did not reveal any change of action of lamotrigine or phenytoin against pentylenetetrazol-induced motor seizures throughout development."}
{"id": "PMID:1478195", "title": "EEG frequency and time domain mapping study of the cortical projections of temporal lobe amygdala afterdischarge during kindling in the cat.", "content": "EEG frequency and time domain color maps were computed during amygdala kindling in cats. The pattern of the amygdala afterdischarge (AM/AD) propagation to the cortex was assessed as kindling evolved. Our results show that the AM/AD has 4 components that coincide with the activation of certain cortical areas during specific behavioral stages. The pattern of the cortical projection follows an asymmetrical temporo-fronto-occipital direction, the ipsilateral temporal lobe being the first activated zone, followed by the ipsilateral and contralateral prefrontal areas. The contralateral temporal activation is a late phenomenon. We conclude that the electrographic and behavioral manifestations of this model of complex partial epilepsy are asymmetrical during the whole process, including the convulsive stage."}
{"id": "PMID:1478196", "title": "Noise exposure-induced audiogenic seizure susceptibility in Sprague-Dawley rats.", "content": "Parameters were evaluated for the optimum induction of audiogenic seizure susceptibility in Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats by noise exposure. The effect of maturation on this susceptibility was also examined. It was found that SD rats are most inducible between neonatal days 13 and 15 and that susceptibility requires a minimum of 2 days to develop. Noise exposure on day 14 results in universal susceptibility by day 20, but seizure severity is not maximal until days 32-36. Although susceptibility persists at high levels into adulthood, seizures in older rats revert to the wild-running-only type. Seizure latency (from stimulus onset to onset of wild running) becomes increasingly shorter during the prepubescent period (days 16-24) but is stable at older ages. The mean shortness of latency in adult seizures depends somewhat on the age when initial noise exposure occurred; day-14 noise exposures result in seizures with shortest latencies. Ontogenetic comparisons were made of susceptibility in these noise exposure-induced rats, genetically epilepsy prone rats (GEPRs, which are SD substrains)29 and noise exposure-induced Wistar (WI) rats28. It appears that epileptogenesis begins at virtually the same age in all four groups of rats but that considerable differences characterize the absolute severity of seizures and the age dependence of maximum seizure severity among the strains."}
{"id": "PMID:1478197", "title": "Effects of loreclezole on epileptic activity and on EEG and behaviour in rats with absence seizures.", "content": "The antiepileptic profile of loreclezole, a new putative antiepileptic compound, has been determined in rats of the WAG/Rij strain, a genetic model of generalized absence epilepsy. In addition, the effects of 0, 5, 10 and 20 mg/kg loreclezole on the spectral content of the background EEG and on spontaneous behaviour of rats were investigated. Both the number of spike-wave discharges and their total duration dose-dependently decreased following administration of loreclezole. Furthermore, the behaviour of the animals was not markedly influenced and significant changes in the background EEG were not noticed after administration. These data suggest that the broad-spectrum antiepileptic loreclezole can be a valuable new drug in the treatment of absence epilepsy."}
{"id": "PMID:1478198", "title": "Panoramic imaging of brain pHi and CBF during penicillin and metrazole induced status epilepticus.", "content": "Using real-time in vivo umbelliferone fluorescent imaging, cortical intracellular brain pH (pHi) and cortical blood flow (CBF) were measured in New Zealand white rabbits during generalized seizures induced by intravenous metrazole or sodium penicillin. In the former, brain pHi declined from 7.04 +/- 0.07 to 6.78 +/- 0.07 within 15 min of generalized seizures and remained at this level for 1 h. In the penicillin group, pHi fell from 7.05 +/- 0.10 to 6.81 +/- 0.07 and also remained at this level over 60 min. This brain acidosis was uniform across the brain's surface. With the onset of status epilepticus there was a hyperemia which occurred in a heterogeneous pattern with blood flow appearing to be greater adjacent to cortical vasculature and slower in border zones between surface blood vessels. In the metrazole group, there was evidence of vasomotor paralysis with loss of autoregulation involving both cortical surface vasculature and penetrating arterioles with their capillary beds."}
{"id": "PMID:1478199", "title": "7-Chlorokynurenic acid antagonizes the anticonvulsant activity of D-cycloserine in maximal electroshock seizures.", "content": "This study evaluated the anticonvulsant activity of D-cycloserine against maximal electroshock seizures in rats. Systematically administered D-cycloserine (i.p.) inhibited maximal electroshock-induced tonic hindlimb extension in a dose-dependent manner with an ED50 of 153 mg/kg. No neurological deficit was detected at any dose of D-cycloserine. In contrast, L-cycloserine had no effect on the maximal electroshock seizures. Administration of the strychnine-insensitive glycine receptor antagonist 7-chlorokynurenic acid (100 nmol, i.c.v.) significantly antagonized the anticonvulsant activity induced by D-cycloserine. Centrally administered D-cycloserine (i.c.v.) induced significant anticonvulsant activity 1-2 h after administration with an approximate ED50 of 5 mumol. 7-Chlorokynurenic acid (100 nmol, i.c.v.) significantly antagonized the anticonvulsant activity of centrally administered D-cycloserine. L-Cycloserine (i.c.v., 2 h) induced no significant anticonvulsant activity. These results provide evidence that the anticonvulsant activity of D-cycloserine in maximal electroshock seizures may be mediated by strychnine-insensitive glycine receptors."}
{"id": "PMID:1478200", "title": "Interictal HM-PAO SPECT: a routine investigation in patients with medically intractable complex partial seizures?", "content": "Single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) is increasingly being used as an adjunctive technique in the localisation of epileptogenic foci prior to surgery. As yet, few studies have been undertaken to establish the clinical associations of areas of reduced cerebral perfusion. Sixty-three consecutive patients (15 male, 48 female; median age 30 years, range 14-57 years) with medically intractable complex partial seizures (median/month 8, range 1-36) were investigated as outpatients. All had normal high resolution computerised X-ray tomography (CT) of brain. Twenty-seven (47%) exhibited significant perfusion defects on SPECT scanning with a rotating gamma camera system using Tc-99 HM-PAO. There were no significant differences between patients with normal and abnormal scans in terms of age at scanning or at onset of epilepsy or number of seizures. Patients with perfusion defects did, however, have longer median histories of epilepsy than those with normal scans (normal: 10 years, abnormal: 22 years; P = 0.01). Patients with abnormal scans were no more likely to have suffered febrile convulsions in early childhood. The correlation of abnormal SPECT scans with routine surface EEG recordings was poor with only 41% of cases showing clear agreement between the site of hypoperfusion and focal epileptic activity. It is not yet possible to predict clinically those patients who will exhibit perfusion defects on interictal TC-99 HM-PAO SPECT scanning."}
{"id": "PMID:1478201", "title": "An assessment of serum and red blood cell folate concentrations in patients with epilepsy on lamotrigine therapy.", "content": "Lamotrigine (LTG) is a new antiepileptic drug which is effective in refractory epilepsy and which has been shown to have weak antifolate properties in vitro. The effect of LTG on serum folate and red cell folate (RBC) concentrations was assessed in a series of 14 patients on short-term LTG treatment during a placebo-controlled double-blind study. A further 14 patients who had been treated with LTG for up to 5 years were also assessed. In the short-term double-blind study the baseline mean serum folate concentration was 2.7 ng/ml and mean RBC folate concentration was 295 ng/ml. After 12 weeks of LTG therapy mean concentrations were 3.3 ng/ml and 339 ng/ml respectively and corresponding levels after 12 weeks of placebo were 2.4 ng/ml and 288 ng/ml. Patients on chronic LTG therapy showed no significant difference in RBC folate concentrations compared to those prior to LTG therapy (346 compared to 407 ng/ml). Other biochemical and haematological parameters were unaltered by LTG therapy. Thus, neither short-term nor chronic LTG therapy appears to be associated with significant changes in serum or RBC folate concentrations."}
{"id": "PMID:1478202", "title": "Right ventricular conductance to establish closed-loop pacing.", "content": "Innovations in pacing technology, which include the addition of rate-responsive features to programmable pacemakers, can improve the quality of life of patients suffering from sick sinus syndrome. Among the strategies providing rate-adaptive cardiac pacing, the most attractive is the physiological restoration of closed-loop chronotropic control. This paper describes how autonomic nervous system (ANS) control information is extracted from dynamic measures of myocardial contractile performance obtained from unipolar conductance measurements using the stimulation electrode in the right ventricular cavity. The pacemaker uses the ANS information to modulate pacing rate and restore normal physiological control of heart rate. A new algorithm, regional effective slope quantity (RQ), for isolating the ANS signal was developed. The resulting signal, ventricular inotropic parameter (VIP), is a normalized parameter proportional to the strength of the ANS inotropic signals to the myocardium. The efficacy of the ANS control concept was evaluated in multi-centre studies. Patients with AV block and VIP-controlled pulse generators performed defined exercise protocols. The ANS-controlled pacing rate and the spontaneous sinus rate were closely correlated. Blood pressure and subjective patient reports further indicated that good control of the cardiovascular circulation was achieved."}
{"id": "PMID:1478203", "title": "Left ventricular segmental volume by conductance catheter and Cine-CT.", "content": "The ability of the conductance catheter method to measure left ventricular segmental and total volume was evaluated by comparison with the Cine-CT technique. In the seven dogs studied, 19 conductance catheter and simultaneous Cine-CT runs were obtained. High correlation coefficients were found for total volume and segmental volumes, except in the basal segment. However, in most cases there was a significant variability in slope and intercept between animals. Both methods are promising tools for estimating dynamic segmental left ventricular volume, each having specific advantages such as a continuous signal (conductance catheter) or anatomic detail (Cine-CT). However, the results also show the need for further improvement of both methods."}
{"id": "PMID:1478204", "title": "Ventricular pressure-volume relations in vivo.", "content": "A number of fundamental mechanical properties of cardiac muscle as well as of the total ventricle are discussed. These include: Starling's law, shortening deactivation, homeometric autoregulation, and so-called hyperactivation associated with a small amount of ejection. Whenever appropriate, muscle properties are related to those of the intact ventricle. The phenomenon of load-dependence of the end-systolic pressure-volume relationship (ESPVR) receives particular attention and is placed within the framework of shortening deactivation and homeometric autoregulation. However, this effect also leads to a more basic definition of myocardial contractility, based on the observed, rather parallel shift of the ESPVR with different afterload conditions. Using this definition, the conclusion is drawn that an increase in afterload is, in fact, met by the left ventricle increasing its inotropic state. Finally, within this approach, it is proposed that the value of end-systolic volume at a chosen constant end-systolic pressure (e.g. 13 kPa or 100 mmHg) be used to characterize changes in myocardial contractility in patients after an intervention. The way of obtaining this parameter is explained."}
{"id": "PMID:1478205", "title": "Determination of left ventricular volume using a conductance catheter in the diseased human heart.", "content": "To validate the accuracy of human left ventricular (LV) volume measured by the conductance catheter method, conductance volume was compared with LV volume measured by biplane angiography in 19 patients with ischaemic heart disease. Angiographic LV volumes were calculated frame by frame and matched with instantaneous conductance volumes. Calibration was determined by both gain constant, 1/alpha, and parallel conductance, alpha V c. The gain constant, 1/alpha, was the ratio of stroke volume measured by the thermodilution method to that measured by the conductance catheter. The parallel conductance, alpha Vc, was estimated by the saline injection method. There was a good correlation between the corrected conductance volume (Vcc) and the angiographic volume (V angio) such that Vcc = 0.94 V angio + 5.3 ml, r = 0.94, P < 0.001. There were no differences in the correlation coefficients between normal and depressed hearts. Compared with the angiographic data, LV end-diastolic volume, end-systolic volume and ejection fraction were determined accurately by the conductance catheter. We conclude that the conductance catheter method, corrected for gain constant and parallel conductance, can accurately and continuously estimate the LV volume throughout the cardiac cycle in the diseased human heart."}
{"id": "PMID:1478206", "title": "Single and dual excitation of the conductance-volume catheter analysed in a spheroidal mathematical model of the canine left ventricle.", "content": "The conductance method employs a multi-electrode catheter to generate an electrical field and measure intracavitary segmental conductances. Left ventricular (LV) volumes are calculated using an algorithm which assumes the electrical field to be homogeneous. This assumption may be violated leading to a non-linear relation between conductance-derived and true volumes. In addition, this relation may vary between segments. A new method is introduced which uses a more homogeneous field. Volume estimates using the conventional single excitation and the new dual excitation method were compared in a mathematical model of a canine LV, which was varied over a large volume range. With single excitation the slope factors, relating conductance-derived and true volumes, varied from 0.50 to 0.76 between segments and was 0.65 for total LV volume. Using dual excitation the segmental slope variability was reduced (range: 0.74-0.77) and the slope factor for total volume increased to 0.76. The linearity of the relation between conductance-derived and true volume was improved with dual excitation and extended over a larger range."}
{"id": "PMID:1478207", "title": "Improvement in intracardiac impedance volumes by field extrapolation.", "content": "The measurement of volume by electrical impedance is complicated by non-homogeneous current distribution resulting from small current sources, by the irregular shape of the ventricle, and by loss of current to surrounding anatomical structures. A mathematical technique, field extrapolation, was developed to partially correct the current distribution. The technique mathematically transforms measured potentials into the potential distribution which would result from infinitely distant current sources. The linear correlation coefficient between impedance stroke volume or cardiac output using field extrapolation and thermodilution stroke volume or cardiac output was 0.83 (n = 86) in 11 dogs and 0.76 (n = 92) in 12 patients. The average linear correlation coefficient between impedance stroke volume and integrated aortic flow in four dogs was 0.83 +/- 0.09 (n = 49) using field extrapolation."}
{"id": "PMID:1478208", "title": "The end-systolic pressure-volume relationship in young animals using the conductance technique.", "content": "Evaluation of ventricular performance by the end-systolic pressure-volume relationship (ESPVR) has been extensively performed in the adult heart using the conductance technique. We undertook this study to validate the conductance technique and to generate ESPVRs in the small heart. To validate the technique, we simultaneously measured left ventricular volume by the conductance catheter and biplane cineangiography in nine piglets during changes in volume and contractility. Raw conductance volumes correlated highly with cineangiographic volumes (R = 0.97), and the slope was near identity (1.11 +/- 0.04). However, 'alpha Vc-corrected' volumes correlated less well (R = 0.85), probably because of errors induced by the saline technique for alpha Vc. We evaluated the ESPVR in nine lambs by inferior vena cava (IVC) occlusion, aortic occlusion, and volume infusion at rest and during changes in contractility. Reliable and linear ESPVRs were obtained in almost all IVC and aortic occlusions but not in volume infusions. Neither slope (Ees) nor position (V14) significantly changed over time or with dobutamine, but both changed after propranolol, supporting studies showing a limited contractile reserve in the newborn. However, Ees was 25% less steep when generated by IVC occlusion as compared to aortic occlusion. We conclude that the ESPVR can be reliably generated in the small heart using the conductance technique, but that it is sensitive to the loading technique."}
{"id": "PMID:1478209", "title": "Continuous measurement of the pressure-volume relationship in experimental heart failure produced by rapid ventricular pacing in conscious dogs.", "content": "The contractile function of the left ventricle has been defined within the framework of the pressure-volume relationship. We employed a conductance catheter, together with a high-fidelity micromanometer, to obtain accurate pressure and volume data continuously on a beat-to-beat basis in conscious dogs. Reproducibility of conductance volumetry was proven by repeated in situ measurements of left ventricular volume on separate days in the same dog. Heart failure, produced by rapid ventricular pacing, was characterized by impaired systolic shortening, depressed contractility indices and incomplete left ventricular relaxation. The magnitude of the cardiotonic effects of dobutamine was significantly attenuated after development of heart failure. Dobutamine improved left ventricular early relaxation but did not affect chamber distensibility. In heart failure, the load sensitivity of relaxation was enhanced and the force-frequency response attenuated. This may elucidate the mechanisms of early diastolic dysfunction and the deleterious effect of an increase in heart rate in the failing heart. Thus, the conductance catheter provided a reliable and simple method of obtaining left ventricular volume continuously in conscious dogs."}
{"id": "PMID:1478210", "title": "Left ventricular filling after long-term angiotensin converting enzyme inhibition in congestive heart failure.", "content": "As a rule, left ventricular relaxation is impaired in patients with coronary artery disease and congestive heart failure. In addition, the passive elastic properties in early and late diastole change when the ventricle dilates. Diastolic properties of the left ventricle were studied in 11 patients with congestive heart failure class II-IV (NYHA) before and 3 months after 10-20 mg enalapril was added to their regimen of salt restriction, a diuretic and occasionally digitalis. Haemodynamic studies were performed using radionuclide angiography and simultaneous pressure-volume measurements. Systemic vascular resistance decreased from 1479 to 1182 dynes.s.-1 cm-5 (P < 0.05) and left ventricular end-diastolic pressure from 19.2 to 15.9 mmHg (P < 0.05). Left ventricular end-diastolic volume index decreased from 130 +/- 22 to 81 +/- 22 ml (P < 0.01). Indices of early diastolic relaxation, such as peak filling rate (1.43 +/- 0.46 to 1.49 +/- 0.84 EDV/s), time to peak filling rate (460 +/- 70 to 490 +/- 70 ms), peak negative dP/dt (-903 +/- 190 to -891 +/- 190 mmHg/s) and tau, the time constant of isovolumic pressure decay (58.7 +/- 14.4 to 48.4 +/- 15.2 ms) did not change significantly. In nine patients pressure-volume loops shifted to the left in all patients but one due to reduction in end-systolic and end-diastolic volume. The steepness of the diastolic part of the pressure-volume relationship increased, indicating an increase in chamber stiffness. The stiffness constant increased about 25% towards a more normal value. The alteration in stiffness seemed to be mainly due to the change of the geometry of the ventricle and not to a major change in the visco-elastic properties of the ventricular wall. In conclusion, regression of remodelling induced by enalapril does not change diastolic function parameters in patients with chronic congestive heart failure beyond the changes caused by regression of ventricular dilation."}
{"id": "PMID:1478211", "title": "Clinical evaluation of left heart function by conductance catheter technique.", "content": "Methods to obtain pressure-volume loops in humans and their application to clinical diagnosis and treatment of cardiac disease are discussed. The method employs a conductance catheter, micromanometer, and inferior vena caval balloon occluder to reversibly and rapidly vary venous return. Multiple cardiac cycles measured during this manoeuvre are used to derive a variety of systolic and diastolic function indices, as well as estimates of vascular loading, and cardiac energetics. Strengths and weaknesses of the method as well as pressure-volume indexes themselves are briefly discussed. Lastly, three clinical examples are presented which serve to demonstrate how pressure-volume analysis can provide useful clinical information regarding diagnosis and/or treatment in subjects with heart failure symptoms."}
{"id": "PMID:1478212", "title": "Cardiodynamic changes during passive tilt and acute nitrate therapy.", "content": "In six patients with normal left ventricles and seven post-myocardial infarction patients cardiodynamic changes during tilt and acute nitrate medication were investigated. The conductance catheter was used for on-line registration of left ventricular volumes and a microtip manometer for high-fidelity pressure recordings. We analysed left ventricular end-diastolic volume index (EDVI) ejection fraction (EF), cardiac index (CI), heart rate (HR), end-systolic pressure (ESP) and end-diastolic pressure (EDP) in the supine position and 30 s after passive upright tilt. Supine and standing measurements were performed without medication and 2 min after acute nitrate medication (0.8 mg sublingual nitroglycerin). After unloading by upright tilt there was a similar reduction of average EDVI in the control group (-18 +/- 7 ml.m2) and in the post-infarction group (-21 +/- 18 ml.m2). The effect of nitroglycerin on EDVI (-12 +/- 4 ml.m2 control, -7 +/- 6 ml.m2 post-infarction) was less than the effect of upright tilt. EF in the control group improved by +8 +/- 5% (in absolute values) during passive tilt; the combined effect of tilt and nitrate was +12 +/- 6% EF (p < 0.05). In the post-infarction group EF did not change significantly during tilt and/or nitrate therapy. In the patients with normal regional ventricular function, CI during tilt was maintained at a constant level. In the post-infarction group the reduction in CI was not significant. Although the reduction in EDVI was similar in the control and infarction groups, the infarction group did not respond to the cardiodynamic change by increasing EF.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1478213", "title": "The influence of clinical intervention on pressure-volume relationships--the conductance (volume) technique.", "content": "We analysed end-systolic pressure-volume relations (ESPVR), using the conductance technique, to study the potential inotropic effects of (1) PDE inhibitor drugs, (2) class 1 anti-arrhythmic drugs and (3) PTCA-induced myocardial ischaemia (MIS). The question of contractility involvement is of clinical importance, since with inotropy-induced rise in MVO2 there is a risk of MIS, should any of the cardiotonic drugs (amrinone, enoximone, piroximone) be used in patients with CAD. Accordingly, we analysed their haemodynamic effects, identified improved contractility as one factor of these drugs' mode of action and proved their inability to induce MIS. Anti-arrhythmic drugs may cause cardiodepression, a risk theoretically well recognized but clinically poorly defined. We monitored the haemodynamics of six class 1 anti-arrhythmic drugs and found that drug-induced moderate impairments of contractility (at rest and during tachycardia) proved significant, but clinically asymptomatic, and did not differ significantly from drug to drug. PTCA provides routine models of MIS in man. We analysed ESPVR and haemodynamics during MIS with PTCA and coronary angiography (CORO) and the induced diminished LV function during CORO v PTCA appeared quantitatively less. Inotropy impairment was rather modest during ischaemia: dP/dtmax was reduced by 11%, slope k of the ESPVR by 14%, while the EDV was increased by 67%. All changes were reversible about 90 s after PTCA balloon occlusion and 20 s after CORO."}
{"id": "PMID:1478214", "title": "Functional significance of the Frank-Starling mechanism under physiological and pathophysiological conditions.", "content": "The functional significance of the Frank-Starling mechanism under physiological and pathophysiological conditions is discussed, based mainly on animal experiment results (in the dog, pig and rat). The dependence of individual stroke volume on end-diastolic volume can be described adequately using Frank's diagram. This can be illustrated by varying filling pressure (respiratory cycle, vascular tone in the capacitance system, body position, circulating blood volume) and by alterations in the duration of the filling period (heart rate and rhythm, rate of relaxation) and in ventricular compliance (wall thickness, fibrosis; contracture, rigor). The functional importance of the Frank-Starling mechanism lies mainly in adapting left to right ventricular output. During upright physical exercise an increase in end-diastolic volume due to the action of the peripheral muscle pump and increased venous tone can assist in enhancing stroke volume. Reduced contractility leads to a shift of the operating point to the right in the pressure-volume diagram, thus tending to prevent a decrease in stroke volume. However, the consequences of increased circulating blood volume in chronic heart failure are, as a rule, mainly detrimental (congestive symptoms; myocardial component of coronary resistance; cardiac energetics). Reduced contractility results in a flattening of the relation between stroke volume (or stroke work) and end-diastolic volume. Furthermore, the Starling mechanism is prevented from becoming effective if the sarcomere-length reserve is exhausted, or in the presence of inadequate sarcomere extension due to impaired relaxation or reduced distensibility of the ventricular wall. The latter is illustrated using the example of a dilated fibrotic left ventricle from a rat with experimental supravalvular aortic stenosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1478215", "title": "Comparison between preload recruitable stroke work and the end-systolic pressure-volume relationship in man.", "content": "We compared linearity, inotropic sensitivity (using dobutamine) and afterload dependency (using captopril) of contractile indices derived from the end-systolic pressure-volume relationship (ESPVR) and preload recruitable stroke work (PRSW) in man. We investigated 60 patients, 39 with normal (EF > or = 50%, group 1) and 21 with decreased ventricular function (EF < 50%, group 2). Variably loaded P-V loops were constructed by conductance catheters with vena caval occlusions. The slopes of the ESPVR (Emax) and PRSW (Mw) were assessed by linear regression analysis. The correlation coefficients of the ESPVR (r = 0.964) and PRSW (r = 0.976) were both very high, but the Z-value of the ESPVR was lower than for PRSW. During the control period, normalized Emax and Mw were significantly higher in group 1 than group 2 (Emax: 4.6 +/- 2.3 vs 2.8 +/- 0.8 mm Hg ml-1 m-2, Mw: 109 +/- 31 vs 86 +/- 28 10(3) dyn cm-2. After dobutamine, Emax and Mw increased significantly both in group 1 (128% and 124% vs control respectively) and in group 2 (132% and 130% respectively). After captopril, the ESPVR tended to shift to the right with a decrease in afterload; PRSW was unchanged. We conclude that PRSW may be a more linear and reliable index for evaluation of contractility in man."}
{"id": "PMID:1478216", "title": "Assessment of myocardial oxygen consumption (Vo2) and systolic pressure-volume area (PVA) in human hearts.", "content": "Several studies have recently reported that the relationship between myocardial oxygen consumption per beat (Vo2) and left ventricular (LV) systolic pressure-volume area (PVA), which represents total mechanical energy generated by contraction, is linear and independent of loading conditions in excised, supported, and intact hearts. We assessed the Vo2-PVA relationship in nine patients with heart disease. LV volume and pressure were measured simultaneously by conductance catheter and tip-micromanometer. Vo2 was calculated from the difference between arterial and coronary sinus oxygen content, and coronary sinus blood flow measured by the thermodilution method. We obtained the linear relationship between Vo2 and PVA by dextran infusions (median r = 0.917). The slope of the Vo2-PVA relationship was (1.82 +/- 0.66) x 10(-5) mlO2 mmHg-1 ml-1 and the contractile efficiency, the reciprocal of the slope of the Vo2-PVA relationship, was 40 +/- 13%. The Vo2 intercept, which reflects Vo2 for non-mechanical work, was 0.0284 +/- 0.0286 ml O2 beat-1. These results suggest that PVA is a good predictor of myocardial oxygen consumption and a powerful tool to evaluate the coupling of LV mechanical performance to energy use in human hearts."}
{"id": "PMID:1478217", "title": "Ventricular performance in relation to heart rate and AV delay at rest.", "content": "The influence of heart rate (HR) and AV delay (AVD) on left ventricular haemodynamics was studied in 12 patients classified as having coronary heart disease (CHD), hypertensive heart disease (HHD), dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) or who served as controls. Using the conductance catheter technique, haemodynamics were measured during pacing rates of 80 to 180 beat.min-1 at AV delays of 0 to 240 ms. A 3-D linear regression analysis of the data quantified the influence of HR and AVD in principle for each group. An increase in HR resulted in a rise in the cardiac index without changing ejection fraction in the control group only, but led to a decrease in these parameters in HHD and DCM; cardiac index remained constant in CHD. CHD patients frequently had a more pronounced left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP) elevation with higher HR, whereas left ventricular end-diastolic volume (LVEDV) and stroke volume decreased. In patients with HHD, lengthening of the AVD resulted in an increase in LVEDV and a decrease in LVEDP and left ventricular end-systolic volume (LVESV) leading to a higher ratio of stroke volume to LVEDP than in the other subsets. In DCM, longer AVD also resulted in a higher SV/LVEDP ratio, but in contrast to HHD the influence of AVD variation on LVEDP and therefore on the LVEDV/LVEDP ratio was missing."}
{"id": "PMID:1478218", "title": "Haemodynamic analysis of atrioventricular tachycardia.", "content": "The aim of the study was to delineate the influence of the ventriculo-atrial interval (VAI) in tachycardia with regard to the underlying heart disease. Haemodynamic studies were performed by the conductance catheter technique during paced tachycardia with a HR of 140, 160 and 180 beat.min-1 at various VAI in 10 patients; three with coronary heart disease (CHD), three with hypertensive heart disease (HHD) and four serving as controls. The influence of the VAI accounted for an overall change in cardiac index (CI) of 30 +/- 14%. Alterations in left ventricular peak systolic pressure (LVPSP) depending on VAI were significantly higher (P < 0.01) in CHD patients (32 +/- 9%) than in other groups (14 +/- 9% in the controls and 17 +/- 8% in HHD patients). The influence of VAI on left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP) did not differ between the subgroups and accounted for a mean overall change of 32 +/- 14%. Atrial activation during the last third of the cardiac cycle led to the highest values of CI, LVEDP and LVPSP in the control group, whereas in HHD and CHD groups minimal values of CI were correlated with maxima of LVEDP and LVPSP. Conversely, with atrial activation during the medium third of the cardiac cycle minima of CI and LVEDP were observed in the controls, whereas in HHD and CHD patients the highest cardiac index coincided with the lowest LVEDP. Thus tachycardias have different haemodynamic effects depending on the nature of myocardial impairment and the timing of AV coupling."}
{"id": "PMID:1478221", "title": "How to prescribe and manage antiarrhythmic drug therapy.", "content": "The pharmacological approach is the corner-stone of therapy for arrhythmia because it is non-invasive, convenient and widely available. However, the indications for antiarrhythmic therapy in general, as well as the indications for drug therapy as opposed to non-pharmacological therapeutic methods, are far from clearly defined. Among the existing antiarrhythmic drugs, clear reduction of mortality due to arrhythmia has been shown definitively only with beta-blocking agents and possibly with amiodarone."}
{"id": "PMID:1478223", "title": "Long-term follow-up after extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy of large kidney stones.", "content": "In 76 patients (53 women and 23 men) aged 24-92 years, extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) was performed between June 1986 and December 1988 as monotherapy for large kidney stones (diameter > 2.5 cm). There were 41 complete and 24 partial staghorn calculi. The patients were treated with the Dornier HM3 lithotripter under sedoanalgesia. Of the 60 patients with large stones whose last ESWL treatment had been at least 24 months earlier, only 15 ultimately came for this long-term control check-up. Reports on 15 other patients were received from their doctors stating that the patients were doing well, not having new stone episodes. These subjects had to be excluded from final evaluation since they did not fulfill all requirements. Thirty patients had either moved out of the area or were from distant locations and therefore unable to appear. Creatinine was normal and urinalyses negative in these 15 patients; 12/15 were stone-free. The ones who were not had small remnants in the lower pole calices which did no harm at all. One patient already had elevated pretreatment blood pressure; 6/14 with normal blood pressure before ESWL showed elevated values 30 or more months after the last ESWL. Radioisotope examinations with separate clearance tests demonstrated no real evidence of loss of kidney function on the treated in comparison with the untreated side. Sonographic findings on the longitudinal and transverse diameter of the treated and untreated kidneys with regard to the total number of shock waves did not show marked differences as they all remained below the 9% limit."}
{"id": "PMID:1478224", "title": "Intravesical therapy of superficial bladder transitional cell carcinoma with tumor necrosis factor-alpha: preliminary report of a phase I-II study.", "content": "A phase I-II trial of intravesical immunotherapy with tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha in 24 patients affected by superficial bladder tumors is herein presented. Of these, 11 patients were submitted, at weekly intervals, after complete TUR, to 8 instillations of TNF-alpha at increasing doses from 50 to 600 micrograms. Tolerability was excellent, even at the highest dose. In a second group of 13 patients with a histologically proved papillary marker lesion, TNF-alpha was instilled at weekly intervals at the dose of 500 micrograms for 8 weeks. Three complete responses (23%) were obtained."}
{"id": "PMID:1478225", "title": "Corpus cavernosum invasion and tumor grade in the prediction of lymph node condition in penile carcinoma.", "content": "Of the 101 patients with penile cancer, we have analyzed 66 from whom we had enough information: 42 (63.3%) patients with corpora cavernosa invasion (T2-3) and 24 (36.6%) without (T1). With respect to the tumor grade, in 36 (54.3%) patients it was well differentiated (G I), in 23 (34.8%) moderately (G II) and in 7 (10.6%) poorly differentiated (G III). We also analyzed the inguinal lymph node condition. Of the 66 patients, 28 (42.4%) developed nodal metastases, and 38 (57.6%) were considered free of nodal metastases and disease with an average follow-up of 76.2 months (range 38-192). The presence of metastatic nodes was influenced by both tumor stage and grade with significant differences between T2-3 and T1 (p = 0.001) and between G II-III and G I (p < 0.01), but each of them alone was not a sufficiently reliable predictive factor. In order to associate local stages and tumor grades in relation to the presence of metastatic nodes, we checked that none of the patients with T1, G I (group 1) developed nodal metastases, and therefore, 'wait and see' should be the suitable approach. Twenty (80%) of the patients with T2-3, G II-III (group 2) developed metastatic lymph nodes, thus, in this group, an early lymphadenectomy should be performed. In the remaining 22 patients with T1, G II-III and T2, G I (group 3), 8 (36.4%) showed metastatic lymph nodes; in this group, other factors such as age, cultural level and obesity should be taken into account when deciding on lymphadenectomy."}
{"id": "PMID:1478226", "title": "Role of penile nocturnal tumescence and rigidity measurement in the diagnosis of erectile impotence.", "content": "Reviewing a group of 100 patients undergoing nocturnal penile tumescence and rigidity measurement (NPTR), we tried to define normal values and compared these results with those of other authors. We also tried to answer two important questions: Is an abnormal NPTR registration always a proof of biogenic impotence? Is a normal NPTR always a proof of psychogenic impotence?"}
{"id": "PMID:1478227", "title": "Functional bladder neck obstruction in males: a progressive disorder?", "content": "Functional bladder neck obstruction is often an elusive cause of outlet obstruction in males. If the entity escapes timely diagnosis and treatment, it may progress to acute or chronic retention, terminating in renal failure. The diagnosis can be accurately made by a synchronous pressure flow electromyograph (EMG) study. This is a report on 16 men under 45 years of age encountered during the past 2.5 years. A high sustained detrusor pressure (mean 157 cm H2O) during voiding with poor flow (mean 9.89 ml/s) was observed in all patients. External sphincteric activity during EMG and video study was found to be completely quiescent at the time of voiding. All these patients had inadequate funneling and bladder neck opening. Some of these patients had intermittent bladder neck opening. Three patients presented with renal failure. Following therapy, renal function could be reversed back to normal in 2 patients. Clean intermittent catheterisation, pharmacotherapy using alpha-blockers and endoscopic bladder neck incision were the modalities used to treat this group of patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1478228", "title": "Surgical correction of severe Peyronie's disease without plaque excision.", "content": "We report 7 cases of severe Peyronie's disease treated with a modified surgical technique of the one described in 1989. This second version consists of making only one I-shaped incision on the dorsal face of the penis, in order to relax and create a defect in the tunica albuginea, which is then covered with a patch of human lyophilized dura mater. The plastic and sexual results were identical to the ones described previously, but the operative time was shortened. This type of surgery is indicated to correct severe angulation and shortening of the penis in men with normal sexual lives."}
{"id": "PMID:1478229", "title": "Original lithotomy positioning for transperineal extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy for distal ureteric calculi with Tripter X1.", "content": "Extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy (ESWL) has been initially designed for stones located in the kidney and the upper ureter. Our lithotripter is no exception. Its components (the table and the orientation of the semi-ellipsoid reflector) are adapted for the treatment of kidney or lumbar ureter stones. However, the elements forming the unit of treatment (the table, the C-arm and the Tripter) can be modified in such a way that focalization of stones of the lower ureter becomes possible through a perineal exposure. The aim is to avoid the pelvic bone shield while a good focalization of the stone is realized. From June 1989 to March 1991, 35 patients were treated for distal ureteric stones by ESWL in this original positioning."}
{"id": "PMID:1478230", "title": "Posterior hypospadias repair: a new technical approach. Mobilization of the urethral plate and duplay urethroplasty.", "content": "We describe our experience with a new technique of complete repair of severe posterior hypospadias in one stage. The operative technique includes some innovative points: penile straightening is realized by urethral mobilization (without detaching it from the glans) to excise the chordee, and then urethroplasty according to Duplay and glanuloplasty are performed. We report our preliminary results in 6 patients. They are interesting from a cosmetic and functional point of view."}
{"id": "PMID:1478231", "title": "Effects of high-energy focused ultrasound on kidney tissue in the rat and the dog.", "content": "In vivo tissue destruction was performed on 124 rat and 16 canine kidneys by focusing high-intensity ultrasound with a 1- and 2.25-MHz transducer. A precise tissue lesion was obtained in both models which varied in size according to the number of firings and the acoustic intensity. In the rat experiments, which were used to define the constants necessary to produce a localized tissue lesion at the focus of the transducer, the lesions obtained were either coagulating necrosis or a 'punched out' cavity which represented the threshold of tissue ablation. In the canine experiments, a kidney lesion was achieved in 10 animals (63%) extracorporally. These lesions were also histologically determined to be coagulation necrosis. These lesions are created by highly focused ultrasound and are caused most likely by a combination of cavitation and thermal effects, depending on the duration and frequency of the ultrasound bursts. Exact mechanism of this effect is explored as well as potential clinical applications in treating kidney, liver, and prostate tumors in humans."}
{"id": "PMID:1478232", "title": "Flow-cytometric deoxyribonucleic acid analysis of the human bladder cancers with reference to histopathological findings.", "content": "Flow-cytometric (FCM) DNA analysis was performed in 534 samples from 140 bladder tumor cases and was compared with histopathological findings. Frequency of DNA aneuploidy was closely correlated with tumor grade. Namely the incidences of DNA aneuploidy were 20% in grade 0 (papilloma), 25.6% in grade 1, 57.7% in grade 2 and 95.7% in grade 3. Invasive tumors showed a significantly higher incidence of DNA aneuploidy than superficial papillary tumors. Frequency of DNA aneuploidy of CIS was between them. Nonpapillary tumors showed a significantly higher incidence of DNA aneuploidy than papillary tumors. Tumors with vessel invasion did show a similarly higher incidence than those without. Approximately 10% of histologically normal mucosa taken from the bladder tumor patients showed DNA aneuploidy. The present study could support possibilities that FCM findings were highly correlated with tumor malignant potentials and were also able to predict precancerous lesions on histologically normal mucosa."}
{"id": "PMID:1478233", "title": "A new technique examines the connective tissue framework in normal testis and in testis cancer.", "content": "A method of cellular digestion known as Etching facilitated scanning electron microscopy (SEM) of the connective tissue framework in normal testis and in cases of testis cancer. The collagen in the seminiferous tubules in normal testis has distinct lamellae and a well-defined outer border. In the germ cell tumours examined, the tubular connective tissue appeared hypertrophied, the distinct outer border was maintained in a seminoma specimen unlike in a case of non-seminoma. In a specimen of non-germ cell lymphoma there was gross distortion of the tubular connective tissue. These apparent variations in the collagen framework may have implications regarding local tumour development."}
{"id": "PMID:1478234", "title": "Percutaneous endoscopic urethrocervicopexy.", "content": "A minimally invasive surgical technique is proposed which considerably simplifies the Stamey technique, shortens the surgical time and fives a weighted success rate of over 80%, which makes it worthy of consideration in treating female urinary incontinence."}
{"id": "PMID:1478235", "title": "Bellini duct carcinoma of the kidney.", "content": "Human epithelial cells of the kidney present a wide spectrum of cytological and histological variation. The normal epithelium of the kidneys also includes a number of morphologically and functionally different cell types which are arranged along the nephrons and collecting ducts. Although renal carcinoma can involve any type of renal cell, the most common is renal cell carcinoma of the proximal tubuli. Here, we present the case of a 65-year-old Japanese patient with a renal cell carcinoma arising from Bellini duct epithelial cells. State-of-the-art techniques were used to establish the diagnosis and histogenesis of this renal cell carcinoma."}
{"id": "PMID:1478237", "title": "Orthotopic ileal bladder: clinical, urodynamic and metabolic evaluation.", "content": "Since January 1985, orthotopic ileal bladder substitution after radical cystectomy was performed in 64 male patients. The Camey I procedure was performed in 35 patients (group 1) and the Studer procedure in 29 (group 2). Clinical, metabolic and urodynamic evaluation was performed at regular intervals with a mean follow-up of 27 months for group 1 and 13.6 months for group 2. Patients with a Camey I bladder reconstruction presented smaller capacity and higher intraluminal pressure resulting in shorter voiding intervals and a practically uniform presence of enuresis, as opposed to those reconstructed with the Studer procedure. The incidence of ureteral reflux was also higher in group 1. Metabolic studies in both groups revealed a slight metabolic acidosis which was treated with oral alkalinization. It is concluded that detubularization of the terminal ileum creates a more favorable low-pressure reservoir."}
{"id": "PMID:1478239", "title": "Surfactant protein A (SP-A) is decreased in acute parenchymal lung injury associated with polytrauma.", "content": "To further investigate if the pulmonary surfactant system is altered in acute parenchymal lung injury of adults following polytrauma we measured SP-A level and phospholipid composition in 150 sequentially obtained lung lavage samples from poly-traumatized patients (n = 19) beginning at the day of trauma and ending 18 days later or when the patient was extubated. Out of the 19 patients studied 10 had severe parenchymal lung injury (ARDS), nine had moderate lung injury. SP-A was measured using a two-monoclonal sandwich ELISA-assay. Phospholipids were separated using high-performance liquid chromatography and their composition was calculated by comparison with standard phospholipid mixtures. We found immunoreactive SP-A concentrations ranging from 0.1 micrograms ml-1 to 8.5 micrograms ml-1 lung lavage fluid obtained from all patients. The mean SP-A concentration in patients who had severe parenchymal lung injury (ARDS) was 1.06 +/- 0.16 micrograms ml-1 lavage fluid, the mean concentration in patients who had only moderate parenchymal lung injury was 1.92 +/- 0.18 micrograms ml-1 lavage fluid. Both concentrations were lower than in healthy controls (2.74 +/- 0.3 micrograms ml-1 lavage fluid; n = 12). In patients who had moderate lung injury the SP-A level normalized, but in patients who had severe lung injury the SP-A level remained low during the timespan examined. SP-A alterations did not correlate to changes in phospholipid composition as determined in lung lavage samples of individual patients. We conclude that alveolar SP-A concentrations decrease in polytraumatized patients who have acute parenchymal lung injury soon after the trauma occurs.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1478240", "title": "Plasma lipids affect maximum velocity not sodium affinity of human sodium-lithium countertransport: distinction from essential hypertension.", "content": "Inheritance is a major determinant of increased sodium-lithium countertransport (SLC) activity in hypertension. However, hyperlipidaemia can also cause increased SLC activity in some individuals and it is difficult to distinguish this effect from the effect of hypertension. Erythrocyte SLC activity and its kinetic determinants sodium affinity (km) and maximum velocity (Vmax) were measured in 25 hyperlipidaemic patients and 15 normal controls (NC). Increased SLC activity (0.31 +/- SEM 0.03 mmol Li/(h x 1 cells) vs. NC 0.20 +/- 0.01, P < 0.01) in the hyperlipidaemic patients was associated with increased Vmax (0.59 +/- 0.07 vs. NC 0.41 +/- 0.03, P < 0.01) but normal km (median 120 range [40-324] mmol l-1 vs. 140 [108-260]. Lipid-lowering therapy resulted in decreased SLC activity secondary to a fall in Vmax. Km remained constant despite the changes in lipids and Vmax. The mechanism of increased SLC activity in hyperlipidaemia is different from that in essential hypertension where increased sodium affinity is found. Measurement of the kinetic characteristics of SLC may discriminate between the independent influences of hypertension and hyperlipidaemia on the sodium-lithium countertransporter."}
{"id": "PMID:1478241", "title": "The glucoregulatory and antilipolytic actions of insulin in abdominal obesity with normal or impaired glucose tolerance: an in vivo and in vitro study.", "content": "To evaluate the effects of obesity and impaired glucose tolerance on insulin sensitivity, we performed a euglycaemic-hyperinsulinemic clamp at about 350 pmol l-1, combined with 3H-glucose infusion, in 14 obese patients, BMI 36.5 +/- 1.2 and in 12 matched controls, BMI 23.9 +/- 0.4. Six obese patients had normal glucose tolerance (oNGT), and eight had impaired glucose tolerance (oIGT). The ability of insulin to inhibit lipolysis in isolated adipocytes was also studied. Insulin-mediated glucose utilization was more severely impaired in oIGT than in oNGT with respect to the controls (621 +/- 51 vs. 897 +/- 83 vs. 1298 +/- 55 mumol m-2 min-1, P < 0.001). Plasma glycerol was higher in oIGT than in oNGT and in the controls, both fasting (238 +/- 12 vs. 179 +/- 14 vs. 112 +/- 8 mumol l-1, P < 0.001) and during the clamp (175 +/- 21 vs. 120 +/- 12 vs. 36 +/- 6 mumol l-1, P < 0.001). The correlation between glucose utilization and the percent reduction of plasma glycerol during the clamp was significant in the study group as a whole (r = 0.809, P = 0.0001), and in each of the groups separately (oIGT: r = 0.929, P = 0.002; oNGT: r = 0.943, P = 0.036; controls: r = 0.902, P = 0.0001). Inhibition by insulin of noradrenaline-stimulated lipolysis in isolated adipocytes was more severely impaired in oIGT than in oNGT compared with the controls (P < 0.001).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1478242", "title": "Prolonged sleep-deprivation induced disturbed liver functions serum lipid levels, and hyperphosphatemia.", "content": "Sixty-four healthy young male volunteers were kept awake from 76 to 80 h. Blood tests conducted at the start and conclusion of the continuous sleep deprivation revealed an increase of 170% in mean SGOT, 58.5% in mean SGPT and 37.5% in mean plasma phosphorus levels. Triglyceride levels decreased by 16%, while HDL levels increased by 18% and the apoB/apoA ratio decreased by 12%. Morning plasma cortisol showed a significant increase during the experiment while evening cortisol showed a significant decrease. Morning T3 levels increased from the first to second day and decreased on the third day. There were no significant changes in other plasma electrolyte levels."}
{"id": "PMID:1478243", "title": "Bile acid active and passive ileal transport in the rabbit: effect of luminal stirring.", "content": "The intestinal absorption of bile acids (BA) with different chemical structure has been evaluated in the rabbit, after intestinal infusion of different concentrations (0.25-30 mM) of BA, by mesenteric blood sampling. Cholic (CA), chenodeoxycholic (CDCA), ursodeoxycholic (UDCA) acid, free and taurine (T-) conjugated, together with glycocholic (GCA) acid and deoxycholic acid (DCA) were studied. The apparent uptake parameters were calculated. All conjugated BA showed active transport (T max, nmol min-1 cm-1 int.), with Tmax values in the following order: TCA > TUDCA > TCDCA; unconjugated BA showed passive uptake, with values in the following order: DCA > CDCA > UDCA > CA. GCA and CA showed both passive uptake and active transport. For all BA studied the % uptake in the ileal segment considered was less than 10%, BA uptake being thus limited by transport and/or diffusion kinetics, rather than by flow velocity. The liquid resistance to BA radial diffusion inside the lumen was evaluated, and the infusate-to-blood uptake parameters corrected for it, in order to get the uptake parameters from the epithelium-to-liquid interface to mesenteric blood: the apparent Km decreased, passive uptake coefficient increased, while Tmax was unchanged. The passive component of the uptake, corrected for the luminal resistance, correlated with the BA hydrophobicity (r = 0.963; P < 0.01).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1478244", "title": "Multi-frequency bioelectrical impedance augments the diagnosis and management of lymphoedema in post-mastectomy patients.", "content": "The value of multiple frequency bioelectric impedence analysis (MFBIA) in the monitoring and management of post-mastectomy lymphoedema of the arm was evaluated in 15 patients and controls. The technique was found to produce quantitative agreement with a clinical diagnosis of lymphoedema and with the currently-used measure (limb volume calculated from circumferential measurements) of limb size. The significance of this finding lies in MFBIA being diagnostically informative: it indicates when an observed change in limb volume is directly, albeit theoretically, attributable to accumulation of extracellular fluid. MFBIA potentially offers the means for earlier definitive diagnosis and more-accurate monitoring of extracellular fluid changes during and after treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1478246", "title": "Can urinary pyridinium crosslinks and urinary oestrogens predict bone mass and rate of bone loss after the menopause?", "content": "We measured urinary pyridinoline and deoxy-pyridinoline by high performance liquid chromatography, and urinary oestrogens by radioimmunoassay, in 68 healthy postmenopausal women to evaluate these assays for the prediction soon after the menopause of the risk of developing osteoporotic fractures in later life. Change in forearm bone mineral content was assessed by single photon absorptiometry over 4 years. Although there was no significant correlation between the pyridinium crosslinks and urinary oestrogens, we found that up to 58% of the variation in the rate of loss of bone mineral content in women soon after the menopause could be explained by pyridinoline and oestradiol glucuronide assays together with body mass index. Measurement of the urinary pyridinium crosslinks and oestradiol glucuronide may make a significant contribution to a biochemical screening procedure for future osteoporotic fracture."}
{"id": "PMID:1478247", "title": "Autoantibodies to insulin have similar affinity to that of antibodies to exogenous insulin but lower binding capacity.", "content": "The binding characteristics of insulin autoantibodies (IAA) were compared with those of antibodies to exogenous insulin (IBA) by analyzing the specific binding, binding capacity and affinity for insulin in 11 children (age range 1.5-13.0 years) with insulin-dependent diabetes (IDDM) both at diagnosis and after 1 year of insulin treatment. Maximal specific insulin binding was 7.8 (1.5; SE) pmol l-1 for IAA and 28.1 (6.7) pmol l-1 for IBA (P < 0.01), and the binding capacity of the high affinity class of IAA 0.01 (0.003) nmol l-1, as compared with 0.19 (0.08) nmol l-1 for the corresponding IBA class (P < 0.01). With regard to the low-affinity components the binding capacity was 0.11 (0.05) nmol l-1 for IAA and 1.50 (0.95) nmol l-1 for IBA (P < 0.01). No differences in the affinity constants could be observed between IAA and IBA. There was no correlation between the insulin binding of IAA and quantitative levels of islet cell antibodies (ICA) at the clinical presentation or subsequent IBA values. The specific insulin binding of IBA correlated negatively with serum C-peptide concentrations and positively with HbA1 levels at 1 year. The present observations suggest that IAA developing before the diagnosis of IDDM are characterized by a reduced binding capacity as compared with antibodies to exogenous insulin, whereas they have a similar affinity for insulin. IAA seem to be quantitatively unrelated to ICA and postdiagnostic IBA levels. High IBA levels appear to be associated with reduced endogenous insulin secretion and poor metabolic control during the early clinical course of the disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1478248", "title": "Effect of intravenous polyunsaturated phosphatidylcholine infusion on insulin receptor processing and lipid composition of erythrocytes in patients with liver cirrhosis.", "content": "The aim of this study was to determine whether insulin receptor processing capabilities of human erythrocytes could be improved by changing the cell membrane lipid composition using an intravenous infusion of polyunsaturated phosphatidylcholine. Thirteen cirrhotics were submitted to the i.v. infusion of phosphatidylcholine (2 g day-1 for 3 days). Both erythrocyte lipid composition and insulin receptor processing ability were examined at the beginning of the study and at 0, 3 and 11 days after the end of the treatment. This treatment decreased the erythrocyte cholesterol to phospholipid molar ratio and increased the proportion of polyunsaturated fatty acids (mainly linoleic acid) immediately after the end of the treatment. The proportion of arachidonic acid increased immediately in the phosphatidylserine class and, a few days later, also in phosphatidylethanolamine. The phospholipid class distribution did not show any relevant modification in the course of the study. Surface insulin receptors, which generally were up-regulated in the untreated subject (-7.1 +/- 20.4%), showed an improvement in down regulation capabilities that appeared to be well correlated with the changes in lipid composition of cell membranes induced by i.v. infusion of polyunsaturated phosphatidylcholine. The confirmation of these findings also in target cells for insulin may open new perspectives in the treatment of diabetes mellitus."}
{"id": "PMID:1478249", "title": "Anti-neutrophil cytoplasm antibodies, anti-GBM antibodies and anti-dsDNA antibodies in glomerulonephritis.", "content": "The diagnostic potential of assays detecting anti-neutrophil cytoplasm antibodies (ANCA), anti-GBM antibodies and anti-dsDNA antibodies was evaluated by examining sera from time of admission in a consecutive series of 455 patients with biopsy verified primary or secondary glomerulonephritis (GN). ANCA were classified into c- and p-ANCA by indirect immunofluorescence (IIF) and ELISAs using alfa-granule extract, proteinase-3, myeloperoxidase (MPO), elastase and lactoferrin. C-ANCA was virtually confined to 64 patients with systemic small vessel vasculitis, 66-74% being c-ANCA positive. P-ANCA against MPO, seen in 47 patients, segregated through many diagnostic categories of primary and secondary severe GN. ANCA against lactoferrin and elastase were rare. Anti-dsDNA positive patients constituted 57% of the 44 ANA-positive patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. It is concluded that the IIF and ELISAs for anti-proteinase-3, anti-MPO, anti-dsDNA and anti-GBM have an acceptable performance and are useful in the primary diagnostic work-up of patients suspected for secondary GN as the majority of such patients will be classified by these assays."}
{"id": "PMID:1478250", "title": "Effects of the new somatostatin analogue (BIM 23014) on blood glucose homeostasis in normal men.", "content": "Changes in blood glucose homeostasis induced by the new somatostatin analogue BIM 23014 (BIM) were studied. Eight normal men (study 1) received either vehicle or 1000, 2000 and 3000 micrograms BIM as a 24 h s.c. infusion. Blood glucose, plasma insulin, C-peptide, glucagon and growth hormone (GH) were measured before treatment and then hourly for 24 h. In five normal men (study 2) an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) was performed during vehicle infusion and then on days 1 and 7 of a continuous s.c. infusion of 2000 micrograms BIM daily for 7 days. The same biological parameters as in study 1 were measured before OGTT and then twice-hourly for 5 h. Dose-dependent and transient glucose intolerance was observed in the first half of study 1. Except for glucagon, BIM significantly (P < 0.01) reduced plasma insulin, C-peptide and GH levels. In study 2 BIM infusion induced glucose intolerance and a drop in plasma insulin and C-peptide on day 1 which disappeared on day 7 of infusion. Higher on day 7 than on day 1, plasma GH secretion was significantly (P < 0.01) reduced throughout BIM infusion. In contrast plasma glucagon levels were not modified at any time. Side-effects were abdominal cramps and diarrhoea which were observed in most subjects when increasing BIM daily dose. In conclusion, BIM infusion induced transient changes in glucose homeostasis and insulin secretion in normal men. By contrast, plasma GH levels remained reduced throughout the treatment. BIM appears to be a useful tool to selectively inhibit GH secretion."}
{"id": "PMID:1478251", "title": "Extra-hepatic cholestasis determines a reversible increase of glycoproteic tumour markers in benign and malignant diseases.", "content": "This study was performed in order to assess the relative role of cholestasis in increasing some serum glycoproteic markers of malignancy (CA 19-9, TPA, CEA). 30 Patients with benign and 16 with malignant extra-hepatic cholestasis were studied on admission (stage A) and after the operative or spontaneous resolution of the cholestatic picture (stage B). CA 19-9 and TPA were found to be lower in stage B than in stage A benign diseases. A similar behaviour was found in malignant diseases, although findings were significant only for CA 19-9. In neither of the patient groups was CEA found to present a significant trend. Extra-hepatic cholestasis appears able to increase per se serum glycoproteic markers in benign diseases, with variations proportional to the severity of the clinical picture. The same considerations can apply to malignancies, even if in these situations the production of tumour markers by the neoplastic growth should also be considered. We should therefore be cautious in assessing the diagnostic usefulness of new tumour markers when cholestasis is present."}
{"id": "PMID:1478252", "title": "Compositional analysis of the collagenous bone matrix. A study on adult normal and osteopenic bone tissue.", "content": "The collagenous constituents of mature bone of 30 individuals 22-93 years of age were studied by post-mortem morphological and biochemical analysis. Morphometric evaluation of the second lumbar vertebral body revealed striking interindividual differences in bone mass, mean trabecular density and mean trabecular thickness. Collagen extracted from vertebral trabecular bone by limited pepsin digestion consisted mainly of collagen I (92%) and collagen V (8%). Immunohistochemistry revealed a distinct distribution of these two collagen types within the bone matrix. The degree of lysyl hydroxylation of the alpha 2(I) collagen chain correlated inversely with the trabecular bone volume (TBV) and with the mean trabecular plate density. This correlation was statistically significant for the entire study group as well as for the female and male subgroups. Within the female subgroup, the lysyl hydroxylation/TBV ratio was higher in postmenopausal than in premenopausal women and was highest in women with established osteoporosis. No significant correlation was found between the level of lysyl hydroxylation and the age of the patients. The alpha 1(I) collagen chain showed a nearly constant degree of lysyl hydroxylation in all 30 samples. The results provide convincing evidence that morphometric changes associated with osteopenia in adult bone are accompanied by an altered level of lysyl hydroxylation of the alpha 2(I)-chain of collagen I. The biochemical alterations observed may be responsible for the deposition of a deficient bone matrix in osteopenic conditions."}
{"id": "PMID:1478253", "title": "Post-prandial lipoprotein metabolism in nephrotic syndrome.", "content": "Post-prandial lipaemia was investigated in a group of nine subjects with nephrotic syndrome by following the concentrations of triglyceride and retinyl palmitate in the d < 1.006 g ml-1 fraction of plasma after a standard oral fat load containing vitamin A. Lipoprotein lipase and hepatic triglyceride lipase activities were measured in post-heparin plasma. Subjects with other renal disease but insignificant proteinuria acted as controls. The time course of the lipaemic response was similar in both groups although individual patients demonstrated a prolonged lipaemia. Overall, there were no significant differences in the rise in triglyceride at 6 h (nephrotic--median 2.53 mmol l-1; range 0.87-4.76 vs. control 1.88; 0.38-4.12, P = 0.34), the peak concentration of retinyl palmitate (nephrotic 0.87 mg dl-1; 0.27-2.16 vs. control 0.65; 0.24-1.89, P = 0.97) or the areas under the curve from 0-24 h for triglyceride (nephrotic 10.5 mmol. h l-1; 2.9-43.6 vs. control 9.7; 4.3-27.0, P = 1.0) or retinyl palmitate (5.5 mg.h dl-1; 1.0-23.4 vs. 4.3; 1.5-12.4, P = 0.7). At baseline, the particles in the d < 1.006 g ml-1 fraction of plasma from nephrotic subjects had a higher free cholesterol:phospholipid ratio but this difference was no longer apparent 6 h after the test meal. There were no differences in total heparin-releasable lipase, lipoprotein lipase or hepatic triglyceride lipase activities between the two groups. These data suggest that impaired clearance of chylomicrons is not a major contributor to nephrotic hyperlipidaemia in man."}
{"id": "PMID:1478254", "title": "Short-term indomethacin administration does not impair excretion of acute potassium load in humans.", "content": "Maintenance treatment with prostaglandin synthesis inhibitors often causes some degree of hyperkalemia, indicating impaired potassium (K) excretion. Hypoaldosteronism probably is a mediating factor, but it is unknown whether these drugs also impair renal K excretion directly. Indomethacin, for example, stimulates NaCl reabsorption in Henle's loop, and thus may impair K excretion by decreasing distal NaCl delivery. We therefore studied the effect of 1 day administration of indomethacin (50 mg tid) on the excretion of a single oral KCl (1 mmol kg-1 body weight) in six healthy volunteers taking a 40 mmol sodium diet. To allow analysis of renal sodium handling, clearance studies were performed during water loading. In this acute setting, indomethacin had no effect on plasma K, and did not decrease plasma aldosterone. However, indomethacin clearly reduced NaCl excretion. Nonetheless, the excretion of the K load was entirely normal. Excretion of the K load was accompanied by increased clearance of phosphate and uric acid, and natriuresis. Data derived from the maximal free water clearance were compatible with increased delivery to and decreased reabsorption from the diluting segment. Occurrence of these effects was not prevented by indomethacin, although overall NaCl excretion remained less than observed without indomethacin. Indomethacin reduced prostaglandin E2 excretion substantially. Apparently, in normal man indomethacin does not impair K excretion directly, even though it greatly reduces NaCl excretion. Moreover, the effects of K on renal NaCl handling, probably contributing to the excretion of a K load, are not dependent on renal prostaglandins."}
{"id": "PMID:1478255", "title": "Visualization of extrastriatal dopamine D2 receptors in the human brain.", "content": "[123I]Epidepride, a potent and selective dopamine D2 radioligand, was administered to a 27 year old normal male volunteer. Single photon tomography revealed that peak striatal uptake occurred at 4 h after injection with a striatal:cerebellar ratio of 7.8 rising to over 100 at 18 h post injection. Uptake above the levels seen in cerebellum was also noted in the thalamus, pituitary, hypothalamus and temporal lobe, particularly medially. Single photon tomography with [123I]epidepride allows visualization of extrastriatal dopamine D2 receptors in man."}
{"id": "PMID:1478256", "title": "N-ethyl-carboxamide adenosine inhibits perioral dyskinesias induced by sulpiride + SKF 38393 in rabbits.", "content": "A pattern of perioral dyskinesia was induced in adult male rabbits by concomitant stimulation of dopamine D1 receptors (SKF 38393) and blockade of dopamine D2 receptors (sulpiride). Rabbits treated with sulpiride (6 and 12.5 mg/kg i.v.) then, 90 min thereafter, with SKF 38393 (0.1, 1 and 10 mg/kg i.v.) showed a pattern of perioral dyskinesia characterized by compulsive and repetitive sniffing, licking and vacuous chewing. These effects were completely prevented by the administration of N-ethylcarboxamide adenosine (NECA), an A2 > A1 adenosine receptor agonist. The present results confirm that perioral dyskinesia is dependent on the activation of dopamine D1 receptors. They also show that, in order to induce perioral dyskinesia in rabbits, a concomitant blockade of dopamine D2 receptors is required. Finally, the antagonistic effect of NECA on the appearance of perioral movements confirms that adenosine receptors play a key role in the control of dopamine-mediated effects."}
{"id": "PMID:1478257", "title": "Modification of muscarinic acetylcholine receptors in the rat brain following chronic immobilization stress: an autoradiographic study.", "content": "The modifications of rat brain muscarinic acetylcholine receptors induced by chronic immobilization stress lasting 10 min/daily or 2 h/daily for 3, 7 or 21 days were analyzed by quantitative in vitro autoradiography. [3H]N-Methylscopolamine ([3H]NMS) was used as ligand. Chronic immobilization stress for 10 min/day did not produce any significant change in the properties of [3H]NMS binding sites throughout the rat brain. In contrast, 2 h/day immobilization caused a significant increase in the maximal number of muscarinic receptors (Bmax) in several brain areas such as the cortical layers, the CA1 field of the hippocampus and caudate-putamen, among others. Affinity values (Kd) were not modified. These results suggest that chronic immobilization stress induces supersensitivity of muscarinic receptors in certain cholinergic pathways in rat brain, the pattern of response being different to that previously found for acute stress."}
{"id": "PMID:1478258", "title": "Pharmacological distinction of the hyperpolarization response to caffeine and acetylcholine in guinea-pig coronary endothelial cells.", "content": "Membrane potential changes in endothelial cells in response to caffeine and acetylcholine (ACh) were recorded with microelectrodes from an intact endothelium preparation from the guinea-pig coronary artery. Caffeine induced a transient hyperpolarization of the membrane in a concentration-dependent manner. The hyperpolarization was inhibited by removal of Ca2+ from the bathing medium and by ryanodine (20 microM). It was not affected by 3,4,5-trimethoxybenzoic acid 8-(diethylamino) octyl ester hydrochloride (TMB-8, 10 microM) or neomycin (5 mM). ACh induced a sustained hyperpolarization in endothelial cells. At concentrations that caused no significant effects on the caffeine response, TMB-8 and neomycin inhibited hyperpolarization induced by ACh. Ryanodine did not inhibit the response to ACh. The ACh-induced hyperpolarization was also inhibited by caffeine in a concentration-dependent manner. Results from the present study suggest that hyperpolarizations induced by caffeine and ACh are mediated by separate Ca2+ pools."}
{"id": "PMID:1478259", "title": "Thyrotropin-releasing hormone analog injected into the raphe pallidus and obscurus increases gastric contractility in rats.", "content": "The present study was performed to investigate the influence of the chemical stimulation of medullary raphe nuclei by the stable TRH (thyrotropin-releasing hormone) analog, RX 77368, on gastric contractility. Urethane-anesthetized rats were acutely implanted with miniature strain gauge force transducers on the corpus of the stomach for continuous recording of gastric contractility. Traces were analyzed by computer. Microinjections of vehicle or RX 77368 into the raphe pallidus or raphe obscurus were performed using pressure injection of 50 nl through glass micropipettes 30 min following basal recording of gastric contractility. RX 77368 (0.7-77 pmol) dose dependently stimulated gastric contractility when microinjected into the raphe pallidus and raphe obscurus. The stimulation of gastric contractions induced by microinjection of RX 77368 (77 pmol) into these raphe nuclei was completely blocked by vagotomy and prevented (raphe obscurus) or reduced (raphe pallidus) by atropine. RX 77368 (7.7-77 pmol) microinjected into the inferior olive, pyramidal tract, medial lemiscus was ineffective. These results demonstrate that chemical stimulation of the raphe pallidus and obscurus by RX 77368 stimulates gastric contractility through vagal and muscarinic pathways. These data suggest a role for medullary raphe nuclei in the central vagal regulation of gastric contractility."}
{"id": "PMID:1478260", "title": "Repeated systemic administration of the mixed inhibitor of enkephalin-degrading enzymes, RB101, does not induce either antinociceptive tolerance or cross-tolerance with morphine.", "content": "The potent analgesic responses elicited by systemic administration of RB101, N-[(R,S)-2-benzyl-3[(S)(2-amino-4-methylthio)butyldithio]-1-oxopro pyl]- 1-oxopropyl]-L-phenylalanine benzyl ester, a prodrug able to inhibit enkephalin-degrading enzymes completely after in vivo bioactivation, has made it possible to investigate the development of antinociceptive tolerance after chronic potentiation of endogenous enkephalins. The ED50 values of RB101 obtained 10 min after i.v. injection were not significantly different in mice treated for 4 days with i.p. administered vehicle (ED50 = 9.50 (6.37-14.15) mg/kg), or with 80 mg/kg of RB101 twice daily (ED50 = 9.50 (5.86-15.39) mg/kg). In contrast, a parallel rightwards shift of the dose-response curves, corresponding to a significant 1.92 (1.49-2.52)-fold decrease in analgesic potency, was observed after i.v. administration of morphine in mice chronically treated with morphine (3 mg/kg, twice daily for 4 days) (ED50 = 3.10 (2.52-3.81) mg/kg) vs. saline (ED50 = 1.60 (1.22-2.09) mg/kg). No tolerance to RB101 was observed even after a longer period (8 days) of chronic treatment with the prodrug. Moreover, no cross-tolerance between morphine and RB101 appeared to occur since the ED50 values obtained after i.v. administration of RB101 were not significantly different in mice chronically pretreated with vehicle (ED50 = 9.50 (6.37-14.15) mg/kg) or with morphine (ED50 = 10.00 (6.62-15.10) mg/kg). The analgesic effect of RB101 observed in morphine-tolerant mice was antagonized by prior injection of naloxone, but not naltrindole (delta-selective antagonist), supporting a preferential involvement of mu-opioid receptors in the antinociceptive effect of RB101, at least in mice in the hot-plate test.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1478261", "title": "Lack of physical dependence in mice after repeated systemic administration of the mixed inhibitor prodrug of enkephalin-degrading enzymes, RB101.", "content": "Development of physical dependence is observed after treatment with opioid agonists, but not after chronic i.c.v. administration of mixed inhibitors of enkephalin-degrading enzymes. The aim of this study was to investigate further this promising result of repeated administration of the systemically active mixed inhibitor prodrug RB101, N-[(R,S)-2-benzyl-3[(S)(2-amino-4-methylthio)butyldithio]-1-oxopro pyl]- L-phenylalanine benzyl ester. In a comparative study, the naloxone-evoked withdrawal syndrome was quantified in mice chronically treated with i.p. administered morphine or RB101 (6 and 160 mg/kg, respectively) for 5 days, twice daily. After administration of naloxone (5 mg/kg s.c.) on the sixth day, large behavioral changes (jumps, paw shakes, wet-dog shakes, tremor, teeth chattering) and body weight losses occurred in the morphine-treated mice. In contrast, no significant behavioral signs of physical dependence, or body weight changes were observed in the RB101-treated mice. The difference between morphine and RB101 could be partially due to a very low tonic release of enkephalins in the locus coeruleus, a brain region critically involved in the development of physical dependence. These results confirm the potential of mixed inhibitors of enkephalin-degrading enzymes as new non-addictive analgesics."}
{"id": "PMID:1478262", "title": "Influence of age on responsiveness of rat gastric fundus to agonists and to stimulation of intrinsic nerves.", "content": "The contractile effect of methacholine, prostaglandin F2 alpha (PGF2 alpha) and electrical stimulation of cholinergic neurones, and the relaxant effect of nitric oxide (NO), vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) and electrical stimulation of inhibitory non-adrenergic non-cholinergic (NANC) neurones were studied in longitudinal smooth muscle strips of the gastric fundus of young (3 months), adult (12 months) and old (24 months) male Wistar rats. The contractile responses to methacholine and to electrical stimulation of cholinergic neurones were not significantly different between the three age groups. The responses to PGF2 alpha were significantly more pronounced in young than in adult and old rats. The relaxant response to electrical stimulation of NANC neurones with a cumulative increase in frequency showed a decreased response in old rats at the higher stimulation frequencies. This was mimicked by a decreased response to VIP, suggesting that there is a decrease in muscular sensitivity to VIP rather than an impaired capacity to VIP release with increasing age. The relaxant response to electrical stimulation of NANC neurones with short trains was similar in the three age groups, while the sensitivity to exogenous NO increased with age. The latter might be a compensatory mechanism for a decrease in stimulation-induced NO release with age."}
{"id": "PMID:1478263", "title": "Effect of naftidrofuryl oxalate on 5-HT2 receptors in mouse brain: evaluation based on quantitative autoradiography and head-twitch response.", "content": "The effects of naftidrofuryl oxalate (LS-121) on 5-HT2 receptors in the brain were assessed in mice on the basis of quantitative autoradiography and head-twitch responses. LS-121 inhibited [3H]ketanserin (2 nM) binding in all brain areas assayed in which there were 5-HT2 receptors, such as the frontal cortex, cingulate cortex, parietal cortex, occipital cortex, temporal cortex, nucleus accumbens, caudate-putamen, olfactory tubercle and hippocampus. In the frontal cortex, which has the highest density of 5-HT2 receptors, the Ki value of LS-121 was 6.08 x 10(-8) M. The inhibitory potencies of methysergide and ritanserin for 5-HT2 receptors were about 16- and 60-fold stronger, respectively, than that of LS-121. Moreover, in behavioral studies, LS-121 (12.5-50 mg/kg i.p.) produced dose-dependent and significant inhibitory effects on head twitches induced by 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) plus pargyline, which is a 5-HT2 receptor-dependent behavior in mice. These results suggest that LS-121 inhibits 5-HTP plus pargyline-induced head twitches by blocking 5-HT2 receptors."}
{"id": "PMID:1478264", "title": "Chronic naltrexone treatment of rats: effects on gastrointestinal opioid peptide content.", "content": "The gastrointestinal tract contains immunoreactive enkephalins and beta-endorphin. The objective of the current study was to determine whether chronic treatment of rats with naltrexone altered the gastrointestinal tissue content of these opioid peptides. Opioid activity measured by radioreceptor assay was detectable throughout the gastrointestinal tract. There were regional differences in the [Met5]enkephalin: [Leu5]enkephalin-immunoreactivity (IR) ratios, possibly due to cell specific differential processing of precursor molecules or degradation of the peptides. Chronic naltrexone treatment increased opioid activity in the duodenum and jejunum, decreased [Met5]enkephalin-IR in the duodenum and [Leu5]enkephalin-IR in the gastric corpus, and increased beta-endorphin-IR in the duodenum. However, the changes were small, and it is unlikely that any functional changes resulting from naltrexone treatment can be reliably ascribed to such changes in tissue content."}
{"id": "PMID:1478265", "title": "Effects of glycine and structurally related amino acids on generation of long-term potentiation in rat hippocampal slices.", "content": "The effects of glycine and structurally related amino acids, serine, alanine and valine, on generation of long-term potentiation (LTP) of evoked potentials were investigated in the CA1, CA3 and dentate regions of rat hippocampal slices. In the Schaffer collateral-CA1 pyramidal cell synapses and in the perforant path-dentate granule cell synapses, glycine (5 x 10(-4) M) significantly enhanced the short-term potentiation (STP) induced by subthreshold tetanic stimulation, without affecting baseline responses. The effects of glycine resulted in generation of LTP in both synapses. On the other hand, glycine did not influence STP induced by subthreshold tetanus in the mossy fiber-CA3 pyramidal cell synapses. These results suggest that exogenous glycine can facilitate the generation of LTP in the CA1 region and in the dentate gyrus but not in the CA3 region. In the CA1 region and the dentate gyrus, D- and L-serine and D-alanine (10(-3) M) also showed the LTP-facilitating effects in a similar manner to glycine, but D- and L-valine had no effect on LTP generation. Furthermore, glycine and D-serine, but not L-valine, enhanced NMDA receptor-mediated synaptic responses in the absence of extracellular Mg2+. Together, these results make it probable that exogenously applied glycine and related amino acids facilitate the generation of LTP in the CA1 and dentate region by activating the glycine modulatory sites associated with NMDA receptors."}
{"id": "PMID:1478266", "title": "Antiepileptic effects of CNK-602A, a novel thyrotropin-releasing hormone analog, on absence-like and tonic seizures of spontaneously epileptic rats.", "content": "The effects of CNK-602A (N-[(6-methyl-5-oxo-3-thiomorpholinyl) carbonyl]-L-histidyl-L-prolinamide), a novel thyrotropin-releasing hormone related analog, were investigated on absence-like seizure and tonic convulsion in the spontaneously epileptic rat (SER), which is a genetically defined double-mutant. When CNK-602A of 0.2-1 mg/kg was given intravenously to the animal, there were no changes in the background EEG except for an increase in low-voltage fast waves concomitant with behavioral alertness. However, CNK-602A suppressed absence-like seizure and tonic convulsion in a dose-dependent manner for over 1 h. These antiepileptic effects of CNK-602A on both seizures were antagonized by pretreatment with haloperidol (1 mg/kg, i.p.). It was found, using a brain in vivo microdialysis method, that CNK-602A at a dose of 1 mg/kg, which inhibits the seizures, increased the release of dopamine in the caudate nucleus. These results suggest that CNK-602A inhibits the seizures of SER in a similar manner to thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH), probably by increasing the release of dopamine in the central nervous system. In addition, the antiepileptic effects of CNK-602A were more potent and lasted longer than those of TRH."}
{"id": "PMID:1478267", "title": "Central action of sigma receptor ligand, JO 1784, to suppress CRF-induced inhibition of gastric function in conscious rats.", "content": "The central interaction between the sigma receptor ligand, JO 1784, and corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF)-induced inhibition of gastric acid secretion and emptying was investigated in conscious rats. Intracisternal (i.c.) injection of CRF (5 micrograms) inhibited by 95% gastric acid secretion. JO 1784 (0.05-0.5 micrograms) given i.c. immediately before i.c. injection of CRF partially reversed CRF antisecretory action whereas JO 1784 (5 micrograms) given i.v. had no effect. CRF (0.6 micrograms i.c.)-induced 83% inhibition of gastric emptying was reversed by 45% by JO 1784 (5 micrograms i.c.). JO 1784 (5-50 micrograms i.c.) did not influence basal gastric function. These data demonstrate a centrally mediated antagonistic action of the sigma receptor ligand, JO 1784, on i.c. CRF-induced inhibition of gastric function."}
{"id": "PMID:1478268", "title": "WAY 120,491 activates ATP-sensitive potassium channels in rat tail artery.", "content": "WAY 120,491 lowers blood pressure in a number of animal models. Its mechanism of action appears to be the selective opening of K+ channels in vascular smooth muscle cells. The patch clamp technique was used to determine the specific K+ channel affected by WAY 120,491 in isolated tail artery cells of the rat. In the inside-out configuration, WAY 120,491 caused a dose dependent partial reversal of the ATP-induced inactivation of channel activity. Glyburide (10 microM) almost completely inhibited the effect of WAY 120,491. WAY 120,491 had no effect on Ca-activated K+ channels inactivated by the absence of Ca2+. In the whole cell configuration, 10 microM WAY 120,491 increased outward K+ current. 10 microM glyburide completely reversed the increase in current. WAY 120,491 appears to be a relatively specific activator of ATP-sensitive K+ channels in vascular smooth muscle."}
{"id": "PMID:1478269", "title": "Effect of extracellular calcium concentration on angiotensin AT1 receptor-mediated smooth muscle contraction and antagonism in rabbit aorta.", "content": "Angiotensin-II (AII) stimulates smooth muscle contraction by activating angiotensin AT1 receptor which induces intracellular Ca2+ release and Ca2+ influx from extracellular space. In this study, effect of extracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]0) on angiotensin AT1 receptor-mediated contractile response to AII has been examined in the absence and presence of [Sar1,Ala8]AII in rabbit aorta. A decrease in agonist potency and an increase in antagonist potency for depression were observed in low [Ca2+]0. Data were interpreted by applying an explanatory model developed previously. The result indicates that [Ca2+]0 is linked to the efficacy expression of AII at angiotensin AT1 receptor and this prompted speculation about the underlying mechanism."}
{"id": "PMID:1478270", "title": "Molecular orbital study on the glutathione-dependent detoxication of ozonides.", "content": "The present paper describes a theoretical study on the mechanism underlying the reaction of cellular glutathione (GSH) with polyunsaturated fatty acid ozonides. The reaction can be catalyzed by glutathione S-transferases and leads to detoxication of the ozonides. Semi-empirical molecular orbital computer calculations suggest that the reaction of glutathione with ozonides involves a nucleophilic attack at one of the carbon atoms of the ozonide ring, instead of at one of the peroxidic oxygen atoms of the ozonide ring. This implies a mechanism different from that of the glutathione S-transferase-mediated reaction with hydroperoxides, previously proposed for the glutathione-dependent detoxication of fatty acid ozonides."}
{"id": "PMID:1478271", "title": "Activation and damage of cultured airway epithelial cells by human elastase and cathepsin G.", "content": "Accumulation of polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN) and epithelium damage have often been described during airway inflammation. We studied the effects of two PMN-derived proteinases, namely elastase and cathepsin G, on guinea-pig tracheal epithelial cells in culture. Both proteinases activated tracheal epithelial cells in terms of prostaglandin (PG) E2 production. A concentration- and time-dependent effect was observed with 10 micrograms/ml and 6 h as the optimal conditions for both enzymes. Optical microscopic studies confirmed an effect on tracheal epithelial cells as intercellular gaps were observed upon incubation of the monolayers with proteinases. A small cytotoxic effect was observed after 1 h incubation but remained stable up to 6 h. This cytotoxic effect, more pronounced with elastase than with cathepsin G, was dissociated from PGE2 formation."}
{"id": "PMID:1478272", "title": "Depletion of ATP but not of GSH affects viability of rat hepatocytes.", "content": "The purpose of this study was to examine the role of glutathione depletion and alterations in the energy status in the induction of acute cytotoxicity to freshly isolated rat hepatocytes. Depletion of intracellular glutathione by diethyl maleate and phorone to levels below 5% of control did not induce loss of viability nor loss of intracellular ATP. Ethacrynic acid, a compound known to deplete mitochondrial GSH in addition to cytosolic GSH, induced cell killing after a depletion of ATP, next to GSH depletion. The results confirmed that depletion of intracellular glutathione alone does not necessarily result in cell killing. Only when glutathione depletion is succeeded by reduction in ATP levels, loss of cell viability is observed. The relationship between alterations in the energy status and the induction of cell death was further substantiated by inhibition of glycolytic and mitochondrial ATP generation. Treatment of hepatocytes either with iodoacetic acid to inhibit glycolysis (in hepatocytes from fed rats) or with potassium cyanide to inhibit mitochondrial respiration (in hepatocytes from both fed and fasted rats) revealed that depletion of intracellular ATP could lead to lethal cell injury. The susceptibility of cells to metabolic inhibition was better reflected by the rate of reduction in the energy charge than by the reduction of ATP alone. In conclusion, our results suggest that alterations of the energy status may be a critical event in the induction of irreversible cell injury. Depletion of cellular GSH is only cytotoxic when followed by a reduction of the energy charge."}
{"id": "PMID:1478273", "title": "Selective cytotoxic activity of cyclosporins against tumor cells from patients with B cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia.", "content": "A fluorometric microculture cytotoxicity assay was employed for the study of cyclosporin A induced cytotoxicity in tumor samples from patients with B type chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL). Tumor cells from patients with B-CLL were found to be significantly more sensitive to the cytotoxic actions of cyclosporin A than normal blood mononuclear cells and tumor cells obtained from patients with different types of acute leukemia and solid tumors. The effect of cyclosporin A on B-CLL samples could be reproduced by a non-immunosuppressive cyclosporin A analogue. One B-CLL patient treated with cyclosporin A responded with a significant decrease in tumor mass and alleviation of anemia and B symptoms. The results show that cyclosporin A and its non-immunosuppressive analogues appear selectively toxic to B-CLL cells, an observation which may have clinical implications."}
{"id": "PMID:1478274", "title": "Age of rats affects response of lens epithelial explants to fibroblast growth factor.", "content": "Fibroblast growth factor (FGF) is a potent inducer of fibre differentiation in lens epithelial explants from neonatal rats. Previously, using explants prepared from the central region of the lens epithelium, we showed an age-related loss of ability to accumulate fibre-specific crystallins in response to basic FGF. These studies have now been extended to include the peripheral region of the lens epithelium. Firstly we cultured explants from the central or peripheral regions of neonatal lenses with varying doses of FGF for 5 days, then determined how much fibre-specific beta-crystallin they had accumulated. The concentration of FGF required to induce a half-maximal response was lower for peripheral than for central cells (7 ng ml-1 compared with 36 ng ml-1). We then compared the ability of peripheral explants from 3-, 21-, 100- and 175-day-old rats to undergo fibre differentiation during culture with FGF for 13 days. In these studies alpha-, beta- and gamma-crystallins were localized in explants or quantified by ELISAs. There was an age-related decrease in responsiveness to FGF, as already observed for central explants; however, unlike central explants, peripheral explants from the oldest rats still retained the ability to respond to FGF by accumulating beta-crystallin. This suggests that FGF in the eye may play an important role in inducing lens epithelial cells at the lens equator to differentiate into fibres throughout life."}
{"id": "PMID:1478275", "title": "The cDNA RPE1 and monoclonal antibody HMB-50 define gene products preferentially expressed in retinal pigment epithelium.", "content": "As a first step towards identifying genes expressed specifically in the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), we generated a bovine RPE cDNA library. In preliminary characterization of this library, we isolated a clone, RPE1, that was identified as the bovine homologue of a human cDNA thought to encode the HMB-50 melanoma antigen. Sequence analysis suggests RPE1 encodes a membrane-anchored glycoprotein. In Northern blot analysis of RNA from bovine tissues, the 2.5 kb RPE1 transcript was detected only in the RPE. Southern blot analysis suggested the presence of a single bovine rpe1 gene. In normal human eyes, HMB-50 immunoreactivity was also restricted to the RPE; no immunoreactivity was detected in other intraocular pigmented cells. Thus, RPE1 and HMB-50 define gene products preferentially expressed in the RPE at the RNA and protein levels, respectively."}
{"id": "PMID:1478276", "title": "Preparation of fluorescent basic fibroblast growth factor: localization in living retinal microvascular endothelial cells.", "content": "A biologically active fluorescent derivative of recombinant human basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) was prepared by immobilization on heparin-Sepharose 4B (HS) and derivatization with the fluorophore, Texas Red (TR). TR-bFGF was separated from free dye and carrier protein by elution from HS using 1.5 M NaCl. TR-bFGF contained an average of two dye molecules bound per bFGF, retained its mitogenic activity and was visible using a fluorescence microscope equipped with silicon intensified target camera (SIT). TR-bFGF stimulated the growth of bovine aortic endothelial cells (BAEC), microvessel endothelial cells (MVEC) and BHK-21 cells grown in culture. BAEC, MVEC and BHK-21 cells treated with 20 ng ml-1 (1 nM) TR-bFGF for 72 hr were stimulated over serum controls by 87, 26 and 6%, respectively. TR-bFGF stimulated EC growth was inhibited in a dose-dependent fashion when cells were coincubated with microM chloroquine. When EC were treated with TR-bFGF at 4 degrees C and then monitored at 37 degrees C, bright, focal, cytoplasmic spots were observed, which accumulated as punctate, perinuclear fluorescence. EC internalization of TR-bFGF was inhibited 80% by the addition of 100-fold molar excess unlabeled bFGF or by maintaining cultures at 4 degrees C. TR-bFGF colocalized with an EC lysosomal marker, but TR-bFGF was not detected in the nucleus. Results of these localization studies suggest that TR-bFGF stimulates EC proliferation without entering the nucleus."}
{"id": "PMID:1478277", "title": "Biochemical changes and cataract formation in lenses from rats receiving multiple, low doses of sodium selenite.", "content": "Nuclear cataract formed in rat lens in response to a protocol of multiple, low doses of sodium selenite. Nuclear cataract occurred, in both Wistar and Sprague-Dawley rats, following five subcutaneous injections of selenite over an 8-day period with an accumulated dose of 40-50 nmol selenite g-1 body weight. Glutathione content decreased within the first 24 hr of treatment and remained at 60% of controls. Lipid peroxidation occurred in Wistar rats prior to nuclear cataract formation. A two to three-fold increase in calcium concentration and decreased protein content accompanied nuclear cataract development. Enzyme activities were measured for glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase, and glutathione S-transferase, and only the peroxidase activity remained constant through the period of cataract formation. This protocol resulted in nuclear cataracts similar in appearance to those observed with a single, acute dose of selenite. The opportunity to control the rate of selenite-dependent cataract formation allows further definition of precataractous events."}
{"id": "PMID:1478278", "title": "Rhodopsin regeneration in the normal and in the detached/replaced retina of the skate.", "content": "The bleaching and regeneration of rhodopsin in the skate retina was studied by means of fundus reflectometry, both in the normal eyecup preparation and after the retina had been detached and then replaced on the surface of the pigment epithelium (RPE). After bleaching virtually all the rhodopsin in the retinal test area of the normal eyecup, more than 90% of the photopigment was reformed after about 2 hr in darkness; over most of this time course, rhodopsin density rose linearly at a rate of 0.875% min-1 with a half-time of 55 min. Detaching the retina from its pigment epithelium resulted in a number of abnormalities, both structural and functional. Histological examination of the detached/replaced (D/R) retina showed striking alterations in the structural integrity of the RPE cells at their interface with the neural retina. The cells appeared vacuolated and misshapen, and the apical processes of the RPE, which normally ensheath the receptor outer segments, were shredded and free of their association with the visual cells. These morphological changes, as well as dilution of the IRBP content of the subretinal space caused by separation of the tissues, appear to be the main factors contributing to the functional abnormalities in rhodopsin kinetics. But despite these abnormalities and the persistent detachment, the rate of regeneration and the amount of rhodopsin reformed after bleaching were reduced by less than 50% of their normal values. The fact that a significant fraction of the bleached rhodopsin was regenerated under these conditions indicates that 11-cis retinal formed in the RPE was able to traverse a much greater than normal subretinal space to reach the opsin-bearing photoreceptor membranes."}
{"id": "PMID:1478279", "title": "Age-related changes of sulfated proteoglycans in the normal human trabecular meshwork.", "content": "Ultrastructural changes in sulfated proteoglycans were studied in 12 pairs of normal eye-bank eyes (aged 1 day to 92 years), using the cationic dye, cuprolinic blue, in a 'critical electrolyte concentration'. Pretreatment of trabecular meshwork sections with various glycosaminoglycanases and nitrous acid served to characterize these proteoglycans. Three sizes of proteoglycan-cuprolinic blue (PG-CB) complexes were found in association with different extracellular matrix components. Small, thin PG-CB complexes were closely associated with collagen fibrils. Large, thick PG-CB complexes, although located close to collagen fibrils in a variety of places, were most commonly seen between the boundaries of the collagen bundles, where they were associated with fine filaments. Both types of collagen-associated PG-CB complexes contained chondroitin sulfate and dermatan sulfate, with dermatan sulfate predominant. Basal lamina-associated PG-CB complexes contained heparan sulfate. An age-related, progressive coalescence of collagen was found in normal trabecular meshwork in a statistically significant fashion; the regions of collagen coalescence were associated with a decrease of small, collagen-associated PG-CB complexes and an increase of a previously unrecognized matrix material. The measurement of areas of coalescence of collagen was used as an indirect indicator of small, collagen-associated PG-CB complex loss with age. Large collagen-associated PG-CB complexes and basal lamina-associated PG-CB complexes decreased from infant to young adult; no additional loss with age was found. Further studies will be needed to determine whether loss of sulfated PGs plays a role in increased aqueous outflow resistance that characterizes glaucoma."}
{"id": "PMID:1478280", "title": "Isolation of a cDNA encoding a glutathione S-transferase (GST) class-pi from the bovine ocular ciliary epithelium.", "content": "We have used a polyclonal antiserum to bovine ciliary epithelium, a secretory tissue involved in the formation of aqueous humor, to immunoscreen a directional lambda gt11 Sfi-Not cDNA expression library prepared from bovine ciliary epithelium poly(A)+ RNA. After immunoscreening 6 x 10(5) independent clones, 41 cDNA clones positive for ciliary epithelium were isolated and characterized. About one-third of the positive cDNA clones were found to be identical and to encode a glutathione S-transferase (GST) class-pi. The largest bovine GST cDNA clone isolated, pCN11, contains an open reading frame of 630 bases, encoding a protein of 210 amino acids with a calculated molecular weight of 23,335 Da. The corresponding amino acid sequence showed an overall identity of 85.6% with the human, and 85.2% with the rat and mouse GST class-pi. Northern analysis of bovine ocular tissues revealed that the GST class-pi gene encodes a 0.8-kilobase mRNA which is expressed most abundantly in cornea, ciliary epithelium and retina, and in lower levels in iris and lens. Cell lines derived from non-pigmented or pigmented bovine ciliary epithelium also showed high levels of GST-pi mRNA expression. These results provide additional evidence for differential gene expression of GST class-pi mRNA in various areas of the bovine eye."}
{"id": "PMID:1478281", "title": "Light stimulates in vivo inositol lipid turnover in frog retinal pigment epithelial cells at the onset of shedding and phagocytosis of photoreceptor membranes.", "content": "We have developed an experimental model to study in vivo inositol lipid metabolism in frog retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells, including the effect of light on phospholipase C-mediated hydrolysis of phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate. RPE cells were rapidly isolated after either brief light or dark periods. Light and electron microscopy showed complete detachment of the retina from the RPE cells, and that the RPE cell suspensions were devoid of photoreceptor cell outer segments. Frog tissues were labeled in vivo for 20 hr by intravitreal injection of [3H]inositol (4 microCi, 4 microliters per eye) within a 24-hr constant illumination period. Following 1 hr of darkness (priming period), frogs were intravitreally injected with LiCl (0.5 M, 4 microliters per eye) 15 min before the onset of either 30-min light stimulation or an additional 30 min of darkness (controls). In order to preserve endogenous inositol phosphate pools present after dark and light exposure, the RPE cells were harvested in the shortest time possible, at low temperatures (18-20 degrees C), and in the presence of 10 mM LiCl. Total [3H]inositol-labeled water-soluble products (inositol plus inositol phosphates) were increased by 86% after 30 min of light. Inositol trisphosphate (IP3) showed the highest accumulation (a 5.5-fold increase), followed by inositol bisphosphate (1.9-fold increase) and inositol monophosphate (1.4-fold increase). Free [3H]inositol also accumulated (2.8-fold increase), reflecting only a partial inhibition of phosphomonoesterase by LiCl. These changes were paralleled by a 12% decrease in 3H-labeled phosphatidylinositol with no significant difference in the labeling of polyphosphoinositides.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1478282", "title": "Coexpression of FGF-5 and bFGF by the retinal pigment epithelium in vitro.", "content": "Members of the fibroblast growth factor (FGF) gene family have been proposed to play critical roles in the biology of the outer retina. In this study, in vitro cultures of human retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells were surveyed for the expression of FGF gene family members. Northern analysis provided evidence for the expression of the previously reported 7.0 and 3.7 kb basic FGF (bFGF) transcripts and for the 4.0 and 2.1 kb FGF-5 transcripts. Western analysis demonstrated the presence of three bFGF proteins ranging in size from 18 to 26 kDa and three FGF-5 proteins of molecular weights 28.5, 34, and 36 kDa. We were particularly interested in cellular mechanisms which might regulate the steady-state mRNA levels of these genes. It was determined that bFGF message levels decreased with increasing culture density, increased upon serum stimulation and when placed in contact with matrix components found in the extracellular matrix of RPE cells in vivo. In a similar fashion, the steady state mRNA levels for FGF-5 decreased with increasing culture density, increased upon serum stimulation, but appeared to be unaffected by matrix contact."}
{"id": "PMID:1478283", "title": "Shortening of the calycal process actin cytoskeleton is correlated with myoid elongation in teleost rods.", "content": "Light activates the elongation of rods within teleost retinas. Rod cell elongation is mediated by actin-dependent length changes of the myoid portion of the inner segment. The actin cytoskeleton of the inner segment consists of filament bundles, which run parallel to the long axis of the rod, from the calycal processes, through the ellipsoid and into the myoid. In isolated rod inner/outer segments (RIS-ROS), myoid elongation was found to occur in the absence of net polymerization of actin into filaments. Outgrowth of actin filaments within the myoid was counterbalanced by a shortening of actin filaments within the calycal processes. In this study, we have further examined light-activated modifications of the rod cytoskeleton using rhodamine-phalloidin to stain actin filaments within retinal cryosections as well as in isolated RIS-ROS. In RIS-ROS isolated from dark-adapted green sunfish, the phalloidin-stained calycal processes appeared as long, brush-like structures, averaging 4.2 microns in length. In light-cultured RIS-ROS populations, the calycal process actin cytoskeleton shortened from 4.2 microns to 1.7 microns. In control, dark-cultured populations, RIS-ROS that did not elongate maintained long calycal process actin cytoskeletons. However, in cases where dark-cultured RIS-ROS did elongate, despite the absence of a light stimulus, myoid elongation was accompanied by a shortening of the calycal process actin cytoskeleton, suggesting that the two events are correlated with one another. In light-adapted green sunfish and in light-cultured retinas from green sunfish and the Midas cichlid, the calycal process cytoskeleton of intact rods shortened by 40-60%. Within the two-tiered retina of green sunfish, shortening of the calycal process cytoskeleton, from 5.1 microns to 2.1-3.1 microns, was only evident in the shorter, inner tier of rods. The calycal process actin cytoskeleton did not appear to shorten within the longer, outer tier of rods; here, stained processes were short, averaging 2.3 microns in length, within dark-adapted retinas. Using scanning and transmission electron microscopy, we present evidence to suggest that the plasmalemmal surface of the calycal processes shortens along with the cytoskeletal actin core. We conclude that calycal processes of teleost rods are dynamic structures which shorten during light-activated myoid elongation."}
{"id": "PMID:1478284", "title": "Relaxation effects of diltiazem, verapamil, and tolazoline on isolated cat ophthalmociliary artery.", "content": "This study investigates the ability of an alpha 1-adrenergic blocker, tolazoline, two Ca2+ entry channel blockers, verapamil and diltiazem, acetylcholine and Ca(2+)-free solutions to relax alpha 1-adrenergically activated cat ophthalmociliary artery ring segments. The form of a contraction elicited with adrenaline, noradrenaline or phenylephrine was shown to depend on the passive tension set. As passive tension was increased, which is equivalent to increasing blood pressure in vivo, the alpha 1-adrenergic elicited contraction became more sustained. Incubation with the Ca2+ channel blockers diltiazem and verapamil was ineffective in reducing the phasic response to the alpha 1-adrenergic agonists whereas addition of these blockers in increasing concentrations during a sustained adrenergic contraction caused a graded and significant relaxation. This implies that therapeutic use of Ca2+ channel blockers may act directly on the ophthalmociliary artery to inhibit the autonomic control of sustained tone in this vessel. Removal of exogenous Ca2+ from the bathing medium initially reduced the phasic component and eliminated the tonic component of the alpha 1-adrenergic contraction. Repeated exposure of the ring segment to Ca(2+)-free medium further reduced the phasic component elicited with alpha 1-adrenergic contraction. Pre-incubation with the alpha 1-adrenergic blocker Tolazoline reduced the alpha 1-adrenergic antagonist phasic response only at high concentrations (10(-4) M), whereas Tolazoline applied during the tonic phase was an effective relaxant at lower concentrations. Acetylcholine added to the bath during an alpha 1-adrenergic contraction induced relaxation at low concentrations and contraction for higher concentrations. The relaxation was eliminated by removal of the endothelial cell layer. These data support the notion that the phasic component of an alpha 1-adrenergic contraction is mainly dependent on intracellular Ca2+ stores whereas the tonic component relies almost exclusively on extracellular Ca2+. It is suggested that Ca2+ channel blockers and alpha 1-adrenergic antagonists may potentially play a role in relaxing the ophthalmociliary artery to improve the ocular circulation in vascular diseases in which there is considerable vascular tone present."}
{"id": "PMID:1478285", "title": "Surgical quality control in an international randomized clinical trial.", "content": "One of the current international prospective clinical trials of the EORTC Melanoma Cooperative Group explores the usage of regional isolated perfusion as adjuvant in melanomas located on the extremities. In the design of the study it is necessary to define not only the extent of the surgery (perfusion+local excision versus local excision only), but also to ensure uniformity of surgery performed between surgeons and institutions. With on-site visits and general meetings with the participants, surgical protocol violations and misinterpretations of the protocol could be avoided. The conclusion is that accurate surgical quality control is time consuming, but not difficult."}
{"id": "PMID:1478286", "title": "Study of tissue compression in breast phantoms: possible implications for the use of X-ray mammography as a method of imaging breast carcinoma.", "content": "A method is described of constructing a simple phantom breast containing an idealised tumour with elastic properties. The transparent tissues are compressed and evidence is adduced to show that with tissue compression the tumour boundary is subjected to a degree of strain the magnitude of which is dependent on the degree of deformation. Excessive compression can lead to fracture of the tumour. A literature survey reveals that malignant tissues are more delicate than normal tissues. The study underlines the need for care when using X-ray mammography with compression to image a cancer bearing breast, in order to avoid disseminating cancer cells via the circulation."}
{"id": "PMID:1478287", "title": "Esophageal carcinoma: prognostic features and comparison between blunt transhiatal dissection and transthoracic resection.", "content": "Among 86 patients who underwent resection for thoracic esophageal carcinoma between 1982 and 1989, 49 were resected by a transhiatal blunt esophagectomy (THE) and 37 underwent a transthoracic-abdominal esophagectomy (TTE). The two groups were statistically comparable with respect to preoperative characteristics. Overall morbidity and respiratory complications were high for both groups (71% vs 62% and 45% vs 46%; P = NS). The rate of cardiac, renal, neurological and bleeding complications, as well as recurrent nerve injuries was similar in both groups. An anastomotic leak occurred in 39% (19/49) of THE patients and in 11% (4/37) (P < 0.05) of TTE patients. Hospital mortality was 16% (8/49) in the THE group (4 resulting from cervical anastomotic leaks, 4 from respiratory complications) and 13% (5/37) in the TTE patients (1 from myocardial infarction, 4 from respiratory failures; P = NS). Actuarial survival curves for all THE and TTE patients (5-year survival rate: 20% vs 22%) and separate analysis for N0 and N1 tumors revealed no significant difference between these two techniques. Of the different preoperative variables, only tobacco addiction, beside lymph node involvement, was an independent predictor of outcome. Respiratory complications and hospital mortality were significantly lower for the non-smokers and long term survival was significantly higher for the N0 stages."}
{"id": "PMID:1478288", "title": "Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: the specific limited place of surgery defined by a prospective multivariate study of prognostic factors after surgical approach.", "content": "From 1982 to 1990, 181 patients underwent surgery for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, for which 14 prognostic parameters were prospectively recorded in order to perform a multivariate study. A squamous cell head and neck cancer was associated with the esophageal tumor in 40% of the cases (synchronous 18% and metachronous 22%). Resection was curative (i.e. macroscopically complete) in 128 cases, palliative (i.e. with residual tumor) in 24 cases and not possible in 29 cases. There were 21 deaths in hospital (hospital mortality was 11.7%). One hundred and twenty-two patients received preoperative chemotherapy and 77 received postoperative radiotherapy according to different phase II prospective studies. The 5-year survival rate according to the Kaplan-Meier method was 15.8% (+/- 3.4) for all patients and 23.5% (+/- 4.8) for the patients who had a curative resection. A palliative resection or the invasion of a neighbouring organ was synonymous with incurability, but positive lymph nodes were not considered proof of incurability. The multifactorial study concerning all the patients highlighted two main prognostic parameters: the histological staging according to the Japanese classification (P = 0.0006) and the type of resection (curative or not) (P = 0.006). An objective response to preoperative chemotherapy was the third and last parameter revealed by Cox's model. The multivariate study, which was limited to the 112 patients who were alive after a curative resection, showed that only the stage was an important prognostic factor (P = 0.003), with stages 2 and 3 carrying a worse prognosis. We propose a therapeutic scheme, based on these prognostic data and on the usual pre-therapeutic workup with three additional exams: CT scan measurement of tumor diameter, ultrasound examination +/- fine needle aspiration cytology of supra-clavicular lymph nodes and echo-endoscopy. The aim of this scheme is to limit surgery to the subgroup of patients for whom this modality is really beneficial."}
{"id": "PMID:1478289", "title": "Total versus subtotal gastrectomy in cancer of the distal stomach: facts and fantasy.", "content": "The purpose of this review is to analyse critically the pros and cons of 'en principle' total gastrectomy for cancers of the distal stomach. The theoretical advantages of total gastrectomy would be the guarantee of no infiltration of the margin of proximal transection owing to multicentric cancers or to a microscopical intramural spreading of tumoral cells beyond the macroscopically detectable boundaries of the lesion. However, these expectations are not substantiated since multicentric tumours are rare, a safe margin of resection can be achieved maintaining a proximal clearance of 6 cm from the cranial edge of the tumour. Moreover, recurrences confined to the gastric stump, after subtotal gastrectomy (and originally preventable with a total gastrectomy) are extremely rare according to literature. Furthermore, current experience suggests that the extent of lymph node dissection is not affected by the extent of the resection of the stomach. Analysis of the published series of patients undergoing an en principle total gastrectomy fails to demonstrate any advantage for long-term survival compared with patients treated by subtotal gastrectomy. A recent randomized trial comparing these two procedures is in keeping with the above-mentioned conclusions. It is true, however, that the gap in surgical mortality for total and subtotal gastrectomy tends to disappear when total gastrectomy is electively performed in patients with tumours of the distal stomach. So, whereas the long-term oncological results of the two surgical procedures seem to be similar, the main disadvantage of total gastrectomy is the onset of malnutrition, which is common, but incapacitating only in a few patients. This condition is likely to be of relevance should the patients be selected for aggressive postoperative adjuvant treatments which require good general status and nutritional integrity. The main disadvantage of subtotal gastrectomy is that the patients are exposed to the risk of a gastric stump cancer. However, this risk, owing to the advanced median age of the resected patients and the actual reconstructive procedures which minimize the biliary reflux, cannot be quantified. We think that when two surgical procedures are compared, if the oncological results are the same, the operation which is associated with least discomfort and impairment of the quality of life, should be chosen."}
{"id": "PMID:1478290", "title": "Smooth muscle tumors of the gastrointestinal tract. A 10-year experience.", "content": "Benign or malignant smooth muscle tumors of the gastrointestinal tract are uncommon. The diagnostic and therapeutic approaches vary depending on the histological behavior of these neoplasms. Between 1981 and 1991, 32 patients with gastrointestinal tumors were treated at the Department of Surgery of the University of Patras. There were 16 females and 16 males. The mean age at the time of diagnosis was 61.9 years (range 22-83 years). Eighty-one per cent of the tumors were discovered in asymptomatic patients by a variety of diagnostic studies. Fifty-six per cent of tumors were located in the stomach, 38% in the small intestine and 6% in the colon. Leiomyomas made up 71.8% of these tumors and were treated by conservative excision. The malignant smooth muscle tumors were treated by radical excision in four cases and conservative excision in one case. The 5-year survival rate was 85% for leiomyomas and 0% for malignant smooth muscle tumors. There is widespread agreement that wide resection of the lesion is the appropriate treatment for these tumors. The size and mitotic activity of these tumors remain the most important diagnostic parameters and prognostic factors."}
{"id": "PMID:1478291", "title": "Flow cytometric DNA analysis in Japanese colorectal cancer. A multivariate analysis.", "content": "Using Cox's proportional hazard model, we performed a multivariate analysis of survival data from 126 patients who underwent curative resection for colorectal cancer from 1971 to 1985. Flow cytometric DNA measurements were carried out using paraffin wax-embedded tissue blocks. Fifty-four per cent of the cases were found to be aneuploid and 46% were diploid. The depth of invasion of the tumor, nodal status, liver metastasis, peritoneal dissemination, DNA ploidy pattern, histology, macroscopic classification of the tumor, age, sex and site were tested in a survival analysis. The initial seven factors were found to be the significant prognostic variables in a univariate analysis. A multivariate analysis shows liver metastasis, DNA ploidy pattern and peritoneal dissemination as being the significant discriminants of survival (P = 0.0001, 0.0022, 0.0119, in this order). Therefore, nuclear DNA ploidy pattern in colorectal cancer is considered to be an independent prognostic factor."}
{"id": "PMID:1478292", "title": "A phase 2 trial of recombinant interleukin-2 and 5-fluorouracil in patients with metastatic colorectal carcinoma.", "content": "The toxicity and efficacy of sequential 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and recombinant interleukin-2 (IL-2) were evaluated in 12 patients with metastatic colorectal carcinoma. This combination of 5-FU and IL-2 produced a 10% partial response rate with 40% of patients remaining in stable disease while on therapy. No clear improvement in survival was demonstrable. In contrast to the disappointing response rates the overall level of toxicity was very low with no treatment related deaths. It is concluded that modifications in treatment schedules are required before further similar studies are commenced."}
{"id": "PMID:1478293", "title": "Polyadenylic-polyuridylic acid as an adjuvant in resectable colorectal carcinoma: a 6 1/2 year follow-up analysis of a multicentric double blind randomized trial.", "content": "In a double blind study, patients with operable carcinoma of the colon and the upper rectum, who have undergone a macroscopically complete resection of their tumor, were randomized to receive either (i) polyadenylic-polyuridylic acid (AU), one i.v. injection of 60 mg (in 50 ml of solution) once a week for 6 weeks, or (ii) a placebo (P) one i.v. injection of 50 ml of a saline solution with the same schedule. From January 1983 to December 1986, 288 patients were enrolled: 145 in AU group and 143 in P group. The main clinical and pathological characteristics were equally distributed throughout the two groups. There was a significant difference (P < 0.02) in the overall survival (OS) between the two groups, in favor of the P group. The 5-year OS rate was 68% (SD = 4%) in the AU group versus 81% (SD = 3%) in the P group. Thus, AU as a single adjuvant, appears to be ineffective and therefore has no indication in the treatment of colorectal carcinoma."}
{"id": "PMID:1478294", "title": "Fine needle aspiration biopsy of solid tumours by auto-vacuum system: a study in rats.", "content": "A fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) device was designed to utilize a steel spring located between the syringe and its plunger, which exerts a constant negative pressure (auto-vacuum). In 43 rats inoculated with breast tumour cells, the technique was compared with the standard procedure of FNAB (21 Sp1 and 22 Walker256 carcinosarcoma). Malignant cells were cytologically confirmed in all cases. Sufficient material was obtained in 95% of FNAB by auto-vacuum system versus 86% by standard technique. The superior results obtained with the auto-vacuum system was seen for both soft and hard tumours."}
{"id": "PMID:1478295", "title": "Induction and quantification of hepatic metastases from a human colonic cancer in the nude rat.", "content": "Nude rats were injected with human colonic cancer cells (LS 174 T) in the superior mesenteric vein and the extent of hepatic metastases at sacrifice was estimated by visual inspection and computer-based area calculation. After 3 weeks, 5.0 x 10(6) cells caused hepatic metastases in 14/14 rats whereas 0.5 x 10(6) cells failed to produce liver metastases in 4/4 rats (P < 0.001). Injection of 1.0 x 10(7) cells caused portal vein occlusion in 3/5 rats. Extrahepatic tumour growth was rare; lung metastases were observed in four rats, and three rats had local tumour in the abdomen. The average extent of hepatic tumour replacement was 20.2 +/- 4.0%. Injection of embolies or single cells did not affect the incidence or extent of hepatic metastases. The incidence of hepatic metastases was similar in male and female rats, but the extent of hepatic tumour was larger in males (24.6%) than in females (3.2%) (P = 0.005). The pathophysiological similarities to human disease should make this model suitable for diagnostic and therapeutic studies with clinical application."}
{"id": "PMID:1478296", "title": "Contrast-enhanced CT scanning in vivo for the quantification of hepatic metastases from a human colonic cancer in the nude rat.", "content": "Hepatic metastases were induced in nude rats by intraportal injection of 2.5-5.0 x 10(6) cells from the human colonic cancer cell line LS 174 T. Quantification of tumour burden, expressed as relative metastatic area, was performed by contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) scanning in vivo (n = 14), contrast enhanced CT scanning post mortem (n = 21) and computer-based area calculation (CBAC) (n = 21). To determine the false-positive contribution to the estimated tumour burden by the evaluation procedures themselves, six rats without metastases were assessed. The quantification in the three different assessment groups was in close accordance in animals with an intermediate or extensive metastatic burden, but not in rats with a minor (< 4%) tumour burden. The results indicate that contrast-enhanced CT scanning can be used in this model to quantify hepatic metastases, except in animals with few and small lesions. Furthermore, the results suggest a potential for the assessment of therapeutic response by repeated contrast-enhanced CT scanning in vivo, as well as prospects for a corresponding evaluation in man."}
{"id": "PMID:1478297", "title": "Primary non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in ileal Crohn's disease.", "content": "Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in association with Crohn's disease is a rare occurrence. A case of high grade B-cell lymphoma arising in an isolated segment of ileal Crohn's disease is described and the mechanisms for its possible causal association are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1478298", "title": "Non-polypoid inflammatory fibroid polyps concomitant with early carcinoma in the stomach.", "content": "A 69-year-old Japanese woman with early carcinoma of the stomach was treated. Postoperative pathological examination of the resected stomach disclosed a widely spreading early carcinoma and two concomitant submucosal lesions which were histologically compatible with inflammatory fibroid polyp (IFP). Neither IFP showed a polypoid appearance: instead they had a down-growth pattern. The covering mucosa was replaced by gastric carcinoma cells. The IFPs were located mainly in the submucosa, but reached invasively to the subserosa through the proper muscular layer. The boundaries of the lesions were well demarcated in the submucosa but poorly demarcated in the subserosa. This case is very rare because the two IFPs showed a down-growth pattern and were concomitant with early gastric carcinoma."}
{"id": "PMID:1478299", "title": "Subcutaneous implantation of liver metastasis after fine needle biopsy.", "content": "A 50-year-old woman underwent percutaneous ultrasonographic fine needle biopsy of a suspicious liver metastasis of colon cancer. A subcutaneous metastasis developed at the site of the puncture 20 days after biopsy. Tumor recurrence in the needle biopsy track is rarely reported in the literature. The possible causes of this complication are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1478300", "title": "Subcutaneous tumor growth complicating the positioning of Denver shunt and intrapleural port-\u00e0-cath in mesothelioma patients.", "content": "Patients with malignant ascites and malignant pleural fluid from abdominal or pleural mesothelioma underwent the positioning of Denver type peritoneovenous shunt or intrapleural catheter. They developed tumor growth in the subcutaneous tissue surrounding the devices throughout their courses. Neoplastic seeding is a potential complication of the positioning of shunts and catheters in cavities filled with fluid rich in tumor cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1478302", "title": "Rational choice of therapy in established open angle glaucoma.", "content": "Currently, the standard treatment for primary open angle glaucoma favours initial medical therapy. Laser trabeculoplasty and filtering surgery are reserved for those patients who fail medical therapy. There is now, however, good evidence to suggest that perhaps this approach deserves reassessment."}
{"id": "PMID:1478303", "title": "Encapsulated filtering bleb. A selective review--new deductions.", "content": "Filtering bleb encapsulation may, in some cases, be a severe complication following filtering surgery. The cause and mechanism of its development are not known. A selective review of data that might shed some light on these dilemmas, is presented. Based on these data, it is suggested that: (a) non-contractile collagen-producing fibroblasts play a major role in the process of bleb encapsulation, while in wound healing following filtering surgery, contractile fibroblasts are the major components; (b) the process of bleb encapsulation is less sensitive to the toxic effect of 5-Fluorouracil than would healing; (c) collagen-producing fibroblasts may be less sensitive to the destructive effect of 5-Fluorouracil than contractile fibroblasts; (d) inflammatory mediators are important triggers of bleb encapsulation."}
{"id": "PMID:1478304", "title": "The effect of stimulus duration upon the components of fluctuation in static automated perimetry.", "content": "We studied the effect of varying the stimulus duration time on the components of fluctuation in static automated perimetry by testing 20 healthy subjects on the Humphrey Field Analyser within the central 20 degrees of vision. We found the total fluctuation at a stimulus duration of 0.065 s, to be 3.22 decibels (dB); 0.1 s, 3.22 dB; 0.2 s, 3.34 dB; 0.3 s, 2.95 dB; 0.4 s, 3.24 dB; and 0.5 s, 3.22 dB. Little difference was observed in the individual components (short-term, long-term homogeneous, long-term heterogeneous and inter-individual) or total fluctuation with an increasing stimulus presentation time when evaluated over the entire visual field or in a pointwise fashion. This study suggests that the stimulus duration within the range of times studied has little effect on the components or total fluctuation in healthy individuals."}
{"id": "PMID:1478305", "title": "Blue versus white stimuli in ocular hypertension with the Friedmann Mark 1 Visual Field Analyser.", "content": "Fifty eyes of fifty patients with ocular hypertension had their visual fields tested on a Friedmann Mark 1 field analyser whilst wearing a Wratten 47B blue filter in a spectacle frame. All had normal visual fields to a white stimulus. Use of a scoring system with the blue field identified 11 patients (22%) with ocular hypertension as abnormal. The scores from this subgroup were indistinguishable from a group of subjects with early glaucomatous field loss, whilst the remaining scores were similar to normal subjects. These two subgroups of ocular hypertensive patients were similar in age and intraocular pressure. The use of a blue filter in front of the eye may offer a simple test to identify a subgroup of patients with ocular hypertension who are at increased risk of developing field loss."}
{"id": "PMID:1478306", "title": "Congenital and developmental myopia.", "content": "Both hereditary and environmental factors are important in the interactive growth of the ocular tissues responsible for determining the refractive state of the eye. Myopia has a low prevalence in otherwise healthy children and is seen with an increased prevalence early in life in many systemic and ocular diseases. Predicting how refractive error will change in any individual child after birth or at any stage of ocular development is not possible at present, although, trends can be seen in longitudinal studies. In the disease states associated with an increased prevalence of myopia, information regarding the time of onset of myopia and the specific values for the refractive components, is lacking, so that underlying mechanisms of myopia development and whether the myopia is congenital or developmental, are not known. In adults, three different types of myopia can be characterised on the basis of clinical characteristics which have prognostic significance for ocular disease. The mechanisms of ocular growth that lead to these forms of myopia are not clear. At present, treatments to prevent or slow myopic progression have been marginally beneficial and of questionable value."}
{"id": "PMID:1478307", "title": "The eye and liver disorders.", "content": "There are ocular changes associated with a wide spectrum of congenital, familial and acquired liver diseases and disorders. The early identification of ocular changes may aid diagnosis of the underlying liver condition. This is particularly important in conditions where there are effective treatments which can arrest hepatic damage. It is also of considerable value in patients who have untreatable disorders because identification of the correct diagnosis may offer prognostic information and spare the patient unnecessary invasive investigation. This article discusses the ocular findings in selected liver disease and reviews the current literature on the subject. The principles of investigation and diagnosis and treatment are described. Data on the incidence and prevalence of ocular involvement in liver conditions are included where such figures are available. The potential transmission of viral hepatitis following corneal grafting is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1478308", "title": "The results of ischaemia in chemical injuries.", "content": "Severe burns of the anterior eye segment which include cornea, limbus and adjacent conjunctiva necrosis were accompanied by ischaemia. While necrotic conjunctival and subconjunctival tissue should be removed to eliminate its toxic influence, the opaque cornea and ischaemic sclera could not be removed. The ciliary body and the iris also suffer from ischaemic damage and under such conditions nutrient metabolites are deficient in the anterior segment of the eye. In the surrounding healthy tissues an inflammatory reaction begins after several days which induces an infiltration of the damaged tissues by leucocytes and an increase of N-acetylglucosaminidase and Cathepsin-D as demonstrated in model experiments and in patients. These destructive enzymes are apparently involved in the corneal and corneo-scleral ulceration and their activities may therefore be used to assess the severity of the ocular burn."}
{"id": "PMID:1478309", "title": "Eye injuries at work: a prospective population-based survey within the chemical industry.", "content": "A population of 63,000 chemical industry workers was studied prospectively over approximately 10,000,000 man-hours of work. A total of 133 eye injuries were reported (8.4% of all injuries), of which 22% needed medical attention. Eye protection was often not worn, some protectors may have been wrongly recommended for a particular task, and some protectors may have failed to perform adequately. In this population, an eye injury occurred once every 75,000 man-hours of work on average (injury incidence 23:1000:year). Most injuries were avoidable. Revision of protection protocols at work, and improved education of personnel are needed to reduce the incidence of occupational eye injury."}
{"id": "PMID:1478310", "title": "Management of VIth nerve palsy--avoiding unnecessary surgery.", "content": "Unresolved VIth nerve palsy that is not adequately controlled by an abnormal head posture or prisms can be very suitably treated by surgery. It is however essential to differentiate partially recovered palsies, which are amenable to horizontal rectus surgery, from unrecovered palsies, which must be treated initially by a vertical muscle transposition procedure. Botulinum toxin is a valuable tool in making this distinction. It also facilitates full tendon transposition in unrecovered palsies, which appears to produce the best functional outcome of all the transposition procedures, with a reduction in the need for further surgery. A study of the surgical management of 12 patients with partially recovered VIth nerve palsy and 59 patients with unrecovered palsy provides clear guidelines on how to attain a successful functional outcome with the minimum amount of surgery."}
{"id": "PMID:1478311", "title": "Non-traumatic mycotic keratitis.", "content": "Two patients presented with culture proven Paecilomyces corneal infection, and a further patient with histologic evidence of fungal infection, on deep corneal biopsy. In all three cases the corneal infection was macroscopically present only in the depth of the cornea and on the endothelial surface with an intact epithelium and no overlying stromal involvement. Repeated surgery with large corneo-scleral grafts in two cases, and with medical therapy and a small patch-graft alone in the third case, resulted in long-term eradication of the infection and preservation of the globes. Antecedent modulation with steroid and/or cyclophosphamide may well have delayed the diagnosis, however, as there was no history of trauma in any of these cases, we postulate that these infections were not exogenously derived."}
{"id": "PMID:1478312", "title": "Septicaemic infection with group B streptococci presenting with endophthalmitis in adults.", "content": "Metastatic bacterial endophthalmitis is an uncommon and serious infection, that can be caused by a variety of bacteria. Group B streptococci have rarely been implicated. We report four cases of metastatic endophthalmitis in adults caused by group B streptococci. The organisms were isolated from the eyes and blood in each case."}
{"id": "PMID:1478313", "title": "Cataract as a complication of severe microbial keratitis.", "content": "Complicated cataract results from local ocular disease; we report five cases that followed severe anterior segment infection. Three patients had Pseudomonas keratitis and two Acanthamoeba keratitis. All patients had severe keratitis and iridocyclitis. Mature cataracts developed after a mean of 5.5 months from the onset. Cataract formation with severe keratitis may be attributable to bacterial toxins, iridocyclitis and treatment toxicity. All these factors may cause cataract by interference with lens metabolism. One of our cases had no steroid treatment; the remaining four had between 7.7 and 28.14 mg of topical steroid (256-938 drops of Dexamethasone 0.1%). Cataract formation may result from severe microbial keratitis alone but is probably enhanced by concurrent treatment with high doses of topical steroid. The potential for cataract formation must be considered when managing microbial keratitis with the use of steroids and when planning surgical rehabilitation of the anterior segment."}
{"id": "PMID:1478314", "title": "Corneal neovascularisation in acute hydrops.", "content": "Four cases of corneal neovascularisation complicating acute hydrops in keratoconus are presented. Three cases were atopic. In two cases high doses of topical steroids failed to inhibit the neovascular process. The pathogenesis of neovascularisation in this situation is uncertain. Risk factors may be the size of the hydrops and the proximity of oedematous cornea to the limbal vascular arcades, with an associated inflammatory reaction. The coexistence of atopic keratoconjunctivitis may be an additional factor. Patients with large peripheral hydrops should be observed closely for the development of new vessels, and systemic steroids prescribed if topical medication fails to inhibit a neovascular reaction. Consideration should be given to the possibility of removing the stimulus to neovascularisation by corneal grafting, although the technical difficulties and the patients atopic state may militate against this."}
{"id": "PMID:1478315", "title": "The relationship between central nuclear scatter and perinuclear retrodots in the human crystalline lens.", "content": "Retrodots are common perinuclear features of age-related cataract. Clinical observation suggested that retrodots were associated with increased nuclear scatter. To test this hypothesis, retrospective data were analysed from 78 non-diabetic subjects (118 eyes), of at least 50 years of age, who had neither subscapsular nor axial spoke opacities. Retrodots were graded using the Oxford Clinical Cataract Classification and Grading system and central nuclear scatter was assessed by image analysis of Scheimpflug photographic negatives. Regression analysis in groups was performed according to the \"intra-class correlation model\" either considering retrodots as a graded feature (grades 0-5) or as a dichotomous variable (present or absent). After adjusting for age (treated as a co-variate), a highly significant association (P < 10(-6) was found between retrodots and increased nuclear scatter in each analysis. It is suggested that the co-existence of these two cataract types may reflect a common cataractogenic mechanism, possibly oxidative stress."}
{"id": "PMID:1478316", "title": "Glare testing in pseudophakes with posterior capsule opacification.", "content": "We measured Snellen visual acuity under standard and glare conditions using the Allergan Humphrey 570 autorefractor in 46 pseudophakes (46 eyes) undergoing Neodymium-YAG laser posterior capsulotomy before and after treatment. All the patients studied had a best corrected vision of at least 6/12 but complained of visual disability and had clinically observable posterior capsule opacification. The patients did not have other known causes of glare disability. Following posterior capsulotomy, 30 (65%) patients showed an improvement in standard Snellen visual acuity and 44 (97%) an improvement in Snellen visual acuity under glare conditions. This difference was statistically significant (p < 0.001). Of the 16 patients whose standard Snellen visual acuity did not improve after posterior capsulotomy, 14 showed a reduction in glare disability. Glare testing was clinically useful in evaluating pseudophakes with posterior capsule opacification who complained of visual disability in spite of good Snellen visual acuity under standard testing conditions."}
{"id": "PMID:1478317", "title": "Pigment epitheliopathy with serous detachment of the retina following intravenous iron dextran.", "content": "We report a case of pigment epitheliopathy with serious detachment of the retina in a 23-year-old man following a total dose infusion of iron dextran. Initial impairment of visual acuity resolved spontaneously, along with changes in the electro-oculogram and fundus fluorescein angiogram. Ocular features of systemic iron toxicity are reviewed and the pathophysiology discussed. Practitioners using total dose iron infusion should be aware of the possible ocular complications."}
{"id": "PMID:1478318", "title": "Erythrocyte stearic to oleic acid ratio in patients with ocular melanoma.", "content": "The main characteristics of malignant cells include increased metabolism and capacity for division which are associated with high membrane fluidity. Membrane fluidity is in turn controlled by multiple factors which include the ratio of saturated to unsaturated fatty acids in the cell wall i.e. the Saturation Index (SI). The SI is known to be reduced in neoplastic cells as well as in the circulating erythrocytes of patients with some malignant tumours but not others. It has been suggested that the SI may be useful as a marker of malignancy."}
{"id": "PMID:1478319", "title": "Cellular automata: retinal cells, circulation and patterns.", "content": "Cellular automata modelling is a useful mathematical technique for simulating complex biological systems. An area to be studied is broken into a lattice of adjacent cells depicted by picture elements on a computer screen. The initial tissue pattern evolves on the computer screen, directed by a rule that considers the state of each cell and its neighbours in the lattice. Simulations of wound repair, cell proliferation, retinal circulation and pigment aggregation serve to illustrate the potential value of cellular automata modelling in ophthalmic research and practice."}
{"id": "PMID:1478323", "title": "Expression of HLA-DR molecules and some other differentiation antigens within early human fetus.", "content": "Leukocyte membrane markers have been examined within cryostat sections and cell suspensions of human fetuses aged between 4 and 18 weeks of gestation using a panel of monoclonal antibodies. The HLA-DR molecule was present on a population of erythroid cells and macrophages in liver sinuses at 34 days and periarteriolar splenic macrophages at 60 days of gestation. CD5, CD15 and CD45 antigens were detected at 6 weeks of gestation, whereas CD4, CD8, CD10, CD11c, CD14 and IgM were not expressed at this stage. These findings and ultrastructural examination of embryonic liver confirm early differentiation of macrophages in the pre-lymphatic developmental period."}
{"id": "PMID:1478324", "title": "Osteoblastic and chondroblastic response to a variety of locally administered immunomodulators in mice.", "content": "Administration into mouse shank muscles of various immunomodulators which directly or indirectly activate lymphocytes (BCG, Con A, Carrageenan IV, Dextran, PHA-M, PWM, lipopolysaccharides from Corynebacterium) have a dual effect on local bones, stimulating both periosteal bone formation and bone resorption, the former being dominant. These effects vary in frequency and magnitude, the most potent stimulation of periosteal bone formation being observed after administration of Con A and BCG in complete Freund adjuvant. BCG was also a strong inducer of bone resorption in vivo. Concanavalin A and, to a lesser degree, other immunomodulators applied, when administered subcutaneously into the pinna, also have induced perichondrial chondrogenesis. These novel effects of immunodulators could be applied in the field of skeletal tissues regeneration."}
{"id": "PMID:1478325", "title": "Stable DNA-polypeptide complexes from eukaryotic nuclei purified on heparin Sepharose.", "content": "A novel simple method using affinity chromatography on Heparin Sepharose CL-6B is described for purification of stable DNA-polypeptide complexes from preparations of eukaryotic nuclear DNA. These complexes resist RNase A and proteinase K treatment and copurify with DNA on phenol extraction. The content of heparin-binding complexes amounted to about 20% of the total DNA quantity and 60 to 80% of nitrocellulose-retained DNA, being similar in preparations of DNA from calf thymus, chicken erythrocytes and cauliflower inflorescence. This content was influenced by the size of DNA fragments and the presence of dithiothreitol. The heparin-binding fraction was shown to represent a definite type of complexes which is different from the other(s) retained on nitrocellulose."}
{"id": "PMID:1478331", "title": "Effects of fermentation on product consistency.", "content": "A variety of different fermentation processes has been successfully employed to produce consistent protein-based biopharmaceuticals from genetically engineered animal cells. Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells were genetically modified to produce recombinant human soluble CD4, tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) or erythropoietin (EPO). Soluble CD4 was collected from extended perfused fermentations of several months' duration, during which some quantitative loss of DNA copy level, mRNA expression level, and fermentation titer were observed. In one extended run, a novel contaminant appeared in intermediates purified from later harvests. However, in all cases, the final soluble CD4 product was consistent in terms of purity and potency. Evaluation of genetic stability for tPA examined both biological traits at the cellular level as well as potency, purity and structure of product derived from cells at various levels of in vitro age; no significant cell age effects were observed. Similarly, evaluation of the EPO product showed that genetically-determined and process-determined traits such as potency, tryptic peptide mapping, and sialylation were consistent from lot to lot. These data exemplified how process design, process validation, and in-process and quality control assays can be used effectively to ensure the consistency of recombinant products derived from cell culture fermentations."}
{"id": "PMID:1478332", "title": "Peptide mapping for detecting variants in protein products.", "content": "The genetic stability of biotechnology production systems is of importance in evaluating the safety and efficacy of protein products. The analysis methods currently available for assessing the genetic stability of such systems are limited by the complexity of the eukaryotic genome and by their inability to predict the effects of post-transcriptional and post-translational events, such as glycosylation or host cell protein level changes, on the protein produced. Therefore, it is important to focus attention on the protein product itself in evaluating product consistency rather than on nucleotide sequence analysis for genetic stability of the production systems involved. Peptide mapping has arisen as the best method for the analysis of proteins as a surrogate measure of genetic stability. This method uses known chemical reactions or enzymes to cleave the protein at specific sites, resulting in discrete peptides whose structure and composition can be readily compared to that of the theoretical protein coded for by the DNA sequence of its gene. Peptide mapping, which is capable of detecting single amino acid changes in a molecule, can also be used for determining glycosylation sites. Peptide mapping requires sophisticated chromatographic techniques and equipment, and is limited to molecules of m.w. of c. 100,000. The method also requires careful validation to limit the potential for misinterpretation of artifactual peaks. Despite its limitations, no better method currently exists to evaluate product consistency and, thereby, the genetic stability of recombinant products."}
{"id": "PMID:1478333", "title": "Changing issues of quality control: diploid and non-diploid cell lines.", "content": "Early viral vaccines were prepared from primary monkey kidney cell cultures. However, primary cell cultures can be highly variable and also present a risk of contamination by endogenous viruses. The development of human diploid cell lines for vaccine production provide greater assurance of consistency and freedom from contaminating viruses. Continuous cell lines present considerable advantages in the preparation of proteins for therapeutic use. The perceived risks associated with the use of these cell lines include those of retroviral contamination, oncogenic DNA and consistency of final product during the extended life in culture. Advances in molecular biologic and analytical chemistry procedures have enabled extensive characterisation not only of the cells, but also of the product itself. The degree of testing which can now be performed on the product, to ensure its safety and consistency, should lead to a reappraisal of testing regimes applied to the cells themselves."}
{"id": "PMID:1478334", "title": "Introduction to the issues: detection of retroviruses and associated risks.", "content": "A brief overview of retroviral contamination as it relates to biological products produced in cell substrates is presented, including currently used methods of detection and potential risks. The presence of infectious retrovirus in a cell substrate represents what may be a potential risk to recipients of the final product prepared from such cell banks, and it is the approach that can be taken to minimize this risk that is addressed."}
{"id": "PMID:1478335", "title": "Retroviral DNA integration.", "content": "This overview summarizes the properties and mechanism of retroviral DNA integration and the consequences of the integration process to the infected cell and host. Integration of viral into cellular DNA is a regular and irreversible event, essential for virus replication, whose mechanism is becoming well understood. Many pathogenic consequences of retrovirus infection are due to side-effects of the integration process, including gene disruption, activation of proto-oncogenes, acquisition of oncogenes, and inappropriate expression of viral gene products. The properties and risks associated with these events are reviewed along with overall conclusions as to the importance of these to possible retroviral contaminants of biologicals."}
{"id": "PMID:1478336", "title": "PCR and other test systems in human gene therapy.", "content": "Three protocols using retroviral-mediated gene transfer are currently undergoing clinical trials. The uniqueness of these protocols, which were the first approved experiments in which genetically engineered cells were administered to human beings, necessitated the development of novel biological and physical safety testing procedures. In addition to standard testing for contamination with exogenous pathogens and toxins, specific tests were developed to assay for the presence of recombinant helper virus in both retroviral vector preparations and in the engineered human cells. Two new assays were developed, an enhanced S+/L-virus assay called 3T3 amplification, and a specific polymerase chain reaction protocol of great sensitivity. The results of these safety tests, along with pre-clinical primate safety studies, and the accumulating clinical data, suggest that retroviral-mediated gene transfer does not pose any serious short-term safety problems for patients enrolled in gene therapy protocols."}
{"id": "PMID:1478337", "title": "Introduction to the issues: recently developed methods for characterizing cell lines.", "content": "Cell line characterization is an integral part of establishing quality control over the manufacturing process of a biological product. Characterizing the general and unique features of the continuous cell line and the absence or presence of contaminants establishes a fundamental knowledge about the raw material from which the biological product is being derived. Such information can be used for cell line selection, design of the purification scheme and extent of ensuing validation studies. Developing the selected cell line into a cell bank system allows for a constant source of starting material and decreases the likelihood of contamination. Characterization of the cell bank system may include a) identification of the cell line species of origin, b) identification of unique reference markers, and c) pre-testing for cross-contamination and adventitious agents. This paper introduces issues surrounding present and upcoming methods used for authenticity and characterization testing of cell banks."}
{"id": "PMID:1478340", "title": "Applicability of statistical reliability methods to the validation process.", "content": "This paper discusses some statistical considerations for the reliability of validation processes. An underlying theme is assessment of sources of variability for validation data. Confidence intervals and other statistical methods can clarify the impact of such variability. Statistical strategies for strengthening the design of systems for evaluation of validation processes are outlined."}
{"id": "PMID:1478341", "title": "Philosophy and goals of validation for biotech products and the relevance of scale.", "content": "A model for validation of viral clearances in Biopharmaceutical processes is developed from an analysis of validation of terminal sterilization processes. The model develops the role for small-scale experiments in the validation of large-scale production processes. The steps for process validation are: identify or discover the basic general physical, chemical, or biological laws governing the process; identify the critical process control parameters for the specific application under investigation; and demonstrate the ability of the production equipment to maintain critical parameters with specified limits. For concurrent validation, this final step is seen as equivalent to demonstrating that a scaled-down model experiment is an appropriate representation of the production process."}
{"id": "PMID:1478343", "title": "Methods for authenticating cell lines.", "content": "Methods for authentication of cell lines include tests for microbial contamination, verification of the species of origin, documentation of particular characteristics or functions and the absolute identification of individual cell lines. Experience indicates that mycoplasma contamination is still a serious problem in the cell culture field, with estimates on frequencies of infection varying from 10% upwards. The utilization of pre-screened reagents and antibiotic-free cultivation, plus the application of improved procedures, such as fluorescent dyes and molecular probes for detection, provide effective means to avoid mycoplasma infection and facilitate control. Viral contamination is perhaps more problematic, especially where no overt cytopathic effect results. The potential exists for the introduction of viruses from the cell culture technician or reagents used. Representative problem viruses are listed with standard procedures for screening. Detailed studies on animal cell cross contaminations have been performed and published. The frequency of detection of problem culture varied from 17-36% in studies performed in the USA. Both interspecies and intraspecies contaminations have been involved. Awareness of the potential for this problem plus the application of several characterization procedures are key factors for control. For example, fluorescent antibody staining, iso-enzyme analysis, cytogenetic evaluation and DNA finger-printing using molecular probes are needed for quality assurance on seed stocks. The critical importance of generating well-characterized reference cell stocks for use over the years is emphasized."}
{"id": "PMID:1478345", "title": "Filovirus contamination of cell cultures.", "content": "The filoviruses Marburg and Ebola comprise a newly recognized family of viruses. The first filovirus to be isolated was Marburg virus in 1967. This virus was imported in shipments of African green monkeys from Uganda and infected several cell-culture technicians, with serious illness resulting. The rarity of Marburg and Ebola virus transmission, decreasing use of imported African monkeys, and quarantine efforts have presumably been responsible for the lack of additional episodes until 1989, when a new filovirus related to Ebola was isolated from quarantined monkeys in Reston, Virginia. This virus was imported on multiple occasions from a Philippine supplier of cynomolgus macaques as a consequence of an epidemic of acute infections in the foreign holding facility. While quarantine procedures prevented the use of any of these animals in research and the three human infections that occurred were asymptomatic, this episode emphasizes that these little understood viruses have considerable potential for mischief. The finding of antibodies reacting with Ebola viruses in many biomedically important Old World primates, including colonized monkeys in the U.S., emphasizes the need for more research to understand the specificity of the antibodies, spectrum of filovirus strains in nature, potential hosts, and true distribution of the family. The filoviruses grow well in primary and established cell strains and cell lines, and cytopathogenic effects may be absent or require several days to be manifest, leading to the possibility of occult contamination. The known viruses are readily detected by polyclonal and monoclonal antibody staining of cells and by electron microscopy; nucleic acid probes exist to develop more sensitive techniques if warranted."}
{"id": "PMID:1478346", "title": "An overview of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in Britain.", "content": "Since 1985 cases of BSE have occurred in increasing numbers in the UK, particularly in dairy herds. Scientist, clinicians and administrators co-operated in showing that this was due to exposure to ruminant-derived meat-and-bonemeal products. The measures used to contain the epidemic and protect biological medicinal products are described. The epidemic will require continued control measures and monitoring until it finally declines."}
{"id": "PMID:1478348", "title": "Cell line issues related to specific expression vectors: retrovirus vectors.", "content": "Retroviruses have received attention as vectors for gene transfer because they can infect a variety of cell types, they integrate stably into the genome of the target cell and they have simple, well-defined structures. Insertion of the gene of interest into a retroviral vector results in the formation of replication-defective particles that can be produced in \"packaging\" cell lines. Due to the nature of the present generation of vectors and packaging cell lines, multiple recombination events would be needed to produce replication-competent particles. However, the concern still exists that replication-competent virus could arise either in the production of retroviral vector stocks or following their introduction into target cells. The current use of retrovirus vectors and the challenge they present to testing programmes are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1478350", "title": "Effect of baculovirus on selected vertebrate cells.", "content": "Risk assessment of viral pesticides is required by federal statute. Subdivision M of the Pesticide Testing Guidelines includes mammalian cell culture studies for viral agents. Using these tests we have demonstrated baculovirus toxicity to human fibroblast and lung cells, as well as monkey kidney cells. However, virus was not toxic to toad cells. Furthermore, toxicity was associated with the virus particle and was not removed by dialysis of the preparation, gradient purification or psoralen inactivation of the virus. However, heat-inactivated virus was not toxic."}
{"id": "PMID:1478351", "title": "Insect cells: adventitious agents.", "content": "The varied associations between insects and micro-organisms provides ample opportunity for the contamination of insect cell cultures. As with cell cultures from vertebrates, the addition of serum or serum products into cell culture media risks the introduction of mycoplasma and bovine viruses into cell cultures. Rarely do these organisms persist or multiply in insect cultures; however, there have been reports of the growth of Acholeplasmas introduced with fetal bovine serum. The contamination of cultures with plant or mammalian pathogens that are transmitted by insects is more common. The micro-organisms that are associated with insects, either as pathogens or commensals, frequently contaminate primary cell cultures and may also contaminate cell lines."}
{"id": "PMID:1478352", "title": "Cell line characterisation by DNA fingerprinting; a review.", "content": "DNA fingerprinting using multi-locus probes has become established as the most powerful technology for the identification and characterisation of mammalian cell lines. However, care must be taken in the technical preparation and statistical evaluation of the DNA banding patterns."}
{"id": "PMID:1478354", "title": "Tumorigenicity testing: past concerns, future problems.", "content": "Tumorigenicity testing has been an integral part of cell substrate characterization. With the combination of recombinant technology and traditional cell culture, we have entered an era in which many of the principles developed with vaccine production may need to be modified and new ones developed. Models of tumorigenicity are reviewed in the light of current knowledge; the applicability and necessity of such testing in new areas such as somatic cell therapy will also be presented."}
{"id": "PMID:1478355", "title": "Cell line issues: historical and future perspectives.", "content": "The initial decision to use only primary cell cultures for the production of human biological products was challenged in the late 1960s by the introduction of human diploid cells (HDCs), and again in the 1980s by continuous cell lines (CCLs). The history of the HDC controversy is reviewed and lessons from that era that are relevant to the use of CCLs are pointed out. With the introduction of recombinant DNA technology in the 1980s, and the potential usefulness of CCLs in product development, the issue of cell acceptability became more urgent, and several attempts were made to reach a consensus on regulatory issues. In 1986, the World Health Organization convened a Study Group to review the safety issues related to products derived from CCLs. The Study Group made a clear recommendation to pursue CCLs in product development because of the demonstrated capability of modern manufacturing processes to cope with contaminants. Issues such as acceptable levels of cellular DNA in products, the relationship of purity to safety, and the relevance of the genetic stability of recombinant cells to product consistency are current examples of areas in need of discussion and agreement. A system in which regulatory authorities, industry, and the general biomedical community cooperate in finding solutions is ultimately in everyone's best interest."}
{"id": "PMID:1478356", "title": "Experience in cell line testing.", "content": "For more than ten years Microbiological Associates, Inc. has provided testing services for cell lines, products and processes associated with the safety of recombinant biologics. The results of numerous cell line characterizations performed under the guidance of \"Points to Consider\" documents shed light on the incidence of contamination of production cell banks. The most common sources of compromise of production substrates are also identified. Findings from this short review, though necessarily general, permit attention to be focused on areas of cell line characterization where concern is warranted. Conversely, where an alternative technique of equal sensitivity to existing tests is available for specific cell substrates, these may be given consideration. The observations presented here support the overall safety of biopharmaceuticals produced from genetically engineered cell lines and the wisdom of a multifaceted approach to assure product safety."}
{"id": "PMID:1478358", "title": "Integration and stability of CHO amplicons containing plasmid sequences.", "content": "Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH, 15) and high density, non-selective long term perfusion culture were used to study aspects of genetic stability and productivity in recombinant CHO cells. We analysed the distribution and structure of recombinant amplicons in chromosomes of CHO cells used for the production of proteins. In the presence, but not in the absence, of methotrexate (MTX) we found a high proportion of cells (40-60%) with multiple and/or unusually structured and extended chromosome regions containing amplified sequences. Removal of MTX from culture media resulted in the rapid decline in the frequency of cells containing amplified sequences exhibiting multiple and heterogeneous integrations. In cloned lines cultivated in the absence of MTX, a well defined signal motif on a specific chromosome, interpreted as the \"master integration\" unit, became increasingly abundant over time until almost all cells contained that signal motif. We used fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) with chemically modified DNA probes complementary to the integrated sequences to verify the stability of master integrations in cells cultured for extended periods in medium lacking MTX. In a second approach, we studied long-term stability of recombinant sequences during non-selective perfusion culture of CHO populations with non-cloned, MTX resistant heterogeneous populations of cells producing CD4IgG chimeric molecules. Due to the mode of transfection and primary selection the resulting cell lines consisted of subpopulations of cells derived from various independent integration events. The amplification and MTX selection procedure used consecutively generated multiple, structurally different amplicon types in the cell population, thus increasing the degree of heterogeneity. High density perfusion culture of these cells in the absence of MTX was used to maximize growth rates and was thought to select against cells with reduced growth rates, due to the highly amplified state of their introduced DNA, with concomitantly high productivity. However we found no evidence for such a selection; cells showed no reduction in copy number or total loss of amplified sequences at the end of the culture. More significantly, specific productivity of these cell lines grown under non-selective conditions did not decrease over the 100 days observation period."}
{"id": "PMID:1478359", "title": "Physiological relevance of protein glycosylation.", "content": "The glycosylation of proteins is a complex biological pathway which is ordered and non-random. It is also a deterministic pathway dependent upon protein sequence, cellular phenotype, and the physiological environment. Two principal physiological roles have emerged within the past decade for protein-linked glycans: as recognition determinants and as modulators of various protein attributes such as bioactivity, pharmacokinetics, folding, and immunogenicity. All these attributes are crucial to development and application of protein-based pharmaceuticals. However, protein glycosylation represents a difficult structure/function problem since most glycoproteins exhibit microheterogeneity and oligosaccharides frequently contribute to this heterogeneity. Nevertheless, recent data suggest that different members of the heterogeneous ensemble exhibit distinguishable intrinsic properties, suggesting that the microheterogeneity of protein glycosylation represents a sophisticated mechanism of biological control."}
{"id": "PMID:1478360", "title": "Bioprocess factors affecting glycoprotein oligosaccharide structure.", "content": "The oligosaccharide structures of glycoproteins can have a profound effect on properties critical to the development of glycoprotein products for human therapeutic or diagnostic use, including clearance rate, antigenicity, specific activity, solubility, resistance to thermal inactivation, and resistance to protease attack. Therefore, it is important to understand how bioprocess factors influence oligosaccharide structure. In this presentation, I will summarize literature data concerning potential effects of bioprocess factors on glycoprotein oligosaccharide biosynthesis. These data are drawn from two recent detailed reviews published by our laboratory describing the effect of cell culture conditions on N-linked glycosylation (10) and the effects of other bioprocess factors on both N-linked and O-linked glycosylation (11)."}
{"id": "PMID:1478362", "title": "The effect of the calcium antagonist nifedipine on peripheral nerve function in streptozotocin-diabetic rats.", "content": "Recent data suggests that reduced nerve blood flow is implicated in the aetiology of experimental diabetic neuropathy, which may be prevented by manipulations that reduce receptor-mediated vasoconstrictor activity. This investigation examines the effects of nifedipine, a voltage-sensitive calcium channel antagonist which has a direct vasodilatory effect on vessels, on nerve conduction, hypoxic resistance and capillary density in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Treated and non-treated non-diabetic and diabetic groups were employed. Diabetes duration was 2 months. Treatment was preventive, groups received a nifedipine dietary supplement (40 mg.kg-1.day-1) for 2 months from the start of the study. Conduction was measured in sciatic motor branches supplying tibialis anterior and gastrocnemius muscles, and sensory saphenous nerve. Diabetes resulted in a 23-28% reduction in motor conduction velocity (p < 0.001), and a 15% deficit for sensory saphenous nerve (p < 0.001). In the nifedipine-treated diabetic group, motor and sensory conduction deficits were minimal compared with non-treated diabetes (p < 0.001). Nifedipine treatment had no significant effect on conduction velocity in non-diabetic rats. In vitro measurement of sciatic nerve hypoxic resistance revealed a 60% increase in the time taken for compound action potential amplitude to reach half its initial value with diabetes (p < 0.001). This was not significantly affected by nifedipine treatment. Experimental diabetes or nifedipine treatment did not significantly alter sciatic nerve endoneurial capillary density. We conclude that nifedipine, a vasodilator which acts directly on vascular smooth muscle, prevents nerve conduction deficits in experimental diabetes."}
{"id": "PMID:1478363", "title": "Increased vascular permeability in pancreas of diabetic rats: detection with high resolution protein A-gold cytochemistry.", "content": "The role of the pancreatic microcirculation in the pathogenesis of Type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus remains poorly understood. Herein, a method is described for the ultrastructural investigation of the integrity of the pancreatic microvasculature. The method consists of histochemical detection and isolation of the islets followed by albumin and protein A-gold immunocytochemistry, whereby the distribution of endogenous albumin is used as a marker of endothelial integrity. This technique, applied to the study of spontaneously diabetic rats, reveals a selective increase in permeability of islet capillaries and post-capillary venules at the onset of diabetes, while acinar capillaries and arterioles remain intact. At 50 days of age, before the onset of diabetes, the microvasculature of diabetes-prone rats shows no alterations in permeability to albumin. When used in conjunction with morphometric analyses, this methodological approach may be useful for further studies in pathologic or experimental conditions involving the pancreatic microvasculature."}
{"id": "PMID:1478364", "title": "Contribution of neural intrapancreatic non-cholinergic non-adrenergic mechanisms to glucose-induced insulin release in the isolated rat pancreas.", "content": "In the isolated rat pancreas the effect of intrapancreatic non-adrenergic non-cholinergic nerves was examined upon insulin, glucagon and somatostatin release during perturbations of perfusate glucose. Elevation of glucose from 1.6 to 8.3 mmol/l increased insulin and somatostatin secretion and inhibited glucagon release. The first phase of insulin secretion was significantly reduced by the neurotoxin tetrodotoxin to 55% of the controls (p < 0.05). The somatostatin response was attenuated by tetrodotoxin while the change of glucagon remained unaffected. In contrast the combined adrenergic and cholinergic blockade with atropine, phentolamine and propranolol (10(-5) mol/l) did not modify the insulin, glucagon and somatostatin response. When glucose was changed from 8.3 to 1.6 mmol/l, the reduction of insulin and somatostatin release was not modified by tetrodotoxin, but stimulation of glucagon was significantly attenuated by 60-70% (p < 0.03), which was similar to the effect of combined adrenergic and cholinergic blockade. Subsequently, the effect of neural blockade was examined during more physiological perturbations of perfusate glucose levels. When glucose was changed from 3.9 to 7.2 mmol/l, tetrodotoxin also attenuated first phase insulin response by 40% while cholinergic and adrenergic blockade had no effect. The nitric oxide synthase inhibitor NG-Nitro-L-arginine-methyl-ester (L-NAME) did not alter the glucose-induced insulin response indicating that nitric oxide is not involved in this mechanism. It is concluded that neural non-adrenergic non-cholinergic mechanisms contribute to the first, but not second phase of glucose-induced insulin release. Non-adrenergic non-cholinergic effects do not participate in regulation of glucagon and somatostatin secretion under the conditions employed.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1478365", "title": "Insulin resistance in type 2 (non-insulin-dependent) diabetic patients with hypertriglyceridaemia.", "content": "Hypertriglyceridaemia, which is frequently seen in Type 2 (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus, is associated with insulin resistance. The connection between hypertriglyceridaemia and insulin resistance is not clear, but could be due to substrate competition between glucose and lipids. To address this question we measured glucose and lipid metabolism in 39 Type 2 diabetic patients with hypertriglyceridaemia, i.e. mean fasting serum triglyceride level equal to or above 2 mmol/l (age 59 +/- 1 years, BMI 27.4 +/- 0.5 kg/m2, HbA1c 8.0 +/- 0.2%, serum triglycerides 3.2 +/- 0.2 mmol/l) and 41 Type 2 diabetic patients with normotriglyceridaemia, i.e. mean fasting serum triglyceride level below 2 mmol/l (age 58 +/- 1 years, BMI 27.0 +/- 0.7 kg/m2, HbA1c 7.8 +/- 0.2%, serum triglycerides 1.4 +/- 0.1 mmol/l). Insulin sensitivity was assessed using a 340 pmol.(m2)-1 x min-1 euglycaemic insulin clamp. Substrate oxidation rates were measured with indirect calorimetry and hepatic glucose production was estimated using a primed (25 microCi)-constant (0.25 microCi/min) infusion of [3-3H]-glucose. Suppression of lipid oxidation by insulin was impaired in patients with hypertriglyceridaemia vs patients with normal triglyceride levels (3.5 +/- 0.2 vs 3.0 +/- 0.2 mumol.kg-1 x min-1; p < 0.05). Stimulation of glucose disposal by insulin was reduced in hypertriglyceridaemic vs normotriglyceridaemic patients (27.0 +/- 1.3 vs 31.9 +/- 1.6 mumol.kg-1 x min-1; p < 0.05) primarily due to impaired glucose storage (9.8 +/- 1.0 vs 14.6 +/- 1.4 mumol.kg-1 x min-1; p < 0.01).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1478366", "title": "Correlations between nerve function and tissue oxygenation in diabetic patients: further clues to the aetiology of diabetic neuropathy?", "content": "Transcutaneous oxygen, laser Doppler flowmetry, peroneal nerve motor conduction velocity and skin temperature were assessed in both legs of 34 diabetic patients, who had a mean age of 41 (range 29-77) years, and diabetes duration of 21 (3-34) years. Transcutaneous oxygen significantly correlated with peroneal nerve motor conduction velocity (r = 0.59 p < 0.001) and laser Doppler flowmetry (r = 0.7 p < 0.001). Laser Doppler flowmetry correlated weakly with peroneal motor conduction velocity, (r = 0.34 p < 0.05). In each patient the leg with the higher transcutaneous oxygen (mean 70.2 +/- 9.3 (SD) mmHg) had a significantly higher peroneal motor conduction velocity (45.3 +/- 7.1 vs 41.5 +/- 6.3 m/s, p < 0.01), than the leg with the lower transcutaneous oxygen (61.0 +/- 11.9 mmHg), though no difference in skin temperature was observed, 31.4 +/- 0.4 vs 31.1 +/- 0.5 degrees C. We then assessed the potential for reversibility of conduction velocity deficits in ten non-diabetic patients, aged 59 (52-77) years, undergoing unilateral femoro-popliteal bypass, measuring transcutaneous oxygen, peroneal nerve motor conduction velocity and skin temperature pre- and 6 weeks post-surgery. In the control leg (unoperated) there was no significant change in transcutaneous oxygen (63.2 +/- 8.8 vs 63.0 +/- 4.6 mm Hg), peroneal nerve motor conduction velocity (45.1 +/- 7.8 vs 43.4 +/- 7.2 m/s) or skin temperature (30.8 +/- 1.3 vs 30.2 +/- 1.2 degrees C) after surgery (all NS).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1478367", "title": "Effects of C-peptide on blood flow, capillary diffusion capacity and glucose utilization in the exercising forearm of type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetic patients.", "content": "Microvascular dysfunction is frequently seen in patients with Type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes. The present study was undertaken to examine whether skeletal muscle microcirculation in Type 1 diabetic patients is influenced by C-peptide. Forearm blood flow, capillary diffusion capacity and substrate exchange were studied during strenuous rhythmic forearm exercise on a hand ergometer. Measurements were made before and during i.v. infusion for 60 min of C-peptide or 0.9% NaCl in Type 1 diabetic patients and healthy subjects. During infusion the C-peptide levels in the diabetic patients increased from less than 0.05 nmol/l to 1.32 +/- 0.08 nmol/l. Prior to infusion forearm blood flow and capillary diffusion capacity during exercise were lower in the diabetic patients than the control subjects. During C-peptide infusion both variables increased in the diabetic patients (blood flow +27 +/- 4%, capillary diffusion capacity +52 +/- 9%) to levels similar to those in the healthy subjects, while no significant change was seen in the healthy control subjects or the diabetic patients given NaCl. Forearm uptake of oxygen and glucose in the diabetic patients increased markedly after C-peptide administration but were unchanged after NaCl infusion. Significant uptake of C-peptide to the deep forearm tissues was observed in the resting state; approximately 7 +/- 2% of the arterial C-peptide concentration was extracted by forearm tissues in diabetic patients as well as in healthy control subjects.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1478368", "title": "Cellular and humoural autoimmunity markers in type 2 (non-insulin-dependent) diabetic patients with secondary drug failure.", "content": "In some cases patients with Type 2 (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus fail to respond to treatment with oral hypoglycaemic agents. These patients may respond in the same way as Type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetic patients. Cellular immune aggression (defined as the capacity of peripheral mononuclear cells to inhibit stimulated insulin secretion by dispersed rat islet cells), insulin autoantibodies, C-peptide response and HLA antigens were determined in 31 Type 2 diabetic patients with secondary failure to oral hypoglycaemic agents and in 22 control subjects. Nine (29.03%) of the 31 Type 2 diabetic patients showed positive cellular immune aggression (2 SD below control group) and 22 (70.97%) presented no cellular immune aggression. There was a relationship between positive cellular immune aggression and each of the following parameters: age, body mass index and microangiopathy. No correlation was found between positive cellular immune aggression and glycaemia, HbA1, blood lipids or atherosclerosis. Patients with positive cellular immune aggression showed a significantly lower glucagon-stimulated C-peptide response vs those with no cellular immune aggression. Within a sub-group of patients who had never been treated with insulin, insulin autoantibodies were present in four of six patients with positive cellular immune aggression. DR2 antigen was found with decreased frequency in patients whereas no DR3/DR4 heterozygotes were observed. Our data support the hypothesis that a group of Type 2 diabetic patients with secondary failure to oral hypoglycaemic agents presented autoimmunity towards pancreatic Beta cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1478369", "title": "Glomerular charge selectivity and the influence of improved blood glucose control in type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetic patients with microalbuminuria.", "content": "We first compared glomerular charge selectivity index in two matched groups of Type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetic patients with micro- and normoalbuminuria respectively, and secondly, investigated prospectively in a randomized clinical trial, the influence of improved metabolic control on selectivity index in diabetic patients with microalbuminuria. In Study 1, 27 patients with microalbuminuria (albumin excretion > or = 15 micrograms/min in at least two out of three overnight urine samples) were matched (age, diabetes duration, mean 1-year HbA1c, gender) with normoalbuminuria patients (n = 24), and in Study 2, 23 microalbuminuric patients were randomly allocated to either intensive (continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion) or conventional treatment. Glomerular charge selectivity index was measured as IgG/IgG4 selectivity index, i.e. total IgG/IgG4 clearance ratio in timed overnight urine samples. The microalbuminuric patients had a significantly reduced selectivity index compared to the normoalbuminuric patients: 1.20 (0.92-1.40) vs 1.68 (1.22-2.21), median and 95% confidence interval (p < 0.01). In Study 2, the HbA1c improved in the intensive-treatment group compared to the conventional-treatment group: at 2, 6 and 12 months the difference in mean percentage HbA1c between the groups was 1.1, 1.2 and 1.4, respectively (p < 0.01). A sharp 50% increment in IgG/IgG4 selectivity index was seen in the intensive-treatment group during the first 6 months (p < 0.05 compared to the conventional group). We conclude that adolescents and young adults in an early stage of diabetic nephropathy have reduced glomerular charge selectivity, which may be improved by reducing the mean blood glucose level."}
{"id": "PMID:1478370", "title": "Hyperproinsulinaemia in patients with myotonic dystrophy.", "content": "Hyperinsulinaemia is a reported feature of the inherited multisystem disorder myotonic dystrophy. This phenomenon has been attributed to a compensatory beta cell response to tissue insulin resistance. In this study, circulating concentrations of insulin, proinsulin, and split proinsulin molecules were determined after an overnight fast in ten patients with myotonic dystrophy using two-site monoclonal antibody-based immunoradiometric assays. Results were compared with ten healthy control subjects matched for age, gender, and body mass index. Oral glucose tolerance (75 g), as defined by World Health Organization criteria, was normal in all subjects. Fasting plasma immunoreactive insulin concentration, as determined using a conventional radioimmunoassay, was almost three times higher (p < 0.005) in the myotonic dystrophy patients than the healthy control subjects. By contrast, fasting concentrations (mean +/- SEM) of C-peptide (0.75 +/- 0.09 vs 0.52 +/- 0.03 nmol/l, p = 0.07) and immunoradiometrically-determined insulin (60 +/- 12 vs 38 +/- 4 pmol/l, p = 0.09) were not significantly different between the groups. Fasting concentrations of proinsulin (10.3 +/- 2.9 vs 1.6 +/- 0.3 pmol/l, p < 0.01), and 32-33 split proinsulin (7.8 +/- 2.5 vs 2.9 +/- 0.4 pmol/l, p < 0.05) were significantly elevated in the patients with myotonic dystrophy. Accordingly, the mean fasting proinsulin:insulin ratio, expressed as a percentage, was significantly increased in the myotonic patients (20 +/- 5 vs 4 +/- 1%, p < 0.01). The overall C-peptide response to the oral glucose challenge was significantly greater in the myotonic patients compared with the healthy control subjects (p < 0.001). These results provide corroborative evidence of increased beta-cell secretion in myotonic dystrophy.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1478371", "title": "Pulmonary complications of type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetic patients.", "content": "We have investigated the influence of diabetes mellitus including the presence of late complications of the pulmonary system. To check this relationship 31 Type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetic patients (mean age 30.6 +/- 5.32 years, mean duration of diabetes 12.9 +/- 5.05 years) were admitted into the trial and compared with 18 control subjects. Pulmonary function tests were measured including spirometric parameters, diffusing capacity, specific diffusing capacity and dynamic compliance measured at 20 and 60 breaths per min. No disturbance of the spirometric parameters was observed in the diabetic patients. Diffusing capacity in the diabetic patients with complications was significantly lower than in both the diabetic patients without complications and the control group (81.2 +/- 16.2%, 104 +/- 13.7%, 99.3 +/- 2.8%; p < 0.001, p < 0.005 respectively). Specific diffusing capacity was significantly lower in the diabetic patients than in the control subjects (80.3 +/- 13.1% vs 89.4 +/- 12.9%; p < 0.05). In the group with late complications specific diffusing capacity was lower than in the group without complications (69.7 +/- 9.17%; 87.2 +/- 10.7%, respectively; p < 0.001). Dynamic compliance at 20 breaths per min in diabetic patients was 84.06 +/- 17.08% vs 95.2 +/- 11.59% in the control subjects (p < 0.05). It was particularly low in the group with late complications 80.6 +/- 13.2% and patients with metabolic poor control, 80.3 +/- 12.02% (both p < 0.005 vs the control group). Dynamic compliance at 60 breaths per min was 60.1 +/- 15.0% as compared to 83.2 +/- 13.3% in the control group (p < 0.001).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1478372", "title": "Microdialysis measurement of the absolute glucose concentration in subcutaneous adipose tissue allowing glucose monitoring in diabetic patients.", "content": "The possibility of continuously monitoring the absolute glucose concentration in subcutaneous adipose tissue, using microdialysis of the extracellular water space, was investigated in six Type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetic patients. By using a large microdialysis probe (30 x 0.62 mm), and by perfusing with a low flow rate (0.5 microliters/min), complete recovery of glucose was attained in vitro. In the patients the dialysis probe was implanted subcutaneously, perfused by a wearable microinfusion pump, and dialysate samples were collected in 60-min fractions over 10 h. The absolute glucose concentration in the tissue dialysate was the same or almost the same as the blood glucose concentration (range 87-101% of the blood glucose value). The changes in blood glucose were closely paralleled by the variations in adipose tissue glucose (r = 0.93, p < 0.01), and the recovery of glucose in the microdialysate remained constant during the 10-h study period. In conclusion, it is possible, using microdialysis, to directly determine the absolute glucose concentration in subcutaneous adipose tissue. Hence, this technique may be used for continuous glucose monitoring in diabetic patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1478375", "title": "Genetic control of diabetes mellitus.", "content": "Genetic inheritance predisposing individuals to diabetes mellitus was discussed in this work group. The two forms of the disease, Type 1 (insulin-dependent) and Type 2 (non-insulin-dependent) were discussed separately since the pattern of inheritance and genes involved appear to be distinctly different. Within these subtypes there is considerable genetic heterogeneity, and superimposed environmental factors confound the analysis. New technologies that will allow finer molecular analysis, as well as new candidates genes, were presented."}
{"id": "PMID:1478376", "title": "The process of atherogenesis--cellular and molecular interaction: from experimental animal models to humans.", "content": "Atherogenesis is a disorder of the artery wall that involves: adhesion of monocytes and lymphocytes to the endothelial cell surface; migration of monocytes into the sub-endothelial space and differentiation into macrophages; ingestion of low density lipoproteins and modified or oxidised low density lipoproteins by macrophages by several pathways, including a scavenger pathway, leading to accumulation of cholesterol esters and formation of \"foam cells\". These foam cells together with T lymphocytes form the fatty streak. Vascular smooth muscle cells migrate from the media into the intima and proliferate with the formation of atherosclerotic plaques. These processes which involve cell adhesion, migration, differentiation, proliferation and cell interaction with the extracellular matrix are regulated by a complex network/cascade of cytokines and growth regulatory peptides. Thus, atherosclerosis may be the result of a specialised chronic inflammatory fibroproliferative process which has become excessive and in its excess this protective response has become the disease state."}
{"id": "PMID:1478377", "title": "Cellular and molecular biology of the beta cell.", "content": "Considerable progress has been made in our understanding of islet-cell function and its relationship to regulation of whole body glucose metabolism. At the genetic level, the regulatory regions in islet-specific genes are being characterised. Transcription factors that interact with these regions have been cloned and these will be instructive in elucidating how islet-specific genes are regulated during development and regeneration. Identification of the enzymes responsible for proteolytic conversion of proinsulin to insulin represents a major advance in understanding prohormone processing. Cleavage of proinsulin is mediated by at least two prohormone convertases (PC3/PC1 and PC2). Their activity is regulated by an acidic gradient between the Golgi and secretory granules and by calcium ions. It is not yet clear how insulin or the PC's are specifically diverted into the regulated secretory pathway. Regulation at this step may be defective in some diabetic patients resulting in relatively elevated circulating proinsulin levels. Specific features of GLUT 2 and glucokinase (GK), proteins that regulate Beta-cell glucose transport and phosphorylation, indicate that these may be key components of the glucose sensor. GLUT 2 is necessary to reconstitute glucose-sensitive insulin secretion in pituitary tumour cells expressing a proinsulin cDNA. Furthermore, the expression of GLUT 2 in Beta cells, but not in hepatocytes, is decreased in diabetes mellitus. However, under normal circumstances GK is probably rate limiting for Beta-cell glucose utilisation. Thus, it is likely that both GLUT 2 and GK determine the set point for glucose-stimulated insulin secretion. Elucidation of distal effectors that regulate insulin secretion is also crucial to our understanding of Beta-cell function.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1478378", "title": "Autoimmune tolerance and type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus.", "content": "The autoimmune process that results in Type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus may be viewed as a failure to develop or maintain tolerance to self-antigens expressed in the islets of Langerhans. During T-cell development in the thymus, cells that are reactive with self antigens encountered there may undergo clonal deletion or, as more recently described, clonal anergy which effectively removes these cells from the pool of mature antigen reactive T cells. For antigens not found in the thymus, tolerance to self antigens is more complex and may depend on site of antigen expression, ambient concentrations of lymphokines, and availability of antigen-presenting cells that can deliver co-stimulatory signals. Transgenic mice in which the majority of T cells express T-cell receptors against \"self\" antigens or in which expression of antigens is targeted to peripheral tissues have proven useful for studies of tolerance in both T- and B-cell compartments. In general, T-cell reactivity against foreign antigen expressed on Beta cells does not occur because of the failure to activate T cells reactive with the antigen, termed clonal ignorance. This may be broken with, for example, viral infection or cytokines. In one transgenic model, dendritic cells that surround the islets of Langerhans have been shown to be responsible for presentation of islet antigens to the immune system. B-cell tolerance can also involve mechanisms of clonal deletion or clonal anergy similar to that occurring with T cells. In addition, a mechanism for changing the affinity of the B-cell antigen receptor termed \"receptor editing\" has been described, which may play an important role in diversifying the B-cell repertoire while removing self-reactive cells. Tolerance to antigens may also be inducible. For example, monoclonal antibodies against T-cell epitopes may induce antigen-specific tolerance that is transferable to other animals, and MHC blocking peptides which can inhibit T-cell responses that are restricted by disease associated MHC molecules. In conclusion, although several possible triggers and mechanisms of autoimmune diabetes can be envisioned, none can be excluded by existing data. However, advances in understanding mechanisms of tolerance to islet and other self antigens suggest potentially useful therapeutic approaches to arresting the autoimmune response."}
{"id": "PMID:1478380", "title": "Treatment of diabetes mellitus.", "content": "New treatment strategies for subjects with Type 1 (insulin-dependent) and Type 2 (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus are being developed. Pilot studies utilising insulin itself have been reported to prevent Type 1 diabetes in subjects likely, by immunogenetic and physiologic criteria, to develop clinically overt disease, while the results of nicoti-namide trials in these subjects remain preliminary. Immunotherapy with cyclosporin A and azathioprine can slow disease progression and may produce long-term remissions when given within two months of onset of clinically overt disease. In subjects with established disease, familial clustering of diabetic nephropathy may be related to concomitant susceptibility to hypertension and elevated rates of Na/H countertransport. Treatment of hypertension associated with the nephropathy appears to slow renal deterioration. Whether reversal of the metabolic consequences of insulin deficiency or resistance also prevents chronic diabetic complications has not been firmly established. In the presence of a reduced Beta-cell mass, moderate hyperglycaemia may itself contribute to decreased muscle glucose uptake but not glycogen synthesis in Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. Reversal of chronic hyperglycaemia by pancreas and islet cell transplantation, vanadate, and sulphonylureas are discussed as alternate strategies to insulin treatment in establishing normoglycaemia and furthering our understanding of insulin action and secretion at the cellular level. There remains a need to develop more sensitive biochemical and genetic markers to identify subjects at increased risk for developing chronic diabetic complications."}
{"id": "PMID:1478389", "title": "[Left atrial electric isolation in the treatment of atrial fibrillation secondary to rheumatic valvular disease].", "content": "Surgical isolation of the left atrium was performed for the treatment of chronic atrial fibrillation secondary to valvular disease in 100 patients who underwent valve surgery. From May 1989 to September 1991, 62 patients underwent mitral valve surgery (Group I), 19 underwent mitral valve surgery and DeVega tricuspid annuloplasty (Group II), 15 underwent mitral and aortic surgery (Group III), and 4 patients underwent mitral and aortic surgery and DeVega tricuspid annuloplasty (Group IV). Left atrial isolation was performed prolonging the usual left paraseptal atriotomy towards the left fibrous trigone anteriorly, and the postero-medial commissure posteriorly. The incision was conducted a few millimeters apart from the mitral valve annulus, and cryolesion were placed at the edges to ensure complete electrophysiological isolation of the left atrium. Operative mortality accounted for 3 cases (3%). In 79 patients (81.4%) sinus rhythm recovered and persisted until discharge from the hospital. No differences were found between the groups (Group I: 80.7%; Group II: 68.5%; Group III 86.7%, Group IV 75% - p = N.S.). Three cases of late mortality (3.1%) were registered. long-term results showed persistence of SR in 71% of Group I, 61.2% of Group II, 85.8% of Group III, and 100% of Group IV. The unique risk factor for late recurrency of atrial fibrillation was found to be a duration of preoperative AF longer than 6 months. Due to the high success rate in recovering the sinus rhythm, we suggest left atrial isolation in patients with chronic atrial fibrillation undergoing valvular surgery."}
{"id": "PMID:1478390", "title": "[Pordenone study: HDL-cholesterol and obesity indexes in the young].", "content": "In 1987, ten years after the first observation, we performed the follow-up of the subjects included in the \"Pordenone Study on the precursors of atherosclerosis in childhood\". The anthropometric, biologic and anamnestic indicators of coronary risk were evaluated. The W.H.O. protocol was always used. 439 (90%) subjects underwent reexamination, (234 males and 205 females between 18 and 26 years). HDL cholesterol, tricipital and subscapular skinfold thickness, weight and height were evaluated. The aim of our study was to find possible correlations between obesity indexes and HDL cholesterol values. We found that HDL cholesterol levels are lower in males compared to females and that differences exist below and over the 80 degrees percentile of BMI. Obese subjects have lower HDL cholesterol levels in both sexes. Females with android obesity (subjects with subscapular skinfold thickness values over 80 degrees percentile) had low HDL cholesterol values. Because of this inverse correlation between HDL cholesterol and coronary risk, and because young obese generally have low HDL cholesterol levels, we believe that the study of coronary risk factors is also useful starting from this age in overweight subjects. This will be useful for preventive purposes. Particular attention must be given to young girls with android obesity."}
{"id": "PMID:1478391", "title": "[Arrhythmogenicity in left ventricular hypertrophy in mild to moderate arterial hypertension].", "content": "Several studies have evidenced that hypertensive patients (pts) with left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) have an increased incidence of malignant ventricular arrhythmias and sudden death. The purpose of our study was to investigate the prevalence of risky ventricular arrhythmias in uncomplicated hypertensive pts (untreated during last 10 days) in comparison with normotensive ones. In this context, not only the value of left ventricular mass index (LVMI) was taken into account, but also the type of LVH and the related functional behaviour. 59 untreated mild to moderate essential hypertensives (EH), without symptoms or signs of coronary artery disease, were classified in 3 groups: normal (i.e. without hypertrophy) EH (NEH: 12 pts, 6 M and 6 F, mean age +/- SD 52 +/- 10 yrs), concentric hypertrophic EH (CEH: 30 pts, 15 M and 15 F, mean age +/- SD 59 +/- 10 yrs), and eccentric hypertrophic EH (EEH: 17 pts, 7 M and 10F, mean age +/- SD 60 +/- 10 yrs), according to echocardiographic measurements. Values and duration of arterial hypertension were comparable among the groups. A normotensive, age-matched group was studied as control (C: 21 pts, 11 M and 10 F, mean age +/- SD, 57 +/- 10 yrs). 24-hour Holter electrocardiographic monitoring (ECG-H) and Signal-Averaged electrocardiography (SAECG) were performed seeking to identify the arrhythmogenic risk. Echocardiographic analysis was accomplished by means of a computerized system: LVMI, ratio of LV wall thickness to LV internal radius (relative wall thickness = RWTh), systolic velocity of circumferential fractioning (VCFs), peak of LV relaxation rate (pLVRr) and peak-systolic stress (pSS) were evaluated. Normal LV systolic function was generally found, but both NEH and EEH groups showed a significant reduction in pLVRr in comparison with C and CEH groups (mean values +/- SD: 3.52 +/- 1,3 and 3.40 +/- 0.9 vs 4.92 +/- 0.4 and 4.27 +/- 1.4 sec-1, respectively, p < .05 for both). pSS was significantly higher in EEH and NEH than in CEH and C (mean values +/- SD: 149 +/- 42 and 157 +/- 66 vs 116 +/- 28 and 122 +/- 15 10(3) dynes/cm2, respectively; p < .05 for both). At ECG-H, EEH had a prevalence of potentially malignant ventricular arrhythmias (PMVA: ventricular extrasystoles > or = 30/h; ventricular couplets, > or = 2 episodes/24h, or triplets, > or = 1 episode/24h; R on T), significantly larger than in C (35.3% vs 4.8%, p < .05) and almost significantly larger than in NEH and CEH (8.3% and 10%, respectively). No differences in LVMI were found between EEH with or without PMVA. In respect of functional LV behaviour, the former group showed lower values of VCFs (2.33 +/- 0.6 vs 3.71 +/- 1.32 sec-1, (p < .005) than the latter group. At SAECG, the EEH exhibited again a greater prevalence of abnormal findings than C (35.3% vs 0%, p < 0.5). No correlations were found between ECG-H and SAECG abnormalities, nor between the latter group and LVMI or LV functional indexes. Among pts showing a more pronounced impairment of diastolic function (pLVRr < 4 sec-1), EEH exhibited the highest prevalence of both PMVA (50%) and late potentials (41%). Our data suggest that uncomplicated mild to moderate essential hypertension may be associated with higher risk of ventricular arrhythmias, particularly when cardiac involvement is characterized by eccentric LVH. On the contrary, in this stage of hypertensive disease, LVMI as well as LV function do not seem to influence the ventricular arrhythmogenesis. The clinical importance of these findings is uncertain, and further studies are needed."}
{"id": "PMID:1478392", "title": "[Effects of aerobic training in patients with moderate chronic heart failure].", "content": "To evaluate the effects of a program of moderate intensity in patients (pts) with clinically stable chronic heart failure (CHF), we studied 20 pts (18M, 2F, mean age 61 years) with dilated cardiomyopathy, Weber Class B, ejection fraction (EF) < 40% and aerobic capacity of 16 +/- 2 ml/kg/min on cardiopulmonary exercise testing. We randomly assigned pts to 2 groups, a training group (T, 10 pts) and a control group (C, 10 pts), similar for anatomical and clinical characteristics, group T underwent a thrice weekly, 8 week-long ambulatory program of aerobic activity, beginning at 40% of maximal oxygen uptake. At the end, in Group T we observed a significant increase of exercise tolerance (+45%; p < 0.005), peak oxygen uptake (VO2 max) (+20%; p < 0.001), anaerobic ventilatory threshold (AT) (+37%; p < 0.005), lactate threshold (+36%; p < 0.005), peak heart rate (< 10%; p < 0.01) and of peak systolic pressure (+12%; p < 0.007); and a significant reduction in resting heart rate (-17%; p < 0.005), resting diastolic pressure (-11%; p < 0.005), plasma lactate (LA) at rest (-26%; p < 0.01), at peak (-21%; p < 0.005) and at recovery (-22%; p < 0.005), plasma norepinephrine (NE) both at rest (-38%; p < 0.005) and at peak (-13%; p < 0.005) and of plasma epinephrine (E) (-38%; p < 0.005; -32%, p < 0.001, respectively). We observed no change in EF at the end in both groups nor any untoward cardiac effects during training. We didn't note any correlation between AT and venous oxygen saturation (r = 0.15; p = 0.65) changes at the end. The increase in peak VO2 after training was not correlated to any AT increase (r = 0.12; p = 0.72). We observed, however, a significant correlation between lactate threshold and AT changes after training (r = 0.81; p = 0.005) and between LA and resting, submaximal and peak NE (r = 0.89; p = 0.005) and E (r = 0.78; p = 0.007) changes at the end of training. a) in pts with clinically stable CHF a program of aerobic activity well tolerated in terms of frequency, intensity and duration may determine a significant increase in exercise tolerance, aerobic capacity, AT and LA threshold, and a significant decrease in plasma LA, NE and E at rest, submaximal and peak levels; b) in our opinion, such modifications are partly determined by a delay in lactate accumulation and partly by sympathetic tone lowering, and permit us to underline the concept that physical inactivity may provoke important peripheral changes that, in turn, may reduce exercise tolerance and aerobic capacity, by creating a vicious circle difficult to break by medical therapy alone."}
{"id": "PMID:1478393", "title": "[Perception threshold of angina and transient myocardial ischemia in ambulatory electrocardiography].", "content": "We studied the predictive value of prolonged angina perception threshold in identifying patients with stable coronary artery disease at risk of silent myocardial ischemia during daily life. 71 patients with documented coronary artery disease (previous myocardial infarction or stenotic lesion > 60% at angiography) underwent a symptom-limited exercise test and out-of-hospital Holter monitoring after drug withdrawal. A second exercise test was performed before disconnecting the dynamic EKG in order to validate the ST-depression recorded during ambulatory monitoring. 23 patients (32.4%) (Group A) had angina perception threshold > 60 sec after onset of ischemia (ST > 1 mm), while in 48 (67.7%) the delay in the perception of angina was shorter than 60 sec (Group B). The demographic, clinical and angiographic variables did not influence the angina perception threshold; however, this parameter was the most powerful predictor of ambulatory ischemia among the two groups (4.8 vs 2.8 p < 0.02), and in particular of the painless episodes (3.8 vs 1.8 p < 0.002). Moreover, the silent ischemic time was longer in patients of group A (4362 vs 1774 sec p < 0.017). Finally, the event-free survival was similar in the two groups of patients during the 2 years of follow-up (cardiac death 1 vs 3, nonfatal myocardial infarction 1 vs 1, aorto-coronary bypass 2 vs 7, PTCA 2 vs 2, unstable angina 0 vs 2), total events 6 vs 15 p = ns. These results demonstrate that the patients at risk for silent ischemia during ambulatory monitoring may be identified simply by evaluating their angina perception threshold during exercise test; however, silent ischemia does not have an adverse prognostic value."}
{"id": "PMID:1478394", "title": "[Aortic dissection after aortic valve replacement: clinical and anatomic features].", "content": "Cardiac surgery has become a possible cause of ascending aortic dissection, particularly in patients who have undergone aortic valve replacement. From January 1979 to December 1989, 134 patients with angiographic evidence of aortic dissection, were studied in the Haemodinamic Laboratory of the University of Turin. Twelve of these patients (7 men and 5 women), mean age 51.6 years, had been previously operated for aortic valve replacement. We evaluated incidence, clinical and anatomic features of ascending aortic dissection in this group. A dilated ascending aorta with a mean diameter of 4.92 cm. was noted in all these patients. The interval between valve replacement and diagnosis of aortic dissection was 57 months (range 1 day to 9 years). Reoperation was performed in 11 patients. Four intraoperative deaths occurred and 2 other patients died in the early post-operative period. Survival rate at 12 months was 50%. Our incidence of ascending aortic dissection after aortic valve replacement was 0.66% (10 patients out of 1499 operated for aortic valve replacement) and it is in agreement with reports from other Authors in literature. Replacement of the ascending aorta must be considered if an important dilatation of aortic root is found at time of aortic valve surgery. New efforts must be undertaken to identify patients at high risk for this complication because an elevated mortality rate is observed in reoperation for aortic dissection."}
{"id": "PMID:1478395", "title": "[Increased incidence of spontaneous conversion to sinus rhythm in patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation].", "content": "The aim of our study was to evaluate spontaneous conversion rate to sinus rhythm in patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF) not submitted to any treatment (pharmacological and/or electrical). From January 1985 to September 1990, 123 consecutive patients with paroxysmal AF were hospitalized in our department. In 11 patients arrhythmia was due to arrhythmogenic conditions; 34 patients were submitted to emergency treatment with drugs (23 cases) or electrical cardioversion (11 cases); 78 patients (41 males; mean age 65.1 years; 37 females: mean age 68.6 years), without emergency problems were enrolled in our study and were submitted to a four-day observation period without any therapy, except in case of worsening. 35 patients were free from heart disease; in the other 43, 28 had chronic coronary disease, 11 hypertensive cardiovascular disease, 2 rheumatic valvular disease, 1 hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and 1 chronic cor pulmonale. In all 78 patients sinus rhythm was restored spontaneously - in about 90% of them within 24 hours. Mean time to conversion was 21 hours (range 1-96 hours). Cardioversion occurred in similar percentage and at the same time in both subgroups of patients (with and without heart disease). Therefore, given the risks and cost of every treatment, a 24-hour observation period without therapy could be useful in those patients presenting with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation without emergency problems."}
{"id": "PMID:1478396", "title": "[Comparison of results of echo-dobutamine and ECG-dobutamine tests in the diagnosis of coronary disease].", "content": "The aim of the study was to compare the results of 2D-Echocardiographic (ECHO) vs 12-lead Electrocardiographic (ECG) monitoring during Dobutamine (DOB) infusion performed as a stress test in patients referred for the evaluation of chest pain of suspected ischemic origin. Fourty-seven consecutive patients, 40 m and 7 f, mean age 52 +/- 9 years, were studied after interruption of any antianginal therapy. DOB was infused in 5-minute stages with incremental doses of 5 mcg/kg/min up to a maximal dose of 40 mcg/kg/min. 2D-ECHO monitoring could not be performed in 3 out of 47 patients because of a poor acoustic window. Thus, the overall feasibility was 94% for 2D-ECHO DOB test vs 100% for ECG DOB test (p = ns). The ECG and 2D-ECHO findings were compared in the remaining 44 patients. Criteria for positivity were: transient regional dyssynergy absent or of lesser degree in the baseline examination for 2D-ECHO; ST-segment shift > 0.1 mV from baseline for ECG. The test was stopped when a regional wall motion abnormality developed even in the absence of significant ECG changes. Angiographically assessed coronary artery disease (CAD) was considered significant when a > 50% reduction of the luminal diameter in at least 1 major coronary vessel occurred. There were 10/44 patients with no significant CAD and 34/44 patients with CAD; 16 had single, 18 double or triple and/or left main vessel disease.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1478397", "title": "[Endomyocardial biopsy in childhood].", "content": "The experience with endomyocardial biopsy in pediatric age is still limited. From February 1986 to August 1990, 144 right ventricle endomyocardial biopsies were performed in 84 patients (age range 33 days--14 years, median age 31 months, weight range 3--57 kgs). Clinical diagnosis was: dilated cardiomyopathy in 50 patients; graft reject in 19; hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in 4; restrictive cardiomyopathy in 5; heart tumor in 3; ventricular arrhythmia in 3. The bioptome was introduced directly, without the use of a long sheath. There were no major complications; 2 patients experienced complete transient atrioventricular block and in 1 case right ventricular perforation occurred. In 11/45 patients (27%) with the clinical diagnosis of dilated cardiomyopathy and available myocardial specimens, acute myocarditis was diagnosed. In 47/65 procedures in the transplanted patients, a moderate to severe rejection was diagnosed. In the remaining patients, endomyocardial biopsy did not help the clinical diagnosis. We conclude that the right ventricular endomyocardial biopsy is a safe procedure in pediatric age; its utility is mostly limited to the diagnosis of acute myocarditis and graft reject after cardiac transplantation."}
{"id": "PMID:1478400", "title": "[Evaluation of the effects of molsidomine and propranolol-molsidomine combination on portal hemodynamics by pulsed Doppler ultrasound].", "content": "Molsidomine, a long acting vasodilator with antianginal properties, has been shown to decrease porto-hepatic pressure gradient in patients with cirrhosis. The present study aimed at assessing the effects of molsidomine, propranolol and of the association of these two drugs on portal vein blood flow as measured using Doppler and B-mode sonography. In 10 patients without liver disease (group 1), portal flow time average mean velocity (TAV) and portal vein blood flow (PVBF) were measured under basal conditions, 1 hour then 2 hours after ingestion of 4 mg of molsidomine. The same measurements were performed in 15 patients with cirrhosis (group 2) under basal conditions, 1 then 2 hours after double-blind administration of either molsidomine (10 patients) or placebo (5 patients). Fifteen further patients with cirrhosis (group 3) were studied after the double blind administration of 80 mg of propranolol and two hours later of 4 mg of molsidomine (10 patients) or placebo (5 patients); TAV and PVBF were measured under basal conditions, two hours after propranolol ingestion or placebo, then one and two hours after molsidomine or placebo ingestion. TAV and PVBF remained unchanged in patients treated with placebo. Molsidomine reduced TAV by 23.8 +/- 19.5% in group 1 (P < 0.01) and by 25.6 +/- 21.4% in group 2 (P < 0.01). In group 3, a 10% decrease was observed after propranolol (NS). When molsidomine was added, TAV was further decreased (-17.6 +/- 13.3% vs baseline, P < 0.01). PVBF remained unchanged in the three groups of patients.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1478401", "title": "[Treatment of ascites in patients with liver cirrhosis without neither hyponatremia nor renal insufficiency. Results of a randomized study comparing diuretics and punctures compensated by albumin].", "content": "Previous studies have suggested that treatment of ascites in cirrhotic patients by repeated paracenteses and albumin infusion is fast, effective and safe. In one of these studies including patients with hyponatremia or renal impairment, this treatment was associated with a reduction of duration of hospital stay in comparison with large dose diuretics. The aim of this randomized study was to compare paracentesis with albumin perfusion and low dose diuretics in cirrhotic patients with ascites, but without hyponatremia or renal impairment. Twenty-six patients (group 1) were treated with paracentesis (4 L/day) and 27 patients (group 2) were treated with spironolactone (225 to 300 mg/day), associated with furosemide (40 to 80 mg/day), when inefficient alone. Ascites and peripheric edema disappeared more rapidly in group 1 than in group 2, 8.6 +/- 9.6 vs 13.5 +/- 6.7 days (P = 0.001) and 4.1 +/- 2.6 vs 10.5 +/- 6.5 days (P = 0.001) respectively. During hospitalisation, the incidence of complications was higher in group 2 than in group 1: 56 vs 26% (P = 0.03). Hyponatremia occurred in 30% of patients in group 2 and 4% of patients in group 1 (P = 0.04). The duration of hospital stay was shorter in group 1 (15.0 +/- 10.4 days) than in group 2 (21.0 +/- 11.7 days) (P = 0.007). During follow-up, ascites reappeared in 32% of patients in group 1 and 57% of patients in group 2 (P = 0.09). At 3 months, one patient in group 1 and 2 patients in group 2 developed spontaneous peritonitis whereas survival was similar in both groups.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1478403", "title": "[Incidence of duodenal ulcer in the city of Reims 1988].", "content": "No epidemiological data on the incidence of duodenal ulcer are available for a well-defined population in France. We therefore conducted a prospective study in the urban population of Reims. All radiologists, gastroenterologists and surgeons of this town were asked to report all new cases of duodenal ulcer seen during one year. During 1988, 114 new cases were identified. Age standardized incidence using world population standards were 83.6/100,000 for males and 29.5/100,000 for females. The male/female ratio was 2.8. Mean age at the time of diagnosis was 51.9 years, higher for females (63.4 years) than for males (48.0 years). Nearly one third (32.5%) of duodenal ulcers presented with complications (haemorrhage or perforation) at the time of initial diagnosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1478404", "title": "[Metabolism of plasma cholesterol and lipoproteins after total resection of the small intestine in patients with parenteral nutrition. Effects of the amount of phospholipids infused].", "content": "The aim of this study was to investigate the plasma lipoprotein profile in 2 patients treated by parenteral nutrition for total small bowel resection over a 15 month period. According to the amount of infused phospholipids (6 g/d vs 3 g/d), infused during 4 non consecutive 6 month or 6 week periods, HDL-cholesterol, apolipoproteins AI and B plasma levels were 30 to 50% below normal values. During the higher phospholipid supply, cholesterolemia seemed normal; each phospholipid supply decrease was followed by a reduction of cholesterol, phospholipids and apolipoprotein B plasma levels of 40, 50 and 25%, respectively, while HDL-cholesterol and apolipoprotein AI plasma levels remained unchanged. Density gradient ultracentrifugation showed that plasma cholesterol changes were mainly due to cholesterol changes (as free cholesterol associated with phospholipids) located in the density range of 1.019-1.040, reflecting the presence of lipoprotein X-like particles, whose levels remained unchanged during each period. An apolipoprotein E, CII and CIII enrichment of plasma was observed and was more pronounced when patients received higher phospholipid infusion. These results show that, in patients without a small bowel, minor changes in phospholipids supply are responsible for serious alterations of the lipoprotein profile; formation of lipoprotein X-like particles could be favored by the low HDL levels in these patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1478405", "title": "[Bacterial translocation in Crohn disease].", "content": "Bacterial translocation is the passage of viable endogenous bacteria from the gastrointestinal tract to mesenteric lymph nodes and other internal organs. The aim of this work was to study bacterial translocation in patients operated on for Crohn's disease. Twenty-eight patients, mean age 29 years, not having received any antibiotics since at least 8 days, presenting with ileal (n = 12), ileo-colonic (n = 14) or colonic (n = 2) Crohn's disease were studied. In 25 out of 28 cases (89%) indication for surgery was strictures inducing an upper small bowel distension in 9 out of 25 patients. Mesenteric lymph nodes and liver biopsies, portal blood samples and peritoneum swabs were harvested after laparotomy and before gut opening. Bacterial translocation, defined as the presence of intestinal bacteria in at least one of the specimens, was present in 8 out of 28 patients. This was found in lymph nodes draining surgical territories in 7 out of 8 cases. Bacterial strains involved in translocation included E. coli (n = 5), Enterococcus (n = 3), Clostridium perfringens (n = 2), Proteus (n = 2), and Bacteroides fragilis (n = 1). The rate of translocation differed neither according to Crohn's disease site nor with perforating or non perforating type of the disease. Five out of 9 patients operated on for strictures with proximal distension had a translocation. In conclusion, bacterial translocation was identified in 29% of patients operated on for Crohn's disease in this series. Distension of the intestine proximal to a digestive stricture could favor the occurrence of bacterial translocation in Crohn's disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1478406", "title": "[Efficacy of a daily application of mesalazine (Pentasa) suppository with progressive release, in the treatment of ulcerative proctitis. A double-blind versus placebo randomized trial].", "content": "Therapeutic efficacy of mesalazine controlled-release suppository 1 g once daily was compared with that of a placebo during 2 weeks in 50 patients (26 in the mesalazine group, 24 in the placebo group) with ulcerative proctitis, in a double-blind randomized trial. Endoscopic and clinical remission was seen in 69 and 65% of mesalazine-treated patients and in 33 and 25% of placebo-treated patients respectively (P < or = 0.01). No side effects were seen. It is concluded that a once-a-day administration of 1 g mesalazine controlled-release suppository is effective for topical treatment of patients with ulcerative proctitis."}
{"id": "PMID:1478407", "title": "[Role of rectal endoscopic ultrasonography in the pre-therapeutical study of villous tumors].", "content": "The staging of rectosigmoid villous adenomas is difficult when based only on clinical or endoscopic findings, even when superficial biopsies are taken. Echoendoscopy (EE) with a 7.5 and 12 MHz transducer heads provides good visualization of these lesions. The role of EE in the staging of villous adenomas presenting as benign lesions was prospectively studied. Among 47 patients who had an echoendoscopic investigation for villous adenoma during a 18 month period, 25 had lesions believed to be benign based on clinical and endoscopic findings. In 23 patients (group I, superficial biopsies showed no malignancy; in 2 patients (group II), with 3 lesions, biopsies were positive for in situ carcinoma. Comparisons were made between echographic images and operative specimens. A complete EE investigation was possible in all cases. In group I, there was one tumor T3N+ that was diagnosed by EE only. Twelve other patients had neoplastic lesions limited to the mucosa or submucosa only, and 10 had benign lesions. The integrity of the muscularis propria was imaged in all cases but EE did not differentiate benign lesions from neoplastic lesions invading the mucosa. In group II, parietal staging was correct in 2 of 3 cases. In addition to clinical examination and endoscopic investigations, EE seems useful in the staging of large or high located villous adenomas as well as for the best therapeutic choice."}
{"id": "PMID:1478408", "title": "[Liver damage induced by the ingestion of a product of phytotherapy containing wild germander. Four cases].", "content": "We report 4 cases of patients who developed hepatic injury during administration of herbal medicines for loosing weight with Wild Germander. Three developed jaundice and one had fatigue. Aminotransaminase activities were increased in all patients. Outcome was favorable after drug withdrawal in all patients. Liver biopsy showed centrolobular necrosis and portal lymphoplasmocytic infiltration. Another drug than Wild Germander might have been implicated in hepatic injury in two patients. The similarity of these cases suggests, however, that Wild Germander, like other herbal medicines, may be responsible for hepatic injury."}
{"id": "PMID:1478409", "title": "[Severe hepatic steatosis: a cause of sudden death in the alcoholic patient].", "content": "The authors report the cases of 4 patients with heavy chronic alcoholic intake who presented with hepatomegaly and jaundice without obvious hepatic failure and who died rapidly. In all 4 cases, histological examination of the liver showed massive microvesicular and macrovesicular steatosis involving approximately 100% of hepatocytes and, in 2 cases, minimal lesions of alcoholic hepatitis. Histochemical study, performed in 3 cases, showed that steatosis was constituted of triglycerides only, and that hepatic glycogen was completely depleted in 2 of 3 cases. No obvious cause of death was found in these 4 patients. Shortly, before their death, the 4 patients had increased their ethanol and decreased their food intake. The authors suggest that death as well as microvesicular steatosis could have be due to acute mitochondrial dysfunction."}
{"id": "PMID:1478410", "title": "[Gastrobronchial fistula].", "content": "A-79-year old man, treated by thoracic fundoplication for hiatus hernia with symptomatic gastroesophageal reflux, 12 years previously, was examined for persistent cough and left basal pneumonia. Esophagogastroscopy revealed a gastrobronchial fistule which was confirmed by endoscopical fistulograms. Surgical treatment led to complete recovery of the patient. A review of the literature confirms the rarety of this ailment as well as the relevance of preoperative diagnosis by perendoscopical fistulograms."}
{"id": "PMID:1478411", "title": "[Lymphoepithelial cyst of the pancreas].", "content": "A 66-year-old woman presented with abdominal pain and weight loss. Ultrasonography and computed tomography demonstrated a cystic lesion of the pancreas. After surgical resection, the patient's symptoms disappeared. Microscopic examination of the cyst lining showed mature, keratinizing squamous epithelium, surrounded by lymphoid tissue. Only three cases of this type of lesion, called \"lymphoepithelial cyst\", have been described previously. Histogenesis of this particular type of cyst is not well know, but can be histologically differentiated from other pancreatic cysts."}
{"id": "PMID:1478422", "title": "[Significance of Ia-like antigen expression in malignant lymphoma of the skin].", "content": "Immunophenotyping was conducted in 14 patients with malignant lymphoma of the skin using 4 monoclonal antibodies against CD4, 4, 8 and HLA (Ia--like) antigens. OKT4+ cells were detected in all the patients and OKT3+ cells in five of them. The expression of Ia-like antigen was noted in all patients with varying duration of the tumor process, in some of them Ia-like antigen prevailed that evidenced T-cell activation at all the stages of the tumor process in T-lymphomas of the skin. The highest expression of Ia-like antigen was recorded at the erythrodermal stage of granulomatosis of OKT4+ and OKT3+ phenotypes. Less pronounced expression of epidermal Ia-like tumor cells may be an evidence of a more benign course of the process."}
{"id": "PMID:1478423", "title": "[Multi-profile analysis of survival rate and cause of death in patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma].", "content": "A relationship has been established between the survival rate of 378 patients who had died of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) and their sex, age, ABO- and Rh-factors of the blood, primary focus of the tumor lesion, morphological variant, diagnostic period duration, and the treatment intensity. A higher incidence rate and a higher mean survival were recorded in 222 males, as compared to 156 females. Favourable and unfavourable for survival age interval has been distinguished for NHL disease. Patients with Rh+ showed a higher survival rate, although the incidence rate among Rh+ and Rh- subjects was similar. Prognostically favourable and unfavourable sites of the primary tumor and morphological variants of NHL were specified. The time spent for detailed verification of the diagnosis has been justified, and the presence of a direct proportional relationship between the intensity of the treatment and the mean survival of patients with varying forms of NHL has been proved."}
{"id": "PMID:1478425", "title": "[Assay of adenine nucleotide level in platelet storage pool for evaluation of the course of hemoblastosis].", "content": "The content of adenine nucleotides (ATP, ADP) was studied in dense granules of platelets in hemoblastosis to estimate the character of the pathological process course. Varying biochemical defects were observed at the levels of ATP and ADP depending on the severity of the pathological process in chronic myeloid leukemia, acute lymphoblastic leukemia, acute myeloblastic and acute myelo-monoblastic leukemias. Adenine nucleotide values can be used for the diagnosis of varying stages of the above diseases, for the evaluation of anomalous platelets and characterization of the adequacy of the bone marrow hemopoiesis."}
{"id": "PMID:1478424", "title": "[Structure and function of erythrocytes in lymphomas].", "content": "Significant changes have been recorded in the concentration of sulfhydryl groups, histidine, lipoproteins, catalase activity, saponin resistance, and kinetics of chemiluminescent responses of red blood cells in lymphoma patients. Lymphosarcoma is characterized by changes in the structure and function of red blood cells at the early stage of the process, whereas in lymphogranulomatosis changes are observed with the disease progressing, when pronounced signs of tumor intoxication are noted and anemia is present. In lymphosarcoma patients an increase of peripheral blood mononuclears is recorded which expresses the erythroid differentiating antigens with the use of monoclonal antibodies against glycophorin A (ZAE-3) and human erythroblast antigen AG-EB (HAE-9). In lymphogranulomatosis patients it was not detected."}
{"id": "PMID:1478427", "title": "[Neuroleukemia in suckling mice].", "content": "The whole skull and spinal column were histologically studied in 55 suckling mice (intact and with transplantable leukemia). It was stated that the lesion of the vertebral canal prevailed due to the extensive growth of leukemic infiltrates in the bodies of the vertebra which had incompletely formed cortical plate of the bone tissue. Such age-dependent unfinished formation of the bone marrow tissue may predispose a rapid development of neuroleukemia."}
{"id": "PMID:1478426", "title": "[Bronchopulmonary aspergillosis in leukemia patients].", "content": "Among 180 patients with varying leukemias bronchopulmonary aspergillosis was diagnosed in 4 (2.2%). Further development of the methods for the treatment of the main disease in this category of patients permits prognosing a significant rise in the incidence of bronchopulmonary aspergillosis. The character of the clinical course of this infection and the ways for further improvements of its diagnosis in lifetime of leukemia patients have been considered."}
{"id": "PMID:1478430", "title": "[Regulation of fibroblast-like cell proliferation in human bone marrow].", "content": "The influence of growth factors (GF) and some other biological active molecules on the human bone marrow fibroblast (HBMF) proliferation was studied in the monolayer system. The proliferation of HBMF, like other connective tissue cells, was serum- and GF-dependent. GF tested (EGF, FGF, insulin) produced both positive and negative effects on HBMF proliferation. It was also shown that phorbol ester, which activates protein kinase C, usually inhibited HBMF proliferation. It has been proposed that this feature of HBMF is the cause of GF bifunctional action. It has been suggested that the ability of GF to inhibit HBMF proliferation in some cases permits one to maintain cellular homeostasis in GF rich human bone marrow. HBMF of different hematological patients were characterized by individual differences in GF sensitivity. This may be secondary to the bone marrow cellular composition. For example, HBMF obtained from the bone marrow rich in total cells or megakaryocytes were more responsive to proliferation stimulating effect of GF."}
{"id": "PMID:1478436", "title": "Thyroxine 5'-monodeiodinase activity in microsomes from isolated hepatocytes of rainbow trout: effects of growth hormone and 3,5,3'-triiodo-L-thyronine.", "content": "Rainbow trout hepatocytes isolated by collagenase perfusion were suspended in primary culture for up to 72 hr at 11 degrees and then the microsomal L-thyroxine (T4) 5'-monodeiodinase (5'D) activity was evaluated by 125I- generation from [125I]T4. The 5'D activity and Vmax (level of functional enzyme) and Km (Michaelis-Menten constant) values for microsomes obtained from incubated hepatocytes corresponded to those for microsomes obtained directly from intact livers. HPLC analysis revealed 3,5-[125I]3'-triiodo-L-thyronine (T3) as the only significant 125I-labeled organic product. Hepatocyte survival ( > 90%) and 5'D activity were unaltered by insulin (10(-9) M) in the incubate, but 5'D activity was inhibited by 10% fetal calf serum. Human growth hormone (hGH) at concentrations of 5-250 ng/ml did not increase 5'D activity. These results do not support previous in vivo studies demonstrating hGH-enhanced hepatic 5'D function in trout and indicate that either hGH acts indirectly on the liver to enhance 5'D activity or incubated hepatocytes lose GH responsiveness. However, coincubation of hepatocytes with T3 (15 or 30 nM) for 24 hr inhibited 5'D activity in a dose-dependent manner and induced the production of 3-[125I]3',5'-triiodo-L-thyronine (reverse T3). These data support previous in vivo studies in showing that T3 autoregulates its own hepatic production and show that T3 does so by acting directly on the hepatocyte to modify deiodination pathways."}
{"id": "PMID:1478437", "title": "Differential response of amphibian PRL and TSH pituitary cells to in vitro TRH treatment.", "content": "Hypophysial prolactin (PRL) and thyrotropin (TSH) cells of Rana perezi were examined after treatment in vitro with synthetic thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH). Ultrastructural morphometry applied to PRL and TSH immunoidentified cells estimated the volume density (Vv) of the secretory granules (SG), rough endoplasmic reticulum (ER), and Golgi complex (GC) as well as the numerical density (Nv) of the granules. Hemipituitaries were cultured in a superfusion system with or without 100 ng TRH/ml for 4, 14, or 24 hr. PRL cells showed significant degranulation (42%) of medium size SG after 14 hr of stimulation, whereas the biosynthetic machinery (ER and GC) was significantly developed after 4 hr of TRH culture (increase of Vv of GC, 1.5-fold, and ER, 1.3-fold, in comparison to the control). Most of these changes remained after 24 hr of TRH treatment. Compared with controls, TRH-treated TSH cells differed only after 24 hr when SG showed degranulation (40%), mainly of the medium size ones, and Vv of GC (1.6-fold) and ER (1.3-fold) increased. These results suggest that TRH acts directly on amphibian PRL and TSH cells stimulating hormonal synthesis and release. The time courses of responses to TRH differed in that PRL cells gave an immediate response while TSH cells gave a more delayed reaction."}
{"id": "PMID:1478438", "title": "Brain content and plasma concentrations of arginine vasopressin in an Australian marsupial, the brushtail possum Trichosurus vulpecula.", "content": "Arginine vasopressin (AVP) has been identified and quantified in the brain and plasma of the possum using a highly specific radioimmunoassay and high-performance liquid chromatography. Large amounts of AVP were found in the pituitary (16.3 +/- 0.56 micrograms/pituitary, n = 5) and hypothalamus (398 +/- 82.5 ng/hypothalamus), and significant amounts of AVP were also present in the cerebral cortex (26.8 +/- 11.5 ng/cortex). Plasma AVP concentrations were significantly lower (2.2 +/- 0.45 pg/ml, n = 10) during anesthesia compared to concentrations while conscious (4.5 +/- 1.19 pg/ml). Severe hemorrhage markedly increased plasma concentrations to 1091 +/- 225 pg/ml (n = 8). It was concluded that AVP is present in the possum brain, pituitary, and plasma, and that its secretion is stimulated by hypovolemia and inhibited by surgical stress."}
{"id": "PMID:1478439", "title": "Formation of ecdysteroids by Y-organs of the crab, Menippe mercenaria. I. Biosynthesis of 7-dehydrocholesterol in vivo.", "content": "Y-organs of the xanthid crab, Menippe mercenaria, secrete ecdysteroid hormones in vitro, apparently both 3-dehydroecdysone and 25-deoxyecdysone. Studies were initiated on the biosynthetic path(s), in which cholesterol is converted to these ecdysteroids. Crabs were injected with [3H]cholesterol. Y-organs and hemolymph were removed 12 hr later and extracted directly and the extracts were analyzed by HPLC. Both polar and nonpolar sterols were surveyed. The only metabolite of cholesterol detectable in Y-organs was 7-dehydrocholesterol (identified by mass spectrometry). The total amount of 7-dehydrocholesterol and the amount that was labeled were generally greater than for cholesterol and were higher in Y-organs from de-eyestalked crabs than in those from intact crabs. Subcellular fractionation of the Y-organs showed that over 70% of total radioactivity was in cholesterol and 7-dehydrocholesterol of mitochondria and microsomes, distributed about equally between the two organellar fractions. In hemolymph, the only nonpolar sterols present were cholesterol and 7-dehydrocholesterol; the concentration ratio was 20:1. However, 7-dehydrocholesterol was not significantly labeled. Analyses of polar compounds revealed two prominent, uv-absorbing ecdysteroids which coeluted with the authentic standards, 3-dehydro-20-hydroxyecdysone and 25-deoxy-20-hydroxyecdysone (ponasterone A). The radioactivity profile showed, in addition, a third prominent peak that corresponded in retention time with 3-dehydroecdysone. These results indicate that the Y-organs in vivo form 7-dehydrocholesterol from cholesterol and convert the latter to secretion products without accumulation of other intermediates. At least two ecdysteroids are secreted and appear to be converted peripherally in this crab to their respective 20-hydroxy derivatives."}
{"id": "PMID:1478435", "title": "[Heterogeneity of immunologic subtypes of blast crisis in chronic myeloid leukemia].", "content": "Phenotyping of blood cells derived from 12 patients with chronic myeloid leukemia in blast crisis with the use of Mab panel to differentiation antigens of human hemopoietic cells in a flow cytofluorimeter revealed heterogeneity of immunological phenotypes of blast cells. Subclones of blast cells were detected within each subset of disease at several successive stages of differentiation. The qualitative and quantitative composition of cell populations differing in immunological parameters is changed as a result of therapy given."}
{"id": "PMID:1478440", "title": "Formation of ecdysteroids by Y-organs of the crab, Menippe mercenaria. II. Incorporation of cholesterol into 7-dehydrocholesterol and secretion products in vitro.", "content": "The conversion in vitro of cholesterol (Ch) to nonpolar metabolites and ecdysteroids was studied in Y-organs of the xanthid crab, Menippe mercenaria. In one set of experiments, Y-organs were prelabeled in vivo by injecting crabs with 100 microCi of [3H]Ch, and halved glands were then incubated for 24 and 48 hr in the presence of unlabeled Ch. In another set, unlabeled Y-organs were incubated in standard medium containing 10 microCi/ml of [3H]Ch. Both polar and nonpolar metabolites were surveyed by HPLC. The early metabolite, 7-dehydrocholesterol (7-dhCh), was the only labeled derivative of Ch detectable in Y-organ tissue after incubation; preincubation amounts of 7-dhCh were higher in glands from de-eyestalked crabs vs glands from intact crabs, and labeling was an order of magnitude higher in glands incubated with labeled Ch vs those prelabeled in vivo. Specific activity calculations indicate highly efficient conversion of 7-dhCh to ecdysteroid secretions. Analyses of the incubation media revealed two polar secretory products, synthesized from Ch in vitro. These coeluted with the authentic standards, 3-dehydroecdysone and 25-deoxyecdysone. Secretion of 3-dehydroecdysone always exceeded that of 25-deoxyecdysone (ratio range, 1.9 to 14.4), in both de-eyestalked and intact crabs."}
{"id": "PMID:1478441", "title": "Regulation of corpus luteum function in the pouched mouse, Saccostomus campestris.", "content": "Regulation of corpus luteum function was studied in pouched mice, housed under controlled conditions (14L:10D), (22 +/- 2 degrees C). Prolactin in daily doses of 32 IU promoted luteal and uterine development and markedly increased plasma levels of progesterone in females exhibiting estrous cycles. Negligible levels of progesterone in prolactin-treated ovariectomized females ruled out the possibility of a significant nonovarian source of progesterone. Domperidone (a dopamine antagonist) induced pseudopregnancy in cycling females, with a marked increase of peripheral progesterone levels. Pseudopregnancy was also induced by artificial vaginal stimulation of cycling females according to a multiple intromission-multiple ejaculation pattern or a shorter, more concentrated stimulation pattern. The latter treatment, however, resulted in a much weaker histological response of the corpora lutea and uterine horns, although plasma levels of progesterone were similar in the two treatment groups. Recently mated females given domperidone daily did not have progesterone levels above those of mated females treated with vehicle only (both groups pregnant). Bromocriptine (a dopamine agonist) prevented newly mated females from becoming pregnant and interrupted pregnancy when given from Day 6 onward. The progesterone level in these females was lowered. A GnRH-antagonist given to ovariectomized females significantly suppressed LH levels, but intact females given artificial vaginal stimulation and treated with an GnRH antagonist became pseudopregnant. These findings indicate that, in the pouched mouse, as in many other rodent species, pseudopregnancy and progesterone production are dependent on prolactin and not on LH."}
{"id": "PMID:1478442", "title": "20-Hydroxyecdysone stimulates molting in pycnogonid larvae (Arthropoda, Pantopoda).", "content": "Molting in pycnogonid larvae, Pycnogonum litorale, is accelerated by exposing the animals to 20-hydroxyecdysone at concentrations of 10 to 1000 ppm during Days 5 to 9 after the first ecdysis. Hormone application at the beginning or at the end of the molt cycle, as well as treatment all through the molt cycle, delays or even inhibits the molt by upsetting the sequence of molting processes."}
{"id": "PMID:1478443", "title": "Adrenergic modulation of Ca2+ homeostasis in isolated fish hepatocytes.", "content": "Isolated hepatocytes of the American eel (Anguilla rostrata LeSueur) and brown bullhead (Ictaluras nebulosus) have been used to characterize the effects of alpha- and beta-adrenergic agonists (epinephrine, phenylephrine, isoproterenol) and antagonists (phentolamine, propranolol) on calcium flux (influx, efflux) and cytosolic free calcium concentrations ([Ca2+]i). Bullhead hepatocytes have higher influx but lower efflux of Ca2+ than eel hepatocytes, which may relate to the primary source for changes in [Ca2+]i. Adrenergic agonists did not affect influx, but significantly enhanced efflux in eel hepatocytes (not bullhead) and [Ca2+]i in both species. Increases in efflux and in [Ca2+]i were blocked by alpha-antagonists (phentolamine) but not beta-antagonists (propranolol) when present in 100-fold excess of the agonist. Isoproterenol had no significant effect on either parameter tested. This study supports our hypothesis that liver cell Ca2+ homeostasis is modulated by alpha-adrenoceptor-linked pathways in these two fish species as has been previously demonstrated for the rat."}
{"id": "PMID:1478444", "title": "Detection of Met-enkephalin in the pars intermedia of the lampreys, Ichthyomyzon castaneus and Petromyzon marinus.", "content": "Acid extracts of the brain and pars intermedia of the chestnut lamprey, Ichthyomyzon castaneus, were fractionated by a combination of gel filtration chromatography and reversed-phase HPLC, and screened with RIAs specific for Met-enkephalin and Leu-enkephalin, respectively. In the brain extract, both Met-enkephalin and Leu-enkephalin were detected in a molar ratio of approximately 4:1. These results would suggest that these two enkephalins were derived from a lamprey Proenkephalin precursor. However, reversed-phase HPLC analysis of the pars intermedia of this species revealed the presence of Met-enkephalin, but not Leu-enkephalin. Analysis of the pars intermedia of the marine lamprey, Petromyzon marinus, also indicated the presence of Met-enkephalin but not Leu-enkephalin. These results would suggest that the Met-enkephalin present in the pars intermedia of lampreys may not be derived from Proenkephalin, but may originate from another opioid precursor. This possibility and alternative hypotheses to explain these observations are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1478445", "title": "Identification of growth hormone molecular variants in chicken serum.", "content": "It has been described that pituitary growth hormone shows molecular and functional heterogeneity. In birds, size and charge variants of chicken growth hormone (cGH) have been shown in the chicken pituitary gland and in purified preparations of the hormone. Here we demonstrate the existence of cGH molecular isoforms in chicken serum, thus suggesting that they are secreted from the gland. The isolation of total cGH present in sera was performed by immunoaffinity chromatography employing a specific monoclonal antibody against cGH. Different analytical electrophoretic methods (SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, isoelectric focusing, bidimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis) followed by Western blot and immunostaining were employed to characterize the serum cGH isoforms, and compared to those present in a fresh pituitary extract. Several identical immunoreactive bands comigrated in both serum and the gland extract in the different systems (SDS-PAGE, MW 16, 22, 26, 29, 52, 62, 66 kDa; IEF, pIs 8.1, 7.5, 7.1, 6.8, 6.2), thus revealing a high correspondence of molecular isoforms of the hormone in the two tissues. Additionally, a glycosylated variant of chicken growth hormone (G-cGH) was also revealed in the serum after concanavalin A-Sepharose chromatography."}
{"id": "PMID:1478446", "title": "Uterine metabolic activity and steroid receptor concentrations in response to suppressed secretion of PRL in anestrous mink.", "content": "Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of bromocriptine, melatonin (MLT), and 17 beta-estradiol (E2) on uterine physiology in mink (Mustela vison). In Expt. 1, summer-anestrous mink were injected sc daily with 2 mg bromocriptine or vehicle (n = 20 each) for 14 days. On Day 14, both groups were divided into two subgroups and injected sc with either 100 micrograms E2 or vehicle. Mink were bled immediately prior to euthanasia (24 hr after E2) and the sera analyzed for prolactin (PRL), E2 and progesterone (P4). At necropsy, aliquots of uterine tissue (n = 5) were used to measure in vitro oxidation of [14C]glucose, incorporation of [3H]thymidine into DNA and [14C]leucine into protein, and nuclear concentrations of estrogen receptor (ER) and P4 receptor (PR). In Expt. 2, anestrous mink were assigned to one of two treatment groups or a control group (n = 5 each). In mid-summer, groups 1 and 2 were implanted with 10 mg Silastic MLT implants. Seventeen weeks later, mink in group 1 received 100 micrograms E2 (sc) while group 2 and nonimplanted controls (group 3) were injected with vehicle. Mink were sacrificed 24 hr after injection and levels of PRL, E2, P4, ER, and PR determined. Bromocriptine suppressed serum concentrations of PRL (P < 0.001), increased serum levels of E2 (P < 0.05) and levels of PR (P < 0.01), but had no effect on levels of P4, uterine weight, glucose oxidation, DNA and protein synthesis, or concentrations of ER.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1478447", "title": "Involvement of the central nervous system in neuroendocrine mediation of osmotic and ionic regulation in the freshwater shrimp Macrobrachium olfersii (Crustacea, Decapoda).", "content": "The presence of putative neurofactors within the central nervous system, i.e., the eyestalks (ES), ventral nerve cord (VNC), and supra-esophageal (SEG) and thoracic ganglia (TG), which are involved in osmotic and ionic regulation, was investigated in the euryhaline, freshwater shrimp, Macrobrachium olfersii. Homogenates were prepared from shrimps exposed for 6 hr to a high salinity medium (HSM, 21/1000 S) and were injected into shrimps subsequently maintained for 1, 3, or 6 hr in freshwater (FW, 0/1000 S) or HSM. Osmolality and sodium, chloride, and calcium concentrations were determined in single hemolymph samples removed at each time interval. Heart rates and wet weights were measured before and after experimental treatments. Exposure to HSM increased [Na+] and [Cl-] and heart rate. Injection of ES homogenate increased osmolality, [Na+] and [Cl-], and wet weight in shrimps maintained in FW; VNC homogenate also increased hemolymph [Cl-] in shrimps maintained in FW after injection, but reduced heart rate in shrimps subsequently exposed to HSM. Injection of TG homogenate reduced heart rate to a lesser extent in shrimps maintained in FW. Hemolymph [Ca2+] was not altered by homogenate injection. The exposure period of 6 hr to HSM appears to result in the accumulation of factors within the central nervous system that regulate the osmotic and ionic concentrations of the hemolymph, in addition to exerting antidiuretic and cardio-depressor actions. The coordinated action of these factors is intimately involved in the hyporegulatory processes that permit the survival of M. olfersii in media of elevated salinity."}
{"id": "PMID:1478448", "title": "Effects of light on melatonin and two enzymes leading to its production in albino (s(al-c)) and nonalbino chickens.", "content": "A gene for sex-linked imperfect albinism in the chicken (s(al)) has been associated with increased egg production with an implication that environmental light may play a role. In this study, levels of melatonin and hydroxyindole O-methyltransferase (HIOMT) and N-acetyltransferase (NAT), two enzymes leading to melatonin production, were studied in young albino and nonalbino chickens in relation to the daily light cycle, and after 19 days of constant light or dark. Differences between genotypes were found in the levels of HIOMT activity in the pineals and retinas of birds kept in constant light for 19 days. Other measurements were not significantly different. This study would appear to show that the visual system of imperfect albino chickens reacts differently to light than that of nonalbinos, but not with changes in the daily cycle of plasma melatonin or in NAT activity, which is the enzyme primarily responsible for the control of the melatonin level in the body."}
{"id": "PMID:1478449", "title": "The new approaches to whole genome analysis of bacteria.", "content": "A range of recombinant DNA techniques now enables whole genome analysis of any bacterium to be carried out without recourse to the classical means of bacterial genetic exchange. Using enzymes which cut infrequently, such as SpeI, combined with pulsed field gel electrophoresis, a physical map of ordered fragments can be constructed. By means of cloned fragments of known genes or oligonucleotides synthesized using data from DNA or protein sequence banks, the location of individual genes on this map can be determined. We have used these techniques to study whole genome structure in three species of Pseudomonas: P. aeruginosa, P. putida and P. solanacearum."}
{"id": "PMID:1478450", "title": "Genome diversity at the serA-linked capsule locus in Escherichia coli.", "content": "Individual isolates of Escherichia coli synthesize one of more than 70 chemically distinct polysaccharides which form the capsule. In this article we review the genetics of capsule production in E. coli and highlight what this is beginning to reveal in terms of the genetic basis of the structural diversity of polysaccharides. The serA-linked capsule locus can take three different allelic forms. Two of these are associated with capsule genes and are themselves internally variant, whilst the third form has not so far been implicated in capsule biogenesis. Thus the serA-linked region of the E. coli genome is strikingly polymorphic."}
{"id": "PMID:1478451", "title": "An analysis of the codon usage of Pasteurella haemolytica A1.", "content": "Analysis of approximately 17 kbp of nucleotide sequences from three different regions of the genome of Pasteurella haemolytica A1 showed that the mol% G+C of P. haemolytica A1 DNA is 38.5%. When only the coding sequences (approx. 10 kbp) were analysed, a similar value of 38.8% was obtained. A comparison of the relative synonymous codon usage values of the cloned genes showed that P. haemolytica A1 has a very different codon usage pattern from that of Escherichia coli."}
{"id": "PMID:1478452", "title": "Small molecule-mediated density-dependent control of gene expression in prokaryotes: bioluminescence and the biosynthesis of carbapenem antibiotics.", "content": "Sophisticated signal transduction systems enable prokaryotes to sense their growth environment and mount an appropriate adaptive response. Signal transduction and gene regulation through the phosphorylation of two regulatory components is now recognised as one of the major global regulatory networks in bacteria. However, not all types of sensor-regulator circuits relay information via phosphoryl transfer. The Vibrio fischeri LuxR protein which has previously been characterised as a member of the response-regulator superfamily responds to a small diffusible signal molecule N-(3-oxohexanoyl)homoserine lactone (HSL). Biosynthesis of HSL in V. fischeri is dependent on the expression of the luxI gene. Until recently, the role of HSL as an 'autoinducer' was thought to be restricted to V. fischeri and a few related marine bacteria in which it controls the onset of bioluminescence. However, we have discovered that a diverse group of terrestrial bacteria: (1) produce HSL; (2) possess genes analogous to luxI; and (3) exhibit cell density-dependent induction of bioluminesence when transformed with a recombinant plasmid carrying V. fischeri lux genes but lacking luxI. In one of these, Erwinia carotovora, HSL is shown to mediate the cell density-dependent biosynthesis of a carbapenem antibiotic."}
{"id": "PMID:1478453", "title": "Physiological and energetic aspects of bacterial metabolite overproduction.", "content": "This review attempts to provide a rational explanation for microbial metabolite over-production, a phenomenon manifest with many wild-type and mutant organisms. After analysing the relationships between catabolic and anabolic processes within the growing cell (which point to the presence of sufficient kinetic control elements to ensure a stringent coupling between the two), consideration is given to mechanisms that might allow the rate of catabolism to be varied independently of the rate of anabolism. It is in this latter context that an excretion of specific metabolites appears to play a key role."}
{"id": "PMID:1478454", "title": "Expression of periplasmic binding proteins for peptide transport is subject to negative regulation by phosphate limitation in Escherichia coli.", "content": "It is well recognised that phosphate limitation in Escherichia coli causes enhanced synthesis of a variety of proteins involved in maximising the uptake and utilisation of the available phosphate. In contrast to this situation, we report here that these same conditions repress synthesis of the periplasmic binding proteins for both the oligopeptide (Opp) and dipeptide permeases (Dpp), and of certain other periplasmic proteins. Regulation in the former case is mediated by the Pho regulon; genes controlled by this mechanism lack efficient -35 promoter regions, and instead, an activator protein, PhoB, binds to a specific 'Pho box' sequence, ten bases upstream from a -10 promoter, thereby facilitating binding of RNA polymerase and leading to enhanced transcription. In the latter case, putative Pho boxes can be identified in the promoter regions of opp and dpp (and of other binding proteins), but in these genes they overlap the RNA polymerase binding sites of good promoters. We speculate that this different Pho box location may allow PhoB to act as a repressor of transcription of these genes. The promoter region for the sigma factor, sigma 32, (RpoH) also contains a putative Pho box, implying that it may be involved in the enhanced synthesis and secretion of proteins required under phosphate limitation."}
{"id": "PMID:1478455", "title": "TonB-independent ferrioxamine B-mediated iron transport in Escherichia coli K12.", "content": "The TonB protein of Escherichia coli K12 couples the energized state of the cytoplasmic membrane with energy-dependent receptors in the outer membrane. High affinity iron transport mediated by ferric dicitrate, ferrienterobactin, ferriaerobactin, ferrichrome, and coprogen all require a functional tonB protein. However, we have found no difference between the growth rates of tonB+ strains and tonB strains using ferrioxamine B as the sole iron source. This TonB-independence of FOB transport and earlier results with a photoactive FOB analog indicate a separate mechanism for iron acquisition from FOB in E. coli."}
{"id": "PMID:1478457", "title": "Low temperature induced non-culturability and killing of Vibrio vulnificus.", "content": "Vibrio vulnificus cells progressively lose culturability during incubation at 5 degrees C. This process is accelerated by the addition of supernatants from non-culturable cells obtained by incubation at 5 degrees C for 17 days. Thus the organism apparently produces a factor upon cold incubation which is triggering or causing the decline in culturability. Reversing the temperature shift can restore a culturable population comparable in numbers to the original population, but this process is largely due to regrowth. A few cells retaining the ability to grow apparently utilize the substrates released by the moribund cells, thus mimicking resuscitation of the whole population."}
{"id": "PMID:1478458", "title": "The effect of iron limitation on expression of the aerobic and anaerobic electron transport pathway genes in Escherichia coli.", "content": "To determine whether the aerobic and anaerobic respiratory pathways of Escherichia coli are regulated in response to iron availability, strains containing lacZ reporter fusions to the cydAB, cyoABCDE, narGHJI, dmsABC and frdABCD operons were grown in medium limited for iron by use of the chelator, 2,2'-dipyridyl. Under anaerobic conditions, expression of the anaerobic respiratory pathway operons, narG-lacZ, dmsA-lacZ and frdA-lacZ, was reduced 14-16 fold when iron was limited. In contrast, expression of the aerobic pathway operons, cyoA-lacZ and cydA-lacZ, was elevated modestly. Iron-dependent transcriptional control of these operons was independent of the fur gene which encodes an iron-and-DNA-binding regulatory protein. The expression of fnr-lacZ was relatively unaffected by iron limitation suggesting that Fnr levels in the cell do not change in response to iron. The above findings suggest that in addition to Fur, some other cellular protein may bind iron for reporting and regulating iron-dependent cell functions."}
{"id": "PMID:1478459", "title": "Incompatibility of outer membrane proteins OmpA and OmpF of Escherichia coli with secretion in Bacillus subtilis: fusions with secretable peptides.", "content": "The secretion of the outer membrane proteins OmpA and OmpF of Escherichia coli has previously been found to be blocked at an early intracellular step, when these proteins were fused to a bacillar signal sequence and expressed in Bacillus subtilis. We have now fused these proteins to long secretable polypeptides, the amino-terminal portions of alpha-amylase or beta-lactamase. In spite of this, no secretion of the fusion proteins was detected in B. subtilis. With the exception of a small fraction of the beta-lactamase fusion, the proteins were cell-bound with uncleaved signal sequences. Protease accessibility indicated that the fusion proteins were not even partially exposed on the outer surface of the cytoplasmic membrane. Thus there was no change of the location compared to the OmpA or OmpF fused to the signal sequence only. We conclude that, like OmpA and OmpF, the fusion proteins fold into an export-incompatible conformation in B. subtilis before the start of translocation, which we postulate to be a late post-translational event."}
{"id": "PMID:1478460", "title": "Construction and properties of pyruvate dehydrogenase complexes with up to nine lipoyl domains per lipoate acetyltransferase chain.", "content": "The lipoate acetyltransferase (E2p) subunits of the pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) complex of Escherichia coli have three tandemly repeated lipoyl domains, although net deletions of one or two has no apparent effect on the activity of the purified complexes. Plasmids containing IPTG-inducible aceEF-lpd operons, which encode PDH complexes bearing from one to nine lipoyl domains per E2p chain (24-216 per complex), were constructed. They were all capable of restoring the nutritional lesion of a strain lacking PDH complex and they all expressed active sedimentable multienzyme complexes having a relatively normal range of subunit stoichiometries. The extra domains are presumed to protrude from the E2p core (24-mer) without significantly affecting the assembly of the E1p and E3 subunits on the respective edges and faces of the cubic core. However, the catalytic activities of the overproduced complexes containing four to nine lipoyl domains per E2p chain were lower than those with fewer lipoyl domains. This could be due to under-lipoylation of the domains participating in catalysis and interference from unlipoylated domains."}
{"id": "PMID:1478461", "title": "Lipase of Staphylococcus hyicus: analysis of the catalytic triad by site-directed mutagenesis.", "content": "In this study the putative catalytic triad Ser-His-Asp of the Staphylococcus hyicus ssp. hyicus lipase was investigated. Putative catalytic sites determined by homology comparisons of three staphylococcal and other non-staphylococcal lipases were altered by site-directed mutagenesis. Since the mutations did not influence the secretion of the lipase, the decrease in lipase activity of the mutants strongly supports the proposed involvement of Ser369 and His600 in catalysis. Asp559 is postulated to be the third amino acid of the triad."}
{"id": "PMID:1478462", "title": "Specific removal of chlorine from the ortho-position of halogenated benzoic acids by reductive dechlorination in anaerobic enrichment cultures.", "content": "Anaerobic enrichment cultures catalysing the reductive dechlorination of chlorinated benzoic acids were obtained from three fresh-water sediments collected from seven different locations. Sub-cultures from these enrichments specifically removed ortho-substituted chlorine from 2,3,6-, 2,3,5- and 2,4,6-trichlorobenzoic acid, yielding chloride and 2,5-, 3,5-, and 2,4-dichlorobenzoic acids, respectively. These reductive dehalogenations were stimulated by the addition of benzoate and/or volatile organic acids. In one of these enrichments dehalogenation of ortho- and/or para-chlorine substituents was also observed from 2,3-, 2,4-, 2,5-, and 3,4-dichlorobenzoic acid, yielding 3- and 4-chlorobenzoate. Removal of meta-chlorines was not observed in any of the enrichments."}
{"id": "PMID:1478463", "title": "Growth temperature-dependent activity of glycerol dehydratase in Escherichia coli expressing the Citrobacter freundii dha regulon.", "content": "Using the cosmid pWE15, a genomic library of Citrobacter freundii DNA in Escherichia coli ECL707 was prepared and screened for glycerol utilization. Six out of approximately 3000 clones were positive. One clone, harboring the recombinant cosmid pRD1, expressed glycerol dehydratase in high activity when grown at 28 degrees C but not at 37 degrees C. The growth temperature had little effect on the activity of the other enzymes encoded by the dha regulon. When the glycerol-containing medium was supplemented with corrinoids, the recombinant E. coli strain produced 1,3-propanediol in high amounts at 28 degrees C."}
{"id": "PMID:1478464", "title": "The sialylation of gonococcal lipopolysaccharide by host factors: a major impact on pathogenicity.", "content": "The resistance of gonococci in most patients to complement mediated killing by human serum is due to sialylation of their lipopolysaccharide (LPS) which prevents bactericidal antibody from reacting with target sites. Two of the host factors responsible are: cytidine 5'-monophospho-N-acetyl neuraminic acid (CMP-NANA), a well-known sialylating agent, and another factor which enhances the transfer of sialyl groups from CMP-NANA to LPS catalysed by a gonococcal sialyltransferase. The bacterial determinant of resistance is a conserved LPS component of about 4.5 kDa which is sialylated at a terminal Gal beta 1-4GlcNAc site on its side chain. The sialylated LPS forms a surface coat which is stainable by ruthenium red and connected with previously described 'capsules'. These observations sparked off an explosion of research. Recent publications show that sialylation of LPS by CMP-NANA affects additional important aspects of gonococcal pathogenicity, notably interactions with antibodies and phagocytes, and rendering the gonococcal surface more 'host-like'. Also, the observations have prompted an examination of LPS from some other pathogens for the presence of sialyl groups with positive results for Neisseria meningitidis and Haemophilus influenzae."}
{"id": "PMID:1478465", "title": "Serratia marcescens forms a new type of cytolysin.", "content": "Most Serratia marcescens strains produce a new type of cytolysin (hemolysin) which is also found in other Serratia species. The hemolytic polypeptide ShlA (M(r) 162 101) is secreted across the outer membrane through the help of the ShlB protein which also involves conversion of an inactive precursor in an hemolytically active form. Both proteins are synthesized with signal sequences which are released during export across the cytoplasmic membrane. Mutants expressing inactive ShlB derivatives are impaired in activation and secretion suggesting a tight coupling between both processes. The region of ShlA for activation and secretion is confined to the N-terminal 16% of the polypeptide which contains the sequence NPNG which is also found in the Proteus hemolysin, the Bordetella pertussis filamentous hemagglutinin and two highly expressed outer membrane proteins of Haemophilus influenzae. Substitution of the first asparagine (N) residue by isoleucine converts the Serratia hemolysin into an inactive secretion incompetent form. It is concluded that this region is recognized by ShlB for activation and secretion of ShlA. The Serratia hemolysin forms defined pores in erythrocyte membranes."}
{"id": "PMID:1478466", "title": "Erythrogenic toxins A, B and C: occurrence of the genes and exotoxin formation from clinical Streptococcus pyogenes strains associated with streptococcal toxic shock-like syndrome.", "content": "We report the study of 53 clinical isolates of group A streptococci, all from patients with streptococcal toxic shock-like syndrome. The strains were analysed for the occurrence of the genes of erythrogenic toxins (pyrogenic exotoxins) types A, B and C and in vitro production of these toxins. In contrast to reports indicating that 85% of the toxic shock-like syndrome-associated isolates contained the erythrogenic toxin A gene, only 58.5% of our strains harboured this gene. The erythrogenic toxin C gene was detected in 22.6% of the isolates. Erythrogenic toxin A and erythrogenic toxin B were produced by 68.7% and 58.3% of the strains containing either gene. For all group A streptococci, irrespective of clinical association, the erythrogenic toxin B gene was detected in all the isolates tested. Thus, it is difficult to define a specific role for erythrogenic toxin B in toxic shock-like syndrome as there was no clear correlation between this disease and the presence of toxin genes. Our results suggest the existence of other pathogenic factor(s) produced by group A streptococci which may stimulate human peripheral T lymphocytes in a manner similar to that of erythrogenic toxins, thus explaining different observations in previous epidemiological genetic studies."}
{"id": "PMID:1478467", "title": "Mucoid Pseudomonas aeruginosa and cystic fibrosis: the role of mutations in muc loci.", "content": "Mucoid alginate-producing mutants of Pseudomonas aeruginosa are major pathogens in debilitating chronic pulmonary infections in patients with cystic fibrosis. The mucoid phenotype results from alginate biosynthesis whose genes are arranged in at least three chromosomal loci. Structural genes are located at the 34-min region and regulatory genes at 9 min. A third cluster at the 70 min region contains muc mutations which affect transcription of a key structural gene, algD, in response to environmental stimuli. Control of mucoidy includes bacterial signal transduction systems, histone-like elements controlling nucleoid structure and, possibly, factors affecting superhelicity. Thus, the control of mucoidy in P. aeruginosa has become one of the focal systems for analysis of how bacterial pathogens adapt to the host environment."}
{"id": "PMID:1478468", "title": "Cytotoxic fungal spores in the indoor atmosphere of the damp domestic environment.", "content": "Eight-three fungal isolates collected and cultured from the air spora of damp public sector Scottish housing have been screened for cytotoxic properties. A bioassay procedure has been utilised for this purpose involving cytotoxic effects on human embryonic diploid fibroblast lung cells grown as monolayer cultures within the wells of microtitre plates. The MTT [3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide] biochemical assay system employed has revealed that 39 (47%) of the moulds investigated possessed spore-associated cytotoxic properties; a value which emphasises the potential health hazards of the continual inhalation of toxigenic fungal propagules by occupants of mouldy houses. Penicillia, the most prevalent fungi found in the internal atmosphere of the domestic environment, accounted for the great majority of cytotoxic strains identified."}
{"id": "PMID:1478469", "title": "Transformation-mediated exchange of virulence determinants by co-cultivation of pathogenic Neisseriae.", "content": "The horizontal flow of genetic material between microbes utilizes three principal routes: conjugation, transduction and transformation. While the significance in nature of the first two pathways is generally accepted, the in vivo role of transformation remains uncertain, despite the early observations by Griffith in 1928 on the transformation of streptococci from an avirulent to a virulent state [1]. Recently, circumstantial evidence was collected suggesting a role for transformation-mediated horizontal exchange in the modulation of virulence determinants of pathogenic Neisseriae and the variation of surface structures. In order to further assess the significance of transformation-mediated exchange we performed simple co-cultivation experiments of different Neisseria strains. We observed an efficient intra- and interspecies transfer of essential virulence determinants; the process was sensitive to the presence of DNaseI in the culture and was blocked in transformation-deficient recipients."}
{"id": "PMID:1478470", "title": "Growth and morphogenesis in Streptomyces.", "content": "In this report we propose a model of apical growth for streptomycetes. The apical tip is considered as a multilayered wall that expands by an inside-to-outside mechanism of growth. It is also assumed that each layer is made up of peptidoglycan blocks, each of them being the result of the biosynthetic activity of a wall-synthesizing unit or membrane-associated growth zone. According to our model, apical growth occurs as follows: as a consequence of the hydrostatic pressure and the cleavage of some bonds, the layers are pushed and forced to slide (one with respect to the other), migrating from the center of the tip (at the inside of the wall) towards a peripheral location (at the outside of the wall). The model also incorporates a mechanism by which apical growth can be regulated and coordinated with the replication of the chromosome."}
{"id": "PMID:1478471", "title": "Chromatins of low-protein content: special features of their compaction and condensation.", "content": "Histonic chromatin with a relatively high-protein content (RPC of about 1) is compared with naturally occurring chromatins of low-protein contents (RPCs of less than 0.5). The features of these chromatins, with respect to compaction and condensation, are discussed. Liquid crystalline chromatin, as found in dinoflagellates and phage heads, can apparently only be formed by condensation of chromatin of low-protein content and when it is not supercoiled. With histonic chromatin, liquid crystals are never found. Chromatins with low-protein contents might also form compactosomes (or 'labile nucleosomes'), as, for instance, in bacteria. They are forms of supercoiled DNA without a protein core and are so labile that they are difficult to study and even to detect. Chemical fixatives, as commonly used for electron microscopy, do not cross-link the chromatins of low-protein content, a feature which they share with naked DNA. It is postulated that these fixatives even relax the existing supercoil, which seems to be preserved after cryofixation only."}
{"id": "PMID:1478472", "title": "Some controls on oligosaccharide utilization by yeasts: the physiological basis of the Kluyver effect.", "content": "Many yeasts can aerobically catabolize exogenously supplied glycosides that are hydrolysed in the cytosol, but few do so anaerobically. This is so, even for yeasts that use one or more of the component hexoses anaerobically. The phenomenon, called the Kluyver effect, appears to be brought about by a combination of the following four factors: (i) fast transport of the glycosides into the cells involves proton symport and seems to require aerobiosis, so, under anaerobic conditions, the glycosides enter the cells much more slowly. This is probably because there is less ATP produced anaerobically than aerobically and, consequently, insufficient to supply the proton pump optimally, which is necessary to maintain proton symport; (ii) in addition, anaerobically, the transport carrier may have a lower substrate affinity; (iii) glycosidases generally have low substrate affinities; and (iv) the consequence of (i), (ii) and (iii) is a lowering of glycolytic flux and this deactivates pyruvate decarboxylase."}
{"id": "PMID:1478473", "title": "Hansenula polymorpha: an attractive model organism for molecular studies of peroxisome biogenesis and function.", "content": "In wild-type Hansenula polymorpha the proliferation of peroxisomes in induced by various unconventional carbon- and nitrogen sources. Highest induction levels, up to 80% of the cytoplasmic volume, are observed in cells grown in methanol-limited chemostat cultures. Based on our accumulated experience, we are now able to precisely adjust both the level of the peroxisome induction as well as their protein composition by specific adaptations in growth conditions. During the last few years a series of \"peroxisome-deficient (per) mutants of H. polymorpha have been isolated and characterized. Phenotypically these mutants are characterized by the fact that they are not able to grow on methanol. Three mutant phenotypes were defined on the basis of morphological criteria, namely: (a) mutants completely lacking peroxisomes (Per-;13 complementation groups); (b) mutants containing few small peroxisomes which are partly impaired in the peroxisomal import of matrix proteins (Pim-; five complementation groups); and (c) mutants with aberrations in the peroxisomal substructure (Pss-; two complementation groups). In addition, several conditional Per-, Pim- and Pss- mutants have been obtained. In all cases the mutant phenotype was shown to be caused by a recessive mutation in one gene. However, we observed that different mutations in one gene may cause different morphological mutant phenotypes. A detailed genetic analysis revealed that several PER genes, essential for peroxisome biogenesis, are tightly linked and organized in a hierarchical fashion. The use of both constitual and conditional per mutants in current and future studies of the molecular mechanisms controlling peroxisome biogenesis and function is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1478474", "title": "On the post-translational modifications at the C-terminal domain of the major cysteine proteinase (cruzipain) from Trypanosoma cruzi.", "content": "Cruzipain, the major cysteine proteinase from Trypanosoma cruzi, has a 130 amino acid-long C-terminal domain, which, although microheterogeneous in SDS-PAGE, has a single N-terminal amino acid sequence. Most of the Thr residues present at the beginning of this sequence are modified; the nature of this modification is still unknown, but O-glycosylation and phosphorylation seem both to be absent. The only potential site for N-glycosylation (Asn 254) is glycosylated in vivo. Most of the eight Cys residues are involved in disulfide bridges. The results are consistent with cruzipain being made of two well-defined domains, a catalytic one with high homology to cathepsin L, and a C-terminal domain, linked to the former by a 'hinge' corresponding to the Pro- and Thr-rich region at its N-terminus."}
{"id": "PMID:1478475", "title": "Peculiar properties of mycoplasmas: the smallest self-replicating prokaryotes.", "content": "Mycoplasmas are the smallest and simplest prokaryotes capable of self-replication, with information provided by a genome which may be as small as 600 kb, estimated to carry less than 500 genes. Keeping the number of structural elements, metabolic pathways and components of the protein synthesizing machinery to an essential minimum places mycoplasmas closest to the concept of 'minimum cells'. Mycoplasmas are, therefore, most adequate candidates for the complete deciphering of the machinery of a self-replicating organism, and studies towards this goal are already underway. Living as 'minimum cells' was made possible by adopting a parasitic mode of life, securing from the host the many nutrients which cannot be synthesized by the mycoplasmas themselves. When pathogenic, infections by mycoplasmas usually follow a chronic course, with host immune reactions playing an important role in symptom production. Recent studies on the possible association of mycoplasmas with rheumatoid arthritis and AIDS are reviewed."}
{"id": "PMID:1478476", "title": "Diversity of Pseudomonas plasmids: to what extent?", "content": "Results obtained in studies of the biology of Pseudomonas plasmids are presented here as a mini-review. These data indicate that plasmids are ubiquitous in Pseudomonas, but the frequency of their occurrence varies greatly in particular species, or groups of species and in different microbial habitats. Some species of Pseudomonas, for instance P. aeruginosa, possess great diversity of plasmids both from the viewpoint of their incompatibility properties and their ability to endow bacteria with additional features such as resistance to antibiotics or heavy metals, degradation of xenobiotics or inhibition of phage development."}
{"id": "PMID:1478479", "title": "Adjuvanted oral vaccines should not induce allergic responses to dietary antigens.", "content": "Oral vaccines may contain adjuvants which might elicit allergies against dietary proteins. Four antigens were used to measure such an effect--ovalbumin, soya bean protein, lactalbumin and gluten. Neither guinea pigs nor mice showed IgE responses after oral administration of adjuvanted vaccines containing lactalbumin and gluten. No IgE responses were detected in mice with any of these antigens after oral immunization, but, in the guinea pig, nine out of 18 animals reacted to either ovalbumin or soya bean protein and none reacted to lactalbumin and gluten. It is concluded that the risk of allergy induction against normal dietary proteins is low but such tests should be applied to potential adjuvanted oral vaccines to measure any possible contraindication, especially with atopic individuals."}
{"id": "PMID:1478480", "title": "Cellulose degradation by Clostridium thermocellum: from manure to molecular biology.", "content": "Clostridium thermocellum, a Gram-positive, thermophilic anaerobe produces a highly active cellulase system. This system, termed the cellulosome, is a complex composed of at least 14-18 different types of components organized around a large, cellulose-binding protein. Combining recombinant DNA technology and protein biochemistry has proved to be a successful approach in unravelling some important features of the system."}
{"id": "PMID:1478481", "title": "Rumen microbiology, biotechnology and ruminant nutrition: the application of research findings to a complex microbial ecosystem.", "content": "Research on rumen microorganisms has contributed greatly to our understanding of anaerobic microbial ecosystems, and has also influenced feeding practices and nutritional modelling with ruminants. However, it can be argued that rumen microbiology has not yet fulfilled its true potential. Growth-promoting ionophores, antibiotics and microbial feed additives were introduced before their microbiological effects had been determined. A more pro-active role for the microbiologist was predicted with the advent of recombinant DNA technology. Whether ventures in molecular biology can be applied successfully to benefit nutrition and health is likely to depend on whether means can be found for maintaining new strains in vivo."}
{"id": "PMID:1478482", "title": "Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the detection of antibodies to exocellular proteins of Staphylococcus aureus in bone infection.", "content": "An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was developed for measurement of the antibody response to exocellular protein antigens of Staphylococcus aureus. The wells of a microtitre plate were coated with the exocellular proteins present in the tryptic soya broth growth medium from a stationary phase culture of a bone infection strain of S. aureus. The wells were then reacted sequentially with patient sera, protein A-peroxidase conjugate and chromogenic substrate. Serum from patients with S. aureus bone infection gave a significantly higher IgG titre than sera from patients with Staphylococcus epidermidis or Streptococcus sanguis bone infection or healthy uninfected individuals. The assay therefore appears to have potential in the serodiagnosis of S. aureus bone infection."}
{"id": "PMID:1478484", "title": "Investigation of microbial growth in vivo: evaluation of a novel in vivo chamber implant system.", "content": "An intraperitoneal chamber implant system has been used to investigate the phenotype of Staphylococcus aureus growing in the rat and the effect of the antibiotic flucloxacillin on bacterial growth in vivo. Titanium chambers were implanted in the peritoneum: a period of 3-4 days equilibration allowed diffusion of host proteins into the chamber fluid prior to inoculation with bacteria. S. aureus inoculated into the chamber fluid, grew rapidly over a 72 h period, reaching counts of > 10(9) per ml. Organisms harvested from chambers were analysed by SDS-PAGE and showed significant differences in polypeptide profiles from the same strain grown in nutrient broth in vitro. Analysis of whole cell extracts by Western-blotting revealed that protein A expression was repressed in S. aureus grown in vivo. Following subcutaneous administration, flucloxacillin levels in serum peaked earlier and were higher than those detected in chamber fluid. The inhibitory effect of the antibiotic on the growth of S. aureus in chambers in treated animals could be monitored easily by sequential sampling of the chamber fluid. These results indicate the potential of the chamber implant model for investigation of microbial phenotype in vivo and development of alternative methods for assessment of antimicrobial efficacy in vivo."}
{"id": "PMID:1478485", "title": "Experimental conditions may affect reproducibility of the beta-galactosidase assay.", "content": "Several experimental conditions and parameters contributing to the determination of beta-galactosidase activity, as proposed in Miller's assay, were studied. Use of the absorbance correction factor and the nature and concentration of permeabilizing agents were taken into account as different experimental conditions. Reaction time, culture volume, and growth stage were investigated as equation parameters. From a quantitative point of view the results, in terms of Miller units, are markedly affected by variation in these conditions. Therefore, to ensure reproducibility it is advisable to use constant values for all the parameters."}
{"id": "PMID:1478486", "title": "[Montaigne and Paracelsus].", "content": "After some general remarks on Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592), who died just 400 years ago, the author compares him with another most original thinker of the 16th century: Paracelsus. Montaigne and Paracelsus were akin in their fundamental scepticism about human knowledge and convictions. Speaking, in his \"Essais\", of medicine Montaigne repeatedly quotes Paracelsus. These quotations show that Montaigne had some knowledge of Paracelsus' writings and that, to some extent, he was in sympathy with his ideas."}
{"id": "PMID:1478488", "title": "[\"Death of beautiful youth\" or youthful suicide in Geneva in the 18th century].", "content": "Whether it is the unhappy ending of family grief, the only solution to an unrequited love or due to some pathological behaviour, juvenile suicide horrifies the community of the Ancien R\u00e9gime, which tends to interpret it as an \"illness of the soul\" characteristic of a youth that combines bodily vitality with moral frailty, but whose role would be nonetheless to ensure the morrows of mankind. Juvenile suicide underlines the flaws of social solidarity in the tightly knit community of the Ancien R\u00e9gime, and it deepens the social resentment against willful death which, since 1774, has often been attributed to the harmful influence of the kind of \"philosophy\" or free will advocated by Goethe's unfortunate Werther."}
{"id": "PMID:1478489", "title": "Meeting the dark: autobiography in Hawthorne's unfinished tales.", "content": "This essay discusses the autobiographical implications of Nathaniel Hawthorne's last, unfinished tales. Biographical documents, as well as the tales, demonstrate that Hawthorne's personal condition shaped the characters and ideas in his fiction, particularly the aged protagonist, the meditations on old age and death, and the quest for immortality. The conflict between the moral vision in the tales and his personal attitude toward old age and death caused creative difficulties that he could not overcome."}
{"id": "PMID:1478490", "title": "\"To everything there is a season\": some Shakespearean models of normal and anomalous aging.", "content": "Shakespeare perceived aging characters as falling broadly into two categories: normal and anomalous. The former age in conformity to societal expectations, often displaying an inability to affect the outcome of events; the latter (e.g., Lear and Falstaff), deviating from these behavioral norms, dominate the action of their respective plays. Falstaff, a prime example of the anomalous ager, suffers rejection by King Henry V, his former boon companion, a consequence of ageism."}
{"id": "PMID:1478491", "title": "The effect of aging on dramatic realization of old age: the example of Ingmar Bergman.", "content": "Ingmar Bergman's films Wild Strawberries and Fanny and Alexander can be viewed as two readings of the psychosocial world of old age. The picture of aging emerging from Wild Strawberries is dominated by pressure toward resolution, and Fanny and Alexander is governed by fragmentation. Closure and fragmentation are related to the artist's position in the life span at the time of creation. Whereas closure appears to be a midlife attempt to handle death anxiety and a sense of finality, fragmentation is the older Bergman's means of adapting to the experience of aging."}
{"id": "PMID:1478492", "title": "Black grandparents rearing children of drug-addicted parents: stressors, outcomes, and social service needs.", "content": "This article reports findings from two qualitative studies of black grandparents and great-grandparents who are rearing their children's children as a consequence of parental drug addiction. Data were collected in two urban black communities from 60 grandmothers, grandfathers, and great-grandmothers (ages 43-82). Only 3% of the respondents received consistent, reliable familial support in their role as surrogate parents. Although respondents found parenting their grandchildren an emotionally rewarding experience, they also incurred psychological, physical, and economic costs in performing their roles."}
{"id": "PMID:1478493", "title": "The physical and emotional health of grandmothers raising grandchildren in the crack cocaine epidemic.", "content": "This article explores the physical and emotional health status of 71 African-American grandmothers raising their grandchildren as a result of the crack cocaine involvement of the children's parents. A comparison of self-assessed health ratings with qualitative responses revealed a tendency for respondents to downplay their own health problems and symptoms."}
{"id": "PMID:1478494", "title": "Deaths caused by physical restraints.", "content": "A retrospective analysis of 122 deaths caused by vest and strap restraints found that most victims were women (78%) and a median age of 81. Victims were found suspended from chairs (42%) or beds (58%); 83% were in nursing homes. Detailed analysis of 19 cases showed that all were demented, 13 had impulsive or involuntary movements, and 14 had recently tried to escape from a restraint or been found in a dangerous position while restrained. Restraints are an underrecognized, underreported, avoidable, and proximate cause of at least 1 of every 1,000 nursing home deaths."}
{"id": "PMID:1478495", "title": "Risk factors that predict staff failure to release nursing home residents from restraints.", "content": "This study identifies resident characteristics related to nursing staff failure to provide consistent release from physical restraints as required by regulation. The lengths of intervals during which residents were restrained were measured and correlated with the staff's perception of degree of care burden and resident behavioural characteristics in order to identify risk factors related to the absence of consistent release. Staff perceptions of residents' verbal aggressiveness (multiple R = -.30, p < .01), physical aggressiveness (multiple R = -.25, p < .03) and unpleasantness (multiple R = -.25, p < .03) are the three characteristics most predictive of the length of time residents continuously remain restrained."}
{"id": "PMID:1478496", "title": "Qualitative analysis of the Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE).", "content": "The innovative model of capitated acute and chronic care for nursing-home-eligible elderly persons, which was developed at On Lok in San Francisco's Chinatown and stresses using community care in lieu of institutional care, has been replicated at eight sites around the country. The early experience in developing these sites tests the extent to which the principles of this approach, based on day health care, can be reproduced in a variety of other settings. Four of the eight sites have begun formal capitated care; enrollment has been less active than anticipated, apparently due to reluctance to change physicians and resistance to day care."}
{"id": "PMID:1478497", "title": "Hospital-based case management: results from a demonstration.", "content": "The Flinn Foundation Hospital-based Coordinated Care case management demonstration was designed to help patients discharged from six participating hospitals be linked to community services by a case manager. One unexpected result was that about half of the clients served were referred from the community, not from the hospital. We examine the characteristics of hospital-based case management clients, the predictors of their continuation in case management, and their health status over 1 year, focusing on the differences between hospital- and community-referred clients."}
{"id": "PMID:1478498", "title": "Symptoms of depression among older African-Americans: an analysis of gender differences.", "content": "Using data from a community-based sample of African-Americans, this study investigated the association between gender and depressive symptoms among 148 African-Americans who are 65 years of age and older. Findings indicated no gender difference in overall level of depressive symptomatology. Further analyses suggest that the lack of a gender difference in depressive symptoms was attributable to similarities in risk factors related to stressful life events and the social roles associated with employment and childrearing."}
{"id": "PMID:1478499", "title": "Living arrangements of the elderly: an examination of differences according to ancestry and generation.", "content": "Using data from the November 1979 Current Population Survey, the pattern of living with relatives among American elderly of European origin was examined. The data show that, in general, the elderly with Southern, Central, and Eastern European ancestries were more likely to live with relatives than were their Northwestern European counterparts. There were exceptions, most notably those elderly with a Russian background. There was no decreased likelihood of living with relatives among those with more generations in the United States."}
{"id": "PMID:1478500", "title": "The relationship between program participation, use of formal in-home care, and satisfaction with care in an elderly population.", "content": "This study used data from the Channeling Demonstration to investigate the relationship between program participation, utilization of formal in-home services, and client satisfaction in an elderly population. Age, being male, severe ADL dependency, living alone with no informal support, provision of basic case management services, and utilization of formal in-home services were significant predictors of satisfaction."}
{"id": "PMID:1478501", "title": "Clinical assessment of family caregivers in dementia.", "content": "Development of an integrated family assessment inventory based on the Double ABCX and Circumplex models of family functioning and its clinical utility was evaluated with 121 primary family caregivers from a cognitive disorders program. The proposed model predicted a significant proportion of the variance associated with caregiver stress and strain. Several aspects of the caregiving arrangement also emerged as key features in predicting caregiver depression. These findings supported the model's central premise that both dyadic (caregiver-patient) and systemic (caregiver-family) variables are salient in assessing the impact of family caregiving with dementia."}
{"id": "PMID:1478502", "title": "Psychotropic drug use in long-term care facilities: a review of the literature.", "content": "We reviewed 19 studies of psychotropic drug use for residents of long-term care facilities, located through a MEDLINE search of the literature published between 1978 and 1990. The review compares each study in terms of its sample, research design, and findings. The studies reviewed found that a substantial proportion of nursing home residents are taking psychotropic drugs on a regular, long-term basis and this usage is accompanied by prescribing and monitoring problems and many potential adverse risks."}
{"id": "PMID:1478503", "title": "The impact of an interinstitutional relocation on nursing home residents requiring a high level of care.", "content": "Residents of two older nursing homes (n = 196) were relocated to a new 238-bed facility. A nonequivalent control group (n = 74) design with two pretests and two posttests was used to assess the impact of this move on their well-being and health. The relocated residents and control-group residents required a similar level of nursing care. Residents to be relocated participated in a preparation program designed to enhance their sense of control and predictability over the move. Analyses of medical records, nurses' ratings, and interviews strongly suggest that the move had no negative effect on the residents as a group or on vulnerable subgroups of residents."}
{"id": "PMID:1478504", "title": "The Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program: what does the complaint reporting system tell us?", "content": "Using paid staff and/or volunteers, long-term care ombudsman programs are charged with resolving complaints and solving problems that affect elderly persons in a variety of long-term care settings. This paper reports the results of a content analysis of annual ombudsman program reports sent to the Administration on Aging from 49 states in 1990. We found substantial variation in the documented information at both state and local levels and recommend revising the reporting system."}
{"id": "PMID:1478505", "title": "Introducing psychiatric care into nursing homes.", "content": "A consultation-liaison psychiatry program in a teaching nursing home helped implement six guiding principles including: make the patient human to the staff; assume no behavior is random; look for depression of psychosis as a source of problems; reduce medications and medication doses; create a more homelike environment; and use conditions in which learning still occurs in dementia."}
{"id": "PMID:1478506", "title": "Health care and consumer control: Pittsburgh's Town Meeting for Seniors.", "content": "Since 1988 two hospitals in Pittsburgh have conducted a semiannual Town Meeting for Seniors designed to provide community- based health education so that seniors can make informed decisions not only about medical care, but also about issues such as Medigap insurance, advance directives, and proper nutrition. Attendees have been predominantly white and middle class, reflecting the demographics of the surrounding area. The Town Meeting has been enthusiastically received by consumers and has led to the creation of several new community programs, including exercise classes, driver education classes, durable power of attorney workshops, and expanded insurance counseling services."}
{"id": "PMID:1478507", "title": "Seniors for Justice: a political and social action group for nursing home residents.", "content": "This article describes a political and social action group of cognitively intact nursing home residents. Organized in response to residents' desire to \"do something\" about social issues, the group is coordinated by one of the nursing home's recreational therapists, who expected participation in the group to maximize residents' autonomy and sense of control. Benefits mentioned by the participants included: the opportunity to communicate their thoughts, keeping busy, and feeling part of the larger community."}
{"id": "PMID:1478510", "title": "[Evaluation of the Murless head extractor].", "content": "The Murless head extractor has been used since long time ago as a vector, extractor and head rotator through cesarean section diminishing the injury feto-maternal. From march to june 1991, 50 patients with cesarean section indication and with fetus in head presentation were gotten out using this way, analyzing 12 maternal parameters and 9 fetal. The most frequent indication of cesarean section was severe Preeclampsia 41%, third cesarean section 14.7%, fetal distress 14.7%, low reserve fetal 11.7%, PROM 8.8% and others 9.1%. The height of the head was at the first plane in 59.4%. The Apgar score at the minute was of 9 in 6.0%, of 8 in 60.6%, of 7 in 18.1%, of 6 in 12.1% of 4 in 3.3%. The Apgar score at five minutes was 9 in 84.8% and 8 in 12.1% for a total of 96.9%. An USG transfontanelar was practiced in 40 products from which 37 (92.5%) were normal and in 3 (7.5%) it was found: in one brain light edema and in two hypoxical encephalopathy (caused by severe Preeclampsia, chronic hypertension and superimposed preeclampsia and fetal distress due to cord around the neck. In the other ten cases USG was not used for another reasons. Maternal morbi-mortality and general due to extractor use, was not obtained not either fetal morbi-mortality. It was concluded that the head extractor is useful, does not increase the obstetrical injury and it is easily applied)."}
{"id": "PMID:1478511", "title": "[Indomethacin in threatening premature labor. Fetal and neonatal cardiovascular effects].", "content": "At the Hospital de Ginecobstetricia del Centro Medico \"La Raza\", between october 1, 1990 to may 31, 1991, were attended 50 women with premature labor, with pregnancies of 30-36 week sold. They were given 100 mg of indomethacin, rectal, daily, in order to obtain arrest of the uterine activity. The mean doses given was 4 +/- 0.739. In 26 (52%) patients there were transient, fetal ductal constriction. In these patients there were high fetal heart rate variability during the ductal constriction time. No other fetal an neonatal effects were documented. It is recommended when indomethacin was given in premature labor treatment a fetal ecocardiogram and the fetal and neonatal study of the patients in research of cardiovascular side effects, included neonatal pulmonary hypertension syndrome."}
{"id": "PMID:1478512", "title": "[Anticonvulsant treatment in severe preeclampsia. Comparison between diazepam and magnesium sulfate].", "content": "The objective was to compare the materno-fetal effects between Diazepam and Magnesium sulfate used as anticonvulsivant therapy in cases of severe pre-eclampsia. The study was prospective, comparative, longitudinal, randomized clinical trial. The study was done at Centro Medico Nacional Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social. Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Torreon, Coah, Mexico. The patients were all the women admitted to the labor and delivery ward with diagnosis of severe pre-eclampsia and viable conceptus were assigned at random to receive either Diazepam (Group A, n = 19) or Magnesium sulfate (group B, n = 19). There were no significant differences between both groups. All of the patients remained alert, conscious and well oriented. None of the newborns showed hiporreflexia, flaccidity or neonatal respiratory distress that could be implicated to the anticonvulsivant therapy. It is concluded that Diazepam and Magnesium sulfate are good alternatives as anticonvulsivant therapy in cases of severe pre-eclampsia."}
{"id": "PMID:1478513", "title": "[Premature ovarian insufficiency and nuclear organizer regions in triplicate].", "content": "Silver-staining of the nucleolus organizer region, which represents transcription of ribosomal ribonucleic acid genes, was herein studied in the acrocentric chromosomes of a patient with premature ovarian failure. The demonstration of an additional nucleolar organizer region in the peripheral lymphocytes, suggests a causal relationship between transcriptive activity and this type of ovarian failure."}
{"id": "PMID:1478514", "title": "[Medical information system regarding the control of the results of the railroad accidents involving hazardous substances].", "content": "Medical and informational supply of the system liquidating the consequences of accidents concerning the dangerous railway goods was analysed. Emergency cards of dangerous railway goods were described as a new type of medical and technical information. 130 of such cards concerning 567 dangerous railway goods were published in 1984, additional prophylactic sections of emergency cards for 400 substances (goods) were published in 1991. Materials for 1,000 substances are prepared for publishing. Automatic system for information search was proved to have good prospects for the further development and putting into practice on railways."}
{"id": "PMID:1478515", "title": "[Crural blood circulation in changed position of the legs and after preventive gymnastics].", "content": "Investigations of arterial and venous circulation in the shin, analysis of work hyperemia and venous pump mechanisms have shown, that regional hemodynamics depends on the position of the lower limbs. The optimal initial position for special exercises intensifying the venous outflow is sitting with raised, slightly flexed legs, with the shin on the level of the heart. Sitting with flexed knees and vertical shin is less advisable for prophylaxis."}
{"id": "PMID:1478516", "title": "[Data on predicting the status of body functions of the engineering and technical personnel in the mines].", "content": "Reliability of mine foremen influences greatly the group microclimate, productivity and safety of work in mines. Engineering and technical personnel with high level of professional reliability shows the best parameters of psychophysiologic status. Criteria are worked out to score the most informative psychophysiologic functions in mine foremen during the preliminary and regular check-ups of such personnel."}
{"id": "PMID:1478517", "title": "[Clinical course of pneumoconiosis after exposure to dust evaluated by the results of ambulatory follow-up].", "content": "Results of follow-up and treatment of different pneumoconiosis types in 749 patients are represented. Rational employment combined with individualized treatment stabilize pneumoconiosis in 80.5% of cases with interstitial silicosis, in those with silico - silicosis --85.5% the nodular form in 70.5% and 77.8% of cases respectively. In the patients with the first symptoms of silicotuberculosisis the interstitial and nodular forms of the process stabilized in more than 50% of cases and in more than 60% of silico - silicatosis cases. Active interstitial tuberculosis was revealed in 7.3% of cases, nodular one--in 16.2%. The course of the macronodular pneumoconiosis in 50.2% of cases was unfavourable. 23.2% of patients with pneumoconiosis caused by electric-welding aerosol showed regress of pneumoconiosis in afterdust period."}
{"id": "PMID:1478518", "title": "[Cervical osteochondrosis in miners].", "content": "Characteristics, frequency and distribution of vertebrogenic diseases involving cervico-brachial region were studied in more than 1,000 miners from asian North and East exposed to vibration. The data were compared with the results of examination of drivers. The investigation revealed a high level of vertebrogenic cervical pain and cervico-brachial pain in miners with a long length of service, especially in those suffering from vibration disease and frequent osteochondrosis manifestation in younger age, especially in subjects working beyond the Polar Circle. Occupational hazards are proved to play a leading role in the early development of vertebrogenic diseases, and vibration disease predisposes to such pathology. The results make possible to consider the vertebrogenic cervical pain and cervico-brachial pain as occupational diseases in young-aged workers with long length of service or evaluate such diseases as complications of vibration disease in individuals facing this occupational pathology."}
{"id": "PMID:1478519", "title": "[Toxicological characteristics and standardization of various poly-metallic oxides].", "content": "Acute toxicity, functional cumulative and local effects of the four ++poly-metallic oxides YBa2Cu3O7, Bi4Sr3O16, Tl2Ca2Cu3O10, Lao,7Sro,3CoO3, were studied in laboratory animals. Parallel experiments on assessment toxicity of the regular oxides of the studied metals in mice were carried out. The major dissolution of metals was shown to occur in acid medium. Thallium-barium-calcium cuprite turned out to be the most toxic and cumulative; it induced the most severe morphologic changes in the liver and kidneys. The least severe disorders caused by this substance were in the rat gastric mucosa and in rabbit eye after a conjunctival injection. Yttrium-barium cuprite induced the most severe changes at the site of injection, lanthanum-strontium cobaltite ranks second here. All copper-containing polymetallic oxides show resorptive toxicity when applied to the skin. Different types of combined toxicity are possible, that is why MACs for the regular oxides can not be used for setting the normal concentrations of ++poly-metallic oxides in air. Estimated toxicometric parameters helped to score the concentrations, which may serve as tentative safe levels of the studies substances."}
{"id": "PMID:1478520", "title": "[Data on the standardization of a lubricant F-11 in the air of the work area].", "content": "F-11 lubricant is used in synthetic fibers industry for the polyamide fibers processing. LD50 in intragastric administration is over 11,000 mg/kg. Acute action threshold (limac) is 180 mg/m3 (as evidenced by changes of the investigatory reflex). Chronic action threshold (limch) is 100 mg/m3. MAC in the air is 5 mg/m3, hazard class III. F-11 lubricant is a moderately hazardous chemical compound."}
{"id": "PMID:1478521", "title": "[Biodemographic parameters as indicators of genetic adaptation to harmful occupational factors (e.g. asbestos)].", "content": "A total of 129 women working at asbestos-concentrating factories and asbestos articles manufacture plant, including 87 of them facing asbestosis and 42 exposed to asbestos without asbestosis were examined. There was no marked shifts in the reproductive function and pregnancy results of women facing asbestosis and those exposed to asbestos without asbestosis. Women facing asbestosis has infant mortality higher than other women. Parameters of potential selection (index Crow) in the studied population showed an unfavourable demographic situation in women facing asbestosis. Analysis of biodemographic data helped to suggest the possibility of genetic predisposition to asbestosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1478522", "title": "[A method of measuring and evaluating the changes in body temperature in humans].", "content": "Studies of thermoregulation (skin and body temperature) and heat exchange in humans engaged in physical work of different type and intensity in variable environmental temperatures provided coefficients of 'cover' and 'core' mixing to calculate the mean body temperature and changes in heat content. The derived coefficient for a certain individual depended on body cooling and on the intensity of physical work."}
{"id": "PMID:1478523", "title": "[Mutagenic activity of the azo dye Disperse Orange 2K and its basic component Reax dispenser].", "content": "Mutagenic activity of inhaled dispersed orange 2K nitrodye (DON 2K) and Reax' disperser was evaluated. Chronically inhaled DON 2K (with disperser) in concentration 28.6 mg/m3 is a genetic danger for an individual and population, being also a selective by injurious++ to the red blood cells. Chronically inhaled Reax' disperser (25.7 and 5.8 mg/m3) shows low mutagenic activity in somatic tissue. Thus, the mutagenic effect of DON 2K with disperser (composition is constant) is explained by nitrodye and not a disperser."}
{"id": "PMID:1478524", "title": "[Problem of predicting occupational morbidity among workers in the iron ore mines of the Krivo\u012d Rog region].", "content": "The article represents the morbidity prognosis of silicosis, dust bronchitis, cochlear neuritis, vibration disease, trinitrotoluene cataract. Only the morbidity prognosis of silicosis proved to be stable, because the objective diagnosis makes its level close to true."}
{"id": "PMID:1478526", "title": "[Gas-chromatographic analysis of the fungicide azocene in environmental objects and biological specimens].", "content": "Sensitive gas chromatography methods have been worked out for evaluation of azocene trace quantities in the air of working and populated area, water, soil, plants and biological material. Chromatographer with thermoionic detector was employed. The lower detection threshold is 2 ng of azocene. The resulting errors is under 20. Other fungicides do not interfere."}
{"id": "PMID:1478527", "title": "[A case of extrinsic allergic alveolitis in a shoe factory worker].", "content": "The article describes one case of exogenic allergic alveolitis (EAA) developed in female engaged into shoe-making during 20 years and exposed to high concentrations of industrial multicomponent aerosols. Having pneumonia-like exacerbations, the disease demonstrated growing dyspnea and intercurrent pulmonary infiltrations. Such diagnoses as pneumonia, pulmonary tuberculosis, Loeffler syndrome, pulmonary sarcoidosis and EAA were discussed. The diagnosis of \"shoe-maker's\" EAA was based on the features of anamnesis, occupational life and manifestations confirmed by immunologic and morphologic data. Endobronchial lavage with hydrocortisone administration was proved to be effective. The importance of clinical and immunologic criteria, examination of ability to work in people suffering from EAA was stressed."}
{"id": "PMID:1478528", "title": "[Polarographic analysis of cobalt in biological specimens].", "content": "References to different methods of cobalt detection in biologic material are given. Polarographic detection of cobalt in human urine and animal biologic material worked out by authors was used for evaluation of biologic MAC. Biologic material was limed by nitric and sulfuric acids. Sulfuric acid was carefully distilled off the burnt material. Mineralized material was dissolved in 10 ml of 1N hydrochloric acid, filtered and again steamed into moist salts. 2.5 ml of water, 0.5 ml of dimethylglyoxime (0.02 M), 2 ml of Na4P2O7 (0.2 M) and 5 ml of buffer solution (0.1 M NH4Cl and NH4OH) were added to limed mineral, than pH was driven to 9 by 1 = 2 drops of ammonia solution and after blowing through, the specimen was exposed to polarography in alternating current. ++Redox potential of cobalt is 1.18 V. The method can be used for detection of cobalt in urine of workers contacting with the stated metal. Sensitivity of the method is 0.02 Mkg/ml."}
{"id": "PMID:1478530", "title": "[Mean temperature of the human body in various thermal conditions].", "content": "A more precise method to score the mean temperature of human body exposed to a wide range of heat was worked out. The work produced formula describing the correlation between the changes of mean body temperature and human thermal status, which lets score the degree of overheating and/or cooling from heat content."}
{"id": "PMID:1478531", "title": "[Physiological and hygienic substantiation of the resting time for transportation workers in the mining industry in relation to the workload and meteorological conditions].", "content": "Heat status was examined in machine open-cast mine extracting workers of Armenia to establish the prophylactic measures against overheating for optimal thermal status of the body. At the end of the working shift during the warm season machine workers showed the strain of heat status demonstrated the necessity of the additional 20 minutes rest after the 2nd trip during the warm season. Traditional drinks can be recommended to compensate for marked loss of moisture."}
{"id": "PMID:1478532", "title": "Hemostatic effect of platelet von Willebrand factor.", "content": "In type III von Willebrand disease (vWD) patients, the bleeding time was only partially corrected or not modified after cryoprecipitate infusion, although the levels and the multimeric structure of plasma von Willebrand factor (vWF) were normal. However, the adhesion of normal platelets on the vessel wall subendothelium in the presence of postinfusion patient plasma improved more significantly than the bleeding time. These results suggest a role of the vWF released from normal platelets which is absent in type III vWD platelets. In 5 patients transfusion of normal platelet concentrates performed 1 h after cryoprecipitate infusion without modification of the bleeding time (> 30 min) normalized this parameter, and platelet adhesion to the subendothelium elicited a marked improvement. These last results confirm the suggestion that platelet vWF plays an important 'in vivo' role in the hemostatic process, particularly in patients suffering from severe vWD."}
{"id": "PMID:1478533", "title": "von Willebrand's disease in Scandinavia and on difficulties in diagnosing von Willebrand's disease type I.", "content": "The research on von Willebrand's disease performed in Sweden and Finland since the late 1920s is reviewed. The difficulties in diagnosing mild von Willebrand's disease, due to intra-individual variability, is discussed in relation to making correct pedigrees for genetic studies. As shown by some examples, new techniques for genetic studies will eliminate such difficulties and lead to better understanding of the pathogenesis."}
{"id": "PMID:1478535", "title": "Haemophilia home therapy.", "content": "Within the past 20 years, home therapy has become an accepted treatment for the majority of people with severe haemophilia in the developed world. The intravenous administration of blood products by suitably trained patients or their relatives has proved to be safe and effective. It allows for the early treatment of bleeding episodes before the appearance of physical signs. It results in reduced morbidity, especially in terms of reduction in long-term arthropathy, and in reduced socio-economic handicap. It is cost effective both in terms of savings in time previously lost from school or work and reduction of reliance on expensive hospital facilities. Home therapy forms a vital part of the overall comprehensive care of people with haemophilia and their families."}
{"id": "PMID:1478536", "title": "Long-term therapy and on-demand treatment of children and adolescents with severe haemophilia A: 12 years of experience.", "content": "Between 1978 and 1989, a controlled study was performed on children and adolescents suffering from severe haemophilia A. Special attention was given to long-term therapy adjusted to the patients' requirements. The clinical and the X-ray scores of the Orthopaedic Advisory Committee of the World Haemophilia Society were used to assess the orthopaedic findings. The present investigation is a 12-year follow-up study of 90 patients affected with severe forms of haemophilia A. All knee and ankle joints of the patients were evaluated. After 12 years, the clinical scores remained unchanged or had been improved (knees 94%, X-ray score 97, ankles 86, X-ray score 88)."}
{"id": "PMID:1478537", "title": "Update of 156 episodes of central nervous system bleeding in hemophiliacs.", "content": "Between 1960 and 1991, 156 episodes of central nervous system (CNS) bleeding were documented in 106 patients from a total population of 1,410 hemophiliacs (7.5%). Ninety-one hemophilia A patients presented 131 bleeding episodes; 15 hemophilia B patients had 25 episodes. 32% of these episodes took place in patients less than 5 years of age. 46% were age 10 or less, and 72% were age 20 or less. The mean age was 14.8 years in hemophilia A and 9 years in hemophilia B patients. A significant increase in the mean age of hemophilia A patients has been observed over the last 10 years; this may be related to HIV infection. A history of recent trauma was documented in 39.7% of the episodes. Spontaneous CNS bleeding was predominant in severe hemophilia (85.2%). One hundred and fifty-four CNS bleeding episodes were intracranial and 2 intraspinal. Of the intracranial episodes, 37.7% were subarachnoid, 29.8 subdural, and 22.7% intracerebral. Factor VIII or IX inhibitors were present in 11.3% of the patients; this figure is slightly lower than that observed in our total hemophilic population. Over 50% of the patients had psychoneurological sequelae; the most frequent were seizure disorders and motor impairment. The overall mortality rate was 29.2%. The mortality was more closely related to the CNS bleeding site than to the severity of hemophilia. Treatment should be based on prompt and prolonged replacement therapy to ensure hemostatic levels of antihemophilia factors."}
{"id": "PMID:1478538", "title": "Management of factor VIII inhibitors: evolution and current status.", "content": "Management of patients with factor VIII (and IX) inhibitors includes management of acute bleeds and methods to induce immune suppression and tolerance and to detect patients at risk of developing inhibitors. The methods used over the years to treat acute bleeding have been more or less successful. The best method is to raise factor VIII levels by human or porcine factor VIII concentrate, but this is not usually possible. Prothrombin complex concentrates, activated or non-activated, have enjoyed some success as factor VIII by passing agents, but the development of recombinant activated factor VII represents a new and promising method of inducing haemoslasis at the site of bleeding whilst minimizing the risk of disseminated intravascular coagulation. Alternatively, the use of tissue factor is under consideration to exploit the extrinsic system. Methods to induce immunological tolerance by use of the 'Bonn' regime or by the introduction of immunomodulation with the 'Malm\u00f6' regime of extracorporeal immunodepletion, cyclophosphamide, and intravenous immunoglobulin continue to be attempted with significant but variable success. Gradually the inhibitor problem is being contained, but it is still an important complication of haemophilia therapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1478539", "title": "Desmopressin: a nontransfusional treatment of hemophilia and von Willebrand disease.", "content": "Desmopressin (1-deamino-8-D-arginine vasopressin) is a synthetic analogue of the antidiuretic hormone L-arginine vasopressin. Because it can raise circulating levels of factor VIII and von Willebrand factor, desmopressin is used for nontransfusional treatment of mild and moderate hemophilia and von Willebrand disease. Desmopressin also shortens the prolonged skin bleeding time in patients suffering from von Willebrand disease and is given to prevent or stop excessive bleeding in such conditions."}
{"id": "PMID:1478540", "title": "Financial assistance for HIV-infected persons with haemophilia worldwide.", "content": "In many countries we could note the dramatic developments in regard to financial assistance of HIV-infected haemophiliacs and their families since we distributed the first overview on this to all World Federation of Hemophilia member countries. As a result of the untiring efforts of the National Haemophilia Societies, infected persons and their families receive essential assistance in 15 member countries. It is hoped that this development will sway more and more member countries to consider demands for financial support and provide them with the arguments to succeed."}
{"id": "PMID:1478541", "title": "La Paz Hemophilia Center, 1967-1992: people, events, and memories.", "content": "In 1967, once urgent blood requirements had been resolved in La Paz Hospital, Madrid, Spain, and adequate supplies of plasma for cryoprecipitation, therefore, being available, a Hemophilia Unit (later Hemophilia Center) was set up to attend to the comprehensive care of hemophilia patients and patients with other coagulopathies. This Center covers a regional area and also a national area for referrals and normally attends 600 patients. In this Center the Spanish Social Security Hemophilia Association was created. In 1983 the first cases of AIDS appeared, occasioning the change from standard factor VIII concentrates to the heat-treated concentrates that had recently appeared on the market. At present the Center is responsible for the medical attention of those hemophilia patients affected by HIV."}
{"id": "PMID:1478543", "title": "Diagnosis of Glanzmann's thrombasthenia and carrier detection using monoclonal antibodies to platelet glycoprotein IIb and IIIa in immunoblotting.", "content": "Glanzmann's thrombasthenia is a rare hemorrhagic syndrome, characterized by a quantitative or functional defect of the platelet glycoprotein GPIIb-IIIa complex. The authors describe a method to diagnose thrombasthenic patients and identify carrier subjects by using monoclonal antibodies specific for GPIIb and GPIIIa in an immunoblotting technique. The immunoreaction patterns of two thrombasthenic patients lacking GPIIb or GPIIIa, respectively, are shown. The described method produces further evidence concerning the biochemical heterogeneity of Glanzmann's thrombasthenia."}
{"id": "PMID:1478544", "title": "Elevated levels of plasma and urine beta-thromboglobulin or thromboxane-B2 as markers of real platelet hyperactivation in diabetic nephropathy.", "content": "Serum creatinine, immunoreactive serum and urine beta 2-microglobulin, plasma and urine thromboglobulin, plasma thromboxane-B2 levels and daily protein excretion were determined in 61 insulin-treated diabetic patients, comparing the different patient groups (complication free, nephropathy without and with azotaemia) with control subjects. In the groups of diabetic patients, plasma and urine beta-thromboglobulin (BTG) and plasma thromboxane-B2 levels were higher than in the controls. There was a significant positive correlation between urine BTG and beta 2-microglobulin in the group without complication, and between the plasma BTG and beta 2-microglobulin, and plasma BTG and thromboxane levels in the diabetic group with azotaemia. In contrast to some previous assumptions, the increased level of plasma BTG reflects a real platelet hyperactivation in patients with diabetic nephropathy. At the same time, urine BTG also increases. Determination of urine BTG is more simple with less possibility of methodological error."}
{"id": "PMID:1478552", "title": "An experiential program to reduce AIDS risk among female sex partners of injection-drug users.", "content": "This article describes the development and implementation of an acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) intervention program for female sex partners of male injection-drug users. Four psychoeducational workshops were designed to motivate personal risk reduction, provide participants with necessary cognitive and behavioral skills, and enhance participants' perceived ability to enact positive changes in their lives. The development of the workshop modules was guided by traditional theories of health behavior change and social learning. Also included in the intervention are referral and advocacy services, personal risk reduction counseling, and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) antibody testing. Preliminary results indicate that the program has made a significant impact on the AIDS risk of participants--91 percent of women who completed the program reported that they had made positive changes in their lives to reduce their risk of HIV infection."}
{"id": "PMID:1478553", "title": "Connecting the disconnected: adult day care for people with AIDS in New York City.", "content": "Despite pressing need, the development of a continuum of long-term-care services for people with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) has been hampered by the dearth of information on the characteristics and service needs of patients eligible for such care. This article presents findings from a process evaluation of an outpatient day care program for people with AIDS in New York City. The AIDS clients were highly functional but had a diverse range of needs and problems related to housing, substance abuse, medical care, and social support. The majority of clients reported being very satisfied with the level of staff support and with the overall program. The findings of the study suggest that day care is a valuable addition to the continuum of services and that the creative dissemination of this program may improve the delivery of services to people with AIDS."}
{"id": "PMID:1478554", "title": "Caregivers of elderly relatives: spouses and adult children.", "content": "A problem in the provision of home health care for elderly people is the limited number of family members available for caregiving. Current trends in federal, state, and local policy formation suggest an increasing emphasis on the family as an appropriate caregiver. Therefore, it is necessary to examine how family relationships affect the caregivers' responses to their caregiver situation. Data are presented from 206 caregivers enrolled in a larger longitudinal study of family members caring for elderly dependent relatives. The sample is divided into four caregiver groups: (1) spouses who have children, (2) spouses who have no children, (3) adult children who have siblings, and (4) adult children who have no siblings. Measures selected for comparison were perception of burden, caregiver involvement, affective social support, mental health status, and use of community services. Differences were found among the four groups of caregivers. Implications for social work intervention are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1478555", "title": "Evaluating social work discharge planning services for elderly people: access, complexity, and outcome.", "content": "The discharge planning role of hospital social workers has become increasingly important in services to elderly people. This article examines three issues: (1) the extent to which elderly people most in need receive social work services, (2) the extent to which the discharge planning performed is a professional task, and (3) the effectiveness of discharge planning for those who return to their homes after hospitalization. The study focused on 1,100 elderly patients from five Baltimore hospitals. Data were gathered from their social workers, from the patients themselves (by phone after discharge), and from medical records. Results show that only a minority of elderly patients who return to the community after hospitalization receive social work services while in the hospital but that those who do are likely to have posthospital needs. In most cases, the discharge planning uses professional skills, but 28 percent of cases are fairly routine. Finally, social work services were effective in reducing the level of unmet needs in the areas of nursing, medication, and physical therapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1478556", "title": "Clinical decision making for discharge planning in a changing psychiatric environment.", "content": "This article reviews the clinical decision-making process involved in planning for continuity of care following discharge from inpatient psychiatric services. The decision-making frame of reference requires the identification of the players in the process, parameters of their roles, performance expectations, and boundaries of rights and obligations; clear definition of objectives; collection of data and analysis of its relevancy; and study of possible alternatives, with evaluations of their consequences. The authors present an approach to clinical decision making that includes an analysis of modalities and practice skills and a critical review of practice in a psychiatric setting that emphasizes the role of the family; the importance of continuity of care; and the need to engage the patient, family, and care systems within briefer time frames."}
{"id": "PMID:1478558", "title": "Morphometric ultrastructural evaluation of secondary oocytes of mice receiving vincristine.", "content": "Secondary oocytes from mice receiving vincristine in amounts corresponding to therapeutic doses in human, in neoplasm treatment, were evaluated morphometrically and ultrastructurally. In the group of animals treated with vincristine an increase of the volume fraction of vesicular complexes and a decrease of the volume fraction of fibrous material were observed. It has also been demonstrated that, in secondary oocytes from mice receiving vincristine, the number of both multivesicular bodies and vesicles falling to one vesicular complex profile was higher than in the control group. The present results suggest that vincristine applied to females, even in therapeutic doses, may affect egg cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1478559", "title": "Submicroscopic studies on adrenaline secretion from adrenal epinephrocytes.", "content": "Some cellular mechanisms governing the secretion of adrenaline by epinephrocytes of guinea pigs sacrificed because of acute anaphylaxis produced by inhalatory administration of ovoalbumin following sensitization with this antigen have been studied. In acute anaphylaxis the adrenaline secretion from epinephrocytes occurs mainly by massive and facilitated exocytosis mechanism that differs from the classical exocytosis one. Increase in the concentration of ionized calcium, increase in the number of microtubules, and decrease in the number of microfilaments in the epinephrocytes have the essential significance in the mechanism of this secretion."}
{"id": "PMID:1478560", "title": "Early development of the mesencephalic nucleus of the trigeminal nerve in human embryos (stages 14 and 15).", "content": "The mesencephalic nucleus of V was investigated in embryos of developmental stages 14 and 15. In stage 14 the nucleus is formed by a small group of cells lying a little rostrally to the sulcus limitans in the pontine flexure. In stage 15 the cells of the nucleus are also found in the anterior crus of the pontine flexure. The nucleus is composed of oval cells resembling those of the trigeminal ganglion."}
{"id": "PMID:1478561", "title": "Microangiographic studies on vascularization of the human fetal corpus of the mandible.", "content": "Investigations were carried out on 40 human fetuses aged 4 to 8 months. It was found that an increase in number of blood vessels and their diameter are related to mineralization of teeth germs. The blood vessels influence the development of the mandible and teeth."}
{"id": "PMID:1478562", "title": "Variability in the course of the superficial temporal artery in man.", "content": "The temporal artery was investigated in 120 human cadavers using injection method. Division of the superficial temporal artery take place below the external acoustic meatus. The frontal ramus of the artery is larger than the parietal one."}
{"id": "PMID:1478563", "title": "Histological and quantitative studies of the muscle spindles in human fetal infrahyoid muscles.", "content": "Muscle spindles were investigated in 19 human fetuses, aged 11 to 17 weeks. First spindles were observed in 11th week. The number of muscle spindles increases with advancement of the development being highest in the omohyoid muscle."}
{"id": "PMID:1478564", "title": "Pulmonary arteries dimensions and their dependences on the age, the height and body weight.", "content": "The studies were carried out on 100 right and 100 left lungs taken from human corpses of both sexes whose age varied from 1 month to 80 years. The material was divided into 3 age groups. The pulmonary arteries were injected 65% duracryl and then digested in sulfuric acid. The specimens obtained were examined to measurement the length and the diameter of the interlobar portion of the pulmonary arteries and their correlation indexes to the age, the length and the body weight. It was certain, that the pulmonary arteries dimensions still grows during man's extrafetal life; the diameter of the right pulmonary artery is usual greater than the left artery. The length of the interlobar portion of the right pulmonary artery varied in both sexes from 5 to 43 mm, and from 6 to 43 mm on the left pulmonary artery. The diameter of the some part of pulmonary arteries varied from 3 to 21 mm on the right side, and from 4.5 to 20 mm on the left side."}
{"id": "PMID:1478565", "title": "Metric features of the human biceps brachii, brachialis and brachioradialis muscles.", "content": "Analysis of metric features of the biceps brachii, brachialis and brachioradialis muscles in adult humans showed distinct correlation between metric features of particular muscles and statistically significant dimorphic differences."}
{"id": "PMID:1478566", "title": "Variation of the median nerve in the forearm and the wrist.", "content": "Rare type of division of the median nerve in proximal 1/3 of the forearm was described. The finding was made during autopsy of 53 years old white man. A nerve branch that run separately from the main trunk of the median nerve appeared to be the common digital nerve to the 3rd and 4th finger. Between this branch and the main trunk the radial head of the flexor digitorum superficialis muscle was situated, that eventually converged into the tendon of the superficial flexor of the middle finger."}
{"id": "PMID:1478567", "title": "Innervation of the testis in human fetuses from 16th to 22nd week.", "content": "In fetuses of 16th week the tunica albuginea is composed of fibrous and vascular layers. In the vascular layer the nerve fibers are observed. Beginning from the 20th week on the nerve fibers appear between spermatic cords."}
{"id": "PMID:1478568", "title": "Influence of kinetin (6-furfurylo-amino-purine) on human fibroblasts in the cell culture.", "content": "Influence of kinetin on human fibroblasts cultured in vitro was studied. Investigations were carried out on I passage fibroblasts, taken from the human skin. Feulgen's method and radioautography were used. Quantitative estimations of DNA in nuclei of fibroblasts were done on cytophotometer. An increase in amount of DNA in nuclei of fibroblasts cytophotometer. An increase in amount of DNA in nuclei of fibroblasts cultured in the presence of kinetin was found. Stronger 3H uridine incorporation was recorded in cultures after administration of the lowest dosis of kinetin. Kinetin, derivative of adenine (6-furfurylo-amino-purine) belongs to cytokinins and it regulates the growth of plants."}
{"id": "PMID:1478569", "title": "Development of the muscle spindles in the human fetal oblique muscles of the eyeball.", "content": "The development of muscle spindles in human oblique eye muscles was investigated in 22 fetuses aged 12 to 24 weeks. The muscle spindles appear at 12th week as 1-2 intrafusal fibers surrounded by capsule. With advancement of the development the number of intrafusal myofibers increases. In 14th week the capsule is composed of 2 layers and in 17th week the external capsule appears."}
{"id": "PMID:1478570", "title": "Fine structure of the glial cells in the inferior ganglion of the vagus nerve in human embryos and fetuses.", "content": "Basing on electron microscopy the glial cells within the inferior ganglion of the vagus nerve may be recognized during 7th and 8th week. The satellite cells and lemmocytes are of similar structure and they differ as to location within the ganglion. During development the ratio of satellite cells to nerve cells changes and in 23rd week 4-8 glial cells surrounding single neuron are observed. The cytoplasm of glial cells is more electron dense than that of nerve cells and the nucleus is always oval or triangular. Cellular organelles are less numerous in comparison with nerve cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1478571", "title": "Anatomical basis for selective block of the sympathetic fibers in otolaryngological diseases.", "content": "In 40 human adults and 10 fetuses during anatomopathological autopsies, the method of blocking of the sympathetic fibers reaching the internal ear was described. The fibers pass around the vertebral artery. Needle was introduced in the place of decussation of horizontal line passing through superior (females) or inferior (males) margin of the cricoid cartilage with the medial margin of the sternocleidomastoid muscle."}
{"id": "PMID:1478572", "title": "Arterial vascularization of the vermiform appendix in human fetus.", "content": "In 50 human fetuses of the crown-rump length ranging from 88 mm to 185 mm (12 to 20 weeks), the variability of the arterial vascularization of the vermiform appendix was investigated using the injection method. 3 vascularization types were distinguished on the basis of the size and number of the supplying arteries. The obtained results were compared with those reported by other authors who studied vermiform appendix vascularization in adults. In most cases the vermiform appendix is supplied by single ramus arising from ileocolic artery."}
{"id": "PMID:1478573", "title": "The growth and topography of the human fetal uterus.", "content": "Investigations were performed on 12 embryos and 76 fetuses aged 6 to 40 weeks. The uterine cavity is formed in 12th week. During fetal period the uterus grows most intensively between 16th and 24th week. Up to 16th week the fundus of the uterus is at the level of 1st sacral vertebra. From this period the fundus is located at the level of 2nd sacral vertebra."}
{"id": "PMID:1478574", "title": "The development of the uterine ligaments in human fetuses.", "content": "In 12 human embryos and 76 fetuses the uterine ligaments were investigated. The round ligament appears at 8th week and the broad ligament is observed in 19th week. Up to 17th week the round ligament is connected with the uterine tube. It arises separately from the border of the uterus beginning from the 18th week. In fetuses of 11 and 12 weeks the broad ligament forms a thick plate enclosing vessels and nerves. The cardinal ligament appears at 10th week."}
{"id": "PMID:1478575", "title": "Architectonics of blood vessels in the wall of the human uterus in microangiographic studies.", "content": "Blood vessels of the human uterus were investigated in 50 uteri of women aged 35 to 65 years. The vessels are arranged into layers in the uterine corpus and isthmus. They pass irregularly in the fundus and cervix. With advancement of age the blood vessels in the uterine wall lose their regularity."}
{"id": "PMID:1478576", "title": "Influence of bilateral ovariectomy on the morphology and ultrastructure of the pineal gland in the pig (Sus scrofa)--quantitative and qualitative study.", "content": "Ovariectomy effects ultrastructure of pig pineal gland. It caused changes in both structure and number of cytoplasmic components and volume of nuclei. The most significant ones were observed two weeks after ovariectomy. The reported changes point to relationship between the ovaries and pineal in pig."}
{"id": "PMID:1478577", "title": "Investigation of muscle imbalance in the leg in symptomatic forefoot pes cavus: a multidisciplinary study.", "content": "The cross-sectional areas of the peroneal and anterior muscle compartments at the same level in the upper leg were measured using magnetic resonance imaging in 41 cases of forefoot pes cavus. The pes cavus group included idiopathic cases and pes cavus associated with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, Friedreich's ataxia, cerebral palsy, status postpoliomyelitis, nerve trauma, and spinal cord tethering. Thirty-nine of these cases were symptomatic. The results were compared with studies of 11 normal controls. It was found that in the majority of cases of forefoot cavus, the peroneal compartment was enlarged relative to the anterior compartment when compared with the normal controls. Biopsies of the tibialis anterior and peroneus longus muscles in 18 patients with forefoot pes cavus showed that any relative expansion of the peroneus longus was not due to pseudohypertrophy. Overaction of the peroneus longus in comparison to its antagonist the tibialis anterior is proposed as an important factor in the pathogenesis of the majority of symptomatic cases of forefoot pes cavus."}
{"id": "PMID:1478578", "title": "The validity of measurements made on standard foot orthoroentgenograms.", "content": "In certain clinical settings, standard x-rays may be misleading since they only provide two-dimensional representations of three-dimensional structures. After metatarsal osteotomy, the actual first metatarsal shortening may appear magnified on standard x-rays. We investigated variations in metatarsal and intermetatarsal angle (IMA) in a cadaver model and variations of first metatarsal length following in vivo Chevron osteotomies. For skeletal models, changing the foot arch from pes planus to pes cavus changed the first metatarsal length by as much as 19%, whereas the measured IMA remained relatively unchanged. Pronation of the first metatarsal was found to alter the IMA (decreased for planus, increased for cavus). In vivo studies revealed a 3.2-fold difference when actual metatarsal length change following chevron osteotomy was correlated to corrected x-ray change in length (9.5% versus 2.9% P < or = .005). Previous investigators have evaluated hallux valgus deformities with emphasis on metatarsal lengths and IMAs to determine choices of procedure. Based on the results of this study, treatment plans and further evaluation for forefoot surgery may be inaccurate if based solely on x-ray measurements."}
{"id": "PMID:1478580", "title": "Strength of fixation constructs for basilar osteotomies of the first metatarsal.", "content": "Twenty-four pairs of fresh-frozen human feet had a proximal osteotomy of the first metatarsal that was fixed using either screws, staples, or K wires. Each metatarsal was excised and the specimen was loaded to failure in a cantilever beam configuration by applying a superiorly directed force to the metatarsal head using an MTS servohydraulic test machine. Specimens with a crescentic osteotomy that were fixed using a single screw demonstrated higher mean failure moments than pairs that were fixed with four staples or two K wires; staples were the weakest construct. All specimens fixed with staples failed by bending of the staples without bony fracture; all K wire constructs but one failed by wire bending. Chevron and crescentic osteotomies fixed with a single screw demonstrated equal bending strengths; the bending strength of an oblique osteotomy fixed with two screws was 82% greater than for a crescentic osteotomy fixed with a single screw. Basilar osteotomies of the first metatarsal are useful in correcting metatarsus primus varus often associated with hallux valgus pathology. Fixation strength is an important consideration since weightbearing forces on the head of the first metatarsal acting at a distance from the osteotomy site subject the construct to a dorsiflexion bending moment, as simulated in our tests. Our results show that screw fixation is the strongest method for stabilizing a basilar osteotomy. Based upon the relatively low bending strengths of the staple and K wire constructs, we would not recommend these forms of fixation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1478581", "title": "Medial deviation of the first metatarsal head as a result of flexion forces in hallux valgus.", "content": "Several questions with regard to the hallux valgus complex, which includes metatarsus primus varus, give rise to discussion. How do bunions develop? Is disturbed muscle balance at the first metatarsophalangeal joint important in the pathogenesis of the hallux valgus complex? What is the relation between dynamic plantar load distribution and pain in the ball of the foot? What is the cause of recurrences of deformity after surgery? To answer these questions, we started with the biomechanical model of Snijders et al., which states that contraction of flexor muscles of the hallux worsens its valgus angle and causes medial deviation of the first metatarsal head. The present study was designed to validate the model on patients. When pressing the hallux downward, simultaneously the force under the toe and the medial deviation of the first metatarsal head were measured on preoperative patients and on controls (35 subjects in all). We could demonstrate with statistical significance that (1) when the subjects with hallux valgus push the great toe on the ground, the first metatarsal head moved in medial direction; in other words the foot widened. In the controls, as an average, the foot became narrower. (2) The greater the valgus deviation of the hallux, the greater the effect of the toe flexors, and (3) the greater the valgus deviation of the hallux, the less maximal flexion force it can apply. Implications of these findings on conservative and surgical therapy are discussed. The recurrences of deformity after first metatarsal osteotomies are explained by the action of the hallux flexors.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1478582", "title": "Calcaneal fracture after cortical bone removal.", "content": "Four patients developed calcaneal fractures while walking, soon after bone removal from the undersurface of the calcaneus. Heel spur or osteomyelitic bone removal can lead to this complication."}
{"id": "PMID:1478583", "title": "Transfer versus lengthening of the posterior tibial tendon in Duchenne's muscular dystrophy.", "content": "Transfer of the posterior tibialis tendon to the dorsum of the foot was compared with lengthening of this tendon in 15 patients with Duchenne's muscular dystrophy. Patients undergoing tendon transfer (N = 9) had a longer operating time and two perioperative complications, but retained plantigrade posture of their feet even after walking ceased. By contrast, lengthening of the posterior tibialis tendon (N = 6) was associated with a recurrent equinovarus foot deformity that frequently interfered with shoe wear. Although transfer of the posterior tibialis is out of phase and technically more demanding, the unique prolongation of posterior tibialis strength in Duchenne's muscular dystrophy makes this operation a better option for these patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1478590", "title": "[Characteristics of obese patients in intensive care].", "content": "The frequency of overweight, together with the associated increase in morbidity--in particular coronary heart disease--means that such patients often require intensive care. The particular features of intensive care of obese patients are the increased risk of aspiration pneumonia (in the presence of lowered pH and elevated gastric juice volume), respiratory insufficiency caused by a reduction in expiratory reserve volume, and a greater incidence of thrombosis and embolism. Ventricular hypertrophy and dilatation results in a reduced cardiac reserve. A clinically unrecognized insulin resistance may become manifest during intensive care. Digoxin, theophylline and aminoglycosides, commonly with a low therapeutic spectrum, when administered on the basis of weight, may lead to dangerously high serum concentrations in the overweight. At a weight of more than about 100 kg, it must generally be expected that the compensatory mechanisms of the body are exhausted and that there will be an increased susceptibility to additional disorders of homeostasis."}
{"id": "PMID:1478584", "title": "Quantitative determination of intermetatarsal pressure.", "content": "Pain, plantar to the metatarsophalangeal joints, is a common location for the presentation of pain in the forefoot. In the absence of fractures or specific inflammatory conditions common causes of pain in this area include: (1) nonspecific metatarsalgia, (2) plantar fat pad atrophy, and (3) interdigital (intermetatarsal) neuroma. The aggravation and possibly the etiology of these forms of forefoot pain may be related to acute or chronic extrinsic pressure to the forefoot. The role of nonweightbearing, compression of the metatarsal heads, weightbearing, and toe-stance (on the metatarsal heads) on the intermetatarsal pressure of the third interspace was measured in eleven asymptomatic volunteers. Intermetatarsal pressures were recorded using the Stryker Miniaturized Digital Fluid Pressure Monitor. Intermetatarsal pressures for nonweightbearing, nonweightbearing with medial-lateral compression of the metatarsal heads, weightbearing, and toe stance averaged 21 mm Hg, 22 mm Hg, 29 mm Hg, and 36 mm Hg, respectively. In comparison to nonweightbearing, significant increases in intermetatarsal pressures were measured with weightbearing (P = .0027) and toe stance (P = .0002). The change noted from weightbearing to toe-stance was also significant (P = .0005). These findings support the proposition that increases in forefoot plantar pressures convey greater pressures to the intermetatarsal space and metatarsal heads. Increased pressures to the intermetatarsal space may likewise lead to or exacerbate the symptoms of patients with fat pad atrophy, nonspecific metatarsalgia and Morton's neuroma."}
{"id": "PMID:1478585", "title": "Metatarsal lengthening by distraction osteogenesis: a report of two cases.", "content": "Two cases of lengthening of metatarsals by distraction osteogenesis are reported. One of these cases is an acquired deformity of the first metatarsal; the other is a congenital short fourth metatarsal. By following the principles set forth by Ilizarov, it was possible to lengthen the metatarsal bones and surrounding soft tissues without open lengthening of tendons or secondary bone grafting of the distraction gap. We believe this method is an improvement over previously described methods of metatarsal lengthening."}
{"id": "PMID:1478591", "title": "[Obesity and surgery].", "content": "BASICS AND AIMS: Obesity is generally considered to be a surgical risk factor, although its influence cannot be accurately defined. The risks of surgery in the obese patient are discussed on the basis of a review of the literature. In itself, obesity does not increase the surgical risk, but it is often associated with cardio-respiratory, metabolic or coagulation disorders that increase morbidity and mortality in obese patients. The only statistically significant difference between obese and non-obese patients is the higher rate of secondary healing in the former. Guidelines aimed at reducing perioperative risk in these patients are suggested."}
{"id": "PMID:1478586", "title": "A new type of dislocation of the first metatarsophalangeal joint: a case report.", "content": "We are reporting a case of traumatic dislocation of the first metatarsophalangeal joint that does not correspond to any previously reported type. This new type of dislocation was associated with a rupture of the lateral short sesamophalangeal ligament/plantar plate, partial rupture of the intersesamoid ligament, and separation of a previously bipartite tibial sesamoid. Closed reduction was easily performed; however, the distal portion of the tibial sesamoid remained trapped within the joint. The rationale for and result of surgical treatment are presented."}
{"id": "PMID:1478587", "title": "Transverse proximal diaphysial fracture of the fifth metatarsal: a review of 12 cases.", "content": "A review of 12 cases of transverse proximal diaphysial fractures 3.0 cm distal from the fifth metatarsal tuberosity with a 2-year follow-up is presented. Six cases treated with percutaneous pinning, cast, and partial weightbearing with crutches and six cases treated with cast, partial weightbearing, and crutches are analyzed by classification, age, and average time to union. The healing times were the same in both groups."}
{"id": "PMID:1478593", "title": "[Possible uses for callus distraction. Bridging bone defects and bone lengthening in leg length inequality].", "content": "Representation of the possibilities of callus distraction for bridging bone defects on the basis of four typical cases successfully treated with this procedure. The filling of large diaphyseal bone defects through the use of callus distraction is reliable, relatively simple to carry out, and in most cases can be done on an outpatient basis. After prior osteotomy, a segment of the remaining bone is forced, millimeterwise, into the defect zone. As a result of continuous distraction of the callus forning in the osteotomy, tubular bone with weight-bearing capability is formed, and the patient is spared the defect resulting at the donor site when an autologous bone graft is taken, or the implantation of exogenous material. The same principle is employed for leg lengthening, and also permits simultaneous compensation of axis malalignment."}
{"id": "PMID:1478595", "title": "[Parkinson therapy yesterday, today, tomorrow. Neuroprotection gains in importance].", "content": "Owing to a lack of knowledge of the pathophysiology and pathochemistry of Parkinson's disease, conservative treatment was long restricted to the treatment of symptoms. In recent decades, as the role of dopamine became better known, progressive improvements in therapy were achieved, which initially meant the administration of the precursor, L-Dopa, of the primarily non-replaceable neurotransmitter, and later augmentation of the activity of dopamine in addition. Amantadine, a highly effective drug with a wide spectrum of action and a high level of tolerability, was successfully introduced in 1969. The recently discovered NMDA antagonism, also in conjunction with a description of the mechanism of action of amantadine, which makes it possible to inhibit the effect of excitatory amino acids--in particular glutamate--in the CNS, led to the principle of neuro-protection, which is now considered the key to the treatment of Parkinson's disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1478597", "title": "[Obstructive respiratory tract diseases--new standards in therapy].", "content": "Presentation of modern-day therapeutic procedures in various stages of obstructive airway diseases. Subacute bronchitis and hypersensitivity of the bronchial system are early symptoms of obstructive diseases of the airways. Highly effective prophylactic treatment includes adrenocortical hormones (ACH) (corticosteroid) inhalation and antibiotics used individually or in combination for a variety of indications, are now available. In cases of manifest airway obstruction (Stage B), bronchodilators are additionally required. Of those presently available, the beta 2 sympathicomimetics head the list. For anticholinergics and theophylline there are additional indications. If the resulting response is unsatisfactory, oral ACH must be employed in addition to ACH inhalation and bronchodilators. Cromoglycate administered for a period of four to six weeks should always be tried. In the stage of severe exacerbation (C), intravenous water-soluble ACH in combination with antibiotics, are necessary. The entire spectrum of bronchodilators should also be utilized. Functional analysis during treatment prevents under- or overtreatment. In particular in the early stages, the aim of treatment of obstructive airway diseases is prophylactic."}
{"id": "PMID:1478598", "title": "[Cholecystectomy and colorectal cancer. Does cholecystectomy increase the risk of developing colon cancer?].", "content": "Within the course of the last ten years, a possible association between carcinoma of the colon and prior cholecystectomy has been discussed. In 342 patients with colorectal carcinoma, and in a control group of 182 patients with gastric carcinoma, the rate of prior cholecystectomy was investigated. The cholecystectomy rate in the case of colon carcinoma patients was 7.9, and thus differed non-significantly from that of the control group (5.5%). At least in our case material, no relationship was found between cholecystectomy and carcinoma of the colon. The results reported in other studies are compared and discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1478600", "title": "[ACE inhibition with cilazapril. Major therapeutic aspects: hypertension and metabolic syndrome].", "content": "Today, essential hypertension is considered to be genetically closely related to disordered peripheral glucose metabolism, and this situation is described by the term metabolic syndrome. Both diseases--hypertension and type II diabetes--submit the heart and arterial vessels to an unphysiological, chronic stress, which they can compensate only for a certain time. Today, when antihypertensive treatment is indicated, drugs capable of preventing late vascular injury while at the same time having the potency to reverse already existing organic changes, are employed. ACE-inhibitors are presently considered to be the most potent substances that are capable of exerting a positive effect on hypertension-associated changes, while not increasing the individual risk profile in the development of arteriosclerosis. The present paper discusses the new ACE-inhibitor, cilazapril, which can be administered in a practical single dose and develops a profile of action typical of ACE-inhibitors in hypertensives with and without an accompanying metabolic syndrome."}
{"id": "PMID:1478602", "title": "[Healthy aging? Longevity with reference to interdisciplinary gerontologic research].", "content": "The percentage of over-60-year-olds, 80- and even 100-year-olds in the general population is increasing rapidly in most countries. What can be done to ensure healthy ageing and assure a good quality of life in old age? What are the correlates of longevity associated with psycho-physical wellbeing? Longitudinal studies underscore the multi-faceted nature of the ageing process: genetic and biological factors influence longevity, as also do social and ecological factors, which in turn help determine the life style that promotes longevity."}
{"id": "PMID:1478604", "title": "[Effect of diuretics on serum lipoproteins].", "content": "BASICS: Drug treatment of the risk factor hypertension has not led to the expected reduction in morbidity and mortality of coronary arterial disease. A negative effect of antihypertensive drugs on the lipid metabolism is under discussion as a possible cause. Both the commonly employed thiazide diuretics and chlorthalidone and the loop diuretics furosemide, piretanide and xipamide lead, to varying extents, to an increase in total and LDL cholesterol as well as triglycerides in subjects with normal metabolism. In addition, some diuretics lower the levels of protective HDL cholesterol. These side effects can be avoided--at least in part--by a combination with such drugs as prazosin, pindolol or captopril, which have a favorable effect on metabolism. It is recommended to carefully monitor serum Lipoproteins during diuretic treatment so that possible adverse changes may be counteracted by appropriate measures."}
{"id": "PMID:1478605", "title": "[Therapy with H2 receptor antagonists in childhood. Use of ranitidine in duodenal and gastric ulcer and reflux esophagitis].", "content": "Representation of common characteristics and peculiarities of the treatment with H2-receptor antagonists of duodenal and gastric ulcer and gastro-esophageal reflux in childhood in comparison with adults, taking ranitidine as an example. In the treatment of primary and chronic duodenal and gastric ulcers, ranitidine at doses of up to 10 mg/kg/day, given in two fractions (up to 300 mg daily) is a proven form of therapy. The endoscopically confirmed healing rates after 6 to 8 weeks of acute treatment vary between 80 and 100%. The recurrence rate in children with duodenal ulcer is high, so that long-term treatment with 4 to 5 mg/kg/day (evening dose) is added. Following a recurrent ulcer, treatment should be continued for one to two years. Ranitidine has been used with success for the treatment of gastroesophageal reflux. Shorter intervals between administrations (3 times a day) with a total dose of up to 10 mg/kg/day are to be recommended. More experience is required in this area. At therapeutic doses, ranitidine shows hardly any side effects in children, even with long-term treatment, and can be considered to be very well tolerated by this age group, including babies."}
{"id": "PMID:1478610", "title": "Pancreatic and extrapancreatic sulfonylurea receptors.", "content": "The hypoglycemic effect of sulfonylureas and their analogues results from their binding to a high affinity site in the B-cell plasma membrane. This site seems to be a structural component of the ATP-sensitive K(+)-channel and represents the pancreatic sulfonylurea receptor. Binding of sulfonylureas causes closure of the ATP-sensitive K(+)-channel and thereby initiates a chain of events eventually leading to the release of insulin. Diazoxide inhibits insulin secretion via opening of the ATP-sensitive K(+)-channel. Sulfonylurea receptors resembling the pancreatic receptor occur in nerve cells, cardiac muscle, skeletal muscle and smooth muscle. Neither these extrapancreatic receptors nor low affinity receptors for sulfonylureas in myocytes and adipocytes contribute to the therapeutic benefit of sulfonylureas."}
{"id": "PMID:1478611", "title": "In vitro effects of glycosylated insulin and glucagon in perfused liver of the rat.", "content": "Using perfused liver of the rat, the hepatic uptake of glycosylated insulin (GI) and glucagon (GG) and its effects on hepatic glucose output were investigated. Insulin and glucagon were glycosylated in ambient high glucose concentration, and GI80 or GG80 (insulin or glucagon incubated with 0.08% glucose), GI350 or GG350 (incubated with 0.35% glucose), and GI1000 or GG1000 (incubated with 1% glucose) were prepared. The liver was perfused with the medium containing 1000 microU/ml insulin and 200 pg/ml glucagon or 200 microU/ml insulin and 1000 pg/ml glucagon. The fractional uptake of insulin or glucagon by perfused liver was not significantly altered by the glycosylation. In the liver perfused with 1000 microU/ml insulin and 200 pg/ml glucagon, glucose output was not changed by the glycosylation of the hormones, while in the liver perfused with 200 microU/ml insulin and 1000 pg/ml glucagon, GI1000 reduced its biological activity, as reflected by insulin-mediated decrease in glucose output. These results suggest that in the liver insulin incubated with markedly high concentration of glucose reduces its biological activity at a physiological concentration in the presence of high concentration of glucagon."}
{"id": "PMID:1478612", "title": "Effect of iodoarachidonates on thyroid FRTL-5 cells growth.", "content": "Excess iodide inhibits several thyroid parameters, by a putative organic iodocompound. Different iodolipids, including iodinated derivatives of arachidonic acid (IAs), are produced by rat, calf and pig thyroid. The action of two iodolactones, one bearing the iodine atom at the position 6 (IL-d) and the other at position 14 (IL-w) on growth of FRTL-5 cells was studied. KI, IL-w and IL-d exert a dose-related inhibition on FRTL-5 cell proliferation. The first two compounds caused inhibition at 1 microM while IL-d was effective at 10 microM. This inhibitory action of iodolactones (ILs) was not altered by 1 mM methyl-mercaptoimidazol (MMI), indicating that they exert their effect per se. The action of ILw on cell growth was reversible. The growth-stimulating effect of 10 microM forskolin was inhibited by IAs, showing that one possible site of action lies at the cAMP pathway. The present results give further support to our hypothesis about the role of IAs in thyroid growth autoregulation."}
{"id": "PMID:1478613", "title": "Saponin effects of prolactin-like stimulation of ornithine decarboxylase activity in mouse mammary gland explants.", "content": "Saponin, a naturally occurring plant glycoside, was found to elicit a prolactin-like stimulation of ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) activity in mouse mammary gland explants. A dose-response activation of ODC was observed with saponin at concentrations between 2 and 10 micrograms/ml. At concentrations of 10 and 15 micrograms/ml, saponin effected a response similar to that of PRL; when tested in concert, PRL and saponin caused a nonadditive response. The time-course of the saponin and PRL effects on ODC activation were not different; a maximum response occurred 2-4 hours after addition of saponin. The saponin and PRL responses were abolished by antibiotics (puromycin and cyclohexamide) that inhibit protein synthesis, but not by actinomycin D which inhibits RNA synthesis. Finally, saponin, by itself, did not affect the rate of milk product formation, but at higher concentrations (above 0.5 microgram/ml) impaired the PRL stimulation of lipid and casein synthesis."}
{"id": "PMID:1478614", "title": "Specific stimulation by estradiol of tissue-type plasminogen activator production in 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene-induced rat mammary tumor cells.", "content": "The hormonal regulation of two plasminogen activators, tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) and urokinase (u-PA), was studied both in 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA)-induced rat mammary carcinoma and in DMBA-induced rat mammary dysplasia. t-PA activity in DMBA-mammary carcinoma was decreased markedly by oophorectomy and recovered upon estradiol administration to reach the maximum level at 12 hr. In contrast to its effect on DMBA-mammary carcinoma, estradiol had no effect on t-PA activity in DMBA-mammary dysplasia. Furthermore, DMBA-mammary carcinoma cells in primary culture displayed similar estrogen-dependency in production of t-PA, while t-PA production in DMBA-mammary dysplasia cells was not under the control of estradiol in vitro. Moreover, estrogen-stimulated production of u-PA activity was not observed in DMBA-mammary carcinoma cells or DMBA-mammary dysplasia cells both in vivo and in vitro. Taken together, these results suggest that estrogen stimulates the production of t-PA but not u-PA and that this estrogen dependency of t-PA is limited to malignant DMBA-mammary tumor cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1478615", "title": "Identification of m\u00fcllerian inhibiting substance specific binding in human cell lines.", "content": "The receptor for M\u00fcllerian Inhibiting Substance (MIS), a gonadal glycoprotein hormone, has not been previously identified. Plasma membranes from MIS-sensitive human tumor cell lines (HTB-111, endometrial carcinoma; and A-431, vulvar squamous carcinoma) were detergent extracted and incubated with 125I-labeled MIS anti-idiotypic antibody, or radioiodinated human recombinant MIS (125I rhMIS), with and without unlabeled competitors. 125I anti-idiotypic MIS antibody bound to HTB-111 membrane extracts was displaceable by unlabeled anti-idiotypic antibody, but not by anti-isotypic antibody prior to cross-linking. Specific binding of the anti-idiotypic MIS antibody to endometrial carcinoma cells was verified using fluorescence activated cell analysis and fluoresceinated antibody. Furthermore, unlabeled anti-idiotypic MIS antibody competed for 125I rhMIS binding to A-431 vulvar carcinoma membranes. The labeled anti-idiotypic MIS antibody binding complex could be separated from 32P labeled EGF receptor in the A-431 membranes, indicating that EGF, a natural inhibitor of MIS activity, and MIS itself bind to different receptors. These studies demonstrate a specific, displaceable binder for MIS in the plasmalemmae of two human tumor lines. Purification of this cell surface receptor protein will be greatly aided by using the MIS anti-idiotypic antibody."}
{"id": "PMID:1478616", "title": "Venous versus arterialised venous blood for assessment of blood glucose levels during glucose clamping: comparison in healthy men.", "content": "The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of the arteriovenous (A-V) gradient in blood glucose concentrations at low and high insulin levels on the determination of glucose requirements during glucose clamping in 9 healthy, insulin sensitive, male volunteers. In a random order two clamps were performed, once using arterialised venous blood (A Clamp, mean pO2 = 11.5 +/- 0.36 kPa, 86 +/- 2.7 mmHg), and once using venous blood (V clamp, mean pO2 = 7.9 +/- 0.21 kPa, 59 +/- 1.6 mmHg). Insulin levels were maintained at 48 +/- 2.4 mU/l from 0-180 min and at 1054 +/- 114 mU/l from 180-360 min. Elevation of insulin levels caused a significant rise of the A-V gradient: from 0.3 +/- 0.1 to 0.5 +/- 0.1 mmol/l (p < 0.05) and from 0.2 +/- 0.1 to 0.3 +/- 0.1 mmol/l (p < 0.05) during the A and V clamps, respectively. Despite these A-V glucose gradients no significant differences were found for the glucose requirements during the last 30 min of each period of insulin infusion between the A and V clamps: 43.70 +/- 3.4 vs 44.8 +/- 2.8 mumol.kg-1.min-1 during the low insulin level and 77.3 +/- 5.0 vs 76.2 +/- 3.4 mumol.kg-1.min-1 during the high insulin level. We conclude that the A-V glucose gradient, even at high insulin levels, does not influence the assessment of glucose requirements to a measurable extent, allowing the use of the simpler technique of taking venous rather than arterialised venous blood for the measurements of glucose levels during glucose clamping."}
{"id": "PMID:1478617", "title": "Menstrual cycle exhibits no effect on postprandial lipemia.", "content": "Menstrual cycle effects on postprandial lipemia were investigated in 13 healthy women. They were monitored (dietary intake, basal body temperature) for a period of one cycle. Statistically significant follicular-luteal differences were neither observed between fasting triglyceride serum levels nor between areas under triglyceride response curves after a standardized oral fat load."}
{"id": "PMID:1478618", "title": "Epidermal growth factor plasma concentrations in healthy control persons, acute and chronic stress and during pregnancy.", "content": "Plasma concentrations of Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF) in healthy control persons do not change significantly during adult lifetime and no diurnal changes could be detected. In addition, no alterations of plasma EGF concentrations occur during acute and chronic stress and in all three trimesters of pregnancy. Thus, the previously suggested theories that EGF might play a causative role in the activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary adrenal axis during the stress reaction and in the prevention of peptic ulcers in pregnancy could not be confirmed by the present data."}
{"id": "PMID:1478619", "title": "Urinary excretion of glycosaminoglycans in patients with postmenopausal osteoporosis.", "content": "The organic bone matrix contains glycosaminoglycans (GAG) of which the precise function and importance in bone mineralisation are still unclear. We examined 85 persons--35 healthy women (25 premenopausal [preMP] mean aged 40.7 years; 10 menopausal [MP] mean aged 59.3 years) and 50 patients with postmenopausal osteoporosis [PMOP] at a mean age 60.4 years. The dynamic of urinary excretion of GAG was measured in 24-hour collected urine by precipitation with cetylpyridinum chloride and spectrophotometry at 560 nm, corrected for the level of excretion of creatinine. There was a significant increase in GAG excretion in patients with PMOP compared with healthy persons (8.25 mg/g and 9.53 mg/g vs 24.11 mg/g; p < 0.0001). A significant positive correlation was established between GAG and calcium urinary excretion and a negative one between GAG and serum estradiol levels. During the treatment with calcitonin the excretion of GAG was decreased which can be used for monitoring the changes of bone metabolism."}
{"id": "PMID:1478620", "title": "Increased internal calcium mobilization in platelets of patients with chronic renal failure.", "content": "Platelet free calcium concentrations ([Ca2+]i) were measured with Fura-2 to elucidate the intracellular calcium kinetics in patients with renal disease. There were no significant differences of the resting [Ca2+]i among the control subjects (C) (n = 12), patients with chronic glomerulonephritis (CGN) (n = 8), and patients with chronic renal failure (CRF) (n = 12). In all groups, platelets [Ca2+]i were significantly increased by agonists (thrombin, adenosine diphosphate) compared with their respective basal level. Thrombin-induced [Ca2+]i rise was significantly higher in CRF (840 +/- 265 nM) than in C (600 +/- 163) and CGN (562 +/- 137). Also adenosine diphosphate elicited similar responses. In the presence of calcium chelator in the incubation buffer, the elevation of [Ca2+]i after thrombin stimulation was statistically higher in CRF (469 +/- 85 nM) than in C (275 +/- 60) and CGN (301 +/- 41). These findings suggest that platelets of CRF were capable of increasing [Ca2+]i in response to agonists, through further mobilization of calcium from the intracellular pool rather than the elevation of transmembrane calcium influx."}
{"id": "PMID:1478624", "title": "Molecular analysis of the sex-determining region from the Y chromosome in two patients with Frasier syndrome.", "content": "In the Frasier syndrome there is an association between XY gonadal dysgenesis and chronic renal failure. Owing to an observed sex reversal, the Y chromosomes of two girls with this syndrome have been analyzed. Using molecular-biology techniques, no major alterations of the known sex-determining area of the Y chromosome were found. Furthermore, the sequence did not reveal impairment of the recently described testis-determining factor SRY. These data suggest that in the Frasier syndrome, XY sex reversal and renal failure could be the result of either faulty gene(s) located downstream in the sex differentiation pathway during embryogenesis, or impaired SRY regulation. Preliminary results on the Wilms' tumor suppressor gene WT1, a candidate for acting downstream to SRY, are also provided."}
{"id": "PMID:1478625", "title": "Effects of estrogen, pituitary gonadotropins and prolactin on immunohistochemical localization of inhibin subunits in the ovary of hypophysectomized female rats.", "content": "Effects of estrogen, pituitary gonadotropins and prolactin on immunohistochemical localization of alpha- and beta A-subunits in the ovaries of hypophysectomized female rats were investigated. Hypophysectomy resulted in disappearance of immunoreactive inhibin subunits in the ovary. Administration of DES, FSH and LH to hypophysectomized rats provoked growth of follicles, and resulted in positive immunostaining for inhibin subunits in the granulosa cells. In contrast to follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH), prolactin administration failed to demonstrate positive staining for inhibin subunits in the ovary. The present in vivo results suggest that several hormones which are known to stimulate granulosa cell growth and maturation, such as estrogen, FSH and LH, enhance inhibin subunit production by the ovary. The morphologic aspect of inhibin subunit production by the ovary in response to several hormones has been demonstrated in the present study."}
{"id": "PMID:1478626", "title": "Effects of endogenous and exogenous calcitonin on inflammation-mediated osteopenia in the rat.", "content": "Inflammation-mediated osteopenia (IMO) in the rat is characterized by loss of bone mass within 3 weeks after induction of nonspecific inflammation (s.c. talcum injections) in growing rats. Histologically, this shows as marked inhibition of osteoblasts 3 days after the initiation of IMO. The role of calcitonin (CT) was investigated in the present study. A reversible increase of serum CT levels was found after intraperitoneal calcium challenge in rats on day 4 after induction of IMO, which was thought to be a result from calcium efflux from bone. No difference in stimulated serum CT levels between the rats with and without IMO was seen on any other day during 4 weeks after initiation of IMO. Bone loss after IMO was more pronounced in normocalcemic and euthyroid rats with deficiency of endogenous CT (thyroidectomy with parathyroid gland reimplanted) (-12.9%) compared with sham operated controls with IMO (-3.25%). Daily subcutaneous injections of 100 mIU salmon CT in rats with and without IMO did not prevent the development of bone loss. This might have been due to the growing state of rats of this age group. Our results support the hypothesis that endogenous CT physiologically has a bone protective role. They furthermore are consistent with the view that endogenous CT itself is not pathogenetically involved in the development of osteoporosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1478627", "title": "Prediction of advanced puberty by height velocity in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.", "content": "Pubertal development was retrospectively evaluated in 58 children with cancer, mostly acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), who are in complete remission and off chemotherapy. Six girls [5 patients with ALL, and 1 with malignant lymphoma (NHL)] showed advanced puberty (25.0%, 6 of 24 female patients with ALL and NHL) through the evaluation of their growth velocity. No evidence for advanced puberty was seen in the males. All 6 girls had received cranial irradiation for central nervous system prophylaxis and systemic chemotherapy including glucocorticoid. The mean age at onset of the pubertal growth spurt in these 6 girls was significantly lower than for girls with a solid tumor [6.90 +/- 0.10 and 9.00 +/- 0.77 (mean +/- SD) years, respectively (p < 0.01)]. By simply evaluating the height velocity, we could predict advanced puberty which was ultimately associated with short stature."}
{"id": "PMID:1478628", "title": "Final height attainment and gonadal function in girls with precocious puberty treated with cyproterone acetate.", "content": "Thirty-four girls with precocious puberty (27 idiopathic, 6 cerebral, 1 McCune-Albright syndrome) were treated with cyproterone acetate (CPA) for 1.2-8.4 years (3.71 +/- 0.31; mean +/- SEM) at a daily dosage of 66-150 mg/m2 (103.7 +/- 6.2). The mean chronological age (CA) and bone age at the beginning of treatment were 5.99 +/- 0.31 and 8.6 +/- 0.39 years, respectively, and 9.78 +/- 0.19 and 12.44 +/- 0.22 years, respectively, at the end of therapy. At the last evaluation, mean CA was 14.23 +/- 0.4 years, and 32 girls had reached final height. The control group consisted of 10 girls with idiopathic precocious puberty who, at their parents' request, were not treated. Mean CA at the onset of pubertal signs was 6.05 +/- 0.25 years. All patients had reached final height at the time of the last observation. There was no significant difference between final height of treated (152.43 +/- 1.36 cm) and untreated (149.55 +/- 1.99 cm) girls. Final height was significantly lower than target height in both treated (155.08 +/- 0.92 cm; p < 0.025) and untreated (156.45 +/- 1.29 cm; p < 0.0005) patients, but the mean height of treated patients is nearer to target height than that of untreated ones. A positive correlation was found between final height and target height both in treated (p < 0.005) and untreated (p < 0.05) patients. After the discontinuation of CPA treatment all girls resumed the progressive course of puberty.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1478629", "title": "Growth after radiotherapy and chemotherapy in children with leukemia or lymphoma.", "content": "The effect of radio- and chemotherapy on auxological parameters was investigated in 30 children treated for acute lymphatic leukemia (ALL) or non-Hodgkins lymphoma (NHL). Growth velocity was decreased during the first year of treatment. Catch-up growth was insufficient during the following years. Thus, the whole group experienced a loss of height of 0.49 +/- 1.1 SD at 6.8 +/- 2.6 years after diagnosis. Height and growth velocity were not different between children who received 18 or 24 Gy cranial irradiation; however, growth velocity was significantly lower in children who were treated for more than 2 years or who had the more intensive chemotherapeutic protocol. Evaluation of the growth hormone (GH) response to pharmacological stimulation revealed reduced GH peaks in 47% of the patients, but there was no correlation of GH peak with growth or treatment parameters. In conclusion, the impairment of growth in children after treatment for ALL or NHL might be related to the intensity and duration of chemotherapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1478630", "title": "Familial adrenal feminization probably due to increased steroid aromatization.", "content": "5/10 members of a North African family (father, 2 male and 2 female siblings) had gynaecomastia, early growth and short final stature. The 8-year-old propositus had advanced bone age, facial acne, gynaecomastia, pubic hair and prepubertal testicular volume. Basal oestrone (E1) was elevated (670 pmol/l) and increased with adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH; 826 pmol/l). After human chorionic gonadotropin stimulation testosterone (T) responded normally whereas E1 and oestradiol (E2) remained unchanged. ACTH-dependent adrenal feminization was confirmed by a transient reduction of breast tissue following dexamethasone or cypropterone acetate treatment. Testolactone increased T/E2 (from 5.6 to 20.3) and A/E1 (from 3.4 to 31.4) ratios and temporarily reduced the breast tissue. In conclusion, this is a familial type of adrenal feminization with increased adrenal androgen aromatization. This is the first time that male-to-male and male-to-female transmission has been reported."}
{"id": "PMID:1478631", "title": "Body positions and movement patterns in female patients with congenital adrenal hyperplasia.", "content": "Female patients with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH; N = 33; 11-41 years), simple-virilizing (SV) patients (N = 19), salt-wasting (SW) patients (N = 13), and sister controls (N = 14) were compared with regard to their body positions and movement patterns. Data collection comprised both self assessments and mothers' assessments using 20 sex-dimorphic items with corresponding \"more masculine\" and \"more feminine\" versions for each variable, represented in photographs (forced-choice approach). Primarily based on mothers' assessments, single-item results suggested slightly more masculine positions and patterns for female CAH patients compared to sisters, for SW patients more distinct than for SV patients. Results from an 11-item scale (\"motor behavior\", alpha = 0.59) revealed differences between SW (more masculine) and SV patients for self assessments (P, one-tailed, < 0.09); sisters were in an intermediate position closer to the SV patients. According to mothers' assessments, the CAH patient group as a whole differed (more masculine) from sisters (P < 0.06); this finding was mainly accounted for by the SW group (P < 0.04). Complex analyses on the relationship of motor behavior and intervening variables (e.g., postnatal androgenization, onset of puberty, menarche, height, weight, sexual orientation) revealed very few significant results. Findings rather suggested organizational hormonal effects on body positions and movements prenatally; they are in line with main results from the interview section of the Hamburg CAH study (e.g., \"Gender-related behavior\"). An approach of this kind seems to be justified for investigating motor behavior in future psychoendocrine studies."}
{"id": "PMID:1478632", "title": "Effects of acute and repeated exposure to stress on the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenocortical activity in mice during postnatal development.", "content": "Hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) response to a mild stressful procedure was investigated in mice at Days 8, 10, 12, and 14 of postnatal development. Pups that were removed from the dam and exposed to a novel odor (clean bedding) for 15 min showed higher plasma corticosterone levels than pups whose mother was removed from the cage for 15 min or unhandled pups at all ages, although statistically significant differences were only evident at Days 12 and 14. Lower HPA axis responding in younger mice was not due to immaturity since 8-day-old mice showed a significant and larger increase of plasma corticosterone levels when separated from the mother and isolated from littermates in the absence of bedding. Mice daily exposed to clean bedding (15 min) for the first 13 days of life did not show reduced plasma corticosterone response when reexposed to the stressor at 14 days of age. Conversely, increased plasma corticosterone levels in dams in response to removal of pups was not detectable after repeated exposure to this manipulation (14 days) regardless of the procedure their pups were submitted to, thus ruling out a role of maternal corticosterone passing through the milk on which the pups were fed. These results demonstrate that 15 min exposure to clean bedding is a noninvasive procedure able to elicit HPA axis response in developing mice over a wide age range without producing habituation."}
{"id": "PMID:1478633", "title": "Winning, losing, mood, and testosterone.", "content": "In two experiments, male college students either won or lost $5 on a task controlled entirely by chance. In both studies, winners reported a more positive mood change than did losers and, in Experiment 2, winners reported a more positive mood change than a neutral group that did not win or lose money. After the task was completed, winners exhibited significantly higher testosterone levels than losers. Levels of cortisol, a hormone associated with stress and arousal, did not differ among the groups, suggesting that a hormone-behavior response pattern for winning and losing is specific to testosterone. These data suggest that winning can alter testosterone levels in men and that mood may mediate such changes."}
{"id": "PMID:1478634", "title": "Investigation of familiar and novel chemosensory stimuli by golden hamsters: effects of castration and testosterone replacement.", "content": "Estrous hamsters secrete an odorous vaginal discharge that intact male hamsters investigate vigorously during copulatory behavior. Castrated animals are not attracted to this vaginal discharge. In this study we observed that repeated exposure of intact and castrated hamsters to this vaginal discharge reliably produced habituation of investigatory behavior. Presentation of the odor from a novel female to a habituated male caused an increase in investigation (dishabituation). Castration produced a decrease in investigation within 1 week of surgery. However, the surgery did not produce a decrease in dishabituation until 3 months afterward. Testosterone treatment increased chemosensory investigation in castrated animals. It seems likely that the dishabituation observed in this study may represent a sensory component of the Coolidge Effect."}
{"id": "PMID:1478635", "title": "Time course of androgenic modulation of odor preferences and odor cues in male meadow voles, Microtus pennsylvanicus.", "content": "During the breeding season, male meadow voles prefer female over male odors and females prefer male over female odors. Testosterone control of males' odor preferences and production of odors attractive to females differ. A male meadow vole's preference for female versus male odor was still evident 1 week after castration, but not 1 week later. This preference was reinstated in testosterone-treated male voles 2 weeks after the onset of hormone replacement. The attractiveness of male odors to females did not disappear until 3 weeks after castration. The attractiveness of male odors was reinstated 1 week after castrated males were treated with testosterone. The time course for the androgenic modulation of production of odors attractive to females may facilitate breeding. For example, at the end of the breeding season males may emit an odor that is still attractive to females. Similarly, at the beginning of the breeding season males may emit an odor that is attractive to females."}
{"id": "PMID:1478636", "title": "Sexual differences in hormonal control of release calls in bullfrogs.", "content": "Release calls in anuran amphibians are given when animals are inappropriately clasped by others. Since other call types, such as mate calls, are sexually dimorphic in frogs and toads, sonogram analysis was used to determine whether release call characteristics might also be sexually dimorphic in bullfrogs (Rana catesbeiana). Only intercall intervals differed significantly between males and females. Call duration, dominant frequency characteristics, and the display of secondary or tertiary harmonic frequencies were similar in both sexes. In the spring, but not the fall, calling rates were significantly lower in female bullfrogs, compared to males. Females also had significantly lower plasma androgen concentrations and higher plasma estrogen in the spring, compared to males. In both sexes, plasma androgen and estrogen were significantly higher in the spring, compared to the fall. The neuropeptide arginine vasotocin significantly decreased release call rates in females in the spring while it significantly increased rates in males. Vasotocin had no significant effect in the fall. Prostaglandin E2 significantly inhibited release calling in both males and females. On the other hand, prolactin significantly inhibited calling in female bullfrogs, but had no affect in males. Thus, although acoustic characteristics of release calls were similar in male and female bullfrogs, hormonal control of call rates was sexually dimorphic and seasonally variable."}
{"id": "PMID:1478637", "title": "An assessment of agonist/antagonist effects of tamoxifen in the female mouse brain.", "content": "Ovariectomized CFW mice were treated with tamoxifen (TAM) alone or in combination with estradiol benzoate (EB) to determine its ability to promote/block lordotic behavior and the induction of hypothalamic progestin receptors (PR). Across a range of doses, TAM plus progesterone treatment did not activate female sexual behavior. When given with EB, TAM suppressed lordotic behavior in a dose-dependent fashion. TAM did not induce PR when given alone and it completely blocked the ability of EB to induce PR. It therefore appears that for these responses TAM functioned as a pure antagonist in the female mouse brain, although the degree of its antiestrogenicity varied with the response under consideration. A potential mechanism mediating this differential effectiveness is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1478638", "title": "Regulation of sociosexual communication in female Long-Evans rats by ovarian hormones.", "content": "Two experiments examined the role of the steroid hormones, estradiol (E2), progesterone (P), and testosterone (T), in activating scent marking and 50-kHz ultrasonic vocalizations in ovariectomized Long-Evans rats in response to a devocalized male rat. In Experiment 1, females received, in a counterbalanced order, a series of six hormone treatments consisting of two injections (48-54 and 4 hr before behavioral tests). The six treatments were 8 micrograms E2 followed by 500 micrograms P or oil, 2 micrograms E2 followed by 500 micrograms P or oil, and oil followed by 500 micrograms P or oil. Injections of either the high or low dose of E2 followed by P resulted in high levels of vocalizations. Neither E2 by itself or P by itself were very effective. Surprisingly, none of the hormone treatments were effective in activating marking above the level seen when the females received control injections of oil. Four other hormone treatments were examined in Experiment 2: daily injections of 500 micrograms T, daily injections of 50 micrograms E2, implantation of silastic capsules of E2 (5% E2, 5 mm length) followed by 500-micrograms P injections before behavioral tests, and implantation of silastic capsules of E2 followed by oil injections. Animals receiving E2 by silastic capsule followed by P injection displayed the highest levels of marking and vocalizations across the five weekly tests. These results suggest that while E2 and P synergize for the display of female-typical behaviors similar to the hormonal regulation of lordosis, the mechanism of E2 action may be different for the two signaling behaviors. Scent marking appears to be responsive to the tonic levels of E2 released from silastic capsules."}
{"id": "PMID:1478639", "title": "The abnormal conduct of capercaillies Tetrao urogallus.", "content": "The frequency, behavior, and testosterone levels of deviant capercaillies were studied in southern Finland. Roughly 1% of the population was estimated to behave abnormally. Deviant males display and show threatening behavior toward not only humans, but also attacked stuffed capercaillie males and without hesitation copulated with a stuffed female. Deviant females appear tame and crouch in front of humans, but avoid males. The testosterone level in deviant males was about five times higher than that of normal displaying males. The origin of this striking phenomenon is still unclear, although it must be connected with display. Two, though not mutually exclusive, proximate mechanisms for the development of this abnormal behavior are presented: anomalous sex hormone concentrations and incorrect sexual imprinting. The ultimate reason for the apparent increase in numbers of deviant capercaillies is probably logging which diminishes populations and, thereby, favors the spreading of abnormal behavior."}
{"id": "PMID:1478640", "title": "Behavioral and hormonal correlates of alternative reproductive strategies in a polygynous lizard: tests of the relative plasticity and challenge hypotheses.", "content": "Species with alternative reproductive tacts are good models to investigate the poorly understood question of whether individual variation within sexes results from the same physiological mechanisms that control variation between sexes. We have shown previously that adult male tree lizards, Urosaurus ornatus, of different throat color morphs express different levels of aggression in the laboratory. Further field results support the suggestion that the two morphs practice alternative reproductive tactics because the two morphs express different levels of aggressive behavior under field conditions and exhibit dramatic and opposite responses to aggressive challenges. However, despite these behavioral differences, the two morphs do not differ in levels of testosterone or corticosterone either in undisturbed situations or following aggressive challenge. These results are consistent with the relative plasticity hypothesis which proposes that organizational, rather than activational, actions of steroid hormones will be more important in morph differentiation when morphs are fixed in adult life, as they are in tree lizards. These results also support the hypothesis that steroid hormonal levels are insensitive to social modulation in males of species such as U. ornatus without paternal care."}
{"id": "PMID:1478641", "title": "Gonadal hormones determine sex differences in timing of incubation by doves.", "content": "Male and female ring doves express a sexually dimorphic pattern of incubation. The dimorphism is temporal rather than motoric. The male incubates for a block of time in the middle of the day and the female incubates the rest of the time. The present study explored the role of gonadal hormones in the control of the temporal dimorphism. Female-female pairs incubated their eggs, but it could not be predicted which of the partners would be sitting on the nest at any given time. Male-male pairs did not incubate and instead destroyed the nests that were provided and displayed aggressive behavior. Some intact males incubated when paired with gonadectomized males, although the castrates tended to ignore the nest. In contrast, when castrated birds were given heterotypical hormonal replacement therapy, they and their same-sex partners incubated the eggs that had been provided, with the gonadectomized birds sitting at a time appropriate to the hormonal state. The results indicate that gonadal hormones influence not only the expression of incubation behavior, but also its phase and duration."}
{"id": "PMID:1478642", "title": "Structure and linkage of the D2 dopamine receptor and neural cell adhesion molecule genes on human chromosome 11q23.", "content": "The gene encoding the D2 dopamine receptor (DRD2) is located on human chromosome 11q23 and has been circumstantially associated with a number of human disorders including Parkinson's disease, schizophrenia, and susceptibility to alcoholism. To determine the physical structure of the DRD2 gene, we utilized cosmid cloning, isolation of yeast artificial chromosomes (YACs), and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis to construct a long-range physical map of human chromosome 11q23 linking the genes for the DRD2 and neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM). The D2 dopamine receptor gene extends over 270 kb and includes an intron of approximately 250 kb separating the putative first exon from the exons encoding the receptor protein. The resulting physical map spans more than 1.5 mb of chromosome band 11q23 and links the DRD2 gene with the gene encoding the NCAM located 150 kb 3' of the DRD2 gene and transcribed from the same DNA strand. We additionally located the sites of at least four hypomethylated HTF islands within the physical map, which potentially indicate the sites of additional genes. High-resolution fluorescent in situ suppression hybridization using cosmid and YAC clones localized this gene cluster between the ApoAI and STMY loci at the interface of bands 11q22.3 and 11q23.1."}
{"id": "PMID:1478643", "title": "Multiple variants in subtelomeric regions of normal karyotypes.", "content": "We describe a human genomic cosmid clone, 56.1.1, that contains subtelomeric sequences present on multiple human chromosomes. In particular, using fluorescence in situ hybridization, we have identified 16 sites of hybridization on 12 chromosomes. In a sample of 8 unrelated individuals, 10 of these sites showed interindividual variation. Co-hybridization with other polymorphic probes allowed us to demonstrate cytologically heterozygosity at three sites in six individuals. The chromosomal distribution of hybridization sites in a family strongly suggests that these variants are inherited in a Mendelian fashion. These data show that subtelomeric repeats are a rich source of genetic variability. Possible mechanisms of generation of such variants are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1478644", "title": "Application of automated DNA sizing technology for genotyping microsatellite loci.", "content": "Highly polymorphic microsatellite loci offer great promise for gene mapping studies, but fulfillment of this potential will require substantial improvements in methods for accurate and efficient genotyping. Here, we report a genotyping method based on fluorescently labeled PCR primers and size characterization of PCR products using an automated DNA fragment analyzer. We capitalize on the availability of three distinct fluorescent dyes to label uniquely loci that overlap in size, and this innovation increases by threefold the number of loci that can be analyzed simultaneously. We label size standards with a fourth dye and combine these with the microsatellite PCR products in each gel lane. Computer programs provide very rapid and accurate sizing of microsatellite alleles and efficient data management. In addition, fluorescence signals are linear over a much greater range of intensity than conventional autoradiography. This facilitates multiplexing of loci (since signal intensities often vary greatly) and helps distinguish major peaks from artifacts, thereby improving genotyping accuracy."}
{"id": "PMID:1478645", "title": "Evolution of DNA sequence homologies between the sex chromosomes in primate species.", "content": "Cloned DNA sequences from 18 X-Y homologous loci have been used to examine the evolution of regions of homology between the human X and Y chromosomes. The pattern of X-Y linkage in different primate species has enabled the charting of the chronology of their appearance and removal from the sex chromosomes during evolution. Examination of the pattern of differences in restriction enzyme sites at different loci has been used to estimate the degree of divergence in three different regions of homology. These studies have indicated that (1) blocks of homology have arisen at different points in evolution, (2) different regions of homology are heterogeneous in composition in that they contain X-Y homologous sequences of different age, and (3) the combination of X and Y locations together with the point of evolutionary origin has defined five new patterns of homology."}
{"id": "PMID:1478646", "title": "Closure of a genetic linkage map of human chromosome 7q with centromere and telomere polymorphisms.", "content": "We have constructed a 2.4-cM resolution genetic linkage map for chromosome 7q that is bounded by centromere and telomere polymorphisms and contains 66 loci (88 polymorphic systems), 38 of which are uniquely placed with odds for order of at least 1000:1. Ten genes are included in the map and 11 markers have heterozygosities of at least 70%. This map is the first to incorporate several highly informative markers derived from a telomere YAC clone HTY146 (locus D7S427), including HTY146c3 (HET 92%). The telomere locus markers span at least 200 kb of the 7q terminus and no crossovers within the physical confines of the locus were observed in approximately 240 jointly informative meioses. The sex-equal map length is 158 cM and the largest genetic interval between uniquely localized markers in this map is 11 cM. The female and male map lengths are 181 and 133 cM, respectively. The map is based on the CEPH reference pedigrees and includes over 4000 new genotypes, our previously reported data plus 29 allele systems from the published CEPH version 5 database, and was constructed using the program package CRI-MAP. This genetic linkage map can be considered a baseline map for 7q, and will be useful for defining the extent of chromosome deletions previously reported for breast and prostate cancers, for developing additional genetic maps such as index marker and 1-cM maps, and ultimately for developing a fully integrated genetic and physical map for this chromosome."}
{"id": "PMID:1478647", "title": "The CEPH consortium linkage map of human chromosome 2.", "content": "This paper describes the Centre d'Etude du Polymorphisme Humain (CEPH) consortium linkage map of chromosome 2. The map contains 36 loci defined by genotyping generated from the CEPH family DNAs. A total of 73 different markers were typed by 14 contributing laboratories; of these, 36 loci are ordered on the map with likelihood support of at least 1000:1. Markers are placed along the length of the chromosome but no markers were available to anchor the map at either telomere or the centromere. Multilocus linkage analysis has produced male, female, and sex-averaged maps extending for 261, 430, and 328 cM, respectively. The sex-averaged map contains five intervals greater than 15 cM and the mean genetic distance between the 36 uniquely placed loci is 9.1 cM."}
{"id": "PMID:1478648", "title": "Cloning and characterization of the human sperm receptor ligand ZP3: evidence for a second polymorphic allele with a different frequency in the Caucasian and Japanese populations.", "content": "The human ZP3 gene, encoding the glycoprotein responsible for sperm-egg recognition, has been cloned using mouse ZP3 DNA as a probe. Genomic and cDNA cloning revealed eight exons, spread over 18 kb, encoding a protein of 424 amino acids with a 67% homology to mouse and hamster ZP3. Southern blotting, gene cloning, and sequence analysis were used to show that ZP3 is not a single-copy gene and that the human genome contains a second polymorphic locus which, due to an extra G residue in exon 8, has the potential to encode a truncated protein of 372 amino acids. Direct sequence analysis of polymerase chain reaction-amplified exon 8 DNA of 56 individuals of various human populations revealed three different sequence patterns: one containing only ZP3-424-coding sequences and two containing ZP3-424- and ZP3-372-coding DNA. The distribution of these three sequence patterns is significantly different between the Caucasian and Japanese populations, as indicated by ZP3-372 allele frequencies of 69 and 21%, respectively. Isolation of ZP3-424 and ZP3-372 cDNAs suggests that both loci represent functional transcription units. Therefore, it is hypothesized that throughout the human population during oogenesis ZP3 is translated from mRNAs derived from two to four transcription units. Provided that ZP3-372 mRNA is translated in vivo, corresponding differences in ZP3-372 protein levels might have an impact on human zona pellucida composition."}
{"id": "PMID:1478649", "title": "Cloning and linkage mapping of three polymorphic tetranucleotide (TAAA)n repeats on human chromosome 21.", "content": "We report the cloning, sequencing, and mapping of three short sequence repeat polymorphisms due to tetranucleotide (TAAA)n repeats from human chromosome 21. These DNA markers (D21S221, D21S225, D21S226) have been cloned from the chromosome 21-specific plasmid library of J. C. Fuscoe, C. C. Collins, D. Pinkel, and J. W. Gray (1989, Genomics 5: 100-109) and were shown to be polymorphic by polymerase chain reaction amplification and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Genotypes were determined in informative CEPH pedigrees and used in linkage analysis relative to other mapped markers on human chromosome 21. One of these markers, D21S221, is closely linked to the amyloid precursor protein gene (APP), which has been implicated in the etiology of familial Alzheimer disease in some families."}
{"id": "PMID:1478650", "title": "Characterization of the mouse apolipoprotein Apoa-1/Apoc-3 gene locus: genomic, mRNA, and protein sequences with comparisons to other species.", "content": "In this report we present the genomic, cDNA, and predicted protein sequences for mouse apolipoproteins A-I and CIII, as well as sequence comparisons with other species. The genes for these apolipoproteins are within 2.5 kb of each other and convergently transcribed. The almost 9 kb of genomic sequence presented extends from 1298 bp 5' to the apolipoprotein A-I (Apoa-1) gene to 1249 bp 5' to the apolipoprotein CIII (Apoc-3) gene. The mouse Apoa-1 gene is 1.76 kb in length with four exons and three introns. The 5' flanking region contains TATA and CCAAT box sequences, an interferon responsive element homology, and potential binding sites for transcription factors CTF/NF1 and HNF4. Translation of the cDNA predicts that the mouse Apoa-1 primary transcript is 264 amino acids. The mouse Apoc-3 gene is 2.2 kb in length and also consists of four exons and three introns. The 5' flanking region contains TATA and CCAAT box sequences, RXR-1 and ARP-1 binding sites, and potential binding sites for transcription factors HNF4, NFkB, AP-1, and CTF/NF1. Translation of the cDNA predicts that the mouse Apoc-3 primary transcript is 99 amino acids. The clustering and genomic organization of the mouse Apoa-1 and Apoc-3 genes are similar to those of the rat and human genes. Significant sequence homologies between species exist for the proximal promoter and exonic regions of each gene, but not for the intronic or intergenic regions.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1478651", "title": "Identification and localization of microsatellite markers covering human chromosome 18.", "content": "To generate microsatellite markers from chromosome 18, we have cytogenetically localized a large number of lambda phage using a deletion mapping panel of somatic cell hybrids. Here we describe the identification of 65 new CA-repeat-containing phage and the localization of five markers developed in other laboratories. This approach allows the selection of a subset of markers that are well spaced across the chromosome and can be developed as genetic markers. The use of PCR-based markers should allow for the rapid genomic screening of disease genes on chromosome 18."}
{"id": "PMID:1478652", "title": "A panel of human chromosome 22-specific sequence tagged sites.", "content": "A panel of 29 sequence tagged sites (STSs) covering the long arm of chromosome 22 has been assembled. STS primer pairs were synthesized using available chromosome 22 sequence derived from the GenBank and EMBL DNA sequence databases, as well as published cDNA and genomic sequence, or from previously published and communicated primer pairs. Each STS was optimized for the polymerase chain reaction using a chromosome 22-only hybrid and human genomic DNA. Further STS content analysis on a panel of somatic cell hybrids that incorporated two chromosome 22 translocations resulted in the mapping of the X-box binding protein (XBP), D22S156, and transcobalamin II (TCN2) genes to 22q11-q13.1. The panel of STSs was used for the rapid determination of the STS content and thus the chromosomal DNA content of a new irradiation hybrid."}
{"id": "PMID:1478653", "title": "Human dopamine transporter gene (DAT1) maps to chromosome 5p15.3 and displays a VNTR.", "content": "The human dopamine transporter (DAT1) gene is localized to chromosome 5p15.3 by in situ hybridization and PCR amplification of rodent somatic cell hybrid DNA. Analysis of a 40-bp repeat in the 3' untranslated region of the message revealed variable numbers of the repeat ranging from 3 to 11 copies. These results will aid in the investigation of a role for this gene in genetic disorders of the dopaminergic system in humans."}
{"id": "PMID:1478654", "title": "Localization of the human CYP17 gene (cytochrome P450(17 alpha)) to 10q24.3 by fluorescence in situ hybridization and simultaneous chromosome banding.", "content": "The gene for human P450(17 alpha) (CYP17) was previously mapped to chromosome 10 through analysis of somatic cell hybrids. Using a modified procedure of fluorescence in situ hybridization, this gene has now been visualized on simultaneously banded chromosomes and localized to a specific subband of chromosome 10 at q24.3. This precise assignment may facilitate the understanding of the molecular basis of 17 alpha-hydroxylase/17,20-lyase deficiency and the evolution of the CYP superfamily of genes."}
{"id": "PMID:1478662", "title": "The CEPH consortium linkage map of human chromosome 15q.", "content": "The CEPH consortium map of chromosome 15q is presented. The map contains 41 loci defined by genotypes generated from CEPH family DNAs with 45 different probe and restriction enzyme combinations contributed by 10 laboratories. A total of 29 loci have been placed on the map with likelihood support of at least 1000:1. The map extends from 15q13 to 15q25-qter. Multipoint linkage analyses provided estimates that the male, female, and sex-averaged maps extend for 127, 190, and 158 cM, respectively. The largest interval is 21 cM and is between D15S37 and D15S74. The on-average locus spacing is 5.6 cM and the mean genetic distance between the 21 uniquely placed loci is 8 cM."}
{"id": "PMID:1478663", "title": "Localization of the gene for branchiootorenal syndrome to chromosome 8q.", "content": "Branchiootorenal syndrome is an autosomal dominant disorder that affects an estimated 2% of profoundly deaf children. In addition to hearing impairment, it is characterized by a lop-ear deformity, preauricular pits, branchial cleft sinus tracts, and renal anomalies. The pathogenesis of the disease remains unknown; however, the defective gene has been localized to chromosome 8q by family linkage studies."}
{"id": "PMID:1478664", "title": "Mapping of the versican proteoglycan gene (CSPG2) to the long arm of human chromosome 5 (5q12-5q14).", "content": "Versican is a major chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan of vascularized connective tissues whose eponym reflects its functional versatility in macromolecular affinity and interactions. In this report we have localized the versican gene (CSPG2) to the long arm of human chromosome 5 by utilizing a combination of somatic cell hybrids, Southern blotting, polymerase chain reaction, and chromosomal in situ hybridization. The proteoglycan gene segregated concordantly with hybrid cell lines containing the long arm of chromosome 5, comprising the 5q12-q14 band regions. To refine this locus further, we screened a chromosome 5-specific library and isolated several genomic clones encoding a portion of the 5' end of versican. One of these genomic clones was used as a probe for in situ hybridization of human chromosome metaphases. The results corroborated the data obtained using somatic cell hybrids and further refined the assignment of the versican gene to the narrow band region of 5q12-5q14, with the primary site likely to be 5q13.2. The availability of novel genomic clones and the mapping data presented here will make possible the identification of any defect genetically linked to this proteoglycan gene."}
{"id": "PMID:1478665", "title": "The L-isoaspartyl/D-aspartyl protein methyltransferase gene (PCMT1) maps to human chromosome 6q22.3-6q24 and the syntenic region of mouse chromosome 10.", "content": "We have mapped the genes for the human and mouse L-isoaspartyl/D-aspartyl protein carboxyl methyltransferase (EC 2.1.1.77) using cDNA probes. We determined that the human gene is present in chromosome 6 by Southern blot analysis of DNA from a panel of mouse-human somatic cell hybrids. In situ hybridization studies allowed us to confirm this identification and further localize the human gene (PCMT1) to the 6q22.3-6q24 region. By analyzing the presence of an EcoRI polymorphism in DNA from backcrosses of C57BL/6J and Mus spretus strains of mice, we localized the mouse gene (Pcmt-1) to chromosome 10, at a position 8.2 +/- 3.5 cM proximal to the Myb locus. This region of the mouse chromosome is homologous to the human 6q24 region."}
{"id": "PMID:1478666", "title": "YAC-assisted cloning of a putative G-protein mapping to the MHC class I region.", "content": "We report the successful use of whole yeast artificial chromosomes (YACs) as probes for direct positional cloning of novel expressed sequences in a given genomic fragment. The class I region of the human major histocompatibility complex, in particular the chromosomal fragment spanning the HLA-E locus, was investigated. The screening of a cDNA library with a 210-kb-long YAC clone led to the identification of a new gene, positionally conserved in the major histocompatibility complex of the mouse genome and encoding a putative GTP binding protein. Although its precise function remains unknown, the interspecies conservation of both sequence and map position suggests a regulatory or functional link with the histocompatibility cluster."}
{"id": "PMID:1478667", "title": "Syntenic conservation of HSP70 genes in cattle and humans.", "content": "A phage library of bovine genomic DNA was screened for hybridization with a human HSP70 cDNA probe, and 21 positive plaques were identified and isolated. Restriction mapping and blot hybridization analysis of DNA from the recombinant plaques demonstrated that the cloned DNAs were derived from three different regions of the bovine genome. One region contains two tandemly arrayed HSP70 sequences, designated HSP70-1 and HSP70-2, separated by approximately 8 kb of DNA. Single HSP70 sequences, designated HSP70-3 and HSP70-4, were found in two other genomic regions. Locus-specific probes of unique flanking sequences from representative HSP70 clones were hybridized to restriction endonuclease-digested DNA from bovine-hamster and bovine-mouse somatic cell hybrid panels to determine the chromosomal location of the HSP70 sequences. The probe for the tandemly arrayed HSP70-1 and HSP70-2 sequences mapped to bovine chromosome 23, syntenic with glyoxalase 1, 21 steroid hydroxylase, and major histocompatibility class I loci. HSP70-3 sequences mapped to bovine chromosome 10, syntenic with nucleoside phosphorylase and murine osteosarcoma viral oncogene (v-fos), and HSP70-4 mapped to bovine syntenic group U6, syntenic with amylase 1 and phosphoglucomutase 1. On the basis of these data, we propose that bovine HSP70-1,2 are homologous to human HSPA1 and HSPA1L on chromosome 6p21.3, bovine HSP70-3 is the homolog of an unnamed human HSP70 gene on chromosome 14q22-q24, and bovine HSP70-4 is homologous to one of the human HSPA-6,-7 genes on chromosome 1."}
{"id": "PMID:1478668", "title": "Conserved regulatory elements in the promoter region of the N-CAM gene.", "content": "Genomic clones containing 5'-flanking sequences, the first exon, and the entire first intron from the chicken N-CAM gene were characterized by restriction mapping and DNA sequencing. A > 600-bp segment that includes the first exon is very G + C-rich and contains a large proportion of CpG dinucleotides, suggesting that it represents a CpG island. SP-1 and AP-1 consensus elements are present, but no TATA- or CCAAT-like elements were found within 300 bp upstream of the first exon. Comparison of the chicken promoter region sequence with similar regions of the human, rat, and mouse N-CAM genes revealed that some potential regulatory elements including a \"purine box\" seen in mouse and rat N-CAM genes, one of two homeodomain binding regions seen in mammalian N-CAM genes, and several potential SP-1 sites are not conserved within this region. In contrast, high CpG content, a homeodomain binding sequence, an SP-1 element, an octomer element, and an AP-1 element are conserved in all four genes. The first intron of the chicken gene is 38 kb, substantially smaller than the corresponding intron from mammalian N-CAM genes. Together with previous studies, this work completes the cloning of the chicken N-CAM gene, which contains at least 26 exons distributed over 85 kb."}
{"id": "PMID:1478669", "title": "Conservation of coding and transcriptional control sequences within the snRNP E protein gene.", "content": "The snRNP E protein is one of several proteins associated with the U family of small nuclear RNAs that are involved in RNA processing. Isolation and characterization of the snRNP E protein cDNA sequences from mouse and chicken revealed a 100% conservation of the predicted amino acid sequence when compared to that of the human homologue. Further characterization of a genomic clone for the mouse snRNP E protein gene revealed that the 5' untranslated region and the immediate 5' upstream region have also been highly conserved: 72 and 70%, respectively. Conserved 5' regions include multiple copies of the CTTCCG hexamer sequence which are involved in regulating transcription of the human snRNP E protein gene. Mobility shift assays using corresponding DNA fragments from both human and mouse reveal that both fragments can compete for binding of at least one common transcription factor. These studies demonstrate that along with the amino acid sequence conservation between human and mouse, the snRNP E protein gene has also maintained a high DNA sequence conservation within its basal promoter structure."}
{"id": "PMID:1478670", "title": "Localization of three novel hybrid breakpoints and refinement of 18 marker assignments in the human 3cen-p21.1 region.", "content": "Using the human/hamster cell line UCTP2A-3, we have generated and isolated three hybrids, each containing a novel human chromosome 3p break. All chromosome 3 materials distal to the breaks were lost. Two of the breakpoints were produced using aphidicolin induction; the third breakpoint occurred spontaneously. The aphidicolin-induced breaks were localized to 3p21.1 in hybrid AR1 and to p14.1 in hybrid AR2. The spontaneous break was localized to 3p11 in hybrid 2A-3-1. These hybrids were used to sublocalize 18 chromosome 3 probes further to five regions within 3cen-p21.1. The new hybrids and sublocalized markers will be useful in the study and characterization of the 3p11, 3p14.1, and 3p21.1 segments of chromosome 3."}
{"id": "PMID:1478671", "title": "A knowledge base for predicting protein localization sites in eukaryotic cells.", "content": "To automate examination of massive amounts of sequence data for biological function, it is important to computerize interpretation based on empirical knowledge of sequence-function relationships. For this purpose, we have been constructing a knowledge base by organizing various experimental and computational observations as a collection of if-then rules. Here we report an expert system, which utilizes this knowledge base, for predicting localization sites of proteins only from the information on the amino acid sequence and the source origin. We collected data for 401 eukaryotic proteins with known localization sites (subcellular and extracellular) and divided them into training data and testing data. Fourteen localization sites were distinguished for animal cells and 17 for plant cells. When sorting signals were not well characterized experimentally, various sequence features were computationally derived from the training data. It was found that 66% of the training data and 59% of the testing data were correctly predicted by our expert system. This artificial intelligence approach is powerful and flexible enough to be used in genome analyses."}
{"id": "PMID:1478672", "title": "Structure of DNA near long tandem arrays of alpha satellite DNA at the centromere of human chromosome 7.", "content": "The centromeric regions of human chromosomes contain long tracts of tandemly repeated DNA, of which the most extensively characterized is alpha satellite. In a screen for additional centromeric DNA sequences, four phage clones were obtained which contain alpha satellite as well as other sequences not usually found associated with tandemly repeated alpha satellite DNA, including L1 repetitive elements, an Alu element, and a novel AT-rich repeated sequence. The alpha satellite DNA contained within these clones does not demonstrate the higher-order repeat structure typical of tandemly repeated alpha satellite. Two of the clones contain inversions; instead of the usual head-to-tail arrangement of alpha satellite monomers, the direction of the monomers changes partway through each clone. The presence of both inversions was confirmed in human genomic DNA by polymerase chain reaction amplification of the inverted regions. One phage clone contains a junction between alpha satellite DNA and a novel low-copy repeated sequence. The junction between the two types of DNA is abrupt and the junction sequence is characterized by the presence of runs of A's and T's, yielding an overall base composition of 65% AT with local areas > 80% AT. The AT-rich sequence is found in multiple copies on chromosome 7 and homologous sequences are found in (peri)centromeric locations on other human chromosomes, including chromosomes 1, 2, and 16. As such, the AT-rich sequence adjacent to alpha satellite DNA provides a tool for the further study of the DNA from this region of the chromosome. The phage clones examined are located within the same 3.3-Mb SstII restriction fragment on chromosome 7 as the two previously described alpha satellite arrays, D7Z1 and D7Z2. These new clones demonstrate that centromeric repetitive DNA, at least on chromosome 7, may be more heterogeneous in composition and organization than had previously been thought."}
{"id": "PMID:1478673", "title": "Breakpoints in Robertsonian translocations are localized to satellite III DNA by fluorescence in situ hybridization.", "content": "We characterized 21 t(13;14) and 3 t(14;21) Robertsonian translocations for the presence of DNA derived from the short arms of the translocated acrocentric chromosomes and identified their centromeres. Nineteen of these 24 translocation carriers were unrelated. Using centromeric alpha-repeat DNA as chromosome-specific probe, we found by in situ hybridization that all 24 translocation chromosomes were dicentric. The chromatin between the two centomeres did not stain with silver, and no hybridization signal was detected with probes for rDNA or beta-satellite DNA that flank the distal and proximal ends of the rDNA region on the short arm of the acrocentrics. By contrast, all 24 translocation chromosomes gave a distinct hybridization signal when satellite III DNA was used as probe. This result strongly suggests that the chromosomal rearrangements leading to Robertsonian translocations occur preferentially in satellite III DNA. We hypothesize that guanine-rich satellite III repeats may promote chromosomal recombination by formation of tetraplex structures. The findings localize satellite III DNA to the short arm of the acrocentric chromosomes distal to centromeric alpha-repeat DNA and proximal to beta-satellite DNA."}
{"id": "PMID:1478674", "title": "Linkage mapping of melanoma (MLM) using 172 microsatellite markers.", "content": "The incidence of malignant melanoma is currently increasing faster than any other cancer and in 5-12% of cases occurs in a familial context in which the disease cosegregates as an autosomal dominant trait. To identify the location of genes that predipose individuals to familial melanoma (MLM), we have carried out linkage analysis in three large Australian melanoma pedigrees using 172 microsatellite markers spread across all autosomes. Three additional smaller families were typed for 70 of the same markers. In five of the six families we found lod scores between 1.0 and 2.3, which may provide evidence for the location of melanoma genes in proximity to some of these markers. If this turns out to be the case, these data potentially demonstrate that MLM is genetically heterogeneous since there was no marker for which all families gave significantly high LODs. These data provide the foundation for an exclusion map for melanoma and, more importantly, high-light areas of the genome for others to substantiate the potential positions of some of the genes that may be responsible for susceptibility to MLM."}
{"id": "PMID:1478675", "title": "Junctions between genes in the haptoglobin gene cluster of primates.", "content": "To investigate the nature of the recombination that generated the haptoglobin three-gene cluster in Old World primates, we sequenced the region between the second gene (HPR) and the third gene (HPP) in chimpanzees (15 kb), as well as the region 3' to the cluster in humans (14 kb). Comparison to the previously sequenced human haptoglobin (HP) and HPR genes showed that the junction point between HP and HPR in humans (junction 1) was not identical to the junction point between the HPR and HPP genes of the chimpanzee (junction 2). An Alu sequence was found at each junction, but both Alu sequences lacked short direct repeats of the flanking genomic DNA. The lack of direct repeats implies that both junction Alu sequences are the products of recombination between different Alu elements. In addition, other insertion and deletion events are clustered in the regions near the junction Alu sequences. The observation that Alu sequences define the junctions between genes in the haptoglobin gene cluster emphasizes the importance of Alu sequences in the evolution of multigene families."}
{"id": "PMID:1478676", "title": "A gene for Usher syndrome type I (USH1A) maps to chromosome 14q.", "content": "Usher syndrome (US) is an autosomal recessive disease characterized by congenital hearing impairment and retinitis pigmentosa. It is the most frequent cause of deaf-blindness in adults and accounts for 3 to 6% of deaf children. Here, we report the genetic mapping of a gene for US type I (USH1A), the most severe form of the disease, to the long arm of chromosome 14, by linkage to probe MLJ14 at the D14S13 locus in 10 families of Western France ancestry (Z = 4.13 at theta = 0). Among them, 8 families originated from a small area of the Poitou-Charentes region (Z = 3.78 at theta = 0), suggesting that a founder effect could be involved. However, since not all US type I families were found to be linked to this locus, the present study provides evidence for genetic heterogeneity of this condition (heterogeneity versus homogeneity test HOMOG, P < 0.05; heterogeneity versus no linkage, P < 0.01)."}
{"id": "PMID:1478677", "title": "Linkage of Usher syndrome type I gene (USH1B) to the long arm of chromosome 11.", "content": "Usher syndrome is the most commonly recognized cause of combined visual and hearing loss in technologically developed countries. There are several different types and all are inherited in an autosomal recessive manner. There may be as many as five different genes responsible for at least two closely related phenotypes. The nature of the gene defects is unknown, and positional cloning strategies are being employed to identify the genes. This is a report of the localization of one gene for Usher syndrome type I to chromosome 11q, probably distal to marker D11S527. Another USH1 gene had been previously localized to chromosome 14q, and this second localization establishes the existence of a new and independent locus for Usher syndrome."}
{"id": "PMID:1478678", "title": "Localization of two genes for Usher syndrome type I to chromosome 11.", "content": "The Usher syndromes (USH) are autosomal recessive diseases characterized by congenital sensorineural hearing loss and progressive pigmentary retinopathy. While relatively rare in the general population, collectively they account for approximately 6% of the congenitally deaf population. Usher syndrome type II (USH2) has been mapped to chromosome 1q (W. J. Kimberling, M. D. Weston, C. M\u00f6ller, et al., 1990, Genomics 7: 245-249; R. A. Lewis, B. Otterud, D. Stauffer, et al., 1990, Genomics 7: 250-256), and one form of Usher syndrome type I (USH1) has been mapped to chromosome 14q (J. Kaplan, S. Gerber, D. Bonneau, J. Rozet, M. Briord, J. Dufier, A. Munnich, and J. Frezal, 1990. Cytogenet. Cell Genet. 58: 1988). These loci have been excluded as regions of USH genes in our data set, which is composed of 8 French-Acadian USH1 families and 11 British USH1 families. Both of these sets of families show linkage to loci on chromosome 11. Linkage analysis demonstrates locus heterogeneity between these sets of families, with the French-Acadian families showing linkage to D11S419 (Z = 4.20, theta = 0) and the British families showing linkage to D11S527 (Z = 6.03, theta = 0). Genetic heterogeneity of the data set was confirmed using HOMOG and the M test (log likelihood ratio > 10(5)). These results confirm the presence of two distinct USH1 loci on chromosome 11."}
{"id": "PMID:1478679", "title": "Expression and generation of interleukin-8, IL-6 and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor by bronchial epithelial cells and enhancement by IL-1 beta and tumour necrosis factor-alpha.", "content": "We have tested the hypothesis that the bronchial epithelium has the capacity to generate and release cytokines that could contribute to inflammatory events associated with inflammatory lung diseases. Messenger RNA (mRNA) for interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-8 and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) was identified in human bronchial epithelial cell primary cultures, characterized on the basis of staining for cytokeratin, using both in situ hybridization and Northern blotting. Using in situ hybridization we have shown that the majority of the cells expressed mRNA for IL-6 and IL-8, whereas fewer than 20% of cells expressed message for GM-CSF. The numbers of cells expressing message were increased by culture with tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) (20 ng/ml, 24 hr). These observations were substantiated by Northern blotting, which showed that both TNF-alpha and IL-1 beta were able to induce a dose-dependent increase in IL-8-specific mRNA. Immunoreactive IL-6 and GM-CSF were detected and quantified in the culture supernatants by ELISA, and IL-8 by radioimmunoassay. The levels of immunoreactivity were increased by incubation of epithelial cells with either IL-1 beta or TNF-alpha for 24 hr. A transformed tracheal epithelial cell line (9HTEo-) expressed mRNA for IL-6, IL-8 and GM-CSF but, whereas levels of immunoreactive IL-6 in culture supernatants were comparable with those in primary cell cultures, levels of IL-8 were low and GM-CSF trivial. These observations indicate that the bronchial epithelium has the potential to be a major source of IL-8 and a number of other cytokines, and that production can be amplified substantially by IL-1 beta and TNF-alpha. The bronchial epithelium is ideally situated to modulate inflammatory and immunological events in and around the airways, and these observations suggest that it could contribute to promote and sustain inflammatory and immunological processes in inflammatory lung diseases such asthma."}
{"id": "PMID:1478680", "title": "Four interleukin-2 surface binding proteins detected in rat spleen cells.", "content": "Four specific interleukin-2 (IL-2) surface binding proteins can be detected by covalent cross-linking of [125I]IL-2 to rat spleen cells that have been activated with various stimuli including concanavalin A (Con A), phytohaemagglutinin (PHA), calcium ionophore, and phorbol dibutyrate (PDB) with or without calcium ionophore. These four cross-linked proteins could not be demonstrated in either unstimulated T cells or in activated T cells when binding was performed in the presence of a 20-100-fold excess of unlabelled IL-2. The molecular weights of the four cross-linked proteins, after subtraction of the molecular weight contribution of IL-2 are: 53,000, 70,000, 90,000 and 118,000. The 53,000 MW protein was identified as the rat IL-2 receptor (IL-2R) alpha-chain by immune precipitation. Additionally, results suggest that the rat IL-2R alpha-chain is tightly complexed to both the 118,000 and 90,000 MW IL-2 binding proteins. Purification of surface labelled proteins from activated cells using IL-2 affinity chromatography yields four proteins with similar molecular weight to those identified by cross-linking plus an additional non-ligand cross-linked protein of 46,000 MW. The 46,000 MW band may be a non-binding associated protein since it was not seen following [125I]IL-2 binding cross-linking. Tryptic digests and two-dimensional separation of the affinity-isolated proteins indicate that unique peptide maps are generated for the 46,000, 53,000 and 70,000 MW proteins and excludes the possibility that the bands identified by cross-linking represents cross-linking of multiple ligands to the 53,000 MW subunit. However, the 90,000 and 118,000 MW bands yield peptide maps that closely resemble each other suggesting that these binding proteins may be related. These results suggest that at least four IL-2 surface binding proteins may constitute the rat IL-2R system."}
{"id": "PMID:1478681", "title": "Hodgkin's disease cell lines: a model for interleukin-1-independent accessory cell function.", "content": "The haemopoietic origins of the Hodgkin's disease (HD)-derived cell lines L428, KM-H2 and HDLM-2 remain controversial. Analysis of T-cell receptor (TcR) and Ig rearrangements cannot resolve this, and lineage promiscuity limits the interpretation of isolated surface antigen expression. Nonetheless the cell marker profile of L428 has similarities with human dendritic cells (DC), and L428 strongly stimulates in the mixed leucocyte reaction (MLR). We therefore undertook an extended immunophenotypic comparison of the HD lines with that recently defined for DC, prior to examining their ability to stimulate allogenic T lymphocytes, and comparing the molecular interactions involved with those of primary MLR stimulatory cells. The immunophenotype of the HD lines failed to establish either a lymphoid or monocytoid derivation. The profile of L428 appeared similar to the human DC. All three lines were potent stimulators in the primary MLR, and each expressed relevant adhesion and signal-transducing molecules important for co-stimulating T lymphocytes. Inhibition studies using monoclonal antibodies indicated similar contributions within HD line-T cell MLR to that documented in human tonsil DC-T cell MLR. The HD lines produced no detectable interleukin-1 (IL-1) by biological or immunological analysis. Moreover they stimulated allogeneic T lymphocytes in the presence of anti-IL-1 antibodies. Thus although IL-1 mRNA can be detected in both HDLM-2 and KM-H2 by polymerase chain reaction, these lines, and L428, share with DC the ability to stimulate allogeneic T lymphocytes in an IL-1-independent manner [corrected]. HD lines, particularly L428, may provide a standardized, reproducible, IL-1-independent model for dissection of the co-stimulatory requirements of the human primary MLR."}
{"id": "PMID:1478682", "title": "Intravenous injection of interferon-gamma inhibits the proliferation of Listeria monocytogenes in the liver but not in the spleen and peritoneal cavity.", "content": "In the present study the effects of intravenous administration of recombinant interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) on both the proliferation of Listeria monocytogenes in the liver and spleen of mice and the listericidal activity of their peritoneal macrophages were investigated. A single intravenous injection of 1 x 10(6) U or three injections of 2 x 10(5) U recombinant IFN-gamma (rIFN-gamma) induced optimal activation of resident and exudate peritoneal macrophages, as judged by their ability to inhibit the intracellular proliferation of Toxoplasma gondii and their enhanced release of H2O2 and NO2-. The rate of intracellular killing of L. monocytogenes by the rIFN-gamma-activated resident and exudate macrophages was not higher than that by resident macrophages. Addition of 10 ng lipopolysaccharides (LPS) to the rIFN-gamma also did not enhance the bactericidal activity of the activated peritoneal macrophages. The decrease in the number of L. monocytogenes in the peritoneal cavity of mice that had received an i.p. injection of 1 x 10(4) U rIFN-gamma was similar to that in control mice. Intravenous administration of 1 x 10(5) rIFN-gamma activated cells in the liver, as indicated by the increased expression of Ia antigen, and reduced the rate of proliferation of L. monocytogenes in the liver relative to that in control mice when 0.1 LD50 or 1 LD50 L. monocytogenes were injected. However, when 10 LD50 L. monocytogenes were administered there was no effect on their proliferation. The number of L. monocytogenes found initially in the spleen of rIFN-gamma-treated mice was 20-30% of that in the spleen of control mice, but the rate of proliferation of L. monocytogenes was not reduced. These divergent results for the proliferation of L. monocytogenes in the liver, spleen and peritoneal cavity indicate that cells other than macrophages and/or as yet unknown local factors play an important role in the listericidal activity."}
{"id": "PMID:1478683", "title": "Haematopoietic cell lines capable of colonizing the thymus following in vivo transfer expressed T-cell receptor gamma-gene immature mRNA.", "content": "To clarify the mechanism by which progenitor T (pro-T) cells recognize and enter the thymus, an attempt was made to produce haematopoietic cell lines by the fusion of BALB/c nude mouse bone marrow or foetal liver cells (gestation 14 and 15 days) with AKR thymoma BW5147, thereby immortalizing cells with potency to colonize the thymus, a characteristic of pro-T cells rarely found in adult bone marrow or foetal liver. The hybridomas thus produced were classified according to the phenotype of surface markers, T-cell receptor (TcR) gene configuration and expression. All hybridomas were negative in the surface expression of T-cell markers such as TcR alpha beta, TcR gamma delta, CD3, CD4 and CD8. They had TcR beta-, gamma- and delta-genes, each with a different status with respect to configuration and transcription. Some possessed partially rearranged TcR genes and others expressed immature TcR mRNA. The cell lines were examined for their capacity to colonize the thymus following intravenous injection into recipient mice. It was found that the cells with capacity of colonizing the thymus expressed immature TcR delta mRNA, while the cell lines lacking TcR delta-genes did not home to the thymus. These findings imply that the potency for migrating to thymus is closely associated with the particular stage of prethymic cell differentiation which could be estimated by the analysis of TcR genes, and that some cell lines with the expression of TcR delta-gene mRNA and the ability to colonize the thymus are derived from pro-T cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1478684", "title": "Class II major histocompatibility complex (Ia) antigen-bearing dendritic cells within the iris and ciliary body of the rat eye: distribution, phenotype and relation to retinal microglia.", "content": "The density, distribution and surface phenotype of dendritic cells (DC) and macrophage populations within the ciliary body and iris of Wistar Furth rats were studied by a combination of flat mounting, tangential sectioning, pre-embedding fixation, with a single and double immunohistochemical techniques. Monoclonal antibodies included anti-Ia (OX6) and other dendritic cell/macrophage (ED1 and ED8) or mature tissue macrophage markers (ED2). Single and double staining revealed a network (approximately 400 cells/mm2) of Ia+ cells within the epithelium of the ciliary processes with the morphological and surface phenotypic characteristics of DC populations in other tissues. A minor proportion of DC co-expressed ED1 and ED8, but not ED2. In contrast the immunopositive cells in the lamina propria displayed a more generalized phenotype, including ED2 expression, and pleiomorphic morphology suggesting a preponderance of cells of macrophage lineage. Flat mounts of iris revealed a remarkably regular network of Ia+ DC at a density of 450 cells/mm2. The network of DC in the ciliary epithelium terminated at the cilioretinal junction where they formed a continuous syncytium with retinal microglia which did not display Ia staining. The demonstration of networks of cells with relevant morphological and phenotypical properties of professional antigen-presenting cells at strategic locations within the eye has important implications in relation to ocular immune regulation and on the theories of the mechanism of anterior chamber-associated immune deviation (ACAID). Namely, until now it has been assumed that 'immune privilege' in the anterior chamber of the eye is partly a consequence of there being a paucity of class II+ cells in the surrounding tissues. Dendritic cells in the eye may function as antigen-presenting cells, sampling endogenous and exogenous intraocular antigens and possibly migrating from the eye to draining lymphoid organs (the spleen) where they may generate systemic immune responses. Equally dendritic cells could potentially regulate local immune responses for example in various forms of autoimmune uveoretinal inflammatory disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1478685", "title": "The effect of ultraviolet B irradiation and urocanic acid isomers on dendritic cell migration.", "content": "Irradiation with ultraviolet-B light (UV-B) suppresses some cell-mediated immune responses to a variety of antigens, including contact sensitizers. Following UV irradiation there is modulation of Langerhans' cells' markers and keratinocytes are induced to synthesize and secrete tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha). Cis-urocanic acid (cis-UCA) has been suggested as a photoreceptor for UV and has been demonstrated to suppress immune responses in several experimental systems. UCA is found naturally in the stratum corneum as the trans-isomer and converts to the cis-isomer on irradiation. In the present study the migration of dendritic cells (DC) to lymph nodes following UV-B irradiation or epicutaneous application of UCA isomers was examined in unsensitized mice and mice sensitized with fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC). It was found that UV-B irradiation alone induced DC migration to draining lymph nodes (DLN) and that UV-B irradiation prior to skin sensitization at the same site enhanced DC migration. A maximum number of DC was present in DLN 48 hr following irradiation. In sensitized mice, the percentage of DC bearing FITC and the quantity of FITC per DC was unaltered by prior UV exposure. In contrast, neither isomer of UCA had any significant effect on DC numbers in sensitized or unsensitized mice. It was concluded that UV-B irradiation induced the migration of DC from the epidermis to draining lymph nodes, an effect possibly mediated by TNF-alpha release, while UCA may act by a different mechanism, perhaps via histamine-like receptors in the epidermis."}
{"id": "PMID:1478686", "title": "Role of mast cells in plasma permeation due to immune injury of the skin basement membrane.", "content": "Immune injury of the basement membrane occurs in various human diseases. In the present study, an antibody specific for the basement membrane of mouse skin was injected i.d. into mast cell-deficient WBB6F1-W/Wv mice and their congenic controls, WBB6F1-(+/+). Vascular permeability changes, oedema and fibrin deposition were assessed. Plasma permeation, evaluated by dye exudation, was time and dose dependent in both groups of animals, but significantly less in WBB6F1-W/Wv than in normal mice. At 30 min, the time of maximum in congenic controls, extravasation of the dye was 60% less in mast cell-deficient than in WBB6F1-(+/+) mice. Pyrilamine decreased exudation by 40% in normal but not in WBB6F1-W/Wv mice, indicating that the mast cell mediator histamine contributes to the increase in vascular permeability. Mast cell deficiency also markedly reduced fibrin deposition as assessed by direct immunostaining. Oedema, measured as skin thickness, was 60% less in WBB6F1-W/Wv mice than in their congenic controls. A 5-lipoxygenase blocker inhibited plasma exudation and oedema in normal but not in WBB6F1-W/Wv mice. This indicates that leukotrienes are involved in these processes and that mast cells are important for their production. Local mast cell reconstitution restored dye extravasation and oedema to normal levels as well as the effect of the 5-lipoxygenase inhibitor. These findings show that mast cells and their mediators participate in these inflammatory processes which were initiated by the deposition of IgG on the skin basement membrane."}
{"id": "PMID:1478687", "title": "Assessment of cholinergic influences on a primary humoral immune response.", "content": "Cholinergic ligands can affect some lymphocyte functions, and binding of labelled cholinergic ligands to lymphocytes has been reported. However, the role of endogenous cholinergic stimulation in immunomodulation in vivo is unclear. It has been suggested that suppression of primary humoral immune responses in vivo by administration of organophosphorus compounds is caused by excessive cholinergic stimulation. If this is correct, it would demonstrate cholinergic immunomodulation in vivo and might serve as a useful model for the characterization of this phenomenon. In the present study, the organophosphorus insecticide parathion and its major metabolite, paraoxon, suppressed the primary IgM response to sheep red blood cells (SRBC) in vitro in Mishell-Dutton cultures at concentrations similar to those probably reached in vivo. In contrast, cholinergic agonists did not suppress the in vitro response, but tended to enhance it. However, antagonists also tended to enhance the response and the effects of agonists were not blocked by antagonists. Binding studies with a radiolabelled cholinergic antagonist ([3H-]QNB) did not indicate the presence of specific, saturable cholinergic receptors on lymphocytes. A membrane preparation from brain was used as a positive control, and specific, saturable binding was observed. These results suggest that suppression of primary immune responses in vivo by parathion is mediated at least in part by direct action of parathion and/or its major metabolite, paraoxon, on the immune system. The data provide no evidence that direct interaction of cholinergic ligands with the immune system contributes to parathion-induced immunosuppression. In fact, the absence of expected agonist-antagonist relationships in Mishell-Dutton cultures, the absence of saturable [3H]QNB binding, and puzzling inconsistencies in the literature on this subject cast doubt on the conclusion that lymphocytes express specific cholinergic receptors."}
{"id": "PMID:1478688", "title": "Antibody-secreting cell responses in the mouse liver.", "content": "To elucidate the origins of biliary IgA antibodies, we investigated the isotype and specificity of antibody-secreting cells (ASC) in the liver in comparison with the spleen and intestinal lamina propria of mice immunized by peroral or parenteral routes. The profile of specific IgM, IgG1, IgG2a, and IgA ASC in the liver resembled that of the spleen rather than the lamina propria, regardless of the route of immunization. Peroral immunization increased the proportion of specific IgA ASC in all three organs. However, liver mononuclear cells (MNC) contained a higher proportion of total IgA-secreting cells than spleen cells. After immunization, the number and proportion of B220+ B cells were increased in the liver but not in the spleen. Although the predominant isotype of Ig and specific antibody in bile in response to immunization by either route was IgA, IgM and IgG were clearly detectable. However, specific activities of biliary antibodies relative to total Ig isotype were generally higher than in serum. The predominance of IgA-secreting cells in the liver and the large amount of IgA secreted in the bile resemble the situation at other secretory sites of the mucosal immune system. However, specific antibody-secreting cells appear to accumulate in the liver promptly after immunization, regardless of isotype, and contribute locally produced antibodies to the bile."}
{"id": "PMID:1478689", "title": "Hyperprolactinaemia in hypophysectomized or intact male rats and the development of adjuvant arthritis.", "content": "In rats, complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA), injected at the base of the tail, induced a hyperactivation of cellular immune functions and triggered the development of adjuvant arthritis (AA). Before onset of arthritis (Days 9-10 upon CFA), the positive control rats showed significant increases of pituitary prolactin (Prl) mRNA accumulation (Days 3-5). On the other hand, production of pituitary growth hormone (GH) mRNA was significantly reduced from Day 3 onwards. During this early latent period, plasma Prl levels were transiently increased (at least on Day 4), while GH levels were reduced within 8 days (and onwards). Pituitary proopiomelanocortin (POMC) mRNA content progressively decreased with a nadir between Days 6 and 8, accompanied by a loss of the adrenocortical ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) circadian rhythm of activity and a transient reduction of plasma corticosterone (CS) levels (Days 3-6, obvious during the dark phase). At onset of arthritis, the POMC mRNA accumulation and adrenocortical ODC activity increased over their respective baselines. Elevation of plasma CS levels (obvious during the light phase) and important CS-induced thymolysis occurred. Further, hypophysectomized rats did not develop AA. However, hypophysectomized male rats carrying pituitary grafts under the kidney capsule had mild hyperprolactinaemia and developed a worsened arthritic response to CFA, compared to sham-operated controls. On the other hand, intact hyperprolactinaemic male rats showed a delay in the onset and a reduction in the severity of AA. This difference might be due to stimulation of the adrenal cortex in intact pituitary-grafted rats. Such rats showed increased baselines of pituitary POMC mRNA production, adrenocortical ODC activity and plasma CS levels. In addition, during the latent period after CFA, POMC mRNA accumulation, adrenocortical ODC activity and plasma CS levels were only partially suppressed, less than in sham-operated rats. Extensive thymolysis occurred after CFA in these animals--as in the sham-operated rats--but not in the hypophysectomized pituitary-implanted rats. This suggested that in the presence of adrenocortical deficiency, Prl released by the pituitary graft can freely act on the immune system, without being counter-regulated by CS."}
{"id": "PMID:1478690", "title": "HLA-B27/microbial mimicry: an in vivo analysis.", "content": "The association between three major spondyloarthritic diseases, ankylosing spondylitis, Reiter's syndrome, and reactive arthritis, and the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class 1 antigen HLA-B27 is well documented. The hypothesis of cross-reactivity between HLA-B27 and the antecedent infection-causing Gram-negative pathogens such as Salmonella, Shigella and Yersinia has been suggested by in vitro studies employing monoclonal antibodies. We have examined the possibility of such cross-reactivity in vivo using various rabbit immune sera and patient sera as the source of cross-reacting antibody. Mouse L cells were transfected with HLA-A3 or HLA-B27 and used as a source of antigen. Western blot analysis employing denatured antigen, FACS analysis employing native antigen and immunoprecipitation studies were undertaken to detect cross-reacting antibodies generated in vivo to HLA-B27 antigen. Antibodies generated in vivo by infection in patients or immunization in animals against arthritogenic bacteria did not demonstrate any cross-reactivity with HLA-B27 by any of the methods used. As defined by the humoral immune response, molecular mimicry appears unlikely to explain the role of B27 in the pathogenesis of reactive arthritis."}
{"id": "PMID:1478691", "title": "Specific inhibition of IgE antibody production by an antisense oligodeoxynucleotide oligomer (Oligostick).", "content": "We have investigated the ability of an antisense oligonucleotide (ASE-1) to specifically inhibit IgE synthesis by a human myeloma cell line, U266. ASE-1 inhibited IgE production in a concentration-dependent manner, as assessed by isotype-specific ELISA measurement of immunoglobulin in myeloma cell supernatants. Inhibition of IgE production was specific and not due to cytotoxicity since IgG1 and IgM production by human myeloma cell lines ARH-77 and RPMI-1788 respectively, was not significantly affected by up to 20 microM ASE-1 whereas IgE production was inhibited by approximately 70% at this concentration. These results indicate that antisense oligonucleotides represent a potential therapeutic approach to the treatment of IgE-mediated allergic diseases."}
{"id": "PMID:1478692", "title": "CD3-gamma, -delta, -epsilon, -zeta, T-cell receptor-alpha and -beta transcripts are independently regulated during thymocyte ontogeny and T-cell activation.", "content": "CD3 proteins transduce signals delivered from the T-cell receptor (TcR) for antigen. The genes that encode the individual CD3 subunits are asynchronously regulated in tumour cell lines in vitro. In this report, we examined the expression of individual CD3 and TcR genes during normal murine thymocyte ontogeny in vivo. We show that CD3-gamma, -delta, -epsilon, and zeta transcripts are all expressed on Day 14 post-coitum (p.c.), along with IL-2R alpha and Thy-1 mRNA, and prior to the expression of functional TcR-alpha, -beta, CD4 and CD8 transcripts. Individual CD3 subunits display unique patterns of increased gene expression as ontogeny proceeds. Unique regulation of these T-cell transcripts is also observed in splenic cells activated with the T-cell mitogen concanavalin A (Con A). CD3-delta, -zeta, TcR-alpha and -beta mRNA expression increases, whilst CD3-gamma and -epsilon mRNA levels decrease after mitogenic activation. The potential implications of this regulation on the composition and expression of the TcR/CD3 complex during T-cell ontogeny and activation is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1478693", "title": "Lipopolysaccharide synergizes with tumour necrosis factor-alpha in cytotoxicity assays.", "content": "Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from Escherichia coli was found to synergize with human recombinant tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) in the lysis of L929 and WEHI 164 (clone 13) murine fibroblasts, two cell lines classically used in TNF-alpha bioassays. The effect was noted with TNF-alpha at low (sublytic or lightly lytic) concentrations and was significant for LPS concentrations in the ng range. The LPS effect could be inhibited by polymyxin B, and was not observed when the TNF-alpha assay was performed in the absence of actinomycin D. Enhancement of TNF-alpha lysis by LPS occurred in several assays for determining TNF-alpha, including MTT cleavage, crystal violet staining and lactate dehydrogenase release. Synergism was obtained only when LPS and TNF-alpha were added to cells simultaneously, but not when applied in sequence. The reported synergism may be relevant for TNF-alpha determinations by bioassay, and for the understanding of pathophysiology of Gram-negative sepsis."}
{"id": "PMID:1478694", "title": "Antibodies to 65 kDa and 70 kDa heat shock proteins in rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus.", "content": "To test the potential role of autoimmunity to the highly conserved heat shock proteins (HSP) in immune arthritides, the sera from 99 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), 48 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and 65 normal controls were examined by ELISA for IgG and IgM antibodies to the 65 kDa and 70 kDa heat shock proteins from Mycobacterium bovis (Bacille Calmette-Guerin; BCG). In RA sera there are significant numbers of individuals with increased IgM anti-65 kDa and anti-BCG reactivity as well as IgG anti-70 kDa when compared with controls. In SLE both IgM and IgG anti-BCG, together with IgM anti-65 kDa, differed significantly from controls. The results were compared with previous reports in similar groups of patients, and it is clear that no consistent pattern of reactivity emerges. While further work may be justified looking carefully at the disease duration and other subsets of both RA and SLE, it is difficult at this stage to conclude that antibodies to autologous HSP that cross-react with mycobacterial HSP play a major role in disease pathogenesis."}
{"id": "PMID:1478695", "title": "Local immunity in the male reproductive tract.", "content": "In previous studies we have demonstrated that the male urinary tract forms part of the common mucosal immune system, and that the gut contributes to local defences at this site. The question arises as to the extent to which the reproductive tract also forms part of the common mucosal immune system. Rats were immunized by a variety of routes designed to stimulate a local response in the intestine and/or the reproductive tract. Rats immunized only by the intratesticular (i.t.) route yielded no antibody-containing (ACC) response in any of the tissues examined. Intestinal immunization using intraperitoneal priming followed by intraduodenal challenge (i.p./i.d.) yielded a substantial IgA-specific ACC response in the jejunum, but no ACC were detectable in any of the reproductive tract tissues. However, when intestinal and testicular immunizations were combined, large numbers of IgA-specific antibodies were detected in all tissues examined. Chronic drainage of the thoracic lymphatic duct throughout the post-challenge period abrogated the ACC response in all tissues of the reproductive tract, indicating that the ACC appearing at these sites after immunization were of gut origin. The IgA-specific anti-OVA antibody detectable in serum, saliva and testis homogenate reflected the ACC counts in histological sections. The studies reported here confirm that the male reproductive tract does form part of a common mucosal immune system and that gut-associated lymphoid tissues may contribute cellular precursors for ACC, particularly those of IgA specificity, appearing in the tract after local challenge.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1478696", "title": "In vitro metabolic inhibition of the human lymphocyte: influence on the expression of interleukin-2 receptors.", "content": "We have investigated the effects of energy depletion in human lymphocytes on the expression of the membrane-bound interleukin-2 receptor (IL-2R) and the release of soluble IL-2R. Concanavalin-A (Con-A) and IL-2-transformed lymphocytes were incubated with sodium fluoride, inhibiting the Embden-Meyerhof pathway, rotenone and 2,4-dinitrophenol (2,4-DNP), which are known to disturb mitochondrial high energy production. Rotenone was found to be the most potent inhibitor, with a half maximal effect at 10 nmol/L. 2,4-DNP and sodium fluoride, although not as potent as rotenone, showed marked inhibitory effects in higher concentrations, with half maximal effects at 50 mumol/L and 5 mmol/L respectively. No difference in the inhibition pattern for membrane-bound IL-2R compared with sIL-2R was observed. It is concluded that intracellular synthesis, transport and subsequent membrane insertion or release of receptors important for immunoregulation require high energy phosphate compounds and are sensitive to disturbances in intracellular energy levels."}
{"id": "PMID:1478697", "title": "Proliferation of the BCL1 B cell lymphoma induced by IL-4 and IL-5 is dependent on IL-6 and GM-CSF.", "content": "Lymphokine requirements for the in vitro proliferation of the spleen-dependent B cell lymphoma BCL1 have been analysed. Cells were found to respond by proliferation to added recombinant (r) interleukin-4 (IL-4), r-IL-5 and recombinant granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (r-GM-CSF). Inhibition by antibodies specific for each of these lymphokines has confirmed growth factor-dependent growth. Anti-GM-CSF has, however, been found to inhibit the proliferation of BCL1 cells induced by r-IL-4 and r-IL-5, as well as r-GM-CSF, suggesting that BCL1 cells may express receptors for GM-CSF and that GM-CSF may be able to act synergistically with IL-4 and IL-5 in promoting cell proliferation. Anti-IL-6 antibody was also found to be a very effective inhibitor of BCL1 proliferation induced by either IL-4 or IL-5 but not by GM-CSF. Added IL-6 did not stimulate BCL1 proliferation, suggesting that endogenous IL-6 may regulate the autocrine growth of BCL1 cells. BCL1 cell proliferation in vitro appears to be regulated by interactions between multiple growth factors."}
{"id": "PMID:1478698", "title": "Intradermal and percutaneous transudation of IgG1 and transferrin in sheep.", "content": "The leakage of [125I]-IgG1 into skin sites following injection of mediators of enhanced vascular permeability and during induction of transudates on the skin surface under negative pressure was examined to determine whether IgG is selectively transported into cutaneous transudates. 111In-transferrin was employed as a marker of plasma leakage unaided by selective transport. The leakage of IgG1 into interstitial spaces of untreated skin, into inflammatory transudates and into transudate fluid drawn to the skin surface under vacuum occurred at a lower rate than did leakage of transferrin. No evidence was found in favour of a selective transport mechanism to aid transport of IgG1 into extravascular skin compartments."}
{"id": "PMID:1478699", "title": "T cell memory: a role for MHC class II molecules on T cells?", "content": "A proportion of human T cells express MHC class II molecules. In this paper, the hypothesis is advanced that these MHC class II molecules present antigenic peptides acquired from interaction with other antigen-presenting cells (e.g. during the primary response) and can therefore interact in a cognitive manner with T cells with the same specificity. Memory is maintained in the physical form as clusters of T cells expressing T cell receptors and the cognate peptide-MHC class II complex; by virtue of their cognate interaction with each other these cells turn over gradually and return to the cluster when they recirculate. When fresh antigen is introduced, it is presented to some of these T cells by non-T antigen-presenting cells that provide a second signal leading to vigorous activation of the T cell. The proximity and cognate interaction of other T cells of the same specificity allows a chain reaction to occur, leading to rapid development of the secondary response. The hypothesis, which is testable, is proposed because of doubts concerning the current concept of memory as applied to T cells, and a need to understand the consequences of the expression of MHC class II molecules by a subset of T cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1478700", "title": "An hypothesis to explain why cell-mediated immunity alone can contain infections by certain intracellular parasites and how immune class regulation of the response against such parasites can be subverted.", "content": "Cells with a low density of parasite-specific antigens on their surface are postulated to be susceptible to a cell-mediated attack but not to effector mechanisms normally activated following the binding of specific antibody to the infected cell. It is further postulated that such infected cells normally induce a cell-mediated response, and that cells infected with slow-growing intracellular parasites have a low density of parasite-specific antigens on their surface. Despite these general postulates, cell-mediated immunity is not invariably induced following natural infection by certain slow-growing parasites, such as those responsible for leprosy, tuberculosis, and the leishmaniases, and antibody can be induced that is exclusive of a strong, cell-mediated response. It is proposed that certain events in such cases subvert the normal regulatory processes that control the class of immunity induced. In these cases, the parasite-infected cells, bearing a low representation of parasite antigens, induce antibody even though they are not susceptible to antibody-dependent effector mechanisms, and so they are not eliminated. In this case, chronic infection and uncontrolled growth of the parasite occurs, often with fatal consequences."}
{"id": "PMID:1478702", "title": "Dietary supplementation with fish oil enhances in vivo synthesis of tumor necrosis factor.", "content": "Studies reported here investigate the influence of dietary fat types on cytokine production in response to endotoxin (LPS) challenge. Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) serum levels were markedly higher (by 10-fold) in mice fed chronically a diet rich in fish oil rather than either a diet rich in corn or coconut oil or a low fat diet. This in vivo hyper-responsiveness in LPS-induced TNF production following fish oil consumption concorded with similar exaggerated in vitro TNF release from macrophages exposed to LPS. These data suggest that high consumption of fish oils, by virtue of their high content of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, can lead to an exaggerated production of mediators of inflammation with potentially adverse consequences on the outcome and severity of infectious diseases."}
{"id": "PMID:1478703", "title": "Mycoplasma fermentans (incognitus strain) induces TNF alpha and IL-1 production by human monocytes and murine macrophages.", "content": "We have demonstrated that Mycoplasma fermentans (incognitus strain), as well as M. fermentans KL4, PG 18 and IM 1 strains have the ability to activate human peripheral blood monocytes and murine macrophages of two inbred strains to secrete a high level of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha) in a dose-dependent manner. Secretion of interleukin-1 (IL-1) was also stimulated following the incubation of human monocytes with the organism. We suggest that cytokine secretion following infection with M. fermentans (incognitus strain) that was detected in AIDS patients may contribute to the pathological manifestations, including cachexia, in this disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1478704", "title": "Novel monoclonal antibodies to double stranded DNA that require Ca2+ or Mg2+ for their binding.", "content": "Murine monoclonal antibody (MoAb) 2B5 (IgG2aK) was obtained by its binding on a solid phase to double-stranded (ds) DNA from one of the mutant CBA/K1(CBA/K1Jms-1prcg/1prcg) mice which were recently found, in our institute, to develop lymphadenopathy associated with the production of anti-double-stranded (ds) antibodies. MoAb 2B5 was highly specific for dsDNA, as shown by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The dsDNA binding of 2B5 was decreased dose-dependently by the chelating agent EDTA, being lost completely with 2.5-5.0 mM EDTA, whereas dsDNA on the solid phase remained intact after incubation with EDTA. Addition of Ca2+ or Mg2+ to antibody in culture supernatant that had lost dsDNA binding activity by dialysis against Ca2+ and Mg(2+)-free buffer restored its binding with dsDNA to the original level, indicating that MoAb 2B5 requires Ca2+ or Mg2+ for its binding with dsDNA. It is unknown whether MoAb 2B5 recognizes new conformational epitopes created in the presence of Ca2+ or Mg2+, but this MoAb should be useful in studies on the modes of interaction of DNA with antibodies and DNA-binding proteins."}
{"id": "PMID:1478705", "title": "1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3-mediated suppression of T lymphocyte functions and failure of T cell-activating cytokines to restore proliferation.", "content": "1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25-(OH)2D3) has been shown to be a potent inhibitor of lymphocyte proliferation in vitro. The present study was undertaken to determine if this is caused by a direct effect on the lymphocytes, and to evaluate to what degree this suppression may be restored by the addition of cytokines. 1,25-(OH)2D3, > or = 10(-10) M, significantly inhibited the proliferation of pokeweed mitogen (PWM)-driven human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (MNC). Depletion of monocytes did not alter the response to 1,25-(OH)2D3. The antiproliferative effect was preceded by decreased production of interleukin (IL)-1 alpha and lymphotoxin (LT), both of which are crucially involved in T cell activation. However, the suppressive effect of 1,25-(OH)2D3, seen in MNC cultures stimulated with PWM alone, was of the same magnitude as the effect seen in MNC cultures stimulated with a combination of PWM and recombinant (r)IL-1 alpha, rIL-6, recombinant tumour necrosis factor (rTNF) alpha, rIL-2 or rLT, as well as PWM plus conditioned medium. Although pretreatment of monocytes for 2 h with 1,25-(OH)2D3 caused significant reduction in the release of IL-1 alpha and TNF alpha, reconstitution of monocyte-depleted cultures with similarly treated monocytes had no inhibitory effect on the proliferative response. In conclusion, even though it cannot be excluded that a low but critical number of monocytes are essential for the suppressive effect of 1,25-(OH)2D3-mediated inhibition of MNC proliferation, the inhibition is most likely the result of a direct effect on the lymphocytes and independent of monocytes and exogenously added cytokines.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1478706", "title": "Molecular mimicry by major histocompatibility complex molecules and peptides accounts for some alloresponses.", "content": "One explanation offered for the uniquely high precursor frequencies of T cells which recognize allogeneic major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules, and their lack of self-MHC restriction, is that the alloreactive cells are polyclonal populations the primary specificity of which is self-MHC plus peptide X1, X2, ... Xn. These are postulated to cross-react with allo-MHC plus peptides Y1, Y2, ... Yn. It has been further suggested that the structural basis for the crossreactivity between different MHC alleles is the similarity in amino acid sequence of that part of the molecule predicted to make contact with the T cell receptor (TcR). In order to test this concept, T cells were obtained with dual specificity for influenza haemagglutinin (HA), restricted by HLA-DR1Dw1, and for DR4Dw4/Dw14 expressed on allogeneic human B cell lines, and the specificity of one clone was studied in detail. The exposed, TcR-contacting surfaces of these two DR molecules are predicted to be identical. Although the HA-specific response was stimulated by DR1-expressing mouse DAP.3 transfectants, DAP.3 cells expressing the alloantigen DR4Dw4 were unable to stimulate, possibly because of a failure to present the necessary human peptide for anti-DR4 allorecognition. Therefore, the effects of pulsing the DR4Dw4-expressing DAP.3 cells with the HA peptide were examined. This peptide is known to bind to both DR1 and DR4. Addition of the HA peptide restored the anti-DR4Dw4 response. These data support the concept that allorecognition in some responder/stimulator combinations can be explained by cross-reactivity at the level of the MHC molecule and the peptide."}
{"id": "PMID:1478707", "title": "Effect of tuftsin and its retro-inverso analogue on the release of interferon (IFN-gamma) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF-alpha) by human leucocytes.", "content": "The aim of this work was to demonstrate whether natural tuftsin or a retro-inverso (r.i.) analogue may induce interferon (IFN) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) in peripheral-blood-mononuclear-cells (PBMC). For this purpose tuftsin or its analogue were added at different molar concentrations to PBMC and the supernatants were tested for IFN and TNF activity. Both cytokines were released after 12 hours incubation with r.i. tuftsin at an optimum concentration of 10(-10) M. Under the same conditions no activity was observed in the presence of natural tuftsin. In comparison to natural tuftsin the stimulatory activity of this tuftsin analogue is likely to be due to its high stability."}
{"id": "PMID:1478708", "title": "T-cell immunodeficiency induced by T-cell mitogens combined with cyclophosphamide injection.", "content": "In the murine system in vivo administration of several T-cell mitogens (LcA, Con A, anti-Thy 1.2 mAb) followed by cyclophosphamide (CP) inhibited the functional activity of T-cell subsets (Th1, Th2, Ts) but not that of B cells. T-cell counts in the spleen of treated mice proved to be significantly decreased. Conversely, T mitogens or CP alone produced a negligible effect if any. Adoptively transferred thymocytes from intact donors restored T-dependent splenocyte responses in experimental mice. In addition, it did not suppress the normal response to sheep red blood cells (SRBC). Our results indicated that the acquired immune deficiency under study is caused by polyclonal elimination (deletion) of mitogen-stimulated T cells, and could be regarded as a model of CP-induced tolerance."}
{"id": "PMID:1478709", "title": "Immunosenescence of human NK cells: effects on tumor target recognition, lethal hit and interferon sensitivity.", "content": "Previous results from this laboratory have shown the preservation of non-MHC-restricted, constitutive oncolytic activity of human peripheral blood NK cells in the elderly as assessed by the chromium release assay which quantitates the lytic endpoint at the cell population level. We have now addressed this senescence-related change at single-cell level using 101 blood samples. Both the efficiency of the initial tumor target binding step i.e., recognition of K562, the NK-sensitive erythroleukemia cell line, as well as the ability of NK cells to deliver lethal hit are highly conserved during healthy aging. In fact, the elderly exhibit a statistically significant, moderately higher frequency of active killers among circulating lymphocytes. Analyzed in another way, a majority of \"high NK responders\" were found to be older donors, while none in the \"low NK responders\" group were > 70 years old. Gamma interferon, a gene product as well as an autocrine activator of NK cells, is effective in converting non-lytic \"pre-NK\" cells to active killers at single-cell level. This in vitro cytokine sensitivity of NK cells is unaltered during immune senescence. The intactness of the NK cell's capacity to be modulated may be vital in both tumor resistance and host viral defenses of aged humans."}
{"id": "PMID:1478710", "title": "Differential cell behaviour on polylysine and gelatin in primary culture of mouse mammary adenocarcinoma.", "content": "Cells dissociated from spontaneous and transplanted tumours of C3HJax mammary gland have been cultured on polylysine and gelatin substrates. The isolated cells proliferated to form monolayers with high degree of organoid structure as indicated by formation of alveolar cavities. Differences were observed in the cell attachment, growth pattern, number and size of alveolar cavities, cells which lined the cavity and cell morphology on polylysine and gelatin substrates as compared to conventional cell culture plastic surface. On polylysine more than 90% cells attached rapidly, within 15-45 min after plating, with or without serum and formed confluent monolayers marked by presence of large and small alveolar cavities. Multiple interacting cell types took part in organization of the cavity. Cells lining the cavity constantly proliferated and rearranged to expand it. On gelatin, 60-70% cells attached over a period of 6-24 hr in presence of serum and formed confluent monolayers dominated by small alveolar cavities. Cells forming the cavities were epithelial in nature and cavities once formed did not increase in size. Upon subculture, the cell morphology on these substrates was strikingly different. On polylysine, the predominant cell type had numerous irregular microvilli whereas on gelatin, cells had smoother boundaries with a few stunted cytoplasmic extensions. The cell attachment on conventional surface was low, 40-50%. When seeded at high cell density, formation of alveolar cavities was suppressed and at low cell density, cultures were marked by contact inhibition of cells and failure to attain confluence. These results suggest differential behaviour and interaction of mammary tumour epithelium with the substrates used."}
{"id": "PMID:1478711", "title": "Sex determination in sheep and goats using bovine Y-chromosome specific primers via polymerase chain reaction: potential for embryo sexing.", "content": "A simple and novel method, using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has been standardized for accurate sex determination in sheep and goats. The assay utilizes a pair of bovine Y-chromosome specific primers and the genomic DNA isolated from blood samples of adult male and female sheep and goats. The primers recognize and amplify the Y-chromosome specific sequences in male goats and sheep. The assay is accurate, reliable and rapid."}
{"id": "PMID:1478712", "title": "Regulation of estrous cycle in hysterectomized albino rats by activation of follicular development.", "content": "Wistar strain albino rats were hysterectomized and the estrous cycle was compared with sham operated controls. Duration of estrous cycle in hysterectomized rats increased markedly with significant delay in the luteal phase and this was correlated to the inhibited follicular development of ovary. When these rats were treated with PGF2 alpha and PMSG and subjected to physical exercises, the estrous cycle was synchronised and the ovaries of such animals had active follicular development. Thus the deranged operation of sexual cycle in hysterectomized rats was regulated through physical exercises."}
{"id": "PMID:1478713", "title": "Effect of unilateral ovariectomy and subsequent ovum implantation in mice.", "content": "Unilateral ovariectomy (ULO) was done on any stage of the cycle and the animals were mated within day 1 to day 21 to observe the acute and long term effect of ULO on ovum implantation. Implantation reduced in proportion to single ovary if the animals were mated within 24 hr of ULO. Increase in ovarian weight along with an increase in implantation number continued in mated mice and reached at peak on day 19-21 of ULO (sacrificed after 6 days i.e., 25-27 days of ULO). After ULO the remaining ovary compensated within day 5-6 of ULO even during pregnancy. Ovarian histology showed stimulation of small antral follicles in mice mated on day 3 of ULO (sacrificed after 6 days i.e., day 9 of ULO) along with a decrease of large antral follicles and pre-antral follicles. Preantral follicles were at peak on day 12-14. Large antral follicles attained a peak on day 4 which slowly decreased. The occurrence of implantation in such ULO conditions are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1478714", "title": "Protection to glycolysis by a combination of 5-hydroxy-L-tryptophan and 2-aminoethylisothiuronium bromide hydrobromide in lethally irradiated rats.", "content": "Rate of glycolysis in vivo at different time intervals following 8 Gy [LD100(30)] whole body gamma radiation (WBGR) was evaluated by estimating liver glycogen, blood sugar, serum lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) and blood lactic acid concentration in adult male Sprague Dawley rats. Within 1 hr of radiation exposure, a significant fall in liver glycogen was observed in rats fed food and water ad libitum. The glycogen content increased after 24 hr and had returned to control level on 7th day after radiation exposure. Blood sugar, serum LDH and blood lactate levels increased significantly as compared to non irradiated controls. Pretreatment with 5-hydroxy-L-tryptophan (5-HTP; 100 mg/kg) + 2-aminoethylisothiuronium bromide hydrobromide (AET; 20 mg/kg) ip 30 min before 8 Gy WBGR, modified these values and restored them to normal level on 7th day post-irradiation."}
{"id": "PMID:1478715", "title": "Analgesic and hypnosis potentiation effect of some 1-(2-benzothiazolyl)-1-aryl-3-phenyl-4-aryl guanidines.", "content": "1-(2-benzothiazolyl)-1-aryl-3-phenyl-4-arylguanidines (I-X) were prepared by oxidation of 1,3-diarylthioureas. The compounds were screened for their analgesic and hypnotic activities in rats. Of these, p-methyl group substituted compound of the series was the most potent analgesic as compared to other compounds of the series. In hypnotic test all the compounds potentiated pentobarbitone-induced hypnosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1478716", "title": "Pathogenesis of age dependent paralysis by a temperature sensitive mutant (tsl) of Moloney murine leukemia virus-TB.", "content": "The tsl mutant of Moloney murine leukemia virus-TB produces neurological disease leading to fatal hind limb paralysis when inoculated in newborn BALB/c mice. The present study was under taken to assess the role of T and B lymphocytes in age dependent resistance to tsl induced paralysis in BALB/c mice. The adoptive transfer of non-immune splenic unseparated lymphoid cells, T cells and B cells and tsl immune B cells and T cells to newborn BALB/c mice infected with tsl did not prevent the development of paralysis. However, adoptive transfer of immune splenic unseparated lymphoid cells and immune T cells delayed the onset of paralysis by 5 to 10 days as compared to the mice which did not receive the immune lymphocytes. Athymic BALB/c nude mice inoculated with tsl at days 1 and 10 after birth failed to develop the paralytic disease. Transfer of tsl neutralising antibody also delayed the onset of paralysis. Mice (10 days old) treated with cyclophosphamide, cyclosporine A, cortisone acetate and anti-T cell serum when inoculated with tsl also did not develop neurological disease. The results suggest that age related resistance to neurological disease may not be associated with B cell mediated immunity."}
{"id": "PMID:1478717", "title": "Delayed effects of acute oral and chronic inhalational exposure to methylparathion on learning and memory in rats.", "content": "Impairment of acquisition phase of the learning process was observed in rats even at 3 weeks after single oral exposure to the near-lethal dose of commercial grade methylparathion (MP) followed by atropine resuscitation. Though there was a trend towards memory impairment in this group of animals, memory retention was not significantly affected. Chronic inhalational exposure to MP (one exposure/day for 3 weeks) did not significantly alter learning or memory. No significant alteration in red blood cell or brain acetylcholinesterase levels were observed in either of the two groups. It appears that behavioural effects can persist even 3 weeks after exposure to acute near-lethal doses of the pesticide, as occurs in the clinical situation of suicidal attempts; while repeated exposure to no-observed-effect-level doses as occurs in farm and factory workers, may not be associated with behavioural changes."}
{"id": "PMID:1478718", "title": "Gas chromatographic detection of anaerobic bacteria from environment.", "content": "A rapid method of detection of anaerobic bacteria in environment using gas chromatograph is described. Metabolically produced volatile and non-volatile fatty acid by the anaerobic bacteria are detected gas-chromatographically. Using this technique anaerobic bacteria are detected from soil, air, laboratory and operation theatre environments and drinking water samples. In the polluted drinking water apart from drug resistant E. coli, Clostridium difficile is isolated indicating faecal pollution of drinking water from cases of antibiotic associated pseudomembraneous colitis. The method has great significance in detection of anaerobic bacteria in environment especially in the management of war wounds."}
{"id": "PMID:1478719", "title": "Remote sensing system to study rodent behaviour.", "content": "The instrumental system assembled consists of video monitors which projects signals from remotely placed video camera in the rat pen with pan and tilt arrangement and all operations are done through control-room. Signals obtained from the camera will pass through the monitor and then fed into VCR system which records the behavioural events. Studies carried out with the above system has revealed that all the characteristic behaviour of gerbils (Meriones hurricane Jerdon) which is significantly superior (P < 0.001) over the direct observation method. The integrated sensing system is an ideal instrumental set up for viewing and recording the behaviour of rodents as well as other animals in the experimental pen throughout the year under varying weather and light conditions."}
{"id": "PMID:1478720", "title": "Insecticide interaction with carrier and neuroproteins.", "content": "Binding of alpha-, beta-, gamma-hexachlorocyclohexane, p,p'-DDT and p,p'-DDE with bovine serum albumin (BSA) and locust brain homogenate was studied. Binding affinities of pesticides were higher for the locust brain homogenates than for BSA. Results of uptake by isolated locust brain revealed higher uptake of gamma-HCH than alpha-HCH. gamma-HCH uptake was also higher from locust haemolymph than either from BSA or from buffer."}
{"id": "PMID:1478721", "title": "Acetylhomocysteine thiolactone protection against phosphamidon-induced alteration of regional superoxide dismutase activity in the central nervous system and its correlation with altered lipid peroxidation.", "content": "Phosphamidon intoxication (2 mg/kg body wt./day for 7 days) inhibited SOD activity, but enhanced the lipid peroxidation in various CNS regions. Administration of cithiolone (8 mg/kg body wt./day, ip for 7 days), however, elevated SOD activity and depleted lipid peroxidation. Interestingly, no significant change was observed either in SOD activity or in lipid peroxidation following simultaneous administration of phosphamidon and cithiolone."}
{"id": "PMID:1478722", "title": "HIV-2 antibodies in serum samples from Maharashtra state.", "content": "Two hundred serum samples were tested to detect the presence of HIV-2 infection in Maharashtra state. The serum samples were derived from various groups including those with high risk behaviour for HIV infection. All samples were tested by three combined HIV-1 and HIV-2 ELISA kits. The reactivity was confirmed by LiaTek HIV 1+2 immunoblot. The study confirmed that HIV-2 infection exists in Maharashtra, as 14 samples showed antibodies to HIV-2 and 14 showed antibodies to both HIV-1 and HIV-2. Antibodies to HIV-2 or HIV-1 and HIV-2 were detected mainly in persons with high risk behaviour."}
{"id": "PMID:1478723", "title": "Characterisation of non-01 Vibrio cholera isolated from stools of diarrhoeal patients.", "content": "A characterisation of the biochemical and physiological properties of 30 strains of non 01 V. cholerae isolated from faecal samples, was undertaken. The strains consistently expressed a large number of characters that define them to be closer to the El Tor biotype than their classical counterparts. They did not show much heterogeneity in their cultural and biochemical properties. The strains were strongly haemolysing (100%), haemagglutinating (96%) and also salt-tolerant, thereby acquiring a unique taxonomic status."}
{"id": "PMID:1478724", "title": "Diagnostic accuracy of IgM antibody detection in typhoid by a modification in Widal test.", "content": "Specific IgM antibodies were detected indirectly in sera of patients of typhoid by observing fourfold or more fall in the agglutinin titres after treatment of the serum with 2-mercaptoethanol (2-ME) for removal of IgM antibodies. Significant fall in titres was observed in 94 per cent patients of bacteriologically confirmed typhoid and 67 per cent patients in whom a diagnosis of typhoid was based only on a significant Widal test result. Patients of non-typhoid febrile illnesses showed either no fall or an insignificant fall in their titres. The detection of specific IgM antibodies by this simple modification of Widal test thus seems to enhance the sensitivity and specificity of the test."}
{"id": "PMID:1478725", "title": "Auxotyping of Neisseria gonorrhoeae as an additional epidemiological marker.", "content": "Auxotypes and penicillin sensitivity of 102 strains of N. gonorrhoeae were studied. Ten distinct auxotypes on the basis of growth requirement to seven amino acids were observed. The commonest pattern seen was zero auxotype (33.3%), followed by auxotype requiring proline (18.6%). MIC of 72 (71.5%) strains ranged from < 0.003 IU/ml to 0.062 IU/ml of benzyl penicillin. MIC of the other 30 (29.5%) strains was found to be > or = 0.125 IU/ml, indicating penicillin resistance. None of the strains were penicillinase producers. A case of reinfection was also detected on the basis of change in auxotype pattern."}
{"id": "PMID:1478726", "title": "Occurrence of multiple antimicrobial resistance among Haemophilus influenzae type b causing meningitis.", "content": "Among the 157 children with culture proven pyogenic meningitis who were admitted during 1987-1991, in the Department of Child Health at the Christian Medical College and Hospital, Vellore, 40 had H. influenzae type b (HIB) meningitis; 17 of these had multiantimicrobial resistant HIB (MRHIB) and 23 others had usual susceptibility HIB (USHIB) meningitis. The two groups were compared. Children with MRHIB meningitis who received optimal treatment with cefotaxime had excellent recovery. When cefotaxime therapy was delayed, mortality was noted in all except one child who survived with severe neurological sequelae. MRHIB meningitis treated with drugs other than cefotaxime had 100 per cent mortality. Cefotaxime is therefore recommended in children below 3 yr of age presenting with purulent meningitis, as MRHIB is a possible causative agent in this group."}
{"id": "PMID:1478727", "title": "Role of bacterial flora in the pathogenesis & management of atopic dermatitis.", "content": "The carriage state of Staphylococcus aureus and its role in the pathogenesis and management of atopic dermatitis were evaluated in 50 patients, aged 3 months to 12 yr. An equal number of age and sex matched controls were also studied. The positivity of Staph.aureus in patients with atopic dermatitis was 50 per cent from eczematous skin, 34 per cent from anterior nares and 26 per cent from normal skin. In controls, the comparative figures were 14 per cent from anterior nares and 10 per cent from normal skin. After institution of oral erythromycin or cloxacillin therapy (according to sensitivity), the colony counts dropped to 18 per cent from eczematous skin, 14 per cent from anterior nares and 8 per cent from normal skin after one week and to zero after 3 wk. This was associated with significant clinical improvement. The results of this study suggest that Staph. aureus aggravates the eczematous process in patients with atopic dermatitis and antibiotics decrease the severity and are useful in long term prognosis of the disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1478728", "title": "Anopheline fauna of parts of Tirap district, Arunachal Pradesh with reference to malaria transmission.", "content": "In a survey on the anopheline fauna in highly malaria endemic areas of the Tirap district of Arunachal Pradesh, 7476 anophelines belonging to 17 species were collected, including seven species of anophelines which are recognized malaria vectors in India. Anopheles tessellatus and A. jamesii were recorded for the first time in this area. The parasitological survey revealed that the area was endemic for malaria particularly P. falciparum, the slide positivity rate and slide falciparum rate being 25.63 and 19.21 per cent respectively. On dissection of 10 anopheles species, malarial infection was detected in two viz., A. minimus and A. dirus."}
{"id": "PMID:1478729", "title": "Estradiol promotes cell shape changes and glial fibrillary acidic protein redistribution in hypothalamic astrocytes in vitro: a neuronal-mediated effect.", "content": "We have previously shown that in hypothalamic mixed neuronal-glial cultures both astrocytic shape and distribution of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) are modified by estradiol. In the present study, we have investigated whether or not the presence of neurons is necessary for these hormonal effects. In mixed neuronal-glial hypothalamic cultures the proportion of process-bearing GFAP-immunoreactive cells was significantly increased after treatment for 30 min with 10(-12) M 17 beta estradiol. This effect was present for at least 1 day and was reverted by incubating the cells in estradiol-free medium. Estradiol incubation resulted in a progressive differentiation of GFAP-immunoreactive cells from a flattened epithelioid morphology to bipolar, radial, and stellate shapes. This effect was not observed in pure hypothalamic glial cultures. Furthermore, incubation of hypothalamic glial cells with medium conditioned by estradiol-treated mixed hypothalamic cultures did not affect the shape of GFAP-immunoreactive astrocytes. In contrast, addition of hypothalamic neurons, but not cerebellar neurons or fibroblasts, to established hypothalamic glial cultures affected the development of estradiol sensitivity in astrocytes. These results indicate that estradiol induction of shape changes in hypothalamic astrocytes is not only dependent on the presence of hypothalamic neurons, but that physical contact between astrocytes and neurons is necessary for the manifestation of the effect of this hormone."}
{"id": "PMID:1478730", "title": "Interleukin-1 beta regulates proenkephalin gene expression in astrocytes cultured from rat cortex.", "content": "Glial cells execute essential functions in central nervous system (CNS) development and are also believed to play important roles during gliosis in response to trauma or disease. These developmental and pathological states have also been associated with elevated expression of opioid genes. Because levels of the cytokine interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta) increase following CNS lesions, we examined the possible influence of IL-1 beta on the expression of opioid genes in astrocytes cultured from rat cortex. Proenkephalin mRNA expression was stimulated by IL-1 beta in a time- and concentration-dependent manner, being maximal with 5 U/ml IL-1 beta at 4 h. Although the beta-adrenergic agonist isoproterenol was also active, interferon, glutamate, and carbachol were not. Unlike isoproterenol, the actions of IL-1 beta were not associated with a cyclic adenosine monophosphate (AMP)-dependent pathway. Interleukin-1 beta also regulated a proenkephalin-chloramphenicol acetyltransferase fusion gene transiently transfected into astrocytes, with a dose-response similar to that active in proenkephalin mRNA. These effects of IL-1 beta were region-specific, not being observed with either cerebellar or hippocampal astrocytes; however, isoproterenol was active in the latter cell populations. Proenkephalin mRNA in cortical astrocytes was stimulated following a temperature stress. These results suggest that enhanced proenkephalin gene expression in astrocytes by IL-1 beta may be important in neuroimmune interactions and in trauma-induced CNS injury or stress."}
{"id": "PMID:1478731", "title": "The glial framework of central white matter tracts: segmented rows of contiguous interfascicular oligodendrocytes and solitary astrocytes give rise to a continuous meshwork of transverse and longitudinal processes in the adult rat fimbria.", "content": "The cellular skeleton of the adult rat fimbria consists of regularly spaced interfascicular glial rows of considerable length, running in the longitudinal (axonal) axis of the tract. Each row consists of a series of repeated segments made up of a stretch of interfascicular oligodendrocytes lying in direct contact with each other, and separated from the adjacent segments by usually solitary interfascicular astrocytes. A typical segment would be around 60 microns long, and have an axial core of about eight contiguous oligodendrocytes surrounded by a shell of about 1,200 axons, 70% of which are myelinated. In the transverse plane of the tract, adjacent segments are stacked together with a core-to-core distance of around 15 microns. The interfascicular oligodendrocytes have radial stem processes (in a plane transverse to the axonal axis) which give rise to the longitudinal myelinating (internodal) processes. Both transverse and longitudinal oligodendrocytic processes are longer than the dimensions of the segment (in which their cell bodies lie) and its axonal shell. They thus cooperate in myelinating axons of adjacent segments in both planes. The interfascicular astrocytes have three distinct types of processes: radial, longitudinal, and vascular (bearing end feet). The radial astrocytic processes are thick and tapering, and the processes of individual astrocytes extend transversely (in the plane of the original embryonic radial glial processes) for a total of at least 100 microns. The considerably more numerous longitudinal astrocytic processes arise from all parts of the cell bodies and radial processes. They are up to at least 30 microns long, thin, untapering, and largely unbranched, and are interdigitated among the fimbrial axons. In the radial plane, the astrocytic radial processes spread out through a wide swathe of adjacent segments, so that the integrated meshwork of interpenetrating longitudinal processes arising from overlapping radial processes of astrocytes from many different interfascicular rows provides a continuous longitudinal substrate for the fimbrial axons."}
{"id": "PMID:1478732", "title": "Purification and characterization of an astrocyte GABA-carrier inducing protein (GABA-CIP) released from cerebellar granule cells in culture.", "content": "A glycoprotein that induces gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) carriers in cultured cerebellar astrocytes was isolated and purified from conditioned media from cultured cerebellar granule cells by anion exchange chromatography, affinity chromatography, and gel filtration. Following gel filtration three fractions corresponding to M(r) 30,000, 60,000, and 240,000 exhibited GABA carrier inducing activity. SDS-PAGE of the M(r) 30,000 fraction revealed under non-reducing conditions three bands corresponding to M(r) 30,000, 60,000, and 120,000. Under reducing conditions only the band corresponding to an M(r) of 30,000 was visible. An identical N-terminal amino acid sequence and amino acid composition was found in the M(r) 30,000 and the M(r) 60,000 fraction from the gel filtration. These results suggest that the protein polymerizes into di- and tetramers. Computer base analysis of the N-terminal amino acid sequence revealed no obvious homology with previously reported N-terminal amino acid sequences. Application of the glycoprotein to cerebellar astrocytes led time and dose dependently to an increased GABA uptake. The effect became maximal after 24 h exposure of the cells. Kinetic analysis of the GABA uptake showed that exposure of the astrocytes to the glycoprotein led to an increase in Vmax for GABA uptake without affecting Km, suggesting an increase in the number of GABA carrier molecules. Addition of actinomycin D together with the glycoprotein abolished this effect suggesting that the glycoprotein acts by stimulating de novo synthesis of GABA carriers. Hence, the newly purified protein secreted from neurons is named GABA-carrier inducing protein (GABA-CIP)."}
{"id": "PMID:1478733", "title": "Gastrointestinal motility in pregnancy.", "content": "The gallbladder and gut should be viewed as hormonally responsive organs the normal physiology of which may be altered by the hormones of pregnancy. The gallbladder enlarges and empties sluggishly in response to meals during pregnancy. Small bowel transit is slowed, and the resting pressure of the lower esophageal sphincter is reduced. All these effects are reversed by delivery; motility reverts toward normal in the postpartum period. The rapid return of normal motility suggests that the effects of pregnancy are hormonally related. Most studies have demonstrated that progesterone, not estrogen, may be the hormone responsible. Although incompletely defined, one mechanism of the effects of pregnancy on motility may be progesterone-induced inhibition of the mobilization of intracellular calcium within smooth muscle cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1478734", "title": "Gastroesophageal reflux disease in pregnancy.", "content": "Heartburn during pregnancy occurs in approximately two thirds of all pregnancies. The origin is multifactorial, but the predominant factor is a decrease in LES pressure resulting from female sex hormones, especially progesterone. Mechanical factors play a small role. Serious reflux complications during pregnancy are rare outside the obstetric setting. Therapy involves lifestyle modifications and nonsystemic medications as the initial choices. H2 blockers are probably safe in severe and refractory cases."}
{"id": "PMID:1478735", "title": "Diagnosis and management of irritable bowel syndrome, constipation, and diarrhea in pregnancy.", "content": "Irritable bowel syndrome, constipation, and diarrhea may complicate a pregnancy. Complaints of IBS and constipation may be managed by nonpharmaceutical methods. A careful history should be conducted to determine whether these complaints are of an acute or a long-standing nature. Conservative treatment of IBS is recommended and may include stool-bulking agents, a high-fiber diet, elimination of offensive foods, and the behavioral treatment of passive muscle relaxation, biofeedback or supportive psychotherapy. Constipation is generally self-limiting. It also may be treated conservatively with stool-bulking agents, increases in dietary fiber, and the addition of pelvic muscle exercises, preferably using electromyographic biofeedback. Laxatives should be used judiciously (Table 1). Diarrhea is caused most often by infectious agents in pregnancy but may also be from food poisoning or a viral disease. Infectious diarrhea may be treated by mild antidiarrheal agents and safe antibiotics. Fluid replacement is the mainstay of treatment, and care should be taken, remembering that the treatment involves two patients. These complaints can generally be managed conservatively, but persistent cases should be investigated as in a nonpregnant patient."}
{"id": "PMID:1478736", "title": "Gallstone disease and pancreatitis in pregnancy.", "content": "Controversy exists over whether pregnancy is a risk factor for gallstone formation; however, changes in hepatobiliary function do occur during pregnancy to create a lithogenic environment; these changes include gallbladder stasis and secretion of bile with increased amounts of cholesterol and decreased amounts of chenodeoxycholic acid. In women with existing gallstones, pregnancy may bring out symptoms, including pain and even acute cholecystitis. This may be more common during the postpartum period than during pregnancy itself; however, the overall occurrence of symptomatic biliary disease in association with pregnancy is low. The effects of pregnancy, if any, on pancreatic exocrine function are undefined. Acute pancreatitis can occur during pregnancy but does not appear to do so with either increased or, alternatively, decreased frequency. The concept of pancreatitis caused by pregnancy per se is not valid, although in susceptible women with lipid disorders, hypertriglyceridemia can occur and serve as an etiologic factor. Gallstones are a common cause of pancreatitis, but in contrast to nonpregnant women, alcohol is unusual as a cause. Although the presentation of both acute cholecystitis and acute pancreatitis may be similar to that in the nonpregnant state, the differential diagnosis of both these disorders is expanded because of unique pregnancy-related conditions and the shift of abdominal viscera by the enlarging uterus. The diagnosis is clinical and supported with conventional laboratory studies and ultrasound; management is supportive and in most patients successful. Cholecystectomy is seldom necessary during pregnancy, either for acute cholecystitis or gallstone pancreatitis, but can be safely performed if necessary after the first trimester. Endoscopic papillotomy and stone removal for choledocholithiasis are possible during pregnancy and may be the treatment of choice for this unusual condition. Specific enteral or parenteral nutrition may be necessary in women with pancreatitis associated with hypertriglyceridemia."}
{"id": "PMID:1478737", "title": "Peptic ulcer disease in pregnancy.", "content": "In general, peptic ulcer disease during pregnancy is relatively rare. Certainly, gastroesophageal reflux symptomatology and hyperemesis gravidarum are the primary pregnancy-associated upper gastrointestinal tract illnesses. The symptoms of dyspepsia accompanies all three diagnoses and makes it difficult to determine whether peptic ulcer is playing a role in the patient's symptomatology. Patients with a previous history of complicated peptic ulcer diatheses should be suspected of having recurrent ulcer disease and treated accordingly. Endoscopy is not to be feared if needed to confirm a diagnosis of peptic ulcer disease or to aid in the diagnosis of the patient with upper gastrointestinal tract hemorrhage. There is thought to be some improvement in peptic ulcer disease with pregnancy, which may be secondary to lower gastric acid output and increased protective mucus production associated with elevated progesterone levels. This may afford some level of protection against this disease process in pregnant women. Patients who are smokers and have a previous history of peptic ulcer disease are at highest risk for ulcer disease during pregnancy. Multiple agents have been found to be relatively safe and effective for ulcer healing, with H2 antagonists the mainstay of therapy during pregnancy."}
{"id": "PMID:1478738", "title": "Inflammatory bowel disease in pregnancy.", "content": "This article provides the current state of knowledge on the interrelations between ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease and pregnancy and its multiple concerns, including inheriting inflammatory bowel disease, fertility, influence of inflammatory bowel disease activity on pregnancy and vice versa, the safety of drug therapy, and risk factors. The author provides some conclusions and his recommendations."}
{"id": "PMID:1478739", "title": "Hyperemesis gravidarum.", "content": "Hyperemesis gravidarum is a poorly understood disorder and one for which many physicians have little sympathy, perhaps because we find it difficult to understand its pathogenesis and to treat. It may be associated with dysfunction in a variety of organs, including the thyroid and liver. Many theories, prominently including psychological or behavioral abnormalities, have been proposed to explicate this syndrome. On examination, however, no single theory seems to provide an adequate explanation for hyperemesis gravidarum. Treatment for hyperemesis gravidarum includes fluid and electrolyte supplementation, nutritional support, and total parenteral nutrition, as well as psychological and behavioral therapies and, in selected cases, pharmacotherapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1478740", "title": "The syndrome of preeclampsia.", "content": "Preeclampsia has traditionally been viewed as one of several forms of hypertension complicating pregnancy. More recently, the multisystem nature of this unique gestational disorder has been emphasized. Pathophysiologic events, including abnormal placentation and heightened vascular reactivity, may occur weeks or months prior to clinical recognition of the disease. Although most frequently presenting as hypertension and proteinuria, hepatic (abdominal pain and elevation of transaminases) and hematologic (intravascular hemolysis and thrombocytopenia) involvement may be important features of the disease. Current theories suggest that multiorgan dysfunction may be caused by widespread vascular endothelial dysfunction, vasospasm, and variable activation of coagulation mechanisms. Pending delivery, which is the only definitive therapy for preeclampsia, maternal complications of intracerebral hemorrhage and eclampsia may be prevented with judicious use of antihypertensive medication (e.g., hydralazine) and magnesium sulfate, respectively. Finally, data from a number of small trials suggest that low-dose aspirin (60-100 mg/d) may reduce the incidence of preeclampsia in patients at high risk without adversely affecting the fetus or newborn; however, it is recommended that aspirin not be used as a routine prophylactic intervention until publication of results of several ongoing large multicenter trials, which will help to more fully clarify the benefits and risks of this approach."}
{"id": "PMID:1478741", "title": "Viral hepatitis, A though E, complicating pregnancy.", "content": "Jaundice during pregnancy may be the result either of disease uniquely associated with the pregnant state or disease totally unrelated to the pregnancy. In the United States, the most common cause of jaundice in pregnant women is viral hepatitis. With the exception of hepatitis E virus infection, the clinical course and histologic findings do not differ between pregnant and nonpregnant patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1478742", "title": "Pregnancy in patients with chronic liver disease.", "content": "The pregnant patient with established chronic liver disease presents a unique situation in medicine. Although neither the pregnancy nor the liver disease is likely to specifically worsen the other, the combination can result in fatal complications for mother and infant. Fertility is decreased in patients with advanced liver disease and may provide a degree of protection for many patients who would be at increased risk should they become pregnant; however, pregnancy may occur even with advanced liver disease, and it is necessary to anticipate and plan for possible complications of the specific hepatic disease encountered. Counseling prior to pregnancy is the best policy, with consideration to transplantation prior to childbearing or to sterilization if it is more appropriate. Most problems associated with advanced liver disease are managed as in the nonpregnant patient; however, variceal bleeding may be a particularly difficult problem, and management here may necessitate portacaval shunt surgery."}
{"id": "PMID:1478743", "title": "The spectrum of liver and gastrointestinal disease seen in cholestasis of pregnancy.", "content": "A mild form of intrahepatic cholestasis is an infrequent complication of pregnancy, with a spontaneous cure almost immediately after delivery and that often recurs in future pregnancies. Pruritus alters maternal well-being, and a subclinical steatorrhea may impair the patient's nutritional status; otherwise, it is a mild disease in the mother, and no maternal mortality has been attributed to it. In contrast, cholestasis of pregnancy is often identified as a risk of increased perinatal morbidity and mortality. The cause of cholestasis of pregnancy is unknown. A hereditary predisposition seems to induce in the maternal liver an abnormal reaction to female sex hormones, but some still unidentified environmental (possibly dietary) factor could also be involved in the pathogenesis of the disease. Pruritus, but not the biochemical alterations, can be alleviated by the use of cholestyramine, silymarin, or epomediol. Ursodeoxycholic acid has been beneficial in pruritus and in liver function tests; an improvement in fetal prognosis should be evaluated in future controlled studies."}
{"id": "PMID:1478744", "title": "Obstetric management of gastroenterologic complications of pregnancy.", "content": "Key elements in the management of gastroenterologic complications during pregnancy are knowledge of the natural history of the disease process, understanding the effects of pregnancy on the disease and of the disease on pregnancy, concern about fetal effects of medications, careful antepartum fetal assessment, and appropriate timing of the delivery. Vaginal delivery is preferred in most pregnancies complicated by gastrointestinal disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1478745", "title": "Care of the pregnancy complicated by HELLP syndrome.", "content": "Pregnancies complicated by HELLP syndrome require a well-formulated management plan. The development of this syndrome after 34 weeks' gestation or with documentation of fetal lung maturity is an indication for delivery. Vaginal delivery can be accomplished in most cases; however, if cesarean section is required, the use of general anesthesia, subfascial drains, and preoperative platelet transfusion for platelet counts less than 50,000/mm3 can reduce the incidence of complications. It is advisable that patients with complications of HELLP syndrome such as pulmonary edema, acute renal failure, liver rupture, or extreme prematurity be referred to a tertiary care center where maternal and neonatal intensive care facilities are available."}
{"id": "PMID:1478756", "title": "Experiences of developed management in the Cardiovascular Service at Royal Adelaide Hospital.", "content": "Devolved management structures are on trial at Royal Adelaide Hospital with assistance from the Clinical Devolution Project. The trial is to assess the suitability of devolved management structures to support clinical decision making, and to evaluate financial management reporting systems and information support systems. A nurse at Assistant Director of Nursing level and a doctor head each of the three trial Clinical services. Both have equal responsibilities and delegations of authority for day to day operations utilising an allocated budget. The impact of devolution of responsibility to clinical units is considerable. Such reorganisation presents opportunities and difficulties. Nurse/doctor collaboration is essential to manage high patient throughout effectively and efficiently as well as to prepare for the impact of casemix and output based funding. Clinical department size, budget allocation, roles and organisational infrastructure affect the success or failure of devolved management structures, even if a service works within an allocated budget and achieves high patent throughput and decreasing length of patient stay."}
{"id": "PMID:1478763", "title": "Hormonal status in postmenopausal androgenetic alopecia.", "content": "The development of androgenetic alopecia is thought to be caused by increased androgen action on hair follicles with menopause. Testosterone, estradiol and sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) serum levels were determined in ten postmenopausal women with androgenetic alopecia and in ten sex and age matched healthy controls. No statistically significant differences were found in the hormone levels between the patients and the controls. These findings suggest that a genetically determined functional alteration of androgen receptors and/or a metabolic disturbance may exist in the hair follicle keratinocytes in androgenetic alopecia."}
{"id": "PMID:1478764", "title": "Cutaneous alterations in patients with chronic renal failure.", "content": "The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of dermatologic problems among patients with chronic renal failure (CRF) undergoing hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis. One-hundred and two patients with CRF were examined for the presence of cutaneous alterations. All patients examined had at least one cutaneous lesion. The most prevalent findings were alterations in the cutaneous pigmentation. Of particular interest was an increased prevalence of hyperpigmented macules on the palms and soles. Other manifestations, seen particularly in the hemodialysis group, included the half-and-half nail, pruritus, and keratotic pits of the palms and soles. Infectious processes were more prevalent in the group undergoing peritoneal dialysis. This study showed that all patients with CRF have some type of cutaneous alteration and that the type of dialysis could have some influence upon the incidence of these changes."}
{"id": "PMID:1478765", "title": "Pelgeroid-like anomalous cells in the diagnosis of neutrophilic dermatosis associated with myelodysplastic syndrome.", "content": "Neutrophilic dermatoses (ND), with or without accompanying myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), were examined in terms of nuclear abnormality like pelgeroid anomaly of infiltrating cells into skin lesions. Six ND accompanying MDS showed 1.0 to 13.5% of such anomalous cells among infiltrating cells. In contrast, ND without accompanying myeloproliferative disorders rarely had such anomalous cells. Our findings suggest that pelgeroid-like anomalous cells infiltrating into ND are probably a good marker of underlying MDS."}
{"id": "PMID:1478770", "title": "Curative effect of dexamethasone-cyclophosphamide pulse therapy for the treatment of pemphigus vulgaris.", "content": "In 1982, five patients having pemphigus vulgaris, four men and one woman, ranging in age between 16 and 48 years, were treated with an arbitrary regimen designed by us. The regimen consisted of giving 100 mg dexamethasone in 500 mL of 5% glucose by a slow intravenous infusion on three consecutive days, along with 500 mg cyclophosphamide on one day only. Such dexamethasone-cyclophosphamide pulses (DCP) were meant to be given once a month, but most patients were not regular in this treatment. In between these pulses the patients received only 50 mg cyclophosphamide orally per day. Oral corticosteroids were given only when necessary. After having received a total of 14 to 48 DCPS, further treatment for pemphigus was withdrawn. All the patients are in continuous clinical remission for the last 4 to 9 years and without any treatment for 2 to 7 years. Further studies on more pemphigus patients have yielded similar results suggesting that it may be possible to cure pemphigus."}
{"id": "PMID:1478771", "title": "Electrotrichogenesis: further evidence of efficacy and safety on extended use.", "content": "These data represent a subset of data from the original 36-week study conducted by Maddin et al., which was in itself a preliminary study of a pulsed electrical stimulation device in male subjects alone. The extension phase of this study, which is summarized here, was undertaken to gather data on longer-term efficacy and safety and to study clinical effects in control subjects who were then switched to active treatment. Thirteen subjects had active treatment for 70 weeks, and 14 subjects were included in the crossover group, which had sham treatment for 36 weeks followed by active treatment for 30 additional weeks. On average, terminal hair counts increased from 82 to 276 in the active treatment group. Among those in the crossover group, a mild increase, from 124 to 160, was observed during the sham treatment period and a more notable increase, from 160 to 249, occurred during the subsequent active treatment period. The results presented here provide evidence of the efficacy and safety of this device during extended use; however, the generalizability of these findings is limited by the small subset of subjects for whom complete data are available."}
{"id": "PMID:1478776", "title": "Design, synthesis and structural characterization of model heterodimeric coiled-coil proteins.", "content": "We report the design and synthesis of model heterodimeric coiled-coil proteins and the packing contribution of interchain hetero-hydrophobic side-chains to coiled-coil stability. The heterodimeric coiled-coils are obtained by oxidizing two 35-residue polypeptide chains, each containing a cysteine residue at position 2 and differing in amino acid sequences in the hydrophobic positions (\"a\" and \"d\") responsible for the formation and stabilization of the coiled-coil. In each peptide, a single Ala residue was substituted for Leu at position \"a\" or \"d\". The formation and stability of heterodimeric coiled-coils were investigated by circular dichroism studies in the presence and absence of guanidine hydrochloride and compared to the corresponding homodimeric coiled-coils. The coiled-coil proteins with an Ala substitution at position \"a\" were less stable than those with an Ala substitution at position \"d\" in both the homodimeric (Ala-Ala interchain interactions) and heterodimeric (Leu-Ala interchain interactions ) coiled-coils. The 70-residue disulfide bridged peptides (homo- and heterodimeric coiled-coils) can be readily separated by reversed-phase chromatography (RPC) even though they have identical amino acid compositions as well as in the hydrophobic \"a\" and \"d\" positions. The elution of the 70-residue peptides prior to their corresponding 35-residue monomers suggests that these proteins are retaining a large portion of their coiled-coil structure during RPC at pH2 and their retention behavior correlates with protein stability."}
{"id": "PMID:1478777", "title": "In situ neutralization in Boc-chemistry solid phase peptide synthesis. Rapid, high yield assembly of difficult sequences.", "content": "Simple, effective protocols have been developed for manual and machine-assisted Boc-chemistry solid phase peptide synthesis on polystyrene resins. These use in situ neutralization [i.e. neutralization simultaneous with coupling], high concentrations (> 0.2 M) of Boc-amino acid-OBt esters plus base for rapid coupling, 100% TFA for rapid Boc group removal, and a single short (30 s) DMF flow wash between deprotection/coupling and between coupling/deprotection. Single 10 min coupling times were used throughout. Overall cycle times were 15 min for manual and 19 min for machine-assisted synthesis (75 residues per day). No racemization was detected in the base-catalyzed coupling step. Several side reactions were studied, and eliminated. These included: pyrrolidonecarboxylic acid formation from Gln in hot TFA-DMF; chain-termination by reaction with excess HBTU; and, chain termination by acetylation (from HOAc in commercial Boc-amino acids). The in situ neutralization protocols gave a significant increase in the efficiency of chain assembly, especially for \"difficult\" sequences arising from sequence-dependent peptide chain aggregation in standard (neutralization prior to coupling) Boc-chemistry SPPS protocols or in Fmoc-chemistry SPPS. Reported syntheses include HIV-1 protease(1-50,Cys.amide), HIV-1 protease(53-99), and the full length HIV-1 protease(1-99)."}
{"id": "PMID:1478778", "title": "Effects of resin swelling and substitution on solid phase synthesis.", "content": "Resins sold by several companies were examined for swelling, uniformity of beads, and substitution in the case of resins sold with the first amino acid attached. Effects of resin swelling, uniformity, and substitution on the solid phase synthesis of long, structured and/or branched peptides were evaluated."}
{"id": "PMID:1478779", "title": "A rational design of synthetic peptide vaccine with a built-in adjuvant. A modular approach for unambiguity.", "content": "We describe a peptide vaccine model containing a built-in adjuvant. This model used a multiple antigen peptide system (MAPS) to amplify peptide antigens and a lipoamino acid, tripalmitoyl glyceryl cysteine (P3C), as a built-in adjuvant. An 18-residue peptide antigen (B2) derived from the third variable domain (amino acid 312-329) of the glycoprotein gp120 of type I human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) was used in this model. This peptide antigen is a suitable target since it consists of neutralizing, T-helper, and T-cytotoxic epitopes. The peptide antigen in a tetravalent MAPS format (B2M-P3C) with a lipophilic attachment was synthesized by two routes for comparison: a direct stepwise approach and an indirect modular approach. In the stepwise approach, each residue was sequentially added to the peptide resin to give B2M-P3C and the P3C was incorporated to the side chain of a carboxyl terminal lysine as Fmoc-Lys(P3C). In the modular approach, a module containing a chloroacetylated core matrix of MAPS (M-P3C) with a carboxyl tetrapeptide bearing Lys(P3C) and a second module containing the peptide antigen B2 with a cysteine at its terminus were synthesized and purified separately, and then coupled to each other to form B2M-P3C. In the modular approach, the molecular ion of B2M-P3C was unambiguously identified by ion-spray mass spectrometry. B2M-P3C, administered in liposomes without any adjuvant such as Freund's complete adjuvant, was used to immunize mice and found to induce gp120-specific antibodies in vitro, and prime cytotoxic T lymphocytes in vivo.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1478780", "title": "Synthesis and biological activity of new conformationally restricted analogues of pepstatin.", "content": "A new statine derivative, 3-hydroxy-4-amino-5-mercaptopentanoic acid; cysteinylstatine (CySta), was synthesized and used to prepare a series of conformationally restricted analogues of pepstatin (Iva-Val-Val-Sta-Ala-Sta) in which the conformational constraint was introduced via a bis-sulfide connecting the appropriately substituted residues in the P1 and the P3 inhibitor side chains. The precursor peptide, Iva-Cys-Val-CySta-Ala-Iaa, was synthesized and alkylated with a series of dibromoalkanes and alkenes to produce the cyclic structures. This strategy permitted the carbon atom spacing between the P1 and the P3 inhibitor side chains to be systematically varied so as to produce inhibitors with 15-, 16-, and 17-membered ring systems. Additional non-cyclic analogues were synthesized as controls by alkylating the bisthiol intermediates with methyl iodide. The inhibitory potency of the analogues were determined against porcine pepsin and penicillopepsin by using standard enzyme kinetic assays. The cyclic inhibitor were found to be potent inhibitors of both aspartic proteases; inhibitor that contained a trans-2-butene link between the two sulfur atoms was found to be the most potent inhibitor with a Ki less than 1 nM against pepsin and 3.94 nM against penicillopepsin. This series of compounds illustrates a new type of conformational restriction that can be used to probe for the bioactive conformation of peptides."}
{"id": "PMID:1478781", "title": "Influence of glycine residues on peptide conformation in membrane environments.", "content": "Transmembrane (TM) segments of integral membrane proteins are putatively alpha-helical in conformation, yet their primary sequences are rich in residues known in globular proteins as helix-breakers (Gly) and beta-sheet promoters (Ile, Val, Thr). To examine the specific 2 degrees structure propensities of such residues in membrane environments, we have now designed and synthesized a series of model 20-residue peptides with \"guest\" hydrophobia segments embedded in \"host\" N- and C-terminal hydrophilic matrices. Molecular design was based on the prototypical sequence NH2-(Ser-Lys)2-Ala5-Leu6-x7-Ala8-Leu9-y10-Trp 11-Ala12-Leu13-z14-(Lys-Ser)3-OH. The 10-residue hydrophobic mid-segment 5-14 is expected to act as ca. three turns of an alpha-helix. In the present work, we compare the 20-residue peptide having three \"helix-forming\" Ala residues [x = y = z = Ala (peptide 3A)] to the corresponding peptide 3G (x = y = z = Gly) which contains three \"helix-breaking\" Gly residues. Trp was inserted to provide a measure of aromatic character typical of TM segments; Ser and Lys enhanced solubility in aqueous media. Circular dichroism studies in water, in a membrane-mimetic [sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS)], medium, and in methanol solutions, demonstrated the exquisite sensitivity of the conformations of these peptides to environment, and proved that despite its backbone flexibility, Gly can be accommodated as readily as Ala into a hydrophobic alpha-helix in a membrane. Nevertheless, the relative stability of Ala- vs. Gly-containing helices emerged in methanol solvent titration and temperature dependence experiments in SDS.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1478782", "title": "Molecular dynamics simulations of opioid peptide analogs containing multiple conformational restrictions.", "content": "Molecular dynamics simulations were performed on the potent and slightly mu-receptor selective cyclic dermorphin analog H-Tyr-D-Orn-Phe-Glu-NH2 as well as on analogs containing a conformationally restricted phenylalanine derivative in place of Phe in the 3 position of the peptide sequence. Peptides studied included the potent and highly mu-selective analogs H-Tyr-D-Orn-Aic-Glu-NH2 (Aic = 2-aminoindan-2-carboxylic acid), H-Tyr-D-Orn-Atc-Glu-NH2 (Atc = 2-aminotetralin-2-carboxylic acid) and H-Tyr-D-Orn-D-Atc-Glu-NH2, and the weakly active analog H-Tyr-D-Orn-Tic-Glu-NH2 (Tic = tetrahydroisoquinoline-3-carboxylic acid). Four different starting conformations were chosen for each peptide, and after equilibration each simulation was allowed to proceed for 100 picoseconds at 600 degrees K. The 14-membered ring structures in the Phe-, Aic-, L- and D-Atc-containing analogs showed moderate structural flexibility, while the peptide ring in the Tic-containing analog was more rigid. As theoretically predicted, the phi 3 and psi 3 angles of the Aic-, L- and D-Atc-containing analogs were limited to values of either about +50 degrees or -50 degrees during almost the entire period of the simulations. In the Tic-containing analog the phi 3 and psi 3 angles were 0 degrees and 90 degrees, respectively, and did not change for the entire duration of the simulation. The side chains of the constrained amino acids showed limited movement, but transitions between the allowed conformations did occur on the time scale of the simulations.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1478784", "title": "Semisynthesis of human growth hormone-releasing factor by trypsin catalyzed coupling of leucine amide to a C-terminal acid precursor.", "content": "Human growth hormone-releasing factor, GRF(1-44)-NH2, was synthesized by trypsin catalyzed coupling of Leu-NH2 to Arg43 of the precursor, GRF(1-43)-OH, prepared by solid phase peptide synthesis. The semisynthetic GRF(1-44)-NH2 was fully characterized and showed full potency in the rat pituitary in vitro bioassay. Conversion to GRF(1-44)-NH2 was limited to 60-70% in both 75% v:v N,N'-dimethylacetamide and 95% v:v 1,4-butanediol due to competing transpeptidations at Arg41 and Arg38 generating [Leu42]-GRF(1-42)-NH2 and [Leu39]-GRF(1-39)-NH2 side-products, respectively. The rates of formation and yields of GRF(1-44)-NH2 versus pH, Leu-NH2 concentration, and solvent composition were also studied."}
{"id": "PMID:1478785", "title": "HIV protease (HIV PR) inhibitor structure-activity-selectivity, and active site molecular modeling of high affinity Leu [CH(OH)CH2]Val modified viral and nonviral substrate analogs.", "content": "This report details the structure-activity relationships of the HIV gag substrate analog Val-Ser-Gln-Asn-Leu psi[CH(OH)CH2]Val-Ile-Val (U-85548E), an inhibitor exhibiting subnanomolar affinity towards HIV type-1 aspartic proteinase (HIV-1 PR). Our data show that the P1-P2' tripeptidyl sequence provides the minimal chemical determinant for HIV-1 PR binding. We describe the structure-activity properties of Leu psi[CH(OH)CH2]Val substitution in other peptidyl ligands of nonviral substrate origin (e.g., angiotensinogen, insulin and pepstatin). Furthermore, the aspartic proteinase selectivities of a few key compounds are summarized relative to evaluation against human renin, human pepsin, and the fungal enzyme, rhizopuspepsin. These studies have led to the rational design of nanomolar potent inhibitors of both HIV-1 and HIV-2 PR. Finally, a 2.5 A resolution X-ray crystallographic structure of U-85548E complexed to synthetic HIV-1 PR dimer (Jaskolski et al., Biochemistry 30, 1600 [1991]) provided a 3-D picture of the inhibitor bound to the enzyme active site, and we performed computer-assisted molecular modeling studies to explore the possible binding modes of the above series of Leu psi[CH(OH)CH2]Val substituted HIV-1 PR inhibitors."}
{"id": "PMID:1478783", "title": "Novel approach to the design of synthetic radioiodinated linear V1A receptor antagonists of vasopressin.", "content": "We report the solid phase synthesis of six analogs of the potent and selective linear AVP vasopressor (V1a receptor) antagonist: Phaa1-D-Tyr(Et)2-Phe3-Gln4-Asn5-Lys6-Pro7-Arg-NH(8)2(A) (where Phaa = phenylacetyl) in which the Phaa1 residue is replaced by hydroxyphenylacetyl (HO-Phaa), hydroxyphenylpropionyl (HO-Phpa) and phenylpropionyl (Phpa) and the D-Tyr(Et)2 and Lys6 residues by D-Tyr(Me)2 and Arg6 substituents. The phenolic-containing peptides were synthesized to test the feasibility of using this approach for the design of high affinity selective ligands for AVP V1a receptors. The following analogs of A were synthesized: 11 [(HO)Phaa1]; 2. [(HO)Phaa1,D-Tyr(Me)2]; 3. [(HO)Phaa1,D-Tyr(Me)2, Arg6]; 4. [(HO)Phaa1,Arg6]; 5. [Phpa1]; 6. [(HO)Phpa1]. All six peptides were examined for agonistic and antagonistic potencies in vasopressor (V1a-receptor) and antidiuretic (V2-receptor) and in vitro oxytocic assays in rats. The affinities of the phenolic-containing peptides for hepatic V1a and uterine receptors were also determined. The phenolic-containing peptides all exhibit potent V1a antagonism. Their anti-V1a pA2 values range from 8.23 to 8.63 (the anti-V1a pA2 value of A = 8.69). Their inhibition constants (Ki in nM) range 0.4 to 1.0. They are weak antidiuretic agonists with activities ranging from 0.022 U/mg to 0.13 U/mg (A = 0.033 U/mg). They all exhibit OT antagonism in vitro. Their anti-OT pA2 values range from 7.28 to 7.71 (A = 7.62). All five phenolic compounds were iodinated using iodine chloride and tested in the same in vivo and in vitro assay system.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1478787", "title": "Powerful solvent systems useful for synthesis of sparingly-soluble peptides in solution.", "content": "Our maximum protection strategy for the synthesis of human parathyroid hormone(1-84) indicates that fully protected peptide segments in the form of Boc-peptide phenacyl (Pac) ester are relatively soluble in ordinary organic solvents such as DMF, NMP or DMSO, which are suitable for coupling segments. However, about 1% of such segments synthesized were found to be insoluble even in the most polar solvent, DMSO. Thus, a more powerful solvent which can be used for their peptide synthesis was pursued. Among the solvent systems tested, a mixture of trifluoroethanol (TFE) or hexafluoroisopropanol (HFIP) and trichloromethane (TCM) or dichloromethane (DCM) was found to be most powerful for dissolving such sparingly-soluble protected peptides. These solvent systems were confirmed to be useful for the removal reaction of the carboxy-terminal Pac esters from the sparingly-soluble segments. They were then tested for the coupling reactions of fully protected Boc-peptides with other sparingly-soluble peptide esters. The TFE/TCM or TFE/DCM system was extremely useful for coupling segments without danger of racemization and of trifluoroester formation, if WSCI was used as the coupling reagent in the presence of 3,4-dihydro-3-hydroxy-4-oxo-1,2,3-benzotriazine (HOOBt)."}
{"id": "PMID:1478792", "title": "Characterization of desialylated low-density lipoproteins which cause intracellular lipid accumulation.", "content": "The properties of sialylated (sialic acid rich) and desialylated (sialic acid poor) fractions of low-density lipoproteins (LDL) isolated from blood plasma of healthy subjects and coronary atherosclerosis patients have been investigated. Sialylated (60-90% of total LDL) and desialylated (10-40%) LDL were separated by affinity chromatography on Ricinus communis agglutinin-agarose. Sialic acid contents in sialylated LDL fractions of healthy subjects and patients were found to be the same, and 1.5 to 3-fold higher than in desialylated LDL. Desialylated LDL had smaller sizes and greater electrophoretic mobility than sialylated, ones. Desialylated, but not sialylated, LDL induced 1.5 to 4-fold accumulation of neutral lipids in human aortic smooth-muscle cells. Desialylated LDL contained lower amounts of cholesteryl esters, free cholesterol and triglycerides as compared to sialylated LDL. On the other hand, the concentrations of di-, monoglycerides and free fatty acids in desialylated LDL were 2 to 3-fold higher than in sialylated lipoproteins. The desialylated LDL fraction was characterized by lower levels of phosphatidylcholine, sphingomyelin and phosphatidylethanolamine, but a higher content of lysophosphatidylcholine. Levels of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances in freshly isolated desialylated and sialylated LDL were the same. Desialylated LDL had a higher level of oxysterols and lower amounts of vitamins A and E. The content of free amino groups of lysine in desialylated LDL of patients was 2-fold lower than in sialylated LDL. The results of this study demonstrate that multiple physico-chemical parameters of desialylated LDL differ from those of sialylated LDL."}
{"id": "PMID:1478793", "title": "Effect of coenzyme A on triglyceride and very-low-density lipoproteins secretion in cultured rat hepatocytes.", "content": "Exogenous coenzyme A (CoA) decreases plasma triglycerides, cholesterol, and Apo B in man. CoA regulates lipid metabolism favouring beta-oxidation in hepatic peroxisomes of very-long-chain fatty acids. Furthermore recent studies show that CoA participates in the transport processes which occur in the Golgi apparatus. The aim of this study was to establish whether exogenous CoA is able to modify the lipid composition of very-low-density lipoproteins (VLDL) and the VLDL secretion in rat hepatocyte culture. The presence of 5mM CoA produces a significant decrease of VLDL triacylglycerol, of VLDL total cholesterol and of VLDL esterified cholesterol by 32%, 39% and 41% respectively. This decrease is observed in all the three days of hepatocyte culture. On the third day a significant decrease of cytosolic triacylglycerols is also observed. The decrease in VLDL secretion depends on the concentration of CoA added to the culture medium. Our study shows that exogenous CoA decreases the plasma VLDL concentration because it reduces VLDL secretion by the hepatocytes."}
{"id": "PMID:1478794", "title": "Coenzyme A protects very-low-density lipoproteins against peroxidation and increases plasma triacylglycerol metabolism.", "content": "CoA (coenzyme A) has an antiperoxidative action and protects erythrocytes against oxygen free radicals. The peroxidation favours the uptake of the modified LDL (low-density lipoprotein) by macrophages and has a role in the development of foam cells. A possible relation between the antiperoxidative action of CoA and its normalizing activity on plasma lipids in type IIb and type IV hyperlipoproteinaemias, was investigated in order to see whether CoA protects VLDL (very -low-density lipoproteins) against peroxidation and produces a quicker removal of VLDL from circulation when administered intravenously to rats. The addition of 5 mM CoA to rat hepatocytes in culture was found to produce a significant decrease in VLDL secretion. The plasma clearance was significantly more rapid and the removal of triacylglycerols was significantly enhanced in CoA-treated rats as compared to untreated ones. Furthermore CoA reduced the formation of material reacting with thiobarbituric acid (TBA) in human VLDL peroxidized by exposure to Cu2+. Our study shows that CoA protects VLDL from peroxidation in a significant and concentration-dependent manner and increases plasma triacylglycerol metabolism."}
{"id": "PMID:1478786", "title": "Comparative study of methods to couple hindered peptides.", "content": "A comparative study of modern coupling reactions involving Boc-protected amino acid derivatives and dipeptides with N-terminal alpha,alpha-dialkylation and N-methylation was carried out. The coupling reactions were run using either equimolar amounts of the amino and activated carboxyl components or an excess of the activated carboxyl component. Yields of the target tripeptide Boc-Phe-Xaa-Phe-OBzl (Xaa = (NMe)Ala, (NMe)Aib, or (NMe) alpha Ac5c) were compared. Less than 10% of the product was obtained from methods utilizing pivaloyl mixed anhydride, pentafluorophenyl ester or acyl fluoride activation when Xaa = (NMe)Aib and (NMe) alpha Ac5c. At room temperature, significant yields of these two products were obtained from reactions which utilized an excess of the HBTU reagent (O-benzotriazol-1-yl-N,N,N',N'-tetramethyluronium hexafluorophosphate), the PyBroP reagent (bromo-tris-pyrrolidino-phosphonium hexafluorophosphate) or Boc-Phe-NCA (Boc-protected phenylalanine N-carboxyanhydride). Moreover, the Boc-Phe-NCA method was superior when used over a prolonged reaction time or at elevated temperature."}
{"id": "PMID:1478790", "title": "Phase transfer catalysis in solid phase peptide synthesis. Preparation of cyclo[Xxx-Pro-Gly-Yyy-Pro-Gly] model peptides and their conformational analysis.", "content": "Relatively small cyclic peptides that contain functionalized side chains provide interesting model compounds for studying side chain-side chain interactions, peptide backbone flexibility (especially if X-Pro bonds are included), and as potential enzyme mimetics. In order to develop more efficient synthetic routes to compounds such as cyclo(Xxx-Pro-Gly-Yyy-Pro-Gly), using the Merrifield method, we have investigated several orthogonal solid phase synthesis strategies and contrasted the use of two solid phase peptide-resin cleavage techniques for preparing partially protected linear sequences. Phase transfer catalysis using tetrabutyl ammonium hydrogen sulfate in THF with saturated aqueous K2CO3 provides peptide acid salts in which most of the common protecting groups (Arg(NO2), Tyr(Bzl), Z-Lys, Lys(Boc), and Glu(tBu)) are not affected. Using 500 MHz proton NMR, peptides having a cyclo (L-L-Gly-L-L-Gly) sequence generally display two conformers in DMSO-d6 with the major isomer being the bis-cis conformer, while the minor form contains two beta turns. For peptides with a cyclo(D-L-Gly-L-L-Gly) sequence, the major conformer contains one cis and one trans X-Pro bond and one Type II beta turn, as previously predicted for related structure by Kopple and others."}
{"id": "PMID:1478795", "title": "Effect of ethylcholine mustard aziridinium (AF64A) and of the monoamine oxidase-B-inhibitor L-deprenyl on the morphology of the rat hippocampus.", "content": "The effect of intracerebroventricular (ICV) administration of ethylcholine mustard aziridinium (AF64A) and of the monoamine oxidase (MAO)-B inhibitor L-deprenyl on MAO-A and MAO-B activities and on the morphology of the rat neostriatum and hippocampus were studied. The ICV administration of AF64A was without effect on MAO-A and MAO-B in the neostriatum and caused an increase of MAO-B but not of MAO-A in the hippocampus. No changes in neostriatal micro-anatomy were noticeable in AF64A-injected rats, whereas the neurotoxin caused an impairment in hippocampal micro-anatomy consisting in the loss of nerve cells and of silver-gold impregnated fibres in the CA-1--CA-3 fields. The treatment of AF64A-injected animals with doses of L-deprenyl from 11.17 microM/kg/day significantly reduced MAO-B activity in the hippocampus and improved the morphology of the hippocampus formation. L-deprenyl was without effect on MAO-A activity both in the neostriatum and in the hippocampus, as well as on neostriatal MAO-B activity and morphology. The possibility that MAO-B inhibition may represent a principle for the treatment of age-related physiological and pathological changes characterized by increased MAO-B activity is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1478788", "title": "Amino acid structure and \"difficult sequences\" in solid phase peptide synthesis.", "content": "Deprotection peak profiles have been determined as a measure of internal aggregation during Fmoc-polyamide continuous flow solid phase synthesis. The results have been correlated with amino-acid structure and discussed in terms of minimising aggregation during synthesis."}
{"id": "PMID:1478796", "title": "Influence of acetyl-carnitine on some mitochondrial enzymic activities in the human cerebral tissue in conditions of acute hypoxia.", "content": "Following previous research on human tissue in conditions of acute and massive hypoxia, in the present work the authors compared the cellular enzymic response to oxidative stress in normoxic (perifocal) and hypoxic (focal) areas in human brain affected by regional acute vasculopathies. Two homogeneous groups of patients were selected following strict clinical inclusion/exclusion criteria. The groups of patients were treated with a placebo or acetyl-carnitine at same doses and following randomized, double-blind procedures. The focal areas showed a significant functional damage in lactate, pyruvate and succinate dehydrogenases and in the cytochrome oxidase activity when compared with the enzymic capacities of perifocal areas (normoxic as controls). The pretreatment with acetyl-carnitine antagonized the above-mentioned enzymic damage by a protective action linked to the endocellular energy restoration. In accordance with these data, the therapeutic role played by acetyl-carnitine in the cerebral focal hypoxia appeared to be a determinant for the cell survival mainly in the reversible phase of oxidative damage."}
{"id": "PMID:1478791", "title": "Structural requirements for biological activity of glucagon-like peptide-I.", "content": "Glucagon-like peptide-I (GLP-I) is encoded together with glucagon by the glucagon gene and is related in its structure to the glucagon-secretin family of peptides. Three of the predicted forms of the peptide, a 37-residue long GLP-I(1-37), a 31-residue GLP-I(7-37) and a 30-residue GLP-I(7-36)amide as well as three analogs des [Gly37, Arg36] GLP-I(7-37), des [Gly37, Arg36, Gly35] GLP-I(7-37) and des [His7] GLP-I(7-37) were synthesized by the stepwise solid phase method. These synthetic peptides were used to define the structural domains required for the binding of GLP-I to the pancreatic beta cell. The competitive binding experiments showed that both the amino and carboxyl terminal domains of the molecule contribute to GLP-I binding. In these experiments glucagon, another peptide that stimulates insulin secretion, was a weak full agonist of GLP-I binding. Results from these studies provide further characterization of the physiological role of this new peptide."}
{"id": "PMID:1478789", "title": "Application of carboxylic-phospholanic mixed anhydrides to fragment coupling in peptide synthesis.", "content": "The application of 1-oxo-1-chlorophospholane as a novel reagent for the in situ activation of peptide fragments for use in peptide bond forming reactions, either in liquid or solid phase, has been examined. 24.1 MHz 31P NMR spectroscopy has been employed to follow the formation, stability and reactivity of the intermediate phospholanic-carboxylic mixed anhydride."}
{"id": "PMID:1478797", "title": "Bombesin/gastrin releasing peptide levels of peripheral mononuclear cells, monocytes and alveolar macrophages in chronic bronchitis.", "content": "Bombesin-related peptides (BRP), a family of neuropeptides showing carboxy-terminal homology with the amphibian bombesin, are present in humans in many body systems (CNS, lung, gastro-intestinal tract) with a variety of biological activities. In the lung, BRP are mitogens for normal bronchial epithelial cells and fibroblasts, chemoattractant for monocytes and exert bronchoconstrictive activity. Increased levels of BRP have been described in the lung of cigarette smokers and in smoking-related diseases. Moreover appreciable quantities of BRP have been recently found in lysates of peripheral monocytes and alveolar macrophages of man and guinea pig. It has therefore been inferred that these peptides may play a role in the immunological function of lung tissue. The aim of this study was to determine the amount of BRP present in peripheral-blood mononuclear cells (PBMNC), monocytes and alveolar macrophages (AM) of normal subjects (n = 36) and chronic bronchitis patients (n = 36). Patients with chronic bronchitis showed a significant increase in BRP levels in all cell types (PBMNC, monocytes and AM) (p < 0.005) in comparison with normal subjects. In addition levels of BRP in monocytes and AM were found to be nearly four times higher than in PBMNC in both groups of subjects. We can therefore confirm previous observations concerning the presence of BRP in human cells of the monocyte-macrophage lineage. Furthermore our results demonstrate that BRP levels are increased in monocytes of chronic bronchitis patients and imply a potential role for these neuropeptides in lung immunological response in smoking-related diseases."}
{"id": "PMID:1478798", "title": "Spondylarthropathy and gut inflammation: immunopathogenetic mechanisms.", "content": "In 62% of patients with spondylarthropathy (SpA) we found clinically unsuspected gut inflammation to feature acute or chronic enterocolitis on ileocolonoscopy. A proportion of patients of the latter group had subclinical Crohn's disease as demonstrated clinically, endoscopically, genetically, histologically and immunopathologically. There is a relation between the activity of the gut inflammation and clinical rheumatic symptoms. A pathogenetic mechanism is increased handling of luminal (bacterial or nutritional) antigen, hence inducing T-cell activation and intestinal inflammation. In ileal mucosal biopsies we showed two different cellular events: increased enterocytic expression of class II molecules in active inflammation and an increase of membranous (M) cells overlying lymphocytes in inflamed mucosa. Although the number of intraepithelial lymphocytes was not increased in inflammation, intraepithelial T lymphocytes had protruding processes in close apposition to the tips of epithelial plasma membranes. Lymphocytes crossing the basement membrane were a frequent finding. These features indicate that the intestinal immune response caused by increased antigen processing in the terminal ileum induces an inflammatory immunocascade responsible for the clinical picture of SpA."}
{"id": "PMID:1478799", "title": "The rational use of mesh in hernias. A perspective.", "content": "The decision to use mesh in abdominal wall hernia repairs is not always based on rationale. Some surgeons use mesh on nearly all cases, encouraged by the impression that they never get recurrences. Other surgeons rarely use mesh, citing the fact that there is always enough tissue on site and that foreign bodies can have their complications. A third group of surgeons will respond to the particular need of that herniorrhaphy. Because few surgeons have a large personal experience, it becomes difficult to scan the spectrum of hernias seen in the surgical population. Yet, when numbers are available, a pattern may be discerned which reveals four classes of hernias. These four classes are those which require mesh--\"rarely\" (less than 1%), \"sometimes\" (less than 5%), \"frequently\" (38% and 63.3%) and \"always\" (91.0% and 100%). These statistics should provide surgeons with some insight as to when mesh may be used."}
{"id": "PMID:1478801", "title": "A randomized controlled trial for inguinal hernia repair to compare the Shouldice and the Bassini-Kirschner operation.", "content": "A randomized controlled trial was conducted on 142 adult male and female patients for primary inguinal hernias by the Shouldice or the Bassini-Kirschner surgical technique. Follow-up after one year revealed 7 recurrences out of 72 patients having had Bassini-Kirschner's operation and three recurrences out of 70 patients having had Shouldice's operation (p = 0.326, NS). Six patients died during the follow-up period and two were lost to the study. At two years follow-up examination nine recurrences out of 63 patients having had Bassini-Kirschner's operation and seven recurrences out of 65 patients having had Shouldice's operation were found (p = 0.792, NS). Both operations gave the same results when performed by either a consultant surgeon or a surgeon in training. The complication rate was high but similar for both techniques (18%). Although surgical literature abounds with excellent low recurrence rates using the Shouldice surgical technique, we were unable to reproduce these results. This might be due to lack of experience."}
{"id": "PMID:1478802", "title": "Infiltration of S-100 protein positive dendritic cells and peritoneal recurrence in advanced gastric cancer.", "content": "We investigated the influence of the infiltration of S-100 protein positive dendritic cells on peritoneal recurrence of carcinoma in 113 patients who had undergone curative resection for gastric carcinoma invading beyond the muscularis propria. The infiltration of dendritic cells was classified into marked and slight. In patients with marked infiltration, peritoneal recurrences were rare, the rate being 5.6%, with a statistical difference compared to the rate of 20.3% with slight infiltration (p < 0.05). When patients were classified into infiltrative and expanding types with regard to the mode of invasion, patients with a marked infiltration survived longer than did those with slight infiltration in the infiltrative type carcinoma (p < 0.01). Such relationship was also observed when width of the serosal invasion was less than 4 cm in diameter (p < 0.01). Analysis of the pattern of recurrence revealed that infiltration of dendritic cells may prevent peritoneal recurrences in patients with advanced gastric cancer which has infiltrative mode of invasion."}
{"id": "PMID:1478800", "title": "Experience with the intra-abdominal approach for complicated hernias of the inguinal region.", "content": "In this report we describe our experience using the transabdominal approach for the reduction and repair of incarcerated or strangulated hernias of the inguinal or femoral region. This technique allows for the division of the constricting ring under direct vision as atraumatically as possible and permits a simplified Cooper's ligament type of repair with great accuracy, safety and ease. Thus, all risks associated with the conventional techniques are minimized and the chances for success of reconstruction are markedly enhanced. Short and long term results have been excellent in 22 patients with complicated inguinal or femoral hernias, five of them recurrent and five with strangulated bowel, with a mean follow up of 80 months."}
{"id": "PMID:1478805", "title": "The influence of tumor lymphocytic infiltration on long term survival of surgically treated colorectal cancer patients.", "content": "Prognostic significance of host-immune response, as gathered by the degree of tumour lymphocytic infiltration (TLI), and its relationship to other prognostic variables were investigated in 361 colorectal cancer patients admitted to our Institution for curative resection from January 1960 to December 1978. The presence of a local immune reactivity was significantly related to a less advanced stage of disease and a better differentiated tumour. A poorer prognosis was detected in patients with minor or no lymphocytic infiltration. TLI was the single most important prognostic parameter, according to the Cox model and to logistic regression analysis. These findings suggest that also TLI should be considered in the current Staging System of colorectal cancer."}
{"id": "PMID:1478804", "title": "Simplified perioperative management in vertical banded gastroplasty.", "content": "Vertical Banded Gastroplasty (VBG) is the most commonly performed weight loss operation in the United States and is of proven adjunctive benefit in the treatment of morbid obesity. In an attempt to reduce the hospital related complications associated with morbidly obese patients we simplified the perioperative management of 244 patients undergoing VBG. Our goals were early feeding, early ambulation and a short hospital stay. Neither nasogastric tube nor Foley catheter was used after surgery. Mean postoperative stay was 3.24 +/- 0.8. Forty-one patients (16.8%) developed significant complications. Only two of these had a nosocomial complication (0.8%). The remaining 39 patients had technical complications not related to the protocol of simplified perioperative care. Short hospital stay and simplified perioperative management are feasible and safe for the large majority of patients undergoing VBG and may, in fact, significantly decrease the nosocomial morbidity common to this type of patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1478806", "title": "Anal dilatation, lateral subcutaneous sphincterotomy and haemorrhoidectomy for the treatment of second and third degree haemorrhoids. A prospective randomized study.", "content": "Patients with second or third degree haemorrhoids were randomized for treatment by anal dilatation, lateral subcutaneous sphincterotomy or haemorrhoidectomy. The patients were studied by means of proctoscopy, anal manometry and symptom grading preoperatively, two months and one year after the procedure. After one year, more than half of the patients were symptomless in each treatment group. Both anal dilatation and sphincterotomy gave poor results in 25% of the patients, compared with 9% after haemorrhoidectomy. Young age was related to good results in anal dilatation or sphincterotomy, but not in haemorrhoidectomy. Results of anal dilatation and sphincterotomy in treating haemorrhoids are unpredictable, so they cannot be recommended as routine procedures. Maximal basal pressure was reduced after all three procedures, but neither the preoperative nor postoperative anal pressures were able to predict the result of the different treatment techniques."}
{"id": "PMID:1478803", "title": "Extension of lymph node dissection and survival in primary gastric cancer.", "content": "The histories of 429 patients who underwent surgery for primary gastric cancer at our ward from January 1970 to December 1985, were reviewed. All patients underwent surgery: potentially curative surgery, 54.8%, non-curative resection, 18.2%; palliative surgery, 27%. Nodal status was as follows: N0, 28%; N1, 17.7%; N2, 44.5%; N3, 9.8%. The incidence of N0 cases was significantly increased in Stage T1 and T2 disease compared to Stage T3 and T4 lesions (p < 0.001). In Stage T3 and T4 patients the incidence of distant metastases increased if lymph node involvement was also present (p < 0.005). In patients without nodal metastases 5-year survival was 70% (median survival: 60+ months) whereas, in patients with lymph node involvement survival was 32% (median survival: 24 months) (p < 0.001). Our data suggest that elective extensive lymph node dissection (R2) is indicated in all patients because survival is improved by this procedure. We recommend R3 lymph node dissection only in macroscopic N3 node involvement patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1478807", "title": "Correlation between plasma or blood transfusion and survival after curative surgery for colorectal cancer.", "content": "Out of 473 patients operated radically for colon or rectal cancer different survival curves have been calculated according to whether they had received or not blood or plasma transfusions during their hospital stay. The non-transfused patients have a better 5-year survival rate and the difference is statistically significant both including and not including Duke's C stage cases. Anemia on hospital admission, on the contrary, does not seem to influence patients survival. Immune depression after blood or plasma transfusion is a very well known phenomenon in transplant surgery and actually depends on the infusion of leucocytes. Is not yet clearly demonstrated that in cancer surgery immune depression may lead to a poorer survival of transfused patients but several papers, including ours, suggest that this effect is very likely. At present in cancer patients it is preferable to limit transfusions to the minimum. If they are absolutely necessary leucocyte poor or, better still, leucocyte free preparations should be administered."}
{"id": "PMID:1478808", "title": "Infectious complications of endoscopic retrograde cholangio-pancreatography managed in a surgical unit.", "content": "The immediate infectious pancreato-biliary complications of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) warranting transfer to a surgical unit are analyzed, in order to evaluate their frequency and severity as well as means of treatment and prevention. Thirty complications of this type were observed in a series of 3226 ERCP performed with or without endoscopic sphincterotomy (ES) over a six year period (0.9%). ES had been performed in 12 of 30 cases, but the complication could not be attributed to the procedure. Post-ERCP complications included: acute cholangitis: 16 cases (53%); acute cholecystitis: 8 cases (26%); acute pancreatitis: 4 cases (13%); infected pancreatic pseudocyst: 2 cases (6%). The global mortality rate was 16.6% (five patients): Four of the deaths were due to septic complications. Twenty-seven of the 30 patients underwent surgery, and three of them died (11%). Acute cholangitis was responsible for most of the deaths (four of five) and the mortality appeared related to the long interval before surgery (three of four deaths). Strict adherence to good endoscopic procedures (aseptic conditions, injection without excessive pressure, antibiotic prophylaxis) and decompression of the biliary tract (nasobiliary drain or transhepatic catheter) should help reduce the frequency of post-ERCP complications, and especially cholangitis, which appears to benefit from early surgical treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1478809", "title": "Drainage after cholecystectomy. A prospective randomized clinical trial.", "content": "This prospective clinical study was done to assess the efficacy of postcholecystectomy drainage. A total of 173 cholecystectomized patients were randomized into two groups; group A (86 patients) without drainage and group B (87 patients) with drainage. Group B included two types of patients; B1 (52 patients) with suction drain and B2 (35 patients) with gravity drain. Evidence of wound infection, chest complications, and duration of hospital stay were recorded in every case. Ninety five patients were assessed for chest complications and subhepatic collection by chest x-ray and abdominal ultrasonography. In group B patients the total amount of fluid drained was measured. The results were analysed by appropriate statistical methods. There was no significant difference in the rate of wound infection or atelectasis in either group, although there was apparent increase of lung complications and subhepatic collections in Group B1. The average postoperative hospital stay was significantly increased in group B patients. Considering all the parameters of this study, it was found that drainage with gravity was attended with the least morbidity."}
{"id": "PMID:1478810", "title": "Post-thyroidectomy hypocalcemia: does arterial ligation play a significant role?", "content": "To assess the possible role of truncal ligation of inferior thyroid arteries on post-thyroidectomy hypocalcemia, a prospective study was carried out on 80 patients. Bilateral subtotal thyroidectomy was performed for non-toxic nodular goiter in two groups. Inferior thyroid arteries were ligated bilaterally in 50 patients but not ligated in 30 patients. In both groups mean serum calcium levels on the first and second postoperative days were found to be significantly lower than preoperative levels. However these falls were similar in both groups. We conclude that bilateral truncal ligation of inferior thyroid arteries is not a factor that may cause hypocalcemia due to vascular insufficiency of parathyroid glands."}
{"id": "PMID:1478813", "title": "Causes and effects of systemic complications among severely head injured patients transferred to a neurosurgical unit.", "content": "Hypoxia and hypotension are potent causes of avoidable secondary brain damage after severe head injury. These systemic insults were studied in three cohorts of patients (600 in all) transferred in coma from general hospitals to a regional neurosurgical unit between 1979 and 1990. The incidence of hypoxia and hypotension on arrival at the neurosurgical unit fell from 30% in 1979-80 to 12% in 1989-90, even though the proportion of patients arriving within three hours of injury rose from 33% to 52%. Hypoxia was associated with airway obstruction, and hypotension with unsuspected or undertreated multiple injuries. Whatever the patient's age, CT scan findings, or depth of coma, hypoxia and hypotension has independent and additive adverse effects on outcome. The improvements between 1979 and 1990 are attributed to better airway care, especially the increased use of intubation and mechanical ventilation during transfer, and to greater appreciation of how relatively simple measures can reduce the potential hazards of ambulance transfer."}
{"id": "PMID:1478812", "title": "Anastomotic healing in dogs under cortisone treatment. A pilot study comparing compression and stapled anastomosis.", "content": "Colonic anastomoses made both by a new Compression Anastomotic Device (CAD) and by a traditional stapler (Autosuture CDEEA) were evaluated in impaired anastomotic healing induced by systemic cortisone in the dog. Twenty dogs were given daily i.m. hydrocortisone (25 mg/kg) starting one month before surgery and then until sacrifice. Eight untreated dogs served as controls. Surgery consisted of colonic transection and anastomosis done with CAD-25 in half the cases and with CDEEA-25 in the remaining half. The dogs were sacrificed six and 13 days after surgery. Macroscopic assessment, bursting pressure test, and histology were performed on the anastomosis. One dog died from peritonitis due to anastomotic dehiscence. No other clinical complications were observed. Although the number of observations was too small to attain statistical significance, CAD anastomoses appeared better than stapled ones as regards peri-anastomotic adhesions, anastomotic index, and histology. This preliminary study suggests that compression is as reliable as the stapler in the construction of colon anastomosis even in such situations of delayed anastomotic healing. Further experience is required to substantiate this conclusion."}
{"id": "PMID:1478811", "title": "Course of the recurrent laryngeal nerve relative to the inferior thyroid artery and the suspensory ligament of Berry.", "content": "An awareness of the surgical anatomy and the possible dispositions of the recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) is very helpful in avoiding its injury during thyroidectomy. The relationship of the RLN to the inferior thyroid artery (ITA) and the suspensory ligament of Berry were studied in 172 patients undergoing thyroidectomy. One hundred and ninety one nerves were identified, 109 on the right and 82 on the left. Most nerves, both on the right (82.6%) as well as on the left (85.4%) ran either posterior or between the branches of the inferior thyroid artery. The majority of nerves were found within 3 mm from Berry's ligament. The relationship of the recurrent laryngeal nerve to the inferior artery and to the ligament of Berry does not follow a constant anatomical pattern. Nevertheless these structures have a quite close relationship to the nerve in the majority of cases."}
{"id": "PMID:1478815", "title": "A new and easy classification system for ankle fractures.", "content": "A classification system for ankle fractures was developed. The system was based on 2 general fracture divisions, namely uni-, bi-, and tri-malleolar ankle fractures, and the localisation of the fracture at the level of the fibula. The use of the system in 612 ankle fractures that were surgically treated at the Leuven University Hospital between 1978 and 1988 led to the following conclusions: 1. All the 612 ankle fractures could be classified without ambiguity. 2. The system was easy workable also for young residents and physiotherapists. 3. It was accessible to repetition, allowing for comparisons between different subjects. 4. Taking into account the type of fracture, the final result could be predicted."}
{"id": "PMID:1478814", "title": "The operative treatment of unstable pelvic ring fractures.", "content": "Pelvic ring injuries due to high energy forces are among the most serious, involving the musculoskeletal system. Life threatening hemorrhage, local and distant associated injuries, deformity, pain and diminished functional capacity are all potential problems for a patient with a disrupted pelvis. There is a clear correlation between total blood loss, incidence of associated injuries, final functional result and the type of pelvic ring injury. Between January 1987 and July 1989, 44 patients with an unstable lesion, type B or type C in Tile's classification have been treated in the University Hospital Gasthuisberg of the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven. In 28 cases, primary stabilisation was done by means of an external fixator, \"Monofixateur\" type. The overall mortality rate was less than 7%. Thirty-five patients could be seen for follow-up six months to three years after injury. Our findings confirm that compared to type B lesions there is a higher incidence of pain, permanent deformity and diminished functional capacity in type C lesion (p < 0.05). The external fixator, used in the immediate post injury period provides an effective splint that reduces bleedings from bone and veins but cannot maintain reduction in lesions with rotational and vertical instability. In these cases, a semi-elective internal fixation, after defining the exact patho-anatomy by means of a CT-scan has to be performed in selected areas."}
{"id": "PMID:1478816", "title": "Parkinson syndrome. A significant risk factor in the patient with acute surgical disorder.", "content": "Ten Parkinsonic patients presenting with acute surgical disease were studied to determine the effects of both conditions on each other and the patient's outcome. Severe motion and communication disturbances led, invariably, to a delay in seeking medical assistance, with most of the patients' presenting symptoms and signs being non-specific and misleading. As a result half the patients presented already in a state of septic shock, and a correct preoperative diagnosis could be achieved in three patients only. The functional status significantly deteriorated in six patients, in four of whom a prolonged rehabilitation course was necessary. Although there was no immediate perioperative mortality, morbidity was significant as 50% and 100% major \"surgery-related\" and \"Parkinson-related\" complications accordingly. It is concluded that the coexistence of acute surgical disease with Parkinson syndrome has a profound adverse effect on the patient's outcome. High index of suspicion, early mobilisation, intense physiotherapy and early resumption of the anti-Parkinson drugs are the key points in the management of these patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1478837", "title": "A study of intracolonic hydrogen and methane levels during colonoscopy.", "content": "Gas samples were obtained during colonoscopy for analysis. Patients were prepared with polyethylene glycol (PEG) (N = 23), phosphate enema (N = 34) and mannitol (N = 4). Air insufflation was used in all procedures. High concentrations of hydrogen were detected in 3 out of 38 gas samples in the PEG group, in 2 of 41 samples in the phosphate enema group and in one of the 8 samples in the mannitol group. All patients had a coexisting intracolonic oxygen concentration > 5%. The results suggest that potentially explosive concentrations of hydrogen may occur after conventional bowel preparations, and that insufflation of carbon dioxide during polypectomy should be a routine."}
{"id": "PMID:1478838", "title": "The phenylpropionic acid load test: experience with 72 children at-risk for beta-oxidation disorders.", "content": "The urinary excretion of metabolites of orally administered phenylpropionic acid (PPA) in 72 children, aged 2 days to 16 years, thought to be at-risk of medium acyl CoA dehydrogenase deficiency has been studied. Forty had presented as Reye Syndrome, 9 as a Reye-like syndrome and 24 were sibs of decreased RS, sibs of RLS cases or sibs of infants who had died suddenly and without explanation where an autopsy revealed the presence of very heavy fatty infiltration of the liver. These studies demonstrated that PPA metabolites are maximally excreted during the 3 hours following the oral load and that this urine collection should be diagnostic. PPA loading is a relatively simple, safe test which is part of the investigation of a patient suspected of having an inborn error of metabolism."}
{"id": "PMID:1478839", "title": "The prevalence, antibiotic susceptibility and phage-type of nasally carried Staphylococcus aureus in the Dublin community.", "content": "A study was undertaken to determine the distribution, antibiotic susceptibility and phage type pattern of nasally-carried Staphylococcus aureus in the community. Coagulase-positive staphylococci were isolated from 180 of 440 individuals. The rate was higher in the inner city and among young adults and middle-aged males. The isolates were examined for phage-type patterns and antibiotic susceptibility. Most (60.6%) of the isolates were typable either at Routine Test Dilution (RTD) or at 100 RTD. Most belonged to phage group I (53.2%) and phage group III (21.1%). Susceptibility to penicillin and ampicillin was low at 12.3 and 15.5% respectively. All were susceptible to vancomycin. Methicillin-resistance was unexpectedly low at 0.6% whereas tetracycline and erythromycin resistance were in line with recent trends at 4.5 and 2.7%. The rate of multiple resistance was low at 2.3%."}
{"id": "PMID:1478840", "title": "Pre-hospital management of acute myocardial infarction.", "content": "Two-hundred and eleven Irish GPs responded to a questionnaire survey of their experience and management of acute myocardial infarction (MI) and their attitudes to the use of thrombolytic therapy Three-quarters of the respondents felt they dealt with three or more MIs per year; most felt that the majority of MIs were initially seen by a GP. Diagnosis is based on clinical findings; only 11% routinely take an ECG. Management is largely oriented to relief of pain but intravenous narcotics are only used by a minority. Hospital referral for suspected acute MI was the preferred choice for almost all GPs in a variety of patient-care scenarios. Home care for MI was chosen only for a minority of elderly patients when some hours had elapsed since the onset of symptoms. Definitive guidelines on the pre-hospital use of thrombolysis are not yet available. However, eighty per cent of respondents in this study feel that thrombolysis is beneficial and many feel that it has value in the pre-hospital situation. Respondents identified educational, organisational and financial problems to be overcome before this could happen."}
{"id": "PMID:1478841", "title": "Management of patients with diffuse toxic goitre in Ireland, a country with low iodine intake.", "content": "The present study was undertaken to examine the response rate of thyrotoxicosis in patients with diffuse toxic goitre to thiouracil drug treatment for 1 year in an Irish population, reported to have a low iodine intake. Evidence exists that a low iodine intake is associated with a high long-term remission rate for drug treatment of diffuse toxic goitre. Seventy-five patients participated with 45% of patients entering into long-term remission which has been maintained for a mean of 52.5 +/- 38.8 months. Fifty-five per cent of patients demonstrated relapse at a mean of 7.4 +/- 10.4 months following the withdrawal of thiouracil treatment. These findings were similar to those reported from countries with abundant iodine intake. The data in the present study confirms the usefulness of drug treatment for diffuse toxic goitre in an Irish population but the reported iodine deficiency does not appear to confer a particular advantage."}
{"id": "PMID:1478842", "title": "Susceptibility of urinary pathogens in a Dublin teaching hospital.", "content": "The range and resistance patterns of organisms causing urinary tract infections (UTI) vary with time and place. A prospective study of midstream urine (MSU) specimens, received over a 3 month period, was therefore undertaken. The antibiotic sensitivities of 528 isolates from 196 domiciliary and 332 hospitalised patients with significant bacteriuria (> 10(5) organisms/ml) were determined using the modified Stokes method. Escherichia coli accounted for 79% of domiciliary isolates and 57% in hospitalised patients. Gram positive organisms causing UTI have become increasingly common and were isolated from 8% and 15% of domiciliary and hospitalised patients respectively. Resistance levels for co-amoxiclav (Augmentin) were low (7% domiciliary, 14% hospitalised). However 46 Gram negative isolates (10%) had intermediate sensitivities to co-amoxiclav on disc testing. Breakpoint testing showed 89% of these to be sensitive at the urinary breakpoint but only 52% were sensitive at the systemic breakpoint. Forty nine percent of E. coli from hospital specimens were resistant to pipercillin, due to TEM-1 beta lactamase production. A 6% resistance level to ciprofloxacin in domiciliary E. coli is considerably higher than previous reports and gives cause for concern. Gentamicin resistance was found in 4% of Gram negative hospital isolates, a finding of some significance in the empiric treatment of septicaemia of urinary tract origin."}
{"id": "PMID:1478843", "title": "Antenatal detection of renal abnormalities.", "content": "The aim of this retrospective study is to assess the value of routine ultrasonography in the detection of renal abnormalities. Twenty-nine pregnancies (one set of twins) with suspected renal abnormalities (i.e. renal cystic spaces, oligohydramnios or hyperechoic kidneys) were delivered over a two year period (1.8.1987-31-7-1989) in a unit where 90% of pregnancies (6,562) were scanned routinely at 18-20 weeks gestation or later, if booking for confinement was delayed. In pregnancies with suspected anomalies prenatal ultrasound was performed monthly until 28 weeks and fortnightly until delivery. Non survivors [5] had histological or postmortem examination. Liveborn infants [25] had renal ultrasonography in the neonatal period and paediatric follow-up if abnormal. Sixteen (53%) of the 30 cases (one set of twins) suspected of renal abnormalities by routine prenatal ultrasonography had renal anomalies confirmed postnatally. Five women were non survivors, all of which had associated anomalies. In the eleven survivors the diagnoses were pelvi-ureteric junction obstruction [6], renal dysplasia [2], vesicoureteric reflux [2] and suspected ureterocele [1]. Fourteen infants with pelvicalyceal dilatation had normal postnatal renal ultrasound. Although abnormal prenatal renal ultrasound is a useful indicator of postnatal disease and aids decisions on the management of pregnancy, further large collaborative studies with extended paediatric follow-up are required to assess the significance of pelvicalyceal dilatation."}
{"id": "PMID:1478845", "title": "Serum ferritin in newly diagnosed and poorly controlled diabetes mellitus.", "content": "Serum ferritin was measured in 50 patients at diagnosis of diabetes mellitus (DM) and in 20 patients with established DM and poor metabolic control. Twenty-two patients had hyperferritinemia at diagnosis. Four patients had a recognised cause for their hyperferritinemia. In the remaining 18 patients ferritin levels decreased from a mean of 506 +/- 3.6 (SE) ug/l at diagnosis to 254 +/- 29.2 ug/l seven months later (p < 0.001). Metabolic control improved significantly over the same time. All 20 patients with established DM and poor metabolic control had normal ferritin levels. When compared with the newly diagnosed hyperferritinemic patients no difference was found in levels of glycosylated haemoglobin, but ferritin values differed significantly between the two groups (p < 0.001). These results indicate that transient hyperferritinemia is a feature of newly diagnosed DM but not of established DM with poor control. If used to screen diabetic patients for haemochromatosis, serum ferritin should be measured in established DM rather than at diagnosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1478847", "title": "Interhemispheric communication following unilateral cerebrovascular lesions.", "content": "39 patients with a single small cerebrovascular lesion (20 in the right, 19 in the left hemisphere) were subjected to a simple reaction time (RT) task with visual stimuli flashed to the visual field either ipsilateral or contralateral to the cerebral lesion. The subject responded always with the ipsilateral hand. The crossed-uncrossed difference (CUD), i.e. the RT when both stimulus and response occur on the same side minus the RT when stimulus and response occur on opposite sides, is assumed to assess the transit time of information through callosal fibers, and in normal people is about 3-5 msec. In our patients the mean CUD, expressed as the difference between contralateral and ipsilateral responses, was 20 msec. Patients with parietal lesions had still longer CUDs, 37 msec on the average. There was no statistical difference in CUDs between right and left brain-damaged patients. The CUD in brain-damaged patients was of the same order of magnitude as that found in acallosal or split-brain patients. Nonetheless, the present findings are interpreted as reflecting the intrahemispheric rather than the interhemispheric delay in information transmission, with the possible additive effect of an asymmetrical orienting of attention."}
{"id": "PMID:1478848", "title": "Interleukin-2 receptor expression on blood monocytes of patients with multiple sclerosis.", "content": "We studied the expression of class II MHC product (HLA DR) and IL-2 receptor on circulating monocytes (M phi) in MS patients, neurological and healthy controls, by double color flow cytometry. In all groups most M phi were DR+ without significant differences. More interesting, low percentages of IL-2+ M phi were detectable in healthy and neurological controls, whilst a few MS patients with active disease showed higher levels. This finding is in agreement with similar studies in other T-cell mediated diseases and with the report of rare IL-2+ macrophages in MS plaques. Although the actual role of IL-2+ M phi in the immune response still needs elucidation, our findings suggest their relevance to the pathological process of demyelinating disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1478850", "title": "Massive cerebellar infarct complicated by hydrocephalus.", "content": "We report a case of massive cerebellar infarction in which CT and MRI led to the diagnosis of acute hydrocephalus. All the neurological symptoms cleared after CSF shunting."}
{"id": "PMID:1478849", "title": "Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analyses in HIV-1 primary neurological disease.", "content": "This paper will focus on CSF findings in HIV-1 Neurological Disease (ND). Why use CSF as exploration window of the HIV-CNS involvement? Traditionally, CSF analysis has been an effective diagnostic method as well as a means of monitoring treatment in several infectious and immune pathologies of the CNS. Consequently there is an abundance of mature background information [113, 145, 147] particularly in terms of detecting infectious agents, using IgG findings as immunological indexes, and utilizing CSF findings to map the evolution of ND. We will explore the papers that utilize CSF variables as dependent measures to explore the effects of HIV disease, particularly HIV ND, cited in Index Medicus and MEDLINE data base, and published in Spanish, Italian and English, between 1985 to 1991. We will restrict our review to those studies that exclude HIV cases with CNS opportunistic infections or neoplasms, and thus focus on what the CSF can tell us about the primary effects of HIV on the brain as defined above. The primary long-term goal is to find some elements of the CSF that would lead to an understanding of the etiopathogenesis of HIV ND. However, an almost equally important aim is to determine which CSF variables may be clinically predictive of HIV ND occurrence and progression. The latter variables can also be expected to provide the best measures of HIV ND treatment efficacy. This is particularly important since it is our contention that treatment of HIV ND will eventually be initiated and monitored on the basis of laboratory markers of HIV ND, most likely from the CSF. Finally, this summarized information would be useful in drafting a CSF profile in order to have a reference pattern for cases with complications. The data of this review will be broken down, when the information permits, according to clinical stage and presence or absence of clinical manifestations of ND."}
{"id": "PMID:1478852", "title": "Inhibition of human lymphoproliferative responses and altered lymphocyte membrane phenotype by succinylacetone.", "content": "Succinylacetone (SA) proved to be a potent inhibitor of in vitro lymphoproliferative responses. This compound (3.0 mM) reduced the incorporation of 3HTdr by > 90% in mononuclear cell cultures stimulated with PHA, anti-CD3, IL-2 or phorbol dibutyrate-Ca2+ ionomycin. Furthermore, SA caused profound reduction in isotope uptake even if added to 3-day PHA-stimulated cultures as late as 6 h prior to harvest. Cells exposed to SA prior to mitogenic challenge and washed were not impaired in their proliferative activities. The addition of hematin to SA-containing cultures did not reverse the proliferative block. Phenotypic studies of stimulated cells suggested that SA does not preferentially affect one functional group of lymphocytes. However, it appeared that SA may act selectively to inhibit expression of transferrin receptors (CD71), a T-cell activation antigen. These data suggest that SA acts as a noncytotoxic immune inhibitor; this activity may be mediated, in part, by blocking cell activation and subsequent progress through the mitotic cycle."}
{"id": "PMID:1478853", "title": "Tamm-Horsfall glycoprotein (THG) purified from normal human pregnancy urine increases phagocytosis, complement receptor expressions and arachidonic acid metabolism of polymorphonuclear neutrophils.", "content": "Tamm-Horsfall glycoprotein (THG) purified from normal human pregnancy urine was found to increase polymorphonuclear neutrophil (PMN) phagocytosis (46.57 +/- 3.54% in the medium versus 75.85 +/- 5.37% in the presence of 25 micrograms/ml THG) after 30 min preincubation. The phagocytosis-enhancing activity of THG was dose-dependent (5-50 micrograms/ml) and was possibly mediated by the increased expressions of complement receptor type 1 (CR1) and type 3 (CR3) on the neutrophils. The release of [3H]arachidonic acid and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), but not thromboxane B2 (TXB2), from neutrophils were also significantly enhanced by THG. Using 3,3'-dihexyloxacarbocyanine iodide as indicator, THG (25 micrograms/ml) depolarized the membrane potential of PMN after 30 min preincubation. In addition, THG exhibited a specific membranotropic effect with PMN. It is conceivable that THG binds to the cell surface and depolarizes the membrane potential of PMN which subsequently enhances the release of arachidonic acid metabolites and the translocation of the complement receptors to the membrane. These biochemical events lead to the increment of PMN phagocytosis and suggests that THG may play an important role in the defense mechanisms of the urinary tract in that a large amount of THG is usually present."}
{"id": "PMID:1478855", "title": "A functional characterization of macrophage alterations in casein-treated B6C3F1 mice.", "content": "We have previously reported that subcutaneous injection of casein, a potent inducer of the immunomodulatory acute phases reactant, serum amyloid A (SAA) protein, produces a marked suppression of humoral responses that require macrophage accessory cell cooperativity in the B6C3F1 mouse. The objective of these studies was to further characterize the immunological changes produced by casein treatment. It was observed that the inhibition of the sRBC IgM AFC response which accompanies casein treatment is dose related to the amount of casein introduced subcutaneously to the mouse. These studies, as well as those previously reported by several laboratories including our own have demonstrated that spleen cells isolated from casein-treated mice also exhibit markedly suppressed humoral responses in vitro. However, casein added directly to naive spleen cell cultures at concentrations significantly higher than those which would be found in the lymphoid tissues of the intact animal have no direct inhibitory effect on the sRBC IgM AFC response, suggesting that casein alone does not exert a direct immunosuppressive effect. Kinetics of recovery studies indicate that the casein-induced immunosuppression is readily reversible. Humoral responses are fully recovered within 3 days, once subcutaneous injections of casein are terminated. In vitro measurements of IL-1 secretion following stimulation of splenic macrophages, isolated from casein treated mice, with lipopolysaccharide indicate no significant effect on the capacity of these cells to produce this cytokine. Direct addition of recombinant IL-1 or interferon-gamma to spleen cell cultures isolated from casein-treated mice also was found to be incapable of reversing the inhibited IgM AFC response. Taken together, these studies strongly suggest that the accessory cell dysfunction associated with macrophages from casein-treated mice is not due to the inability of these cells to secrete IL-1 and indicate that the dysfunction cannot be reversed by IL-1 or interferon-gamma. Casein treatment was also found to markedly inhibit DTH, a cell-mediated immune response requiring macrophage accessory cell function. interestingly, the DTH responses were only affected by casein when it was administered post-sensitization with antigen (sRBC) but prior to antigen challenge. When casein was administered prior to sensitization with antigen, which is analogous to the treatment schedule that was found to suppress the sRBC antibody response, no effect was observed on DTH."}
{"id": "PMID:1478856", "title": "Components of men's well-being at mid-life.", "content": "This study was designed to examine the correlates of psychological well-being for 75 middle-aged professional men. Based on sex-role convergence and role adjustment theories, three sets of predictor variables (i.e., interpersonal family factors, role adjustment, and extrafamilial interpersonal factors) were hierarchically entered into a multiple regression equation. The well-being outcome was found to be influenced by interpersonal family factors. The role adjustment and extrafamilial interpersonal factors did not account for a significant increase in variance. The best univariate predictors of men's well-being at midlife were perceived closeness to child, perceived closeness to wife, adjustment to the husband role, and number of close friends."}
{"id": "PMID:1478867", "title": "Violence. Upping the ante. Interview by Cath Jackson.", "content": "Handling a physical attack is 'just the tip of the volcano' says Stevie Holland, author of a radical new distance learning pack on 'Managing aggression' at work. Health visitors, school nurses and their managers need training in preventive strategies to defuse potentially violent situations. They should also be looking at their own attitudes to colleagues and clients and at the culture of the organisation within which they work."}
{"id": "PMID:1478854", "title": "Methylxanthine-induced inhibition of the antigen- and superantigen-specific activation of T and B lymphocytes.", "content": "Methylxanthines have been shown to have a variety of effects on hematopoietic cell activation and function. These compounds inhibit cAMP-specific phosphodiesterase activity resulting in increased levels of intracellular cAMP. In the present study, we examined the effects of two methylxanthines, pentoxifylline (PTX) and caffeine, on the responses of both mouse and human lymphocytes to stimulation with polyclonal T- and B-cell mitogens, antigens, and the microbial superantigen, staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB). Both PTX and caffeine significantly inhibited mitogen- and SEB-induced proliferation by murine spleen cells, SEB- and antigen-induced proliferation and lymphokine secretion by murine Th1 and Th2 clones, and the generation of antigen-specific antibody producing murine spleen cells. These compounds also inhibited the proliferative responses of human lymphocytes to phytohemagglutinin, SEB, and tetanus toxoid. Efforts to determine whether these methylxanthine compounds mediated their inhibitory effects through a specific protein kinase pathway revealed a role for cAMP-dependent protein kinase A in methylxanthine-induced immunomodulation. However, it is possible that a protein kinase A-independent pathway may also be involved. These data demonstrate that the methylxanthines, PTX and caffeine, have profound effects on cells of the immune system and may have a potential use as immunotherapeutic agents in the treatment of various inflammatory conditions and autoimmune diseases."}
{"id": "PMID:1478858", "title": "Part II: The treatment of torture survivors: a review of the literature.", "content": "Various treatment modalities have been proposed for working with survivors of torture. In this article, treatment aimed at both the individual and community is discussed. The role of nurses in preserving human rights and healing the victims of human rights' violations is also outlined."}
{"id": "PMID:1478857", "title": "Part I: Torture and mental health: a review of the literature.", "content": "Torture affects a large number of people worldwide and poses a serious threat to mental health. This article presents an overview of torture as a current issue and reviews the literature that addresses the mental health effects of torture. Subtopics addressed include the effects of torture on the individual, the effects of torture on the community, studies of women who have survived torture, the ethics involved in studying torture victims, and the debate over identifying a torture syndrome."}
{"id": "PMID:1478869", "title": "Accident prevention: the health visitor's role.", "content": "The health of the nation white paper sets targets in five key areas for reductions in both mortality and morbidity: coronary heart disease and stroke, cancers, mental illness, HIV/Aids and sexual health and accidents. In a series of articles in Health visitor, experts will be considering the opportunities the white paper offers for community nurses in each of the key areas. Here Dr Sara Levene, medical consultant to the Child Accident Prevention Trust, considers accidents, a major problem which health visitors can do much to control. She reviews how accidents are presented in the white paper, what health visitors can do and what resources are available to help them. She offers particular advice on special accident prevention initiatives and discusses some of the opportunities created by the white paper."}
{"id": "PMID:1478863", "title": "Family functioning as perceived by parents of boys with attention deficit disorder.", "content": "The purpose of this study was to describe adaptability, cohesion, and family type in families of boys with attention deficit disorder. Comparisons were made across diagnostic groups for boys with and without hyperactivity and aggressive symptoms. Parents (N = 123) of 79 boys with attention deficit disorder (ADD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder plus aggressive symptoms participated in the study. The families were not significantly different in their functioning when compared to family norms established by Olson, Portner, and Lavee (1985). There were, however, significant differences in functioning across diagnostic categories. Parents of boys with ADD only, without the additional problem of hyperactivity or aggressive symptoms, reported the highest level of family functioning, and a larger percentage of parents whose child had hyperactivity or hyperactivity plus aggression reported extreme family functioning."}
{"id": "PMID:1478859", "title": "Differentiation of self and attachment among adult daughters.", "content": "The relation among the variables differentiation of self, attachment to mother, and two indicators of mental health were studied in 83 nonclinical adult daughters from a Southern community. An a priori causal model was proposed and tested. Bowen's (1976) theory of differentiation of self and Bowlby's (1969) attachment theory provided the conceptual framework. An operational Daughter Model was tested using the statistical program LISREL. Compared to mothers, daughters scored significantly lower on differentiation of self. Daughter's attachment to mother and daughter's level of self-differentiation were not causally related, supporting the view that differentiation of self and attachment are separate variables in personality development. The daughters' levels of differentiation of self were positively related to positive energy, thus supporting Bowen's theory. These findings affirm the value of attachment behaviors and differentiation of self in adulthood, challenge therapists' bias against attachment behaviors of women, and provide a focus for mental health promotion among women."}
{"id": "PMID:1478871", "title": "Using community health profiles to improve service provision.", "content": "Profiling has become increasingly important to the purchasing and provision of todays' health care. Kate Cernik and Mandy Wearne examine the concept and its importance to health visitors and community nurses and ask what is involved in the profiling process and who should be doing it."}
{"id": "PMID:1478872", "title": "Meeting the health needs of older homeless people.", "content": "Inclusion of health visiting services in packages of care for older people could play an important part in tackling the health and housing problems many experience, argues Kenneth Kelling. Here he draws attention to the often severe health problems of homeless older people and warns that current policies, far from improving their plight, will lead to further deterioration in services."}
{"id": "PMID:1478860", "title": "A field study of couples recovering from alcoholism.", "content": "Effective recovery from alcoholism demands commitment from both partners in a marriage. The focus of this qualitative study was to learn how couples progressed through recovery and how they achieved their goals conjointly. The Model of Recovering Alcoholics' Behavior Stages and Goal Setting was used as the theoretical base. Twenty-eight couples participated in the study. The author used analytic fieldwork to learn if spouses of alcoholics conformed to the same stages as indicated by the model and to learn the interactive effects of alcoholics' and spouses' stages. As a result, the author developed the Model of Alcoholic Spouses' Behavior Stages and Goal Setting. The research has implications for planning nursing care, determining when to intervene individually versus conjointly, and identifying indicators of relapse."}
{"id": "PMID:1478862", "title": "Caring for the professional caregiver: the application of Caplan's model of consultation in the era of HIV.", "content": "Nurses as well as other health-care professionals have been impacted by the current human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) epidemic. Issues related to virus transmission, voluntary testing, and professional requirements to provide care for those infected can trigger emotional as well as cognitive responses for all involved. The heavy emotional needs of patients and the regular confrontation of death increase the risk of burnout for those caring for the growing number of patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. In an effort to retain and to recruit nurses who are willing to become involved in the care of those infected with the virus, it is imperative that nursing administration provide psychosocial support services for those nurses. This article describes the development and implementation of a psychosocial support program, based on Caplan's (1973) model of mental health consultation, for nursing staff impacted by the HIV epidemic. The program, established through a cooperative alliance between psychiatric/mental health clinical nurse specialists and nursing staff, has proved to be effective and efficient. It is recommended that other psychiatric/mental health nurses, including faculty, use the consultation model to improve the psychosocial support available to health-care professionals affected by the HIV epidemic."}
{"id": "PMID:1478861", "title": "Hospital violence: site, severity, and nurses' preventive training.", "content": "A sample of 663 nurses was surveyed about exposure to violence at the work site; 243 (37%) had faced violence. Hospitals with low response rates to the questionnaire reported less assault, yet the violence admitted to was described as more deadly. More nurses at public than private hospitals had obtained some training to handle potentially violent situations. Serious assault was negatively related to amount of training. At the public psychiatric hospital, violent acts were most frequent, but the rate of deadly violence (e.g., rape, use of knives or guns, etc.) was lowest. The need to train staffs at general as well as psychiatric hospitals was discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1478873", "title": "Reasons for attending GP or health authority clinics.", "content": "A survey of 564 users of health authority and general practitioner-run child health clinics since the introduction of the 1991 GP contract revealed a level of 91 per cent satisfaction with the service regardless of the venue, write Hilary Sharpe and Del Loewenthal. However, the demand for health visiting expertise to cover both GP and health authority child surveillance services and the requests of many users for more health visitor input highlight the need for an adequately resourced health visiting service."}
{"id": "PMID:1478875", "title": "'Not just me dreaming': parents mourning pregnancy loss.", "content": "Part of a government-backed study of social support in pregnancy explored women's feelings about pregnancy loss and how the process of mourning and coming to terms with the baby's death can be facilitated. Lynda Rajan considers the practicalities involved in the immediate aftermath of perinatal loss. She discusses the need for recognition of the dead baby as a person for whom grieving is a legitimate process and suggests ways in which health professionals can contribute to promoting the mother's long term emotional health."}
{"id": "PMID:1478864", "title": "Loneliness in low-vision older women.", "content": "The purpose of this analysis was to identify predictors of loneliness in women 75 years of age and older with low vision. The sample of 56 women was derived from a larger study of low-vision adults. Women's loneliness, optimism, social support, living arrangement, vision, and perceived health were examined using the revised University of California, Los Angeles, Loneliness Scale, the Life Orientation Test, the Social Support Questionnaire, and a demographic questionnaire. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlations, multiple regressions, and t-tests. Optimism and social support satisfaction were found to predict degree of loneliness in the sample. Women who were less optimistic and less satisfied with their social support system experienced higher levels of loneliness. Duration of visual impairment was associated with duration of loneliness. The findings provide nurses with information for identifying low-vision older women who are at risk for loneliness."}
{"id": "PMID:1478865", "title": "Influence of psychosocial development and life events on the health practices of adults.", "content": "The purpose of this study was to examine variables believed to contribute to healthy life-styles of adults. Psychosocial development and the presence of stressors (i.e., life changes) were selected for the potential contribution they make to the practice of health behaviors of adults. Psychosocial theory of development and theory of human adaptation provided the conceptual framework that guided the investigation. Using a survey design, three self-report instruments were mailed to 216 potential subjects. The study participants (N = 156) were employees (current or retired) of a large midwestern university ranging in age from 24 to 80. The results revealed that the means for each stage of psychosocial development were at the upper end of the scale. Positive resolution of intimacy, the stage of early adulthood, was more strongly correlated with the health practices than the remaining seven stages, and four of the stages were significantly associated with the practice of healthy behaviors. Exposure to stressors as measured by life changes increased the predictive values of two of the subscales of the total health behaviors score, nutrition and safety. Stressors and their impact did not, in general, lend strength to the predictive value of healthy life-styles."}
{"id": "PMID:1478876", "title": "Defining the primary health care team.", "content": "Health visitors work in primary health care but do they work in primary health care teams? What is the primary health care team and what can health visitors' involvement contribute? Pauline Pearson explores the views of some of the central participants in the delivery of primary health care services in Newcastle upon Tyne."}
{"id": "PMID:1478877", "title": "A bright future for community nursing.", "content": "Lisa Rodrigues argues that health visitors and community nurses have a world to gain from the current flux in community health services. But they must actively seek out ways of working jointly with other agencies if they are not to be left on the sidelines."}
{"id": "PMID:1478879", "title": "Stepfamilies. 'A child of our own'.", "content": "An analysis of over 300 calls made to the Stepfamily telephone counselling service reveals the frequency and intensity of problems about pregnancy and young children in stepfamilies. BRIAN DIMMOCK highlights the pressure on stepmothers in particular and argues that professionals, including health visitors, need to be able to recognise the ways in which family structure can impact on people's lives."}
{"id": "PMID:1478880", "title": "Health promotion. It's all at the shopping co-op. Interview by Cath Jackson.", "content": "Residents on council estates in Bolton have got together to shop co-operatively to bulk-buy fresh fruit and vegetables more cheaply. CATH JACKSON talks to Steffie Price and Jane Sephton, the food and health advisers behind these practical schemes to help local people improve their diet."}
{"id": "PMID:1478885", "title": "On the use of tester stocks to predict the competitive ability of genotypes.", "content": "It has been recently claimed that the outcome of competition between two phenotypically indistinguishable strains cannot be predicted from comparisons of their respective performances against a mutant tester stock. Our aim in the present paper is to disprove this claim and to show the potential pitfalls of deriving conclusions from a statistical analysis of experimental designs commonly employed for the study of competitive interactions in genetically homogeneous and heterogeneous mixtures. Using our own data, we conclude that evaluating the competitive interactions of phenotypically indistinguishable wild-type strains by competing them against mutant marked stocks still remains a valuable method."}
{"id": "PMID:1478886", "title": "Increase in the resistance to the Bacillus thuringiensis supernatant effect in a Drosophila melanogaster wild type Oregon R line.", "content": "We report here the genetical and X chromosome rDNA molecular study of two Drosophila melanogaster Oregon R lines. These lines differ extensively in the degree of resistance of the females both to the lethal effect of an increased temperature and to that of Bacillus thuringiensis beta-exotoxin, which is an inhibitor of the nucleolar RNA polymerase. The 3B line, whose females are resistant, came from an Oregon R population subjected over several generations to increased temperature, 28 degrees C or over, while the other line is derived from the initial stock. Twofold variation was observed in the total number of ribosomal genes between the two lines. This variation applied to most ribosomal units, including the active ones. Variations among X chromosome rDNA content in a wild type population have thus been revealed using tests of resistance to the Bacillus thuringiensis beta-exotoxin. Additive variations in specific unit types between the two lines indicate that modifications to the rDNA content are not rare events."}
{"id": "PMID:1478887", "title": "Differential phosphorylation of some proteins of the neuronal cytoskeleton during brain development.", "content": "The cytoskeleton is important for neuronal morphogenesis. During the postnatal development of cat brain, the molecular composition of the neuronal cytoskeleton changes with maturation. Several of its proteins change in their rate of expression, in their degree of phosphorylation, in their subcellular distribution, or in their biochemical properties. It is proposed that phosphorylation is an essential mechanism to regulate the plasticity of the early, juvenile-type cytoskeleton. Among such proteins are several microtubule-associated proteins (MAPs), such as MAP5a, MAP2c or the juvenile tau proteins. Phosphorylation may also act on neurofilaments, postulated to be involved in the adult-type stabilization of axons. These observations imply that phosphorylation may affect cytoskeleton function in axons and dendrites at various developmental stages. Yet, the mechanisms of phosphorylation and its regulation cascades are largely unknown. In view of the topic of this issue on CD15, the potential role of matrix molecules being involved in the modulation of phosphorylation activity and of cytoskeletal properties is addressed."}
{"id": "PMID:1478888", "title": "Glycoproteins and lectins in cell adhesion and cell recognition processes.", "content": "The discovery of endogenous lectins having specific and high affinity for the carbohydrate portions of glycoproteins has opened up new directions in the field of cell adhesion and cell recognition. Two endogenous lectins, termed as CSL and R1, initially isolated from the rat cerebellum and having a wide distribution in mammalian tissues, have been shown to participate in essential mechanisms of cell adhesion. The membrane-bound lectin R1 seems to be involved in transient recognition between neuronal cells, followed by elimination of the glycoprotein ligands at the surface of the recognized cell. In contrast, CSL is a molecule involved in adhesion between various normal or transformed cells since it participates in the formation of tight junctions. The glycoprotein ligands recognized with higher affinity by these two lectins seem to possess a special structure which defines a sub-class of oncofetal HNK-1 glycans. The over-expression of the glycoprotein ligands of these lectins in most transformed cells provides new tools for understanding the underlying mechanism of malignant transformation as well as the generation of signals through cell adhesion."}
{"id": "PMID:1478889", "title": "A metastasis-associated antigen is present on a 60 kDa glycoprotein in transitional cell carcinoma of the human urinary bladder.", "content": "We have previously shown that the degree of expression of Lex-related carbohydrate epitopes, namely, Lotus tetragonolobus agglutinin (LTA) receptors, SSEA-1 and FH6, correlates with the metastatic potential of transitional cell carcinoma of the human urinary bladder. In an effort to obtain a better reagent with which to detect a metastasis-associated epitope, monoclonal antibodies were produced against LTA receptors from BOY bladder carcinoma cells. One antigen defined by such a monoclonal antibody, MM4, indeed showed better correlation with the metastatic potential of the tumour than did other carbohydrate markers. In the LTA receptors, MM4 antigen was located only on a 60 kDa glycoprotein. In extracts from primary carcinomas and lymph node metastases, the 60 kDa glycoprotein was the principal carrier of MM4 antigen. LTA receptors from these sources were composed of arrays of glycoproteins, while the 60 kDa one was invariably present. Metastasis-associated carbohydrate epitopes on the 60 kDa glycoprotein may promote metastasis by interaction with carbohydrate-recognizing proteins such as selectins on host cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1478890", "title": "A monoclonal anti-glycoconjugate antibody defines a stage and position-dependent gradient in the developing sympathoadrenal system.", "content": "The expression of complex carbohydrate antigens was analysed in developing sympathoadrenal cells of the rat using monoclonal antibodies that react with unique carbohydrate structures. CC1 and CC4 are monoclonal antibodies that react specifically with beta-N-acetylgalactosamine and alpha-galactose/alpha-fucose moieties, respectively. CC1-reactive glycoconjugates are expressed in embryonic superior cervical ganglion (SCG) cells as early as embryonic day 15 (E15). CC4 is expressed in the SCG only for a brief period starting at E18 and then disappearing at P5. During their transient period of expression, CC1 antigens are expressed uniformly throughout the SCG at E15-17, but are then restricted to the rostral portion of the SCG from E18 to P4. CC4 is also concentrated in the rostral portion of the SCG between E21 and P4. In the adrenal medulla, CC1 and CC4 antigens display a post-natal onset of expression commencing approximately at P14 and continue to be expressed on a subset of cells which contain tyrosine hydroxylase (TH). The expression of CC1, however, is restricted to phenylethanolamine-N-methyltransferase-(PNMT)-negative chromaffin cells, whereas CC4 is not. CC1 and CC4-expressing cells appear to be scattered throughout the adrenal medulla without any particular topographic orientation. These findings suggest that the CC1 monoclonal antibody defines a stage-specific differentiation antigen in the sympathoadrenal lineage. Additionally, the CC1 antigen may confer important positional information in the embryonic SCG by distinguishing rostral from caudal neuronal cell bodies."}
{"id": "PMID:1478891", "title": "HLA class II nucleotide sequences, 1992.", "content": "The HLA class II sequences included in this compilation are taken from publications listed in these papers: Nomenclature for factors of the HLA system, 1991 [1], Nomenclature for factors of the HLA system, 1990 [2] and Nomenclature for factors of the HLA system, 1989 [3]. Where discrepancies have arisen between reported sequences, the original authors have been contacted where possible, and necessary amendments to published sequences have been incorporated into this alignment. Future sequencing may identify errors in this list and we would welcome any evidence that helps to maintain the accuracy of this compilation. In the sequence alignments, identity between residues is indicated by a hyphen (-). An unavailable sequence is indicated by an asterisk (*). Gaps in the sequence are inserted to maintain the alignment between different alleles showing variation in amino acid number."}
{"id": "PMID:1478892", "title": "Evolutionary stability of transspecies major histocompatibility complex class II DRB lineages in humans and rhesus monkeys.", "content": "Sequence analysis of rhesus monkey (Macaca mulatta) polymorphic second exon of major histocompatibility complex class II DRB subregion genes demonstrates the existence of at least 34 alleles. Some of these rhesus monkey alleles are very similar (or nearly identical) to HLA-DRB alleles. These data demonstrate that members of the lineages for Mhc-DRB1*03, -DRB1*04, -DRB1*10, and the loci of Mhc-DRB3, -DRB4, -DRB5, and -DRB6 predate speciation of man and rhesus monkey and were already present 25 million years ago. Calculation of evolutionary rates suggests that the various allele lineages have differential stabilities. Furthermore, the data indicate that distinct species may not have inherited or lost transspecies Mhc-DRB lineages in evolution, because several allele lineages in rhesus monkeys appear to be absent in humans and vice versa."}
{"id": "PMID:1478893", "title": "Mutant HLA-A201 heavy chains with lowered affinity for beta 2m are transported after growth at reduced temperatures.", "content": "Forty-five site-directed mutants bearing single amino acid substitutions in the alpha 3 domain of the class I molecule HLA-A201 were previously transfected into CIR cells and screened for surface expression by antibody binding. Eight mutants are expressed at significantly reduced levels relative to HLA-A201, including two with substitutions at residues contacting beta 2m. One of the latter mutations, position 242 gln > lys (242K), is now shown to block assembly with beta 2m and prevent intracellular transport at 37 degrees C. At temperatures ranging from 21 degrees C to 30 degrees C, 242K heavy chains and beta 2m form dimers that are exported to the cell surface. Surface expression at 26 degrees C is not blocked by cycloheximide pretreatment, but is completely inhibited by Brefeldin A, suggesting that at 37 degrees C preformed heavy chains accumulate in the ER. Glycans on the retained heavy chains are sensitive to digestion by Endo H, but become Endo H resistant after cells are grown at 26 degrees C. Preincubation of 242K cells with synthetic peptides shown previously to bind HLA-A201 does not increase reactivity with anti-HLA-A2 antibodies, suggesting that the defective phenotype is not due to instability of cell surface mutant class I dimers, but derives instead from impaired assembly of 242K heavy chains with beta 2m inside the cell. This contrasts with mutant cells such as .174, T2 and RMA-S, which exhibit defects in internal peptide transporters, but assemble and export \"empty\" dimers to their surfaces that can be stabilized subsequently by exogenous peptides. 242K mutants may therefore be suited uniquely for studying assembly and peptide binding to class I molecules in the ER."}
{"id": "PMID:1478894", "title": "Usage of human T-cell receptor V beta, J beta, C beta, and V alpha gene segments is not proportional to gene number.", "content": "Certain T-cell receptor (TCR) beta-chain variable (V), joining (J), and constant (C) gene segments, as well as TCR alpha-chain V gene segments, are disproportionally represented in TCR alpha and beta cDNA libraries derived from PHA-stimulated peripheral blood lymphocytes. Sequences of 138 TCR alpha clones and 96 TCR beta clones were determined and of these 128 TCR alpha clones and 88 TCR beta clones were found to contain unique combinations of V, J, and C gene segments or to display diversity in N region nucleotides. The frequency of the V, J, and C genes used in the assembly of unique transcripts was ascertained. Of the 24 reported V beta gene families, 21 were observed among the 88 TCR beta clones including four V beta families (V beta 1, V beta 2, V beta 3, and V beta 4) that were represented in the sample 2 1/2-5 times more frequently than would be expected on the basis of copy number within the gene complex. Seventy-eight percent of the clones were positive for C beta 2 and more than half of the clones (53%) used one of two J beta 2 genes: J beta 2.1 was present in 27 clones and J beta 2.7 in 20 clones. TCR V alpha families were also disproportionately represented in this sample. Twenty-five of 30 V alpha families were observed in the sample of 128 clones including six recently reported V alpha families. Three V alpha families, V alpha 2, V alpha 8, and V alpha 23, accounted for approximately 40% of the TCR alpha clones and were represented at 18%, 9.4%, and 13.3%, respectively. Both V alpha 2 and V alpha 8 gene families contain more than one gene; thus the number of clones observed in these families may, in part, be related to gene number. However, V alpha 23, which appears to be a single-copy gene family, is significantly overrepresented in this sample. Although disproportional usage of V beta genes may be accounted for by superantigen exposure, reasons for disproportional usage of J beta, C beta, and V alpha genes are presently unknown."}
{"id": "PMID:1478895", "title": "Comparison of the social support networks of Filipino and Mexican-American primigravidas.", "content": "In this descriptive-exploratory study, we sought to describe and compare the similarities and differences between Filipino and Mexican-American primigravidas in social support networks, type of support received, and expectations regarding care from health care providers. Convenience sampling was used, and face-to-face interviews using the Norbeck Social Support Questionnaire (Norbeck, Lindsey, & Carrieri, 1983) were conducted in Filipino and Spanish by trained data collectors. The profiles obtained for both groups were similar in sociodemographic characteristics; possession of an adequate social support network, predominantly composed of the spouse and family members; and expectations of more personalized care and decreased waiting time than transpired. The groups differed slightly with regard to ability to discuss pregnancy with persons reported in the network. Overall findings reflect the central role of the family as a source of support during pregnancy. Recommendations are made to conduct research addressing populations of varied ethnic groups and with different educational backgrounds, populations of single and teenage pregnant women, and spousal support."}
{"id": "PMID:1478898", "title": "Women and eating disorders, Part II: Developmental, familial, and biological risk factors.", "content": "The problem of eating disorders in women is a topic of concern for health care providers today. The focus of this article is on the developmental, familial, and biological factors that may put young women at risk. Identity, body image, autonomy, and separation-individuation are the developmental issues explored. Particular family characteristics such as enmeshment, cohesiveness, overprotectiveness, and boundary rigidity are presented as risk factors as well. The biological predisposition to obesity and the possibility of a predisposition to an affective disorder are considered. The role of the health professional with respect to prevention by intervening in risk factor development is discussed with an emphasis on the education and guidance of parents throughout the life cycle."}
{"id": "PMID:1478901", "title": "Behavior change in the funny papers: feedback to cartoonists on safety belt use.", "content": "A multiple baseline across 8 nationally syndicated cartoonists evaluated the effects of personal advocacy letters encouraging presentations of a specific prevention message--the depiction of safety belt use in comic strips showing motor vehicle occupants. During baseline these cartoonists depicted safety belt use in only 15% (6 of 41) of their strips with occupied vehicles, but following receipt of a personal letter requesting safety belt use 41% (42 of 102) of their strips depicted safety belt use. Four cartoonists showed clear and immediate increases in depiction of safety belt use, 2 demonstrated delayed and somewhat less consistent belt use, and 2 cartoonists showed no change. The approach and results are discussed with regard to advocacy efforts intended to influence presentation of prevention messages in the media."}
{"id": "PMID:1478902", "title": "An analysis of maintenance following functional communication training.", "content": "The multiple and long-term effects of functional communication training relative to a common reductive procedure (time-out from positive reinforcement) were evaluated. Twelve children participated in a functional analysis of their challenging behaviors (Study 1), which implicated adult attention as a maintaining variable. The children were then matched for chronological age, mental age, and language age and assigned to two groups. One group received functional communication training as an intervention for their challenging behavior, and the second group received time-out as a contrast. Both interventions were initially successful (Study 2), but durable results were achieved only with the group that received functional communication training across different stimulus conditions (Study 3). Students whose challenging behaviors were previously reduced with time-out resumed these behaviors in the presence of naive teachers unaware of the children's intervention history. The value of teaching communicative responses to promote maintenance is discussed as it relates to the concept of functional equivalence."}
{"id": "PMID:1478899", "title": "Report on a panel longitudinal study of college women's eating patterns and eating disorders: noncontinuum versus continuum measures.", "content": "The self-reported frequencies (prevalence and incidence) of eating patterns and disorders in a matched longitudinal sample of college women (N = 141) interviewed during their sophomore year (Time 1) and senior year (Time 2) were compared. The rate of eating disorders was assessed using a noncontinuum measure, the Eating Attitudes Test (Garner, Olmsted, Bohr, & Garfinkel, 1982), as well as continuum measures based on criteria in the third edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (American Psychiatric Association, 1980). The noncontinuum measure revealed a prevalence rate of eating disorders per 2-year period comparable to that found in other studies of college student populations. The incidence rate per 2-year period was not of epidemic proportions. A sizable percentage of women appeared to get better from Time 1 to Time 2; a small percentage of women remained abnormal eaters. The continuum measurement uncovered a large group of women whose eating patterns were chronic but not severe enough to classify them as \"abnormal\" eaters. The implications of using different measures for defining and treating college women's eating disorders are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1478903", "title": "Too much reinforcement, too little behavior: assessing task interspersal procedures in conjunction with different reinforcement schedules with autistic children.", "content": "Task interspersal procedures have been quite effective in increasing autistic children's motivation to learn. These procedures have typically demonstrated that the inclusion of reinforced maintenance tasks (previously learned tasks) increases responding to new acquisition tasks because more reinforcers, in general, are available. However, studies have not specifically addressed the effects of various schedules of reinforcement, used in conjunction with task interspersal procedures, upon response acquisition. In the present study, a multiple baseline design across subjects was used to assess different reinforcement schedules. Five autistic children participated in learning sessions, during which trials of an acquisition task were interspersed with trials of three maintenance tasks. Correct responses to acquisition tasks were continuously reinforced throughout all conditions, while the reinforcement schedule for competent performance of maintenance tasks differed systematically. Results indicated that all children learned the new tasks when food reinforcers were presented only for acquisition tasks. Results are discussed in terms of behavioral contrast and improving the effectiveness of motivation-enhancing procedures for autistic children."}
{"id": "PMID:1478900", "title": "Work, marital status, and heart disease.", "content": "Longitudinal data from the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Survey and its follow-up were used to analyze the effects of marriage and work roles and changes in these roles on the incidence of coronary heart conditions in a sample of 3,097 middle-aged women. Education, age, family income, race, and number of children were included as covariates. The data indicated that women who became unmarried, younger women, and better educated women were at relatively low risk, whereas women who left the labor force and women who were homemakers were at relatively high risk for the conditions. Additional analyses were done on employed women. These findings support the \"well-worker effect\" but cast doubt on the belief that marriage is always beneficial to health."}
{"id": "PMID:1478896", "title": "Toward culturally sensitive research in a multicultural society.", "content": "Applying research methods and techniques developed in a dominant culture to other cultures can threaten the validity and generalizability of research conducted with other cultures. Guidelines are proposed for increasing the cultural sensitivity of research, and a case example is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1478897", "title": "Women and eating disorders, Part I: Significance and sociocultural risk factors.", "content": "Eating disorders are a significant health problem for women today and therefore are a concern for the health professionals who work with women. The significance of this problem is addressed through epidemiological data from a Western cultural perspective. Many risk factors contribute to the development of these disorders. Broad categories including sociocultural, developmental, familial, and biological factors have been identified by clinicians and researchers. The sociocultural risk factors are the norms, standards, or values of a society. The sociocultural risk factors explored in this article are (a) the value of a thin physique, (b) the value of perfection, (c) the norm of dieting, (d) the influence of the media on these values, and (e) the choice of certain professions. The role of the health professional in prevention with respect to sociocultural factors is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1478904", "title": "Use of descriptive and experimental analyses to identify the functional properties of aberrant behavior in school settings.", "content": "We conducted descriptive and experimental analyses of aberrant behavior in school settings with 2 children with autism, using teachers as assessors. Experimental functional analyses carried out by the investigators were followed by training teachers to conduct a descriptive analysis and a classroom experimental analysis. A comparison of the assessment procedures showed that each procedure identified negative reinforcement as a maintaining variable for aberrant behavior. The teacher implemented an intervention based on the assessment with mixed results. We then replicated the initial results by having the first teacher train a second teacher to carry out the two assessment procedures. The results of these analyses were also in agreement, again identifying negative reinforcement as a variable maintaining aberrant behavior. An intervention based on negative reinforcement was then successfully implemented. These results suggest the applicability and utility of functional analyses carried out in school settings."}
{"id": "PMID:1478905", "title": "Analysis of the effects of task preferences, task demands, and adult attention on child behavior in outpatient and classroom settings.", "content": "Two studies were conducted with children who displayed behavior problems to evaluate the effects of task preference, task demands, and adult attention on child behavior. In Study 1, we conducted brief functional analyses in an outpatient clinic to identify variables that facilitated appropriate behavior. For 8 of 10 children, distinct patterns of performance occurred; 3 children displayed improved behavior with changes in task demands, 1 child displayed improved behavior with a preferred task, and 4 children displayed improved behavior with changes in adult attention. In most cases, the children's parents carried out the assessments with adequate procedural integrity. In Study 2, we applied similar assessment methods to a classroom setting over an extended period of time. We identified independent variables controlling appropriate, on-task, and academic behavior for 2 children on two tasks, with slightly different treatment procedures across tasks for both children. In addition, the results of brief functional analyses for both children corresponded to the extended classroom assessments."}
{"id": "PMID:1478906", "title": "Generalized effects of a peer-delivered first aid program for students with moderate intellectual disabilities.", "content": "Peers with mild intellectual disabilities taught first aid skills to 4 students with moderate intellectual disabilities. A multiple probe design across participants was used to examine the effects of the peer teaching program during an acquisition and a partial sequential withdrawal phase. Generalization assessments were conducted in the participants' homes using novel, randomized simulated injuries. Results suggested that the peer teaching program resulted in acquisition of first aid skills, and the participants' skills generalized to the home, to novel simulated-injury locations, and to new trainers. Additionally, a more detailed analysis of the generalized responding suggested that when given a choice among first aid materials, participants treated burns using large adhesive bandages rather than the materials used in training. Participants also successfully treated injuries when novel instructional cues were used. The findings are discussed with respect to training issues, generalization and maintenance of the acquired skills, and the use of peer tutors with disabilities."}
{"id": "PMID:1478907", "title": "Gentle teaching and applied behavior analysis: a critical review.", "content": "In recent years, there has been a growing controversy surrounding gentle teaching. This paper explores the nature of this controversy with particular reference to the relationship between gentle teaching and applied behavior analysis. Advantages and disadvantages of this approach are discussed, and it is suggested that gentle teaching and applied behavior analysis need not be regarded as mutually exclusive approaches to working with persons with mental retardation."}
{"id": "PMID:1478911", "title": "Promoting law enforcement for child protection: a community analysis.", "content": "The Colorado Occupant Protection Project (COPP) intervention provided police with brief instruction concerning the importance of citations for drivers' failure to use child safety seats and special coupons to accompany citations. Coupons were exchangeable by drivers for a safety seat and brief training in its use, plus a waiver of the $50 citation fine. Over 4.5 years of archival records were employed, using an ABA design and a comparison community to evaluate the program. Few tickets were issued for nonuse of safety seats during the 3-year baseline in either community. Citations for nonuse of safety seats increased to over 50 per month during the intervention period at the test site, whereas rates remained essentially zero at the comparison site. After the COPP intervention was removed at the intervention site, citation rates for nonuse of safety seats decreased to about 15 per month. Differences between intervention conditions and settings were statistically significant. During the intervention, officers were 44 times more likely to write citations than were controls. Results suggested that a behavioral program can increase police citation writing for child protection purposes."}
{"id": "PMID:1478912", "title": "Spelling and emergent picture-printed word relations established with delayed identity matching to complex samples.", "content": "Students with academic deficits learned delayed matching-to-sample tasks that used complex sample stimuli, each consisting of a picture and a printed word. A touch to the sample complex removed it from the computer display and produced either picture comparisons or a choice pool of letters. If the comparisons were pictures, selecting the picture identical to the preceding sample was reinforced. If the letters appeared, letter-by-letter construction of the preceding printed word sample was reinforced. The procedure engendered new constructed-response spelling performances and arbitrary relations among pictures and printed words in matching to sample. The emergence of relations among different sets of printed words (paired with the same pictures) suggested classes of equivalent stimuli. Outcome tests involving spoken words as sample stimuli suggested expansion of subjects' spelling repertoires and stimulus classes."}
{"id": "PMID:1478913", "title": "Effects of high-probability requests on the acquisition and generalization of responses to requests in young children with behavior disorders.", "content": "The failure to respond to requests in young children often is maintained by the reactions of the adults that encounter this behavior. This failure to respond to requests has been identified as a primary reason for the children's exclusion from community, social, and instructional opportunities. Numerous interventions that target the failure to respond have consisted of punishment and reinforcement procedures. More recently, antecedent interventions have focused on changing the context in which a request is delivered. In the current study, high-probability requests were provided as an antecedent to delivering a low-probability request. The requests were delivered by multiple trainers in an attempt to produce generalized appropriate responding to adults who did not use the high-probability sequence. Results showed an immediate increase in appropriate responding in 2 children when the intervention was delivered. In addition, when the intervention was implemented by more than one adult, spontaneous increases in responding also were observed toward adults who had never implemented the request sequence. Improvements in responding to requests were maintained after the intervention was discontinued."}
{"id": "PMID:1478914", "title": "Formation of cholic acid from 3 alpha, 7 alpha, 12 alpha-trihydroxy-5 beta-cholestanoic acid in human skin fibroblasts.", "content": "Whether 3 alpha, 7 alpha, 12 alpha-trihydroxy-5 beta-cholestanoic acid (THCA) was converted into cholic acid in human skin fibroblasts was examined. THCA was incubated with subcellular fractions of cultured skin fibroblasts in the presence of NAD+, ATP, CoA, and Mg2+. The reaction products were analyzed by thin-layer chromatography and high-performance liquid chromatography after p-bromophenacyl ester derivatization. The highest specific activity was found in the light mitochondrial fraction (2.71 nmol/mg protein/h). The specific activity was about 9-fold higher than that in heavy mitochondrial fraction. The peroxisomal fraction prepared from the light mitochondrial fraction by sucrose gradient centrifugation was also able to catalyze the conversion of THCA into cholic acid. The specific activity in this fraction was a further 2.2-fold higher than that in the light mitochondrial fraction. These results suggest that cultured human skin fibroblasts are able to convert THCA into cholic acid, and that the activity exists in peroxisomes."}
{"id": "PMID:1478915", "title": "Purification and properties of 4-hydroxybiphenyl UDP-glucuronyltransferase from bovine liver microsomes.", "content": "A UDP-glucuronyltransferase isoform glucuronizes phenolic xenobiotics such as 4-nitrophenol, and an isoform glucuronizing 4-hydroxybiphenyl has also been found in rat liver. We purified a UDP-glucuronyltransferase isoform glucuronizing 4-hydroxybiphenyl from bovine liver microsomes by solubilization with 0.7% sodium cholate followed by three column chromatographic separations using DEAE-Toyopearl 650S, UDP-hexanolamine Sepharose 4B, and hydroxyapatite. The purified bovine liver 4-hydroxybiphenyl UDP-glucuronyltransferase (named Bovine 4HBGT) had glucuronidation activities toward 4-hydroxybiphenyl and 4-methylumbelliferone but had little activity toward 4-nitrophenol and 1-naphthol. The apparent molecular mass of Bovine 4HBGT was 54,000 Da on SDS-PAGE, and this was decreased to 50,000 Da by digestion with endo-beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase H. These data suggest that Bovine 4HBGT consists of a 50,000 Da polypeptide and a high mannose type oligosaccharide chain(s) of about 4,000 Da. The NH2-terminal sequence of GT-3 was GKVLVWPVDFSXWINI. These properties of Bovine 4HBGT were very similar to those of rat UDP-glucuronyltransferase glucuronizing xenobiotics. However, the NH2-terminal sequence of Bovine 4HBGT had higher homology with that of rat liver 4-hydroxybiphenyl UDP-glucuronyltransferase than with that of rat liver 4-nitrophenol UDP-glucuronyltransferase."}
{"id": "PMID:1478916", "title": "Primary structure of the antihemorrhagic factor in serum of the Japanese Habu: a snake venom metalloproteinase inhibitor with a double-headed cystatin domain.", "content": "The complete amino acid sequence of an antihemorrhagic factor, HSF, in the serum of the Japanese Habu snake, Trimeresurus flavoviridis, has been determined. The protein is composed of 323 amino acid residues and contains three asparagine-linked oligosaccharide chains at positions 123, 185, and 263. The molecule contains two copies of the cystatin domain in the N-terminal portion up to position 240, and these domains show a remarkable sequence homology (about 50%) to those of plasma glycoproteins such as alpha 2-HS (human) and fetuin (bovine) and to a lesser extent to that of HRG (human). The amino acid sequence of the noncystatin region towards the C-terminus is unique, showing no significant homology with those of the corresponding regions of alpha 2-HS and fetuin. In spite of the presence of cystatin domains, HSF does not inhibit cysteine proteinases such as papain and cathepsin B but does inhibit several metalloproteases in Habu venom. The results suggest that HSF is the first protein found to be functionally related to metalloproteinase inhibitors among the structurally homologous proteins with a double-headed cystatin domain, and is a member of a novel family (family 4) with divergent functions of the cystatin superfamily proteinase inhibitors. Although HSF possesses similar physicochemical properties to those of oprin, a snake venom metalloproteinase inhibitor with antihemorrhagic activity isolated from opossum serum [Catanese & Kress (1992) Biochemistry 31, 410-418], its primary structure is strikingly different from that of oprin."}
{"id": "PMID:1478917", "title": "Hyperproduction of human interferon gamma by rat cells maintained in low-serum medium using the fibronectin gene promoter.", "content": "An expression vector, pF1900M, which expresses a cloned gene at a high level in quiescent mammalian cells was constructed using the rat fibronectin (FN) promoter. Human interferon gamma (HuIFN-gamma) cDNA inserted downstream of the FN promoter in pF1900M was introduced into rat 3Y1 cells and several IFN-producing cell lines were established. These cells secreted a low level of IFN when they were growing but secreted at a high level after they had reached confluence. The level was further increased when the confluent cells were maintained in low-serum medium and a cell line, I7, produced 4 x 10(5) IU/ml of IFN, comparable to that produced by genetically engineered Escherichia coli in 2 days. The IFN-producing ability of I7 cells could be maintained by successive replacements of low-serum medium for at least 2 weeks. HuIFN-gamma secreted into the medium had a molecular weight range of 22,000 to 25,000, similar to that of IFN-gamma produced by human lymphocytes. The N-linked glycosylation of HuIFN-gamma seemed to occur properly, since treatment of the IFN with N-glycanase resulted in a reduction of molecular weight to 17,000, which corresponds to that calculated from the deduced amino acid sequence of HuIFN-gamma."}
{"id": "PMID:1478918", "title": "Cloning and expression of the Klebsiella pneumoniae galactose operon.", "content": "The entire galactose (gal) operon of Klebsiella pneumoniae was isolated and functionally analyzed in Escherichia coli. The genes encoding galactokinase (galK), galactose-1-phosphate uridyltransferase (galT), and UDP-galactose-4-epimerase (galE) were mapped by complementation analysis. The gene order E-T-K was found to be identical to that of Salmonella spp. and E. coli. Analysis of the nucleotide sequence in the control region revealed significant homology with that of E. coli. Two major sites for transcriptional initiation, both mapped to a cytosyl residue, were identified by primer extension. When the operon is expressed in E. coli, the K. pneumoniae gal gene products make up about 30% of the total cellular proteins. The presence of a powerful promoter responsible for high level synthesis of the gal proteins was also demonstrated using beta-galactosidase as reporter."}
{"id": "PMID:1478919", "title": "A novel core protein as well as polymorphic epithelial mucin carry peanut agglutinin binding sites in human gastric carcinoma cells: sequence analysis and examination of gene expression.", "content": "The peanut agglutinin (PNA)-binding site is protein-bound Gal beta 1-->3GalNAc, and is a tumor-associated carbohydrate marker expressed in many human carcinomas. PNA-binding glycoproteins isolated from KATO-III human gastric carcinoma cells were deglycosylated by trifluoromethanesulfonic acid, and rabbit antibodies against the core proteins were used to screen a lambda gt11 expression library constructed from these cells. Two different core proteins were identified by this approach. One was polymorphic epithelial mucin (PEM), initially found in breast carcinomas. PEM mRNA was expressed in normal tissues of the stomach, colon, and lung, but not in the small intestine, thyroid, and spleen. High levels of PEM mRNA were detected in some nude mouse-transplanted carcinomas, i.e. colorectal, pancreatic, stomach, and lung carcinomas. The other core protein was a novel one called MGC-24, which has a molecular mass of 24 kDa, is rich in hydroxyl amino acids and cysteine, and lacks repeating motifs. The mature MGC-24 glycoprotein behaved as a high-molecular-mass one upon SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis even after neuraminidase treatment. Treatment with endo-alpha-N-acetylgalactosaminidase in the absence of neuraminidase significantly changed the staining pattern by anti-MGC-24, confirming that MGC-24 carried PNA-binding sites. MGC-24 mRNA was intensely expressed in normal tissues of the colon, small intestine and thyroid, and in some nude mouse-transplanted colorectal and pancreatic adenocarcinomas."}
{"id": "PMID:1478920", "title": "Modification of immunopharmacological activities of synthetic monosaccharide lipid A analogue, GLA60, by lysozyme.", "content": "Recent studies by our group suggested that lysozyme has a high affinity for bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of both the smooth and rough forms, and inhibits various immunomodulatory activities of LPS. GLA60 is a synthetic monosaccharide analogue of bacterial lipid A well known as having most of the activities of lipid A with very low toxicity. In this study, we characterized the interaction of lysozyme with GLA60 in comparison to that with Escherichia coli 0111 LPS (smooth form) by means of an immunopharmacological approach. Using dansylated lysozyme (DNS-LZM) as a probe, LZM was found to bind to GLA60. The mitogenic and polyclonal B-cell activating activities were significantly reduced by complex formation. However, there was no inhibitory effect on GLA60 induced production of IL-1 and TNF of macrophages. Interestingly, the activities of macrophages induced by the complex were found to be significantly higher than those induced by GLA60 itself. In contrast, the activities of 0111 LPS were significantly inhibited by LZM. Since the GLA60-LZM complex produced a turbid suspension but the 0111 LPS-LZM complex remained soluble, we consider that the activities of GLA60 alone were mediated by the common functional LPS receptor for dispersed form in both macrophages and B-lymphocytes, but activation of macrophages by the complex was mediated either by another LPS receptor not present in B-lymphocytes or through the phagocytic function of macrophages."}
{"id": "PMID:1478921", "title": "Regulation of myeloid-specific calcium binding protein synthesis by cytosolic protein kinase C.", "content": "Two calcium binding proteins, MRP-8 and MRP-14, are specifically synthesized in human myeloid cells. This paper shows that Me2SO, all-trans-retinoic acid (RA) and 1 alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1 alpha,25(OH)2D3), but not 12-O-tetradecanoyl phorbol-13-acetate (PMA) are potent inducers of MRP-8/14 protein complex in human leukemic cells. Transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-beta 1) is shown to enhance the inductive effect of RA and 1 alpha,25(OH)2D3. We have examined the possibility that MRP expression is regulated through the protein kinase pathway. Both cytosolic and membrane-bound protein kinase C (PKC) activities increased during differentiation by RA and 1 alpha,25(OH)2D3. PMA-treatment led to a decrease of cytosolic PKC activity and an increase of membrane-bound PKC activity in the presence of these differentiation inducers, while PMA alone resulted in low cytosolic and high membrane-bound PKC activities. PKC inhibitor H7 inhibited MRP synthesis in HL-60 cells treated with RA and 1 alpha,25(OH)2D3. These results suggest that cytosolic PKC activity may be involved in a stimulatory pathway of MRP synthesis and that protein phosphorylation reactions may play important roles in MRP expression during myelocytic differentiation."}
{"id": "PMID:1478922", "title": "Molecular shape of dystrophin.", "content": "The molecular shape of dystrophin has been reported to be a 175 nm flexible rod [Pons, F. et al. (1990) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 87, 7851-7855] or a 120 nm dumbbell [Murayama, T. et al. (1990) Proc. Jpn. Acad. 66B, 96-99]. The present work revealed that 100 nm flexible rods with or without spheres were predominant in highly purified dystrophin preparations. When the sample was subjected to gel filtration, dystrophin oligomers were isolated just after the void volume and the fraction largely consisted of dumbbell-shaped molecules. From various rotary-shadowed images, it was suggested that dystrophin is a rod with spheres at both ends, approximately 110 nm long and 2 nm wide. It appeared that this monomer binds to another monomer in a staggered way, forming a dimer, and the dimers associate with each other side-by-side, forming a dumbbell-shaped tetramer, 130 nm long and 5 nm wide. The tetramers form an end-to-end aggregate. It seemed that the dumbbell structure was not affected by alkaline (pH 11) treatment to dissociate dystrophin associated glycoproteins, but was deteriorated by detergent, NP-40, Triton X-100, or CHAPS, used for solubilization of membrane-bound dystrophin."}
{"id": "PMID:1478923", "title": "Tetrahymena profilin is localized in the division furrow.", "content": "Localization of Tetrahymena profilin was examined by an immunofluorescence method. In interphase Tetrahymena cells, immunofluorescence for profilin was diffusely distributed in the cytoplasm, while in dividing cells, additional intense fluorescence was observed in the division furrow. From the result of immunofluorescence localization using cytoskeletal cell models, a significant fraction of profilin appeared to become insoluble in association with a cytoskeletal structure just beneath the division furrow during cytokinesis, although remaining profilin existed as a soluble form in the cytoplasm. Double immunofluorescence staining with anti-profilin and anti-actin antibodies revealed that the localization of profilin in the division furrow coincided with that of contractile ring microfilaments in terms of both position and timing. This is the first report describing the coexistence of profilin with actin filaments in the division furrow, implying the possible involvement of profilin in assembly and disassembly of contractile ring microfilaments in the process of cytokinesis."}
{"id": "PMID:1478924", "title": "Starch branching enzymes from immature rice seeds.", "content": "Four forms of branching enzyme, termed RBE1, RBE2 (a mixture of RBE2A and RBE2B), RBE3, and RBE4, were apparently separated by DEAE-cellulose column chromatography of soluble extract from immature rice seeds, and each of these four forms was further purified by gel-filtration. RBE1, RBE2A, and RBE2B were the predominant forms of the enzyme. The molecular size, amino-terminal amino acid sequence, and immunoreactivity with anti-maize branching enzyme-I (BE-I) antibody were identical among these three forms, except that the molecular mass of RBE2A was almost 3 kDa higher than those of RBE1 and RBE2B. These results indicate that RBE1, RBE2A, and RBE2B are the same (termed rice BE-I). The cDNA clones coding for rice BE-I have been identified from a rice seed library in lambda gt11, using the maize BE-I cDNA as a probe. The nucleotide sequence indicates that rice BE-I is initially synthesized as an 820-residue precursor protein, including a putative 64- or 66-residue transit peptide at the amino terminus. The rice mature BE-I contains 756 (or 754) amino acids with a calculated molecular mass of 86,734 (or 86,502) Da, and shares a high degree of sequence identity (86%) with the maize protein. The consensus sequences of the four regions that form the catalytic sites of amylolytic enzymes are conserved in the central region of the rice BE-I sequence. Thus, rice BE-I as well as the maize protein belongs to a family of amylolytic enzymes."}
{"id": "PMID:1478925", "title": "Efficient production of a small peptide by expression as a multimeric form fused with the dihydrofolate reductase affinity handle.", "content": "A pentapeptide which potently inhibits primary IgE antibody formation, Asp-Ser-Asp-Gly-Lys (DSDGK), has been efficiently produced with the aid of the dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) handle [M. Iwakura, et al. (1992) J. Biochem. 111, 37-45]. The genes coding fused proteins comprising DHFR and multimeric forms of DSDGK, namely, DHFR-(DSDGK)3, DHFR-(DSDGK)14, and DHFR-(DSDGK)28, were constructed and expressed in Escherichia coli. The C-terminal peptides attached to DHFR did not affect the expression or the function of the DHFR handle, even when the length of the C-terminal peptide was as long as 160 amino acid residues. The fused proteins were easily purified by methotrexate affinity chromatography, one of the major advantages of the DHFR handle. The fused proteins were digested with trypsin and the monomeric peptide, DSDGK, was purified by HPLC. The yields of the peptide were estimated to be 11, 43, and 99 mg per 1 gram of the total cell proteins from E. coli cells producing DHFR-(DSDGK)3, DHFR-(DSDGK)14, and DHFR-(DSDGK)28, respectively."}
{"id": "PMID:1478926", "title": "Inhibition of phosphoenzyme formation from phosphate and sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+)-ATPase by vanadate binding to high- or low-affinity site on the enzyme.", "content": "In the preceding paper, we suggested that 1 mol Ca(2+)-ATPase of sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) contains 0.5 ml of high-affinity vanadate binding sites as well as 0.5 ml of low-affinity vanadate binding sites [Yamasaki, K. & Yamamoto, T. (1991) J. Biochem. 110, 915-921]. In the present study, we examined the effects of vanadate binding to the high- and low-affinity sites upon phosphorylation of the enzyme by inorganic phosphate (Pi). When vanadate was added to the reaction medium in which the Ca(2+)-ATPase had been phosphorylated by Pi in the absence of Ca2+, the steady-state level of phosphoenzyme (E2P) decreased due to inhibition of its formation. The decrease of E2P after addition of vanadate exhibited biphasic kinetics consisting of an initial fast decay process followed by a slower first-order decay process. The size of the fast E2P decay, which was estimated by extrapolating the slow phase decay to time 0, varied depending on the vanadate concentration with a dissociation constant of 17 microM, and reached maximum at 50 microM vanadate. The maximum value of the fast E2P decay was almost equal to the initial E2P level. The initial fast decay of E2P was competitively prevented by Pi with a dissociation constant of 7.4 mM, which was very close to Km for the E2P formation under similar conditions. These observations suggested that vanadate inhibits E2P formation by competition with Pi at a phosphorylation site on the Ca(2+)-ATPase. The slow first-order decay of E2P corresponded well to the vanadate binding to the high-affinity site of the Ca(2+)-ATPase.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1478927", "title": "Induction of vesicle-to-micelle transition by bile salts for DOPE vesicles incorporating immunoglobulin G.", "content": "The vesicle-to-micelle transition of immunoliposomes formed by dioleoylphosphatidyl-ethanolamine (DOPE) and palmitoyl-immunoglobulin G (p-IgG) was investigated in the presence of bile salts and conjugated bile salts. Turbidity and the release of calcein from liposomes were measured as a function of the amount of bile salts added and compared with the solubilizing profiles of the salts according to the number and configurational state of hydroxy groups in the cholate. The solubilizing phenomena by bile salts conjugated with glycine or taurine were investigated in comparison with non-conjugated bile salts. The solubilizing effect of bile salts on the bilayer of immunoliposomes increased remarkably with the number of hydroxy groups, but was not influenced by the configurational state of the hydroxy group. The half-maximal concentration of bile salts, defined as the concentration giving the half-maximum turbidity of liposome solutions, decreased with hydrophobicity in the phosphatidylcholine (PC) bilayer. The increase in the hydrophobicity of bile salts induces the ability to permeabilize and solubilize phospholipid vesicles. In the case of PC or PE liposome bilayers with inserted protein, bile salts conjugated with taurine or glycine had lower hydrophobicity than non-conjugated bile salts and showed a lower half-maximal concentration. The conjugated bile salts are believed to interact with lipids and solubilize the bilayers, while the head groups of bile salts interact with the inserted protein and extract it from the lipid bilayer."}
{"id": "PMID:1478928", "title": "Treatment of low density lipophorin with lipoprotein lipase: diacylglycerol content has no effect on dissociation of apolipophorin III from low-density lipophorin.", "content": "The mechanism of the conversion of low-density lipophorin (LDLp) to high-density lipophorin (HDLp) in long-distance flight insects was investigated using a lipoprotein lipase from a bacterium, Alcaligenes sp. Diacylglycerol of LDLp was steadily hydrolyzed in vitro by the lipase, resulting in a 90% loss of diacylglycerol from LDLp during incubation. The \"lipase-treated LDLp\" thus obtained still contained associated apolipophorin-III (apoLp-III). These data suggest that the dissociation of apoLp-III is independent of the depletion of diacylglycerol from LDLp, and that the decrease in particle diameter caused by the depletion of diacylglycerol does not force the dissociation of apoLp-III from the lipophorin particle. Some physico-chemical properties of the lipase-treated LDLp were measured."}
{"id": "PMID:1478929", "title": "pH-sensitive liposomes containing polymerized phosphatidylethanolamine and fatty acid.", "content": "With the ultimate aim of targeting cancer drugs to malignant tissues, liposomes containing polymeric phosphatidylethanolamine and a fatty acid were prepared. For this purpose diacetylenic phosphatidylethanolamine (DAPE), a phosphatidylethanolamine containing diacetylene, was synthesized. Liposomes containing DAPE, fatty acid, and either phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) or phosphatidylethanolamine-beta-oleoyl-gamma-palmitoyl (POPE) were then prepared. Polymerization of DAPE was effected by UV illumination. The polymeric liposomes so obtained were stable at physiological pH but became leaky below pH 6.5. Of various compositions studied, the greatest pH-sensitivity was found with liposomes composed of 35 mol% DAPE, 35 mol% POPE, and 30 mol% saturated fatty acid. The presence of blood plasma albumin decreased vesicle stability while apolipoprotein A-I (apo A-I) had the opposite effect and plasma as a whole had a slightly stabilizing effect."}
{"id": "PMID:1478930", "title": "Heat-induced aggregation of recombinant erythropoietin in the intact and deglycosylated states as monitored by gel permeation chromatography combined with a low-angle laser light scattering technique.", "content": "Aggregate formation of recombinant human erythropoietin (r-EPO) on heat-treatment was followed by gel permeation chromatography combined with a low-angle laser light scattering technique under various conditions with respect to pH and salt concentration in order to provide basic knowledge about the change strictly required to be monitored for medicinal proteins. When heated at 60 degrees C at neutral pH, an aggregate with a limited size consisting of about 20 r-EPO molecules was formed. On heating at 50 degrees C at acidic pH, aggregation was unlimited. The aggregation proceeded non-covalently in acidic pH, but in alkaline pH covalent bond formation was also involved. Increase in salt concentration enhanced the aggregation. Deglycosylation of the N-linked oligosaccharides made r-EPO remarkably susceptible to aggregation on heat-treatment, indicating that the carbohydrate chains are essential to the stability of r-EPO."}
{"id": "PMID:1478931", "title": "Primary structure of an inactive mutant of phospholipase A2 in the venom of Bungarus fasciatus (banded krait).", "content": "From the acidic components of Bungarus fasciatus venom, a very small amount (0.16%) of a novel phospholipase A2 was obtained. Both neurotoxicity and enzyme activity were found to be lacking. Amino acid sequence study showed that it has a normal backbone of group I snake venom phospholipase A2 with 118 amino acid residues. The lack of enzyme activity was attributed to its mutation of the indispensable Asp residue to an Ala residue, i.e., the usual His-Asp47 turned out to be His-Ala47. This is the eighth isoform of phospholipase A2 found from the venom of Bungarus fasciatus. Examination of structural homology with three other isoforms revealed 66% similarity at most."}
{"id": "PMID:1478932", "title": "Characterization of Bacillus caldotenax anthranilate synthase I produced in Escherichia coli and identification of its essential arginine residue by site-directed mutagenesis.", "content": "Anthranilate synthase I (ASI) of Bacillus caldotenax, a thermophilic bacterium, was purified from a plasmid-bearing Escherichia coli and characterized. The molecular weight determination under native and denaturing conditions revealed that it was a monomeric enzyme of M(r) = 54,000. The N-terminal amino acid sequence is the same as expected from DNA sequence of trpE except that the N-terminal methionine is lacking. All four cysteines in the molecule could be titrated with 5,5'-dithiobis (2-nitrobenzoic acid) in more than 8 M urea. The purified enzyme retained its full enzymatic activity after being heated at 60 degrees C. Six mutated genes for the ASI with histidine in place of each conserved arginine, Arg321, Arg353, Arg358, Arg416, Arg429, and Arg452, were prepared by site-directed mutagenesis. All the mutated genes except one, the gene encoding an ASI mutant with histidine in place of Arg452 (R452H ASI) complemented an E. coli (trpE). The mutated ASIs were purified and compared with the wild type ASI. No distinctive differences in enzymatic properties were found between the wild type and the enzymatically active mutated ASIs. R452H ASI was enzymatically inactive, though its conformation seemed to be unchanged after the substitution based on CD spectra and the SH titration curve."}
{"id": "PMID:1478935", "title": "Immunolocalization of kinesin in sea urchin coelomocytes. Association of kinesin with intracellular organelles.", "content": "We have recently used domain-specific monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) to immunofluorescently localize kinesin to vesicle-like structures in the cytoplasm of sea urchin coelomocytes. In order to characterize further these localization patterns we have examined the distribution of kinesin with respect to the arrangement of microtubules (MTs) and various organelles. In double-label experiments involving the immunofluorescent staining of kinesin (using a mixture of the mAbs SUK2, 4 and 5), MTs were labeled with an antiserum against sea urchin tubulin, the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) was labeled with an antiserum against a luminal calsequestrin-like protein, the Golgi apparatus was labeled with rhodamine-wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) or NBD-ceramide, mitochondria were labeled with rhodamine 123, endosomes were labeled with Texas Red-ovalbumin, and lysosomes were labeled with Lucifer yellow or acridine orange. Kinesin-labeled vesicle-like structures were found in the same regions of the cells as MTs and the ER, being widely distributed in motile cells, but restricted to the perinuclear regions of stationary cells. There also appeared to be a correlation between the distribution of endosomes and kinesin staining in a subpopulation of cells. The kinesin binding structures were found occasionally to align in linear arrays, consistent with the idea that kinesin may transport ER and endosomes along linear MT tracks. No clear correlations were observed between the kinesin staining and the distribution of mitochondria, the Golgi apparatus or lysosomes, suggesting that kinesin may specifically associate with only a subclass of organelles in coelomocytes."}
{"id": "PMID:1478936", "title": "Characterization of a 58 kDa cis-Golgi protein in pancreatic exocrine cells.", "content": "We have studied the biochemical characteristics and localization of a 58 kDa cis-Golgi marker protein (p58) in rat pancreatic exocrine cells. The protein remained associated with membranes after extraction at alkaline pH and was largely resistant to proteases, added to intact microsomes. By electrophoresis p58 could be resolved into two bands which in two-dimensional gels separated into several charge variants around pI 5.5. This size and charge heterogeneity of p58 did not appear to be due to acylation, glycosylation or phosphorylation. In non-reduced gels p58 migrated as two kinetically related, high relative molecular mass forms, apparently corresponding to disulfide-linked homo-dimers and -hexamers. Immuno-electron microscopy localized p58 to both the fenestrated cis-Golgi cisternae and small Golgi vesicles or buds as well as large, pleiomorphic structures, scattered throughout the cells and associated with distinct smooth ER (endoplasmic reticulum) clusters. These findings correlated with cell fractionation results showing the concentration of p58 in two microsomal subfractions, banding at intermediate densities between the rough ER and trans-Golgi in sucrose gradients. Our results indicate that p58 is a major component of pre- and cis-Golgi elements and could be part of the transport machinery that operates in these membranes. Together with results obtained with other cell types, these observations suggest that the peripheral smooth ER clusters are involved in the early stages of the secretory pathway in the pancreatic acinar cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1478937", "title": "Plasticity of early endosomes.", "content": "We observed that the structural organization of early endosomes was significantly modified after cell surface biotinylation followed by incubation in the presence of low concentrations of avidin. Under these conditions early endosomes increased in size to form structures which extended over several micrometers and which had an intra-luminal content with a characteristic electron-dense appearance. The modified early endosomes were not formed when either avidin or biotinylation was omitted, suggesting that they resulted from the cross-linking of internalized biotinylated proteins by avidin. Accumulation of a fluid-phase tracer was increased after the avidin-biotin treatment (145% after 45 min). Both recycling and transport to the late endosomes still occurred, albeit to a somewhat lower extent than in control cells. Quantitative electron microscopy showed that the volume of the endosomal compartment was increased approximately 1.5-fold but that the surface area of the compartment decreased relative to its volume after avidin-biotin treatment. Finally, overexpression of a rab5 mutant, which is known to inhibit early endosome fusion in vitro, prevented the formation of these structures in vivo and caused early endosome fragmentation. Altogether, our data suggest that early endosomes exhibit a high plasticity in vivo. Cross-linking appears to interfere with this dynamic process but does not arrest membrane traffic to/from early endosomes."}
{"id": "PMID:1478938", "title": "Proteolytic processing of secretory proteins in Paramecium: immunological and biochemical characterization of the precursors of trichocyst matrix proteins.", "content": "We used polyclonal serum raised against mature trichocyst matrix proteins to detect their unprocessed precursors, a group of proteins (45-55 kDa) present in the whole-cell extract. These precursor proteins were partially purified from the soluble fraction of wild-type cells by ammonium sulfate precipitation and anion-exchange chromatography. Using monoclonal antibodies against each of four families of mature (processed) matrix proteins, we showed that each family was derived from a separate group of precursors. Our results also suggest that in three of four precursors, those in which the mature proteins consist of disulfide-linked heterodimers, intrachain disulfide bonds form before proteolytic processing. Purified precursors eluted from preparative SDS-gels were used to raise rabbit antiserum, which after preadsorption with mature processed proteins specifically recognized precursors, as judged by ELISA and immunoblots. In cross-sections of developing trichocysts, the anti-precursor serum after preadsorption no longer stained the central, paracrystalline region, but still stained the peripheral as well as the structureless region of the secretory granule. In trichocyst-developing mutants tl (trichless) and ftA (football A), the precursors for all four groups of mature proteins were present but their processing was affected: severely blocked in tl (which has no recognizable crystalline trichocyst matrix), and partially blocked in ftA (which has some abnormal trichocyst matrices with crystalline centers). These observations constitute further evidence that proteolytic processing of precursors occurs in parallel with crystallization."}
{"id": "PMID:1478939", "title": "The rhythm of protein synthesis does not depend on oscillations of ATP level.", "content": "A rhythm of the [3H]leucine incorporation rate with a period of about one hour (circahoralian rhythm) has been found in rat hepatocytes grown in vitro as a monolayer and in liver organ culture. The periodicity of the incorporation rate remained after correction for changes in leucine pool size. A similar periodicity of the leucine incorporation rate was detected in a cell-free system prepared from rat hepatocytes. We have also found circahoralian oscillations of the ATP level and similar oscillations of the leucine tRNA aminoacylation rate in a hepatocyte monolayer. The addition of 1 mM ADP to the culture resulted in a considerable increase in the ATP level in the cells, but the rhythm of protein synthesis was retained under these conditions. The conclusion that there is a flexible association between changes in the ATP and GTP levels on the one hand, and oscillations of the protein synthesis rate on the other, is also supported by experiments with a cell-free system, in which the rhythm of protein synthesis rate was observed in the presence of excess ATP and GTP. We propose an hypothesis to explain the fractal pattern of circahoralian metabolic rhythms."}
{"id": "PMID:1478940", "title": "Involvement of intracellular calcium in protein secretion in Dictyostelium discoideum.", "content": "We reported previously that Ca2+ depletion of Dictyostelium discoideum cells severely inhibits extracellular cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase (PD) synthesis at a post-transcriptional step. In this study, further experiments were performed to learn more about the nature of this phenomenon. Examination of the polysomal distribution of PD transcripts in control cells and in cells depleted of Ca2+ by incubation with EGTA and A23187 (EA) suggested that inhibition of PD production does not involve translational control. Kinetic analysis of this inhibitory process revealed that soluble, intracellular PD activity, synthesized from either the 2.4 or 1.9 kb PD mRNA, decreased very rapidly upon addition of EA. Furthermore, this decrease in activity was accompanied by the preferential loss of PD-related polypeptides, indicating a proteolytic event. EA-induced PD degradation required cellular energy and concomitant protein synthesis but was unaffected by most of the lysosomotropic agents tested. Therefore, PD proteolysis might not occur in the lysosome. In cell fractionation experiments, the EA-sensitive, intracellular PD activity comigrated with a rough ER marker in Percoll/KCl gradients. In addition to its effect on the PD, EA were also observed to inhibit production and rapidly lower the intracellular levels of another secreted glycoprotein, the PD inhibitor. Together, these results suggest that depletion of some intracellular Ca2+ store(s) in Dictyostelium, possibly the ER, disrupts the normal function of the secretory pathway, resulting in selective degradation of certain proteins."}
{"id": "PMID:1478941", "title": "Cytostellin: a novel, highly conserved protein that undergoes continuous redistribution during the cell cycle.", "content": "Cytostellin, a 240 kDa protein, has been purified from mammalian cells by immunoaffinity chromatography using monoclonal antibody H5. Immunofluorescence microscopy shows diffuse and punctate cytostellin immunoreactivity in interphase nuclei. Nuclease digestion and salt extraction are not required to expose the epitope. The onset of prophase is marked by the appearance of multiple intensely immunofluorescent cytostellin-containing 'bodies' within the nucleus. Nuclear disassembly is heralded by the movement of cytostellin bodies from the nucleus to multiple positions throughout the cell. Cytostellin bodies in metaphase, anaphase and telophase cells are widely dispersed, including some in cell processes far removed from the mitotic spindle apparatus. However, a distinct subset of larger, more intensely staining bodies surrounds the mitotic spindle apparatus. Cytostellin bodies remain in the cytoplasm of the daughter cells and disappear after the appearance of nascent nuclei. Cytostellin is immunologically distinct from other nuclear and cytoplasmic proteins, and it has been detected by immunoblot analysis in all species tested from yeast to humans. Based upon these findings, we postulate that cytostellin has a cell cycle-dependent function which is conserved in higher and lower eukaryotic cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1478942", "title": "Cell cycle progression of parthenogenetically activated mouse oocytes to interphase is dependent on the level of internal calcium.", "content": "Nuclear maturation of the mouse oocyte becomes arrested in metaphase of the second meiotic division (MII). Fertilization or parthenogenetic activation induces meiotic completion, chromosomal decondensation and formation of a pronucleus. This completion of meiosis is probably triggered by a transient increase in cytosolic calcium ions. When activated just after ovulation by a low concentration of the calcium ionophore A23187, the majority of the mouse oocytes go through a metaphase to anaphase transition and extrude their second polar body but they do not proceed into interphase; instead their chromatids remain condensed and a microtubular metaphase spindle reforms (metaphase III). However, a high percentage of these oocytes will undergo a true parthenogenetic activation assessed by the formation of a pronucleus, when exposed to a higher concentration of the calcium ionophore. The capacity of the mouse oocyte to pass into metaphase III is lost with increasing time post-ovulation. Direct measurement of intracellular calcium with Fura-2 reveals higher levels of cytosolic calcium in aged oocytes and/or using higher concentrations of calcium ionophore for activation. It is concluded that the internal free calcium level determines the transition to interphase."}
{"id": "PMID:1478943", "title": "Purification and immunological detection of pea nuclear intermediate filaments: evidence for plant nuclear lamins.", "content": "A major structural component of the inner face of the nuclear envelope in vertebrates and invertebrates is the nuclear lamina, an array of 1-3 extrinsic membrane proteins, lamins A, B and C. These proteins are highly homologous to intermediate filaments and are classified as type V. We report the first purification, antigenic characterization and immunocytochemical localization of putative plant lamin proteins from pea nuclei. We conclude that plant cells contain this ancestral class of intermediate filaments in their nuclei and that regulation of nuclear envelope assembly/disassembly and mitosis in plants may be similar to that in animal cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1478944", "title": "Regulation of alternative splicing in the IIICS region of human fibronectin pre-mRNA encoding cell binding sites CS1 and CS5.", "content": "The cell binding sites CS1 and CS5 in the IIICS region of human fibronectin (FN) mediate the adhesion of specific cell types by interacting with the integrin alpha 4 beta 1. IIICS pre-mRNA is alternatively spliced via the use of three alternative splice acceptor sites and one alternative splice donor site. These alternative splicing pathways can potentially give rise to variant FN molecules which are CS1+,CS5+; CS1+,CS5-; CS1-,CS5+ or CS1-,CS5-. Here we show that selection of the acceptor site which incorporates mRNA encoding CS1 and CS5 is more frequent in foetal tissues compared to adult liver, whereas an alternative acceptor site and the alternative donor site, which exclude CS1 and CS5, are used at a higher level in adult liver compared to foetal tissue. All possible splice junctions were accurately processed, and selected at different levels in mRNA expressed from a IIICS minigene transiently transfected into a HeLa cell line which does not express FN, suggesting that all the cellular factors required for alternative processing of IIICS are present in this system. Furthermore, pre-mRNA expressed from a mutant construct lacking IIICS-1 intron sequence, was correctly processed in HeLa cells via selection of all possible splice sites. On the basis of our results we propose that regulation of splice site selection in IIICS and thus expression of CS1 and CS5 is achieved by subtle tuning of splicing systems involving the interaction of local cis elements and cellular factors which are not necessarily restricted developmentally or tissue-specifically, and that expression of CS1 and CS5 is independently regulated."}
{"id": "PMID:1478945", "title": "Variant choriocarcinoma (BeWo) cells that differ in adhesion and migration on fibronectin display conserved patterns of integrin expression.", "content": "Starting from the BeWo choriocarcinoma cell line, two stable variant cell lines (epi and lc) were isolated. Epi cells displayed an epithelioid colony morphology while lc were fibroblastoid. lc cells attached and spread on fibronectin-coated surfaces at significantly lower density of fibronectin than epi or the parent cell line. lc also migrated more efficiently to fibronectin in a trans-filter assay than either epi or parent cells. Integrin expression by the cell lines was investigated by flow cytometry and immunoprecipitation from surface-labelled cells with a panel of subunit-specific antibodies. Integrins alpha 2 beta 1, alpha 5 beta 1, alpha v beta 1 and alpha 6 beta 4 were detected in each case, and levels of expression were identical in the two variant lines. Anti-functional antibodies were used to probe the role of integrins in fibronectin- and vitronectin-mediated adhesion. Complete inhibition of adhesion to fibronectin was observed with anti-beta 1 antibody, and partial inhibition with anti-alpha 5, suggesting that integrin alpha 5 beta 1 is mainly responsible for the interaction. Adhesion to vitronectin was inhibitable using anti-alpha v and anti-beta 1 antibodies, suggesting that integrin alpha v beta 1 is active in these cells as a vitronectin receptor. There was a correlation between the altered morphology of the variant cells and alterations in the distribution of integrin alpha 6 beta 4 and laminin in monolayer cultures. The results support the idea that fibronectin may mediate the migratory behaviour of extravillous trophoblast in vivo. Switch to a more migratory phenotype may be mediated by the selective activation of integrins and altered interaction with basement membrane."}
{"id": "PMID:1478946", "title": "Attachment of human vascular smooth muscles cells to intact microfibrillar assemblies of collagen VI and fibrillin.", "content": "Human vascular smooth muscle cells have been used to assess the implied role of connective tissue microfibrils as cellular ligands. Preparations of intact high-M(r) microfibrillar assemblies of collagen VI and of fibrillin, respectively, were isolated from foetal bovine skin and used as ligands in cell attachment and spreading assays. Intact collagen VI microfibrils were capable of mediating cell attachment and partial spreading. Cell attachment assays using ligands composed of defined collagen VI fragments generated by pepsin or bacterial collagenase digestions demonstrated that both the triple-helical and non-collagenous domains of collagen VI had cell adhesion activity, although at reduced levels relative to intact microfibrils. Fibronectin was identified as a modulator of intact collagen VI microfibril-mediated cell attachment. These observations are indicative of complex multiple interactions between collagen VI microfibrils and smooth muscle cells. Purified fibrillin-containing microfibrils were also shown to support smooth muscle cell adhesion. Both pepsin-resistant and pepsin-sensitive domains of fibrillin exhibited some cell attachment activity, but at reduced levels relative to the intact fibrillin microfibrils. These data provide the first direct evidence of a physiological role for intact microfibrillar assemblies in cell-matrix interactions, and the involvement of integrin cell surface receptors containing the beta 1 subunit."}
{"id": "PMID:1478947", "title": "Capillary endothelial cells secrete a heparin-binding mitogen for pericytes.", "content": "The cells of the retinal microvasculature consist predominantly of mesodermally derived pericytes and endothelial cells, and the regulatory factors which govern their co-ordinated growth and define their phenotypic characteristics in vivo may be regarded as key elements of the angiogenic process. An investigation of these cells in co-culture experiments has led to the identification of a potent mitogen for pericytes in medium conditioned by retinal endothelial cells (EC-FBS). EC-FBS activity was shown to be non-dialyzable, and stable to both heat and acid treatment. EC-FBS was inactivated by passage over a heparin-Agarose column. The column-bound activity could be eluted as a single peak at approximately 1.0 M NaCl. Stimulation of pericyte growth was also achieved with platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), acidic fibroblast growth factor (aFGF) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and could be blocked by using the appropriate antiserum (anti-PDGF or anti-aFGF). Neither antisera, however, blocked the activity of EC-FBS. The EC-FBS mitogen markedly altered the phenotypic behavior of pericytes compared with PDGF and the FGFs; yet, unlike them, it failed to stimulate the growth of smooth muscle cells (SMC) and Balb/c 3T3 cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1478948", "title": "Stabilization of intercellular contacts in MDCK cells during Ca2+ deprivation. Selective effects of monocarboxylic acids on desmosomes.", "content": "Short-chain monocarboxylic acids (MCAs) selectively protect desmosomal junctions of MDCK cells from disruption by chelating agents and low calcium medium. This effect occurs in the millimolar concentration range and increases inversely with carbon chain length (formate > acetate = propionate > butyrate > isobutyrate > isovalerate). The relative activity of MCAs does not correlate with their overall hydrophobicity or ability to chelate ions, or their effectiveness in lowering cytosolic pH. It exhibits chemical specificity and is dependent upon postconfluency culture age. MCAs also inhibit cell rounding produced by low concentrations of aminocarboxylate-chelating agents. Their effect on cell rounding, but not on desmosomes, can be antagonized by okadaic acid. The possibility is discussed that MCAs may produce their effects by binding specifically to protein(s) associated with the desmosome of mature, fully polarized MDCK monolayers."}
{"id": "PMID:1478949", "title": "Hemidesmosomes in the epithelial cell line 804G: their fate during wound closure, mitosis and drug induced reorganization of the cytoskeleton.", "content": "Recently, we identified a novel epithelial cell line, 804G, derived from rat bladder, which readily forms hemidesmosomes in vitro. One of the major structural components of the plaques of 804G cell hemidesmosomes is a 230 kDa antigen recognized by autoantibodies in the sera of patients with bullous pemphigoid (BP). An additional polypeptide of 180 kDa also localizes to the hemidesmosome plaque of 804G cells as determined by immunoelectron microscopy. Using confocal fluorescence/phase microscopy, we have employed both 230 kDa and 180 kDa antibody probes to monitor the fate of hemidesmosomes following closure of in vitro wounds, during mitosis, and following drug induced disruption of the cytoskeleton. The punctate cell-substratum associated staining generated by the hemidesmosomal antibodies in stationary unwounded 804G cell cultures is greatly diminished or even lost in cells which enter wound sites, presumably in response to enhanced cell motility. Few, if any hemidesmosomes are observed at the ultrastructural level in cells which have migrated into the wound area. However, as closure of the wound becomes complete, staining along the substratum attached surface of cells returns. During mitosis, there is no obvious loss of hemidesmosomal antigens along the basal surface of 804G cells, and formed hemidesmosomes can be observed in mitotic cells at the ultrastructural level. In 804G cells treated with colchicine, the typical subnuclear pattern of distribution of hemidesmosomal antigens is unaffected. In contrast, following treatment of 804G cells with cytochalasin D, hemidesmosomal antigens become concentrated at the cell periphery and no longer appear in the subnuclear region. Furthermore, formed hemidesmosomes are observed at the cell periphery of cytochalasin D-treated cells by electron microscopy. We suggest that hemidesmosomal plaques are mobile within the plasma membrane. We speculate that hemidesmosomal interactions with extracellular ligands are dynamic and we discuss a possible mechanism by which cytochalasin D induces reorganization of hemidesmosomes along the basal surface of 804G cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1478950", "title": "Total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy (TIRFM). II. Topographical mapping of relative cell/substratum separation distances.", "content": "A simplified model of TIRF optics was used to quantitate the relative membrane/substratum separation distances from the spatial pattern of TIRF image brightness. Phase-contrast and total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy (TIRFM) images were collected of bovine aortic endothelial cells (BAEC) plated onto glass microscope slides for 15 min, 30 min and 24 h. BAEC adherent for 15 min showed an absence of a focal contact morphology, with the region of closest apposition beneath the cell center. After 30 min, multiple contacts with the surface were established and the morphology became more irregular. BAEC attached for 24 h showed well-defined focal contact regions aligned in characteristically striated patterns. The relative distance between closest and farthest membrane/substratum separations are consistent with reported distance between focal and matrix contacts. Topographical maps of membrane/substratum separation distances over the entire ventral surface of the plated cells were constructed to demonstrate the utility of quantitative TIRF microscopy."}
{"id": "PMID:1478951", "title": "Comparative analysis of the effects of dimethyl sulfoxide and retinoic acid on the antigenic pattern of human ovarian adenocarcinoma cells.", "content": "HOC-7 malignant ovarian surface epithelial cells have been exposed to differentiation promoters like dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and retinoic acid (RA) and the resulting cell phenotypes were characterized immunologically. Immunocytochemistry revealed that DMSO caused elevation of membrane-associated staining for epidermal growth factor-receptor (EGF-R) and for desmoplakins I and II (DPI+II). DMSO also stimulated cytoplasmic and surface labelling for CA 125 and extracellular deposition of fibronectin (FN). A fixed-cell ELISA system was used for quantification of these differentiation-like responses and revealed that DMSO efficiently induced expression of EGF-R, CA 125, FN and DPI+II in dose-dependent manner. Immunocytochemistry, ELISA and Western blotting additionally demonstrated that both DMSO and RA caused down-regulation of myc oncoproteins. Densitometer evaluation of electrophoresed proteins revealed a 50% DMSO- and a 25% RA-induced myc reduction. Apart from growth reduction, which was seen for both inducers, inhibition of myc gene expression was the only response of HOC-7 cells to RA-treatment. The extent of myc down-regulation seems, therefore, to be crucial for the initiation of maturational processes in the cells. Subsequent phenotypic differentiation of HOC-7 cells causes elevated levels of EGF-R, CA 125, FN and DPI+II. This cell model might be useful for the distinction between induced growth reduction and differentiation of ovarian cancer cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1478952", "title": "Transforming growth factor beta 1 promotes the differentiation of endothelial cells into smooth muscle-like cells in vitro.", "content": "Alpha-smooth muscle actin is considered a reliable marker for distinguishing between arterial smooth muscle and endothelial cells. Several authors have reported heterogeneity in the expression of this actin isoform in atherosclerotic lesions. Such heterogeneity appears to result from the presence of different smooth muscle cell phenotypes (contractile and synthetic) in these lesions. In the present study, we show that bovine aortic endothelial cells, which are characterised by the presence of Factor VIII-related antigen (FVIII) and by the absence of alpha-smooth muscle actin (alpha-SM actin) may be induced to express the latter when exposed to TGF-beta 1. FVIII was detected by immunofluorescence, alpha-SM actin was detected by immunofluorescence and immunoblotting. The number of cells expressing alpha-SM actin increased with time of incubation with TGF-beta 1, and this increase occurred concomitantly with a decrease in the expression of FVIII. Double immunofluorescence demonstrated the presence of cells that expressed both FVIII and alpha-SM actin after 5 days of incubation with TGF-beta 1. With longer incubation times (10-20 days) the loss of FVIII expression was complete and over 90% of the cells expressed alpha-SM actin. Ultrastructurally, cells in control cultures showed the typical features of endothelial cells. In the TGF-beta 1-treated cultures, cells which appeared indistinguishable from contractile and synthetic smooth muscle cells were observed. Withdrawal of TGF-beta 1 after 10 days incubation resulted in the re-appearance of polygonal cells which were FVIII-positive and alpha-SM actin-negative.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1478953", "title": "Porcine smooth muscle cell-conditioned medium stimulates LDL receptor activity in Hep G2 cells.", "content": "Paracrine factors may modulate low density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor activity in hepatocytes. To study this the effect of conditioned medium prepared from a range of cell types on the binding and internalisation of 125I-LDL in Hep G2 cells was studied. Seven of the fourteen conditioned media tested, including those from P388D1, U937, porcine smooth muscle (Pc SMC) Swiss 3T3, STO, = 48 and MDCK cells, were found to increase the binding and internalisation of 125I-LDL at 37 degrees C by Hep G2 cells (P < 0.01). The largest increase in LDL receptor activity was produced by conditioned medium from Pc SMC cells and was, therefore, selected for further analysis. The Pc SMC-conditioned medium increased LDL receptor number in Hep G2 cells by three-fold but had no effect on LDL receptor activity in human skin fibroblasts. DNA synthesis and cholesterol synthesis by Hep G2 cells were inhibited by Pc SMC-conditioned medium. Preliminary characterisation of the Pc SMC-derived factor(s) suggests that it is a protein(s) of low relative molecular mass."}
{"id": "PMID:1478954", "title": "Induction of dystrophin localization in cultured Xenopus muscle cells by latex beads.", "content": "The distribution of dystrophin in Xenopus myotomal muscle cells was examined in conventional and confocal immunofluorescence microscopy. By labeling dissociated single muscle fibers with a monoclonal or a polyclonal antibody against dystrophin, we found that dystrophin is ten times more concentrated at the myotendinous junction (MTJ) than at the extrajunctional sarcolemma. At the MTJ, dystrophin lines the membrane invaginations where myofibrils attach to the membrane. It is colocalized with talin, but is not related to the distribution of acetylcholine receptors (AChRs) which are clustered at the postsynaptic membrane in the vicinity of the MTJ in these fibers. We found that the localization of dystrophin can be induced in cultured Xenopus myotomal muscle cells by treating them with polystyrene latex beads. Dystrophin is discretely localized at the bead-muscle contacts. With electron microscopy, a sarcolemma specialization with all the salient features of the MTJ, including basal lamina-lined membrane invaginations along which myofibrils make attachment. Although these beads also induce clustering of AChRs, the patterns of dystrophin and AChR localization are distinct. The appearance of dystrophin at the bead-contacted sarcolemma is coincident with the development of the membrane invaginations. This, together with its concentration along membrane invaginations at the MTJ in vivo, suggests a role for dystrophin in the formation of this junctional specialization. Since the signal for MTJ development can be presented to cultured muscle cells in a temporally and spatially controlled manner by beads, this system offers a simple model for analyzing the mechanism of this sarcolemma specialization."}
{"id": "PMID:1478955", "title": "Chemotactic properties, cellular binding and uptake of peptides and peptide derivatives: studies with Tetrahymena thermophila.", "content": "Receptor-mediated binding of leukocyte chemotactic peptide, N-formylMet-Leu-Phe (fMLP), occurs in the ciliated protozoon Tetrahymena thermophila. In vivo labelling of the cells with N-formylMet-Leu-[3H]Phe ([3H]fMLP) shows that the cells bind the ligand with high affinity (KD = 4 x 10(-9) M to 1 x 10(-8) M). Moreover, Scatchard transformations of the binding data show that there are about 5 x 10(5) binding sites per cell on the cell surface. Two fluorescent derivatives of leukocyte chemotactic peptide, N-dansylMet-Leu-Phe (dansMLP) and N-formylMet-Leu-Phe-(N-dansyl-)Lys (fMLPdanLys) compete for the N-formylMet-Leu-Phe (fMLP) binding sites on the cell surface. Moreover, both derivatives have retained significant chemoattracting potentials. Fluorescence from dansMLP, but not from fMLPdansLys and dansyl-beta-endorphin, is internalized preferentially into small vesicles. The differences may, however, reflect that the fluorescence from the dansyl group is strongly quenched by a hydrophilic microenvironment when using the two latter peptide derivatives. In contrast, the dansyl group from dansMLP must be assumed to be embedded in a hydrophobic microenvironment in the vesicular membrane or membrane protein. Rhodamine-labelled bovine serum albumin, egg albumin and cytochrome c as well as dansylated bovine serum albumin, which are poor chemoattractants, are preferentially seen to be internalized into large vesicles (food vacuoles)."}
{"id": "PMID:1478956", "title": "Axonal growth on astrocytes is not inhibited by oligodendrocytes.", "content": "Axon growth in vitro may be inhibited by contact with oligodendrocytes, but most axons grow readily on the surface of astrocyte monolayers. Since both cell types are in close contact with one another in the damaged nervous system, we have examined the growth of axons on cultures which contain both astrocytes and oligodendrocytes. Cultures derived from neonatal rat forebrain develop with a monolayer of large flat astrocytes attached to the culture dish, and with many smaller cells of the oligodendrocyte lineage on their surface. Dorsal root ganglia placed on these cultures grow axons readily, the overall extent of growth being unaffected by the presence or absence of oligodendrocytes, many of which express galactocerebroside and the inhibitory molecule janusin. A previous set of experiments had shown that growth of these axons is inhibited by oligodendrocytes by themselves. Scanning electron microscopy coupled with silver-intensified immunostaining reveals that the axons grow on the surface of the astrocytic layer, underneath the oligodendrocytes, and are therefore in contact with both cell types as they grow. The presence of astrocytes therefore alters the results of axonal contact with oligodendrocytes."}
{"id": "PMID:1478957", "title": "Statistical evidence for a random commitment of pluripotent cephalic neural crest cells.", "content": "The neural crest (NC) of vertebrate embryos yields cell types belonging to the neural, melanocytic and mesectodermal lineages. To test the possibility that the precursors of these lineages segregate from pluripotent cells by a process involving stochastic determinants, we have analyzed with statistical methods the associations between six differentiated cell types in 201 clones obtained in vitro from migrating cephalic NC cells. Our analysis suggests that neuronal, adrenergic and Schwann cells are not randomly associated, whereas these neural cell types differentiate in the clones independently of both melanocytes and cartilage. These results raise the possibility that pluripotent NC progenitors give rise to the precursors of the major NC-derived lineages (neural, melanocytic and mesectodermal) by a process involving stochastic restrictions of their developmental potentialities."}
{"id": "PMID:1478958", "title": "Characterization of the human nestin gene reveals a close evolutionary relationship to neurofilaments.", "content": "Multipotential stem cells in the neural tube give rise to the different neuronal cell types found in the brain. Abrupt changes in intermediate filament gene expression accompany this transition out of the precursor state: transcription of the intermediate filament nestin is replaced by that of the neurofilaments. In order to identify human neural precursor cells, and to learn more about the evolution of the intermediate filaments expressed in the central nervous system, we have isolated the human nestin gene. Despite considerable divergence between the human and rat nestin genes, in particular in the repetitive parts of the carboxy-terminal region, the positions of the introns are perfectly conserved. Two of the three intron positions are also shared by the neurofilaments, but not by other classes of intermediate filaments. This implies that nestin and the neurofilaments had a common ancestor after branching off from the other classes of intermediate filaments, and that nestin separated from the neurofilament branch before the different neurofilament genes diverged. The characterization of human nestin also facilitates the identification of human multipotential neural precursor cells. This will be of importance for central nervous system (CNS) tumor diagnosis and transplant-based clinical approaches to human neurodegenerative diseases."}
{"id": "PMID:1478960", "title": "Developmental stage- and tissue-specific expression of shibire, a Drosophila gene involved in endocytosis.", "content": "Dynamin, a microtubule-activated GTPase, has recently been identified as the product of the shibire gene in Drosophila. shi(ts) mutants are defective in synaptic vesicle recycling, which leads to rapid and reversible temperature-sensitive paralysis. In the present study, results from RNase protection assays and analysis of cDNA clones define a complex pattern of developmental- and tissue-specific alternative splicing at two sites within the coding region. This analysis is also supported by western blot analysis with two polyclonal antibodies. In situ hybridization data revealed a high concentration of shi transcripts in the central and peripheral nervous system throughout neuronal development. Other than the nervous system, shi transcripts are also expressed at a high level in early embryos, larval imaginal discs, and male and female gonads. These data provide a basis for interpreting the wide range of phenotypic effects of shi mutations in terms of the putative membrane-sorting properties of dynamin and for further functional study of different dynamin isoforms."}
{"id": "PMID:1478961", "title": "Localization of actin in the Tetrahymena basal body-cage complex.", "content": "In the ciliate cytoskeleton, basal bodies are contained within separate, filamentous cages which are closely associated with basal body microtubules. We have used two polyclonal anti-actin antibodies to localize actin within the basal body-cage complex of Tetrahymena. An antiserum against a Tetrahymena oral apparatus fraction enriched for basal body proteins was produced in rabbits. Agarose-linked chicken muscle actin was used to affinity-purify anti-Tetrahymena actin antibodies from the anti-oral apparatus antiserum. Agarose-linked chicken muscle actin was used to affinity-purify anti-chicken muscle actin antibodies from a commercially available antiserum against chicken muscle actin. Both affinity-purified antibodies were monospecific for Tetrahymena actin on immunoblots containing total oral apparatus protein. The anti-actin antibodies were localized to both somatic and oral basal bodies in Tetrahymena by immunofluorescence microscopy. At the ultrastructural level with the immunogold technique, these antibodies labeled actin epitopes in four distinct regions of the basal body-cage complex: (a) basal body walls, (b) basal plate filaments, (c) proximal-end filaments and (d) cage wall filaments. In addition, the antibody labeled filament bundles that interconnect groups of basal bodies (membranelles) within the oral apparatus. Identical labeling patterns were observed with basal bodies in the isolated oral apparatus, basal bodies in the in situ oral apparatus and somatic basal bodies in situ. Quantitative analysis of gold particle distribution was used to demonstrate the specificity of the antibodies for the basal body-cage complex and to show that non-specific binding of the antibodies was negligible. Preadsorption of the antibody with muscle actin effectively eliminated the capacity of the antibody to bind to proteins on immunoblots and to basal body structures with the immunogold labeling technique. These results provide evidence for actin in the basal body-cage complex and raise the possibility of a contractile system associated with basal bodies."}
{"id": "PMID:1478962", "title": "Differential regulation of beta III and other tubulin genes during peripheral and central neuron development.", "content": "Mammalian peripheral and central neurons differ considerably in the composition and properties of their axonal cytoskeletons. Recent reports of the selective expression of a high molecular weight (HMW) tau protein in neurons with peripherally projecting axons have furthered the idea that the microtubules in central and peripheral neurons are disparate. In the present study, we examined the possibility that the various tubulin genes are differentially expressed in central versus peripheral neurons. To examine this, we compared the expression of four of the beta-tubulin mRNAs (classes beta I, beta II, beta III, beta IV) and the alpha 1-tubulin mRNA in rat dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons with their expression in cerebral cortex during postnatal development (P5-90), using northern blots and in situ hybridization. We document both similarities and differences in tubulin gene expression in these two regions of the neuraxis during postnatal development. In both DRG and cortex, the expression of the class beta I- and beta II-tubulin mRNAs and the alpha 1-tubulin mRNA was higher at earlier stages of postnatal development than in the adult. However, class beta IV-tubulin mRNA levels increased during cortical development but decreased during DRG postnatal development. The opposite pattern was found for the neuron-specific class beta III-tubulin gene, the mRNA levels of which were high in cortex, at birth and then decreased with increasing postnatal development. In DRG, the beta III-tubulin mRNA levels generally increased during postnatal development. Beta III-tubulin protein levels were examined qualitatively at different developmental stages (5-90 days) by immunoblotting and immunocytochemistry.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1478963", "title": "A high molecular mass phosphoprotein defined by a novel monoclonal antibody is closely associated with the intermicrotubule cross bridges in the Trypanosoma brucei cytoskeleton.", "content": "The main component of the cell body cytoskeleton of Trypanosoma brucei is the highly organised array of stable, subpellicular microtubules on the cytoplasmic face of the plasma membrane. Although several microtubule associated proteins (MAPs) have been shown to be associated with this array, the mechanisms by which individual microtubules interact with one another and with the membrane are still largely undetermined. In this study we have used the T. brucei cytoskeleton as a complex immunogen for the production of monoclonal antibodies to define novel cytoskeletal antigens. Screening by immunofluorescence enabled the selection of an antibody, WCB-1, which detects an antigen associated specifically with the subpellicular microtubules and not with the flagellum microtubules. The antigen (WCB210) was shown to have a relative molecular mass of 210,000 by western blotting. Immunogold studies showed the epitope to be located on the membrane-facing side of the subpellicular cage; it appears to be closely associated with the cross-bridges lying between the microtubules. Unlike many MAPs this protein was shown not to be heat stable and is predicted to be a roughly globular monomer. Even though WCB210 is a very minor component of the cytoskeleton it is heavily phosphorylated. It is possible that this protein is involved in regulation of the subpellicular microtubule crossbridges by interaction with other proteins."}
{"id": "PMID:1478964", "title": "Antimicrotubule drugs inhibit the polarized insertion of an intracellular glycoprotein pool into the apical membrane of Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells.", "content": "Previous experiments on MDCK cells have demonstrated that the polarized appearance of a 135 kDa glycoprotein (gp135) on the apical plasma membrane can occur through the insertion of both newly synthesized gp135 as well as a pre-existing gp135 intracellular pool. In this study, anticytoskeletal drugs were utilized to determine the role of the cytoskeleton in the polarized delivery of gp135. Colchicine and nocodazole produced a 15-20% inhibition in the apical surface accumulation of newly synthesized gp135 and inhibited the appearance of the gp135 pool by approximately 33%, while cytochalasin D had no affect on the apical accumulation of either newly synthesized gp135 or the gp135 pool. These results indicate that microtubules, but not microfilaments, are involved in the intracellular targeting of gp135. Quantitative immunogold electron microscopy of nocodazole-treated cells demonstrated that gp135 was not mistargeted to the basolateral membrane, suggesting the possibility that some vesicles containing gp135 did not fuse with the apical membrane and remained in the cells. These experiments demonstrate that microtubules are an important component of gp135 insertion into the apical membrane. They also suggest that gp135 resides within vesicles which have an apical membrane recognition signal and cannot fuse with the basolateral membrane. The possibility that these data, and those of others, could support a hypothesis for the presence of two constitutive apical transport pathways is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1478965", "title": "Continuous growth of vimentin filaments in mouse fibroblasts.", "content": "We have investigated the dynamics of intermediate filament assembly in vivo by following the fate of heterologous chicken vimentin subunits expressed under the control of an inducible promoter in transfected mouse fibroblasts. Using RNase protection, metabolic protein pulse-chase and immunofluorescence microscopy, we have examined the fate of newly assembled subunits under physiological conditions in situ. Following induction and subsequent removal of inducer, chicken vimentin mRNA had a half-life of approximately 6 h while both chicken and mouse vimentin protein polymer had long half-lives--roughly equivalent to the cell generation time. Moreover, following deinduction, chicken vimentin immunolocalization progressed from a continuous (8-10 h chase) to a discontinuous (> or = 20 h chase) pattern. The continuous chicken vimentin staining reflects the uniform incorporation of chicken vimentin throughout the endogenous mouse vimentin network while the discontinuous or punctate chicken vimentin staining represents short interspersed segments of assembled chicken vimentin superimposed on the endogenous polymer. This punctate staining pattern of chicken vimentin was present throughout the entire array of intermediate filaments, with no bias toward the perinuclear region. These results are consistent with a continuous growth model of intermediate filament assembly, wherein subunit addition occurs at discrete sites located throughout the cytoskeleton."}
{"id": "PMID:1478966", "title": "Amphibian intestinal villin: isolation and expression during embryonic and larval development.", "content": "An actin-binding protein of M(r) 105,000 has been isolated from anuran amphibian intestinal mucosa. Polyclonal antibodies directed against chicken and pig intestinal villins and anti-porcine villin headpiece monoclonal antibody crossreact with the amphibian M(r) 105,000 protein. Furthermore, the latter possesses an NH2-terminal sequence that is very homologous to those of avian and mammalian villins. In addition, polyclonal antibodies directed against amphibian intestinal M(r) 105,000 protein crossreact with chicken and mouse intestinal epithelial cell villins. These data indicate that the amphibian intestinal M(r) 105,000 protein is immunologically and structurally related to villin, an actin-binding protein expressed in specific epithelial tissues in vertebrates. Morphological, immunocytochemical and immunoblotting techniques were then used to investigate the expression of villin during embryonic and larval intestinal development of Xenopus laevis. Villin is not found in the egg or the endoderm of the early embryo. It is first detected just before hatching in the apical domain of endodermal cells at a time when few surface microvilli are visible by transmission electron microscopy. In the newly hatched larva, villin accumulates as these cells differentiate. These results provide a detailed developmental profile of Xenopus intestinal villin expression and demonstrate that this protein is a useful marker for the presumptive intestinal endoderm."}
{"id": "PMID:1478967", "title": "Membrane-binding properties of filensin, a cytoskeletal protein of the lens fiber cells.", "content": "Filensin is a 100/110 kDa membrane-associated protein found in lens fiber cells. Previous studies have shown that this protein polymerizes in vitro and binds strongly to vimentin and to another 47 kDa lens membrane protein. Using cosedimentation assays, flotation assays and immunoelectron microscopy, we have examined the properties of purified filensin and measured its binding to lens membranes. Filensin behaves as a ureaextractable, hydrophilic protein which does not partition with Triton X-114 and is not affected by 1 M hydroxylamine at alkaline pH, an agent known to release fatty-acylated proteins from the membrane. Immunoblotting of urea-extracted lens membranes with two different affinity-purified antibodies reveals that, unlike intact filensin, a COOH-terminal filensin degradation product (51 kDa) remains tightly associated with the membranes. Purified filensin binds directly to urea-stripped lens membranes, but not to protein-free vesicles reconstituted from total lens lipids. The binding of filensin is not significantly influenced by the purified 47 kDa protein. Interestingly, the filensin-binding capacity of urea-extracted membranes is increased at least two-fold after trypsin treatment, which removes entirely the 51 kDa peptide from the membranes and presumably unmasks additional filensin-acceptor sites. Consistent with this, filensin binds to trypsinized and non-trypsinized membranes with similar affinities (2 x 10(-7) and 4 x 10(-7) M, respectively). Treatment of the membranes with thrombin, which also eliminates the 51 kDa peptide, does not increase their binding capacity, apparently because filensin-acceptor sites are also destroyed during proteolysis.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1478968", "title": "Further characterisation of the talin-binding site in the cytoskeletal protein vinculin.", "content": "The cytoskeletal protein vinculin is a component of adherens-type junctions where it is one of a number of interacting proteins thought to link the cytoplasmic domain of adhesion receptors to F-actin. Vinculin has been shown to bind to at least three other cytoskeletal proteins, talin, paxillin and alpha-actinin. In this study, we further characterise the talin-binding domain in vinculin using a series of chick vinculin polypeptides expressed as glutathione-S-transferase fusion proteins in Escherichia coli. Thus 125I-talin bound to a fusion protein spanning residues 1-398, but not to those spanning residues 399-881 or 881-1066 in an SDS-PAGE gel-blot assay. We have previously characterised two chick vinculin cDNAs (2.89 kb cDNA and cVin5) which are identical in the region of overlap except that cVin5 lacks coding sequence for residues 167-207. Interestingly, a fusion protein spanning residues 1-398, but lacking residues 167-207, was unable to bind talin. However, further analysis showed that residues 167-207 are insufficient to support binding, and deletion of as few as 31 N-terminal residues abolished binding activity. The results of the gel-blot assay were essentially confirmed using purified fusion proteins adsorbed to glutathione-agarose beads. The smallest vinculin fusion protein able to bind talin contained residues 1-258. This fusion protein was as effective as whole vinculin in inhibiting the binding of 125I-vinculin to talin-coated microtitre wells. Interestingly, mutations which altered the charge characteristics of the highly conserved residues 178 and 181 abolished binding, whereas conservative substitutions were without effect. However, such mutations did not abolish the ability of mutant polypeptides spanning residues 1-398 to target to cell-matrix junctions in Cos cells. We have investigated the possible origin of the cDNA clone cVin5 by defining the structure of a 5' portion of the chicken vinculin gene, and by analysing vinculin transcripts in a variety of adult tissues and embryonic fibroblasts using reverse transcriptase and polymerase chain reaction. Although residues 167-207 are encoded on a separate exon, we have been unable to identify a tissue where this exon is alternatively spliced."}
{"id": "PMID:1478969", "title": "The tight association of the tyrosine kinase substrate annexin II with the submembranous cytoskeleton depends on intact p11- and Ca(2+)-binding sites.", "content": "Annexin II, a member of the annexin family of Ca(2+)- and lipid-binding proteins, is a major substrate of the pp60src kinase. It is unique within the annexin protein family, since it can form a tight heterotetrameric complex with the cellular protein ligand p11, a member of the S100 protein family. Within the cell, the annexin II2p11(2) complex is localized at the cytoplasmic surface of the plasma membrane in the submembranous cytoskeleton. This intracellular localization is thought to be the consequence of a typical annexin II property observed in vitro, its Ca(2+)-dependent binding to phospholipids and cytoskeletal elements (F-actin, non-erythroid spectrin). We employed site-directed mutagenesis to create mutant annexin II molecules with defects either in the p11-binding site or in the Ca(2+)-binding sites present in repeats 2, 3 and 4. The mutated annexin II derivatives were expressed in HeLa and RMCD cells by transfection of the appropriate DNA constructs in order to analyze the importance of p11- and Ca(2+)-binding for the intracellular localization of annexin II. Immunofluorescence microscopy with a monoclonal antibody that specifically detected the transfected annexin II derivatives indicated that the Ca(2+)-dependent incorporation of annexin II into the submembranous network depended on its ability to form the annexin II/p11 complex and on the presence of intact Ca(2+)-binding sites. Neither monomeric annexin II lacking an intact p11-binding site, nor the annexin II mutant with defects in the Ca(2+)-binding sites in repeats 2, 3 and 4 were associated with the Triton X-100-resistant network of the submembranous cytoskeleton."}
{"id": "PMID:1478970", "title": "Integrin expression and differentiation in transformed human epidermal cells is regulated by fibroblasts.", "content": "Normal human foreskin keratinocytes (HFKs) and transformed HFKs (FEPE1L-8 cells) generated by the introduction of cloned human papillomavirus type 16 sequences were compared for the expression and function of a family of adhesion receptors termed integrins. Initially, cells were examined in conventional monolayer cultures. FEPE1L-8s expressed integrins alpha 1 beta 1, alpha 2 beta 1, alpha 3 beta 1, alpha 5 beta 1, alpha 6 beta 4 and beta 1 at comparable levels to HFKs. Further, these receptors were fully functional in mediating specific interactions with exogenously supplied ligands. However, FEPE1L-8s exhibited decreased synthesis of a number of extracellular matrix components, including laminin, fibronectin and epiligrin, compared to normal HFKs, which may be an alternate mechanism for regulating adhesion. Subsequently, organotypic cultures (OCs), which provide a suitable in vitro model system for the ordered stratification and differentiation of keratinocytes, were used to study the regulation of integrins and various epidermal markers in normal and transformed cells. OCs consisted of keratinocytes plated on a collagen gel containing primary human fibroblasts, grown at an air-medium interface. Unlike normal HFKs, the transformed FEPE1L-8 cells exhibited (a) disorganized stratification and limited differentiation capacity, (b) invasion into the collagen gel, and (c) unregulated expression of alpha 3 beta 1 and alpha 2 beta 1, and under-expression of alpha 6 beta 4 integrins. Ordered stratification and spatial regulation of integrin expression could be induced in the FEPE1L-8s by substituting Swiss 3T3 fibroblasts in the collagen gel. Further data indicate that the human fibroblasts induce the transformed HFKs to invade into the collagen gel.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1478971", "title": "The small GTP-binding protein rab6p is distributed from medial Golgi to the trans-Golgi network as determined by a confocal microscopic approach.", "content": "A key role in the regulation of membrane traffic is played by the rab proteins, members of a family of ras-related small GTP-binding proteins. This family comprises at least 25 identified members, the intracellular localization of only a few of which has been investigated. rab6p has been shown to be distributed along the exocytic pathway in association with the medial and trans regions of the Golgi apparatus. A confocal laser scanning microscopic (CLSM) approach coupled with image analysis was used to compare the localization of rab6p with selected reference Golgi markers by double immunofluorescence on culture cell lines. CLSM analysis shows that, under a set of well-defined conditions, one can investigate the possible colocalization of known markers of Golgi compartments and orientate a couple of labeled Golgi antigens with regard to the polarity of the Golgi apparatus. Thus, having validated the CLSM analysis, the localization of rab6p was studied and compared with some of these markers and the VSV-G protein in VSV (vesicular stomatitis virus)-infected cells blocked at 20 degrees C. rab6p is shown to be associated in all the cell lines used with the last cisternae of the Golgi apparatus and particularly with the trans-Golgi network (TGN), the site of protein sorting at the exit of the Golgi apparatus. These results were supported by an electron microscopic study using double-immunolabeled cryosections: rab6p was found in some flat cisternae of the Golgi stack and colocalized with the VSV-G protein in the TGN. Our results show that the small GTP-binding protein rab6p is distributed from medial Golgi to TGN along the exocytic pathway."}
{"id": "PMID:1478972", "title": "A novel vesicle-associated protein (VAP-1) in sea urchin eggs containing multiple RNA-binding consensus sequences.", "content": "We have identified a novel high molecular weight, vesicle-associated protein (VAP-1) in the eggs of the sea urchin Strongylocentrotus purpuratus. Biochemical fractionation and immunofluorescence analysis of unfertilized eggs indicate that VAP-1 is a peripheral membrane protein associated with microsomal membrane fractions. Sequence analysis of partial VAP-1 cDNA clones reveals that the protein contains at least four RNA-binding consensus sequences. The RNA-binding sequences are separated by several glycine rich domains and this organization, RNA-binding domains separated by glycine rich sequences, is common to several RNA-binding proteins including the heterogeneous ribonuclear protein A1 and nucleolin. The characteristics of VAP-1 suggest that the protein may function as a multidomain RNA-binding protein. The possibility that VAP-1 may play a role in nuclear RNA processing is also discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1478973", "title": "A block in degradation of MHC class II-associated invariant chain correlates with a reduction in transport from endosome carrier vesicles to the prelysosome compartment.", "content": "Invariant chain (Ii) associated with MHC class II molecule is processed proteolytically via several distinct intermediates during its intracellular transport through endosomal compartments. Leupeptin added to the culture medium blocks processing of Ii, prevents its dissociation from the class II molecules and leads to an intracellular accumulation of a 22 kDa intermediate form of Ii. We show here that leupeptin has a very general effect on protein transport in the endocytic pathway. When added to Mel Juso cells leupeptin reduces the transport of endocytosed material from multivesicular body-like, endosome carrier vesicles (ECV) to the prelysosomal compartment (late endosome) and leads to a concomitant increase in the number of ECV. Our results argue that one effect of leupeptin, related to antigen processing and presentation, is to block transport of antigen and/or MHC class II molecules to prelysosomal compartments."}
{"id": "PMID:1478974", "title": "Fluorescent phospholipids preferentially accumulate in sub-tegumental cells of schistosomula of Schistosoma mansoni.", "content": "Schistosomes do not make sterols or fatty acids de novo and thus require host lipids for survival. The acquisition of host lipids may also be an important factor in the schistosome's defense from host immunity; however, little is known about the regulation of this process. Here we have examined binding of radiolabeled and fluorescently labeled liposomes to schistosomula, and followed incorporation of fluorescent phospholipids into the worm by both morphological and biochemical methods. Saturable binding of radiolabeled phosphatidylcholine containing liposomes was observed and epifluorescence microscopy showed binding of C6-NBD-phosphatidylcholine (C6-NBD-PC), C12-NBD-phosphatidylcholine (C12-NBD-PC) and C6-NBD-phosphatidyl-ethanolamine (C6-NBD-PE) containing liposomes on the surface of the parasite. Following back-exchange with unlabeled liposomes, NBD-PC and NBD-PE were observed to be preferentially incorporated into specific cell types within the worm. Furthermore, cells which had accumulated the fluorescent lipid formed an interconnecting cellular network immediately below the tegument, identified as cytons. By contrast, fluorescein-PE was found only on the surface of the parasite and in the gut but not in the cytons. Biochemical analysis demonstrated that > 90% of the C6-NBD-PC and C12-NBD-PC remained as the intact molecule after a one hour incubation with the parasite, but that greater than 70% of the NBD-PE was converted to other lipids. These studies demonstrate that incorporation of phospholipid analogs into schistosomula can be followed morphologically and biochemically. As there was little localization of NBD-PE or NBD-PC in the gut, these analogs must be assimilated by crossing the tegument.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1478975", "title": "Dynamics of three-dimensional replication patterns during the S-phase, analysed by double labelling of DNA and confocal microscopy.", "content": "The temporal and spatial progression of DNA replication in interphase nuclei of eukaryotic cells has been investigated. Application of a recently developed technique for the immunofluorescence double staining of cell nuclei labelled first with iododeoxyuridine (IdUrd) and subsequently with chlorodeoxyuridine (CldUrd) allows the visualization of two replication patterns in the same nucleus originating from two different periods of the S-phase. We have analysed changes in the three-dimensional replication patterns during the S-phase. To record dual colour three-dimensional images of doubly stained nuclei, a confocal microscope is used. This CSLM is equipped with a specific laser/filter combination to collect both fluorescence signals (FITC and Texas Red) in a single scan, thus precluding pixel shift between the images. A method for the quantitative evaluation of the degree of overlap between DNA regions replicated in two different periods of the S-phase is applied. The results confirm the generally accepted theory that DNA is replicated coordinately in a specific temporal order during the S-phase. The replication time of a DNA domain (i.e. the time between initiation and termination of DNA replication within a domain) at the very beginning of the S-phase was known to be one hour (Nakamura et al., 1986). Our observations show that in the rest of the S-phase, the replication time of a DNA region is also about one hour. We conclude that replicon clusters located in the same region are replicated in the same relatively short period of time. After this period there is no unreplicated DNA left in this region."}
{"id": "PMID:1478976", "title": "Expression of wild-type and nuclear localization-deficient human lamin A in chick myogenic cells.", "content": "Previous analysis of chick embryonic muscle (CEM) differentiation in vivo and in ovo demonstrated that lamin A accumulation to steady-state levels preceded the accumulation of muscle-specific proteins. These observations have suggested the appearance of A-type lamins may be important for differentiation. To test this hypothesis, we have temporally and quantitatively altered the expression of A-type lamins in CEM cells by transient transfection of wild-type (wt; pHLA) or nuclear localization-deficient (NLd; pHLA-del) human lamin A expression plasmids. Transfected CEM cells synthesized the wt and NLd human lamin As to high levels, both of which were resistant to high-salt extraction. The wt human lamin A localized to the nucleus, whereas the NLd protein showed cytoplasmic staining patterns, as well as time-dependent nuclear localization. The presence of endogenous chicken lamins A and B2 in NLd human lamin A cytoplasmic structures suggested the interspecies lamin copolymerization. Thus, this approach may provide a possible method for analysis of lamin-lamin or lamin-lamina component interactions in vivo. With regard to muscle differentiation, CEM cells transfected with either pHLA or pHLA-del demonstrated moderate and transient increased levels of the muscle-specific myosin heavy chain and creatine kinase activity. These increases appeared temporally and quantitatively to reflect the transient accumulation of the human lamin As. In contrast, beta-tubulin and skeletal tropomyosin protein accumulations appeared unaffected. On the basis of these results, we suggest that nuclear lamina content and structure may play a limited, permissive and indirect role in the temporally regulated expression of the myogenic phenotype."}
{"id": "PMID:1478977", "title": "Use of hydrophilic interaction chromatography for the study of tyrosine protein kinase specificity.", "content": "A new HPLC method has been developed to assay tyrosine protein kinase activity. Using hydrophilic interaction chromatography, it is possible to resolve the four components of the incubation medium: substrate peptide, [32P]phosphorylated peptide, unreacted [gamma-32P]ATP, and 32P-labelled inorganic phosphate. ATP interacts so strongly with the stationary phase material that it can be removed selectively from the incubation medium with solid-phase extraction cartridges packed with the same type of material. The three remaining components of interest can then be resolved by reversed-phase or hydrophilic interaction HPLC. This procedure permits the evaluation of almost every type of peptide as a substrate of tyrosine protein kinase."}
{"id": "PMID:1478978", "title": "Determination of the nicotine metabolite trans-3'-hydroxycotinine in urine of smokers using gas chromatography with nitrogen-selective detection or selected ion monitoring.", "content": "A gas chromatographic method for the determination of the nicotine metabolite trans-3'-hydroxycotinine is described. The method involves conversion of the metabolite to the tert.-butyldimethylsilyl derivative, chromatography on a fused-silica capillary column, and determination using nitrogen-phosphorus detection or electron ionization mass spectrometry with selected ion monitoring. A structural analogue, trans-3-hydroxy-1-methyl-5-(2-pyridyl)pyrrolidin-2-one (trans-3'-hydroxy-ortho-cotinine), was used as an internal standard. Using selected ion monitoring, good precision and accuracy were obtained for determination of trans-3'-hydroxycotinine in urine over the concentration range 10-10,000 ng/ml. There was a good correlation between concentrations determined by selected ion monitoring and by nitrogen-phosphorus detection in urine of smokers, although low concentrations determined using nitrogen-phosphorus detection tended to be somewhat higher, suggesting some interference from urinary constituents. Concentrations and 24-h excretion of trans-3'-hydroxycotinine in the urine of 22 cigarette smokers are reported and compared to concentrations and excretion of nicotine, cotinine, nicotine 1'-N-oxide, nornicotine, and cotinine N-oxide."}
{"id": "PMID:1478979", "title": "Specific and sensitive quantitation of 2,2'-dichlorodiethyl sulphide (sulphur mustard) in water, plasma and blood: application to toxicokinetic study in the rat after intravenous intoxication.", "content": "A sensitive and specific capillary gas chromatographic method has been developed to measure trace amounts of 2,2'-dichlorodiethyl sulphide (sulphur mustard) in environmental or biological samples. Sulphur mustard was isolated from water or plasma by a solid-phase extraction procedure and from blood by liquid-liquid extraction. The accuracy and precision of the methods were demonstrated using replicate analyses of spiked water, plasma or blood: within-run and between-run variabilities were less than 20%. These analytical methods were used to evaluate the rate of sulphur mustard degradation in water or plasma. Good linear calibration curves, with a detection limit of 45 ng/ml, were obtained for quantitation and determination of sulphur mustard in blood following its intravenous administration to rats. Initial toxicokinetic data were obtained."}
{"id": "PMID:1478980", "title": "Identification of a benzhydrolic metabolite of ketoprofen in horses by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and high-performance liquid chromatography.", "content": "A benzhydrolic metabolite of ketoprofen, formed by reduction of the keto group of the drug, has been identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry in equine plasma and urine. After partial synthesis, its structure has been confirmed by UV, IR and 1H NMR spectroscopy. The kinetics of ketoprofen and this metabolite have been monitored in plasma by high-performance liquid chromatography. The two products were quantified in plasma up to 4 and 3 h, respectively, and were detected in urine up to 72 and 24 h, respectively, after a single intravenous administration to horses at the dose of 2.2 mg/kg. Simultaneous detection of both compounds increases the reliability of antidoping control analysis."}
{"id": "PMID:1478981", "title": "Gas chromatographic determination of 2- and 3-dechloroethylifosfamide in plasma and urine.", "content": "The metabolic oxidation of one of the chloroethyl groups of the antitumour drug ifosfamide leads to the formation of the inactive metabolites 2- and 3-dechloroethylifosfamide together with the neurotoxic metabolite chloroacetaldehyde. A very sensitive capillary gas chromatographic method, requiring only 50 microliters of plasma or urine, has been developed to measure the amounts of the drug and the two inactive metabolites in a single run. Calibration curves were linear (r > 0.999) in the concentration ranges from 50 ng/ml to 100 micrograms/ml in plasma and from 100 ng/ml to 1 mg/ml in urine."}
{"id": "PMID:1478982", "title": "Improved determination of the bisphosphonate alendronate in human plasma and urine by automated precolumn derivatization and high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence and electrochemical detection.", "content": "An improved method for the determination of 4-amino-1-hydroxybutane-1,1-bisphosphonic acid (alendronate) in human urine and an assay in human plasma are described. The methods are based on co-precipitation of the bisphosphonate with calcium phosphates, automated pre-column derivatization of the primary amino group of the bisphosphonic acid with 2,3-naphthalene dicarboxyaldehyde (NDA)-N-acetyl-D-penicillamine (NAP) or cyanide (CN-) reagents, and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with electrochemical (ED) or fluorescence detection (FD). The feasibility of ED of the NDA-CN- derivative of aldendronate has been demonstrated, and a HPLC-ED assay in human urine has been validated in the concentration range 2.5-50.0 ng/ml. In order to eliminate the cyanide ion from the assay procedure, several other nucleophiles in the NDA derivatization reaction were evaluated. An NDA-NAP reagent was found to produce highly fluorescent derivatives of alendronate. The assay in urine based on NDA-NAP derivatization and HPLC-FD has been developed and fully validated in the concentration range 1-25 ng/ml. Based on the same NDA-NAP derivatization, an assay in human plasma with a limit of quantification of 5 ng/ml has also been developed. Both HPLC-FD assays were utilized to support various human pharmacokinetic studies with alendronate."}
{"id": "PMID:1478983", "title": "Stereoselective determination of the enantiomers of methadone in plasma using high-performance liquid chromatography.", "content": "An enantioselective high-performance liquid chromatographic assay for the quantification of methadone in human and beagle plasma is described. The procedure involves extraction of methadone from alkalized plasma into hexane-isoamyl alcohol (99:1, v/v). Stereoselective separation was achieved with a silica column with covalently bound alpha 1-acid glycoprotein (Chiral-AGP) without any derivatization procedure. The detection wavelength was set at 215 nm. Using an internal standard provided reliable control of the extraction procedure as well as quantification of the enantiomers of methadone. The limit of quantification was found to be 2.5 ng/ml. The method was demonstrated to be sufficiently sensitive for stereoselective pharmacokinetic studies of methadone."}
{"id": "PMID:1478984", "title": "Simultaneous determination of sulphadiazine and trimethoprim in plasma and tissues of cultured fish for residual and pharmacokinetic studies.", "content": "Clean-up and high-performance liquid chromatographic methods for the simultaneous determination of sulphadiazine and trimethoprim in fish plasma and tissues have been developed. The average recovery of sulphadiazine varied from 74% in liver to 92% in plasma, whereas that of trimethoprim varied from 60% in liver to 97% in plasma. The sample pretreatment procedures were simple, selective and robust, having a limit of quantification of 250 ng/ml for trimethoprim and 50 ng/ml for sulphadiazine in plasma, 15 ng/g for sulphadiazine and 80 ng/g for trimethoprim in muscle, and 30 ng/g for sulphadiazine and 160 ng/g for trimethoprim in liver. The assay was tested on plasma from Atlantic salmon treated with Tribrissen."}
{"id": "PMID:1478985", "title": "Determination of clozapine and its major metabolites in human serum using automated solid-phase extraction and subsequent isocratic high-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection.", "content": "An isocratic high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method with ultraviolet detection is described for the quantification of the atypical neuroleptic clozapine and its major metabolites, N-desmethylclozapine and clozapine N-oxide, in human serum or plasma. The method included automated solid-phase extraction on C18 reversed-phase material. Clozapine and its metabolites were separated by HPLC on a C18 ODS Hypersil analytical column (5 microns particle size; 250 mm x 4.6 mm I.D.) using an acetonitrile-water (40:60, v/v) eluent buffered with 0.4% (v/v) N,N,N',N'-tetramethylethylenediamine and acetic acid to pH 6.5. Imipramine served as internal standard. After extraction of 1 ml of serum or plasma, as little as 5 ng/ml of clozapine and 10 or 20 ng/ml of the metabolites were detectable. Linearity was found for drug concentrations between 5 and 2000 ng/ml as indicated by correlation coefficients of 0.998 to 0.985. The intra- and inter-assay coefficients of variation ranged between 1 and 20%. Interferences with other psychotropic drugs such as benzodiazepines, antidepressants or neuroleptics were negligible. In all samples, collected from schizophrenic patients who had been treated with daily oral doses of 75-400 mg of clozapine, the drug and its major metabolite, N-desmethylclozapine, could be detected, while the concentrations of clozapine N-oxide were below 20 ng/ml in three of sixteen patients. Using the method described here, data regarding relations between therapeutic or toxic effects and drug blood levels or metabolism may be collected in clinical practice to improve the therapeutic efficacy of clozapine drug treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1478986", "title": "Sensitive micromethod for column liquid chromatographic determination of fluoxetine and norfluoxetine in human plasma.", "content": "A rapid, selective and sensitive micromethod has been developed for the determination of fluoxetine (FLU) and its demethylated metabolite norfluoxetine (N-FLU) using a 250-microliters plasma sample and column liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection at 226 nm. The limit of detection is 2.0 ng/ml for both FLU and N-FLU. Peak-height ratios are linear over a concentration range of 10-800 and 10-1000 ng/ml for FLU and N-FLU, respectively. Acceptable coefficients of variation are demonstrated for both within-run and day-to-day assays. Selected drugs were checked for interference. The method, which requires a very small volume of plasma, is sensitive enough for pharmacokinetic studies in animals, clinical pharmacology studies and drug monitoring in children or adult patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1478987", "title": "Enantioselective separation of some polyunsaturated epoxy fatty acids by high-performance liquid chromatography on a cellulose phenylcarbamate (Chiralcel OC) stationary phase.", "content": "cis-Epoxides of linoleic acid, alpha-linolenic acid, arachidonic acid and the omega 3-epoxide of eicosapentaenoic acid were chromatographed on a cellulose trisphenylcarbamate (Chiralcel OC) stationary phase in the normal-phase mode. The R,S and S,R enantiomers of methyl-14(15)epoxyeicosatrienoate, methyl-9(10)epoxyoctadecadienoate and methyl-9(10)epoxyoctadecenoate could be partly resolved. The R,S enantiomer of methyl-14(15)epoxyeicosatrienoate eluted before the S,R enantiomer. [14C]14(15)Epoxyeicosatrienoic acid was isolated from an incubation of [14C]20:4n-6 with microsomes of rabbit kidney cortex and the S,R enantiomer was found to predominate (about 2:1)."}
{"id": "PMID:1478988", "title": "Simultaneous determination of catecholamines and dobutamine in human plasma and urine by high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorimetric detection.", "content": "We report a reliable fluorimetric assay for the simultaneous determination of norepinephrine, epinephrine, dopamine and dobutamine in human plasma and urine, based on liquid-liquid extraction and derivatization with the fluorogenic agent 1,2-diphenylethylenediamine prior to chromatography. The method is sensitive (detection limit 0.3-0.8 pg injected) and reproducible (coefficients of variation 1-10%), and shows good accuracy (93-98%). The method should also be used when one only wants to measure the concentrations of the natural catecholamines, in order to avoid interference by metabolites of dobutamine and by the late-eluting dobutamine itself."}
{"id": "PMID:1478989", "title": "Separation and characterization of the precursor and activated forms of porcine and human pancreatic colipase by reversed-phase liquid chromatography.", "content": "Reversed-phase liquid chromatography was used as an alternative method for the characterization of the precursor and activated forms of porcine and human pancreatic colipase. Using a Beckman Ultrasphere column with an increasing acetonitrile gradient in 0.1% trifluoroacetic acid, it was possible to obtain well-resolved separation of the precursor form of colipase (procolipase) from its trypsin-activated derivative. This protocol was used (1) to study the activation of porcine procolipase by trypsin or thrombin in vitro, (2) to assess the homogeneity of porcine colipase preparations used in tridimensional structure studies and in combination with immunoaffinity chromatography, (3) to identify the form of colipase present in samples of human pancreatic juice."}
{"id": "PMID:1478990", "title": "Gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric determination of plasma selegiline using a deuterated internal standard.", "content": "A gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric method is described for the determination of plasma selegiline. Tetradeuteroselegiline was synthesized and served as the internal standard. Human plasma samples (1 ml) containing 1-6 ng of selegiline were acidified, washed with diethyl ether-hexane, then alkalinized and extracted with heptane-isoamyl alcohol. Analytical separations were performed on a dimethylsilicone capillary column. Detection was by selected ion monitoring of the electron impact generated m/z 96 and 100 alpha-cleavage fragments of drug and internal standard, respectively."}
{"id": "PMID:1478991", "title": "Improved high-performance liquid chromatographic assay method for the enantiomers of ibuprofen.", "content": "A rapid, inexpensive and sensitive high-performance liquid chromatographic method for the quantitation of ibuprofen enantiomers from a variety of biological fluids is reported. This method uses a commercially available internal standard and has significantly less interference from endogenous co-extracted solutes than do previously reported methods. The method involves the acid extraction of drug and internal standard [(+/-)-fenoprofen] from the biological fluid with isooctane-isopropanol (95:5) followed by evaporation and derivatization with ethylchloroformate and R-(+)-alpha-phenylethylamine. Excellent linearity was observed between the peak-area ratio and enantiomer concentration (r > 0.99) over a concentration range of 0.25-50 micrograms/ml. This method is suitable for the quantitation of ibuprofen from single-dose pharmacokinetic studies involving either rats or humans."}
{"id": "PMID:1478992", "title": "Determination of gliclazide in serum by high-performance liquid chromatography using solid-phase extraction.", "content": "A simple and sensitive high-performance liquid chromatographic method for a routine assay of gliclazide in serum is described. Serum samples spiked with glibenclamide (internal standard) were applied to Bond Elut C18 cartridges. After washing with phosphate buffer (pH 7.5) and water, the cartridge was eluted with 60% methanol. The eluate was evaporated to dryness. The residue was dissolved in methanol and injected onto an octadecyl silica column (5 microns, 150 mm x 4.6 mm I.D.). The mobile phase was 0.04 M potassium dihydrogenphosphate (pH 4.6)-acetonitrile-isopropyl alcohol (5:4:1, v/v). Ultraviolet detection at 227 nm was used. The minimum detectable level of gliclazide was 20 ng/ml."}
{"id": "PMID:1478993", "title": "Determination of metformin in plasma by high-performance liquid chromatography.", "content": "A high-performance liquid chromatographic method for the determination of metformin, an oral antidiabetic agent, in plasma is described. Plasma samples containing the internal standard, phenformin, are eluted through Amprep extraction columns before injection into the chromatographic column, packed with microBondapak phenyl. The eluent is monitored at 236 nm. At a mobile phase flow-rate of 1.35 ml/min, the retention times of metformin and phenformin are 2.8 and 5.6 min, respectively. The intra-day coefficients of variation are 1.5 and 4.3% at metformin concentrations of 0.05 and 1 mg/l, respectively."}
{"id": "PMID:1478994", "title": "High-performance liquid chromatographic determination of BRB-I-28, a novel antiarrhythmic agent, in dog plasma and urine.", "content": "A sensitive reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) technique with ultraviolet detection has been developed to determine the concentration of BRB-I-28 (I), a novel antiarrhythmic agent, in dog plasma and urine. The mobile phase was acetonitrile-methanol-37.5 mM phosphate buffer, pH 6.8-triethylamine (50:50:75:0.1, v/v). The compound was extracted from dog plasma and urine with chloroform after alkalinization with sodium hydroxide. The extraction recovery was 83% from plasma and 84% from urine. Good linearity (r > 0.996) was observed throughout the ranges 0.1-12.0 micrograms/ml (plasma) and 0.1-8.0 micrograms/ml (urine). Intra- and inter-assay variabilities were less than 4%. The lower limit of quantitation was 0.08 microgram/ml in either plasma or urine. HPLC analysis of plasma and urine samples from a dog treated with I has demonstrated that the method was accurate and reproducible."}
{"id": "PMID:1478996", "title": "Serum inhibin levels in gonadotrophin stimulated in-vitro fertilization/gamete intra-fallopian transfer cycles.", "content": "Serum inhibin concentrations of 64 cycles of in-vitro fertilization--embryo transfer (IVF-ET) or gamete intra-Fallopian transfer (GIFT) have been analysed retrospectively. No significant difference was observed in serum inhibin levels of cycles stimulated with buserelin and human menopausal gonadotrophin (HMG) or HMG alone. During the late follicular phase, serum inhibin was higher in cycles resulting in pregnancy than in cycles without a pregnancy (peak values on day +1: 8.3 versus 6.4 IU/ml, respectively). The same difference was found between stimulation cycles resulting in a viable or a non-viable pregnancy (peak values on day +1: 8.3 versus 7.5 IU/ml). However, these differences were not significant. During the early luteal phase, serum inhibin values were similar in these groups of patients. Our results indicate that the use of the gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) analogue buserelin, in combination with HMG, for ovarian stimulation does not affect inhibin production by granulosa cells in vivo. The late follicular and early luteal concentrations of serum inhibin have to be considered unsuitable as predictors in IVF/GIFT cycles with respect to pregnancy and pregnancy outcome."}
{"id": "PMID:1478997", "title": "Endocrinological environment with regard to the number of microcysts in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome.", "content": "Androgen, oestrogen and gonadotrophin levels in patients with the polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) were compared with those in normal ovulatory women (controls), and were correlated with the number of microcysts in the polycystic ovaries studied. The androgen levels (testosterone, delta 4-androstenedione and dehydroepiandrosterone-sulphate), oestrogen levels (oestrone and oestrone/oestradiol-17 ratio) and gonadotrophin levels [luteinizing hormone (LH) and LH/follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) ratio] of PCOS patients were significantly higher than those of controls. The number of microcysts in polycystic ovaries was significantly correlated with androstenedione, which in turn was also significantly correlated with LH and LH/FSH ratio. These correlations may play a part in the maintenance of chronic anovulation in PCOS."}
{"id": "PMID:1478998", "title": "Expression of functional growth hormone receptors in human granulosa cells.", "content": "Both clinical and experimental evidence suggest that growth hormone may be of importance for ovarian function. The present study investigated whether growth hormone receptors are expressed in human granulosa cells. Granulosa cells were isolated either from natural cycles or from stimulated cycles in the course of in-vitro fertilization. Total RNA hybridized with a 32P-labelled rat growth hormone receptor cRNA probe revealed one major transcript with an estimated size of 4.5 kb and one minor transcript with an estimated size of 1.3 kb. Biotinylated growth hormone was used to analyse growth hormone binding. Competitive growth hormone binding was detected in freshly isolated granulosa cells, as well as in cultured cells. Growth hormone augmented basal and/or follicle stimulating hormone-stimulated steroidogenesis in granulosa cells obtained from patients with natural cycles, but the response to growth hormone stimulation showed considerable variation. We conclude that functional growth hormone receptors are present in human granulosa cells and that growth hormone, therefore, may have an important role in ovarian function."}
{"id": "PMID:1478999", "title": "Progesterone supplementation increases luteal phase endometrial thickness and oestradiol levels in in-vitro fertilization.", "content": "Luteal phase supplementation with natural progesterone appears to increase the pregnancy rate in in-vitro fertilization (IVF). The objective of this investigation was to examine the effect of intravaginal progesterone on endometrial thickness and hormonal parameters 7-9 days after embryo transfer. IVF patients receiving progesterone supplementation (Prog +, n = 64), who did not conceive, were compared to patients not receiving progesterone (Prog -, n = 23) because of failed fertilization. These two groups were also compared to 20 women (Preg) who conceived and to 16 women (control) in the mid-luteal phase of natural cycles. Endometrial thickness was greater (P < 0.01) in the Prog + (0.88 +/- 0.04 cm) and Preg (0.92 +/- 0.02 cm) groups compared to the Prog - (0.71 +/- 0.05 cm) and control (0.65 +/- 0.05 cm) groups. Mean luteal phase serum oestradiol levels were also higher (P < 0.05) in the Prog + (1118 +/- 112 pmol/l) and Preg (2267 +/- 757 pmol/l) groups than in the Prog - (574 +/- 70 pmol/l) and control (468 +/- 38 pmol/l) groups. These findings suggest that progesterone supplementation may affect pregnancy rates in IVF by increasing endometrial thickness, thereby enhancing receptivity for implantation. The mechanism through which this effect occurs is unclear but may involve serum oestradiol elevation."}
{"id": "PMID:1479000", "title": "Cytokine expression in human endometrium throughout the menstrual cycle.", "content": "Recent evidence suggests that diverse endometrial functions may be regulated by cytokines. In this report, the presence of protein and mRNA of cytokines were studied in human endometrium throughout the menstrual cycle. The presence of the interleukin-1 (IL-1) alpha, interleukin-1 (IL-1) beta, interleukin receptor antagonist (IRAP), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and transforming growth factor (TGF)-alpha proteins were demonstrated by immunohistochemical staining. The IL-1 alpha and TGF-alpha proteins were strongly expressed and IL-1 beta protein was weakly expressed in all the cells in the stroma as well as epithelial cells. IRAP was markedly expressed in the cells with morphological features of macrophages scattered in the stroma, and the expression of IL-6 protein was predominant in the endometrial epithelium. Diffuse cytoplasmic expression of IL-1 alpha in endometrial epithelium during the proliferative phase contrasted markedly with its enhanced luminal expression during the secretory phase of the menstrual cycle. In addition, the presence of the mRNA of these cytokines in endometrium was established throughout the entire menstrual cycle by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Abundant expression of cytokines in human endometrium emphasizes the significant roles that cytokines play in cell-cell interactions and in regulating endometrial functions."}
{"id": "PMID:1479001", "title": "Exposure to LHRH agonists in early pregnancy following the commencement of mid-luteal buserelin for IVF stimulation.", "content": "Exposure to buserelin in early pregnancy has been reported following its use in in-vitro fertilization treatment cycles. The number of reported cases is small. There are still no answers regarding embryotoxicity, and the need for luteal support is still unclear. A further six cases are reported here, five receiving luteal support and resulting in the delivery of healthy children, and one, without luteal support ending in a first trimester miscarriage. We propose that further data should be collected to allow adequate monitoring and follow-up of these pregnancies."}
{"id": "PMID:1479002", "title": "Pituitary gonadotrophin secretory capacity during the luteal phase in superovulation using GnRH-agonists and HMG in a desensitization or flare-up protocol.", "content": "Pituitary gonadotrophin reserve and basal gonadotrophin secretion were tested during the luteal phase in women superovulated with buserelin/human menopausal gonadotrophin (HMG) in a desensitization (n = 17) or flare-up protocol (n = 7). In the desensitization protocol the luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) stimulated serum LH and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) concentrations remained impaired at least until day 14 after arrest of the agonist. In the flare-up protocol basal and stimulated LH secretion was still abnormal on days 14 and 15 after human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG) injection. Normal basal serum FSH concentrations were measured at the end of the luteal phase in the flare-up protocol, but the response of FSH to LHRH injection was still subnormal. We conclude that gonadotrophin function remained impaired until the end of the luteal phase after desensitization and flare-up GnRH-agonist and HMG stimulation protocols. Corpus luteum stimulation with exogenous HCG or substitution therapy using natural progesterone are required to prevent the possible negative effects resulting from pituitary dysfunction after GnRH-agonist treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1479003", "title": "Pituitary-ovarian suppression by the standard and half-doses of D-Trp-6-luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone depot.", "content": "A total of 20 women with regular menstrual cycles normal ovulatory function were randomized to receive 3.75 mg or 1.87 mg of D-Trp-6-luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) in microcapsules either in the early follicular phase (day 2) or during the mid-luteal phase (day 21) of the menstrual cycle. Pituitary--ovarian function was studied by sequential plasma measurements of oestradiol, follicle stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone and progesterone. Our results show that the full, standard dose (3.75 mg) of D-Trp-6-LHRH depot and the half-dose (1.87 mg) were equally effective in their desensitizing action, and that desensitization occurs more rapidly with early follicular phase administration of the analogue."}
{"id": "PMID:1479004", "title": "A randomized trial between GIFT and ovarian stimulation for the treatment of unexplained infertility and failed artificial insemination by donor.", "content": "This study was designed to investigate the surplus effect of gamete intra-Fallopian transfer (GIFT) over ovarian stimulation alone, in patients with unexplained infertility. A total of 50 patients with unexplained infertility of at least 3 years duration, or unexplained failure of artificial insemination by donor (AID) for at least 12 cycles, meeting strict inclusion criteria, were randomly selected for either two GIFT cycles or two ovarian stimulation cycles. Ovarian stimulation was combined with timed intercourse, or timed cervical donor insemination. In 38 completed GIFT cycles, five clinical pregnancies (13.2% per cycle) occurred and in 44 ovarian stimulation cycles four clinical pregnancies occurred (9.1% per cycle). Five remaining GIFT cycles were converted into in-vitro fertilization leading to two pregnancies. Of the 50 patients suffering from unexplained infertility, the 23 who did not have AID gave rise to four pregnancies out of 39 cycles (10.3%); from the remaining 27 patients who underwent AID, seven pregnancies were achieved out of 48 cycles (14.6%). No statistical differences between GIFT and ovarian stimulation treatment were found. Therefore, the GIFT success rates can be explained at least in part, if not fully, by the effect of ovarian stimulation alone. Consequently, ovarian stimulation should be considered in unexplained infertility before more elaborate forms of assisted reproduction are used."}
{"id": "PMID:1479005", "title": "Prognostic value of two putative sperm function tests: hypo-osmotic swelling and bovine sperm mucus penetration test (Penetrak).", "content": "The clinical value of two inexpensive and easy to perform sperm function tests (hypo-osmotic swelling and bovine sperm mucus penetration tests) were examined in a prospective study of in-vivo conception rates in 325 couples. Both tests were of no significant value alone or in combination with traditional semen characteristics in predicting pregnancy outcome. The two most predictive factors of conception were the length of infertility and percentage of progressively motile spermatozoa. Our data support the further investigation of sperm function using more sophisticated quantitative tests, specifically the examination of sperm motility."}
{"id": "PMID:1479006", "title": "Changes in carnitine and acetylcarnitine in human semen during cryopreservation.", "content": "L-Carnitine and acetylcarnitine concentrations were determined in spermatozoa and seminal plasma from 15 men, in both fresh ejaculate and frozen-thawed semen with cryoprotective medium. Sperm motility was also evaluated. In fresh samples, the levels of carnitine and acetylcarnitine in seminal plasma were comparable whereas in spermatozoa, acetylcarnitine predominated. Cryopreservation did not change the carnitine and acetylcarnitine levels in seminal plasma nor the carnitine concentration in spermatozoa; by contrast, the acetylcarnitine level in spermatozoa was decreased in 14 cases (110 +/- 8 versus 210 +/- 20 nmol/10(8) cells). This decrease in acetylcarnitine content was greater during semen dilution in cryoprotectant than after the freezing/thawing process. Motility was also decreased in all cases after the freezing/thawing process. These results suggest that acetylcarnitine recovery in spermatozoa is further evidence of the deleterious effect of the cryoprotective medium in the cryopreservation of semen."}
{"id": "PMID:1479007", "title": "Unexplained in-vitro fertilization failure: implication of acrosomes with a small reacting region, as revealed by a monoclonal antibody.", "content": "To determine the acrosomal characteristics related to in-vitro fertilization (IVF) outcome, spermatozoa from 50 men whose wives had resorted to IVF have been studied by indirect immunofluorescence microscopy with anti-human pro-acrosin monoclonal antibody 4D4 (mAb 4D4), prior to and after incubation in a capacitating medium. The antibody labelled only the acrosomal principal region (APR), revealing its shape (i.e. normal, small or amorphous) and its status (i.e. unreacted, partially or totally reacted). The IVF outcome distinguished: (i) spermatozoa which were able to fertilize at least one oocyte in vitro (group I; n = 25) and (ii) spermatozoa which failed to fertilize any oocyte in vitro (group II; n = 25). The semen characteristics of the two sperm groups, including the acrosome morphology, were similar according to conventional analysis. The mAb 4D4 detected in both the whole and the swim-up sperm cell fractions a lower percentage of normal APR in group II (< 50% for 10 patients in group II versus one patient from group I), which was related to a higher percentage of small APR. Moreover, after 21 h incubation, group II had a lower acrosomal loss index. The spermatozoa of five patients of this infertile group II did not undergo acrosomal modification whereas spermatozoa of all group I patients underwent the acrosomal reaction. The data showed that the relationship between acrosomal anomalies and IVF failure is mainly due to an increased incidence of acrosomes with a reduced size of the region involved in the acrosome reaction. Immunodiagnosis of this acrosomal region by means of mAb 4D4 is informative for IVF outcome."}
{"id": "PMID:1479008", "title": "Effect of pentoxifylline on sperm movement characteristics in normozoospermic and asthenozoospermic specimens.", "content": "Preliminary evidence has suggested that the phosphodiesterase inhibitor pentoxifylline augments the fertilizing potential of asthenozoospermic sperm samples, presumably by improving sperm movement. Here, we used computer-assisted sperm movement analysis to compare the effects of pentoxifylline in normozoospermic and asthenozoospermic specimens. The study focused on the following issues: the changes in individual movement characteristics in response to pentoxifylline, the rapidity of the response, the effect of sperm capacitation on the response, the persistence of the response after drug removal and the variability of responses among asthenozoospermic individuals. Data obtained show that (i) pentoxifylline increases the curvilinear velocity, path velocity, straight-line velocity, lateral head displacement, beat cross frequency and sperm hyperactivation in both normozoospermic and asthenozoospermic specimens, (ii) pentoxifylline does not modify the percentage of motile spermatozoa, (iii) the pentoxifylline effect reaches a maximum within 10 min of treatment in fresh semen as well as in capacitated sperm suspensions and persists for at least 2 h after drug removal and (iv) pentoxifylline improves the movement characteristics in most asthenozoospermic individuals. Results are discussed with regard to methods of therapeutic application of pentoxifylline as an enhancer of sperm movement in assisted reproductive technology."}
{"id": "PMID:1479009", "title": "Usefulness of the hypo-osmotic swelling test for evaluation of human sperm fertilization.", "content": "We examined spermatozoa from 135 male patients consulting for infertility to evaluate the usefulness of the hypo-osmotic swelling (HOS) test of sperm fertility for the swim-up washing method. HOS test values significantly improved following the treatment of spermatozoa using the swim-up washing method. There were no differences in the rate of sperm motility between the normal group and the oligozoospermic group following treatment, but the HOS test identified significant differences in swelling rates in both groups before and after treatment. The results of the HOS test following swim-up washing were higher during fertilization attempts for 11 cases of successful intra-uterine insemination (IUI) than during unsuccessful IUI attempts; there were no significant differences between the control group and the successful IUI cases. Moreover, using the lower-normal limits for overall sperm swelling (52%) and g-type sperm swelling (30%) obtained from a normal control group, we found that swelling rates were higher when IUI was successful. These findings indicate that the HOS test is an effective measure of sperm fertilizing function when the swim-up washing method is used for sperm treatment. The score of g-type sperm swelling can be used as a substitute for overall sperm swelling."}
{"id": "PMID:1479010", "title": "Pregnancy after zygote intra-fallopian transfer using spermatozoa from a patient with Kallmann's syndrome.", "content": "A successful zygote intra-Fallopian transfer has been performed using spermatozoa from a patient with Kallmann's syndrome. Spermatogenesis was induced by hormonal treatment but even so, semen quality remained slightly impaired and no pregnancy occurred over 4 years, despite ovulation induction in the patient's spouse. Finally she conceived after assisted procreation by in-vitro fertilization and delivered a healthy baby."}
{"id": "PMID:1479011", "title": "Sonographic transcervical balloon tuboplasty.", "content": "The purpose of this study was to evaluate sonographic guidance for transcervical tubal catheterization and transcervical balloon tuboplasty of patients with bilateral proximal tubal occlusion. Cornual catheterization and transcervical balloon tuboplasty were performed under sonographic guidance. Injection of micro-bubble emulsion confirmed tubal recanalization. Tubal patency demonstrated by sonography was confirmed by injection of contrast material under fluoroscopy. Four women with bilateral proximal tubal occlusion confirmed by previous hysterosalpingogram and laparoscopy underwent sonographically guided transcervical balloon tuboplasty. Patients with distal or peritubal damage were excluded from this study. Bilateral tubal patency confirmed by sonography and subsequent fluoroscopy was achieved in all four patients. One patient conceived spontaneously, a month following the procedure, and delivered at term. Sonographically guided transcervical balloon tuboplasty can be performed successfully on patients with proximal tubal occlusion. Identification of the catheter tip and successful cannulation of the internal tubal ostia were easier to perform under fluoroscopy. Further improvements in sonographic equipment and catheter technology will hopefully eliminate radiation and replace fluoroscopy during the performance of transcervical balloon tuboplasty. Sonographic transcervical tubal catheterization may, therefore, become a simple and cost-effective procedure for the diagnosis and treatment of patients with proximal tubal occlusion."}
{"id": "PMID:1479012", "title": "Fibrin glue for reanastomosis of the fallopian tube in the rabbit: adhesions and fertility.", "content": "Fertility and adhesions were examined in 41 rabbits in three treatment groups following the construction of microsurgical anastomoses with fibrin glue and by conventional suturing techniques. The three types of treatment were: isthmic anastomoses without resection, ampullary anastomoses, isthmic anastomoses following resection of oviduct segments. There were no significant differences between the two methods of performing the anastomoses in any of the three groups with respect to number of ovulations, number of implantations, nidation index, and pregnancy rate. The extent of the formation of adhesions was also no different between the two types of anastomosis construction. From the functional point of view, fibrin glueing of the tubes can be considered as good as microsurgical suturing. Another study is planned to examine whether this is also true from the morphological viewpoint. It must be remarked that fibrin glueing does not appear to be suitable for anastomoses in which a lumen-adjusting technique is needed or for deep tubocornual or intramural anastomoses."}
{"id": "PMID:1479013", "title": "Beta-N-acetylhexosaminidase activity in human oocytes and preimplantation embryos.", "content": "beta-N-acetylhexosaminidase is a lysosomal enzyme, which has two isoenzymes: beta-Hex A, a trimer consisting of one alpha-chain and two beta-chains (alpha beta 2) and beta-Hex B, a tetramer formed of four beta-chains (beta 2 beta 2). Genetic defects in the alpha-chain lead to Tay-Sachs disease, whereas mutations in the beta-chain gene lead to Sandhoff disease. In a previous study we developed a microassay for total beta-N-acetylhexosaminidase and used this for measuring activities in mouse oocytes and preimplantation embryos. In this study, to assess the feasibility of transferring this technique to the human for the purposes of preimplantation diagnosis for Tay-Sachs and Sandhoff disease, beta-Hex activity was assayed in human oocytes and embryos and in the medium in which they had been cultured. We showed that although the activity of beta-N-acetylhexosaminidase in human oocytes and embryos was > 500 times higher than in the mouse, it was not detectable in the culture medium and the activity in oocytes and embryos remained virtually constant throughout human preimplantation development, making it difficult to distinguish embryonic from maternal enzyme activity. In the absence of this distinction it would be inappropriate to use beta-N-acetylhexosaminidase activity for the purposes of preimplantation diagnosis of Sandhoff or Tay-Sachs disease. These experiments demonstrate that measuring the beta-N-acetylhexosaminidase activity in human embryos cannot be used at present for preimplantation diagnosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1479014", "title": "Quantitative analysis of cellular glutathione in early preimplantation mouse embryos developing in vivo and in vitro.", "content": "The relative levels of reduced glutathione (GSH) have been measured fluorimetrically in individual eggs and early embryos from two mouse strains, one of which shows developmental arrest in vitro. GSH levels fell by approximately 20-25% at fertilization and by approximately 45% by the late 2-cell and early 4-cell stages. No differences were observed between strains or between embryos cultured in vitro or in vivo. Addition of exogenous H2O2 or diethylmaleate depleted GSH. GSH levels were not affected significantly after inhibition of GSH-peroxidase by mercaptosuccinate nor of catalase by aminotriazole. Mercaptosuccinate did not inhibit development but catalase inhibition caused arrest at the 2-cell stage. Addition of exogenous GSH or thioredoxin did not promote development of 'blocking' embryos through the 2-cell block. It is concluded that early embryos lack a mercaptosuccinate sensitive peroxidase activity for removing H2O2, which may be removed by catalase or the glutathione-S-transferase system. It is suggested that GSH may have a role in detoxifying peroxidated lipids. The results are consistent with a role for reactive oxygen species in the 2-cell block."}
{"id": "PMID:1479015", "title": "Can the mouse embryo provide a good model for the study of abnormal cellular development seen in human embryos?", "content": "Mouse 2-cell embryos arrested in development, either due to the effect of in vitro culture conditions ('2-cell block') or after exposure to the protein synthesis inhibitor anisomycin, were examined to determine the effect of the level of protein synthesis on development. The rate of protein synthesis was found directly to reflect the developmental potential of the embryos. Embryos cultured in the highest dose of the drug failed to divide and had the lowest rate of protein synthesis over the period of investigation, whereas untreated viable 2-cell embryos in the control group had the highest rate of protein synthesis and developed normally. Measurement of the nuclear DNA showed that both arrested and non-arrested embryonic cells completed DNA replication. Furthermore, drug-arrested embryos, like embryos which 'block' in culture, remained morphologically intact when left in culture. Disruption of the nuclear integrity and formation of micronuclei, as is frequently observed in arrested human embryos, was not seen in mouse embryos. These results indicate that developmentally arrested mouse embryos may not be a good model for studying cellular dysfunction in early human development. Experimentation using human material is required to address directly the problem of abnormal human development."}
{"id": "PMID:1479016", "title": "Reliable gender screening for human preimplantation embryos, using multiple DNA target-sequences.", "content": "Dependable methods were developed for preimplantation sexing of human IVF embryos, for use in clinical settings where prospective parents are at high risk for transmission of X-linked diseases. Using single cultured cells and blastomeres from human embryos as model systems, a multiplex protocol was developed for rapid analysis via nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Reliability was enhanced by co-amplification of conserved amelogenin gene segments from both X and Y chromosomes, as well as Y-linked DYZ1 repetitive elements. Each cell was manually isolated and individually washed to avoid potential contaminants. Multiplex amplification allowed recognition of spurious amplification failures specific to particular amelogenin single-copy targets. The X-linked internal control and multiple Y-linked markers allowed recognition and exclusion of most aberrant samples, thus averting potential misdiagnosis. The optimized single-cell protocol reduced experimental sexing errors to < 2% (1/60), but also revealed potential pitfalls of single-cell analysis. With human triploid embryos, separate sampling of individual blastomeres provided concordant female or male signals. Slight modification adapted the procedure for diagnosis of biopsy material from blastocyst stage embryos, allowing separate analysis of multiple tubes containing multiple cells for improved reliability."}
{"id": "PMID:1479017", "title": "CA 125 concentrations in ovarian 'chocolate' cyst fluid can differentiate an endometriotic cyst from a cystic corpus luteum.", "content": "In a prospective study, the concentrations of CA 125, 17 beta-oestradiol and progesterone were assayed in 52 consecutive ovarian cysts, laparoscopically suspected to be endometriomas. Cysts with dark brown 'chocolate' fluid (n = 42) were excised by CO2-laser endoscopy. Cysts with clear fluid were diagnosed by pathology as follicular cysts (n = 5) or pseudoperitoneal cysts (n = 5). Fluids (n = 53) aspirated during echo-guided puncture for in-vitro fertilization (IVF) were assayed simultaneously. Of the 42 women undergoing a cystectomy, the clinical diagnosis of an endometrioma was confirmed by pathology in only 68%, the other cases being corpora lutea (27%) or follicular cysts (5%). Cyst fluids from corpora lutea had lower CA 125 concentrations (< 1000 IU/ml) together with high 17 beta-oestradiol concentrations (> 2000 pg/ml) and/or high progesterone concentrations (> 100 ng/ml). Endometriotic cysts had either very high CA 125 concentrations (> 10,000 IU/ml) as occurred in 78% or lower CA 125 concentrations (< 1000 IU/ml) together with low 17 beta-oestradiol and/or progesterone concentrations. 'Chocolate' fluid-containing cysts aspirated during IVF had similar concentration profiles of CA 125, 17 beta-oestradiol and progesterone and the diagnoses derived from these concentrations were not contradicted in 19/27 women undergoing a laparoscopy within 4 months. In eight women, however, with high CA 125 concentrations in their cyst fluid, no endometriotic cysts were found at laparoscopy. Only 68% of cysts containing 'chocolate' material were endometriotic cysts and CA 125 could be useful in making this diagnosis. This method is recommended when dark brown fluid is aspirated in IVF."}
{"id": "PMID:1479018", "title": "Ovarian steroid receptor expression in endometriosis and in two potential parent epithelia: endometrium and peritoneal mesothelium.", "content": "Endometriosis is an oestrogen dependent condition and it is expected that the tissue of origin of endometriosis will express receptors for the ovarian steroids. Two epithelia, endometrium and peritoneal mesothelium, are the potential parent epithelium. Oestrogen and progesterone receptor expression has been studied immunohistochemically in (i) timed endometrial biopsies from 25 normal subjects and 27 patients with endometriosis, (ii) 25 endometriotic biopsies and (iii) 42 peritoneal biopsies. Endometrium but not peritoneal mesothelium expresses both oestrogen and progesterone receptors. No difference in the intensity of staining between endometria of normal subjects compared with the endometria of patients with endometriosis was noted. In paired endometrial and endometriotic biopsies, the intensity of staining for the oestrogen receptor in stromal cells and for the progesterone receptor in both glandular and stromal cells was less in the endometriotic biopsies. These data provide circumstantial evidence for an endometrial origin for endometriosis although quantitative differences exist in receptor expression between endometrium and endometriosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1479019", "title": "The effect of injecting endometriotic 'chocolate' cyst fluid into the peritoneal cavity of mice.", "content": "'Chocolate' fluid aspirated from endometriotic cysts was injected into the peritoneal cavity of mice. No peritoneal adhesions or endometriosis were noted when the animals were killed 7-37 days later."}
{"id": "PMID:1479022", "title": "Enzyme immunoassay (EIA) for equine chorionic gonadotropin/pregnant mare serum gonadotropin (eCG/PMSG).", "content": "A simple, accurate, sensitive enzyme immunoassay (EIA) has been developed that permits the measurement of equine Chorionic Gonadotropin activity in pregnant mare plasmas or serums as well as in commercial and highly-purified preparations. This assay is specific for eCG and eLH which share the same polypeptide structure but differ in their oligosaccharidic chains. The more important result is that this EIA has been found to be give data in very close agreement with the in vivo assay. Therefore this very rapid and convenient assay can be used to measure the activity of eCG/PMSG in pregnant mares serums in in-field conditions as well as in crude or highly-purified preparations."}
{"id": "PMID:1479023", "title": "Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay of CS-518, a thromboxane synthetase inhibitor, in rabbit plasma and platelets.", "content": "A competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was developed for determination of CS-518, a novel thromboxane synthetase inhibitor. Antisera against CS-518 were obtained from rabbits immunized with bovine serum albumin linked to CS-518 via carboxylic acid introduced into the imidazolyl ring (for ELISA-1) or via 6-carboxylic acid directly (for ELISA-2). Each of two CS-518 derivatives was conjugated to horseradish peroxidase by a N-succinimidyl ester method, and it was used as a labeled-antigen in homogeneous combination with antisera. In ELISA-1, CS-518 was detectable in a range of 5pg-1ng, and all cross-reactivities with main metabolites were less than 5%, in contrast to high affinity to the taurine and glucuronic acid conjugates of CS-518 in ELISA-2. Validity of ELISA-1 was confirmed by a high-performance liquid chromatography and ELISA-1 enabled specific determination of CS-518 in plasma samples deproteinized by methanol. When ELISA-1 was applied to determine CS-518 in platelets after oral administration to rabbits, CS-518 uptake up to maximum capacity in platelets (4.2-5.4 x 10(6) M) and slow elimination of CS-518 from platelets (T1/2 = 36-41 hr) were observed independent of CS-518 doses. These results confirm that CS-518 binds to thromboxane synthetase in platelets with high affinity."}
{"id": "PMID:1479024", "title": "A sensitive enzyme immunoassay for the detection of a synthetic affinity ligand, the reactive yellow 13 dye.", "content": "Dye-affinity chromatography is widely and increasingly used for the isolation of various proteins. In particular, the purification of transthyretin can be efficiently achieved by affinity chromatography on immobilized Reactive Yellow 13. Measurement of trace-amounts of dye leaching from affinity columns is important because of possible toxicity or side effects linked with the presence of dye in therapeutic transthyretin preparations. A competitive enzyme immunoassay was developed to monitor yellow-dye column leaching. Biotinylated rabbit anti-Reactive Yellow 13 antibodies (immunoglobulin G fraction) were used as principal reagent. The assay is specific sensitive to 1 ng/ml of Reactive Yellow 13, has a good reproducibility and allows the accurate detection of the dye in the presence of transthyretin."}
{"id": "PMID:1479025", "title": "Immunocapture assay for quantification of human IgA antibodies to parasite antigenic enzymes. Application with the alkaline phosphatase of Schistosoma mansoni.", "content": "Conditions are described for using solid phase adsorbed jacalins in an immunocapture assay for IgA antibodies to the alkaline phosphatase of Schistosoma mansoni. Microtiter plates were activated with polylysine and jacalins were covalently adsorbed by means of glutaraldehyde. From three different jacalins, the one purified from seeds of Artocarpus tonkinensis showed the lowest non-specific adsorption and was used for further studies. Comparing solutions of bovine serum albumin, ovalbumin and Tween 20, it was shown that the latter was most successful in blocking non-specific adsorption. Low serum dilutions resulted in a less efficient IgA capture by the adsorbed jacalin than higher dilutions. Under optimal working conditions, a high correlation could be shown between the presence of specific anti-alkaline phosphatase antibodies of IgA isotype and IgG isotype."}
{"id": "PMID:1479026", "title": "Beyond simple pooling for HIV screening.", "content": "We discuss some theoretical features underlying the successful uses of pooling in testing HIV seroprevalence. In particular it is shown that there is a scaling relation for the distribution of positive sera among the pools. A multi-stage pooling method consisting of repeatedly halving the positive pools is proposed. Concentrating on the number of tests required for screening all positive individuals the method is shown to be highly efficient in low prevalence situations."}
{"id": "PMID:1479030", "title": "Search for retrovirus in the chronic fatigue syndrome.", "content": "To examine peripheral blood and skeletal muscle from patients with chronic fatigue syndrome for exogenous retrovirus. Blood samples from 30 patients and muscle biopsy specimens of 15 patients were examined for retroviral sequences by DNA extraction, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and Southern blotting hybridisation. Sera were examined for human foamy virus by western immunoblotting and indirect immunofluorescence techniques. No differences between the patient and control populations was found for any of the PCR primer sets used (gag, pol, env, and tax regions of HTLV I/II). An endogenous gag band was observed in both the patient and control groups. All sera were negative for antibody to human foamy virus. The results indicate that there is no evidence of retroviral involvement in the chronic fatigue syndrome."}
{"id": "PMID:1479031", "title": "Quantification of pancreatic secretory trypsin inhibitor in colonic carcinoma and normal adjacent colonic mucosa.", "content": "To measure the content of immunoreactive human pancreatic secretory trypsin inhibitor (irPSTI) in colonic carcinoma and adjacent normal colonic mucosa. From a stable hybridoma cell line producing monoclonal antibodies specific for human PSTI, a specific enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for human PSTI was developed. In a precipitation assay system these antibodies bound human PSTI in a dose-dependent manner. The specimens were obtained from resectional surgery. The content of irPSTI was 19.9 micrograms/g protein (0.55 micrograms/g tissue wet weight) in colonic carcinoma. In adjacent normal colonic mucosa 43.6 micrograms/g protein (1.12 micrograms/g tissue wet weight) was shown. The enzymatic degradation of surrounding tissue necessary for tumour cell invasion could be facilitated by this relative deficit of the inhibitor in infiltrative carcinoma."}
{"id": "PMID:1479032", "title": "Helicobacter pylori, gastritis, and peptic ulceration in the elderly.", "content": "To determine the histopathological types of gastritis, presence of H pylori, and of peptic ulceration in patients aged 70 and over, compared with younger adults. Gastric antral and corpus biopsy specimens from 112 elderly patients were classified and graded histologically according to the Sydney system. Details of recent antibiotic and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug use were recorded. Eighty four of the patients were positive for H pylori IgG antibodies and parietal cell antibodies. The results were compared with those from a series of 124 adult patients aged under 60. H pylori were visible at histological examination in only 57 of 87 (65.5%) elderly patients with chronic gastritis (excluding \"special forms\") compared with 72 of 79 (91.1%) of the younger patients with gastritis (p < 0.0002). Severe atrophy of the corpus mucosa was significantly associated with absence of H pylori (p < 0.002), and was present in eight of 30 elderly patients with helicobacter negative gastritis. Other explanations for absence of H pylori include recent antibiotic intake, more intestinal metaplasia, and lower bacterial load in elderly patients (p < 0.05). Autoimmune gastritis and NSAID use did not seem to be relevant. Serodiagnosis showed reduced sensitivity (81%) in patients who were helicobacter positive histologically, but was positive in 14 of 23 (61%) with H pylori negative gastritis histologically, suggesting either current infection that had been missed or previous infection. Peptic ulceration was significantly associated with NSAID use, but not with H pylori in the elderly. The spectrum of gastritis is different in the elderly, compared with younger adults, due to a significant group with chronic gastritis who are H pylori negative on histological examination. NSAID use, but not demonstration of H pylori (at histological examination) is associated with peptic ulceration in the elderly."}
{"id": "PMID:1479033", "title": "Strains of Escherichia coli O157:H8 from human diarrhoea belong to attaching and effacing class of E coli.", "content": "To determine whether 17 Escherichia coli O157:H8 strains isolated from patients with diarrhoea in the United Kingdom were putative pathogens. The strains had been isolated by the use of O157 antiserum, available for the detection of Vero cytotoxin (VT) producing strains of E coli O157 that are usually of flagellar (H) type 7, but may also be non-motile. The strains were examined for VT production, for their ability to adhere to HEp-2 cells, and for hybridisation with several DNA probes that recognise pathogenic properties of E coli. Their ability to ferment sorbitol and to produce beta-glucuronidase was also investigated, as these tests are used to discriminate VT positive O157 strains. The O157:H8 strains did not produce VT. All gave localised attachment to HEp-2 cells, associated with a positive fluorescence-actin staining test, and all hybridised with the E coli attaching and effacing (eae) probe. In addition to the difference in VT production, O157:H8 strains could be distinguished from VT positive O157 strains by their beta-glucuronidase activity, their failure to produce enterohaemolysin, and their lack of hybridisation with the CVD419 probe derived from a plasmid in an O157:H7 strain. The 0157:H8 strains had in vitro properties characteristic of the class of E coli that causes attaching and effacing lesions in epithelial intestinal cells. They may therefore be considered a putative cause of diarrhoea but their prevalence remains to be established. Several O157:H8 strains failed to ferment sorbitol in agar plates and therefore could be misidentified as VT positive O157 strains. Confirmatory tests for VT production are needed when O157 strains are isolated from faeces."}
{"id": "PMID:1479034", "title": "Phenotypic methods for speciating clinical Aeromonas isolates.", "content": "To establish the suitability of currently available phenotypic methods for speciation of clinical Aeromonas isolates in diagnostic microbiology laboratories. Using 62 Aeromonas spp, three schemes based on biochemical reactions were compared: a series of conventional tests; a system based on the suicide phenomenon, comprising two tubes in total; and a commercially available test, API 20 NE, augmented with a plate assay for beta haemolysin production. The whole cell and outer membrane protein (OMP) profiles of strains were examined by sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS PAGE), according to the results of the above schemes, to determine the intra-species homogeneity. Ninety per cent of strains were identified satisfactorily according to conventional criteria. For these strains, agreement was obtained using the suicide phenomenon and API schemes in 93% and 88% of cases, respectively. The three schemes concurred for 82% of strains. Whole cell protein profiles were unsuitable for comparing strains within a species. However, OMP patterns were similar for 89% of A caviae and 63% of A hydrophila. Phenospeciation of clinical Aeromonas isolates by the scheme based on the suicide phenomenon is simple to perform and accurate, and suitable for use in the diagnostic laboratory. OMP profiles are potentially useful for confirming the identity of A caviae and most A hydrophila, but not A sobria."}
{"id": "PMID:1479035", "title": "Immunohistological detection of human cytotoxic/suppressor T cells using antibodies to a CD8 peptide sequence.", "content": "To evaluate whether cytotoxic/suppressor T cells can be detected in paraffin wax embedded human tissue samples using antibodies to a synthetic CD8 peptide sequence. Polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies were raised against a 13 amino acid peptide sequence from the cytoplasmic portion of the alpha chain of the human CD8 molecule. These antibodies specifically detected the native form of the CD8 polypeptide when tested by immunoprecipitation with radiolabelled T cells, and gave the expected staining pattern for cytotoxic/suppressor T cells in cryostat sections. Being raised in rabbits, the polyclonal antibodies were also useful for double labelling for CD8 in conjunction with monoclonal antibodies. CD8 positive cells could also be detected in paraffin wax embedded tissues. This was achieved without prior treatment of the sections if the tissue had been fixed in Bouin's fixative. When tissues had been exposed to conventional formalin fixation, preliminary microwave treatment was required. These findings provide further evidence that antibodies against leucocyte associated antigens, capable of reacting on paraffin wax embedded tissue, can be produced by immunisation with synthetic peptide sequences."}
{"id": "PMID:1479036", "title": "Comparison between histochemical and immunohistochemical methods for diagnosis of sporotrichosis.", "content": "To compare the efficacy of histochemical and immunohistochemical methods in detecting forms of Sporothrix schenckii in tissue. Thirty five cutaneous biopsy specimens from 27 patients with sporotrichosis were stained by histochemical haematoxylin and eosin, periodic acid Schiff, and Gomori's methenamine silver methods and an immunohistochemical (avidin-biotin complex immunoperoxidase) (ABC) technique associated with a newly produced rabbit polyclonal antibody anti-Sporothrix schenckii. A total of 29 (83%) cases were positive by the ABC method used in association with anti-Sporothrix schenckii rabbit polyclonal antibodies. Histochemical methods, using silver staining, periodic acid Schiff, and conventional haematoxylin and eosin detected 37%, 23%, and 23% of forms of S schenckii, respectively. The ABC technique was significantly more reliable than periodic acid Schiff and silver staining techniques. It is concluded that immunostaining is an easy and rapid method which can efficiently increase the accuracy of the diagnosis of sporotrichosis in human tissue."}
{"id": "PMID:1479037", "title": "Audit of bone marrow trephines.", "content": "To establish criteria of adequacy for bone marrow trephine biopsy specimens and to audit the quality of trephines performed at the Christie Hospital, Manchester. Trephines (n = 767) performed over 12 months were reviewed. Their lengths, and the lengths of their constituent parts (soft tissue, cortex, crushed marrow and interpretable marrow) were measured. The mean performance of each operator was calculated. Criteria of adequacy were established by a review of the published findings and an analysis of the relation between trephine length and the rate of infiltration by tumour. Before processing, the average trephine was 1.59 cm long. Trephines shrunk by 25% during processing. In histological sections the average length was 1.15 cm, consisting of 0.09 cm of soft tissue, 0.04 cm of cortex, 0.26 cm of disrupted marrow and 0.74 cm of interpretable marrow. A large number of operators were taking trephine biopsy specimens and their performance varied considerably. Review of the published findings suggested that the minimum adequate length is in the range 1.5 cm to 2.0 cm. The analysis of the relation between length of trephine and the rate of positivity for neoplasia yielded a minimum adequate length of 1.2 cm in section (1.6 cm before processing). Fifty eight per cent of the trephines were inadequate by this criterion. There was a tendency for the Jamshidi needle to produce a longer trephine than the Islam needle. According to objective criteria, at the Christie Hospital, many operators are producing a high proportion of inadequate bone marrow trephines."}
{"id": "PMID:1479038", "title": "Lipopeliosis: fat induced sinusoidal dilatation in transplanted liver mimicking peliosis hepatis.", "content": "A distinct peliosis-like lesion arose in the liver allograft of a 51 year old man. This lesion was caused by necrotic, fat-laden hepatocytes that released fat globules into the sinusoids. These then became strikingly distended with cysts, thus mimicking peliosis hepatitis. It is suggested that this lesion be called lipopeliosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1479039", "title": "Splenic lymphoma with villous lymphocytes in two sisters.", "content": "Splenic lymphoma with villous lymphocytes is a new entity characterised by the presence of atypical lymphocytes in the peripheral blood and bone marrow, and splenic infiltration in the white and red pulp. Cell membrane markers are those of a B mature cell, and no particular chromosomal abnormalities have been associated with this disease. A case of this rare lymphoma occurred in two sisters. Histological examination of splenic tissue was identical in both cases, with the same immunological surface markers, although the clinical and laboratory features were different. Karyotype analysis showed an abnormal pattern in one case; no environmental causative factor could be detected. Familial cases of other lymphoproliferative disorders have been reported, but no consistent common link has been found. It is suggested that further reports of this lymphoma, including cytogenetic and molecular studies, may provide a better understanding of the aetiology."}
{"id": "PMID:1479040", "title": "Measurement of placental alkaline phosphatase activity in benign and malignant pleural effusions.", "content": "The usefulness of placental alkaline phosphatase (PLAP) as a diagnostic marker of malignancy was assessed in pleural fluid from 60 patients with effusions. Pleural fluid PLAP activities were measured by an enzyme linked immunoassay (ELISA) using the two monoclonal antibodies H17E2 and H317. Similar values were found in groups of patients with primary bronchial tumours (n = 12), secondary malignancies (n = 23), and \"benign\" conditions (n = 25). The highest values were found in a small subgroup of patients with metastatic ovarian carcinoma. However, the production of this enzyme by normal lung makes the measurement of PLAP in pleural fluid unhelpful as a diagnostic aid to distinguish \"benign\" from malignant effusions."}
{"id": "PMID:1479041", "title": "Backprocessing paraffin wax blocks for subgross examination.", "content": "A method called \"backprocessing\", for subgross examination of sections, ranging between 50 microns and 1 mm in thickness using a dissecting microscope was developed. It requires either archival or current diagnostic breast tissue. In this study tissue is assumed to have been already embedded in paraffin wax for immediate diagnostic purposes. The advantages of backprocessing include the ability to select valuable or rare diagnostic tissue from archival histopathological material, and the preservation of histological structure should further examination at 5 microns thickness be required at a later date."}
{"id": "PMID:1479042", "title": "Microwaves improve chromosome G-banding in fresh blood and bone marrow.", "content": "A simple technique for obtaining good chromosomal G-banding on fresh blood and bone marrow is presented. The usual technique is modified by using a microwave oven before staining the preparations with Wright's stain."}
{"id": "PMID:1479043", "title": "Eosinophilic bodies in pyloric and Brunner's gland cells.", "content": "A previously unreported cell phenotype occurred in the pyloric and Brunner glands in two gastrectomy specimens. The cells were characterised by homogeneous, eosinophilic material in the cytoplasm. The eosinophilic material had an abnormally strong reactivity for Cystatin C, a protein found recently in the normal secretion of pyloric and Brunner's gland cells. The reason for the apparent cytoplasmic accumulation of cystatin C in the two patients described remains unclear."}
{"id": "PMID:1479044", "title": "Reassessment of the rate of fixative diffusion.", "content": "The diffusion of fixatives is slow. Early work using plasma gels and animal tissues showed the distance penetrated by a fixative to be a simple function of the fixation time but this relation has not been established in human tissues. The rates of diffusion into whole human spleens were measured for three primary fixatives over periods ranging from one to 25 days. A positive correlation was demonstrated between penetration distance (mm) and fixation time (hours). The diffusion rates were slower than those in previous studies. These results have possible implications for the handling of surgical specimens."}
{"id": "PMID:1479045", "title": "Cytoblock preparations for examination of cervical and other cells.", "content": "There are a number of antibodies which may be of value in the investigation of cervical smears, effusion, and cells grown in monolayer culture. The Shandon Cytoblock method was used to prepare discs of such cells suitable both for diagnosis and for a variety of other techniques."}
{"id": "PMID:1479047", "title": "Does lithium dose prediction improve treatment efficiency? Prospective evaluation of a mathematical method.", "content": "An attempt was made to determine whether an algorithm for lithium dose prediction allows earlier or more economical attainment of a therapeutic steady state than does the usual \"clinical titration.\" Twelve patients were treated using an algorithm developed by Zetin and associates and compared with 21 patients treated by clinical titration. Ten of the 12 algorithm-treated patients (83%) had reached the desired lithium blood level by the seventh day, whereas only 8 of the 21 clinical titration patients (38%) had done so. This difference is significant. In addition, the Zetin algorithm performed safely: the 2 dose prediction errors led to underdosing. Some of the relevant literature is reviewed."}
{"id": "PMID:1479048", "title": "Characteristics of long-term alprazolam users in the community.", "content": "The widespread use of benzodiazepines remains a source of concern to the medical profession and the general public, especially as newer compounds come on the market. Our goal was to characterize long-term alprazolam users in the community and to determine whether such use represented abuse or behavioural dependence. We conducted three community surveys to learn about the natural history of long-term alprazolam use. Current long-term alprazolam users (those using the drug for 3 months or longer) were recruited on three separate occasions 1 year apart by identical newspaper advertisements in the metropolitan Toronto area. All respondents were mailed a questionnaire with a stamped, addressed return envelope. Our data from 312 respondents show that: (1) the majority of patients have a substantial history of prior medication use for symptom control (65%), (2) dose escalation is not a characteristic of long-term use, (3) patients change their initial pattern of regular use to one of symptom control only when required, (4) most physicians do not discuss discontinuation of the drug with their patients, (5) patients frequently try to stop their drug use (with a median of 2 attempts) and often report symptoms upon discontinuation, and (6) patients perceive a need for medication use and indicate that alprazolam is effective (75%). We conclude that some patients persistently use alprazolam but that this use does not represent abuse or behavioral dependence."}
{"id": "PMID:1479049", "title": "Clonidine treatment of hyperactive and impulsive children with autistic disorder.", "content": "Many autistic children have associated problems of inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity that limit the effectiveness of educational and behavioral interventions. Few controlled psychopharmacologic trials have been conducted in autistic children to determine which agents may be effective for these associated features. Eight male children (8.1 +/- 2.8 years) with autistic disorder, diagnosed by DSM-III-R criteria, completed a placebo-controlled, double-blind crossover trial of clonidine. Subjects were included in the study if they had inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity that was excessive for their developmental level. Subjects had not tolerated or responded to other psychopharmacologic treatments (neuroleptics, methylphenidate, or desipramine). Teacher ratings on the Aberrant Behavior Checklist irritability, stereotypy, hyperactivity, and inappropriate speech factors were lower during treatment with clonidine than during treatment with placebo. Attention deficit disorder with hyperactivity: Comprehensive Teacher's Rating Scale ratings were not significantly improved during the study, except for oppositional behavior. Parent Conners Abbreviated Parent-Teacher Questionnaire ratings significantly improved during clonidine treatment. Clonidine led to increased ratings of the side effects of drowsiness and decreased activity. Clinician ratings (Children's Psychiatric Rating Scale Autism, Hyperactivity, Anger and Speech Deviance factors; Children's Global Assessment Scale; Clinical Global Impressions efficacy) of videotaped sessions were not significantly different between clonidine and placebo. Clonidine was modestly effective in the short-term treatment of irritability and hyperactivity in some children with autistic disorder."}
{"id": "PMID:1479050", "title": "Fluoxetine: activating and sedating effects at multiple fixed doses.", "content": "Serotonin uptake inhibitors are generally considered activating antidepressants. To assess rates and temporal patterns of activation and sedation as well as dose-effect relationships, adverse event data were evaluated from a fixed-dose study comparing placebo and fluoxetine 5, 20, and 40 mg/day in the treatment of major depressive disorder (N = 363) and two fixed-dose studies pooled together comparing placebo and fluoxetine 20, 40, and 60 mg/day in the treatment of major depressive disorder (N = 746). The adverse events nervousness, anxiety, agitation, and insomnia were considered indicative of activation; somnolence and asthenia were considered indicative of sedation. Activation and sedation were both statistically significant (p less than or equal to 0.05) treatment-emergent phenomena, but dose-effect relationships differed. Activation rates were relatively stable between 5 and 40 mg/day, and then increased at 60 mg/day. Sedation rates increased linearly to 40 mg/day and then were comparable at 40 and 60 mg/day. Discontinuations for either phenomenon were uncommon. The temporal patterns of first occurrences and persistence of activation and sedation differed. First occurrences of activation peaked early and declined over time with all doses. First occurrences of sedation also peaked early with all doses, but there may have been greater variability in first occurrences of sedation over time with lower doses. Persistent occurrences of sedation may decline less over time than persistent occurrences of activation."}
{"id": "PMID:1479051", "title": "Clomipramine plasma levels among depressed outpatients in Benin, west Africa: drug compliance and comparison with Caucasian patients.", "content": "A 75 mg/day clomipramine treatment was prescribed for 4 weeks to 92 outpatients with major depression at the Neuropsychiatric Clinic of the National University Hospital of Cotonou in Benin, West Africa. Among them, only 42 followed the treatment during the 4 weeks and had a clomipramine and desmethylclomipramine plasma level measure (gas chromatography technique). The rate of noncompliance appeared high: 10 patients had no trace and another 2 had only traces of antidepressant in their plasma. For the remaining 29, a comparison with 29 Caucasian patients treated by clomipramine (the two samples are matched for sex and age, and the variables of weight, dosage and drug association are controlled) shows no significantly higher plasma levels in the Beninese sample."}
{"id": "PMID:1479052", "title": "Acute and chronic administration of trazodone in the treatment of disruptive behavior disorders in children.", "content": "We report the results of an open trial of trazodone in the treatment of severe behavioral disturbances in a sample of 22 hospitalized children previously found to be unresponsive to other treatments. Response to treatment was assessed by overall clinical criteria and improvements in individual symptom dimensions during the inpatient hospitalization. Thirteen children (67%) were found to benefit from the introduction of trazodone. Aggressive, impulsive behaviors were symptoms most frequently improved by this agent. Three of those found to be nonresponders actually worsened in symptomatology. A follow-up interview of the parents was conducted 3-14 months after discharge from the inpatient unit, for those children who initially responded to trazodone administration. The results of this interview suggest that the effect of trazodone was persistent for a prolonged period of time after the initial inpatient trial. Trazodone appears to be of value in the management of severe behavioral disturbances in children. The possible mechanism of action of trazodone is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1479053", "title": "Discontinuation of alprazolam after long-term treatment of panic-related disorders.", "content": "Discontinuation of alprazolam after long-term treatment of 142 patients with panic-related disorders was examined in five study sites using a telephone interview. The majority (67%) of patients interviewed discontinued alprazolam for a period of at least 3 days after a gradual dosage reduction schedule over a 4-week period at the end of the long-term treatment study. A marked difference among the study sites in percentages of patients discontinuing therapy with alprazolam suggests that physician intervention played an important role in determining the ability of patients successfully to discontinue use of alprazolam: 90% and 95% of patients ceased therapy at two sites whereas only 21%, 38%, and 66% of patients discontinued therapy at the other three sites. The mean daily dosage for patients who continued using alprazolam decreased from 5.1 mg/day at the end of the long-term segment to 2.7 mg/day at the time of the poststudy interview. This decline indicates a lack of tolerance to the therapeutic effectiveness of alprazolam over an extended period of time."}
{"id": "PMID:1479054", "title": "Adverse cutaneous reactions associated with fluoxetine strategy for reintroduction of this drug in selected patients.", "content": "Four patients treated with fluoxetine alone developed generalized urticaria. One also suffered polyarthritis. These reactions subsided when fluoxetine was stopped. After 6-12 months, because of progressive psychiatric problems, fluoxetine was reintroduced using a desensitization protocol. In each case this was well tolerated, and fluoxetine has been continued without adverse affects for 3-10 months."}
{"id": "PMID:1479063", "title": "An electron microscopical study of calcitonin gene-related peptide-like immunoreactive innervation of the anterior pituitary in the dog.", "content": "Our previous studies have demonstrated the presence of a considerable number of substance P-, calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP)-, and galanin-like immunoreactive (LI) nerve fibers in the anterior pituitary in several mammalian species. The present study investigated the ultrastructure of the CGRP-LI innervation of this gland in the dog. The CGRP-LI nerve fibers were unmyelinated, with a wealth of varicosities containing both small clear synaptic vesicles and large dense-cored vesicles. They were found to be in direct contact with every cell type of the anterior pituitary. However, only on corticotropes and somatotropes were CGRP-LI synaptic contacts identified. Most of them were asymmetrical in type. Occasional symmetrical synaptic contacts were also found. It is considered likely that direct neural factors may play a role in the regulation of the anterior pituitary."}
{"id": "PMID:1479064", "title": "Enkephalin-immunoreactive neurons in the parvicellular subdivisions of the paraventricular nucleus project to the external zone of the median eminence.", "content": "The enkephalin-immunoreactive neurons that project to the external zone of the median eminence were identified on thin paraffin and thick vibratome sections using a combination of retrograde labeling with peripherally administered Fluoro-Gold and immunocytochemistry. The vast majority of the enkephalin-immunoreactive neurons that project to the external zone of the median eminence (ME) reside in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of the hypothalamus. Within the PVN, the majority of these hypophysiotropic neurons are located in the medial parvicellular subdivision, while a smaller number can be detected in the anterior and the periventricular subdivisions. Although many enkephalin-immunoreactive neurons are present in other hypophysiotropic areas of the hypothalamus, such as the medial preoptic area, the anterior periventricular area, and the arcuate nucleus, only a few of these can be retrogradely labeled from the ME. These results provide morphological evidence for the key role of paraventricular enkephalin-immunoreactive neurons in the regulation of neuroendocrine functions."}
{"id": "PMID:1479065", "title": "Development of callosal connections in the sensorimotor cortex of the hamster.", "content": "To investigate the development of corpus callosal connectivity in the hamster sensorimotor cortex, we have used the sensitive axonal tracer 1,1 dioctadecyl-3,3,3',3', tetramethylindocarbocyanine perchlorate (DiI), which was injected either in vivo or in fixed brains of animals 3-6 days postnatal. First, to study changes in the overall distribution of developing callosal afferents we made large injections of DiI into the corpus callosal tract. We found that the anterogradely labeled callosal axons formed a patchy distribution in the contralateral sensorimotor cortex, which was similar to the pattern of adult connectivity described in earlier studies of the rodent corpus callosum. This result stands in contrast to previous retrograde studies of developing callosal connectivity which showed that the distribution of callosal neurons early in development is homogeneous and that the mature, patchy distribution arises later, primarily as a result of the retraction of exuberant axons. The initial patchy distribution of callosal axon growth into the sensorimotor cortex described in the present study suggests that exuberant axons destined to be eliminated do not enter the cortex. In addition, small injections of DiI into developing cortex resulted in homotopic patterns of callosal topography in which reciprocal regions of sensorimotor cortex are connected, as has been shown in the adult. Second, to study the radial growth of callosal afferents we followed the extension of individual callosal axons into the developing cortex. We found that callosal axons began to invade the contralateral cortex on about postnatal day 3, with little or no waiting period in the callosal tract. Callosal afferents then advanced steadily through the cortex, never actually invading the cortical plate but extending into layers on the first day that they could be distinguished from the cortical plate. The majority of callosal axons grew radially through the cortex and did not exhibit substantial branching until postnatal day 8, the age when the cortical plate disappears and callosal afferents reach the outer layer of cortex. This mode of radial growth through cortex prior to axon branching could serve to align callosal afferents with their radial or columnar targets before arborizing laterally."}
{"id": "PMID:1479066", "title": "Postnatal development of the ipsilateral corticospinal component in rat spinal cord: a light and electron microscopic anterograde HRP study.", "content": "Most developmental and regeneration studies using the corticospinal tract (CST) as a model are focussed on its major contralateral component in the ventralmost part of the dorsal funiculus. However, for a correct interpretation of the data in these and future studies, a complete anatomical description of the rat CST, including its ipsilateral uncrossed component, is a prerequisite. In this study we used anterograde horseradish-peroxidase (HRP) tract-tracing at the light and electron microscopic level to describe the development of the uncrossed ipsilateral CST component. In the far caudal portions of the medulla oblongata, most of the CST fibers decussate dorsally and medially to assume positions in the ventralmost part of the dorsal funiculus. However, a small number of labeled fibers continue uncrossed in a position just lateral to the ventral median fissure. Labeled ipsilateral CST fibers caudally extend into the ventral funiculus of the third thoracic segment at postnatal day 1 (P1), into the seventh thoracic segment at P3, and into the first lumbar segment at P5 and P7. After the first postnatal week labeled ipsilateral CST fibers gradually disappear from upper lumbar, lower-, and mid-thoracic spinal cord levels, respectively. From P14 through adulthood the ipsilateral CST projection can not be visualized below upper thoracic spinal cord levels. Quantitative analysis of the amount of label along the length of the outgrowing ipsilateral CST revealed a characteristic staggered pattern of outgrowth: a small number of fibers take the lead and additional fibers are successively added. The outgrowth of labeled ipsilateral CST fibers is mainly restricted to spinal cord white matter. Occasionally a few outgrowing fibers into the adjacent cervical spinal gray can be observed, however, only between P3 and P7. Electron microscopic observations at the cervical enlargement (fifth cervical segment) demonstrate that the first labeled ipsilateral CST fibers, at P1, are characterized by the presence of growth cone-like enlargements at their distal endings. The process of myelination of labeled ipsilateral CST axons starts at about day P14. Although myelination seems to be largely completed at P28, labeled unmyelinated axons are still present in the adult ipsilateral CST component."}
{"id": "PMID:1479067", "title": "Timing and duration of dihydrotestosterone treatment affect the development of motoneuron number and morphology in a sexually dimorphic rat spinal nucleus.", "content": "The spinal nucleus of the bulbocavernosus (SNB) is a sexually dimorphic motor nucleus in the rat lumbar spinal cord. SNB motoneurons and their perineal target muscles are present in adult males, but reduced or absent in adult females. This dimorphism is due to the presence of androgens during development. Perinatal treatment of females with testosterone (T), or a combination of dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and estrogen (E+D females) from embryonic (E) day 16 through postnatal (P) day 5, results in a masculine number of SNB motoneurons and the retention of the target muscles. Perinatal treatment with estrogen alone does not masculinize the SNB; prenatal treatment with DHT alone from E17-E22 results in a feminine number of SNB motoneurons and a significantly altered motoneuron morphology and connectivity. To determine if masculinization of the SNB involves the interaction of estrogen and DHT or results from a longer exposure to DHT alone, the number, morphology, and connectivity of SNB motoneurons in females treated with DHT both pre- and post-natally (from E16-P5) were examined. At E22, DHTP (E16-P5) females have SNB motoneuron numbers identical to E+D and normal females, but far fewer than normal males, thus indicating that T is essential for prenatal masculinization. After E22, SNB motoneuron number declines precipitously in normal females but remains stable in DHTP (E16-P5) females and E+D females, which do not differ from normal males at P10. These results demonstrate that DHT can completely masculinize SNB motoneuron number without any synergistic actions with estrogen, and suggest that the development of SNB motoneuron number is strictly an androgen-mediated event. In adulthood, horseradish peroxidase histochemistry reveals that the connectivity, dendritic length, and soma size of SNB motoneurons in DHTP (E16-P5) females are identical to those of normal males but differ significantly from those of DHTP (E17-E22) females. These data suggest that the altered connectivity in DHTP (E17-E22) females is not simply a hormone-specific effect, but the result of a truncated hormone exposure. Thus, DHT can fully masculinize SNB morphology and connectivity if given during the appropriate period of development. It is suggested that while T may be required to masculinize the SNB prenatally, DHT may be involved in masculinizing postnatal aspects of SNB development."}
{"id": "PMID:1479068", "title": "Cholecystokinin concentrations and peptide immunoreactivity in the intact and deafferented medullary dorsal horn of the rat.", "content": "To further address the hypothesis that cholecystokinin (CCK) in the medullary dorsal horn (MDH) arises from intrinsic or higher-order neurons, CCK-8-specific radioimmunoassay (RIA) and immunohistochemical (IHC) experiments were carried out in adult rats after trigeminal tractotomy. RIA of punches from deafferented superficial layers of the MDH revealed no significant change in CCK levels vs. the control right side. In this same area, IHC revealed modest reductions in CCK, gastrin, and substance P staining. Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) staining was reduced substantially. Gastrin immunoreactive cell bodies, present normally in inner lamina II, were reduced in number. RIA and IHC methods were also used to assess MDH CCK concentrations in adult rats subjected to left infraorbital nerve section at birth. The left medulla contained significantly higher levels of CCK than the control right medulla (1.27 +/- 0.19 vs. 0.97 +/- 0.11 ng/mg protein). IHC revealed a dense band of CCK-like staining in laminae I and II ipsi- and contralateral to the lesion. Thus, neonatal deafferentation elevates medullary CCK. To determine if the neonatal lesion-induced increase in medullary CCK is due to primary afferent or higher-order reorganization, RIA and IHC experiments were run after infraorbital nerve section at birth and trigeminal tractotomy in adulthood. RIA revealed no significant change in CCK levels caudal to the tractotomy, although they were higher than control levels in 9 of 12 cases. IHC revealed modest reductions in CCK, substance P, and gastrin staining that resembled the reductions observed in tractotomy-alone cases. These data suggest that 1) most MDH CCK is of non-primary afferent origin, 2) gastrin immunoreactivity in layer II probably originates in CCK-containing cells intrinsic to layer II, the expression of which is dependent upon trigeminal primary afferent input, 3) neonatal V deafferentation induces increased CCK in the superficial MDH, reflecting reorganized intrinsic or higher-order inputs, and 4) higher-order substance P in the MDH is robust."}
{"id": "PMID:1479069", "title": "Neuronal and synaptic composition of the mediodorsal thalamic nucleus in the rat: a light and electron microscopic Golgi study.", "content": "The distribution and dendritic domain of neurons in each segment of the mediodorsal thalamic nucleus (MD) have been studied in the rat with the Golgi technique. In addition, a combined Golgi method-electron microscopic (Golgi-EM) study was undertaken to determine the distribution of morphologically distinct synapse types along the dendrites of individual identified neurons in MD. All the subdivisions or \"segments\" of MD (medial, central, lateral) contained both stellate and fusiform cells. The dendritic domain of both types of cells was predominantly restricted to the same segment of MD that contained the cell body of the neuron. Typical stellate neurons were found near the center of each segment, with radiating dendrites that extended to but not across the boundaries of the segment. Fusiform cells were usually located close to the segmental or nuclear boundaries and tended to have dendrites oriented parallel to those borders; again, the dendrites tended not to extend across borders between segments or at the outer edge of MD. In the medial segment of MD many fusiform cells had especially bipolar dendritic configurations, generally with a dorsoventral orientation. Because no small neurons were identified that might correspond to thalamic interneurons, all the impregnated cells in MD are presumed to be thalamocortical projection neurons. These results indicate that cells and their major dendrites are confined to a single segment of MD, with little dendritic overlap across segmental or nuclear borders. The segments of MD may therefore be considered to be relatively independent subnuclei. The distribution of the four types of synapses previously identified in MD (Kuroda and Price, J. Comp. Neurol., 303:513-533, 1991) was determined along several identified dendrites studied with the Golgi-EM method. Primary dendrites were contacted mostly by large axon terminals, including both large, round vesicle (LR) terminals and large, pleomorphic vesicle (LP) terminals, as well as a few small to medium sized terminals with pleomorphic vesicles (SMP). No small terminals with round vesicles (SR terminals) were observed to make synapses with primary dendrites. Secondary and tertiary dendrites received synapses from all types of axon terminals. Higher order dendrites were contracted predominantly by SR boutons, but they also carried some LR and SMP terminals. In addition, SMP boutons were often found to form symmetric contacts with cell somata."}
{"id": "PMID:1479070", "title": "Nerve ring of the hypostome in hydra. I. Its structure, development, and maintenance.", "content": "The anatomy and developmental dynamics of the nerve ring in the hypostome of Hydra oligactis were examined immunocytochemically with an antiserum against a neuropeptide and with neuron-specific monoclonal antibodies. The nerve ring is unique in the mesh-like nerve net of hydra. It is a distinct neuronal complex consisting of a thick nerve bundle running circumferentially at the border between the hypostome and tentacle zone. Immunostaining showed that the nerve ring was heterogeneous and contained at least four different subsets of neurons. During head regeneration and budding, the nerve ring appeared only after the nerve net of ganglion and sensory cells had formed. Every epithelial cell is continuously displaced with neurons toward either head or foot in an adult hydra. However, the ectoderm in the immediate vicinity of, and including, the nerve ring constitutes a stationary zone that is not displaced. Tissue immediately above this zone is displaced toward the tip of the hypostome, while tissue below is displaced along the tentacles. Correspondingly, the production of new neurons in the ring as measured by their differentiation kinetics is much slower than in surrounding areas. Thus, the nerve ring is static and stable in contrast to the dynamic features of the nerve net of hydra."}
{"id": "PMID:1479071", "title": "Immunocytochemical localization of kynurenine aminotransferase in the rat striatum: a light and electron microscopic study.", "content": "Kynurenine aminotransferase is the biosynthetic enzyme for kynurenic acid, an antagonist of excitatory amino acid receptors. Because of the possible role of kynurenic acid in basal ganglia diseases, the distribution of kynurenine aminotransferase immunoreactivity was examined in the adult rat striatum at the light and electron microscopic levels. Kynurenine aminotransferase immunoreactivity was detected in glial cells and in neurons. The preadsorption control vastly reduced or eliminated specific staining at both the light and electron microscopic levels. Kynurenine aminotransferase positive glial cells were abundant and contained a robust and homogeneous distribution of reaction product in both the nucleus and cytoplasm. The majority of neurons, both medium and large, were immunostained and exhibited granular kynurenine aminotransferase immunoreactivity in the cytoplasm of somata and proximal dendrites. At the ultrastructural level, kynurenine aminotransferase immunoreactive astrocytic processes were apparent throughout the neuropil where they often encircled capillaries and surrounded axospinous synapses. Reaction product was associated with the cytoplasmic matrix, filaments, rough endoplasmic reticulum, and the nucleus. In neurons, the majority of label occurred in round membrane-bound cytoplasmic organelles located adjacent to the Golgi apparatus, rough endoplasmic reticulum, and the cell or nuclear membranes. Cisternae and vesicles were identifiable in some of the labeled profiles. Polyribosomes and rough endoplasmic reticulum were also labeled. These data provide an anatomical basis for biochemical studies that have suggested the presence of striatal kynurenine aminotransferase in both astrocytes and neurons."}
{"id": "PMID:1479072", "title": "Antibody to NGF inhibits collateral sprouting of septohippocampal fibers following entorhinal cortex lesion in adult rats.", "content": "We have used an antiserum raised against mouse 2.5S NGF to examine the involvement of endogenous neurotrophins in the collateral sprouting of septohippocampal fibers in the adult rat brain. The antiserum was administered intraventricularly. Immunocytochemical techniques indicated that the injected antibodies penetrated into brain tissue that included the basal forebrain, cortex, striatum, corpus callosum, and hippocampus. Unilateral lesioning of the entorhinal cortex was done to evoke the sprouting of the cholinergic septohippocampal fibers. At 8 days postlesion, the sprouting was much advanced, as evidenced by an increase in density of the acetylcholinesterase (AChE) staining in the outer molecular layer (OML) of the dentate gyrus and by the associated increase in the absolute number of AChE-positive fibers in the OML. As well, there was a widening of the inner molecular layer (IML), interpreted as being due to sprouting of noncholinergic axons in that region. In rats injected daily with anti-NGF or anti-NGF Fab fragments, no increase in AChE density, or in the population of AChE-positive fibers, was observed in the OML. In contrast, the widening of the IML seemed to be unaffected by the anti-NGF treatment. No changes were observed in the AChE related parameters in the dentate gyrus of nonlesioned animals treated similarly for 8 days with anti-NGF; there was, however, a decrease of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) immunostaining in the ChAT-positive cells of the basal forebrain. Our findings and the confirmation that our polyclonal anti-NGF also recognizes other members of the NGF neurotrophin family, specifically brain-derived neurotrophic factor and neurotrophin-3, indicate that at least one of these neurotrophins plays a key role in the collateral sprouting of the cholinergic septohippocampal fibers (but not that presumed to occur within the IML) following an entorhinal cortex lesion."}
{"id": "PMID:1479073", "title": "Course of the fiber pathways to pons from parasensory association areas in the rhesus monkey.", "content": "The course of the fiber pathways to pons from parasensory association areas in the rhesus monkey was investigated by injection of tritiated amino acids and the technique of autoradiography. Results confirm the projection to pons from parasensory association areas in the temporal, parietal, and occipital lobes and extend these observations to include the posterior parahippocampal gyrus. The findings reveal that the white matter of the posterior limb of the internal capsule above the midpoint of the lateral geniculate nucleus, and at the medial aspect of the lateral geniculate nucleus, comprise common regions through which these corticopontine fibers lead to the basis pontis. The fibers demonstrate a certain degree of topographic organization in the posterior limb of the capsule above the lateral geniculate nucleus and also in the cerebral peduncle. Taken together with previous observations concerning the termination patterns of these associative corticopontine projections, it would appear that the corticopontine system consists of segregated and partially overlapping pathways, which are to some extent distinguishable anatomically at each stage of their trajectory from origin to destination. Furthermore, the existence of a common area through which all parasensory associative input to pons is transmitted suggests that a precisely located lesion in this part of the corticopontocerebellar circuit may disrupt the cerebellar access to higher order information derived from the parasensory associative regions."}
{"id": "PMID:1479074", "title": "Vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) in magnocellular neurons of the hypothalamo-neurohypophysial system of the mink (Mustela vision) is co-localized with vasopressin or oxytocin.", "content": "The distribution of vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) was analysed in perikarya of the mink hypothalamus with immunohistochemistry and, surprisingly, a large population of magnocellular VIP-immunoreactive neurons was present in the paraventricular and supraoptic nuclei as well as in accessory hypothalamic nuclei. From perikarya in the paraventricular as well as supraoptic nuclei, a large number of VIP immunoreactive nerve fibers was observed to enter the hypothalamo-neurohypophysial tract. Within the median eminence, a high density of VIP-immunoreactive nerve fibers was present in the external and internal zones. Fibers in the external zone of the median eminence were endowed with varicosities and perivascular terminals, while fibers in the internal zone were smooth and without terminal specializations. From the internal zone of the median eminence, fibers coursed via the infundibular stalk to terminate in perivascularly situated terminals in the neurohypophysis. In addition, a substantial number of small VIP-immunoreactive perikarya was observed within the suprachiasmatic nucleus. These perikarya were immunoreactive to neither vasopressin nor neurophysin. To elucidate the co-existence of VIP-immunoreactivity with vasopressin, oxytocin or neurophysin, a sequential double immunoperoxidase procedure to localize antigens with diaminobenzidine and benzidine dihydrochloride as chromagens was performed. From these experiments it was evident that VIP in nearly all magnocellular hypothalamo-neurohypophysial neurons co-existed with neurophysin. Based on a semi-quantitative estimate, half the VIP-immunoreactive magnocellular perikarya co-stored vasopressin, while another half co-stored oxytoxin. The present study describes the presence of a large population of VIP-containing neurons in the hypothalamo-neurohypophysial system of the mink. These findings raise evidence that within the mink, VIP may be involved in neurohypophysial physiology."}
{"id": "PMID:1479075", "title": "Axonal trajectories and distribution of GABAergic spinal neurons in wildtype and mutant zebrafish lacking floor plate cells.", "content": "The role of the midline floor plate cells in the neuronal differentiation of the spinal cord was examined by comparing putative GABAergic neurons in wildtype zebrafish embryos with those in cyc-1 mutant embryos. The mutation produces a pleiotropic recessive lethal phenotype and is severe in rostral brain regions, but its direct effect in the caudal hindbrain and the spinal cord is apparently restricted to the depletion of the midline floor plate cells. In wildtype embryos, an antibody against the neurotransmitter GABA labeled the cell bodies, axons, and growth cones of three classes of previously identified neurons; dorsal longitudinal neurons (DoLA), commissural secondary ascending neurons (CoSA), and ventral longitudinal neurons (VeLD). A novel ventral cell type, Kolmer-Agduhr (KA) neurons, was also labeled. In the cyc-1 mutant, abnormalities were observed in some, but not all, of the GABAreactive CoSA, VeLD, and KA axons, while the axonal trajectories of DoLA neurons were not affected. Furthermore, the number of KA cells was reduced in the mutant while the numbers of the other GABAreactive cells were unperturbed. These observations corroborate our earlier hypothesis that the floor plate cells are one of several guidance cues that direct axonal outgrowth near the ventral midline of the spinal cord. They also suggest that the floor plate cells may play a role in the cellular differentiation of the spinal cord of zebrafish embryos."}
{"id": "PMID:1479076", "title": "Postnatal development of tyrosine hydroxylase immunoreactive amacrine cells in the rabbit retina: I. Morphological characterization.", "content": "The present and accompanying (Casini, G., and N.C. Brecha, J. Comp. Neurol. 326:302-313, 1992) papers investigate the postnatal development of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-immunoreactive (IR) amacrine cells in the rabbit retina. This study is focused on a detailed analysis of the patterns of cellular growth and differentiation of TH-IR amacrine cells, which serve as a model to gain insights into the mechanisms underlying developmental changes associated with the maturation of amacrine cells. Faintly staining TH-IR neurons are present in the proximal inner nuclear layer of newborn retinas. They are characterized by a large nucleus and usually a single primary process lacking varicosities. At postnatal day (PND) 6, TH-IR processes display more complex morphological characteristics, including a few varicosities, and second- and third-order ramifications. Growth cones are often seen. At PNDs 10 and 12 (eye opening), TH-IR cells have general morphological characteristics similar to adult TH-IR amacrines. They display 2-5 primary processes, which start forming a complex network of fibers in lamina 1 of the inner plexiform layer (IPL). TH-IR processes are also present in lamina 3 and rarely in lamina 5 of the IPL. Many fibers ending in growth cones are observed. In addition, very rare, thin TH-IR fibers are present in the outer plexiform layer. At PND 19, TH-IR fibers form a complex, dense network in lamina 1 of the IPL, and loose networks in laminae 3 and 5. Growth cones are not observed at this age. At PND 26, a few \"ring-like\" structures formed by TH-IR fibers in lamina 1 of the IPL are observed for the first time. In adult retinas, the \"ring-like\" structures are more numerous than at PND 26. A second, rare type of TH-IR cell (\"type B\") is encountered in all retinal regions beginning at PND 10. These cells are characterized by weak immunostaining and a small soma size. The present findings show that a significant differentiation of TH-IR neurons occurs during the first 10-12 PNDs. Eye opening is an important period for the maturation of TH-IR amacrines and, more generally, for the maturation of the IPL."}
{"id": "PMID:1479077", "title": "Morphological response of extending spinal neuritic growth cones to peripheral target tissue.", "content": "Nerve fibers extend from spinal cord explants of larval frog in an enhanced and directed manner when cocultured with limb mesenchyme target tissue. In order to gain a better understanding of the events involved in target directed neurite extension, a detailed examination of the nerve growth cone was undertaken. The growth cones of spinal neurites that had elongated in the presence or absence of target tissue were examined by light and electron microscopy. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that growth cones of cord+limb cultures were elaborate in form with numerous and long filopodia, while those cultured in the absence of the target tissue appeared relatively simple with few, short filopodia. A morphological parallel existed between those growth cones that were cultured without the target and those in cord+limb cultures but which grew from the side of the cord explant away from the mesenchyme tissue. When examined with the transmission electron microscope, growth cones under target influence were organelle-rich in contrast to target-deprived growth cones, which lacked the extensive array of vesicles, endoplasmic reticulum, and filaments. When the attachment substratum of polylysine was substituted by collagen, the dramatic differences in growth cones were not realized, although enhanced, oriented growth still occurred in the presence of limb target tissue. It appears that growth cone morphology is a dynamic reflection of the growth effects elicited by a target tissue factor that in turn may be mediated by the nature of the extracellular environment."}
{"id": "PMID:1479078", "title": "Treatment of psoriasis with calcipotriol and other vitamin D analogues.", "content": "The discovery of a high-affinity receptor for the bioactive form of vitamin D3, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25[OH]D3), in most skin cells has led to the finding of previously unknown effects of vitamin D on epidermal growth and on the skin immune system. 1,25(OH)2D3 inhibits epidermal proliferation and promotes epidermal differentiation. These properties provided the rationale for introducing 1,25(OH)2D3 in the treatment of psoriasis vulgaris. In addition to 1,25(OH)2D3, the synthetic vitamin D3 analogues 1 alpha(OH)D3, 1,24(OH)2D3, and calcipotriol have undergone clinical evaluation. Calcipotriol has been studied most extensively. Compared with 1,25(OH)2D3, calcipotriol is about 200 times less potent in its effects on calcium metabolism, although similar in receptor affinity. In double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized studies, topical calcipotriol (50 micrograms/gm, up to 100 gm weekly) has been shown to be efficacious and safe for the treatment of psoriasis. A similar therapeutic profile has been seen in long-term studies. In comparative studies topical calcipotriol is slightly more efficacious than betamethasone 17-valerate and dithranol. The mode of action of calcipotriol and other vitamin D3 analogues in psoriasis is not known. Although vitamin D3 analogues affect epidermal growth, their immunosuppressive properties may be equally important for their antipsoriatic effect."}
{"id": "PMID:1479095", "title": "Spitz nevi.", "content": "The Spitz nevus has long been defined as a benign melanocytic lesion that shares many histologic features with malignant melanoma. Despite the diagnostic criteria established for these two entities, their histologic similarities continue to make their distinction somewhat difficult. Uncertainties also exist with regard to the natural history of the Spitz nevus; the true pattern of this lesion's biologic behavior remains elusive. As a result, controversies exist with respect to appropriate therapy. To examine these controversies, the epidemiology, clinical features, and histopathology of Spitz nevi, as well as the role of recent molecular and immunohistochemical diagnostic studies, are discussed. However, the primary focus of this article is the natural course, prognosis, and treatment of the Spitz nevus. A review of 716 cases of Spitz nevi, compiled from 13 papers published from 1948 to 1990, is presented. After analyzing this and other available data, we propose that at this time Spitz nevi and malignant melanoma cannot easily be categorized as distinct entities and that perhaps they actually exist along one continuum of disease. Because of this uncertainty and the difficulties in differentiating these two lesions, we recommend that treatment include complete excision of all Spitz nevi followed by reexcision of positive margins if present."}
{"id": "PMID:1479096", "title": "Cutaneous findings in a new syndrome of autosomal recessive ectodermal dysplasia with corkscrew hairs.", "content": "The association of hair shaft abnormalities with the phenotypic findings of a new, distinct form of an autosomal recessive syndrome of ectodermal dysplasia was present in 27 patients from seven families. Our purpose was to present the cutaneous findings that characterize this syndrome with particular attention given to the hair shaft abnormalities. Multiple field visits were used to gather data on phenotypic findings and prospectively evaluate their prevalence. Corkscrew hair, an exaggeration of pili torti, represents the most striking feature of this syndrome. Prominent cutaneous findings include scalp keloids, follicular plugging, keratosis pilaris, xerosis, eczema, palmoplantar keratodermia, cutaneous syndactyly, onychodysplasia, and conjunctival neovascularization. Other features include typical facies, anteverted pinnae, malar hypoplasia, cleft lip and palate, and dental abnormalities. A syndrome characterized by pili torti and corkscrew hairs, previously reported in only one patient, can be recognized."}
{"id": "PMID:1479097", "title": "Cyclosporine in atopic dermatitis. Modulation in the expression of immunologic markers in lesional skin.", "content": "In previous studies, oral cyclosporine was highly effective in the treatment of patients with severe atopic dermatitis. In this study seven patients with severe and therapy-resistant atopic dermatitis underwent therapy with cyclosporine, 5 mg/kg/day, for 6 weeks. The effect of cyclosporine on the expression of cytokines, which probably play a role in this disease, was examined. The study was performed with a panel of antibodies as markers of inflammatory cells, adhesion molecules, and cytokines (interferon-gamma [IFN-gamma], tumor necrosis factor-alpha [TNF-alpha] and interleukins 1 alpha, 1 beta, and 8 [IL-1 alpha, IL-1 beta, and IL-8, respectively]). They were visualized by indirect immunoperoxidase techniques. After 2 weeks of cyclosporine therapy, a reduction of 60% in the disease (severity and extent) was observed. This reduction was 89% after 4 weeks and 90% after 6 weeks of therapy. Results of indirect immunoperoxidase stains performed on lesional skin sections after 2 weeks of treatment showed statistically significant reduced numbers of CD14+, CD25 (IL-2R+) and IL-8+ inflammatory cells in the dermis and CD36(OKM5)+ cells in both the epidermis and dermis. The number of cells expressing IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha, assumed to be the products of the helper T-cell (TH)1 subset, was unaltered despite the impressive clinical benefit observed. Keratinocytes in lesional atopic skin did not express intercellular adhesion molecule type 1 (ICAM-1). The expression of the adhesion molecules ICAM-1, lymphocyte function-associated (LFA) type 1, and LFA-3 on inflammatory cells also remained unaffected by cyclosporine treatment. A statistically significant reduction in the number of activated T cells and in the number of cells expressing the IL-2 receptor (CD25) paralleled a marked improvement in the disease and supports the view that atopic dermatitis is based on a T-cell-mediated immune inflammation."}
{"id": "PMID:1479098", "title": "Lichen planopilaris: clinical and pathologic study of forty-five patients.", "content": "We review the findings in a large series of patients with lichen planopilaris. Clinical, histologic, and direct immunofluorescence findings were reviewed in 45 patients. Scalp biopsy specimens for routine histologic examination and direct immunofluorescence were reviewed. Clinical data and follow-up were obtained. Women were affected more commonly and had patchy hair loss, with perifollicular erythema, perifollicular spines, and scarring. Half had or developed glabrous skin, mucous membrane, or nail changes typical of lichen planus. Follicular involvement was limited to the infundibulum and isthmus and included lichenoid inflammation and cytoid formation, with few or no changes in interfollicular epidermis. Direct immunofluorescence showed cytoid body staining with anti-IgM and anti-IgA and patchy or linear fibrinogen deposition along the basement membrane zone. The various therapeutic options used were usually unsuccessful. To make the correct diagnosis, patients with scarring alopecia should be evaluated histologically and with direct immunofluorescence. They should also be followed up to assess whether lichen planus develops elsewhere."}
{"id": "PMID:1479099", "title": "Quantification of skin color in patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis.", "content": "In patients undergoing long-term hemodialysis, a peculiar hyperpigmentation develops, the intensity of which may or may not be related to the duration of treatment and use of erythropoietin. Our purpose was to conduct a comparative cross-sectional study of white patients with distinct diseases that modify their skin color. A reflected-light colorimeter was used to compare the color of the forehead and forearms of 61 white patients receiving hemodialysis with that of matched controls and of patients with anemia or icterus. Significant differences were found in both reflectance and chromaticity between these groups of patients. Duration of hemodialysis and use of erythropoietin did not significantly influence the colorimetric measurements. The use of a color-reflectance meter allows precise evaluation of subtle changes in skin color and may be used to monitor several diseases."}
{"id": "PMID:1479100", "title": "Kimura's disease and angiolymphoid hyperplasia with eosinophilia: clinical and histopathologic differences.", "content": "There has been considerable controversy about the relation between Kimura's disease and angiolymphoid hyperplasia with eosinophilia (ALHE). We describe the clinical and histopathologic differences between the two diseases. We reviewed clinical findings and histopathologic changes in two cases of Kimura's disease and three cases of ALHE. Kimura's disease shows typical lymphoid follicles. It is associated with lymphadenopathy and is always accompanied by peripheral eosinophilia. ALHE shows typical changes in endothelial cells. It is characterized by superficial papules or nodules with no lymphadenopathy and is less frequently accompanied by peripheral eosinophilia. Kimura's disease and ALHE are separate entities."}
{"id": "PMID:1479101", "title": "Sterility of refrigerated injectable collagen syringes after injection of patient.", "content": "Injectable collagen has been used for more than 15 years to correct soft tissue cosmetic defects. After injection, the collagen remaining in the syringe is often refrigerated for later use in the same patient, despite manufacturer and Food and Drug Administration recommendations to discard the unused collagen. This study examined the incidence of bacterial contamination of stored collagen. Syringe needle tips and collagen from 50 previously used syringes containing either Zyderm I, Zyderm II, or Zyplast were cultured separately under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. Bacterial isolates were identified. Propionibacterium acnes was cultured from 7 of 50 needle tips. One positive needle tip culture grew both P. acnes and Staphylococcus aureus. Bacteria were isolated from only one collagen sample that grew a nonhemolytic streptococcus that may have represented a laboratory contaminant. Syringes of collagen stored for repeated use rarely become contaminated with bacteria despite frequent contamination of their needle tips. Skin abscesses after collagen injection should be cultured under anaerobic, as well as aerobic, conditions so that infections caused by P. acnes will not be missed."}
{"id": "PMID:1479102", "title": "Allergic contact dermatitis from formaldehyde resins in permanent press clothing: an underdiagnosed cause of generalized dermatitis.", "content": "Formaldehyde resins have been used to impart wrinkle resistance to clothing fabrics since 1926. After several patients with positive patch tests to formaldehyde resins had been examined, a study was undertaken of the records of all patch tests performed at the University of Louisville Patch Test Clinic and the Allergy Section of the Skin and Cancer Clinic of New York University Medical Center from January 1988 through April 1990 to determine the prevalence of positive patch-test reactions to formaldehyde-based textile resins and the clinical and demographic patterns associated with textile resin allergy. Seventeen patients were identified at the two centers. Twelve were allergic to formaldehyde as well as to formaldehyde textile resins. Several clinical patterns were found, including accentuation of dermatitis in areas of tight clothing, primary occurrence in clothing-covered areas, and a chronic recalcitrant course. Ethylene urea melamine formaldehyde resin was the best screening agent with 14 definite positive reactions and one equivocal reaction. Formaldehyde textile resin allergy is more common than has been previously recognized. Patch testing with one or more formaldehyde textile resins is indicated in patients with a particular pattern of dermatitis."}
{"id": "PMID:1479103", "title": "Angiomatosis with luminal cryoprotein deposition.", "content": "Angioendotheliomatosis has recently been separated into two types. Malignant angioendotheliomatosis is a lymphoma in which the neoplastic cells accumulate in vascular lumens. Reactive angioendotheliomatosis is a proliferation of capillaries that is less well characterized. Our purpose was to describe the clinical and histopathologic features of three cases of reactive angiomatosis in patients with cryoproteinemia. Clinical and histologic data were correlated. Immunoperoxidase staining and electron microscopy were used in the histologic evaluation. All three cases showed tufts of capillaries with luminal deposits of cryoproteins. Immunohistochemical studies showed that the cellularity of the tufts was primarily caused by a proliferation of pericytes. Cryoproteinemia can cause angiomatosis that simulates a vascular neoplasm."}
{"id": "PMID:1479104", "title": "Mycosis fungoides--type cutaneous T-cell lymphoma arising before 30 years of age. Immunophenotypic, immunogenotypic and clinicopathologic analysis of nine cases.", "content": "Cutaneous T-cell lymphomas (CTCLs) rarely arise before 30 years of age; therefore the characteristics of these lymphomas are largely unknown. Our purpose was to assess the clinical and pathologic aspects of CTCL in young persons. We identified nine patients who had epidermotropic CTCL by 30 years of age and analyzed their lymphoma phenotypes and genotypes. The diagnosis of CTCL was made an average of 6 years after the reported onset of the lesion. Histologic examination revealed the mycosis fungoides (MF) form of CTCL, and none of the patients underwent conversion to nonepidermotropic or large-cell variants of CTCL. The immunophenotypes were typical of MF-type CTCL; seven of eight lymphomas tested were predominantly CD4+ although in only three were abnormal CD4/CD8 ratios present. All four cases tested were CD7- (Leu-9-), and seven of eight specimens tested exhibited deficient Leu-8 expression. The loss of one or more pan-T-cell markers was found in four of eight patients tested. Clonal beta-chain T-cell receptor gene rearrangements occurred in skin samples from four of eight tested cases. A persistent eruption, even in youths and young adults, should be thoroughly evaluated for possible CTCL."}
{"id": "PMID:1479105", "title": "Photodynamic therapy in the treatment of Bowen's disease.", "content": "The treatment of Bowen's disease in anatomically difficult areas or especially large lesions can challenge accepted modalities of treatment. The purpose of this study was to illustrate the effectiveness of photodynamic therapy in the treatment of Bowen's disease. In addition, photodynamic therapy may be used as adjuvant therapy for difficult lesions. Six patients with Bowen's disease in various anatomic sites were treated with photodynamic therapy. Four were in a difficult anatomic site, or were especially large, or both. Photofrin, 1.0 mg/kg, was administered intravenously and laser treatment was given approximately 48 hours later with the argon dye laser. Light was administered at a wavelength of 630 nm and the light dose ranged from 185 to 250 joules/cm2. Treatment was given by surface radiation only. Eight lesions were treated. All showed a complete response at 3 months (100%) and continue to show a complete response at 6 and 12 months. Morbidity was low; the most significant side effects were moderate pain and edema. Healing time varied depending on the size of the lesion. Photodynamic therapy is an effective and useful alternative for Bowen's disease, especially those lesions in anatomically difficult areas or those that are especially large."}
{"id": "PMID:1479106", "title": "Efficacy and safety of calcipotriol (MC 903) ointment in psoriasis vulgaris. A randomized, double-blind, right/left comparative, vehicle-controlled study.", "content": "The biologically active form of vitamin D3, calcitriol, may offer a new therapeutic approach to psoriasis. Calcipotriol, a new vitamin D3 analogue, is at least 100 times less calcemic than calcitriol. Our purpose was to study the efficacy and safety of calcipotriol in the treatment of psoriasis vulgaris. In a right/left comparative, double-blind study, treatment with calcipotriol ointment (50 micrograms/gm) twice daily and placebo was given for 4 weeks. The preferred treatment was continued, without opening the code, for another 4 weeks. Efficacy, as measured by the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index and by the investigator's and patient's global assessment, and safety were assessed every 2 weeks. The mean Psoriasis Area and Severity Index fell in 4 weeks from 14.2 to 6.3 with calcipotriol and from 14.1 to 9.2 with placebo (p < 0.001; 95% confidence interval for difference: 1.78-->3.94). Local side effects were equally common with calcipotriol and placebo. The mean serum calcium remained unchanged. Topical application of up to 50 gm of calcipotriol ointment per week was found to be an effective and safe treatment of psoriasis vulgaris."}
{"id": "PMID:1479107", "title": "Dihydroxyacetone-containing sunless or self-tanning lotions.", "content": "Dihydroxyacetone-containing sunless or self-tanning topical preparations are enjoying a resurgence of use in recent years. The chemistry of dihydroxyacetone, mechanism of action, application, safety, indications, and available products are reviewed."}
{"id": "PMID:1479108", "title": "Intraepidermal IgA pustulosis.", "content": "Since 1979, 29 patients with intraepidermal IgA detected by direct immunofluorescence have been reported. A review shows that they have a cutaneous disease clinically similar to subcorneal pustular dermatosis, or Sneddon-Wilkinson disease. The pustules may be subcorneal or intraepidermal. IgA deposits are usually found on the intercellular substance of the epidermis, although a subcorneal linear pattern has also been described. Circulating IgA class antiepidermal autoantibodies may be present. The disease usually responds to dapsone. In six cases, a monoclonal IgA gammopathy was present. Although little is known about the pathogenesis of this condition, we believe that it represents a distinct entity among the group of the neutrophilic dermatoses. Various diagnostic terms have been used; we propose intraepidermal IgA pustulosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1479110", "title": "Enhancing effects of fluorescein on beta-lactam rash. I: High incidence of cefclidin rashes in an ophthalmological volunteer trial.", "content": "Disseminated maculopapular eruptions were frequently observed in a volunteer trial of cefclidin's use in ophthalmological and neurological examinations (8/12; 67%) It appeared at 8-12 days (mean +/- SD, 9.6 +/- 1.1 days) from the initiation of the trial and subsided within 1-2 days (mean +/- SD, 1.8 +/- 0.4 days). Patch testing with cefclidin produced a +/- reaction in 1 of 8 cases, and the drug-induced lymphocyte stimulation test (DLST) elicited a positive response (SI: 2.8) in 1 of 8 and a weakly positive response (1.8 < or = SI < 2) in 2 of 8. From these findings, it seems likely that the eruptions may be partially mediated by delayed type hypersensitivity (DTH) reactions to cefclidin. No such eruption was observed in the phase II trial of cefclidin where only 2.8% of 1.122 volunteers developed the eruption. The volunteers were given both fluorescein and oxybuprocain in their eyes to measure ocular tension on days -1, 0, 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13 and weeks 3, 5, 7 after the initiation of cefclidin. Fluorescein and/or oxybuprocain may affect cefclidin to induce these abnormal reactions in the volunteers."}
{"id": "PMID:1479111", "title": "Enhancing effects of fluorescein on beta-lactam rash. II: Enhancing effects of fluorescein on generalized rash induced by beta-lactam antibiotics in guinea pigs.", "content": "Healthy volunteers, who were receiving intravenous injections of cefclidin (CFCL) with frequent concomitant use of fluorescein (F) and oxybuprocain (O) in the eyes for measurement of ocular tension, developed drug eruptions at the high frequency of 66.7%. The injection of CFCL alone induced the eruptions at an incidence of 2.8%. The cause of this high eruption rate was thought to be the simultaneous treatment with F and/or O. Therefore, we conducted experiments with CFCL-induced generalized rash (GR) in guinea pigs. Guinea pigs treated with F and O during both the phases of immunization and intraperitoneal elicitation developed CFCL rashes at a high frequency. This CFCL-rash was augmented by the treatment with F during either phase, but not by the treatment with O. Skin testing induced delayed type hypersensitivity (DTH) reaction to O in some animals, but the DTH to F was not induced in animals immunized with F in complete Freund's adjuvant. Furthermore, F augmented rashes induced not only by CFCL but also by other beta-lactam antibiotics such as cefsulodin and sulbenicillin. Accordingly, it is likely that F played a dominant role in the high incidence of drug eruptions during the volunteer trials with measurement of ocular tension."}
{"id": "PMID:1479112", "title": "Aneuploidy in chronic actinic dermatitis.", "content": "DNA content and cell cycle distributions in paraffin-embedded blocks of 19 skin biopsy specimens from 17 patients with chronic actinic dermatitis (CAD) [8 patients showed typical actinic reticuloid (AR)] were estimated by DNA cytometry. Sixty-three percent (12/19) of the skin specimens showed aneuploidy. In the 4 cases with the highest DNA indices (DI), ranging from 1.65 to 1.88 (mean: 1.84), the proportions of cells in S and G2/M phases were increased, ranging from 15-48% (mean: 20%) and from 64-76% (mean: 70.5%), respectively. In 8 cases with DI ranging from 1.15-1.75 (mean: 1.5), the proportion of cells in S-phase was also increased, ranging from 30-90% (mean: 81.1%). Histologically, it seems likely that the relatively high frequency of aneuploidy, DI, and proportions of cells in the S and/or G2/M phases were not proportional to epidermal or vascular endothelial hyperplasia, but they might be related to dermal lymphoid infiltration."}
{"id": "PMID:1479113", "title": "Classic Kaposi's sarcoma: a review of 90 cases.", "content": "A series of 90 cases of classic Kaposi's sarcoma observed and treated over the last 25 years was examined retrospectively. Fifty-one were the localized and 39 the disseminated form. Outpatient surgery for the localized and vinblastine chemotherapy for the disseminated form are probably the best treatments. Radiotherapy may be a valid alternative."}
{"id": "PMID:1479114", "title": "Angiokeratoma of the clitoris: a subtype of angiokeratoma vulvae.", "content": "A 24-year-old married woman had an angiokeratoma of the vulva measuring 3 x 3 x 4 mm localized at the clitoris. The nodule was noticed when she was pregnant with her first child. This tumor grew with occasional tenderness and bleeding during pregnancy, but its size did not change after delivery. The growth of this tumor might be attributable to an increase in venous pressure or serum progesterone levels; therefore this disorder might be classified as a subtype of angiokeratoma of the vulva. This is the first case of angiokeratoma localized at the clitoris."}
{"id": "PMID:1479115", "title": "Actinic cheilitis granulomatosa.", "content": "A granulomatous lesion of the lips caused by UVB-photosensitivity is described. A 31-year-old Japanese man developed depigmented, swollen, erythematous lips with some erosions and bloody crusts which were present for 11 months. Histologic examination revealed a dense dermal infiltration composed mainly of lymphoid-histiocytic cells. Suprabasal clefts were associated with the invasion of lymphoid cells around them. Results of patch and photopatch testing were negative. The minimal erythema dose 24 h after irradiation was lower than normal, ranging from 295 to 330 nm. The lesion was reproduced by repeated irradiation with monochromatic light of 310 and 320 nm, but not by exposure to 250, 260, 270, 280, 290, 300, or 330 nm. Topical injection of glucocorticoids and application of sunscreen led to improvement. We propose the name \"actinic cheilitis granulomatosa\" for this case."}
{"id": "PMID:1479116", "title": "A case of cytophagic histiocytic panniculitis with sicca symptoms and lupus nephritis.", "content": "A 48-year-old Japanese woman presented with many subcutaneous nodules. The skin was purplish in color and tender; the nodules were scattered over the entire surface. Histological findings of biopsy specimens from the nodules indicated septal panniculitis comprised of histiocyte and/or macrophage infiltrates, often with erythro- and/or leukophagocytosis. Phagocytic cells were OKM1 (CD11b), MT1 (CD43), LeuM3 (CD14), and histiocyte antigen positive, indicating the presence of histiocytes and/or macrophages. The patient had sicca symptoms, positive homogenous, speckled pattern ANA (x320), and diffuse proliferative lupus nephritis."}
{"id": "PMID:1479118", "title": "Ultrasonic attenuation estimation in-vivo using the difference ratio correction method.", "content": "In recent years, B scanners have been widely used clinically. Obviously, it is of particular importance to use the commercial B scanners to characterize tissue by estimating its ultrasonic attenuation in vivo. However, there are a lot of difficulties in doing so because the output of a B scanner is affected by many unknown factors. In this paper, a time domain method named the difference ratio correction (DRC) method is proposed to estimate the ultrasonic attenuation of tissue in vivo. In this method, three tissue-mimicking phantoms with known acoustical properties were employed to eliminate the instrumentation errors of the B scanner and the measuring system and to correct beam diffraction for correct attenuation estimation. Other advantages of this method are that it is very convenient to apply this method clinically and there is no need to change the inner construction of the B scanner because this method only utilizes the video output. Experimental and clinical results have proved the validity of this method."}
{"id": "PMID:1479119", "title": "Diversity and commonality in music performance: an analysis of timing microstructure in Schumann's \"Tr\u00e4umerei\".", "content": "This study attempts to characterize the temporal commonalities and differences among distinguished pianists' interpretations of a well-known piece, Robert Schumann's \"Tr\u00e4umerei.\" Intertone onset intervals (IOIs) were measured in 28 recorded performances. These data were subjected to a variety of statistical analyses, including principal components analysis of longer stretches of music and curve fitting to series of IOIs within brief melodic gestures. Global timing patterns reflected the hierarchical grouping structure of the composition, with pronounced ritardandi at the ends of major sections and frequent expressive lengthening of accented tones within melodic gestures. Analysis of local timing patterns, particularly of within-gesture ritardandi, revealed that they often followed a parabolic timing function. The major variation in these patterns can be modeled by families of parabolas with a single degree of freedom. The grouping structure, which prescribes the location of major tempo changes, and the parabolic timing function, which represents a natural manner of executing such changes, seem to be the two major constraints under which pianists are operating. Within these constraints, there is room for much individual variation, and there are always exceptions to the rules. The striking individuality of two legendary pianists, Alfred Cortot and Vladimir Horowitz, is objectively demonstrated here, as is the relative eccentricity of several other artists."}
{"id": "PMID:1479120", "title": "Time normalization in voice analysis.", "content": "The harmonics-to-noise ratio (HNR) has been widely accepted for quantifying the irregular or noise component of voice. HNR, however, is usually inflated by cycle-to-cycle variations of fundamental frequency period because zero padding is used for time normalization of the wavelet. In this study, a new method was developed for analyzing waveform perturbations of voice. In this method, noise components of voice were calculated from the discrepancies between wavelets after they had been optimally aligned in time. The optimal time normalization of wavelets was accomplished using procedures of dynamic time warping (DTW). This method was evaluated using both synthetic and natural voices, and significant reductions in noise were obtained. The harmonics-to-noise ratio obtained using DTW for time normalization was also shown to be independent of fundamental frequency perturbations."}
{"id": "PMID:1479121", "title": "Measurement of sound-pressure distribution in replicas of the oral cavity.", "content": "The spatial distributions of sound pressure in artificial oral cavities were measured to examine the characteristics of wave propagation in the vocal tract. The measurement was performed with plaster replicas of the oral cavity, and pure tones were used as the driving signals to obtain both amplitude and phase distributions at varied frequencies. Plane-wave propagation, which has been widely assumed for speech production models, was examined from the measured spatial distributions of sound pressure. Trajectories of media particles and vectorial maps of acoustic intensity, which can be computed from the measured pressure distributions, were also presented to visualize the acoustic field in the oral cavity. The results showed that at certain frequencies there existed points where sound pressure was absolutely zero, with the phase spatially circulating around them. Up to about 4 kHz, except at these certain frequencies, the wave front was almost one-dimensional, though an amplitude gradient was seen in the vertical direction."}
{"id": "PMID:1479122", "title": "Spectral shape discrimination of narrow-band sounds.", "content": "Measurements are reported on the detectability of signals added to narrow-band sounds. The narrow-band sounds had a bandwidth of 20 Hz and were either Gaussian noise with flat amplitude spectra or sets of equal-amplitude sinusoidal components whose phases were chosen at random. Four different kinds of sinusoidal signals were used. Two signals produced symmetric changes in the audio spectrum adding a component either at the center of the spectrum or at both ends. The other two signals produced asymmetric changes adding a component at either end of the spectrum. The overall level of the sound was randomly varied on each presentation, so that the presence of a signal was largely unrelated to the absolute level of the signal component(s). A model is proposed that assumes the detection of the symmetric signals is based on changes in the shape of the power spectrum of the envelope. Such changes in the envelope power spectrum are probably heard as changes in the \"roughness\" or \"smoothness\" of the narrow-band sound. The predictions of this model were obtained from computer simulations. For the asymmetric signals, the most probable detection cues were changes in the pitch of the narrow-band sound. Results from a variety of different experiments using three listeners support these conjectures."}
{"id": "PMID:1479123", "title": "Two experiments on the spectral boundary conditions for nonlinear additivity of simultaneous masking.", "content": "The present paper describes the results from two experiments which explored the spectral boundaries for the nonlinear additivity of simultaneous masking. The first experiment measured the threshold for detection of a 2-kHz tone in the presence of two 800-Hz-wide bands of noise that had varying degrees of spectral overlap with each other and the 2-kHz signal. Results revealed an abrupt transition from linear to nonlinear additivity of masking as the spectral separation between the two maskers varied from some overlap to none. The second experiment examined alternative explanations for the data. Explanations based on restricted-listening or distortion-product-detection hypotheses were not supported by the results of this experiment. These data indicate that nonlinear additivity of simultaneous masking holds for maskers that do not overlap within the critical band centered on the signal frequency. This interpretation is also consistent with a large body of data on the monaural and binaural summation (additivity) of loudness."}
{"id": "PMID:1479124", "title": "Narrow-band sound localization related to external ear acoustics.", "content": "Human subjects localized brief 1/6-oct bandpassed noise bursts that were centered at 6, 8, 10, and 12 kHz. All testing was done under binaural conditions. The horizontal component of subjects' responses was accurate, comparable to that for broadband localization, but the vertical and front/back components exhibited systematic errors. Specifically, responses tended to cluster within restricted ranges that were specific for each center frequency. The directional transfer functions of the subjects' external ears were measured for 360 horizontal and vertical locations. The spectra of the sounds that were present in the subjects' ear canals, the \"proximal stimulus\" spectra, were computed by combining the spectra of the narrow-band sound sources with the directional transfer functions for particular stimulus locations. Subjects consistently localized sounds to regions within which the associated directional transfer function correlated most closely with the proximal stimulus spectrum. A quantitative model was constructed that successfully predicted subjects' responses based on interaural level difference and spectral cues. A test of the model, using techniques adapted from signal detection theory, indicated that subjects tend to use interaural level difference and spectral shape cues independently, limited only by a slight spatial correlation of the two cues. A testing procedure is described that provides a quantitative comparison of various predictive models of sound localization."}
{"id": "PMID:1479125", "title": "Effects of roving level variation on monaural detection with a contralateral cue.", "content": "Monaural detection with a contralateral cue (MDCC) was measured with and without a 20-dB overall roving level to determine the contribution of loudness to performance on this task. Psychometric functions were obtained for three normal-hearing subjects as a function of the signal-to-noise ratio for pure-tone and 1/3-oct noiseband signals at 500 and 4000 Hz with a wideband noise masker. At 4000 Hz, the roving level degrades performance for the narrow-band noise signal by about 5.3 dB. In addition, the presence of the contralateral cue degrades performance for both the pure-tone and narrow-band noise signals at 4000 Hz by 3 to 6 dB. At 500 Hz, however, performance is not affected by the roving level, and is improved by 3 to 6 dB by the contralateral cue. These results indicate that loudness is being used as a cue only for detection of the 4000-Hz narrow-band noise."}
{"id": "PMID:1479126", "title": "Discriminability of bursts of reproducible noise.", "content": "The ability of human listeners to discriminate pairs of bursts of reproducible noise was examined. A same-different psychophysical method was used. Bursts in a pair were identical on same trials. On different trials, bursts were identical except for tau ms of independent noise located at either the beginning, middle, or end of the pairs of bursts. As the temporal position of the tau ms of independent noise was moved from the beginning to the end of the bursts of noise, discriminability increased. For each temporal position of the independent noise, discriminability was a function of the ratio of the duration of the independent noise (tau) to the total burst duration."}
{"id": "PMID:1479127", "title": "Behavioral measures of frequency selectivity in the chinchilla.", "content": "A simultaneous masking procedure was used to derive four measures of frequency selectivity in the chinchilla. The first experiment measured critical masking ratios (CRs) at various signal frequencies. Estimates of the chinchillas' critical bandwidths derived from the CRs were much broader than comparable human estimates, indicating that the chinchilla may have inferior frequency selectivity. The second experiment measured critical bandwidths at 1, 2, and 4 kHz in a band-narrowing experiment. This technique yielded narrower estimates of critical bandwidth; however, chinchillas continued to exhibit poor frequency selectivity compared to man. The third experiment measured auditory-filter shape at 0.5, 1, and 2 kHz via rippled noise masking. Results of the rippled noise masking experiment indicate that auditory filters of humans and chinchillas are similar in terms of shape and bandwidth with chinchillas showing only slightly poorer frequency selectivity. The final experiment measured auditory filter shape at 0.5, 1, 2, and 4 kHz using notched noise masking. This experiment yielded auditory filter shapes and bandwidths similar to those derived from man. The discrepancy between the indirect estimates of frequency selectivity derived from CR and band-narrowing techniques and the direct estimates derived from rippled noise and notched noise masking are explained by taking into account the processing efficiency of the subjects."}
{"id": "PMID:1479128", "title": "Influence of spectral locus and F0 changes on the pitch and timbre of complex tones.", "content": "Harmonic complex tones comprising components in different spectral regions may differ considerably in timbre. While the pitch of \"residue\" tones of this type has been studied extensively, their timbral properties have received little attention. Discrimination of F0 for such tones is typically poorer than for complex tones with \"corresponding\" harmonics [A. Faulkner, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 78, 1993-2004 (1985)]. The F0 DLs may be higher because timbre differences impair pitch discrimination. The present experiment explores effects of changes in spectral locus and F0 of harmonic complex tones on both pitch and timbre. Six normally hearing listeners indicated if the second tone of a two-tone sequence was: (1) same, (2) higher in pitch, (3) lower in pitch, (4) same in pitch but different in \"something else,\" (5) higher in pitch and different in \"something else,\" or (6) lower in pitch and different in \"something else\" than the first. (\"Something else\" is assumed to represent timbre.) The tones varied in spectral loci of four equal-amplitude harmonics m, m + 1, m + 2, and m + 3 (m = 1,2,3,4,5,6) and ranged in F0 from 200 to 200 +/- 2n Hz (n = 0,1,2,4,8,16,32). Results show that changes in F0 primarily affect pitch, and changes in spectral locus primarily affect timbre. However, a change in spectral locus can also influence pitch. The direction of locus change was reported as the direction of pitch change, despite no change in F0 or changes in F0 in the opposite direction for delta F0 < or = 0-2%. This implies that listeners may be attending to the \"spectral pitch\" of components, or to changes in a timbral attribute like \"sharpness,\" which are construed as changes in overall pitch in the absence of strong F0 cues. For delta F0 > or = 2%, the direction of reported pitch change accord with the direction of F0 change, but the locus change continued to be reported as a timbre change. Rather than spectral-pitch matching of corresponding components, a context-dependent spectral evaluation process is thus implied in discernment of changes in pitch and timbre. Relative magnitudes of change in derived features of the spectrum such as harmonic number and F0, and absolute features such as spectral frequencies are compared. What is called \"spectral pitch,\" contributes to the overall pitch, but also appears to be an important dimension of the multidimensional percept, timbre."}
{"id": "PMID:1479129", "title": "Evidence for two discrete sources of 2f1-f2 distortion-product otoacoustic emission in rabbit. II: Differential physiological vulnerability.", "content": "In a previous report, it was shown that, in normal rabbit ears, the amplitude and phase of 2f1-f2 distortion-product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs) elicited by low-level (< 60-70 dB SPL) stimuli display a differential dependence on stimulus parameters to those evoked by high-level (> 60-70 dB SPL) stimuli, indicating differences in the underlying generation mechanisms. In the present study, the physiological vulnerability of DPOAEs in each of the two 2f1-f2 DPOAE-response regions identified on the basis of differential parametric properties, was characterized. Thus emissions evoked using stimulus levels from 45-75 dB SPL were measured over time upon: (1) induction of lethal anoxia, (2) acute injection of ethacrynic acid, and (3) acute injection of ethacrynic acid 2 h after a single administration of gentamicin. The DPOAEs evoked by low-level stimuli (45 dB SPL) were abolished within 3-4 min of induction of anoxia, whereas DPOAEs evoked by high-level stimuli (75 dB SPL) were unchanged in this period. The high-level emissions decreased with a complex time course postmortem, and demonstrated behaviors, including evidence of susceptibility to fatigue, suggesting a dependence upon a cochlear energy supply. Low-level DPOAEs could be temporarily abolished, with complete recovery, by an acute administration of ethacrynic acid that had little effect on high-level DPOAEs. Treatment with the gentamicin and ethacrynic-acid combination, which would be expected to produce widespread hair-cell damage, eliminated low-level DPOAEs, and greatly reduced high-level emissions. In combination with previously published data, these findings strongly suggest that low- and high-level 2f1-f2 DPOAEs arise from discrete sources. The data are consistent with the proposal that the low-level DPOAE source is an active, micromechanical process, but suggest that the proposed origin of high-level DPOAEs exclusively in the passive macromechanics of the cochlear partition may be incorrect. The elimination of both low- and high-level DPOAEs revealed the presence of a third, residual 2f1-f2 DPOAE component, approximately 75-80 dB below the stimulus-tone levels, that may reflect the true passive-distortion response of the cochlea."}
{"id": "PMID:1479130", "title": "Physiological studies of central masking in man. I: The effects of noise on the 40-Hz steady-state response.", "content": "In a typical masking situation, two B\u00e9k\u00e9sy waves overlap on the basilar membrane, and each of them initiates a stream of nerve impulses that enters the brain via the auditory nerve. Much is known about the overlapping of the cochlear waves, but much less about where, how, and even if at all, the impulse streams interact once they get inside the brain. In these experiments the incoming impulses are measured electrophysiologically using the auditory brainstem response (ABR), and, simultaneously, using the 40-Hz auditory steady-state response (SSR) to monitor events at a probable site of their interaction, the auditory cortex. The principal finding is that, when progressively increasing levels of continuous noise are presented to the contralateral ear, the SSR to the signal drops to about half its control amplitude. Second, low levels of ipsilateral noise reliably enhance SSR amplitude. Third, moderate levels of ipsilateral noise reduce SSR latency. In none of these cases does the ABR show similar effects. These findings are interpreted to mean that, in each case, impulses excited by the signal interact with impulses excited by the noise, and regardless of ear of origin the interactions take place beyond the brainstem level where ABR wave V is generated, either before the impulses reach the cortex, or in the cortex itself."}
{"id": "PMID:1479131", "title": "Physiological studies of central masking in man. II: Tonepip SSRs and the masking level difference.", "content": "The auditory steady-state response (SSR), an evoked response generated in the auditory cortex, was initiated by monaural trains of 500-Hz tonepips repeated at rates near 40 Hz while wideband noise was being delivered to the same or opposite ear. Contralateral noise reduced SSR amplitudes in an intensity-dependent manner, whereas ipsilateral noise enhanced the SSR amplitudes at low levels and depressed them at high levels. Systematic phase changes accompanied the amplitude changes. These results, obtained with tonepips, closely resemble those previously reported for clicks. A third experiment, a masking level difference (MLD) experiment, examined changes in the SSR measures during four successive tonepip-plus-noise conditions: (1) monaural tonepips alone; (2) adding ipsilateral noise; (3) then adding contralateral noise; (4) finally, adding contralateral tonepips. The SSR amplitude changes measured in the experiment did not always correspond with the changes in perception reported by the subject."}
{"id": "PMID:1479132", "title": "Qualitative acoustic analysis in the study of motor speech disorders.", "content": "Traditional measurements performed on the acoustic signals of normal speech are frequently used to quantify the acoustic characteristics of disordered speech as well. This letter demonstrates how important aspects of speech production deficits in motor speech disorders may be overlooked if stringent quantification procedures are employed, especially in the stage of exploratory data analysis. It is suggested that qualitative procedures, wherein phenomena are inferred from visual examination of certain acoustic displays, are useful to supplement traditional measurements, and moreover, that they be used to point to the types of measurements that should be made in the finer-grained stages of quantitative analysis."}
{"id": "PMID:1479133", "title": "A placebo-controlled trial of light treatment for winter depression.", "content": "We studied 32 patients with winter seasonal affective disorder (SAD) in a counterbalanced crossover design comparing 1 h of morning light treatment (about 7000 lux) to 1 h of morning placebo treatment (deactivated negative ion generator). Both treatments significantly reduced depression ratings, but there was no difference between the antidepressant response to light and to placebo. Several possible explanations for this result were discussed including an inadequate 'dose' of light (e.g., ineffective duration or intensity), an unusual sample of patients, and a placebo mechanism."}
{"id": "PMID:1479134", "title": "Brain phosphorous metabolism in depressive disorders detected by phosphorus-31 magnetic resonance spectroscopy.", "content": "Brain phosphorus metabolism was measured in 22 patients with depressive disorders. Ten of them had DSM-III-R bipolar disorder, and 12 had major depression. In bipolar patients, phosphomonoester (PME) and intracellular pH were significantly increased in the depressive state than in the euthymic state, while those values in the euthymic state were significantly low as compared to age-matched normal controls. Phosphocreatine (PCr) was significantly decreased in severely depressed patients compared to mild depressives. These findings suggest that high energy phosphate metabolism, intracellular pH and membrane phospholipid metabolism are altered in depressive disorders."}
{"id": "PMID:1479135", "title": "Cortisol levels in saliva and mood changes in early puerperium.", "content": "Cortisol levels in saliva were measured in 22 women, daily from the 2nd to 7th day after they had given birth and in 7 control women for 6 consecutive days. During the same period the mothers filled out a mood self-rating scale. The cortisol levels of the mothers were higher than those of the controls and progressively decreased after birth except for the 4th day post-partum when there was an increase. Five mothers had post-partum blues, but their cortisol levels were not different from those of other mothers. However, there was a significant correlation between cortisol level and the mood of mothers who bottle fed their babies."}
{"id": "PMID:1479136", "title": "Biological and clinical features of recurrent brief depression: a comparison with major depressed and healthy subjects.", "content": "Recurrent brief depression (RBD) has recently been proposed as a new subtype of affective disorder characterized by episodes of major depression which last less than two weeks. The aim of this study was to further evaluate the validity of this putative subtype by means of clinical and biological data. DST, TSH response to TRH and sleep EEG variables were compared in 25 RBD patients sex- and age-matched to 25 major depressed (MD) and 25 healthy subjects. Family history, age at onset, and psychiatric comorbidity did not discriminate RBD from MD. Recurrent unipolar depression was found to be more prevalent in MD. Although less severely depressed during the biological tests, patients with RBD did not significantly differ from those with MDD on basis of DST non-suppression, blunted TSH response and shortening of REM latency. Compared to controls, a greater sleep onset latency was observed both in RBD and MD and a lower total sleep time in MD patients only. These results suggest that RBD could be viewed as a subtype of affective disorder sharing many characteristics with MDD."}
{"id": "PMID:1479137", "title": "Climate and admissions for mania in the tropics.", "content": "Seasonality of admissions for mania has been commonly reported. Most reports are from temperature zones. We analyzed admissions for mania covering a 9 year period and looked for any seasonal trends using existing methods. No seasonal variation was found. The hospital lies in the tropical zone with a relatively constant climate. This may influence the seasonal pattern of relapses in affective disorder."}
{"id": "PMID:1479138", "title": "Components of major depression examined via the Beck Depression Inventory.", "content": "Although more than 20 factor analytic studies have been published on the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), only Steer and co-workers (1987) have used a sample composed exclusively of patients diagnosed with depression. The component structure found in their study of depressed patients differs in important respects from the structure summarised in several reviews. The main aim of the present study was to investigate whether this structure could be confirmed with the BDI responses of an independent sample of 139 patients diagnosed with DSM-III Major Depressive Episode. Three principal components were extracted and rotated to maximum congruence with a target based on the results of Steer et al. (1987). The significance of the fit to this target was then evaluated by rotating the same matrix of loadings to 5000 random permutations of the target. The fit was found to be highly significant, though some possible improvements could be identified ad hoc. An alternative factor structure for the BDI, derived from covariance structure analysis by Tanaka and Huba (1984), was also tested but could not be confirmed."}
{"id": "PMID:1479146", "title": "Malignant pheochromocytoma: clinical, biological, histologic and therapeutic data in a series of 20 patients with distant metastases.", "content": "Twenty patients, 16 males and 4 females, aged 11-76 yr, were treated for a metastatic pheochromocytoma at our institution between 1985 and 1990. A neurofibromatosis was associated in 4. Thirteen patients had a unilateral adrenal tumor, 3 had an extraadrenal retroperitoneal tumor, 2 had a bilateral adrenal pheochromocytoma, one had a unilateral tumor with a contralateral medullary hyperplasia and one an adrenal and an extraadrenal pheochromocytoma. Metastases occurred in all patients, at presentation in 11, 10 to 30 months later in 7, and 9 and 28 yr later, respectively in two. Histology did not afford conclusive evidence for malignancy. Catecholamine hyperproduction was present in all, predominantly affecting norepinephrine. Neuron Specific Enolase level was elevated in 11, Neuro-Peptide Y level in 9 and procalcitonin level in 11/18. High dopamine, methoxytyramine and homovanillic acid excretion levels seemed to correlate with large tumors or terminal stage. MIBG uptake was found in 16 after a diagnostic dose and in 1 only after a therapeutic dose. Surgery was performed on primary tumor in 18 and on distant metastase in 10. Iodine-131 MIBG therapy was performed in 11, among whom 9 were evaluable. Cumulative activity ranged from 100 to 711 mCi, in 1 to 6 courses. Symptomatic improvement occurred in 5 patients, stabilization was observed in 3 and tumor partial response in two, which lasted for 28 and 9 months, respectively terminating in a rapidly progressing disease with bone marrow involvement. Moderate myelosuppression occurred in 4 patients. Chemotherapy gave no response in 7 evaluable patients. Fourteen patients died with a median survival of 16 months from diagnosis of metastases (range 3-60). Response to therapy was poor and warrants further cooperative trials."}
{"id": "PMID:1479147", "title": "Malignant pheochromocytoma: a series of 14 cases observed between 1966 and 1990.", "content": "We report 14 patients (9 males, 5 females) aged 15-59 years, treated for malignant pheochromocytoma. These patients were observed during the 1966-1990 period along with 68 other patients presenting benign pheochromocytomas. From the initial general presentation of the 14 patients, two groups could be individualized. In seven patients, the initial presentation seemed benign. After the excision, the recovery was complete, but patients recurred on average 7.8 yr later (range 1-22 yr). Tumors were intraadrenal in six cases (5 single, 1 bilateral) and extraadrenal in one case. In the seven remaining patients, malignancy was evident from the first examination. The tumors were intraadrenal in 2 cases, extraadrenal in 5 cases. Frequency of extraadrenal locations (6/14) was in this series significantly higher than in benign forms (9/68). Diagnosis of malignancy was based on metastases in 12 cases (lymph nodes in 5, bones in 5, liver in 4, lung in 2, brain in 1) and on peritumoral extension in 2 cases. No biological specificity was detected in urinary excretion of catecholamines or its metabolites. In 6 patients so far studied, an uptake of 131I MIBG was found in the tumor and/or metastases. Four patients received therapeutic doses of 131I MIBG and in three of them, this treatment led to a good result within a follow-up range of 12 to 66 months.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1479148", "title": "High incidence of malignant pheochromocytoma in a surgical unit. 26 cases out of 100 patients operated from 1971 to 1991.", "content": "In this surgical series of 100 pheochromocytomas (PH), where 91 cases were studied and followed up, the frequency of malignancy appears high (29%) on macroscopic criteria observed at the first operation (25 out 26 cases of malignant PH) or thanks to the occurrence of metastases (1 case out of 26 malignant PH). While some clinical signs are suggestive, there is no excretory profile predictive of malignancy. Isolated or predominant secretion of dopamine is not specific of malignancy event if it occurs more frequently and severely in malignant PH. Bilateral involvement, occurring in the setting of phacomatosis or of multiple endocrine neoplasia (MEN II), or in a sporadic case, is not a predictor for malignancy. Contrarily, extraadrenal involvement is a major feature indicative of malignancy. A CT scan which demonstrates possible locoregional invasion, and a MIGB scan revealing distant localizations raise the suspicion of malignancy. The preferred surgical approach is via a laparotomy, thus allowing the exploration of all possible abdominal chromaffin site and the search for intraabdominal metastases. Intraoperative MIBG scanning checks the completeness of the excision. Flow cytometric DNA ploidy studies have been performed in 25 of our patients. The follow up of benign or malignant PH, after excision \"for cure\" must be life-long: clinically, biologically and by MIGB scan. Persistence of the disease after surgery or recurrence with unresectable metastases can benefit from MIGB and chemotherapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1479149", "title": "A neuroendocrinological approach to evidence an impairment of central cholinergic function in aging.", "content": "A hypothalamic pathogenesis for the reduced GH secretion in aging has been reported for both animal and man. To further address this issue we studied in 31 elderly normal subjects (6 males and 25 females, aged 66-90 yr) and in 22 young healthy controls (13 males and 9 females, aged 20-35 yr) the GH responses to GHRH test (GHRH29, 1 microgram/kg i.v. as a bolus at 0 min) alone and combined with pyridostigmine, a cholinesterase inhibitor (PD, 120 mg po 60 min before GHRH), or with arginine (ARG, 30 g in 100 ml infused from 0 to 30 min). Serum IGF-I levels were lower in elderly than in young subjects (mean +/- SE: 86.9 +/- 7.2 vs 288.7 +/- 22.1 micrograms/L, p < 0.01). The GHRH-induced GH increase was lower in elderly than in young subjects (p < 0.01). PD increased the GH response to GHRH in both groups (p < 0.001), but in elderly subjects this response persisted lower (p < 0.0001) than that observed in young adults. Also ARG coadministration potentiated the GHRH-induced GH release in both groups (p < 0.0001) but in this case the elderly's responses overlapped with the young's. The GH increase observed after combined administration of ARG and GHRH was higher (p < 0.0001) than that elicited by PD plus GHRH in elderly but not in young subjects. Analyzing individual GH responses, a GH peak below the limit of normality for young adults was observed in 19 (61.3%) elderly subjects after PD plus GHRH administration while ARG plus GHRH test elicited a normal GH peak in all but one.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1479150", "title": "Metastatic renal cell carcinoma to the pituitary gland presenting with hypopituitarism.", "content": "A 57-year-old man with pituitary metastasis from renal cell carcinoma is reported. He underwent right nephrectomy and total pancreatectomy for renal cell carcinoma and its pancreatic metastasis, respectively. Imaging studies showed an intrasellar mass lesion. The examination revealed panhypopituitarism, diabetes insipidus and bitemporal hemianospia. Metastatic renal cell carcinoma was diagnosed by the biopsy of the pituitary tumor. Metastatic renal cell carcinoma to the pituitary gland, which is extremely rare, appears to have unique features of presenting with hypopituitarism and visual disturbance more frequently than other metastatic pituitary tumors."}
{"id": "PMID:1479151", "title": "In vitro effect of hCG on steroidogenesis in the testicular tissue from a patient with complete androgen resistance.", "content": "The present study was performed to determine the in vitro steroidogenic capacity of a gonadal sample from a patient suffering from a complete androgen resistance syndrome. Testosterone and estradiol production by the testicular tissue from this patient as well as gonadotropin binding to a membrane fraction prepared from this tissue were measured. hCG bound with high affinity but with a very low capacity and the gonadotropin induced a clear dose response for both testosterone and estradiol production. The ED50 of hCG on testosterone and estradiol production were 2.5 and 5.0 nM, respectively. We conclude that estradiol originates from Leydig cell activity, since estradiol synthesis does not depend on testosterone availability and it shows a clear hCG dose response."}
{"id": "PMID:1479153", "title": "Disruptive behavior in elderly nursing home residents: a survey of nursing staff.", "content": "A significant number of nursing home residents exhibit behavior disturbances that are disruptive to the living and working environment in the nursing home. The most common disruptive behaviors cited by licensed nursing personnel included hitting/slapping, verbally aggressive remarks, screaming, pacing, wandering, and repetitive verbal requests. Self-injurious behavior, property destruction, and hiding things were not mentioned. Many of the nursing strategies listed by nursing staff as being used to alleviate disruptive behaviors are traditional care activities, eg, talking to and counseling patients, touching, or altering care. However, chemical and physical restraints were also frequently listed."}
{"id": "PMID:1479154", "title": "Osteoporosis: identifying high-risk persons.", "content": "Osteoporosis is the most common systemic bone disorder causing thousands of injuries and deaths each year. The pathogenesis of osteoporosis is a complex puzzle that contains many interlocking pieces involving both genetic and environmental factors. The prevention of age-related bone loss, which could be gained through health teaching by the nurse, should be optimized. Nurses and other caregivers can make significant contributions toward the initial identification of those persons at risk or who may already have the debilitating disease by using the Osteoporosis Risk Questionnaire."}
{"id": "PMID:1479155", "title": "Self-care teaching for congestive heart failure patients.", "content": "1. Elderly patients with congestive heart failure (CHF) have a high incidence of mortality, morbidity, and hospital readmission. 2. Descriptive research of 41 patients with chronic CHF found that almost all patients could not correctly define CHF, less than half could correctly identify their medications, and almost three fourths of patients did not weight themselves daily. 3. The self-perceived reasons for hospitalizations included shortness of breath, swelling of limbs, exercise intolerance, and eight other symptoms. 4. Some of these patients were able to follow self-care intervention during their hospital stay, which included daily weigh-ins, taking medications at the bedside, ordering a low-salt diet, and identifying symptoms of CHF."}
{"id": "PMID:1479156", "title": "Urinary incontinence: correlates among cognitively impaired elderly veterans.", "content": "1. Although a range of factors can contribute to urinary incontinence in long-term care residents, it is more closely associated with a decline in both cognitive and functional status. 2. Although all subjects had to be cognitively impaired to participate in the study, the incontinent group had a significantly lower mean score on the mental status examination than did the continent group. 3. Incontinent subjects were more dependent in activities of daily living and took significantly longer to carry out functional tasks specifically related to toileting. 4. Urinary incontinence was strongly associated with a history of urinary tract infections, positive urine cultures, epididymitis, hematuria, and fecal incontinence. Medical diagnosis, medications, and affective status were not associated with the problem."}
{"id": "PMID:1479159", "title": "Constipation: proposed natural laxative mixtures.", "content": "The treatment of constipation in the elderly is one of the most common problems encountered by the geriatric nurse practitioner (Aman, 1990; Brocklehurst, 1983; Shefts, 1984). Management of bowel habits with this age group is difficult, often resulting in mismanagement and the need for invasive measures, such as suppositories and enemas. Yet, it is possible bowel habits for these patients might be regulated by maintaining their dietary, dentition, and mobility requirements so that the use of invasive measures as well as associated product costs are minimized. A review of the literature revealed normal defecation ranges in frequency from three times a day to three times a week (Connel, 1965). As reported by Wright and Staats (1986), however, the \"interval between bowel movements generally lengthens in debilitated older people.\""}
{"id": "PMID:1479160", "title": "Constipation--a sign of a disease to be treated surgically, or a symptom to be deciphered as nonverbal communication?", "content": "Constipation is not a sign but a symptom, which is not measurable scientifically. It has emotional components and must be dealt with in a holistic manner. The scientific approach aims only at the physiological derangement and serves to place the complaint in a more objective perspective. An algorithm can be constructed to select treatment including surgery, but there is no gold standard at present because the natural history of the symptoms is unknown. Most physicians confuse normality with epidemiology, neglecting in the process the evolution of mankind in terms of behavior. Constipation now means less than five stools per week, while it used to mean three. Thus, all complaints should be addressed. As for surgery, it should be performed in few, high select patients with no dysfunction other than that in the colon and in conjunction with a fully normal thorough psychological evaluation."}
{"id": "PMID:1479161", "title": "Short-term treatment of refractory reflux esophagitis with different doses of omeprazole or ranitidine.", "content": "Sixty patients who presented with erosive/ulcerative refractory reflux esophagitis were randomized to receive a 4- to 8-week treatment with omeprazole 20 mg daily, or ranitidine 150 mg twice daily. Patients not healed after treatment were given the same drugs at doubled doses for a second period of equal duration. Patients still unhealed after this received open treatment with omeprazole 20 mg twice daily for a third period of 4 to 8 weeks. Endoscopic assessment and clinical and laboratory evaluation were performed every 4 weeks until there was complete esophageal mucosal repair. After 4 weeks, complete healing was observed in 50% of patients on omeprazole 20 mg daily, compared with 20.7% on ranitidine 150 mg twice per day (p < 0.01). After 8 weeks, the figures were 79.3% versus 34.5% (p < 0.5). With doubled doses after 4 weeks, complete healing was achieved in 96.6% of patients on omeprazole 40 mg daily, compared with 64.2% on ranitidine 300 mg twice per day (p < 0.05). The eight still \"refractory\" patients (one omeprazole, seven ranitidine) healed completely with 8 more weeks of omeprazole 20 mg twice daily. Patients treated with omeprazole experienced faster relief of heartburn, which disappeared in 60% of patients after 4 weeks, as compared to 21% of patients treated with ranitidine (p < 0.006). Apart from the mode of treatment, the only factor that proved to be related to healing at multivariate analysis was the pretreatment severity of gastroesophageal reflux, as measured by esophageal pH monitoring. Our study confirms that omeprazole, even at a low dosage, is the choice for refractory reflux esophagitis."}
{"id": "PMID:1479162", "title": "Idiopathic ulcerative proctitis may be the initial manifestation of Crohn's disease.", "content": "Of 213 patients with proctitis of all etiologies seen between 1977 and 1987, we studied an original cohort of 96 patients with idiopathic ulcerative proctitis (mean follow-up of 62 months). The diagnosis was made according to strict inclusion criteria, and all cases with any initial feature suggestive of Crohn's disease were excluded. Follow-up showed that 13 patients (13.6%) eventually progressed to Crohn's disease, usually within the first 3 years of the initial diagnosis of idiopathic ulcerative proctitis. Their clinical, endoscopic and histological features at initial presentation were indistinguishable from those in whom the diagnosis remained that of idiopathic ulcerative proctitis. In nine of 13 of these patients (70.0%), the clinical course was characterized by a more protracted course and a poorer response to standard treatment. Such features were not found in those in whom the diagnosis of idiopathic ulcerative proctitis was maintained. Clinicians should be aware that Crohn's disease may present initially as apparent idiopathic ulcerative proctitis."}
{"id": "PMID:1479163", "title": "Gastrocolic and duodenocolic fistulas in Crohn's disease.", "content": "Crohn's disease is a rare cause of gastrocolic and duodenocolic fistulas. Only 83 examples (27 gastric, 52 duodenal, four both) have been described. Weight loss, abdominal pain, and diarrhea are common features but fail to distinguish a fistula from active inflammatory bowel disease. Fecal vomiting is pathognomic but is present in one third of gastrocolic and only 2% of duodenocolic fistulas. Diagnosis is most readily made by contrast radiography, with barium enema being more sensitive than barium meal. Although several gastrocolic fistulas have been successfully treated with long-term 6-mercaptopurine, surgery is the mainstay of therapy. An isolated duodenocolic fistula should not be regarded as the primary indication for operation because most are asymptomatic. Ileocolonic resection with simple gastric or duodenal repair is safe and effective in most cases. An ileocolonic anastomosis should be positioned away from the stomach or duodenum or protected with omentum to prevent recurrent fistulization. A number of fistulas appear to have arisen from gastric or duodenal Crohn's, but the vast majority originate from diseased colon."}
{"id": "PMID:1479164", "title": "Selection of constipated patients as subtotal colectomy candidates.", "content": "We evaluated 224 consecutive patients referred for severe constipation prospectively by strict criteria to determine their candidacy for subtotal colectomy. Eighteen patients had insufficient symptoms to warrant evaluation. Two hundred six patients had anorectal manometry and defecography, and 182 had colonic transit measurement. Forty-nine patients had normal or minimally abnormal studies. One-hundred twenty-nine patients had abnormalities such as outlet obstruction, mild colonic inertia, diffuse gut dysfunction, or combinations of factors not favoring subtotal colectomy. Twenty-eight patients had colonic inertia without outlet obstruction and with disabling symptoms; 19 of these patients underwent subtotal colectomy. Follow-up > or = 12 months was available in 14 patients from this group. Of these patients, 12 (86%) were clinically improved. Preoperative evaluation accurately predicted postoperative fecal incontinence and likely reduced postoperative constipation. Small-bowel obstruction occurred postoperatively in 4 patients (29%), and remains a major risk of subtotal colectomy even in carefully selected candidates."}
{"id": "PMID:1479165", "title": "Open-access, flexible, fiberoptic sigmoidoscopy in a regional primary-care clinic.", "content": "We established an open-access, flexible, fiberoptic sigmoidoscopy service in an outpatient clinic in Kiriat-Shmona, Northern Israel. Twenty-eight general physicians in the city and in 41 surrounding rural residences (population 40,000) were encouraged to refer patients for sigmoidoscopy. In the first operative year, flexible sigmoidoscopy was performed on 255 patients (age range 10-90 years, mean 54). The male to female ratio was 123:132; women were slightly older than men (mean age 55.9 years vs. 51.1). Rectal bleeding and change in bowel habits were the most common indications. The sidmoidoscope was passed to the splenic flexure in 156 patients (61%). In five patients (2%) the instrument could not be inserted beyond the rectosigmoid junction. Excluding hemorrhoids and anal lesions, abnormalities were detected in 69 patients (27%). In 29 patients (11.4%) a cancer or polyp was found. Analysis of referral indications showed an increased positive predictive value for neoplastic lesions in patients referred for anemia (22.2%), weight loss (20.0%), abdominal pain (17.8%), and positive fecal occult blood test (15.4%). There were only two patients with polyp or cancer of 55 (3.6%) < 40 years of age, in contrast to 27 of 200 (13.5%) > 40 (p < 0.05). Sixty-six patients underwent further investigation, and 26 had positive results: colonic lesions were confirmed in 20 patients, sigmoid colon cancer was found on barium enema in one, and lesions outside the colon were detected in seven. Such open-access, flexible sigmoidoscopy gave higher yield for colorectal polyps or cancers than open-access or hospital-initiation barium enema.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1479166", "title": "Cholangiographic appearances of ductular rejection of ABO-incompatible liver transplants.", "content": "Two patients, after ABO-incompatible liver transplant, developed a picture of chronic cholestasis that was associated with unique ductular appearances within the donor graft on retrograde cholangiography. We believe that the appearance of progressive ductular ectasia within liver grafts indicates a specific immunologically mediated injury to ductular epithelium, probably because of ductular epithelial expression of ABH antigens."}
{"id": "PMID:1479167", "title": "Gastrointestinal and hepatic effects of Amanita phalloides ingestion.", "content": "Three residents of New Jersey suddenly developed vomiting, abdominal pain, and watery diarrhea 12 h after ingesting five to 13 hand-picked Amanita phalloides-type mushrooms. The group was led by an amateur mycologist who had been eating hand-picked mushrooms without complications for 20 years. The patients developed mild to severe acute hepatic injury, with a peak serum aspartate aminotransferase level ranging from 133 to 826 Karmen U/L, and a peak serum alanine amino-transferase level ranging from 163 to 1176 Karmen U/L. One of the patients developed a transient severe coagulopathy, but no one developed renal failure or hepatic coma, and all rapidly improved. These three cases demonstrate that mycetismus can occur in the heavily urbanized northeastern United States, that consuming hand-picked mushrooms even under the guidance of an experienced amateur may be dangerous, and that Amanita phalloides ingestion produces a biphasic illness with early gastrointestinal symptoms and subsequent hepatic injury."}
{"id": "PMID:1479168", "title": "Mushroom poisoning: the role of orthotopic liver transplantation.", "content": "Mushroom poisoning, mycetismus, is a well-recognized cause of fulminant hepatic failure in Western Europe and is increasingly seen in the United States. We present a case of fulminant hepatic failure secondary to mushroom poisoning treated successfully with an orthotopic liver transplant."}
{"id": "PMID:1479169", "title": "Halitosis and Helicobacter pylori. A possible link?", "content": "The exact pathophysiological mechanism of halitosis is not clear, and in many patients the etiology is an enigma. We followed three couples in which one member or both had halitosis. All the subjects had evidence of Helicobacter pylori infection. All received a treatment course of colloidal bismuth subcitrate four times a day and 250 mg metronidazole three times a day. There was impressive improvement in their symptoms, the halitosis disappearing along with eradication of the organism. We call the attention of physicians to the possible connection between halitosis, H. pylori infection, and familial occurrence. Further studies to confirm this surprising association are in order."}
{"id": "PMID:1479170", "title": "Acute acalculous cholecystitis. A review.", "content": "Acute acalculous cholecystitis is an uncommon but very serious illness, that, if undiagnosed, may lead to gallbladder perforation and death. The condition has numerous causes that result in bile stasis and ischemia leading to inflammation and infection in the gallbladder wall. The bedside diagnosis may be difficult, especially in critically ill patients. Current imaging techniques including ultrasonography, computer tomography, and radionuclide cholescintigraphy are very helpful. Depending on the clinical situation, the gallbladder should either be drained by a surgical or percutaneous cholecystostomy under local anesthesia or removed."}
{"id": "PMID:1479171", "title": "Foley feeding catheter migration into the small bowel.", "content": "Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy provides a non-surgical alternative to enteral feeding. The tube may deteriorate or be expelled accidentally from the stomach and require replacement. We report a patient in whom the replacement Foley catheter migrated into the jejunum, resulting in impaction of the hub into the abdominal wall with resultant localized infection and impaction at the stoma site. We review this problem and suggest a simple technique to prevent the complication."}
{"id": "PMID:1479172", "title": "Unusual splenic complication of acute pancreatitis.", "content": "Splenic complications of acute pancreatitis are rare. We describe a spontaneous subcapsular splenic laceration during an episode of acute pancreatitis, without any evidence of one of the currently reported predisposing factors. Its spontaneous resolution suggests that conservative therapy can be proposed in such complications."}
{"id": "PMID:1479173", "title": "Ancient remedies revisited: does Allium sativum (garlic) palliate the hepatopulmonary syndrome?", "content": "Hypoxia in the setting of liver disease is often multifactorial. Obstructive or restrictive lung disease, pleural effusions, and tense ascites are common underlying disorders. Less often observed and frequently unrecognized is hypoxia related to diffuse intrapulmonary shunting--the hepatopulmonary syndrome. Its etiology is unknown but may result from disordered gut peptide metabolism. Symptoms may be ameliorated by somatostatin and reversed by successful liver transplantation. Here we report a patient with severe hepatopulmonary syndrome who failed somatostatin therapy and declined liver transplantation. On her own the patient took large daily doses of powdered garlic (Allium sativum). She has experienced partial palliation of her symptoms and some objective signs of improvement over 18 months of continuous self-medication. The possible effects of garlic's main physiologically active compound, allicin, on gut peptide metabolism and pulmonary vasculature are unknown. This innocuous compound may deserve further investigation given the limited therapeutic options for this disorder."}
{"id": "PMID:1479174", "title": "Acute hepatitis by Listeria monocytogenes in an HIV patient with chronic HBV hepatitis.", "content": "We report a young male IVDA with CAH caused by HBV who was infected with HIV and who contracted listeriosis in the form of acute hepatitis and bacteremia, with epithelioid granulomas in the liver. Treatment with ampicillin and a aminoglycoside for 3 weeks was followed by rapid and maintained improvement. Involvement of the liver is unusual in listeriosis and, as far as we are aware, it has not been described previously in patients with HIV infection."}
{"id": "PMID:1479175", "title": "The clinical and endoscopic spectrum of the watermelon stomach.", "content": "The watermelon stomach is an uncommon but treatable cause of chronic gastrointestinal bleeding. We report our experience with the clinical and endoscopic features of 45 consecutive patients treated by endoscopic Nd:YAG laser coagulation. The prototypic patient was a woman (71%) with an average age of 73 years (range of 53-89 years) who presented with occult (89%) transfusion-dependent (62%) gastrointestinal bleeding over a median period of 2 years (range of 1 month to > 20 years). Autoimmune connective tissue disorders were present in 28 patients (62%), especially Raynaud's phenomena (31%) and sclerodactyly (20%). Atrophic gastritis occurred in 19 of 19 (100%) patients, with hypergastrinemia in 25 (76%) of 33 patients tested. Antral endoscopic appearances included raised or flat stripes of ectatic vascular tissue (89%) or diffusely scattered lesions (11%). Proximal gastric involvement was present in 12 patients (27%), typically in the presence of a diaphragmatic hernia. Endoscopic laser therapy after a median of one treatment (range of 1-4) resulted in complete resolution of visible disease in four patients (13%) and resolution of > 90% in 24 patients (80%). Hemoglobin levels normalized in 87% of patients over a median follow-up period of 2 years (range of 1 month to 6 years) with no major complications. Blood transfusions were not necessary after laser therapy in 86% of 28 initially transfusion-dependent patients. The characteristic clinical, laboratory, and endoscopic features allow for a confident diagnosis that can lead to successful endoscopic treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1479184", "title": "Some data on GABA-ergic innervation of nucleus rotundus in chicks.", "content": "The EM preparates displayed in the nucleus rotundus also symmetrical type of synapses with flattened vesicles, known this type as inhibitory synapsis. To prove this supposition and to find the sources of inhibitory terminals GABA-immunostaining was applied in the diencephalon of chicks. The preparates were examined by light- and electronmicroscope. In nucl. rotundus the large terminal profiles on the cell membrane of principal neurons, on the dendrites and branching areas of terminal branchings of dendrites proved to be GABA positive. The sources of GABA-ergic fibers seemed to be the subpretectal and ventral posterior thalamic nuclei."}
{"id": "PMID:1479185", "title": "Regressional changes of human cerebellar cortex and hypoglossal nucleus during development.", "content": "In the development of nervous system, two processes are of a particular interest. It is well known that after a primary migration of cells, there appears a consecutive regression in cellular number, closely connected with the maturation of the nervous system. The dynamics of this reduction was investigated following the changes in number of cells in nucleus hypoglossus as well as that of Purkinje cells in two structures of cerebellar cortex--in vermis and in hemispheres. Cell nuclei were counted using the stereological technique, after a usual preparation. Data were collected from 20 human brains of different gestation age, i.e. at 12.5, 14, 17.5, 19.5, 24, 31, weeks of gestation and 6 day old newborn. After the graphical and numerical analysis of the data obtained, an adequate mathematical model was proposed. It is confirmed that a close agreement between biological data and decreasing two-exponential equation can be demonstrated, pointing out that the cellular reduction shows a proportional relation. The possible explanation could be that only the cells forming proper and useful connections and entering the informational system have a privilege to survive, and that all improper contacts lead to the rejection of cells or even of groups of cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1479186", "title": "The perivascular fibrotic reaction in rat brain in the late period after experimental clinical death. I. Capillary vessels.", "content": "In this paper we studied the pericapillary zone of the hypothalamic neurosecretory nuclei and temporal cerebral cortex of rats 6-12 months after experimentally evoked cardiac arrest of 10 minutes duration. The most significant ultrastructural findings were presence of single collagen fibrils and collagen bundles in the compartment between endothelia and pericytes, pericytes and basement membrane and also inside the phagocytic cells. In the animals that survived at least 10 months after resuscitation the capillaries filled with thrombocytes were encountered. Moreover, in the vicinity of these capillaries the dead cells and collagen bundles were observed. We interpret these findings as the evidence of the reparatory process in the border between capillaries and the surrounding brain cells. We discuss the hypothesis that the non-fibroblastic cells present in rat brain are able to synthesize collagen that leads to a process comparable with the fibrosis of parenchymal organs."}
{"id": "PMID:1479187", "title": "Ultrastructural alterations of brain cortex in rat following intraperitoneal administration of mercuric chloride.", "content": "Intraperitoneal administration of a single dose (6 mg/kg body weight) of mercuric chloride (HgCl2) results in ultrastructural changes in brain cortex of the rats. 18 hours after administration of HgCl2 the accumulation of dense deposits of mercury in nerve and glial cell cytoplasm was observed. The quantity of microglia in neuropil was also increased in this experimental group. We postulate that these cerebral macrophages can play an important role in the process of intoxication, too. 5 days after administration of mercuric chloride many of these changes reversed."}
{"id": "PMID:1479188", "title": "Light- and electron microscopic study of oligodendrocytes in the lateral line area of the medulla in Chelon labrosus (Teleostei).", "content": "The oligodendrocytes of the medullary lateral line area of the teleost Chelon labrosus were studied with light and electron microscopy. Oligodendrocytes are sharply differentiated from neurons or other class of glia cells from their ultrastructural characteristics. The three subtypes of oligodendrocytes (light, medium and dark) that have been recognized are not homogeneously distributed but have preferential locations related to the size of nearby myelinated fibres. No perineuronal oligodendrocytes are present in this medullary center. Oligodendrocytes show a variety of dense bodies, sometimes of bizarre shapes, in addition to characteristic mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum. Three types of intercellular junctions were observed in these cells: gap junctions, tight junctions and puncta adhaerentia. Gap junctions and puncta adhaerentia link oligodendrocyte somata and astrocytic processes. Tight junctions were observed both between oligodendrocytes and between oligodendrocytes and astrocytic processes. The significance of these results is discussed in relation to the maturation and function of oligodendrocytes and the characteristics of fish brains."}
{"id": "PMID:1479189", "title": "An atlas of the brain of the tench (Tinca tinca L., 1758; Cyprinidae, Teleostei).", "content": "This report provides an atlas of the tench brain in the transverse plane. The brain atlas is based on paraffin-embedded brains which are serially sectioned and stained with cresyl violet. It consists of drawings and photographs at several levels throughout the main divisions of the tench brain. The brain of the tench shows important variations in the shape, extension and boundaries of different brain areas and nuclei in comparison with those previously described in the brain of other teleosts."}
{"id": "PMID:1479190", "title": "Cytoarchitecture and ultrastructural characteristics of the area octavolateralis of the urodele amphibian Pleurodeles waltlii.", "content": "The cytoarchitecture of the area octavolateralis (AOL) in Pleurodeles waltlii is studied by means of normal stained material. In addition, the main ultrastructural features of the cells in the AOL are described. In the AOL, three columns, one upon the other (dorsal, intermediate and ventral), are present. Each one includes a medially located cell group and lateral neuropil. While rostrally the three are well represented, the dorsal subdivision do not reach the same caudal extent where the intermediate column forms a small lobe. The ultrastructure of the neurons in the AOL reveals similarities with other cell types in the amphibian brain. A comparative analysis of the ultrastructure of vestibular cells with other vertebrates is also discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1479191", "title": "Experimental approaches to the study of degenerative and regenerative processes in the nervous tissue. I). Morphological changes in the frog cerebellum after unilateral transection of the VIII statoacustic nerve.", "content": "The cell density was evaluated in Purkinje neuron and internal granule cell layers of the frog (Rana esculenta L.) cerebellum at 3, 8, 14, or 30 days after unilateral transection of the VIII statoacustic nerve. After 3 days, the cell density of the Purkinje cell layer was markedly reduced, the cellular loss amounting to 30% at 30 days. In the internal granule cell layer (IGL), after an abrupt decrease in the cell density at 3 and 8 days, the number of cells increased at 14 days and reached the values of control animals at 30 days. In the dorsal part of the ependymal lining of the IV ventricle, there was morphological indication of resumption of the proliferative activity. This can be in relationship with the restored cytoarchitecture of the IGL after the initial cell degeneration. All the above changes were evident in both the ipsi and contralateral parts to the neurotomy though at different extent. This is in agreement with the anatomical data about the nervous circuit connection between the two cerebellar sides and may be also expression of vestibular compensation, induced by unilateral nerve transection in the contralateral side."}
{"id": "PMID:1479192", "title": "A reconsideration of the primary visual system of the turtle Emys orbicularis.", "content": "The retinocerebral projections of Emys orbicularis were investigated by means of [3H]-proline or HRP, administered by intraocular injection. Two newly-hatched, two juvenile and seven adult specimens were examined. The results reveal contralateral retinal projections to fifteen sites: two in the hypothalamus (the nuclei suprachiasmaticus and periventricularis), five in the thalamus (the nuclei ovalis, geniculatus lateralis ventralis, geniculatus laleralis dorsalis, dorsolateralis anterior and ventrolateralis), five in the pretectal region (the nuclei geniculatus pretectalis, opticus pretectalis ventrolateralis, lentiformis mesencephali, posterodorsalis and griseus tectalis), two in the optic tectum (the stratum opticum and the stratum fibrosum et griseum superficiale), and one in the tegmentum (the nucleus opticus tegmenti). Ipsilateral projections to nine of these sites at thalamic, pretectal, tectal and tegmental levels, while weak, could be clearly demonstrated. These results differ considerably from those obtained in a previous investigation using a Nauta-paraffin technique; it is suggested that the differences are due to limitations of the latter technique. A review of the existing literature on the Chelonian primary visual system reveals considerable terminological diversity, and a standard nomenclature for the primary visual centres of turtles is proposed."}
{"id": "PMID:1479193", "title": "Volumes of the cytoarchitectonic areas in the rat cerebral cortex.", "content": "The volumes of the isocortical, periallocortical and allocortical areas were measured in the brains of nine 6 month old male Wistar rats. After perfusion fixation with Bodian's solution, determination of brain weight, paraffin embedding and serial sectioning, the areal volumes were estimated with the Cavalieri method and corrected for individual brain shrinkage. Thus, fresh volumes were measured. The present report provides comprehensive data on the volumes of the cortical areas of one hemisphere in normal adult rats and can be used as a reference for allometric and experimental studies."}
{"id": "PMID:1479194", "title": "[Morphometric-stereological study of hippocampal long term potentiation with special consideration of the analysis of variance with two-way hierarchical classification].", "content": "Regarding the hippocampal formation and especially the external two thirds of it's dentate molecular layer a lot of possible morphological changes after long-term potentiation (LTP) have been described in literature. The present morphometric-stereological study of vesicles in axo-spino-dendritic synapses of the inner third of the molecular layer was done under the aspect of heterosynaptic influences following LTP. Because of the hierarchical link of the three analytic levels (test-group, animal, synapse), for statistical interpretation we used the analysis of variance with two-way hierarchical classification. Between the 3 groups (passive control, active control, LTP-group) we found no significant differences. Because of the great differences between the vesicles even within a single synapse we subsequently investigated the middle third of the molecular layer, i.e. the terminal area of the stimulated perforant path. No differences between the three groups we found here either. There was no confirmation for the expected greater homogenization of the synapses based on the uniform input. As a result of this study pure morphological studies without selective staining of specific population of synapses are considered inadvisable. Only with the help of selective staining in the area of the synapses possible differences between the groups may be found."}
{"id": "PMID:1479195", "title": "Phagocytosis of latex beads by rabbit retinal M\u00fcller (glial) cells in vitro.", "content": "The ability of rabbit retinal M\u00fcller (glial) cells to perform phagocytosis was studied in vitro. M\u00fcller cells were feed with various kinds of latex beads either shortly after enzymatical isolation from adult retinae or in monolayer cell cultures derived from neonatal retinae and kept 14 days in vitro. Both types of M\u00fcller cell preparations showed intense phagocytosis of latex beads. Moreover, when entire retinae were isolated and exposed (sclerad side up) to latex beads in vitro for 30 min, M\u00fcller cells had picked up fluorescent beads and showed, after fixation, intense labeling in radial sections of such retinae. Effective phagocytosis by M\u00fcller cells was demonstrated 1.) by transmission electron microscopy, 2.) by bright-field light microscopy of unstained large beads (diameter 660 nm), or 3.) by fluorescence microscopy of small (diameter about 60 nm) and large latex beads labeled with rhodamine. These results suggest that both labeled and unlabeled latex beads are suitable tools to study the phagocytotic activity of retinal glial cells in vitro, thus providing information on important processes occurring in situ during ontogenesis, physiological renewal of retinal receptor cells, and pathological events. We found that movements of cells or cytoplasmic excrescences, and cell-cell interactions, play important roles in removal of foreign particles out of the fluid environment. Engulfed latex beads move through the elongated cells with velocities similar to slow axoplasmic transport."}
{"id": "PMID:1479196", "title": "Neural mechanisms of pupillary abnormality following thalamic lesions: experimental lesion and stimulation studies in cats, and consideration of pupillary findings in thalamic vascular lesions.", "content": "Neural mechanisms of the pupillary abnormality in thalamic lesions were experimentally studied in cats. Moderate to considerable anisocoria appeared after kainic acid lesions involving the medial thalamus. The pupil on the side of the lesion was larger than its partner. Only subtle or no pupillary inequality was produced by lateral thalamic lesions. Electrical stimulation of the midline and medial thalamus evoked dilation bilaterally in sympathectomized pupils. Thus, pupillary dilation produced by stimulation of the thalamus was shown to be mediated in part by the oculomotor parasympathetic nerve (OPN). There was no threshold difference between ipsilateral (ipsi) and contralateral (contra) pupils. However, amplitude of dilation was significantly larger in the contra pupil than in the ipsi, when stimulus was given to the pupillo-dilatory medial thalamic nuclei. In these, the mediodorsal, parataenial, central dorsal, paracentral (Pc), and parafascicular nuclei and the medial division of the medial pulvinar nucleus were included. Pupillary dilation mediated by the ocular sympathetic nerve (OSN) was investigated by stimulating Pc and comparing the ipsi-contra difference in the amplitude of dilation between sympathectomized and non-sympathectomized pairs of pupils. In contrast to the results in sympathectomized pairs, there was no ipsi-contra difference in the amplitude of dilation or it was larger in the ipsi pupil in non-sympathectomized pairs. From these, it was inferred that stimulation of Pc activated OSN ipsilaterally or bilaterally with ipsi dominance. It was concluded that the medial and midline thalamus exerts pupillo-dilatory effects through a set of neural mechanisms; 1) ipsi-dominant bilateral OPN inhibition, and 2) ipsi or ipsi-dominant bilateral OSN activation. Neural mechanisms of the pupillary abnormality in thalamic vascular lesions were also considered."}
{"id": "PMID:1479197", "title": "Neuronal ectopia in tiger retina.", "content": "Ocular pathology in a ten week-old tiger is described. In the retinae of both glaucomatous eyes, venous congestion and scattered hemorrhages were observed; rare perivascular infiltrates were seen. The basal lamina of the inner limiting membrane was considerably thickened, and serous exudates were widely distributed within the vitreous body. The retina was studied with a series of specific antibodies. M\u00fcller (glial) cells were well developed and could be immuno-labelled by antibodies against both vimentin and glial fibrillary protein (GFAP). Neurofilament-specific antibodies revealed the presence of ganglion and horizontal cells, and of a nerve fibre layer which was unusually distant from the inner limiting membrane. Within both plexiform layers, scattered neuronal cells were found. The most important finding was the presence of cells between the nerve fibre layer and the inner limiting membrane, which could be immuno-labelled by neuron-specific antibodies, and which expressed thy typical morphology of migrating neuroblasts. It is suggested that this neuronal ectopia might be due to an inflammatory related reactive change in M\u00fcller cells which, in turn, might have lost their orderly guiding function for migrating neuroblasts."}
{"id": "PMID:1479198", "title": "Correlation of thermal parameters with outcome in combined radiation therapy-hyperthermia trials.", "content": "Many studies utilizing combined hyperthermia (HT) and radiation therapy (XRT) in the treatment of advanced or recurrent malignancies have reported a correlation between some measure of the minimum temperature achieved and outcome. Previous reported studies at Stanford have demonstrated a statistically significant correlation between the duration of local control and Tmin, the mean over treatments of the minima of (a) measured intratumoral temperatures in fields which contained diffuse or nodular tumours, or (b) measured interstitial temperatures in fields treated for microscopic residual disease. Recently, T90, the mean of the temperatures above which 90% of all measured intratumoral temperatures fall, has been proposed as an alternative characterization of the efficacy of the HT treatment that reportedly has a superior correlation with outcome. To test this hypothesis, T90 was computed by two different methods for three groups of patients treated at Stanford with XRT-HT for superficially located tumor recurrences. Tmin was found to be strongly correlated with T90 calculated by both methods. All three thermal parameters correlated with complete response at 3 weeks and with local control, although Tmin usually demonstrated the strongest correlation."}
{"id": "PMID:1479201", "title": "Dielectric properties of human glioma and surrounding tissue.", "content": "Dielectric properties of human glioma and surrounding tissue from five patients were measured. Experiments were performed at frequencies of 5-500 MHz at 24 +/- 0.5 degrees C using a Network Analyser and a coaxial line capacitive sensor. The permittivity and conductivity of tumours were 30% higher than that of the surrounding tissues due to their higher water content. The characteristic of less differentiation in tumours clearly was reflected in the dielectric properties, namely a smaller parameter for the relaxation time distribution of the tumour's dielectric relaxation. With the dielectric data, the power absorption ratios of tumour to surrounding tissue were calculated for four representative electromagnetic (EM) irradiation cases. The calculation shows that power absorption ratios are strongly dependent on the incident direction of the EM wave and optimum frequency. To improve therapeutic efficiency, it is appropriate to have the electric field vector (E) parallel to the interface of tumour/surrounding tissue at optimum frequencies around 100 MHz, and the case of E perpendicular to the interface must be avoided in applications of EM hyperthermia for brain tumours."}
{"id": "PMID:1479202", "title": "Quantitative estimation of the thermal dose-modifying factor for cis-diamminedichloroplatinum (CDDP) in tumour-bearing dogs.", "content": "A statistical method for estimating clinical toxicity was used to determine a theoretical isoeffect dose-modifying factor for dogs with disseminated or refractory neoplasia treated with cis-diammine dichloroplatinum (II) plus whole-body hyperthermia or CDDP alone. CDDP was administered every 3 weeks with vigorous saline hydration to 54 dogs (CDDP alone n = 21, CDDP/WBH n = 33) that were eligible for entry into this non-randomized study. CDDP was administered during the plateau phase of WBH in dogs receiving combined therapy. Acute toxicity included myelosuppression (CDDP n = 7; CDDP/WBH n = 5), nephrotoxicity (CDDP n = 1, CDDP/WBH n = 1) and respiratory distress (CDDP/WBH n = 2). Eight dogs experienced chronic renal dysfunction as a result of CDDP (n = 2) or CDDP/WBH (n = 6). A theoretical thermal dose-modifying factor was determined for both acute and cumulative toxicity by comparing the maximum tolerated dose of each treatment group. The maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of CDDP +/- WBH was defined as that dose producing a 50% incidence of moderate acute toxicity or acute plus mild chronic toxicity as estimated from logistic regression analysis of the toxicity data. The MTD (+/- .standard error) of CDDP/WBH for acute toxicity only was 54.6 (4.3) mg/M2 and for CDDP alone the MTD was 73.6 (40) mg/M2. Thus, the isoeffect dose-modifying factor for acute toxicity was 1.35 (0.12). The MTD (SE) of CDDP/WBH for cumulative toxicity (acute plus chronic toxicity) was 46.4 (2.7) mg/M2 and for CDDP alone waas 70.0 (2.9) mg/M2. The isoeffect dose-modifying factor for total cumulative toxicity was 1.5 (0.1).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1479199", "title": "Persistent and/or late complications of combined radiation therapy and hyperthermia.", "content": "Persistent and/or late complications were analysed in 64 patients (183 fields) that were treated with combined hyperthermia and radiation therapy for advanced, recurrent or metastatic cancer. The incidence and type of complications were evaluated over a minimum follow-up period of 2 years from the onset of treatment (mean 38.7 months; range 24-82.5 months). The primary malignancies included: breast (39), melanomas (6), adenoid cystic carcinomas of salivary glands (4), prostate (4), soft tissue sarcomas (3), squamous cell carcinoma of head and neck (3), lymphomas (3), transitional cell carcinoma of bladder (1) and basal cell carcinoma of the skin (1). The persistent complications noted included induration and fibrosis (39 hyperthermia fields, 22 patients), ulceration at the site of prior tumour (three patients, three fields), and ulceration in normal tissue (one patient, one field). Brachial plexopathy developed in one patient treated for recurrent breast cancer, but she had active disease at that time. A squamous cell carcinoma of the skin developed within the treatment field in a breast cancer patient. Radionecrosis of the mandible was seen in one patient treated for a floor of the mouth cancer, and osteomyelitis with septic arthritis developed in one patient treated for a soft tissue sarcoma of the thigh. Univariate logistic regression analyses of pretreatment and radiation-hyperthermia treatment parameters revealed that maximal tumour temperature had a borderline significant correlation with the development of complications (p = 0.07). Multivariate analyses of the pretreatment and treatment parameters revealed the best-two-covariate model to predict complications included mean maximal tumour temperature and tumour type (macroscopic tumours had greater incidence of complications than for microscopic residual disease). The rate and type of persistent and/or late complications seen following combined radiation and hyperthermia did not appear to dramatically differ from those that would be anticipated from irradiation alone in this patient population, with the exception of an increased incidence of areas of induration and tumour necrosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1479206", "title": "Potential hazards of radiative electromagnetic hyperthermia in the presence of multiple metallic surgical clips.", "content": "Three-dimensional computer simulations of a patient under consideration for heating by the BSD Sigma 60 phased array applicator showed marked specific absorption rate (SAR) enhancement in the region where there was a concentration of metallic surgical clips. Subsequent tests in tissue-equivalent phantom material confirmed that metallic objects much shorter than the wavelength in tissue of the radiative electromagnetic field can cause significant changes in the power deposition near the implanted metal. The placement of extensive numbers of surgical clips may therefore hinder the ability to subsequently utilize radiative electromagnetic heating modalities."}
{"id": "PMID:1479200", "title": "Lethal effects of the combination of hyperthermia and bromocriptine or a somatostatin analogue on normal pituitary cells and pituitary tumour cells.", "content": "Effects of hyperthermia alone and combined with bromocriptine (BC) or a somatostatin analogue (SMS 201-995) were studied in vitro on normal pituitary and pituitary tumour cells (GH3 cells). GH3 cells were more sensitive to heat than normal pituitary cells and a maximal difference in survival was obtained with hyperthermia at 42.5 degrees C for 6 h. BC had cytotoxic and antiproliferative effects on GH3 cells, whereas SMS 201-995 was not effective. Hyperthermia at 42.5 degrees C for 3 h in combination with BC enhanced selective cytotoxicity for GH3 cells. In contrast, combined treatment with hyperthermia and SMS 201-995 failed to enhance cytotoxicity for GH3 cells. The combination of hyperthermia and BC could provide improved therapeutic efficacy in patients with pituitary adenomas."}
{"id": "PMID:1479205", "title": "Utilization of a multilayer polyacrylamide phantom for evaluation of hyperthermia applicators.", "content": "A muscle-stimulating material made of polyacrylamide gel (PAG) for testing various kinds of hyperthermia applicators was investigated. The permittivity and conductivity dispersion of PAG, as well as an internal wavelength and penetration depth, were in good agreement with those of actual muscle at frequencies between 500 MHz and 3 GHz. A single formula for PAG covering three ISM bands, most commonly used for hyperthermia, 433, 915 and 2450 MHz, is presented. The physical properties of the PAG phantom allow any desired form or shape to be moulded, including shapes conforming to the actual geometry of an interstitial or intracavitary applicator. Utilization of a multilayer phantom makes possible the generation of experimental three-dimensional specific absorption rate (SAR) distributions composed from several two-dimensional SAR images at different depths or radial distances from the applicator. Spatial resolution of 1 mm can be achieved. The two-dimensional SAR distributions at different depth values for commercial superficial applicator, an interstitial antenna and a new oesophageal applicator are presented."}
{"id": "PMID:1479203", "title": "Combined radiation and hyperthermia: effects of the number of heat fractions and their interval on normal and tumour tissues.", "content": "The effect of one or more heat treatments at 43 degrees C combined with conventional multifraction irradiation was studied in murine normal and tumoral tissues. The endpoint of this study was the TCD50 of the C3H mammary carcinoma, inoculated into the foot. For normal tissue the reaction of the skin of the foot was assessed according to a graded scoring system. Twenty X-ray fractions delivered in 20 or 26 days were combined with one, four or eight fractions of quasi-simultaneous or sequential hyperthermia (i.e. heat applied 4 h after irradiation). Tumour dose-response curves show a decrease in TCD50 and in increase in TER linked to the increasing number of heat sessions. A qualitatively similar effect of the number of sessions was observed for the different protocols (quasi-simultaneous and sequential) and for the two overall times. No significant difference was measured between one and four HT sessions plus 20 fx of RT in the normal tissue damage, while a slight difference was observed between one, four and eight HT sessions delivered with 20 fractions of RT in 26 days."}
{"id": "PMID:1479210", "title": "Optimization of hyperthermia with CT scanning.", "content": "In a prospective study CT scanning was used to evaluate the precision of thermometry catheter placement in tumours in the head and neck or on the chest wall in 30 consecutive patients prior to hyperthermia treatment. Patients had variable-sized tumours from several primary sites. Thermometry catheter placement was guided by palpation with or without a prior CT scan. Catheter placement was confirmed by CT. All lesions were less than 8 x 8 x 6 cm (L x W x D) in size. A mean of 4.2 +/- 0.2 (+/- 1 SEM, range 2-7) closed-end polyurethane catheters were inserted orthogonally by the same experienced radiation oncologist. Horizontal thermometry catheters were intended to traverse the centre and base of the tumour mass, and a vertical catheter was often inserted to intersect a horizontal catheter. After catheter placement, wire cables with 1 cm spacings were inserted into the catheters and positions determined using orthogonal films and CT scans. The success of catheter placement was judged on the following criteria: (1) catheter distribution factor (CDF = proportion of tumour CT slices transected by at least one catheter); (2) catheter hit ratio (CHR = average number of catheters in tumour per CT slice); (3) catheter miss factor (CMF = average number of catheters out of tumour per CT slice); (4) catheter placement index, CPI = [(CHR)(CDF)]-CMF; and (5) distance of nearest catheter from the visually estimated centre of tumour in the most central tumour CT scan. In the first seven lesions with 3-6 cm depth catheter insertion was guided by palpation only. In the next 23 lesions catheter insertion was guided by a prior CT scan. In the latter group, 15 lesions had depth 3-6 cm while eight lesions had depth < or = 3 cm. Catheter placement by palpation only, without the benefit of CT scan, was much less accurate in terms of the nearest catheter to the centre of the tumour (p = .001), the proportion of CT slices with catheter in tumour (CDF, p = 0.04) and the probability of a catheter being outside the tumour (CMF, p = 0.01). The catheter placement index (CPI) was a good measure of the accuracy and adequacy of catheter placement in large tumours (p = 0.04). Displacement of normal tissue structures by tumour precluded accurate catheter placement and led to a low CPI. It was difficult to accurately instrument lesions < or = 3 cm depth even with the benefit of a prior CT scan.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1479204", "title": "Whole-body hyperthermia as an adjuvant to treatment with platinum complexes with or without etanidazole in mice bearing the Lewis lung carcinoma or the FSaLL fibrosarcoma.", "content": "The response of s.c. primary and metastatic Lewis lung carcinoma to five antitumour platinum complexes with or without tolerable whole-body hyperthermia (60 min to reach temperature then 60 min at 42 degrees C) was examined. The whole-body hyperthermia treatment produced about 2.8 days of tumour growth delay in the s.c. tumours. The addition of whole-body hyperthermia to treatment with each of the platinum complexes was well tolerated by the animals and increases of 1.6-2.0-fold in tumour growth delay resulted with the combined treatment compared with the platinum complexes alone. The combination of etanidazole (1 g/kg) and the platinum complexes followed by whole-body hyperthermia produced marked increases in tumour growth delay ranging from 2.5- to 3.6-fold over the growth delays obtained with the platinum complexes alone. FSaLLC tumour cell survival and bone marrow CFU-GM experiments indicated that local hyperthermia (43 degrees C, 30 min) produced greater potentiation of the cytotoxicity of three platinum complexes than did whole-body hyperthermia (42 degrees C, 60 min). Only the complete treatments including whole-body hyperthermia/etanidazole and the platinum complexes were effective in significantly reducing the numbers of lung metastases formed from s.c. primary tumours. Serum urea nitrogen and creatinine levels were monitored over a time-course post-treatment. Although some treatment combinations caused elevations in these normal tissue parameters by day 12 post-treatment both serum urea nitrogen and serum creatinine returned to the levels of the untreated control animals."}
{"id": "PMID:1479207", "title": "Non-invasive thermometry using magnetic resonance diffusion imaging: potential for application in hyperthermic oncology.", "content": "The proposition to use non-invasive thermometry based on magnetic resonance diffusion imaging for applications in therapeutic hyperthermia is examined. The measurement of proton motion predominantly associated with the self-diffusion of water can be characterized by a Boltzmann temperature dependence (i.e. e-Ea/kT). The activation energy (Ea) is on the order of 0.2 eV and, for a restricted range (approximately 30 degrees) at a base temperature of approximately 300 K, the relationship between the effective diffusion coefficient and temperature is approximately linear. This response has been empirically demonstrated in water-based gel phantoms using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Additionally, it is feasible to have compatibility between radiofrequency (RF) heating devices and MRI equipment. An MRI-compatible heating applicator that includes a hexagonal array of coherently phased dipoles was assembled. This heating array easily fits into a standard 1.5 T head imaging coil (diameter 28 cm). The RF fields associated with heating (130 MHz) and imaging (64 MHz) were decoupled using bandpass filters providing isolation in excess of 100 dB. This isolation was sufficient to allow simultaneous imaging and RF heating without deterioration of the image signal-to-noise ratio. In this report temperature, spatial and time resolution achieved in phantom are examined in order to assess the potential for using this non-invasive temperature measurement in applications of hyperthermic oncology. Using this system and conventional multi-slice imaging techniques, 0.5 degrees C resolution in a voxel size of less than 1 cm3 has been achieved using an acquisition time of 4.15 min."}
{"id": "PMID:1479209", "title": "Radiofrequency capacitive heating of deep-seated tumours using pre-cooling of the subcutaneous tissues: results on thermometry in Dutch patients.", "content": "The capacity of a radiofrequency, 13.56 MHz, capacitive hyperthermia system using extensive pre-cooling of the subcutaneous tissue to induce locoregional deep heating has been investigated in 11 patients. Tumour location was presacral in nine--and eccentric towards the lateral side of the pelvis in two patients. For thermometry multiple catheters (mean 2.7) were inserted into the treatment volume. The mean numbers of temperature measuring points per treatment were 9.4 in tumour, 5.5 in muscle and 7.2 in subcutaneous fat. RF energy was applied after 30 min of cooling through two flexible boli perfused with saline water at 5-10 degrees C. Patient tolerance to pre-cooling was very good and after some initial discomfort the patient became rapidly accustomed to the cold water boli. For some patients better temperatures were achieved when the conventional anterior-posterior applicator set-up was replaced by a set-up with an applicator on each lateral side of the patient. As patients can tolerate temperatures within the fat tissue as high as 45.5 degrees C without complaining it appears important to monitor the temperature at the transition of fat to muscle tissue to prevent subcutaneous burns. The study shows that pre-cooling cannot avoid preferential heating at the interface from fat to muscle tissue. In this patient group the quality of the hyperthermia treatment appeared to be rather poor: 60% of the measured tumour temperatures were below 40 degrees D."}
{"id": "PMID:1479208", "title": "Insonation of fixed porcine kidney by a prototype sector-vortex-phased array applicator.", "content": "The sector-vortex applicator, an ultrasound phased array with a geometric focus having multiple sectors and tracks, can directly synthesize, without scanning, diffuse focal patterns useful for hyperthermia. A perfused tissue phantom, consisting of an alcohol-fixed porcine kidney with thermocouples placed in the cortex, is insonated by a prototype sector-vortex applicator with 16 sectors and two tracks at an ultrasound frequency of 750 kHz. Steady-state temperature distributions are measured for a wide range of perfusion rates. Results demonstrate that the radius of the heated region can be controlled effectively by choosing the focal mode of the applicator as it is predicted by theoretical analysis."}
{"id": "PMID:1479237", "title": "Removal of cancellous bone graft through the base of the excised radial styloid process.", "content": "In performing STT arthrodesis, the excision of the tip of the radial styloid avoids further radial styloid impingement. Cancellous bone graft can be obtained through the base of the excised radial styloid, using a trephine or a curette. The amount of bone removed is sufficient for intercarpal arthrodesis."}
{"id": "PMID:1479238", "title": "The reverse radial forearm flap in the severely injured hand: an anatomical and clinical study.", "content": "An anatomical study in 25 cadaveric upper limbs quantified the communications between the radial and ulnar arteries immediately proximal to the carpus. These studies suggest that the reverse radial forearm flap can safely be used in severe hand trauma where reliable pre-operative assessment of the palmar collateral circulation is not possible. It is recommended that the pedicle is pivoted 4 cm from the styloid process at which point there is a 96% probability of leaving the superficial palmar branch and one other communication intact and a 77% probability of leaving two other communications intact. Two clinical cases are outlined for illustration."}
{"id": "PMID:1479239", "title": "Three-dimensional CT imaging of the wrist. A practical system.", "content": "Three-dimensional computerized tomography provides a new approach to radiological imaging. Raw data from sequential two-dimensional scans have been reconstructed as a three-dimensional model of the carpal area using the Medical Graphics and Imaging Workstation. This study demonstrates the anatomical accuracy and potential diagnostic qualities of a reconstruction of the carpus using this system. The advantages, pitfalls and suggested applications of this technique of carpal imaging are discussed. Three-dimensional imaging is shown to provide a great deal of information which cannot be viewed on conventional radiographs or CT images."}
{"id": "PMID:1479240", "title": "An anomaly of the median artery associated with the anterior interosseous nerve syndrome.", "content": "The anterior interosseous nerve syndrome is characterized by paralysis of the flexor pollicis longus muscle, the flexor digitorum profundus muscle to the index and middle fingers, and the pronator quadratus muscle. The most common cause is entrapment of the anterior interosseous nerve near its origin from the median nerve by a variety of structures. Compression is most frequently caused by the deep head of the pronator teres muscle, or the fibrous arcade of the flexor digitorum superficialis muscle. Vascular compression has been reported infrequently. A patient with anterior interosseous nerve syndrome was found at operation to have the median artery passing through the anterior interosseous nerve just below the elbow. This artery has not previously been associated with the syndrome. A cadaver dissection confirmed the relationship."}
{"id": "PMID:1479241", "title": "The anterior interosseous nerve syndrome.", "content": "A follow-up examination of 21 cases of anterior interosseous nerve syndrome in 20 patients is presented. In 15 patients the anterior interosseous nerve was explored, with objective signs of compression in nine. 11 of these patients showed satisfactory function and three had a tendon transfer. Five cases were not operated on. Two recovered and three had continuous paralysis after more than four years. One patient had a primary tendon transfer. We conclude that exploration of the anterior interosseous nerve is the treatment of choice, and that expectant treatment can be reserved for patients with slight disability or poor general health. As recovery may take over a year, tendon transfer should be postponed until after this period in patients who do not show satisfactory recovery."}
{"id": "PMID:1479242", "title": "A simple clinical test to differentiate rupture of flexor pollicis longus and incomplete anterior interosseous paralysis.", "content": "Incomplete anterior interosseous nerve paralysis and spontaneous rupture of flexor pollicis longus tendon are conditions which mimic each other closely and have been mistaken for each other, leading to unnecessary surgery. This is a report of a simple and reliable clinical test to differentiate between the two conditions. A search of the literature has not revealed a previous description of this test."}
{"id": "PMID:1479244", "title": "Seventh cervical nerve root transfer from the contralateral healthy side for treatment of brachial plexus root avulsion.", "content": "Cervical root nerve transfer from the contralateral side has been used for the treatment of brachial plexus root avulsion in 49 patients. Resection of C7 root from the healthy side has produced no long-term symptoms or signs. Nine patients with ten recipient nerves have been followed up for more than two years and seven have obtained a functional recovery. This operation offers a new approach for the treatment of brachial plexus root avulsion."}
{"id": "PMID:1479245", "title": "Elbow flexorplasty: a comparison between latissimus dorsi transfer and Steindler flexorplasty.", "content": "The latissimus dorsi transfer and the Steindler flexorplasty were compared to restore elbow flexion in seven cases. All patients had sustained upper trunk brachial plexus injuries and were adults of productive age. Both operations were successful. The results showed that the latissimus dorsi transfer provides more powerful elbow flexion and a greater range of movement one year post-operatively. The criteria for selection of candidates for both operations are set out."}
{"id": "PMID:1479246", "title": "Freeze-thawed skeletal muscle autografts used for brachial plexus repair in the non-human primate.", "content": "An experimental study undertaken in the marmoset is reported. A defect in the lateral cord of the brachial plexus was repaired with a longitudinally aligned freeze-thawed skeletal muscle autograft. Recovery was assessed after one year using sensory and motor electrophysiological and also histological examination of the nerve. The results show that this is a satisfactory method of peripheral nerve repair in the marmoset. It is suggested that the technique may be applicable to repair of the human brachial plexus."}
{"id": "PMID:1479247", "title": "Is early vascularization of nerve grafts necessary?", "content": "Revascularization and regeneration through vascularized and non-vascularized nerve grafts were compared on optimal and adverse graft beds in 76 rabbit sciatic nerves. A delay in revascularization of more than 14 days was found to occur in 30 mm long, non-vascularized nerve grafts placed on completely avascular graft graft beds. However, over a period of 44 weeks, this prolonged ischaemia did not adversely affect nerve regeneration. The vascularized nerve grafts did not differ significantly with respect to the rate of regeneration, motor conduction velocity, fibre diameter and thickness of myelin sheath. In rabbits, the provision of early vascularity does not appear to confer superior regeneration through nerve grafts. The clinical use of vascularized nerve grafts is discussed in the light of these results."}
{"id": "PMID:1479248", "title": "The role of an adhesive (Histoacryl) in tendon repair.", "content": "Two in vitro experiments have been done comparing various techniques of tendon repair. These include repairs using an adhesive, 2-butyl cyanoacrylate (Histoacryl), and repairs by the modified Kessler technique, using 4/0 braided polyester and 4/0 stainless steel. Mechanical analysis has shown that by replacing the circumferential suture of a modified Kessler tendon repair with Histoacryl, the tensile strength of the repair and the force needed to produce a gap can be increased by 30% to 40%. This improvement was statistically significant (P < 0.05)."}
{"id": "PMID:1479249", "title": "Factors affecting the strength of flexor tendon repair.", "content": "The effects of different thicknesses and configurations of core sutures were studied in human cadaveric flexor tendon repairs. Both straight and cyclic load tests were employed. To exploit the full strength of 4/0 suture material, the Kessler repair using four locked single knots would seem to be appropriate."}
{"id": "PMID:1479250", "title": "Restoration of the injured flexor tendon surface: a possible role for endotenon cells. A morphological study of the rabbit tendon in vivo.", "content": "The ability of rabbit deep flexor tendons to restore the gliding surface and to heal, without the normal contribution of the superficial epitenon layer of the tendons, was studied by light and scanning electron microscopy. The epitenon layer was carefully removed from defined segments of the tendons. The remaining central tendon tissue was divided, sutured and placed in diffusion chambers subcutaneously in the back of the rabbits. After two weeks of culture, most of the sutured gaps were bridged and the tendons were encapsulated by flattened and spindle-shaped cells which covered a random network of thin collagen fibres. After five and 11 weeks, fibroblast-like cells in multiple layers formed a cobblestone-like surface. Thus, a tendon deprived of its epitenon layer still contains cells which can produce collagen, bridge the gap and restore the injured tendon surface."}
{"id": "PMID:1479251", "title": "Healing of canine tendon in zones subjected to different mechanical forces.", "content": "The effect of external force environment on the healing of a partial thickness injury to canine flexor tendon was studied. A 50% laceration was made in either the fibrocartilaginous (compressive) zone or in the tendinous (tensile) zone of canine flexor digitorum profundus tendons. After three or six weeks, the tendons were harvested. An optical method for determining zone-specific material properties showed that, in response to injury, the structural stiffness decreased in the tensile zone of the tendon but increased in the compressive zone. The mechanical properties and failure mechanism of canine tendon and their changes in response to injury vary according to tendon zone, and differences in the healing process in mechanically specialised zones of the flexor tendon are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1479252", "title": "Subungual exostosis in the hand.", "content": "Although it is thought to be a relatively common tumour, only 34 positively identified cases of subungual exostosis in the hand have been found in the literature to date. 16 further cases are reported, making this the largest published series. Seven cases presented with an incorrect diagnosis. An X-ray easily differentiates the tumour from an osteochondroma of the distal phalanx, a spike of bone from a crush injury, or a response to a penetrating injury called a turret exostosis. Removal of the deformed nail and excision of the mass from the distal phalanx produces a useful finger without pain, tender scar, or resultant nail deformity. No case of malignancy has ever been reported."}
{"id": "PMID:1479253", "title": "Nail gun injuries to the hand.", "content": "Three cases of nail gun injury to the non-dominant hand are reported. The hazards of using this high powered tool are stressed and a possible pitfall in the surgical removal of the nails is outlined."}
{"id": "PMID:1479254", "title": "Phalangeal fractures resulting from finger wrestling.", "content": "Two cases of proximal phalangeal fracture following finger wrestling are described. The mechanism of the injury is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1479255", "title": "Pivot osteotomy for the correction of malunion of metacarpal neck fractures.", "content": "A new configuration of osteotomy has been developed which combines the principles and benefits of opening and closing wedge osteotomies without the degree of shortening associated with the closing wedge osteotomy and the tension imposed on the soft tissues by the opening wedge osteotomy. It is ideally suited to the correction of angular malunions in the long bones of the hands. Ten osteotomies of malunions of the metacarpals have been performed in nine hands giving good correction of the malunion in all cases."}
{"id": "PMID:1479256", "title": "Arthroplasty of the proximal interphalangeal joint using costal cartilage grafts.", "content": "Seven intra-articular fractures in five patients with partial bone loss at the PIP joint were reconstructed using a graft of costal cartilage. In all cases there were total or partial cartilagenous defects of the proximal phalangeal side of the joint. Early treatment of two joints, using only costal cartilage grafts, resulted in bony ankylosis due to necrosis of the grafted cartilage. In five joints the grafted cartilage included osseous portions using the costo-osteochondral junction, leading to an average range of movement of 64 degrees with satisfactory clinical results. The technique is a useful alternative to other forms of arthroplasty or arthrodesis, and can provide satisfactory functional results when there is a partial defect of the head of the proximal phalanx."}
{"id": "PMID:1479257", "title": "Dorsal fracture subluxation of the proximal interphalangeal joints treated by extension block splintage.", "content": "In a prospective study, 27 consecutive patients with dorsal fracture subluxation of the PIP joint were treated conservatively using an extension block splint, with good results in 70%. The percentage surface involved with the fracture varied considerably (19-77%) the average being 55%. Three patients initially managed with splintage proceeded to surgery because the splint failed to hold the joint in reduction. These patients had a less favourable outcome. We feel that all such fractures can be treated by splintage, provided that early reduction is maintained in the splint and checked by serial radiology."}
{"id": "PMID:1479258", "title": "Dorsal fracture subluxation of the distal interphalangeal joint of the finger and the interphalangeal joint of the thumb treated by extension block splintage.", "content": "In a prospective study six patients with dorsal fracture subluxation of the IP joint of the thumb or the DIP joint of the finger were treated conservatively using an extension block splint. The fracture size varied from 22% to 47% of the articular surface of the volar base of the terminal phalanx. Good or excellent results were reported in all cases except for one, which was fair. Only one case in the study complained of any pain, and this was minimal. Conservative treatment using extension block splintage for this injury is as good as a surgical approach."}
{"id": "PMID:1479260", "title": "Blastomycosis: a reminder of Kentucky's other fungus.", "content": "Although not as common as Histoplasmosis, the disease caused by Blastomyces dermatitidis is also endemic in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Greater clinical awareness of this systemic mycosis and the newer effective forms of treatment may lessen the significant morbidity and mortality of this potentially serious infection. To illustrate the varied manifestations of this illness, we contrast the presentation of an urban female with blastomycosis and atypical chest radiographic changes to the more classic features of blastomycosis described in the literature."}
{"id": "PMID:1479262", "title": "Acute peritonsillar abscess caused by Arcanobacterium haemolyticum.", "content": "A patient is reported with a peritonsillar abscess yielding Arcanobacterium haemolyticum. This appears to be only the fifth such case described in the medical literature and the first from Europe. The organism has been reported as an occasional cause of tonsillopharyngitis with rash, resembling infection with Streptococcus pyogenes but often unresponsive to penicillin therapy. A. haemolyticum easily passes unrecognized in bacteriological cultures as a result of its slow growth, coryneform appearance in the Gram's stain and weak haemolytic activity on conventional laboratory media."}
{"id": "PMID:1479263", "title": "An unusual pharyngeal pouch.", "content": "The third case of a double pharyngeal pouch is reported. It was excised and the patient made an uneventful recovery."}
{"id": "PMID:1479264", "title": "Inhalation of a Montgomery Safe T-tube plug.", "content": "The first case of an inhaled Montgomery Safe T-tube plug is reported. Both the surgeon and the patient should be aware of this possible complication and regular inspection of the plug is recommended. More than one plug should be provided with each T-tube."}
{"id": "PMID:1479265", "title": "Branchial cyst--to endoscope or not?", "content": "Cervical cystic metastases are uncommon, originating predominantly from an oropharyngeal primary. Pre-operative differentiation from a branchial cyst can prove difficult. Three cases which presented clinically as branchial cysts but were subsequently found to be cystic metastases are described, and the literature is reviewed. Endoscopy, ipsilateral tonsillectomy and blind biopsies of Waldeyer's ring, combined with excision of the cervical lesion are recommended in patients over 40 years old."}
{"id": "PMID:1479266", "title": "Necrotizing fasciitis of the neck.", "content": "Necrotizing fasciitis (N.F.) is a rare but serious infection of subcutaneous tissues and deep fascia with resulting skin gangrene and septicaemia. It is due to mixed anaerobic and aerobic organisms. It has been reported under a variety of synonyms. We describe two cases of necrotizing fasciitis of the neck probably secondary to chronic dental infection, one was diagnosed early and the other late with very different outcomes. We highlight the importance of early and aggressive surgical treatment to complement parenteral antibiotics covering both aerobic and anaerobic organisms."}
{"id": "PMID:1479267", "title": "Benign nasal schwannoma.", "content": "Nerve sheath tumours of the head and neck region mainly involve the eighth cranial nerve with only 4 per cent occurring in the paranasal sinuses. Only 32 cases of benign schwannomas occurring in the paranasal sinuses have been reported. We present a further case, review the current literature, and discuss the clinical details and specific histological features."}
{"id": "PMID:1479268", "title": "Ionomeric bone cement in neuro-otological surgery.", "content": "The use of a polymaleinate glass ionomer cement in 80 neuro-otology cases is described. It has proved of great value in translabyrinthine acoustic neuroma surgery, reducing the incidence of CSF fistula to nil. It is the method of choice for fixation of the Nucleus cochlear implant, and has many other applications in the field of otology and neuro-otology. It is easy to use and appears to have no side effects."}
{"id": "PMID:1479270", "title": "Closure of tympanic membrane perforation after the removal of Goode-type tympanostomy tubes: the use of silastic sheeting.", "content": "The reported incidence of persistent tympanic membrane perforation after the extrusion or removal of Goode-type tympanostomy tubes varies from 3 per cent to 47.5 per cent. A prospective randomized study of 152 Goode-type T-tube removals is presented. In one group of 79 ears, the edge of the defect was just freshened, but in the other 73 ears, the edge was freshened and a small piece of 0.13 mm silastic sheeting placed over the defect. Follow-up was performed at six weeks and three, six and nine months and shows that the use of silastic sheeting increases the rate of closure of the perforation and also significantly decreases the number of persistent perforations at nine months."}
{"id": "PMID:1479271", "title": "Prescription of hearing aids for the elderly: the views of general practitioners.", "content": "A questionnaire survey was carried out to examine the views of general practitioners in one Northern city regarding whether or not they thought that hearing aids should be prescribed from general practice, who they thought should prescribe them and whether or not additional resources and training would be needed if the responsibility for hearing aid prescription for the elderly was placed upon general practitioners. The survey indicated that whereas many general practitioners would be in favour of prescribing hearing aids from Health Centres, many would need extra training and resources to enable them to do so."}
{"id": "PMID:1479272", "title": "Cochlear implants for congenital deformities.", "content": "There have been few accounts of multi-channel cochlear implants in patients with congenital structural deformities of the inner ear which are associated with severe and sometimes progressive deafness. These malformations can now be recognized easily on 2 plane thin section high resolution CT studies which are mandatory for the pre-implantation assessment. However, no attempt seems to have been made to describe which of these malformations would be suitable for an implant or for which would this procedure be contra-indicated. True Mondini deformity of both the cochlea and dilated vestibular aqueduct type would appear suitable for a multi channel implant, but this type of implant should not be used for a primitive otocyst, severe labyrinthine dysplasia or the characteristic X-linked deformity."}
{"id": "PMID:1479273", "title": "Long-term results of revision stapes surgery.", "content": "Results of 45 re-operations for persistent or recurrent conductive deafness after primary stapes surgery were studied. The mean follow-up period after the revision surgery was 7.6 years. Long-term hearing results were found to be disappointing, air-bone gap to within 10 dB was achieved in only 46 per cent of the patients. Mean hearing levels improved by 11 dB or more in 73 per cent. Outcome of surgery was dependent on the surgical pathology, the best hearing results were obtained in cases with re-fixation after stapes mobilization operation. Sensorineural hearing loss as a result of surgical trauma to the inner ear occurred in revision surgery more frequently than in primary operations, cases with regrowth of otosclerotic bone to the oval window after stapedectomy having the greatest risk of labyrinthine trauma."}
{"id": "PMID:1479274", "title": "Glue under pressure: a bad prognostic sign for recurrence of otitis media with effusion.", "content": "One hundred and thirteen children with bilateral otitis media with effusion (OME) underwent myringotomy and insertion of Shah grommets. They were classified into three groups according to the presence or absence of 'glue under pressure' unilaterally or bilaterally. The follow up period ranging between 18 and 32 months determined the comparative rate of recurrence of OME and the number of grommet reinsertions. This study shows a significantly higher incidence of recurrent OME, requiring grommet reinsertion, in ears with glue under pressure (60 per cent) compared to those with glue not under pressure (7.4 per cent). Thus it was possible to identify a subset of children with OME who have a poorer prognosis for recurrence and who should be treated with long-stay grommets in the first instance."}
{"id": "PMID:1479275", "title": "Endoscopic management of posterior nasal obstruction.", "content": "The use of the rigid endoscope has been investigated in the management of 63 cases with posterior nasal obstruction. It was found to be a true advance in rhinology, since it visualizes and localizes the site of the obstruction which is classified into pre-choanal, and post-choanal. Moreover, the nasal endoscope allowed complete and safe removal of most of the obstructing lesions under direct endoscopic vision."}
{"id": "PMID:1479276", "title": "Rhinocerebral aspergillosis.", "content": "Aspergillosis is increasingly being recognised as a common fungal infection of the paranasal sinuses. Although the disease is almost endemic in neighbouring Sudan, there are few reported cases from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. We report four cases of sinus aspergillosis with involvement of the skull bases and/or intracranial spread; a condition we have termed rhinocerebral aspergillosis. Invasive aspergillosis in our subgroup of patients occurs in otherwise healthy patients with normal immune status, quite unlike most reported cases in the western literature. The causative agent in all our patients was identified as aspergillus flavus, similar to patients reported from Sudan. This is again at variance with the case reports from other geographical locations, where aspergillus fumigatus is the commonest causative agent. Saudi Arabia would appear to represent a distinct geographical enclave, together with Sudan, where rhinocerebral aspergillosis of the sinuses and skull base may be more common than has previously been realised."}
{"id": "PMID:1479277", "title": "The management of quinsy--a prospective study.", "content": "A prospective study for the treatment of quinsy was undertaken between January 1989 and September 1991. This was to determine whether abscess tonsillectomy reduces inpatient stay without increasing operative risk compared to incision and drainage combined with interval tonsillectomy. Fifty-three patients were entered into the study. Twenty-one had abscess tonsillectomy and 32 had incision and drainage. This study showed that there is a 95 per cent probability that abscess tonsillectomy reduces hospital stay by between 2.04 and 4.84 (Student's test t = 5.01; df = 31, p < 0.001) days compared to incision and drainage followed by interval tonsillectomy. This is a significant saving in time and resources. Abscess tonsillectomy reduces patients lost to follow-up, avoids the social inconvenience of a second admission, effectively relieves symptoms, treats a contralateral abscess and is the only method of treating children with a quinsy. We recommend abscess tonsillectomy should be performed for quinsy where expertise and facilities are available."}
{"id": "PMID:1479278", "title": "Acute tonsillectomy in the management of infectious mononucleosis.", "content": "Life-threatening upper airway obstruction can be caused by tonsillopharyngitis secondary to infectious mononucleosis (IM). The administration of corticosteroids, emergency tracheostomy and acute tonsillectomy have been advocated as ways of managing this problem. In a series of 25 patients admitted over a five-year period with IM, 15 were judged to have symptoms severe enough to warrant the administration of corticosteroids. Six of these 15 patients had little improvement in their condition and thus underwent acute tonsillectomy. There were no significant complications of this surgery. A further three patients who received corticosteroids required tonsillectomy for recurrent tonsillitis later in the study period. By contrast, only one of the ten patients who did not receive corticosteroids subsequently required tonsillectomy. Acute tonsillectomy is of value in selected cases of IM tonsillopharyngitis. It may decrease the morbidity of recurrent tonsillitis after IM, in addition to averting the immediate risk of respiratory obstruction."}
{"id": "PMID:1479279", "title": "Infra red coagulation for bleeding mucosal telangiectasia.", "content": "The technique of infra red coagulation is well suited to the destruction of superficial blood vessels in the skin and/or mucosal surfaces. A method is described here for the destruction of resistant bleeding telangiectasia of the palate and lip in Osler-Weber-Rendu syndrome."}
{"id": "PMID:1479280", "title": "Fistula between the external auditory canal and the temporomandibular joint: a rare complication of otitis externa.", "content": "Otitis externa is a relatively common complication of ear syringing. Temporomandibular joint complications of otitis externa are rare. A case of otitis externa with communication between the external auditory canal and the temporomandibular joint is described."}
{"id": "PMID:1479281", "title": "Dyskeratosis congenita and nasopharyngeal atresia.", "content": "Dyskeratosis congenita is a multisystem disorder with an increased incidence of neoplasia and opportunistic infections. A case is reported as a cause of complete nasopharyngeal atresia."}
{"id": "PMID:1479284", "title": "Sphingomyelinase treatment of low density lipoprotein and cultured cells results in enhanced processing of LDL which can be modulated by sphingomyelin.", "content": "The addition of neutral sphingomyelinase from S. aureus to the medium of rat intestinal epithelial cell cultures (IEC-6) containing added human low density lipoprotein (LDL) resulted in two- to fivefold increases in LDL uptake and degradation. This overall effect was shown to be the combined result of sphingomyelinase activity on the composition of the LDL particle and a separate action directly on the cells when native LDL was incubated with sphingomyelinase from S. aureus followed by removal of the sphingomyelinase. Analysis of sphingomyelinase-treated LDL showed that > 95% of the sphingomyelin (SM) was hydrolyzed, but no changes were observed in all the other components of the LDL particle. This modified LDL particle (SM(-)LDL) was also bound and degraded at higher rates than control LDL in a variety of cell lines, e.g., HepG2, GM-43, and CHO-K1 cells. No evidence of increased aggregation of SM(-)LDL could be observed. The increased processing of SM(-)LDL was due to enhanced affinity to LDL receptors and not to an increase in LDL receptor number. When sphingomyelinase from S. aureus was added to the medium of IEC-6 or GM-43 cells, which were processing SM(-)LDL, further increases in SM(-)LDL processing were observed, which were primarily due to greatly enhanced cellular degradation of SM(-)LDL, with little change in receptor binding and cell association. Since there was little sphingomyelin remaining in SM(-)LDL, it was assumed that the action of sphingomyelinase on the cells resulted in the enhanced degradation. In support of this concept, previous addition of sphingomyelin to cells growing in lipoprotein-deficient medium followed by addition of SM(-)LDL greatly inhibited the degradation of the apolipoprotein of SM(-)LDL. On the other hand, addition of sphingomyelin concomitantly with SM(-)LDL did not inhibit degradation. These results are interpreted to indicate that there may be two pathways for cellular processing of sphingomyelin, one of which may be a determinant in the lysosomal processing of the apolipoprotein of LDL. In support of this concept, addition of desipramine, an inhibitor of lysosomal sphingomyelinase, to IEC-6 cells in culture greatly inhibited the degradation of 125I-labeled LDL without affecting the receptor binding and cell association. Overall, these results suggest that sphingomyelin may play a modulatory role in cellular cholesterol homeostasis by regulating uptake of LDL as well as LDL processing."}
{"id": "PMID:1479285", "title": "Developmental and age-related changes in apolipoprotein B mRNA editing in mice.", "content": "Apolipoprotein B (apoB) mRNA is modified by a post-transcriptional editing reaction (C to U) changing a glutamine (CAA) to a translational stop codon (UAA) and producing apoB-48 mRNA in mammalian liver and intestine. Developmental and age-related changes in apoB mRNA editing were studied using two mouse strains with different aging processes (SAM-R/1 with a normal aging process and SAM-P/1 with an accelerated aging process). During growth of both strains, the proportion of unedited (apoB-100) mRNA decreased from 80% in the fetal liver at the 17th day of gestation to 30% in the liver of mature 2-month-old mice. Age-associated increase in the proportion of hepatic apoB-100 mRNA was observed from the age of 18 months in the SAM-R/1 strain. In the SAM-P/1 strain, apoB-100 mRNA in the liver continued to increase from the age of 10 months to death. The profiles of developmental and age-related changes in the proportion of two serum apoB isoproteins (apoB-100 and apoB-48) followed the extent of hepatic apoB mRNA editing. Age-related changes in the extent of apoB mRNA editing in the small intestine were not observed in either strain. A slight expression of apoB was detected by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction in the kidney, stomach, and colon, and age-associated change in the extent of editing was observed in the kidney. These correlated changes in apoB mRNA editing and serum apoB proteins suggest that RNA editing may be one mechanism involved in the regulation of lipoprotein biogenesis in biological development and in senescent mice. An age-associated decrease in the extent of hepatic apoB mRNA editing and increases of the proportion of serum apoB-100 protein were observed in senescent mice."}
{"id": "PMID:1479286", "title": "Endotoxin rapidly induces changes in lipid metabolism that produce hypertriglyceridemia: low doses stimulate hepatic triglyceride production while high doses inhibit clearance.", "content": "Hyperlipidemia frequently accompanies infectious diseases and may be due to increases in lipoprotein production or decreases in lipoprotein clearance. The administration of endotoxin (LPS) has been used to mimic infection and prior studies demonstrate that LPS produces hypertriglyceridemia. In the present study in rodents, the dose of LPS necessary to induce hyperlipidemia was orders of magnitude less than that necessary to induce shock and death. As little as 10 ng/100 g body weight induced hypertriglyceridemia and this increase in serum triglyceride levels occurred rapidly (78% increase at 2 h). At high doses of LPS (50 micrograms/100 g body weight), the clearance of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins was decreased. At low doses of LPS (100 ng/100 g body weight), triglyceride clearance was not altered but the hepatic secretion of triglyceride was increased. Low dose LPS stimulated hepatic de novo fatty acid synthesis and lipolysis, both of which provided a source of fatty acids for the increase in hepatic triglyceride production. High dose LPS did not increase hepatic fatty acid synthesis or peripheral lipolysis, and hepatic triglyceride secretion was not stimulated. Thus, low dose LPS produces hypertriglyceridemia by increasing hepatic lipoprotein production, while high dose LPS produces hypertriglyceridemia by decreasing lipoprotein catabolism. Administration of anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) antibodies or interleukin 1 (IL-1) receptor antagonist did not prevent the increase in serum triglyceride levels induced by LPS. However, anti-TNF antibodies and interleukin 1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra) blocked the increase in serum triglycerides induced by TNF or IL-1, respectively. These data suggest that neither of these cytokines is absolutely required for the increase in serum triglycerides induced by LPS, raising the possibility that other cytokines, small molecular mediators, or LPS itself may play a crucial role."}
{"id": "PMID:1479287", "title": "Characterization of lipoprotein lipase activity, secretion, and degradation at different sites of post-translational processing in primary cultures of rat adipocytes.", "content": "The regulation of adipose tissue lipoprotein lipase (LPL) by feeding and fasting occurs through post-translational changes in the LPL protein. In addition, LPL activity and secretion are decreased when N-linked glycosylation is inhibited. To better understand the role of oligosaccharide processing in the development of LPL activity and in LPL secretion, primary cultures of rat adipocytes were treated with inhibitors of oligosaccharide processing. LPL catalytic activity from the heparin-releasable fraction of adipocytes was inhibited by more than 70%, with similar decreases in LPL mass, when cells were cultured for 24 h in the presence of either tunicamycin or castanospermine. On the other hand, deoxymannojirimycin (DMJ) and swainsonine had no effect on LPL activity. LPL secretion was examined after pulse-labeling cells with [35S]methionine. The appearance of 35S-labeled LPL in the medium was blocked by treatment of cells with tunicamycin and castanospermine, whereas secretion was not affected by DMJ or swainsonine. To examine the effect of oligosaccharide processing on LPL intracellular degradation, adipocytes were treated with tunicamycin, castanospermine, and DMJ and then pulse-labeled with [35S]methionine, followed by a chase with unlabeled methionine for 120 min. The unglycosylated [35S]LPL that was synthesized in the presence of tunicamycin demonstrated essentially no intracellular degradation. In the presence of castanospermine and DMJ, the half-life of newly synthesized LPL was increased to 81 and 113 min, as compared to 65 min in control cells. Thus, castanospermine-treated adipocytes demonstrated a decrease in LPL activity and secretion, suggesting that the glucosidase-mediated cleavage of terminal glucose residues from oligosaccharides is a critical step in LPL maturation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1479288", "title": "Characterization of disulfide-linked heterodimers containing apolipoprotein D in human plasma lipoproteins.", "content": "Human plasma apolipoprotein (apo) D is a glycoprotein with an apparent molecular weight of 29,000 M(r). It is present, mainly, in high density lipoproteins (HDL) and very high density lipoproteins (VHDL). Western blot analysis of HDL and VHDL using rabbit antibodies to human apoD revealed major immunoreactive bands at 29,000 and 38,000 M(r), with minor bands ranging from 50,000 to and 80,000 M(r). Only the 29,000 M(r) band corresponding to apoD remained when the electrophoresis was conducted under reducing conditions, demonstrating that apoD is cross-linked to other proteins via disulfide bonds. The broad pattern of immunoreactivity was also observed under nonreducing conditions when the blood was collected into a solution of sulfhydryl-trapping reagents, or when these reagents were added to the isolated lipoproteins. These results indicated that the disulfide bonds were not the result of disulfide exchange during the experimental procedures. On the basis of amino acid sequencing and reactions to antibodies, the 38,000 M(r) band was identified as an apoD-apoA-II heterodimer. The apoD-apoA-II was also demonstrated in plasma. In both HDL and plasma, the apoD-apoA-II heterodimer constituted the major form of apoD. Disulfide-linked heterodimers of apoD and apoB-100 were also found in low and very low density lipoproteins, and in whole plasma. It is concluded that a fraction of human apoD, like other cysteine-containing apolipoproteins, exists as a disulfide-linked heterodimer with other apolipoproteins in all major human lipoprotein fractions."}
{"id": "PMID:1479289", "title": "Fatty acid composition in deep hydrothermal vent symbiotic bivalves.", "content": "Fatty acids in deep hydrothermal vent bivalves have been analyzed. Their composition is completely different from that of a littoral mussel collected in the Mediterranean sea. The distribution of fatty acids in the littoral mussel is characterized by a predominance of polyunsaturated fatty acids (20:5n-3, 22:6n-3) reflecting the planktonic origin of the food. Vent bivalve fatty acid distribution is dominated by an abundance of the monounsaturated acids (double bond in the n-7 position) 16:1n-7, 18:1n-7, and 20:1n-7 which are clearly of bacterial origin and give an indication of the symbiotic bacterial activity in the bivalves. Differences between the fatty acid composition of the bivalves from two hydrothermal sites (13 degrees N and Galapagos) and differences between the mantle and the gill were observed and are discussed with respect to vent activities at the two sites and species metabolic capacities as a function of ecological conditions."}
{"id": "PMID:1479290", "title": "Interconversion between apolipoprotein A-I-containing lipoproteins of pre-beta and alpha electrophoretic mobilities.", "content": "Apolipoprotein (apo) A-I-containing lipoproteins can be separated into two subfractions, pre-beta HDL and alpha HDL (high density lipoproteins), based on differences in their electrophoretic mobility. In this report we present results indicating that these two subfractions are metabolically linked. When plasma was incubated for 2 h at 37 degrees C, apoA-I mass with pre-beta electrophoretic mobility disappeared. This shift in apoA-I mass to alpha electrophoretic mobility was blocked by the addition of either 1.4 mM DTNB or 10 mM menthol to the plasma prior to incubation, suggesting that lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) activity was involved. There was no change in the electrophoretic mobility of either pre-beta HDL or alpha HDL when they were incubated with cholesterol-loaded fibroblasts. However, after exposure to the fibroblasts, the cholesterol content of the pre-beta HDL did increase approximately sixfold, suggesting that pre-beta HDL can associate with appreciable amounts of cellular cholesterol. Pre-beta HDL-like particles appear to be generated by the incubation of alpha HDL with cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) and either very low density lipoproteins (VLDL) or low density lipoproteins (LDL). This generation of pre-beta HDL-like particles was documented both by immunoelectrophoresis and by molecular sieve chromatography. Based on these findings, we propose a cyclical model in which 1) apoA-I mass moves from pre-beta HDL to alpha HDL in connection with the action of LCAT and the generation of cholesteryl esters within the HDL, and 2) apoA-I moves from alpha HDL to pre-beta HDL in connection with the action of CETP and the movement of cholesteryl esters out of the HDL. Additionally, we propose that the relative plasma concentrations of pre-beta HDL and alpha HDL reflect the movement of cholesteryl esters through the HDL. Conditions that result in the accumulation of HDL cholesteryl esters will be associated with low concentrations of pre-beta HDL, whereas conditions that result in the depletion of HDL cholesteryl esters will be associated with elevated concentrations of pre-beta HDL. This postulate is consistent with published findings in patients with hypertriglyceridemia and LCAT deficiency."}
{"id": "PMID:1479291", "title": "Increased concentration of plasma cholesteryl ester transfer protein in nephrotic syndrome: role in dyslipidemia.", "content": "Hyperlipidemia is a prominent feature of the nephrotic syndrome. Lipoprotein abnormalities include increased very low and low density lipoprotein (VLDL and LDL) cholesterol and variable reductions in high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. We hypothesized that plasma cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP), which influences the distribution of cholesteryl esters among the lipoproteins, might contribute to lipoprotein abnormalities in nephrotic syndrome. Plasma CETP, apolipoprotein and lipoprotein concentrations were measured in 14 consecutive untreated and 7 treated nephrotic patients, 5 patients with primary hypertriglyceridemia, and 18 normolipidemic controls. Patients with nephrotic syndrome displayed increased plasma concentrations of apoB, VLDL, and LDL cholesterol. The VLDL was enriched with cholesteryl ester (CE), shown by a CE/triglyceride (TG) ratio approximately twice that in normolipidemic or hypertriglyceridemic controls (P < 0.001). Plasma CETP concentration was increased in patients with untreated nephrotic syndrome compared to controls (3.6 vs. 2.3 mg/l, P < 0.001), and was positively correlated with the CE concentration in VLDL (r = 0.69, P = 0.004) and with plasma apoB concentration (r = 0.68, P = 0.007). Treatment with corticosteroids resulted in normalization of plasma CETP and of the CE/TG ratio in VLDL. An inverse correlation between plasma CETP and HDL cholesterol was observed in hypertriglyceridemic nephrotic syndrome patients (r = -0.67, P = 0.03). The dyslipidemia of nephrotic syndrome includes increased levels of apoB-lipoproteins and VLDL that are unusually enriched in CE and likely to be atherogenic. Increased plasma CETP probably plays a significant role in the enrichment of VLDL with CE, and may also contribute to increased concentrations of apoB-lipoproteins and decreased HDL cholesterol in some patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1479292", "title": "Molecular basis of familial chylomicronemia: mutations in the lipoprotein lipase and apolipoprotein C-II genes.", "content": "The molecular basis of familial chylomicronemia (type I hyperlipoproteinemia), a rare autosomal recessive trait, was investigated in six unrelated individuals (five of Spanish descent and one of Northern European extraction). DNA amplification by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) followed by single strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) analysis allowed rapid identification of the underlying mutations. Six different mutant alleles (three of which are previously undescribed) of the gene encoding lipoprotein lipase (LPL) were discovered in the five LPL-deficient patients. These included an 11 bp deletion in exon 2, and five missense mutations: Trp 86 Arg (exon 3), His 136 Arg (exon 4), Gly 188 Glu (exon 5), Ile 194 Thr (exon 5), and Ile 205 Ser (exon 5). The Trp 86 Arg mutation is the only known missense mutation in exon 3. The other missense mutations lie in the highly conserved \"central homology region\" in close proximity with the catalytic site of LPL. These and other previously reported missense mutations provide insight into structure/function relationships in the lipase family. The missense mutations point to the important role of particular highly conserved helices and beta-strands in proper folding of the LPL molecule, and of certain connecting loops in the catalytic process. A nonsense mutation (Arg 19 Term) in the gene encoding apolipoprotein C-II (apoC-II), the cofactor of LPL, was found to underlie chylomicronemia in the sixth patient who had normal LPL but was apoC-II-deficient."}
{"id": "PMID:1479293", "title": "Apolipoprotein B messenger RNA editing in rat liver: developmental and hormonal modulation is divergent from apolipoprotein A-IV gene expression despite increased hepatic lipogenesis.", "content": "Rat hepatic apolipoprotein B (apoB) mRNA editing is regulated developmentally as well as by hormonal and nutritional modulation of hepatic lipogenesis, changes previously associated with coordinate modulation of hepatic apoA-IV gene expression. We have examined the effects of dexamethasone administration on apoB mRNA editing and the expression of other apolipoprotein genes in both neonatal and adult rats. Administration of dexamethasone increased hepatic triglyceride content in neonatal rats and increased hepatic but not intestinal apoA-IV mRNA abundance. However, neither the developmental profile nor the extent of hepatic apoB mRNA editing was changed after hormone administration. Dexamethasone produced a dose-dependent increase in adult hepatic triglyceride content and a coordinate fourfold increase in hepatic but not intestinal apoA-IV mRNA abundance, and hepatic and serum apoA-IV protein concentrations. Immunocytochemical localization revealed apoA-IV to be expressed in hepatocytes around the central vein while dexamethasone treatment produced a dose-dependent appearance of fat-filled hepatocytes throughout the lobule that were immunoreactive for apoA-IV. Despite these changes in hepatic triglyceride accumulation there was no change in the extent of hepatic apoB mRNA editing at any dose of dexamethasone. The data suggest that hormonal and metabolic modulation of hepatic apoB mRNA editing may be independent of factors that modulate apoA-IV gene expression despite alterations in hepatic triglyceride content."}
{"id": "PMID:1479294", "title": "Separation of dolichol from dehydrodolichol by a simple two-plate thin-layer chromatography.", "content": "A novel thin-layer chromatographic procedure was devised to separate dolichol and dehydrodolichol from each other with the concomitant separation of each family with respect to the carbon chain length. This method involves development of the polyprenols successively on two different plates, a silica gel plate and a reversed-phase plate."}
{"id": "PMID:1479295", "title": "Continuous fluorescence assay for lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase using a water-soluble phosphatidylcholine.", "content": "A water-soluble fluorescent phosphatidylcholine, 1,2-bis[4-(1-pyreno-butanoyl]-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DPybPC) has been used to develop a sensitive, continuous assay for pure lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) in solution. The monomeric substrate allowed us to examine the reaction of LCAT in the absence of a lipid/water interface in terms of the sensitivity of the enzymatic reaction to anions, ionic strength, apolipoproteins A-I and A-II, and a series of lysophosphatidylcholines and fatty acids. In contrast to the reaction of LCAT with aggregated phosphatidylcholines, the reaction of DPybPC with LCAT was not significantly affected by anions, ionic strength, nor apolipoproteins, indicating that these are only effectors of the interfacial reaction. Lysophosphatidylcholines and fatty acids inhibited LCAT in a chain-length-dependent manner below the critical micellar concentrations of these amphiphiles, indicating that the products of the LCAT reaction can bind to the enzyme and affect its kinetics even in the absence of an interface."}
{"id": "PMID:1479296", "title": "Rapid separation of serum lipids for fatty acid analysis by a single aminopropyl column.", "content": "A rapid and simple method for separation of serum lipid classes for fatty acid analysis with a single aminopropyl solid phase glass column is described. The recoveries of cholesteryl esters, triglycerides, free fatty acids, and phospholipids were all at least 98%. Coefficients of variation less than 10% were obtained for absolute and relative amounts of most individual fatty acids analyzed after separation of serum lipid classes. This method provides an efficient and convenient tool to follow fatty acid patterns in serum lipid fractions."}
{"id": "PMID:1479297", "title": "Production of polyacrylamide gradient gels for the electrophoretic resolution of lipoproteins.", "content": "We describe a protocol to cast nondenaturing polyacrylamide gradient gels (SFBR3/31) for the size resolution of lipoproteins. The protocol yields gels with minimal lot-to-lot variation in length and electrophoretic properties. Absorbance profiles of cholesterol-stained lipoproteins in baboon sera were used to estimate the relative amounts of stain in four lipoprotein size classes (VLDL+LDL, HDL1, HDL2, and HDL3). When compared with gels from a commercial source, the SFBR3/31 gels gave very similar results in terms of precision (coefficients of variation) and of estimated amounts of lipoproteins in the four size classes. In other studies, we estimated peak diameters of protein-stained human lipoproteins after calibrating the gels with size standards. Peak diameters estimated using SFBR3/31 gels were highly correlated (r2 = 0.99, n = 33) with those estimated using gels from a commercial source. We conclude that the protocol reliably produces gradient gels that are suitable for the analysis of lipoprotein phenotypes."}
{"id": "PMID:1479298", "title": "Experimental and clinical gnotobiotics: influence of the microflora on graft-versus-host disease after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation.", "content": "One of the major complications of allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT) is graft-versus-host disease (GvHD), which is caused by donor type lymphocytes which react against the recipient's tissues. An important factor which influences GvHD is the recipient's gastrointestinal microflora. This was originally observed in gnotobiotic mice. Infusion of 10(7) H-2 incompatible bone marrow cells into lethally irradiated (9.0 Gy X-rays) conventional mice results in a late onset type GvHD which causes the death of the majority of the recipients during the first two months after BMT. This mortality can be completely prevented if the recipients are germfree mice, or when they are conventional animals which have been subjected to complete or selective gastrointestinal decontamination (GID). In a mouse model, the mechanism responsible for the influence of the microflora on GvHD after allogeneic BMT was investigated. These studies indicate that GvHD can be induced by activated T-lymphocytes from donor origin reacting against bacterial antigens which might be cross-reactive with the recipient's epithelial tissue antigens. Activation of these T-lymphocytes is confined to antigens of certain bacterial species of the recipient which are not present in the indigenous microflora of the donor mice. These bacteria most likely belong to the anaerobic flora of the recipient. The latter hypothesis is strongly supported by the observation in human patients that, in contrast to complete GID, selective decontamination of the gastrointestinal tract did not have any beneficial effect on moderately severe to severe GvHD after transplantation with MHC-matched sibling donor bone marrow grafts."}
{"id": "PMID:1479299", "title": "The acute phase response in autologous bone marrow transplantation.", "content": "Due to the stress imposed by the process of bone marrow transplantation (BMT), we hypothesized that individuals receiving such a transplant underwent an acute phase response (APR). Circulating levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), haptoglobin (HAP), alpha-1 acid glycoprotein (AAG), ceruloplasmin (CER), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), interleukin-6 (IL-6), albumin (ALB), and thyroxine-binding prealbumin (TBPA), were measured at baseline (Day -7), Day -4, Day 0 (Transplant Day), Day +2, +7, and weekly until day 28 in 14 adults receiving an autologous bone marrow transplant as Phase 1 treatment for various hematologic or solid tumor malignancies. Ten of 14 recipients survived, 9 of which had a significant increase in CRP (p = 0.012), HAP (p = 0.011), AAG (p = 0.002), and decrease in ALB (p = 0.002) and TBPA (p = 0.004) on Day +7, but not Day 0, after bone marrow reinfusion. These findings document the presence of an APR and suggest that the bone marrow transplant process (post reinfusion) initiates a stress response in the recipient."}
{"id": "PMID:1479300", "title": "Lithium and hematopoiesis: effective experimental use of lithium as an agent to improve bone marrow transplantation.", "content": "Bone marrow transplantation (BMT) has become a widely used procedure in the treatment of numerous hematological and non-hematological clinical disorders. The preparative regimen used for marrow recipients is not without risk as the immunodeficient recipient is susceptible to life-threatening infections due to the inability of the marrow to engraft properly. The monovalent cation lithium has been demonstrated to influence regenerating hematopoiesis following the use of several agents known to suppress hematopoiesis. The following report summarizes our studies which have been designed to determine the rate of hematopoietic reconstitution in lethally irradiated mice that were transplanted with bone marrow cells, harvested from either syngeneic or allogeneic donor animals, treated with lithium or phosphate buffered saline (PBS). Transplanted recipients receiving marrow cells from lithium treated donors were evaluated for their survival, peripheral blood indices and several classes of hematopoietic progenitors (granulocyte, erythroid, and megakaryocyte). Transplanted animals that received marrow cells from either syngeneic or allogeneic donors treated with lithium demonstrated greater survival, increased recovery of peripheral indices and hematopoietic progenitors compared to PBS-treated controls. These results indicate that the use of lithium to treat the donor may be an effective procedure to enhance hematopoietic recovery and engraftment in the transplanted recipient. Because of its wide-ranging effects, the use of lithium as a single agent, may be more efficacious than administering several hematopoietic growth factors in order to achieve a similar response."}
{"id": "PMID:1479301", "title": "Bacterial translocation from the gastrointestinal tract.", "content": "Bacterial translocation is defined as the passage of viable bacteria from the gastrointestinal tract to extraintestinal sites, such as the mesenteric lymph node complex, liver, spleen, kidney, and blood. The major mechanisms promoting bacterial translocation in animal models are: (a) disruption of the ecologic equilibrium to allow intestinal bacterial overgrowth, (b) deficiencies in host immune defenses, and (c) increased permeability of the intestinal mucosal barrier. These mechanisms can act in concert to promote synergistically the systemic spread of indigenous translocating bacteria to cause lethal sepsis. Studies are presented of attempts to delineate the mechanisms promoting bacterial translocation utilizing animal models of intestinal bacterial overgrowth, immunosuppression, T-cell deficiencies, solid tumors, leukemia, diabetes, endotoxemia, hemorrhagic shock, thermal injury, bowel obstruction, bile duct ligation, protein malnutrition and parenteral nutrition. Also described are the use of selective antibiotic decontamination or nonspecific macrophage immunomodulators in attempts to reduce bacterial translocation from the gastrointestinal tract."}
{"id": "PMID:1479302", "title": "The life cycle of Trypanosoma cruzi under axenic conditions.", "content": "The complete life cycle of Trypanosoma cruzi under germfree (GF) conditions was achieved. The Reduvidae insects Dipetalogaster maximus, reared under axenic conditions were infected with Trypanosoma cruzi, strain CL, by feeding on GF infected mice. Axenic trypomastigotes from macerated gnotobiotic insects were used to infect GF and conventional (CV) mice by intraperitoneal, ocular, and oral routes. Infection, followed by blood parasitemia, was obtained in almost all the cases. However, Chagas' disease was more severe in GF animals when compared with CV mice."}
{"id": "PMID:1479303", "title": "Synthetic trehalose dicorynomycolate and antimicrobials increase survival from sepsis in mice immunocompromised by radiation and trauma.", "content": "When mammalian antimicrobial defenses are compromised by radiation, death from sepsis may occur. Tissue trauma in irradiated hosts significantly increases mortality from bacterial infections and makes antimicrobial treatments more difficult than when individuals are subjected to trauma or radiation alone. We determined that postirradiation therapy with the immunomodulator synthetic trehalose dicorynomycolate (S-TDCM) and antimicrobials increases survival in mice after lethal irradiation and tissue trauma. Single agent therapy with systemic oxacillin, gentamicin, ofloxacin, and S-TDCM did not increase survival. Topical treatment of the injury with gentamicin cream in addition to systemic therapy with oxacillin or S-TDCM was necessary to enhance survival. Therapy with gentamicin and S-TDCM had a synergistic effect on survival. Therapies combining augmentation of non-specific host defense mechanisms with antimicrobials may be valuable in treating irradiated patients also sustaining tissue trauma."}
{"id": "PMID:1479304", "title": "The relative lethality of intestinal bacteria for gnotobiotic rats with experimental intestinal strangulation.", "content": "In eight experiments utilizing 28 animals each, germfree rats with and without ischemically or hemorrhagically strangulated closed loop intestinal segments were contaminated with either one of four common intestinal anaerobic bacteria, or a combination of two or three bacteria previously found to be innocuous in pure culture. The results showed that: a) in pure culture, Bacteroides fragilis, Bacteroides melaninogenicus, and Peptostreptococcus anaerobius were innocuous; b) Fusobacterium necrophorum alone was a very lethal organism that produced intense, confluent, intraperitoneal, fibrous adhesions after four to six days; and c) mixed inoculum of Klebsiella pneumoniae, Bacteroides fragilis, and/or Streptococcus faecalis was found to be lethal for gnotobiotic rats with intestinal strangulation. It is concluded that Fusobacterium necrophorum is so patent that it should be specifically treated with antibiotics when suspected or known to be present in clinical specimens. This gnotobiotic animal model will be useful to delineate the lethality of known combinations of intestinal bacteria."}
{"id": "PMID:1479305", "title": "The natural course of Clostridium perfringens--induced pneumatosis cystoides intestinalis.", "content": "Primary pneumatosis cystoides intestinalis (PCI) is an uncommon, usually benign condition whose natural course is poorly understood and which can sometimes produce significant changes in a patient's cecum and sigmoid colon. In this study, PCI was produced by monocontaminating the peritoneal cavities of adult germfree rats with Clostridium perfringens. These animals were then observed for up to 26 weeks. PCI took up to two weeks to develop, lasted at least ten weeks in most animals, and presumably disappeared from 42% of 26 animals killed during the final 16 weeks. PCI was usually benign, but in some animals produced extensive and persistent subserosal and submucosal air cysts of the cecum and sigmoid colon without evidence of intra-abdominal sepsis. These profound segmental colonic lesions suggest a possible etiology for other segmental inflammatory bowel diseases."}
{"id": "PMID:1479307", "title": "The right to die as a case study in third-order decisionmaking.", "content": "Using the right to die and the United States Supreme Court case of Cruzan v. Director, Missouri Department of Health as exemplars, this article explores the notion of third-order decisionmaking. If first order decisionmaking is about what should happen, and second-order decisionmaking is about who should decide what should happen, then third-order decisionmaking is about who should decide who decides. This turns out to be an apt characterization of constitutionalism, which is centrally concerned with the allocation of responsibility for making decisions about the allocation of responsibility. Deference to erroneous second-order decisions, as in the Cruzan case itself, may merely be an example of this central feature of constitutionalism."}
{"id": "PMID:1479308", "title": "Cruzan and the constitutionalization of American life.", "content": "In America today, public policy governing an increasing number of social issues is made through the judicial enforcement of constitutional rights. Cruzan raised the question whether policy regarding the withdrawal of medical care from incompetent patients is to be handled similarly. This essay argues that privacy-rights doctrine provides a poor basis for constructing public policy in this area. It suggests that the Court has been unable to articulate a convincing basis for privacy rights and that the basis the Court seems to assume poorly fits many circumstances to which it is applied. The essay further contends that the Court has been unable to describe a persuasive method of analyzing the state interests that are at stake in privacy cases and to accommodate those interests in a reasonable way. The essay concludes that these are issues as to which policy is better formed through a political, not judicial, process."}
{"id": "PMID:1479309", "title": "The concept of the person in the parens patriae jurisdiction over previously competent persons.", "content": "This article reviews the medieval law background of the parens patriae jurisdiction of the state as it has been exercised over incompetent persons who formerly were competent adults, concluding that the fiduciary standard implied in the statute De Prerogative Regis (1324), which is the basis for modern guardianship status, requires that the court and guardian adopt an attitude of respectful friendship toward the incompetent person, just as though they were to be accountable to the person himself, were he to recover his faculties and become competent once more. This fiduciary responsibility, originating in the device of the \"use\" or trust employed for the management of the estates of lunatics, contrasts with the self-interested feudal guardianship used for the custody of \"natural fools\" or \"idiots\", who were under paternalistic arrangements. The article argues that because the determination of legal incompetence and the consequent transfer of custody of the person and property of an incompetent person to the state would result in a drastic forfeiture of liberty and property interests were it not for the fiduciary obligation owed by the state to the incompetent, the state is under an obligation to exercise its fiduciary duties in good faith and may not impose states policies or advance state interests of its own in the supervision of the affairs of incompetent persons, apart from interests arising legitimately out of the state's institutional interest in providing competent administration for the benefit of the incompetents themselves."}
{"id": "PMID:1479310", "title": "Practicing medicine, fiduciary trust privacy, and public moral interloping after Cruzan.", "content": "The Supreme Court decision in Cruzan reaffirmed the power of the states to set procedural standards for due process regarding the individual's exercise of his liberty interest. As a result, to effect an autonomous decision to refuse treatment when one becomes incompetent requires an affirmative articulation by means of an advance directive. This article argues against simplified advance directives in that they fail to enhance individual liberty and responsibility and fail to provide physicians with needed information. A model protective advance directive is advocated with direction to terminate personal and health insurance payments for health care that is not desired by the patient."}
{"id": "PMID:1479311", "title": "Against the right to die.", "content": "For some patients, a right to receive euthanasia will not enhance autonomy in the morally relevant sense. Even if these patients choose wisely whether to exercise their right to die, they will still be harmed by having been given it. Perhaps, then, physicians should have permission to administer voluntary euthanasia, but patients should not have a right to receive it."}
{"id": "PMID:1479313", "title": "Plasma lipids and their interrelationship in Turkish adults.", "content": "The aim was to describe the plasma total cholesterol and triglyceride profiles in a random sample of Turkish adults and analyse the effects of certain coronary risk factors on these levels. This was a cross sectional population based survey. 59 communities scattered in all seven geographical regions of Turkey were surveyed in the summer of 1990. A random sample of 3689 men and women 20 years of age and over was studied. Plasma total cholesterol, triglycerides, glucose (using Reflotron and with partial validation in reference laboratory), weight, height, and blood pressure were measured, and information on smoking, physical activity, and family income obtained. Hypercholesterolaemia (> or = 6.5 mmol/litre, 250 mg/dl) prevailed in 8.5%, and hypertriglyceridaemia (> 2.25 mmol/litre, 200 mg/dl) in 16.6% among men and women aged 40-59 years of age. Age adjusted total cholesterol values were 4.8 mmol/litre (185 mg/dl) in men and 5 mmol/litre (192 mg/dl) in women. A steep rise appeared in mean cholesterol levels between the ages of 20-29 and 40-49 years, in a ratio greater than the available data from some other populations indicated. Mean total cholesterol values increased substantially in both genders with diminishing grades of physical activity, rising serum triglyceride levels, in urban (opposed to rural) residents, in men with increasing income levels, and in the younger adults with rising body mass index. Turkish adults have comparatively low levels of total cholesterol and medium to moderately high levels of triglycerides. Lifestyle factors affect these levels in Turks as in other populations."}
{"id": "PMID:1479314", "title": "An epidemiological survey of rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease in Sahafa Town, Sudan.", "content": "The aim was to determine the prevalence of rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease and to initiate a programme of secondary prophylaxis in Sahafa Town, Sudan. The study was a prospective case finding survey, carried out by a specially trained team headed by a cardiologist. The study involved high risk school children (5-15 years of age) from Sahafa Town in the period 1986-1989. A total of 13,332 children on the school registers (7892 boys and 5430 girls) were examined generally and specifically for evidence of rheumatic fever or rheumatic heart disease. Out of the 13,322 children screened 351 were suspected cases and 146 were confirmed cases of rheumatic fever or rheumatic heart disease. The prevalence rates for all ages were 10/1000 for boys and 14/1000 for girls. The overall prevalence rate of the whole programme area was 11/1000, prevalence of rheumatic fever was 8/1000, and prevalence of rheumatic heart disease was 3/1000. The prevalence rate was significantly increased among the inner town inhabitants (15/1000) compared to the outer town inhabitants 4/1000 (p < 0.001). Monthly prophylactic benzathine penicillin in a dose of 1,200,000 IU was given to both suspected and confirmed cases. Penicillin coverage rate was 72%. Rheumatic fever continues to be a serious health problem. With economic pressures causing impending change in socioeconomic conditions in most Third World countries in the immediate future, rheumatic fever will continue to have a high prevalence rate and rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease prevention programmes will remain a central goal."}
{"id": "PMID:1479315", "title": "Social class differences in child mortality, Sweden 1981-1986.", "content": "The aim was to analyse social class differences in mortality among Swedish children, 1-19 years old, during the period 1981-86. In order to study the development of these differences, mortality differences during the study period were compared with those 20 years earlier, ie, 1961-66. The study used data from two census linked death registries (CDR80 and CDR60). These were constructed by linkages between the 1980 and 1960 population censuses, respectively, and the corresponding national cause of death registries. Age specific and age standardised death rates, for total and cause specific mortality, were calculated for each social class and for the genders separately. To compare the death rates of social classes, relative risks with approximately 95% confidence limits were calculated. The study included children younger than 16 years at the time of the censuses and all deaths in the age range 1-19 years. The children were followed up for a period of six years after the censuses with respect to mortality. During the period 1981-86, children in families of both manual workers and self employed persons had a significantly higher mortality than children in families of non-manual workers. Although there has been a marked decrease in child mortality during the last decades the study shows that social class differences in child mortality still exist and show little tendency to disappear."}
{"id": "PMID:1479316", "title": "Sudden infant death syndrome: does winter affect poor and rich babies equally?", "content": "The aim was to investigate whether the winter increase in risk of sudden infant death was similar across social classes. This was an unmatched case-control study using routine data. Cases and controls were selected from files holding routine birth and death certificate data for England and Wales for 1986. Cases were deaths in the first year of life occurring in the summer or the winter of 1986 with mention of sudden infant death or SIDS in the death certificate. Controls were a 1% random sample of all children born in the same year. Only children whose parents were married or living together at the time of birth registration were included. Data on age and season of death for cases, and on date of birth, social class of father, and birth weight were abstracted from the file. Season of birth and birth weight were treated as confounding variables. The increase in risk of SIDS in winter was calculated for each age group and social class. The winter increase in SIDS was more marked among the higher social classes for all ages, but not to a statistically significant degree: the p values for heterogeneity were 0.26 for age 0-3 months, 0.42 for 4-7 months, and 0.41 for 8-12 months. There is no direct association between seasonal variation in sudden infant death and social class."}
{"id": "PMID:1479317", "title": "Trends in \"avoidable\" mortality in Sweden, 1974-1985.", "content": "The aim was to analyse trends in \"avoidable\" mortality in Sweden, and to contribute to the methodology of avoidable mortality as an index of the quality of care. All deaths of Swedish citizens and other residents in Sweden during the period 1974-1985 were analysed as to causes of death between ages 0 and 64 years. Total mortality delined during the 12 year period studied. Avoidable causes of death were grouped into preventable and treatable causes according to Rutstein's classification. In men, treatable diseases declined more during the 12 year period studied than did total mortality. When lung cancer was excluded, preventable diseases declined for both sexes. Certain avoidable causes of death decreased compared to total mortality, while some others showed an increase. The death rate increased for some avoidable causes of death such as pneumonia other than viral. In women death rates increased for chronic bronchitis and emphysema as well as for malignant neoplasms of trachea, bronchus, and lung, while for boys aged 1-14 years bronchitis NOS and asthma showed an increasing death rate. The study indicates that the avoidable mortality method is sensitive enough to describe important changes in the mortality pattern. The explicit definition of treatable and preventable causes of death constitutes a methodological development in epidemiological analysis of this type. Further studies on the quality of care should combine this method with other methods examining the structure and process of health care."}
{"id": "PMID:1479318", "title": "Trends in peptic ulcer mortality in Italy, 1955-1985.", "content": "The aim was to analyse trends in mortality from peptic ulcer in Italy between 1955 and 1985, disentangling the role of age, cohort of birth, and period of death. This was a descriptive epidemiological survey. Death certification numbers from peptic ulcer and estimates of the resident population were obtained from official sources. From these data, age specific and age standardised mortality rates from peptic ulcer were computed. A log-linear age, period, and cohort model with arbitrary constraints on the parameters was applied to the matrices of age specific rates between 25 and 74 years of age. This was a national survey. For males, overall peptic ulcer mortality was constant or moderately upwards (from 9.0 to 9.4/100,000, on the basis of World Standard Population) from 1955 to the mid-1970s, but declined considerably afterwards to 3.7/100,000 in 1985. Truncated (35-64 years) rates were slightly more favourable, even in earlier calendar periods, but a substantial drop was observed only from the late 1970s onwards. In 1985 the standardised rate was 3.3/100,000 compared to 18.3 in 1955-1959. For females, the time pattern was similar, although the extent of the decline was smaller in absolute terms (from 1.6 to 1.2/100,000, all ages; from 2.3 to 0.7, truncated). Age specific rates showed an earlier decline in the young, while the fall started only after the mid-1970s in older age groups. On the basis of a log-linear age, period, and cohort model, the Italian generations born in the first decade of this century had the highest risk of dying from peptic ulcer, with a substantial decline for each subsequent cohort. Period trends were stable between 1955 and the mid-1970s, but declined appreciably afterwards. In Italy the peak rate of peptic ulcer mortality was observed in the early 1970s, with a delay of around two decades in comparison with northern Europe and the USA. This can be related to the later process of industrialization in Italy, with the consequent changes in lifestyle habits, and to a later pattern of rise and decline of cigarette smoking. A likely explanation of the falls in mortality on a period of death basis over the last decade is the introduction of new drugs (histamine-2 receptor antagonists) for the treatment of peptic ulcer, with a reduction of complications of the disease and related mortality. This decline in mortality from peptic ulcer corresponds to the avoidance of over 1500 deaths per year in the whole of Italy."}
{"id": "PMID:1479319", "title": "Mortality in Glasgow and Edinburgh: a paradigm of inequality in health.", "content": "The aim was to describe, predict, and interpret mortality in Glasgow and Edinburgh. The study was an analysis of all cause and cause specific mortality data for quinquennia based on census years between 1931 and 1981, linking age and sex specific mortality rates by year of birth, for people dying between the ages of 25 and 74 years. Glasgow and Edinburgh, Scotland. Age and sex specific mortality rates declined steadily in Edinburgh and Glasgow during the period 1931-1981, with rates always being lower in Edinburgh than in Glasgow. Since 1961 log mortality rates have tended to rise linearly with age in both cities. In 1979-83, the population of Glasgow reached a given all cause mortality rate 3.9 years earlier in men and 3.6 years earlier in women than did the population of Edinburgh. These differences have increased, and are predicted to increase further, especially in men. The current 40% cross sectional difference in mortality rates between the cities is largely determined by levels of mortality in early adulthood which provide a baseline for the subsequent rise in log mortality. Disease specific epidemiology provides a limited view of inequalities in health, and a partial basis for health promotion. Campaigns to alter disease risk profiles in adults should be complemented by measures operating earlier in life to reduce susceptibility to risk. Maternal and child health require greater priority in public health policy, particularly in areas of socioeconomic disadvantage."}
{"id": "PMID:1479320", "title": "Physical diability after retirement and occupational risk factors during working life: a cross sectional epidemiological study in the Paris area.", "content": "The aim was to examine the relationship between exposure to occupational risk factors during working life and physical disability after retirement. The study was a cross sectional epidemiological survey of a representative sample of retired subjects belonging to a supplementary pension fund in the Paris area. The study took place in the general community. 307 men and 320 women (63.1% of those approached) answered a questionnaire during home interviews. Their average age was 69 (SD4) years at the beginning of the survey. Whether or not subjects had been exposed to occupational risks was determined from their statements concerning the presence or absence of eight harmful environmental conditions while at work. Physical disability was defined as difficulty in carrying out seven basic activities of daily life. The results of univariate analyses showed significant relationships between exposure during working life to occupational risks including noise, heat, dust, carrying heavy loads, and awkward postures on the one hand, and the presence of a physical disability after retirement on the other. Multivariate analysis based on logistic regression models that took account of age, sex, and health impairments revealed a specific link between exposure to carrying heavy loads and physical disability after retirement. These results suggest that occupational risk factors might be important in determining such disability in retired people."}
{"id": "PMID:1479321", "title": "Dermatoglyphic patterns in dementia of the Alzheimer type: a case-control study.", "content": "The aim was to compare digital and palmar dermatoglyphics in subjects with dementia of Alzheimer type and in mentally healthy elderly controls. This design was a case-control study. The study was carried out in geriatric units and retirement communities in the Paris area. Cases were women with clinically diagnosed Alzheimer type dementia according to DSM III-R criteria (n = 82), mainly with late onset of the disease. Controls were women aged 85 years or older without cognitive deterioration (n = 76). Finger and palm prints obtained from both hands by the classical ink method were examined. Fingerprints were classified into four types of figures. On palms, palmar flexion creases, palmar axial triradii, true patterns of the hypothenar area, and main line terminations were described. Examinations were performed by two examiners blind to the subjects's diagnostic category. For the different patterns studied, no major differences between dementia patients and elderly controls were found. Nor was there evidence of high frequencies of features commonly observed in Down's syndrome (trisomy 21), which have previously, though sporadically, been reported. On one of the largest samples of Alzheimer dementia patients studied, and with evaluation blind to diagnosis, no evidence has been found that particular dermatoglyphic patterns occur like those observed in Down's syndrome, a disease which is related to dementia of the Alzheimer type."}
{"id": "PMID:1479322", "title": "Accuracy of death certificate diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.", "content": "The aim was to determine the reliability of official mortality statistics in estimating long term trends of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in Italy. The study was a mortality follow up of cases of ALS. Piedmond Region, northern Italy. Cases of ALS were identified from multiple sources between 1966 and 1985. Cause of death was determined for the cases who died between 1970 and 1985. Death certificates were obtained in 488 out of 510 cases (95.7%). ALS was mentioned in 365 (74.8%) of cases. The most frequent erroneous diagnoses were multiple sclerosis and malignant tumours. Demographic variables, such as sex, age at death, province of death, and calendar year of death, did not influence the percentage of true positive cases significantly. The death certificate diagnosis of ALS appears to be adequate for use in descriptive and analytical epidemiology."}
{"id": "PMID:1479323", "title": "Paternal occupational lead exposure and congenital malformations.", "content": "The aim was to investigate whether occupational exposure to lead in fathers is associated with congenital malformation in their children. The study was a retrospective case-control study, nested within the wives of men biologically monitored for inorganic lead. Information on pregnancy outcome was obtained from medical registers. Cases were defined as wives with malformed child during 1973-82. Three age matched controls were selected for each case from the wives who had given birth during 1973-1983. The final study population was 27 cases and 57 controls. Paternal lead exposure was assessed with blood lead measurements and data obtained from a questionnaire. The response rate was 67% among the cases and 76% among the controls. The odds ratio (OR) of congenital malformation for paternal lead exposure was increased (OR 2.4, 95% confidence interval 0.9-6.5), although not reaching statistical significance. The odds ratios varied from 1.9 to 3.2, when adjusted for one potential confounding variable at a time. Because of the small numbers and low participation, this study offers limited support for the hypothesis that paternal lead exposure is associated with congenital malformation. Further epidemiological studies on the reproductive hazards of paternal lead exposure are needed."}
{"id": "PMID:1479324", "title": "Does the offer of cervical screening with breast screening encourage older women to have a cervical smear test?", "content": "The aim was to determine what effect the offer of a cervical smear test when attending for breast screening has on the uptake of cervical and breast screening. The study involved randomisation to compare uptake in those women invited for cervical screening in advance with their breast screening invitation (group 1) with those invited for breast screening only and then offered a smear test upon arrival for breast screening (group 2). The main outcome measure was improvement in the uptake of cervical screening among older women without detriment to the breast screening service. The study took place at the Northern Hospital in North Manchester. Participants were 2131 women aged 50-64 years invited for breast screening at the Northern Hospital in the summer of 1990. Overall, 54% of the women who were eligible attended for breast screening, 52% attended from group 1 and 55% from group 2. Of those attending for breast screening, 957 were eligible for cervical screening and 193 (20%) had a smear test. There was a difference in the proportion tested from each group (p < 0.001), 28% had a smear test from group 1 and 13% from group 2. Forty five percent of the 193 had not had a cervical smear for at least five years. The cervical screening facility did attract some women who were overdue for a smear test and who might not normally have attended for cervical screening, and there was no evidence to suggest that it had a detrimental effect on the breast screening uptake. An advanced cervical screening invitation seemed preferable to an invitation upon arrival at the breast screening unit."}
{"id": "PMID:1479325", "title": "A case-control study of benign ovarian tumours.", "content": "The aim was to investigate the association between reproductive, contraceptive, and menstrual factors and risk of benign ovarian tumours. This was a case-control study carried out in six London Hospitals. An interviewer administered questionnaire was used. 62 women with a benign epithelial ovarian neoplasm, 37 women with a functional ovarian cyst, and 20 women with a dermoid cyst presenting between 1983 and 1985, together with 132 controls, took part in the study. On average, women with a benign epithelial ovarian neoplasm were older than those with a functional ovarian cyst, who in turn were older than those with a dermoid cyst. Nulliparity and infertility were associated with an increased risk, and multiparity with a reduced risk, of benign epithelial ovarian neoplasms. Infertility and pelvic inflammatory disease were associated with increased risks of functional and dermoid cysts. Recent use of oral contraceptives was associated with a reduced risk of all three tumour types. The findings suggest that the aetiology of ovarian cysts and benign epithelial ovarian neoplasms may differ. The aetiology of benign and malignant epithelial ovarian neoplasms may be similar, however, since some risk factors are shared."}
{"id": "PMID:1479326", "title": "Prediction of general practice workload from census based social deprivation scores.", "content": "The aim was to compare the ability of census based social deprivation scores devised by Jarman, Carstairs, and Townsend to predict workload in general practice. This was a prospective study of 140,050 patients registered with general practices over one year from 1 July 1981 (Third National Morbidity Survey). Main outcome measures were workload score for each patient, defined as a weighted sum of consultations at the surgery and consultations elsewhere, excluding preventive procedures. 25 general practices in England and Wales. In multivariate analyses the Jarman, Carstairs, and Townsend indices all predicted workload, but the Townsend index was the best predictor, with both housing tenure and car ownership being strong predictors of workload. The overcrowding and geographical mobility variables used in the Jarman index did not predict increased workload. The weighting assigned to children under five by the Jarman index underestimated the additional workload this group generated. For identifying social pressures on general practice workload the Jarman index is less valid than other census based scores because it fails to include car ownership and housing tenure. A more rational scheme for compensating general practitioners would directly weight the capitation fee for children aged under five years and allocate current deprivation payments according to the Townsend index or a similar score. This would redistribute resources from London to deprived areas in northern England."}
{"id": "PMID:1479327", "title": "Is questionnaire information valid in the study of a chronic disease such as diabetes? The Nord-Tr\u00f8ndelag diabetes study.", "content": "The aim was to validate information about diabetes mellitus collected by questionnaire in a large epidemiological survey. Questions on diabetes diagnosis, medical treatment for diabetes, diabetes duration, and hypertension treatment were selected from the Nord-Tr\u00f8ndelag health survey questionnaires. One of the municipalities was selected for the validation study. The health survey 1984-86 addressed all inhabitants > or = 20 years of age in Nord-Tr\u00f8ndelag county, Norway; 76,885 (90.3%) of the eligible population participated in answering the question on diabetes. All inhabitants in the municipality answering \"yes\" to the question on diabetes (n = 169) and the persons with the same sex born closest before and after each diabetic patient and answering \"no\" to the diabetes question (n = 338) were included. A very thorough search was made in the medical files of the general practitioners in the municipality for corresponding information. Compared to the files, diabetes was verified in 163 out of the 169. The commonest cause of discrepancy was renal glycosuria. One out of the 338 registered non-diabetic persons was found to have diabetes. Diabetic patients tended to overestimate diabetes duration significantly. Insulin treatment was verified in 19/20 (95%) and treatment with oral hypoglycaemic agents in all 44 with an affirmative questionnaire answer. A negative answer on insulin and oral hypoglycaemic agents was verified in 100% and 99% respectively. The concordance was considerably higher than in a comparable Norwegian study performed 10 years earlier. Patient administered questionnaires may be a very reliable source of information for epidemiological purposes in a well defined chronic disease such as diabetes mellitus."}
{"id": "PMID:1479328", "title": "Individual morbidity and neighbourhood deprivation in a non-metropolitan area.", "content": "The aim was to replicate, in a non-metropolitan area, a study by Curtis based on data from different parts of London which found a significant relationship between individual morbidity and neighbourhood deprivation. This study used the same design as the previous study. Information on individual morbidity was obtained, using the Nottingham health profile. Deprivation scores were assigned to respondents according the Jarman (and also Townsend) scores of the enumeration district in which they lived. Logistic regression models were built, using the enumeration district as the unit of analysis, to see if, after allowance for age and sex, the Jarman (or Townsend) score significantly improved the prediction of the enumeration district being above or below the sample median to any of the six dimensions of the profile. The survey involved households in 10 electoral wards in Colchester and Clacton, Essex, United Kingdom, in 1988. A systematic sample of 200 persons was drawn from the electoral register in each of 10 wards yielding 2000 names. Nottingham health profiles were obtained from 1555 respondents out of an initial sample of 2000 names from the electoral register; the response rate among those alive and resident at a valid address was 93%. Jarman and Townsend scores were assigned to 1496 of the respondents, and the 162 enumeration districts were used as a unit of analysis. Contrary to Curtis's finding, Jarman score did not add significantly in a multiple logistic regression model to the prediction of response to any of the six dimensions of the Nottingham health profile, nor did the Townsend score. Apart from chance variation, there are two possible explanations for this finding. The measures of deprivation may be valid in London but not elsewhere; or there may be a true difference between cities and towns in the effect that deprivation has on subjective health."}
{"id": "PMID:1479331", "title": "The ascending laparoscope. Modern thoracoscopy.", "content": "Developments in laparoscopic endoscopy have increased the interest in thoracoscopy. New techniques and instruments, particularly video endoscopy, have greatly expanded the indications for laparoscopic procedures. These innovations and techniques are being applied and modified for thoracic application."}
{"id": "PMID:1479332", "title": "Pregnancy and epilepsy.", "content": "Problems facing women who have epilepsy and are considering pregnancy are reviewed. Despite enormous medical and social advances, they remain at risk for various complications to themselves and to their offspring. Risk to the baby from maternal seizure and exposure to anticonvulsant drugs is considered. The clinician should chart a middle ground, minimizing fetal exposure to anti-convulsants while controlling maternal seizures."}
{"id": "PMID:1479333", "title": "The dieffenbachia plant. Case history.", "content": "When ingested, the common house plant dieffenbachia can lead to significant toxicity and possibly death if timely medical attention is not forthcoming following initial exposure. The deleterious effects should not be overlooked especially when children are involved who, naturally curious, may bite into this innocuous looking plant. Although the patient in this case was a type II diabetic on insulin, neither hypo- nor hyperglycemia developed. There was no other significant electrolyte imbalance despite the acute stressor placed on him."}
{"id": "PMID:1479337", "title": "GTPases.", "content": "GTPases represent a large family of proteins involved in a wide variety of cellular processes. They function as switches in which they are \"on\" in the GTP bound state and \"off\" in the GDP bound state. The \"on\" and \"off\" states are regulated by proteins which interact with the GTPases and enhance their rate of either GTP hydrolysis or GDP-GTP exchange. Thus far, GTPases have been shown to be involved in protein synthesis, signal transduction, control of cell growth, and intracellular transport."}
{"id": "PMID:1479338", "title": "Two mechanisms for growth inhibition by elevated transport of sugar phosphates in Escherichia coli.", "content": "The Escherichia coli uhp T gene encodes an active transport system for sugar phosphates. When the uhp T gene was carried on a multicopy plasmid, amplified levels of transport activity occurred, and growth of these strains was inhibited upon the addition of various sugar phosphates. Two different mechanisms for this growth inhibition were distinguished. Exposure to glucose-6-phosphate, fructose-6-phosphate or mannose-6-phosphate, which enter directly into the glycolytic pathway, resulted in cessation of growth and substantial loss of viability. Cell killing was correlated with the production of the toxic metabolite, methylglyoxal. In contrast, addition of 2-deoxyglucose-6-phosphate, galactose-6-phosphate, glucosamine-6-phosphate or arabinose-5-phosphate, which do not directly enter the glycolytic pathway, resulted in growth inhibition without engendering methylglyoxal production or cell death. Inhibition of growth could result from excessive accumulation of organophosphates in the cell or depletion of inorganic phosphate pools as a result of the sugar-P/Pi exchange process catalysed by UhpT. The phosphate-dependent uptake of glycerol-3-phosphate by the GlpT antiporter was strongly inhibited under conditions of elevated sugar-phosphate transport. There are thus two separate toxic effects of elevated sugar-phosphate transport, one of which was lethal and related to increased flux through glycolysis. It is likely that the control of uhpT transcription by catabolite repression exists to limit the level of UhpT transport activity and thereby prevent the toxic events that result from elevated uptake of its substrates."}
{"id": "PMID:1479339", "title": "Pyruvate catabolism during transient state conditions in chemostat cultures of Enterococcus faecalis NCTC 775: importance of internal pyruvate concentrations and NADH/NAD+ ratios.", "content": "NADH/NAD+ ratios and internal pyruvate concentrations were determined during switches between aerobic and anaerobic steady-state conditions of glucose-limited chemostat cultures of Enterococcus faecalis. During the switch experiments, changes in catabolic fluxes were observed: transition from anaerobic to aerobic conditions resulted in a complete and instantaneous conversion of glucose into acetate and CO2 via the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex, while during a switch from aerobic to anaerobic conditions the culture became homolactic. A similar switch to a homolactic fermentation was observed upon release of the limitation by addition of a glucose pulse to the culture. In sharp contrast to this, a pyruvate pulse resulted in an increase of both pyruvate formate-lyase and pyruvate dehydrogenase complex activity. Furthermore, acetoin was formed during a pyruvate pulse, probably due to a dramatic increase in internal pyruvate concentration. Regulation of the catabolic fluxes over the various pyruvate-catabolizing enzymes is discussed in view of the observed changes in internal pyruvate concentrations and NADH/NAD+ ratios."}
{"id": "PMID:1479340", "title": "Physiological analysis of mutants of Saccharomyces cerevisiae impaired in sulphate assimilation.", "content": "The assimilation of sulphate in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, comprising the reduction of sulphate to sulphide and the incorporation of the sulphur atom into a four-carbon chain, requires the integrity of 13 different genes. To date, the functions of nine of these genes are still not clearly established. A set of strains, each bearing a mutation in one MET gene, was studied. Phenotypic studies and enzyme determinations showed that the products of at least five genes are needed for the synthesis of an enzymically active sulphite reductase. These genes are MET1, MET5, MET8, MET10 and MET20. Wild-type strains of S. cerevisiae can use organic metabolites such as homocysteine, cysteine, methionine and S-adenosylmethionine as sulphur sources. They are also able to use inorganic sulphur sources such as sulphate, sulphite, sulphide or thiosulphate. Here we show that both of the two sulphur atoms of thiosulphate are used by S. cerevisiae. Thiosulphate is cleaved into sulphite and sulphide prior to utilization by the sulphate assimilation pathway, as the metabolism of one sulphur atom from thiosulphate requires the presence of an active sulphite reductase."}
{"id": "PMID:1479341", "title": "The catabolism of branched-chain amino acids occurs via 2-oxoacid dehydrogenase in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.", "content": "Saccharomyces cerevisiae possesses 2-oxoacid dehydrogenase (EC 1.2.4.4) similar to that found in mammalian cells. The activity is readily detected in cells which have been cultured in a minimal medium containing a branched-chain amino acid. Mutants defective in lipoamide dehydrogenase also lack 2-oxoacid dehydrogenase and are thus unable to catabolize branched-chain amino acids: 2-oxoacids accumulate in the cultures of these cells. The 2-oxoacid dehydrogenase activity is distinct from both 2-oxoglutarate dehydrogenase and pyruvate dehydrogenase, because it could not be detected in assay conditions which permitted the measurement of 2-oxoglutarate dehydrogenase and vice versa. In addition, a strain lacking 2-oxoglutarate dehydrogenase (kgd1::URA3) retained 2-oxoacid dehydrogenase as did a mutant specifically lacking pyruvate dehydrogenase (pda1::Tn5ble). In complex media the specific activity of this enzyme is highest in YEP (yeast extract-peptone)-glycerol and lowest in YEP-acetate and YEP-fructose. 2-Oxoacid dehydrogenase could not be detected in cells which had been transferred to sporulation medium. These results suggest that in S. cerevisiae the catabolism of branched-chain amino acids occurs via 2-oxoacid dehydrogenase, not via the 'Ehrlich Pathway'."}
{"id": "PMID:1479342", "title": "Cloning and characterization of genes induced by hydrogen peroxide in Bacillus subtilis.", "content": "Transcriptional fusions of Bacillus subtilis DNA to the lacZ gene were screened for induction, initially by ethanol and then by hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Two fusions were identified which were induced late following treatment with sublethal concentrations of H2O2 (100 microM). The oxy-1 promoter was induced 4-5-fold and mapped to 11 degrees while the oxy-2 promoter was induced 20-fold and mapped close to the right of the defective prophage PBSX, at about 120 degrees. The oxy-2 fusion was induced by mitomycin C as well as H2O2, which correlated with the induction of PBSX by these agents. This was probably not a transcriptional induction, but rather a consequence of the induction of PBSX replication extending into adjacent regions of the chromosome."}
{"id": "PMID:1479343", "title": "Bacillus subtilis SenS exerts its activity through a site in the 5' flanking region of the aprE promoter.", "content": "The Bacillus subtilis gene senS, when present in high copy number, stimulates the expression of several extracellular protein genes during the onset of stationary phase, e.g. aprE. A novel integration vector, pINT, was constructed for transcription expression studies; it employed a unique method of promoter insert production for fusion with the lacZ reporter gene. Deletions were made of the 5' flanking region of the aprE promoter to localize the site responsible for SenS-mediated enhancement activity. pINT was used translationally fuse aprE promoter deletion fragments with the lacZ reporter gene. A site between -177 and -415 with respect to the aprE start site of transcription was found to be required for the maximal SenS-mediated transcription increase from the aprE promoter. A multicopy vector containing the senS coding region without its native negative regulation was highly unstable in B. subtilis; this was due to the expressed senS insert."}
{"id": "PMID:1479344", "title": "Isolation and characterization of Escherichia coli mutants affected in aerobic respiration: the cloning and nucleotide sequence of ubiG. Identification of an S-adenosylmethionine-binding motif in protein, RNA, and small-molecule methyltransferases.", "content": "We report the isolation and characterization of a mutant of Escherichia coli unable to grow aerobically on non-fermentable substrates, except for very slow growth on glycerol. The mutant contains cytochrome oxidases o and d, and grows anaerobically with alternative electron acceptors. Oxygen consumption rates of cell-free extracts were low relative to activities in an isogenic control strain, but were restored in vitro by adding ubiquinone-1 to cell-free extracts. Transformation with a cloned 2.8 kb ClaI-EcoRV fragment of chromosomal DNA restored the ability of this mutant (AN2571) to grow on succinate and also restored cellular quinone levels in this strain. The plasmid also complemented a previously isolated ubiG mutant (AN151) for aerobic growth on succinate. The nucleotide sequence revealed a 0.7 kb portion of gyrA. Unidirectional nested deletions from this fragment and complementation analysis identified an open reading frame encoding a protein with a predicted molecular mass of 26.5 kDa. This gene (ubiG) encodes the enzyme 2-octaprenyl-3-methyl-5-hydroxy-6-methoxy-1,4-benzoquinone methyltransferase, which catalyses the terminal step in the biosynthesis of ubiquinone. The open reading frame is preceded by a putative Shine-Dalgarno sequence and followed by three palindromic unit sequences. Comparison of the inferred amino acid sequence of UbiG with the sequence of other S-adenosylmethionine (AdoMet)-dependent methyltransferases reveals a highly conserved AdoMet-binding region. The cloned 2.8 kb fragment also contains a sequence encoding the C-terminus of a protein with 42-44% identity to fungal acetyl-CoA synthetases."}
{"id": "PMID:1479345", "title": "Global transcription pattern of phi C31 after induction of a Streptomyces coelicolor lysogen at different growth stages.", "content": "Using two complementary strategies for low-resolution S1 mapping, the global pattern of phi C31 transcription was studied after induction of thermoinducible phi C31 lysogens of Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2). A complex pattern of early transcripts was seen, with a peak of abundance at about 10 min post-induction. Nearly all of these transcripts were from DNA located to the right of the c (repressor) gene and to the left of the attP site: a region of about 14 kb. Early transcription was also observed immediately to the left of the c gene. The c gene itself was also induced, with an earlier expression peak (about 5 min post-induction). Primary late transcripts were generally relatively long, but degraded. They apparently corresponded to most of the 18 kb region to the left of the c gene. Some shorter and more persistent late transcripts corresponded to DNA close to or overlapping the cos site. Large late transcripts from a region close to the left-hand end of the phi C31 genome showed evidence of processing to more stable, smaller RNA species. A failure of older cultures (more than 12 h old) to be induced productively was correlated with a much longer period of early transcription, reduced late transcription, failure to synthesize a major virion protein, and failure to package phi C31 DNA. Moreover, heat treatment of the older lysogenic cultures did not result in the phi C31-dependent shut-down of host rRNA transcription previously observed for young cultures (Rodr\u00edguez et al., Journal of General Microbiology (1986) 132, 1695-1701; Clayton & Bibb, Molecular Microbiology (1990) 4, 2179-2185)."}
{"id": "PMID:1479346", "title": "Analysis of the flagellin (hag) gene of alkalophilic Bacillus sp. C-125.", "content": "Motility of the alkalophilic Bacillus sp. C-125, a flagellate bacterium, was demonstrated to be Na(+)- and pH-dependent. Flagellin protein from this strain was purified to homogeneity and the N-terminal sequence determined. Using the hag gene of Bacillus subtilis as a probe, the hag gene of Bacillus sp. C-125 was identified and cloned into Escherichia coli. Sequencing of this hag gene revealed that it encodes a protein of 272 amino acids (M(r) 29,995). The predicted N terminal sequence of this protein was identical to that determined by N-terminal sequencing of the flagellin protein from strain C-125. The alkalophilic Bacillus sp. C-125 flagellin shares homology with other known flagellins in both the N- and C-terminal regions. The middle portion, however, shows considerable differences, even from that of flagellin from the related species, B. subtilis."}
{"id": "PMID:1479347", "title": "Identification of hydrophobic proteins FepD and FepG of the Escherichia coli ferrienterobactin permease.", "content": "In Escherichia coli, iron assimilation by means of the siderophore enterobactin requires two hydrophobic cytoplasmic membrane proteins, FepD and FepG, which are essential components of a binding-protein-dependent transport system. Such components are typically difficult to detect. Here we report observation of the fepD and fepG gene products in polyacrylamide gels; they appeared as diffuse bands at positions consistent with smaller sizes than those predicted by sequence analysis. Translational coupling was suggested by the lack of a detectable product from the fepG message in the absence of translation of the upstream fepD message. The orientation of FepD/FepG in the membrane was predicted based on their similarities in sequence and hydrophobicity to FhuB."}
{"id": "PMID:1479348", "title": "Site-directed mutagenesis of the hydrogenase signal peptide consensus box prevents export of a beta-lactamase fusion protein.", "content": "A secretion vector, pVN1, expressing the [NiFe] hydrogenase signal peptide of Desulfovibrio vulgaris Hildenborough fused to beta-lactamase from Escherichia coli was constructed in order to study the unusual characteristics of hydrogenase signal peptides, which share a strictly conserved sequence, the consensus box: R-R-X-F-X-K. Although the hydrogenase signal peptide-beta-lactamase fusion protein was processed much more slowly than the fusion of beta-lactamase with its own signal peptide, the system mimicked several features expected for hydrogenase biosynthesis in E. coli, including increased export under anaerobic conditions. Site-directed mutagenesis of R(-28), the first arginine residue of the consensus box, to a glutamate completely inhibited export and processing of the fusion protein. The same mutation of R(-33), located outside the consensus box, had almost no effect. The data indicate a specific role for the consensus box sequence in the export mechanism for hydrogenase."}
{"id": "PMID:1479349", "title": "Preparation of right-side-out plasma membrane vesicles from Penicillium cyclopium: a critical assessment of markers.", "content": "A plasma membrane fraction was obtained by the combined use of differential centrifugation and aqueous polymer two-phase partitioning techniques. Vanadate-inhibited ATPase and glucan synthase activities were highly enriched in this fraction, although the presence of ATPase activity which was not inhibited by vanadate, nitrate, molybdate, anyimycin A or azide was also detected. Other intracellular membrane marker activities were present at very low or undetectable levels. A further separation step using Percoll density gradient centrifugation resulted in the separation of a fraction which exclusively contained vanadate-inhibited ATPase activity, and was enriched with silicotungstic-acid-staining membrane material. Latency tests performed on the plasma membrane markers showed that the membrane vesicles were in the right-side-out orientation."}
{"id": "PMID:1479350", "title": "Characterization of an anaerobic fungus from llama faeces.", "content": "An anaerobic fungus was isolated from llama faeces. Based on its morphological characteristics, polyflagellated zoospores, extensive rhizoid system and the formation of monocentric colonies, the fungus is assigned to the genus Neocallimastix. Neocallimastix sp. L2 is able to grow on several poly-, oligo- and monosaccharides. It differs from other Neocallimastix isolates in its inability to ferment inulin. Neocallimastix sp. L2 requires CO2 for growth. In the presence of 100% CO2 in the gas phase glucose is fermented to H2, CO2, formate, acetate, lactate, succinate and ethanol (33.8, 15.4, 74.3, 69.2, 26.7, 8.2, and 28.7 mmol per 100 mmol glucose, respectively). Reduced sulphur compounds can be used as sulphur source and ammonium or amino acids as nitrogen source. The temperature range for glucose fermentation is from 37 to 42 degrees C with an optimum of around 38 degrees C. The pH range for glucose fermentation is from pH 6 to pH 8 with a broad optimum between pH 6.5 and pH 7.5. The zoospores of Neocallimastix sp. L2 contain ribosomal 'globules' and hydrogenosomes. In the kinetosomes of the zoospores spurs, scoops and skirts are visible. In both the rhizoids and the sporangia 'crystal bodies' and hydrogenosomes are present. Mitochondria were not detected in either of these life stages."}
{"id": "PMID:1479351", "title": "Estimation of chromosome number and size by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) in medically important Candida species.", "content": "The chromosomal DNAs of eight medically important Candida species, C. albicans, C. stellatoidea, C. tropicalis, C. parapsilosis, C. krusei, C. guilliermondii, C. kefyr and C. glabrata, were analysed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis under various conditions. The corresponding bands in the gels were assigned by three kinds of DNA probe which hybridized to DNA of all the species: rDNA, TUB2 and PEP4. The best conditions for separating the chromosomal DNAs were investigated and the numbers and molecular sizes of the chromosome bands were determined for each species. The chromosomal DNAs of the species were separated into 5-14 bands ranging in size from 0.5 to 4.5 Mb. Based on the quantification of the chromosome band intensities using a laser fluorescent gel scanner, the chromosome numbers were estimated. The apparent average total number of chromosomes per cell was 16 for C. albicans, 16 for C. stellatoidea, 12 for C. tropicalis, 14 for C. parapsilosis, 8 for C. krusei, 8 for C. guilliermondii, 18 for C.kefyr, and 14 for C. glabrata; the total chromosomal DNA size of each species per cell was calculated at about 31 Mb, 33 Mb, 31 Mb, 26 Mb, 20 Mb, 12 Mb, 29 Mb and 14 Mb, respectively."}
{"id": "PMID:1479353", "title": "Campylobacter helveticus sp. nov., a new thermophilic species from domestic animals: characterization, and cloning of a species-specific DNA probe.", "content": "An atypical group of thermophilic catalase-negative Campylobacter strains, the 'CH' (Swiss) group, can be recovered from faeces of domestic cats and dogs after selection by filtration, or with the antibiotic cefoperazone. This group of strains shows no relative DNA homology with any species in rRNA superfamily VI (Vandamme et al., 1991, International Journal of Systematic Bacteriology 41, 88-103) except with four thermophilic Campylobacter species, notably C. upsaliensis. The group is homogeneous and possesses a DNA base composition, cellular morphology at the electron microscope level and phenotypic properties characteristic of Campylobacter. Nonetheless it is distinct from known species of Campylobacter in terms of conventional bacteriological tests, total cellular protein profile, rRNA gene profile, and genomic DNA homology. On the basis of an integrated study of phenotype and genotype, we conclude that these bacteria constitute a previously undescribed species for which we propose the name Campylobacter helveticus sp. nov. A species-specific recombinant DNA probe was cloned from the designated type strain (NCTC 12470) for use in identification and further analysis of the epidemiology, pathogenicity and transmission of C. helveticus."}
{"id": "PMID:1479354", "title": "Monoclonal antibodies to Gliocladium roseum, a potential biological control fungus of sap-staining fungi in wood.", "content": "Immunological probes were developed to discriminate between a potential biological control fungus and sap-staining fungi present in wood. This paper describes the production of monoclonal antibodies to isolated cell wall fragments of the biological control fungus Gliocladium roseum. Two monoclonals, designated 6A5 and 3F12, were characterized. Their specificity was assessed by ELISA, by immunogold silver staining light microscopy, by immunogold electron microscopy, and by immunoblotting. Monoclonal 6A5 specifically recognized G. roseum and closely related species and did not react with any of 21 sap-staining fungi tested. Monoclonal 3F12 recognized most of the biological control fungi tested and also showed reactivity with two of the 21 sap-staining fungi. Both monoclonals appeared to recognize carbohydrate epitopes of the cell wall in G. roseum. Although the antibodies were produced against the cell wall of fungus grown in liquid culture, they also detected specific fungi in wood and, therefore, can be used for studies of wood colonization by fungi and for investigations of the interactions between different fungi growing on wood."}
{"id": "PMID:1479355", "title": "Toxicity of oxalysine and oxalysine-containing peptides against Candida albicans: regulation of peptide transport by amino acids.", "content": "A lysine antimetabolite, L-4-oxalysine [H2NCH2CH2OCH2CH(NH2)COOH], and oxalysine-containing di-, tri-, tetra- and pentapeptides inhibited growth of Candida albicans H317. Micromolar amounts of amino acids were found to overcome ammonium repression of the di- and tripeptide transport system(s) in strain H317. Several amino acids increased the toxicity of oxalysine-containing di- and tripeptides for C. albicans with little or no increase in toxicity of oxalysine or oxalysine-containing tetra- and pentapeptides. L-Lysine completely reversed the toxicity of oxalysine by competing with the transport of oxalysine into the cells. In contrast, L-lysine increased the toxicity of oxalysine-containing di- and tripeptides, but had no effect on the toxicity of oxalysine-containing tetra- and pentapeptides. Incubation of cells with L-lysine for 4 h resulted in a 15-fold increase in the rate of transport of radiolabelled dileucine, indicating that increased sensitivity of C. albicans to some toxic peptides in the presence of L-lysine may be attributed to an increased rate of transport of these peptides. Our results indicate that the dipeptide and tripeptide transport system(s) of C. albicans are regulated by micromolar amounts of amino acids in a similar fashion to the regulation of peptide transport in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and that multiple peptide transport systems differentially regulated by various nitrogen sources and amino acids exist in C. albicans."}
{"id": "PMID:1479356", "title": "Physiology and morphology of Legionella pneumophila in continuous culture at low oxygen concentration.", "content": "Two strains of Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1 monoclonal subgroup Pontiac were grown for the first time in continuous culture using a chemically defined medium. The influence of temperature on physiology and morphology was investigated by fixing the growth rate (equal to the dilution rate, D) at 0.08 h-1 and controlling the pH and dissolved oxygen concentration of the culture. Serine provided the principal source of carbon and energy but growth was limited by tyrosine. The bacterium behaved as a microaerophile in this medium, with maximal growth occurring at 0.31 (mg O2)I-1 (equivalent to a dissolved oxygen tension of 4% (v/v) air saturation at 30 degrees C). The cultures consisted of flagellated, short rods at 24 degrees C, but exhibited an increased level of pleomorphism and the loss of flagella as the temperature was increased to 37 degrees C. The presence of intracellular granules was noted, and their abundance was temperature-dependent. Polyhydroxybutyrate was present in L. pneumophila, and the proportion of the cell dry weight that it accounted for varied with temperature, being maximal at 24 degrees C. The ratio of saturated to unsaturated fatty acids in the cells decreased as the temperature was reduced towards 24 degrees C, so as to maintain membrane fluidity at low growth temperature."}
{"id": "PMID:1479357", "title": "The primary structures of helices A to G of three new bacteriorhodopsin-like retinal proteins.", "content": "The primary structures of helices A to G of all bacteriorhodopsin (BR)-like retinal proteins identified in newly isolated halobacteria have been determined from the nucleotide sequence of the BR-like protein genes. Using PCR methods, gene fragments encoding the A- to G-helix region of BR-like proteins were directly amplified from the total genomic DNA of the seven new halobacterial strains. Oligonucleotide primers corresponding to highly conserved regions in the helices A to G were designed from the nucleotide sequences of bacterioopsin (bop) and archaeopsin-I (aop-I), and some primers were effective for the amplification of the gene encoding C- to G-helix region of all new BR-like proteins. The primer corresponding to A-helix region was designed either from the nucleotide sequence of bop and aop-I or from the N-terminus amino acid sequence of a BR-like protein. Three new BR-like proteins were identified from the amino acid sequence, which was deduced from the nucleotide sequence of the genes encoding A- to G-helix region of the BR-like proteins. It was found that not only the amino acid sequence, but also the nucleotide sequence of the gene encoding the C- and G-helix region, in which a number of important residues for proton translocation are located, is highly conserved in three new BR-like proteins. Analysis of the primary structures of the A- to G-helix region of new BR-like proteins revealed that one has about 85% homology with aR-I and aR-II, and the rest have about 55% homology with halobium BR, aR-I and aR-II.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1479358", "title": "A novel polysaccharide hydrolase cDNA (celD) from Neocallimastix patriciarum encoding three multi-functional catalytic domains with high endoglucanase, cellobiohydrolase and xylanase activities.", "content": "A plant polysaccharide hydrolase cDNA, designated celD, was isolated from a cDNA library of the rumen fungus Neocallimastix patriciarum. The enzyme encoded by celD had endoglucanase, cellobiohydrolase and xylanase activities. Deletion analysis revealed that celD cDNA can be truncated to code for three catalytically active domains. Each domain had the same substrate specificity as the enzyme produced by the untruncated celD and also possessed cellulose-binding capacity. Substrate competition studies showed that carboxymethylcellulose and xylan appear to compete with methylumbelliferyl cellobioside for the same active site within each domain. Expression of celD transcript in the rumen fungus was constitutive and was not affected by the presence of cellulose in the culture medium."}
{"id": "PMID:1479359", "title": "Chromosomal targeting of replicating plasmids in the yeast Hansenula polymorpha.", "content": "Using an optimized transformation protocol we have studied the possible interactions between transforming plasmid DNA and the Hansenula polymorpha genome. Plasmids consisting only of a pBR322 replicon, an antibiotic resistance marker for Escherichia coli and the Saccharomyces cerevisiae LEU2 gene were shown to replicate autonomously in the yeast at an approximate copy number of 6 (copies per genome equivalent). This autonomous behaviour is probably due to an H. polymorpha replicon-like sequence present on the S. cerevisiae LEU2 gene fragment. Plasmids replicated as multimers consisting of monomers connected in a head-to-tail configuration. Two out of nine transformants analysed appeared to contain plasmid multimers in which one of the monomers contained a deletion. Plasmids containing internal or flanking regions of the genomic alcohol oxidase gene were shown to integrate by homologous single or double cross-over recombination. Both single- and multi-copy (two or three) tandem integrations were observed. Targeted integration occurred in 1-22% of the cases and was only observed with plasmids linearized within the genomic sequences, indicating that homologous linear ends are recombinogenic in H. polymorpha. In the cases in which no targeted integration occurred, double-strand breaks were efficiently repaired in a homology-independent way. Repair of double-strand breaks was precise in 50-68% of the cases. Linearization within homologous as well as nonhomologous plasmid regions stimulated transformation frequencies up to 15-fold."}
{"id": "PMID:1479360", "title": "PBS2, a yeast gene encoding a putative protein kinase, interacts with the RAS2 pathway and affects osmotic sensitivity of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.", "content": "The yeast gene PBS2 encodes a presumed protein kinase. The gene is essential for manifestation of resistance to the antibiotic polymyxin B. Deletion of PBS2 enables a ras2-530 null mutant to grow on nonfermentable carbon sources; overexpression of PBS2+ enhances viability of a RAS2Val19 mutant. Overexpression of PBS2+ also diminishes cellular response to mating pheromone MF alpha. These results suggest that the PBS2 and RAS2 genes affect a common pathway that may communicate with the pheromone response pathway. In addition, disruption of PBS2 renders cells sensitive to high osmolarity: exposure to 0.9 M-NaCl causes growth arrest, appearance of bizarre morphological forms, and eventual death. A mutation suppressing pbs2 deletion has been found. That mutation restores full polymyxin B resistance but only partially corrects the osmotic sensitivity defect. These observations indicate that PBS2 is involved in diverse physiological pathways in yeast."}
{"id": "PMID:1479361", "title": "Purification and characterization of a dual function 3-dehydroquinate dehydratase from Amycolatopsis methanolica.", "content": "Studies on hydroaromatic metabolism in the actinomycete Amycolatopsis methanolica revealed that the organism grows rapidly on quinate (but not on shikimate) as sole carbon- and energy source. Quinate is initially converted into the shikimate pathway intermediate 3-dehydroquinate by an inducible NAD(+)-dependent quinate/shikimate dehydrogenase. 3-Dehydroquinate dehydratase subsequently converts 3-dehydroquinate into 3-dehydroshikimate, which is used partly for the biosynthesis of aromatic amino acids, and is partly catabolized via protocatechuate and the beta-ketoadipate pathway. Enzyme studies and analysis of mutants clearly showed that the single 3-dehydroquinate dehydratase present in A. methanolica has a dual function, the first example of a 3-dehydroquinate dehydratase enzyme involved in both the catabolism of quinate and the biosynthesis of aromatic amino acids. This enzyme was purified over 1700-fold to homogeneity. Its further characterization indicated that it is a Type II 3-dehydroquinate dehydratase, a thermostable enzyme with a large oligomeric structure (native M(r) 135 x 10(3)) and a subunit M(r) of 12 x 10(3). Characterization of aromatic amino acid auxotrophic mutants of A. methanolica suggested that genes encoding 3-dehydroquinate synthase and 3-dehydroquinate dehydratase are genetically linked but their transcription results in the synthesis of two separate proteins."}
{"id": "PMID:1479362", "title": "Synthesis, structure, antimicrobial, and genotoxic activities of organotin compounds with 2,6-diacetylpyridine nicotinoyl- and isonicotinoylhydrazones.", "content": "A series of organotin compounds obtained from the reaction of 2,6-diacetylpyridine nicotinoyl- and isonicotinoylhydrazones with tri- and diorganotin chlorides was investigated. The IR and 119Sn NMR spectroscopic characterization of all the compounds is reported, together with the x-ray crystal structure of [SnEt2(H2dapin')]2[SnEt2Cl3]Cl3.2H2O (H2dapin' = 2,6-diacetylpyridine bis(isonicotinoylhydrazone)). The main feature in this compound is the presence of a tin atom in both the complex ionic units. The coordination polyhedron is a pentagonal bipyramid in the cation and a trigonal bipyramid in the anion. Results are discussed concerning the in vitro evaluation of antimicrobial properties and genotoxic potential of the compounds described. In all cases the complexes show a reduced antimicrobial activity as compared to that of the corresponding organotin compound. Genotoxic properties of the ligands, detected in the Ames test, disappear in the complexes."}
{"id": "PMID:1479363", "title": "Diuretic activity of organomercury (II) complexes of theophylline and theobromine.", "content": "Organomercury(II) complexes of the types, p-XC6H4HgL (A) and p-XC6H4HgCl(L') (B) [LH = theophylline; L' = theobromine; X = Me, NO2], have been synthesised and characterized. Conductance measurements indicate that the complexes are non-electrolytes. The structures of the complexes have been elucidated by spectral studies (IR, UV, and 1H, 13C NMR). The complexes have been tested for diuretic activity. The structure-activity relationship has been propounded."}
{"id": "PMID:1479364", "title": "Ultraviolet radiation and ultra-clean air enclosures in operating rooms. UV-protection, economy, and comfort.", "content": "Ultraviolet radiation (UVC), as an air-cleaning method for operating rooms, has received increasing attention, due to its low cost. Recent work shows that UVC can provide ultra-clean air (< 10 CFU/m3) in the operating room. However, the UVC air-cleaning method has been criticized because of the protective clothing needed and the risk of UVC exposure for staff and patients. To evaluate the practicability of the UVC method, the aspects of UV-protection were thoroughly evaluated regarding UVC intensities and the transmission properties of clothing commonly used in the operating room. A comparison between UVC and the Charnley-Howorth enclosure, regarding the aspects of economy and comfort, was performed."}
{"id": "PMID:1479365", "title": "Pulmonary embolism. Incidence in primary cemented and uncemented total hip arthroplasty using low-dose sodium warfarin prophylaxis.", "content": "During a 5 1/2-year period from January 1984 to July 1989, 736 patients between the ages of 50 and 75 with a diagnosis of osteoarthritis had either cemented or uncemented primary total hip arthroplasty. Patients were treated with low-dose sodium warfarin for prophylaxis against pulmonary embolism and had preoperative and postoperative serial lung scanning. The overall incidence of pulmonary embolism was not statistically different between the cemented and uncemented groups (3.87% and 6.19%, respectively; P > .05). Eighty-one percent of the pulmonary emboli were asymptomatic. The incidence of pulmonary embolism was higher in men than in women (7.3% and 2.93%, respectively; P < .05) but did not differ within each individual sex for the cemented and uncemented groups. Of greater significance, when the two initial groups were matched to control for sex and weight differences (564 patients), the incidence of pulmonary embolism narrowed to 4.3% and 5.3% in the cemented and uncemented groups, respectively (P > .55). These data indicate that the use of uncemented total hip arthroplasty does not offer any additional protective value against pulmonary embolism when using low-dose sodium warfarin prophylaxis."}
{"id": "PMID:1479366", "title": "Clinical and radiographic results of the Muller straight stem used as a press-fit.", "content": "Prior to the introduction of porous coating, 21 patients had 24 ME Muller straight-stem femoral prostheses inserted as a press fit for the treatment of osteoarthrosis. Five hips have been revised for aseptic loosening; the remaining 19 prostheses are still in situ after a mean of 7.3 years (range, 6.2-8.3 years). A prospective clinical assessment has been undertaken using a modified Harris hip score, with scores increasing on average from a preoperative 43 to a postoperative 79. Eighteen of the 19 remaining hips are functioning well. Variable distances of subsidence are evident in 10 hips. Despite the use of a prosthesis that was not designed for cementless proximal wedge fitting, the results indicate an exceptionally low incidence of bone resorption and lysis. Unlike cemented and some porous-coated prostheses, stress shielding and osteopenia were not a feature in this series."}
{"id": "PMID:1479367", "title": "Bone ingrowth into porous-coated tibial components implanted with autograft bone chips. Analysis of ten consecutively retrieved implants.", "content": "Ten asymmetric porous-coated tibial knee components were consecutively retrieved from nine patients with implantation times ranging from 1 week to 48 months. Morselized autograft bone chips were applied to the resected surface of the tibia prior to component implantation. Microradiographic analysis showed bone in contact with 64 +/- 10% of the porous-coated interface. Backscattered electron imaging of the bone-implant interface revealed bone within 8-22% of the porous coating. Although bone in the form of autograft bone chips was observed in the porous coating of the 1 and 3 week specimens, it was not connected to the host bone. By 3 and 6 months, the bone chips were integrated and connected to the host bone providing osseous continuity from the porous coating to the skeleton. This study shows that reproducible bone ingrowth into porous-coated tibial components is achievable using autograft bone chips to promote bone fixation."}
{"id": "PMID:1479368", "title": "Revision arthroplasty facilitated by ultrasonic tool cement removal. An evaluation of whole bone strength in a canine model.", "content": "Ultrasonic driven tools have been developed to facilitate the removal of bone cement during revision arthroplasty. The effect on whole bone strength of cement removal by ultrasonic tools was examined in a canine femur model. Paired, fresh-frozen canine femora were divided into two groups. In group A, one femur from each pair was subjected to cement extraction with ultrasonic tools. In group B, one femur from each pair was subjected to manual cement extraction. Contralateral femora from each pair served as controls to determine the strength of intact femora. Torsional fractures were produced using a servocontrolled hydraulic testing machine (Minneapolis Testing System, Minneapolis, MN). Maximum torque, maximum angle, and energy capacity to failure were determined. Results were recorded as a reduction in percent value of the tested specimen versus the contralateral control. When comparing femora with cement removal by ultrasonic tools to the contralateral control femur, there were no statistical differences in ultimate torque (P = .83), maximum angle (P = .89), and energy capacity (P = .74) by analysis of variance. In addition, there were no significant differences between the group with ultrasonic tool cement removal and the group with manual tool removal. The authors conclude that in this canine model, removal of cement with ultrasonically driven tools has no adverse effects on whole bone strength."}
{"id": "PMID:1479369", "title": "Unrecognized femoral fractures during cementless total hip arthroplasty in the dog and their effect on bone ingrowth.", "content": "Uncemented straight-stemmed proximally porous-coated femoral components were press fitted into the femoral canals of seven dogs using a rasp 0.5 mm smaller than the components (press-fit group). In seven other dogs the components were fit precisely into the femoral canals using a rasp that was the same size as the components (control group). Using this technique, all of the dogs in the press-fit group developed longitudinal fractures in the femoral cortex, while none of the dogs in the control group developed fractures. None of the fractures were recognized at operation. Two of the dogs in the press-fit group displaced the fractures at 1 week and were sacrificed. The other five dogs were bearing weight on their limbs and completed the 3-week experimental period. Follow-up radiographs of these femurs showed marked periosteal new bone formation, but did not reveal any fractures. Serial sections of these femurs showed longitudinal healing fractures in the anterior cortex. The fractures had an adverse effect on the bone ingrowth into the porous surface of the press-fit group compared to the control group without fractures, and the porous surface adjacent to the fractures was ingrown with fibrous tissue. The amount of bone ingrowth expressed as a percentage of the porous coating area measured, on average, only 3.9% in the press-fit group at 3 weeks compared to 5.6% in the control group--a statistically significant difference at P < .025. This experience in the dog illustrates the inherent risk of driving a larger femoral component into a smaller cavity prepared in the femur.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1479370", "title": "Assessment of intrapelvic cement and screws in revision total hip arthroplasty.", "content": "Vascular injury resulting from primary and revision hip arthroplasty has been reported to involve both arterial and venous structures. While such complications are extremely uncommon, removal of intrapelvic cement or screws during revision surgery can be hazardous to intrapelvic structures. Both arterial and venous perforations can occur, depending on the level at which the pelvic wall has been breached, and on the orientation of the intruding matter. Complications can be minimized with careful preoperative assessment of pelvic anatomy. Contrast-enhanced computerized tomography scanning can assist the revision surgeon with preoperative planning in those patients requiring removal of intrapelvic components. This technique appears to be an accurate, simple, and noninvasive method by which these intrapelvic relationships may be examined."}
{"id": "PMID:1479371", "title": "A prospective study of 100 consecutive Harris-Galante porous total hip arthroplasties. 2-5-year results.", "content": "This is a prospective study of the authors' first 100 Harris-Galante porous total hip arthroplasties (THA) that were followed for 2-5 years. The mean age of the 83 patients was 43 years. Using the Harris hip rating system, 80% of the hips were rated as excellent, 13% as good, 5% as fair, and 2% as poor at final evaluation. Eighty percent of the hips had no pain, 11% had slight or occasional pain, 8% had activity-related pain, and 1% had moderate pain. Eighty-seven percent of the hips had no limp, 8% had a slight limp, and 5% had a moderate limp. One femoral component, placed as a conversion of a loose bipolar hemiarthroplasty, has been removed for loosening. Two other hips have been reoperated, one for lengthening the femoral neck and one for changing the acetabular liner. There were no problems with acetabular screw fixation and no component migrated. Only two hips had 1 mm nonprogressive radiolucent lines in all three zones. Femoral component subsidence of 3 or more mm was measured in 16 hips, but was progressive in only 1. Radiolucent and radiodense lines were frequently seen in the nonporous coated regions of the femoral stem. Loss of proximal medial femoral bone density was seen in 59% of hips, and calcar resorption was seen in 16% of hips. Although the clinical results of this uncemented implant system were good or excellent in 93% of hips, the high incidence of femoral component subsidence is worrisome."}
{"id": "PMID:1479372", "title": "The effect of preoperative knee deformity on the initial results of cruciate-retaining total knee arthroplasty.", "content": "Between November 1985 and June 1987, 751 posterior cruciate-sparing total knee arthroplasties were performed on 523 patients who exhibited fixed varus or valgus deformities. Patients excluded from this study included the following: those with a postoperative follow-up period of less than 2 years (including patients who had died), patients who became infected, and patients with previous failed total knee arthroplasty in the same knee. A total of 473 knees left for evaluation. All arthroplasties were measured using anatomic axis for alignment measurement. The Hospital for Special Surgery scoring system was used to determine the clinical scores prior to the end of each follow-up examination. All ligament releases were performed sequentially, including balancing of the posterior cruciate ligament. All arthroplasties were divided into six separate groups depending upon the degree of varus or valgus deformity. Kaplan-Meier curves were constructed using three methods of failure definition. Curves were then compared between groups. The mean Hospital for Special Surgery score was no different between any of the groups, except for the group of 6 degrees-10 degrees varus, which was significantly higher than the mean score of the 11 degrees and higher valgus group. All other groups were the same statistically. It is concluded that severe varus and valgus deformities may be satisfactorily corrected with the use of a cruciate-retaining type of total knee arthroplasty."}
{"id": "PMID:1479373", "title": "Implications of reference axes used for rotational alignment of the femoral component in primary and revision knee arthroplasty.", "content": "A careful review of the literature revealed that no data had been reported on the angular difference or similarity between the posterior condylar axis used by many surgeons for primary total knee arthroplasty and the transepicondylar axis, which has been considered a useful anatomical landmark for femoral component placement in revision total knee arthroplasty. The purpose of this study was to determine whether measurable differences exist between the posterior condylar axis and the transepicondylar axis of the human femur. Nineteen pairs of human donor femora were measured. This study demonstrated that when the posterior condylar axis was taken as 0 degrees of rotation, the transepicondylar axis was found to be approximately 5 degrees externally rotated for both right and left femora, a significant difference (P < .05). However, there was no statistically significant difference in the angle measured between the posterior condylar axis and the transepicondylar axis when comparisons were made between matched right and left femora (P > .05). It is suggested that this information can be applied to improving the techniques currently used in the placement of both primary and revision femoral knee components."}
{"id": "PMID:1479374", "title": "Acetabular micromotion as a measure of initial implant stability in primary hip arthroplasty. An in vitro comparison of different methods of initial acetabular component fixation.", "content": "Micromotion has been shown to affect bony ingrowth into cementless components. This study was designed both to quantitate initial micromotion at the prosthesis-periacetabular bony interface and to compare different methods of commonly employed acetabular component fixations, ie, a press-fit hemispherical titanium cup, a press-fit hemispherical titanium cup with one and two dome screws, a press-fit titanium hemispherical cup with three spikes, and a cemented chromium-cobalt cup. The press-fit component without screws demonstrated the greatest motion equaling 162 microns at the ilium, 97 microns at the publis, and 54 microns at the ischium. With one and two screws placed into the dome, the mean ileal displacement decreased by 28 microns (17%) and 36 microns (22%), respectively. Dome screw placement demonstrated a minimal effect at the pubis and ischium. Compared to the press-fit component without augmentation, the tri-spike motion was less at the pubis and ischium. The cemented prosthesis provided the least amount of motion in all three areas tested. This experiment demonstrates that the ilium provides the least amount of support to immediate acetabular fixation, while the pubis (anterior column) and ischium (posterior column) provide more stability. One dome screw does not affect the stability of a hemispherical prosthetic cup significantly. A two dome screw fixation provides an added method of support at the ilium, but fails to decrease motion at the pubis or ischium significantly. The tri-spike fixation does not restrict motion at the ilium to the extent as the dome screws, but its effect at the ischium and pubis is much more pronounced. The obvious difference between initial motion seen with cemented versus uncemented components may suggest that before surgery, patients may need a period of protected weight bearing until ingrowth has occurred."}
{"id": "PMID:1479375", "title": "Protein-tyrosine kinase inhibition: mechanism-based discovery of antitumor agents.", "content": "Protein-tyrosine kinases (PTKs) have been shown to induce the cascade of altered cell parameters characteristic of transformed cells. This proposition provides an important rationale for the discovery of potential antitumor agents from natural sources on the basis of inhibition of PTK activity. Numerous naturally occurring and synthetic analogues of PTK inhibitors were systematically evaluated in this review based on their structure-activity relationships and potential antitumor efficacy."}
{"id": "PMID:1479376", "title": "Antimutagenic agents from natural products.", "content": "Certain secondary metabolites found in terrestrial and marine plants and organisms have evinced the capability for inhibiting the mutagenicity toward Salmonella typhimurium of a number of mutagens. These include 2-aminoanthracene (2AN), ethylmethanesulfonate (EMS), and benzo-[a]pyrene(B[alpha]P). The sensitivity of the antimutagenicity assay is such that crude extracts can be evaluated and purification of extracts readily followed. Major classes of antimutagenic compounds that have been isolated include flavonoids, coumarins, and cymopols."}
{"id": "PMID:1479377", "title": "A colorimetric microassay for the detection of agents that interact with DNA.", "content": "A simple microtiter assay for the detection of compounds that bind DNA is described. Agents that displace methyl green from DNA are detected spectrophotometrically by a decrease in absorbance at 630 nm. The feasibility of using the assay for detecting DNA-active compounds in fermentation extracts was assessed, and the activities of reference compounds in the methyl green assay and an ethidium bromide displacement method were compared."}
{"id": "PMID:1479378", "title": "Scalarane-type bishomosester terpenes from the sponge Phyllospongia foliascens.", "content": "Five new 20,24-bishomoscalarane sesterterpenes, phyllactones A [1], B [2], C [3], D [4], and E [5], are reported from the sponge Phyllospongia foliascens collected in the waters of the Nansha Islands in the South China Sea. Structural elucidation of these compounds is based on spectral data and chemical conversions. Phyllactones A and B show moderate cytotoxicity against KB cells (IC50 20 micrograms/ml)."}
{"id": "PMID:1479379", "title": "Studies on the synthesis of sesquiterpene lactones, 14. Syntheses of (-)-arbusclin D and (+)-4-EPI-arbusclin D: the stereochemical assignment of arbusclin D.", "content": "Efficient syntheses of (-)-arbusclin D and (+)-4-epi-arbusclin D are reported. By these syntheses the C-4 stereochemistry of arbusclin D and the absolute configuration of (-)-arbusclin D have been determined to be a s shown in structure 1. The biological activities, such as cytotoxic activity toward P-388 lymphocytic leukemia, plant growth regulating activity, and antimicrobial activity of compounds 1, 3, 7, 9, 12, and 14 were also studied."}
{"id": "PMID:1479380", "title": "5-Epi-isospongiaquinone, a new sesquiterpene/quinone antibiotic from an Australian marine sponge, Spongia hispida.", "content": "An Australian marine sponge, Spongia hispida, has been found to contain a new sesquiterpene/quinone identified by detailed spectroscopic analysis and chemical derivatization as the antibiotic 5-epi-isospongiaquinone [3]. The complete stereostructure for 3 was determined by detailed spectroscopic analysis and chemical correlation with the known marine natural product isospongiaquinone [2]. Co-occurring with 3 was an ethylated analogue, 5-epi-homoisospongiaquinone [4], which was speculated to be an artifact of the isolation process. A revised structure 15 for the known marine metabolite, smenorthoquinone [13], is also presented."}
{"id": "PMID:1479381", "title": "Bioactive ergost-5-ene-3 beta, 7 alpha-diol derivatives from Pseudobersama mossambicensis.", "content": "Bioactivity-directed fractionation of the methyl ethyl ketone extract of Pseudobersama mossambicensis resulted in the isolation of ergosta-5,24(28)-diene-3 beta,7 alpha-diol [1], 24,28-epoxyergost-5-ene-3 beta,7 alpha-diol [2], and ergost-5-ene-3 beta,7 alpha,24,28-tetraol [3]. All three sterols showed selective activity towards DNA repair-deficient yeast mutants. The sterol 1 also showed cytotoxicity towards wild-type P-388 murine leukemia cells. The isolation, structural elucidation, and biological activities of these sterols are reported. The sterol 3 is most probably an artifact formed from 2 during the isolation process."}
{"id": "PMID:1479382", "title": "Gigantetronenin and gigantrionenin: novel cytotoxic acetogenins from Goniothalamus giganteus.", "content": "Gigantetronenin [1] and gigantrionenin [6], two new monotetrahydrofuran Annonaceous acetogenins each possessing a double bond along the hydrocarbon chain, have been isolated from the bark of Goniothalamus giganteus by the use of brine shrimp lethality for bioactivity-directed fractionation. The structures were elucidated based on spectroscopic and chemical methods. Compounds 1 and 6 both show selective and potent cytotoxicities to human tumor cells in culture as well as toxicity to brine shrimp. A known cytotoxic acetogenin, annomontacin [11], was also isolated from this plant. The biogenetic pathway of the acetogenins from G. giganteus is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1479383", "title": "Antifungal activity of meridine, a natural product from the marine sponge Corticium sp.", "content": "Meridine [1], a polycyclic alkaloid derived from the marine sponge Corticium sp., was found to inhibit the growth of Candida albicans and Cryptococcus neoformans. Activity was also observed against Trichophyton mentagrophytes and Epidermophyton floccosum. Studies of the mechanism of action of this agent have shown an inhibition of nucleic acid biosynthesis."}
{"id": "PMID:1479388", "title": "Motor neuron disease and polio in Scotland.", "content": "An analysis of mortality and morbidity rates for motor neuron disease (MND) in Scotland has confirmed earlier observations that the disease is more common in men and older age groups. The geographical distribution is non-uniform and related to discharge rates for all neurological diseases. Discharge and mortality rates are increasing but there has been no decline in populations who would have been vaccinated against polio."}
{"id": "PMID:1479386", "title": "Adult onset motor neuron disease: worldwide mortality, incidence and distribution since 1950.", "content": "This review examines the commonly held premise that, apart from the Western Pacific forms, motor neuron disease (MND), has a uniform worldwide distribution in space and time; the methodological problems in studies of MND incidence; and directions for future epidemiological research. MND is more common in men at all ages. Age-specific incidence rises steeply into the seventh decade but the incidence in the very elderly is uncertain. A rise in mortality from MND over recent decades has been demonstrated wherever this has been examined and may be real rather than due to improved case ascertainment. Comparison of incidence studies in different places is complicated by non-standardised methods of case ascertainment and diagnosis but there appear to be differences between well studied populations. In developed countries in the northern hemisphere there is a weak positive correlation between standardised, age-specific incidence and distance from the equator. There is now strong evidence for an environmental factor as the cause of the Western Pacific forms of MND. A number of clusters of sporadic MND have been reported from developed countries, but no single agent identified as responsible."}
{"id": "PMID:1479389", "title": "Anticoagulant treatment as a risk factor for primary intracerebral haemorrhage.", "content": "Forty one (14.2%) of 288 patients with primary intracerebral haemorrhage occurring between September 1985 and December 1989 in Central Finland were on anticoagulant treatment at the onset of symptoms. In a sample of 29,000 subjects from the same population the prevalence of anticoagulant treatment was 1.6% in those aged 40 years or older. The estimated age adjusted odds ratio of being on anticoagulant treatment at the time of primary intracerebral haemorrhage was 6.7 (95% CI from 4.5 to 9.9). The risk was highest during the first year of anticoagulation. Overtreatment (thrombotest value < 5%) was slightly more common among the patients. The haematoma volumes measured from the CT scans were similar in patients on anticoagulant treatment and those not anticoagulated. The case fatality rate during the first week and the mortality during follow up of 32 months were slightly higher, and the functional outcome slightly worse in the anticoagulated group."}
{"id": "PMID:1479390", "title": "Coordination of eye and head movements during smooth pursuit in patients with vestibular failure.", "content": "During pursuit of smoothly moving targets with combined eye and head movements in normal subjects, accurate gaze control depends on successful interaction of the vestibular and head movement signals with the ocular pursuit mechanisms. To investigate compensation for loss of the vestibulo-ocular reflex during head-free pursuit in labyrinthine-deficient patients, pursuit performance was assessed and compared under head-fixed and head-free conditions in five patients with isolated bilateral loss of vestibular function. Target motion consisted of predictable and unpredictable pseudo-random waveforms containing the sum of three or four sinusoids. Comparison of slow-phase gaze velocity gains under head-free and head-fixed conditions revealed no significant differences during pursuit of any of the three pseudo-random waveforms. The finding of significant compensatory eye movement during active head movements in darkness in labyrinthine-deficient patients, which were comparable in character and gain to the vestibular eye movement elicited in normal subjects, probably explains the similarity of the head-fixed and head-free responses. In two additional patients with cerebellar degeneration and vestibular failure, no compensatory eye movement response was observed, implying that the cerebellum is necessary for the generation of such responses in labyrinthine-deficient patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1479391", "title": "Syringobulbia: a surgical appraisal.", "content": "Syringobulbia is a term which has been clinically applied to brain stem symptoms or signs in patients with syringomyelia. Syringobulbia clefts are found on investigation or at necropsy caused by cutting outwards of the CSF under pressure from the fourth ventricle into the medulla. These should be differentiated from the ascending syringobulbia which may occur from upward impulsive fluid movements in a previously established syringomyelia. Clinical analysis of 54 patients suggests that bulbar features are most often found with neither of the above mechanisms but are due to the effects of pressure differences acting downward upon the hind-brain with consequent distortion of the cerebellum and brainstem, traction on cranial nerves or indentation of the brain-stem by vascular loops. The commonest symptoms in the 54 patients were headache (35), vertigo (27), dysphonia or dysarthria (21), trigeminal paraesthesiae (27), dysphagia (24), diplopia (16), tinnitus (11), palatal palsy (11) and hypoglossal involvement (11). Careful attention to hydrocephalus is advisable before craniovertebral surgery, but the decompression of the hindbrain and the correction of craniospinal pressure dissociation remains the mainstay of surgical treatment. The results of careful surgery are good, 45 of the 54 cases reported improvement. Most of the reported deterioration occurred in a few patients who did conspicuously badly."}
{"id": "PMID:1479392", "title": "The location and function of respiratory fibres in the second cervical spinal cord segment: respiratory dysfunction syndrome after cervical cordotomy.", "content": "After high cervical percutaneous cordotomy for pain in malignant disease, 12 patients died during sleep at postoperative intervals between 1 and 8 days. Nine died after a first cordotomy and three after a second (contralateral) procedure. All except one had known pulmonary disease before operation. The operated segment of the spinal cord (C2) was studied histologically after death. Superposition of lesion outlines made it possible to determine those parts of the lesioned areas common to all unilateral and bilateral cases respectively. All cases dying of presumed respiratory dysfunction syndrome had lesions involving the region of the anterolateral funiculus in the C2 segment containing \"pain\" fibres activated from the second to fifth thoracic dermatomes. The fibres whose destruction appeared to be responsible for respiratory dysfunction syndrome were completely intermingled with ascending \"pain\" fibres. The possibility of these fibres being afferent in function is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1479393", "title": "Homolateral ataxia and crural paresis: a syndrome of anterior cerebral artery territory infarction.", "content": "Five patients with superficial anterior cerebral artery territory infarcts in the paracentral area are reported, who developed a hemiparesis which was predominant in the leg, and with homolateral ataxia in the arm. A similar neurological picture was not observed in 1736 patients who were admitted over an eight year period to a primary care stroke centre with their first stroke. Involvement of corticopontine fibres at their origin, together with damage to the lower limb motor strip or underlying white matter, appears to have been the cause of a clinical syndrome (homolateral ataxia and crural paresis) which has been ascribed to lacunar infarction."}
{"id": "PMID:1479394", "title": "Modulation of the soleus H-reflex during pedalling in normal humans and in patients with spinal spasticity.", "content": "Soleus H-reflexes were recorded in 10 normal subjects and seven patients with spasticity caused by incomplete spinal cord injury while they pedalled on a stationary bicycle which had been modified to trigger electrical stimuli to the tibial nerve at eight precise points in the pedal cycle. Stimulus strength was adjusted to yield M-waves of constant amplitude at each pedal position. During active pedalling, all normal subjects showed modulation of the H-reflex with the amplitude being increased during the downstroke portion of the pedal cycle and the reflex suppressed or absent during the upstroke. This modulation was not present during passive pedalling, with the experimenter cranking the pedals by hand, or when the pedals were locked at each of the eight positions. In five of the seven patients with spasticity, there was reduced or absent modulation of the H-reflex during active pedalling and the reflex remained large during pedal upstroke. It is concluded that descending motor commands that produce patterned voluntary activity during pedalling normally cause cyclical gating of spinal reflexes by either presynaptic or postsynaptic inhibitory mechanisms. Loss of supraspinal control over these spinal inhibitory systems could result in failure to produce appropriate suppression of reflexes during patterned voluntary movements such as pedalling or walking, and may be an important factor contributing to the functional disability in spasticity."}
{"id": "PMID:1479395", "title": "Neuropsychiatric systemic lupus erythematosus in elderly people: a case series.", "content": "Five elderly patients presenting with neuropsychiatric systemic lupus erythematosus were referred to the sectorised psychiatry service of the department of health care of the elderly. They represented 2% of patients admitted over a period of two years. Two patients presented with a subacute confusional state, two with dementia, and one with depression. Three patients responded well to treatment. This suggests that systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is more common in elderly people than was originally thought and is a potentially treatable cause of organic brain disorder. The absence of reports of elderly patients with SLE is likely to be due to the continued application of the American Rheumatism Association's revised 1982 classification criteria, which are inappropriate for this population."}
{"id": "PMID:1479396", "title": "Movement disorders in astrocytomas of the basal ganglia and the thalamus.", "content": "In a series of 225 patients with astrocytomas (grades I-IV) of the basal ganglia and the thalamus, 20 had a movement disorder. In all patients the histological diagnosis was verified by stereotactic biopsy. Tremor was observed in twelve patients, dystonia in eight, chorea in three, and chorea/ballismus and myoclonus in one. The tumour involved the thalamus in 16 patients. Corticospinal tract dysfunction was evident in 70% of the patients with movement disorders and in 73% of those without. Demographic, clinical, histological and neuroradiological data of the patients with a movement disorder were compared with the data of patients without. CT data yielded no differences with respect to the involvement of anatomical structures. Movement disorders were significantly associated with low-grade astrocytomas."}
{"id": "PMID:1479397", "title": "Material-specific memory loss in probable Alzheimer's disease.", "content": "This study extends previous work analysing functional dissociations occurring in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) by demonstrating that material-specific memory loss is common. The pattern of neuropsychological dysfunction in 191 patients with probable AD was examined and 13% presented with material-specific memory loss. Thirteen patients had impaired immediate verbal recall, but normal non verbal recall and 12 had impaired non verbal recall and normal verbal memory. These patterns appeared to be related to a specific memory deficit and were probably not secondary to associated cognitive impairments. These data confirm earlier observations that the memory defect in AD can be material-specific, and suggest that these patterns of impairment should be viewed as a focal sparing of function."}
{"id": "PMID:1479398", "title": "A study of regional cerebral blood flow and cognitive performance in Alzheimer's disease.", "content": "Thirty five patients with dementia of the Alzheimer type (DAT) and 35 controls matched for age, sex and handedness were investigated using single photon emission computer tomography (SPECT) with 99m technetium HMPAO. Regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) was assessed semi-quantitatively in 18 cortical and 4 subcortical areas by normalising mean information density in each region to cerebellar mean information density. Analysis revealed significantly reduced rCBF to temporal, parietal, frontal and left occipital cortex in the patients whilst blood flow to subcortical areas showed no differences between the 2 groups. In addition, significant left-sided cortical hypoperfusion was seen in the DAT group but not in controls. When patients were sub-divided on the basis of disease severity, those with mild disease showed temporal, parietal and left frontal changes with more severely affected patients also showing right frontal and left occipital involvement. rCBF patterns did not distinguish between presenile and senile onset cases once duration and severity of illness were controlled. Eight cortical areas were also rated visually for perfusion deficits on a simple 4 point scale. Perfusion deficits were detected in 34 of 35 patients but in only 4 of 35 controls. In the DAT group significant correlations were found between many of the neuropsychological tests used and rCBF. Memory correlated with left temporal activity, praxis, perception, object assembly and block design with right parietal activity and language with activity throughout the left hemisphere. Significant correlations were also seen between subcortical and cortical blood flow, possibly explaining the correlations observed between many of the neuropsychological tests and thalamic blood flow."}
{"id": "PMID:1479399", "title": "Early diagnosis and treatment of spinal epidural metastasis in breast cancer: a prospective study.", "content": "This prospective study evaluated the usefulness of myelography in breast cancer patients who present with radiculopathy or myelopathy. A total of 124 consecutive myelograms were performed in 100 patients. Epidural metastasis (EM) was diagnosed in 67 myelograms (54%). Multiple epidural metastases were diagnosed in 15 (22%) of those, resulting in a total of 87 epidural lesions. A complete block was found in 13 EM (15%) and an incomplete block in 14 EM (16%). Clinical data could not predict the site of EM in 29 cases (33%). Fifteen asymptomatic EM were detected in myelograms with multiple EM. Plain radiographs were of no value in determining the site of EM in 29 cases (33%), including 13 cases (15%) without vertebral metastasis at the site of EM. Treatment consisted of radiotherapy (RT) with or without systemic treatment in 52 cases (80%), systemic treatment alone in 11 cases (17%) and surgery in two patients (3%). Clinical improvement was noticed in 72%, no change in 13%, and deterioration in 15%. No difference in response was noticed between RT and systemic therapy. Before treatment 21% and after treatment 15% of the patients could not walk. The one year survival was 42%. The ambulatory status at presentation was the most important prognostic factor. Examination of the spinal fluid, obtained at myelography, disclosed meningeal carcinomatosis in 9% of the patients. Imaging of the whole spinal canal with cytological examination of the spinal fluid is recommended in breast cancer patients suspected of epidural tumour with features of radiculopathy or myelopathy, irrespective of further clinical data and plain spinal radiographs."}
{"id": "PMID:1479400", "title": "A further British case of growth hormone induced Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.", "content": "Transmission of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) from cadaveric growth hormone injections had previously been reported in 7 cases, including one from Britain. As a result, the treatment was abandoned in 1985 and superceded by safer recombinant DNA growth hormone injections. Recent reports now record the number of cases worldwide as 23, but with the incubation period being measured in years, new cases of CJD can still present. We give a detailed report of one of the recent cluster of British cases and aim to highlight the problem to clinicians who may encounter further patients with cadaveric growth hormone induced CJD."}
{"id": "PMID:1479401", "title": "Tardive dyskinesia presenting as severe dysphagia.", "content": "A case of tardive dyskinesia presenting with severe dysphagia as the predominant feature is described. Diagnosis was delayed because clinically apparent orofacial dyskinetic movements were minimal. The symptoms resolved following the cessation of neuroleptic medication."}
{"id": "PMID:1479402", "title": "Prolactin secreting pituitary carcinoma.", "content": "A man with a prolactin secreting pituitary carcinoma was treated by surgery and radiotherapy. Persistent hyperprolactinaemia partially responded to oral bromocriptine for four years. Serum prolactin then rose considerably with rapid, invasive tumour recurrence. Cytotoxic chemotherapy halted tumour progression for twelve months before fatal spread throughout the brain. Failure to normalise serum prolactin with bromocriptine may precede an aggressive course in patients with prolactinoma."}
{"id": "PMID:1479403", "title": "Frontal lobe cerebral aneurysm rupture presenting as psychosis.", "content": "A 23 year old male with acute onset of blunted affect, looseness of associations and auditory hallucinations presented to a tertiary care hospital 10 days after development of symptoms. Before transfer, the patient received a diagnosis of schizophreniform disorder and treatment with haloperidol was started which resulted in moderate improvement. Examination led to detection of a ruptured cerebral aneurysm in the left frontal lobe. Evacuation of the haematoma and repair of the aneurysm resulted in nearly complete resolution of symptoms. The rare incidence of acute aneurysm rupture, presenting in the case described, demonstrates the importance of a complete neurological examination in the evaluation of acute mental status changes."}
{"id": "PMID:1479414", "title": "In vitro interactions of aminoglycosides with imipenem or ciprofloxacin against aminoglycoside resistant Acinetobacter baumannii.", "content": "The in vitro interactions between gentamicin, tobramycin, netilmicin and amikacin with imipenem and ciprofloxacin were evaluated by the killing curve technique against 20 clinical isolates of Acinetobacter baumannii highly resistant to aminoglycosides which were susceptible or moderately susceptible to imipenem and resistant or moderately susceptible to ciprofloxacin. Imipenem enhanced killing by gentamicin, tobramycin, netilmicin and amikacin in tests with 9, 12, 10 and 15 strains (45-75%) while ciprofloxacin with 3, 7, 5 and 6 strains (15-35%) respectively. Interaction results were influenced by the height of aminoglycoside minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBCs) but were independent of imipenem or ciprofloxacin MBCs and the presence of aminoglycoside modifying enzymes. It is concluded that enhanced killing after aminoglycoside interaction with imipenem or ciprofloxacin versus A. baumannii cannot be predicted but it should be carefully tested in vitro. The in vivo significance of the reported findings mandates clinical studies in humans."}
{"id": "PMID:1479415", "title": "Hepatic and intestinal effects of flurithromycin and erythromycin in the rat.", "content": "The effects of flurithromycin (30-100 mg/kg p.o.), a fluorinated macrolide, on rat hepatic enzymes and intestinal microflora have been compared with those of equal doses of erythromycin. This latter drug significantly decreases cytochrome b5, cytochrome P-450 and aminopyrine N-demethylase and moderately influences intestinal microbial flora. Flurithromycin showed almost opposite characteristics, with no hepatic interaction and marked effects on some bacterial species (e.g. Bacteroides) known to facilitate the colonization of pathogenetic bacteria."}
{"id": "PMID:1479416", "title": "Correlation between the in vivo and in vitro antimicrobial properties of commercially available mouthwash preparations.", "content": "The effectiveness of six commercially available mouthwashes against common buccal organisms was studied. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) for two of the studied mouthwashes (Corsodyl and Oraldene) against buccal organisms were determined in Todd Hewitt medium with or without 5% serum. The concentration of the active substance in these two mouthwashes was in excess of the corresponding MIC. When the medium was supplemented with serum, lower MIC values were observed. Kill-time determinations, used at half the concentration of the normal preparation, revealed a rapid lethal effect for all tested mouthwashes. The slowest lethal effect was observed with Fluocaril mouthwash. When mouthwashes were tested in volunteers, an immediate significant fall in salivary bacterial counts was produced by all except Fluocaril. With the latter mouthwash the decrease was significant 2-30 minutes after rinsing. The bacterial levels returned to pre-rinse levels after 30 minutes for Listerine, after 90 minutes for both Oraldene and Mint and after 180 minutes for Corsodyl, Fluocaril and Sansilla mouthwashes. The results indicate that there is a good correlation between in vivo efficacy and in vitro determination of all mouthwash preparations."}
{"id": "PMID:1479417", "title": "Effect of minocycline on the sperm count and activity in infertile men with high pus cell count in their seminal fluid.", "content": "Twenty-five infertile males with 5 or more pus cells per 1000 x field in their seminal fluid were randomly assigned to treatment with minocycline 200 mg daily for one (Group A) or two (Group B) weeks. At the end of the treatment period a statistically significant reduction of pus cells, and a statistically significant increase in the sperm count and the motile sperm were observed (Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed-ranks test, p < 0.01). No statistically significant differences were observed between the two groups (Mann Whitney U test). No toxicity was reported. In conclusion, minocycline improves the seminal indices, in infertile males with high pus cell count in their seminal fluid."}
{"id": "PMID:1479418", "title": "Experimental studies of immunotoxicity of a photosensitizing agent (Photofrin II) in mice.", "content": "Immunotoxicity studies have been performed on the photosensitizing agent Photofrin II (PHFR), a porphyrin derivative used in photodynamic therapy. Hybrid CD2F1 (H-2d/H-2d) or inbred C57Bl/6 (H-2b) male mice were injected with graded doses of the agent (from 1.2 to 12 mg/Kg ip) on day -5, -3 and -1 before assays. The animals, or spleen cells collected from them on day 0 with respect to PHFR treatment, were tested for: a) competence of producing GVHD upon cell transfer into allogeneic, immunosuppressed recipients; b) graft response against challenge with allogeneic lymphoma cells; c) delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) against sheep red blood cells; d) in vitro response to mitogens; e) NK cell activity; f) in vitro generation of alloreactive cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL); g) resistance against the challenge of a sublethal dose of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Moreover the LD50 of the drug given ip has been determined in male CD2F1 mice. The results show that PHFR, even at the highest doses used, does not affect most of the immunological parameters studied, except for a marginal inhibition of CTL generation and increment in proliferative responses to Con A or LPS. These data along with parallel studies performed by our group on human models in vitro, showing increased susceptibility of PHFR-treated tumors to NK or LAK effector cells, point out that PHFR, in the absence of systemic photoactivation, is essentially non-immunotoxic in vivo and could render tumor cells more susceptible to natural immunity."}
{"id": "PMID:1479419", "title": "Treatment of chronic hepatitis C with recombinant interferon alpha 2b.", "content": "The authors studied 70 patients affected by chronic hepatitis C where diagnosis had been made by clinical and histological tests. Intramuscular recombinant alpha 2b interferon (3 x 10(6)) was administered to 35 patients every second evening for 6 months, whereas the other 35 received aspecific treatment. Our results revealed normalization of transaminase in 57% of the patients, with distinct improvement of their clinical and histological pictures. All patients on interferon were followed up for a six-month drug free period, after which the disease reappeared in 50% of the responders."}
{"id": "PMID:1479420", "title": "Octreotide treatment in secretory and cyrptosporidial diarrhea in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS): clinical evaluation.", "content": "Our objective was to evaluate the efficacy of octreotide in the treatment of AIDS patients with persistent diarrhea refractory to conventional therapy. We have treated 11 patients with AIDS related diarrhea (M/F-5/2, mean age 28 +/- 3 yr). The stool volume was in all pts > or = 21/24h. In 4 pts the diarrhea was secondary to cryptosporidium infection (Group A); in 7 pts the reason for the diarrhea could not be identified (Group B). Octreotide was administered in subcutaneous escalation doses, from 50 micrograms q8h to a maximum dose of 500 micrograms q8h. The minimal dose controlling symptoms was maintained for 21 days. In all patients stool volume and frequency decreased significantly. Group A pts were \"partial responders\" (stool 50% of initial daily volume); group B patients were \"complete responders\" (stools < 250-300 ml/day). Drug suspension resulted in a prompt return of diarrhea, especially in group A and in these patients, the cryptosporidium was continuously eliminated in the stool. With octreotide therapy there was a reduction in stool volume and frequency; whether this treatment is effective as long-term therapy for this AIDS manifestation is unknown."}
{"id": "PMID:1479421", "title": "Evaluation of the in vitro antiproliferative properties of four novel anthracyclines YM1, 3, 4 and 6 in human leukemia cell lines.", "content": "The antitumor activity of novel doxorubicin analogues YM1, YM3, YM4 and YM6 was evaluated against drug sensitive U937 monocytic leukemia and CCRF-CEM lymphoid leukemia cell lines, as well as drug resistant CEM/VLB100 lymphoid multidrug resistant leukemia cell line by a [3H]thymidine incorporation assay. Different antileukemic activities of these new anthracyclines were observed in our studies. These novel anthracyclines produced a dose- and time-dependent inhibition in all the leukemic cell lines tested, while YM1 and YM3 were more effective than YM4 and YM6 against all the leukemic cell lines. The antitumor activity of all these novel analogues was lower than that of doxorubicin or epidoxorubicin in drug sensitive leukemic cells. The relative resistance values (IC50 of resistant cell line/IC50 of sensitive parental cell line) of YM1, 3, 4 and 6 were 27, 7, 5 and 14 respectively. These were lower than the resistance values for ADM and EDR which were 45 and 40 respectively. YM3 had a similar antileukemic activity against the CEM/VLB100 drug resistant leukemic cell line to ADM or EDR with a lower relative resistance value and a slightly increased IC50 value. Our results suggest that YM3 may be used in high dose for the clinical treatment of leukemias with possible less cardiotoxicity as well as less drug resistance."}
{"id": "PMID:1479422", "title": "GnRH analogs in gynecological oncology: a review.", "content": "Chronic GnRH analogs (GnRH-A) administration has proven to be effective for the control of some hormone-dependent tumors. GnRH-A are now in the standard treatment of prostatic cancer. In the present paper experimental and clinical data on the use of GnRH-A in gynecologic oncology are reviewed in order to identify a possible role in the therapy of breast, endometrial and ovarian cancer. Besides the indirect hormonal effect of GnRH-A, mediated by the suppression of gonadal steroidogenesis, in vitro evidence suggests a direct anti-proliferative action involving autocrine-paracrine regulation of cellular function. In advanced or recurrent breast cancer objective responses were observed in 157 out of 378 premenopausal patients (41%) and in 18 out of 166 postmenopausal women (10%). In ovarian cancer complete and partial responses were observed in 14 out of 121 (11%). At present, data on advanced endometrial carcinoma are limited: only 18 treated patients are reported, of whom 7 responded (38.8%). However, in general, most of the responses observed were transient. Thus, so far, the use of GnRH-A in gynecologic oncology has to be considered for palliation, after the failure of other better understood treatment modalities. The possible use of GnRH-A as an adjuvant is still under investigation."}
{"id": "PMID:1479423", "title": "Chemotherapy-induced amenorrhea and other clinical and pathological parameters in the prognosis of breast cancer patients.", "content": "147 stage II pre- and perimenopausal breast cancer patients were treated with cyclophosphamide-methotrexate-5-fluorouracil (CMF)- based adjuvant regimens. 103 (72%) patients became amenorrheic during or immediately after the end of the chemotherapy program. Univariate analyses for age, menstrual status, nodal involvement, grading, estrogen and progesterone receptor status indicated no correlation between induction of amenorrhea and a significant prolongation of overall and disease-free survival. Multivariate analyses confirmed that young age at diagnosis, increasing number of infiltrated nodes, negative progesterone receptor status and grade 3 tumors are associated with a worse prognosis. Our results suggest that no benefit is expected in women with drug induced amenorrhea after CMF adjuvant treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1479424", "title": "The antiemetic efficacy and the cost-benefit ratio of ondansetron calculated with a new approach to health technology assessment (real cost-benefit index).", "content": "In a phase II study including 80 patients treated with highly emetic drugs such as cisplatin, carboplatin or cyclophosphamide > 600 mg/day) we confirmed the potential of ondansetron to prevent cancer chemotherapy- related acute nausea and vomiting. With a total dose of 19.0-37.3 mg ondansetron we achieved 82%-100% acute (0-24 hours) vomiting free patients. Using ondansetron for the prevention of acute nausea and vomiting increases the total chemotherapy costs by 6%. The real cost-benefit ratio for the treatment of acute nausea and vomiting shows better values for ondansetron than for all other recommended regimens."}
{"id": "PMID:1479425", "title": "Altered patterns of reflex excitability subsequent to contusion injury of the rat spinal cord.", "content": "1. The present study investigated regulation of reflex excitability after experimental contusion injury of the spinal cord. 2. Four measures of H-reflex excitability were evaluated in normal rats and at 6, 28, and 60 days after contusion injury at the T8 level: 1) reflex thresholds, 2) slope of the reflex recruitment curves, 3) maximal plantar H-reflex/maximal plantar M-response (Hmax/Mmax) ratios, and 4) rate-sensitive depression (i.e., the decrease in reflex magnitude relative to repetition rate). 3. Tested as a function of the afferent volley magnitude, the thresholds for reflex initiation fell progressively subsequent to contusion injury. No change was observed at 6 days postinjury, and the decrease at 28 days was not significant. However, by 60 days postinjury, the threshold had decreased by 23% of the maximal afferent volley, and this decrease was significant, [analysis of variance (ANOVA, P < or = 0.01)]. 4. Hmax/Mmax ratios elicited in postcontusion animals at 0.3 Hz were not significantly different from those recorded in normal animals. 5. The slopes of the recruitment curves were markedly reduced subsequent to contusion injury. The decrease was greatest at 6 days postinjury. Although some recovery toward normal occurred at 28 and 60 days postinjury, the slopes of recruitment curves in postcontusion animals remained significantly decreased. 6. H-reflexes elicited at 1-5 Hz were less sensitive to rate depression in postcontusion animals than in normal animals at the same respective frequencies. The decrease was progressive in onset, becoming significant by 28 days postinjury, and of an enduring nature, i.e., still significantly different from normal in the reflexes tested 60 days postinjury. 7. Rate sensitivity of the tibial nerve monosynaptic reflex (MSR) was also compared in normal and postcontusion animals. Rate sensitivity of the tibial MSRs was significantly reduced at 28 and 60 days post-contusion, compared with normal animals. 8. These data indicate that significant changes in lumbar reflex excitability result from midthoracic contusion injury of the spinal cord. These changes include reflex threshold, slope of recruitment, and rate-sensitive depression. Although recruitment slope was most altered in the shortest postinjury interval tested, followed by some recovery, the other changes were progressive in onset and enduring in duration."}
{"id": "PMID:1479426", "title": "Topography of excitatory bandwidth in cat primary auditory cortex: single-neuron versus multiple-neuron recordings.", "content": "1. The spatial distribution of the sharpness of tuning of single neurons along the dorsoventral extent of primary auditory cortex (AI) was studied. A sharpness of tuning gradient was initially obtained with multiple-unit recordings, and in combination with the cochleotopic organization, served as a frame of reference for the locations of single neurons. The frequency selectivity or \"integrated excitatory bandwidth\" of multiple units varied systematically along the dorsoventral extent of AI. The most sharply tuned unit clusters were found at the approximate center of the dorsoventral extent. A gradual broadening of the integrated excitatory bandwidth in both dorsal and ventral directions was consistently seen. 2. The multiple-unit measures of the bandwidth 10 (BW10) and 40 dB (BW40) above minimum threshold, pooled across several animals and expressed in octaves, were similar to those described within individual cases in cats. As in the individual animals, the bandwidth maps were V shaped with minima located at the approximate center of the dorsal-ventral extent of AI. The location of the minimum in the multiple-unit bandwidth map (i.e., the most sharply tuned area) was used as a reference point to pool single-neuron data across animals. 3. For single neurons, the dorsal half of the BW40 distribution showed a gradient paralleling that found for multiple units. For both single and multiple units, the average excitatory bandwidth increased at a rate of approximately 0.27 octaves/mm from the center of AI toward the dorsal fringe. Differing from the dorsal half of AI, the ventral half of AI showed no clear BW40 gradient for single units along its dorsoventral extent. At 40 dB above minimum threshold, most ventral neurons encountered were sharply tuned. By contrast, the multiple-unit BW40 showed a gradient similar to the dorsal half with 0.23 octaves/mm increasing from the center toward the ventral border of AI. 4. For single neurons, BW10 showed no clear systematic spatial distribution in AI. Neither the dorsal nor the ventral gradient was significantly different from zero slope, although the dorsal half showed a trend toward increasing BW10s. Contrasting single neurons, both dorsal and ventral halves of AI showed BW10 slopes for multiple units confirming a V-shaped map of the integrated excitatory bandwidth within the dorsoventral extent of AI. 5. On the basis of the distribution of the integrated (multiple-unit) excitatory bandwidth, AI was parceled into three regions: the dorsal gradient, the ventral gradient, and the central, narrowly tuned area.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1479427", "title": "Effect of velocity and mechanical history on the forces of motor units in the cat medial gastrocnemius muscle.", "content": "1. Two fundamental aspects of the dynamic behavior of motor units of the cat medial gastrocnemius (MG) muscle were measured. Force-velocity (FV) relationships were measured with the use of constant velocity shortening and lengthening movements. Effects of mechanical history were assessed via comparisons of forces immediately after or during slow movements with standard isometric forces. Isometric force-length (FL) relations were also measured, and the effect of different stimulation rates on both FV and FL data was assessed. 2. Prior or concurrent movement greatly potentiated motor-unit force, but this movement potentiation was highly dependent on the amplitude of the unit's force. The smallest twitch forces of type S units (< 10 mN) were potentiated more than threefold, but no potentiation occurred for unit forces > 200 mN. It was tentatively concluded that movement potentiation may play little role in normal movements because it does not occur at forces > 1% of maximal isometric force of the MG. 3. During shortening, the normalized FV relations of type S units were relatively steeper than those of type FR or FF units. For lengthening, there was no evident relation between FV steepness and motor-unit type. 4. Stimulation rate affected both the FV and FL relationships of the motor units. The peak of the FL relationship (Lo) clearly shifted to shorter muscle lengths as stimulation rate was increased. The steepness of the FV relationship for shortening was decreased by increasing stimulation rate, but this effect was modest. 5. The shift in motor-unit Lo and the differences in motor-unit FV relationships were hypothesized to play significant roles during normal motor behavior. Realistic computer simulations of FL and FV functions for a population of motor units undergoing normal steady-state recruitment and rate modulation supported these hypotheses. As the level of simulated neural drive increased, the population Lo shifted to considerably shorter lengths, and the normalized FV function became much less steep. The significance of these results for models of muscle are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1479428", "title": "Effects of reversible blockade of basal ganglia on a voluntary arm movement.", "content": "1. The effects of a reversible blockade of basal ganglia were examined in two monkeys trained to perform a visually guided, step-tracking arm movement around the elbow joint. To block glutamatergic excitation, kynurenate (a glutamate antagonist) was locally injected into the putamen and the external segment (GPe) and the internal segment (GPi) of the globus pallidus contralateral to the arm tested. Muscimol [a gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) agonist] was also used to suppress neuronal activity in these structures. The drugs were injected in the arm area of the putamen, which was identified by microstimulation or by recording neural activity. For the GPe and GPi, injections were made into the area medioventral to the arm area of the putamen. 2. The blockade of the putamen caused abnormal braking of the arm movements. The first step of the movement became hypometric, and multiple steps were necessary to reach the target. The electromyographic (EMG) analysis revealed an increase of burst activity in the antagonist muscles and a decrease of that in the agonist muscles at the fast movements. The tonic activity increased in the extensor muscles during a holding period. 3. The blockade of the GPi caused dysmetric movements. Amplitude and peak velocity of the first step of movement largely fluctuated among trials. It became difficult for the animal to brake and adjust its arm onto the target. 4. The blockade of the GPe caused a flexion posture at the elbow joint of the contralateral arm. The tonic activity of the flexor muscles increased. Cocontraction of the agonist and antagonist muscles was also observed. 5. These results suggest that the putaminopallidal system of the basal ganglia contributes to both of two motor functions: 1) static control to maintain the posture with tonic muscle activity, and 2) dynamic control to enable fast movements."}
{"id": "PMID:1479429", "title": "Rostral ventrolateral medullary and caudal medullary raphe neurons with activity correlated to the 10-Hz rhythm in sympathetic nerve discharge.", "content": "1. The current study is the first to identify medullary neurons whose naturally occurring discharges were correlated to the 10-Hz rhythm in sympathetic nerve discharge (SND). Spike-triggered averaging showed that 44 of 164 rostral ventrolateral medullary (RVLM) and 44 of 174 caudal medullary raphe neurons had activity correlated to the 10-Hz rhythm in inferior cardiac postganglionic SND of 23 baroreceptor-denervated, decerebrate cats. 2. When the frequency of the rhythm in SND was decreased by lowering body temperature, the discharges of the 10 neurons tested (6 RVLM and 4 raphe) remained locked to the peak of the next 10-Hz sympathetic nerve slow wave rather than to the peak of the preceding slow wave. This observation supports the contention that the 10-Hz rhythm in basal SND was generated in the brain stem rather than in the spinal cord. 3. Frequency-domain analysis was used to characterize further the relationship between the 10-Hz rhythm in SND and the discharges of 30 RVLM and 24 raphe neurons. The autospectra of the discharges of eight RVLM and four raphe neurons contained a sharp peak near 10 Hz, although the mean firing rates of these neurons were lower than the frequency of the rhythm in SND. Coherence values as high as 0.76 characterized the relationship between the discharges of these \"rhythmically firing neurons\" and the 10-Hz rhythm in SND. A coherence value of 1.0 indicates a perfect correlation. The autospectra of the discharges of the 22 RVLM and 20 raphe neurons did not contain a peak near 10 Hz. The mean firing rates and coherence values relating the discharges of these \"nonrhythmically firing neurons\" and the 10-Hz rhythm in SND were significantly lower than those for the rhythmically firing neurons. Because the frequency of the population rhythm recorded from the inferior cardiac nerve was higher than the firing rates of individual medullary neurons, the 10-Hz rhythm in SND appears to be an emergent property of a network of neurons whose discharges are probabilistically related to the population rhythm. 4. In addition to the peak near 10-Hz, the autospectrum of SND often contained considerable power at frequencies < 6 Hz. This component of SND is called the 2- to 6-Hz rhythm.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1479430", "title": "Oscillatory discharge in the visual system: does it have a functional role?", "content": "1. The discharge of individual neurons in the visual cortex and lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) of anesthetized and paralyzed cats and kittens was examined for the presence of oscillatory activity. Neural firing was evoked through the monoptic or dichoptic presentation of drifting gratings and random sequences of flashed bars. The degree to which different oscillatory frequencies were present in neural discharge was quantified by computation of the power spectra of impulse train responses. 2. Action potentials from single cells were recorded extracellularly and isolated on the basis of amplitude. Receptive-field properties of the neurons under study were characterized initially by their discharge in response to gratings of sinusoidal luminance. By varying orientation and spatial frequency, optimal stimulus characteristics were determined. Oscillation analysis was performed on spike trains acquired during repeated presentations of the optimal stimulus by identification of power spectra peaks in the frequency range of rhythmic potentials observed in electroencephalograph studies (30-80 Hz). The amplitude and frequency of the largest peak in this range was used to characterize oscillatory strength and frequency. All discharge in which the peak amplitude exceeded the high-frequency noise by a factor > 1.5 was classified as oscillatory. 3. Of the 342 cortical cells examined, 147 cells displayed oscillatory activity in the 30 to 80-Hz range during portions of their visual response. Sixty out of 169 simple cells, 82 out of 166 complex cells, and 5 out of 7 special complex cells exhibited oscillations. There was no laminar bias in the distribution of oscillatory cells; the proportions of oscillatory cells were similar in all layers. All oscillatory discharge was variable with respect to frequency and strength between successive presentations of the same optimal stimulus. In as little as 10 s, for example, peak frequencies shifted by a factor of two. For many cells, these trial-to-trial variations obscured detectable oscillations when all trials were averaged together. 4. The potential role of neuronal maturation in the generation of oscillatory activity was investigated by studying neuronal responses from kittens at 4 wk postnatal. Of the 80 kitten cells studied, 27 exhibited oscillatory discharge. Although oscillations in the kitten visual cortex spanned the same frequency range as that seen in the adult, oscillations in the midfrequency range (36-44 Hz) are more common in the adult cortex. 5. To explore the possibility that oscillations might play a functional role in vision, we investigated the dependence of oscillations on different stimulus parameters.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1479431", "title": "Segmental organization of visceral and somatic input onto C3-T6 spinothalamic tract cells of the monkey.", "content": "1. Referred pain of visceral origin has three major characteristics: visceral pain is referred to somatic areas that are innervated from the same spinal segments as the diseased organ; visceral pain is referred to proximal body regions and not to distal body areas; and visceral pain is felt as deep pain and not as cutaneous pain. The neurophysiological basis for these phenomena is poorly understood. The purpose of this study was to examine the organization of viscerosomatic response characteristics of spinothalamic tract (STT) neurons in the rostral spinal cord. Interactions were determined among the following: 1) segmental location, 2) effects of input by cardiopulmonary sympathetic, greater splanchnic, lumbar sympathetic, and urinary bladder afferent fibers, 3) location of excitatory somatic field, e.g., hand, forearm, proximal arm, or chest, 4) magnitude of response to hair, skin, and deep mechanoreceptor afferent input, and 5) regional specificity of thalamic projection sites. 2. A total of 89 STT neurons in segments C3-T6 were characterized for responses to visceral and somatic stimuli. Neurons were activated antidromically from the contralateral ventroposterolateral oralis or caudalis nuclei of the thalamus. Cell responses to visceral and somatic stimuli were not different on the basis of the thalamic site of antidromic activation. Recording sites for 61 neurons were located histologically; 87% of lesion sites were located in laminae IV-VII or X. There was no relationship between response properties of the neurons and spinal laminar location. 3. Different responses to visceral stimuli were observed in three zones of the rostral spinal cord: C3-C6, C7-C8, and T1-T6. In C3-C6, urinary bladder distension (UBD) and electrical stimulation of greater splanchnic and lumbar sympathetic afferent fibers inhibited STT cells. Electrical stimulation of cardiopulmonary sympathetic afferents increased cell activity in C5 and C6 and either excited or inhibited STT cells in C3 and C4. In the cervical enlargement (C7-C8), STT cells generally were either inhibited or showed little response to stimulation of visceral afferent fibers. In T1-T6, input from greater splanchnic and cardiopulmonary sympathetic afferent nerves increased activity of STT cells. Lumbar sympathetic afferent input inhibited cells in T1-T2 and had little effect on cells in T3-T6, whereas UBD decreased cell activity in all segments studied. 4. In general, stimulation of somatic structures increased activity of STT neurons in segments that received primary afferent innervation from the excitatory somatic receptive field or in the segments immediately adjacent to these segments. Only input from the forelimb, especially the hand, markedly excited cells in C7 and C8.+"}
{"id": "PMID:1479432", "title": "Dynamic range of neural rate responses in the ventral cochlear nucleus of awake cats.", "content": "1. Response thresholds and dynamic range properties of neurons in the ventral cochlear nucleus (VCN) of awake cats were measured by fitting a computational model to rate-level functions for best frequency (BF) tone bursts and for bursts of broad-band noise. Dynamic range measurements were performed in quiet and in the presence of continuous background noise. 2. The sample of neurons obtained in the VCN of awake cats exhibited a variety of peristimulus histograms (PSTHs) and thresholds. All PSTH response types previously described in the VCN of anesthetized cats were found in awake cats. The lowest thresholds for neural responses were observed at sound pressure levels that were equivalent to behavioral thresholds of absolute auditory sensitivity. 3. When responses to BF tones or bursts of broad-band noise were recorded in quiet backgrounds, the dynamic range properties of most units in the VCN of awake cats were not significantly different from dynamic range properties of auditory nerve fibers (ANFs) in anesthetized cats or VCN units in decerebrate cats. All auditory units showed a larger dynamic range for noise bursts than for tone bursts, but VCN units with primary-like and onset PSTHs showed larger dynamic ranges for responses to noise bursts than that of ANFs and VCN chopper units. 4. When tests were performed in the presence of continuous noise, rate-level functions for BF tone bursts shifted to higher tone levels and showed a more compressed range of driven rates in comparison with data obtained in quiet. Compression of the rate-level function in noise resulted from an increase in driven rate at low tone levels and a decrease in rate at high tone levels. These changes in the rate-level function suggest that noise may reduce the range of BF tone levels that are potentially encoded by a unit's rate responses. By exhibiting larger shifts and less compression in background noise, VCN units in awake cats better preserved the dynamic range of their rate responses to BF tones than ANFs in anesthetized cats or VCN units in decerebrate cats. 5. Rate-level functions were obtained from a small sample of VCN units not only with the cat performing the behavioral task but also with the cat awake and sitting quietly in the testing apparatus. No differences in noise-induced shift or compression were noted between the two testing conditions.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1479433", "title": "Activity-dependent potentiation and depression of visual cortical responses to optic nerve stimulation in kittens.", "content": "1. To see whether long-lasting changes in synaptic efficacy are induced in the developing visual cortex (VC), field potentials evoked by test stimulation given alternatively to each of the optic nerves (ONs) were recorded from VC of kittens ranging in age from 4 to 8 wk. In some experiments, field potentials were recorded simultaneously from the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) in addition to VC. 2. Tetanic stimulation was applied to one of the ONs for 1-60 min at 5 Hz. Homosynaptic potentiation of cortical responses, defined as an increase lasting > 2.5 h in the cortical field potential evoked by test stimulation of the ON that was tetanized, was induced without any changes in LGN responses in 3 of the 12 kittens tested. Heterosynaptic depression, defined as a decrease lasting > 0.5 h in the field potential evoked by stimulation of the ON that was not tetanized, was also induced in two of those three kittens. 3. To elucidate a role of inputs originating from spontaneous activity of retinal ganglion cells in induction of potentiation and depression in the cortex, tetrodotoxin (TTX) was injected into both eyes of 11 kittens. After we confirmed the suppression of retinal activity by TTX, tetanic stimulation was applied to ON. Homosynaptic potentiation of cortical responses was induced in 6 of the 11 kittens, and the ratio of the mean amplitude of posttetanic responses to that of pretetanic responses for the 11 kittens was on average larger than that for the 12 control kittens. Heterosynaptic depression was not observed in any of the 11 kittens. 4. To see a role of postsynaptic activity in induction of potentiation and depression, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) was applied continuously to the VC by an infusion pump in 10 kittens. Tetanic stimulation was given to ON while cortical activities were suppressed by GABA. After recovery of cortical activities, homosynaptic depression was found to be induced in 3 of the 10 kittens, but homosynaptic potentiation was not observed at all. The ratio of amplitude of posttetanic to pretetanic responses at the tetanized side for the 10 kittens was on average smaller than that for the 11 TTX-injected kittens. 5. These results can be accounted for by the modified covariance model in which the relation of postsynaptic activity and direction of changes in synaptic efficacy is formulated.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1479434", "title": "Inactivation of the DSCF area of the auditory cortex with muscimol disrupts frequency discrimination in the mustached bat.", "content": "1. The Jamaican mustached bat uses a biosonar signal (pulse) with eight major components: four harmonics each consisting of a long constant frequency (CF1-4) component followed by a short frequency-modulated (FM1-4) component. While flying, the bat adjusts the frequency of its pulse so as to maintain the CF2 of the Doppler-shifted echo at a frequency to which its cochlea is very sharply tuned. This Doppler shift (DS) compensation likely is mediated or influenced by the Doppler-shifted CF (DSCF) processing area of the primary auditory cortex, which only represents frequencies in the range of echo CF2s (60.6 to 62.3 kHz when the \"resting\" frequency of the CF2 is 61.0 kHz). 2. We trained four bats to discriminate between different trains of paired tone bursts that mimicked a bat's pulse CF2 and the accompanying echo CF2. The frequency of these CF2s ranged between 61.0 and 64.0 kHz. A discriminated shock avoidance procedure response was employed using a leg flexion. For one stimulus, the S+, the pulse and echo CF2s were the same frequency (delta f = 0, i.e., no Doppler shift). A leg flexion during the S+ turned off both the S+ and the scheduled shock. For a second stimulus, the S-, the echo CF2 was 0.05, 0.1, 0.3, 0.5, or 2.0 kHz higher than the pulse CF2. A delta f of 0.05 kHz was a frequency difference of 0.08%. No shock followed the S-, and leg flexions had no consequences. Correct responses consisted of a leg flexion during the S+ and no flexion during the S-; these responses were added together to compute the percentage of correct responses. When a bat correctly responded at better than 75% for all the delta f s, muscimol, a potent agonist of gamma-aminobutyric acid, was bilaterally applied to inactivate the DSCF area. Performance on each delta f discrimination was then measured. 3. Initial attempts to condition the bats to flex their legs to the CF tones mimicking part of the natural pulses and echoes failed. When broad-band noise bursts were substituted, however, the conditioned response was rapidly established. The noise band-width was gradually reduced and then replaced with the CF tones. Discrimination training with the tone burst trains then commenced. Throughout this procedure, the bats maintained their responding to the stimuli. The bats typically required approximately 20-30 sessions to perform consistently (> or = 75% correct responses) a discrimination involving a 2 kHz delta f.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1479435", "title": "Saccade-vergence interactions in humans.", "content": "1. We recorded eye movements in four normal human subjects during refixations between targets calling for various combinations of saccades and vergence. We confirmed and extended prior observations of 1) transient changes in horizontal ocular alignment during both pure horizontal saccades (relative divergence followed by relative convergence) and pure vertical saccades (usually divergence for upward and convergence for downward saccades); 2) occasional, high-frequency (20-25 Hz), conjugate oscillations along the axis orthogonal to the main saccade; and 3) the speeding up of horizontal vergence by both horizontal and vertical saccades. 2. To interpret these findings, we developed a hypothesis for the generation of vergence to step changes in target depth, both with and without associated saccades. The essential features of this hypothesis are 1) the transient changes in horizontal ocular alignment during pure horizontal saccades reflect asymmetries in the mechanical properties of the lateral and medial rectus muscles causing adduction to lag abduction; 2) pure vergence movements in response to step changes in target depth are generated by a neural network that uses a desired change in vergence position as its input command and instantaneous vergence motor error (the difference between the desired change and the actual change in vergence) to drive vergence premoter neurons; and 3) the facilitation of horizontal vergence by saccades arises from nonlinear interactions in central premotor circuits. 3. The hypothetical network for generating pure vergence to step changes in target depth is analogous in structure to the local feedback model for the generation of saccades and has the same conceptual appeal. With the assumption of a single nonlinearity describing the relationship between a vergence motor error signal and the output of the neurons that generate promoter vergence velocity commands, this model generates pure vergence movements with peak velocity-amplitude relationships and trajectories that closely match those of experimental data. 4. Several types of models are proposed for the central, nonlinear interaction that occurs when saccades and vergence are combined. Common to all models is the idea that omnidirectional pause neurons (OPN), which are thought to gate activity for saccade burst neurons, also gate activity for saccade-related vergence. In one model we hypothesize the existence of a separate class of saccade-related vergence burst neurons, which generate premotor horizontal vergence commands but only during saccades. In a second model we hypothesize separate right eye and left eye saccadic burst neurons that receive not only conjugate, but also equal but oppositely directed vergence error signals.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1479436", "title": "Orthopteran DCMD neuron: a reevaluation of responses to moving objects. I. Selective responses to approaching objects.", "content": "1. The \"descending contralateral movement detector\" (DCMD) neuron in the locust has been challenged with a variety of moving stimuli, including scenes from a film (Star Wars), moving disks, and images generated by computer. The neuron responds well to any rapid movement. For a dark object moving along a straight path at a uniform velocity, the DCMD gives the strongest response when the object travels directly toward the eye, and the weakest when the object travels away from the eye. Instead of expressing selectivity for movements of small rather than large objects, the DCMD responds preferentially to approaching objects. 2. The neuron shows a clear selectivity for approach over recession for a variety of sizes and velocities of movement both of real objects and in simulated movements. When a disk that subtends > or = 5 degrees at the eye approaches the eye, there are two peaks in spike rate: one immediately after the start of movement; and a second that builds up during the approach. When a disk recedes from the eye, there is a single peak in response as the movement starts. There is a good correlation between spike rate and angular acceleration of the edges of the image over the eye. 3. When an object approaches from a distance sufficient for it to subtend less than one interommatidial angle at the start of its approach, there is a single peak in response. The DCMD tracks the approach, and, if the object moves at 1 m/s or faster, the spike rate increases throughout the duration of object movement. The size of the response depends on the speed of approach. 4. It is unlikely that the DCMD encodes the time to collision accurately, because the response depends on the size as well as the velocity of an approaching object. 5. Wide-field movements suppress the response to an approaching object. The suppression varies with the temporal frequency of the background pattern. 6. Over a wide range of contrasts of object against background, the DCMD gives a stronger response to approaching than to receding objects. For low contrasts, the selectivity is greater for objects that are darker than the background than for objects that are lighter."}
{"id": "PMID:1479437", "title": "Orthopteran DCMD neuron: a reevaluation of responses to moving objects. II. Critical cues for detecting approaching objects.", "content": "1. We examine the critical image cues that are used by the locust visual system for the descending contralateral motion detector (DCMD) neuron to distinguish approaching from receding objects. Images were controlled by computer and presented on an electrostatic monitor. 2. Changes in overall luminance elicited much smaller and briefer responses from the DCMD than objects that appeared to approach the eye. Although a decrease in overall luminance might boost the response to an approaching dark object, movement of edges of the image is more important. 3. When two pairs of lines, in a cross-hairs configuration, were moved apart and then together again, the DCMD showed no preference for divergence compared with convergence of edges. A directional response was obtained by either making the lines increase in extent during divergence and decrease in extent during convergence; or by continually increasing the velocity of line movement during divergence and decreasing velocity during convergence. 4. The DCMD consistently gave a larger response to growing than to shrinking solid rectangular images. An increase compared with a decrease in the extent of edge in an image is, therefore, an important cue for the directionality of the response. For single moving edges of fixed extent, the neuron gave the largest response to edges that subtended 15 degrees at the eye. 5. The DCMD was very sensitive to the amount by which an edge traveled between frames on the display screen, with the largest responses generated by 2.5 degrees of travel. This implies that the neurons in the optic lobe that drive this movement-detecting system have receptive fields of about the same extent as a single ommatidium. 6. For edges moving up to 250 degree/s, the excitation of the DCMD increases with velocity. The response to an edge moving at a constant velocity adapts rapidly, in a manner that depends on velocity. Movement over one part of the retina can adapt the subsequent response to movement over another part of the retina. 7. For the DCMD to track and continue to respond to the image of an approaching object, the edges of the image must continually increase in velocity. This is the second important stimulus cue. 8. Edges of opposite contrasts (light-dark compared with dark-light) are processed in separate pathways that inhibit each other. This would contribute to the reduction of responses to wide-field movements."}
{"id": "PMID:1479438", "title": "Analysis and modeling of the multisegmental coordination of shortening behavior in the medicinal leech. I. Motor output pattern.", "content": "1. To understand how a multisegmental animal coordinates motor activity over more than one segment, we studied shortening behavior in the medicinal leech, in which several segments contract longitudinally in response to a moderately strong mechanical stimulus. 2. We first demonstrated that the neuronal activity responsible for shortening behavior occurred in semi-intact and isolated nerve cord preparations, and then characterized the responses of motor neurons in isolated preparations. The motor output during shortening was simultaneous excitation of motor neurons innervating dorsal longitudinal muscle and of motor neurons innervating ventral longitudinal muscle. 3. The stronger the stimulus, the more segments produced the shortening motor output, with the segments nearest the stimulus recruited first. 4. Although the shortening response was produced in several segments near the site of stimulation, it was never produced in the stimulated segment, where the local bending motor output pattern was produced. The motor pattern suggests that shortening, initially considered a very simple behavior, requires the involvement of at least few segmentally iterated interneurons."}
{"id": "PMID:1479439", "title": "Analysis and modeling of the multisegmental coordination of shortening behavior in the medicinal leech. II. Role of identified interneurons.", "content": "1. Mechanical stimulation of the leech, Hirudo medicinalis, elicits withdrawal behavior that has two components: local bending in the segment stimulated and shortening in outlying segments. Local bending is characterized by excitation of longitudinal muscle on one side of the segment and inhibition on the other side. In shortening, all longitudinal muscles are excited. We wished to understand how these distinct motor patterns are produced by a nervous system with segmentally iterated neurons, a configuration that places some limitations on the complexity of connection patterns. 2. We searched for neurons in the segmental nervous system that subserved shortening behavior, expecting to find at least one interneuron in each segment that was involved in shortening behavior exclusively. We found instead that all interneurons involved in shortening are also involved in local bending, and no individual interneuron can completely account for shortening. 3. The motor output caused by individual identified interneurons is not entirely consistent with the shortening motor output pattern. For instance, one interneuron, cell 115, has the same pattern of motor effects from segment to segment, causing excitation of dorsal excitatory motor neurons and inhibition of ventral excitatory motor neurons. These effects would cause dorsal local bending, not shortening, in a few segments. Only one interneuron, cell 125, has motor effects that would cause shortening. 4. Individual interneurons were hyperpolarized while single sensory cells were stimulated, to quantify the contributions of individual interneurons to the observed motor pattern. Interneurons 115 and 125, and the inhibitory motor neuron, cell 1, were found to have significant roles in producing the shortening motor output. 5. A quantitative estimate of the role of each interneuron type showed that the identified interneurons account for most of the excitation of dorsal motor neurons, but for very little of the excitation of ventral motor neurons. This predicts that at least one additional interneuron type remains to be identified, one that would provide excitation to ventral motor neurons in several segments. 6. A back-propagation trained neural network model was constructed to predict the connections of the as yet unidentified interneurons. To match the known properties of interneurons, it was necessary to include a segmental similarity constraint in the training algorithm for segmentally iterated model neurons. The modeled networks predicted that there are at least two kinds of interneurons yet to be found. Also, the modeling showed that interneurons can have input and output patterns that differ very little from segment to segment but yet produce major differences in the motor output."}
{"id": "PMID:1479440", "title": "Transient K current in the somatic membrane of cultured central neurons of embryonic rat.", "content": "1. Somatic K currents of cultured hippocampal, striatal, and spinal cord neurons of embryonic rat were recorded under voltage clamp in membrane spheres (\"blebs\") excised by means of a tight-seal pipette. 2. The somatic K current in blebs was subject to rapid and near complete inactivation during 300-ms depolarizations, whereas whole-cell K currents included a substantial maintained component. Size and kinetic properties of bleb and whole-cell currents were stable throughout the recording period. 3. The steady-state inactivation of somatic A current was steeply voltage dependent and complete near voltage levels that activated current, whereas peak conductances did not saturate during depolarizations up to +90 mV. Activation started with a delay. Half-times of activation decreased with depolarization, but half-times of inactivation varied little with depolarization. Recovery from inactivation followed a sigmoidal time course with half-times of approximately 50 ms. 4. Half-times of activation and inactivation varied over more than an order of magnitude between individual neurons. Midpoint potentials of inactivation and peak conductance varied over approximately 40 mV. The parameter ranges of hippocampal, striatal, and spinal cord neurons overlapped. 5. Individual soma membranes revealed signs of K channel heterogeneity in their 4-aminopyridine block, current fluctuations, and current kinetics. On the other hand, currents elicited after conditioning pulses that established varied degrees of steady-state inactivation or of recovery from full inactivation had superimposable time courses. 6. The described characteristics of the somatic A channels are compared with those reported for the RCK4, Raw3, and mShal products expressed in Xenopus oocytes. Whereas the ranges of voltage dependencies and of most kinetic characteristics are compatible among native and cloned channels, these three cloned channels recover much more slowly from inactivation. In addition, inactivation in native channels, unlike that in RCK4 and Raw3 channels, was stable after excision in a subcellular fragment."}
{"id": "PMID:1479441", "title": "Nociceptive neurons in area 24 of rabbit cingulate cortex.", "content": "1. Single-unit responses in area 24 of cingulate cortex were examined in halothane-anesthetized rabbits during stimulation of the skin with transcutaneous electrical (TCES, 3-10 mA), mechanical (smooth or serrated forceps to the dorsal body surface or graded pressures of 100-1,500 g to the stabilized ear) and thermal (> 25 degrees C) stimulation. 2. Of 542 units tested in cingulate cortex, 150 responded to noxious TCES (> or = 6 mA), 93 of 221 units tested responded to noxious mechanical (serrated forceps) and 9 of 47 units tested responded to noxious heat (> 43 degrees C) stimuli. Twenty-five percent of the units that responded to noxious mechanical stimuli also responded to noxious heat stimuli. The only innocuous stimulus that evoked activity in cingulate cortex was a \"tap\" to the skin and this was effective for 11 of 14 tested units. 3. In 74 units that produced excitatory responses to TCES of the contralateral ear, response latency was 166 +/- 11.3 (SE) ms and response duration was 519 +/- 52.1 ms. 4. Twenty of the 150 units that responded to noxious TCES were initially inhibited. These responses were usually < 1 s in duration (17 of 20 units), whereas responses in the other 3 lasted for over 20 s. 5. Most units had broad receptive fields, because noxious mechanical stimuli anywhere on the dorsal surface of the rabbits, including the face and ears, evoked responses. A small number of units for which the entire body surface was tested (3 of 15 units) had receptive fields limited to the ears, rostral back, and forepaws. 6. Fifteen of 33 units tested had no preferential responses to noxious TCES of the ipsilateral and contralateral ears. Of the remaining units, 10 had a greater response to contralateral and 8 had a greater response to ipsilateral stimuli. 7. The locations of 186 units were histologically verified. Most nociceptive cingulate units were in dorsal area 24b in layers III (n = 35), II (n = 13), or V (n = 9). 8. Cortical knifecut lesions were made in five rabbits to determine if the responses in area 24 were dependent on lateral or posterior cortical inputs. These lesions did not alter the percentage of units driven by noxious stimuli nor response latency. 9. Injections of lidocaine were made into medial parts of the thalamus in six animals and injection and recording sites analyzed histologically.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1479442", "title": "Mechanisms underlying excitatory effects of thyrotropin-releasing hormone on rat hypoglossal motoneurons in vitro.", "content": "1. The hypoglossal motor nucleus contains binding sites for the neuropeptide thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) and is innervated by TRH-containing fibers. Although excitatory effects of TRH on hypoglossal motoneurons (HMs) have been described, the ionic mechanisms by which TRH exerts such effects have not been fully elucidated. Therefore, we investigated the effects of TRH on HMs in transverse slices of rat brainstem with intracellular recording techniques. 2. TRH was applied by perfusion (0.1-10 microM) or by pressure ejection (1.0 microM), while HMs were recorded in current or voltage clamp. In all cells tested, TRH caused a depolarization and/or the development of an inward current. These effects were fully reversible, dose dependent, and showed only modest desensitization with long applications. In addition, although TRH increased synaptic activity in many cells, the depolarizing response to TRH was maintained in tetrodotoxin (0.5-1.0 microM)-containing or in a nominally Ca(2+)-free perfusate containing 2 mM Mn2+. Thus TRH acts directly on HMs to cause the depolarization. 3. Hyperpolarizing current (or voltage) steps superimposed on the TRH-induced depolarization (or inward current) revealed a decreased input conductance. Extrapolated instantaneous current-voltage relationships obtained before and at the peak of the response to TRH intersected (i.e., reversed) at -101 mV, negative to the expected K+ equilibrium potential (EK). When extracellular [K+] was raised from 3 to 12 mM, the reversal potential was shifted in the depolarizing direction and the magnitude of the TRH-induced depolarization was diminished. Moreover, the TRH response was enhanced in size from depolarized potentials (i.e., further from EK). Taken together, these results indicate that TRH depolarizes HMs, in part, by decreasing a resting K+ conductance. 4. Similar to TRH, bath-application of 2 mM Ba2+ caused a depolarization associated with decreased conductance, suggesting that Ba2+ also blocks a resting K+ conductance. The Ba(2+)-sensitive and TRH-sensitive resting K+ conductances are apparently identical; in the presence of Ba2+, the customary TRH-induced decrease in conductance was occluded. 5. It is noteworthy that the TRH-induced inward current (ITRH), although diminished, was not entirely blocked by Ba2+. This second Ba(2+)-insensitive component of ITRH was not associated with a measurable change in input conductance. It was especially evident during current-clamp recordings, when the diminutive TRH-induced current was still capable of causing a substantial depolarization. The ionic basis of the residual TRH-induced inward current remains to be determined. 6. We investigated the functional consequences of these mechanisms of action of TRH on spike firing behavior of HMs.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1479443", "title": "GABAergic circuits sharpen tuning curves and modify response properties in the mustache bat inferior colliculus.", "content": "1. The influence of bicuculline on the tuning curves of 65 neurons in the inferior colliculus of the mustache bat was investigated. Single units were recorded with multibarrel electrodes where one barrel contained bicuculline, an antagonist specific for gamma-amino-butyric acid (GABA)A receptors. Fifty-nine tuning curves were recorded from units that were sharply tuned to 60 kHz, the dominant frequency of the bat's orientation call, but six tuning curves were also recorded from units tuned to lower frequencies and whose tuning curves were broader than the 60 kHz cells. Tuning curves were constructed from peristimulus time (PST) histograms obtained over a wide range of frequency-intensity combinations. Thus tuning curves, PST histograms evoked by frequencies within the tuning curve, and rate-level functions at the best frequency were obtained before iontophoresis of bicuculline and compared with the tuning curves and response properties obtained during the administration of bicuculline. 2. Three general types of tuning curves were obtained: 1) open tuning curves that broadened on both the high- and low-frequency sides with increasing sound level; 2) level-tolerant tuning curves in which the width of the tuning curve remained uniformly narrow with increasing sound level; and 3) upper-threshold tuning curves, which did not discharge to high-intensity tone bursts at the best frequency, thereby creating closed or folded tuning curves. 3. One major finding is that GABAergic inhibition plays an important role in sharpening frequency tuning properties of many neurons in the mustache bat inferior colliculus. In response to blocking GABAergic inputs with bicuculline, the tuning curves broadened in 42% of the neurons that were sharply tuned to 60 kHz. The degree of change in most units varied with sound level: tuning curves were least affected, or not affected at all, within 10 dB of threshold and showed progressively greater changes at higher sound levels. These effects were seen in units that had open, level-tolerant, and upper-threshold tuning curves. 4. A second key result is that bicuculline affected rate-level functions and/or temporal discharge patterns in many units. Bicuculline transformed the rate-level functions of 13 cells that originally had nonmonotonic rate level functions, from strongly nonmonotonic into weakly nonmonotonic or monotonic functions. It also changed the temporal discharge patterns in 22 cells, and the changes were often frequency specific.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1479444", "title": "Experimental tests of a superposition hypothesis to explain the relationship between the vestibuloocular reflex and smooth pursuit during horizontal combined eye-head tracking in humans.", "content": "1. We used a modeling approach to test the hypothesis that, in humans, the smooth pursuit (SP) system provides the primary signal for cancelling the vestibuloocular reflex (VOR) during combined eye-head tracking (CEHT) of a target moving smoothly in the horizontal plane. Separate models for SP and the VOR were developed. The optimal values of parameters of the two models were calculated using measured responses of four subjects to trials of SP and the visually enhanced VOR. After optimal parameter values were specified, each model generated waveforms that accurately reflected the subjects' responses to SP and vestibular stimuli. The models were then combined into a CEHT model wherein the final eye movement command signal was generated as the linear summation of the signals from the SP and VOR pathways. 2. The SP-VOR superposition hypothesis was tested using two types of CEHT stimuli, both of which involved passive rotation of subjects in a vestibular chair. The first stimulus consisted of a \"chair brake\" or sudden stop of the subject's head during CEHT; the visual target continued to move. The second stimulus consisted of a sudden change from the visually enhanced VOR to CEHT (\"delayed target onset\" paradigm); as the vestibular chair rotated past the angular position of the stationary visual stimulus, the latter started to move in synchrony with the chair. Data collected during experiments that employed these stimuli were compared quantitatively with predictions made by the CEHT model. 3. During CEHT, when the chair was suddenly and unexpectedly stopped, the eye promptly began to move in the orbit to track the moving target. Initially, gaze velocity did not completely match target velocity, however; this finally occurred approximately 100 ms after the brake onset. The model did predict the prompt onset of eye-in-orbit motion after the brake, but it did not predict that gaze velocity would initially be only approximately 70% of target velocity. One possible explanation for this discrepancy is that VOR gain can be dynamically modulated and, during sustained CEHT, it may assume a lower value. Consequently, during CEHT, a smaller-amplitude SP signal would be needed to cancel the lower-gain VOR. This reduction of the SP signal could account for the attenuated tracking response observed immediately after the brake. We found evidence for the dynamic modulation of VOR gain by noting differences in responses to the onset and offset of head rotation in trials of the visually enhanced VOR.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1479445", "title": "Depression of postsynaptic potentials by high-frequency stimulation in embryonic motoneurons grown in spinal cord slice cultures.", "content": "1. In embryonic cocultures of spinal cord, dorsal root ganglia, and muscle, excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs) were recorded in motoneurons during focal electrical stimulation of the dorsal root ganglia or the spinal cord. 2. EPSPs were depressed in amplitude at high-frequency stimulation relative to a control frequency of 0.5 Hz by 47 and 75% at 5 and 10 Hz, respectively. This was true for composite EPSPs and unitary EPSPs. 3. The depression showed a wide range of variability between individual experiments. The degree of depression at 5 Hz was negatively correlated to the rate of spontaneous excitatory input the motoneurons received. There was no correlation to the soma size, the average amplitude of the EPSPs, the rheobase, or the input resistance of the motoneurons. 4. An increase in latency of EPSPs was observed concomitant with or preceding the synaptic depression in most experiments. Total transmission failures, which were absent at low-frequency stimulation, appeared during depression. 5. Large incremental steps in amplitude could be seen during depression, suggesting that several release sites were switched off and on together. 6. Decreasing the extracellular calcium concentration from 5 to 1 mM led to a decrease in the frequency sensitivity of the synaptic efficacy and to a decrease of the EPSP amplitude and latency. 7. Measurements of the antidromic conduction of action potentials evoked in the axons and recorded in the somata of dorsal root ganglion cells revealed an increase in latency and the appearance of conduction failures at stimulation frequencies of 1-10 Hz. The frequency modulation of conduction was decreased in 1 mM compared with 5 mM external calcium. 8. Together these findings suggest that conduction failures in the presynaptic axons contribute to the synaptic depression of EPSPs in embryonic motoneurons."}
{"id": "PMID:1479446", "title": "The recording of odorant-induced mucosal activity patterns with a voltage-sensitive dye.", "content": "1. Fluorescence changes in the dye (WW 781) were monitored at 100 contiguous sites in a 10 x 10-pixel array on the bullfrog and salamander olfactory mucosas every 10 ms in response to odorous stimuli. The odorants were d-limonene, butanol, and amyl acetate, each presented at two concentrations with a 3:1 ratio. 2. The fluorescence signals elicited by these odorous stimuli were nearly identical in shape and time course to the electro-olfactograms (EOGs) recorded from the same animal under identical conditions. Like the EOGs, the fluorescence signals exhibited adaptation and were abolished by both Triton X-100 and ether. There was no measurable fluorescence when the tissue was not stained with the dye, and there was no change in fluorescence when, for stained tissue, nonodorized, humidified air was presented as the stimulus. 3. This technique presumably monitors the same events as the EOG, but has the advantage of simultaneously recording the odorant-induced activity from multiple sites across most of the mucosa. Thus this technique preserves subtle differences heretofore lost by other techniques both in the coarseness of their matrices and in the variability generated by trying to piece together, into one collage, results from numerous presentations given at different times. 4. In all preparations, there was a larger difference in the inherent activity patterns (derived from response magnitudes) between different odorants than between different concentrations of the same odorant. These differences were largest on the mucosa lining the floor of salamander's olfactory sac. d-limonene and butanol gave their largest responses near the internal and external nares, respectively, whereas the responses for amyl acetate were more uniform across the mucosal sheet. In contrast to the salamander, smaller differences were observed for both the roof and the floor of the bullfrog's olfactory sac. For the floor, both amyl acetate and d-limonene elicited similar patterns of response magnitude, whereas butanol differed from each of these odorants by eliciting a larger response on the anteriolateral aspect of the mucosa and a lesser response on the remainder. For the roof, different odorants produced different activity patterns, which had profiles not simply described as regions of maximal and minimal responsiveness. 5. Different inherent activity patterns based on temporal characteristics of the fluorescence responses were also observed for different odorants. Each odorant produced a different pixel-by-pixel pattern for the times at which the responses started and ended. For any given odorant, these temporal patterns paralleled the patterns given by response magnitudes.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1479447", "title": "Responses of sagittally aligned Purkinje cells during perturbed locomotion: relation of climbing fiber activation to simple spike modulation.", "content": "1. The purpose of these experiments is to test the hypothesis that the synchronous activation of sagittally aligned Purkinje cells by a physiologically relevant stimulus is associated with an increase in the simple spike responses of the same neurons. 2. This hypothesis was tested using a perturbed locomotion paradigm in decerebrate locomoting ferrets. The responses of 3-5 sagittally aligned Purkinje cells were recorded simultaneously in response to the intermittent perturbation of the forelimb during swing phase. A data analysis is introduced, the real time postsynaptic response (RTPR), that permits the quantification of the simple spike responses of Purkinje cells in a manner that can be related to their complex spike responses on a trial-by-trial basis. 3. The data support the above hypothesis by illustrating that the amplitude of the combined simple spike responses across the population of Purkinje cells is correlated with the extent to which their climbing fiber inputs are synchronously activated. These findings together with an analysis of the gain-change ratio support the view that the synchronous climbing fiber input may be responsible for mediating this increased responsiveness. 4. More generally, the data suggest that the task- and/or behaviorally dependent activation of sagittal strips of climbing fiber inputs may provide a mechanism whereby the responsiveness of discrete populations of Purkinje cells can be selectively regulated, specifying the groups of neurons that will be most dramatically modulated by mossy fiber inputs activated by the same conditions."}
{"id": "PMID:1479448", "title": "Excitotoxic acid lesions of the primate subthalamic nucleus result in transient dyskinesias of the contralateral limbs.", "content": "1. To examine the role of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) in the pathogenesis of dyskinesias, the STN was experimentally lesioned with fiber-sparing excitotoxins in two awake monkeys. 2. A combined recording-injection device was used to locate and lesion the STN accurately under physiological guidance. A small amount (1 microliters) of ibotenic acid (10 micrograms/microliters) or kainic acid (1 micrograms/microliters) was injected into each of four to seven target sites in the STN. Postmortem histology confirmed that lesions were confined to the STN, and the volume of each lesion at each site was 4-11% of the total volume of the nucleus. 3. Approximately 20 min after the end of each injection, the frequency of movements increased in the distal portions of the upper and lower limbs contralateral to the injection site. Severe dyskinesias, involving the proximal joints to a greater degree than the distal, developed in the contralateral limbs after 60-80 min and lasted < or = 4 h. The pattern of involvement and time course were similar after each lesion. In the days after the lesioning, only rare dyskinesias were observed in the contralateral hands and feet, typically occurring when the animals were stimulated. 4. Despite the severe dyskinesias, there was no obvious effect on voluntary movements such as grooming or reaching. 5. These results suggest that reduction of STN activity plays a role in the production of dyskinesias."}
{"id": "PMID:1479449", "title": "Excitotoxic acid lesions of the primate subthalamic nucleus result in reduced pallidal neuronal activity during active holding.", "content": "1. To gain a better understanding of the pathophysiology of hemiballismus in primates, and to test directly the hypothesis that the subthalamopallidal projection is excitatory, we studied the effects of lesions of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) on neuronal activity in the globus pallidus (GP) of monkeys during performance of a motor behavioral task. 2. Animals were trained to position and hold a manipulandum to which torque pulses were applied, producing elbow flexion and extension. The activity of neurons in the external (GPe) and internal (GPi) segments of GP was recorded in two monkeys during task performance before and after STN lesions. The STN was lesioned by the fiber-sparing neurotoxins ibotenic acid and/or kainic acid. 3. After lesioning, the firing rate of neurons in both segments of GP, which was measured during the period of holding before torque application, was significantly decreased in both animals. The mean of discharge rates of GPi neurons decreased (P < 0.001) from 69.8 (n = 169, SD = 21.6) to 47.4 spikes/s (n = 180, SD = 22.6) after lesioning. The mean of discharge rates of GPe neurons decreased from 63.6 spikes/s (n = 218, SD = 25.1) before lesions to 41.0 spikes/s (n = 208, SD = 18.1) after lesioning. 4. These results provide further evidence that STN gives rise to a major excitatory input to both segments of the GP and support the hypothesis that dyskinesias result from decreased GPi output."}
{"id": "PMID:1479450", "title": "Primary motor cortical activity related to the weight and texture of grasped objects in the monkey.", "content": "1. Two monkeys were trained to grasp an object between the thumb and index finger and lift it to a vertical distance of 12-25 mm. Up to 12 different conditions defined by different combinations of object weights (15, 65, and 115 g) and four surface textures (oiled metal, smooth metal, fine and coarse sandpaper) were used. The apparatus was equipped to measure grip (prehensile) force, vertical (load) force, and object displacement. 2. The monkeys appropriately scaled the grip force for the weight and the coefficient of friction of the object. However, during the dynamic phase of the task (grasping and lifting), the monkeys increased the prehensile force in multiple steps, suggesting that they relied on sensory feedback from the fingers to attain an adequate grip force to lift the object rather than programming the lift in advance. 3. Single-unit activity of 248 neurons was recorded in the hand area of the primary motor cortex while the monkeys performed the task. Of 208 neurons tested for cutaneous and proprioceptive receptive fields (RFs), 96 were sensitive to cutaneous stimulation of the glabrous skin of the hand, whereas 82 received proprioceptive input from wrist and finger muscles. The concentration of neurons with cutaneous input was significantly greater in the rostral bank of the central sulcus compared with cells with proprioceptive RFs, which were more concentrated in the convexity of the precentral gyrus. 4. From the global sample, 199 cells were tested with the three object weights, and 128 of these with at least two surface textures were used in combination with the object weights. The discharge of 58/199 (29%) cells was modulated with the object weight. Cells with cutaneous (20/84, 24%) and proprioceptive (23/71, 32%) RFs were about equally responsive to the object weight. 5. A greater number of motor cortical neurons were influenced by surface texture than by object weight. Of 128 cells tested with at least two surface textures, 67 (52%) showed a modulation of their activity as a function of texture. A significantly greater proportion of neurons with cutaneous RFs (40/63, 63%) showed differential activity as a function of object texture than cells receiving proprioceptive input (21/47, 45%). 6. Weight- and texture-related neurons were not distributed equally in the rostrocaudal dimension of the motor cortex. Only 8% of texture-related cells were located in the convexity of the precentral gyrus, whereas 30% of weight-related neurons were recorded from this rostral zone.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1479451", "title": "Primary motor cortical responses to perturbations of prehension in the monkey.", "content": "1. Two monkeys were trained to grasp, lift, and hold an object within a vertical position window. A downward force-pulse perturbation was delivered during stationary object holding to simulate slip of the object due to gravity. The responses evoked by the perturbation were studied in 189 neurons of the hand area of the primary motor cortex. In addition, the slip-evoked responses were compared with the modulation of neural discharge with textures and weights described in the previous paper. 2. The perturbation evoked responses with sharp onsets in the majority of motor cortical neurons (115/189, 61%) active during the task. The majority of the responses were of sufficiently short latency (43.17 +/- 17.24 ms, mean +/- SD) to have participated in the reflex grip force increase that followed at latencies from 50 to 100 ms. 3. Although a similar proportion of neurons with cutaneous (43/70) or proprioceptive (35/59) receptive fields (RFs) were responsive to the perturbation, the cutaneous afferents provided a stronger excitation of motor cortical cells than the feedback originating from proprioceptive receptors. 4. The covariation of the neural discharge related to the surface texture of the grasped object and the responsiveness to object slip was studied in 89 cells tested with the perturbation and with more than one surface texture on unperturbed trials. Within this population, motor cortical cells with cutaneous RFs were more sensitive to the perturbation (25/31) than neurons receiving proprioceptive input (8/16). Furthermore, all (17/17) neurons with cutaneous RFs that were more active with the smooth than with the rough surface textures showed a vigorous response to the perturbation. 5. A detectable downward displacement of the object was not always necessary to excite neurons with cutaneous RFs and whose activity increased with the smooth textures. Their sensitivity to the perturbation was consistent with the hypothesis that the cutaneous afferent activity generated by object slips or shear forces on the skin contributed to the increased discharge when lifting objects of slippery surface textures. The activity of these slip- or shear-sensitive cells may have contributed to the reflex grip force increases and to the greater sustained muscular activity needed to lift smooth objects. 6. Ten cells that were excited by stroking of the glabrous skin of the hand decreased their discharge frequency during the task even though their RFs were in direct contact with the object. Most of these neurons (7/10) did not respond to the object slip, and three cells had very weak responses to the perturbation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1479452", "title": "Role of irregular otolith afferents in the steady-state nystagmus during off-vertical axis rotation.", "content": "1. During constant velocity off-vertical axis rotations (OVAR) in the dark a compensatory ocular nystagmus is present throughout rotation despite the lack of a maintained signal from the semicircular canals. Lesion experiments and canal plugging have attributed the steady-state ocular nystagmus during OVAR to inputs from the otolith organs and have demonstrated that it depends on an intact velocity storage mechanism. 2. To test whether irregularly discharging otolith afferents play a crucial role in the generation of the steady-state eye nystagmus during OVAR, we have used anodal (inhibitory) currents bilaterally to selectively and reversibly block irregular vestibular afferent discharge. During delivery of DC anodal currents (100 microA) bilaterally to both ears, the slow phase eye velocity of the steady-state nystagmus during OVAR was reduced or completely abolished. The disruption of the steady-state nystagmus was transient and lasted only during the period of galvanic stimulation. 3. To distinguish a possible effect of ablation of the background discharge rates of irregular vestibular afferents on the velocity storage mechanism from specific contributions of the dynamic responses from irregular otolith afferents to the circuit responsible for the generation of the steady-state nystagmus, bilateral DC anodal galvanic stimulation was applied during optokinetic nystagmus (OKN) and optokinetic afternystagmus (OKAN). No change in OKN and OKAN was observed.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1479453", "title": "Vestibular inputs to brain stem neurons that participate in motor learning in the primate vestibuloocular reflex.", "content": "1. Previous studies have described a subpopulation of interneurons in the vestibuloocular reflex (VOR) pathways that express large changes in their responses to head turns in conjunction with motor learning in the VOR. These neurons are called flocculus target neurons (FTNs) because they are inhibited at monosynaptic latencies by stimulation of the flocculus and ventral paraflocculus. 2. Electrical stimulation of the vestibular labyrinth revealed that FTNs receive excitatory monosynaptic inputs from the ipsilateral vestibular labyrinth and longer-latency, excitatory inputs from the contralateral labyrinth. 3. Our data show that commissural inhibition, which has been thought to be an important feature of vestibular processing, does not provide the dominant inputs from the contralateral labyrinth to FTNs. Instead, the inputs from both labyrinths are excitatory and may be functionally antagonistic. Changes in the balance of excitatory inputs from the two horizontal canals to FTNs could contribute to motor learning in the VOR."}
{"id": "PMID:1479455", "title": "Saccade initiation and latency deficits after combined lesions of the frontal and posterior eye fields in monkeys.", "content": "1. Monkeys were trained to perform horizontal visually guided saccades. Latency was measured before and after bilateral lesions of the frontal eye field (FEF) and after combined lesions of both the FEF and the posterior eye field. Destruction of either of these regions alone causes only modest deficits of eye movement, but destruction of both together produces profound oculomotor impairment. The results support the proposal that purposeful eye movements are controlled by a distributed corticocortical network that includes nodes in frontal and parieto-occipital regions."}
{"id": "PMID:1479454", "title": "Endogenous nitric oxide required for an integrative respiratory function in the cat brain.", "content": "1. The involvement of nitric oxide (NO) in the respiratory function of the pons was examined by microinjecting NO synthase-related drugs into discrete regions of the pontine respiratory group (PRG) in decerebrate and decerebellate cats. 2. Microinjection of N omega-nitro-L-arginine (L-NNA, inhibitor of NO synthase), but not D-NNA (the inactive enantiomer), significantly prolonged the duration of inspiration in all 10 cats when lung inflation was withheld. 3. The prolongation of inspiration produced by L-NNA was partially reversed in three cats by microinjections of L-arginine (NO synthase substrate) at the same sites. 4. We conclude that endogenous production of NO from L-arginine in the PRG region is involved in the normal function of the pontine pneumotaxic mechanism. These findings provide the first conclusive evidence that endogenous NO formation is involved in the mechanisms associated with respiratory rhythm generation."}
{"id": "PMID:1479457", "title": "Intermittent mandatory ventilation with continuous negative pressure compared with positive end-expiratory pressure for neonatal hypoxemia.", "content": "The use of continuous negative pressure was prospectively studied in 30 preterm and term hypoxemic (PaO2 < 45 mm Hg) neonates. Infants were randomly assigned to either positive end-expiratory pressure or continuous negative pressure if conventional positive pressure ventilation failed to improve oxygenation. Crossover to the alternative therapy occurred if infants remained hypoxemic after 2 hours. In the continuous negative pressure group, 2 (13%) crossed over to positive end-expiratory pressure, whereas 11 (73%) in the positive end-expiratory pressure group crossed over to continuous negative pressure (p = 0.003). Only five patients remained in the positive end-expiratory pressure group 36 hours after randomization. Compared with positive end-expiratory pressure, continuous negative pressure significantly increased PaO2 (69 +/- 17 mm Hg vs 36 +/- 8 mm Hg) and arterial-alveolar ratio (0.098 +/- 0.070 vs 0.057 +/- 0.014) 30 minutes after randomization and after crossover to continuous negative pressure (60 +/- 12 mm Hg vs 37 +/- 5 mm Hg, and 0.154 +/- 0.096 vs 0.058 +/- 0.009). The use of continuous negative pressure did not increase morbidity. Overall survival was 83.3%. Only three infants were referred to extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. Rescue therapy with continuous negative pressure is effective in infants with refractory hypoxemia and may be considered before referral for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation."}
{"id": "PMID:1479458", "title": "Dysphoric distress in childbearing women.", "content": "Previous research on depression in childbearing women has focused on the presence or absence of clinical depression. Little attention has been paid to the distress caused by the presence of depressive symptoms in the absence of the full syndrome of clinical depression. A convenience sample of 202 healthy, married, primigravid women who were free of psychiatric symptoms were assessed at 10 to 14 weeks and 30 to 32 weeks of pregnancy and at 1 to 2 weeks and 14 weeks post partum. Depression symptoms were measured by using the Schedule of Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia, the standardized clinical interview for research and depression of The National Institute of Mental Health. Data from the Schedule of Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia indicated that only 5% of the women met criteria for clinical depression but approximately 50% of the sample reported clinical levels of three or more depressive symptoms. Anger, fatigue, psychic anxiety, and worry were the most frequently endorsed symptoms at each assessment point. The implications of these findings for symptom management and health promotion for childbearing women are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1479459", "title": "Do postsuctioning transcutaneous PO2 values change when a neonate's movements are restrained?", "content": "The purpose of this research was to examine the effects of containment (restraint of an infant's movements) on premature infants' postsuctioning transcutaneous PO2 values. The hypothesis was that premature infants receiving containment would have significantly different postsuctioning transcutaneous PO2 levels than infants receiving no containment. Premature infants with respiratory disease require suctioning to remove excess secretions from their lungs. Research studies document a variety of infant responses to suctioning; hypoxia, hypoxemia, increased blood pressure, bradycardia, increased intracranial pressure, and increased cerebral blood flow velocity. Most studies have examined only a few isolated variables and the magnitude and duration of hypoxemia in response to suctioning. Our sample comprised 24 infants less than 72 hours of age, who had respiratory distress syndrome and had been born at between 24 and 33 weeks' gestational age. The setting was a neonatal intensive care unit of a large county hospital. The same nurse performed the suctioning and containment procedures in all subjects. Student's t-tests and analysis of variance were carried out to determine the effect of the technique."}
{"id": "PMID:1479460", "title": "Nonimmune hydrops fetalis: case reports and brief review.", "content": "We report two cases of nonimmune hydrops fetalis diagnosed prenatally. One fetus died in utero, and the second fetus survived and the infant was discharged from the intensive care nursery at 4 weeks of age. A brief review of the literature and the difficulties in arriving at a diagnosis and the management are described, along with certain prognostic factors determining the outcome."}
{"id": "PMID:1479461", "title": "Evolution of a neonatal gentamicin dosing protocol in a small community hospital.", "content": "The effects of conventional dosage of gentamicin of 2.5 mg/kg given every 12 hours was retrospectively investigated in a small community hospital. Consistent with previous results in large hospitals, the conventional dosage of gentamicin commonly resulted in serum concentrations associated with toxicosis. Results were compared with those obtained prospectively according to a gentamicin dosing protocol that used a formula based on gestational age. The gestational age regimen provided similar peak and significantly lower trough serum concentrations; statistical analysis indicated no demographic differences in the compared groups. Very few neonates who received gentamicin according the gestational age formula were exposed to gentamicin serum concentrations associated with an increased risk of toxicosis. An absence of any significant differences in mean peak and trough serum concentrations in subgroups of neonates treated according to the gestational age formula suggested that use of the gentamicin dosing protocol was appropriate for all neonates. The dose of 3.5 mg/kg used in the gestational age formula was predicted to have resulted in initial gentamicin peak serum concentrations > 5 micrograms/ml in nearly 90% of neonates. The experience obtained with the gestational age formula allowed revision of the gentamicin dosing protocol to provide for more cost-responsible serum concentration monitoring."}
{"id": "PMID:1479462", "title": "Effect of exercise on uterine activity in the patient in preterm labor.", "content": "Preterm labor patients are at risk for physiologic complications associated with long-term bed rest. Although conditioning exercise programs are recommended for patients confined to bed rest, no studies have been reported that have evaluated the effects of exercise on uterine activity in women with preterm labor. A pilot study with 10 women was conducted to evaluate the short-term effects of exercise with a protocol involving pretesting and posttesting of uterine activity. The results indicated minimal changes in the frequency of uterine contractions after exercise. Future research is recommended with larger and more diverse samples to evaluate both short- and long-term effects of exercise throughout high-risk pregnancies."}
{"id": "PMID:1479464", "title": "Significantly improved peripheral intravenous catheter performance in neonates: insertion ease, dwell time, complication rate, and costs.", "content": "A prospective, randomized, controlled study was performed in neonates in an intensive care nursery to compare the performance of a peripheral intravenous catheter made of Aquavene material (test catheter) with that of a conventional peripheral catheter made of Teflon material (control catheter). Aquavene is a newly developed biomaterial that softens and expands on contact with body fluids. A total of 105 catheters (50 test and 55 control) were inserted in 63 neonates. The median time to a catheter-related complication was 3.60 days for the test catheters and 1.75 days for the control catheters (p = 0.0007). Infiltration rate for the test catheters was 56% as compared with 78% for the control catheters (p = 0.03). The test catheters provided fewer catheter-related complications (p = 0.006), with 34% of the test catheters reaching end of therapy as compared with 9% of the control catheters (p = 0.004). On average, 1.8 test catheters were used per insertion versus 2.3 control catheters (p = 0.08). The test catheters were rated easier to insert (p = 0.05), with a shorter time required for insertion. Because of improved performance, cost savings were realized with the test catheters after the first day of therapy, even though the per unit cost of the test catheter was greater. These data indicate that the test catheter, made of Aquavene material, is superior to the Teflon catheter for peripheral intravenous therapy in neonates."}
{"id": "PMID:1479465", "title": "Acute hemorrhagic gastritis in the newborn infant.", "content": "We report three cases of hemorrhagic gastritis in term infants that led to massive bleeding of life--threatening proportions in the first 24 hours of life. In all three cases, bleeding was controlled by conservative therapeutic management. Management of this unusual entity in the newborn infant is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1479471", "title": "Modeling the power of the aging human eye.", "content": "A hypothesis is presented that may explain why the aging eye does not become myopic with age. The power of the eye lens is predicted with a modeling approach to determine how the form of the refractive-index gradient within the lens can change to maintain a constant power in spite of age-related curvature increase. Methods used include published age-dependent data on the optical parameters of the eye, a mathematical model of the lens based on elliptical isoindicial contours, and a refractive-index profile that can be expressed as a power series in the distance from the lens center. The kinds of change in profile required to prevent the eye from becoming myopic as its lens grows are shown."}
{"id": "PMID:1479472", "title": "Survival, excision repair and inhibition of DNA synthesis in normal human skin fibroblasts exposed to simulated sunlight.", "content": "The responses of normal human skin fibroblasts exposed to simulated sunlight produced by a solar simulator were examined. The parameters investigated were cellular survival, excision repair and the inhibition and recovery of DNA synthesis. The latter two effects were examined using the bromodeoxyuridine photolysis assay and the alkaline step elution assay respectively. The results of these experiments are consistent with the conclusion that the lesions induced by simulated sunlight represent a mixture of damage which elicits cellular responses and repair mechanisms similar to those manifested by cells irradiated with UVC and UVA radiation."}
{"id": "PMID:1479473", "title": "The extra-weak chemiluminescence generated during oxidation of some tetracycline antibiotics. II. Peroxidation.", "content": "This study was undertaken to establish the mechanism of chemiluminescence during the oxidation reaction of tetracycline antibiotics in the presence of molecular oxygen and H2O2. The spectral distribution of chemiluminescence and fluorescence and the quantum yields of chemiluminescence were measured. The chemiluminescence spectrum measured with cut-off filters revealed one broad blue-green band and bands with maxima at 580, 640 and 700 nm. The bands at 580, 640 and 700 nm were similar to those observed for singlet molecular oxygen. The effect of superoxide radical, hydroxyl radical inhibitors, singlet oxygen quenchers and D2O as solvent on the light emission was also studied. The formation of singlet oxygen during the oxidation of the investigated tetracyclines was also checked using the spectrophotometric method based on the bleaching of p-nitrosodimethylaniline. A mechanism for the reactions generating electronically excited compounds is proposed."}
{"id": "PMID:1479474", "title": "Steady state and time-resolved spectroscopic studies on zinc(II) phthalocyanine in liposomes.", "content": "Zinc(II) phthalocyanine (ZnPc), a potential second-generation phototherapeutic agent for tumours, has been incorporated into small unilamellar vesicles (SUVs) (diameter, 52 nm) and large unilamellar vesicles (LUVs) (diameter, 84 nm) of dipalmitoyl-phosphatidylcholine (DPPC). Absorption spectroscopy, as well as steady state and time-resolved fluorescence emission studies, indicate that ZnPc is monomeric in SUVs at a stoichiometric concentration below 0.25 microM (corresponding to an actual endoliposomal concentration of about 0.5 mM), while in LUVs it is monomeric below 2 microM. The fluorescence lifetime of the monomer is 3-3.5 ns. Upon increasing the ZnPc concentration, aggregated derivatives are formed, which are characterized by shorter fluorescence lifetimes (1.2-1.5 ns; 0.4-0.6 ns). The possible implications of these observations for the phototherapeutic efficiency of ZnPc are briefly discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1479475", "title": "Haematoporphyrin derivatives: distribution in a living organism.", "content": "Pharmacokinetics of accumulation in organs and tissues was studied for two haematoporphyrin-based photosensitizers. These sensitizers, haematoporphyrin derivative (HpD) and an oligomeric haematoporphyrin (OHp), contained different amounts of monomeric fraction (25% and 5% respectively) and in OHp the macrocycles were bonded together with ether bonds. OHp was shown to accumulate in tumours in higher amounts than HpD. The maximal tumour to tissue concentration ratio for OHp was 6.7 observed 54 h after injection; the same ratio for HpD was 2.8 after 48 h."}
{"id": "PMID:1479476", "title": "Cytokine production after helium-neon laser irradiation in cultures of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells.", "content": "The effects of laser light on the immune system have not been extensively characterized. Low-power laser sources, such as the helium-neon (He-Ne) laser with a wavelength of 632.8 nm, have been found to produce photobiological effects with evidence of interference with immunological functions. We have investigated the effects of He-Ne laser irradiation on Ficoll-Hypaque-isolated human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). Cultured cells were irradiated for various times at two selected intensities and then stimulated with different mitogens. The rate of incorporation of 3H-thymidine into the DNA of stimulated cells decreased with increasing energy density. The levels of interleukin-1 alpha (IL-1 alpha), interleukin-2 (IL-2), tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) in supernatants of the cultures were determined (irradiated either before or after stimulation). When stimulating cells after irradiation, significantly increased levels of all cytokines were detected after 30 min of irradiation (18.9 J cm-2), whereas after 60 min of irradiation (37.8 J cm-2) cytokine levels were found to be significantly decreased."}
{"id": "PMID:1479477", "title": "Monoline argon laser (514 nm) treatment of benign pigmented lesions with long pulse lengths.", "content": "A dichroic filter was adjusted in order to make use of the green line of an argon laser for the treatment of pigmented lesions (actinic and senile lentigo, ephelis, caf\u00e9-au-lait marks and spilus nevus). Using a power of 1.5 W, a spot size of 0.5 mm and pulse lengths of 200 or 300 ms, satisfactory elimination of 620 pigmented cutaneous lesions was achieved. Although the pulse lengths used were much longer than the thermal relaxation time of the melanosomes, the histology after treatment showed little damage of adjacent structures. Good restoration of the epidermis and a return of normal pigmentation led to excellent cosmetic results, with few complications."}
{"id": "PMID:1479478", "title": "A novel method for measuring intracellular pH: effect of neutron irradiation on pHi of transformed cells.", "content": "A new flow cytometric method was developed for measuring the intracellular pH (pHi) of mammalian cells using a fluorescent pH indicator dye 2',7-bis-(2-carboxyethyl)-5(and-6)-carboxyfluorescein (BCECF). Emission intensities (or their ratios) measured from BCECF-loaded cells can be converted into absolute pHi values using appropriate calibration curves. By comparison of several possible measuring and data evaluation procedures a double-ratio method was suggested as the most advantageous protocol to yield reliable intracellular pH data. This method allows pHi to be determined on a cell-by-cell basis corrected for cell volume and change in geometry of input-output optics of the flow cytometer. Our method applies a standard calibration curve and does not necessitate its reconstruction for each new set of measurements. Cells of the OKT-4 and OKT-8 hybridoma lines were exposed to neutron irradiation of different doses. Irradiated cells underwent a biphasic alkalinization; an instantaneous effect detected within 1.5 h was found to be intensified over 24 h. For the interpretation of data we suggest that the increase in cytoplasmic pH following neutron treatment is evoked by two mechanisms."}
{"id": "PMID:1479480", "title": "Cytogenetic effects of singlet oxygen.", "content": "Singlet oxygen was generated in the gas phase at atmospheric pressure by the method of heterogeneous photosensitization. In vitro exposure of human lung WI-38 fibroblasts to gas-phase singlet oxygen resulted in sister chromatid exchange."}
{"id": "PMID:1479483", "title": "Conformity, peer pressure, and adolescent receptivity to treatment for substance abuse: a research note.", "content": "To explore the possibility that peer influences not only contribute to adolescent substance abuse but shape feelings about being in treatment for substance abuse, forty adolescent inpatients were surveyed. Misconduct, including substance abuse, was predicted best by perceived peer pressure toward misconduct, low opinions of the value of treatment by disposition to conform to antisocial peers, and sense of stigma associated with being treated by perceived peer pressure toward conformity. Concerns over peer acceptance may be one basis for resistance to substance abuse treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1479484", "title": "Personal and social drinking motives, family drinking history, and problems associated with drinking in two university samples.", "content": "Two drinking motives scales, Negative Personal (NP) motives and Positive Social (PS) motives, derived from Mulford and Miller's Definitions of Alcohol Scales, and a Negative Family Models (NFM) scales designed to reflect family modeling of drinking-related problems were evaluated for internal consistency and association with college students' scores on a drinking-related Social Complications (SOCCOMP) scale. In both initial (n = 553) and cross-validation (n = 293) samples, all four scales demonstrated high internal consistency. Multiple regressions of NP, PS, and NFM scales, together with measures of quantity and frequency of drinking on SOCCOMP for both samples, yielded highly significant multiple R's, confirming the additive association of these measures with problem drinking outcomes. An unanticipated finding of positive associations between PS drinking motive and SOCCOMP is reported."}
{"id": "PMID:1479485", "title": "Campus attitudes toward alcohol and drugs in a deep southern university.", "content": "In our zeal to deal with alcohol and drug abuse, we may have a distorted picture of what the majority of college students actually think about alcohol and drug use. Students in this study done at a public university located in the Deep South report being generally intolerant of substance abuse."}
{"id": "PMID:1479486", "title": "Environmental and personality differences between children of alcoholics and their peers.", "content": "Nonclinical, adolescent children of alcoholics (COAs) and their peers from nonalcoholic homes (CONAs) responded to questionnaires of environmental variables, depression, and anxiety. Multivariate (discriminant) analyses revealed several meaningful differences between the two groups. Although the two groups differed on the measures of anxiety and depression, environmental stressors contributed most to the discriminant function that differentiated between the two groups. Also, gender differences were discovered, suggesting that males and females perceive problem drinking differently and that home environments may be different for the two genders. Implications for research and intervention are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1479487", "title": "Drug abuse and eating disorders: prevention implications.", "content": "This article explores the relationship between drug and alcohol abuse and eating disorders in a sample of adolescent females using a self-report methodology. An Eating Disorders Risk (EDR) Scale is adopted and correlated with drug and alcohol use, other forms of deviance, family and peer relationships, and depression. The findings support the concept of a generalized theory of addictions based on psychosocial, family, and peer factors. Family and peer prevention applications and a need for further research on the correlates of depression are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1479488", "title": "An investigation of cognitive style and alcohol/work-related problems among Naval personnel.", "content": "This study examines the relationship between cognitive style (i.e., information, normative, and diffuse orientation, and commitment) and alcohol/work-related problems. A random sample of Naval personnel (n = 2000) with less than two years of service toward their first enlistment was sent a questionnaire to assess cognitive style [1] and alcohol/work-related problems. A total of 899 respondents (45.0%) returned their questionnaires. Findings support prevention strategies that incorporate problem-solving, decision-making, and coping strategies, particularly among participants who employ diffuse problem-solving/coping strategies (lack of exploration and commitment, avoidance of problems). Correlations between cognitive style and alcohol/work-related problems are theoretically compatible. Diffuse orientation scores are positively related to both alcohol- and work-related problems, while norm and information orientation scores are negatively related to both measures. Collectively, cognitive style measures explain 11.4 percent of the variability in alcohol-related problems, and 14.0 percent of the variability in work-related problems."}
{"id": "PMID:1479489", "title": "Perception of alcoholism among Jewish, Moslem and Christian teachers in Israel.", "content": "This article describes a survey which investigated perception of alcoholism among Jewish, Moslem and Christian teachers in the north of Israel during the spring of 1991. Data were obtained from a sample of 553 teachers. The teachers were asked to agree or disagree with items associated with the disease concept or with the moral concept of alcoholism. The findings indicate differences in the perception of alcoholism among teachers of different religions, education levels, gender, and drinking practices. No differences were found among teachers of different ages or among those working in different types of schools."}
{"id": "PMID:1479490", "title": "Tools for drug and alcohol education: using decision worksheets in personal problem solving.", "content": "Previous research has indicated that poor decisions with regard to drugs (including alcohol) and other issues involving personal risks often stem from poor decision-making strategies. This study examines the use of decision worksheets in training individuals to employ better decision-making strategies. Forty-two students enrolled at Texas Christian University participated in a two-session, four-hour study. An experimental group and a control group were asked to read decision-making scenarios related to alcohol usage. Participants were then requested to rate a given list of possible alternatives, and to write a persuasive essay defending their ratings. The experimental group was given the same written scenario with a decision worksheet related to the scenario as a supplement. The essays were scored on several dimensions by two raters. Multivariate analyses indicated that the experimental group had higher mean scores than the control group on measures of \"overall goodness,\" intensity, and inclusion of elements of feasibility, costs, and benefits. In addition to decision worksheets appearing to be a promising approach to training decision-making skills related to alcohol, persuasive essays appear to have promise in evaluating and extending the usage of decision worksheets."}
{"id": "PMID:1479491", "title": "Surgical complications in children after liver transplantation.", "content": "The frequency of surgical complications after liver transplantation remains high. Sixty transplants were done in 48 patients during 4 years. Eleven patients were retransplanted (re-transplant rate, 20%) for primary nonfunction (6), arterial thrombosis (3), warm ischemia (1), and rejection (2). Right pleural effusions were drained in 13 patients and left ones in 2. Forty-eight re-explorations excluding retransplantation were performed in 20 patients. Twelve laparotomies were for control of postoperative intraabdominal bleeding. The majority of these patients (8/10, 80%) were transplanted with reduced-size grafts. Early postoperative vascular complications were detected in 12 grafts (5 portal vein occlusions, 7 arterial thromboses). All 5 patients with portal vein (PV) occlusions were reexplored, and PV flow was reestablished in all 5. Biliary leaks were diagnosed in 6 patients and were associated with arterial thromboses in 2 cases. Reoperation was required in 4 of 6 patients. Bowel perforation occurred in 4 patients; 2 small bowel, 1 duodenum, and 1 colon. There was 1 postoperative bowel obstruction requiring laparotomy. Two splenectomies were required in 4 patients with splenic infarction. Resection of part of a transplanted liver was done in 1 patient to exclude septic infarcts. Pancreatitis was diagnosed in 4 patients and one required laparotomy for control of pancreatic hemorrhage. Intraabdominal abscesses required open drainage in 2 patients and percutaneous drainage in 4. Seven thoracotomies were done in 6 patients: 5 open lung biopsies, 1 for control of hemorrhage, and 1 for diaphragmatic plication. The current high survival rates following liver transplantation require aggressive surgical management of a myriad of complications and numerous procedures are necessary both as treatment modalities and as diagnostic aids."}
{"id": "PMID:1479492", "title": "Risk of malignancy in bilateral streak gonads: the role of the Y chromosome.", "content": "Although girls with Turner's syndrome (45,X) are not at risk for malignancy, patients with feminizing testicular syndrome with XY chromosome composition and patients with \"mixed gonadal dysgenesis\" are at risk for malignancy, and bilateral gonadectomy is performed. We have treated seven girls with \"Turner-like\" syndrome, who we believe are also \"at risk\" for development of malignancy and in whom gonadectomy should be performed. We present seven cases of phenotypically typical females, without sexual ambiguity, who presented with primary amenorrhea and short stature (5) and/or minor dysmorphic features (2). Chromosome analysis showed 45,X karyotype plus a fragment that we could not rule out as being part of a Y chromosome (in one patient a complete Y chromosome). In two patients, the fragment was subsequently positively identified as a Y, using a DNA probe. In view of the known high incidence of development of gonadoblastoma in the dysgenetic gonads of phenotypic females with a Y chromosome, bilateral gonadectomy was performed in these girls. Bilateral genital streaks with normal uterus and Fallopian tubes were found in all patients. In two patients unsuspected gonadoblastoma, without metastases, was found. In five cases, Leydig cells and tubular structures resembling rete testes were found, cells that are associated with Y-chromosomal tissue. We stress the need for complete chromosomal evaluation of phenotypically female patients with primary amenorrhea or features of Turner's syndrome. If a Y chromosome or the possibility of a Y chromosome cannot be excluded, gonadectomy should be performed because of the risk of malignancy."}
{"id": "PMID:1479493", "title": "Atypical tuberculosis in the pediatric patient: implications for the pediatric surgeon.", "content": "Atypical species of mycobacteria (AMB) are now the most common cause of granulomatous lymphadenopathy. It is important for pediatric surgeons to be aware of this disease, because excision is the mainstay of therapy. We have reviewed the experience with this disease in Alberta by reviewing the records of the Provincial Laboratory of Public Health from 1979 to 1990. This facility reviews all tuberculosis cultures for the province. A total of 74 cases of infection caused by AMB were identified in patients under the age of 15. Complete records were available for 53 of these cases. These infections were characterized by a short history (11.2 weeks) of remarkably nontender regional lymphadenopathy (usually cervicofacial, 45/50) in young (average age, 13.6 months), caucasian (48/53) children. Attempts to treat these lesions by incision and drainage or drug therapy were unsuccessful (12/12 failed), whereas primary excision was successful in 33 of 37 cases. Secondary excisions were also successful in 16 of 16 cases where required. The annual rate of AMB over the study period was 1.21 cases per 100,000 children; the rate of M tuberculosis lymphadenopathy was 0.3 per 100,000. In the absence of specific risk factors for human tuberculosis (family history, native Indian or Asian ethnic origin) AMB is the most likely cause of prolonged painless lymphadenopathy and should be treated early by complete excision."}
{"id": "PMID:1479494", "title": "Spinning the wheels: a CAPS survey of ethical issues in pediatric surgery.", "content": "To evaluate decision-making factors of pediatric surgeons when faced with ethical dilemmas in a clinical setting, questionnaires were mailed to members of the Canadian Association of Paediatric Surgeons. The surgeons were asked to respond to scenarios regarding ethical dilemmas in the treatment of children. Fifty-one responses (57%) were computer analyzed based on chosen responses to the clinical dilemma and demographic factors such as age, sex, marital status, country of citizenship, religion, and \"religiousness,\" a determination of religious conviction as viewed by the respondent. In addition, ethical convictions were sought regarding abortion, fetal research, AIDS, HIV testing, denial of medical care due to religious beliefs (Jehovah's Witness), and limitations in health care access for indigents. In general, respondents found it difficult to separate ethical guidelines for determining aggressive treatment--absolute value of life; best interests of the child; parental authority; and ability of the child to engage in social, intellectual, or emotional attachments (quality of life)--in the face of actual patient care issues. In fact, results of this survey indicate that the operating surgeon applies his/her medical knowledge and surgical \"experience\" to each individual case, incorporating his or her own ethical beliefs (in a respondent's words: \"In the operating room, the surgeon must satisfy his own conscience in making decisions\") while cognizant of legal guidelines for \"standard care\" (\"Decisions would be based on personal experience, and what the local society believes to be right\").(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1479495", "title": "Facilitating the operative exposure of the portal plate in cases of biliary atresia by dislocating the whole liver onto the abdominal wall.", "content": "Obtaining adequate exposure of the portal plate in cases with biliary atresia can tax the ingenuity of the surgeon. The successful completion of a hepatic portoenterostomy depends on it. Mobilising the liver and dislocating it into an ex vivo-like position on the anterior abdominal wall simplifies this step of the operation. It achieves maximal visualisation and access to the anatomy of the liver port. When used correctly by the surgeon this technique is not complicated by hepatic or caval blood flow occlusion. Its use in over 40 clinical cases has not resulted in any major mishap."}
{"id": "PMID:1479496", "title": "Infections in severely traumatized children.", "content": "To study the incidence and types of infection among severely traumatized children, we reviewed the medical charts of 212 children, hospitalized following traumatic injury, who received antibiotics at sometime during their hospitalization. Infection occurred in 19%. Eleven children had trauma-related infections, whereas 29 (71% of those infected) had 36 nosocomial infections. Tracheitis, sepsis, and urinary tract infections were the most common nosocomial infections and were diagnosed in the second week (10 +/- 3 days) following injury. Nosocomial infections were more likely to develop in children who were more severely injured and who had a greater number of invasive procedures. Severe head injury (cerebral edema or subarachnoid hemorrhage) was more common in those with nosocomial infection (P < .0002, odds ratio 6.8, 95% confidence interval 2.2 to 21.3). Those without these injuries were much less likely to develop nosocomial infections (specificity 97% and negative predictive value 86%). Finally, the development of any nosocomial infection prolonged the hospitalization by a mean of 16 +/- 6 days when comparing children with the same degree of traumatic injury. Prevention of nosocomial infection in children with severe trauma will significantly reduce length of hospitalization."}
{"id": "PMID:1479497", "title": "Is the metabolic response to sepsis in skeletal muscle different in infants and adults? An experimental study in rats.", "content": "In this study we compared the effect of sepsis on muscle protein metabolism in infant (3 to 4 weeks) and adult (3 to 4 months) rats. Sepsis was induced by cecal ligation and puncture (CLP). Control animals underwent sham operation. Sixteen hours after CLP or sham operation, metabolic studies were performed in incubated intact extensor digitorum longus muscles from infant rats or in strips of the same muscle from adult rats. Protein synthesis rate was determined as incorporation of 3H-phenylalanine into protein; total and myofibrillar protein breakdown rates were determined as release of tyrosine and 3-methylhistidine, respectively. Mortality rate following CLP was similar in both age groups. Basal protein synthesis rate was 3 times higher, total protein breakdown rate was 50% higher, and myofibrillar protein breakdown rate was 3 times higher in infant than in adult animals. However, the relative changes in protein turnover rates induced by sepsis were similar in infant and adult rats: protein synthesis rate decreased by approximately 30%, total protein breakdown increased by 40% to 50%, and myofibrillar protein breakdown increased severalfold. The data suggest that despite prominent differences in basal protein turnover rates between infant and adult rats, the effect of sepsis on muscle protein metabolism is not age dependent."}
{"id": "PMID:1479498", "title": "Intralingual cysts of foregut origin.", "content": "Intralingual cysts lined by epithelium of foregut origin are rarely reported. We present 16 patients seen over an 8-year period (1983 to 1990) with such lesions. Respiratory and squamous epithelium were the most commonly encountered. These unusual cysts generally presented in the neonatal period with feeding difficulty. Two children had multiple cysts. Histological varieties of epithelia are described and the clinical features are discussed. From our experience we conclude that these cysts are adequately treated by complete surgical excision through a sagittal glossal split. This can be safely done electively in the neonatal period. Cyst aspiration was found to be inadequate definitive treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1479499", "title": "Solitary thyroid nodules in 71 children and adolescents.", "content": "Seventy-one children and adolescents with a solitary nodule of the thyroid gland were seen over a 27-year period and all had their nodules removed surgically. All of the patients had preoperative thyroid scintiscans, 55 of which showed a cold nodule. The most common cause of solitary thyroid nodules was follicular adenoma. Fourteen of the 55 cold nodules were malignant (25.5%) while no malignancies were present in warm or hot nodules. Available diagnostic methods for attempting differentiation of benign from malignant solitary nodules are reviewed and recommendations to their clinical management as derived from our experience are presented."}
{"id": "PMID:1479500", "title": "Limited pulmonary resections for congenital cystic adenomatoid malformation of the lung.", "content": "Congenital cystic adenomatoid malformations (CAMs) are rare lung lesions characterized by the presence of a multicystic mass of pulmonary tissue. To clarify the surgical management of CAM of the lung, we reviewed our institutional experience with 34 patients with histologically documented CAM. Symptoms developed in the first 2 days of life in 20 patients; 14 patients developed symptoms a median of 69 days (range, 22 days to 15 years) after birth. A diagnosis of CAM was confirmed at thoracotomy in all patients. Four patients were treated with a limited pulmonary resection for disease confined to one lobe. Seven patients underwent a composite resection involving a lobectomy plus limited resection of the second lobe. One patient underwent pneumonectomy for a severely malformed lung. The remainder of the patients were treated with anatomic lobectomy. The only recurrence was a patient who had a partial cystectomy performed at the initial operation. We conclude that in the appropriate malformation subtype, limited pulmonary reactions can preserve lung tissue and may prevent subsequent complications of CAM."}
{"id": "PMID:1479501", "title": "Prenatal ultrasonography and early surgery for congenital cystic disease of the lung.", "content": "With the recent advent of prenatal ultrasound as a routine screening procedure, diagnosis of congenital cystic lung disease has been made in utero, raising the possibility of elective surgery for these lesions early in infancy before the patient develops respiratory distress or potentially life-threatening infection. From 1979 to 1989 six cases of congenital lung cyst were diagnosed in utero by prenatal ultrasound and followed during pregnancy. Two of the six were not confirmed after birth because the mothers preferred an abortion. The remaining four cases were studied periodically during gestation by ultrasonography. At birth, the first infant developed respiratory distress and underwent urgent left upper lobectomy and left lower segmentectomy at age 18 hours. The other three underwent elective lobectomy at age 10 days, 3 months, and 7 months, respectively. The fourth infant had a normal chest x-ray and ultrasound at birth, and the congenital cysts were confirmed by computed tomography scan. The pathological diagnosis in all four cases was cystic adenomatoid malformation. In two cases, intraoperative measurement of pulmonary function demonstrated significant improvement after resection of the affected lobe. We conclude that congenital lung cysts can be accurately diagnosed by prenatal ultrasound \"screening\" as early as 18 to 24 weeks' gestation. Advantages of early diagnosis include the option of moving the mother and unborn child to a high-risk obstetrical center for urgent operation on the newborn infant if necessary. Otherwise, once the diagnosis is confirmed, surgical correction can be performed electively and safely before respiratory distress or pulmonary infection complicates the infant's growth and development."}
{"id": "PMID:1479502", "title": "Surgery for achalasia of the cardia in children: the Dor-Gavriliu procedure.", "content": "The Dor-Gavriliu procedure was utilized in six children with achalasia of the cardia from 1983 to 1991. Four boys and two girls (mean age, 10.1 years; range, 3 months to 16 years) presented with symptoms of weight loss (83%), emesis (83%), dysphagia (67%), recurrent respiratory infections (67%), and nocturnal regurgitation (33%). The diagnosis of achalasia was established by barium swallow in all patients; esophageal manometry was used in four patients to confirm the diagnosis. Follow-up ranged from 10 months to 8 years (mean, 3.5 years). Four neurologically normal patients had excellent results with complete resolution of their preoperative symptoms. Two neurologically impaired children, both afflicted with Down's syndrome, had less than excellent results. One moderately impaired child had a good result (required three postoperative bougie dilations over 8 years without demonstration of gastroesophageal reflux); the second, more severely impaired child, had only a fair result (persistent failure to thrive with the development of grade II gastroesophageal reflux). The Dor-Gavriliu procedure uses a transabdominal, anterior esophageal myotomy with incorporation of an effective, nonobstructing, antireflux mechanism that should prevent myotomy reapposition."}
{"id": "PMID:1479503", "title": "Sugiura procedure in the surgical treatment of bleeding esophageal varices in children: long-term results.", "content": "Recurrent bleeding, the high occurrence of encephalopathy, and the impairment of hepatic function in the successful cases of portasystemic shunts have led to increasing dissatisfaction with these procedures in recent years. Between March 1974 and November 1990 we have operated on 15 children for bleeding esophageal varices using the Sugiura procedure (esophageal transection with paraesophagogastric devascularization). In two cases the entire procedure was performed via the thoracic approach. The spleen was left in place in five cases. We have had no mortality. Operative complications included bleeding in the early postoperative period in two children and partial leakage from the esophageal suture in two others. Follow-up was from 4 years 3 months to 16 years 8 months with an average of 10 years 4 months. Long-term results have been gratifying in 12 patients (80%) with disappearance of the varices and no evidence of recurrent bleeding. Three children (20% of the patients) had recurrent bleeding 4 1/2 years, 4 years 2 months, and 2 1/2 years after the surgical procedure. In all cases there was no evidence of esophageal stenosis, gastroesophageal reflux, or hiatal hernia, nor signs of encephalopathy nor impairment of hepatic function. In our opinion the Sugiura procedure is a valid procedure in the surgical treatment of esophageal varices bleeding in the pediatric age with a high rate of success (80%) and without late complications."}
{"id": "PMID:1479504", "title": "Postobstructive enteropathy in infants with transient enterostomy: its consequences on the upper small intestinal functions.", "content": "Repeated or prolonged organic obstruction of the small intestine in the neonatal period can lead to severe refeeding problems, despite a transient ostomy. These problems are thought to result from a postobstructive enteropathy (POE) of the apparently normal small intestine segment above the obstruction. Ten infants with a POE, characterized by limited oral caloric and carbohydrate intakes and increased ostomy effluent, were compared with 8 controls with an enterostomy and a normal postoperative refeeding pattern. There was no statistical difference in the histomorphometric appearance of the mucosa or its digestive or absorptive capacity (brush-border hydrolases, glucose transport) between the two groups. The effluent and duodenal floras of the two groups were similar. However, all POE patients showed significant abnormal peristalsis characterized by barium and carmin transit times. This suggests that repeated or prolonged obstruction in the neonatal period could lead to a POE, caused by chronic motricity abnormalities of the small intestine above the obstruction. Although this POE is more frequent after small bowel atresia, it may also occur with other conditions causing prenatal and postnatal intestinal obstruction."}
{"id": "PMID:1479505", "title": "Nonischemic intussusception in childhood.", "content": "The classical presentation of intussusception consisting of severe abdominal pain, bloody stool, and a palpable abdominal mass leads to the correct diagnosis in majority of the patients. However, an atypical presentation often results in a delayed diagnosis as is commonly seen in nonischemic intussusception. The nonischemic intussusception is a distinct clinical entity that is characterized by a long history of less severe symptoms commonly noticed in older children. The incidence of diarrhea in this group is higher than in the acute variety of intussusception. This variant of intussusception requires a high degree of suspicion for the diagnosis in atypical clinical presentation. The present study summarises our experience treating 31 such cases of nonischemic intussusception during a period of 25 years from 1966 to July 1990."}
{"id": "PMID:1479506", "title": "Familial intussusception.", "content": "We report a father and two sons who each suffered from recurrent acute ileocolic intussusception in childhood, suggesting that there may in some cases be a genetic predisposition to the condition. This might have an anatomical basis."}
{"id": "PMID:1479507", "title": "Sites of relapse in patients with neuroblastoma following bone marrow transplantation in relation to preparatory \"debulking\" treatments.", "content": "Forty-one patients with high-risk neuroblastoma were treated between September 1977 and December 1987 at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia with supralethal chemotherapy and total-body irradiation rescued by bone marrow transplantation. Twenty-six patients were treated following relapse and 15 were newly diagnosed. At the time of evaluation, January 1991, 11 of 41 patients (26.8%) remained in complete remission. Actuarial survival rates of patients transplanted following relapse were 0.35 and 0.31 at 2 and 5 years, respectively, and actuarial disease-free survival rates were 0.38 at 12 months and 0.27 at 24 months. The 2- and 5-year actuarial survival values for the patients with newly diagnosed disease were 0.53 and 0.25, respectively, and the 12- and 24-month disease-free survival rates were 0.47 and 0.27, respectively. There was no significant difference in survival between these groups. Twenty-nine of the 41 patients reviewed were available for analysis of the effect of local treatment. Thirteen had a combination of surgery and radiation (RT), 2 had surgery alone, 9 had RT alone, and in 5 patients no local treatment was given. The local relapse rate was 17%; it was 15% following surgery plus RT and 22% following RT alone. The failure rate combining local and distant relapse is 62% for surgery plus RT and 44% for RT alone. Although a local relapse rate of 17% is imperfect, it is a relatively small contribution to the overall relapse of 62%."}
{"id": "PMID:1479508", "title": "Cystic lesions of the fetal kidney: diagnosis and prediction of postnatal function by fetal urine biochemistry.", "content": "Fetal urine was aspirated under ultrasound control from 21 large cystic renal masses in 18 pregnancies of 20 to 35 weeks gestation. None were associated with bladder or ureteric dilatation. At postnatal investigation, 12 kidneys were demonstrated to be hydronephrotic (5 with no or poor function) and 9 multicystic. Urinary concentrations of sodium (Na+), calcium (Ca++), and phosphate (PO4--) were significantly higher in the multicystic group than in the hydronephrotic, whereas urea and creatinine levels were lower. Determination of urinary PO4-- enabled differential diagnosis with no false-positive or false-negative cases. Among hydronephrotic kidneys, no biochemical parameter accurately predicted postnatal function, although creatinine was increased in all three nonfunctioning kidneys. In hydronephrotic kidneys, urinary Na+ concentration increased with advancing gestational age (r = .66; P < .02), suggesting that the duration of hydronephrosis has a negative effect on renal function."}
{"id": "PMID:1479509", "title": "Ectopic ureter with complete ureteric duplication in the female child.", "content": "Twenty-two female children with complete ureteric duplication and ectopic ureter (two bilateral) were seen in a 15-year period. The most common clinical presentation was dribbling urinary incontinence with \"normal\" micturition. Other presentations included urinary infection and vaginal discharge. Four cases were diagnosed after antenatal recognition of ureterohydronephrosis. The clinical diagnosis was supported by various radiological investigations but ultrasonography (US) proved to be particularly reliable in diagnosing ectopic ureter. The most common sites of opening of the ectopic ureter were the urethral margin or the urethrovaginal septum, although in seven cases the site was not identified. Twenty-one kidneys were managed by upper pole heminephrectomy and three by ureteropyelostomy, removing as much of the ectopic ureter as possible via the renal approach. The distal ectopic ureter was removed via a separate suprapubic incision at the initial operation in four cases, and in two cases, delayed excision of the distal ectopic ureter was necessary. All surgical specimens were examined histologically and only two heminephrectomy specimens showed features of renal dysplasia. Dribbling urinary incontinence was cured in all cases, although in one patient the entire kidney was lost after heminephrectomy. Ectopic ureter should be suspected in girls with dribbling urinary incontinence. The diagnosis is best supported by US together with conventional radiology. The majority of cases can be managed by heminephrectomy, but when adequate function is demonstrated in the upper pole, ureteropyelostomy is recommended."}
{"id": "PMID:1479510", "title": "Neuropathic urinary incontinence in pediatric patients: management with artificial sphincter.", "content": "From June 1982 to November 1990, 37 patients, aged 13 to 19 years (35 males and 2 females), were treated in our division for neuropathic urinary incontinence with an artificial sphincter. All patients were treated before sphincter implantation with drugs, transurethral sphincterotomy in boys, and bladder flap urethroplasty was carried out in females during the surgical procedure. The cuff was placed at the bladder neck in 33 cases, and in 4 cases at the urethral bulb. The sphincter was activated about 3 weeks after implantation and after 2 months in two patients with associated bladder augmentation. Operative and perioperative complications occurred in four cases during the initial phase of our experience. Later we had to perform 19 revisions on 14 patients due to mechanical and surgical failure (reoperation rate, 0.38). Thirty-three patients are presently dry (90% of successes). Postoperatively, normal upper urinary tract conditions were found in all patients except two."}
{"id": "PMID:1479511", "title": "Repair of posttraumatic stenosis of the urethra through a posterior sagittal approach.", "content": "The authors present a report of four cases of children with posttraumatic posterior urethral stenosis who were surgically corrected through a posterior sagittal approach, with resection of the stenotic area and end-to-end anastomosis. In all cases whole colonic irrigation was used to prepare the bowel for surgery without the use of colostomy. The results were good in all cases and there were no complications. The anatomic bases of the surgical approach as well as the technical details of the procedure are analyzed, and the advantages are compared with other techniques used for the same purpose."}
{"id": "PMID:1479514", "title": "Vibro-acoustic stimulation does not alter the duration of high and low fetal heart rate variability episodes.", "content": "To study the effect of vibro-acoustic stimulation on high and low fetal heart rate (FHR) variability episodes. Prospective control study, in 21 high risk pregnancies between 32 to 39 weeks gestation. FHR pattern was recorded with cardiotocograph (CTG). After 5 min low FHR variability a vibro-acoustic stimulator was activated in contact with or above the maternal abdomen (sham) on a random basis on two consecutive days, and CTG was continued to obtain a complete high and low FHR variability cycle. Complete high and low FHR variability cycles were obtained in 12 patients with mean recording time of 129.5 minutes (range 69-185 min). The mean baseline FHR increased by 32.5 +/- 9.4 bpm after contact vibro-acoustic stimulation, but remained unchanged after sham stimulation. Mean duration of high FHR variability was 56.6 +/- 32.9 min and 47.3 +/- 23.7 min, respectively, and mean duration of the consecutive low FHR variability episode was similar after contact and sham stimulation. The complete cycles were 71.1 +/- 34.7 min and 66.2 +/- 21.2 min, respectively. Vibro-acoustic stimulation induced an abrupt change from low to high FHR variability, but the complete cycle of high and low FHR variability was not altered, when compared with the corresponding cycle following sham stimulation on the same fetus."}
{"id": "PMID:1479515", "title": "Fetal cerebral haemodynamic adaptation: a progressive mechanism? Pulsed and color Doppler evaluation.", "content": "The importance of studying, by Doppler ultrasound, the cerebral haemodynamics to monitor the fetal response to the hypoxia is well known, but there is not a general agreement about the anatomical landmarks for the middle cerebral artery. Seventy-one normal fetuses and fifteen IUGR fetuses were studied. The umbilical artery and the middle cerebral artery (MCA) were evaluated by color Doppler ultrasound. The well-known decrease of the pulsatility index from the umbilical artery was observed throughout pregnancy. This velocimetric pattern did not occur in the IUGR fetuses. Four IUGR fetuses showed the ARED (absent or reversed and diastolic flow) pattern. The MCA was evaluated at the origin (M1) and at the distal tract (M2). PI values from M1 and M2 decreased during the pregnancy. A significant difference was detected between M1 and M2 PI values from the 26th to the 37th week of gestation. The M1 brain sparing effect was detected in the IUGR fetuses. Two ARED fetuses, observed during labor, showed the M2 sparing effect. The different Doppler patterns found in M1 and M2 could be due to the functional differences existing between these tracts. As a matter of fact, M1 and M2 supply different parts of the fetal brain, which develop in different periods of fetal life. These findings, if ulteriorly confirmed, could offer new perspectives for the monitoring of high risk fetuses."}
{"id": "PMID:1479516", "title": "Early-diastolic blood flow velocity block in the umbilical artery and fetal cardiac valvular insufficiency. Case report.", "content": "Absence of early-diastolic blood flow velocity was recorded from the umbilical artery of a fetus with severe myocardial and valvular insufficiency. The blood flow at late diastole was normal. This flow pattern may indicate the need for a detailed ultrasonic examination of the fetal heart."}
{"id": "PMID:1479517", "title": "Prediction of RDS by amniotic fluid analysis: a comparison of the prognostic value of traditional and recent methods.", "content": "The determination of lecithin or even more the lecithin/sphingomyelin (L/S) ratio in amniotic fluid are both well established in the prediction of neonatal RDS. The immunological measurement of phosphatidylglycerol (PG) and the determination of the surfactant/albumin (S/A) ratio by fluorescence polarization (TDx FLMR) have recently been introduced for the detection of fetal lung maturity. In order to compare traditional versus recent methods L/S ratio and PG determination by one dimensional thin-layer chromatography, enzymatic analysis of lecithin, immunological determination of PG by Amniostat-FLMR and the fluorescence polarization of S/A-ratio by the TDx FLMR were all performed in 141 amniotic fluid samples of 122 patients. Only one out of 72 samples was false negative in the enzymatic lecithin determination (sensitivity 88%). All other methods have a sensitivity and a negative predictive value of 100%. The positive predictive values and the specificity varied between 22%-50% and 58%-87% respectively. The false positive rate, which is high for all methods, is lowest for the L/S ratio. This study demonstrates, that the recent methods are reasonable alternatives in all cases with a positive test. In clinical practice they have the advantage, that the result can be obtained in 15 minutes. If the test is predictive for lung immaturity the L/S ratio should be performed in addition to decrease the false positive rate before any clinical decision is made."}
{"id": "PMID:1479518", "title": "Short-term effect of magnesium sulfate infusion on renal function in preeclamptic women.", "content": "Magnesium (Mg) plays an important role in cardiovascular homeostasis. A deficiency may be of importance for the etiology of disorders that have vasospasm in common. Mg administration can reduce the peripheral vascular resistance and thus enhance organ perfusion. We observed that Mg sulfate infusion could have a beneficial effect upon the serum urate concentration in preeclamptic women, presumably by affecting the renal function. A study comprising 10 preeclamptic women with a high serum urate level (413-788 umol/l) was carried out. Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) was measured by determination of iohexol clearance. 30 mmol Addex-Magnesium was then given i.v. during 12 h and a second GFR determination performed the next day. We had expected the GFR to increase, but to our surprise, it decreased (in mean, from 74.2 ml/[min x 1.73 m2] to 71.3; p < 0.05; Wilcoxon signed-ranks test). There were no significant changes of blood pressure, proteinuria, blood thrombocytes, transaminases, serum creatinine or serum urate. We conclude that in preeclamptic women with renal dysfunction, Mg infusion therapy had no favourable effect upon either blood pressure nor GFR in the short-term perspective."}
{"id": "PMID:1479519", "title": "Measurement of systolic blood pressure in the follow-up of low birth weight infants.", "content": "Systolic blood pressure was measured using the Doppler technique in 149 infants who attended the neonatal follow-up clinic. One hundred and six of these infants were graduates of the neonatal intensive care unit and 81% were prematurely delivered. Most of the participants were examined only once and their postnatal age ranged between 2-191 weeks at the time the blood pressure was measured. During the first weeks of life the blood pressure in infants whose birth weight was > 2000 grams appeared to be higher than that of infants of lower birth weight infants (< 2000 grams), but the difference disappeared within the first months of life. Almost all measurements after 6 months of age were of lower birth weight infants (< 2000 grams) and their systolic blood pressure level of 101.1 +/- 6.4 mm Hg (mean +/- S.D.; n = 38) appeared to remain unchanged in later infancy. Using analysis of variance, four perinatal factors were found to be associated by analysis of variance with elevated blood pressure values recorded in the clinic. These were instrumental vaginal delivery, prolonged ventilatory support, presence of patent ductus arteriosus and high blood pressure during the neonatal period. However, when multiple regression analysis was applied, only neonatal hypertension was significantly associated with subsequent elevated values measured in the clinic."}
{"id": "PMID:1479520", "title": "Analysis of the tcPO2 response to blood interruption in infants and adults.", "content": "The transcutaneous PO2 (tcPO2) response to blood interruption (BIS test) was measured in 6 healthy adults and 28 infants, including premature infants. The response was similar in both infants and adults with a time lag at the beginning of blood interruption, a subsequent linear decrease, a time lag at the end of blood interruption, and an exponential recovery to the final steady state. The linear decrease of tcPO2 in the BIS test had a correlation coefficient of more than 0.98 in all subjects and indicated the cutaneous oxygen consumption rate independent of the oxygen pressure. There was a significant difference in oxygen consumption according to birth weight in the infants (< 2 kg, 2-3 kg, and > 3 kg). The recovery time constant for infants was 13 seconds which was about 1.4 times faster than that for adults, and it increased significantly along with a higher birth weight. The time lag at blood interruption was longer than that at blood recovery. The time lag for infants was significantly shorter than that for adults, and in infants there was a significant difference between the group with a birth weight < 2 kg and the others (p < 0.005). All of the parameters of the BIS test suggested the physiological immaturity of premature infants."}
{"id": "PMID:1479521", "title": "Raised plasma hypoxanthine levels as a prognostic sign in preterm babies with respiratory distress syndrome treated with natural surfactant.", "content": "Plasma hypoxanthine concentration was measured in twelve preterm babies with respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) treated with 200 mg/kg of a porcine surfactant (Curosurf). Five of the babies died within one week and seven survived the neonatal period. Surviving babies had no significant changes in plasma hypoxanthine concentration throughout a one hour study period following the administration of surfactant. By contrast, in nonsurvivors the mean plasma hypoxanthine concentrations increased from 6.8 mumol/l before surfactant administration to 14.2 mumol/l 15 minutes after surfactant treatment. Survivors had a mean maximal increase in plasma hypoxanthine of 1.9 mumol/l 15-30 min factor surfactant treatment compared with 9.4 mumol/l in nonsurvivors (p < 0.05). The babies who developed intracranial hemorrhage had significantly higher maximal plasma hypoxanthine increase (mean 9.6 mumol/l) compared with babies who did not develop intracranial hemorrhage (mean 1.1 mumol/l) (p < 0.01). The combination of high PaO2 and high hypoxanthine concentration could lead to an increased production of oxygen radicals which might be harmful. We conclude that plasma hypoxanthine concentration may serve as an indicator of the prognosis in preterm babies treated with natural surfactant. Further, it seems important to reduce oxygen supplementation as soon as surfactant is given to possibly limit oxygen radical production."}
{"id": "PMID:1479522", "title": "Uteroplacental diastolic notching in 510 uneventful pregnancies.", "content": "In a collective of 510 patients with uneventful pregnancies and deliveries the rate of waveform notching in the uteroplacental flow velocity pattern was examined. Notching appeared to be significantly more frequent in the uterine than arcuate artery. It was unilateral and mainly affected placenta-contralateral sites. Bilateral notching or notching on placental site were the exception. In both flow patterns notching was seen to increase as pregnancy progressed and was slightly higher in the third compared to the second trimester."}
{"id": "PMID:1479523", "title": "Fetal hydrocephalus associated with maternal neurofibromatosis.", "content": "Neurofibromatosis (NF), an autosomal dominant inherited disorder affecting multiple organ systems, is rare among pregnant women. NF in pregnancy has been reported to be complicated by maternal hypertension, fetal intrauterine growth retardation and fetal wastage. A case of pregnancy associated with neurofibromatosis, complicated by pregnancy aggravated chronic hypertension, asymmetric intrauterine growth retardation and fetal hydrocephalus is described. Possible interrelations between those pathologies are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1479524", "title": "Principles and pitfalls of clinical trials design.", "content": "Periodontitis and gingivitis trials can involve many complex experimental designs. The selection of a specific design and the details of the protocol can influence the magnitude of any effect observed, the generalizability of the results, and the clinical significance of the findings. The purpose of this paper is to review selected aspects of clinical trials including the overall clinical experimental design, controls, outcomes, sample size, and patient selection. Particular emphasis will be placed on periodontitis trials."}
{"id": "PMID:1479525", "title": "Differential diagnosis in clinical trials of therapy for periodontitis.", "content": "For purposes of clinical trials of therapies for periodontitis, it is recommended that population samples be identified as adult periodontitis (systemically modified or not systemically modified), early onset periodontitis (localized or juvenile, generalized or rapidly progressive, or associated with systemic disease), or necrotizing ulcerative periodontitis, avoiding overlapping criteria. Population samples of adult or early onset periodontitis modified by or associated with systemic conditions should be used in clinical trials only when the intent is to study effect on the specifically modified condition. Objective identification of the modifying systemic condition should be required for all subjects in such trials. Population samples should be homogeneous for the diagnosis, whether systemically modified or not. Refractory periodontitis, prepubertal periodontitis, and periodontitis associated with systemic disease are not recommended as useful descriptors of population samples without discrete identification of underlying systemic abnormality for all included subjects. Definition of population sample by a bacteriological or a host response feature is not recommended unless the trial is specifically aimed at that feature and the sample is homogeneous for it. All trials of efficacy should include physical or radiographic measurement of attachment level or bone height as a critical outcome variable. Results from trial in one form of periodontitis should not be applied directly to other forms."}
{"id": "PMID:1479526", "title": "Conduct of multicenter trials to test agents for treatment of periodontitis.", "content": "The conduct of multicenter trials to test agents for treatment of periodontitis is conceptually similar to that of single center trials, but the requirement that centers ultimately be combined into a single result places much more stringent requirements on uniformity and control. Multicenter trials should be considered only if numbers of subjects or the ability to generalize to other treatment settings becomes a driving theme. General guidelines for the conduct of studies of this sort are suggested and problems that occur are discussed. Despite formidable difficulties that may occur, multicenter studies provide a convincing demonstration of an agent's therapeutic efficacy for the treatment of periodontitis."}
{"id": "PMID:1479527", "title": "Field testing as clinical trial methodology in periodontics.", "content": "In the early 1950s the randomized control trial (RCT) was introduced and became widely accepted as the definitive proof of efficacy of a specific medical treatment. In fact, the acceptance and application of this methodology were instrumental in converting medicine from an unpredictable art to a science. At present no other methodologies exist that allow the evaluation of therapeutic efficacy with confidence comparable to that achieved with randomized controlled trials. In recent years researchers have applied new experimental designs and data analysis techniques to clinical trials conducted in a field trial environment to facilitate the understanding of proper use of new therapeutic agents and procedures. Since many of the new methodologies are still evolving or have only recently been introduced, this review considers some of the major trends and developments, as well as experiences of the authors, in field trial methodology. This manuscript addresses the following questions: 1) are there current clinical trial needs that are not met by RCT? 2) If so, what considerations are necessary for new approaches to have scientific usefulness? and 3) What are the strengths and weaknesses of the field trial's setting relative to an institutional environment?"}
{"id": "PMID:1479528", "title": "Measurement of attachment level in clinical trials: probing methods.", "content": "Measurement of clinical attachment level has become a standard for judging clinical response in periodontal therapy. A number of probing methods and instruments have been developed in an attempt to address limitations in obtaining this measurement. First generation instruments include conventional periodontal probes; second generation probes utilize controlled forces; and third generation probes incorporate automated measurement, controlled forces, and computerized data capture. Various types of stents have been used and repeated measurement techniques have been proposed to reduce examiner error. Controlled force probes appear to have their greatest advantage in increasing inter-examiner repeatability. The use of measurement stents increases inter- and intra-examiner reliability. However, use of such stents may be limited to small sample studies of limited duration. Third generation instruments offer advantages in terms of automated measurement and data capture, increased resolution, and a more continuous measurement scale, but do not necessarily result in increased intra- or inter-examiner reliability. Examiner training and calibration are essential for any measurement instrument. Decisions for or against use of a particular instrument must be made on the basis of the needs of each clinical trial. At the present time, no commercially available instrument resolves all of the inherent limitations of clinical measurement of attachment."}
{"id": "PMID:1479529", "title": "Radiographic methods in the evaluation of periodontal therapy.", "content": "Radiographic methods are commonly utilized to assess periodontal bone changes in clinical trials. Radiographs are unique as a data source in that they provide a permanent visual record of the bone support and allow for linear, area, and volume measurements of periodontal lesions. The major limiting factors in the use of radiographic outcomes measures are geometric distortion and radiographic processing errors. The use of standardized methods and computer algorithms has reduced the effect of these errors on data from radiographs. Radiographic analysis in clinical trials is largely done in digital format by indirect digitizing film with a video camera. Direct digital detectors are now available for intra-oral use. The use of a direct detector eliminates the need for film processing and allows for dose reduction. The detectors currently available are limited in size and resolution. Subtraction radiography allows for area and volume estimates of bone gain or loss. The subtraction methods are highly precise, but are also technically exacting and labor intensive. The clinical trial hypothesis, size, length, and accuracy required should be the final consideration in choosing a radiographic method."}
{"id": "PMID:1479530", "title": "Methods for evaluation of regenerative procedures.", "content": "A multitude of new procedures and materials are being tested for their ability to promote periodontal wound healing. This review provides an overview of the most well-accepted methods for evaluating periodontal wound healing procedures/materials. Topics discussed include appropriate patient selection, general principles in non-surgical and surgical therapy as they relate to wound healing trials, clinical soft and hard tissue measurements which are generally obtained, an overview of radiographic assessments, and a discussion of the methods and role of histological evaluations in clinical trials. The advantages and disadvantages of the various methodologies are presented. The review concludes with the potential endpoints which can be used in periodontal wound healing studies."}
{"id": "PMID:1479531", "title": "The host response in gingival crevicular fluid: potential applications in periodontitis clinical trials.", "content": "Traditional clinical variables of periodontal pathology have only limited value as indicators for future disease progression in patients with adult periodontitis. Consequently, other aspects of the periodontal lesion are being examined for their diagnostic utility. Analysis of the host response in gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) is among the most intensely studied of these new diagnostic approaches. Specific indicators of the humoral immune response, cellular immune response, and acute inflammatory response have been identified in GCF. The relationship of indicators of the humoral immune response to active periodontal disease is equivocal. Specific indicators of the cellular immune response in GCF may ultimately prove to be important diagnostically, but the relationship of any specific marker to active periodontal disease has not been reported. In contrast, the acute inflammatory response in GCF has been extensively studied and a number of factors appear to be associated with an increased risk for future disease progression. Indicators of enhanced polymorphonuclear leukocyte activity, (lysosomal beta-glucuronidase, lysosomal collagenase), prostaglandin E2, and an indicator of acute tissue destruction (the cytoplasmic enzymes aspartate aminotransferase) have been associated with the occurrence of clinical attachment loss. An example of the application of a GCF marker in a periodontitis clinical trial is provided by describing the relationship of lysosomal beta-glucuronidase in GCF at baseline and 2 weeks following root planing and scaling to the occurrence of disease activity during the following 6 months. Persistently elevated levels of this enzyme were related to clinical attachment loss. The positive, negative, and total predictive values for beta-glucuronidase as an identifier of clinical attachment loss were 86%, 71%, and 76%, respectively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1479532", "title": "Design and analytic concepts for periodontal clinical trials.", "content": "Aspects of the design and analysis of periodontal clinical trials are surveyed from a biostatistical perspective. Design issues discussed include protocol preparation, subject selection and its documentation, randomization, problems associated with the sample versus population paradigm in sampling of microbes and gingival fluid constituents, quality control, cross-over and split-mouth versus parallel-arm designs, blinding, and multicenter trials. Analytic discussion deals with the definition and choice of analytic unit, appropriate methods for the analysis of data from multiple sites within the same subject, the nature and application of randomization tests, interim analyses, subgroup analyses, and multiple comparison issues. Examples are provided to illustrate the feasibility of analyzing site-specific data while accounting for intra-subject correlation, which represents the increased similarity of sites chosen from the same mouth as compared to sites from different patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1479536", "title": "Inhibition of hepatic drug biotransformation by carrageenan-induced inflammation in the rat: effect of sex hormone alterations.", "content": "Following in vivo treatment with carrageenan, sex-related differences in alteration of hepatic drug metabolism were found in the rat. In adult male rats, marked decreases were observed in hepatic 9000 x g supernatant cytochrome P-450 content and in the biotransformation of hexobarbital, aminopyrine, ethylmorphine, and meperidine. Hexobarbital hypnosis was significantly prolonged by carrageenan treatment in intact and testectomized animals as compared to their respective controls. Although carrageenan-treated intact animals slept 480% longer, carrageenan-treated testectomized rats slept only 60% longer than the respective control animals. However, testectomy or administration of 17 beta-estradiol to testectomized male rats did not inhibit the monooxygenase activities by carrageenan-treatment. Furthermore, administration of testosterone to ovariectomized female rats did not antagonize the inhibitory effects of the carrageenan-induced inflammation. The inhibitory effects produced by carrageenan-induced inflammation on the microsomal enzyme system were observed only in mature male rats and were not observed in mature female rats or in sexually immature rats of either sex. Thus, these results suggest that the inhibitory effects of carrageenan-induced inflammation on hepatic 9000 x g supernatant monooxygenases in the male rat are partially mediated through the toxic action of carrageenan-induced inflammation on androgen-dependent factors in this enzyme system."}
{"id": "PMID:1479537", "title": "Inhibition of hepatic mixed-function oxidase enzymes in mice by acute and chronic treatment with selenium.", "content": "The effect of selenium administered acutely or chronically on the hepatic microsomal drug-metabolizing system has been investigated in mice. After 72 h following acute administration of selenium (7.5 mg/kg, i.p.), there was a significant inhibition of the activities of aminopyrine (AM) N-demethylase and ethylmorphine (EM) N-demethylase, and cytochrome P-450 levels but no change in the activities of aniline (AN) hydroxylase, 7-ethoxycoumarin (EC) O-deethylase, reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH)-cytochrome c reductase and reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH)-ferricyanide reductase, and cytochrome b5 content. Chronic administration of selenium in the drinking water (1 or 2 ppm selenium) for 12 weeks, resulted in no alteration in any of the parameters measured. However, significant decreases in activities of AM N-demethylase and AN hydroxylase, and cytochrome P-450 levels were detected in animals given higher doses of selenium (4 or 8 ppm selenium). Following the in vitro additions of selenium to hepatic microsomes obtained from untreated mice, selenium inhibited the AM N-demethylase, AN hydroxylase and 7-EC O-deethylase in a concentration-dependent manner, but no alteration in NADPH-cytochrome c reductase and cytochrome P-450 levels was observed. These results indicate that selenium is a specific from inhibitor of hepatic monooxygenase."}
{"id": "PMID:1479533", "title": "[Conditions for analysis of cytochrome p-450 activity in human liver microsomes].", "content": "Multiples forms of CYT-P450 have been isolated from human liver microsomes. The distribution of CYT-P450 could be correlated with pathologic and influence the individual's response to therapeutic drugs and susceptibility to the toxic and cancerogenic effects of environmental pollutants. The aim of the this work is to determine the amounts of CYT-P450's in small samples from human liver such as biopsies and eventually to correlate them with pathology. For these reasons, tests providing informations about the distribution of CYT-P450 in individual subjects are very important. In this study we have reviewed the method for measuring the activity of CYT-P450 and the dosage of Benzopyrene hydroxylase. We modified some of these methods for the study of CYT-P450 from human liver microsomes."}
{"id": "PMID:1479534", "title": "[Autoimmune diseases: an aberrant behavior of our immune system?].", "content": "If autoimmunization seemed unthinkable at the beginning of this century, this phenomenon is now widely recognized. After a short recall of the immune system mechanism, we describe the recent concept allowing to explain the auto-antibody synthesis and their role in human pathology. The therapeutical strategies of autoimmune diseases are briefly evoked."}
{"id": "PMID:1479538", "title": "Species difference and tissue distribution of uridine diphosphate-glucuronyltransferase activities toward E6080, 1-naphthol and 4-hydroxybiphenyl.", "content": "The apparent in vitro kinetic constants of uridine diphosphate-glucuronyltransferase (UDP-GT) activities towards E6080, 1-naphthol (1-N) and 4-hydroxybiphenyl (4-HB) were determined using microsomes, to assess the effect of inducing agents and evaluate species and tissue differences. In rats, the 3-methylcholanthrene and beta-naphthoflavone treatments increased the Vmax app/KM app values for E6080, 13- and 8-fold, and those for 1-N, 1.9- and 1.7-fold, respectively, but did not affect those for 4-HB. Phenobarbital was ineffective on the UDP-GT activity toward E6080. In rats and rhesus monkeys, the intestinal mucosa had higher specific UDP-GT activity toward E6080 than did the liver, and the rank order of the Vmax app/KM app value for E6080 in the intestinal mucosa was rhesus monkey > rat > guinea pig > beagle. In guinea pig, the Vmax app/KM app value for E6080 in the liver was 4 times higher than that in the intestinal mucosa. Both the Vmax app/KM app values for 1-N and 4-HB in the liver of all species studied were higher than those in the intestinal mucosa, and guinea pig liver showed the highest values, while, about the Vmax app for 1-N and 4-HB, beagle liver had the highest values. In the beagle intestinal mucosa, the Vmax app/KM app values for all 3 substrates studied were extremely low.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1479539", "title": "Effects of cisapride on gastrointestinal motor activity and gastric emptying of disopyramide.", "content": "The effects of cisapride on the gastrointestinal contractile activity and pharmacokinetics of disopyramide were determined in beagle dogs and patients with arrhythmia. In the animal experiments, the gastric motor index was significantly decreased by i.v. administration of disopyramide in a dose-dependent fashion. The peak decrease of the motor index was observed within 5 min after i.v. injection of disopyramide; the motor index then recovered gradually to the level present prior to drug administration. I.v. administration of cisapride (0.5 mg/kg) markedly increased gastrointestinal contractile activity following the decrease induced by disopyramide pretreatment (5 mg/kg, i.v.). In the clinical studies, the gastric emptying test was performed using the acetaminophen method. A significant correlation between plasma concentrations of disopyramide and gastric emptying time has been found (p < 0.001). The combination of disopyramide (100 mg t.i.d.) and cisapride (2.5 mg t.i.d.) significantly increased gastric emptying compared with that induced by disopyramide alone. The peak plasma concentration of disopyramide in association with cisapride oral administration was significantly higher, and the apparent absorption rate constant and lag time of disopyramide were about 2-fold higher and 2-fold shorter, respectively, than for disopyramide alone. Cisapride, acting as a cholinergic agonist, may counteract the anticholinergic effect of disopyramide on gastric motility. As a factor influencing drug absorption, gastric emptying is of importance, as it determines the rate of drug delivery to the small intestine. Therefore, the oral administration of disopyramide with cisapride may be useful for patients with delayed gastric emptying."}
{"id": "PMID:1479540", "title": "Chronopharmacological study of valproic acid in mice: comparison of oral and rectal administration.", "content": "This study was performed to investigate the influence of the dosing route on chronopharmacological aspect of valproic acid (VPA) in mice, comparing the oral and rectal route. ICR male mice, housed under a standardized light-dark cycle (lights on from 0700 to 1900), were orally or rectally administered 400 mg/kg VPA each at the following scheduled time: 0900, 1300, 1700, 2100, 0100 and 0500. VPA concentrations in plasma and brain were determined by gas-liquid chromatography. There was a circadian rhythm in the electroshock seizure (ES) threshold 30 min after oral VPA administration, with the highest value at the midlight (1300) and the lowest at the middark (0100) (p < 0.01). A significant circadian rhythm was also found in plasma and brain VPA concentrations 30 min after oral administration (p < 0.01). This finding is related to the rhythm in the ES threshold. In contrast to oral administration, no circadian rhythm in the ES threshold, plasma and brain VPA concentrations was observed after rectal administration. These values after rectal dosing showed higher levels in comparison to those after oral dosing. Thus, the rectal route for VPA might have merit to eliminate the time-dependent changes in VPA pharmacologic action and kinetics. The timing of drug administration is an important factor that must be carefully controlled in drug pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic studies and must be considered in planning dosing routes."}
{"id": "PMID:1479541", "title": "Pharmacokinetics of zonisamide; saturable distribution into human and rat erythrocytes and into rat brain.", "content": "The distribution of zonisamide, a new antiepileptic drug, in erythrocytes and in brain was studied to clarify the factors influencing its distribution in epileptic patients. In both humans and rats, zonisamide was concentrated significantly in erythrocytes in a saturable manner. When the effective concentration of zonisamide in serum was compared with that in blood in nine refractory epileptic patients taking zonisamide chronically, the variation in effective serum concentration was significantly larger than that in blood concentration. In rats, the distribution in the brain also showed saturability. These results suggest that differences in saturable binding to various tissues may contribute to the wide variation that occurs in the effective serum concentration of zonisamide in epileptic patients and that monitoring of the blood concentration of zonisamide may provide useful information for treatment with this drug."}
{"id": "PMID:1479542", "title": "Tissue distribution of intraperitoneally administered (1-->3)-beta-D-glucan (SSG), a highly branched antitumor glucan, in mice.", "content": "Distribution of metabolically 3H-labeled (1-->3)-beta-D-glucan (3H-SSG) obtained from the culture filtrate of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum IFO 9395, in various tissues after intraperitoneal administration into ICR mice (250 micrograms/mouse) was examined. 3H-SSG was mainly detected in liver, spleen, and blood, and a negligible amount was excreted into the feces and excrement within 2 d. The significant amount of 3H-SSG remained in liver and spleen after 1 month. On the other hand, SSG was not incorporated effectively in vivo and in vitro by peritoneal exudate macrophages (0.5 microgram/1 x 10(6) M phi) Similarly in vivo, the majority of 3H-SSG distributed in spleen and liver were recovered from the non-cellular fraction and not from splenic macrophage and Kupffer cell fractions. These results suggested that (1-->3)-beta-D-glucans would not be easily incorporated by the host cells to degrade and exclude from the body even after the onset of the biological response modifier activity."}
{"id": "PMID:1479543", "title": "Evidence of direct conversion of testosterone sulfate to estradiol 17-sulfate by human placental microsomes.", "content": "Ring A aromatization of testosterone sulfate (TS), using human term placental microsomes as a enzyme source, was examined under a reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH)-generating system. The aromatization to estradiol 17-sulfate (ES) without removal of the C-17 conjugate group was confirmed. Judging from the results of various experiments, including an inhibition experiment, the conversion was considered to occur by placental aromatase. Apparent Km and Vmax values for this aromatization were determined to be 37.4 microM and 330 pmol/mg protein/min respectively. The physiological role of direct conversion of TS by placenta to ES is discussed in connection with pregnancy."}
{"id": "PMID:1479544", "title": "Direct modulation of secretin binding sites by gastrin in the rat stomach.", "content": "The effect of gastrin on secretin binding sites in the stomach was studied using the plasma membranes from rat gastric mucosa and vascularly perfused rat stomach. Tetragastrin transiently increased secretin binding to the mucosal plasma membranes. In the perfused stomach secretin binding was also modulated by the inclusion of tetragastrin or human [Leu15] gastrin I in the perfusate. However, histamine did not show such a modulatory effect. Tetragastrin had an insignificant effect on secretin binding sites in rat pancreas. These results suggest that the direct modulation of secretin binding by gastrin to its receptors may be involved in the inhibitory action of secretin on acid secretion induced by gastrin."}
{"id": "PMID:1479545", "title": "Development of physical dependence on morphine not accompanied with tolerance formation.", "content": "The development of tolerance induced by daily repeated administration of 10 mg/kg of s.c. morphine was suppressed by combined injection of adrenergic blockers, 10 mg/kg i.p. phentolamine or propranolol, in mice. However, this treatment could not prevent the development of physical dependence as evidenced by the naloxone precipitated abstinence signs. Thus, we provide a new evidence that morphine analgesia, tolerance and physical dependence is dissociable from each other."}
{"id": "PMID:1479546", "title": "Homology of an acrosome-reacted sperm-specific antigen to CD46.", "content": "MH61 is an acrosome-reacted sperm-specific monoclonal antibody. The antibody-coated beads effectively analyze the acrosomal status of human sperm. However, the nature of the antigen was not known. The antigen was purified by immunoprecipitation and SDS-PAGE followed by blotting on PVDF paper. The N-terminal sequence of the antigen was analyzed by an automated protein sequencer. An exactly matching sequence was found in CD46, that is also known as a membrane cofactor protein."}
{"id": "PMID:1479548", "title": "Family functioning when children have cystic fibrosis.", "content": "The purpose of this study was to compare family functioning between 32 mothers with a child who had been diagnosed with cystic fibrosis (Group 1) and 32 mothers with a child who did not have cystic fibrosis (Group 2). The children's ages ranged from 4 months to 3 years. The mothers' perceptions of their family's functioning was measured by the Feetham Family Functioning Survey. There were no significant differences found between the groups on the total score of the Feetham Family Functioning Survey. Both groups of mothers reported that they were quite satisfied with their family functioning."}
{"id": "PMID:1479549", "title": "Nursing role supplementation for adolescent parents: prescriptive nursing practice.", "content": "Role supplementation interventions were developed to support role taking in parenting and health decision-making for adolescent parents. The prescriptive nursing interventions provided during prenatal, well child, and home visits during the first 2 years of the child's life are based on role supplementation theory. Strategies derived from role theory are integrated with assessment and intervention activities. Adolescents receive role supplementation from a primary nurse who continues to see them and their infants over the 2-year period. The role supplementation intervention is currently being tested in a longitudinal research project."}
{"id": "PMID:1479550", "title": "Observation: a valuable data collection strategy for research with children.", "content": "This study introduces the basic concepts of observational research by defining the terms and discussing some of the critical issues specific to observational research. Observational methods signify a systematic approach to quantifying behavior. A discussion of the major concerns in observational research is presented. These concerns include defining the coding categories; identifying the unit of measurement, the method of recording the observation, and deciding on a sampling strategy; training of observers; and interrater and intrarater reliability."}
{"id": "PMID:1479551", "title": "Sampling rare pediatric populations.", "content": "The sampling of general populations of individuals or households for survey research is well described. However, much of the focus of pediatric nursing research is on special or rare populations. This article presents techniques that may be used to locate rare populations for pediatric nursing research. Additionally, development and analysis of one technique used to locate a sample frame for a survey of time use of chronically ill school-age children is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1479552", "title": "The creation, validation, and continuing development of the Oucher: a measure of pain intensity in children.", "content": "This is the first article written by this group of authors/researchers who are collaborating on the development of the Oucher, an assessment tool to assist 3- to 12-year-olds describe the intensity of pain. The background and conceptual framework for its development, the research supporting the validation of the original Oucher, the research to create new ethnic versions, and the basic instructions for clinical use are described. In addition, several issues regarding the continued development and use of the Oucher are identified, including those relative to poster size and the gender and ethnicity of the photographed child. This article illustrates the precision and care needed to create clinically useful tools for obtaining information directly from young children."}
{"id": "PMID:1479553", "title": "The tendency for temperament to be \"temperamental\": conceptual and methodological considerations.", "content": "Temperament seems to be a concept that stimulates a great deal of enthusiasm among nurses and professionals who \"discover\" it. Yet \"knowing\" that you have captured something of value does not necessarily imply full knowledge and understanding of the object. On the contrary temperament enthusiasts guarantee no consensus of opinion about what it is or how to best measure it. And so the conceptual and methodological issues for debate and discussion continue spilling over into both its research and clinical use. Sorting out the issues and the implications for use when there has been so much discussion and debate can be difficult. This article attempts to identify the main issues surrounding temperament, where we stand on some of the issues, and the practical implications for nurses who are interested in incorporating the measurement of temperament into clinical practice and research."}
{"id": "PMID:1479558", "title": "Pharmacoimmunodynamics of methylprednisolone: trafficking of helper T lymphocytes.", "content": "A two-compartment closed model was used to characterize the cell trafficking behavior of helper T cells in response to various single doses of methylprednisolone. Steroids are assumed to inhibit the circadian-determined cell return from extravascular sites to blood in a classic inhibitory pattern reflected by an IC50. The rate of cell efflux from tissues is modeled with a cosine function having a period of 24 hr and a maximum at about 1 AM. Nonlinear least-squares regression employing differential equations was used to analyze helper T-cell data from three human studies from our laboratory. The IC50 value of methylprednisolone of 12-19 ng/ml approximates receptor KD values. Simulations were performed to demonstrate the log-linear role of steroid dose or AUC on the integral of effect of helper T cells over a wide range of methylprednisolone doses. This pharmacodynamic model allows flexibility for characterizing any type of steroid dosing regimen and is relevant in describing complex response data for corticosteroid immunosuppressive effects in man."}
{"id": "PMID:1479559", "title": "Biopharmaceutical evaluation of ibufenac, ibuprofen, and their hydroxyethoxy analogs in the rabbit eye.", "content": "Two new structural analogs, 2-(4-hydroxyethoxyphenyl)acetic acid [R3] and 2-(4-hydroxyethoxyphenyl)propionic acid [R4], along with their parent compounds, ibufenac and ibuprofen, were evaluated for their biopharmaceutical properties. The analogs represented substitution of the lipophilic isobutyl side chains of ibufenac and ibuprofen with hydrophilic hydroxyethoxy side chains. Anti-inflammatory activity was evaluated by administering drugs topically to inhibit inflammation induced by using either clove oil or arachidonic acid. The rank order of activity was ibufenac approximately equal to ibuprofen > R3 approximately equal to R4. The new compounds, R3 and R4, were highly water soluble (> 60-fold) and partitioned less (< 1/1500-fold) into the lipid phase when compared to ibufenac and ibuprofen. R3 and R4 each had apparent corneal permeability coefficients of 6 x 10(-6) cm/sec, whereas ibufenac and ibuprofen yielded values of about 22 x 10(-6) cm/sec. In an ocular pharmacokinetic study in the rabbit eye, constant concentrations of each compound were maintained on the cornea in a cylinder or well fixed to the cornea, resulting in a constant input rate. This method circumvented parallel loss routes at the absorption site including nasolacrimal drainage. From area calculations the dispositions of the compounds within the eye were described by mean residence times, steady state volumes of distributions, and clearance rates. R3 and R4 were more slowly absorbed, retained within eye tissues longer, and were cleared more slowly from the eye than ibufenac and ibuprofen. The aqueous humor concentration-time profiles were also computer-fitted to equations representing classical pharmacokinetic models. For ibufenac and ibuprofen, the entire cornea was assumed to be the net barrier for entry into the anterior chamber. Whereas, for R3 and R4, the corneal epithelium and endothelium were presumed to be the diffusional barriers into and out of the stroma, the latter treated as a compartment. Aqueous humor concentrations of each drug fit the models reasonable well and agreed with conclusions made from the use of area calculations. The drop volume method was used to measure the surface tension of each compound. Both ibufenac and ibuprofen were considerably more surface active than R3 or R4. The greater surface tension measured for ibufenac and ibuprofen correlated to the subjective observations of ocular discomfort for these drugs."}
{"id": "PMID:1479561", "title": "Neural networks in pharmacodynamic modeling. Is current modeling practice of complex kinetic systems at a dead end?", "content": "Neural networks (NN) are computational systems implemented in software or hardware that attempt to simulate the neurological processing abilities of biological systems, in particular the brain. Computational NN are classified as parallel distributed processing systems that for many tasks are recognized to have superior processing capability to the classical sequential Von Neuman computer model. NN are recognized mainly in terms of their adaptive learning and self-organization features and their nonlinear processing capability and are considered most suitable to deal with complex multivariate systems that are poorly understood and difficult to model by classical inductive, logically structured modeling techniques. A NN is applied to demonstrate one of the potentially many applications of NN for modeling complex kinetic systems. The NN was used to predict the effect of alfentanil on the heart rate resulting from a complex infusion scheme applied to six rabbits. Drug input-drug effect data resulting from a repeated, triple infusion rate scheme lasting from 30 to 180 min was used to train the NN to recognize and emulate the input-effect behavior of the system. With the NN memory fixed from the 30- to 180-min learning phase the NN was then tested for its ability to predict the effect resulting from a multiple infusion rate scheme applied in the subsequent 180 to 300 min of the experiment. The NN's ability to emulate the system (30-180 min) was excellent and its predictive extrapolation capability (180-300 min) was very good (mean relative prediction accuracy of 78%). The NN was best in predicting the higher intensity effect and was able to identify and predict an overshoot phenomenon likely caused by a withdrawal effect from acute tolerance. Current modeling philosophy and practice is discussed on the basis of the alternative offered by NN in the modeling of complex kinetic systems. In modeling such systems it is questioned whether traditional modeling practice that insists on structure relevance and conceptually pleasing structures has any practical advantages over the empirical NN approach that largely ignores structure relevance but concentrates on the emulation of the behavior of the kinetic system. The traditional searching for appropriate models of complex kinetic systems is a painstakingly slow process. In contrast, the search for empirical models using NN will continue to improve, limited only by technological advances supporting the very promising NN developments."}
{"id": "PMID:1479562", "title": "Passive tube and suction drainage after elective cholecystectomy--a comparison using ultrasonography.", "content": "Daily ultrasonography of the gallbladder bed was performed in patients with suction or passive tube drains after elective cholecystectomy. A total of 19 patients was randomized to suction drainage and 17 to passive tube drainage. A policy of early drain removal was followed. No significant difference was found between the volume drained and the size of collection detected in either group. Significant bile leaks were detected and were adequately drained by suction and passive tube drains. There were no complications from drains. In view of these findings, we advocate short-term drainage of the gallbladder bed after both open and laparoscopic cholecystectomy using the drain of the surgeon's choice."}
{"id": "PMID:1479563", "title": "Ovulation induction with human menopausal gonadotropin versus follicle-stimulating hormone after pituitary suppression by gonadotropin releasing hormone agonist in polycystic ovary disease. A cross-over study.", "content": "Ten patients with polycystic ovary disease (PCOD) had ovulation induction after pituitary suppression by gonadotropin releasing hormone agonist (GnRHa) with GnRHa plus pure follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) or plus human menopausal gonadotropin (hMG). Duration of the stimulation period and gonadotropin doses were superimposable. A multifollicular response was observed in both treatments. Bioassay and radioimmunoassay of luteinizing hormone, androstanedione and testosterone plasma levels were higher in hMG cycles compared to FSH-treated cycles. No differences was found in FSH and estradiol (E2) plasma concentrations, whereas in hMG-treated cycles the E2/number of follicles and E2/ovarian volume ratios were greater than in the FSH-treated cycles. Clinical results in terms of percentages of ovulation and pregnancies were the same in the two protocols. We conclude that the presence of luteinizing hormone in induction of ovulation in patients with PCOD does not seem to influence follicular recruitment and development, but it may have a role in the enhancement of steroid production."}
{"id": "PMID:1479564", "title": "Maternal hepatitis B screening at a private hospital.", "content": "A prospective study was performed to determine whether the Centers for Disease Control risk factors are reliable predictors of the hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) carrier state in the obstetric population at a large private hospital in Cincinnati. During the 12-month study period, 5,877 patients delivered at the hospital. The patients were screened for HBsAg either prenatally or on presentation in labor. Questionnaires were administered after arrival at the hospital to assess for historical risk factors. An overall 0.0925% incidence of HBsAg seropositivity was discovered. All patients who were HBsAg positive had identifiable risk factors."}
{"id": "PMID:1479565", "title": "Recurrence rate after fluid aspiration from sonographically benign-appearing ovarian cysts.", "content": "The outcome after fluid aspiration from 41 sonographically benign-appearing ovarian cysts was assessed. The considerable probability of recurrence was significantly higher after ultrasound-guided aspiration than following aspiration via laparoscopy (54% versus 30%, respectively, at 36 months). Although all the recurring cysts were benign, the concern with malignancy and the high recurrence rate seem to indicate that fluid aspiration from sonographically benign-appearing cysts by either method is not the management of choice."}
{"id": "PMID:1479566", "title": "Zygosity and umbilical cord length.", "content": "Differences in cord length between weight-concordant pairs were studied in 43 monochorionic, 59 same-sex dichorionic and 42 different-sex dichorionic sets of twins and comparisons were made between groups. Of obvious and curious note was the narrow range of cord length differences between twins in monochorionic pairs (range, 0-5 cm; mean, 2.1 +/- 1.6 cm). Same-sex and different-sex dichorionic groups had significantly wider ranges of cord length differences than the monochorionic group (range, 0-34 cm; means, 7.7 +/- 6.4 and 11.0 +/- 6.1 cm, respectively). In the same-sex dichorionic group no pair whose cord lengths differ by > 5 cm has yet been found to be identical. Discordant monochorionic twins had greater differences in cord length. All other factors being equal, the remarkably similar cord lengths of concordant identical twins strongly supports the hypothesis that a genetic component influences cord length."}
{"id": "PMID:1479567", "title": "Decreasing risk of pregnancy loss following chorionic villus sampling. Elimination of transabdominal chorionic villus sampling during the ninth week of pregnancy.", "content": "Chorionic villus sampling (CVS) is a method of obtaining fetal cells in the first trimester of pregnancy for genetic analysis. The transcervical (TC) approach was the first technique to be widely used. In the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development collaborative study the absolute loss rate following CVS (the total number of spontaneous abortions and neonatal deaths following CVS) was 4%. More recently the transabdominal (TA) approach has been introduced. This study compares the loss rates for the two approaches at various gestational ages for three 6-month periods following the addition of the TA approach with each other and with the loss rates prior to the introduction of TA CVS. We found that the percentage of pregnancy losses following TA CVS during the ninth week of gestation (63-69 days) was consistently higher than for TC CVS performed at the same gestational age. The loss rate for TC CVS has steadily decreased since the introduction of TA CVS after remaining the same for the two years prior to the introduction of the TA approach. After minimizing the number of TA CVS performed during the ninth week of gestation, the overall loss rate during the most recent 6-month period has been reduced to 0.94%. We conclude that the lowest loss rate following CVS can be obtained if both the TA and TC methods are available, and that the number of TA procedures performed during the ninth week of gestation is minimized."}
{"id": "PMID:1479568", "title": "Breast evaluation and diagnosis by obstetrician-gynecologists. Survey of practice patterns.", "content": "Surveys of the obstetrician-gynecologists attending the breast disease postgraduate courses at the 1988 and 1990 American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists annual clinical meetings report a high level of practice involvement in breast disease evaluation and cancer screening for their patients. A consistently high percentage stated they performed regular clinical breast examinations, documented the examinations with a diagram in the medical record, gave breast self-examination instruction, advised screening mammography following the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists guidelines, utilized a patient tracking system for follow-up and referred patients with undiagnosed dominant breast masses. Most stated that they did breast cyst aspiration; those who did not mostly referred their patients for cyst aspiration. The accurate and cost- and time-effective office technique of fine needle aspiration of palpable dominant solid breast mass continues to be underutilized even though the procedure has been proven effective and accurate in the cytologic diagnosis of benign and malignant breast neoplasms. Instruction in the technique of fine needle aspiration of palpable breast cysts and solid masses is available in many clinics, workshops and postgraduate courses."}
{"id": "PMID:1479569", "title": "Survey of colposcopy practices by obstetrician/gynecologists.", "content": "A statewide survey to characterize the colposcopy patterns of practicing obstetrician/gynecologists was undertaken. There was a 66.1% response rate, with 98.2% of respondents performing colposcopy. Of those performing colposcopy, nearly all perform biopsies, cryosurgery and conizations; 73.4% perform laser vaporization, 66.7% perform laser cone biopsy and 11% perform laser cone biopsies in their offices. The mean number of colposcopies performed by respondents in a six-month period was 55. Twenty percent performed less than one examination per week and an additional 60% performed two to three examinations per week. Further studies to assess the diagnostic accuracy of those performing greater and lesser numbers of examinations are needed."}
{"id": "PMID:1479570", "title": "Cumulative pregnancy rates in patients with apparently normal fertility and fertility-focused intercourse.", "content": "Fifty consecutive clients achieved pregnancy using a standardization modification of the Billings ovulation method (the Creighton Model Natural Family Planning System). Of 50 clients followed, 38 (76%) achieved pregnancy in the first cycle of fertility-focused intercourse, 45 of 50 (90%) achieved pregnancy by the third cycle and 49 of 50 achieved pregnancy by the sixth cycle (98%)."}
{"id": "PMID:1479571", "title": "Intrapartum amniotic fluid index and neonatal acidosis. A pilot study to determine the correlation.", "content": "The purpose of a prospective study was to determine if there was a significant association between an intrapartum amniotic fluid index (AFI) < or = 5.0 cm and neonatal acidosis (umbilical arterial pH < 7.20 or metabolic acidosis [umbilical arterial pH < 7.20 and base deficit > 10 mEq/L]). In early labor 101 gravidas at > or = 37 gestational weeks underwent a four-quadrant amniotic fluid assessment; at delivery, umbilical arterial acid-base levels were determined. Among women with AFI < or = 5.0 cm as compared to those with AFI > 5.0 cm, the fetuses were more likely to have neonatal acidosis (31.2% versus 17.6%, respectively) and metabolic acidosis (25.0% versus 10.5%, respectively), although the differences were not statistically significant."}
{"id": "PMID:1479572", "title": "Effects of sex steroids on cell differentiation and interleukin-1 beta production in the human promyelocytic leukemia cell line HL-60.", "content": "The effects of 17 beta-estradiol (E2), progesterone (P) and testosterone (Te) on cell differentiation in the HL-60 promyelocytic leukemia cells after treatment with 1 alpha, 25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 [1,25-(OH)2D3] and those on interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta) production by HL-60 cells in response to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) were investigated. Neither E2 (10(-10) to 10(-7) M), P (10(-9) to 10(-6) M) nor Te (10(-10) to 10(-7) M) affected monocytic differentiation as assessed by reactivity with OKM14 monoclonal antibody and alpha-naphthyl acetate esterase activity. Pretreatment of HL-60 cells with 1,25-(OH)2D3 enhanced their ability to produce IL-1 beta in response to subsequent exposure to LPS, although 1,25-(OH)2D3 by itself did not induce IL-1 beta production by HL-60 cells. This priming effect of 1,25-(OH)2D3 was augmented by the addition of E2 and Te at physiologic concentrations, but not by that of P. E2, P and Te at physiologic concentrations enhanced IL-1 beta production by HL-60 cells that were pretreated with 1,25(OH)2D3 and stimulated by LPS. The increasing rate of IL-1 beta production by the addition of E2 and Te was higher when added with LPS than when added with 1,25-(OH)2D3. These findings suggest that enhancing effects of sex steroids in IL-1 beta production by monocyte/macrophage lineage cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1479573", "title": "Vaginal birth after cesarean section at the University of Texas.", "content": "Vaginal delivery was successful in 76% of the 242 women who underwent a trial of labor after cesarean section in a prior pregnancy. Separation of the uterine scar occurred in four women (1.7%). Women whose prior cesarean section was for breech presentation had the highest rate of successful vaginal delivery (86%). The vaginal delivery rates were similar in women who delivered infants with birth weights > or = 4,000 g (73%) and < 4,000 g (76%). The use of epidural anesthesia and oxytocin may enhance the success of vaginal delivery in women undergoing a trial of labor following an earlier cesarean section."}
{"id": "PMID:1479574", "title": "Iatrogenic omental percutaneous shunt and resolution of obstructive fetal uropathy. A case report.", "content": "A double pigtail stent was placed to decompress an obstructed fetal kidney. The stent was dislodged, causing an iatrogenic marsupialization between the renal pelvis omentum and skin. The omentum acted as a drain, decompressing the kidney."}
{"id": "PMID:1479575", "title": "Iniencephaly. A case report.", "content": "Prenatal ultrasound diagnosed iniencephaly apertus at 21 weeks' gestation. In this rare central nervous system (CNS) malformation the brain and neck show the main pathologies. Retroflexion of the head with exaggerated cervicothoracic lordosis is always present, and CNS malformations in the form of anencephaly, spina bifida and encephalocele are often present. The ultrasonic diagnosis should be based on the finding of extreme dorsiflexion of the head accompanied by an abnormally short and deformed spine."}
{"id": "PMID:1479576", "title": "Advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the vulva after treatment for verrucous carcinoma. A case report.", "content": "Verrucous carcinoma of the vulva, a rare variant of squamous cell carcinoma, is a locally destructive, nonmetastasizing tumor. While controversy surrounds the choice of treatment for this lesion, which frequently recurs, it is generally accepted that a recurrence is almost always local, with histologic characteristics and biologic behavior the same as those of the primary tumor. A case of squamous cell carcinoma of the vulva with involvement of the regional lymph nodes after treatment of verrucous carcinoma is reported to increase awareness of the potential biologic behavior of this uncommon tumor."}
{"id": "PMID:1479577", "title": "Placenta increta complicating a first-trimester abortion. A case report.", "content": "Placenta increta complicating pregnancy in the first trimester is rare. A patient with risk factors for placenta increta required a hysterectomy to control a hemorrhage after a first-trimester abortion. Pathologic study confirmed the preoperative diagnosis of placenta increta."}
{"id": "PMID:1479578", "title": "Mortality following unilateral twin interstitial ectopic pregnancy. A case report.", "content": "Twin ectopic pregnancy is an uncommon event, usually occurring as simultaneous intrauterine and tubal gestations. Interstitial implantation of an ectopic pregnancy is also a rare event, associated with a high mortality rate. Twin interstitial pregnancy has been previously reported only three times in the English literature. We report a recent case of unilateral twin interstitial ectopic pregnancy that resulted in maternal death and review the literature with regard to both ectopic pregnancy and factors associated with mortality from interstitial implantation."}
{"id": "PMID:1479579", "title": "2-(aminoalkyl)-5-nitropyrazolo[3,4,5-kl]acridines, a new class of anticancer agents.", "content": "2-(Aminoalkyl)-5-nitropyrazolo[3,4,5-kl]acridines were prepared from substituted anilines via the 1-chloro-4-nitroacridones followed by condensation with [(alkylamino)alkyl]hydrazines. Impressive activity was demonstrated for the 9-hydroxy, 9-alkoxy, and 9-acyloxy analogs in vitro on a L1210 leukemia line and in vivo against the P388 leukemia. Advanced studies led to the selection of 3bbb for clinical trial."}
{"id": "PMID:1479580", "title": "Synthesis and physicochemical properties of sulfamate derivatives as topical antiglaucoma agents.", "content": "Several imidazolylphenyl sulfamate and (imidazolylphenoxy)alkyl sulfamate derivatives were synthesized and evaluated as topically active carbonic anhydrase inhibitors. Water solubility, pKa, carbonic anhydrase inhibition, and partition coefficient for the compounds were measured. Sulfamic acid 2-[4-(1H-imidazol-1-yl)phenoxy]ethyl ester monohydrochloride (16) has the best combination of properties and showed excellent topical activity in lowering the intraocular pressure in New Zealand white rabbits."}
{"id": "PMID:1479581", "title": "Inhibition of human leukocyte elastase by N-substituted peptides containing alpha,alpha-difluorostatone residues at P1.", "content": "A series of tripeptides which contain alpha,alpha-difluorostatone residues at P1-P1' and span the S3-S1' subsites have been shown to be potent inhibitors of human leukocyte elastase (HLE). The tripeptides described contain the nonproteinogenic achiral residue N-(2,3-dihydro-1H-inden-2-yl)glycine at the P2-position. This redidue has previously been shown in the case of HLE to be a good bioisosteric replacement for L-proline. Of the peptides prepared, those which contain the alpha,alpha-difluoromethylene keton derivative of L-valine (difluorostatone) are the preferred residue at the P1-primary specificity position. Substitution at P1 by the corresponding alpha,alpha-difluoromethylene ketones of L-leucine and L-phenylalanine gives inactive compounds. Of the tripeptides described the most potent in vitro compound is ethyl N-[N-CBZ-L-valyl-N-(2,3-dihydro-1H-inden-2-yl)glycyl]- 4(S)-amino-2,2-difluoro-3-oxo-5-methylhexanoate (17B) (IC50 = 0.635 microM). It is presumed that the inhibitor 17b interacts with the S3-S1' binding regions of HLE. Additionally extended binding inhibitors were prepared which interact with the S3-S3' binding subsites of HLE. In order to effect interaction with the S1'-S3' subsites of HLE, the leaving group side of cleaved peptides, spacers based upon Gly-Gly, and those linked via the N epsilon of L-lysine were utilized. One of the most potent extended compounds (P3-P3') in vitro is methyl N6-[4(S)-[[N-[N-CBZ-L-valyl-N- (2,3-dihydro-1H-inden-2-yl)glycyl]amino]-2,2-difluoro-3-oxo-5- methylhexanoyl]-2(S)-(acetylamino)-6-aminohexanoate (24b) (IC50 = 0.057 microM). The described in vitro active inhibitors were also evaluated in hamsters in an elastase-induced pulmonary hemorrhage (EPH) model. In this model, intratracheal (it.) administration of 22c, 5 min prior to HLE challenge (10 micrograms, it.) effectively inhibited hemorrhage (94.6%) in a dose-dependent manner. The described alpha,alpha-difluoromethylene ketone inhibitors are assumed to act as transition-state analogs. The inhibition process presumably acts via hemiketal formation with the active site Ser195 of HLE, and is facilitated by the strongly electron withdrawing effect of the alpha,alpha-difluoromethylene functionality."}
{"id": "PMID:1479582", "title": "Antimitotic agents: ring analogues and derivatives of ethyl [(S)-5-amino-1,2-dihydro-2-methyl-3-phenylpyrido[3,4-b]pyrazin-7- yl]carbamate.", "content": "The synthesis of ring analogues and derivatives of the S isomer of ethyl [5-amino-1,2-dihydro-2-methyl-3-phenylpyrido[3,4-b]pyrazin-7 - yl[carbamate, (S)-1, a potent antimitotic agent with anticancer activity, was directed toward the determination of the contribution of several structural features of this compound to biological activity. Replacement of the 5-amino with a 5(6H)-oxo group and either transposing the 6-ring nitrogen to or incorporation of a ring nitrogen at the 8-position caused a significant decrease in in vitro activity and destroyed in vivo activity. Although in vivo cytotoxicity was reduced, in vitro activity at higher doses relative to (S)-1 was retained by replacement of the 5-amino group with hydrogen and by expansion of the 1,2-dihydropyrazine to give a dihydro-1,4-diazepine ring."}
{"id": "PMID:1479583", "title": "Hypoxia-selective antitumor agents. 6. 4-(Alkylamino)nitroquinolines: a new class of hypoxia-selective cytotoxins.", "content": "A series of isomeric 4-[[3-(dimethylamino)propyl]amino]nitroquinolines has been synthesized and evaluated as hypoxia-selective cytotoxins and as radiosensitizers of hypoxic cells. The compounds showed widely-differing hypersensitivity factors (ratios of cytotoxicity against wild-type and repair-deficient mammalian cells). Many compounds showed oxygen-sensitive bioreduction resulting in DNA alkylation, while others show oxygen-insensitive modes of action. Of the nitro isomers studied, the 5-nitro showed the greatest hypoxic selectivity. A series of ring-substituted analogues were then prepared, in an effort to lower its reduction potential of -286 mV. Structure-activity studies showed that the effects of substitution on reduction potential were complex, being mediated by electronic and steric effects on the nitro group, as well as by effects on quinoline pKa. Two compounds of lower reduction potential, the 3- and 8-methyl analogues, showed improved selectivity (47- and 60-fold in a clonogenic assay). These two compounds also showed the highest \"in vitro therapeutic indices\" of the series as hypoxic cell radiosensitizers. Despite these favorable in vitro properties, neither compound had activity against hypoxic cells in SCCVII tumors when administered at 60% of the MTD."}
{"id": "PMID:1479584", "title": "The conformation of 6-methoxyerythromycin A in water determined by proton NMR spectroscopy.", "content": "The proton NMR spectrum of an aqueous solution of 6-methoxyerythromycin A (2) has been assigned and nuclear Overhauser effects have been obtained from a series of NOESY spectra. Carbon-13 antisymetric spin-lattice relaxation times have been measured for the methylene and methine carbons. The NMR data show that 2 is present exclusively in the keto form and has a conformation very similar to that reported for erythromycin A (1) in the solid and solution phases."}
{"id": "PMID:1479585", "title": "N-methylcarbamate derivatives of ellipticine and olivacine with cytotoxic activity against four human lung cancer cell lines.", "content": "A series of analogues of the antitumor alkaloids ellipticine and olivacine were tested for cytotoxicity against four human lung cancer cell lines: H69, N417, H460, and H358. Adriamycin (doxorubicin), ellipticine, olivacine, and celiptinium were used as standards. Adriamycin was cytotoxic at 2 microM and celiptinium was inactive at the highest concentrations tested (IC50 > 48 microM). N-methylcarbamates of 9-methoxy-6H-pyrido[4,3-b]carbazole 1-,5-, and 11-methanols gave IC50 values ranging from 0.02 to 0.11 microM against N417, H460, and H358 and were only slightly less effective against H69."}
{"id": "PMID:1479586", "title": "New bronchodilators. 3. Imidazo[4,5-c][1,8]naphthyridin-4(5H)-ones.", "content": "In order to develop new oral bronchodilators, a series of novel imidazol[4,5-c][1,8]naphthyridin-4(5H)-ones 5 were designed and synthesized. Some of these new heterocycles exhibited more potent bronchodilator activity in vitro and in vivo than theophylline. With respect to modification at the 5-position, both phenyl and n-butyl substitution produced potent activity. Though bulk tolerance at N-3 is observed with short and small lipophilic groups, any substitution at the other positions and transformations of the parent skeleton eliminated activity. Thus 5-phenyl-1H-imidazo[4,5-c][1,8]naphthyridin-4(5H)-one (23) (KF17625), which satisfied these conditions, was selected for further studies (antigen inhalation-induced bronchospasm model; minimum effective dose (MED) = 1 mg/kg, po; antigen-induced contraction of trachea (the Schultz-Dale reaction), IC50 = 2.2 microM). Compound 23 inhibited carbachol-, histamine-, or leukotriene D4-induced contraction and relaxed spontaneous tone in guinea pig isolated tracheal preparations with, 4- to 16-fold greater potency than aminophylline. Thus it appeared to relax directly the airway smooth muscle. 23 did not have any influence on adenosine binding at 10 microM, but inhibited canine tracheal phosphodiesterase (PDE) IV (IC50 = 12 microM) and concanavalin-A-induced histamine release from rat mast cells (44% inhibition at 10 microM). Although the detailed mechanisms of these compounds remain to be elucidated, this series of novel tricyclic heterocycles represents a new class of bronchodilator."}
{"id": "PMID:1479587", "title": "ATP-citrate lyase as a target for hypolipidemic intervention. Sulfoximine and 3-hydroxy-beta-lactam containing analogues of citric acid as potential tight-binding inhibitors.", "content": "Citric acid analogues (+/-)-12a,b and (+/-)-17a,b, where one of the primary carboxylates has been replaced by a sulfoximinoyl and a 3-(3-hydroxy-beta-lactamyl) moiety, respectively, have been synthesized and evaluated as inhibitors of ATP-citrate lyase. The design of these inhibitors was based on methionine sulfoximine and tabtoxinine beta-lactam, potent, tight-binding inhibitors of glutamine synthetase. Both ATP-citrate lyase and glutamine synthetase employ phosphate-carboxylate anhydrides as a method for carboxylate activation during catalysis. Only one diastereomer, (+/-)-12a, displayed weak, reversible inhibition, while the remaining citrate analogues (+/-)-12b and (+/-)-17a,b were inactive against the lyase. No time-dependent inactivation of the enzyme was observed."}
{"id": "PMID:1479588", "title": "Alpha-halo [(phenylphosphinyl)methyl]phosphonates as specific inhibitors of Na(+)-gradient-dependent Na(+)-phosphate cotransport across renal brush border membrane.", "content": "Certain phosphonocarboxylate analogues of phosphate are known to inhibit Na(+)-phosphate (Pi) cotransport in renal brush border membrane (BBM), but previously tested potential inhibitors incorporating structurally versatile aryl functionality were inactive. In this work, a series of novel alpha-halogenated [(phenylphosphinyl)methyl]phosphonates [PhpXYMP: X, Y = H, F (2); F, F (3); H, Cl (6); Cl, Cl (4); H, Br (7); Br, Br (5); and Cl, Br (8)] were prepared via synthesis of the corresponding triethyl esters, acid hydrolysis, and isolation as pyridine salts. The compounds were evaluated as inhibitors of Na(+)-gradient-dependent 32Pi uptake by rat renal cortex BBM vesicles (BBMV) in vitro. The PhpFMP racemate 2 had higher activity (-49% delta inhibition) than other members of the series (-22 to -39% delta inhibition). pKa values of 1.5-2.0, 2.7, and 7.1 were estimated for 2 using a 31P delta vs pH plot, indicating that in the activity assays it exists as both dianion and trianion, with the latter form predominant. PhpFMP had no significant inhibitory effect on Na(+)-gradient-dependent uptake of D-glucose or L-proline in the same BBMV, and did not inhibit BBM alkaline phosphatase. Kinetic analysis showed that PhpFMP acts as a strictly competitive inhibitor of Na(+)-Pi cotransport with Ki = 0.358 +/- 0.021 mM (n = 3). The racemate 2 was resolved as its (-)-quinine salt into enantiopure (+)-2 [Na+ salt, [alpha]25D = +6 degrees (aqueous MeOH)] and a Na+ salt of 2 enriched in (-)-2. The two compounds did not differ significantly as inhibitors of Na(+)-gradient dependent 32Pi uptake by rat renal cortex BBM vesicles (BBMV) in vitro. The results are discussed in terms of structural requirements for inhibition."}
{"id": "PMID:1479589", "title": "5-HT3 receptor antagonists. 1. New quinoline derivatives.", "content": "A series of esters and amides of 1-alkyl-2-oxo-1,2-dihydroquinoline-4- carboxylic acid or 2-alkoxy-quinoline-4-carboxylic acid containing a basic azabicycloalkyl moiety has been synthesized and evaluated for affinity for the [3H]quipazine-labeled 5-HT3 receptors. Most of the esters exhibited 10-fold more potent activity than that of ondansetron (1; Ki = 7.6 nM). Lipophilic substituents at the 1- or 2-position of the quinoline ring enhanced affinity for the receptors. Compounds 21 and 37 showed the highest affinity (Ki = 0.32 and 0.31 nM, respectively) among them. On the other hand, most of the amides showed 100-fold lower affinity than that of the esters. Molecular modeling studies indicated that the carbonyl moiety in 19 (ester) or 31 (amide) was not coplanar to the plane of an aromatic ring (over 20 degrees deviation). Although some of the selected compounds exhibited potent activity in the Bezold-Jarisch (B-J) reflex test, good correlation was not observed between the affinity for the 5-HT3 receptors and the activity in the B-J reflex test (in vivo). From these data, it was suggested that our quinoline derivatives might interact with the 5-HT3 receptors in a different way from that of the reported 5-HT3 receptor antagonists presumably due to the presence of the heterogeneity of the 5-HT3 receptors between brain and heart."}
{"id": "PMID:1479590", "title": "Ketanserin analogues: structure-affinity relationships for 5-HT2 and 5-HT1C serotonin receptor binding.", "content": "Ketanserin is the prototypic 5-HT2 serotonin antagonist; although it has been an important tool for the study of serotonin pharmacology, it has had relatively little impact on drug design because remarkably little is known about its structure-affinity relationships. Furthermore, ketanserin also binds at 5-HT1C receptors and even less is known about the influence of its structural features on 5-HT1C receptor affinity. The present study reveals that the fluoro and carbonyl groups of the 4-fluorobenzoyl portion of ketanserin make small contributions to 5-HT2 binding and that the intact benzoylpiperidine moiety is an important feature. Ring-opening of the piperidine ring reduces affinity. Although the quinazoline-2,4-dione moiety also contributes to binding, it appears to play a smaller role and can be structurally simplified with retention of 5-HT2 affinity. N-(4-Phenylbutyl)-4-(4-fluorobenzoyl)piperidine (39), for example, binds with nearly the same affinity (Ki = 5.3 nM) as ketanserin (Ki = 3.5 nM). All of the compounds examined bind at 5-HT1C sites with lower affinity than ketanserin, and some of the simplified analogues bind with nearly 10 times the 5-HT2 versus 5-HT1C selectivity of ketanserin; however, none displays > 120-fold selectivity. Several of the compounds, such as the amide 32 and the urea 33 represent examples of new structural classes of 5-HT2 ligands."}
{"id": "PMID:1479592", "title": "Modulation of aortic protein phosphorylation by benzo(a)pyrene: implications in PAH-induced atherogenesis.", "content": "The toxicity of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons such as benzo(a)pyrene, 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene, and 3-methylcholanthrene has been associated with alterations in the proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells and the development of lesions of mesenchymal origin. Because phosphorylation of endogenous substrates plays a central role in the regulation of smooth muscle cell growth, the present studies were conducted to evaluate the phosphorylation pattern of medial aortic protein upon repeated in vivo exposure of Japanese quail to benzo(a)pyrene (BaP). Medial aortic homogenates from quail treated for 10 weeks with 10 mg/kg benzo(a)pyrene or vehicle were processed for in vitro measurements of protein phosphorylation. In vitro phosphorylation of endogenous or exogenous proteins stimulated in vitro by phorbol myristate acetate/phosphatidylserine or cyclic AMP, known activators of protein kinase C and cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase, respectively, was examined in the cytosolic and particulate fractions of homogenates from control and treated animals. Benzo(a)pyrene treatment significantly enhanced the basal phosphorylation of M(r) 113, 35, and 23 kDa proteins in the cytosolic fraction. Modest increases in the phosphorylation of M(r) 71, 52, and 38 kDa were also observed under basal conditions. No changes in the basal phosphorylation of particulate proteins were observed. Phosphorylation of endogenous protein substrates by protein kinase C in the cytosolic fraction was not altered by benzo(a)pyrene treatment. In contrast, inhibition of C-kinase-mediated phosphorylation of endogenous M(r) 272, 72, and 45 kDa proteins was observed in the particulate fraction of aortic homogenates from benzo(a)pyrene-treated quail relative to controls. Exogenous histone phosphorylation by PKC in the particulate, but not cytosolic fraction, was decreased by benzo(a)pyrene treatment.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1479593", "title": "Additive effects and potential inhibitory mechanism of some common aromatic pollutants on in vitro mitochondrial respiration.", "content": "The in vitro toxicity of multiple hydrophobic compounds was the focus of this study. A mitochondrial respiratory assay, sensitive to perturbations caused by hydrophobic chemicals, was utilized to measure the effects of individual aromatic hydrocarbon pollutants and their mixtures on mitochondrial respiratory function. Benzene, naphthalene, acenaphthene, and 1-chloronaphthalene, common industrial solvents shown to interact additively in vivo, were evaluated using this in vitro assay system. Mitochondrial respiration was inhibited 50% (EC50) by 525 ppm (6.7 mM) benzene, 15 ppm (117 microM) naphthalene, 3.9 ppm (25.5 microM) acenaphthene, or 3.8 ppm (23.4 microM) 1-chloronaphthalene. NADH:O2 oxidoreductase (NADH-->O2), NADH:ubiquinone oxidoreductase, and ubiquinol:O2 oxidoreductase activities were inhibited by all four compounds, whereas succinate:O2 oxidoreductase, cytochrome c oxidase, and duroquinol:O2 oxidoreductase activities were not inhibited. Inhibition of mitochondrial respiration occurred at the level of ubiquinone (coenzyme Q10) for all four aromatic hydrocarbons. The ultraviolet absorbance spectrum of isolated Q10 was also altered by naphthalene, acenaphthene, or 1-chloronaphthalene, suggesting a specific interaction between that component of the respiratory chain and these aromatic hydrocarbons. Inhibition by a mixture of 2, 3, or 4 of the compounds tested was additive, reflecting a summation effect of each compound present in the mixture. This additive nature is consistent with previously reported effects of these compounds in vivo and with compounds having similar modes of action. The similar mode of action in vitro is a specific interaction with coenzyme Q10, not a generalized membrane perturbation as speculated to occur in vivo, and is the likely mechanism for the observed additive toxicity."}
{"id": "PMID:1479594", "title": "The flavin-containing monooxygenase in mouse lung: evidence for expression of multiple forms.", "content": "The flavin-containing monooxygenase (FMO) was purified from mouse lung microsomes. On SDS-PAGE, the purified enzyme separated as two bands, a major band of 58,000 daltons and a minor band of 59,000 daltons. Antibodies to mouse liver FMO cross-reacted with both bands in the purified preparations, whereas antibodies to rabbit lung FMO cross-reacted only with the major band. In microsomal preparations the major band was recognized by both antibodies, but neither antibody detected the minor band in microsomes. A cDNA encoding the pig liver FMO hybridized with mRNA isolated from mouse liver, kidney, and lung, whereas cDNA encoding the rabbit lung FMO hybridized only with mouse lung and kidney mRNA. Thermal stability studies showed that the FMO preparation purified from mouse lung consisted of a heat-stable and a heat-labile component. The heat-labile component of lung FMO was inhibited competitively by imipramine, whereas the heat-stable component was insensitive to the presence of imipramine. Immunoprecipitation of purified mouse lung FMO with anti-rabbit lung FMO completely removed the protein band reactive to anti-rabbit lung FMO while leaving reactivity to anti-liver FMO. The catalytic and immunochemical differences seen between FMO from rabbit lung and mouse lung appear to result from the expression of at least two forms of FMO in the mouse lung, one similar to the rabbit pulmonary form and one similar to the major mouse liver form of FMO."}
{"id": "PMID:1479595", "title": "Regional distribution of neuropeptide-degrading enzyme activity in the rat brain: effects of subacute exposure to carbon disulfide.", "content": "Carbon disulfide, a volatile solvent, is widely used in industry. It has been demonstrated that it causes several neuropsychological symptoms. However, the neurochemical basis of its neurotoxic effect is relatively unknown. In this paper we have measured the effect of subacute i.p. administration on neutral and basic aminopeptidase activities in discrete zones of the rat brain using lysine- and leucine-2-naphthylamides as substrates. Neutral aminopeptidase activity showed a significant decrease in the thalamus and cerebellum with marked (not significant) changes in the hypothalamus, hippocampus, medulla, and occipital cortex. There were no changes in basic aminopeptidase activity. It is suggested that aminopeptidase activity could play a role in carbon disulfide neurotoxic action in the aforementioned regions by generating changes in several neuropeptide levels."}
{"id": "PMID:1479596", "title": "Action of some retinol derivatives and their provitamins on microsome-catalyzed formation of benzo[a]pyrene-DNA adduct.", "content": "Several vitamin A compounds have been tested for their ability to suppress formation of DNA adduct by the carcinogen benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) in an in vitro reaction catalyzed by rat liver microsomes. Retinol, retinal, 3-dehydroretinol and 3-hydroxyretinol were found to be effective inhibitors of adduct formation. Certain carotenoids that are precursors of these retinoids also displayed considerable inhibitory capacity. Carotenoids and the 3-substituted retinoids appeared to modulate the DNA adduct formation exclusively through their action on microsomal enzymes, since an effective inhibition in each case was observed on the formation of B[a]P-7,8-diol, a proximate carcinogenic metabolite of B[a]P. Unsubstituted retinoids, on the other hand, had marginal effect on enzymes but were found effective in accelerating inactivation of B[a]P-7,8-diol-9,10-epoxide, the ultimate carcinogenic metabolite that binds to DNA."}
{"id": "PMID:1479597", "title": "Influence of single and concurrent clofibrate and phenobarbital administration on cytochrome P450-dependent mixed function oxidase activities and peroxisome proliferation in male rat liver.", "content": "The influence of both single and concurrent administration of phenobarbital and clofibrate on hepatomegaly, cytochrome P450-dependent mixed function oxidase activities, and peroxisome proliferation in male rat liver have been studied. Both xenobiotics separately increase the liver: body weight ratio and their combined administration results in greater hepatomegaly than either compound alone. Both compounds induce NADPH-cytochrome c(P450) reductase activity and laurate omega- and omega-1-hydroxylase activities, but only phenobarbital induces pentoxyresorufin-O-dealkylase. None of the drug treatments induced microsomal cytochrome b5. Phenobarbital did not cause peroxisome proliferation and inhibited the corresponding clofibrate-dependent proliferation. Taken collectively, our studies have demonstrated that concomitant treatment with phenobarbital and clofibrate are largely permissive with respect to the hepatic mixed function oxidase system but have opposing effects on the phenomenon of peroxisome proliferation in the same tissue."}
{"id": "PMID:1479598", "title": "A genetic study of type 2 neurofibromatosis in the United Kingdom. I. Prevalence, mutation rate, fitness, and confirmation of maternal transmission effect on severity.", "content": "A clinical and genetic study of type 2 neurofibromatosis (NF2) has been carried out in the United Kingdom. Virtually complete ascertainment of cases in the north-west of England was achieved and suggests a population incidence of 1 in 33,000 to 40,000. In the UK as a whole, 150 cases have been identified and been used to study the clinical and genetic features of NF2. The autosomal dominant inheritance of NF2 was confirmed, 49% of cases were assessed as representing new mutations, and the mutation rate was estimated to be 6.5 x 10(-6). Evidence to support a maternal gene effect was found in that age at onset was 18.17 years in 36 maternally inherited cases and 24.5 in 20 paternally inherited cases (p = 0.027). The preponderance of maternally inherited cases was also significant (p = 0.03). Data are presented which suggest that there are two types of NF2, one with later onset and bilateral vestibular schwannomas as the only usual feature, and the other with earlier onset and multiple other tumours. A considerable number of cases did not fall easily into one or other group and other factors such as maternal effect on severity and anticipation need to be considered."}
{"id": "PMID:1479599", "title": "A genetic study of type 2 neurofibromatosis in the United Kingdom. II. Guidelines for genetic counselling.", "content": "The major defining features, age at onset of symptoms, and survival in 150 patients with type 2 neurofibromatosis (NF2) have been studied. The mean age at onset was 21.57 years (n = 110) and no cases presented after 55 years of age. Patients presented with symptoms attributable to vestibular schwannomas (acoustic neuroma), cranial meningiomas, and spinal tumours. In 97 cases studied personally by the authors, skin and eye examination were found to be useful to detect early signs of the condition. Examination of the skin is likely to assist in early diagnosis in at least 10% of cases and examination of the eye for a lens opacity or cataract in at least as many again. There are marked interfamilial differences in disease severity and tumour susceptibility. Vestibular schwannomas are not fully penetrant, but the condition is usually expressed in another way. Alteration to the current diagnostic criteria is advocated to cover the lack of provision for new mutations. A screening protocol is proposed and the effect of disease heterogeneity on management is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1479600", "title": "Linkage investigation of three putative tuberous sclerosis determining loci on chromosomes 9q, 11q, and 12q. The Tuberous Sclerosis Collaborative Group.", "content": "Previous linkage studies in tuberous sclerosis have implicated three disease determining loci at 9q, 11q, and 12q. We have collated phenotypic and genotypic data on 1622 members of 128 families with tuberous sclerosis in order to evaluate simultaneously the evidence for these putative loci. Affection status in the family members has been reassessed using uniform diagnostic criteria and genotypic data extensively checked before analysis under alternative models of locus heterogeneity. One tuberous sclerosis determining locus, accounting for approximately 50% of the families studied, has been found to map in the region of D9S10 on 9q34 but no evidence has been found to support the existence of major loci on 11q or 12q. A locus, or loci, elsewhere in the genome is likely to account for tuberous sclerosis in most non-chromosome 9 linked families."}
{"id": "PMID:1479601", "title": "Computer simulation of linkage and heterogeneity in tuberous sclerosis: a critical evaluation of the collaborative family data.", "content": "The existence of locus heterogeneity for a genetic disease may complicate linkage studies considerably, especially when very few large families with the disease are available. In this situation a modest collection of families is unlikely to be sufficient for successful localisation of one or more disease genes. Recently, eight research groups working on tuberous sclerosis (TSC) brought together linkage data pertaining to the candidate chromosomes 9, 11, and 12 for a large group of families. In a series of simulation studies we determined the probability of detecting linkage and linkage heterogeneity in this set of families. On average TSC families are very small; in most cases there are fewer than two informative meioses. The size distribution of chromosome 9 linked families was similar to that of non-linked families. This indicates that a dramatic difference in the clinical severity of major genetic forms of TSC is unlikely. The results of our simulation studies show that this set of families can generate highly significant evidence for linkage and heterogeneity. When two TSC genes are equally common, the strongest evidence for linkage and heterogeneity could be obtained using a method based on the incorporation of multiple candidate regions in a single analysis, with an average lod score of 24.27."}
{"id": "PMID:1479602", "title": "Deficiencies of fibrillin and decorin in fibroblast cultures of a patient with neonatal Marfan syndrome.", "content": "Changes in the structure and metabolism of fibrillin, a microfibril associated protein, can result in classical Marfan syndrome, and reduced expression of decorin, a small extracellular chondroitin sulphate/dermatan sulphate proteoglycan, has been observed in fibroblasts of a patient with neonatally lethal Marfan syndrome. We have studied the synthesis of fibrillin and decorin in cultured fibroblasts of a further sporadic patient with neonatally lethal Marfan syndrome. Fibrillin immunoreactivity in the extracellular matrix of the patient's fibroblasts was markedly reduced, and the fibrillar pattern was absent, in spite of normal amounts of fibrillin mRNA. Decorin mRNA, synthesis, and immunoreactivity in the matrix were also reduced. The results indicate involvement of both fibrillin and decorin in the pathogenesis of neonatal Marfan syndrome in this patient, but do not indicate which is the primary defect. We speculate, however, that a structural defect of fibrillin leads to diminished incorporation of the protein into the extracellular matrix, and that underexpression of decorin is secondary to the primary fibrillin defect. Combined deficiency of fibrillin and decorin may be the cause of the severe clinical phenotype."}
{"id": "PMID:1479603", "title": "Severity of chest disease in cystic fibrosis patients in relation to their genotypes.", "content": "A detailed comparison of the severity of chest disease with mutational status was carried out by cross sectional study of 127 cystic fibrosis patients, aged 1 to 31 years, living in Wales. Lung disease was classified according to severity, depending on pulmonary function tests (carried out on 76 patients) and chest radiograph status; information was obtained also on age at diagnosis in relation to severity of chest disease and colonisation with Pseudomonas species. Genotypes were determined by analysis for the mutations delta F508, delta I507, G551D, R553X, G542X, R117H, R560T, 1717--IG > A, and 621 + 1G > T. CF patients homozygous positive and heterozygous for the delta F508 deletion showed a significant decline of lung function with age. Unlike other studies, we did not find patients homozygous positive for the delta F508 deletion to have poorer lung function compared with heterozygous patients. Patients with the genotype 621 + IG > T/delta F508 tended to have more severe chest disease than the delta F508 homozygous patients in the same age group. There was some evidence that four patients heterozygous for R117H have mild chest disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1479604", "title": "Predicted and observed sizes of dystrophin in some patients with gene deletions that disrupt the open reading frame.", "content": "Among 85 patients with Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophy, 29 were found to have mutations which disrupted the open reading frame for dystrophin. Thus any dystrophin detected in this group of patients should consist of the severely truncated polypeptides that represent prematurely terminated translation products. Dystrophin was detected in blots from 17/29 biopsies and the observed sizes of the polypeptides were compared with predicted sizes calculated in two ways: if translation was terminated at the stop codon generated by each frameshifting deletion, and if the reading frame was restored and translation proceeded. In every case the observed size matched the size predicted on the basis of a restored reading frame. This was in accord with immunocytochemical labelling of scattered dystrophin positive fibres which were found on serial sections labelled with antibodies to both the rod and C-terminal domains. Thus analysis at the protein level supports genetic evidence of exon skipping as a mechanism which restores frameshifting mutations in some fibres."}
{"id": "PMID:1479605", "title": "Nine generations of a family with autosomal dominant retinitis pigmentosa and evidence of variable expressivity from census records.", "content": "We present a nine generation family with autosomal dominant retinitis pigmentosa (ADRP). Evidence of blindness in the early generations, as obtained from census returns and clinical records, and examination of current patients show variable expressivity with a spectrum which ranges from asymptomatic in late life to blindness in the third decade of life. The family is not linked to any of the chromosomal locations so far described in ADRP and further illustrates the heterogeneity of the disorder."}
{"id": "PMID:1479606", "title": "Causes of death in patients with Huntington's disease and in unaffected first degree relatives.", "content": "Causes of death were examined from death certificates for 395 Danish subjects with Huntington's disease (HD) and for 282 unaffected sibs and compared with the causes of death in the general Danish population. For both the HD subjects and the sibs, pneumonia and cardiovascular diseases were the most frequent primary causes of death. Suicides accounted for 5.6% of all deaths among the HD subjects and, unexpectedly, for 5.3% among the sibs, some of whom may have been carriers of the HD gene. Both were significantly higher than the corresponding frequency of 2.7% in the general Danish population, but there was no evidence of differences in the age specific proportions for the HD subjects and for the sibs compared to the general population. Some accidents leading to death in the sibs may have been hidden suicides. The rate of cancer was low for the HD patients, being only 5.3% compared with 31.2% for the sibs. Neurological diseases were reported with an increased frequency in the HD patients compared to the general population, 6% v 1%."}
{"id": "PMID:1479610", "title": "The response to ischemia in blood perfused vs. crystalloid perfused isolated rat heart preparations.", "content": "With a research hypothesis that the behavior of blood perfused hearts was different from that of crystalloid perfused hearts, we tested the null hypothesis that the functional and metabolic status of blood-perfused (paracorporeal oxygenation) and Krebs-Henseleit (bubble oxygenation) perfused Langendorff isolated rat hearts is the same before, during and after global myocardial ischemia. Thirty isolated rat hearts were studied under identical conditions except that in equal numbers they were randomly assigned to either blood or crystalloid perfusion. In the blood perfused and crystalloid perfused hearts subjected to 22 min of normothermic ischemia and 30 min of reperfusion, mean systolic recovery was 72 +/- 3.9% (S.E.) and 20 +/- 10% (P = 0.001), respectively; coronary resistance increased 21 +/- 16% and 158 +/- 27% (P = 0.0003) (unadjusted for viscosity); mean water content after reperfusion was 82.0 +/- 0.43% and 86.7 +/- 0.42% (P < 0.0001), ATP content was 8.4 +/- 1.9 and 4.3 +/- 0.5 mumol/g dry wt (P = 0.08), and energy charge was 0.74 +/- 0.114 and 0.59 +/- 0.048 (P = 0.3). A major qualitative difference during reperfusion was spontaneous relaxation of contracture and rapid resumption of sinus rhythm in blood perfused hearts, in contrast to continued contracture and rise in intraventricular pressure in 9 of 10 crystalloid perfused hearts. One crystalloid perfused heart did not develop contracture, and its phenomena during reperfusion were similar to those of blood perfused hearts. The data support the research hypothesis, and suggest caution in extrapolating to blood perfused systems inferences from crystalloid perfused models. Better preservation of reactive hyperemia early in reperfusion may explain the better performance of blood perfused hearts."}
{"id": "PMID:1479611", "title": "Myocardial contractility, lusitropy and calcium responsiveness in young (50 days) and hypertrophied (180 days) cardiomyopathic hamsters.", "content": "Contractility, lusitropy and responsiveness to the increase of external Ca2+ concentration were studied in left ventricular papillary muscles of normal and cardiomyopathic Syrian hamsters (SCH) from the UM-X 7.1 strain, both at the onset of myolysis (50-day-old animals) and at the cardiac hypertrophy stage (180-day-old animals) in the absence of congestive heart failure. A marked decrease in all indices of systolic performance was observed in 180-day-old myopathic hamsters as compared to age-matched controls. This was associated with (1) an impairment of the relaxation phase, (2) a loss of the load sensitivity of relaxation, and (3) a decrease in the inotropic and lusitropic responsiveness to Ca2+. On the other hand, when some indices of contraction and the inotropic response to Ca2+ were impaired in 50-day-old myopathic hamsters as compared to age-matched controls, relaxation phase and the lusitropic response to Ca2+ did not alter. This study shows that, in the UM-X 7.1 myopathic hamsters at the earlier stage of the disease, alterations in calcium homeostasis and contraction seem to be the first determinant factors of the development of heart failure when relaxation is not impaired. Conversely, when cardiac hypertrophy has developed, impaired relaxation may worsen heart failure."}
{"id": "PMID:1479612", "title": "Metabolism of platelet-activating factor in the guinea-pig heart.", "content": "Platelet-activating factor (PAF; 1-alkyl-2-acetyl-glycero-phosphocholine) is a biologically active phospholipid which is synthesized by a variety of blood cells and organ systems. PAF exerts many effects on the cardiovascular system including hypotension, depression of myocardial contractility and coronary constriction. The present study has examined the capacity of the guinea-pig heart to regulate the levels of exogenous PAF in two different models: isolated perfused heart and isolated ventricular myocytes. In the first model, isolated hearts were perfused with labeled PAF (10(-10) M) in a recirculating manner at flow rates of 15 ml/min (normal flow perfusion; NFP) and 2 ml/min (low flow perfusion, LFP). Exogenously provided PAF appeared in the tissue in a time-dependent manner. The rate of extraction of PAF was higher during LFP than during NFP. PAF was metabolized by the heart to two major products, lyso-PAF and 1-alkyl-2-acyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (1-alkyl-2-acyl-GPC). Lyso-PAF was found primarily in the perfusion buffer while both lyso-PAF and 1-alkyl-2-acyl-GPC were detected in the tissue. No qualitative difference in the metabolic products derived from PAF catabolism was observed between hearts undergoing NFP and LFP. Acetyl hydrolase activity was detected in the perfusion fluid at both flow rates, probably accounting for the formation of lyso-PAF in the perfusate. However, perfusion fluid from LFP contained a higher acetyl hydrolase activity, per micrograms of protein as compared to fluid from NFP. Isolated ventricular myocytes incubated with labeled PAF (3 x 10(-9) M) also converted it to 1-alkyl-2-acyl-GPC. Kinetic experiments suggested that PAF was initially deacetylated to form lyso-PAF and that this intermediate was then rapidly reacylated with a fatty acyl moiety at the sn-2 position. HPLC analysis of the fatty acids inserted at the sn-2 position of 1-alkyl-2-acyl-GPC revealed that the myocytes reacylated lyso-PAF predominantly with arachidonic acid. These data indicate that the guinea-pig heart may regulate PAF levels by at least two mechanisms: (1) it may release acetyl hydrolase into the vascular compartment, particularly under low flow conditions; and (2) the ventricular myocyte has the capacity to take up PAF and catabolize it to inactive products."}
{"id": "PMID:1479613", "title": "Ischaemic preconditioning and contractile function: studies with normothermic and hypothermic global ischaemia.", "content": "A significant reduction in the extent of cell necrosis or the incidence of reperfusion-induced arrhythmias can be achieved with ischaemic preconditioning. If preconditioning was also found to be effective in protecting against global ischaemia, then this may have significant implications for the preservation of the heart during cardiac surgery. We therefore investigated this phenomenon in relation to recovery of contractile function after global ischaemia in the isolated rat heart. Isolated working rat hearts (n = 6 per group) were perfused aerobically at 37 degrees C for 20 min and contractile function recorded. This was followed by 10 min of aerobic Langendorff perfusion (control hearts) or 5 min global ischaemia (37 degrees C) + 5 min Langendorff reperfusion (preconditioned hearts). The hearts were then subjected to 10, 15, 20 or 25 min of global ischaemia (37 degrees C) and reperfusion (15 min Langendorff + 20 min working) after which function was again assessed. Preconditioning improved functional recovery after all durations of ischaemia. Thus aortic flow after 10, 15, 20 and 25 min of ischaemia and 35 min of reperfusion recovered to 84, 58, 16 and 5%, respectively, in controls and 88, 74, 55 and 20%, respectively, in the preconditioned groups. To assess whether preconditioning was effective in a surgically relevant model of hypothermic ischaemia, the experiments were repeated with longer periods (45, 70, 90, 115, 135 and 160 min) of ischaemia at 20 degrees C. Under these conditions, normothermic preconditioning increase the post-ischaemic recovery of aortic flow after 115, 135 and 160 min of ischaemic (from 36, 20 and 10%, respectively, in controls to 57, 39 and 26%, respectively, in preconditioned hearts). There was no consistent correlation between tissue high energy phosphate content and enhanced post-ischaemic recovery. Thus, we have demonstrated that ischaemic preconditioning can improve contractile function after global ischaemia in the isolated rat heart, we have defined the duration of ischaemia for which it is operative, and we have shown that this protection is additive to that of hypothermia-induced protection during ischaemia. This may have clinical implications for cardiac surgery."}
{"id": "PMID:1479614", "title": "Correlation of contractile dysfunction and abnormal tissue energy metabolism during hypoperfusion with norepinephrine in isolated rat hearts: differences between normal and diabetic hearts.", "content": "The relationship of myocardial high-energy phosphate depletion and lactate accumulation with contractile dysfunctions was investigated in streptozotocin-diabetic (DM) and normal rat hearts. The isolated hearts were perfused with 10(-6) M norepinephrine (NE) at various low-flow rates (0.4-6 ml/min/g heart wt) for 1 h. Left ventricular pressure (LVP) and contractile force (CF) were monitored, through a water-filled balloon in LV and through a hook attached to the apex, respectively. In DM hearts resting CF (diastolic tension) increased, when the perfusion flow rate was reduced below 6 ml and reached a maximum at a flow rate of less than 3 ml. The large increase in LV stiffness correlated with an elevation in diastolic LVP. In normal hearts these parameters were elevated at a flow rate below 1 ml. A flow-dependent decrease in developed CF was more prominent in DM than in normal hearts, while developed LVP and perfusion pressure were slightly higher in DM hearts with a marked increase in the LV stiffness. A flow-dependent decrease in high-energy phosphates and increases in inorganic phosphate and lactate were more prominent in the inner than in the outer layer of LV free wall in both groups. The change of ATP in the inner layer was greater, while increases of lactate in both layers were smaller in DM hearts. Changes in mechanical parameters correlated well with the ATP decrease and lactate increase in the inner layer in both groups. The correlation curves, however, were not coincidental: at the same low ATP and high lactate level, the LV stiffness was higher in DM hearts. Results indicate that DM hearts are more susceptible to flow-reduction with NE and depletion of total ATP in their tissue, and easily suffer from increased LV stiffness. This cannot be explained by the rate of decrease in total ATP and lactate accumulation alone."}
{"id": "PMID:1479615", "title": "Developmental changes in tolerance to ischaemia in the rabbit heart: disparity between interpretations of structural, enzymatic and functional indices of injury.", "content": "The vulnerability of the heart to injury during ischaemia and reperfusion and its responsiveness to various protective and pharmacological interventions are age-dependent. Using three independent indices of tissue injury (cardiac structure, contractile function and creatine kinase leakage), we compared the response of adult (60-90 days old) and neonatal (7 days old) isolated perfused rabbit hearts to global ischaemia and reperfusion. Prior to ischaemia, heart rate was significantly higher in neonatal hearts, as were control values for coronary flow, aortic flow and cardiac output when expressed on a dry wt basis. In experiments in which adult and neonatal hearts (n = 8 per group) were subjected to 2 min of cardioplegia and 45 min of ischaemia, the post-ischaemic recovery of all indices of cardiac function (when expressed as a percentage of pre-ischaemic control) was significantly higher in neonatal than in adult hearts. Thus, cardiac output recovered to 82.9 +/- 3.6% in the neonate but to only 57.9 +/- 6.7% in the adult (P < 0.05). The functional evidence of a greater resistance to ischaemia in the neonate was, however, contradicted by the levels of creatine kinase leakage which tended to be greater in the neonatal than in the adult heart (32.0 +/- 4.7 vs 20.0 +/- 3.1 IU/15 min/g dry wt). Morphological studies indicated that injury was comparable (moderate-to-severe in degree) in both groups. To assess further the relationship between the three indices, additional experiments were undertaken in which the duration of ischaemia in the neonate was extended to 60 min so that the post-ischaemic recovery of function was reduced to a level similar to that seen in the adult after 45 min of ischaemia. Under these conditions cardiac output recovered to 55.6 +/- 4.8% in the neonatal heart (P = NS when compared with the adult) and creatine kinase leakage increased to 88.2 +/- 13.9 IU/15 min/g dry wt--a value over four times greater than that measured in adult hearts with a comparable degree of functional injury. Morphological examination of tissue obtained after 15 min of reperfusion revealed a remarkable recovery of structure in both age groups. In conclusion, in functional terms the neonatal heart was more resistant to ischaemia than the adult; enzymic leakage, however, indicated the opposite and structural assessment revealed no differences. Thus, in comparing injury during ischaemia and reperfusion between different age groups, it is clearly important to employ several independent indices."}
{"id": "PMID:1479616", "title": "Diffusion distances, total capillary length and mitochondrial volume in pressure-overload myocardial hypertrophy.", "content": "We examined the relationships between blood pressure, coronary blood flow, cardiac output, myofiber growth, capillarity, mitochondrial content, and capillary and mitochondrial distributions in a pressure-overload model of myocardial hypertrophy. The Goldblatt one kidney-one clip (1K1C) procedure was performed on seven adult rabbits. After 1 month, mean blood pressure increased 50% and mean heart mass increased 30%. Coronary blood flow and cardiac output at rest were similar in control and 1K1C hearts; cardiac output fell 40% when 1K1C hearts were paced to 35% above basal heart rate. Capillary density in the left ventricular free wall (LV) decreased with increasing fiber size by as much as 30%. However, capillary-to-fiber ratio and total capillary length in the LV increased with heart size by up to 30% and 80%, respectively. This indicated that there was some proliferation of capillaries taking place, but not enough in comparison to fiber growth to prevent the lengthening of distances between capillaries. Mitochondrial volume density decreased by as much as 30% with increasing heart size, but total mitochondrial volume increased up to 80%. This indicated that there was some proliferation of mitochondria, but not enough to prevent dilution of mitochondria by the growing myofibrillar elements. Analysis of the distribution of mitochondria suggested that the new mitochondrial material was added to the center of myofibers, thereby further lengthening oxygen diffusion distances. There was a constant ratio of 10.4 +/- 0.3 km of capillaries per ml of mitochondria in 1K1C and control hearts, demonstrating that the structures for oxygen supply and consumption were remaining in fixed proportion to each other. There was no evidence that the decreased performance of paced 1K1C hearts was attributable to an oxygen diffusion limitation to mitochondria."}
{"id": "PMID:1479617", "title": "Developmental differences in the response of cytosolic free calcium to potassium depolarization and cardioplegia in cardiac myocytes.", "content": "Several biochemical and functional characteristics of immature myocardium suggest a diminished capacity to regulate intracellular Ca2+ during stress. In particular, cellular calcium overload has been postulated as an important pathogenetic mechanism accounting for suboptimal functional recovery following cardioplegia in immature myocardium. Using intracellular Fura-2 fluorescence as Ca2+ indicator, we measured cytosolic free calcium ([Cai]) in single myocytes and cell suspensions derived from both juvenile (4 weeks post-partum) and mature (6-12 months post-partum) New Zealand white rabbits. Resting [Cai] in juvenile heart cells (26 +/- 3 nM) were approximately 50% of that found in adult myocytes (55 +/- 5 nM). In addition, on exposure to increasing concentrations of extracellular potassium ([Kex]), adult but not juvenile myocytes exhibited increases in [Cai]. These two observations underscore developmental differences in intracellular Ca2+ homeostasis. Of particular clinical relevance is the [Cai] response to cardioplegia containing 16 mM [Kex]: neither group demonstrated the expected [Cai] increase in response to potassium depolarization. The lack of [Cai] response to cardioplegia was most likely due to the high levels of Mg2+ (32 mM) contained in cardioplegic solutions. We conclude that cellular calcium overload does not occur following exposure to cardioplegia alone. Accordingly, these findings do not account for recognized developmental differences in functional recovery from \"myocardial protection\"."}
{"id": "PMID:1479618", "title": "Analysis of the upstream regulatory region of human ventricular myosin light chain 1 gene.", "content": "To explore the mechanisms regulating expression of ventricular myosin light chain 1, the human gene including 5'-flanking DNA was cloned and characterized by Southern blot and restriction mapping. A 2 kb 5'-flanking DNA was sequenced and linked to a chloramphenicol acetyltransferase reporter gene. The constructs then were transfected into cultured human and rat cardiomyocytes as well as rat aortic endothelial cells. Deletion analysis of constructs revealed that the basal promoter sequences, which were located within 62 base pairs of the cap site, could direct high levels of chloramphenicol acetyltransferase gene expression in the cardiomyocytes and endothelial cells. The region between -62 to -312 base pairs strongly repressed the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase gene expression in the cardiomyocytes and endothelial cells. Positive elements were found between -312 and -2000 base pairs of the cap site. These results are indicative, among other possibilities, that the human ventricular myosin light chain 1 gene is turned on in cardiomyocytes by the presence of trans-acting factors that are bound to upstream positive elements and is turned off in non-muscle cells by the presence of repressor-binding proteins. But this mechanism remains to be established."}
{"id": "PMID:1479619", "title": "Energy metabolism in myocardial stunning.", "content": "We investigated the effect of reversible ischemia, leading to persistent contractile dysfunction (stunning), on myocardial energy metabolism. The balance of energy metabolism is expressed by the phosphorylation state of cytosolic nucleotides. This variable cannot be measured directly because of nucleotide compartmentation, but in the isolated heart it can be estimated by the release of purine catabolites. We have previously shown that increased energy consumption or impaired energy production cause purine release to increase, while primary reduction in energy consumption has the opposite effect. Isolated working rat hearts were reperfused after 10 min of global ischemia, measuring hemodynamic variables, tissue high energy phosphate compounds and purine release. In post-ischemic recovery, aortic flow and minute work decreased to 82 +/- 3% and 77 +/- 4% of control, adenine nucleotide pool was reduced by 4.6 mumol/g dry wt, phosphocreatine to creatine ratio increased significantly and purine release decreased to 42 +/- 6% (P < 0.01). The rate of purine salvage, as evaluated by the incorporation of exogenous 3H-adenosine and 14C-hypoxanthine into tissue nucleotides, was much lower than net purine release, and was unchanged after ischemia and reperfusion. The adenine nucleotide pool could be depleted to the same extent as in the stunned myocardium by prolonged (60 min) aerobic perfusion. In this group the hemodynamic variables were unchanged and purine release averaged 87 +/- 9% of control (P = NS). In other experiments prolonged perfusion was combined with preload reduction in order to decrease energy demand. This protocol reproduced the effects of ischemia-reperfusion: aortic flow and minute work averaged 79 +/- 4% and 73 +/- 9% of control, adenine nucleotide depletion was 4.4 mumol/g dry wt and purine release decreased to 38 +/- 5% (P < 0.01). Our findings support the view that stunning is not due to adenine nucleotide depletion or to impairment in energy production, which would cause purine release to increase, but rather to primary reduction in energy utilization."}
{"id": "PMID:1479620", "title": "Taurine antagonizes the increase in intracellular calcium concentration induced by alpha-adrenergic stimulation in freshly isolated guinea-pig cardiomyocytes.", "content": "The effect of taurine on phenylephrine alpha-adrenergic action was studied in freshly-isolated guinea-pig ventricular myocytes. Intracellular calcium concentration was measured at nearly physiological extracellular CaCl2 in both cell suspension using quin-2 (mean intracellular calcium concentration 154.0 +/- 8.0 nM, n = 24), and single myocyte with fura-2 (mean intracellular calcium concentration 159.0 +/- 20.0 nM, n = 23). Phenylephrine increased intracellular calcium concentration in both preparations. In cell suspensions in the presence of 10(-6) M propranolol and at 2.2 mM extracellular calcium concentration, phenylephrine dose-dependently (3 x 10(-7)-10(-5) M) increased intracellular calcium concentration, its effect being abolished in the presence of phentolamine. Taurine 20 mM in the incubation fluid increased taurine content in the cells from 110 +/- 7 nmol/mg to 317 +/- 49 nmol/mg of total proteins. In the range 0.5-20 mM, taurine concentration-dependently reduced the phenylephrine-induced intracellular calcium increase in cell suspensions and 20 mM taurine decreased the effect of 10(-5) M phenylephrine (measured in the presence of 10(-6) M propranolol) by about 80%. Beta-Alanine (20 mM) did not modify the phenylephrine effect. Our data show that the \"protective\" effect of taurine in in vitro cardiac preparations and in cardiomyocyte isolation procedures is due to its effect on cardiomyocyte intracellular calcium ion concentration, and that taurine specifically antagonizes alpha-adrenoceptor activation."}
{"id": "PMID:1479621", "title": "Energetic determinants of stunning and cell damage following reoxygenation of rabbit myocardium.", "content": "The energetic conditions in anoxia which lead to stunning and cell damage upon reoxygenation of the myocardium are studied in isolated papillary muscles of rabbit contracting isometrically at 20 degrees C. Before anoxia and thereafter the muscles are stimulated at 0.2 Hz, while during anoxia stimulation frequency is varied. Total creatine (CrT) content is taken as a measure of cell damage. The degree of stunning is estimated from the difference in force before anoxia and at the end of the recovery period when no creatine is lost. In anoxic rabbit papillary muscles glycogen is the substrate for lactate formation. The 'ATP reserve' of the muscle can then be calculated from: 2 ATP + PCr + ADP + 3 (glycosyl units). In control muscles it equals 482.2 mumol.g-1 dw of ATP. By varying stimulus frequency (0, 0.2, 0.5, or 1 Hz) during and the length of the anoxic period (20 to 80 min), the fraction of the ATP reserve used in anoxia is varied. It is found that the degree of stunning depends on the degree of ATP reserve depletion. When the ATP reserve becomes virtually zero force recovers to only 67% of the preanoxic value. When anoxia continues after the ATP reserve is virtually zero, creatine in the muscle decreases during reoxygenation, indicating cell damage. Apparently a hierarchy of cellular ATPases exists in the myocardium when energy is short preserving cell integrity as long as possible."}
{"id": "PMID:1479622", "title": "Endothelin release during ischaemia and reperfusion of isolated perfused rat hearts.", "content": "The hypothesis tested was that release of endogenous endothelin plays a role in events associated with or leading to myocardial ischaemia and/or post-ischaemic reperfusion damage. Release of endogenous endothelin into the coronary perfusate of isolated perfused rat hearts during ischaemia and reperfusion was measured with a sensitive radioimmunoassay using a polyclonal antibody with 100% cross-reactivity for all three endothelin isomers. Basal endothelin release was 0.69 +/- 0.02 pg/min/g wet heart weight (n = 35) and was constant up to 180 min. During low-flow hypoxic ischaemia for 180 min (PO2 approximately 250 mmHg) and in the presence of 1% foetal calf serum, the release rate was reduced to below 10% of controls (P < 0.01) and increased four-fold on reperfusion (P = 0.05). The influence of endothelin on vascular and myocardial reperfusion damage was studied with exogenous endothelin-2. After 1 h of low-flow ischaemia, endothelin-2 increased the coronary perfusion pressure to a similar extent as in non-ischaemic hearts, but with a 30-times higher potency. The threshold dose for the constrictive effect was approximately 100 to 300 pg per heart, about ten times more than was recovered in the coronary effluent upon reperfusion. The influence of endothelin on myocardial reperfusion mechanical function (stunning) was assessed with 100 ng endothelin-2, a dose some 3500-fold higher than the amount released during 30 min reperfusion. This dose, given at the onset of reperfusion, improved post-ischaemic aortic output recovery during the first 20 min of reperfusion, but worsened it thereafter (up to 40 min). These data indicate that, in the isolated perfused rat heart model, (1) endothelin is released in measurable amounts into the coronary circulation, (2) the release is much reduced during ischaemia and increased on early reperfusion following prolonged ischaemia, (3) based on the amounts released and the post-ischaemic sensitization of the coronary vasculature to endothelin, the peptide could contribute to reperfusion vascular damage, and (4) endothelin is unlikely to influence stunning owing to the extremely high dose necessary to alter reperfusion mechanical function."}
{"id": "PMID:1479623", "title": "Inhibition of adenosine metabolism increases myocardial interstitial adenosine concentrations and coronary flow.", "content": "We employed an isolated guinea-pig heart model perfused at constant pressure (70 cmH2O) to test the hypothesis that inhibition of adenosine metabolism increases interstitial adenosine concentrations (as measured with epicardial discs) and coronary flow. Iodotubercidin (ITU, 1 microM) and EHNA (erythro-9-[2-hydroxy-3-nonyl] adenine, 5 microM) were used to inhibit adenosine kinase and deaminase, respectively during control conditions and during metabolic stimulation with 1 microM isoproterenol. The adenosine receptor blocker 8-phenyltheophylline (8-PT) was used during control conditions to assess whether the response seen was adenosine specific. ITU plus EHNA decreased heart rate (202 +/- 10 to 136 +/- 11 beats/min) and increased coronary flow (8.2 +/- 0.3 to 12.4 +/- 0.9 ml/min/g) without a change in MVO2, developed pressure or dP/dt. ITU plus EHNA increased adenosine concentrations in epicardial fluid (0.24 +/- 0.07 microM to 1.02 +/- 0.09 microM) and venous effluent (40 +/- 3 nM to 262 +/- 32 nM) during control conditions, and adenosine release increased from 389 +/- 96 pmols/min/g to 3480 +/- 365 pmols/min/g. 8-PT infusion reversed the effects on heart rate and coronary flow and resulted in a persistent elevation of epicardial fluid adenosine concentrations. During metabolic stimulation with 1 microM isoproterenol, ITU plus EHNA significantly limited the increase in heart rate and ventricular developed pressure and dP/dt while coronary flow increased to a significantly greater extent. Myocardial oxygen consumption was similar during metabolic stimulation between the two groups (vehicle vs. ITU plus EHNA). Epicardial fluid adenosine concentration in the vehicle-treated group increased from 0.17 +/- 0.3 microM to 0.34 +/- 0.02 microM at 15 min of isoproterenol stimulation whereas it increased from 1.10 +/- 0.02 microM to 2.90 +/- 0.46 microM in the ITU plus EHNA-treated group. Inhibition of adenosine metabolism during metabolic stimulation significantly increased venous adenosine concentrations and adenosine release and reduced inosine and hypoxanthine release proportionately. The release of adenosine+inosine+hypoxanthine was unchanged. Inhibition of adenosine metabolism provides evidence supporting the hypothesis that adenosine plays a role in regulating coronary vascular resistance as well as influencing heart rate and ventricular inotropy."}
{"id": "PMID:1479624", "title": "Mitochondrial abnormalities in myocardium of dogs with chronic heart failure.", "content": "The number, size and structural integrity of mitochondria (MIT) were evaluated in the myocardium of 12 dogs with chronic heart failure (CHF) produced by sequential intracoronary microembolizations (EMB). Tissue specimens for transmission electron microscopy were obtained from the left ventricular (LV) free wall, septum and right ventricular free wall 3 to 4 months after the last EMB. Comparisons were made with samples obtained from identical sites in 9 control dogs. In dogs with CHF, LV ejection fraction decreased from 61 +/- 1% at baseline (prior to EMB) to 22 +/- 2% 3 to 4 months after the last EMB (P < 0.01) while plasma norepinephrine (PNE) concentration increased from 364 +/- 12 pg/ml to 837 +/- 150 pg/ml (P < 0.01). The number of MIT in an area of 100 square sarcomeres was greater in CHF dogs compared to controls (92 +/- 5 vs 64 +/- 2) (P < 0.001); whereas the average size of MIT was smaller (0.53 +/- 0.03 vs. 0.78 +/- 0.04 microm2) (P < 0.001). Injury ranging in severity from matrix depletion to myelinization and membrane disruption was present in 27 +/- 4% of MIT of CHF dogs compared to only 3 +/- 1% of MIT of controls (P < 0.001). MIT abnormalities were present to the same extent in all three regions of the heart. The severity of MIT injury, assessed on the basis of an injury index, was significantly higher in CHF dogs with PNE > or = 600 pg/ml (0.64 +/- 0.07) compared to CHF dogs with PNE < 600 pg/ml (0.32 +/- 0.08) (P < 0.01). Among CHF dogs, the MIT injury index was linearly related to PNE concentration (r = 0.57, P < 0.05), LV ejection fraction (r = 0.57, P < 0.05) and LV end-diastolic pressure (r = 0.57, P < 0.05). These data indicate that profound MIT abnormalities are present in the myocardium of dogs with CHF and are related to PNE concentration and to the severity of LV dysfunction."}
{"id": "PMID:1479625", "title": "Pyrimidine nucleotide synthesis is preferentially supplied by exogenous cytidine in adult rat cultured cardiomyocytes.", "content": "The metabolism of pyrimidine nucleotides was studied in non-contracting myocytes isolated from adult rat hearts and compared to that observed in freshly prepared myocardium. The myocytes were cultured for up to 96 hrs in a commercial medium containing 50 microM cytidine, uridine, adenosine and adenine; 20 microM guanosine, thymidine and D-ribose; and 5 microM hypoxanthine, xanthine, guanine, thymine and uracil. Nucleotide pool sizes were measured by HPLC. Nucleotide and RNA labelling were followed by incorporation of [U-14C]-cytidine or [U-14C]-uridine added in trace amounts to the medium. The adenine nucleotide pool was 2.4-fold larger than in situ after 7 hrs of incubation and then returned to values 30% higher than that found in the myocardium after 25 hrs. Cytosine and uracil nucleotide pools after 25 hrs of culture were respectively 2 and 4-fold larger than in situ and remained at these levels thereafter. Intracellular cytidylate and uridylate equilibrated very rapidly with exogenous [U-14C]-cytidine but not with [U-14C]-uridine. We conclude that, under the experimental conditions used here, the synthesis of pyrimidine nucleotides in isolated myocytes is mainly supplied by exogenous nucleosides. Furthermore, extracellular cytidine is rapidly converted to both uracil and cytosine nucleotides while uridine serves only as the precursor for uracil nucleotide synthesis."}
{"id": "PMID:1479626", "title": "Mediatory role of copper in reactive oxygen intermediate-induced cardiac injury.", "content": "In this report the mediatory role of copper in cardiac injury produced by reactive oxygen intermediates was examined. Isolated rat hearts were perfused with Krebs-Henseleit buffer containing 0.25 mM ascorbate plus varying concentrations of copper-bis-histidial for up to 60 min. Using salicylate as a probe, OH generation by this system was demonstrated. Copper or ascorbate alone had minimal effect on cardiac function as determined by heart rate, coronary flow, left ventricular systolic pressure development, end diastolic pressure and +/- dP/dtmax. Copper, from 0.5 microM to 20 microM, and ascorbate, 0.25 mM, resulted in concentration-dependent decreases in all of the experimental variables. Treatment with 5 or 20 microM copper resulted in complete loss of cardiac function within 40 and 30 min, respectively. By 30 min, 5 microM copper had resulted in increased end diastolic pressure to greater than 40 mmHg. By 60 min, perfusion with 1 microM copper resulted in almost 100% loss of function and end diastolic pressure greater than 25 mmHg. Copper, 0.5 microM, also decreased cardiac function, but to a lesser degree. Catalase, 100 units/ml, was effective in preventing the copper-ascorbate induced cardiac damage while superoxide dismutase, 25 units/ml, was ineffective. Observations by light and electron microscopy demonstrated patchy regions with vacuolization corresponding to swollen mitochondria. These results clearly demonstrate that copper-catalyzed redox reactions can induce cardiac injury via a mechanism which appears to be related to the production of OH."}
{"id": "PMID:1479627", "title": "Cocaine and speedball users: differences in psychopathology.", "content": "Affective distress and related symptoms associated with co-injected cocaine and opioid (\"speedball\") use are incompletely explored, and the extent to which they diverge from problems shown by cocaine abusers who do not prefer opioids is unknown. This investigation compared groups of speedball and non-speedball cocaine users on global measures of depression and anxiety and modal groupings of personality characteristics measured by the MMPI. Compared to men who use cocaine without opioids, compulsive speedball users evidenced significantly greater problems with depression, trait anxiety, and related symptomatology, and were more uniformly characterized by modal profiles reflecting severe psychopathology and maladjustment. These results agree with descriptions of severe pathology associated with speedball use."}
{"id": "PMID:1479628", "title": "An incest survivors' therapy group.", "content": "A weekly therapy group for women who have been incest victims and are residents of Odyssey House, a therapeutic community for drug abusers, is described. Women participating in the group have a significantly greater retention and graduation rate than other women in the program. The group reduces isolation; helps in dealing with denial; clarifies relations with children, other family members, and significant others; and facilitates dealing with incest-related guilt and shame. The impressive therapeutic progress of the incest survivors, which is attributable to the group, suggests the possible utility of such a group for other therapeutic communities and treatment programs."}
{"id": "PMID:1479629", "title": "Crack cocaine use in a cohort of methadone maintenance patients.", "content": "We examined crack use in a cohort of methadone patients originally enrolled in 1984-86. Crack use questions were added to the study in 1987. Of the 494 methadone patients originally enrolled, 228 subjects remained in methadone and were re-interviewed in 1987-88, and 234 remained in methadone and were re-interviewed in 1988-89. Approximately one-quarter of the subjects were using crack at each of the 1987-88 and 1988-89 data collection points, and only 3% of the subjects were using crack at daily or greater frequencies at each of the 1987-88 and 1988-89 interviews. Concurrent crack use was associated with (a) the number of noninjected drugs being used; (b) the number of IV drug-using sexual partners; (c) drug injection; and (d) the use of nonheroin opiates. Persistent crack use, defined as use in both 1987-88 and 1988-89, was associated with previous noninjected drug use and previous suicide attempts. While the potential problem of crack use among methadone patients should not be minimized, it appears that, compared to illicit drug injectors not in treatment, being in methadone maintenance may offer a protective effect against crack use."}
{"id": "PMID:1479630", "title": "Improving treatment outcome in pregnant opiate-dependent women.", "content": "Outcomes for 6 pregnant methadone-maintained opiate-dependent subjects in enhanced treatment were compared to those of 6 women receiving conventional methadone maintenance. Enhanced treatment consisted of weekly prenatal care, relapse prevention groups, thrice weekly urine toxicology screening with positive contingency awards for abstinence, and therapeutic child care during treatment visits in addition to treatment as usual. Treatment as usual included daily methadone, group counseling, and random urine toxicology screening. Study patients differed from the comparison group in three important ways, having fewer urine toxicology screens positive for illicit substances (59% vs. 76%), three times as many prenatal visits (8.8 vs. 2.7), and heavier infants (median birth weight, 2959 vs. 2344 grams). These results suggest that enhanced drug treatment can improve pregnancy outcome and, in particular, reduce low birth weight for this high-risk population."}
{"id": "PMID:1479631", "title": "The treatment of substance abusers diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder: an outcome study.", "content": "Sixty substance abusers dually diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and voluntarily admitted to a drug-free therapeutic community were randomly assigned to one of three treatment conditions. One group received a combined intervention that addressed their obsessive-compulsive symptoms and substance abuse; a second group received only substance abuse treatment; and an attention control group received treatment for their substance abuse and training in progressive muscle relaxation. Patients who received treatment for their OCD and substance abuse stayed in treatment longer, showed greater reductions in OCD symptom severity, and had higher overall abstinence rates at 12-month follow-up."}
{"id": "PMID:1479632", "title": "The stability of neuropsychological test performance in a group of parenteral drug users.", "content": "The stability of neuropsychological performance in a sample of drug abusers was investigated for a wide range of neuropsychological tests, using a test-retest paradigm with 16 parenteral drug users. The battery administered included tests of general intellectual function, abstract reasoning, verbal memory, language, attention, visuospatial ability, set switching, speeded performance, and manipulative dexterity. Stability coefficients were of a moderate to high magnitude for most of the tests and were comparable to coefficients found in other studies of non-drug-users. Two exceptions, however, were the Selective Reminding Test and the Perdue Pegboard. Possible reasons for instability with these two tests are discussed. It is concluded that neuropsychological investigations of drug abusers can yield consistent and reliable data, although further studies should employ alternative and/or supplementary measures of verbal memory and motor function."}
{"id": "PMID:1479633", "title": "Controlled use of heroin in patients on methadone maintenance treatment.", "content": "The efficacy of methadone maintenance treatment was evaluated on 93 patients after 10 years of therapy. On the basis of therapeutic compliance, patients were divided into three groups: (a) 40 Total-Agreement subjects on weekly take-home methadone; (b) 28 Partial-Agreement subjects, who regularly attended the clinic daily but presented episodic positive urinalysis; (c) 25 No-Agreement patients, who were absent from the clinic more than twice a month and had a high rate of urinalysis positive for morphine. Statistical analysis, based on social adjustment improvement and criminality rate decrease, divided the 93 patients into 2 distinct categories. The first category, characterized by high social adjustment and low criminality score, included the Total- and Partial-agreement groups. The second, characterized by significantly lower social adjustment and higher criminality score, included all No-Agreement patients. This suggests that methadone treatment was able to dissociate heroin use from low social functioning. It was concluded that, in a condition of adequate compliance the episodic use of heroin is of no harm to patients on methadone maintenance therapy, that is, methadone maintenance treatment permits a controlled use of heroin."}
{"id": "PMID:1479634", "title": "The Iowa therapeutic community model of chemical dependency treatment.", "content": "A model of inpatient chemical dependency treatment used in several facilities in Iowa is described. Through combining 12 Step, Therapeutic Community and Reality Therapy concepts, the issues of denial, control, and self centeredness are addressed in developmental phases. Individualizing the program through multidisciplinary input is explained in terms of identifying hindrances in perceiving reality and assisting the patients reduce resistance in a downhill process of increasing wholeness and growth."}
{"id": "PMID:1479636", "title": "Oxygen desaturation during fiberoptic bronchoscopy.", "content": "A prospective study was performed to detect oxygen saturation (SaO2) during and following fiberoptic bronchoscopy (FOB) in 50 patients. Twenty-five patients (group 1) underwent the procedure without and 25 (group 2) with supplemental oxygen. The SaO2 declined from the baseline value of 96.4% to 92.08% in group 1 and to 94.88% in group 2 after bronchoscopy alone. The decline was also noted when biopsy and broncho-alveolar lavage (BAL) were performed, the lowest values being recorded during BAL. The result showed that the fall in SaO2 in group 2 was significantly less than that in group 1 (P < 0.05). SaO2 returned to baseline values after a mean time of 4.9 minutes in group 1 and 2.4 minutes in group 2, demonstrating the benefit of supplemental oxygen."}
{"id": "PMID:1479637", "title": "Study of arterial aneurysms.", "content": "A review of 46 patients operated for arterial aneurysms over an eight years period is presented. Twenty-nine patients developed aneurysm following vascular trauma while 17 had atherosclerotic aneurysms. Thirty-one patients presented with painless swelling or swelling with mild pain and four patients with frank rupture. Reconstruction was successful in all cases with a peri-operative mortality of only 4.3%. Unlike western countries, trauma is the leading cause of aneurysm and aneurysms can be managed with minimal morbidity and mortality."}
{"id": "PMID:1479644", "title": "Coronary risk factors used to predict coronary artery disease by logistic regression analysis.", "content": "Risk factor analysis in coronary artery disease was conducted in 303 patients who underwent coronary arteriography to identify associations between personal characteristics and the prevalence of coronary heart disease. Age, sex, obesity, smoking, alcohol intake, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, serum uric acid, total cholesterol, LDL- and HDL-cholesterol, triglyceride, and atherogenic indices were statistically analyzed. All 13 variables were first compared between patients with positive and negative ergonovine tests. Only total cholesterol was significantly different, while significant differences in age, sex, history of diabetes, total cholesterol, LDL- and HDL-cholesterol, triglyceride and atherosclerotic indices were observed between patients with and without organic coronary artery stenosis. A multivariate analysis was performed, and the resulting equation was tested using the remaining patients. Logistic analysis of all 13 variables identified 5 (age, sex, diabetes mellitus, LDL- and HDL-cholesterol) which accounted for the differences between patients with and without significant coronary artery disease and that were validated in the test group. The sensitivity for prediction of coronary artery disease was 75.8%, specificity 68.5%, and predictive accuracy 71.5% in the test group. Thus, risk factor analysis appears to be very valuable in screening subjects with high-risk organic coronary stenosis and in optimizing the preventive and therapeutic modalities, but not in predicting vasospastic subjects."}
{"id": "PMID:1479645", "title": "Manganese-containing superoxide dismutase in blood and urine during open-heart surgery.", "content": "Concentrations of Manganese-containing superoxide dismutase (Mn-SOD) were measured perioperatively by enzyme immunoassay in serial samples of arterial and coronary sinus blood and urine taken from 18 patients undergoing mitral valve surgery. The mean Mn-SOD concentration in the arterial blood samples was 66.2 (SD 16.1 ng/ml) at induction of anesthesia, increased gradually after reperfusion and peaked on the 2nd post-operative day [150 (SD 58.3) ng/ml]. The mean concentration of Mn-SOD in the coronary sinus blood samples was significantly higher than in the arterial samples only at the 6th hour after reperfusion [97 (SD 21.8) ng/ml vs 90.3 (SD 20.9) ng/ml, p < 0.05]. Although concentrations of Mn-SOD in blood did not increase in 8 patients who underwent midline sternotomy for a mediastinal tumor, they increased dramatically in 3 patients who sustained a perioperative myocardial infarction. During open heart surgery the peak values of plasma Mn-SOD concentrations were correlated to that of plasma creatine kinase-MB concentrations (r = 0.5532, n = 18, p < 05) and cardiac ischemic period (r = 0.5186, n = 18, p < 05). Although the meaning of an increase in plasma Mn-SOD concentrations during open heart surgery is not clarified, it may be released from the heart and anywhere also in the body damaged during cardiopulmonary bypass."}
{"id": "PMID:1479646", "title": "Changes in serum lipoprotein(a) and C4b-binding protein levels after acute myocardial infarction.", "content": "We investigated changes in serum lipoprotein(a) (Lp(a)) and C4b-binding protein (C4bp) levels following acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Serum lipids, apolipoproteins, C-reactive protein (CRP), sialic acid and haptoglobin (Hp) were also measured and evaluated. The study involved 16 patients (11 men, 5 women, mean age 68.2 +/- 8.4 years) with AMI admitted within 12 h after the onset of illness. CRP rose sharply and immediately after the onset of AMI, reaching its maximum level on the 3rd day of illness. This was followed by temporary increases in sialic acid and Hp, both of which peaked on the 7th day of illness. The Apo A-I level was significantly lower on the 14th day, while the Apo B level was significantly lower on the 3rd day. Serum total cholesterol (T-Ch), HDL-Ch and LDL-Ch showed temporary decreases after the onset of illness. Serial examination of the serum of patients with AMI yielded the following findings; 1) Both Lp(a) and C4bp levels rose temporarily with similar patterns of variation, and 2) they took longer time to peak (around the 14th day) and lasted longer than the increases in the other acute reactive proteins."}
{"id": "PMID:1479647", "title": "Nine-lead Holter monitoring using a lead-switching technique for the detection of ischemic ST changes.", "content": "We devised a technique to record a greater number of leads (a 9-lead monitor) by connecting a lead-switching adaptor to a commercially available 3-channel Holter recorder (9-lead DCG). Anodes were attached from positions V1 to V6 (CM1 to CM6), and to high lateral (HL), low lateral (LL) and low back (LB). A cathode was attached to the manubrium of the sternum. The CM5 lead was continuously recorded on channel 1. The device is able to switch continuously every 20 sec among leads CM6, LB, HL and LL on channel 2, and among leads CM1, CM4, CM2, and CM3 on channel 3. Electrocardiograms were simultaneously recorded with both the 9-lead DCG and the conventional 12-lead ECG systems during treadmill testing in 67 patients with coronary artery disease. In addition, 6 patients with acute myocardial infarction were studied with the 9-DCG to test ST elevation. The sensitivity and specificity of leads CM2 to CM6, HL, LL, and LB in detecting ST depressions that occurred in each corresponding lead of the 12-lead ECG lead were very high (p < 0.0001). The LB lead in particular was noteworthy for its markedly high specificity (94%) and sensitivity (83%) in detecting ST depressions occurring in leads II and aVF. Our lead-switching technique is useful when an increase in the number of leads is required in the DCG method. The LB lead, an anode on the low back, may be specific to detect inferior myocardial ischemia."}
{"id": "PMID:1479648", "title": "HA-1077 suppress both proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells and c-fos mRNA induction.", "content": "HA1077 is a newly synthesized vasodilator with unique intracellular calcium antagonistic action. In this study, its effect on the growth of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) stimulated by fetal calf serum was examined. Both the proliferation and [3H]thymidine incorporation into DNA of the growth-arrested VSMC was dose-dependently inhibited by HA1077. The expression of a proto-oncogene, c-fos, which reached the maximum 30 min after addition of serum, was similarly inhibited by this agent in a dose-dependent manner. Thus, HA1077 is expected to be a useful vasodilator agent capable of suppressing the growth of VSMC which is thought to be an important underlying mechanism of atherosclerosis or restenosis after angioplasty."}
{"id": "PMID:1479649", "title": "Effect of a prostacyclin derivative (OP-41483) and a hyperosmotic agent (glycerol) on brain edema and metabolism in cerebral ischemia.", "content": "A PGI2 derivative, OP-41483, and a hyperosmotic agent, glycerol, were tested for possible beneficial effects on brain edema, metabolism and pathological changes in cerebral ischemia. Combination treatment with these agents was also tested. Cerebral ischemia was produced in spontaneously hypertensive rats, using bilateral common carotid artery ligation (BLCL). OP-41483 was administered four times, hourly (500 ng/kg x 4, i.p.). Ten percent glycerol was administered intravenously (6.6 ml/kg). And, for the combination treatment, OP-41483 was administered three times, hourly (500 ng/kg x 3, i.p.), and 10% glycerol was administered intravenously (6.6 ml/kg) in the same manner as the glycerol treated group. In ischemic controls, saline was administered intravenously (6.6 ml/kg). After 3 h of ischemia, brain water content and metabolites were determined and pathological observation was conducted using electron microscopy. OP-41483 treated animals maintained higher levels of ATP concentration and reduced accumulation of lactate, but showed no difference in brain water content compared to saline treated controls. Glycerol treated animals showed significance in terms of reduction of brain water content and accumulation of lactate. Glycerol abated the depletion of ATP concentration. OP-41483+glycerol treated animals showed the most significant effect on the reduction of brain water content and accumulation of lactate. The combination treatment also maintained higher levels of ATP concentration. Additionally, swelling of astrocytic foot processes and mitochondria with destroyed crista were not observed pathologically in the combination treated animals. These results show that OP-41483, glycerol and combination treatment are beneficial in the treatment of cerebral ischemia. They also indicate that the combination treatment significantly enhances the protective effects compared to individual treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1479650", "title": "Two cases of variant form angina pectoris associated with myocardial bridge--a possible relationship among coronary vasospasm, atherosclerosis and myocardial bridge.", "content": "Myocardial bridge (MB) is a congenital anomaly of the coronary artery and may occur in 5 to 12% of the human population. However, the mechanism of MB-induced myocardial ischemia is still speculative. We report 2 cases of variant form angina pectoris associated with MB in which myocardial ischemia seemed to be related to the interaction between coronary perfusion and MB. In case 1, electrocardiography during anginal attack at rest showed ST elevation in the inferior leads and MB was observed after percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty at the site of the right coronary artery lesion following successful dilatation. In case 2, MB of the left anterior descending coronary was located in the identical portion where coronary vasospasm was induced by intracoronary acetylcholine injection, although ischemia during the spontaneous anginal attack was limited to the inferior area of myocardium. These 2 cases suggest that MB can be, at least in some patients, one of the possible causes of the endothelial damage which seems to be related to coronary vasospasm; this was documented in both cases."}
{"id": "PMID:1479651", "title": "Adult respiratory distress syndrome in a patient with uncomplicated acute myocardial infarction.", "content": "A 53-year-old woman was admitted with a diagnosis of acute extensive anterior myocardial infarction. Pulmonary capillary wedge pressure was 17 mmHg, and cardiac index 2.4 l/min.m2. The patient was successfully treated with diuretics and nitrates but on the fifth hospital day moist rales were noted over the entire lung field. A chest roentgenogram showed diffuse bilateral pulmonary infiltration with unchanged cardiac silhouette. Arterial oxygen partial pressure was reduced to 45 mmHg under 3 liters of nasal oxygen inhalation. Pulmonary capillary wedge pressure was 8 mmHg. Diffuse infiltration was not ameliorated by intravenous injection of diuretics. The diagnosis of adult respiratory distress syndrome was finally established by successful treatment with steroids."}
{"id": "PMID:1479653", "title": "[Analgesic effects of epidurally administered fentanyl for postoperative pain relief--comparison with buprenorphine].", "content": "We did a retrospective study on 177 patients after upper and lower abdominal surgery, and compared the efficacy of epidural administration of fentanyl and that of buprenorphine for postoperative pain relief. In fentanyl (F) group, 73 patients received fentanyl 0.1 mg with saline 8 ml epidurally after operation, followed by a constant rate infusion of 0.025 mg.hr-1 for 18-24 hrs. In buprenorphine (B) group, 104 patients, received buprenorphine 0.2 mg with saline 9 ml epidurally. After upper abdominal surgery, 33 patients (76.7%) in F group and 27 patients (52.9%) in B group obtained satisfactory analgesia (P < 0.05). The difference of the degree of analgesia after lower abdominal surgery was not significantly different in both groups. Respiratory depression occurred in 19 patients in B group and 5 patients in F group (P < 0.05). It is concluded that epidural fentanyl delivered by continuous infusion offers a significant advantage compared with epidural buprenorphine for postoperative pain relief following upper abdominal surgery."}
{"id": "PMID:1479654", "title": "[Continuous epidural infusion of bupivacaine and buprenorphine for postoperative pain relief].", "content": "The efficacy for postoperative analgesia and side-effect of combined epidural infusion of bupivacaine and buprenorphine in comparison with each of these drugs alone were evaluated in 150 patients. All patients received initially bupivacaine 8 ml and buprenorphine 0.1 mg. In a random order, epidural infusion of 5 micrograms.ml-1 buprenorphine 1 ml.h-1 (group A; n = 50), 0.25% bupivacaine 1 ml.h-1 (group B; n = 50), or a combination of the two drugs 1 ml.h-1 (group C; n = 50) was continued for 48 h by a portable disposable device. The analgesic efficacy in group C was superior to that in group A or group B. No significant difference in the incidence of side-effect was found among the three groups. We conclude that epidural analgesia with the combination of buprenorphine and bupivacaine is safe, and easy to manage, giving pain relief superior to that provided by each of these drugs alone."}
{"id": "PMID:1479655", "title": "[The antinociceptive effects of fentanyl, midazolam and clonidine and their interactions in the spinal dorsal horn].", "content": "Lamina V-type neurons on the spinal dorsal horn which responded to the bradykinin injection into the femoral artery were studied neurophysiologically in the spinal transected cats by the tungsten microelectrode method. It has been demonstrated that the separate and combined antinociceptive effects of fentanyl, clonidine and midazolam administered intrathecally can produce reduction in response to noxious stimuli. Fentanyl (25 micrograms), clonidine (30 micrograms) and midazolam (1.0 mg) separately suppressed noxious evoked activity at the spinal level. On the other hand, fentanyl (5 micrograms), clonidine (5 micrograms) and midazolam (0.5 mg) each produced no significant suppression of the evoked activity. However, the combinations of drugs at lower doses produced supra-additive suppressive effect. These suppressive effects were reversed by each antagonist (naloxone, yohimbine and flumazenil). These findings suggest that when two of these drugs are combined at subanalgesic doses, a significant synergistic interaction is exerted. Therefore, the use of these drugs in combination can reduce the total amount of any one drug required for analgesia in the spinal cord and also reduce the side effects of these agents."}
{"id": "PMID:1479656", "title": "[Hemodynamics and serum nitroglycerin concentration during intraoperative use of nitroglycerin patches].", "content": "We investigated the effect of number of nitroglycerin (TNG) as patches, containing 5 mg of TNG per sheet, on hemodynamics in 29 adult patients undergoing elective surgery. Patients were randomly allocated to four groups according to the number of the sheets applied (0, 2, 5 and 10 sheets). Hemodynamics as well as plasma TNG concentration were measured at 4 points (just before and 30, 60 or 120 minutes after application of TNG patch) in each group (n > or = 6). Plasma TNG concentrations depended on the number of the sheets and increased until 120 min after the application. Mean arterial pressure decreased gradually and significantly after applying two sheets or more. However, no relation was observed between the plasma concentration of TNG and the decrease in mean arterial pressure. We conclude that induced hypotension can not be intensified by increasing the number of the sheets of TNG patch."}
{"id": "PMID:1479657", "title": "[Change in arterial ketone body ratio during gastrectomy and mastectomy].", "content": "We evaluated the influence of operative procedure on arterial ketone body ratio (AKBR), which indicates the function of the liver cells, in patients undergoing gastrectomy or mastectomy. AKBR during the stomach resection was significantly lower than that during the breast resection. A significant reduction in AKBR due to induced hypotension was observed in mastectomy group. SGOT and SGPT increased significantly in gastrectomy group, but unchanged in mastectomy group on the first and the seventh postoperative days. On the first post-operative day, SGOT and SGPT in gastrectomy group were significantly higher than those in mastectomy group. These findings suggest that influence of operative procedure on the liver during gastrectomy is more serious than that during mastectomy."}
{"id": "PMID:1479658", "title": "[Perioperative blood glucose levels in children].", "content": "The perioperative blood glucose (BG) level may represent autonomic responses to various stresses by anesthesia and surgery. We studied the effects of regional blocks combined with general anesthesia on the BG response in pediatric patients. We could not find any significant differences in BG levels between blocked and non-blocked patients. However, BG levels of the children who had been hysterical or crying during the induction of anesthesia were significantly higher than those of the children who had been calm or sleeping. Forty healthy children, aged 1-3 yrs who were scheduled for elective urological surgery were studied. Anesthesia was induced with halothane in oxygen. The anesthesiologist recorded the children's attitude before and during the induction of anesthesia, and described as \"calm or asleep (Calm-group), and hysterical or crying (Crying-group)\". Patients were assigned randomly to two groups as follow; Group A (n = 20): receiving nerve blocks, Group B (n = 20): without the blocks. The anesthesia was maintained with 1-2.5% halothane in oxygen required to maintain the hemodynamic parameters within 10% of baseline value before surgery. Both groups received lactated-Ringer's solution during the study period. The venous BG levels were determined 5 times, i.e. immediately after asleep, 5, 15, 30 minutes after skin incision and at the conclusion of surgery. BG levels were compared between groups using Mann-Whitney Test. There was no significant difference in BG levels between Group A and B throughout the study period. But BG values of Crying-group (n = 9) were significantly higher than those of Calm-group (n = 31) during perioperative period.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1479659", "title": "[The effect of ionized calcium concentration on muscle contraction and on the effect of non-depolarizing neuromuscular blocking agent].", "content": "The influence of serum ionized calcium (Ca2+) on the muscle contraction and on the effect of non-depolarizing neuromuscular blocking agent, d-tubocurarine (dTc), was investigated. The isolated phrenic nerve-diaphragma preparation of the rat was stimulated directly and indirectly at 0, 0.4, 0.7, 1.4, 2.5 mM of total calcium concentration (Ca2+: 0, 0.39, 0.52, 1.12, 2.32 mM, respectively). With indirect stimulation, no contraction was observed from 0 to 0.4 mM of calcium, but the twitch tension returned to 100 percent of control at over 0.7 mM of calcium. However, with direct stimulation, the twitch tension was obtained up to 100 percent of control independent of Ca2+ concentration. The ED50 of dTc was correlated well with the serum Ca2+. These findings suggest that the decrease of serum Ca2+ concentration interferes with the muscle contraction and potentiates the effect of dTc. We speculate that the site of its action may be primarily prejunctional."}
{"id": "PMID:1479660", "title": "[Effects of magnesium and calcium on muscle contractility and neuromuscular blockade produced by muscle relaxants and aminoglycoside].", "content": "The muscle contractility and neuromuscular blockade of muscle relaxants are influenced by the electrolytes, especially magnesium ion(Mg2+) and calcium ion(Ca2+), in the extracellular fluid. The present study was designed to evaluate the effects of Mg2+ and Ca2+ on muscle contractility and on the blocking properties of d-tubocurarine, succinylcholine and aminoglycoside antibiotics, tobramycin in vitro, using rats' phrenic nerve-hemidiaphragm preparations. Mg2+ inhibited the twitch tensions in a concentration dependent manner. A low concentration of Ca2+ decreased the twitch tensions, but a high concentration of Ca2+ had no effect on them. Mg2+ potentiated the block produced by d-tubocurarine, succinylcholine and tobramycin depending on the concentration of Mg2+, and good regression lines were obtained. Ca2+, however, antagonized the neuromuscular blockade of the three drugs at any level of Mg2+ concentration. From these findings, it should be noticed that special care must be taken to prevent a profound neuromuscular blockade due to the drug interaction of each drug when a muscle relaxant or an aminoglycoside antibiotics is administered to a patient suffering from hypermagnesemia and/or hypocalcemia."}
{"id": "PMID:1479661", "title": "[Effect of atropine and pirenzepine on bronchoconstriction during vagus nerve stimulation in dogs].", "content": "The effects of atropine or pirenzepine on bronchoconstriction and reduction in heart rate during vagus nerve stimulation were studied in 10 anesthetized dogs. The bronchoconstriction produced by electrical stimulation of the vagus nerves, 5 min after intravenous injection of atropine or pirenzepine, was recorded as an increase in pulmonary inflation pressure. Atropine and pirenzepine at the doses of 0.01 mg.kg-1 and 0.2 mg.kg-1 respectively were administered and supplemented twice at 30 min intervals. Atropine inhibited the reduction in heart rate more than pirenzepine at all doses. Pirenzepine inhibited the increase in pulmonary inflation pressure more than atropine. Our results suggest that pirenzepine which inhibits bronchoconstriction is useful in patients with bronchial asthma and/or COPD as an anticholinergic agent."}
{"id": "PMID:1479662", "title": "[Quantitative analysis of electroencephalographic (EEG) activity during sevoflurane anesthesia].", "content": "The change in electroencephalographic (EEG) activity during sevoflurane anesthesia was quantitatively evaluated by using zero-crossing analysis in 10 adult patients. The deceleration of EEG activity was significant and dose-dependent. Such change was not significantly different among the regions. Burst suppression appeared at 2-2.5 MAC in all patients. The significant decrease in both alpha and beta activities and the significant increase in delta activity disappeared with 1% or less of sevoflurane. Toward the emergence from anesthesia, EEG activity accelerated and there was no significant difference in its activity between the emergence period and control period. The results demonstrated that the effect of sevoflurane on EEG activity is similar to that of other inhalation anesthetics, but the difference among anesthetics should be clarified in a further study."}
{"id": "PMID:1479663", "title": "[Anesthetic induction of children with high concentrations of sevoflurane].", "content": "The induction and intubation with high concentrations of sevoflurane (4% or 6.4%) were investigated in 180 children with ages ranging from 1 to 6yr 12m. Average induction time (duration between the start of induction and loss of consciousness) with 4% sevoflurane was 56 sec and that with 6.4% was 47 sec. Eight patients out of 90, to whom 4% sevoflurane was applied, could not be intubated due to closure of vocal cord, cough or closure of mouth. The most serious side effect was convulsion during induction, of which incidence was 6% of all patients, and occurred more frequently with 6.4% sevoflurane. The convulsion spread from hand on one side to all over the body, and disappeared spontaneously within 30 sec. There was no significant side effect in cardiovascular system, such as hypotension, arrhythmia or bradycardia. In conclusion, smooth intubation was possible without use of muscle relaxants with high concentrations of sevoflurane. This can be one of the choices for induction of children, though there is a possibility of occurrence of convulsion."}
{"id": "PMID:1479664", "title": "[Amrinone reverses cardiac depression by enflurane in the dog].", "content": "To evaluate the interaction of amrinone with inhalational anesthetics, cardiovascular effects of amrinone were investigated in nine mongrel dogs anesthetized with enflurane. Each dog received enflurane and amrinone in the following sequence: 1) 2% enflurane alone, 2) continuous infusion of 20 micrograms.kg-1.min-1 during enflurane, 3) 40 micrograms.kg-1.min-1 infusion during enflurane. Amrinone 40 micrograms.kg-1.min-1 during enflurane anesthesia improved the maximum left ventricular dP/dt, stroke volume and decreased effective arterial elastance (Ea) without changes in left ventricular end-diastolic pressure and heart rate. Left ventricular pressure (LVP) and systolic femoral arterial pressure were stable, but diastolic femoral arterial pressure decreased significantly from enflurane anesthesia alone. These parameters at 20 micrograms.kg-1.min-1 of amrinone infusion during enflurane showed the same tendency with 40 micrograms.kg-1.min-1 infusion but not significantly different from enflurane alone. This result suggests that amrinone may be beneficial in the patients with depression of cardiac performance during anesthesia."}
{"id": "PMID:1479665", "title": "[Appropriate puncture site for CT monitored celiac plexus block determined from CT films].", "content": "We investigated appropriate puncture site, angle of needle entry, and the distance of the insertion for CT monitored celiac plexus block using CT photograms on prone position in sixteen patients with gastrointestinal diseases. In retrocrural approach during CT monitored celiac plexus block, the average distances of puncture sites to midline were 3.84 cm on the right and 4.06 cm on the left, and the average needle angles were 74.1 degrees on the right and 76.9 degrees on the left. The average depths from the puncture site to marked position in retrocrural space were 7.88 cm on the right and 7.85 cm on the left. The rates of predicted organ puncture when needle is inserted 7 cm lateral to the midline of the spinal process were 43.8 percent in the right lung, 12.5 percent in the left lung, 56.2 percent in the right kidney and 68.8 percent in the left kidney. From these results, we found high possibilities of organ injuries using the conventional technique for celiac plexus block. We conclude that we could perform celiac plexus block more safely and surely using the retrocrural approach by CT monitoring, as serious complications are avoidable by viewing ideal puncture course on CT photographs."}
{"id": "PMID:1479666", "title": "[A role of statistical thinking in clinical anesthesia practice].", "content": "The world where we practice anesthesia is composed of heterogeneic, multivariate components. Yet, these components are not known with certainty. Nevertheless, we are compelled to make a prediction and, furthermore, to make a decision to treat patients at risk. Therefore, decision making under uncertainty is one of the important issues in clinical practice. A fundamental strategy for such action would be one of statistical thinking process, which is widely applicable in many circumstances to reduce the degree of uncertainty and to construct a tool to deal with uncertainty. Here, topics relevant to statistical thinking and its pitfalls are discussed, including those related to information theory. In short, statistical thinking will, I believe, remain to be valid to make an appropriate prediction and decision in the years to come."}
{"id": "PMID:1479667", "title": "[Anesthesia for a patient with pemphigus erythematosus].", "content": "An 82-year-old female with pemphigus erythematosus had the head of femur replaced. In her case, systemic lupus erythematosus and myasthenia gravis, typical complications of pemphigus erythematosus, were not present. As even slight friction easily causes blisters in patients with pemphigus, we paid attention mainly to fragility of the skin and the mucus membranes and were careful to minimize physical stimulation of the skin. Because the mucosa of the pharynx or oral cavity could easily be damaged and form blisters during intubation, which in turn might make the management of the upper airway more difficult, we selected spinal anesthesia. No serious perioperative complications, except a few blisters around the wound were observed. We thus successfully managed anesthesia of a patient with pemphigus erythematosa."}
{"id": "PMID:1479668", "title": "[Deep neck infection following endotracheal intubation].", "content": "A 71-year-old woman was transferred to Kushiro City General Hospital because of fever, sore throat, diffuse neck swelling and dyspnea. She had received right mastectomy for breast cancer under general anesthesia 6 days before the admission. The lateral X-ray film of the neck revealed abscess in the retropharyngeal space and the retroesophageal space. CT scan revealed mediastinitis. Next day she received neck dissection for drainage of the abscess under general anesthesia. Although the posterior pharyngeal wall was swollen, endo-tracheal intubation was not difficult. Brown tinged and purplish pus was aspirated from the interspace of carotid sheath and trachea, the retropharyngeal space, and the superior mediastinal space. The infected site was irrigated with a lot of peroxide and saline and draining tubes were placed in each interspace. Tracheostomy was not done but the patient was admitted to the ICU with her trachea intubated. The day after operation, she was extubated. Three days after the operation chest X-ray revealed pyothorax and chest tube was inserted for drainage. Seven days after the operation she was transferred to the ENT ward. Thereafter her recovery course was uneventful. It seems that the deep neck infection was probably caused by the injury on endotracheal intubation at the first operation in this case. Although this patient was cured of mediastinitis following deep neck infection, which is still lethal, early diagnosis and surgical drainage of the abscess are necessary."}
{"id": "PMID:1479669", "title": "[Coronary artery spasm immediately after the long-standing operation for cancer of the tongue].", "content": "A 72-year-old male underwent radical operation for cancer of the tongue. Anesthesia was maintained with the combination of enflurane-N2O-vecuronium and cervical epidural block. Five minutes after the cessation of the longstanding operation, VT and circulatory collapse occurred. After administration of lidocaine and ephedrine, VPC and ST elevation were noted, followed by VT and Vf. Cardioversion successfully restored sinus rhythm with no ST change, suggesting an episode of coronary artery spasm. The possible inducing factors in this case were hypotension and acute imbalance in autonomic nervous systems caused by hypovolemia, hypothermia, insufficient anesthetic depth, loss of surgical stress, neostigmine and epidural block. The authors reviewed case reports on coronary spasm, especially looking for possible inducing factors of coronary artery spasm during anesthesia."}
{"id": "PMID:1479670", "title": "[A case report of a burn produced by the probe of a pulse oximeter].", "content": "We experienced a case of burn produced by the pulse oximeter probe at the finger of a patient. Patient was a 75-year old man scheduled to transurethral prostatectomy. The pulse oximeter probe made by Physio-Control Co. was attached at his finger and was connected to a pulse oximeter manufactured by Ohmeda Co. Soon after the start of Spo2 measurement the anesthetist became aware of abnormal heating of the probe and removed it immediately. But unfortunately a small thermal injury was formed at patient's finger. Abnormally excessive current went through the detector diode and heated the finger probe. Attention to correct connection between the pulse oximeter probe and the finger is necessary before use."}
{"id": "PMID:1479671", "title": "[An unusual cause of anesthetic ventilator malfunction].", "content": "We report a case of malfunction of an anesthetic ventilator by an unusual cause. A 48-year-old male with gastric cancer was scheduled for gastrectomy. Anesthesia was maintained with enflurane, N2O, O2 and epidural blockade using a semiclosed circuit system. The patient was ventilated using AV1 anesthetic machine (Dr\u00e4ger Co.). Forty minutes after induction of anesthesia, chest movement of the patient suddenly stopped. There was no gas flow to the patient during inspiratory phase. Air leak was not found in anesthetic respiratory circuit and at the bellows of the ventilator. The supply of oxygen and air to the anesthetic machine was sufficient. Since we could not find any cause of the ventilator failure, anesthesia was maintained with manual ventilation by using another anesthetic machine until completion of the surgery. After the surgery, we recognized that the controller unit of expiratory valve of the ventilator was obstructed by a Tamper Proof Film, which seals the outlet of a commercial bag of lactated Ringer's solution (Solulact, Terumo Co.). It seems that the film dropped accidentally between the main part and the ventilator system of anesthetic machine when the bellows was exchanged before the surgery, and moved on to the controller unit of the expiratory valve of the ventilatory system during surgery. In conclusion, it is necessary for anesthetists to understand the inner structure and system of the anesthetic machine and to check the anesthetic machine to avoid the troubles and accidents related to anesthetic machine."}
{"id": "PMID:1479672", "title": "[Sevoflurane anesthesia for asthmatic patients: report of five cases].", "content": "We anesthetized five patients receiving antiasthmatics with sevoflurane-nitrous oxide-oxygen. Induction with sevoflurane inhalation was conducted uneventfully in all patients. Mild asthmatic attacks occurred in three patients during light anesthesia. The asthmatic attacks subsided with elevating the concentration of sevoflurane or the administration of aminophylline in two patients. In only one patient, inhalation therapy with salbutamol was required to treat an asthmatic attack during deep anesthesia. The results indicate that sevoflurane was a proper inhalation anesthetic for our asthmatic patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1479673", "title": "[The effect of stellate ganglion block therapy on tonsillitis].", "content": "We examined a 35-year-old male patient with recurrent tonsillitis who did not respond to operation and drug therapy and we treated him by stellate ganglion block (SGB) alone. The clinical symptoms improved by the SGB. There was no subsequent recurrence. The result suggests that SGB therapy is effective for recurrent tonsillitis."}
{"id": "PMID:1479674", "title": "[A 5-year-old patient with allergic diseases responsive to stellate ganglion block].", "content": "We examined a 5-year-old boy with allergic rhinitis, chronic sinusitis, atopic dermatitis, and tendency to suffer common cold, who responded to stellate ganglion block (SGB). SGB therapy was extremely effective for this patient. The result suggests that SGB therapy should be performed on patients with allergic diseases resistant to drug and diet therapy. Furthermore, the indication for nerve block therapy, such as SGB, may be extended even to pediatric patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1479676", "title": "[Evaluation of in vitro antimicrobial activity of cefazolin alone and in combination with cefmetazole or flomoxef using agar dilution method and disk diffusion method].", "content": "Antimicrobial activities of cefazolin (CEZ) against 251 strains of various clinical isolates obtained during 1989 and 1990 were determined using the Mueller-Hinton agar dilution method at an inoculum level 10(6) CFU/ml. The reliability of the disk susceptility test was also studied using Mueller-Hinton agar and various disks at inoculum levels of 10(3-4) CFU/cm2 in estimating approximate values of MICs. In addition, antimicrobial activities of CEZ and cefmetazole (CMZ) or flomoxef (FMOX) in combination were investigated against methicillin-sensitive and -resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA and MRSA) using the checkerboard agar dilution MIC method and the disk diffusion test either with the disks contained CEZ, CMZ, and FMOX alone, or CEZ, and CMZ or FMOX in combination. In this study, the MICs of CEZ against S. aureus were distributed with the 3 peak values at 0.39 microgram/ml, 3.13 micrograms/ml and > 100 micrograms/ml. MICs against MSSA were 0.39 microgram/ml to 0.78 microgram/ml, whereas those against MRSA were greater than 0.78 microgram/ml. MICs against majority of strains of Enterococcus faecalis were 25 micrograms/ml. Over 90% of strains of Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae were inhibited at the level of 3.13 micrograms/ml. About 60% of isolates of indole negative Proteus spp. were inhibited at the levels of less than 3.13 micrograms/ml and 100% at 6.25 micrograms/ml, but MICs against indole positive Proteus spp., Serratia spp. and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were over 100 micrograms/ml. The antimicrobial activities of CEZ against these clinical isolates were not significantly different compared to those reported about 15-20 years ago, except for S. aureus. Highly resistant strains of S. aureus to CEZ were more prevalent in this study. The inhibitory zones obtained with the disk test were compared with MICs. The results of CEZ disk susceptibility test with 30 micrograms disk (Showa) or 10 micrograms disk (prepared in this laboratory) were well correlated with MICs (r = -0.837 and -0.814, respectively), showing the reliavility of the disk method in estimating approximate values of MICs. In the 4 category classification system currently used in Japan, break points in MIC values proposed are () MIC < or = 3 micrograms/ml, (++) > 3-15 micrograms/ml, (+) > 15-60 micrograms/ml, (-) > 60 micrograms/ml. The results obtained with 30 micrograms disks showed false positive in 7.7% and false negative in 6.8% of the samples. The disk results with E. faecalis showed a higher ratio of false positive results.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1479677", "title": "[Antimicrobial activity of AO-128, a novel inhibitor of alpha-D-glucosidase, against anaerobic bacteria].", "content": "The in vitro antimicrobial activity of AO-128, an inhibitor of alpha-D-glucosidase, was evaluated against anaerobic bacteria of 45 reference strains (12 genera, 44 species). AO-128 inhibited no strains tested at a concentration of 1,600 micrograms/ml. The results strongly suggested that this compound would not have any influence on the human intestinal microflora, a majority of which is composed of anaerobic bacteria."}
{"id": "PMID:1479678", "title": "[The penetration of cefpiramide into the skin].", "content": "To investigate the skin penetration of cefpiramide (CPM, SM-1652), a broad-spectrum and long acting cephem antibiotic, 1 g of CPM was administered by single bolus intravenous injection to patients under general anesthesia during operations for full-thickness skin grafting. The CPM levels in both the serum and the skin were determined by bioassay at specified time intervals, and the following results were obtained. 1. Peak CPM concentrations in the serum (mean: 292.78 micrograms/ml) were observed 10 minutes after administration, and declined very slowly thereafter. 2. Peak CPM concentrations in the skin (mean: 23.05 micrograms/g) were observed 2 hours after administration, and then also declined very slowly. 3. The ratio of skin to serum concentrations was 16% when the peak CPM concentrations in the skin were obtained (2 hours after the administration). These results show that effective CPM concentrations were maintained in the skin for a long period, indicating a good therapeutic action against skin infections."}
{"id": "PMID:1479679", "title": "[Ceftazidime in the treatment of meningitis caused by multiresistant Serratia marcescens].", "content": "A patient of subarachnoid hemorrhage was treated with spinal CSF drainage. Serratia marcescens meningitis occurred because of the spinal CSF drainage. The organism was multiresistant and refractory to antibiotics including piperacillin, imipenem, gentamicin and cephaloridine. It was sensitive to ceftazidime (CAZ). Treatment with CAZ resulted in clinical improvement associated with rapid clearing of the organism from CSF. CAZ serum level was high enough and CAZ penetration into the CSF was satisfactory. According to the evaluation of CAZ concentrations in serum and CSF, two regimens of treatment were recommended. One is an administration of CAZ 1 g x 4 times/day. Another is a combination with CAZ administration 2 g x 2 times/day and followed by 1 g x 4 times/day. The results suggest that CAZ is an extremely effective antibiotic for meningitis caused by CAZ-susceptible bacteria."}
{"id": "PMID:1479680", "title": "[A clinical study of combined therapy of aspoxicillin and ceftazidime on intractable respiratory infections].", "content": "Both aspoxicillin (ASPC) and ceftazidime (CAZ) were administered together to 55 patients with intractable respiratory tract infections. ASPC and CAZ were administered at daily doses of 4 g and 2 to 4 g, respectively. Clinical effects were excellent in 11 cases, good in 33, fair in 7 and poor in 4, thus the efficacy rate was 80.0%. Bacteriologically, identified organisms were eradicated in 14 cases out of 21, decreased in 3, exchanged in 2 and unchanged in 2. The eradication rate was 76.2%. As a side effect, diarrhea was found in only one case, and abnormal laboratory test values were observed in 4 cases. However, these adverse reactions were not severe, therefore it was possible to continue the chemotherapy. These results indicate that the combination antimicrobial chemotherapy of ASPC and CAZ is effective against intractable respiratory tract infections."}
{"id": "PMID:1479681", "title": "[Clinical effects of cefodizime in severe infections complicated with hematological diseases. Hanshin Infection Study Group].", "content": "One hundred thirty-eight patients with severe infections accompanying hematological diseases were treated with cefodizime (CDZM). CDZM was administered by intravenous injection at daily doses ranging from 2 g to 8 g for about 3 to 18 days. Clinical efficacies of CDZM were excellent in 30 cases, good in 37 cases, fair in 1 case and poor in 53 cases. The efficacy rate was 55.4%. The efficacy rate was 56.4% in patients from whom causative organisms were not identified. The efficacy rate against Gram-negative bacteria (66.7%) was higher than that against Gram-positive bacteria (28.6%). No significant differences in the efficacy rates were found among groups of patients with different initial neutrophil counts (less than 100, 100-499, and over 500/microliters). Skin eruption caused by CDZM was observed in 2 patients (1.5%). Hepatic disorders, renal dysfunction and urinary test abnormality (protein and urobilinogen) were observed in 7 (5.0%), 1 (0.7%) and 1 (0.7%), respectively. Therefore, CDZM was considered to be a clinically useful antibiotic for severe infections complicated with hematological diseases."}
{"id": "PMID:1479682", "title": "[Combined effects of arbekacin with other antibiotics against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. III. Combined effects of arbekacin with cefotiam or cefuzonam].", "content": "Antibacterial effects of combination use of arbekacin (ABK) with cefotiam (CTM) or cefuzonam (CZON) were evaluated against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and the following results were obtained. 1. Antibacterial effects of combinations of ABK with CTM and with CZON were equally potent against MRSA at clinically expected 1 MIC of ABK in blood. However, at a sub MIC of ABK the different effects were observed between the 2 combinations. The antibacterial effect of the former was strong and that of the latter was a little weak. 2. In either combination the potency of the antibacterial activity was less dependent on the concentration of CTM or CZON, but was strongly dependent on ABK concentrations. These results suggest that antibacterial effects of the combinations were highly dependent on antibacterial potency and concentration of ABK as previously reported for combinations of ABK with other drugs. 3. The combination use of ABK with CTM appears to be useful in cases of infection by MRSA alone while the combination use of ABK with CZON appears to be useful in cases of double infection with MRSA and Gram-negative bacterium."}
{"id": "PMID:1479683", "title": "[Combined effects of arbekacin with other antibiotics against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. IV. Combined effects of arbekacin with cefmetazole or flomoxef].", "content": "Antibacterial effects of combination use of arbekacin (ABK) with cefmetazole (CMZ) or flomoxef (FMOX) were evaluated against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and the following results were obtained. 1. Antibacterial effects of combinations of ABK with CMZ and with FMOX were equally potent against MRSA at clinically expected 1 MIC of ABK in blood. However, at a sub MIC of ABK different effects were observed between the 2 combinations. The former combination was slightly less effective than the latter. 2. In either combination the potency of the antibacterial activity was less dependent on the concentration of CMZ or FMOX, but was strongly dependent on ABK concentrations. These results suggest that antibacterial effects of the combinations were highly dependent on antibacterial potency and concentration of ABK as previously reported for combinations of ABK with other drugs. 3. It appears that the antibacterial activity of the combination of the sub MIC of ABK with a beta-lactam is an important point in considering the effectiveness of a combination therapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1479684", "title": "[Experimental study on intramaxillary injection of fosfomycin. Effects of fosfomycin on experimental acute sinusitis in rabbits].", "content": "We studied effects of intramaxillary injection of fosfomycin (FOM) on experimental sinusitis in rabbits. The experimental sinusitis was induced by intramaxillary injection of Staphylococcus aureus to rabbits for 3 successive days. 1. 0.5, 1, 3 or 5% FOM with saline as a control was instilled into the maxillary sinus and the maxillary sinus mucosa were examined macroscopically and light and electron microscopically. 3% and 5% FOM suppressed the damage of mucosa macroscopically and scanning electron microscopically. 2. After administration of 3% FOM and saline twice a week, the maxillary sinus mucosa was examined macroscopically and light and electron microscopically. The maxillary sinus injected with 3% FOM showed almost normal mucosa after 2 weeks while that injected with saline showed severe mucosal damage. S. aureus were decreased by 3% FOM injection and not found in the maxillary sinus in a week. The results indicate that intramaxillary injection of FOM is very effective in the treatment of sinusitis."}
{"id": "PMID:1479685", "title": "[Effect of DQ-2556, a new cephalosporin derivative, on fecal microflora].", "content": "A new cephalosporin derivative antibacterial agent, DQ-2556, was administered intravenously to 4 healthy adult male volunteers at 2 grams per dosage 2 times a day for 5 days, and degrees of effects of drug concentrations on the fecal microflora were investigated. 1. The total viable count remained unchanged during the study period due to the minimal change in the number of members of the family Bacteroidaceae, which were the most dominant organisms. In one of the volunteers, however, the total count was remarkably reduced immediately after the end of administration of the drug. 2. Among the obligate anaerobes, most of the organisms decreased except members of the family Bacteroidaceae. A marked increase of lecithinase-positive clostridia was noted in 2 volunteers. 3. The number of aerobes, including facultative anaerobes, members of the family Enterobacteriaceae were suppressed but bacilli and yeasts showed slight increases. In many cases, increases in enterococci were also observed. 4. DQ-2556 was not detected in the feces from any of the volunteers during the study period. 5. Neither Clostridium difficile nor its toxin D-1 was detected in any of the volunteers. 6. Diarrhoea or other side-effects were not noted in any of the volunteers."}
{"id": "PMID:1479686", "title": "[Bacteriological evaluation of ofloxacin otic solution].", "content": "Clinical trials of ofloxacin (OFLX) otic solution, such as an early phase II study, a dose-finding study, a phase III double-blind comparative study and open studies, were conducted in the period from February 1988 to October 1989. In these studies, organisms were isolated from secretions of middle ear in patients with chronic otitis media and acute exacerbation of chronic otitis media, and from secretions of external ear in patients with external otitis. These organisms were subjected to identification, followed by determination of susceptibilities to OFLX and the other antibacterials. Results obtained are summarized as follows: 1. In total, 746 organisms were defined as the presumable causative organisms in 439 patients with otitis media and 80 with external otitis. Among the isolates, aerobic Gram-positive organisms were most prevalent, with an isolation rate of 66.9%, followed by aerobic Gram-negative organisms (32.4%), and obligate anaerobes (0.7%). Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were the organisms isolated most frequently among aerobic Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, respectively. 2. The MIC90 of OFLX against the above 746 strains was 6.25 micrograms/ml. At this level, OFLX was 8 times more potent than cefmenoxime (CMX), and 32 times more potent than fosfomycin (FOM) and fradiomycin (FRM). It was postulated that OFLX retained higher local level than the MIC90 of the drug at 2 hours after topical adaptation of the otic solution, and had enough \"above the MIC\" and \"time above MIC\". 3. The MIC90 of OFLX against glucose-nonfermentative Gram-negative rods (GNF-GNR) including P. aeruginosa, which were isolated in 32.6% of the 519 patients, was superior to those of CMX, FOM, and FRM. The well-balanced antibacterial activity of OFLX was thought to be one of the properties of OFLX otic solution. 4. Previously-reported post antibiotic effect of OFLX was thought to be another property of OFLX otic solution. In conclusion, OFLX otic solution appeared to be clinically useful, because it possessed advantageous properties beyond other clinically-available otic solutions."}
{"id": "PMID:1479687", "title": "[Basic and clinical study of meropenem in pediatric field].", "content": "Meropenem (MEPM), a novel parenteral carbapenem antibiotic, was examined in a cooperative study involving 12 pediatric and 1 neonatologic facilities. The results are summarized as follows. 1. Antibacterial activity Antibacterial activity of MEPM against stock organisms including 31 strains of Streptococcus agalactiae, 14 of Listeria monocytogenes, 4 of Bordetella pertussis and 3 of Neisseria meningitidis ranged from 0.025 to 0.10 micrograms/ml in MIC90's, which were equal or lower than those of control drugs such as imipenem cefazolin, cefotiam, cefotaxime, ceftazidime and latamoxef. MICs against clinical isolates were as follows: In Gram-positive bacteria, MICs were 0.20 micrograms/ml to 6.25 micrograms/ml against 3 strains of Staphylococcus aureus, and 0.025 micrograms/ml or less against 4 of Streptococcus pneumoniae. In Gram-negative bacilli, MICs were 0.10 micrograms/ml to 0.20 micrograms/ml against 3 strains of Haemophilus influenzae and 0.78, 0.10 and 0.78 micrograms/ml, respectively, against one strain each of Enterobacter cloacae, Morganella morganii and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. MIC against 1 strain of Peptococcus saccharolyticus was < or = 0.025 micrograms/ml. 2. Pharmacokinetics Maximum plasma concentrations after intravenous infusion of MEPM over 30 minutes at doses of 10, 20 and 40 mg/kg, respectively, to 3 different groups of 3 children (total 9 cases) were observed at the completion of the treatment. Mean maximum concentrations in the 3 groups were 36.3, 69.5 and 129.8 micrograms/ml, respectively, exhibiting clear dose response. Mean plasma half lives in beta phase were 0.94, 0.86 and 0.94 hours, respectively, exhibiting no difference by doses, and this trend was observed also by HPLC. Urinary excretion rates in the first 6 hours after dose in the 10, 20 and 40 mg/kg groups were 67.3, 65.6 and 68.4%, respectively. Concentrations of MEPM in cerebrospinal fluid were determined in 2 cases of pyogenic meningitis. In 1 case, 500 mg (5.9 mg/kg) of MEPM was infused intravenously over 30 minutes and concentrations on Days 6, 8 and 15 observed at 190, 60 and 100 minutes after respective doses were 0.13, 0.10 micrograms/ml and less than the detection limit. Cerebrospinal fluid-plasma concentration ratio was determinable only on Day 8 and was 2.8%. In another case to which 250 mg (38.5 mg/kg) of MEPM was infused intravenously over 30 minutes, the concentration at Days 6, 7 and 10, 1 hour after the dose were less than the detection limit on day 6, and 2.04 and 2.62 micrograms/ml, respectively on days 7 and 10. 3. Clinical efficacy Clinical efficacies were evaluated in 49 cases and the efficacy rate was 93.9%.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1479688", "title": "[Effect of meropenem on fecal flora in children].", "content": "Meropenem (MEPM, SM-7338), a novel parenteral carbapenem antibiotic, was examined for its effect on intestinal flora in children. Seven children with infectious diseases (3 male and 4 female children of age's ranging from 4 months to 8 years and 9 months weighing from 7.3 to 23.0 kg) were treated with MEPM at doses ranging 10.3 to 40.5 mg/kg 3 or 4 times a day for 6 to 12 days. Before, during and after the treatment, identities and numbers of various bacteria contained in 1 g of feces were determined and fecal beta-lactamase activity and Clostridium difficile D-1 antigen were also assayed. Changes in fecal flora during MEPM treatment was somewhat different depending on cases. Regarding Enterobacteriaceae among aerobes, all of 7 cases exhibited moderate or pronounced reductions in Escherichia coli. Some of the cases exhibited the tendency to increase in Klebsiella oxytoca. Enterobacter cloacae and Citrobacter freundii. E. coli which was reduced during the treatment increased rapidly after the treatment in 5 out of 7 cases, and the initial bacterial counts were restored. Diverse strains were observed within the genus Enterococcus, while the overall bacterial counts of this genus exhibited the tendency to increase during the treatment. As a result, no significant change in total aerobe count was observed in any case except 1 case where Enterococcus count was somewhat reduced. Among anaerobes, major bacteria such as Bacteroides, Bifidobacterium, Eubacterium and Peptococcaceae exhibited tendencies to decrease in some cases during the antibiotic treatment. Two infants and 1 child exhibited significant decreases in total anaerobe counts. In most of the cases, such changes in major anaerobes were transient and bacterial counts recovered to their initial values rapidly after completion of the treatment. In no cases, glucose non-fermentative Gram-negative bacilli or fungus became predominant. Although C. difficile D-1 antigen was observed in 4 cases, its changes had no relationship with characteristics of feces. C. difficile was not detected in any of the cases. MEPM was detected in feces in 4 cases being treatment, in concentrations ranging from 0.35 to 66.0 micrograms/g. Fecal MEPM levels were very low except in 1 case in which beta-lactamase was negative. From these results, effects of MEPM on intestinal flora in children were relatively minor compared to other new beta-lactam drugs. However, a care should be taken to minimize diarrhea and bacterial turnover when a prolonged use of the antibiotic, was practiced because of potential significant effects on intestinal flora."}
{"id": "PMID:1479689", "title": "[Laboratory and clinical evaluation of meropenem in pediatric field].", "content": "We performed laboratory and clinical evaluation of meropenem (SM-7338, MEPM), a new carbapenem antibiotics, in pediatric field. Pharmacokinetics of MEPM was examined with 5 patients, at a dose of 10 mg/kg via 30 minutes drip infusion. Mean plasma concentrations at 30 minutes, 1, 1.5, 2.5, 3.5 and 5.5 hours after dose were 18.8, 6.97, 3.62, 1.14, 0.43 and 0.12 micrograms/ml, respectively, with a half life of 0.96 hour. The urine recovery rate in 6 hours was 70.4%. Clinical efficacy of MEPM was evaluated in 36 patients with various infectious diseases. MEPM was administered at doses ranging 9.5 to 30.6 mg/kg/dosage, 3 to 4 times a day, 21/3 to 10 days. Clinical effects were excellent in 24, good in 11, fair in 1, with an efficacy rate of 97.2%. Bacteriologically, all causative organisms except one each of Haemophilus influenzae and Salmonella enteritidis were eradicated, an eradication rate for Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria were 100% and 93.3%, respectively. No side effects were observed. Elevations of GOT and/or GPT were noted in 2 patients. From the above results, we believe that MEPM is a highly effective and safe drug for patients with various infectious diseases in pediatric fields."}
{"id": "PMID:1479690", "title": "[Plasma interleukin-6 in patients with disseminated intravascular coagulation].", "content": "Plasma Interleukin-6 (IL-6) level was measured in 60 patients with disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC). Plasma IL-6 level was high in patients with DIC, and was particularly high in patients with multiple organ failure (MOF) or poor prognosis. Plasma IL-6 level correlated positively with C-reactive protein in patients without DIC, but not in those with DIC. The increased plasma IL-6 level observed in DIC patients suggests that activation of the immune system is involved in the progression of DIC and in the pathology of organ failure."}
{"id": "PMID:1479691", "title": "[Benefits and problems of home infusion therapy].", "content": "A survey was performed to clarify the benefits and problems of home infusion therapy because 8 years had passed since this type of treatment was officially approved in Japan. Questionnaires were sent to hemophiliacs and the physicians in charge of hemophiliacs in the Kyushu district. The main results obtained from analysis of responses concerning 197 patients were as follows. 1) Out of 197, 140 patients were on home therapy programs. 2) The number of bleeding episodes was increased in 6.8%, decreased in 51.1% and unchanged in 42.1% of patients after the start of home infusion therapy programs. 3) The severity of bleeding symptoms was reduced in 92.9% of patients after the start of these programs. 4) After the start of home infusion therapy programs, the amount of blood products administered increased in 24.4%, decreased in 20.6% and was unchanged in 55.0%. 5) Complications such as abdominal pain, headache, ulticaria, itching, shivering, fever and discomfort were reported from 19 hemophiliacs. Only one of them visited the hospital due to severe abdominal pain which appeared immediately after home infusion of blood product. 6) It was indicated that better education or re-education of home infusion therapy is necessary for hemophiliacs and/or their families who are on home infusion therapy programs, because half of them had not received proper education concerning home infusion."}
{"id": "PMID:1479692", "title": "[Rapid disappearance of M-protein in multiple myeloma complicated by pneumonia during treatment with HLBI].", "content": "A 64-year-old female was admitted for treatment of refractory myeloma (IgG-lambda). Because of severe liver cirrhosis, the patient was treated with interferon (IFN) alone (natural IFN 6 x 10(6) IR/day i.m. for 28 days). Pneumonia developed during IFN therapy. The IFN therapy was completed, restoring suppressed IgM and IgA to their normal ranges, while pneumonia was cured by antibiotics. Because the M-component remained, an additional IFN therapy was resumed and M-protein disappeared. As the period within which the M-component disappeared in this case was shorter than that reported previously, we supposed that the pneumonia might have enhance the effects of IFN. To verify this, we administered OK-432 for 4 weeks as a model of immunoactivation by pneumonia between two successive courses of IFN therapy when M-protein reappeared. To monitor the immune state, natural killer (NK) and lymphokine activated killer (LAK) activities were measured: NK activity suppressed by IFN was restored by OK-432 and was suppressed less by subsequent IFN administration. LAK activity was increased by IFN and OK-432. These observations suggested synergic effects of OK-432 on IFN-activated immunity. This case suggests that IFN combined with immunotherapy may be effective in some cases of myeloma."}
{"id": "PMID:1479693", "title": "[Reactive histiocytosis during initial remission induction therapy for acute myeloblastic leukemia].", "content": "Six of 14 patients with acute myeloblastic leukemia (AML) complicated reactive histiocytosis during initial remission induction therapy. All six patients had a high fever without signs of infection during initial chemotherapy, and periods of myelosuppression were prolonged. Histiocytes with a mature appearance, some of which phagocyted erythrocytes, thrombocytes or neutrophils, increased in the bone marrow. All of 3 patients tested showed high serum levels of ferritin. Two of 3 patients treated with 125 mg/day methylprednisolone achieved complete remission. In the remaining 3 patients, one patient achieved complete remission, but the others died of fungal pneumonia or sepsis. Thus, reactive histiocytosis is one of the severe complications in patients with AML undergoing chemotherapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1479694", "title": "[der(1;7) (q10;p10) in three patients with malignant hematologic disorders].", "content": "The chromosome der(1;7) (q10;p10) is a derivative chromosome consisting of the short arm of chromosome 7 and the long arm of chromosome 1. We observed this abnormality in three patients with acute myeloblastic leukemia (AML), myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), or myeloproliferative disorder (MPD). Case 1 was a 76-yr-old male with a history of IgG myeloma treated with melphalan, cyclophosphamide, vincristine, and prednisolone (MEVP). AML-M1 developed one and half years after discontinuation of the MEVP therapy. Case 2 was a 39-yr-old male with MDS. Case 3 was a 56-yr-old male with refractory anemia with excess of blasts in transformation that evolved from primary myelofibrosis. Chromosome analyses revealed der(1;7) (q10;p10) in bone marrow cells of the three patients. All patients failed to respond to chemotherapy, and died within four months after the diagnosis. Thus, der (1;7) (q10;p10) may indicate a very poor prognostic outcome in patients with malignant hematologic disorders."}
{"id": "PMID:1479695", "title": "[Burkitt's lymphoma diagnosed by molecular analysis of DNA from malignant cells in ascites].", "content": "A 73-year-old man was admitted with severe abdominal fullness. Physical examination suggested much ascites. Laboratory data revealed that BUN was 39 mg/dl, Cr was 2.2 mg/dl, UA was 19.7 mg/dl, and LDH was 1,569 U/l. In ascites, there were many cells with large nuclei and many vacuoles. Immunocytological characterization indicated that most of these cells were B lineage. And diagnosis of malignant lymphoma, the patient was treated with VEPA therapy. However, he soon died with acute renal failure. We examined the possibility of gene rearrangements between the c-myc and immunoglobulin genes and found that c-myc gene was rearranged at the first intron, and joined with immunoglobulin JH locus as head to head. These results suggested that the patient carried Burkitt's lymphoma of the American type."}
{"id": "PMID:1479696", "title": "[Malignant histiocytosis with T cell receptor and immunoglobulin gene rearrangements].", "content": "A case of malignant histiocytosis with rearrangements of both T-cell receptor and immunoglobulin genes. The patient was a 69 year-old woman suffering from high fever, which was unresponsive to the administration of various antibiotics and steroids for more than two weeks. Laboratory findings on admission revealed disseminated intravascular coagulopathy and liver dysfunction. The bone marrow examination showed an increased number of giant cells. Some of the giant cells had phagocytosis of various blood cells and were cytochemically stained with non-specific esterase, but not with myeloperoxidase and PAS. Immunohistochemical study revealed that alpha 1-antitrypsin alpha 1-antichymotrypsin, lysozyme and CD15 were all detected in the cytoplasm of some giant cells while CD30 was not detected. Of interest was the rearrangements of the T-cell receptor, Ig heavy chain and kappa chain genes on bone marrow mononuclear cells demonstrated by Southern blot analysis."}
{"id": "PMID:1479697", "title": "[Infiltration into the aqueous humor (uveitis) in a patient with malignant lymphoma].", "content": "An 80-year-old male was admitted to our hospital because of multiple tumors in October 1989. A pathological diagnosis of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (diffuse, medium-sized cell type) was made with the histological examination of his biopsied tumors. His clinical stage was stage IV A. Chemotherapy (CHOP) brought him to complete remission. In May 1990, relapse of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma was observed in the neck and both eyes. The diagnosis of uveitis due to involvement of lymphoma cells was confirmed by an aspiration biopsy of left aqueous humor. Complete recovery of his visual acuity was possible with additional chemotherapy, and lymphoma cells in his right aqueous humor were expelled completely, while his cervical tumor remained 1/3 of the original size. He eventually died of pneumonia on December 9th, 1990. Intraocular involvement of malignant lymphoma is rare in comparison with extraocular involvement. Especially, the patient who has only turbid aqueous humor as an ophthalmic sign is very rare. In this paper, we reported a case of lymphoma with intraocular involvement and discussed the mechanisms of infiltration of lymphoma cells into the aqueous humor and the therapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1479698", "title": "[Megakaryoblastic leukemia which developed from therapy-related MDS with myelofibrosis].", "content": "A 56-year-old man had a leiomyosarcoma of the small intestine in 1987. After surgery, he received cyclophosphamide for 2 years. In December, 1990, he exhibited severe pancytopenia. His hematological data were as follows: Hb 7.4g/dl, ret. 0.8%, WBC 1,700/microliters with leukoerythroblastosis and 2.8 x 10(4)/microliters platelets. A bone marrow aspiration was a dry tap. A bone marrow biopsy specimen showed a hypercellular marrow with myelofibrosis, leukemic infiltration (10.2%) and slight dyserythropoiesis. Both PPO and GPIIb/IIIa reaction were positive for blast cells and atypical megakaryoblasts. A diagnosis of MDS with an abnormality in megakaryocytic lineage was made. The patient was treated with 1,25-dihydroxy-vitamin D3, however this therapy was temporary and he developed into acute megakaryoblastic leukemia (M7). This report suggested that some cases of therapy-related leukemia (TRL) mainly involve megakaryocytic lineage and are diagnosed as MDS with myelofibrosis which transform to M7. The fact that PAS stain of erythroblasts in the patient reported here was positive may suggest involvement of development of more precise immunological markers of differentiation and EM study will permit better diagnosis of TRL and may therefore facilitate new therapeutic approaches."}
{"id": "PMID:1479699", "title": "[Rapid aggravation of splenomegaly by administration of erythropoietin in a case of myelodysplastic syndrome].", "content": "In myeloproliferative disorders, aggravation of splenomegaly was reported as an adverse effect of erythropoietin (EPO). Recently, we experienced the adverse effect of EPO in myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). A 65-year-old male was admitted to our hospital for scrutiny of pancytopenia in July 8, 1991. He was diagnosed as having MDS (refractory anemia: RA). After discharge, daily subcutaneous administration of EPO (3,000U) was started on August 1 because his Hb concentration had decreased to 9.2 g/dl. After the daily dose of EPO was increased up to 6,000U in August 15, left hypochondralgia gradually developed. EPO administration was haltedon August 22. His splenomegaly was aggravated from 2 finger breadths below the left costal margin before EPO administration to 4.5 finger breadths. Bone marrow examination revealed a change to extremely hypercellular marrow from slightly hypocellular marrow before EPO administration. The peripheral blood cell count was not altered. We concluded that he was a rare case of MDS in which aggravation of splenomegaly was observed, probably as a result of extramedullary hematopoiesis induced by administration of EPO."}
{"id": "PMID:1479700", "title": "[Polycythemia vera terminating in chronic neutrophilic leukemia: studies on in vitro growth of hematopoietic progenitor cells].", "content": "A 57-year-old man, diagnosed as Polycythemia vera (PV), had been treated with administrations of Busulfan since 1984. Three years later, the number of neutrophils in peripheral blood increased to 50,000/microliters with progression of splenomegaly, and the case was diagnosed as Chronic neutrophilic leukemia (CNL) based on the criteria by Miura et al, in November, 1989. In spite of 6MP and Busulfan therapy, marked neutrophilia and splenomegaly progressed, and the patient died due to liver dysfunction in June of 1991. To clarify the pathophysiology of PV and CNL, we studied the in vitro growth kinetics of hematopoietic progenitor cells in bone marrow of this unique case and made a comparison with those of 4 cases of PV and 4 normal volunteers employing methylcellulose culture. As in other cases of PV, erythroid colonies were formed in culture of bone marrow from this patient without addition of erythropoietin. Furthermore, spontaneous colonies derived from CFU-GM and CFU-Mix increased remarkably in this case only. The results suggest that the hematopoietic abnormalities in this case involve the multipotent stem cells as well as erythroid and granuloid-macrophage progenitors."}
{"id": "PMID:1479701", "title": "[A case report of an acute promyelocytic leukemia patient showing remarkable thrombopoiesis prior to granulopoiesis by hM-CSF treatment after chemotherapy].", "content": "We report a case of an acute promyelocytic leukemia patient who showed remarkable thrombopoiesis prior to granulopoiesis by human macrophage colony-stimulating factor (hM-CSF) treatment after chemotherapy. A 50 year-old man was diagnosed as acute promyelocytic leukemia (FAB classification: M3) with t(15;17). He received two courses of induction therapy with daunorubicin and cytarabine followed by consolidation therapy with cytarabine and mitoxantrone. After each course of chemotherapy. hM-CSF (8 x 10(6) units, daily) was given for 14 days. After each treatment with hM-CSF, the increase in number of platelets preceded increase of granulocytes and reticulocytes. When serum levels of granulocyte-macrophage-colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF), granulocyte-colony simulating factor (G-CSF), interleukins-3 (IL-3) and -6 (IL-6) were measured, only that of G-CSF was increased after hM-CSF treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1479702", "title": "[Induction therapy of acute promyelocytic leukemia with all-trans retinoic acid: a case, followed by conventional post-remission chemotherapy in complete remission].", "content": "A 41-year-old man with untreated acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) was treated with all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) 80mg/body/day per os. Complete remission was reached in 16 day without bone marrow hypoplasia and aggravated disseminated intravascular coagulation. The chromosomal abnormality, t (15;17), which presented before therapy has not been found since the 29th day of therapy. During the course of induction therapy with ATRA, there was no complication worth of mentioning. Induction therapy with ATRA is thought to be more effective and safer than conventional chemotherapy to attain complete remission in APL. The complete remission has been maintained for 11 months with conventional postremission chemotherapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1479703", "title": "[Eosinophilic leukemia with cyclic eosinophilic leukocytosis].", "content": "A 36-year-old male was admitted to the Ehime University Hospital with anemia, eosinophilia and hepatosplenomegaly. Peripheral blood examination demonstrated severe anemia (Hb 7.1g/dl), thrombocytopenia (Plt 6.8 x 10(4)/microliters) and increase of peripheral leukocyte counts (53,000/microliters) with 32.0% of eosinophils which had lobulated nuclei, abnormal distribution of eosinophilic granules and a few vacuoles. The level of serum IgE was low (< 5IU/ml), while that of serum vitamin B12 was elevated. A diagnosis of eosinophilic leukemia was made. He was noted to have spontaneous fluctuations in his eosinophil and total leukocyte counts. To analyze the mechanism of cyclic eosinophilic leukocytosis, we examined eosinophil colony stimulating activity of the serum and plasma of the patient. These examination showed that eosinophil colony-stimulating activity was not found in his serum and plasma, and cyclic eosinophilic leukocytosis was due to the hemopoietic stem cell disorder."}
{"id": "PMID:1479704", "title": "[Chronic myelomonocytic leukemia with good response to low-dose etoposide].", "content": "58-year-old man was admitted with cervical tumor and leukocytosis. Physical examination indicated splenomegaly and cervical abscess. Laboratory data showed WBC 55,000/microliters, Hb 7.9g/dl, and PLT 4.5 x 10(4)/microliters. After cure of the abscess, WBC counts were still high with 1,500-2,000/microliters monocytes, and anemia and thrombocytopenia persisted. Bone marrow aspiration showed myeloid hyperplasia and trilineage myelodysplasia. The Ph1 chromosome could not be detected. The case was diagnosed as chronic myelomonocytic leukemia and treated with oral etoposide (25mg/day). After 2 weeks, the dose was increased to 50mg, and then modified according to the blood counts. WBC counts are presently being maintained between 7,000 and 12,000/microliters, and RBC and PLT counts have gradually become normal. Splenomegaly almost disappeared and dysplastic change in bone marrow improved somewhat. At nine months following the start of chemotherapy with etoposide, remission is maintained by treatment with 25mg of etoposide on alternate days. This case suggests that low-dose etoposide is useful for treating CMMoL."}
{"id": "PMID:1479705", "title": "[Clinicopathological study on the relationship between appearance of type I or III collagen in IgA nephropathy].", "content": "This study was designed to determine whether or not the appearance of type I or type III collagen in glomeruli and serum procollagen III peptide (PIIIP) concentration are affecting the prognosis of patients with IgA nephropathy. In cases with reduced creatinine clearance (Ccr < 80 ml/min) at the time of renal biopsy, the appearance of type III collagen increased, and subsequently type I collagen appeared as Ccr decreased. In addition, we measured serum PIIIP concentration in these cases. The increase of serum PIIIP correlated with the decrease of Ccr. These results suggest that the appearance of type I and III collagen in glomeruli and the increase in serum PIIIP concentration might be a useful marker to predict the outcome of IgA nephropathy."}
{"id": "PMID:1479706", "title": "[Steroid pulse therapy in rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis].", "content": "In an attempt to clarify the indication and efficacy of the methylprednisolone pulse therapy (1000 mg x 3 times) for rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis (RPGN), 3 patients with the disease were carefully followed and the clinical course during and after the treatment were precisely analysed. According to the declination rate of reciprocals of serum creatinine (1/Cr), one patient were divided into the acute type (-1.00 x 10(-2) dl/mg/day or less) and the others into the subacute type (more than -1.00 x 10(-2) dl/mg/day). In the patient of acute type, renal biopsy revealed cellular crescent formation in 93.8% of glomeruli observed. One course of the pulse therapy resulted in a decrease in Cr from 3.0 mg/dl to 1.3 mg/dl and transformation of cellular crescents to fibrocellular or fibrous crescents. In the other two patients of subacute type, crescents were observed in 72.7% and 72.0% of glomeruli observed, and 87.5% and 38.9% of them were composed of cellular crescents respectively. Initial courses of the pulse therapy resulted in decreases of Cr from 3.5 mg/dl to 2.4 mg/dl and from 3.0 mg/dl to 1.4 mg/dl respectively. Additional courses, given because of insufficient reduction of Cr in the former, induced a further lowering to 1.3 mg/dl, and because of re-elevation of Cr to 2.2 mg/dl and remaining of cellular crescents in 20% in the latter, induced a decrease of Cr to 1.5 mg/dl and disappearance of cellular crescents.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1479707", "title": "[Alterations in phosphatidylcholine and phospholipase A2 of the renal tissue in gentamicin nephrotoxicity: comparative study with buthionine sulfoximine administered model].", "content": "We investigated to confirm the biochemical mechanisms of the hypothesis that lipid peroxidation participates in the pathogenesis of aminoglycoside-induced nephrotoxicity. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were injected with gentamicin (GM), 300mg/kg per day. Twenty-four hours after the injection the rats were killed and the renal cortex was processed for glutathione (GSH), malondialdehyde (MDA), phospholipase A2 (PLA2), phosphatidylcholine (PC), sphingomyelin (SPH) and phospholipids (PL). And we also studied the GSH reduced rats by buthionine sulfoximine (BSO) administration, to compare the biochemical differences with these parameters in two groups. GM induced a significant decrease of PLA2, SHP/PC ratio and GSH. Marked elevation of MDA (lipid peroxidation) and PC were observed after a single injection of GM. In contrast, BSO injected rats were not showed increment of tissue MDA, in spite of marked reduction of renal GSH. These data support the conclusion that accelerated lipid peroxidation occurs early in the course of GM administration and inhibition of lysosomal PLA2 activity involved in the degradation of lysosomal membrane which consisted of phospholipids."}
{"id": "PMID:1479708", "title": "[Inflammatory cell infiltration around beta 2-microglobulin amyloid deposition: histologic comparison of beta 2-microglobulin amyloidosis with AA or AL amyloidosis].", "content": "Thirty-one autopsy cases of beta 2-microglobulin (beta 2M) amyloidosis were pathologically investigated in comparison with 17 autopsy cases of AA or AL amyloidosis. In 20 cases (65%, 20/31) of beta 2M amyloidosis, inflammatory cells, mainly macrophages were seen infiltrating around beta 2M amyloid in intervertebral disks. The more beta 2M amyloidosis advances, the more macrophage infiltration tends to be prominent. In cases of severe beta 2M amyloidosis, the cytoplasm of macrophages around amyloid deposition were swollen with engulfed amyloid substance and were often transforming to foreign body multinucleated giant cells. In addition, granulation tissue was formed with infiltrating macrophages, foreign body multinucleated giant cells, capillary proliferation and fibrosis around beta 2M amyloid deposition. On the other hand, inflammatory cell infiltration around amyloid deposition was scarcely seen in AA or AL amyloidosis. Ultrastructurally, macrophages were abundant in phagocytic vacuoles containing amyloid fibrils. These macrophages were immunohistochemically positive for CD68, IL-1 beta and TNF-alpha. Thus, macrophage infiltration around beta 2M amyloid is thought to be responsible for local pain and tissue destruction of dialysis patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1479709", "title": "[Study of recombinant human erythropoietin treatment on the anemia of predialysis patients].", "content": "We conducted a multiple-center joint study on the effects of recombinant human erythropoietin (rEPO) for predialysis patients. rEPO was intravenously administered to 42 predialysis patients (13 males and 29 females) with hematocrit (Ht) levels of less than 30%. The subjects were divided into group A (28 cases) in which rEPO was administered twice a week, and group B (14 cases) with rEPO administration once a week. The initial administration dosage was 6000IU/week. The Ht levels were 22.6 +/- 3.3% for group A and 23.2 +/- 2.7% for group B before the administration of rEPO, and increased to 31.0 +/- 4.0% and 27.7 +/- 3.7% respectively twelve weeks after initiating administration. The levels of effective improvement on anemia included 'markedly effective' in 17 cases (80.9%) and 'effective' in 2 cases (9.5%) in group A, and 'markedly effective' in 5 cases (41.7%) and 'effective' in 3 cases (25.0%) in group B. No significant change was seen in serum creatinine (Cr) levels during the study period. In the evaluation of renal function by reciprocal serum creatinine (1/Cr), a consistent tendency was not recognized; thus, suggesting that the rEPO administration had no effect on the renal function. No variation of blood pressure was seen. As far as side effects were concerned, headache and heavy headedness were recognized in four cases. There were, however, no cases in which the severity of the side effects dictated the discontinuation of the rEPO administration. In conclusion, rEPO was judged to be a safe and effective treatment for the anemia of predialysis patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1479710", "title": "[Pharmacokinetics and clinical effect of recombinant human erythropoietin on the anemia of predialysis patients].", "content": "The marvelous effect of recombinant human erythropoietin (EPOCH) on the anemia of the patients suffering from chronic renal failure had been already reported even in the predialysis patients. However, the influence on residual renal function as well as pharmacokinetics of EPOCH in predialysis patients was not clarified yet. Therefore, we made a clinical study of EPOCH in 10 predialysis patients to investigate the clinical effect as well as pharmacokinetics. EPOCH was administered intravenously once a week with the dosage of 3,000-9,000 IU for 8 weeks. All patients showed prominent improvement of anemia. Though no patient show serious adverse effect, two patients showed controllable hypertension accompanying with the increase of hematocrit. Meanwhile, the speed of the deterioration of residual renal function obtained from the regression line by reciprocal of the serum creatinine was not aggravated by the correction of anemia. Pharmacokinetic study revealed that the halflife of EPOCH was extended compared to normal but the degree of extension was same as that of in dialyzed patients. The plasma concentration-time curves showed the pattern of monoexponential disappearance and the area under the curve (AUC 0 to 48 hr.) showed dose-response increase. However, both parameters mentioned above as well as systemic clearance rate did not show any change between those of on day 0 and on day 56. These results no long-term accumulation of EPOCH, though the level of intrinsic erythropoietin was decreased after EPOCH treatment. Thus, the beneficial effect of EPOCH on the correction of anemia was revealed even in the predialysis patients without affecting on residual renal function."}
{"id": "PMID:1479711", "title": "[Surgical exploration for renal cyst: two-case report].", "content": "A 59-year-old male was admitted to our clinic for further examination of the calcified renal cyst discovered incidentally on medical workup elsewhere. CT showed a left renal cyst associated with calcification. Ultrasound-guided puncture of the renal cyst was not successful because of thickness of the cystic wall. Renal angiography showed hypervascularity of the cystic wall. Association of renal cell carcinoma could not be ruled out, therefore the exploration was performed. Histological examination revealed benign renal cyst with calcification. A 27-year-old male presented with the chief complaint of left flank pain. Following examinations by US, CT and MRI, a renal cyst associated with renal cell carcinoma was highly suspected. Subsequent exploration revealed cluster of cysts with a yellowish lesion a few mm in diameter. Frozen section revealed no malignancy, and cystic fluid was not hemorrhagic. Therefore as many cystic walls as possible were removed without nephrectomy. Histological examination of the permanent specimen revealed renal cell carcinoma. Renal cyst associated with renal cell carcinoma was regarded as rare clinical entity, but such cases are reported in increasing number in recent years. We report such cases and review the pertinent literature in this paper."}
{"id": "PMID:1479712", "title": "[Successful treatment with steroid pulse therapy in a case of dilated cardiomyopathy associated with mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis].", "content": "A 28-year old male was admitted to our hospital because of heart failure, chronic renal failure and nephrotic syndrome. Light microscopic findings of his kidney biopsy showed proliferation of mesangial cell and marked narrowing the lumina of small arteries and arterioles. The changes of these small vessels were not those of typical vasculitis, when we considered his age and his past history. The diagnosis of dilated cardiomyopathy was made by the findings in echocardiography and cardiac catheterization. Since the heart failure and renal disease seemed to be simultaneous initiated, it was supposed that the diseases in two organs were caused by a common pathogenesis related to that of vasculitis. When steroid pulse therapy was adopted, both of cardiac and renal function responded to this treatment (ejection fraction from 26% to 52%, creatinine clearance from 48 to 62 ml/min). Increase of CD56 positive cells (natural killer cells) in peripheral blood was ameliorated after the treatment. These findings suggest that cellular immunity may be concerned with the pathogenesis of the combination of dilated cardiomyopathy and renal disease in this case."}
{"id": "PMID:1479713", "title": "[A case of primary amyloidosis associated with giant cell infiltration within a Bowman's capsule].", "content": "A 67-year-old man was hospitalized with a diagnosis of nephrotic syndrome. Physical findings at admission were generalized edema and macroglossia. Urinalysis showed massive proteinuria, + +occult blood, and granular and broad casts. Ig A lambda monoclonal gammopathy was noted in the serum. There was no evidence of myeloma in the bone marrow aspirate, scintigram or X-ray of the bone. A biopsy specimen of the kidney showed massive deposits of structureless material in the glomeruli. Marked cell infiltration was also observed in the interstitium. Multinucleated giant cells were occasionally seen in the Bowman's capsules and the interstitium. There were reactive changes in the Bowman's capsule adjacent to the giant cell. The deposits were proved to be amyloid by positive staining with Congo red and apple-green birefringence by polarized light. In addition, microfibrills seen on electron microscopy displayed deposits. Amyloid depositions were observed in other tissues such as gingiva, skin and tongue. Staining of amyloid with Congo red was resistant to potassium permanganate, and amyloid was positively stained with lambda-light chain of immunoglobulin. These findings indicated that the patient had primary amyloidosis. Infiltration of the multinucleated giant cell has been reported only in patients with familial amyloidosis and secondary amyloidosis associated with rheumatoid arthritis. To our knowledge the present case is a first report of the giant cell infiltration in a Bowman's capsule in primary amyloidosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1479714", "title": "[Effects of intravenously infused magnesium on renal calcium metabolism and plasma parathyroid hormone in patients with essential hypertension].", "content": "This study aimed to elucidate the effects of intravenously infused magnesium on renal calcium and sodium metabolism in patients with essential hypertension. Mean arterial pressure (MAP), heart rate (HR), urine volume (UV), endogenous creatinine clearance (Ccr), urinary excretion of calcium (UCaV) and sodium (UNaV), fractional excretion of calcium (FECa) and sodium (FENa), plasma ionized calcium (pCa2+) and parathyroid hormone(PTH) were measured before and after intravenous infusion of 10% magnesium sulfate (initial dose: Mg 13.5mg/m2.BSA/15 min.: maintenance dose: Mg 2.7mg/m2.BSA/105min) in 6 normotensive subjects (NT) and 13 mild-to-moderate essential hypertensives (EHT). After the magnesium infusion, significant increases of UV, UCaV, UNaV, FECa and FENa, and a significant decrease of PTH were observed in both NT and EHT while MAP and HR did not change in either group. PCa2+ significantly decreased and Ccr tended to increase only in EHT. Although no significant difference was found in the change in Ccr (delta Ccr) or PTH (delta PTH) between NT and EHT, the changes of UCaV (delta UCaV), UNaV (delta UNaV), FECa (delta FECa) and FENa (delta FENa) were greater in EHT than each in NT. A positive correlation was found between delta UCaV and delta FECa, as well as delta UCaV and delta Ccr, but the former was more remarkable in both groups. In addition, delta UCaV was positively correlated with delta FENa in EHT, but not in NT. No significant relationship was observed between delta UCaV and delta PTH in either group.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1479715", "title": "[Production of reactive oxygen species and scavenger treatment in nephrotoxic nephritis].", "content": "Role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was studied in accelerated nephrotoxic nephritis (NTN) in rats. In this experimental model, histological examination, and luminol amplified chemiluminescence (CL) assay of peripheral polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN), peritoneal macrophages (M phi), and isolated glomeruli were performed time-sequentially. Effect of ROS scavengers were also examined in this experiment. Daily dosages of bovine liver catalase and SOD were 550,000 and 1,000 units respectively. After nephrotoxic IgG injection, CL of glomeruli increased strikingly attaining peak at day 1, and remained high until the end of the experiment. This increase of CL may have reflected the release of ROS by glomerular cells and/or infiltrating cells stimulated in situ. In fact, peripheral PMN and peritoneal M phi showed no increase of CL after nephrotoxic IgG injection. Glomerular cells increased as early as 3 hours after induction of nephritis. Accumulation of PMN was noted for the first three days, whereas that of M phi became prominent after 4 days. Favourable effect was obtained in terms of proteinuria by administration of catalase, only when catalase was given at initial 3 days of nephritis. The data suggest that generation of ROS reflected by increase of CL in glomeruli of NTN rats is attributable to the PMN and M phi infiltrated in glomeruli as well as glomerular resident cells per se. It is also suggested that glomerular PMN increasing in the early phase of NTN plays a considerable role in glomerular injury."}
{"id": "PMID:1479716", "title": "[Clinicopathological survey of persistent hypocomplementemic glomerulonephritis in children; correlation of DPGN and MPGN type I].", "content": "We studied clinicopathologically 19 patients with abnormal urinary findings accompanying with persistent hypocomplementemia under age 15. They consisted of 6 patients with membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis (MPGN) type I, 2 with MPGN type II, 2 with focal MPGN, 8 with diffuse proliferative glomerulonephritis (DPGN), 1 with focal glomerulonephritis (FGN). 17 cases were treated with steroid. In 2 patients with MPGN type I and 1 patient with DPGN, the treatment resulted in normalization of serum C3 level and urinary abnormalities and improvement of histological findings. In 3 patients with DPGN, urinary abnormalities and hypocomplementemia have been persisted and histological findings changed to those of MPGN type I. Thus, DPGN with hypocomplementemia seems to be an early stage of MPGN type I."}
{"id": "PMID:1479717", "title": "[The effect of elastase on aminonucleoside nephrosis--on renal vascular system].", "content": "This study was performed to investigated the relationship between cross sectional areas of glomerular arterioles and glomerular volume in rats with puromycin aminonucleoside (PAN)-induced nephrosis, which is an experimental model of glomerular sclerosis. We also evaluated the effect of an anti-arteriosclerotic agent, elastase on these parameters. Six-week-old male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into 3 groups; control, PAN-treated (70 mg/kg i.p.), or PAN+elastase-treated (5 mg/kg/day i. m.) group. After 12 weeks of experimental period, microvascular cast of the kidney was prepared, and the cross sectional areas of afferent and efferent arterioles as well as glomerular volume were measured using scanning electron microscopy. In the juxtamedullary glomeruli with minor abnormalities, the efferent arteriole was narrower in PAN-treated rats than in the control rats and the elastase-treatment partially corrected it (control 55.7, PAN 35.9, PAN+elastase 43.7 x 10 microns 2). On the other hand, the cross sectional area of afferent arteriole was not different among the 3 groups. In glomeruli showing sclerosis, the cross sectional area of efferent arteriole correlated positively with the glomerular volume. There results suggest that constriction of the efferent arterioles contributes to the development of glomerular sclerosis in PAN-induced nephrosis. In addition, elastase possibly inhibits this process and thereby protect glomeruli from sclerosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1479718", "title": "[Complications of percutaneous renal biopsy].", "content": "Three hundreds percutaneous renal biopsy cases were analyzed for recorded clinical complications retrospectively. Incidence of fever (> or = 37.5 degrees C), pain, and decrease in hematocrit (> or = 4%) was 21%, 28%, and 13% respectively. The incidence of fever and pain were less in the older patients. Prospectively, 125 cases who underwent ultrasonography following renal biopsies and 62 cases who underwent computerized tomography were analyzed. Bigger hematoma was followed by fever 5-7 days after renal biopsies. Incidence of pain and the decrease in hematocrit were correlated with the size of hematoma. Use of the ultrasonographic localization and a Tru-Cut biopsy needle or a Biopty-Cut needle decreased the incidence of hematoma more than 50ml following renal biopsy (0-5%). Incidence of fever and pain was less by these new procedure. The risk of hematoma increased as the biopsy needle went deeper into medulla."}
{"id": "PMID:1479719", "title": "[Clinical investigation of cis-platinum nephrotoxicity in 244 cases of primary lung cancer].", "content": "Cisplatin (CDDP) is used widely in the treatment of a large number of carcinomas. The clinical use of cisplatin, however, can be complicated by myelotoxicity, intestinal toxicity and nephrotoxicity. We reviewed CDDP nephrotoxicity in 244 cases with primary lung cancer retrospectively. The enzyme histochemically localized in proximal tubular cells, N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase (NAG) and beta 2-microglobulin (BMG), a low molecular weight peptide normally reabsorbed by the renal tubular cells that has been used as an indicator for renal proximal tubular damage, were measured. And fractional excretion of Na (FENa%) and serum magnesium (Mg) levels were also measured before and after CDDP administration serially. The following results were obtained; 1) Over 45% of patients with lung cancer showed transient hyperexcretion of urinary NAG and BMG after CDDP administration. And peak excretion of NAG and BMG appeared to occur within 36 hours after administration of CDDP. 2) Almost all cases with persistent azotemia after CDDP administration showed high values of FENa (%), in spite of gradual normalization of urinary NAG and BMG excretion. 3) Hypomagnesemia was a common complication of CDDP nephrotoxicity that might be caused by a defect in renal Mg reabsorption. CDDP-induced nephrotoxicity seemed to be initiated by an acute, mainly proximal tubular impairment that reflects alterations in excretion of urinary enzymes and low molecular weight protein. In cases with persistent azotemia after CDDP administration depressed renal function might be attributed to the impairment of proximal as well as distal tubular reabsorptive functions."}
{"id": "PMID:1479720", "title": "[The oral 1-25 dihydroxyvitamin D3 pulse therapy in hemodialysis patients for the early treatment of secondary hyperparathyroidism].", "content": "It is said that maintenance hemodialysis patients are already suffering from secondary hyperparathyroidism (2HPT) from early stage of chronic renal failure. The treatment of 2HPT in this stage is very important for preventing renal osteodystrophy (ROD). But many long-term dialysis patients are still afflicted with ROD although vitamin D have been used for treatment. In this study, an oral administration of 1-25 (OH)2 D3 (4 micrograms) with pulse therapy twice a week at the day before hemodialysis was started for 12 weeks. The concentration of 1-25 (OH)2D3, total calcium (Ca), ionized calcium (Ca++), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and parathyroid hormone (PHT) in serum were measured not only before and after every 2 hours of administration a day, but also for 12 weeks after that. The peak of serum 1-25 (OH)2D3 could be sufficiently elevated after 8 hours, and the slight peak of Ca++ could be seen after 8 hours as well. But the level of total calcium could not increased. Although the level of only HS-PTH has not increased after 24 hours, a significant reduction in serum level of C-PTH, intact-PTH and HS-PTH could be recognized after 12 weeks finally. This pulse therapy was effective in reducing the serum level of PTH in this early stage from beginning hemodialysis. But, it needs further studies for the standard treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1479721", "title": "[Adequate Ca level for dialysis patient (study on medical therapy for secondary hyperparathyroidism in dialysis patient)].", "content": "We evaluated our medical therapy of secondary hyperparathyroidism (2 degrees HPT) in dialysis patients. Ten hemodialysis patients with 2 degrees HPT (PTH-C; higher than 10ng/ml) were treated with vitamin D3, large amounts of phosphate binders and calcitonin and data over three years were examined. Our data showed that 2 degrees HPT is manageable by medical therapy. Furthermore, we suggest that the adequate Ca level for dialysis patients is to maintain the Ca (mEq/1) xP (mg/dl) at less than = 35. When plasma P is less than 6mg/dl. The maintenance of this Ca level successfully treated 2 degrees HPT, and this prevent the appearance of renal osteodystrophy (ROD) in dialysis patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1479722", "title": "[A case of anti-GBM nephritis (crescentic glomerulonephritis) associated with membranous nephropathy].", "content": "We report a case of endstage renal disease due to simultaneous occurrence of membranous nephropathy and crescentic glomerulonephritis associated with anti-GBM antibodies. The patient was a 60-year-old male and was hospitalized for prolonged anorexia and general malaise. On admission, his body temperature was 38.5 degrees C. Urinalysis revealed 3+ proteinuria and the sediment contained abundant erythrocytes. The urea nitrogen was 142.4 mg/dl, the creatinine 19.5 mg/dl, the potassium 6.47 mEq/dl and CRP 10.1 mg/dl. Anti-GBM antibodies were 1000EU/ml. Immediately after initiating hemodialysis, pulse steroid therapy, plasma exchange and continuous heparinization were performed. However, renal function had been impaired and maintenance hemodialysis was required. Histological examination of the renal specimen revealed marked epithelial crescent formation, whereas thickening of basement membrane and mesangial proliferation were not observed. By immunofluorescent staining, both bright linear and fine granular fixation of IgG and fine granular fixations of C3 along the glomerular capillary walls were observed. Electron microscopy showed subepithelial electron lucent deposits and thickening of the glomerular basement membrane, diagnostic of the advanced membranous nephropathy (stage IV)."}
{"id": "PMID:1479723", "title": "[A case of progressive systemic sclerosis complicated by crescentic glomerulonephritis and diffuse pulmonary hemorrhage].", "content": "A 38-year-old man was hospitalized for proteinuria, and pitting edema. He had noticed Raynaud's phenomenon at about age fifteen. One month prior to admission, his urine contained protein and the serum creatinine was 3.0 mg/dl. On admission, sclerodactylia, digital pitting scar of fingertips, digital bone absorption and pulmonary fibrosis were observed and a diagnosis of progressive systemic sclerosis (PSS) was made. Laboratory investigations revealed: 24-hour urine protein excretion 3 g; serum creatinine 5.6 mg/dl; creatinine clearance 13.5 ml/min; antinuclear factor strongly positive in a speckled pattern; antibodies to nRNP positive with a titer of 1: 20, 480; antibodies to DNA, Sm, SS-A, SS-B, Scl-70, centromere and Jo-1 negative; serum complement normal. A renal biopsy revealed focal and segmental necrotizing glomerulonephritis with 70% crescents but no vascular changes. Circulating antiglomerular basement membrane antibodies were negative. Immunofluorescence disclosed granular deposits of IgM and C3 in the mesangium and along the capillary walls. Treatment was begun with methylprednisolone pulse therapy. After 5 month, serum creatine and creatinine clearance were 1.9 mg/dl and 35 ml/min, respectively. A year after the discharge, he was readmitted for hemoptysis and worsening of proteinuria and microhematuria. A chest radiograph demonstrated bilateral alveolar consolidation. Serum creatinine was elevated to 3.5 mg/dl. The continuous hemoptysis resulted in a severe dyspnea associated with a rapid fall in the hemoglobin. On the fourth hospital day, the PaO2 was 41 Torr on oxygen by mask that necessitated mechanical ventilation and pulse therapy was started. However, the patient died on the ninth hospital day of respiratory failure due to pulmonary hemorrhage.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1479724", "title": "[A case report of lupus nephritis associated with minimal change nephrotic syndrome--comparison of various histological types of 67 cases with lupus nephritis].", "content": "A 22 year old male of lupus nephritis associated with minimal change nephrotic syndrome was described. The patient was well until 4 years earlier, when Raynaud's phenomenon and photosensitivity developed. One week before admission, edema appeared suddenly and proteinuria was pointed out on July 28, 1990. On admission, his legs, ankles, and eyelids were edematous. There was no sclerodactylia, although Raynaud's phenomenon was positive when his hand disclosed to the cold. Urinalysis showed heavy albuminuria (10.4g/day), but urinary sediment showed no abnormality. Immunological examination showed positive antinuclear antibody, determination at a titer of 1: 160 with a speckled pattern. Anti-RNP and anti-Sm antibody were positive. However, neither anti-DNA antibody nor hypocomplementemia was detected. There was high concentration of serum IgE (2564IU/ml). Renal biopsy was performed. Light microscopic study showed slight increase of mesangial cells and matrix. Immunofluorescence study showed mesangial localization of IgG and C3. Electron microscopic study showed electron dense deposits only in the mesangial area. The diagnosis of lupus nephritis associated with minimal change nephrotic syndrome (MCNS) was made and administration of PSL was started. Proteinuria disappeared after 3 weeks and nephrotic syndrome remitted completely. The case of lupus nephritis associated with MCNS is very rare. Therefore, the relationship between amounts of proteinuria and various histological types of 67 cases with lupus nephritis which we experienced at our hospital was evaluated. Results showed that nephrotic range proteinuria was not present in mesangial lupus nephritis. So, it was concluded that if heavy albuminuria was found in mesangial lupus nephritis, we should consider the possibility of lupus nephritis associated with MCNS."}
{"id": "PMID:1479725", "title": "[A case of acute renal failure in a patient with idiopathic hypouricemia].", "content": "This report is a 17-year-old man with an acute renal failure who complained of nausea, vomiting, bilateral loin pain and abdominal pain after scuffle. Renal biopsy specimen obtained from the left kidney revealed acute tubular necrosis. After recovering renal function he showed extreme hypouricemia (serum uric acid, 0.6 mg/dl) and elevated uric acid clearance (62-78 ml/min). The fractional excretion of uric acid (CUA/Ccr) could not be influenced by either oral pyrazinamide or probenecid. As no other renal tubular or metabolic abnormalities were detected, it is suggested that presecretory reabsorption defect or subtotal defect in uric acid transportation was responsible for the hypouricemia in this patient."}
{"id": "PMID:1479726", "title": "[A case of acute renal failure due to left contracted kidney, complicated by right renal infarction].", "content": "A 46-year-old woman, who had been treated with anti-arrhythmic drugs and digitalis for mitral stenosis and paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, suddenly developed severe abdominal pain and nausea. There was tenderness around right CVA. BUN and serum-creatinine were elevated, 57 mg/dl and 4.5 mg/dl respectively. She was in acute renal failure (ARF). WBC, GOT, GPT, LDH were also elevated. Abdominal ultrasonography showed normal-size right kidney (12 cm) and atrophic left kidney (8.5 cm). Selective right renal angiography revealed right renal arterial embolism, suggesting that ARF developed from right renal infarction complicated by left atrophic kidney. Renal scintigram using 99mTc-DTPA indicated non-function type left kidney. Because of the high risk of surgery, she received anticoagulant therapy. Fifteen days later, BUN and serum-creatinine returned to 14mg/dl, 2.2mg/dl, respectively."}
{"id": "PMID:1479727", "title": "[Double filtration plasma pheresis was effective on the recurrence of pulmonary hemorrhage after renal transplantation: report of a case].", "content": "A 35-year old female with an autoimmune disease complaining of recurrent hemoptysis and macrohematuria had received a renal transplantation from her mother. After transplantation, recurrence of pulmonary hemorrhage occurred twice. First recurrence followed the peritonitis with ileal perforation. Steroid pulse therapy had no effect on this recurrence, while double filtration plasmapheresis was effective. During this treatment, renal function was not failed. Second recurrence followed acute rejection that was cured with the OKT3-rescue therapy. DFPP therapy was effective on this episode. Pulmonary hemorrhage was caused by auto immune reaction and acute rejection caused by transplant immune reaction were recognized independently, and they needed different treatment. According to this clinical course, we consider the relation between auto immune reaction and transplant immune reaction was as follows. T cell activation caused by primary transplant immune reaction may have no direct influence on auto immune reaction. Peritonitis and rejection may induce auto immune reaction. We suppose that this auto immune reaction was caused by humoral factor, because auto immune reaction was controlled by DFPP."}
{"id": "PMID:1479728", "title": "Studies on the outcome of lupus nephritis according to long-term treatment employing different modes of immunotherapy.", "content": "The outcome of long-term treatment of lupus nephritis under different immunotherapies, together with the factors affecting the outcome of lupus nephritis, was studied. A total of 212 lupus nephritis patients were classified into 5 groups according to their different modes of treatment: (1) initial dose of prednisolone (PSL) below 39 mg/day, (2) initial dose of PSL above 40 mg/day, (3) pulse therapy and steroids, (4) steroids and immunosuppressants, and (5) combination therapy of plasmapheresis with other therapies. The outcome of lupus nephritis was evaluated into 5 grades. As a result, the complete remission rate of lupus nephritis was 9.4%. The 5-year survival rates increased with all modes of treatment. However, it was impossible to identify which mode of therapy could bring about the highest rate of remission. Decreases in extrarenal involvement and low complement levels were observed together with increases in IgM anti-DNA antibodies among the lupus nephritis patients with remission."}
{"id": "PMID:1479729", "title": "Plasma dopamine, urinary dopamine and their metabolites in chronic renal failure.", "content": "To assess the clinical features of the dopamine (DA) metabolism in chronic renal failure patients (CRF), measurements were made of the plasma DA, norepinephrine (NE), epinephrine (EN) and their urinary metabolites in 6 healthy controls and 13 CRF patients before and after administration of oral DA (KW-3160, Kyowa Hakko Kogyo Co., Ltd.). The data obtained, including that for impaired DA metabolites in the patients with chronic renal failure, can be summarized as follows: I) Synthesis: In the plasma, the DA, NE and EN levels were not significantly different in the CRF patients as compared to those in normal controls, but the excretions of urinary free DA, NE and EN were markedly lower, and the free and conjugated DA, NE and EN levels were significantly decreased in the CRF patients after DA administration. These findings indicate that the plasma dopamine beta-hydroxylase activity is inhibited in CRF patients. II) Degradation: Increased levels of urinary free and conjugated 3,4-dihydroxy phenylacetic acid (DOPAC) and decreased levels of urinary conjugated homovanillic acid (HVA) were observed, indicating that the monoamine oxidase (MAO) activity in the plasma is possibly augmented, and the catecholamine O-methyl transferase (COMT) activity inhibited, in uremic patients. III) Excretion: The urinary excretions of free DOPAC, HVA, NE and vanillylmandelic acid (VMA) and of conjugated DA and DOPAC were significantly correlated with the creatinine clearance. These data suggest that the excretion of urinary DA and part of its metabolites may be regulated by the renal function."}
{"id": "PMID:1479730", "title": "Changes of enzyme activity levels in red blood cells in hemodialysis patients by recombinant human erythropoietin.", "content": "In a phase II clinical trial to test the ability of recombinant human erythropoietin (r-HuEPO) to reverse the anemia of patients undergoing hemodialysis, the changes of enzyme activity in red blood cells were evaluated in 5 hemodialysis anemic patients who were treated with r-HuEPO. Concerning the activity levels measured, the following conclusions are drawn. 1) HK, ALD, TPI, G6PD and 6PGD were statistically significantly increased at the time when the hematocrit has risen by 8% with the use of r-HuEPO. 2) The enzyme activity levels of PFK, GA3PD, MPGM, ENOL, PK, GR and ADA were higher than normal already before the r-HuEPO treatment. 3) The increases of HK and G6PD by r-HuEPO, as age dependent enzymes, may reflect the generation of young red blood cells. 4) In view of the fact that they are related to ATP production in the glycolysis cycle, we infer that increases of red blood cell enzymes by r-HuEPO may play at least some part in bringing a sensation of \"well-being\" to severely anemic patients undergoing hemodialysis."}
{"id": "PMID:1479731", "title": "Glomerular/tubular mixed-type proteinuria in a 3-year-old boy with mental retardation and hyperkinesis.", "content": "A 3-year-old boy with mixed glomerular/tubular proteinuria, mental retardation, and hyperkinesis is described. The proteinuria was discovered at the age of 3 years on urinary mass screening. Most of the urinary protein consisted of albumin, accompanied by increases in low molecular weight proteins, including beta 2-microglobulin and alpha 1-microglobulin. Mixed glomerular/tubular proteinuria is known to be caused by the following conditions: chronic renal failure, chronic pyelonephritis, cadmium poisoning, tubulointerstitial nephritis of various etiologies, and after strenuous, short-term, exhaustive exercise. The present patient did not display any of these disorders or conditions."}
{"id": "PMID:1479732", "title": "Familial juvenile nephronophthisis and renal transplantation in two siblings.", "content": "Familial juvenile nephronophthisis (FJN) is a hereditary renal disease, characterized by a juvenile onset and the development of medullary cysts and progressive renal damage. The pathogenesis of FJN remains unknown, and at present, no rational therapy other than renal transplantation is available. We describe two cases in siblings in whom there were no extrarenal complications, such as retinopathy or central nervous system involvement. Both patients display juvenile onset of the disease and end-stage renal failure. The brother received a kidney from his father, and the sister received a kidney from her mother. Recurrence of the underlying disease has not so far been found in the transplanted kidney."}
{"id": "PMID:1479733", "title": "Comparative effects of loop diuretics on AVP-receptor binding and AVP-sensitive adenylate cyclase activity.", "content": "The effects of loop diuretics (azosemide, ethacrynic acid and furosemide) on arginine vasopressin (AVP) receptor-adenylate cyclase components were compared in rat renal basolateral membranes. AVP binding was inhibited by these loop diuretics at concentrations above 10(-4) M. At the IC50 of azosemide and ethacrynic acid, the Kd values were significantly increased, while the Bmax values remained unchanged. These findings indicate an inhibitory effect of loop diuretics at high concentrations on the AVP binding to its receptors. Both the basal (AVP-unstimulated) and AVP-stimulated cyclic AMP productions were also inhibited by addition of these drugs. The inhibitions of the AVP binding and AVP-sensitive adenylate cyclase activity were dose-dependent. The above findings suggest that loop diuretics, especially azosemide and ethacrynic acid, can inhibit the basal and AVP-sensitive adenylate cyclase activities directly and also indirectly via the AVP receptor, at least in part. Comparing the loop diuretics, azosemide exerts a similar effect to ethacrynic acid, and they have a more potent antagonistic effect than furosemide with respect to AVP adenylate cyclase activation."}
{"id": "PMID:1479734", "title": "Effects of creatinine, creatol and methylguanidine on renal function.", "content": "Creatinine (Cr), creatol or methylguanidine (MG) was administered intraperitoneally to normal rats, and several renal function parameters were examined in an attempt to clarify the pathology under the various conditions. The glomerular filtration rate, renal plasma flow and renal blood flow after administration of Cr remained virtually unchanged when compared to those in the control group. In contrast, administration of creatol induced a significant decrease in these renal functions. Further decreases in the renal functions were observed in the rats given MG. However, the level of serum MG was extraordinarily high in the rats given creatol or MG. The toxic effects are discussed on the basis of the above results."}
{"id": "PMID:1479735", "title": "Study on the inhibitory effect of uremic plasma on lipoprotein lipase.", "content": "An investigation was undertaken to determine which plasma factors from normal controls and patients with chronic renal failure (CRF) exert have inhibitory effects on the activity of lipoprotein lipase (LPL) purified from heparinized human plasma by using an accurate LPL assay system. Inhibitors of LPL were found to be present in the plasma. The inhibition of the LPL activity was significantly greater in CRF patients than in normal controls. Following hemodialysis (HD), the same concentration of uremic plasma led to less inhibition. The inhibitors existed only in lipoprotein deficient plasma (LPDS), which demonstrated an LPL-inhibitory activity at extremely high concentrations with a significant difference between the patients and normal controls. There was no difference between the two groups at low concentrations. A specific inhibitory effect on LPL in LPDS was noted in the 7S and 4S fractions separated by gel filtration employing Sephacryl S-200 column chromatography. The inhibitory effect of the 7S fraction was found to be dependent on the concentration, and the difference between the two groups was similar to that for LPDS. The results obtained in the present study suggest that the plasma from CRF patients exhibited a strong inhibitory action on the LPL activity as compared to the plasma from normal controls, and the inhibitory action was due primarily due to poor excretion of dialyzable inhibitors."}
{"id": "PMID:1479736", "title": "Effect of hyperlipidemic serum on cultured mesangial cells.", "content": "Hyperlipidemia may contribute to the progression of focal glomerular sclerosis (FGS) in humans and obese Zucker rats. Zucker rats undergo an increase in their plasma low density lipoprotein (LDL), very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) and oxidized lipids, resulting in the development of FGS. We examined the effects of such hyperlipidemic serum on thymidine uptake into cultured mesangial cells. LDL and VLDL both stimulated the overnight uptake of 3H-thymidine at a concentration of below 10 micrograms/ml and inhibited this uptake at over 50 micrograms/ml in the medium. Modified LDL and VLDL after oxidation, however, inhibited this uptake at a concentration of 1 microgram/ml in the medium. Although 20% serum-containing medium stimulated the thymidine uptake by the mesangial cells, the lipoprotein fraction inhibited the uptake, while the lipoprotein-free fraction markedly stimulated it. We conclude therefore that the lipoproteins in hyperlipidemic serum suppress and the lipoprotein-free fraction stimulates mesangial growth. Both may play a role in the development of FGS in rats."}
{"id": "PMID:1479737", "title": "Urine concentration adjustment with a dipstick is dispensable for urinary beta 2-microglobulin screening in children.", "content": "Single voided urine was collected from 1,699 3-year-olds. The urinary beta 2-microglobulin levels (microgram/l) were measured by ELISA. The frequency of the levels was distributed with a wide base on the right side, even after logarithmic transformation. The upper limits of the 98% confidence interval were 660 micrograms/l for boys and 690 micrograms/l for girls. The values adjusted to a specific gravity of 1,020 in a total of 1,468 urine samples, of which the specific gravity was examined with Nephrosticks L, from 746 boys and 722 girls were similarly distributed, and the upper limits of the 98% confidence interval were 550 micrograms/l for boys and 530 micrograms/l for girls. There was no significant sex-related difference. Of the 14 children who had adjusted beta 2-microglobulin values above the adjusted upper limit of the 98% confidence interval, 11 (79%) had actual levels above the actual upper limit of the 98% confidence interval, 11 (79%) had actual levels above the actual upper limit of the 98% confidence interval. Finally, 2 children (one boy and one girl) proved to have renal disease. In these 2, both the actual and adjusted values exceeded the respective upper limits of the 99% confidence interval. Concentration adjustment appears to be dispensable in the screening for renal disease. In practice, 600 micrograms/l would serve as an actual cut-off level for both sexes with safety."}
{"id": "PMID:1479738", "title": "Increased remission of early stage membranous nephropathy on long-term treatment with corticosteroid.", "content": "Sixty-five patients with primary membranous nephropathy were examined in order to assess the effects of long-term treatment with corticosteroid. The observation period varied from 8 to 279 months (average, 95 months). The patients were treated with corticosteroid alone or with combinations of corticosteroid and immunosuppressants, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) and/or dipyridamole. At 6 months after treatment, only 14% of the patients had achieved complete remission. At 24 months after treatment, 46% of the patients showed complete remission. The rate of clinical remission, i.e. complete and incomplete remission, was markedly increased in stage I and II patients with membranous nephropathy by Ehrenreich and Churg's classification but not in stage III patients. The actuarial survival curve indicated that 84% of the patients were alive at 10 years after onset. These data suggest that active treatment with corticosteroid is beneficial for patients with primary membranous nephropathy."}
{"id": "PMID:1479739", "title": "A stable metabolite, Arg-Pro-Pro-Gly-Phe, of bradykinin in the degradation pathway in human plasma.", "content": "Degradation of bradykinin (BK) in human plasma was investigated by searching for a stable metabolite as a marker of kinin release in vivo. BK, incubated with diluted plasma, was degraded to des-Arg9-BK (des-9-BK), des-Phe8-Arg9-BK (des-8,9-BK) and Arg-Pro-Pro-Gly-Phe ([1-5]BK). Des-9-BK was degraded to [1-5]BK without an increase in des-8,9-BK, and des-8,9-BK was also degraded to [1-5]BK. D,L-2-Mercaptomethyl-3-guanidinoethyl-thiopropanoic acid inhibited the formation of des-9-BK from BK, whereas captopril inhibited the formation of des-8,9-BK from BK as well as that of [1-5]BK from des-9-BK or des-8,9-BK. The half lives of BK, des-9-BK, des-8,9-BK and [1-5]BK under the present experimental conditions were 60 min, 90 min, 14 min and 4.2 hr, respectively. Among the metabolites, [1-5]BK was the most stable one and may be used as a marker for BK production in vivo."}
{"id": "PMID:1479740", "title": "Amphetamine-antagonistic property of 4-phenyltetrahydroisoquinoline: effect on noradrenaline release in spinal cord slices.", "content": "The amphetamine-related compounds methamphetamine, phenylethylamine and nomifensine increased the K(+)-evoked release of endogenous noradrenaline from rat spinal cord slices. 4-Phenyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline (4PTIQ), which alone did not affect the K(+)-evoked release of noradrenaline, inhibited the noradrenaline-releasing effects of methamphetamine, phenylethylamine and nomifensine. 4PTIQ revealed a weak noradrenaline-uptake inhibitory effect, and the effect was weaker than those of desipramine and nomifensine. These results showed that 4PTIQ is an antagonist against the amine-releasing effects of amphetamines."}
{"id": "PMID:1479741", "title": "The flexor reflex mediated by group II afferent fibers: effects of morphine-HCl and mephenesin.", "content": "The effects of morphine-HCl and mephenesin on the flexor reflex mediated by group II afferent fibers were investigated. The flexor reflex was recorded by means of the electromyogram (EMG) evoked in the muscle tibialis anterior by stimulation of the ipsilateral tibial nerve in urethane-alpha-chloralose anesthetized rats. Afferent volleys corresponding to the phasic EMG component of the flexor reflex with 7.6-msec latency (flexor EMG: fEMG) were also recorded using the double volley technique. The threshold of the afferent volleys mediating the fEMG was approximately twice as high as that of the most excitable afferent volleys, which were considered the spikes of group I afferent fibers, and the conduction velocity of the afferent volleys was 39.9 +/- 3.2 m/sec. Morphine-HCl (5 mg/kg, i.v.) did not change the amplitude of the fEMG, but mephenesin (40 and 80 mg/kg, i.v.) depressed it dose-dependently. These results suggest that the fEMG is a flexor reflex mediated by group II afferent fibers, which is not affected by morphine-HCl but depressed by mephenesin."}
{"id": "PMID:1479742", "title": "The effects of the serotonin1A receptor agonist buspirone on the blood glucose and pancreatic hormones in rats.", "content": "The effects of the serotonin1A (5-HT1A) receptor agonist buspirone on the plasma glucose and pancreatic hormones insulin and glucagon were investigated in rats. Buspirone elicited significant hyperglycemia and hyperglucagonemia, although it did not affect the insulin levels. Adrenodemedullation inhibited both the increase in blood glucose and glucagon levels. These results indicate that buspirone-induced hyperglycemia and hyperglucagonemia are mediated by adrenaline release from the adrenal gland."}
{"id": "PMID:1479743", "title": "In vitro oxygenation injury to slices prepared from ischemic kidney in rats.", "content": "When cortical slices prepared from rat kidneys made ischemic were incubated under a 100% oxygen atmosphere, lipid peroxidation increased and the ATP level decreased. Such oxygenation of the slices was accompanied by decreases in gluconeogenesis and the glutathione level, but an antioxidant, N,N'-diphenyl-p-phenylenediamine, prevented the increase in lipid peroxidation without affecting decreases in ATP and glutathione levels, and gluconeogenesis. The results suggest that postischemic oxygenation of slices generates free radicals that cause the production of lipid peroxidation not associated with tissue injury."}
{"id": "PMID:1479744", "title": "Studies on the mode of action of ambrein as a new antinociceptive compound.", "content": "The compound ambrein was isolated from ambergris, which is commonly used as an analgesic in the Saudi folklore medicine. The LD50 of ambrein, given intraperitoneally (i.p.) in mice, was found to be high (7.5 g/kg), and ambrein proved to be a safe compound in this species. In the hotplate test, ambrein was found to possess antinociceptive activity in mice at doses which did not sedate or incapacitate the animals. By the i.p. administration route, ambrein produced antinociception in mice at a dose as low as 10 mg/kg. The antinociceptive activity of ambrein (250 mg/kg i.p.) was inhibited by a noradrenergic neurotoxin (DSP-4) and by naloxone, methysergide or prazosin. It was not influenced by a serotonin depletor, p-chlorophenylalanine. The possible mechanism of ambrein antinociception is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1479745", "title": "Inhibitory effect of a novel antianginal agent, E4080, on ST segment elevation induced by vasopressin in anesthetized guinea pigs.", "content": "We compared the antianginal effect of E4080, a novel bradycardiac agent with coronary vasodilating properties, with those of a bradycardiac agent and some coronary vasodilators in vasopressin-induced anginal model of guinea pigs. An i.v.-administration of vasopressin (0.2 IU/kg) produced an ST segment elevation on electrocardiograms (ECG) of 0.30 +/- 0.05 mV from the baseline within 30 sec in anesthetized guinea pigs. The ST segment elevation on ECG was used as an index of myocardial ischemia. E4080 and other drugs were injected i.v. 5 min before the administration of vasopressin. E4080 at 5 mg/kg depressed the ST segment elevation induced by vasopressin to 0.06 +/- 0.01 mV (20% of control, n = 6, P < 0.001). However, alinidine (5 mg/kg), which produced the same bradycardic action (reduction of heart rate by 50%) as that of E4080, tended to inhibit the ST segment elevation, but this was not statistically significant. On the other hand, other vasodilators such as isosorbide dinitrate (0.3 mg/kg), nifedipine (0.1 mg/kg) and lemakalim (1 mg/kg) also significantly reduced the ST segment elevation to 0.16 +/- 0.03, 0.08 +/- 0.04 and 0.09 +/- 0.03 mV, respectively. These results suggest that the inhibitory effect of E4080 on the ST segment elevation induced by vasopressin is due to the coronary vasodilating effect rather than the bradycardiac effect, and that E4080 would be useful as an antianginal agent."}
{"id": "PMID:1479746", "title": "Inhibitory effects of hyaluronan on [14C]arachidonic acid release from labeled human synovial fibroblasts.", "content": "The effects of hyaluronan (HA) on the release of arachidonic acid (AA) from phospholipids induced by bradykinin in synovial fibroblasts of osteoarthritic patients were examined. HA inhibited [14C]AA release from prelabeled synovial cells stimulated with and without bradykinin 1 hr after incubation with HA and thereafter. The inhibitory effects of HA on [14C]AA release were dependent on the concentration and molecular weight of HA. However, inhibition of [14C]AA release by HA was not merely due to the viscosity of HA. The [14C]AA release induced by calcium-ionophore A23187 was also inhibited by HA with a high molecular weight. In addition, HA did not affect [14C]AA uptake by the cells. Our results suggest that HA with a high molecular weight elicits anti-inflammatory effects, at least in part, by inhibiting AA release in inflamed joints."}
{"id": "PMID:1479747", "title": "Existence of a human urinary trypsin inhibitor (urinastatin)-like substance in the rat brain.", "content": "A human urinary trypsin inhibitor, urinastatin (UT)-like immunoreactive substance with trypsin inhibitory activity, was demonstrated in certain brain regions in rats, especially the cerebral cortex, hippocampus and hypothalamus. Although this UT-like substance in the rat brain displayed an N-terminal amino acid sequence similar to that of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), it did not show any GAPDH activity. These results indicate that the UT-like substance in the rat brain is a protein different from GAPDH and indicates a localized distribution within certain brain regions partly related to learning and memory."}
{"id": "PMID:1479748", "title": "[Anatomy and function of the upper urinary tract].", "content": "This report deals with the histologic and gross anatomy of the upper urinary tract (calyces, pelvis, and ureter) as well as the nerve supply to this region. It also covers the physiological transport of urine from the kidneys to the bladder, which is reviewed on the basis of experimental and clinical studies. A pacemaker system present in the proximal calyces has been found to have an important physiological role in urine transport. However, clinical experience has shown that urine transport is not affected by surgery such as pyeloplasty and pyelolithotomy which impairs the activity of this pacemaker. Electron microscopic and histochemical studies as well as the maintenance of urine transport after renal grafting suggest that the nerve supply to the upper urinary tract is not dominant in regard to this function. This study also investigated urinary transportation in the presence of urinary tract obstruction due to various diseases, and demonstrated that urine is also conveyed by gravity and not solely by ureteric peristalsis. The use of internal stenting and percutaneous urinary diversion thus appears to be reasonable. Although the detailed etiology congenital hydronephrosis is still unknown, there is no doubt that it involves dysfunction of the ureteropelvic junction, since urine transport is improved by the endoscopic or surgical formation of a physiological tunnel at this junction which can regulate the volume of urine transported according to urine output. It is important for studies of upper urinary tract function to be conducted in close relation to clinical practice and not to simply be confined to esoteric experimental situations."}
{"id": "PMID:1479749", "title": "[Immunohistochemical classification and ultrastructural study of hyperparathyroidism].", "content": "Immunohistochemical and ultrastructural studies were performed on cases with hyperparathyroidism. The relationship between histology and cell activity in hyperfunctioning parathyroid glands was studied. Furthermore, the synthesis-secretion process of parathyroid hormone (PTH), which has been more or less elucidated biochemically, was studies by a morphological means. The subjects employed in the present study were 23 cases of primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) and 31 cases of secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT). Based on the results of the immunohistochemical study using anti-PTH antibody, the histology of the parathyroid gland was classified into 4 types: type A; sporadic cells showing intense yellowish brown staining in their cytoplasm, type B; glandular cells showing intense yellowish brown staining specifically in their cytoplasm, type C; as a whole the cells were weakly stained, but intensely stained cells were absent, and type D; only the cytoplasm of large cells showed uniform and intense yellowish brown staining. In both PHPT and SHPT, type C constituted about 80%. On the other hand, all water clear cell hyperplasia in SHPT showed type D staining. Electron microscopic studies performed on the hyperparathyroidism revealed that the rough endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi apparatus, which are related to the synthesis of PTH, were well developed. Immunoelectron microscopy revealed that only the secretory granules were specifically stained with the anti-PTH antibody. This finding suggests that PTH becomes active once it reaches the secretory granule."}
{"id": "PMID:1479750", "title": "[The relationship between morphology and cell activity in hyperparathyroidism].", "content": "The relationship between tissue morphology and cellular activity in hyperparathyroidism was investigated by 2-color flowcytometry and an immunohistochemical technique using anti-parathyroid hormone (PTH) antibody. A total of 21 cases were employed, which included 8 cases of primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) and 13 cases of secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT). The results of 2-color flowcytometry on DNA ploidy pattern revealed that all the 8 PHPT cases were diploids. In SHPT, however, there were 9 diploids (69.2%), 2 tetraploids (15.4%) and 2 aneuploids (15.4%). Electron microscopic studies were performed on the diploid 2c and 4c peak cells, which were obtained by individually sorting the cells from each cycle. As a result, these cells were found to possess well developed rough endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi apparatus. These cells in general showed weak immunostaining. Furthermore, numerous secretory granules were found in the cells obtained from abnormal peak of aneuploid when compared to diploid cells. In tetraploids and aneuploids, the darkly stained cells and glandular cells showed intense immunostaining. These cells contained numerous secretory granules and they were thought to possess high cellular activity."}
{"id": "PMID:1479751", "title": "[Lysis of autologous tumor cells by peripheral blood lymphocytes treated with IFN-alpha in patients with renal cell carcinoma].", "content": "Immunotherapy, consisting mainly of interferon (IFN) therapy, has been used to treat renal cell carcinoma refractory to radiotherapy and chemotherapy ever since IFN was reported to be effective against renal cell carcinoma in 1982. The efficacy of IFN is low, with the response rate being only about 20% and the method and duration of its administration have yet to be established. Using viable tumor cells obtained at nephrectomy, we discovered that IFN-alpha induced killer cells have a cytocidal effect on autologous renal cell carcinoma cells and that assaying the cellular immunity of the peripheral blood lymphocytes of 25 patients with renal cell carcinoma, using ACHN derived from human renal cell carcinoma as the target cells, is useful as a monitoring method during IFN-alpha therapy. Augmentation of the cytotoxicity of peripheral blood lymphocytes in response to administration of IFN-alpha was observed in all 25 cases. Cytotoxicity was activated to 5-426 LU compared with the control value of 1 LU or less before IFN therapy, when autologous renal cell carcinoma cells were used as the target cells. Cytotoxicity for ACHN cells in the control value before IFN-alpha therapy and 4 weeks after the institution of IFN-alpha administration and autologous tumor lysis in the induction assay were more strongly correlated than in the case of K562 cells. A strong correlation was also found between cytotoxicity for ACHN cells in the induction assay and 4 weeks after the institution of IFN-alpha administration.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1479752", "title": "[Surveillance after orchiectomy for stage I testicular seminoma].", "content": "The results of treatment by orchiectomy and radiotherapy for stage I testicular seminoma are excellent with cure rates exceeding 95% and relapse rates less than 5%. However, after the development of successful surveillance programs for stage I nonseminomatous testicular cancers, the role of radiotherapy has been questioned by some authors and they proposed a \"surveillance policy\" for these patients. The purpose of this study was to determine the percentage of patients cured by orchiectomy alone, percentage who ultimately required therapy for occult metastases, site of recurrence, and over-all cure rate and treatment morbidity. And these data were compared with those of adjuvant radiotherapy group retrospectively. Twenty seven patients were treated with adjuvant radiotherapy (RT group). Since 1986, 23 patients with stage I testicular seminoma entered the \"surveillance only\" protocol at our institution (S group) with a follow-up between 14 and 70 months (median 43 months). Informed consent for the policy of surveillance was obtained. Follow up consisted of physical examination, determination of serum tumor markers and chest X-ray bimonthly for 2 years, every 3 months for 1 year, every 6 months for 2 years and annually thereafter to 10 years. CT scans were performed every 4 months for 3 years, every 6 months for 2 years. Two patients in S group (8.7%) relapsed at 4 and 7 months after orchiectomy with nonbulky retroperitoneal disease (less than 5 cm in diameter), whereas only 1 (3.7%) irradiated patients did so after 4 months."}
{"id": "PMID:1479753", "title": "[Clinical results of prophylactic intravesical chemotherapy on superficial bladder cancer using the dye exclusion assay].", "content": "A chemosensitivity test was carried out on superficial bladder cancer using the dye exclusion assay for the purpose of screening chemosensitive drugs for prophylactic intravesical chemotherapy. Bladder cancer cells of each patients were incubated, in vitro, in the presence of adriamycin, (2\"R)-4'-0-tetrahydropyranyladriamycin, mitomycin C, pepleomycin and 4'-epi-adriamycin (500 micrograms/ml) at 5%, CO2, 37 degrees C for 2 hours. The cytotoxic effect of the drugs was evaluated by the ratio of stained cells by trypan-blue. The most effective drug was instilled postoperatively into the bladder 3 times for the first week, and every 2 weeks during the following 14 weeks. In 18 patients followed more than 4 months the prophylactic effect was evaluated. Fifteen of the 18 patients completed the protocol, but the remaining 3 patients failed to complete to the instillation because of severe irritability of the bladder. Tumor recurrence was demonstrated in two patients. Non-recurrence rates of tumors at 12 and 24 months were 93.8% and 82.0%, respectively. These results suggested that this rapid and handy assay was useful for the purpose of screening chemosensitive drugs for the intravesical chemotherapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1479754", "title": "[A hundred cases of multiple primary neoplasms in association with genitourinary cancer].", "content": "There were 970 patients who were diagnosed as having genitourinary cancer at Yamagata Prefectural Central Hospital between 1975 and 1990, and of whom 100 cases (10.3%) had multiple primary malignant neoplasms in addition to their genitourinary cancer. They were compared with 220 patients having single genitourinary cancer and 274 having benign prostatic hypertrophy without past histories of cancer. The genitourinary organs involved with cancers included the prostate (50 patients), urinary bladder (43 patients), ureter or renal pelvis (15 patients) and kidney (7 patients). In the prostate cancer, the incidental carcinomas occupied 30%. The other organs accompanying the genitourinary cancers included the stomach, lung and colon. In patients of multiple primary cancers, single genitourinary cancer and benign prostatic hypertrophy, positive family histories for cancer were observed in 40.0%, 37.7% and 33.2%, respectively, with no significant difference between these groups. Histories of smoking were observed in 54.0%, 38.2% and 34.3% respectively, with significant difference between the multiple primary neoplasm patients and the other 2 groups (p < 0.01). There were two cases in whom the second cancer could be possibly caused by the exposure to radiation for the first cancer. No oncotherapeutic drugs or occupational exposure could be seriously suspected of the cause of the second cancers in the present cases."}
{"id": "PMID:1479755", "title": "[Bladder tumors detected by transabdominal ultrasonography in the multiphasic health testing and services].", "content": "From August, 1989 to July, 1991, we carried out transabdominal ultrasonography for screening of abdominal and pelvic disease in regular health check-up at Mito Saiseikai Hospital. Of 5,706 screened examinees were ultrasonographically suspected of bladder tumor and subsequently received a cystoscopic examination. Cystoscopy confirmed bladder tumors in 9 of the 11 patients. Eight of the 9 cases showed no urological symptoms, while the remaining 1 case showed microscopic hematuria objectively. All of the 9 cases revealed a transitional cell carcinoma of low grade and low stage. The smallest tumor detected by ultrasonography was 5 mm in diameter. Transabdominal ultrasonography proved useful for diagnosis of the bladder tumor at its early stage in the mass screening. Therefore, it is recommended to perform lower abdominal ultrasonography as a routine examination of the multiphasic health testing and services."}
{"id": "PMID:1479756", "title": "[Morphological and physiological change in the dis-used bladder of hemodialysis patients].", "content": "We studied 48 patients who underwent renal transplantation during the period of July, 1983 and May, 1988 and were free of episodes of neurogenic bladder in the past history. The average age was 27.6 +/- 9.5 years old, and mean 24 hour urine output was 249 +/- 396 ml. Cystometry was performed preoperatively in 39 patients. The average bladder capacity decreased to 112 +/- 69 ml (n = 39) and only 29.0% of the patients exhibited normal compliance (> 50 ml/cmH2O) (n = 35). Biopsy of the bladder wall was performed in 22 patients during the operation. The purpose of this study is to ascertain what physiological and pathological change may occur in the disused human bladder with low capacity and low compliance. Response of muscle tissue to carbachol were examined in 7 specimens and that of isoproterenol were examined in 9 patients. The minimum concentration of carbachol at which muscle contraction was exhibited did not differ from that of the control group. The minimum concentration of isoproterenol at which autonomous muscle activity was completely inhibited increased in cases with decreased 24 hour urine output. ED50 value of inhibition by isoproterenol to the muscle contraction during field stimulation exhibited that the inhibitory action of isoproterenol on muscle contraction declined in the cases with decreased 24 hour urine output. Pathological change of the smooth muscle layer were observed in 17 patients. Muscle cell atrophy was recognized in 29.4% of the patients and vacuolar change of smooth muscle cells was seen in 64.7%. Muscle bundle atrophy was observed in 23.5% and fibrosis was seen in 52.9%."}
{"id": "PMID:1479757", "title": "[Usefulness of renal CT scan for analysis of nutcracker phenomenon].", "content": "Among 24 patients with confirmed left renal bleeding, 11 were diagnosed of having nutcracker phenomenon (NP) on the basis of the results of renal venography and pull-back pressure from the left renal vein to the inferior vena cava. Renal CT scan was performed for these 11 patients, and its usefulness as a means of diagnostic analysis was studied. The following results were obtained. 1. The left kidney was scanned at 5-mm intervals. The mean distance between the anterior surface of the abdominal aorta (Ao) and the posterior surface of the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) was 4.5 +/- 0.6 mm in the NP group, while it was 13.9 +/- 6.4 mm in the control group (p < 0.01). 2. Regarding the morphology of the left renal vein (LRV), tapering dilatation, i.e., funnel-like dilatation, from the left side of Ao was seen in the NP group. In the control group, the left renal vein showed a club-like shape continuing to the inferior vena cava and showed no dilatation. 3. Vascular structures indicative of collateral vessels were observed around the LRV in the NP group. If renal CT scan is performed at 5-mm intervals, the following CT finding are thought to be indicative of the nutcracker phenomenon; (1) a distance of 5 mm or less between Ao and SMA and (2) tapered dilatation of the LRV. This study suggests that renal CT scan is useful for diagnostic analysis of the nutcracker phenomenon."}
{"id": "PMID:1479758", "title": "[Usefulness of MR angiography in renal tumor].", "content": "MR angiography using a gradient-echo, pulse sequence FLASH (fast, low-angle shot) method during breath-hold with a \"MAGNETOM H-15\" scanner (1.5 Tesla; Siemens Medical System) was performed on 27 patients with renal tumor at our clinic between February 20, 1990 and September 30, 1991 and we studied to evaluate its usefulness. Of these 27 patients, 22 patients including one patient under hemodialysis treatment had renal cell carcinoma and one patient had oncocytoma pathologically proven from the excised specimens. The remaining four patients including two patients associated with inferior vena caval tumor thrombus were clinically diagnosed as renal cell carcinoma based on the result of imaging examinations such as excretory urography, ultrasonography, computed tomography and conventional angiography. However, they could not be operated on because their tumors were too advanced. By reconstruction of the data of consecutive coronal scans of the abdomen with Maximum Intensity Projection (MIP), the MR angiography could in all cases delineate abdominal blood vessels such as the abdominal aorta, inferior vena cava and renal arteries and veins simultaneously without any intravenous contract materials. Our present study revealed that MR angiography has some advantages, especially with regard to preoperative angiographic information about the abdomen of patients with renal tumor. That is, MR angiography can delineate many kinds of arteries and veins of the abdomen simultaneously and in a broader range, as well as it can be performed on the patients with hypersensitivity to iodinated contrast materials or renal insufficiency in a usual fashion.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1479759", "title": "[The progression of renal damage in reflux nephropathy--clinical analysis of proteinuria in children with vesicoureteral reflux].", "content": "To clarify the mechanism for reflux nephropathy to progress to irreversible or marginal renal damages, this study was conducted. We studied 57 cases of VUR in children followed-up more than 3 years after anti-reflux operation and investigated the correlation between changes of urinary protein excretion and clinical data. In general, proteinuria is the most important feature heralding a poor outcome in patients with reflux nephropathy. 9 cases (15.8%) in our series were positive of proteinuria postoperatively. In this positive group, scarring grade had been higher and renal size had been smaller significantly before operation than in other group. From these facts, it would appear that prognosis of refluxing kidney was determined by volume of remnant kidney, and glomerular hyperfiltration of remnant nephron would affect the progression of reflux nephropathy. According to the relationship between changes of urinary protein excretion and scarring grade or renal size, poor prognosis (proteinuria will worsen) would be more than 5 of scarring grade score (cumulation of bilateral scarring grades, Smellie's a = 1, b = 2, c = 3, d = 4) and less than -4S.D. in cumulative renal ratio preoperatively. Then border to progression in reflux nephropathy was between 2 and 4 of scarring grade score, and between -2S.D, and -4S.D. in cumulative renal ratio. In this marginal progression urinary protein excretion and GFR were found to be 100-300 mg/day and 60-75 ml/min, respectively."}
{"id": "PMID:1479760", "title": "[Establishment of a new human renal cancer cell line (TC-1) and its productivity of interleukin-6 (IL-6)].", "content": "We established a new cell line (TC-1) from primary site of a renal cell carcinoma (RCC) patient. Its doubling time in tissue culture was 20 hours at 45th passage and mycoplasma contamination test was negative. The karyotypic analysis demonstrated a human karyotype with a modal number of 70. A consistent chromosomal abnormality was noted such as No. 4 monosomy, No. 7 trisomy and a loss of Y chromosome. Electron microscopic examination showed a brush border, vacuoles and abundant glycogen granules in the cytoplasm, which was compatible with RCC cells. This cell line was transplantable to nude mice and the grown tumor closely resembled the original tumor, i.e. clear cell type and hypervascularity. High titer of interleukin-6 (IL-6) was detected in the supernatant of TC-1 cell culture (approximately 5 ng/ml) as well as in sera of nude mice bearing this tumor (260 pg/ml). Exogenous IL-6 did not enhance the TC-1 cell proliferation as determined by cell count. Flow cytometric analysis could not demonstrate the existence of IL-6 receptor on the cell surface. These results suggested the produced IL-6 did not act as an autocrine growth factor in the cell line. Additional IL-1 alpha to the culture medium induced 3-4 times higher concentration of IL-6 in the culture supernatant compared with that of non-stimulating cells, while exogenous TNF alpha did not stimulate IL-6 production."}
{"id": "PMID:1479761", "title": "[Analysis of early and late complications and their origins in Kock continent urinary reservoir following technical modification].", "content": "Kock and associates have made a major contribution to the ideal continent urinary diversion by developing a method for creating a continent internal reservoir for urine using the ileum. However, substantial problems have unfortunately resulted due to early and late postoperative complications. In an effort to further elucidate this problem, we herein summarize the incidence of early and late postoperative complications following a series of technical modifications made in patients who underwent Kock continent ileal reservoir construction from our ongoing experience to develop more suitable modifications of this procedure. From January 1985 through December 1991, 47 patients have undergone Kock pouch construction for continent urinary diversion. Our basic technique utilized in this study was slightly modified from that described by Skinner et al. Based on our earlier experience, several changes in the technique were made. One major change is that one row of surgical staples fixes the created nipple to the back wall of the reservoir for the efferent limb, and a further 3-cm longitudinal mucosal incision is made through the outer layer of the intussuscepted ileal nipple and the opposite wall of the reservoir which are sewn to the reservoir edge. A total of eleven patients (11/47) suffered one or more early surgical complications. A 31.8% (7/22) morbidity with an operative mortality rate of 4.3% (2/47) and a 16.0 (4/25) morbidity were observed in the early phase and late phase, respectively. Prolonged urinary leakage from the ileal reservoir and/or through a pin hole in the afferent limb made by surgical staples was observed in six patients (27.3%) in the early phase.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1479762", "title": "[A case of Noonan syndrome with neurogenic bladder].", "content": "We report a case of Noonan syndrome with neurogenic bladder. The patient was a 33-year-old man with a chief complaint of difficulty in urination, urinary frequency, and incontinence of urine. He had also various malformations, as deformities of the face, skull and hard palate, webbed neck, nail abnormality, edema of the lower extremities, contraction of visual field, deafness, malrotation of the intestine and so on. The case was diagnosed as Noonan syndrome because his karyotype of chromosome was 46, XY. Malformations of the urogenital organs were mild malrotation of bilateral kidneys, a right renal cyst, left cryptorchidism and pseudo phimosis. The uroflowmetrogram of the case showed a saw-like and flat pattern, with urination starting by tapping lower abdomen by himself. The cystometry and electromyogram of the external sphincter revealed neurogenic bladder with uninhibited contraction and detrusor-external sphincter dyssynergia. This is the first case of Noonan syndrome with neurogenic bladder."}
{"id": "PMID:1479763", "title": "[Drug induced cystitis due to ketotifen fumarate--a case report].", "content": "Tranilast, an antiallergic drug, is well known as a causal drug of cystitis, and a report is made here of our experience of 1 case of drug-induced cystitis ascribable to ketotifen fumarate. A 13-year-old female had been taking anti-asthmatic drugs orally since the onset of athmatoid attacks, from age of 5. The attacks intensified from the age of 12, because of this she began to take various anti-asthmatic drugs orally. She visited another hospital, due to pollakisuria, in November, 1990, and received treatment for cystitis. However, the symptoms were not alleviated, and she visited our department on January 9, 1991. By urinalysis, large counts of leukocytes and erythrocytes were observed in a visual field of the sediment. Remarkable reddening was observed over the urinary bladder in the patient's cystoscopic findings. Treatment was given at our department, on an outpatient basis, with various antibacterial drugs for approximately one month, but her symptoms were not alleviated, pollakisuria and aseptic pyuria persisted. The patient had never taken tranilast; oral intake of ketotifen fumarate and saibokutou was discontinued on February 13, due to a suspicion of drug-induced cystitis, and her symptoms subsequently disappeared. On February 22, she took ketotifen fumarate orally again, on her own, due to asthmatoid attack, and her symptoms returned. The oral intake of ketotifen fumarate was again discontinued, and alleviation of the symptoms and normalization of the urinary findings were again observed. As a result, lymphocyte stimulation tests on all the drugs the patient had ever taken, only ketotifen fumarate turned out to be positive.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1479764", "title": "Role of cyclooxygenase system in cerebrovascular responsiveness: different effects of indomethacin on CO2 responsiveness and dilatation by Ca(2+)-channel blocker.", "content": "To investigate roles of prostaglandins in the regulation of cerebral blood flow, we compared effects of indomethacin, a cyclooxygenase inhibitor, on the cerebrovascular CO2 responsiveness with those on the cerebrovascular dilatory action of diltiazem, a Ca(2+)-channel blocker. Fifteen adult cats were used. The cerebral tissue oxygen tension, carbon dioxide tension, pH and blood pressure were measured continuously. Indomethacin (1 mg/kg) was infused into the carotid artery. In 8 cats, 3 min inhalation of 5% CO2 in air was performed before and after the indomethacin infusion. In 7 cats, diltiazem (100 micrograms/kg) was infused into the carotid artery for 3 min before and after the indomethacin infusion. The cerebrovascular CO2 responsiveness was significantly decreased (p < 0.05) after the administration of indomethacin. On the other hand, the cerebrovascular dilatation induced by the Ca(2+)-channel blocker was significantly increased (p < 0.05) after the administration of indomethacin. It is concluded that the products of cyclooxygenase system are involved in the cerebrovascular responsiveness both to CO2 and to Ca(2+)-channel blocker, but action mechanisms of prostaglandins may be different, that is, prostaglandians may enhanced cerebrovascular responsiveness to CO2 but diminish it to Ca(2+)-channel blocker."}
{"id": "PMID:1479765", "title": "Studies on contrast visual acuities in normal, cataractous and pseudophakic eyes.", "content": "Contrast sensitivity and glare sensitivity are often abnormal in cataract patients. However, despite significant subjective complains, relatively good visual acuities are obtained with high-contrast optotypes. Using Variable Contrast Visual Acuity Charts with contrast levels of 90, 15, and 2.5% and reverse polarity of 90% contrast, contrast visual acuities were measured in 24 normal subjects (40 eyes) (Landolt visual acuity > or = 1.0); 28 cataract patients (40 eyes) (Landolt visual acuity > or = 0.6); and 75 patients (100 eyes) [best-corrected Landolt visual acuity > or = 0.8 after intraocular lens (IOL) implantation]. The cataract group experienced the greatest decrease of contrast visual acuity when the high-contrast chart (chart 1) measurements were compared with the 15% (0.71 vs 0.52-0.64 octave) and the 2.5% contrast charts (1.75 vs 1.21-1.48 octaves), followed by the IOL group, and the normal subjects. In the cataract group, 23/40 eyes (57.5%) showed better contrast visual acuity with chart 4 than chart 1. Although much less in frequency, 28/100 (28%) eyes with IOLs also showed better contrast acuity measured with chart 4 than with chart 1. In addition to high-contrast optotypes, acuity measurements using intermediate- to low-contrast optotypes, combined with the reverse polarity chart, seem effective to analyze visual disabilities caused by early cataract. The pattern of the contrast acuity profile of the IOL patients was comparable to normal subjects, but the glare effect still existed after IOL implantation, though to a lesser degree than in cataractous eyes."}
{"id": "PMID:1479766", "title": "\"Swimming-induced head twitching\" in rats in the forced swimming test induced by overcrowding stress: a new marker in the animal model of depression?", "content": "We have used overcrowding stress to study the pathogenesis of depression and the action of antidepressant drugs. In the present study, the influence of overcrowding on behavior was assessed by the forced swimming test. All the stressed rats revealed highly characteristic head twitching movement, which was not inhibited by repeated administration of diazepam and haloperidol, but was markedly suppressed by repeated administration of desipramine and mianserine. A significant positive correlation in the number of twitching episodes in each stressed rat between the first and second forced swimming test was seen. These findings support the use of overcrowding of rats as a stressor in the animal depression model because it fulfills the criteria of the model; face validity, construct validity and predictive validity. We propose the adoption of \"swimming head twitching\" as a new marker in the animal model of depression."}
{"id": "PMID:1479768", "title": "[Primary arterial hypertension. 24-hour recording or casual blood pressure measurement?].", "content": "In 134 patients with essential hypertension 24-hour blood pressure ambulatory monitoring (ABPM) as well as traditional blood pressure measurements (casual BP) were performed. Maximal and mean whole-day systolic and diastolic blood pressure values in ABPM were compared with casual BP (using test t). The casual BP was also compared with mean systolic and diastolic blood pressure values calculated separately in three eight-hours periods of day. Maximal BP values in ABPM were significantly higher and mean significantly lower than casual BP values. Blood pressure registered during work hours was closest to casual BP values. Blood pressure in the evening was similar to whole-day blood pressure mean. The results indicate, that automatic blood pressure monitoring performed in this period of day has the greatest diagnostic value because it could be free from \"white coat hypertension\" syndrome."}
{"id": "PMID:1479769", "title": "[Heparin increases platelet aggregation and inhibits fibrinolysis, especially in primary hypertriglyceridemia and after myocardial infarction].", "content": "The authors presented the effect of unfractionated heparin on platelet aggregation and fibrinolysis. The studies have been performed in the control group and with primary hypertriglyceridemia as well as in patients after myocardial infarction. Adrenaline and ADP induced platelet aggregation was examined in plasma rich platelets; fibrinolysis was estimated in euglobulin test. These parameters have been determined before and after (10, 20, 60, 240, 360 min.) intravenous injection of 50 units heparin per kg body weight. We have observed, that heparin increased also platelet aggregation and inhibited fibrinolytic activity in persons with primary hypertriglyceridemia particularly and after myocardial infarction. Correlation was found between investigated parameters and products of heparin lipolytic activity, especially with level of free fatty acids."}
{"id": "PMID:1479770", "title": "[Angioplasty of the ostium of the left coronary artery using a venous patch].", "content": "Isolated critical ostial stenosis of the left main coronary artery (LMCA) without narrowing in the distal parts of coronary vessels is rather rare cause of angina. It was observed in 7 our patients: 5F and 2M aged 42-55 yrs (mean 47.5). Five of them were in unstable condition. In all of them a direct surgical angioplasty of the LMCA was performed. Cardiopulmonary bypass with moderate hypothermia were used in all patients. The LMCA was approached from behind. A curved incision was made into the right lateral aortic wall toward the LMCA. Care was taken to stay away from the commissure between the noncoronary and the left coronary cusp. The posterior aspect of the LMCA was incised across the stenosis and prolonged through bifurcation. A venous onlay patch was used to enlarge not only the LMCA but also the adjacent 2 cm of aortic incision, so as to give the LMCA ostium a funnel shape, which favors a homogeneous blood flow. The mean aortic cross clamping time was 46 min. The patients were easily weaned from cardiopulmonary bypass. The early and late results are good--all patients were discharged from the hospital free of symptoms. In 6 patients a perfect patency of the left main stem was documented during control coronarography. In our opinion direct surgical angioplasty of LMCA is better then the conventional surgical treatment because normal geometry of LMCA ostium and normal blood flow can be restored using this method."}
{"id": "PMID:1479771", "title": "[Surgical treatment of ventricular tachycardia in patients with post-infarction aneurysms].", "content": "4 patients (P) with recurrent, sustained ventricular tachycardia (VT) resistant to medical treatment, underwent surgery for cure of this arrhythmia. Each P had episodes of VT lasting 30 or more seconds, 3 of them had episodes of ventricular fibrillation. In all cases rhythm disturbances were secondary to post myocardial infarction aneurysm. Coronary angiography showed in all P total occlusion of LAD, in 2 cases significant lesion in RCA were found. 1 P had lung cancer. All P underwent aneurysmectomy and an excision of the altered endocardium by Harken's method. The endocardial excision was performed without endocardial mapping. 2 P had concomitant CABG to RCA. In the P with lung cancer lobectomy was performed. There were 2 ++non-arrhythmic death. The P with lung cancer died because of sepsis due to lung abscess. One P died because of heart failure (preoperative EF 10%), 6 months after the surgery. The 2 survivors remained free of VT during a follow-up period 8 months. In conclusion, endocardial excision by Harken's method is efficient in treating recurrent sustained VT, resistant to medical treatment, in patients with post myocardial infarction aneurysm. The surgical procedure can be performed without intraoperative endocardial mapping."}
{"id": "PMID:1479772", "title": "[Surgical treatment of bacterial endocarditis of the tricuspid valve].", "content": "We present a rare case of bacterial endocarditis of tricuspid valve caused by temporary intracardiac pacing. The 48-year old male patient developed complete a-v block during the 1st day of acute inferior myocardial infarction. Intracardiac electrode was inserted for temporary pacing. After 4 days signs of bacterial endocarditis developed. Patient was markedly febrile, moderate tachycardia with gallop rhythm and systolic murmur of tricuspid valve insufficiency were present. Dullness to percussion was audible at the base of right lung. Hepato- and splenomegaly appeared during the second month of hospitalization. Laboratory tests revealed: elevated ESR, leukocytosis with a shift to the left, several blood cultures were positive to Staphylococcus aureus. On repeated chest X-ray patchy infiltrates with thin-walled translucent pools were visible. Transthoracic and transoesophageal++ echocardiography provided more precise informations. Bacterial vegetations were visualised on the tricuspid valve. Coronary angiography revealed proximal occlusion of the right coronary artery and 75-80% stenosis of the left circumflex artery. Antibacterial treatment guided by blood cultures was begun: vancomycin combined with netilmycin, then tienamycin and diflucan--after 10 weeks treatment was decided to be unsuccessful and the decision about surgical treatment was made. In extracorporeal circulation posterior left leaflet together with granular bacterial growths was excised. Septal and anterior leaflets were found normal. Cultures made of excised tissue were positive for Staphylococcus aureus and subsequent treatment with fluoroquinolones gave satisfactory result. Postoperative echocardiography revealed only small tricuspid valve insufficiency. Coronary by-pass surgery was performed later because of the high risk of simultaneous operation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1479773", "title": "[Isolated congenital tricuspid valve insufficiency--case report].", "content": "A case of congenital, isolated tricuspid regurgitation is reported. A 48 year old woman has been admitted because of shortness of breath and progressive fatigue. Although the heart murmur had been heard in her childhood, the first symptoms appeared when she was 25. One year later she underwent a plastic surgery of tricuspid valve. During the following 20 years she remained asymptomatic, until dyspnea and fatigue developed again. On admission she was cyanotic and positive, systolic jugular venous pulse was seen. Atrial flutter was present and no systolic cardiac murmur was heart. The liver was enlarged without peripheral oedema. Echo-Doppler examination and cardiac catheterisation revealed huge right cardiac chambers and significant tricuspid regurgitation. During reoperation a valve consisting of only two cusps was found with extremely dilated valvular anulus. A Bex valvuloplasty was successfully performed. One month later a control echo-Doppler showed the diminution of right ventricle and right atrium with hardly visible regurgitant jet. The pathogenesis and the course of this extremely rare disease have been also discussed in the paper."}
{"id": "PMID:1479780", "title": "Selective purification of two distinct protein kinases (C-kinase and casein kinase II) from the membrane fraction of mouse brain by NED-affinity column chromatography.", "content": "By means of NED-affinity column chromatography, two distinct protein kinases have been selectively purified from the crude membrane extract of mouse brain. One (designated P-I kinase) was eluted from the column by the buffer containing 5 mM EGTA and the other (designated P-II kinase) was eluted by the buffer containing 0.6 M KCl. The activity of A-kinase was detected in the column passed through fraction. Biochemical characteristics of P-I and P-II kinases corresponded exactly to those of C-kinase and casein kinase II (CK-II), respectively. In addition, immunoprecipitate experiment using anti-CK-II antiserum against the beta-subunit of Drosophila CK-II showed that P-II kinase is identical to CK-II and the 62 kDa cellular polypeptide is associated with the kinase."}
{"id": "PMID:1479781", "title": "Triacetin as food additive in gummy candy and other foodstuffs on the market.", "content": "The qualitative and quantitative analytical methods were proposed for the simple and rapid determination of triacetin (TAc) in commercial gummy candies and other foodstuffs by gas chromatography (GC), thin layer chromatography (TLC) and infrared spectroscopy (IR). Each extract from the samples was obtained by pretreatment of the foodstuffs as follows: (A) Gummy candy was dissolved in warm water and the solution was extracted with chloroform. The organic (chloroform) layer was separated. (B) Samples (such as ice cream) containing substantial water were mixed with anhydrous Na2SO4 and stirred to sandy appearance and dried. The residue was homogenized with ether, followed by centrifuging, and the organic (ether) layer was separated. (C) Dried samples (such as chocolate and cookie) were smashed, homogenized with ether, and followed by centrifuging, and the organic (ether) layer was separated. (D) Candy was dissolved in warm water and the solution was extracted with ether. The organic (ether) layer was separated. Each organic layer from (A)-(D) was washed with 10% NaHCO3 and evaporated. The residue containing TAc was dissolved in dichloromethane. The extract obtained was subjected to column chromatography on silica gel. The fractions containing TAc were employed in GC with 25% PEG-20M column, TLC, and IR analyses. Recovery of TAc from gummy candy was 99.1 +/- 3.0% and those from other foodstuffs ranged from was 82.1 to 99.4% by GC. Detection limit by this method was 10 ppm. TAc was found to contain at a level as high as 550 ppm in one domestic gummy candy. On the other hand, one imported gummy candy contained no more than 20 ppm of TAc gummy candy."}
{"id": "PMID:1479782", "title": "Studies of aflatoxins in Chiang Mai, Thailand.", "content": "Aflatoxins become an economical problem in our country due to its contamination in agricultural commodities for export. The toxin may also cause hepatoma and liver diseases in the Thais as well. It is, therefore, necessary to search for and to develop efficient technology to combat and control such dangerous mold and mycotoxins. This paper is a collection of our previous and present studies towards reduction of risk from aflatoxins in foods and feedstuffs. The investigation of mold and aflatoxin contamination in local foods and feedstuffs in Chiang Mai area was made. The inhibitory effect of garlic extract on growth of Aspergillus flavus and its aflatoxin production was demonstrated. Detoxification of aflatoxins by chemicals such as ammonium carbonate, ammonium bicarbonate and ammonium benzoate was also shown. Preventions of toxigenic mold growth and its aflatoxin production by means of some food preservative were reported. Modifications of such effective chemicals were investigated for safety in future application."}
{"id": "PMID:1479785", "title": "[Neoplastic space-occupying lesions of the orbit. I. Review; hemangioma, lymphangioma and embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma].", "content": "From 1987 to 1990 182 patients were treated for orbital lesions in the Department of Ophthalmology of the University of Z\u00fcrich. 37% were tumors (without tumors of the vascular system), 20% inflammatory lesions, 12% lesions of the vascular system and tumors of it, the rest was not diagnosed. On this background the first of two chapters on orbital tumors deals with diagnosis, differential diagnosis, therapy and follow up of the capillary hemangioma, cavernous hemangioma, lymphangioma and embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma. Although ultrasound echography, CT, MRI and angiography have greatly changed the diagnostic work up of orbital lesions, diagnosis is by far not made straight forward but often only after errors. To enhance diagnosis in the future this study is meant to analyse our misinterpretations. In the case of capillary hemangioma only complications justify an active treatment, normally the lesion resolves spontaneously. The infiltration of the upper eyelid with ptosis needs to be treated because of the risk of amblyopia. Our cases demonstrate, that the attempt of treatment with steroids is justified. Embolisation in the region of the a. ophthalmica is quite dangerous. The cavernous hemangioma only needs treatment in the case of compression of the optical nerve and total excision is not mandatory. The lymphangioma, although classified as benign tumor, can only be excised subtotally and with the danger of traumatising important structures of the orbit. The infiltrative growth and tendency of recurrence in fact is dangerous. It is important to diagnose the tumor without biopsy and to wait with surgical treatment as long as possible. The embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma itself is rare but it is the most frequent primary malignant tumor in childhood. Even accounting for being familiar with mimikri-false history of trauma, inflammation, hemangioma-like angiography-the diagnosis is often made rather late. Our cases demonstrate this and also the change of treatment in the last 30 years. Unfortunately the prognosis of the good results of chemotherapy in combination with radiation if necessary is clouded by the occurrence of secondary malignant tumors."}
{"id": "PMID:1479786", "title": "[Clinical and fluorescein angiography changes in patients with central retinal vein occlusion. A unicenter study of 125 patients].", "content": "Between January 1986 and December 1989 we prospectively studied 125 patients with central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO). Documented by fundus photography and fluorescein angiography clinical and angiographic findings were analysed. The age of the patients was between 22 and 89 years with a mean of 60 years. 74 (59%) were male and 51 (41%) female. 63 (50.4%) right and 62 (49.6%) left eyes were affected. Arterial hypertension was found in 34 (37.2%) and diabetes mellitus in 18 (14.4%) of the patients. Glaucoma was present in 14 (11.2%). 11 (8.8%) patients had bilateral CRVO. Preretinal neovascularisation was found in 5 (4%), vitreous hemorrhage in 6 (4.8%) and a retinal detachment in 2 (1.6%) patients. Iris neovascularisation at time of first presentation was found in 8 (6.4%) of all patients, related to the number of ischemic type of CRVO in 17.7%. Cystoid macular edema was found in 77 (61.6%), ischemic maculopathy in 24 (19.2%) patients, and a combination of cystoid and ischemic maculopathy in 11 (8.8%). Mean visual acuity was 20/100. A non ischemic type was present in 80 (64%) an ischemic in 45 (36%) of patients. Mean visual acuity in the non ischemic type was 20/60 and highly significant better (p < 0.0001) than in the ischemic type with a mean visual acuity of 20/400 (Mann-Whitney test). The density of intraretinal hemorrhages (p = 0.0005) and type of maculopathy (p < 0.0001) were highly significant related to the ischemia type (chi-square method)."}
{"id": "PMID:1479787", "title": "[Orbital involvement in Wegener's granulomatosis].", "content": "Granulomas of the orbit can complicate Wegener's granulomatosis (WG). If they compress the optic nerve, blindness of one or both eyes may result. Therefore, early detection and sufficient treatment are important. Computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the orbit and CNS were performed in patients suffering from WG and orbital granulomas (n = 6). The patients were seen interdisciplinary by internists, ENT-specialists, radiologists and ophthalmologists. 12 out of 121 biopsy proven WG-patients showed orbital granulomas during their disease process. Granulomas of the orbit could be best visualized by MRI. However, MRI and CT taken together were most informative. 6 patients with orbital granulomas are presented as case reports, in four of them WG lead to blindness of one eye. The course of orbital granulomas may be chronic progressive or acutely fulminant. Therapy of first choice is a high dosage, long-term immunosuppression with cyclophosphamide and prednisolone. The detection of orbital granulomas in WG is most successful using CT and MRI. In addition to that, the analysis of visual acuity and visual field are the most important parameters in the detection and follow-up of orbital granulomas. A high dosage, long-term immunosuppression is the treatment of first choice, but in rapidly progressive cases an early decompression of the orbit has to be discussed additionally."}
{"id": "PMID:1479788", "title": "[Static and dynamic infrared thermometry and thermography in malignant melanoma of the uvea and conjunctiva].", "content": "Thermometry and -graphy prove asymmetries of the circulation. Contact-free thermometry of the cornea is applied to find out whether this method can contribute to differential diagnosis of ocular melanomas. Under standardized conditions the temperature of the cornea was measured in 30 patients with malignant melanoma of the choroid and the conjunctiva and 35 healthy subjects. The instruments were a handpyrometer (HPM, Messger\u00e4tewerk, Magdeburg) and the thermovision camera of AGA Infrared System, Sweden, with dynamic recording in colour. In healthy subjects there are no significant asymmetries in temperature under standardized conditions. The temperature of the cornea is elevated in both malignant melanomas of the choroid and the conjunctiva. Thermometry and -graphy of the cornea can contribute to the differentiation of malignant ocular melanomas from other ophthalmological diseases. They are also suited in long term observation of the course of the melanomas."}
{"id": "PMID:1479789", "title": "[Leiomyoma of the iris--a clinicopathologic case report].", "content": "A 20-year-old white man demonstrated a 2-3 mm in diameter ball like, grey white vascularized tumor at 12h in the iris stroma adjacent to the sphincter pupillae OD. The tumor was excised by sector iridectomy. Light microscopically the tumor consisted of densely packed spindle-shaped cells with oval nuclei with granular eosinophilic cytoplasm. Electronmicroscopically numerous 9nm-filaments in parallel configuration were found, fusiform dense formations, basal membranes and pinocytotic vesicles. Positive immunohistochemical reaction for Actin, Desmin and Vimentin, negative for S100."}
{"id": "PMID:1479790", "title": "[A family with blepharophimosis, ptosis, epicanthus inversus and telecanthus. Occurrence of the hereditary marker in five generations].", "content": "The condition with blepharophimosis, ptosis, epicanthus inversus and telecanthus is reported in one family over five generations. The syndrome is transmitted as an autosomal-dominant characteristic with a very high penetrance and expressivity, preferentially affecting and being transmitted by males. Affected females were infertile. There were no other accompanying systemic disorders. A three-year-old boy, who develops deprivation amblyopia, was first treated by levator attachment according to Friedenwald's method. Medical canthal surgery followed two years later to correct the epicanthus and telecanthus. A good clinical result was achieved by performing Mustard\u00e8's Z-plasty and shortening of the medial canthal ligament. Alternative techniques are reviewed briefly."}
{"id": "PMID:1479791", "title": "[Severe occlusive bilateral retinal vasculitis within the scope of seronegative systemic lupus erythematosus].", "content": "Retinal vascular manifestation is the most common form of ophthalmic involvement in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Most frequently these consist of cotton-wool spots with or without intraretinal hemorrhages. Although rare, a more severe retinal vaso-occlusive disease, termed retinal vasculitis, has been described. We report on a 37-year-old white female with a 13-year follow-up of chronic discoid lupus erythematosus, which suffered massive bilateral visual loss coincident with the systemic exacerbation of her disease (proteinuria, pneumonia, serositis, leucopenia). The diagnosis of SLE was established with reference to the revised ARA-criteria (American Rheumatism Association). Ophthalmoscopy and fluorescein angiography revealed the typical aspect of a SLE-associated vaso-occlusive retinopathy on both eyes with marked ischemia of the macula. Immediate maximal immuno-suppressive therapy, early performed panretinal photocoagulation and subsequent cryoretinopexy did not stop the progression of the disease. Six months after the initial event vascularisations of the disc and rubeosis iridis occurred, but no secondary glaucoma up to date. In this patient, the almost complete absence of characteristic autoantibodies and immunological markers was striking. The correlation with other lupus manifestations, different therapeutic concepts and prognostic factors in SLE-associated retinal vasculitis are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1479792", "title": "[Neurometabolic diseases. References for classification, clinical aspects and diagnostic procedures].", "content": "Diseases caused by neuro-metabolic or neuro-degenerative disorders often lead to diagnostic difficulties, because of their rarity and numerous quantity. The present report tries to combine older classifications according to anatomic aspects with the newer ones underlying biochemical-functional points of view. Then the most important cardinal symptoms in a synoptic demonstration are put in relation to the most considerable neuro-metabolic disorders. Tables concerning age-related diseases and informations on diagnostic methods of importance are presented."}
{"id": "PMID:1479793", "title": "[Reduction of body height in tall girls by estrogen treatment].", "content": "Twenty-six girls with constitutional tall stature were treated with 0.5 mg ethinyloestradiol daily po and 10 mg norethisteronacetate from day 21 to 25 of the cycle for 1.4 +/- 0.4 years. Height, weight, bone age according to Greulich-Pyle (GP) and Tanner (RUS), height predictions according to Bayley Pinneau (BP) and Tanner Whitehouse (TW) were recorded at the onset of therapy, at the end of treatment and 7.4 years later. The mean chronological age at start of treatment was 12.6 +/- 1.1 years, bone age (GP) 12.4 +/- 0.7 years, (RUS) 13.5 +/- 0.7 years. The initial height prediction according to BP was 186.2 +/- 4.1 cm, which was 3.5 cm higher than the prognosis according to Tanner Whitehouse. Depending on the method used for height prediction, the height reduction by treatment was 4.6 +/- 3.0 cm (BP) or 1.4 +/- 2.2 cm (TW), respectively. The reduction of predicted height was more pronounced in girls with a bone age (GP) < 12.5 years at the initiation of therapy (n = 13), than in girls with a bone age > or = 12.5 years (n = 13). Final height was measured 7.4 years after the end of treatment. Chronological age: 21.3 +/- 3.7 years, final height 181.8 +/- 3.7 cm. Mean final height after therapy was 7.7 cm above target height, or, after allowance for the secular trend, 3.8 cm above target height. Body weight, recorded in centiles of body mass index, increased from the 38.5 +/- 26 to the 58.1 +/- 22 centile, weight gain was more pronounced in younger girls. At follow up investigation 18/19 girls, who answered a questionnaire, had a positive view of the previous treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1479802", "title": "Topical ocular anesthetics in ocular irritancy testing: a review.", "content": "The routine use of topical anesthetics to alleviate discomfort associated with in vivo ocular irritancy testing has been advocated. This review provides information about the adverse effects of topical ocular anesthetics and answers the questions: are topical anesthetics practical and effective in ocular irritancy protocols, is long-term use contraindicated, will topical anesthetics alter the response of a test substance, and are there significant side-effects which might cause pain and suffering in test animals? There was no evidence to support the use of a specific topical anesthetic. Further, information about using systemic analgesics or combinations with local anesthetics that would effectively alleviate discomfort associated with ocular irritancy testing without affecting test results was not found. Comprehensive studies are needed to identify the most effective combination of drugs that would ameliorate discomfort associated with ocular irritation testing."}
{"id": "PMID:1479803", "title": "Comparative study of long, segmented, filamentous organisms in chickens and mice.", "content": "No transmission of long, segmented, filamentous organisms (LSFO) from a laboratory mouse strain (Mus musculus) to a domestic broiler chicken strain (Gallus domesticus) occurred by oral dosing with mouse mucosal and fecal preparations, even in hydrocortisone-treated chicks. Transmission of chicken LSFO to laboratory mice was attempted, but the results were confounded by the mice having been already infected with LSFO. However, the morphologic characteristics of the LSFO in the dosed mice suggested that transmission of chick LSFO did not occur. Mouse LSFO, as detected in carbol thionin-stained mucosal smears, are generally wider, longer, and have slightly different morphologic characteristics than chicken LSFO. The results of these studies suggest that the LSFO in mice and chickens may be two distinct species."}
{"id": "PMID:1479794", "title": "[Parenteral nutrition in treatment of short stature in adolescents with Crohn disease].", "content": "Growth retardation and delayed puberty occur in 20-35% of children and adolescents with Crohn's disease. Alternate day corticosteroid treatment, use of azathioprine, enteral or parenteral hyperalimentation and surgery have been advocated to reverse growth failure. Because of nonacceptance of elemental diet 7 patients with Crohn's disease and growth retardation received parenteral nutrition for 2-3 months (maximal for more than 30 months in one patient). All of them exhibited a mean weight gain of 10 kg and a mean increase of their height velocity from 2.4 to 7.1 cm/year. Main problems were bacterial infections and dislocations of the central lines. Surgery was performed in 3 adolescents immediately after parenteral nutrition. One patient showed a catch-up growth during a 30-months nocturnal home parenteral nutrition at a biological age of 21 years. Parenteral nutrition is an effective regimen to manage growth failure in children with Crohn's disease, but has to be performed for larger periods in individual cases."}
{"id": "PMID:1479804", "title": "Diarrhea caused by a slow-growing Enterococcus-like agent in neonatal rats.", "content": "An enteropathogenic Enterococcus-like agent was isolated from a spontaneous outbreak of diarrhea that occurred in a colony containing neonatal rats. Diarrhea was experimentally reproduced in virus-antibody-free neonatal rats inoculated with this purified \"enterococcus.\" Gram-positive cocci were adhered to the small intestinal villi of affected animals from which the organism was reisolated. The isolate's classification in the genus Enterococcus was confirmed by genetic probe; however, because of its unique fermentation pattern, it could not be definitively speciated. Indirect immunofluorescence assays indicate that this strain of enterococcus and Enterococcus hirae, another strain pathogenic for neonatal rats, differ antigenically. Enterococci should be considered as potential etiologic agents in outbreaks of diarrhea involving neonatal rats and future efforts directed to increasing our understanding of the pathophysiology of this disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1479800", "title": "[Hereditary heterozygote factor VII deficiency].", "content": "Hereditary Factor VII deficiency is one of the rare congenital coagulopathies. Prolonged prothrombin time (PT) with normal partial prothrombin time (PTT) may be an indicator for Factor VII deficiency. A family with hereditary heterozygous Factor VII deficiency is presented in whom no symptoms of a bleeding disorder were clinically detectable. A discussion of the therapeutic options follows."}
{"id": "PMID:1479805", "title": "Nonconvulsive electrocorticographic paroxysms (absence epilepsy) in rat strains.", "content": "Rat strains were screened for evidence of unresponsive periods associated with high-voltage spike and wave paroxysms on electroencephalography--a rodent model of human absence epilepsy. Five commonly used strains were newly noted to express the spike and wave phenomenon. Only an inbred Sprague Dawley rat strain did not exhibit such episodes. The existence of the phenomenon in many and unrelated inbred rat strains suggests that both genetic and environmental factors are causal."}
{"id": "PMID:1479806", "title": "Tumor dormancy and the effect of selected drugs on the tumor-dormant state.", "content": "An animal model for studying tumor dormancy was established by two-way selection of tumor-progressive and nonprogressive (tumor-dormant state) ddY mice in the same basal stock. In the tumor-progressive (prg) substrain of mice, Ehrlich ascites tumor cells (2 x 10(7)) subcutaneously inoculated into the dorsal skin formed a progressive solid tumor. In the tumor-dormant substrain (drm) of mice, the same tumor cells did not grow at all but formed a small caked nodule (1 to 3 mm in diameter) within 1 week. Some of the tumor cells persisted in the nodule at least 3 months without apparent mitotic figures. Such dormant tumor cells emerged and revealed outgrowth to overt solid tumors after they were transplanted into the dorsal skin of prg mice or into athymic mice (C57BL/6J nu/nu). To estimate the predisposition of drm mice to form tumors, the effect of certain drugs on the tumor-dormant state was examined. Estradiol, progesterone, dexamethasone, prostaglandin E2, Cyclosporin A, and collagenase all failed to promote the emergence of dormant tumor cells in drm mice."}
{"id": "PMID:1479795", "title": "[Case studies of the effect of tyrosine administration in children with phenylketonuria on cognitive processes].", "content": "Eight patients with phenylketonuria and low protein nutrition were treated in a double blind crossover study for the time of 3 month with 150 mg tyrosine per kg body weight and day and placebo thereafter or vice versa. The concentration of phenylalanine in serum was not influenced by the administration of tyrosine whereas tyrosine in serum markedly increased. Psychological tests were 7 times repeated in monthly intervals. From the study it is to suggest that there is an improvement of the test results caused by an effect of training due to the repeated tests and an additional improvement caused by tyrosine."}
{"id": "PMID:1479807", "title": "Preferential alcoholic embryopathy: effects of liquid diets.", "content": "Our initial report of a preferential expression of experimental alcoholic embryopathy affecting the male offspring contiguous in utero to male siblings of Long-Evans rats was based on gavage administration of alcohol to pregnant rats without regard to isocaloric, pair-fed exposure paradigms. In this study, pregnant Long-Evans rats were given 35% ethanol-derived calories (EDC) in one of two different liquid diets: 1) a liquid alcohol diet based on Sustacal, a flavored liquid food formulated for human nutritional standards; and 2) a high-protein liquid rodent diet devised by Lieber and DeCarli (L&D). The diets were administered from day 6 to 15 of gestation. Pregnant rats were pair-fed liquid diets containing 0% EDC, but isocalorically balanced to 35% EDC with either sucrose (Sustacal) or maltose-dextrin (L&D). A fifth group of pregnant rats was given access ad libitum to standard certified laboratory rodent diet and served as free-fed controls. On day 20 of gestation, all pregnant rats were euthanized and the products of conception examined by standard teratologic techniques. Pregnant animals fed Sustacal-based diets consistently consumed fewer calories per kilogram body weight per day from day 6 to 15 of gestation (i.e., they were significantly calorie-deprived during pregnancy) as compared with the standard laboratory-diet-fed controls or those consuming L&D diets. Body weights of rats consuming Sustacal diets (both 0 and 35% EDC) were significantly lower throughout gestation when compared with all other groups. Higher (> 150 mg/dl) blood alcohol levels were attained by rats consuming 35% EDC in Sustacal diet as compared with L&D (100 mg/dl) diets.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1479796", "title": "[Atypical form of long-QT syndrome--a case report].", "content": "An unusual case of familial Long QT syndrome is reported. After a longstanding symptom free interval this eight year old girl experienced multiple episodes of malignant ventricular arrhythmias including ventricular tachycardias of the torsades-de-pointes type and ventricular flutter. The treatment with beta- and alpha-blocking agents, phenytoin, calcium antagonists, clonidine and magnesium in increasing doses and varying combinations was unsuccessful. A left sided cardiac sympathectomy failed also to control the life threatening ventricular arrhythmias and to decrease the relative high mean heart rate. Finally a consecutive right cardiac sympathetic denervation in combination with an experimental class I antiarrhythmic agent led to a subjective and objective improvement in the patient's condition which allowed discharge from hospital. Despite a symptom free interval of four months and nearly normalized Holter ECG results the longterm prognosis remains unclear. This unusual case discloses interesting features, because 1) it supports the theory of an intracardiac cellular anomaly rather than the imbalance hypothesis, 2. chronic beta-blocker treatment possibly resulted in an up-regulation of beta-adrenergic receptors which made beta-blocking agents ineffective despite high doses, and 3. an consecutive right sided cardiac sympathectomy resulting in bilateral cardiac sympathetic denervation had to be done-an intervention which is seldom performed in the Long QT syndrome."}
{"id": "PMID:1479808", "title": "Effects of chronic blood loss in a marsupial (Monodelphis domestica).", "content": "Monodelphis domestica, the gray short-tailed opossum, is used increasingly as an animal model in studies that require repeated blood sampling. Consequently, it is important to establish safe bleeding regimens. We investigated the effects of repeated blood loss on various hematologic values and on different organs in this species. Approximately 2 ml of blood were taken weekly from 20 animals for 13 weeks. The animals were then necropsied; members of an age- and sex-matched control group were bled (2 ml) once and necropsied immediately to obtain baseline data. Ultimately, each animal in the experimental group lost approximately three times its total blood volume. After the first bleeding in the chronically bled group, the red blood cell counts, hemoglobin, and hematocrit values decreased significantly but remained constant thereafter. In another experimental group bled only once, the hematologic values rose to higher than baseline levels after a rest of 2 weeks. Thereafter the values slowly returned to baseline levels. A notable increase in Howell-Jolly bodies occurred in the chronically bled group. Histologically, there was marked erythroid hyperplasia in the bone marrow and extramedullary hematopoiesis in the spleen, but none in the liver. Because there were no obvious detrimental physiologic effects, we conclude that M. domestica is markedly tolerant of chronic blood loss."}
{"id": "PMID:1479798", "title": "[Comparison of the ferritin and iron concentration in capillary and venous blood serum of children, adolescents and adults].", "content": "The ferritin and iron concentration were compared in sera from capillary and venous blood (n = 52). Ferritin was determined using a luminescence-enhanced enzyme immunoassay and iron by the ferrozine method. The results showed a very good correlation and a linear relationship for ferritin (r = 0.999) but not for iron (r = 0.855). It is concluded that capillary blood serum can be used only for the determination of ferritin."}
{"id": "PMID:1479797", "title": "[Combination of scimitar syndrome and horseshoe lung. A rare but typical finding--case report and review of the literature].", "content": "The scimitar syndrome is a rare congenital cardiopulmonary malformation. In association with a horseshoe lung it is extremely uncommon. We describe a child with typical scimitar syndrome (anomalous right pulmonary venous return, hypoplasia of the right lung with dextro-position of the heart and aberrant systemic arterial supply of the right lung), associated with a horseshoe lung. No clinical symptoms are present, surgical management is not necessary. This is the 20th case in addition to the 19 reported cases with scimitar syndrome associated with horseshoe lung. Eight other additional cases of horseshoe lung without scimitar syndrome are mentioned here. In horseshoe lung the pulmonary parenchyma extends from the right lung base across the midline and fuses with the left lung. In only 3 cases continuous parenchymal tissue could be found histological. In 8 cases the lungs were separated by fissurelike structures, seen in CT or chest film, and in 5 cases fissures were demonstrated histological. From 6 patients no findings are available. The various symptoms, the diagnostic tools and the therapeutic procedure will be discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1479799", "title": "[McCune-Albright syndrome in association with meningioma and mental and psychological retardation].", "content": "Report of a boy aged 17 years and review of the literature on the neoplasias of CAS. The cause of examination was a psychic maldevelopment. Cranial arteriography exhibited extreme wide Carotis communis and CT temporal meningioma right and septum pellucidum cyste. A psychic frontal lobe syndrome and cosmetic impairment by skull changes of the CAS are discussed being partial causes of the psychic maldevelopment. Atypical there were retardation of calcification and dentition, bilateral coarctation of the auditory passage with resulting hearing loss. Till now only J. Frankel and coworkers have published the case of a 50 year old Pakistani with the combination of CAS and Meningioma as a complication of fibrous dysplasia of the skull. We suppose relations between CAS and neurofibromatosis and its blastomatous tendency to meningioma."}
{"id": "PMID:1479809", "title": "Behavioral and physiologic effects of inapparent wound infection in rats.", "content": "There is a common notion that rats are resistant to postoperative wound infection because many recover from surgery performed under nonsterile conditions. As a result, nonaseptic surgical techniques are used commonly in rat surgery. Our aim was to determine if these techniques cause wound infection and, if so, whether or not the infection, inapparent to casual observation, creates measurable changes in rat physiology and behavior. Rats subjected to craniotomies or laparotomies and inoculated with 10(8) Staphylococcus aureus or Pseudomonas aeruginosa or sterile saline were tested for open-field activity, freezing behavior, home-cage behavior score, and wheel-running activity. Physiologic indices included lactate dehydrogenase, blood glucose, plasma fibrinogen, complete blood counts, wound bacterial counts and histology scores, body temperature, and body weight. Although no clinical signs were detected by postoperative observation, rats inoculated with bacteria were significantly less active in the open field and the duration of freezing behavior was shorter. Plasma fibrinogen, serum glucose, total white blood cell counts, and wound histology scores were significantly altered in the bacteria-inoculated rats. These findings underscore the need for sterile techniques in rat surgery to avoid confounding experimental data."}
{"id": "PMID:1479810", "title": "Effects of isoflurane anesthesia on glucose tolerance and insulin secretion in Yucatan minipigs.", "content": "Isoflurane's effect on intravenous glucose tolerance and insulin secretion was studied in six Yucatan minipigs. Unanesthetized animals, with previously placed indwelling venous catheters, were tested while resting comfortably in slings. The same animals were then retested during isoflurane anesthesia. Serum glucose and insulin concentrations were measured at predetermined times in response to an intravenous bolus of dextrose. The glucose disappearance rate (k), baseline plasma insulin concentration, the area under the insulin response curve, and the insulinogenic index were significantly lower in the anesthetized animals than in controls. The results of this study indicate that anesthesia with isoflurane significantly alters the glucose/insulin response to an intravenous glucose tolerance test and, therefore, is unsuitable for studies when glucose tolerance is to be assessed."}
{"id": "PMID:1479811", "title": "Cardiovascular effects of a ketamine-medetomidine combination that produces deep sedation in Yucatan mini swine.", "content": "Seven chronically instrumented Yucatan minipigs were deeply sedated with the combination of ketamine (10 mg/kg), a dissociative anesthetic, and medetomidine (0.2 mg/kg), an alpha 2-adrenoceptor agonist used as an animal sedative in Europe. Both drugs were drawn in the same syringe and administered in the left atrium via a previously inserted permanent catheter. As a result, hypertension (mean arterial pressure from 116 +/- 12 mmHg to 142 +/- 18 mmHg) occurred and was followed by bradycardia (from 107 +/- 22 bpm to 71 +/- 9 bpm). Concomitantly, both the rate of increase in ventricular pressure (48%) and ventricular wall thickening fraction (37%) decreased, thus indicating some worsening of left ventricular function. Further, systemic vascular resistance increased (290%) resulting in a reduction in cardiac output from 0.4 +/- 0.3 l/minute. Also, left ventricular end diastolic pressure initially increased (maximum 10.2 +/- 10.8 mmHg) but returned to the control level in 5 minutes. In spite of an increase in respiratory frequency (3x), PaCO2 increased and PaO2 and pH declined. Rectal temperature decreased from 38.4 +/- 0.9 to 36.0 +/- 0.8 degrees C. All of these changes were transient and returned to control levels during the follow-up period (2 hours). However, epinephrine concentration was exceptionally decreased by the drugs and stayed under the detection limit (20 pg/kg) for the entire time, whereas norepinephrine was undetectable for 10 minutes postadministration. Ketamine-medetomidine, administered in a dose that produced deep sedation, induced marked but reversible changes in most of the cardiovascular variables; there were no pedal or palpebral reflexes for 30 minutes."}
{"id": "PMID:1479812", "title": "Relationship of functional residual capacity to various body measurements in normal sheep.", "content": "Functional residual capacity (FRC) was determined by nitrogen washout in 55 normal sheep. Data on various external body measurements were collected which included body weight, chest circumference, chest width, body length, height, and sternum length. In addition, data on wet lung weight and wet lung weight/body weight ratio were collected on 10 of the sheep. A significant correlation was found between FRC and all measured parameters except height and sternum length. Multiple linear regression of all external body measurements showed the best correlation of FRC to body weight and body length, while the addition of chest circumference and/or chest width did not significantly improve the correlation. Significant deviation from the population was noted in three sheep (5.5%) that had lung weight/body weight ratios which were significantly lower than the rest of the population."}
{"id": "PMID:1479813", "title": "The selection of an adjuvant emulsion for polyclonal antibody production using a low-molecular-weight antigen in rabbits.", "content": "Although Freund's adjuvant has been used for decades as an immune enhancer in rabbits, adverse physiologic side effects have prompted the search for more suitable alternatives. We used osteocalcin, a bovine bone protein (M.W. 5,800), as the test antigen to evaluate four adjuvant regimens: a) primary inoculation with complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) followed by three boosts with incomplete Freund's adjuvant (IFA), b) four serial inoculations with RIBI MPL+TDM+CWS adjuvant, c) four serial inoculations with TiterMax #R-1, and d) primary inoculation (only) with TiterMax #R-1. The antibody yield associated with the CFA/IFA regimen (mean OD = 2.152) was at least sixfold that of either TiterMax (mean OD = 0.358) or RIBI (mean OD = 0.239) multiple injection regimens. No antibody response was observed after the single injection of TiterMax antigen emulsion. Maximal antibody production occurred rapidly in response to Freund's adjuvant (day 31) as compared with TiterMax (day 74) and RIBI (day 66)."}
{"id": "PMID:1479814", "title": "Chronic catheterization of the inferior vena cava in Yucatan miniature swine.", "content": "Long-term venous access for leukapheresis, repeated blood sampling, and administration of drugs and fluids can be accomplished nonsurgically in Yucatan miniature swine. The catheter is placed under fluoroscopic guidance into the inferior vena cava using a needle and guidewire. This procedure has the advantage that it avoids a surgical incision, allows high flow rates, exists conveniently on the lower back, and can be replaced easily in the event of mechanical failure or thrombosis. Actuarial analysis of the duration of patency disclosed that of 41 catheters placed in 30 animals, the probability of function at 28, 42, and 54 days was 75%, 50%, and 25%, respectively. Eleven nonfunctioning catheters were replaced and nine of these continued to function until the completion of the experiment. No catheters were removed due to infection. Chronic catheterization of the inferior vena cava is a convenient method for long-term venous access in swine."}
{"id": "PMID:1479824", "title": "Selecting empiric drug therapy for pneumonia in geriatric patients.", "content": "Rather than produce extensive lists of pathogens and antibiotics to cover every situation, we have tried to provide some insight into how we make decisions regarding the drug therapy of our geriatric patients when they develop pneumonia, and give some practical examples of how we would use those agents."}
{"id": "PMID:1479825", "title": "Falls in the elderly.", "content": "Increasing age leads to an increased risk for both fall and fracture. Debility sufficient to result in institutionalization may double that risk. Multiple risk factors have been identified which are clinically useful in defining individual patient's potential for fall and careful history and physical examination is sufficient to identify most of those risk factors. While falling may be an unavoidable part of a lifetime human experience, the risk of falling should be reduced and its secondary morbidity lessened with a preventive and functionally oriented approach. That approach requires minimal additional resources, but is likely to provide tremendous benefit for both individual patients and the larger society."}
{"id": "PMID:1479828", "title": "Children of alcoholics in the classroom: a survey of teacher perceptions and training needs.", "content": "Children of alcoholics (COAs) represent a population at risk for alcoholism as well as other physical, emotional, and social problems. This survey explored perceptions of North Carolina elementary and middle school teachers regarding roles and responsibilities in assisting COAs, their need for additional training specific to COAs, and their perceptions of school-based resources for helping COAs. Survey findings teachers generally are willing to assist COAs but need training regarding these children. Training is particularly appropriate for teachers who perceive a low incidence of COAs in their classrooms since these individuals' responses suggest the existence of barriers to effective COA assistance."}
{"id": "PMID:1479829", "title": "Adolescents' perceptions of relative weight and self-reported weight loss activities.", "content": "Data from the 1990 North Carolina Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) were used to examine adolescents' perceptions of relative weight and the relationship of these perceptions to physical activity levels, efforts to lose weight, and time spent viewing television. A total of 3,437 ninth and 12th grade respondents to the May 1990 survey were included in the analysis. Of this sample, 25% perceived themselves as \"too fat.\" Of that group, 68% were trying to lose weight. Females made up 75% of those reporting they were \"too fat\" and were trying to lose weight. White females were more likely to think of themselves as overweight and were more likely to be trying to lose weight than black females. Adolescents who perceived themselves as \"too fat\" reported fewer days of strenuous activity, fewer hours of strenuous exercise in physical education classes, and more hours spent viewing television on school days."}
{"id": "PMID:1479830", "title": "Culturally relevant smoking prevention for minority youth.", "content": "A rap contest methodology for smoking prevention was tested with sixth and seventh grade students in a predominantly minority public school district. Contests were held after initial assemblies in which students heard anti-smoking rap messages from same-age and older peers on audio and video tape. Pretesting and posttesting (N = 268) indicated high preference ratings for most aspects of the intervention. Analyses of variance revealed no differences across races on any of the dependent measures. However, smaller assemblies were more effective than larger ones in enhancing attitudes against smoking and obtaining more positive contest evaluations and predictions about smoking behavior. A rap contest method therefore may be effective against the initiation of smoking by disadvantaged children in sixth and seventh grades because it is highly acceptable and perceived as culturally relevant. This effectiveness may be more demonstrable in single classrooms rather than larger assemblies."}
{"id": "PMID:1479831", "title": "Impact of the Nutrition for Life program on junior high students in New York State.", "content": "School-based nutrition education represents an important component in a national strategy for health promotion. This study evaluated the impact of a school-based nutrition teaching program, Nutrition For Life, on the nutrition knowledge, attitudes, and self-reported behavior of seventh and eighth grade students from New York State. Some 1,863 students in 103 randomly selected classes completed a paper and pencil test covering nutrition attitudes, behavior, and knowledge. Modest use of the teaching program (median use = 3 hours) was associated with modest but significant differences in nutrition attitude, behavior, and knowledge scores. Interactions among teacher assignment, nutrition teaching, and Nutrition For Life use explained significant variations in nutrition test scores. Additional exposure to the program was associated with significantly higher nutrition attitude and behavior scores in schools with a higher proportion of low-income students."}
{"id": "PMID:1479835", "title": "The Midfield High School Safety Belt Incentive Program.", "content": "Motor vehicle accidents constitute the leading cause of death among children and youth ages 15-24. The Year 2000 Health Objectives for the Nation call for reduction in fatalities in this population through increasing occupant restraint measures. This article provides an overview of how one school district developed a school and community safety belt incentive program to increase safety belt use among high school students. The intervention program followed a seven-step process, involving community leaders, school officials, students, and local law enforcement personnel in its design, implementation, and evaluation. Local merchants and the Alabama Dept. of Health donated program incentives. Measurement of safety belt use among the target population revealed increased use throughout the program."}
{"id": "PMID:1479836", "title": "A formative evaluation of the American Cancer Society Changing the Course nutrition education curriculum.", "content": "A formative evaluation was conducted of Changing the Course, a behaviorally oriented, activity-based nutrition education curriculum for elementary students from the American Cancer Society, to assess feasibility of program implementation. Sixteen teachers in six schools in the Northeast taught the 15-16 session lower and upper elementary curricula to 702 students. Teacher satisfaction with the curriculum was high. Fidelity of implementation of the curriculum also was high and relatively few modifications to learning activities were made. Teachers reported the one day of training they received was adequate. They also reported a positive influence of the curriculum on themselves and their students. Student achievement results showed most children achieved most of the learning objectives at posttest--80% giving the correct answers on more than 75% of the test items. An examination of children's item-by-item answers on the posttest and of teachers' logs provided information useful for the final stages of development of the curricula and teacher training procedures, before national dissemination."}
{"id": "PMID:1479837", "title": "Promoting health through a developmental analysis of adolescent risk behavior.", "content": "Adolescents are the only U.S. population group not to improve morbidity and mortality since 1960. Social and behavioral etiologies of adolescent morbidity and mortality are best addressed in schools, since health care providers rarely are seen by teen-agers for other than organic health complaints. The relevance of physical, cognitive, and psychosocial development for adolescent risk-taking and their attendant health problems are discussed. Recognizing adolescent risk-taking as a means of achieving autonomy and identity, nurses and health educators can intervene to promote health-enhancing alternatives to achieve those ends. Social learning theory provides a basis for interventions to personalize the curricula, change behaviors, and shape the environment."}
{"id": "PMID:1479838", "title": "HIV education and health education in the United States: a national survey of local school district policies and practices.", "content": "To determine the extent to which HIV education and health education policies and practices are required by school districts in the United States, a national probability sample of public school districts was surveyed by mail in 1990. Of 2,150 districts selected, 78.1% responded. HIV education was required by 66.9% of districts. Of these, the percentage requiring HIV education increased by grade level from 29.7% in kindergarten to 82.3% in 7th grade, then declined to 37.3% by 12th grade. Districts that required HIV education most often addressed HIV-related prevention skills in the upper grade levels. Similar to requirements for HIV education, health education requirements also declined from 7th to 12th grade, reaching even lower levels than HIV education by the last two years of high school. These declines are of particular concern given that students are most likely to engage in risk behaviors when HIV and health education is least likely to be required. Other practices and policies that support HIV and health education also were lacking in many districts."}
{"id": "PMID:1479839", "title": "Dietary risk assessment for cardiovascular disease among central Maine adolescents.", "content": "Dietary risk for cardiovascular disease was assessed in 97 adolescents enrolled in health classes in two high schools in rural, central Maine, using three-day food records and written questionnaires of self-perceived food practices and cardiovascular nutrition knowledge. Mean percent of kilocalories from fat was 36% for both males and females. Compared to American Heart Association guidelines, 80% males and 73% females had more than 30% kilocalories from fat; 37% males and 16% females had dietary cholesterol intakes above 300 milligrams. More than 50% of males but less than 25% of females had sodium intakes greater than 3,000 milligrams. Mean dietary fiber intake of females (6 +/- 4 grams) was significantly lower than the fiber intake of males (11 +/- 8 grams). During adolescence, greater emphasis should be placed on modifying food behaviors that may be detrimental to heart health if continued into adulthood. Individualization provided within nutrition education curricula is necessary to meet the needs presented by differences in gender and variation among adolescents."}
{"id": "PMID:1479845", "title": "[Evaluation of the results of the research funded by the Health Research Fund in 1988].", "content": "To analyse the scientific product of research projects funded by Fondo de Investigaci\u00f3n Sanitaria in 1988 emphasizing its relation to money granted. 270 out of 610 projects were evaluated in relation to the amount granted. The number of papers published to each project and the impact factor assigned to the journals where these papers were published; we also assessed the mean cost of papers and impact factor units. These projects were coded following UNESCO classifications, and papers as per ISI standards. A total of 95 projects out of the 270 analysed produced no papers; the other 175 projects yielded 471 articles (2.7 per project); the mean cost of each article was 1.1 million pesetas, or 0.8 million if only the productive projects were considered. These papers reached a total of 818,709 impact factor units; the mean cost of the impact factor unit is 660,796 pesetas, or 459,626 pesetas if only productive projects are considered. Non productive projects were those that received less funding. 33% of projects produced papers published in journals with an assigned impact factor equal or inferior to one. There are evident differences among areas of knowledge in terms of impact factor. This study must be completed with a statistical analysis of reported data."}
{"id": "PMID:1479855", "title": "[Inguinal hernia repair modified by Kirschner. A critical analysis after 11 years of clinical experience].", "content": "In a retrospective study the early and late complications and the recurrence rate of inguinal hernia 10 years after elective repair by a modification of Kirschner's procedure are presented and compared with those following other established surgical techniques. Questionnaires were sent to 1400 patients, and 1029 patients (73.5) also underwent clinical examination. With all techniques, the most frequent postoperative complications were haematomas and seromas (10.1%). Postoperative mortality was 0.2%. Late complications were reported by 36.4% of the patients followed up by questionnaire. The most frequently reported symptom (by 23.8%) was transitory hypaesthesia in the scar area. In 2.7% of the male patients examined testicular atrophy was found. All patients who reported a recurrence on their questionnaire underwent follow-up examination in the clinic. Thus, the cumulative recurrence rate was 9.6%. Over two-thirds of all recurrences were lateral recurrences (P < 0.01). It was not possible to determine potential risk factors for a recurrence of inguinal hernia. The recurrence rate increased with time before follow up: among the patients examined after 5 years the recurrence rate was 5.7%, while it was 12.1% for patients examined after a period of 10 years. Kirschner's modification involves a risk of lateral recurrence that should not be underestimated, and its use should be reconsidered. The Shouldice repair appears to be the method of choice. However, further results confirming this choice should be awaited."}
{"id": "PMID:1479857", "title": "[Laparoscopic laser cholecystectomy].", "content": "In an ex vivo- and an animal study a Holmium-YAG laser, a Nd:YAG laser and a CO2 laser were examined. For laparoscopic cholecystectomy the pulsed Holmium:YAG laser proved to be the best instrument. Dissecting and haemostatic effects were connected when working with a power of 4 watts. Dissected area per minute was 112 mm2, gallbladder dissection (15 cm2) can be performed in 13 min. In the animal study the cholecystectomy lasted 30 min on average when the Holmium:YAG laser was used. Bleeding was not observed, development of smoke was tolerable."}
{"id": "PMID:1479856", "title": "[Therapy of splenic injuries by freezing and fibrin gluing. Animal experiment study].", "content": "The goal of this investigation was to improve the reliability of intraoperative and postoperative hemostasis and to observe the healing process after using a combined technique of tissue freezing followed by the application of collagen fleece and fibrin glue for the treatment of splenic ruptures. Grade II lesions were inflicted on the spleens of 15 swine. The bleeding wounds were frozen for 1 min at -60 degrees C using a cryosurgical device. Immediately afterwards the frozen lesions were covered with fibrin glue and collagen fleece and kept under slight compression. In every case complete hemostasis was achieved intraoperatively. The spleens of three animals each time were collected for gross and microscopic examination after 2 days and 1, 2, 5, and 6 weeks. A visceroperitoneal adhesion was observed in only one spleen, U-shaped viscerovisceral adhesions in five spleens. Superficial coagulation necroses could be detected microscopically only after 2 days and 1 week. Organization of the wounds, indicated by granulation tissue which contained siderophages, started in the 2nd week. There was distinct formation of collagen fibers after 5 and 6 weeks; only a residue of the collagen fleece was visible and the surplus fibrin glue was encapsulated. With this combined technique complete and safe hemostasis and a good subsequent healing process was achieved."}
{"id": "PMID:1479858", "title": "[Pneumococcus-induced septicemia in normal and splenectomized rabbits].", "content": "A new rabbit model to study the consequences of splenectomy in host resistance to induced pneumococcal septicaemia is presented. A simple, fast, non-invasive and complication-free technique of bacterial inoculation into the rabbit airways, using transcutaneous cannulation of the trachea, is also described. Sixteen normal and 24 splenectomised animals were used. The optimal dose of pneumonococcus (serotype B, type III) was found to be 1 x 10(7) organisms. The above dose of bacteria given transtracheally failed to cause signs of pneumonia or death in any of the normal rabbits. However the same dose introduced using the same technique resulted reproducibly in the death of the low-resistance splenectomised animals."}
{"id": "PMID:1479859", "title": "[Model of electromyographic study of small intestinal transplants in the rat].", "content": "Adequate motility of a small bowel transplant is a prerequisite for its resorptive function as well as its self-purging capacity. The literature contains some reports on changes in motility following denervation or transplantation, but none on the impact of acute rejection on motility of small bowel grafts. Therefore an experimental model was established to meet the following criteria: orthotopic position of graft, adequate nutritional status even when graft is functionally impaired, chronically implantable electrodes attached to graft and corresponding segment of native bowel, isogeneic or allogeneic set-up. 10 cm of proximal jejunum were transplanted from Lewis donors to five Lewis recipients in an orthotopic position just distal of the ligament of Treitz without resection of native small bowel. Three bipolar electrodes were sutured to the graft and the same number to the subsequent recipient bowel. Serial myoelectric measurements were taken until the end of week 3. From day 5 on, migratory myoelectric complexes independent of myoelectric activities of native bowel were recorded. Pacemaker frequency of the graft was found to be the same as that of the transsected native small bowel. This early reappearance of myoelectric activities makes this model suitable for comparative studies of small bowel transplant motility and in particular its changes during rejection, since even in strongly allogeneic combinations Lewis small bowel does not show histological signs of rejection before day 6."}
{"id": "PMID:1479860", "title": "[Proliferation kinetic studies in the syngeneic liver transplantation mode in the rat. Effect of re-arterialization on the transplant].", "content": "Successful orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) can be achieved in the rat. We used bromo-2-deoxyuridine (BrdU) as a proliferation marker to document morphological differences between OLT with and without rearterialization. Animals with portal anastomosis alone had a significantly increased proliferation rate of hepatocytes, Kupffer cells, and bile duct epithelial cells, as indicated by strong staining with BrdU, 8 days post-transplant compared to animals with rearterialization. Regeneration of ischemically damaged liver parenchymal cells may account for this observation. Thus, OLT with rearterialization appears to be the more physiological transplant model."}
{"id": "PMID:1479861", "title": "[Doppler ultrasound measurement of blood circulation in the lower extremity of man. I. Normal values at rest and changes in trauma and vascular diseases].", "content": "A duplex ultrasonographic system was used to examine the common femoral artery in left and right legs of 49 fit young men and 15 fit young women, to find out the normal blood flow in the human leg during rest. By this method the diameter of the vessel and the time average velocity could be measured and the blood flow calculated. Each person underwent three examinations of each leg after 10-min rests. The average diameter of the common femoral artery was 91 +/- 10 mm (95 mm in the men and 80 mm in the women), the average blood flow 226.2 +/- 82.1 ml/min (235.9 ml/min in the men and 189.6 ml/min the the women). Compared with other methods used for femoral blood flow studies, we found the duplex ultrasound system reliable, non-invasive, and infinitely repeatable. This method therefore also seems appropriate for clinical studies. In a few tests carried out in trauma patients we found a pronounced increase in blood flow after a few days, and also an expected increase in a patient with arterio-venous fistula and an expected decrease in one with arterial occlusive disease. These examinations were performed to establish a method for further examinations of long-lasting blood flow alterations in trauma patients, which will be reported in another paper."}
{"id": "PMID:1479862", "title": "[Doppler ultrasound measurements of blood circulation of the lower extremity in man. II. Hemodynamics after trauma and operation].", "content": "A duplex ultrasound system was used to examine the blood flow of the common femoral artery in ten young patients with fractures of the lower extremities. Two patients had fractures of both legs. In eight patients the blood flow in the injured leg was comparable with that in the not injured leg. The flow alterations were measured on 3-7 different days over a period of 6-224 days after trauma. All patients showed a significant (to twice or three times that before injury) increase in blood flow in the injured leg a few days after trauma and/or operation, whereas the blood flow in the uninjured leg remained the same or even decreased a little. In the case of undisturbed fracture healing the change in blood flow disappeared within 8-12 weeks, corresponding to fracture consolidation. When fracture healing was delayed and/or further operations on the injured leg were necessary, the blood flow was increased for much longer. The hemodynamics of an injured extremity are compared with those reported elsewhere in the literature. The increased demand for oxygen or energy can explain the changes only in part. Another function of the reflective increase in blood flow could be the temperature increase in the extremity."}
{"id": "PMID:1479865", "title": "[Endosonography of stomach tumors].", "content": "Based on own experience and on the published literature we report about indications and efficiency of endosonography (EUS) in gastric tumors. The following conclusions can be drawn at the present time. Submucous tumors can be clearly differentiated from extragastric compressions. Although the endosonographic aspect does not allow to formulate an etiologic diagnosis, EUS findings can give hints regarding the nature of the submucous tumor (e.g. leiomyoma, lipoma, cyst). In 75% of cases malignant submucous tumors can be visualized and a correct preoperative staging can be performed. EUS is of special importance in the description of gastric carcinoma. The pT stage can be correctly determined preoperatively in about 80% (69-92%) of cases. Accompanying inflammation in early gastric cancer can lead to overstaging. The sensitivity for local lymph node metastases reaches about 77% (50-88%). Gastric non-Hodgkin lymphomas can be excellently visualized with EUS. The sensitivity amounts to 90-100% and in about 90% of cases the extent of the tumor can be correctly determined preoperatively. The response to radio-chemotherapy of gastric non-Hodgkin lymphomas can be monitored easily with the method. At the present time EUS is the most sensitive imaging tool in visualizing and staging of gastric tumors. Its main advantage is the exact demonstration of intramural and paragastric alterations. However, despite the use of high ultrasonic frequencies and the excellent demonstration of even tiny details with EUS, biopsies for histologic evaluation are still mandatory, especially when dealing with gastric ulcer."}
{"id": "PMID:1479866", "title": "[Modified combined omeprazole/amoxicillin therapy for Helicobacter pylori eradication: a pilot study].", "content": "Patients with H.pylori positive peptic ulcer disease were treated with a two weeks regimen consisting of 20 mg omeprazole twice daily and 500 mg amoxicillin six times daily. Subsequently, an H2-receptor antagonist was started (300 mg ranitidine) at night time for four weeks. Before and one month after completion of antibiotic therapy an upper GI-tract endoscopy was performed for determination of H.pylori infection [biopsy urease test (BUT), specific culture and histologic demonstration]. A total of 12 patients completed the study protocol. H.pylori eradication, defined as a negative result in BUT, culture and histology) four weeks after completion of the combined omeprazole/amoxicillin treatment regimen was achieved in 91.6% (11 of 12 patients). Complete ulcer healing was confirmed in all patients. A stomatitis was observed in one female patient as a possible side effect of antibiotic treatment, but this did not necessitate discontinuation of therapy. Only complicated drug regimen with many side effects have been available so far for successful eradication of H.pylori. Thus, the present drug combination might prove as an effective therapeutic option in the future. These data, however, await confirmation in larger study population."}
{"id": "PMID:1479867", "title": "[Preoperative esophagogastroduodenoscopy before elective surgical therapy of symptomatic cholelithiasis].", "content": "We evaluated the data of 1143 patients who underwent preoperative gastroscopy or upper gastrointestinal series before elective surgical treatment of cholelithiasis between January 1, 1981 and December 31, 1990. On these 824 women and 319 men we performed 1064 (93.1%) gastroscopies and only 78 (6.8%) upper gastrointestinal series. The incidence of pathological findings was 30.2% (345 patients), with 68.3% findings of inflammatory nature. In 28 patients (2.5%) cholecystectomy or bile duct exploration was combined with an additional gastrointestinal surgical procedure. In 227 cases (19.8%) biliary surgery was followed by pharmacological treatment of the gastrointestinal disease. Because of the high incidence of simultaneous disease of the upper gastrointestinum we believe that routine preoperative gastroscopy is indicated before elective surgical treatment of cholelithiasis."}
{"id": "PMID:1479868", "title": "[Chilaiditi syndrome--general indications for surgical therapy?].", "content": "The usually asymptomatic Chilaiditi's syndrome is a rare anomaly which in most cases is detected accidentally by x-rays. We report two unusual cases with incarcerated interpositio coli hepato-diaphragmatica. Differential diagnosis and surgical management are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1479871", "title": "Bactericidal action at low doses of a new rifamycin derivative, 3'-hydroxy-5'-(4-isobutyl-1-piperazinyl) benzoxazinorifamycin (KRM-1648) on Mycobacterium leprae inoculated into footpads of nude mice.", "content": "Among a series of newly-synthesized benzoxazinorifamycins, 2 of the 3'-hydroxy-5'-(4-alkyl-1-piperazinyl) derivatives, named KRM-1648 and KRM-2312, whose respective alkyl residues are isobutyl and isopropyl, were examined for efficacy against nude mouse-model leprosy. KRM-1648 completely inhibited the growth of leprosy bacilli inoculated into nude mouse footpads, even 6 months after the medication had been stopped, when given orally at a daily dose of 0.6 mg/kg, 5 or 6 times weekly, during 3-5 months postinoculation. In comparison, the growth inhibition by KRM-2312 was incomplete under the same conditions, though it was still stronger than that by rifampicin. Complete growth inhibition by KRM-1648 was also observed when it was given orally at a dose of 1 or 3 mg/kg twice weekly during the same period. In contrast, the growth inhibition by rifampicin was only slight at 1 mg/kg and partial at 3 mg/kg under the same condition."}
{"id": "PMID:1479872", "title": "Persistence of Mycobacterium leprae in the peripheral nerve as compared to the skin of multidrug-treated leprosy patients.", "content": "Skin and nerve biopsies obtained from 18 multibacillary (MB) and 16 paucibacillary (PB) cases of leprosy who had been fully treated by the WHO regimen were assessed for bacterial load using different staining techniques. In addition skin and nerve homogenates of 10 MB cases were tested for 'persistor' Mycobacterium leprae using immunosuppressed mice. While significant amounts of integral bacilli and BCG cross-reactive antigen of M. leprae were detected both in skin and nerve tissues of all the MB cases (100%), 56% of skin and 62% of nerve biopsies of PB cases also showed the presence of BCG cross-reactive antigen. Detection of 'persistor' M. leprae in 2/10 skin biopsies (20%) and 3/10 nerve biopsies (30%) of MB cases was thought to be unexpectedly high after 2 years of MDT."}
{"id": "PMID:1479873", "title": "The international classification of impairments, disabilities and handicaps in leprosy-control projects.", "content": "The use of a uniform language, which includes definitions of terms, is very important in the field of health care. It is important to have a common language for educational, research and communication purposes. Classifications can play a major role in the development of uniform reporting and registration systems. The purpose of this article is to familiarize leprosy workers with two classifications that are in common use in health care, a classification of diseases and a classification used to describe the overall health status of a person, and to relate the 3 terms that are used in the latter classification, impairments, disabilities and handicaps, to leprosy."}
{"id": "PMID:1479874", "title": "Risk factors among defaulters in the urban leprosy control centre of Thaketa Township in the city of Yangon, Myanmar, 1986.", "content": "A total of 884 registered cases from the city of Yangon were retrospectively analysed. The defaulter proportion among cases registered for treatment at the Thaketa Health Centre was 34.16%. It was established that patient sex and occupation are not a factor in defaulting. Paucibacillary cases and cases with no disability are more likely to default."}
{"id": "PMID:1479875", "title": "Initial intensive therapy for multibacillary leprosy patients--in retrospect.", "content": "We analysed the results of 4845 multibacillary (MB) patients being treated with multidrug treatment (MDT) in the Srikakulam District of Andhra Pradesh, India. Of these, 2309 (47.7%) patients were given an initial 14-day intensive therapy with rifampicin, clofazimine and dapsone, followed by the WHO recommended pulse therapy. The rest of the cases were given only pulse therapy. The improvement in terms of bacteriological clearance and the proportion of cases declared released from treatment (RFT) was found to be significantly higher among patients treated with only pulse therapy. Clinic attendance was found to be better and more regular in patients treated with intensive therapy, and no relapses were seen with either therapy. The implications of these findings on the operational aspects of programme implementation are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1479876", "title": "Immunotherapeutic potential of ICRC vaccine: a case control study.", "content": "A bacteriological follow-up of 16 lepromatous patients with a high initial Bacteriological Index (BI) showed that in 8 randomly selected patients who received single doses of ICRC Vaccine (C44) at the onset of multidrug therapy, the average reduction of BI was from 4.4+ to 1+ in 2 years--3 of these patients became negative and 3 showed BI 1+ or less. Comparable bacteriological assessments in 8 non-vaccinated but otherwise similar patients showed an average reduction of BI from 4.7+ to 2.6+, i.e. consistent with the expected response to MDT in lepromatous patients. Here we discuss the role of immunotherapy and the selection of a desirable antileprosy vaccine in the context of fixed-duration MDT."}
{"id": "PMID:1479877", "title": "Healing rates of plantar ulcers in leprosy and diabetes.", "content": "Comparison was made of wound healing time in a consecutive series of leprosy and diabetic patients with plantar ulceration. In the leprosy group, 66 of 70 (94%) ulcers healed in a mean time of 42.7 (+/- 36.1) days, and in the diabetic group, 75 of 80 (94%) ulcers healed in a mean time of 39.7 (+/- 32.1) days. Analysis of all healed ulcers using a general linear model found wound depth (p < 0.03), and wound diameter (p < 0.05) significantly related to ulcer healing time. Diagnosis, healing devices (cast, splint and cut-out sandal), age and sex were not significant. In diabetic subjects a regression model including depth, diameter and age explained 36% of the variation in healing time. A meaningful regression model was not found in leprosy patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1479881", "title": "Molecular mechanisms of attachment of Rhizobium bacteria to plant roots.", "content": "Attachment of bacteria to plant cells is one of the earliest steps in many plant-bacterium interactions. This review covers the current knowledge on one of the best-studied examples of bacterium-plant attachment, namely the molecular mechanism by which Rhizobium bacteria adhere to plant roots. Despite differences in several studies with regard to growth conditions of bacteria and plants and to methods used for measuring attachment, an overall consensus can be drawn from the available data. Rhizobial attachment to plant root hairs appears to be a two-step process. A bacterial Ca(2+)-binding protein, designated as rhicadhesin, is involved in direct attachment of bacteria to the surface of the root hair cell. Besides this step, there is another step which results mainly in accumulation and anchoring of the bacteria to the surface of the root hair. This leads to so-called firm attachment. Depending on the growth conditions of the bacteria, the latter step is mediated by plant lectins and/or by bacterial appendages such as cellulose fibrils and fimbriae. The possible role of these adhesions in root nodule formation is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1479882", "title": "Mechanisms of the cytopathic action of actin-ADP-ribosylating toxins.", "content": "Clostridium botulinum C2 toxin, Clostridium perfringens iota toxin, and Clostridium spiroforme toxin ADP-ribosylate actin monomers. Toxin-induced ADP-ribosylation disturbs the cellular equilibrium between monomeric and polymeric actin and traps monomeric actin in its unpolymerized form, thereby depolymerizing actin filaments and destroying the microfilament network. Furthermore, the toxins ADP-ribosylate gelsolin actin complexes. These modifications may contribute to the cytopathic action of the toxins."}
{"id": "PMID:1479883", "title": "cis-unsaturated fatty acids specifically inhibit a signal-transducing protein kinase required for initiation of sporulation in Bacillus subtilis.", "content": "The initiation of sporulation in Bacillus subtilis is controlled by the Spo0A transcription factor which is activated by phosphorylation through a phosphorelay mechanism that is dependent upon the activity of one or more protein kinases. The enzymatic activity of one of these protein kinases, KinA, was found to be inhibited in vitro by certain fatty acids. The most potent inhibitors have at least one unsaturated double bond in the cis configuration and a chain length of 16-20 carbon atoms. Homologous isomers with a trans double bond are not inhibitory. Saturated straight- or branched-chain fatty acids are either much weaker inhibitors or have no effect. The inhibitors prevent autophosphorylation of KinA and are non-competitive with ATP. B. subtilis phospholipids were found to contain at least one as yet unidentified type of fatty acid that, when present in an unesterified form, inhibited KinA. The results suggest that the concentration of a specific unsaturated fatty acid may act as a signal linking the initiation of sporulation to the status of membrane synthesis and septation or some other specific membrane-associated activity."}
{"id": "PMID:1479884", "title": "Cloning and characterization of a gene encoding flagellin of Listeria monocytogenes.", "content": "The gene, flaA, encoding the flagellin protein of Listeria monocytogenes (strain 12067) has been isolated from an expression library in Escherichia coli using a flagellin-specific monoclonal antibody. DNA sequence analysis of a positive clone revealed the presence of an open reading frame of 287 amino acid residues with a calculated molecular mass of 30.4 kDa. Comparison of this sequence with flagellins from other bacteria showed a significant degree of homology in both the N- and C-terminal parts of the protein. The flagellin mRNA was determined to be 1 kb in size, which is the expected size for a monocistronic mRNA, and the temperature-dependent expression of flagellin was found to be regulated at the transcriptional level. Southern blot analysis, using the flagellin gene as probe, indicated that L. monocytogenes can be divided into two groups. These groups correspond to the flagellar antigens AB and ABC, respectively, as well as to the two types of L. monocytogenes based on the DNA sequence of the listeriolysin gene."}
{"id": "PMID:1479885", "title": "An inverted repeat preceding the Bacillus subtilis glpD gene is a conditional terminator of transcription.", "content": "The Bacillus subtilis glpD gene, encoding glycerol-3-phosphate (G3P) dehydrogenase, is preceded by a promoter and an inverted repeat which is located between the promoter and the glpD coding region. The inverted repeat acts as a transcriptional terminator in vitro. Expression of glpD is induced by G3P in the presence of the glpP gene product. Full-length glpD transcripts can be detected only in glycerol-induced cells. The major glpD transcript is initiated from the glpD promoter but minor amounts of larger transcripts, possibly initiated at upstream glp promoters, can also be found. In uninduced cells short transcripts are present, corresponding to initiation at the glpD promoter and termination at the inverted repeat. Upon induction, these short transcripts disappear and are replaced by full-length glpD transcripts. The 3'-ends of full-length glpD transcripts were mapped to an inverted repeat located immediately downstream of glpD. These results show that glpD of B. subtilis is regulated by termination/antitermination of transcription."}
{"id": "PMID:1479886", "title": "Gene disruption identifies a 290 kDa cell-surface polypeptide conferring hydrophobicity and coaggregation properties in Streptococcus gordonii.", "content": "The C-terminal coding region of the gene (denoted cshA) encoding a high-molecular-mass (290 kDa) cell-surface polypeptide in the oral bacterium Streptococcus gordonii was cloned and sequenced. Insertion of ermAM into the S. gordonii chromosome at the 3' end of the coding region of cshA led to the production of isogenic mutants that secreted a truncated form (260 kDa) of the CshA polypeptide into the growth medium. Mutants had reduced cell-surface hydrophobicity and were impaired in their ability to coaggregate with oral actinomyces. The results identify a carboxyl terminus-anchored cell-surface protein determinant of hydrophobicity and coaggregation in S. gordonii."}
{"id": "PMID:1479887", "title": "The TraM protein of the conjugative plasmid F binds to the origin of transfer of the F and ColE1 plasmids.", "content": "The gene encoding the TraM protein of the conjugative plasmid F was cloned, overexpressed and the gene product was purified. The TraM protein was found in the cytoplasm of cells carrying the F plasmid with a smaller amount in the inner membrane. DNase I footprinting experiments showed that the purified protein protects three regions in the F oriT locus with different affinity for the upper and lower strands of DNA. A 15-nucleotide motif was identified within the protected regions that represented the DNA-binding site. The TraM protein was also found to bind to a sequence in the oriT region of the non-conjugative plasmid ColE1 that resembles the three binding sites in the F oriT region."}
{"id": "PMID:1479888", "title": "Sequence alterations affecting F plasmid transfer gene expression: a conjugation system dependent on transcription by the RNA polymerase of phage T7.", "content": "We constructed derivatives of the Escherichia coli conjugative plasmid F that carry altered sequences in place of the major transfer operon promoter, PY. Replacement of PY with a promoter-deficient sequence resulted in a transfer-deficient, F-pilus-specific phage-resistant plasmid (pOX38-tra701) that could still express TraJ and TraT; TraY, F-pilin, TraD, and TraI were not detectable on Western blots. On a second plasmid (pOX38-tra715) we replaced PY with a phage T7 late promoter sequence. In hosts carrying a lacUV5-promoter-regulated T7 RNA polymerase gene, all transfer-associated properties of pOX38-tra715 could be regulated with IPTG. After induction, pOX38-tra715 transferred at the wild-type frequency, expressed normal numbers of F-pili and conferred sensitivity to pilus-specific phages. No adverse effects on cell viability were apparent, and additional mutations could easily be crossed onto pOX38-tra715. A traJ deletion (pOX38-tra716) had no effect on the IPTG-induced transfer phenotype. Insertion of cam into trbC, resulted in a mutant (pOX38-tra715trbC33) which, after induction, exhibited the same phenotype associated with other trbC mutants; it could also be complemented by expression of trbC in trans. With pOX38-tra715 or its derivatives, we were able to label specifically the products of tra genes located throughout the long tra operon, by using rifampicin. This feature can be used to investigate transfer protein interactions and to follow changes in these proteins that are associated with conjugal mating events."}
{"id": "PMID:1479890", "title": "Determination of a specific region of the purine-cytosine permease involved in the recognition of its substrates.", "content": "Three u.v.-induced mutants of the purine-cytosine permease gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, with altered apparent Michaelis constant of transport (Kmapp), were cloned and sequenced. One of the mutants had extensive nucleotide replacement, whereas the other two had a single mutation. To evaluate the contribution of the different amino acid replacements to the phenotype of the complex mutant, simpler mutants were created by site-directed mutagenesis. All the amino acid replacements found in the segment from amino acids 371 to 377 inclusive, contribute to the determination of the phenotype. According to the model postulated this segment lies on the cell surface. In particular, amino acids at position 374 and 377 modulate the affinity of the permease towards its substrates. In the wild-type, when asparagine is present at both of these positions, the lowest Kmapp values are found."}
{"id": "PMID:1479889", "title": "Determinants of an unusually stable mRNA in the bacterium Myxococcus xanthus.", "content": "Myxococcus xanthus is a Gram-negative bacterium which has a complex life cycle that includes development (fruiting body formation). The gene for myxobacterial haemagglutinin, mbhA, is developmentally regulated and highly expressed. In this report we show that the mbhA mRNA is exceptionally stable for a prokaryotic organism, exhibiting a chemical half life (t1/2) of 150 min at 18 h of development. The mbhA mRNA was not stable in vegetatively growing cells nor was it stable when expressed in Escherichia coli. We have used site-directed mutagenesis of the mbhA gene to analyse some of the determinants which mediate the stability of the mbhA transcript. Sequences within the 3'-untranslated region (3'-UTR) were found to be crucial for mRNA stability. This region of mRNA can potentially form an extremely stable stem-loop structure immediately adjacent to the translational stop codon. A deletion within this region caused a 10-fold increase in the decay rate of the transcript. Furthermore, conditions which were associated with reduced mbhA translation or mutations that caused premature termination of translation drastically reduced mRNA stability even in the presence of the wild type 3'-UTR. These results suggest that a significant aspect of mbhA mRNA stability involves a synergistic interaction of the translational machinery with sequence elements within the 3'-UTR."}
{"id": "PMID:1479891", "title": "Identification of functional regions of the positively acting regulatory gene amdR from Aspergillus nidulans.", "content": "The amdR (intA) regulatory gene of Aspergillus nidulans encodes a 765-amino-acid polypeptide which determines the omega-amino acid induction of at least five structural genes. The AmdR polypeptide contains a potential Zn(II)2Cys6 DNA-binding motif which has been shown to be present in the N-terminal region of a large number of fungal activator proteins. In vitro mutagenesis of the fourth cysteine of this motif abolishes AmdR function as shown by loss of complementation of an amdR- mutation and by the AmdR- phenotype of a mutant gene replacement strain. Studies using constructs in which the proposed AmdR DNA-binding motif is replaced with that from another activator, FacB, shows that induction is independent of DNA-binding specificity and that sequences in the C-terminal region of AmdR are activation domains. Sequencing of several amdR mutant alleles which affect activation and/or induction, together with studies of deletion constructs indicate that changes in the conformation of the protein determines its activity and that this is modulated by inducers."}
{"id": "PMID:1479892", "title": "Recombination between genes encoding major outer surface proteins A and B of Borrelia burgdorferi.", "content": "Borrelia burgdorferi causes Lyme disease, a multisystem illness that can persist in humans for many years. We describe recombination between homologous genes encoding the major outer surface proteins (Osps) A and B of B. burgdorferi which both deletes osp gene sequences and creates chimaeric gene fusions. Recombinant osp genes occur in multiple strains and encode unique proteins that lack some characteristic Osp epitopes. Antigenic variation in Osp through recombination may be relevant to the persistence of B. burgdorferi in an infected host, and has important implications for the utility of OspA and OspB as diagnostic or vaccine candidates for Lyme disease. We also describe Osp variation arising from nonsense mutations and sequence divergence, which may also represent significant sources of Osp polymorphism."}
{"id": "PMID:1479893", "title": "The chromosomal integration site for the Streptomyces plasmid SLP1 is a functional tRNA(Tyr) gene essential for cell viability.", "content": "The genetic element SLP1 exists in nature as a single DNA segment integrated into the genome of Streptomyces coelicolor. Upon mating with Streptomyces lividans, a closely related species, SLP1 undergoes precise excision from its chromosomal site and is transferred into the recipient where it integrates chromosomally. Previous work has shown that integration and excision involve site-specific recombination between a chromosomal site, attB, and a virtually identical sequence, attP, on SLP1. We demonstrate here by means of gene replacement that a tRNA(Tyr) sequence that overlaps part of the attB site of S. lividans is both biologically functional and essential for cell viability. The requirement for this tRNA gene has been used to stabilize the inheritance of a segrationally unstable plasmid in cells lacking a chromosomal attB site. The evolution of an essential DNA locus as an attachment site for a chromosomally integrating genetic element represents a novel mechanism of biological adaptation."}
{"id": "PMID:1479894", "title": "Evidence that the hrpB gene encodes a positive regulator of pathogenicity genes from Pseudomonas solanacearum.", "content": "The hrp gene cluster of Pseudomonas solanacearum GMI1000 strain encodes functions that are essential for pathogenicity on tomato and for the elicitation of the hypersensitive response on tobacco. In this study, we present the nucleotide sequence of one of the hrp genes (hrpB) located at the left-hand end of the cluster and we show that hrpB encodes a positive regulator controlling the expression of hrp genes. hrpB has a coding capacity for a 477-amino-acid polypeptide, which shows significant similarity to several prokaryotic transcriptional activators including the AraC protein of Escherichia coli, the XylS protein of Pseudomonas putida and the VirF protein of Yersinia enterocolitica. The predicted hrpB gene product belongs to a family of bacterial regulators different from the previously described HrpS protein of the hrp gene cluster of Pseudomonas syringae pv. phaseolicola. Genetic evidence demonstrates that the hrpB gene product acts as a positive regulator of the expression in minimal medium of all but one of the putative transcription units of the hrp gene cluster and also controls the expression of genes located outside this cluster. We also show in this paper that the transcription of hrpB is induced in minimal medium and is partly autoregulated."}
{"id": "PMID:1479921", "title": "Complementary DNA synthesis in situ: methods and applications.", "content": "In situ transcription is the synthesis of cDNA within cells. This chapter has illustrated some of the application of IST to the study of gene expression in complex cell environments. While the importance of transcription in modulating cellular activity has been long appreciated, the role of translational control mechanisms in regulating central nervous system functioning is just beginning to be recognized. Previous limitations in the availability of tissue have made it difficult to construct cDNA libraries from defined cell populations, to examine translational control, and to quantitate differences in the amount of mRNA for many distinct mRNAs in the same sample. In situ transcription facilitates all of these procedures, making it possible to characterize aspects of gene regulation that were previously difficult. Indeed, taken to its furthest extreme it is now possible to characterize gene expression in single live cells. This level of analysis allows basic questions, such as How different morphologically identical cells are at the level of gene expression, and How synaptic connectivity and glial interactions influence gene expression in single cells, to be experimentally approached. The ability to characterize gene expression in small amounts of tissue and single cells is critical to gaining an understanding of the contribution of specific cell types to the physiology of the central nervous system."}
{"id": "PMID:1479922", "title": "A121--an antifungal compound from Streptomyces species.", "content": "A non-polyene antifungal antibiotic, A121, produced by an unidentified strain of Streptomyces species was isolated and purified to homogeneity. This antibiotic was found to be active against a number of filamentous fungi including some plant and human pathogens. On the basis of its infrared spectrum, proton magnetic resonance, mass spectra, and some chemical derivatives, a plausible chemical constitution of this antibiotic is proposed. Its antibiotic activity apparently requires the presence of an alpha-ketol system in the molecule."}
{"id": "PMID:1479923", "title": "The endodontic microflora revisited.", "content": "The microbial flora of 35 dental root canals were examined, taking care to maintain the viability of obligate anaerobes which accounted for 45% of total isolations, while streptococcal species accounted for 24% of the total species isolated. Individual root canals yielded a maximum of eight bacterial species. A total of 40 different species was isolated of which the most prevalent were the facultative anaerobe Streptococcus sanguis and the obligate anaerobe, Peptostreptococcus micros (both in 23% of root canals), followed by Eubacterium aerofaciens and the 'Streptococcus milleri group' (both 17%) then Prevotella melaninogenica (formerly Bacteroides melaninogenicus), Enterococcus faecalis and Prevotella oralis (formerly Bacteroides oralis), which were each isolated from 14% of root canals. Highly significant associations were discovered between four pairs of species, viz P. melaninogenica with P. micros, P. melaninogenica with P. oralis, Prevotella corporis with Streptococcus morbillorum and Actinomyces odontolyticus with E. faecalis."}
{"id": "PMID:1479924", "title": "Variable infections with and serologic responses of rabbits to five different HIV-1 strains, including one neural tissue isolate.", "content": "The infectivity of different strains of HIV-1 in rabbits was investigated. The HIV-1RF and HIV-1MN inocula induced anti-envelope antibodies detectable by Western blot, and in the case of HIV-1RF, these antibodies were also detectable by ELISA. The peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) and lymph nodes from rabbits inoculated with HIV-1IIIB, HIV-1MN and HIV-1Z3, were positive for virus by culture and by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). HIV-1BRVA, originally isolated from a patient with AIDS dementia, infected the brain of the inoculated rabbit, as indicated by both virus culture and PCR. In this case PCR was positive using four different primer pairs. Throughout the study, rabbits showed no clinical signs of HIV-1 infection and no remarkable histopathology was observed in the tissues examined. The apparent differences in infectivity and tissue tropism of the five HIV-1 strains demonstrated here provide additional evidence that the rabbit may serve as a useful model for studying HIV-1 infection and pathogenesis."}
{"id": "PMID:1479926", "title": "The Benjamin W. Zweifach Award Lecture. Blood cell deformability and interactions: from molecules to micromechanics and microcirculation.", "content": "RBC deformability and PMN-endothelial interaction have been used as two examples to illustrate how recent investigations have generated information from molecules to micromechanics and the microcirculation, and how some of the results can be used to understand the physiology and pathophysiology in man. While this presentation on the molecular basis of microcirculatory events is focused on micromechanics, active work is being conducted to establish the molecular basis of many other microcirculatory processes. These include endothelial transport, vascular smooth muscle activity, neurohumoral control of the microcirculation, and angiogenesis, as well as some of the disease states such as ischemia, shock, and cancer. The field is still in its infancy, and we are only seeing the tip of the iceberg. Further developments in this fertile interdisciplinary field will allow us to gain further understanding of the molecular basis of the microcirculatory processes in health and disease. (i) The deformability and interactions of blood cells play a significant role in microcirculatory dynamics. (ii) Modern biological approaches have provided insights into the molecular bases of blood cell deformability and interactions. (iii) Understanding of the physiology and pathophysiology of the microcirculation requires the application of knowledge derived from molecular and cell biological studies to the in vivo microcirculatory preparations. (iv) Bridging of the new biology and in vivo microcirculatory investigations represents a great challenge and a golden opportunity for microcirculation researchers."}
{"id": "PMID:1479927", "title": "The microvasculature in skeletal muscle. VI. Adrenergic innervation of arterioles in normotensive and spontaneously hypertensive rats.", "content": "A microanatomical study of the adrenergic nerve plexus on the arterioles in the spinotrapezius muscle of normotensive and spontaneously hypertensive rats was carried out. The spinotrapezius muscle was selected since its microvasculature has been reconstructed in previous studies of this series. A modified glyoxylic acid amine densification technique was used to visualize the major portion of the microvascular nerve plexus. The nerve plexus density was quantified in the form of fiber length per unit area of vascular smooth muscle media. The adrenergic innervation was found to be limited to the arterial/arteriolar side of the microcirculation and positioned in close vicinity to vascular smooth muscle, in line with previous reports. Substantial variations of the nerve plexus density could be detected along the arterioles. Arcade arterioles show a significant reduction of the adrenergic innervation compared to that of the thoracodorsal supply artery. There was a significant elevation of the nerve plexus density at the origin of the transverse arterioles at the arcade arterioles, a site that in the past has been shown to exhibit the highest microvascular tonus in all arterioles of this organ. Distal to this site, transverse arterioles exhibit a progressive reduction of adrenergic plexus density toward their capillary endings, in line with the termination of vascular smooth muscle in these small branches. Sporadic fiber extensions were encountered leading from some of the transverse arterioles into the capillary network per se, but no regular innervation was detected in capillaries or in venules. These results suggest that the transverse arterioles may play a central role in nervous control of blood flow to the capillaries of muscle. Compared with the Wistar and Wistar-Kyoto strain, the spontaneously hypertensive rats exhibit qualitatively a similar pattern, but show quantitatively a significantly higher plexus density in the thoracodorsal artery and the arcade arterioles, a factor that may contribute to the elevated arteriolar tone."}
{"id": "PMID:1479928", "title": "Effect of calcium on the vasoactive response of arterioles to light during fluorescent intravital microscopy of the tibialis anterior muscle of the hamster.", "content": "Arterioles may undergo a transient vasoactive response when exposed to light during fluorescent intravital microscopy. We hypothesized that the type and frequency of the vasoactive responses by arterioles to light is calcium dependent. In order to test this hypothesis we quantitated the type and frequency of vasoactive responses by arterioles to light in the presence and absence of calcium within the suffusate bathing the muscle. In addition, we determined whether the presence or absence of calcium also influenced the reactivity of these arterioles to adenosine and norepinephrine. In separate experiments, we determined the effect of increases in suffusate calcium concentration on the resting diameter of arterioles. The concentration of calcium in the suffusate significantly influenced the frequency of light-induced vasoactivity of the arterioles of the tibialis anterior muscle: a normal suffusate calcium concentration of 2 x 10(-3) M was associated with an incidence of light-induced vasoreactivity of 77% but decreased significantly to 58% when calcium was removed from the suffusate. Although the frequency of the vasoactive response to light was different for the two experimental conditions, the type of vasoactive response, predominately vasomotion, was similar. The vasoactive responses of arterioles to adenosine and norepinephrine were similar in the presence and absence of calcium in the suffusate. However, the concentration of calcium in the suffusate did significantly influence resting arteriolar diameters: 2 x 10(-3) M calcium CaCl2 caused a mean decrease in the arteriolar diameter of 11.6 (+/- 3.0)%, 4 x 10(-3) M CaCl2 caused a mean decrease of 41.2 (+/- 12)%, and 8 x 10(-3) M CaCl2 caused a mean decrease of 55.4 (+/- 14.4)%. These results show that the concentration of calcium in the suffusate bathing the tibialis anterior muscle during fluorescent intravital microscopy significantly influences the vasoactive response of arterioles to light. Further investigation of the mechanisms of light-induced effects on microcirculation during fluorescent intravital microscopy will become important as this technique is used more widely in the study of the microcirculation of solid tissues and organs."}
{"id": "PMID:1479929", "title": "Erythrocyte velocity and total blood flow in the extraembryonic circulation of early chick embryos determined by digital video technique.", "content": "RBC velocity was determined in the major blood vessels of the extraembryonic circulation of early chick embryos between Day 4 and Day 6 of development using fluorescent-labeled erythrocytes. Measurements were performed by applying a digital frame-by-frame video technique. The expenditure of operator interaction was minimized by computer support. Velocity measurements of more than 15,000 labeled blood cells were evaluated for mean RBC velocity and volume flow of 354 venous blood vessel segments. Linear regression for the power function of the calculated volume flow vs the vessel diameter yielded an exponent of 2.77 at Day 4, increasing to 2.96 by Day 6. Applying Murray's model of energetic cost, these data indicate that in the course of development the newly formed extraembryonic vascular system is optimized in terms of minimizing cardiac work. The total extraembryonic blood flow as calculated from the sum of the volume flows of the main veins was 656 +/- 218 and 1169 +/- 409 nl/sec at Day 4 and Day 6, respectively. Using previously determined values of blood oxygen concentration, embryonic oxygen uptakes of 9.6 nl/sec (Day 4) and 40.2 nl/sec (Day 6) were calculated."}
{"id": "PMID:1479930", "title": "Transvascular albumin and IgG flux in skin and skeletal muscle following plasmapheresis.", "content": "The extravascular uptake for labeled albumin and IgG and the extravascular masses for endogenous albumin and IgG were measured in skin and skeletal muscle from anesthetized rabbits following 24 hr of intermittent plasmapheresis. An amount of protein equivalent to the total intravascular protein mass was removed. There was a significant reduction in the extravascular mass for albumin in both tissues and for IgG in skin. The shift of albumin out of the extravascular space of skin and skeletal muscle could account for 95% of the vascular replacement of albumin. The extravascular uptake for the labeled proteins was measured as the 1-hr extravascular distribution space at plasma concentration divided by time and expressed as a plasma clearance. The plasma volume in the tissue samples was estimated from the 3-min distribution space for labeled transferrin. Following plasmapheresis the rate of extravascular uptake for both labeled proteins was greater than that for control or sham-operated animals, suggesting an increase in transvascular protein permeability. The transvascular fluxes for native albumin and IgG were not increased due to the decrease in the plasma concentrations. The results were consistent with the major mechanism for a shift of plasma proteins being due to a decrease in plasma protein concentration and a subsequent increase in lymph flow instead of a decrease in transvascular protein permeability."}
{"id": "PMID:1479931", "title": "Determination of fluid extraction and osmotic conductance sigma K in the lung with hypertonic NaCl infusion. I. Theory.", "content": "A dispersion and extraction model of the lung is developed to assess how the infusion of hypertonic saline into the pulmonary artery changes the gravimetric density of pulmonary venous blood. The dispersion analysis is built on the indicator dilution curve measured for the pulmonary circulation. The extraction model consists of microvascular and interstitial compartments separated by a permeable pulmonary endothelium. Because the density of fluid extracted by the hypertonic disturbance is lower than the blood density, the extraction leads to a decrease in blood density. Two cases of fluid extraction are analyzed, a hypertonic infusion to elevate the osmotic pressure in the pulmonary arterial blood in the form of a step function and an infusion performed over a period of 1 sec. Both cases show that the dispersion significantly attenuates the changes in osmotic pressure and density as they are transported by the blood along the pulmonary vasculature. Because the model has taken into account the effect of dispersion and pulmonary blood flow, the equations developed here provide the basis to calculate from the density change in pulmonary venous blood the characteristics of osmotic extraction intrinsic to the lung."}
{"id": "PMID:1479932", "title": "Determination of fluid extraction and osmotic conductance sigma K in the lung with hypertonic NaCl infusion. II. Experiments.", "content": "The change in venous blood density in an in vitro rabbit lung preparation was measured after the osmolarity of the blood was elevated 17 to 50 mosmol/liter by a constant arterial infusion of hypertonic saline. We observed a transient density decrease of the blood flowing from the lung and then a return to the preinfusion density within 10 sec, an indication of the rapid completion of fluid extraction from the interstitia by the elevation in osmotic pressure. By fitting the time course of the density change with the prediction of an extraction model, we obtained the osmotic conductance sigma K (the product of the reflection and filtration coefficient) of the lung due to the increase in NaCl osmotic pressure as 1.33 +/- 0.18 ml/[hr.(mosmol/liter).g wet lung tissue] (mean +/- SEM), the interstitial volume participating in the extraction process as 0.27 +/- 0.04 ml/g of lung tissue, and the volume of fluid extracted as 1.12 +/- 0.16 microliter/g tissue for every mosmol/liter elevation. Since we also found no significant difference between the osmotic extraction parameters determined in blood-perfused lungs and those determined in plasma-perfused lungs, we concluded that the rapid density change is the result of the fluid extraction and not the flow impediment of red blood cells caused by the increase in osmolarity."}
{"id": "PMID:1479958", "title": "The effects of magnesium, calcium, EDTA, and pH on the in vitro adhesion of Staphylococcus epidermidis to plastic.", "content": "The effects of increasing concentrations of magnesium (Mg2+), calcium (Ca2+) or EDTA, and pH on the adhesion of five slime-positive strains of Staphylococcus epidermidis (Se+) to plastic were examined using an in vitro microwell assay. The addition of Mg2+ (as either MgSO4 or MgCl2) to the bacterial suspension in concentrations as low as 16 microM significantly enhanced the adhesion of all test strains to plastic (P < 0.001). Similarly, the addition of Ca2+ (as CaCl2) in concentrations exceeding 128 microM produced a significant increase in the adhesion of all test strains, but not to the extent observed with Mg2+. In contrast, the adhesion of all test strains to plastic was significantly reduced in the presence of EDTA at concentrations greater than 8 mM. However, EDTA in concentrations as low as 0.25 mM caused a significant decrease in the adhesion of two strains of Se+. The effect of pH was variable, but at a pH of 5.0 and 6.0, the adhesion of all test strains was significantly reduced compared to control values at a pH of 7.0. Two strains showed a significant increase in adhesion at a pH of 8.0. We also compared the effects of these variables on the adherence of a slime-negative phase variant derived from a slime-positive parent strain. With the exception of pH, the adhesion of both strains in response to increasing divalent cations or EDTA was similar. These data indicate that, in addition to hydrophobic interactions, ligand-specific binding, and slime production, pH and divalent cations, especially Mg2+, are important determinants of the adhesion of S. epidermidis to plastic surfaces in vitro.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1479959", "title": "Seroepidemiological survey for antibody to Borrelia burgdorferi in cows.", "content": "Antibody to Borrelia burgdorferi was examined in 380 healthy and 38 clinical cases of cows from Hokkaido and Shizuoka in Japan. In healthy animals, IgG and IgM antibody to B. burgdorferi HO14 strain were found in 44 cows (14.6%) and 24 cows (8.0%) from Hokkaido. In contrast, antibody-positive case was not observed except for only 1 case which was IgM positive (1/79: 1.3%) in cows from Shizuoka. Mean antibody levels of healthy animals in Hokkaido and Shizuoka were 0.651 and 0.263 (IgG antibody to HO14 strain), 0.642 and 0.169 (IgG to HP3 strain), 0.613 and 0.367 (IgM to HO14 strain) and 0.582 and 0.286 (IgM to HP3 strain). The differences of the antibody levels between cows from Hokkaido and Shizuoka were significant. Seasonal difference was found in seropositive cows from Hokkaido. The rate of seropositive cows was high in summer (23.4% in June and 11.8% in July) but low in winter (0% in January and February). The pattern was discussed to be associated with activation of ticks. One of 4 cows with arthritis showed significantly higher IgG antibody level than that of healthy cows and cows with some disease, although the serum was collected from Shizuoka where antibody-positive animals for B. burgdorferi were rare among healthy cows. This high IgG antibody may suggest that the arthritis of such cows was caused by infection with B. burgdorferi. Two of 7 cows with unclassified abortion showed positive antibody reaction in Hokkaido. These cases, however, may not be related to the B. burgdorferi infection because the positive rate was similar to those of healthy cows in the same season."}
{"id": "PMID:1479960", "title": "Pathogenicity of Bacteroides fragilis group in rat intra-abdominal abscesses.", "content": "Attempts were made to study the pathogenicity of some strains of Bacteroides fragilis group in the rat intra-abdominal abscess model. Multiple intraabdominal abscesses were produced in 50 to 70% of animals when an inoculum containing 10(9) CFU/ml of any of the five species of Bacteroides fragilis group was injected. Rising homologous antibody titers determined by indirect fluorescent antibody test were observed till the 3rd week when tested last, indirectly confirming the multiplication of the organisms as also evident by viable count of bacteria in the abscesses. In some cases in addition to inoculated organisms some intestinal bacteria like Escherichia coli, Proteus mirabilis and Streptococcus spp. were also recovered from the abscess pus. Studies with the electron microscope showed presence of capsular polysaccharide only in Bacteroides fragilis and Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron. It was doubtful in Bacteroides distasonis and absent in Bacteroides ovatus and Bacteroides vulgatus, suggesting that virulence factor beside the capsular polysaccharide may be playing a role. Further studies are required to investigate the virulence factor responsible for the pathogenicity of noncapsulated species."}
{"id": "PMID:1479961", "title": "Nucleotide sequence analysis of the class G tetracycline resistance determinant from Vibrio anguillarum.", "content": "The nucleotide sequence of the class G tetracycline resistance determinant previously isolated from Vibrio anguillarum has been determined. Two open reading frames of divergent polarity were identified. A resistance gene (tet A) encodes a protein of 393 amino acid residues (deduced molecular mass of 40.9 kDa), and a repressor gene (tet R) encodes a protein consisting of 210 amino acids with a calculated molecular mass of 23.6 kDa. Based on the deduced amino acid sequences, the proteins of tet A(G) and tet R(G) are about 60% homologous with those of RP1/Tn1721 (class A) and pSC101/pBR322 (class C), and about 50% homologous with Tn10 (class B). The relationship of the tet (G) sequence to five known tetracycline resistance determinants (class A to E) is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1479962", "title": "Effects of human intravenous immune globulin on diarrhea caused by Shiga-like toxin I and Shiga-like toxin II in infant rabbits.", "content": "Shiga toxin and the related Shiga-like toxins (SLT), produced by Escherichia coli, can cause hemorrhagic colitis and hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). Human intravenous immune globulin (HIVIg) blocks the cytotoxicity of some SLTs in vitro. To examine the ability of HIVIg to modify disease caused by Shiga-like toxin I or Shiga-like toxin II (SLT-I or SLT-II), we injected 3-day-old rabbits intraperitoneally with SLT-containing cell-free supernatants from Escherichia coli O157: H7. A subset of rabbits was treated with subcutaneous HIVIg. All rabbits given 10(4) CD50 of SLT-I developed severe diarrhea, and 5 died. When HIVIg 500 mg/kg was given in addition to SLT-I, only 6 of 18 rabbits (33.3%) developed diarrhea (P < 0.0001), and 1 died. HIVIg 500 mg/kg or 1,000 mg/kg protected against diarrhea when given one hour prior to toxin. HIVIg 1,000 mg/kg was protective when administered one hour after toxin, but not at 6 or 24 hr. Seventeen of 18 rabbits given 10(6) CD50 of SLT-II developed severe diarrhea, and 4 died. In contrast to SLT-I-associated disease, HIVIg had no effect on diarrhea in rabbits given SLT-II. We conclude that HIVIg protects infant rabbits from diarrhea and death caused by intraperitoneally administered SLT-I, but does not affect the course of SLT-II-associated illness."}
{"id": "PMID:1479963", "title": "Impaired NK response of cancer patients to IFN-alpha but not to IL-2: correlation with serum immunosuppressive acidic protein (IAP) and role of suppressor macrophage.", "content": "In vitro NK responses of cancer patients (N = 21) to rIFN-alpha A and rIL-2 were examined. The serum concentration of IAP (immunosuppressive acidic protein) was determined in parallel. Five out of seven patients whose serum IAP contents were within the normal range (270 micrograms/ml to 470 micrograms/ml), had their NK activities significantly augmented by rIFN-alpha A and rIL-2. On the other hand, NK cells from ten out of fifteen patients whose serum IAP concentrations were 650 micrograms/ml or more, were not activated by rIFN-alpha A. NK cells of these fifteen patients yet were capable of responding to rIL-2. NK cells from cancer patients, however, became responsive to rIFN-alpha A by either removal of adherent cells or treatment with indomethacin. Therefore, macrophages in PBMC of cancer patients with high serum IAP levels seem to selectively suppress NK response to rIFN-alpha A by an indomethacin-sensitive mechanisms. It was further shown that PGE2 was not the mediator of this suppression."}
{"id": "PMID:1479964", "title": "Comparison of secretory acid proteinases from Candida tropicalis, C. parapsilosis and C. albicans.", "content": "Acid proteinases secreted by Candida tropicalis and C. parapsilosis were newly isolated. Their physico-chemical and enzymatic properties of molecular weight, pH stability, isoelectric points, specific activity, and N-terminal amino acid sequences were determined and compared with those of a C. albicans acid proteinase. The two acid proteinases secreted by C. parapsilosis were found to be new enzymes in their molecular weights. The acid proteinases from C. tropicalis and C. parapsilosis showed lower activity at neutral pH, less resistance to neutral and alkaline pH than that from C. albicans, and a half or a third of the specific activity of the C. albicans enzyme. These differences seemed to be associated with the difference of pathogenesis between Candida species. Of the 31 N-terminal amino acids, the enzymes of these three Candida species revealed 12 homologous amino acids."}
{"id": "PMID:1479970", "title": "A perinatal perspective on South Australia in the 1980s.", "content": "To assess changes in sociodemographic characteristics of mothers, their obstetric management and perinatal outcomes in the 1980s. A survey of data recorded in the South Australian perinatal data collection. For singleton births, we compared risks of stillbirth, neonatal death and perinatal death by year of birth, after adjusting for risk factors. There were 176,637 births of at least 400 g birthweight (or at least 20 weeks' gestation) notified to the perinatal data collection between 1981 and 1989. Frequency of risk factors and relative risks of stillbirth, neonatal death and perinatal death by year of birth. There have been changes in the sociodemographic characteristics of mothers, their obstetric management and perinatal outcomes during the 1980s. Crude perinatal mortality rates have not increased, despite increases in the frequency of low birthweight, preterm births, mothers aged 35 years and over, and some other risk factors. After adjusting for risk factors, the risks of stillbirth, neonatal death and perinatal death were lower among singletons in 1987-1989 than in the 1981-1982 reference period. Advances in clinical management may be preventing increases in stillbirths, neonatal deaths and perinatal deaths in response to increased numbers of births with low birthweight, preterm delivery and some other risk factors in South Australia."}
{"id": "PMID:1479971", "title": "Group A streptococcal infection in an aboriginal community.", "content": "To determine whether group A streptococcal infection and poststreptococcal sequelae are still a significant health issue for Aboriginal communities. A cross-sectional survey of streptococcal carriage, infection and antibody levels. A north Queensland Aboriginal community. One hundred and twenty preschool and school-aged children (2 to 12 years of age) living in the Lockhart River Community on Cape York Peninsula. Pyoderma was present in 43% of the children and in 76% of these culture of skin lesions grew group A streptococci. Group A streptococci also grew from 13% of throat swabs, making a total of 36% of children culture positive. Anti-streptolysin O and anti-DNAase B levels were remarkably high and increased with age. The evidence presented confirms a high level of group A streptococcal carriage and infection in children of the Lockhart River Community. Further investigation of this problem is warranted in other Aboriginal communities with a view to instituting appropriate control programs."}
{"id": "PMID:1479972", "title": "Relieving medical officers in Queensland country hospitals.", "content": "Evaluation of training and preparedness of Queensland country hospital relieving staff to perform their duties. A postal survey of 208 medical graduates who graduated in 1983 and were first enrolled on the Queensland Medical Register in 1985. Among the problems described was a lack of practical training in obstetrics, anaesthetics, paediatrics and emergency services. Most respondents (83%) stated that their total experience had been inadequate to provide the services required of them as relievers. Unsupervised services were provided by inexperienced junior doctors. Seventy-two per cent of all obstetric relievers, and 57% of all anaesthetic relievers, had completed three months or less of supervised postgraduate training at the time of the survey. This was reflected in poor levels of confidence to perform basic procedures, despite the fact that a high percentage of respondents had been called upon to do this. Both undergraduate and postgraduate training was felt to be inadequate. Suggestions made by respondents focused primarily on the provision of supervised \"hands-on\" clinical experience, with longer and more practically oriented training at both levels, decentralisation of teaching, and more readily available formal non-specialist qualifications in obstetrics and anaesthetics. Most respondents claimed that they were inadequately prepared for the relieving experience. The provision of supervised hands-on basic clinical training and that of competent country relievers might both be achieved by longer rotations to provincial centres on a regular basis in the early postgraduate years."}
{"id": "PMID:1479978", "title": "Ethics in aboriginal research. A model for minorities or for all?", "content": "Guidelines for research among Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders were approved by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) in 1991. The recommendations seem more stringent than those previously published by the NHMRC for medical research in general. Several States independently have proposed or promulgated similar guidelines for Aboriginal research. This paper indicates the themes common to such guidelines and how they seek both to redress past faults and to encourage a greater participation and authority by Aboriginal communities when research is conducted among them. It is suggested that the guidelines raise questions about the control of research and the role of consumer groups that are of far-reaching importance to medicine."}
{"id": "PMID:1479980", "title": "The quantification of alcohol-caused morbidity and mortality in Australia: a critique.", "content": "One of the more controversial conclusions of the Commonwealth Department of Community Services and Health's report on The quantification of drug caused morbidity and mortality in Australia 1988 is that alcohol \"causes\" about 5% of all deaths in Australia. Against the background of this conclusion, this paper reviews current concepts of what constitutes a causal relationship and how the existence of causation is diagnosed in a nonexperimental setting. The conclusion of the report appears to rest on the assumption that all differences in disease rates between users and non-users of alcohol (or other drugs) are causal in nature--an assumption which is tantamount to equating statistical association with causation. Moreover, the estimate of alcohol-caused deaths, derived from the summation of alcohol-caused deaths from a large number of medical conditions, is at considerable variance with an estimate of total alcohol-caused deaths computed directly from total death rates. The latter estimate actually indicates that alcohol prevents more deaths than it causes in the population as a whole, a conclusion that is compatible with the findings of several recent large cohort studies, from which it is in fact derived. The discrepancy between the two estimates casts doubt on the validity of the assumptions underlying the methodology that has been applied."}
{"id": "PMID:1480010", "title": "Structural basis for the action of thermolysin.", "content": "High resolution X-ray crystallography has been used to determine the modes of binding to thermolysin of a series of different inhibitors including dipeptides, mercaptans, hydroxamates, N-carboxymethyl peptides and phosphonamidates. The interactions displayed by such inhibitors illustrate interactions that are presumed to occur between the enzyme and its substrates during catalysis. The crystallographic analysis, together with model building, suggest a detailed stereochemical mechanism of action for thermolysin and, by analogy, other zinc proteases such as carboxypeptidase A and the angiotensin converting enzyme. Analysis of a series of phosphonamidates, which are presumed to be transition-state analogues, has shown that chemically similar inhibitors can adopt dissimilar modes of binding. These different configurations provide a rationalization for large differences in the kinetics of binding that are observed for these inhibitors. Experiments with thermolysin as a test case suggest that knowledge of the three-dimensional structure of an enzyme or receptor will greatly facilitate the rational design of drugs directed at such targets."}
{"id": "PMID:1480011", "title": "Crystallographic structures of the elastase of Pseudomonas aeruginosa.", "content": "The elastase protein of Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a zinc metalloprotease which has been shown to be a member of the bacterial neutral protease family. Its overall tertiary structure is similar to that of thermolysin. The x-ray crystallographic structure of the elastase has been solved to high resolution in three different crystal forms. Substantial conformational differences are observed in the protein in different crystal forms. In the absence of ligand, and independently in the presence of a covalent noncompetitive inhibitor, the elastase is observed to have a relatively \"open\" substrate binding cleft, while in the presence of tight-binding competitive inhibitors, the active site cleft is \"closed\"."}
{"id": "PMID:1480012", "title": "Vibrio alginolyticus (\"Achromobacter\") collagenase: biosynthesis, function and application.", "content": "Bacterial collagenase from aerobic non-pathogenic Vibrio alginolyticus chemovar iophagus (\"Achromobacter\" collagenase, EC 3.4.24.08) is an inducible extracellular metallo-proteinase. Production of Vibrio collagenase is induced specifically by collagen or by its macromolecular fragments. On the cell surface is expressed a specific receptor recognizing collagen structure. The study of natural inducers led to synthetic peptides with inducing properties. Vibrio collagenase cleaves collagen helical chains preferentially at 3/4 from the N-terminal. Its specific activity on synthetic substrate, 180,000 ukat/mg, represents the highest value for known collagenases. Its specificity differs from that of Clostridium: The enzyme cleaves preferentially sequences with Gly or Ala in position P'1 and Pro in position P2 or P'2. Highly specific cleavages were obtained in beta-casein, prolactin, myosin, adenylate kinase and fibronectin. Autolysis yields partially degraded forms still active on native collagen and peptide substrate. The determination of the sequence of Vibrio collagenase is nearly achieved; the enzyme was not yet obtained in crystalline form. On basis of the already known sequence and structure of Hypoderma collagenase (EC 3.4.21.49), a hypothesis is advanced on the character of collagen binding site loops. Vibrio collagenase can be produced in kilogram quantities at low cost. It was found highly efficient in debridement of necrotic burns, ulcers and decubitus."}
{"id": "PMID:1480017", "title": "Positive and negative regulation of collagenase gene expression.", "content": "Transcription of the human collagenase I gene is induced by phorbol esters and repressed by glucocorticoids. Both types of regulation are mediated by the major enhancer element of the gene, which is localized between positions -73 and -65. The enhancer suffices to transmit positive and negative signals to a heterologous promoter or to a minimal promoter carrying only the TATA-box, both detected by the appearance of chloramphenicol-acetyl-transferase transcribed from the reporter gene linked to the promoters. Sequences 5' of the enhancer modulate its activity. Up- and down-regulation of gene constructs which contain only the collagenase enhancer linked to a heterologous promoter, are independent of ongoing protein synthesis, suggesting posttranslational modification of the transcription factor binding to the enhancer. Repression by glucocorticoids depends on an activated glucocorticoid receptor; a tenfold lower glucocorticoid concentration is needed for repression of the collagenase gene as compared to the activation of the mouse mammary tumor virus long terminal repeat. Immunoprecipitates of the dexamethasone receptor contain AP-1, suggesting a direct interaction of both transcription factors; this interaction may lead to the inactivation of AP-1. The action mechanism of phorbol esters and dexamethasone confirms the central role of AP-1 in proliferation control and tumor promotion. It appears that the most effective tumor promoter 12-O-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate (TPA) and the most effective anti-tumor promoter dexamethasone exert their action through the modulation of the same transcription factor."}
{"id": "PMID:1480018", "title": "Expression of stromelysin and stromelysin-2 in rabbit and human fibroblasts.", "content": "Stromelysin and stromelysin 2, closely related members of the metalloproteinase gene family degrade many non-collagenous components of the extracellular matrix and may play a role in the activation of latent procollagenase. Because we use monolayer cultures of rabbit and human fibroblasts as model systems to study these enzymes, we compared their expression in fibroblasts from both species. Rabbit stromelysin purified from fibroblast culture medium often appears as a protein doublet, while human stromelysin is a single protein band. Hybrid selection with a cDNA clone for rabbit stromelysin and in vitro translation of mRNA from rabbit fibroblasts stimulated with phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) reveals two translation products, Mr54 and 56KD, as measured by SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. In vitro transcription and translation of a 1.8 kb cDNA for rabbit stromelysin gives a single protein product, preprostromelysin, MR 56KD. We do not yet know whether the rabbit doublet represents two distinct gene products or whether it results from posttranscriptional/posttranslational processing of a single transcript or protein. To study human stromelysin, we cloned a cDNA from a rheumatoid synovial cell cDNA library and we used it to isolate genes for stromelysin and a related gene, stromelysin-2. Both genes are contained on approximately 14 kilobase pairs of DNA. With an exon containing fragment of the human stromelysin-2 genomic clone as a specific probe in Northern blot analysis, we demonstrate the differential expression of stromelysin and stromelysin 2 in rheumatoid synovial cells, human foreskin fibroblasts, and rabbit synovial fibroblasts. Chimeric constructs containing 302 bp of the human stromelysin promoter DNA linked to the bacterial gene chloramphenicol acetyl transferase (CAT) can be induced by PMA, epidermal growth factor (EGF) and interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta). Since the genes for stromelysin and stromelysin 2 are so conserved and since mechanisms regulating their expression appear to be distinctive, identification of these mechanisms in both rabbits and humans will increase our understanding of the relative role of these enzymes in normal and disease processes."}
{"id": "PMID:1480019", "title": "The role of C-Fos in growth factor regulation of stromelysin/transin gene expression.", "content": "Expression of the rat stromelysin (transin) gene is stimulated by growth factors such as epidermal growth factor (EGF) and platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), and inhibited by transforming growth factor-beta (TGF beta). Stimulation by both EGF and PDGF requires the presence of factors that recognize the AP-1 binding site in the stromelysin promoter, but PDGF stimulation requires induction of the protooncogene c-fos, while EGF acts through a FOS-independent pathway. The FOS-independent pathway appears to involve protein kinase C (PKC), since EGF, but not PDGF, requires activated protein kinase C to stimulate stromelysin expression. TGF beta inhibition of stromelysin gene expression requires an upstream sequence, referred to as the TGF beta inhibitory element (TIE). FOS is also a part of a protein complex that binds to the TIE. The protooncogene FOS is therefore involved in both stimulation and inhibition of stromelysin gene expression."}
{"id": "PMID:1480020", "title": "Synthesis and regulation of keratinocyte collagenase.", "content": "We have recently demonstrated that human keratinocytes synthesize and secrete procollagenase and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases (TIMP) in culture. We have examined the response of keratinocyte collagenase production to the phorbol ester, 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA), interleukin-1, extracellular matrix proteins and phagocytosis. Collagenase production in keratinocytes was markedly stimulated by TPA and paralleled the morphologic changes induced by the phorbol ester. Synthesis of collagenase increased six- to 34-fold with TPA, whereas the level of TIMP rose only three-fold. Interleukin-1 did not stimulate collagenase production by the keratinocytes, in contrast to its effect on cultured fibroblasts. When keratinocytes were plated on type I or type IV collagen, they synthesized increased amounts of collagenase compared with cells cultured on laminin or in the absence of matrix. TIMP synthesis was not increased by collagen. Finally, phagocytosis of latex beads did not augment collagenase production by the keratinocytes."}
{"id": "PMID:1480022", "title": "Plasminogen activator expression and matrix degradation.", "content": "The plasminogen activator (PA)-plasmin system is discussed in respect to the major interacting proteins. The various mechanisms controlling this system are described including physical properties of the reactants, molecules affecting PA synthesis, and receptors. Data is presented showing that for cell invasion to take place not only must the PA-plasmin system be operative but also specific metalloproteases must be activated. Indirect evidence indicates that this activation occurs through the action of the PA-plasmin system."}
{"id": "PMID:1480030", "title": "Activation of extracellular matrix metalloproteases by proteases and organomercurials.", "content": "Extracellular matrix metalloproteases are synthesized as proenzymes and are activated by certain physiological agents after secretion into the extracellular space. The identity of these agents and the stimulus that elicits their response in vivo is only recently becoming clear, but a variety of agents or stimuli are capable of activating these metalloproteases in vitro also. Of these, the most well studied and characterized are trypsin, plasmin and the organomercurials. These agents appear to have in common an ability to disrupt the structure of the stable latent enzyme in such a way as to allow the generation of a proteolytic active site. In the case of organomercurial activation, intramolecular proteolytic cleavage of the amino-terminus of the enzyme occurs subsequent to generation of activity. A similar intramolecular process is seen with trypsin and plasmin activation except that it is initiated by a single trypsin or plasmin catalyzed cleavage in the amino-terminus prior to the autocatalytic cleavages. A possible explanation for organomercurial activation is that the mercurial disrupts a cysteinyl residue coordination bond with the active site zinc that prevents interaction with substrate. Disruption of this complex would allow productive enzyme-substrate interaction via the newly available coordination site. In addition, activated stromelysin is capable of increasing the specific activity of active interstitial collagenase by approximately ten-fold through what appears to be proteolytic removal of a small peptide."}
{"id": "PMID:1480031", "title": "Physiological mechanisms for metalloproteinase activation.", "content": "The activation of procollagenase and prostromelysin by mechanisms that might be functional in vivo has been investigated. Studies with cell monolayers plated onto collagen films have indicated key roles for plasmin and TIMP in these processes. Prostromelysin activation could be rapidly effected by fibroblast monolayers in the presence of plasminogen, with identical kinetics to plasminogen-streptokinase generated plasmin. Procollagenase activation by plasmin was shown to be poor, although an M(r) shift of 11,000 occurred. Activation was enhanced ten-fold by the presence of active stromelysin even at a very low molar ratio. A tumour cell line secreting procollagenase but not stromelysin was found to be dependent upon the addition of both stromelysin and plasminogen to effect degradation of collagen films. Biochemical studies of metalloproteinase activation were carried out using other purified proteinases synthesized by connective tissue cells including endopeptidase 24.11, endopeptidase-2, cathepsin B and cathepsin L. None was a particularly effective activator relative to plasmin, but cathepsin B was shown to activate stromelysin. By use of both cell model systems and biochemical studies of purified enzymes we have found that the role of plasmin as the major metalloproteinase activator in normal connective tissue cells remains unchallenged."}
{"id": "PMID:1480032", "title": "The latency of the human fibroblast collagenase precursor depends on an internal cysteine residue.", "content": "The proenzyme form of human fibroblast collagenase has been expressed in E. coli from its cDNA clone and has been shown to be functionally identical to the human enzyme. Mutants at one of three cysteine residues were constructed by site-directed mutagenesis of the cDNA and their relative activities compared to the wild type enzyme. A cysteine contained in the propeptide domain of procollagenase and other matrix metalloproteinases was shown to be essential for maintaining the proenzyme in an inactive state. A model to explain the importance of this highly conserved cysteine to the maintenance of latency is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1480033", "title": "Activation mechanisms of the precursors of matrix metalloproteinases 1, 2 and 3.", "content": "The zymogens of matrix metalloproteinase 1 (MMP-1: tissue collagenase), MMP-2 (gelatinase/type IV collagenase) and MMP-3 (stromelysin) were purified from the culture medium of human rheumatoid synovial fibroblasts and the mechanisms of activation of each zymogen by proteinases and 4-aminophenylmercuric acetate (APMA) were studied by kinetic and sequence analyses. The treatment of proMMP-1 (M(r) = 52,000) with proteinases or APMA converted the zymogen to M(r) = 43,000, but it exhibited only 14-25% of the maximal activity. Incubation of a partially active MMP-1 with MMP-3 resulted in rapid, full activation by generating the 41,000-M(r) MMP-1 with Phe81 as the NH2-terminus. MMP-3 directly activated proMMP-1 by cleaving the Gln80-Phe81 bond, but this reaction was extremely slow, indicating that the Gln80-Phe81 bond is not readily available to MMP-3 in the native proMMP-1 molecule. ProMMP-2 (M(r) = 72,000) was activated only by APMA, but not by proteinases. The activation by APMA was rapid and generated an active MMP-2 of M(r) 68,000, but the enzymic activity declined rapidly after activation by autolysis. The NH2-terminal sequence analysis of active MMP-2 indicated that the Asn80-Tyr81 bond was cleaved upon APMA treatment. In contrast, proMMP-3 (M(r) = 57,000) was activated by a variety of proteinases with different specificities. The initial attacks of these proteinases are on a stretch of highly charged groups at the position 34-39 in the propeptide.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1480034", "title": "Latent collagenase and gelatinase from human neutrophils and their activation.", "content": "Procollagenase M(r) 85,000 (SDS-PAGE) was purified from buffy coat to homogeneity and represents a stable single polypeptide chain forming the entire proenzyme. The procollagenase can be activated by various proteinases, e.g. trypsin, chymotrypsin, cathepsin G, kallikrein and stromelysin and by different mercurial compounds. Proteolytic conversion of the latent enzyme to the active form by chymotrypsin is accompanied by a molecular weight reduction to an apparent M(r) 64,000. This active enzyme lacks the first 79 N-terminal residues. Activation by trypsin leads to a latent intermediate of apparent M(r) 70,000, lacking 48 N-terminal residues. The active enzyme is therefore generated upon prolonged incubation with trypsin by further cleavage of 22 N-terminal residues. Another latent intermediate form with apparent M(r) 69,000 is generated from the proenzyme upon incubation with leukocyte elastase by N-terminal cleavage of 53 or 64 residues, respectively. However, latent collagenase cannot be activated by plasmin. Activation by different mercurial compounds finally results in the formation of active collagenase with apparent M(r) 64,000. In contrast to the proenzyme, active collagenase can autolyse to give active M(r) 57,000 and 45,000 intermediates and two M(r) 28,000 fragments. Purification of latent leukocyte gelatinase yields three final products with apparent M(r) 98,000, 125,000 and 220,000 (SDS-PAGE; non reduced). Upon reduction, only the M(r) 98,000 form can be detected. The latent gelatinase can be activated in a similar manner as collagenase. Proteolytic activation by trypsin leads after N-terminal cleavage to an active gelatinase with sequence homology to leukocyte collagenase."}
{"id": "PMID:1480035", "title": "Inhibition of human skin fibroblast collagenase by phosphorus-containing peptides.", "content": "Substitution of the phosphonamidate linkage (PO2-NH) for the peptide bond (CO-NH) in substrate-like sequences produces inhibitors of human skin fibroblast collagenase with Ki's far below Km for the native collagen substrate. Using a thiol ester substrate at pH 6.5, phthaloyl-GlyP-Ile-Trp-(S)NHCH-(Me)Ph, the phosphonamidate analog of phthaloyl-Gly-Ile-Trp-(S)NHCH(Me)Ph, has a Ki of 20 nM. Peptide phosphonamidates with amino acid sequences extended further to the right or the left of the Gly-Ile-Trp sequence had higher Ki's. Substitution of the phosphinate linkage (PO2-CH2) for the peptide bond also gives potent inhibitors such as napthoyl-GlyP-C-Leu-Trp-NHBzl, the phosphinate analog of naphtholyl-Gly-Leu-Trp-NHBzl, which has a Ki of 10 nM. Some of the phosphonamidates and phosphinates are also excellent inhibitors of the bacterial zinc metalloproteases thermolysin and Pseudomonas aeruginosa elastase."}
{"id": "PMID:1480036", "title": "Structure and function of murine TIMP gene.", "content": "Specific inhibitors of metalloproteinases, such as TIMP, are potential regulators of tissue integrity. In order to understand their exact role in both normal and pathological processes we have initiated molecular studies on the TIMP gene and its product(s). We have used cDNA and genomic clones corresponding to the murine TIMP gene to define the intron-exon structure of the gene and to map multiple clustered sites where transcription is initiated; we have also partially characterized the cis-acting DNA sequences required for transcriptional activity. The murine TIMP cDNA has also been used in transcription/translation experiments to produce polypeptides which can be processed by endoplasmic reticulum membranes and which are biochemically active in inhibition of fibroblast interstitial collagenase. As a result of our analysis of the expression of the TIMP gene in different cell types and under varied conditions, we have observed an important increase of TIMP mRNA levels in mouse fibroblasts in response to physiological modulators (whole serum and double-stranded RNA) as well as a pathogen (NewCastle Disease Virus). In addition, an analysis of TIMP mRNA in several variants of a cell line derived from a spontaneous mammary adenocarcinoma, which possess different levels of metastatic potential indicated that the serum dependence of TIMP mRNA accumulation is different in metastatic as compared to nonmetastatic cells. The significance of these results in view of the role of TIMP in matrix maintenance is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1480037", "title": "Regulation of TIMP gene expression in cell culture and during mouse embryogenesis.", "content": "We have identified elements in the 5' region of the murine tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase (TIMP) gene which control the response to serum, phorbol esters and transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) in cell culture. These elements lie between -858 and -601 relative to the translation initiation start site in the gene and are distinct from those that control expression in response to virus induction. The temporal and spatial expression of the TIMP gene was also analysed during mouse embryogenesis using in situ hybridization. A transgenic mouse line was constructed which expressed a TIMP/lac Z fusion gene. Using in situ beta-galactosidase assays we were able to compare the expression of the transgene with the endogenous gene. Thus we concluded that most of the sequences controlling in vivo expression of TIMP were present in the transgene and could be localised to the 5' region of the gene."}
{"id": "PMID:1480038", "title": "Oncogenic consequences of down-modulating TIMP expression in 3T3 cells with antisense RNA.", "content": "We have used recombinant DNA technology to engineer a set of murine 3T3 cell lines that vary in the extent to which they express TIMP, tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases, and we have found that both invasiveness and tumorigenic potential are conferred when TIMP production is impaired. These cell clones were produced by transfecting immortal Swiss 3T3 cells with plasmid constructs capable of expressing antisense TIMP RNA under the control of the mouse metallothionein promoter (Khokha & Denhardt, AntiCancer Res. 7: 653-660, 1987). The ability of these cells to invade the amnion membrane in vitro was dependent upon metalloproteinase expression (Yagel et al., JNCI 81: 768-775, 1989). Cells expressing TIMP at a reduced level acquired the ability to form tumors in nude mice (Khokha et al. SCIENCE 243: 947-950, 1989). These results suggest not only that TIMP controls the invasive character of the immortal 3T3 cell, but also that it determines cellular tumorigenic potential in the mouse. We presume that these phenotypes are conferred as a consequence of a net increase in extracellular matrix metalloproteinase activity resulting from the reduced quantities of TIMP secreted. The lag in formation of tumors by the cells down-modulated for TIMP production suggests that further changes in gene expression may be necessary. In support of this hypothesis, recent experiments indicate that the expression of genes encoding one or more matrix metalloproteinases is increased in cell lines derived from tumors that have developed from the engineered cells. Thus, in the immortal 3T3 cell line, TIMP has the properties of a tumor-suppressor gene, or anti-oncogene."}
{"id": "PMID:1480039", "title": "Expression of TIMP in fetal and adult mouse tissues studied by in situ hybridization.", "content": "We have studied the expression of TIMP mRNA during mouse embryogenesis and in adult tissues using ribonuclease protection assays and in situ hybridization. Low levels of transcripts were found in many tissues, including embryonic kidney, amnion, lung and maternal deciduum and in these cases expression was not restricted to a phenotypically distinct sub-population of cells. In situ hybridization revealed high levels of TIMP transcripts in the corpus luteum of the adult ovary. Also, we observed significant expression in areas of membrane and endochondral bone formation in the embryo, commencing at about 15.5 d p.c. and increasing until birth. The pattern of TIMP expression in developing bone overlaps significantly with the localization of transforming growth factor beta (TGF beta) implying a role for this factor in the control of TIMP production in vivo."}
{"id": "PMID:1480040", "title": "Secreted inhibitors of metalloproteinases (IMPs) that are distinct from TIMP.", "content": "The tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases (TIMP, M(r) 30,000) is secreted by many cell and tissue types and has been shown to inhibit most secreted mammalian metalloproteinases. In matrix and tissue invasion assays, the inactivation or removal of TIMP enhances invasiveness. However, many of the cells that secrete TIMP also secrete other metalloproteinase inhibitors. By analysis of medium conditioned by various endothelial, mesenchymal, and neural cells on SDS-.substrate-polyacrylamide-inhibitor gels (reverse zymograms), we have detected at least three other distinct inhibitors of metalloproteinases (IMPs). Some or all of these IMPs have been detected in secretions of mouse, rabbit, sheep, and human cells and are all smaller in apparent molecular size than TIMP (IMP-1, M(r) 26,000; IMP-2, M(r) 21,000; IMP-3, M(r) 18,000). These IMPs are not proteolytic degradation products of TIMP nor do they represent nonglycosylated TIMP. The IMPs do not cross-react in the native or denatured state with any of several anti-TIMP antibodies. The IMPs appear to be regulated independently of each other and of TIMP. In vitro, the complex consisting of one of the IMPs, or TIMP, and a metalloproteinase can be dissociated into functional inhibitor and metalloproteinase. Whether this characteristic is significant in vivo is not known. IMP-2 has been purified from several sources and shares sequence homology with TIMP, suggesting that the IMPs and TIMP may constitute a gene family. The most significant characteristic of IMP-2 is that it appears to preferentially inhibit, on a mole:mole basis, the M(r) 68,000 gelatinase rather than collagenase or stromelysin.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1480041", "title": "TIMP-2: identification and characterization of a new member of the metalloproteinase inhibitor family.", "content": "Human melanoma cells secrete a 21 kDa protein which binds with 1:1 molar stoichiometry to the matrix metalloproteinase type IV collagenase proenzyme (70 kDa gelatinase) secreted by the same cells. We have purified this binding protein and determined its complete primary structure by directly sequencing overlapping peptide fragments which span the entire protein. We refer to this protein as CSC-21K based on the amino-terminal amino acids CSC and the apparent molecular weight of 21,000 daltons on gel electrophoresis. The amino acid sequence of CSC-21K demonstrates that this protein shares significant homology with human TIMP (tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase), including conservation of the positions of the twelve cysteine residues and three of four tryptophan residues. The identification of CSC-21K now indicates that a family of TIMP-related proteins exists. Individual members of this family may possess selective affinities for different members of the matrix metalloproteinase family. Based on its sequence homology to TIMP and ability to inhibit type IV collagenolysis we propose the name TIMP-2 for this inhibitor. TIMP-2 produced by tumor cells can also be considered as an onco-suppressor gene product, because it could play an important role in regulating the metalloproteinases involved in tumor invasion and angiogenesis."}
{"id": "PMID:1480044", "title": "Human neutrophil collagenase.", "content": "Human neutrophil collagenase (HNC) has been purified from extracts of fresh and outdated buffy coats and from the exudates of phorbol myristate acetate-stimulated neutrophils. The HNC present in the starting material from such preparations can be either latent or active, or have an approximate molecular weight of 75 or 58 kDa, depending upon whether the extraction buffer contains protease inhibitors and/or antioxidants. The purification of these different forms of HNC is described and is made possible by taking appropriate precautions to stabilize the HNC. For example, a purification protocol is described that allows the purification to homogeneity of the active and PCMB-active latent 58 kDa forms of HNC in high yield with specific collagenase activities that greatly exceed that of trypsin-activated human fibroblast collagenase (HFC). The pattern of activation of the latent 58 and 75 kDa species by trypsin, organomercurials and oxidants has been investigated. HNC is shown to preferentially hydrolyze type I over types II and III collagens in solution. The specificity of HNC toward the hydrolysis of 60 octapeptides has been examined and compared with HFC. HNC is shown to be a glycoprotein that contains complex N-linked oligosaccharides."}
{"id": "PMID:1480058", "title": "Expression and function of matrix metalloproteinases in development.", "content": "Extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling accompanies cell migration, cell-cell interactions, embryo expansion, uterine implantation and tissue invasion during mammalian embryogenesis. We have found that mouse embryos express mRNA transcripts for collagenase, stromelysin and the tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases (TIMP) and secrete functional ECM-degrading metalloproteinases, including collagenase and stromelysin. These metalloproteinases are inhibitable by TIMP and are regulated during peri-implantation development and endoderm differentiation. The involvement of a controlled proteolytic reaction, dependent on metalloproteinases, during the implantation of mouse embryos is suggested by the secretion of proteinases by trophoblast during its invasive phase and by the reciprocal expression of TIMP in the maternal deciduum. Exogenous TIMP affects the migration of parietal endoderm cells during blastocyst outgrowth in vitro. Taken together, these data suggest that metalloproteinases function in cell-ECM interactions during mammalian development."}
{"id": "PMID:1480059", "title": "Salivary gland morphogenesis: possible involvement of collagenase.", "content": "When 12-day rudiments of mouse submandibular glands were cultured, they formed an average two clefts within 24 h. The average number of the clefts, however, increased up to five in the presence of bovine tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases (TIMP). Contrary to this, either bacterial or bovine interstitial collagenase in the medium completely inhibited the cleft formation of the glands. Electron microscopic observations revealed that the amounts of collagen bundles at the cleft points significantly increased with TIMP, but decreased with bacterial collagenase. These results strongly support the idea that endogenous collagenase regulates the cleft formation through the modulation of fibrillar architectures containing collagen in the extracellular matrix. Recently, our immunohistochemical studies clarified that collagen III, known to be rich in embryonic tissue, accumulated preferentially at the cleft points of the epithelium, and may play a crucial role in submandibular gland morphogenesis."}
{"id": "PMID:1480060", "title": "Matrix metalloproteinases in periodontal tissue remodelling.", "content": "Inflammation of the periodontium leads to connective tissue degradation and eventual tooth loss. The regulation of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) has been studied to determine their role in these processes and also during tissue remodelling. Analysis of gingival crevicular fluid has revealed the presence of collagenase and gelatinase that, in the acute stages of periodontal disease, are derived predominantly from polymorphonuclear leukocytes. These MMPs appear to be intimately associated with tissue destruction since the levels of the active forms of these enzymes obtained from either crevicular fluid or mouthrinse samples correlate with tissue destruction and, therefore, provide a sensitive means of demonstrating disease activity. Transforming growth factor-beta, an important regulator of connective tissue remodelling, has been implicated in the rapid remodelling of periodontal tissues. TGF-beta promotes tissue matrix formation by stimulating both the synthesis of matrix proteins (collagen, fibronectin and SPARC) and proteinase inhibitors (TIMP, PAI-1) and by decreasing the synthesis of MMPs, but not the 72 kDa-gelatinase. Nuclear run-on analyses have shown that TGF-beta reduces collagenase and stromelysin synthesis by suppressing gene transcription without altering mRNA stabilities. In contrast, the transcription of the gelatinase and TIMP genes was increased by TGF-beta, which also increased gelatinase mRNA stability. Remodelling of alveolar bone involves interaction between osteoblasts and osteoclasts. Osteoblasts, under the influence of osteotropic hormones (vit D3, PTH and retinoic acid), produce MMPs which appear to function in the removal of soft tissue that precludes access of osteoclasts to the mineralized tissue surface. Rat osteoblastic cells produce MMPs with activity on native collagen, native collagen 3/4-fragments and gelatin and, in addition, two forms of TIMP activity. The 3/4-collagen endopeptidase, purified to apparent homogeneity, also has significant collagenase and gelatinase activities and an amino terminal sequence almost identical to human 72 kDa-gelatinase. The production of this enzyme was stimulated by TGF-beta, which suppresses bone resorption, and by osteotropic hormones which stimulate bone resorption, supporting a bifunctional role for the gelatinase in connective tissue remodelling. Although there is strong evidence for the involvement of MMPs in the resorption of bone and in the inflammation-mediated destruction of periodontal tissues, the role of MMPs in the remodelling of mature soft connective tissues remains equivocal."}
{"id": "PMID:1480061", "title": "Neutral proteinase expression by human mononuclear phagocytes: a prominent role of cellular differentiation.", "content": "Human mononuclear phagocytes have the capacity to participate directly in extracellular matrix turnover via the secretion of neutral proteinases. These neutral proteinases include the serine proteinases, elastase and cathepsin G and the metalloproteinases, interstitial collagenase, 92 kD type IV collagenase, 72 kD type IV collagenase and stromelysin. Mononuclear phagocytes also produce the counter-regulatory metalloproteinase inhibitor, TIMP (tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases). We have studied the capacity of normal human mononuclear phagocytes and of the human monocytic tumor line U937 to elaborate proteinases and inhibitors. The serine proteinases, elastase and cathepsin G, are present only at the earliest stages of mononuclear phagocyte differentiation (U937 cells in the basal state, freshly isolated peripheral blood monocytes) and are stored within intracellular granules. As human mononuclear phagocytes differentiate (U937 cells exposed to phorbol esters, human monocytes cultured in vitro), the cellular content of these serine proteinases declines rapidly. Accompanying the acquisition of a more differentiated state, the ability for regulated secretion of the neutral metalloproteinases is attained. This capacity is acquired in a sequential manner, with secretion of the 92 kD type IV collagenase observed at earlier states of differentiation while release of stromelysin requires a fully differentiated and LPS (lipopolysaccharide)-stimulated alveolar macrophage. Interstitial collagenase and 72 kD type IV collagenase are synthesized at intermediate stages of differentiation. In comparison to human fibroblasts, human mononuclear phagocytes produce approximately 10-30% of the interstitial collagenase, 10% of the stromelysin and 1-2% of the 72 kD type IV collagenase on a per cell basis. Synthesis of the 92 kD type IV collagenase is restricted to the inflammatory cell (but also occurs in neutrophils and keratinocytes)."}
{"id": "PMID:1480062", "title": "Degradation of collagen fibrils by live cells: role of expression and activation of procollagenase.", "content": "We have examined the conditions for dissolution by live cells of an extracellular matrix composed of reconstituted type I collagen fibrils, using three different cell types which express varying constitutive or inducible levels of procollagenase and collagenase inhibitor. The two major conclusions from these studies were that (i) expression of collagenase is a necessary but not sufficient requirement for dissolution of the collagen fibrils and that (ii) activation of procollagenase is a rate-limiting step. Cells which secreted high levels of procollagenase dissolved collagen fibrils only to the extent that they were able to activate the enzyme. Cells which also expressed inhibitor failed to activate procollagenase in the culture medium and did not dissolve the collagen fibrils unless procollagenase-activation was assisted by exogenous proteinase activity. Cells that did not express inhibitor ultimately did activate procollagenase but the process was slow and incomplete. Introduction of exogenous proteinase activity either in the form of plasminogen, plasmin, or trypsin stimulated collagen breakdown by several fold. Analysis of the culture medium sampled from such cultures showed that the stimulating effect of exogenous proteinases could be ascribed to three separate, but synergistic events: elevated expression of procollagenase, conversion of procollagenase to active form and inactivation of collagenase inhibitor. Two lines of evidence suggested that the dissolution of collagen fibrils in these cultures was mediated by a collagenase-dependent pathway: (i) the rate of dissolution closely mirrored the level of expression of collagenase and (ii) the process was blocked by inhibitory collagenase-specific antibodies."}
{"id": "PMID:1480063", "title": "Primary structure and function of stromelysin/transin in cartilage matrix turnover.", "content": "Stromelysin/Transin is a member of the matrix metalloprotease gene family. This metalloprotease is synthesized as a preproenzyme with a predicted size of 53,977 Da including a 17 amino acid signal peptide. Prostromelysin is secreted from normal and transformed cells in two forms with apparent molecular masses on NaDodSO4 gels of 60 and 58-kDa. The minor 60-kDa species contains N-linked oligosaccharide(s). Stromelysin consists of three domains the amino terminal propeptide(s) domain contains the tribasic amino acid sequence RRK which is important in the proteolytic activation of this zymogen by trypsin-like serine proteases. The second domain consists of the catalytic domain which contains the zinc binding site. The carboxyl-terminal hemopexin domain has no known function and can be removed without a loss of enzymatic activity. Stromelysin has a broad range of substrate specificity including proteoglycans, casein, fibronectin, laminin, native type IV and IX collagen and gelatin but not type I collagen. In the presence of trypsin or plasmin, catalytic amounts of this enzyme can also fully activate interstitial fibroblast collagenase. We have developed a panel of monoclonal antibodies against stromelysin which will be useful for the tissue localization of the various species of this enzyme in tissues. In addition, we have demonstrated that either human rIL-1 (alpha) or rTNF (alpha) can stimulate the expression of this enzyme in cultured bovine articular cartilage at least 10-fold. Based on western blot analysis, the zymogen form of the enzyme was the major enzyme species detected in either the media or cartilage matrix compartments of cytokine treated cultures."}
{"id": "PMID:1480064", "title": "Immunolocalization of metalloproteinases and TIMP in normal and pathological tissues.", "content": "Molecular and biochemical studies have made substantial contributions to the understanding of metalloproteinases (MPs) and their natural inhibitor TIMP (tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases) but knowledge of their specific roles in tissue breakdown in vivo is still meagre. A major problem is that there are few techniques available that can detect small amounts of these entities at the sites of resorption. One approach to this problem is to prepare specific polyclonal antisera for use in immunolocalization studies on cells and tissues ex vivo. Another is to develop model systems of rapid matrix destruction. Examples of these techniques are presented and discussed in relation to other studies. In many situations unique patterns of synthesis have been observed, consistent with specific roles for the individual MPs and biochemical data. Active collagenase can be localized to extracellular components in tissues where rapid destruction is taking place. Thus both approaches are proving invaluable in defining the roles of MPs and TIMP in normal and pathological situations."}
{"id": "PMID:1480065", "title": "Relative roles of collagenase and lysosomal cysteine-proteinases in bone resorption.", "content": "Both lysosomal cysteine-proteinases and collagenase appear to be necessary for the resorption of actively growing, immature woven bone, but their relative roles are not yet clearly elucidated. The present evidence indicates that, during bone resorption, the osteoclast first solubilizes the mineral by a secretion of acid and then removes the exposed demineralized collagen by the action of secreted lysosomal collagenolytic cysteine-proteinases. Collagenase in bone seems to be mainly a product of osteoblasts and related cells, not osteoclasts. Its role could be limited in the removal of any non-mineralized collagen layers which could be covering mineralized bone surfaces and which seem to prevent the activation of osteoclasts and thus their action; such a \"shield\" of unmineralized osteoid is well-established at the surface of actively growing woven bone, although not on the resorbing surfaces of mature lamellar bone. Moreover, some osteoblast-derived procollagenase is stored in the mineralized bone matrix from which it can be released by demineralization. It is therefore possible that it may also contribute to the degradation of demineralized bone collagen once it has been released and activated by lysosomal cysteine-proteinases under the osteoclast."}
{"id": "PMID:1480085", "title": "70 K type IV collagenase (gelatinase).", "content": "Type IV collagenase (gelatinase) is a 70,000 dalton neutral metalloproteinase that specifically cleaves type IV collagen in addition to degrading denatured collagen (gelatin). It is secreted in a latent proenzyme form that is converted proteolytically in the extracellular space to a 62,000 dalton active enzyme. The primary structure, enzymatic properties as well as gene structure, demonstrate that type IV collagenase is closely related with the other well characterized metalloproteinases, interstitial collagenase and stromelysin. However, the structure of type IV collagenase differs from the others in that it is larger and contains three internal repeats that resemble the type II domains of fibronectin. Also, initial characterization of the promoter region of the gene indicates that its regulation differs from the other proteinase genes. Type IV collagenase is presumably required for the normal turnover of basement membranes. Augmented activity is linked with the invasive potential of tumor cells and the enzyme is believed to play a major role in the penetration of basement membranes by metastatic cells. Measurements of enzyme activity and mRNA levels as well as immunostaining of a variety of tumor cells and tissues suggest that assays for the enzyme may have value in the follow-up of malignant growth."}
{"id": "PMID:1480086", "title": "Active zinc binding sites of zinc metalloenzymes.", "content": "The participation of zinc in widely diversified biological reactions focuses attention on its chemistry. A number of its properties relate to its biological utilization and versatility. Its amphoteric properties allow the zinc-coordinated water to exist as a \"hydronium\" or hydroxide ion even at neutrality. Its coordination sphere is flexible and adapts to a wide variety of ligands, allowing for a multiplicity of types and numbers of coordination complex geometries. Its stable d shell signifies that it is neither oxidized nor reduced; yet it participates in enzymatic oxidoreduction reactions in coordination with an organic cofactor. X-ray crystallographic analyses of twelve zinc enzymes now show that catalytic zinc is bound by three protein ligands, whereas structural zinc atoms are fully coordinated by four ligands. Water is always a ligand to the catalytic zinc while the protein ligands occur in an order of frequency of His >> Glu > Asp = Cys. The zinc-bound water is the critical component of the active site; it is activated for enzymatic catalysis by the identity and arrangement of the ligands coordinated to zinc. Thus, ultimately, it is this water molecule which, upon entering the zinc coordination sphere, is activated either by ionization, polarization or displacement. As a result of the properties of this metal, zinc metalloenzymes and zinc proteins participate in a wide variety of metabolic processes including carbohydrate, lipid, protein and nucleic acid synthesis, regulation and degradation."}
{"id": "PMID:1480087", "title": "Expression of 92 kDa phagocyte gelatinase by inflammatory and connective tissue cells.", "content": "It is now apparent that multiple proteinases cooperate in the degradation of the collagenous matrix. Among these proteinases are two biochemically related proteinases which were originally identified by their ability to degrade denatured collagens. The higher molecular weight proteinase (M(r) = 92,000) is predominantly expressed by inflammatory cells while the lower molecular weight proteinase (M(r) = 72,000) is secreted constitutively by fibroblasts. To explore the expression of the 92 kDa proteinase, the gelatinase from human neutrophils was purified and characterized and specific immunologic probes developed for its study in other cell types. Studies of leukemic cell lines (U937s and HL60s) which can be differentiated to a monocyte/macrophage phenotype revealed that after differentiation with phorbol myristic acetate the 92 kDa proteinase was the major proteinase produced. Additional studies of human alveolar macrophages and monocytes differentiated in vitro suggest that these cells secrete a proteinase immunologically and biochemically similar to human neutrophil gelatinase. Although the major gelatinase secreted by the fibroblasts is the 72 kDa proteinase, they also produce the 92 kDa proteinase in a regulated manner. These studies suggest that the regulation of these similar gelatinolytic proteinases varies dependent on cell type. Further studies of their regulation will be important to define the roles of these proteinases in physiologic and pathological processes."}
{"id": "PMID:1480088", "title": "The small matrix metalloproteinase of the rat uterus.", "content": "The uterus of the rat contains a small metalloproteinase that digests Azocoll and proteoglycan. The activity of this enzyme is elevated in the postpartum uterus and parallels the rate of breakdown of matrix proteoglycan (Sellers, A. and Woessner, J.F., Jr., Biochem. J. 189: 521, 1980). The enzyme has been purified to homogeneity. Its molecular weight is 28,000 for the latent form of the enzyme and 19,000 for the active form, as determined by SDS/PAGE. The enzyme has no action on collagens of type I, III, IV or V, but it does digest gelatins of these 4 types. Digestion of type I gelatin is most pronounced for the alpha-2 chain, which is cleaved to two major bands. The B chain of insulin is cleaved at Ala14-Leu15 and Tyr16-Leu17. Proteoglycan is degraded, but no action can be detected against elastin. Both zinc and calcium ions are required for activity. Low levels of phosphoramidon or Zincov are not inhibitory. Detailed comparisons with human gelatinase (matrix metalloproteinase 2) and stromelysin (matrix metalloproteinase 3) show that the uterine proteinase has a distinctive pattern of specificity. The properties match those of human Pump-1 as reported by Quantin et al., Biochemistry 28: 5327, 1989. It is proposed to designate this proteinase as matrix metalloproteinase 7."}
{"id": "PMID:1480089", "title": "Site-directed mutagenesis of type I collagen: effect on susceptibility to collagenase.", "content": "A genetic approach to define the role of collagenase in physiological and pathological bone remodeling is to identify spontaneous mutations in the collagenase gene which alter enzymatic activity. Alternatively it is possible, though site-directed mutagenesis, to alter genes encoding critical amino acid sequences in the collagen substrate, in a manner analogous to the successful development of animal models for osteogenesis imperfecta. We have thus utilized this approach to alter the Col1a1 gene to encode amino acid substitutions in sequences around the known collagenase cleavage site (glycine-isoleucine at positions 775-776) in type I collagen, and transfect these genes into homozygous Mov-13 fibroblasts, in which the endogenous Col1a1 gene is inactive. Nonconservative substitutions of proline for isoleucine at the P1' site and double substitutions of proline for glutamine (P2) and alanine (P2') resulted in type I collagen resistant to hydrolysis by collagenase. Furthermore, in normal fibroblasts transfected with a mutant Col1a1 gene encoding collagenase resistance in which an additional methionine substitution at position 776 provided a marker for the mutant protein, mutant and wild type triple helical molecules were synthesized and secreted as heterotrimers. A single mutant alpha 1(I) chain did not prevent cleavage of the wild type alpha 1(I) chain but it is likely that the uncleaved alpha 1(I) chain would prevent dissociation of the triple helical fragments containing the other cleaved chains. Introduction of these genes into transgenic mice should result in abnormal phenotypes characterized by altered connective tissue remodeling."}
{"id": "PMID:1480106", "title": "Use of gel retardation to analyze protein-nucleic acid interactions.", "content": "Protein-nucleic acid interactions are crucial in the regulation of many fundamental cellular processes. The nature of these interactions is susceptible to analysis by a variety of methods, but the combination of high analytical power and technical simplicity offered by the gel retardation (band shift) technique has made this perhaps the most widely used such method over the last decade. This procedure is based on the observation that the formation of protein-nucleic complexes generally reduces the electrophoretic mobility of the nucleic acid component in the gel matrix. This review attempts to give a simplified account of the physical basis of the behavior of protein-nucleic acid complexes in gels and an overview of many of the applications in which the technique has proved especially useful. The factors which contribute most to the resolution of the complex from the naked nucleic acid are the gel pore size, the relative mass of protein compared with nucleic acid, and changes in nucleic acid conformation (bending) induced by binding. The consequences of induced bending on the mobility of double-strand DNA fragments are similar to those arising from sequence-directed bends, and the latter can be used to help characterize the angle and direction of protein-induced bends. Whether a complex formed in solution is actually detected as a retarded band on a gel depends not only on resolution but also on complex stability within the gel. This is strongly influenced by the composition and, particularly, the ionic strength of the gel buffer. We discuss the applications of the technique to analyzing complex formation and stability, including characterizing cooperative binding, defining binding sites on nucleic acids, analyzing DNA conformation in complexes, assessing binding to supercoiled DNA, defining protein complexes by using cell extracts, and analyzing biological processes such as transcription and splicing."}
{"id": "PMID:1480107", "title": "Relationship between the flagellates and the ciliates.", "content": "The flagellates and the ciliates have long been considered to be closely related because of their unicellular nature and the similarity in the structures of the axoneme of the flagella and cilia in both groups. Most protozoologists believe that the ciliates arose from a flagellate. The flagellates that are most similar in structure to the ciliates are the dinoflagellates and two genera of uncertain taxonomic position, Colponema and Katablepharis. Structurally, dinoflagellates have a number of similarities with ciliates. These include the similarity of the cortical alveoli in the ciliates to the thecal vesicles in the dinoflagellates, the possession of tubular cristae, the similarity of the parasomal sac of the ciliates to the pusule of the dinoflagellates, the possession of similar trichocysts and mucocysts, and some similarity in the feeding apparatus. Colponema spp. are probably related to the dinoflagellates and have many of the same similarities with the ciliates. Katablepharis spp. are very similar in structure to the swarmer (embryo) of the suctorian ciliates. Indeed, reduction in the number of cilia to two in the suctorian swarmer and elimination of the macronucleus would result in a cell that is very similar to the Katablepharis cell. The feeding apparatus of Katablepharis spp. and the rest of the ciliates consists of two concentric microtubular arrays associated with vesicles. Information available from nucleotide sequencing of rRNA places the dinoflagellates in an ancestral position to the ciliates. The rRNA of Colponema and Katablepharis spp. has not yet been investigated. The use of stop codons in mRNA is discussed in relation to phylogeny."}
{"id": "PMID:1480109", "title": "Biological control of chestnut blight: an example of virus-mediated attenuation of fungal pathogenesis.", "content": "Environmental concerns have focused attention on natural forms of disease control as potentially safe and effective alternatives to chemical pesticides. This has led to increased efforts to develop control strategies that rely on natural predators and parasites or that involve genetically engineered microbial pest control agents. This review deals with a natural form of biological control in which the virulence of a fungal pathogen is attenuated by an endogenous viral RNA genetic element: the phenomenon of transmissible hypovirulence in the chestnut blight fungus, Cryphonectria parasitica. Recent progress in the molecular characterization of a hypovirulence-associated viral RNA has provided an emerging view of the genetic organization and basic expression strategy of this class of genetic elements. Several lines of evidence now suggest that specific hypovirulence-associated virus-encoded gene products selectively modulate the expression of subsets of fungal genes and the activity of specific regulatory pathways. The construction of an infectious cDNA clone of a hypovirulence-associated viral RNA represents a major advancement that provides exciting new opportunities for examining the molecular basis of transmissible hypovirulence and for engineering hypovirulent strains for improved biocontrol. These developments have significantly improved the prospects of using this system to identify molecular determinants of virulence and elucidate signal transduction pathways involved in pathogenic responses. In addition, novel approaches are now available for extending the application of transmissible hypovirulence for management of chestnut blight and possibly other fungal diseases."}
{"id": "PMID:1480108", "title": "Silencers, silencing, and heritable transcriptional states.", "content": "Three copies of the mating-type genes, which determine cell type, are found in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The copy at the MAT locus is transcriptionally active, whereas identical copies of the mating-type genes at the HML and HMR loci are transcriptionally silent. Hence, HML and HMR, also known as the silent mating-type loci, are subject to a position effect. Regulatory sequences flank the silent mating-type loci and mediate repression of HML and HMR. These regulatory sequences are called silencers for their ability to repress the transcription of nearby genes in a distance- and orientation-independent fashion. In addition, a number of proteins, including the four SIR proteins, histone H4, and an alpha-acetyltransferase, are required for the complete repression of HML and HMR. Because alterations in the amino-terminal domain of histone H4 result in the derepression of the silent mating-type loci, the mechanism of repression may involve the assembly of a specific chromatin structure. A number of additional clues permit insight into the nature of repression at HML and HMR. First, an S phase event is required for the establishment of repression. Second, at least one gene appears to play a role in the establishment mechanism yet is not essential for the stable propagation of repression through many rounds of cell division. Third, certain aspects of repression are linked to aspects of replication. The silent mating-type loci share many similarities with heterochromatin. Furthermore, regions of S. cerevisiae chromosomes, such as telomeres, which are known to be heterochromatic in other organisms, require a subset of SIR proteins for repression. Further analysis of the transcriptional repression at the silent mating-type loci may lend insight into heritable repression in other eukaryotes."}
{"id": "PMID:1480110", "title": "Bacteriophage lambda as a cloning vector.", "content": "Extensive research has been directed toward the development of multipurpose lambda vectors for cloning ever since the potential of using coliphage lambda as a cloning vector was recognized in the late 1970s. An understanding of the intrinsic molecular organization and of the genetic events which determine lysis or lysogeny in lambda has allowed investigators to modify it to suit the specific requirements of gene manipulations. Unwanted restriction sites have been altered and arranged together into suitable polylinkers. The development of a highly efficient in vitro packaging system has permitted the introduction of chimeric molecules into hosts. Biological containment of recombinants has been achieved by introducing amber mutations into the lambda genome and by using specific amber suppressor hosts. Taking advantage of the limited range of genome size (78 to 105% of the wild-type size) for its efficient packaging, an array of vectors has been devised to accommodate inserts of a wide size range, the limit being 24 kbp in Charon 40. The central dispensable fragment of the lambda genome can be replaced by a fragment of heterologous DNA, leading to the construction of replacement vectors such as Charon and EMBL. Alternatively, small DNA fragments can be inserted without removing the dispensable region of the lambda genome, as in lambda gt10 and lambda gt11 vectors. In addition, the introduction of many other desirable properties, such as NotI and SfiI sites in polylinkers (e.g., lambda gt22), T7 and T3 promoters for the in vitro transcription (e.g., lambda DASH), and the mechanism for in vivo excision of the intact insert (e.g., lambda ZAP), has facilitated both cloning and subsequent analysis. In most cases, the recombinants can be differentiated from the parental phages by their altered phenotype. Libraries constructed in lambda vectors are screened easily with antibody or nucleic acid probes since several thousand clones can be plated on a single petri dish. Besides the availability of a wide range of lambda vectors, many related techniques such as rapid isolation of lambda DNA, a high efficiency of commercially available in vitro packaging extracts, and in vitro amplification of DNA via the polymerase chain reaction have collectively contributed to lambda's becoming one of the most powerful and popular tools for molecular cloning."}
{"id": "PMID:1480111", "title": "Regulation by proteolysis: energy-dependent proteases and their targets.", "content": "A number of critical regulatory proteins in both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells are subject to rapid, energy-dependent proteolysis. Rapid degradation combined with control over biosynthesis provides a mechanism by which the availability of a protein can be limited both temporally and spatially. Highly unstable regulatory proteins are involved in numerous biological functions, particularly at the commitment steps in developmental pathways and in emergency responses. The proteases involved in energy-dependent proteolysis are large proteins with the ability to use ATP to scan for appropriate targets and degrade complete proteins in a processive manner. These cytoplasmic proteases are also able to degrade many abnormal proteins in the cell."}
{"id": "PMID:1480113", "title": "The antigen 85 complex: a major secretion product of Mycobacterium tuberculosis.", "content": "The large number of different proteins synthesized by the mycobacterial cell are currently classified and studied in terms of groups of proteins with certain common properties such as physical and chemical characteristics, function, and localization in the mycobacterial cell. Proteins that are actively secreted during culture on synthetic media represent a particular group of great current interest. At least eight proteins secreted by Mycobacterium tuberculosis have been isolated and characterized to various extents. The genes coding for five proteins secreted from M. tuberculosis and/or Mycobacterium bovis BCG have been cloned and sequenced. All of them contain typical signal sequences. The proteins of the antigen 85 complex, which form the main subject of this review, are often the most common proteins in M. tuberculosis culture fluid. The constituents denoted 85A, 85B, and 85C are encoded by three genes located at different sites in the mycobacterial genome and show extensive cross-reactivity as well as homology at amino acid and gene levels. The proteins differ slightly in molecular mass in the 30- to 31-kDa region, and all of them are fibronectin-binding proteins, but the significance of the latter observation and the role of these proteins in mycobacterial physiology and interaction with the infected host remain to be elucidated. The antigen 85 complex proteins are strongly immunogenic in natural and experimental mycobacterial infections in terms of both induction of antibody synthesis and T-cell-mediated reactions. The well-recognized difference in the efficacy of live and dead mycobacterial vaccines should be considered in relation to the group of secreted antigens. After inoculation, live bacteria in vaccines such as BCG multiply in the host, probably releasing several constituents belonging to the class of secreted proteins and hence resulting in more efficient stimulation of the immune system. Secreted mycobacterial antigens are expected to be of particular significance in induction of various immune responses that are responsible for development of protective immunity in some individuals and for clinical symptoms and complications of the ensuing disease in others."}
{"id": "PMID:1480112", "title": "Structure and function of cholera toxin and the related Escherichia coli heat-labile enterotoxin.", "content": "Cholera and the related Escherichia coli-associated diarrheal disease are important problems confronting Third World nations and any area where water supplies can become contaminated. The disease is extremely debilitating and may be fatal in the absence of treatment. Symptoms are caused by the action of cholera toxin, secreted by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae, or by a closely related heat-labile enterotoxin, produced by Escherichia coli, that causes a milder, more common traveler's diarrhea. Both toxins bind receptors in intestinal epithelial cells and insert an enzymatic subunit that modifies a G protein associated with the adenylate cyclase complex. The consequent stimulated production of cyclic AMP, or other factors such as increased synthesis of prostaglandins by intoxicated cells, initiates a metabolic cascade that results in the excessive secretion of fluid and electrolytes characteristic of the disease. The toxins have a very high degree of structural and functional homology and may be evolutionarily related. Several effective new vaccine formulations have been developed and tested, and a growing family of endogenous cofactors is being discovered in eukaryotic cells. The recent elucidation of the three-dimensional structure of the heat-labile enterotoxin has provided an opportunity to examine and compare the correlations between structure and function of the two toxins. This information may improve our understanding of the disease process itself, as well as illuminate the role of the toxin in studies of signal transduction and G-protein function."}
{"id": "PMID:1480114", "title": "Traits of fluorescent Pseudomonas spp. involved in suppression of plant root pathogens.", "content": "Certain members of the fluorescent pseudomonad group have been shown to be potential agents for the biocontrol of plant root diseases. The major problems with the commercialization of these beneficial strains are that few wild-type strains contain all the desired characteristics for this process and the performance of strains in different soil and climatic conditions is not reproducible. Consequently, prior to selection and/or improvement of suitable strains for biocontrol purposes, it is necessary to understand the important traits required for this purpose. The production of fluorescent siderophores (iron-binding compounds) and antibiotic compounds has been recognized as important for the inhibition of plant root pathogens. Efficient root colonization is also a prerequisite for successful biocontrol strains. This review discusses some of the characteristics of fluorescent pseudomonads that have been suggested to be important for biocontrol. The genetic organization and regulation of these processes is also examined. This information is necessary for attempts aimed at the improvement of strains based on deregulating pathways or introducing traits from one strain to another. The release of genetically engineered organisms into the environment is governed by regulations, and this aspect is summarized. The commercialization of fluorescent pseudomonads for the biological control of plant root diseases remains an exciting possibility. The understanding of the relevant characteristics will facilitate this process by enabling the direct selection and/or construction of strains which will perform under a variety of environmental conditions."}
{"id": "PMID:1480115", "title": "Molecular mechanisms of genetic adaptation to xenobiotic compounds.", "content": "Microorganisms in the environment can often adapt to use xenobiotic chemicals as novel growth and energy substrates. Specialized enzyme systems and metabolic pathways for the degradation of man-made compounds such as chlorobiphenyls and chlorobenzenes have been found in microorganisms isolated from geographically separated areas of the world. The genetic characterization of an increasing number of aerobic pathways for degradation of (substituted) aromatic compounds in different bacteria has made it possible to compare the similarities in genetic organization and in sequence which exist between genes and proteins of these specialized catabolic routes and more common pathways. These data suggest that discrete modules containing clusters of genes have been combined in different ways in the various catabolic pathways. Sequence information further suggests divergence of catabolic genes coding for specialized enzymes in the degradation of xenobiotic chemicals. An important question will be to find whether these specialized enzymes evolved from more common isozymes only after the introduction of xenobiotic chemicals into the environment. Evidence is presented that a range of genetic mechanisms, such as gene transfer, mutational drift, and genetic recombination and transposition, can accelerate the evolution of catabolic pathways in bacteria. However, there is virtually no information concerning the rates at which these mechanisms are operating in bacteria living in nature and the response of such rates to the presence of potential (xenobiotic) substrates. Quantitative data on the genetic processes in the natural environment and on the effect of environmental parameters on the rate of evolution are needed."}
{"id": "PMID:1480122", "title": "LAMP in L.A.'s skid row: a model for community-based support services.", "content": "In most states, we reneged on our promise to provide community-based program support to persons deinstitutionalized from psychiatric hospitals. Now many people are blaming those with mental illness for their failure to thrive and have begun creating new laws and methods for reinstitutionalization. This chapter describes a community-based program that is demonstrably effective. It involves the full participation of homeless people diagnosed with mental illness and attests to what can work."}
{"id": "PMID:1480125", "title": "Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) seroprevalence surveys.", "content": "The seroprevalence surveys being conducted in the Kansas City area have to date tested 15,778 persons and resulted in 85 seropositive HIV tests. The sexually transmitted disease (STD) surveys and women's surveys fall in the lowest quartile of the combined national surveys. The drug treatment (IVDU) survey data were comparable to the median national seroprevalence of 3.8%. Seroprevalence rates in the STD surveys were 41 times that of women's surveys, and the IVDU surveys were 104 times that of the women's surveys. Based on three years of data from clinics with stable populations presenting for treatment, no trends in the demographics of those being found seropositive were identified to be statistically significant. This lack of trends has been presented as the normal findings of surveys nationally. The data does not show an acceleration of new infections based on seropositives being identified in the survey sites."}
{"id": "PMID:1480126", "title": "Nodular poorly differentiated lymphocytic lymphoma of the thyroid.", "content": "A 44-year-old woman had a four-month history of enlargement of her thyroid. Evaluation revealed a rare disease: nodular, poorly differentiated lymphocytic lymphoma of the thyroid (NPDL), stage IE. A review of the literature revealed that most thyroid lymphomas are diffuse histiocytic (DH). Treatment of thyroid lymphocytic lymphoma and survival rates have been quite variable between institutions. There are no large studies to guide the physician in making a management plan to treat thyroid NPDL. Our patient was treated with a combination of chemotherapy and radiation therapy (XRT)."}
{"id": "PMID:1480128", "title": "Projections of the number of persons diagnosed with AIDS and the number of immunosuppressed HIV-infected persons--United States, 1992-1994.", "content": "This report presents projections of the number of persons who will initially be diagnosed with a condition included in the 1987 surveillance definition for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) in the United States during the period 1992-1994. The report also presents estimates and projections of the prevalence of persons infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) who have CD4+ T-lymphocyte (T-cell) counts < 200/microL and who have not been diagnosed with a condition listed in the 1987 AIDS surveillance definition. These estimates and projections are used to predict the effect of expanding the AIDS surveillance definition to include all HIV-infected persons with a CD4+ T-cell count < 200/microL. Approximately 58,000 persons were diagnosed with AIDS in the United States during 1991. During the period 1992-1994, the number of persons newly diagnosed with AIDS is expected to increase by at most a few percent annually, with approximately 60,000-70,000 persons diagnosed per year. Although AIDS diagnoses among homosexual and bisexual men and among injecting drug users are projected to reach a plateau during this period, the number of AIDS diagnoses among persons whose HIV infection is attributed to heterosexual transmission of HIV is likely to continue to increase through 1994. The number of living persons who have been diagnosed with AIDS is expected to increase from approximately 90,000 in January 1992 to approximately 120,000 in January 1995. There is, however, considerable uncertainty in these projections. For example, the plausible range for the number of persons initially diagnosed with AIDS in 1994 is 43,000-93,000. CDC estimates that, as of January 1992, 115,000-170,000 U.S. residents had severe immunosuppression (a CD4+ T-cell count < 200 cells/microL without a diagnosis of AIDS in an HIV-infected person). Only about 50,000 of these persons were receiving medical care for HIV-related conditions and were known to have a CD4+ T-cell count < 200 cells/microL. The number of persons with severe immunosuppression is expected to increase to 130,000-205,000 by January 1995, with the actual number more likely to be in the lower half of this range than the upper half. The expanded AIDS surveillance definition, which includes severe immunosuppression, is predicted to result in an increase of approximately 75% in the number of persons reported during 1993, but an increase of < 20% in 1994 compared with the number of persons who would have been reported had the definition not been changed.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1480129", "title": "Cross-species comparison of 5-lipoxygenase-activating protein.", "content": "To identify regions of 5-lipoxygenase-activating protein (FLAP) important for the function of the protein and the binding of leukotriene biosynthesis inhibitors, we performed a cross-species analysis of FLAP. FLAP from all 10 mammalian species analyzed (human, monkey, horse, pig, cow, sheep, rabbit, dog, rat, and mouse) were immunologically cross-reactive and specifically bound leukotriene biosynthesis inhibitors with high affinity. Using the polymerase chain reaction, cDNA clones for FLAP from six species (monkey, horse, pig, sheep, rabbit, and mouse) were isolated and sequenced. The deduced amino acid sequences of FLAP show a high degree of identity to each other and to the published sequences for human and rat FLAP. Two regions of the protein are almost totally conserved among all of the species analyzed. This suggests that these regions have functional significance and may be involved in inhibitor binding."}
{"id": "PMID:1480130", "title": "Immunochemical identity of the 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin- and beta-naphthoflavone-induced cytochrome P-450 arachidonic acid epoxygenases in chick embryo liver: distinction from the omega-hydroxylase and the phenobarbital-induced epoxygenase.", "content": "2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), beta-naphthoflavone (beta NF), and phenobarbital (PB) cause marked induction of cytochrome P-450 (P-450)-mediated arachidonic acid metabolism in chick embryo liver. We show here that the P-450 arachidonic acid epoxygenases induced by TCDD and beta NF are immunochemically indistinguishable from each other and unrelated to the arachidonic acid epoxygenase induced by PB. On Western blots, IgG from an antiserum against beta NFAA, a 55-kDa P-450 arachidonic acid epoxygenase purified from beta NF-treated chick embryo liver, immunoreacted selectively and to the same extent with a 55-kDa band in liver microsomes from chick embryos treated with TCDD or beta NF. It failed to react with proteins from untreated, solvent-treated, or PB-treated embryos on immunoblots or to immunoinhibit PB-induced arachidonic acid metabolism. Anti-beta NFAA IgG immunoinhibited all arachidonic acid metabolism by reconstituted beta NFAA and formation of arachidonic epoxides (EETs) and monohydroxylated derivatives (HETEs) by microsomes from TCDD- and beta NF-treated livers; it did not inhibit omega-hydroxylation. In contrast, IgG from an antiserum against the major PB-induced chicken P-450s, 2H1 and 2H2, immunoreacted with two major PB-induced P-450s, of 48 and 49 kDa, on Western blots. It also immunoinhibited formation of EETs and HETEs by PB-treated microsomes entirely and omega-hydroxylation by 50%. It failed to react with TCDD- or beta NF-induced P-450s on Western blots or to immunoinhibit TCDD- or beta NF-induced arachidonic acid metabolism. Because other P-450s with which anti-beta NFAA and anti-PB IgG cross-reacted were inactive in arachidonic acid epoxygenation, the findings are consistent with beta NFAA being principally responsible for the epoxygenation induced by TCDD and beta NF and 2H1 and/or 2H2 being responsible for epoxygenation induced by PB. Further, the P-450 arachidonate omega-hydroxylase and the epoxygenase in livers of TCDD- or beta NF-treated embryos are immunochemically unrelated, whereas those in livers of PB-treated embryos may be partly related."}
{"id": "PMID:1480131", "title": "Rapid desensitization of muscarinic m3 receptor-stimulated polyphosphoinositide responses.", "content": "Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells transfected with human m3 muscarinic receptor cDNA (Bmax, 1343 +/- 46.8 fmol/mg of protein) were used to investigate agonist-mediated muscarinic receptor desensitization. Stimulation of CHO-m3 cells with a maximal dose of carbachol resulted in a biphasic production of mass inositol-1,4,5-trisphosphate [Ins(1,4,5)P3], measured by radioreceptor binding assay. The first phase comprises a rapid 8-10-fold increase in Ins(1,4,5)P3 that peaks after 10 sec and falls to levels 3-4-fold over basal within 1 min Ins(1,4,5)P3 rises again over the next 20 min to approximately 8-10-fold above basal, where levels are sustained for at least 2 hr. This later phase is, therefore, considered to be a desensitization-resistant component of m3 receptor activation. A 5-min pre-exposure of CHO-m3 cells to carbachol resulted in attenuation of the initial peak Ins(1,4,5)P3 response to a subsequent application of agonist. The attenuation of the Ins(1,4,5)P3 response was reversible with a t1/2 of approximately 7.5 min. Desensitization and recovery of the peak Ins(1,4,5)P3 response correlated with a decrease and subsequent recovery of m3 receptor-mediated mobilization of intracellular calcium stores, suggesting that the consequence of peak Ins(1,4,5)P3 desensitization is a reduced calcium mobilization response. N-[3H]Methylscopolamine binding to intact cells revealed that there was no change in cell surface m3 receptors during the 5-min pre-exposure to agonist, indicating that the mechanism of muscarinic receptor desensitization described here is not sequestration or internalization of receptors."}
{"id": "PMID:1480132", "title": "Ryanodine induces persistent inactivation of the Ca2+ release channel from skeletal muscle sarcoplasmic reticulum.", "content": "Junctional sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) membranes isolated from rabbit skeletal muscle were pretreated with 0.1-500 microM ryanodine under equilibrium conditions optimal for receptor binding, followed by the removal of bound alkaloid by several washes in Ca(2+)- and ryanodine-free buffer. Pretreatment with > 100 nM ryanodine results in a concentration-dependent decrease in the Bmax of the high affinity sites and a complete loss of measurable low affinity binding sites that persist for > 48 hr. Quantitative analysis of residual ryanodine using three different methods demonstrates that the inhibition is not the result of residual ryanodine bound to its receptor. Ca2+ transport measurements made with antipyrylazo III show that actively loaded ryanodine-pretreated SR exhibits a persistent insensitivity to ryanodine- and daunomycin-induced Ca2+ release that is not seen with washed control vesicles. Lipid bilayer membranes fused with SR vesicles exhibit rapidly fluctuating single-channel events with a conductance of 468 pS in asymmetric CsCl solutions. Ryanodine (10 microM) produces a unidirectional transition to a slowly fluctuating half-conductance state that is not reversed by perfusion of the bilayer with Ca(2+)-free buffer and subsequent addition of dithiothreitol. However, dithiothreitol added in the ryanodine pretreatment medium offers marked protection against ryanodine-induced loss of binding sites and allows complete restoration of native gating behavior of single channels in bilayer lipid membrane. Using three different experimental approaches, the data demonstrate that the alkaloid at micromolar concentration persistently alters SR Ca2+ release channel function, perhaps by uncoupling four negatively cooperative binding sites. The oxidation of critical receptor thiols is implicated in the process."}
{"id": "PMID:1480133", "title": "Characterization of the binding of [3H]L-158,809: a new potent and selective nonpeptide angiotensin II receptor (AT1) antagonist radioligand.", "content": "[3H]L-158,809, a new potent and AT1-selective nonpeptide angiotensin II receptor antagonist, bound saturably and reversibly to rat adrenal membranes. Scatchard and Hill plot analyses indicated a single class of high affinity (Kd = 0.66 nM) binding sites. The relative potencies of various angiotensin II-related peptide and nonpeptide antagonists in displacing [3H]L-158,809 binding correlated with their potencies in displacing the binding of 125I-Sar1,Ile8-angiotensin II to adrenal AT1 receptors. [3H]L-158,809 binding to adrenal membranes was not affected by addition of guanosine-5'-(beta,gamma-imido)triphosphate or various pharmacological agents known to interact with other common peptide and nonpeptide receptor systems. The potencies of angiotensin II receptor agonists, but not antagonists, in inhibiting specific [3H]L-158,809 binding were decreased in the presence of guanosine-5'-(beta,gamma-imido)triphosphate. Specific [3H]L-158,809 binding was also observed in rat liver and kidney. Collectively, the data indicate that [3H]L-158,809 represents a new, potent, nonpeptide, antagonist radioligand suitable for the study of angiotensin II AT1 receptors."}
{"id": "PMID:1480134", "title": "Cell-specific metabolism in mouse bone marrow stroma: studies of activation and detoxification of benzene metabolites.", "content": "Two of the major cell types in bone marrow stroma, macrophages and fibroblasts, have been shown to be important regulators of both myelopoiesis and lymphopoiesis. The enzymology relating to cell-specific metabolism of phenolic metabolites of benzene in isolated mouse bone marrow stromal cells was examined. Fibroblastoid stromal cells had elevated glutathione-S-transferase (4.5-fold) and DT-diaphorase (4-fold) activity relative to macrophages, whereas macrophages demonstrated increased UDP-glucuronosyltransferase (UDP-GT, 7.5-fold) and peroxidase activity relative to stromal fibroblasts. UDP-GT and glutathione-S-transferase activities in macrophages and fibroblasts, respectively, were significantly greater than those in unpurified white marrow. Aryl sulfotransferase activity could not be detected in either bone marrow-derived macrophages or fibroblasts, and there were no significant differences in GSH content between the two cell types. Because UDP-GT activity is high in macrophages, these data suggest that DT-diaphorase levels would be rate limiting in the detoxification of benzene-derived quinones in bone marrow macrophages. The peroxidase responsible for bioactivation of benzene-derived phenolic metabolites in bone marrow macrophages is unknown but has been suggested to be prostaglandin H synthase (PGS). Hydrogen peroxide, but not arachidonic acid, supported metabolism of hydroquinone to reactive species in bone marrow-derived macrophage lysates. These data do not support a major role for PGS in peroxidase-mediated bioactivation of hydroquinone in bone marrow-derived macrophages, although PGS mRNA could be detected in these cells. Similarly, hydrogen peroxide, but not arachidonic acid, supported metabolism of hydroquinone in a human bone marrow homogenate. Peroxidase-mediated interactions between phenolic metabolites of benzene occurred in bone marrow-derived macrophages. Bioactivation of hydroquinone to species that would bind to acid-insoluble cellular macromolecules was increased by phenol and was markedly stimulated by catechol. Bioactivation of catechol was also stimulated by phenol but was inhibited by hydroquinone. These data define the enzymology and the cell-specific metabolism of benzene metabolites in bone marrow stroma and demonstrate that interactions between phenolic metabolites may contribute to the toxicity of benzene in this critical bone marrow compartment."}
{"id": "PMID:1480135", "title": "High affinity block of myocardial L-type calcium channels by the spider toxin omega-Aga-toxin IIIA: advantages over 1,4-dihydropyridines.", "content": "The peptide omega-agatoxin IIIA (omega-Aga-IIIA) from venom of the funnel web spider Agelenopsis aperta blocks L-type Ca2+ channels in neurons and myocardial cells with high affinity. We report that omega-Aga-IIIA also blocks whole-cell Ca2+ channel currents in guinea pig atrial myocytes. Although other high affinity blockers of L-type Ca2+ channels are available (such as the 1,4-dihydropyridines), omega-Aga-IIIA is a valuable pharmacological tool; omega-Aga-IIIA is the only known ligand that blocks L-type Ca2+ channels with high affinity at all voltages (IC50 approximately 1 nM) and it causes little or no block of T-type Ca2+ channels, unlike the 1,4-dihydropyridines. We use omega-Aga-IIIA to selectively eliminate L-type Ca2+ currents and we show that felodipine blocks T-type Ca2+ currents. Consequently, the toxin is better than dihydropyridines for separating ionic currents through voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels and defining their physiological function."}
{"id": "PMID:1480136", "title": "Identification of rabbit cytochromes P450 2C1 and 2C2 as arachidonic acid epoxygenases.", "content": "Microsomes prepared from COS-1 cells transiently expressing rabbit cytochromes P450 2C1 and 2C2 catalyzed the metabolism of arachidonic acid to predominantly 11,12- and 14,15-epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs) when microsomal epoxide hydrolase activity was inhibited by 0.2 mM 1,2-epoxy-3,3,3-trichloropropane. P450 2C2 catalyzed the formation of 11,12-EET and 14,15-EET at a ratio of 3.0 and also produced 19-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (19-HETE). The 11,12-EET, 14,15-EET, and 19-HETE represented 48.3, 15.9, and 12.8%, respectively, of the total metabolites formed. P450 2C1 produced a similar but distinct ratio of 11,12-EET to 14,15-EET (2.0) and did not produce any detectable 19-HETE. The 11,12-EET and 14,15-EET represented 63.0 and 31.1%, respectively, of the total metabolites formed. The 8,9- and 5,6-EETs were not detected with either enzyme. The ratio of the 11,12-EET to 14,15-EET was 1.5 with P450 2CAA, a P450 arachidonic acid epoxygenase (P450 2CAA) that had an amino-terminal sequence identical to that of P450 2C2 [J. Biol. Chem. 267:5552-5559 (1992)]. P450 2C1, 2C2, and 2CAA metabolized lauric acid. The ratio of omega-1- to omega-hydroxylated laurate was 3.6, 3.4, and 2.4 for P450 2CAA, P450 2C2, and P450 2C1, respectively. Purified P450 2CAA had a slightly greater apparent molecular weight than expressed P450 2C2 on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gels. The results clearly establish that rabbit P450 2C1 and 2C2 are arachidonic acid epoxygenases, and they suggest that P450 2CAA and 2C2 are very similar but may not be identical isoforms."}
{"id": "PMID:1480137", "title": "Antidepressant drug action in a transgenic mouse model of the endocrine changes seen in depression.", "content": "We have created transgenic mouse lines with impaired glucocorticoid receptor function by expression of a type II glucocorticoid receptor antisense RNA in brain tissues. These animals have endocrinological characteristics similar to those seen in depression, including a hyperactive hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis as indicated by elevated plasma corticosterone and adrenocorticotropin hormone levels. Treatment of transgenic animals with the tricyclic antidepressant desipramine increased hypothalamic glucocorticoid receptor mRNA concentration and dexamethasone-binding activity while decreasing plasma adrenocorticotropin hormone concentration and corticosterone levels. These results support the hypothesis that antidepressants exert action on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis through modulation of glucocorticoid receptor gene expression."}
{"id": "PMID:1480138", "title": "Interrelationship between lactate and cardiac fatty acid metabolism.", "content": "This overview is presented, in the main, to summarize the following aspects of lactate and cardiac fatty acid metabolism: 1. The utilization of exogenous carbohydrates and fatty acids by the heart. 2. The competition between lactate and fatty acids in cardiac energy metabolism. 3. The effect of lactate on endogenous triacylglycerol homeostasis. 4. Lactate-induced impairment of functional recovery of the post-ischemic heart. 5. The effect of lactate on lipid metabolism in the ischemic and post-ischemic heart. 6. The consequences of hyperlactaemia for cardiac imaging."}
{"id": "PMID:1480139", "title": "The relative contribution of glucose and fatty acids to ATP production in hearts reperfused following ischemia.", "content": "High levels of fatty acids decrease the extent of mechanical recovery of hearts reperfused following a transient period of severe ischemia. Glucose oxidation rates during reperfusion are low under these conditions, which can result in a decreased recovery of mechanical function. Stimulation of glucose oxidation with the carnitine palmitoyl transferase I inhibitor, Etomoxir, or by directly stimulating pyruvate dehydrogenase activity with dichloroacetate (DCA) results in an improvement in mechanical function during reperfusion of previously ischemic hearts. Addition of DCA (1 mM) to hearts perfused with 11 mM glucose and 1.2 mM palmitate results in an increase in contribution of glucose oxidation to overall ATP production from 6 to 23%, with a parallel decrease in that of fatty acid oxidation from 90 to 69%. In aerobic hearts, endogenous myocardial triglycerides are an important source of fatty acids for beta-oxidation. Using hearts in which the myocardial triglycerides were pre-labeled, the contribution of both endogenous and exogenous fatty acid oxidation to myocardial ATP production was determined in hearts perfused with 11 mM glucose, 1.2 mM palmitate and 500 microU/ml insulin. In hearts reperfused following a 30 min period of global no flow ischemia, 91.9% of ATP production was derived from endogenous and exogenous fatty acid oxidation, compared to 87.7% in aerobic hearts. This demonstrates that fatty acid oxidation quickly recovers following a transient period of severe ischemia. Furthermore, therapy aimed at overcoming fatty acid inhibition of glucose oxidation during reperfusion of ischemic hearts appears to be beneficial to recovery of mechanical function."}
{"id": "PMID:1480140", "title": "Carnitine requirement of vascular endothelial and smooth muscle cells in imminent ischemia.", "content": "Vascular endothelial and -smooth muscle cells have been shown to use fatty acids as substrates for oxidative phosphorylation. Endothelial cells are more vulnerable to oxidative stress than muscle cells and are prone to loose carnitine early during hypoperfusion. This has been suggested by two observations. The first is that incubation of isolated endothelial cells in a low carnitine medium leads to oleate oxidation, dependent upon carnitine addition, whereas smooth muscle cells do not depend on carnitine addition during in vitro incubation, although aminocarnitine, a specific inner-membrane carnitine palmitoyltransferase inhibitor, inhibits fatty acid oxidation. The second observation is that rat hearts labeled in vivo with 14C-carnitine loose, as paced Langendorff heart, only 4% of their carnitine in 20 min perfusion, following 60 min global ischemia. The carnitine released had a much higher specific radioactivity than the carnitine that was not released. It indicates compartmentation of carnitine in heart. As earlier and presently discussed work shows endothelial vulnerability, it is to be expected that this cell type may become carnitine deficient during pacing and ischemia. Endothelial incompetence in flow regulation could be delayed by the presence of carnitine and fatty acids in pre-ischemia. It is speculated how activated fatty acids could protect endothelium."}
{"id": "PMID:1480141", "title": "Protection of the ischemic diabetic heart by L-propionylcarnitine therapy.", "content": "Diabetics suffer from an increased incidence of myocardial infarction and are less likely to survive an ischemic insult. Since L-propionylcarnitine (LPC) has been shown to protect against ischemic/reperfusion injury, we hypothesized that LPC may be of even greater benefit to the diabetic heart. Diabetes was induced by i.v. streptozotocin, 60 mg/kg; duration: 12 wks. The chronic effect of LPC was determined by daily i.p. injections (100 mg/kg) for 8 wks. The acute effects of LPC were determined by adding it to the perfusion medium (5 mM) of control and diabetic hearts. Initial cardiac contractile performance of isolated perfused working hearts was assessed by varying left atrial filling pressure. Hearts were then subjected to 90 min of low flow global ischemia followed by 30 min reperfusion. Chronic LPC treatment had no effect on initial cardiac performance in either control or diabetic hearts. Acute addition of LPC to the perfusion medium enhanced pump performance of control hearts, but had no effect in diabetic hearts. Both acute and chronic LPC significantly improved the ability of control and diabetic hearts to recover cardiac contractile performance after ischemia and reperfusion, however, chronic treatment was more effective in diabetic hearts."}
{"id": "PMID:1480142", "title": "Functional and metabolic effects of propionyl-L-carnitine in the isolated perfused hypertrophied rat heart.", "content": "Aim of this study was to assess the effect of propionyl-L-carnitine (PLC), a naturally occurring derivative of L-carnitine, in cardiac hypertrophy induced by pressure overload in rats. The abdominal aorta was banded and the rats received one daily administration of PLC (50 mg/kg) or saline for four days. The hearts were excised 24 h after the last administration and were perfused retrogradely with oxygenated Krebs-Henseleit buffer containing 1.2 mM palmitate bound to 3% (w/v) albumin, 2.5 microM PLC and 25 microM L-carnitine. A saline-filled balloon was inserted into the left ventricle and the heart contractility was measured at three volumes of the balloon, corresponding to zero diastolic pressure and to increased volumes (110 and 220 microliters) over the zero volume. At the end of the perfusion, the hearts were freeze-clamped, weighed and analyzed for adenine nucleotide and phosphocreatine (PCr) content by HPLC methods. No differences in the myocardial performance were found at zero diastolic pressure. In contrast, at high intraventricular volume, the maximal rate of ventricular relaxation was increased in PLC-treated with respect to saline-treated controls (p < 0.05). In addition, the increase of the end-diastolic pressure at increasing balloon volume was more marked in controls than in the PLC-treated hearts (p < 0.02). These data correlate well with the measured higher level of total adenine nucleotides (p < 0.05) and ATP (p < 0.02) in the PLC-treated hearts, while PCr was the same in both groups. Parallel experiments performed in the absence of palmitate in the perfusing media failed to show any effect of PLC.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1480143", "title": "L-propionylcarnitine and myocardial performance in stunned porcine myocardium.", "content": "Recently, we showed that L-propionylcarnitine did not affect recovery of regional contractile function of porcine myocardium subjected to 1 h of low-flow ischemia followed by 2 hr of reperfusion. In that study, ischemia may have been too severe and/or the duration of reperfusion too short to detect a beneficial effect of the compound. Therefore, in the present study we investigated the effects of saline (control group; n = 14) or pretreatment with L-propionyl-carnitine (3 days of 50 mg/kg p.o. b.i.d. + 50 mg/kg i.v. prior to the experiment; n = 13) on recovery of regional contractile function of the myocardium in open-chest anesthetized pigs, subjected to two cycles of 10 min of left anterior descending coronary artery (LADCA) occlusion, each followed by 30 min of reperfusion. In the control animals, at the end of the second reperfusion period, systemic vascular resistance had increased by 18%, which, however, was not observed in the L-propionylcarnitine-treated pigs. In the control group, during the first occlusion, systolic segment length shortening (SSLS) of the LADCA-perfused area decreased from 18.5 +/- 5.5% to -3.7 = 3.2%. After 30 min of reperfusion, SSLS of the LADCA-perfused area had only partially recovered to 6.2 +/- 5.9%. During the second occlusion-reperfusion cycle similar values for SSLS were observed. In the treated animals, SSLS of the LADCA-perfused area was slightly improved after the second occlusion-reperfusion cycle (p = 0.056). This effect did not result in an overall improvement in cardiac pump function.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1480144", "title": "Release of heart fatty acid-binding protein into plasma after acute myocardial infarction in man.", "content": "The release of cytoplasmic heart fatty acid-binding protein (H-FABP) into the plasma of cardiac patients up to 38 hr after the onset of the first clinical symptoms of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) was studied, using a sensitive direct and noncompetitive Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay of the antigen capture type (sandwich ELISA), newly developed for the measurement of small amounts of human H-FABP in plasma samples. Plasma levels of H-FABP were compared with plasma activity levels of the myocardial cytoplasmic enzymes creatine kinase MB (CK-MB) and alpha-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase (alpha-HBDH). Upper normal levels of H-FABP (19 micrograms/l), CK-MB (10 U/l) and alpha-HBDH (160 U/l) as determined in plasma from 72 blood donors served as threshold levels. H-FABP levels were significantly elevated above their threshold level within 3 hr after AMI. Peak levels of H-FABP, CK-MB and alpha-HBDH were reached 4.1 +/- 0.9 hr, 8.4 +/- 1.4 hr and 25.0 +/- 9.5 hr (means +/- S.D., n = 10) after acute myocardial infarction, respectively. Serial time curves of the plasma contents of H-FABP reveal that after myocardial infarction H-FABP is released in substantial amounts from human hearts. In 18 out of 22 patients with established AMI the plasma FABP level was at or above the threshold level in blood-samples taken within 3.5 hr after the first onset of symptoms of AMI, while for CK-MB this applied to 9 patients and for alpha-HBDH to 6 patients. These findings suggest that for an early indication of acute myocardial infarction in man cytoplasmic heart fatty acid-binding protein is more suitable than heart type creatine kinase MB and/or alpha-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase."}
{"id": "PMID:1480145", "title": "Regulatory functions of the coronary endothelium.", "content": "In this brief review three functions of the coronary endothelium are surveyed: (a) its barrier and exchange function, (b) the prevention of coagulation and platelet aggregation, and (c) its role in vasoregulation. Impairment of these functions can occur in ischemia, hypertension, arteriosclerosis and inflammation."}
{"id": "PMID:1480146", "title": "Lipid metabolism of myocardial endothelial cells.", "content": "The vascular endothelium can be regarded as a widely distributed organ, interposed between the intravascular and extravascular spaces, with a pluripotent function in the regulation of capillary diameter, vascular homeostasis, lipoprotein metabolism and the vascular response to injury. In the basal physiological state these processes provide a non-thrombotic, non-inflammatory vascular lining preventing uncontrolled inflammation and coagulation. Endothelial cells respond to potential harmful conditions (mechanical stress, anoxia, ischemia and oxidative stress) and a variety of hormones and vasoactive mediators by inducing coagulation and production of inflammatory mediators through the production of 'bioactive' lipids. Although the number of studies in isolated myocardial endothelial cells is limited, from the presumed metabolic analogy with endothelial cells isolated (and cultured) from other organs, one may conclude that the bioactive lipids include oxygenated arachidonate metabolites (eicosanoids) and the platelet activating factor (1--O-alkyl-2-acetyl-sn-glycerol-3-phosphocholine; PAF). All aspects of lipid metabolism, related to the production of eicosanoids and PAF, are present within myocardial endothelial cells. There is uptake and incorporation of fatty acids by endothelial cells and liberation from endogenous triacylglycerol and (membrane) phospholipid stores by (phospho)lipases. Endothelial cells oxidize fatty acids in a carnitine-dependent, mitochondrial, pathway. Endothelial cells actively interact with high density lipoprotein (HDL) and low density lipoprotein (LDL) leading to uptake of cholesterol(esters) that undergo intracellular hydrolysis, and re-esterification to phospho- and neutral lipids, and leaving the LDL-particle modified in a way that makes them bind to the scavenger receptor on macrophages.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1480147", "title": "Endothelium, the dynamic interface in cardiac lipid transport.", "content": "Vascular endothelium is the dynamic interface in transport of lipid from blood to myocytes in heart and arteries. The luminal surface of endothelium is the site of action of lipoprotein lipase on chylomicrons and VLDL and the site of uptake of fatty acids from albumin. Fatty acids and monoacylglycerols are transported from the lumen in an interfacial continuum of endothelial and myocyte membranes. Lipoprotein lipase is transferred from myocytes to the vascular lumen, and is anchored there, by proteoheparan sulfate in cell membranes. Insulin, needed for synthesis of lipoprotein lipase and esterification of fatty acids, is captured from the blood stream and delivered to myocytes by endothelial insulin receptors. Fatty acids, monoacylglycerols, lipoprotein lipase and insulin are transported along the same route, but by different mechanisms. The route involves the plasma membrane of endothelium and myocytes, the membrane lining transendothelial channels, and intercellular contacts."}
{"id": "PMID:1480148", "title": "Dietary modulation of lipid metabolism and mechanical performance of the heart.", "content": "Sudden Cardiac Death resulting from sustained ventricular fibrillation or malignant cardiac arrhythmia has been linked to the type of dietary fat intake in several economically well developed countries where high levels of saturated fatty acids are common. Experimental studies with the small non-human primate marmoset monkey have clearly demonstrated the health benefit of substituting polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA's) for dietary saturated fatty acids. Heart rate and blood pressure are lowered, while the left ventricular ejection fraction and the electrical threshold for the induction of ventricular fibrillation are both increased after prolonged feeding of PUFA enriched diets. All these changes in heart function reduce the risk of developing malignant cardiac arrhythmias. The fatty acid composition of cardiac membrane phospholipids is profoundly altered by these changes in dietary lipid intake. In particular the proportions of arachidonic acid (AA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) are altered in such a way that the production of myocardial eicosanoids is affected. Although the changes in proportion of these long-chain PUFA's in cardiac phosphatidyl ethanolamine and phosphatidyl inositol are not identical, the shift in balance between these substrates or inhibitors of cyclo-oxygenase activity leads to relatively greater production of prostacyclin (PGI2) than thromboxane (TXA2).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1480149", "title": "Malondialdehyde is a biochemical marker of peroxidative damage in the isolated reperfused rat heart.", "content": "Concentration of MDA in isolated control, ischemic, and reperfused rat hearts was determined by using a new sensitive and reproducible HPLC method on the perchloric acid extract of the freeze-clamped tissues. By means of this HPLC assay for the direct measurements of MDA, concentrations of adenine nucleotide derivatives were also obtained in the same chromatographic run. Under the present experimental conditions, no detectable amount of MDA could be observed in control hearts while ischemic hearts showed 0.009 mumoles/g d.w. of MDA (s.d. = 0.001), this value representing the sensitivity limit of the method employed. On the contrary, reperfused hearts showed 0.118 mumoles/d d.w. of MDA (s.d. = 0.036), thereby indicating that this compound originates from an oxygen free radical-mediated breakdown of phospholipids and demonstrating the existence of quantifiable molecular damage occurring upon reperfusion. On the whole, our data demonstrate that MDA, if properly assayed, is a reliable index of peroxidative injury to biological systems."}
{"id": "PMID:1480150", "title": "Arachidonic acid incorporation in cardiomyocytes, endothelial cells and fibroblast-like cells isolated from adult rat heart.", "content": "The incorporation of radiolabeled arachidonic acid (3[H]-AA) in normoxic cardiomyocytes (MC), cardiac endothelial cells (EC) and fibroblast-like cells (FL) isolated from adult rat heart was studied. Deposition of 3[H]-AA in the cellular lipid pool was assessed with biochemical and autoradiographic techniques. Extraction and subsequent analysis of lipids from the three different cell types revealed that MC contained significantly more triacylglycerols than EC and FL. The proportion of (unlabeled) AA was also higher in MC triacylglycerols than in EC and FL. The quantity of phospholipids did not differ among the three cell types studied. However, the content of (unlabeled) AA in the MC phospholipid pool was twice as high as in EC and FL. The amount of 3[H]-AA incorporated in the cellular lipid pool of MC, EC and FL depended on the concentration of AA in the incubation medium and the incubation time. In EC and FL incorporation of 3[H]-AA was highest in the cellular phospholipid pool (0.01 microM AA, 30 min incubation). With increased concentration of AA and longer incubation times, the cellular triacylglycerol pool became more important as site of 3[H]-AA incorporation. In MC, comparable amounts of 3[H]-AA were incorporated in the cellular triacylglycerol and phospholipid pools (0.01 and 1 microM AA). At higher AA concentrations (10 microM) the triacylglycerol pool was the preferred site of 3[H]-AA deposition. Autoradiographic analysis at the light microscopic level revealed that the extra-nuclear space was readily stained when the three cell types were incubated with 3[H]-AA. These findings indicate that all cellular lipid pools and membranes are most likely site of deposition of radiolabeled arachidonic acid."}
{"id": "PMID:1480151", "title": "Paradoxical role of lipid metabolism in heart function and dysfunction.", "content": "The heart utilizes fatty acids as a substrate in preference to glucose for the production of energy. The rate of fatty acid uptake and oxidation by heart muscle is controlled by the availability of exogenous fatty acids, the rate of acyl translocation across the mitochondrial membrane and the rate of acetyl-CoA oxidation by the citric acid cycle. Carnitine acyl-CoA transferase appears to have an important function in coupling the fatty acid activation and acyl transfer to the oxidative phosphorylation. Activated fatty acids are also utilized for the synthesis of triglycerides and membrane phospholipids in the myocardium. The inhibition of long chain acyl-carnitine transferase I reduces the oxidation of fatty acids and promotes the synthesis of lipids in the myocardium. Accumulation of fatty acids and their metabolites such as long chain acyl-CoA and long chain acyl-carnitine has been associated with cardiac dysfunction and cell damage in both ischemic and diabetic hearts. Alterations in the composition of membrane phospholipids are also considered to change the activities of various membrane bound enzymes and subsequently heart function under different pathophysiological conditions. Chronic diabetes was found to be associated with increased plasma lipids, subcellular defects and cardiac dysfunction. Lowering the plasma lipids or reducing the oxidation of fatty acids by agents such as etomoxir, an inhibitor of palmitoylcarnitine transferase I was found to promote glucose utilization and remodel the subcellular membranous organelles in the heart.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1480152", "title": "Long term incubation of cardiac myocytes with oleic acid and very-low density lipoprotein reduces heparin-releasable lipoprotein lipase activity.", "content": "An exogenous [3H]triolein emulsion was hydrolyzed by intact cardiac myocytes with functional LPL located on the cell surface. This surface-bound LPL could be released into the medium when cardiac myocytes were incubated with heparin. Incubation of cardiac myocytes with VLDL, or the products of TG breakdown, oleic acid or 2-monoolein, did not increase LPL activity in the medium. However, incubation of cardiac myocytes with either VLDL or oleic acid for > 60 min did reduce heparin-releasable LPL activity. In the heart, this inhibitory effect of FFA could regulate the translocation of LPL from its site of synthesis in the cardiac myocyte to its functional site at the capillary endothelium."}
{"id": "PMID:1480153", "title": "Carnitine palmitoyltransferase in the heart is controlled by a different mechanism than the hepatic enzyme.", "content": "Diminished sensitivity of hepatic carnitine palmitoyltransferase to inhibition by malonyl-CoA in the fasting and diabetic states is a well-recognized aspect of the regulatory mechanism for hepatic fatty acid oxidation. Inhibition of myocardial carnitine palmitoyltransferase by malonyl-CoA may play an important role in regulation of fatty acid oxidation in the heart, but there has been a discrepancy in data relating to changes in malonyl-CoA sensitivity of the myocardial carnitine palmitoyltransferase during fasting. Analysis of malonyl-CoA inhibition of myocardial carnitine palmitoyltransferase in fasting and fed states under a variety of conditions has indicated that under no condition could any difference be found in malonyl-CoA sensitivity that was attributable to fasting. Proteolysis of the outer carnitine palmitoyltransferase led to artifactual changes in sensitivity due to the appearance of partial inhibition. We have concluded that the sensitivity of myocardial carnitine palmitoyltransferase to malonyl-CoA does not change during fasting. Changes in fatty acid oxidation in the heart are probably due to changes in malonyl-CoA concentrations or to other inhibitors."}
{"id": "PMID:1480154", "title": "Myocardial cell vulnerability to exogenous phospholipase attack.", "content": "Myocardial cell vulnerability to phospholipase C (PC-PLC) attack was investigated in three different preparations of rat myocardial cells: triacylglycerol (TG)-loaded, hypothermic/rewarmed and energy depleted myocytes. The attack by PC-PLC was evaluated as PC-PLC induced glycerol output due to the combined action of phospholipase C and intracellular lipases. PC-PLC induced glycerol output was significantly higher (p < 0.05) in all three myocyte preparations, compared to their respective controls. Cell morphology (% rod shaped myocytes) of TG-loaded or hypothermic/rewarmed myocytes was not different from their controls, whereas energy depleted myocytes almost exclusively were rounded up, due to hypercontraction of the myofilaments. Hypothermic/rewarmed and energy depleted myocytes showed a significantly higher release of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), compared to their controls although the difference was much more pronounced in the latter. Finally, the cellular contents of ATP were maintained both in TG-loaded and hypothermic rewarmed myocytes, while energy depleted myocytes contained only about 25% of the normal ATP level. These results demonstrate that attack from exogenously added phospholipases can occur, not only in seriously damaged cardiac myocytes, but in myocytes with a more subtle damage as well."}
{"id": "PMID:1480155", "title": "Modulation of phosphatidylethanolamine biosynthesis by exogenous ethanolamine and analogues in the hamster heart.", "content": "In the hamster heart, exogenous ethanolamine is taken up by the heart and utilized for the biosynthesis of phosphatidylethanolamine. The role of the exogenous supply of ethanolamine on phosphatidylethanolamine biosynthesis was examined by perfusing hamster heart with various concentrations of labelled ethanolamine. Analysis of the radioactivity distributed in the ethanolamine-containing metabolites indicated that at low exogenous ethanolamine concentrations (< or = 0.1 microM), the conversion of phosphoethanolamine to CDP-ethanolamine was rate-limiting for phosphatidylethanolamine biosynthesis. However, perfusion with higher concentrations of ethanolamine (> or = 0.4 microM) resulted in the phosphorylation of ethanolamine becoming rate-limiting. Since the intracellular ethanolamine levels remained unchanged, the alterations in radioactivity distribution suggested that the newly imported ethanolamine was preferentially utilized for phosphatidylethanolamine biosynthesis. The effects of ethanolamine analogues on ethanolamine uptake and subsequent conversion to phosphatidylethanolamine at physiological concentrations of exogenous ethanolamine were examined. Monomethylethanolamine was found to inhibit ethanolamine uptake, the conversion of ethanolamine to phosphoethanolamine and incorporation of radioactivity into phosphatidylethanolamine. The accumulation of radioactivity in the ethanolamine fraction by monomethylethanolamine, despite of the inhibition of ethanolamine uptake, further confirms the rate-limiting role of ethanolamine kinase in the biosynthesis of phosphatidylethanolamine."}
{"id": "PMID:1480156", "title": "Eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids in cultured rat ventricular myocytes and hypoxia-induced alterations of phospholipase-A activity.", "content": "Hypoxia was reported to induce a decrease in phosphatidylcholine-hydrolyzing phospholipase activity (PC-PLA) in cultured rat cardiomyocytes. This work was intended to compare the influence of the presence of either eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) or docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in the phospholipids on the PC-PLA activity in normoxic and hypoxic conditions. The enrichment of the medium with EPA or DHA resulted in cell phospholipids containing about 2% or 22% DHA, respectively. These cells were then submitted for 3.5 h to either normoxia or hypoxia and the PC-PLA activities were assayed using [1-14C] dioleoyl-PC (pH 8.4 for PC-PLA2 and 4.9 for PC-PLA1). The results show that both enzymic activities are significantly higher in DHA-rich cardiomyocytes. Hypoxia induced a significant decrease in PC-PLA2 (about 25%) which was not statistically different between the two groups of cells. The hypoxia-induced decrease in PC-PLA1 was not found significant. In conclusion, the nature of the long chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in the phospholipids appears to contribute to the regulation of PC-PLA activity but not to influence its decrease during hypoxia."}
{"id": "PMID:1480157", "title": "Incorporation of radioiodinated fatty acids into cardiac phospholipids of normoxic canine myocardium.", "content": "The aim of this study was to assess the phospholipid distribution of radioiodinated 17-iodoheptadecanoic acid (IHDA), 15-(p-iodophenyl)pentadecanoic acid (p-IPPA) and 15-(p-iodophenyl)-3,3-dimethylpentadecanoic acid (DMIPPA) under normoxic conditions and to compare these data with the fatty acid composition of the phospholipid classes. After simultaneous i.v. injection of the radioiodinated fatty acids (I-123-IHDA; I-131-p-IPPA; I-125-DMIPPA) in open-chest dogs seven myocardial biopsies were taken over 40 min (n = 26). After lipid extraction of the biopsies the organic phase was analyzed for both neutral and polar lipids by two different TLC systems. The following polar lipid fractions were analyzed: lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC), sphingomyelin (SPH), phosphatidylcholine (PC; lecithin), phosphatidylinositol (PI), phosphatidylserine (PS), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), diphosphatidylglycerol (DPG; cardiolipin) and neutral lipids. Fractions were counted in a gamma well counter and corrected for cross-over and recovery. Results of the polar phospholipids analysis showed that IHDA has the highest incorporation into the phospholipids. The IHDA was mainly incorporated into PI (45.6%) followed by PC (30.9%), PE (14.0%) and PS (5.6%). The p-IPPA was predominantly incorporated incorporated into PC (37.2%), followed by PS (20.1%) and PE (13.7%). In contrast to IHDA, incorporation of p-IPPA into PI was small (6.4%). The DMIPPA analogue was incorporated into phospholipids to only a very small degree, compared to IHDA and p-IPPA.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1480158", "title": "Kinetic changes of ethanolamine base exchange activity and increase of viscosity in sarcolemmal membranes of hamster heart during development of cardiomyopathy.", "content": "The activity of the phospholipid base exchange enzyme specific for ethanolamine has been measured in cardiac sarcolemmal membrane preparations from Syrian golden and UM-X7.1 cardiomyopathic hamsters. In Syrian golden hamsters, the Km of the enzyme for ethanolamine does not change with age, whereas it almost doubles in membranes from cardiomyopathic animals, from the 30th to the 150th day of age. During the same period, the membrane cholesterol content increases by 68% in cardiomyopathic hamsters, whereas it does not change significantly in the Syrian golden hamster strain. As a consequence, in the adult animal, the cholesterol to phospholipid ratio and the viscosity of sarcolemmal membranes are higher in UM-X7.1 strain than in Syrian golden hamsters. A cause-consequence relationship between the enzymatic changes and the compositional modifications in the sarcolemma occurring in UM-X7.1 hamsters during the development of cardiomyopathy is proposed."}
{"id": "PMID:1480159", "title": "Annexins in cardiac tissue: cellular localization and effect on phospholipase activity.", "content": "Stimulation of cardiac phospholipid metabolism has diverse biological effects, ranging from subtle changes in cellular function to severe cellular damage. Accordingly, knowledge of the factors governing the activity of cardiac phospholipases is of great biological importance. A possible role of annexins, intracellular proteins that bind to membranes in a calcium dependent manner, as modulators of phospholipase activity has been proposed. In this study we investigated the cell type specific distribution of Annexin V and VIII in the heart. Recombinant Annexin V was used to examine the effect of this type of Annexin on cardiac phospholipase activity. Western blot analysis shows that annexin V is abundantly present in the heart. Using isolated myocytes and cultured cardiac endothelial and fibroblast-like cells, it is demonstrated that the localization of Annexin V is confined to non-myocytes. No positive bands matching the Mw of recombinant Annexin VIII are found in any of the cell types examined. In vitro studies demonstrate that recombinant Annexin V potently inhibits the activity of cardiac membrane-bound phospholipases, acting on their natural surrounding substrate, in a calcium dependent manner. Interestingly, annexin V also inhibits triacylglycerol hydrolysis. In conclusion, the expression of annexins is cell-type specific and suggests a cell-type specific function of these proteins in the heart. The absence of Annexin V in cardiac myocytes dismisses involvement of this annexin in cardiomyocyte phospholipid metabolism. The presence of Annexin V in cardiac endothelial and fibroblasts suggests a regulating role in the phospholipid homeostasis of non-myocyte cell types in the heart."}
{"id": "PMID:1480160", "title": "A novel galactosyl-binding lectin from the plasma of the blood clam, Anadara granosa (L) and a study of its combining site.", "content": "The marine blood clam species Anadara granosa (L) belong to arcidae, a family with some extraordinary haematological features. The plasma of this species exhibited strong haemagglutinating activities, from which a galactosyl binding lectin, Anadarin P, was purified in a single step affinity chromatography using Sepharose 4B-asialofetuin as an affinity matrix. The purified lectin, eluted with lactose, was found to be homogeneous by alkaline polyacrylamide disc gels, gel-filtration and isoelectric focusing. Native M(r) of the lectin was 130,000 having a PI value of 6.82 and was composed of two subunits of M(r) 17,000 and M(r) 16,000 which were noncovalently bound. The lectin was remarkably thermostable; the agglutinating titre remained unchanged over a wide range of pH (from 5 to 10) but increased with neuraminidase treated rabbit erythrocytes. Anadarin P combining site has been proposed to be small pocket-like structure which recognised only C-3 and C-4 hydroxyl groups of D-galactose. Presence of bulky groups at C-2 and C-6 exert strong steric hindrance as L-arabinose, 2-deoxy-D-galactose and D-xylose are better inhibitors than D-galactose. The lectin fails to differentiate methyl substituted galactosides as both alpha- and beta- methyl galactosides are equally active; but in case of substituted phenyl glycosides, the lectin shows different affinity towards alpha and beta anomers. The avidity of the lectin to bind the aromatic aglycons of galactosides suggests the presence of a hydrophobic region in the combining site. Interactions with some disaccharides indicate the presence of an extended area near the monosaccharide binding site."}
{"id": "PMID:1480161", "title": "Electron microscopic visualisation of the 5S rRNA-YL3 complex from Saccharomyces cerevisiae.", "content": "The complex comprising 5S ribosomal RNA and the ribosomal protein YL3 (5S rRNP) was isolated from yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae), and positively contrasted preparations were imaged by transmission electron microscopy. The overall dimensions of the 5S rRNP complex in the micrographs were 10 nm by 6 nm. Three predominant projections were selected from several hundred putative particles for digitisation and computer averaging to yield two-dimensional constructions with reproducible spatial resolutions exceeding 2 nm. The enhanced projection images were compatible with structural models of this complex based on biochemical studies."}
{"id": "PMID:1480162", "title": "Isolation and characterization of the ecto-5'-nucleotidase from a rat glioblastoma cell line.", "content": "5'-Nucleotidase has been purified from rat glioblastoma cells (Rugli cells). The enzyme has been solubilized from plasma membranes by using Triton X-100 and CHAPS. Two affinity chromatographies on concanavalin A and 5'-AMP-Sepharose render the purified enzyme with a high specific activity (76.36 mumol AMP.min-1.mg-1). The purified enzyme gives a single polypeptide band on SDS-PAGE with an apparent molecular mass of 74 kDa. Active forms with an apparent molecular mass of 135 kDa and 268 kDa are observed when the purified enzyme is analyzed by gel filtration in the presence of either 0.6% sodium deoxycholate or 0.1% Triton X-100, respectively. The purified 5'-nucleotidase presents optimum activity at pH 7.8-8.1 either in the presence or in the absence of Mg2+. A linear Arrhenius plot is observed in the 25-46 degrees C temperature range and an activation energy of 33.7 KJ/mol is calculated. The enzyme is inhibited by EDTA; the activity is partially restored by different divalent cations as Zn2+, Mn2+, and Co2+. The hydrolysis of nucleosides 5'-monophosphate shows Michaelis kinetic. The enzyme is inhibited by nucleosides di- and triphosphate. 5'-Nucleotidase is a glycoprotein, being its activity inhibited at different extent by various lectins."}
{"id": "PMID:1480163", "title": "A monoclonal antibody monitoring band 3 modifications in human red blood cells.", "content": "Morphologic and metabolic erythrocyte modifications are thought to be the basis of cell removal from circulating blood. A significant role has been ascribed to the immunological network which may remove aged or misshapen erythrocytes through the binding of specific autoantibodies. Along this line recent observations indicate that a senescence antigen appears in consequence of postsynthetic modifications of band 3, one of the most important erythrocyte membrane proteins, which accounts for many functional activities of the red cells. On this basis, we raised a mouse hybridoma anti-band 3 monoclonal antibody (B6 MoAb) of the IgG2a class which monitors band 3 differences among normal red blood cells separated by Percoll density gradient. These differences are outlined by the decrease of B6 MoAb binding to band 3 monomer, the appearance of an 80-90 kDa new band, lighter than band 3, and the increase of low molecular weight fragments in the 4.5 region. The B6 MoAb appears to be very useful in detecting modifications of band 3 since it bind to a 19 kDa Chy-Try fragment estimated to be sensitive to aging."}
{"id": "PMID:1480164", "title": "Putrescine activated S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase from Trypanosoma brucei brucei.", "content": "Trypanosoma brucei brucei contained a S-adenosyl-L-methionine decarboxylase (AdoMetDC) strongly activated by putrescine. The enzyme was also activated to a lesser extent by cadaverine and 1,3-diaminopropane. Spermidine and spermine had no effect on basal activity of the enzyme. However, they interfered with putrescine activation of trypanosomal AdoMetDC. The trypanosomal enzyme could not be precipitated with antiserum against human AdoMetDC. The trypanosomal AdoMetDC enzyme subunit was labeled by reaction with 35S-decarboxylated AdoMet in the presence of NaCNBH4, and found to have a molecular weight of 34 kDa on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The subunit was readily degraded on storage to a form with a molecular weight of 26 kDa. The specificity of labeling of AdoMetDC by this procedure was confirmed by the prevention of 35S-decarboxylated S-adenosylmethionine (AdoMet) binding in the presence of specific AdoMetDC inhibitors [either methylglyoxal bis(guanylhydrazone (MGBG), a reversible inhibitor, or 5'-deoxy-5'-[(2-hydrazinoethyl)methylamino]adenosine (MHZEA), an irreversible inactivator]. As compared to human AdoMetDC, the trypanosomal enzyme showed weaker binding to a column of MGBG-Sepharose and also was significantly less sensitive to inhibition by MGBG and its congener ethylglyoxal bis(guanylhydrazone) (EGBG). Thus, the trypanosomal AdoMetDC differs significantly from its mammalian and bacterial counterparts and may therefore be exploited as a specific target for chemotherapy of trypanosomiasis."}
{"id": "PMID:1480165", "title": "Post-receptor defect accounts for phosphorylase hypersensitivity in cultured diabetic cardiomyocytes.", "content": "The basis for the hypersensitive response of glycogen phosphorylase to epinephrine stimulation was investigated in adult rat cardiomyocytes isolated from normal and alloxan-diabetic animals. To assess potential G-protein involvement in the response, normal and diabetic derived myocytes were incubated with either cholera or pertussis toxin prior to hormonal stimulation. Pretreatment of cardiomyocytes with cholera toxin resulted in a potentiated response to epinephrine stimulation whereas pertussis toxin did not affect the activation of this signaling pathway. To determine if the enhanced response of phosphorylase activation resulted from an alteration in adenylate cyclase activation, the cells were challenged with forskolin. After 3 hr in primary culture, diabetic cardiomyocytes exhibited a hypersensitive response to forskolin stimulation relative to normal cells. However, after 24 hr in culture, both normal and diabetic myocytes responded identically to forskolin challenge. The present data suggest that a cholera toxin sensitive G-protein mediates the hypersensitive response of glycogen phosphorylase to catecholamine stimulation in diabetic cardiomyocytes and this response which is present in alloxan-diabetic cells and is induced in vitro in normal cardiomyocytes is primarily due to a defect at a post-receptor site."}
{"id": "PMID:1480166", "title": "Transcription induction of c-Ki-ras with the tumour promoter 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) in normal and transformed liver cells.", "content": "Results from nuclear run-off assays show that exposure of hepatocytes and Reuber H35B hepatoma cells to the tumour promoter, 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA), leads to enhanced transcription of c-Ki-ras gene. This increase in transcription in turn results in an accumulation of the functionally active c-Ki-ras message. The half life of c-Ki-ras message in both normal and transformed livers cells is not altered by TPA and is determined to be 3.5 hr. The induction of c-Ki-ras message is accompanied by an increase in the level of c-Ki-ras protein."}
{"id": "PMID:1480167", "title": "Comparative effects of endothelin (ET-1) and U46619 on human saphenous vein and gastroepiploic artery, sources of human autologous grafts.", "content": "The effects of endothelin (ET-1) on smooth muscle contractile activity were investigated and compared in human saphenous vein and gastroepiploic artery, vessels frequently used in revascularization procedures. ET-1 contracted saphenous vein and gastroepiploic artery in a concentration-dependent manner. The peptide produced a greater maximal effect in the vein than in the artery and, in both preparations, ET-1 was less efficacious than U46619, an agent which mimics the actions of thromboxane A2 at the thromboxane A2/prostaglandin H2 receptor. The contractile response to ET-1 declined spontaneously at a more rapid rate in the artery than in the vein. The present data indicate that ET-1 has significant contractile activity in both vessels which are used for coronary arterial bypass surgery and suggest that although, a weaker vasoconstrictor than U46619, the peptide could induce vasospasm in both graft vessels."}
{"id": "PMID:1480168", "title": "Cleavage of hexokinase II to two domains by trypsin without significant change in catalytic activity.", "content": "Hexokinase II prepared from Ehrlich-Lettre hyperdiploid tumor cells (ELD cells) was subjected to a limited digestion by trypsin. After 60 min digestion, hexokinase II (100 kDa) was completely cleaved to two fragments with the molecular weight of about 60 kDa and 40 kDa as manifested in SDS-PAGE. It was noteworthy that the enzyme activity was observed even at the time when the native enzyme molecule was no more detectable. These fragments were separated by SDS-PAGE irrespective of the presence of a reducing agent, but neither by native PAGE nor by cellulose acetate membrane electrophoresis under the nondenaturing conditions. Neither kinetic parameters such as Km values for ATP and glucose nor an ability of binding to mitochondria were changed significantly by the tryptic digestion. These results indicate that an essential conformation of hexokinase II can be restored by the self-association of two fragments produced as a result of the cleavage by trypsin at the middle of the molecule. Affinity labeling with 2',3'-dialdehyde ATP followed by the trypsin digestion showed that ATP binding site resided in the 40 kDa fragment. Furthermore, the mode of the response in the incorporation of this ATP analog to hexose phosphate, moreover, was similar to that in the catalytic activity."}
{"id": "PMID:1480169", "title": "Overexpression of ovine insulin-like growth factor-I stimulates autonomous autocrine or paracrine growth in bovine mammary-derived epithelial cells.", "content": "To test the hypothesis that insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) affects the growth of bovine mammary epithelial cells through an autocrine and/or paracrine pathway, a cell line (MD-IGF-I) was originated from MAC-T cells by cotransfection with a construct containing the cDNA for an ovine exon 2-encoded prepro-IGF-I under control of the mouse mammary tumor virus-long terminal repeat promoter. Clone MD-IGF-I contained multiple copies of the plasmid integrated into the genome, expressed the highest level of IGF-I mRNA, and secreted radioimmunoactive IGF-I into the medium. The mitogenic activity of MD-IGF-I cells was stimulated 80% by dexamethasone (DEX). The total DNA in MD-IGF-I cells was 2.5-fold higher than that in parental MAC-T cells in the presence of DEX. Conditioned medium from MD-IGF-I cells, induced with DEX, stimulated [3H]thymidine incorporation into DNA of MAC-T cells and uninduced MD-IGF-I cells. These data provide evidence that IGF-I was secreted into medium by MD-IGF-I cells. It is suggested that IGF-I can stimulate the growth of mammary epithelial cells by an autocrine and/or paracrine mode of action. The MD-IGF-I cell line may be a suitable system to study translational and posttranslational modifications of IGF-I peptides."}
{"id": "PMID:1480170", "title": "1,25-Dihydroxycholecalciferol regulates chromogranin-A translatability in bovine parathyroid cells.", "content": "Our previous studies indicated that regulation of bovine parathyroid chromogranin-A (CgA) by 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 [1,25-(OH)2D3] may occur at the level of CgA turnover or mRNA translation. In the present study, immunoprecipitation of extracts of bovine parathyroid cells that had been pulse chased with [35S]methionine revealed that 1,25-(OH)2D3 had no effect on the disappearance time of intracellular CgA. Therefore, we examined the effect of 1,25-(OH)2D3 on the polyribosome profile of CgA mRNA analyzed by sucrose density gradients. In the presence of 1,25-(OH)2D3, there was a dose-dependent recruitment of CgA mRNA into the denser polyribosomal fractions by 24 h. To determine whether this increased ribosome loading represents increased or decreased efficiency of mRNA translation, ribosome transit time experiments were conducted. The average ribosome transit time and the specific PTH ribosome transit time were not altered by 1,25-(OH)2D3. However, that for CgA was doubled in the presence of 1,25-(OH)2D3. Thus, parathyroid CgA synthesis is regulated by the vitamin D sterol at the level of peptide chain elongation. These studies, therefore, explain the lack of quantitative correspondence between 1,25-(OH)2D3-induced CgA gene transcription and CgA protein levels by revealing a previously unsuspected level of regulation of mRNA translation in the parathyroid cell."}
{"id": "PMID:1480171", "title": "Assignment of the beta-thyroid hormone receptor to 3,5,3'-triiodothyronine-dependent inhibition of transcription from the thyrotropin-releasing hormone promoter in chick hypothalamic neurons.", "content": "Thyroid hormone, T3, is essential to the normal development and metabolism of vertebrates. Fine tuning of circulating levels of T3 is critical and involves feedback inhibition of the TRH and TSH genes by T3 at the hypothalamic and hypophyseal levels. However, the molecular basis of T3 inhibition of TRH gene expression in the hypothalamus is not known. The actions of T3 on target gene expression are mediated through nuclear receptor proteins, TR alpha and TR beta. To examine their effects on T3-dependent transcription from the rat TRH promoter, we used a gene transfer technique to express TR alpha and TR beta in cultured embryonic chick hypothalamic cells. Transcription from the TRH promoter construct transfected into these cultures was depressed in the presence of 10(-9) M T3. Cotransfecting TR alpha or TR beta activated transcription from the TRH promoter. However, only TR beta-dependent TRH transcription was differentially modulated by T3. Physiological concentrations of T3 decreased TR beta-dependent TRH transcription 4-fold. Thus, when T3 levels increase, TR beta mediates inhibition of TRH expression, a key step in down-regulating the hypophyseal-thyroid axis. This study demonstrates for the first time a T3-dependent differential regulation of the TRH promoter by TR beta and not TR alpha. Thus, the negative regulation of the TRH promoter in transiently transfected primary embryonic chick hypothalamic neurons provides a useful system for studying the molecular actions of thyroid hormone receptors."}
{"id": "PMID:1480172", "title": "Transforming growth factor-beta 1 messenger RNA and protein expression in the pituitary gland: its action on prolactin secretion and lactotropic growth.", "content": "Transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-beta 1) is known to inhibit cell growth and proliferation of many estrogen-responsive normal and transformed cells. The effect of this polypeptide growth factor on the estrogen-responsive pituitary lactotropes has not been determined. To evaluate the role of TGF-beta 1 in the control of lactotropic growth, the action and production of TGF-beta 1 in the anterior pituitary was studied in rats. The growth factor suppressed basal PRL release from the primary culture of enriched rat lactotropes in a concentration-dependent manner in the range of 2 pg/ml-20 ng/ml. The growth factor did not affect the secretion of other pituitary hormones in the cultures. The inhibitory action of TGF-beta 1 on PRL release was time dependent. The minimum time required to produce a significant effect was 4 h. The growth factor also suppressed estradiol-induced PRL release as well as it inhibited estradiol-induced proliferation of lactotropes. TGF-beta 1 immunoreactivity was detected in the cellular extracts of cultured anterior pituitary cells and in the extracts of anterior pituitary tissue. In addition, the primary culture of enriched rat lactotropes secreted TGF-beta 1. Using Northern blot techniques, a 2.4-kilobase transcript of pro-TGF-beta 1 mRNA was detected both in the anterior pituitary tissue and in the primary culture of anterior pituitary cells. These data suggest that TGF-beta 1 is produced in the pituitary gland and inhibits the secretion of PRL and growth of lactotropes in an autocrine and/or paracrine fashion."}
{"id": "PMID:1480173", "title": "Parathyroid hormone induces c-fos and c-jun messenger RNA in rat osteoblastic cells.", "content": "PTH is a potent regulator of osteoblast gene expression, yet the nuclear events that mediate PTH action are poorly understood. We were interested in identifying immediate early genes which may regulate PTH-altered gene expression in the osteoblast. Therefore, we examined the effects of PTH on c-fos and c-jun gene expression in a rat osteoblastic cell line (UMR 106-01). Under control conditions, c-fos and c-jun mRNAs were present at low basal levels. After PTH treatment, c-fos mRNA abundance dramatically increased, with a maximal and transient response at 30 min. PTH also stimulated an increase in c-jun mRNA, but in a biphasic manner, with maximal levels at 30 min and 2 h. These responses were dose dependent, not altered by cotreatment with the protein synthesis inhibitor cycloheximide, and preceded PTH-induced expression of matrix metallo-proteinase-1 mRNA. Nuclear run-on assays demonstrated an increased rate of c-fos and c-jun transcription after PTH exposure. To determine the signal transduction pathways involved, second messenger analogs were tested for their ability to mimic the effects of PTH. 8-Bromo-cAMP and phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) caused increases in the abundance of c-fos and c-jun transcripts. Ionomycin had no effect on the expression of these genes. Pretreatment of the cells with PMA resulted in a decrease in basal c-jun expression, but did not alter the PTH-mediated increase in c-fos, c-jun, or matrix metalloproteinase-1 mRNAs.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1480174", "title": "Mutational removal of the major site of serine phosphorylation of the epidermal growth factor receptor causes potentiation of signal transduction: role of receptor down-regulation.", "content": "The major site of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGF-R) serine phosphorylation is located within the COOH-terminal domain of the receptor at Ser1046/7. We have previously demonstrated that this phosphorylation site accounts for the acute desensitization of the EGF-R observed in EGF-treated cells. Here we show that the mutational removal of this negative regulatory phosphorylation site causes potentiation of signal transduction by the EGF-R. This potentiation can be accounted for in part by a block in the EGF-stimulated down-regulation of the EGF-R. These data indicate that the SER1046/7 phosphorylation site may have a regulatory role during long term incubation of cells with mitogenic concentrations of EGF."}
{"id": "PMID:1480175", "title": "Phosphorylation of cyclic adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate (cAMP) response element-binding protein isoforms by the cAMP-dependent protein kinase.", "content": "The cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB) mediates transcriptional activation of genes in response to the cAMP signal transduction pathway. There are two different isoforms of CREB, which are generated by alternative RNA splicing. There is evidence that the two isoforms may have different biological activities. As the longer isoform (CREB341) contains a potential phosphorylation site that is not present in the shorter isoform (CREB327), we examined the possible differential phosphorylation of the two CREB isoforms. Recombinant CREB was prepared and used as substrate for phosphorylation by the cAMP-dependent protein kinase in vitro. Phosphopeptide mapping and mutagenesis studies demonstrated that CREB341 contains two sites, serine 133 and serine 98, that can be phosphorylated in vitro by the catalytic subunit of the cAMP-dependent protein kinase. In contrast, CREB327 contains only a single phosphorylation site at serine 119 (equivalent position to serine 133 in CREB341). A kinase titration experiment demonstrated that serine 98 of CREB341 was phosphorylated only at relatively high concentrations of the cAMP-dependent protein kinase. Transient transfection studies were used to test for any possible function of the phosphorylation of serine 98 of CREB341. These studies used GAL4-CREB fusion proteins. We found that mutation of serine 98 to alanine (which would block phosphorylation) has little or no effect on the ability of the CREB fusion protein to activate transcription. These findings suggest that differences in the biological activity of the two CREB isoforms are probably not mediated by differential phosphorylation by the cAMP-dependent protein kinase."}
{"id": "PMID:1480176", "title": "Thyroid hormone receptor dimerization function maps to a conserved subregion of the ligand binding domain.", "content": "Thyroid hormone receptors (TRs) bind as dimers to specific DNA response elements. We have used a genetic approach to identify amino acid sequences required for dimerization of the TR beta isoform. Bacteria expressing a chimeric repressor composed of the DNA binding domain of the bacteriophage lambda cl repressor fused to the TR beta ligand binding domain are immune to lambda infection as a consequence of homodimerization activity provided by the receptor sequences. The phenotypes of deletions and point mutations of the TR beta sequences map dimerization activity to a subregion of the ligand binding domain that is highly conserved among all members of the nuclear hormone receptor superfamily. These results confirm and extend previous findings indicating that this subregion plays an important role in the dimerization of TR beta and other superfamily members."}
{"id": "PMID:1480177", "title": "Growth hormone rapidly activates insulin-like growth factor I gene transcription in vivo.", "content": "Many of the growth-promoting properties of GH are mediated by insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I), a highly conserved circulating 70-amino acid peptide. Recent studies have shown that multiple mechanisms influence IGF-I gene expression, including transcription from two promoters, alternative RNA splicing, and variable polyadenylation. In order to determine how GH regulates IGF-I gene expression we have analyzed the response of hypophysectomized rats to a single ip injection of recombinant GH. A rise in hepatic IGF-I mRNA was detected within 2 h of GH treatment, with peak values of more than 15-fold above untreated animals by 4 h, and a decline by 16 h. A coordinate increase was seen in all IGF-I mRNA splicing and polyadenylation variants, indicating that neither alternative RNA processing nor differential poly A addition were altered by GH. Transcription run-on experiments using isolated hepatic nuclei and direct analysis of nuclear RNA demonstrated a rise in nascent IGF-I mRNA within 30 min of GH treatment, with peak levels reaching more than 10-fold above background by 2 h and declining by 6 h. As determined by RNase protection assays, transcripts directed by each promoter were coordinately and equivalently activated after GH. A single GH-responsive DNase I hypersensitive site was mapped in chromatin to the second IGF-I intron. This site exhibited rapid kinetics of induction which mirrored the pattern of transcriptional stimulation after GH treatment. These experiments show that GH enhances IGF-I expression in vivo by predominantly transcriptional mechanisms. The rapid kinetics of IGF-I gene activation and the temporally associated chromatin changes demonstrate a direct link between a GH-dependent signal transduction pathway and nuclear events."}
{"id": "PMID:1480178", "title": "Single base mutations in the human androgen receptor gene causing complete androgen insensitivity: rapid detection by a modified denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis technique.", "content": "Mutations of the human androgen receptor (AR) gene impair normal sexual differentiation and development in karyotypic males, resulting in a spectrum of external genital phenotypes ranging from complete female to nearly complete male. Identification and characterization of these mutations can provide valuable information regarding the functional importance of specific amino acids of the AR. To screen for point mutations in the AR gene underlying the phenotypic abnormalities in the androgen insensitivity syndrome (AIS), the eight exons of the AR gene were amplified from genomic DNA using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and analyzed by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis. A computer program, MELTMAP, was used to identify optimum sequences for denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis, and mutation detection sensitivity was enhanced by forming heteroduplexes between control and subject PCR products to create base mismatches. In seven families with complete AIS, single base mutations were found in the region of the AR gene encoding the steroid-binding domain of the receptor. The mutations that converted amino acid 774 from Arg to His and amino acid 864 from Asp to Gly were recreated using site-directed mutagenesis and the mutant ARs expressed in COS 7 and CV1 cells. In both cases, abnormalities of androgen binding and transcriptional activation were consistent with the observed sex phenotype. These results together with others reported previously demonstrate that single amino acid changes within the region encoded by exons D to H of the AR gene can alter androgen binding and are a common cause of complete androgen resistance. The strategy used herein, employing denaturing gradient gel analysis of heteroduplex PCR products, provides a valuable aid to rapid detection of single base mutations in AIS."}
{"id": "PMID:1480179", "title": "Identification and characterization of a 3',5'-cyclic adenosine monophosphate-responsive element in the human corticotropin-releasing hormone gene promoter.", "content": "The regulation of human corticotropin-releasing hormone (hCRH) gene promoter activity by inducers of cAMP was investigated by transient transfection with a construct containing the hCRH gene promoter fused to the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase gene. Expression of hCRH-chloramphenicol acetyltransferase was strongly enhanced by forskolin in the neuroblastoma SK-N-MC and choriocarcinoma JAR cell lines. Overexpression of the catalytic subunit of protein kinase A dispensed the need for forskolin, and cotransfection of cAMP-responsive element-binding protein cDNAs enhanced forskolin-dependent expression of the hCRH promoter. Progressive 5'-end deletions of the hCRH promoter delineated a cAMP- responsive region between -226 and -164 base pairs. This fragment contained the sequence TGACGTCA at -221 base pairs, consistent with the consensus motif for a CRE. A homologous oligonucleotide responded to cAMP when cloned in either orientation in front of the thymidine kinase promoter. However, the level of constitutive and inductive cAMP expression was dependent on the cell line and on intrinsic properties of the promoter. Mutation of the wild type CRH-CRE sequence into an AP-1 site (TGAGTCA) completely abolished stimulation by cAMP. In contrast, coexpression of the catalytic subunit of protein kinase A dispensed the need for stimulation with forskolin, which showed that the CRH-CRE oligonucleotide served as a functional equivalent of the native CRE element."}
{"id": "PMID:1480180", "title": "Epidermal growth factor and basic fibroblast growth factor suppress the spontaneous onset of apoptosis in cultured rat ovarian granulosa cells and follicles by a tyrosine kinase-dependent mechanism.", "content": "Recent biochemical studies have suggested that apoptotic cell death is the molecular mechanism underlying the degeneration of ovarian follicles during atresia. Using a sensitive autoradiographic method for the detection of DNA fragmentation, we studied apoptosis in ovarian granulosa cells or intact follicles placed in serum-free culture as model systems to elucidate the hormonal regulation of atresia. Immature rats (25 days old) were primed for 2 days with 10 IU equine CG to induce a homogeneous population of mature preovulatory follicles. Granulosa cells isolated from these follicles contained predominantly intact high mol wt DNA. However, a time-dependent, spontaneous onset of internucleosomal DNA fragmentation characteristic of apoptotic cell death occurred in granulosa cells during culture. Treatment of granulosa cells with epidermal growth factor (EGF), transforming growth factor-alpha (TGF alpha), or basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) inhibited the spontaneous onset of apoptotic DNA cleavage found during culture by 40-60%. In contrast, insulin-like growth factor I, insulin, TGF beta and tumor necrosis factor-alpha were ineffective. Likewise, activation of the protein kinase A or C pathways with forskolin or phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate, respectively, did not prevent the onset of DNA fragmentation, although inclusion of a tyrosine kinase inhibitor (genistein) completely blocked the ability of EGF, TGF alpha, and bFGF to suppress apoptosis in granulosa cells. Similar to cultured granulosa cells, a spontaneous onset of apoptosis was also observed to occur in isolated preovulatory follicles during culture. Furthermore, treatment of follicles with EGF or bFGF inhibited the spontaneous initiation of apoptosis, and the suppressive effects of these growth factors were also attenuated by co-treatment with genistein.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1480181", "title": "Alteration of neurotransmitter phenotype in noradrenergic neurons of transgenic mice.", "content": "The normal complement of neurotransmitters in noradrenergic neurons was altered by expressing the structural gene for the enzyme phenylethanolamine-N-methyltransferase (PNMT) under the control of the dopamine-beta-hydroxylase gene promoter in transgenic mice. This resulted in accumulation of large amounts of epinephrine in neurons of the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) and central nervous system (CNS) but did not reduce norepinephrine levels. Adrenalectomy reduced PNMT levels in the SNS and CNS, suggesting that the transgene is positively regulated by adrenal steroids. Epinephrine levels were unaffected by this treatment in the CNS, suggesting that PNMT is not rate limiting for epinephrine synthesis. However, catecholamines were elevated in a sympathetic ganglion and a target tissue of the SNS, perhaps due to up-regulation of tyrosine hydroxylase in response to adrenalectomy. These transgenic mice also reveal a marked difference in the ability of chromaffin cells and neurons to synthesize epinephrine."}
{"id": "PMID:1480182", "title": "Isolation of Vgr-2, a novel member of the transforming growth factor-beta-related gene family.", "content": "A cDNA clone, Vgr-2, with homology to certain members of the transforming growth factor-beta superfamily has been isolated from a mouse embryo cDNA library. The encoded protein shows significant similarity to members of the Vg-1/decapentaplegic/bone morphogenetic protein subgroup of the transforming growth factor-beta family. Within this group, Vgr-2 is more similar to Xenopus Vg-1 than to any other member so far isolated. The gene is expressed at highest levels during midgestation mouse development, and transcripts are localized by in situ hybridization to the osteogenic zone of developing bone. Vgr-2 is expressed in F9 teratocarcinoma cells, and its RNA levels are down-regulated within 24 h after differentiation with retinoic acid. The genomic organization of Vgr-2 and its location on mouse chromosome 6 are reported."}
{"id": "PMID:1480183", "title": "Differential molecular mechanism of the estrogen action that regulates lactoferrin gene in human and mouse.", "content": "The 5'-flanking region of the human lactoferrin gene was isolated from a human placental genomic library. This genomic clone contains a 16-kilobase pair (kbp) insert and produces seven fragments when digested with the SacI restriction enzyme. We sequenced one of the fragments that comprises 1294 bp of the 5'-flanking sequence, 79 bp of the first exon, and 690 bp of the first intron. A major transcription start site was mapped by primer extension. The region immediately upstream from the transcription initiation site following the first exon is abundant in G and C nucleotides. In the promoter and 5'-flanking region within a 300-bp stretch (-465 to -165) of the DNA, we found a noncanonical TATA box (ATAAA), CAAT-like sequence (CAAC) and sequences homologous to the consensus SP1 binding site, Pu.1/Sp.1 binding element (PU box), two half-palindromic estrogen response elements (EREs; GGTCA), an imperfect ERE (GGTCAAGGCGATC), and a sequence resembling the chicken ovalbumin upstream promoter transcription factor (COUP-TF) binding site (GTCTCACAGGTCA). The COUP-TF binding site and the imperfect ERE shared five nucleotides (GGTCA). With the exception of the two half-palindromic EREs, the elements with very well matched sequences were also found in the corresponding positions in the mouse lactoferrin gene. The synthetic oligonucleotide, including the 26 bp of COUP/ERE sequence, was cloned before the SV40 promoter in a chloramphenicol acetyltransferase reporter construct. These chimeric plasmids were transiently transfected into human endometrium carcinoma RL95-2 cells to assess hormone responsiveness. We found that the COUP/ERE element acted as an enhancer in response to estrogen stimulation. In vitro DNase I footprinting analysis showed binding of the estrogen receptor on the imperfect ERE. In contrast to the mouse lactoferrin COUP/ERE element, COUP-TF does not interact with this element, as demonstrated by band shift assay and site-directed mutagenesis. Therefore, the molecular mechanisms of the estrogen action that govern the lactoferrin gene expression differ between mouse and human."}
{"id": "PMID:1480185", "title": "Detection of HIV-1 infections by PCR: evaluation in a seropositive subject population.", "content": "To study the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) performance in detecting human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections, we tested 53 HIV-1 seropositive patients and 29 HIV-1 seronegative subjects for four different HIV-1 DNA regions. Fifty-one seropositive patients were found positive by PCR with at least one primer pair, but two were repeatedly negative for all primers. Weekly blood samples from 12 seropositive subjects all detected positive for at least one primer pair, but for three patients an irregular primer detection pattern was found. One additional HIV-1 seropositive sample, found negative for HIV DNA, was also negative for the beta-globin PCR control. The 29 seronegative specimens were HIV-1 DNA negative, as was a HIV-2 seropositive patient. This study demonstrates that PCR is almost as good as serological tests for detecting HIV infections, with a specificity of 100% and a sensitivity of 96% and that resampling the patients may improve detection performance."}
{"id": "PMID:1480186", "title": "Characterization of HPV-16 E6/E7 transcription in CaSki cells by quantitative PCR.", "content": "Human papillomavirus (HPV) is associated with specific benign and malignant lesions of the epithelial and mucosal surfaces. Of the sexually transmitted types, HPV type 16 (HPV-16) is the most commonly associated with carcinoma of the uterine cervix. Expression of the E6/E7 open reading frame of the viral genome is considered critical in the development of neoplasia. Using the CaSki cervical carcinoma cell line as a model system, we have adapted the polymerase chain reaction to quantify the transcripts expressed from this region. It was found that 97.1% of the total spliced transcript is E6*I, which putatively encodes the E7 oncoprotein, while E6*II comprises 2.9% of spliced product. The ratio of E6*I to E6*II expression may be an important parameter in evaluating the disease risk associated with HPV-16 infection."}
{"id": "PMID:1480187", "title": "Detection of the thermostable direct hemolysin gene (tdh) and the thermostable direct hemolysin-related hemolysin gene (trh) of Vibrio parahaemolyticus by polymerase chain reaction.", "content": "Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) protocols were established for specific detection of the tdh and trh genes, the virulence marker genes of Vibrio parahaemolyticus encoding two related hemolysins. The tdh and trh genes are known to have sequence divergence of up to 3.3% and 16%, respectively. Attempts were made to find suitable primer pairs and annealing temperatures to detect each gene without fail. DNAs extracted from 36 representative strains of V. parahaemolyticus were used in the initial screening with various combinations of primer pairs and annealing temperatures. The combinations of primer pairs and annealing temperatures selected were then tested with DNAs extracted from 227 more strains of V. parahaemolyticus and from 133 bacterial strains belonging to 40 species other than V. parahaemolyticus. PCR protocols (primer pairs and annealing temperatures) were established that gave identical results to those obtained with the tdh- and trh-specific polynucleotide probes. These protocols established for the tdh and trh genes could detect 400 fg (100 cells) of cellular DNA carrying the respective gene. Spike experiments demonstrated that the sensitivities of the established PCRs were reduced by a factor of 10(4)-10(5) by an inhibitor(s) present in a normal faecal sample, indicating the need for either DNA extraction or enrichment of the faecal sample in alkaline peptone water for 4 h before the PCR of faecal samples."}
{"id": "PMID:1480188", "title": "Non-isotopic microtitre plate-based assay for detecting products of polymerase chain reaction amplification: application to detection of the tdh gene of Vibrio parahaemolyticus.", "content": "A non-isotopic microtitre plate-based assay method was devised for detection of products of the polymerase chain reaction. This assay involves affinity immobilization of the biotinylated amplification products in microtitre plate wells and their fluorescence detection by their hybridization with an oligonucleotide probe linked to alkaline phosphatase. An advantage of this procedure is that the immobilization and hybridization are carried out simultaneously in the wells, thus shortening the assay time. The assay method was applied to the detection of the tdh gene of Vibrio parahaemolyticus. Seven copies of the target chromosome could be detected in about 45 min after 35 cycles of amplification."}
{"id": "PMID:1480189", "title": "Rapid, non-separation electrochemiluminescent DNA hybridization assays for PCR products, using 3'-labelled oligonucleotide probes.", "content": "Described are rapid assays for the analysis of PCR products in a one step, non-separation assay based on the use of electrochemiluminescence generated from a tris-bipyridine ruthenium (II) label. The assay uses PCR incorporation of a biotinylated oligonucleotide as a primer, with the inclusion of a labelled oligonucleotide. Oligonucleotides were labelled with an N-hydroxy succinimide ester of tris-bipyridine ruthenium (II) dihexafluorophosphate (Origen-label) by modifying the 3' and 3' 5' ends of the oligonucleotide probes. The assay makes use of the inherent thermal stability and absence of polymerase activity on such probes to allow the PCR and probe hybridization to be completed automatically on the thermocycler. The assay is concluded by the addition of PCR samples to streptavidin beads on an electrochemiluminescence analyser for binding and analysis. Target genes evaluated were the HIV-1 gag gene, and cystic fibrosis delta F-508 deletion mutation. The results obtained from these assays demonstrated the detection of 10 copies of the HIV-1 gag gene, and cystic fibrosis delta F-508 mutation in 1 ng of human DNA within 15 min. This assay format allows a rapid and simple determination of specific amplified DNA sequences, reducing the contamination risks due to washes and multiple pipetting."}
{"id": "PMID:1480190", "title": "Simultaneous detection of two cystic fibrosis alleles using dual-label time-resolved fluorometry.", "content": "A simple dual-label hybridization test for normal and mutant cystic fibrosis (CF) alleles is described. The assay is based on time-resolved fluorometry (TRF), which allows the simultaneous detection of DNA probes labelled with different lanthanides from one hybridization reaction. DNA was liberated from dried blood disks, normally used in neonatal screening programmes, by boiling in alkaline solution. A 138 bp region including the site of deletion, delta F-508, which is present on about 70% of cystic fibrosis chromosomes, was amplified using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The presence or absence of normal and mutant alleles was then determined in a solution hybridization using allele specific oligonucleotide probes labelled either with europium (Eu) or with samarium (Sm) chelates. A common biotinylated probe was used for binding the hybrids onto microtitration wells coated with streptavidin. Some 5 x 10(7) molecules of the normal allele (Eu) and 5 x 10(8) molecules of the mutant allele (Sm) could be detected simultaneously in a single hybridization reaction. The assay was simple to perform and made it possible to reduce the number of hybridizations needed to interpret the sample as being normal, carrier or mutant with regard to the mutation, delta F-508."}
{"id": "PMID:1480191", "title": "Assay by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of multi-allele polymorphisms in the Huntington's disease region of chromosome 4.", "content": "The Huntington's disease-linked D4S115 marker has been converted from a DNA blot assay to a more sensitive and rapid polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay. PCR amplification of a tandem repeat at D4S115 revealed 7 allelic fragments, ranging in size from approximately 610 to 915 bp, differing in their apparent copy number of a approximately 55 bp core repeat. This repeat unit differs strikingly in sequence from the repeat units of other multi-allele markers from chromosome region 4p 16.3, arguing that the VNTR (Variable Number of Tandem Repeats) loci clustered in this region did not arise from a common ancestral sequence. The D4S115 marker can be assayed simultaneously with PCR products from D4S125, D4S95 and D4S43 on a single agarose gel, providing a rapid scan for successful amplification of these difficult-to-assay VNTRs, and for inheritance of the entire candidate Huntington's disease region. This approach should help to increase the speed, informativeness and accuracy of presymptomatic and prenatal linkage testing in this devastating disorder."}
{"id": "PMID:1480192", "title": "A synthetic oligonucleotide probe (5'TTCCA 3')n uncovers a male specific hybridization pattern in the human genome.", "content": "A pentanucleotide motif 5'TTCCA3', originating from a 3.4 kb repeat fraction (DYZ1)1, is organized tandemly in the human genome. This motif is abundantly present on the long arm of the human Y (band Yq12) chromosome and is separated by Hae III digestion of male genomic DNA. We have developed a 20 base synthetic oligonucleotide probe, termed OAT20Y, comprising four repeat units of 5'TTCCA3', that uncovers a male-specific hybridization pattern in the human genome. The probe is highly sensitive, since less that 1 micrograms of DNA was sufficient to obtain visible signals after hybridization. Our results on discrimination of sex by using OAT20Y with several amniotic fluid samples was in accordance with clinical data. OAT20Y was found to be specific to the human genome as it did not hybridize with DNA of any non-human species. In addition to sexing human embryos in conjunction with severe X-linked genetic diseases, the probe may be useful in ascertaining the origin of tissues or blood samples in forensic cases."}
{"id": "PMID:1480199", "title": "Community medicine: its contribution to the social science of medicine.", "content": "The Division of Behavioral Sciences operates today in a social climate different from that in its formative years. The federal agencies created specifically to stimulate and support social research have been cut back severely over the past two decades, and in some instances have been eliminated. The official policy of the National Institute of Mental Health, once the main source of support for both training and research in social science in medicine, has changed to a much narrower biomedical focus. On the other hand, there are more social scientists engaged in integral roles both locally at Mount Sinai, at medical institutions nationally, and internationally (25-26). Further, reassertion of the importance for medical education of social science specifically, and of behavioral sciences more broadly defined, has been endorsed in the strongest terms by both the Association of American Medical Colleges and the National Board of Medical Examiners (27). Also, the published literature now incorporates what we in the Division of Behavioral Sciences judge to be a richer intellectual contribution to the field than ever before (28). Perhaps most important, funding for health services research and epidemiological studies has been increased in recent federal budgets. Therefore, the division is planning for expansion of both its research and education, perceiving the future as a challenge continuous with challenges of the past: finding new ways to understand the relation between social factors and the problems of health and illness."}
{"id": "PMID:1480202", "title": "The epidemiology of HIV infection and AIDS in east and central Harlem, NY.", "content": "This report describes the AIDS epidemic in East and Central Harlem, among the hardest-hit communities in the nation. Information was obtained from two New York State mandatory reporting programs: anonymous HIV antibody testing of newborns, and physician and hospital reports of AIDS cases to city and county public health departments. One of 30 babies born in East Harlem and one of 46 newborns in Central Harlem are seropositive. The cumulative rate of reported AIDS cases in these communities is 10-15 times the national rate, and together, the communities reported 1.3% of all AIDS cases in the nation, although they have only 0.1% of the nation's population; 2.2% of all childhood AIDS cases have been reported from East and Central Harlem. Women, minorities, and injection drug users comprise a higher proportion of the cases than in the city, the state, and the nation. The consequences of the epidemic in these communities are enormous, including profound stresses on community institutions and exacerbation of the resurgence of tuberculosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1480204", "title": "Influence of alkaline pH on the direct lethal action of miconazole against Candida albicans.", "content": "The imidazole group of miconazole is subject to protonation (pKa approximately 6.5). Earlier we suggested that the direct lethal action (DLA) of miconazole against Candida albicans requires nonprotonated drug molecules. DLA declined in intensity as pH was decreased from 6.0. At pH > 6.5 most molecules of miconazole exist in the nonprotonated state, but drug also becomes less soluble. Viability studies were designed to assess DLA in relation to alkaline pH. DLA was clearly inhibited with increasing as well as decreasing pH (i.e., pH < 6.0 and > 7.0), suggesting that nonprotonated neutral drug molecules must be in solution or in extremely small aggregates to elicit DLA, and that the nonprotonated species itself is more soluble at pH 6.0-7.0 than under more alkaline conditions."}
{"id": "PMID:1480205", "title": "Role of cell-mediated immunity in the resistance to experimental sporotrichosis in mice.", "content": "Congenitally athymic nude (nu/nu) mice showed higher sensitivity to intratestical infection of Sporothrix schenckii than phenotypically normal littermates (nu/+). Active immunization with viable cells enhanced the resistance to intravenous (i.v.) infection of this fungus in BALB/c mice. Nu/nu mice transferred with immune spleen cells acquired the enhancement of resistance to the infection with S. schenckii, but not ones with normal spleen cells. Pre-treatment of OK-432 (Picibanil), one of the macrophage activating agents, enhanced resistance to i.v. infection of this fungus in BALB/c mice. On the other hand, pretreatment of carrageenan, one of the macrophage inhibitors, impaired the resistance. This fungus was intracellularly killed by peritoneal macrophage from OK-432 treated or immunized mice but not by those from normal mice in vitro. These results suggest that activated macrophage, that was mediated by T cells, play an important role in the resistance to S. schenckii in mice."}
{"id": "PMID:1480206", "title": "Immunodeficiency secondary to juvenile paracoccidioidomycosis: associated infections.", "content": "Four patients with acute paracoccidioidomycosis, hypoalbuminemia, ascites and associated infections are reported. They have been admitted to hospital 35 times, 4 of them due to active paracoccidioidomycosis, 14 to associated infections, 14 to ascites, edema and diarrhoea and 3 to herniorrhaphy. Two of them recovered after sepsis and central nervous system, muscular and subcutaneous cryptococcosis. The remaining two died. One had infectious diarrhoea (S. flexneri), peritoneal tuberculosis and sepsis (S. epidermidis); the other had bacterial meningitis, erysipelas, beta-hemolytic Streptococcus sepsis and miliary tuberculosis. Their immunodeficiency was attributed to enteric protein loss and/or malabsorption and malnutrition and was recognized by reduced response to delayed hypersensitivity skin tests in four patients and hypogammaglobulinemia in three of them. The authors discuss the need for prospective studies to be carried out, aiming at the mechanisms involved in secondary infections. Alternatives for maintaining the patients' adequate nutritional state should be investigated, to guarantee proper immune response and thus the ability to control intervening infections in patients with juvenile paracoccidioidomycosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1480207", "title": "Lobomycosis in Colombian Amer Indian patients.", "content": "Several foci of lobomycosis among Colombian Amer Indians population were described in the Casanare region of Colombia, near the Orinoco river on the Colombian-Venezuelan border. This paper reports 16 new patients. The prevalence of Lobo's disease was 8.5% in the Amoruas tribe. Nodular lesions were located on the elbow, scapular and lumbar regions, knees, feet and legs. Leg lesions were especially numerous, were confluent and tended to ulcerate. All cases were confirmed histologically. Two Negro patients were also described. The cases bring the total number of confirmed patients with lobomycosis in Colombia to 41. Twenty-five of these were Amer Indian patients from tribes living in the Orinoco and Amazon basins of the country."}
{"id": "PMID:1480208", "title": "An early effect of aflatoxin B1 administered in vivo on the growth of bone marrow CFU-GM and the production of some cytokines in rats.", "content": "Our data demonstrate the granulopoietic toxicity of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) in vivo and show an impact of this mycotoxin on the production of some humoral regulatory factors dealing with the granulopoietic developmental pathway (CSA, IL-1, IL-2). The dose of AFB1 studied represented approximately 1/5 of LD50 for young male rats. An early suppressive effect of AFB1 towards CFU-GM was transient in treated animals. The peak in granulopoietic activity was preceded in time by an increased CSA and IL-1 formation. Elevated IL-2 synthesis and increased T cell activation paralleled the peak in granulopoietic activity."}
{"id": "PMID:1480209", "title": "Laboratory aids in the diagnosis of invasive candidiasis.", "content": "The laboratory diagnosis of candidiasis continues to be problematic; however, there have been several advances in the past decade which promise to enhance our ability to identify patients at high risk for infection and/or to document invasive candidiasis in critically ill and immunocompromised patients. The introduction of commercially available biphasic blood culture medium and subsequently the lysis-centrifugation procedure has markedly improved the ability of laboratories to detect fungemia. Although serologic methods have not been very successful in diagnosing candidiasis in immunocompromised patients, several antigen detection methods are now under investigation. In addition, detection of fungal metabolites such as D-arabinitol remains promising. Finally, application of the techniques of molecular biology for typing and detection of fungal pathogens has expanded our understanding of candidal infections and may offer the most sensitive and specific means of diagnosing invasive candidiasis."}
{"id": "PMID:1480210", "title": "Preliminary report on the isolation of a dysgonic variety of Microsporum canis together with the normal variety from a cattery.", "content": "The isolation of a dysgonic variety of Microsporum canis from a large number of cats and kittens in a cattery is described. The normal variety of this fungus was isolated at the same time from the same animals. Dysgonic varieties are thought to be mutants of normal strains, but this isolation of both forms together suggests that the relationship may be more complex."}
{"id": "PMID:1480211", "title": "The solid phase attachment of fungal hyphae in an ELISA to screen for antifungal antibodies.", "content": "A method to immobilize fungal hyphae onto the wells of 96-well microplates for use in an in-direct ELISA to screen for antifungal antibodies in sera and cell culture supernatants is described. The hyphae from three genera (Penicillium, Eurotium and Fusarium) were successfully attached by overnight drying onto wells precoated with poly-L-lysine and glutaraldehyde. Microscopy revealed that the hyphae remained attached to the wells throughout the ELISA and antiserum titrations showed that the attached hyphae were uniformly coated and remained reactive. Background absorbances were low and the plates could be stored at -20 degrees C without loss of reactivity."}
{"id": "PMID:1480212", "title": "The effect of selected human steroid hormones upon the growth of dermatophytes with different adaptation to man.", "content": "The inhibitory effect exerted by steroid hormones on the in vitro growth characteristics of dermatophytes is poorly understood. As a hypothesis this inhibition could result from fungal adaptation to the human host. Therefore, in this study the susceptibility of representative anthropophilic, zoophilic and geophilic dermatophytes to hormonal inhibition was compared. As a result, in agar dilution assays progesterone, testosterone, and estradiol proved to reduce fungal growth, whereas hydrocortisone had no such effect. In general, anthropophilic dermatophytes were shown to be more responsive to steroid hormones than geophilic species, suggesting a correlation of steroid susceptibility with adaptation to human skin. However, since fungal response to hormones consisted of growth inhibition and occurred only at steroid concentrations much higher than present in human skin, it cannot be assumed to contribute to this adaptation."}
{"id": "PMID:1480213", "title": "Application of glycerol to freezing bovine pancreas. Part 3. Effects of freezing rate and glycerol addition on changes in pancreas proteins.", "content": "Changes in protein solubility, amino nitrogen and activity of proteases in bovine pancreas frozen at -70 and -18 degrees C after soaking in various aqueous glycerol solutions were studied. Reduction of freezing temperature causes decrease of value in all studied parameters. Additionally, an inhibitory effect of glycerol on protease activity was demonstrated."}
{"id": "PMID:1480214", "title": "Feeding differently processed soya bean. Part 3. Effect on serum constituents and bone mineralization in the chicken.", "content": "The effect of feeding differently processed soya bean on serum constituents and bone mineralization in the chicken was investigated in growing chickens. The response parameters were total serum protein (TSP), albumin, globulin, albumin:globulin ratio and urea. Others were phosphorus, calcium and calcium:phosphorus ratio in the tibia and femur. The results indicated that TSP was significantly increased (P < 0.05) in the heat processed soya bean diets but decreased in the chicks fed raw soya bean diet. Albumin and globulin were not significantly affected. However, albumin:globulin ratio was significantly (P < 0.05) influenced. Serum urea was generally higher (P < 0.05) in the chicks fed processed soya bean diets. Significant (P < 0.01) decrease was observed in the total ash [%] of the bones in the chickens fed raw soya bean diet. The phosphorus [%] and Ca:P ratio in both tibia and femur were not significantly affected by dietary treatments."}
{"id": "PMID:1480215", "title": "Biological study on the effect of supplementing wheat flour with fish protein concentrate.", "content": "The protein quality of 4 Egyptian pastries made from different combinations of flour and fish protein concentrate (0%, 4% and 6%) was measured by rat growth study. Weight gain, feed consumption and PER were determined. Weight gain of rats fed cottage cheese crescents was higher than that fed date bars followed by that fed brouche, then rats fed salty sticks. Feed consumed by rats fed with the corresponding commercial pastries was low except in date bars group. Commercial pastries led to low weight gain and low PER values. Supplementing wheat flour with 6% fish protein concentrate gave the highest weight gain and the highest PER values."}
{"id": "PMID:1480216", "title": "Mycotoxic flora and mycotoxins in smoke-dried fish from Sierra Leone.", "content": "Examination of 20 samples of smoke-dried fish of the Ethmolosa sp. commonly called \"Bonga\", from homes and markets in Njala (Sierra Leone) revealed the presence of 4 Aspergilli species: A. flavus Links ex Fries, A. ochraceus Wilhelm, A. tamarii Kita and A. niger van Tieghem. Fresh or properly preserved smoke-dried fish showed no signs of fungal contamination. Mouldy fish extracts contained varying amounts of aflatoxins B1, G1, G2 and ochratoxin A. Isolates of A. flavus grown on yeast extract sucrose (YES) medium, produced considerable amounts of aflatoxin B1 and G1 and trace amounts of G2. On YES medium A. ochraceus produced large amounts of ochratoxin A but no penicillic acid."}
{"id": "PMID:1480217", "title": "[The prenatal toxicity of butenylisothiocyanate in rats].", "content": "Butenyl isothiocyanate (BylITC), the hydrolysis product of the glucosinolate gluconapin, present in various cruciferous vegetables and in rapeseed, was administered in oral doses of 0, 50, 100 and 150 mg/kg to pregnant rats on day 12 to 19 of gestation. Maternal toxicity was indicated by reduced body weight gain and increases in the weights of liver and kidneys. BylITC doses of 100 and 150 mg/kg caused retardation of fetal growth and ossification."}
{"id": "PMID:1480219", "title": "Mechanisms of electromagnetic interaction with cellular systems.", "content": "The question of how electromagnetic fields--static or low to high frequency--interact with biological systems is of great interest. The current discussion among biologists, chemists, and physicists emphasizes aspects of experimental verification and of defining microscopic and macroscopic mechanisms. Both aspects are reviewed here. We emphasize that in certain situations nonthermal interactions of electromagnetic fields occur with cellular systems."}
{"id": "PMID:1480229", "title": "Enhancing educational accessibility in rural areas through collaboration.", "content": "Limited access to baccalaureate nursing education for RNs in rural areas has restricted their career development. This paper describes an effective mobile educational program created through collaborative efforts of nursing administrators, nurse educators, and RN students."}
{"id": "PMID:1480231", "title": "Future health care workers camp.", "content": "Adolescents often make career decisions without ever having life experiences related to their choices. This paper describes an interdepartmental cooperative effort that led to the creation of a unique program for area teens. Based on a camp theme, the program serves as a health care recruitment tool while providing participants with on-site experiences, scheduled time with professional role models, and practical information related to a variety of health-related careers."}
{"id": "PMID:1480232", "title": "Polio nursing: the fight against paralysis.", "content": "Poliomyelitis epidemics occurred in this country with increasing frequency and severity for more than five decades. A frightening, highly contagious disease resulting in devastating paralysis, polio remains prevalent in much of the developing world. This paper describes the pathophysiology, clinical course, and treatment of polio and discusses the essential work of nurses in the years before an effective vaccine was available. The collaborative contributions of nurses, physicians, and scientists are presented."}
{"id": "PMID:1480233", "title": "Ethical decision making for nurse administrators.", "content": "The authors' purpose is to offer a theoretical perspective to help the nurse administrator make ethical decisions congruent with social policies in allocating scarce resources. The goal is approached in two ways: by exploring the philosophical principle of morality on which decisions to distribute scarce resources can be made and by clarifying the principles of justice and distributive justice in two classic moral theories. Principles of distributive justice that serve as guidelines for social justice policy are delineated. A case study illustrates the dilemma."}
{"id": "PMID:1480234", "title": "Nursing and JCAHO.", "content": "The joint commission is arguably the most powerful accrediting agency in health care today. Mahrenholz reviews the historical relationship of this organization with nursing and looks (longingly) at the future."}
{"id": "PMID:1480235", "title": "Health screening for the homeless.", "content": "The primary purpose of the project described in this paper is to detect actual or potential health problems in homeless persons and to help them gain entry into the public health care domain. A second purpose is to expose nursing students to a broader spectrum of patient needs than those encountered in traditional clinical settings. The community outreach program (COP) is based at a large southern university, where the nursing care center serves as executor of the project. The manuscript discusses funding, data collection, and future plans for the community outreach project."}
{"id": "PMID:1480236", "title": "M-I-D-D-L-E-G-R-O-U-N-D: Part II. Developing partnerships in practice.", "content": "This article describes the process for creating partnerships in nursing. It is Part II of the development of M-I-D-D-L-E-G-R-O-U-N-D, a model for the integration of nursing education and nursing service. Collaboration and community building are the activities that occur as nurses who are \"Futuremakers\" create the new partnership paradigm. Seven capacities (7 Cs) needed to develop these dynamic partnerships are defined. These capacities can advance caring and healing in nursing."}
{"id": "PMID:1480242", "title": "[Detection of diarrhea-causing Escherichia coli using DNA-probes].", "content": "To assess the role of enterovirulent Escherichia coli at home and abroad, faeces samples of patients with diarrhoea and of healthy controls in Tunisia, Seville (southern Spain) and the Netherlands were investigated. Enterovirulent E. coli were identified by hybridization with five different non-radioactively labelled DNA probes specific for enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC), enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC) and verocytotoxin producing E. coli (VTEC). ETEC was the main causative agent of travellers' diarrhoea in Tunisia. The isolation of ETEC in the Netherlands was shown to be related to travel in endemic areas. EPEC probe positive strains were isolated in children and in adults, but were not in all cases associated with intestinal disease. During this study no VTEC were detected. From an immunocompromised kidney transplantation patient with sepsis and diarrhoea ETEC were isolated from blood."}
{"id": "PMID:1480243", "title": "[Arthroscopic ankle arthrodesis: a new technique].", "content": "We report on 5 patients who successfully underwent an arthroscopic ankle arthrodesis in the department of Orthopaedics of the University Hospital in Nijmegen. Three patients had haemophilia, one rheumatoid arthritis, and one arthrosis following trauma. The results were satisfactory. The patients had surprisingly little postoperative pain. It appears from the literature that regarding morbidity in terms of infection, pseudarthrosis and consolidation time, arthroscopic arthrodesis compares favourable with the open procedures."}
{"id": "PMID:1480244", "title": "[Renal crisis in scleroderma].", "content": "A case is described of a 30-year-old woman with scleroderma renal crisis. She presented with classical symptoms: malignant hypertension of sudden onset and rapidly progressive renal failure. End-stage renal failure developed in spite of treatment with angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors and the patient became dialysis-dependent. Five years later her condition was still stable. She lived in a nursing home, severely disabled but mentally healthy. A renal crisis is one of the most life threatening complications of scleroderma. By immediate treatment with ACE inhibitors, dependence on haemodialysis can be prevented in half the patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1480247", "title": "Nurses' attitudes towards the sexuality of older people: an investigative study.", "content": "This article outlines a small scale investigative study into what factors influence nurses' attitudes towards the sexuality of older people. Thirty three trained nurses completed questionnaires designed to focus on three main areas: respondents' background details, attitudes towards sexuality as a general concept, and knowledge and attitudes specifically about the sexuality of older people. Results of the study indicate that nurses' attitudes about sexuality in general were the most influential factor in predicting their attitudes to older people's sexuality. This would suggest that nurses should be given the opportunity to explore their feelings about their own sexuality in order to change attitudes and practice."}
{"id": "PMID:1480248", "title": "Nurse staffing levels and skill mix in accident and emergency departments.", "content": "This paper examines the history of nurse staffing and skill mix in accident and emergency (A&E) departments, and reports results from a study which examines numbers of staff and relates this to numbers of patients and organisation of work in A&E departments throughout one region. The types of procedures undertaken by nurses and the qualifications they held are also analysed. Conclusions about present variations in staffing in A&E departments are drawn, with recommendations for further study."}
{"id": "PMID:1480249", "title": "The single case experimental design: a quantitative method for everyday use.", "content": "Although the qualitative approach to research has become a dominant trend in nursing research, some commentators have argued the strengths of quantitative methods, particularly if the data are sensitively handled by investigators (1). This article argues for greater use in nursing research of a particular quantitative method: the single case experimental design. It traces the development of the methodology, describes the designs of which it consists and their associated statistical handling, and examines the relevance of the approach as a whole to nursing, particularly during the construction and testing of innovative approaches to client difficulties. The paper concludes by suggesting the potential impact of the adoption of single case methods for nursing practice and research."}
{"id": "PMID:1480250", "title": "'An active body, a healthy body': a new health survey for Northern Ireland.", "content": "The Northern Ireland Health and Activity Survey is the first survey of its type to take place in Northern Ireland. Its aim is to provide a detailed profile of the general level of physical activity in the province. The main advance in this survey is that it includes studies of blood components, such as various lipids levels. This exciting and far reaching project commenced in February 1992 and extends over a period of approximately one year."}
{"id": "PMID:1480251", "title": "The integration of research in the clinical setting: obstacles and solutions. A review of the literature.", "content": "One of the most influential factors in the successful genesis of any profession is the development and growth of research. Professions need to have their roots planted firmly in a fertile body of knowledge. Nursing is a developing profession; in order for it to progress, the utilisation of valid research findings is essential. In this paper, the author has reviewed some of the available literature on the subject of research utilisation, highlighting the obstacles and providing some possible solutions."}
{"id": "PMID:1480252", "title": "Visits to the wards by non ward-based personnel.", "content": "Fourteen acute hospital wards in five different hospitals were observed for three days. Observers recorded the number and type of non ward-based personnel coming onto the ward, the nature of their visit, the length of time they stayed and whether or not they contacted a member of staff. Wide differences between the wards were found, but the overall results indicate that the volume of visits to the wards was greater than even the ward sisters recognised. The author suggests that a clearer definition of the role of the ward clerk--and an upgrading of the role to prepare clerks for dealing with non nursing-related enquiries--could be of great assistance to sisters and would be a cost-effective investment."}
{"id": "PMID:1480253", "title": "Mammographic screening for breast cancer in women under fifty: a review.", "content": "There is currently insufficient scientific data to support the recommendation to begin mammographic screening before the age of 50. The balance of the evidence that does exist suggests that screening before the age of 50 is useless and possibly harmful. If we accept that it is unethical to screen in the absence of good data suggesting benefit, then screening under the age of 50 is unethical."}
{"id": "PMID:1480258", "title": "Electroencephalographic and vegetative correlates of the mental reproduction of emotional states.", "content": "The present investigation is devoted to an analysis of the changes in the bioelectrical and vegetative indices during the mental reproduction of emotional states by man. An analysis of the data of the mapping of intracortical interactions as a function of the time course of the changes in the R-R interval was carried out. Two stages in the mental reproduction of emotions were identified which are characterized by the presence of different centers of integration, in the frontal and temporal divisions of the cerebral cortex. It was demonstrated that in the presence of maximal emotional tension the center of integration shifts from the frontal regions to the temporal region of the left hemisphere."}
{"id": "PMID:1480259", "title": "Mechanisms of motoric learning.", "content": "The basic principles of motoric learning are analyzed in this paper. Arguments are given for the position that instrumental conditioning is the basis for motoric learning, but that the mechanisms of insight as well as the system of foresight in analysis of the result also play a substantial role in it. The hypothesis is advanced, in comparing certain theories of learning, of the possibility of a synthetic approach. Two stages can be distinguished in the process of motoric learning, the formation of notional and coordinational programs. The formation and realization of learned movements which are antagonistic to the initial coordinations takes place under the constant control of the motor cortex, which effects the inhibition of interfering coordinations that develop in the course of learning."}
{"id": "PMID:1480260", "title": "Intralimbic evoked potentials during the formation of an alimentary conditioned reflex in response to the electrostimulation of the hippocampus of dogs.", "content": "Instrumental alimentary conditioned reflexes (CR) in response to the electrostimulation of the hippocampus were developed in experiments on dogs with electrodes implanted in various divisions of the hippocampus, the amygdala, the septum, and the hypothalamus. During their development the evoked potentials (EP) were investigated in the hippocampus itself and in other limbic structures, as well as in the hippocampus during the testing of the latter for the purpose of verifying generalization. The formation and extinction of the CR was accompanied by changes in the amplitude-temporal characteristics primarily of late components of the EP picked up from the lateral hypothalamus and the amygdaloid complex in response to the hippocampal electrostimulation. During the carrying out of this stimulation of signal functions (pedal pressing to obtain food), the average amplitude of the trace positivity and of the late negative wave were found to be lower than by the end of extinction in the presence of ineffectiveness of the signal. The average amplitudes of the late components of the hippocampal EP which arose in response to electrostimulation of the amygdala were lower in those tests in which the instrumental movement appeared when the generalization of the CR was tested."}
{"id": "PMID:1480261", "title": "Certain methods of biomechanical description of various postural adjustment patterns during motoric learning in dogs.", "content": "Methods for the biomechanical description of spatial displacements of the center of mass of quadruped animal (dog), developed by the authors on the basis of an assessment of the vertical constituents of support pressures, as well as methods for the assessment of the postural adjustment pattern (coefficient of diagonality), are presented in this paper. The results are presented of an investigation of the role of the motor cortex in the accomplishment of the postural adjustment pattern of dogs, reorganized during learning, in the performance of an instrumental movement."}
{"id": "PMID:1480262", "title": "Correlation relationships of evoked activity of the auditory cortex and the amygdalae of cats during conditioned reflex activity.", "content": "The character of the interaction (Spearman's correlation coefficient) between the structures before, and during the development, extinction, and restoration of an instrumental food-procuring reflex, as well as during the automatization of the reflex was determined on the basis of the averaged sound-induced activity (AEP) of symmetrical points of the auditory cortex (AI) and the amygdalae (abl) of cats. The co-tuning of the cortex and the amygdalae during the adaptation of the animal was found to be individual in character; this was replaced by close interactions during the formation of the reflex and by the disruption of their correlatedness during its extinction. The consolidation of the reflex prior to the stage of automatization was accompanied by attenuation of the connections between the cortex and the amygdala. The results attest to the complex and dynamic character of the interdependence in the cortex-amygdala system during conditioned reflex activity."}
{"id": "PMID:1480264", "title": "Participation of nonlinear dynamic processes in the formation of the high-frequency EEG of the rabbit.", "content": "The informativeness of the high-frequency EEG for the assessment of the functional state of the brain has been proven by means of a new method of analysis of the EEG which is suitable, by contrast with the traditional spectral correlation analysis, for the description of nonlinear processes. Evidence has been obtained in favor of the hypothesis that a deterministic chaotic component, the parameters of which depend on the region of recording of the EEG and which changes conjointly with change in the functional state of the brain, is present in the EEG of the neocortex and hippocampus of the rabbit."}
{"id": "PMID:1480270", "title": "Brain death: practicability of evoked potentials.", "content": "Multimodally evoked potentials were registered in 85 patients who fulfilled the criteria for brain death. While somatosensory and visual evoked potentials have been found to be of limited value for the diagnosis of brain death, the stepwise abolition of brain stem auditory evoked potentials (BAEP) confirmed brain death in 26 out of 85 patients, i.e. 31%. Registration of the abolition of BAEP is concluded to be a safe and acceptable confirmatory test. It is, however, more feasible for institutions, in which BAEP are analysed routinely. In spite of all efforts sequential BAEP could not be used for the diagnosis of brain death in the majority of cases either because of absence of reproducible responses at the initial registration or because the patient was already apnoic at the time of the initial BAEP. Assuming that bilateral preservation of wave I has the same significance as the stepwise abolition of BAEP, since it also proves the integrity of the peripheral receptor, BAEP are relevant for the declaration of brain death in approximately 30% of patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1480266", "title": "Compensatory plasticity of the brain under conditions of its injury.", "content": "The possibility of the utilization of the galvanic skin response (GSR) as a test for the analysis of compensatory processes under the conditions of natural compensation and with the use of functional biofeedback was studied in experiments on cats anesthetized with chloralose and immobilized with flaxedil, as well as in clinical conditions in healthy children and children suffering from childhood cerebral palsy (CCP). It was demonstrated in this study that the habituation of the GSR is disturbed in the case of unilateral brain trauma. These differences level out a year after the brain trauma. When functional biofeedback is used to accelerate habituation processes of a compensatory character, the GSR of the right and left sides of the body equalize and approximate that observed in healthy children. This study is yet another confirmation of the advantage of functional biofeedback as compared with traditional treatment methods. The data obtained also make it possible to believe that the habituation of the GSR may be useful not only for the analysis of the depth and level of the injury of nerve tissue, but for the objective assessment of compensatory restorative processes as well."}
{"id": "PMID:1480271", "title": "Surgical observations in extremely lateral lumbar disc herniation.", "content": "About 10% of lumbar disc herniations are localized in an extreme lateral position referred to as \"extracanalicular\". The clinical syndrome is a typical one with compression signs of the lateral, extra-foraminal nerve root and minimal lumbar pain. A reliable diagnosis can be made only since high resolution spinal computed tomography has become available. Surgical treatment will be rendered difficult by the \"hidden\" localisation of the disc fragments. A total number of 15 patients has been operated on in our department during the last year. In 10 patients, we used the lateral microsurgical approach proposed by REULEN, in five cases a combined procedure with lateral sequestrotomy and medial nucleotomy. In the first group, re-sequestration occurred in three cases and further surgery including medial nucleotomy was performed then. A good result with remission could be achieved in 13 cases, whereas in two cases with additional spondylolisthesis, lumbar back pain continued, but the radicular symptoms were reduced."}
{"id": "PMID:1480267", "title": "Afferent control of cortically evoked reactions of spinal cord ventral horn interneurons.", "content": "The reactions of interneurons of the ventral horn (L6,7) of the spinal cord in response to stimulation of the motor zone of the cortex and of afferents of the hind limbs were investigated intra- and extracellularly in experiments on cats. It was demonstrated that cortically evoked reactions of the interneurons are modulated by the preceding afferent wave. Three types of effects were distinguished: intensification, suppression, and biphasic changes. Facilitation is brief (not more than 30-35 msec); the duration of suppression varied from 60-100 msec to 300-400 msec. A correlation between the effect of afferentation and the latent period of the cortically evoked reaction was established: facilitation was observed among the short-latency reactions; long-latency reactions were inhibited as a rule. Inhibition was more clearly manifested: for the responses from the ipsilateral than the contralateral hemisphere; during the conditioning of the contralateral afferents, than during the conditioning of the ipsilateral; of the high-threshold afferents than of the low-threshold. The mechanisms of afferent control of descending activity and the role of \"polysynaptic loops\" in the processes of the afferentation as a supplementary modulator of the excitability of motoneurons are discussed. It is proposed, on the basis of the analysis of the data obtained (the absence of IPSP in the interneurons investigated, etc.), that a principal role in the suppression of descending activity belongs to the mechanism of presynaptic inhibition, as well as to the disfacilitation caused by it (the decrease in depolarization and the increase in the critical discharge level) in the interneurons themselves due to the blocking of the background afferent influx from other inputs."}
{"id": "PMID:1480272", "title": "Comparative experimental biomechanical study of different types of stabilization methods of the lower cervical spine.", "content": "In a comparative experimental biodynamic study using thirty-two human cervical spines of cadavers the primary stabilization effect of different types of spondylodesis was examined. Whereas in flexion stress all methods showed a sufficient stability, the rotation tests proved, that in case of a dorsal instability of the lower cervical spine, posterior interlaminar wiring or anterior plate stabilization showed no reliable stabilization effect. However, the compression clamps by ROOSEN and TRAUSCHEL as well as the hook-plates by MAGERL are suitable dorsal stabilization methods with excellent rotation stability. In case of dorsal instability of the lower cervical spine a posterior spondylodesis is necessary and sufficient."}
{"id": "PMID:1480273", "title": "Contribution of thallium-201-SPECT to the grading of tumorous alterations of the brain.", "content": "Single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) with thallium-201-chloride (201Tl) was used in 22 patients to assess the grade of malignancy of brain tumors. Low- and high-grade malignant gliomas could be well differentiated by calculating the Grade Index (GI), i.e., 201Tl uptake in the tumor area relative to a contralateral brain region. Low-grade gliomas (WHO-grade I-II) usually showed a GI of < 1.5. Tumors classified histologically as high-grade malignant (WHO-grade III-IV) had GI values greater than 1.42 and a mean value of 1.89. Until labelled amino-acid tracers for gamma-cameras become commercially available, thallium-201 brain-SPECT can provide an independent and complementary method to CT/MRI for the differential diagnosis of grading of brain tumors. This simple technique can help to reduce sampling errors during needle biopsies of brain tumors, particularly of high-grade lesions incorrectly graded as low-grade tumors due to inadequate biopsy material. In addition, pre- and post-therapy studies can influence the strategy of therapy itself and allow an early detection of recurrences."}
{"id": "PMID:1480268", "title": "An electrophysiological analysis of the hippocampal projections to the neurosecretory cells of the supraoptic nucleus of the hypothalamus and the neurons of the perinuclear zone of rats.", "content": "Impulse activity of antidromically identified neurosecretory cells, orthodromically activated neurons, and neurons not responding to this stimulation was recorded in the supraoptic area of the hypothalamus under conditions of the stimulation of the hypophyseal stalk. The reactions of all groups of cells to the stimulation of the ventral hippocampus were investigated; the number of responding cells came to 14, 59, and 46%, respectively. Short-latency excitatory reactions predominated substantially. It is conjectured that the influences of the hippocampus are most significant for the neurons of the perinuclear zone as compared with the neurosecretory cells of the supraoptic nucleus. Particular aspects of the morphofunctional organization of the supraoptic area are discussed, taking into account both the convergence of afferent inputs from the neurosecretory cells and the hippocampus on the orthodromically activated neurons and the features of the organization of the hippocampal projections to various groups of cells of the perinuclear zone of the supraoptic nucleus."}
{"id": "PMID:1480274", "title": "Osteosynthesis of injuries and rheumatic or congenital instabilities of the upper cervical spine using double-threaded screws.", "content": "The surgical treatment of instabilities of the upper cervical spine, independent of their cause, requires the use of differentiated procedures if functional anatomy is to be largely restored. Successful procedures have been the diagonal screw fixation of the axis from the anterolateral aspect in case of acute fractures of the odontoid process, transpedicular screw osteosynthesis of C2 in hangman's fractures with bony instability, and the transarticular screw fixation of C 1/2 with interarcual fusion for atlantoaxial instabilities. Compared with conventional screws, the use of double-threaded screws which are almost totally imbedded in the vertebral body has the advantage of eliminating local irritation, reducing the risk of surgery, and simplifying the operative procedure itself."}
{"id": "PMID:1480275", "title": "Intraoperative angiography and embolization in intracranial AVM's and aneurysms.", "content": "Intraoperative angiography allows for control procedures for exstirpation of arteriovenous malformations and clipping of problematic aneurysms during the entire operation. During intraoperative embolizations, it is especially helpful to see whether the occlusion of the nidus of an arteriovenous malformation is complete. The method is easy to perform; there were no complications in 19 cases."}
{"id": "PMID:1480276", "title": "C.N.S. tumors in eastern Saudi Arabia.", "content": "In Saudi Arabia, there were no attempts previously to describe a population based frequency or incidence, particularly so the age adjusted incidence of various CNS tumors. This paper presents the primary CNS tumors from a population based tumor registry over two years period, from January 1987 till December 1988. There was a total of 85 cases representing 5.4% of the total captured cases (1,568 cases of malignant tumors at all sites). The population of the Eastern Province is estimated to be 1.37 million, the Saudis forming 80% of the total population. Out of the 85 cases captured over two years, there were 64 cases diagnosed in indigenous Saudi population forming 75%. The remaining occurred in non-Saudi residents. The male/female ratio in Saudis was 1:1.1 with a slight predominance of the female, while the reverse is true in the non-Saudis (2:1). The total captured cases per annum is 43, making the incidence of primary CNS neoplasms in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia 3.1/100,000 of all the population and 2.9/100,000 in Saudi nationals. Comparing this incidence to the international figure, it was clear that it is far less than the incidence reported from North America and Europe, particularly in the Caucasian population, but similar to incidences reported in the Chinese, black Americans, Romanians and Yugoslavians, but certainly less than the Ashkenazi or Safari Jews, and slightly higher than the incidence reported in Japan and Southeast Asia. Malignant brain tumors of various types dominated the primary CNS neoplasms reported over these two years forming 69% of the cases and 52% of the primary brain tumors."}
{"id": "PMID:1480277", "title": "Meningiomas of the lateral ventricle. Report on six cases.", "content": "In this study 6 patients who had meningioma of the lateral ventricle are reviewed. The incidence is 1.8% of cases of meningiomas in our series. Microsurgical techniques were employed in all patients. There was no death and the follow-up period was between 5 months and 10 years. No recurrence was seen. Although the origin of these tumors is still not known, DUNN and KERNOHAN note that the choroid plexus has the potential for the production of meningothelial, fibrous, or mixed patterns. Our pathological results confirmed this suggestion."}
{"id": "PMID:1480278", "title": "Two undesirable results of wrapping of an intracranial aneurysm.", "content": "This article presents a rare case in which we experienced two undesirable results following wrapping of an internal carotid artery aneurysm. First, a muscle piece used for wrapping was absorbed completely and, therefore, could not prevent enlargement of the aneurysm. And second, muslin gauze wrapping induced a foreign-body granuloma at the site (parasellar region), and resulted in development of oculomotor palsy."}
{"id": "PMID:1480280", "title": "Cerebral reperfusion in brain death of a newborn. Case report.", "content": "A case of \"sudden infant death\" after 15 minutes of successful resuscitation of cardiovascular function is presented. While apnoic cranial nerve areflexia and electrocerebral silence persisted, angiography and transcranial Doppler sonography demonstrated nearly normal cerebral perfusion, which even increased day by day inspite of the persistence of other signs of brain death. The phenomenon \"cerebral reperfusion\" is concluded to be compatible with the diagnosis of brain death."}
{"id": "PMID:1480281", "title": "Hypophyseal metastatic hypernephroma mimicking a pituitary adenoma. Case report.", "content": "A patient with a remote history of nephrectomy for hypernephroma presented a visual field defect with hypopituitarism. Neuro-imaging studies showed a highly vascularized sellar mass with suprasellar extension. Surgery, which was performed via the subfrontal approach, disclosed the pituitary tumor to be a hypernephroma. Although anterior pituitary involvement is rare, chiasmal compression is much rarer in metastatic pituitary carcinomas, a review of previously reported cases of metastatic pituitary hypernephroma and our own case indicated that pituitary metastasis from this carcinoma, in contrast to other metastatic pituitary tumors, often mimics pituitary adenoma."}
{"id": "PMID:1480282", "title": "Intrasacral meningeal cyst demonstrated by magnetic resonance imaging.", "content": "Intrasacral meningeal cyst, first reported by Enderle in 1932, is a rare cause of low-back and leg pain . Non-invasive magnetic resonance imaging appears to be very useful for initial identification of intrasacral cystic masses."}
{"id": "PMID:1480283", "title": "[Hemodynamic reserve in carotid surgery and the use of \"superselective\" shunt].", "content": "The aim of this study is to establish whether a preoperative evaluation of the Cerebral Hemodynamic Reserve, carried out by means of transcranial Doppler and SPECT with provocative test (acetazolamide) can single out those patients who, because they are supplied with a poor cerebral reserve, are truly in need of intraoperative shunting after carotid clamping. All patients were intraoperatively monitored by means of Somato Sensitive Evoked Potentials (SSEPs). Those patients who were shunted due to abnormalities in SSEPs were also those who showed a perfusion and velocity increase below 15%, and therefore supplied, in our opinion, with a scanty cerebral reserve. No, but one, neurological deficit appeared on awakening in patients who were not shunted."}
{"id": "PMID:1480284", "title": "[Heterotopic splenic autotransplantation: a therapeutic option in splenic trauma].", "content": "The Authors report two cases of splenectomy for trauma, followed by heterotopic autotransplantation of splenic tissue in omental pockets. A follow-up nuclear scan and ultrasonography showed function and growth of the splenic implants. The pertinent surgical literature is reviewed."}
{"id": "PMID:1480285", "title": "[Thyroid pathology in the aged].", "content": "Following a review of the literature on this topic, the authors examine all patients with thyroid pathologies who were admitted to the 1st Institute of Surgical Pathology of the University of Pavia between 1-1-1974 and 31-12-1990. Only patients aged over 65 were included in the study and were subdivided into two groups, namely those aged between 65-74 (3rd age) and those over 75 (4th age). Particular attention was focused on the type of pathology (benign or malignant), other pathologies associated to the basic pathology, the type of operation performed and, in the case of malignant diseases, the histological type of tumour and any metastasis. The results of this series were then compared to those reported elsewhere. The Authors conclude that thyroid pathologies in geriatric patients are very important since, given that at this age the gland is becoming atrophic, the onset of disease often occurs before the age of 65 and symptoms in these patients are imprecise. In view of the good results obtained, it is always worth operating in order to give the patient a reasonable life expectancy, especially in those cases with collateral disorders (compression) caused by the thyroid mass."}
{"id": "PMID:1480286", "title": "[Current advances in the diagnosis of parotid masses].", "content": "The Authors first briefly describe the possible histological features of parotid masses, difficult to differentiate only on the basis of clinical signs. They report on imaging techniques for detecting this kind of pathology and suggest the best diagnostic protocol for correct evaluation of parotid masses, because of its great importance in planning optimal surgical management."}
{"id": "PMID:1480287", "title": "[A department of general surgery using the Diagnosis Related Groups (DRGs) system. Evaluation of the case series].", "content": "DRGs system allows the grouping in a single grad-bag code of a number of similar surgical procedures carried out in patients homogeneous for age, physical status, complication and so on with similar costs. Therefore this grouping method is useful for payment to hospitals. The Authors have coded with DRGs the surgical activity of a general surgery staff during a year to verify the image that DRGs bears. Seven hundred diagnoses of dismission were related to operated on patients while one hundred twenty seven were related to patients treated with medical therapy. The DRGs more numerous were 290, 258, 198, 162, related with thyroidectomy, mastectomy, cholecystectomy and herniorrhaphy."}
{"id": "PMID:1480288", "title": "[Removal of tattoos by CO2 laser and acetic acid].", "content": "The Authors pay attention to small tattoo removal by means of the utilization of the CO2 laser. Moreover, the Authors emphasize the drawback of double treatment which, usually, the patient suffers in tattoo removal by CO2 laser. Then, the pressure of the Authors is small sized tattoo removal in only one sitting achieving so an excellent esthetic result. Besides, the Authors, in this medical study, explains two methods for tattoo removal. In the study's results, the Authors describes the manner and the time of the two lesion recovery by the different manners of treatment. Finally, the Authors affirms the great consequence of the surgical CO2 laser, they don't fail, however, to affirm that the laser and acetic acid combination is an excellent procedure for small tattoo removal."}
{"id": "PMID:1480289", "title": "[Evolution of the bacteria responsible for surgical infection. n 8-year study in our department].", "content": "Since 1981 we monitored all the bacteria strains isolated from patients bearing a surgical infection and hospitalized in our department. We also tested the susceptibility of the isolated strains to different antibiotics. The observed results at three different intervals (1981, 1984, 1987-1988) reveal an increase in Gram+strains. Among the tested antibiotics Imipenem and Amikacin showed the highest antibacterial activity in recent years (1987-1988)."}
{"id": "PMID:1480290", "title": "[Sulbactam-ampicillin in surgery. Our experience].", "content": "The bacterial infections constitute a serious problem for the surgeon: the choice of antibiotic drugs is really important and, as often as possible, should be guided by antibiotic sensitivity tests. In this study we used sulbactam-ampicillin (Unasyn) who is an antibiotic combination between sulbactam, inhibitor of beta lactam and ampicillin. The preliminary results were as follows: Unasyn was administered to 21 hospitalized selected patients, 16 women and 5 man, who had clinical signs of intraabdominal infection, wound infection and subphrenic abscess after digestive surgery. In these patients were isolated the following organisms: Staphylococcus epidermidis (8), Staphylococcus aureus (11), serratia (1), streptococcus (3), E. coli (3). The daily dosage of Unasyn was 3-12 g/die administered in three to four divided doses, and was determined by the severity of infection, the antibiotic susceptibility of the causative organism(s) and the condition of the patient. Each dose was given by slow i.v. infusion in 15-30 minutes. Our success rate was 100%, and neither systemic nor local side effects were recorded."}
{"id": "PMID:1480291", "title": "[Importance of cleansing in the topical treatment of skin lesions. A parallel study carried out in 20 patients and 30 rats].", "content": "There are frequent reports of the chronic nature of skin ulcers of varying etiology (burns, bedsores, wound diastasis, etc.); these heal with considerable difficulty probably due to problems related to the excessive use of disinfectants which, in spite of having a good bacterial action, interfere with re-epithelialisation processes. The aim of this study was to assess the value of simple wound cleansing instead of disinfection in those cases where there are no manifest signs of bacterial contamination. A widely sold solution, Katoderm (Deverg\u00e8, Turin), was used in this study. The study was performed in two stages; the first in laboratory animals and the second in patients with small persistent lesions. The results of the study carried out in rats showed a significant prolongation of healing time in the group treated with polyvinylpyrrolidone-iodine compared to those in which lesions were only cleansed with Katoderm. The results of the clinical study also highlighted the faster speed of healing in patients treated with cleansing alone."}
{"id": "PMID:1480292", "title": "[Special problems in the surgical treatment of megaesophageal cardial achalasia. A clinical case].", "content": "The paper report the case of a patient brought to the Authors' attention suffering from megaesophageal cardial achalasia who had already undergone gastroduodenal resection according to BII. It was considered worthwhile to report this case due to the problems which arose concerning the choice of a thoracic rather than abdominal route owing to the impossibility of associating cardiomyotomy with anti-reflux plastica surgery because of the reduced dimensions of the stomach."}
{"id": "PMID:1480293", "title": "[Pseudoxanthoma elasticum. A rare cause of upper digestive hemorrhage].", "content": "Pseudoxanthoma Elasticum (PXE) is a rare inherited elastic tissue disorder with degeneration of elastic fibres involving mainly skin, eyes and the cardiovascular system. Upper gastro-intestinal hemorrhage occurs in 13% of cases and is often resistant to non-surgical methods of treatment. One case report involving recurrent gastric hemorrhage in a young patient with PXE and treated with total gastrectomy is presented. Diagnosis was made, after surgery, by biopsy of skin lesions of the neck. The characteristics of PXE are reviewed and the case is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1480294", "title": "[Stenosis of the celiac tripod due to extrinsic compression. A case report].", "content": "The Authors, starting from the observation of a case of stenosis of the celiac tripod, caused by compression \"ab estrinseco\", examine the physiopathological, clinical, aetiopathogenetic and therapeutical aspects of the pathology in question. In accordance with medical literature interpretative nosological doubts are also raised which, not with standing the improved research techniques, make it extremely difficult to suggest an accurate surgical procedure."}
{"id": "PMID:1480295", "title": "[Epithelial cysts of the spleen].", "content": "The Authors report a case of epithelial cyst of the spleen-observed in a 25 years old woman. After remembering the nomenclature and pathogenetic hypothesis, they consider clinical patterns of this rare disease of the spleen which is usually found in children and young adults. The Authors discuss pathological findings, diagnostic aids, especially non-invasive imaging. They also suggest considering the cysts in diagnosis of the diseases of the spleen and splenectomy as a treatment of choice."}
{"id": "PMID:1480297", "title": "[Giant benign and malignant pathology of the ovary].", "content": "After a discussion of ovarian tumour classification, two cases of giant neoplasm, one benign the other malignant are reported. Ultrasonography and CA125 research represent two irreplaceable investigations, for preoperative balance and for therapeutic strategy."}
{"id": "PMID:1480298", "title": "[Localized pleural mesotheliomas. Clinicopathological considerations on a case report].", "content": "Pleural mesotheliomas are rare, and their diagnosis and treatment not clear. The case observed in our Department leads us to an analysis of the literature. This showed that differential diagnosis with pulmonary carcinoma is very difficult, even in cases of parietal mesothelioma; however local treatment may be performed even in malignant mesothelioma."}
{"id": "PMID:1480299", "title": "[Arterial embolism, venous thrombosis, pulmonary embolism: a suggestive triad].", "content": "The aim of this study is to present a relatively rare case of paradoxical arterial embolism, found in a patient who was sent to us for serious pulmonary embolism. Taking into account that the foramen ovale, despite being functionally competent, remains anatomically patent in 30% of the adult population, we cannot neglect the possibility of a paradoxical embolism, in the presence of a sudden embolic limb ischemia unless heart pathology or aortic lesions can be held responsible. Furthermore it must not be forgotten that deep venous thrombosis in the lower limbs or in the pelvic plexus may go unobserved on a purely clinical evaluation."}
{"id": "PMID:1480301", "title": "[Moderate arterial hypertension in pregnancy: therapeutic aspects].", "content": "The treatment of hypertension in pregnancy is justified by the need to reduce blood pressure in order to avoid the onset of preeclampsia, eclampsia, retarded intrauterine growth and even neonatal, perinatal and maternal death. The value of using drugs to treat slight-moderate hypertension in pregnancy is, however, not clearly defined in the literature. In fact, from an etiopathogenetic point of view, the significance of increased blood pressure in pregnancy has not yet been satisfactorily explained, and above all the positive significance of increased blood pressure not be forgotten since, up to diastolic levels of 90 mmHg, it is accompanied by an increase in birth weight. The aim of the present study was to verify the efficacy of pharmacological treatment in cases of slight-moderate hypertension during pregnancy in a population of 121 pregnant women attending the Obstetrics-Gynecological Clinic of the \"Istituto per l'Infanzia\" in Trieste during the period from 14-11-1984 to 24-4-1991. Data for this retrospective study were extrapolated from an analysis of medical records and then memorized in a data-base file. The degree of hypertension was classified as slight, moderate and severe according to blood pressure levels measured on hospitalisation. Clinical signs taken into account included: edema, proteinuria and hypoprotidemia. Anti-hypertensive therapy was selected between one or more associated drugs belonging to the following classes: central action and peripheral action anti-adrenergic drugs, beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers, vasodilators, diuretics, ACE-inhibitors and sedatives. Moreover, patients also received non-pharmacological treatment in the form of low sodium diets and bed-rest.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1480302", "title": "[Cysts of the choroid plexus: personal experience].", "content": "Twenty-six cases of fetal choroid plexus cysts were diagnosed using ultrasonography at the Ultrasound Out-patients clinic of the University of Turin during the period 1989-1991. In 21 of these cases fetal karyotype was ascertained since, as has been reported in the literature, cysts of the choroid plexus may be associated with an anomalous karyotype (trisome 18 or 21). One of the 21 cases had an altered karyotype (trisome 21) (4.2%). The Authors stress the importance of a detailed ultrasound study of fetal morphology since, in the presence of structural anomalies, the incidence of trisome 18 is much higher. On the basis of these data, prenatal diagnosis in the event of the echographic presence of choroid plexus cysts appears to be valid since the risk of chromosome anomalies is much higher than in 35-year-old women."}
{"id": "PMID:1480303", "title": "[Urolithiasis in pregnancy].", "content": "Urolithiasis is a cause of abdominal pain occurring during pregnancy requiring hospitalization. Of 3793 deliveries in a 5-year period 11 were complicated by urinary calculi during pregnancy. The incidence was 0.29% and in 45% the calculi passed spontaneously. Conservative therapy was resolute in 100% of cases and didn't have any consequence on pregnancy and neonatal outcome. Pathogenesis, diagnostic and therapeutic approach are considered."}
{"id": "PMID:1480305", "title": "[Clobetasol vs. testosterone in the treatment of lichen sclerosus of the vulvar region].", "content": "The paper describes a study carried out in 40 patients affected by lichen sclerosus (LS) of the vulva. The mean age of patients was 60.9 years (range 27-83) and 31 were in menopause. Patients were divided randomly into two groups of 20. The symptoms (itching, burning, pain, dyspareunia), clinical aspects (atrophy, hyperkeratosis, sclerosis) and histological alterations (atrophy of the epithelium, edema, inflammatory infiltrate, fibrosis) were quantified in each patient by a score. The mean scores relating to the three parameters examined were then calculated for each group. One group was treated with testosterone propionate 2% and the other with a strong synthetic corticosteroid, clobetasol dipropionate 0.05%. After 24 weeks of treatment patients were again evaluated in relation to clinical (symptoms and clinical aspects) and histological parameters, following the procedure used before the start of treatment. The mean scores obtained were then compared with those before the start of treatment. Statistical analyses were performed using Student's t-test. Testosterone was found to be effective in relation to symptoms but no significant change was observed in relation to clinical aspects and histological alterations. It also caused major secondary effects which led to the suspension of treatment in one patient. Clobetasol was shown to be highly effective both in relation to symptoms and in terms of clinical aspects and histological alterations, and did not cause any noteworthy collateral effects, especially contact dermatitis. In the context of the objective parameters examined in this study, sclerosis and hyperkeratosis were easily modified by corticosteroid treatment in comparison to atrophy, especially in those patients with a longer duration of disease.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1480306", "title": "[Benzidamine in the topical treatment of vaginitis caused by Gardnerella vaginalis].", "content": "The present clinical trial has been carried out in order to evaluate the efficacy of benzydamine in treatment of vaginitis caused by Gardnerella vaginalis. Fifty women affected by this specific pathology have been submitted to topical treatment with 0.5% benzydamine vaginal cream. The treatment has been carried out for 9 consecutive days using a local application of benzydamine twice a day. The clinical result was evaluated after 12 and 60 days. The following parameters were taken into consideration: symptoms (leucorrhea, itching, burning), clinical signs (oedema, hyperemia, vaginal secretion), instrumental data (pH, colposcopy, sniff test) and microbiological findings (searching of clue cells, Lactobacillus and Gardnerella vaginalis). At the first check point after 12 days 84% of patients have been considered healed; at the second check the percentage of healing rose to 92%. Therefore benzydamine was considered highly effective in 92% of vaginitis caused by Gardnerella vaginalis."}
{"id": "PMID:1480307", "title": "[Fetal outcome following \"accidental\" administration of a long-acting DTRP6 GnRh depot preparation during the first trimester of pregnancy].", "content": "In the case reported here, an injection of DTRP6 GnRh microcapsules was given in the 5th, 9th and 13th week of a spontaneous unsuspected multiple pregnancy. No deleterious effect of the embryo could be demonstrated at birth or six months later."}
{"id": "PMID:1480308", "title": "[Prophylactic and therapeutic use of ceftriaxone in cesarean section].", "content": "Authors did the antibiotic-prophylaxis with ceftriaxone in twenty cesarean sections (1 phial EV). Prophylaxis was sufficient in thirteen cases; on the other hand, in the remaining seven prophylaxis was followed by the three days therapy (1 phial EV). A good tolerance of the medicine was revealed in all cases. Moreover, it was tested a wide antimicrobial action with resolution of all the verified infections, except for one bacterial resistance case where some other antibiotic was used."}
{"id": "PMID:1480309", "title": "[Clinical study for the evaluation of the tolerability of O-(beta-hydroxy-ethyl)-rutoside in the treatment of hemorrhoids during the 3d trimester of pregnancy and in the postpartum period].", "content": "Hemorrhoidal disease is particularly frequent in the last trimester of pregnancy and immediately after birth. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of high doses of O-(beta-hydroxyethyl)-rutoside in patients affected by this pathology. Forty-two women with hemorrhoid varices of varying severity which had appeared during the last trimester of pregnancy or immediately post-partum were treated by administering 3 g/day of the substance in question for 14 consecutive days. At the start and end of treatment a series of clinical and objective parameters were measured and at the end of treatment efficacy and tolerability were assessed. The latter was found to be excellent; in fact, it was not necessary to suspend treatment in any of the subjects treated. Clinical efficacy, assessed by the researcher, was judged to be positive in 95% of cases treated. Clinical improvements in the parameters examined were statistically significant (p < 0.01). The results obtained confirm the value of oral therapy using O-(beta-hydroxyethyl)-rutoside in pregnant or puerperal patients since the preparation was found to be efficacious and easily managed, above all significantly reducing pain, subjectively the most urgent symptom to be treated."}
{"id": "PMID:1480310", "title": "[Effects of administration of 50 mg heparan sulfate tablets to patients with varicose dilatation of the hemorrhoid plexus (hemorrhoids)].", "content": "An experimental clinical study was performed using heparan sulfate in order to ascertain the effects of the drug in the treatment of 2nd or 3rd degree varicose dilatation of the hemorrhoid plexus. Forty female patients, mean age 37 years and suffering from varicose dilatation of the hemorrhoid plexus, were enrolled in the study. The study was carried out in an open comparison with oxerutin using parallel groups with random access. After a run-in period of 3 days, 20 patients commenced treatment with 1 50 mg tablet of heparin sulfate 3 times daily, whereas the other 20 patients were given 1,500 mg oxerutin tablet again 3 times daily. Subsequently, treatment was continued at the following doses: 1 50 mg tablet of heparin sulfate twice a day, and 1,500 mg tablet of oxerutin twice a day, for a duration of two weeks. At pre-established times (before treatment, after 1 week, after 2 weeks), a standard questionnaire was filled in relating to each patient in order to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of treatment. No adverse or undesirable effects were reported. Each participant was also put on a personalized and computerised diet with the same fibre intake. 55% of patients treated with oxerutin reported persistent moderate or intense pain caused by defecation compared to 45% of the group treated with heparan sulfate. Both drugs induced the remission of skin rash and itching. Compared to the control drug, heparan sulfate was more efficacious in relation to the normalisation of hyperemia and mucoid secretion.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1480311", "title": "[Cerebral lesions in patients with ovarian cancer].", "content": "The Authors report the appearance of Central Nervous System lesions in three patients previously treated for ovarian carcinoma. In one case (Stage 1) the histological sample found a glioblastoma, in the others (Stage 3) the lesion was the metastases after systemic diffusion of the primary carcinoma. CNS metastases are rare and more frequently occur in advanced ovarian carcinoma. In patients at Stage 1, CNS isolated lesions may be primary tumors."}
{"id": "PMID:1480312", "title": "Sogn and Fjordane county community-based injury prevention: evaluation design.", "content": "The Sogn and Fjordane Injury Prevention Programme is a community-based research and demonstration project located in the Sogn and Fjordane county (S&F county) in Western Norway. The aim of the project is: (i) to further effective intervention; (ii) to be cost-effective; (iii) to provide information about local community based injury intervention. Liaison groups on injury prevention will be organised in 24 communities participating in the project. Starting 1 April 1993 they will be supplied with local specific injury rates obtained from the all-injury registration of the National Injury Surveillance System. The intervention design includes feedback of three types of information: (1) home and traffic injury rates; (2) sports, occupational, school, and outdoor injury rates; (3) both (1) + (2). The liaison groups will be asked to concentrate their activities only on the information-related injury areas. The hypothesis is that the results will be information-related. The intervention protocol will last for two years, until 1 April 1995. Evaluation will be based on a hypothetical causal intervention model. The model includes three groups of independent influences, two groups of mediator attributes, and desired end-result. A variety of data sources will be used including national and local data sources, two cross-sectional surveys on awareness, knowledge, behaviour and attitudes, interviews, observations, and self-reports from individuals. A mixed-model ANOVA will be used to test the main information-related effects. A combination of multivariate analytical methods will be used to test the hypothesised causal intervention model."}
{"id": "PMID:1480313", "title": "Observations on Pseudomonas aeruginosa proteolytic and toxic activity in experimentally infected rats.", "content": "To bypass natural resistance against Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection, a granuloma pouch model to be experimentally infected was established in rats. This experimental model also permitted easy collection of wound exudate. In general, the animals either died or became very ill and were consequently sacrificed within the first 12 days, or they (6 of 16) survived in good condition after 20 days. The virulence of recently isolated strains compared to twelve-months old subcultures of the same strains showed no major differences in clinical pattern. In the first seven days following the start of the infection, all animals presented a fall of elastase activity in the wound exudate. Toxin A was present in the exudate, sometimes in relatively high levels, but there was no correlation between toxin level and the clinical development. As a rule, spontaneous rupture of the granuloma pouch, apparently unrelated to the concentrations of either elastase or toxin A in the exudate, was beneficial to survival. In the present experimental infectious context, neither P. aeruginosa elastase nor toxin A seemed to play any isolated lethal nor pathogenetic role."}
{"id": "PMID:1480314", "title": "Do fast voluntary movements necessitate anticipatory postural adjustments even if equilibrium is unstable?", "content": "Anticipatory postural adjustments (APA) were studied in maximum velocity flexion of lower limb from two initial postures, a bipedal stance (Fbu) and unipedal stance (Fuu). In Fbu, the dynamics of center of gravity (CG) and ankle and hip muscle EMG activity showed large APA. In contrast, in Fuu there were no APA, the CG dynamics and the ankle EMG activity started at the same time as the intentional movement while the hip EMG activity started some 30 ms before the thigh flexion. The knee flexion velocity was lower in Fuu than in Fbu (7 rd/s versus 12 rd/s). These results suggest that fast voluntary movements do not require APA when the postural equilibrium is unstable, and that an alternative strategy is used. The absence of APA in Fuu, in contrast to the presence of APA in Fbu, suggests that the postural command and the focal one are time-locked and organized in a parallel process."}
{"id": "PMID:1480315", "title": "MDL 27,531 reduces spontaneous hindlimb contractions in rats with chronic transections of the spinal cord.", "content": "Disrupted glycinergic inhibition in the brainstem and spinal cord may contribute to some of the alterations in reflex control seen in patients with spastic disorders. MDL 27,531, which acts functionally like a glycine agonist in its capacity to selectively reverse seizures produced by the glycine antagonist strychnine, was evaluated in a model of spinal injury-induced reflex dysfunction. Rats recovering chronically from complete spinal cord transections exhibited intermittent contractions of the paralyzed hindlimbs, as measured with an automated apparatus. MDL 27,531 selectively decreased these hindlimb contractions, as did the clinically demonstrated antispastic agent clonidine. In its therapeutic dose range, clonidine, but not MDL 27,531, produced ataxia in non-transected rats. These data suggest that MDL 27,531 may be a useful therapeutic agent for the treatment of dysfunctions of reflex control seen in spastic disorders of spinal origin, with potentially fewer side effects than are seen with existing drug therapies."}
{"id": "PMID:1480316", "title": "Infection specific prion protein (PrP) accumulates on neuronal plasmalemma in scrapie infected mice.", "content": "Prion protein (PrP) is an abundant membrane-associated host protein which accumulates in abnormal, relatively protease-resistant forms in the brains of animals with scrapie and related diseases. Using correlative light and electron microscopy we determined the sites of subcellular localisation of PrP in mice infected with the 87V strain of scrapie. Disease specific accumulation of PrP was observed at light microscopy as amyloid plaques or as diffuse or granular staining within the neuropil, often clearly associated with individual neurons. Serial electron microscopical preparations were immunostained for PrP by the immunogold method. Gold particles were located on amyloid fibrils and on the plasmalemma of neurites at the periphery of plaques and in the neuropil, irrespective of the morphological form of PrP accumulation when viewed by light microscopy. This suggests that amyloid fibrils are formed following the accumulation and aggregation of sub-unit proteins at the plasmalemma and, furthermore, that normal PrP may be converted to its pathological form at this site."}
{"id": "PMID:1480317", "title": "Enhanced monoamine release in the median preoptic area following reduced extracellular fluid volume in rats.", "content": "The role of monoaminergic neural inputs to fluid regulatory systems in the median preoptic nucleus (MnPO) was investigated by examination of monoamine metabolism during reduction of systemic extracellular fluid volume in freely moving rats. Extracellular fluid volume was decreased iso-osmotically by subcutaneous polyethylene glycol (PEG), and extracellular noradrenaline (NA), dopamine (DA), 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC), and homovanillic acid (HVA) were measured using intracerebral microdialysis techniques. PEG treatments significantly increased NA, DA and DOPAC release in the MnPO area. The results suggest that monoaminergic neural systems in the region of the MnPO are important in the control of extracellular fluid balance."}
{"id": "PMID:1480318", "title": "Intracellular free [Ca2+] and [Na+] in response to capsaicin in cultured dorsal root ganglion cells.", "content": "Intracellular free Ca2+ and Na+ concentrations in cultured rat dorsal root ganglion cells were studied using the intracellular fluorescent probes fura-2 and SBFI, respectively. Capsaicin increased both intracellular [Ca2+] and [Na+]. A rise in cytosolic free Ca2+ could still be seen if Na+ was removed from the outer medium. The results suggest that capsaicin opens up ion channels which are permeable both to Ca2+ and Na+."}
{"id": "PMID:1480319", "title": "Increase in synaptophysin immunoreactivity following cortical infarction.", "content": "Plasticity in the central nervous system has been demonstrated using lesions of the hippocampus and rhinal cortex but has not been well studied after cerebral ischemia. Focal cerebral ischemia creates an area of infarction that is surrounded by neuronal tissue that may respond to nearby damage by creating new synapses. To determine if synaptogenesis occurs, antibodies to synaptophysin, a calcium-binding protein found on synaptic vesicles, were used with immunohistochemical techniques to assess the level of synaptophysin immunoreactivity as a measure of changes in the number of synapses. Cerebral ischemia was induced in hypertensive rats by permanently occluding the distal middle cerebral artery and ipsilateral common carotid artery. After 2 months recovery, the animals were perfused and the brains removed for immunohistochemical processing and evaluation. When comparing the cortex surrounding the infarcted area to similar areas on the contralateral side of the brain, the infarcted side had increased levels of anti-synaptophysin like activity that are statistically significant. We hypothesize that this increase in synaptophysin immunoreactivity is due to an increase in synapses in the cortex surrounding an area of infarction and supports the hypothesis of plasticity in the cortex following cerebral infarction."}
{"id": "PMID:1480320", "title": "Absence of dystrophin in two patients with Becker type Xp21 muscular dystrophy.", "content": "Two patients with Xp21 muscular dystrophy Becker type showed absence of dystrophin in muscle biopsy tested with 4 antibodies (polyclonal anti-60 kDa, monoclonal against the rod domain, the C-terminus and the N-terminus). DNA analysis did not detect any deletion in one patient and demonstrated deletion of exons 3-7 in the other. The cases represent an exception to the strict correlation between the dystrophin pattern in muscle biopsy and the clinical course of the disease: in fact both the patients are still walking at 14 and 15 years respectively. The possibility of similar cases must be considered not only in the prognosis of Xp21 muscular dystrophy but the more so in the evaluation of therapeutical trials."}
{"id": "PMID:1480321", "title": "Efficacy of D-CPPene, a competitive N-methyl-D-aspartate antagonist in focal cerebral ischemia in the rat.", "content": "The effect of a novel and potent competitive N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) antagonist D-(E)-4-(3-phosphonoprop-2-enyl)piperazine-2-carboxylic acid (D-CPPene) upon ischemic brain damage has been examined in a rat model of focal cerebral ischemia. Focal cerebral ischemia was produced by permanent occlusion of the left middle cerebral artery (MCA). The animals were sacrificed 24 h after MCA occlusion and the amount of ischemic brain damage was assessed at 8 predetermined coronal planes. Pretreatment with D-CPPene (1.5, 4.5 or 15 mg/kg, i.v.), initiated 15 min prior to MCA occlusion (followed by constant infusion at 1, 3 or 10 mg/kg/h), produced dose-dependent reductions in the volumes of infarction; the dose of 4.5 mg/kg being the most effective (reduced by 37%; P < 0.01). These results indicate that systemic administration of the competitive NMDA antagonist D-CPPene has neuroprotective effects in a model of focal cerebral ischemia and define the dose dependency of its neuroprotective effects."}
{"id": "PMID:1480322", "title": "Intracellular injections of BAPTA block induction of enhancement in Hermissenda type B-photoreceptors.", "content": "Light paired with serotonin (5-HT) in vivo produces both short- and long-term enhancement of generator potentials in identified B-photoreceptors in Hermissenda. The role of intracellular Ca2+ in the induction of enhancement in B-photoreceptors was assessed by buffering intracellular Ca2+ with the iontophoretic injection of BAPTA. Blocking light-elicited photoreceptor desensitization with BAPTA loading prior to applying 5-HT was used as an indication of the effectiveness of Ca2+ buffering. Enhancement was blocked in preparations that received BAPTA loading prior to the application of 5-HT while typical enhancement was elicited by light and 5-HT in control preparations. These results indicate that enhancement involves a Ca(2+)-dependent process."}
{"id": "PMID:1480323", "title": "The effect of adenosine on spontaneous and evoked quantal secretion from different release sites of amphibian motor-nerve terminals.", "content": "The effects of adenosine on the spontaneous quantal secretion from different release sites along terminal branches of toad (Bufo marinus) motor-nerve terminals was studied. Terminal branches were visualized using 3,3-diethyloxardicarbocyanine iodide (DiOC2(5))-fluorescence to assist in the placement of extracellular electrodes along different release sites of terminal branches. The maximum rate of spontaneous secretions (fe) observed with an extracellular electrode within any 10 microns length of terminal branch declined towards the distal end of the terminal branch as does the average number of evoked quantal secretions (mE). Adenosine (1-50 microM) depressed both fe and me. The ED50 of adenosine in depressing me was 5 microM. Adenosine (10 microM) produced on average a 43% decrease in fe and a 63% decrease in me, regardless of the initial values of fe and me. It is suggested that adenosine has qualitatively similar effects on both fe and me, regardless of their initial size, at different release sites within motor-nerve terminals."}
{"id": "PMID:1480324", "title": "Dopa-decarboxylation in the striata of rats with unilateral substantia nigra lesions.", "content": "The source and site of the DOPA decarboxylation to dopamine in Parkinson's disease (PD) and animal models of PD are controversial. Since most of aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase (AADC) are lost along with the degenerating dopaminergic neurons, we addressed the possibility that other decarboxylases or a novel protein that is structurally different from AADC decarboxylate L-DOPA in the denervated striatum. Immunotitration of the extracts from the denervated striatum with AADC antibody showed that all activity can be attributed to AADC-immunoreactive protein. We then investigated if there are non-dopaminergic intrinsic striatal neurons that express AADC. No evidence of such neurons was noted by immunocytochemistry and in situ hybridization."}
{"id": "PMID:1480325", "title": "Prion protein immunocytochemistry helps to establish the true incidence of prion diseases.", "content": "Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) and Gerstmann-Str\u00fcssler-Scheinker disease (GSSD) are transmissible spongiform encephalopathies or prion diseases affecting man. It has been reported that prion diseases may occur without the histological hallmarks of spongiform encephalopathies: vacuolation of the cerebral grey matter, neuronal loss and astrocytosis. These cases without characteristic neuropathology may go undiagnosed and consequently the true incidence of transmissible dementias is likely to have been under-estimated. Immunocytochemistry using antibodies to prion protein gives positive staining of these cases, albeit the pattern of immunostaining differs from that seen in typical forms. Accumulation of prion protein is a molecular hallmark of prion diseases, and thus a reproducible, speedy and cost-efficient immunocytochemical screening of unusual dementias may help to establish the true incidence of prion diseases."}
{"id": "PMID:1480326", "title": "Residual effects of tracer in sequential double label deoxyglucose studies.", "content": "The validity of sequential double label deoxyglucose (DG) determinations of local metabolic rate for glucose (IMRglc) was examined by quantifying the degree of trapping of residual first DG tracer during the second experimental period. One sciatic nerve was repetitively stimulated for 25 min, beginning either at the time of the DG injection or 25 min later. IMRglc in the ipsilateral dorsal horn of the lumbar spinal cord was found to be 105% and 56%, respectively, greater than that of the contralateral unstimulated side. Attempts to lower the body burden of radioactive DG by exchange blood transfusion failed to reduce this delayed effect. These data indicate that residual effects of the first tracer could obscure possible differences in IMRglc between two sequential experimental states."}
{"id": "PMID:1480327", "title": "Chronic ethanol consumption reduces the neurotrophic activity in rat hippocampus.", "content": "The effect of chronic ethanol treatment (CET) for 21-26 weeks on the neurotrophic activity contained in the rat hippocampus (HPC) was determined with a bioassay in cultures of dissociated dorsal root ganglion cells (DRG) obtained from E7-8 chick embryos. Extracts of the HPC from CET or pair-fed control rats were used as experimental media, and neuronal survival and neurite-outgrowth of DRG cultures were determined. Both neuronal survival (-25%) and neurite-outgrowth (-50%) were reduced in the presence of HPC extracts from CET rats relative to controls. These data suggest that CET reduces the neurotrophic content of the HPC which may result in damage to septohippocampal neurons."}
{"id": "PMID:1480328", "title": "Developing corticorubral axons of the cat form synapses on filopodial dendritic protrusions.", "content": "Developing neurons transiently grow numerous spine- or filopodium-like dendritic protrusions (SLDPs). Electron microscopy on identified input and intracellular staining of postsynaptic cells were performed to gain insight into their significance. Newborn kitten-corticorubral axons, labelled with biocytin, commonly made synapses on SLDP, often multiply invaginated by the SLDPs. Correspondingly, intracellularly labelled kitten rubrospinal cells had numerous SLDPs. Taking into account that corticorubral synapses are largely formed on dendritic shafts in adult cats, it is likely that the SLDPs play some important role in the development of corticorubral synapses. We hypothesize that rubrospinal cells elongate SLDPs searching for corticorubral axons to form synapses."}
{"id": "PMID:1480329", "title": "Connections of the thalamic reticular nucleus with the contralateral thalamus in the rat.", "content": "The occurrence of thalamic projections to the contralateral side of the thalamus, and the origin of these projections from the thalamic reticular nucleus, were demonstrated with fluorescent retrograde tracing. After a relatively large tracer injection in the anterior third of the thalamus (involving the reticular, anterior, intralaminar and ventrolateral nuclei), labeled cells were detected in the rostral portion of the contralateral reticular nucleus. The location within the reticular nucleus of the neurons retrogradely labeled in the contralateral thalamus was confirmed by means of the combination of tracing with immunocytochemistry, using antibodies against the calcium binding protein parvalbumin."}
{"id": "PMID:1480330", "title": "Multiple sclerosis patients express increased levels of beta-nerve growth factor in cerebrospinal fluid.", "content": "We describe the measurement of beta-nerve growth factor (NGF) content in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from multiple sclerosis (MS) patients compared with CSF from age-matched normal subjects using a specific sandwich immunoassay (ELISA). During acute attacks patients exhibit a significant increase of NGF content compared to controls. In contrast during remission the mean NGF levels in CSF markedly decrease. These results strongly indicate that increased NGF production in CSF is a characteristic feature of the MS inflammatory response."}
{"id": "PMID:1480339", "title": "Cellular and molecular effects of trimethyltin and triethyltin: relevance to organotin neurotoxicity.", "content": "Many of the neurotoxic aspects of organotin exposure have been described. Organotin exposure culminates in its accumulation in the CNS and PNS. The clinical picture is dominated by neurological disturbances; yet, the primary basis for their neurotoxicity is unknown. Trimethyltin (TMT) is primarily a CNS neurotoxin affecting neurons within the hippocampal pyramidal band and the fascia dentata. Triethyltin (TET) is a neurotoxin that produces a pathological picture dominated by brain and spinal cord edema. The first part of this review summarizes the current understanding of the interaction of TMT and TET with biologically active sites in the induction of neurotoxicity. In the second part, several hypotheses for the differential neurotoxic effects of these organotins and their shortcomings are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1480340", "title": "A novel approach to neural transplantation in Parkinson's disease: use of polymer-encapsulated cell therapy.", "content": "Transplantation of dopaminergic neurons derived from fetal or adrenal tissue into the striatum is a potentially useful treatment for Parkinson's disease (PD). Although initially promising, recent clinical studies using adrenal autografts have demonstrated limited efficacy. The use of human fetal cells, despite promising preliminary results, is complicated by tissue availability and ethical concerns. An attractive alternative is based on encapsulating dopamine-producing cells into polymer capsules prior to transplantation. Polymer capsules can be fabricated to surround the cells with a semi-permeable and immunoprotective barrier. The semi-permeable membrane allows nutrients to enter the capsule, so the encapsulated cells will survive and function, and dopamine and other low molecular weight constituents to diffuse out into the host tissue. Thus, the technique allows use of unmatched human tissue (allografts), or even animal tissue (xenografts) without immunosuppression of the recipient. Cell-loaded polymer capsules can also be retrieved if necessary or desired. The demonstration that striatal implants of encapsulated dopamine-producing cells promote behavioral recovery in rodent and primate models of PD further suggests that cellular encapsulation may be a useful strategy for ameliorating the behavioral consequences of PD."}
{"id": "PMID:1480341", "title": "Tourette syndrome: issues in diagnosis.", "content": "Information was accumulated by self-report questionnaire from 462 Canadian Tourette syndrome (TS) patients. The mean age of onset of the syndrome was 7.4 years, while the mean age of medical diagnosis was 15.2 years, suggesting that the mean lag between onset of symptoms and diagnosis was 7.8 years. Seventy-three percent of patients reported initial misdiagnosis by physicians and only 33% of the patients reported receiving their first information about TS from physicians. Respondents indicated that they were typically diagnosed as having Attention Deficit Disorder, Hyperactivity, or Minimal Brain Dysfunction prior to the establishment of the TS diagnosis. Factors involved in the delay in physician diagnosis of the syndrome, as well as the association between TS and other neuropsychiatric disorders, are also discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1480342", "title": "Olfactory pathways and the sense of smell.", "content": "Rats were trained using operant conditioning to detect isoamyl acetate vapor generated by an olfactometer. They received lesions of olfactory pathways and were tested for retention of the odor detection task and trained on two-odor tasks. Deficits in odor detection and two-odor discrimination were related to the extent to which lesions disconnected the olfactory bulb from the forebrain. Transection of only the lateral olfactory tract, only the anterior limb of the anterior commissure, or lesions of the olfactory tubercle had little effect but combined lesions of these structures produced severe deficits in both odor detection and discrimination. Only rats with almost complete transection of the olfactory peduncle or cortex were anosmic; those with transections that spared a small segment of tissue between the olfactory bulb and olfactory cortex had detectable olfactory function. The results are discussed with regard to efferent connections of the olfactory bulb."}
{"id": "PMID:1480343", "title": "The measurement of extremely low environmental frequencies.", "content": "A magnetic sensing device, capable of recording frequencies in the extremely low range of near zero to 20 Hertz, was placed in a shielded room designed to reduce interference from ambient magnetic fields. Frequencies and intensities are presented on selected man-made magnetic fields that may effect the body. The effects of various frequencies emitted on human tissue are unknown, but the equipment and method for measuring extremely low frequencies sets the stage for determining body reactions to dominant frequencies that may entrain a person away from the earth's frequency of 7.83 Hertz. The most dominant frequency on 20 commonly used items is presented, including modalities used for treatment by doctors. In addition, the magnetic and electrical radiation levels are given using a hand-held meter designed for 50 to 60 Hertz. Future research using the new magnetic sensors, which can detect frequencies down to 100 nanogauss, will be used to measure the magnetic field of the human body."}
{"id": "PMID:1480344", "title": "Effects of d-amphetamine on arousal.", "content": "This article is a review of studies conducted on the effects of amphetamine on behavior in animals by the late Walter Isaac and his associates. The principle findings and hypotheses developed over the 20 or more years of research are outlined and discussed. d-Amphetamine is thought to affect an organism's behavior by influencing the arousal level, mainly via the visual system."}
{"id": "PMID:1480345", "title": "Sleep and memory. I: The influence of different sleep stages on memory.", "content": "A new approach to the sleep stages role in memory is discussed in the context of the two opposite patterns of behavior-search activity and renunciation of search. Search activity is activity designed to change the situation (or the subjects attitudes to it) in the absence of a definite forecast of the results of such activity, but with the constant consideration of these results at all stages of activity. Search activity increases general adaptability and body resistance while renunciation of search decreases adaptability and requires REM sleep for its compensation. Unprepared learning, which is often accompanied by failures on the first steps of learning, is suggested to produce renunciation of search, which decreases learning ability, suppress retention, and increase REM sleep requirement. A prolonged REM sleep deprivation before training causes learned helplessness and disturbs the learning process, while short REM sleep deprivation cause the \"rebound\" of the compensatory search activity that interferes with passive avoidance. REM sleep deprivation performed after a training session can increase distress caused by a training procedure, with the subsequent negative outcome on retention."}
{"id": "PMID:1480346", "title": "Sleep and memory. II: Investigations on humans.", "content": "The positive effect of delta-sleep on retention depends on REM sleep, which facilitates this positive effect, but at the same time has its own inhibitory effect on retention. The nature of this double influence of REM sleep on retention is discussed in the context of the restoration of search activity being the main REM sleep function. Such restoration can explain the indirect positive effect of REM sleep on retention, especially on retention of the unusual and emotionally meaningful information that can cause distress. Psychic activity in REM sleep (dreams) has a direct negative effect on retention, which may be due to the interference between dream images and learned material."}
{"id": "PMID:1480347", "title": "Suppression of sucrose drinking by chronic mild unpredictable stress: a methodological analysis.", "content": "Previous studies have demonstrated that chronic exposure of rats to a melange of ultra-mild stressors causes an antidepressant-reversible decrease in the intake of palatable weak sucrose solutions, as well as other evidence of insensitivity to rewards. In the present study, we analyzed some of the behavioral requirements for the suppression of consummatory behaviour by chronic mild stress. Rats exposed to our standard chronic mild stress protocol and tested following 20 h food and water deprivation showed a decrease in intake of 1% sucrose, but not of water or chow. The effect on sucrose intake was also present, but smaller, in non-deprived animals, and wa seen in both singly- and pair-housed animals. Experiments designed to identify the crucial elements of the stress procedure showed that one element, paired housing (in animals normally housed singly) was particularly potent. However, no one element was either necessary to cause the decrease in sucrose intake, or sufficient to maintain the impairment for longer than 4 weeks: Variety and frequency of microstressors appeared to be the essential features of procedures causing a prolonged anhedonia."}
{"id": "PMID:1480348", "title": "Decreased reactivity to sweetness following chronic exposure to mild unpredictable stress or acute administration of pimozide.", "content": "Consumption of a palatable wet mash was examined in rats subjected chronically (4-10 weeks) to unpredictable mild stress. Intake of mash containing 0, 10%, or 20% additional sucrose was normal in stressed animals. In control animals, the addition of 30% or 40% sucrose caused a decrease in the quantity of mash consumed, but increased the rate of eating. Both the increase in eating rate and the decrease in intake, at high sucrose concentration, were markedly attenuated in stressed animals (which therefore had higher intakes of very sweet mash and lower rates of eating, relative to control animals). Like chronic mild stress, the dopamine receptor antagonist pimozide (0.2 mg/kg) also increased the intake of a wet mash with 30% added sucrose, while decreasing the rate of consumption. Stressed animals were relatively insensitive to pimozide, though there were significant additive effects on duration of eating (increased) and on postprandial resting (suppressed). The failure of stressed animals to adapt their intake to increases in sweetness, and the similarities between the effects of chronic mild stress and acute pimozide, are compatible with the hypothesis that animals exposed to chronic mild stress are anhedonic."}
{"id": "PMID:1480349", "title": "Chronic mild stress-induced anhedonia: a realistic animal model of depression.", "content": "Chronic sequential administration of a variety of mild stressors causes a decrease in responsiveness to rewards in rats, which is reversed by chronic administration of antidepressant drugs. This paper reviews the validity of chronic mild stress-induced anhedonia as an animal model of depression, and the evidence that changes in hedonic responsiveness in this model are mediated by changes in the sensitivity of dopamine D2 receptors in the nucleus accumbens. The review opens with an analysis of the design features of animal models of depression, and ends with a brief account of other animal models of anhedonia."}
{"id": "PMID:1480350", "title": "Effect of drugs influencing 5-HT function on ethanol drinking and feeding behaviour in rats: studies using a drinkometer system.", "content": "In the present study, we have investigated how various 5-HT agonists (m-chlorophenylpiperazine (mCPP) (0.1-1 mg/kg), 8-hydroxy 2-(di-N-propylamino) tetralin (8-OH DPAT) (0.125-2 mg/kg) and 5-HT (0.5-2 mg/kg)), the 5-HT uptake blocker sertraline (1-10 mg/kg), and the 5-HT uptake blocker and releaser dexfenfluramine (0.5-2.5 mg/kg), affect ethanol intake in a continual access paradigm using Wistar rats. By means of a drinkometer system the effect of each drug on microdrinking parameters (e.g., drink latency, number, and duration of drinking bouts) was assessed. The effect of various 5-HT antagonists (metergoline, ritanserin, ondansetron, and xylamidine) against the dexfenfluramine-induced suppression was studied. Furthermore, threshold doses for the anorectic and the suppressant effects of mCPP, sertraline and dexfenfluramine on ethanol intake were identified. From these studies, it seemed that similar mechanisms may be responsible for the suppressant effects of the various 5-HT agonists studied (direct and indirect) on ethanol and food intake. The 5-HT3 receptor antagonist, ondansetron, also reduced ethanol (but not food) intake. However, the profile of this effect may suggest an alternative means by which 5-HT3 receptors regulate ethanol intake in the rat by comparison to the various 5-HT agonists studied."}
{"id": "PMID:1480351", "title": "Multifactorial regulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis during development.", "content": "The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal system shows an overall diminished responsiveness throughout ontogeny. Thus, during this period, the sensitivity of the adrenal gland to ACTH is markedly reduced. Furthermore, basal and stress-induced concentrations of corticosterone (CORT), ACTH and hypothalamic secretagogues remain at very low levels. Both structural immaturity and active inhibitory processes appear to underlie this overall hyporesponsiveness. The available data indicate that the characteristic developmental pattern of the HPA system results from multiple regulatory factors acting in conjunction at various levels of the axis. The primary rate-limiting steps, however, are probably at the brain and adrenal levels. The ultimate \"goal\" appears to be to keep CORT levels within the narrow range of concentrations required for normal development."}
{"id": "PMID:1480352", "title": "Schedule-controlled brain self-stimulation: has it utility for behavioral pharmacology?", "content": "We review evidence that schedule-controlled intracranial self-stimulation (ICSS) has properties in common with conventional reinforcements, such as food and water, but unlike the latter, animals will respond for ICSS for long periods of time at a near-constant rate. Schedule-controlled ICSS has proven to be more sensitive to drug-induced changes than has ICSS on a continuous reinforcement schedule, and it permits a more fine-grained analysis of the pattern of responding that results in the reinforcement. Evidence is accumulating that the schedule of ICSS itself leads to neurochemical changes in areas of the brain, such as the nucleus accumbens, in which reward processes occur. Results obtained from schedule-controlled ICSS would complement those obtained by drug self-administration studies which generally use intermittent reinforcement. A systematic examination of ICSS schedules at different brain sites would greatly facilitate our interpretation of drug effects and this would have utility for behavioral pharmacology."}
{"id": "PMID:1480353", "title": "Role of dietary fat in calorie intake and weight gain.", "content": "This paper reviews the literature on the role of dietary fat in calorie intake and body weight gain in humans and laboratory animals. An overview of 40 animal studies which compared growth on high-fat (HF) and high-carbohydrate (HC) solid/powdered diets indicated that the HF diet elicited greater weight gain in 33 out of 40 studies. Enhanced growth on the HF diet was often, but not exclusively, attributable to greater caloric intake. Additional evidence for the growth-enhancing effect of HF diets emerges from \"diet option\" and \"supermarket\" feeding studies in rats, and experimental and epidemiological studies in humans. Three principal factors that contribute to the different responses to HF and HC diets are (a) caloric density, (b) sensory properties and palatability, and (c) postabsorptive processing. It is concluded that both calorie intake and metabolic energy expenditure are biased towards weight gain when a HF diet is consumed, and that the high caloric density of high-fat diets plays a primary role in weight gain. Humans may be biologically predisposed to gain weight when a HF diet is consumed."}
{"id": "PMID:1480364", "title": "A prospective, randomized, controlled comparison of retrobulbar and general anesthesia for strabismus surgery.", "content": "A prospective, randomized controlled study (n = 95) was conducted to compare the morbidity and length of hospital stay associated with retrobulbar neuromuscular blockade (LA) with that associated with general anesthesia (GA) for monocular strabismus surgery in adult patients. A scoring system was developed to assess postoperative nausea and vomiting, pain, level of consciousness, oral intake, and activity while in the hospital and for the first 3 postoperative days. There was no significant difference in the postoperative nausea and vomiting associated with the two anesthetic techniques. Although patients receiving LA experienced less immediate postoperative discomfort (P < .01) and had greater levels of activity (P < .0001) while in the hospital, the discomfort and activity levels of the two groups were similar at home. The LA group was discharged from the hospital sooner (mean, 135 minutes vs 250 minutes; P < .001), allowing more efficient use of hospital resources. Both techniques provided excellent anesthesia for monocular strabismus surgery."}
{"id": "PMID:1480365", "title": "Indirect ophthalmoscope argon laser treatment of retinoblastoma.", "content": "We describe our use of an indirect ophthalmoscope argon laser for the treatment of selected retinoblastomas. The essential aspect of the technique is the creation, using the \"continuous\" exposure setting, of a confluent white laser burn completely around the tumor base. This procedure results in the prompt regression of most tumors, although several sessions, 1 to 4 weeks apart, are usually necessary for all but the smallest lesions. This method of laser treatment is applicable to retinoblastoma tumors located anywhere in the ocular fundus, including ones adjacent to the ora serrata."}
{"id": "PMID:1480366", "title": "Fellow eyes in idiopathic macular hole cases.", "content": "The fellow eyes in 84 cases of unilateral idiopathic macular hole were studied retrospectively to determine prognoses and risk factors for this disorder. On initial examination, 15 of 84 eyes (18%) had a macular cystic lesion (group 1), 23 (27%) had a yellow spot in the fovea (group 2), and 46 (55%) had a normal macula (group 3). Of the 84 eyes, 58 (69%) had posterior vitreous attachment. During a mean follow up of 39 months, macular hole developed in 8 of 15 eyes (53%) in group 1, and in 6 of 23 eyes (26%) in group 2. However, a macular hole did not develop in eyes with posterior vitreous separation or a normal macula. Although the risk of developing a macular hole may have been overestimated in our study, posterior vitreous attachment and macular abnormalities may be important in predicting macular hole formation in the fellow eyes in idiopathic macular hole cases."}
{"id": "PMID:1480367", "title": "Ocular integrity after refractive surgery: effects of photorefractive keratectomy, phototherapeutic keratectomy, and radial keratotomy.", "content": "The effects on ocular integrity of three surgical techniques to correct refractive errors were compared. Ten matched pairs of eyes (right and left eyes) freshly enucleated from pigs underwent radial keratotomy (RK) (four incisions, 3.50-millimeter clear zone) in one eye and photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) with the 193-nanometer excimer laser (10.00- diopter myopic correction, 6.00-millimeter ablation diameter) in the fellow eye. Another 16 eyes under- went phototherapeutic keratectomy (PTK) at various depths; another 10 eyes were used as controls. All eyes were subjected to lateral compression by a bench press, with gradually increasing pressure applied until the globe ruptured. The rupture site was photographed. Of the 10 control eyes, 9 ruptured at the sclera and 1 ruptured at the optic nerve. All eyes that had undergone RK ruptured at the sites of the corneal incisions, whereas the eyes that had PRK ruptured at the sclera (P < .01). After PTK, corneal rupture upon compression occurred when ablations were about 40% depth or greater. Corneas that have been subjected to PRK thus appear less predisposed to rupture due to blunt trauma than do eyes that have undergone RK."}
{"id": "PMID:1480368", "title": "Modified SRK formula for axial myopia (24.5 mm < or = axial length < 27.0 mm).", "content": "When used for eyes with greater than average axial length (AXL), the SRK formula has been reported to have a tendency to yield more myopic refractions than those predicted. To further evaluate such findings, we studied 609 eyes with AXLs between 24.5 and 27.0 mm. Comparing the predicted with the actual refractions and calculating the range of errors, we found that the postoperative refractions were more myopic than predicted. Then, based on our evaluation of the relationship between the postoperative refractions and the powers of the implanted intraocular lenses (IOLs), we devised the following formula: R = 0.8 x (P - I) + 0.57 (P < .01) in which R = the postoperative refraction; P = the emmetropic IOL power; and I = the actual IOL power. Testing this modified SRK formula in 55 additional eyes, we found that the predicted postoperative refractions it yielded were more accurate than those calculated using five earlier formulas."}
{"id": "PMID:1480369", "title": "Visual results and complications following posterior iris-fixated posterior chamber lenses at penetrating keratoplasty.", "content": "We retrospectively reviewed the records of 13 patients with pseudophakic bullous keratopathy who had undergone penetrating keratoplasty combined with suturing of a posterior chamber intraocular lens (PC-IOL) with angulated haptics to the posterior iris using the four optic positioning holes. Corneal endothelial decompensation was associated with anterior chamber IOLs in nine cases, with iris-fixated lenses in three cases, and a subluxated PC-IOL in one case. Visual acuity was 20/40 or better in 46%, 20/50 to 20/100 in 31%, and 20/200 or worse in 23%. These visual results are comparable with those reported for other similar surgical series. In four of seven eyes that had preoperative peripheral anterior synechiae (PAS), postoperative extension of at least 2 clock hours occurred; progressive angle-closure glaucoma developed in two of the four. In all four eyes, the extension occurred in the region directly overlying the lens haptics. The angulated haptics of iris-sutured PC-IOLs may predispose to extension of PAS and development of progressive angle-closure glaucoma."}
{"id": "PMID:1480370", "title": "Long-term follow up of argon laser trabeculoplasty in pigmentary glaucoma.", "content": "Nine eyes in nine patients with pigmentary glaucoma were treated with argon laser trabeculoplasty (ALT). The mean age of the patients at the time of treatment was 35 years (range, 25 to 46 years); the mean follow up after treatment was 5.5 years. The initial pressure-lowering effect of ALT was 53% (15.3 mm Hg), ie, from a preoperative mean of 29.0 mm Hg to a postoperative mean of 13.7 mm Hg the day after ALT. However, the initial response to ALT wore off in 3 months, after which the intraocular pressure settled at a level 14% (4 mm Hg) lower than before treatment. The rate of failure (ie, unstable glaucoma after treatment) was 11%."}
{"id": "PMID:1480371", "title": "Corneal surface after deepithelialization using a sharp and a dull instrument.", "content": "Manual removal of the corneal epithelium currently precedes excimer laser photorefractive keratectomy. To assess the smoothness of the corneal surface following this procedure, six paired human eye-bank eyes (12 eyes) were manually deepithelialized using a blunt instrument (Paton spatula) on one eye and a sharp instrument (surgical blade) on the contralateral eye; all deepithelializations were done by the same surgeon. The 12 corneas were then resected and processed in an identical fashion for scanning electron microscopy. The microphotographs obtained showed that among the corneas deepithelialized with the blunt spatula, two had a smooth surface, and four had variable amounts of residual epithelial cells and basement membrane, confirmed by light microscopy. The surface of five corneas deepithelialized with the sharp instrument were slightly rougher than the former, with occasional linear scratches; one cornea retained a small amount of basement membrane. Removal of epithelium appears to be more complete when a sharp instrument is used. These findings may have clinical relevance, since residual epithelium and basement membrane after deepithelialization may influence the depth of ablation subsequently achieved with the excimer laser."}
{"id": "PMID:1480372", "title": "The pH of antibiotic vitreous infusion combinations: a potential cause of retinal toxicity.", "content": "Experiments were undertaken to measure the pH of solutions of commonly used intravitreal antibiotics in various irrigating solutions to determine whether a change in pH might be a factor in antibiotic-induced retinal toxicity. Such retinal toxicity has been particularly damaging when solutions of gentamicin have been used. The pHs of the following solutions were measured: gentamicin, amikacin, methicillin, tobramycin, and vancomycin, combined with balanced salt solution (BSS) PLUS (bicarbonate buffer), BSS (citrate/acetate buffer), and lactated Ringer's solution (lactate buffer). Each of these antibiotics induced a concentration-dependent decrease in pH of the solutions; gentamicin, amikacin and tobramycin produced the largest shifts. The results also demonstrated that BSS PLUS acts as the strongest buffer and lactated Ringer's as the weakest. We conclude that it is important to determine the pH of intraocular antibiotic irrigating solutions, not just the pH of the antibiotics."}
{"id": "PMID:1480373", "title": "Secondary cataract in infants after extracapsular cataract extraction and anterior vitrectomy.", "content": "Two infants developed secondary cataract after undergoing extracapsular cataract extraction (ECCE), posterior chamber intraocular lens (IOL) implantation, posterior capsulectomy, and anterior vitrectomy. A similar complication developed in a third child, who had undergone ECCE and posterior capsulotomy. The secondary cataracts developed in these patients from 3 to 12 weeks after the primary operation. In infants, unlike adults, posterior capsulectomy and anterior vitrectomy after ECCE do not seem always to prevent secondary cataracts. In infants, the complication may be related to IOL implantation."}
{"id": "PMID:1480374", "title": "Surgical management of incarcerated retina in the sclerotomy.", "content": "We used perfluoroperhydrophenanthrene (Vitreon) to release an incarcerated retina successfully from the pars plana sclerotomy site."}
{"id": "PMID:1480375", "title": "The effect of the laryngeal mask airway on coughing after eye surgery under general anesthesia.", "content": "Twenty-nine patients scheduled for elective eye surgery under general anesthesia were randomized into two groups, A and B. After induction of anesthesia, the airway of those in group A was maintained with a conventional tracheal tube; in group B, with a laryngeal mask airway. In the immediate postoperative period, 13 of the 14 patients in group A coughed; none of those in group B did (P < .001)."}
{"id": "PMID:1480376", "title": "Accommodative intraocular lens with spring action--Part 2. Fixation in the living rabbit.", "content": "After cataracts in 10 eyes of 8 pigmented or albino rabbits had been removed by phacoemulsification, a specially designed 10.0 x 8.5-millimeter accommodative intraocular lens with spring action (\"spring IOL\") was implanted through a 4.5- to 5.0-millimeter \"dumbbell\" linear anterior capsular opening. The average follow up was 11 +/- 8 months. All the spring IOLs were almost completely fixed in the capsular bag, and the anterior and posterior capsules remained transparent. However, due to limitations specific to the rabbit, no accommodative power could be detected; also, we observed lens epithelial cells and subsequent fibrous production proceeding from the equatorial area into the area between the optics."}
{"id": "PMID:1480390", "title": "Blepharoptosis induced by prolonged hard contact lens wear.", "content": "The authors attempt to establish a relation between hard contact lens wear and upper eyelid ptosis. This study consists of two parts. In the first part, the authors compare the unilateral or bilateral ptosis that developed during hard contact lens wear in 17 patients with the involutional ptosis that developed in another group of 73 patients. In the second part, the authors compare both upper and lower eyelid position in 46 patients who had been wearing hard contact lenses for at least 10 years with the position of 50 matched controls who had never worn contact lenses. The ptosis that had developed in the 17 patients who wore hard contact lenses was clinically similar to that caused by involutional levator disinsertion. The second part of the study shows that the prolonged wearers of hard contact lenses had upper eyelids that were lower by approximately 0.5 mm when compared with control subjects. This difference is statistically significant. According to standard criteria, there were at least 10 ptotic eyelids in the contact lens group versus 1 in the control group. The study findings suggest that prolonged hard contact lens wear may induce a lower position of the upper eyelid and eventually lead to ptosis through levator disinsertion."}
{"id": "PMID:1480391", "title": "Current techniques for the repair of complex orbital fractures. Miniplate fixation and cranial bone grafts.", "content": "Computerized imaging of complex fractures of the orbit and facial skeleton have brought about demands for methods of anatomic restoration. In this article, the author outlines techniques for metallic rigid anatomic fixation of facial fractures and the cranial bone graft method of augmentation. Clinical results of fracture repair using various types of metallic plates and replacement of missing bone with cranial bone grafts are presented and techniques are described. Rigid three-dimensional fixation of the facial skeleton with metallic plate fixation and augmentation with cranial bone grafts has produced more predictable correction of severe fractures of the orbit and facial skeleton."}
{"id": "PMID:1480392", "title": "Epithelioid hemangioendothelioma of the orbital bones.", "content": "The authors report a case of an epithelioid hemangioendothelioma arising in the orbital bones. A review of the literature related to this rare orbital neoplasm identified eight well-documented cases, one of which occurred in a patient younger than that reported here, but none of which originated in bone. A 3 1/2-month-old boy had a left inferior orbital mass that had grown rapidly over a 3-day period. An emergency computed tomography scan showed a large neoplasm with significant bone destruction of the zygoma and maxilla. Initial examination suggested a rhabdomyosarcoma, and a transconjunctival biopsy was performed, which was complicated by significant blood loss. The final pathologic diagnosis was an epithelioid hemangioendothelioma, or grade 2 hemangioendothelioma, of bone origin. No other sites of disease were found on metastatic survey. Subsequent treatment consisted of an en bloc tumor resection sparing the orbital soft tissues and globe. The patient is free of disease and has normal visual fixation and ocular motility 20 months after surgery. Epithelioid hemangioendothelioma, a vascular malignancy of endothelial cell origin, very rarely involves the orbit. This case is notable for its early development, rapid growth, bony origin, and epithelioid histology."}
{"id": "PMID:1480393", "title": "Polaroid photoscreening for amblyogenic factors. An improved methodology.", "content": "The authors describe a new photoscreening camera designed to detect amblyogenic factors, including strabismus, asymmetric and abnormal refractive errors, and media opacities. The photoscreener uses eccentric photorefraction principles and provides two meridian photographs of the retinal reflex. Pass/fail screening data from the photographs of 202 nondilated children as determined by two masked observers were compared with data from complete ophthalmologic examinations. The photoscreener had a sensitivity rate of 87%, a specificity rate of 89%, a positive predictive value of 93%, a negative predictive value of 80%, and an overall agreement rate of 88%. The prescreening probability for amblyogenic factors was 63%. Constant strabismus was detected in all cases. Five intermittent strabismus cases were missed. Two patients with myopia, three patients with hyperopia, and five patients with astigmatism were missed. All media opacities were detected. This new two-flash photoscreening camera, which uses high-speed Polaroid film, is an accurate, reliable method of detecting amblyogenic factors in undilated children. The camera offers promise as a useful mass screening tool."}
{"id": "PMID:1480394", "title": "Lipofuscinosis of the cornea. A clinicopathologic study of three cases.", "content": "Lipofuscin pigments are the indigestible residue of lysosomal activity usually associated with normal aging. Abnormal amounts of lipofuscin also are associated with certain disease processes. The rarity of lipofuscin in the cornea and the similarities between its staining properties and those of intracellular micro-organisms caused great diagnostic problems in three cases. The correct diagnosis of corneal lipofuscinosis was made after extensive histochemical, autofluorescent, and ultrastructural studies. Clinical histories of three patients are correlated with morphologic and histochemical findings on five corneal buttons with lipofuscinosis. The histopathologic features of one cornea with chronic keratitis and three corneas from two patients with bilateral opacities of undetermined origin were mostly similar. Large amounts of lipofuscin pigment were found within macrophages and stromal keratocytes. Other pathologic findings were nonspecific, including phagocytosis of degenerated collagen fibrils, scarring, and neovascularization of the stroma. The lipofuscin deposits are probably the consequence of a corneal degenerative process and not its cause, although their pathogenesis remains unclear. Familiarity with the morphologic appearance of corneal lipofuscinosis and its staining and autofluorescent properties is important because the small, 1- to 3-microns deposits may be mistaken for intracellular micro-organisms."}
{"id": "PMID:1480395", "title": "Inhibition of corneal epithelial wound healing. A comparative study of mitomycin C and 5-fluorouracil.", "content": "The purpose of this study is to assess the influence of the antiproliferative agents, 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and mitomycin C (MMC), on the intact corneal epithelium and on epithelial wound healing in the rabbit cornea. Using an eye cup made of polymethylmethacrylate, the intact rabbit corneas were bathed for 5 or 15 minutes with either MMC (in concentrations of 0.0016%, 0.008%, 0.04%, and 0.2%) or 5-FU (in concentrations of 1% and 5%). The same concentrations of MMC or 5-FU were applied to the cornea with the eye cup in which epithelial cells were mechanically removed. The contralateral fellow eyes, which were bathed in balanced salt solution in the eye cup, had the cornea intact or mechanically abraded and served as controls. Five to six animals were used only once for each concentration of MMC or 5-FU. Neither MMC nor 5-FU caused any discernible changes in the intact cornea of any of the eyes. The epithelial healing was retarded by mitomycin in a dose-related manner, and ID50 was calculated to be 0.06%. Five-fluorouracil 5% significantly delayed epithelial healing, but 1% failed to do so. Mitomycin C was estimated to be at least 125 times as potent as 5-FU in inhibiting corneal epithelial healing. These results indicate that particular care should be taken to minimize corneal contact with MMC in the clinical setting, particularly when epithelial defects are present."}
{"id": "PMID:1480396", "title": "Acquired heterochromia with horner syndrome in two adults.", "content": "Heterochromia iridis, asymmetry of iris pigmentation, has been well described with congenital Horner syndrome. Acquired heterochromia associated with lesions in the ocular sympathetic pathways in adulthood, however, is rare. Two cases are reported in which sympathectomy in adults resulted in ipsilateral Horner syndrome with heterochromia. In each case, pharmacologic testing with cocaine and hydroxyamphetamine was performed. In both cases, sympathectomy occurred at the level of the second order neuron, but hydroxyamphetamine testing suggested at least partial third order neuron involvement. Acquired heterochromia can occur in adults. The partial response to hydroxyamphetamine in the two cases presented may reflect trans-synaptic degeneration of the postganglionic neuron. A reduction in trophic influences on iris melanocytes may have contributed to the observed heterochromia."}
{"id": "PMID:1480397", "title": "High incidence of sympathetic ophthalmia after contact and noncontact neodymium:YAG cyclotherapy.", "content": "Two cases of sympathetic ophthalmia occurring after noncontact neodymium:YAG (Nd:YAG) cyclotherapy have previously been reported. In each case, the patient had undergone filtering surgery in the exciting eye. Although in each case Nd:YAG cyclotherapy was the last surgery performed, the inciting event of sympathetic ophthalmia was unclear. The authors studied three additional patients who developed sympathetic ophthalmia after Nd:YAG cyclotherapy for glaucoma. Two patients developed sympathetic ophthalmia 4 months after noncontact Nd:YAG cyclotherapy, and 1 patient developed sympathetic ophthalmia 18 months after contact Nd:YAG cyclotherapy. All patients had previous cataract extractions but no filtering surgery in the exciting eye. Clinical features included chronic iridocyclitis, choroidal folds, Dalen-Fuchs nodules, and optic disc edema. Combining these cases with the two previously reported cases, the incidence of sympathetic ophthalmia at our institution thus far is 5.8% (4 of 69) and 0.67% (1 of 150) after noncontact and contact Nd:YAG cyclotherapy, respectively. The incidence of sympathetic ophthalmia after Nd:YAG cyclotherapy is high compared with other ocular procedures. The clinician should vigilantly monitor patients after Nd:YAG cyclotherapy and report additional cases that may have occurred at other institutions."}
{"id": "PMID:1480398", "title": "Ophthalmic laser microendoscope ciliary process ablation in the management of neovascular glaucoma.", "content": "To evaluate the potential efficacy of ophthalmic laser microendoscope photocoagulation of the ciliary processes in the management of intractable neovascular glaucoma. Ten patients with intractable neovascular glaucoma underwent ophthalmic laser microendoscope ciliary process ablation via a pars plana incision. The device and surgical technique are discussed. Preoperative intraocular pressure (IOP) ranged from 36 mmHg to 62 mmHg (mean, 43.6 mmHg). Postoperative final IOP ranged from 3 mmHg to 27 mmHg (mean, 15.3 mmHg). This represents an absolute decrease of 28.3 mmHg (65%). Postoperatively, 9 eyes had an IOP of less than 21 mmHg, although 3 of these eyes required medication. One eye attained a final IOP of 27 mmHg. All eyes were treated once. Nine patients were treated with carbonic anhydrase inhibitors preoperatively, and six patients were able to discontinue this medication postoperatively. Phthisis was not observed, but hypotony evolved in two eyes with chronic retinal detachment. Follow-up ranged from 6 to 11 months (mean, 8.8 months). This new therapeutic modality, which combines endoscopic visualization of the ciliary processes with diode laser photocoagulation, can be effective in the management of intractable neovascular glaucoma."}
{"id": "PMID:1480399", "title": "Ophthalmic laser microendoscope endophotocoagulation.", "content": "The purpose of this article is to describe the function of the ophthalmic laser microendoscope as it pertains to endophotocoagulation in the management of vitreoretinal disease. Fifty-four consecutive vitrectomies with endophotocoagulation were performed using the ophthalmic laser microendoscope instead of endoillumination and endophotocoagulation probes. Intraoperative and postoperative efficacy and complications were evaluated. The ophthalmic laser microendoscope was used to illuminate and view the retina and to deliver diode laser energy in the management of posterior retinal breaks, proliferative retinopathies, and proliferative vitreoretinopathy. The technique of endophotocoagulation was similar to that used routinely in vitreoretinal surgery. The photocoagulation lesions that were created were identical to those delivered by standard endophotocoagulation probes. Intraoperative complications were few, consisting of transient mild retinal or choroidal hemorrhages. Severe postoperative complications related to endophotocoagulation or to use of the ophthalmic laser microendoscope were not observed. The ophthalmic laser microendoscope appears to be a safe and effective method of delivering diode laser energy to the retina while simultaneously providing illumination, video recording, and a clear endoscopic view despite anterior segment conditions that might otherwise preclude adequate visualization and treatment. Fewer instrument insertions/removals were required for endophotocoagulation. Post-treatment search for peripheral iatrogenic retinal breaks was accomplished by endoscopy."}
{"id": "PMID:1480400", "title": "Purtscher's-like retinopathy in chronic renal failure.", "content": "The authors describe the clinical findings of three young women with the previously unreported association of Purtscher's-like retinopathy and chronic renal failure. The authors reviewed the clinical records of three women with chronic renal failure who had been seen at the Oregon Health Sciences University with acute, profound visual loss associated with a severe vaso-occlusive Purtscher's-like retinopathy. Two of the three patients previously had renal transplants, and both were experiencing allograft rejection. One of these two patients was undergoing hemodialysis. The retinopathy was bilateral in two patients, and unilateral in the third. Each of the 5 affected eyes had severe initial loss of vision to less than 20/400, and only one of these eyes had significant visual recovery. None of the patients had recent trauma, pancreatitis, autoimmune disease, or other condition known to be associated with Purtscher's-like retinopathy. A retinal vaso-occlusive disorder resembling Purtscher's retinopathy can occur in patients with chronic renal failure, even in the absence of trauma, pancreatitis, or known autoimmune disease. While the precipitating factor(s) remains unclear, it appears that the retinopathy in this setting may be more severe and associated with a poorer visual prognosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1480401", "title": "Functional blindness and visual impairment in older adults from three communities.", "content": "The purpose of this study is to examine the association of sociodemographic factors with functional blindness and visual impairment in an aged population. Three population-based cohorts (East Boston, MA; New Haven, CT; and Iowa and Washington Counties, IA) of persons aged 71 years and older were screened for bilateral functional near and distant vision during an in-home interview in 1988. Screening was completed by 5335 participants. The prevalence of functional blindness increased with age, from 1% at age 71 to 74 years to 17% in those 90 years of age and older. Functional visual impairment increased from 7% at age 71 to 74 years to 39% in those 90 years of age and older. In multivariate analyses, residence in a nursing home, older age, glaucoma, insulin-requiring diabetes at baseline, East Boston site, history of cataract, and lower 1982 income were independent and significantly associated with both functional blindness and visual impairment. Age and nursing home residence were significantly (P < 0.05) more strongly associated with blindness (odds ratios 4.8 and 6.1, respectively) than they were with visual impairment. Functional blindness and visual impairment are quite prevalent among the oldest old and the institutionalized. The number of affected individuals will increase as the population ages and life expectancy increases. Although visual problems are associated with aging, nursing home residence, health problems, and socioeconomic conditions, they may be readily remediable and may lead to immediate improvements in quality of life."}
{"id": "PMID:1480402", "title": "[Development of the immune system].", "content": "The development of immune defense mechanisms begins early during fetal life but is not yet completed at birth. The earliest hematopoietic stem cells, which give rise to the lymphocytic and myelomonocytic cell lines, appear between the fourth and eight weeks postconception. T cells, responsible for cellular immune defense mechanisms, are first detectable at 12 weeks and seem to acquire their functional capabilities at the 16th week. B lymphocytes, responsible for humoral immunity, can be identified in the fetal liver at eight weeks and are functional at the 12-th-13th week, with the ability to produce specific IgM antibodies. Thus, in theory, fetuses of more than 16 weeks can produce a full immune response. Neonates still have incomplete development of a number of mechanisms involved in nonspecific immunity (natural killer, polynuclear and macrophage chemo-attraction, complement system)."}
{"id": "PMID:1480403", "title": "[Ovum sampling techniques for prenatal diagnosis of viral infections].", "content": "Two techniques can be used to achieve antenatal diagnosis of viral infections, i.e., amniocentesis and cord blood sampling. these procedures and their risks to the fetus are described in this article. Amniocentesis can be performed at the 15th week after the last menstrual period (LMP) under ultrasonographic guidance and carries a risk of fetal death of approximately 0.5%. Cord blood sampling, more difficult technically, can be performed at the 18th week after the LMP but is not useful for the antenatal diagnosis of infectious diseases before the 22nd or 23rd weeks. Fetal death rate is 0.5 to 1% when the procedure is performed by experienced operators. Other sampling methods, including fetal sampling and chorionic villus sampling can be used only in specific clinical situations. Situations in which ovum sampling is appropriate are outlined according to the circumstances of discovery of viral infections and the general problems raised. Emphasis is put on the need to use detailed protocols to perform these sampling procedures in order to minimize fetal risks and effectively exploit collected data."}
{"id": "PMID:1480404", "title": "The simian immunodeficiency virus infected macaque: a model for pediatric AIDS.", "content": "Maternal-to-infant transmission of simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) has been demonstrated in the rhesus macaque following experimental infection of pregnant rhesus monkeys, either parenterally or by inoculation of virus into the amniotic fluid. Virus infection occurred in 3 of 12 (25%) rhesus infants born to mothers with SIV infection induced by parenteral inoculation of virus during gestation. However, these infants did not become seropositive or virus positive until they were 9-15 months old, suggesting that virus infection most likely occurred as the result of breast feeding. Infection has also been demonstrated in one rhesus infant following virus inoculation into the amniotic fluid during late gestation. These observations support the increasing evidence that intrapartum or postpartum infection may be important mechanisms for the maternal-infant transmission of HIV. The SIV-infected macaque should prove to be a useful model to evaluate the timing and mechanisms of lentivirus infection in infants, to determine maternal factors associated with transmission to the fetus or infant, and to evaluate therapeutic regimens for the prevention or treatment of pediatric AIDS."}
{"id": "PMID:1480405", "title": "Rubella and pregnancy.", "content": "Maternal rubella infection during pregnancy can induce more or less severe congenital defects. In France in 1989, 43 rubella infections in pregnant women were recorded by the National Laboratory of Health. Diagnosis of primary rubella infection rests on detection of specific IgM antibodies. The most reliable technique for detection of IgM antibody is the antibody-capture immunoassay. Presence of rubella-specific IgM antibodies must be interpreted with caution: specific IgM antibodies may occur following reinfection and there have also been reports of rubella-specific reactivity in sera collected after infections with other viruses. In some cases, presence of rubella-specific IgM antibodies cannot be ascribed to any of the reasons above and remains completely unexplained. Fetal infection can be demonstrated by detecting rubella-specific IgM antibodies in fetal blood. However, very sensitive techniques must be used in order to obtain reliable results. Today, widespread immunization is still essential. Immunization of all seronegative pregnant women immediately after delivery is especially important since most mothers of babies with congenital rubella were multiparous. Women exposed to rubella may be offered normal human immunoglobulins as soon as possible after the exposure; if delayed, this treatment may be ineffective."}
{"id": "PMID:1480406", "title": "[Fetal erythropoiesis and parvovirus B19].", "content": "Target cells for the human parvovirus B19 include erythroid progenitors located in the bone marrow in adults and in the liver in fetuses of 12 to 30 weeks gestational age. The main manifestations of fetal parvovirus B19 infection seem to be related to lysis of the erythroid progenitors which causes non immune hydrops fetalis with severe anemia, congestive heart failure, generalized edema and death. The exact incidence of human parvovirus B19 infection during pregnancy remains unclear."}
{"id": "PMID:1480407", "title": "[Vertical transmission of HTLV-I].", "content": "Vertical transmission of the human T-cell leukemia type 1 (HTLV-1) from seropositive mothers to their offspring has been extensively studied. Transmission occurs mainly through breastfeeding. Prevention relies on screening pregnant women (and wet-nurses) for HTLV-1 antibodies and advising seropositive women to refrain breast feeding. Recently, antigen detection or genome detection (using PCR) studies on lymphocytes from neonates born to HTLV-1 positive mothers have established that prenatal vertical transmission does occur, although in only a small proportion of cases (0.5 to 7%). Studies on the HTLV-1 and improved understanding of its modes of transmission may provide new insight into the transmission of the HIV."}
{"id": "PMID:1480408", "title": "[Virologic diagnosis of HIV infection in children].", "content": "The rate of mother-to-infant transmission of the HIV approximates 20%. Early treatment and monitoring of infected infants are feasible only if diagnosis is established promptly. Diagnosis at birth relies on techniques that demonstrate presence of the virus (viral cultures, Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) antigenemia). However, beyond six months of age, detection of evidence of an immune response to the virus can also be used (anti-HIV IgA, in vitro production of antibodies: ELISPOT or in vitro antibody production (IVAP). In practice, it should be borne in mind that the sensitivity of each technique varies with age."}
{"id": "PMID:1480409", "title": "[Prevention of fetal and neonatal transmission of the varicella-zoster virus].", "content": "Varicella occurs in 0.7 to 0.13% of pregnant women. The risk of transmission of the varicella-zoster virus to the fetus is small. The virus causes malformations (cutaneous scars and above all central nervous system anomalies). Mother-to-offspring transmission is more common during the perinatal period (20%), when mild or severe (fatal in 20% of cases) congenital varicella may occur. Prevention of transmission of the varicella-zoster virus from the mother to her fetus or neonate rests on detection of fetal varicella (antenatal ultrasonography, fetal IgM assays) and on administration of both specific anti-VZ virus immune globulins and acyclovir to the mother and neonate during the perinatal period."}
{"id": "PMID:1480410", "title": "[Effect of acute blood loss on catecholamine balance in the pulmonary circulation in anesthetized rats].", "content": "The contribution of pulmonary inactivation of catecholamines (CA) in the formation of their level in circulating blood during the development of a posthemorrhagic reaction was studied. Pulmonary CA inactivation was evaluated according to the arteriovenous difference (right ventricle and carotid artery) in epinephrine (E) and norepinephrine (NE) whose concentration was determined by the method of highly-effective liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection. Reciprocal phase changes in the dynamics of the arteriovenous difference in NE and E and levels of the corresponding CA in arterial blood plasma were discovered during the development of the posthemorrhagic reaction. Pulmonary inactivation of CA increased by the 2nd minute, then dropped below the initial level with subsequent restoration. The NE level in the arterial blood plasma was marked by a strictly contrary dynamics, while the concentration of E reached maximum when inactivation of E in the lungs was minimal (5th minute). The mechanisms and physiological significance of the discovered phenomenon are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1480412", "title": "[Blood granulocyte priming in inflammation].", "content": "Metabolic activity of peripheral blood granulocytes during the development of inflammatory processes in animals (rats) was studied by chemiluminescence (CL) with luminol. Intensification of the CL- response of granulocytes during an acute inflammatory process induced by intravenous or intraperitoneal zymosan injection reflected the development of mononuclear infiltrative processes. No changes occurred in CL of circulating granulocytes in oxidative injury to the lungs of rats breathing pure oxygen, which was attended by increased infiltration of polynuclear cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1480411", "title": "[Prooxidant effect of inflammation mediators].", "content": "The authors studied the effect of inflammation mediators--serotonin, histamine, bradykinin, as well as that of trypsin on lipid peroxidation (LPO). It was demonstrated by chemiluminescence of native hepatic mitochondria in vitro and blood serum in vivo and tests for diene conjugates and malonic dialdehyde that inflammation mediators (histamine, serotonin, bradykinin) and the proteolytic enzyme trypsin activate LPO processes, which correlates with the antiinflammatory effect of these biologically active substances."}
{"id": "PMID:1480413", "title": "[Comparative evaluation of the wound-healing effect of benzofuracaine, etaden, and xanthinol nicotinate in an experiment].", "content": "The effect of benzofuracaine, etaden, and xanthinol nicotinate on the healing of skin wounds was studied in rat experiments. On days 1-14 of postmechanical injury, intramuscular benzofuracaine (15, 30, 60, and 120 mg/kg), etaden (20 mg/kg), and xanthinol nicotinate (each drug alone) reparative processes in the skin wounds developed more rapidly and processes of microcirculation in the region of the injury were normalized. The wound-healing effect of benzofurocaine in an ortimal dose of 60 mg/kg was more marked than that op etaden and xanthinol nicotinate. With benzofuracaine and etaden, the skin wounds healed completely by the 14th day of the experiment in 57% and 28.6% of animals, respectively. Such cases were not encountered among animals treated with xanthinol nicotinate and in the controls (untreated animals)."}
{"id": "PMID:1480414", "title": "[Atmospheric electromagnetic field oscillations and the nature of the proliferative process in the focus of acute inflammation].", "content": "Experiments were conducted on 300 rats kept in a warm room (16-18 degrees C) in the cold season of a year to study the influence of a signal effect of atmospheric processes, namely changes in of atmospheric electricity parameters, on the early proliferative reactions in a focus of acute inflammation. The results of 50 experiments on which a geomagnetic storm was superimposed were excluded form the analysis subsequently. Inflammation was modelled by implanting a 3 x 4-mm piece of a cover glass under the skin. Following 48 hours the number of hematogenic and histiogenic cells superimposed on one surface of the implanted glass was counted. These were fibroblasts, macrophages, polynuclear and giant cells. An analysis showed that frosty weather, the existence and direction of a wind, atmospheric-electrical processes preceding the passage of meteorological fronts influenced the nature of proliferative responses. The authors revealed the efficacy of electromagnetic screening of the animals, which mitigated the effect of the atmospheric electromagnetic waves."}
{"id": "PMID:1480415", "title": "[Effect of the fever reaction on lymph cytologic composition and lymph node structure].", "content": "The authors studied the cytologic composition of afferent and efferent lymph and the morphology of the popliteal lymph node during a fever reaction of various duration. The fever reaction was attended by quantitative and qualitative in the cytologic composition of both lymph types. Reduction of the leukocyte count in the first hours of fever was replaced by its increase: the percentage of small- and moderate-size lymphocytes reduced, while that of poorly-differentiated cells--blasts and prolymphocytes--increased. The number of neutrophils and monocytes in the afferent lymph grew and its toxicity increased. Phenomena of dynamic stereotypy were noted during the development of the fever reaction: hyperplasia of the lymphatic substance with an increase of the number of lymphocytes and poorly-differentiated cells in the follicles and paracortical zone of the lymph nodes, hyperplasia of the pulpar bands, and signs of a macrophageal reaction."}
{"id": "PMID:1480416", "title": "[Lymphopoiesis in mice with alloxan diabetes in experimental insulin therapy].", "content": "The authors studied the proliferative response of central and peripheral lymphoid organs of male BALB/c mice with alloxan diabetes to injections of a zinc-insulin suspension (1 u/mouse/24 hours) given for 1, 3, or 5 days. Insulin therapy failed to compensate the diabetes completely, but normalized to a considerable measure the diminished proliferative activity of the young lymphoid cells of the thymus and bone marrow from the third day of the experiment. Autoradiographic study showed that the thymus of diabetic mice was marked by a significant reduction of the percentage of young lymphoid cells bearing insulin receptors on their surface. The results of the experiments point to insulin dependence of central lymphopoiesis in rats."}
{"id": "PMID:1480417", "title": "[Erythrocyte membranes and antioxidant provision in experimental acute pancreatitis].", "content": "Experiments were conducted on rats with induced edematous and hemorrhagic forms of acute pancreatitis (AP) to study the parameters characterizing the state of the red cell membranes: hemolytic efficiency, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity, extra-erythrocytic hemoglobin concentrations. The values characterizing the bio-antioxidative defense were also studied: superoxide dismutase activity and antioxidative property. The development of experimental AP is attended by injury to the red cell membranes among the causes of which is poor antioxidative provision."}
{"id": "PMID:1480418", "title": "[Zinc content in pancreatic islets in experimental diabetes induced by chelating agents].", "content": "The zinc content in microresected islets of rabbits, mice, rats, and guinea pigs was determined by atom-absorption spectrophotometry. The content was found to be highest in rabbits, and diabetes was induced in them by chelating agents easily. Injection of dithizone or 8-(p-toluenesulfonylamine) quinoline failed to induce diabetes mellitus in mice, rats, and guinea pigs. It is concluded that diabetogenic chelating agents are capable of producing irreversible diabetogenic affection in those beta-cells which contain a critical concentration of reactant zinc."}
{"id": "PMID:1480419", "title": "[Content of trace elements and steroid hormones in blood and tissues of internal organs of rats during an inflammatory process in the bronchi].", "content": "Prolonged interrupted inhalation of nitrogen dioxide in a dose of 36.0 +/- 2.2 mg/m3 was attended by definite morphological signs of inflammation in the lungs of rats (hyperplasia of goblet cells, thickening of the basilar membrane, differentiation of ciliated epithelium, etc.), reduction of the zinc content in all studied tissues and testosterone levels in blood. Intramuscular injection of 1% testosterone propionate normalized the blood level of the hormone and influenced the synthetic processes in the cells of the bronchial epithelium and the rate of its regeneration. To raise the efficacy of the correction of the pathological process in the lungs it is suggested that hormonal therapy should be combined with correction of zinc deficiency in the organism."}
{"id": "PMID:1480420", "title": "[Functional possibilities of pancreatic insular apparatus under prolonged conflict situation and use of thyroliberin in glucose].", "content": "Under conditions of a prolonged emotional stress, disturbed regulation of blood sugar level was encountered along with a reduction of the thymus mass in 85.7 of animals. Diminution of the adaptational properties of the organism in such conditions is revealed during a sugar load. Preventive administration of thyroid-releasing hormone in the studied stress reaction makes it possible to maintain the compensatory reserves against the glucose load test."}
{"id": "PMID:1480421", "title": "[Preclinical evaluation of the therapeutic efficacy of L-dopa in chronic gastric ulcer].", "content": "The authors studied the peculiarities of the course taken by experimental gastric ulcer in rabbits under the effect of the norepinephrine precursor 1-dioxyphenylalanine (L-DOPA) injected parenterally in a dose of 10 mg/kg twice a day for 14 days. As compared to the controls (nontreated ulcer), L-DOPA restored significantly more rapidly the bioenergetic processes in the gastric mucosa which were disturbed as the result of ulcerogenesis, provided for stimulation of reparative regeneration, and reduced the terms of ulcer cicatrization."}
{"id": "PMID:1480422", "title": "[Hormonal mechanisms of pathogenesis and cure of experimental gastroduodenal ulcer by the Okabe technique].", "content": "The dynamics of hormonal secretion was studied in relation with the development of an ulcer defect in rats with acetate-induced gastroduodenal ulcer after Okabe. The formation of the ulcer was accompanied by increased gastrin, glucagon, cortisol, growth hormone, and histamine secretion and reduced glucose tolerance. The level of intragastric pH reduced, the activity of proteolytic enzymes in the gastrointestinal tract increased. Correlation analysis bore evidence for the contribution of gastroenteropancreatic hormones to the compensatory-adaptational responses, whereas with a higher blood cortisol level the surface of the ulcer defect was larger. Oral mineral water (Essentuki No. 17) promoted the secretion of gastrin, glucagon, and insulin and the experimental ulcers grew smaller in this case. The involvement of the hormonal factors in the mechanisms of the development of experimental acetate-induced ulcer is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1480424", "title": "[Regulatory role of duodenal evacuation activity in determination of the absorption rate of organic components of duodenal chyme].", "content": "The effect of inhibited duodenal motor-evacuation on the rate of protein, glucose, and lipid absorption was studied in chronic experiments in 5 polyfistulous dogs. Evacuation was inhibited by division of Treitz's ligament (a model of duodenostasis). The results of the experiments are evidence of a considerable regulatory effect of chyme evacuation rate on the value of the flow of substances from the enteral medium into the blood. The evacuation rate is in inverse proportion to the adsorption rate."}
{"id": "PMID:1480426", "title": "[Analysis of the mechanism of the ulcerostatic effect of tris-[2-hydroxyethyl] ammonium salt of iron-containing polyacrylic acid].", "content": "It was demonstrated in experiments on rats with acetate gastric ulcer that ammonium salt tris-(2-hydroxyethyl) of iron-containing polyacrylic acid intensifies the development of granulation-fibrous tissue and promotes fuller restoration of connective-tissue polymers--collagen, noncollagenous proteins, and glycosaminoglycans in it. The biochemical results are confirmed by histological studies."}
{"id": "PMID:1480423", "title": "[Decrease in bacterial toxemia after radiation-thermal injury in the restoration of motor-evacuation function of the gastrointestinal tract].", "content": "Experiments were conducted on male Wistar rats to study the possibility of restoration of the motor-evacuative function (MEF) of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) after radiothermal injury (irradiation with a dose of 6 Gr+Stage IIIb burn). Changes in the development of bacterial intoxication in the injured organism were analysed. Restoration of GIT MEF in the injured rats leads to simultaneous diminution of the degree of bacterial toxemia which plays an important role in the pathogenesis of radiothermic injury."}
{"id": "PMID:1480425", "title": "[Change in various properties of catalase in the small intestine of rats after vagotomy].", "content": "To evaluate the antioxidative system of the small intestine in disturbed parasympathetic innervation, the authors studied the activity of catalase, its resistance to substrate inactivation (catalytic capacity) and reduction potential (reduction of Fe3+ to Fe2+) in the enteric homogenate in different periods (on day 14 and 30) after bilateral subdiaphragmatic truncal vagotomy. Vagotomy did not change catalase activity but was attended by an increase of catalase catalytic capacity and reduction potential. It is suggested that the discovered changes of the studied parameters are manifestations of responses of the antioxidative protective system of the small intestine to the activation of lipid peroxidation."}
{"id": "PMID:1480435", "title": "The resurgence of acute rheumatic fever in the United States.", "content": "Several areas in the United States have experienced significant outbreaks of acute rheumatic fever. Reasons for the reappearance of acute rheumatic fever are incompletely understood but may relate to changes in the organism. Fortunately, however, GABHS has remained exquisitely susceptible to penicillin. Given the resurgence in cases of acute rheumatic fever, the practicing physician needs to be vigilant in diagnosing and ensuring adequate treatment of acute streptococcal pharyngitis. In addition, acute rheumatic fever must be considered in a patient who presents with a new onset murmur, a migratory polyarthritis, chorea, or a rash suggestive of erythema marginatum."}
{"id": "PMID:1480431", "title": "[Effect of peptides of the tracheal mucosa and vascular wall in acute hyperoxic lung injury].", "content": "It was demonstrated that peptides of the tracheal mucosa (PTM) and peptides of the vascular wall (PVW) produce a certain protective effect in hyperoxic lung injury. The peptides, (PTM to a greater measure) prolonged the survival of mice and inhibited the dynamics of the growth of the lung coefficient in rats. PTM reduced the formation of malonic dialdehyde and increased the activity of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase in the lungs. Morphometric studies showed that PTM produce a more marked inhibiting effect on exudation in to the alveoli; besides, the administration of PTM contributed greatly to maintenance of the empty space and \"total volume\" of the alveoli."}
{"id": "PMID:1480438", "title": "An international comparison of the prevalence of streptococcal infections and rheumatic fever in children.", "content": "Differences in the socioeconomic standards of living remain an important and feasible partial explanation for the difference in incidence of rheumatic fever following GABHS infection in Egyptian compared with American children. However, past and ongoing studies of the epidemiology, diagnosis, and treatment of GABHS infections in Egypt, the United States, and elsewhere suggest other significant factors are relevant. Additional knowledge about the rheumatogenic GABHS serotypes that are most prevalent in all countries is an important area where additional research is needed. Streptococcal research will help not only in improving the quality of primary prevention of rheumatic fever, but also in developing streptococcal vaccines."}
{"id": "PMID:1480439", "title": "Chronic graft-versus-host disease and pulmonary function.", "content": "Pulmonary complications are a major cause of morbidity and mortality in bone marrow transplant recipients. Earlier series, consisting mainly of adults, have shown evidence of obstructive changes of pulmonary functions in association with chronic graft-versus-host disease (CGVHD). We longitudinally evaluated spirometry in 46 patients who received bone marrow transplants as children or as young adults to determine whether they had similar abnormalities. Group mean FEV1/FVC, and percent predicted FVC, FEV1, and FEF25-75 values did not demonstrate obstructive changes in association with CGVHD in this patient population. Our findings suggest that younger patients with CGVHD, as a group, may fare better than older bone marrow transplant recipients with CGVHD. However, due to small sample sizes, it cannot be conclusively stated that the pulmonary function parameters analyzed do not differ in the two patient groups."}
{"id": "PMID:1480440", "title": "A scoring system for lung function tests in infants.", "content": "Measurements of thoracic gas volume (TGV), airway resistance (Raw), and airway conductance (Gaw) were calculated in a group of 42 normal infants using a whole-body plethysmograph. Maximum expiratory flow at functional residual capacity was measured in a separate group of 108 normal infants. Using data obtained from these infants the following regression equations were calculated: Gaw (L.s-1.cmH2O) = -0.0475 + 0.00164 x length (cm) square root of TGV (mL1/2) = -3.22 + 0.263 x length (cm) VmaxFRC (mL.s-1) = -173 + 5.2 x length (cm). The standard errors of prediction are a measure of the scatter of individual results from the normal population about the true regression line. They were used to define limits of the normal ranges for these tests of lung function, and to develop a scoring system. This approach is preferable to expressing results as percent predicted, which gives no indication of how likely a measurement is to be within normal limits."}
{"id": "PMID:1480441", "title": "Reproducibility of late phase pulmonary response to exercise and its relationship to bronchial hyperreactivity in children with chronic asthma.", "content": "To determine the reproducibility of the delayed response to exercise and its effect on bronchial hyperreactivity, we had 26 asthmatic children perform treadmill exercise challenge on two occasions 1 week apart. Both challenges were preceded by 2 control days and 1 histamine challenge day, and were followed by another histamine challenge day. Peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) was measured hourly for 12 hours on each control day and for 12 hours after each exercise or histamine challenge. During the first week, five patients showed a late reaction (PEFR change > 15%) after exercise, which was present in only two of them the following week. These two patients, however, also showed a spontaneous fall > 15% of PEFR from baseline during the other control study days. A similar pattern was seen in two other patients who had a late response during the second exercise challenge but not during the first. No significant change occurred in histamine PC-20 FEV1 between before and after the exercise challenges. An apparent late asthmatic response after exercise challenge may represent a within-day fluctuation in pulmonary mechanics that develops spontaneously in children with asthma."}
{"id": "PMID:1480442", "title": "The clinical and imaging spectrum of findings in patients with congenital lobar emphysema.", "content": "Congenital lobar emphysema (CLE) is an important cause of infantile respiratory distress that may require surgical intervention. We retrospectively reviewed the clinical and imaging findings in eight infants with CLE. In our series, CLE was more common in females, predominantly involved the right lung, often presented with an opaque lobe from retained fetal lung fluid, and frequently involved the lower lobes, multiple segments or lobes, and both lungs. Most patients with CLE were diagnosed and managed on the basis of clinical and plain radiographic findings alone. Computed tomography, and occasionally ventilation/perfusion scintigraphy, were helpful in confirming the diagnosis and in guiding management decisions in several cases; bronchoscopy showed that stenosis of the right mainstem bronchus was the cause of CLE in one case. Three patients experienced progressive worsening of respiratory distress and required surgical resection of the affected lobe for cure; the remaining five patients were managed medically with eventual remission of symptoms."}
{"id": "PMID:1480443", "title": "Evaluation of the Oxford and Sheffield SIDS risk prediction scores.", "content": "To evaluate the clinical usefulness (sensitivity and specificity) of the Oxford and Sheffield birth scores for prospective identification of infants at high risk of SIDS. Retrospective medical record reviews of prospectively identified, autopsy-validated SIDS and living control infants. Consecutive sample of 140 infants, born between 1/1/83 and 12/31/87, who died suddenly and unexpectedly in the Avon Area Health Authority in southwest England between 1/1/84 and 12/31/88. Seventeen of the cases were excluded: 6 because they lacked adequate clinical records, 11 because they were not SIDS. The 637 control infants were comprised of every 80th delivery between 1/1/83 and 12/31/87 in the three major hospitals in the area. SIDS incidence was 2.85/1,000 live births. Using standard cut scores to define high SIDS risk (2.0 for Oxford and 500 for Sheffield), sensitivities were 0.55 and 0.35 and specificities were 0.78 and 0.89 for the Oxford and Sheffield scores, respectively. SIDS risk for infants in the high risk group was 7.3/1,000 (Oxford) and 9.3/1,000 (Sheffield). Since there is no intervention with proven efficacy for SIDS prevention, and since approximately one half of SIDS cases occur in low risk groups, clinical use of these scoring systems for allocation of health care resources or personnel for the sole purpose of SIDS prevention is not justified."}
{"id": "PMID:1480444", "title": "Steroid resistance in asthma: our current understanding.", "content": "While much information has recently been obtained regarding the features of steroid-resistant asthma, it continues to be a dilemma for practitioners, and investigation into its mechanisms will remain an important part of asthma research. Until a clear marker defining steroid-resistant asthmatics is found, the principle first put forth by Carmichael and colleagues should be adhered to: that is, asthmatics resistant to glucocorticoid therapy need to be identified at an early stage so that unnecessary and perhaps harmful therapy can be discontinued. A 10 day course of high-dose (> or = 30 mg/day) systemic glucocorticoid therapy, as suggested by Kamada and colleagues, may constitute an adequate trial and may sufficiently identify asthmatics who may require alternative treatments. A more rational approach to the selection of alternative asthma treatments will be gained when the mechanisms of steroid resistance are identified."}
{"id": "PMID:1480445", "title": "Validation of respiratory inductance plethysmography (\"Respitrace\") for the measurement of tidal breathing parameters in newborns.", "content": "The ratio of the time to reach peak (maximum) tidal expiratory flow (Tme) to total expiratory time (Te) is smaller in infants who later develop lower respiratory tract disease. In previous studies infants have been sedated and flow measured using a pneumotachograph with face-mask. These methodological factors are known to affect tidal breathing, and the frequent need for sedation limits the use of the technique to relatively small studies. The aim of this study was to validate uncalibrated respiratory inductance plethysmography (Respitrace) to measure Tme/Te in unsedated newborns. Nineteen normal term infants were studied during quiet sleep. Agreement between Tme/Te measured directly using a pneumotachograph and with Respitrace was assessed in 15 infants. Repeatability of the Respitrace technique was assessed in 10 infants. The mean Tme/Te for the 19 infants using Respitrace was 0.46 (S.D. 0.14). The mean difference between Tme/Te obtained using Respitrace and that measured with a pneumotachograph was 0.014; 95% of Respitrace readings were between -0.042 and 0.070 of the pneumotachograph values. The mean difference between repeat Respitrace values was 0.02 with 95% of the second measurements within 0.066 of the first. These results indicate that Respitrace can be used to determine Tme/Te accurately."}
{"id": "PMID:1480446", "title": "Facemasks versus mouthpieces for aerosol treatment of asthmatic children.", "content": "Mouthpieces and facemasks are being used with nebulizers for delivery of medication in acute asthma. To compare the effectivity of the two devices, 64 children age 6 to 19 years presenting to the hospital with acute asthma were enrolled in a randomized, single-blind study. Group 1 used a facemask. Group 2 used a mouthpiece connected to the nebulizer via short T-shaped tubing. Clinical evaluation and spirometry were performed at baseline and 20, 40, and 60 minutes after a single treatment with albuterol. Forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1), and forced expiratory flow over the middle 50% of FVC (FEF25-75) were determined at each point. Adverse effects were recorded. There was no significant difference in improvement between the groups. Patients with nasal congestion, age below 10 years, or severe airway obstruction did equally well with each method. Patients in the facemask group had a higher incidence of tremor. We conclude that the mouthpiece is an effective as the facemask and produces less tremor."}
{"id": "PMID:1480448", "title": "Changes in plasma FcRIII demonstrate increasing receptor production during late pregnancy and after preterm birth.", "content": "We have previously described reduced expression of the Fc gamma receptor type III on the cell membrane (M-FcRIII) of neutrophils from very preterm neonates. To investigate the mechanism underlying this reduced receptor expression, we have measured neutrophil-derived soluble FcRIII (S-FcRIII) in the plasma of fetuses and neonates from 19 wk gestation. S-FcRIII in fetal plasma and in preterm neonates born before 32 wk gestation was consistently low [mean 13.6 +/- 1.2% (mean adult S-FcRIII = 100%, range 30-240%)]. In utero, S-FcRIII starts to rise from 33 wk and increases more than 4-fold to reach adult levels by term. S-FcRIII measured sequentially in preterm infants born as early as 24 wk of gestation showed a rapid postnatal increase to reach adult levels within 3 wk of birth. The changes in S-FcRIII paralleled changes in M-FcRIII expression on the cell surface. These observations point to a reduced rate of FcRIII production by fetal neutrophils as opposed to an increase in receptor release. The parallel increase in S-FcRIII and M-FcRIII suggests that there may be a programmed activation of FcRIII synthesis within individual cells late in the 3rd trimester of fetal development. In addition, FcRIII production may be switched on early by preterm birth."}
{"id": "PMID:1480449", "title": "Comparative actin polymerization in neonatal and adult bovine neutrophils in vitro.", "content": "Neutrophils rely on active reorganization of the cytoskeleton during movement, and functional deficiencies in the cytoskeletal elements may result in impaired neutrophil-mediated host defense. We have compared and quantitated actin polymerization in neonatal (< or = 48 h old) and adult bovine peripheral-blood polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) using fluorescence flow cytometry. Baseline filamentous actin (F-actin) content of neonatal and adult PMN at time zero differed slightly but were not statistically different (p > 0.05). F-actin content of recombinant human C5a (10(-7) M)-stimulated neonatal PMN increased rapidly within 10 s of stimulation to 59.0% over baseline, then declined. F-actin in adult recombinant human C5a-stimulated PMN continued to increase for 30 s and was elevated 87.3% over baseline before subsequently declining. When stimulated with zymosan-activated bovine serum (10%), neonatal (120.7% increase) and adult PMN (115.1% increase) had similar profiles with no significant differences, and both groups reached peak F-actin levels at 30 s after stimulation. Neonatal PMN stimulated with platelet-activating factor (10(-6) M) attained peak F-actin values at 10 s (72.0% increase over baseline), but actin rapidly depolymerized by 30 s poststimulation (reduced to 29.0% increase). Adult PMN stimulated by platelet-activating factor also attained peak values by 10 s (97.6% increase over baseline), but in contrast to neonatal PMN the F-actin remained elevated at 30 s in the adult PMN (still increased 79.5%; p < 0.0.5 compared to neonatal F-actin).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1480450", "title": "Sleep organization and energy expenditure of breast-fed and formula-fed infants.", "content": "Sleep organization of infants may be influenced by differences in nutrient intakes from human milk and formula. Because sleep/awake and sleep stage patterns affect energy expenditure, we hypothesized that differences in sleep organization between breast-fed and formula-fed infants might account in part for differences in energy expenditure between feeding groups. Sleep stages and cycling of 4-mo-old breast-fed (n = 10) formula-fed (n = 10) infants were studied with simultaneous measurements of energy expenditure. EEG, electrooculogram, body movement by triaxial accelerometry, heart rate, and oxygen saturation were monitored during an overnight sleep session. Sleep stages, nonrapid eye movement (NREM), and rapid eye movement (REM) were determined. Behavioral observations were recorded by video tape and by a technologist. Oxygen consumption and carbon dioxide production were measured with an indirect calorimeter. Total number and duration of sleep cycles, REM latency, number of NREM and REM epochs, and duration of NREM epochs did not differ between feeding groups. Sleep latency was shorter (p < 0.05) and duration of REM epochs longer (p < 0.01) in the formula-fed group. Formula-fed infants spent a higher percentage of sleep time in REM compared with the breast-fed infants (42 versus 34%) (p < 0.003). Conversely, breast-fed infants spent a higher percentage of sleep time in NREM sleep and their heart rates during sleep were lower (114 versus 126 bpm; p < 0.01). Energy expenditure during REM sleep was 13.0 +/- 4.4% higher than during NREM sleep (p < 0.001).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1480451", "title": "Pain perception and effectiveness of the eutectic mixture of local anesthetics in children undergoing venipuncture.", "content": "The emulsion of lidocaine and prilocaine (EMLA) is effective in preventing the pain of venipuncture in children. It is therefore important to identify children who could benefit the most from EMLA. We studied the safety and feasibility of two methods of application of EMLA (patch and cream) in a randomized, open-label trial of EMLA patch versus EMLA cream in 160 children with chronic diseases undergoing venipuncture. EMLA patch or cream was applied 60 to 120 min before puncture. Pain was assessed by the children using a visual analogue score. Children also scored the pain of their last puncture and the pain of removing the tape. EMLA patch and cream had similar efficacy (visual analogue scores for the venipuncture were 8.5 +/- 16 and 9.5 +/- 17 out of 100, respectively). Side effects occurred in similar frequencies in the two groups. Adhesiveness of the patch was less effective than that of the cream with Tegaderm. Age was a major determinant of pain perception; younger children recalled more severe pain in their previous puncture. Children recently diagnosed had higher visual analogue scores than those with a long history of chronic disease. We concluded that EMLA patch and cream have a similar efficacy in children undergoing venipuncture. Young children recently diagnosed with chronic disease are most likely to benefit from EMLA."}
{"id": "PMID:1480452", "title": "Changes in piglet auditory brainstem response amplitudes without increases in serum or cerebrospinal fluid neuron-specific enolase.", "content": "We studied the relationship between changes in auditory brainstem responses (ABR) and serum and cerebrospinal fluid levels of neuron-specific enolase (NSE) in hyperbilirubinemic 2- to 8-d-old piglets. Infusion of a stabilized solution of bilirubin resulted in serum bilirubin levels of 571.1 +/- 48.8 mumol/L (mean +/- SEM) after 6 h. ABR were obtained at baseline and then hourly until the piglets were killed. We measured peak amplitudes and latencies for waves I-V, as well as latency for the post-V trough. Changes in amplitudes and latencies were analyzed as slopes because of heterogeneous variances. Over time, a significant reduction was observed in peak II-V amplitudes of bilirubin-infused piglets, but not in those of corresponding controls. No change was observed in latencies. NSE was analyzed by RIA. Serum NSE remained stable throughout the experiment (means 5.1-6.6 micrograms/L) and did not differ between the groups. Cerebrospinal fluid NSE values also remained stable, and no differences that could be ascribed to hyperbilirubinemia were detected. We conclude that hyperbilirubinemia induced significant changes in piglet ABR amplitudes without concomitant evidence of severe neuronal compromise, as might have been indicated by significant increases in serum and/or cerebrospinal fluid NSE levels. This provides further support to the clinical impression that early ABR changes during hyperbilirubinemia may be reversible."}
{"id": "PMID:1480453", "title": "Transient neonatal hypothyroxinemia and the auditory brainstem evoked response.", "content": "Ten premature infants with low serum thyroxine levels (less than 84 nmol/L) were compared with 10 biochemically euthyroid infants to determine whether hypothyroxinemia in such infants can lead to alterations in the auditory pathway. The auditory pathway was studied between 6 and 11 wk of life by analyzing brainstem evoked potentials elicited by a 10/s, 75 dB above normal adult hearing level click stimulus presented at the infant's ears. Peak latencies of components I, III, and V and interpeak latencies I-III, III-V, and I-V did not yield statistically significant differences between groups. The present study indicates that untreated neonatal hypothyroxinemia does not lead to abnormalities of auditory brainstem evoked response."}
{"id": "PMID:1480454", "title": "Cerebral hemodynamic effects of treatment with modified natural surfactant investigated by near infrared spectroscopy.", "content": "The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects on cerebral hemodynamics of administering modified natural surfactant (Curosurf, 200 mg.kg-1) to infants requiring mechanical ventilation for hyaline membrane disease. Observations were made using near infrared spectroscopy on 20 infants for between 26 and 109 (median 57) min before and 22 to 112 (median 46) min after surfactant instillation. Changes in cerebral oxyhemoglobin concentration and cerebral blood volume (CBV) were monitored continuously; cerebral blood flow, oxygen delivery, and the response of CBV to changes in arterial carbon dioxide tension were measured while the infants were stable shortly before and after surfactant was given. Cerebral oxyhemoglobin concentration fell transiently in all infants immediately after surfactant by a median of -0.21 (range -0.46 to 0.05) mL x 100 g-1, but quickly recovered so that the median change during the 10 min after surfactant was 0.01 (-0.46 to 0.46) mL x 100 g-1. Alterations in CBV also occurred ranging from -0.44 to 0.40 (median 0) mL x 100 g-1, which represented -12 to 16% of total CBV; these changes rapidly resolved. When the infants were stable before and after surfactant, the values for mean (SD) cerebral blood flow were 20.5 (7.5) and 23.1 (5.2) mL.100 g-1 x min-1, respectively (n = 9); for mean cerebral oxygen delivery, values were 2.71 (0.89) and 3.15 (0.73) mL x 100 g-1 x min-1 (n = 9); and for response of CBV to changes in arterial carbon dioxide tension, they were 0.14 (0.09) and 0.11 (0.11) mL x 100 g-1 x kPa-1 (n = 16); these changes were not statistically significant.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1480455", "title": "Response of the cerebral circulation to hypocarbia in postasphyxia newborn lambs.", "content": "Respiratory alkalosis is used in the treatment of newborn infants with persistent pulmonary hypertension. Many of these infants have suffered a prior asphyxial insult. Previous studies in a newborn lamb postasphyxia model have demonstrated abnormalities in the response of the cerebral circulation to hypoxia and to changes in blood pressure. Although vasodilation in response to these stimuli was impaired, the ability of the brain to extract oxygen was not. Therefore, because the principal response of the cerebral circulation to lowering arterial carbon dioxide tension is vasoconstriction with a compensatory increase in oxygen extraction, it was hypothesized that the postasphyxia response of the cerebral circulation to decreases in carbon dioxide tension would be intact. Ten newborn lambs were subjected to an asphyxial insult. Postasphyxia whole brain and regional blood flows were measured at three to four different levels of arterial carbon dioxide tension using the radiolabeled microsphere technique. In addition, arterial and venous oxygen content and blood gases were measured in the brachiocephalic artery and the sagittal sinus. The response of whole brain cerebral blood flow (CBF) to changes in arterial carbon dioxide tension (PaCO2) is described by ln CBF = 0.031 PaCO2 + 3.15 (r = 0.83, p < 0.001). Responses of individual brain regions did not differ from whole brain flow. Cerebral oxygen consumption remained stable, and fractional O2 extraction (E) increased according to the relationship ln (1 - E) = -0.023 PaCO2 - 1.35 (r = 0.89, p < 0.001).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1480456", "title": "Cerebral oxidative metabolism during hypothermia and circulatory arrest in newborn dogs.", "content": "To ascertain the alterations in cerebral oxidative and energy metabolism that occur during hypothermic circulatory arrest, nitrous oxide-anesthetized, paralyzed, and artificially ventilated newborn dogs were surface cooled to 18-20 degrees C, after which their hearts were arrested with KCl. At 10, 30, 60, and 105 min of circulatory arrest, their brains were prepared by in situ freezing for the regional analysis of glycolytic intermediates and high-energy phosphate reserves. Hypothermia alone was associated with optimal preservation of labile metabolites in brain, even in caudal brainstem and cerebellum, compared with barbiturate-anesthetized littermates. After onset of hypothermic circulatory arrest, glucose decreased progressively in cerebral cortex, caudate nucleus, hippocampus, and subcortical white matter to negligible levels by 30 min. Pyruvate increased transiently (+50%) at 10 min, whereas lactate increased and plateaued (10-11 mmol/kg) at 30 min. The disproportionate increases in pyruvate and lactate resulted in a progressive rise in the lactate/pyruvate ratio. Phosphocreatine fell precipitously to < 0.5 mmol/kg in all structures, with a preservation of ATP for the first 10 min of cerebral ischemia. Thereafter, ATP decreased to < 0.1 mmol/kg in cerebral cortex and between 0.1 and 0.2 mmol/kg in caudate nucleus, hippocampus, and white matter. Total adenine nucleotides (ATP+ADP+AMP) were partially depleted by 30 min in the gray matter structures but were unchanged from control for 60 min in white matter. The findings showed a direct correlation between preservation of cerebral energy stores during hypothermic circulatory arrest and the selective resistance of subcortical white matter to ischemic damage.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1480457", "title": "Apolipoprotein synthesis in newborn piglet intestinal explants.", "content": "To determine the effects of hormones and epidermal growth factor (EGF) on the small intestinal synthesis of apolipoproteins B-48, A-I, and A-IV in the neonatal mammal, apolipoprotein synthesis by proximal jejunal explants from 2-d-old female piglets was studied in tissue culture. Initial comparison studies with various media showed optimal total protein and apo A-I synthesis with Williams' medium E without fetal bovine serum. Sets of explants were prepared containing EGF and various hormones in the medium. After 35S-methionine radiolabeling, explants were homogenized, and specific apolipoprotein synthesis was quantitated by immunoprecipitation as the percentage of total protein synthesis. Apo B-48 synthesis was not affected by any additives except the combination of EGF and hydrocortisone, which slightly decreased synthesis. Apo A-I synthesis was significantly increased by EGF. This EGF-induced increase in apo A-I synthesis was blunted by concomitant treatment with hydrocortisone. In contrast, the combination of insulin and hydrocortisone induced a significant increase in apo A-I synthesis. Although EGF and insulin modestly increased apo A-IV synthesis, the combination of insulin and hydrocortisone treatment up-regulated apo A-IV synthesis by 2.6-fold. Thyroid hormone lacked effect on synthesis of any of the apolipoproteins. EGF, glucocorticoids, and insulin may play regulatory roles in the developmental expression of apolipoprotein synthesis in the neonatal small intestine."}
{"id": "PMID:1480458", "title": "Safety and efficacy of treatment of pediatric cholesteryl ester storage disease with lovastatin.", "content": "The aim of this study was to prospectively assess the safety and efficacy of lovastatin in the treatment of cholesteryl ester storage disease in siblings who were ages 11.6 and 5 y at the beginning of treatment. Mean total and LDL cholesterol in the male proband, 7.40 and 5.68 mmol/L, respectively, on diet alone, fell 30% to 5.2 (p < or = 0.001) and 31% to 3.9 mmol/L (p < or = 0.001) on lovastatin 40 mg/d over 3.3 y, with simultaneous resolution of hepatosplenomegaly. In his sister, on lovastatin 20 mg/d for 1.5 y, total and LDL cholesterol fell, but not significantly; her hepatosplenomegaly was also reduced on treatment. Lovastatin was well tolerated without overt side effects or complications and without adverse changes in liver function tests or creatine phosphokinase. Normal and expected accretion of height and weight occurred during the treatment period for both children. Lovastatin appears to be a safe and effective treatment for pediatric cholesteryl ester storage disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1480459", "title": "Prenatal exposure to ethanol in rats: effects on postnatal maturation of the small intestine and liver.", "content": "To examine the effects of prenatal exposure to ethanol on postnatal development of small intestinal and liver functions, female rats were accustomed to increasing amounts of ethanol (10 to 25%, vol/vol) in tap water for 1 mo. During pregnancy, ethanol-fed dams had higher daily caloric intake and similar weight gain compared with controls. In ethanol offspring, neonatal mortality was 28.9% compared to 0% in controls. Although ethanol had been withdrawn at birth, pups issued from ethanol-treated mothers showed at 5 and 10 d postpartum decreased values of body weight, jejunal and ileal weights, and intestinal DNA concentration per unit of length, as well as lower specific and total activities in lactase and maltase, compared with controls. DNA synthesis rates, measured by the incorporation of [3H]thymidine into mucosal DNA, were also significantly (-20 to -34%, p < 0.01) depressed in the jejunum and ileum of ethanol pups at 5 and 10 d of age. All these parameters returned to control levels by d 15 postpartum. Electron microscopy of jejunal mucosal samples at 5, 10, and 15 d of age revealed that ethanol pups differed from controls by a fetal-like immature aspect of the enterocytes, which persisted up to d 15. The ontogenic upsurge in sucrase and the decline in lactase occurred at weaning with the same chronology in both groups, but the level reached by sucrase activity was about 50% lower in alcohol offspring than in controls. Except for moderate steatosis, the ultrastructure of hepatocytes was unaltered in sucklings.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1480460", "title": "Effect of methylxanthines on diaphragmatic fatigue in the piglet.", "content": "Studies in adult animal and human subjects have suggested that the methylxanthine drugs can delay the onset or attenuate the severity of diaphragmatic fatigue. We have investigated the effect of aminophylline and caffeine on the pressure-generating capacity of the fatigued diaphragm in 1-mo-old piglets. Measurements of ventilation, transdiaphragmatic pressure, blood gases and pH, diaphragmatic electromyogram, diaphragmatic pressure-frequency curve (PdiFC), diaphragmatic blood flow, and end-expiratory lung volume were obtained at baseline, after 90 min of inspiratory resistive loaded breathing (IRL), and again 30 min after methylxanthine infusion while still on IRL. IRL resulted in a significant decrease in minute ventilation secondary to a fall in tidal volume. Spontaneously generated transdiaphragmatic pressure increased 7-fold from baseline. EMG activity increased to both segments of the diaphragm. Abdominal expiratory muscle activity was noted after the onset of IRL and was accompanied by a fall in end-expiratory lung volume. The PdiFC was significantly decreased from baseline after 90 min of IRL, demonstrating diaphragmatic fatigue. Aminophylline did not alter the PdiFC of the diaphragm. Diaphragmatic electromyogram and tidal volume increased. No change in diaphragmatic blood flow was demonstrated after infusion of aminophylline. Serum theophylline levels averaged 117 +/- 11 mumol/L (21 +/- 2 micrograms/mL). Caffeine administration did not alter the PdiFC or the diaphragmatic electromyogram during IRL. Blood flow to both segments of the diaphragm decreased after caffeine infusion. Serum caffeine levels averaged 86 +/- 30 mumol/L (16.6 +/- 5.9 micrograms/mL).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1480461", "title": "The effect of outflow pressure upon thoracic duct lymph flow rate in fetal sheep.", "content": "Edema develops when lymph does not return to the venous circulation at a rate equal to the rate of capillary filtration. Fetal sheep develop edema as well as an increased central venous pressure while undergoing atrial pacing at 320 beats per min. We hypothesized that the increased central venous pressure augmented the appearance of fetal edema by impairing the return of thoracic duct lymph to the venous circulation. To investigate this hypothesis, we studied the effect of outflow pressure upon thoracic duct lymph flow in 10 unanesthetized fetal sheep who had low resistance lymph catheters placed in the cervical thoracic duct near its junction with the left jugular vein. After the ewe and fetus recovered for 5 d, we altered the outflow pressure of the lymph catheter by adjusting its height with respect to amniotic fluid pressure and measured the resultant change in thoracic duct lymph flow rate. We found that lymph flow rate was constant over the range of outflow pressures (central venous pressures) normally encountered but decreased in a linear fashion at pressures greater than 0.68 kPa (5.1 torr). Lymph flow stopped at an outflow pressure of 2.40 kPa (18 torr). The data points are best fit by two lines obtained by a piecewise linear regression rather than a single line obtained from a linear regression. We conclude that fetal thoracic duct lymph flow is sensitive to elevations in outflow pressure. Lymph flow begins to diminish at outflow pressures corresponding to central venous pressures commonly encountered in pathologic conditions and may augment the appearance of fetal edema."}
{"id": "PMID:1480462", "title": "Effects of inspiratory resistive loading on chest wall motion and ventilation: differences between preterm and full-term infants.", "content": "The ability to maintain effective tidal volume and minute ventilation during resistive loaded breathing depends on both adequate central neural respiratory output response and respiratory system mechanical properties such as respiratory muscle strength and chest wall stability. We hypothesized that chest wall instability limits the ability of the preterm (PT) infant to respond to inspiratory resistive loading (IRL) compared with full-term (FT) infants. To test this hypothesis, we subjected eight FT and 10 PT infants to IRL with loads of 1.3, 2, and 6 times intrinsic lung resistance and measured steady state tidal volume (VT), minute ventilation (VE), and chest wall motion. Thoracoabdominal asynchrony was measured by respiratory inductive plethysmography and quantitated by measuring the phase angle, theta, between rib cage and abdominal motion (0 degrees = synchronous motion, 180 degrees = paradoxic motion). At baseline, VT/kg (mL/kg, mean +/- SEM) was similar between PT (7.0 +/- 0.7) and FT (7.5 +/- 0.5) infants. VE/kg (mL/min/kg) was greater in PT (545 +/- 50) than in FT (385 +/- 33) infants (p < 0.05) as a result of increased respiratory frequency in the former. PT infants demonstrated significantly greater chest wall asynchrony (theta = 38 +/- 9 degrees) than FT infants (theta = 9 +/- 3 degrees) (p < 0.01). With the highest resistive loads, VT decreased significantly in the PT but not the FT infants. Furthermore, during IRL, VE decreased to 417 +/- 50 mL/min/kg (p < 0.05) and theta increased to 56 +/- 7 (p < 0.05) in the PT infants, whereas no significant change in either value was observed in the FT group.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1480463", "title": "Natural surfactant instilled in premature lambs increases lung volume and improves ventilation homogeneity within five minutes.", "content": "The immediate effects on lung volume, ventilation homogeneity, and lung mechanics of tracheal instillation of surfactant were studied in premature lambs, gestational age 120-122 d, with respiratory distress syndrome. Six lambs received surfactant by tracheal instillation 25 min after delivery by cesarean section; five received only vehicle and served as controls. The lambs were studied for 60 min thereafter. Functional residual capacity was measured with a computerized tracer gas washin-washout technique using sulfur hexafluoride as tracer gas. A measure of ventilation inhomogeneity (pulmonary clearance delay) was also calculated from the washout curves. Pressure-volume curves were studied with an interrupter technique during deflation of the lungs from an airway pressure of 30 cm H2O. In the surfactant group, arterial oxygenation and ventilation homogeneity improved within 5 min of giving surfactant; major increases in functional residual capacity, vital capacity, and compliance occurred within 5 to 20 min and were followed by gradual further improvements. The pressure-volume curve thus increased in amplitude and became steeper, but the lung volumes at various inflation pressures, and compliance, remained constant when expressed as fractions of total lung capacity volume. It is concluded that an improvement in lung volume, respiratory mechanics, and ventilation homogeneity occurs very soon after surfactant instillation and that there is a phase of successive further improvement over the next hour. Although the amplitude of the pressure-volume curve varied considerably, its basic shape varied little. This suggests that opening of new distal airways by surfactant predominated over changes in the mechanics of already aerated lung regions."}
{"id": "PMID:1480464", "title": "Six new mutations in the ornithine transcarbamylase gene detected by single-strand conformational polymorphism.", "content": "We describe six new mutations in the ornithine transcarbamylase (OTC) gene found in patients with OTC deficiency. These mutations were detected by single-strand conformational polymorphism analysis of amplified genomic DNA and characterized by direct sequencing of double-stranded DNA. Three of the mutations were found in males who had neonatal onset of hyperammonemia. The mutations are a single base deletion (guanine) in exon 5 at nucleotide 403 causing a frame-shift error, a guanine to adenine substitution at the 3' end of intron 2 nucleotide 217 (-1) causing an acceptor splicing site error, and a guanine to adenine substitution at base 236 changing the code from glycine to glutamic acid at position 47 of the mature enzyme. Two different mutations were found in two males whose onset of clinical problems occurred after the neonatal period. One patient had a guanine to cytosine transversion in the sense strand of exon 3 at nucleotide 281 resulting in a substitution of threonine for arginine in position 62 of the mature OTC protein. This substitution changes the composition of the putative active site for carbamyl phosphate from Ser-Thr-Arg-Thr-Arg to Ser-Thr-Arg-Thr-Thr. The second patient has a guanine to thymine substitution at nucleotide 912 of the sense strand of exon 9, changing the code for leucine to phenylalanine in position 272 of the mature OTC protein. This changes a conserved domain of the gene likely to be the ornithine binding site from Phe-Leu-His-Cys-Leu-Pro to Phe-Leu-His-Cys-Phe-Pro.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1480465", "title": "Pulsatile and sexually dimorphic secretion of luteinizing hormone in the human infant on the day of birth.", "content": "Experimental evidence indicates that the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis is operational and sexually dimorphic in the mammalian fetus and newborn. We examined the dynamics of human luteinizing hormone (LH) secretion in five male and three female infants on the day of birth, after 34-41 wk of gestation. The infants were polycythemic, and blood samples were obtained every 20 min for 160 to 360 min during a therapeutic, standardized, isovolumetric, partial exchange transfusion. Serum LH was measured by an immunoradiometric assay that does not cross-react with human chorionic gonadotropin. The serum profiles of LH presented a striking sex dimorphism with elevated LH levels in male compared with female newborns. Deconvolution analysis of all male LH profiles was consistent with a high-frequency, pulsatile secretory pattern. Testosterone, measured in a pooled serum sample of each infant, was 10-fold higher in male than in female newborns. These results document pulsatile and sexually dimorphic secretion of LH in the human infant as early as the first day of postnatal life. It is possible that the augmented LH secretion in the male newborn participates in the neonatal rise of the serum testosterone concentration."}
{"id": "PMID:1480466", "title": "Assessment of protein coding measures.", "content": "A number of methods for recognizing protein coding genes in DNA sequence have been published over the last 13 years, and new, more comprehensive algorithms, drawing on the repertoire of existing techniques, continue to be developed. To optimize continued development, it is valuable to systematically review and evaluate published techniques. At the core of most gene recognition algorithms is one or more coding measures--functions which produce, given any sample window of sequence, a number or vector intended to measure the degree to which a sample sequence resembles a window of 'typical' exonic DNA. In this paper we review and synthesize the underlying coding measures from published algorithms. A standardized benchmark is described, and each of the measures is evaluated according to this benchmark. Our main conclusion is that a very simple and obvious measure--counting oligomers--is more effective than any of the more sophisticated measures. Different measures contain different information. However there is a great deal of redundancy in the current suite of measures. We show that in future development of gene recognition algorithms, attention can probably be limited to six of the twenty or so measures proposed to date."}
{"id": "PMID:1480467", "title": "The TATA-binding protein participates in TFIIIB assembly on tRNA genes.", "content": "The TATA-binding protein TBP has been recently recognized as a general class III transcription factor. Using the gel shift assay to monitor initiation complex assembly on a yeast tRNA gene, we show that TBP is required for the TFIIIC-dependent assembly of TFIIIB. TFIIIB depleted of TBP by a simple chromatographic step does not bind stably to the TFIIIC-tDNA complex. Addition of yeast or human recombinant TBP allows the formation of a TFIIIB-TBP-TFIIIC-tDNA complex. The presence of TBP in the complex was inferred from the effect of anti-TBP antibodies and from the different migration properties of TFIIIB-TBP-tDNA complexes formed with yeast or human TBP."}
{"id": "PMID:1480468", "title": "Solution conformation of an oligonucleotide containing a urea deoxyribose residue in front of a thymine.", "content": "Urea residues are produced by ionizing radiation on thymine residues in DNA. We have studied an oligodeoxynucleotide containing a thymine opposite the urea residue, by one and two dimensional NMR spectroscopy. The urea deoxyribose exists as two isomers with respect to the orientation about the peptide bond. For the trans isomer we find that the thymine and urea site are positioned within the helix and are probably hydrogen bonded. The oligonucleotide adopts a globally B form structure although conformational changes are observed around the mismatch site. A minor species is observed, in which the urea deoxyribose and the opposite base adopt an extrahelical position and this corresponds to the isomer cis for the peptide bond."}
{"id": "PMID:1480469", "title": "Characterization and localization of cis-diamminedichloro-platinum(II) adducts on a purified oligonucleotide containing the codons 12 and 13 of H-ras proto-oncogene.", "content": "The use of substrates containing well defined adducts at precise sites, is required to perform a careful analysis of the toxic and mutagenic potential of a lesion. As a first step in this direction the octamer 5'-d(CCGGCGGT), containing the sequence of the codons 12 d(GGC) and 13 d(GGT) of the human H-ras gene, was reacted with the antitumoral drug cis-diamminedichloroplatinum(II). The platinated products have been purified by HPLC. A first set of experiments, including enzymatic digestions with nuclease P1 followed by alkaline phosphatase and acid-catalysed hydrolysis, allowed us to determine which bases were engaged in the cis-DDP lesions. Our results indicate that only guanine residues were chelated with cisplatin to yield bifunctional adducts. Furthermore, by performing enzymatic digestions with phosphodiesterases, we have located the adducts with respect to the 5' end of the octamer. Among the purified and characterized platinated oligonucleotides, three present a particular interest, since we have shown here that the cis-d(GpG) adduct is precisely situated either at the d(GGC) or at the d(GGT) or at both sites of their sequence."}
{"id": "PMID:1480470", "title": "A direct-repeat sequence of the human BiP gene is required for A23187-mediated inducibility and an inducible nuclear factor binding.", "content": "We have recently isolated a functional promoter encoding the human polypeptide-binding protein (BiP) gene from Burkitt's lymphoma cells by polymerase chain reaction (The EMBL Data Library accession number X59969, 1991). This promoter DNA segment (termed BiP670) was fused to the bacterial chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) reporter gene and expressed in NIH3T3 cells. BiP670 retains basal and Ca2+ ionophore A23187-inducible activities. Using 5' deletion assay, we found three basal expression elements (BEE) in the BiP670. Removal of the distal BBE (BBE3), which is contained in a segment spanning -368/-170, caused a 50% loss of the basal activity; removal together with the middle BBE (BBE2), which is contained in a segment spanning -170/-107, resulted in a further 30% loss of the activity. Further removal of the proximal BBE (BBE1), which spans -107/-39, abolished greater than 95% of the basal expression. In addition, an A23187-inducible element (AIE) appeared to be associated with the BBE1. At least a six-fold inducibility remained as long as the BiP promoter retained the sequences -107/-39. Using an in vitro gel mobility shift assay, an A23187-inducible nuclear factor (AINF) was detected from NIH3T3 cells. DNA binding competition experiments indicate that the -107/-39 segment contains a sequence motif which interacts with this cellular factor. Further analysis showed that the two direct repeats, ranging -108/-73 and -72/-40, are the target for AINF binding. A 3-4 fold increase of the AINF binding to both repeated sequences was detected from induced cells. Similar results were also demonstrated in HeLa cells, suggesting that transcriptional control of BiP gene expression in mammalian cells is conserved. These findings also imply that the identified nuclear factor may be important in mediating transcriptional activation of the BiP gene."}
{"id": "PMID:1480471", "title": "SEF1 binding is important for T cell specific enhancers of genes for T cell receptor-CD3 subunits.", "content": "A family of proteins, denoted SL3-3 enhancer factor 1 (SEF1), interacts with DNA sequences in the T cell specific enhancer of SL3-3 murine leukemia virus and in the enhancers of several other viruses. A putative SEF1 binding site was also identified in the T cell specific enhancer of the gene encoding the human T cell antigen receptor (TcR) associated CD3-epsilon polypeptide. In this study we show that the identified sequence is a strong SEF1 binding site, and that purified SEF1 proteins bind specifically to the sequence. We report also that the SEF1 binding site is important for T cell specific activation of transcription by the CD3-epsilon enhancer. We show that SEF1 binding sites are present also in the T cell specific enhancers of other subunits of the TcR-CD3 complex, and that SEF1 proteins appear to play a central role in the T cell specific expression of this set of enhancers."}
{"id": "PMID:1480472", "title": "BsuBI--an isospecific restriction and modification system of PstI: characterization of the BsuBI genes and enzymes.", "content": "The enzymes of the Bacillus subtilis BsuBI restriction/modification (R/M) system recognize the target sequence 5'CTGCAG. The genes of the BsuBI R/M system have been cloned and sequenced and their products have been characterized following overexpression and purification. The gene of the BsuBI DNA methyltransferase (M.BsuBI) consists of 1503 bp, encoding a protein of 501 amino acids with a calculated M(r) of 57.2 kD. The gene of the restriction endonuclease (R.BsuBI), comprising 948 bp, codes for a protein of 316 amino acids with a predicted M(r) of 36.2 kD. M.BsuBI modifies the adenine (A) residue of the BsuBI target site, thus representing the first A-N6-DNA methyltransferase identified in B. subtilis. Like R.PstI, R.BsuBI cleaves between the A residue and the 3' terminal G of the target site. Both enzymes of the BsuBI R/M system are, therefore, functionally identical with those of the PstI R/M system, encoded by the Gram negative species Providencia stuartii. This functional equivalence coincides with a pronounced similarity of the BsuBI/PstI DNA methyltransferases (41% amino acid identity) and restriction endonucleases (46% amino acid identity). Since the genes are also very similar (58% nucleotide identity), the BsuBI and PstI R/M systems apparently have a common evolutionary origin. In spite of the sequence conservation the gene organization is strikingly different in the two R/M systems. While the genes of the PstI R/M system are separated and transcribed divergently, the genes of the BsuBI R/M system are transcribed in the same direction, with the 3' end of the M gene overlapping the 5' end of the R gene by 17 bp."}
{"id": "PMID:1480473", "title": "Replication-dependent and independent regulation of HMG expression during the cell cycle and conjugation in Tetrahymena.", "content": "Two abundant high-mobility-group (HMG)-like proteins, HMG B and HMG C, exist in the ciliated protozoan, Tetrahymena thermophila. Of these, HMG C is specific to transcriptionally active macronuclei, while HMG B is found in macronuclei and in transcriptionally inactive micronuclei [1]. Using Northern and in situ analyses, we show that the genes encoding HMG B and HMG C are not expressed uniformly throughout the vegetative cycle or during the sexual process, conjugation. Elevated expression of both genes is observed during macronuclear S phase of the vegetative cycle and during endoreplication of developing new macronuclei in later stages of conjugation. Interruption of any of these macronuclear DNA replications by aphidicolin leads to a rapid drop in the message levels of HMG B and HMG C. These results resemble what is typically observed for replication-dependent nucleosomal histones and differ from the apparent lack of cell cycle regulation observed for HMG genes in vertebrates. A specific-induction of HMG B mRNA is also observed early in conjugation and during this interval, inhibition of micronuclear DNA synthesis by aphidicolin does not affect the message level of HMG B. Thus, during conjugation, expression of HMG B shows both replication-dependent and independent regulation. Results similar to these with HMG B are obtained with histone H4II gene, a gene which is also expressed during micro- and macronuclear S phases during the vegetative cycle. These results demonstrate surprising complexity in the expression of HMG genes in Tetrahymena and lend support to the hypothesis that cell cycle regulation plays an important role in directing HMG-like proteins to the appropriate nucleus [2]. Interestingly, expression of neither HMG gene is perfectly synchronized with that of histone H4II gene during the developmental program suggesting that important differences exist between vegetatively growing (cell cycle control) and conjugating (developmental control) cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1480474", "title": "Prediction of the structure of the Y+.R-.R(+)-type DNA triple helix by molecular modelling.", "content": "Molecular mechanics has been used to predict the structure of the Y+.R-.R(+)-type DNA triple helix, in which a second polypurine strand binds antiparallel to the homopurine strand of a homopurine/homopyrimidine stretch of duplex DNA. From calculations on the sequence d(C)10.d(G)10.d(G)10, two likely structures emerge. One has the glycosidic torsions of the third strand bases in the anti-conformation and Hoogsteen hydrogen-bonds to the purine strand of the duplex, the other has the third strand purines in the syn orientation and uses a reverse-Hoogsteen hydrogen-bonding pattern. Despite the large structural differences between these two types of triplex, calculations performed in vacuo with a distance-dependent dielectric constant to mimic the shielding effect of solvent show them to be energetically very similar, with the latter (syn) slightly preferred. However, if explicit solvent molecules are included in the calculation, the anti conformation is found to be much preferred. This difference in the results seems to stem from an underestimation of short-range electrostatic interactions in the in vacuo simulations. When TAA or TAT base triples are substituted for the sixth CGG triple in the sequence, it is found that, for the solvated model, the third strand base of the TAA triple prefers the syn orientation while that in the TAT triple retains a preference, though reduced, for the anti conformation."}
{"id": "PMID:1480475", "title": "NMR observation of individual molecules of hydration water bound to DNA duplexes: direct evidence for a spine of hydration water present in aqueous solution.", "content": "The residence times of individual hydration water molecules in the major and minor grooves of DNA were measured by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy in aqueous solutions of d-(CGCGAATTCGCG)2 and d-(AAAAATTTTT)2. The experimental observations were nuclear Overhauser effects (NOE) between water protons and the protons of the DNA. The positive sign of NOEs with the thymine methyl groups shows that the residence times of the hydration water molecules near these protons in the major groove of the DNA must be shorter than about 500 ps, which coincides with the behavior of surface hydration water in peptides and proteins. Negative NOEs were observed with the hydrogen atoms in position 2 of adenine in both duplexes studied. This indicates that a 'spine of hydration' in the minor groove, as observed by X-ray diffraction in DNA crystals, is present also in solution, with residence times significantly longer than 1 ns. Such residence times are reminiscent of 'interior' hydration water molecules in globular proteins, which are an integral part of the molecular architecture both in solution and in crystals."}
{"id": "PMID:1480476", "title": "Solid-phase synthesis of branched oligoribonucleotides related to messenger RNA splicing intermediates.", "content": "The chemical synthesis of oligoribonucleotides containing vicinal (2'-5')- and (3'-5')-phosphodiester linkages is described. The solid-phase method, based on silyl-phosphoramidite chemistry, was applied to the synthesis of a series of branched RNA [(Xp)nA2' (pN)n3'(pN)n] related to the splicing intermediates derived from Saccharomyces cerevisiae rp51a pre-messenger RNA. The branched oligonucleotides have been thoroughly characterized by nucleoside and branched nucleotide composition analysis. Branched oligoribonucleotides will be useful in the study of messenger RNA splicing and in determining the biological role of RNA 'lariats' and 'forks' in vivo."}
{"id": "PMID:1480477", "title": "Identity elements for N2-dimethylation of guanosine-26 in yeast tRNAs.", "content": "N2,N2-dimethylguanosine (m2(2)G) is a characteristic nucleoside that is found in the bend between the dihydro-uridine (D) stem and the anticodon (AC) stem in over 80% of the eukaryotic tRNA species having guanosine at position 26 (G26). However, since a few eukaryotic tRNAs have an unmodified G in that position, G26 is a necessary but not a sufficient condition for dimethylation. In yeast tRNA(Asp) G26 is unmodified. We have successively changed the near surroundings of G26 in this tRNA until G26 became modified to m2(2)G by a tRNA(m2(2)G26)methyltransferase in Xenopus laevis oocytes. In this way we have identified the two D-stem basepairs C11-G24, G10-C25 immediately preceding G26 as major identity elements for the dimethylating enzyme modifying G26. Furthermore, increasing the extra loop in tRNA(Asp) from four to the more usual five bases influenced the global structure of the tRNA such that the m2(2)G26 formation was drastically decreased even if the near region of G26 had the two consensus basepairs. We conclude that not only are the two consensus base pairs in the D-stem a prerequisite for G26 modification, but also is any part of the tRNA molecule that influence the 3D-structure important for the recognition between nuclear coded tRNAs and the tRNA(m2(2)G26)methyltransferase."}
{"id": "PMID:1480478", "title": "A conserved DNA structural control element modulates transcription of a mammalian gene.", "content": "The mammalian dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) gene promoters contain several conserved sequence elements which bind protein, and yet there are other conserved DNA sequences that do not footprint. We report here that mutation of one of these conserved non-footprinting regions increases transcription from this promoter both in vitro and in vivo. We show that this conserved region is flanked by sites hypersensitive to cleavage by methidiumpropyl-EDTA-Fe(II). Furthermore, multimers of a double-stranded oligonucleotide comprised of this region display faster migration through polyacrylamide than control DNA. The difference in mobility is not the result of bending, nor does the primary sequence contain features that would predict altered mobility. We propose that this 'Structural Control Element' is rigid and down-regulates transcription by inhibiting interactions between proteins binding adjacent to this region."}
{"id": "PMID:1480479", "title": "Introns of the chicken ovalbumin gene promote nucleosome alignment in vitro.", "content": "A defined in vitro chromatin assembly system was used to examine the nucleosome alignment induced by histone H5 throughout a 12 kilobase pair chicken genomic DNA fragment containing the ovalbumin gene. In contrast with total fragmented chicken DNA and several anonymous cloned fragments, much of the gene permitted histone H5 to space nucleosomes at physiological intervals in an extended array. Nucleosomes at the 3'-end of the gene and on approximately 4 kilobase pairs of 5'-flanking ovalbumin sequence did not become aligned to appreciable extents. Analysis of cloned 2-3 kilobase pair subfragments suggested that a strong nucleosome alignment signal, specifying a 196 +/- 5 base pair repeat exists in intron E. A second discrete region of the gene, which mapped approximately to intron A, exhibited nucleosome alignment with a spacing periodicity of about 200 base pairs. The ovalbumin cDNA did not permit nucleosome alignment. These findings suggest that some of the introns contain signals that direct nucleosome alignment over the ovalbumin gene in a way conducive to its regulation."}
{"id": "PMID:1480480", "title": "Differential utilization of poly (A) signals between DHFR alleles in CHL cells.", "content": "The Chinese hamster cell line, DC-3F, is heterozygous at the DHFR locus, and each allele can be distinguished on the basis of a unique DNA restriction pattern, protein isoelectric profile and in the abundancy of the DHFR mRNAs it expresses. Although each allele produces four transcripts, 1000, 1650 and 2150 nucleotides [corrected] in length, the relative distribution of these RNAs differs for each; the 2150 nt mRNA represents the major (60%) species generated from one allele, while the 1000 nt mRNA is the major species generated from the other. The allele that predominantly expresses the 2150 nt transcript is preferentially overexpressed when DC-3F cells are subjected to selection in methotrexate. We have analyzed the 3' ends of both DHFR alleles and have found that the three major mRNAs arise by readthrough of multiple polyadenylation signals. A four base deletion in one allele changes the consensus polyadenylation signal AAUAAA to AAUAAU, resulting in the utilization of a cryptic polyadenylation signal lying 21 bp upstream. Surprisingly, this mutation in the third polyadenylation signal appears to affect not only the utilization of this signal, but also the efficiency with which the first signal, located 1171 bp upstream from the third site, is utilized."}
{"id": "PMID:1480481", "title": "Cloning and characterization of rad21 an essential gene of Schizosaccharomyces pombe involved in DNA double-strand-break repair.", "content": "Analysis of the Schizosaccharomyces pombe chromosomes by pulsed field gel electrophoresis showed that the fission yeast has a very efficient DNA double-strand-break (dsb) repair system, which properly restores the three chromosomes after they are degraded by gamma-irradiation. The radiation-sensitive mutant rad21-45 is deficient in this repair pathway but is capable of cell-cycle arrest in G2 following DNA damage. We cloned the rad21 gene by complementing the radiation sensitivity of the rad21-45 mutant. The plasmid-borne gene completely reestablished the DNA dsb repair pathway. The rad21 gene was localized to chromosome III by hybridization. The transcript is 2.5 kb long and expressed at a moderate level. The 1884-bp open reading frame encodes a 628 amino acid, very acidic peptide with a calculated molecular mass of 67,854 D. The rad21 gene shows no significant homology to other known nucleotide or peptide sequences. The inability of the mutant to perform efficient DNA repair is caused by a single base substitution, which changes wild-type isoleucine67 into threonine in the mutant. Deletion of the genomic rad21 gene showed that it is essential for mitotic growth of S.pombe."}
{"id": "PMID:1480482", "title": "Mutations at the guanosine-binding site of the Tetrahymena ribozyme also affect site-specific hydrolysis.", "content": "Self-splicing group I introns use guanosine as a nucleophile to cleave the 5' splice site. The guanosine-binding site has been localized to the G264-C311 base pair of the Tetrahymena intron on the basis of analysis of mutations that change the specificity of the nucleophile from G (guanosine) to 2AP (2-aminopurine ribonucleoside) (F. Michel et al. (1989) Nature 342, 391-395). We studied the effect of these mutations (G-U, A-C and A-U replacing G264-C311) in the L-21 ScaI version of the Tetrahymena ribozyme. In this enzymatic system (kcat/Km)G monitors the cleavage step. This kinetic parameter decreased by at least 5 x 10(3) when the G264-C311 base pair was mutated to an A-U pair, while (kcat/Km)2AP increased at least 40-fold. This amounted to an overall switch in specificity of at least 2 x 10(5). The nucleophile specificity (G > 2AP for the G-C and G-U pairs, 2AP > G for the A-U and A-C pairs) was consistent with the proposed hydrogen bond between the nucleotide at position 264 and N1 of the nucleophile. Unexpectedly, the A-U and A-C mutants showed a decrease of an order of magnitude in the rate of ribozyme-catalyzed hydrolysis of RNA, in which H2O or OH- replaces G as the nucleophile, whereas the G-U mutant showed a decrease of only 2-fold. The low hydrolysis rates were not restored by raising the Mg2+ concentration or lowering the temperature. In addition, the mutant ribozymes exhibited a pattern of cleavage by Fe(II)-EDTA indistinguishable from that of the wild type, and the [Mg2+]1/2 for folding of the A-U mutant ribozyme was the same as that of the wild type. Therefore the guanosine-binding site mutations do not appear to have a major effect on RNA folding or stability. Because changing G264 affects the hydrolysis reaction without perturbing the global folding of the RNA, we conclude that the catalytic role of this conserved nucleotide is not limited to guanosine binding."}
{"id": "PMID:1480483", "title": "Euplotes crassus has genes encoding telomere-binding proteins and telomere-binding protein homologs.", "content": "We have identified two 1.6 kb macronuclear DNA molecules from Euplotes crassus that hybridize to the alpha subunit of the Oxytricha telomere protein. We have shown that one of these molecules encodes the 51 kDa Euplotes telomere protein while the other appears to encode a homolog of the telomere protein. Although this homolog clearly differs in sequence from the Euplotes telomere protein, the two proteins share extensive amino acid sequence identity with each other and with the alpha subunit of the Oxytricha telomere protein. In all three proteins 35-36% of the amino acids are identical, while 54-56% are similar. The most extended regions of sequence conservation map within the N-terminal section; this section has been shown to comprise the DNA-binding domain in the Euplotes telomere protein. Our findings suggest that some of the conserved amino acids may be involved in DNA recognition and binding. The gene encoding the telomere protein homolog contains two introns; one of these introns is only 24 bp in length. This is the smallest mRNA intron reported to date."}
{"id": "PMID:1480484", "title": "A single-stranded DNA binding protein from mouse tumor cells specifically recognizes the C-rich strand of the (AGG:CCT)n repeats that can alter DNA conformation.", "content": "A protein that binds to a synthetic oligonucleotide of (CCT)12 has been purified from Ehrlich ascites tumor cells by a (CCT)12 affinity chromatography. The protein (p70) has an apparent molecular mass of 70 kDa, as assayed by Southwestern analysis. A competition experiment revealed that p70 binds to (CCT)12, (CCCT)8 and (CCTCCCT)6, but not to (CTT)12, (CT)16 and (CCTGCCT)6, suggesting that p70 has a sequence-specificity. The complementary (AGG)12 and the double stranded DNA did not show the binding. It is also confirmed by S1 nuclease analysis that the (AGG:CCT)12 duplex takes a single-stranded conformation in the absence of the protein. This raises a possibility that the duplex forms two single-stranded loops in chromosomes, the C-rich strand being bound to p70. Structural analysis of the resulting (AGG)12 strand by non-denaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis demonstrated the presence of slower and faster migrated conformers in a neutral pH buffer containing 50 mM NaCl at 5 degrees C. The ratio was dependent on the DNA concentration. Both conformers disappeared in the absence of NaCl. This suggests that (AGG)12 can form intra- and inter-molecular complexes by non-Watson-Crick, guanine:guanine base-pairing. The possible biological function of the (AGG:CCT)n duplex and the p70 is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1480485", "title": "Crystal and molecular structure of the alternating dodecamer d(GCGTACGTACGC) in the A-DNA form: comparison with the isomorphous non-alternating dodecamer d(CCGTACGTACGG).", "content": "The crystal structure of the alternating dodecamer d(GCGTACGTACGC) (5'-GC) has been determined to a resolution of 2.55A using oscillation film data. The crystals belong to space group P6(1) 22, a = b = 46.2A, c = 71.5A with one strand in the asymmetric unit, and are isomorphous with a previously described non-alternating dodecamer, d(CCGTACGTACGG) (5'-CC). Refinement by X-PLOR/NUCLSQ gave a final R factor of 14.2% for 1089 observations. The molecule adopts the A-DNA form. The interchange of the terminal base pairs in the two dodecamers results in differences in the intermolecular contacts and may account for the differences in the bending. This dodecamer shows an axial deflection of 30 degrees, in the direction of the major groove compared to 20 degrees in 5'-CC and may be a consequence of additional contacts generated in 5'-GC by the interchange of end base pairs. The high helical axis deflection appreciably influences the local helical parameters. The molecule exhibits relatively high inclination angles, and has a narrow major groove. The helical parameters when described relative to the dyad-related hexamer halves of the molecule give more reasonable values. The crystal packing, local helical parameters, torsion angles, and hydration are described and also compared with the non-alternating 5'-CC dodecamer."}
{"id": "PMID:1480486", "title": "Small sequence insertions within the branch point region dictate alternative sites of lariat formation in a yeast intron.", "content": "The problem of intron recognition in S. cerevisiae appears to be in part solved by the strong conservation of intron encoded splicing signals, in particular the 5' GUAUGU and the branch point UACUAAC which interact via base pairing with the RNA components of U1 and U2 snRNPs respectively. Nevertheless, the mere presence of such signals is insufficient for splicing to occur. In the S. cerevisiae ACT1 intron, a silent UACUAAC-like sequence (UACUAAG) is located 7 nucleotides upstream of the canonical branch point signal. In order to investigate whether other factors, in addition to the U2-UACUAAC base-pair interactions, affect branch point selection in yeast, we created a cis-competition assay by converting the UACUAAG to a strong branch point signal (UACUAAC). If simply having a canonical UACUAAC sequence were sufficient for lariat formation, a 1:1 ratio in usage of the two signals should have been observed. In this double branch point intron, however, the downstream UACUAAC is utilized preferentially (4:1). Results obtained from the analyses of numerous sequence variants flanking the two UACUAAC sequences, demonstrate that non-conserved sequences in the branch point region are able to define lariat formation. Consequently, we conclude that U2 base-pairing is not the only requirement determining branch point selection in yeast, and local structure in the vicinity of the branch point could play a critical role in its recognition."}
{"id": "PMID:1480487", "title": "Digital chemiluminescence imaging of DNA sequencing blots using a charge-coupled device camera.", "content": "Digital chemiluminescence imaging with a cryogenically cooled charge-coupled device (CCD) camera is used to visualize DNA sequencing fragments covalently bound to a blotting membrane. The detection is based on DNA hybridization with an alkaline phosphatase(AP) labeled oligodeoxyribonucleotide probe and AP triggered chemiluminescence of the substrate 3-(2'-spiro-adamantane)-4-methoxy-4-(3\"-phosphoryloxy)phenyl- 1,2-dioxetane (AMPPD). The detection using a direct AP-oligonucleotide conjugate is compared to the secondary detection of biotinylated oligonucleotides with respect to their sensitivity and nonspecific binding to the nylon membrane by quantitative imaging. Using the direct oligonucleotide-AP conjugate as a hybridization probe, sub-attomol (0.5 pg of 2.7 kb pUC plasmid DNA) quantities of membrane bound DNA are detectable with 30 min CCD exposures. Detection using the biotinylated probe in combination with streptavidin-AP was found to be background limited by nonspecific binding of streptavidin-AP and the oligo(biotin-11-dUTP) label in equal proportions. In contrast, the nonspecific background of AP-labeled oligonucleotide is indistinguishable from that seen with 5'-32P-label, in that respect making AP an ideal enzymatic label. The effect of hybridization time, probe concentration, and presence of luminescence enhancers on the detection of plasmid DNA were investigated."}
{"id": "PMID:1480488", "title": "Effect of glycerol on the separation of nucleosomes and bent DNA in low ionic strength polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.", "content": "We report that glycerol changes the separation characteristics of polyacrylamide nucleoprotein gels in which it is included as a stabilizing agent. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis fractionates DNA and nucleosomes according to net negative charge, mass and conformation. With glycerol included, fractionation seems to be largely based on particle mass and charge. The conformation factor in separation is progressively lost with increasing glycerol concentrations. Nucleosome positions on the same DNA fragment are no longer resolved, while the difference in electrophoretic mobility between core particles and nucleosomes carrying longer DNA becomes smaller and is eventually lost. The retardation of bent DNA is also much reduced. Using the differences in separation characteristics between glycerol-containing and regular nucleoprotein gels could be a new means to obtain information on macromolecules in solution."}
{"id": "PMID:1480489", "title": "Periodic binding of individual core histones to DNA: inadvertent purification of the core histone H2B as a putative enhancer-binding factor.", "content": "By using a DNase I footprinting assay, we have purified a factor by DNA affinity chromatography that binds to the minimal enhancer region of the Drosophila knirps gene and subsequently identified the protein as the core histone H2B. This inadvertent purification of a core histone as a putative sequence-specific DNA binding protein was due to a previously unknown property of H2B to interact with DNA in a periodic manner. Moreover, we found that each of the individual core histones, but not histone H1 or high mobility group protein 1, bound to the knirps enhancer to give a repetitive DNase I footprint pattern with a periodicity of about 10 base pairs, which is approximately one turn of the DNA helix. In addition, preparations containing the core histones H2A-H2B or H3-H4 yielded identical periodic DNase I footprint patterns on several different promoter and enhancer regions. These findings suggest that there are periodic, homotypic interactions between DNA-bound core histones that result from an alteration of the overall DNA structure such as the curvature rather than a specific sequence. We have also shown that histones H2A-H2B can repress initiation of transcription by RNA polymerase II. The phenomena described here may reflect histone-DNA interactions in non-nucleosomal stretches of chromatin and could be involved in some aspects of either rotational or translational positioning of nucleosomes. Furthermore, these findings indicate that a repeated 10 bp DNase I ladder, which has previously been considered to be a property of an intact nucleosome, can also be generated with subnucleosomal components. It will thus be necessary to reevaluate the criteria applied to the analysis of nucleosomes both in vivo and in vitro."}
{"id": "PMID:1480490", "title": "Plateau distributions of DNA fragment lengths produced by extended light exposure of extranuclear photosensitizers in human cells.", "content": "We have exploited properties of photosensitizers to study an aspect of the packing of chromatin in the cell nucleus. The fluorescent photosensitizers mesotetra(3-hydroxyphenyl) porphyrin and Photofrin II were both localized in the nuclear membrane and other membrane structures, but could not be found inside the nuclei. Light exposure of cells at 1 degrees C in the presence of the sensitizers induced DNA double-strand breaks. The length distributions of DNA fragments were determined by pulsed field gel electrophoresis. Because DNA damage is produced mainly via singlet oxygen diffusing less than 0.1 microns from the sensitizer, DNA double-strand breaks were supposedly produced within this distance of the nuclear membrane. Consistent with this, with prolonged illumination and with increasing concentrations of sensitizer the distribution of DNA fragment lengths reached a plateau level. In contrast, with the hydrophilic, intranuclear sensitizer meso-tetra(4-sulphonatophenyl)porphyrin, no such plateau level was found. The plateau distributions of DNA fragment lengths of different cell types had the same general shape with average fragment lengths ranging from 174 to 194 kilobasepairs. Particular genes, c-myc, fos and p53, were found on broad distributions of photocleaved fragment lengths. The results indicate that on each side of the genes the locus of the chromatin fibre situated close to the nuclear membrane, varied randomly."}
{"id": "PMID:1480491", "title": "Novel in-frame two codon translational hop during synthesis of bovine placental lactogen in a recombinant strain of Escherichia coli.", "content": "A recombinant Escherichia coli strain was constructed for the overexpression of bovine placental lactogen (bPL), using a bPL structural gene containing 9 of the rare arginine codons AGA and AGG. When high level bPL synthesis was induced in this strain, cell growth was inhibited and bPL accumulated to less than 10% of total cell protein. In addition, about 2% of the recombinant bPL produced from this strain exhibited an altered trypsin digestion pattern. Amino acid residues 74 through 109 normally produce 2 tryptic peptides, but the altered form of bPL lacked these two peptides and instead had a new peptide which was missing arginine residue 86 and one of the two flanking leucine residues. The codon for arginine residue 86 was AGG and the codons for the flanking leucine residues 85 and 87 were TTG. When 5 of the 9 AGA and AGG codons in the bPL structural gene were changed to more preferred arginine codons, cell growth was not inhibited and bPL accumulated to about 30% of total cell protein. When bPL was purified from this modified strain, which included changing the arginine codon at position 86 from AGG to CGT, none of the altered form of bPL was produced. These observations are consistent with a model in which translational pausing occurs at the arginine residue 86 AGG codon because the corresponding arginyl-tRNA species is reduced by the high level of bPL synthesis, and a translational hop occurs from the leucine residue 85 TTG codon to the leucine residue 87 TTG codon. This observation represents the first report of an error in protein synthesis due to an in-frame translational hop within an open reading frame."}
{"id": "PMID:1480501", "title": "Selective decontamination of the digestive tract as an infection-control measure in intensive care unit patients.", "content": "Infection is responsible for a large percentage of morbidity and mortality in intensive care unit (ICU) patients. Conventional infection-control measures are directed at decreasing infection by exogenous sources and have had variable success in significantly reducing nosocomial infection rates. Selective gastrointestinal decontamination with topical nonabsorbable antibiotics attempts to reduce infection by eliminating intestinal mucosal colonization by pathogenic microorganisms. These antibiotics are selectively bactericidal against gram-negative organisms and yeasts, thereby leaving the normal flora (mainly anaerobes) unharmed. In the majority of clinical trials, selective decontamination effectively reduced colonization and infection among ICU patients, with the most significant reductions observed in gram-negative respiratory infections. Resistance to the antimicrobials was not documented in the majority of trials; however, follow-up periods were minimal and may not have been adequate to detect selection of resistant strains. Reductions in infection do not alter mortality; however, patients without significant underlying disease appear to be the subgroup that will most likely benefit."}
{"id": "PMID:1480502", "title": "Pharmacodynamic factors of antibiotic efficacy.", "content": "The primary focus of the pharmaceutical industry in past years has been on developing more potent antibiotics rather than on establishing optimum therapy with currently available agents. Concepts that can be used to tailor patient- and pathogen-specific antimicrobial regimens include concentration-dependent killing, concentration-independent killing, and postantibiotic effect. It is possible to administer single daily doses (SDD) of aminoglycosides; however, a fixed SDD regimen cannot meet the goals for therapy in all patients. Instead, it is necessary to consider both pharmacodynamic concepts and pharmacokinetic principles. Even with tailored, patient-specific regimens, however, limitations exist with antibiotic therapy alone. Immunotherapy, used as an adjunct to antimicrobial therapy, may play a role in improving patient outcomes."}
{"id": "PMID:1480503", "title": "The role of the fluoroquinolones.", "content": "Over the past decade, the quinolone antimicrobial class has enjoyed a renaissance with the emergence of the fluoroquinolone subclass. Norfloxacin, ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin, enoxacin, and lomefloxacin have the advantages of broad antimicrobial activity profiles including gram-positive and -negative aerobes, favorable pharmacokinetic profiles including substantial oral bioavailability and extensive tissue distribution, and in general, favorable safety profiles. As clinical experience accumulates, our understanding of their optimum roles will become more refined. In six instances, these agents may be preferred over currently available agents: complicated urinary tract infections, empiric therapy of suspected bacterial gastroenteritis, eradication of the Salmonella carrier state, respiratory exacerbations due to Pseudomonas aeruginosa in patients with cystic fibrosis, invasive external otitis, and chronic gram-negative bacillary osteomyelitis. The efficacy and convenience of these agents for the treatment of a broad range of infections have already resulted in their extensive use. Such use carries the risk of selection pressure for the development of resistance and the adverse consequences of increased cost over less expensive, equally effective alternatives. The use of the fluoroquinolones should focus on infections where there is demonstrated benefit of these agents over conventional agents or infections for which there are few or no alternatives."}
{"id": "PMID:1480504", "title": "Problems and dilemmas of antimicrobial resistance.", "content": "An important obstacle to the long-term efficacy of an antimicrobial agent is the appearance and spread of resistance to the agent. The fact that many antimicrobials are produced by microorganisms in nature may provide long-term selective pressure for the emergence of resistance in antibiotic-producing as well as -nonproducing organisms. Indeed, the rapidity with which many resistances have appeared after the introduction of a new antibiotic suggests that these resistance genes were already present somewhere in nature prior to clinical use. In the hospital setting, the most recent worrisome resistance traits to emerge include plasmid-mediated resistance to imipenem and to third-generation cephalosporins among nosocomial gram-negative bacteria, and the acquisition of resistance to vancomycin by enterococci. Methicillin-resistant staphylococci continue to be a problem and are increasingly resistant to numerous other agents such as rifampin and the newer fluoroquinolones. The most important resistances seen in community-acquired organisms include beta-lactam resistance in pneumococci and combined ampicillin and chloramphenicol resistance in Haemophilus influenzae. Shigellae resistant to essentially all commonly used oral agents are also a problem, particularly in developing countries. No end is in sight to the problem of antimicrobial resistance, and thus new strategies to prevent infections and control resistant organisms continue to be necessary."}
{"id": "PMID:1480505", "title": "Recent developments in vaccines and immunization practices.", "content": "Dramatic changes have been made in the recommended schedule for immunizations, and for a variety of reasons: greater understanding of risks associated with whole-cell pertussis vaccine; introduction of more immunogenic vaccines to prevent invasive disease caused by Haemophilus influenzae type B; a national epidemic of measles that affected many vaccinated individuals; and the failure of targeted use of vaccine in high-risk patients to reduce the occurrence of hepatitis B. Additional changes in recommended regimens can be anticipated as new products are introduced. However, for vaccines to have their greatest impact, improved adherence to recommended immunization practices is necessary."}
{"id": "PMID:1480507", "title": "Plasma endothelin-1 concentrations in the coronary sinus in dogs with artificially induced myocardial infarction.", "content": "We have previously reported the marked increase in plasma levels of endothelin-1 in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). To investigate the effects of severe myocardial ischemia on the production of endothelin-1, plasma concentrations of endothelin-1 were measured by a sandwich-type enzyme immunoassay that we developed recently in both the coronary sinus and the aorta of dogs with artificially induced AMI. Dogs were anesthetized and chests were opened. The proximal left anterior descending coronary artery was completely occluded by ligation for 1 h and then was reperfused for 1 h. Throughout the experiment (at the end of occlusion for 1 h, at the beginning of reperfusion, at the end of reperfusion for 1 h), plasma endothelin-1 levels were not significantly altered either in the coronary sinus or in the aorta. The present findings indicate that severe myocardial ischemia itself does not affect the production of endothelin-1 in the coronary circulation of dogs."}
{"id": "PMID:1480506", "title": "Protective effect of cerulein on memory impairment induced by protein synthesis inhibitors in rats.", "content": "Previous studies have demonstrated that NMDA receptor antagonists and protein kinase C inhibitors induced marked memory impairment in rats, but that peripherally administered cerulein (CER) prevented these effects. In the present study, the effect of subcutaneously administered CER on amnesia induced by protein synthesis inhibitors was examined in passive and active avoidance responses and in the Morris water maze test. Intraperitoneal injection of the inhibitors produced marked memory impairment, but the effect was abolished by combined administration with CER. The effective dose of subcutaneously injected CER was, on a molar basis, three thousand- and six thousandfold less than the dose of anisomycin, and two hundred eighty- and three thousandfold less than the dose of puromycin in the passive and active avoidance response experiments, respectively. Similarly, in the Morris water maze test, behavioral disturbances produced by the protein synthesis inhibitors were abolished by CER. These results indicate the effectiveness of CER in preventing memory impairment induced by protein synthesis inhibitors."}
{"id": "PMID:1480509", "title": "Effects of pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide (PACAP) and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) on the cardiovascular system in sheep.", "content": "The cardiovascular effects of PACAP and VIP were studied in intact conscious sheep; PACAP (0.008, 0.04, 0.2, and 1.0 nmol/min) and VIP (0.07, 0.2, 0.6, and 1.8 nmol/min) were infused in conscious sheep for periods of 10 min. For each peptide there was a dose-dependent increase in heart rate. At the highest doses tested, pulse pressure and mean arterial pressure tended to increase and decrease, respectively. However, only the decrease in mean arterial pressure following the highest dose of VIP reached significance. At the highest doses tested, heart rate increased nearly threefold during the infusion while mean arterial pressure declined by 18.5%. In individual animals the decrease in blood pressure and increase in heart rate occurred simultaneously, so that we were unable to conclude whether the increase in heart rate was due to a baroreceptor reflex."}
{"id": "PMID:1480511", "title": "Orcokinin: a novel myotropic peptide from the nervous system of the crayfish, Orconectes limosus.", "content": "A myotropic peptide, named orcokinin, was isolated from approximately 1200 abdominal nerve cords of the crayfish, Orconectes limosus. Its amino acid sequence was determined as follows: Asn-Phe-Asp-Glu-Ile-Asp-Arg-Ser-Gly-Phe-Gly-Phe-Asn. This structure was confirmed by synthesis. There is no sequence similarity to any known neuropeptide. Orcokinin exhibits high potency on the crayfish hindgut, enhancing both frequency and amplitude of spontaneous contractions. The threshold of biological activity in vitro was determined to be approximately 5 x 10(-11) M."}
{"id": "PMID:1480512", "title": "Gi protein mediates adenylate cyclase inhibition by neurohypophyseal hormones in fish gill.", "content": "Adenylate cyclase activity was measured on membrane fractions from the gill epithelium of rainbow trout Salmo gairdneri. Basal and glucagon-stimulated activities responded negatively to homologous neurohypophyseal peptides (arginine-vasotocin and isotocin). This inhibitory effect was totally abolished in the presence of pertussis toxin (IAP). The guanine nucleotide dependence of the enzyme was further explored by using GTP, GDP, and their stable analogs Gpp(NH)p, GTP gamma S, and GDP beta S. The results suggest that neurohypophyseal peptides at low concentrations inhibit the adenylate cyclase system directly by way of a Gi-protein, thus implying the intervention of a new type of membrane receptor for these hormones in fish gills."}
{"id": "PMID:1480510", "title": "Isolation of Leu-Pro-Pro-Gly-Pro-Leu-Pro-Arg-Pro-NH2 (Antho-RPamide), an N-terminally protected, biologically active neuropeptide from sea anemones.", "content": "Using a radioimmunoassay against the C-terminal sequence Arg-Pro-NH2 (RPamide), we have isolated the peptide Leu-Pro-Pro-Gly-Pro-Leu-Pro-Arg-Pro-NH2 (Antho-RPamide) from an extract of the sea anemone Anthopleura elegantissima. Antho-RPamide is located in neurons of sea anemones. Application of low concentrations of Antho-RPamide to tentacle preparations of sea anemones strongly increased the frequency and duration of spontaneous contractions, suggesting that this peptide is involved in neurotransmission. Antho-RPamide has a free N-terminus, yet its X-Pro-Pro sequence makes it relatively resistant to degradation by nonspecific aminopeptidases. Thus, we have discovered another strategy by which sea anemones protect the N-termini of their bioactive neuropeptides."}
{"id": "PMID:1480508", "title": "C-type natriuretic peptide immunoreactivity in human breast vascular endothelial cells.", "content": "The present study was undertaken to determine the presence of CNP immunoreactivity in human breast tissue (n = 9). Immunohistochemical staining of breast tissue revealed the presence of CNP immunoreactivity localized to vascular endothelial cells. This study demonstrates for the first time that CNP immunoreactivity is present in humans. Based upon the knows biological actions of CNP, these findings suggest that CNP may function as part of an endothelium-derived vasoregulatory system."}
{"id": "PMID:1480514", "title": "D-Pen2-[D-Pen5]enkephalin impairs acquisition and enhances retention of a one-way active avoidance response in rats.", "content": "We reported previously that D-Pen2-[D-Pen5]enkephalin (DPDE), a delta-opioid receptor selective analog of Leu-enkephalin, impairs acquisition of an automated jump-up avoidance response in rats and acquisition of a one-way active avoidance response in mice. In the present study we investigated the effects of DPDPE on one-way avoidance conditioning in rats. The rats received two escape-only trials on day 1 and eight additional training trials on day 2. DPDPE (1.16 micrograms/kg IP) administered prior to training on day 2 impaired acquisition of the avoidance response. On the other hand, DPDPE (0.332 microgram/kg IP) administered following presentation of the two escape-only trials on day 1 significantly enhanced retention, as measured by improved one-way active avoidance performance on day 2. These results indicate that activation of delta-opioid receptors by DPDPE has a modulatory effect on acquisition and retention of aversively motivated performance."}
{"id": "PMID:1480513", "title": "Endogenous corticotropin-releasing factor modulates feeding induced by neuropeptide Y or a tail-pinch stressor.", "content": "Previous work has characterized an anorexic action for endogenous, central nervous system corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF). Central injection of CRF decreases food intake induced pharmacologically by various appetite stimulants and a CRF antagonist attenuates restraint stress anorexia. Also, stressful physiological stimuli that are relevant to ingestive regulation, such as glucoprivation and protein nutrient deficiency, activate CRF systems. The present experiments examined the effects of exogenously administered CRF and a CRF antagonist, alpha-helical CRF(9-41), on spontaneous feeding induced by neuropeptide Y (NPY) and by a tail-pinch stressor. Pretreatment with a low dose of the CRF antagonist (1 microgram ICV) enhanced the hyperphagia induced by NPY while reducing the latency to begin feeding and increasing the duration of eating during tail pinch. Higher doses of alpha-hel CRF (5 and 25 micrograms ICV) exhibited diminishing or opposite effects. In contrast, CRF pretreatment (0.02, 0.1, and 0.5 microgram ICV) blocked the acquisition of tail-pinch feeding. Hence, while CRF administration impairs intake in these and other feeding paradigms, alpha-hel CRF actually facilitated dose dependently the intensity of the feeding response to NPY and tail pinch. These results suggest that endogenous CRF systems may play a role in modulating excessive feeding under conditions of evoked appetite and that brain CRF systems regulate feeding when excessive intake threatens to compromise the performance of other noningestive behaviors."}
{"id": "PMID:1480517", "title": "Trypsin inhibitor and maternal reunion increase plasma cholecystokinin in neonatal rats.", "content": "Intragastric soybean trypsin inhibitor increased plasma CCK bioactivity by 87% in nondeprived, 9-12-day-old rat pups. Reunion with the dam for 1 h after overnight maternal deprivation also increased plasma CCK significantly. These results demonstrate that CCK can be released from the small intestine of rats as early as postnatal day 9."}
{"id": "PMID:1480518", "title": "Guanine nucleotide regulation of VIP binding to rat peritoneal macrophage membranes.", "content": "In the present study, we have examined the effect of guanine nucleotides on VIP binding to rat peritoneal macrophage membranes. Both guanosine 5'-triphosphate (GTP) and its nonhydrolizable analog guanosine 5'-beta, Y-imidotriphosphate [Gpp(NH)p] inhibited, in a dose-dependent manner, the VIP binding to its specific binding sites. Half-maximal inhibition (IC50) was observed at 5.4 +/- 0.5 microM GTP. The inhibitory effect of GTP was due to an increase of the dissociation rate of peptide bound to membranes. The specificity of the binding inhibition was assessed from the lack of action of the other nucleotides tested. These results directly suggest the coupling of VIP binding sites with guanine nucleotide binding proteins in rat peritoneal macrophage membranes."}
{"id": "PMID:1480519", "title": "Intracerebroventricularly administered atrial natriuretric peptide (ANP) antiserum attenuates fear-motivated learning behavior in rats.", "content": "Previous studies have demonstrated that rANP(1-28) administered into the lateral cerebroventricle facilitates consolidation of the passive avoidance response and delays extinction of the active avoidance response in fear-motivated learning in rats. To study the role of endogenous ANP in the same learning processes, the effects of different dilutions of ANP antiserum were investigated following their intracerebroventricular administration to rats. At dilutions of 1:40 and 1:60, the ANP antiserum attenuated consolidation of the passive avoidance response. It also facilitated extinction of the active avoidance response at a dilution of 1:2. The results suggest that endogenous ANP might be considered a modulating agent in the brain, and is involved in the learning processes and memory trace formation, since intracerebroventricularly administered antiserum against ANP attenuated fear-motivated learning behavior in the experimental animals."}
{"id": "PMID:1480516", "title": "Protein synthesis in the hippocampus associated with memory facilitation by corticotropin-releasing factor in rats.", "content": "The present study used pharmacological, biochemical, and behavioral methods to examine the role of protein synthesis in the hippocampus in memory processes of a passive avoidance learning in rats. Results indicated that corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) significantly improved memory retention in rats. Both cycloheximide (CHX) and actinomycin-D (ACT-D) impaired memory at high doses. At doses of CHX and ACT-D that did not affect memory alone, they both antagonized the memory-enhancing effect of CRF. Biochemically, there were specific increases in the optical density of three protein bands in the cytosolic fraction of hippocampal cells in rats showing good memory. There were also marked increases in the optical density of two protein bands in the nucleus fraction of the same animals. Similar results were observed in animals injected with CRF. However, no significant protein alteration was observed in animals receiving stress. These results together suggest that there are new protein syntheses in the hippocampus that are specifically associated with passive avoidance learning in rats."}
{"id": "PMID:1480515", "title": "Benzodiazepine suppression of corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF)-induced beta-endorphin release from rat neurointermediate pituitary.", "content": "Dopamine and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) inhibit POMC peptide release from the pituitary intermediate lobe, via interaction with D2 or GABA-A/benzodiazepine receptors. Here, we examined the effects of an antianxiety triazolobenzodiazepine, adinazolam, on corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF)-stimulated POMC peptide secretion from the rat neurointermediate pituitary. Neurointermediate lobes (NILS) were incubated with CRF (10(-7) M), then adinazolam (10(-8) or (10(-9) M) was added, with CRF remaining in the medium. Aliquots were removed at 15-min intervals and frozen for radioimmunoassay of beta-endorphin. Adinazolam alone did not significantly affect secretion as compared to controls or CRF alone. Adinazolam incubated with CRF led to significant inhibition of beta-endorphin secretion, as compared to CRF alone. In addition, adinazolam was as effective as dopamine or the CRF antagonist, alpha-helical CRF, in preventing CRF-induced beta-endorphin release. Adinazolam appears to act directly on the pituitary to suppress hormone release induced by a stress-related hypothalamic peptide."}
{"id": "PMID:1480522", "title": "[Evaluation of the usefulness of analysis of beta-glucuronidase levels in patients with superficial cancer and papilloma of the bladder].", "content": "Beta-glucuronidase activity in the blood serum, the urine, and tumour tissue has been assayed in patients with superficial bladder neoplasm and papilloma of the bladder prior to and after transurethral electroresection (TUR). Twenty five healthy subjects constituted a control group. It was shown that the activity of beta-glucuronidase may be a valuable test in the differential diagnosis of bladder neoplastic lesions as well as in the assessment of the results of therapy with transurethral electroresection."}
{"id": "PMID:1480523", "title": "[Histological structure of the testes in andropause].", "content": "A structure of the convoluted tubuli, spermatogenesis and number of Leydig's cells in the andropause have been analysed in dependence on the degree of symptoms intensity. A control group included otherwise healthy men with ++post-inflammatory azoospermia. A percentage of the convoluted tubuli with normal tissue (p < .002) and spermatogenesis (p < .001) has been significantly decreased in andropause. The number of Leydig's cells has not differed in andropause and in a control group (p < .05). No difference of significance have been noted in the structure of convoluted tubuli, spermatogenesis, and Leydig's cells number depending on the intensity of symptoms. FSH and LH levels have been significantly increased in andropause (p < .001). No relationship between FSH and LH levels and percentage of the abnormal convoluted tubuli has been observed. However there have been a relationship between FSH and LH levels and the number of abnormal convoluted tubuli with spermatogenesis inhibition and intensified clinical symptoms. There has also been a relationship between FSH and LH levels and Leydig's cells number in patients with marked symptoms of andropause."}
{"id": "PMID:1480525", "title": "[Development of biological value of sperm in delayed puberty].", "content": "Changes in the biological value of sperm depending on the time of the first ejaculation are presented. A control group included 194 boys with normal puberty in whom a biologic value of sperm was evaluated in dependence of the first ejaculation. In all time points a biological value of sperm was significantly worse in the delayed puberty than that in the control group. Twenty four months following the first ejaculation sperm was not normal in any case whereas in the control group normospermia prevailed in this period of time."}
{"id": "PMID:1480526", "title": "[Ureteral anastomosis by Nd:YAG laser light; experimental studies in dogs].", "content": "The results of experimental ureteral anastomoses with laser Nd:YAG are discussed. Cut ureters were anastomosed in all animals. Anastomosis consisted of the scar of the connective tissue covered with intermediate epithelium and scarring process was quicker, if modelling catheter was used."}
{"id": "PMID:1480520", "title": "Tests of adipsia and conditioned taste aversion following the intrahypothalamic injection of amylin.", "content": "Intrahypothalamic injection of amylin (AMY) was shown to reduce the intake of rat chow and water for 8 and 4 h, respectively, in schedule-fed rats. Amylin also reduced water intake to a much lesser degree in 24-h water-deprived rats. A test of the ability of AMY to form a conditioned taste aversion yielded no change in saccharin preference, as compared to controls treated with vehicle. These results suggest that although AMY has adipsic effects, the reduction in water is not of sufficient magnitude to cause the anorexia. In addition, the failure of AMY to support a conditioned taste aversion suggests that AMY does not cause anorexia by inducing malaise. Therefore, in addition to other metabolic effects, AMY may be involved in the control of food and water intake."}
{"id": "PMID:1480521", "title": "Isolation and primary structure of gastrin-releasing peptide from a teleost fish, the trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss).", "content": "Immunohistochemical studies have established that fish gastrointestinal tissues contain peptides with gastrin-releasing peptide (GRP)/bombesin-like immunoreactivity, but the molecular nature of this material is unclear. In this study, the most abundant peptide that was immunoreactive towards an antiserum raised against pig GRP was isolated in pure form from an extract of the stomach of the rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). The primary structure of the peptide was established as: Ser-Glu-Asn-Thr-Gly-Ala-Ile-Gly-Lys-Val10- Phe-Pro-Arg-Gly-Asn-His-Trp-Ala-Val-Gly20-His-Leu-Met-NH2. Although this amino acid sequence is shorter than those of mammalian GRPs by four residues, the COOH-terminal dodecapeptide is identical to the corresponding region in pig GRP. The data indicate, therefore, that the predominant molecular form of GRP in the stomach of a teleost fish is structurally more similar to mammalian GRP than to the amphibian skin peptide, bombesin."}
{"id": "PMID:1480524", "title": "[Diagnosis of breast pathology in men].", "content": "Among pathological states of the breast in men the most frequently encountered is gynecomastia caused by glandular hypertrophy. Male breast carcinoma is an unfrequent condition. These and other diseases differential diagnosis with application of mammography is presented."}
{"id": "PMID:1480536", "title": "Stroke in adult polycystic kidney disease.", "content": "In order to assess the incidence of acute cerebrovascular events, 142 patients with adult polycystic kidney disease were retrospectively reviewed. Fourteen patients (9.8%) had 19 cerebral attacks. Six patients (4.2%) had intracranial haemorrhage attacks (three ruptured intracranial aneurysms and three cerebral haemorrhages). Ischaemic events occurred in nine patients (five cerebral infarctions and four transient ischaemic attacks). Patients with ischaemic attacks had a better outcome than patients with haemorrhagic events even when transient ischaemic attacks were excluded. Patients with ruptured intracranial aneurysms were younger. Cerebral complications are an important cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with adult polycystic kidney disease. They can prove disabling prior to or after dialysis and transplantation."}
{"id": "PMID:1480527", "title": "[Pharmacokinetics of urinary excretion of methotrexate (MTX) in patients with malignant tumors].", "content": "Pharmacokinetics of methotrexate renal elimination was investigated in patients with cancer given a single intravenous injection. Elimination coefficient ke (0.151 + 0.05 h-1) and half-life t0.5 (5.3 +/- 2.9 h) were calculated. A percentage of methotrexate dose eliminated with the urine was determined (26.0-97.1%) in both unchanged and bound forms. It was found that methotrexate is eliminated in the form of glucuronates and sulfates (2-25% of the administered dose). It was also noted, that pH of the urine exerts an effect on the amount of eliminated methotrexate."}
{"id": "PMID:1480537", "title": "Absence of potentiation of the skin response to intradermal bradykinin by a long-acting angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor, trandolapril, at conventional antihypertensive dosage in human volunteers: a double-blind, randomized, cross-over, placebo-controlled trial.", "content": "A double-blind, randomized, cross-over, placebo-controlled study was carried out to determine the extent and duration of potentiation of the action of bradykinin introduced intradermally by a long-acting novel angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor, trandolapril. The investigations were performed in a temperature and humidity-controlled laboratory. Intradermal injections of 1 microgram, 2.5 micrograms and 5 micrograms of bradykinin and normal saline (as control) were made into the forearm skin of eight healthy normotensive male volunteers aged 21-33 years (mean 28 years) at baseline, 2, 4, 8, 24, 48, 72 and 96 hours after either 2 mg trandolapril or placebo given orally. Skin blood flow outside the induced weal was monitored by laser Doppler flowmetry (mean of recordings at four sites adjacent to the weal within the flare area). Flare area and weal volume were also measured. Trandolapril reduced the mean arterial pressure. However, there was no evidence that this activity was associated with a potentiation of the cutaneous action of bradykinin. In conclusion, it would appear that potentiation of the action of bradykinin may not be an important contributing factor to the fall in total peripheral vascular resistance associated with ACE inhibition in humans in the control of hypertension."}
{"id": "PMID:1480538", "title": "Safe use of streptokinase in myocardial infarction in patients aged 75 and over.", "content": "We have given streptokinase to 73 patients aged 75 and over admitted to medical admission wards for elderly people using strict exclusion criteria. This was safe and free from significant adverse events by comparison with other studies. The average age of the patients was 78.2 years so they formed a relatively young group compared with all patients over 75. There was a relatively long delay between presentation at the hospital and receipt of treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1480529", "title": "[Errors in the diagnosis of testicular torsion].", "content": "Two cases of testicular torsion are presented. The diagnosis was late. It led to the castration of testicular necrosis in both patients. This pathology is recognizable most easily within the first hours following onset. Later, there are still chances to spare affected organ. This report indicates the importance of the first contact with physician and his prompt intervention."}
{"id": "PMID:1480539", "title": "Chronic idiopathic anhydrosis--a rare cause of heat stroke.", "content": "A 27 year old man presented with heat stroke following exposure to a humid, hot environment in the absence of physical exertion. Investigation revealed the presence of generalized anhydrosis without evidence of an associated disease. Although chronic idiopathic anhydrosis is rare, this entity should be considered in cases of unexplained heat intolerance and heat stroke."}
{"id": "PMID:1480540", "title": "Elevated serum parathyroid hormone related protein and 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol in hypercalcaemia associated with adult T-cell leukaemia-lymphoma.", "content": "Hypercalcaemia occurs in up to 80% of patients with adult T-cell leukaemia-lymphoma (ATLL) associated with human T-cell leukaemia virus-1 infection. Elevated serum levels of 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol, implicated in the pathogenesis of hypercalcaemia in lymphoma, and of parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP), which is associated with hypercalcaemia of several solid malignancies, were demonstrated in a patient with ATLL hypercalcaemia. Treatment with bisphosphonates reduced the serum calcium but had no significant effect on the serum PTHrP levels. This case supports recent in vitro evidence for enhanced PTHrP expression in ATLL tumour cells and suggests that more than one tumour cell product may be involved in the pathogenesis of ATLL hypercalcaemia."}
{"id": "PMID:1480541", "title": "Fatal haematemesis due to benign retrosternal goitre.", "content": "The development of a goitre in the retrosternal space may result in many different symptoms due to local compression. We describe a case in which such a goitre resulted in full-thickness ulceration of the oesophagus, which presented as a fatal haematemesis. We believe that such a complication has not been previously reported."}
{"id": "PMID:1480542", "title": "Acute myocardial infarction related to smoke inhalation and myocardial bridging.", "content": "A previously healthy 26 year old woman who was exposed to smoke during a house fire developed acute anterior myocardial infarction complicated by ventricular fibrillation. Subsequent left ventriculography confirmed anterior infarction, but coronary arteriography was normal apart from myocardial bridging over a segment of the left anterior descending artery. The development of acute myocardial infarction in this patient suggests that, in the presence of bridging, carbon monoxide inhalation may cause regional infarction."}
{"id": "PMID:1480543", "title": "Yersinia enterocolitica endocarditis on a prosthetic valve.", "content": "Yersinia entercolitica endocarditis has rarely been described before. This is the first report of prosthetic valve Yersinia enterocolitis endocarditis, complicated by infected brain embolization. The patient, however, completely recovered after 6 weeks of combined therapy with ceftriaxone and gentamicin."}
{"id": "PMID:1480544", "title": "Massive haemorrhage due to ulcerative colitis presenting as melaena.", "content": "We present a patient with known ulcerative colitis who presented with massive lower gastrointestinal bleeding in the form of melaena. Extensive investigations indicated that the source of blood loss was only from the colon, was attributable to the colitis, and settled when the colitis was treated with steroids. Melaena may be due to blood loss from the colon."}
{"id": "PMID:1480545", "title": "Naproxen-associated vasculitis.", "content": "Three cases of digital vasculitis attributable to naproxen ingestion are reported. The vasculitic changes were reversed by withdrawal of the drug. These three cases emphasize the need to consider drug sensitivity as a cause of unexplained digital vascular lesions."}
{"id": "PMID:1480550", "title": "Different regiospecificity in the hydroxylation of the antidepressant desmethylimipramine between rat brain and liver.", "content": "Incubation of the tricyclic antidepressant desmethylimpramine (DMI) with rat liver or brain microsomes in the presence of NADPH or t-butyl-hydroperoxide (TBH) revealed different regiospecificities in the hydroxylation reactions between the tissues. In brain preparations 10-OH-DMI was formed in reactions supported by NADPH or TBH, whereas in the latter case also an unidentified metabolite could be detected. Inclusion of exogenous NADPH-cytochrome P450 reductase in the brain preparations caused a 10-fold higher rate of 10-hydroxylation but no 2-OH-DMI could be detected. By contrast, liver microsomal preparations in the presence of NADPH catalyzed formation of both 2- and 10-OH-DMI, whereas only 10-OH-DMI was formed in TBH-supported reactions. The results indicate that antidepressant drugs can be metabolized in brain with different stereospecificity as compared to liver."}
{"id": "PMID:1480551", "title": "Enrichment of metabolites in the cerebrospinal fluid of cod (Gadus morhua) following oral administration of hexachlorobenzene and 2,4',5-trichlorobiphenyl.", "content": "The disposition of 14C-labelled hexachlorobenzene (HCB) and 2,4',5-trichlorobiphenyl (triCB) was studied in cod (Gadus morhua) and rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). For both compounds tape section autoradiography revealed substantial amounts of radiolabelled material in the central nervous system (CNS) of cod, whereas only traces of radioactivity were observed in the CNS of rainbow trout. Furthermore, an enrichment of radiolabelled compound in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) was observed in the cod, whereas no radioactivity could be detected in the CSF of rainbow trout. According to autoradiography, the CNS of cod dosed with HCB contained the parent compound, whereas the major part of radioactivity in CSF was due to HCB metabolites. Thin-layer chromatography of extracts from cod dosed with triCB showed the presence of parent compound in the CNS, whereas part of the radioactivity in the CSF was due to triCB metabolites. The activities of cytochrome P-450 and UDP-glucuronosyltransferase in the CNS of cod and rainbow trout were determined in microsomal and mitochondrial fractions. Both species expressed activities which were in the same order of magnitude as those reported for the corresponding fractions from rat brain. Incubation of triCB with cod brain mitochondria and microsomes resulted in the formation of two polar metabolites. It is suggested that cod may be more vulnerable than rainbow trout regarding neurotoxicological effects of HCB, triCB and related environmental pollutants."}
{"id": "PMID:1480552", "title": "Responses of hepatic xenobiotic metabolizing enzymes of mouse, rat and guinea-pig to nickel.", "content": "The effects of nickel (Ni) on hepatic monooxygenase activities (aniline 4-hydroxylase, AH; ethylmorphine N-demethylase, EMND; aminopyrine N-demethylase, AMND), cytochrome P-450, cytochrome b5, microsomal haem and reduced glutathione (GSH) levels, and glutathione S-transferase (GST) activities toward several substrates (1, chloro-2-4-dinitrobenzene, CDNB; 1,2 dichloro-4-nitrobenzene, DCNB; ethacrynic acid, EAA) in mice, rats and guinea-pigs were studied. Ni (59.50 mg NiCl2.6H2O/kg, subcutaneously) was administered to the animals 16 hr prior to sacrifice. Ni significantly inhibited AH, EMND, AMND activities, and decreased cytochrome P-450, cytochrome b5 (except in the livers of rats), and microsomal haem levels in the livers of all the animal species examined. However, the depressions were more profound in livers of mice than in those of the other two species. The hepatic GSH level was significantly inhibited in mice whereas no alteration was observed in rats. In guinea-pigs, the hepatic GSH level was significantly increased by Ni. The hepatic GST activity toward the substrate CDNB was significantly depressed in mice, unaltered in rats and significantly increased in guinea-pigs by Ni. The hepatic GST activity toward DCNB was significantly inhibited in mice whereas no significant alteration was observed in rats. In guinea-pigs, Ni caused significant increase in hepatic GST activity for DCNB. However, hepatic GST activity toward EAA was significantly inhibited in mice whereas significantly increased in rats and guinea-pigs. These results seem to indicate that i) there exists quantitative, but not qualitative, differences among the hepatic monooxygenases of rodents in response to Ni, mice being more sensitive than rats and guinea-pigs, ii) the influence of Ni on hepatic GSH level varies depending on the animal species and iii) the hepatic GSTs of rodents are differentially regulated by Ni."}
{"id": "PMID:1480553", "title": "Production of limbic motor seizures and brain damage by systemic and intracerebral injections of paraquat in rats.", "content": "The behavioural and neuropathological effects of both systemic and intrahippocampal injections of paraquat dichloride (1,1'-dimethyl 4,4'-bipyridinium dichloride) were studied in rats. Paraquat (0.1-1.0 mumol) injected into the dorsal hippocampus, produced limbic motor seizures within a few minutes of injection followed by neuronal damage in the CA1 and CA3 pyramidal cell layers, pyriform cortex, dentate granule cell layer and in the hilus fascia dentata at 24 hr (n = 9 rats). A smaller dose of paraquat (10 nmol) was ineffective. The effects of intrahippocampal injections of paraquat (1 mumol) were prevented by administering it together with atropine (50 nmol; n = 6 rats) or by giving it 60 min. after MK 801 (0.3 mg.kg-1 intraperitoneally). Systemic injections of paraquat (20-100 mg.kg-1) also produced forelimb clonus and rearing in 10 out of 15 animals. Neuronal cell death was found 24 hr later in 9 of these rats and was restricted to the pyriform cortex, the brain region with the highest concentrations of paraquat. Atropine (150 mg.kg-1 intraperitoneally given 60 min. previously) completely prevented the motor seizures but cell death still occurred in 2 of the 6 animals tested. In conclusion, both systemic and intrahippocampal injections of paraquat produced behavioural excitation accompanied 24 hr later by brain damage and antagonist studies suggested involvement of muscarinic and NMDA receptors in the neurotoxic mechanism."}
{"id": "PMID:1480554", "title": "Evidence of active transport of cadmium complexing dithiocarbamates into renal and hepatic cells in vivo.", "content": "A study was made of the effects of certain inhibitors of transport systems on the actions of four cadmium (Cd) complexing N,N-disubstituted dithiocarbamates (DTCs) in mobilizing murine renal and hepatic Cd in vivo. Probenecid, the prototypical antagonist of organic anion transport in the kidney, when given 1 hr prior to each DTC, sharply suppressed the DTC-induced reduction of renal Cd but was virtually without effect on mobilization of Cd from liver. Sulfinpyrazone, which blocks tubular reabsorption of uric acid and also inhibits transport of a variety of organic acids, inhibited markedly the mobilization of both renal and hepatic Cd by DTCs. Phlorizin, an inhibitor of tubular sugar reabsorption, did not affect the Cd mobilizing actions of DTCs in any consistent fashion. We propose that the high degree of selectivity of DTCs in mobilizing renal and hepatic Cd is dependent, at least in part, upon active transport of DTCs into these tissues via the organic anion transport systems. This report presents the first evidence that compounds of the (R)2NCSS- class may gain access to intracellular space by an active, carrier-mediated process."}
{"id": "PMID:1480557", "title": "Failure of addition of lithium to imipramine to enhance activity in rats or mood in normal volunteers.", "content": "Lithium powerfully augments the effects of imipramine in resistant depression. We treated four groups of rats for five weeks with (1) saline alone, (2) saline followed by lithium, (3) imipramine alone, and (4) imipramine followed by lithium. There was no augmentation of activity by lithium. Normal human volunteers took imipramine 75 mg daily for three weeks, followed by imipramine 75 mg daily together with lithium 900 mg daily for another ten days. There was no elevation of mood after the addition of lithium. Lithium augmentation of antidepressants apparently requires a pre-existing neurochemical-behavioral disturbance."}
{"id": "PMID:1480561", "title": "Serotonin, carbohydrates, and atypical depression.", "content": "At least three categories of atypical depression have been described. The hysteroid dysphoria is characterized by repeated episodes of depressed mood in response to feeling rejected, and a craving for sweets and chocolate. Two other issues are characterized by a cyclical occurrence of changes of mood and appetite, i.e., the late luteal phase dysphoric disorder (DSM-III-R, appendix), or \"the premenstrual syndrome\" (PMS), and the major depression with seasonal pattern (DSM-III-R), or seasonal affective disorder (SAD). The reactive mood changes are frequently accompanied by features as hypersomnia, lethargy and increased appetite, particularly with a preference for carbohydrates. Central serotonin pathways participate in the regulation of mood and behavioural impulsivity, and modulate eating patterns qualitatively and quantitatively. Depressives with PMS og SAD benefit, in general, from treatments with serotonin potentiating drugs, suggesting that brain serotonin plays a role in the pathophysiology. Ingestion of carbohydrates increases the plasma ratio of tryptophan to other large neutral amino acids in man and animal, and the serotonin synthesis in the rat brain. Based on these findings it has been suggested that the excessive carbohydrate intake by patients with PMS and SAD reflects a self-medication that temporarily relieves the vegetative symptoms via an increased central serotonergic activity."}
{"id": "PMID:1480563", "title": "Light therapy of depression; basal and clinical aspects.", "content": "The effects of treatment with bright light in different forms of depressive conditions are described. The therapeutic mode rests on the hypothesis that they will normalize disturbed diurnal rhythms. The results have been more favourable when light has been given in the morning compared with in the evening, and in patients with seasonal depression rather than in those with non-seasonal illness."}
{"id": "PMID:1480565", "title": "[Visceral leishmaniasis in HIV infection. A totally opportunistic infection].", "content": "Visceral leishmaniasis occurring in immunocompromised patients, and in particular during HIV infection, has been described in recent years and differs from the usual Mediterranean kala-azar as encountered in France. In order to define the clinical, diagnostic and therapeutic features of the HIV-Leishmania spp. co-infection, we report 8 new cases and compare them with data from the literature. The co-infection occurs at any stage of HIV infection, usually in drug addicts using intravenous injections. Clinical manifestations, such as fever, weight loss, liver and spleen enlargement and polyadenopathy, and laboratory findings (cytoponia, inflammatory syndrome) are generally present but not specific during the HIV infection course. Moreover, some gastrointestinal and pleuropulmonary forms of the co-infection are misleading. Leishmaniasis serology is negative in 50 percent of the patients. In most cases the diagnosis is provided by detection of the parasite in bone marrow samples. Culture must be systematic, and samplings must be repeated if they are negative. The first-line treatment consists of pentavalent antimony. Almost 80 percent of the patients respond to this treatment, but relapses occur in 50 percent of the cases. This high risk of relapse and the opportunistic behaviour of leishmaniasis justify a prophylaxis of relapses."}
{"id": "PMID:1480566", "title": "[Circulatory changes of the middle cerebral artery during syncopes produced by the head-up tilt test].", "content": "Velocity of the middle cerebral artery was recorded with transcranial pulsed doppler in 10 neurally-mediated syncopes elicited by 60 degrees head-up tilt test. Mean arterial blood pressure decreased by -36 +/- 16 percent (P < 0.0001) and heart rate by -6 +/- 27 percent (P < 0.05). Mean middle cerebral artery velocity decreased by -48 +/- 16 percent (P < 0.0001); Pourcelot's resistance index increased by 74 +/- 47 percent (P < 0.0001) and Gosling's pulsatility index by 218 +/- 111 percent (P < 0.0001). However, resistance normalized with mean arterial pressure showed no significant increase (+ 14 +/- 28 percent; NS). The decrease in diastolic velocity as well as mean arterial blood pressure and heart rate was significantly lower when loss of consciousness occurred. Contrary to those of other authors, our results do not support the hypothesis that syncopes result from a paradoxical cerebral vasoconstriction since no significant changes were observed in resistance normalized with mean arterial pressure. Thus, decrease in cerebral perfusion is likely to be the result of a decrease in cerebral perfusion pressure."}
{"id": "PMID:1480567", "title": "[Relationship between gastroesophageal reflux and severe malaise in infants].", "content": "The relationship between gastroesophageal reflux (GER) and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) has been widely investigated. Reflux-induced apnoea is triggered through a vagal mechanism. During acute phases of sleep, the different means of protection of the upper respiratory tract are blunted, awakening reactions are cancelled or delayed and hypoxemia occurs rapidly. GER could play a leading part in SIDS occurring during this acute phase of sleep. Numerous studies are needed to further dismantle the link between SIDS and GER. In children with severe malaise, a systematic search for GER is mandatory."}
{"id": "PMID:1480568", "title": "[Blastocystis hominis: in search of a disease, a misunderstood organism].", "content": "Blastocystis hominis is a micro-organism which remains somewhat mysterious. Having defined its present position in the classification of Protozoa, the authors describe its ultrastructure and morphology. Its epidemiology and pathogenicity are discussed in the light of experimental studies and human clinical data, especially in AIDS patients. Metronidazole seems to be the most active drug against this organism, but extreme caution must be exerted when the possible pathogenic property of B. hominis is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1480569", "title": "[Treatment of chronic heart insufficiency with dobutamine. Value and limitations].", "content": "Most positively inotropic drugs are available only as intravenous injection, which restricts their use in chronic heart failure. A single and brief infusion of dobutamine--a synthetic catecholamine and potent beta 1-adrenoreceptor agonist--provides a clinical improvement which may last for several weeks. On the other hand, tachyphylaxis to dobutamine may develop after a several days' infusion, so that the drug gradually loses its effectiveness. In patients with chronic heart failure, intermittent infusions of dobutamine result in sustained clinical improvement in more than 50 percent of the cases. The relative preservation of beta-adrenoceptors seems to play a role in the beneficial effects of intermittent infusions. The most significant side-effects of dobutamine are ventricular rhythm disorders. The practical applications and supervision of repeated dobutamine infusions in chronic heart failure are detailed."}
{"id": "PMID:1480575", "title": "[Severe acute asthma in adults in black Africa].", "content": "A prospective study has been conducted in an intensive care unit of West Africa in order to determine the clinical and laboratory features of severe acute asthma in black Africans. The study concerned 55 episodes of severe acute asthma, with PaCO2 above 45 mmHg, in 42 patients (26 men and 16 women, mean age 35 +/- 3 years). A triggering factor was found in only 36 percent of the cases. None of the patients were using beta-adrenergic stimulants as maintenance therapy. The mean duration of asthmatic attacks prior to hospitalization was 49 +/- 7 hours. Three patients had cardiorespiratory arrest on admission. Mechanical ventilation was necessary on 12 occasions (initially in 4 and secondarily in 8). Four patients died. It would appear from this study that severe acute asthma in black Africans is characterized by a prolonged onset and by a frequent need for mechanical ventilation, suggesting a physiopathological mechanism different from that described in industrialized countries."}
{"id": "PMID:1480576", "title": "[Chester-Erdheim's disease. A case].", "content": "We report the 32nd case of a multivisceral form of Erdheim-Chester disease. This exceptional pathology is a diffuse xanthogranulomatosis which comes within the scope of histiocytosis. The originality of this case is due to cerebral localizations and to the fact that some symptoms have been observed for a long time: diabetes insipidus, exophthalmos and stubborn intertrigo."}
{"id": "PMID:1480577", "title": "[Fetal and neonatal immune thrombocytopenias. Study group \"Mother-child immune thrombopenias\"].", "content": "Neonatal thrombocytopenia has benefited from the advances achieved during the last few years in platelet immunology and foetal therapy. The major risk of the disease is cerebral haemorrhage resulting in death or neurological sequelae. Establishing the aetiological diagnosis of immune thrombocytopenia makes it possible nowadays to apply the appropriate treatment and eventually to take care of future pregnancies. Treatments in utero of foeto-maternal alloimmunization have radically altered the natural course of foetal thrombocytopenia, thereby permitting the management of pregnancies at risk. On the other hand, so far no prenatal treatment has proved to be effective against thrombocytopenia due to maternal autoimmunity."}
{"id": "PMID:1480583", "title": "[Insulinotropic factors in health and disease].", "content": "Reviews in brief the studies of the effects of some non-glucose regulators of various origins on pancreatic insulin secretion mediated by endocrine, paracrine, and neurocrine mechanisms, carried out in this laboratory. Model experiments with primary monolayer cultures of isolated islet cells have helped demonstrate a direct insulinotropic effect of STH, TRH, C-terminal tetrapeptide cholecystokinin, opioid peptides and blood plasma of patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. The findings evidence that the insulinotropic effect of the blood serum of patients with type I diabetes may be associated with both stimulation and suppression of the functional activity of the cultivated islet cells. This latter type of effect influences the basal and glucose-stimulated secretion of insulin. The destructive effect of the plasma of patients with insulin-dependent diabetes on the function of islet cell culture is confirmed by the presence of autoantibodies to islet cell surface antigens in the plasma of 53-55% of the examined patients and by a cytotoxic effect in 45% of cases."}
{"id": "PMID:1480586", "title": "[Comparative characterization of radioimmunologic and non-isotopic methods of hormonal analysis].", "content": "Measurements of 8 hormones (prolactin, FSH, LH, thyrotropic hormone--TTH, estradiol, hydrocortisone, thyroxine, and triiodothyronine--T3) were carried out by the Amerleit system and radioimmunoassay. The hormones were measured in the same blood plasma samples of patients with various endocrine conditions, admitted for examinations to the Endocrinology Center of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences. Employment of the Amerleit system for hormonal analysis helps obtain the results compatible with the results of RIA for the majority of the measured hormones. The methods for measuring LH, estradiol and T3 are to be improved. The Amerleit system is highly productive and permits getting the results within 3 hrs. A trained laboratory assistant can measure the hormonal levels in 120-160 blood samples within a day. High efficacy of the technology is indispensable in realization of the screening programs. The absence of radioactivity, safety, high productivity, reliability, accuracy and good storage of the kits (up to 6-8 months) are the principal advantages of the Amerleit system over the existent radioimmunologic systems."}
{"id": "PMID:1480588", "title": "[Age-related features of the development and course of diabetic ketoacidosis].", "content": "Analysis of the causes of development, clinical features of and treatment strategy in diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) in 457 diabetics of various age groups (16-39, 40-60, over 60) has revealed a more grave course of this condition in old patients. This may be explained largely by a combination of diabetes mellitus with coronary disease or brain ischemia, that impede timely detection of DKA, this resulting in delayed hospitalization and deterioration of the vital prognosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1480590", "title": "[Circadian and infradian rhythms of testosterone and aldosterone excretion in children].", "content": "Individual daily and many-day time course of hormonal excretion was studied in boys of various ages. Cosinor analysis was used to determine the parameters of circadian and infradian rhythms. Time course of the mesor and amplitude circadian rhythms of testosterone, aldosterone, and luteinizing hormone (LH) in 5 groups (from 4 to 28 years of age) evidenced changes of this rhythm with age. The aldosterone mesor rhythm reduced as the boy grew older till he reached the adolescence, whereas testosterone and LH mesor increased, this increase being particularly marked by adolescence as regards testosterone and by youth in what concerns LH. The rhythm amplitude (mesor %) of aldosterone and testosterone was the maximal in children aged 7-8, then it reduced; LH amplitude was the highest in adolescents aged 13-14. A 40-day investigation of testosterone and aldosterone excretion in boys and youths has revealed infradian rhythms with periods of 2.5 to 5.5 days. These rhythms were characterized by age-specific differences as to the mesor size and oscillation amplitude, not differing by the periods. Infradian rhythms with periods of 5 to 13.5 days and testosterone excretion rhythm 21-day long were detected in youths. These results permit a conclusion that the structure of these hormones circadian and infradian rhythms may serve to characterize the age-specific and individual features of the endocrine gland functioning."}
{"id": "PMID:1480589", "title": "[Study of the morphofunctional properties of cultured thyrocytes of newborn piglets with the purpose of determining the feasibility of their use for compensation of thyroid gland hypofunction].", "content": "The method for cultivation has been developed and morphofunctional characteristics of the newborn piglet thyrocytes studied in order to elucidate the possibility of using these cells for the compensation of the thyroid gland hypofunctioning. The results evidence viability of the cultivated thyrocytes and intactness of their thyroxine-secreting activity within 14 days. Addition of thyrotropin to the medium resulted in the accrement in the population of the active hormone-producing and follicle-producing cells, in reduction of the number of degenerating and pyknotic forms, in stimulation of thyroxine secretion, incorporation of 3H-leucin in thyrocyte protein, and in absorption and organification of 131I by these cells, this being the specific function of this gland, providing the adequate synthesis of thyroid hormones. The resultant thyrocyte culture may be used in clinical transplantology for the treatment of hypofunctional states of the thyroid."}
{"id": "PMID:1480597", "title": "Antibody response in Plasmodium vinckei malaria after treatment with chloroquine and adjuvant interferon-gamma.", "content": "The antibody response of mice infected with Plasmodium vinckei after treatment with chloroquine either alone or in combination with interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) was determined. Sequential serum samples were drawn from BALB/c mice receiving either 240 micrograms chloroquine on the day of infection or 120 micrograms chloroquine plus 10(4) units IFN-gamma daily for 11 days beginning on day 3 prior to infection. Mice treated with additional IFN-gamma showed an early induction of IgG2a response and a reduction in IgG1 antibodies as detected by the immunofluorescence technique at between 10 and 16 days after infection as compared with mice treated with chloroquine alone. Thus, IFN-gamma may partly exert its antimalarial activity via the induction of IgG2a antibody formation. At 4-6 weeks after infection, when mice from both groups resisted homologous re-infection, the predominant antibody isotypes found in both groups were IgG1 and IgG2a. Serum samples obtained from mice in both treatment groups at 6 weeks after infection were used for serum transfer experiments. When parasitised erythrocytes were preincubated with such immune serum, a retardation of the course of parasitaemia by 2 days was observed."}
{"id": "PMID:1480598", "title": "Efficacy of intraruminal albendazole boluses against Dicrocoelium dendriticum in sheep.", "content": "The anthelmintic potential of albendazole (ABZ) in intraruminal boluses (Proftril-Captec) was investigated in sheep harbouring naturally acquired Dicrocoelium infection. The anthelmintic efficacy was assessed by coprological testing during the autumn pasture and comparison of worm counts in 22 necropsied animals (11 treated and 11 untreated) at the end of the experiment. The mean faecal egg count (EPG) in treated animals dropped significantly during week 2, and between the 4th and the 12th week the faecal samples were almost negative. The health status of treated animals improved significantly during the first 2 weeks. Helminthological dissection of livers and small intestines revealed 91.8% efficacy, but a small number of live adult flukes were found in all treated animals."}
{"id": "PMID:1480599", "title": "Antigen-induced protection against infection with Toxocara vitulorum larvae in mice.", "content": "Larvae of Toxocara vitulorum hatched and migrated in the tissues of normal mice. Larvae survived in reasonable numbers, particularly in the liver and, to a lesser extent, in the lungs and kidneys, for at least 4-7 days and in muscles, albeit only in low numbers, for at least 3 weeks. Oral infection of mice on three or more occasions with T. vitulorum eggs induced protection against a challenge infection with eggs of T. vitulorum. Prior parenteral immunization of mice with a variety of T. vitulorum soluble antigens (extracts, excretions/secretions, or perienteric fluid and their fractions) from adult parasites and/or infective larvae induced statistically significant protection against infection. The most effective protective immunogens were three or more injections with perienteric fluid from adults (100% protection) and excretions/secretions from infective larvae of T. vitulorum (> 92% protection)."}
{"id": "PMID:1480600", "title": "Experimental chemotherapy of Schistosoma mansoni with praziquantel and oxamniquine: differential effect of single or combined formulations of drugs on various strains and on both sexes of the parasite.", "content": "The susceptibility of two Venezuelan (YT and SM) and one Brazilian (BH) strain of Schistosoma mansoni to single oral doses of praziquantel (Pz; 250 or 500 mg/kg), oxamniquine (Ox; 40, 60, or 100 mg/kg) or to low-dose combinations of both drugs (33 mg/kg Pz and 25 mg/kg Ox; 66 mg/kg Pz and 12.5 mg/kg Ox; 250 mg/kg Pz and 40 mg/kg Ox) was experimentally evaluated in mice. At lower doses of either drug, adult worms of the SM isolate were less susceptible than those of the BH and YT isolates. However, no difference in liver or intestinal egg counts (IECs) could be detected among the isolates after this treatment. At such doses, Pz was better than Ox at reducing IECs. In spite of lowered IECs, eggs continued to accumulate in the liver after Ox treatment. At higher individual doses or following treatment with low-dose combinations of both drugs, no difference in susceptibility could be detected among the parasite isolates. Under such conditions, oviposition was drastically reduced in all three isolates. We confirm that Ox preferentially kills male parasites and present for the first time evidence for the preferential killing of female worms by Pz. We propose that the synergistic effect obtained in the present study and in other investigations using low-dose combinations of both drugs may be due to the preferential cytotoxicity of each drug against a different parasite sex."}
{"id": "PMID:1480591", "title": "[Interrelationships between prolactin and the renin-aldosterone system in patients with various endocrine diseases].", "content": "Prolactin and aldosterone secretion and renin activity in the plasma were measured in the course of thyroliberin (TRH) test in women with various endocrine diseases, both connected with the water-salt metabolism disturbances and without these--with the idiopathic edemas (n = 11), hypothyrosis (n = 16), Stein-Leventhal'syndrome (n = 6), and obesity (n = 8). A reciprocal relationship between prolactin concentrations (a drastic elevation) and aldosterone levels (lowered) were revealed, as were universal responses of both the hormones to TRH administration in patients with various conditions. The authors come to a conclusion on the absence of a stimulating effect of prolactin on aldosterone secretion and plasma renin activity. They suggest an indirect contribution of prolactin to the regulation of the renin-aldosterone system, probably via dopaminergic mechanisms."}
{"id": "PMID:1480593", "title": "[The amygdaloid complex in the sexual differentiation of the brain].", "content": "Presents the results of many-year research of the systemic and structural functional arrangement of the amygdaloid complex of the rat brain as the neuroendocrine center involved in the regulation of the reproductive processes. Special attention was paid to the sexual dependence of the structural and functional arrangement of this section of the brain. The amygdaloid complex was found involved in the critical period of brain development in the processes of sexual differentiation, this fact resulting in sexual dimorphism, that manifests in sexual differences of this complex structural and functional arrangement and its histophysiology. Sexual dimorphism areas in each of the neuronal ensembles of the rat amygdaloid complexes singled out by the authors, are described."}
{"id": "PMID:1480601", "title": "Neuropeptide F-immunoreactivity in the monogenean parasite Diclidophora merlangi.", "content": "The localisation and distribution of neuropeptide F (NPF)-immunoreactivity (IR) in the monogenean fish-gill parasite, Diclidophora merlangi, have been investigated by whole-mount immunocytochemistry interfaced with confocal scanning laser microscopy and, at the ultrastructural level, by indirect immunogold labeling. Using antisera directed to intact synthetic NPF (Moniezia expansa, residues 1-39) or to the C-terminal decapeptide (residues 30-39) of synthetic NPF (M. expansa), immunostaining was found throughout the central (CNS) and peripheral nervous systems (PNS), including the innervation of the reproductive system. Immunoreactivity was found to be more intense using the antiserum to the C-terminal decapeptide fragment of NPF. At the subcellular level, gold labeling of NPF-IR was found exclusively over the contents of dense-cored vesicles that occupied nerve axons of both the CNS and the PNS. The distribution pattern of immunostaining for NPF mirrored exactly that previously documented for the vertebrate pancreatic polypeptide (PP) family of peptides and for FMRFamide. This finding and the results of preabsorption experiments strongly suggest that NPF is the predominant native neuropeptide in D. merlangi and that it accounts for most of the immunostaining previously obtained with PP and FMRFamide antisera."}
{"id": "PMID:1480592", "title": "[Late results of pancreatic blood outflow deportalization and its significance in the combined modality treatment of diabetes mellitus].", "content": "Present-day methods of treatment of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDD) fail to prevent the development of complications in the majority of patients in 5-10 years after the disease manifestation. There are no radical methods for the treatment of this condition, therefore any new treatment modality that may help delay the development of complications and deterioration of the quality of life should be used along with the traditional methods. Deportalization of the pancreatic blood outflow was carried out in 148 IDD patients and its remote (up to 5 years) results analyzed. The surgery was carried out in patients with medium-severe and grave conditions. Under study were carbohydrate and lipid metabolism, liver, kidney, and heart functions, retinal vessel status, and painful manifestations of distal polyneuropathy, as well as changes of the quantity of functioning capillaries and the rheovasographic index. Surgery resulted in reduced insulin requirement, disappearance of hypoglycemic comas, reduced peripheral resistance of the vessels, increased cardiac output index and a higher working capacity of the patients, disappearance of paroxysms and pains in the lower limbs, etc. The authors suppose that changed course of the disease is connected with recovery of the insulin-glucagon coefficient in the liver in glucagon-containing blood shunting into the total blood stream and with the pharmacologic effect of glucagon getting into the systemic blood stream."}
{"id": "PMID:1480602", "title": "The relationship of variable antigen expression and population growth rates in Trypanosoma brucei.", "content": "The relationship between variable antigen type (VAT) expression and trypanosome growth rates was investigated. Growth rates in mice were compared between pairs of cloned trypanosome populations, each of which homogeneously expressed a different VAT. All three pairwise combinations of GUTats (Glasgow University Trypanozoon antigen types) 7.3, 7.4 and 7.5 were analysed twice and all three combinations of GUTats 8.2, 8.3 and 8.4 were compared once. The lines expressing different VATs were of the same passage history within each group. In a sensitive assay of relative growth, no significant differences were found in four of six experiments using GUTats 7.3, 7.4 and 7.5 or in one of three experiments using GUTats 8.2, 8.3 and 8.4. In the experiments in which differences were observed, the data were analysed further to compare the population doubling times of lines. These times differed by less than 10% in all cases. We conclude that variable antigen expression exerts a small (possibly negligible) effect on rates of trypanosome population growth."}
{"id": "PMID:1480594", "title": "[Effect of changes in erythrocyte lipid spectrum on erythrocyte functional parameters in patients with diabetes mellitus].", "content": "Studies of the red cell lipid spectrum in diabetics and of the effects of bioactive substances and reconstruction of the red cell membrane lipid component on these cells aggregation have shown increased levels of lysophosphatidylcholine, cholesterol, cholesterol to phospholipid ratio, and saturated fatty acids in the presence of phosphatidylcholine reduction. Fluctuations in the levels of lipids of other classes were also revealed. Studies of red cell aggregation have revealed that incubation of donors' and diabetics' red cells with hormones did not lead to essential changes in the aggregation induced by alcian blue. Addition of an aliquot of plasma enriched for platelets, glycolipids and alpha-tocopherol resulted in a marked reduction of the aggregation degree and size of the aggregate. Phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylinositol, and cholesterol-enriched liposome reconstruction of the red cell lipid composition also resulted in reduction of the aggregation degree and of the size of the red cell aggregate. This has brought the authors to a conclusion on a close relationship between the red cell lipid composition and the aggregation capacity in diabetics and on the possibility of regulating the red cell aggregation activity with bioactive substances."}
{"id": "PMID:1480603", "title": "Metabolites of alveolar Echinococcus as determined by [31P]- and [1H]-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.", "content": "[31P]-Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) in vivo spectra of Echinococcus multilocularis cysts growing subcutaneously in Meriones unguiculatus showed prominent signals due to phosphomonoesters (PME), phosphodiesters (PDE), inorganic phosphate (Pi) and the alpha, beta and gamma phosphate groups of adenosine triphosphate (ATP). The internal pH of the parasite cysts was 6.7-6.8. The 31P spectra of extracts of these subcutaneous cysts showed peaks identified as glucose-6-phosphate (Glu-6-P), glycerol-3-phosphate (Gly-3-P), phosphorylethanolamine (PE), adenosine-5'-monophosphate (5'-AMP), nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADP), phosphorylcholine (PC), Pi, glycerolphosphorylethanolamine (GPE), glycerolphosphorylcholine (GPC), phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP), adenosine diphosphate (ADP), ATP and diphosphodiesters (DPDE). These metabolites were also detected at comparable concentrations in the extracts of intraperitoneally grown cysts. In addition, significantly more phosphocreatine (PCr), probably of host origin, was detected in the subcutaneous cysts than in the intraperitoneal cysts. [1H]-NMR spectra of cyst extracts revealed that parasites grown in the abdominal cavity contained significantly less glucose but significantly more succinate, acetate, alanine and beta-hydroxybutyrate. Glycogen, creatine, glycine, taurine, betaine, cholines and lactate were present at similar concentrations in cyst material from both locations."}
{"id": "PMID:1480604", "title": "Identification of circulating parasite acetylcholinesterase in human and rodent filariasis.", "content": "In the present study, the enzyme acetylcholinesterase (AChE) from filarial parasites was identified in sera from humans infected with Onchocerca volvulus as well as in Mastomys natalensis infected with Brugia pahangi. The enzyme was present in immune complexes precipitated with cold 4% polyethylene glycol. The infected sera showed 3-4 times more AChE activity than did normal sera, and enzyme activity could be demonstrated in 5% polyacrylamide gels by specific staining. The enzyme from infected serum showed 3 times more activity when acetylthiocholine was used as the substrate as compared with butyrylthiocholine, whereas the enzyme activity present in normal serum was low and did not show this substrate specificity. Immunoprecipitation assays confirmed the presence of anti-AChE antibodies in the infected serum. The enzyme was further analysed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and immunoblotting with rabbit antibodies to B. malayi AChE. Immunoblotting of the B. pahangi-infected serum revealed two closely located bands at about 200 kDa and one 95-kDa band, whereas in O. volvulus-infected serum, only one specific band was observed at about 200 kDa. The identification of parasite AChE may be particularly useful for diagnosis of the disease or for the study of the involvement of this enzyme in the host-parasite relationship."}
{"id": "PMID:1480605", "title": "Ultrastructure of the development of a species of Encephalitozoon cultured from the eye of an AIDS patient.", "content": "Human fibroblast cell cultures inoculated with microsporidia-infected corneal scrapings from an AIDS patient were fixed in situ and examined by scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The parasite grew prolifically and all developmental stages were observed. Meronts underwent binary fission and the daughter cells transformed into elongate, chain-like sporonts that eventually separated into sporoblasts. The formation of components of the mature spores is described. The parasite, a species of Encephalitozoon, underwent development both in the cytoplasm and within a parasitophorous vacuole, distinguishing it from the morphologically similar species E. cuniculi and E. hellem, both of which have been described from lesions in the human eye and have been reported to develop exclusively within a parasitophorous vacuole."}
{"id": "PMID:1480596", "title": "[Mechanisms regulating the selective release of follicle-stimulating hormone].", "content": "Selective secretion of FSH, involving no apparent changes in LH secretion, was studied in cycling rat females in the late proestrus and early estrus stages. The preovulatory wave of LH and FSH secretion, observed in the second half of the day of proestrus was associated with elevation of the levels of nuclear estrogenic and androgenic receptors. High concentrations of both receptor types were seen during a secondary elevation of FSH secretion early in the morning in the estrus stage. Administration of phentolamine (alpha-adrenoreceptor blocker) did not influence blood levels of FSH and LH in the estrus stage early hours. Administration of a dopamine blocker haloperidol inhibited the second wave of FSH secretion, this being paralleled by a reduction of the number of estradiol nuclear receptors. The authors suggest that estrogenic and androgenic receptors of adenohypophysis and dopaminergic systems of the brain contribute to the mechanism of regulation of the second phase of FSH increased secretion observed in the early morning hours of the estrus stage, the dopamine effect on FSH release being mediated via estradiol receptors."}
{"id": "PMID:1480606", "title": "Babesia ovata: isolation from erythrocytes and development of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for detection of antibodies.", "content": "A method of isolating Babesia ovata merozoites from infected erythrocytes and an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the detection of anti-B. ovata antibodies were developed. After B. ovata-infected erythrocytes had been lysed using the nitrogen cavitation method, the merozoites were separated from erythrocyte components by differential centrifugation and density-gradient centrifugation. The light microscopic examination showed that the purified merozoites were morphologically intact and contained few contaminants. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide electrophoretic (SDS-PAGE) analysis revealed that the merozoite fraction contained very little contamination with erythrocyte components. The merozoites thus obtained were sonicated and treated with Triton X-100 and then used as an antigen to measure anti-B. ovata antibodies in ELISA. The ELISA was more sensitive in detecting anti-B. ovata antibodies than was either the indirect fluorescent antibody test or the complement fixation test on sera from cattle infected with B. ovata."}
{"id": "PMID:1480607", "title": "Characterization of anti-Neospora caninum hyperimmune rabbit serum by western blot analysis and immunoelectron microscopy.", "content": "The antigens recognized by hyperimmune rabbit serum raised against tachyzoites of the NC-1 isolate of Neospora caninum were characterized using chemiluminescent Western blotting, immunogold-silver staining and immunoelectron microscopy. Approximately 20 immunodominant antigens whose relative rates of migration were 16-80 kDa were recognized by the serum in Western blots using reduced or nonreduced parasite antigen preparations. The nonreduced parasite antigens were more strongly recognized by the serum than were the reduced antigen preparations. Immunoelectron microscopy revealed that the rabbit-serum-labeled antigens were localized to some organelles of N. caninum tachyzoites and to the parasitophorous vacuole surrounding them. In particular, antigens found in the dense granules, in the micronemes, and in the posterior portion of the rhoptries were strongly labeled by an indirect immunogold-labeling technique."}
{"id": "PMID:1480608", "title": "Stage-associated risk of transmission of the Lyme disease spirochete by European Ixodes ticks.", "content": "To more closely define the risk of infection by the agent of Lyme disease in Europe, we determined whether spirochetal prevalence increases throughout the development of the Ixodes ricinus vector tick. Of all ticks that could be flagged from vegetation, I. ricinus were by far the most abundant. Spirochetal infection rates in the adult stage of this tick (15%) are no higher than those in nymphs (18%) but greatly exceed those in larvae (0.7%). This tick therefore appears to attain infection mainly from the host of its larval stage, generally feeds on hosts that are noncompetent as reservoirs in its nymphal stage, and rarely inherits infection. Risk of human infection mainly derives from contact with the nymphal stage of the vector tick because the larva is rarely infected and the adult is large enough to be noticed and promptly removed."}
{"id": "PMID:1480611", "title": "Demonstration of extrachromosomal DNA from Babesia equi merozoites.", "content": "An extrachromosomal nucleic acid element was detected in high-molecular-weight DNA preparations form Babesia equi merozoites. This extrachromosomal element was shown to be DNA rather than RNA and had an apparent fragment size of about 9 kilobase-pairs (kb). Hybridization experiments using purified 9-kb DNA as a probe revealed sequence homologies with extrachromosomal DNA from two other Babesia species."}
{"id": "PMID:1480613", "title": "Site-directed mutagenesis and X-ray crystallography of two phospholipase A2 mutants: Y52F and Y73F.", "content": "Tyr52 and Tyr73 are conserved amino acid residues throughout all vertebrate phospholipases A2. They are part of an extended hydrogen bonding system that links the N-terminal alpha-NH3(+)-group to the catalytic residues His48 and Asp99. These tyrosines were replaced by phenylalanines in a porcine pancreatic phospholipase A2 mutant, in which residues 62-66 had been deleted (delta 62-66PLA2). The mutations did not affect the catalytic properties of the enzyme, nor the folding kinetics. The stability against denaturation by guanidine hydrochloride was decreased, however. To analyse how the enzyme compensates for the loss of the tyrosine hydroxyl group, the X-ray structures of the delta Y52F and delta Y73F mutants were determined. After crystallographic refinement the final crystallographic R-factors were 18.1% for the delta Y52F mutant (data between 7 and 2.3 A resolution) and 19.1% for the delta Y73F mutant (data between 7 and 2.4 A resolution). No conformational changes occurred in the mutants compared with the delta 62-66PLA2, but an empty cavity formed at the site of the hydroxyl group of the former tyrosine. In both mutants the Asp99 side chain loses one of its hydrogen bonds and this might explain the observed destabilization."}
{"id": "PMID:1480614", "title": "3-D structure of a mutant (Asp101-->Ser) of E.coli alkaline phosphatase with higher catalytic activity.", "content": "Mutagenesis of the absolutely conserved residue Asp101 of the non-specific monoesterase alkaline phosphatase (E.C. 3.1.3.1) from E. coli has produced an enzyme with increased kcat. The carboxyl group of the Asp101 residue has been proposed to be involved in the positioning of Arg166 and the formation of the helix that contains the active site Ser102. The crystal structure of the Asp101-->Ser mutant has been refined at 2.5 A to a final crystallographic R-factor of 0.173. The altered active site structure of the mutant is compared with that of the wild-type as well as with the structures of the mutant enzyme soaked in two known alkaline phosphatase inhibitors (inorganic phosphate and arsenate). The changes affect primarily the side chain of Arg166 which, by losing the hydrogen bond interaction with the carboxyl side chain of Asp101, becomes more flexible. This analysis, in conjunction with product inhibition studies of the mutant enzyme, suggests that at high pH (> 7) the enzyme achieves a quicker catalytic turnover by allowing a faster release of the product."}
{"id": "PMID:1480615", "title": "The structural consequences of exchanging tryptophan and tyrosine residues in B. stearothermophilus lactate dehydrogenase.", "content": "A mutant Bacillus stearothermophilus lactate dehydrogenase has been prepared in which all three tryptophan residues in the wild-type enzyme have been replaced by tyrosines. In addition, a tyrosine residue has been mutated to a tryptophan, which acts as a fluorescence probe to monitor protein folding. The mutant enzyme crystallizes in the same crystal form as the wild-type. The crystal structure of the mutant has been determined at 2.8 A resolution. Solution studies have suggested that there is little effect upon the mutant enzyme as judged by its kinetic properties. Comparison of the crystal structures of the mutant and wild-type enzymes confirms this conclusion, and reveals that alterations in structure in the region of these mutations are of a similar magnitude to those observed throughout the structure, and are not significant when compared with the errors in atomic positions expected for a structure at this resolution."}
{"id": "PMID:1480616", "title": "A new approach to the design of a sequence with the highest affinity for a molecular surface.", "content": "We describe an algorithm to design the primary structures for peptides which must have the strongest binding to a given molecular surface. This problem cannot be solved by a direct combinatorial sorting, because of an enormous number of possible primary and spatial structures. The approach to solve this problem is to describe a state of each residue by two variables: (i) amino acid type and (ii) 3-D coordinate, and to minimize binding energy over all these variables simultaneously. For short chains which have no long-range interactions within themselves, this minimization can be done easily and efficiently by dynamic programming. We also discuss the problem of how to estimate specificity of binding and how to deduce a sequence with maximal specificity for a given surface. We show that this sequence can be deduced by the same algorithm after some modification of energetic parameters."}
{"id": "PMID:1480617", "title": "Detection of secondary structure elements in proteins by hydrophobic cluster analysis.", "content": "Hydrophobic cluster analysis (HCA) is a protein sequence comparison method based on alpha-helical representations of the sequences where the size, shape and orientation of the clusters of hydrophobic residues are primarily compared. The effectiveness of HCA has been suggested to originate from its potential ability to focus on the residues forming the hydrophobic core of globular proteins. We have addressed the robustness of the bidimensional representation used for HCA in its ability to detect the regular secondary structure elements of proteins. Various parameters have been studied such as those governing cluster size and limits, the hydrophobic residues constituting the clusters as well as the potential shift of the cluster positions with respect to the position of the regular secondary structure elements. The following results have been found to support the alpha-helical bidimensional representation used in HCA: (i) there is a positive correlation (clearly above background noise) between the hydrophobic clusters and the regular secondary structure elements in proteins; (ii) the hydrophobic clusters are centred on the regular secondary structure elements; (iii) the pitch of the helical representation which gives the best correspondence is that of an alpha-helix. The correspondence between hydrophobic clusters and regular secondary structure elements suggests a way to implement variable gap penalties during the automatic alignment of protein sequences."}
{"id": "PMID:1480618", "title": "Potential of genetic algorithms in protein folding and protein engineering simulations.", "content": "Genetic algorithms are very efficient search mechanisms which mutate, recombine and select amongst tentative solutions to a problem until a near optimal one is achieved. We introduce them as a new tool to study proteins. The identification and motivation for different fitness functions is discussed. The evolution of the zinc finger sequence motif from a random start is modelled. User specified changes of the lambda repressor structure were simulated and critical sites and exchanges for mutagenesis identified. Vast conformational spaces are efficiently searched as illustrated by the ab initio folding of a model protein of a four beta strand bundle. The genetic algorithm simulation which mimicked important folding constraints as overall hydrophobic packaging and a propensity of the betaphilic residues for trans positions achieved a unique fold. Cooperativity in the beta strand regions and a length of 3-5 for the interconnecting loops was critical. Specific interaction sites were considerably less effective in driving the fold."}
{"id": "PMID:1480619", "title": "Protein secondary structure prediction using logic-based machine learning.", "content": "Many attempts have been made to solve the problem of predicting protein secondary structure from the primary sequence but the best performance results are still disappointing. In this paper, the use of a machine learning algorithm which allows relational descriptions is shown to lead to improved performance. The Inductive Logic Programming computer program, Golem, was applied to learning secondary structure prediction rules for alpha/alpha domain type proteins. The input to the program consisted of 12 non-homologous proteins (1612 residues) of known structure, together with a background knowledge describing the chemical and physical properties of the residues. Golem learned a small set of rules that predict which residues are part of the alpha-helices--based on their positional relationships and chemical and physical properties. The rules were tested on four independent non-homologous proteins (416 residues) giving an accuracy of 81% (+/- 2%). This is an improvement, on identical data, over the previously reported result of 73% by King and Sternberg (1990, J. Mol. Biol., 216, 441-457) using the machine learning program PROMIS, and of 72% using the standard Garnier-Osguthorpe-Robson method. The best previously reported result in the literature for the alpha/alpha domain type is 76%, achieved using a neural net approach. Machine learning also has the advantage over neural network and statistical methods in producing more understandable results."}
{"id": "PMID:1480620", "title": "Molecular mechanics analysis of inhibitor binding to HIV-1 protease.", "content": "Crystallographic structures of HIV protease with three different peptide-mimetic inhibitors were subjected to energy minimization using molecular mechanics, the minimized structures analyzed and the inhibitor binding energies calculated. Partial charge assignment for the hydrogen bonded catalytic aspartic acids, Asp25 and -25', was in good agreement with charge calculations using semi-empirical molecular orbital methods. Root mean square deviations on minimization were small and similar for both subunits in the protease dimer. The surface loops, which had the largest B factors, changed most on minimization; the hydrophobic core and the inhibitor binding site showed little change. The distance-dependent dielectric of D(r) = 4r was found to be preferable to D(r) = r. Distance restraints were applied for the intermolecular hydrogen bonds to maintain the conformation of the inhibitor binding site. Using the dielectric of D(r) = 4r, the calculated interaction energy of the three inhibitors with the protease ranged from -53 to -56 kcal/mol. The psi groups of the inhibitors were changed to add or remove a 'transition state analogue' hydroxyl group, and the loss in energy on the removal of this group was calculated to be 0.9-1.7 kcal/mol. This would represent 19-36% of the total measured difference in binding energy between the inhibitors JG365 and MVT-101."}
{"id": "PMID:1480621", "title": "The T<-->R structural transition of insulin; pathways suggested by targeted energy minimization.", "content": "The transition of insulin between its crystallographically defined states T and R is connected with considerable change even of backbone structure: the N-terminal B chain (residues B1-B8) refolds from extended conformation in T into helical in R, and vice versa. Although hitherto observed only in hexamers the transition of the monomer was adequate for developing and testing the method of 'targeted energy minimization' (TEM), capable of coping with conformational changes of such extent at moderate computational expenditure. The simulation is performed in a predetermined number of steps consisting of two atomic displacements each, one by force in the direction of the target structure, the second by energy minimization releasing the constraint caused in the first. The transition pathway is represented by the string of energy minimized transient structures. Due to the directedness of the algorithm the simulated pathway for R-->T is not the reversal of that for T-->R. It is, therefore, not pretended that the minimum energy pathway was identified. In the T-->R direction the N-terminal B chain first swivels while remaining largely stretched and then winds up extending the pre-existing helix B9-B19. The A chain advances into the space abandoned and withdraws from it in the R-->T simulation. In the latter the extended helix first kinks at B8/B9, and then the B1-B8 segment is unwound and stretched. The helical H-bonds of that segment are formed late in T-->R and are maintained during almost half of R-->T. The AN helix is less stable and more involved in the transitions than helix AC.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1480622", "title": "Site-saturation mutagenesis and three-dimensional modelling of ROB-1 define a substrate binding role of Ser130 in class A beta-lactamases.", "content": "Site-saturation mutagenesis was performed on the class A ROB-1 beta-lactamase at conserved Ser130, which is centrally located in the antibiotic binding site where it can participate in both protein-protein and protein-substrate hydrogen bonding. Mutation Thr130 gave a beta-lactamase hydrolysing penicillins and cephalosporins but which showed a 3-fold lower affinity (Km) for ampicillin and cephalexin, and a 30-fold lower hydrolytic (Vmax) activity for ampicillin. In contrast, the hydrolytic activity for cephalexin was similar to the wild-type for the Thr130 mutation. Mutation Gly130 gave a beta-lactamase hydrolysing only penicillins with an affinity and hydrolysis activity for these compounds approximately 15-fold lower than the wild-type, but no detectable activity against cephalosporins. Mutation Ala130 produced an enzyme capable of hydrolysing penicillins only at a low rate. Modelling the ROB-1 active site was done from the refined 2 A X-ray structure of the homologous Bacillus licheniformis beta-lactamase. Ampicillin and cephalexin were docked into the active site and were energy minimized with the CVFF empirical force field. Dockings were stable only when Ser70 was made anionic and Glu166 was made neutral. Interaction energies and distances were calculated for fully hydrated pre-acylation complexes with the Ser, Thr, Gly and Ala130 enzymes. The catalytic data from all mutations and the computed interactions from modelling confirmed that the Ser130 has a structural as well as a functional role in binding and hydrolysis of penicillins. This highly conserved residue also plays a substrate specificity role by hydrogen binding the carboxylic acid group of cephalosporins more tightly than penicillins."}
{"id": "PMID:1480623", "title": "A molecular dynamics simulation of bacteriophage T4 lysozyme.", "content": "An analysis of a 400 ps molecular dynamics simulation of the 164 amino acid enzyme T4 lysozyme is presented. The simulation was carried out with all hydrogen atoms modeled explicitly, the inclusion of all 152 crystallographic waters and at a temperature of 300 K. Temporal analysis of the trajectory versus energy, hydrogen bond stability, r.m.s. deviation from the starting crystal structure and radius of gyration, demonstrates that the simulation was both stable and representative of the average experimental structure. Average structural properties were calculated from the enzyme trajectory and compared with the crystal structure. The mean value of the C alpha displacements of the average simulated structure from the X-ray structure was 1.1 +/- 0.1 A; differences of the backbone phi and psi angles between the average simulated structure and the crystal structure were also examined. Thermal-B factors were calculated from the simulation for heavy and backbone atoms and both were in good agreement with experimental values. Relationships between protein secondary structure elements and internal motions were studied by examining the positional fluctuations of individual helix, sheet and turn structures. The structural integrity in the secondary structure units was preserved throughout the simulation; however, the A helix did show some unusually high atomic fluctuations. The largest backbone atom r.m.s. fluctuations were found in non-secondary structure regions; similar results were observed for r.m.s. fluctuations of non-secondary structure phi and psi angles. In general, the calculated values of r.m.s. fluctuations were quite small for the secondary structure elements. In contrast, surface loops and turns exhibited much larger values, being able to sample larger regions of conformational space. The C alpha difference distance matrix and super-positioning analyses comparing the X-ray structure with the average dynamics structure suggest that a 'hinge-bending' motion occurs between the N- and C-terminal domains."}
{"id": "PMID:1480636", "title": "Immunological manipulation of adiposity.", "content": "Although hormonal regulators of adiposity are available they as yet have not been licensed for use. Withdrawal periods and delivery systems are still potential problems in maximizing their effectiveness. Immunization techniques, on the other hand, suffer none of the problems of withdrawal periods or requirement for frequent injection/implantation. As such they are clearly perceived as safe, economic and should have a positive animal welfare image. They are, however, not without their problems. Active immunization in particular involves an autoimmune response and this is typically difficult to evoke and virtually impossible to regulate. In addition, the fact that antibodies may have immunoneutralizing and immunoenhancing properties may explain the apparently contradictory results obtained in various studies as, for example, in the case of immunization against somatostatin. As our knowledge of immune responsiveness and its control increases, however, the possibilities for immune intervention should increase considerably. We may then be faced with ethical rather than practical limitations as to how far we should manipulate growth and body composition."}
{"id": "PMID:1480638", "title": "A process of mutual support. Establishing a support network for nurses caring for dying patients.", "content": "Caring for dying patients and their families is demanding and stressful. In order to help patients in their time of greatest need, nurses themselves require support from management and colleagues. A support network can provide nurses with a structured programme of support and guidance."}
{"id": "PMID:1480639", "title": "Positive use of a traumatic reawakening. Therapy with incest survivors.", "content": "A wide range of triggers can reawaken long suppressed memories of childhood sexual abuse. Analytic psychotherapy can bring such memories out into the open, often enabling clients to reassess both their past and present relationships."}
{"id": "PMID:1480640", "title": "Taking the heat out of burns. Nursing management of burns.", "content": "Burns constitute a serious and distressing injury. It is essential that nursing care takes on an holistic approach, focusing jointly on the physical and psychological effects."}
{"id": "PMID:1480641", "title": "Treatment leads to significant improvement. Effect of conservative treatment on pain in lymphoedema.", "content": "Pain is a common complaint in patients with secondary upper limb lymphoedema related to breast cancer. This study shows how standard conservative treatment of lymphoedema can result in a significant reduction in pain and decreased limb volume."}
{"id": "PMID:1480642", "title": "A safe way to reduce the symptoms? Advising women on hormone replacement therapy.", "content": "Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) counters the symptoms associated with the menopause, and can improve quality of life. As with any form of treatment, HRT has both advantages and disadvantages, and women must be told about these so they can make an informed choice."}
{"id": "PMID:1480644", "title": "The hydration question. Hydration or dehydration of terminally ill patients.", "content": "Hydration of terminally ill patients is a controversial issue. This study assesses the reasons why doctors and nurses in hospital and hospice settings do or do not undertake this procedure."}
{"id": "PMID:1480645", "title": "Surgical intervention for oesophageal atresia with tracheo-oesophageal fistula.", "content": "1. This condition is a congenital condition occurring in 1:3,500 births. 2. The condition can be diagnosed in utero, then delivery can be arranged at a hospital with a neonatal unit. 3. Most cases can be easily treated with surgical intervention. 4. Most TOF babies thrive after surgery, and good nursing care increases their chances of healthy development."}
{"id": "PMID:1480646", "title": "Greater understanding enhances control. Maintaining pharmacological control of asthma.", "content": "1. Asthma is a syndrome--not a disease--which affects the bronchi in the lungs. 2. Asthma is a cause of substantial ill-health, and economic loss (due to sick leave) to both clients and society. 3. Agreed systems of management (protocols) between client and practitioner may help clients gain control over their condition."}
{"id": "PMID:1480647", "title": "Setting an example to improve quality of life. Care in the community for people with physical disabilities.", "content": "Care in the community is much lauded as a concept, but has yet to be fully implemented. A community care nursing service set up in Cambridgeshire provides one example of how community care can be effectively employed to benefit clients and carers."}
{"id": "PMID:1480650", "title": "Histamine analogues. 36th communication. Basically substituted histamine derivatives with H1-agonistic activity.", "content": "Piperidinoalkyl-, morpholinoalkyl- or [(pyrid-2-yl)methylthio]alkyl-substituents were introduced into position 2 of the essential histamine structure. These 2-substituted histamine derivatives were prepared via reaction of imidate hydrochlorides in liquid ammonia under pressure with 1,3-dihydroxypropanone followed by a stepwise build-up of the side chain in position 4 of the imidazole nucleus (route I) or by cyclization with 2-oxo-4-phthalimido-1-butyl acetate (route II) followed by deprotection of the primary amine function. The novel compounds were screened for H1-activity on the isolated guinea-pig ileum and for H2-activity on the isolated guinea-pig right atrium. While 10a, c-e proved to be weak partial H1-agonists, 10b, f were very weak H1-antagonists."}
{"id": "PMID:1480651", "title": "Thieno[2,3-d]pyrimidin-4(3H)-one derivatives and 1,2-dihydrogenated homologues: synthesis, enhanced in vitro antiaggregant activity for reduced compounds.", "content": "Some derivatives of thieno[2,3-d]pyrimidin-4(3 H)-one A and their 1,2-dihydrogenated homologues B were synthesized. The study of their in vitro antiaggregating activity showed that the first compounds exhibited significant inhibiting power when aggregation was induced with ADP. Their reduction to derivatives of 1,2-dihydrothieno[2,3-d]pyrimidin-4(3 H)-one led to a new series of molecules possessing a large antiaggregant activity. When compared to that of acetylsalicylic acid under the same conditions, this activity was the same with collagen or arachidonic acid-induced aggregation, but greater when aggregation was induced by ADP. Serotonin release was also inhibited."}
{"id": "PMID:1480652", "title": "[Anti-arrhythmic action of some amidinohydrazone substituted benzophenones. 1. Synthesis of new amidinohydrazone and N-phenylamidinohydrazone substituted benzophenones].", "content": "The title compounds are synthesized as a rule by condensation of substituted benzophenones and derivatives of aminoguanidine in the presence of up to 2.5 moles of an anorganic acid. They can be obtained alternatively via corresponding hydrazones, thiosemicarbazones or methylthiothiocarbonylhydrazones."}
{"id": "PMID:1480654", "title": "[Potential cardiotonics. 14. Synthesis and in vitro positive inotropic actions of 4-morpholino-5-(4-pyridinyl)pyridine derivatives].", "content": "By the reaction of 2-chloro-5-(4-pyridinyl)pyridines 1-6 with morpholine as well as by derivation of the 2-morpholino-pyridine-3-carboxamide 8 the 3-substituted 2-morpholino-5-(4-pyridinyl)pyridines 7-14 were prepared. The evaluation for positive inotropic properties in spontaneously beating isolated guinea pig atria gave for the 3-cyano derivative 7 (AWD 122-14) the best activity. The potency is comparable to that of milrinone and is due to partial by inhibition of phosphodiesterase III (PDE III)."}
{"id": "PMID:1480655", "title": "Synthesis, structure and biological activity of 1,2,4-triazolo-1,3-thiazine derivatives.", "content": "A group of condensed triazole-thiazine derivatives (2a-i, 3b, 3j) was obtained in reaction of the corresponding 5-substituted 1,2,4-triazole-3-thiones (1a-j) with epichlorohydrin in alkaline medium. The structure of the compounds synthesized was confirmed by spectral and roentgenographic methods. Tuberculostatic and circulatory activities of the compounds were also studied."}
{"id": "PMID:1480656", "title": "Reactivity and microbiological activity of 2-methyl-3-carboethoxy-5-pyrrolinone derivatives.", "content": "This work describes the synthesis of 2-methyl-3-carboethoxy-5-pyrrolinone which was then allowed to react with aromatic aldehydes, nitromethines, benzendiazonium salts, hydrazine and amines. Several of the products have shown good results in preliminary antimicrobial and antifungal tests."}
{"id": "PMID:1480657", "title": "[Potential cardiotonics. 15. Crystal modifications of 3-cyano-2-morpholino-5-(4-pyridinyl)pyridine (AWD 122-14)].", "content": "The preparation and X-ray crystallographic characterisation of 10 polymorphic or pseudo-polymorphic forms of the novel cardiotonic AWD 122-14 are described. Thermic transformations of some polymorphic forms into the alpha-form was proved by thermogravimetric analysis and powder diffraction pattern. In dissolution behaviour no significant differences were found between the crystalline modifications but with regard to galenic processing compact alpha-, gamma- and epsilon-forms show advantages."}
{"id": "PMID:1480658", "title": "[Solid phase-sample preparation of ifosfamide and chloroethyl metabolites in biological material. 1. Determination in plasma and urine].", "content": "The cytostatic drug ifosfamide (IFF) and its main metabolites 2-dechloroethyl ifosfamide (2-D-IFF) and 3-dechloroethyl ifosfamide (3-D-IFF) were isolated from the plasma matrix with high recovery by solid phase extraction using Bakerbond C18-cartridges. A further cleaning of the extracts is not necessary. An effective separation of IFF and metabolites from interfering compounds present in urine samples prior gc was performed with Extrelut-1 and dichloromethane/isopropanol (95:5, v/v). The described assays may be used for pharmacokinetic studies as well as drug monitoring in the clinical laboratory."}
{"id": "PMID:1480659", "title": "[Mucus models for investigation of intestinal absorption mechanisms. 4. Comparison of mucus models with absorption models in vivo and in situ for prediction of intestinal drug absorption].", "content": "Intestinal absorption with an in vitro model using pig intestinal mucus was examined by means of in vivo and in situ experiments in the rat. With 10 compounds of different structure, in vitro, in situ, and in vivo models were tested. The in vitro model in the present form can only simulate the first step of intestinal absorption, namely diffusion through the mucus layer. Indeed, we found that one function of the intestinal mucus can be described being a molecular sieve with a molecular mass (MM) cut off within the range of about 600 to 700 [g/mol]. Absorption of substances with higher molecular mass remains at a low level. With the mucus model prediction of intestinal absorption of hydrophilic substances with MM < 600 to 700 [g/mol] will be possible, if the mass transport in the mucus layer is rate limiting. Independent of polarity, it is also valid for substances of MM > 600 to 700 [g/mol]. Estimation however, is not valid for lipophilic substances and MM < 600 to 700 [g/mol], when mass transport from the mucus to the adjacent compartments is rate limiting. Further optimization of the mucus model for a more extensive application seems possible and reasonable with respect to saving in vivo experiments with animals."}
{"id": "PMID:1480668", "title": "[Intuitive prognostic assessment in rehabilitation of long-term psychiatric patients].", "content": "The significance of intuitive prognostic assessments by the nursing staff and the examining female doctor is studied with regard to the course and results of \"late rehabilitation\" of 30 psychiatric patients who had been hospitalised for many years. Using standardised assessment criteria and catamnestic data on readmission as inpatients (covering a period of 20 months) patients were compared who had been discharged from the psychiatric hospital, transferred to long-term residential quarters, and assessed before discharge as likely or unlikely to be readmitted to the hospital. The group of patients who had been given an unfavourable prognosis--most of them women--proved in course of time to be readmitted as inpatients more often and to be significantly more disturbed than the patients who had been discharged with a more favourable prognosis. These results are discussed with regard to sociopolitical and medical care aspects and to approaches for further research in this direction."}
{"id": "PMID:1480669", "title": "[Follow-up options in institutional protection--\"patient careers\" in a comprehensive community psychiatric care system].", "content": "The recommendations for the reorganization of German psychiatry were associated with the expectation that institutional protection can be reduced in a comprehensive community care system on the longterm basis and that a stabilization can be achieved during treatment with a minimum share in full and partial hospitalization. To test this assumption we studied the institutional pathways of 136 chronic, mainly schizophrenic patients within the comprehensive care system of the Department of Social Psychiatry over two years. A cluster analysis of sequence and intensity of institutional care showed three major types of use of the system: as a rehabilitation system, as an alternative and flexible care system, and as a traditional \"dual-care-system\". These patterns of institutional pathways were analyzed regarding predictors from patient's history. Consequences are discussed concerning further development of community mental health, coordination of services and continuity of care."}
{"id": "PMID:1480670", "title": "[Occupational rehabilitation of psychiatric patients--results of a study of workshops for handicapped patients].", "content": "The situation of persons with mental illness, who work in workshops for the handicapped, and the problems they have to deal with, are discussed. Concepts of the psychology of work, which nearly have not been recognized in the field of vocational rehabilitation are described. In a study in several workshops the relationship between job conditions and social support at the workplace and the personnel development of the mentally ill was investigated. The results show that above all the perceived job characteristics as well as social support are important for a positive development of the personality--both at the workplace and during leisure time."}
{"id": "PMID:1480671", "title": "[Poverty on the psychiatric unit--a central problem in mental health treatment].", "content": "72 patients of the psychiatric department of the general hospital in Berlin Neuk\u00f6lln were interviewed unselectedly to the subjects of lodging and income with the help of a semistructured interview. Only 16 (22%) patients still had a job, 17 (24%) were without job and 31 (43%) were on pension. 10 patients (14%) were homeless, 12 patients (17%) lived in insufficient conditions of housing. Only 11 patients (15%) earned their own wage/salary. All together 25 patients (36%) were in some way dependent on support by social security. Half of the patients had a regular income of less than DM 1000.--a month. The everyday dealing with the problem of poverty on the ward is pointed out and discussed. Obviously this theme is not integrated enough in the therapeutic process. This subject can not only be delegated to the responsibility of the social worker."}
{"id": "PMID:1480672", "title": "[What must the community contribute to the managements of chronic psychiatric patients?--Reflections from England].", "content": "Chronically disabled psychiatric patients who are living outside hospital still need help. The degree of disability they show and the support which they receive from family or friends differs greatly. How they manage will depend on their ability to adapt and one can recognize the difference between those who adapt well in spite of disability and those for whom this is very difficult. In consequence their need for support from others varies. In England some national voluntary agencies traditionally offer support. However, today the combined work of voluntary organisations, hospitals and statutory community authorities in local areas is often impressive and two examples are described. Even so families are perhaps still the most important form of support although some are unable or unwilling to help. Other alternative forms of help noted are two-patient marriages, long-term hospital support of discharged patients and regular employment. Examples of innovations in Australia and the U.S.A. are also described."}
{"id": "PMID:1480673", "title": "[Multiple admissions to the psychiatric hospital--a study of the status of so-called \"revolving door patients\"].", "content": "The graph of the frequency distribution of rehospitalization shows a constant exponential decline without demarking a particular population of so-called \"revolving-door\" patients. Patients with at least four admissions to a regional psychiatry hospital within a time span of two years are compared to a control group of the total clinic population. Multiple admission patients suffer significantly more often from diseases with an unfavourable prognosis, the illness has started earlier in their lives, and the course of illness is marked by unstable dynamic states with frequent crises of suicide. A demographic analysis shows the group under survey to be younger and less often married; participation in the world of labour has been lost more often, schizophrenics who have frequently stayed in hospitals even loose their former autonomy in housing. Guardianships are significantly more often installed, but they have not proved to be an efficient form of help. The therapeutic care of this problem patients is rather unsatisfactory. The offered ambulatory services are not claimed and in hospital the special treatment units fail to reach these patients. Lack of therapeutic continuity and compliance determines the course of treatment and complicates therapeutic strategies."}
{"id": "PMID:1480674", "title": "[Delusion of possession in a Korean patient and therapy].", "content": "Through a Korean freechristian priest, who brought about an atmosphere of syncretism, a Korean patient was introduced by withdrawal of sleep into a shortterm state of artificial psychosis which lead to her attempting suicide. The therapeutic intervention based on the ideas of Rogers was successful in creating a basis of confidence between the patient and the doctor. Through this process it was possible to obtain further personal information, in particular concerning the patient's grandmother, who was a shamanistic mudang. In connection with the knowledge about the patient's cultural background and its ties to shamanism, and respecting the cultural content without evaluating it, a good presupposition was given for an effective therapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1480676", "title": "Clinical picture and long-term course of epileptic seizures that occur during clozapine treatment.", "content": "Clozapine is an atypical neuroleptic drug that has proved to be effective in alleviating psychotic symptoms refractory to treatment with standard neuroleptic drugs. In addition to hematological side effects, an increased susceptibility to epileptic seizures during clozapine treatment has previously been described. In this report, we describe the clinical picture and electroencephalographic findings of 12 schizophrenic patients who have had from one to six clozapine-associated epileptic convulsions."}
{"id": "PMID:1480677", "title": "Altered interleukin-2 production in schizophrenia: association between clinical state and autoantibody production.", "content": "Mitogen-stimulated interleukin-2 (IL-2) production was measured in 122 patients who met Research Diagnostic Criteria for schizophrenia and 98 normal control subjects. The presence of autoantibodies against seven common antigens was also determined. There was no relationship between the presence of circulating autoantibodies and IL-2 production in control subjects. In patients, however, autoantibody-positive, acutely ill patients had significantly lower IL-2 production as compared with other patients and control subjects. Never-medicated patients showed the same trends for decreased IL-2 production in association with autoantibodies. These data suggest that decreased IL-2 production is associated with acute illness in schizophrenic patients who produce autoantibodies, a trait known to be associated with increased vulnerability to autoimmune disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1480678", "title": "Attention, cognition, and motor perseveration in adolescents at genetic risk for schizophrenia and control subjects.", "content": "Twenty-three offspring of schizophrenic parents (mean age = 12.1 years, SD = 3.2) and 61 adolescent control subjects (mean age = 12.3 years, SD = 3.3) were compared in their performance of the following psychometric tests: simple reaction times (RTs), warned RTs in a monomodal and cross-modal design, d2 concentration test, a motor perseveration test, and a cognitive performance measure (Wechsler Intelligence Scale). The results were validated in a second analysis in which a subgroup of the control subjects were matched to the high-risk subjects for the following characteristics: age, gender, education, and environmental background. Significant deficits were found in the high-risk group in tests that required sustained attention and information processing under high perceptual load (RT measures and d2 concentration test). Deficits were particularly prominent for the processing of visual stimuli; sensory incongruence might also have been a contributor to this deficit. The attentional dysfunction of high-risk subjects might explain their tendency to show less structured behavior and distractibility as reflected by their higher entropy scores in a motor perseveration test. Cognitive evaluation showed a significant deficit in the high-risk group, primarily as reflected in the verbal IQ score."}
{"id": "PMID:1480679", "title": "Empirical assessment of the factorial structure of clinical symptoms in schizophrenic patients: formal thought disorder.", "content": "Male schizophrenic patients (n = 142) were examined with a clinical assessment of their language dysfunctions with the Scale for the Assessment of Thought, Language, and Communication (TLC). Confirmatory factor analyses were conducted to test the relative fit of several differential theoretical models of the factorial structure of thought disorders. The models examined were positive-negative thought disorder, a three-factor model based on the results of an earlier exploratory factor analysis, and a simpler verbal productivity-disconnection model that can be extracted from other exploratory analyses and empirical studies. The positive-negative thought disorder model failed to fit the data, while the three-factor model fit the data, but no better than the simpler verbal productivity-disconnection model."}
{"id": "PMID:1480680", "title": "Empirical assessment of the factorial structure of clinical symptoms in schizophrenia: negative symptoms.", "content": "The factor structure of the Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms (SANS) was examined in a confirmatory factor analysis that used the LISREL procedure. Four models of negative symptom factors were tested in 130 hospitalized schizophrenic patients. A three-factor model of diminished expression, social dysfunction, and disorganization generated by the authors yielded a superior fit to the data relative to the two-factor model of Liddle (1987b) and a unifactorial severity model. A four-factor model based on the original subscale formulation of the SANS failed to fit the data."}
{"id": "PMID:1480681", "title": "Plasma tryptophan levels and plasma tryptophan/neutral amino acids ratio in patients with mood disorder, patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder, and normal subjects.", "content": "Fasting plasma tryptophan (TRP) levels and ratios of total plasma tryptophan to the sum of five large neutral amino acids (LNAAs)--tyrosine, phenylalanine, leucine, isoleucine, and valine--that compete with tryptophan for passage across the blood-brain barrier were found to be significantly lower in a group of 28 patients with major depression compared with 29 normal subjects and 21 patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The OCD group was divided in two subgroups: patients with OCD alone and patients with a co-diagnosis of major depression. Since it has been considered that these biological parameters reflect brain tryptophan and serotonin levels, our results suggest their importance in relation to the presence or absence of depressive symptoms. The values of the other LNAAs and their sum did not differ significantly among the groups."}
{"id": "PMID:1480682", "title": "Differential validity of psychometric tests in dementia of the Alzheimer type.", "content": "Forty-nine patients with a clinical diagnosis of probable dementia of the Alzheimer type underwent an extensive test battery designed to evaluate cognitive deficits according to NINCDS/ADRDA criteria. All patients demonstrated signs of impairment on this test battery. One day later, they were administered a second test battery that consisted of the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMS), the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale (ADAS), the SKT test (SKT), and the Brief Cognitive Rating Scale (BCRS) to assess the construct validity, sensitivity, and possible shortcomings of these tests. A control group of 47 age-matched persons was administered the same test battery to allow a comparison with reference values from other studies. Due to the design of the study, values of controls and patients did not overlap. Intercorrelations in patients were above 0.65 (p < 0.05 after Bonferroni correction) for all four cognitive tests. The ADAS and BCRS appeared to document the whole course of the disease in patients studied. The best differentiation with the SKT test could be obtained in mild to moderate dementia; however, due to the test's construction, a floor effect demonstrated its limitations in the case of severe dementia. Results obtained with the MMSE indicated the contrary: a ceiling effect showed its lack of differentiation in mild dementia. Therefore, a combination of tests should be used in the evaluation of cognitive deficits in the course of dementia of the Alzheimer type."}
{"id": "PMID:1480683", "title": "Correlates of Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire Scales with selected Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory Scales.", "content": "The pattern of correlations between selected MMPI scales and the scales of the Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire were examined in a convenience sample of 88 patients who had received both tests. Time between tests (usually less than one year) did not affect the correlations, but MMPI response-set variables (L, F, K, F-K) did. The Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire harm avoidance scale and subscales had many correlates on the MMPI. The Novelty seeking scale and subscales showed a number of moderate correlations with a smaller number of MMPI scales; these correlations did not significantly exceed the correlations with MMPI response-set variables. The Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire reward dependence scale and subscales had few, if any, significant MMPI correlates. It was also noted that no Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire scales were related to MMPI repression factor scores."}
{"id": "PMID:1480684", "title": "The fractal nature of the development of the self.", "content": "This paper provides a discussion of the life cycle using a framework constructed from ideas in chaos theory. Building upon psychodynamic ideas from Freud, Jung, and Erikson, the integration of the Self is discussed from the viewpoint of Analytical Psychology. It is proposed that throughout our lives we encounter crisis points that fractionate the ego and necessitate use of more complex and adaptive psychic structures to contain or handle the seemingly disparate qualities that arise. We may say that eventually one aspires to realize Analytical Psychology's goal of integrating the superior and the inferior functions of the psyche into a cohesive Self. Jung seemed to state that the Self could never be attained, but it is argued in this paper that a form of transitory self may be realized periodically during the course of the life cycle."}
{"id": "PMID:1480685", "title": "Existential anxiety as related to conceptualization of self and of death, denial of death, and religiosity.", "content": "82 students completed a questionnaire which measured their existential anxiety as described by Yalom, conceptualization of self and of death, denial of death, and religiosity. For these students, scores on existential anxiety correlated with identity confusion, feeling responsible toward others but fearing emotional closeness with them, seeing people as fundamentally different and not seeing oneself as living on in one's tasks or projects. Their existential anxiety scores were not related to a particular concept of death, but death was more likely to be seen as cold and denied. Their existential anxiety seemed symptomatic of adjustment problems for which religiosity was not helpful. Specific suggestions for further research are made."}
{"id": "PMID:1480686", "title": "Personality differences of sex offenders referred for treatment.", "content": "Personalities of 64 sex offenders (rapists, molesters, and incestuous types) referred for treatment were compared. No significant differences on MMPI scores or IQ were noted among subgroups of molesters. Significant trait anxiety indicated that molesters of both males and females had higher anxiety than incestuous offenders. Also, a significant difference was noted on state anxiety; all groups decreased scores over treatment. A significant effect of brief therapy also occurred for trait anxiety. All groups but incestuous offenders decreased on trait anxiety over 5-wk. therapy. Male and female molester groups decreased in self-esteem whereas incestuous types and rapists increased in self-esteem. Implications are provided for these results."}
{"id": "PMID:1480687", "title": "A multivariate analysis of weight-loss behavior.", "content": "This study used a theoretical framework with multiple variables in multivariate analyses (factor, multiple regression, and path analyses) to investigate the sociopsychological predictors of weight loss. Responses from 309 participants of a comprehensive weight-loss program indicated that self-assurance was the most significant predictor of actual weight loss, followed by weeks completed. Other factors, such as program satisfaction and perceived importance, indirectly predicted weight loss through the intervening variables of self-assurance and weeks completed. Differences in the factors predicting weight loss were observed between completers and dropouts. The implications of these results for professionals concerned with weight control are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1480688", "title": "Gender-related motivational differences in participation in an organized seniors fitness program: moving beyond sex-role stereotypic motives.", "content": "Primary reasons for senior adults' participation in a fitness program were examined in two groups to assess gender-related differences. 30 senior adults or \"beginners\" had just enrolled in the program, while 43 \"veterans\" had participated for about three years. Among \"beginners\" women were more likely to participate because \"daytime meetings were offered\" and \"people I trust recommend it\" but there were no gender differences among \"veterans.\" Close examination of responses indicated that differences among \"beginners\" no longer obtained because \"veteran\" men's motivations increased to resemble those of women. Examination of these motivational shifts as well as those which approached significance is in progress with a larger sample."}
{"id": "PMID:1480689", "title": "Personality factors in monozygotic and dizygotic twins: a comparative study.", "content": "To explore similarities or differences on a number of psychological variables relating to personality for members of 16 pairs of monozygotic and 16 pairs of dizygotic twins and between the two groups, the Rorschach, Luscher, Cattell 16 PF, Bem Sex-role Inventory, and Symptom Distress Check List were given to 64 subjects. Analysis confirms data in the literature concerning significant similarities on some personality traits for monozygotic and dizygotic pairs, but with some differences between the groups tested. The particular similarity between the twins may be more attributable to the type of relationship developed early between the twins and the mother than to a greater genetic than environmental influence."}
{"id": "PMID:1480690", "title": "Social support and suicidal ideation in college students.", "content": "The present study examined the link between social support and suicidal ideation among 305 university students (90 men and 215 women) whose ages ranged from 18 to 24 years. Social support was significantly correlated with suicidal ideation (r = -.38), but social support did not contribute to the variation in suicidal ideation scores beyond the joint contribution of scores on the Beck Depression Inventory and scores on the Hopelessness Scale. A stronger relationship between social support and suicidal ideation might be found if investigators assessed different aspects of social support and if they examined the interaction of social support and level of reported stress."}
{"id": "PMID:1480691", "title": "Sustained attention deficit in young schizophrenic and schizotypic men.", "content": "We studied groups of 39 schizophrenic subjects, 35 schizotypic subjects, and 33 control subjects, comparing them on a standard sustained attention task called the Continuous Performance Test (identical pairs version). The expected negative relationship between performance on sustained attention and psychopathology was confirmed by differences among the three groups which were in the direction predicted, although only the difference between the schizophrenic group and the other two groups was significant. This finding adds evidence to the view from research on high risk and attention with schizophrenic subjects that subtle attention deficits are present among subjects within the schizophrenia spectrum. Consequently, our results can be understood as supporting a dimensional theory of psychopathology."}
{"id": "PMID:1480692", "title": "A measure of positive health-related quality of life: the Satisfaction with Illness Scale.", "content": "The Satisfaction with Illness Scale measures the extent to which chronic or acute physical illness has had positive consequences for patients. In a sample of 52 persons with chronic bronchitis, the scale was shown to have good internal consistency and to correlate .42 with another scale of positive life satisfaction."}
{"id": "PMID:1480693", "title": "Mothers of children with asthma: perceptions of parenting stress and the mother-child relationship.", "content": "In a study of 41 mothers of asthmatic children ranging from 8 to 13 years of age, perceived parenting stress was greater and the quality of the mother-child relationship more problematic than for a comparison group of mothers with healthy children. These mothers also perceived certain areas of behavioral difficulty in their asthmatic children that were greater than those of children in a comparative sample of mothers. The findings suggested that mothers and their asthmatic children may be at risk for a variety of individual and relational problems."}
{"id": "PMID:1480694", "title": "Relationship between knowledge of and attitudes towards AIDS.", "content": "202 subjects completed a questionnaire concerning their knowledge of and attitudes towards AIDS. The knowledge questionnaire had three sections, general knowledge, knowledge of spread and symptoms. Intercorrelations of the sections of the attitudinal measure were factor analysed, and five interpretable factors identified. As in two previously reported studies the correlations among the three knowledge and five attitudinal factors were low and nonsignificant. Implications for health education and attitude change are considered."}
{"id": "PMID:1480695", "title": "Short forms of the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale.", "content": "Three short forms of the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale were constructed from the results of principal components analysis (N = 399). Those subscales were compared with short forms developed by previous researchers who used the same methodology. Examination of the subscales indicated that 13 of the scale's 33 items were isolated by at least two of the three reported studies. Those items were used to construct a composite subscale, which appeared to offer a useful alternative to the full scale. Further analysis of the subscale's contents, however, raised questions about the dimensionality of the Marlowe-Crowne scale. Caution was urged in the use and interpretation of both the full inventory and the short form until the meaning of scale scores can be clarified."}
{"id": "PMID:1480697", "title": "Mental disorder and the perception of family characteristics: an assessment of the relationships in childhood and adolescence.", "content": "To assess whether the presence or absence of symptoms of mental disorder in childhood and adolescence is associated with perception of the family of origin in early adulthood, 168 undergraduates completed a questionnaire containing a checklist of symptoms of mental disorder and two family assessment instruments. Respondents who had never experienced symptoms of mental disorder rated their families of origin as more cohesive and reported less confusion of kinship relations. No significant differences were found between the two groups on the perceived adaptability of the family."}
{"id": "PMID:1480699", "title": "Psychometric properties of the Social Interaction Self-Statement Test in a college sample.", "content": "The psychometric properties of the Social Interaction Self-statement Test were investigated with a sample of 321 college students. Factor analysis of the 30 items gave two factors, similar to the positive and negative self-statement subscales. The internal consistency coefficients of the factor scales were high and adequate. Correlations between the subscales and independent measures of social anxiety and psychological distress from the Symptom Checklist-90--Revised were examined. Data provided opportunity for evaluating the construct validity and psychometric adequacy of the test."}
{"id": "PMID:1480701", "title": "Relationship between optimism and coping strategies in the work environment.", "content": "The work environment is often stressful; however, the specific coping strategies used by individuals to deal with such stress have received limited attention. While the benefits associated with optimism have long been touted, little insight has been developed regarding the mechanism(s) that may contribute to optimists' superior job performance. It is possible that optimism is associated with higher performance because it influences the coping strategies used by salespeople. This possibility was addressed in a cross-sectional study of 101 salespeople. Dispositionally optimistic salespersons were observed to rely more on problem-focused coping strategies, while pessimists engaged in emotion-focused coping. But the specific coping tactics that emerged and the extent to which these tactics were used differed substantially from those which research conducted in other, nonsales settings would have predicted."}
{"id": "PMID:1480702", "title": "What is stressful about in vitro fertilization?", "content": "The present work was designed to explore whether psychological stress is more related to concerns about the actual physical pain or fear of treatment during in vitro fertilization. Analysis of data for 12 middle-class women from Iran showed that the greatest psychological stress during treatment was associated with worries about the outcome of different stages of treatment rather than fear and pain of the actual procedure."}
{"id": "PMID:1480703", "title": "Death depression versus death anxiety: exploration of different correlates.", "content": "Possible differences between death depression and death anxiety were explored for 182 students, 81 church members, and 41 employees of an air terminal. Both female gender and older age were more highly associated with greater death anxiety than with greater death depression. Living without a significant other was associated with greater death depression than with death anxiety."}
{"id": "PMID:1480704", "title": "The marriage and family therapist: graduate preparation of a mental health professional.", "content": "To better acquaint mental health professionals with the educational background of marriage and family therapists, this study examined degree-objective programs offered by 55 academic units in US colleges and universities. Through mailed questionnaires supplemented by telephone follow-ups, information was obtained regarding location of units, enrollment, faculty, admission requirements, program requirements, and therapy models taught. In addition to describing available programs, units with and without accreditation by the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy's Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education were compared."}
{"id": "PMID:1480706", "title": "Construction of the Hyman-Baker Mammography Questionnaire, a measure of health belief model variables.", "content": "Despite its considerable promise as a screening tool, mammography has thus far not been as widely used as seems warranted. One conceptualization of patient-related factors or motivation useful in previous research on use of services is the Health Belief Model, which postulates that health behavior can be predicted by people's perceptions of the seriousness of the disease, their susceptibility to the disease, and their perceptions of the benefits of and barriers to the health behavior. Yet no psychometrically sound measure of these variables as related to mammography was found in a search of the literature. This study reports the construction and preliminary validation of such an instrument. Factor analysis, moderate or zero correlation of the subscales, and a higher mean score on the Barriers subscale for women referred for mammography as compared to those actually presenting for mammography support the validity of the questionnaire. Although reliability coefficients for Benefits were low, those for Susceptibility and Barriers were adequate. The questionnaire appears to be a promising measure awaiting further validation."}
{"id": "PMID:1480707", "title": "Psychological androgyny and the NEO Personality Inventory.", "content": "The hypothesis that the personality profile of androgynous individuals is different from those of the other sex-role groups was tested by giving the Personal Attributes Questionnaire and the NEO Personality Inventory to 113 male and 135 female undergraduates. Results strongly supported the hypothesis."}
{"id": "PMID:1480708", "title": "Effect of reading a summary of research about biological bases of homosexual orientation on attitudes toward homosexuals.", "content": "The effect of exposure to information regarding the development of homosexual orientation on attitudes toward homosexuals was investigated. Testing was conducted in five regularly scheduled undergraduate classes. 105 volunteer subjects from college classes were exposed to one of three treatment conditions. Subjects in the experimental group read a summary article of current research emphasizing a biological component of homosexual orientation. Subjects in one control group read a summary article of research focusing on the absence of hormonal differences between homosexual and heterosexual men. Subjects in another control group were not exposed to either article. All subjects completed the Index of Attitudes Toward Homosexuals. As predicted, subjects in the experimental group had significantly lower scores than subjects in the control groups. There was a significant interaction between treatment condition and sex of subject. Scores on the index were significantly lower for women, but only in the experimental group. These results show that exposure to a research summary can significantly affect immediately assessed scores on the Index of Attitudes Toward Homosexuals. Also, the pattern of effects of these experiences was different for women and men."}
{"id": "PMID:1480710", "title": "Scores of Spanish smokers on Fagerstr\u00f6m's Tolerance Questionnaire.", "content": "Nicotine may be the agent responsible for tobacco addiction. A non-invasive, easy measure for evaluating addiction is Fagerstr\u00f6m's 1978 Tolerance Questionnaire. Present results are based on responses of 732 Spanish smokers to the Spanish version of the questionnaire. The questionnaire has a moderate reliability, and some items are more important than others. Among the Spanish smokers, the questionnaire differentiated the groups of 327 light, 275 normal, and 130 heavy smokers."}
{"id": "PMID:1480712", "title": "Effects of erotica upon men's and women's loving and liking responses for their partners.", "content": "We replicated the essential features of the 1978 Dermer and Pysczinski study in two investigations with 70 and 197 subjects, respectively. The primary question was whether the reading of erotic texts (vs neutral texts) affects only scores on the 1970 Love scale of Rubin or also scores on the liking scale. We tested men and women, both individually and in groups. We found no significant effects due to the experimental treatment on either of the scales for women and men. Present moods of the subjects yielded a double interaction with gender and the experimental treatment for scores on the Love scale, but not those on the Liking scale. We interpreted the interaction in relation to the discriminant validity of the two scales."}
{"id": "PMID:1480713", "title": "Construct validity of the Commitment to Career Choices Scale among late adolescents: another look.", "content": "In response to Stead and Watson (1992), we reassessed the construct validity of the Commitment to Career Choices Scale using an age-constrained sample from our aggregate data base. A confirmatory factor analysis yielded findings comparable to Stead and Watson's results, thereby suggesting that their findings were likely due to using a homogeneous sample with truncated scores. Given the theoretical importance of measuring the full range of the two commitment to career choices continua, it seems premature to delete items from the scales for research with South African university students. Alternatively, we encourage the use of norms to interpret scores from the scales."}
{"id": "PMID:1480714", "title": "Stress profiles for mothers and fathers of children with autism.", "content": "Stress profiles in 18 mothers vs 12 fathers of children with autism were compared on three measures, the Questionnaire on Resources and Stress, the Coping Health Inventory for Parents, and the Beck Depression Inventory. Mothers showed significantly more stress than fathers on each inventory, with a pattern suggesting stress may be related to the differing responsibility assigned to child rearing for each parent."}
{"id": "PMID:1480715", "title": "Cognitive style as a factor in accounting students' perceptions of career-choice factors.", "content": "Since prior studies of individuals' perceptions of career-choice factors have not considered the effect of cognitive styles of subjects, this study, using 68 accounting students, investigated the mediating effects of the field dependent-independent cognitive dimension on perceptions of the importance of career-choice factors. The results, in general, show that cognitive style affected individuals' perceptions of career-choice factors, suggesting that future studies of individuals' perceptions should take into account individual cognitive differences."}
{"id": "PMID:1480717", "title": "Beyond gender: the basis of sexual attraction in bisexual men and women.", "content": "The construct of sexual orientation has typically considered the gender of the sexual partner as defining whether the individual is homosexual, bisexual, or heterosexual, and the Kinsey scale conceptualises bisexuality as a point midway between homosexuality and heterosexuality. We propose an alternative model which places homosexuality and heterosexuality at one end of a continuum as gender-linked choices of sexual partner, and bisexuality at the other as nongender-specific. As a test of this model, we administered repertory grids to nine bisexual men and women to investigate the characteristics of sexual attraction in individuals for whom gender of partner was not a critical variable. Results supported the hypothesis that gender is not a critical variable in sexual attraction in bisexual individuals. Personality or physical dimensions not related to gender and interaction style were the salient characteristics on which preferred sexual partners were chosen, and there was minimal grid distance between preferred male and preferred female partners. These data support the argument that, for some bisexual individuals, sexual attraction is not gender-linked."}
{"id": "PMID:1480718", "title": "Burnout and stress, depression and self-esteem of teachers.", "content": "33 teachers from one institutional school setting and 59 teachers from three north central school districts volunteered to complete and return Beck's Depression Scale, the Coopersmith Self-esteem Inventory--Adult Form, Stress Profile for Teachers, and the Staff Burnout Scale for Mental Health Professionals. Analysis of variance (2 x 2) for teaching level (grade and high school) by sex showed those teaching regular classrooms is grade school experienced less burnout and stress than did high school teachers. There was no sex difference. In the institutional setting there was a significant difference on burnout scores between men and women who taught high school; their scores were higher than those of the male grade school teachers. Burnout lie scores were also significantly higher for female high school teachers than for both male and female grade school teachers. Scores on stress were significantly higher for male high school teachers than for both female high school teachers and male grade school teachers."}
{"id": "PMID:1480719", "title": "Myths about aggression and attitudes about the death penalty.", "content": "165 college students completed a survey containing a measure of misconceptions about human aggression and attitudinal items on the death penalty from a 1985 Gallup report. Analysis did not provide strong support for the hypothesis that subjects with relatively high numbers of misconceptions about human aggression are more likely than better informed subjects to support the death penalty."}
{"id": "PMID:1480720", "title": "Effects of narcissistic personality organization on causal attributions.", "content": "The present study addressed a central, although neglected, aspect of research into narcissism and attributions, the role of cognitive-perpetual processes and cognitive styles of individuals with narcissistic personality disorder in their causal explanation of events. The extent to which narcissistic personality organization may be a determinant of attributional style was examined. The sample consisted of 20 individuals with narcissistic personality disorders and 20 with neurotic disorders. Participants completed the Narcissistic Personality Inventory-40 and the Attributional Style Questionnaire. A significant association between narcissistic personality disorder and internal, stable attributions for positive outcomes was observed. The reformulated learned helplessness model of depression was used to interpret the attributional style of the narcissists as means to obliterate experience of helplessness. The results are discussed in terms of the role of self-esteem and maintenance of self-presentation in the skewed attributional biases of narcissists."}
{"id": "PMID:1480721", "title": "Computerized cognitive training with learning disabled students: a pilot study.", "content": "The effects of practicing computerized exercises in class by 59 learning disabled students who received an 8-hr. training program, 30 min. per week, were evaluated. Six exercises designed to facilitate basic cognitive skills development were used. Twelve subjects were assigned to a control group without any form of intervention. Covariance analysis (pretest scores used as covariates) showed a significant effect of training on mental arithmetic. These results suggest that practicing a computerized exercise of mental arithmetic can facilitate the automatization of basic arithmetic skills (addition, subtraction, and multiplication). The nature, progress, and evaluation of such types of intervention are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1480724", "title": "Relationship of pharmacologic compliance to long-term prophylaxis in recurrent depression.", "content": "This report examines the relationship of long-term medication compliance (as measured by stability of level/dose ratios and total blood level averages) to prophylaxis in recurrent unipolar patients. Of the 53 patients assigned to active imipramine conditions in a long-term maintenance treatment protocol, 42 were evaluated as clearly compliant, 8 were clearly noncompliant, and 3 were not classifiable. We examined a number of demographic and clinical variables in an attempt to find possible predictors of compliance. No differences were observed between compliant and noncompliant patients with respect to sex, age at screening, age at the onset of their recurrent unipolar illness, duration of the index episode, number of previous episodes, bipolar II vs. recurrent unipolar subtype, endogenous vs. nonendogenous subtype, or baseline severity of depression as assessed by the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression. However, medication compliance was found to be significantly associated with effective prophylaxis. There was a significantly larger proportion (6 of 12) of noncompliant patients among those experiencing a recurrence in one of the two active medication conditions than among those who remained well for 3 years (2 of 28). The value associated with this difference was p = .04. We conclude that effective prophylaxis is strongly related to stability of medication blood levels which fall within the therapeutic range."}
{"id": "PMID:1480725", "title": "Psychosocial strategies for maximizing the effects of psychotropic medications for schizophrenia and mood disorder.", "content": "This paper reviews strategies for dealing with psychosocial processes underlying resistance to compliance with psychotropic agents in schizophrenic and bipolar patients. The nature of those processes are described and methods for resolving them are suggested. The strengths and limitations of a narrow psychoeducational approach are discussed. Conditions in which other psychotherapeutic approaches are needed to buttress psychoeducation are illustrated."}
{"id": "PMID:1480726", "title": "Acquisition and retention of skills training methods in chronic schizophrenic outpatients.", "content": "Forty-one DSM-III-R schizophrenic subjects on constant, low-dose maintenance neuroleptic drug therapy (5-10 mg of fluphenazine decanoate intramuscularly every 2 weeks) were randomly assigned to structured and modularized skills training or to supportive group psychotherapy. The skills training was designed by using cognitive and behavioral methods to compensate for the learning disabilities that plague many schizophrenic patients. Skill acquisition was assessed by using quantified performance on standardized role-play tests. Subjects who received skills training made significant gains in each of the areas taught, whereas those who participated in the control psychotherapy group did not. The knowledge and skills learned during training were retained without significant erosion over a 1-year followup period. These results suggest that the use of structured principles of learning and cognitive therapy can effectively train schizophrenics in skill areas pertinent to the self-management of their illness."}
{"id": "PMID:1480727", "title": "Antiglucocorticoid strategies in hypercortisolemic states.", "content": "Major depressive illness is frequently associated with cortisol hypersecretion. The pathophysiologic significance of this is unknown, although it is possible that hypercortisolemia exacerbates or perpetuates depressive symptoms. In both depression and Cushing's syndrome, certain depressive symptoms are correlated with cortisol levels and, in the latter condition, therapeutic lowering of cortisol levels is associated with remission of psychiatric symptomatology. We review the behavioral effects of anticortisolemic drug administration in Cushing's syndrome and major depression. Preliminary data from small-scale studies suggest that ratings of depressive symptoms in hypercortisolemic major depression may be lowered by such interventions. Such results, if confirmed in larger scale, double-blind studies, might help clarify the role of endocrinologic disturbance in psychiatric symptomatology and might lead to the development of a novel class of antidepressant agent for hypercortisolemic depressed patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1480728", "title": "Are patients who are intolerant to one SSRI intolerant to another?", "content": "One hundred patients with major depression who had discontinued fluoxetine because of side effects were enrolled in a multicenter, open, 8-week study of sertraline. After a washout period of at least 3 weeks following fluoxetine discontinuation and an additional 1-week, single-blind, placebo washout period, patients began treatment with 50 mg sertraline once daily. Based on the clinician's judgment of patient response, doses were titrated upward if necessary. The maximum daily dose of sertraline was 200 mg. Depressive symptoms and adverse events were assessed weekly. An interim analysis was conducted of the first 93 patients who completed the study. Of 91 evaluable patients, 69 sertraline-treated patients (75.8%) experienced significant improvement in depression. Only 8 of 93 patients (8.6%) discontinued sertraline because of side effects."}
{"id": "PMID:1480729", "title": "Effectiveness in psychiatric care: IV. Achieving effective medication management for major affective disorder.", "content": "Although effective medications for the treatment of Axis I disorders have been developed, achieving adequate, let alone, optimal medication regimens has been difficult. This hypothesis-generating study had the objective of dissecting the process of medication-management among 24 previously hospitalized affective disorder patients, their families, and their doctors in Italy, Japan, and the United States as well as identifying their outcomes. The data demonstrated significant positive associations between outcome and delivery of adequate medication as well as psychoeducation (about the illness and its treatment) to both patient and family. These results suggested that, regardless of country, medication was necessary but insufficient without the practitioner delivering a family intervention and psychoeducation."}
{"id": "PMID:1480730", "title": "Neuroanatomical circuits in depression: implications for treatment mechanisms.", "content": "We previously investigated the functional neuroanatomy of familial pure depressive disease (FPDD) using positron emission tomography (PET) measurements of regional blood flow and obtained evidence that flow is increased in the left prefrontal cortex, amygdala, and medial thalamus and is decreased in the medial caudate. These data along with other evidence suggested that circuits involving the prefrontal cortex, amygdala, and related parts of the striatum, pallidum, and medial thalamus are involved in the pathophysiology of FPDD. One of these circuits, the limbic-thalamo-cortical circuit, which includes the amygdala, the medio-dorsal thalamus, and parts of the ventral and medial prefrontal cortex, may be engaged in abnormal reverberatory activity that maintains the cognitive and emotional set of depression. Using this hypothesis as a neural model to investigate antidepressant treatment mechanisms, we review evidence that the changes in dopaminergic, serotonergic, and noradrenergic function induced by somatic antidepressant therapies may yield modulatory effects on limbic-thalamo-cortical activity. We also discuss preliminary findings of treatment-associated changes in this circuit in studies comparing PET images acquired before and during antidepressant treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1480731", "title": "Effects of amfonelic acid and GBR 12909 on the haloperidol- and clozapine-induced activation of dopamine neurons.", "content": "The purpose of the present study was to establish the extent to which dopamine uptake inhibitors, for example, amfonelic acid (AFA) and GBR 12909, differentially affect the haloperidol- and clozapine-induced activation of dopamine neurons. In the striatum and nucleus accumbens, the haloperidol-induced increases in dopamine synthesis and metabolism, as well as striatal dopamine release, were either potentiated or unaffected by AFA or GBR 12909. In contrast, AFA or GBR 12909 markedly attenuated the clozapine-induced increases in dopamine synthesis, metabolism, and release. However, the clozapine-induced increase in dopamine synthesis within tuberoinfundibular dopamine neurons was not significantly altered by AFA treatment. AFA and GBR 12909, appear to differentially affect the haloperidol- and clozapine-induced activation of nigrostriatal and mesocorticolimbic dopamine neurons. However, the inhibitory effect of AFA on the clozapine-induced activation of dopamine neurons does not extent to the stimulatory effect of clozapine on tuberoinfundibular dopamine neurons."}
{"id": "PMID:1480732", "title": "Transient neutropenia induced by clozapine.", "content": "Blood dyscrasias are frequently reported to be induced by the atypical antipsychotic clozapine. Next to agranulocytosis, a potentially lethal form of these side effects, hematologic disturbances include leucocytosis, eosinophilia, and neutropenia. Neutropenia is of considerable clinical relevance because it can be a sign of incipient agranulocytosis. In an analysis of our clozapine drug monitoring program, we have analyzed the data from 68 patients receiving clozapine for the first time. Neutrophil granulocytes dropped to 290 and 660/mm3 in 2 patients, both recovered after the discontinuation of clozapine. Another patient with a granulocyte count of 1800/mm3 was stopped because regular white blood cell monitoring was not possible. Eight additional patients demonstrated a transient decrease of granulocytes during ongoing clozapine administration. This amounts to a cumulative incidence of transient neutropenia of 22 percent (95% confidence interval 7.5%-36.5%)."}
{"id": "PMID:1480733", "title": "Effect of anticholinergics on positive and negative symptoms in schizophrenia.", "content": "Anticholinergic drugs have been assumed to have no effects on schizophrenic symptomatology. Some studies suggest, however, that anticholinergic agents may antagonize the beneficial effect of neuroleptics on positive symptoms and partially ameliorate negative symptoms. Virtually all studies have been conducted in patients receiving concomitant neuroleptic treatment, raising the possibility that neuroleptics may obscure or modify any \"true\" anticholinergic effect on schizophrenic symptoms. To evaluate the hypothesis that anticholinergics may increase positive and decrease negative schizophrenic symptoms, we assessed the effect of biperiden on symptoms in the medication-free state. We studied the effect of biperiden 8 mg/day for 2 days on positive and negative symptoms in 40 otherwise drug-free schizophrenic inpatients. Biperiden produced a significant increase in positive symptoms (t = 6.7, p < .001) and reduction in negative symptoms (t = -3.4, p < .01). These data indicate that cholinergic modulation significantly affects positive and negative schizophrenic symptoms and suggest the need for systematic trials of cholinergic and anticholinergic agents in the treatment of positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia, respectively."}
{"id": "PMID:1480734", "title": "Continuation treatment with adjunctive imipramine in schizophrenia.", "content": "An open continuation treatment trial was undertaken for schizophrenic and schizoaffective patients with postpsychotic depressions who had manifested favorable responses to initial treatment with adjunctive imipramine added to their fluphenazine decanoate and benztropine regimen. Of 27 patients enrolled, none had a psychotic or depressive relapse, and 23 completed the 6-month study. The patients did well; completers' Global Assessment Scale scores improved with statistical significance during the trial. Side effects also appeared to improve during the trial. The results therefore support continuation treatment with adjunctive antidepressant medication for those patients with postpsychotic depressions who initially respond favorably to this regimen."}
{"id": "PMID:1480735", "title": "Adjunctive desipramine in the treatment of cocaine abusing schizophrenics.", "content": "Because schizophrenic patients have a lifetime prevalence rate for cocaine abuse between 15 and 50 percent, the use of adjunctive pharmacotherapy should be considered in cocaine-abuse treatment programs. This 12-week, open-label outpatient study compares 12 cocaine-abusing schizophrenic patients treated with desipramine (DMI) 100 to 150 mg and antipsychotic agents to 15 patients treated with only antipsychotic agents (no DMI). All 27 patients participated in a Dual Diagnosis Relapse Prevention (DDRP) program, which integrates traditional substance-abuse relapse prevention and psychiatric social skills training. The DMI group was more likely to complete the study (83% vs. 60%, odds ratio = 3.3, NS) and had fewer cocaine-positive urines during the last 6 weeks (20% vs. 50%, odds ratio = 4.0, p < .01). In the context of a specialized dual diagnosis treatment program, patients receiving DMI substantially decreased cocaine usage and had improved psychiatric symptoms."}
{"id": "PMID:1480736", "title": "The convergent validity of the Drug Impairment Rating Scale for Cocaine.", "content": "The Halikas-Crosby Drug Impairment Rating Scale for Cocaine (HAL DIRS-C) is designed to measure improvement in drug treatment through interval assessment of impact of cocaine use on daily functioning, relationships with other people, other alcohol and drug use, cocaine withdrawal symptoms, adverse effects associated with cocaine use, and personal outlook over the previous week. The scale is a 25-item clinical rating scale administered in the context of a semistructured interview (modeled after and similar to the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression). The HAL DIRS-C was administered weekly to 147 subjects participating in a 12-week, double-blind medication trial with a psychosocial treatment component. Without breaking the pharmacologic blind, the HAL DIRS-C score was found to be significantly related to study retention, ongoing psychosocial treatment participation, urinalysis results, and other measures of outcome. The results support the validity of the HAL DIRS-C as a standardized measure of improvement or outcome in clinical research involving the treatment of cocaine abuse."}
{"id": "PMID:1480737", "title": "Side effects associated with lithium and placebo administration in aggressive children.", "content": "This study represents a secondary data analysis of two double-blind and placebo-controlled clinical trials of lithium, performed to contrast side effects associated with lithium administration to those associated with placebo. The sample consisted of 91 hospitalized children, aged 5.12 to 12.92 years (mean 9.16), diagnosed as having conduct disorder characterized by severe aggressiveness and explosiveness. Daily doses of lithium ranged from 250 to 2100 mg. During the entire treatment period, more side effects were seen in the lithium group than in the placebo group, whereas during the therapeutic dose period, the difference between side effects in the two groups diminished. The most common side effects seen exclusively with lithium administration included enuresis, fatigue, and ataxia. Increased aggressiveness was observed in 4 children who received placebo. Vomiting, headache, and stomachache were the most common side effects experienced by patients in both lithium and placebo groups. However, more patients experienced these side effects in the lithium group than in the placebo group."}
{"id": "PMID:1480740", "title": "Myocardial infarction in patients over 75 1982-1990.", "content": "Admissions to hospital of patients aged 75 or over with symptoms suggestive of acute myocardial infarction have increased markedly since 1982. Patients over 75 present to hospital as soon after the onset of symptoms as do younger patients; they require more treatment with diuretics and digoxin than do younger patients and their fatality rate is higher. Despite this, the chance of patients over 75, especially women, being admitted to a Coronary Care Unit, and so being treated with a thrombolytic and being monitored closely for the complications of acute infarction are much less than those for patients under 75. If we are confident that we can influence the outcome of and reduce fatality from acute myocardial infarction, we should be prepared to offer elderly patients the same opportunities for treatment that we currently afford to younger patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1480741", "title": "Possible mechanism and treatment of o,p'DDD-induced hypercholesterolaemia.", "content": "Ortho,para,dichlorodiphenyl dichloroethane (o,p'DDD, Mitotane (Roussell)) is used as an adrenolytic drug to reduce adrenocortical mass and circulating cortisol levels in Cushing's syndrome but has the unwanted side-effect of inducing hypercholesterolaemia. This paper examined the mechanism of that effect in 30 patients with Cushing's syndrome treated with o,p'DDD during the past 10 years. o,p'DDD increased serum cholesterol by 68 per cent, mainly by increasing LDL-cholesterol. The latter effect was not due to impaired binding of LDL to its receptor, as shown in vitro using cultured fibroblasts. Increases in plasma mevalonic acid during o,p'DDD administration were suggestive of increased cholesterol synthesis, this effect being reversed by simvastatin. These findings suggest that o,p'DDD causes hypercholesterolaemia by increasing cholesterol synthesis. It is proposed that this effect is due to the drug's known ability to block cytochrome P450-mediated reactions, thus impairing the formation of oxysterols responsible for down-regulating hepatic cholesterol synthesis. Treatment with simvastatin, an inhibitor of cholesterol synthesis, reverses the hyperlipidaemia and enables o,p'DDD therapy to be maintained without increasing cardiovascular risk."}
{"id": "PMID:1480742", "title": "Clinical status of patients after 10 years of lupus nephritis.", "content": "Little information is available about the clinical status and outcome of patients with a long history of lupus nephritis. We have reviewed the dossiers of 25 patients (23 women and two men) who have been monitored by our Unit for more than 10 years after the diagnosis of lupus nephritis. At presentation the mean age was 28.5 +/- 10.33 (SD) years, the mean plasma creatinine was 136.1 +/- 144.7 (SD) nmol/l, the mean proteinuria was 3.02 +/- 2.7 (SD) g/day. At initial renal biopsy 18 patients showed diffuse proliferative glomerulonephritis, six patients showed membranous glomerulonephritis and one showed focal proliferative glomerulonephritis. All patients but one were treated with corticosteroids and 18 were also given immunosuppressive agents. At the last observation (16 +/- 4.6 (SD) years after presentation), 19 patients have normal plasma creatinine (11 of them show proteinuria less than 0.2 g/day) and six patients show increased plasma creatinine (mean 203.3 +/- 61.9 (SD) mmol/l). Eleven patients have been without any treatment for 88 +/- 64 (SD) months. The incidence of lupus flare-ups fell significantly after the tenth year (0.31/patient/year between 0 and 10 versus 0.11 between years 11 and 27; p = 0.01). No case of pericarditis or cerebritis occurred after the tenth year. Only one case of cerebral thrombosis occurred before the tenth year, but ten severe atherosclerotic cardiovascular and cerebrovascular complications were seen after the tenth year (two cardiac infarcts, three angina pectoris, four cerebral thrombosis, one cerebral haemorrhage). Two cases of cancer (thyroid and lung) occurred after the tenth year. The professional rehabilitation was good in most patients.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1480743", "title": "Biological activity of autoantibodies from patients with thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy: in vitro effects on porcine extraocular myoblasts.", "content": "To determine whether antibodies to orbital tissue have a pathogenic role in thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy, the in vitro effects of IgG from patients with thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy on porcine extraocular myoblast growth were studied. Growth of primary extraocular myoblast cultures and extraocular myoblast clones was stimulated by patients' IgG, as measured by [3H]thymidine uptake and bromodeoxyuridine incorporation. Myoblasts responded in a dose-related fashion to increasing concentrations of patients' IgG, and the response was reversed by anti-human IgG. The growth stimulating effect of patients' IgG was relatively specific to extraocular myoblasts, compared to skeletal myoblasts. Individual IgG samples from 36 patients with ophthalmopathy gave rise to higher growth responses of cloned extraocular myoblasts, than either 31 normal controls (p < 0.005), or IgG from 10 patients with Graves' disease without evidence of ophthalmopathy (p < 0.001). Myoblast growth-stimulating antibody did not correlate with thyroid autoantibody levels (thyrotrophin receptor antibody or thyroid microsomal antibody levels), but correlated significantly with binding to extraocular muscle membranes (r = 0.524, p < 0.001). Eye-muscle stimulating antibodies were demonstrable in sera of patients with thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy, and may be responsible for the enlargement of eye muscle in this disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1480744", "title": "Major neurological disease and occupational exposure to organic solvents.", "content": "Five patients are described who presented with major organic brain disease affecting one or more of pyramidal and extrapyramidal tracts, cerebellum, and higher cortical functions. All had a history of 10 years or more of regular occupational exposure to solvents in confined spaces, three in painting inside ships and the others in weapons maintenance and printing. All had been regularly exposed to high air vapour peaks as well as to skin contamination. Four showed some evidence of improvement after the exposure ceased. None was initially suspected of having a toxic encephalopathy by the consultant to whom he was referred. The spectrum of neurological disease presented by these men mirrors closely that described in solvent abusers. All were forced by illness to retire from their work, a circumstance which might have in the past have led to such conditions being missed in cross-sectional studies, which in general have not shown evidence of major disease. We suggest that when such disease occurs nowadays, its cause is usually not suspected. Further epidemiological study of the problem is necessary."}
{"id": "PMID:1480745", "title": "Pre-natal development of a hypothalamic biological clock.", "content": "The available evidence indicates that a biological clock oscillates in the mammalian fetus and that the fetal clock is entrained by redundant circadian signals from the mother. An entrainable biological clock during fetal life helps the developing mammal more readily prepare for life in the outside world. In humans, the early establishment of maternal-infant synchrony may help the infant maximize its responsiveness to the outside world."}
{"id": "PMID:1480747", "title": "Circadian rhythms and the suprachiasmatic nucleus in perinatal development, aging and Alzheimer's disease.", "content": "Circadian rhythms are already present in the fetus. At a certain stage of pre-natal hypothalamic development (around 30 weeks of gestation) the fetus becomes responsive to maternal circadian signals. Moreover, recent studies showed that the fetal biological clock is able to generate circadian rhythms, as exemplified by the rhythms of body temperature and heart rate of pre-term babies in the absence of maternal or environmental entrainment factors. Pre-term babies that are deprived of maternal entrainment and kept under constant environmental conditions (e.g., continuous light) in the neonatal intensive care unit run the risk of developing a biological clock dysfunctioning. However, the fact should be acknowledged that at least in mice the development of the circadian pacemaker (i.e., SCN) does not depend on environmental influences (Davis and Menaker, 1981), although other data suggest that severe disruption of the maternal circadian rhythm indeed abolishes the circadian rhythm of the fetal SCN (Shibata and Moore, 1988). During aging and in particular in AD circadian rhythms are disturbed. These disturbances include phase advance and reduced period and amplitude, as well as an increased intradaily variability and a decreased interdaily stability of the rhythm. Among the factors underlying these changes the loss of SCN neurons seems to play a central role. Other contributory factors may be reduced amount of light, degenerative changes in the visual system and the level of activity and decreased melatonin."}
{"id": "PMID:1480746", "title": "The human hypothalamus: comparative morphometry and photoperiodic influences.", "content": "The concept of the hypothalamus as a distinct neurological entity concerned with a variety of regulatory processes dates back to the end of the 19th century. Before 1900 there were only vague intimations of the function of the brain surrounding the third ventricle and these were based primarily on various pathological and assorted clinical observations. Since then a large body of evidence has been derived implicating that the hypothalamus contains the control systems which are critically involved in many physiological, endocrine and behavioral processes. Among these are feeding and drinking, reproduction and the regulation of the sleep-wake cycle and temperature. Although the human hypothalamus accounts for only 4 cm3, or 0.3% of the adult brain volume, it contains the integrative systems critical for all these processes. A comparative morphometric analysis of the hypothalamus among mammals revealed that the volume of this part of the brain is highly correlated with brain size, irrespective of the ecological strategy or evolutionary history of the species considered. It appears that the human hypothalamus has just the size we may expect of such a large-brained mammal, but it is considerably larger than would be predicted from its body size. In mammals the preoptic region of the hypothalamus is implicated in the neural control of endocrine functions and in the temporal organization of a wide spectrum of biological rhythms. In recent years, the pivotal role of two hypothalamic cell groups have been considered in this context: the sexually dimorphic nucleus (SDN-POA) as part of the neural circuitry underlying masculine sexual behavior and reproductive functions and the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) as the principal component of the central clock mechanism. Consistent with its role in the temporal organization of circadian processes, investigations in rodents and non-human primates suggest that the SCN is also involved in the seasonal control of reproductive and metabolic phenomena. Since the environmental light-dark cycle is the main Zeitgeber for circadian and seasonal rhythms in most species, including man, photic information could have substantial effects, not only on the neural activity of the biological clock, but also on its underlying structure. Our observations on the human SCN in relation to photoperiod indeed revealed a marked seasonal variation in the morphology of the human SCN. The volume of the SCN was, on average, twice as large in the autumn as in the summer and contained more than twice as many vasopressin immunoreactive neurons.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1480748", "title": "LHRH neurons: functions and development.", "content": "Examination of the properties of developing LHRH neurons, by in situ hybridization procedures or LHRH immunocytochemistry, showed that these cells (1) are unique among neuroendocrine cells in their origin from the epithelium of the medial olfactory pit, and (2) express LHRH mRNA. LHRH neurons, visualized by either method, tended to be clustered when seen along the migration route in the nasal mesenchyme. Neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) is present on the central processes of the olfactory, vomeronasal and terminalis nerves, which form the scaffold along which LHRH neurons migrate into the brain. Injection of a small amount (1 microliter) of antiserum to NCAM into the olfactory pits of 10-day-old embryonic mice, while not sufficient to break up the NCAM scaffolding, appeared to decrease the number of LHRH-immunoreactive cells in the epithelium of the medial olfactory pit, and retarded their migration in the nasal mesenchyme. This suggest that NCAM is important for LHRH cell migration. Never found actually colocalized with LHRH in the same neurons, NCAM nevertheless may be required for the migration of LHRH-expressing cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1480751", "title": "The human hypothalamo-neurohypophyseal system in relation to development, aging and Alzheimer's disease.", "content": "The research reviewed in the present paper indicates that vasopressin and oxytocin cells in the human HNS constitute an extremely stable population of neurons throughout the human life span. Increases in the activity of these cells, which are probably related to maturation of the system were observed during fetal development and probably extend well beyond term. During senescence an increase in the activity of the vasopressin cells in the human HNS was observed which is probably a compensation for age-related changes in kidney function. These data do not support a role of declining vasopressin secretion in age-related memory decline. Although there is some evidence for an impairment of vasopressin synthesis and release in Alzheimer patients, vasopressin cell numbers in Alzheimer's disease do not fall below values observed in young controls. Furthermore, peripheral administration of vasopressin or vasopressin analogues to AD patients have not yielded consistent results."}
{"id": "PMID:1480752", "title": "Animal models for osmoregulatory disturbances.", "content": "For the various types of di in humans, animal models are available. However, their value for explaining human di is for the major part an indirect one; by studying cellular mechanisms in these animal models, fundamental aspects of the cellular processes become available, which will help to understand similar processes in human di and subsequently lead to the molecular cause(s) of the various types of human di. Finally, it is to be expected that in the very near future transgenic animals will be raised in which very specific genetic information is overexpressed (or knocked out by homologous recombination; McMahon and Bradley, 1990). Recently hypervasopressinemia could be shown in transgenic mice, providing an animal model for the syndrome of the inappropriate VP secretion (Bartter and Schwartz, 1967), which is often observed in patients with lung cancers that ectopically express the VP gene (Habener et al., 1989). Furthermore it will be possible to study the exact cause(s) of human di by performing in vitro mutagenesis and to express the RNA constructs within a cell-free translation system and in oocytes (e.g., Schmale et al., 1989) and subsequently study the pattern of precursor synthesis, packaging and processing."}
{"id": "PMID:1480754", "title": "Anatomy of the human hypothalamus (chiasmatic and tuberal region).", "content": "The hypothalamus sensu stricto consists of the chiasmatic, the tuberal and the mamillary region. The present study is confined to the poorly myelinated chiasmatic and tuberal region. Both regions harbor many nuclear grays with relatively clear-cut boundaries embedded in an ill-defined nerve cell assembly referred to as the hypothalamic gray. Prominent components of the chiasmatic region are the magnocellular neurosecretory complex (supraoptic nucleus, paraventricular nucleus, accessory neurosecretory nucleus), the sexually dimorphic intermediate nucleus, the suprachiasmatic and retrochiasmatic nuclei. The dominating structure of the tuberal region is the complex of the ventromedial, posteromedial and dorsomedial nuclei supplemented by the periventricular and infundibular nuclei. Lateral portions of the tuber cinereum harbor the lateral tuberal nucleus and the tuberomamillary nucleus. The lateral tuberal nucleus exhibits pronounced cell loss in Huntington's chorea and is also severely involved in cases of dementia with argyrophilic grains. The large nerve cells of the tuberomamillary nucleus show particularly severe affection in both Alzheimer's (intraneuronal neurofibrillary changes) and Parkinson's disease (Lewy bodies)."}
{"id": "PMID:1480755", "title": "Neurologic manifestations of hypothalamic disease.", "content": "The hypothalamus, in addition to regulating the anterior and posterior pituitary, controls water balance through thirst, regulates food ingestion and body temperature, influences consciousness, sleep, emotion and other behaviors. Much has been learned of these effects in human disease through the clinical manifestations that occur with hypothalamic lesions. This study reviews the clinical pathologic correlations that have been made in recent years showing that regions of the hypothalamus exert functions in humans that are similar to those identified in experimental animals. Clinical pathologic correlations have not always provided precise analysis of hypothalamic function. The hypothalamus is small and often lesions that come to clinical attention achieve considerable size before their recognition, making local anatomic dissections of the effects of the lesions difficult. Nevertheless, the use of modern non-invasive techniques including CT scans and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have provided new information not previously available. This paper reviews several cases of hypothalamic disorder recognized recently. (1) A 33-year-old black man with hypothalamic sarcoidosis. Manifestations of hypothalamic dysfunction included panhypopituitarism, aggressive hyperphagia, polydipsia (partially due to hyperglycemia secondary to diabetes mellitus), drowsiness, depression, and irritability. (2) A 37-year-old woman with a large intrahypothalamic tumor (biopsy showed pituitary adenoma), with drowsiness, poikilothermia, lack of satiety, confusion, and memory loss. She becomes depressed when she is transiently more alert (as after hypertonic contrast-dye infusion). (3) A 60-year-old man with hypothalamic compression by a pituitary tumor, associated with syndrome of inappropriate ADH (SIADH), severe anorexia, memory loss, but preserved thirst. After surgical decompression of the tumor his appetite acutely recovered, but he developed severe hypo(poikilo)thermia. (4) A 45-year-old woman with a suprasellar craniopharyngioma presented with severe drowsiness, hyperphagia, depression, and memory loss post-operatively, which responded to antidepressants (except for the memory loss). She had extremely labile blood pressures and serum Na for about 1 week post-operatively."}
{"id": "PMID:1480757", "title": "Genetic, hypothalamic and endocrine features of clinical and experimental obesity.", "content": "Obesity occurs in both clinical and animal forms in a variety of specific models which allow study of its underlining endocrine and mechanistic features. Among the neuroendocrine varieties of obesity, polycystic ovaries are probably the most common. The importance of the gonadal feedback system for regulation of food intake and obesity is indicated by the effects of castration in experimental animals which is a widely used mechanism for producing experimental obesity. Cushing syndrome and hypothalamic obesity are rare clinical syndromes. The current evidence suggests that there are two types of hypothalamic obesity from a mechanistic point of view--one associated with hyperphagia as a necessary and sufficient cause and a disturbance of the autonomic nervous system without hyperphagia as a second mechanism. Although genetic factors underlie most types of human obesity, there are several dymorphic forms of obesity including the Prader-Willy syndrome, Cohen's syndrome, Carpenter's syndrome, Ahlstrom's syndrome and the Bardet-Biedel syndrome. The Prader-Willi syndrome is characterized by obesity hypotonia hypogonadism and mental retardation. In animals, a dominant form of inheritance of obesity is seen in the yellow mouse. Current evidence suggests that this syndrome can be explained by reduced acetylation of MSH in the pituitary and/or hypothalamus. Several recessively inherited forms of obesity exist including the obese mouse, the diabetes mouse, fatty rat, the fat mouse, tubby mouse and the corpulent rat. In addition, there are a number of polygenic types of experimental obesity. The final mechanistic classification of obesity are those due to dietary manipulation. For both human beings and animals, a highly fat diet appears to be particularly problematic for the development of obesity.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1480758", "title": "Hypothalamic involvement in sexuality and hostility: comparative psychological aspects.", "content": "Evidence presented in this article shows the representation of sexual and aggressive behaviors at the level of the hypothalamus to be more prominent than in all other brain areas involved. Indeed, there are good arguments to attribute a central position to the hypothalamus within larger structural systems encompassing the limbic system, where aspects of the behaviors involved can be influenced. So far, however, the arguments are purely descriptive and factual and do not contribute much to answering questions about hypothalamic function: the grounds for and consequences of this massive representation of apparently almost all emotionally relevant social behavioral complexes, so universally established in a diversity of species, still has to be detected. A second and equally important aspect of hypothalamic function obviously has to be related to its central position within various hormonal systems. The present article concentrated on the acute dynamics and behavioral significance of activation of the pituitary-adrenocortical and pituitary-gonadal axes. Evidence indicates that the unconditioned behavioral stimuli or the consequences of behavior, but also stimuli conditioned to emotionally relevant events, may drastically alter hypothalamic hormonal regulation. Most importantly, these hormonal consequences in themselves again seem to determine further behavior and responses in relevant situations. The evidence presented with respect to reward and aversion, associated with alterations of specific hormones of the gonadal axis, may add a new dimension to our understanding of psychoendocrine functions of the hypothalamus (see also Gary, 1975; Leshner et al., 1981; Carey, 1987). Psychologically, such data can be taken as an argument for a more thorough study of the relation between memory processes and emotion (Bower et al., 1981). However fragmentary and incomplete this review may be, it will be clear that hypothalamic substrates and directly related areas, as well as affiliated hormonal mechanisms, play a central role in many of the most complex motivational and emotional syndromes and disorders. The prime idea in this is that the psychological concomitants of hypothalamic (dys)function are as much output as input, and as much the consequences as the cause within related syndromes. Such a view places the hypothalamus at the core of psychological theories of emotion and motivation, which from their most early origin have been heavily set towards hormonal and humoral changes and their relationships with psychological experience.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1480760", "title": "Endogenous pyrogens in the CNS: role in the febrile response.", "content": "The febrile reaction is an integrated endocrine, autonomic and behavioral response, coordinated by the hypothalamus, that includes certain components of the stress response, such as elevated corticosteroid secretion. It is produced by the actions of circulating cytokines, such as interleukin-1 (IL-1) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF), on the organum vasculosum of the lamina terminalis (OVLT), resulting in the secretion of prostaglandin E2, which initiates a variety of responses, including elevation of body temperature and corticosteroid secretion. Although circulating cytokines apparently do not enter the brain, injections of IL-1 or TNF well within the blood-brain barrier produce identical effects. We have examined the localization of possible central sources of cytokines and prostaglandins, using immunohistochemistry, immunoblotting and enzyme assay. Our data indicate that in the brain cyclooxygenase, the key enzyme in the synthesis of prostaglandins, is found in neurons in the OVLT, but is also made by neurons in many sensory and visceral regulatory systems. We present evidence also that IL-1 beta in the human brain and TNF alpha in the mouse may be present in the central nervous system as neuromodulators that are important for producing the autonomic, endocrine and behavioral components of the febrile reaction. We propose a sequence of events in the febrile reaction involving: (1) action of circulating cytokines on cyclooxygenase containing neurons within the OVLT to produce local prostaglandin secretion; (2) local diffusion of prostaglandin E2 into the preoptic and anterior hypothalamic areas; (3) action of prostaglandin E2 on cytokine containing neurons in the preoptic and anterior hypothalamic areas; and (4) release of cytokines from neuronal terminals at distal sites involved in producing the autonomic, endocrine and behavioral components of the febrile reaction."}
{"id": "PMID:1480762", "title": "In situ hybridization histochemistry in the human hypothalamus.", "content": "We have seen that mRNA for several neuropeptides can be visualized at the microscopic level in human post-mortem brain tissues using in situ hybridization histochemistry and oligonucleotides as probes. The specificity of the hybridization signal detected in each case is supported by several criteria such as Northern blot analysis, use of at least two oligonucleotides complementary to different regions of the same target mRNA, cohybridization of labeled and excess unlabeled oligonucleotide probes, and melting curve analysis of the formed hybrids. Furthermore, factors such as age, post-mortem delay or gender did not show a significant effect in the levels of hybridization in the control population studied. Hybridization signals comparable to those found in the control population were obtained in frozen tissues, stored for up to 6 years before analysis. The results obtained for the different neuropeptides examined are, in general, in good agreement with the available information on their distribution and cellular localization as determined by radioimmunoassay or immunohistochemistry. The use of in situ hybridization histochemistry has clearly revealed the location of neurons synthesizing these neuropeptides, adding important information to that provided by radioimmunoassay or immunohistochemistry. A typical example is the identification of peptide synthesizing neuronal cell bodies by immunohistochemistry. This requires, in some cases, the use of treatments such as colchicine, obviously impossible with human brain tissues. The abundance of mRNA could be further related to transcriptional activity and, when compared with peptide levels, can provide some clues on peptide turnover rates. Thus in the hypothalamus, the paraventricular and supraoptic nuclei were found to contain cells expressing arginine-vasopressin and oxytocin mRNAs. Their distribution was in good agreement with that determined by immunohistochemistry (Dierickx and Vandesande, 1977). We have also found that these nuclei contain transcripts for neuropeptide genes such as preproenkephalin A, neuropeptide Y and somatostatin, in agreement with previously reported immunohistochemical data (Agid and Javoy-Agid, 1985; Emson et al., 1986). In the basal ganglia, numerous cells heterogeneously distributed throughout the caudate and putamen nuclei were found to contain preproenkephalin A mRNA.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1480765", "title": "Brain banking and the human hypothalamus--factors to match for, pitfalls and potentials.", "content": "The study of an increasing number of processes occurring in the human brain can be carried out on autopsy material. The availability of this material, whether fresh, frozen or fixed, makes it possible to develop methodologies for studying the neuroanatomical and neurochemical aspects of the human brain. It has also become possible in recent years to correlate functional changes with neurochemical changes and with neuroanatomical abnormalities in disease states. Some compounds and structures are damaged irreversibly within minutes after death and some brain components are known to disintegrate within seconds. This led to the widespread idea that autopsy material would not be suitable for basic research purposes and would not supply the necessary answers on the various fundamental questions regarding processes occurring in normal or diseased brain. However, from data published in recent years in which autopsy material has been routinely used, it becomes more and more evident that this is a misconception. There is an increasing number of reports based on the use of normal and pathological human brain tissue obtained by autopsies in spite of the fact that there is a worrying continuous decline in autopsy rate which causes serious concern among scientists world-wide (Anderson and Hill, 1989). It also became evident that when using the proper fixation procedures, sufficient structural integrity is retained in the tissue to allow morphological and morphometrical studies (Swaab and Uylings, 1988). Electron microscopic examination of synaptosomal preparations from post-mortem human brain showed them to be only slightly less pure than preparations from fresh tissue although there was some degree of damage (Hardy et al., 1982). Agonal state effects the stability of brain compounds and causes brain hypoxia. This again forms a tremendous difficulty for the study of human neurological and psychiatric diseases as one of the frequent causes of death is bronchopneumonia which leads to brain hypoxia and results in pronounced lactic acidosis. The Netherlands Brain Bank has succeeded to partly circumvent some of the serious problems encountered in providing human tissue for research by performing rapid autopsies with an average post-mortem delay of 2-4 h. This has become possible by a close collaboration of numerous nursing homes in Amsterdam and its vicinity and with the neuropathologists of the Free University in Amsterdam. We also measure the pH of the tissue as indicator of agonal state in order to reveal unsuitable specimens. The human hypothalamus contains various nuclei manifesting a wide variety of changes in different conditions.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1480766", "title": "The fourth C.U. Ari\u00ebns Kappers lecture. The organization of the human circadian timing system.", "content": "The mammalian circadian timing system has three principal components; (1) photoreceptors and visual pathways mediating entrainment; (2) a pacemaker, the suprachiasmatic nucleus of the hypothalamus; and (3) efferent pathways coupling the suprachiasmatic nucleus to effector systems exhibiting circadian function. In most mammals there are two visual entraining pathways, a direct retinohypothalamic pathway terminating in the suprachiasmatic nucleus, for which the transmitter is unknown, and a secondary visual pathway, the geniculohypothalamic tract, from the intergeniculate leaflet of the lateral geniculate to the suprachiasmatic nucleus that is neuropeptide Y-producing. These pathways end in a distinct subdivision of the suprachiasmatic nucleus characterized by the presence of vasoactive intestinal polypeptide neurons. A second suprachiasmatic nucleus division does not receive visual afferents and is characterized by vasopressin neurons. The efferent projections of the suprachiasmatic nucleus are very restricted, predominantly to the hypothalamus. Although we have much less information on the human circadian timing system than on that of other animals, it seems clear that the human conforms to the general animal pattern in most features. There are, however, two significant differences. First, the largest neural component of the human suprachiasmatic nucleus is a population of neurotensin neurons found throughout the nucleus. Few, if any, neurotensin neurons are found in monkey or other mammals. Second, the human suprachiasmatic nucleus contains a large number of neuropeptide Y neurons located where the plexus arising from geniculate neuropeptide Y neurons is found in other mammals. This is unique and suggests that the geniculohypothalamic projection may be bypassed in the human. It also may imply that the functional organization of the human SCN is fundamentally different from that of other mammals. The function of the circadian timing system is to coordinate the activities of a series of homeostatic regulatory mechanisms with the control of behavioral state in a temporal pattern that facilitates adaptive behavior, including reproduction (Fig. 9). The function of this system, then, is to provide the appropriate physiological and behavioral background to facilitate adaptation and survival."}
{"id": "PMID:1480768", "title": "Hyperfractionation versus conventional fractionation in oropharyngeal carcinoma: final analysis of a randomized trial of the EORTC cooperative group of radiotherapy.", "content": "EORTC protocol 22791 compared once daily fractionation (CF) of 70 Gy in 35-40 fractions in 7-8 weeks, to pure hyperfractionation (HF) of 80.5 Gy in 70 fractions in 7 weeks using 2 fractions of 1.15 Gy per day, in T2-T3 oropharyngeal carcinoma (excluding base of tongue), N0,N1 of less than 3 cm. From 1980 to 1987, 356 patients were entered. In the final analysis (June 1990), the local control was significantly higher (p = 0.02 log-rank) after HF compared with CF. At 5 years, 59% of patients are local disease-free in the HF arm compared to 40% in the CF arm. The superiority of HF was demonstrated in patients staged T3N0,T3N1 but not in T2. The Cox model confirmed that the treatment regimen was an independent significant prognostic factor for locoregional control (p = 0.007 log-rank). This improvement of locoregional control was responsible for a trend to an improved survival (p = 0.08 log-rank). There was no difference in late normal tissue damage between the two treatment modalities."}
{"id": "PMID:1480769", "title": "Assessment of dose inhomogeneity at target level by in vivo dosimetry: can the recommended 5% accuracy in the dose delivered to the target volume be fulfilled in daily practice?", "content": "The inhomogeneity of the dose delivered to the target volume due to irregular body surface and tissue densities remains in many cases unknown, since the dose distribution is calculated for most radiation treatments in only one transverse section and assuming the patient to be water equivalent. In the present study, the transmission and the target absorbed dose homogeneity is assessed for 11 head-and-neck cancer treatments by in vivo measurements with silicon diodes. Besides the dose to the specification point, the dose delivered to 2-4 off-axis points in the midline sagittal plane is estimated from entrance and exit dose measurements. Simultaneously made portal films allow to identify the anatomical structures passed by the beam before reaching the exit diode. The mean deviation from the expected transmission is -6.8% for bone, +6% for air cavities and -2.5% for soft tissue. At the midplane, the mean deviations from the expected target dose are respectively -3.5%, +2.3% and -1.9%. The deviations from the prescribed dose are larger than 5% in 12 out of the 39 target points. The accuracy requirement in target dose delivery of plus or minus 5%, as proposed by ICRU, cannot be fulfilled in 7 out of the 11 patients and is mostly due to irregular body contour and tissue densities. As only a limited number of points are considered, the inhomogeneity in the dose delivered throughout the whole irradiated volume is underestimated as is illustrated from the exit dose profiles obtained from the portal image.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1480770", "title": "Clinical implications of heterogeneity of tumor response to radiation therapy.", "content": "Heterogeneity of response of tumor tissue to radiation clearly exists. Major parameters include histopathologic type, size (number of tumor rescue units (TRUs)), hemoglobin concentration, cell proliferation kinetics and immune rejection reaction by host. Further, normal and presumably tumor tissue response is altered in certain genetic diseases, e.g. ataxia telangiectasia. Any assessment of response of tumor tissue to a new treatment method or the testing of a new clinical response predictor is optimally based upon a narrow strata, viz., uniform with respect to known parameters of response, e.g. size, histological type. Even among tumors of such a clinically defined narrow strata, there will be residual heterogeneity with respect to inherent cellular radiation sensitivity, distributions of pO2, (SH), cell proliferation etc. The value of a response predictor of an individual tumor will be determined by the heterogeneity of values for these and or other characteristics and by the coefficient of variation (CV) of the measured values of the individual parameters. Heterogeneity of one or more parameters of response is reflected in the slope of the dose response curve for local control, viz. the greater the heterogeneity the less steep the slope. To examine for this effect, the slope of dose response curves for control of model tumors of 10(8) tumor rescue units (TRU) and the SF2 = 0.5 (survival fraction after a single dose of 2 Gy) has been used to assess the impact of inter- and intra-tumoral variation of SF2 on slope, defined as gamma 50 values. The gamma 50 is the increase in local control expressed in percent points for a one percentage increment in dose, at the mid-point on the dose-response curve. The gamma 50 was 6.5 for CV = 0.0. For inter-tumoral CVs of 10%, 20% and 40%, the gamma 50 rapidly decreased to 2.4, 1.3 and 0.7. Intra-tumoral variation was less important, viz., for CVs of 10%, 20%, and 40% the gamma 50 values were reduced to 5.3, 3.8 and 2.2. Combining inter- and intra-tumoral variation reduced the gamma 50 only slightly below that for inter-tumoral variation alone. For example, were the CV 10% for inter- and intra-tumoral variation, the gamma 50 would be 2.1 as compared to 2.4 for inter-tumoral variation alone. The number of TRUs also affects slope, viz. gamma 50 increased from 1 to 9.7 as the TRU number increased from 10(1) to 10(12).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1480771", "title": "Accelerated versus conventional fractionation in the postoperative irradiation of locally advanced head and neck cancer: influence of tumour proliferation.", "content": "Fifty-six patients with locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma were subjected to adjuvant radiotherapy after radical surgery with randomisation to either conventional fractionation (CF), comprising 50 Gy/25 F/5 weeks, or to accelerated hyperfractionation (AHF) to a dose of 42 Gy/30 F/11 days (3 F/day), a dose/F of 1.4 Gy and an interfraction interval of 4 h. The in vitro [3H]thymidine labelling index (TLI) was determined as an indicator of tumour proliferation. Early mucosal reactions were somewhat more severe after AHF than after CF and the peak was attained earlier. The actuarial 3-year complication rate was significantly lower in the AHF (64%) than in the CF group (87%). This is probably related to a smaller fraction size and a lower total dose. The overall 3-year disease-free survival amounted to 46 +/- 7%. Sex, the anatomical site, the nodal status, the performance status and TLI have been shown to be significant prognostic factors, but only the latter two proved to be independent covariates. Overall, the type of fractionation did not seem to influence survival. However, AHF seemed to offer higher survival probabilities in fast growing tumours and this attained a significant level for tumours with TLI > 10.4% (Tpot < 4.5 days). However, CF and AHF were associated with similar survival rates in slowly growing tumours. The relative effectiveness of the CF and AHF schedules is predictable on the basis of the linear-quadratic system. In the case of tumour response, a time factor has to be included assuming that accelerated repopulation of microscopic residues occurs from the outset.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1480772", "title": "Time factors in breast carcinoma: influence of delay between external irradiation and brachytherapy.", "content": "From 1971 to 1983, 398 (33 T1, 309 T2, 56 T3) biopsy-proven breast adenocarcinomas were treated conservatively at H\u00f4pital Henri Mondor by an initial course of external irradiation (45 Gy, 25 fractions, 5 weeks) followed by interstitial iridium-192 implant for a further 37 Gy to the tumor. The mean interval between external irradiation and brachytherapy was 5.9 weeks (S.D. 1.7, range 1-18). Seventy-seven local failures were observed at 10-148 months (median 34.5). The actuarial probabilities (S.E.) of local control at 5 and 10 years were 0.86 (0.02) and 0.74 (0.03), respectively. The follow-up for patients free of local recurrence was 4-205 months (median 95). Multivariate analysis showed an increasing probability of local failure with longer interval between external irradiation and brachytherapy (Relative Risk [R.R.] 1.23 [95% confidence limits: 1.07, 1.41] per week, p = 0.005), and a lower risk of failure in case of complete tumor regression after external irradiation (R.R. 0.47 [0.25, 0.90], p = 0.022), and higher brachytherapy dose rate (R.R. 0.13 [0.02, 1.02] per Gy/h, p = 0.053). No influence of tumor size and total dose (possibly because only limited variations in total dose were observed), or histological grading (not performed in 140 [35%] patients) was found. Because of the lack of dose-control relationship, quantification of the effects of delay between external irradiation and brachytherapy (in terms of compensatory dose) and of dose rate (Incomplete Repair Model) was not possible.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1480773", "title": "The effect of treatment duration in the local control of cervix cancer.", "content": "A significant effect of treatment duration on pelvic control was found in 830 patients with cervix cancer treated by radical radiation therapy. Using three methods of analysis, the loss of control consistently approximated 1% per day of treatment prolongation beyond 30 days, although analysis of stage subgroups showed that this effect was predominantly manifested in Stages III/IV compared with Stages I/II. In multivariate analyses using both a logistic regression and a Cox regression model, stage (p = 0.0001 for Stage I/IIA and 0.0036 for Stage IIB relative to Stage III/IV) treatment time (p = 0.0001), and age (p = 0.0067) were independently correlated with pelvic control. Exclusion from analysis of patients with delays due to tumour or treatment related complications, intercurrent illness or manifestations of poor tumour response did not significantly change the magnitude of the time effect nor the ranking of the significant covariates. These results are consistent with the occurrence of accelerated repopulation and warrant further investigation, preferably in a randomized trial of accelerated versus conventionally fractionated radiation therapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1480774", "title": "Is the experience with CHART compatible with experimental data? A new model of repair kinetics and computer simulations.", "content": "A new incomplete repair model is introduced that differs from previous models of this type by not assuming that repair is complete during long intervals, e.g. \"overnight\" intervals of 12-24 h. The model was used to assess the risk of myelopathy resulting from continuous hyperfractionated accelerated radiotherapy treatment (CHART) in light of recent experimental data on the rat spinal cord. Model calculations employing biexponential repair kinetics showed that CHART treatments might result in a higher myelopathy risk than an equal dose given in conventional 2-Gy fractions if the parameters obtained from the animal data hold. The probability of observing what has been reported for CHART was determined in computer simulations for different variance scenarios. The chance to observe four myelopathies in the 74 cervical cord patients was estimated to range between 25 and 62%, while the probability to see 0 in 68 thoracic cord patients ranged from 48 to 27%. These numbers were derived from reasonable assumptions about the repair kinetics (e.g. 60% of damage repaired with a half-time of 8 h) so that the over-all probability to observe 4/74 and 0/68 was maximized, and depending on the scenario fell in the range 12-17%. Finally, from these simulations a myelopathy risk of approximately 0.3-1.2% is predicted for the currently employed maximal CHART dose to the spinal cord, i.e. 42 Gy. We conclude that the CHART experience is not compatible with the new experimental data (p < 5%). Incomplete repair is unlikely to be the sole reason for the unexpected toxicity of CHART (p < or = 17%).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1480775", "title": "Impact of spinal cord repair kinetics on the practice of altered fractionation schedules.", "content": "The kinetics of repair of sublethal lesions in the spinal cord was assessed in detail using a rodent model. Experiments were designed to obtain the fractionation sensitivity, alpha/beta, and to quantify the kinetics of repair after a clinically relevant fraction size. Pairs of 2-Gy fractions at intervals ranging from 0 to 24 h were given from Monday through Friday, to cumulative doses of 40-84 Gy. In addition, two groups of animals received 1.5 or 1.2 Gy twice a day at 8-h intervals, 5 days a week, to total doses of 66-90 Gy and 67.2-98.4 Gy, respectively. All irradiations were followed by a top-up dose of 16 Gy. Analysis of the experimental data revealed that a bi-exponential repair model fit the experimental data significantly better than did the mono-exponential model (p = 0.002). The repair half times obtained were 0.7 (0.2-1.3) h and 3.8 (2.6-4.9) h, respectively. The proportion of injury repaired by the longer half time was estimated to be 0.62 (0.37-0.86). The data showed that delivering 2 fractions per day at 6- or 8-h intervals instead of one per day led to a 16.5% (11.8-21.1%) and 13.5% (9.1-17.8%) reduction in the tolerance, respectively. Finally, the results indicated that when incomplete repair between fractions was accounted for, the linear-quadratic (LQ) model was valid in describing fractionation response down to 1.2 Gy per fraction."}
{"id": "PMID:1480776", "title": "Fractionation sensitivity of the rat cervical spinal cord during radiation retreatment.", "content": "Data concerning the fractionation sensitivity of normal tissues during radiation retreatment are limited. Experiments were performed to investigate whether the fractionation sensitivity of the rat cervical spinal cord is changed during retreatment 6 months after a first dose of 15 Gy, representing about half the biologically effective dose for induction of paresis. After a 6 months interval, the long-term recovery from the first treatment was about 45%. The fractionation sensitivity of the rat cervical spinal cord during reirradiation was not significantly different from the fractionation sensitivity of not previously irradiated control rats, with an alpha/beta ratio of 2.3 Gy in control rats and 1.9 Gy during reirradiation of the spinal cord. An additional observation from these experiments was the presence of incomplete repair after fractionated treatment with 2 fractions of 3 Gy per day with 10-h intervals."}
{"id": "PMID:1480777", "title": "Fractionation sensitivity and latency of late radiation injury to the mouse urinary bladder.", "content": "Transurethral bladder filling is a functional, non-invasive, in vivo assay of early and late radiation injury to the mouse bladder. Fractionated irradiations using single doses or 2, 3, 5, or 10 dose fractions in an overall time of 4 or 4.5 days, with a range of total doses, were given to the bladder of 12-14 week-old C3D2F1/Bom mice. In 372 mice, bladder volume at an intravesical pressure of 20 mmHg was measured before irradiation and at regular intervals thereafter. The endpoint for late bladder injury was a volume of less than 50% of the median pretreatment volume in all animals, occurring more than 30 days after irradiation. This endpoint was reached after a latent period ranging between 35 and 401 days. Fractionation and latency parameters were estimated using a mixture model. There was a highly statistically significant dose-dependency of the latent period (p < 10(-8)). The alpha/beta ratio was estimated at 5.8 Gy [95% confidence limits (3.6; 8.8) Gy] for 250 kVp X-rays. Thus late radiation injury in the mouse urinary bladder is one of the least sensitive late endpoints with respect to change in dose per fraction. Introducing early bladder injury as a variable in the model improved the fit significantly (p = 0.03), but the alpha/beta ratio remained unchanged. Thus the hypothesis that late bladder injury may be, at least in part, consequent upon early injury did not explain the relatively high alpha/beta ratio for this late endpoint."}
{"id": "PMID:1480778", "title": "Treatment acceleration in radiotherapy: the relative time factors and dose-response slopes for tumours and normal tissues.", "content": "A published collation of data for control of head and neck cancer in over 4500 patients has been subjected to direct analysis to deduce dose-response, fractionation, and time parameters. The analysis confirms the presence of a significant time factor of the order of 0.5-0.6 Gy/day, deduced previously using various assumptions and normalisation procedures. In addition, the dose-response curve was characterised by Da = 29 Gy which contributed to long \"effective\" doubling times being deduced for tumour clonogens in the patient population as a whole. Some late-reacting normal tissues also show significant time factors, and furthermore, their dose-response curves are in general steeper than for tumours. Hence, care should be taken in accelerating treatments to improve local control, if the treatments are truly at tolerance regarding late-appearing major complications."}
{"id": "PMID:1480779", "title": "Dose-time factors in head and neck data.", "content": "This paper discusses two points regarding the interpretation of dose-time effects on tumor control in head and neck data. It is shown that the sample size in many clinical series will be too small to be able to statistically detect a dose-response relationship. The results from a non-parametric regression technique applied to control rate data from a large number of institutions suggest an influence of both dose and time on the control rate and qualitatively agree with a previous analysis of these data."}
{"id": "PMID:1480788", "title": "[Dental status and dental preventive behavior in Flanders].", "content": "Socio-economic factors are important parameters for dental health status and preventive behavior. In an epidemiologic survey of +/- 8000 5- and 12-year old schoolchildren in Flanders significant differences in dental attendance, brushing habits and caries prevalence were found between 12-year old boys and girls. Ethnic differences were pronounced. Dental attendance and brushing frequency were lower in non-West-European children. These children showed a higher caries attack rate at the age of 5 but in 12-year olds the opposite was noted. Interprovincial differences should probably be attributed to differences in social levels."}
{"id": "PMID:1480789", "title": "[Dental caries in a Belgian school population of 5-to-21-year-olds].", "content": "During the last 20 years, existing data show that caries activity has decreased in some industrialized countries, while marked increases have occurred, often rapidly, in developing countries. Changes in the prevalence of a multifactorial disease like dental caries are difficult to explain but seem to coincide either with increased intake of refined sugar-containing feeding or with the widespread availability of fluorides from many sources, more particularly in the tooth-pastes. The combination of fluorides with different other factors must be considered to explain the reduction in caries prevalence in the 1970's, but only the cariostatic effect of fluorides can be measured significantly. In spite of few studies in Belgium, a trend to a reduction of caries prevalence has been observed in temporary and permanent dentition. The aims of this study are to assess: 1. the oral health in a population of 5 to 21 old schoolchildren 2. and the effect of water naturally fluoridation on the dental caries prevalence. The dental caries prevalence is determined in each age group using the dft, dfs, D (2-4) MFT and D (2-4) MFS indices. The situation in this population is not satisfactory and there is a marked need for better oral health. The D (2-4) MFT increases from 1.67 to 11.29 between 6 and 20 years of age. In each age group, the numbers of carious and untreated surfaces in temporary and permanent dentition are more important than the number of filled surfaces. The percentage of children with caries-free teeth decreases from 27.0 to 0% between 5 and 20 years of age. A relation is recorded between the caries indices and the socio-economic category of the father, with the lowest indices among the higher educational group. The results show that the prevalence of dental caries is significantly lower in lifetime residents of the fluoridated community (Mouscron). Fluoridation reduces but does not eliminate social inequalities. The benefits of water fluoridation have been demonstrated in most countries but fluoridation alone is not sufficient to achieve total prevention."}
{"id": "PMID:1480790", "title": "[From epidemiology to social epidemiology in dentistry. The example of caries].", "content": "Today, we know the caries aetiology and prevention rather well. We also know that caries-related levels of dental health are inequitably distributed among social classes: on the average, disadvantaged people experience higher DMFS then privileged people. This difference can be explained by a differential access to health care, which can be shown by the study of components of the DMFS index: proportion of filled surfaces (F/DMFS), proportion of missing surfaces (M/DMFS), and proportion of recurrent caries (secondary caries/filled surfaces). Though we are able to describe the social distribution of levels of dental care, we cannot \"explain\" the differences we observe. The explanation of those differences defines the field of social epidemiology. This consists in determining the social aetiology of diseases, starting from social determinants of attitudes and behaviors influencing health."}
{"id": "PMID:1480791", "title": "[Dental hygiene in 10-to-18-year-old youths in Flanders. Results of a school survey].", "content": "This study is part of the cross-national Survey on Health and Lifestyles in School-aged children--a WHO collaborative study (HELENA). The aim of this report was to describe the oral health habits (oral hygiene, use of dental floss and fluoride, consumption of sugar snacks) in schoolchildren aged 10 to 18 in the Flemish-speaking community of Belgium. Toothbrushing was consistently less frequent among boys than among girls. There is a negative correlation between the frequency of toothbrushing and the consumption of soft drinks in both sexes, and between toothbrushing and sweets consumption in girls. The use of dental floss is still very rare. Efforts must be continued to reduce the consumption of sweets and soft drinks. No differences in oral health habits were noted among children from different school types. Parental profession did not influence oral health habits in this study."}
{"id": "PMID:1480792", "title": "[Which dentist for which campaign?].", "content": "Some dentists took part in the Red Cross dental health campaign \"Teeth 2000\". It was an opportunity to analyze their participation in a campaign, to compare them with the profile of the average Belgian french-speaking dentist and finally, to put forward certain criteria to target these dentists."}
{"id": "PMID:1480793", "title": "[Meta-analysis: a structured bibliographic protocol].", "content": "Meta-analysis is a way of reviewing literature in a structured and systematic format. A formalized protocol for selection of the reviewed papers and a qualitative as well as quantitative evaluation are essential. Mathematical pooling of the results of the individual studies can be part of the process. A number of pitfalls are possible. However, when performed in a correct way and evaluated critically by the reader, a meta-analysis can add consistently to the medical knowledge concerning a specific subject."}
{"id": "PMID:1480794", "title": "[Epidemiological study of caries prevalence in 5-and-12-year-old school children in Flanders].", "content": "A caries prevalence survey was carried out among twelve and five-year-old school children in Flanders (Belgium). The aim of the study was an evaluation of the education, prevention and treatment programme organised by the Flemish Working Group on Oral Prevention. The survey covered 3600 5-year old children and as many 12-year old adolescents, selected at random in the five Dutch-speaking provinces of Belgium. Concerning the caries experience of 5-year old children, we noticed a small dmft of 1.65 and a percentage of caries-free of 60%. Regarding the results for the 12-year olds, we recorded a DMFT of 2.72 and 25% caries-free adolescents. Children from non West-European origin scored much higher in dmft but showed a remarkably lower DMFT-index. We can suggest that an increased attention remains necessary for risk groups such as children with a high caries susceptibility, young immigrants and low income families. The dental health education in schools should be kept on-going and even be extended towards adolescents. Because we remarked a very low dental attendance pattern among young children, we really need to convince parents of the importance of early visits to the dentist. We believe that epidemiology is the only basis for a sound and evident prevention strategy."}
{"id": "PMID:1480795", "title": "The effect of neglecting correlations when propagating uncertainty and estimating the population distribution of risk.", "content": "Interest in examining both the uncertainty and variability in environmental health risk assessments has led to increased use of methods for propagating uncertainty. While a variety of approaches have been described, the advent of both powerful personal computers and commercially available simulation software have led to increased use of Monte Carlo simulation. Although most analysts and regulators are encouraged by these developments, some are concerned that Monte Carlo analysis is being applied uncritically. The validity of any analysis is contingent on the validity of the inputs to the analysis. In the propagation of uncertainty or variability, it is essential that the statistical distribution of input variables are properly specified. Furthermore, any dependencies among the input variables must be considered in the analysis. In light of the potential difficulty in specifying dependencies among input variables, it is useful to consider whether there exist rules of thumb as to when correlations can be safely ignored (i.e., when little overall precision is gained by an additional effort to improve upon an estimation of correlation). We make use of well-known error propagation formulas to develop expressions intended to aid the analyst in situations wherein normally and lognormally distributed variables are linearly correlated."}
{"id": "PMID:1480796", "title": "Modeling the modification of the risk of radon-induced lung cancer by environmental tobacco smoke.", "content": "The presence of environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) in homes has been implicated in the causation of lung cancer. While of interest in its own right, ETS also influences the risk imposed by radon and its decay products. The interaction between radon progeny and ETS alters the exposure, intake, uptake, biokinetics, dosimetry, and radiobiology of those progeny. The present paper details model predictions of the various influences of ETS on these factors in the U.S. population and provides estimates of the resulting change in the risk from average levels of radon progeny. It is predicted that the presence of ETS produces a very small (perhaps unmeasurable) increase in the risk of radiation-induced tracheobronchial cancer in homes with initially very high particle concentrations for both active and never-smokers, but significantly lowers the risk in homes with initially lower particle concentrations for both groups when generation 4 of the lung is considered the target site. For generation 16, the presence of ETS generally increases the radon-induced risk of lung cancer, although the increase should be unmeasurable at high initial particle concentrations. The net effect of ETS on human health is suggested to be a complicated function of the initial housing conditions, the concentration of particles introduced by smoking, the target generation considered, and the smoking status of exposed populations. This situation precludes any simple statements concerning the role of ETS in governing the incidence of lung cancer in a population."}
{"id": "PMID:1480797", "title": "Risk perception and the value of safety.", "content": "This paper examines the relationship between perceived risk and willingness-to-pay (WTP) for increased safety from technological hazards in both conceptual and empirical terms. A conceptual model is developed in which a given household's WTP for risk reductions is a function of traditional socioeconomic variables (i.e., income and base level of risk) and perceived characteristics of the hazards (i.e., dread, knowledge, and exposure). Data to estimate the model are obtained through a combined contingent valuation and risk perception survey that considers 10 technological hazards, five of which are well-defined (e.g., death rates are known and the risks are relatively common) and five are less well-defined. Econometric results, using TOBIT estimation procedures, support the importance of both types of variables in explaining WTP across all 10 hazards. When the risks are split into two groups, the results show that WTP for well-defined hazards is most influenced by perceived personal exposure, while WTP for less well-defined risks is most influenced by levels of dread and severity."}
{"id": "PMID:1480798", "title": "Comparison of the dependence of the TD50 on maximum tolerated dose for mutagens and nonmutagens.", "content": "The relationship between the minimum TD50 (i.e., the TD50 measured at the most sensitive site) and the maximum dose administered (maxD) in rodent carcinogenicity bioassays was investigated separately for mice and rats. The relationship between log(1/TD50) and log(1/maxD) was analyzed as a function of (1) mutagenicity and (2) the statistical significance cutoff for selecting the minimum TD50 values. For rat bioassays, the variance of log(1/TD50) is larger and the correlation of log(1/TD50) with log(1/maxD) is weaker for mutagens than for nonmutagens, suggesting that the relationship between minimum TD50 and MTD is, in general, stronger for nonmutagens than for mutagens. The difference in correlation does not depend on the TD50 statistical significance cutoff, but the difference in variance is not significant for the most stringently selected dataset. For mouse bioassays, no significant mutagen/nonmutagen differences in log(1/TD50) variance are found. A significantly weaker correlation of log(1/TD50) with log(1/maxD) for mutagens in comparison to nonmutagens occurs only for the dataset with minimum TD50 chosen at the least stringent level, suggesting that this difference may be due to chance variation. We also looked for changes in correlation and regression parameters as a function of mutagenic potency in Salmonella; the variance of log(1/TD50) and its correlation with log(1/maxD) are not found to vary in a consistent manner. Taken as a whole, our results indicate that (1) mutagenicity is a determinant of the TD50/maxD relationship in rats and (2) any effect that mutagenicity may exert on the TD50/maxD relationship in mice is unimportant.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1480799", "title": "Probabilistic connotations of carcinogen hazard classifications: analysis of survey data for anchoring effects.", "content": "A study was undertaken to test for anchoring effects when numerical probabilities were elicited for carcinogen hazard designations. Subjects were asked to assign probabilities to both probable and possible. The sequence was randomly varied so that half of the subjects evaluated probable first and half evaluated possible first. While there was no consensus on the numerical probabilistic meanings assigned to these verbal expressions, in general, probable was assigned a higher probability than possible and there were specific values that were assigned frequently, indicating some consistency in interpretation. There appeared to be a fairly constant scaling factor between the probabilities assigned to the designations. Anchoring was manifested in two ways: a smaller difference between the designations when they were evaluated in sequence than when they were evaluated in isolation, and assignment of readily accessible \"benchmark\" values such as 50% and 75%."}
{"id": "PMID:1480800", "title": "Estimating dermal uptake of nonionic organic chemicals from water and soil: I. Unified fugacity-based models for risk assessments.", "content": "Contamination of water and soil that might eventually contact human skin makes it imperative to include the dermal uptake route in efforts to assess potential environmental health risks. Direct measurements of dermal uptake from either water or soil are only available for a small number of the thousands of chemicals likely to be found in the environment. We propose here a mass-transfer model for estimating skin permeability and dermal uptake for organic chemicals that contaminate soil and water. Statistical relationships between measured permeabilities and chemical properties reveal that permeability varies primarily with the octanol-water partition coefficient (Kow) and secondarily with the molecular weight. From these results, we derive a fugacity-based model for skin permeability that addresses the inherent permeability of the skin, the interaction of the skin with the environmental medium on skin (water or soil), and retains a relatively simple algebraic form. Model predictions are compared to measured human skin permeabilities for some 50 compounds in water and four compounds in soil. The model is adjusted to account for dermal uptake during both short-term (10-20 min) and long-term (several hour) exposures. This model is recommended for compounds with molecular weight less than or equal to 280 g."}
{"id": "PMID:1480801", "title": "Cancer risk assessment with intermittent exposure.", "content": "Applications of methods for carcinogenic risk assessment often focus on estimating lifetime cancer risk. With intermittent or time-dependent exposures, lifetime risk is often approximated on the basis of a lifetime average daily dose (LADD). In this article, we show that there exists a lifetime equivalent constant dose (LECD) which leads to the same lifetime risk as the actual time-dependent exposure pattern. The ratio C = LECD/LADD then provides a measure of accuracy of risk estimates based on the LADD, as well as a basis for correcting such estimates. Theoretical results derived under the classical multistage model and the two-stage birth-death-mutation model suggest that the maximum value of C, which represents the factor by which the LADD may lead to underestimates of risk, will often lie in the range of 2- to 5-fold. The practical application of these results is illustrated in the case of astronauts subjected to relatively short-term exposure to volatile organics in a closed space station environment, and in the case of the ingestion of pesticide residues in food where consumption patterns vary with age."}
{"id": "PMID:1480802", "title": "Extrapolation of carcinogenicity between species: qualitative and quantitative factors.", "content": "Prediction of human cancer risk from the results of rodent bioassays requires two types of extrapolation: a qualitative extrapolation from short-lived rodent species to long-lived humans, and a quantitative extrapolation from near-toxic doses in the bioassay to low-level human exposures. Experimental evidence on the accuracy of prediction between closely related species tested under similar experimental conditions (rats, mice, and hamsters) indicates that: (1) if a chemical is positive in one species, it will be positive in the second species about 75% of the time; however, since about 50% of test chemicals are positive in each species, by chance alone one would expect a predictive value between species of about 50%. (2) If a chemical induces tumors in a particular target organ in one species, it will induce tumors in the same organ in the second species about 50% of the time. Similar predictive values are obtained in an analysis of prediction from humans to rats or from humans to mice for known human carcinogens. Limitations of bioassay data for use in quantitative extrapolation are discussed, including constraints on both estimates of carcinogenic potency and of the dose-response in experiments with only two doses and a control. Quantitative extrapolation should be based on an understanding of mechanisms of carcinogenesis, particularly mitogenic effects that are present at high and not low doses."}
{"id": "PMID:1480805", "title": "[Anti-influenza vaccination for active persons (25-64 years): a cost-benefit study].", "content": "This paper is a specific cost-benefit study concerning 25-64 years people flu vaccination. For this active population the vaccination rate is only 12% and the cost of absenteeism is potentially high. To make the balance between prevention costs and (direct and indirect) avoided costs by the vaccine, we use a basic case with mean value parameters as: efficacy rate of vaccine, impact of epidemics, size of vaccinated population, immunization length and compensation rate of the so-called production losses. These parameters are then supposed to vary in a sensitivity analysis. In any case net benefit of vaccination appears, which size varies mainly in relation to epidemics and vaccinated population extents. But improvements are to be achieved for giving more precise values to \"real\" efficacy rate of vaccination and effective economic impact of absenteeism on production."}
{"id": "PMID:1480806", "title": "[Determination of cost-effective strategies in colorectal cancer screening].", "content": "The object of the article is to implement particular methodologies in order to determine which strategies are cost-effective in the mass screening of colorectal cancer after a positive Hemoccult test. The first approach to be presented consists in proposing a method which enables all the admissible diagnostic strategies to be determined. The second approach enables a minimal cost function to be estimated using an adaptation of \"Data Envelopment Analysis\". This method proves to be particularly successful in cost-efficiency analysis, when the performance indicators are numerous and hard to aggregate. The results show that there are two cost-effective strategies after a positive Hemoccult test: coloscopy and sigmoidoscopy; they put into question the relevance of double contrast barium enema in the diagnosis of colo-rectal lesions."}
{"id": "PMID:1480807", "title": "[Comparative efficacy of annual and semi-annual doses of ivermectin or diethylcarbamazine for the prevention of lymphatic filariasis].", "content": "A double blind randomized trial was performed on 58 healthy Polynesian Wuchereria bancrofti carriers, they were randomly allocated to treatments with repeated annual or semi-annual doses of ivermectin 100 mcg/kg or diethylcarbamazine (DEC) 3 mg/kg, or with repeated annual doses of DEC 6 mg/kg. After the 12-month treatment, the clearance of microfilaremia was complete in 7 of the 23 carriers treated with ivermectin and in 3 of the 35 treated with DEC. Nine months after that treatment, the lowest mean microfilaremia was observed in the carriers treated with 3 successive semi-annual doses of DEC 3 mg/kg. Adverse reactions were comparable in carriers treated with ivermectin and in those treated with DEC, and did not interfere with daily activities of treated subjects."}
{"id": "PMID:1480803", "title": "Studies of exclusion in individuals with severe mental retardation.", "content": "Exclusion performances in matching to sample are demonstrated when subjects select experimentally undefined comparison stimuli in the presence of undefined sample stimuli, apparently by rejecting defined comparison stimuli. Several studies have documented exclusion performances in a small number of individuals with severe mental retardation. These studies also demonstrated the potential of exclusion procedures for establishing prerequisites for emergent naming performances. The present study examined exclusion in a larger cohort of subjects. Initial experiments asked two questions. First, how reliably would exclusion performances be demonstrated? Second, would those performances be followed by emergent naming, and, if so, how reliably? Follow-up experiments examined the stimulus control basis for exclusion performances. Our findings and conclusions can be summarized as follows: First, reliable exclusion was demonstrated in nearly all subjects. Second, naming performances typically emerged. These performances were seen in the context of a recent experimental history of matching to sample and of naming baseline stimuli in the experimental format. Third, apparent exclusion may sometimes result from relating undefined sample and comparison stimuli. Together, our findings suggest potentially effective strategies for teaching people with mental retardation and point to variables that should be considered when designing exclusion-based teaching interventions."}
{"id": "PMID:1480808", "title": "How much benefit could be obtained from cardiovascular disease intervention programs?", "content": "To estimate the potential benefits of cardiovascular disease intervention programs in Spain, we have computed cardiovascular population mortality fractions and deaths attributable to the main risk factors by using relative risks from international studies and Spanish prevalence and mortality data (subjects of both sexes, aged 25-64). As many as 71% of the cardiovascular deaths studied in men and 44% in women might be delayed every year in Spain if it were possible to eliminate the current exposure of the population to smoking, obesity, sedentariness, hypertension and hypercholesterolemia. With the eradication of tobacco exposure 31% of coronary deaths and 16% of stroke deaths in men (7% in both cases for women) might be avoided. Similar actions on sedentariness, hypertension and hypercholesterolemia might delay 17% and 29%, 13% and 13%, and 9% and 11% of deaths, respectively, in males (figures generally somewhat higher in females). These figures would be moderately lower if reductions in the prevalence of these factors are considered realistically. These results may encourage the implementation of strategies against cardiovascular diseases in countries with risk factor prevalence similar to that of Spain."}
{"id": "PMID:1480804", "title": "Hearing abilities of Down syndrome and other mentally handicapped adolescents.", "content": "Down syndrome (DS) individuals are prone to auditory processing difficulties in a variety of audiological, short-term memory, and language tasks. The present study explored: (a) the hearing capabilities of DS adolescents and young adults relative to a sample of non-DS mentally handicapped (MH) individuals, and (b) the relationship between hearing ability and performance on several cognitive tasks. Samples of 26 DS and 26 MH trainable mentally handicapped individuals were matched on IQ and chronological age (CA). Audiometric data revealed greater hearing losses in DS than in MH individuals at five of the six tested frequencies, more DS conductive and mixed hearing losses, and particularly high DS losses in the high-frequency range. Measurement of the speech reception threshold revealed poorer reception of speech by the DS than the MH group. Classification of tympanograms indicated fewer normal ears and twice as many DS ears with middle ear problems reflecting no mobility or retraction of the tympanic membrane. Presence of DS middle ear difficulties was also confirmed by poorer elicitation of the acoustic (stapedius) reflex in DS subjects. Correlation of hearing variables with seven cognitive tasks administered on the same day revealed only one significant relationship after the statistical removal of the effects of CA and IQ: DS subjects with poorer hearing identified fewer words in a task in which a masking noise quickly followed a spoken word. This result suggests that group findings of DS auditory-verbal processing difficulties stem, in part, from subjects with hearing difficulties needing more time to identify spoken words."}
{"id": "PMID:1480809", "title": "[Epidemiology of acute lymphoid leukemia].", "content": "Acute lymphocytic leukaemia (ALL) has a bimodal age incidence. It constitutes the majority of leukaemias diagnosed in childhood but less than 5% of adult leukaemia. Distinction between lymphocytic and myeloid forms of acute leukaemia in routine statistics has only been possible since 1968. There is no adequate study on the aetiology of acute lymphocytic leukaemia in adults. Apart from ionizing radiation and certain genetic conditions, risk factors for ALL are poorly understood. While Greaves' biological hypothesis offers some insight into childhood ALL, the causes of adult ALL are obscure. An epidemiological study of adult ALL is proposed, with particular emphasis on environmental risk factors and recent biological markers of ALL, in order to advance understanding of this leukaemia."}
{"id": "PMID:1480810", "title": "[Development in health status of a group of retired subjects in the Paris region according to their practice of physical activity].", "content": "The relation between physical activity and health among retired people aged 65 and over was studied in a sample of 993 subjects, men and women, living at home in the Paris area and randomly selected from a pension fund roll. In 1982-1983 (T1), 627 subjects were interviewed. Five years later (T2), 464 subjects participated in the survey. Health was measured by the number and types of impairments and disability. The incidence of cardiorespiratory impairment and the incidence of disability were weaker among subjects with physical activity in T1 than among subjects without physical activity. These findings were unchanged after adjustment for age, sex, socioeconomic status, cigarette smoking, body mass index, uncomfortable housing, living alone and hard physical conditions during working life. This result suggests the beneficial effect of physical activity in promoting health among retired people aged 65 and over."}
{"id": "PMID:1480811", "title": "Hospital admission profiles of Spanish immigrants in Paris. Assistance publique h\u00f4pitaux de Paris. France.", "content": "The aim of this study was to try to determine the hospital admission profiles of Spanish immigrants in France and whether differences exist between the admission patterns in this population and the autochthus French population. The study was carried out between 1984 and 1985 in all the hospitals of the \"Assistance Publique-H\u00f4pitaux de Paris\". In-patients were codified by using the OTARIE system (Organisation du Traitement Automatis\u00e9 de Recherche Int\u00e9ressant l'Epid\u00e9miologie) based on the I.C.D. 9R. (International Classification of Diseases). Observation of the proportional morbidity rates and the standardized rates showed differences between the two populations for tuberculosis, congenital pathology, poisoning and symptoms (multi-etiological processes, poorly defined conditions and symptoms \"per se\"). The Spanish sample showed a greater diagnosis for tuberculosis and symptoms (psychiatric and neurological) than the French population. However, poisoning and congenital pathologies were more frequent in the latter."}
{"id": "PMID:1480812", "title": "[Vaccination against influenza in nursing homes in Brussels].", "content": "The aims is to measure the immunization rate against influenza in nursing homes in Brussels, to identify the methodologic problems of a survey in this type of population, to analyse the predictors of vaccine administration and to make recommendations for increasing vaccine coverage. On February 1, 1989, there were 339 nursing homes (14,095 beds) in Brussels. These nursing homes were stratified according to their size and administrative status. One home in eight was selected at random as well as two residents in three in each home. The study population included 1,165 residents in 44 nursing homes; their mean age was 81 years. The determinants of vaccine administration were analysed by logistic regression according to Donabedian's model of supply and demand. Vaccine coverage was estimated at 69%; an optimistic estimate since 20 of the homes contacted refused to participate and there are reasons to believe that the immunization rate was low in this group. Among the 781 residents able to respond, only 10% had requested to be immunized. The vaccine had been offered to 67% of that group. Factors predicting vaccine administration were the legal status of the nursing homes, the ambulatory status of the resident, knowledge of the vaccine, a history of prior vaccination, a favorable opinion about the vaccine effectiveness, safety and usefulness. Neither age nor the existence of a chronic condition were significant predictors."}
{"id": "PMID:1480815", "title": "Influence of different methods of vagotomies on the secretion of cholecystokinin in dogs.", "content": "In six dogs, a selective proximal vagotomy, gastric vagotomy, and truncal vagotomy were performed successively. Basal and postprandial cholecystokinin (CCK) concentrations in the peripheral blood were measured by radioimmunoassay. After all the different types of vagotomy, especially after truncal vagotomy, an increased postprandial secretion of CCK was found compared with the healthy animal. Possible causes discussed are the cutting of vagal fibers, which might inhibit the secretion of CCK cells, and the changed gastric and pancreatic secretion."}
{"id": "PMID:1480816", "title": "Preserved mitochondrial function by allopurinol despite deteriorated hemodynamics in warm ischemia-damaged canine liver.", "content": "To investigate the pathophysiology of warm ischemia (WI) of the liver, the changes in hemodynamics and energy metabolism were studied during and after 60-min complete WI induced by total hepatic vascular exclusion (HVE) in the canine model. Hepatic arterial blood flow after WI was maintained at 76% of the pre-ischemic level, while portal blood flow was only 27% of the pre-ischemic level associated with increased portal vein pressure, which was twice the pre-ischemic level, resulting in a decrease of total hepatic blood flow to 46% of the pre-ischemic level. Concentration of tissue lipid peroxide increased after WI. Arterial blood ketone body ratio (AKBR), which reflects the hepatic mitochondrial redox state, could not recover to the pre-ischemic level after termination of WI. However, when 100 mg/kg of allopurinol (xanthine oxidase inhibitor) was administered intravenously 10 min prior to initiating WI, AKBR was restored to the pre-ischemic level at 30 min after WI in spite of the fact that allopurinol administration to one group produced no remarkable changes in the hepatic hemodynamics compared with the group without allopurinol treatment. Concentration of adenine nucleotides was significantly higher for the treated group at the end of and after WI than for the group without allopurinol treatment and was maintained at a higher level even after WI. Lipid peroxide production was suppressed. Electron microscopic examination revealed that allopurinol treatment could not prevent mitochondrial swelling. It is suggested that WI causes injury primarily to the portal sinusoidal circulation, resulting in portal congestion concomitant with high portal pressure after the release of WI. Allopurinol could prevent the deterioration of mitochondrial ATP metabolism, and was able to inhibit lipid peroxide production, resulting in the rapid recovery of mitochondrial redox state in spite of the fact that it produced no amelioration of hepatic hemodynamics and morphological alterations."}
{"id": "PMID:1480817", "title": "Effectivity and safety of mannitol treatment for acute hepatic failure in rats.", "content": "In rats with D-galactosamine-induced hepatic failure, 14C-D-mannitol transport into the brain was accelerated through an increase of vesicular transport via the blood-brain barrier and thus brain mannitol contents increased. However, the osmolarity of the brain tissue changed little and the mortality was decreased by mannitol infusion to acute hepatic-failure rats. Experimental data indicate the effectivity and safety of hypertonic mannitol therapy for cerebral edema in acute hepatic failure."}
{"id": "PMID:1480818", "title": "Concentrations of D-lactate and its related metabolic intermediates in liver, blood, and muscle of diabetic and starved rats.", "content": "This is a report investigating the methylglyoxal (MG) bypass in animals, by which D-lactate is produced from triosephosphate via MG. Rats were made diabetic using streptozotocin or starved for 72 h. D-Lactate and various metabolites related to it, such as L-lactate, pyruvate, methylglyoxal, glucose, and inorganic phosphate, were measured in the blood plasma, liver, and skeletal muscle of the rats. Diabetic and starved rats had significantly higher levels of D-lactate in plasma, liver, and skeletal muscle compared with the control group. In contrast, pyruvate levels in plasma, liver, and skeletal muscle was markedly lower than normal in diabetic and starved rats. L-Lactate level lowered markedly in plasma, liver, and skeletal muscle of starved rats and elevated in liver of diabetic rats. Differences between plasma L-lactate level for diabetes and control were not significant. MG level was significantly elevated in plasma and depressed in livers and muscles of starved rats as well as livers of diabetic rats. Hepatic glycerol content was markedly increased in those states. Enzyme activities related to D- and L-lactate, such as pyruvate kinase, phosphofructokinase, aldolase, and glyoxalase I, were measured in the livers of these rats. Pyruvate kinase activity decreased in these states, but other enzyme activities showed no significant changes. D-Lactate was much more excreted than L-lactate in the urine of diabetic and fasted rats compared with normal rats."}
{"id": "PMID:1480819", "title": "Effects of lipoxygenase and cyclooxygenase inhibitors on murine antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC).", "content": "The purpose of this study was to determine the effects that specific inhibition of arachidonic acid (AA) metabolism has on the antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) of murine spleen cells. The action of three inhibitors of the lipoxygenase (LO) pathway--nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA), esculetin (Es), and phenanthroline (Phe)--was compared with that of three inhibitors of the cyclooxygenase (CO) pathway--indomethacin (INDO), acetyl salicylic acid (ASA), and imidazole (IMI). All the LO inhibitors suppressed ADCC function in a dose-dependent manner, but NDGA was the most potent inhibitor of this cytolytic activity. In fact, NDGA inhibited the ADCC function with 97% inhibition at 100 microM, while Phe and Es, at the same concentration, inhibited ADCC by 21% and 19%, respectively. However, CO inhibitors did not markedly affect ADCC function and only some doses of them had a slight, but significant, depressing effect (8-11% inhibition at 0.01-0.1 microM of INDO, 7% inhibition at 400 microM of ASA, and 13% inhibition at 800-1000 microM of IMI). These results suggest the LO pathway of the arachidonic acid metabolism plays an important role in regulating ADCC activity of murine spleen cells and the products of the CO pathway have little effect on ADCC lysis."}
{"id": "PMID:1480820", "title": "An experimental model for simultaneous quantitative analysis of pulmonary micro- and macrocirculation during unilateral hypoxia in vivo.", "content": "An experimental model was developed for quantitative analysis of pulmonary microcirculation using in vivo fluorescence videomicroscopy during unilateral hypoxia induced by one-lung ventilation (1 LV). In five white New Zealand rabbits, pulmonary arterioles on the surface of the right lung were visualized by means of intra-arterial injection of FITC-labeled erythrocytes and FITC-Dextran. During 1 LV of the left lung, the mean airway pressure in the right lung was kept at the level of two-lung ventilation (2 LV) by means of N2-CPAP. Arteriolar diameters as well as parameters of macrocirculation (AP, CVP, PAP, LAP, CO) and gas exchange (paO2, Qs/Qt) were measured simultaneously during 2 LV and 1 LV. FiO2 was kept constant at 1.0 during both experimental phases. Macrohemodynamic parameters during 1 LV did not differ from those measured during 2 LV. 1 LV induced a significant decrease in paO2 (213 +/- 105 versus 427 +/- 22 mm Hg, P < 0.05) and a significant increase in Qs/Qt (22 +/- 7 versus 13 +/- 2%, P < 0.05). During 2 LV (baseline), the pulmonary arteriolar diameters ranged from 15-120 microns. 1 LV resulted in a significant decrease of arteriolar diameters to 89.0 +/- 9.3% of baseline (P < 0.05). Relative changes in arteriolar diameters were similar for vessels with baseline diameters of 0-40, 40-60, and 60-120 microns (88.4 +/- 9.9%, 89.6 +/- 9.4%, and 88.4 +/- 8.7%, respectively). The present model is the first one allowing in-vivo investigation of HPV during 1 LV and 2 LV on the basis of simultaneous measurement of pulmonary arteriolar diameters and macrocirculatory parameters in vivo. Although PAP and PVR did not change significantly, a reduction of pulmonary arteriolar diameters was proven in response to alveolar hypoxia during 1 LV. We suggest the model to be useful in studying the physiological effects of HPV on macro- and microcirculation as well as investigating pathophysiological and pharmacological influences on HPV."}
{"id": "PMID:1480821", "title": "Effect of centrally administered enkephalins on carrageenin-induced paw oedema in rats.", "content": "Intracerebroventricularly (icv) administered met-enkephalin, leu-enkephalin, and morphine induced dose-related attenuation of carrageenin-induced acute paw oedema in rats. Naloxone (10 micrograms, icv) antagonized the anti-inflammatory effects of the enkephalins (20 micrograms) and morphine (20 micrograms), but itself induced an anti-inflammatory effect at a higher dose (50 micrograms, icv). The anti-inflammatory effects of the enkephalins, morphine, and the higher dose of naloxone were significantly inhibited by metyrapone, an inhibitor of endogenous corticoid synthesis. The icv-administered doses of the enkephalins and morphine induced insignificant inflammation-attenuating effects when administered i.p. Results suggest that the anti-inflammatory effects of the enkephalins and morphine are exerted through central opiate receptors. Furthermore, the inflammation-attenuating effects of these drugs and the higher dose of naloxone appear to be dependent upon endogenous corticoids, suggesting that activation of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenocortical axis may be involved."}
{"id": "PMID:1480822", "title": "Morphology of phages of a general Salmonella typing set.", "content": "The typing set includes 27 tailed phages belonging to three families, the Myoviridae (contractile tails, 4 phages), Siphoviridae (long, non-contractile tails, 21 phages) and Podoviridae (short tails, 2 phages). Heads are isometric or elongated. The phages fall into 10 morphological groups, seven of which correspond to known enterobacterial phage species (Jersey, N4, T5, T7, ZG/3a, chi, 16-19) and one to a Rhizobium phage species (CM1). T5-type and T7-type phages are for the first time reported in salmonellae. Two phages produce large amounts of abnormal mottled heads."}
{"id": "PMID:1480824", "title": "In vitro infection of human placental trophoblast by wild-type vaccinia virus and recombinant virus expressing HIV envelope glycoprotein.", "content": "Short-time (< or = 7 days) cultures of trophoblast mononuclear cells isolated from term placentae were challenged with vaccinia virus. Cytopathic effects were induced in crude placental cell preparations as well as in cultures established after negative immunosorting of major histocompatibility complex class I epitope-expressing cells, i.e. cultures exclusively derived from villous cytotrophoblast according to our present state of knowledge. The trophoblast in vitro supported a full replicative cycle of both wild-type viruses and a recombinant clone serving as a vector for the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 envelope gene. Results may shed light on mechanisms involved in the rarely observed foetal damage caused by smallpox vaccination during pregnancy."}
{"id": "PMID:1480825", "title": "Processing of the minor capsid protein of the cauliflower mosaic virus requires a cysteine proteinase.", "content": "The major capsid protein of the cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV) is processed in vivo. The viral aspartic proteinase that catalyses this maturation has been characterized previously and is coded by the CaMV gene V. This virus has a second capsid protein, a minor component, encoded by gene III. This protein, P3, is also processed at its C-terminus in vivo. To determine whether P3 is matured by the CaMV proteinase P5, we expressed, in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, P3, P5 and a fusion protein P7-P4, containing potential sites of cleavage. P5 was found to be involved in maturation of P7-P4 but did not cleave P3. The latter result was confirmed by experiments carried out with an in vitro translation system (the reticulocyte lysate) and with preparations of replication complexes purified from infected plants. Moreover, [N-(L-3-trans-carboxyoxiran-2-carbonyl)-L-leu cyl]-amido(4-guanido)butane, a specific inhibitor of cysteine proteinases, inhibited the maturation of P3, suggesting that the two CaMV capsid proteins are not processed by the same proteolytic event."}
{"id": "PMID:1480823", "title": "Inhibition of HIV by an anti-HIV protease synthetic peptide blocks an early step of viral replication.", "content": "The processing of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) gag and gag-pol precursor proteins by the virus-encoded protease is an essential step in maturation of infectious virus particles. Like most retroviral proteases, the HIV protease belongs to the aspartyl-protease family and can be inhibited by specific inhibitors. Twenty-four synthetic peptides known to be inhibitors of human renin were tested for inhibition of HIV replication in tissue cultures. One of them, a synthetic peptide analogue, SR41476, which has been shown to be a specific inhibitor of purified recombinant HIV1 protease in vitro, totally blocked infection with different isolates including the HIV1 LAV prototype, the highly cytopathic Zairian isolate HIV1 NDK, and HIV2 ROD, both in primary blood lymphocytes (PBL) and in the lymphoid cell lines MT4 and CEM, for at least 3 weeks. It also significantly reduced virus replication in chronically infected CEM cells, without any effect on cell proliferation. Radioimmunoprecipitation assay revealed that the inhibitor blocked processing of polyprotein precursors p55 gag and p40 gag into a mature form of gag proteins, p25 and p18. Synthetic peptide analogue SR 41476, when added before infection, efficiently inhibited formation of HIV DNA provirus and successfully suppressed synthesis of HIV-specific proteins. These results imply that the HIV protease inhibitor not only inhibited virus maturation in the late phase of the HIV replication cycle, but also interfered in the early phase, before the provirus was formed. This mechanism of antiviral activity provides new possibilities and strategies for AIDS chemotherapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1480831", "title": "[Left ventricular aneurysm with normal coronary arteriogram after myocardial infarction].", "content": "Left ventricular aneurysms after myocardial infarction are generally considered one of the complications of severe coronary artery disease. Postinfarction ventricular aneurysms with normal coronary arteriogram are rare. Only a few cases have been reported previously in Japan. We examined the incidence and the clinical characteristics of postinfarction ventricular aneurysms without coronary obstruction. Among the consecutive 1800 patients studied in our laboratory with selective coronary cineangiography and left ventriography, we found 5 (4 male, 1 female) patients with left ventricular aneurysms with no or minimal coronary arterial obstruction. The patient's ages ranged from 34 to 83 with a mean of 59. Interestingly, no patient had prior anginal history, and every case occurred with a first sudden attack of chest pain. The likely mechanisms causing the development of myocardial infarction were coronary spasm and/or thromboembolic accident. One patient, in whom a coronary induction test was performed, showed positive findings. It is possible that poor collateral circulation and well preserved contraction of viable myocardium in these patients bring about the formation of left ventricular aneurysm after myocardial infarction with normal coronary arteriogram."}
{"id": "PMID:1480832", "title": "[Electrophysiologic study of cibenzoline in patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation with special reference to atrial fibrillation threshold].", "content": "Electrophysiologic effects of cibenzoline were studied in 7 patients (6 males and one female) aged from 40 to 69 years (mean +/- SD; 52 +/- 10) with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation which was documented by 12 leads ECG or by 24 hours Holter monitoring. No organic heart diseases were found except in one patient with dilated cardiomyopathy and sick sinus syndrome (SSS). Cibenzoline (200mg) given orally increased P wave duration, PR interval and QRS duration significantly. The duration of P wave was gradually increased as the pacing frequency was increased. Neither sinus cycle length, nor sinus node recovery time (SRT), nor Wenkebach cycle length, nor atrial effective refractory period, nor QT interval was changed by the drug. One patient with SSS showed increase in SRT from 2,303 msec to 5,150 msec. The minimum current which was required to induce atrial fibrillation by rapid atrial stimulation (50 Hz, 1 sec) lasting more than 30 sec was defined as atrial fibrillation threshold (AFT). The AFT was 4.0 +/- 2.2 mA at the baseline state in 7 patients. After the oral administration of cibenzoline, 5 patients showed increase in AFT, while 1 patient showed decrease and another patient showed no change in AFT. Statistically, AFT was significantly increased to 7.3 +/- 3.4 mA in 7 patients. The results suggest that cibenzoline might be effective to prevent paroxysmal atrial fibrillation in patients without organic heart diseases."}
{"id": "PMID:1480833", "title": "[Autonomic function and severity of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy by power spectrum analysis on heart rate variability].", "content": "To examine the relation of autonomic function and severity of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) with and without ventricular tachycardia (VT) and poor blood pressure response on Treadmill exercise, 30 patients with HCM and 10 healthy controls were selected. Autonomic function was assessed by heart rate variability (HRV) on 24hr-Holter monitoring. The power spectrum analysis was classified into LF component, HF component and ratio of LF/HF. (1) Night time HF and LF decreased, and LF/HF increased in HCM compared with healthy controls. (2) HF decreased more in HCM with VT. (3) LF/HF also decreased in HCM with poor blood pressure response on exercise. These results suggest that autonomic function may be altered in HCM, and severity of HCM proved to be able to be assessed by power spectrum analysis of HRV."}
{"id": "PMID:1480834", "title": "[A 62-year-old survivor with Ebstein's anomaly without right ventricular failure].", "content": "A 62-year-old woman was admitted our hospital because of concussion of the brain. The level of consciousness improved within several days. Cardiac examination was performed because the patient had experienced feelings of fainting since one year previously, and heart murmur also was heard. The electrocardiogram showed WPW configuration. At the same time that she complained of feelings of fainting, the electrocardiogram showed supraventricular tachycardia. The echocardiogram showed displacement of the septal tricuspid leaflet and mild tricuspid valve, regurgitation. Cardiac catheterization was performed and, using the intracardiac electrocardiogram, we confirmed atrialized right ventricle. We diagnosed this patient as having Ebstein's anomaly with WPW syndrome. The clinical manifestations of this anomaly are quite variable, depending upon the spectrum of pathology and the presence of associated malformations. It is well documented that a considerable proportion of these patients are able to survive into adult life. However, the patient who survives into the sixth decade without a sign of heart failure is extremely rare. We speculate that this patient had not developed right ventricular failure until her 60's because she had a milder form of Ebstein's anomaly and did not have any other congenital heart disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1480835", "title": "[Histological evidence of prolonged coronary artery spasm in a necropsy case of recurrent myocardial infarction].", "content": "A 69-year-old male had acute inferior infarction during an operation of an aneurysm of the abdominal aorta and died from multiple organ failure 3 weeks after the operation. His initial coronary angiogram (CAG) showed no significant stenosis, but repeated CAG showed that the patients had developed a prolonged spasm in the mid-portion of the right coronary artery. Histologically, we observed eccentric luminal narrowing with atheromatous plaque where the spasms had been demonstrated, and a \"waving form\" of elastic fibers accompanied by intimal thickening in the opposite site of the atheromatous plaque. These findings suggest that organic stenosis may be underestimated angiographically because of compensatory enlargement of the non-atheromatous site in some patients with coronary artery spasm, and prolonged spasms may augment organic stenosis by following intimal thickening."}
{"id": "PMID:1480836", "title": "[A case of spontaneous mediastinal emphysema developed by numbness of the left arm, dysphagia and chest pain].", "content": "A 20-year-old female developed dysphagia, chest pain and numbness of the left arm after dinner on August 22, 1990. She consulted a doctor, who diagnosed tachycardia and prescribed propranolol. On August 23, she hadn't improved. On the same day, she visited our hospital. Chest X-ray films revealed lucent band and distinct line running parallel to the border of the heart and we suspected mediastinal emphysema. Immediately we took chest CT scan, which demonstrated free air surrounding the trachea, thoracic aorta and heart. We diagnosed spontaneous mediastinal emphysema. She was treated with bed rest and mediastinal emphysema subsided within 8 days. The numbness in the patient's arm is an unusual symptom in mediastinal emphysema. We suggest that the numbness of the arm may be due to interference with the circulation to the arm by distention of the mediastinal tissue."}
{"id": "PMID:1480837", "title": "Stress-strain characteristics of normal and emphysematous hamster lung strips.", "content": "A simple mathematical model of the one dimensional, stress-strain behavior of hamster lung tissue based on strain energy considerations was tested in degassed, uniaxially stretched strips obtained from normal and emphysematous hamster lungs cycled in saline. The relationship between Eulerian stress (sigma) and extension ratio (lambda) was found to take the form sigma = (lambda 2-1/lambda) x f(lambda) where the function f(lambda) was experimentally determined. Stress in six normal and five emphysematous strips was calculated by dividing the tension at each stretch increment by the strip cross-sectional area. Plotting sigma lambda/(lambda 2-1) versus a function of the form e eta lambda yielded a linear expression for f(lambda), me eta lambda + b, where n = 2. The complete stress-strain behavior of hamster lung strip tissue could then be expressed as a simple function of lambda over a range of lambda = 1.0-2.0: sigma = (lambda 2-1/lambda)(me2 lambda+b) The values of the constants m and b depend solely upon the mechanical properties of the elastic and collagen fiber networks in these atelectatic, saline cycled lung strips. The slope m = 0.151, and the intercept b = 0.416 in normal strips (r = 0.98). In emphysematous strips m = 0.016 and b = -0.199 (r = 0.82). Given the smaller m found for emphysematous strips, less strain energy accumulated with increasing stretch and did not even begin in these strips until lambda = 1.3. Further, the fit of the equation to the data was not as good for emphysematous as for normal strips. We conclude that the above equation adequately describes the stress-strain properties of normal hamster lung strips tissue but is not as good in emphysematous strips where the disease is patchy."}
{"id": "PMID:1480838", "title": "Changes in inspired gas composition and experimental bronchospasm in the rabbit.", "content": "In clinical practice, bronchospasm could be facilitated by hypoxia and by hypercapnia. In this study we assessed the influence of breathing a hypoxic (FIO2 = 0.10) or a hypercapnic (FICO2 = 0.08) gas mixture on the response to nebulized histamine (2% solution for 5 min) in anesthetized, tracheotomized, paralyzed and mechanically ventilated rabbits. Total respiratory resistance (Rrs) and elastance (Ers) were derived by least-square analysis from the relationship between tracheal pressure and flow. Control values of Rrs were larger during hypoxia and hypercapnia than in air while the values of Ers were similar. The absolute change in Rrs after histamine was similar in air and hypoxia, and larger in hypercapnia. The relative change, however, was smaller in hypoxia than in the two other conditions. Ers was also substantially increased by histamine and, contrary to Rrs, remained high 60 min after the aerosol. The results suggest: (1) that both hypoxia and hypercapnia increase airway resistance but do not change tissue properties; (2) that the response to histamine is depressed by hypoxia; (3) that a substantial part of the immediate response, and most, if not all, of the residual response after 60 min is due to changes in lung tissue viscoelastic properties."}
{"id": "PMID:1480839", "title": "Viscoelastic properties of the visceral pleura and its contribution to lung impedance.", "content": "The mechanical impedances of 10 dog lung lobes (ZL) and circular pleura samples 1.6 cm in diameter (Zpl) were measured with small-amplitude forced oscillations between 0.2 and 4.2 Hz. Two to four samples were ablated from each lobe after their in situ tension had been fixed at 5 cmH2O transpulmonary pressure with plastic rings. Lobe resistance was inversely proportional to frequency (f) and lobe elastance increased linearly with the logarithm of f by 23%/decade. The real part of Zpl (Rpl) decreased hyperbolically with f. Pleural elastance (Epl) showed only a 5%/decade increase with log f. The regional variability of Epl was large and the data allowed the lumping of Epl into only two groups. The variability of Epl was higher in the group of Epl values from the coastal surfaces than in the group of Epl values from any other surfaces (3105 +/- 2741 (SD) vs 2263 +/- 1152 cm H2O/L). The mean intraindividual variation of Epl corresponding to costal and to other surfaces was 38 +/- 25 and 32 +/- 23%, respectively. The hysteresivity index (Fredberg and Stamenovic, J. Appl. Physiol., 67: 2408-2419, 1989) of the pleura was significantly smaller than that of the lobes (0.025 vs 0.148). Extrapolation of Zpl to the entire lobe surface predicted pleural/lobar resistance and elastance ratios of 2.7 +/- 0.4 and 16.8 +/- 10.6%, respectively, at 0.2 Hz, and 0.4 +/- 0.4 and 15.5 +/- 10.6%, respectively, at 4.2 Hz. This suggests that for small deformations and medium lung volumes the pleural contribution to ZL is almost ideally elastic and only slightly frequency-dependent."}
{"id": "PMID:1480840", "title": "Influence of laryngeal CO2 on respiratory activities of motor nerves to accessory muscles.", "content": "Intralaryngeal CO2 in decerebrate, vagotomized cats decreases phrenic nerve activity and increases the respiratory activity of the hypoglossal (HG) nerve. These responses are mediated by afferents in the superior laryngeal nerves. To explore the responses of other respiratory motor nerves to this stimulus, we have recorded the activities of the nasolabial (NL) branch of the facial nerve, the posterior cricoarytenoid (PCA) and thyroarytenoid (TA) branches of the recurrent laryngeal nerve and the nerve to triangularis sterni (TS) muscle. In response to 5 and 10% CO2 in the surgically isolated upper airway, we found dose-related decreases in phrenic activity, increases in HG and NL activity and characteristic, but intermittent, exaggeration of early expiratory bursts of TA activity. The activities of the PCA and TS nerves showed no consistent responses. These results broaden the definition of the reflex response to intralaryngeal CO2, revealing components that reflect ventilatory inhibition, upper airway dilation and laryngeal protection."}
{"id": "PMID:1480841", "title": "Intracarotid norepinephrine infusions inhibit ventilation in goats.", "content": "Plasma norepinephrine (NE) increases from rest to exercise during normoxic exercise, and significantly more during hypoxic exercise in goats. To determine carotid body (CB) mediated effects of increased NE on ventilatory control, we investigated ventilatory responses to intracarotid NE infusions in awake, resting goats. NE was infused (0.5-5.0 micrograms.kg-1 x min-1, 2-3 min) into either a CB intact or contralateral CB-denervated carotid artery in both normoxia and hypoxia (FIO2. = 0.11). PRE-infusion measurements of arterial blood gases, blood pressure and pulmonary ventilation (VI) were compared with values 30-45 sec after beginning NE infusions at 1.0 micrograms.kg-1 x min-1. On the CB-intact side, NE infusions decreased VI by an average of 43% (P < 0.05) and increased PaCO2 4.0 +/- 0.3 mmHg (P < 0.05); ventilatory inhibition preceded an increase in arterial blood pressure. NE infusions on the CB-denervated side had no significant effects on VI or PaCO2, but still increased blood pressure to the same level as infusions on the CB-intact side. In hypoxia, NE infusions on the intact side no longer inhibited VI. NE induced VI inhibition in normoxia was similar in magnitude and time course to dopamine induced VI inhibition. Experiments were repeated following administration the alpha-adrenergic receptor antagonist, phenoxybenzamine (1 mg.kg-1, i.v.) the beta-adrenergic receptor antagonist, propranolol (1 mg.kg-1, i.v.) and the D2-dopamine receptor antagonist, domperidone (1 mg.kg-1, i.v.). Phenoxybenzamine partially blocked NE induced ventilatory depression and domperidone blocked it, but propranolol had no effect. These data indicate that NE inhibits ventilation in goats via effects on carotid chemoreceptors. NE induced inhibition is independent of changes in blood pressure or baroreceptor feedback, and appears to involve both alpha-adrenergic and D2-dopaminergic receptors."}
{"id": "PMID:1480842", "title": "Effect of physical training on breathing pattern during progressive exercise.", "content": "It has been suggested that physical training causes a slower, deeper breathing pattern at a given level of ventilation, but there is no convincing evidence to support this. We examined breathing pattern during maximal incremental exercise on a cycle ergometer in 7 males before and after 3-4 weeks of cycle endurance training (TRAINING), and in 6 males before and after a similar period of unaltered physical activity (CONTROL); all subjects were healthy and previously sedentary. After physical training there was a significant increase in peak oxygen uptake, and significant reductions in carbon dioxide output, heart rate (fHR) and minute ventilation (VI) at submaximal workloads; peak VI was significantly increased whereas peak fHR was unchanged. At matched VI levels (moderate, moderately-high, high) the TRAINING subjects' breathing pattern was not significantly altered; there was a power of at least 80% to detect a significant (> 0.30 L) increase in tidal volume (P < 0.05) at moderately high and high ventilation levels. There was no change in the CONTROL subjects' maximal exercise performance, or breathing pattern at matched VI levels, over the same period. Short-term, activity-specific physical training does not significantly affect the breathing pattern adopted by normal humans during progressive exercise."}
{"id": "PMID:1480843", "title": "Avian arterial chemoreceptor responses to steps of CO2 and O2.", "content": "The responses of avian arterial chemoreceptor preparations to 44-sec steps of inspired CO2 and O2 were quantified. Anesthetized ducks were unidirectionally ventilated, arterial pH was recorded with a fast responding indwelling electrode, and neural activity was recorded from 28 preparations consisting of dissected filaments of the vagus nerve (23 single-fibered, 5 few-fibered). We analyzed responses using cycle-triggered stimulus histograms of neural discharge, cross correlation analysis, and analysis of variance. Average responses of the chemoreceptor preparations to PaCO2 steps from 24 +/- 1 to 38 +/- 1 Torr were larger (per Torr), occurred faster, and appeared more rate sensitive than the responses to PaO2 steps from 101 +/- 3 to 56 +/- 2 Torr. Average responses to CO2 steps usually appeared more rate sensitive when measured during arterial hypoxia than during arterial normoxia. These characteristics are very much like those reported for mammalian arterial chemoreceptors, except that responses of avian chemoreceptor preparations to repetitive CO2 steps were highly variable according to statistical analysis."}
{"id": "PMID:1480844", "title": "Kinetics of the Root effect and of O2 exchange in whole blood of the eel.", "content": "Oxygen transfer kinetics in blood of the eel (Anguilla rostrata, A. anguilla) were measured spectrophotometrically in thin blood layers covered by Gore-Tex membranes, which allowed fast changes of the gas phase at the blood surface (Heidelberger and Reeves, 1990 J. Appl. Physiol. 68: 1854-1864). The following main results were obtained for A. rostrata (similar values were measured for A. anguilla): (1) step change in PO2 of the gas phase between 0 and 37 kPa at low PCO2 (0.19 kPa, blood pH, 8.1; 20 degrees C) yielded mean half times (t(on)) for O2 uptake of 7.1 msec, and for O2 release (t(off)), of 42.8 msec. Similar values were obtained at high PCO2 (19 kPa; blood pH, 6.9), indicating O2 kinetics to be independent of pH and PCO2; (2) decreasing the high PO2 from 37 to 14 kPa significantly prolonged oxygen uptake kinetics, but release kinetics were unaltered; (3) changing PCO2 from 0.19 to 19 kPa at constant high PO2 (37 kPa) resulted in a reduction of hemoglobin oxygen saturation (SO2) (Root-off reaction), with t(off) averaging 44.8 msec; likewise, changing PCO2 from 19 to 0.19 kPa increased SO2 with t(on) averaging 64.8 msec (Root-on reaction). As these half times comprise reactions at the hemoglobin molecule and conversion between CO2 and H(+)/HCO3-, the Root effect kinetics of the hemoglobin molecule appear to be even faster. It is concluded that the O2 exchange kinetics of eel blood are comparable with those of human blood.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1480845", "title": "Acute changes in vasoactive lipid mediators in experimental hyaline membrane disease.", "content": "Endothelial release of the arachidonate derivative PGI2 may be increased in response to cyclic lung stretching. We therefore sought to determine if the stable metabolite of PGI2, 6-keto-PGF1 alpha, would be found in increased quantities in primates ventilated with conventional mechanical ventilation (CMV) compared to treatment with high frequency oscillatory ventilation (HFOV). We also sought to determine if other membrane-derived vasoactive substances such as LTC4, PAF and TXB2 would be elevated in plasma and lung tissue of animals developing hyaline membrane disease (HMD) and if the levels would correlate with the severity of the respiratory distress. Twenty prematurely delivered monkeys were treated with either CMV or HFOV from the first breath after Cesarean delivery until sacrifice at 6 h of age. We found a significant increase from birth to 5 min and from 5 min to 5 h in 6-keto-PGF1 alpha, and a significant increase from 5 min to 5 h in TXB2. We found a significant decline from cord blood to 5 min of LTC4, without further change by 5 h. PAF was present in all plasma samples but showed no upward or downward trend. There was no difference in the 5-h plasma level or in the lung homogenate level of any of the lipid mediators between the two types of assisted ventilation. There was no correlation between any lipid mediator level and severity of the HMD, as measured by gas exchange, radiographic or histologic criteria, when assessed by each ventilator group alone or with both groups combined. We conclude that the immediate postnatal increases in TXB2 and PGI2 and decrease in LTC4 are not altered substantially by use of HFOV."}
{"id": "PMID:1480846", "title": "Relationship between inspired and expired gas temperatures in a hyperbaric environment.", "content": "When breathing room air at sea level the expired gas temperature (TE) increases in proportion to the inspired one (TI). Previous studies conducted under hyperbaric conditions have assumed that the TE vs TI relationship was the same when humans breathed room air at atmospheric pressure or helium-oxygen mixture under hyperbaric conditions. We hypothesized that the use of dilutant gases, as helium (He) or hydrogen (H2), having low density but high specific heat compared to nitrogen, could change the TE vs TI regression. The present study was conducted on 3 professional divers participating in the COMEX Hydra IX experiment. Three conditions were studied: A, (23.5 ATA, He-H2-O2 mixture); B, (21 ATA, H2-O2 mixture); and C, (21 ATA, He-O2 mixture). In each condition six different inspired temperatures were tested, while minute ventilation, TI and TE values were measured simultaneously. In all cases a linear relationship was found between TE and TI, but the slopes of the regression lines obtained in conditions A and B (gas mixture containing H2) were significantly lower than in condition C (He-O2 mixture). Computation of the convective respiratory heat loss (Cr) revealed that, when the subjects breathed the coldest gas mixtures (+10 degrees C), Cr value was 1.6 times higher in condition B than in C. These data are consistent with theoretical considerations and they demonstrate that a single equation cannot be used to predict the TE vs TI relationship in all environmental circumstances."}
{"id": "PMID:1480847", "title": "The histologic diagnosis of Hodgkin's disease.", "content": "Histologic criteria for the diagnosis of Hodgkin's disease are being modified, primarily as a result of phenotypic analysis. It seems likely that non-Hodgkin's lymphomas have been diagnosed as mixed-cellularity and lymphocytic-depletion Hodgkin's disease on the basis of previously accepted histologic criteria. As a result, phenotypic studies are indicated in all examples of lymphocytic-depletion Hodgkin's disease and in those cases of mixed-cellularity Hodgkin's disease in which the histologic findings are unusual. The effects of genotypic analysis on histologic criteria remain to be elucidated."}
{"id": "PMID:1480848", "title": "Lymphocyte-predominance Hodgkin's disease.", "content": "Nodular lymphocyte-predominance Hodgkin's disease (NLPHD) has emerged as a distinct entity. It has a precursor lesion, known as follicular hyperplasia with progressively transformed germinal centers (PTGC), and a late stage consisting of transformation to a large cell lymphoma. All cellular components of NLPHD are derived from follicles, but so far no clonal population has been identified."}
{"id": "PMID:1480849", "title": "The distinction of Hodgkin's disease from T cell lymphoma.", "content": "With the ability to accurately detect T cell lymphoid differentiation, both by immunophenotypic and genetic probe methods available only within the past decade, pathologists have become increasingly aware of similarities between some pleomorphic T cell lymphomas and Hodgkin's disease. In Workshop Session B, nine cases were reviewed in detail. Consensus was attained on seven cases, four of which were considered Hodgkin's disease and three of which were considered non-Hodgkin's lymphomas. Two of these seven cases exhibited morphologic features that alone would have indicated Hodgkin's disease, but manifested clinical, immunophenotypic, or genetic probe findings that instead favored their classification as non-Hodgkin's T cell lymphoma. In two cases, no consensus could be reached; ie, features in aggregate overlapped Hodgkin's disease and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma with T cell differentiation, and therefore their classification remained indeterminate. It is concluded that in most cases of differential diagnostic difficulty, consideration of the pathobiology and ancillary-study findings allows assignment to either Hodgkin's disease or (T cell) non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. However, in rare cases, even with exhaustive application of such criteria, this distinction cannot be made."}
{"id": "PMID:1480850", "title": "The distinction of Hodgkin's disease from B cell lymphoma.", "content": "Workshop C included cases with a differential diagnosis of Hodgkin's disease and B cell lymphoma. In general, the cases could be placed into one of the following four major categories: (1) usual Hodgkin's disease versus T cell-rich B cell lymphoma; (2) syncytial Hodgkin's disease versus B large cell lymphoma; (3) nodular and/or diffuse lymphocyte-predominance Hodgkin's disease (LPHD) versus T cell-rich B cell lymphoma; and (4) LPHD with composite or discordant large cell lymphoma versus T cell-rich B cell lymphoma progressing to large cell lymphoma. A final case illustrated the differential diagnosis of B cell Hodgkin's disease, ie, nodular LPHD versus the cellular phase of nodular sclerosing Hodgkin's disease (NSHD). The cases from this session have been grouped into these five categories and tables have been constructed to highlight features favoring each of the diagnostic possibilities. A brief discussion is given after each case, and selected cases have been illustrated to demonstrate some of the unusual histologic features."}
{"id": "PMID:1480851", "title": "The distinction of Hodgkin's disease from anaplastic large cell lymphoma.", "content": "In this session there seemed to be general agreement on the existence of anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) as an entity defined by a characteristic morphology and by diffuse expression of the Ki-1 (CD30) antigen. The discussion indicated the lack of specific immunophenotypic and genotypic markers for such a neoplasm and the variability of the clinical patterns associated with it: these include a childhood form, an adult cutaneous form, and an adult nodal disease. While typical cases of ALCL are clearly distinct (by pathologic, cytogenetic, and clinical criteria) from Hodgkin's disease (HD), there is a variety of histologic and immunophenotypic patterns that overlap those of ALCL and HD; most of these would be classified as HD, lymphocyte depletion (LD) or nodular sclerosis (NS), syncytial subtype. No agreed-upon criteria were found that could consistently define these patterns, nor was an agreement possible on whether they are part of a continuum unifying ALCL and HD or phenotypically similar expressions of different diseases."}
{"id": "PMID:1480852", "title": "The interrelationship of Hodgkin's disease and non-Hodgkin's lymphomas--lessons learned from composite and sequential malignancies.", "content": "While Hodgkin's disease (HD) and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) have long been regarded as distinct disease entities, recent observations suggest a closer association. The analysis of cases in which these diagnoses are made in the same anatomic site (composite lymphomas) or in separate sites (simultaneous or sequential HD and NHL) indicates that this phenomenon occurs more frequently than would be expected by chance alone. The most common form of composite lymphoma is coexistent nodular lymphocyte-predominant Hodgkin's disease (NLPHD) and large cell lymphoma (LCL) of B cell phenotype. This finding is consistent with a B cell origin for the abnormal cells in NLPHD, suggesting that LCL represents a form of histologic progression, with the existence of a clonal relationship between the two components. The association of other forms of HD (nodular sclerosis or mixed-cellularity) and NHL is less common, but still significant. As with NLPHD and LCL, one may observe composite lymphomas, or the diagnosis of HD may precede or follow the diagnosis of NHL. The vast majority of NHLs associated with HD are of B cell origin, most commonly follicular lymphomas. An association between HD and B cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is also observed. In selected cases, Reed-Sternberg (RS) cells are seen in a background of otherwise typical CLL, and some of these patients have progressed to disseminated HD. These findings suggest that, at least in some cases, HD may be clonally related to an underlying B cell malignancy, and that the RS cell may be an altered B lymphocyte.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1480853", "title": "The relationship between Hodgkin's disease and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.", "content": "The final Workshop of the meeting focused on cases of Hodgkin's disease (HD) in combination with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), either T, B, or anaplastic large cell (ALC) type. The cases selected for this session fell into five categories: nodular lymphocyte-predominance Hodgkin's disease (NLPHD) with NHL, B cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) with HD-like transformation, follicular lymphoma (FL) with HD or anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) (composite or discordant), HD following mycosis fungoides (MF), and HD following ALCL. Taken together, these cases left the participants with the distinct impression that there is likely to be some biological relationship between HD and a variety of T cell and B cell NHL."}
{"id": "PMID:1480854", "title": "The biology and genetics of hereditary cancers.", "content": "Hereditary cancer syndromes are generally produced by the inheritance of a single mutant gene. New tools have been developed that enable research workers to locate the defective genes responsible for the inherited forms of cancer. Once a disease gene has been localized, it may be possible to identify individuals who have inherited the disease gene before cancer develops."}
{"id": "PMID:1480855", "title": "Retinoblastoma: a hereditary tumor in children.", "content": "Retinoblastoma, a malignant intraocular tumor of infancy and childhood, originates from primitive embryonal retinal cells. The cause of retinoblastoma is the loss or deletion of genetic information from the long arm of chromosome 13. Retinoblastoma has a hereditary form characterized by bilateral and multifocal tumors, and a nonheritable form that presents with a single tumor."}
{"id": "PMID:1480856", "title": "Familial breast and ovarian cancers.", "content": "Breast and ovarian cancer develop independently of each other but share some genetic commonality. Definition and identification of hereditary breast cancer are very complex. Ovarian cancer can be inherited in an autosomal dominant pattern with variable gene penetrance, a site specific hereditary pattern, or a pattern of tumor combinations. Medical management of high risk individuals, follow-up, screening, and counseling needs are important issues to the woman and other family members."}
{"id": "PMID:1480857", "title": "Neurofibromatosis.", "content": "The two types of neurofibromatosis are NF-1 and NF-2. Both cause abnormal cell growth in the central and peripheral nervous system. Each disease is inherited as an autosomal dominant trait, thus each child of an affected parent has a 50% chance of inheriting the disorder. Because there is no cure for either type of NF and treatment consists of amelioration of clinical symptoms, genetic counseling is the only preventive approach to this disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1480858", "title": "Genodermatoses with profound malignant potential.", "content": "There are a number of heritable disorders that have some association with skin cancer. Xeroderma pigmentosum, nevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome, and familial melanoma and dysplastic nevi are three disorders associated with an extremely high rate of cutaneous malignancy. There is no known cure for these disorders, thus, patients and families need information about the disease process, treatment options, and guidelines aimed at prevention and early detection of skin cancer."}
{"id": "PMID:1480859", "title": "von Hippel-Lindau disease: a genetically transmitted multisystem neoplastic disorder.", "content": "von Hippel-Lindau disease is a rare hereditary disorder in which affected individuals are genetically predisposed to develop certain types of tumors and cysts in multiple organs. The most common manifestations are cerebellar, spinal and medullary hemangioblastomas, retinal angiomas, renal cell carcinomas, and pheochromocytomas. A lifelong diagnosis that requires intense follow-up for multiple and recurrent tumors, this disease can greatly impact a family's sense of emotional and physical well-being."}
{"id": "PMID:1480860", "title": "Informational needs of individuals and families with hereditary cancers.", "content": "Individuals and families with hereditary cancers have informational needs that differ, depending on the availability of testing for increased hereditary risk and major focus of concern (reproductive decision-making or risk to self). Cancer risk counseling helps individuals understand risk information so they can make decisions appropriate to their lives and value systems."}
{"id": "PMID:1480862", "title": "On content of practice. An Icelandic multicentre study, population, practices and contacts.", "content": "To establish data on the content of Icelandic family practice, a prospective practice audit was made of all Icelandic health centres with computerized contact data from 1 January to 31 December 1988. The study comprised 17 community health centres in Iceland and their target populations, 13 rural and four urban. The main subjects for study were population characteristics, practice sizes, types of health care providers, and contacts. The study population, 50,865 subjects, comprised 20.2% of the Icelandic population. Rural and urban populations were different and are described separately. The 17 health centres had a mean of 1,152 subjects/doctor. The target population had a total of 257,188 contacts: 155,526 rural contacts, 5.1/subject (3.3 office-, 1.1 phone-, and 0.4 home-contacts); 101662 urban contacts, 5.1/subjects (2.8 office-, 1.6 phone-, and 0.4 home-contacts). During 1988, 88.9% of the rural target population made contact. These data are comparable to data from other countries; the observed office and home contact rates were similar, but phone-calls were more frequent. Computer systems in family practice provide a feasible way to collect data on a regular basis for epidemiological purposes and for performance review."}
{"id": "PMID:1480863", "title": "Reasons for contact in family practice. An Icelandic multicentre study on content of practice.", "content": "To establish data on the patient's reasons for a contact, as a part of data on content of Icelandic family practice, a prospective practice audit was made of 16 Icelandic health centres with computerized contact data from 1 January to 31 December 1988. The study comprised 16 community health centres in Iceland and their target population, 12 rural and four urban. The reasons for contact in the study group are analysed. A total of 284348 reasons for contact were analysed; 36-39% were for symptoms and 44-50% were initiated by health professionals. The latter included renewal of prescriptions, which comprised 17-18% of all reasons for contact. Musculoskeletal symptoms were the most common symptomatic complaint, 6.6-7.3% of all reasons for contact. The five most often stated symptoms were: rash, cough, cold, lower limb symptoms, and fever. A \"reason for contact\" record increases the understanding of the patient's presenting complaint, as well as the patient's agenda in each contact. This record gives an opportunity to follow the presenting complaint in the continuous process of care i. e. reason for contact diagnosis, management, and follow-up. We are reminded that common things are common in family practice; nevertheless more research is needed to understand the process of care."}
{"id": "PMID:1480864", "title": "Organization of health care teams and the population's contacts with primary care.", "content": "The aim of the study to examine a six-year development of the panorama of contacts and diagnoses at S\u00f6dra Sandby Health Centre, where care teams had been introduced, and then to compare this development with that of the rest of the Dalby primary care district, where there were no care teams. In S\u00f6dra Sandby the number of contacts with general practitioners (GPs) increased between 1984 and 1989 by 8% more than expected from the increase in staff, while the number of contacts with district care (district nurses and assistant nurse) increased by 62% more than expected. The corresponding figures for Dalby were 1% and 34%, respectively. The total proportion of the population visiting GPs in S\u00f6dra Sandby during 1989 was 54%, and in Dalby 58%. The corresponding figure for district care in S\u00f6dra Sandby was 40%. The proportion of contacts for which no appointment was made in advance decreased in S\u00f6dra Sandby from 45% in 1984 to 22% in 1989. The corresponding figures for Dalby were 61% and 64%. This study did not find any verification for the fear that the organization of care teams would lead to a reduction in the number of contacts, e.g. on account of the frequency of meetings and conferences. The nurses seemed to retain their independent role, with the population contacting them in their surgeries or the nurses visiting them at home."}
{"id": "PMID:1480865", "title": "Antenatal care in general practice. 1: A questionnaire as a clinical tool for collection of information on psychosocial conditions.", "content": "In pregnancy the woman's emotional sensitivity and also her receptiveness of emotional support increase. Antenatal care that is exclusively focused on somatic conditions may lead to ignorance of pregnant women's psychosocial problems, thus missing a chance of intervention. A psychosocial questionnaire, used as a clinical tool in history taking during the first two antenatal consultations, is described and evaluated. The purpose of the questionnaire was to elucidate the pregnant woman's psychosocial assets as well as problems. The information collected by means of this questionnaire is compared with the information on psychosocial conditions collected by means of the traditional antenatal care form. Screening for psychosocial conditions in pregnant women may reveal information about important life aspects that are not detected in the antenatal care form."}
{"id": "PMID:1480866", "title": "Antenatal care in general practice. 2: Components of clinical knowledge which indicate need for intervention in pregnancy.", "content": "In clinical work in general practice decisions are based on biomedical data as well as on clinical knowledge rarely analysed in research. In this study all accessible clinical knowledge was used by the doctor in an assessment of pregnant women's psychosocial conditions and needs for intervention during antenatal care. Components of clinical knowledge (verbal and non-verbal communication, background knowledge about the woman and her network, and the clinician's own feelings during consultation) are described and discussed. The analysis of the material showed that, when there was a discrepancy between the GP's assessment (clinical observations and background information) and the woman's own verbal description of her psychosocial situation, the GP gave precedence to the former. Different information sources seem to be closely linked. The doctor's own feelings and evaluations will influence the atmosphere in the consultation, and through this the quality of information collected."}
{"id": "PMID:1480867", "title": "Recurrent elderly fallers.", "content": "Factors associated with recurrent falling during a one-year period were analysed among elderly Finns (65 yrs and more) seeking medical treatment due to a fall. Recurrent falling in men was independently related to a lesser amount of depressive symptoms and to less severe injury due to the first fall. In women, recurrent falling was independently related to the non-occurrence of a fear of falling. Furthermore, recurrent falling, amount of daily movement, mental capacity, and falling during the previous year were related variables. Here the risk of recurrent falling was high among persons with poor mental capacity, who moved about a large amount daily, and who had had at least one accident during the previous year. In addition, there was an association between poor health and recurrent falling women. Demented women moving about daily, frail women, and incautious men and women seemed to be the main risk groups for repeated falling. What could general practitioners do to prevent repeated falls in the elderly? First, the overall health status and functional capacities of frail elderly women should be improved. Second, all elderly persons, especially those who have fallen, should be informed about how to minimize the risks of falls. Prevention is not easy among the demented population, however."}
{"id": "PMID:1480868", "title": "Sickness impact after stroke. A 3-year follow-up.", "content": "In order to study change in disability and sickness impact after stroke, 36 patients were followed during a period of three years. ADL-status (Activities of Daily Living) was assessed by means of Katz' ADL Index. Interviews according to the Sickness Impact Profile (SIP) were carried out 6-9 months and 3 years post-stroke. The results showed an increased sickness impact over time in physical as well as psychosocial aspects. Mobility and home management were the categories that deteriorated most. The highest sickness impact was found in home management, and recreation and pastimes activity. The SIP scores were strongly correlated to the level of ADL-dependence, although the ADL-status had not deteriorated between the two assessments. Subjective measures of disability together with objective measures are recommended for planning of long-term rehabilitation after stroke."}
{"id": "PMID:1480869", "title": "The influence of general practitioners' knowledge about their patients on the clinical decision-making process.", "content": "Continuity of care is claimed to be an important and integral part of general practice. A main result of continuity is the doctor's accumulated knowledge about his or her patients. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the modifying effects of this knowledge on the decision-making process that takes place in consultations, as experienced by practitioners. A representative sample of 133 Norwegian general practitioners evaluated a total of 3,918 of their own consultations. The main independent variable was the doctor's own subjectively evaluated knowledge about the patient's medical history, while the major outcome measures included the perceived influence of accumulated knowledge on the consultation process in general, and on the diagnostic and management decisions in particular. In two-thirds of all consultations, or in three out of four in which the doctor had previous knowledge about the patient, this knowledge was considered to be clinically useful. In more than one-third of all consultations with previously unknown patients, this lack of information was felt to be a hindrance. Among patients with new medical problems and when the doctor had prior knowledge about the patient, this knowledge was felt to have significantly more therapeutic than diagnostic impact. Accumulated knowledge was generally felt to be of most help in consultations due to psycho-social problems, and was of special diagnostic value in patients presenting new, unspecific problems such as fatigue, fever, and generalized pain. This study indicates that accumulated knowledge about the patient is felt by the general practitioners to play an important and integral part in their clinical decision-making process."}
{"id": "PMID:1480870", "title": "An algorithm for a selective use of throat swabs in the diagnosis of group A streptococcal pharyngo-tonsillitis in general practice.", "content": "A prospective evaluation was made of an algorithm for a selective use of throat swabs in patients with sore throat in general practice. The algorithm states that a throat swab should be obtained (a) in all children younger than 15 years; (b) in patients aged 15 years or more who have pain on swallowing and at least three of four signs (enlarged or hyperaemic tonsils; exudate; enlarged or tender angular lymph nodes; and a temperature > or = 38 degrees C); and (c) in adults aged 15-44 years with pain on swallowing and one or two of the four signs, but not both cough and coryza. Group A streptococci were found by laboratory culture in 30% of throat swabs from 1783 patients. Using these results as the reference, the algorithm was 95% sensitive and 26% specific, and assigned 80% of the patients to be swabbed. Its positive and negative predictive values in this setting were 36% and 92%, respectively. It is concluded that this algorithm may be useful in general practice."}
{"id": "PMID:1480871", "title": "Factors relating to the choice of antihypertensive and hypnotic drug treatment in old patients. A study of a sample of Norwegian general practitioners.", "content": "The aim of this study was to investigate factors relating to GPs' choices and opinions as regards the prescribing of antihypertensives and sedatives for old patients (75 years and above). The study was carried out by a postal questionnaire sent to all municipal GPs in Oslo (N = 114) and all other GPs who have a financial agreement with the municipality (N = 121). The response rate was 60%. Female and older doctors stated more often than male and younger doctors that they select diuretics rather than calcium antagonists and ACE-inhibitors as the first-choice antihypertensive drug. The choice of sleep medication showed a high degree of conformity, with triazolam as the predominant drug. A majority favoured drug formularies and treatment programmes. Female doctors were significantly more favourable to treatment programmes, compared with males."}
{"id": "PMID:1480872", "title": "Screening for diabetic retinopathy by general practitioners.", "content": "To assess the quality of screening for diabetic retinopathy by 19 general practitioners (GPs) using ophthalmoscopy, the GPs' performance was compared with the performance of ophthalmologists. The GPs had received special training in retinal examination. Direct ophthalmoscopy was performed after mydriasis of both eyes. Later, one of the ophthalmologists at the local hospital performed ophthalmoscopy in the same way as the GP. The ophthalmologist's diagnosis was used as the criterion for retinopathy. 252 NIDDM patients were analysed. The ophthalmologists found 23 cases of retinopathy, of which one patient was referred immediately for photocoagulation. The GPs diagnosed 12 and missed 11 of these 23 cases (false negatives): sensitivity 52%. In 37 of the 229 negative cases the GPs reported a retinopathy: specificity 84%. Of the 11 missed cases, 7 had stage I retinopathy and four showed more serious abnormalities (hard and soft exudates, macular oedema) Further training of GPs in the art of ophthalmoscopy is recommended."}
{"id": "PMID:1480873", "title": "Treatment of pelvic joint dysfunction in primary care--a controlled study.", "content": "The study evaluated the manual treatment of dysfunction of the pelvic joints. This is one of many condition causing low back pain. In 1987-1988 a general practitioner with special knowledge of physical examination and manual treatment of lumbar and pelvic dysfunctions made a survey of patients with acute or subacute low back pain as the main cause of the patient-to-doctor contact. Patients with defined criteria of pelvic joint dysfunction (n = 46) were randomized. After dropouts and exclusions, 18 patients with defined criteria of pelvic joint dysfunction received manual treatment, while 21 patients with similar dysfunction served as controls and received placebo treatment in a form of massage. Both groups were seen only once to evaluate whether a single treatment might be sufficient. After a period of three weeks, evaluation was made by an independent observer. Subjective pain measurement and a mobility test showed no significant difference. Sick-leave and consumption of analgesics (both decided by patient) were significantly less in the treatment group."}
{"id": "PMID:1480874", "title": "On the variation in conceptions among primary care physicians regarding hypercholesterolaemia: a phenomenographic analysis.", "content": "Twenty primary care physicians at 12 health centres in Sweden were interviewed in a semi-structured way. Analysis was conducted using a phenomenographic method. Concerning the general attitude towards cardiovascular disease (CVD), there were two categories of answers; (A) CVD is a big threat to public health, and the health care system should play an active role in treatment and prevention, and (B) CVD is a symptom of normal aging with little or no need for active health care intervention. Questions on the management of hypercholesterolaemia showed a general acceptance of diet and lifestyle alterations, with a marked reluctance to use drugs except in cases of hereditary hypercholesterolaemia. The physicians were positive to non-commercial information from official sources. Critical opinions existed, however, questioning the adequacy and applicability of the national expert recommendations. There was a general acknowledgement of the importance of patient information, whereas a lack in communication skills was expressed. The description of attitudes and conceptions can assist in the understanding of mechanism underlying physicians' behaviour and provide a base for future information programmes."}
{"id": "PMID:1480875", "title": "Computational aspects of analysing random effects/longitudinal models.", "content": "Random effects and longitudinal models are becoming increasingly popular in the analysis of many types of data, including medical and biopharmaceutical, because of their richness and flexibility. They can be, however, difficult to fit using traditional statistical tools. Fortunately, there now exists a burgeoning collection of newer computational methods that can be applied to draw inferences with such models. This review attempts to provide an introduction to some of these techniques by describing them as extensions of the EM algorithm, currently a standard tool for the analysis of longitudinal and random effects models. For clarity of exposition, the extensions are classified into three types: large-sample iterative; large-sample simulation, and small-sample simulation."}
{"id": "PMID:1480876", "title": "An overview of methods for the analysis of longitudinal data.", "content": "This paper reviews statistical methods for the analysis of discrete and continuous longitudinal data. The relative merits of longitudinal and cross-sectional studies are discussed. Three approaches, marginal, transition and random effects models, are presented with emphasis on the distinct interpretations of their coefficients in the discrete data case. We review generalized estimating equations for inferences about marginal models. The ideas are illustrated with analyses of a 2 x 2 crossover trial with binary responses and a randomized longitudinal study with a count outcome."}
{"id": "PMID:1480877", "title": "Evaluation of alternative statistical methods for linear model analysis to compare two treatments for 24-hour blood pressure response.", "content": "This paper evaluates alternative statistical methods for the analysis of 24-hour blood pressure data from a clinical trial which compares two treatments for hypertension. The primary objective of the study discussed here was to determine the time course for the blood pressure lowering effects of a test drug given once daily in the treatment of mild to moderate hypertension when compared with placebo. Thirty-five patients (24 on drug and 11 on placebo) were monitored for 24 hours at baseline and at two weeks post treatment, with diastolic blood pressure (DBP) measurements recorded at 22 time points within each 24-hour visit. The changes in DBP from baseline across the 22 time points are the response variables of interest. Various statistical methods for the assessment of treatment effects over the entire 24-hour dosing interval in a setting with small sample size are discussed and illustrated. The results from a special application of weighted least squares analysis of covariance, which employs a smoothed covariance matrix, support the hypothesis that a once daily dose of the drug significantly reduces DBP over the entire 24-hour dosing interval when compared with placebo. This method has the distinct advantage of enabling evaluation of treatment differences for the change in DBP from baseline at the 22 time points with the corresponding 22 baseline DBP as covariates simultaneously in a situation where the treatment group sample sizes are small."}
{"id": "PMID:1480886", "title": "[Aggressiveness of NSAIDs versus digestive system mucosa].", "content": "NSAID induced gastropathy is linked to the inhibition of endogenous synthesis of prostaglandins. Gastropathies are made of erythematous, erosive or ulcerative lesions. Their localization is mainly antral or prepyloric. Their incidence is quite large and very severe in the elderly patient treated for long time with NSAID. The author presents several strategies either to prevent (with administration of misoprostol) or to treat (with prescription of omeprazole) this iatrogenic gastropathy."}
{"id": "PMID:1480878", "title": "Methods for the analysis of informatively censored longitudinal data.", "content": "This paper describes the problem of informative censoring in longitudinal studies where the primary outcome is rate of change in a continuous variable. Standard approaches based on the linear random effects model are valid only when the data are missing in a non-ignorable fashion. Informative censoring, which is a special type of non-ignorably missing data, occurs when the probability of early termination is related to an individual subject's true rate of change. When present, informative censoring causes bias in standard likelihood-based analyses, as well as in weighted averages of individual least-squares slopes. This paper reviews several methods proposed by others for analysis of informatively censored longitudinal data, and outlines a new approach based on a log-normal survival model. Maximum likelihood estimates may be obtained via the EM algorithm. Advantages of this approach are that it allows general unbalanced data caused by staggered entry and unequally-timed visits, it utilizes all available data, including data from patients with only a single measurement, and it provides a unified method for estimating all model parameters. Issues related to study design when informative censoring may occur are also discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1480879", "title": "The accelerated failure time model: a useful alternative to the Cox regression model in survival analysis.", "content": "For the past two decades the Cox proportional hazards model has been used extensively to examine the covariate effects on the hazard function for the failure time variable. On the other hand, the accelerated failure time model, which simply regresses the logarithm of the survival time over the covariates, has seldom been utilized in the analysis of censored survival data. In this article, we review some newly developed linear regression methods for analysing failure time observations. These procedures have sound theoretical justification and can be implemented with an efficient numerical method. The accelerated failure time model has an intuitive physical interpretation and would be a useful alternative to the Cox model in survival analysis."}
{"id": "PMID:1480887", "title": "[Current therapeutic approach in Parkinson disease].", "content": "Parkinson's disease is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized mainly by a loss of the dopaminergic neurons of the nigrostriatal pathway. The symptomatic treatment, which consists of the supply of the deficient neurotransmitter dopamine, does not, however, prevent the progression of the disease and is frequently associated with major motor and psychiatric side effects. Recent basic and clinical investigations have led to the development of new therapeutical strategies for Parkinson's disease. The authors review and describe these new approaches which include: [1] treatments aimed at slowing down the progression of the disease, [2] treatments aimed at decreasing the motor side effects and [3] the use of intracerebral transplantations."}
{"id": "PMID:1480888", "title": "[The concept of utility in decision strategies: application to diagnosis and treatment of renovascular hypertension].", "content": "To select a guideline in the management of diagnosis and treatment of renovascular hypertension, the clinician has to take into account many contradictory elements. He has to weight the invasive nature and the relative accuracy of the diagnostic tests, as well as the efficacy and drawbacks of medical and surgical treatments. The concept of utility in a decision making tree may lead to objective determination of best suited management for a given patient, according to the prior probability he had a renovascular hypertension."}
{"id": "PMID:1480883", "title": "An analysis of two-period crossover designs with carry-over effects.", "content": "The crossover design is a type of longitudinal study with subjects receiving different treatments in different time periods. When carry-over effects are absent, the usual crossover design is structured so that all the information about treatment effects is contained in the within-subject contrasts; standard analyses are based on these within-subject contrasts and ignore any between-subject information. With carry-over effects present these standard analyses can be very inefficient, especially for suboptimal designs. We describe alternative approaches based on methods for the analysis of longitudinal data."}
{"id": "PMID:1480889", "title": "[Interpreting hypereosinophilia].", "content": "The diagnosis of a blood hypereosinophilia requires a review of various disease processes such as blood dyscrasias, skin diseases, auto-immune diseases, asthma, parasitic infections, enteropathies, etc. A complete check-up including clinical, laboratory and radiological data allows the identification of an etiology in a majority of cases. Nevertheless, the etiology of hypereosinophilia remains obscure in some cases. Among these unexplained situations, the rare idiopathic hypereosinophilic syndrome requires special attention because of its fatal course due to cardiac involvement which can remain clinically silent for a long period of time. Therefore, the follow-up should include repeated echocardiograms. At the present time, the usual therapy for the most severe cases includes corticosteroids and hydroxyurea."}
{"id": "PMID:1480882", "title": "Non-linear models for the analysis of longitudinal data.", "content": "Given the importance of longitudinal studies in biomedical research, it is not surprising that considerable attention has been given to linear and generalized linear models for the analysis of longitudinal data. A great deal of attention has also been given to non-linear models for repeated measurements, particularly in the field of pharmacokinetics. In this article, a brief overview of non-linear models for the analysis of repeated measures is given. Particular emphasis is placed on mixed-effects non-linear models and on various estimation procedures proposed for such models. Several of these estimation procedures are compared via a simulation study. In addition, simulation is used to investigate the effects of model misspecification, particularly with respect to one's choice of random-effects. A relatively straightforward measure useful in selecting an appropriate set of random effects is investigated and found to perform reasonably well."}
{"id": "PMID:1480884", "title": "Random effects models with non-parametric priors.", "content": "We discuss the performance of non-parametric maximum likelihood (NPML) estimators for the distribution of a univariate random effect in the analysis of longitudinal data. For continuous data, we analyse generated and real data sets, and compare the NPML method to those that assume a Gaussian random effects distribution and to ordinary least squares. For binary outcomes we use generated data to study the moderate and large-sample performance of the NPML compared with a method based on a Gaussian random effect distribution in logistic regression. We find that estimated fixed effects are compatible for all approaches, but that appropriate standard errors for the NPML require adjusting the likelihood-based standard errors. We conclude that the non-parametric approach provides an attractive alternative to Gaussian-based methods, though additional evaluations are necessary before it can be recommended for general use."}
{"id": "PMID:1480880", "title": "Intentionally incomplete longitudinal designs: I. Methodology and comparison of some full span designs.", "content": "Longitudinal designs are important in medical research and in many other disciplines. Complete longitudinal studies, in which each subject is evaluated at each measurement occasion, are often very expensive and motivate a search for more efficient designs. Recently developed statistical methods foster the use of intentionally incomplete longitudinal designs that have the potential to be more efficient than complete designs. Mixed models provide appropriate data analysis tools. Fixed effect hypotheses can be tested via a recently developed test statistic, FH. An accurate approximation of the statistic's small sample non-central distribution makes power computations feasible. After reviewing some longitudinal design terminology and mixed model notation, this paper summarizes the computation of FH and approximate power from its non-central distribution. These methods are applied to obtain a large number of intentionally incomplete full-span designs that are more powerful and/or less costly alternatives to a complete design. The source of the greater efficiency of incomplete designs and potential fragility of incomplete designs to randomly missing data are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1480885", "title": "Graphs and stochastic relaxation for hierarchical Bayes modelling.", "content": "This expository paper describes two useful tools for the statistical analysis of processes that generate repeated measures and longitudinal data. The first tool is a graph for a visual description of dependency structures. The second tool is a stochastic relaxation method ('Gibbs sampling') for fitting hierarchical Bayes models. Graphs are concise and accessible summaries of stochastic models. Graphs aid communications between statistical and subject-matter scientists, during which formulations of scientific questions are modified. An uncluttered picture of the dependency structure of a model augments effectively its corresponding formulaic description. Stochastic relaxation is a computationally intense method that allows experimentation with broader classes of models than were previously thought feasible because of analytic intractability. Stochastic relaxation is intuitive and easily described to non-statisticians. Several sample graphs show how hierarchical Bayes models can use stochastic relaxation to obtain their fits. An example based on estimating drug shelf-life demonstrates some uses of graphs and stochastic relaxation compared with several frequentist growth curve analyses that use restricted maximum likelihood and generalized estimating equations approaches."}
{"id": "PMID:1480881", "title": "Multivariate methods for binary longitudinal data with heterogeneous correlation over time.", "content": "Clustered binary data occur frequently in biostatistical work. One particular application is in binary longitudinal data, where several visits are available for the same individual. Several approaches have been proposed for the analysis of clustered binary data. In Rosner, a polychotomous logistic regression model was proposed which is a generalization of the beta-binomial distribution and allows for person- and visit-specific covariates, while controlling for clustering effects. One assumption of this model is that all pairs of visits within an individual are equally correlated, which may be inappropriate if several visits are available over a long follow-up period. In this paper, this approach is extended to allow for heterogeneous correlation over time. The total time period is divided into subintervals and a beta-binomial mixture model is introduced to estimate odds ratios relating outcomes for pairs of visits both within a subinterval as well as in different subintervals. To include covariates, an extension of the polychotomous logistic regression model is proposed, which allows one to estimate effects of person-, subinterval-, and visit-specific covariates, while controlling for clustering using the beta-binomial mixture model. This model is applied to the analysis of respiratory symptom data in children collected over a 14-year period in East Boston, MA, in relation to maternal and child smoking, where the unit is the child and symptom history is divided into early-adolescent and late-adolescent symptom experience."}
{"id": "PMID:1480920", "title": "[Intrauterine device, the best method for spacing births in breastfeeding mothers].", "content": "Twenty-nine breastfeeding women, with a mean age of 36.5 years, were fitted with an IUD, Nova T or Multi load 375, at an average time of 3.6 months after delivery. Insertion at this time was easy, without dilatation, pain or bleeding. During a follow up of 18 months, the IUD has to be discontinued in one woman (3.4%) because of excessive menstrual bleeding, at a time when she was no more fully breastfeeding. The continuation rate was 96.56%, as compared to only 82% for a general population of 216 women fitted with IUD at the same period after delivery and followed up for the same period of time. The IUD is in our opinion the birthspacing method of choice for breastfeeding mothers."}
{"id": "PMID:1480921", "title": "[Prenatal diagnosis of trisomy 21: limits of chorionic villi sampling].", "content": "An analysis of the limits, risks and difficulties of interpreting trophocentesis leads to the conclusion that the method is effective and free from maternal risk. The unsuccessful cases and the \"fetal losses\" are however more numerous than for amniocentesis."}
{"id": "PMID:1480922", "title": "[The fate of very early premature babies. Mortality, morbidity and 2-year follow-up in a population of 96 very early premature babies].", "content": "The neonatal fate, and outcome at 2 years in a population of 96 premature babies born after no more than 28 weeks of amenorrhea is described. Mortality was directly influenced by the gestational age (< 26 WA = 52% vs. > or = 26 WA = 21.1%, p < 0.01) and the birth weight (< 1,000 g = 41.5% vs. > 1,000 g = 20%, p < 0.05). Two other factors with a harmful impact were identified: retarded growth (neonatal mortality doubled) and fetal multiplicity (increased fourfold). Investigation of the neonatal morbidity highlights the importance of respiratory, neurological and digestive problems. Assessment of the longer-term outcome has shown an 11.3 p. cent incidence of handicap. An estimation of the prognosis on the basis of gestational age is proposed."}
{"id": "PMID:1480917", "title": "[Clinical trial of lovastatin versus gemfibrozil in the treatment of primary hypercholesterolemia].", "content": "A randomized, double-blind, 12 weeks comparison of Lovastatin and Gemfibrozil in the treatment of patients with primary hypercholesterolemia was performed in 31 patients. After a placebo and diet period (4 weeks), they were assigned to either Lovastatin 20 mg nightly or Gemfibrozil 600 mg twice daily, if their total serum cholesterol was < 300 mg/dl, and to either Lovastatin 40 mg nightly or Gemfibrozil 600 mg/12 if it was > 300 mg/dl. In both cases, the Lovastatin dose was doubled after 6 weeks, if serum cholesterol remained > 200 mg/dl. The dose of Gemfibrozil kept constant. Lovastatin reduced serum cholesterol from 354 +/- 91 mg/dl to 253 +/- 62 mg/dl (p < 0.001), LDL-cholesterol from 277 +/- 104 to 192 +/- 71 mg/dl (p < 0.001) and serum triglyceride level from 125 +/- 66 a 84 +/- 41 mg/dl. The corresponding reductions achieved by Gemfibrozil were: 343 +/- 86 to 290 +/- 72 mg/dl (p < 0.01), 264 +/- 89 to 217 +/- 67 mg/dl (p < 0.05) and 152 +/- 84 to 89 +/- 41 mg/dl (p < 0.001), respectively. Lovastatin therapy caused a 30.6% reduction in total cholesterol level, while Gemfibrozil achieved a 19.47%. There were no significant changes in HDL-cholesterol. Patients had no serious or clinically significant adverse effects. The current data suggest that Lovastatin (an inhibitor of HMG-Coa reductase) may provide one important means for lipid-lowering therapy in patients with primary hypercholesterolemia."}
{"id": "PMID:1480923", "title": "[Uterine rupture due to placenta accreta at 28 weeks of pregnancy].", "content": "The authors report the case of uterine rupture occurring after 28 weeks of amenorrhea and related to placenta accreta and treated by means of hysterectomy. They stress the diagnostic problems and discuss possible conservative treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1480924", "title": "[An unusual case of HELLP syndrome].", "content": "The Hellp's syndrome is a complication of gravidic hypertension which associates the microangiopathic hemolysis, the cytolytic hepatic anomalies and a thrombocytopenia. There are resemblences between the biologic and histologic forms of the thrombotic microangiopathy and Hellp's syndrome. In this publishing, we report one case of Hellp's syndrome which the particular character is that the hepatic and hemolytic biologic anomalies are still very discrete, where as the thrombopenia is deep; this led us to rediscuss about the authencity of Hellp's syndrome. A neurologic complication, particulary gravissim, is noticed in one case, it concerns the intracerebral hematoma with left deficiency syndrome."}
{"id": "PMID:1480925", "title": "[Natural history of minimal and occult breast cancers. Long term survival and mass screening].", "content": "It is commonly admitted that small breast cancer detection is usefull for mortality reduction. One must take care of both \"lead time bias\" and \"length biased sampling\". An aggressive screening could detect an increased number of prevalent cancers in young women. The annual screening of asymptomatic women could be modified in the future by some compromise strategies fixed on high risk women isolation."}
{"id": "PMID:1480926", "title": "[Laparoscopic surgery and CO2 laser: clinical evaluation of a system of transmission of the infraguide type].", "content": "The use of the CO2 laser in coelio-surgery is closely linked to the quality of the beam transmitted to the tissues. The development of infra-guided systems constitutes a major improvement compared to conventionally guided systems. These systems make it possible to convey an undeformed beam with no loss of power to their distal extremity. In addition, their narrow diameter, which corresponds to the trochars used in conventional coelio-surgical equipment, makes them easy to handle."}
{"id": "PMID:1480927", "title": "[The role of danazol in the treatment of benign mastopathies].", "content": "Benign mastopathy is defined as a non-cancerous lesion of the mammary gland, which may be dystrophic, tumoral or inflammatory. This makes clear the highly diverse nature and wide diversity of clinical forms. Borderline lesions constitute a risk factor for breast cancer."}
{"id": "PMID:1480928", "title": "[Sudden infant death: epidemiology].", "content": "Since 1985, in order to understand variations and factors related to the SIDS compared with the other causes of postneonatal deaths, several epidemiological studies have been carried out in France. The main results obtained so far are presented in this paper. The national rate of SIDS in France is estimated at 1.2 per 1,000 live births. The only specific risk factor for SIDS is age (2-4 months), though birthweight, prematurity and the younger age of the mother increase the probability of dying in the same manner as for accidental causes and all other postneonatal deaths. In addition we found discrepancies in the SIDS rates of babies according to the month of birth. The total probability of dying during the postneonatal period is lower in babies born during spring than in babies born during late summer or autumn. No significant differences were found in the DTP IPV immunization rates between SIDS and other causes of death or between SIDS and living controls."}
{"id": "PMID:1480929", "title": "[Sudden infant death: from the unexplained to the explained].", "content": "In France, 1,300 to 1,500 infants die suddenly each year. Are these deaths explained? Most clinicians agree that in more than two-thirds of the cases death cannot be formally explained by the clinical or paraclinical context or by the findings at post-mortem examination. These infants are the victims of the \"sudden infant death syndrome.\" This syndrome consists of a transient abnormality in the maturation of the vegetative nervous system function, upon which are superimposed non-specific elements that facilitate or precipitate death. The lack of routine examination to detect this background explains why sudden infant deaths cannot be predicted in the majority of cases. Because there is no method sufficiently accurate to diagnose the abnormality of maturation, these deaths cannot for the moment be firmly ascribed to this abnormality."}
{"id": "PMID:1480930", "title": "[Suddenly dead infants].", "content": "The hospital management of infants who died suddenly has been facilitated in France by the ministerial note of 14 march 1986 which has made possible the development of the research in this field, with a multidisciplinary collaboration system co-ordinated by reference centers. The necropsic findings are variable, but in one out of three cases they establish a correlation between the lesions observed and the infant's death. Inflammatory lesions of the lung caused by infection, and aspiration of products from the digestive tract are particularly frequent. Necropsy is indispensable to confirm the diagnosis of unexplained sudden death and to exclude a malformation, especially when the parents wish to have another child."}
{"id": "PMID:1480931", "title": "[Malaise in infants].", "content": "Near-miss is the term used by English-speaking authors to define a sudden accident suggestive of imminent infant death. This is one of the most worrying problems, due to its frequency and its multiple possible causes, the most common of which are gastro-oesophageal reflux and vagal hypertonia. These accidents occur in the same age-group as the sudden infant death syndrome and in similar circumstances, even though they more often occur during waking. Near-miss therefore may constitute an abortive form of sudden infant death syndrome, which would make its study a good way for understanding the syndrome. Yet one should wait before making this assimilation as it might induce unwarranted medical procedures. The risk of recurrence (about 10%), sometimes lethal, exists, but is must be discussed after full investigation in search of a cause and a possible treatment. Electronic home monitoring is only one of the possible preventive measures; it must be decided upon and applied by a specialized medical team."}
{"id": "PMID:1480932", "title": "[Risks of sudden death in siblings].", "content": "The risk of sudden infant death among siblings has long been overestimated: in all epidemiological studies the risk of recurrence remains at 1% or below, thereby excluding a hereditary hazard. Compared with the general population, the risk is increased in only a small percentage of families which can be detected (familial gastrooesophageal reflux or vagal hyperreflexibility, psychosocial problems and, more rarely, hereditary pathology). In the vast majority of families the relative risk is not objectively augmented. In all cases counselling of the parents is necessary for them to accept a new child."}
{"id": "PMID:1480933", "title": "[Psychosocial aspects of sudden infant death].", "content": "Following the sudden death of an infant, the parents and the siblings, if any, go through a very severe crisis with repercussions on the psychoaffective and professional domain, as well as on social relations. The parents' mourning after a sudden infant death is very often morbid. The characteristics of this infantile death which predispose to a complicated mourning period are the parents' impossibility to anticipate and the lack of cause of the baby's death. One of the most adverse consequences of such a situation would be the birth of a subsequent child before mourning is completed, for this child might well be regarded as a replacement child, and this would jeopardize his future psychosocial development."}
{"id": "PMID:1480934", "title": "[Prevention advice for families].", "content": "SIDS is in most cases unforeseeable and unavoidable. However, present progress in knowledge about this syndrome allows practitioners to give preventive advice, for two types of infant: for all neonates--simple advice of infant care and hygiene--for some at risk babies (siblings of SIDS cases, ALTE, premature), advice on tests, or treatment or more specific medical care."}
{"id": "PMID:1480939", "title": "[Extrinsic allergic alveolitis in agricultural environment].", "content": "The term extrinsic allergic alveolitis involves a group of interstitial and alveolar lung diseases with an immunoallergic mechanism. These diseases are associated with chronic inhalation of usually organic particles and therefore encountered almost exclusively in an agricultural environment. The most frequent and best known of them is the farmer's lung disease and therefore is largely described by the authors. Specific points concerning pigeon breeder's disease and cheese worker's disease, are also reviewed since they are quite frequently observed in France. The diagnosis is difficult because the radiological and functional abnormalities are transient and the signs of immunization in serum and alveoles are unspecific. This problem is developed here, and a practical diagnostic approach is suggested. Treatment is essentially preventive and includes modifications of the working tools and work conditions in order to reduce exposure to airborne pathogenic antigens."}
{"id": "PMID:1480940", "title": "[Infectious risk in day-nursery children].", "content": "High proximity in daycare centers is a well established risk factor for upper respiratory tract infections as well as Haemophilus influenza meningitis. Many studies have also reported the development of gastroenteritis as well as hepatitis A outbreaks in daycare centers; however, because of lack of controls, these studies do not provide enough information about the excess of risk attributable to daycare attendance. Main risk factors such as age, or seasons, are still very important in daycare centers and studies have also shown that a protection occurs rapidly after the beginning of attendance, may be in relation to the stimulation of the non-specific immunity. All these results do not provide enough data to implement a rational intervention project. More studies have to be carried out to assess the long term consequences (at school age for instance) of these infections. In order to make a rational decision regarding daycare attendance, it is important to have a global assessment of all the effects related to attendance (which are numerous and sometimes opposite); studies focusing on a single aspect of daycare attendance, or on its short term effect, may result in partial and misleading conclusions."}
{"id": "PMID:1480950", "title": "Radiation risk estimation.", "content": "Estimation of the risk of cancer following exposure to ionizing radiation remains largely empirical, and the models used to adduce risk incorporate few, if any, of the advances in molecular biology of the past decade or so. These facts compromise the estimation of risk where the epidemiological data are weakest, namely, at low doses and dose rates. Without a better understanding of the molecular and cellular events ionizing radiation initiates or promotes, it seems unlikely that this situation will improve. Nor will the situation improve without further attention to the identification and quantitative estimation of the effects of those host and environmental factors that enhance or attenuate risk."}
{"id": "PMID:1480951", "title": "Nuclear installations and childhood cancer in the UK: mortality and incidence for 0-9-year-old children, 1971-1980.", "content": "Data on cancer incidence and mortality in the vicinity of nuclear installations in England and Wales have been published, covering the period 1959-1980. Several age classes and a number of cancer sites have been included. Systematic analysis has so far been limited to cancer mortality. This suggests that childhood leukemia is unusually frequent near some types of installations and the excess is greater for years 0-9 than for later ages. In the earlier decade, 1959-1969, there was questionable consistency of incidence reporting. This report uses the incidence and mortality data only for the period 1971-1980; leukemia and non-leukemia cancer data for those 0-9 years are analyzed, and consistency of incidence reporting is evaluated by comparing incidence and mortality. For comparison with reported data for grouped local authority areas (LAAs) near to 21 different installations, two sources of expected incidence are used. The first is based on regional data, and the second is based on a group of LAAs similar in location, urban/rural character and population size. Effectiveness of treatment of acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL, the principal type among 0-9-year-old children) has improved in recent decades and this has decreased the case fatality rate, and increased the relevance of incidence data. No significant differences in the mortality/incidence ratio were found when comparing areas near installations with their matched reference areas. Although some standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) are low in comparison areas, these are a reflection of the small numbers in the denominator. Low and high SIRs are observed in both installation and comparison areas. Excluding the populations near Sellafield and Dounreay, the installations of which include nuclear reprocessing and which are reported elsewhere, children living near one of a group of six installations have significantly increased leukemia incidence. One hundred sixty-five cases were observed for the combined population group, whereas 133.6 were expected on the basis of regional data and 141.9 on the basis of comparison areas. The operations of these installations include nuclear research, nuclear fuel production, nuclear weapons manufacture, and radio-isotopic reagent manufacture and marketing. No evidence of any increase of leukemia incidence is found for populations surrounding nuclear power installations, nor in coastal communities possibly affected by Sellafield discharges.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1480952", "title": "Trends in cancer mortality in Kanawha County, West Virginia, 1950-1984.", "content": "There has been much concern recently about possible adverse health effects related to exposure to toxic chemicals among residents of Kanawha County in southern West Virginia. An epidemiological study of trends in cancer mortality from 1950-1984 among the general population of Kanawha County in southern West Virginia was mounted. Cabell County, West Virginia was chosen to be a comparison county for Kanawha in addition to West Virginia and the total United States. The cancer mortality rates for white males and females were calculated using NCHS mortality data and Census Bureau population data available on the Mortality and Population Data System (MPDS) at the University of Pittsburgh. Mortality rates for cancer in Kanawha and Cabell Counties were evaluated over the time period 1950-1984 with an age-period-cohort (APC) analysis. In this analysis, poisson regression models were fit using the statistical program GLIM (Generalized Linear Models) to determine the separate effects of age, period of death, and birth cohort on the specific cancers of interest (lung, liver, bladder, CNS, leukemia, lympho-reticulosarcoma, all cancers). There were no significant county differences for cancer death rates between Kanawha and Cabell Counties except for leukemia among white males [O.R. = 1.27, 95% (C.I. = 1.03-1.6)], and for lympho-reticulosarcoma [O.R. = 1.66(1.24-2.07)], suggesting a possible occupational exposure. For leukemia, aleukemia, the effect observed seems to have declined. In contrast, the elevation of lympho-reticulosarcoma rates has remained in recent years (1970-1984)."}
{"id": "PMID:1480953", "title": "Is NIDDM a risk factor for noise-induced hearing loss in an occupationally noise exposed cohort?", "content": "Little is known about what factors, other than chronic exposure to noise, predispose individuals to noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). The current retrospective study was designed to identify risk factors for NIHL in a population of 229 men [age 55-68 (mean = 63 years)] employed at a metal assembly plant. All men had been chronically occupationally noise-exposed for approximately 30 years (> or = 89 dBA) with an average Ea noise emission level) of 104.5. The clinical examination included a pure-tone threshold audiometric evaluation, discrimination of speech in background noise [W-22 Max (> 60% indicating better hearing)], blood pressure measurement, evaluation of lifestyle (alcohol consumption, cigarette smoking, noisy hobbies) and occupational and military history. Severe NIHL was defined as > or = 65 db loss at 3, 4 or 6 kHz in at least one ear +/- 20 db threshold in the contralateral ear. History of non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) was reported by 16.4% of the 146 men with severe NIHL compared to 4.8% of the 83 men without severe NIHL (odds ratio = 3.9, C.I. 1.2-11.9, P = 0.05). Simultaneous evaluation of several potential risk factors using a multiple logistic regression indicates that the significant predictors of severe NIHL were diabetes (P < 0.05), Ea (P < 0.05) and age (P < 0.05). These results suggest that a person with NIDDM who is also occupationally noise-exposed is more likely to develop severe NIHL than those without NIDDM. Longitudinal studies are necessary to confirm the temporal relationship between NIDDM and NIHL and to determine the exact mechanisms that are involved with this increased risk of hearing loss."}
{"id": "PMID:1480954", "title": "Methodological problems in investigating disease clusters.", "content": "Increased reporting of disease clusters is stretching health department resources while failing to uncover many significant environmental hazards. By reviewing the methodology by which health departments respond to such reports, we argue that there is a strong bias against investigating the most hazardous situations. Failure to find serious hazards is more a reflection of the methodology used than an assessment of the existence of environmental problems. The biases arise from the selection of situations that dictate full in-house consideration, the selection of the methodology used to evaluate reported or registry-based data, and the interpretation given to anomalous observations. We argue for more rigorous evaluation of statistical cluster detection methods and for use of more objective criteria in cluster investigation protocols."}
{"id": "PMID:1480955", "title": "Clusters galore: insights about environmental clusters from probability theory.", "content": "The posterior probability of a causal explanation given that an environmental cancer cluster is statistically significant depends on the prior probability of an environmentally caused cluster, the sensitivity of the statistical test and its specificity. The prior probability is low, because it is rare to have enough carcinogen in the general environment to cause a relative risk of cancer high enough to achieve statistical significance in a small geographic area. The sensitivity and specificity are not great. The likelihood that a census tract escapes statistically significant elevations in all 80 types of cancer can be calculated. Many of the thousands of census tracts will, by chance alone, have at least one type of cancer whose elevation is statistically significant. Actual observation from a large cancer registry confirms this probabilistic prediction. Applying the principles of Bayes' Theorem would suggest that most statistically significant environmental cancer clusters are not due to environmental carcinogens. One would have to investigate hundreds of environmental cancer clusters to find one with a true environmental cause."}
{"id": "PMID:1480956", "title": "Childhood leukemia around nuclear facilities.", "content": "Epidemiologic studies on the health effects of living near nuclear facilities have been rare and, indeed, radiobiological models would not predict any detectable increase in cancer risk to the general public from the very low levels of radioactivity emitted by nuclear installations. Thus the recent evidence suggesting an excess of childhood leukemias in the vicinity of certain nuclear sites in the United Kingdom has generated considerable controversy. To help resolve the uncertainty and enhance interpretability of results, future epidemiologic studies will need to be designed with great care (and within realistic cost limits). This commentary suggests three areas for methodologic consideration: (i) definition and modelling of radiation exposure; (ii) selection of cancer sites and sensitive subgroups; and (iii) use of incidence or mortality data. Specific suggestions for further epidemiologic research are offered as well."}
{"id": "PMID:1480958", "title": "Priority among air pollution factors for preventing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in Shanghai.", "content": "The problems that city environmental protection planners face are how important the air pollution exposures are in relation to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in local residents and which factor should be controlled most urgently. The purpose of our study is to determine the control priority among ambient sulphur dioxide (SO2) inhalable particulates (IP) and indoor use of coal to prevent COPD in residents of the city. Ambient air pollution is mainly from SO2 and IP(< 10 nm). Indoor air pollution is mainly from the use of coal for heating and/or cooking. Distribution of ambient SO2, and IP concentrations were described using a quartic trend surface simulation. When stratified by two extreme levels of ambient SO2 and IP and types of fuel used indoors, eight local area populations in four communities with different combinations of exposure levels were selected. In each community a local area population mostly using coal and one mostly burning gas was chosen. Chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD, ICD 490-493) including chronic bronchitis, asthma and emphysema, are a major cause of death in residents of Shanghai. The relationship between the three air pollution factors and their health effects were analyzed at the level of mortality (1978-1987, 232,459 person-years), prevalence of symptoms (12,037 persons) of COPD, lung function and non-specific immunologic function (514 women). The results show that indoor use of coal has stronger associations with health than estimated exposure to ambient SO2 or IP."}
{"id": "PMID:1480959", "title": "A 3-year cohort study on short-term effects of air pollution in Germany. 1. Influences of medication and season.", "content": "A 3-year cohort study which started in September 1987 investigates the effect of air pollution in adult patients with chronic obstructive airway disease. Of 108 patients recruited during the pilot phase in 1987 only eight patients had left the study prematurely. The most important components of the study are the daily peakflow measurements and a diary on medication and symptoms. In a preliminary analysis the influence of medication and season has been analyzed for the period September 1988 to June 1989 for 53 patients. In general, the reactions to seasonal changes were small. However, a significant decrease in peak-flow values by about 5% was found for the months of May and June compared to December for patients with chronic bronchitis, emphysema and asthma."}
{"id": "PMID:1480960", "title": "Associations between questionnaire reports of home dampness and childhood respiratory symptoms.", "content": "The relationship between home dampness and respiratory health was studied in two populations of children of 6-12 years old, living in the south east of the Netherlands. In one study, lung function was measured at the schools, and in both studies, information on respiratory symptoms was collected from a self-administered questionnaire completed by the parents of the children. Information on home dampness was collected by questionnaire. Information on other potential indoor determinants of respiratory health, like (sources of) nitrogen dioxide and smoking in the home was collected by questionnaire as well. Respiratory symptoms were found to be associated with home dampness. There was a weak, negative association between MMEF and reporting of mould in the home. Several potential biases were evaluated. It was not considered likely that the results could be explained by information, selection or confounding bias. However, further work is needed to conclusively exclude these biases, and to develop objective measures of home dampness for use in epidemiologic studies."}
{"id": "PMID:1480961", "title": "An overview of reports and current research concerning childhood leukaemia and cancer around nuclear installations in the UK.", "content": "Studies around UK nuclear installations suggest that it is possible that the incidence of leukaemia in young persons may be increased in the vicinity of such installations. However, the results of these studies are inconsistent and the cause or causes of the apparent increases are unknown; they may be at least in part attributable to chance variations in incidence, to selection factors, or to variations in completeness of recording. The cluster in Seascale, the village closest to the Sellafield reprocessing plant, may be the result of germ cell mutations in the fathers of the affected children."}
{"id": "PMID:1480962", "title": "An evaluation of the role of epidemiology in assessing current and future disinfection technologies for drinking water.", "content": "Six members of the International Society for Environmental Epidemiology provide a discussion of the presentations of the authors of six studies dealing with the potential chronic disease side effects of water disinfection. This symposium, which was jointly sponsored by the Society and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) also involved state epidemiologists and engineers from state drinking water programs. This article summarizes the results of the studies and the comments about them. There was a general consensus that the recent EPA sponsored studies of cancer endpoints have strengthened the evidence linking bladder cancer with long term exposure to chlorinated drinking water. The evidence for links with colon cancer is not convincing and that for serum lipid changes is quite weak. Any risks, if real, are low when compared to the risk of infection from not disinfecting water. This is particularly true for small water systems where chlorination may be the only practical option."}
{"id": "PMID:1480963", "title": "[Some references for Ilisarov transosseous osteosynthesis].", "content": "The advantages of secondary bone healing by callus formation--as seen in transosseous osteosynthesis--as against primary bone healing are discussed. With the Ilisarov technique, new callus and bone formation can be achieved under constant tension stress. Observations of the phenomenon of limb lengthening by callus distraction go back to Codivelli. A first apparatus for bone lengthening was described by Block as long ago as 1923. The tremendous merit of Ilisarov's work is based on fundamental research and clinical experience with investigation of the effects of tension stress on several sorts of tissue under different conditions."}
{"id": "PMID:1480965", "title": "[Treatment of femoral fracture with the Ilisarov fixator].", "content": "From July 1990 to December 1991, femoral fractures in seven patients were stabilized using the Ilisarov apparatus. Second-degree open communited fractures in four patients were stabilized primarily by this technique. Three other patients suffered from redislocations following internal fixation (n = 2) or a refracture (n = 1). The average duration of fixation in shaft fractures (n = 3) was 21 weeks, in supracondylar fractures (n = 4), 13.5 weeks. The fixation period we observed was thus shorter than that reported for other external fixation devices. Because of the complications that were noticed, however, the Ilisarov technique should only be used in particular cases."}
{"id": "PMID:1480964", "title": "[Ilisarov ring fixation and its technical application].", "content": "The Ilisarov ring fixator is an extremely versatile external fixation device. There is a wide range of indications for its use, e.g. fractures, pseudarthroses and non-unions, large defects, deformities and limb shortening. The device consists of rings or half-rings, which are connected to each other by threaded rods or plates and to the bone by wires under tension. This design allows neutral fixation, compression or distraction of the bone fragments. Because of its low axial stiffness at low loads and increased stiffness at higher loads, this fixator promotes osteogenesis and reduces strain on the tissues in functional treatment. Surgical intervention for its application is minimally invasive. This is a useful addition to the orthopaedic surgeon's armamentarium, providing proper attention is paid to preoperative planning, the principle rules of frame design and wire insertion technique, and postoperative management."}
{"id": "PMID:1480966", "title": "[Fracture treatment in the area of the tibia].", "content": "From May 1990 to March 1992 17 open and 6 closed fractures of tibia and fibula with second- to third-degree soft tissue injuries were treated by external fixation using the Ilisarov technique. In 14 patients this external fixation was used as the primary treatment. In nine cases it was used secondarily, mainly in patients transferred after stabilization with other internal or external devices. The mean duration of fixation for diaphyseal tibial fractures was 127 days and for metaphyseal fractures, 107 days. After removal of the fixation device, a brace was temporarily fitted for full weight-bearing. Disadvantages observed include less comfort for the patient and longer operation time compared to other external fixation systems. On the other hand, this method allows full weight-bearing soon after the operation and involves minimal damage of soft tissue. Furthermore, injured soft tissue was well protected during healing."}
{"id": "PMID:1480967", "title": "[Treatment of calcaneus and mid-foot fractures using closed reposition and fixation with the Ilisarov fixator].", "content": "Sixteen fractures of the calcaneus involving the subtalar joint were treated by closed reduction and external fixation using the Ilisarov apparatus. Except for four cases in which temporary arthrodesis of the subtalar or ankle joint was used, fixation was usually only used for the calcaneus. The operative technique is described precisely. Initial follow-up examinations (on average after 1 year) show advantages over conservative treatment, e.g. better anatomical reduction. In addition, early mobilization of the joint and early weight-bearing result in less pain from disuse osteoporosis. Furthermore, several case reports demonstrate the efficiency of this method in tarsal and metatarsal fracture-dislocations."}
{"id": "PMID:1480968", "title": "[Initial experiences with the Ilisarov method on the hand bones].", "content": "From 1 July 1991 to 1 July 1992, 23 patients were treated using an Ilisarov distraction apparatus. The apparatus was used for callus distraction in 13 patients, and for closed fracture treatment, for generating longitudinal pressure in the treatment of fractures, for corrective osteotomy and for soft tissue distraction in 10 patients. Callus distraction in the hand has advantages over conventional techniques. Furthermore, the Ilisarov technique has its merits in certain fractures of the hand."}
{"id": "PMID:1480969", "title": "[Treatment of post-traumatic limb shortening].", "content": "The physiological phenomenon of changes in callus formation during distraction was first described by Codivilla at the beginning of this century. Having investigated and proved the influence of tension stress on callus formation, Ilizarov used this as a method to treat limb shortening and deformities. Because of his remarkable results we introduced this method in our hospital in 1990, using the original Ilizarov ring fixator. From November 1990 to December 1991, we used this technique in 10 cases of combined post-traumatic bone shortening with deformity (the tibia was affected in six patients, the femur in three and the forearm in one). The mean shortening was 3.1 cm, the mean varus or valgus deformity 9.5 degrees, the mean anteflexion or recurvation 8.3 degrees, and the mean rotation deformity 8.5 degrees. Distraction/correction lasted between 8 and 55 days (mean: 37 days). Fixation was necessary for between 60 and 339 days. If corticotomy was performed in the diaphyseal bone, fixation lasted almost twice as long (11.33 days/mm lengthening) as in the metaphyseal area (6.55 days/mm lengthening). There were 14 complications, most of which were considered minor. The latter included pin infections (4), wire breaking (1) and restricted range of motion of the knee or ankle (5). Among the major complications were two nerve irritations, which recovered spontaneously, and two pin-induced local bone infections, which required surgical intervention. Achievement of the goals of treatment-complete correction of shortening and deformity-was not affected by these complications."}
{"id": "PMID:1480970", "title": "[Treatment of aseptic post-traumatic pseudarthrosis].", "content": "We report our first experience of using the Ilisarov technique in the treatment of ten patients with aseptic nonunions of fractures. In nine cases there was a nonunion of the tibia. One 76-year-old woman suffered from a nonunion of a supracondylar fracture of the humerus with concomitant rheumatoid arthritis. In this case, treatment failed. In two other cases we had to change the procedure. The mean duration of fixation for the successful cases was 22 weeks. The Ilisarov technique is sophisticated and needs special experience but has advantages in difficult cases."}
{"id": "PMID:1480971", "title": "[Treatment of chronic joint malposition].", "content": "We report three cases of chronically dislocated joints of the lower extremities that were treated by the Ilisarov method. As the results show, it is possible to reduce such dislocations step by step, causing less operative trauma."}
{"id": "PMID:1480972", "title": "[Treatment of chronic osteitis of the femur].", "content": "Since May 1990, we have treated seven patients with chronic osteomyelitis of the femur. The Ilisarov apparatus was used in three of these cases for fixation and in four cases for segment transport. The treatment of four patients is now complete. We have not found any problems in bone regeneration. The use of pins in the proximal and middle thirds of the femur has proved problematic due to the soft tissue damage. Instead of this, we recommend using Schanz screws, which can be fixed to the arch with the AO lock. Moreover, it is easier to shorten the 180 degrees arch to 90 degrees or 120 degrees using the Schanz screws. To prevent problems, it is better to assemble the apparatus before use and to take into consideration the anatomical and functional situation."}
{"id": "PMID:1480973", "title": "[Treatment of chronic osteitis of the tibia].", "content": "Since the beginning of May 1990, we have been using the original Ilisarov apparatus in our treatment of osteomyelitis. It has been used both statically and dynamically after corticotomy for segment transport and lengthening. So far we have treated 24 patients, of whom 13 had defect osteomyelitis, 9 had unstable infections and 2 had stable osteomyelitis with deformities. On average the bone defects measured 7.6 cm, and nine patients had soft tissue defects larger than 6 cm2. The Ilisarov apparatus performed a holding function in seven cases after defect grafting using autogeneic spongiosa. It was used in four cases for gradual compression, in seven cases for segment or fragment transport, in three cases for secondary lengthening and in three cases for correction. In all cases the infections were eliminated and stability was obtained. The duration of segment transport corresponded to the defect size, with a daily lengthening of approximately 1 mm. The fixation times ranged from 112 to 483 days (mean: 240 days). Apart from one special situation, no bone regeneration problems were observed. Some of the complications we encountered must be regarded as beginners' mistakes. We observed problems with segment transport (early corticotomy healing, deformity, non-union at the docking site) and problems with equipment, which has now been improved. For closure of the soft tissue defects it was sufficient to use mesh grafting. Its versatility and advantages as a stabilizing apparatus have made the Ilisarov fixator the instrument of our choice, especially in the treatment of circular infected defects larger than 3 cm."}
{"id": "PMID:1480974", "title": "[Patient positioning, everyday aids and principles of physical therapy in patients with Ilisarov ring fixator apparatus].", "content": "Directions for postoperative positioning of patients with the Ilisarov apparatus are given and devices to assist in everyday activities are introduced. Physiotherapy, especially with regard to mobilization, strengthening and training in function and movement, is described."}
{"id": "PMID:1480975", "title": "[Biomechanics of the ring fixator--contributions of individual structural elements].", "content": "The mechanical behaviour of the circular external fixation device using thin, pre-tensioned wires is difficult to predict, because the individual elements, such as rings, rods and wires, can be assembled in a large variety of configurations. This behaviour is of particular importance in the treatment of large segmental defects and in bone lengthening, because most of the load is transmitted through the fixator. In this study, the mathematical basis of the widely varying definitions of stiffness under axial, bending and torsional loads is presented. The principal variables influencing a particular configuration and their effects are indicated. Particular consideration must be given to the fact that the wires under tension generate a non-linear behaviour of the frame. The information needed for reporting on different fixator systems is indicated. Finally, the effect of individual structural elements, such as number, direction and tension of the wires, number of threaded rods and distance between the planes of the rings on the different stiffnesses, is presented and discussed with respect to clinical significance."}
{"id": "PMID:1480976", "title": "[In vivo measurements of electric potentials of the Ilisarov external fixator].", "content": "Ilisarov's idea that electrical phenomena could contribute to the efficacy of the ring fixation apparatus prompted us to carry out this preliminary investigation. Patients with lower leg fractures and a four-ring fixation apparatus were selected; the electrical potentials were measured over non-fractured and fractured bones. Patients who could not be studied in the Faraday box were subjected to great disturbances, caused by mains voltage and a neighbouring transmitter; in these cases no objective results could be obtained. Only measurements in the Faraday box yielded reproducible results. The results demonstrate that there is generally a difference in electrical potential among the four rings in patients fitted with an Ilisarov apparatus. Furthermore, weight-bearing on the fixator-bone system causes changes in the electrical potential among the rings."}
{"id": "PMID:1480977", "title": "[Initial modifications of the ring fixator apparatus].", "content": "To increase the practicability of Ilisarov's ring fixation apparatus, we introduced the following modifications: Clamping of the fixation wires using a quick collet with a force indicator, which enables reproducibly preuse and rapid clamping. Hardened screws to maintain the tension longer. Production of the olive wire from homogeneous implant steel by the cold-press method. Optimization of the cutting edge at the wire tip. Measurement of tension in the fixation wire. A distractor incorporating a clock and a device showing the distraction achieved so that doctor and patient can better supervise the distraction procedure. Simplifications of the wound dressing."}
{"id": "PMID:1480978", "title": "[An unusual example of primary weight bearing stability of a limb fracture of the oryx antelope after external fixation with the original Ilisarov fixator].", "content": "This paper reports the stabilization of an open comminuted fracture of the metatarsus of a rare white Arabian oryx using an original Ilisarov-fixator. The antelope (weighing 75 kg!) walked with its full weight on the stabilized leg immediately after operative treatment, thus demonstrating the high degree of stability of such a system. In our opinion, the Ilisarow technique is, in selected cases, an adequate method for stabilizing highly unstable open fractures in veterinary practice."}
{"id": "PMID:1480979", "title": "[The effect of bleeding on blood alcohol levels in an experimental model].", "content": "There are factors changing kinetics of alcohol turnover in comparison to widely accepted norm comprise e.g. effect of stomach contents on resorption of ethanol, activity of ethanol metabolizing enzyme systems, and hydration of organism (blood volume). One of possible factors--effect of bleeding on alcohol blood level--was studied in rats. Blood alcohol levels were significantly higher in a group of rats where bleeding is one hour after ethanol administration than in a group with bleeding before ethanol administration, and than in controls devoid of bleeding. That's question, this results may be applicable to man."}
{"id": "PMID:1480980", "title": "[Cantharidin and its detection in forensic toxicology].", "content": "Experimental detection of deadly toxic cantharidin C10H12O4 by chemical analysis was performed in imagoes of two species of cryptotoxic Meloidae beetles--Lytta vesicatoria and Mylabris variabilis. Samples were processed by extraction and sublimation and analyzed by gas chromatography. Graphic documentation proved the presence of cantharidin. A part of microcristalline sublimate was studied microscopically and determinant features of crystalline cantharidin were identified. Moreover, cantharidin levels in single body parts of the beetle were investigated."}
{"id": "PMID:1480981", "title": "[Tetramethyldiaminodiphenylmethane--a universal reagent for drug detection].", "content": "Many a drug was identified by thin layer chromatography when using tetramethyldiaminodiphenylmethan (TDM) as a universal reagent subsequently to chlorination. This non-carcinogenic compound yields a characteristical tint with all the drugs and their metabolites."}
{"id": "PMID:1480982", "title": "[Urinary diversion by means of uretero-ileostomy. Long-term results].", "content": "The authors analyze a group of 187 patients where in 1969-1991 a ureteroileostomy was performed on account of malignant tumours (89.8%) or other diseases (10.2%). Ureteroileostomy was indicated along with cystectomy in 77 patients with tumours of the urinary bladder (63 times), with gynaecological carcinoma (21 times) and in tumours of the urethra and rectum (7 times). Indications in non-tumours diseases comprised a neurogenic bladder (10 times) exstrophy of the urinary bladder (6 times), post-traumatic incontinence of urine in women (twice) and iatrogenic injuries of the ureters (once). In all patients an anastomosis between the ureter and excluded loop, as described by Wallace, was used. The surgical mortality was 5.3%. During the immediate postoperative period 96 complications developed in 91 (51.3%) patients. As to late complications, most frequently complications of the stoma of the excluded loop were involved. Ureteroileostomy gives satisfactory results in the majority of patients, however, the number of complications is not negligible. The authors discuss the selection of derivation methods under our conditions."}
{"id": "PMID:1480983", "title": "[Complications of continent urinary diversion].", "content": "Continent urinary diversion over its advantages, in comparison with incontinent urinary diversion, has serious complications. The authors analyse results and complications, which they registered in 26 patients 10-50 (average 20) months after supravesical continent urinary diversion. The commonest complications were in connection with the continent mechanism, these lead in 8 patients to urinary incontinence. Other serious complications were reservoir perforation during catheterisation in 3 and development of stones in the reservoir in 2 patients. All these major complications necessitated reoperation."}
{"id": "PMID:1480984", "title": "[Advantage of conversion of a uretero-ileostomy to a continent reservoir].", "content": "The authors refer their own experience in conversion of incontinent urinary diversion to a continent one. In 6 patients with ureteroileostomy they constructed continent reservoir. Reservoirs were formed from isolated ileocecal segment of the intestine together with the previous ileal loop. Continence was ensured by construction of a valve by method of ileal intussusception. After operation patients were followed-up clinically, biochemically and urodynamically, their subjective feelings and objective findings were analysed. Serious early or late complications were not registered during follow-up."}
{"id": "PMID:1480985", "title": "[An uncommon cause of testalgia].", "content": "Ten men aged 30-55 years suffered for many years from unilateral testalgia without subjective vertebrogenic complaints, and comprehensive urological examination did not reveal the cause of pain. Detailed functional examination of the spine revealed in all patients homolateral blocks of the Th-L transition, in nine men spasms of the musculus psoas, in five moreover a block of the SI synchondrosis on the same side. After a single or repeated release of the block the testalgias receded."}
{"id": "PMID:1480986", "title": "[A single-stage reconstruction in hypospadias using a vascularized preputial flap].", "content": "The authors submit an account of their experience with a modern method of reconstruction of hypospadias connected with the chorda. In 31 boys (10 months to 15 years) they used for reconstruction of the urethra a flap from the prepuce with a preserved vascular stalk, as described by Duckett. In the majority they transferred a double flap (\"double face\") where the outer sheath of the prepuce was used to cover the ventral side of the penis. In three boys the authors performed their own modification of this plastic operation. Complications developed in 12 boys (38.7%): stricture of the proximal anastomosis of the urethra (6), stricture of the meatus (1), necrosis of the skin cover (4), dehiscence (1). An open operation had to be made in the last five patients (16.1%). In all children excellent functional and aesthetic results were achieved. The above plastic operation is indicated in penile and penoscrotal hypospadias with chorda. It is a single stage operation. Due to the use of vascularized tissue and the microsurgical technique it is possible to perform a definite reconstruction of the external genitalia already by the age of one year."}
{"id": "PMID:1480987", "title": "[Drug-induced urolithiasis caused by N4-acetylsulfamethoxazole (Biseptol) and oxolinic acid (Desurol)].", "content": "The authors describe rare types of drug-induced urolithiasis in two female patients (N4-acetylsulfamethoxazole--a Biseptol metabolite and oxolinic acid--Desurol). To improve the diagnosis of drug induced urolithiasis the authors recommend a combination of microscopic methods and infrared spectroscopy. They findings are documented by photographs and infrared absorption spectra."}
{"id": "PMID:1480988", "title": "[Cystic lesions of the prostate--diagnosis, therapy and clinical significance].", "content": "The authors present an account of results of examinations in 162 patients with cancer of the prostate, benign hyperplasia of the prostate, inflammatory diseases of the prostate and patients with a normal finding on palpation of the prostate. The patients were subjected to clinical, laboratory, histopathological and transrectal ultrasonography of the prostate. In one patient a CT examination of the prostate was made. In the group were seven patients with cystic prostate lesions (4.3%). In the group of patients with inflammatory diseases of the prostate they observed cystic changes in five patients (14.2%). The most important group was formed by two patients with abscesses of the prostate and one patient with an ascended utriculus prostaticus. Transrectal ultrasonography of the prostate was the supreme method for the diagnosis of cystic prostate lesions."}
{"id": "PMID:1480989", "title": "[Ureteroscopy in the treatment of ureterolithiasis].", "content": "After establishment of endourological methods at our University Urological Department we have treated 36 ureteral stones in 34 patients since January 91 until April 92. Through retrograde (23) and antegrade (13) access we have successfully treated almost all calculi with the exception of one (where we hadn't been able to pass through reimplanted ureteral orificium). We have introduced double J stent in 90% patients after procedure and discharged them 3 days postoperatively on average. We have had no serious complication. Ureteroscopy with stone disintegration possibility has enabled us almost to leave open surgery in those cases, lower morbidity and shorten time spent in the hospital significantly."}
{"id": "PMID:1480990", "title": "[Seminal vesical abscess-diagnosis and therapy].", "content": "The authors present case-histories of two patients with abscesses of the seminal vesicles. They emphasize the asset of transrectal ultrasonographic examination for the early diagnosis of an abscess of the seminal vesicles. Antibiotic therapy, puncture of the seminal vesicles and evacuation of pus proved effective therapeutic methods."}
{"id": "PMID:1480991", "title": "[The effect of extracorporeal shock-wave lithotripsy on renal function].", "content": "Using the method of phase scintigraphy, the authors examined 48 patients who were treated by means of extracorporeal shock-wave lithotripsy. The authors proved at the 5% of significance that the development or deterioration of renal functions does not depend on the localization of the concrement and the number of shock-waves needed for disintegration. The authors confirmed the significant effect of the size of concrement on the lesion of renal function--all stones larger than 30 mm lead in 100% to a varying deviation, as compared with the examination made before extracorporeal shock-wave lithotripsy. Obesity has also a significant effect on the development or deterioration of lesions of renal function. From the total number of patients where after lithotripsy a lesion of renal function developed or deteriorated 70.6% were obese! After 24 months in two patients deterioration of the condition, as compared with the initial state, was proved."}
{"id": "PMID:1481060", "title": "[Giant cell arteritis of the arteries of the arm. Diagnosis, surgical indications and choice of procedure].", "content": "At autopsy, affection of the aortic arch and of the arm arteries is found in about 70% of patients with giant cell arteritis. Symptoms occur in only about 5% of them. Arteriography often shows typical spindle-shaped stenoses or tapered occlusions of the diseased vessels. Arterial stenoses are successfully treated with corticosteroids. In case of chronic occlusion, however, ischemia-induced symptoms may necessitate an operation. Endarterectomy should be preferred to bypass procedures. Subsequent long-term corticosteroid treatment should be instituted in order to treat the underlying disease, and to prevent reocclusions."}
{"id": "PMID:1481116", "title": "[Prognostic factors and results after the combined surgical and radiotherapy treatment of ependymomas].", "content": "Between 1978 and 1991, 31 patients with primary (n = 28) and recurrent (n = 3) ependymoma received external radiation after initial surgery. There were 26 cases of intracranial and five cases of spinal ependymoma. Histological grading revealed low-grade in 23 and high-grade tumors in eight patients. Craniospinal irradiation was given to 13 of 28 patients, whole cranial radiation with boost to posterior fossa in three and local treatment to twelve patients. Six of 28 patients received chemotherapy. Dose to the primary, tumor localisation, grading and extend of surgery did not significantly impact on survival and relapse-free survival. Age was a marginally significant prognostic factor for survival. In patients with intracranial ependymoma (n = 24) survival and relapse-free survival at five years were 54% and 42%, respectively. Patterns of recurrence showed a local recurrence alone in eight, a CNS-relapse with local recurrence in four and local recurrence with distant metastases in one case. Spinal seeding occurred in two of 13 after craniospinal irradiation and two of twelve patients after local treatment. The main problem in the treatment of ependymoma remains local control, the use of spinal irradiation does not seem to improve treatment results."}
{"id": "PMID:1481117", "title": "[Atypical fractionation in advanced squamous-cell carcinomas of the head-neck area].", "content": "From May 1990 to May 1991, 23 patients with advanced, inoperable squamous cell cancers, clinically staged as III or IV, were treated by unconventional fractionation radiotherapy. Treatment consisted of a continuous hyperfractionated accelerated radiotherapy, delivering a total dose of 55.3 Gy within 17 consecutive days. In ten patients radiation therapy was combined with chemotherapy; 20 mg mitomycin C/m2, administered by intravenous bolus injection on day 5 of treatment. Apart from a confluent mucositis, treatment tolerance was good. Haematological toxicity from mitomycin C was minor and did not require any specific therapy. The mucosal reaction lasted six weeks (median duration) and was not thought to be increased by additional chemotherapy. In twelve of 23 patients a complete remission of the primary tumour was seen, in patients with lymph node metastases there was a complete response in 14 out of 20 patients. After a median follow-up of 18 months, ten of 23 patients have survived (8/23 without evidence of disease). Eleven patients have died due to local tumour progression and one patient died with distant metastases, being without evidence of local tumour. The advantage of this unconventional fractionation, which takes the described short potential tumour doubling time for head and neck cancers into account, is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1481118", "title": "Advantage of three-dimensional treatment planning for localized radiotherapy of early stage prostatic cancer.", "content": "Conventional two-dimensional (2-d) treatment planning was compared to three-dimensional (3-d) treatment planning for patients with prostatic carcinoma. Both types of treatment planning were performed for all ten patients with five fixed fields. In 3-d planning we used irregular shaped fields. For further evaluation we performed conventional planning in rotation technique in two patients. The target volume included prostate, seminal vesicles and a surrounding security margin of 2 cm. Using the MPR-version of the MEVAPLAN planning system, the three-dimensional dose calculations were performed. For the volumes of interest (VOI's) we discussed quality of the dose distribution concerning homogeneity in the target volume and isodose distribution in the organs at risk, which are the rectum and the urinary bladder. We defined the tumor encompassing reference isodose (ca. 95%) for the calculation of the involved rectum- and bladder volume. Using the five-field technique our results show a reduction of the radiation related rectum- and bladder volume concerning the tumor encompassing reference isodose (ca. 95%) for the rectum in between 9.5 and 36.6% (median: 19%, n = 10) and for the urinary bladder in between 15.7 and 47.8% (median: 28%, n = 10). Calculated for 80% of the reference isodose the difference for the rectum was 15.7 to 31.3% (median: 23%) and for the urinary bladder 24.5 to 56.7% (median: 42%). A significant reduction of radiation related side-effects concerning rectum and urinary bladder can be expected by a reduction of volume involvement and a consecutive dosage limitation."}
{"id": "PMID:1481119", "title": "Visualization of 3-D treatment plans with fast neutrons.", "content": "The treatment planning for radiotherapy with fast neutrons requires modifications of the planning systems used for photons. The neutron- and photon-component of the treatment fields must be determined and can then be used for separate calculations. The corrections for inhomogeneities are performed by use of attenuation coefficients and the corresponding corrections for changes in the kerma. The treatment planning system MEVAPLAN (Siemens) was modified to follow these requirements. Thus treatment planning for 14 MeV DT-neutrons could be performed. The multiplanar option is used to calculate 3D-dose distributions based on up to 40 serial CT slices. The generated three-dimensional dose matrix and the CT data are transferred via magnetic tape to the visualization system VOXEL-MAN developed at the University Hospital of Hamburg. This system uses a ray casting algorithm based on the generalized Voxel-model to display detailed 3D-images of human anatomy together with the calculated dose distribution. Different treatment plans for neutrons and photons are calculated and visualized. Various manipulations of the data-sets are displayed to improve the critical examination of the simulated dose distribution and to discern the quality of treatment techniques."}
{"id": "PMID:1481120", "title": "[The improved determination of the dose rate in irregular photon fields].", "content": "A revised formula for calculation of dose per time or monitor unit (\"dose rate\") of irregular megavoltage photon beams is proposed. The formula considers additionally the shading by secondary shieldings of the plane source describing the scattered radiation in the head. Therefore, in addition to the primary output factor C(ac) as function of the equivalent square ac x ac of the collimator field size a secondary output factor S(as) is introduced denoted as function of the equivalent square as x as of the irregular field. S is determined using a satellite diaphragm formed of shielding blocks in combination with a totally opened collimator. In this definition, S includes both the effects of radiation scattered in tissue (phantom scatter factor PSF) and of missing photons from the plane source by the blocks (satellite diaphragm factor SAT). In the usual formula to calculate the \"dose rate\" (output) at reference point in depth t, PSF is replaced by S: D = D0 x C(ac) x [PSF(as)/PSF(ac)] x T x R(as,t). There T is representing the block tray factor and R(as,t) the tissue phantom ratio or relative depth dose, depending on the irradiation technique used. Thus the modified formula is given by D = D0 x C(ac) x [S(as)/S(ac)] x T x R(as,t). Measurements show that the revised formula provides an additional precision of up to 2% in the calculation of dose, depending on the type of accelerator respectively on the size of the plane source of scattered radiation."}
{"id": "PMID:1481121", "title": "[Radiobiological research to optimize high-dose-rate afterloading therapy with Ir-192 in extragenital tumors].", "content": "Since the introduction of the high-dose rate afterloading therapy a higher biological effectivity of this method has been well known in comparison with the low-dose contact therapy. This will practically taken into account by reducing the dose and more fractionating of the total dose. With our test we want: firstly to prove the influence of the therapy break on the duration of the radiation reaction. Secondly we want to prove the influence of the dose rate on the efficiency of the radiation reaction. We have tried to answer the question by the animal model guinea pig skin. We examined early reactions as well late reactions."}
{"id": "PMID:1481122", "title": "The effect of endotoxin on preirradiated mice.", "content": "Adult male mice were given a whole body irradiation with non-lethal doses of 2.5 or 5 Gy. Unirradiated animals served as controls. The animals (including controls) received a single injection of endotoxin (LPS from Salmonella abortus equi) with doses of 100, 200 or 400 micrograms one day up to one year after irradiation. Twelve, 24 or 48 hours after lipopolysaccharide (LPS) application the animals were killed and dissected. Animals which died spontaneously were also examined. Liver, lung, kidney, small intestine, and stomach were histologically investigated. The histological findings showed, that differences exist between irradiated and unirradiated mice and that the cause of death is also different for animals dying spontaneously. The investigations have shown that after irradiation phases of different degrees of sensitivity with regard to the endotoxin response exist. This behaviour can be observed by different lethality rates or in the light of the histological results. Moreover, the histological findings have shown, that distinct regenerative changes occur first of all in the liver, in the mucosa of small intestine, and the gastric mucosa, in which the number of differentiated cells compared with the mitotic active cells is reduced. It can be ascertained, that a whole body irradiation with 2.5 to 5 Gy enhances an additional injury by endotoxin weeks to months later. Contrary to this a preirradiation a few days before endotoxin application leads to a \"protection\" against the efficacy of endotoxin. These findings can be explained by modes of action described in literature, according to which endotoxins induce the formation of highly active mediators especially the tumor necrosis factor."}
{"id": "PMID:1481123", "title": "Post-irradiation protective effect of irsogladine maleate on intestinal crypt stem cells in mice.", "content": "Radioprotective effect of irsogladine maleate, an anti-ulcer drug, on the intestinal crypt stem cell survival was studied in mice using a crypt microcolony assay. Irsogladine maleate was injected intraperitoneally immediately after irradiation and then, daily for three days. A successive administration of the drug following 10 Gy of irradiation increased the survival of intestinal stem cells with a clear dose-related trend. In order to estimate the D0, survival curves were determined for X-ray plus placebo and X-ray plus 10 mg/kg of irsogladine maleate. The D0, for X-ray plus the drug was 2.2 Gy while it was 1.9 Gy for X-ray plus placebo. These findings suggest that isogladine maleate can be applied for the alleviation of intestinal damages in heavily irradiated people by radiation accidents."}
{"id": "PMID:1481124", "title": "[Brain scintigraphy (SPECT) with thallium-201 in primary brain tumors].", "content": "We evaluated the role of thallium-201 single-photon emission-computed tomography (SPECT) in diagnosis, differential diagnosis and follow-up of 33 patients with primary brain tumors. 27 of 33 lesions were detectable by Tl-201 SPECT because only two of eight low-grade (grade 1 and 2) astrocytomas showed Tl-201 accumulation up to a tumor to nontumor ratio of 2.6. High grade (grade 3 and 4) astrocytomas showed Tl-201 accumulation in the range of 2.2 up to 13.0 and were different from low-grade astrocytomas. Noninvasive grading of astrocytomas is therefore possible, whereas differential diagnosis of oligodendrogliomas and astrocytomas or meningiomas was not possible with Tl-201. In the follow-up of six patients, we could demonstrate, that tumor progression is correlated with increasing and tumor regression with decreasing Tl-201 accumulations. This functional changing proceed morphological findings in CT. But vanishing of Tl-201 accumulation during therapy does not mean vanishing of tumor as could be demonstrated by follow-up."}
{"id": "PMID:1481125", "title": "The use of a bone lid to close the anterior wall defect after surgery in the maxillary sinus.", "content": "Surgery was performed in the maxillary sinus with restoration of the surgical defect in the anterior wall with a resutured bone-lid, in 12 patients with an average age of 45 years, the technique is described and evaluated clinically and radiographically (computed tomography). During the followup time of 1-4 years, the condition of the maxillary sinus was normalized. It is our opinion that the bone-lid technique for maxillary sinus surgery is useful, especially when good overview and access is necessary."}
{"id": "PMID:1481126", "title": "Masticatory efficiency in individuals with natural dentition.", "content": "51 healthy dentate subjects aged between 20 and 60 years were evaluated with regard to their masticatory efficiency using a sieving test. A subjective evaluation of difficulty in chewing different kinds of food was also obtained by means of a questionnaire. The occlusal and restorative status were assessed using specific indices. The masticatory efficiency was shown to be lower with increasing age 20-39 years, mean = 39.8 and 40-60 years, mean = 27.1, respectively (p < 0.05). Males had a statistically significantly higher masticatory efficiency index than females. Multiple regression analysis showed that age, sex, the number of occluding teeth and the orthodontic treatment need index can predict half the variance in masticatory efficiency. It is concluded that it is more appropriate to describe masticatory efficiency with an average value for different age groups."}
{"id": "PMID:1481127", "title": "Pubertal growth and maturity pattern in early and late maturers. A prospective longitudinal study of Swedish urban children.", "content": "Pubertal growth in height and the pattern of skeletal and pubertal development were studied in early and late maturers of each sex. The growth rate in height in relation to age at peak height velocity was found to be significantly greater in early maturers of both sexes from at least 7 years before to 2 years after PHV. The peak height was greater in early than in late maturers, the difference being statistically significant in boys only. The amount of growth during the pubertal growth spurt was significantly greater in the early maturers of each sex. The lag periods between the occurrence of maturity indicators of skeletal and pubertal development in relation to age at peak height velocity differed between early and late maturers. The maturity indicators occurred earlier in relation to PHV in the late maturer of each sex."}
{"id": "PMID:1481128", "title": "The validity of estimated age in rural Pakistani children based on interviews with mothers and tooth counts of primary teeth.", "content": "Assessment of chronological age in children aged 6-30 months was made by obtaining information from uneducated rural Pakistani mothers and by means of counting the number of emerged primary teeth. There was found no statistically significant difference in the validity in age assessment between two methods. The average difference between true chronological age and perceived age was -0.8 months (SD 2.5 months) in boys, and 0.9 months (SD 3.9 months) in girls. The average difference between true chronological age and dental age was -0.4 months (SD 3.5 months) in boys, and 0.8 months (SD 4.8 months) in girls."}
{"id": "PMID:1481129", "title": "Conservative treatment methods in craniomandibular disorder.", "content": "Conservative methods should be a basic treatment principle in CMD. In spite of similar signs and symptoms, the etiology may vary and treatment should, if possible, be directed towards the cause, but the management may often just be mitigating. Counselling may be crucial. Occlusal appliances of different design obviously influence the muscular activity significantly but equilibration may include a strong placebo effect. While relaxation is incompletely investigated, biofeedback seem possibly effective. The application of physical medicine procedures is almost entirely empirically based. Experience from other areas also motivates pharmacotherapy in CMD while intra-articular injections seem reasonably well founded. Investigations of pain-alleviating methods like TENS and acupuncture, though sometimes promising, are often uncontrolled. Manipulation, even if effective, may not necessarily be a \"disc recapturing\" manoeuvre. The results of conservative treatment for joint clicking seem unpredictable and long-term results of treatment with repositioning splints are not encouraging. A need for well-controlled, randomised clinical studies in diagnostic subgroups and controls has been expressed. Although most patients with CMD can be successfully treated with different conservative methods, often with remarkably similar results, other options must be considered for some."}
{"id": "PMID:1481130", "title": "Salivary levels of lactobacilli, buffer capacity and salivary flow rate related to caries activity among adults in communities with optimal and low water fluoride concentrations.", "content": "In several human studies, scientists have sought to elucidate the connection between caries activity, high levels of lactobacilli, low buffer capacity and a low salivary flow rate, separately or in combinations. The aims of the study were to investigate if there was a difference in caries activity among adults in optimal versus low fluoride areas. It was further investigated if this difference was related to high lactobacilli levels, low buffer capacity and low salivary flow rate, separately or in combination. Finally, it was analysed if the lactobacilli levels were lower in an area with optimal fluoride water concentration. The study is based on clinical examinations of 30-40 year olds who all their lives had drunk water with a fluoride concentration representative for the community. 260 individuals living in the optimal fluoride area and 236 from the low fluoride area are included in the study. The results show a caries activity significantly lower among those in the optimal fluoride area. It is also shown that these differences can not be explained by differences in lactobacilli levels, buffer capacity and salivary flow, neither separately nor in combination. The fluoride concentration in the drinking water is wholly decisive. No difference in lactobacilli levels between optimal and low fluoride areas were demonstrable in this study."}
{"id": "PMID:1481131", "title": "An individual training programme for speeding up prolonged oral sugar clearance in hospitalized elderly patients. A pilot study.", "content": "The aim of this pilot study was to evaluate an individual programme for speeding up prolonged oral sugar clearance in hospitalised elderly patients. Six patients at a university hospital for geriatric medicine, aged 67-85 years, completed a 6-week study. Every second week one of the authors gave: 1) information on the importance of oral sugar clearance for oral health, 2) instruction in oral hygiene, and 3) professional tooth cleaning. Moreover, the staff responsible for each patient provided 1) massage and training of the lips, cheeks and tongue shortly before each main meal, 3 times daily, 2) supervision of chewing on a sugar-free chewing gum for at least 20 min, 4 times daily, and 3) support and encouragement of the patients throughout the day. Salivary glucose clearance was measured both sublingually and vestibularly in the lower jaw after chewing a glucose tablet and after a mouth rinse with 10% glucose solution. There was a clear tendency that the oral sugar clearance was reduced after the 6-week period and some of the reductions in the clearance variables were statistically significant. All patients, especially those suffering from cerebral haemorrhage, reported an improved ability to chew while proceeding with the programme, which was also confirmed by the staff. The main conclusion from this pilot study is therefore that it might be possible to speed up prolonged oral sugar clearance in elderly hospitalised patients using an individual training programme."}
{"id": "PMID:1481132", "title": "Some factors influencing the quantity of prosthodontic treatment performed by general practitioners in public dental service.", "content": "For general dentists in public dental service, Orebro county, the numbers of artificial crowns, pontics, RPD:s and CRD:s produced in 1989 were studied in relation to some background factors. The dentist-related factors were: gender, time in profession, working time per week, and place of graduation. Factors related to dental clinics were: location of the clinic, general prosthodontic activity at the clinic. Multiple regression analyses were used. Two different patterns were found; one for fixed prosthodontics, another for removable prosthodontics. Prosthodontic activity at the clinic, the male sex, and (inversely) time in profession were significantly associated with high production of artificial crowns and pontics. The regression models for removable prosthodontics showed no significance."}
{"id": "PMID:1481133", "title": "Mutans streptococci, lactobacilli and caries prevalence in 15 to 16-year olds in G\u00f6teborg. Part II.", "content": "During the fall of 1987 one hundred and fifty-five 15 to 16-year-olds were examined with regard to caries prevalence, saliva secretion rate and salivary numbers of mutans streptococci and lactobacilli. In 15% of the subjects no mutans streptococci were detected, while 17.7% carried > 10(6) colony forming units (cfu) per ml saliva. The median value was 1.8 x 10(5) cfu per ml saliva. No lactobacilli were detected in 19% of the subjects and 14.3% had > 10(5) cfu per ml saliva. The mean caries prevalence was 21.0, of these 14.1 were incipient lesions. Increased numbers of mutans streptococci and lactobacilli were associated with increasing caries prevalence. Subjects with high numbers of both microorganisms showed about 4 times higher mean caries prevalence than those with low numbers. Streptococcus sobrinus carriers (15%) had both higher mean caries prevalence and a higher proportion of subjects with > 10(6) cfu mutans streptococci per ml saliva than was found in the whole group."}
{"id": "PMID:1481134", "title": "Both phasic sensory stimulation and tonic pharmacological activation increase Fos-like immunoreactivity in the rat locus coeruleus.", "content": "Neuronal activation increases levels of Fos protein, the product of the early immediate gene c-fos. Since most studies used stimuli that evoke sustained elevations in activity; the present study examined Fos-like immunoreactivity (Fos-LI) in the nucleus locus coeruleus (LC). Halothane-anesthetized rats were given either footshock to elicit phasic activation of LC neurons or yohimbine (10 mg/kg, i.p.) to induce a tonic increase in firing. Both treatments markedly increased Fos-LI in a subpopulation of LC neurons. These results demonstrate that c-fos induction does not require high tonic levels of neuronal activity and that Fos-LI may underestimate the proportion of LC neurons neurophysiologically activated by a given stimulus and suggest that factors beyond neuronal activity per se contributes to c-fos expression."}
{"id": "PMID:1481135", "title": "LHRH neurons in the medial septal-diagonal band-preoptic area do not project directly to the hippocampus: a double-labeling immunohistochemical study.", "content": "While neurons containing immunoreactive luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) are scattered primarily in the medial septal-diagonal band of Broca-medial preoptic area (mS-dbB-PO) complex, autoradiographic studies have demonstrated dense concentrations of LHRH receptors in the hippocampus. The route by which LHRH is transported to its hippocampal receptors is unknown. The present study was designed to test the hypothesis that LHRH-containing neurons in the mS-dbB-PO complex project to hippocampal sites containing LHRH receptors, thereby serving as a source of innervation to these receptors. Large (0.10 microliters) or small (0.02 microliters) volumes of the retrograde tracer wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) were injected unilaterally into four separate hippocampal locations in six ovariectomized female rats. In an additional five females, a 0.15 microliter volume of the retrograde tracer fluorogold (FG) was similarly injected. After a five day survival period, the animals were sacrificed. Vibratome sections of the brain were stained for both WGA and LHRH with a dual immunohistochemical technique. Since FG is a fluorescent chromagen, brains of animals injected with FG only required processing for LHRH immunofluorescence. As a positive control, some sections containing retrogradely labeled cells filled with either WGA or FG were processed for choline acetyltransferase (CHAT) immunoreactivity. The WGA and FG injections covered targeted hippocampal sites and neurons containing retrogradely transported WGA or FG were found in abundance in the mS-dbB-PO complex. In accord with previous reports, many CHAT-positive and fewer LHRH-positive neurons were found in this complex. Approximately 5-10% of the CHAT-positive neurons also contained WGA or FG; however, no neurons were found to co-localize LHRH and either of the retrograde tracers. The results indicate that LHRH neurons in the mS-dbB-PO complex do not project directly to hippocampal sites containing LHRH receptors."}
{"id": "PMID:1481136", "title": "Distribution of cocaine recognition sites in monkey brain: II. Ex vivo autoradiography with [3H]CFT and [125I]RTI-55.", "content": "CFT [WIN 35,428, 2 beta-carbomethoxy-3 beta-(4-fluorophenyl)tropane] and its 4-iodinated analog RTI-55 have been proposed as imaging probes for cocaine recognition sites and for dopamine transporters. The central and peripheral distribution of radiolabeled forms of these compounds was studied 30 minutes after intravenous administration in squirrel monkey (Saimiri sciureus). Quantitative ex vivo autoradiography of brain tissue sections from animals receiving [3H]CFT (2.5 nmol/kg) revealed radioligand distribution primarily in dopamine-rich brain regions, and treatment with cocaine or mazindol substantially reduced [3H]CFT accumulation. The caudate nucleus, putamen, and nucleus accumbens/olfactory tubercle accumulated the highest levels of [3H]CFT, and within the caudate nucleus, medial-to-lateral and anterior-to-posterior gradients were observed. Low levels of [3H]CFT were found in the cortex, thalamus, hypothalamus, and background levels in white matter and in the cerebellum (striatal:cerebellar ratio > 3). The in vivo distribution of [3H]CFT closely paralleled its in vitro distribution (Synapse, 9:177-187). Although [125I]RTI-55 (0.2 nmol/kg) also distributed to dopamine-rich brain regions (striatal: cerebellar ratio of 3.6), high levels also were detected in cortex, thalamus, and in midbrain/brainstem structures. In the periphery, [125I]RTI-55 accumulation, measured as percent of administered dose, was higher than [3H]CFT in liver and lung, respectively. Of the radioactivity detected in soluble extracts of striatum, liver, and lung, greater than 90% comigrated with [3H]CFT or [125I]RTI-55 standards. The results support the hypothesis that dopamine-rich brain regions may be relevant to the effects of cocaine, and that both CFT and RTI-55 may be suitable imaging probes for these sites."}
{"id": "PMID:1481137", "title": "Reduction of GABAB inhibitory postsynaptic potentials by serotonin via pre- and postsynaptic mechanisms in CA3 pyramidal cells of rat hippocampus in vitro.", "content": "The action of serotonin (5-HT) on GABAergic synaptic transmission was investigated with intracellular recordings in CA3 pyramidal cells of rat hippocampal slices. Local application of 5-HT (500 microM) hyperpolarized CA3 pyramidal cells, decreased cellular input resistance, and reduced slow afterhyperpolarizations. Serotonin attenuated the late (GABAB) component of polysynaptic inhibitory postsynaptic potentials (IPSPs; 47% of control) without affecting the early (GABAA) component. During bath application of the excitatory amino acid antagonists 6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione (CNQX) (20 microM) and 2-amino-5-phosphonovalerate (AP-5) (40 microM), 5-HT similarly decreased the amplitude of the late (GABAB) component (17% of control) of monosynaptic IPSPs but did not affect the early (GABAA) component. The mean reversal potentials of poly- and monosynaptic IPSPs were unaffected by 5-HT. The conductance increases associated with the late component of poly- and monosynaptic IPSPs were reduced by 5-HT. Hyperpolarizing responses evoked in CA3 pyramidal cells by somatic applications of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) were unaffected by 5-HT. During bath application of bicuculline (20-50 microM), hyperpolarizing responses elicited by dendritic GABA application were reduced by 5-HT (71% of control). The effect of 5-HT on these direct GABAB hyperpolarizations (29% decrease in response) does not appear sufficient to fully account for the effect of 5-HT on late GABAB IPSPs (53-83% decrease in response). Therefore, 5-HT may reduce GABAB IPSPs in CA3 pyramidal cells 1) by a postsynaptic action on pyramidal cells and 2) by a selective presynaptic action on GABAergic interneurons mediating the GABAB IPSP. This presynaptic action of 5-HT does not appear to involve excitatory afferents onto inhibitory interneurons."}
{"id": "PMID:1481138", "title": "Involvement of the nigrotectal and nigrothalamic pathways in kappa opioid-induced circling.", "content": "The relationship between kappa opioid-induced movement and output stations of the substantia nigra pars reticulata (SNpr) was examined using the rodent circling model. Contralateral rotation produced by intranigral microinjection of the kappa opiate U50,488 was lower in animals with ibotenic acid lesions of either the ipsilateral ventromedial thalamus or superior colliculus than in control animals without lesions. These results suggest that endogenous kappa opioids in the SNpr may influence movement through actions on the nigrothalamic and nigrotectal pathways. In contrast, animals with ipsilateral lesions of the striatum showed an increase in circling relative to controls, possibly due to kappa receptor supersensitivity in the SNpr."}
{"id": "PMID:1481139", "title": "Sigma receptors are associated with cortical limbic areas in the primate brain.", "content": "Putative sigma receptors are a current target for antipsychotic drug development. Novel antipsychotic agents which possess selective and high affinity for sigma binding sites may serve as an alternative to the principal neuroleptic drugs currently in clinical use which mediate extrapyramidal side effects and dyskinesias through their blockade of dopamine receptors. We have used in vitro autoradiography to localize putative sigma receptors labelled with (+)-[3H]-3-(3-hydroxyphenyl)-N-(1-propyl)piperidine [(+)-[3H]-3-PPP] in the brain of the rhesus macaque. The binding characteristics of (+)-[3H]-3-PPP in the primate brain were comparable to those previously described in the rodent. Saturation analysis demonstrated a single class of sites in cerebellar and hippocampal membranes with a Kd value of 28 nM. Sigma receptors labeled with (+)-[3H]-3-PPP in the primate brain displayed the appropriate rank order of potency and stereoselectivity in competition binding assays. Haloperidol displaced (+)-[3H]-3-PPP binding in the low nanomolar range, and the (+) isomer of pentazocine was 50-fold more potent than (-) pentazocine. Computerized densitometric analysis of the autoradiograms demonstrated a striking enrichment of sigma binding sites over the paralimbic belt cortices, including the orbitofrontal, cingulate, insular, parahippocampal, and temporopolar gyri. Peak densities of sigma receptors were seen over the medial and central nuclei of the amygdala and were widely distributed within the hippocampal formation. Sigma binding sites densities were elevated over the suprachiasmatic and supraoptic nuclei of the hypothalamus. Moderate sigma receptor densities were observed over the ventromedial sectors of the caudate and the putamen. Sigma receptors were also elevated over autonomic relay nuclei of the brainstem, including the nucleus of the solitary tract and the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus. The distribution of sigma receptors in the primate brain suggests that the paralimbic belt cortices, amygdala, hippocampus, hypothalamus, and autonomic relay nuclei of the brainstem may be interrelated by a topographic chemical linkage. The autoradiographic visualization of sigma receptor distributions in the primate brain provides further support for a role of sigma receptor mechanisms in the functions of the limbic system."}
{"id": "PMID:1481140", "title": "Systemic and microiontophoretic administration of morphine differentially effect ventral pallidum/substantia innominata neuronal activity.", "content": "In vivo electrophysiological recording techniques were employed to examine responses of ventral pallidum/substantia innominata (VP/SI) neurons to systemic and local administration of morphine. Using a cumulative dosing protocol, intravenous administration (0.1-30 mg/kg i.v.) produced a suppression of firing in 82% of neurons tested. The suppression was dose-related and blocked by the opioid antagonist, naloxone. In contrast, microiontophoretic applications of morphine resulted in current-related suppression (32% of neurons tested) or excitation (26%). Concurrent application of naloxone attenuated or blocked both effects of local morphine application. It was demonstrated that acute tolerance did not develop with repeated morphine exposures following either systemic or local administration. The present findings establish the sensitivity of VP/SI neurons to morphine and provide functional relevance at the level of a single neuron for opioid peptides and their receptors in this region. As reported for most other opioid-receptive brain areas, neuronal rate suppression was the predominate response observed, and it is proposed that excitations to iontophoresed morphine reflect a disinhibitory phenomenon. The differential morphine-induced rate changes, and number of responding neurons, observed with systemic vs. iontophoretic morphine administration suggest that extra-VP/SI regions that also are opioid sensitive can subsequently direct neuronal responsiveness to opioids within the VP/SI."}
{"id": "PMID:1481141", "title": "Comparative PET studies of the kinetics and distribution of cocaine and cocaethylene in baboon brain.", "content": "Recent studies have suggested that cocaethylene, an active metabolite of cocaine found in blood and postmortem brain of individuals self-administering cocaine and alcohol, may play a role in the increased toxicity seen when coadministering these 2 drugs. We have used positron emission tomography (PET) and carbon-11 (t1/2:20.4 min) labeled cocaine and cocaethylene to compare the short-term kinetics of cocaine and cocaethylene in baboon brain. The regional uptake of [11C]cocaine cocaethylene in baboon brain. The regional uptake of [11C]cocaine ([11C]COC) and [11C]cocaethylene ([11C]CE), 5-8 mCi and 4-6 micrograms, in baboon brain (n = 7) were similar but clearance from whole brain (global, GL) and from striatum (SR), thalamus (TH), and cerebellum (CB) was slower for cocaethylene. Steady-state distribution volumes (DV) were not significantly different in the striatum but were greater for cocaethylene in the thalamus, cerebellum, and whole brain. Debenzoylation of cocaethylene proceeded at about one-third the rate of cocaine, as determined by in vitro incubation of labeled cocaethylene and labeled cocaine with baboon plasma and with purified horse butyryl-cholinesterase (EC 3.1.1.8). Even though the slower clearance of cocaethylene could lead to longer tissue exposures and potentially accentuated or different physiological effects relative to cocaine, the difference between the 2 drugs is not large. Thus it is more likely that the direct actions of cocaine and alcohol on some organs, rather than cocaethylene, account for this enhanced toxicity."}
{"id": "PMID:1481142", "title": "Alcohol intoxication does not change [11C]cocaine pharmacokinetics in human brain and heart.", "content": "There is increasing evidence that the combined use of cocaine and alcohol produces enhanced behavioral and toxic effects. We have used PET and tracer doses of [11C]cocaine in 7 normal human volunteers to assess if the distribution and clearance of cocaine are altered by alcohol intoxication. Each subject received 2 PET studies with [11C]cocaine (3-11 micrograms), one before and one during alcohol intoxication (1 g/kg). Regions of interest included the brain (n = 3) and heart (n = 4). Arterial plasma was assayed for unchanged cocaine and for labeled cocaethylene, a metabolite of cocaine found in individuals using cocaine and alcohol in combination (Hearn et al., 1991a). Alcohol intoxication did not change uptake and clearance or the steady-state distribution volume of [11C] cocaine in brain (striatum, thalamus, and cerebellum) or in heart. Moreover, labeled cocaethylene was not detected in the 10 minute plasma sample. These results suggest that the acute enhancement of behavior and toxicity associated with the combined use of cocaine and alcohol is not due to an alteration in cocaine's organ distribution or to cocaethylene formation but may be related to an additive effect resulting from the direct actions of each of these drugs."}
{"id": "PMID:1481143", "title": "In vivo studies of [125I]iodobenzamide and [11C]iodobenzamide: a ligand suitable for positron emission tomography and single photon emission tomography imaging of cerebral D2 dopamine receptors.", "content": "Iodobenzamide (IMB) labeled with either [11C] or [125I] was studied in mice and baboons. Pharmacological studies demonstrated an in vivo binding profile compatible with D2 dopamine receptors. Mouse biodistribution studies with both [11C]IMB and [125I]IMB showed a similar brain distribution of radioactivity. Mouse [125I]IMB studies with amphetamine and reserpine pretreatment suggested that IMB may be less susceptible to endogenous dopamine competition for D2 receptor binding in vivo as compared to raclopride. Preliminary baboon studies showed haloperidol competition for IMB binding sites."}
{"id": "PMID:1481169", "title": "Assortative mating and grandparental transmission facilitate the persistence of a sign language.", "content": "Conditions for the persistence (i.e., protection from loss) of a sign language are investigated assuming monogenic recessive inheritance of deafness, assortative mating for deafness or hearing, and cultural transmission of the sign language to deaf individuals from their deaf parents and deaf maternal grandparents. A new method is introduced to deal with the problem of grandparental transmission in which the basic variables are the frequencies of triplets comprising a mother, a father, and their daughter of permissible phenogenotypes. Usual stability analysis is then done on the system of linear recursions in the frequencies of these triplets, derived on the assumption that signers (users of the sign language) are rare. It is shown that assortative mating is the most important factor contributing to persistence, but that grandparental transmission can also have a significant effect when assortment is as strong as observed in England and the United States."}
{"id": "PMID:1481170", "title": "Survival enhancement through food sharing: a means for parental control of natal dispersal.", "content": "The value of food sharing among relatives is analyzed for a situation where fitness equals survival. In seasonal environments the minimum food abundance may set a limit to group living. Delayed dispersal is predicted to be linked to relaxed winter competition and high parental survival. Enhanced survival for the offspring when parents share food could be a sufficient reason to delay dispersal, while early dispersal in advance of food shortage periods may be induced by a competitive relationship. At low resource abundance dominant parents do best by being competitive and retaining all resources. For food abundance higher than the expected requirements food sharing with independent offspring is possible, although it has a non-zero cost. Food sharing parents still retain most of resources to themselves, but the resource share given to subordinate offspring gradually gets larger when food abundance increases. Except for at very low food abundance, where subordinates may adopt a \"suicidal\" behaviour and cede their resources to the dominant, there is a conflict over how to share the resources."}
{"id": "PMID:1481171", "title": "Some threshold and stability results for epidemic models with a density-dependent death rate.", "content": "Most classical models for infectious diseases assume that the birth and death rates of individuals and the meeting rates between susceptible and infected individuals do not depend on the total number of individuals in the population. While these assumptions are valid in some situations they are less valid in others. For example, for diseases in animal an insects populations competition for scarce resources might well mean that the death rate depends on the number of individuals. The present paper examines two epidemic models where the death rate is density dependent. For each model the possible equilibrium levels of disease incidence are determined and the stability of these equilibrium levels to small perturbations is discussed. The biological interpretation of these results is presented together with the results of some numerical simulations."}
{"id": "PMID:1481174", "title": "National survey of notifications of tuberculosis in England and Wales in 1988. Medical Research Council Cardiothoracic Epidemiology Group.", "content": "A survey was undertaken to determine the distribution of tuberculosis in England and Wales and, by comparison with the findings of similar surveys in 1978-9 and 1983, to study trends in the incidence of the disease by ethnic group over the decade. The survey included all cases of tuberculosis in England and Wales newly notified to the medical officers for environmental health during the six months from 2 January to 1 July 1988. Notification rates were calculated from population estimates from the 1988 Labour Force Survey. Clinical details were obtained from the clinician for 2149 (99.4%) of the 2163 newly notified and previously untreated patients. Over 90% were either white (53%) or of Indian, Pakistani, or Bangladeshi ethnic origin (39%). The notification rate in the white population was 4.7/100,000/year, a decline of 7.2% per year since 1978. The rate was 134.6/100,000/year in the population of Indian ethnic origin, and 100.5/100,000/year in that of Pakistani or Bangladeshi ethnic origin, a decline of 6% a year since 1978 for the two groups combined (standardised for age, country of birth, and length of time in the UK). In all ethnic groups rates of disease were much higher in the elderly than in the young. Bacteriological results were available in 1161 (80%) of the 1443 pulmonary cases. In 939 (81%) Mycobacterium tuberculosis was cultured; 614 cases (53%) also had positive smears, of which 424 (69%) were from white patients. Notification rates for tuberculosis in England and Wales declined over the decade, but major differences remained between ethnic groups."}
{"id": "PMID:1481175", "title": "Does a positive Heaf test reaction in Asian schoolchildren predict later breakdown of tuberculosis?", "content": "Some authorities advise giving prophylactic antituberculosis treatment to those with a grade 3 or 4 reaction to Heaf tests performed as part of the schools' BCG programme. This is not done in Leicestershire, which because of its large Asian population would require considerable resources to do so. A calculation of the \"breakdown\" rate, and thus the potential value of chemoprophylaxis, in these children would therefore be valuable. Lists of names of Asian children who had a grade 3 or 4 Heaf test reaction in 1982 and 1983 were compared with lists of notifications for the five years 1983 to 1987. Those who were on both lists were considered to have tuberculosis that had \"broken down.\" Of the 760 children with positive Heaf test reactions, only four were on the subsequent notification lists. The chest radiograph obtained because of the Heaf test result showed evidence of active tuberculosis in only three of these. Only one child had infection that \"broke down\" later. The benefit of chemoprophylaxis seems likely to be limited in these Asian children, most of whom had received BCG early in life."}
{"id": "PMID:1481176", "title": "Nucleolar organiser regions as a marker of growth rate in squamous cell carcinoma of the lung.", "content": "The numbers of nucleolar organiser regions (AgNORs) per cell has been considered as an indicator of the cellular proliferative activity. A study was carried out to examine whether AgNOR numbers relate to the growth rate in squamous cell carcinoma of the lung. AgNORs were stained by a one step silver method, and examined in representative paraffin sections from 45 cases of squamous cell carcinoma of the lung treated by surgical resection of the primary tumour. The mean (SD) AgNOR numbers per cell in squamous cell carcinomas (5.3 (0.9)) were significantly higher than those in normal bronchial epithelium (1.2 (0.1)). There was no statistical difference among tumours of different post-surgical stages (stage I = 5.2 (0.8), II = 5.9 (1.4), III A = 5.5 (1.3)). The tumour volume doubling time in these cases ranged from 74 to 208 days (120.7 (40.4)). There was a high inverse correlation between the AgNOR numbers and doubling time. The AgNOR numbers were related to the growth rate of squamous cell carcinoma of the lung. Thus the AgNOR count could be used as a useful marker for investigating the cellular proliferative activity."}
{"id": "PMID:1481177", "title": "Portable liquid oxygen and exercise ability in severe respiratory disability.", "content": "The development of portable liquid oxygen systems, capable of delivering high flow rate oxygen for long periods, justifies reassessment of the value of supplemental oxygen to aid exercise tolerance in patients with chronic respiratory insufficiency. The type of exercise test and the low oxygen flow rates previously used may account for the variable and often poor responses to supplemental oxygen reported in earlier studies. The walking tolerance of 30 patients with severe respiratory disability was measured while they were breathing air and increasing doses of supplemental oxygen (2, 4, 6 1/min) by using both the standard six minute walking test and an endurance walking test. To assess the initial learning effect and repeatability of the walking tests, three six minute walks and three endurance walks were performed on day 1 and a single walk of each type on days 2, 3, and 14. In addition, oxygen dosing studies were performed on days 2 and 3 after the initial baseline walking tests. Each dosing study comprised four endurance walking tests or four six minute walking tests with patients breathing either air at a flow rate of 4 1/min from a portable cylinder or supplemental oxygen at a flow rate of 2, 4 or 6 1/min from a portable liquid oxygen supply. The order of the tests was randomised. Walking distance with each flow rate of oxygen was compared with walking distance with patients carrying cylinder air and for the initial unburdened walks. Breathlessness was assessed by visual analogue scoring on completion of each walk. Exercise ability and breathlessness were significantly improved with supplemental oxygen and this benefit outweighed the reduction in performance resulting from carrying the portable device. Supplemental oxygen at flow rates of 2, 4, and 6 1/min increased mean endurance walking distances by 37.9%, 67.7% and 85.0% and six minute walking distances by 19.2%, 34.5%, and 36.3% by comparison with distances when the patient was carrying air with a flow rate of 4 1/min. The additional work of carrying the portable gas supply reduced endurance walking distance by 22.2% and six minute walking distance by 14.1% by comparison with a baseline unburdened walk. Comparison of supplemental oxygen at 2, 4, and 6 1/min with the baseline unburdened performance showed increased endurance walking distances of 7.3%, 30.4%, and 43.9% and six minute walking distances of 2.3%, 15.5%, and 17.0%. Walking distance was increased by more than 50% by comparison with an unburdened walk in seven patients with the endurance walking test but in only three patients with the six minute walking test. The benefit was similar in patients with obstructive and with interstitial lung disease. Individual responses were variable and only desaturation during the baseline walk in patients with obstructive lung disease had any predictive value for benefit with oxygen. As there was no clear relation between response to oxygen therapy and the patients' characteristics, assessment for supplemental oxygen therapy will depend on exercise testing. It is suggested that portable oxygen should be considered only if a patient shows a 50% improvement in exercise ability with high flow rate oxygen (4-6 1/min) by comparison with an unburdened walk."}
{"id": "PMID:1481178", "title": "Quantification of right to left shunt at rest and during exercise in patients with pulmonary arteriovenous malformations.", "content": "Current treatment of patients with pulmonary arteriovenous malformations requires serial embolisations by means of steel coils or balloons. Measurement of right to left shunt is the most specific index of response to treatment. A new method of measuring shunt has been developed that is less invasive than traditional methods. Right to left pulmonary shunt (expressed as percentage of cardiac output) was measured at rest in 19 patients with pulmonary arteriovenous malformations and six normal subjects by using intravenously injected albumin microspheres labelled with technetium-99m. The technique was compared with a simultaneous shunt measurement in subjects breathing 100% oxygen while they rested. The microsphere technique was adapted to measure the right to left shunt during exercise in 12 patients and five normal subjects with a new method of quantification. The mean (SD) shunt at rest as measured by the microsphere method was 23.2% (15.6%) in the patients and 2.7% (1.2%) in the normal subjects. When these values were compared with those of the 100% oxygen method the difference in mean values was 1% and the limits of agreement between the two methods -32% to +45%. The microsphere method is less invasive (arterial blood gas sampling is not required), quicker, and more comfortable for patients than the 100% oxygen method. In five of the normal subjects the mean (SD) 99mTc microsphere shunt increased from 2.9% (1.3%) at rest to 5.1% (2.9%) during exercise. In the 12 patients studied during exercise the shunt increased from 33.7% (12.7%) at rest to 41.7% (13.3%) during exercise in eight but decreased from 22.6% (2.4%) at rest to 17.6% (2.2%) during exercise in four. Arterial desaturation during exercise correlated with change in the size of the right to left shunt during exercise (r = +0.80). The microsphere method allows measurement of right to left shunt at rest and during exercise. Serial measurements at rest provide a simple, safe assessment of the physiological response to embolisation in patients with pulmonary arteriovenous malformations."}
{"id": "PMID:1481179", "title": "Inhaled frusemide and exercise induced asthma: evidence of a role for inhibitory prostanoids.", "content": "Inhaled frusemide protects subjects with asthma against a wide range of bronchoconstrictor challenges, including allergen, exercise and inhaled sodium metabisulphite. An investigation was designed to determine whether this protection is related to the production of inhibitory prostaglandins, such as prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), by studying the effect of the cyclooxygenase inhibitor indomethacin on the protection afforded by inhaled frusemide against exercise induced asthma. In a double blind crossover study 10 subjects with mild asthma were pretreated with indomethacin (50 mg thrice daily) or placebo capsules for three days; they then inhaled frusemide (40 mg) or placebo 10 minutes before an exercise test previously shown to cause a 20-30% fall in forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1). After inhalation of placebo exercise caused a similar maximum fall in FEV1 whether pretreatment was with placebo (26%) or indomethacin (25.2%). After inhalation of frusemide the maximum fall in FEV1 was reduced to 14.3% after placebo pretreatment and to 21.8% after indomethacin pretreatment; the difference between placebo and indomethacin pretreatment was significant (mean difference 7.5%, 95% limits 0.6%, 14.4%). The inhibitory effect of frusemide on the response to exercise, assessed as change in FEV1 over 30 minutes, was significantly greater with placebo (62%) than indomethacin (13%) pretreatment. These findings support a role for inhibitory prostanoids, such as PGE2, in the beneficial effects of frusemide as a protection against exercise induced asthma."}
{"id": "PMID:1481180", "title": "Circadian rhythm of peak expiratory flow in children passively exposed and not exposed to cigarette smoke.", "content": "Because airway calibre shows a circadian rhythm and since exposure to passive smoking reduced lung function this study was undertaken to investigate whether passive smoking affects the circadian rhythm of peak expiratory flow (PEF) in schoolchildren. Twenty schoolchildren (12 boys and 8 girls, aged 10-11 years) exposed to passive smoking were matched for sex, age, and height with 20 children who had not been exposed to cigarette smoke. Exposure to passive smoking was assessed by questionnaire and by urinary cotinine concentrations. A portable spirometer was used to measure PEF at 16:00, 20:00, 22:00, 06:00, 08:00, and 12:00 hours on a consecutive Saturday and Sunday. The circadian changes in PEF were measured by the cosinor method. Both groups showed diurnal fluctuation in PEF values with a noticeable circadian rhythm. PEF peaks were the same in the two groups and occurred around 15:00 hours. The cosinor mean was approximately 10% lower in children exposed to passive smoking and the amplitude was approximately 60% higher than in the unexposed children. Passive smoking in children is associated with a reduction in the cosinor mean and an increase in the amplitude of the normal circadian rhythm of airway calibre. This increased PEF rhythm amplitude may be considered as an early indication of airway obstruction."}
{"id": "PMID:1481181", "title": "Repeatability of methacholine challenge in asthmatic children measured by change in transcutaneous oxygen tension.", "content": "The airway response to bronchial provocation may be evaluated by monitoring the fall in transcutaneous oxygen tension (PtcO2) but the repeatability of this method has not been rigorously assessed. To determine the repeatability of this indirect method of assessment, bronchial challenge was performed with methacholine in nine children with stable asthma (age range 6-12 years) and was repeated 24 hours later. The response was determined by the fall both in forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) and in PtcO2. A modified tidal inhalation protocol was used in which quadrupling concentrations of methacholine were given, thereby reducing the time taken for the full challenge by almost half. The concentrations of methacholine that provoked a 20% decrease in FEV1 (PC20FEV1) and 15% and 10% falls in PtcO2 (PC15PtcO2, PC10PtcO2) were calculated. Repeatability measures, assessed as the 95% range for a single determination, were +/- 0.96 and +/- 1.12 doubling concentration differences respectively for PC15PtcO2 and PC10PtcO2 and +/- 0.80 for PC20FEV1. This challenge method using quadrupling concentrations and an indirect assessment of the response by PtcO2 was sufficiently repeatable for clinical use and compared favourably with repeated challenge assessed by FEV1. The PtcO2 method is simple and effort independent, and should prove particularly useful for measuring bronchial reactivity in young children."}
{"id": "PMID:1481182", "title": "Effect of reduced expiratory pressure on pharyngeal size during nasal positive airway pressure in patients with sleep apnoea: evaluation by continuous computed tomography.", "content": "This study aimed to determine whether reducing the expiratory pressure during nasal positive airway pressure for reasons of comfort causes a substantial decrease in the upper airway calibre. Eight patients with obstructive sleep apnoea were studied. Continuous computed tomography (each run lasting 12 seconds) was used to measure minimum and maximum pharyngeal cross sectional areas at the velopharynx and the hypopharynx. Pharyngeal areas were measured while patients were awake and breathing without assistance, during the application of 12 cm H2O continuous positive airway pressure, and during bi-level positive airway pressure with an inspiratory pressure of 12 cm H2O and an expiratory pressure of 6 cm H2O. Nasal continuous positive airway pressure significantly increased the mean minimum and maximum upper airway areas at both the velopharynx and the hypopharynx compared with normal unassisted breathing. Bi-level positive airway pressure did not show a statistically significant increase in the minimum upper airway area at either level compared with normal unassisted breathing. The minimum areas of the velopharynx and hypopharynx were smaller with bi-level than continuous positive airways pressure in six of eight and eight of eight patients respectively but these were still greater than during unassisted breathing in seven of eight and six of eight patients respectively. Continuous positive airway pressure at 12 cm H2O is more effective in splinting the pharynx open than bi-level positive airway pressure with an inspiratory positive airway pressure of 12 cm H2O and an expiratory pressure of 6 cm H2O in patients with obstructive sleep apnoea during wakefulness, suggesting an important role for expiratory positive airway pressure. The clinical importance of this finding needs to be evaluated during sleep."}
{"id": "PMID:1481183", "title": "Cardiovascular effects of fenoterol under conditions of hypoxaemia.", "content": "The reason for the association of increased risk of death with fenoterol in patients with asthma in New Zealand is unknown but may relate to its cardiovascular effects. Most deaths from asthma occur outside hospital, where hypoxaemia is likely to be a complicating factor. The cardiovascular effects of fenoterol have been investigated therefore under conditions of normoxaemia and hypoxaemia. Eight healthy men were studied on two occasions. Measurements of heart rate, blood pressure, total electromechanical systole (QS2I), electrocardiographic QTc interval, cardiac index, stroke volume, and ejection fraction were made under conditions of normoxaemia and hypoxaemia (arterial oxygen saturation 90%) before and after administration of 800 micrograms of fenoterol by a metered dose inhaler. The order in which treatments were applied was according to a Latin square design. Before inhalation of fenoterol hypoxaemia was associated with a significant increase in heart rate (8 beats/min) and QTc interval (15.6 ms). Under conditions of normoxaemia fenoterol caused a significant increase in heart rate (14.3 beats/min), systolic blood pressure (7.7 mm Hg), stroke volume (27.7 ml), cardiac index (1.6 1/min/m2), ejection fraction (11.48), and QTc interval (32.9 ms) and a fall in QS2I (-23.2 ms) and diastolic blood pressure (-8.4 mm Hg). Under conditions of hypoxaemia the changes after inhalation of fenoterol were similar to those recorded during normoxaemia; thus the effects of hypoxaemia and fenoterol were additive (heart rate 21.9 beats/min, QTc 43.5 ms with fenoterol and hypoxaemia). The chronotropic and electrophysiological effects of fenoterol were enhanced by conditions of hypoxaemia."}
{"id": "PMID:1481184", "title": "Microbial flora of the trachea during intubation of patients undergoing upper abdominal surgery.", "content": "The presence of Haemophilus influenzae in the oropharynx is correlated with the subsequent development of chest infection. The importance of colonisation of the trachea by bacteria at the time of surgery is uncertain. This study investigated the tracheal flora at the time of intubation in 24 patients undergoing elective upper abdominal surgery. The bacterial flora of the trachea was sampled in all 24 patients immediately after intubation and immediately before extubation. Patients were assessed postoperatively for the development of chest infection. Bacteria, including H influenzae in five cases, were isolated from the post-intubation brushings of the trachea of 15 patients. The pre-extubation brushings from only four patients yielded growth. Three of five patients developing a chest infection were colonised by H influenzae according to the postintubation brush, compared with two of 19 without chest infections. Before extubation two of five developing chest infections had H influenzae in the trachea but none of 19 without infection. All but one of the patients from whom H influenzae was isolated were smokers. These results suggest that the increased risk of postoperative chest infection in cigarette smokers may be due in part to colonisation of the trachea by H influenzae at the time of operation."}
{"id": "PMID:1481185", "title": "Treatment of pleural empyema secondary to pneumonia: thoracocentesis regimen versus tube drainage.", "content": "Pleural empyema is a well known complication of pneumonia. Attitudes differ, however, about the best treatment of this condition and the place of drainage, early operation, and local antibiotics. In a retrospective study 94 consecutive patients with verified empyema caused by pneumonia were admitted to the department of either pulmonary medicine or thoracic surgery. Treatment was either by a lavage regimen (daily thoracocentesis, saline rinse, systemic antibiotics, and in some patients instillation of local antibiotics) in the medical ward (51 patients) or by tube drainage and systemic antibiotics in the surgical unit (43 patients). The stay in hospital was significantly shorter in the medically treated patients than in the surgical group--2.3 v 5.0 weeks respectively. Furthermore, pleurocutaneous and bronchopleural fistulas developed more frequently in patients treated by tube drainage than in those treated with the thoracocentesis regimen alone (13 (30%) v 5 (10%) and 6 (14%) v 2 (4%) for each complication respectively). The overall mortality was 8.5% with no differences between treatments. Treatment with a lavage regimen plus local and systemic antibiotics seems to be associated with a lower frequency of complications and a shorter duration of hospital stay than tube drainage and systemic antibiotics. These results should be confirmed by a prospective, randomised study."}
{"id": "PMID:1481187", "title": "Air transport and the fate of pneumothorax in pleural adhesions.", "content": "Air travel is contraindicated in patients with a pneumothorax but was necessary because of the exigencies of war in three patients. Three patients with high velocity missile injuries to the chest and pleural adhesions are reported. All had to be evacuated by air, without an intercostal drain or oxygen supplement, from the war stricken area of Northern Somalia (Horn of Africa) to Mogadishu. Two patients with a partial pneumothorax flew on military transport aeroplanes at an altitude of 3000 m in a non-pressurised cabin and recovered rapidly after a few days in hospital. One patient, transported on a small Cessna aeroplane, died after developing bilateral tension pneumothoraces."}
{"id": "PMID:1481188", "title": "Oesophageal dissection after thrombolytic treatment for myocardial infarction.", "content": "A 62 year old woman admitted with a history suggesting acute myocardial infarction had thrombolytic treatment with anisoylated plasminogen-streptokinase activator complex, which resulted in submucosal haemorrhage in the oesophagus; this caused dissection of the wall of the oesophagus and complete dysphagia. The haematoma resolved spontaneously, leaving behind a diverticulum, with reduced peristalsis and delayed emptying but no obstruction."}
{"id": "PMID:1481189", "title": "Localised fibrous mesothelioma arising in an intralobar pulmonary sequestration.", "content": "A localised fibrous mesothelioma arising from an intralobar lung sequestration occurred in a 64 year old Turkish woman. This appears to be the first report of a mesothelioma occurring within a pulmonary sequestration."}
{"id": "PMID:1481190", "title": "Corynebacterium pseudodiphtheriticum pneumonitis in a leukaemic child.", "content": "A 6 year old boy receiving chemotherapy for acute lymphocytic leukaemia developed pneumonia due to Corynebacterium pseudodiphtheriticum. He responded to antibiotics."}
{"id": "PMID:1481191", "title": "Abnormal movement of the arytenoid region as a cause of upper airway obstruction.", "content": "A 75 year old woman presented with a three week history of severe dyspnoea and cough. Auscultation and spirometry suggested extrathoracic inspiratory airway obstruction, and bronchoscopy showed abnormal motion of the arytenoid region (supraglottic area), causing upper airway obstruction only during forced inspiratory efforts. Sedatives improved the symptoms within a week. It is suggested that reversible malfunction of the arytenoid region can be responsible for upper airway obstruction."}
{"id": "PMID:1481195", "title": "[3 cases of hypertrophic gastritis associated with a Ollulanus tricuspis infection in cats].", "content": "An infection with Ollulanus tricuspis was found in three cats with hypertrophic gastritis. Two cats were put down because of chronic vomiting and emaciation. The third cat died shortly after the appearance of blood in its vomit and faeces."}
{"id": "PMID:1481196", "title": "[Salmonella dublin infections in cattle, a review].", "content": "In this review Salmonella dublin infections in cattle are discussed. Pathogenic pathways and clinical symptoms in calves and cows are mentioned in addition to diagnostic methods like post mortem examination, bacteriological methods and serology. Epidemiological aspects like carrier state in cows and the survival of the bacteria in the environment are discussed. Without reliable tests to detect carriers, we suggest that control of this infection on farms must be based on prevention, improved hygiene and therapeutic measures. Vaccination can be used to improve the immunity of the herd."}
{"id": "PMID:1481200", "title": "Flow microfluorometric analysis of murine spermatozoa fails to detect H-2 antigens.", "content": "The presence of class 1 and class 2 histocompatibility antigens on murine sperm was investigated by flow microfluorometry. Monoclonal anti-H-2Kk (class 1), anti-Iak (specificity 2, class 2) and allo-anti-Iak (class 2) antisera were used in direct or indirect fluorescence labelling experiments to probe the expression of class 1 and class 2 antigens on epididymal mouse spermatozoa. Sperm-specific antibodies were generated by intraperitoneal immunization of both male and female C3H/HeN mice with syngeneic spermatozoa. Sperm-specific antigens were detected in 68-85% of syngeneic mouse sperm and 65-90% of allogeneic mouse sperm examined. Conversely, these antibodies did not stain syngeneic or allogeneic lymphocytes above the background of the negative control. Mouse sperm samples failed to exhibit specific fluorescence above the background of negative control values with antibodies against either class 1 or class 2 MHC antigens. We have established the sensitive, objective and economical assay of sperm membrane antigens with fluorochrome-labelled antibodies by flow microfluorometry. By use of this sensitive and objective technique we have not detected MHC antigens on murine sperm. We conclude that these MHC antigens are not expressed on sperm at a level to be practically detectable."}
{"id": "PMID:1481205", "title": "HLA-DRB1 first domain sequence for a novel DR4 allele designated DRB1*0413.", "content": "A novel DR4 allele, DRB1*0413, was identified in a Caucasian individual \"LEV\" having the HLA phenotype A2; B51,14; DR4,7; DQw3,w2. DRB1*0413 is a DRB1*0401-variant differing from DRB1*0401 only at codon 86 where valine is present instead of glycine."}
{"id": "PMID:1481206", "title": "[Digestive disorders in rabbits and guinea pigs].", "content": "Numerous digestive tract diseases in pet rabbits and guinea pigs result from both an inherent physiological predisposition and from poor feeding and husbandry. A large proportion of digestive disturbances in rabbits and guinea pigs are secondary to changes in the oral cavity caused by inadequate teeth wear. The required regular trimming of the cheek teeth using a modified spatula and hollow pair of pincers is described and illustrated. The symptoms, diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of a selection of digestive disorders, as commonly encountered in small animal practice, are presented. The difficulties of using antibiotics in view of the gram positive intestinal flora and possible dysbacteria, dysentery and enterotoxaemia are considered. Finally, advice on feeding and on the rearing of orphan neonates is given."}
{"id": "PMID:1481210", "title": "[Functional pyloric stenosis in sheep].", "content": "The clinical findings, the autopsy and the histology of functional pyloric stenosis in three sheep between four and eight years old are described. A chronic ulcer with structural alterations of the pyloric protuberance was found in the first animal. In the second sheep there were several polyps in the pylorus, and in the third erosions throughout the whole pylorus, and a few hyperplastic areas of epithelium at the junction between pylorus and duodenum. The abomasum was moderately to extremely congested and the contents weighed between 6.7 and 13 kg. In addition to these findings chronic and unspecific abomaso-duodenitis was found in all three sheep. These three cases can be attributed to the distal functional pyloric stenosis (Hoflund syndrome)."}
{"id": "PMID:1481212", "title": "[The content of Hb in the blood and of different constituents in the plasma of lambs with low and normal increase in body mass].", "content": "In lambs with a very restricted intake of nutrients and an increase of the body mass of less than 60 g per day (group A) and in those with an increase of more than 220 g/day (group B), analyses of components of the blood and the plasma were performed at certain intervals. In the lambs of group A an anemia developed in the course of 77 days. The concentrations of alpha-amino-N, non-protein-N, urea, glucose and insulin as well as the activity of the alkaline phosphatase of the plasma of the lambs of group A were always lower than those of group B. The beta-hydroxybutyrate concentration of the lambs of group A on the 7th and 21st day of the experiment was higher than that of group B. The concentrations of inorganic phosphate and iron in the plasma of group A at most points during the study were lower than that in group B."}
{"id": "PMID:1481213", "title": "[Detection of inhibitors in swine urine with MICUR-BT].", "content": "The immersible culture medium MICUR-BT used in human medicine for the detection of antimicrobial substances in the urine was tested for its suitability in pigs. In in-vitro tests, 15 pure antibiotic substances, 2 pure substance mixtures as well as 5 veterinary injection preparations with no direct antimicrobial effect were checked. The agar perforation test was used as a reference procedure. In a total of 65 pigs the detectability of 9 pure antibiotic and chemotherapeutic agents, 2 pure substance mixtures as well as 5 veterinary drugs with no direct antimicrobial effect was tested after oral or parenteral application. In the in-vivo tests the MICUR-BT test turned out to be more reliable than the agar perforation test. In 76.9% of the untreated pigs below 30 kg b.w. the MICUR-BT-test showed an antimicrobial effect. Such effects were reduced by 38.3% in the reference procedure."}
{"id": "PMID:1481214", "title": "[Occurrence and drug resistance of bacteria pathogenic to the lungs from autopsy material of swine].", "content": "Eight hundred and fifty-four piglets which died or were euthanized due to pneumonia or rhinitis atrophicans, were investigated during the period of 1986-1990. Of the animals, 569 showed bronchopneumonia, 218 had pleuritis, pericarditis and peritonitis, 165 had rhinitis atrophicans, 58 pleuropneumonia, and 9 animals had fibrinous pneumonia. Pasteurella multocida, Haemophilus parasuis, Bordetella bronchiseptica, Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae and Pasteurella haemolytica were isolated in 59.1%, 29.5%, 27.8%, 3.7%, and 2.3% cases of bronchopneumonia respectively. Samples from pigs with pleuritis or rhinitis atrophicans showed Pasteurella multocida in 63.8 and 68.5%, Bordetella bronchiseptica in 28.4 and 39.4%, streptococci in 28.9 and 3.9%, Haemophilus parasuis in 25.2% and 20.6%, Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae in 5.1 and 5.5%, and Pasteurella haemolytica in 3.2 and 3.0%, respectively Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae was found in 51 of 58 cases of pleuropneumonia and in 5 of 9 cases of fibrinous pneumonia; 55.6% and 44.4% respectively of those forms of pneumonia were positive for Pasteurella multocida. In the agar diffusion test, 36.8-82.6% of bacterial isolates showed resistance to streptomycin, 7.7-45.5% to sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim, 5.7-44.6% to tetracycline, 0.2-32.8% to ampicillin, 0.0-16.3% to lincospectin, 2.0-81.2% to furazolidone, 0.4-4.5% to chloramphenicol, 1.3-78.1% to penicillin and 0-0.3% to enrofloxacin."}
{"id": "PMID:1481215", "title": "[Cortisol and corticosterone plasma levels in different Psittaciformes].", "content": "Plasma cortisol and corticosterone levels were measured in macaws, African Grey Parrots, Amazon Parrots and budgerigars using a RIA after preliminary cleaning. As in other avian species, the plasma contains predominantly corticosterone."}
{"id": "PMID:1481216", "title": "[Trichomonad infections of the oral cavity in horses in southern Germany].", "content": "Trichomonads of the oral cavity were found in 9 of 60 investigated horses. Apart from dental tartar, the oral cavity showed no clinical signs in all positive horses. The clinical investigation of these horses additionally revealed colic in 4 and coughing in 4 horses as well as lumbago in 1 animal. By means of scanning electron microscopy the trichomonads were shown to be round or piriform with an average length of 7.6 microns and greatest width of 6.3 microns. They had 4 anterior flagella with an average length of 8.3 microns, an undulating membrane measuring 8.7 microns with no trailing flagellum as well as an axostyle extending on average 7.8 microns beyond the body, and therefore have to be placed into the genus Trichomonas."}
{"id": "PMID:1481217", "title": "[Nephrolithiasis as a cause of colic in horses. Case report].", "content": "The results of clinical, ultrasonic, post mortem examinations and concrement analysis of a case with nephrolithiasis in a horse are described. Problems of diagnosis, etiology and occurrence of nephroliths in the horse are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1481218", "title": "[Management of acute tendinitis].", "content": "Ultrasonography must be used in combination with physical examination for the appropriate diagnosis of acute tendon injuries. Therapy should be designed to return the tendon to its normal function and appearance. Local and systemic anti-inflammatory agents, cold hydrotherapy and massage minimize excessive scar formation and progressively increasing tensile forces directs scar tissue to replace the tendon function."}
{"id": "PMID:1481219", "title": "[Rhinoscopy in dogs and cats].", "content": "Rostral and caudal rhinoscopy in dogs and cats facilitates the investigation of the nasal cavity and accurate biopsy. Rostral rhinoscopy can be performed by rigid endoscopes; caudal rhinoscopy requires flexible endoscopes. Deep anaesthesia or additional analgesia with local anaesthesia is necessary. The nasal cavity is assessed by its form, colour, surface of the mucous membrane, hyperemia, plaques, lesions, and the secretion is assessed by its quantity, colour and viscosity. Foreign bodies and neoplasia must also be looked for. Case reports with abnormal findings are described."}
{"id": "PMID:1481220", "title": "[Dermoid sinus in a Rhodesian ridgeback. Case report].", "content": "The dermoid sinus, which occurs mainly in Rhodesian Ridgeback dogs, is discussed. One case of infected dermoid sinus in the sacrococcygeal region of a female Rhodesian Ridgeback is described. Although the dermoid sinus communicated with the subarachnoid space, the dog walked normally and had no neurologic deficits. The radical excision of the dermoid sinus was only possible by removing the laminae of the second and third sacral vertebrae. Surgical dissection was successful."}
{"id": "PMID:1481221", "title": "[The uveodermatologic syndrome in dogs].", "content": "A review of the literature pertaining to the uveodermatological syndrome of dogs is presented. This syndrome is marked by depigmentation of the periocular region, lips and nose in association with severe uveitis. Early diagnosis and therapy can prevent serious vision loss. Symptoms and therapy of the cases described in the literature as well as cases seen at the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital in Davis/California are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1481222", "title": "[Lumbosacral instability. The cauda equina compression syndrome in dogs].", "content": "The literature review includes a short anatomical description of the lumbosacral area, etiology, symptoms, diagnosis and therapy of CECS. Two hundred and twenty-seven large-breed dogs were examined clinically, neurologically and radiologically for diseases of the lumbosacral area. Radiological findings, such as dorsal dislocation of L7, spondylosis deformans, sloped craniodorsal contour of S1, sclerosis of the cranial plate of S1 as well as narrowing and increased density of the intervertebral foramen L7/S1 were compared with clinical and neurological results. In 15 dogs dorsal dislocation of L7 by 1 to 8 mm was found. An extended position proved to be more successful in demonstrating that finding than the flexed one. All other pathological changes were found either individually or in combination in patients with lumbosacral spondylolisthesis. One hundred and thirty-six dogs showed no sign of dorsal dislocation but all the other described changes. All detected changes have to be interpreted as instability of the lumbosacral area and resultant chronic and degenerative pathological processes. A definite correlation between spondylolisthesis of L7/S1 and compression of the cauda equina could not be found on plain radiography."}
{"id": "PMID:1481223", "title": "[The organ topography of nonpoisonous snakes of the Boidae (boas and pythons) and Colubridae (adders) families].", "content": "In order to assist veterinarians with the diagnosis of diseases in snakes, the organ topography of 142 dissected snakes of 35 different species was analysed and examined in relation to body size and normal biotope. Apart from characteristic species specific differences, it was shown that there is a clear difference between arboreal and terrestrial snakes. It was recorded that nearly in all species the organs shifted along the body in relation to increase in growth."}
{"id": "PMID:1481224", "title": "The cortisone era: aspects of its impact. Some contributions of the Merck Laboratories.", "content": "The announcement in 1949, by Hench at the Mayo Clinic, that cortisone had a dramatic beneficial effect on bed-ridden patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis ushered in the cortisone era. This medical landmark was made possible by the prior steroid research of distinguished chemists and biologists in several countries. The first partial synthesis of cortisone by Sarett was the culmination of a worldwide chemical effort. This work ultimately enabled the process research department at Merck, under the direction of Max Tishler, to perform the 37-step conversion of deoxycholic acid to cortisone on a scale that made the initial clinical trials possible. In spite of the enormity of the project, and the fact that neither of two closely related analogs of cortisone had shown any interesting biological activity. Merck elected to embark on this synthetically challenging project. The clinical results reported in 1949, combined with the complexity of the partial synthesis, stimulated highly innovative research to discover new routes to cortisone and to cortisol, the active hormone. This research, particularly in the pharmaceutical industry in the United States, Mexico, and Europe, demonstrated, among other things, the value of microbial transformations in synthetic sequences. The recognition that the chronic administration of cortisol produces several unexpected side effects stimulated an intensive effort in many countries to discover an analog with an improved therapeutic index. This led to more novel chemistry and many analogs were discovered that proved to be more potent than cortisol. Prednisolone, discovered at the Schering Corporation, was the first compound that combined a high level of anti-inflammatory activity with reduced salt retention. Derek Barton contributed greatly to steroid research during the 1950s by applying creative structural thinking to systematize a host of seemingly unrelated chemical and biological observations. The cortisone era had a profound impact on drug discovery also, since it led to the logical application of steric and electronic concepts to medicinal chemistry. Last, but not least, the cortisone era taught medicinal chemists many important lessons about drug-receptor interactions."}
{"id": "PMID:1481225", "title": "Steroids, the steroid community, and Upjohn in perspective: a profile of innovation.", "content": "The announcement in 1949 at the Mayo Clinic of the dramatic effect of cortisone in alleviating the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis triggered a competitive worldwide research and development effort directed toward a single goal, the practical synthesis of the rare corticosteroids. The confluence of an extraordinary coalescence of multiple events and circumstances in the growth of the Upjohn Company with the Mayo discovery, inclusive of a pioneering role in the steroid field, conspired to create an environment ripe for innovation. The breakthrough, which gave Upjohn an early competitive edge, followed with startling swiftness. A common mold of the genus Rhizopus was found to introduce enzymatically an 11 alpha-hydroxyl group directly into the female hormone progesterone, which had just been synthesized from the soybean sterol stigmasterol--a one-step solution to the known multistep alternatives for 11-oxygenation. Retrospective analysis of this event in perspective with other key developments before and after at Upjohn and in the steroid community reveals a striking profile of ongoing innovation. A parallel scenario in kind was repeated at Upjohn a quarter century later. The sister soybean sterol sitosterol was radically degraded microbiologically and concurrently oxygenated in ring C to produce 9 alpha-hydroxyandrostenedione, an alternative key intermediate for corticoid synthesis. New chemical processes, highly integrated with existing processes, assured the continuation of Upjohn's leading role in steroid hormone production."}
{"id": "PMID:1481226", "title": "Steroids and \"the pill\": early steroid research at Searle.", "content": "The announcement from the Mayo Clinic in 1949 of the dramatic effectiveness of cortisone in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis stimulated tremendous interest in steroid chemistry, endocrinology, and related areas of medicine. Shortly thereafter, G. D. Searle & Co. initiated a major effort in steroid research, the objective of which was to discover better steroid drugs than those available at that time or steroids that could be used for conditions for which no compounds were previously available. This effort was remarkably successful and resulted in the introduction of several important pioneering drugs. These included norethandrolone, marketed in 1956 as Nilevar, the first anabolic agent with a favorable separation between protein building and virilization, and spironolactone, introduced in 1959 as Aldactone, the first steroid antialdosterone antihypertensive agent. Of special importance was the research that culminated in the discovery of Enovid. This substance, a combination of the progestin norethynodrel and the estrogen mestranol was first approved in 1957 for the treatment of a variety of disorders associated with the menstrual cycle. The era of oral contraception began in May 1960, when Enovid was approved by the Food and Drug Administration for ovulation inhibition, and was immediately thereafter introduced for such use."}
{"id": "PMID:1481227", "title": "Steroid research at Syntex: \"the pill\" and cortisone.", "content": "The period from late 1949 through 1951 was an extraordinarily productive one in steroid chemistry and especially so at Syntex S.A. in Mexico City. Two of the most important Syntex contributions--the synthesis of 19-nor-17 alpha-ethynyltestosterone (norethindrone) and of cortisone from diosgenin--are described from a historical perspective."}
{"id": "PMID:1481228", "title": "From paper chromatography to drug discovery: Zaffaroni.", "content": "A paper chromatography assay for adrenocortical steroids, published just as cortisone's therapeutic value in arthritis was announced, had far-reaching consequences. Its use by Upjohn scientists led to the first synthesis of cortisone. Interest in the assay also led the author to an association with Syntex S.A. in Mexico, which he was instrumental in transforming from a small chemical company into the large pharmaceutical firm, Syntex Corporation, having its base of operations in the United States. The major events of this history are described, showing how steroid product development helped establish Syntex and later played a role in the founding of ALZA Corporation."}
{"id": "PMID:1481229", "title": "Past and present studies with ponasterones, the first insect molting hormones from plants.", "content": "The search for antitumor compounds from Southeast Asian plants led to ponasterones, the first phytoecdysteroids, just a year after structure determination of ecdysone and 20-hydroxyecdysone. An independent study of Chinese herb constituents by Takemoto et al. at Tohoku University led to the simultaneous and totally independent discovery of phytoecdysteroids. These findings greatly facilitated research in insect and crustacean physiology. The original structural studies on various phytoecdysteroids have led to interdisciplinary bioorganic studies in the area related to ecdysone receptor, ecdysone biosynthetic precursor (or its storage form), crustacean molt inhibitory factors, and so on."}
{"id": "PMID:1481230", "title": "[The mechanisms of the formation of kidney damages from action by blunt objects].", "content": "Analyzes 206 cases with renal injuries inflicted with blunt objects. Describes the type of renal injury in relation to the type of the trauma and direction of the strike with the blunt object with a limited surface of co-strike. Presents mechanisms of the injury formation."}
{"id": "PMID:1481231", "title": "[The classification of bone fissures].", "content": "A classification of bone fissures, suggested by the authors, is based on the results of their studies of bone destruction. Relationship between the fissures and bone tissue structural arrangement, and the sequence of the fissure emergence and development, starting from a microfissure (at the level of bone plates) progressing to a major fissure, resulting in final destruction of the bone, underlie this classification."}
{"id": "PMID:1481233", "title": "[The types of self-injuries in those sentenced to prisons].", "content": "A classification of self injuries of condemned subjects is suggested, based on analysis of the literature data and the author's own findings. The etiopathogenetic sign (the method of self injury infliction) underlies this classification."}
{"id": "PMID:1481236", "title": "[The indices of the mass and lipids of sections of the heart in cadavers in chronic alcoholism, alcoholic cardiomyopathy and ethanol poisoning].", "content": "Alcohol abuse involves heart mass increment at the expense of epicardial fat. Epicardial fat mass and the content of intramuscular lipids are the highest in alcoholic cardiomyopathy. Since epicardial fat mass increase is in direct correlation with the elevation of lipid content in the heart muscle proper, detection of a large mass of epicardial fat at autopsy permits a conclusion on myocardial obesity."}
{"id": "PMID:1481234", "title": "[The use of odontograms and panoramic roentgenography in personal identification].", "content": "Study of dental root surfaces prompted the authors to add to the routine odontogram 28 more maxillary surfaces and 22 mandibular surfaces, this making a total of 210 diagnostic signs. Employment of amplified panoramic roentgenography permitted the authors to detect specific features of the dental cavity, root canals, periodontal fissure structure, the presence of caries and its complications, inflammatory and systemic involvement, injury to the jaws and teeth. Visual examination of dental status and application of panoramic roentgenography will help improve forensic medical personal identification."}
{"id": "PMID:1481239", "title": "[The determination of ethylene glycol in biological objects in the presence of propylene glycol].", "content": "Therapeutic application of drugs containing propylene glycol 1.2 as a solvent may distort the results of forensic chemical detection of ethylene glycol from its oxidation products. Practical examples illustrate the possibility of ethylene glycol determination by gas chromatography in the presence of propylene glycol."}
{"id": "PMID:1481240", "title": "[The retention of alkyldinitrophenol compounds in cadaveric material].", "content": "The preservation of alkyl dinitrophenol compounds in corpse liver tissue was under study. The content of these compounds was assessed after various periods of the corpse storage."}
{"id": "PMID:1481250", "title": "[Depressive symptoms in physically frail elderly].", "content": "In 1988 a study aiming to evaluate the effectiveness of an outpatient geriatric clinic was started. Elderly persons (75-90 years) living at home or in the two old people's homes in the municipality Sittard (The Netherlands) were screened on physical vulnerability by means of oral interviews. It was possible to collect data about demographic variables and depressive complaints of 222 frail elderly. For this article the internal consistency of the Zung-depression scale (DSI) was tested for the study group. Relations between depression and the registered demographic variables are discussed. It showed that Cronbach's alpha of the depression scale is .82. A varimax rotated factor analysis resulted in six factors with a high percentage of explained variance on the first factor. This result indicates that the instrument is unidimensional. There was no systematic bias introduced by physical vulnerability. Of all frail elderly, 28% had depressive complaints. In general, women scored somewhat higher on the depression index than men. Only a slight relation between depression and age was found. Concerning household composition this study showed that frail elderly living alone and residents of old people's homes had significantly more depressive complaints than frail elderly living with others and independently living frail elderly respectively."}
{"id": "PMID:1481251", "title": "[Measuring psychological well-being in the elderly].", "content": "The results of a comparison of measures assessing psychological well-being in a random sample of 354 elderly people in the city of Groningen are presented: Positive Affect and Negative Affect of the Affect Balance Scale, Positive Well-being (comprising three subscales: General Positive Affect, Emotional Ties and Life Satisfaction), and the Seven Point Satisfaction Rating. None of the studied instruments is based on a clear conceptual model of well-being. The results show reasonable psychometric properties of most measures (internal reliability, skewness, test-retest reliability). Exceptions are the low internal reliability of Positive Affect and the low test-retest reliability of the (I item) Seven Point Satisfaction Rating; the same results were previously reported. Furthermore, the test-retest reliability of the short scales is lower. As expected, the correlation between Positive Well-being and Positive Affect is strong; the same holds for the correlation between Positive Well-being and General Positive Affect. The last one is suggested as alternative for the subscale of the Affect Balance Scale. The results of multiple regression analysis showed that indicators of physical and social well-being explained most variance in General Positive Affect."}
{"id": "PMID:1481252", "title": "Videothoracoscopy: a new perioperative challenge (continuing education credit).", "content": "1. The four cannula videothoracoscopic technique is generally used. This method affords a sufficient visual field and allows an excellent \"two-handed\" approach. 2. Videothoracoscopy is not for every patient; careful patient selection is important. It is also necessary to be able to develop and maintain a pneumothorax for a successful procedure. 3. The advantages of videothoracoscopy include reduced morbidity and mortality, less pain, decreased length of hospitalization, lowered health care costs, decreased blood loss, and decreased postoperative wound infections."}
{"id": "PMID:1481253", "title": "Keeping the keepers.", "content": "1. The nurse manager role is no longer limited to the management of patients and personnel. Nurse managers are also accountable for ensuring resources remain balanced and function together during the process. 2. In the health care setting, team members forgo their personal needs to focus on the needs of patients. Although adults have developed internal feelings of self-worth, most still have some dependence on their work, supervisors, and colleagues for positive affirmation. 3. A variety of approaches can provide support to team members, including responding to human needs: facilitating cooperation between team members; ensuring that team members have the necessary information; monitoring team actions in relation to patient needs; investigating potential problems; and intervening with timeliness and diplomacy."}
{"id": "PMID:1481247", "title": "[The histoenzymological diagnosis of the time of occurrence of a closed spinal cord trauma].", "content": "Time course of the activities of transport enzymes in capillary walls of human spinal cord was studied in various periods after closed injury to the cord, inflicted by hard blunt objects, with the use of histochemical methods for the detection of alkaline phosphatase and Mg-dependent ATPase. Wave-like fluctuations in the activities of the examined enzymes were revealed. The findings may be used to assess the period elapsed since the cord injury."}
{"id": "PMID:1481248", "title": "[The pathomorphological characteristics of the vascular plexuses and ependyma of the cerebral ventricles in human craniocerebral trauma].", "content": "The morphology of the studied substrates was analyzed in lethal craniocerebral injuries of various origins and in various periods after it was suffered. The data on the pattern and time course of pathomorphologic shifts and functions extend the general notions on the role of the liquor circulation system in the pathogenesis of craniocerebral injury. These results may serve as additional expert criteria of the mechanisms of brain injury."}
{"id": "PMID:1481254", "title": "Volunteers in the OR waiting room.", "content": "For many OR staff, the use of volunteers in the hospital waiting room offers an untapped resource for addressing the total needs of surgical patients and their families. Volunteers who are trained in support, confidentiality, and referral, and who are properly oriented to the hospital and the hospital's services, can be a useful adjunct to the busy professional staff."}
{"id": "PMID:1481255", "title": "OR orientation process.", "content": "1. Poor OR orientation may lead to a lack of staff retention. Providing an environment that ensures a successful orientation will result in a productive professional who will be an asset to the staff. 2. It has historically been difficult to identify educational time frames that accurately reflect the needs of perioperative nurses and provide the necessary training. Haphazard learning creates inconsistent results and undue stress for new employees. 3. Learners must be given every opportunity to be successful. An orientation program that uses adult learning principles, preceptors, and a competency skills checklist can help new employees become skillful team members."}
{"id": "PMID:1481256", "title": "The resuscitation OR: priorities for the perioperative trauma nurse.", "content": "1. Bypassing the emergency department for resuscitation of the most severely injured patients has long been advocated. Rapid transport systems combined with the instant availability of OR facilities and trained trauma teams markedly decreased morbidity and mortality among these patients. 2. In many institutions, the resuscitation operating room is in the OR suite; others have built an operating room in the emergency department. The most radical approach is a self-contained trauma facility, complete with operating rooms, separate from the emergency department. 3. Awareness of priorities, continuous assessment and revision of priorities, defined roles, and multidisciplinary cooperation are important. Reduction of inventory and simplification of instrumentation are essential for a fast response."}
{"id": "PMID:1481259", "title": "[Regularities of organ-specific expression of enzyme systems in cattle].", "content": "The organ specificity of creatine kinase, esterase, isocitrate dehydrogenase lactate dehydrogenase, nucleoside phosphorylase, adenylate kinase, hexokinase, malate dehydrogenase, malic enzyme, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase of black-white cattle has been studied. Esterases, creatine kinase, adenylate kinase, hexokinase and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase have a very wide spectrum of the organ variabilities. Liver and heart have the largest specificity of enzymes activity. Some peculiarities of isozyme spectrum are found in ovaries and spleen."}
{"id": "PMID:1481260", "title": "[Multiple forms of pig somatotropin].", "content": "The multiple forms of pig somatotropin were investigated. Four monomer hormone variants were isolated and some of their physico-chemical characteristics were determined. It is shown that they differ in their molecular mass, N-terminal amino acid residues and amino acid composition. The results of work permit supposing that the identified somatotropin forms are controlled by two different genes. The age dependence of spectrum of somatotropin monomer forms is demonstrated."}
{"id": "PMID:1481257", "title": "[Comparative study of protein polymorphism in the gray Ukrainian breed].", "content": "The electrophoresis of blood serum proteins in polyacrylamide gel has been used to analyze genetic variability of Grey Ukrainian and Hungarian Grey breeds of cattle. The differences in allelic frequency between the breeds and populations of Grey Ukrainian cattle are found. In cattle, post-transferrin-3, new polymorphic protein, controlled by two co-dominant alleles is detected."}
{"id": "PMID:1481262", "title": "[Use of genetic markers in breeding of a commercial cattle herd].", "content": "Combination of type estimation and use of immunogenetic markers to analyze genotypes of breed animals permits intensifying breeding and promotes more rapid obtaining of the desired inherited material. It is suggested to carry out breeding in commercial cattle herds under constant immunogenetic control."}
{"id": "PMID:1481269", "title": "Image contrast in high-resolution electron microscopy of biological macromolecules: TMV in ice.", "content": "It is shown that the contrast in high-resolution electron micrographs of biological macromolecules, illustrated by a study of TMV in ice, falls considerably below the level which should theoretically be attained. The factors which contribute to the low contrast include radiation damage, inelastic scattering, specimen movement and charging. Future progress depends on improved understanding of their contributions and relative importance. Contrast is defined as the amplitude of a particular Fourier component extracted from an image in comparison to that expected by extrapolation from separate electron or X-ray diffraction measurements. The fall in contrast gets worse with increased resolution and is particularly serious at 10 A and beyond for specimens embedded in vitreous ice, a method of specimen preparation which is otherwise particularly desirable because of the expectation that the embedded molecules should be well preserved in a near-native environment. This low contrast at high resolution is the principal limitation to atomic-resolution structure determination by electron microscopy. In spite of good progress in the direction of better images, it remains a major problem which prevents electron microscopy from becoming a simple and rapid method for biological atomic structure determination."}
{"id": "PMID:1481258", "title": "[Analysis of DNA polymorphism of cluster genes in cattle: casein genes and major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genes].", "content": "The PCR-analysis method has been used to study polymorphism of casein genes (k- and b-caseins) and genes of class of basic histocompatibility complex (DRB and DQB BoLA) in some cattle breeds. Genotyping of k-casein locus has been carried out using analysis of protein polymorphism and DNA polymorphism. It is shown that both methods give identical results and can be used for this purpose, but the PCR-analysis method is more informative. A new allele of k-casein gene (k-Cn F) has been revealed and sequenced using the above method. While analyzing DNA-polymorphism of 5'-nontranslated region of b-casein gene two previously non-described polymorphic sites for restrictase Hinf I are found which occur only in animals of \"zebu-like\" breed. The high level of polymorphism of bl-domain of gene DRB is shown: polymorphism of bl-domain was revealed already at the level of electrophoretic analysis of PCR-amplification products. For 5'-nontranslated domain gene DQB the polymorphism level was much lower and manifested itself during restriction analysis of amplified fragments."}
{"id": "PMID:1481264", "title": "[Analysis of the results of genotype assessment in Black Pied bulls and ways of improving their breeding value].", "content": "The results from the genetic-population analysis of the testing of the black-white breed bulls used in reproduction centers located in Ukrainian Polesje are presented. The methods of the compositions of the parent pairs with the aim to obtain the advantageous animals are analysed."}
{"id": "PMID:1481265", "title": "[Heritability and ways of selection of pedigreed bulls according to reproductive capacity].", "content": "Significant heritability (to 0.92) by sperm output data from 248 simmental stud bulls has been determined using correlation and dispersion methods. The additive component of heritability is not significant. Application of the best bulls is most effective for selection on sperm productivity."}
{"id": "PMID:1481270", "title": "Electron cryomicroscopy of frozen-hydrated biological specimens: analysis of freezing artifacts by X-ray cryocrystallography.", "content": "Freezing artifacts have been evaluated by X-ray cryocrystallography on pellets of two-dimensional membrane protein crystals: purple membrane and maltoporin. The comparison of the X-ray patterns recorded when the specimens are maintained at room temperature to those obtained when the specimens are maintained at about -160 degrees C shows that (i) membrane proteins have a positive thermal dilatation coefficient: the protein crystal lattice shrinks upon cooling; (ii) the asymmetric unit of crystal containing water is changed upon freezing; the relative intensities of the diffraction rings of such crystals are different after freezing. From these results, it can be postulated that freezing may lead to partial dehydration of biological objects. Electron cryomicroscopy visualizes objects which are structurally influenced by the cooling procedure. However, our microscopy study on maltoporin crystals shows that freezing artifacts are negligible in comparison to artifacts associated with conventional techniques such as negative staining."}
{"id": "PMID:1481261", "title": "[Genetic structure of the Orlov trotter and the Russian trotter].", "content": "The genetic structures of Orlov's and Russian trotters for 16 biochemical systems have been comparatively analyzed. Polymorphism of 6 systems of these horse groups is revealed. The main genetic differentiation between Orlov's and Russian trotters is observed on the transferrin and phosphoglucomutase loci."}
{"id": "PMID:1481266", "title": "[Hematologic chimerism in cattle twins].", "content": "A cytogenetic examination of a cow and its offsprings, obtained by pair transplantations of the embryos was carried out. The fragile X and the heteromorphism of the chromosomes XX of this cow and some of its offsprings were revealed. The variability of the hematological chimerism of the pair transplanted embryos was observed. The immigrated cells were, as a rule, distinguished by the comparatively low frequencies of the metaphases with the nearly located chromosomes XX. The heterogeneity of the stem blood cells of the embryos for some traits, and for the ability to migrate in the blood of the twin is under discussion."}
{"id": "PMID:1481271", "title": "Automatic focus correction for spot-scan imaging of tilted specimens.", "content": "The variation in defocus within an image of a highly tilted specimen can be a serious source of artifact. Spot-scan imaging can be combined with dynamic focusing to greatly reduce this range of defocus. A protocol is described for determining the parameters required for the automatic focus compensation during the recording of a spot-scan image. Images of a gold test specimen demonstrate the efficacy of this procedure in extending the area of the image that contains high-quality data. In case the tilt angle or resolution is high enough that the height difference of the specimen within each small illuminated area is larger than the depth of field, the image must be treated to compensate for the focus variation. The same principle is used as was developed for compensation of conventional images of tilted specimens."}
{"id": "PMID:1481263", "title": "[Interdependence between milk productivity of cattle and a complex of loci of a coupled block of caseins and beta-lactoglobulin].", "content": "The complex lactoprotein markers, connected with the different level of milking capacity and fat percentage are found in cattle on the basis of experimental data. The high correlation is stated between selection of beta-lactoglobulin alleles and alleles of the coupled gene casein blocks on the levels of microevolution herds and macroevolution breeds."}
{"id": "PMID:1481272", "title": "Automated microscopy for electron tomography.", "content": "Instrumentation and methodology for the automatic collection of tomographic tilt series data for the three-dimensional reconstruction of single particles is described. The system consists of a Philips EM 430 TEM, with a Gatan 673 cooled slow-scan CCD camera and a Philips C400 microscope computer control unit attached. The procedure for data collection includes direct digital recording of the images on the CCD camera and the automatic measurement and correction of (a) image shifts resulting from tilting the specimen, (b) variation of defocus and (c) the eucentric height position of the specimen. Experiments are described illustrating the possibilities and limitations of automatic data collection. Data collection at a magnification of 30k shows that the exposure time of the specimen to the beam is reduced by a factor of 10-100 compared to manual operation of the TEM."}
{"id": "PMID:1481273", "title": "Computer-controlled spot-scan imaging of crotoxin complex crystals with 400 keV electrons at near-atomic resolution.", "content": "400 keV electrons yield a better relative image contrast than 100 keV electrons for a beam-sensitive organic crystal when spot-scan imaging is used [J. Brink and W. Chiu, J. Microscopy 161 (1991) 279]. A FORTRAN 77 program has been written to operate the spot-scan imaging system on a computer workstation under the VMS operating system which is interfaced serially to the JEOL4000 electron microscope. We demonstrate the application of this implementation by imaging crotoxin complex crystals embedded in either vitreous ice or glucose to 2.5 A resolution. The intensity strength of the structure factors of this protein crystal are different at low (> 10 A) resolution but similar at high resolution (< 10 A) for the two embedding media as expected from their scattering contrast difference. Based on our experience as judged from the electron diffraction patterns of highly tilted crystals, flat crystals embedded in glucose can be readily obtained. Furthermore, our spot-scan imaging system also has the option of correcting the focus gradient that is present in images of tilted specimens."}
{"id": "PMID:1481275", "title": "Processing images of helical structures: a new twist.", "content": "Helical macromolecular assemblies are particularly difficult to study by X-ray diffraction but are quite well suited to analysis by electron microscopy. Most of our information about helical macromolecular assemblies has come from the electron microscope but has been limited to about 25 A resolution. With the use of low-dose electron cryomicroscopy, one can obtain structural data to near atomic resolution on two-dimensional crystals, but the problem is to extract the information from the noise. In this paper we present methods to extract signal from low-dose electron cryomicrographs of helically symmetric structures. We apply these methods to extract 10 A data from the bacterial flagellar filament."}
{"id": "PMID:1481276", "title": "Specimen flatness of thin crystalline arrays: influence of the substrate.", "content": "The extreme degree of specimen flatness (i.e. planarity) required for high-resolution electron diffraction and electron microscopy at high tilt angles cannot be realized with thin, sheet-like crystals of biological macromolecules, just on the basis of the intrinsic stiffness of the specimen itself. In an effort to improve the rate of success at which suitably flat specimens are prepared, this paper analyzes several different factors that can either limit or enhance the specimen flatness. If specimens are adsorbed (by attractive forces) to a support film, such as evaporated carbon, which itself is not flat to atomic dimensions, quantitative calculations show that it is quite likely that the specimen will be too wrinkled to be used for high-resolution studies. Adsorption to an air-water interface is more likely to result in the necessary degree of flatness. Repulsive interactions, which might be used to \"sandwich\" a specimen between two interfaces, are estimated to be too \"soft\", i.e. too long-range in character, to be effective. Finally, if only one edge of a specimen sticks firmly to a substrate, then surface tension forces can pull the specimen taut over the surface of the substrate, so that the specimen itself can be more flat than the surface of the substrate upon which it is deposited. A second, important consideration in many studies is the fact that cooling the specimen to low temperature can result in specimen wrinkling, because of the fact that the biological crystal has a much larger coefficient of thermal expansion than that of the evaporated carbon film. In this case one expects that cooling-induced wrinkling might be reduced by using a metal support grid which has a smaller thermal coefficient than that of the carbon film. The validity of this qualitative idea is supported by experiments which show that cooling-induced wrinkling of glucose-embedded purple membrane can be prevented if molybdenum grids are used rather than copper."}
{"id": "PMID:1481277", "title": "2D crystallization: from art to science.", "content": "The techniques as well as the principles of the 2D crystallization of membrane and water-soluble proteins for electron crystallography are reviewed. First, the biophysics of the interactions between proteins, lipids and detergents is surveyed. Second, crystallization of membrane proteins in situ and by reconstitution methods is discussed, and the various factors involved are addressed. Third, we elaborate on the 2D crystallization of water-soluble proteins, both in solution and at interfaces, such as lipid monolayers, mica, carbon film or mercury surfaces. Finally, techniques and instrumentations that are required for 2D crystallization are described."}
{"id": "PMID:1481278", "title": "Has negative staining still a place in biomacromolecular electron microscopy?", "content": "Transmission electron microscopy of proteins has provided molecular- and in a few cases near-atomic-resolution structural information. In this review, we critically evaluate the potential and the limitations in obtaining molecular resolution, particularly with negatively stained specimens, and put these into perspective with cryomicroscopy of unstained frozen-hydrated and sugar-embedded preparations."}
{"id": "PMID:1481279", "title": "Assessment of resolution in biological electron crystallography.", "content": "The resolution of images or density maps produced by electron microscopy and electron crystallography can be objectively defined in terms of the spatial frequency of the highest resolution diffraction spot, or Fourier coefficient, included in the data processing. In practice, this objective definition of resolution is expected to be too optimistic if the amplitudes of the highest resolution structure factors are too weak, if the population of high resolution reflections is too sparse, or if the signal-to-noise ratio of the high resolution data is too low. Calculated examples are presented here which illustrate how the apparent resolution in images of a membrane protein, bacteriorhodopsin, can be reduced from a nominal value of 3.5 A by weak amplitudes, sparse data or high noise levels. These calculations provide concrete examples which can serve as a guide when estimating whether the objective definition of image resolution is likely to correspond to a practical, structurally useful estimate of image resolution."}
{"id": "PMID:1481280", "title": "Emission microscopy and related techniques: resolution in photoelectron microscopy, low energy electron microscopy and mirror electron microscopy.", "content": "A unified treatment of the resolution of three closely related techniques is presented: emission electron microscopy (particularly photoelectron microscopy, PEM), low energy electron microscopy (LEEM), and mirror electron microscopy (MEM). The resolution calculation is based on the intensity distribution in the image plane for an object of finite size rather than for a point source. The calculations take into account the spherical and chromatic aberrations of the accelerating field and of the objective lens. Intensity distributions for a range of energies in the electron beam are obtained by adding the single-energy distributions weighted according to the energy distribution function. The diffraction error is taken into account separately. A working resolution is calculated that includes the practical requirement for a finite exposure time, and hence a finite non-zero current in the image. The expressions for the aberration coefficients are the same in PEM and LEEM. The calculated aberrations in MEM are somewhat smaller than for PEM and LEEM. The resolution of PEM is calculated to be about 50 A, assuming conventional UV excitation sources, which provide current densities at the specimen of 5 x 10(-5) A/cm2 and emission energies ranging up to 0.5 eV. A resolution of about 70 A has been demonstrated experimentally. The emission current density at the specimen is higher in LEEM and MEM because an electron gun is used in place of a UV source. For a current density of 5 x 10(-4) A/cm2 and the same electron optical parameters as for PEM, the resolution is calculated to be 27 A for LEEM and 21 A for MEM."}
{"id": "PMID:1481281", "title": "High-resolution scanning electron microscopy.", "content": "The spatial resolution of the scanning electron microscope is limited by at least three factors: the diameter of the electron probe, the size and shape of the beam/specimen interaction volume with the solid for the mode of imaging employed and the Poisson statistics of the detected signal. Any practical consideration of the high-resolution performance of the SEM must therefore also involve a knowledge of the contrast available from the signal producing the image and the radiation sensitivity of the specimen. With state-of-the-art electron optics, resolutions of the order of 1 nm are now possible. The optimum conditions for achieving such performance with the minimum radiation damage to the specimen correspond to beam energies in the range 1-3 keV. Progress beyond this level may be restricted by the delocalization of SE production and ultimate limits to electron-optical performance."}
{"id": "PMID:1481282", "title": "Architectural distortion of subcutaneous fascial layer in breast tumors: ultrasonographic evaluation.", "content": "To develop a criterion to evaluate architectural changes of the subcutaneous tissue layer around the breast, 120 patients with histologically proven tumors were studied as to ultrasonographical delineation of the superficial layer (SL) of the superficial fascia. Breast ultrasonography was performed using an electronic-linear scanner with a 5.0 MHz probe. When SL was identified over the tumor, it was classified into 3 types: flat, disrupted, and convergent types. SL was identified in 106 patients (88%). Forty-six were evaluated to be flat type, and 41 (89%) of them had benign tumors. The remaining 60 were subdivided into either disrupted (n = 44) or convergent type (n = 16); 53 (88%) of these 60 cases had cancerous lesions. Histologically, inward retraction of SL was the most common pattern in breast cancer. Thus, the ultrasonographic pattern of SL reflects the histological findings and can be a useful clue to differentiate benign lesions from cancerous ones."}
{"id": "PMID:1481283", "title": "Modulation of middle cerebral artery flow velocity waveforms by breathing movements in the normal term fetus.", "content": "Breathing dependency of fetal middle cerebral artery flow velocities was studied in 10 normal pregnancies at term. Peak systolic, end-diastolic and time-averaged flow velocities and pulsatility index during fetal breathing were not significantly different from those observed during apnoea. However, the standard deviation for each flow velocity parameter was significantly increased during fetal breathing activity, indicating marked modulation of middle cerebral artery velocities."}
{"id": "PMID:1481284", "title": "Reproducibility of fetal cardiac flow velocity waveforms at atrioventricular level.", "content": "Reproducibility of flow velocity waveform recording and analysis was studied at fetal atrioventricular level (mitral and tricuspid valve) in 25 normal pregnancies. The flow velocity parameters studied were peak-E wave velocity, peak-A wave velocity and time-averaged velocity. In each patient, two consecutive measurements were performed (time delay, 15 min) and of each measurement two hardcopies were analyzed. A high reproducibility was achieved for all parameters studied; the coefficients of variation between readings of hardcopies were < or = 2% and the coefficients of variation between tests within patients were < or = 4%."}
{"id": "PMID:1481285", "title": "Digital path-dependent recompensation of contrast-enhanced echocardiographic images.", "content": "The regional video intensity of two-dimensional (2D) ultrasonographic images is directly affected by energy losses from the ultrasonic beam propagating between the transducer and the specific region of interest (ROI). These losses are mainly dependent on the scattering and absorption properties of the more proximal tissues. The commonly utilized automatic time-gain compensation (TGC) procedures, based on the assumption of uniform scattering and energy conversion throughout the investigated tissues and organs, seem to be largely inadequate in the contrast echocardiographic studies which attempt to quantitate the contrast enhancement of myocardial tissue. We hereby present an algorithm for the non-linear adaptive path-dependent recompensation of the ultrasonographic video intensity for the non-uniform scattering and absorption in images obtained using automatic TGC. The variable energy losses are estimated in our technique according to the reflections from the different points along the acoustic beam. The proposed algorithm is a post-processing function. It was developed considering beam attenuation by scattering and absorption and comparing correction procedures necessary with and without the assumption of uniform attenuation. We hereby present the results obtained by applying this algorithm to contrast enhanced echocardiographic images of canine hearts. The artifacts produced by the inadequate automatic TGC are essentially reduced by the recompensation procedure. The recompensation allows the observation of the changes in video intensity induced in the myocardial tissue by contrast-enhancing media, which are otherwise severely obscured by contrast transit altering the propagation effects."}
{"id": "PMID:1481286", "title": "Use of ultrasound to detect intestinal wall ischemia in piglets.", "content": "To evaluate the use of ultrasound (US) to detect intestinal wall ischemia, we isolated segments of jejunum on single vascular pedicles in five piglets. We sequentially clamped these segments in intervals of 0 to 6 h, reperfused them for 24 h, and then examined them in vitro histologically and with an 8.5 MHz US scan. All segments were grossly viable except those with 6 h of ischemia. Histologically, mild submucosal edema developed after 1 to 2 h of ischemia; after 3 to 4 h, mucosal necrosis, loss of folds, worsening submucosal edema, and prominent neutrophilic infiltration occurred; after 5 to 6 h, severe mucosal necrosis with hemorrhage and submucosal edema was present. Ultrasonically, we saw five wall layers in the control group corresponding to mucosa, submucosa, muscularis propria, and subserosal fat. After mild (1 to 2 h) ischemia, all layers were present except for a discontinuity in layer 3. After moderate (3 to 4 h) ischemia, the five layers persisted but with a markedly thickened submucosal layer, reduced echogenicity, and flattened mucosal folds. With severe (5 to 6 h) ischemia, we observed a loss of all normal layers with no discernible architecture. Using these US criteria, blinded observers were able to differentiate normal/mild from moderate/severe ischemia with a sensitivity and specificity of 100%. These data suggest that US can differentiate, in vitro, normal from moderate and severe degrees of intestinal wall ischemia that correlates well with the histological appearance. Endoscopic US or surgically implantable US probes can potentially help diagnose clinical intestinal wall ischemia."}
{"id": "PMID:1481287", "title": "The effect of heparin versus citrate on blood echogenicity in vitro: the role of platelet and platelet-neutrophil aggregates.", "content": "There is no consensus among investigators regarding which anticoagulant to use when studying the causes of in vitro blood echogenicity, despite the fact that heparin and calcium-chelating anticoagulants may have disparate effects due to their differing effects on platelets. This study quantitated the echogenicity of heparinized blood compared to citrated blood and found that it was greater in heparinized blood than in citrated blood when paired samples from the same donor, drawn at the same time were compared. By microscopic examination of the blood, this difference appeared to be due to the formation of platelet and platelet-neutrophil aggregates in the heparinized blood. This hypothesis was tested by comparing the echogenicity of heparinized blood to that of heparinized blood following platelet and white cell depletion. The results showed that taking away platelets and white cells virtually eliminated the echogenicity of heparinized blood; the impact of this result is discussed in the context of in vivo spontaneous contrast."}
{"id": "PMID:1481288", "title": "A method for computer simulation of ultrasound Doppler color flow images--I. Theory and numerical method.", "content": "Ultrasound imaging systems utilizing the pulsed Doppler principle are capable of providing images of blood flow in real time. We present a useful method for simulating flow images on a computer. Our method assumes that blood and surrounding tissue consist of many point-like scatters positioned randomly in three dimensions. The position-dependent acoustic response of each scatterer is calculated using the acoustic impulse response method. This method takes into account the spatial effects of the transducer geometry on both the amplitude and temporal response of point-scattering. Details of theory, assumptions made in the simulation, and numerical methods are described fully for a spherically focused transducer, as well as a discussion of signal processing for generation of the flow image. Motion of a single scatterer is investigated to test the performance of the simulation algorithm. This simulation method could potentially be beneficial for detailed study of current and future flow imaging systems."}
{"id": "PMID:1481289", "title": "A method for computer simulation of ultrasound Doppler color flow images--II. Simulation results.", "content": "A computational method of simulating Doppler color flow images has been developed. It is based on a point-scattering model of moving blood and surrounding tissue and is capable of treating the entire flow image generation process. Simulated images of parabolic flow dynamics in a cylindrical vessel are presented to show the statistical nature of the map of velocity estimates and to demonstrate the effects of wall filters and different display schemes. Quantitative results of extracted velocity profiles are included and indicate the usefulness of the simulation method for studying the quantitative capabilities of flow imaging."}
{"id": "PMID:1481290", "title": "New method of estimating the ultrasonic beam ratio parameter for characterizing sound propagation in tissue.", "content": "The backscattered ultrasonic signal from soft tissue can be considered to consist of two parts: a spatially fluctuating component due to coherent scattering from randomly distributed scattering centers and a relatively constant component related to structural ordering. The relationship between these, which has been termed the \"beam ratio parameter\" influences the speckle pattern of an ultrasound image. First-order image statistics for this special speckle pattern are characterized by the Rician distribution. Changes of second-order statistics have also been derived as a function of the beam ratio parameter. A new method for the estimation of the beam ratio parameter from the intensity distribution of the ultrasonic signal is described in this paper. This method was used to measure the parameter in ultrasonic images from phantoms and liver tissue yielding values of about 0.1. The measured changes of the second-order statistics were not correlated to this parameter. The results indicate that the relatively constant intensity component related to structural ordering has only a small influence on the speckle pattern."}
{"id": "PMID:1481295", "title": "[Imaging of acute abdomen. Contribution of new radiological methods and practices].", "content": "The acute abdomen is a sudden clinicoradiologic problem that may be resolved promptly by an excellent collaboration between the referring physician and the radiologist. The advent of CT and US has modified the diagnostical approach of acute abdomen. As diagnosis should be assessed in the shortest time with the greatest care and accuracy, it is necessary to choose the appropriate available examinations, reducing the time needed to establish a diagnosis and decreasing the number of examinations required. Thus, this paper is geared toward the determination and the choice of the more accurate procedure for the clinical presentation of acute abdominal emergencies."}
{"id": "PMID:1481301", "title": "Neural tube defects--prenatal diagnosis and management.", "content": "Neural tube defects rank second to congenital heart disease as a major cause of congenital malformation. Recent developments in ultrasound have improved prenatal diagnosis. Due to anomaly scans at 18 weeks gestation and the availability of a genetic clinic, prenatal diagnosis of neural tube defects at the Royal Maternity Hospital was 91.2% during 1987-1989. However, only 50% of parents accept termination of pregnancy and it is questionable if prenatal diagnosis is of benefit to those who wish to continue with the pregnancy. Parents may accept the situation better at birth, having had time to come to terms with it, helped with support from the obstetrician, clinical geneticist, paediatrician, genetic nurse and social worker. For some affected fetuses who have better muscle function and leg movement at term it appears from the literature that the outcome may be improved by caesarean section delivery. In Ireland fetuses with neural tube defects will continue to be delivered, as termination is unacceptable to many, but despite this there may be a positive benefit from prenatal diagnosis of neural tube defects. Prospective randomised controlled trials are needed to confirm benefit from delivery by caesarean section for fetuses with a good prognosis. As a result of prenatal diagnosis of a neural tube lesion the fetus should enjoy benefit in terms of physical morbidity, and the parents should benefit in terms of psychological morbidity."}
{"id": "PMID:1481296", "title": "[Policies regarding non-resuscitation and cessation of treatment in Quebec hospitals].", "content": "This paper presents the results of a survey addressed between 1987 and 1989 to the directors of professional services of all Quebec hospitals. The objective was to record and analyse withholding and withdrawal of treatment policies, and in particular DNR orders. The paper summarizes the analysis of the principles and ethical values involved in existing policies. It therefore considers descriptive ethics rather than normative ethics, and does not discuss ethical issues in themselves."}
{"id": "PMID:1481302", "title": "Coeliac disease: clinical presentations, correlations of dietary compliance, symptomatic response and repeat biopsy findings.", "content": "Gastrointestinal symptoms were present at the time of diagnosis in 81 (76%) of 107 patients with coeliac disease: 56% had diarrhoea/steatorrhoea, 32.7% abdominal pain and 15% constipation. Gastrointestinal symptoms were commonest in young adults (20-39 years) and less frequent in children (0-19 years). Anaemia, low serum levels of folic acid, albumin and calcium, and raised serum alkaline phosphatase may be of help in raising the index of diagnostic suspicion, but in over half of our patients with clinically and histologically active disease these values were within normal limits. In patients adhering to a gluten free diet remission of symptoms correlated well with histological response; the continuation of symptoms indicated a higher incidence of histological abnormality. No patient not complying to the diet had normal histology on repeat biopsy. Five patients died over the ten year period, one from a small bowel lymphoma."}
{"id": "PMID:1481303", "title": "What do medical students know about chronic pain and its management?", "content": "A questionnaire on chronic pain management was completed by 114 third year, and 80 fifth (final) year medical students. The results demonstrated a significant improvement in most facets of chronic pain knowledge and management by the end of the medical course. A postal survey was undertaken of all pain clinics in Northern Ireland to identify current activity, as these figures are not collected in Korner returns. Despite the improvement in knowledge by final year, there were still many students who did not know what type of problem to refer to a pain clinic (30%), who ran the clinics (> 40%), or the types of treatment commonly employed. More formal education is required on this subject, at both undergraduate and postgraduate level."}
{"id": "PMID:1481305", "title": "The Belfast hip screener: from infancy to maturity.", "content": "Hip dislocation remains the most significant childhood orthopaedic abnormality despite the efforts of neonatal screening, first described in 1910. A new method of enhancing the performance of screening, the Belfast hip screener, is a non-invasive device developed to detect and interpret the vibrations (\"clicks\" and \"clunks\") which are emitted as the hips are physically tested. A progress report is presented covering ten years' work from early records made with tape recorders to modern methods of digital signal processing."}
{"id": "PMID:1481304", "title": "Benefits of an exercise class for elderly women following hip surgery.", "content": "A prospective cohort study of a twice weekly exercise programme for six months was undertaken to determine the benefits of an exercise class for 28 elderly women following hip surgery. The effects of the exercise programme were monitored using cycle ergometry. Walking speed was measured on entry and at 3, 6 and 12 months. Twenty-six subjects completed the programme with an overall attendance rate of 88%. Measures of fitness, calculated from cycle ergometry, did not improve significantly apart from test duration. In contrast there was a significant improvement in mean walking speed, with a 50% increase between 0 and 3 months and a further 21% increase between 3 and 6 months. This improvement was maintained at 12 months."}
{"id": "PMID:1481307", "title": "Five cases of Alcaligenes pseudobacteraemia.", "content": "A cluster of five cases of pseudobacteraemia due to the organism Alcaligenes denitrificans occurred in three hospital medical wards over a four week period. The same organism was isolated from four of twelve commercially prepared bottles for erythrocyte sedimentation tests. The most likely explanation for the outbreak is that the ESR bottles were filled prior to inoculation of blood culture bottles. The outbreak was brought to an end by advising on correct procedure."}
{"id": "PMID:1481306", "title": "Continuing medical education for general practitioners--a Northern Ireland plan.", "content": "Following the introduction of the 1990 contract for general practitioners and the new postgraduate education allowance, the Northern Ireland Continuing Medical Education Group, comprising the clinical tutors from four Belfast hospitals and members of the University department of general practice, was established to provide high quality co-ordinated continuing medical education for general practitioners. A questionnaire was sent to all general practitioners in Northern Ireland to find out their needs and preferences with regard to continuing education. The responses indicate the value of small group discussion as well as the traditional lecture and the important role of local hospital consultants in providing education. Therapeutics, recent advances in medicine and learning new skills are all desirable topics. The group intends to use this information in the provision of courses for general practitioners in the province."}
{"id": "PMID:1481321", "title": "[Our experience with the complex treatment of phlegmon of the lacrimal sac].", "content": "Eighty-nine patients with lacrimal sac phlegmons, 76 women and 13 men, aged 16 to 78, were administered multiple-modality treatment, consisting in Group 1 (43 patients) of traditional methods, such as UHF therapy, antibiotics, sulfonamides, symptomatic therapy, dacryocystorhinostomy after complete cessation of inflammation, and in group 2 (46 patients) including sessions of intermittent magnetic field (IMF) exposure, antibiotics, and early dacryocystorhinostomy. Sparing technique was used in all operations, carried out under local anesthesia with 2% procaine or trimecaine. IMF exposure was found to be an effective therapeutic means characterized by antiinflammatory, resolving, and analgesic effects. IMF sessions and early dacryocystorhinostomy enhance cessation of inflammation and improve the treatment efficacy: remote results of surgery were excellent in 80% of Group 1 patients and in 90.9% of Group 2 patients; As a results of IMF exposure, the terms of medical and social rehabilitation of patients with the lacrimal sac phlegmons were reduced twofold."}
{"id": "PMID:1481319", "title": "[Histological characteristics of ocular structures after YAG-laser exposure of various sections of the crystalline lens in experimental studies].", "content": "This work was aimed at analysis of all the aspects, pathomorphologic included, of short-pulsed YAG laser exposure of the lens. Experiments were carried out with 79 rabbit eyes. After laser exposure the eyes were enucleated in 1-24 h and in 7-10 days. Thirty-one eyes were subjected to YAG laser ++capsule puncture. Fragmentation of intracapsular structures was carried out in 23 eyes. Combined operations were performed on 25 eyes. Every series comprised two groups, differing by the energy of laser exposure: 3-5 mJ. Histologic analysis has lead the authors to the following conclusions. The pattern and severity of pathomorphologic changes were directly related to the energy and time of laser exposure and site of the focal plane of irradiation. The major destructive shifts after YAG laser fragmentation of the cortical layer and capsulotomy are focussed at the site of exposure and involve the adjacent sections of the lens. Laser exposure of 3-5 mJ may be used to open the anterior capsule of the lens and to facilitate the cataract mass discharge in extracapsular cataract extraction. Use of combined method helps enhance induration and fragmentation of the cortical layers of the lens, rules out surgical discission of the anterior capsule of the lens, and facilitates removal of the nucleus and wash out of the lens mass."}
{"id": "PMID:1481324", "title": "[Technique and results of modified trabeculectomy].", "content": "The author suggests double trabeculectomy with episclera resection and anguloplasty to be performed in cases with uncompensated open-angle glaucoma. Each of the elements of such surgery is aimed at slowing down the reparative processes in various sections of the fistulous route and therefore this route can function longer. Forty-six patients (50 eyes) with primary open-angle glaucoma were operated on. Normalization of the ophthalmic tone immediately after surgery was achieved in 100% of cases. The results of surgery were followed up in 30 patients (32 eyes) for 6 months to 2 years. Stable normalization of intraocular pressure was achieved in 97% of cases, vision acuity in 81%, and visual field in 91% of those operated on. Good stable hypotensive effect of such surgery recommends it most of all for patients at a high risk of excessive cicatrization (young patients, repeated surgery, etc.)."}
{"id": "PMID:1481325", "title": "[Possible causes of rise of the intraocular pressure after trabeculectomy and the ways of their correction].", "content": "Basing on the results of follow-up of 50 patients repeatedly operated on at the site of previous trabeculectomy, the authors recommend to stick to a certain order of surgical manipulations and stop the intervention when intraocular pressure is reduced to its normal level on the operative table. Such technique, together with the use of a viscous sponge to prevent coarse postoperative adhesions, helped achieve a stable hypotensive effect that was present for at least 2 years in the overwhelming majority of the patients operated on repeatedly."}
{"id": "PMID:1481323", "title": "[Results of the clinical study of a new adrenergic beta blocker levobunolol hydrochloride in healthy subjects and in patients with glaucoma].", "content": "Effects of a single instillation of levobunolol, a new nonselective beta-adrenoblocker, in normal subjects and patients with various forms of glaucoma were under study, as were the effects of prolonged administration of this drug in patients with open-angle glaucoma. Short-term observations have revealed a hypotensive effect in all the examinees, the highest in patients with open-angle glaucoma (30.2%). Levobunolol did not influence the diameter of the pupil and accommodation, nor did it essentially change the cardiovascular activity. Prolonged administration of the drug resulted in a stable reduction of intraocular pressure by 20-30% in 70% of patients with open-angle glaucoma. Tonographic studies have shown that the drug reduced the intraocular fluid production and in case of a prolonged administration a trend to an elevation of the coefficient of the easiness of fluid discharge is observed."}
{"id": "PMID:1481320", "title": "[A surgical method for the treatment of traumatic low-solubility hyphema].", "content": "Presents experimental and clinical data on the operation of 'angular drainage' of the anterior chamber in traumatic poorly soluble hyphemas. The operation consists in conduction of a supramide thread through performed orifices in the cornea and formation of an angular drainage for blood evacuation from the anterior chamber. High efficacy and safety of the suggested method for treatment of recurrent complicated hyphemas is proved."}
{"id": "PMID:1481327", "title": "[Prospects of using fluorescein angiography with oral administration of fluorescein in children].", "content": "Search for the subjective methods for the diagnosis of diseases of the fundus oculi in children necessitates the development of new methods. The authors are investigating the possibility of fluorescent angiography with oral administration of fluorescein with due consideration for the allergologic history and other conditions that may be contraindications against intravenous administration of the agent to children. Fluorescent angiography was carried out in 15 children aged 4 to 15. The procedure was well tolerated, no complications were recorded."}
{"id": "PMID:1481330", "title": "[Coagulative and fibrinolytic activities of the lacrimal fluid in health and in acute disorders of blood circulation in the eyes].", "content": "Three effective methods, differing by their labor and time consumption, for the assessment of the lacrimal fluid fibrinolytic and coagulation activities are suggested. These methods were tried in examinations of 79 patients with acute disorders of ocular circulation. The results evidence that lacrimal fluid examinations are more informative than analysis of the blood collected from the ulnar vein."}
{"id": "PMID:1481326", "title": "[Differential diagnosis of retinoblastoma and Coats' retinitis using computer-assisted processing of ultrasonographic scanograms of the eye].", "content": "A new method for quantitative evaluation of ultrasonic scanograms of the eye, that permits differentiation between retinoblastoma and Coats' retinitis, was employed in echographic examinations of the eyes in 21 children with suspected intraocular volumic processes. Image analysis by plotting and processing of histogram was employed. High-confidence differences in the 'excess' and 'skewness' meanings of gradient histograms of patients with these two conditions have been detected."}
{"id": "PMID:1481328", "title": "[Immunodiagnosis of retinoblastoma].", "content": "To improve the accuracy of early diagnosis of retinoblastoma, the authors have examined a number of cellular and humoral immunity parameters in 188 children with retinoblastomas, in 57 ones with nontumorous conditions of the eyes, and in healthy controls. Stages III-IV retinoblastoma was found associated with reduced blood levels of IgG and IgA and a still more marked reduction of both in the lacrimal fluid (4-fold), with reduced blood T lymphocyte count (by 1.5 times), decreased lymphocyte blastogenesis response to phytohemagglutinin (by 8-9 times), reduced leukocyte migration activity (MI = 79 +/- 10%), reduced serum thymic activity (by 2.5 times). The early (I-II) stage of the disease involves a lowering of only lacrimal fluid IgA (2-fold) and of the leukocyte migration index (MI) (89 +/- 2%). This index was found to be an important specific indicator for the early preoperative diagnosis of retinoblastoma. Leukocyte migration inhibition (MI less than 95%) by retinoblastoma antigens was observed only if this tumor was present. In cases with the nontumorous conditions and in health retinoblastoma antigens as a rule stimulated the leukocyte migration (MI over 95%)."}
{"id": "PMID:1481339", "title": "[Causes of anaphylactoid reactions in cattle after administration of lipoid preparations].", "content": "In 1986-1988, adverse anaphylactoid reactions (AR) were observed in animals in Czechoslovakia after the administration of oil adjuvant-containing vaccines or other lipoid drugs. Treated animals showed signs resembling the classic anaphylactic reaction, i.e. restlessness, salivation, pruritus, oedema and cyanosis of udder and vulva, and eyelid oedema, developing within a few minutes. The reactions were not elicited by the antigen alone, but by the oil adjuvant. The aim of our experiments was to identify substances eliciting the reaction in susceptible animals and to investigate possible induction mechanisms. The emulsifier Tween 80 has been demonstrated to be an AR inducing component of vaccines and drugs (Tab. I and III). Weak or moderate reactions were observed in 33% of animals treated with 5% Tween and 66% of those treated with 10% Tween showed strong reactions. On the other hand, no reactions were elicited by treatment with several paraffin oils of different quality (Tab. I) nor with an oil-in-water emulsion containing Montanid as an emulsifier (Tab. II). The role of the vegetative nervous system in the rise of AR has been confirmed. AR were suppressed in animals pretreated with parasympatholytic atropine and enhanced in a part of those pretreated with parasympathomimetic pilocarpine (Tab. III). The percentage of animals affected and the intensity of AR were also lower in animals pretreated with complement inhibitor epsilon-aminocapronic acid (Tab. IV). A major role of complement activation is suggested in the discussion of possible mechanisms of AR induction. It is possible to draw a conclusion on the basis of the results presented here and of the analysis of individual cases that a certain degree of animal susceptibility, depending on the phase of reproductive cycle, metabolism level and neurovegetative balance is necessary besides the administration of an AR inducer (Tween 80 in our case). Hence it seems that the adverse anaphylactoid reactions results from interactions of the two factors, i.e. administration of an AR inducer to susceptible animals."}
{"id": "PMID:1481340", "title": "[Use of parasitic wasps (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) in the biological control of domestic flies in pig housing].", "content": "Adaptability of two parasitoid species S. nigroaenea and M. zaraptor to conditions of stable microclimate was investigated in a farrowing house. The colony was reared in an insectary at a temperature of 24-26 degrees C and relative humidity of 60-70% in cages of the size 0.3 x 0.3 x 0.2 m. The development of the species M. zaraptor from egg to adult lasted 19 to 23 days, in S. nigroaenea it was 23 to 25 days. Rates of parasitism of house fly pupae were followed in plastic pots (8 x 4 x 9 cm) with larval medium for fly rearing. The larval medium consisted of milk powder, wheat bran and dried yeast. Both species were demonstrated to be able to penetrate to pupae in deeper layers of the medium (Tab. 1) and in this way to control the amounts of fly adults after their eclosion. The results were evaluated by Student's t-test. 98% of flies in the stable were house flies (Musca domestica L.), the remaining flies were stable flies (Stomoxys calcitrans L.). No parasitoids were observed in the stable. Two pots containing 2-3,000 pupae parasitized by S. nigroaenea and M. zaraptor were placed in the stable on 30th January 1990. Parasitoids were monitored at three locations of the stable according to parasitism rates of lab-reared house fly pupae exposed in plastic pots with larval medium. Twenty-two checks were made in 2 to 4 week intervals from February to November 1990, and one final check after a six-month interruption (Tab. II). Both species persisted in the stable for the whole period of observation (Fig. 1). The species S. nigroaenea, the population levels of which were much higher, showed the greater migration activity after its individuals had been released to the stable. Sprayings with the Alfacron insecticide were performed in the stable in March and September 1990 in the course of this experiment."}
{"id": "PMID:1481341", "title": "[Ecotoxicologic relations on a large pig-fattening farm located in a lignite mining area and near and solid-fuel electical power plant].", "content": "Major contaminants identified in 1983-1984 on a pig fattening farm with an output of 60,000 pigs per annum, located in a lignite mining area and near a solid fuel power plant, were mercury, cadmium, lead, chromium and aflatoxin B1 (Tab. I, II, III, IV). Feed samples were collected from througs to assess the contamination load at feed uptake. Permissible concentrations of mercury, chromium, cadmium, aflatoxin B1, lead and atrazin in the feed were exceeded in 56, 50, 31, 19, 6 and 6% samples, respectively (Tab. I). Stable dust deposits, in which the contaminants concentrate, (Tab. I) proved to be a suitable material for assessing the type and level of environmental contamination. Permissible concentrations of mercury, cadmium and lead in porcine muscles were exceeded in 65, 51 and 24% samples, respectively (Tab. III). Corresponding values of mercury, cadmium, lead and aflatoxin B1 in the liver were 27, 27, 16 and 3%, respectively (Tab. III) and those of mercury, lead and chromium in kidneys 24, 22 and 5%, respectively (Tab. III). Rather surprisingly, elevated pancreatic concentrations of aflatoxin B1 were found (Tab. IV). Pigs fattened in the contaminated environment (i.e. fed contaminated feed mixtures, inspiring contaminated dust and absorbing percutaneously contaminants form dust deposits on the body surface) showed: 1) Impairment of the genetic apparatus (percentage of aberrant peripheral leucocytes elevated to 6.2%); 2) a certain degree of immunosuppression (concentrations of IgG, IgM and IgA reduced by 16.9, 45.1 and 45.0%, respectively); 3) higher feed consumption per 1 kg weight gain (4 kg) and lower average daily weight gain (0.57 kg); 4) increased incidence of health disorders (dermatitis in 25%, pancreatopathy in 13%, liver dystrophy in 8% and femoral fracture in 6% of the pigs). Unfortunately, the authors were not allowed to analyse ash and solid emissions from the power plant. Therefore the share of the emissions in the overall environmental contamination on the fattening farm could not be quantified. The personnel, working in the contaminated environment for a prolonged period, is endangered most of all by stable dust, being exposed to its mechanical, chemical, allergic and infectious effects (Tab. I). In addition to the chemical contaminants, 21 mould genera and species, six mite species and numerous saprophytic and some pathogenic bacteria were demonstrated in stable dust samples in our earlier experiments. Consumption of meat and organs from pigs fattened in a contaminated environment is associated with the risk of an increased uptake of various contaminants.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1481342", "title": "[Dynamics of changes in the cytological picture of vaginal smears and circulating ovarian hormones during the puerperal period in ewes].", "content": "A postparturient period is characterized by low basal secretion of adenohypophysis gonadotropins with the following appropriate changes in ovarian hormones and their response to the morphology of vaginal epithelium. In this study the dynamics of the cytological picture of vaginal swabs and ovarian hormones 17 beta-oestradiol (E2) and progesterone was investigated in the puerpery of ewes. The objective was to obtain and extend the knowledge of cytological changes in vaginal epithelium and levels of ovarian hormones of ewes after parturition and of their relationships from the first several days after lambing until the 51st day of the period of observation. Vaginal swabs for vaginal cytology were taken from nine ewes on days 1, 4, 7, 14, 17, 21, 25, 34, 42 and 51 after parturition. These swabs were fixed in ether-alcohol 1:1, stained according to the Falt\u00ednov\u00e1-Zidovsk\u00fd method, embedded in Canada balsam and evaluated by differentiation of cells according to Luksh (1953). Blood samples for E2 and P4 determinations were taken from the jugular vein in the same intervals as vaginal swabs. The serum was centrifuged and stored at -18 degrees C until use. E2 and P4 concentrations were determined radioimmunologically, using kits RIA-test ESTRA and RIA-test PROG from URVJT Kosice. A statistically significant decline (P < 0.05) of percentual representation of basal and parabasal cells (Fig. 1, Tab. I) on day 7 after lambing was replaced by their multiplication from day 14 reaching the values of 66.07 +/- 3.95 on day 42. A statistically significant decrease in intermediary flat cells (Fig. 2, Tab. II) was observed on days 14 (P < 0.001), 34 and 42 (P < 0.01; P < 0.001), in comparison with the first day after lambing. An evaluation of intermediary convoluted cells revealed their highest percentage on days 1 and 17 after parturition (34.65 +/- 4.77-20.62 +/- 12.57) and their decline to values in the range of 6.77 +/- 1.46-7.66 +/- 2.25 on the remaining days of the period of observation. Percent occurrence of superficial flat cells (Fig. 3, Tab. I) ranged from 3.9 +/- 1.10 to 10.63 +/- 7.23 from day 1 to day 51 after lambing. The lowest percentual representation (1.32 +/- 0.79-4.10 +/- 1.89) was recorded for superficial convoluted cells. Multiplication of the evaluated cells was observed, reaching the highest but insignificant representation (P > 0.05) on day 25 of postparturient investigation: 4.10 +/- 1.89 (Fig. 3, Tab. I). 17 beta-oestradiol (E2) concentrations were compared to the -1st day before parturition, when its values varied at the level of 2.45 +/- 0.64 nmol/l serum.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1481343", "title": "[Use of polychlorinated biphenyl congener analysis for monitoring food and raw material of animal origin].", "content": "Occurrence of individual polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners in the environment, foodstuffs and other biological materials was assessed. Analysis of specific PCB congeners (28, 52, 101, 138, 153, 180), occurring in animal raw materials and foodstuffs most frequently, has been implemented. Sample processing, isolation of fat from milk, meat, organs, fat tissue and eggs, and separation of PCB from fats using the sorbents Florisil or Ekosorb (a new Czechoslovak sorbent based on modified silica gel, Kavalier Glassworks, Votice) are described in detail. Individual PCB congeners were determined by capillary gas chromatography (gas chromatograph Varian VISTA 6,000, equipped with a 63Ni ECD; silica capillary column SPB-5, 30 m x 0.32 mm I.D., 0.25 micron film; column temperature programme: 60 degrees C for 2 min, then to 250 degrees C at 20 degrees C/min and held for 13 min; splitless injection). Chromatograms of commercial chemicals Delor 103 and Delor 106 (corresponding to Aroclor 1242 and 1260, respectively), of a mixture of six specific PCB congener standards and of a PCB--containing milk sample are presented in Fig. 1-3. Methods of PCBs estimation, currently used in Czechoslovakia, and benefits of congeneric analysis of PCBs (reproducibility of results, quantification of individual congeners) are discussed. Analysis of specific PCB congeners is used for the assay of PCBs in foodstuffs and investigations of PCBs dynamics in food chains and distribution and accumulation of PCBs in animal organisms. Contents of specific PCB congeners in milk, pork and pig liver and kidney samples are given in Tab. II.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1481344", "title": "Chronic valvular disease in the cavalier King Charles spaniel in Sweden.", "content": "The prevalence of chronic valvular disease was studied in 494 cavalier King Charles spaniels with a mean (+/- sd) age of 3.0 +/- 2.7 years. Cardiac murmurs were detected in 65 (13.2 per cent) of the dogs. Among 61 cavalier King Charles spaniels with a mean age of 6.4 +/- 2.8 years, cardiac murmurs were detected in 32 (52 per cent). In both groups of dogs the prevalence of cardiac murmurs was low among dogs younger than three years (1.9 per cent) but increased with age (P < 0.001). The estimated ages at which 50 per cent of the dogs had developed murmurs were 7.5 and 6.2 years, respectively. When 39 of the 61 dogs were re-examined three years later, cardiac murmurs were detected in 28 (72 per cent), and the intensities of the murmurs had generally increased (P < 0.05). Nine (28 per cent) of the dogs which had previously had murmurs had been euthanased for signs of congestive heart failure whereas none of the dogs which had been free of murmurs had died from congestive heart failure. Animal insurance statistics from 1982 to 1990 (1983 excluded) for dogs less than 10 years old showed that claims for veterinary care or death or euthanasia were five times more common in the cavalier King Charles spaniel than in dachshunds (P < 0.001) and eight times more common than the mean for all other insured breeds (P < 0.001)."}
{"id": "PMID:1481345", "title": "Occurrence of cataracts in triploid Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) on four farms in Scotland.", "content": "In September 1991 cataracts occurred in two year-classes of triploid Atlantic salmon. The fish showed varying degrees of blindness, were lethargic and became emaciated owing to their inability to feed. The lesions in the lens were mainly in the anterior and posterior cortex and perinuclear areas, the capsule and embryonic nucleus remaining unaffected. Diploid fish of the same year-class did not have cataracts. The origin of the triploid fish, the method of triploidisation, their diet and disease status were investigated, but no predisposing factors could be found to account for the high incidence of cataracts."}
{"id": "PMID:1481335", "title": "[Use of cytostatics as anti-cicatricial drugs after anti-glaucoma surgery in children, adolescents and young adults].", "content": "Anti-cicatricial cytostatic therapy with 5-fluorouracil and prospidin was carried out after antiglaucoma surgery in 78 eyes of 67 patients aged 6 to 42 (2/3 of the patients were aged from 21 to 40). Half (34) of the patients suffered from open-angle (pigmented in 3 cases) and 6 from closed-angle glaucoma, the rest patients presented with common hydrophthalmia, the Frank-Kamenetsky, Sturdge-Weber, Riger's syndromes, etc. The cytostatics were injected subconjunctivally. The results of 67 surgeries were followed up for 6 months to 3 years. Stable normalization of the ophthalmic tone and stabilization of the process were achieved in 60 eyes (89.2%). The authors emphasize that cytostatics may be recommended for children and young subjects after surgery involving fistulization, on condition of thorough biomicroscopic monitoring in the postoperative period, because of a possible disadaptation of the edges of the mucosal incision and corneal diseases."}
{"id": "PMID:1481346", "title": "A double-blind comparison of olive oil and a combination of evening primrose oil and fish oil in the management of canine atopy.", "content": "A randomised double-blind parallel study lasting eight weeks was used to assess the effects of olive oil in a group of atopic dogs whose clinical signs were well controlled by dietary supplementation with a combination of evening primrose oil and fish oil. Nine of the 11 dogs which continued to receive this combination were considered unchanged at the conclusion of the study, whereas eight of the 10 dogs switched to olive oil had deteriorated. The mean plasma concentration of dihomogammalinolenic acid, a precursor of potentially antiinflammatory mediators, was significantly reduced (P < 0.05) in the olive oil-treated group at the end of the study. There were no significant differences between the mean plasma linoleic, eicosapentaenoic and arachidonic acid concentrations in the two groups. These findings suggest that olive oil is not an effective therapeutic agent in the control of canine atopy."}
{"id": "PMID:1481347", "title": "Real-time ultrasonography for determining the gestational age of ewes.", "content": "Seven Swedish peltsheep ewes were examined weekly by transabdominal ultrasound scanning from one-and-a-half to two months of gestation until parturition. By means of a simple regression analysis, the heart rate, the biparietal diameter of the skull and the diameter of the body trunk were correlated with fetal age, and it was concluded that these measurements could be used to estimate the age of the fetus."}
{"id": "PMID:1481338", "title": "[Laser correction of recurrence of increased intraocular pressure after surgical valvular sinuso-trabeculectomy].", "content": "Wise's laser trabeculoplasty with a 270 degrees exposure was used in 22 eyes of 22 patients with operated-on decompensated glaucoma. Patients with elevated decompensated intraocular pressure after sinusotrabeculoctomy were included in this group. The postoperative fistula was located in front of the Schlemm's canal in them. A dynamic follow-up has shown a stable normalization of the ophthalmic tone in 62% of cases without maintenance therapy. As a repeated intervention, laser trabeculoplasty is less traumatic, yields a good therapeutic effect, and may be widely used as a method to correct elevated intraocular pressure after earlier sinusotrabeculectomy."}
{"id": "PMID:1481337", "title": "[A method of tracing Schlemm's canal in the combined treatment of open-angle glaucoma].", "content": "Tracing Schlemm's canal in the course of sinusotomy, added to multiple-modality treatment of open-angle glaucoma, helps improve the localization of the site of initially traced external wall of Schlemm's canal in gonioscopy and carry out laser trabeculopuncture at the site of the intervention with a lower level of laser energy, as well as reduce the possibility of complications and cicatrix of the trabecula and the adjacent tissues. A follow-up of 23 patients over 1.5 years has proved that the described intervention provides a good hypotensive effect and stabilization of the glaucomatous process in the overwhelming majority of patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1481351", "title": "Approaches to the identification of non-essential genes of African swine fever virus.", "content": "It is poorly understood why vaccines could not be developed for the control and prevention of African swine fever (ASF) virus infection. The aim of our study was to identify genes non-essential for ASF virus replication because there were indications that certain viral gene products, which apparently are non-essential for viral replication, conferred protection from death due to ASF. A cosmid library representing the genome of ASF virus strain France 64 was established and characterized. Then, in order to inactivate viral genes by insertion, the beta-galactosidase (beta-gal) gene was introduced either randomly or at specific locations of selected cloned DNA fragments. These constructions were transfected into cells which had been previously infected with a cell-culture-adapted viral strain in order to allow the generation of recombinant progeny virus. Viable recombinant progeny was identified by at least one of the following means: (1) expression of beta-gal; (2) detection of beta-gal specific DNA by plaque hybridization, and (3) absence of a functional product of the inactivated gene. Presently, we are characterizing a recombinant virus with an insertionally inactivated thymidine kinase gene."}
{"id": "PMID:1481352", "title": "African horse sickness in Spain.", "content": "The aetiology, pathogenesis and epizootiology of African horse sickness (AHS) are reviewed with special reference to recent outbreaks in the Iberian peninsula. AHS is a highly fatal insect-borne viral disease of Equidae. It is caused by an Orbivirus (family Reoviridae) and nine serotypes are recognised. Outbreaks occurred in central Spain in 1987 and in southern regions of the Iberian peninsula in 1988, 1989 and 1990. All were associated with serotype 4 of the virus, whereas other occurrences of AHS outside Africa have all been caused by serotype 9. The clinical picture in the outbreaks was mainly of the acute (pulmonary) form except in 1988 when the subacute (cardiac) form of disease predominated. Several hundred horses died or were destroyed as a result of the outbreaks. Further spread was contained by a combination of slaughter of sick animals, movement controls, and vaccination which was extended over an increasingly wide area in successive years. The 1987 outbreak is believed to be associated with infected zebras imported from Africa. Possible explanations for the recurrence of disease in Spain in successive years are considered to include (a) the climatic conditions in Southern Spain, which could permit continuous vector activity, (b) the relative clinical resistance of mules and donkeys, which may permit subclinical circulation of the virus, (c) incomplete population immunity among horses due to possible gaps in the vaccination strategy."}
{"id": "PMID:1481353", "title": "Virus-induced acquired immune suppression by cytotoxic T cell-mediated immunopathology.", "content": "Acute infection with lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus causes a severe immune suppression in immunocompetent mice by triggering a T cell-mediated immunopathology, probably directed against infected macrophages and dendritic cells. An important role of gamma interferon may be to protect lymphohaemopoietic cells from virus infection and destruction by cytopathic effects of either the virus or of anti-viral immunity."}
{"id": "PMID:1481354", "title": "Diagnostic methods for African horsesickness virus using monoclonal antibodies to structural and non-structural proteins.", "content": "A panel of 32 hybridoma cell lines secreting monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) reactive with African horsesickness virus serotype 4 (AHSV-4) has been developed. Four of the MAbs recognized the major core antigen VP7, twenty recognized the outer capsid protein VP2 and eight reacted with the non-structural protein NS1. With the VP7-specific MAbs a rapid and sensitive double antibody sandwich immunoassay has been developed to detect viral antigen in infected Vero cells and in spleen tissue from AHSV-infected horses. The sensitivity of the assay is 10 ng viral antigen per 100 microliters. The NS1-specific MAbs allowed visualization by immunofluorescence of tubule-like structures in the cytoplasm of infected Vero cells. This can be very useful as a confirmatory diagnostic procedure. The antigenic map of the outer capsid VP2 protein with MAbs is also reported."}
{"id": "PMID:1481355", "title": "Lelystad virus, the cause of porcine epidemic abortion and respiratory syndrome: a review of mystery swine disease research at Lelystad.", "content": "This paper reviews the laboratory investigations that led us to isolate the Lelystad virus and demonstrate that this virus causes mystery swine disease. We describe: 1) isolating the virus from the disease; 2) characterizing the virus as a new enveloped RNA virus; 3) reproducing the disease experimentally with the isolated Lelystad virus; 4) isolating the virus from the experimentally induced disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1481357", "title": "Isolation of a Lelystad virus-like agent from British pigs and scanning electron microscopy of infected macrophages.", "content": "Six, one-week-old gnotobiotic piglets were inoculated with tissues or sera collected from field cases of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome. The piglets showed little or no illness, and two that were necropsied at 8 and 9 days post infection appeared grossly normal. However, a Lelystad virus-like agent was isolated from most of the inoculated pigs using porcine alveolar macrophage cultures. Seroconversion to the Lelystad virus was observed and some animals developed microscopically detectable interstitial pneumonias. Scanning electron microscopy was used to study the in vitro cytopathic effect of the Lelystad virus on porcine alveolar macrophages."}
{"id": "PMID:1481356", "title": "Immune mechanisms in the pathogenesis of viral diseases: a review.", "content": "Three immunopathological mechanisms may determine the pathogenesis of viral diseases in animals. (1) A variety of viruses causes transient or prolonged immunosuppression by infecting lymphoreticular tissues and interacting with components of the immune system. (2) In persistent viral infections effective immune responses may result in tissue damage. The mechanisms involved are T-cell-mediated destruction of infected cells and delayed-type hypersensitivity. (3) In a number of viral diseases pathogenic immune complexes are formed when antibodies are produced and react with viral antigen molecules persisting in the host. The selected examples of immune dysfunction are the focus of this review."}
{"id": "PMID:1481358", "title": "Porcine epidemic abortion and respiratory syndrome (mystery swine disease). Isolation in Spain of the causative agent and experimental reproduction of the disease.", "content": "In March of 1991, a disease that affected pregnant sows and caused a high mortality in unweaned piglets was detected in Spain. Based on the clinical signs observed, mystery swine disease, which had been described recently in Germany, Holland and Belgium, was suspected. From the samples obtained from the affected farm, a filtrable agent (0.22 micron) was isolated on cell culture. It produced cytopathic effects, its replication was intracytoplasmic, it was sensitive to chloroform, and cross-reacted with a Lelystad reference serum. When inoculated into pregnant sows, the agent produced inappetence for 2-4 days, without hyperthermia. One of the sows aborted at 100 days of gestation; the two others had delayed parturitions (days 115 and 116). There was a mixture of healthy piglets, mummified fetuses, stillbirths and weak piglets. Microscopic examination of the lungs of healthy piglets killed at 8 and 12 days of life revealed the presence of interstitial pneumonia. The sera from the three sows at 39 days after infection cross-reacted with the Lelystad virus (titres > or = 1/640), whereas pre-inoculation sera did not recognize it (titres < or = 1/10). This is the first report from Spain of the isolation of an agent (antigenically related to the Lelystad virus), capable of reproducing the disease previously designated as mystery swine disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1481359", "title": "The molecular biology of the porcine paramyxovirus LPMV.", "content": "Protein and genomic studies of a previously uncharacterized porcine paramyxovirus (designated LPMV) confirmed that it was a member of the paramyxovirus genus. The nucleotide sequences and deduced amino acids of the complete P-gene, M-gene, F-gene and HN-gene as well as the intergenic sequences have been determined. Comparative sequence analysis of the M-gene of LPMV revealed the closest relationship of LPMV was to human mumps virus with a homology of 46% and 55% at the amino acid and nucleotide levels respectively. The P-gene of LPMV is transcribed to V protein mRNA and by editing of the gene to the P protein mRNA. The LPMV P-gene has the coding capacity for an additional protein of 126 amino acids, a C protein."}
{"id": "PMID:1481360", "title": "Humanized animal viruses with special reference to the primate adaptation of morbillivirus.", "content": "This review article discusses the evolution of human viruses with special reference to paramyxoviruses. This family of viruses causes epidemics representing the dissemination of infection from one acutely infected host to the next. Since there is no repository for human paramyxoviruses in animals or in the form of persistent infections in man, the history of epidemics afflicting human civilization is short, presumably not exceeding 4000-5000 years. Evolutionary relationships can be deduced for comparison of nucleotide sequences of genes or even complete genomes. The present paramyxovirus genus will probably in the future be divided into two separate genera. In the genus morbillivirus, two pairs of more closely related virus types can be distinguished: canine and phocid viruses, and rinder-pest and measles viruses, respectively. It is speculated that recombination events may have occurred in the evolution of the morbillivirus archetype."}
{"id": "PMID:1481361", "title": "Round table on morbilliviruses in marine mammals.", "content": "Since 1988 morbilliviruses have been increasingly recognized and held responsible for mass mortality amongst harbour seals (Phoca vitulina) and other seal species. Virus isolations and characterization proved that morbilliviruses from seals in Northwest Europe were genetically distinct from other known members of this group including canine distemper virus (CDV), rinderpest virus, peste des petits ruminants virus and measles virus. An epidemic in Baikal seals in 1987 was apparently caused by a morbillivirus closely related to CDV so that two morbilliviruses have now been identified in two geographically distant seal populations, with only the group of isolates from Northwest Europe forming a new member of the genus morbillivirus: phocid distemper virus (PDV). Because of distemper-like disease, the Baikal seal morbillivirus was tentatively named PDV-2 in spite of its possible identity with CDV. The appearance of morbilliviruses in the Mediterranean Sea causing high mortality amongst dolphins should further increase the research activities on protection strategies for endangered species of marine mammals."}
{"id": "PMID:1481362", "title": "Round table on epidemiology and control of fox rabies.", "content": "The current epizootic of rabies in Europe has as its main host the fox. Oral vaccination of the fox population has proven to be particularly effective. It is clear that the major components for a successful vaccination programme are a potent and stable vaccine, and an effective baiting system; the latter should attract the target animal but no non-target species. Recently, vaccines of increased stability have been generated; amongst these is a vaccinia recombinant virus which expresses rabies virus glycoprotein. Consequently, both attenuated live virus vaccines and a recombinant vaccine are available for routine field vaccination of the fox population."}
{"id": "PMID:1481363", "title": "The pathogenic determinant of influenza virus.", "content": "Influenza viruses, like other viruses, must exhibit a genome constellation, which permits optimal virus reproduction in a given host. Besides this prerequisite the influenza virus haemagglutinin glycoprotein (HA) has been shown to be an essential determinant for pathogenicity. HA, which is synthesized as a precursor molecule, is activated by posttranslational cleavage by host proteases to obtain its full biological properties. Proteolytic activation is therefore indispensable for effective virus spread in the infected host and thus for pathogenicity. HA of the highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses inducing a systemic infection in birds is cleaved in a broad range of different host cells. On the other hand, HA of all mammalian viruses and the nonpathogenic avian strains, which cause local infection, exhibit a restricted cleavability. The prime determinant for these differences has been found to be the structure of the cleavage site. This concept was corroborated on virus mutants adapted in vitro to a new host."}
{"id": "PMID:1481364", "title": "Evidence for a viral aetiology of Jembrana disease in Bali cattle.", "content": "Jembrana disease is an acute infectious disease of Bali cattle (Bos javanicus) in Indonesia. High titres of the infectious agent are present in plasma during the febrile phase of the disease. The size of the agent determined by membrane filtration was between 50 and 100 nm, indicating it is a virus and not a rickettsia as previously proposed. Spherical virus-like particles of 75 to 130 nm diameter with a smooth membrane and frequently with an eccentric nucleoid were detected by electron microscopy in plasma from infected animals. The virus replicated in mononuclear cell cultures of peripheral blood origin but not in other cell cultures. The virus and the associated disease have characteristics consistent with viruses in the family Retroviridae."}
{"id": "PMID:1481365", "title": "The Zvonimir Dinter Memorial Lecture. New insights into the pathogenesis of viral infection.", "content": "Interesting recent highlights into the pathogenesis of viral infections have come from: (1) Studies of viruses that persist in cells and modify cell function without causing cell damage. (2) Transgenic mouse studies showing how tissue-specific transcriptional activators control virus expression and can determine viral tropism. (3) Studies of the influence of cell differentiation on viral expression. (4) The exploding world of cytokines, whose baffling complexity and multiple interactions are subjects of intense study. (5) Studies of the interaction of viruses with the immune system. In each case, no molecular studies are giving unprecedented insights into disease processes. However, even when viral genomes are sequenced and virulence genes identified there are additional daunting steps before we understand the role of a given gene product in pathogenesis."}
{"id": "PMID:1481366", "title": "[Asymptomatic HBs antigenemia in pregnant women].", "content": "The authors have dispensarized for more than ten years HBsAg carriers at the Second Medical Clinic of the Olomouc Faculty Hospital when antigenaemia was detected during blood donorship. Since 1990 the authors dispensarize also women where HBs antigenaemia was revealed during pregnancy. In the presented paper the authors analyze this group of women. In 1990-1991 the authors examined blood samples for HBsAg from 12,042 symptom-free pregnant women. HBsAg positivity was proved in 34 women (0.28%). Eleven women (32.3%) are regularly followed up since delivery. The authors know nothing about the fate of 10 women (29.4%), as they did not respond to repeated invitations to the surgery. It must be however mentioned that 6 of them are Vietnamese and probably left Czechoslovakia. Four women (11.7%) did not attend the clinic for examination but the authors know that they were delivered of their babies elsewhere. In the remainder, i.e. 8 women the delivery was normal, usually in term. The neonates were passively as well as actively immunized at the appropriate dates. Their umbilical blood (if collected) was HBsAg positive, while the venous blood was in all instances negative. All 20 women who attended examination were throughly examined (ultrasound, HBeAg, HBeAb etc.) and the clinical picture is that of a \"healthy\" HBsAg carrier (not verified by histological examination)."}
{"id": "PMID:1481367", "title": "[Late ventricular potentials in patients with recurrent ventricular tachycardia after myocardial infarct].", "content": "In 26 patients who had at least two documented attacks of persisting ventricular tachycardia for 48 hours or longer after a myocardial infarction and whose standard QRS complex during sinus rhythm was < or = 120 ms, the authors examined late ventricular potentials using an Arrhythmia Research Technology apparatus EPX 1200. Positive finding were obtained in 19 (73%) of the patients. The finding is comparable with data in the literature on the prevalence of late ventricular potentials in patients with recurrent persisting ventricular tachycardia after myocardial infarction."}
{"id": "PMID:1481368", "title": "[Dual-cavity pacing for maximal work capacity in patients with a chronic high-grade atrioventricular block].", "content": "Twenty-eight patients with a grade 2 and 3 atrioventricular block and an implanted DDD pacemaker were repeatedly subjected to a bicycle ergometric test with a maximum load of the AV block (VV30), ventricular stimulation (VVI70) and DDD stimulation. The maximum work capacity and maximum heart rate achieved on VVI30 were 92 + xi 38 W and 61 +/- 27/min. The maximum work capacity increased on DDD by 49% while on VVI70 only by 22% (p < 0.00001) and the maximum heart rate increased on DDD by 185%, while on VVI70 only by 41% (p < 0.00001). The authors found a significant correlation between the increment of the maximum work capacity on DDD, as compared with that on VVI70 (d maximum work capacity) and maximum work capacity at VVI70 (r = -0.53, p < 0.01), maximum work capacity on VVI30 (r = -0.437, p > 0.03), maximum heart rate at VVI70 (r = -0.415, p < 0.004) and age (r = 0.56, p < 0.005). The d maximum work capacity was significantly higher in patients without their own ventricular activity during the load on VVI70 (28 +/- 24% vs. 13 +/- 8%, p < 0.05 (in patients who did not attain the upper frequency limit of DDD stimulation (30 +/- 25% vs. 14 +/- 9%, p < 0.004) and in patients above 60 years of age (37 +/- 26% vs. 14 +/- 10%, p < 0.002)."}
{"id": "PMID:1481369", "title": "[Are dietetic and non-immunologic therapies becoming deciding factors in the treatment of autoimmune diseases?].", "content": "Authors call attention to non-immunological therapy and its determining role for fate and final prognosis in patients with autoimmune diseases. A stress importance of the timely and rigorous antihypertensive and antiinfectious treatment. From the dietary measures is best known favourable effect of the low protein diet and pharmacological limitation of the phosphorus supply. A new therapeutical aspect is the influence of the lipids on the autoimmune diseases activity and efficiency of the omega-3 unsaturated fatty acids. Non-immunological methods of the treatment are particularly valuable for the general practitioners and pediatricians, because enable them essentially to influence the course of the autoimmune diseases."}
{"id": "PMID:1481370", "title": "[On the 30th anniversary of the first hemodialysis in Slovakia].", "content": "The author reminds of the first attempts of therapeutic dialysis in Slovakia as well as the first instrumental haemodialysis implemented on August 15 1962 by doctors I. Ahlers, N. Scheid and T. Szabo in the Military Hospital in Kosice. Then he analyzes the development of dialyzation treatment in the Slovak Republic and compares the contemporary state with that in Europe."}
{"id": "PMID:1481371", "title": "[Prevalence of bone decalcification in the treatment of Crohn's disease].", "content": "In clinically active Crohn's disease the bone mineralization is impaired due to calcium malabsorption by the inflamed intestinal wall which is potentiated by diarrhoea and the thus accelerated transit time. To this we must add the shortening of the gut after operations, the inadequate dietary calcium supply or possibly calcium elimination in case of concurrent lactose intolerance. Corticoid treatment leads also to deterioration of bone mineralization. This is the reason why the authors assessed in 98 patients with Crohn's disease the bone mineralization, using the method of clavicular bone index (NIBA). Then treatment was started: a high protein diet, calcium forte, Ossin (sodium fluoride), vitamin D forte, anabolics and regular physical exercise. Check-up examinations after one year revealed that the index was restored in the majority of patients (60.84%) to normal. The above treatment is thus effective. It must be, however, regular and of a long-term character, in some patients it must extend over many years. We had, however, also patients who although subjected to an extensive resection of the gut and treated for prolonged periods with corticoids, had permanently an index between 100 and 120% without treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1481372", "title": "[Alcohol block of the celiac plexus in severe visceral pain].", "content": "The authors present their own experience with percutaneous alcohol block of the coeliac plexus. Between April 1988 and December 1991 they used it in 22 patients. Except one patient the others suffered from severe pain of abdominal organs associated with carcinoma of the pancreas. The first four operations were made using angiography, the remainder under CT control. During evaluation of results two weeks after the intervention complete regression of pain was recorded in six patients. A partial effect was achieved in 11 patients, and the intervention failed in five patients. The intervention was repeated in four patients. The authors emphasize that the procedure is relatively simple and safe, and if successful, makes it possible to reduce or even eliminate opiates. It improves the quality of the remaining life of the patient."}
{"id": "PMID:1481373", "title": "[The effect of education on metabolic compensation in diabetics].", "content": "The authors evaluate the effect of two years intense individual education on the metabolic compensation of diabetics. They evaluate it in 611 patients with regard to the blood concentration of glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c). The improved compensation was most marked in diabetics treated by a combination of insulin and oral antidiabetics (by 2.3%); in the remaining groups treated with insulin alone, with diet alone and derivatives of sulphonyl urea by 1.0-1.4%. Individual education of diabetics, of sufficiently intense, contributes substantially to compensation and should be the basic working method in all diabetological surgeries. The prerequisite of success is a well trained diabetological nurse and dietitian."}
{"id": "PMID:1481374", "title": "[Combined therapy with insulin/gliquidone (Glurenorm) in type 2 diabetes after treatment failure using oral antidiabetic agents].", "content": "The authors evaluate treatment by a combination of insulin and gliquidone (Glurenorm) in 29 type 2 diabetics where long-term treatment with oral antidiabetics alone had failed. Within four months all patients were completely compensated from the metabolic aspect. HbA1c declined from 10.8 to 6.5, C peptide, on the other hand, increased from the original value of 1.2 ng/ml to 1.8 ng/ml. The authors did not observe any undesirable effects or hypoglycaemic states. Gliquidone is suitable for combined treatment because of its short-term effect; stimulation of endogenous secretion has a pulsed character and imitates an intensified regime. The prerequisite of success is a low dose of intermediary insulin to prevent inhibition of the central action of gliquidone."}
{"id": "PMID:1481375", "title": "[Indapamide in the treatment of hypertension in diabetes].", "content": "The authors treated 20 diabetics (14 men and 6 women) in an open clinical trial with indapamide (Arifon, Zorka Co.) for a period of three months, using a morning dose of 2.5 mg. In 10 patients with hypertension stage I in all normalization of the systolic pressure below 18.6 kPa and diastolic pressure below 12 kPa was achieved. Treatment of patients with hypertension stage II was not adequate in 6 patients. In the course of treatment metabolic compensation of diabetes (type 1 or type 2) did not deteriorate. No changes in the blood lipid spectrum and mineral metabolism were recorded. Indapamide is an antihypertensive drug suitable for treatment of mild hypertension in diabetics as monotherapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1481376", "title": "[Long-term treatment with an insulin pump. 3 years' experience].", "content": "The author treated since 1985 on a long-term basis (for more than one year) 228 diabetic patients with an insulin pump. She gives an account for her experience of three years' treatment of 32 diabetics type 1 and 2, incl. 5 treated already for a period of 5 years. Eight type 1 diabetics treated on account of a great lability of the disease are free from specific complications. In 10 type 1 diabetics treated on account of developing nephropathy and neuropathy the condition has stabilized and does not develop further. In 14 type 2 diabetics progression of complications which led to the indication of pump treatment did not occur. Treatment had the most favourable effect on sensitive neuropathy and incipient nephropathy where a reduction of proteinuria was recorded. From the total number of 228 patients treated on a long-term basis in 31, on failure of the pump, decompensation occurred. Five of these patients developed ketosis which called for hospitalization. Clinically severe hypoglycaemia was observed only once."}
{"id": "PMID:1481377", "title": "[The significance of circulating endothelial cells in type 2 diabetes].", "content": "The authors examined in 134 type 2 diabetics under the age of 60 years (mean age 54.5 years) the number of circulating endothelia. The results were compared with the number of circulating endothelia in 12 type 1 diabetics who were in a compensated state. The number of circulating endothelial increased with the degree of metabolic decompensation, the limital value of glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c) was 12%. In patients with a lower HbA1c value the number of circulating endothelia was still at the upper range of normal values. The highest values were recorded in diabetics with ketosis. The elevated number of circulating endothelia does not depend on the duration of diabetes, on the method of treatment or the patient's age. The finding of an elevated number of circulating endothelia correlates also with a higher cholesterol and triacylglycerol level. The authors consider the raised number of circulating endothelia a marker of endothelial damage and thread of the development of macroangiopathy."}
{"id": "PMID:1481378", "title": "[The effect of a single dose of Bisoprolol on changes in blood pressure and hemodynamic indicators in patients with mild hypertension].", "content": "The authors administered to 10 patients with mild hypertension a single dose of 10 mg bisoprolol (Concor-Merck) during bioimpedance control of changes of the cardiac index and peripheral vascular resistance after an interval of 3 and 24 hours following administration of the drug. In all patients administration of the drug led to a statistically significant drop of the blood pressure. In patients with a high cardiac output (group A, n = 6) the decline of blood pressure was due to a blocked increment of the cardiac output and a slight block of the peripheral vascular resistance. In the group with a low cardiac output and high peripheral vascular resistance (group B, n = 3) the drop of the blood pressure was caused by peripheral vascular dilatation, the cardiac output was influenced minimally. Bisoprolol did not affect the left ventricular systolic function."}
{"id": "PMID:1481379", "title": "[The effect of a single dose of Bisoprolol on changes in blood pressure and hemodymic indicators in patients with mild hypertension during loading].", "content": "The authors administered to 10 patients with mild hypertension a single dose of 10 mg bisoprolol (CONCOR-Merck) during bioimpedance control of changes of the cardiac index and peripheral vascular resistance during an isometric load after an interval of 3 and 24 hours following administration of the drug. In all patients administration of the drug led during the third hour to a statistically significant drop of the blood pressure after a load. Twenty-four hours after administration the drop was no longer statistically significant. In patients with a high cardiac index (group A, n = 6) the decline of blood pressure was due to a blocked increment of the cardiac output and a slight block of the peripheral vascular resistance. In the group with a low cardiac index and high peripheral vascular resistance (group B, n = 3) the drop of the blood pressure was less marked than in group A and it was due only to the blocked increment of the cardiac output. The increment of the peripheral vascular resistance was not influenced by the preparation. Bisoprolol did not affect the left ventricular systolic function."}
{"id": "PMID:1481380", "title": "[Determination of galactose eliminating capacity after intravenous administration--a liver function test].", "content": "The authors discuss a simple method for assessment of the galactose elimination capacity after intravenous administration of a 20% solution, total dose 0.5 g galactose/kg body weight. In six blood venous samples after termination of an infusion (after 25, 30, 35, 40, 45 and 50 minutes) from an inserted venous catheter after assessment of the enzymatic estimation of the galactose concentration in individual samples the elimination line of galactose is assessed as well as its point of intersection (t) with the time axis. By means of these data along with the data on the amount of injected galactose and the amount of galactose excreted in the urine the galactose elimination capacity is calculated. The method is suitable for evaluation and monitoring of the functional state of the liver. It reflects the functional mass of liver parenchyma and is therefore a quantitative test of liver function."}
{"id": "PMID:1481381", "title": "[A new agent--nitric oxide].", "content": "A review of findings pertaining to EDRF (endothelium derived relaxation factor) which proved to be nitric oxide, NO. After an account of the vasodilatating action of NO in the cardiovascular system the main attention is devoted to macrophages, the source of NO and to the formation of NO during activation of infections and during septic shock. NO participates also in the cytotoxicity of macrophages. NO may be the cause of hypotension in hepatic failure. Cumulation of endogenous inhibitors of NO formation in renal failure may be the cause of hypertension. The author analyzes other clinical effects of NO with regard to impotence and diabetes: NO stimulates insulin secretion from the B-cells of the islets of Langerhans. Attention is also drawn to the possible function of NO in the pituitary, in particular with regard to the arginine test which stimulates STH secretion."}
{"id": "PMID:1481382", "title": "[Iodine status and incidence of thyropathies in the Czech population].", "content": "Based on clinical experience on the rising incidence of some thyropathies in our population, the authors examined a random sample of the Prague population. They assessed and evaluated iodinuria, the sonographic finding of the thyroid gland, the palpation finding of the thyroid and a clinical examination which comprised a detailed case-history (a questionnaire checked during the examination) and a clinical and anthropometric examination. The results indicate that iodinuria (which reflects the iodine intake) reaches the recommended optimum (above 150 micrograms iodine/l) only in 11.4% of boys, 14% men, 6.3% girls and 5.4% women. A quite inadequate intake (less than 50 g iodine/l) was recorded in 13.2% boys, 15.2% men, 17% girls and 33.1% women. When evaluating the thyroid volume, an enlarged volume is found in 20.4-58.3% and on evaluation by palpation pathological changes are found in a considerable proportion of the examined population. The findings suggest that the iodine supply of the Prague population is inadequate and the incidence of abnormal findings on the thyroid gland is high. It will be necessary to verify these findings in other random population samples from other localities. If the adverse position will be confirmed, this will call for an urgent solution, i.e. a better iodine supply of the population."}
{"id": "PMID:1481383", "title": "[The importance of optimal iodine intake, the present status and perspectives in Slovakia].", "content": "The concentration of iodine was estimated in 667 urine specimens of boys and girls aged 6-18 years from 5 regions of Slovakia. Only about a half of all values (i.e. 48.43%) was found in the optimum range of 10-20 micrograms/dl, while 40.43% of values wore in the range of iodine deficiency (i.e. less than 10 mu/dl). In addition, there were 10.64% of high values (ie. more than 20 micrograms/dl). These results show that the intake of iodine appears to be 3-4 times higher than before the start of iodine prophylaxis in about 1950, but it still does not reach the optimum level. The increase of iodine intake would be achieved by the replacement of iodide (KI) with iodate (KIO3) which is much more stable. This prevents the looses of iodine from the salt which represent 50 to 75 percent of the original level within 1 to 1 and a half year."}
{"id": "PMID:1481384", "title": "[The risk for osteoporosis in persons treated with thyroid hormones].", "content": "Patients taking suppressive doses of thyroid hormones may have adverse effects from such treatment. To test conditions under which such treatment might be deleterious to bone, we studied a group of patients who had undergone thyroidectomy because of thyroid cancer 1 to 21 years previously and were treated with steady suppressive doses of exogenous thyroid hormone. The group consisted from 13 men, 20 premenopausal and 25 postmenopausal women. The level of serum tyroxin a trijodothyronin in average didn't differ from the control subjects; thyreostimulating hormone was significantly lower than in controls. Vertebral bone density (BMD) was significantly reduced and biochemical markers of bone formation and (osteocalcin and bone isoenzyme of alkaline phosphatase in serum) were significantly increased as compared with controls only in postmenopausal patients. Biochemical indices of bone resorption (urinary hydroxyproline and plasma tartrate resistant acid phosphatase activity) were significantly increased in premenopausal and also in postmenopausal women. In thyroid hormone treated women, biochemical indices of both bone resorption and bone formation correlated significantly negatively with serum TSH levels. The results suggest that in postmenopausal women there is no \"safe\" suppressive dose of thyroid hormone. Patients treated with thyroid hormone should be evaluated for a latent or early symptomatic stage of bone loss. The thyroid drugs used should consist of exact content of thyroid hormones, preferably thyroxin."}
{"id": "PMID:1481385", "title": "[Insulin resistance and arterial hypertension. Hyperinsulinism as a basic etiopathogenic factor in essential arterial hypertension and associated phenomena].", "content": "In 50 normotonic patients with type 2 diabetes (NIDDM) and controls matched for sex and age with NIDDM and hypertension a statistically significant difference was found as regards S-peptide values on fasting, cholesterol, triglycerides, BMI and atherogenic index (cholesterol/HDL, p < 0.01). C-peptide values correlated positively with values of the systolic and median BP and the atherogenic index in both groups. In normotonic diabetics there was also a positive correlation with the BMI and in hypertonic subjects with the triglyceride levels. The results confirm the hypothesis that in NIDDM there is a direct relationship between arterial hypertension, unfavourable lipid parameters and insulin resistance and compensatory hyperinsulinism resp. The authors discuss possible mechanisms by which hyperinsulinism mediates a rise of BP, hyperlipoproteinaemia, hyperglycaemia and hirsutism (hormonal metabolic syndrome X and 5H resp.). These phenomena are the main risk factors of cardiovascular diseases and lead via heart attacks and cerebrovascular attacks (IHD and stroke) to a high cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in our population. The morbidity and mortality is steadily increasing and thus we are among civilized countries among those with the highest morbidity and mortality."}
{"id": "PMID:1481386", "title": "[A laboratory test for the detection of androgen resistance using sex hormone-binding globulin].", "content": "A simple laboratory test for disclosure of peripheral androgen insensitivity has been suggested. The test is based on determination of sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) following single administration of testosterone preparation (Testoviron Depot, Schering, 2 mg/kg of body weight). The kinetics of SHBG response to exogenous testosterone was investigated first in a group of 5 healthy male volunteers. The highest highly significant decrease of SHBG level occurred 7th day after drug administration. The method of choice for SHBG determination is an immunoradiometric assay (IRMA). The test was used for a group of 15 children and young people suspected for androgen sensitivity disorder. In all cases, besides SHBG on days 0 and 7 testosterone, dihydrotestosterone and LH were measured, too. In three instances the response was negative: in the case of male Turner syndrome, with very low basal SHBG levels, in one case of confirmed diagnosis of testicular feminization and in the third case of suspected testicular feminization, which has not yet been concluded. In all other patients a significant decrease (in average to 62.8% of the basal level) was in agreement with clinical findings."}
{"id": "PMID:1481387", "title": "[Thyroid gland antibodies. Methods and clinical significance].", "content": "The author presents a brief account of the clinically most important antibodies against thyroid antigens (against thyroglobulin, against the microsomal fraction or thyroid peroxidase, against thyroid hormones and against TSH receptors). He describes the main ways of their assessment in serum and evaluates the practical contribution of their estimation or detection in clinical diagnostic practice concerning endocrinopathies. Usually these estimations are only auxiliary and do not replace functional thyroid tests. Antibodies against thyroglobulin and against the microsomal fraction are found most frequently (and in the highest concentrations) in thyropathies with an assumed autoimmune component, in particular in lymphocytic thyroiditis. The low specificity (they are as a rule present also in other thyroid diseases and also in clinically eufunctional subjects with and without goitre) due to the relatively low prevalence reduce the diagnostic value of the examination. The examination of antireceptor antibodies is important, in particular in the diagnosis of immunogenic hyperthyroidism. The prevalence of antibodies against thyroid hormones is low and their detection serves about all to elucidate cases where the patient's clinical status is not in agreement with assessment of thyroid hormones."}
{"id": "PMID:1481388", "title": "[Surgical treatment of endocrine orbital disease. Indications, methods,results].", "content": "Surgical removal of the thyroid gland in Graves-Basedow's disease has, beyond doubt, also a major effect on endocrine orbitopathy. After total or near-total removal of the thyroid gland after three months a slighter deterioration or even ameloriation of ocular protrusion is found, contrary to the effect of subtotal thyroidectomy. There exists a significant correlation between the volume of the residual gland evaluated according to 24 h-uptake of 131I, and between the regression of the protrusion (r = 0.385, p < 0.01). Total or near-total thyroidectomy alone even in the absence of other therapeutic methods leads after 1 to 4 years to an average regression of the protrusion by 1 mm which matches the results of prednisone treatment, if the latter is used as the sole treatment. Orbital decompression by the modified method of Ogura and Walsh led in patients treated concurrently with prednisone and thyroidectomy to improvement of the visual acuity on average by 50% (from the range of 0.008 to 0.33 to values from 0.4 to 1.0) and to regression of the protrusion on average by 3.3 mm. When determining the time of operation of the oculomotor muscles, in addition to the unchanged ocular finding also the echographic picture in sectorial visualization proves useful."}
{"id": "PMID:1481389", "title": "[Hyperthyroidism in the inappropriate thyrotrophic hormone secretion syndrome].", "content": "The authors draw attention to the possible presence of hyperthyroidism associated with the syndrome of so-called partial (hypophyseal) resistance to thyroid hormones in the absence of a pituitary tumour, based on the experience assembled during the follow-up of a 35-year-old female patient. The syndrome is characterized by elevated T4, T3 and also TSH levels. The syndrome of partial resistance to thyroid hormones differs from that of generalized resistance by a non-familial incidence and the presence of mild hyperthyroidism; from a pituitary tumour with overproduction of TSH it differs by a positive TSH response to TRH stimulation and the ratio of alpha- and beta- sub-units of TSH and also by the absence of pathological changes on the sella turcica during graphic examinations. Treatment by common antithyroid drugs does not lead to clinical improvement nor to normalization of T4, T3 and TSH levels. The syndrome is rare and according to, so a reports in the literature, the views on its cause and methods of long-term treatment are not uniform."}
{"id": "PMID:1481390", "title": "[New views on the pathogenesis of osteoporosis].", "content": "The author points out new aspects on pathogenetic factors of osteoporosis and its complications. the character of these factors shows that osteoporosis may be considered as a \"civilization disease\". The incidence of osteoporosis in all civilized countries is increasing and there is a striking resemblance of factors involved in the pathogenesis of osteoporosis to factors involved in the pathogenesis of other \"typical civilization diseases\" as are cardiovascular diseases or cancer. In more detail are mentioned the roles of physical exercise, nutrition, drugs and various toxic factors."}
{"id": "PMID:1481391", "title": "[The significance of ovarian and testicular steroids in lipid metabolism and atherogenesis].", "content": "Epidemiological, experimental and clinical data verify that the risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease is increased by a long-term estrogen deficiency. This is, among other beneficial effects of estrogens on arteries, caused by alteration of lipid and lipoprotein metabolism [e.g. decrease in total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and lipoprotein (a) and decrease in HDL2 cholesterol in serum and decrease in the accumulation of cholesterol in the arterial wall]. The beneficial cardioprotective effects of estrogens are attenuated by estrogen overdosing (causing hypertriglyceridemia), the use of synthetic instead of natural estrogen products (increased incidence of adversary effects) and especially by use of inappropriate progestins. The effect of progestins may be minimized by selecting a lower dose of a more metabolically inert products (especially progestins of the third generation). Mild to moderate hypercholesterolemia may improve with oral estrogen, and this strategy may be used as an adjunct for treatment. The replacement treatment of menopause is not yet widespread in Czechoslovakia. The new forms of treatment, not causing menstrual bleeding (continual medication, tamoxifen) may achieve more interest in the therapy. Hypogonadal men are known to have a more advanced development of atherosclerosis. The appropriate replacement is done by administration of such testosterone derivatives which enable the conversion to estrogens."}
{"id": "PMID:1481392", "title": "[The favorable effect of hydrolytic enzymes in the treatment of immunocytomas and plasmacytomas].", "content": "At present attention is focused on research of biomodulating influences on tumorous processes, in particular inhibition of metastatic spread of tumors. In the aetiopathogenesis an important part is played by immune complexes, interaction of cytokines. The authors tested the supporting effect of hydrolytic enzymes in plasmocytoma and immunocytoma. The enzymes were administered along with cytostatic preparations according to the MOCCA pattern. They recorded a more rapid onset and longer persistence of remissions, a marked decline of total proteins, paraproteins, beta-2-microglobulin. Complications associated with paraprotein (hyperviscosity syndrome, nephrotic syndrome, peripheral angiopathy) improved. A combination of chemotherapy and enzymatic treatment proved effective and suitable, in particular for patients with interferon intolerance."}
{"id": "PMID:1481393", "title": "[A disaster medicine databank].", "content": "The effective system for the emergency health care in the disaster or calamity situations presupposes a wide application of computer facilities. The article shows the possibilities towards the improvement of medical support with the help of the disaster medicine information dissemination system. The authors give the main functional characteristics of this system which could make it possible to optimize the health care to the wounded and to make a correct distribution of assets."}
{"id": "PMID:1481402", "title": "[Kimmerle's anomaly and stroke].", "content": "The anomaly of cranio-vertebral area can frequently be the reason of acute cerebrovascular disorders in vertebro-basilar field. The frequent C1 pathology in the Kimmerle's anomaly. The anatomic studies has shown that 30% of people had this type of anomaly. This pathology can lead to severe vascular diseases of cerebrum because of the squeezing effect upon vertebral arteries in the zone of osteal ponticulus of the rear arch of atlas."}
{"id": "PMID:1481403", "title": "[The correction of hypoxic and ischemic states with the use of antihypoxants (a review of the literature)].", "content": "The review of literature contains data concerning the highly efficient antihypoxant--\"Hutemin\". The article also describes the group of \"standard antihypoxants\" (Natrii oxydutyras, Pyracetam, Amtizol), and some perspective pharmacological drugs with antihypoxic activity (Trimin, Aethomerol, Perfluorine-carbonaceous emulsions) which actually undergo pilot clinical researches. Summarizing the data, the authors make a conclusion about the necessity to conduct search for new antihypoxants with various mechanisms of action on systemic and cell levels, and also to widen their clinical application."}
{"id": "PMID:1481404", "title": "[A data bank for the \"Disaster Medicine\" automated information retrieval system].", "content": "The article substantiate the necessity to improve the automatization of the information process in the system of medical support in extreme situations and thus to liquidate the disproportion between the medico-diagnostical and information accumulation storage facilities. These facts clearly define the importance of work which is being carried out by Medical Service towards an elaboration of the \"Disaster Medicine\" automated information retrieval system (AIRS). The data obtained as a result of AIRS processing could be directly used for reference or prediction purposes."}
{"id": "PMID:1481406", "title": "[The phytotherapy of allergic skin diseases].", "content": "The rational treatment of allergic skin diseases is one of the most actual questions in the modern dermatology. The end of this article is to familiarize dermatologists and other physicians with medicinal plants that are used in the therapy for allergic dermatosis. The treatment of these patients must have a complex character and include etiotropic, pathogenetic and symptomatic means. The further study of medicinal plants for the treatment of allergic skin diseases and making extracts of effective drugs from them is a matter of great importance for pharmacologists and dermatologists."}
{"id": "PMID:1481408", "title": "[The efficacy of enterosorption in bacterial intestinal infections].", "content": "The article studies clinic manifestations after the prescription of polyphepanum, SKN-1P (based on recovered carbon) and enterodesum in 35 patients with acute dysentery, 104 patients with acute gastroenterocolitis, and 123 patients with typhoid. The first two drugs turned out to be highly effective for treatment of these infections. Enterosorption produced an insignificant positive effect in cases of typhoid. An early prescription of enterosorbents in enhanced doses could rapidly stop the basic proliferation of acute intestinal diseases. It is reasonable to start enterosorption even at the pre-hospital stage."}
{"id": "PMID:1481410", "title": "[The prediction of the temperature conditions in mobile installations of ground radio electronics systems].", "content": "The method cited in this article gives the possibility to estimate (prognosticate) the temperature of air in the working zone at the mobile objects of the ground radio electronic complexes. This method is based on formulas which take into account the lineal dependency of the air temperature inside the manned sectors from the outside temperature, sunlight intensity, type of a mobile complex, ventilation regime, and the grade of heat diffusion made by radio electronic equipment. The proposed formulas could be used for estimation (prognostication) of temperature conditions of the mobile objects at the stages of their development or during operating periods."}
{"id": "PMID:1481411", "title": "[The tasks of the health inspection of the working conditions for the personnel of military pharmacies].", "content": "The article deals with the occupational problems of pharmacies, discloses the main limitations in the organization of prophylactic measures, stresses the basic trends for the practice of physicians-hygienists. The authors propose to enhance the efficiency of the current control regarding the personnel. Besides all it is necessary to made an object classification of all military pharmacies, and estimate the hygienic and sanitary conditions of personnel. The article stands for the unique method which could estimate these conditions and proposes to make the analysis of the health state of personnel, taking into account age specific rates, sex, conditions of daily life and job performance."}
{"id": "PMID:1481413", "title": "[The effect of physical training loads on the body function of sailors on a long cruise].", "content": "The article studies the influence of physical exercises at sports simulators upon the state of some bioenergetic systems of seaman's organism in the conditions of a 4-month cruise. The article discloses the dynamics of maximum oxygen consumption, pH value, the quantity of buffered bases and standard bicarbonate in blood; activity of lactic dehydrogenase and its isoenzymes in serum; activity of lactic dehydrogenase, alpha-glycerophosphate dehydrogenase, etc. in lymphocytes of peripheral blood. The authors discuss the reasons of changes that take place in aerobic and anaerobic processes of cells and the whole organism."}
{"id": "PMID:1481424", "title": "[Stage-by-stage diagnosis in conducting the cardiological screening of servicemen using a computer].", "content": "A 3-staged algorithm and a device named PKSV-01 were worked out to carry out a pre-doctor screening of servicemen. This method made it possible to define the sound servicemen, as well as patients with cardiovascular diseases including ischemic disease and postinfarctional cardiosclerosis. The specificity came to 91.9-93.9%, and sensitivity up to 81.4-97.8%. The application of lineal discriminative function ensured 93.1% of the right answers."}
{"id": "PMID:1481425", "title": "[Changes in the indices of the coronary amd myocardial reserves in myocardial infarct patients during rehabilitation].", "content": "The article analyses the results of the complex examination of 52 patients with large-focal and through-and-through myocardial infarction using veloergometry, echocardiography, tetrapolar rheography, diurnal ECG monitoring at cardioanalyzer. It was found out that veloergometry was more preferable in the late hospital period. Echocardiography was more preferable in the sanitary-polyclinic period for the young and middle-aged patients with through-and-through myocardial infarction, and at the late hospital period for elderly patients with large-focal and through-and-through myocardial infarction. In both periods described above echocardiography was effective in young and middle-aged patients with large-focal myocardial infarction. As for the volume of information obtained with the help of tetrapolar rheography and diurnal ECG monitoring it was equal in both periods."}
{"id": "PMID:1481426", "title": "[The clinical course of acute glomerulonephritis in Transbaikalia].", "content": "452 case histories were analysed of patients with acute glomerulonephritis who were treated at the specialized unit of military hospital. 96.1% of these patients were enlisted men at the age of 18-20. Acute respiratory diseases had a great significance for etiological structure of acute glomerulonephritis. About 1/4 of all cases took place after the purulent affections of skin or subcutaneous fatty tissue. In the conditions of the Trans-Baikal region the clinical course of acute glomerulonephritis was basically represented by manifestative form of illness with pronounced swelling syndrome, arterial hypertension and typical changes in urine."}
{"id": "PMID:1481431", "title": "[The basic principles for the analytical study of epidemic-control measures in the modelling of epidemic processes].", "content": "For prognostication of epidemic aerogenic infections with the help of mathematical modeling the authors propose to regard the testing population as a unity of the following streams: susceptible to infection, embraced with emergency vaccination, just vaccinated, protected with the measures of specific or emergency vaccination. Each stream has its own equation which is analogous in its structure to the epidemic dynamics modeling made by O. V. Baroian and L. A. Rvachev, and besides this has correction coefficients which depict the grade of the mobility downtrend due to prophylactic measures. The model built on the bases of the proposed methods makes it possible to determine the level and dynamics of morbidity depending on the volume and efficiency of each sanitary measure described in it."}
{"id": "PMID:1481432", "title": "[The prevention of hospital infections in therapeutic gastroenterology departments].", "content": "The article studies the possibilities and conditions of the origin and factors that contribute to the proliferation of inpatient infections (I.I.) in therapeutic gastroenterologic units. The following risk factors of I.I. contamination and proliferation were disclosed: violation of sterilization methods, damaging of mucosa during invasive examinations, weak organism resistance of patients, etc. Measures for I.I. prophylaxis are proposed."}
{"id": "PMID:1481433", "title": "[Military occupational work capacity as a criterion of health].", "content": "The indices of physical, sensor and task performance were used to characterize and estimate the functional state of military specialists and their functional reserves. Application of these criteria gives the possibility for physician-prophylaxist to obtain a truly information about the health status in the military unit making a selective control in it."}
{"id": "PMID:1481441", "title": "[Efficacy of pretreatment with adrenergic beta-receptor blockers in the prevention of cardiotoxic effects of isoprenaline in rats].", "content": "Protective effects of beta-blockers, propranolol and atenolol, have been investigated in rats treated with cardiotoxic dose of isoprenaline. In saline-pretreated animals isoprenaline produced all morphological, biochemical and electrophysiological signs of myocardial necrosis: massive coagulation necrosis of cardiomyocytes, 2.6 to 3.5-fold increase of creatine-kinase, lactate-dehydrogenase and alpha-hydroxybutyrate-dehydrogenase plasma activity and Q-wave and ST-segment elevation in ECG. Both beta-blockers protected only partly the rats heart muscle from the cardionecrogenic action of isoprenaline while propranolol has been slightly more efficient, probably due to its combined beta-blocking and antiperoxidative activity."}
{"id": "PMID:1481443", "title": "[Use of 99mTc-pyrophosphate and coronarography in the diagnosis of simultaneous myocardial infarct of the right and left cardiac ventricles].", "content": "Myocardial scintigraphy was performed using 99m-Tc-pyrophosphate in 50 patients with suspected coexisting right ventricular and left inferior ventricular heart infarction and in 50 patients with left inferior ventricular infraction only. In all survived patients additional selective coronarography was performed and in all died patients autopsy was performed. The aim of the study was to evaluate reliability of myocardial scintigraphy using 99m-Tc-pyrophosphate in the diagnosis of coexisting infarction of both heart ventricles. In a group of patients with coexisting right and left ventricular infarction (45 proved by coronarography, and 5 by autopsy), scintigraphic finding was confirmed in 46 (93%) patients. In all 50 patients with left inferior ventricular infarction, scintigraphic finding was confirmed in 48 of them by coronarography and in 2 by autopsy (100%). Of 4 patients with false negative scintigraphic finding 2 were treated with fibrinolytic therapy immediately after admission and in 2 diffuse occlusive changes were found on all three blood vessels by coronarography. It has been concluded that myocardial scintigraphy using 99m-Tc-pyrophosphate is a very sensitive (92%), specific (100%), exact (96%), simple and safe diagnostical method in detecting coexisting acute infarction of both heart ventricles."}
{"id": "PMID:1481444", "title": "[Closed intracranial extradural traumatic lesions of the internal carotid artery].", "content": "Closed intracranial lesions of the internal carotid artery are severe complications of craniocerebral trauma. Intradural lesions of branches of this artery are common and well known while extradural lesions are less frequently found. This is illustrated also by a small number of lesions found in our patients within the twenty-year period, namely 8/1000 compared to intradural lesions of branches of the internal carotid artery. Traffic accidents are dominating in their etiology and the causative mechanism is transsphenoidal fracture of the skull base. Due to difficult surgical approach inadequate methods of ligature of the extracranial portion of the internal carotid artery have been used before but it has not led to cure. Contrarily to this, modern direct microsurgical approach or balloon embolisation successfully solve this problem."}
{"id": "PMID:1481442", "title": "[The effect of calcium antagonists on the cardiotoxic effects of isoprenaline in rats].", "content": "Rats were pretreated with either verapamil or nifedipine five minutes prior to isoprenaline injection in order to prevent the development of myocardial necrosis which was verified by biochemical, electrophysiological and histological changes in the control animals. Verapamil embolised completely the elevation of creatine-kinase, lactate-dehydrogenase and alpha-hydroxybutyrate-dehydrogenase plasma activity, Q-waves and ST-segment elevations in ECG as well as the coagulation necrosis and myocytolysis. Nifedipine failed to exerts any protective effect, making the biochemical alteration even more pronounced."}
{"id": "PMID:1481446", "title": "[Fractures of the zygomaxillary complex: indications for exploration and reconstruction of the orbital floor].", "content": "Within the period of 11 years 132 patients with fractures and dislocations of the zygomatic maxillary complex have been treated at the Clinic of Maxillofacial Surgery of the M.M.A. In all cases the Converse-Valentine method was used which provided good reposition and fixation of fragments in the correct anatomic position as well as insight into the state of the orbital floor. In 75 operated patients (56.81%) it was necessary to reconstruct the orbital floor by osteo or allotransplants. The results have pointed out the necessity of operative reposition and fixation of fragments on three typical sites as well as the necessity of exploration of the orbital floor in order to prevent diplopia, sensibility disorders as well as traumatic neuralgia."}
{"id": "PMID:1481445", "title": "[Tissue polypeptide antigen and tumor trypsin inhibitor in pleural effusions of various etiologies].", "content": "In 47 patients with pleural effusions of different etiology concentrations of the tissue polypeptide antigen (TPA) and tumour trypsin inhibitor (TATI) were measured. Malignant disease was found in 24 patients and benign one in 23 patients. In a group of patients with malignant pleural effusion the average concentration of TPA was 3102 U/L and of TATI 76.8 ug/L. In a group of patients with nonmalignant effusion these concentrations of TPA were 2381.8 U/L and of TATI 28.3 ug/L. Higher concentration of TPA was found in pleural effusion of malignant nature with specificity of 96% but with a small sensitivity of 12.5% and positive predictive value of 43%. TATI concentrations were also higher in malignant pleural effusion with good sensitivity and specificity (78%, 50% respectively) and positive predictive value of 66%."}
{"id": "PMID:1481447", "title": "[Early treatment of acute nephrotic syndrome in patients with acute post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis].", "content": "In the period of five years 54 patients with acute poststreptococcal glomerulonephritis were treated. Acute nephritic syndrome was manifested in 45 (almost 4/5 of all) patients. Edema and hematuria were found in all patients, hypertension in 89%, and acute renal failure in 49% of patients with the acute nephritic syndrome. For successful treatment of acute nephritic syndrome of decisive importance have been application of measures intended primarily to correction of positive sodium and water balance by dietetic regimes, diuretics and antihypertensives and rest, while the application of the dialysis has not been necessary even in patients with acute renal failure."}
{"id": "PMID:1481449", "title": "[Efficacy of alcoholates and clay in percutaneous contamination of rats with highly toxic organophosphorus compounds].", "content": "Efficacy of decontamination by alcoholate and clay has been examined in animals percutaneously poisoned by nerve war gases (VX, soman) and organophosphorous insecticides (parathion, dichlorvos, terbufos) at exposure of 2, 5 and 60 minutes. High efficacy was achieved after two minutes using alcoholates which, except for VX, was lower for 50% after 5 minutes. The similar results were also achieved with clay in nerve war gas poisoning, however, the efficacy of this material was somewhat lower. By delayed decontamination (after 60 minutes) in animals poisoned by parathion and terbufos somewhat lower but still satisfying efficacy was achieved (ZI = 3.3, that is, 11.5). The results obtained have shown that efficacy of decontamination, except for the used materials, depends also on duration of the procedure."}
{"id": "PMID:1481448", "title": "[Determination of tannins in the rhizomes of Potentilla tormentilla].", "content": "A modified permanganometric method for determination of tannin in tormentile rhizome is proposed. The results compared with values obtained by the regulations of Ph Yug II, Ph Yug III, Ph Yug IV and DAB 9 are reproducible and the method is fast and simple."}
{"id": "PMID:1481457", "title": "[Similarities in morphologic changes in heart valves in acquired heart defects of noninflammatory etiology and in damaged menisci without a history of trauma].", "content": "Histologic, histochemical and ultrastructural analyses were performed of the leaflets of all four heart valves in 50 subjects with acquired heart defects of noninflammatory etiology and 88 surgically removed damaged menisci without trauma anamnesis. On the basis of the detailed analysis some morphologic similarities were found in the heart valves and menisci such as myxomatous degeneration as the main pathologic lesion, lack of blood vessels in the altered tissues which point to noninflammatory nature of the lesion, similarity in nourishment by diffusion, degradation of the collagenous fibres which present the main histologic structure and the increased accumulation of acid mucopolysacharrides at the site of their degradation as well as the increased number of fibroblasts, that is, chondroid cells which are considered to excrete acid mucopolysacharrides. Sometimes these changes are hardly identify clinically, especially in meniscal diseases which could simulate rheumatic disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1481458", "title": "[Correlation of clinical and autopsy diagnosis during a 10-year period at the Institute for Pathology and Forensic Medicine at the Military Medicine Academy in Belgrade].", "content": "The comparison between the clinical and pathohistoanatomic diagnosis of 3.929 autopsied cases is performed. In 82.5% of cases the clinical and pathohistoanatomic diagnosis were in the absolute correlation; in 8% of cases the clinical diagnosis of the basic disease has no adequate pathoanatomic characteristics, while in 4.5% of cases the clinical diagnosis of the basic disease, immediate cause of death and condition which was important for the course and outcome of the treatment were not adequate. Among the pathologic states diagnosed as: pulmonary thromboembolism, myocardial infarction and cerebrovascular insult--pulmonary embolism most often was not confirmed by autopsy (47%), while in 58% of cases it remained clinically unrecognized. Malignant tumours of the liver, pancreas and kidneys have been most frequently clinically unrecognized compared to other malignancies. Duration of hospitalization has not had the essential influence on correct establishment of the clinical diagnosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1481459", "title": "[Pulmonary thromboembolism--an autopsy study with clinico-pathologic correlations].", "content": "The study comprised 3.629 autopsies performed at the Institute of Pathology and Forensic Medicine of the M.M.A. in the period 1980-1990. Pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE) was found in 533 (14.68%) of autopsied cases, that is, 10.88% of all causes of death. In the studied period there is an increased frequency of all PTE, especially of those with fatal outcome (p < 0.05). Of the total number of PTE found at autopsy (533), clinical diagnosis was established in 136 (25.51%), and of all fatal PTE found at autopsy (395) the clinical diagnosis was established in 123 (31.14%) during life. The clinical diagnosis of PTE was confirmed by autopsy in 42.42% of cases. Operations and neoplasms are the most frequent conditions in which PTE is occurred while myocardial infarction is the most frequently misdiagnosed for PTE during establishment of clinical diagnosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1481460", "title": "[Analysis of intracranial aneurysms from autopsy material].", "content": "The analysis of 44 intracranial aneurysms found at 7.687 autopsies is performed. The largest number of aneurysms was of congenital (secular) type, then, of arteriosclerotic type while inflammatory and traumatic aneurysms were very rare. The elastic and reticular fibres in the aneurysmal wall and the normal arteries of the base of the brain were identified by a standard and special staining. Significantly decreased quantity and disturbed distribution of the reticular fibres were found in the congenital aneurysms which was considered to be a consequence of degenerative processes. The finding of the preserved elastic internal lamina in the wall of the congenital aneurysm and its absence or fragmentation in cases of arteriosclerotic aneurysms suggest the different etiology and pathogenesis of these aneurysms."}
{"id": "PMID:1481461", "title": "[H\u00fcrthle cell carcinoma of the thyroid gland].", "content": "The authors have analysed 9 cases of H\u00fcrthle cell thyroid carcinoma diagnosed on the bioptic material in the period 1975-1991. In 7 patients subtotal and in 2 total thyroidectomy was performed. In one patient only signs of metastases of the tumour in the region of the mediastinum, neck lymphatic nodes and brain developed and the patient died a year after surgery. For differential diagnosis of H\u00fcrthle cell thyroid carcinoma and H\u00fcrthle cell adenoma the authors recommend as necessary that beside the presence of the basic criteria for malignancy (infiltration of the capsule and adjacent tissue, invasion of the blood vessels, pleomorphism and pathologic mytoses) the electron microscopic examination and immunohistochemical methods should be also used which could be of a great help for establishment of a correct diagnosis on which depends further therapy as well."}
{"id": "PMID:1481464", "title": "[Morphologic characteristics of HBV markers and products of iron metabolism in liver tissue in patients with hepatitis B virus].", "content": "In the histomorphologic analysis of 126 liver biopsies with hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection the authors have met some difficulties in the interpretation of findings of three biopsies which showed the presence of hemosiderine and ferritin deposits in hepatocytes. The lack of cells with the appearance of \"ground glass\", that is, ground glass hepatocytes which are one of the important features of HBV infection and aberration from the standard features in some histochemical stainings are noticed in all three biopsies. Since only few authors have noticed the same problem, it is possible that these results open new ways in the study of pathogenesis of HBV infection in the liver and its relationship with iron metabolism."}
{"id": "PMID:1481466", "title": "[Ultrastructural changes in the dermal blood vessels in patients with psoriasis].", "content": "The ultrastructural analysis of psoriatic dermal lesions has shown the alteration of the dermal arterioles into specialized postcapillary venules, the so called high endothelial venules (HEV) which are characterized by the presence of tannic acid staining materials (TASM) located among the endothelial cells. This type of venules seen in the lymphatic nodes and other lymphoid organs is considered to be an important site of lymphocyte recirculation. Similar venules are seen in the lymphatic nodes too. In correlation with the immunologic evidences in the lymphoid tissues and in psoriasis most probably in question are the identical surface antigen-lymphocyte receptors on the HVE which support selective binding of the definite subset of lymphocytes and migration from blood to tissues."}
{"id": "PMID:1481462", "title": "[Tuberculous inflammation of the synovial membrane].", "content": "Four patients with tuberculous synovitis of the large joints are reported in whom primary tuberculous process has not been confirmed as a possible foci of spreading of the acidoresistant bacilli. The authors, describing in details the histologic picture of tuberculous synovitis, point out the importance of an early biopsy of the synovial membrane and obligatory microbiological confirmation of the established diagnosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1481467", "title": "[Identification of bodies of soldiers carbonized in an armored transport vehicle].", "content": "The authors have presented the process and possibilities of identification of the carbonized bodies of the crew of the exploded military armoured transporter. In identification of the invaluable importance have been description, autopsy findings, questionnaires and their comparison as well as ways of identification of the carbonized bodies."}
{"id": "PMID:1481472", "title": "Transfusion management of patients with IgA deficiency and anti-IgA during liver transplantation.", "content": "Severe anaphylactic or allergic reactions may occur during blood transfusion to patients who are IgA-deficient and have anti-IgA in their blood, particularly those with class-specific antibodies. These patients are a particular challenge to the hospital transfusion service when large volumes of blood components are required for transfusion support, as in liver transplantation. We have successfully provided blood components for 3 such patients undergoing liver transplantation. Red cells were washed manually or by automated technique. Platelets were washed manually. All plasma was from IgA-deficient donors. One patient's entire plasma requirements were supplied by autologous plasmapheresis. Serial determinations of IgA levels and anti-IgA titers in 1 patient demonstrated an abrupt fall in anti-IgA with the appearance of barely detectable amounts of IgA during the surgery. IgA-containing plasma cells were demonstrated in the biopsies of liver homografts of 2 patients following transplantation. IgA deficiency with anti-IgA can be successfully managed during liver transplantation with advance planning."}
{"id": "PMID:1481473", "title": "Prevention of primary HLA class I allo-immunization with leucocyte-poor blood components produced without the use of platelet filters.", "content": "In a prospective study the incidence of allo-immunization and platelet refractoriness was investigated using a consequently leucocyte-poor blood product regime. Twenty-five previously non-transfused patients with acute leukaemia (11 men, 7 women) or autologous bone marrow transplantation for Hodgkin's or non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (2 men, 5 women) received at least 80 donor units of filtered red cells (filtration within 24 h after donation, leucocyte content 8.5 +/- 3.9 x 10(6)/U) and/or of platelet concentrate (produced by the buffy coat method, leucocyte content: 7.8 +/- 4.2 x 10(6)/U). A 1-hour recovery of 20% in three consecutive transfusions, in the absence of clinical factors known to impair increment, was defined as platelet refractoriness. HLA class I antibody screening with a panel of 60 cells was performed before the first transfusion and after 80 U of blood components. Of 25 patients who entered this study, 6 patients developed platelet refractoriness after a mean of 38 units of blood components (range 26-45 U); all 6 were female with a history of multiple pregnancies. In 19 patients regarded as non-refractory, no HLA antibodies were demonstrated (13 men, 6 women). This study, though limited in size, suggests that the use of blood products containing less than 1 x 10(7) leucocytes/donor unit prevents primary HLA class I immunization and platelet refractoriness."}
{"id": "PMID:1481474", "title": "An enzyme-linked antiglobulin test to detect red cell globulins after glutaraldehyde fixation.", "content": "The purpose of this study was to develop an enzyme-linked antiglobulin test (ELAT) for IgG on RBC without the hemolysis caused by the high pH of the alkaline phosphatase reaction. This was achieved by fixing the RBC with 0.05% glutaraldehyde after attachment of the antibodies. Assays using anti-D reference standards demonstrated the sensitivity to be 1-2 ng of antibody as compared to 7.5 ng for the manual indirect antiglobulin test. The coefficients of variation of these assays ranged from 10.4 to 20.1%. The mean background absorbance at 405 nm of 105 normal RBC samples was 0.08 +/- 0.03 SD. There was an increase in sensitivity of the test after the fixed RBC were stored. Dilute glutaraldehyde stabilizes the RBC membrane and the antigen-antibody linkage resulting in a more sensitive ELAT."}
{"id": "PMID:1481463", "title": "[Morphologic, morphometric and ultrastructural characteristics of tumor cell nuclei during various stages in colorectal carcinoma].", "content": "The comparative analysis was performed of 29 colorectal carcinomas (CC) by the original Duke's classification and quality features of tumour (i.e. nuclear and histologic grades), on the one hand, and the number of the nucleolar organizer region (NOR) as well as the mean nucleolar organizer region area (MNORA), irregularity of the nuclear shape (based on the morphometrically determined \"form factor\"--FF) on the semi-thin sections, on the other hand. In the same time, the quality ultrastructural analysis of CC nuclei in different stages has been also performed. The significant correlation was found among values of MNORA, clinico-pathologic stage of the disease, histologic differentiation and nuclear grade, while a number of NOR correlated exclusively with the clinico-pathologic stage of the disease. It has been concluded that determination of the number of NOR and MNORA in the nuclei of tumour cells can be an important and objective parameter in evaluation of proliferative CC activity. Accordingly, MNORA represents a more objective and more reliable indicator of proliferative tumour activities."}
{"id": "PMID:1481475", "title": "The quantification of fetomaternal hemorrhage by an enzyme-linked antibody test with glutaraldehyde fixation.", "content": "A modified enzyme-linked antiglobulin test (ELAT) for quantifying D-positive red blood cells in the circulation of D-negative pregnant women is described. The antibody-antigen bond was stabilized and the problem of hemolysis eliminated by the use of 0.05% glutaraldehyde. The r value for the standardization curves for measuring cord RBC in mixtures was 0.98; coefficient of variation 5.8%. Reproducible quantitation of 0.125% D-positive cord RBC mixed with D-negative RBC was demonstrated. In comparative studies of artificial mixtures, Kleihauer-Betke results for more than 1% cord RBC were 50-100% greater than the true values. In several examples of large fetomaternal hemorrhages, the ELAT results matched the clinical data more closely than the Kleihauer-Betke based estimates. 2 ml of fetal RBC in a 1,600-ml red cell mass can be quantified using the modified ELAT."}
{"id": "PMID:1481465", "title": "[Conditions required for chemical binding of Dactylis glomerata grass pollen to inert stable carriers].", "content": "The results of the direct RAST (Radio-Allergo-Sorbent-Test) procedure used to standardise own-prepared pollen extract of the Dactylis glomerata grass are presented. Based on the performed standardisation, a system was set up for binding allergens to the stable inert carriers. The results of examination of the quality of D. glomerata allergen, bound covalently to paper disc, are presented also. Evaluation was made in INEP laboratories by comparing the D. glomerata allergen-bound discs and the corresponding discs of Phadebas, Pharmacia Uppsala, confirming a high degree of correlation in the direct RAST procedure."}
{"id": "PMID:1481476", "title": "An enzyme-linked antiglobulin test to quantify nanogram quantities of IgG on polystyrene microspheres.", "content": "A method is described in which polystyrene latex beads are used for constructing standard curves to estimate the number of protein molecules on cell surfaces by an enzyme-liked immunoassay test (ELAT). A series of immune globulin (IgG) dilutions in pH 9.8 carbonate buffer were coated on 3-microns microbeads by incubation overnight at 4 degrees C and subjected to ELAT. The r value of the curve derived from four assays was 0.9991. This standard curve applied to previously recorded ELAT data resulted in estimating that normal RBC have 63 +/- 19 (SD) IgG molecules and that the lower level of sensitivity of the antiglobulin test is 155 IgG molecules per RBC. The method should be useful for more precise standardization of procedures for measuring proteins on cell surfaces."}
{"id": "PMID:1481477", "title": "Immunoglobulin classes and subclasses of platelet antibodies in a case of post-transfusion purpura.", "content": "A multiparous white woman developed severe thrombocytopenia following transfusion of red blood cells. Six ineffective platelet transfusions (a total of 42 random donor concentrates) were given from day 0 to day +6, high-dose steroids from day +1, progressively tapered until day +30, and a total of 150 g of intravenous immunoglobulins from day +2 to day +6. As platelet count had not increased significantly by day +8, four plasma exchange procedures, each consisting of 2,000 ml of plasma exchanged with 5% albumin solution, were performed on days +8, +10, +14 and +18. Platelet count was 5, 50, 100 and 234 x 10(9)/l on days +8, +14, +26 and +32 (discharge), respectively. The patient's acute phase serum contained increased levels of platelet alloantibodies with anti-HPA-1a (PlA1, Zwa) specificity and a titer of 3,200. IgG1, IgG2 and IgG3 subclasses of platelet-reactive antibodies in the patient's serum were elevated, whereas IgG4, IgM and IgA were within the reference values. Levels of IgG1, IgG2 and IgG3 of antiplatelet antibodies showed a marked and parallel reduction during treatment, but were still above the reference values at the end of treatment and 1 year later, when the patient platelet count was normal. Although a failure of intravenous immunoglobulins cannot be proven in this case, plasma exchange seems to have contributed more than intravenous immunoglobulins to clinical remission."}
{"id": "PMID:1481478", "title": "Do HLA antigens play a role in intermediate uveitis?", "content": "A total of 52 nonrelated Caucasian patients (21 male, 31 female, age at onset of the disease: 7-74 years, average: 31.6 years) suffering from intermediate uveitis were tissue typed for 56 different HLA-A, -B, -C and -DR-antigens. No significant association between any specific HLA-antigen and the disease, both when comparing the total patient group with a large, healthy control population, or any of the different subgroups (male vs. female, early vs. late onset, mild vs. severe course) could be demonstrated."}
{"id": "PMID:1481486", "title": "[The status of the rheumatology service of the city of Kiev].", "content": "An analysis is presented of the dynamics of morbidity, incidence and working losses due to the main rheumatological diseases in the city of Kiev. Data are presented on the structure of the city rheumatological service, its activities in out- and inpatient departments. The current status and perspectives of the rheumatological service are analysed."}
{"id": "PMID:1481487", "title": "[The optimal periods of temporary disability in myocardial infarct].", "content": "The effect of age, character of work, rehabilitation program and length of temporary invalidity on the results of medicosocial rehabilitation were studied in patients with a history of different forms of myocardial infarction. On the basis of this data optimal time of temporary loss of working capacity was established."}
{"id": "PMID:1481490", "title": "[Experience with the use of rating control over knowledge in a department of internal disease propedeutics].", "content": "Data are analysed on current rating form of training and knowledge control at the chair of propedeutics of internal diseases based on 900 tests. The efficacy of this system is confirmed."}
{"id": "PMID:1481494", "title": "[Changes in the dehydrogenase activity of the cardiomyocytes in experimental acute massive pulmonary embolism].", "content": "A study of the activity of SDG, LDG, NAD-D in several structures of the heart was carried out in acute compensated massive embolism of the pulmonary artery. TV-histophotometry demonstrated heterogeneity of metabolic processes in the myocardium in the control and experimental group. The animals with pulmonary artery embolism showed diverse hemodynamic changes in the lesser and greater circulation. Loads to right cardiac compartments were accompanied by an elevation of SDG, NAD-D in the interventricular septum."}
{"id": "PMID:1481495", "title": "[Erosive gastritis after an organ-preserving operation for duodenal ulcer].", "content": "Examined were 243 patients with duodenal ulcer after the operation of selective proximal vagotomy. Pyloroplasty was performed in 49.9%, duodenoplasty in 53.1%. A 1-2 year follow-up revealed erosive gastritis in the proximal region in 18.5%, in the antrum in 13.9%, combined location in 5.8%. Differences in the mechanisms of formation of erosions in different zones of the stomach in erosive gastritis were established. The tactics of treatment of erosive gastritis is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1481496", "title": "[The characteristics of prostaglandin and cyclic nucleotide biosynthesis in patients with peptic ulcer and chronic atrophic gastritis during digestion].", "content": "Prostaglandins (PG) and cyclic nucleotides (CN) were assessed radioimmunologically in the blood plasma under basal conditions and after a standard breakfast in 20 patients with duodenal ulcer, 16--with gastric body ulcer and 18 patients with atrophic gastritis. It was established that the patients showed an increased PG level, cAMP-dependent processes. Neurohumoral mechanisms of regulation of gastric secretion were abnormal."}
{"id": "PMID:1481497", "title": "[The role of prostaglandins in the activity of mononuclear cells in liver cirrhosis patients].", "content": "The effect of prostaglandins (PG) E1, E2, F2 and prostacyclin in vitro on the content of cAMP and cGMP in mononuclear cells of the blood was studied in 17 patients with liver cirrhosis. PG synthesis by mononuclears from 3H-arachydonic acid was also evaluated. Patients with liver cirrhosis showing no disorders of PG synthesis by non-stimulated mononuclears and reduction of basal cAMP content revealed significant changes of functional responses of cyclase systems PG loads as well as a relative reduction of PG synthesis in conditions of stimulation with phytohemagglutinin and Ca A23187 ionophore. This is an important link in deadaptation of immune reactions in patients with liver cirrhosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1481499", "title": "[The immune and fibrinolytic potentials of patients with a postpneumonic lung abscess from the viewpoints of systemic-regional correlations].", "content": "The immune and fibrinolytic systems were studied in 55 patients with postpneumonic lung abscess; 17 of them were operated on. Revealed were reductions of the number and functional activity of the T-cell immunity and a systemic-regional fibroanalysis data (high fibrinolytic activity in the systemic circulation and bronchial lumen; high activity in the blood of the resected lung portion). High activator activity of the sputum and its absence in the pus of the abscess cavity evidence that the source of the plasminogen activator is the bronchial wall not the destructed pulmonary tissue."}
{"id": "PMID:1481500", "title": "[Lipid disorders and their correction in iron-deficiency anemia in pregnant women].", "content": "A study of 96 pregnant women indicates, that those suffering of anemia showed essential changes of all indices of the lipid content in erythrocytes. The author recommends to include uvesorb in the complex treatment of pregnant women suffering of iron-deficiency anemia."}
{"id": "PMID:1481502", "title": "[The clinico-laboratory characteristics of glomerulonephritis].", "content": "Results are reported of 83 patients with glomerulonephritis with the hematuria syndrome and 75 patients without hematuria syndrome. 19 clinico-laboratory signs were analyzed. Data indicate that hematuric nephritis may be signaled out in a separate nosological entity necessitating differentiated treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1481503", "title": "[The use of low temperatures in treating patients with trigeminal neuralgia].", "content": "Complex treatment including local use of low temperature (cryotherapy, hypothermia) was used in 142 patients with trigeminal neuralgia. Cryotherapy was applied to trigger and reflexogenic zones of the involved nerve (-6-10 degrees C). In hypothermia the applicator was applied to the zone of the involved nerve (+2 +4 degrees C), four sessions. The result was positive in 75.41% of patients. Use of cryotherapy and hypothermia allowed to increased the treatment efficiency, reduce the pharmacological load on the body, reduce treatment time and increase the remission period."}
{"id": "PMID:1481504", "title": "[Disordered blood supply of the brain in bradyarrhythmia patients].", "content": "Results are reported of a study of the blood flow in patients (age: 18-70) with different grades of bradyarrhythmia due to atrioventricular block with weakness of the sinus node. Examined were: CBF rheoencephalographically, ultrasound dopplerography, products of lipid peroxidation in the blood. Bradyarrhythmia was found to occupy a major place in the pathogenesis of cerebrovascular disorders. Adequate therapy allows to achieve good rehabilitation of this category of patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1481505", "title": "[The distribution of the content of chemical elements and metals in the brain tissue in bacterial meningoencephalitis].", "content": "The quantitative distribution of chemical elements and metals was assessed in the brain of 10 autopsy cases. The patients died of bacterial meningoencephalitis. It was found that the most \"water-soaked\" regions of the brain showed an increased accumulation of the concentration of metals correlatingly bound with water. The state of cerebral microvessels play a main role in regulation of the mineral metabolism."}
{"id": "PMID:1481506", "title": "[The individual characteristics of the operators of the Zaporozhye Atomic Electric Power Station].", "content": "A clinico-psychological study was carried out of a randomly taken group (104 persons) among operators of the Zaporozhye Atomic Power Station. Personality accentuation was found in 91%, with over accentuation in 74% and hidden form in 17%. Prophylactic measures are outlined."}
{"id": "PMID:1481507", "title": "[The antiemetic activity of buspirone].", "content": "The low activity of conventional antiemetic drugs by chemotherapy of oncological diseases has determined the necessity to evaluate the activity rate of 5-hydroxytryptamine receptors' agonists. Experimental data show, that buspirone exceeds significantly all the used antiemetics what allows to expect its high activity in the clinic."}
{"id": "PMID:1481508", "title": "[The use of clinical, immunogenetic and immunological indices for predicting the development of the recurrent form of erysipelas of the lower limbs].", "content": "A consecutive alternative analysis has been carried out of clinical, immunogenetic and immunological indices in patients with primary erysipelas of the lower extremities with and no recurrences during the last 3-5 years. The authors compiled a special scale allowing precise and early prediction of unfavourable, recurrent course of primary erysipelas of the lower extremities."}
{"id": "PMID:1481509", "title": "[The laser therapy of patients with a long-term nonhealing stomach ulcer].", "content": "Results are presented of treatment of 109 patients with prolonged nonhealing gastric ulcers using a new method of highly intensive impulse laser radiation. A scarring effect was achieved in 87% of cases. Correction of immunological indices and sanation of pathological flora, apparently, contributes to the favourable effect."}
{"id": "PMID:1481510", "title": "[The transplacental uptake of xenobiotics].", "content": "It was shown theoretically and experimentally that the placenta does not prevent entering of toxic chemical compounds to the fetal blood but vice versa provides their larger concentration than in the blood of the mother. Namely this may be related to an increase of the incidence of congenital abnormalities and other kinds of pathology in the newborn."}
{"id": "PMID:1481512", "title": "[The effect of thymalin on lipid metabolism and the clinical course of ischemic heart disease].", "content": "The effect of the thymus polypeptide factor-thymidin on the lipid spectrum of the blood, thymic factor content in the blood and clinical course of the disease were studied in 156 patients with exertion stenocardia (II-IV functional class). Results indicate that patients with exertion stenocardia show with advance of the disease a reduction of the blood thymic factor and 85.6% develop hyperlipidemia. Complex treatment with inclusion of thymalin resulted in an increase of the thymic factor, normalization of the lipid metabolism increase of the contractile function of the myocardium and, thus, increases the treatment efficacy."}
{"id": "PMID:1481513", "title": "[Nondrug methods in the combined treatment of peptic ulcer patients].", "content": "Use of treatment complexes including non-drug methods (auricular acupuncture, pathogenetic dietotherapy, ILBR) or reduced doses of modern pharmacopreparations allowed to achieve rapid clinical and endoscopic remission in patients with ulcer disease. Simultaneously occurs normalization of the aggressive and defensive properties of the gastric juice, immunological, microcirculatory changes in the body and gastroduodenal mucosa. The vascular laser blood radiation reduced antacid dose and pathogenetic dietotherapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1481515", "title": "[The characteristics of the treatment to prevent recurrence in patients with chronic bronchitis in different regions taking into account concomitant diseases].", "content": "The author carried out ultrasound diagnosis of pancreas diseases in 250 patients with chronic gastritis inhabiting different regions of the Ukraine. In rural districts the incidence of pancreas lesions was more frequent, apparently related to alimentation factors. It is recommended to use enzyme drugs in the complex antirecurrence treatment of patients with chronic obstructive bronchitis."}
{"id": "PMID:1481517", "title": "[Escherichiosis in adults and the carriage of pathogenic Escherichia in some regions of Ukraine].", "content": "The role is shown of pathogenic Escherichieae (PE) in the development of escherichiosis in two regions with socioeconomic differences. The epidemiological picture of these infections depending on the age of the examined is analyzed. The seasonal character of circulation of pathogenic Escherichieae serogroups was found to play a major role in the etiology of escherichiosis in adults. The biological properties of the isolated strains were studied."}
{"id": "PMID:1481518", "title": "[Immune reactivity disorders in poisoning by the pyrethroid sumi-alpha].", "content": "After subchronic intoxication with synthetic sumi-alpha pirethroid rats developed pronounced changes of macrophagocytic function; reduction of cell-mediated and humoral immunity, accumulation of pathogenic circulating immune complexes. In these conditions one-week thymalin treatment produced a normalizing effect. Sodium nucleinate was of low efficacy."}
{"id": "PMID:1481519", "title": "[The working conditions and occupational morbidity of tunnellers engaged in the construction of underground mining installations].", "content": "During 1963-1990 professional disease were registered in 336 sinkers (vibration disease--42.6%; hypoacusis--35.1%; silicosis and dust-induced bronchitis--11.3 and 7.4% respectively). The mean morbidity level of professional diseases in sinkers was 12.0 per 1000 (vibration disease--4.9, hypoacusis--6.4). The level of silicosis reduced 2.9 times."}
{"id": "PMID:1481520", "title": "[Nervous system lesions in the female workers of hydroponic hothouses].", "content": "A follow-up (1985, 1990, 1991) study revealed in female workers of hydroponic hothouses an increase of the incidence of nervous system diseases depending on the length of work (vegeto-vascular dystonia, angiodystonic syndromes, vegeto-sensory polyneuropathy). It is suggested that the main cause of nervous lesions in these cases was the complex effect of pesticides."}
{"id": "PMID:1481521", "title": "[The efficacy of interstitial electrophoresis in treating trophic ulcers of the lower extremities].", "content": "A clinico-laboratory study revealed the efficiency of intratissue electrophoresis of drugs in the complex treatment of patients with trophic ulcer of the lower extremities. This is related to the favourable effect of the electromagnetic field on the lesion focus and possibility to increase the concentration of drugs in the inflammation focus."}
{"id": "PMID:1481526", "title": "Radiofrequency catheter ablation of cardiac arrhythmias: initial WVU experience.", "content": "Radiofrequency catheter ablation is a method of selectively destroying cardiac tissue to treat various arrhythmias. In a relatively short time, it has evolved from an investigational tool to a widely applied clinical technique (1). This article reviews the current status of radiofrequency catheter ablation and reports on the results of its initial clinical use in 14 patients at West Virginia University Hospital."}
{"id": "PMID:1481527", "title": "Coronary artery bypass in two patients with immune thrombocytopenic purpura without preoperative splenectomy.", "content": "Two patients with severe coronary artery disease and idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura underwent coronary artery bypass grafting without preoperative splenectomy. The patients' thrombocytopenia and bleeding were controlled with platelet transfusion alone. This report indicates that the use of cardiopulmonary bypass in patients with immune thrombocytopenia does not invariably mandate splenectomy, particularly in those in whom performance of a splenectomy may be associated with an increased risk of intraoperative cardiac morbidity."}
{"id": "PMID:1481529", "title": "[Molecular cloning and identification of 130kd mosquitocidal protein gene of Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis (Bti)].", "content": "The location of 130kd mosquitocidal protein gene of Bti 4Q5 strain on its 75Md plasmid was confirmed by southern hybridization using a 18-base oligonucleotide probe. The crystal protein containing the component of 130kd toxic protein was purified. The crystal protein exhibiting the mosquitocidal activity against larvae of Aedes aegypti was shown by bioassay. The purified 75Md plasmid DNA of Bti 4Q5 strain was completely digested with HindIII restriction enzyme, ligated with the vector pUC18 and transformed into the recipient cells of E. coli TG1. From Apr transformants, four clones with HindIII restriction fragment inserts highly homologous to the 18-base oligonucleotide probe were obtained by in situ hybridization and southern hybridization. The 5.2kb HindIII restriction fragment insert was obtained in clone pFH2 and clone pFH4, and 2.3kb HindIII restriction fragment insert in clone pFH1 and pFH3. For pFH2 and pFH4, the 5.2kb fragment was inserted in pUC18 in opposite orientation. It contained 130kd mosquitocidal protein gene (type I) identified by restriction enzyme map analysis. The 2.3kb HindIII fragment insert in other two clones (pFH1 and pFH3) harbored a part of the type II mosquitocidal protein gene which can be used as a probe for cloning of the type II mosquitocidal protein gene."}
{"id": "PMID:1481530", "title": "[Isolation and characterization of mutactimycin-producing mutant].", "content": "Natural non-antibiotic producing Streptomyces sp. 1254 was mutagenized by UV irradiation and two active mutants were isolated. Mutant 113 produced novel anthracycline compounds designated mutactimycins. Mutactimycin A was active against the bacteriophage of Bac. subtilis and some viruses in tissue culture. The mutant 2-6 synthesized a basic water-soluble antimicrobial antibiotic. Chemical analysis of the whole cell hydrolysate and the morphological characterization showed that the strain 1254 and its mutant 2-6 were of chemotype I, belonging to the genus of Streptomyces, and the mutant 113 was of chemotype IV without mycolic acid. Co-synthesis test of strain 1254 and a blocked mutant of strain 113 gave the active compounds identical with mutactimycins. Using the actI gene as a probe, the Southern hybridization revealed homology between the actinorhodin polyketide biosynthase gene and the total DNA of the strain 1254. Based on these data it was deduced that Streptomyces sp. 1254 should have a biosynthesis pathway for mutactimycin, but some of its genes might fail in expression and mutagenesis would make the silent gene(s) active."}
{"id": "PMID:1481531", "title": "[A new virus of rabbit. III. Study on morphological superstructure and antigenicity of rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV)].", "content": "In the spring 1986, an acute infectious disease occurred in Wuhan Second Producing Medical Manufactory, and the rabbit almost died. We tested the mortal symptom and confirmed rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease (RHD) as same as Huang Yinyao report. Hubei Traditional Chinese Medicine Institute appear this RHD also. After we purified virus of above two source by low speed, high speed and sucrose density gradient centrifugation, they can react with antiserum of RHDV from Nanjing Agricultural University in agar gel immunodiffusion tests. These results proved that they belong to the same serotype. Data indicate RHDV have difference morphological superstructure, viral polypeptides and especially RHDV can't react with antiserum of standard Parvovirus of rabbit and so on, so we suggest RHDV is a new virus."}
{"id": "PMID:1481532", "title": "[Detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in sputum specimens of pulmonary tuberculosis by DNA amplification].", "content": "The PCR was used to detect M. tuberculosis DNA sequences in uncultured clinical specimens. Two oligonucleotide primers with 20 bp each amplified target template DNA of M. tuberculosis. Amplified DNA product was 245 bp which was identified by agarose gel electrophoresis. The sensitivity of detection of M. tuberculosis genomic DNA and bacteria suspension by PCR was lpg and 13 viable bacteria cell/ml, respectively. In specificity experiments, only M. tuberculosis, M. bovis and BCG were positive by PCR, but all other 14 Mycobacterium tested, including streptomyces lividans and E. coli plasmid PUC19 were negative. The sensitivity of detection of M. tuberculosis by PCR was determined by comparing the fast-acid staining and culture on total 54 sputum specimens of pulmonary tuberculosis and 12 nontuberculosis lung disease. The positive rate of PCR in pulmonary tuberculosis were 37.0%, culture method showed only 14.8%, fast-acid staining were 16.7%. Nontuberculosis lung disease were negative. The results show that DNA amplification is a superior method with high degree of sensitivity and specificity for rapid diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1481533", "title": "[Identification and characterisation of 200 strains of Brucella canis under test from China].", "content": "200 cultures of Brucella canis under test were received from some provinces in our laboratory. 167 (85.59%) of them were identified as Brucella according to morphology, growth properties and serologies. And then, they were proved as Brucella canis with R-serum agglutination and lysed test of phage R/C. Some strains also were performed DNA homologous determination and observation of electron microscopic morphology. The results found out that the genetic constitution and picture of them identified with that of reference strains. Non-agglutination reaction was 4.75% of all strains in R-serum test. 72.49% of them appeared typic reaction in dye sensitivity test. 22.75% was resisted to both thionin and fuchsin, which separated difficulty with R phase strains of Brucella melitensis lysed by phage R/C."}
{"id": "PMID:1481534", "title": "[Studies of cockroachcidal toxin].", "content": "A cockroachcidal bacterial isolate CW-W-90-3 was selected by egg yolk agar plate. The isolate produced phospholipase C (PLC) which was pathogenic to the nymph of cockroach. The conditions for production of high level PLC indicated that using LB medium supplement Tween-80 or minimal medium could effectively increase the activity of PLC. The optical phase for production of PLC was in the period of 12-18 hours and below pH8.0. The activity of PLC was reduced along with the culture time until 48 hours. The PLC was resistant to heat. The partially purified PLC from the culture supernatant was assayed by using cockroach nymphes and produced 71.74% mortality."}
{"id": "PMID:1481535", "title": "[The state of development of interventional cardiology in Austria].", "content": "3,157 PTCA were performed in Austria in 1991, this is 27% more compared to 1990. Prognosis for 1992 is another 27 to 30% more. Frequency of PTCA exceeded bypass surgery in 1990 for the first time in Austria. WHO-guidelines of 1,000 interventions per year and 1 million inhabitants will be achieved in Austria by 50% in 1992. In this context it is worth while to state, that installation of further cathlabs is recommended preferably within established centers including established heart surgery. The following NON-POBA-PTCA-techniques (\"New devices\") were used in Austria for the first time: Atherectomy, stent, lasers, TEC, ROTABLATOR, ROTACS, magnum wire and angioscopy accounted for 11.3% of all PTCA cases in Austria recently. A total of 447 valvuloplasties were performed in Austria until now, frequency of pulmonary and mitral valvuloplasties is increasing, that of aortic valve interventions decreasing. High frequency, Radiofrequency and Direct current Ablations of supraventricular- and ventricular- or WPW-arrhythmias were performed in 184 patients in Austria until now. In 247 patients with rare conditions, interventions like atrioseptostomy, implantation of umbrellas, etc. were performed. State of interventional cardiology in Austria is appropriate, compared to other European countries."}
{"id": "PMID:1481536", "title": "[Acute management of myocardial infarct patients in Austria (cross-sectional study of 8 intensive care units)].", "content": "8 Austrian Intensive Care Units provided data from 6,317 cases (including 1,667 cases with acute myocardial infarction) admitted during 1990 and 1991 for a documentation system offered by the Austrian Heart Foundation. Significant differences were observed between the units concerning admission policies and the use of diagnostic methods. 71% of the AMI cases were first infarctions, 10% were Non-Q-infarcts. The median of the prehospital period varied between 2.5 and 6.5 hours. The evaluation of the admission mode showed that on average 42% of the AMI cases had contact to their G.P. before hospital admission, this figure varying, however, between 24 and 90% in different areas. It seems that this contact takes place to a much lower extent in big cities. On average G.P. contact before hospital admission in AMI resulted in doubling of the duration of the prehospital period. Thrombolytic treatment was applied in 24.7% of AMI cases with a variation between 13.9 and 48.4% in the different centers. It is suggested that regular use of this kind of quality control should offer means for optimizing the acute care of infarct patients on a regional and on a national level."}
{"id": "PMID:1481537", "title": "The role of PTCA in acute myocardial infarction.", "content": "2 closing remarks should be made. In the 1st place: Under optimal conditions (experienced house staff and experienced interventional cardiologists, well equipped catheterization laboratory all available on a 24 hour service) primary PTCA can be done safely with excellent results as demonstrated by Hartzler et al. and by the Zwolle study. In the 2nd place: Recent reports have demonstrated better results from a combination of thrombolytic agents and probably this is due to higher patency rates and possibly less deleterious effects on plaque morphology and ischemic myocardium. Anti platelet therapy is still a major concern because of the limited efficacy of aspirin and heparin. Specific binding of platelet membrane glycoprotein. IIB/IIIA to monoclonal antibodies (7E3 Fab) is a promising and potential new concept. Other agents may also be effective of which hirudin and angiopeptin should be mentioned. All these factors may contribute to a better treatment strategy for acute myocardial infarction."}
{"id": "PMID:1481538", "title": "[Ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation. Diagnostic procedure for selection of patients for non-medicamentous therapeutic procedures].", "content": "The use of nonpharmacological methods in the treatment of life-threatening ventricular tachyarrhythmias is increasing. These include surgical procedures, the application of direct and radiofrequency current for endocardial ablation, antitachycardia stimulation techniques and the implantation of cardioverter defibrillators. Each of these therapeutical procedures is characterized by its specific indication. Based on the underlying cardiac disease and the characteristics of the electrophysiological properties of the ventricular tachyarrhythmia as well as based on the specific properties of the different nonpharmacological procedures an individual therapeutical approach has to be tailored for a patient given. Primary goal is application of a nonpharmacological procedure exclusively, however, in selected cases additional administration of an anti-arrhythmic drug (decrease in tachycardia frequency in patients with implanted defibrillators, widening of the termination window in patients with antitachycardia devices) may be necessary to achieve satisfactory tachycardia control."}
{"id": "PMID:1481539", "title": "[Ablation of AV nodal tachycardia: new aspects on mechanism and therapy].", "content": "Dual AV nodal pathways are the substrate for the occurrence and induction of AV nodal reentry tachycardias (AVNRT). Characteristics of fast or slow pathway conduction are amenable to selective ablation by radiofrequency energy. Thus, the substrate of AVNRT is eliminated with preservation of antegrade AV nodal conduction. Radiofrequency catheter ablation is a highly effective and safe modality of treatment with success rates ranging from 80 to 100%. The risk of inadvertently inducing complete heart block is substantially lower with slow when compared to fast pathway ablation. Thus, selective ablation of slow pathway conduction has been recently advocated as the procedure of choice. When regarding to concomitant atrial fibrillation or flutter, ablation of slow pathway conduction might be preferable given the resulting higher antegrade Wenckebach cycle lengths after slow pathway ablation."}
{"id": "PMID:1481540", "title": "[Magnetic resonance tomography in coronary heart disease].", "content": "Although magnetic resonance imaging is currently only employed to solve diagnostic problems in a few selected patients, the special features of the technique such as its inherent three-dimensional capabilities and the prospect of angiographic noninvasive imaging suggest that this technique will become more important with future technical improvements. This overview summarizes the present status of magnetic resonance imaging in the depiction of coronary arteries and bypass grafts, the diagnosis of myocardial ischemia, the depiction of chronic myocardial infarcts including the detection of residual viable myocardium, and the diagnosis of complications associated with myocardial infarction."}
{"id": "PMID:1481541", "title": "[Positron emission tomography: principles and uses in cardiology].", "content": "Positron emission tomography (PET) is a noninvasive imaging technique of nuclear medicine that permits to delineate the temporal and spatial distribution of PET tracers on tomographic images. When compared to other imaging techniques commonly used in nuclear medicine such as SPECT imaging (Single Photon Emission Tomography), PET offers several advantages: 1. PET isotopes are available for the basic elements of organic chemistry such as nitrogen, carbon, or oxygen, so that physiologic tracer substances can be synthesized to study perfusion and metabolism. 2. The use of coincidence electronics for the detection of radiation leads to electronic collimation and results in high image resolution. 3. Photon attenuation is corrected individually for each patient using transmission images, so that quantitative measurements can be obtained. When compared to other imaging modalities used in cardiology, PET uniquely offers the capability to measure noninvasively and quantitatively regional myocardial perfusion (ml/g/min) and different metabolic glucose utilisation (mumol/min/g). Clinical applications of PET include the diagnosis of coronary artery disease and the assessment of myocardial viability after ischemic tissue injury. Particularly for patients with reduced left ventricular function or with regional wall motion abnormalities, PET can be considered the standard method for patient selection and risk stratification with respect to revascularisation procedures. The identification of persistent glucose utilisation in ischemically injured myocardial tissue accurately discerns myocardium with potentially reversible dysfunction from scar tissue with irreversible tissue injury."}
{"id": "PMID:1481542", "title": "[Non-drug therapy of ventricular tachycardia/ventricular fibrillation].", "content": "In the majority of patients with ventricular tachycardia/fibrillation drug treatment is not effective. The non-pharmacological treatment of this high-risk patients is of increasing importance. In Austria about 900 patients per year need non-pharmacological treatment of malignant ventricular arrhythmias. For this purpose 4 or 5 specialized centers would be necessary."}
{"id": "PMID:1481543", "title": "[The effect of ginkgo biloba special extract (EGb 761, Tebofortan)].", "content": "Ginkgo biloba special extract exerts positive effects on hemorheology and platelet aggregation, is a free radical scavenger and possesses PAD antagonistic properties, protects against hypoxia and ischemia, hampers an experimentally induced cerebral edema, has favourable properties on neurotransmitters and enhances cerebral bloodflow. Clinically EGb has proven favourable effects on intellectual deficiency, equilibrium disturbances and peripheral artery occlusions thus being a drug with a clear cut indication for these diseases."}
{"id": "PMID:1481544", "title": "[Sequential parenteral and oral therapy with ofloxacin in urogenital infections].", "content": "125 hospitalized patients (56 men and 69 women) suffering from urinary tract infection (UTI) and 15 women with endometritis or pelvic inflammatory disease were treated with ofloxacin 6 mg/kg/d i.v. divided into 2 doses. Two thirds of the patients were switched to oral ofloxacin using the same dose regimen after 4 days. The median duration of treatment was 10 days. 98 patients were evaluable for efficacy: 45 had complicated lower UTI, 32 had upper UTI (75% of them with complications), 13 had endometritis and 8 an uncomplicated lower UTI. The most frequent complications of UTI were: obstruction (n = 27), indwelling catheters (n = 23), urinary concrements (n = 12), residual urine (n = 8) and a neurogenic bladder (n = 6). 22 patients had diabetes mellitus. A total of 103 pathogens was isolated from the urine of 85 patients, the most frequent being E. coli, Proteus spp. and Enterococcus faecalis. 98% of patients with UTI and 85% of patients with endometritis were clinically cured. Adverse drug events were observed in 6 patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1481545", "title": "[The spectrum of pathogens in positive blood cultures--Tyrol 1991].", "content": "In a recent study by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) it was noted that there had been a resurgence of Gram-positive bacteremia together with an increase in fungemia. This reported trend is confirmed by data from the Austrian Tirol. In 1991 1,750 out of 13,679 specimens (12.8%) yielded bacterial or fungal growth, accounting for 1,248 cases of \"bacteremia\"; no decision was made about the clinical significance of the culture isolates. We consider laboratory reports of blood isolates to be fairly well suited to reflect the frequency of the various bacterial and fungal pathogens. The most common organisms were coagulase-negative staphylococci (41%). The proportion of Staphylococcus aureus (17%), E. coli (4%), Klebsiella-Enterobacter (4%), Pseudomonas (5%) and Candida (3%) corresponded well with the situation in the USA and the UK. Remarkably, anaerobes accounted for only 0.3%, possibly due to our use of a \"single bottle\"--blood-culture system. Various fastidious organisms, including Brucella melitensis and Haemophilus aphrophilus, were detected by this blood-culture system. Also 15 Haemophilus influenzae-strains, nontyphoidal salmonellae (9 strains), and meningococci (7 strains) were isolated. These data show that the microbiologic features of blood-cultured seen in Austrian Tyrol are broadly similar to those in the UK and North America."}
{"id": "PMID:1481546", "title": "[The more effective immune system of women against infectious agents].", "content": "Even the reactions of the immunological system are dependent on the sex. Estrogens are the natural stimulants of the general resistance. On the other hand, androgens especially testosterone have an anabolic effect on the voluntary muscles but they inhibit the immunological system. Therefore, women show more resistance to the most infectious agents with the exception of intestinal parasites. To some extent the higher expectation of life of women may be due to that stronger female resistance to infectious agents. It is true, sport is able to decrease the cardiovascular mortality. However, the training of the voluntary muscles is a burden to the resistance especially in the second half of the life. There is therefore some probability that sport is not prolonging the life."}
{"id": "PMID:1481548", "title": "Characteristics of putrescine uptake by human brush border membrane vesicles.", "content": "Both putrescine and the polyamines spermidine and spermine are essential factors for growth and differentiation in all cells of higher eucaryotes. In principle, increased requirements of polyamines in mucosal cells either can be met by de novo-synthesis or by increasing the uptake from lumen (brush border membrane) or bloodstream (basolateral membrane). We therefore evaluated putrescine uptake in intestinal mucosal cells by using human brush border membrane vesicles (BBMV). Intravesicular uptake of putrescine was shown by osmoplots. This process was not saturable over a substrate range from 1 to 80 microM. Putrescine transport was also found to be independent of temperature (Q10 = 1.23). No differences in putrescine uptake rates were found in the presence or absence of Na+, and there was no evidence for any dependence of putrescine uptake from other cations. Our data indicate that putrescine uptake by human intestinal brush border membrane vesicles occurs by passive diffusion. It is concluded that a formerly described saturable and carrier mediated uptake in isolated intestinal mucosal cells from different species is probably influenced by active transport across the basolateral membranes. Therefore, further studies with isolated basolateral membranes are advocated."}
{"id": "PMID:1481549", "title": "Chronic erosions of the antral mucosa: a sequela of Helicobacter pylori-induced gastritis.", "content": "The etiopathogenesis of chronic erosions of the antral mucosa still remains to be clarified. In order to investigate the question as to whether chronic erosions might be a sequela of Helicobacter pylori-induced gastritis, we submitted biopsy material obtained from 250 patients with chronic erosions of the antral mucosa to a histological evaluation. The grading of Helicobacter pylori colonisation, and gastritis was compared with the results of histological evaluation of the biopsy material obtained from 1,196 patients with Helicobacter pylori gastritis, but no lesions of the gastric mucosa. The results of a histological analysis showed that Helicobacter pylori gastritis was present in 99.1 percent of the patients with chronic erosions of the antral mucosa. A comparison of the histological findings in patients with no lesions of the gastric mucosa revealed, that the density of Helicobacter pylori colonization, the severity of the antral gastritis together with its activity were statistically significantly more pronounced (p < 0.001) in patients with chronic erosions. In contrast, no differences in the morphological parameters were seen in the case of corpus mucosa. On the basis of these results, we conclude that chronic erosions of the antral mucosa represent a sequela of Helicobacter pylori gastritis, and that these Helicobacter pylori-induced chronic erosions should, in future, be differentiated from other erosions."}
{"id": "PMID:1481550", "title": "[High-dose ranitidine protects stomach and duodenum completely against piroxicam. An endoscopic double-blind pilot study].", "content": "In a randomized placebo-controlled parallel and double-blind study the gastroduodenal effects of 20 mg piroxicam daily was evaluated endoscopically in the presence of ranitidine 150 mg bid or 300 mg bid in 31 healthy volunteers. Drugs were taken over a period of 14 days. Endoscopies were performed at entry and repeated after 14 days of treatment. A damage-score according to Lanza was used. At entry, all groups showed comparable mucosal damages in the stomach and in the duodenum. After 14 days the mean lesion score increased in the piroxicam/placebo group (group A) to 4.5 +/- 1.6 (+/- SEM) in the stomach and to 2.7 +/- 0.8 (+/- SEM) in the duodenum. The corresponding values in the piroxicam/ranitidine 150 mg bid group (group B) were 3.3 +/- 1.2 (stomach) (p > 0.05 vs. group A) and 1.4 +/- 0.7 (duodenum) (p < 0.05 vs. group A). The values in the piroxicam/ranitidine 300 mg bid group (group C) averaged 1.0 +/- 0.0 (stomach) and 0.3 +/- 0.1 (duodenum) (for both p < 0.05 vs. group A). Our data suggest that profound acid inhibition--achieved by doubling the usual dose--afforded complete protection of human stomach and duodenum against piroxicam."}
{"id": "PMID:1481551", "title": "[Proctoscopic Doppler ultrasound in diagnosis and therapy of symptomatic first degree hemorrhoids ].", "content": "Within the framework of a prospective study two comparable collectives with each 62 patients and symptomatic first grade hemorrhoidal disease were examined. Guiding symptom was painless hematochezia. The hemorrhoids of collective A were evaluated with the aid of transproctoscopic Doppler ultrasound. The depth of the vessels was determined and a Doppler located injection therapy was performed. The patients of collective B were only investigated by means of proctoscopy and sclerosed without Doppler. Sclerosing injection was carried out in all cases with 6 ml Phenylamygdalic oil by 3, 7 and 11 o'clock lithotomy position. Success of therapy was controlled in all patients 2 weeks later Doppler sonographically. In 87% of the Doppler controlled treated patients the hemorrhoids were completely eliminated and no more arterial blood flow could be scanned. On the contrary only 37% of the initially not Doppler scanned patients were cured. Endoscopic Doppler ultrasound is and effective method in evaluation and treatment of symptomatic first grade hemorrhoids."}
{"id": "PMID:1481552", "title": "[DNA ploidy and dysplasia in ulcerative colitis--interim analysis of a prospective study].", "content": "DNA ploidy and cell cycle phases were evaluated by flow cytometry in colonic biopsy specimens from 107 patients with ulcerative colitis in order to analyse the prevalence of DNA aneuploidy as an indicator of numerical chromosomal aberrations and the cell proliferation in all forms of ulcerative colitis. Whereas G2/M-phase fractions in ulcerative colitis and in controls were comparable (2.7 +/- 1.1% vs. 2.8 +/- 1.1%), S-phase fractions in ulcerative colitis exceeded those of controls (7.5 +/- 3.2% vs. 6.5 +/- 2.3%; p < 0.01). In 28 control patients, only diploid DNA histograms existed. Single or multiple aneuploid stem lines were detected in 10 patients with ulcerative colitis (9.3%). Aneuploidy was nearly exclusively associated with pancolitis. Dysplasia was present in 13 patients (indefinite: 8; low-grade: 5), of whom 5 patients also showed DNA aneuploidy. 5 patients with non-dysplastic mucosa exhibited DNA aneuploidy. Because dysplasia and DNA aneuploidy can be discordant and might therefore identify different subgroups at risk, flow cytometry might play a role as a valuable complement to histological examination in surveillance programs of ulcerative colitis."}
{"id": "PMID:1481553", "title": "[Metastatic hemangiopericytoma of the stomach. Case report and review of the literature].", "content": "Hemangiopericytoma is a vascular tumor originating from the pericytes which surround the capillaries. The tumor occurs anywhere in the body preferably at head and neck and the extremities. In less than 3% it grows in the stomach. In spite of surgical excision local recurrence or hematogene metastases must be expected. We report a case of primary hemangiopericytoma of the stomach which could only be diagnosed by metachrone liver metastases. This case shows that hemangiopericytomas and their metastases belong to the differential diagnosis of cystic liver lesions. Diagnostic procedure, therapy and prognosis of this rare tumor is discussed by an analysis of the literature."}
{"id": "PMID:1481554", "title": "[Primary intestinal tuberculosis in AIDS].", "content": "More than 50% of all HIV-infected patients have gastrointestinal symptoms like dysphagia, abdominal pain, diarrhea or intestinal bleeding. We describe an emergency situation with gross gastrointestinal bleeding in a twenty-seven year old drug addicted female. Colonoscopy and histological examination of the biopsies were the main diagnostic procedure to locate an extrapulmonary manifestation of a mycobacterium-tuberculosis-infection."}
{"id": "PMID:1481555", "title": "[Regulation of gastrointestinal functions by the ileocecal area].", "content": "The importance of the distal small intestine and the ileocecal region for the regulation of gastrointestinal functions in humans has not been investigated in depth until recently. A regulatory role is postulated because even in healthy subjects, undigested nutrients pass across the ileocecal junction after most meals (physiologic malabsorption). Nutrient exposure of the ileocecal region causes slowing of gastric emptying and small intestinal transit, and decrease in small intestinal motor activity; under certain experimental conditions, ileal nutrients induce conversion of intestinal motility from digestive to interdigestive patterns. In addition, the secretory activity of the proximal gastrointestinal tract is inhibited by the ileocecal region. Inhibition of gastric secretion and exocrine pancreatic secretion are well established responses to ileal nutrient exposure; inhibition of bile secretion likely occurs, but is not proven. The intermediary mechanisms of these effects have not been clarified; the most likely candidates include endorphins, peptide YY (PYY), and glucagon-like-peptide-1 (GLP-1). Overall, the available data support the concept that the ileocecal region participates in the physiologic control of gastrointestinal motor and secretory functions. Whether disturbances of these regulatory mechanisms participate in the pathophysiology of gastrointestinal disease has not been investigated."}
{"id": "PMID:1481556", "title": "[Clinical relevance of endosonography in diagnosis of pancreatobiliary diseases].", "content": "Endoscopic ultrasonography allows a high-resolution imaging of the pancreas and the extrahepatic biliary tract due to the high ultrasonic frequencies employed. This is of clinical benefit in the delineation of small pancreatic carcinomas complementary to ERCP and in the preoperative localization of endocrine tumors of potential pancreatic origin. Endosonography is the most accurate method presently available for the local staging of pancreatobiliary malignancy and thus helps avoiding diagnostic laparotomy for staging purposes. The role of endoscopic ultrasonography in the diagnosis of benign diseases such as chronic pancreatitis and choledocholithiasis has not yet fully been established. Endosonography, however, has no role in the differential diagnosis of benign and malignant disorders of the pancreas and biliary tract."}
{"id": "PMID:1481559", "title": "[Psychotherapeutic management of aging patients in a neurologic practice].", "content": "In a neuropsychiatric practice in a large metropolitan area which works together with 274 therapists (psychoanalysts, behavior therapists, etc.), of the 606 patients that were seen during a 3-month span, 52% were over the age of 50, and 17% were more than 60 years old. Either a short- or a long-term psychotherapy was indicated in 6.25% of the cases involving these older patients. However, only 1.69% of the patients over the age of 60 received treatment. Twice the number of psychoanalysts as compared to behavior therapists was not willing to treat a patient over the age of 50."}
{"id": "PMID:1481561", "title": "[Inpatient behavior therapy of depressed elderly patients].", "content": "Though cognitive-behavioral approaches have been shown to be suitable for and efficient in the treatment of depression in old age, they are not yet frequently applied with elderly patients. Our clinic has developed a concept for in-patient psychotherapy with older depressed people based on cognitive-behavioral methods. The theoretical foundations and practical implementation are described."}
{"id": "PMID:1481558", "title": "[Psychotherapeutic goals for elderly patients].", "content": "The psychotherapy of elderly people in the past seems to have paid less attention to the treatment of (neurotic, psychoreactive) illness and instead concentrated on coping with getting older, the final stage of life and/or the search for sense in life. The aims published concentrate more on the contemplative or deficient view which psychotherapists themselves have of the process of getting older, on their own distance to old age and on their insufficient treatment experience. The result of this is reductionist planning leading to decisive therapy modifications."}
{"id": "PMID:1481562", "title": "[Cognitive behavior therapy with depressed elderly patients: initial experiences and results].", "content": "Our understanding of depression in old age focuses on a) restrictions and changes in living conditions, in social and somatic functions, in social contacts; b) real or perceived lack of control over those changes; c) rigid, absolute, negative expectations and assumptions; d) deficits in alternative behavior. A group program for treatment of depressed older patients based on those elements is described and first results of pilot studies are presented. These findings are quite promising and congruent with the few available Anglo-American studies. Despite the results, we are still far from being able to give empirically supported advice on how to efficiently treat depressed older patients. Further controlled investigation is necessary, including larger samples, multiple assessments, and well-designed pharmacological and psychological control conditions."}
{"id": "PMID:1481569", "title": "Structural and putative regulatory sequences of Kluyveromyces ribosomal protein genes.", "content": "The transcription of the majority of the ribosomal protein (rp) genes of Saccharomyces cerevisiae is activated by cis-acting elements, designated RPG boxes, which specifically bind the multifunctional protein RAP1 in vitro. To investigate to what extent this global system of transcription regulation has been conserved, we have isolated a number of rp genes of the related yeast species Kluyveromyces lactis and Kluyveromyces marxianus, whose counterparts in Saccharomyces are controlled by RAP1. The coding regions of these genes showed a sequence similarity of about 90% when compared to their Saccharomyces counterparts. In contrast, little or no sequence similarity was found between the upstream regions and the intervening sequences of Kluyveromyces and Saccharomyces homologs. However, the occurrence and the position of the introns is conserved. The sequence data also show that the physical linkage that exists in S. cerevisiae between the rp genes encoding RP59 (CRY1), S24 and L46 is conserved in Kluyveromyces. Northern analysis demonstrated that each of the isolated Kluyveromyces genes is transcriptionally active. By sequence comparison we identified a number of conserved sequences in the upstream region of each of the Kluyveromyces rp genes, which we designated the X, Z and RPGK boxes. The last one is highly similar, though not identical, to the S. cerevisiae RPG box. Functional analysis of the intergenic region between the genes encoding Kluyveromyces ribosomal proteins S24 and L46 showed that the RPGK box (+Z box) functions as a transcriptional activator, while the X box acts as a transcriptional repressor. Band-shift assays confirmed the existence of a RAP1-like protein in Kluyveromyces that binds to the RPGK box but not to the S. cerevisiae RPG box. In contrast, S. cerevisiae RAP1 did recognize the RPGK box."}
{"id": "PMID:1481564", "title": "[Inpatient focal therapeutic treatment of elderly patients--concept and initial results].", "content": "Acute neurotic and functional symptoms in the elderly are undervalued relative to the frequency. The authors demonstrate the indication criteria and an inpatient focal therapeutic treatment conception for elderly patients. The 11 patients from 50 to 68 years, treated in this setting in 1991, are characterized by sociodemographic aspects, symptoms and length of treatment. At the end of the treatment period (on an average of 8 weeks) seven patients are well recovered with regard to their symptoms, one patient is somewhat improved, and two patients are not recovered. According to a short casuistic some fundamental reflections on psychoanalytic focal therapy in the elderly are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1481560", "title": "[Inpatient psychotherapy of elderly patients in a psychoanalytically structured psychosomatic clinic].", "content": "Because of the insufficient outpatient psychotherapeutic care of elderly people, treatment in a clinic is of great importance. A year ago a psychosomatic clinic introduced psychoanalytically oriented treatment especially designed for people over 60. The concept of this treatment and its realization phase are presented here and explained on the basis of a case study."}
{"id": "PMID:1481563", "title": "[Anxiety and self-assurance in elderly patients].", "content": "The concept of social competence covers emotional, cognitive and behavioral abilities in the field of interpersonal communication and behavior patterns to cope with practical problems of life. Under the specific conditions of age, aging, and diseases in one part of the elderly, a loss of psycho-social competence may reduce the ability and quality of independent living. To improve social competence in old patients, an age-adapted assertiveness-training, based on the Assertiveness Training Program was proved in a group of psychogeriatric inpatients in a controlled study. In the self-rated activities of daily living and state-anxiety as well as in observer-rated self-confidence and assertiveness, the training group showed significant improvement compared to the controls."}
{"id": "PMID:1481570", "title": "Schizosaccharomyces pombe mitochondria: morphological, respiratory and protein import characteristics.", "content": "A technique is described for the isolation and purification of intact, respiratory-competent mitochondria from Schizosaccharomyces pombe. The purified mitochondria are capable of oxidizing NADH and succinate as respiratory substrates, indicating the presence of succinate dehydrogenase and an NADH dehydrogenase located on the outer surface of the inner membrane. Mitochondria display good respiratory control with an ADP/O ratio of < 2. Respiratory activity is linearly dependent upon the redox poise of the quinone pool, suggesting the presence of an unbranched respiratory pathway to molecular oxygen. Immunogold labelling using antisera raised against mitochondrial HSP70 proteins (SSP1, SSC1 and PHSP1) from three different species, namely S. pombe, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and the plant Pisum sativum respectively, has been used to investigate the presence and ultrastructure of the mitochondria isolated by this procedure. The immunocytochemistry was carried out using cells containing wild-type levels of SSP1 protein and cells over-expressing the protein. These results also demonstrate the capacity of mitochondria to import increased levels of protein in vivo. In vitro import experiments using COXIV-DHFR indicate that purified S. pombe mitochondria can efficiently import this precursor, and that protein translocation is dependent upon an oxidizable substrate and a membrane potential."}
{"id": "PMID:1481566", "title": "[Depression in the elderly. Contribution of music therapy to grief work].", "content": "If one understands the physical manifestation of minor depressions or multiple functional disorders in the elderly as being indirectly expressed dissatisfaction because of unfulfilled aims in life, a practical recovery process is necessary in order to confront the underlying psychic process. The aging person has to come to terms with his eventual demise. If he faces this, he will have a chance at renewed energy to accomplish incomplete aims. Many people need help in order to continue the recovery process. Even if speech or reflexive possibilities are inhibited, it is possible accomplish therapy by the medium of sound, which is a preverbal language. Music therapy is able to work at a psychotherapeutic level in persons seemingly unable to be influenced by conventional psychotherapeutic-methods. Two case studies with different techniques (singing of well known songs and free improvisation) illustrate this theses."}
{"id": "PMID:1481572", "title": "Mapping the putative RNA helicase genes by sequence overlapping.", "content": "An 'electronic' gene mapping procedure based on computer-aided search for overlapping gene sequences was used to identify adjacent genes and localize several putative RNA helicase genes to different chromosomes. PRP28 and AMD1 genes map to the right arm of chromosome IV next to sup2, which encodes a tyrosine tRNA. PRP16, previously mapped to chromosome XI, is tightly linked to MRP-L20. PRP22 is adjacent to PRE1, whose chromosomal location is currently unknown. The utility of this approach in yeast gene mapping is evaluated."}
{"id": "PMID:1481571", "title": "Structure and expression of the ABF1-regulated ribosomal protein S33 gene in Kluyveromyces.", "content": "The abundant multifunctional protein ABF1 of Saccharomyces cerevisiae binds to the upstream region of several genes, including some ribosomal protein genes like the one encoding protein S33. Deletion of the ABF1-binding sequence lowers the transcription of these genes three- to more than ten-fold. We have isolated the S33 genes of two related yeast species, Kluyveromyces lactis and Kluyveromyces marxianus. Comparison of the nucleotide sequences of these S33 genes with their counterpart from S. cerevisiae shows a strong sequence similarity covering the whole of the coding regions. In contrast, little or no sequence similarity is found in the 5'-flanking regions of the three genes. Also the trailer regions differ considerably in both length and sequence from one species to another. An ABF1-binding site is present in the upstream region of the S33 gene of K. marxianus. Retardation analyses showed that this sequence is able to bind a protein present in Kluyveromyces cells with a molecular mass somewhat lower than that of S. cerevisiae ABF1. Functional analyses, using a beta-glucuronidase reporter system, showed that the ABF1-binding site is indeed involved in transcription activation of the K. marxianus S33 gene in Kluyveromyces cells. A S. cerevisiae ABF1-gene-specific probe showed only weak hybridization with Kluyveromyces DNA and Northern blots did not show a signal. These results indicate that S. cerevisiae and Kluyveromyces contain functionally related but structurally dissimilar ABF1-type proteins."}
{"id": "PMID:1481573", "title": "The sequence of a 12 kb fragment on the left arm of yeast chromosome XI reveals five new open reading frames, including a zinc finger protein and a homolog of the UDP-glucose pyrophosphorylase from potato.", "content": "We report the sequence of a 12,399 bp DNA fragment from the left arm of Saccharomyces cerevisiae chromosome XI. This fragment is located between the genetic loci mif2 and mak11. We have detected five new open reading frames (ORFs) longer than 300 bp provisionally called YKL248 to YKL252. One of them, YKL248 encodes a homolog of the UDP-glucose pyrophosphorylase from potato. The product of YKL251 contains the consensus for zinc binding proteins, similar to those of a number of fungal transcriptional activators. The three other ORFs do not show significant homology to known protein."}
{"id": "PMID:1481567", "title": "[Balint groups in psychotherapy of elderly patients].", "content": "Care of the elderly is typified by the relationship: elderly client/patient--younger helper/therapist. In Balint groups, relationships in interpersonal interactions are examined. This leads to a \"patient-oriente\" view and enables the participants to formulate a \"comprehensive diagnosis\". Multi-professional \"gerontological\"-Balint groups reduce reciprocal prejudices and value-judgements and promote cooperation between professional groups, further the understanding of the elderly in need of care, as well as the formulation of a patient-oriented \"comprehensive treatment plan\". By including creative productions in the Balint-group process, unconscious determinants of disturbed interpersonal relationships can be made \"visible\"."}
{"id": "PMID:1481574", "title": "The sequence of a 9.3 kb segment located on the left arm of the yeast chromosome XI reveals five open reading frames including the CCE1 gene and putative products related to MYO2 and to the ribosomal protein L10.", "content": "We report here the sequence of a 9.3 kb DNA segment of chromosome XI of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, located between the MAK11 locus and the centromere. This sequence contains four long open reading frames (ORFs), YKL160, YKL162, YKL164, YKL165 and part of another ORF, YKL166, covering altogether 90% of the entire sequence. One of these ORFs, YKL164, corresponds to CCE1. Translation products of two other ORFs, YKL160 and YKL165, exhibit homology with previously known S. cerevisiae proteins: the ribosomal protein L10, and the MYO2 gene product, respectively."}
{"id": "PMID:1481568", "title": "[Report on professional workshops \"Aging and psychotherapy\"].", "content": "Since 1989, annual scientific meetings \"Age and psychotherapy\" have been held in Erlangen, and since 1991, in Bonn. For each meeting a special topic has been selected such as, \"Multimorbidity and Psychotherapeutic Implications,\" \"Dementia and Psychotherapy,\" \"Sexuality and Partnership.\" In addition to scientific papers related to the topic, courses, seminars and workshops have been offered since 1992 to exchange practical knowledge about psychotherapy with the elderly (e.g., autogenic training, family work, Balint-group, family therapy, art therapy, psychotherapy in psychogeriatrics, self-experience workshop, assertiveness-training, supervision). In addition to advanced training and continuous education, the main objective of these meetings has been to offer a forum to share knowledge and experience with professionals working in psychotherapy with the elderly."}
{"id": "PMID:1481575", "title": "[Aging--a growing challenge for us all].", "content": "The problem of an ever increasing overaging of the population presents a challenge to both science and politics. The author has chosen three particular aspects of this problem: (1) Aging and being old--a biological reality, (2) aging and growing old--a social burden and challenge to society, (3) reflections on old age and therapeutic programs. The study finishes with a \"praise of old age\"."}
{"id": "PMID:1481576", "title": "[Aging--from the molecule to the organism].", "content": "Age-related changes at the molecular, cellular and organ level, as well as at the organism level are heterogeneous with respect to their timing and intensity. Theories on aging are numerous, but for none is there yet any strong, convincing evidence, particularly in regard to whether or not age-changes are programmed or are due to accumulations of random changes in constituent cells. Recent studies indicate, however, that DNA damage and repair may be central to cellular senescence, e.g., there is a direct relationship between the repair capacity and the maximum life span of a given species. The limited division potential of normal human diploid fibroblast cells in vitro is well documented and has been established as a model for cellular aging. Thus, fibroblasts taken from young individuals have a greater total doubling capacity as compared to fibroblasts derived from older individuals. Aging of the brain, heart, liver, and locomotory system are discussed. Within the context of organism aging the multimorbidity, chronic diseases, as well as some peculiarities of pharmacokinetics are also discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1481577", "title": "[Aging of the immune system and sequelae for rheumatic diseases].", "content": "Immunoreactivity is impaired in old individuals. This is due especially to a loss of signals as well as to a loss of corresponding receptors. Moreover, the regulation of the immune response is reduced. This causes an increase of infectious diseases and of autoimmunopathies. With regard to rheumatic diseases there is a significant decline of reactive states in contrast to the manifestation of autoimmune arthritis. However, this is modified by nonimmunological factors such as hormones, which explains the predominance of females."}
{"id": "PMID:1481583", "title": "[Chlamydia infection and salpingitis].", "content": "Chlamydia trachomatis is the most prevalent etiologic agent in women with uncomplicated salpingitis. This presentation reviews the current aspects of etiology, diagnosis, therapy, prevention and complications of this disease. The other clinical manifestations of chlamydial infection are also discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1481584", "title": "[Determining progesterone in saliva].", "content": "A radioimmunoassay for the determination of progesterone in saliva using a 125J-labelled progesterone derivate has been developed. The assay is characterized by the excellent sensitivity of 3.12 pg progesterone/ml. During the menstrual cycle of normal women the biphasic rhythm of progesterone in saliva could not been clearly demonstrated. In the follicle phase high peaks of progesterone have been shown and even in the luteal phase individual low values have been observed. The circadian rhythms of progesterone in saliva are characterized by irregular oscillations. The saliva flow rate is not responsible for the progesterone concentration. The measurement of progesterone in serum seems to be more useful in the diagnosis of sterility."}
{"id": "PMID:1481578", "title": "[Rheumatic diseases in advanced age--psychological aspects].", "content": "This paper discusses the importance of cognitive representation and individual patterns of behavior for coping with chronic disease. Chronically ill patients differ very much in their psychic situation. Biographical and situational factors and the future perspective contribute to these interindividual differences. Diagnostic and therapeutical tools are discussed from a psychological perspective."}
{"id": "PMID:1481580", "title": "[Characteristics of pharmacotherapy of rheumatic diseases in advanced age].", "content": "Drug treatment in the polymorbid elderly should focus on the more important symptoms. Pharmacokinetic differences should be considered, e.g. a reduced volume of distribution and decreased liver and renal function. Special alterations in the pharmacodynamics with respect to the central nervous system and other organs are important. Drug therapy in the elderly has to be done very cautiously. The indication, dosage and duration of therapy has to be evaluated again and again. Antirheumatics in the elderly should improve the quality of life avoiding untowanted side effects, especially of the gastrointestinal tract, the renal function and bone marrow. Non-narcotic analgesics and opioids may be helpful, when antirheumatics were not tolerated."}
{"id": "PMID:1481585", "title": "[Value of the metoclopramide test in diagnosis of hormonal causes of female sterility].", "content": "A retrospective study was used to assess the diagnostic value of the metoclopramide (MCP)-stimulation test for diagnosing hormonal infertility in women. 1326 couples sought help at the hormone-counselling laboratories at the University Gynaecological Hospital in Heidelberg during a six year period and were evaluated with a standardized diagnostic program. The patients were grouped as manifestly hyperprolactinaemic, normoprolactinaemic or functionally hyperprolactinaemic, according to their basal serum prolactin (Pr)-level, and the results of the MCP-stimulation test. The number of patients in the normoprolactinaemic group varied from 894 to 1188 and functionally hyperprolactinaemic varied from 263 to 19 patients, depending on the cut-off value selected. We used cut-off values of 200, 250, 300 or 400 ng/ml in evaluating the MCP response. During a two year follow-up, 40% of the women conceived. Increasing Pr-levels, at stimulation, were associated with significantly more spontaneous pregnancies. Thus more women conceived in the functional hyperprolactinaemic group than in the normoprolactinaemic group. 281 women had used a dopamine agonist (21%). Women in the bromocriptine group (except manifestly hyperprolactinaemic patients) had significantly higher pregnancy rates than those not treated with bromocriptine. This results was particularly significant for women with normoprolactinaemic. It was caused by higher bromocriptine induced conception rate. 60% of the therapeutic pregnancies occurred in normoprolactinaemic women receiving the dopamine agonist therapy. Our results suggest that MCP-stimulation induced functional hyperprolactinaemia is not required for a successful approach. In sterility of unknown origin with normal basal Pr serum levels, a three month trial with low-dose dopamine agonist can be tried."}
{"id": "PMID:1481579", "title": "Arthritis in the elderly.", "content": "Rheumatic diseases affect individuals of all ages. Both incidence and prevalence vary between age groups, and the diagnosis and management of the same rheumatic disease may be very different at the various ages. It is thus important to recognize the spectrum of rheumatic disorders in age-specific groups. The functional decline of cells, tissues and organs does not occur at the same rate in all individuals. This results in an increased variation with aging. It has important clinical consequences in the diagnosis of disease in the elderly with risk of both underdiagnosis and overdiagnosis. The increasing number of elderly, the high prevalence and the specific diagnostic and therapeutic problems of rheumatic disorders in the elderly call for some rheumatologists to focus an interest in geriatric rheumatology."}
{"id": "PMID:1481586", "title": "[Results of therapy of anemia in pregnancy].", "content": "Among 106 pregnant women with anaemia a typical state of iron deficiency could be shown at only 36.8%. 22.5% of the patients had a decreased vitamin B12 level without any characteristic symptoms of a megaloblastic anaemia. Predominantly the grade of the anaemia was small. The mean value of hemoglobin lied at 7.1 +/- 0.59 mmol/l. The severity of the anaemia didn't show any connection to the vitamin B12 level or parameters of the iron metabolism. With a combined therapy of iron, folic acid and vitamin B12 an increase of the Hb-level could be noticed at only 44.3% of the patients. The haematological findings, taken before the therapy, as well as the therapy results show that an important part of anaemias in pregnancy is caused by a complex genesis as a result of immunological reactions in pregnancy."}
{"id": "PMID:1481587", "title": "[Use of tramadol versus pethidine versus denaverine suppositories in labor--a contribution to noninvasive therapy of labor pain].", "content": "Because tramadol does not exhibit an depressive effect on ventilatory activity it is often be used in the obstetrical analgesia, at most in form of an intramuscularly injection. In a prospective study on at all 49 women under labour the clinical effect of the noninvasive rectal application of Tramadol, Pethidin, and Denaverin has been compared. The first dosage was 100 mg of all substances. Around the half of the women said that analgetic effect was good or very good. On only every fifth it was sufficient or not enough. The effect was at near the same in all treatment groups. Because of a low incidence of maternal side effects, the absence of side effects on the newborn, and near the same results on the analgetic effect of parenteral application in other studies, tramadol suppositories can be recommended for obstetrical analgesia."}
{"id": "PMID:1481581", "title": "[Sports in advanced age in inflammatory rheumatic diseases].", "content": "The positive effect of moderate physical activity on cardiovascular system, psychological condition, immune reactions and joint biology are wellknown. They seem to facilitate pain control and to stimulate the metabolism of skeletal tissue and joints also in elder patients with rheumatoid arthritis if certain prerequisites are considered. The possible influence of physical activity on the natural course of the disease has not yet been investigated. The recommended type and extent of sports activity therefore have to be carefully selected with regard to the pathogenesis of the disease and their inflammatory changes as well as the patients individual medical conditions."}
{"id": "PMID:1481582", "title": "[Value and characteristics of physical medicine and health resort medicine in advanced age].", "content": "Physical medicine and spa medicine both have the impetus of rehabilitation in common. In addition, they share the therapeutical orientation toward the performance capacity of organs and functional systems, as well as to activities of daily living, the consideration of chronobiological rules of training and adaptation, and an acknowledging of the fact that diseases and, therefore, the basics of rehabilitation are constantly changing. With increasing age the relation of therapy to function resp. rehabilitation becomes increasingly important. Gerontorehabilitation is distinguished from general rehabilitation by the following three characteristics: a) the focus on particular diseases of the elderly, for instance osteoporosis; b) the therapeutical awareness of multimorbidity with the obvious involution of the skeletal muscle mass, the labilization and generalization of vegetative reactions and the special psychosocial situation; c) the consideration of specific reactions of the organism in advanced age to additional and unexpected events (immobilization syndrome, regulative rigidity, long-term adaptation). Gerontorehabilitation has to deal with specific problems of the elderly, problems that may seem medically banal, but which may be partly either serious or at least very inconvenient, e.g., the multifactorial-caused kyphosis, motor deficiency and slowed reactions, the tendency to fall, itching or stinging extremities due to many causes, latent heart insufficiency of undetermined origin, disturbance of sleep and therefore of recreation, and impairment of higher brain functions."}
{"id": "PMID:1481588", "title": "[Irritation of the anterior nerves of the abdominal wall--Ibrahim syndrome].", "content": "The irritation of the nerves of the anterior abdominal wall (nervi intercostals X-XII) may imitate salpingitis, appendicitis or intraabdominal adhesion. By gentle palpation of the wall of the lower abdomen, spec. in the region of the lateral part of the musculus rectus, the points of pain are to be localized. Xylocaine-injection may give a pain-relieve for a short period of time. Mostly, there must be an operation to loosen adhesions and to dilate the nerve-exits from the lateral part of the musculus rectus."}
{"id": "PMID:1481589", "title": "[Umbilical cord compression by an amnionic band].", "content": "A case report is given from personal observations of an intrauterine death due to constriction of the umbilical cord by amniotic band. Previously reported cases and current hypotheses for the etiology of amniotic band are reviewed and merit clinical attention."}
{"id": "PMID:1481590", "title": "[Mucocele of the appendix in highly differentiated adenocarcinoma].", "content": "A patient 69 years old had been admitted at the University Women's Hospital Berlin because of a suspected ovarian tumour. Outside a computed tomography was done. In the small pelvis a tumour partly cystic and partly solid at the right side could be confirmed sonographically. Because this an operation was indicated. After opening the abdomen the internal female genital organs were in conspicuous with the exception of extensive adhesions. Histologically we found a mucocele of the vermiform appendix with a highly differentiated adenocarcinoma. All tissue layers were infiltrated and perforated. This combination of findings is very seldom, because carcinomas of the appendix could be proved only in 0.01 per cent of all appendectomies."}
{"id": "PMID:1481593", "title": "[The characteristics of the ultrastructural changes in yeast-like fungi of the genus Candida exposed to therapeutic-range ultrasound and nystatin].", "content": "The electron microscopic study of the ultrastructure of yeast-like fungi of the genus Candida under the action of nystatin and sonication, as well as the action of these two factors used in combination, was carried out. In this study the degree of preservation of the structure of fungal cells was evaluated and the percentage of cells with different ultrastructural changes was determined. Observations made 3 and 24 hours after sonication and treatment with nystatin, used in combination, showed that ultrastructural changes in fungal cells were more pronounced than in the cells subjected to the action of nystatin alone. 24 hours after the combined physico-medicinal treatment of Candida the percentage of nonviable blastospores among them was 5-fold higher than that of such cells among Candida subjected to treatment with nystatin alone and more than 20-fold higher than among Candida subjected only to sonication. These data on the increased fungicidal effect of nystatin used in combination with sonication substantiate the expediency of the above-mentioned physico-medicinal treatment in cases of candidal lesions of the skin and its appendages, which is one of the ways for increasing the effectiveness of the treatment of this mycosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1481594", "title": "[Spontaneous variability in a population of Candida albicans strains].", "content": "The spontaneous variability of the populations of C. albicans strains of different genesis in the morphological properties of their colonies and in the potential of the activity of their extracellular proteolytic and phospholipid enzymes has been studied. The isolated types of colonies, differing in their morphology, have the phenotypic character of variability. Different populations of strains exhibited variability in the activity of enzymes, depending on morphological variants isolated from these populations. Selected morphological variants with high potential of their proteolytic enzymes retained stability in this property for 5 generations and can be used in medical practice for the isolation of C. albicans antigens."}
{"id": "PMID:1481595", "title": "[Associations of the soil amoeba Hartmannella rhysodes with the bacterial causative agents of plague and pseudotuberculosis in an experiment].", "content": "Some aspects of relationships between soil ameba and the causative agents of plague and pseudotuberculosis, capable of forming natural associations, are considered. Ameba can phagocytose bacteria causing plague and pseudotuberculosis. Cases of the preservation of individual bacterial cells at the stationary phase and in precysts of amebae have been registered."}
{"id": "PMID:1481596", "title": "[The vital activities of enterobacteria in an aqueous medium in the absence of sources of organic nutrition].", "content": "Heterotrophic bacteria were found to be capable of proliferation in physiological saline and distilled water. In 1988-1989 experimental studies were made with a view to establish the role of the gaseous phase of atmospheric air and the products of the autolysis of dead bacteria as the sources of organic nutrition. The studies revealed that the complete removal of atmospheric air from vials with bacterial suspension completely stopped the stimulation of reproduction. In vials with a higher concentration of dead bacterial bodies the proliferation rate was 2- to 400-fold (on the average, 118-fold) higher. The products of the autolysis of bacterial bodies proved to be of no importance as an independent source of organic nutrition for heterotrophic bacteria. The mechanism of the assimilation of autolysis products is \"switched on\" by biologically active geomagnetic disturbances. The mechanisms of the increase of bacterial biomass remain unclear."}
{"id": "PMID:1481597", "title": "[The hydrophobicity of gram-negative bacteria isolated from patients with inflammatory and suppurative-destructive lung diseases].", "content": "Hydrophobic properties of 11 enterobacterial strains and 12 Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains isolated from patient with inflammatory and purulent destructive diseases of the lungs were studied. The hydrophobic properties of the isolated bacteria were determined by the method of salting out with ammonium sulfate. A high correlation (r = 0.56) between the above-mentioned properties of gram-negative bacteria and their isolation rate from patients with destructive diseases was established. The hydrophobic properties of bacteria were supposed to be of importance in the process of the colonization of pulmonary tissues with bacterial flora."}
{"id": "PMID:1481598", "title": "[The virulence of Streptococcus pneumoniae strains--the causative agents of pneumococcal infection at different sites].", "content": "A total of 256 S. pneumoniae strains, the causative agents of infectious processes with different localization, were studied for their virulence (in experiments on mice), neuraminidase and aldolase-protease activity (APA). In pneumococcal strains isolated 18-20 hours after intraperitoneal infection their virulence for mice increased, on the average, 1,000-fold and the average level of extracellular and cellular neuraminidase and APA increased 2- to 5-fold in comparison with the initial values. Pneumococcal strains causing acute pneumococcal infections with different localization, or the aggravation of such infections, exhibited higher virulence for mice and higher levels of neuraminidase and APA, while the inflammatory process at the period of clinical remissions was mainly maintained by S. pneumoniae cultures with low virulence."}
{"id": "PMID:1481599", "title": "[The identification of nondiphtheritic bacteria of the genus Corynebacterium and the determination of their antibiotic sensitivity].", "content": "A total of 221 patients with nonspecific inflammatory processes were studied with a view to determine the occurrence and species composition of microorganisms of the genus Corynebacterium on the mucous membrane and in the secretions of their genitals. Different representatives of this genus were detected in 23.1 +/- 3.5% of patients with cervicitis and endometritis and in 48.7 +/- 5.7% of patients with prostatitis. Among the isolated bacteria of this genus C. pseudogenitalium, C. genitalium and C. xerosis, as well as Corynebacterium cells of group JK, occurred most frequently. The strains under study were found to have high antibiotic resistance. On the basis of their cultural features, growth rate, the degree of contamination of the genitals and sensitivity to antibiotics, bacteria of this genus were differentiated into macro- and microcoryneforms."}
{"id": "PMID:1481600", "title": "[The rapid diagnosis of acute streptococcal infection in children].", "content": "The present work deals with trials of the method of rapid diagnosis of streptococcal infection, carried out in children's infectious hospital, with the use of a new diagnostic kit. The proposed diagnosticum has proved to be highly sensitive and specific in scarlet fever and tonsillitis. The sensitivity and specificity of the diagnosticum depend on the duration of the disease, prehospital treatment and the quality of the bacteriological analysis."}
{"id": "PMID:1481601", "title": "[An outbreak of cholera (El Tor) in Samarkand Province, Uzbekistan in 1990].", "content": "A group outbreak of cholera caused by Vibrio eltor in the Samarkand Province++ in 1990 is analyzed. The retrospective analysis of the isolation of V. cholerae from water of surface reservoirs has been made. The study points out that since the cholera epidemic of 1985 V. cholerae avirulent strains, serogroup O1, have been periodically isolated in the Samarkand Province. The conclusion has been made that the isolation of even avirulent strains only from environmental objects is indicative of the unfavorable epidemiological situation in this area and of the necessity to take measures for improving epidemiological surveillance."}
{"id": "PMID:1481602", "title": "[The use of a method for the electrophoretic typing by protein profiles of bacteria in the genus Acinetobacter for epidemiological diagnosis].", "content": "On the basis of data obtained by the biological characterization and electrophoretic typing of Acinetobacter sp. cultures by the spectra of membrane proteins epidemiological relationships, routes of transmission and specific features of the circulation of strains causing purulent inflammatory diseases have been determined."}
{"id": "PMID:1481603", "title": "[Multiyear observations of the dynamic epidemic process in Sonne dysentery in a small district of Vladimir Province].", "content": "On the basis of the epidemiological analysis of morbidity data for several years the many-sided dynamic characterization of the epidemic process of Sonne dysentery in a small district is presented. As revealed by this analysis, the epidemic process developed in the presence of residual activity of the water factor; this activity was mediated by transmission of this infection through milk products contaminated in the course of their manufacture and distribution. The possibility of appearance of an intricate chain of interrelated transmission factors is shown, as exemplified by a specific epidemic situation; to determine the activity of these factors, profound epidemiological analysis of morbidity data is needed."}
{"id": "PMID:1481605", "title": "[The phages of halophilic vibrios and their use].", "content": "The range of the lytic activity of 46 phages of parahemolytic vibrios isolated from lysogenic strains, sea water samples, crabs and mussels has been studied. The phages are represented by virions belonging to morphological groups II, IV, V according to the phage classification currently used in Russia and to different serological groups. No relationship between the sensitivity of vibrio strains to the phages under study and the specificity of serotypes O and K has been established. The preparation of diagnostic phage [see text] suitable for the identification of 82% of strains of parahemolytic vibrios has been proposed."}
{"id": "PMID:1481606", "title": "[Protection from virulent Salmonella groups B and D after the peroral immunization of chicks with a hybrid of Salmonella typhimurium and Salmonella dublin].", "content": "Chickens over 10 days old, infected orally with virulent salmonellae, were found to remain alive. Histologic investigation showed the development of mild enteritis and more pronounced, lasting for more than two weeks, inflammation of the cecum, dissemination and focal lesions in the liver (granulomas, necrosis). In experiments on the oral immunization of 3-day old chickens the bivalent hybrid of S. typhimurium vaccine strain 274 and S. dublin induced only pronounced blast transformation in lymphatic follicles of the cecum, hyperplasia of activated macrophages and formation of granulomas from these macrophages and lymphocytes. After oral challenge of the immunized chickens with virulent salmonellae of group B (S. typhimurium) and group D (S. enteritidis, S. gallinarum-pullorum) the chickens exhibited sharply pronounced protection against adhesion, colonization and invasion, and a few penetrating bacteria were rapidly destroyed by immune macrophages. Hybrid strain 274/O9 proved to be suitable for use as oral bivalent vaccine against salmonellosis in chickens."}
{"id": "PMID:1481607", "title": "[The safety of a new chemical typhoid preparation containing a complex of Vi and K antigens in tests of its acute and chronic toxicity].", "content": "Acute and chronic toxicity of a new chemical typhoid preparation containing the complex of surface Vi- and K-antigens has been studied. The study has revealed that the preparation, when introduced subcutaneously and intravenously in immunizing doses in a single injection or in multiple injections, produces no toxic effect on the organs and tissues of experimental animals. In experiments of chronic toxicity the microscopic study has shown pronounced hyperplasia of the lymphoid system with enhanced macrophage reaction in the spleen, thymus, mesenteric lymph nodes and Peyer's patches in the small intestine."}
{"id": "PMID:1481608", "title": "[An immunoenzyme test system for determining gaprin in the air].", "content": "A highly specific and sensitive enzyme immunoassay system for the quantitative determination of haprin in the air at a concentration of not less than 0.0001 mg of haprin per m3 of air has been developed. The assay system has been approved at the Svetloiarsk plant for the production of vitamin protein concentrate and can be used for the control and evaluation of haprin pollution of the environment at areas adjoining microbiological plants."}
{"id": "PMID:1481609", "title": "[The effect of the structural components of Staphylococcus aureus on the interaction of T- and B-lymphocytes].", "content": "The results of studies on the influence of staphylococcal peptidoglycan and cell walls on the cooperative interaction of T- and B-lymphocytes in the process of immune response to thymus-dependent antigen are presented. Peptidoglycan has been found to produce, depending on its dose, a suppressive and stimulating effect on the interaction of T- and B-cells. Cell walls exhibit only stimulating action under the same experimental conditions. The suppressive action of peptidoglycan is mediated by T-lymphocytes."}
{"id": "PMID:1481610", "title": "[The preventive activity of monoclonal antibodies specific to the lipopolysaccharide of Francisella tularensis].", "content": "The preventive activity of five monoclonal antibodies (McAb) in experimental tularemia was evaluated. McAb produced by hybridoma FB11-k (IgG2a), specific to F. tularensis lipopolysaccharide, prevented the death of mice and guinea pigs infected with F. tularensis virulent strain 503 of the holarctic subspecies."}
{"id": "PMID:1481611", "title": "[Changes in the phagocytic activity of macrophages under the action of different doses of antibiotics].", "content": "Penicillin, streptomycin and gentamicin, when introduced into mice in a single injection in doses of 0.5-500,000 U/kg, produced different changes in the phagocytic activity of mouse peritoneal macrophages. Bactericidal doses of these antibiotics either suppressed the activity of macrophages or left it unchanged. Their sub-bactericidal doses enhanced the phagocytic activity of macrophages. Combined use of penicillin and streptomycin produced a synergic effect."}
{"id": "PMID:1481613", "title": "[Neuraminidase activity in representatives of the genus Francisella].", "content": "In two Francisella species (F. tularensis and F. novicida) neuraminidase activity, heretofore unknown, was detected. The enzyme exhibited specificity with respect to the substrates used in the investigation, neutralizing natural mucins, but not other compounds (glycoproteins and glycoproteins). All F. tularensis strains were found to have enzymatic activity irrespective of their subspecies, but neuraminidase activity was higher in the strains belonging to the American subspecies. Experimentally obtained F. tularensis noncapsular variants possessed higher neuraminidase activity than the capsular parent strains. The conclusion on the possible role of this enzyme in F. tularensis colonization of the host body was made."}
{"id": "PMID:1481624", "title": "Long-term prognosis of ischemic stroke in young adults.", "content": "Prognostic information is provided for 74 young adults (age 16-40 yrs, mean age at stroke 29.5 yrs), who suffered from ischemic stroke and survived the first month after the stroke. The patients were followed for 13-26 yrs; in total for 1190 yrs after their stroke. At follow-up 12 of the patients were dead, mostly from severe underlying disease that was complicated by ischemic stroke. In 3 cases death was unrelated to cerebrovascular disease. Among the surviving 62 patients, 7 had experienced recurrent ischemic events (3 reinfarctions, 4 TIA:s). These 7 patients all had risk factors for cerebrovascular complications already at the time of their primary stroke. It is concluded that the long-term prognosis for ischemic stroke in the young adult is favourable. The recovery from neurological deficits is usually good (exceptions are occlusions within the internal carotid and middle cerebral arteries), the risk for recurrence is low (1.1-1.2% annually), and the social prognosis with respect to working capacity and family relation is fair."}
{"id": "PMID:1481625", "title": "Leucocyte aggregation in acute cerebrovascular disease.", "content": "We evaluated leucocyte aggregation in 26 patients with ischemic stroke and in 10 patients with transient ischemic attacks (TIA), previously untreated, within 24 h from the onset of symptoms. The evaluation was also performed in 30 healthy subjects matched for age and sex. Leucocyte aggregation was significantly higher in patients than in controls (p < 0.01 post hoc Tukey test). Within patients, those with stroke showed a significantly higher aggregation than those with TIA (p = 0.01 post hoc Tukey test). Moreover, stroke patients with the poorest outcome showed significantly higher values of leucocyte aggregation. These results indicate an involvement of leucocytes in cerebral ischemia and suggest that changes in their aggregability may play a role in the evolution of the disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1481626", "title": "The topography of microthrombi in ischemic brain infarct.", "content": "Following cerebral ischemia a tendency to increased coagulation can be detected. Vascular occlusion may develop either as a result of local thrombus formation or from emboli caused by circulating platelet aggregates. We studied the localization of microthrombi and their effects on tissue in double-hemisphere sections. Fresh brain infarcts showed a large number of microthrombi limited to the ischemic region. In more advanced infarcts they were found mainly at the border of the necrosis and diffusely distributed over both hemispheres. Older, subsiding infarcts showed only isolated microthrombi limited to the area of the necrosis. This indicates that great importance must be attached to microthrombi in infarct progression."}
{"id": "PMID:1481627", "title": "Cognition in epilepsy: a multichannel event related potential (P300) study.", "content": "Auditory event-related potentials (AERP) were elicited in 68 epileptic patients and 30 age-matched controls. Epileptic patients had significantly prolonged N2 and P300 (P3) latencies compared with controls. Seven patients were above the range of 3 standard deviations from the control mean values. Amongst epileptics, patients with temporal lobe epilepsy had significantly prolonged P3 latencies compared to patients with idiopathic generalized epilepsy. Patients with abnormal EEGs had significantly prolonged P3 latencies compared to those with normal EEGs. Patients on anticonvulsant monotherapy had shorter P3 latencies, compared to patients taking a combination of two or more anticonvulsants. Patients on shorter duration of treatment had less prolonged P3 latencies compared to those on longer anticonvulsant treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1481628", "title": "Reduction of antiepileptic drug dosage for monitoring epileptic seizures.", "content": "Eleven epileptic patients, candidates for surgical treatment, were examined in order to localize epileptic foci. The daily doses of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) were reduced by fifty per cent or less, and the reduced dosages were maintained until a seizure had occurred. The reduction resulted in seizures within five days among all patients, and the number of seizures increased significantly in comparison with the five-day period before AED reduction. The seizures so provoked were typical for each patient, as confirmed by clinical observation and video-EEG telemetry. No status epilepticus or withdrawal psychosis occurred. The AED concentrations at the time of the seizures were generally within the reference values."}
{"id": "PMID:1481629", "title": "CSF and serum ganglioside antibody patterns in MS.", "content": "The authors determined CSF and serum IgG and IgM antibodies to seven gangliosides in 48 patients with multiple sclerosis. Differing ganglioside antibody patterns in CSF but not serum allowed to reclassify 93% of MS patients correctly when compared to patients with Guillain-Barr\u00e9 syndrome or neuroborreliosis. This suggest that the antibody patterns are neither random nor alike in inflammatory diseases of the nervous system. CSF ganglioside antibody titres were found to be different for patients with relapsing remitting (RRMS; n = 35) and chronic progressive (CPMS; n = 13) multiple sclerosis. Our study reveals characteristic ganglioside antibody patterns in MS and confirms previous evidence of disturbed immunoregulation in MS."}
{"id": "PMID:1481630", "title": "Patients with homocystinuria: high metal concentrations in hair, blood and urine.", "content": "Patients with homocystinuria excrete a large amount of metal in their urine. Homocysteine similar to penicillamine, administration to methylmercury treated rats resulted in a large amount of urinary methylmercury excretion. These results suggested that the total metal amounts in the whole body of patients with homocystinuria might be decreased. However, actually metal concentrations in hair and plasma of these patients were higher than those of normal controls. High plasma and hair metal levels are not accounted for in patients with homocystinuria. The physiological metal excretory mechanism in which small amounts of metals bind to the small, plasma molecular substances filter through the kidney and emerge in the urine is necessary for reconfirmation. Strongly perturbed metal metabolism exists in the patients with homocystinuria."}
{"id": "PMID:1481631", "title": "Alcohol levels in cerebrospinal fluid and blood samples from patients under pathological conditions.", "content": "We measured alcohol levels by the Cordebard method in 148 CSF samples from individuals who had abstained from alcohol for at least 7 days prior to the beginning of the study. Each blood sample was accompanied by a CSF sample from the same patient. CSF samples found to be normal after analysis were used as controls. Mean alcohol concentration in blood did not differ significantly between the control group and the groups with altered CSF. The group with altered CSF had statistically higher alcohol levels in CSF than in blood. CSF lactate, glucose and protein levels were not correlated with alcohol level. The results suggest the presence of endogenous alcohol in the CSF, with levels increasing in the presence of pathological processes involving the nervous system."}
{"id": "PMID:1481632", "title": "Mortality rate of Alzheimer's disease in Japan: secular trends, marital status, and geographical variations.", "content": "The death rate from Alzheimer's disease (AD) in Japan was analyzed using death certificates for the years 1979 through 1990. The AD death rate has increased gradually year by year for both sexes. The overall death rates per 100,000 population of 35 years and over were 0.127 for men and 0.144 for women. Age-specific AD death rate increased exponentially up to the 65-69 age group and decreased thereafter. There were remarkable differences in the AD death rates among the four marital categories, among different prefectures and among the six occupational categories. Overall mean age at death was 63.5 years for men and 65.3 years for women."}
{"id": "PMID:1481633", "title": "Non-invasive dynamic assessment of the elasticity of intracranial structures.", "content": "The dynamics of the speed of transcranial propagation of ultrasonic impulses has been established in humans. The possibility of detecting the changes in mechanical state of intracranial structures by dynamic measurement of the time of transcranial propagation of ultrasonic impulses (TUPT) has been ascertained for 10 healthy persons and 11 patients with different neurological pathology. The cerebrospinal fluid pressure (CSFP) was simultaneously monitored for 4 of the patients. Spontaneous fluctuations in TUPT and the changes caused by jugular veins, inferior vena cava compression, hyperventilation and temporary retention of breathing were detected for all investigated subjects. Spontaneous TUPT changes in the range of 0.25-0.85 x 10(-4) of initial mean value, which are related with cardiac and respiratory cycles, have been found in healthy persons while in patients they ranged from 0.07 x 10(-4) to 4.5 x 10(-4) of mean time. In healthy persons bilateral jugular vein compression leads to a decrease in TUPT by 1.8-3.0 x 10(-4), while the compression of inferior vena cava gives an increase in TUPT by 1.6-2.6 x 10(-4). Changes in TUPT during these maneuvers in neurological patients were found to be of different amplitude and direction. The rise of CSFP by 8.4-20.2 mmHg (mean 12.4 mmHg) was observed in 4 investigated patients during the compression of jugular veins or during the inferior vena cava compression, while the changes in TUPT obtained during each of such maneuvers were of opposite character. The results suggest that dynamic evaluation of acoustic impedance of intracranial system reflects the changes in the mechanical state of brain parenchyma."}
{"id": "PMID:1481634", "title": "HLA profiles of multiple sclerosis in Hokkaido, the northernmost island of Japan.", "content": "We studied HLA haplotypes in 43 consecutive clinically definite MS patients in Hokkaido. The patients were classified into Group A, 12 patients with acute transverse myelopathy (ATM) during the course of illness, and Group B, 31 without ATM. We found an association with HLA-DQw7 in Group A, and with DR4 and DRw8 in Group B. The frequency of DQw7 and DR4 were significantly different between Groups A and B. This study may indicate the different genetic backgrounds between the groups. DRw8 and DRw52 antigens were significantly more common in MS than in controls. Our result is inconsistent with previous Japanese studies, and ethnic variation might be considered as a possible cause of the contradiction."}
{"id": "PMID:1481635", "title": "Encephalopathy in ifosfamide-treated patients.", "content": "Acute encephalopathy following treatment with ifosfamide and mesna was observed in 5 (4 women and 1 men) of 28 patients (17.8%), with advanced sarcoma, lymphoma or ovarian carcinoma. This appeared within 2 to 7 days following the first dose of ifosfamide treatment, and included mental status changes, urinary incontinence, weakness, seizure activity, altered consciousness and psychiatric manifestations. Three cases were fatal, while two patients recovered completely. Brain CT and morphometric studies were normal in all the patients. Associated findings were myelosuppression, renal failure and electrolyte alterations."}
{"id": "PMID:1481636", "title": "Intracutaneous sterile water injections do not relieve pain in cervicogenic headache.", "content": "Intracutaneous sterile water injections have been reported to relieve acute labor pain and cervical pain in whip-lash patients. A double blind cross-over trial has presently been conducted in 10 women with cervicogenic headache in order to investigate whether sterile water injections were effective in this disorder. No benefit was observed for either treatment (isotonic saline or sterile water), neither on pain during the first 14 days nor on neck mobility. We conclude that intracutaneous sterile water injections is not effective in cervicogenic headache."}
{"id": "PMID:1481637", "title": "Transient opsoclonus in organophosphate poisoning.", "content": "Opsoclonus transiently occurred in the acute stage of combined parathion and methyl-parathion poisoning. Despite persistent cholinesterase inhibition this symptom subsided spontaneously. This observation provides strong evidence for cholinergic pathways being reversibly involved in isolated opsoclonus."}
{"id": "PMID:1481638", "title": "Visual half-field testing of memory functions in patients considered for surgical treatment of intractable complex partial epilepsy.", "content": "The present research employed the visual half-field (VHF) technique to assess memory functions in normal subjects and in patients with unilateral temporal lobe epilepsy prior to surgery. Two studies were conducted. In Study 1, concrete and abstract words were presented to the left (LVF) or the right visual half field (RVF), and measures were made of response latencies, naming, free recall, and recognition. In Study 2, pictures depicting random shapes with low verbal association values were presented, and measures were made of latencies for identification and recognition of the shapes. Overall, the results showed a RVF advantage for words, but no lateralization for shapes. A selective hemisphere memory deficit was obtained for abstract words in patients with left temporal lobe lesions. Otherwise, no obvious lesion-related differences were found in the preoperative analyses. It is concluded that VHF testing of verbal information, but not abstract visuo-spatial information, is discriminative in assessing hemispheric functions in normal subjects and patients with temporal-lobe epileptic lesions."}
{"id": "PMID:1481639", "title": "Intrauterine growth in the offspring of epileptic mothers.", "content": "The present paper concerns the fetal growth of 315 newborns of epileptic mothers prospectively followed from the beginning of pregnancy. In comparison with Italian standards, neonatal weight, length and head circumference at birth were below the 10th percentile in respectively 15.7%, 1.1% and 19.2% of the newborns. Weight at birth was above the 90th percentile in 8 cases. Observed frequencies were significantly higher than expected frequencies for both weight and head circumference. The percentage of newborns with a small head circumference increased significantly according to the number of drugs taken by the mother during the first three months of pregnancy: 7.1% with no drug, 16.8% with one drug, 23.6% with two drugs and 50% with three drugs. A statistically significant correlation was found between gestational age-adjusted head circumference and drug-level scores during the first trimester. Head circumferences below the 10th percentile were fewer among newborns treated with CBZ than among newborns treated with either PB or VPA."}
{"id": "PMID:1481640", "title": "Interictal brain 99Tc-HM-PAO SPECT hypoperfusion in patients with unstable partial epilepsy and normal CT.", "content": "Brain perfusion was studied interictally with 99mTc-HM-PAO SPECT in 47 adult patients with partial epilepsy and normal brain CT. Epilepsy was classified as secondarily generalized in 24 patients, as complex partial in 17 patients and as simple partial in 6 patients. In 24 patients good seizure control was not achieved as these patients had a median number of 78 seizures during the preceding month, while in the rest of the patients seizure control was relatively good (less than 6 seizures during preceding month). Local brain hypoperfusion was observed in 41 or 87% of the patients. Hypoperfusion was located close to the EEG foci in 76% and equally often with temporal and frontal foci. Hypoperfusion and the EEG focus were located on the same side in 83%. Hypoperfusion was more frequent in secondarily generalized epilepsy and simple partial epilepsy than in complex partial epilepsy. Left-sided hypoperfusion was especially associated with complex partial epilepsy. It is likely that the significant epileptogenic brain area was revealed in patients with SPECT focus and EEG focus in the same brain area. In one of our patients MRI showed a small temporal lesion which on successful removal was identified as a low-grade oligodendroglioma. Abnormalities of regional brain uptake of HM-PAO demonstrated by SPECT in patients with partial epilepsy and normal brain CT give further information about pathophysiology in partial epilepsy; this may be of use both for selecting appropriate therapy and in presurgical localization of foci."}
{"id": "PMID:1481641", "title": "Spontaneous thoracolumbar spinal cord infarction: report of six cases.", "content": "We present a retrospective study of 6 patients with spinal cord infarction in the territory of the Adamkiewicz artery. In all patients, the clinical picture was stereotyped: sudden onset of paraplegia and bilateral radicular pain, dissociated sensory loss below the level of infarction and sphincter dysfunction. Emergency neuroradiological investigation ruled out a compressive lesion in all cases. In one patient, spinal angiography was performed and identified an occlusion of the Adamkiewicz artery. Treatment was supportive and all patients had a substantial recovery over a period of weeks."}
{"id": "PMID:1481642", "title": "Sleep patterns in acute ischemic stroke.", "content": "We studied polysomnographic recordings using an Oxford Medilog 9000 System in 18 patients with ischemic stroke in the middle cerebral artery territory. All patients underwent neurologic examination and brain CT scan within 5 h after the onset of symptoms. Polysomnographic recordings were started immediately thereafter and went on for three nights. Clinical and polysomnographic follow-up were performed 3 weeks after admission. The number and duration of REM phases were significantly reduced in the acute phase. This reduction correlated with the severity of neurological deficit at outcome and with the anatomical site of the lesion on CT scan. Our data provide evidence that polysomnographic recording is useful to detect symptoms of patients with different clinical outcomes during the acute phase of ischemic stroke."}
{"id": "PMID:1481643", "title": "Plasma lipids and lipoproteins in subtypes of stroke.", "content": "We determined plasma lipid and lipoprotein concentrations in 131 patients (95 males, 36 females, mean age 71 years) 6 months after acute stroke onset. Compared to a reference population, the alterations of plasma lipid concentrations in stroke patients were moderate. However, the stroke patients had higher levels of triglyceride and lipoprotein (a) and lower concentrations of cholesterol, high density lipoprotein cholesterol and low density lipoprotein cholesterol. Patients with different subtypes of stroke showed significant differences when compared with each other by analysis of covariance (with adjustment for age, sex, smoking, hypertension and diabetes). Patients with carotid or vertebral artery disease had the higher levels of cholesterol, triglyceride and apolipoprotein B, whereas high density lipoprotein triglyceride concentrations were higher in patients with cardioembolic infarcts."}
{"id": "PMID:1481644", "title": "Acute demyelinating disease. Classification and non-invasive diagnosis.", "content": "Five young patients are described with biopsy-proven acute demyelinating disease. Two cases are classified as Schilder's disease, a particular childhood form of multiple sclerosis (MS) with atypical clinical manifestation, normal or atypical CSF-findings and large bilateral lesions in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Two further cases presented with a fulminant bout of MS with typical clinical picture and CSF-findings; they are classified as Marburg's disease. The last case was an acute second bout of classical MS. The biopsy seemed to be justified in 4 cases, but unnecessary in the last case. Localized proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) performed in one case allowed us to examine the focal cerebral abnormalities directly and non-invasively. The spectra revealed a pattern typical of acute demyelination suggesting potential for a replacement of biopsy in the future."}
{"id": "PMID:1481645", "title": "Vascular pseudoparkinsonism.", "content": "Vascular pseudoparkinsonism may be confused with idiopathic Parkinson's disease. Patients may be unnecessarily treated with anti-parkinsonian drugs while their underlying vascular disease is ignored. We investigated 250 parkinsonian patients seen in our Movement Disorders Clinic for a possible vascular etiology. After excluding those with a known secondary cause such as drug-induced parkinsonism, progressive supranuclear palsy, multiple system atrophy and hyperparathyroidism, brain computed tomography and/or magnetic resonance imaging were performed on those who showed poor or no response to levodopa. In those with an ischemic lesion demonstrated on neuroimaging, anti-parkinsonian drugs were stopped and the patients were reassessed. Eleven patients (4.4%) had ischemic brain lesions accounting for their parkinsonism. All were initially diagnosed as Parkinson's disease because of the prominence of bradykinesia and rigidity. Gait disturbance was also common, but resting tremor was distinctly absent. Three anatomical patterns with different prognosis were identified. Three patients with basal ganglia lacunar infarct recovered spontaneously, three with frontal lobe infarcts remained static and five with periventricular and deep subcortical white matter lesions had progressive deterioration. Autopsy in one patient confirmed bilateral frontal lobe watershed infarcts and the absence of brain stem Lewy bodies. Parkinsonian patients with poor or no response to levodopa therapy should be investigated for a vascular etiology."}
{"id": "PMID:1481646", "title": "Comparison of lisuride and bromocriptine in the treatment of advanced Parkinson's disease.", "content": "Twenty patients with advanced idiopathic Parkinson's disease were studied, all having a deteriorating response to levodopa and suffering from daily fluctuations in disability. A double-blind randomized cross-over study was conducted. Basic levodopa and anticholinergic treatment was continued unchanged in all patients. The dose increment period of 4-8 weeks was followed by a 4 week treatment period on a fixed optimal dose. In both treatment groups the mean optimal daily dose of lisuride was 1.3 mg (range 0.2-2.4 mg) and that of bromocriptine about 15 mg (range 3.75-30.0), without any significant differences between the treatment groups. The addition of lisuride or bromocriptine to levodopa treatment resulted in a significant and equal further improvement of parkinsonian disability. The therapeutic profiles of both lisuride and bromocriptine were similar. There was significantly more improvement in tremor than in other parkinsonian symptoms. Both lisuride and bromocriptine elicited a significant improvement in fluctuations of disability. No significant differences between the treatments were observed. The occurrence of clinical side effects seemed to be similar with both treatment regimens. In advanced parkinsonian patients the therapeutic efficacy of lisuride seems to be equal to that of bromocriptine as far as parkinsonian disability and fluctuations in disability are concerned."}
{"id": "PMID:1481647", "title": "Serum anti-GM1 and anti-GD1a antibodies in patients with motor neuron disease.", "content": "Using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) sera from 100 individuals, 20 with motor neuron disease (MND), 25 with peripheral neuropathy (PN), 15 with degenerative dementia and 40 controls, were examined in order to detect serum IgM and IgG anti-GM1 and anti-GD1a antibodies. Patients with MND showed statistically significant higher levels of IgM anti-GM1 antibody compared to the control group. Three patients with peripheral neuropathy had very high levels of anti-GM1 and anti-GD1a antibodies. Antibody levels in patients with degenerative dementia showed no difference compared to the controls. These results suggest that a further inquiry into the role of serum anti-GM1 and anti-GD1a activity in motor neuron disease and peripheral neuropathy is necessary."}
{"id": "PMID:1481648", "title": "Alzheimer's disease: correlational analysis of three screening tests and three behavioral scales.", "content": "We administered three cognitive tests (the Mini Mental State Examination, the Cognitive Capacity Screening Examination, and the Blessed Information-Memory-Concentration test) and three behavioral scales (the Blessed Dementia Scale, the Gottfries-Br\u00e5ne-Steen scale, and the Sandoz Clinical Assessment Geriatric) to 41 patients with a clinical diagnosis of \"probable\" Alzheimer's disease (NINCDS-ADRDA criteria). The six measures demonstrated good reliability and high intercorrelation values. These findings provide further evidence for the strength of relationship between cognitive and behavioral measures in Alzheimer's disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1481649", "title": "Alertness and sleep in young men during military service.", "content": "Alertness and sleep in healthy young men conscripted into military service were examined by testing personality characteristics and by completing questionnaires at the beginning of military service about their civilian life alertness and sleep, and by using polygraphic recordings during their military service. Sleep-time during service was restricted to 8 hours a night; 236 men answered the questionnaire on civilian life alertness and sleep; 116 men a Minnesota multiphasic personality inventory; 7 underwent conventional, and 29 static charge-sensitive bed sleep recordings. Daytime latencies to Stage 2 sleep were 11 +/- 2 min. Sleep latencies were the shortest 6 h after waking. Night sleep was normal in conventional recordings. Nocturnal activities in static charge-sensitive bed recordings were: motor-active waking 4 +/- 3%, active sleep 24 +/- 11%, intermediate sleep 22 +/- 8%, quiet sleep 47 +/- 13%, and undefined 4 +/- 2%. Positive answers to questions on civilian life sleepiness were related to high scores on scales for hypochondria, psychasthenia and sense of reality, and night sleep longer than 10 h to high scores for psychasthenia and sense of reality, but not to polygraphic measures. Two men with complaints about civil-time irresistible sleep at the time of beginning the military service had short Stage 2 latencies at the daytime minimum of alertness during service (4 and 8 min). Although alertness and sleep during military service were normal on average, the findings suggest that all conscripted individuals may not have had enough sleep."}
{"id": "PMID:1481650", "title": "\"Numb, clumsy hands\" and tactile agnosia secondary to high cervical spondylotic myelopathy: a clinical and electrophysiological correlation.", "content": "Four patients presented with a distinctive syndrome of \"numb, clumsy hand\" and tactile agnosia. Myelography and computed tomographic myelography (CTM) of the cervical spine documented major spondylotic compressive lesions mainly between the C3 and C5 levels. The cortical responses of dermatomal somatosensory evoked potentials (DSEPs) revealed progressively prolonged peak latencies and progressively decreased amplitudes of early components from C6 to C8 dermatomal stimulation. In comparison, the C5 and L2 DSEPs were affected to a lesser extent. This finding suggests that high cervical cord compression may produce dysfunction of the dorsal column caudal to the direct compressive sites. In other words, the funiculus cuneatus of C6-8 cord is most affected in high cervical myelopathy. Moreover, the funiculus cuneatus is within the border zone susceptible to an overall reduction in blood flow. We conclude therefore, that ischemia secondary to cord compression is the pathophysiology resulting in this unique syndrome of \"numb, clumsy hands\" and tactile agnosia."}
{"id": "PMID:1481651", "title": "Neuropsychological abnormalities in patients with pituitary tumours.", "content": "Neuropsychological assessment of 65 patients with pituitary tumours revealed impairment of memory and executive function. This did not appear to be related to the size or type of tumour or the effects of radiotherapy or surgery. It is possible that the problems arose from multiple unconnected factors but this observation lends support to the suggestion that pituitary or hypothalamic hormones have a role in the modulation of memory and behavioural pathways. Whatever the cause, neuropsychological impairment is common in patients with pituitary tumours and is an aspect of their disability which has received insufficient attention in the past."}
{"id": "PMID:1481652", "title": "Hypothermia, Wernicke encephalopathy and multiple sclerosis.", "content": "Neurological exacerbation observed in MS patients is usually related to a demyelinating process. We report two patients where hypothermia (32.4 degrees C and 32.5 degrees C) and neurological exacerbation were probably due to a Wernicke encephalopathy (WE). The clinical features and the rapid efficiency of parenteral thiamine were suggestive of WE. Hypothermia is an exceptional symptom observed in MS and has been considered as resulting from hypothalamic demyelination; these two cases showed that WE which is another cause of reversible hypothermia, can be associated with MS."}
{"id": "PMID:1481653", "title": "Vibratory perception thresholds in the female genital region.", "content": "Vibratory perception thresholds (VPT) were determined in the hands, feet and genital region by means of an electromagnetic vibrator and expressed in terms of amplitude of stimulator movements measured by an accelerometer. Eight healthy women volunteers aged 27-44 were examined on 8-11 occasions each during the menstrual cycle. Ninety-five further women, aged 35-45 were consecutively selected from the waiting list for hysterectomy for non-malignant disorders and examined on one occasion each. VPT measurements were correlated to menstrual phases and blood oestradiol values. In the healthy volunteer group the mean VPT for clitoris was 0.27 mu (SD 0.10, range 0.09-0.48), for hands 0.19 mu (SD 0.09, range 0.05-0.37) and feet 0.51 mu (SD 0.39, range 0.17-1.5). In none of the two groups were there any significant differences between the VPTs of the different phases of the menstrual cycles nor was there any significant correlation between VPT and serum oestradiol levels."}
{"id": "PMID:1481654", "title": "Facial nerve stimulation through Stensen's duct.", "content": "We report on a new method of stimulating the facial nerve through Stensen's duct. Electrical resistance of the skin and subcutaneous tissue is one of the major problems of neurophysiological facial nerve testing. To overcome this disadvantage, the authors show that the facial nerve can be stimulated with far less current through Stensen's duct. The NET, ENoG, and antidromic facial nerve responses are recordable at less than a third of the current required for conventional percutaneous stimulation. It is our belief that nerve stimulation through Stensen's duct will be a new and useful method for assessing facial nerve dysfunction in the early stage of palsy."}
{"id": "PMID:1481655", "title": "Superoxide dismutase in middle ear fluid from children with secretory otitis media.", "content": "Superoxide dismutase (SOD) constitutes an important enzymatic defense against the destructive biochemical events associated with inflammation. To examine the presence of SOD in the middle ear fluid (MEF) in secretory otitis media (SOM) the content of SOD was measured in the MEF from 66 children with SOM. The applied method was based on light emission associated with reduction of the chemiluminescence of luminol reacting with superoxide anions (O2-). From the inhibition exerted by the addition of standard SOD the concentration of SOD in the samples was extrapolated. The findings divided the MEF's into two significantly different groups: 48% with undetectable SOD, 52% with a SOD range of 200-12,000 ng/ml, median: 3,333 ng/ml, 95% confidence limits: 2,000-5,000 ng/ml (p < 0.0005). It is suggested that the concentration of superoxide dismutase in the middle ear may play an essential role for the outcome of secretory otitis media and the effect of insertion of ventilation tubes."}
{"id": "PMID:1481656", "title": "Developmental changes in nasal airflow patterns.", "content": "Airflow through each nasal passage was measured every 10 min throughout a 5-h period in 48 subjects whose ages ranged from 3 to 17 years. The data were subjected to statistical techniques that characterize and quantify periodicities in a time series. Such analyses revealed that for the majority of children younger than 7 years of age, the airflow through the two nostrils changed either randomly (50%) or in parallel (31%). Between the ages of 7 and 10 years, however, the distribution of airflow patterns characteristic of adults emerged, such that the incidence of reciprocity increased to 63%, and the incidence of random and parallel patterns decreased to 31% and 6%, respectively. A similar distribution was evidenced in the 11- to 17-year-old subjects (56% reciprocal, 38% random, 6% parallel). Although the total airflow through the nose also increased with age, the increased inspiratory flow rates could not account for the developmental changes evidenced in airflow patterns."}
{"id": "PMID:1481657", "title": "Efficacy of a topical nasal decongestant in different formulations: the effect of viscosity.", "content": "Factors affecting the absorption of drugs through the nasal mucosa are increasingly being studied. Dosage form factors, i.e. the viscosity of the excipients, have been claimed to be of importance for enhanced nasal absorption due to prolongation of contact time between drug and mucosa. In the present study, a comparison was made of the effect of a local nasal sympathomimetic when administered intranasally in formulations with different viscosities. Volunteers received the test drugs as nasal sprays in a randomized cross-over design by a rhinomanometric technique, the effect of the drug being recorded for up to 5 h after administration. No significant differences in effects were observed when the test formulations were compared."}
{"id": "PMID:1481658", "title": "Distribution of goblet cells in the rat nasal septum by use of quantitative histological technique.", "content": "In this quantitative, histological study, both goblet cell number and distribution of secretory granules in normal septal mucosa of rats were examined by computer-based color image analysis combined with a new, simple whole-mount method. Our new method has proved to be a very useful and highly accurate means of examination. The count and size of the mucous area of goblet cells decreased toward the antero-posterior direction with the exception of the apical region of the septum. The regional difference characteristic of the goblet cell is noteworthy. The results are assumed to be closely related to both flow direction of mucous blanket and distribution of nasal gland orifices. Goblet cells are assumed to be controlled by some regulatory factor of the secretory system and to play an important role in nasal physiological mechanism."}
{"id": "PMID:1481659", "title": "A new autosomal dominant syndrome of idiopathic progressive vestibulo-cochlear dysfunction with middle-age onset.", "content": "A kindred is described with progressive autosomal dominant vestibulo-cochlear dysfunction resulting in instability in the dark, head movement dependent oscillopsia and hearing loss. The first symptoms appeared in the 4th decade and progressed to vestibular areflexia, presumably in the 5th decade and to almost total deafness in the 6th-7th decade of life. The history was negative for other neurological, otological or infectious diseases, or the use of neuro-ototoxic drugs. The affected subjects showed remarkable compensation for the loss of vestibular function."}
{"id": "PMID:1481660", "title": "Selective resection of the semicircular canals of rabbits with preservation of hearing.", "content": "The goal of this investigation was to develop a method of surgical removal of the semicircular canals of the rabbit without induction of auditory impairment. Four different surgical techniques were utilized: i) fenestration of the lateral semicircular canal; ii) fibrin glue perfusion of the canal following fenestration; iii) removal of the lateral semicircular canal by drilling after fenestration and fibrin glue perfusion, and iv) removal of all three canals after fenestration and fibrin gluing. Brainstem auditory potentials were recorded repeatedly for up to 3 months after operation and demonstrated preservation of hearing in all rabbits in the first group and in 78% of the second group. In the third group the potentials could be recorded in 67% of the animals and showed a 20 dB deterioration of hearing. After removal of all three semicircular canals residual hearing could be recorded in 50% of the rabbits. These animals regularly showed a 30-40 dB deterioration of hearing. A precise microsurgical technique using fibrin glue and bone chips for interruption of the peri- and endolymph flow proved crucial for hearing preservation."}
{"id": "PMID:1481661", "title": "Three-dimensional analysis of caloric nystagmus in the rhesus monkey.", "content": "The aim of this study was to investigate whether caloric nystagmus contains response components that can be attributed to a stimulation of the vertical semicircular canals. Three dimensional eye movement recordings with a dual search coil technique revealed important horizontal, vertical and torsional nystagmus components following irrigation of the external ear canal with cold water in various head positions relative to gravity. Horizontal nystagmus components, i.e. lateral semicircular canal vectors, followed a cosine function of both the pitch and yaw angle of the head relative to gravity, confirming a mainly thermovective mechanism for stimulation of the horizontal canals. Vertical and torsional nystagmus components behaved differently following left and right ear irrigations. Right-left symmetrical vectors emerged only when the vertical and torsional components were transposed into vectors of single semicircular canal directions. The intensity of these vertical semicircular canal vectors as a function of the position of the corresponding canal relative to gravity, however, excludes important thermovective mechanisms acting at the vertical canals. It remains an open question whether these vertical canal vectors represent a non-thermovective caloric stimulation of vertical canal afferents."}
{"id": "PMID:1481662", "title": "Vestibular, central and gastral triggering of emesis. A study on individual susceptibility in rats.", "content": "Using kaolin intake as a behavioral index of emesis in rats, we examined the relationship between susceptibility to motion sickness and to emesis induced by apomorphine or copper sulfate. Rats showed a wide variation in susceptibility to motion sickness. Significant positive correlations were found between susceptibility to motion sickness and to emesis induced by intraperitoneal administration of apomorphine and by oral administration of copper sulfate. Motion, apomorphine and copper sulfate induce emesis through different receptors, so these findings suggest that the sensitivity of a common locus of emesis, presumably the emetic center in the brain stem, is one determinant of individual differences in susceptibility to motion sickness."}
{"id": "PMID:1481663", "title": "The interaction of smoking and noise on temporary threshold shifts.", "content": "Four separate experiments examined the effects of cigarette smoking on temporary threshold shifts (TTS) following noise exposure. One experiment compared smokers and non-smokers after the subjects had abstained from smoking for at least 6 h. A second experiment tested only smokers who smoked a cigarette just before noise exposure, during the noise exposure and in a control condition during which they did not smoke. A third experiment tested only non-smokers who were exposed to noise after chewing nicotine gum or after a control condition in which they rested without chewing the gum. A fourth experiment tested smokers and non-smokers in one condition which required them to smoke a cigarette just prior to noise exposure and in another condition which prevented them from smoking. The results indicate that smokers consistently evidence slightly smaller TTS than do non-smokers. Non-smokers evidenced significantly greater TTS at one frequency after they had chewed nicotine gum than when they had not. These results suggest that the smaller TTS associated with cigarette smoking is related to both the chronic and the acute effects of smoking and that these effects may be more attributable to carbon monoxide than to nicotine."}
{"id": "PMID:1481664", "title": "The effect of acute hypoxia on the latency of the human auditory brainstem evoked response.", "content": "Recent studies have shown a decrease in the amplitude and an increase in the threshold of the cat's auditory brainstem evoked response (ABER) during severe hypoxia (PaO2 of 20 to 30 Torr). In this study we have examined the effects of euoxia (end tidal PO2 100 Torr) and mild hypoxia (end tidal PO2 of 45 to 50 Torr) on the latency of the ABER in 6 human subjects. Hypoxia resulted in a blood O2 saturation of between 75 to 85% and caused a significant prolongation of the latency of wave V of the ABER by 0.185 +/- 0.045 ms (Mean +/- S.D; p < 0.01). The prolongation of the ABER during severe hypoxia has previously been attributed to a change in peripheral sensitivity. Using the stimulus level/response latency relationship obtained for each subject under normal breathing conditions, the change in latency produced by mild hypoxia can be interpreted as a mean shift in auditory sensitivity of 5.1 +/- 3.4 dB. These results suggest that the auditory system is sensitive to much smaller changes in blood O2 saturation than previously thought."}
{"id": "PMID:1481665", "title": "Phoneme recognition by deaf individuals using the multichannel nucleus cochlear implant.", "content": "Experiments have been carried out to determine which cues are used in phoneme identification by deaf individuals using a cochlear implant. Five deaf individuals with a Nucleus 22-channel cochlear implant were tested with open set speech audiometry in free field without lipreading. Speech material consisted of lists of Dutch words of the Consonant-Vowel-Consonant type (CVC-words). Word scores ranged from 0 to 22%, phoneme scores from 11 to 54%. For each subject the responses to the initial consonant, the vowel and the final consonant were entered into separate confusion matrices. Kruskal analysis, which provided a geometric representation of these confusions, showed that in the recognition of consonants the feature of voicing is all important. Vowels were identified on the basis of the frequencies of the first and second formants. In one subject the electrode array could only partially be inserted into the cochlea, leaving roughly half the second formant area of the electrode array outside the cochlea. For this subject vowel identification was based upon the first formant and vowel duration; there was no contribution of second formant information to vowel identification. Compressing the first and second formant frequency to the limited intracochlear array did not enhance transmission of second formant information and did not improve performance. The basic findings for consonant and vowel recognition could be explained by the speech coding strategy of the Nucleus speech processor in which voicing determines stimulus periodicity and formant frequencies determine channel selection. Kruskal analysis of phoneme confusions may aid in programming and evaluating the performance of the Nucleus cochlear implant."}
{"id": "PMID:1481666", "title": "Influence of genotype and age on acute acoustic trauma and recovery in CBA/Ca and C57BL/6J mice.", "content": "Two inbred strains of mice, CBA/Ca (with a moderate auditory impairment starting late in life) and C57BL/6J (with a progressive auditory degeneration starting during young adulthood), were exposed to a 120 dB SPL broadband noise (2-7 kHz) for 5 min at the age of 1, 3, or 6 months. Compound and permanent threshold shifts (CTS and PTS) were determined by auditory brainstem response during the first day (CTS) and 1 month (PTS) after exposure. With increasing age, susceptibility to CTS at middle frequencies (8 and 12.5 kHz) decreased in CBA mice, yet was retained in C57 mice. C57 mice were more severely affected by CTS than age-matched CBA mice. Noise-induced CTS was positively correlated to pre-exposure thresholds in C57 mice and to PTS over all ages and strains. The amount of recovery from CTS to PTS was, however, independent of age and strain. There was only a 2% risk of classifying CBA mice as C57 mice by pre-exposure thresholds at high frequency, while there was about 40% risk by CTS. The results indicate that genetic predisposition can affect susceptibility to auditory degeneration and noise impairment in a systematic manner, allowing the identification of susceptible individuals by pre-exposure audiometric examination, especially at high frequencies."}
{"id": "PMID:1481667", "title": "Bone repair in the otic capsule of the rabbit.", "content": "The repair of 1 mm drill hole lesions in rabbit long bones and otic capsules was studied in undecalcified sections. Following surgery, bone formation was monitored during 12 weeks by intravital sequential time labeling with bone-seeking fluorochromes. In diaphyseal bone, initial repair by trabecular woven bone was accompanied by a transient remodeling response in primary repair bone and the surrounding compacta. In comparison, capsular defects showed a slightly deficient initial repair by woven bone which, once formed, persisted unchanged with no subsequent osteonal remodeling. In the surrounding capsule, the remodeling response was subtle and its duration much shorter. Moreover, the centrifugal distribution of bone remodeling units around inner ear spaces was preserved, suggesting that capsular repair is affected by the same morphogenetic field that controls perilabyrinthine growth, modeling and remodeling. The significance of these findings is briefly discussed in relation to otosclerosis and cochlear implant strategies."}
{"id": "PMID:1481668", "title": "Glycocalyx heterogeneity in normal and hydropic cochleas of the guinea pig.", "content": "The endo- and perilymphatic glycocalyx of the cochlear epithelia were investigated ultrastructurally in normal and hydropic cochleas using the electron-dense markers cationized ferritin and colloidal thorium. In the normal cochleas all epithelial surfaces showed reactivity with both markers. Using cationized ferritin, no regional differences in reactivity could be demonstrated. With colloidal thorium, however, the apical membranes of the outer hair cells reacted more intensely than either the basolateral membranes or the membranes of the supporting cells of the organ of Corti. Cationized ferritin reactivity was not affected by digestion with either neuraminidase or hyaluronidase. In contrast, colloidal thorium reactivity of the endolymphatic surfaces was greatly reduced after neuraminidase digestion. Reactivity of the cell membranes lining the perilymphatic compartments of the cochlea was less affected by neuraminidase digestion, except for the basolateral membranes of the sensory and supporting cells of the organ of Corti, which demonstrated a greatly reduced reactivity. These findings indicate that the glycocalyx of the epithelial surfaces lining the endolymphatic compartment has a high content of sialic acid. The differences that are observed in normal cochleas in regard to colloidal thorium reactivity between the apical membranes of the outer hair cells and the membranes of the Deiters' cells, could not be demonstrated in hydropic cochleas. This probably contributes to the early functional changes in outer hair cells observed in experimental hydrops."}
{"id": "PMID:1481669", "title": "Axo-somatic contacts in the postnatal developing white rat spiral ganglion.", "content": "Development of the spiral ganglion in white rats was followed during the first 2 weeks after birth and morphological characteristics of the two neuronal types (I and II) were examined. In some neurons different stages of partial degeneration leading to formation of residual bodies were found without observation of degenerated cell, supporting the idea that differentiation at this time is not associated with cell death. Contacts between cell body of type II neurons and neuronal endings is reported for the first time. Such axo-somatic contacts previously observed only in monkey and man, also exists in lower mammals."}
{"id": "PMID:1481670", "title": "The effect of batroxobin on cochlear blood flow.", "content": "Cochlear blood flow is considered to be closely related to cochlear function. Among several etiologic factors implicated in inner ear diseases, disturbance of local blood flow is held to be one of the most important. With this in view, various pharmaceuticals are currently being used to increase local blood flow in patients with inner ear diseases. In the control of blood flow there are three major factors; systemic blood pressure (perfusion pressure), vascular tone, and blood viscosity. Batroxobin (BX) was developed to increase local blood flow by lowering blood viscosity through defibrinogenation; it is used in the treatment of thrombosis and occasionally for the treatment of sudden deafness. In the present study, we observed the effect of BX on cochlear blood flow in guinea pigs, using a laser Doppler flowmeter, and measured the blood fibrinogen concentration after BX infusion. There was an obvious increase in cochlear blood flow during the observation period of 3 h after 10 BU/kg were infused, and a slight increase when 2 BU/kg were infused. Blood fibrinogen levels decreased dramatically by 30 min after BX infusion (10 BU/kg), and the extremely low level attained was maintained throughout the 3-h observation period. Hemorrhage from the surgically opened ear was noted in 2 animals during the experiment and rectal bleeding in one."}
{"id": "PMID:1481671", "title": "Altered distribution of motor neurons in experimental facial nerve paralysis.", "content": "The alteration of motor neurons in the brainstem after recovery from experimental facial nerve paralysis was examined by the retrograde horseradish peroxidase (HRP) technique in the rabbit. Six months after nerve crush injury at the center of the vertical portion, HRP was injected into the zygomatic muscle on the recovered side. The distribution of labelled neurons in the brainstem was compared with that in the normal rabbit. In control animals, motor neurons in the facial nucleus were somatotopically organized, and there were no labelled neurons in other nuclei in the brainstem. In recovered animals, on the contrary, the somatotopic organization of the facial nucleus was obscure and multipolar neurons of varying size were labelled bilaterally in the reticular formation from the pons to the medulla."}
{"id": "PMID:1481672", "title": "[Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of matrine and oxymatrine].", "content": "On measuring the percentage of QTc interval prolongation, the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic profiles of i.v. matrine or oxymatrine in rabbits were analyzed by combined pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic model. The plasma concentration--time profiles of the two drugs can be described by a two--compartment open model, and the relationship between effect and effect compartment concentration of both drugs can be represented by the sigmoid Emax model. Marked differences in pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic parameters between the two drugs were found, but their pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties were dose--independent in the dose ranges used in the experiment."}
{"id": "PMID:1481673", "title": "[Cytochrome P450 monooxygenase contents and activities in human liver microsomes prepared from Chinese adults].", "content": "Seven human liver samples were collected in this study. Five of them were obtained from donors died from non-disease accident, one was taken from part of the normal tissue of a liver specimen obtained by partial hepatectomy in a case of hepatic cavernous hemangioma and the last one from postmortem died by road accident. All the liver pieces were stored at -75 degrees C immediately after removed from the body. Liver microsomes was prepared by differential ultracentrifugation. The contents of cytochrome P450 and cytochrome b5 in Chinese adult liver microsomes were 0.36 +/- 0.08 and 0.23 +/- 0.05 nmol.mg-1 protein (n = 7). The activities of aminopyrine and ethylmorphine N-demethylase, 7-ethoxycoumarin-O-deethylase, nifedipine oxidase and (-)-praziquantel hydroxylase were 1.07 +/- 0.23, 1.82 +/- 0.31, 0.30 +/- 0.10, 0.43 +/- 0.18 and 0.69 +/- 0.43 nmol.mg-1.min-1 (n = 7), respectively."}
{"id": "PMID:1481674", "title": "[Studies on the synthesis of dimethyl 4-hydroxy-4'-methoxy-5,6,5',6'-bismethylenedioxy biphenyl-2,2'-dicarboxylate--an essential metabolite of biphenyl diester].", "content": "This paper reports the synthesis of dimethyl 4-hydroxy-4'-methoxy-5,6,5',6'-bismethylenedioxybiphenyl-2,2'-dica rboxylate (II). Various conditions for bromination were tried to find the best one for synthesis of the key intermediate compound 6. After Ullmann condensation of 6 with 8 and hydrogenolysis, the title compound II was obtained. It was proved to be identical with the isolated metabolite of biphenyl diester by spectral data."}
{"id": "PMID:1481675", "title": "[Studies on the chemical constituents of Cynanchum thesioides].", "content": "Fourteen constituents were isolated from Cynanchum thesioides (Freyn) K. Schum. On the basis of chemical and spectral data, seven of them have been identified including two new compounds: glyceride-1,3-dipalmito-2-sorbate (4), and thesoideaside (7); and five known compounds: beta-amyrin acetate (I), lupeol acetate (2), alpha-amyrin caprylate (3), tamarixetin (5) and tamarixetin-3-O-beta-D-galacto-pyranoside (6)."}
{"id": "PMID:1481676", "title": "[C21 steroidal constituents from Cynanchum hancockianum].", "content": "Two new compounds hancogenin B (V) and hancoside A (VI) and four known compounds glucogenin C (I), cynatratoside A (II), glaucogenin A (III) and anhydrohirundigenin (IV) were isolated from the roots of Cynanchum hancockianum (Maxim) Al. Iljinski. Their structures were identified on the basis of spectral evidence. The fragmentation ways of 13:14, 14:15-secopregnenes in EIMS were outlined and the antitumor activity of II and the antiendotoxic activity of VI were also preliminarily tested in vitro."}
{"id": "PMID:1481677", "title": "[HPLC analysis of the active ingredients of Forsythia suspensa].", "content": "Forsythia suspensa is a widely used traditional Chinese herb. Because of the need to evaluate its quality, a HPLC method was developed to analyze the active ingredients in its fruits and leaves. One g of powdered plant material was cold macerated over-night with 10 ml of methanol added then supersonic extracted for 20 min. Four ml of the extract were mixed with 1 ml of water, centrifuged (400 x g, 15 min), and then analyzed by HPLC with a Nucleosil C--18 column. The mobile phase for gradient elusion consisted of MeOH(containing 1% tetrahydrofuran) and H2O (containing 0.01 mol/L KH2PO4,pH 3.2) and monitored by UV absorption at 280 nm. The identity and purity of the peaks were checked by photodiode array detector and in comparison with standards. By this procedure, the active constituents caffeic acid, rutin, forsythoside A, forsythin, and forsythigenin were separated successfully, and the quantity of each compound was determined by peak area. Some fruit samples obtained from various sources and the leaf sample made as tea were analyzed by this method."}
{"id": "PMID:1481678", "title": "[Study of the polymorph of etoposidum].", "content": "Etoposidum: 4'-demethyl-epipodophyllotoxin-beta-D-ethylidene-pyrano-glucoside or VP-16-213 in trade name is a semisynthetic antineoplastic drug. We found that it has two different kinds of crystal form named crystal A and B, they were crystallized from methanol and ethanol respectively. Their structures were identified by NMR and MS. They have similar infrared spectrum but with repeatable small differences. The powder X-ray diffraction pattern of the two kinds of crystals are quite different. The DSC curve of crystal A is rather smooth but that of crystal B shows abnormal positive and negative peaks. On the other hand, they have the same kind of smooth TGA curves. This fact shows that the positive and negative peaks are not the result of chemical reaction. After heating crystal B in DSC oven at 190 degrees C and 250 degrees C, respectively, their IR spectra showed that the pattern of the first one did not change, but the second one changed to the spectrum of crystal A. This reveals that the positive peak is due to the melting of crystal B and the negative peak is the result of the formation of crystal A. The pharmaceutic preparation of VP-16-213 is its glycerine solution, so the crystal form does not influence the efficacy of the drug."}
{"id": "PMID:1481679", "title": "[Determination of captopril in plasma and urine by high-performance liquid chromatography with column switching].", "content": "A rapid and sensitive column-switching high performance liquid chromatographic procedures was described for determination of captopril in plasma and urine. p-Bromophenacyl bromide, a derivatizing reagent, was added to the plasma and urine samples to form an adduct which showed ultraviolet absorbing properties. After that, the urine sample was injected directly and for plasma the protein was removed with 6% of perchloride before injection. The column-switching system was equipped with a pre-column of 5 cm x 0.5 cm ID, packed with mu Boundapak C18, 37-50 microns, and an analytical column of 15 cm x 0.5 cm ID, packed with YWG-C18, 10 microns. After washing out the impures from pre-column with 0.2% acetic acid the retained substances were eluted into analytical column with acetonitrile-water-acetic acid (35:65:0.4). Captopril was detected at 260 nm. The method was linear within 20-1000 ng/ml for plasma and 10-200 micrograms/ml for urine. The recovery averaged 103.2% and 99.5% for plasma and urine, respectively. The coefficient variations were all less than 10%."}
{"id": "PMID:1481680", "title": "[Study on the interaction between water-soluble vitamins by the \"three-point-test\" of differential scanning calorimetry].", "content": "The physico-chemical compatibility of solid-state pharmaceuticals is mainly determined by their interaction. The \"Three-point-test\" of differential scanning calorimetry in which three samples of different ratios are determined is proposed to study this interaction, and the simplified judging rules are as follows: If there are two or less than two endotherm peaks in DSC thermogram for all 3 ratio samples, we may mainly consider the peaks at lower temperature. If these temperatures are the same, which would be monotectic system or simple eutectic mixture, there will be very weak interaction in their solid state, and these could be compatible. If the temperatures are different, which would be solid solution system or solid complex system, there would be interaction in their solid state. If there is no endotherm peak, or there are exotherm peaks or there are more than two endotherm peaks, they all indicate that there is a stronger interaction in their solid state and they are incompatible. As an example, the interaction between water-soluble vitamins--Vit B1, Vit B2, Vit C and nicotinamide was determined. The results indicated that only Vit C is incompatible with nicotinamide, as there is a stronger interaction, and with Vit B1, there is a weak interaction."}
{"id": "PMID:1481681", "title": "[The photodegradation-assay method of sodium nitroprusside and its application to studies on percutaneous absorption].", "content": "A new method of quantitative analysis of sodium nitroprusside (SNP) was developed according to the principle of a photodegradation analytical method that has been reported by the authors previously. After irradiated of solution of SNP under fluorescent lamp, the increase in absorbance at 394 nm belonged to nonlinear kinetics, but the absorbance increment with concentration was linear in certain concentration range of SNP. When irradiated for 30 min or 60 min, SNP in solution can be quantitated accurately by delta A394. The standard curve of this method was linear from 50 to 1000 mg/L. The within-day and day-to-day precisions (RSD) were 1.9% and 2.6% respectively, with recoveries of 99.0-100.1%. No interference from small amount of serum protein, stearyl alcohol, propylene glycol, azone, m-nifedipine, nitrendipine and verapamil was observed. This method has been successfully applied to study percutaneous absorption."}
{"id": "PMID:1481682", "title": "[Study on the synthesis of N-hydroxymethyl-nicotinamide].", "content": "N-Hydroxymethyl-nicotinamide, an antimicrobic agent was prepared in good yield by treating nicotinamide with excess of formaldehyde in the presence of potassium carbonate. The condensation reaction was studied under different conditions, changing the amount of formaldehyde, with different kinds of bases and reaction time. The yield was 72.4% when the reaction was carried out using 3.0 g of nicotinamide, 5.0 ml of formaldehyde (36.8% aq. solution) and 0.03 g of potassium carbonate in boiling water bath for one hour. More than 5.0 ml of formaldehyde did not contribute to higher yield. The results showed that potassium carbonate was better than other bases, and one hour of reaction time was enough."}
{"id": "PMID:1481683", "title": "[Synthesis and radiosensitizing activity of nitro-arylimino-diethyl-sodium thiosulfate and nitro phenylalanine derivatives].", "content": "A series of compounds was synthesized, these compounds were tested for Hela-S3 cells in vitro for radiosensitizing activity. Five of them are 2,2'-(arylimino)-diethyl-sodium thiosulfate and two of them are phenylalanine derivatives. Most of them showed various degrees of radiosensitizing activity. Among them, SER of L07 was 1.89 at 3 mmol, and had low cytotoxicity to Hela-S3 cells, ID50 was 18.8 mmol. The relationship between radiosensitizing effects and chemical structure was discussed. It offers a base for further exploration of selectively hypoxic cell radiosensitizers."}
{"id": "PMID:1481684", "title": "[Quantitative analysis of tripchlorolide in pharmaceutical preparation by RP-HPLC].", "content": "A reversed phase high performance liquid chromatographic method for the assay of tripchlorolide (T4) in pharmaceutical preparation was developed. The method used a Nucleosil 5 C18 column and a mobile phase of methanol-water (1:1). The column effluent was monitored at 218 nm. T4, triptolide (T0) and 1,4-dimethoxybenzene (IS) could be separated in less than 25 min. The retention times of T0, T4 and IS are 11, 17 and 23 min respectively. The method is very simple and rapid."}
{"id": "PMID:1481685", "title": "Effect of branched-chain amino acid supplementation on the exercise-induced change in aromatic amino acid concentration in human muscle.", "content": "A mixture of the three branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) was supplied to subjects during two types of sustained intense exercise, a 30 km cross-country race and a full marathon, and the effect on plasma and muscle concentrations of aromatic and BCAAs was studied. When BCAAs (7.5-12 g) were taken during exercise, the plasma and muscle (vastus lateralis) concentration of these amino acids increased, while in the placebo groups the concentration of BCAAs decreased in the plasma and remained unchanged in the muscle. In the placebo group, both types of exercise caused a 20-40% increase in the muscle concentration of the aromatic amino acids, tyrosine and phenylalanine, and the plasma concentration of these amino acids was increased after the marathon. Since tyrosine and phenylalanine are neither taken up nor metabolized by skeletal muscle, the increases in their concentrations in muscle might indicate net protein degradation during exercise. However, when the subjects were supplied with BCAAs during exercise, the increases in tyrosine and phenylalanine concentrations in both muscle and plasma were prevented. These results suggest that an intake of BCAAs during exercise can prevent or decrease the net rate of protein degradation caused by heavy exercise."}
{"id": "PMID:1481686", "title": "Mechanisms in man for rapid refill of the circulatory system in hypovolaemia.", "content": "Compensatory, net fluid transfer across the capillaries was studied in the arm of man with plethysmographic technique during experimental hypovolaemia induced by lower body negative pressure (LBNP). Thirty, 60, and 110 cmH2O LBNP evoked rapid transfer of fluid from tissue to blood at average rates of 0.053, 0.088 and 0.147 ml min-1 100 ml-1 soft tissue, i.e. graded responses typical for a true homeostatic regulation. Other experiments demonstrated a net fluid absorption not only from the arm but also from a wide range of skeletal muscle and skin regions in the body during experimental hypovolaemia, i.e. the more or less generalized response required if the absorption process is to contribute importantly to plasma volume regulation. In a third series of experiments it was shown that gradually applied LBNP was a much less efficient stimulus for fluid gain into the circulation than rapidly instituted LBNP, tentatively explaining the fairly slow plasma volume refill in main in previous literature after experimental, true and necessarily slow blood loss. Taken together, the findings described warrant the conclusion that the described process of fluid gain into the circulation may be a very important component in the overall homeostatic circulatory regulation in states of hypovolaemia. The data in fact suggest that the process might be capable of increasing plasma volume by as much as 600 ml within only 10 min, suggesting that such plasma volume control might be much more potent than previously believed."}
{"id": "PMID:1481687", "title": "Expression of hsp70 gene in lymphocytes from normotensive and hypertensive humans.", "content": "The impact of environmental factors on hypertension depends to a certain extent on the individual's genetic background. Environmental temperature is one of the known modulators of blood pressure. We have previously demonstrated abnormal expression of a major environmentally-controlled gene, hsp70, in hypertensive mice and rats. We have developed a simple ex vivo method for the evaluation of hsp genes expression in humans. In the present study, we investigated the accumulation of hsp70 mRNA in lymphocytes from normotensive and hypertensive humans. The data showed a higher accumulation of hsp70 mRNA in lymphocytes from hypertensives vs normotensives (2.04 +/- 0.35 vs 1.48 +/- 0.29 OD mm2, P < 0.05) submitted to heat stress (15 min at 42 degrees C). Basal levels were the same in both groups (0.11 +/- 0.01 vs 0.10 +/- 0.01 OD mm2, respectively). These results support our hypothesis that alterations in the expression of a major environmentally-controlled gene, hsp70, may be involved in enhanced environmental responses even in human hypertension."}
{"id": "PMID:1481688", "title": "Large capillary fluid permeability in skeletal muscle and skin of man as a basis for rapid beneficial fluid transfer between tissue and blood.", "content": "Our previous studies strongly indicate that the capillary filtration coefficient (CFC) in skeletal muscle and skin of man is much larger than previously believed, or about 0.050 ml min-1 100 ml-1 mmHg-1. The hypothesis that this large capillary fluid permeability is a factor of primary importance for plasma volume control was approached. Experimental hypovolaemia induced by lower body negative pressure (LBNP of 70-95 cmH2O) was associated with a rapid net fluid gain from the studied upper arm into the circulation of 0.17 ml min-1 100 ml-1 tissue. The transcapillary driving force for this fluid transfer, probably caused by adrenergic adjustment of vascular resistance, with a decline of capillary pressure, was relatively small, or 1.7 mmHg on average. CFC was instead very high during LBNP, increasing from a control value of 0.054 +/- 0.004 (SE) to no less than 0.097 +/- 0.007 ml min-1 100 ml-1 mmHg-1, probably reflecting an increased number of effectively perfused capillaries. It is suggested that the large capillary fluid permeability in skeletal muscle and skin of man, with large tissue mass and fluid reservoir, may be of great functional importance for plasma volume control after blood loss and also in other (patho)physiological situations. As demonstrated, it can thus permit rapid transfer of large fluid volumes into the circulation and, perhaps of special importance, with only small transcapillary driving force (capillary pressure decline).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1481689", "title": "Post-prandial cardiovascular responses in man after ingestion of carbohydrate, protein or fat.", "content": "Changes in cardiac output and in superior mesenteric arterial flow were followed with Doppler ultrasound techniques in five young, healthy persons for 2 h after ingestion of medium-sized (4 MJ), fluid meals containing either carbohydrate, protein, fat or water only. Measurements were carried out before meals and at regular post-meal intervals, during which mean arterial blood pressure was also followed. All energy-containing meals caused marked and gradually developing post-prandial increases in cardiac output as well as in superior mesenteric arterial flow. The maximum flow levels were reached in the course of 30-60 min and maintained until the observations ended after 2 h. The intake of water caused no such flow increases. There were considerable interpersonal variations in the size and in the speed of development of the flow increases after the three types of energy-containing meals. The flow-increasing effects of the three meal types were not significantly different, even if the most marked increases (median values about 11 min-1 for both cardiac output and superior mesenteric arterial flow) occurred after carbohydrate meals. The marked effects on circulation of the three food components were also revealed in the calculated, integrated amounts of 'extra' cardiac output and superior mesenteric arterial flow observed in the course of the 2 h following the meal. Values of more than 100 1 for such 'extra' flows were seen after carbohydrate meals. The marked ingestion-released increase in blood flow to the splanchnic organs is apparently partly met by an increase in cardiac output, and partly by some redistribution of flow, which benefits the digestive system."}
{"id": "PMID:1481690", "title": "Evidence for long-term fluctuations in regional blood flow within the rabbit left ventricle.", "content": "The regional distribution of coronary perfusion within the left ventricle is markedly heterogenous. The perfusion pattern is composed of both spatial and temporal variations in perfusion among single myocardial samples. Previous investigators have mostly studied short-term (< 1 min) temporal variability. The aim of this study was to quantify long-term fluctuations in perfusion to single samples within the rabbit left ventricle. Coronary perfusion was estimated from the deposition of microspheres in myocardial samples (range 32-96 mg). Two batches of microspheres were infused either simultaneously or sequentially over specified periods of time. The paired values for regional perfusion were compared and Kendalls correlation coefficient (tau) calculated. The assumption being that the lower tau, the higher degree of temporal perfusion variability was present. The tau for paired values of regional myocardial perfusion based on two sequential infusions lasting either 10 s, 5, 10 or 30 min, averaged 0.40, 0.55, 0.80 and 0.80, respectively. No difference was detected between awake and anaesthetized animals. The tau for two simultaneous infusions averaged 0.95 irrespective of the duration of the infusion, indicating negligible methodological error. The coefficient of variation for spatial perfusion heterogeneity ranged from 0.3 to 0.4 irrespective of the infusion duration. The findings suggest that regional coronary vasomotion is characterized by a wide range of cycle times, some of which have cycle times of more than 30-min duration. Although part of the regional perfusion heterogeneity was due to long-term fluctuations in perfusion, temporal variations with cycle times less than 5 and 10 min, respectively, were more prominent."}
{"id": "PMID:1481691", "title": "Secretin stimulates bile ductules to secrete both H+ and HCO3(-)-ions.", "content": "Secretin-dependent ductular HCO3- secretion into bile may involve secretion of H+ to interstitial fluid and HCO3- to bile by the ductular epithelium. To determine whether secretin causes bile ductules to secrete H+, we have examined the effect of secretin on the elimination of an intracellular acid load from bile ductular epithelium during pharmacological blockade of Na(+)-H+ exchange and in the absence of HCO3-. Microdissected bile ductules from pigs were suspended in HCO3- free HEPES buffer and loaded with acid using an NH4Cl prepulse technique. Intracellular pH was measured using dual-wavelength excitation of BCECF fluorescence. Na(+)-H+ exchange was defined as a Na(+)-dependent and amiloride- and 5-(N,N-hexamethylene)-amiloride-sensitive efflux of H(+)-ions following acid loading. We found that secretin stimulated ductular H+ secretion independent of Na(+)-H+ exchange. Blockade of Na(+)-H+ exchange by hexamethylene-amiloride did not affect secretin-dependent ductular HCO3- choleresis in vivo. We conclude that secretin stimulates bile ductules to secrete H(+)-ions to interstitial fluid as well as HCO3- ions to bile by a mechanism independent of Na(+)-H+ exchange."}
{"id": "PMID:1481692", "title": "Pain-induced inhibition of gastric motility is mediated by adrenergic and vagal non-adrenergic reflexes in the rat.", "content": "Painful stimuli have been shown to inhibit gastric motility in animal experiments and delay gastric emptying in humans. The aim of the present study was to investigate in detail mechanisms involved in pain-induced gastric inhibition. Pain stimulation by exerting pressure on a testicle induced a prompt gastric relaxation which lasted throughout the period of stimulation. Pain-induced gastric relaxation was significantly reduced by the selective alpha-1 blocker, prazosin, and by the non-selective beta-blocker, propranolol. Similarly pain-induced inhibition of gastric tone was significantly reduced by bilateral cervical vagotomy. In contrast, gastric relaxation following pain stimulation was significantly potentiated by the selective adrenergic alpha-2 blocker, yohimbine. Combined administration of prazosin and propranolol followed by bilateral cervical vagotomy abolished gastric relaxation in response to pain stimulation. In conclusion, gastric relaxation in response to painful stimulation was found to be reflex-mediated via sympathetic neurons acting on alpha-1 and beta receptors and possibly also via vagal non-adrenergic fibres. Pain-induced inhibition of gastric tone was significantly increased by yohimbine. It is suggested that yohimbine by blocking presynaptic inhibitory receptors on adrenergic neurons facilitates the release of noradrenaline in response to pain stimulation."}
{"id": "PMID:1481693", "title": "Non-linearity of skin resistance response to intraneural electrical stimulation of sudomotor nerves.", "content": "Intraneural electrical stimuli (0.3 mA, 0.2 ms) were delivered via a tungsten microelectrode inserted into a cutaneous fascicle in the median nerve at the wrist in 16 normal subjects, and the effects on the sweat glands within the innervation zone were recorded as changes of skin resistance. In order to examine the relationship between the skin resistance level and the amplitude of transient resistance responses, trains of high frequency stimulation were used to reduce the skin resistance level and then transient resistance responses were evoked by single stimuli at 0.1 Hz. Regional anaesthesia of the brachial plexus in the axilla eliminated spontaneous sympathetic activity and reflex effects. At high skin resistance levels response amplitudes to single stimuli were low but they increased successively to a maximum at intermediate levels and then decreased again at low resistance levels. Repeated stimulation sequences evoked qualitatively similar response curves but quantitatively both response amplitudes and skin resistance levels were slightly reduced upon repetition. We suggest that the changes of response amplitudes are due to variable resistivity of the corneal layer. The shifts of the response curves with repetition of stimulation may result from increased hydration of the corneum. It is concluded that the variability of response amplitudes to constant stimuli makes the amplitude of a skin resistance response unsuitable as an indicator of the strength of sympathetic sudomotor nerve traffic."}
{"id": "PMID:1481694", "title": "Renal interstitial pressure and tubuloglomerular feedback control in rats during infusion of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP).", "content": "Atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), injected at physiological concentrations, is known to induce both natriuresis and diuresis. It has been suggested by some investigators that these changes result from an increasing glomerular filtration rate (GFR), but others have been unable to demonstrate an increased GFR. The tubuloglomerular feedback (TGF) mechanism is an important regulator of GFR, and the sensitivity of TGF is decreased during ANP administration. Furthermore, resetting of TGF is, in most instances, related to changes in renal interstitial hydrostatic and oncotic pressures. It is also known that ANP may increase capillary permeability which may change renal interstitial pressure. The present study was performed to examine renal interstitial pressures and the TGF mechanism during ANP infusion. In accordance with previous studies, TGF sensitivity was found to be decreased. The tubular flow rate which elicited half the maximal drop in stop-flow pressure (Psf) was increased from 18.5 to 25.7 nl min-1. In contrast, ANP infusion resulted in a decreased interstitial hydrostatic pressure and an increased interstitial oncotic pressure. From previous experiments, such changes in interstitial pressures would be expected to increase TGF sensitivity. The changes in interstitial pressure cannot, therefore, directly explain the resetting of the feedback mechanism. In conclusion, the present paper shows a decreased renal net interstitial pressure after intravenous administration of ANP."}
{"id": "PMID:1481702", "title": "Projective invariance and the kinetic depth effect.", "content": "Seven experiments test the assumption that, in the kinetic depth effect, observers have reliable and direct access to the equivalence of shapes in projective geometry. The assumption is implicit in 'inverse optics' approaches to visual form perception. Observers adjusted a comparison shape to match a standard shape; both standard and comparison were portrayed as in continuous rotation in space, using a graphics computer. The shapes were either plane quadrilaterals or solid prisms. The angular difference of the planes of the shapes was varied, as was the dot density of a texture in those planes. Departure from projective equivalence was measured in six studies by measuring the planar analogue of cross ratio, and in a seventh by measuring the cross ratio for points in space. Projective equivalence was not found to be perceived uniformly, except in one experiment that did not involve rotation in depth. Otherwise changes in orientation of up to 180 degrees about a single coordinate axis had no significant effect on matches in shape, while changes in orientation about more than one coordinate axis produced significant effects. The addition of texture and a change in rotation speed did not correct departures from projective equivalence."}
{"id": "PMID:1481703", "title": "Manipulating procedural variables in a spatial precuing task.", "content": "Spatial precuing tasks have yielded a consistent pattern of differential reaction time benefits. Specifically, precuing of two fingers on the same hand has been shown to result in faster discrete finger responses than precuing of two fingers on different hands. This phenomenon is called the hand advantage. Within the context of the spatial precuing task originally developed by Miller (1982), a series of four experiments investigated the influences of two procedural variables on the hand advantage: preparation instruction and presentation mode of preparation intervals. Two preparation instruction conditions were compared: implicit versus explicit instructions regarding preparation possibilities. Also, two presentation modes of preparation intervals were studied: a random condition, in which the preparation intervals varied randomly, and a blocked condition, in which the preparation intervals were grouped together in blocks of trials. Results showed that these two procedural variables, when manipulated independently, did not affect the hand advantage. However, when combined, they significantly reduced the hand advantage by half. Moreover, both procedural variables were shown to produce a precuing benefit for two homologous fingers on different hands. We concluded that, in spatial precuing tasks, procedural variables play an important role by inducing preparation strategies, which affect the pattern of reaction time benefits."}
{"id": "PMID:1481706", "title": "The family profile: a new self-report instrument for family assessment.", "content": "The Family Profile is a new self-report family assessment instrument that is grounded in family theory and designed following a construct validation approach to instrument design that integrated theoretical concepts with test construction and empirical analysis. Development consisted of three component phases: rational theoretical design, empirical structural analysis, and psychometric validation. The first theoretical design phase resulted in a 231-item instrument with 13 construct scales. Structural analysis data were collected from a pilot sample of 160 patients selected from 6 family practice clinics in urban, suburban, and rural locations. After revision based on item and scale analysis, a 129-item instrument was administered to a random sample of 876 patients from family practices throughout Minnesota. Responses were analyzed for item- and scale-distribution characteristics, item-scale and scale-scale correlations, correlation with social desirability, factor analysis to confirm or disconfirm the existence of the theoretical dimensions, internal consistency reliability, and test-retest reliability. This analysis reduced the instrument to 90 items from all 13 postulated constructs that cluster into 6 main factors--Family Concordance, Family Discordance, Marital Strength, Active Involvement, Religiosity, and Parental Leadership. The Family Profile is also temporally stable and free from social desirability bias. Validation (construct and criterion) and normative data studies of various populations are in progress."}
{"id": "PMID:1481707", "title": "Ethnography and family medicine: issues and overview.", "content": "Ethnography is a qualitative research model generally associated with anthropology. Ethnographic methods include inductively oriented strategies such as participant observation, structured interviews, and open-ended interviews. Issues in family medicine such as patient compliance, doctor-patient relationships, and patients' subjective experience of illness may be optimally studied with ethnography. Because it is inductive, ethnography is cognitively similar to clinical reasoning. Making use of ethnography provides family physicians with a greater array of research methods compatible with clinical practice."}
{"id": "PMID:1481708", "title": "Gender bias in the evaluation and management of acute nontraumatic chest pain. The St. Louis Emergency Physicians' Association Research Group.", "content": "Prior studies suggest a gender-based difference in the management of myocardial ischemia in nonacute settings. We examined whether there was a gender difference in the emergency department evaluation and management of patients with acute chest pain. A record review from 10 St. Louis metropolitan emergency departments was done on all patients over 35 years old who presented with acute nonpleuritic, nontraumatic chest pain. We reviewed for the presence of cardiac risk factors, prior cardiac disease, time to physician evaluation, and time to initial electrocardiogram. In the patient subgroup admitted from the emergency department with a diagnosis of myocardial infarction or unstable angina, disposition was noted. Women waited longer than men for an initial physician evaluation and an initial electrocardiogram. In the patient subgroup with acute myocardial ischemia, a smaller percentage of women than men (56.0% vs 82.8%) were admitted to an intensive care unit. In patients with acute nonpleuritic, nontraumatic chest pain, women were evaluated and managed less aggressively than men."}
{"id": "PMID:1481709", "title": "Antepartum biopsychosocial risk and perinatal outcome.", "content": "This paper describes a study of biomedical and psychosocial risks and the perinatal outcome. Two hundred nineteen pregnant women completed three instruments to identify their biomedical and psychosocial risk: anxiety, family function, life events. Biomedical risk was assessed through analyses of self-reported health histories. Information on complications of pregnancy, labor, and delivery was obtained from the hospital delivery records. In the sample studied, biomedical risk alone was not substantially related to perinatal complications. Four psychosocial items were the best psychosocial predictors of perinatal complications: emotional tension; depressive humor; neurovegetative symptoms of anxiety; and dissatisfaction with the time, space, and money shared with the family (p < 0.05). The interaction between these critical psychosocial items and biomedical risk also reliably predicted complications (p < 0.00001). The results of this study suggest that psychosocial risk assessment alone and in interaction with biomedical risk assessment may significantly improve the ability to identify women who may experience perinatal complications."}
{"id": "PMID:1481710", "title": "Natural history of phobic anxiety.", "content": "The characteristics of those with phobic anxiety--anxiety with or without avoidance of specific fear-provoking situations--seen in family practice have not been previously described. However, patients with agoraphobia--extreme avoidance of fear-provoking situations--are frequently seen in the general health sector. In addition, panic attacks, which are spontaneous episodes of intense anxiety associated with at least four autonomic symptoms that build rapidly in intensity, are believed to be antecedent to phobic anxiety. This secondary analysis used 29 patients with panic attacks. During a structured interview, these patients completed a phobic anxiety questionnaire and the Health Locus of Control questionnaire. Of the 21 patients with phobic anxiety, 16 (76%) reported that they avoided at least one situation. Although patients frequently left home during the week (mean = 10.8 times), 11 (58%) felt that their fears controlled their lives. Patients' responses generally supported the model of fear causing anticipatory anxiety that in turn causes avoidance; however, panic attacks frequently began after phobic anxiety but before the fear was reported by patients to control their lives. Recognition and early intervention with those with phobic anxiety may minimize its severity and pervasiveness."}
{"id": "PMID:1481711", "title": "Improving prescription documentation in the ambulatory setting.", "content": "Use of a standard prescription pad, although it adequately meets the needs of drug delivery, requires the physician to document prescribed medications separately in the medical record. Failure to do so may lead to under-recognition of problems of potential drug interactions and adverse drug reactions, delays in prescription refills, and other areas of quality of care, especially in a setting where multiple physicians may be involved in the care of a patient. Of 83 prescriptions written in a primary care clinic, only 11 (13%) were noted on the chart medication form when physicians used prescription pads. Implementation of a \"one-write\" noncarbon prescription form that generated an instant copy increased prescription documentation to 83% (49 of 59 prescriptions) (x2 = 68.86; p < 0.005) over a one-week period. In a follow-up study conducted approximately 3.5 years after the initial intervention, use of the \"one-write\" form had maintained at 82% prescription documentation (32 of 39) prescriptions) (x2 = 52.05; p < 0.005). A \"one-write\" copy system could improve clinical care by improving medication documentation in the medical record."}
{"id": "PMID:1481712", "title": "Physicians' recognition of depression.", "content": "Depression is a common but underrecognized disorder in family practice. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between physician attitudes toward psychosocial aspects of care and psychiatric knowledge and recognition of depression in a family practice residency clinic. Adult patients (n = 582) presenting to 16 family practice residents were screened for depression using the short form of the Beck Depression Inventory. A regression model was created with the rate of recognition of depression for each physician as the dependent variable. Independent variables included in the model were resident scores on the Physician Belief Scale and the psychiatric subsection of the in-training exam scores, patient familiarity, and whether the attending physician was consulted. Orientation toward psychosocial aspects of medical care was found to be significantly related to recognition of patients at risk for depression. In-training examination psychiatric subsection scores were unrelated to a resident's clinical recognition of depression risk. This study suggests that physician attitude is a significant factor in successful recognition of depression by family practice residents."}
{"id": "PMID:1481713", "title": "[Dupuytren's disease. Analysis of a 10 year caseload].", "content": "The authors present an analysis concerning patients operated on for Dupuytren contracture over the past ten years. One hundred and ten patients (94 males and 16 females) were reviewed. At the time of surgery the average was 52 years old. The 125 hands (292 fingers) were rated 3,136, according to the simplified Tubiana's score. In 82.7% of the patients, selective regional fasciectomy was applied. In the long term, recurrence appeared in 58 hands (96 fingers); 74.1% being in the first five years. 48 of them were graded Stage Nodular, 28 Stage 1, 16 Stage 2, 4 Stage 3. Some factors seem to be of a bad prognosis regarding recurrence: ectopic localisations, age (under 55 years old), alcoholism, diabetes mellitus, epilepsy, and family history. Results after operative procedure were satisfactory. The hands were rated 1,316 and the Coefficient of Amelioration was above 0.75 in more than 50%."}
{"id": "PMID:1481714", "title": "[Abdominal versus thoracic approach for myotomy in esophageal achalasia].", "content": "Miotomy is the most common operation for the treatment of achalasia of the esophagus. The most important complication of this operation is gastro-esophageal reflux, and controversy exists in the choice of a thoracic or abdominal approach to this operation. From 1974 until 1988, our group performed 45 miotomies for achalasia of the esophagus. Follow-up was obtained in 82% of the patients. The thoracic approach was used in 21 cases (tor), and 24 patients were operated through an abdominal approach (abd). All the miotomies had an anti-reflux procedure associated. Post-operative evaluation consisted of: clinical score determination; endoscopy with biopsy; manometry; 24 Phmetry. The clinical score revealed that 47% of the patients in the group tor were asymptomatic, and in the group abd this rate was 53%. Absence of macroscopic esophagitis was registered in 75% of the patients in the group tor, and in 91% in the group abd. Microscopic esophagitis was observed in 42% of the cases in the group tor, and in 45% of the group abd. Manometry revealed a low pressure in the inferior esophageal sphincter in 90% of the cases of the group tor, and in 80% of the group abd. Pathological gastro-esophageal reflux, detected by 24 h Phmetry, was present in 29% of the group tor, and in 36% of the group abd. The results in these two groups were very similar, uniformly favourable, and without evidence of superiority of either operation. The choice of a thoracic, or abdominal approach should depend on associated factors such as patient age, respiratory disease, etc."}
{"id": "PMID:1481715", "title": "[Perimesencephalic hemorrhage].", "content": "Among 293 subarachnoid hemorrhages admitted to the Neurology and Neurosurgery departments of Sta Maria Hospital, 108 patients had a normal cerebral angiography. Twenty-three meet the radiological criteria for perimesencephalic hemorrhage (center of the hemorrhage located in front of the mesencephalon, without blood in the interhemispheric and lateral sylvian fissures, nor significant intraventricular hemorrhage). The clinical picture was one of sudden, severe headache with meningeal signs, without focal signs or decreased alertness. Evolution was benign: there was no intrahospital mortality, morbidity or rebleeds on follow-up (3.5 years). In this subgroup of subarachnoid hemorrhage there is no need for a repeated angiogram if the first angiography is considered normal."}
{"id": "PMID:1481716", "title": "Percutaneous sclerotherapy of varicocele.", "content": "Percutaneous sclerotherapy of varicocele was considered in 21 patients with left sided varicocele, 16 of whom had recurrences after left spermatic vein ligation in the past. Percutaneous sclerotherapy was possible in 17 patients (80.9%). There were no serious complications with venography or sclerotherapy, and the recurrence rate was 17.6%. Percutaneous sclerotherapy is therefore a simple, safe and effective treatment of testicular vein insufficiency."}
{"id": "PMID:1481717", "title": "[Umbilical flowmetry in twin pregnancy. A method for identifying discordant fetal growth?].", "content": "Umbilical artery velocimetry was performed in 33 twin gestations to evaluate the predictivity of the test (umbilical artery S/D difference between the pair > 0.4) in the screening of discordant fetal growth. Four out of 10 cases of discordant fetal growth were identified by the test and it was abnormal in 1 out of 23 concordant twins. The sensitivity was 40%, specificity 95%, positive predictive value 80% and negative predictive value of 79%. In spite of its low sensitivity the test can be useful in detecting discordant fetal growth in twin pregnancies."}
{"id": "PMID:1481718", "title": "[Malignant melanoma. A current problem].", "content": "Malignant Melanoma is a tumor of high malignancy which incidence has been shown to increase dramatically during last decades. The genesis of the tumor is uncertain, however the cutaneous fair complexion, the number and type of pigmented nevei and acute intermittent sun exposure with sunburn may play a significant role in its development. Histopathology of suspicious lesions is obligatory as diagnostic proof and to measure the tumor thickness and the skin invasion level. Distinct therapeutic attitudes are reviewed. Correct surgical excision is essential in localized primary lesions. The two main factors regarding surveillance and survival of patients afflicted with Malignant Melanoma are precocious diagnosis of early lesions and quick surgical intervention. On a prophylactic ground, for the early detection of Malignant Melanoma, one should point out the need for a complete and careful skin observation of every individual in current medical examinations."}
{"id": "PMID:1481719", "title": "[Research in child psychiatry].", "content": "The research in child psychiatry faces general restrictions related to the observation and interpretation of child psychopathological phenomena. These restrictions are increased by the limits of the methodological credibility of the psychopathological and psychiatric research with adults. The specific form of the emergence of child psychological suffering lies in a great number of factors. These can be derived from the child itself, the interaction that the child has with adults or be related with the mental health of the adults themselves. The research in this field favours the detection of risk situations either individual or social. Assuming the preventive perspective, the early identification of these situations will allow an improvement in medical care. The authors intend to raise pertinent and suggestive questions on child psychiatry research by means of the introduction of update situations. Several areas, which are still being studied, are approached, namely the parental mental pathology and its association with pregnancy and post-delivery, parental drug and alcohol addiction and its relation to the child's development, recent fields of research such as fertilization in vitro and the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome and, lastly, family separation and human communication."}
{"id": "PMID:1481720", "title": "[Prefrontal syndrome as a manifestation of intracranial dural arterio-venous malformation].", "content": "The authors present a clinical case of an intracranial dural arteriovenous malformation with clinical manifestations of a prefrontal syndrome, documented with its respective diagnostic tests, including imaging studies. A number of considerations are being enlarged upon, concerning possible pathophysiological mechanisms."}
{"id": "PMID:1481721", "title": "[William Harvey: his life and his works (Part I)].", "content": "William Harvey's biography is briefly summarized in this essay. The author shows a bird's-eye view of the 16th and the 17th centuries, with regard to the transformations which occurred in science, and narrates Harvey's life. A short description is given of his precursors and their ideas. His most important works are analysed, as well as contemporary scientists' reactions to them. Special emphasis was laid on the discovery of the blood circulation."}
{"id": "PMID:1481722", "title": "The effect of transforming growth factor beta on the plasminogen activator activity of normal human osteoblast-like cells and a human osteosarcoma cell line MG-63.", "content": "Transforming growth beta (TGF-beta) has been proposed to have a role in bone remodeling by affecting the differentiation and activity of osteoblasts and osteoclasts and by inhibiting the production of proteinases, such as plasminogen activators (PAs). Studies on PAs have largely been based on data from nonhuman and fetal cell lines, however. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of TGF-beta on the PA activity of normal human osteoblast-like cells and to compare this with its action on the human osteosarcoma cell line MG-63. The action of interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta) was also assessed because it has been shown to increase PA activity in other connective tissue cell types. Normal osteoblast-like cells had low to undetectable basal urokinase (uPA) and tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) activity, which was significantly stimulated by TGF-beta 1. This action was shown to be dependent on transcription and new protein synthesis. TGF-beta 2 had a similar action. IL-1 beta did not stimulate PA activity. In contrast, the MG-63 cell line had high basal tPA and uPA activities. TGF-beta 1 decreased basal PA activity, the effect being most marked for uPA activity. IL-1 beta stimulated uPA and tPA activity. TGF-beta 1 inhibited IL-1 beta-stimulated uPA activity, but the effect on tPA was more variable. This study has shown that TGF-beta has opposite effects on the PA activity of the two osteoblast-like cell types studied. Care must therefore be used before extrapolating data from one cell type to another.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1481723", "title": "Bone mass measurement by DXA: influence of analysis procedures and interunit variation.", "content": "Interunit variability among bone densitometers is due to different factors, including different calibration procedures and algorithms and variability in photon source energies and/or intensities. Other factors, such as the choice of scan parameters or the analysis procedures, can also introduce variability. The new generation of dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) has partially improved this situation. The aim of this study was to investigate the operator-dependent analysis procedures that can affect scan results and to evaluate the phantom and in vivo interunit variation of some DXA instruments. Four DXA instruments (QDR 1000 and 1000/W, Hologic, Inc.) were used. Potential sources of variability in the analysis procedures of anteroposterior lumbar spine and hip scans were considered: in most cases these procedures significantly influenced scan results. On lumbar spine, an enlargement of the scan window of less than 3 cm was responsible for an average increase in bone mineral density (BMD) of about 3%. On the hip, lowering the scan window by about 1 cm accounted for an increase in the whole-segment BMD of about 4%. After standardization of analysis procedures, interunit and intraunit coefficients of variation and percentage differences among instruments were less than 1% for all the parameters considered (area and bone mineral content and density) with both an anatomic and a geometric phantom, and in nine subjects scanned by two different devices the percentage difference in BMD was greater than 2%. This study shows that present interunit variability allows comparisons among laboratories, but only if highly standardized analysis procedures are used."}
{"id": "PMID:1481724", "title": "Reduced vertebral bone density in hypercalciuric nephrolithiasis.", "content": "Dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry and single-photon absorptiometry were used to determine bone density at the lumbar spine and radial shaft in 62 patients with absorptive hypercalciuria, 27 patients with fasting hypercalciuria, and 31 nonhypercalciuric stone formers. Lumbar bone density was significantly lower in patients with absorptive (-10%) as well as in those with fasting hypercalciuria (-12%), with 74 and 92% of patients displaying values below the normal mean, whereas only 48% of the nonhypercalciuric stone formers had bone density values below the normal mean. In contrast, radial bone density was similar in all three groups of renal stone formers investigated. The comparison of urinary chemistry in patients with absorptive hypercalciuria and low normal bone density compared to those with high normal bone density showed a significantly increased 24 h urinary calcium excretion on random diet and a trend toward a higher 24 h urinary uric acid excretion and a higher body mass index in patients with low normal bone density. Moreover, among the patients with absorptive hypercalciuria we found a statistically significant correlation between the spinal bone density and the 24 h sodium and sulfate excretion and the urinary pH. These results gave evidence for an additional role of environmental factors (sodium and animal proteins) in the pathogenesis of bone loss in absorptive hypercalciuria. In conclusion, our data suggest an osteopenia of trabecular-rich bone tissues in patients with fasting and absorptive hypercalciurias."}
{"id": "PMID:1481725", "title": "Measurement of serum osteocalcin with a human-specific two-site immunoradiometric assay.", "content": "We developed a sensitive and specific two-site radioimmunoassay (IRMA) for human osteocalcin using human osteocalcin as a standard and two monoclonal antibodies raised against human osteocalcin purified from human cortical bone, a solid-phase anti-25-37 region and a tracer anti-5-13 sequence of the molecule. A wide range of osteocalcin levels (up to 300 ng/ml) can be measured with a sensitivity of 0.4 ng/ml. The intra- and interassay coefficients of variation are less than 4 and 6%, respectively. The recovery of human osteocalcin from serum samples ranges from 96 to 103%. IRMA was linear for serial sample dilutions in a wide range of serum osteocalcin levels, even in patients with chronic renal failure on hemodialysis. Depletion of serum in intact osteocalcin demonstrated that IRMA detects, in addition to the intact peptide, a large N-terminal midregion fragment that represents about 50% of total osteocalcin levels in normals and patients with Paget's disease and up to 75% in patients with chronic renal failure. This large fragment, previously unrecognized because it cannot be distinguished from intact osteocalcin with gel filtration chromatography, is not generated in vitro by incubation of the serum up to 26 h. We measured osteocalcin in the serum of 309 healthy adults (180 men and 129 women, age range 20-95 years), 36 patients with Paget's disease, 12 patients with primary hyperparathyroidism, 70 patients with chronic renal failure on hemodialysis, and 10 patients on corticosteroid therapy, simultaneously with human IRMA and with a conventional radioimmunoassay (RIA) based on bovine reagents. A tight correlation (r = 0.889) was observed between the two assays in the normal population, but the values obtained with IRMA were about threefold higher (mean 23.3 +/- 10.5 versus 7.5 +/- 3.4 ng/ml) than those obtained with RIA. Reported as Z scores, that is, number of standard deviations from the predicted normal mean adjusted for sex and age, these two assays (IRMA and RIA) gave concordant results in patients with Paget's disease (4.05 +/- 6.21 versus 2.41 +/- 2.53), primary hyperparathyroidism (4.14 +/- 7.17 versus 2.13 +/- 2.28), chronic renal failure (25.32 +/- 24.49 versus 6.93 +/- 5.48), and glucocorticoid treatment (-1.48 +/- 0.78 versus -1.11 +/- 0.57). However, IRMA was more discriminant from controls for all these metabolic bone diseases because the absolute values of mean Z scores with IRMA were significantly higher than those obtained with the RIA (p < 0.05-0.0001).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1481726", "title": "Effects of 4-amino-1-hydroxybutylidene bisphosphonate on bone biomechanics in rats.", "content": "Bisphosphonates inhibit osteoclast-mediated bone resorption, but their effects on the mechanical behavior of bone remain uncertain. This study investigated the effects of 4-amino-1-hydroxybutylidene bisphosphonate (AHBuBP) on the biomechanical and morphologic properties of bone in ovariectomized rats. Sprague-Dawley rats (four groups, n = 6) were ovariectomized at 3 months of age. From 7 to 13 months, the groups received vehicle or 0.28, 2.8, or 28 micrograms/kg of AHBuBP twice weekly through subcutaneous injection. An additional group of control animals (n = 6) received neither surgery nor drug. We determined the stiffness, yield, and ultimate loads of the femoral midshaft, the sixth lumbar (L6) vertebra, and the femoral neck. Geometric properties of the cortical bone were measured from digitized images of the tibial diaphysis at the level of the synostosis. The area fraction of trabecular bone was determined through the midsagittal plane of the fifth lumbar (L5) vertebra. There were no significant differences in the structural properties of the femoral neck and midshaft, with the exception that the medium-dose group had a greater ultimate load than the vehicle group for the femoral midshaft in bending. Cross-sectional analysis of the tibia did not show significant differences in the inertial properties or area. Ovariectomy caused a significant reduction in the stiffness and ultimate load of L6 and in the area fraction of trabecular bone of L5.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1481727", "title": "Bone and mineral metabolism in the adult guinea pig: long-term effects of estrogen and androgen deficiency.", "content": "The effects of androgen and estrogen deficiency on skeletal homeostasis were studied in the guinea pig. Male and female adult (7 months old) guinea pigs were either sham operated (9 females and 7 males) or gonadectomized [9 ovariectomized (OVX) females and 6 orchidectomized (ORX) males] and sacrificed 4 months later for evaluation of bone mass, bone turnover, and serum calcium homeostasis. Parameters of bone turnover, calcium homeostasis, and vitamin D metabolites were similar in all groups except for increased serum IGF-I concentrations (+30%) in males compared to females. Gonadectomy resulted in a 50% decrease in serum IGF-I concentrations in males only (p < 0.001). Volume, total calcium content, and cortical density of the tibia were significant higher in males than in females. Estrogen deficiency had no effect on bone volume or calcium content. Androgen deficiency resulted in a significant lower volume and calcium content of the tibia and in a lower calcium content of the distal lumbar vertebrae. Single-photon absorptiometry of the tibia showed that only cortical, not trabecular bone density of the tibia was decreased after ORX. Histomorphometric studies of the tibial metaphysis also did not show significant differences in trabecular bone volume between sham-operated and ORX males. We conclude that in adult male guinea pigs androgen deficiency results in a decrease in (cortical) bone volume and content concomitant with decreased IGF-I levels. In female guinea pigs of the same age, estrogen deficiency did not affect total or regional bone mass."}
{"id": "PMID:1481728", "title": "A cruciate ligament injury produces considerable, permanent osteoporosis in the affected knee.", "content": "Bone mineral density (BMD) and clinical status of 42 patients treated surgically 10-11 years earlier for an acute knee ligament injury were determined. The BMD was measured at the spine (L2-4) and the femoral neck, distal femur, patella, proximal tibia, and calcaneus of both lower extremities using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometric (DXA) scanner. The relative BMD results of the injured knee were correlated with sex, age, activity level, knee stability, and functional scores of the patient. In the 11 patients with moderate injury (isolated rupture of the medial collateral ligament), the BMDs of the injured and uninjured extremities were equal. In the 31 patients with severe injury (cruciate ligament rupture), the BMDs were significantly lower in the injured knee: distal femur, -6.0% (p = 0.0000); patella, -9.0% (p = 0.0000); and proximal tibia, -3.3% (p = 0.0012). Neither the femoral neck nor the calcaneus showed any differences. There were no significant differences either between men and women or between patients with different activity levels. The relative BMDs of the injured knee did not correlate with age or static knee stability but correlated significantly (r = 0.42-0.78, p < 0.01-0.001) with the functional scores of the same knee: the better the knee function in comparison with the healthy knee, the higher the relative BMD. The spinal BMDs corresponded with the age-adjusted reference values of the used densitometry. In conclusion, a severe knee ligament injury results in permanently decreased BMD in the injured knee. Other parts of the same extremity and lumbar spine are not affected.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1481729", "title": "Adhesion molecules in skeletogenesis: I. Transient expression of neural cell adhesion molecules (NCAM) in osteoblasts during endochondral and intramembranous ossification.", "content": "We report that neural cell adhesion molecules (NCAM) are expressed transiently in developing chicken osteoblasts during osteogenesis using immunostaining on cryostat sections. NCAM is strongly expressed in most osteoblasts along bone trabeculae that coincide with the presence of collagen I and alkaline phosphatase activity. In endochondral ossification, NCAM is highly expressed in osteogenic buds as seen in the epiphysis and diaphysis of tibia and vertebrae. In intramembranous ossification, NCAM is seen in osteogenic condensation of calvaria and in the periosteum of tibial diaphysis. The expression is transient because NCAM is not expressed in mesenchymal cells before osteogenic condensation and NCAM expression is lost in osteocytes in later stages. The staining pattern suggests that NCAM is present on the cell membrane of osteoblasts. Using a specific monoclonal antibody, the osteoblast NCAM is shown to contain polysialic acid, which is enriched in embryonic brain. Northern blot analysis using chicken brain NCAM cDNA as probes showed two major sizes of mRNA at 6.4 and 4.2 kb in calvarial mRNA as opposed to bands at 7.2, 6.4, and 4.2 kb in the brain. An immunoblot showed major proteins at Mr 165 and 110 kd, unlike brain NCAM, which are 180, 140, and 120 kD. That NCAM is involved in bone morphogenesis is consistent with the general hypothesis that NCAM plays pivotal roles in mesenchymal condensation, as shown in the formation of muscle, kidney, skin, and cartilage. The results establish NCAM as a cell surface molecule expressed transiently during osteoblast lineage. The implication that NCAM may mediate osteoblast interaction and regulate skeletal morphogenesis is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1481730", "title": "Osteoporosis and chronic back pain: a study with single-photon emission computed tomography bone scintigraphy.", "content": "A group of 26 patients aged 47-81 years (average 67) with spinal osteoporosis and back pain for more than 6 months were investigated with planar and SPECT bone scintigraphy and anterior and lateral x-rays of the thoracolumbar spine. Abnormal activity on bone scintigraphy was found in all patients, of whom 22 had multiple lesions. A total of 17 (65%) patients had abnormal activity associated with collapsed vertebral bodies, 5 (19%) had degenerative disk disease, and 21 (81%) had facetal joint disease. Of 112 lesions identified by SPECT, 60 (54%) were localized to the apophyseal joints. Facetal lesions were commoner in those patients with more collapsed vertebrae, and 32 facetal lesions (54%) were associated with collapse of the vertebra immediately above or below. Bone scintigraphy findings suggest that in some individuals with osteoporosis and chronic back pain, collapse of the vertebral body or degenerative disk disease are causes of pain. However, the high frequency of increased apophyseal joint activity suggests that the facet joint may also be an important site of origin of pain in these individuals. Bone scintigraphy may identify a subgroup of osteoporotic patients with chronic back pain who would benefit from treatment to the facet joints."}
{"id": "PMID:1481731", "title": "Absence of calbindin-D28 expression in nonclassical 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D targets: analysis by polymerase chain reaction.", "content": "CaBP-D28 mRNA expression in rat heart, testis, and lung was assessed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The animal model used was the hyperinduced vitamin D-treated rat (100 ng 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D subcutaneously, daily for 7 days). For the PCR studies, two pairs of 20 mer oligonucleotide primers (designated 1-4 according to their position on the coding strand, but with primers 3 and 4 in reverse orientation) derived from the rat CaBP-D28 cDNA sequence were tested in various combinations. Optimal conditions were established using a 1:100 dilution of cDNA from normal rat kidney. Bands of the predicted sizes of 869 (1, 3), 994 (1, 4), 725 (2, 3), and 850 (2, 4) nucleotide base pairs resulted, but with varying intensities: 2,4 approximately 1,3 > 1,4 > 2,3. Repeat PCR (recycling after 1:100 dilution and readdition of reagents and primers with at least one different primer) provided strong additional amplification, particularly with the 1,4/2,4 combination. Under these conditions, mixing experiments showed that CaBP-D28 transcripts were detectable at 10(-7)- to 10(-9)-fold lower levels of expression than in D+ kidney. When RNA was isolated and cDNA generated from test tissues from 4 individual vitamin D-stimulated (D+) and vitamin D-deficient (D-) rats, repeat PCR (1,4/2,4 primer combination) provided no evidence of significant CaBP-D28 mRNA expression in the nonclassic target tissues, in contrast to strong bands in both the D- kidney (undiluted) and D+ kidney (1:100 dilution) preparations.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1481732", "title": "Osteoporosis in anorexia nervosa: the influence of peak bone density, bone loss, oral contraceptive use, and exercise.", "content": "Anorexia nervosa occurs early in life and predisposes to osteoporosis. Exercise may be protective. We asked: (1) Does failure to attain peak bone density contribute to the deficit in bone density? (2) Does oral contraceptive use protect against osteoporosis? (3) Is any protective effect of exercise confined to weight-bearing sites? Areal bone density (g/cm2) and body composition were measured by dual x-ray absorptiometry in 65 patients with anorexia nervosa and 52 controls. Comparing the 12 patients with primary amenorrhea and the 37 patients with secondary amenorrhea, bone density (mean +/- SEM) at the lumbar spine was 0.88 +/- 0.04 versus 1.06 +/- 0.03 (P = 0.001), respectively. Bone density at the femoral neck was 0.80 +/- 0.04 versus 0.92 +/- 0.03 (P < 0.05), respectively. These values differed before, but not after, adjusting for the respective duration of illness (73.0 +/- 10.3 versus 34.1 +/- 4.8 months, P < 0.001) and fat-free mass (31.6 +/- 1.3 versus 35.4 +/- 0.5 kg, P < 0.01). Bone density at the lumbar spine in the 16 patients with 31.8 +/- 8.3 months of contraceptive exposure was higher than in the 49 patients with no contraceptive exposure (1.14 +/- 0.05 versus 1.02 +/- 0.02 P < 0.02) but was lower than in controls (1.14 +/- 0.05 versus 1.27 +/- 1.02, P < 0.01). No protective effect of contraceptive exposure was detectable at the femoral neck.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1481733", "title": "Bone resorption and formation on the periosteal envelope of the ilium: a histomorphometric study in healthy women.", "content": "Continuation of net periosteal bone gain after cessation of longitudinal growth has been inferred from sequential radiographic morphometry. Accordingly, we performed histomorphometry of the periosteal surfaces of transilial bone biopsies from 57 healthy women aged 24-74 years, 29 premenopausal and 28 postmenopausal. Compared to the endocortical surface, the extents of eroded and osteoid surfaces were very similar, but the extents of osteoclast- and osteoblast-covered surfaces were 80-90% smaller, and both wall thickness and osteoid thickness were about 30% lower. Double tetracycline labels were present in only 11 cases. The second (demethylchlortetracycline) label was almost four times as long as the first (oxytetracycline) label, a much greater difference than on the endocortical surface, so that the extent of mineralizing surface was based only on the second label. Even so, adjusted apposition rates and bone formation rates were only about 20% of the endocortical values, and unlike the endocortical surface, formation rates were not higher in the postmenopausal than in the premenopausal women. Resorption, reversal, and formation periods were each much longer than on the endocortical surface. There was no correlation between periosteal and endocortical values for any variable. At least 54% of total cement line length was scalloped, implying reversal of remodeling direction from resorption to formation, and at least 18% of total cement line length was smooth, implying temporary arrest of bone formation. Convincing evidence of modeling, related to growth or mechanical stimulation, was not observed.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1481735", "title": "Postoperative anosmia after removal of pituitary gland adenomas using the pterional approach.", "content": "There have been several studies on anosmia following operations on anterior circulation aneurysms, but no similar study has yet been reported on pituitary gland adenomas which required the transcranial approach. In this study, 38 cases with pituitary gland adenomas, for whom the pterional approach was employed, were observed retrospectively from the point of view of postoperative olfactory nerve function. In the postoperative period only one case complained of impaired sense of smell on the operated side. Eight cases objectively showed olfactory nerve dysfunctions. The olfactory nerve function could be preserved at a relatively high rate of 79 per cent. This high rate, we think, resulted from the microtechnique employed as well as the relatively cautious frontal retraction which was less than 1.5 cm."}
{"id": "PMID:1481736", "title": "Central projections of the sensory innervation to the middle cerebral artery in the squirrel monkey.", "content": "To analyze the brainstem projections of the innervation to the middle cerebral artery (MCA) in the squirrel monkey, transganglionic tracing of wheat germ agglutinin conjugated with horseradish peroxidase (WGA-HRP) was used. After application of WGA-HRP to the middle cerebral artery (MCA), labelled cell bodies were identified in the ipsilateral trigeminal and superior cervical ganglia. In the brainstem, positive labelling indicative of preterminals and terminals occurred in a discontinuous pattern throughout the trigeminal brainstem nuclear complex. At the level of the obex, nerve terminations were identified in the nucleus tractus solitarius, nucleus motorius dorsalis nervi vagi and the nucleus nervi hypoglossi. Positive WGA-HRP profiles were also observed in the periaqueductal gray matter."}
{"id": "PMID:1481737", "title": "Cerebral blood flow changes induced by electrical stimulation of the Gasserian ganglion after experimentally induced subarachnoid haemorrhage in pigs.", "content": "The effect of trigeminal electrical stimulation on cerebral blood flow has been studied in conditions of normal or reduced cerebral blood flow (CBF). Autologous blood was injected into the subarachnoid space of ten Pittmann-Moore pigs to induce subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) accompanied by cerebral blood flow (CBF) reduction. One week later, in six of ten animals, a considerable decrease of CBF was noted as evaluated by means of a recording-system monitoring over the right parieto-temporal calvarium the washout of 133Xenon injected into the internal carotid artery after the external carotid had been clamped. Continuous electrical stimulation of the Gasserian ganglion performed in the six animals with severely induced CBF reduction produced a remarkable cerebrovascular dilation and increase of CBF lasting over 3 h. Electrical stimulation of the Gasserian ganglion produced a similar pattern of vasodilation in six pigs in which no blood was injected and no reduction of CBF was evident. The mechanisms and the anatomical pathways which underlie these results are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1481738", "title": "Computerized infusion test compared to steady pressure constant infusion test in measurement of resistance to CSF outflow.", "content": "Resistance to cerebro-spinal fluid outflow is together with intracranial pressure the most important parameter in the investigation of patients with disturbances of CSF dynamics. The methods for determination of resistance are either unreliable or too time-consuming for routine clinical use, which has limited the popularity of this kind of measurement. In this paper a method for computerized acquisition and processing of an infusion test is described. A good correlation to a standard technique is documented."}
{"id": "PMID:1481739", "title": "Cerebral blood flow autoregulation in experimental subarachnoid haemorrhage in rat.", "content": "Haemodynamic instability is of great importance in clinical management of patients with subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH). The significance of angiographically demonstrable vasospasm for disturbances of cerebral blood flow (CBF) and cerebral autoregulation has not yet been clarified. The present study was designed to describe disturbances of cerebral autoregulation during the timecourse of experimental SAH (eSAH) in rats. A second aim of the study was to relate the results to a reported timecourse of angiographic vasospasm in the same animal model. Previous studies have shown that the timecourse of angiographically visible vasospasm in eSAH is biphasic with maximal spasm at 10 min and 2 days after induction of eSAH. At 5 days, the vasospasms have resolved. CBF was measured using a 133-Xenon intracarotid injection method which allowed serial measurements of mean hemispheric CBF during controlled manipulations of arterial blood pressure. In this way, an autoregulation curve could be constructed. The present study shows that autoregulation is severely disturbed or even totally absent at 2 and 5 days after eSAH. Thus there seems to be no direct correlation between presence of angiographic vasospasm and impairment of autoregulation, or that the impairment of autoregulation is more protracted than the presence of cerebral vasospasm, presuming a correlation exist."}
{"id": "PMID:1481740", "title": "Effect of intracisternal and intravenous calcitonin gene-related peptide on experimental cerebral vasospasm in rabbits.", "content": "We investigated the vasodilatory effect of intracisternal (i.c.) and intravenous (i.v.) administration of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) on arterial narrowing after experimental subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). Forty-one rabbits were divided into five groups: control (normal animals); SAH plus i.c. infusion of vehicle; SAH plus i.c. infusion of CGRP; SAH plus i.v. infusion of vehicle; SAH plus i.v. infusion of CGRP. In all but the control group, either CGRP (100 ng/kg/min) or vehicle solution was infused for two hours immediately prior to sacrifice by perfusion-fixation. A morphometric technique was employed to measure the luminal diameter of rabbit basilar arteries two days after SAH. The diameter of the basilar arteries in either the i.c. or i.v. CGRP groups was significantly greater than that of the respective vehicle group (i.c., p < 0.001; i.v., p < 0.01). Although there was no significant difference in systemic arterial blood pressure after infusion between the i.c. vehicle and i.c. CGRP groups, i.v. CGRP caused significant hypotension. Our results suggest that exogenous CGRP has some therapeutic potential for arterial narrowing after SAH not only by intrathecal application, but also by systemic use."}
{"id": "PMID:1481741", "title": "Pathological study of diffuse axonal injury patients who died shortly after impact.", "content": "It is generally considered that axonal injury is apparent only on electron microscopy in the very early stage after a closed head injury. To clarify the pathological findings in head injury patients dying very shortly after the impact, we analyzed 8 fatal cases of diffuse axonal injury (DAI) who underwent medicolegal autopsy at the Department of Forensic Medicine of Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine. Seven cases died within one hour after injury and another one case died 3 days after injury. We studied these cases macroscopically, microscopically, and electron microscopically. Macroscopically all cases showed the typical findings of diffuse axonal injury. Microscopical study of the cases who died within one hour revealed no characteristic findings of DAI such as appearance of retraction balls or microglia. On the other hand, in the case who died only 3 days after injury it showed the typical retraction balls. Electron microscopic study showed the remarkable destruction of cytoskeletal structure of axons in all cases. From our results, it is reasonable to speculate that DAI may be common among head injury patients who die very soon after the impact."}
{"id": "PMID:1481742", "title": "Stereotactic radiotherapy instead of conventional epilepsy surgery. A case report.", "content": "A case report is made on a 29 year old male suffering from drug resistant epilepsy with a left temporal focus and normal neuroradiological findings. Instead of the conventional partial temporal resection, the focus was stereotactically irradiated in five fractions using a standard linear accelerator (6 MeV), to a total dose equivalent of 10 Gy in a single shot. Two months after the treatment the frequency of seizures decreased and the patient has been free of attacks since the seventh postirradiation month, up to 27 months by now, and in excellent condition. Noninvasive stereotactic radiotherapy may turn out to be a rational way to eliminate an epileptic focus."}
{"id": "PMID:1481743", "title": "Computer assisted localizer for planning of surgery and intra-operative orientation.", "content": "There is discrepancy between the exact representation of anatomical structures and tumours in the CT or MRI scan and the more or less accurate intra-operative localisation methods based mostly upon landmarks of the skull and extracerebral space and visible abnormalities of the cerebral surface. To overcome these problems of exact intra-operative localisation a Computer Assisted Localizer (CAL) is presented which allows precise intra-operative orientation without these aids. It consists of a mechanically articulated arm with six degrees of freedom with a high precision digital incremental and an image processor for 3 D data of the head. MRI and/or CT investigation is done pre-operatively with four reference markers fixed on the patient's head. They are visible on the CT or MRI slices and are used as reference points during surgery for adjustment of the device. The co-ordinates of the digitalizer arm tip are projected into the corresponding axial, sagittal and coronal CT slices so that the system simultaneously presents three orthogonal multiplanar CT reconstructions with a reticule indicating the position of the tip of the arm. As the surgeon directs the arm to the region of interest the corresponding CT slices are displayed on the monitor at a rate of 20 slices/sec determined by the motion of the arm. The accuracy of measurement of the device itself lies within 1 mm. The accuracy is somewhat reduced however by the thickness of CT or MRI slices (routinely 2 mm slices were taken) and by deviations of the reference markers on the skin surface which amount up to 3 mm.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1481745", "title": "Direct skull marking for a pre-operative localization in regional cerebral surgery. Technical note.", "content": "A method is described in which an open neurosurgical target is pre-operatively marked on the skull of a patient. A target point of the scalp surface localized from neuroimaging studies is transferred onto the skull by an injection of pyoktanin blue. Its accuracy and reliability is far superior than that of the usual scalp marking. The method is simple, practical, and allows a smaller, regional craniotomy with the advantage of minimum operative invasiveness."}
{"id": "PMID:1481744", "title": "Localization of central lesions by correlation of CT findings and neurological deficits.", "content": "In a prospective study involving 100 patients with lesions in the precentral gyrus or pyramidal tract we sought to correlate clinical findings and the results of an axial computed tomography (CT) to localize the lesion. In 85% of patients the size and location of the lesion visible on CT correlated well with the type and severity of the neurological symptoms and signs. However, in the remaining 15% of patients the CT findings did not correlate well with the patient's neurological deficit, showing that in these patients the anatomy of the central area was variable or distorted by the space-occupying lesion. We suggest that in such patients neurophysiological techniques be used intra-operatively for reliable localization of the motor strip."}
{"id": "PMID:1481746", "title": "Repair of skull base dural defects: the dura sandwich. Technical note.", "content": "A technique for skull base dural defect repair is presented, using two layers of periosteum and biological (Tisseel glue), one on either side of the defect. The method is reliable and relatively simple, and was used to repair a recurrent skull base encephalocoele with great success. The method has application in the reconstruction of any dural defect, whether congenital, traumatic or surgical."}
{"id": "PMID:1481748", "title": "Safe surgery of lesions near the motor cortex using intra-operative mapping techniques: a report on 50 patients.", "content": "In 50 patients lesions located in or adjacent to the motor strip were microsurgically removed with the help of intra-operative electrophysiological mapping of the sensorimotor cortex. Mapping consisted of cortical stimulation and/or recording of somatosensory evoked potentials. Depending on the patient's pre-operative neurological status, surprisingly good results could be achieved: The surgery resulted in increased permanent sensorimotor deficit in only 4% of cases and in improved neurological status in 30% of cases. It is concluded that surgical removal of centrally located lesions using a microsurgical technique and intra-operative mapping of the motor cortex is safe and permits extensive or radical resection of lesions, even those in the motor cortex itself."}
{"id": "PMID:1481749", "title": "Subarachnoid haemorrhage of unknown aetiology.", "content": "Eighty-six of 996 patients with primary subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) had negative pan-angiography studies. These 86 patients with subarachnoid haemorrhage of unknown origin (SAH-NUD) were compared with 853 patients sustaining an aneurysmal bleed (SAH-A) admitted during the same period 1980-1989. The age and sex distribution of both groups were similar. The SAH-NUD group was in better condition on admission, with less blood evident on CT scan. All 16 (repeat control) angiography studies in the SAH-NUD group were negative. During a follow-up period ranging from 1 to 10 years (mean 5.4 years), two patients experienced rebleeding with negative repeat angiographies and subsequent total recovery. Using the Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS) the final outcome was good in 86% of the study group and 54% of the aneurysm group. However, half of the SAH-NUD patients complained of persistent symptoms at long-term follow-up. Thus, despite a generally good prognosis, for a given individual SAH-NUD may be catastrophic with many residual symptoms persisting for the rest of the person's life."}
{"id": "PMID:1481750", "title": "Surgical management of unruptured intracranial aneurysms. Personal experience with 37 cases and discussion of the indications.", "content": "The authors report a series of 37 cases of unruptured aneurysms, admitted and operated upon over a 5 year period (1985-1990), which represents an incidence of 18% of the total number of aneurysm patients operated upon during this period. These unruptured aneurysms were discovered in 4 types of circumstances: 1) Associated with a ruptured aneurysm but treated in a second procedure (9 cases); 2) After a transient ischaemic attack (6 cases); 3) After a cerebral haemorrhage of a different origin (3 cases), 4) After the onset of various neurological symptoms other than SAH (19 cases). Giant aneurysms (over 2.5 cm in diameter) are excluded from this series. Overall these 37 patients harboured 52 aneurysms, and 1 patient was operated upon on both sides. 27 aneurysms (52%) were located on the right side, 15 (29%) on the left side, and 10 (19%) on the midline. In the immediate post operative period, 1 patient died (2.6%) and 8 patients (21%) presented various complications. The outcome at 6 months was: death 2.6%, moderately disabled 8%, good recovery 89%. The arguments in favour of, or against, the surgical treatment of unruptured aneurysms are discussed in view of the literature. In favour of prophylactic surgery are: 1) The rather poor overall outcome following aneurysm rupture (including deaths before admission); 2) The rather good outcome of surgery in published series of unruptured aneurysms. The data of the natural history of the unruptured aneurysm are more questionable: in this view, surgery seems to be recommended in young patients with an easily accessible aneurysm and being in a good clinical condition.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1481751", "title": "Dorsal internal carotid artery aneurysms with special reference to angiographic presentation and surgical management.", "content": "Aneurysms arising from the dorsal wall of the internal carotid artery are rare. The authors surgically treated twenty dorsal internal carotid artery aneurysms. Pre-operative angiographic findings were reviewed and classified into three types. Eleven aneurysms projecting superiorly on the lateral angiogram were found to be adherent to the base of the frontal lobe by the pterional approach. Five aneurysms which had been superimposed with the internal carotid artery on the lateral angiogram were found adhered to the medial surface of the temporal lobe. Four aneurysms not seen on the angiogram had no adhesion. Two aneurysms, which had not been seen on the initial angiograms, were visualized on the angiograms taken during the period of vasospasm. This type of aneurysms can be the source of a subarachnoid haemorrhage of unknown origin and requires repeated examinations. Premature rupture occurred intra-operatively in five cases and postoperative bleeding was encountered in two. Clipping technique is discussed from the viewpoint of preventing intra- and postoperative rupture."}
{"id": "PMID:1481752", "title": "Risk of epilepsy after aneurysm operations.", "content": "This prospective study was undertaken to evaluate the risk of epilepsy after aneurysm operations. The patients were discharged after operation without any anticonvulsant prophylactic treatment and followed-up for 12 months. Out of 128 such patients 121 were submitted for final evaluation. Epilepsy was diagnosed if two or more seizure attacks occurred during that time. Such attacks occurred in 8 patients, so the risk of epilepsy was estimated at 7% for the 12 months after operation in patients without prophylactic treatment. In another 3 patients single seizures occurred during the follow-up, they were not treated with anticonvulsant drugs; seizures did not recur for up to two years. Detailed analysis of the patients with late epilepsy revealed that most of them were pre-operatively in the 3rd clinical group according to WFNS scale. The rationale for the use of prophylactic anticonvulsants after aneurysm surgery seems to be doubtful in view of this study and data from the literature."}
{"id": "PMID:1481753", "title": "Iodine-125 interstitial irradiation for cerebral gliomas.", "content": "In this retrospective review the outcome of 539 patients is evaluated, who from 1979 through 1991 underwent stereotactic biopsy and interstitial irradiation using iodine-125 implants. Permanent (lost) 125-I implants were used in 345 cases (64%) (1979-1985), temporary (removable) implants in 194 cases (36%) (1985-1991). The patients were selected for interstitial irradiation on the basis of histological classification, location and circumscription of their tumours (106 pilocytic astrocytomas, 251 astrocytomas WHO grade II, 29 oligodendrogliomas, 44 oligo-astrocytomas, 75 anaplastic astrocytomas and 34 glioblastomas). Diffusely infiltrative non-delineated gliomas and gliomas crossing the midline were excluded. Five-year survival rates were 77% for pilocytic astrocytomas, 65% for astrocytomas WHO II, 80% for oligo-astrocytomas, and 58% for oligodendrogliomas. The 2-year survival rates were 36% for anaplastic gliomas and 16% for glioblastomas. Operative morbidity due to stereotactic biopsy, implantation, and explantation of seeds was 3.9%. In the subgroups of patients with astrocytomas (WHO-II), pilocytic astrocytomas and malignant gliomas age was a significant factor predicting survival. Patients with astrocytomas WHO II who received temporary implants had a significantly better outcome than those with permanent implants. Radiation toxicity (3.1%) was seen mostly among the permanent (lost) implants. No patients required re-operation due to radionecrosis. The findings among this subgroup of gliomas indicate that interstitial implant irradiation using 125-I is effective in controlling tumour growth and is well tolerated. Patients with differentiated and circumscribed gliomas particularly benefit from the treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1481755", "title": "Endoscopic treatment of suprasellar arachnoid cysts.", "content": "Four cases of large suprasellar arachnoid cysts in children are described. The authors propose a large fenestration into the lateral ventricles and into the basal cisterns as the treatment of choice. A specific multipurpose cerebral endoscope has been designed by the first author. The endoscopic technique with different instruments and with the use of a laser is illustrated. Results and complications are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1481754", "title": "Medulloblastoma in children and in adults: a comparative study.", "content": "We report on the clinical and pathological characters and factors influencing prognosis in a consecutive series of 20 cases of medulloblastoma presenting in childhood and of 20 cases of the tumour presenting in adulthood. The significant differences which emerged were compared with the findings of the largest published series. Medulloblastoma is more often lateral in site and desmoplastic in histology in adults than in children. On our evidence the age at tumour onset not affect survival."}
{"id": "PMID:1481756", "title": "The effect of ketanserin on cerebral blood flow and cerebrovascular CO2 reactivity in healthy volunteers.", "content": "The effect of the anti-hypertensive agent ketanserin on the cerebral blood flow (CBF) and the cerebrovascular CO2 reactivity was examined in 10 healthy volunteers. Ketanserin was administered as an intravenous bolus of 10 mg followed by an infusion of 6 mg/h. Before administration CBF was measured by single photon emission computerized tomography (SPECT) of inhaled 133Xenon. Then arterial CO2 tension was subsequently decreased by voluntary hyperventilation and increased by breathing an air/CO2 mixture. The relative changes in CBF induced by the changes in arterial CO2 tension were estimated by the cerebral arterio-venous oxygen content difference method. One hour following the start of ketanserin infusion the SPECT measurement and CO2 manipulations were repeated. The CO2 reactivity (expressed as the slope of the regression line of the linear relation between CBF and PaCO2), was unchanged, i.e. 3.2%/0.1 kPa before ketanserin and 4.1%/0.1 kPa during ketanserin, respectively. Using regression lines from a semi-logarithmic plot the CO2 reactivity was also unchanged 3.4%/0.1 kPa and 3.5%/0.1 kPa, respectively. Ketanserin did not change CBF. The cerebral oxygen metabolism (CMRO2) was decreased 19% one hour after the start of infusion of ketanserin. In conclusion administration of ketanserin in a clinically relevant dose to healthy volunteers does not change the regional CBF not the cerebrovascular CO2 reactivity, but a decrease in CMRO2 was observed. However further studies are needed to clarify whether ketanserin in fact has a depressing effect on CMRO2 or whether the different results are caused by methodological errors or stochastic variation."}
{"id": "PMID:1481757", "title": "Intramedullary spinal cord ependymomas--a study of 45 cases with long-term follow-up.", "content": "Of the 62 patients with intramedullary spinal cord ependymoma treated surgically at our Neurosurgery Division between January 1951 and December 1990 45 had a follow-up of at least 3 years and the longest 30 years. The 28 conus-cauda equina-filum ependymomas operated during the same period are not considered in this study. An analysis of our cases and of the larger published series shows that favourable prognostic factors, apart of course from total tumour removal, which is now usually possible, are a site below the high cervical segments and a mild pre-operative symptom pattern. Patient age at diagnosis, tumour size and \"low dose\" (< 40 Gy) radiotherapy seem to have no influence on the prognosis. Aggressive surgical removal is the treatment of choice and also for long-term recurrence."}
{"id": "PMID:1481758", "title": "Risk factors in postoperative neurosurgical infection. A prospective study.", "content": "Four hundred and seventy patients who had undergone neurosurgical operations were studied prospectively. After defining post-operative infection so that is included all the infective complications irrespective of location occurring after surgery, the overall infection rate was 17%. The infection rate in 413 cases without pre-existing infection was 15%. Wound infection was recorded in 5% and meningitis in 6%. Risk factors which lead to a significant increase in the incidence of postoperative infection were found to be altered sensorium, multiple operations, pre-existing infection, emergency surgery, duration of surgery more than 4 hours, urinary catheterisation, cerebrospinal fluid leak, and ventilatory support."}
{"id": "PMID:1481759", "title": "Somatosensory evoked potential monitoring during intracranial surgery.", "content": "In the neurosurgical approach to intracranial aneurysms which are often accompanied by arterial spasm and cortical ischaemia, monitoring procedures aim to obtain useful information on cerebral function. SEPs evoked by stimulation of the median nerve at the wrist and of the tibial nerve at the medial malleolus were registered in 45 patients with intracranial aneurysms during neurosurgical procedures. Our results show SEP abnormalities during different stages of neurosurgical procedures in 36 patients out of the monitored 45. Significant abnormalities of SEPs with respect to the control group were decrease of the amplitude of N 20-P 25 complex, lengthening of the absolute latency of the waves N 20- and P 25 and lengthening of the central conduction time (CCT) (N 13-N 20). The greatest SEP abnormalities were registered during the neurosurgical approach to aneurysm and during the clipping procedure. However, the changes were reversible in the majority of the patients. The aim of this paper was to focus on early detection of some cerebral function disturbances during the neurosurgical procedure as well as the prevention of possible brain damage."}
{"id": "PMID:1481760", "title": "The traumatic dural sinus injury--a clinical study.", "content": "In a period of 13 years 978 cases of severe head injuries were operated on in our clinic. An analysis of the medical reports includes injuries of the superficial dural sinus (39 cases = 4%): among these injuries of the anterior and central part of the superior sagittal sinus (66 per cent), injuries of the transverse sinus (18 per cent), injuries of the posterior part of the superior sagittal sinus (8 per cent), and combined injuries of different dural sinuses (8 per cent). Clinical data, i.e. the causes of accident, radiological examination results, intracranial lesions, operation techniques and outcome are analysed and discussed. The analysis of cases with dural sinus injuries shows a high mortality rate (total mortality rate: 16 patients = 41%; intra-operative mortality rate: 8 patients = 20%)."}
{"id": "PMID:1481761", "title": "Percutaneous pharyngostomy versus gastric tube placement in head injured patients. A prospective comparative study of 50 patients.", "content": "The author reports a prospective comparative study in two groups of patients with head injuries where the complications of conventional nasal placement of nasogastric tubes are compared to placement by pharyngostomy. Percutaneous pharyngostomy is a simple procedure that eliminates some of the complications associated with the use of nasogastric tubes. It has particular advantages in patients with maxillofacial- and skull base injuries, is well tolerated in patients with a depressed level of consciousness and eliminates some of the infective complications associated with the use of nasogastric tubes."}
{"id": "PMID:1481762", "title": "Clinical analysis of post-traumatic vomiting.", "content": "Post-traumatic vomiting was clinically analyzed. One hundred and forty seven patients with head injury came to our hospital consecutively from April 1991 to August 1991. Of 147 patients, 26 exhibited vomiting post-traumatically. The incidence of loss of consciousness, that of fractures on plain X-ray films, and that of traumatic intracranial lesions demonstrated on CT were compared between two patient groups, i.e., a group of patients with post-traumatic vomiting and another one without it. None of them were revealed to be significantly different between the two groups, respectively. It was concluded from the results that the existence of post-traumatic vomiting implied neither severe traumatic impact nor serious intracranial damage. The plausible mechanisms of post-traumatic vomiting are discussed, taking account of the statistical data on the patients' age, sites of impact, and past histories."}
{"id": "PMID:1481763", "title": "[The position of the tongue].", "content": "The authors describe anatomy, typologies, evolution of the tongue during growth. They pay attention at the modeling role of the lingual position and functions upon maxillofacial architecture. The bi-labial contact is the main factor for general functional equilibrium."}
{"id": "PMID:1481764", "title": "Susceptibility of anaerobic microorganisms to hypothiocyanite produced by lactoperoxidase.", "content": "The susceptibility of Capnocytophaga ochracea, Eikenella corrodens, Eubacterium yurii, Fusobacterium nucleatum, Peptostreptococcus micros, Prevotella intermedia, Selenomonas sputigena, Wolinella recta to hypothiocyanite (OSCN-) produced by the lactoperoxidase system was tested. Results showed a decrease of bacterial survival rate after OSCN- exposure, with an intra- and inter-species variability from 0 to 95% for C. ochracea, 34-100% for E. corrodens, 0-83% for E. yurii, 1-15% for F. nucleatum, 8-61% for P. micros, 0-100% for P. intermedia, 0-44% for S. sputigena and 0-8% for W. recta. The survival rate did not correlate with the NADH/OSCN- oxidoreductase activity present in the lysed bacteria (r = -0.3248; N = 15; NS)."}
{"id": "PMID:1481765", "title": "[Metastasis of pancreatic adenocarcinoma to the submandibular gland].", "content": "Metastases are rarely found in salivary glands. They are exceptional in the submaxillary gland. The authors report a case of a metastatic tumour in the submaxillary gland. The primitive tumour was found in the pancreatic head."}
{"id": "PMID:1481766", "title": "Arthrographic imaging of post-traumatic temporomandibular joint disorders.", "content": "Clinical, arthrographic and surgical findings in 20 patients who showed persisting TMJ-pain or dysfunction after an acute traumatic event were reviewed and compared to findings in a control group of 65 patients who did not remember an acute post-traumatic onset of symptoms. Anterior disk displacement (82%), disk perforation (65%) and rotational anteromedial disk displacement (34%) were the most common abnormalities encountered. Other important abnormalities were joint adhesions and capsule perforation. When compared with the control group, all these abnormalities occurred more often in traumatised joints. Arthrography was found to be highly accurate in detecting most types of abnormalities found during surgery. Arthrography is reported to be more effective than MRI in detecting disk perforations, adhesions and capsule perforations, which points to its continuing importance as an imaging tool for evaluating post-traumatic temporomandibular joint disorders."}
{"id": "PMID:1481767", "title": "[Evaluation of a chronic pain syndrome].", "content": "Chronic pain, the pain which persists or appears after the initial lesions are healed, has recently been recognized as a medical entity called the \"chronic pain syndrome\". This condition may be differentiated from acute pain on the basis of biological finality, pathogenic mechanisms, autonomic reactions, affective and behavioural components but most of all of the therapeutic goals. It is important to remind that the experience of pain is the result of at least three interactive neuro-psychological determinants viz. the sensory-discriminative, the affective-motivational and the cognitive-evaluative systems. For this reason, when pain becomes treatment resistant, it is important to complete the usual diagnostic approach by an evaluation of pain as a phenomenon and to abandon a strictly \"peripheral\" model. Such evaluation is necessarily interdisciplinary."}
{"id": "PMID:1481768", "title": "[Case study: a calcified epithelial odontogenic tumor (Pindborg tumor)].", "content": "The calcifying epithelial odontogenic tumor is a benign but locally aggressive tumor. Occasionally the term Pindborg tumor is used after the Danish pathologist who first described this tumor as an entity. The clinical feature is most commonly a slow-growing painless swelling. The tumor may show considerable roentgenographic variation. Usually this tumor shows characteristic histological features. Some variants can mimic malignant neoplasms. The invasive nature is not so obvious as that of an ameloblastoma, nevertheless it has to be treated in the same way. A long follow-up period is indicated since recurrence can occur after many years. A patient with a characteristic Pindborg tumor is presented."}
{"id": "PMID:1481769", "title": "[Technique and interpretation of arthrography of the temporomandibular joint. Study of 120 cases].", "content": "The goal of the study was to assess the predictive value of inferior joint space arthrography for detection of abnormalities found during surgery. Therefore, a retrospective analysis of arthrographic and surgical findings in 120 joints was performed. Arthrography showed high accuracy for detection of anterior disk displacement (90%) and disk perforation (90.8%). The shape of the anterior recess proved to be the most valuable arthrographic criterium for detection of anterior disk displacement. Cinematographic registration of joint dynamics after injection of contrast material and arthrotomographic analysis of the shape of the superior margin of the anterior recess of the inferior joint space were necessary for an optimal evaluation of the disk position."}
{"id": "PMID:1481770", "title": "[Percutaneous Bacillus Calmette-Guerin perfusion of the upper urinary tract for carcinoma in situ].", "content": "We performed percutaneous perfusion of the upper urinary tract with Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) in 3 patients. Two of them had undergone unilateral nephrectoureterectomy for ureter carcinoma in situ and one had undergone radical cystectomy with bilateral ureterocutaneostomy for invasive bladder carcinoma. However, they suffered recurrent upper urinary tract carcinoma in situ within 2 years after their operation. Under ultrasound control a percutaneous nephrostomy tube was placed in the patient. Before BCG perfusion unobstructed flow from the renal pelvis to the bladder was confirmed and pyelovenous or pyelolymphatic back flow was excluded under fluoroscopy. A dose of 240 mg BCG was dissolved in 150 ml 0.9% saline. The flask was placed 20 cm above the kidney of the resting patient. A continuous flow of approximately 1 ml per minute was maintained. The perfusion was stopped after 2 hours and the nephrostomy tube was closed. Therapy was repeated at weekly intervals for a total of 6 perfusions (1 treatment course). In each of them urine cytology results became negative after 1 treatment course. No severe side effects were observed. Further investigation is also needed to determine whether BCG perfusion of the upper urinary tract could become a conservative treatment for carcinoma in situ of the upper urinary tract."}
{"id": "PMID:1481771", "title": "[Experimental and clinical evaluation of functional electrical stimulation of the anal sphincter].", "content": "To determine the most effective parameter of functional electrical stimulation of the anal sphincter (FES), the present study was carried out in female mongrel dogs anesthetized with alpha-chloralose urethane. When spontaneous and rhythmic micturition contractions of the bladder were present, they were more effectively inhibited by the stimulation with low frequency (5 to 10 Hz). Based on the results of this experiment 18 patients with urge incontinence were treated by maximal electrical stimulation with the following parameters. The duration for each stimulus was 0.2 msec, frequency 5 Hz, amplitude 30 to 150 volts. Every patient received ten treatments for two weeks, each lasting for 30 minutes. A clinical cure for urge incontinence was noted in 12 patients. As for urodynamic studies, FES increased significantly the volumes of the first desire to void (FDV) and maximum desire to void (MDV); however, it did not increase significantly the maximum urethral closure pressure or residual urine volume. Eighteen patients were divided into two groups; an unstable bladder group and a neurogenic bladder group. In the latter, the increases in volumes of FDV and MDV were significant. Second, 18 patients were divided into two groups according to the administration of lack of anticholinergic agents. For subjective symptoms, the rate of improvement of urge incontinence was significantly higher in the group administered the agents. These findings suggested that FES was very useful for the treatment of urge incontinence, with its efficacy augmented by the administration of anticholinergic agents."}
{"id": "PMID:1481772", "title": "[Operation of female stress incontinence--comparison between Raz procedure and Gittes procedure].", "content": "We performed Raz procedure and Gittes procedure for female stress incontinence since October 1986. Raz procedure was performed on 19 patients between October 1986 and February 1990, and Gittes procedure was performed on 18 patients between June 1990 and May 1991. We followed up 17 patients who underwent Raz procedure and all the patients who underwent Gittes procedure at the time August 1991. Disappearance or marked improvement of incontinence was confirmed in 12 patients by Raz procedure, and 16 patients by Gittes Procedure. No serious complications were recognized. The reason why the result of Raz procedure was not sufficient was due to our immature operative technique and incorrect patient selection in our early experience. From this experience, we believe that both procedures can be very useful and minimal invasive operation for female stress incontinence."}
{"id": "PMID:1481773", "title": "[Retroperitoneal fibrosis suspected to be ureteral tumor because of its localization at the unilateral distal ureter: a case report].", "content": "The patient was a 32-year-old female with the complaint of right flank pain. Drip infusion pyelogram showed right hydronephrosis and retrograde urogram demonstrated a marked stenosis about 2 cm in length at the right distal ureter. The passage of the ureteral catheter and the contrast medium through the narrowing portion of the ureter could not be performed. The abdominal computerized tomographic (CT)-scan disclosed renal subcapsular urinoma, although no abnormal findings which caused ureteral stenosis were revealed. A suspicion of right ureteral tumor was entertained and total nephroureterectomy was performed. Histopathological diagnosis was the idiopathic retroperitoneal fibrosis, which involved the right ureter. One hundred and fifty five cases of idiopathic retroperitoneal fibrosis in the Japanese literature were reviewed."}
{"id": "PMID:1481774", "title": "[Retroperitoneal malignant lymphoma showing follicular type: report of a case].", "content": "We report a case of retroperitoneal follicular malignant lymphoma. A 59-year-old man visited the hospital with the chief complaint of a loss of body weight and left epigastric tumor. CT revealed a tumor, 9 x 6 cm, with non-homogeneous density in the left retroperitoneum. Since no clinical metastasis was identified, the tumor and the left kidney were resected en bloc with para-aortic lymph node dissection. Pathological diagnosis was non-Hodgkin follicular lymphoma of mixed small cleaved and large cell type with lymph node metastasis (2/23). The CHOP adjuvant chemotherapy (cyclophosphamide, adriamycin vincristine, Prednisolone) and the radiation therapy were performed after the operation. Recurrence in the mediastinal lymph node occurred 7 months after operation and radiation and the same adjuvant chemotherapy were performed and resulted in complete remission. The patient remained free of the tumor for 27 months at present."}
{"id": "PMID:1481775", "title": "[A case of intimal dissection of the aorta during transfemoral angiography].", "content": "A 54-year-old man underwent right transfemoral angiography because of left renal hematuria. During angiography, dissection of abdominal aorta and thoracic aorta was encountered. It was initiated by intramural catheter passage at the bifurcation of the internal and external iliac artery. Transaxillary aortography about one month after the first angiography showed occlusion of the dissecting space in the thoracic aorta and existence of dissecting space in the abdominal aorta. Communicating orifices between the true space and the false space existed not only at the bifurcation of internal iliac artery and external iliac artery, but also at the abdominal aorta near the left renal artery. CT 1.5 months after the first angiography did not demonstrate more improvement. Surgery was performed. It was impossible to sew up and close the orifices of the space because of the fragility of the intima. Surrounding abdominal aorta and common iliac artery were wrapped near orifices with a dacron graft. A follow-up CT obtained 3 months postoperatively showed that the dissecting space in the abdominal aorta had disappeared. Wrapping was very useful to promote organization of the dissecting space."}
{"id": "PMID:1481776", "title": "[Renal cell carcinoma in a renal cyst--observation of changes during the year: report of a case].", "content": "We report a case of renal cell carcinoma within a renal cyst. A 45-year-old man visited our hospital with the chief complaint of left back pain. Ultrasonography was examined by a physician, and it revealed a right renal cyst by chance. Computed tomography demonstrated a thick wall in the cyst which showed enhancement of density with contrast medium. The physician followed the cystic lesion periodically, by ultrasonography and computed tomography. The cyst on volume did not change, but the thick wall had a tendency to develop to inner space. The patient was referred to our department. Angiography was performed, and it showed neovascularity and tumor staining. We diagnosed the renal tumor in a renal cyst. Transabdominal right radical nephrectomy was performed on 18 June, 1991. The resected specimen involved a mall tumor (2.5 x 2.0 cm) in the cyst. Histological examination of the tumor was renal cell carcinoma which was well capsulated by connective tissue without invasion to normal parenchyma and perirenal fat. We speculated that the renal cell carcinoma originated from the cyst wall and it developed to inner cystic space. The natural history of the renal cell carcinoma in a renal cyst is not clear. Our case shows a type of its history. We reviewed and discussed the types and diagnosis of the renal cell carcinoma in a renal cyst."}
{"id": "PMID:1481777", "title": "[Hypothyroidism followed by interferon-alpha as adjuvant therapy of renal cell carcinoma: a case report].", "content": "A 58-year-old male patient was admitted to the hospital complaining of weight loss. Abdominal computerized tomographic (CT) scan disclosed a mass shadow in the left kidney. From the results of further examination, including drip infusion pyelography (DIP) and angiography, he was preoperatively diagnosed as having a left renal tumor. Left radical nephrectomy was performed on March 15, 1990. The lesion was histologically diagnosed as renal cell carcinoma (clear cell subtype, grade 2) confined by the renal capsule (stage I). No distant metastases were detected. Interferon-alpha was administered every other day as adjuvant chemotherapy. After the patient experienced muscle pain in his thighs and shoulders after exercise on February 11, 1991, the serum creatine phosphokinase (CPK) level progressively increased up to 2,329 U/l. On the basis of the results of various examinations reflecting thyroid gland function, he was diagnosed as having primary hypothyroidism due to Hashimoto's disease. Thyroid function improved after administration of triiodothyronine and thyroxine. Interferon has been reported to influence thyroid function, and, in this case, interferon-alpha therapy may have induced the primary hypothyroidism associated with Hashimoto's disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1481778", "title": "[Contralateral ureteral metastasis from renal cell carcinoma: a case report].", "content": "A case of contralateral ureteral metastasis from renal cell carcinoma is reported. A 52-year-old man underwent left nephrectomy for renal cell carcinoma of November 20, 1986. He was clinically asymptomatic for 4 years 8 months after the operation. He was admitted on August 14, 1991, because of right loin pain. Right retrograde pyelography and percutaneous pyelography showed a filling defect in the right ureter at the level of L3. After the right ureter was explored, the tumor lesion of ureter was resected and end to end anastomosis of the ureter was performed. Histopathologic examination showed a metastatic clear cell carcinoma consistent with a renal primary. The contralateral ureteral metastasis from renal cell carcinoma is very rare and only 15 cases have been reported previously."}
{"id": "PMID:1481779", "title": "[An experience with augmentation sigmoid cystoplasty for urinary incontinence caused by sacral agenesis: a case report].", "content": "Sacral agenesis is an uncommon disease. About 50 cases have been reported in Japan since 1929. Neurogenic bladder is often accompanied with the disease. The patient was a 26-year-old man who had suffered from persistent urinary incontinence since his childhood. Kidney-ureter-bladder (KUB) revealed Type IV sacral agenesis according to the classification by Renshaw. The upper urinary tract remained normal. Urodynamics study showed a low compliance bladder with low urethral pressure. Pharmacotherapy failed to improve his continence. Augmentation sigmoid-cystoplasty was undertaken to enlarge vesical capacity and it has successfully overcome his urinary incontinence. Clinical aspects of sacral agenesis are discussed focusing on urological problems."}
{"id": "PMID:1481780", "title": "[Primary sclerosing lipogranuloma of the male genitalia: report of three cases].", "content": "Recently, genital sclerosing lipogranuloma having no history of trauma and foreign body infusion are more common in Japan. We report three cases recently encountered in which tumors were diagnosed as sclerosing lipogranuloma on histological examination. In case 1, lipid analyses of the tissues by infrared absorption spectrometry proved that it was endogenous in origin."}
{"id": "PMID:1481781", "title": "[Epidermoid cyst of the testis: a case of testis preservation].", "content": "A 19-year-old man complained of an asymptomatic right testicular mass. Physical examination revealed a firm, small-finger sized, mass lesion with a smooth surface in the right testis. The ultrasonographic appearance was hypoechoic and well-demarcated intratesticular lesion. All laboratory investigations, including tumor markers, were normal. The testis was explored through an inguinal incision. The mass was excised locally and the biopsy of the adjacent testicular tissue was done with gentle code clamping. The histological diagnosis was epidermoid cyst of the testis and the testicular tissue obtained was normal. About 90 cases of testicular epidermoid cyst have been reported in the Japanese literature, and are reviewed briefly here."}
{"id": "PMID:1481782", "title": "[Nerve-sparing retroperitoneal lymph node dissection for stage IIA testicular embryonal carcinoma: a case report].", "content": "A 32-year-old man who had left testicular embryonal carcinoma with low volume left para-aortic lymph node swelling was treated initially with 3 courses of cisplatin-based combination chemotherapy. Pathological findings of the primary lesion revealed no yolk sac element and no elevation of serum alpha fetoprotein (alpha-FP) and beta-human chorionic gonadotropin (beta-HCG) levels even before the left orchiectomy. Therefore, the retroperitoneal lymph node dissection (RPLND) was performed despite marked shrinkage of the enlarged nodes. The L1-3 lumber splanchnic nerves from the right sympathetic truncus were detected in the intra-aortocaval region to prevent impairment of ejaculatory function and the lymph nodes in the area were removed one by one between the preserved neurofibers. On the other hand, the left para-aortic lymphatic tissue which included enlarged nodes was dissected in en bloc manner. The pre-aortic lymphatic tissue caudally to the inferior mesenteric artery was preserved not to be touched. The patient ejaculated normally 3 weeks after the RPLND. Treatment of stage IIA disease with chemotherapy first might be helpful in performing RPLND, if necessary, with keeping both ejaculatory function and radicality."}
{"id": "PMID:1481783", "title": "[Combination therapy with natural type human tumor necrosis factor (MHR-24) and human lymphoblastoid interferon-alpha (MOR-22) against renal cell carcinoma--a multiclinic cooperative, early phase II study. Subcommittee on Urogenital Malignancy, Committee on MHR-24 against Tumors].", "content": "The combination therapy with natural type human tumor necrosis factor (n-TNF; MHR-24) and human lymphoblastoid interferon-alpha (n-IFN-alpha; MOR-22) was investigated for antitumor effect against renal cell carcinoma in a multiclinic cooperative study throughout Japan. The \"Response criteria of Japan Society for Cancer Therapy\" were followed for the handling of subjects and the evaluation of antitumor effect. MHR-24 was administered at a daily dosage of 5,000-10,000 JRU by intravenous drip and MOR-22 at a dosage of 5,000,000 IU daily was administered intramuscularly at the same time. Both drugs were administered for 4 weeks or longer. A total of 36 patients were enrolled as subjects in the study. None of them were classified as ineligible. Five patients, were classified as imperfectly evaluable, and 31, as evaluable for the results of treatment. The responses in the evaluable patients were partial response (PR) in 4 patients, minor response (MR) in 3 patients, no change (NC) in 14 patients and progressive disease (PD) in 10 patients, with a response rate of 12.9%. Adverse reactions to the therapy were investigated in all 36 patients. The frequent subjective and objective reactions that occurred were fever, rigors and shivering, anorexia, and generalized malaise, and the frequent abnormal laboratory findings were leukopenia, thrombocytopenia, elevation of GOT, and elevation of GPT."}
{"id": "PMID:1481784", "title": "Ethnic minority adolescents and the use of community mental health care services.", "content": "Examined the utilization rates, treatment dropout rates, and length of treatment for minority adolescents in the mental health care system. Data from the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health from 1983 to 1988 were used. Ss were 853 African Americans, 704 Asian Americans, 964 Hispanics, and 670 whites. Analyses showed that Asian Americans and Hispanics are underrepresented in existing public mental health facilities while African Americans are overrepresented. For dropout rates, no ethnic differences are found between minority groups and whites; but, for length of treatment, Asian Americans tend to stay longer in treatment while African Americans tend to stay in treatment for a shorter period of time than whites. African Americans also have more outpatient episodes than whites. Implications of the results are discussed, and recommendations for future research are suggested."}
{"id": "PMID:1481785", "title": "Interpreting children's reports of concern about parental drinking: indicators of risk status?", "content": "Examined several self-report items traditionally used to identify children of alcoholics for their utility in identifying mental health risk status. The meaning of children's responses to these items was also examined. Collectively, these items reflected children's concern about their parents' drinking. Across multiple studies, children who reported concern about parental drinking reported higher levels of psychological and behavioral problems. This pattern existed whether or not children had a problem-drinking parent. Discriminant analyses with data from child and mother reports showed that children who reported concern were from homes with greater stress, lower income, and less supportive mother-child relationships."}
{"id": "PMID:1481786", "title": "Linking empirically based theory and evaluation: the Family Bereavement Program.", "content": "Evaluated the effects of a theoretically derived program to prevent mental health problems in children who had experienced the death of a parent. The program was designed to improve variables in the family environment which were specified as mediators of the effects of parental death on child mental health. The evaluation design involved the random assignment of families to either an intervention or control group. The program led to parental ratings of increased warmth in their relationships with their children, increased satisfaction with their social support, and the maintenance of family discussion of grief-related issues. The program also led to parent ratings of decreased conduct disorder and depression problems and overall problems in older children. Significant correlations between the family environment variables and child mental health problems provided further empirical support for the theory underlying the program. Implications for program redesign were derived by reconsidering the adequacy of the program components to change theoretically mediating variables."}
{"id": "PMID:1481787", "title": "The power of a place: opening the college classroom to people with serious mental illness.", "content": "Presented the structure and implementation of a university-based practicum course on social relationships for people with serious mental illness and college undergraduates. Grounded in an ecological view of social settings, cooperative learning models of education and mutual help principles, the practicum was designed to create a collaborative classroom setting where undergraduates and people with serious mental illness could both develop and enhance their own interpersonal skills and social network ties. The practicum demonstrates how a university can use its resources to help address community needs while simultaneously enhancing its mission of teaching and research. The role of social context in creating collaborative relationships among participants and the use of the university as a community resource are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1481788", "title": "Help-seeking behavior and attitude of Chinese Americans regarding psychological problems.", "content": "Investigated the help-seeking behavior and attitude regarding psychological problems as mediated by mental health status, acculturation level, and sociodemographic characteristics in a community sample of Chinese Americans. Of the 128 respondents, 17 (13.3%) had consulted professional help for a nervous or emotional problem. Compared to the others, they reported significantly poorer mental health status (i.e., had more physical symptoms, had once come close to experiencing a \"nervous breakdown,\" and had a relative who had been in treatment), and were more likely to be American-born. For those who had not previously sought help, attitude toward help seeking was examined. A positive attitude was mediated by superior English ability, being younger, married, and from a lower SES background. The findings suggested help-seeking behavior is primarily mediated by presence of need, whereas attitude reflected a general propensity. Acculturation was an important predictor of both behavior and attitude, with the less acculturated most in need of education about the utility of mental health service."}
{"id": "PMID:1481796", "title": "Drug information course for pharmacy staff development.", "content": "An interactive course in drug information skills developed for pharmacists at a not-for-profit, tertiary-care hospital is described. Faculty members from the area school of pharmacy developed, taught, and evaluated the program. Before the course was developed, pharmacy staff members were asked to rate their drug information skills; the pharmacists' responses indicated their belief that they were not proficient enough in the skills needed in daily practice. The course content and format were refined after 11 pharmacists completed a pilot program. A handbook was developed that contained objectives, session outlines, and literature for each of the six topics chosen for the course. Although the handbook was the primary teaching aid, wall charts and computer demonstrations were also used. Sessions were structured for the needs of adult students by using a small-group discussion format that emphasized the practical relevance of the information and encouraged participants to share personal experiences. Each session was offered on two separate days to facilitate attendance. Those who completed the course received credit for 12 contact hours of continuing education. Of 16 pharmacists enrolled in the course, 11 completed it. An interactive course in drug information skills, developed to meet the needs of hospital pharmacists, was well accepted because it incorporated personal experiences, small-group activities, and flexible scheduling."}
{"id": "PMID:1481797", "title": "Triazolam use in a university medical center.", "content": "The results of a drug-use evaluation (DUE) of triazolam at a university medical center are reported. The DUE was conducted at three institutions in a medical center complex with over 1100 beds. Indicators and thresholds were developed by the DUE subcommittee and approved by each institution's pharmacy and therapeutics committee. The medical charts of patients for whom triazolam was prescribed during January through March 1991 were reviewed. The relationship between the occurrence of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) and triazolam use was evaluated with the Naranjo ADR probability scale. Of 192 patients whose medical charts were reviewed, 123 (64%) were prescribed 0.125-mg doses. Patients who were > 70 years of age were more likely than younger patients to be prescribed this low dose (84% versus 60%). Fifty-four patients (28%) received no doses; a median of two doses (range, 1-46) were received by the remaining 138 patients. Twelve (9%) of those 138 patients experienced ADRs considered to be possibly (n = 10) or probably (n = 2) related to triazolam. Possible triazolam-associated reactions consisted of confusion (four cases), weakness and lethargy (four), and dizziness (two); probable triazolam-associated ADRs were confusion (one case) and next-day somnolence (one). Factors potentially contributing to ADRs included the presence of concomitant diseases or medications, the total number of doses received, and patient age. Of 138 hospitalized patients who had been given one or more doses of triazolam, 12 had had possible or probable triazolam-associated ADRs. The use of low doses and short-term therapy, particularly in elderly patients, may reduce the likelihood of ADRs."}
{"id": "PMID:1481798", "title": "Drug prescribing for patients with changing renal function.", "content": "The prevalence and course of renal dysfunction in hospitalized patients and the prescribing of renally eliminated drugs in these patients were studied. All adult inpatients at a large teaching hospital who had a serum creatinine concentration assay performed were screened for renal dysfunction (an estimated creatinine clearance of < 40 mL/min). Renally compromised patients were monitored for changes in renal function. The regimens of selected renally eliminated drugs prescribed for these patients were compared with the manufacturers' recommended dosages for patients with renal compromise. Of the 3800 patients screened, 195 (5%) had renal dysfunction; most of these patients were older than 65 years. Although improvements in renal function were noted in 49 (30%) of the 169 patients with renal dysfunction who were not receiving hemodialysis, elderly patients were less likely to show an improvement in renal function. Of the 60 patients with renal dysfunction for whom a renally eliminated drug was prescribed, 27 (45%) were receiving dosages in excess of the manufacturers' recommendations. Changes in creatinine clearance estimates are common in hospitalized patients with renal impairment. Programs designed to alert physicians to potentially excessive dosages of renally eliminated drugs need to be sensitive to these changes."}
{"id": "PMID:1481799", "title": "Professional paths chosen by past recipients of ASHP Foundation fellowships.", "content": "Past recipients of ASHP Foundation fellowships were surveyed to determine their professional activities and the impact of the fellowships on their careers. Questionnaires were mailed to 92 former fellowship recipients. Questions covered the respondents' education and postgraduate training, employment, job and career satisfaction, opinions on the ASHP Research and Education Foundation Fellowships Program, publications and presentations, achievements, experience, honors, and demographics. Respondents returned 77 usable questionnaires, for an 83.7% response rate. Most respondents worked primarily in academia or teaching; one fourth primarily taught. Most of the respondents indicated a positive attitude about both their professional careers and the ASHP Foundation Fellowships Program. Respondents have published (alone or as coauthors) 477 research articles and 359 professional articles; they have given 548 podium presentations and 438 poster presentations at national or regional scientific or professional meetings. Some respondents commented that the program helped them develop needed professional skills and urged that the program be continued. Some suggested that funding be increased to two years and that scoring and selection criteria be revised. Others suggested that the stipend be increased, the results be disseminated, and certain fellowships be re-established. The former ASHP Foundation fellows surveyed have made substantive contributions to the advancement of pharmacy and pharmaceutical science. ASHP Foundation fellowships seem to have favorably affected the professional careers of these fellowship recipients."}
{"id": "PMID:1481800", "title": "Stability of ceftazidime (with arginine) stored in plastic syringes at three temperatures.", "content": "The stability of ceftazidime (with arginine) stored in plastic syringes at three temperatures was studied. Ceftazidime (with arginine) was reconstituted with sterile water for injection to a concentration of 100 mg/mL and transferred to plastic syringes. Syringes were stored at 22 degrees C for 24 hours; at 4 degrees C for 7 or 10 days, then at 22 degrees C for 24 hours; or at -20 degrees C for 91 days, then at 22 degrees C for 24 hours or at 4 degrees C for seven days followed by 22 degrees C for 24 hours. Ceftazidime concentration was measured at various times by using a stability-indicating high-performance liquid chromatographic method. At each sampling time, each syringe was visually inspected and the pH of each solution was measured. Mean ceftazidime concentration remained > 90% of initial concentration at all storage conditions. Although during storage the color of the solutions changed from light straw to dark yellow and the pH decreased, no precipitate was visually detected and no peaks for degradation products appeared on the chromatograms. Ceftazidime 100 mg/mL (with arginine) in sterile water for injection was stable when stored in plastic syringes for up to 24 hours at 22 degrees C, for 10 days at 4 degrees C followed by up to 24 hours at 22 degrees C, and for 91 days at -20 degrees C followed by up to 24 hours at 22 degrees C or by 7 days at 4 degrees C and up to 24 hours at 22 degrees C."}
{"id": "PMID:1481801", "title": "Stability of ciprofloxacin in peritoneal dialysis solution.", "content": "The long-term stability of ciprofloxacin in dialysis fluid was studied. Ciprofloxacin was added to nine 2-L bags of dialysis solution containing 1.3% dextrose to yield a nominal concentration of 25 mg/L. Three bags each were stored at 4, 20, and 37 degrees C; three 20-mL samples were removed from each bag after 0, 0.5, 1, 2, 5, 7, 10, 14, 21, 28, and 42 days and analyzed in triplicate by high-performance liquid chromatography. Additional samples were removed from each bag on day 42 and analyzed by microbiological assay with Pseudomonas aeruginosa (nine samples tested for each storage temperature studied). The net percentage of change in ciprofloxacin concentration was 0.76% after storage at 4 degrees C, 1.02% after storage at 20 degrees C, and 0.75% after storage at 37 degrees C. Antimicrobial activity after storage at all three temperatures was confirmed by microbiological assay. Ciprofloxacin 25 mg/L was stable for 42 days when stored in dialysis fluid containing 1.36% dextrose at 4, 20, and 37 degrees C."}
{"id": "PMID:1481805", "title": "Fragile X family with unusual digital and facial abnormalities, cleft lip and palate, and epilepsy.", "content": "We present a fragile X family with unusual clinical manifestations. These findings, which often occur in the X-linked FG syndrome, include minor limb anomalies, cleft lip and palate, characteristic facial appearance, gastrointestinal problems and epilepsy, and intellectual disability. In a total sample of 54 fra(X) families, the frequency of minor limb anomalies was estimated to be 32% in the affected males and 19% in the female heterozygotes. These anomalies tend to occur in several members of the same family, where some craniofacial abnormalities reported as characteristic of the FG syndrome have also been encountered. Possible mechanisms for the occurrence of these unusual manifestations in the fra(X) families are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1481806", "title": "Interstitial deletion of the short arm of chromosome 1 (46XY, del(1)(p13p22.3))", "content": "A male patient with a de novo proximal interstitial deletion of the short arm of chromosome 1 (46XY, del(1)(p13p22.3) is described with multiple anomalies and developmental delay. This patient's clinical manifestations are compared to previously reported patients with deletions of chromosome 1p."}
{"id": "PMID:1481807", "title": "Prenatal diagnosis of short rib (polydactyly) syndrome with situs inversus.", "content": "We present a case of short rib (polydactyly) syndrome in which the diagnosis was made prenatally by ultrasound examination. The more specific diagnosis of short rib (polydactyly) syndrome type III was made on the basis of findings on radiographs obtained at birth. The sonographic and radiographic features are discussed. The patient had complete situs inversus and hypospadias. The former was reported in one other case of type III and the later has not been previously reported in this entity."}
{"id": "PMID:1481808", "title": "Histidinuria: defective transport of histidine.", "content": "A-7-year-old boy was found to have histidinuria without histidinemia. Low concentrations of histidine in plasma were consistent with impaired intestinal and renal tubular absorption of histidine. The patient was developmentally delayed and had some minor anomalies. Only 4 other patients in 3 families have been reported. Each had abnormality of the central nervous system. All were male."}
{"id": "PMID:1481809", "title": "Acrania: a manifestation of the Adams-Oliver syndrome.", "content": "A 10-year-old male with acrania, distal limb anomalies, and abnormal arterial and venous cranial blood vessels is reported. Parental films and examination are normal. This case supports the hypothesis that acrania is a severe form of aplasia cutis congenita and is within the spectrum of Adams-Oliver syndrome. It is proposed that the diagnosis of acrania requires assessment of both parents and proband to assess other manifestations of vascular disruption in order to provide accurate genetic counselling."}
{"id": "PMID:1481810", "title": "Autosomal recessive oral-facial-digital syndrome with resemblance to OFD types II, III, IV and VI: a new OFD syndrome?", "content": "We report on a son and daughter of Ashkenazi-Jewish parents with postaxial polydactyly of the hands and feet associated with syndactyly and brachydactyly, mental retardation, cerebellar hypoplasia, pectus excavatum, mesomelic shortness of the upper and lower limbs, and pretibial dimples. Although this appears to be an example of one of the OFD syndromes and has many similarities to OFD type II, III, IV and VI, it does not fit satisfactorily into any of the types previously described. Thus this may be a new OFD syndrome, although we cannot exclude a possibility that most or all autosomal recessive OFD syndromes are the result of pleiotropy of a single mutation in a homozygous state."}
{"id": "PMID:1481811", "title": "Infant with del(3) (p25-pter): karyotype-phenotype correlation and review of previously reported cases.", "content": "We describe a boy with monosomy for the distal part of the short arm of chromosome 3. He had a congenital heart defect, tetramelic hexadactyly, and typical craniofacial anomalies. Comparison with previously reported cases confirms that the phenotype consists of an identifiable pattern of malformation."}
{"id": "PMID:1481812", "title": "Predictions of a 2-locus model for disease heterogeneity: application to adrenoleukodystrophy.", "content": "Adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD) is an X-linked disorder that exhibits a wide range of phenotypic variability within individuals in a single family carrying the mutant allele. A 2-locus epistatic model has been proposed to explain the inheritance of the severe childhood form of ALD and the milder adult-onset adrenomyloneuropathy (AMN). Under a dominant epistatic model, a single M allele at an autosomal modifier locus ameliorates the most severe effects of the disease allele leading to the milder AMN phenotype; only males with genotype mm would have ALD. Under a recessive epistatic model, 2 copies of the M allele would be necessary to have the milder AMN phenotype. Here, we show that recurrence risks for a second affected male depend on the frequency of the protective allele at this modifier locus. Whereas it is most likely that 2 affected brothers will be concordant for their disease phenotypes, discordant pairs of affected brothers are possible at all frequencies of M. Within a narrow range of modifier allele frequencies, the predicted distribution of affected sib pairs (over all families) is consistent with empiric data from a large clinic population. Here we suggest sampling discordant affected sib pairs as a strategy for detecting linkage between a polymorphic DNA marker and a possible modifier gene. Since both epistatic models predict that discordant affected pairs should not share 2 alleles at the modifier locus, we expect that departures from the null distribution could be detected with relatively small numbers of sib pairs."}
{"id": "PMID:1481814", "title": "Fetal ultrasound abnormalities: correlation with fetal karyotype, autopsy findings, and postnatal outcome--five-year prospective study.", "content": "A 5-year prospective prenatal study in 151 pregnancies with 152 malformed fetuses detected by ultrasound was evaluated cytogenetically. Thirty-five fetuses (23%) had abnormal karyotypes. Specific anatomical fetal malformations identified by ultrasound increase the risk for fetal chromosome abnormalities. Risks of abnormal chromosomes in the fetus are present with both single and multiple anomalies including amniotic fluid volume although the risk is increased with specific anatomical systems and multiple malformations. An abnormal fetal karyotype was present in 17% with a single anatomical abnormality and 30% when two or more anatomical systems were involved. Fetal hydrops, duodenal atresia, and omphalocele were the most specific single ultrasound anomalies; fetal hydrops, IUGR, holoprosencephaly, congenital heart disease, diaphragmatic hernia, duodenal atresia, and omphalocele were the most specific multiple anomalies with abnormal amniotic fluid volume. Termination of pregnancy occurred in 32/58 patients diagnosed prior to the 20th week of pregnancy with most (31/32) having a chromosomal anomaly or severe fetal anomaly. Fetuses terminated after the 20th week had chromosomal (7/18) or lethal fetal anomalies (11/18). The most common aneuploidies were trisomy 21, trisomy 18, and 45,X. The decision to terminate the pregnancy was based in most cases on the fetal ultrasound findings. Correlation of ultrasound and clinical findings is important for accurate genetic counselling."}
{"id": "PMID:1481815", "title": "Monozygotic twins concordant for late-onset probable Alzheimer disease with suspected Alzheimer disease in four sibs.", "content": "Probable Alzheimer disease (AD) is described in 79-year-old male twins with monozygosity confirmed by DNA examination. The first twin to be affected began to show signs of intellectual deterioration at age 70. In the other, onset was at age 72. Four of their living sibs (current age range = 75-92) are also suspected to have AD. The possible roles of genetic and environmental factors in the development of AD in this sibship are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1481816", "title": "Constriction bands and limb reduction defects in two newborns with fetal ultrasound evidence for vascular disruption.", "content": "Most structural anomalies attributed to vascular disruption have been inferred, though not proven, to be the result of disruptive events in utero. We report on 2 pregnancies with ultrasound evidence of disruptive events resulting in terminal limb \"reduction\" defects with constriction bands and other anomalies. In the first patient a fetal ultrasound study at 12 weeks post-LMP demonstrated a monochorionic (MC) twin pregnancy with a nonviable co-twin and no evidence of amniotic bands. At birth, there was a left cleft lip and palate, and terminal limb \"reduction\" defects with ring constrictions of the left hand and both feet. In the second patient, a routine fetal ultrasound study at 18 weeks post-LMP identified a subhepatic cyst which subsequently resolved. Fetal ultrasound examination and neonatal computed tomography (CT) scan of the liver were consistent with a hepatic infarct due to emboli from the umbilical vein. At birth, patient 2 had acrosyndactyly of the left hand with ring constrictions of the digits and reduction of the left big toe. There was no evidence of abnormal amnion. Postnatal development has been normal in both cases. We present ultrasound evidence supporting the hypothesis that vascular disruption from death of a co-twin or from in utero embolic infarcts can cause: 1) terminal limb \"reduction\" defects and possibly cleft lip and palate; and 2) ring constrictions similar to those of \"amniotic band disruption sequence\" in the absence of an abnormal amnion. Serial pregnancy ultrasound studies are recommended for evaluation of the development of fetal structural anomalies following ultrasound evidence of a disruptive event in utero."}
{"id": "PMID:1481817", "title": "New oral-acral syndrome with partial agenesis of the maxillary bones.", "content": "We report on a woman with congenital defect of the anterior part of the maxillary bone (including absence of incisors and canines) without cleft lip or palate, and ectrodactyly of the feet. This syndrome appears to represent a new entity of unknown cause."}
{"id": "PMID:1481819", "title": "Saethre-Chotzen syndrome with trigonocephaly.", "content": "We report on a 20-month-old boy with skull malformations and motor delays. A diagnosis of Saethre-Chotzen syndrome was made in view of the clinical and neuroradiological signs. Other unusual findings were trigonocephaly and occipital dysplasia with medial schisis at the foramen occipitalis. The mother showed a mild expression of the syndrome."}
{"id": "PMID:1481820", "title": "Characterization of an inversion duplication of the short arm of chromosome 8 by fluorescent in situ hybridization.", "content": "A de novo chromosome aberration in a woman with severe mental retardation and minor anomalies has been characterized cytogenetically. The patient's karyotype was described as 46, XX, inv dup (8)(p12-->p23.1). Previous Southern blot dosage studies with the marker locus D8S7 demonstrated that the patient was monosomic for this locus, suggesting that the rearrangement generated a duplication-deficiency chromosome. We have reinvestigated this patient using fluorescent in situ hybridization with chromosome 8 cosmids and an Alu-PCR product specific for 8p. These studies have confirmed directly that the duplicated chromosome also has undergone deletion."}
{"id": "PMID:1481821", "title": "X-linked recessive inheritance of dysgenesis of corpus callosum in a Chinese family.", "content": "This report describes a new syndrome of dysgenesis of corpus callosum with other anomalies, presenting as microcephaly, mental retardation, spasticity, and unusual facial appearance in 2 Chinese brothers and their maternal cousins. To date, there has not been any case reported in the Chinese population of this syndrome. All 4 patients in this report present with the same unusual face. Hydrocephalus and/or interhemispheric cyst were found among them. This syndrome is transmitted as an X-linked trait. The nosology is reviewed and discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1481822", "title": "Familial omphalocele: considerations in genetic counseling.", "content": "Nonsyndromal omphalocele is generally regarded as a sporadic malformation. Recurrence risk is considered negligible. We report on a patient in whom 5 consecutive pregnancies (by 2 separate nonconsanguineous partners) were complicated by omphalocele as an isolated defect. Neither the patient nor her partners had history of relatives with omphalocele, although the patient's brother and his son had large umbilical hernias requiring repair in infancy. Some familial cases of nonsyndromal omphalocele have been previously reported; most such pedigrees suggest vertical transmission, although there are a few cases with only a single generation involved. In our case, the multigenerational finding of ventral wall hernias makes an autosomal dominant mechanism with variable expressivity a tenable explanation. The collected instances of familial nonsyndromal omphalocele emphasize omphalocele heterogeneity and caution in counseling recurrence risks."}
{"id": "PMID:1481823", "title": "Twin studies of Alzheimer disease: II. Some predictions under a genetic model.", "content": "The twin method for investigating genetic and environmental causes of disease has been applied mostly in early-onset illnesses. Analysis of late-onset disorders requires reexamination of common assumptions about the relation between genetic causes and the degree of concordance expected. This paper considers Alzheimer disease (AD) as an example of a late-onset disorder with putative genetic factors. For argument it employs the strong hypothesis that AD is an autosomal dominant trait with age-dependent expression, as described by a previously published parametric model. That model encompasses 2 principal variants of disease: a rare form with onset in middle life, and a more common late-onset type which is nonetheless eventually fully penetrant. The present work then specifies the probability that, when a given member of a twin pair (the proband) is affected, an identical or fraternal co-twin also shows the disease. Such probability is expressed as a function of the age at onset of the proband and the current age of the pair. Even under strong working assumptions regarding genetic influence, the expected proportion of identical co-twins actually affected with AD will not exceed 40% until the subjects are about 80 years old. Therefore, except in very old subjects, modest twin concordance is a feeble argument against genetic causes, or in favor of exclusively environmental ones. In this sense the interpretation of results of twin studies in AD and other late-onset disorders differs substantially from studies of diseases with early onset."}
{"id": "PMID:1481825", "title": "Pseudo-trisomy 13 syndrome with upper limb shortness and radial hypoplasia.", "content": "We report on a fetus with holoprosencephaly, postaxial polydactyly, multiple visceral anomalies, upper limb shortness, and radial hypoplasia with normal chromosomes. We provide a brief review of the newly delineated \"pseudo-trisomy 13 syndrome.\" Severe limb shortness of radial hypoplasia has not been described previously in this syndrome. The present case may expand the spectrum of the pseudo-trisomy 13 syndrome, or may represent a distinct entity."}
{"id": "PMID:1481826", "title": "Case reports of successful pregnancy in women with maple syrup urine disease and propionic acidemia.", "content": "We report on 2 women with organic acidemias, one with classical maple syrup urine disease and another with mild propionic acidemia in which protein restricted diets and carnitine supplementation were successfully employed to manage pregnancies. Healthy infants were delivered without maternal metabolic decompensation."}
{"id": "PMID:1481827", "title": "Dietary folate and nonneural midline birth defects: no evidence of an association from a case-control study in Western Australia.", "content": "In a population-based case-control study of dietary folate and neural tube defects, information was collected by interview and self-administered questionnaires from the mothers of cases with only neural tube defects, from the mothers of matched control infants with defects other than neural tube defects, and from the mothers of matched live-born infants with no birth defects. The association of midline birth defects (excluding neural tube defects) with dietary folate intake in the first 6 weeks of pregnancy was assessed by restricting the analysis to the 59 mothers of infants with midline defects in the first control group and comparing them with their matched control infants in the second control group. The crude and adjusted odds ratios for dietary folate and for folic acid supplementation were close to one, and all confidence intervals embraced unity. These data do not provide evidence of an association between midline birth defects (excluding neural tube defects) and either dietary folate or folic acid supplementation."}
{"id": "PMID:1481828", "title": "Spondylometaphyseal dysplasia, Sedaghatian type.", "content": "In 1980 Sedaghatian described an Iranian infant who died shortly after birth. At autopsy, he was found to have subacute myocarditis, cortical necrosis of kidneys, and adrenal and pulmonary hemorrhage. His skeletal abnormalities included mild rhizomelic shortness of his limbs and platyspondylyl and \"laciness\" of the iliac wings. In 1987 Optiz et al. described another Iranian infant with a similar perinatal course and roentgenograms. This infant was born to first cousins, suggesting an autosomal recessive single gene defect. We report our findings of another infant with a lethal course."}
{"id": "PMID:1481829", "title": "Cytogenetic evidence for enhanced selective miscarriage of trisomy 21 pregnancies with advancing maternal age.", "content": "The effect of advancing maternal age on the risk of death of fetuses with certain chromosome abnormalities has been tested by comparing their frequency at the time of chorionic villus sampling (CVS) with that at amniocentesis. The frequency of chromosome abnormalities among women whose sole risk factor for a chromosome abnormality was advanced maternal age (> or = 35 years old) was determined in a pooled group of 15,147 CVS cases, of whom > 1/3 were from the initial 7,500 CVS cases at the University of California, San Francisco, and compared with a pooled group of 74,851 amniocentesis cases collected from the literature. The frequency of trisomy 21 not only increased with advancing maternal age as expected, but the slope of the increase was about 25% greater in the CVS group than in the amniocentesis group (P = 0.08 for the difference in slopes by a logistic statistical model and P = 0.04 by a normit model). Similar patterns were seen for trisomies 18 and 13, but the P values for the differences in slopes were much higher. These results suggest that the miscarriage rate of trisomy 21 during the gestational interval studied is selectively greater with advancing maternal age. The basis for the enhanced selective loss of trisomy 21 with maternal age may be a reduced ability of the ageing \"maternal compartment\" to compensate for abnormal conceptuses."}
{"id": "PMID:1481830", "title": "Familial systematized epidermal nevus syndrome.", "content": "Epidermal nevi are typically congenital but rarely familial. We report on a family in which 3 relatives have systematized epidermal nevi. The propositus also has evidence of a hemangioma and a hemangioendothelioma. Peripheral blood and skin fibroblast karyotypes of the propositus did not show evidence of mosaicism. Epidermal nevi have been associated with nondermatologic pathology, involving the nervous, vascular, and skeletal systems in sporadic cases. This report demonstrates that nondermatologic pathology can be also be associated with systematized epidermal nevi in a familial setting. The apparent skipping of generations may be explained by autosomal dominant inheritance with decreased penetrance."}
{"id": "PMID:1481831", "title": "Genetic-epidemiologic study of omphalocele and gastroschisis: evidence for heterogeneity.", "content": "On the basis of clinical manifestations, epidemiologic characteristics, and the presence of additional malformations, omphalocele (OM) and gastroschisis (GA) are considered casually and pathogenetically distinct abdominal wall defects. More than 50% of infants with OM have additional defects, but only about 15% of those with GA do. To evaluate whether there is heterogeneity between isolated and multiply affected cases of OM and GA, we analyzed epidemiologic characteristics and familial risks of major defects for 82 OM and 81 GA cases drawn from a population-based study in the Maryland-Washington, DC-Northern Virginia area and born from 1980 through June 1987. We examined year of birth, sex, race, and maternal age distributions after stratifying the infants into isolated and multiple defect groups. We found significant differences in maternal age between cases with isolated OM and GA, but not between cases with GA or OM who had other defects. Using regressive logistic models, we analyzed familial aggregation of birth defects among relatives of infants with OM and GA. An autosomal recessive model of inheritance was found to be the most parsimonious explanation for the families of infants with isolated OM or GA. However, for families of infants with multiple defects, a sporadic or nongenetic model fit best. These findings are not only useful for estimating familial risk of major birth defects, but they also suggest further heterogeneity of infants with OM and GA according to the presence of other malformations."}
{"id": "PMID:1481832", "title": "Double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study of folinic acid (Leucovorin for the treatment of fragile X syndrome.", "content": "We conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study of folinic acid therapy (dl-Leucovorin, 15 mg/day) or placebo for males with Fragile X (fra(x)) syndrome. Twenty-one patients were enrolled in the study. The treatment periods were 3 months in length. Patients were followed with chemistry panels and complete blood counts. No differences between placebo and treatment phases were noted in any laboratory parameter. Instruments to measure functioning were the Vineland Adaptive Behavioral Scales, Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-Revised, Conners Parent and Teaching Rating Scales, the ADD-H: Comprehensive Teacher's Rating Scales (ACTeRS), and a questionnaire designed by the investigators. At the crossover point, 2 parents requested to withdraw from the study because they felt their children had made dramatic gains during the first half of the study and had lost those gains after the crossover point. Both parents had accurately predicted that their sons were receiving folinic acid during the first half of the study. However, no statistically significant differences could be demonstrated between the treatment and placebo phases of the study with any instrument when the results were averaged over the entire cohort. After the conclusion of the study, approximately one-half of the parents believed that their children had benefitted from the folinic acid therapy and elected to continue treatment. Thus far, no significant side effects have been noted from long-term folinic acid therapy so we are offering all Fragile X patients a 3-month trial of medication."}
{"id": "PMID:1481833", "title": "Oculo-auriculo-vertebral complex and uncommon associated anomalies: report on 8 unrelated Brazilian patients.", "content": "We report on 8 Brazilian patients with the oculo-auriculo-vertebral (OAV) complex with associated uncommon anomalies of hydrocephalus, porencephalic cyst, hand abnormalities, terminal/paraxial hemimelia, Klippel-Feil anomaly, Rokitansky sequence, fibrous dysplasia, and dextrocardia. Our patients show that in some instances a definite diagnosis can be difficult within the wide clinical picture of the OAV complex."}
{"id": "PMID:1481834", "title": "Cardio-facio-cutaneous syndrome: three additional cases and review of the literature.", "content": "We report on 3 patients with the cardio-facio-cutaneous (CFC) syndrome. Each of them was a sporadic case in the family. The severity of the psychomotor retardation varied from mild to severe. Skin manifestations were often minimal, but each patient had abnormally curly and brittle hair. A skin biopsy from one of the patients showed vellus hair cysts filled with keratin, and the hair follicles were surrounded by unusually thick fibrotic sheaths."}
{"id": "PMID:1481837", "title": "Late diagnosis of phenylketonuria in a Bedouin mother.", "content": "We report on the first case of phenylketonuria in a Bedouin woman with 3 children having the phenylketonuria embryofetopathy. Herein, we discuss briefly hazards of late diagnosis of maternal phenylketonuria."}
{"id": "PMID:1481838", "title": "RAPADILINO syndrome.", "content": "We report on a boy with severe radial hypoplasia, absent thumbs and patellae, short stature, persistent diarrhea, slender nose and normal intelligence as another example of the RAPADILINO syndrome."}
{"id": "PMID:1481839", "title": "Williams syndrome in adults.", "content": "There are few published reports of adults with Williams syndrome (WS). We have evaluated ten adult WS patients. The patients in our study were very variable in clinical presentation, ranging from severely affected patients with complicated medical histories to mildly affected patients who are generally in good health. Cardiovascular anomalies and hypertension were frequent. Supravalvular aortic stenosis was seen in four patients, mitral valve prolapse in three, bicuspid aortic valve in one, valvular aortic stenosis in one, and pulmonary stenosis with right ventricular hypertrophy in one. Typical facial features included stellate irides, prominent cheeks, full lips, and micrognathia. Mental retardation was seen in all patients. Verbal skills were better developed than motor skills. All patients in our study lead active lives, and most are involved in sports. Some hold supervised jobs. Eight of our patients live with their parents and two in group homes. Independent living is restricted by their mental and adaptive limitations."}
{"id": "PMID:1481840", "title": "Dominant mesomelic dysplasia, ankle, carpal, and tarsal synostosis type: a new autosomal dominant bone disorder.", "content": "A new type of mesomelic dysplasia was in 3 generations of a large Thai family. It is characterized by bilateral symmetrical marked shortening of the ulnae and shortening and bowing of the radii. The proximal fibula is usually short and synostoses are present between the tibia and fibula and the small malformed calcaneus and talus. The prominent calcanei on the ventral surfaces of the distal fibulae are a characteristic feature of the new type. Carpal and tarsal synostoses are present in some affected people. All affected individuals walk on the tips of their toes with the dorsal foot deviated laterally. The deformities of the radius and ulna somewhat resemble those of mesomelic dysplasia, Langer type, but otherwise the condition is distinctly different. This new mesomelic dysplasia is an autosomal dominant trait with complete penetrance and variable expressivity over 3 generations."}
{"id": "PMID:1481841", "title": "Type II collagen defect in two sibs with the Goldblatt syndrome, a chondrodysplasia with dentinogenesis imperfecta, and joint laxity.", "content": "We report on a syndrome of spondylo-epimetaphyseal dysplasia, dentinogenesis imperfecta, and ligamentous hyperextensibility in two sibs born to nonconsanguineous parents. This chondrodysplasia was characterized by severe shortness of stature and an osteoporosis without fractures. Electron microscopic examination of the cartilage documented large vacuoles of dilated rough endoplasmic reticulum within the cytoplasm of chondrocytes. Gel electrophoresis of pepsin-soluble collagen extracted from cartilage demonstrated the presence of type II collagen chains with an abnormal mobility. Prolyl and lysyl hydroxylations were slightly increased. The abnormal molecules melted at a higher temperature than the normal ones. CNBr peptide mapping of type II collagen showed an altered electrophoretic migration of peptides CB 11, CB 8, and CB 10,5 whereas CB 9,7 looked normal. In addition, two small non-collagenous proteins isolated from cartilage were not found in an age-matched control individual but were detected in a normal newborn infant. The quantitation of proline-labelled collagen synthesized by dermal fibroblasts demonstrated a 50% reduction of total collagen. This decrease essentially affected the amount of extracellular type I collagen, which was secreted less efficiently than in control cells. Nevertheless, type I collagen chains behaved normally on 5% polyacrylamide gels. The reduced mRNA levels of alpha 1I and alpha 2I chains might reflect either a transcriptional defect or a decreased stability of mRNA transcripts. We suggest that the association of both pathological chondrocytes producing altered collagen type II and decreased synthesis of type I could be responsible for this peculiar phenotype. The overmodification of alpha 1II CNBr peptides is consistent with the presence of a single-base substitution in the COL2A1 gene. Whether there is a direct causal relationship between the type II collagen defect and the underexpression of type I collagen will require clarification."}
{"id": "PMID:1481842", "title": "Choanal atresia: evidence for autosomal recessive inheritance.", "content": "Three individuals with choanal atresia were born in an inbred kindred. This report shows that nonsyndromal choanal atresia can be transmitted as an autosomal recessive trait."}
{"id": "PMID:1481843", "title": "New hereditary malformation syndrome of unusual facial appearance, skeletal deformities, and musculoskeletal and sensory defects.", "content": "We report on a new syndrome characterized by specific and striking facial abnormalities, arthrogrypotic skeletal deformities, and neuromuscular and sensory defects in a large Greek Cypriot family. The hereditary transmission appears to be autosomal dominant with quite variable expressivity."}
{"id": "PMID:1481844", "title": "Huntington disease in black Zimbabwean families living near the Mozambique border.", "content": "Huntington disease (HD) was identified in a black (Bantu) family living in the Manicaland region of Zimbabwe near the border with Mozambique. The pedigree included 11 affected individuals in 4 generations. There were 2 other probable HD patients from 2 unrelated black families in the same region. The prevalence rate of HD in this region of Zimbabwe was estimated to be 0.5-1 per 100,000. HD could have been introduced by Portuguese colonists from Mozambique, or by other European visitors, possibly before 1875. DNA studies may ultimately indicate if HD was introduced to this community, or if it arose by mutation. HD was previously reported in Zimbabwean blacks in 1978, when 4 cases of juvenile HD were described in a Bantu family with no apparent history of the disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1481845", "title": "Upper limb deficiencies and associated malformations: a population-based study.", "content": "As part of an ongoing analysis of limb deficiencies occurring among 1,213,913 consecutive livebirths in British Columbia during the years 1952-1984, all cases with deficiencies of the upper limbs were analysed with a view to identifying associated patterns of anomalies. This analysis resulted in seven subgroups. For each subgroup, incidence figures for cases with and without additional anomalies were calculated separately. The proportion of cases with additional anomalies varied markedly by subgroup. For example, 89% of cases with longitudinal defects of the radius had additional malformations, while only 28% of cases with transverse defects of the radius had other organ anomalies (chi 2 = 40.55; P < 0.001, one degree of freedom). A preponderance of males was found among the cases with associated defects, particularly in the group with longitudinal defects of the radius (28 males, 14 females; chi 2 = 14.10; P < 0.001). Clustering of specific patterns of associated malformations is described within subgroups."}
{"id": "PMID:1481846", "title": "Congenital defects of the limbs and alcohol exposure in pregnancy: data from a population based study.", "content": "Limb deficiency may occur in offspring prenatally exposed to alcohol. In a study on limb deficiency occurring in 1,213,913 consecutive liveborn infants in British Columbia, born in the years 1952-1984, a total of 659 cases with limb deficiency was identified. Cases with documented maternal alcohol abuse in pregnancy in this group were analyzed separately. We found eight cases with severe prenatal alcohol exposure (6 F, 2 M). In six of the eight cases a terminal transverse defect of the forearm or hand was present. In the remaining two cases ulnar defects were identified. These observations give further support to the hypothesis that intrauterine alcohol exposure may cause limb defects. This has also been demonstrated in experimental animals. Terminal transverse defects made up a larger proportion of cases with known alcohol exposure (6/8) than of cases where alcohol exposure was not noted (217/651) (chi 2 = 6.13; P < 0.025) in this study. The defects primarily involved the right hand and forearm. This suggests a vascular origin of the limb defects after intrauterine alcohol exposure."}
{"id": "PMID:1481847", "title": "Delayed membranous cranial ossification in a mother and child.", "content": "We report on a girl and her mother with delayed intramembranous ossification of the cranial vault. The 11-month-old girl had a large ossification defect involving parietal bones, squamous portion of temporal bones, and interparietal region of occipital bone, while the mother showed a complete ossified cranial vault with flat posterior parietal region and prominent occiput. Both had a similar face characterized by frontal bossing, hypertelorism, downward slant of palpebral fissures, flat nasal bridge, and short midface. On reviewing the literature, we concluded that these cases may be a dominant transmitted ossification defect with characteristic face, different from the cranium bifidum-parietal foramina entity."}
{"id": "PMID:1481848", "title": "Tricho-rhino-phalangeal syndrome type II (Langer-Giedion) with persistent cloaca and prune belly sequence in a girl with 8q interstitial deletion.", "content": "A patient with the diagnosis of Langer-Giedion syndrome (tricho-rhino-phalangeal syndrome type II) and interstitial 8q deletion was also noted to have persistent cloaca and prune belly sequence. This is the first report of this association. If it postulated that these latter embryonic defects may be due to the chromosome abnormality, supporting the definition of contiguous gene syndrome."}
{"id": "PMID:1481849", "title": "Chondrodysplasia punctata: another possible X-linked recessive case.", "content": "A 22-week fetus who had died in utero had a markedly hypoplastic nose and other facial abnormalities, short fingers, hypoplastic nails, and small phallus. Radiologically there was symmetrical cartilaginous stippling of the vertebral column, femoral heads, calcanei and elbows typical of chondrodysplasia punctata (CP), and metacarpal shortness and tiny pyramidal phalanges. The several causally different forms of CP are tabulated. Differential diagnosis suggests that the present case, which does not have limb shortness, could be a case of X-linked recessive brachytelephalangic chondrodysplasia punctata."}
{"id": "PMID:1481850", "title": "Acro-fronto-facio-nasal dysostosis: report of a new Brazilian family.", "content": "We report on a Brazilian woman with severe mental retardation, facial and skeletal anomalies characterized by hypertelorism, eye anomalies, broad notched nasal tip, cleft lip, highly arched palate, camptobrachysyndactyly of fingers and toes, and anomalies of the feet. A similarly affected brother died at age one year. The clinical picture strongly suggest the diagnosis of the autosomal recessive acro-fronto-facio-nasal dysostosis syndrome (AFFND). Clinical and genetic aspects are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1481851", "title": "Urinary tract involvement in EEC syndrome: a clinical study in 25 Brazilian patients.", "content": "We have evaluated 25 patients (14 isolated and 11 familial cases) with the EEC syndrome for genitourinary (GU) tract anomalies through intravenous pyelogram (IVP), voiding urethrocystography, and sonographic examination. Fifty-two percent of the patients (7 isolated and 6 familial cases) had involvement of the urinary tract, with no significant difference between isolated and familial cases. The present data seem to reflect the best estimate of the prevalence of genitourinary anomalies in patients with the EEC syndrome."}
{"id": "PMID:1481852", "title": "Possible relationship between ulnar-mammary syndrome and split hand with aplasia of the ulna syndrome.", "content": "We describe a 3-generation family in which mother, maternal grandfather, and 2 (male and female) children have variably manifestations of the ulnar-mammary syndrome, including ulnar ray defects, obesity, hypogenitalism, delayed puberty, hypoplasia of nipples and apocrine glands, and a previously undescribed ectopia of upper canines. The index patient also had split-hand appearance on the right due to complete absence of the 4th ray. To our knowledge this is the first documented example of split hand in the ulnar-mammary syndrome. The hand anomaly raises the question of a possible causal relationship between ulnar-mammary syndrome and the split hand with aplasia of the ulna syndrome, as already hypothesized by Lenz [1980]."}
{"id": "PMID:1481853", "title": "VATER/VACTERL association: clinical variability and expanding phenotype including laryngeal stenosis.", "content": "Vertebral abnormalities and anorectal and tracheoesophageal defects are the main manifestations in the VATER/VACTERL association. Radial defects vary from radial aplasia to thumb duplication. Heart and renal defects are reported with lower frequency. Additional malformations, such as the laryngeal stenosis described in the present patient, may expand the phenotype of the association. The wide spectrum of congenital abnormalities confirms the high clinical variability of VATER/VACTERL association which seems to be due to a disruption of blastogenesis."}
{"id": "PMID:1481854", "title": "Cytogenetic guidelines for fragile X studies tested in routine practice.", "content": "Several organizations have proposed guidelines for fra(X) studies on peripheral blood lymphocytes. To evaluate these guidelines, we reviewed 1,033 consecutive specimens referred for fra(X) analysis. Each specimen was cultured with medium 199 and RPMI 1640 with 5-fluorodeoxyuridine or excess thymidine. The karyotype and expression of fra(X) were established from 20 GTL- or QFQ-banded cells and by screening of up to 130 more banded cells. We found anomalies other than fra(X) in 37 (3.6%) of the patients. We found 4% or more fra(X) cells in 38 (3.7%) cases from 36 unrelated families, including 33 (3.9%) of 850 males and 5 (2.7%) of 183 females. Another 4 females had 1 to 3% fra(X) cells. Six specimens were fra(X)-positive in only one stress system, and 32 were positive in 2 systems. To find the first 2 fra(X) cells in males, we needed to study up to 36 cells in 31 cases, 50 in one case, and 57 in another. To find the first 2 fra(X) cells in females, we needed to study up to 17 cells in 4 cases and 57 in another. A strong family history of fra(X) occurred in 5 patients, and each one was fra(X)-positive. Some manifestations of the fragile X syndrome occurred in 507 cases, 17 (3%) of which were fra(X)-positive. Abnormalities considered unlikely to be the fragile X syndrome occurred in 103 cases, 3 (3%) of which were fra(X)-positive. Use of chromosome breakage and fra(3)(p14) as quality control indicators of the fra(X) stress systems was found to be unreliable.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1481855", "title": "False-negative prenatal diagnosis of restrictive dermopathy.", "content": "Restrictive dermopathy is a rare autosomal recessive lethal skin dysplasia. It has been assumed that the characteristic morphologic abnormalities should allow a reliable prenatal diagnosis on fetal skin biopsies at about 20 weeks pregnancy. We report on a false-negative prenatal diagnosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1481856", "title": "Congenital diaphragmatic hernia associated with ipsilateral upper limb reduction defects: report of a case with thumb hypoplasia.", "content": "Four unrelated cases of congenital diaphragmatic hernia associated with ipsilateral upper limb reduction defects were reported by McCredie and Reid in 1978 (J Pediatr 92: 762-765). As contiguous segments of the cervical neural crest are involved in the development of diaphragm and arms, the authors suggested that an early injury to the cervical neural crest might be the common underlying pathogenesis. We describe here a further example of this malformation complex: a newborn with a left posterolateral diaphragmatic hernia associated with ipsilateral thumb hypoplasia."}
{"id": "PMID:1481857", "title": "Infantile autism--fragile X: molecular findings support genetic heterogeneity.", "content": "Twenty-two members of 18 families with autism have been examined for the presence of mutations and abnormal methylation in the FMR-1 region at Xq27.3. All patients fulfilled diagnostic criteria of infantile autism. A characteristic pattern of insertion and methylation were detected after Southern blot analysis in 7 autistic individuals expressing the fragile site at Xq27.3. Normal DNA patterns were observed in 15 autistic boys cytogenetically negative for the fragile site. The results indicate a lack of involvement of the FMR-1 region in infantile autists negative for fragile X expression."}
{"id": "PMID:1481858", "title": "Female twin with Hunter disease due to nonrandom inactivation of the X-chromosome: a consequence of twinning.", "content": "We report the occurrence of Hunter disease (mucopolysaccharidosis type II) in a karyotypically normal girl who was one of identical twins. Molecular studies showed nonrandom X-inactivation in both her fibroblasts and lymphocytes, while her normal twin showed equal usage of both X chromosomes. In view of previous reports of 7 pairs of identical female twins in which one had Duchenne muscular dystrophy, it seems that twinning may be strongly associated with nonrandom X-inactivation, and is not specific to the properties of the disease causing gene."}
{"id": "PMID:1481865", "title": "Limb anomalies following chorionic villus sampling: a registry based case-control study.", "content": "Using data from the Italian Multicentric Birth Defect Registry a case-control study was performed to verify if chorionic villus sampling (CVS) was associated with transverse limb defects (TLD), with or without features of oro-mandibular-limb hypogenesis complex (OMLHC), in the exposed offspring. The results show that the risk of TLD and OMLHC is increased following CVS, and is particularly high for CVS performed early in pregnancy, i.e., under 70 days of gestational age. These results, together with a review of other epidemiologic studies, biological data and clinical reports, strongly suggest a causative role of CVS as a risk factor for TLD and indicate that at this stage CVS before 70 days of gestational age should be discouraged as an option for prenatal diagnosis and that all patients wishing to undergo CVS should be informed about the possible risk of the procedure."}
{"id": "PMID:1481866", "title": "Suppressed serum and urine levels of indoxyl sulfate by oral sorbent in experimental uremic rats.", "content": "In uremic patients, the serum concentration of indoxyl sulfate is markedly increased. To determine if oral sorbent (AST-120) suppresses the endogenous synthesis of indoxyl sulfate, it was administered to experimental uremic rats, and the serum concentration and urinary excretion of indoxyl sulfate were quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography. Oral sorbent decreased both the serum concentration and urinary excretion of indoxyl sulfate, suggesting that there was suppression of the endogenous synthesis of indoxyl sulfate by the oral sorbent. Oral sorbent did not decrease the serum concentration and urinary excretion of hippuric acid, but it did alleviate the deterioration of renal function in the experimental uremic rats."}
{"id": "PMID:1481867", "title": "Effect of recombinant human erythropoietin treatment on hemodynamic parameters in continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis and hemodialysis patients.", "content": "We studied the hemodynamic changes and the incidence of hypertension after correction of anemia with recombinant human erythropoietin (rhEPO) in 25 hemodialysis (HD) and in 27 continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) patients with a mean age of 44.6 years and a mean time on dialysis of 43.6 months. We analyzed basal and final hemoglobin concentrations, time elapsed to reach target hemoglobin, rhEPO dosage, and the following echocardiographic parameters: left ventricular end-systolic and end-diastolic diameters and volumes, posterior wall thickness, interventricular septum, ejection fraction, fractional fiber shortening, cardiac output index, and peripheral vascular resistance index. We did not find any significant difference between HD and CAPD patients in basal and final hemoglobin, concentrations, time elapsed to reach target hemoglobin, dose of rhEPO received for response, and incidence of hypertension. Changes were more evident in HD patients, with a decrease of 15% in cardiac output index and an equal increase of peripheral vascular resistance,. In the patients on CAPD, these variations were less important, with a decrease in cardiac output index of 10% and no significant change in peripheral vascular resistance. Despite both techniques showing the occurrence of hypertension, the left ventricular mass stabilized during the study time. We conclude that CAPD seems to modulate the changes observed in hemodynamic parameters after rhEPO treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1481868", "title": "Factors affecting survival of hemodialysis patients utilizing urea kinetic modeling. A critical appraisal of shortening dialysis times.", "content": "The objective of this study was to analyze risk factors affecting mortality rates (MR) in hemodialysis patients undergoing shortened dialysis time who were regularly kinetically modeled. Over a 14-month period, 180 in-center hemodialysis patients, 54% male, 46% female, 57% Black, 39% Caucasian, and 4% Hispanic, treated with rapid high efficiency dialysis (RHED = 2-3 h, 3 times/week) and conventional dialysis (3-4 h, 3 times/week) were studied. Median patient age was 56.7 years (16-84 years) and dialysis care ranged from 6 months to 18 years (mean +/- SD = 4.0 +/- 4.2 years). The patients underwent monthly urea kinetic modeling. The dialysis prescription was based upon normalizing Kt/V between 0.8 and 1.2 and the protein catabolic rate (PCRn) between 0.9 and 1.1. Thirty-three percent of the patients received recombinant human erythropoietin (r-HuEPO). The effects of various covariates, including primary diagnosis, post/predialysis BUN ratios, creatinine, albumin, calcium, phosphate, cholesterol, hemoglobin, r-HuEPO, Kt/V, and PCRn were analyzed using analysis of variance, chi 2 and linear discriminant function (DF) statistical methods. Several significant factors emerged as influencing outcome. The DF analysis produced a highly statistically significant (p < 0.0001) model to predict mortality based upon certain laboratory and dialysis parameters. Further, the linear DF correctly predicted mortality rate in 86% of cases. The results of the analysis revealed an overall mortality rate of 15.6%; hospitalization rates (HR) were 1.4 +/- 1.8 times/year. Length of dialysis time, i.e., dialysis times between 2 and 4 h, when adjusted for Kt/V has no correlation with MR or HR. Variables associated with survival were higher post/predialysis BUN ratios, normal Kt/V (0.8-1.2), normal albumin levels (> 3.5 g/dl), higher postdialysis BUN, creatinine, and cholesterol levels, and use of r-HuEPO. The use of r-HuEPO when analyzed by DF significantly improved MR, 8.3% as opposed to 19.2%. It is concluded that urea kinetic modeling permits shortening dialysis times without affecting mortality or hospitalization rates, and that low postdialysis BUN, post/predialysis BUN ratios, creatinine, and albumin values are correlated with a lower chance of survival."}
{"id": "PMID:1481869", "title": "A study of xanthopterin in chronic renal failure.", "content": "Xanthopterin, a metabolic end product of the nonconjugated pterins dihydrobiopterin and tetrahydrobiopterin, is present in many organs and is known to inhibit the proliferation and growth of conconavalin-stimulated lymphocytes. We have developed a simple fluorometric method to measure xanthopterin in the blood and have validated the method by high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC). Serum levels were 14 +/- 7 nmol/l in normal subjects and 141 +/- 51 nmol/l in hemodialysis patients (p < 0.02). Intermediate levels from patients with renal insufficiency not on dialysis correlated with serum creatinine levels (p < 0.001). Xanthopterin (MW 179) was cleared by hemodialysis at a slightly lower rate than creatinine. It is bound to protein, but the binding, 90 +/- 5% in normal subjects, is decreased in uremia to 60 +/- 15%, p < 0.01. Red cell levels of xanthopterin were five times higher than those of plasma in normal subjects (69 +/- 15 vs. 14 +/- 7 nmol/l, p < 0.001), but uremic patients had lower levels in red cells than in plasma (101 +/- 24 vs. 141 +/- 51 nmol/l, p < 0.05). Slight or moderate hemolysis induced by mechanical stress increased plasma xanthopterin levels by 35%, the effect being more pronounced when hemolysis was severe. We conclude that xanthopterin is increased and its binding to protein is decreased in chronic renal failure. The altered ratio of red cell/plasma xanthopterin levels may reflect an abnormality of the red cell membrane in uremia. We are conducting further studies to amplify our preliminary findings that xanthopterin inhibits cellular growth in vitro."}
{"id": "PMID:1481870", "title": "Distal nephron function in Bartter's syndrome: abnormal conductance to chloride in the cortical collecting tubule?", "content": "Five patients with the clinical patterns of Bartter's syndrome underwent a series of clearance studies in order to characterize the underlying tubule defect. Free water generation during maximal water diuresis (CH2O), expressed as percentage of the distal delivery (CH2O + CCl), was lower in the patients (72.5 +/- 3.2%) than in controls (84.4 +/- 5.5, p < 0.0001). During maximal water diuresis and furosemide administration (40 mg i.v. as bolus), NaCl reabsorption along the diluting nephron segments could be separated into 2 components, that occurring in the loop of Henle (DRNaHL) and that occurring in tubule segments beyond the macula densa (DRNaDT): DRNaHL was normal, while DRNaDT was reduced (3.1 +/- 0.8 vs. 6.2 +/- 2.5 ml/min in controls, p < 0.015). Thus, according to this furosemide protocol, our patients had normal solute reabsorption in the loop of Henle but reduced NaCl reabsorption in tubule segments beyond the macula densa. During 0.9% saline infusion (2 liters in 2 h, after stimulation of distal Na reabsorption with fludrocortisone) fractional excretion (FE) of K showed a linear rise with the increase of FECl-FEK, however, was much higher in the patients than in controls for every FECl level. In contrast, the infusion of Na2SO4, after fludrocortisone administration, induced similar FEK increases in patients and in controls. Thus, in these patients Na reabsorption in the distal nephron (possibly the cortical collecting tubule) was associated with the generation of a higher than normal electric potential gradient in the presence of Cl but not of another poorly reabsorbable anion, such as SO4(2-). These observations indicate that, in our patients, Henle's loop function is normal, while the collecting tubule function is abnormal. We suggest that NaCl wasting and enhanced tubular secretion of H+ and K in our patients might result from an abnormally low conductance to Cl in distal nephron site(s) where Na reabsorption is electrogenic, possibly the cortical collecting tubule. A larger than normal transtubular electric gradient would be generated by Na reabsorption, causing: (1) a direct stimulation of tubular secretion of K and H+ (leading to hypokalemia and alkalosis) and (2) inhibition of the reabsorption of Na ('trapped' into the tubular lumen by electric forces), with consequent extracellular volume contraction, hyperreninemia and hyperaldosteronism."}
{"id": "PMID:1481871", "title": "Use of continuous haemodiafiltration: an approach to the management of acute renal failure in the critically ill.", "content": "We have prospectively investigated the effect of a flexible approach to the management of acute renal failure in critically ill patients based on continuous haemodiafiltration (CHD). Fifty critically ill patients (mean APACHE II score 28.1, range 18-37), with a mean age of 59.5 years, were treated with continuous arteriovenous haemodiafiltration (CAVHD) and/or continuous venovenous haemodiafiltration (CVVHD). CHD achieved excellent haemodynamic stability and control of azotaemia in all patients and permitted aggressive parenteral nutrition. The mean blood urea concentration fell from 33.9 mmol/l (95% confidence interval, CI, 29.1-38.7) to a plateau of 17 mmol/l (95% CI 14.3-19.7) after 72 h of therapy despite persistent anuria and the parenteral administration of 0.3 g/kday of protein nitrogen (mean urea clearance: 24.2 ml/min; 95% CI 22.9-25.5). No supplemental dialytic therapy was required during the 9,485 h of treatment. All clinically significant complications related to vascular access (14%). Twenty-two patients (44%) survived to be discharged from the ICU. CHD is relatively safe and effective in the management of acute renal failure in the critically ill."}
{"id": "PMID:1481872", "title": "Procollagen type I C-terminal extension peptide in predialysis chronic renal failure.", "content": "Collagen type 1 is the most abundant protein of bone. Serum levels of type 1 procollagen carboxy-terminal extension peptide (Procoll-1-C) may give a measure of the rate of synthesis of the collagen of bone and be therefore a marker of bone turnover. We have studied 38 patients with predialysis chronic renal failure; 14 of them were under long-term treatment with 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 [1,25(OH)2D3] for prevention of secondary hyperparathyroidism. In all patients a transiliac bone biopsy for histomorphometry and determination of dynamic parameters was performed following double tetracycline labeling. In addition serum Procoll-1-C, intact and C-terminal parathyroid hormone (PTH), osteocalcin and alkaline phosphatase were determined. In the patients not receiving 1,25(OH)2D3, serum levels of Procoll-1-C were higher than normal. Procoll-1-C did not correlate with any of the humoral parameters, including serum creatinine, nor with static histomorphometric parameters. Contrarily to osteocalcin, the collagen type 1 marker correlated significantly with all dynamic parameters. Treatment with 1,25(OH)2D3 was accompanied by lower levels of osteocalcin, iPTH (n.s.), osteoblastic surface and by normal levels of Procoll-1-C (p < 0.001, compared to untreated patients), without substantial change in bone formation parameters (bone formation rate). In conclusion Procoll-1-C in predialysis chronic renal failure is a marker of bone turnover unparalleled by other markers. 1,25(OH)2D3 administration is associated with lower serum levels of the peptide unaccompanied by a decrement of bone formation parameters, therefore with an apparently better utilization of collagen type 1 in the mineralization process.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1481873", "title": "Role of creatine phosphokinase in predicting acute renal failure in hypocalcemic exertional heat stroke.", "content": "Recruits frequently develop hypocalcemia in exertional heat stroke (ExHS) with rhabdomyolysis and acute renal failure (ARF) from intensive training. It usually indicated severe skeletal muscle damage. However, the relative risk of ARF in ExHS patients complicated with hypocalcemia was unknown. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the value of peak serum creatine phosphokinase (CPK) level in predicting ARF in ExHS patients with hypocalcemia. Sixty-eight army recruits with ExHS were hospitalized at the Tri-Service General Hospital, Taiwan: 17 with ARF and hypocalcemia (group A); 7 with ARF but without hypocalcemia (group B); 20 without ARF but with hypocalcemia (group C); and 24 without ARF or hypocalcemia (group D). In the 24 patients with ARF (groups A and B) the serum phosphate and peak CPK levels were significantly higher than in patients without ARF (groups C and D; p < 0.001), serum calcium levels were also significantly lower in the former (p < 0.001). In the 37 patients with hypocalcemia (groups A and C), the peak serum CPK levels were significantly higher than in those without hypocalcemia (groups B and D; p < 0.001). There was a higher proportion of hypocalcemic patients with peak serum CPK levels greater than 10,000 U/l among ARF compared with patients without ARF (chi 2 = 12.48, p < 0.001). In 24 patients with ARF, there was a negative correlation between serum Ca and peak CPK levels (t = 3.37, r = -0.58, p < 0.01). However, a positive correlation was found between serum creatinine and peak serum CPK levels in 37 patients with hypocalcemia (t = 2.47, r = 0.39, p < 0.02).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1481874", "title": "Parathyroid hormone modulates the release of atrial natriuretic peptide during acute volume expansion.", "content": "In this study we investigated the effect of volume expansion on plasma and atrial concentrations of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) in the presence and absence of the parathyroid gland and under normocalcemic and hypocalcemic conditions. After volume expansion ANP concentration in plasma was significantly (p < 0.001) higher in intact (702 +/- 86 pg/ml) than in hypocalcemic parathyroidectomized (PTX) (271 +/- 38 pg/ml) rats. Plasma ANP of PTX rats rendered normocalcemic with oral calcium supplementation increased to 402 +/- 85 pg/ml after volume expansion. Results from this study suggest that parathyroid hormone (PTH) is required for augmented ANP secretion in response to acute volume loading and alterations of extracellular calcium may modulate volume-induced ANP release in PTX rats. We would discuss that a parathyroid gland-cardiac atria interaction exists and that changes in serum level of PTH may play a role in the regulation of fluid homeostasis via ANP secretion."}
{"id": "PMID:1481875", "title": "Hypopituitarism stabilizes the renal and retinal complications of diabetes mellitus.", "content": "In 1953, Poulsen described the remarkable case of a woman with type I diabetes mellitus who experienced resolution of her retinopathy following postpartum pituitary necrosis. Since that time, many investigators have pursued the hypothesis that anterior pituitary hormones, particularly growth hormone, play a role in the pathogenesis of the microvascular complications of diabetes mellitus. While most observers have demonstrated the importance of growth hormone in the initiation and progression of diabetic retinopathy, the role of growth hormone in the development of diabetic nephropathy has been more difficult to document. In this case report, we describe a woman with long-standing type I diabetes mellitus complicated by retinopathy and nephropathy whose complications stabilized as she developed growth hormone deficiency."}
{"id": "PMID:1481876", "title": "Spurious hyperchloremia and decreased anion gap in a patient with dextromethorphan bromide.", "content": "Although cold syrup containing dextromethorpan bromide is widely administered, the bromism due to cold syrup has not been reported. We report a patient who had negative anion gap with hyperchloremia and conscious loss because of daily intake of cold complex syrup (containing dextromethorphan bromide 0.4 mg/ml, acetaminophen 8.33 mg/ml) for headache for 4-5 years. The bromide content in cold complex syrup resulted in serum levels of bromide that interfered with the automated analyzers for chloride content. When conscious change is due to bromism, hemodialysis instead of forced hydration and diuresis should be performed immediately. Therefore, patients with a markedly negative anion gap with hyperchloremia should be considered as having halide intoxication."}
{"id": "PMID:1481877", "title": "Ciprofloxacin-induced acute interstitial nephritis.", "content": "Acute renal failure is a complication attributed to numerous medications. Few cases linked to the newer fluoroquinolones have been described. We report a case of acute interstitial nephritis confirmed by renal biopsy that developed in a patient within days of starting ciprofloxacin therapy. A review of the literature reveals common clinical manifestations of this rare adverse effect. Clinicians should be aware of this potential complication of ciprofloxacin use."}
{"id": "PMID:1481878", "title": "Comprehensive evaluation of acute immunological changes induced by cuprophane and polysulfone membranes in a patient on chronic hemodialysis.", "content": "We have investigated the acute changes in cytokine gene expression patterns and immune status in vivo and ex vivo in a patient on chronic hemodialysis with cuprophane membranes before and after two hemodialysis sessions with either cuprophane or polysulfone membranes. Results show that both dialyzer membranes have differential acute effects on the immune system and that the concomitant use of reverse-transcriptase-coupled polymerase chain reaction, solid-phase and radioimmunoassays, and flow-cytometric analysis may be useful in the longitudinal assessment of patients on chronic hemodialysis."}
{"id": "PMID:1481880", "title": "Vasomotor effects of purinergic agonists in isolated rabbit afferent arterioles.", "content": "To examine the vasomotor effects of purinergic agonists, experiments were performed in isolated afferent arterioles of rabbit kidneys dissected together with their glomerulus and perfused with a pressure head of 120 cmH2O. Changes in vascular diameter were taken as measure of changes in vasomotor tone. Adenosine caused a dose-dependent and persistent decrease in vascular diameter along the entire afferent arteriole with significant changes being detectable at 10(-8) M. Constrictor effects were more pronounced in the glomerular entrance segment of the arteriole where adenosine caused a progressive diameter reduction with maximum contraction at 10(-4) M. Similar monophasic diameter reductions of the distal afferent arteriole were seen with increasing bath concentrations of 2-chloroadenosine (2-ClAdo), cyclohexyladenosine (CHA), and 5'-(N-ethylcarboxamido)adenosine (NECA). Concentrations to achieve half-maximum responses were 92.5 nM for 2-ClAdo, 39 nM for CHA, and 107 nM for NECA. The A2-receptor agonist N6-[2-(3,5-dimethoxyphenyl)-2-(2-methylphenyl)ethyl]adenosine had no effect on vessel diameter. Increasing bath concentrations of ATP caused significant diameter reductions in both the proximal and distal parts of the afferent arterioles. Addition of the A1-receptor blocker, 8-cyclopentyl-1,3-dipropylxanthine, eliminated the effect of ATP in the proximal region of the arteriole, but a significant diameter reduction was still seen in the glomerular entrance segment. The ATP analogue, beta gamma-methylene-ATP, caused a significant diameter reduction in this segment. These results are consistent with an essentially exclusive presence of A1 receptors in the glomerular entrance segment of the afferent arteriole, whereas in more proximal regions A2 receptors appear to also be expressed in low density. These studies also provide functional evidence for the presence of P2x receptors in renal afferent arterioles."}
{"id": "PMID:1481881", "title": "Effect of high-protein diet on renal concentration capacity in rabbits.", "content": "In the present studies, we have found that New Zealand White rabbits kept on normal rabbit chow (16% protein, LP) are unable to raise fractional free water reabsorption [TCH2O divided by glomerular filtration rate (GFR)] as the fractional osmotic load (Cosm/GFR) is increased. Acute administration of urea (400 mosmol/l) or indomethacin (10 mg/kg iv bolus, followed by 0.25 mg/min infusion) corrects the defect. Moreover, rabbits kept for 2 wk on a 40% protein diet (HP) showed marked improvement in their renal concentration capacity. Balance studies showed that, in rabbits on HP, urine prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) excretion was lower while GFR, urine urea, and osmolar excretion were significantly higher than in rabbits in the LP group. Medullary tissue electrolytes in the HP vs. LP group were as follows: urea, 1,035 +/- 90 vs. 790 +/- 60 mmol.l-1 x g wet tissue wt-1; tissue Na+, 548 +/- 96 vs. 298 +/- 37 meq.l-1 x g wet wt-1; and K+, 201 +/- 43 vs. 99 +/- 16 meq.l-1 x g wet wt-1. Also, medullary slices from animals on HP had a lower PGE2 synthesis than those on LP when stimulated with angiotensin II (ANG II). Papillary plasma flow (PPF) measured by the accumulation of 125I-labeled albumin, after infusion of vasopressin, was 13.7 +/- 2.0 in the HP group and 22.7 +/- 3.4 ml.min-1 x 100 g-1 in the LP group. These findings suggest that lower PPF and higher urea and electrolyte content in the medullary interstitium of HP intake results from inability to produce medullary PGE2 even during ANG II or antidiuretic hormone (ADH) stimulation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1481882", "title": "Prostaglandins do not mediate impaired autoregulation or increased renin secretion in remnant rat kidneys.", "content": "The rat remnant kidney model, produced by approximately five-sixths reduction in functional renal mass, is characterized by renal vasodilation, impaired autoregulation, and increased activity of the renin-angiotensin system. The present studies were designed to investigate the role of vasodilatory prostaglandins (PGs) in the altered hemodynamics in the remnant kidney. Four weeks post-ablation, renal blood flow (RBF), was significantly higher in rats fed a standard protein (SP) diet (n = 16) compared with low-protein-fed (LP) rats (n = 7) (6.2 +/- 0.6 vs. 3.7 +/- 0.5 ml/min; P < 0.01), autoregulation was impaired in SP rats [autoregulation index (AI) 1.0 +/- 0.1 (SP) vs. 0.2 +/- 0.1 (LP); P < 0.05], and renin secretory rates were significantly increased in SP rats both during the basal state [24 +/- 7 (SP) vs. 2 +/- 1 (LP) ng.ml-1 x h-1 x min-1; P < 0.05] and after reduction in renal perfusion pressure [110 +/- 29 (SP) vs. 16 +/- 7 (LP); P < 0.05]. Indomethacin administration (5 mg/kg bolus + 5 mg.kg-1 x h-1 infusion) in additional SP rats (n = 11) decreased RBF from 7.4 +/- 1.1 to 5.9 +/- 1.0 ml/min (P < 0.05) without improvement in autoregulation (AI = 1.1 +/- 0.3). Renin basal secretory rate and response to decreased renal perfusion pressure were not altered by indomethacin. These data suggest that PGs contribute to the renal vasodilation in the rat remnant kidney model, but they do not mediate the impaired renal autoregulation or the increased renin release."}
{"id": "PMID:1481883", "title": "A mathematical model of the rabbit cortical collecting tubule.", "content": "The epithelium of the cortical collecting tubule of the rabbit is represented as four well-stirred compliant compartments corresponding to principal cell, alpha- and beta-intercalated cells, and lateral interspace. Model variables include the concentrations of Na, K, Cl, and HCO3, pH, cell volume, and electrical potential. The model equations specify mass conservation and chemical equilibrium for buffer reactions. Ionic conductance is represented by the Goldman constant-field equation. For the intercalated cells, phenomenological expressions describing the proton pumps are structured to agree with data of O. S. Andersen, J. E. N. Silveira, and P. R. Steinmetz (J. Gen. Physiol. 86: 215-234, 1985) in the turtle bladder. Coupled transport via Na/H and Cl/HCO3 exchangers is represented according to the formalism of linear nonequilibrium thermodynamics. To construct the tubule model, the flat epithelium is wrapped into a cylinder, creating a luminal compartment. Luminal variables include volume flow, hydrostatic pressure, electrical potential, and ionic concentrations. A specific aim of this investigation was to simulate the capability of the epithelium to maintain Na reabsorption in the presence of low luminal salt concentration. In this regard, critical features of the model include tight junctional conductance and the apical Na permeability of the principal cell. In particular, we examine a principal cell apical Na permeability inversely dependent on luminal and intracellular Na concentrations (M. M. Civan and R. J. Bookman. J. Membr. Biol. 65: 63-80, 1982). This concentration-dependent permeability together with a low junctional conductance produces three results congruent with experimental data: 1) dilution of luminal Na and maintenance of reabsorptive Na transport despite a steep transtubular gradient, 2) a relatively constant level of K secretion over a wide range of luminal Na concentrations, and 3) a relatively constant transepithelial potential over this range of luminal Na."}
{"id": "PMID:1481884", "title": "Regulation of K transport in a mathematical model of the cortical collecting tubule.", "content": "The effect of luminal flow rate and peritubular pH on Na and K transport is investigated in a mathematical model of the rabbit cortical collecting tubule. The model is used to simulate a 0.4-cm segment of tubule comprised of principal cell, alpha- and beta-intercalated cells, and lateral interspace. Calculations produce luminal profiles of Na, K, Cl, HCO3, and phosphate, as well as of electrical potential and pH. Parameter sets are developed that permit representation of both unstimulated and deoxycorticosterone acetate-stimulated tubules. A series of simulations is performed in which initial luminal flow rate is varied over the range of values between 0.1 and 30 nl/min. A marked flow-dependent enhancement of Na reabsorption and K secretion is seen, especially at lower flows, while Cl and HCO3 transport remain relatively constant. In experimental studies, it has been observed that metabolic alkalosis stimulates and metabolic acidosis inhibits K secretion, while leaving Na transport relatively unaffected [B. A. Stanton and G. Giebisch. Am. J. Physiol. 242 (Renal Fluid Electrolyte Physiol. 11): F544-F551, 1982; K. Tabei, S. Muto, Y. Ando, Y. Sakairi, and Y. Asano. J. Am. Soc. Nephrol. 1: 693, 1990; and K. Tabei, S. Muto, H. Furuya, and Y. Asano. J. Am. Soc. Nephrol. 2: 752, 1991]. Model calculations indicate that, when ion permeabilities are fixed and not dependent on pH, the impact of peritubular HCO3 on K secretion cannot be simulated. When junctional Cl permeability decreases with increasing interspace pH (E. M. Wright and J. M. Diamond. Biochim. Biophys. Acta 163: 57-74, 1968) in the model, there is a marked stimulation of K secretion with alkalosis and inhibition with acidosis. Furthermore, inclusion of a pH-dependent apical Na permeability [L. G. Palmer and G. Frindt. Am. J. Physiol. 253 (Renal Fluid Electrolyte Physiol. 22): F333-F339, 1987] that increases with increasing principal cell pH significantly reduces the change in Na+ reabsorption seen with the pH-dependent junctional Cl permeability alone. In these calculations, a pH-dependent apical K permeability [W. Wang, A. Schwab, and G. Giebisch. Am. J. Physiol. 259 (Renal Fluid Electrolyte Physiol. 28): F494-F502, 1990] that increases with increasing principal cell pH shows relatively little impact on K secretion."}
{"id": "PMID:1481885", "title": "Expression of mRNA (D2) encoding a protein involved in amino acid transport in S3 proximal tubule.", "content": "A rat kidney- and intestine-specific cDNA (D2) that induces high-affinity, Na(+)-independent uptake of cystine and dibasic and neutral amino acids into cRNA-injected Xenopus oocytes was recently isolated by expression cloning in our laboratory (R. G. Wells and M. A. Hediger. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 89: 5596-5600, 1992). At present it is not known whether the D2-encoded protein functions as a transporter or as a transporter activator. To gain more insight into the role of D2 in renal amino acid transport, we studied the site of its expression in the kidney. This was determined by Northern blot analysis and by using a combination of in situ hybridization and immunocytochemistry with antibodies that recognize specific proximal tubule segments. D2 antisense RNA hybridized to the same tubular segments that were strongly positive for anti-ecto-adenosinetriphosphatase but negative for carbonic anhydrase type IV and the facilitated glucose transporter GLUT2. We conclude that D2 mRNA is strongly expressed in the rat kidney proximal tubule S3 segment, although there is weak hybridization to the S1 and S2 segments. The signal is absent in all other parts of the kidney. The S3 specific expression of D2 mRNA coincides with the site of high-affinity transport of cystine and other amino acids, consistent with the proposed involvement of D2 in these processes."}
{"id": "PMID:1481886", "title": "Rapid renal potassium adaptation in rats.", "content": "The possibility that renal K adaptation, defined as the increased capacity to excrete an intravenous K load, can occur within hours of intake of a normal K ration was examined in fed and fasted rats. Rats maintained on a 12-h light-dark cycle were fed either a standard diet (fed rats) or had food removed before the onset of the dark phase to prevent the early dark phase ingestion (fasted rats). Four hours into the dark phase, fed and fasted rats were infused intravenously with 0.143 M KCl, while control fed and fasted rats did not receive any KCl. The initial urinary K excretion rate (UKV, 5.67 +/- 0.47 in K-loaded fed rats were greater than the UKV (3.13 +/- 0.45 mu eq/min) and PK (3.24 +/- 0.1 meq/l) in K-loaded fasted rats. After the acute KCl infusion (100 min), the UKV increased similarly in both fed and fasted rats, while the magnitude of the increase in PK in fasted rats was twice that in fed rats. Consequently, the delta UKV/delta PK was greater in fed rats (3.83 mj eq/min per meq/l) than in fasted rats (2.14 mu eq/min per meq/l). During the KCl infusion for any level of PK, the UKV was greater in fed rats than in fasted rats. This relationship was not altered by concurrent infusion of potassium canrenoate or somatostatin. These results indicate that within 3-6 h after an oral K intake, the renal excretion of an acute intravenous K load is enhanced.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1481887", "title": "Role of plasmin and gelatinase in extracellular matrix degradation by cultured rat mesangial cells.", "content": "We have examined the ability of mesangial cells (MCs) to degrade extracellular matrix (ECM) using cultured rat MCs grown on thin films of radiolabeled Matrigel. ECM degradation by cultured MCs was observed only in presence of exogenously added plasminogen and was a function of plasminogen concentration (0-50 mU), cell number (0-50,000 cells), and length of incubation (0-72 h). A high positive correlation (r > 0.93) was observed between ECM degradation and plasmin activity in medium, suggesting an important role for plasmin in ECM degradation by cultured MCs. This suggestion was confirmed by ability of plasmin inhibitors, alpha 2-antiplasmin (40 micrograms/ml) and aprotinin (216 kallikrein inhibition units/ml), to inhibit (> 90%) ECM degradation. Inhibitors of cysteine proteinases [trans-epoxysuccinyl-L-leucylamido(4-guanidino)butane, 10 microM] and aspartic proteinases (pepstatin, 5.0 micrograms/ml) had no effect on ECM degradation. However, in presence of plasminogen, inhibitors of matrix metalloproteinases, TIMP-1 (40 micrograms/ml) and o-phenanthroline (100 microM), inhibited ECM degradation -42 +/- 4% and -43 +/- 3% (SE), respectively (n = 8-10). Thus, in addition to plasmin, a matrix metalloproteinase(s) is also involved in ECM degradation by cultured rat MCs. Zymography of culture medium obtained from MCs grown on radiolabeled Matrigel films in absence of plasminogen revealed only two closely migrating bands of gelatinase activity, relative mol wt of approximately 70,000-72,000. MCs grown in absence of plasminogen failed to degrade ECM despite presence of gelatinase in medium, indicating that, in absence of plasmin, gelatinase is present in an inactive form, either as a latent proenzyme or as a gelatinase-inhibitor complex.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1481888", "title": "Cellular morphology in outer medullary collecting duct: effect of 75% nephrectomy and K+ depletion.", "content": "The present study was designed to determine, in rats, whether 75% nephrectomy and potassium depletion affect the principal and intercalated cells in the outer medullary collecting duct in the same manner as they affect the principal and intercalated cells in the cortical collecting duct. Ten days after a 75% reduction of renal mass, whole animal glomerular filtration rate decreased and the fractional excretion of potassium increased in rats. However, no morphological changes occurred in either the principal or intercalated cells of the outer medullary collecting duct after the reduction of renal mass. When 75% nephrectomized rats were placed on a diet deficient in potassium, the concentration of potassium in plasma and the absolute and fractional excretion of potassium decreased significantly. In addition, marked hypertrophy occurred in both the principal and intercalated cells in the outer medullary collecting duct. Previous findings from the same animals used in the present study show that 75% nephrectomy caused hypertrophic changes in principal cells of the cortical collecting duct, which could be inhibited by potassium depletion induced by the dietary restriction of potassium. The findings also show that the intercalated cells of the cortical collecting duct in 75% nephrectomized rats were unaffected by potassium depletion. On the basis of our findings, it appears there is an absence of hypertrophy in either the principal or intercalated cells in the outer medullary collecting duct of the rat after renal mass in the animal is reduced significantly.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1481889", "title": "A micropuncture study of renal lithium reabsorption: effects of amiloride and furosemide.", "content": "The validity of the lithium clearance technique as a measure of end-proximal fluid delivery was assessed using micropuncture in sodium-replete, Inactin-anesthetized Sprague-Dawley rats. Three groups of animals were used: controls, amiloride treated, and furosemide treated. Diuretic-induced salt and water losses were replaced. Fractional lithium excretion (FELi) was 0.23 +/- 0.01, 0.24 +/- 0.02, and 0.40 +/- 0.03 in the control, amiloride, and furosemide groups, respectively. In each group, the tubular fluid-to-plasma lithium concentration ratio at the end of the proximal convoluted tubule (PCT) was significantly greater than unity (control, 1.16 +/- 0.03; amiloride, 1.16 +/- 0.02; furosemide, 1.17 +/- 0.02). In the control group, fractional lithium delivery (FDLi) at the late PCT was 0.50 +/- 0.02, while FDLi at the early distal tubule was 0.25 +/- 0.01; the latter did not differ significantly from FDLi at the late distal tubule or from FELi. Values in amiloride-treated rats were almost identical. Furosemide had no effect on FDLi at the late PCT, but raised that at the early distal tubule to 0.37 +/- 0.03. We conclude that 1) lithium reabsorption in the PCT lags slightly behind that of water, 2) substantial furosemide-sensitive lithium reabsorption occurs beyond the PCT, and 3) no significant lithium reabsorption occurs in nephron segments beyond the loop. These findings call into question the use of lithium clearance as a quantitative measure of end-proximal fluid delivery in sodium-replete animals."}
{"id": "PMID:1481890", "title": "Adenosine receptor gene expression in rat kidney.", "content": "Adenosine is an important modulator of renal function. Adenosine produced and released within the kidney is thought to participate in the metabolic regulation of glomerular filtration (tubuloglomerular feedback), as well as in regulating renal excretory function and renin secretion. The recent cloning of cDNAs encoding the A1 and A2a adenosine receptors from rat brain allows direct examination of potential sites of adenosine action within the rat kidney. Northern blot analysis of rat kidney poly(A)+ RNA revealed that A1 adenosine receptor mRNA was more abundant in kidney than the A2a adenosine receptor transcript. In situ hybridization with 35S-labeled cRNA probes was used to localize A1 and A2a adenosine receptor mRNAs within the kidney. A1 adenosine receptor mRNA was most abundant in the collecting ducts of the papilla and inner medulla. Collecting ducts in the outermost portion of the inner stripe of the outer medulla and cells of the juxtaglomerular apparatus also expressed A1 adenosine receptor mRNA. A2a adenosine receptor mRNA was localized to the renal papilla. The distribution of A1 and A2a adenosine receptor mRNAs within the rat kidney supports previously postulated roles for adenosine in the regulation of renal hemodynamics, excretory function, and renin secretion."}
{"id": "PMID:1481891", "title": "Effect of protein kinase C inhibitors on endothelin- and vasopressin-induced constriction of the rat basilar artery.", "content": "The goal of this study was to determine whether inhibitors of protein kinase C (PKC) attenuate constrictor responses of the basilar artery in vivo to endothelin and arginine vasopressin. In anesthetized rats, the diameter of basilar arteries was measured through a cranial window [control diameter 218 +/- 3 (SE) microns]. Vessel diameter was measured during topical application of agonists and antagonists. Sphingosine (10(-6) M), a PKC inhibitor that binds to the regulatory site of PKC, attenuated vasoconstriction in response to endothelin (10(-9), 10(-8), and 10(-7) M) and vasopressin (10(-9) and 10(-8) M). H-7 (10(-9) M), a PKC inhibitor that binds to the catalytic site of PKC, also inhibited vasoconstriction in response to endothelin and vasopressin. Sphingosine and H-7 did not affect baseline diameter and did not attenuate vasoconstriction in response to prostaglandin (PG) F2 alpha. The V1 antagonist [d(CH2)5Tyr(Me)]arginine vasopressin (10(-8) M) significantly inhibited constriction in response to vasopressin (10(-9) and 10(-8) M) but not PGF2 alpha (10(-6) M). These observations suggest that activation of PKC may contribute to endothelin-induced constriction of the basilar artery in vivo and that PKC may also be a mediator of V1-receptor-mediated constriction of the basilar artery in response to vasopressin."}
{"id": "PMID:1481892", "title": "Analysis of systemic and pulmonary vascular responses to PACAP and VIP: role of adrenal catecholamines.", "content": "Systemic and pulmonary vascular responses to pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP), a novel peptide with 68% sequence homology to vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), were investigated in the anesthetized cat. Intravenous injections of PACAP in doses of 0.1-3.0 nmol/kg produced decreases in arterial pressure (AP) at low doses and biphasic changes (decreases followed by increases) at higher doses, which were accompanied by increases in central venous pressure (CVP) and cardiac output (CO), and decreases and biphasic changes in systemic vascular resistance (SVR). In contrast, VIP in doses of 0.1-3.0 nmol/kg produced only dose-dependent decreases in AP and SVR and produced little change in CVP and CO. PACAP produced increased pulmonary arterial pressure (PAP), left atrial pressure (LAP), and increases in pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR). PACAP increased heart rate (HR) and right ventricular contractile force (RVCF), while VIP had no effect. Increases in AP and SVR in response to PACAP were changed to decreases following the administration of phentolamine or after adrenalectomy. Under constant flow conditions, PACAP and VIP produced dose-dependent decreases in lobar arterial pressure when tone was elevated, with PACAP being threefold more potent than VIP. Meclofenamate and nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) had no effect on pulmonary responses to the peptides. PACAP produced dose-dependent biphasic changes in hindquarters perfusion pressure, whereas VIP produced only decreases that were unchanged by indomethacin, L-NAME, and glibenclamide. Phentolamine and adrenalectomy eliminated the hindquarters pressor response to PACAP and D-Phe2-VIP, a VIP antagonist, reduced responses to VIP but not to PACAP. These data suggest that responses to PACAP and VIP are mediated by distinct receptors and that pressor responses to PACAP are due to the release of catecholamines from the adrenal gland."}
{"id": "PMID:1481893", "title": "Prostanoids modulate opioid-induced increases in cerebrospinal fluid vasopressin concentration.", "content": "Topical dynorphin and beta-endorphin produce increases in both prostanoid and vasopressin concentrations in cortical periarachnoid fluid of newborn pigs. The present study, in anesthetized piglets with cranial windows implanted, investigated the role of these prostanoids in the mediation of this vasopressin release by opioids. Topical prostaglandin (PG) I2 (100 ng/ml) increased pial arteriolar diameter from 145 +/- 4 to 178 +/- 4 microns and also increased cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) vasopressin from 1.1 +/- 0.1 to 4.1 +/- 0.5 microU/ml, but CSF vasopressin was not changed by PGE2, PGF2 alpha, and U-46619. Therefore, it is possible that PGI2 causes the increase in CSF vasopressin produced by opioids. Consistent with this concept, indomethacin and aspirin blocked dynorphin- and beta-endorphin-induced vasopressin release. The present data indicate that PGI2 contributes to opioid-induced changes in CSF vasopressin concentration and, thereby, to vasopressinergic contributions to opioid-induced cerebral vascular responses."}
{"id": "PMID:1481894", "title": "Heart size and maximal cardiac output are limited by the pericardium.", "content": "We tested the hypothesis that the pericardium, by restricting heart size, limits maximal cardiac output and oxygen consumption. We studied 15 pigs. Five underwent maximal treadmill running before and 14-21 days after thoracotomy and pericardiectomy; these pigs also received sequential volume infusions to determine end-diastolic pressure-dimension relationships. Five underwent maximal treadmill running before and 14-21 days after thoracotomy (pericardium undisturbed) to determine the effect of thoracotomy on exercise performance. Finally, five underwent thoracotomy, instrumentation, loose closure of the pericardium, and sequential volume infusions to determine the effect of thoracotomy without pericardiectomy on end-diastolic pressure-dimension relationships. Pericardiectomy caused similar increases in maximal cardiac output (29% increase; P = 0.007) and maximal oxygen consumption (31% increase; P = 0.02). These results were associated with increased left ventricular end-diastolic dimension (10% increase; P = 0.01) and an estimated 33% increase in end-diastolic volume. In addition, left ventricular mass was increased by pericardiectomy (18% increase; P < 0.04). Thus the pericardium, by limiting utilization of the Starling mechanism, limits maximal cardiac output, and the limit to cardiorespiratory performance lies not in oxygen utilization, but in oxygen delivery. Furthermore, removal of pericardium is associated with myocardial hypertrophy."}
{"id": "PMID:1481895", "title": "Thapsigargin, a new inotropic agent, antagonizes action of endothelin-1 in rat atrial cells.", "content": "In isolated newborn rat atrial cells, thapsigargin induced a slow rise in cytosolic free Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) (half-maximum effective concentration = 1 microM) that was independent of the presence of external Ca2+. A 5-min treatment of atrial cells with 5 mM caffeine reduced but did not abolish the action of thapsigargin on [Ca2+]i. A first treatment of atrial cells with 10 microM thapsigargin reduced the action of ionomycin on [Ca2+]i. It also antagonized in a noncompetitive manner the Ca(2+)-mobilizing action of 100 nM endothelin-1 (ET-1). The half-maximum concentration for the inhibition by thapsigargin of ET-1 action was 0.2 microM. Thapsigargin had no action on the basal or ET-1 (100 nM)-stimulated production of inositol phosphates. These results suggest that thapsigargin discharges an inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate-sensitive and caffeine-insensitive intracellular Ca2+ pool distinct from the sarcoplasmic reticulum. In isolated rat left atria, paced at 1 Hz, thapsigargin (10 microM) produced a transient 48% increase in contractility. It did not alter the contractile responses to 1 microM isoproterenol or to 5 mM caffeine. It had no action on postrest potentiation. Thapsigargin (10 microM) almost completely suppressed the positive inotropic action of 100 nM ET-1. It had no action on the transient negative inotropic response to ET-1. These results suggest that most of the positive inotropic effect of ET-1 is linked to its capacity to mobilize an inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate-sensitive intracellular Ca2+ pool distinct from the sarcoplasmic reticulum."}
{"id": "PMID:1481896", "title": "Myocardial and endothelial dysfunction after multiple, brief coronary occlusions: role of oxygen radicals.", "content": "The major objective of the present study was to determine the effect of multiple, brief periods of coronary artery occlusion and reperfusion on postischemic contractile function (sonomicrometry) and endothelium-dependent vasodilator responses in isolated conduit coronary artery rings obtained from anesthetized dogs. The role of oxygen-derived free radicals was also investigated. Dogs were subjected to four 5-min episodes of left anterior descending coronary occlusion interspersed with 5 min of reperfusion followed by a final 60-min reperfusion period. The multiple occlusion-reperfusion protocol resulted in regional segment dysfunction (37 +/- 15% of preocclusion values at 60 min of reperfusion) and attenuated endothelium-dependent responses to acetylcholine, bradykinin, and the calcium ionophore, A23187. Responses to the endothelium-independent vasodilator, sodium nitroprusside, were unaffected. Infusion of superoxide dismutase (5,000 U/kg) and catalase (55,000 U/kg) markedly improved the recovery of myocardial function at 30 and 60 min of reperfusion and completely protected against vascular endothelial damage. These results suggest an important role for oxygen-derived free radicals in the myocardial and endothelial injury that occurs in this model of multiple stunned myocardium."}
{"id": "PMID:1481897", "title": "Recruitment of myocardial work and metabolism in regionally stunned porcine myocardium.", "content": "We characterized postischemic changes in myocardial metabolism and regional external work, as measured by the integral of left ventricular pressure-segment-length loops. In 12 anesthetized swine, the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) was occluded for 10 min and reperfused for 30 min for two successive cycles. Before ischemia, regional work was 16,920 +/- 5,630 mmHg-mm/min and after stunning, work was reduced to 50 +/- 14% (P < 0.05). At baseline, oxygen and lactate consumption were 4.80 +/- 1.40 and 1.02 +/- 0.46 mumol.min-1 x g-1, respectively, and after stunning they were reduced to 3.24 +/- 0.80 (P < 0.05) and 0.16 +/- 0.21 mumol.min-1 x g-1 (P < 0.05), respectively. The atria were then paced 50 beats/min higher than the reperfusion heart rate, during and without an infusion of dobutamine (2 micrograms.kg-1 x min-1). During dobutamine, both regional external work and oxygen consumption returned to 98% of preischemic values, but lactate utilization remained depressed. We conclude that regional external work and oxygen consumption remain coupled during inotropic stimulation after stunning, with a preferential shift toward nonlactate substrates."}
{"id": "PMID:1481898", "title": "T-Q, S-T segment mapping and hyperemia in reperfused pig heart with ischemic preconditioning.", "content": "The effects of ischemic preconditioning on epicardial T-Q and S-T segment mapping, local activation, and coronary blood flow were analyzed in nine barbiturate-anesthetized pigs during four coronary occlusion (5 min)-reperfusion (20 min) sequences. In seven sham pigs, one occlusion was performed after a control period of 75 min. The first reperfusion induced a marked coronary hyperemia [11 +/- 4 ml/min (baseline) to 33 +/- 16 ml/min, P < 0.005] and a rapid recovery (30 to 150 s) of epicardial activation delays, T-Q segment depression, and S-T segment elevation in the ischemia area. This recovery was transiently associated with enlargement of intersite T-Q potential variability (alpha: 2.5 +/- 0.6 to 3.4 +/- 0.7 mV, P < 0.05), T-Q segment overshoot to +1.4 +/- 0.9 mV, and S-T segment reelevation. A brief T-Q segment depression (-2.3 +/- 0.9 mV) occurred during early reperfusion in 60 of 91 electrodes overlying the normal myocardium. Compared with the first, the fourth occlusion induced lower S-T segment elevation (3.4 +/- 2.0 to 1.7 +/- 1.9 mV, P < 0.05), and the fourth reperfusion elicited a faster reversal of T-Q segment dispersion (53 +/- 21 to 43 +/- 16 s, P < 0.05), S-T segment elevation (149 +/- 101 to 81 +/- 45 s, P < 0.05), and coronary hyperemia (8 +/- 2 to 5 +/- 1 min, P < 0.05). This trend of changes was not observed during a fourth occlusion in sham pigs.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1481899", "title": "Trophic effects of catecholamines and parathyroid hormone on adult ventricular cardiomyocytes.", "content": "Trophic effects of isoproterenol (Iso), norepinephrine (NE), phenylephrine (PE), and biologically active fragments of parathyroid hormone (PTH), PTH-(1-34) and PTH-(28-48), were investigated in mechanically quiescent, isolated ventricular cardiomyocytes from adult rat. In 24-h incubations in modified serum-free medium 199 incorporation of [14C]phenylalanine, changes in total protein and specific activities of cytosolic enzymes, creatine kinase (CK) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) were monitored. NE and PE (10 microM), but not Iso, distinctly increased phenylalanine incorporation, total cell protein, and specific activity of CK but not LDH. Induction of CK, but not LDH, was also produced by phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (10 nM) but not dibutyryl adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (DBcAMP, 1 mM). It was abolished by copresence of cycloheximide (35 microM) or actinomycin D (5 microM). CK-BB was the only induced isoform of CK, as shown for PE incubations. PTH-(1-34) and PTH-(28-48) (30-300 nM) had effects comparable to NE and PE. They increased phenylalanine incorporation and total protein content and induced CK but not LDH. In summary, distinct trophic effects on adult cardiomyocytes were found with alpha 1-adrenergic agonists, fragments of PTH containing the midregional amino acids 28-34, and direct activation of protein kinase C but neither beta-adrenergic agonists nor DBcAMP."}
{"id": "PMID:1481900", "title": "Differences in rate dependence of transient outward current in rabbit and human atrium.", "content": "Both human and rabbit atrial cells possess a large 4-aminopyridine-sensitive transient outward current (I(to1)). However, the slow reactivation of this current in rabbits suggests that its role may be limited to very slow heart rates. We used whole cell voltage-clamp recordings to evaluate the rate dependency of I(to1) in rabbit and human atrial myocytes. Our results show that at physiological temperatures in human atrium, I(to1) is rate independent at rates between 0.1 and 4.0 Hz. Peak I(to1) at 4.0 Hz in rabbit was 3.4 +/- 1.4% (mean +/- SE) of current at 0.1 Hz (P < 0.001, n = 8), whereas in humans, peak I(to1) at 4.0 Hz averaged 88.8 +/- 6.1% of the current at 0.1 Hz (P > 0.05, n = 7). These differences were due to marked discrepancies in reactivation time course, which was biexponential with time constants that averaged 650 +/- 159 ms and 8.4 +/- 1.1 s in rabbit (n = 8) compared with a single exponential time constant of 33.6 +/- 6.8 ms (n = 8) in human atrium (both at 30 degrees C). These findings suggest that I(to1) can contribute importantly to atrial repolarization at all physiological heart rates in humans. Furthermore, these results emphasize that there are important interspecies variations in the rate dependence of I(to1), which need to be considered in understanding the physiological and pharmacological regulation of atrial repolarization."}
{"id": "PMID:1481901", "title": "Pregnancy reduces serotonin-induced contraction of guinea pig uterine and carotid arteries.", "content": "Because platelet activation and serotonin have been implicated in preeclamptic hypertension, we investigated the effect of pregnancy on the contractile response to this agent. Prior studies have shown that the vascular contractions to norepinephrine, angiotensin II, and thromboxane are reduced during normal pregnancy by the altered release of endothelium-derived vasoactive substances. We hypothesized that the contraction to serotonin would also be reduced during pregnancy by an endothelium-dependent mechanism. Isolated ring segments from uterine and carotid arteries of near-term pregnant and nonpregnant guinea pigs were studied after stimulating a small amount of active tone with prostaglandin F2 alpha. Serotonin (10(-8) to 10(-5) M) contractile responses of both arteries were reduced by pregnancy. Regardless of pregnancy status, the contractile responses of the uterine artery to serotonin were severalfold greater than that of the carotid artery whose maximum averaged only 10% of the 120 mM KCl contraction. Denudation of uterine artery abolished acetylcholine-stimulated relaxation in vessels from pregnant and nonpregnant animals. However, serotonin-induced contractions were enhanced by denudation only in ring segments obtained from pregnant animals. Nitric oxide synthase inhibition by either NG-monomethyl-L-arginine (L-NMMA) or N omega-nitro-L-arginine and cyclooxygenase inhibition by indomethacin had no effect on serotonin-induced contraction of intact uterine artery regardless of pregnancy. L-NMMA modestly enhanced the intact carotid arterial response to 10(-5) M serotonin independent of pregnancy.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1481902", "title": "Blood viscosity in tube flow: dependence on diameter and hematocrit.", "content": "Since the original publications by Martini et al. (Dtsch. Arch. Klin. Med. 169: 212-222, 1930) and Fahraeus and Lindqvist (Am. J. Physiol. 96: 562-568, 1931), it has been known that the relative apparent viscosity of blood in tube flow depends on tube diameter. Quantitative descriptions of this effect and of the dependence of blood viscosity on hematocrit in the different diameter tubes are required for the development of hydrodynamic models of blood flow through the microcirculation. The present study provides a comprehensive data base for the description of relative apparent blood viscosity as a function of tube diameter and hematocrit. Data available from the literature are compiled, and new experimental data obtained in a capillary viscometer are presented. The combined data base comprises measurements at high shear rates (u > or = 50 s-1) in tubes with diameters ranging from 3.3 to 1,978 microns at hematocrits of up to 0.9. If corrected for differences in suspending medium viscosity and temperature, the data show remarkable agreement. Empirical fitting equations predicting relative apparent blood viscosity from tube diameter and hematocrit are presented. A pronounced change in the hematocrit dependence of relative viscosity is observed in a range of tube diameters in which viscosity is minimal. While a linear hematocrit-viscosity relationship is found in tubes of < or = 6 microns, an overproportional increase of viscosity with hematocrit prevails in tubes of > or = 9 microns. This is interpreted to reflect the hematocrit-dependent transition from single- to multifile arrangement of cells in flow."}
{"id": "PMID:1481903", "title": "Myocardial performance of STZ-diabetic DOCA-hypertensive rats.", "content": "Myocardial performance of streptozotocin (STZ)-diabetic deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA)-hypertensive rats was examined using the isolated working heart apparatus at various time periods after induction of the experimental diseases. Blood pressure, pulse rate, and plasma levels of glucose, insulin, cholesterol, and triglycerides, as well as ventricular weight-to-body weight ratio, were also determined. In nondiabetic rats it was found that DOCA hypertension was associated with an increase in plasma cholesterol, a decrease in circulating insulin level, lower weight gain, and ventricular enlargement compared with control rats. Diabetic rats developed myocardial dysfunction in a time-dependent manner and exhibited hyperglycemia, hypoinsulinemia, bradycardia, and ventricular enlargement. Compared with the normotensive diabetic animals, STZ-diabetic DOCA-hypertensive rats showed a similar magnitude of myocardial dysfunction and a greater degree of ventricular enlargement, but significantly less severe hyperglycemia. It is concluded that DOCA-induced hypertension does not aggravate the severity of myocardial dysfunction developed in STZ-diabetic rats. It is also suggested that DOCA may have an action on glucose metabolism either directly or via an effect on insulin secretion."}
{"id": "PMID:1481904", "title": "Acute endoneurial ischemia induced by epineurial endothelin in the rat sciatic nerve.", "content": "Endothelin (ET) is a potent vasoconstrictor peptide that may have pathophysiological roles in the microcirculation of the peripheral nervous system. We examined the local action of epineurial ET-1 on sciatic endoneurial blood flow using serial hydrogen clearance measurements in anesthetized, paralyzed, and ventilated Sprague-Dawley rats. In separate rats, we made serial measurements of sciatic motor multifiber conduction before and then after application of epineurial ET (saline on contralateral nerve) 2 and 24 h and 4 and 7 days later. Epineurial bathing solutions of ET increased microvascular resistance and reduced local endoneurial blood flow in a dose-responsive fashion with a half-maximum effective concentration of 10(-8) M. Maximum vasoconstriction at 10(-6) M ET was associated with a fall in endoneurial blood flow from 18.7 (pre-ET) to 7.2 ml x 100 g-1 x min-1. Epineurial norepinephrine (10(-7) to 10(-10) M) also resulted in vasoconstriction, but of lesser degree. Pretreatment with intraperitoneal nimodipine, a dihydropyridine Ca2+ channel antagonist, but not phentolamine, prevented the vasoconstrictive action of ET. Three of eight animals developed temporary but complete axonal conduction block at the site of ET administration (10(-5) M) and four others had partial conduction block. Contralateral saline-treated sciatic fibers were unaffected. Local ET action on extrinsic epineurial microvessels results in reversible ischemia of the underlying endoneurium that may be associated with conduction block. ET's action is more potent than norepinephrine and appears dependent on L-type voltage-gated Ca2+ channels."}
{"id": "PMID:1481905", "title": "2,3-Butanedione monoxime increases contractile efficiency in the rabbit ventricle.", "content": "The efficiency of chemomechanical energy transduction (contractile efficiency) of the left ventricle (LV) has been calculated from the linear correlation of the systolic pressure-volume area (PVA) of the LV and its O2 consumption (VO2). Thus far, a wide range of acute interventions, including adrenergic agents, Ca(2+)-sensitizing drugs, and Ca2+ channel blockers have not altered contractile efficiency. In contrast, hyperthyroidism has been reported to decrease contractile efficiency, an effect attributed at the cross-bridge level to an increase in the V1/V3 myosin isoenzyme ratio. We hypothesized that an acute intervention which directly alters cross-bridge cycling would also change contractile efficiency. Accordingly, 2,3-butanedione monoxime (BDM), a negative inotropic agent that is thought to directly inhibit cross-bridge formation, was administered to seven excised, red blood cell-perfused, isovolumically beating rabbit LVs. At 3-4 mM perfusate concentration, BDM resulted in the following reversible mechanical and energetic effects compared with control. Contractility, assessed by the slope (Emax) of the end-systolic pressure-volume relation, decreased by 11% (196.6 +/- 25.9 vs. 222 +/- 28 mmHg/ml). Both the time to end systole (Tmax) and relaxation half time (T1/2) decreased. The slope of the VO2-PVA relation decreased by 20% (1.55 +/- 0.44 x 10(-5) vs. 1.95 +/- 0.52 x 10(-5) ml O2 x mmHg-1 x ml-1), equivalent to an increase in contractile efficiency from 36.5 +/- 10.4 to 46.4 +/- 14.4%, while the O2 costs of the mechanically unloaded LV decreased by 12% (0.0258 +/- 0.0060 vs. 0.0292 +/- 0.0064 ml O2 x beat-1 x 100 g-1). Finally, BDM also produced coronary vasodilation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1481906", "title": "Ontogeny of baroreflex control of renal sympathetic nerve activity and heart rate.", "content": "The purpose of this study was to characterize the developmental changes in baroreflex function during fetal and postnatal life in sheep. Resting mean arterial blood pressure increased significantly from 55 +/- 2 mmHg in fetuses to 86 +/- 3 mmHg in newborn lambs and to 105 +/- 4 mmHg in 4- to 6-wk-old lambs. The sensitivity (gain) of the renal sympathetic nerve activity (RSNA) response to baroreceptor stimulation was greater (P < 0.05) in fetuses (-7.7 +/- 1.9%/mmHg) than in newborn (-2.9 +/- 0.1%/mmHg) and 4- to 6-wk-old lambs (-2.2 +/- 0.2%/mmHg). The threshold and saturation pressures for the baroreflex function curve were lower (P < 0.05) in fetuses (44 +/- 2 and 61 +/- 2 mmHg) than in newborn (59 +/- 4 and 106 +/- 5 mmHg) or 4- to 6-wk-old lambs (78 +/- 5 and 132 +/- 6 mmHg). Similar findings were observed when the heart rate response to baroreceptor stimulation was examined. Additional experiments were performed in newborn and 4- to 6-wk-old lambs to determine whether the rise in arterial blood pressure associated with postnatal maturation contributed to baroreflex resetting. Sustained elevation of arterial blood pressure by 15-20 mmHg for over 90 min did not reset the baroreflex function curve in either newborn or 4- to 6-wk-old lambs.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1481907", "title": "Effects of hypoxia, hyperoxia and hypercapnia on graded cerebral ischemic responses in rabbits.", "content": "This study was designed to determine how several factors interact to modify the cerebral ischemic pressor response (CIR) in anesthetized rabbits. After the carotid sinus and aortic nerves were bilaterally sectioned, blood flow through the left internal carotid artery (ICF), which was surgically restricted as the sole route of blood supply to the brain, was reduced by a servo-controller during ventilation with room air, and 8% and 90% O2 and 2 and 5% CO2 gas mixtures. Blood flow (MBF), tissue PO2, PCO2, and interstitial pH were measured in the rostral ventrolateral medulla. Internal carotid arterial pressure, tissue PO2, and MBF decreased proportionately as ICF decreased in the range from 4 to 0 ml/min. Hypoxia significantly increased the rise in renal nerve activity (RNA) and CIR caused by cerebral ischemia, while hyperoxia significantly decreased them. Hypercapnia had almost no influence on the increases in RNA and mean arterial pressure produced by cerebral ischemia. CIR showed a much higher correlation with changes in tissue PO2 than with the other factors. We examined how these factors interact to modify CIR and found that central hypoxia is the main factor in producing CIR."}
{"id": "PMID:1481908", "title": "Skeletal muscle arteriolar constriction to ANG II: evaluation of a myogenic component.", "content": "This study addressed the hypothesis that an increase in blood pressure contributes to the overall constrictive response of skeletal muscle arterioles to angiotensin II (ANG II). Diameters of second-order arterioles (2A) and third-order arterioles (3A) in the rat cremaster muscle were quantitated after intravenous administration of ANG II. Hindquarter blood pressure was either allowed to increase or was maintained at normal levels. Constriction of 3A to bolus injection of ANG II was the same whether hindquarter pressure increased or not. However, the total vascular constrictive response of the cremaster muscle (based on 2A blood flow) and of the entire hindquarter (based on iliac arterial blood flow) to bolus ANG II was greater when hindquarter pressure was held constant. During slow infusion of ANG II, 3A constriction was unaffected by an abrupt decrease or increase in hindquarter pressure. However, an abrupt reduction of hindquarter pressure caused a significant decline in hindquarter vascular resistance. Thus an increase in blood pressure, whether rapid or gradual, does not influence 3A constriction to ANG II. However, in the entire hindquarter, a rapid rise in blood pressure opposes constriction to ANG II, whereas a gradual pressure rise evokes a mechanism that enhances constrictive response to the peptide."}
{"id": "PMID:1481909", "title": "Cellular Vmax reflects both membrane properties and the load presented by adjoining cells.", "content": "This study was designed to test the hypothesis that the electrical load seen at a microelectrode impalement site is sensitive to the direction of propagation of the approaching wavefront as a reflection of an altered spatial relationship between the impalement site and the surrounding microscopic electrical boundaries located up- and downstream. These boundaries correspond to the different sizes and shapes of the impaled and surrounding cells as well as to the distribution of the associated electrical connections between the cells. The effects of changes in these geometric relationships on maximum rate of rise of transmembrane potential (Vmax) were investigated in canine ventricular muscle by measuring Vmax in different cells while the direction of propagation was changed from along the longitudinal axis to the transverse axis of the fibers or the direction of conduction was reversed along either of these axes. Comparison of the Vmax values for longitudinal propagation (LP) and transverse propagation (TP), each in one direction, showed that TP Vmax was significantly greater than LP Vmax (P < 0.001). However, the values of Vmax were different from cell to cell during LP (93-139 V/s) and TP (110-181 V/s). The absolute values of LP Vmax and TP Vmax at the same site varied independently of each other, e.g., some of the lowest LP Vmax values occurred at the same site as the highest TP Vmax values. Furthermore, at the same site, Vmax changed considerably when propagation was maintained along the longitudinal axis but the direction of conduction was reversed. Similar prominent changes in Vmax occurred when the direction was reversed along the transverse axis.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1481910", "title": "Hypocapnic-hypoglycemic interactions on cerebral high-energy phosphates and pH in dogs.", "content": "With a level of hypoglycemia (1-1.5 mM) that does not alter cerebral O2 uptake and glucose uptake in dogs, induction of hypocapnia may cause severe electroencephalographic (EEG) abnormalities. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of hypoglycemia (blood glucose = 1.1 +/- 0.1 mM) and hypocapnia (arterial PCO2 = 15 +/- 1 mmHg) on cerebral ATP, phosphocreatine, and intracellular pH (pHi; 31P magnetic resonance spectroscopy), cerebral blood flow (CBF; radiolabeled microspheres), global O2 uptake, and glucose uptake in anesthetized dogs. Neither hypoglycemia nor hypocapnia alone altered brain high-energy phosphates, pHi, O2 or glucose uptake or caused major EEG abnormalities. Hypocapnia alone decreased CBF to 62 +/- 4% of control. The combination of hypoglycemia and hypocapnia did not decrease CBF (85 +/- 6% of control), and O2 and glucose uptake were unchanged. During hypocapnic hypoglycemia, isoelectric EEG was seen in 40% of animals, ATP and phosphocreatine decreased to 38 +/- 12 and 43 +/- 12% of control, respectively, while pHi increased from 7.13 +/- 0.05 to 7.43 +/- 0.09. The increase in pHi was related reciprocally to the decrease in venous PCO2, indicating little change in intracellular bicarbonate concentration ([HCO3-]i). With normoglycemic hypocapnia, in contrast, estimated [HCO3-]i decreased 57 +/- 1%. These data suggest that active regulation of pHi during normoglycemic hypocapnia is impaired during hypoglycemic hypocapnia associated with decreased ATP."}
{"id": "PMID:1481911", "title": "Antibodies to SPARC inhibit albumin binding to SPARC, gp60, and microvascular endothelium.", "content": "Albumin, through its binding to the endothelial glycocalyx, functions as a major determinant of capillary permeability and as a carrier for various small molecules in its transcytosis across continuous endothelium via plasma-lemmal vesicles. Several albumin-binding proteins (ABP) have been identified: three membrane-associated ABP, which we call gp60, gp30, and gp18, and one secreted protein, acidic and rich in cysteine (SPARC). In this study, we used antiserum raised against bovine SPARC (BON) to investigate the possible interrelationships among ABP to better understand their role in binding and transcytosis. BON not only interacted with SPARC secreted by cultured endothelium but also recognized gp60 in lysates of cultured rat, human, and bovine endothelial cells. Purified SPARC inhibited BON interaction with gp60. BON immunoglobulin (Ig)G specifically inhibited albumin binding to both SPARC and gp60 extracts. This effect was eliminated by preabsorption of BON to immobilized SPARC. BON also significantly inhibited albumin binding to cultured microvascular endothelial cells via its interaction with gp60. Anti-SPARC peptide sera were also tested, and one serum raised against a peptide encompassing an NH2-terminal region of SPARC recognized both SPARC and gp60 but did not inhibit albumin binding; gp30 and gp18 were not recognized by any of these anti-SPARC antibodies. These results suggest that SPARC and gp60 are functionally and immunologically related ABP that may share a common albumin-binding domain. gp60 appears to be the major mediator of albumin binding to microvascular endothelium."}
{"id": "PMID:1481912", "title": "Role of endothelial cells in regulating hemoglobin-induced changes in lymphatic pumping.", "content": "Studies with a sheep isolated duct preparation in vivo demonstrated that the route of administration of hemoglobin was important in demonstrating its inhibitory effect on lymphatic pumping. With autologous oxyhemoglobin administered intravenously (final plasma concentration 5 x 10(-5) M), pumping was not inhibited. However, the addition of oxyhemoglobin (5 x 10(-5) M) into the reservoir (lumen of the duct) resulted in > 95% inhibition of pumping. The extraluminal administration of oxyhemoglobin (10(-5) M) to bovine mesenteric lymphatics in vitro resulted in a 40% inhibition of pumping, whereas the introduction of oxyhemoglobin (10(-5) M) into the lumen of the vessels suppressed pumping 95%. In vessels mechanically denuded of endothelium, intraluminal oxyhemoglobin inhibited pumping 50%. These results suggested that oxyhemoglobin depressed pumping through an effect on both smooth muscle and endothelium. Once pumping was inhibited with oxyhemoglobin administration, stimulation of the duct with elevations in transmural pressure restored pumping activity when endothelial cells were present. However, in the absence of endothelium, pumping decreased with increases in distending pressures. We conclude that oxyhemoglobin has a direct inhibitory effect on lymphatic smooth muscle. The ability of oxyhemoglobin to alter the pressure range over which the lymph pump operates appears to be dependent on an intact endothelium."}
{"id": "PMID:1481913", "title": "Microvascular ischemia-reperfusion injury in striated muscle: significance of \"no reflow\".", "content": "\"No reflow\" has been implicated as prominent phenomenon in microvascular injury associated with ischemia-reperfusion (I/R). The objectives of this study were 1) to elucidate the significance of no reflow in microvascular I/R injury of striated muscle and 2) to determine whether reactive oxygen metabolites play a role in the development of postischemic no reflow. By use of the hamster dorsal skinfold preparation and intravital microscopy, microvascular perfusion of capillaries and postcapillary venules of striated muscle was quantitatively assessed before and 30 min, 2 h, and 24 h after 4 h of tourniquet-induced ischemia. I/R was characterized by a significant reduction (P < 0.01) in functional capillary density to 35% of baseline values during initial reperfusion, with incomplete recovery after 24 h (n = 9). In addition, capillary perfusion was found to be extremely heterogeneous, and wall shear rate in postcapillary venules was significantly decreased (P < 0.01). Treatment with either superoxide dismutase (SOD; n = 9) or allopurinol (n = 9) resulted in maintenance of capillary density of 60% of baseline (P < 0.05). Furthermore, I/R-induced capillary perfusion inhomogeneities and decrease of wall shear rate in venules were attenuated significantly (P < 0.01) by SOD and allopurinol. Thus part of capillary perfusion disturbances during I/R in striated muscle may be caused by increased postcapillary vascular resistance, probably mediated by reactive oxygen metabolites. However, the fact that in SOD- and allopurinol-treated animals 40% of the capillaries were still found to be nonperfused indicates that mechanisms other than oxygen radicals play an important role in the development of postischemic no reflow."}
{"id": "PMID:1481914", "title": "Systemic hemodynamics and oxygen transport during pregnancy in chronically instrumented, conscious rats.", "content": "Knowledge about possible alterations in cardiac output (CO), total peripheral vascular resistance (TPVR), and their time course and magnitude of change is conspicuously lacking for the conscious gravid rat. Therefore, we assessed CO using Fick methodology in unrestrained, chronically instrumented, conscious rats. The rats were studied during early (day 7), mid (day 13), or late gestation (day 18) along with nonpregnant control rats matched with respect to age and days postsurgery. Significant differences between pregnant and nonpregnant rats were observed during midgestation, when CO was increased by 26 +/- 12% and TPVR was decreased by 23 +/- 9% in the pregnant animals. These changes were accompanied by a narrowed arterial-mixed venous oxygen content difference (AVD; P < 0.05 vs. nonpregnant). In late gravid rats, CO was higher than nonpregnant values by 49 +/- 8%, and TPVR was lower by 34 +/- 7% (both P < 0.05). Oxygen consumption and carbon dioxide production were significantly increased, and AVD further narrowed when compared with the nonpregnant control group. With the exception of absent chronic respiratory alkalosis in pregnant rats, we conclude that cardiovascular and respiratory changes in conscious, gravid rats and in pregnant women are comparable. We speculate that the ultimate purpose of many of these adaptations is to increase CO so that oxygen delivery and the supply of nutrients to the uteroplacental units are sufficient or more than sufficient to meet oxygen and nutrient demands. At midgestation, the rise in CO seems to anticipate the oxygen needs of the nascent uteroplacental units."}
{"id": "PMID:1481915", "title": "Evaluation of hypercholesterol diet-induced changes in viscoelastic properties of carotid circulation in pigs.", "content": "Measurements of pulsatile pressure and flow at the input of the left and right carotid arteries and a new lumped parameter model were used to quantify changes in the overall dynamic mechanical properties of the carotid circulation between five control diet-fed pigs and five pigs fed a hyperlipidemic diet for 16 wk. The model represents the portion of the circulation supplied by either the left or the right carotid artery and is characterized by five parameters: peripheral resistance (Rp), an overall inertance (L), and an overall frequency-dependent compliance constituted by a capacitor C (static compliance) in series with a Maxwell section, i.e., a capacitor Cd, in parallel with a resistor Rd. Rp was calculated as the ratio between mean pressure (P) and mean flow (Q). The other four parameters were estimated by fitting measured to model predicted flows. The average static compliance was reduced by 40% (P = 0.01) between normal (P = 62.0 +/- 4.3 mmHg) and hyperlipidemic diet-fed pigs (P = 62.7 +/- 4.7 mmHg). A significant reduction in the overall cross-sectional area was inferred from a 53% increase (P = 0.05) in L, whereas resistance vessel tone was unchanged as judged from estimates of Rp. No signs of occlusive disease were found in any of the animals."}
{"id": "PMID:1481916", "title": "Blood volume changes in microcirculation of rat intestine caused by carotid sinus baroreceptor reflex.", "content": "This series of experiments quantified the role of the rat small intestinal arterioles in capacity changes during bilateral carotid occlusion (BCO) and compared them with previous venular studies. We also determined the role of autoregulation in arteriolar constriction during BCO. First-order, second-order, and third-order arteriolar diameter changes were measured during changes in arteriolar pressure and/or sympathetic activity (via BCO). The results indicated that an arteriolar pressure drop caused an immediate significant transient diameter decrease of 14% (P < 0.001), followed by an average steady-state diameter increase of 11% (P < 0.001) over control because of autoregulation. During BCO, the arterioles demonstrated an initial 8-22% decrease in diameter (P < 0.05). The largest first-order vessels were the least responsive to changes in pressure and BCO, while the smallest third-order vessels were the most responsive. Apparently autoregulation, and not sympathetic activity, was responsible for most of the arteriolar constriction during BCO. We also developed an anatomic model of the rat intestinal vasculature which revealed that venules hold 70% of the microcirculatory volume and are responsible for 80% of the total blood shift during BCO. Venular constriction and, to a minor degree, arteriolar constriction result in a 14% decrease in microcirculatory intestinal blood volume during BCO."}
{"id": "PMID:1481917", "title": "New nonradioactive microspheres and more sensitive X-ray fluorescence to measure regional blood flow.", "content": "We developed new nonradioactive microspheres and used more sensitive X-ray fluorescence spectrometers than used previously to measure regional blood flow in the heart and other organs. We demonstrated the chemical stability of eight kinds of heavy element-loaded microspheres and validated their use for regional blood flow measurement by comparing duplicate flows measured with radioactive and/or nonradioactive microspheres in both acute and chronic dog experiments. The wavelength-dispersive spectrometer (Philips PW 1480) has a higher sensitivity than the previously described X-ray fluorescent system and reduced the number of microspheres required for accurate measurement. The fine energy resolution of this system makes it possible to increase the numbers of different kinds of microspheres to be quantitated, but at present only eight kinds are available. We also used a synchrotron radiation-excited energy dispersive spectrometer. The monochromatic synchrotron radiation allowed us to obtain much higher signal-to-background ratios of X-ray fluorescence spectra than with the wavelength-dispersive system (50 dB more for Zr-loaded microspheres) and will enable analysis of fluorescent activity in smaller regions (< 20 mg) than the radioactive method does."}
{"id": "PMID:1481918", "title": "Determination of chloride potential in perfused rat hearts by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.", "content": "Isolated beating rat hearts were perfused with trifluoroacetamide (TFM) and trifluoroacetate (TFA) and monitored by 19F-nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). The average membrane TFA potential in spontaneously beating rat hearts, calculated according to standard principles assuming that TFA is distributed in its anionic form, was found to be -36.2 +/- 3.2 mV (n = 9) under normoxic conditions. In separate experiments, the chloride and potassium potentials were determined to be -38.5 +/- 3.6 mV (n = 7) and -85.3 +/- 3.3 mV (n = 7), respectively, from freeze-clamped heart tissue. In the presence of the anion-exchange inhibitor, 4-acetamido-4'-isothiocyanostilbene-2,2'-disulfonic acid (SITS), TFA uptake into heart was significantly reduced, suggesting that TFA uptake occurs partly via the Cl(-)-HCO3- exchanger. Based on these results and the results of R. E. London and S. A. Gabel (Biochemistry 28: 2378-2382, 1989), we conclude that the distribution of TFA in hearts reflects the chloride potential (ECl) and not the membrane potential. A time-dependent change in the ECl occurs during global ischemia, and changes in ECl were also observed when the hearts were perfused with high concentrations of KCl. These results demonstrate that 19F-NMR may be utilized to monitor the ECl of perfused hearts under a variety of conditions."}
{"id": "PMID:1481919", "title": "Nitric oxide production within cardiac myocytes reduces their contractility in endotoxemia.", "content": "We investigated whether increased nitric oxide (NO) synthase activity within cardiac myocytes contributes to the depressed cardiac contractility observed in endotoxic shock. Isolated ventricular myocytes were studied to examine the effects of substrates and inhibitors of NO synthase on myocyte contractility. When stimulated electrically, the resting length of myocytes from control animals shortened by 5.3 +/- 0.3% (means +/- SE, n = 32). Baseline contraction of myocytes from endotoxin-treated animals was reduced to 3.0 +/- 0.3% (n = 17, P < 0.001). The NO synthase inhibitor NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME, 10(-4) M) had no effect on myocytes from control animals, but it increased the contraction of myocytes from endotoxin-treated animals by 40% (fractional shortening increased to 4.3 +/- 0.4%, P < 0.01). Similar results were obtained with NG-methyl-L-arginine. The effect of L-NAME could be reversed by excess L-arginine, but not D-arginine. The effect of endotoxin was abolished by dexamethasone pretreatment. Methylene blue also reversed the effects of endotoxin but had toxic effects on myocytes. Agents that either prevent synthesis or the effects of NO reverse the depression of myocyte contraction seen following endotoxin treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1481920", "title": "Sustained outward current observed after I(to1) inactivation in rabbit atrial myocytes is a novel Cl- current.", "content": "In rabbit atrial myocytes, depolarization of the membrane results in a rapidly activating transient outward current (I(to)) that then decays to a sustained level. The sustained current (Isus) remains constant for at least 5 s during continued depolarization. The present study was designed to identify the ionic mechanism underlying Isus with the use of whole cell voltage-clamp techniques. After exposure to 2 mM 4-aminopyridine (4-AP), the 4-AP-sensitive transient outward current (I(to1)) was abolished, but Isus was unaffected. Isus was not blocked by the K+ channel blockers tetraethylammonium chloride and Ba2+, was not changed by increasing superfusate K+ concentration, and was still present when K+ was replaced by Cs+ in both the superfusate and the pipette. Isus was significantly reduced by the Cl- transport blockers 4-acetamido-4'-isothiocyanatostilbene-2.2'-disulfonic acid and 4,4'-diisothiocyanatostilbene-2,2'-disulfonic acid. The current-voltage relations of Isus showed outward rectification, and the reversal potential of Isus shifted with changes in the transmembrane Cl- gradient in the fashion expected for a Cl- current. We conclude that Isus in rabbit atrium is due to a noninactivating Cl- current which, unlike previously described cardiac Cl- currents, is manifest in the absence of exogenous stimulators of adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate formation, cytosolic Ca2+ transients, or cell swelling."}
{"id": "PMID:1481922", "title": "Intracavitary ultrasound impairs left ventricular performance: presumed role of endocardial endothelium.", "content": "Irradiation of isolated cardiac muscle by high-power, high-frequency, continuous wave ultrasound selectively damages endocardial endothelium (EE). We evaluated this ultrasound effect in vivo on the performance of the intact ejecting canine left ventricle (LV). A cylindrical ultrasound probe (0.9 MHz, 25 W), mounted on a catheter, was inserted in the LV cavity through an apical stab wound and was activated for 60, 120, and 240 s, followed each time by a recovery period of 10-15 min. Ultrasound transiently and repeatedly abbreviated the time interval from end diastole to peak (-)dP/dt (from 241 +/- 30 to 229 +/- 32 ms after 240 s; P < 0.001), accelerated LV pressure fall, did not alter peak (+)-dP/dt or peak systolic pressure, increased diastolic and systolic segment lengths, and decreased fractional shortening. Microscopic analysis revealed dispersed granulocytes attached to the EE. EE cells were visibly damaged only in a limited area surrounding the probe. Accordingly, high-power, high-frequency, continuous wave ultrasound reversibly modulated LV performance, presumably by transient alteration of EE function."}
{"id": "PMID:1481923", "title": "Advance shift of feeding circadian rhythm induced by obesity progression in Zucker rats.", "content": "To determine the relation between the circadian rhythm of ingestive behavior and the progression of obesity in Zucker rats, ingestion and ambulation were analyzed at four different developmental stages. The obese rats were disrupted gradually in nocturnal patterns of feeding, drinking, and ambulation with the progression of obesity, although the lean littermates maintained the patterns during whole test periods. Analysis of autocorrelogram revealed that circadian rhythms of those behaviors remained throughout the whole test periods. Least-squares spectrum ascertained the following. 1) The obese made advance shift of acrophases in feeding and drinking circadian cycles, but not in ambulation. 2) Amplitudes in those behavioral measures decreased with the progression of obesity. 3) Mesor in the obese feeding was not affected, although that in the lean feeding decreased. The findings indicate that disruption of the light-dark cycle in ingestion of the obese was not due to disappearance of circadian rhythm but to transformation by both decreased amplitude and advance shift of the circadian cycle."}
{"id": "PMID:1481924", "title": "Role of sympathetic innervation in brown adipocyte proliferation.", "content": "The role of sympathetic nerves in the control of brown adipose tissue (BAT) growth was studied by quantitative photonic autoradiography using [3H]-thymidine to follow mitotic activity. The effects of cold exposure (4 days at 5 degrees C) and chronic norepinephrine treatment (0.375 mumol/h for 4 days at 25 degrees C) were compared in intact and denervated interscapular BAT pads of adult rats. The denervated pads were paler than the contralateral innervated sides and contained numerous adipocytes filled with large lipid droplets. In the innervated BAT pad, cold exposure markedly enhanced the labeling frequency in brown adipocyte precursor cells (interstitial cells and preadipocytes) and in endothelial cells forming the numerous blood capillaries (P < 0.01). However, in the denervated BAT pads, the effects of cold exposure on cell proliferation were markedly inhibited. Remarkably, norepinephrine infusion at 25 degrees C mimicked the effects of cold exposure on the coordinated proliferation of the different cellular types, both in the innervated and denervated pads. These results demonstrate that intact sympathetic nerves are required for the stimulation of mitotic activity in BAT by cold exposure but not by norepinephrine infusion. It appears therefore that norepinephrine release from sympathetic nerves represents the initial stimulus in a chain of metabolic events leading to BAT hyperplasia. However, sympathetic or sensory nerves may still contain factors modulating cell proliferation and differentiation in BAT."}
{"id": "PMID:1481925", "title": "Intrarenal pressures during direct inhibition of sodium transport.", "content": "Renal interstitial hydrostatic pressure (RIHP) has been implicated in the regulation of sodium excretion. Studies using vasodilators and other maneuvers to increase RIHP have found a significant correlation between RIHP and sodium excretion. Since correlative studies do not prove a cause-and-effect relationship, it is not known whether the rise in sodium excretion in these studies is the result of increases in RIHP or if RIHP is elevated as a result of decreases in sodium and water reabsorption and increases in intratubular pressure. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to determine whether elevation of intratubular hydrostatic pressures in response to direct inhibition of tubule transport with loop diuretics results in increases in RIHP in dogs and rats. Intrarenal hydrostatic pressures, renal hemodynamics, and sodium and water excretion were examined in dogs during intravenous administration of furosemide (3 mg/kg bolus followed by 0.03 mg.kg-1 x min-1) or bumetanide (60 micrograms/kg bolus followed by 1 microgram.kg-1 x min-1). Furosemide administration increased urinary flow rate (V; 0.10 +/- 0.02 to 4.6 +/- 0.97 ml/min), urinary sodium excretion (UNaV; 16 +/- 5 to 549 +/- 123 mu eq/min), and proximal tubule hydrostatic pressure (PT; 21 +/- 1 to 28 +/- 1 mmHg) but had no effect on RIHP (7.2 +/- 0.6 to 7.4 +/- 0.7 mmHg) or peritubular capillary hydrostatic pressure (14 +/- 1 to 14 +/- 1 mmHg).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1481926", "title": "Vasopressin-induced suppression of renal sympathetic outflow depends on the number of baroafferent inputs in rabbits.", "content": "We tested the hypothesis that the inhibitory action of arginine vasopressin (AVP) on renal sympathetic nerve activity (RSNA) is related to the number of baroreceptor stations. The role of baroreceptor afferents was determined by comparing the effects of AVP on the baroreflex function curves [mean arterial pressure (MAP) vs. %RSNA] obtained in intact conscious rabbits with those obtained in rabbits with one carotid sinus and one aortic nerve intact (1CSN + 1AoN) and in rabbits with only a single carotid sinus nerve intact (1CSN). Baroreflex curves were obtained by relating %RSNA to MAP during ramp increases and decreases in MAP. MAP was increased with phenylephrine and decreased with caval occlusion. In the intact state (n = 7), AVP infusions (0.4, 1.5, and 3.0 mU.kg-1 x min-1) produced dose-dependent reduction in the maximum %RSNA (97 +/- 1 to 85 +/- 6, 68 +/- 6, and 57 +/- 5%, respectively) at minimum MAP and the gain of the baroreflex curve (5.7 +/- 0.2 to 3.9 +/- 0.2, 3.2 +/- 0.3, and 2.2 +/- 0.2 mmHg, respectively) and shifted the midrange of the curves (72 +/- 3 to 68 +/- 4, 68 +/- 2, and 63 +/- 3 mmHg, respectively). However, in the 1CSN + 1AoN state (n = 6), the medium dose of AVP (1.5 mU.kg-1 x min-1) did not significantly alter the maximum %RSNA, the gain of the curve, or the midrange of the curve. The highest dose of AVP (3.0 mU.kg-1 x min-1) still reduced the maximum %RSNA (98 +/- 3 to 75 +/- 3) and the gain of the curve (4.1 +/- 0.4 to 2.7 +/- 0.2).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1481927", "title": "Medullary pathway of the Bezold-Jarisch reflex in the rat.", "content": "The central pathway mediating the Bezold-Jarisch reflex elicited by jugular vein injection of serotonin (5-HT) and phenyl biguanide (PBG) was studied in halothane-anesthetized, paralyzed rats. 5-HT and PBG produced hypotension and inhibition of lumbar sympathetic discharge often preceded by sympathoexcitation. The Bezold-Jarish reflex was blocked by bilateral kynurenic acid (KYN; glutamate antagonist, 1.25 nmol/side) microinjection into the solitary tract nucleus. Bilateral KYN injection into the caudal ventrolateral medulla (5 nmol/side) also blocked the reflex. Bilateral injection of bicuculline methiodide (BIC; 100 pmol/side) into the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVL) reduced the depressor and sympathoinhibitory components of the reflex and enhanced an excitatory component. Blockade or attenuation of the Bezold-Jarisch reflex was always associated with a concomitant blockade or attenuation of the arterial baroreflex. RVL barosensitive neurons (n = 61) were inhibited (> 60% reduction in firing) by PBG and 5-HT. Iontophoretic application of BIC (n = 11 cells), but not strychnine (glycine antagonist), blocked inhibition of RVL neurons by 5-HT and PBG. The sympathoinhibitory component of the Bezold-Jarisch reflex may use a central pathway similar to that of the arterial baroreflex."}
{"id": "PMID:1481928", "title": "Effects of fasting and hibernation on ion secretion in ground squirrel intestine.", "content": "Ground squirrels were used to study the effects of fasting and hibernation on small intestinal secretory function. Muscle-stripped sheets of jejunum set up in flux chambers were challenged with a variety of secretory agonists, and changes in short-circuit current (Isc) were recorded. Mucosal wet weights per centimeter and crypt dimensions were not affected by a 3-day fast in active squirrels, but villus height and area were significantly reduced in hibernators that had not eaten for over 6 wk. Tissue conductance was significantly greater in fasted and hibernating squirrels compared with fed animals. Maximal changes in Isc evoked by electrical stimulation of submucosal neurons, normalized to serosal surface area, were greater in fasted compared with fed or hibernating squirrels. When responses were normalized to crypt area, neurally evoked changes in Isc were greatest in the hibernators. Carbachol and serotonin evoked dose-dependent changes in Isc that were greater in fasted compared with fed squirrels at all concentrations. Histamine (100 microM) and theophylline (1 mM) also produced greater increases in Isc in fasted than in fed squirrels. The results suggest that a 3-day fast, or the extended fast of hibernation, results in enhanced secretory capacity in the ground squirrel jejunum."}
{"id": "PMID:1481929", "title": "Intestinal secretion after jejunal bypass in the ground squirrel.", "content": "The preceding paper [H. V. Carey, Am. J. Physiol. 263 (Regulatory Integrative Comp. Physiol. 32): R1202-R1208, 1992] demonstrated that a 3-day fast or the extended fast of hibernation enhanced the chloride secretory responses to a variety of agonists in the ground squirrel jejunum. Here we examined the effect of jejunal bypass on intestinal secretory capacity in squirrels that either remained active and continued to feed (ACT), or were induced to hibernate (HIB). Mucosal wet weights were reduced in jejunal segments that had little or no exposure to the luminal stream (all segments from HIB and bypassed segments from ACT) compared with segments in contact with luminal contents (sham and in continuity segments of ACT). Tissue conductances were greater in those segments not exposed to luminal contents. Short-circuit current (Isc) responses to electrical stimulation of submucosal neurons, or to serosal carbachol, were greater in segments not exposed to luminal contents when responses were normalized to serosal surface area. Normalization of secretory responses to crypt area produced a similar pattern. Isc responses to mucosal alanine, which reflect electrogenic Na+ absorption, were greatest in segments with little or no exposure to luminal contents. Tissue wet weights, conductances and secretory responses of bypassed segments of HIB and ACT squirrels were always similar. These results suggest that luminal contents directly influence jejunal secretory capacity."}
{"id": "PMID:1481930", "title": "Cholecystokinin reduces body temperature in vehicle- but not capsaicin-pretreated rats.", "content": "Systemic administration of cholecystokinin C-terminal octapeptide (CCK-8) decreases body temperature. However, it remains unclear whether reduction of body temperature is concomitant with suppression of food intake at CCK-8 doses that approach physiological levels. We examined rectal temperature after intraperitoneal CCK-8, 4 micrograms/kg, both in the presence and absence of a preferred food. We found that rectal temperature was significantly reduced by CCK-8 in both conditions and that the reduction of temperature coincided with the time of maximal suppression of food intake by CCK-8. In rats pretreated systemically with 25 or 175 mg/kg of the sensory neurotoxin capsaicin, both suppression of food intake and reduction of body temperature were significantly attenuated or abolished. The 25 mg/kg capsaicin treatment did not alter corneal chemosensitivity or the ability of rats to maintain normothermia at elevated ambient temperature, suggesting that capsaicin damage to neural substrates mediating CCK-8-induced reduction of body temperature 1) did not generalize to cephalic or peripheral warm-sensitive structures, and 2) was limited to fine sensory fibers accessible to intraperitoneal capsaicin application."}
{"id": "PMID:1481931", "title": "Effects of ventromedial hypothalamic stimulation on glucose transport system in rat tissues.", "content": "Electrical stimulation of the ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH) increased the rate constant of glucose uptake in rat heart and brown adipose tissue (BAT), as measured in vivo by the 2-deoxy-D-[3H]glucose method. The increase in glucose uptake in BAT was abolished by local sympathetic denervation. To analyze the mechanism of this hypothalamic modulation, the effects of VMH stimulation and insulin treatment on the number and dissociation constant (Kd) of glucose transporters in the plasma and microsomal membranes were examined by means of [3H]cytochalasin B binding. VMH stimulation did not alter either the number or Kd value of glucose transporters in plasma and microsomal membranes prepared from heart and BAT, whereas insulin treatment increased the number of glucose transporters in the plasma membranes and decreased those in the microsomal membranes. D-Glucose transport activity was also measured with the same plasma membrane vesicles. An apparent functional activity of transporters was detected to be increased in the heart and BAT plasma membranes after VMH stimulation but not after insulin treatment. These results suggest that VMH stimulation enhances glucose utilization in heart and BAT via sympathetic innervation and that the mechanism by which VMH stimulation increases tissue glucose uptake is different from that of insulin, possibly causing an activation of glucose transporters present in the plasma membrane."}
{"id": "PMID:1481932", "title": "A critical role for central vasopressin in regulation of fever during bacterial infection.", "content": "Previous investigations on the antipyretic properties of arginine vasopressin have used bacterial endotoxins or pyrogens to induce fever. Because these experimental models of fever fail to mimic all aspects of the responses to infection, we felt it was important to examine the role of endogenously released vasopressin as a neuromodulator in febrile thermoregulation during infection. Therefore the present study examines the effects of chronic infusion of a V1-receptor antagonist or saline (via osmotic minipumps into the ventral septal area of the brain) on a fever induced by injection of live bacteria. Telemetry was used for continuous measurement of body temperature in the awake unhandled rat. Animals infused with the V1-antagonist exhibited fevers that were greater in duration compared with those of saline-infused animals. These results support the hypothesis that vasopressin functions as an antipyretic agent or fever-reducing agent in brain. Importantly, they suggest that endogenously released vasopressin may play a role as a neuromodulator in natural fever."}
{"id": "PMID:1481933", "title": "Effects of estrogen on whole animal and tissue glucose use in female and male rainbow trout.", "content": "Reports of changes in carbohydrate metabolism during vitellogenesis in fish prompted an investigation of the effects of estrogen on glucose utilization in rainbow trout. Estrogen pellets were implanted in both female and male fish, and a third group of male fish was given a sham operation. After cannulation of the dorsal aorta, D-[1-3H]glucose and 2-deoxy-D-[U-14C]glucose were injected into the fish to observe whole animal and tissue glucose use. We found that estrogen does not affect glucose turnover rate or transit time but causes a decrease in plasma glucose concentration and size of the glucose mixing pool. Adipose tissue in female fish utilized glucose at a higher rate than sham fish. Ovarian tissue used more glucose per kilogram of body weight than the testes of the male fish. Regardless of treatment, brain had the highest rate of glucose consumption per gram of tissue, followed by gonads and red blood cells. Muscle and adipose tissue utilized only small amounts (< 1 nmol.g tissue-1.min-1) of glucose. We conclude that an increase in the rate of whole body glucose use is not responsible for the fall in plasma glucose caused by estrogen and seen during vitellogenesis."}
{"id": "PMID:1481934", "title": "Adipose tissue lipolysis in vitro: a predictor of diet-induced obesity in female rats.", "content": "Wide ranges in weight and fat gain in response to high-fat diets have been reported in rats. This study measured epinephrine-stimulated lipolysis in adipose tissue of normal weight, 3-mo-old, female Sprague-Dawley rats as a metabolic predictor of \"efficient gain\" before feeding them a high-fat (84% kcal) diet for 11 wk. Subcutaneous (inguinal) adipose tissue (1-1.5 g) was excised, and the glycerol release was measured after incubation with 0, 10(-7), 10(-5), and 10(-3) M epinephrine. Differences in gain efficiency explained much of the variation in lipid (r = 0.78) and weight (r = 0.83) gain. Low glycerol release by 10(-5) and 10(-3) M epinephrine was significantly correlated to high final fat accumulation. Low and high quartiles based on glycerol release were not different in numbers of adipocytes or food intake but were significantly different in gain efficiency (P = 0.011), final weight (P = 0.036), carcass lipid (P = 0.033), and carcass lean mass (P = 0.017). In conclusion, female Sprague-Dawley rats are preferentially predisposed to efficiency of adipose accumulation on a high-fat diet. This tendency is negatively correlated in the preobese state to the lipolytic response to epinephrine of subcutaneous adipose tissue in vitro."}
{"id": "PMID:1481935", "title": "Luminal pH in the amphibian distal tubule: effects of carbonic anhydrase and carbonic anhydrase inhibitors.", "content": "To better delineate acid-base transport properties in the distal tubule (DT) of Necturus in vivo, we 1) studied the effects of peritubular (pt) isohydric increase of PCO2 and [HCO3-]pt on luminal pH (pHlu), and 2) measured the steady-state pHlu under various experimental conditions. The experiments were carried out on initial (DTi) or distal (DTd) loops of the DT in control state and then during intravenous infusion of carbonic anhydrase (CA) or CA inhibitors (CAI). In control state, isohydric increase of PCO2 and [HCO3-]pt results in transient acidification of the DTi lumen, whereas in DTd lumen the same maneuver yields sustained (plateau) acidification. Under systemic infusion of CAI, isohydric increase of PCO2 and [HCO3-]pt lowers pHlu (sustained fall of pHlu) in DTi and DTd, whereas under CA infusion both segments exhibit only transient acidification. During intravenous infusion with benzolamide DTi steady-state pHlu falls, suggesting that this maneuver inhibits a functional luminal CA, in contrast to the DTd, whose pHlu remains unaltered. Intravenous infusion of CA significantly increases steady-state DTd pHlu; by contrast, steady-state pHlu in DTi does not change. These data are consistent with the presence of functional luminal CA in the DTi, whereas the DTd segment lacks the luminal enzyme."}
{"id": "PMID:1481936", "title": "Normobaric hypoxia stimulates endothelin-1 gene expression in the rat.", "content": "The current study tested the hypothesis that exposure to hypoxia enhances endothelin-1 (ET-1) gene expression and elevates circulating ET-1 levels in the rat. Rats were exposed to normobaric hypoxia (10% O2) or room air for 24 or 48 h. ET-1 in arterial blood was measured by radioimmunoassay. ET-1 gene transcript levels were measured by the slot blot technique on total RNA isolated from lung, right and left atria, right and left ventricles, kidney, spleen, liver, brain, main trunk of pulmonary artery, and thoracic aorta. Blots were probed with a 0.5 kb rat prepro ET-1 cDNA that does not cross-hybridize with mRNA for ET-2 or ET-3. Plasma ET-1 levels were increased significantly at 24 (10.03 +/- 2.33 pg/ml) and 48 h (14.02 +/- 3.44 pg/ml) of hypoxia compared with air controls (4.14 +/- 0.66 pg/ml). ET-1 mRNA levels were increased significantly (2-fold) in lung and right atrium after 48 h of hypoxia; no change was seen in organs perfused by the systemic vascular bed. These findings suggest that the hypoxia-induced increase in circulating ET-1 levels is mainly of pulmonary origin. A paracrine effect of ET-1 produced by lung endothelial cells could account for hypoxic pulmonary hypertension."}
{"id": "PMID:1481937", "title": "Do renal nerves chronically influence renal function and arterial pressure in spinal rats?", "content": "Previous studies have demonstrated that renal nerve activity has acute effects on renal function in rats with cervical spinal cord transection (CST). The present study tested the hypothesis that renal nerves chronically influence renal and cardiovascular function in CST rats. Three groups of conscious Sprague-Dawley rats were studied: renal denervated plus CST (RDNX + CST), sham RDNX plus CST (sham + CST), and sham RDNX plus sham CST (intact). CST or sham CST surgeries were performed 8 days after RDNX or sham RDNX. Sodium and water intakes were fixed by intravenous infusion. Mean arterial pressure (MAP) and plasma renin activity (PRA) were measured before and for 9 days after CST/sham CST. In addition, urine flow, urinary sodium excretion, and urine pH were measured in the two groups of CST rats. One day after CST, MAP decreased approximately 25 mmHg in both RDNX + CST and sham + CST groups. PRA had fallen approximately 50% 1 day after CST and was not different between CST groups. PRA remained depressed throughout the study. There were no differences between sham + CST and RDNX + CST rats in any of the renal or cardiovascular variables measured after CST. In summary, we found no evidence for a chronic effect of renal nerves on renal function or arterial pressure in CST rats."}
{"id": "PMID:1481938", "title": "Metabolic and respiratory effects of infused sodium acetate in healthy human subjects.", "content": "The metabolic and respiratory effects of intravenous 0.5 M sodium acetate (at a rate of 2.5 mmol/min during 120 min) were studied in nine normal human subjects. O2 consumption (VO2) and CO2 production (VCO2) were measured continuously by open-circuit indirect calorimetry. VO2 increased from 251 +/- 9 to 281 +/- 9 ml/min (P < 0.001), energy expenditure increased from 4.95 +/- 0.17 kJ/min baseline to 5.58 +/- 0.16 kJ/min (P < 0.001), and VCO2 decreased nonsignificantly (211 +/- 7 ml/min vs. 202 +/- 7 ml/min, NS). The extrapulmonary CO2 loss (i.e., bicarbonate generation and excretion) was estimated at 48 +/- 5 ml/min. This observation is consistent with 1 mol of bicarbonate generated from 1 mol of acetate metabolized. Alveolar ventilation decreased from 3.5 +/- 0.2 l/min basal to 3.1 +/- 0.2 l/min (P < 0.001). The minute ventilation (VE) to VO2 ratio decreased from 22.9 +/- 1.3 to 17.6 +/- 0.9 l/l (P < 0.005), arterial PO2 decreased from 93.2 +/- 1.9 to 78.7 +/- 1.6 mmHg (P < 0.0001), arterial PCO2 increased from 39.2 +/- 0.7 to 42.1 +/- 1.1 mmHg (P < 0.0001), pH from 7.40 +/- 0.005 to 7.50 +/- 0.007 (P < 0.005), and arterial bicarbonate concentration from 24.2 +/- 0.7 to 32.9 +/- 1.1 (P < 0.0001). These observations indicate that sodium acetate infusion results in substantial extrapulmonary CO2 loss, which leads to a relative decrease of total and alveolar ventilation."}
{"id": "PMID:1481939", "title": "AV3V lesion impairs responses induced by cholinergic activation of SFO in rats.", "content": "This study was performed to investigate the effect of lesion of the anteroventral third ventricle (AV3V) region on the pressor, bradycardic, dipsogenic, natriuretic, kaliuretic, and antidiuretic responses induced by cholinergic activation of the subfornical organ (SFO) in rats. Male Holtzman rats with sham or electrolytic AV3V lesion were implanted with a stainless steel cannula directly into the SFO. Microinjection of the cholinergic agonist carbachol (2 nmol) into the SFO of sham rats induced natriuresis (563 +/- 70 mu eq/120 min), kaliuresis (205 +/- 13 mu eq/120 min), antidiuresis (10.4 +/- 0.5 ml/120 min), water intake (9.3 +/- 1.4 ml/h), bradycardia (-42 +/- 11 beats/min), and increased mean arterial pressure (53 +/- 3 mmHg). In AV3V-lesioned rats (1-5 and 14-18 days), there was a reduction of natriuresis (23 +/- 11 and 105 +/- 26 mu eq/120 min, respectively), kaliuresis (92 +/- 16 and 100 +/- 17 mu eq/120 min), water intake (2.5 +/- 0.9 and 1.8 +/- 1.0 ml/h), and arterial pressure increase (17 +/- 2 and 16 +/- 2 mmHg) induced by carbachol into the SFO. Increased antidiuresis (6.0 +/- 1.0 and 5.2 +/- 0.7 ml/120 min, respectively) and tachycardia (39 +/- 4 and 15 +/- 12 beats/min) instead of bradycardia were also observed in both groups of AV3V-lesioned rats. These results show that cholinergic activation of the rat SFO produces marked natriuresis and kaliuresis in addition to the well-known pressor and dipsogenic responses. They also show that the AV3V region plays an important role in the cardiovascular, fluid, and electrolytic changes induced by cholinergic activation of the SFO in rats."}
{"id": "PMID:1481940", "title": "Detrusor hyperplasia and expression of \"immediate early\" genes with onset of abnormal urodynamic parameters.", "content": "To determine the stimulus for growth of the detrusor with a pathophysiological obstruction to the urinary stream, we studied urodynamic parameters, detrusor weight, detrusor DNA content, and the expression of early growth-related protooncogenes in a model of gradual onset bladder outflow obstruction and reversal of obstruction. Silver jeweler's jump rings were placed loosely round the urethra of immature guinea pigs, allowing an obstruction to develop gradually with animal growth. At 1, 2, 4, and 8 wk after surgery, animals were killed after urodynamic studies under urethan anesthesia. Bladders were removed, and mucosa-free detrusor was weighed and frozen for assay of DNA content and expression of c-fos and c-myc protooncogenes. Results were compared with sham-operated age-matched control animals. One week after surgery there was no change in the urodynamic parameters, detrusor weight, or DNA content. At 2, 4, and 8 wk after placement of the silver rings, animals developed obstructive voiding patterns, an increase in detrusor weight, and total DNA content. The onset of obstructive voiding patterns correlated with transient increased levels of c-fos and c-myc mRNA by Northern blot analysis. Autoradiography of in vivo [methyl-3H]thymidine-labeled detrusor muscle from obstructed animals showed myocyte DNA synthesis and mitosis, implying myocyte hyperplasia. After removal of the silver ring, the obstructive voiding patterns resolved and detrusor weight and DNA content returned to levels of the control animals. These results suggest that in the guinea pig bladder subjected to a gradual onset outflow obstruction, detrusor growth is initiated by the development of obstructive voiding patterns.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1481941", "title": "Adrenergic vasomotor responses in nasal mucosa of hooded seals.", "content": "In seals respiratory heat and water losses are restricted through nasal heat exchange. The heat exchange efficiency is apparently controlled through adjustments in the nasal mucosal blood flow rate and/or pattern. In this study the adrenergic mechanisms involved in regulation of mucosal blood flow were investigated. The nasal mucosal vasculature of 14 newly killed hooded seal (Cystophora cristata) pups was perfused by a constant-flow peristaltic pump with 37 degrees C oxygenated modified Krebs solution via the sphenopalatine arteries. The effects of single-dose injections of various drugs on resistance to flow were monitored with a pressure transducer. Epinephrine, norepinephrine, alpha 1-adrenoceptor agonist phenylephrine, alpha 2-agonist clonidine, beta 1-agonist dobutamine, and beta 2-agonist terbutaline caused transient pressure increases that were blocked by alpha-adrenoceptor antagonists. Papaverine and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide induced vasodilatation, showing that some basal vascular tone was present. Nevertheless, the beta 1- and beta 2-agonist isoproterenol had no effect on resistance, and none of the beta-agonists attenuated the pressor responses to alpha-agonists. In conclusion, adrenergic control of nasal mucosal blood flow in seals is essentially exerted through alpha-adrenoceptor-mediated arteriolar constriction, whereas beta-adrenoceptor-mediated dilatation seems to be of little importance. It is suggested that such sympathoadrenergic vascular mechanisms contribute to control nasal heat exchange efficiency in seals."}
{"id": "PMID:1481942", "title": "Cerebral anoxia tolerance in turtles: regulation of intracellular calcium and pH.", "content": "To investigate mechanisms of cerebral anoxia tolerance, cerebrocortical intracellular calcium ([Ca2+]i) and pH (pHi) regulation were compared in turtles (Trachemys scripta) and laboratory rats. [Ca2+]i and pHi in living 200 to 300-microns-thick cortical brain slices were measured with the fluorescent indicators fura-2/acetoxymethyl ester (AM) and 2',7'-bis(carboxyethyl)-5(6)-carboxyfluorescein during exposure to anoxia. Within 5 min, [Ca2+]i increased to > 1,000 nM in rat brain slices exposed to anoxia but [Ca2+]i was normal even after 5 h of anoxia in turtles. ATP levels remained normal in anoxic turtle brain but fell rapidly in rats. During anoxia, pHi fell by 0.25 +/- 0.08 pH units in rats but only 0.10 +/- 0.04 in turtles (P < 0.05). Inhibition of glycolysis in anoxic turtle brain with iodoacetate resulted in large increases in [Ca2+]i but prior exposure of slices to anoxia resulted in greatly attenuated calcium entry. The reduction in calcium flux was greater with increasing exposure to anoxia, suggesting progressive arrest of calcium channel activity. Tolerance of cerebral anoxia in turtles may be related to anaerobic ATP production, arrest of calcium channels, and attenuation of changes in pHi."}
{"id": "PMID:1481943", "title": "ANP-mediated volume depletion attenuates renal responses in humans.", "content": "Brief low-dose infusions of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) that emulate physiological plasma concentrations in humans have little if any effect on renal excretory function. This study explored the possibility that ANP-mediated reductions in cardiac filling pressures (through ANP's rapid effect on capillary dynamics) could attenuate its purported renal effects. Protocol A consisted of 16 healthy subjects (ages 19-27 yr old) who underwent three consecutive 45-min experimental sequences: 1) placebo, 2) ANP (10 ng.kg-1 x min-1), and 3) ANP alone (n = 8) or ANP with simultaneous lower body positive pressure (LBPP, n = 8). Electrocardiogram and direct measures of arterial and central venous pressures were continuously monitored. Blood was sampled at the end of each 45-min sequence before subjects stood to void. Compared with control (placebo), ANP produced a hemoconcentration and increased plasma norepinephrine, but did not change heart rate, blood pressure, plasma levels of renin, aldosterone, or vasopressin, or renal excretion of volume or sodium. In subjects receiving LBPP to maintain central venous pressure during the last 45 min of ANP infusion, norepinephrine did not increase and urine volume and sodium excretion increased (P < 0.05). In a second study (protocol B), five healthy subjects received a placebo infusion for 45 min followed by two consecutive 45-min infusions of ANP (10 ng.kg-1 x min-1). Central venous pressure was maintained (LBPP) at placebo baseline throughout the two ANP infusion periods. Urine volume and sodium excretion rates increased progressively and significantly during both ANP infusion periods (P < 0.05) without significant changes in creatinine clearance, blood pressure, or heart rate.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1481944", "title": "Metabolic responses to forced dives in Pekin duck measured by indirect calorimetry and 31P-MRS.", "content": "We tested the hypothesis that forced-dived ducks experience a reduction in metabolic rate during prolonged submergence. Unidirectionally ventilated conscious ducks were subjected to forced dives by temporarily stopping the airflow in the ventilation system and simultaneously filling a face mask with cold water. A typical cardiovascular response to submergence was observed: bradycardia and maintained arterial blood pressure. Phosphorylated metabolite concentrations in the pectoral muscle were measured noninvasively by phosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopy (31P-MRS). ATP content was constant, and phosphocreatine was depleted via the creatine kinase reaction at a rate similar to the resting rate of ATP turnover, which was estimated to be 0.9 mumol.min-1 x g-1 in resting perfused pectoral muscle of pentobarbital-anesthetized ducks. Oxygen from myoglobin supplied at most 12% of the ATP required by the resting muscle during dives. Whole animal postdive excess oxygen consumption and blood lactic acid accumulation suggested that the shortfall in aerobic metabolism during forced dives was compensated by an increase in anaerobic metabolism."}
{"id": "PMID:1481945", "title": "In vivo longitudinal variations in protein synthesis in developing ovine intestines.", "content": "Changes in fractional rates of protein synthesis (Ks) were investigated at different small and large intestinal sites in 1-, 5-, and 8-wk-old milk-fed and 8-wk-old weaned lambs, a species with early intestinal maturation similar to most domestic animals and humans, with the use of a flooding dose of L-[3H]valine. Between 1 and 8 wk of age, Ks did not change significantly in the duodenum, the cecum, or the colon of milk-fed lambs, but was depressed by 30% in the jejunum and by 39% in the ileum. This was because of reduced ribosomal capacity, i.e., total RNA-to-protein ratio (Cs) in the jejunum, and also alterations in both Cs and protein synthetic efficiency, i.e., rate of synthesis relative to RNA (KRNA) in the ileum. Ks values throughout the small intestine were significantly higher (45-55%) in weaned lambs than in 8-wk-old milk-fed animals. This enhancement of protein synthesis was mainly related to an increase in KRNA (27-40%). Ks decreased by 43% from the duodenum to the ileum in both milk-fed and weaned 8-wk-old animals, but not in 1- and 5-wk-old milk-fed lambs, because of a marked reduction in KRNA. It was concluded that changes in nutrients at weaning, weaning itself, or both, enhanced protein synthesis without any specific effect on small intestinal site. By contrast, intrinsic developmental factors were responsible only for the regional differences in small intestinal Ks that occurred at 8 wk of age. Longitudinal variations in protein synthesis may contribute to the establishment of the well-recognized jejunoileal gradients of brush-border enzymes and villus height that characterize the mature mammalian small intestine."}
{"id": "PMID:1481946", "title": "Angiotensin II receptor activation depolarizes rat supraoptic neurons in vitro.", "content": "Functional studies indicate that hypothalamic magnocellular neurosecretory neurons are a target for angiotensin. The present investigation used intracellular recordings to characterize the nature and type of angiotensin II receptors on rat supraoptic nucleus neurons maintained in superfused hypothalamic explants. Of 68 cells transiently exposed to either Val5- or Ile5-angiotensin II (maximum peak concentration 1-25 microM), 34 responded with a gradual membrane depolarization (1-15 mV) that peaked in 2.2 +/- 0.4 (SD) min and was accompanied by a 17.6 +/- 4.8% reduction of input resistance. Responses persisted (and were actually enhanced) in media containing tetrodotoxin (0.5-1.0 microM) and/or nominally zero calcium, indicating a direct postsynaptic action. In 19 responsive cells, the mean reversal potential for the angiotensin-induced response was -26.4 +/- 2 mV. Bath application of the nonpeptide type-1 angiotensin receptor antagonist DuP753 (5-20 microM) reversibly blocked the angiotensin-induced depolarization in all of 11 cells tested. By contrast, equimolar applications of the type-2 antagonist PD123177 were ineffective in all seven angiotensin-responsive cells tested. These observations provide novel evidence for the existence of functional type-1 receptors on rat supraoptic nucleus neurons. The reversal potential for the angiotensin-induced response suggests mediation through a nonselective cationic conductance."}
{"id": "PMID:1481947", "title": "Modulation of sleep by cortisone in normal and bacterially infected rabbits.", "content": "Infectious disease is known to alter both sleep patterns and hydrocortisone (cortisol) concentrations in rabbits. Moreover, the sleep-altering effects of microbial infections are likely to be mediated via endogenous immune modulators whose actions are attenuated by glucocorticoids. To evaluate the relationships between sleep and glucocorticoids during infectious disease, the effects of cortisone administration (20 mg/kg, im) on sleep were examined before and after inoculation of rabbits with Staphylococcus aureus or Escherichia coli. When administered alone, cortisone did not alter the amount of time spent in slow-wave sleep (SWS) but did reduce electroencephalographic (EEG) slow-wave amplitudes during SWS, the number of bouts of SWS and the amount of time spent in rapid-eye-movement sleep. The duration of individual bouts of SWS was increased after cortisone treatment. Bacterially infected rabbits developed biphasic changes in sleep patterns that were characterized by an initial increase and a subsequent decrease both in SWS time and in EEG slow-wave amplitudes during sleep. Cortisone treatment attenuated these effects in S. aureus-inoculated rabbits. In contrast, cortisone treatment did not alter the initial phase of enhanced sleep in E. coli-inoculated rabbits but did attenuate the subsequent sleep suppression. These data indicate that glucocorticoid administration is associated with an attenuated sleep response in bacterially inoculated rabbits."}
{"id": "PMID:1481948", "title": "Abdominal vagal mediation of the satiety effects of exogenous and endogenous cholecystokinin in rats.", "content": "The hypothesis that peripherally administered cholecystokinin C-terminal octapeptide (CCK-8) and endogenous CCK act by the same abdominal vagal mechanism to produce satiety was tested by injecting rats with CCK-8 or the type A CCK receptor antagonist MK-329 after they had received bilateral subdiaphragmatic vagotomies. CCK-8 (8 nmol/kg ip) inhibited 1-h food intake by 60%; vagotomy and MK-329 (0.5 mg/kg sc) each completely blocked this effect. In contrast, vagotomy did not alter the stimulatory effect of MK-329 (0.5 mg/kg sc) on feeding; 3-h cumulative intake in control and vagotomized animals was increased by 25 and 34%, respectively. These results suggest that satiety is mediated in part by an endogenous CCK action that is independent of abdominal vagal innervation."}
{"id": "PMID:1481949", "title": "Individual differences in afterimage persistence: relationships to hypnotic susceptibility and visuospatial skills.", "content": "To investigate the moderating role of individual differences in hypnotic susceptibility and visuospatial skills on afterimage persistence, we presented a codable (cross) flash of light to 40 men and 46 women who had been dark adapted for 20 min. In an unrelated classroom setting, subjects had previously been given two standardized scales of hypnotic susceptibility (Harvard Group Scale of Hypnotic Susceptibility, Shor & Orne, 1962; Group Stanford Hypnotic Susceptibility Scale, Form C, Crawford & Allen, 1982) and the Mental Rotations Test (Vandenberg & Kuse, 1978). The first afterimage interval and the afterimage duration correlated significantly with hypnotic responsiveness, supporting Wallace (1979), but did not show the anticipated relationships with mental rotation visuospatial skills. Individuals in the high hypnotizable group had (a) significantly longer afterimage intervals between its first appearance and first disappearance than did those in medium or low groups, as well as (b) significantly longer afterimages between the first appearance and the final disappearance than did those in low groups, but those in medium groups did not differ significantly from the other groups. Discriminant analysis using the afterimage persistence measures classified correctly 65.2% of high hypnotizables, 37.5% of medium hypnotizables, and 54.8% of low hypnotizables. Hypothesized cognitive skills that assist in the maintenance of afterimages and underlie hypnotic susceptibility include abilities to maintain focused attention and resist distractions over time and to maintain vivid visual images."}
{"id": "PMID:1481950", "title": "Priming and aging: evidence of preserved memory function in an anagram solution task.", "content": "Priming effects in a test of anagram solution were compared with recognition memory in young and older adults. Age and a levels-of-processing study manipulation had little influence on priming in the anagram solution task, whereas significant effects of both of these variables were obtained in a recognition test. These findings extend those of previous studies which have shown little evidence of age differences in implicit memory tasks compared with those of explicit memory. Furthermore, they provide evidence for classifying anagram solution as an implicit memory test."}
{"id": "PMID:1481951", "title": "Very long-term memory for odors: retention of odor-name associations.", "content": "The ability to remember odor-name associations for recent odors (those associated with everyday products experienced within the past 2 years) and distant odors (those associated with children's toys not encountered for 3 years or more) was examined in two experiments. In recognition tasks, subjects attempted to match odor names to odors, or odors to odor names. In a recall task, subjects tried to identify odors by name. The results showed that although odor retention was better for recent than distant odors, significant retention remains for odors not experienced since childhood. These results are consistent with other studies that found very slow and gradual loss of odor information in memory. They extend that research by showing that odor information is still available over a much longer period of time."}
{"id": "PMID:1481952", "title": "Utilization of base-rate information during feeling-of-knowing judgments.", "content": "We examined whether subjects use base-rate information about item difficulty when making feeling-of-knowing judgments for items they failed to recall. First, the subjects attempted to recall the answers to general-information questions. Then, for those items they recalled incorrectly, half of the subjects received information about the normative probability of recall of each item while judging their feeling of knowing. The other subjects made their feeling-of-knowing judgments without receiving any base-rate information. Finally, all subjects had a forced-choice recognition test on those items to validate the accuracy of their feeling-of-knowing judgments. Relative to the no-base-rate information group, the base-rate group had lower feelings of knowing for normatively difficult items and higher feelings of knowing for normatively easier items. Subjects who had received base-rate information during the judgment state had greater feeling-of-knowing accuracy than subjects who did not receive base-rate information. However, even the predictions from subjects who received base-rate information were not significantly more accurate for predicting subsequent recognition than were the predictions derived from normative information alone."}
{"id": "PMID:1481956", "title": "[Anti-vascular antibodies in women with physiological pregnancy and pregnancy complicated by gestosis].", "content": "Immunologic manifestations of injury to the vascular wall were studied in 191 pregnant women. Blood serum ++anti-vascular antibodies were analyzed by passive hemagglutination, complement fixation, and precipitation tests. ++Anti-vascular antibodies were found in all the women with a normal pregnancy course. Normal pregnancy was characterized by clear-cut periods in the time course of ++anti-vascular antibody levels; for gestosis preclinical and clinical periods a constant growth of ++anti-vascular antibody titers was characteristics, that was due to effects of various injurious factors on the vascular wall. These data permit regarding gestosis as a vascular syndrome of pregnancy."}
{"id": "PMID:1481957", "title": "[Characteristics of thrombocyte metabolism in puerperae with massive blood loss and gestosis and possible ways of its metabolic correction].", "content": "Succinate dehydrogenase, phospholipid and glycogen activities were measured by cytochemical methods in puerperae with massive blood loss in the presence of gestosis in order to investigate platelet metabolism and the possible approaches to metabolic correction. A significant depression of platelet intracellular metabolism was revealed in these puerperae. Metabolic correction agents (acetyl salicylic acid, essential, alpha-tocopherol, retinol) were added to routine intensive therapy. The treatment was conducive to normalization of the metabolic processes and rapid recovery of puerperae with massive blood loss developing in the presence of gestosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1481958", "title": "[Effect of a new prostaglandin aroxaprostol on the contractile activity of the uterus and its abortive action in experimental studies].", "content": "Experiments with pregnant and nonpregnant rats have shown that aroxaprostol, a group F2 alpha prostaglandin, injected intravenously and intramuscularly in a dose of 50 micrograms/kg, stimulates the uterine bioelectric activity, increasing both the amplitude and frequency of biopotentials, this evidencing intensification of its contractility. Aroxaprostol has shown an abortive effect, that was related to the luteolytic effect of the drug, manifesting by reduction of progesterone level in the ovaries."}
{"id": "PMID:1481959", "title": "[Birth-related stress and postpartum adaptation of newborn infants after cesarean section].", "content": "The mechanisms of fetal and newborn adaptation to extrauterine life after normal and abdominal delivery were under study. Laboratory and instrumental methods were employed to examine the status of the intrauterine fetus and the clinical picture of the newborn adaptation in the early neonatal period: radioimmunoassays of dopamine, noradrenaline, adrenaline were carried out in fetuses and newborns after normal delivery and after cesarean section performed before and in labor. The results evidence that the adaptation shifts develop later in the newborns after cesarean section performed before labor than in those born spontaneously or by cesarean section that was performed in labor. The same tendency can be traced in the changes developing in the sympathoadrenal system. This result brings the authors to a conclusion that planned cesarean section should be performed after the onset of labor, if possible."}
{"id": "PMID:1481961", "title": "[Hormones of the adaptive-metabolic action in the menstrual cycle].", "content": "Triiodothyronine, thyroxine, thyrotropin, hydrocortisone, aldosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone, insulin, C peptide blood levels were radioimmunoassayed over the course of the menstrual cycle in healthy women aged 20 to 33. A relative stability of the thyrotropin-thyroid system was revealed, as were reduced levels of hydrocortisone and dehydroepiandrosterone and elevated content of insulin and aldosterone in the lutein phase of the cycle. The authors claim that these changes of the adaptation metabolic hormones are responsible for the psychoemotional and somatic status of women over the course of the cycle."}
{"id": "PMID:1481962", "title": "[Diagnostic and prognostic possibilities of using the indicators of blood serum middle molecule and medium-molecular peptide levels in inflammatory diseases of the small-pelvic organs].", "content": "Analysis of the diagnostic and prognostic potentialities of measurements of blood serum medium molecules and medium-molecular peptides in women with inflammatory diseases of the small pelvis organs has been carried out, involving 60 patients and 10 healthy women. Medium molecule levels were estimated with the use of Gabrielyan and Lipatova's method, the level of medium-molecular peptides by the biuret method. The results recommend these measurements to be included in the complex of clinical laboratory investigations carried out in patients with pelvic inflammations for the early detection of purulent ++tubo-ovarian inflammations, endogenous intoxication, and a more rational treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1481963", "title": "[Individual prognosis of the risk of primary and secondary female infertility].", "content": "The authors suggest methodologic approaches to individual prediction of the risk of primary and secondary female sterility. A total of 512 women suffering from infertility were examined, and the major biomedical and ++socio-hygienic risk factors were detected. ++Socio-hygienic factors were found conducive to the development of biomedical factors or augmenting their effects. The Bayes' probability method and Wald's consecutive analysis underlie the developed system for prediction. Use of the prediction tables with due consideration for the results of medical examination of the patients helps more precisely define the group for prophylactic follow-up and give individual recommendations for medicosocial counselling."}
{"id": "PMID:1481965", "title": "[Epidural anesthesia with morphinomimetics in gynecologic operations].", "content": "Epidural anesthesia with injection of morphinomimetics into the epidural space was used in 181 patients during gynecologic surgery. The advantages of this type of anesthesia over the endotracheal one consist in reduction of the incidence of complications during the operation and after it."}
{"id": "PMID:1481966", "title": "[Diagnosis and control of the treatment of patients with precancerous conditions of the endometrium using transvaginal echography].", "content": "Twenty-six women aged 41 to 73 with clinical and morphologic forms of endometrial precancer were examined by transvaginal ultrasonic scanning. This method was employed both in the diagnosis and monitoring of the efficacy of hormone therapy. The final diagnosis was made on the basis of histologic examination of endometrial scrapings-off. The results evidence that transvaginal echography is a sufficiently informative method for the diagnosis of this condition and for monitoring the endometrial status over the course of hormonal therapy. The mean size of M-echo in the postmenopause was established: 2.35 +/- 0.07 mm in health or not imaged in endometrial atrophy. M-echo thickness of 11 +/- 0.02 mm may be indicative of the therapy inefficacy or endometrial hyperplasia, and the thickness of 8.7 +/- 0.7 mm indicates polyposis."}
{"id": "PMID:1481971", "title": "Analysis of oligosaccharides by on-line high-performance liquid chromatography and ion-spray mass spectrometry.", "content": "Oligosaccharides were analyzed by a combination of high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and mass spectrometry (MS). First, oligosaccharides labeled with 2-aminopyridine were studied to see if they could be analyzed by MS under the conditions used for separation by HPLC. Pyridylamino (PA)-oligosaccharides could be analyzed under these conditions, although the mass spectra were affected. Then, liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry was used to analyze a PA-oligosaccharide mixture derived from human immunoglobulin G. The PA-oligosaccharides were separated on a reversed-phase column and mass-analyzed directly. The observed molecular weights were close to or identical to those expected from the structures, which were estimated from the elution position on HPLC. This method is rapid and simple, as the mass spectrometer can give the accurate molecular weight of each PA-oligosaccharide in one chromatography run, even if the HPLC separation is incomplete. This method can be used to extend the so-called two-dimensional mapping of PA-oligosaccharides. The structure can be studied in greater detail by tandem MS."}
{"id": "PMID:1481972", "title": "Construction of a thermotaxis chamber providing spatial or temporal thermal gradients monitored by an infrared video camera system.", "content": "A thermotaxis chamber was constructed to quantitatively study thermotaxis in eukaryotic amoeboid cells. The apparatus provided either spatial or temporal temperature gradients in an observation chamber set in an inverted microscope. With an infrared video camera system, spatial thermal gradients were monitored directly and the temperature at the actual location of the cells could be estimated accurately. This enabled a precise determination of the strength of thermal stimuli. With this apparatus, we were able to simultaneously measure temperature and observe cellular behavior directly. This feature permits quantitative studies on stimulus-response relationships. The utility of the apparatus was demonstrated by thermotaxis assay under a spatial thermal gradient in polymorphonuclear leukocytes. Since this apparatus can also provide temporal thermal gradients, it may have several applications in studies of temperature-dependent phenomena in cell biology."}
{"id": "PMID:1481973", "title": "Fluorescence probes in biochemistry: an examination of the non-fluorescent behavior of dansylamide by photoacoustic calorimetry.", "content": "Photoacoustic calorimetry is shown to be a simple, precise, and accurate method for the quantification of the photophysics of a fluorescence probe, e.g., dansylamide, in a variety of solvents. This technique, which is described in detail, provides a direct measurement of the energy that is released nonradiatively following photostimulation, and can therefore be used to indirectly determine the amount of energy released via luminescent pathways. Photoacoustic calorimetry combined with established absorption and fluorescence methodologies provides a complete arsenal for characterizing the photophysical properties of many systems. Comparison of the photoacoustic signal for dansylamide versus standard compounds (ferrocene, tetraphenylethylene, 8-anilinonaphthalene-1-sulfonate, and/or 5,5'-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoic acid) in 12 different solvents gave fh values (fraction of each absorbed 337.1-nm photon returned as heat) from a low of 0.530 in 1,4-dioxane to a high of 0.973 in water. The trend noted with solvent polarity is different and more revealing than that determined by the more classical approach of examining either the wavelength of the emission maximum or the fluorescence quantum yield."}
{"id": "PMID:1481974", "title": "Gas-liquid chromatographic analysis of volatile short chain fatty acids in fecal samples as pentafluorobenzyl esters.", "content": "A protocol was developed for the analysis of volatile short chain fatty acids in microsamples of feces, short chain fatty acid (SCFA) extraction was from fecal samples using ethanol incorporating n-hexanoic acid as an internal standard. The SCFAs were converted to pentafluorobenzyl esters with alpha-2,3,4,5,6-pentafluorotoluene and analyzed on a gas-liquid chromatograph equipped with an electron capture detector. One hundred milligrams of sample was routinely used but analysis could be carried out on 20 mg of sample."}
{"id": "PMID:1481975", "title": "High resolution separation and quantitation of ribonucleotides using capillary electrophoresis.", "content": "A method for the analysis of ribonucleotides using capillary electrophoresis has been developed. A cross-linked polyacrylamide coated column, Tris-HCl, and phosphate-mixed buffer were used, which produced reproducible separations (solute migration time average RSD% of 1.2) of 14 ribonucleotides within 50 min. Linear relationships between peak areas and sample concentrations, an average minimum detectable concentration of 5.4 microM, and an average minimum detectable quantity of 0.08 pmol were obtained. The described method allowed reproducible and reliable qualitative and quantitative analysis of intracellular ribonucleotide pools in HeLa cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1481976", "title": "Resolution of dihydroxyeicosanoates and of dihydroxyeicosatrienoates by chiral phase chromatography.", "content": "A chromatographic method is described for the direct enantiomeric characterization of 5,6-, 8,9-, 11,12-, and 14,15-vic-dihydroxyeicosatrienoic acids (DHETs), metabolites of the cytochrome P-450 arachidonate epoxygenase pathway, and of their corresponding saturated vic-dihydroxyeicosanoic acids. Following esterification, the individual methyl or pentafluorobenzyl esters are resolved by chiral-phase chromatography utilizing a Chiralcel OC or OD column. This methodology will find analytical and preparative applications since it is simple and efficient and preserves, intact, the diol functionality."}
{"id": "PMID:1481977", "title": "Functionalized, probe-containing, latex nanospheres.", "content": "Synthesis of surface-functionalized, probe-containing latex nanospheres is described. Approximately 40,000 probe ions may be encapsulated in a nanosphere of 50 nm diameter. The probe may be a radionuclide or a lanthanide with long-lived fluorescence. Alternatively, a \"cargo\" of pharmaceutical interest may be used. The surface of each nanosphere contains thousands of acid groups which may be functionalized for subsequent attachment to biomolecules such as antibodies. Functionalized nanospheres have been successfully coupled to a tobacco virus."}
{"id": "PMID:1481978", "title": "Interference of the detergent Tween 80 in protein assays.", "content": "The nonionic detergent Tween 80, which has been widely used to stimulate protein secretion in bacterial and fungal systems, caused interferences in three protein determination methods. The OD595 developed in the Coomassie blue dye-binding assay with a variety of purified proteins in the presence of Tween 80 was 1.6 to 3.4 times greater than that observed without detergent. These differences could not be attributed totally to the rapid color development in the assay with Tween 80 alone. Crude concentrated extracellular bacterial proteins shaken overnight with Tween 80 yielded an altered fractionation pattern on size exclusion chromatography and 10-fold increased color with an absorption spectrum in the dye-binding assay different from that of bacterial proteins shaken without detergent. In the bicinchoninic acid method, the detergent caused a 2- to 3-fold increase in OD562 due largely to contaminating peroxides which could be removed by treatment with catalase. In the Folin phenol method, the detergent caused a slight precipitate, but residual interference was not detectable in filtered assay mixtures."}
{"id": "PMID:1481979", "title": "Application of the chemiluminescent assay to cytotoxicity test: detection of menadione-catalyzed H2O2 production by viable cells.", "content": "Menadione-catalyzed H2O2 production by viable cells is proportional to viable cell number. The correlations between the viable cell number and the concentration of H2O2 produced are determined with the rapid chemiluminescent assay (S. Yamashoji, T. Ikeda, and K. Yamashoji, 1989, Anal. Biochem. 181, 149-152). This chemiluminescent assay of viable cells requires only 10 min and is much faster than NR (neutral red) inclusion and MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) reduction assays, which require 3-5 h. When viable cells are incubated with antitumor drugs, detergents, mycotoxins, and glycoalkaloids for 24-48 h, a decrease in menadione-catalyzed H2O2 production in a dose- or incubation time-dependent manner is observed. In general, the 50% inhibition concentration determined by the chemiluminescent assay is lower than that determined by NR inclusion and MTT reduction assays, and the order of relative cytotoxic effects of agents is the same among these assays. Furthermore, clear cytotoxic effects are observed by the chemiluminescent assay after 1 h exposure of trypsinized cells to toxic compounds. Therefore, the chemiluminescent assay is expected to be more useful for the rapid detection of cytotoxic compounds than NR inclusion and MTT reduction assays."}
{"id": "PMID:1481981", "title": "Fluorescent rhodol derivatives: versatile, photostable labels and tracers.", "content": "A series of chemically reactive, fluorescent rhodol derivatives was prepared and evaluated. Reactive functional groups included activated esters, amines, haloacetamides, fixable hydrazide derivatives, acrylamides, and photoaffinity reagents. Depending on the choice of substituents, absorption maxima of the dyes varied from 490 to 550 nm with extinction coefficients that were generally greater than 50,000 M-1 cm-1 in aqueous solution and emission maxima from 520 to 580 nm. Most of the compounds investigated exhibited fluorescence lifetimes between 3 and 4 ns. Individual derivatives were suitable for excitation with the 488 and 514-nm lines of the argon ion laser and the 546-nm line of the mercury arc lamp and were compatible for use with standard fluorescein and rhodamine filter sets. The rhodol dyes were more photostable and less sensitive to pH changes in the physiological range than fluorescein derivatives. Some examples show absorption maxima at or near 514 nm, an excitation wavelength that is useful for multicolor fluorescence microscopy, flow cytometry, and DNA sequencing. Derivatives were also prepared that exhibit absorption and emission maxima similar to those of tetramethylrhodamine (TMR) analogs but with higher quantum yields in aqueous solution. A number of the dyes had higher solubilities in aqueous systems and were less quenched on conjugation to proteins than TMR derivatives. Appropriate substitution results in a wider range of solubilities in hydrophilic or lipophilic solvents than is easily accomplished with fluorescein or TMR derivatives. Conjugates of a number of the rhodol fluorophores were generally more photostable and less pH sensitive than fluorescein conjugates and more fluorescent than TMR conjugates."}
{"id": "PMID:1481982", "title": "A procedure for repeated usage of 33P-labeled DNA probes in hybridization experiments.", "content": "We describe a technique for repeated use of 33P-labeled DNA probes in Southern hybridization experiments. A nick-translated 33P-labeled DNA probe in a volume of 0.5-1.0 ml of hybridization mixture (final concentration, 10-100 ng/ml) is used to wet a sheet of filter paper (approx 10 microliters/cm2), which covers a nylon membrane with DNA transferred by Southern blotting, and both are set between two washed X-ray films. The \"sandwich\" is placed in a plastic bag for hybridization for 16-24 h at 42 degrees C. This very simple procedure using 33P-labeled DNA probes has a number of advantages over the standard method using 32P-labeled probes: (a) a significantly lower biohazard (body/arms exposure); (b) a very small volume of hybridization mixture in contact with a DNA-containing membrane and the higher probe concentrations attainable, causing some increase in sensitivity, and, finally, (c) repeated use of the probe-containing filter (over approx 3 days for unique sequences and up to 2 weeks for reiterated sequences) due to a relatively long 33P half-life (25.3 days)."}
{"id": "PMID:1481983", "title": "Alkylation of cysteine with acrylamide for protein sequence analysis.", "content": "Alkylation of cysteine in proteins with acrylamide under mildly alkaline conditions yields a thioether derivative, Cys-S-beta-propionamide (Cys-S-Pam), which is stable during automated Edman degradation. Its phenylthiohydantoin derivative, PTH-Cys-S-Pam, is easily separated from other PTH-amino acids by HPLC and is thus useful for cysteine identification during protein sequencing. PTH-Cys-S-Pam was first noticed during sequencing polypeptides blotted onto polyvinylidene difluoride membranes from polyacrylamide gels, in which cysteine had reacted with residual unpolymerized acrylamide. Cysteine in proteins is easily alkylated by reaction of proteins in aqueous solution with acrylamide. Methods are also presented for alkylation of cysteine in proteins adsorbed on fiberglass disks in the reaction cartridge of a protein sequencer. Finally, PTH-Cys-S-Pam was synthesized chemically. The synthetic compound is unstable in neutral solution, but can be stabilized by acidification. It has the same HPLC retention time as the product formed from cysteine when sequencing proteins alkylated with acrylamide."}
{"id": "PMID:1481984", "title": "An affinity-amplified immunoassay for juvenile hormone esterase.", "content": "A method is described for increasing the specificity of an immunoassay for catalytically active enzymes and is specifically illustrated with a sensitive assay for an important regulatory enzyme from insects. Trifluoromethyl ketone haptens, potent inhibitors of insect juvenile hormone esterase, were bound to proteins such as hemocyanin (keyhole limpet) and conalbumin (chicken embryo). Haptens containing a thiol group were conjugated using heterobifunctional coupling reagents, and haptens with a carboxylic acid moiety were conjugated by the mixed anhydride method. The trifluoromethyl ketone-protein conjugates, shown to retain their inhibitory activity against juvenile hormone esterase, were used as coating antigens in several solid-phase enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay formats along with specific antibodies raised in rabbits against purified juvenile hormone esterase. The previously unreported format, termed affinity-amplified immunoassay (AAIA), was successfully used for quantitative monitoring of low levels of the esterase in dilute hemolymph and egg homogenates from various lepidopteran insect species, as well as for detection of the native and mutant forms of the enzyme obtained in a recombinant baculovirus expression system. The AAIA format was more sensitive for the target esterase and detected only the catalytically active form of the enzyme."}
{"id": "PMID:1481985", "title": "Direct assay of membrane-associated protein kinase C activity in B lymphocytes in the presence of Brij 58.", "content": "This paper describes a simple and direct procedure for assaying Ca(2+)-dependent protein kinase C (PKC) activity in membrane fractions isolated from purified murine B lymphocytes (B cells) treated with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA). The results indicate that membrane-bound PKC in B cells, treated with PMA, can be measured directly in the presence of 0.5% Brij 58 by assaying the transfer of 32P from [gamma-32P]ATP to histone type III-S. This method obviates the need for partial purification of the protein kinase by ion-exchange chromatography prior to assaying PKC activity. The properties of membrane-associated PKC activity in B cells have been characterized, and the kinetics of PMA-induced translocation of PKC in cultured murine B cells, the rat glial tumor clone C6, and primary neonatal osteoblastic cells have been defined by this direct assay. The results obtained with B cells and the other cell lines indicate that this direct assay procedure could be useful for studies on the factors controlling PKC translocation in a variety of cultured mammalian cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1481986", "title": "Polymyxin B-horseradish peroxidase conjugates as tools in endotoxin research.", "content": "The peptide antibiotic Polymyxin B (PMB) binds to bacterial endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide, LPS). We prepared covalent conjugates of PMB and horseradish peroxidase (HRP) by periodation of HRP-linked oligosaccharides followed by direct condensation with PMB. In addition we prepared monoclonal antibodies (Mabs) to PMB. The PMB-HRP conjugates and anti-PMB Mabs were used to study in ELISA the binding of PMB to LPS from Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. In addition, PMB-HRP was used to quantify lipid A in ELISA, and to stain gram-negative bacteria histochemically. For the study of PMB-LPS interaction, PMB-HRP proved to be superior to the anti-PMB Mabs. PMB-HRP conjugates are useful general probes to detect or measure lipid A and LPS of various species using very simple methods and to stain bacteria, and they may obviate the need for many specific antisera. Thus, PMB-HRP conjugates are useful probes for endotoxin research."}
{"id": "PMID:1481987", "title": "Chromogenic redox assay for beta-lactamases yielding water-insoluble products. I. Kinetic behavior and redox chemistry.", "content": "We describe a chromogenic detection system for beta-lactamase which yields water-insoluble colored products. The assay is based on kinetic measurement of the appearance of color due to the beta-lactamase-initiated redox reaction. The substrates are C3' thiolate-substituted cephalosporins, which, after enzyme-catalyzed hydrolysis of the beta-lactam ring, undergo elimination of the thiolate ion. This thiolate, in a postenzymatic step, reduces the tetrazolium salts, which are water-soluble colorless compounds, to a colored water-insoluble precipitate of formazan. Our model in this study was a beta-lactamase Enterobacter cloacae P-99-catalyzed reaction of thiolacetate cephalosporin with several tetrazolium salts. We found that the reaction rate is dependent on the concentration of the electron carrier 5-methyl phenazinium methyl sulfate, the pKa of the C3' thiolate substituent of the cephalosporin substrate, and the reduction potential of the tetrazolium salts. A kinetic study of this system yielded a rate law for the reaction. We present a mechanism of the reaction and determination of the kinetic parameters for the process. The sensitivity of this kinetic assay is very high; we detect 3 x 10(-10) M beta-lactamase P-99, which is approximately 30 mIU. The assay times are very short, lasting from 2 to 5 min. The new assay system is particularly suitable for a rapid detection of beta-lactamases in bacterial colonies and in enzyme immunoassays where beta-lactamase may be used as the label."}
{"id": "PMID:1481988", "title": "Chromogenic redox assay for beta-lactamases yielding water-insoluble products. II. Heterogeneous sandwich assay for hCG.", "content": "A very sensitive and rapid heterogeneous sandwich enzyme immunoassay for human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is described. The assay is based on the application of the novel chromogenic redox substrate system for beta-lactamase which is used as label. The chromogen system consists of a thioacetylcephalosporin beta-lactamase substrate, which upon turnover by the enzyme label releases the thiolate with the concomitant reduction of the tetrazolium salt to a colored formazan. The concentration of the formazan is directly related to the amount of the hormone in the sample and is read spectrophotometrically. The enzyme-antibody conjugates, produced through use of heterobifunctional maleimide crosslinker, maintain 90% of the enzyme activity after 30 days at 25 degrees C. Concentrations of the hormone as low as 5 mIU/ml, equivalent to 25 fmol/ml, are detectable in 3 h."}
{"id": "PMID:1481989", "title": "A high-performance liquid chromatography-based radiometric assay for acyl-CoA:alcohol transacylase from jojoba.", "content": "Acyl-CoA:alcohol transacylase catalyzes the final step in the biosynthesis of storage liquid wax esters from acyl-CoA fatty acids and fatty alcohols in a limited number of microbes, algae, and Simmondsia chinensis Link (jojoba). An improved and automated method of enzyme assay for this catalyst from cotyledons of jojoba is described. The assay method uses reversed-phase C18 high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) to separate the labeled C30:1 liquid wax product, [14C]-dodecanyl-octadecenoate, from the unreacted substrate, [14C]octadecenoyl-CoA (oleyl-CoA), and other components produced from enzymes present in the crude homogenate of jojoba cotyledons, including [14C]-octadecenoic acid (oleic acid) and [14C]octadecenol (oleyol). Methods are also described for microscale chemical synthesis in one vessel of 14C-radiolabeled substrates and products for the transacylase. These labeled reagents are required to confirm the HPLC separations of reaction products. The radioactive components are quantitated using an on-line flow-through scintillation detector enabling sensitive and precise analysis of the reaction products."}
{"id": "PMID:1481990", "title": "The use of streptavidin-biotin interaction for preparation of reagents for complement-dependent liposome immunoassay of proteins: detection of latrotoxin.", "content": "We have developed liposome sensitization by a protein, latrotoxin (LT), using immobilization of biotinylated LT via streptavidin with biotinylated phosphatidylethanolamine contained in liposomes. The use of such liposomes in the complement-dependent homogeneous liposome immune lysis assay (LILA) has allowed us to detect in the test sample as little as 2 micrograms/ml of polyclonal and 50-100 ng/ml of monoclonal IgG and IgM antibodies to LT. LT concentration in solution was determined by inhibition of immune lysis by free LT. The sensitivity of the LT assay varied from 1 x 10(-9) to 5-50 x 10(-9) M when antiserum (polyclonal antibodies) and monoclonal antibodies to LT were correspondingly used. The results show that a streptavidin-biotin spacer can be used to immobilize protein antigens on liposomes for a subsequent application in LILA. The suggested technique greatly simplifies the sensitization procedure and extends the applicability of the LILA."}
{"id": "PMID:1481995", "title": "Flow injection electrochemical enzyme immunoassay for theophylline using a protein A immunoreactor and p-aminophenyl phosphate-p-aminophenol as the detection system.", "content": "A competitive electrochemical enzyme immunoassay has been developed for the antiasthmatic drug theophylline, utilizing a controlled-pore glass-protein A immunoreactor and flow injection techniques. p-Aminophenyl phosphate, a substrate for alkaline phosphatase, has been used in this assay, and its hydrolysis product p-aminophenol was determined at +0.2 V versus the saturated calomel electrode. For each sample the antibody-protein A reaction takes place at near-neutral pH, and the complexes are eluted at acid pH. Serum theophylline has been determined by this method, and good relative standard deviations and percentage recoveries have been achieved."}
{"id": "PMID:1481996", "title": "High-performance liquid chromatographic determination of 3 alpha,5 beta-tetrahydroaldosterone in human urine with chemiluminescence detection.", "content": "A sensitive method for the determination of 3 alpha,5 beta-tetrahydroaldosterone (THALD) in human urine is described. The method uses high-performance liquid chromatography with chemiluminescence detection. Urinary THALD, released by enzyme hydrolysis, is isolated and concentrated using a Sephadex G-25M column and Bond-Elut C1 cartridges, and then oxidized by copper(II) acetate to form the corresponding glyoxal derivative. The glyoxal derivative is converted into the chemiluminescent quinoxaline by reaction with 4,5-diaminophthalhydrazide. The chemiluminescent quinoxaline is separated within 50 min on a reversed-phase column (TSKgel ODS-120T) with isocratic elution, followed by chemiluminescence detection; the chemiluminescence is produced by the reaction of the quinoxaline with hydrogen peroxide in the presence of potassium hexacyanoferrate(III) in alkaline solution. The detection limit for THALD is 0.6 pmol (220 pg) ml-1 in urine [1.5 fmol (0.53 pg) per 20 microliters injection] at a signal-to-noise ratio of 3. This method permits the sensitive and precise determination of THALD in human urine (50 microliters) from normal subjects and a patient with primary aldosteronism."}
{"id": "PMID:1481997", "title": "Determination of cadmium in biological samples by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry after extraction with 1,5-bis(di-2-pyridylmethylene) thiocarbonohydrazide.", "content": "An inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometric method for the determination of trace amounts of cadmium after extraction of the metal into isobutyl methyl ketone containing 1,5-bis(di-2-pyridylmethylene) thiocarbonohydrazide is described. The optimum extraction conditions were evaluated from a critical study of the effects of pH, concentration of extractant, shaking time and ionic strength. The detection limit for cadmium is 0.1 ng ml-1 and the calibration is linear from 0.2 to 140 ng ml-1. The relative standard deviation for ten replicate measurements is 2.9% for 2 ng ml-1 of cadmium. Results from the analysis of some certified biological reference materials are given."}
{"id": "PMID:1481998", "title": "Structural analysis of the non-dialysable urinary glucoconjugates of normal men.", "content": "Enzymic methods were employed to analyse the structure of the non-dialysable urinary glucoconjugates of ten healthy males. The excretion of the urinary glucoconjugates was determined from the glucosyl:galactosyl ratio after acid hydrolysis, and a mean value of 0.27 was obtained. The results of the specific actions of alpha- and beta-glucosidases showed that the non-dialysable urinary glucoconjugates contain a branched alpha-glucan fraction with 1,4- and 1,6-glucosidic bonds, and a beta-glucan fraction containing 1,4-glucosidic bonds."}
{"id": "PMID:1481999", "title": "A self-interpretive behavior analysis.", "content": "Although it rejects self-awareness as psychological bedrock, behavior-analytic theory can be stated self-inclusively, keeping the theorist within view. Its principles of discrimination and generalization have been elaborated to include concepts and higher order conditionalities, including those of logic and of awareness. Its violating a cultural bias that is called the \"fundamental attribution error\" may be a primary source of controversies. Its other disagreements with mainstream psychologies hinge more on contiguous versus remote causation than on mentalism versus antimentalism, which Skinner emphasized. The nonmediational, Skinnerian theorist is a participation in the world rather than an isolated self."}
{"id": "PMID:1482000", "title": "Radical behaviorism and scientific frameworks. From mechanistic to relational accounts.", "content": "A substantial portion of B. F. Skinner's scholarship was devoted to developing methods and terms for a scientific study of behavior. Three concepts central to scientific accounts--cause, explanation, and theory--are examined to illustrate the distinction between mechanistic and relational frameworks and radical behaviorism's relationship to those frameworks. Informed by a scientific tradition that explicitly rejects mechanistic interpretations, radical behaviorism provides a distinctive stance in contemporary psychology. The present analysis suggests that radical behaviorism makes closer contact with the \"new world view\" advocated by physicists and philosophers of science than does much of contemporary psychology."}
{"id": "PMID:1482001", "title": "From mechanistic to functional behaviorism.", "content": "A shift from mechanistic behaviorism to functional behaviorism is presented against the background of two historical traditions, one with an emphasis on form, the other with an emphasis on function. Skinner's work, which made more contributions to a functional behaviorism than to a mechanistic behaviorism, exemplifies this shift. The two traditions and an account of Skinner's development of functional relations are presented in order to show Skinner's contributions to aligning modern behavior analysis with the functional tradition."}
{"id": "PMID:1482002", "title": "Essentialism and selectionism in cognitive science and behavior analysis.", "content": "Contingencies of selection, be they phylogenetic or ontogenetic, merely set boundaries on units; they do not provide blueprints. Thus, variability is fundamental to all products of selection. Skinner, by characterizing the units of analysis in behavior as generic in nature, established his science squarely within the selectionist paradigm, thereby avoiding the tendency, common throughout psychology, to slip into essentialist analyses. The distinction between essentialism and selectionism is refined in this article, and prominent examples of essentialism in linguistics, theories of memory, theories of representation, associationism, and even in behavior analysis are identified. Recent trends in cognitive science--specifically, research on adaptive networks--is amenable to a selectionist interpretation, suggesting the possibility of future fruitful interactions with behavior analysis."}
{"id": "PMID:1482003", "title": "Models of proximate and ultimate causation in psychology.", "content": "B. F. Skinner saw behavior as a product of three levels of evolution. J. R. Kantor and Gregory Bateson noted similar relations. This article describes and applies basic evolutionary concepts to each level: (a) phylogenic, (b) ontogenic, and (c) cultural evolution. Each level is analyzed in terms of (a) units of selection, (b) variety of units required for the selection process, (c) selection pressures, (d) interactions among levels, and (e) implications for understanding and predicting behavior. Distinguishing between models of proximate and ultimate causation, as in biology, may help clarify research problems posed by, and facilitate better communication among, psychologists."}
{"id": "PMID:1482004", "title": "Teleological behaviorism.", "content": "A psychological science of efficient causes, using internal mechanisms to explain overt behavior, is distinguished from another psychological science, based on Aristotelian final causes, using external objects and goals to explain overt behavior. Efficient-cause psychology is designed to answer the question of how a particular act is emitted; final-cause psychology is designed to answer the question of why a particular act is emitted. Physiological psychology, modern cognitive psychology, and some parts of behaviorism including Skinnerian behaviorism are efficient-cause psychologies; final-cause psychology, a development of Skinnerian behaviorism, is here called teleological behaviorism. Each of these two conceptions of causality in psychology implies a different view of the mind, hence a different meaning of mental terms."}
{"id": "PMID:1482005", "title": "B. F. Skinner's legacy to human infant behavior and development.", "content": "B. F. Skinner's legacy to human behavioral research for the study of environment-infant interactions, and indeed for the conception of development itself, is described and exemplified. The legacy is largely the practicality, the efficiency, and the comparative advantage--relative to diverse other behavioral and nonbehavioral approaches--of using the operant-learning paradigm to organize and explain many of the sequential changes in behavior patterns conventionally thought to constitute infant development."}
{"id": "PMID:1482006", "title": "Case histories in the great power of steady misrepresentation.", "content": "The widespread misrepresentation of behaviorism in the scientific and popular literature has caused its contributions to the understanding of behavior to be systematically ignored or denied. This misrepresentation is manifested, in large part, as a form of academic folklore that codifies erroneous accounts of behaviorism's assumptions, findings, and goals. This article examines three representative \"case histories\" of the academic folklore about behaviorism: its alleged environmentalism, totalitarian aims, and intellectual intolerance. Because academic folklore has been highly resistant to the corrective efforts of behaviorists, explicit strategies are suggested for identifying and correcting folklore and for promoting more effective interdisciplinary communication."}
{"id": "PMID:1482007", "title": "Out of the laboratory and into the community. 26 years of applied behavior analysis at the Juniper Gardens Children's Project.", "content": "Application of Skinner's principles to socially significant human behavior had been well articulated by 1968 (Baer, Wolf, & Risley, 1968). Applications of these principles by Baer, Wolf, Risley, Hall, Hart, Christophersen, and their colleagues were in evidence as early as 1964 in the homes, schools, and clinics of inner-city Kansas City, Kansas, at the Juniper Gardens Housing Project. The work continues relatively uninterrupted, having contributed extensively to the literature of applied behavior analysis and the lives of community residents. This article describes the project and illustrates how applied behavioral research was initiated and extended, how the work addressed general concerns in psychology, and how it continues to address contemporary concerns within the community."}
{"id": "PMID:1482008", "title": "Breaking the structuralist barrier. Literacy and numeracy with fluency.", "content": "Behavior analysis is an example of a selection science, and behavioral programs that follow the tenets of selectionism, long advocated by B. F. Skinner, can have a large impact on social problems. This article describes the characteristics of selection sciences and their application in the Morningside Model of Generative Instruction, which addresses both adult literacy and children's learning and attention problems. School curricula are analyzed for their key component elements and underlying tool skills. Teaching procedures then establish and build these key components to fluency. New and complex repertoires then emerge with little or no instruction, producing curriculum leaps that allow students to make rapid academic advancement. Children typically gain more than two grade levels per school year, and adults advance two grades per month."}
{"id": "PMID:1482009", "title": "Is behavior analysis undergoing selection by consequences?", "content": "The legacy of B. F. Skinner's life is a natural science of behavior. The generality of its basic functional relations has led, by induction, to the unifying principle of selection by consequences, which accounts for morphological, behavioral, and cultural evolution. This principle both predicts and explains the observation that the science itself is becoming the object of differential selection in our culture. Public policy is increasingly being framed in terms of the effects of consequences on behavior, as illustrated by examples from education, economics, and politics. Survival of our culture may depend on our skill in managing this process."}
{"id": "PMID:1482010", "title": "B. F. Skinner, organism.", "content": "B. F. Skinner illustrated the power of behavior analysis by turning it upon his own behavior. This article considers parallels in the life and work of Charles Darwin and places Skinner's views on life and death in the context of his selectionist paradigm for psychology. The term organism plays a special role, and the account shows why B. F. Skinner might have regarded it as an appropriate title."}
{"id": "PMID:1482013", "title": "[Vertical transmission of HIV: descriptive epidemiology, risk factors and survival (II)].", "content": "Up until November 30, 1990, 415 children born to HIV-positive mothers were followed in order to study the vertical transmission rate and the survival of those infected, as well as the associated risk factors. According to CDC criteria, 264 children could be considered definitely classified, with 82 classified as infected (transmission rate: 31.1%) and 182 as sero-negative. The remaining 151 infants were younger than 15 months and classified as PO. Ninety percent of the studied mothers were infected through either the use of intravenous drugs or by sexual intercourse with HIV infected partner. The loss-of-antibody median age was one year. The median for the incubation period was 285 days, with a significant bimodal distribution regarding the child's age at diagnosis. Although the median survival time was longer than the study period, the fatality rate was estimated to be 22.0% and the percentage of children reaching age 4, 27%."}
{"id": "PMID:1482014", "title": "[Iga and IgG antireticuline in celiac disease. Their application as diagnostic markers of the disease].", "content": "We report the results of indirect immunofluorescent (IFI) detection of IgA and IgG antireticulin antibodies (IgA-ARA and IgG-ARA, respectively) in 283 serum samples from pediatric patients with coeliac disease (with and without gluten containing diets), patients with non-coeliac gastrointestinal disease, patients without gastrointestinal disease (control group) and patients with an increased risk for coeliac disease (diabetes mellitus, dermatitis herpetiformis or first grade relatives of coeliac patients). Our results indicate that IgA-ARA is a reproducible marker, with high positive (99-100%) and negative (100%) prediction values, when it is applied to children who have been on gluten containing diets for a long time (more than six months). The IgA-ARA measurement is not applicable in cases of selective IgA deficiency. Although IgG-ARA has a high predictive positive value, its low predictive negative value makes it a poor diagnostic tool. In the risk groups, our results suggest that these antibodies are useful in patient selection for intestinal biopsy."}
{"id": "PMID:1482015", "title": "[Comparative study of evoked otoacoustic emissions and auditory potentials of the brain stem in the neonatal period].", "content": "Evoked otoacoustic emissions (EOAE) are a recently discovered technique that is related to a good audiological status. It is a quick, simple and harmless test that can be used in neonatal screening. We report and compare here the results from a series of neonates in which we have performed both, this test and a brainstem response (ABR) test. The correlation between techniques was good, especially in normal positive neonates where the correlation was 100%. However, EOAE only explores the cochlear status and will not detect retrocochlear pathologies."}
{"id": "PMID:1482016", "title": "[Association between calcium content of drinking water and fractures in children].", "content": "The goal of this research was to determine the relationship between high levels of calcium in Majorca's water supplies and the prevalence of fractures in schoolchildren. The study was performed during two school terms and was done within the framework of the School Health System. Three towns of Majorca were selected because of the different content of calcium in their water supply. The fluorine content in the tap water was always under 0.5 mg/l. All of the towns have the same social and economic backgrounds. We surveyed 1,308 schoolchildren, between 11 and 14 years of age, about previous fractures. There is a statistically significant relationship between fractures and low calcium levels in the water supply. This association is stronger for children 11 years of age than for children 14 years old."}
{"id": "PMID:1482017", "title": "[Physiologic levels of bilirubin and behavior in healty infants during the neonatal period].", "content": "The purpose of this study was to evaluate behavioral differences in healthy newborns in relationship to bilirubin serum levels within the normal physiological range. Seventy-three healthy full-term newborns of adequate weight for their gestational age had bilirubin levels measured in a blood sample obtained by heel puncture on the third day of life. The Brazelton Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale (NBAS, 1984 version) was administered between the 60th and 80th hours of life. Results showed a mean bilirubin value of 123.12 mumol/L (7.2 mg/dL). There was an inverse correlation between serum bilirubin levels and behavior in regards to habituation, orientation, motor maturity and interaction of the NBAS. Although it can not be concluded that physiological bilirubin levels cause significant neurological disturbances, these results suggest that newborns with higher physiological bilirubin levels have some difficulties interacting with their caretakers."}
{"id": "PMID:1482018", "title": "[Nocturnal use of pirenzepine in young insulin dependent diabetics. Results of a 6-months treatment period].", "content": "Previous studies have demonstrated an elevation in GH in adult insulin-dependent diabetics which can be modified by administration of pirenzepina either IV or orally. In this study we have evaluated the mean nocturnal GH levels (MNGH) and HbA1-C levels in a group of young insulin-dependent diabetics, both before and after treatment with pirenzepina (Gastrozepin). The study population included 8 patients, 6 males and 2 females, between the ages of 12 and 17 years, with a mean of 15.6 years. Pirenzepina was administered during one month at a nightly oral dose of 0.6 mg/kg followed by 5 months of treatment with 1 mg/kg. The most important results obtained in the study are the following: 1) Nocturnal administration of pirenzepina did not significantly modify the MNGH in the study population (10.88 +/- 3.81 ng/ml vs 9.57 +/- 8.25 ng/ml, p > 0.05). 2) This pharmaceutical did not alter the plasma levels of HbA1-C (9.57 +/- 8.25 vs 10.01 +/- 2.30, p > 0.05). However, 5 out of 8 patients had a decrease in their nocturnal GH secretion after pirenzepina treatment. If only the 5 patients that responded to this treatment are considered, the differences in MNGH are significant (10.48 +/- 4.94 before treatment vs 4.35 +/- 2.53 following treatment, p < 0.05). Therefore, we conclude that oral pirenzepina treatment for 6 months, at the doses described, do not consistently decrease GH secretion in young diabetics nor does it decrease HbA1-C values in this group. However, further studies are necessary to establish the possible value of this treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1482019", "title": "[Scrotal trauma in childhood].", "content": "Scrotal trauma has increase in frequency during recent years, largely as the result of sporting activities, physical aggressions and road accidents. Its importance lies in the likelihood of associated lesions of the testis and the spermatic cord. We report 41 cases of scrotal trauma. Thirty-seven cases were non-penetrating and four were penetrating (including a case of traumatic rupture of the testis). Nonsurgical treatment was applied in 30 cases (73.1%) and surgical treatment in 11 (26.8%). The diagnostic techniques employed included ultrasonography in 19 cases, gammagraphy in 10 cases, Doppler-effect ultrasonography in 2 cases and CAT in 2 cases. The decision to operate should be based on the clinical findings. Follow-up studies over 8-60 months were satisfactory in all cases, with no cases of testicular atrophy detected."}
{"id": "PMID:1482020", "title": "[Neonatal septicemia: incidence and risk factors].", "content": "The cases of 131 newborns with positive blood cultures have been reviewed. These children were born in our hospital between 1985 and 1990. We found that the incidence of sepsis was 4.3/1000 newborns. Early neonatal sepsis was the most frequent, representing 58% of the cases. Late sepsis in hospitalized infants represented 1.34% of the cases. Streptococcus B was the microorganism most frequently isolated (26.7%), followed by S. epidermidis (19.8%), E. coli (13.7%) and S. aureus (10.68%). In over 50% of the cases of early sepsis, maternal-fetal risk factors were present. Mortality was 7.6%, with half of these cases due to Streptococcus B."}
{"id": "PMID:1482021", "title": "[Incidence of IDDM in children (age 0-14 yrs) in M\u00e1laga 1982-1988].", "content": "The annual incidence of diabetes mellitus in children 0 to 14 years of age in the province of Malaga (Spain) between 1982 and 1988 was 11.4 cases per 100,000 inhabitants (range = 9.7-13.1). There was an inverse relationship with seasonal temperature; the onset of the disease occurred more frequently during the colder months. The highest incidence was found among children between 5 and 9 years of age, with 13.88 cases per 100,000. The male/female ratio was 1.3 in children between 0 and 5 years and in children between 5 and 9 years of age and 0.97 in children between 10-14 years. The onset of the disease as ketoacidosis remained constant at 25% and was independent of age. When compared with other European epidemiological studies, we found a higher incidence of diabetes mellitus than that in Central European or Mediterranean Countries."}
{"id": "PMID:1482022", "title": "[Main vascular access in situations of extreme urgency: intra-osseous infusion].", "content": "The intraosseous infusion is an easy technique to learn. The chosen places for infusion are: proximal tibia, distal tibia and distal femur. We have used this technique on thirteen occasions in emergency situations. In all cases, access was achieved in less than one minute. Saline, glucose and Ringer's solutions, sodium bicarbonate, blood, calcium chloride, epinephrine, atropine, succinylcholine, dopamine, dobutamine, isoproterenol, lidocaine and anticonvulsants may be infused. The doses are the same as those used in parenteral access and its efficacy is similar to that of a central venous line. Complications are rare. The most frequent is subcutaneous, and occasionally subperiosteal infiltration. Osteomyelitis appeared in 0.6% of the cases. The intraosseous infusion provides rapid, easy and safe vascular access in emergency situations. Therefore, we believe that this technique should be chosen in pediatric patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1482023", "title": "[Cholesterol and phospholipids in high density lipoproteins and their subfractions in a population in its second decade of life. The Burgos study].", "content": "Decreased levels of high-density lipoproteins (HDL) are related to a risk of ischaemic heart disease and are measured as HDL-cholesterol (HDLc), whereas little attention has been paid to HDL-phospholipids (HDLph). Regarding HDL subfractions (HDL2, HDL3) and risk of ischaemic heart disease, there are few studies in the literature and these are contradictory, especially those performed in subjects that were in their second decade of life. This study consisted of 322 healthy volunteers between 11 and 19 years of age. The HDL fractions and HDL3 subfractions were separated by precipitation with polyethylene glycol at defined pH and concentration. Concentrations of cholesterol and triglycerides were measured by enzymatic methods, except for HDL2c and HDL2ph, which were calculated by subtraction. Forty-two percent of the children with parental history of ischaemic heart disease, but only 26% of the children without parental history of heart disease, exhibited HDL3ph levels lower than 0.95 mmol/l (74 mg/dl). Levels of HDLc, HDL3c and HDL2c are relatively constant in girls after puberty and levels of HDLph and HDL3ph are increased; levels of HDLph are relatively constant in boys after puberty while levels of HDLc, HDL3c and HDL2c are decreased. Our results suggest that serum levels of HDL3ph are potential markers for a risk of ischaemic heart disease, together with other more classic risk factors."}
{"id": "PMID:1482031", "title": "[Vertebral density of hypercalciuric lithiasis. Its relation to calcium-protein intake and vitamin D metabolism].", "content": "Forty-two patients with calcium calculi were selected based on calciuria > 0.1 mmol/kg/d on an uncontrolled diet. To measure excretion of sodium, calcium, phosphates and hydroxyproline, a 24-hr urine sample was collected on the 4th day of a milk product-free diet, a fasting urine specimen was collected on the morning of the 5th day and another sample was taken 4 hr after the oral administration of calcium. On the 5th day, plasma levels of calcium, phosphates, intact parathyroid hormone (PTH), calcidiol and calcitriol were determined on an empty stomach and after administration of a calcium load. The results, compared to those of healthy subjects evaluated under the same conditions, enabled classification of the stone-formers as having dietary hypercalciuria (n = 18), when calciuria returned to normal on a low calcium diet, and idiopathic hypercalciuria (n = 24), when the urinary calcium level remained high. Patients with idiopathic hypercalciuria were then classified, according to Pak's criteria, as having absorptive hypercalciuria (n = 8), when the fasting calciuric levels was normal, renal hypercalciuria (n = 1), when fasting hypercalciuria with elevated circulating PTH was controlled by a calcium load, or undetermined hypercalciuria (n = 15) for those individuals with fasting hypercalciuria and normal plasma PTH levels. In addition, vertebral density was measured tomodensitometrically and expressed as a percentage of the normal as a function of sex and age based on a regression line calculated with the results of 239 normal subjects.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1482032", "title": "[Drugs and aged subjects institutionalized in geriatric units].", "content": "Our one-year retrospective study evaluated drug use in a population of 136 patients over 60 years old hospitalized in a geriatric ward (moderate--and long-term institutionalization). After having classified the reason for hospitalization, the length of stay and the number of pathologies per patient, the number of prescribed medications was quantified by means of a drug-day unit (D-D). The mean number was 3.36 D-D, which was independent of sex, age and reason for admission. The most frequently prescribed medications treated central nervous system, cardiovascular and metabolic disorders. These results were compared to those of CREDOC 1981 and CREDES 1987. In addition, 14 iatrogenic episodes were identified in this study; aminoglycosides and cardiovascular drugs were responsible for the majority of them, despite the precautions taken in light of the therapeutic indications. The iatrogenesis thus identified was not due to biological abnormalities found in the elderly. In our opinion, this evaluation of drug use is a good predictive element for understanding iatrogenicity on a larger scale and thereby to attempt to avoid it."}
{"id": "PMID:1482033", "title": "[Temporal arteritis in young subjects. A trial of nosological classification apropos of 6 cases].", "content": "Six young-adult patients (19- to 32-years-old) are described: 3 men with temporally localized systemic vasculitis (thromboangiitis obliterans 2, Churg-Strauss angiitis 1) and 3 patients (2 men, 1 woman) with isolated temporal arteritis. Temporal arteritis in subjects under 40 years of age consists of either a temporal localization of systemic vasculitis (thromboangiitis obliterans or Buerger's disease, Churg-Strauss angiitis or polyarteritis nodosa) or a distinct entity of which only 12 biopsy-proven cases have been reported to date. The latter is differentiated from temporal (giant cell) arteritis of the older patient by a higher incidence in men, and the absence or rarity of general symptoms, ocular complications and an accelerated erythrocyte sedimentation rate. Two types of temporal arteritides in young adults seem to be distinguishable: an asymptomatic form with an isolated temporal nodule and a more symptomatic one. In some cases, temporal arteritis in young adults corresponds to a unique entity \"juvenile temporal arteritis\", which seems to be different from Takayasu's arteritis, localized forms of polyarteritis nodosa and Kimura's disease. Although its treatment remains difficult to define, therapy of the symptomatic form could include steroids, whereas the asymptomatic one seems to require only simple monitoring."}
{"id": "PMID:1482045", "title": "Stress proteins and reperfusion stress in the liver.", "content": "Blood reperfusion after temporary liver ischemia induces the expression of heat shock genes and the synthesis of heat shock proteins (hsps), in particular hsp 70. Induction requires a certain duration of ischemia, suggesting that cell damage before reperfusion is essential for activation of heat shock genes. The expression of the hsp 70 gene is preceded by activation of the cellular protooncogenes c-fos and c-jun. However, the product of these genes, which is transcription factor AP-1, seems unnecessary for activation of the hsp 70 gene, which does not require the integrity of protein synthesis. Hsp genes seem to behave as \"early response genes,\" enabling the cell to respond to emergency situations."}
{"id": "PMID:1482047", "title": "Genotoxic-stress-response genes and growth-arrest genes. gadd, MyD, and other genes induced by treatments eliciting growth arrest.", "content": "As discussed throughout this paper, many mammalian DDI genes are associated with growth responses, including both positive responses to growth stimulation and negative responses involving transient growth arrest and terminal differentiation. It is interesting that several immediate-early genes encoding transcription factors, the jun genes, are DDI, are induced by terminal differentiation, and also are associated with positive growth responses. In negative growth-response genes, their control is complex and almost certainly involves multiple regulatory mechanisms. The role of growth-arrest genes after exposure to DNA-damaging agents is currently not known, but as growth arrest can have a protective effect on cells exposed to DNA-damaging agents in both bacteria and eukaryotes, some protective role(s) for the gadd genes may exist. Whatever the roles are for the individual gadd genes, the response of the gadd genes to DNA-damaging agents and other growth-arrest signals has been highly conserved during mammalian evolution, and it is likely that this stress response, as reflected by induction of one or more gadd genes, is present in most or perhaps all mammalian cells. Our findings that the gadd group overlaps with another group of growth-arrest genes, the MyD, indicate that these two groups combined define a new class of genes whose protein products are likely to play a role in cell growth cessation."}
{"id": "PMID:1482049", "title": "Oxidant carcinogenesis and antioxidant defense.", "content": "Growth promotion by oxidants is observed with cultured human and mouse fibroblasts as well as epidermal cells. It is expected to play a role in inflammation, fibrosis, and tumorigenesis. Indeed, oxidants trigger (patho)physiological reactions that resemble those induced by growth and differentiation factors. For example, active oxygen activates protein kinases, causes DNA breakage, and induces the growth competence-related protooncogenes c-fos and c-myc. The cellular antioxidant defenses affect the consequences of oxidant exposure. Transfectants of mouse epidermal cells that overproduce Cu,Zn-superoxide dismutase (SOD) were sensitized to the toxic effects of an extracellular burst of O2-. plus H2O2, whereas overproducers of catalase (CAT) were protected. Transfection of SOD overproducers with CAT corrected their hypersensitivity. Inducibility of the protooncogene c-fos by oxidants was diminished in SOD and CAT overproducers, albeit probably for different reasons. It is concluded that a fine balance of the multiple components of the antioxidant defense determines the growth response of cells to oxidative stress. In studies of the mechanism of the transcriptional induction of c-fos by oxidants, we identified the joint DSE-AP1 elements (dyad symmetry element, DSE) as major enhancer motifs in the 5'-upstream regulatory sequences of c-fos. Oxidants also increased the de novo synthesis of protein factors that bind to the fos-AP1 enhancer motif. Protein kinase and ADPR transferase inhibitors suppressed the transcriptional induction of c-fos as well as the increase in factor binding to fos-AP1. We conclude that protein phosphorylation and protein polyADP-ribosylation are required for the transcriptional induction of c-fos and the synthesis of protein factors that bind to fos-AP1. It is likely that the FOS and JUN proteins are among these factors and that they participate in the regulation of c-fos expression by oxidants."}
{"id": "PMID:1482051", "title": "Genomic heterogeneity of DNA repair. Role in aging?", "content": "The introduction and repair of DNA lesions are generally heterogeneous with respect to different genomic domains. In particular, the repair of helix-distorting damage, such as the cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers (CPD) induced by ultraviolet light occurs selectively in expressed genes. This is due in large part to the preferential repair of transcribed DNA strands, which is then reflected in a bias toward mutagenesis from persisting lesions in nontranscribed strands. Consequently, determination of overall genomic repair efficiencies may not be a good indicator of cellular sensitivity to agents that damage DNA. Although some studies suggest an age-related accumulation of altered nucleotides in DNA, we do not know the intragenomic distribution of those changes and whether they are relevant to the physiological aspects of aging. Subtle changes in the pattern of preferential repair during maturation could have profound effects on cell and tissue function. DNA repair has been analyzed in differentiating cell systems as possible models for aging. We have observed attenuated overall repair of CPD in differentiated rat myoblasts or PC12 neuron-like cells. In both model systems, several expressed genes have been shown to be repaired relatively efficiently but without strand specificity. In another model system of human HT1080 fibroblasts differentiating in the presence of dexamethasone, we demonstrated enhanced repair in the gene for plasminogen activator inhibitor I whose transcription is induced and, correspondingly, a reduced repair rate in the urokinase plasminogen activator gene whose transcription is suppressed. We conclude that any attempted correlation of the phenomena of aging with DNA repair should focus on the relevant genes in the tissue of interest."}
{"id": "PMID:1482059", "title": "Changes in calcium's role as a messenger during aging in neuronal and nonneuronal cells.", "content": "Alterations in calcium transport appear to be functionally significant. Treatment with drugs that promote calcium uptake partially reverse some of the age-related deficits in calcium-dependent processes. Thus, the relevance of decreased calcium coupled receptor binding is supported by the ability of 3,4-diaminopyridine to promote acetylcholine release by forebrain slices from aged mice. This drug also reduces the age-related depression in synaptosomal calcium uptake in aged rats and mice. 3,4-Diaminopyridine also reverses the age-related deficit in calcium transport, the age-related deficits in the tight rope test, and 8 arm maze performance. 3,4-Diaminopyridine is also effective in nonexcitable tissues, such as cultured skin fibroblasts; it increases the decreased cytosolic-free calcium. Depressed cell spreading of fibroblasts can be reversed by treatment of cells with the calcium ionophore A23187 which promotes calcium influx. 4-Aminopyridine, a similarly related compound, partially reverses short-term memory deficits in patients with Alzheimer's disease. Tetrahydroaminoacridine, an aminopyridine analog with anticholinesterase properties, produces clinical improvement in behavioral deficits due to Alzheimer's disease. Only recently has the aging brain become a subject of intense study. Evidently, the neurobiology of aging needs to develop its own theories to account for the unique aspects of brain aging as well as integrate them with the peripheral changes. An exciting but unexplored area of research in the aging brain concerns the coupling between calcium and the final end product, the induction of genes. Still unknown are the molecular events that set these processes in motion. In addition, whether conditions such as dietary restriction that increase longevity in certain rodents also retard age-related changes in calcium remains to be determined."}
{"id": "PMID:1482060", "title": "Apoptosis and T-cell repertoire selection in the thymus.", "content": "Thymic tolerance depends on induction of apoptosis (programmed cell death) in immature thymocytes by antigen/MHC complexes on dendritic cells (and possibly other bone marrow-derived APCs). Interactions with antigen/MHC complexes on thymic epithelial cells promote maturation of double-positive thymocytes to single-positive cells. However, the nature of the antigen/MHC complexes on thymic epithelial cells is unknown, and if the stromal cell interaction model as just outlined is correct, then presumably these complexes must be different from those presented on dendritic cells, otherwise all cells signaled for positive selection would be subject to negative selection by similar complexes on APCs. The nature of the signals provided by thymic epithelial cells versus dendritic cells is unknown and may provide a key to understanding the processes of positive and negative selection within the thymus. Clearly the intense selection of the T-cell repertoire within the thymus explains the high level of cell death observed within the immature thymocyte compartment. Such intensive selection shapes the T-cell repertoire in a way that provides an explanation for the genetic basis of immune responsiveness and for the susceptibility of certain individuals to autoimmunity."}
{"id": "PMID:1482061", "title": "Beta-endorphin concentrations in resting peripheral mononuclear cells and after treatment with PHA or serotoninergic drugs in human aging, Alzheimer's disease, and Down's syndrome.", "content": "We measured the concentrations of beta-endorphin in resting peripheral blood mononuclear cells obtained from normal subjects of different ages and from age-matched patients with Down's syndrome or Alzheimer's disease. We also measured beta-endorphin concentrations in peripheral blood mononuclear cells obtained from subjects of different ages after treatment with PHA or serotoninergic drugs. The results show that in normal subjects the concentrations of the peptide increase after 30 years of age and remain constant up to 99 years. After stimulation with PHA, the release of beta-endorphin in cells from subjects older than 30 years increases, leading to a decrease in contents, whereas it is unchanged in younger subjects. In patients with Down's syndrome or Alzheimer's disease, beta-endorphin concentrations in peripheral blood mononuclear cells behave similarly to those in age-matched normal subjects. Treatment in vivo with the serotoninergic agonist chlorimipramine induces an increase in beta-endorphin concentrations in peripheral blood mononuclear cells that is significantly greater in subjects over 30 years old than in younger subjects."}
{"id": "PMID:1482063", "title": "Biomarkers of aging in the neuroendocrine-immune domain. Time for a new theory of aging?", "content": "A common and generally accepted assumption is that with advancing age, the thymus undergoes progressive and irreversible involution. This is considered the main cause for the age-related deterioration of various immune functions and, ultimately, for the increased incidence of infectious, neoplastic, and automimmune diseases in old age. This assumption is no longer tenable because of several clear-cut demonstrations that age-related thymic involution is not an intrinsic and irreversible phenomenon. Various neuroendocrine or nutritional manipulations can to induce a regrowth of the thymus, even when applied in old age. This thymic reconstitution is followed by a consistent recovery of peripheral immune functions. These data strongly support the idea that thymic involution is a phenomenon secondary to age-related alterations in neuroendocrine-thymus interactions and that it is the disruption of such interactions in old age that is responsible for most of the age-associated dysfunctions. On the basis of this experimental and clinical evidence and as an alternative to purely immune or neuroendocrine theories of aging, a neuroendocrine-immune hypothesis is proposed. Further work is required to determine if the age-related disruption of neuroendocrine-immune interactions occurs because of progressive accumulation of stressor-dependent consequences at the level of one or the other system or if it may depend on a single common cause."}
{"id": "PMID:1482093", "title": "Protein synthesis, posttranslational modifications, and aging.", "content": "Posttranslational modifications of proteins are involved in determining their activities, stability, and specificity of interaction. More than 140 major and minor modifications of proteins have been reported. Of these, only a few have been studied in relation to the aging of cells, tissues, and organisms. These include phosphorylation, methylation, ADP-ribosylation, oxidation, glycation, and deamidation. Several of these modifications occur on proteins involved in crucial cellular processes, such as DNA synthesis, protein synthesis, protein degradation, signal transduction, cytoskeletal organization, and the components of extracellular matrix. Some of the modifications are the markers of abnormal and altered proteins for rapid degradation. Others make them less susceptible to degradation by normal proteolytic enzymes, and hence these accumulate during aging."}
{"id": "PMID:1482104", "title": "Relationship between antioxidants, prooxidants, and the aging process.", "content": "It is argued that reduced oxygen species may be one of the causal factors underlying the aging process. Experimental studies strongly support the view that the rate of metabolism is inversely associated with the rate of aging. It is pointed out that Pearl's rate of living theory is widely misunderstood, because of the mistaken belief that it advocates a fixed metabolic potential for different species or genotypes within a species. The in vivo level of oxidative stress tends to increase with age in insects and mammals as indicated by increased exhalation of alkanes. A search for the causes of this increase revealed that an age-associated decline in antioxidant defenses is neither widespread nor very impressive in magnitude. A comparison of antioxidant defenses (activities of SOD, catalase, and glutathione) in six different mammalian species did not suggest a clear association between these defenses and maximum life span potential of the species. In contrast, mitochondrial rates of O2- and H2O2 were found to increase with age in insects and mammals, and the MLSP of six mammals was found to be inversely correlated with liver mitochondrial rates of O2- and H2O2 generation. It seems that the age-related increase in oxidative stress is mainly due to the enhanced rate of O2- and H2O2 generation. It is hypothesized that variations in the rates of aging in different species, that are otherwise closely related phylogenetically, may be in part due to differences in rates of O2- and H2O2 production. Overall, the rates of oxidant generation are a better correlate of the rates of aging than are the levels of antioxidant defenses."}
{"id": "PMID:1482105", "title": "Oxidants are a major contributor to aging.", "content": "Very high level oxidative damage to DNA occurs during normal metabolism. In each rat cell the steady-state level of this damage is estimated to be about 10(6) oxidative adducts, and about 10(5) new adducts are formed daily. This endogenous DNA damage appears to be a major contributor to aging and to the degenerative diseases associated with aging such as cancer. The oxidative damage rate in mammalian species with a high metabolic rate, short life span, and high age-specific cancer rate such as rats is much higher than the rate in humans, long-lived mammals with a lower metabolic rate and a lower age-specific cancer rate. It is argued that deficiency of micronutrients that protect against oxidative DNA damage is a major contributor to human cancer. Epidemiological studies, a large body of experimental evidence, and theoretical work on the mechanisms of carcinogenesis point to mitogenesis as a major contributor to cancer. Dividing cells compared to nondividing cells are at an enormously increased risk for mutations in part due to the conversion of DNA adducts to mutations. Mitogenesis also increases the probability of gene amplification and loss of 5-methylcytosine. Dietary interventions that lower mitogenesis, such as calorie restriction, decrease the incidence of cancer."}
{"id": "PMID:1482115", "title": "Translational accuracy and the fitness of bacteria.", "content": "There are two aspects of the relationship between translational accuracy and the fitness of bacteria that I hope have been clarified in this review. One is that the impact of translational errors on the fitness of bacteria depends very much on nutritional conditions. It would seem that bacterial populations have the capacity to respond to different growth opportunities by the selection of suitable variants. It is particularly surprising how few mutations seem to be required to transform a slowly growing natural isolate with inefficient as well as inaccurate ribosomes into a growth-optimized laboratory strain. It would not be suprising if the selection of the slow, natural isolate phenotype under starvation conditions is equally facile. Another aspect of the accuracy-fitness relationship worth emphasizing is the strong impact of processivity errors and the weak impact of missense errors on the structures of proteins as well as on the growth of cells. What has been learned about translation mechanisms up to now is really only a preliminary to what remains to be discovered about the movements of tRNA, mRNA, and ribosomal subunits that support the processivity of translation. It would be very useful to have more direct methods at hand with which to study these movements. Likewise, the availability of methods to measure processivity errors in natural isolates would help to round out our view of the variability of the ribosomal mechanisms in nature."}
{"id": "PMID:1482122", "title": "Genetic analysis using the polymerase chain reaction.", "content": "The ability of PCR to amplify a specific DNA segment from a complex template in an automated reaction has made molecular analysis more accessible both to basic research and diagnostic laboratories. Modifications of the basic PCR method using generic primers now allow DNA amplification even in the absence of specific nucleotide sequence information. Although PCR has proved extremely valuable for detecting the presence or absence of a given sequence (e.g. diagnosis of infectious disease pathogens like HIV), it is uniquely suited to analyze genetic variation in the amplified DNA. The capacity to analyze DNA variation from limited samples like hair or cheek scrapings has made genetic diagnosis and population genetics studies much simpler and the amplification of specific sequences from individual cells (e.g. sperm) has opened new approaches to genetic mapping."}
{"id": "PMID:1482125", "title": "Genetics of retroviral integration.", "content": "Today the retroviral integration reaction is probably understood, both in terms of its genetics and chemistry, in as much detail as any eukaryotic recombination process. That understanding is in part due to its high efficiency (for it can be induced to occur synchronously in every cell of a culture); to its simplicity (for there is only one major protein player); to its accessibility (for the viral genome has provided all the cis- and trans-acting players); and to its willingness to perform well in vitro, ultimately with purified components. The process has thus made the classic transition from a phenomenon to be studied genetically to a reaction that can also be studied biochemically. The next advances in our understanding of the process of retroviral integration are likely to center on chemical issues. Some basic enzymological issues need to be addressed: we need to determine the oligomeric state of the native IN protein; its state when bound to linear viral DNA; the residues at the active site; the residues involved in sequence-specific recognition of DNA; and the points of contact between IN monomers. Much of this information will follow from detailed mutagenesis of expressed IN genes. A crucial step will be the determination of the structure of the IN protein at atomic resolution through X-ray diffraction analysis of protein crystals, a project underway in several laboratories. That structure may immediately suggest how the enzyme contacts and joins two DNA molecules, and will enormously facilitate the design and interpretation of mutational studies. It seems plausible that we can understand the IN protein as a machine as well as any nuclease or recombinase. A significant number of larger biological questions about integration remain unanswered and will require genetic approaches. What is the true structure of the preintegration complex in the cytoplasm? How does the complex enter the nucleus, and obtain access to the host DNA? Why, at least for most viruses in most cells, does integration depend on cell division? Why does efficient expression of the viral DNA to form progeny viral RNA and proteins depend on integration? How are target sites for integration on the host genome selected, and why are there \"hot spots\" for insertion? Are there host proteins that facilitate or participate in the integration reaction itself, and what are those proteins? Are any of those proteins involved in site selection?(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1482128", "title": "In vitro and in vivo activities of DQ-2556 and its mode of action.", "content": "DQ-2556 is a recently developed cephalosporin with a broad spectrum of antibacterial activity against both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. Its in vitro activity was roughly comparable to those of cefuzonam and cefpirome and greater than those of ceftazidime, cefepime, and cefclidin against gram-positive bacteria. Against gram-negative bacteria, DQ-2556 showed almost the same activity as those shown by cefpirome and cefepime. The activity was largely unaffected by culture medium pH or the addition of human serum. The protective effect of DQ-2556 in experimental gram-positive pathogen and Escherichia coli infections in mice was greater than those of ceftazidime, cefuzonam, cefepime, and cefclidin and was similar to that of cefpirome. Against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter calcoaceticus infections, DQ-2556 was more active than cefuzonam and had activity similar to or less than those of ceftazidime, cefpirome, cefepime, and cefclidin. When cells of E. coli were exposed to various concentrations of DQ-2556, filamentous cells were observed at concentrations of 0.0008 micrograms/ml and greater, spheroplasts started to form at 0.025 micrograms/ml, and subsequent cell lysis was observed. The affinity of DQ-2556 to PBP 3 of E. coli, which participates in septum formation, as suggested by morphological observation, was two times greater than that of ceftazidime. DQ-2556 also had high affinities for PBPs 1B and 1A of E. coli. These results suggest that DQ-2556 is worthy for subsequent clinical trials."}
{"id": "PMID:1482129", "title": "Characterization of an azole-resistant Candida glabrata isolate.", "content": "A Candida (Torulopsis) glabrata strain (B57149) became resistant to fluconazole after a patient carrying the organism was treated with the drug at 400 mg once daily for 9 days. Growth of the pretreatment isolate (B57148) was inhibited by 50% with 0.67 microM ketoconazole, 1.0 microM itraconazole, and 43 microM fluconazole, whereas growth of B57149 was inhibited slightly by 10 microM ketoconazole but was unaffected by 10 microM itraconazole or 100 microM fluconazole. This indicates cross-resistance to all three azole antifungal agents. The cellular fluconazole content of B57149 was from 1.5- to 3-fold lower than that of B57148, suggesting a difference in drug uptake between the strains. However, this difference was smaller than the measured difference in susceptibility and, therefore, cannot fully explain the fluconazole resistance of B57149. Moreover, the intracellular contents of ketoconazole and itraconazole differed by less than twofold between the strains, so that uptake differences did not account for the azole cross-resistance of B57149. The microsomal cytochrome P-450 content of B57149 was about twice that of B57148, a difference quantitatively similar to the increased subcellular ergosterol synthesis from mevalonate or lanosterol. These results indicate that the level of P-450-dependent 14 alpha-demethylation of lanosterol is higher in B57149. Increased ergosterol synthesis was also seen in intact B57149 cells, and this coincided with a decreased susceptibility of B57149 toward all three azoles and amphotericin B. B57149 also had higher squalene epoxidase activity, and thus, more terbinafine was needed to inhibit the synthesis of 2,3-oxidosqualene from squalene. P-450 content and ergosterol synthesis both decreased when isolate B57149 was subcultured repeatedly on drug-free medium. This repeated subculture also fully restored the strain's itraconazole susceptibility, but only partly increased its susceptibility to fluconazole. The results suggest that both lower fluconazole uptake and increased P-450-dependent ergosterol synthesis are involved in the mechanism of fluconazole resistance but that only the increased ergosterol synthesis contributes to itraconazole cross-resistance."}
{"id": "PMID:1482130", "title": "In vitro susceptibilities of Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans to a number of antimicrobial combinations.", "content": "The in vitro susceptibilities of Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans to 14 antimicrobial combinations were studied by using the checkerboard titration technique. The results, expressed as the range of the fractional inhibitory concentration indices, were as follows: for metronidazole or its hydroxymetabolite combined with cefixime, 0.2 to 0.6; for moxalactam, 0.2 to 0.6; for penicillin G, 0.3 to 0.6; for tobramycin, 0.8 to 2.0; for erythromycin, 0.8 to 1.7; for ciprofloxacin, 0.2 to 0.6; for tetracycline, 0.8 to 1.2. Our observations indicated that the beta-lactam antibiotics as well as ciprofloxacin act synergistically with both metronidazole and its hydroxymetabolite against A. actinomycetemcomitans. Synergistic interactions were independent of the individual MICs of the antibiotics tested. Erythromycin, tobramycin, and tetracycline combined with either metronidazole or its hydroxymetabolite showed additive to indifferent effects against the five strains of A. actinomycetemcomitans, with the fractional inhibitory concentration indices ranging from 0.8 to 2.0. A. actinomycetemcomitans was found to be highly susceptible to ciprofloxacin (MIC of ciprofloxacin for 90% of strains tested, 0.010 micrograms/ml) and cefixime (MIC of cefixime for 90% of strains tested, 0.8 micrograms/ml). The results indicate that in patients who are allergic to penicillin, cefixime and ciprofloxacin may be useful alternative antibiotics in combination with metronidazole for the treatment of A. actinomycetemcomitans-associated periodontitis."}
{"id": "PMID:1482131", "title": "Prospective observational study of Klebsiella bacteremia in 230 patients: outcome for antibiotic combinations versus monotherapy.", "content": "Combination antimicrobial agent therapy has been advocated for treatment of gram-negative bacteremia, including that caused by Klebsiella spp. We performed a prospective, observational, 10-hospital collaborative study to evaluate the efficacy of antibiotic combination therapy versus that of monotherapy for 230 consecutive patients with Klebsiella bacteremia. The species involved were K. pneumoniae (82%), K. oxytoca (15%), and K. ozaenae (0.4%). Of the bacteremias, 26% were polymicrobial in nature. A total of 53% of cases were nosocomial infections. The most common portals were the urinary tract (28%), biliary tract (12%), lung (10%), and abdomen (9%). Some 49 and 51% of the patients had received monotherapy and antibiotic combination therapy (beta-lactam plus aminoglycoside), respectively; 14-day mortalities in the two groups were 20 and 18%, respectively. However, for the subgroup of patients who experienced hypotension within 72 h prior to or on the day of the positive blood culture, those patients who received combination therapy experienced significantly lower mortality (24%) than did those who received monotherapy (50%). We conclude that monotherapy with an antibiotic that is active in vitro against Klebsiella (beta-lactam or aminoglycoside) is sufficient therapy for less severely ill patients (immunocompetent, urinary tract portal, mentally alert, normal vital signs). On the other hand, for severely ill patients who experience hypotension, antibiotic combination therapy with a beta-lactam and an aminoglycoside agent is preferred."}
{"id": "PMID:1482132", "title": "Pharmacokinetics and transplacental passage of imipenem during pregnancy.", "content": "Imipenem pharmacokinetics were studied in early pregnancy (n = 7; length of gestation, 8.6 +/- 1.5 weeks, mean +/- standard deviation), in late pregnancy (n = 7; length of gestation, 38.7 +/- 1.4 weeks), and in the nonpregnant state (n = 6). A single dose of 500 mg of imipenem-cilastatin (1:1) was administered as a 20-min infusion. Multiple plasma and urine samples, as well as specimens of umbilical plasma and amniotic fluid from the pregnant subjects, were collected at frequent intervals for 8 h. Imipenem concentrations were assayed by specific microbiologic assay. The mean peak concentrations in plasma were 14.7 +/- 4.9, 14.9 +/- 5.2, and 43 +/- 28.3 micrograms/ml in early pregnancy, late pregnancy, and the nonpregnant state, respectively. The volumes of distribution were significantly larger during early pregnancy (0.98 +/- 0.45 liter/kg of body weight, P < 0.005) and late pregnancy (0.59 +/- 0.19 liter/kg, P < 0.05) than in the nonpregnant state (0.33 +/- 0.10 liter/kg), and total clearances from plasma were faster in early pregnancy (12.7 +/- 7.8 ml min-1 kg-1, P < 0.05) and late pregnancy (10.7 +/- 4.6 ml min-1 kg-1, P < 0.05) than in the nonpregnant state (5.77 +/- 1.19 ml min-1 kg-1). The mean concentrations in amniotic fluid were 0.07 +/- 0.01 and 0.72 +/- 0.85 micrograms/ml in early and late pregnancy. The mean umbilical venous and arterial drug concentrations were 1.72 +/- 1.22 and 1.64 +/- 1.22 micrograms/ml. The feto-maternal ratio at the time of cesarean section was 0.33 +/- 0.12. These results indicate that an adjustment of doses of imipenem may be required when treating pregnant women because of considerable changes in imipenem pharmacokinetics during pregnancy."}
{"id": "PMID:1482133", "title": "Efficacy and safety of amphotericin B colloidal dispersion compared with those of amphotericin B deoxycholate suspension for treatment of disseminated murine cryptococcosis.", "content": "The efficacy and safety of amphotericin B colloidal dispersion (ABCD) were compared with those of amphotericin B deoxycholate suspension (ABDS) (Fungizone) in a murine model of disseminated cryptococcosis. Mice were treated intravenously with either ABDS at 0.2, 0.8, or 3.2 mg/kg of body weight per dose or ABCD at 0.8, 3.2, 6.4, 12.8, or 19.2 mg/kg dose three times per week for 2 weeks. Excluding mice treated with ABDS at 3.2 mg/kg, which was acutely lethal in 100% of mice, and ABCD at 19.2 mg/kg, which also resulted in two early deaths, the survival of ABCD- and ABDS-treated groups was prolonged over survival of controls (P < or = 0.05). Survival of ABCD (3.2 mg/kg)-treated mice was improved over that of ABDS (0.2 mg/kg)-treated mice (P < 0.05); however, comparisons of mice given all other dosages of ABCD with mice given sublethal dosages of ABDS did not demonstrate differences in survival. Comparative fungal burdens in organs showed a decrease in liver (P < 0.05) and spleen (P < 0.05) burdens for ABCD with the 19.2-mg/kg therapy versus those with ABDS with the 0.8-mg/kg therapy and liver burdens for ABCD with the 12.8-mg/kg therapy versus ABDS with the 0.8-mg/kg therapy (P < 0.05). There was no difference in organ burdens between therapy with ABCD at 0.8 mg/kg and ABDS at 0.8 mg/kg. These data show that the efficacy of ABCD is equal to that of ABDS on a milligram-per-kilogram basis for murine disseminated cryptococcosis. Because of its decreased toxicity, greater efficacy with ABCD could be achieved through doses fourfold higher than the 100% lethal dose for ABDS. Thus, ABCD shows promise as an effective but less toxic alternative to ABDS for the treatment of disseminated cryptococcosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1482134", "title": "Pharmacokinetics of R 82913 in AIDS patients: a phase I dose-finding study of oral administration compared with intravenous infusion.", "content": "The pharmacokinetics of oral administration of R 82913, or tetrahydroimidazol [4,5,1-jk]-benzodiazepin-2(1H)-one or -thione (TIBO), was compared with those of intravenous administration in five AIDS patients. TIBO was administered as a single daily 1-h infusion of 100 mg for 29 days and orally as a single daily dose for 14 days with three consecutive regimens of 100, 200, and 100 mg with probenecid (1 g) daily. Each cycle was followed by a wash-out period. Oral bioavailability of TIBO appears to be low and is not improved by the adjunction of probenecid. Trough levels obtained with oral administration systematically remained far below the 90% inhibitory concentration of TIBO against human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1). Tolerance of TIBO was excellent. No clinical efficacy could be demonstrated. p24 antigenemia decreased significantly in one patient under intravenous therapy. TIBO derivatives are promising anti-HIV-1 agents in vitro, but improvement of oral bioavailability is needed before implementation of long-term efficacy and tolerability studies. Moreover, rapid emergence of resistance, which has been recently documented, constitutes a major problem with most nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors."}
{"id": "PMID:1482135", "title": "Acute and chronic effects of flucytosine on amphotericin B nephrotoxicity in rats.", "content": "The combination of intravenous flucytosine (FC) in 0.9% saline (NaCl) and amphotericin B (AmB) provides synergistic antifungal activity and is associated with a lower incidence of nephrotoxicity than with AmB treatment alone. This study was conducted to examine whether flucytosine can influence renal function and whether it can modify the acute and chronic renal responses to AmB in the rat. In the in situ perfused rat kidney, FC at a concentration of 10 mg/kg/min for 15 min had a vasodilator effect, increasing renal blood flow by 2.5 +/- 0.7 ml/min, an effect not observed with vehicle. After the infusion of FC was stopped for 15 min, AmB induced a decrease in renal blood flow similar to that with both FC and vehicle. In a second series of studies, AmB (5 mg/kg/day intraperitoneally) was administered to four groups of rats for 7 days. In addition, the following groups received the intravenous daily interventions indicated: group 1, 5% dextrose in water (15 ml/kg/12 h); group 2, FC (150 mg/kg/12 h) in 0.9% saline (15 ml/kg/12 h); group 3, 0.9% saline (15 ml/kg/12 h); and group 4, FC (150 mg/kg/12 h) in 5% dextrose in water. Group 1 sustained a 77% decrease in creatinine clearance over the 7 days and a threefold increase in serum creatinine concentration (P of < 0.05). Groups 2, 3, and 4 sustained significantly less nephrotoxicity, with no change in serum creatinine concentration and only 38, 41, and 53% decreases in creatinine clearance, respectively (P of < 0.05), compared with that for group 1. AmB levels in renal tissue varied inversely to creatinine clearance (r of 0.57, P of < or = 0.005). However, no significant differences were found in levels in tissue between groups (P of 0.06). The results of this study suggest that FC has a small but significant effect in reducing chronic AmB-induced nephrotoxicity. This amelioration of renal injury is independent of saline administration. There was evidence that the extent of renal uptake of AmB related to the efficiency of renal function at the end of the experiment."}
{"id": "PMID:1482136", "title": "Pharmacokinetics of cefepime dihydrochloride arginine in subjects with renal impairment.", "content": "In this study, the safety, tolerance, and pharmacokinetics of a single 1-g intravenous dose of cefepime (BMY-28142) were investigated. Twenty-three volunteers with various degrees of renal function were assigned to four trial groups according to glomerular filtration rates (GFR). Group IV consisted of five patients with end-stage renal disease undergoing treatment with hemodialysis. Cefepime concentrations in samples from plasma, urine, and infusion solutions were assayed with high-pressure liquid chromatography. The volume of distribution corresponded to the assumed extracellular fluid volume and did not differ significantly between the four groups. The area under the concentration-time curve increased as renal function decreased; in group II (GFR, 31 to 80 ml/[min x 1.73 m2]; n = 6), it was already three times higher than in group I (GFR, > or = 80 ml/[min x 1.73 m2]; n = 5). Mean residence time was 2.4, 6.8, 11.4, and 31.6 h for the four groups, respectively. Total clearance decreased (97.2, 34.6, 19.8, and 6.3 ml/[min x 1.73 m2]) with decreasing renal function, and a linear relationship between total plasma clearance and GFR was found with the regression equation y = 0.92x-2.0 (r = 0.991). Renal clearance was linearly correlated to GFR with the regression equation y = 0.87x-6.1 (r = 0.989), indicating that renal elimination is mainly by glomerular filtration. During hemodialysis, the extraction ratios were between 0.40 and 0.65. Dialysis clearance varied between 69.9 and 94.6 ml/(min x 1.73 m2)."}
{"id": "PMID:1482137", "title": "Saperconazole therapy in a rabbit model of invasive aspergillosis.", "content": "The efficacy of orally and intravenously administered saperconazole against Aspergillus fumigatus was assessed in an immunosuppressed temporarily leukopenic rabbit model of invasive aspergillosis and compared with that of amphotericin B. Oral saperconazole at dosages of 5, 10, and 15 mg/kg of body weight per day improved survival compared with that of controls. In addition, saperconazole at 10 and 15 mg/kg/day reduced the tissue burden and reduced levels of circulating antigen, which correlated with increasing dosages of saperconazole. Intravenous saperconazole produced levels in serum more than 10-fold that of oral therapy. Intravenous saperconazole not only improved survival and reduced antigen levels but also significantly eradicated A. fumigatus from tissues compared with those of controls and was as effective as amphotericin B in these studies. Saperconazole was effective in the treatment of experimental invasive aspergillosis and demonstrates the potential of the newer azoles in therapy for invasive aspergillosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1482138", "title": "Spread of a newly found trimethoprim resistance gene, dhfrIX, among porcine isolates and human pathogens.", "content": "A plasmid-borne gene mediating trimethoprim resistance, dhfrIX, newly found among porcine strains of Escherichia coli, was observed at a frequency of 11% among trimethoprim-resistant veterinary isolates. This rather high frequency of dhfrIX could be due to the extensive use of trimethoprim in veterinary practice in Sweden. After searching several hundred clinical isolates, one human E. coli strain was also found to harbor the dhfrIX gene. Thus, the dhfrIX gene seems to have spread from porcine bacteria to human pathogens. Furthermore, the occurrence of other genes coding for resistant dihydrofolate reductase enzymes (dhfrI, dhfrII, dhfrV, dhfrVII, and dhfrVIII) among the porcine isolates was investigated. In addition, association of dhfr genes with the integraselike open reading frames of transposons Tn7 and Tn21 was studied. In colony hybridization experiments, both dhfrI and dhfrII were found associated with these integrase genes. The most common combination was dhfrI and int-Tn7, indicating a high prevalence of Tn7."}
{"id": "PMID:1482139", "title": "Activity of MS-8209, a nonester amphotericin B derivative, in treatment of experimental systemic mycoses.", "content": "The in vitro and in vivo toxicities and activities of MS-8209, a new hydrosoluble amphotericin B (deoxycholate-amphotericin B [D-AmB]; Fungizone) derivative, were studied. In vitro, MS-8209 was less toxic than AmB against renal tubular cells in primary culture and less active against Candida albicans and Cryptococcus neoformans. However, at 10-fold the AmB concentration, MS-8209 in vitro antifungal activity paralleled that of AmB. Fifty-percent lethal doses of MS-8209 and D-AmB in OF1 noninfected mice were 26 and 2.3 mg/kg, respectively. Therapeutic efficacy of MS-8209 was assessed in murine candidiasis, cryptococcosis, and aspergillosis. In each model of infection, we determined the maximum tolerated dosages of MS-8209 and D-AmB, i.e., the dosage inducing less than 15% mortality due to toxicity; the efficacies of MS-8209 and D-AmB at their respective maximum tolerated dosages were compared. In candidiasis, MS-8209 (15 mg/kg) significantly increased the survival time compared with D-AmB (0.5 mg/kg). Both compounds were equally effective at reducing CFU counts in the kidney. MS-8209 was the most effective agent for increasing the survival time in cryptococcal meningoencephalitis and for reducing CFU counts in spleen, brain, and lung during both cryptococcal pneumonia and meningoencephalitis. In aspergillosis, MS-8209 and D-AmB similarly prolonged the survival of treated mice compared with controls. These results show that when MS-8209 and D-AmB were used at the maximum tolerated dosage, MS-8209 was as effective as or more effective than D-AmB for the treatment of systemic mycoses. These findings warrant further experiments to study the pharmacokinetic properties and toxicity of MS-8209 under conditions of chronic administration."}
{"id": "PMID:1482140", "title": "Antimicrobial activities of clofazimine and B669 are mediated by lysophospholipids.", "content": "The susceptibilities of a range of gram-positive and gram-negative microbial pathogens to clofazimine and its analog B669 (0.1 to 32 micrograms/ml), as well as the effects of these agents on membrane phospholipid metabolism in Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, have been investigated in vitro. Gram-positive bacteria were found to be generally susceptible to these agents, whereas gram-negative organisms were uniformly resistant. Exposure of S. aureus to both agents (1 to 5 micrograms/ml), especially B669, caused dose-related enhancement of the activity of phospholipase A2, according to an increase in the release of 3H-radiolabeled arachidonate and lysophosphatidylethanolamine ([3H]LPE) from bacterial-membrane phospholipids. Treatment of E. coli with the riminophenazines also increased the release of [3H]arachidonate and [3H]LPE. Growth of gram-positive but not gram-negative bacteria was inhibited by LPE and lysophosphatidylcholine. Moreover, coincubation with alpha-tocopherol (vitamin E), a lysophospholipid complex-forming agent, or with lysophospholipase protected gram-positive bacteria against the riminophenazines as well as against lysophospholipids. The results from this study are consistent with a mechanism whereby lysophospholipids mediate the activities of the two drugs."}
{"id": "PMID:1482141", "title": "Cure of murine Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense infections with an S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase inhibitor.", "content": "The compound 5'-([(Z)-4-amino-2-butenyl]methylamino)-5'-deoxyadenosine (MDL73811), a potent inhibitor of S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase, was effective in mice against six of eight clinical isolates of Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense, the causative agent of East African sleeping sickness. In combination with the ornithine decarboxylase inhibitor DL-alpha-difluoromethylornithine (DFMO; Ornidyl), MDL73811 acted synergistically to cure seven of eight infections. MDL73811 was effective when given singly at 50 to 100 mg/kg of body weight per day for 7 days (osmotic pumps). In combination with subcurative DFMO levels (0.25 to 1.0% in drinking water for 7 days), the curative MDL73811 dose could be lowered to 25 or 50 mg/kg, depending on the isolate. Oral administration of the MDL73811-DFMO combination was also effective in an acute infection and in a long-term central nervous system model of Trypansoma brucei brucei infection. These data indicate that MDL73811 may be effective therapeutically in drug-refractory and late-stage East African trypanosomiasis."}
{"id": "PMID:1482142", "title": "Pharmacodynamics of once-daily amikacin in various combinations with cefepime, aztreonam, and ceftazidime against Pseudomonas aeruginosa in an in vitro infection model.", "content": "The pharmacodynamics of once-daily amikacin administered as monotherapy and in combination with aztreonam, ceftazidime, and cefepime against Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853 and clinical isolate 16690 (moderately susceptible to ceftazidime) were investigated with an in vitro model of infection over a 24-h period. Monotherapy with aztreonam, ceftazidime, and cefepime and combinations of aztreonam with cefepime or ceftazidime were also studied. MICs and MBCs were determined for viable organisms at 24 h to test for the development of resistance. Once-daily amikacin demonstrated killing activity over the initial 8 h superior to those of all other drugs administered as monotherapy against both strains tested (P < 0.01). Regrowth by 24 h was greatest for the amikacin regimen (P < 0.01) but was apparent for all monotherapy regimens against both strains. No changes in susceptibilities were observed. All combination therapies containing once-daily amikacin achieved 99.9% reductions in log10 CFU/ml by 2.0 h against both strains, with no regrowth of organisms at 24 h. Aztreonam-cefepime and -ceftazidime combinations required approximately 5 to 6 h to achieve a 99.9% reduction in log10 CFU/ml. Although there was no difference in time to the 99.9% kill between the aztreonam-cefepime and -ceftazidime regimens against either strain, the killing activity of these combinations was significantly less than those of regimens containing once-daily amikacin (P < 0.01). Minor differences in the initial susceptibilities of beta-lactams and the monobactam aztreonam against P. aeruginosa may not be important for therapeutic outcomes when used in combination with single-daily aminoglycoside therapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1482143", "title": "Effect of sucralfate on pharmacokinetics of fleroxacin in healthy volunteers.", "content": "The effect of sucralfate on the pharmacokinetics of fleroxacin was assessed in 20 healthy male volunteers. The study was of a two-way crossover design in which subjects were randomized to one of the following two regimens at the time of entry: (i) a single 400-mg dose of fleroxacin alone or (ii) a 400-mg dose of fleroxacin given once and 1 g of sucralfate given every 6 h starting 24 h before fleroxacin treatment and continuing for 48 h after fleroxacin treatment. Blood samples were collected immediately before fleroxacin administration and at 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 16, 24, 36, and 48 h postdosing. Fleroxacin concentrations in plasma and urine were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography. While concurrent of fleroxacin and sucralfate resulted in a decrease in the area under the plasma concentration-time curve, a decrease in the maximum concentration, and an increase in the time to the maximum concentration (P < 0.05), these changes were modest compared with the interaction of other quinolones with sucralfate. The relative bioavailability of fleroxacin given with sucralfate, calculated from the area under the concentration-time curve, was 76% compared with that of fleroxacin alone. This is significantly better than the bioavailabilities of other quinolones (1.8 to 12.3%) when they are administered with sucralfate."}
{"id": "PMID:1482144", "title": "Fluoxetine hydrochloride enhances in vitro susceptibility to chloroquine in resistant Plasmodium falciparum.", "content": "The emergence of chloroquine resistance in Plasmodium falciparum has necessitated the development of alternate strategies for chemotherapy and chemoprophylaxis. One approach has been the identification of drugs that do not possess any intrinsic antimalarial activity when used alone but that potentiate the effect of currently available antimalarial drugs, such as chloroquine. We identified fluoxetine hydrochloride (Prozac), a commonly prescribed antidepressant, as another resistance modulator for drug-resistant P. falciparum. Studies with chloroquine-resistant clones and isolates from various geographical locations confirmed our initial observations with a chloroquine-resistant P. falciparum clone, W2. Fluoxetine concentrations of 500 nM were found to effectively modulate chloroquine resistance by 66% in clone W2. In comparison, verapamil at similar concentrations was observed to modulate chloroquine resistance in clone W2 by 61%. Neither fluoxetine nor verapamil was observed to possess any innate antimalarial activity. These data augment the current description of the chloroquine resistance phenotype and may provide additional insights into lead-directed synthesis of new antimalarial drugs."}
{"id": "PMID:1482145", "title": "Interleukin-1-induced nonspecific resistance to bacterial infection in mice is not mediated by glucocorticosteroids.", "content": "Preexposure to a low dose of interleukin-1 (IL-1; 3 to 30 micrograms/kg) 24 h before a lethal gram-negative bacterial infection prolonged survival in normal and granulocytopenic mice. To examine whether this protective effect is mediated by glucocorticosteroids, we first measured corticosterone concentrations in mice after administration of 80 and 800 ng of IL-1. IL-1 induced a dose-dependent increase in corticosterone levels in plasma. Next, the corticosterone peak induced by a protective dose of IL-1 (800 ng) was simulated by administration of synthetic human adrenocorticotropic hormone 1-24 (ACTH) in normal and neutropenic mice. Although corticosterone levels induced by pretreatment with IL-1 or ACTH were virtually identical, the ACTH-induced corticosterone peak was not associated with protection against Klebsiella pneumoniae infection in normal mice and Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection in neutropenic mice. This indicates that the protective effect of IL-1 pretreatment against gram-negative bacterial infection is not mediated by elevated levels of glucocorticosteroids. In addition, we found that plasma corticosterone concentrations during K. pneumoniae infection were significantly lower after pretreatment with IL-1 than after pretreatment with ACTH or vehicle, probably reflecting the better physical condition of IL-1-treated mice."}
{"id": "PMID:1482146", "title": "Pharmacokinetics of SCH-39304 in human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients following chronic oral dosing.", "content": "The pharmacokinetics of SCH-39304, an investigational, orally active, broad-spectrum antifungal agent, were evaluated in 17 adult, human immunodeficiency virus-positive males. Patients were studied on days 1 and 16 and were divided into the following three treatment groups: (i) patients with culture-proven oropharyngeal candidiasis who were not receiving concurrent zidovudine therapy and who were treated with 50 mg of SCH-39304 daily (n = 6); (ii) patients with culture-proven oropharyngeal candidiasis who were receiving concurrent zidovudine therapy and who were treated with 50 mg of SCH-39304 daily (n = 5); and (iii) patients with or without oropharyngeal candidiasis who were receiving concurrent zidovudine therapy and who were treated with 200 mg of SCH-39304 daily (n = 6). All patients received a single daily dose of the study medication for 16 days. Plasma samples for SCH-39304 concentration measurement were collected for 6 h following the initial dose and for 504 h following the day 16 dose. Urine was collected for 24 h following SCH-39304 administration on days 1 and 16. All samples were assayed for SCH-39304 by gas chromatography. Wide intersubject variations in SCH-39304 plasma concentration-versus-time profiles were observed on each study day. Absorption appeared to be slow, with mean day 1 peak plasma SCH-39304 concentrations of 1.2 micrograms/ml at 2.1 h (50 mg) and 3.9 micrograms/ml at 4.0 h (200 mg) after drug administration. Mean peak plasma SCH-39304 concentrations on day 16 were 7.6 micrograms/ml at 4.3 h (50 mg) and 17.2 micrograms/ml at 3.2 h (200 mg) after drug administration. Mean elimination half-lives on day 16 for the 50- and 200-mg daily dosages were 100 and 89 h, respectively. SCH-39304 was cleared primarily unchanged in the urine. Mean areas under the plasma concentration-versus-time curve (from 0 to 24 h) on day 16 reflect a lower than expected increase with the 200-mg/day regimen (314.5 microgram.h/ml) compared with that for the 50-mg/day regimen (139.9 microgram.h/ml), suggesting the potential for reduced bioavailability at higher dosages. No significant effect of concurrent zidovudine therapy on the kinetics of SCH-39304 was observed."}
{"id": "PMID:1482147", "title": "Pharmacokinetics of meropenem (ICI 194,660) and its metabolite (ICI 213,689) in healthy subjects and in patients with renal impairment.", "content": "The pharmacokinetics of meropenem (ICI 194,660) and its open-ring metabolite (ICI 213,689) were studied in 6 healthy volunteers and 16 patients with moderate to severe renal impairment after a single intravenous dose of 500 mg given as a 30-min infusion. Concentrations of unchanged meropenem in plasma and urine were measured by both microbiological and high-pressure liquid chromatographic (HPLC) assays. A good correlation was found between the two techniques. Pharmacokinetic parameters of unchanged meropenem were determined by using the HPLC data. The terminal half-life of unchanged meropenem increased in relation to the degree of renal impairment, being 1.2 h in subjects with normal renal function and 10 h in patients with end-stage renal failure. Total body clearance and renal clearance of unchanged meropenem are linearly related to creatinine clearance. The concentrations of the metabolite in plasma, which are very low in healthy subjects, significantly increased in uremic patients. The apparent half-life of ICI 213,689 increased in uremic patients and was about 35 h in patients with severe renal insufficiency. Meropenem and its metabolite are effectively removed by hemodialysis. The dialysis clearance of the unchanged drug was 81 +/- 22 ml/min. Dosage adjustments of meropenem will be necessary in patients with severe renal impairment."}
{"id": "PMID:1482148", "title": "In vitro antibiotic susceptibility of the newly recognized agent of ehrlichiosis in humans, Ehrlichia chaffeensis.", "content": "Ehrlichiosis in humans, a rickettsial disease recently discovered in the United States, is generally treated successfully with tetracyclines; however treatment with these agents is usually avoided with children and pregnant women. The in vitro susceptibility of Ehrlichia chaffeensis, the agent of human ehrlichiosis in the United States, was assessed by a quantitative evaluation of infected DH82 cells cultivated in 96-well microtiter plates in the presence of different concentrations of selected antibiotics. Extracellular MICs and MBCs were evaluated after 72 h of exposure to the antibiotics. Doxycycline and rifampin were found to exert rapidly bactericidal effects, with MBCs in the extracellular culture medium of less than 0.5 and 0.125 microgram/ml, respectively. E. chaffeensis was resistant to chloramphenicol, ciprofloxacin, erythromycin, co-trimoxazole, penicillin, and gentamicin, which had MICs greater than 16, 4, 8, 4, 40, and 32 micrograms/ml, respectively. These observations are consistent with the finding that human ehrlichiosis appears to respond to tetracycline therapy, which has been the therapy of first choice. Further clinical investigations are necessary to evaluate the role of rifampin in the treatment of human ehrlichiosis, especially in children."}
{"id": "PMID:1482149", "title": "Pharmacokinetics and tissue penetration of a single dose of ceftriaxone (1,000 milligrams intravenously) for antibiotic prophylaxis in thoracic surgery.", "content": "The pharmacokinetics and tissue penetration of ceftriaxone after a single intravenous injection of 1,000 mg to 17 patients for antibiotic prophylaxis in thoracic surgery were studied. The patients were scheduled for elective noncardiac thoracic surgery. Adequate levels in serum (higher than or equal to the MIC for 90% of isolates of Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus spp., Escherichia coli, Haemophilus influenzae, and Klebsiella pneumoniae) were found for all patients throughout the surgical procedures. Mean maximal (5-min) and final (24-h) ceftriaxone levels in serum were 157 +/- 42 and 8.6 +/- 4.5 mg/liter, respectively. The beta-phase elimination half-life was 8.6 +/- 3 h, the plasma clearance was 18.4 +/- 6.25 ml/min, and the apparent volume of distribution at steady state was 0.21 +/- 0.07 liters/kg. At the time of the thoracotomy, the ceftriaxone concentrations were 13.5 +/- 7.8 micrograms/g in thoracic wall fat and 27 +/- 9 micrograms/g in lung tissue. At the time of closure, the ceftriaxone concentration was 15 +/- 9 micrograms/g in thoracic wall fat. During the different steps of the surgical procedures, 100% of patients had adequate levels in tissue (higher than or equal to the MIC for 90% of isolates of Streptococcus spp., E. coli, H. influenzae, and K. pneumoniae). For S. aureus, 90 to 100% of patients had adequate tissue ceftriaxone levels."}
{"id": "PMID:1482150", "title": "Efficacies of liposome-encapsulated streptomycin and ciprofloxacin against Mycobacterium avium-M. intracellulare complex infections in human peripheral blood monocyte/macrophages.", "content": "Current treatments of disseminated infection caused by the Mycobacterium avium-M. intracellulare complex (MAC) are generally ineffective. Liposome-mediated delivery of antibiotics to MAC-infected tissues in vivo can enhance the efficacy of the drugs (N. D\u00fczg\u00fcne\u015f, V. K. Perumal, L. Kesavalu, J. A. Goldstein, R. J. Debs, and P. R. J. Gangadharam, Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 32:1404-1411, 1988; N. D\u00fczg\u00fcne\u015f, D. A. Ashtekar, D. L. Flasher, N. Ghori, R. J. Debs, D. S. Friend, and P. R. J. Gangadharam, J. Infect. Dis. 164:143-151, 1991). We investigated the therapeutic efficacies of liposome-encapsulated streptomycin and ciprofloxacin against growth of the MAC inside human peripheral blood monocyte/macrophages. Treatment was initiated 24 h after infection of macrophages with the MAC and stopped after 20 h, and the cells were incubated for another 7 days. The antimycobacterial activity of streptomycin was enhanced when the drug was delivered to macrophages in liposome-encapsulated form, reducing the CFU about threefold more than the free drug did throughout the concentration range studied (10 to 50 micrograms/ml). With 50 micrograms of encapsulated streptomycin per ml, the CFU were reduced to 11% of the initial level of infection. Liposome-encapsulated ciprofloxacin was at least 50 times more effective against the intracellular bacteria than was the free drug: at a concentration of 0.1 microgram/ml, liposome-encapsulated ciprofloxacin had greater antimycobacterial activity than the free drug at 5 microgram/ml. With liposome-encapsulated ciprofloxacin at 5 micrograms/ml, the CFU were reduced by more than 1,000-fold at the end of the 7-day incubation period, compared with untreated controls. These results suggest that liposome-encapsulated ciprofloxacin or other fluoroquinolones may be effective against MAC infections in vivo."}
{"id": "PMID:1482151", "title": "Comparison of two antibiotic regimens (piperacillin plus amikacin versus ceftazidime plus amikacin) as empiric therapy for febrile neutropenic patients with cancer.", "content": "A total of 170 febrile episodes in neutropenic patients with cancer were randomly assigned to be treated with piperacillin-amikacin or ceftazidime-amikacin. The overall response rates were similar in both groups (68 and 65%, respectively). Response rates for clinically or microbiologically documented episodes were 54.5% for piperacillin-amikacin and 58.8% for ceftazidime-amikacin. Response rates for gram-negative bacillary infections were 65 and 73%, respectively. There was also no difference for gram-positive infections (31 and 50%, respectively). The toxicities were also comparable and consisted of skin rashes, hypokalemia, and diarrhea. Vancomycin was added if the fever persisted 72 h after the beginning of therapy; it increased the response rates to 94% when used with piperacillin-amikacin and 92% when used with ceftazidime plus amikacin. Our results suggest that the combinations show similar global efficacies in the treatment of febrile episodes in cancer patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1482152", "title": "Optimal dosing of trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole when used with loperamide to treat traveler's diarrhea.", "content": "To explore the optimal dosing regimen for trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX) when used in combination with loperamide to treat traveler's diarrhea, 190 U.S. adults with acute diarrhea were enrolled in a double-blind, randomized trial in Guadalajara, Mexico. All patients received loperamide (4-mg loading dose; 2 mg after each loose stool, not to exceed 16 mg/day for 3 days) and were randomized to receive a 3-day course of TMP-SMX (160:800 mg twice daily for six doses) (group A), a single large dose of TMP-SMX (320:1,600 mg) (group B), or a large loading dose (320:1,600 mg) followed by standard doses for 3 days (160:800 mg twice daily for five doses) (group C). Patients in group C responded best (P < 0.01), with 75% of subjects recovered from diarrhea in 12 h compared with 34 h (group A) and 33 h (group B). Similar differences in favor of group C were noted in the subset of patients who presented with moderate to severe diarrhea. On average, patients in group C took significantly (P < 0.05) less loperamide (1.2 mg) after the 4-mg loading dose compared with patients in group A (2.4 mg) or group B (2.0 mg). We conclude that the most efficacious treatment of traveler's diarrhea in the interior of Mexico is to take loperamide in usual doses to control symptoms in combination with a single large dose of TMP-SMX, which should then be continued for 3 days in standard doses."}
{"id": "PMID:1482153", "title": "Antibacterial properties of Ro 40-6890, a broad-spectrum cephalosporin, and its novel orally absorbable ester, Ro 41-3399.", "content": "Ro 41-3399 is a novel orally active ester of Ro 40-6890, an aminothiazolyl cephalosporin with potent in vitro activities against commonly encountered aerobic gram-positive bacteria (streptococci and methicillin-susceptible staphylococci) and gram-negative bacteria (members of the family Enterobacteriaceae, haemophili, meningococci, and gonococci). In terms of the MICs determined by the methods recommended by the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards, for 50 and 90% of gram-positive organisms, the water-soluble free carboxylic acid Ro 40-6890 proved to be at least as active as or two- to fourfold more active than cefpodoxime, cefuroxime, cefaclor, amoxicillin, amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, and ceftriaxone; against aerobic gram-negative organisms, Ro 40-6890 was usually two- to fourfold more active than cefpodoxime, the next most potent of the oral drugs under comparison, but remained usually two- to fourfold weaker than ceftriaxone. Ro 40-6890 showed a high affinity for the essential penicillin-binding proteins of susceptible bacteria and was resistant to hydrolysis by a broad array of beta-lactamases. Ro 41-3399 bopentil was well absorbed in mice when administered by oral gavage and proved effective in several experimental bacterial infections. Further studies with Ro 41-3399 and Ro 40-6890 are in progress."}
{"id": "PMID:1482154", "title": "In vitro activities of Ro 40-6890 against 164 predominantly intestinal members of the families Enterobacteriaceae and Vibrionaceae.", "content": "The in vitro activities of Ro 40-6890, the active metabolite of a novel orally absorbable cephalosporin ester, Ro 41-3399, against 164 nonfastidious aerobic gram-negative rods of predominantly intestinal origin from patients with diarrhea were evaluated by the agar dilution method recommended by the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards. Ro 40-6890 was inhibitory (MIC for 90% of isolates [MIC90], 0.12 micrograms/ml) against the majority of intestinal members of the families Enterobacteriaceae and Vibrionaceae (Vibrio spp., Aeromonas spp., and Plesiomonas shigelloides). The potency of Ro 40-6890 was very similar to that of cefotaxime (MIC90, 0.12 micrograms/ml) and distinctly higher than those of cefadroxil (MIC90, > or = 128 micrograms/ml) and amoxicillin-clavulanic acid (MIC90, 32 micrograms/ml-2 micrograms/ml)."}
{"id": "PMID:1482155", "title": "Selection of resistant mutants of Mycobacterium avium in beige mice by clarithromycin monotherapy.", "content": "Beige mice were inoculated intravenously with 10(7.90) CFU of Mycobacterium avium 101. Among the untreated control mice, when the mean CFU per spleen increased to a level greater than 10(8), small numbers of organisms resistant to clarithromycin (CLARI) were isolated from some of the spleens; the frequency of CLARI-resistant mutants was estimated to be between 10(-8) and 10(-9). In mice treated with 200 mg of CLARI per kg of body weight six times weekly, however, CLARI-resistant organisms were isolated from the spleens of all mice examined after treatment for 8 weeks; the mean CFU per spleen and the frequency of resistant mutants were significantly greater than those of control mice and increased further after treatment for 16 weeks. The MICs of CLARI against the resistant organisms isolated from both control and treated mice were > or = 512 micrograms/ml."}
{"id": "PMID:1482156", "title": "Effect of pH on radiometric MICs of clarithromycin against 18 species of mycobacteria.", "content": "The antimycobacterial spectrum of clarithromycin, a new macrolide drug, was screened against 26 strains belonging to 18 species of mycobacteria by determining radiometric MICs by Bactec methodology at three different pHs, i.e., pH 6.0, 6.8, and 7.4. The MICs obtained at pH 7.4 were 1 to 2 or more dilutions lower in some of the species than those obtained at pH 6.8, whereas they were significantly higher at pH 6.0. The numbers of species for which MICs were below the Cmax levels of clarithromycin (i.e., 4 micrograms/ml) at different pHs were 8 of 18 species at pH 6.0, 13 of 18 species at pH 6.8, and 14 of 18 species at pH 7.4. The drug possessed promising activity against such potential pathogens as M. avium, M. scrofulaceum, M. szulgai, M. malmoense, M. xenopi, M. marinum, and M. kansasii and rare pathogens like M. chelonei."}
{"id": "PMID:1482157", "title": "Activity of clarithromycin compared with those of other drugs against Mycobacterium paratuberculosis and further enhancement of its extracellular and intracellular activities by ethambutol.", "content": "Radiometric MICs of clarithromycin, a new macrolide drug, were determined against five mycobactin-dependent strains of Mycobacterium paratuberculosis (including two Crohn's disease clinical isolates) and compared with those of other drugs which included rifampin, ethambutol, amikacin, ofloxacin, ciprofloxacin, and sparfloxacin. Among the drugs screened, clarithromycin was the drug for which MICs were lowest against the five strains tested. As MICs were significantly below the reported Cmax levels (about 4 micrograms/ml), the intracellular activity of clarithromycin against the type strain of M. paratuberculosis maintained in cultured macrophages was screened. Clarithromycin was able to kill the initial inoculum by more than 1 log within 7 days, and this activity was further potentiated by ethambutol. Extracellular drug combination screened by using sublethal concentrations of the drugs showed that ethambutol was able to enhance clarithromycin activity in three out of four M. paratuberculosis strains instead of only one out of four strains (or none in the case of ofloxacin) when associated with other drugs. These results suggest that clarithromycin may be fruitful to treat human disease in which M. paratuberculosis may be etiologically involved."}
{"id": "PMID:1482158", "title": "Antimicrobial susceptibilities of Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli isolated in Sweden: a 10-year follow-up report.", "content": "Resistance to erythromycin and doxycycline and more recently to fluoroquinolones has been reported to occur in Campylobacter spp. both in vitro and in patients treated with these antibiotics. The frequency of resistance to 14 antimicrobial agents in Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli isolated from patients infected in Sweden or abroad is described. For some agents, a comparison of susceptibility in strains of Campylobacter spp. isolated in 1978 with those isolated in 1988 is made. No general increase in in vitro resistance to antibiotics commonly used for the treatment of human gastroenteritis caused by C. jejuni or C. coli has occurred during the last 10 years in Sweden, which might be a consequence of strict antibiotic control. The numbers of strains from 1988 to 1989 resistant to ciprofloxacin and to norfloxacin included in this study (0.7 and 1.4%, respectively) are still fewer than those that were resistant to erythromycin (7.3%) or doxycycline (12.4%). There is, however, since 1989 to 1990 an indication of increasing resistance to these antibiotics."}
{"id": "PMID:1482159", "title": "Influence of ceftriaxone on emergence of Clostridium difficile.", "content": "The influence of long-term ceftriaxone administration on the emergence of Clostridium difficile was studied with 80 patients receiving ceftriaxone for 14 days. In five patients (6.3%) C. difficile was cultured. The appearance of gastrointestinal disturbances during treatment with ceftriaxone was common, but the rate of emergence of C. difficile in immunocompetent patients was not high."}
{"id": "PMID:1482160", "title": "Synergistic activity of clarithromycin and minocycline in an animal model of acute experimental toxoplasmosis.", "content": "The efficacy of clarithromycin in a murine model of acute toxoplasmosis was studied. Clarithromycin was administered alone and concurrently with minocycline, and efficacy was assessed by survival rates and sequential determination of parasite burden in blood, brains, and lungs. Limited protection resulted from administration of each drug alone, whereas a remarkable synergistic effect followed concurrent administration. Survival of mice treated with 200 mg of clarithromycin plus 20 mg of minocycline per kg of body weight daily was 95%; that of mice treated with 50 mg of clarithromycin plus 50 mg of minocycline per kg daily was 93%. The parasite burden in the blood and organ tissues of these mice was markedly reduced compared with that in mice treated with a single agent. In mice treated with 200 mg of clarithromycin plus 50 mg of minocycline per kg per day, survival was 100% during the 30-day experiment; no parasites were found in blood and tissues."}
{"id": "PMID:1482161", "title": "Taste and food preference changes across the course of pregnancy.", "content": "The present study investigates taste and specific food consumption changes across the course of pregnancy. These variables could potentially play a role in excess pregnancy-associated weight gains. Pregnant and postpartum women were asked to consume a series of everyday foods in the laboratory. Consumption and taste perception of each food were measured. In contrast to the self-report literature on cravings and aversions during pregnancy, which emphasizes changes in the first trimester, this study found that women in the second trimester consumed significantly more sweet food, but not salty or non-sweet/non-salty food, as compared with women at any other point in pregnancy. Subjects were restrained eaters, and so possibly refrained from daily consumption of excess sweet foods. This study suggests that psychological variables may interact with behavioral and physiological variables to control food preferences and eating in pregnancy."}
{"id": "PMID:1482162", "title": "Effects of eating an uncooked vegetable diet for 1 week.", "content": "Biochemical and metabolic indicators were monitored in a group of volunteers suffering from a variety of chronic illnesses participating in a week's course on a special uncooked vegetable diet, known as \"living food\". Unmatched healthy controls ate the same diet cooked for 2 min in a microwave oven. After 1 week on the regimen, serum protein and urea contents decreased and alanine aminotransferase (ALAT) activity increased in both groups, although all within the normal range. Blood glucose increased in both groups to slightly above normal limits but total serum cholesterol dropped about 1 mmol/l from normal starting levels. Serum tocopherol and retinol increased only in the group eating the uncooked diet. In both groups urinary sodium dropped drastically without a significant change in potassium. Serum and urinary phenol and p-cresol diminished also significantly. It is concluded that this vegetable diet may be of some benefit in the short term but any longer-term use requires evaluation."}
{"id": "PMID:1482163", "title": "Economic analysis of the effects of caloric alternatives and reinforcer magnitude on \"demand\" for food in baboons.", "content": "In a study examining \"demand\" for food, the responses of six adult male baboons (Papio c. anubis) were maintained under a fixed ratio schedule of food reinforcement during daily 22-h experimental sessions. Completion of the ratio requirement resulted in the delivery of a single 1-g food pellet. Caloric intake was studied under four food-access conditions: a single source of 1-g food pellets, two sources of pellets with different response costs, one source of pellets and one source of dextrose solutions with different response costs, or a single source of multiple pellets. Total daily caloric intake under minimal response-cost conditions did not vary across these four conditions. Increasing the response requirement for a single pellet decreased daily food intake. Compared to this single-pellet condition, increasing the response requirement: (a) decreased intake of multiple pellets to a much smaller extent; (b) decreased pellet intake to a larger extent when dextrose was available on an alternate lever and (c) decreased pellet intake to the greatest extent when pellets were available on an alternate lever. Changes in pellet intake were fitted to a theoretical equation derived by Hursh et al. (1988) to describe changes in demand for a commodity. Increasing the number of pellets per delivery decreased the rate of change in intake as cost increased, indicating decreased elasticity. Dextrose availability increased the rate of change in intake as cost increased, indicating increased elasticity. Availability of an identical food source increased the initial slope of intake without effecting the rate of change, thus also increasing elasticity. Mathematical analysis of demand curves provide a means of comparing the effects of diverse environmental manipulations on feeding behavior."}
{"id": "PMID:1482164", "title": "Underreporting of food intake in obese \"small eaters\".", "content": "Thirty sedentary and stable weight obese women were classified as small, normal or large eaters depending on their report of 24 h energy intake (EI) through a dietary history questionnaire. For each subject, resting metabolic rate (RMR) was assessed through indirect calorimetry, physical activity through a self-administered questionnaire and psychological evaluation through psychometric tests. Neither RMR nor indices of physical activity were different between the three groups; however for small eaters, RMR was higher than reported EI (p < 0.001). Thus, the low EI reported by obese small eaters reflected an underreporting of food intake. Psychometric evaluation was not different between normal and large eaters. Small eaters exhibited a better perception of food size than normal or large eaters, and no difference in tests assessing memory or attention; their score (2.8 +/- 1.3) in a nutritional dissimulation test was higher (p = 0.015) than that of normal (1.0 +/- 0.7) or large eaters (1.5 +/- 0.09). This suggests that underreporting in obese small eaters might be due to specific nutritional concealment; because small eaters reported a low intake particularly in foods which are often perceived as unhealthy (fats, sugars, extra-prandial consumption), they probably reported what, in their opinion, they should have eaten, instead of what they did eat."}
{"id": "PMID:1482165", "title": "Consumer liking for sausages affected by sensory quality and information on fat content.", "content": "The sensory quality of sausages containing 12 and 20% fat (the usual level) was assessed by descriptive profiling in a trained sensory panel. The effects of information on fat level and sensory differences on liking or dislike by consumers were assessed in 347 eaters of sausages recruited in food stores. The knowledge of a 40% reduction in fat content did not affect the hedonic responses to sausages with different sensory quality, whereas the sensory differences had major effects on liking scores. Fat-reduced sausages were liked as much as standard sausages when their texture and saltiness were similar to the more familiar quality. When sensory quality was similar, false information that the fat content of the 20%-fat sausages was 12% increased the liking for them although correct information on fat content of the sensorily similar 12%-fat sausages decreased liking. Thus, to avoid reducing the acceptability of reduced-fat sausages, it seems necessary to have a profile similar to the sausages containing usual levels of fat."}
{"id": "PMID:1482166", "title": "Effects of intraruminal infusions of sodium acetate and sodium chloride on silage intake by lactating cows.", "content": "Lactating dairy cows prepared with rumen fistulas were fed on grass silage and concentrates and used in two experiments to compare the effects of sodium acetate and sodium chloride infused over 3 h into the rumen on the voluntary intake of silage. Silage intake was depressed in an approximately linear manner by increasing amounts (6-15 mol) of sodium acetate (NaOAc) and 15 mol NaCl had an effect similar to that of 12 mol NaOAc. Sodium in rumen fluid was significantly correlated with intake as was osmolality. 5.5, 7.4 or 9.1 mol of NaOAc significantly depressed silage intake, while 7.4 and 9.1 mol NaCl had significant effects. There were significant negative relationships between intake and the level of NaOAc or NaCl. It is concluded that the major effect of either salt was via the elevation of osmolality of rumen fluid and the relevance to normal control of feeding is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1482171", "title": "Discrimination of Listeria monocytogenes from other Listeria species by ligase chain reaction.", "content": "A ligase chain reaction assay based on a single-base-pair difference in the V9 region of the 16S rRNA gene (16S rDNA) was developed to distinguish between Listeria monocytogenes and other Listeria species. For this purpose, two pairs of primers were designed, with one primer of each pair being radioactively labeled. The ligated product was separated from the primers by denaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and then detected by autoradiography. To achieve a higher sensitivity, the 16S rDNA was initially amplified by polymerase chain reaction prior to the ligase chain reaction. The ligase chain reaction was tested on 19 different Listeria species and strains and proved to be a highly specific diagnostic method for the detection of L. monocytogenes."}
{"id": "PMID:1482172", "title": "Cloning, characterization, and nucleotide sequence of a gene encoding Microbispora bispora BglB, a thermostable beta-glucosidase expressed in Escherichia coli.", "content": "Genomic DNA fragments encoding beta-glucosidase activities of the thermophilic actinomycete Microbispora bispora were cloned into Escherichia coli. Transformants expressing beta-glucosidase activity were selected by their ability to hydrolyze the fluorogenic substrate 4-methylumbelliferyl-beta-D-glucoside. Two genes encoding beta-glucosidase activity were isolated and distinguished by restriction analysis, Southern hybridization, and the substrate specificities of the encoded enzymes. One gene, bglB, encoded a beta-glucosidase that was expressed intracellularly in E. coli. It exhibited a molecular mass of approximately 52,000 Da by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) and 51,280 Da by nondenaturing gradient PAGE, a pI of 4.6, and temperature and pH optima of 60 degrees C and 6.2, respectively. Cloned BglB showed greater activity against cellobiose than against aryl-beta-D-glucosides and was thermostable, retaining about 70% of its activity after 48 h at 60 degrees C. BglB activity is activated two- to threefold in the presence of 2 to 5% (0.1 to 0.3 M) glucose. The DNA sequence of the 2.2-kb insert carrying bglB has been determined. An open reading frame which codes for a protein of 473 amino acids with a predicted molecular mass of 52,227 Da showed significant homology (40 to 47% identity) with beta-glucosidases from glycosal hydrolase family 1."}
{"id": "PMID:1482173", "title": "Predicting the growth of Salmonella typhimurium on beef by using the temperature function integration technique.", "content": "Lag and generation times for the growth of Salmonella typhimurium on sterile lean beef were modeled as functions of cooling time under various carcass-chilling scenarios. Gompertz growth models were fit to the log10 colony counts over time at each of six temperatures in the range of 15 to 40 degrees C. Lag and generation times were defined as the points at which the second and first derivatives, respectively, of each growth curve attained a maximum. Generation time and lag time parameters were modeled as functions of temperature by use of exponential-decay models. The models were applied to typical beef carcass-cooling scenarios to predict the potential growth of S. typhimurium during the cooling of beef. Validation studies indicated no significant difference between the observed and predicted bacterial populations on inoculated lean and fatty beef tissues cooled at either 6 or 9 degrees C/h."}
{"id": "PMID:1482174", "title": "Viability of Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts: correlation of in vitro excystation with inclusion or exclusion of fluorogenic vital dyes.", "content": "A viability assay for oocysts of Cryptosporidium parvum based on the inclusion or exclusion of two fluorogenic vital dyes, 4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) and propidium iodide, was developed by using several different isolates of oocysts. Correlation of this assay with viability measured by in vitro excystation was highly statistically significant, with a calculated correlation coefficient of 0.997. In this research, two similar excystation protocols were utilized, and no significant difference between excystation protocols was detected. Percent excystation of oocyst suspensions could be increased or reduced by inclusion of a preincubation treatment in either excystation protocol, and this alteration was also demonstrated in the viability assay. Oocysts which excluded both dyes would not excyst in vitro unless a further trigger was provided and were more resistant to acid or alkali treatment. The results of this research provide a reproducible, user-friendly assay which is applicable to individual oocysts and also provides a useful adjunct for identification of oocysts in water and environmental samples."}
{"id": "PMID:1482175", "title": "Survival of Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts under various environmental pressures.", "content": "The survival of various isolates of Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts under a range of environmental pressures including freezing, desiccation, and water treatment processes and in physical environments commonly associated with oocysts such as feces and various water types was monitored. Oocyst viability was assessed by in vitro excystation and by a viability assay based on the exclusion or inclusion of two fluorogenic vital dyes. Although desiccation was found to be lethal, a small proportion of oocysts were able to withstand exposure to temperatures as low as -22 degrees C. The water treatment processes investigated did not affect the survival of oocysts when pH was corrected. However, contact with lime, ferric sulfate, or alum had a significant impact on oocyst survival if the pH was not corrected. Oocysts demonstrated longevity in all water types investigated, including seawater, and when in contact with feces were considered to develop an enhanced impermeability to small molecules which might increase the robustness of the oocysts when exposed to environmental pressures."}
{"id": "PMID:1482176", "title": "Production of bacteriocin inhibitory to Listeria species by Enterococcus hirae.", "content": "A bovine intestinal bacterial isolate, identified as Enterococcus hirae, was found to produce a bacteriocin (designated hiraecin S) inhibitory to Listeria monocytogenes and other Listeria spp. Identification to species level was determined by comprehensive biochemical and morphological tests which were verified by DNA-DNA homology assays. The antimicrobial agent was inactivated by pronase and papain and was insensitive to catalase. The antimicrobial activity was not due to hydrogen peroxide or acid formation, nor was lysozyme or muramidase activity observed in cell-free bacteriocin preparations. Inhibition of selected gram-negative bacteria was not observed. Other enterococci were sensitive to the bacteriocin, and except for Listeria spp., no other gram-positive bacteria tested were inhibited."}
{"id": "PMID:1482177", "title": "Efficacy of activated sludge in removing Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts from sewage.", "content": "Primary clarifier effluent (procedure B) and final effluent (procedure A) from a wastewater treatment plant were enriched with Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts obtained from the feces of naturally infected calves. Procedure B samples alone were subjected to a laboratory simulation of activated-sludge treatment. Coccidium-free neonatal CD-1 mice were then inoculated intragastrically with procedure A or procedure B samples. Seven days after inoculation, the intensity of oocyst infection in procedure B mice was 91% less than in procedure A mice (controls)."}
{"id": "PMID:1482178", "title": "Sensitive and species-specific detection of Erwinia amylovora by polymerase chain reaction analysis.", "content": "Detection and identification of the fire blight pathogen, Erwinia amylovora, can be accurately done by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis in less than 6 h. Two oligomers derived from a 29-kb plasmid which is common to all strains of E. amylovora were used to amplify a 0.9-kb fragment of the plasmid. By separation of the PCR products on agarose gel, this fragment wa specifically detected when E. amylovora DNA was present in the amplification assay. It was not found when DNA from other plant-pathogenic bacteria was used for the assay. A visible band specific to the 0.9-kb fragment was produced with DNA from fewer than 100 E. amylovora cells. A signal of similar strength was also obtained from E. amylovora cell lysates in the presence of the mild detergent Tween 20. Signals were weaker when bacteria were added to the PCR mixture without the detergent. As with results obtained from hybridization experiments using pEA29 DNA< the PCR signal was obtained with E. amylovora isolates from various geographic regions. This technique could also be used for detection of the fire blight pathogen in extracts of tissue obtained from infected plant material."}
{"id": "PMID:1482179", "title": "Application of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry for rapid detection of Mycobacterium xenopi in drinking water.", "content": "Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was used to detect 2-docosanol, a secondary alcohol characteristic of Mycobacterium xenopi, in 7 of 10 analyzed drinking water samples culture positive for that species. GC-MS was also used to detect tuberculostearic acid. Both of these chemical markers were analyzed as halogenated derivatives in the negative-ion-chemical-ionization mode. The numbers of CFU of M. xenopi were lowest in the three GC-MS-negative samples. The described GC-MS method is useful for the rapid detection of M. xenopi in drinking water."}
{"id": "PMID:1482180", "title": "The anaerobic degradation of 3-chloro-4-hydroxybenzoate in freshwater sediment proceeds via either chlorophenol or hydroxybenzoate to phenol and subsequently to benzoate.", "content": "To study the anaerobic degradation of the chimera 3-chloro-4-hydroxybenzoate (3-Cl,4-OHB), anaerobic freshwater sediment samples from the vicinity of Athens, Ga., were adapted for the transformation of 4-hydroxybenzoate (4-OHB), 3-chlorobenzoate (3-CB), 2-chlorophenol (2-CP), and 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP). In nonadapted samples, both 4-OHB (product of aryl dechlorination) and 2-CP (product of aryl decarboxylation) were observed as intermediates in the transformation of 3-Cl,4-OHB to phenol. The accumulated phenol was subsequently transformed to benzoate, an intermediate in the conversion to methane and CO2. In 4-OHB-adapted samples (i.e., samples adapted for aryl decarboxylation), 2-CP was the first intermediate which was subsequently dechlorinated to phenol. In 3-CB-adapted samples (i.e., samples adapted for meta-chlorobenzoate dehalogenation), 3-Cl,4-OHB was stoichiometrically dechlorinated to 4-OHB. In 2-CP-adapted samples (i.e., samples adapted for ortho-chlorophenol dehalogenation), 4-OHB was the first major intermediate. Furthermore, 3-CB was not dechlorinated in 2-CP-adapted sediment samples, suggesting the possibility that different 3-Cl,4-OHB dechlorinating systems were induced in the 2-CP- and 3-CB-adapted sediments. Adaptation of sediment samples for dechlorination of 2,4-DCP did not lead to adaptation for dechlorination of 3-Cl,4-OHB. However, 3-Cl,4-OHB was dechlorinated to 4-OHB in our stable, sediment-free 2,4-DCP-dechlorinating enrichment, isolated previously from the same environment.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1482181", "title": "Properties of a genetically reconstructed Prevotella ruminicola endoglucanase.", "content": "A pUC19-derived plasmid was constructed that coded for a hybrid cellulase with the Thermomonospora fusca E2 cellulose-binding domain at its C terminus joined to the Prevotella ruminicola 40.5-kDa carboxymethyl cellulase (CMCase). The hybrid enzyme was purified and characterized enzymatically. It bound tightly to cellulose, and its specific activities on carboxymethyl cellulose, amorphous cellulose, and ball-milled cellulose were 1.5, 10, and 8 times that of the 40.5-kDa CMCase, respectively. Furthermore, the modified enzyme gave synergism with an exocellulase in the degradation of filter paper, while the 40.5-kDa CMCase did not."}
{"id": "PMID:1482182", "title": "Mineralization of sulfonated azo dyes and sulfanilic acid by Phanerochaete chrysosporium and Streptomyces chromofuscus.", "content": "Five 14C-radiolabeled azo dyes and sulfanilic acid were synthesized and used to examine the relationship between dye substitution patterns and biodegradability (mineralization to CO2) by a white-rot fungus and an actinomycete. 4-Amino-[U-14C]benzenesulfonic acid and 4-(3-sulfo-4-aminophenylazo)-[U-14C]benzenesulfonic acid were used as representative compounds having sulfo groups or both sulfo and azo groups. Such compounds are not known to be present in the biosphere as natural products. The introduction of lignin-like fragments into the molecules of 4-amino-[U-14C]benzenesulfonic acid and 4-(3-sulfo-4-aminophenylazo)-[U-14C]benzenesulfonic acid by coupling reactions with guaiacol (2-methoxyphenol) resulted in the formation of the dyes 4-(3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylazo)-[U-14C]benzenesulfonic acid and 4-(2-sulfo-3'-methoxy-4'-hydroxy-azobenzene-4-azo)-[U-14C]benzenesulf oni c acid, respectively. The synthesis of acid azo dyes 4-(2-hydroxy-1-naphthylazo)-[U-14C]benzenesulfonic acid and 4-(4-hydroxy-1-naphthylazo)-[U-14C]benzenesulfonic acid also allowed the abilities of these microorganisms to mineralize these commercially important compounds to be evaluated. Phanerochaete chrysosporium mineralized all of the sulfonated azo dyes, and the substitution pattern did not significantly influence the susceptibility of the dyes to degradation. In contrast, Streptomyces chromofuscus was unable to mineralize aromatics with sulfo groups and both sulfo and azo groups. However, it mediated the mineralization of modified dyes containing lignin-like substitution patterns. This work showed that lignocellulolytic fungi and bacteria can be used for the biodegradation of anionic azo dyes, which thus far have been considered among the xenobiotic compounds most resistant to biodegradation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1482183", "title": "Influence of aromatic substitution patterns on azo dye degradability by Streptomyces spp. and Phanerochaete chrysosporium.", "content": "Twenty-two azo dyes were used to study the influence of substituents on azo dye biodegradability and to explore the possibility of enhancing the biodegradabilities of azo dyes without affecting their properties as dyes by changing their chemical structures. Streptomyces spp. and Phanerochaete chrysosporium were used in the study. None of the actinomycetes (Streptomyces rochei A10, Streptomyces chromofuscus A11, Streptomyces diastaticus A12, S. diastaticus A13, and S. rochei A14) degraded the commercially available Acid Yellow 9. Decolorization of monosulfonated mono azo dye derivatives of azobenzene by the Streptomyces spp. was observed with five azo dyes having the common structural pattern of a hydroxy group in the para position relative to the azo linkage and at least one methoxy and/or one alkyl group in an ortho position relative to the hydroxy group. The fungus P. chrysosporium attacked Acid Yellow 9 to some extent and extensively decolorized several azo dyes. A different pattern was seen for three mono azo dye derivatives of naphthol. Streptomyces spp. decolorized Orange I but not Acid Orange 12 or Orange II. P. chrysosporium, though able to transform these three azo dyes, decolorized Acid Orange 12 and Orange II more effectively than Orange I. A correlation was observed between the rate of decolorization of dyes by Streptomyces spp. and the rate of oxidative decolorization of dyes by a commercial preparation of horseradish peroxidase type II, extracellular peroxidase preparations of S. chromofuscus A11, or Mn(II) peroxidase from P. chrysosporium. Ligninase of P. chrysosporium showed a dye specificity different from that of the other oxidative enzymes.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1482184", "title": "Hydrogen as an electron donor for dechlorination of tetrachloroethene by an anaerobic mixed culture.", "content": "Hydrogen served as an electron donor in the reductive dechlorination of tetrachloroethene to vinyl chloride and ethene over periods of 14 to 40 days in anaerobic enrichment cultures; however, sustained dechlorination for more extended periods required the addition of filtered supernatant from a methanol-fed culture. This result suggests a nutritional dependency of hydrogen-utilizing dechlorinators on the metabolic products of other organisms in the more diverse, methanol-fed system. Vancomycin, an inhibitor of cell wall synthesis in eubacteria, was found to inhibit acetogenesis when added at 100 mg/liter to both methanol-fed and hydrogen-fed cultures. The effect of vancomycin on dechlorination was more complex. Methanol could not sustain dechlorination when vancomycin inhibited acetogenesis, while hydrogen could. These results are consistent with a model in which hydrogen is the electron donor directly used for dechlorination by organisms resistant to vancomycin and with the hypothesis that the role of acetogens in methanol-fed cultures is to metabolize a portion of the methanol to hydrogen. Methanol and other substrates shown to support dechlorination in pure and mixed cultures may merely serve as precursors for the formation of an intermediate hydrogen pool. This hypothesis suggests that, for bioremediation of high levels of tetrachloroethene, electron donors that cause the production of a large hydrogen pool should be selected or methods that directly use H2 should be devised."}
{"id": "PMID:1482185", "title": "Adaptation of model genetically engineered microorganisms to lake water: growth rate enhancements and plasmid loss.", "content": "When a genetically engineered microorganism (GEM) is released into a natural ecosystem, its survival, and hence its potential environmental impact, depends on its genetic stability and potential for growth under highly oligotrophic conditions. In this study, we compared plasmid stability and potential for growth on low concentrations of organic nutrients of strains of Pseudomonas putida serving as model GEMs. Plasmid-free and plasmid-bearing (NAH7) prototrophic isogenic strains and two amino-acid auxotrophs, all containing antibiotic resistance markers, were held physically separate from but in chemical contact with lake water containing the natural bacterium-sized microbial populations. Cells were reisolated at intervals over a 2-month period to determine the percent retaining the plasmid and the specific growth rate on various media. Plasmid stability in lake water was strongly strain specific; the NAH7 plasmid was stably maintained by the prototrophic strain for the duration of the test but was lost within 24 h by both of the auxotrophs. Specific growth rates of reisolates, compared with those of the corresponding non-lake water-exposed strains (i.e., parental strains), were not different when measured in rich medium (Luria-Bertani broth). However, specific growth rates were 42, 55, and 63% higher in reisolates of auxotrophs and the plasmid-free prototroph, respectively, when measured in 10-fold-diluted medium after exposure of 15 days or longer to lake water. Moreover, lake water-exposed strains grew actively when reintroduced into sterile lake water (28- to 33-fold increase in numbers over 7 days), while the corresponding unadapted parental strains exhibited no growth over the same period.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1482186", "title": "Fungal metabolism of acenaphthene by Cunninghamella elegans.", "content": "The filamentous fungus Cunninghamella elegans ATCC 36112 metabolized within 72 h of incubation approximately 64% of the [1,8-14C]acenaphthene added. The radioactive metabolites were extracted with ethyl acetate and separated by thin-layer chromatography and reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. Seven metabolites were identified by 1H nuclear magnetic resonance, UV, and mass spectral techniques as 6-hydroxyacenaphthenone (24.8%), 1,2-acenaphthenedione (19.9%), trans-1,2-dihydroxyacenaphthene (10.3%), 1,5-dihydroxyacenaphthene (2.7%), 1-acenaphthenol (2.4%), 1-acenaphthenone (2.1%), and cis-1,2-dihydroxyacenaphthene (1.8%). Parallel experiments with rat liver microsomes indicated that the major metabolite formed from acenaphthene by rat liver microsomes was 1-acenaphthenone. The fungal metabolism of acenaphthene was similar to bacterial and mammalian metabolism, since the primary site of enzymatic attack was on the two carbons of the five-member ring."}
{"id": "PMID:1482187", "title": "An uncooked vegan diet shifts the profile of human fecal microflora: computerized analysis of direct stool sample gas-liquid chromatography profiles of bacterial cellular fatty acids.", "content": "The effect of an uncooked extreme vegan diet on fecal microflora was studied by direct stool sample gas-liquid chromatography (GLC) of bacterial cellular fatty acids and by quantitative bacterial culture by using classical microbiological techniques of isolation, identification, and enumeration of different bacterial species. Eighteen volunteers were divided randomly into two groups. The test group received an uncooked vegan diet for 1 month and a conventional diet of mixed Western type for the other month of the study. The control group consumed a conventional diet throughout the study period. Stool samples were collected. Bacterial cellular fatty acids were extracted directly from the stool samples and measured by GLC. Computerized analysis of the resulting fatty acid profiles was performed. Such a profile represents all bacterial cellular fatty acids in a sample and thus reflects its microflora and can be used to detect changes, differences, or similarities of bacterial flora between individual samples or sample groups. GLC profiles changed significantly in the test group after the induction and discontinuation of the vegan diet but not in the control group at any time, whereas quantitative bacterial culture did not detect any significant change in fecal bacteriology in either of the groups. The results suggest that an uncooked extreme vegan diet alters the fecal bacterial flora significantly when it is measured by direct stool sample GLC of bacterial fatty acids."}
{"id": "PMID:1482188", "title": "Introduction of a de novo bioremediation ability, aryl reductive dechlorination, into anaerobic granular sludge by inoculation of sludge with Desulfomonile tiedjei.", "content": "Methanogenic upflow anaerobic granular-sludge blanket (UASB) reactors treat wastewaters at a high rate while simultaneously producing a useful product, methane; however, recalcitrant environmental pollutants may not be degraded. To impart 3-chlorobenzoate (3-CB)-dechlorinating ability to UASB reactors, we inoculated granular sludge in UASB reactors with either a pure culture of Desulfomonile tiedjei (a 3-CB-dechlorinating anaerobe) or a three-member consortium consisting of D. tiejei, a benzoate degrader, and an H2-utilizing methanogen. No degradation occurred in an uninoculated control reactor which was started with the same granular sludge, but inoculated reactors and granules from the inoculated UASB systems rapidly transformed 3-CB (54 mumol/day/g of granule biomass). After several months at a hydraulic retention time of 0.5 day, much shorter than the generation time of D. tiedjei, the reactors still dechlorinated 3-CB. This indicated that the bacteria were immobilized in the reactor granules, and by using an antibody probe for D. tiedjei, we demonstrated that this microorganism had colonized the sludge granules. These results represent the first addition of a pure culture or a defined microbial mixture to a viable waste treatment process to introduce a specific de novo degradative pathway into a granular-sludge consortium."}
{"id": "PMID:1482189", "title": "A lactococcal expression system for engineered nisins.", "content": "The nisin-producing Lactococcus lactis strain FI5876 has been modified and developed for use as an expression system for engineered nisin variants. Insertional inactivation of the resident nisA gene had a polar effect on downstream genes, including those involved in nisin immunity. However, subsequent chromosomal rearrangements in this region involving a newly discovered insertion element (IS905) generated a strain that was deficient in the nisA gene product but expressed those nisin determinants necessary for prenisin maturation, secretion, and immunity. Complementation of the lesion in the nisA gene by plasmid-encoded nisA genes containing site-specific mutations resulted in the exclusive production of altered nisins containing specific amino acid substitutions."}
{"id": "PMID:1482190", "title": "Development of monoclonal antibodies that identify Vibrio species commonly isolated from infections of humans, fish, and shellfish.", "content": "Monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) against Vibrio species that infect humans, fish, and shellfish were developed for application in rapid identifications. The pathogens included Vibrio alginolyticus, V. anguillarum, V. carchariae, V. cholerae, V. damsela, V. furnissii, V. harveyi, V. ordalii, V. parahaemolyticus, and V. vulnificus. Three types of MAbs were selected. The first important group included MAbs that reacted with only a single species. A second group comprised a number of MAbs that reacted with two, taxonomically closely related Vibrio species. For example, of 22 MAbs raised against V. alginolyticus, 6 recognized a 52-kDa flagellar H antigen common to both V. alginolyticus and V. parahaemolyticus; V. anguillarum and V. ordalii also shared antigens. A third group included three genus-specific MAbs that reacted with almost all Vibrio species but did not react with other members of the family Vibrionaceae (e.g., members of the Aeromonas, Photobacterium, and Plesiomonas genera) or a wide range of gram-negative bacteria representing many genera. This last group indicated the possible existence of an antigenic determinant common to Vibrio species. Two of these three genus-specific MAbs reacted with heat-stable antigenic determinants of Vibrio species as well as lipopolysaccharide extracted from Vibrio species. The use of the MAbs in blind tests and diagnosis of clinical isolates indicated that three different types of bacteria, viz., live, formalin-fixed, and sodium azide-killed bacteria, were detected consistently. Overall, it was found that the genus-specific MAbs were very useful for rapidly identifying vibrios in the screening of acute infections, while the species-specific MAbs and others were useful for completing the diagnosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1482191", "title": "Flocculence of Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells is induced by nutrient limitation, with cell surface hydrophobicity as a major determinant.", "content": "Initiation of flocculation ability of Saccharomyces cerevisiae MPY1 cells was observed at the moment the cells stop dividing because of nitrogen limitation. A shift in concentration of the limiting nutrient resulted in a corresponding shift in cell division and initiation of flocculence. Other limitations also led to initiation of flocculence, with magnesium limitation as the exception. Magnesium-limited S. cerevisiae cells did not flocculate at any stage of growth. Cell surface hydrophobicity was found to be strongly correlated with the ability of the yeast cells to flocculate. Hydrophobicity sharply increased at the end of the logarithmic growth phase, shortly before initiation of flocculation ability. Treatments of cells which resulted in a decrease in hydrophobicity also yielded a decrease in flocculation ability. Similarly, the presence of polycations increased both hydrophobicity and the ability to flocculate. Magnesium-limited cells were found to be strongly affected in cell surface hydrophobicity. A proteinaceous cell surface factor(s) was identified as a flocculin. This heat-stable component had a strong emulsifying activity, and appears to be involved in both cell surface hydrophobicity and in flocculation ability of the yeast cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1482192", "title": "Biosynthesis of the lantibiotic nisin: genomic organization and membrane localization of the NisB protein.", "content": "Nisin produced by Lactococcus lactis 6F3 is used as a food preservative and is the most important member of a group of peptide-antibiotics containing lanthionine bridges (lantibiotics) (N. Schnell, K.-D. Entian, U. Schneider, F. G\u00f6tz, H. Z\u00e4hner, R. Kellner, and G. Jung, Nature [London] 333:276-278, 1988). Nisin is ribosomally synthesized, and its structural gene, nisA, encodes a prepeptide that is posttranslationally modified, revealing the active lantibiotic (C. Kaletta and K.-D. Entian, J. Bacteriol. 171:1597-1601, 1989). Adjacent to nisA, the additional genes nisB, nisT, and nisC were identified. Over their entire sequences, these genes were homologous to genes recently identified as important for the biosynthesis of lantibiotics, that is, subtilin from Bacillus subtilis ATCC 6633 and epidermin from Staphylococcus epidermidis T\u00fc 3298. Genes nisB, nisT, and nisC corresponded to open reading frames of 993, 600, and 418 amino acid residues, respectively. The nisT open reading frame is homologous to proteins of the HlyB (hemolysin B protein of Escherichia coli) subfamily. Proteins of this subfamily are responsible for the secretion of a variety of compounds, including large polypeptides, polysaccharides, and anti-drug tumors, indicating that NisT may be involved in nisin transport. Northern (RNA) blot analysis revealed a 0.3-kb transcript for the nisA structural gene, and the transcriptional start point of the nisA gene was determined by primer extension. Additionally, a mRNA of at least 3 kb was identified by using a hybridization probe specific to nisB. Antibodies were raised against the NisB protein, and Western blot (immunoblot) analysis revealed a molecular weight of about 115 kDa, which is in accordance with the theoretical protein size of 117.5 kDa as calculated from the nisB open reading frame. Several amphipathic transmembrane alpha-helices indicated that NisB is associated with the membrane. This was confirmed by preparing L. lactis vesicles. The NisB protein was tightly associated with the vesicle fraction and was released by sodium dodecyl sulfate treatment only. These results suggest that NisB is membrane associated and that nisin biosynthesis occurs at the cell membrane."}
{"id": "PMID:1482193", "title": "Isolation of a Pseudomonas solanacearum-specific DNA probe by subtraction hybridization and construction of species-specific oligonucleotide primers for sensitive detection by the polymerase chain reaction.", "content": "A subtraction hybridization technique was employed to make a library enriched for Pseudomonas solanacearum-specific sequences. One cloned fragment, PS2096, hybridized under stringent conditions to DNA of 82 P. solanacearum strains representing all subgroups of the species. Other plant-associated bacteria, including closely related species such as Pseudomonas capacia, Pseudomonas picketti, or Pseudomonas syzygii, did not hybridize to PS2096. A minimum number of between 4 x 10(5) and 4 x 10(6) P. solanacearum cells could routinely be detected with PS2096 labelled either with [32P]dCTP or with digoxigenin-11-dUTP. To improve the sensitivity of detection, PS2096 was sequenced to allow the construction of specific oligonucleotide primers to be used for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification. After 50 cycles of amplification, 5 to 116 cells, depending on the strain, could reproducibly be detected by visualization of a 148-bp PCR product on an agarose gel. A preliminary field trial in Burundi with the probe and PCR primers has confirmed that they are sensitive tools for specifically detecting low-level infections of P. solanacearum in potato tubers."}
{"id": "PMID:1482194", "title": "Use of tRNA consensus primers to indicate subgroups of Pseudomonas solanacearum by polymerase chain reaction amplification.", "content": "Polymerase chain reaction amplification of DNA from 112 Pseudomonas solanacearum strains with the tRNA consensus primers T3A and T5A divided the species into three fingerprint groups. These groups correspond well with previous divisions made by restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis. This polymerase chain reaction test is a facile method for rapidly classifying P. solanacearum strains."}
{"id": "PMID:1482195", "title": "Purification and partial characterization of two feruloyl esterases from the anaerobic fungus Neocallimastix strain MC-2.", "content": "Two extracellular feruloyl esterases (FAE-I and FAE-II) produced by the anaerobic fungus Neocallimastix strain MC-2 which cleave ferulic acid from O-(5-O-[(E)-feruloyl]-alpha-L- arabinofuranosyl)-(1-->3)-O-beta-D-xylopyranosyl-(1-->4)-D-xylopyranose (FAXX) were purified. The molecular masses of FAE-I and FAE-II were 69 and 24 kDa, respectively, under both denaturing and nondenaturing conditions. Apparent Km and maximum rate of hydrolysis with FAXX were 31.9 microM and 2.9 mumol min-1 mg-1 for FAE-I and 9.6 microM and 11.4 mumol min-1 mg-1 for FAE-II. FAE-II was specific for FAXX, but FAE-I hydrolyzed FAXX and PAXX, the equivalent p-coumaroyl ester, at a maximum rate of metabolism ratio of 3:1."}
{"id": "PMID:1482196", "title": "Electrical enhancement of biocide efficacy against Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms.", "content": "When applied within a low-strength electric field (+/- 12 V/cm) with a low current density (+/- 2.1 mA/cm2), several industrial biocides exhibited enhanced killing action against Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms grown on stainless steel studs. Biocide concentrations lower than those necessary to kill planktonic cells of P. aeruginosa (1, 5, and 10 ppm of the active ingredients of kathon, glutaraldehyde, and quaternary ammonium compound, respectively) were bactericidal within 24 h when applied within our electrified device."}
{"id": "PMID:1482197", "title": "Relationship between bacterial counts and endotoxin concentrations in the air of wastewater treatment plants.", "content": "The relationship between bacterial counts and endotoxin concentrations in air samples was studied. Selective EMB medium favored the growth of a larger portion of airborne gram-negative bacteria than LES Endo or MacConkey medium and was a good predictor of the endotoxin levels determined with a chromogenic Limulus assay of the air of wastewater treatment plants. The bacterial counts determined with nonselective media correlated poorly with airborne endotoxin levels; however, R2A medium yielded higher viable bacterial counts than TYG medium. Direct counting by epifluorescence microscopy yielded the highest bacterial counts, but no correlation was obtained between total bacterial counts and endotoxin concentrations."}
{"id": "PMID:1482198", "title": "Alteration of specific activity and stability of thermostable neutral protease by site-directed mutagenesis.", "content": "On the basis of three-dimensional information, many amino acid substitutions were introduced in the thermostable neutral protease (NprM) of Bacillus stearothermophilus MK232 by site-directed mutagenesis. When Glu at position 143 (Glu-143), which is one of the proposed active sites, was substituted for by Gln and Asp, the proteolytic activity disappeared. F114A (Phe-114 to Ala), Y110W (Tyr-110 to Trp), and Y211W (Tyr-211 to Trp) mutant enzymes had higher activity (1.3- to 1.6-fold) than the wild-type enzyme. When an autolysis site, Tyr-93, was replaced by Gly and Ser, the remaining activities of those mutant enzymes were higher than that of the wild-type enzyme."}
{"id": "PMID:1482199", "title": "On-line visualization of the competitive behavior of antagonistic bacteria.", "content": "To study the interaction between cocultured Listeria monocytogenes and an antagonistic Leuconostoc strain producing an anti-Listeria bacteriocin, flow cytometry, a technique allowing on-line and real-time analysis, was used along with classical microbiological methods. Culture methods and flow cytometric measurements of the mixed culture over time point to a bactericidal action of the lactic acid-producing bacterial strain against L. monocytogenes cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1482201", "title": "[Prenatal chromosome study: cause, incidence and prevention of erroneous determination of various study samples].", "content": "False diagnoses in prenatal chromosomal analysis are rare; but the causes are numerous. They can be specific for amniocentesis, chorionic villus samples or independent of the tissue. The sources of mistake and their frequencies are discussed in detail."}
{"id": "PMID:1482204", "title": "[Noninvasive screening for chromosome abnormalities in young pregnant patients].", "content": "Two thirds of the patients with Down's syndrome are born by women below 35 years of age. An extension of invasive prenatal diagnosis to these women is problematical due to the operative risks and the relatively high costs. Therefore, non-invasive screening methods are sought, apt to identify groups at high risk. Biochemical screening methods applied at 16 weeks of pregnancy (triple test) and the new first trimester tests are discussed. Ultrasound screening at 10 to 12 weeks is dealt with in more detail. A large fluid cushion over most of the back was documented not only in most cases of trisomy 21 but in trisomies 18 and 13 and in Turner's syndrome as well. Only few chromosomally normal fetuses with the same peculiarity were observed. Systematic first trimester screening for nuchal fluid accumulation seems to be a recommendable method for the detection of chromosome anomalies. It compares favourably with current methods of maternal serum screening performed at 16-18 weeks which require a manyfold higher number of invasive procedures."}
{"id": "PMID:1482209", "title": "Treatment of immunological infertility by sperm washing and intrauterine insemination.", "content": "The purpose of this study is to review our experience with sperm washing and intrauterine insemination as a method to reduce the presence of sperm antibodies in serum of couples with immunological infertility. Our results support the premise that sperm washing and intrauterine insemination can diminish the level of sperm-bound immunoglobulins and can improve the chance of conception in a selected group of couples with a diagnosis of immunological infertility. Patients with > 50% attachment of IgG, IgA, or both antisperm antibodies in this study had a greater chance of achieving a pregnancy. The high level of antibody attachment seen in our study appears to represent true immunological infertility and therefore is more likely to respond to therapy that reduces antibody attachment and bypasses cervical mucus."}
{"id": "PMID:1482210", "title": "Syphilis serology in men attending the Andrology Clinic at Ga-Rankuwa Hospital.", "content": "The worldwide resurgence of syphilis may have serious implications on neonatal morbidity. The aim of this study was to evaluate the seroprevalence of syphilis in men attending an infertility clinic. Blood samples from 782 males were screened using the titrated RPR and TPHA tests. If either of these tests was positive, FTA-ABs IgG was performed. The RPR was positive in 63 (8%) cases. In 24 (3%) patients the titer was 1:8 with positive TPHA and FTA-Abs IgG tests and these were regarded as current infections. Thirty-nine (4.9%) cases had RPR titers 1:8 with positive specific tests. These were probably patients either treated inadequately or in the early stage of primary syphilis. In addition, 92 (12%) patients were RPR negative but TPHA and FTA positive. This was evidence of previous exposure to syphilis. The overall seropositivity in this group was 20% (155 cases). Six hundred and twenty-seven (80%) tested negative with RPR and TPHA. Syphilis may still have a major impact on health in Southern Africa. Since syphilis is significantly associated with HIV seropositivity, efforts to prevent and control syphilis may also be important in limiting the spread of HIV."}
{"id": "PMID:1482211", "title": "The importance of the hypoosmotic swelling test and acrosin activity assay for identifying subpopulations of idiopathic infertile men.", "content": "Semen samples collected from fertile donors (n = 13) and pooled samples from idiopathic infertile men (n = 19) were used in this study. Measurements of the total sperm acrosin activity and the hypoosmotic swelling test (HOST) were performed in all the samples. The percentage of swollen spermatozoa and acrosin profiles were significantly lower in the infertile men than in the fertile donors. Considering the lowest values of the outcome of the HOST and the acrosin activity assay in the group of fertile men as the lowest normal values, it was proven that HOST and acrosin activity assay could identify subpopulations of infertile men of 37 and 26%, respectively. The results tend to support the employment of the HOST and the acrosin activity assay in the evaluation of idiopathic infertile men."}
{"id": "PMID:1482213", "title": "Use of a sealed mini-chamber to investigate human sperm motility in real time under aerobic and anaerobic conditions.", "content": "To study the correlation between metabolism and motility, ejaculated human spermatozoa were washed in media containing glucose, pyruvate, and deoxyglucose in various combinations. Spermatozoa suspended in these media were incubated in sealed mini-chambers and subjected to aerobic or anaerobic conditions at 37 degrees C. The effect on the patterns of sperm motility was investigated in real time by direct observation and objective determination with the multiple exposure photography (MEP) method. The motility of spermatozoa incubated in media containing excess of glucose showed similar changes of motility quality with time, whether exposed to aerobic or anaerobic conditions, and in both cases motility lasted about 13 h. Motility of sperm incubated with pyruvate only was of a much lower quality, especially under anaerobic conditions, and in both circumstances lasted about 7 h. When glycolysis of fructose remnants was totally inhibited by deoxyglucose and sperm were incubated with pyruvate only, motility lasted for 2 h under aerobic conditions and only for about 1 h under anaerobic conditions. It is concluded that the main metabolic process that supplies energy for sperm motility is glycolysis, under both aerobic and anaerobic conditions. Oxidative respiration was less efficient as a source of energy for sperm motility. When glycolysis was inhibited and oxidative respiration was eliminated under anaerobic conditions, sperm motility lasted only for about 1 h, probably by using intracellular energy reserves."}
{"id": "PMID:1482212", "title": "Microinsemination of rabbit oocytes with heat-treated sperm: embryonic development.", "content": "A study was conducted to evaluate the ability of rabbit oocyte to develop to the pronuclear stage and subsequent development if injected with heat-treated sperm. The rate of fertilization of eggs after microinjection of cauda epididymal spermatozoa heated at 60 degrees C for 30 min was 36%; the rate of cleavage was 24%. The rate of fertilization after microinjection of heat-treated sperm nuclei was 43%; the rate of cleavage was 26%. On the other hand, the rate of fertilization of eggs injected with sperm without heat treatment was 43%, the rate of cleavage was 29%, and there was no difference between eggs microinjected with heat-treated spermatozoa or sperm nuclei and those not heat treated. Of the viable eggs injected with heat-treated sperm, 16% developed to the 6- to 8-cell stage 72 h after injection."}
{"id": "PMID:1482214", "title": "Stability of the hypoosmotic swelling test over time.", "content": "The results of the sperm count, motility, and hamster oocyte penetration (SPA) tests have been found to vary greatly in individuals who have had tests performed on more than one occasion. The study presented herein was designed to evaluate the stability of the hypoosmotic swelling (HOS) test over time. A total of 444 patients were classified into categories according to the time interval between HOS tests: 0-90 days (n = 267), 91-180 days (n = 35), 181-270 days (n = 37), 271-360 days (n = 30), 1-2 years (n = 54), and > 2 years (n = 21). A paired t test was used to compare mean HOS scores. The correlation between the HOS test of the first specimen and the HOS of the second specimen was calculated. For those who had 2 tests the only significant difference was found in the > 2 year group (69.67 +/- 9.13 vs. 64.23 +/- 12.83%), p < .05. When comparing the first and third HOS test in 74 patients, there was a significant (p < .05) decrease in the later test when the interval was greater than 270 days. The difference was not significant when the HOS results were classified as subnormal (< 50%) and normal (> or = 50%) for that same time period. It would appear that this test is reproducible, rarely fluctuates, but tends to become less dependable over longer intervals of time."}
{"id": "PMID:1482216", "title": "Acute effect of prolactin on ornithine decarboxylase activity in the rat testis.", "content": "A study was conducted to evaluate the effect of the acute treatment with prolactin (PRL) on ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) activity in the rat testis. Injection of a single SC dose of ovine PRL to puberal rats resulted in the activation of ODC from whole testis. This effect was maximal at 4 h after injection, and statistically significant at the dose of 500 micrograms. The effect of PRL was confined to the interstitial space; no change was observed in seminiferous tubules. PRL was unable to further increase testicular ODC activity when injected together with a stimulatory dose of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). The effect of PRL was mimicked by injection of a single dose of the dopamine antagonist sulpiride, which provoked a ninefold increase in serum PRL levels. In contrast, PRL did not stimulate testicular ODC activity in hypophysectomized rats, either under basal conditions or during treatment with PRL-hCG, indicating the requirement of a functional hypophysis for the expression of PRL action. These results suggest that the stimulation of testicular ODC activity by PRL is a marker of the trophic response of the testis to this hormone, different from the stimulation of steroidogenesis. This activity could be useful for the study of PRL action on the testis as well as of the interaction between PRL and LH at the testicular level."}
{"id": "PMID:1482215", "title": "Modification of the Wang tube to improve in vitro semen manipulation.", "content": "The Wang tube was modified to improve in vitro semen manipulation, by adding another two racks to the anterior (posterior) wall of the low component of the Wang tube and supplying another four convex lenses symmetrical to those on the bottom wall. The former provides a slanted position leading to a complete real-time sperm separation image and benefiting low-quality sperm preparation when the modified Wang tube is turned on its side. The latter converses the microscope's light better and gives a clearer objective image."}
{"id": "PMID:1482219", "title": "[Detection of early occlusion of aortocoronary by-passes. Usefulness of a non-angiographic method].", "content": "A total of 83 bypasses were studied. Angiographic results demonstrated occlusion in 3 of 24 bypass of internal mammary artery placed in the anterior descending artery, 2 in the right coronary artery, 1 in the posterolateral of the circumflex and 1 in the first diagonal branch, with a total occlusion average of 8.4% within the first 8 days. We found a good correlation between the coronarographic angiograms and the positivity or negativity of the echo-electrocardiographic tests, during atrial pacing. We believe that this simple method could be done routinely in all the patients after coronary surgery, to decide the need of a new coronary angiogram. Furthermore, this study shows that the occlusion of a single coronary bypass does not produce myocardial infarction, detectable by enzymatic measures or by resting EKG. This method also detects the early post-operatory sinus sick syndrome."}
{"id": "PMID:1482220", "title": "[Usefulness of magnetic resonance images in percutaneous angioplasty for aortic coarctation].", "content": "From October 1985 to February 1992, we performed 80 percutaneous transluminal angioplasty procedures (PTA) in 76 patients with Coarctation of the Aorta (CoAo). Twenty eight patients (aged 2.6 to 62 years; mean, 11.4) underwent Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) during the follow-up period, 2 to 60 months (m = 16) after dilation. Three of these patients were also studied before PTA. We found mild residual coarctation in 11, minimal irregularities in the aorta in five and excellent results in twelve cases. No aneurysms were found. In those patients that underwent MRI before the angioplasty was possible to choose the balloon, thus reducing the time during dilatation. In conclusion we believe that MRI is an excellent and well suited alternative for the serial studies in patients with CoAo, before PTA and in the follow-up."}
{"id": "PMID:1482221", "title": "[Balloon valvuloplasty in stenotic bioprosthesis].", "content": "The results of balloon valvuloplasty performed on five patients with stenotic bioprosthesis treated in the Hospital de Cardiolog\u00eda Centro M\u00e9dico Nacional Siglo XXI, are presented. All five bioprosthesis were right sided, two in tricuspid position, one in pulmonary valve position and two in valvulated conduits from right ventricle to pulmonary artery. In all cases a pressure gradient reduction was achieved, an improvement of clinical functional class and heart failure manifestations were obtained. Mansfields balloons were used. One in two patients, and two balloons in three. We had not complications with the procedure. We conclude that balloon valvuloplasty on bioprosthesis is a safe and dependable procedure to be used in right sided bioprosthesis."}
{"id": "PMID:1482218", "title": "[Role of adenosine in the digitalis action on atrio-ventricular conduction in the dog heart].", "content": "In order to explore the hypothesis about the existence of an adenylic component on ouabain effects on the atrioventricular node, we perform experiments on anesthetized and vagotomized dogs. Decremental propagation of impulses through atrioventricular conduction system was evaluated stimulating the right atria at frequencies from 3.5 to 5.0 per second. Aminophylline antagonized and dipyridamole synergized the atrioventricular decremental conduction induced by digitalis. The blockade of purinergic receptors produced by aminophylline and the inhibition of adenosine endocytosis by dipyridamole could explain these antagonic and synergistic interaction with ouabain, and constitute an experimental evidence favorable to the possibility of the existence of a purinergic component on the digitalis mechanism of action."}
{"id": "PMID:1482223", "title": "[Rehabilitation in ischemic cardiopathy. Results at the level of quality of life and prognosis].", "content": "Cardiac rehabilitation programs, by means of physical, psychosocial and risk control factors, intend to improve the life style and prognosis of coronary patients. In this study, we analyzed the results obtained from 349 patients, 310 with acute myocardial infarction and 39 after coronary artery surgery. The average follow up period was 36 months and the average age was 53.9 years. The results showed that 84.3% stopped smoking, 60% returned to work after a heart attack and 51.36% after coronary artery bypass. Functional capacity improved significantly with p < 0.001. Although 50% of the patients considered themselves sexually incapacitated, the number of coitus per month is similar to that of healthy people of the same age. There were 12 new infarctions (1.28 por 100 patients per year), and 11 cardiac-related deaths (1.18 per 100 patients per year). All the deaths occurred in the group of patients with myocardial infarction, and with a significant increase in the elevation of the ST in the necrosis area, during an exercise testing, indicating extensive areas of dyskinesis. Based on these results, we have reached the conclusion that steps must be taken to reduce the high percentage of patients who leave the program. In our study this was significantly low at 21.5%."}
{"id": "PMID:1482222", "title": "[Effect of transdermal therapy with clonidine on suppression symptoms secondary to smoking cessation].", "content": "For the purpose of evaluating the effectiveness of transdermal clonidine treatment (Catapres-TTS No. 2) on ameliorating withdrawal symptoms associated with smoking cessation, we carried out a prospective study on 375 patients who smoke, motivated to abandon smoking. Each patient acted as his own control at one moment receiving placebo and, at another, clonidine. Each patient was instructed to maintain his normal daily cigarette consumption during the first three days of study, and to stop smoking from the fourth to the seventh day. All of the withdrawal symptoms measured (craving, irritability, anxiety and restlessness) significantly increased (p = 0.001) in the placebo group during the days of abstinence. There was a 5 fold increase in craving and in irritability, in the placebo group, as compared with the transdermal clonidine group during the three days of smoking cessation. Anxiety and restlessness also augmented at 3 times greater extent. Regarding the side effects, these were slight and of a transitory nature. Transdermal clonidine treatment helps the heavy smoker to give up tobacco by means of a considerable drop of the short-term withdrawal symptoms, specially craving and irritability, associated with smoking cessation."}
{"id": "PMID:1482229", "title": "[Child abuse with fatal sequelae in an Essen autopsy sample].", "content": "In the Institute of Forensic Medicine in Essen/Germany 24 cases of lethal child battering or neglect have been observed over 17 years from 1973 to 1989. The medicolegal and morphologic findings in these cases are presented and compared to the literature. The patterns of abuse/neglect in Essen compare to those frequently reported in the literature: skull/brain traumas caused by blunt impact, multiple hematomas, bone fractures, and symptoms of malnutrition, vitamin deficiency, and general neglect. In many cases the abuse could be shown to have been chronic. In the seven years 1983-1989 the cases of lethal child mistreatment and neglect amounted to 0.18 percent of all autopsies. Five cases of lethal sexual assault in children during the same period are compared to the mistreated cases."}
{"id": "PMID:1482230", "title": "[Homicide of a supervisor simulating an occupational accident].", "content": "An unusual case of homicide is reported. A driver of an excavator killed his foreman by using the scoops of his machine and tried to feign an industrial accident. The man was convicted by the autopsy findings because his testimony could not explain the severe injuries."}
{"id": "PMID:1482235", "title": "[Left systolic ventricular function and metabolic disorders in untreated hypertensive patients].", "content": "Previous studies have shown that essential hypertension is frequently associated with insulin resistance and hyperinsulinism. Because insulin may exert a direct positive inotropic as well as chronotropic effect and controlled the initiation of peptide chains in the heart, we tested the hypothesis that insulin may be a determinant of myocardial hypertrophy and contractility. The relation between glucose metabolism (assessed by the oral glucose tolerance test) and left ventricular (LV) mass and function (assessed by echocardiography) was explored in 47 never-treated lean essential hypertensive patients (EH) of short duration and 19 normotensive subjects (NT). A greater number of EH versus NT (23 vs 5%) had an abnormal glucose tolerance. The fasting insulin-to-glucose ratio was significantly higher in EH as compared to NT. Fasting as well as integrated serum insulin to glucose values ratio were positively correlated with heart rate (r = 0.35, p < 0.05, r = 0.38, p < 0.05) and the LV end-systolic stress to volume ratio (r = 0.48, p < 0.001, r = 0.54, p < 0.001) but not with LV mass (r = 0.02, r = 0.02) in EH. When EH were divided into those with normal (n = 36) and supernormal (n = 11) LV contractility based on the relationship between LV fractional shortening and LV end-systolic stress, integrated insulin level and fasting insulin to glucose ratio were markedly higher in patients with supernormal LV contractility, whereas arterial pressure, heart rate, urinary sodium excretion, and plasma renin activity were similar in the two groups. We concluded that hyperinsulinemia and LV hypercontractility are associated in patients with hypertension of short duration. If chronic hyperinsulinemia is to be causally related to hypertension, one would have to postulate that the effects (inotropism and chronotropism) of insulin on the heart can be dissociated from the resistance to the glucose-lowering action of insulin."}
{"id": "PMID:1482236", "title": "[Cardiac output studied by a non invasive method in hypertensive patients].", "content": "We measured by thoracic bioimpedance (BoMed, NCCOM3-R7) non invasive cardiac index (CI), stroke index (SI) and systemic vascular resistance index (SVRI) in 48 hypertensive patients (OMS) compared to 30 normotensive. The mean arterial pressure (MAP) and the SVRI were significantly higher in the hypertensive group while the CI are significantly lower, as that was shown in previous invasive studies. We found an inverse correlation between age and CI (r = -.30, p < or = .05) in relation with a negative correlation between SI and age (r = -.35, p < or = .05) and no correlation between heart rate and age. Furthermore we divided normotensive and hypertensive patients in three groups of CI (low CI < 2.8 l/min/m2, 2.8 < or = normal CI < or = 4.2 l/min/m2, high CI > 4.2 l/min/m2) and in three groups of SVRI (low SVRI < 1660 Flohms/m2, 1660 < or = normal SVRI < or = 2580 Flohms/m2, high SVRI > 2580 Flohms/m2). Despite CI diminution in hypertension, high CI percentage's was the same in normotensive and hypertensive patients. In conclusion, these results confirm previous studies by using a simple, easy, non invasive and reproducible method."}
{"id": "PMID:1482231", "title": "[Electrocution accident with three-week survival].", "content": "A 55-year-old man was found unconscious with ventricular fibrillations at his working place near a power press. CPR was successful. After three weeks of intensive care the patient died of ischemic brain damage. The first suspected diagnosis of myocardial infarction was revised when typical current marks were detected on both palms. At the working place the top of a lubricating grease container was found to be energized due to a technical damage: There is a round, multiple-pole plug mounted upon the container top the proper orientation of which is coded by a set of five plastic nipples. All the nipples had been abraded by longlasting mechanical stress, so that the plug could be connected in a variety of possible orientations. In actual fact, the incorrect orientation caused a voltage of up to 240 V to the container top."}
{"id": "PMID:1482237", "title": "[Apropos of acute changes in left ventricular filling induced by antihypertensive treatment].", "content": "The purpose of the study was to interpret the acute improvement in left ventricular (LV) filling induced by a new calcium channel blocker (SR 33 557) using Doppler echocardiography. Thirteen patients, 29 to 68 years old (mean 52) with mild to moderate hypertension were examined by Doppler echocardiography before and 4 hours after treatment (SR 33 557: 300 mg). The LV filling parameters, E, A, A/E, VTIM, VTIA, VTIA/VTIM, pressure half time (PHT) and isovolumic relaxation time (IRT) were measured. An index of left atrial pressure was obtained by measuring the mean pulmonary arterial pressure (PAP). The following hemodynamic parameters were also obtained: systolic blood pressure (SBP), heart rate (HR), PR interval (PR), stroke volume (SV) at aortic origin, total systemic resistances (TSR), pulse wave velocity (PWV) at thoracic descending aorta, LV end systolic stress (ESS), LV geometry (thickness/radius: th/r) and systolic function indices: mean VCF and contractility (mean VCF-ESS relationship). Following acute treatment, E and VTIM increased, A, VTIA and PHT did not change, and A/E, VTIA/VTIM ans IRT decreased, both significantly (p < 0.05). PAP did not change, HR, SBP, TSR, PWV, ESS decreased and PR increased both significantly (p < 0.05). LV geometry and systolic function did not change. No significant relationship was found between LV filling changes and changes in hemodynamic parameters. In conclusion, the acute increase in early LV filling induced by the calcium blocker treatment may be interpreted as the consequence of the improvement in LV relaxation in the absence of any change in left atrial pressure.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1482232", "title": "[Tattoo pigment in regional lymph nodes--an identifying marker?].", "content": "31 of 275 unselected forensic autopsy cases revealed tattoos on one or both sides of the upper extremities, which were nearly always accompanied by pigmentations of the axillary lymph nodes. The deposits of tattoo pigment could already be identified with the naked eye. Their composition reflected the colour ingredients of the tattooed skin. So this easily practicable preparation and examination of the draining lymph nodes makes it possible to establish the identity of unknown corpses by drawing conclusions about former tattoos even if they have been removed or if, owing to postmortal changes of the skin, they cannot be recognized by the forensic pathologist."}
{"id": "PMID:1482233", "title": "[Fatal exsanguination from a small venous injury].", "content": "Report on a 34 year old man who bled to death sitting in an empty bath-tub by suicidal cutting in his groin. The source of the bleeding was a small lesion of the femoral vein with a diameter of 2 mm. No endogenous or exogenous coagulopathies could be established."}
{"id": "PMID:1482238", "title": "[Doppler echocardiographic evaluation of right and left ventricular filling in hypertension].", "content": "Left (LV) and right ventricular (RV) filling was evaluated by pulsed doppler echocardiography in 56 hypertensive (HTN) untreated patients and in 30 normotensive (N) subjects, matched for age, body surface and heart rate. HTN were classified in two groups: HTN1: with normal LV mass index (LV mi) (< 135 g.m-2 for men, < or = 115 g.m.-2 for women); HTN2: with increased LV mi (> or = 135 g.m-2 for men, > or = 115 g.m-2 for women). All subjects had normal systolic function by echo. We derived: LV wall thickness (h), antero-posterior radius (r), h/r ratio, LV mi, ratio of early to late filling (E/A) in both ventricle. RESULTS. h and h/r were significantly in HTN1 (p < 0.01 vs N) and particularly in HTN2 (p < 0.001 vs N and HTA1). E/ALV and E/ARV were significantly decreased (p < 0.001) in both HTA compared to N. There was no significant difference between HTN1 and HTN2 concerning E/ALV and E/ARV. Relations of E/ALV and E/ARV with age, systolic blood pressure (SBP), LV mi, h, h/r: [table: see text] E/ALV is correlated to E/ARV (r = 0.37; p < 0.01) only in HTA. CONCLUSIONS. 1) In HTN in comparison with N: h, h/r are higher in the presence but also in the absence of increased LV mi. 2) In N and HTN: E/ALV and E/ARV are better correlated to h (and also to h/r in N) than to LV mi. Though the respective values of E/ALV and E/ARV are identical, they are correlated significantly only in HTN. 3) In the absence of the direct measures of the RV pressures and volumes, the interpretation of the results concerning the RV filling in uncertain. Only in HTN, they could be explained at least in part by the diastolic interplay between the two ventricles."}
{"id": "PMID:1482234", "title": "[Medical and legal problems of multiple death certificates].", "content": "In cases of unnatural death and unclear manner of death the police has according to section 159 StPO to inform the prosecution. The prosecutor has to decide how the case shall be handled. Independent inquiries or even independent handling of the case by the police are not scheduled. For legal purposes it is not possible to induce another doctor to issue another death certificate with the manner of death certified as natural."}
{"id": "PMID:1482239", "title": "[Restoring normal coronary reserve in treated hypertension without left ventricular hypertrophy].", "content": "It has been previously demonstrated that coronary vascular reserve (CVR) was severely impaired in hypertensive patients with left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), even after anti-hypertensive therapy. To assess if CVR was similarly depressed in hypertensive patients without LVH, peak-to-resting coronary flow velocity ratio (P/R) and a minimal coronary vascular resistance index (MCVRI) were determined with a coronary Doppler catheter placed into the left anterior descending coronary artery and maximally vasodilating dose of intracoronary papaverine (12 mg) in 16 control subjects (C), 7 untreated hypertensives without LVH (G1), and 7 hypertensives without LVH treated for at least one year (G2). All subjects and patients had normal left ventricular angiography and coronary arteriography. Left ventricular and aortic pressures, rate-pressure-product (RPP) were significantly elevated in G1 and were similar to those of control subjects in G2. Results evidenced that P/R was reduced and that MCVRI was increased in G1. However, these alterations were moderate. In G2, these two indices were similar to those of control subjects: [table: see text] These results suggest: 1) that alterations of coronary microcirculation occur before left ventricular hypertrophy in hypertensive patients; 2) that anti-hypertensive therapy may restore a normal coronary vascular reserve in hypertensive patients without LVH, when coronary vascular reserve remained severely impaired despite normalization of arterial pressure in patients with persistent LVH."}
{"id": "PMID:1482240", "title": "[Hypertensive cardiopathy and ventricular late potentials].", "content": "Ventricular arrhythmias occur with increased frequency in hypertensive patients with left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH). The aim of this work is to study the incidence of ventricular late potentials (LP) and their relation to ventricular arrhythmias in 148 hypertensive patients, 87 men and 55 women, without evidence of a coronaropathy. For each patient we carried out a signal-averaged electrocardiography, an echocardiogram to determine the LV mass index (LVMI) and the LV end-diastolic dimension (EDD), and 24 hours Holter monitoring to record ventricular arrhythmias filed according to Lown's classification. LP were considered present if the root-mean-square voltage during the last 40 ms of the QRS was: < 20 uV in absence of bundle branch block, or < or = 17 uV in presence of bundle branch block. [table: see text] The frequency of LP appears exceptional in hypertensive patients without LVH (5%) and remains uncommon in patients with concentric LVH (13%). The incidence of LP is only frequent at the end stage of hypertensive cardiopathy with eccentric LVH (48%). The severity of ventricular arrhythmias is only correlated to the presence of LP in patients with concentric LVH (p < 0.02)."}
{"id": "PMID:1482241", "title": "[Evaluation of norepinephrine content in the myocardium in hypertensive patients with left ventricular hypertrophy].", "content": "The sympathetic nervous system seems to be a non hemodynamic factor involved in the development of hypertension and in left ventricular hypertrophy determinism. The aim of this study was to estimate the myocardial norepinephrine content in essential hypertensive patients, using a reliable radio-iodinated marker of norepinephrine: the 123I-meta-iodobenzylguanidine (123I-meta-iodobenzylguanidine). Eight male and female hypertensive patients with left ventricular hypertrophy and average age of 52 +/- 9 years underwent a resting, ambulatory and effort blood pressure measure. Echocardiographic parameters allowed measure of left ventricular mass index (according to Devereux, and we considered left ventricular hypertrophy as left ventricular mass index greater than 120g/m2. Plasma norepinephrine is measured at rest. Cardiac and mediastinal radioactivity is detected 4 h after a 4mCi i.v. injection of 123I-meta-iodobenzylguanidine and meta-iodobenzylguanidine myocardial uptake is definite as the cardiac/mediastinal ratio (N:1.78 +/- 0.19). Meta-iodobenzylguanidine-myocardial uptake average value of hypertensive patients was 1.89 +/- 0.19 (1.63 to 2.25) without statistical difference to control subjects. We found a significative correlation between meta-iodobenzylguanidine myocardial uptake and effort systolic blood pressure variation in one hand, and with heart rate increase with effort in the other hand. There is no correlation between meta-iodobenzylguanidine-myocardial uptake and left ventricular mass index or ambulatory blood pressure. In hypertensive patients with left ventricular hypertrophy, meta-iodobenzylguanidine myocardial uptake is normal or high, in agreement with experimental data in SHRs, model of human essential hypertension. Therefore myocardial scintigraphy with 123I-meta-iodobenzylguanidine can appreciate cardiac norepinephrine content in humans."}
{"id": "PMID:1482242", "title": "[Action of labetalol on norepinephrine myocardial content in left ventricular hypertrophy in hypertensive patients].", "content": "The high incidence of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in hypertensive patients with left ventricular hypertrophy shows the great interest in understanding the pathophysiology of this process. Many reports suggest the role of catecholamines in generating left ventricular hypertrophy. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of labetalol on myocardial norepinephrine content in hypertensive subjects with left ventricular hypertrophy by using an isotopic norepinephrine marker, the 123I-meta-iodobenzylguanidine (123I-MIBG). Eight male and female hypertensive patients with left ventricular hypertrophy were investigated after a 30 day placebo period. Resting, ambulatory and effort blood pressure was measured. Echocardiographic parameters allowed measure of left ventricular mass index according to Devereux. And we considered left ventricular hypertrophy as left ventricular mass index greater than 120 g/m2. Cardiac and mediastinal radioactivity is detected 4 h after a 4 mCi i.v. injection of 123I-MIBG and MIBG myocardial uptake is definite as the cardiac/mediastinal ratio (N : 1.78 +/- 0.19). All subjects received at the beginning of the study (D0) 2 tablets of labetalol 200 mg, increased to 4 tablets if diastolic blood pressure during follow-up remained above 95 mmHg. Patients again underwent these explorations after 3 months of treatment (D90). Labetalol decreases in considerable manner MIBG myocardial uptake as it has been shown that it decreases tissular norepinephrine content in experimental studies. Therefore, MIBG myocardial uptake seems to be a reliable tool in evaluating drugs effect on cardiac sympathetic nervous system."}
{"id": "PMID:1482243", "title": "[Study and value of high amplification atrial signal in arterial hypertension].", "content": "The aim is the analysis of the P wave on the signal averaged ECG in 31 pts: 12 control pts (6 M, 6 W, 40 +/- 10 y) 12 HTA (9 M, 3 W, 60 +/- 7 y), 7 pts (5 M, 2W, 48 +/- 7 y) with sustained paroxystic atrial fibrillation (AF) without organic heart disease, without antiarrhythmic drugs. We measured the filtered P wave duration (Ad), the integral of Ad, the root mean square voltage of Ad for the last 10, 20, 30, 40, 60 msec and the duration of P wave on the ECG in lead II (P II) and the echocardiographic dimensions of the atria (LAd). HTA Ad (132 +/- 12 msec)* et > control Ad (116 +/- 10 msec) HTA LAd (38 +/- 3 mm) et > control LAd (31 +/- 0.7 mm) HTA PII (120 +/- 1.5 mm)* et > control PII (88 +/- 10 mm). The difference between HTA Ad (132 +/- 12 msec) and AF Ad (129 +/- 7 msec) is not significant. The linear regression tests don't show correlation between P II and Ad and between LAd and Ad in HTA group. There is a correlation between Ad and LAF in AF group (r = 0.83, p 0.02). HTA RMS 2o (2.2 + 0.6 microV), control RMS 2o (3.9 + 1.8 V) but HTA RMS 2o and AF RMS 2o (2.4 +/- 0.6 microV) are not significantly different and are not correlated with LAd and PII. A long duration of P filtered P wave and a low RMS 2o observed in HTA group and AF group would be a criteria of atrial vulnerability. p < 0.05."}
{"id": "PMID:1482244", "title": "[Prevalence of atrial arrhythmia in 48 hypertensive patients: research of predictive criteria].", "content": "We studied atrial arrhythmias during a continue prospective work in 48 hypertensive patients referred to the OMS criteria. Hypertension was confirmed by a blood pressure ambulatory monitoring and stress testing blood pressure trend. All cardiovascular drugs were stopped at admission. Patients with associated valvular or coronary artery disease were excluded from analysis. In all patients, we realized a twelve lead-ECG, stress testing, 24 hour Holter monitoring, a blood pressure ambulatory monitoring, two-dimensional echocardiography with Doppler study and cardiac radio-nuclide angiography with diastolic function study. Atrial arrhythmias were considered significant if more than 100 premature atrial beats (PAB) and/or more than three successive PAB were present during Holter monitoring. Significant atrial arrhythmias were found in 39.5% of patients (group II, n = 19), not significant in 60.5% of patients (group I, n = 29). The duration of hypertension was longer in group II (140 vs 66 months, p < 0.05). There was no difference between the two populations considering left atrial size or blood pressure level. Furthermore, we were surprised to find a normal E/A ratio on mitral Doppler recording in patients with atrial arrhythmias (1.23 vs 0.9; p < 0.05). Others diastolic parameters didn't significantly differ. Left ventricular mass index was similar in the two groups but patients with atrial arrhythmias had more asymmetric hypertrophy (1.23 vs 1.13 septum/posterior wall ratio: p < 0.05). atrial arrhythmias in our study seem to be more dependent from duration of HTA and left ventricular asymmetric structure than from left atrial size.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1482245", "title": "[Hypertension has no effect on coronary calcifications in asymptomatic patients with hypercholesterolemia].", "content": "Since calcium in coronary artery walls is considered as an indicator for atherosclerosis, we used ultrafast computed tomography to quantify it non invasively in 111 hypercholesterolemic men. They were selected at worksite by a cholesterol screening program, had total cholesterol (TC) above 5.2 (6.88 +/- 0.82, SD) mmol/l, were aged from 30 to 63 (46 +/- 5 years), had never been treated with lipid lowering or antihypertensive drug, and had no clinical coronary heart disease. Body mass index, blood pressure, smoking and other serum lipids as HDL cholesterol, triglyceride (TG) were evaluated. Calcium score of proximal coronary arteries was calculated on 30 contiguous 3 mm slices from areas and peak density of calcium lesions. The mean score was 30 +/- 69 and ranged from 0 to 440. A zero score was found in 39 subjects who differed from the 72 others only by TG levels (1.44 +/- 0.60 vs 1.85 +/- 0.80; p < 0.05). A multiple regression analysis showed that elevated calcium score was associated independently to age (F = 6.6; p < 0.05) and TG (F = 6; p < 0.05) but not to blood. Thus 65% of these asymptomatic subjects had a non-zero calcium score in coronary arteries. Elevated calcium score was influenced independently by age and triglyceride level, but not by other risk factors, such as blood pressure. This potential adverse effect of moderate triglyceride elevation on large coronary arteries merits attention in the assessment of the risk of coronary heart disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1482246", "title": "[Left ventricular involvement in Conn adenoma, renovascular hypertension and pheochromocytoma before and after etiological treatment].", "content": "Assessment of left ventricular (LV) structural modifications following etiologic treatment of secondary hypertension, in a group of 43 patients. M-Mode echocardiograms were independently analysed by 2 trained investigators before and 7.4 months (RV), 11 patients with COnn's adenoma (C) and 9 patients with phaeochromocytoma (PH). Age, sex ratio, antihypertensive treatment, and duration of hypertension before treatment were comparable among the 3 groups. Blood pressure was higher in C and RV than in PH for casual (C: 190/116; RV: 193/109; PH: 146/91; p < 0.01/0.05) as well as ambulatory blood pressure (C: 140/93; RV 153/89; PH: 126/80; p < 0.01/0.05). Before etiologic treatment, systolic function was normal in the 3 groups whereas LV mass index differed between the 3 groups (C: 147; RV: 118; PH: 85 g/m2). LV end diastolic diameter index was smaller in PH (26.4 mm/m2) than in C (29.1) and RV (28.8). After treatment, there was a significant reduction on office (C: -43/-20; RV: -39/-19; PH: -20/-12 mmHg) and ambulatory (C: -6.6/-5.6; R: -20/-9.9; PH: -4.7/- 4.5) blood pressure. Systolic function was not altered. LV mass index was significantly reduced in C and RV but not in PH (C: -18%; RV: -7%; PH: -5%). Changes in LV end diastolic diameter index were not significant (C: -2%; RV: 0%; PH: + 6%). There was no correlation between LV mass index changes and blood pressure differences. Etiologic treatment leads to significant regression of LV hypertrophy in patient with renovascular hypertension or Conn's adenoma, at least partly independently of blood pressure change. Humoral and volume factors may play a role in LV regression."}
{"id": "PMID:1482247", "title": "[Differential regulation of the release of norepinephrine and neuropeptide Y].", "content": "The release of catecholamines and their co-neurotransmitter neuropeptide Y was investigated in conscious dogs with neurogenic arterial hypertension elicited by sinoaortic denervation. One month after denervation, an elevation of catecholamine levels (measured by HPLC) without elevation of neuropeptide Y levels in plasma (evaluated by RIA) has been found. This dissociation could be explained by a transient release of neuropeptide Y during the first weeks after surgery; a depletion of neuronal neuropeptide Y due to the permanent sympathetic stimulation; or an insufficient increase in sympathetic tone. To test these three hypotheses, we investigated the time courses of catecholamine and neuropeptide Y levels in arterial plasma during the first five weeks after sinoaortic denervation; and the responses to yohimbine (an alpha 2 antagonist which enhances transmitter release). Resting neuropeptide Y levels in plasma remained normal during the first five weeks after sinoaortic denervation. In normal dogs, a high dose of yohimbine (0.5 mg/kg i.v.) elevated both catecholamine (6-fold) and neuropeptide Y levels (1.5-fold), whereas a lower dose (0.05 mg/kg i.v.) induced a two fold elevation of catecholamine levels without changing neuropeptide Y concentrations. In sinoaortically denervated dogs, yohimbine elicited elevation of both catecholamines and neuropeptide Y whatever the dose used. Thus, neurogenic arterial hypertension in dogs seams to involve catecholamines but not neuropeptide Y. Moreover, the present work suggests that a high level of sympathetic stimulation is required for a co-release of catecholamines and neuropeptide Y."}
{"id": "PMID:1482248", "title": "[Role of sympathetic nerve fibers in hemodynamic responses to stress in rats].", "content": "Hemodynamic responses to acute stress exposure were studied in normotensive control (C) and chronically sympathectomized (S) rats. Male Sprague-Dawley rats received daily sc injections of either saline (C) or guanethidine (S) from 1 to 13 weeks of age. Doppler flow probes were then implanted for the measurement of blood velocity in the sub-diaphragmatic aorta, superior mesenteric artery and distal aorta (hindquarters). After 10 days of recovery and 24 hours before the study, the caudal artery was cannulated. In the conscious freely moving rats, mean arterial pressure (MAP), heart rate (HR) and indices of regional blood flows and vascular conductances (G as blood flow/MAP ratio) were recorded beat to beat, before and during emotional stress (jet of air for 2 min). In basal conditions, mean values of MAP and HR were similar in C (107 +/- 2 mmHg; 399 +/- 8 bpm, n = 9) and S (106 +/- 3 mmHg; 384 +/- 12 bpm, n = 7) rats. The effects of stress on MAP, HR, aortic (AoG), mesenteric (MeG) and hindquarters (HqG) vascular conductances are expressed as percentage changes from baseline (delta): [table: see text] These results highlight the role of vascular sympathetic nerves in pressor responses and systemic and mesenteric vasoconstrictions induced by stress in the rat. They also indicate that vasodilatation in the hindquarters vascular bed is not secondary to withdrawal of sympathetic vasoconstrictor tone but rather to active phenomena which do not involve the stimulation of vascular beta 2-adrenoceptors by neuronal catecholamines nor the release of vasodilator cotransmitters from the sympathetic nerve endings."}
{"id": "PMID:1482249", "title": "[Methods of computerized approach of dysautonomia from a non-invasive pressure signal].", "content": "examination of an automated exploration of autonomic neuropathy using the Ewing score and evaluation of sympatho-vagal tone. continuous non-invasive collection of blood pressure (BP) data by means of Finapress fingerprobe. The signal was analysed after digitization at 500Hz, sampled and computerised. Values of systolic BP (SBP), diastolic BP (DBP) and heart rate (HR) are analysed by Anapres (Notochord). the pressure monitor is placed on the finger and the reading calibrated to the BP value recorded by auscultatory method on the contralateral arm to give a gap of less than 10 mmHg. BP and HR response to five different manoeuvres are recorded, namely: at rest over 7 minutes, after lying decubitus for 15 minutes; on rising suddenly over 3 seconds, and then over 9 minutes standing still; during 2 respiratory manoeuvres (a) deep breathing over 6 cycles per minute, (b) Valsalva pressure at 40 mmHg sustained over 20 seconds; isometric exercise with sustained handgrip at 30% maximal force sustained over 3 minutes. a dedicated computer programme displays in graphic form BP and HR over each manoeuvre and allows the operator to locate the exact cut-off of normality for each test of the Ewing score and also measure the balance of sympatho-vagal tone by Fourier transformation of the interval data of HR or BP peaks. this approach allows evaluation of autonomic function and sympatho-vagal tone by means of 40 minutes of clinical testing and two minutes of automated analysis. This approach seems useful in the assessment of the autonomic nervous system in diabetes."}
{"id": "PMID:1482250", "title": "[Pheochromocytoma, first manifestation of Von Hippel-Lindau disease: a possibility to be considered].", "content": "Von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) disorder is an autosomal dominant disease characterized by the almost constant development of hemangioblastomas in the central nervous system (cerebellum, spinal cord and retina). In addition, various types of tumors including renal cell carcinomas, pancreatic cysts and pheochromocytomas are frequently observed in VHL gene carriers. Linkage of the VHL locus to the RAF-1 oncogene on the short arm of chromosome 3 (3p25-26) has been recently reported. Pheochromocytoma is of particular interest because of the risk of inaugural malignant hypertensive crisis but especially because of a great degree of interfamily variability (from 0 to 92% of affected members in previously reported large kindreds). We have studied a French series of 25 pheochromocytoma (11 males, 14 females) in VHL affected patients. Twenty pheochromocytoma (80%) occurred in a familial context, whereas 5 (20%) were consistent with \"apparent sporadic cases\". The mean age at pheochromocytoma diagnosis was 27 years (5-55 years). Bilateral tumours have been documented in 13 cases (52%). The prevalence of pheochromocytoma revealing VHL was 14 out 25 (56%). In these cases, VHL diagnosis was considered up to 25 years later. In 6 cases (2 deceased) pheochromocytoma was the only manifestation of VHL. Thus, search for VHL must be systematic in the presence of pheochromocytoma, in the interest of the patients themselves and of potential at-risk family members (prevention of hypertensive crisis linked to latent tumours). Basic check-up (neurological and somatic examination, ophthalmoscopy, familial inquiry) may be completed with cerebral CT scan or MRI and abdominal ultrasonography followed, if positive or doubtful, by abdominal MRI or selective angiography."}
{"id": "PMID:1482251", "title": "[Comparison of 3 methods of measurement of blood pressure in insulin-dependent diabetic patients with or without incipient diabetic nephropathy].", "content": "Incipient diabetic nephropathy is characterized by a urinary albumin excretion (UAE) between 30-300 mg/24 h and a slightly elevated blood pressure. We measured blood pressure in 14 insulin-dependent diabetic subjects (IDDs) with persistent microalbuminuria (group A) and 50 IDDs with persistent normoalbuminuria (group B) using 3 different methods: 1) Sphygmomanometer, by a nurse, on supine position since 10 min, on the third day of hospitalization; 2) automatic device (Dinamap), on supine position, every 5 min, during 30 min; 3) ambulatory blood pressure (Spacelab 90202 every 15 min between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m.; values obtained with this last method were compared to the mean values of healthy subjects of same age. Recorded UAE was the median value of 3 twenty-four-hours urines. Blood pressure was not different among the two groups with any of the three methods: 1) SBP/DBP A: 136 +/- 14/81 +/- 9 vs B: 131 +/- 13/78 +/- 8 mmHg; ns; 2) SBP/MBP/DBP A: 134 +/- 17/96 +/- 12/79 +/- 10 vs B: 127 +/- 13/90 +/- 10/74 +/- 10 mmHg; ns; 3) A: 132 +/- 12/97 +/- 11/84 +/- 9 vs B: 127 +/- 11/91 +/- 9/82 +/- 12 mmHg; ns. There were no concordance between microalbuminuria/normoalbuminuria and systolic or diastolic blood pressure higher/lower than the mean of the healthy subjects (X2 = 1.6; ns). However, UAE was significantly related to MBP measured with 1): r = 0.29; p = 0.027, but not with 2): r = 0.24; ns, nor with 3): r = 0.26; ns. These results suggest that: 1-blood pressure of IDDs should be measured in standardized conditions; 2-diurnal ambulatory blood pressure recording does not predict incipient nephropathy in these subjects."}
{"id": "PMID:1482252", "title": "[Value of nocturnal blood pressure in treated non-insulin-dependent hypertensive patients].", "content": "The purpose of the study was to evaluate the loss of nocturnal (N) decline in blood pressure (BP) in type II treated hypertensive diabetics. The study concerned 36 hypertensive diabetics 59 +/- 10 years old, 20 men and 16 women, with poor metabolic control (HbA1C: 9.6 +/- 3%), without dysautonomia; 14 had macroproteinuria and/or microalbuminuria (mu alb) (< 30 micrograms/min). An ambulatory BP monitoring (Spacelabs 90207) was performed in all patients. Left ventricular mass index (LVMI) and E/A were determined by Doppler-echocardiography. Two groups (G) were individualized: G1 (n = 17), with a normal circadian rhythm (diurnal and N.BP significantly different); G2 (n = 19) with a loss of N decline in systolic (S) and diastolic (D) BP or both; and compared to non diabetic treated hypertensive controls (G3). There was no difference neither in LVMI (125 +/- 43 g/m2), E/A (0.7), 24 h-mean (M) BP in the three groups, nor in HbA1C levels and mu alb occurrence in G1 and G2. Mean N.SBP and mean N.DBP were more closely related to LVMI in G2 than in G1 and G3. [table: see text] Half of these hypertensive diabetics, with bad metabolic control, have an altered circadian BP pattern; the prognostic value of nocturnal BP, related to LVMI despite the antihypertensive treatment, is suggested."}
{"id": "PMID:1482253", "title": "[Measurement of blood pressure in obese patients: reliability and value of finger measurement (Finapres)].", "content": "Indirect measurement of the blood pressure in obese persons is still inaccurate, especially if the arm circumference deeply differs from one measure point to the other, so that the use of a wide bladder is inappropriate. Some alternative solutions have been described: oscillometric device on the arm or on the forearm, different shapes of the cuff-bladder, auscultation on the radial artery with the cuff on the forearm. We tested the capability of the Finapres device which measures the finger arterial blood pressure, beat to beat, using the volume clamp method of Pen\u00e2z. In six obese patients (BMI > 30, arm circumference > 35 cm) treated for hypertension were undergoing functional respiratory tests. The finger pressure was measured simultaneously with intrabrachial on homolateral arm. Blood pressure was measured at rest and after a cold pressor test. [table: see text] The use of the Finapres seems to be possible. The correlation with the systolic is excellent, where as the correlation with the diastolic is weaker; which however is usual in any diastolic correlation between non invasive and invasive device. The CPT does not modify the correlations. Moreover the Finapres allows dynamic exploration which is of particular interest in obese persons because their blood pressure is particularly variable."}
{"id": "PMID:1482254", "title": "[Does ambulatory determination of blood pressure allow the measurement of white coat effect?].", "content": "The aim was to find an objective indicator in order to evaluate white coat effect (WE). The first hour average values after placing an ambulatory blood pressure recorder (15 mn intervals) were compared to those of the 4 following hours of diurnal activity. A first hour systolic arterial blood pressure (SBP 1H) increase of 10 mmHg or more was considered as an ambulatory WE positive (AWE+) and was compared to clinical WE (CWE). CWE+ was observed in 78 pts and AWE+ in 72 among a group of 172 unselected pts referred for hypertension. the correlation between AWE and CWE is weak (r = 0.49) but significant (p < 0.001). There was no difference between the two groups in age, sex, clinical blood pressure, heart rate or ambulatory BP after the first hour (table). There was a significant difference in SBP between the 2 groups (p < 0.001) during the first hour only. [table: see text] Ambulatory blood pressure recording is able to recognize and evaluate the white coat effect. We suggest to consider independently the first hour of each recording and to compare it with the mean pressure measured during the period of diurnal activity."}
{"id": "PMID:1482255", "title": "[Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring and left ventricular hypertrophy: correlations and trial of predictive value].", "content": "The purpose of the study is to make a selection of patients with left ventricular hypertrophy from Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring (ABPM) values. We studied 39 patients, 23 men and 16 women, without treatment. These patients had systolic pressure > 140 mmHg and/or diastolic pressure > 90. With ABPM we measured mean systolic (MS) and diastolic (MD) pressure during the day (D) and the night (N), the percentages of systolic values (%S) > 160 mmHg and of diastolic values (%D) > 95 mmHg. With echocardiography we measured left ventricular mass index (LVMI: Devereux) and with pulsed Doppler peak of early (E) and late (A) ventricular filling and the ration A/E. We found the same amount of correlations between ABPM and echocardiographic parameters as other authors. [table: see text] The study of LVMI found a difference between groups when MD were > 140/90 (*) and A was significantly greater in patients with MSD > 140 (*). LVMI was greater in patients with MDD > 80 (*) and A was greater in patients with MSN > 120 (*). Predictive value of MSD > 140: 53% specificity: 79%. Predictive value of MSN > 120: 80% specificity: 45.8%. We concluded that the correlations between ABPM and echocardiographic disturbances are not very strong, but significant. If the predictive value of MSF is low, his specificity is rather high and conversely MSN has a good predictive value for selection of hypertrophic patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1482256", "title": "[Chaotic aspect of heart rate and blood pressure in diabetic patients].", "content": "We applied a simplified version of the method suggested by Sugihara-May (Nature 1990: 344: 734-41) to study the control of heart rate (HR) in subjects with diabetes mellitus. The method aims to predict the future of an observation, if a series of observations on the same phenomenon is available. The method quantifies the fact that the series is predictable more or less longtime in the future. A random series is only shortly predictable in the future. HR and blood pressure were measured from beat to beat (by the Finapres system) for about 0.5 hours in 11 subjects with diabetes mellitus and normal blood pressure (group D) and in 10 controls subjects (group N). The subjects were sitting in a temperature-controlled quiet room, isolated from all external stimuli. The 2 groups were matched for age, and had the same weight and height. No difference was observed in mean-value and standard deviation (SD) of BP and HR between the 2 groups. Groups N/D: SBP = 112 +/- 11/123 +/- 11 mmHg, NS; DBP = 64 +/- 9/67 +/- 12 mmHg, NS; HR = 70 +/- 10/69 +/- 7 b/min, NS. Standard deviation of PAS = 5.5 +/- 1.6/5.7 +/- 1.9 mmHg, NS and SD of DBP = 3.5 +/- 0.9/3.4 +/- 1.2 mmHg, NS. The SD of HR (3.0 +/- 0.5/2.3 +/- 1.0 b/min in groups N/D) was somewhat lower in diabetics than in control subjects but the difference was not significant.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1482257", "title": "Abnormalities of renal function in essential hypertension with increased circulating levels of insulin-like growth factor I.", "content": "An increase in glomerular filtration rate and in tubular Na+ reabsorption from the parenteral administration of insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) have been reported in human subjects. To evaluate whether glomerular hyperfiltration and Na+ hyper-reabsorption present in some essential hypertensives are associated to an excess of IGF-I, the plasma levels of this factor and several parameters of renal function were studied in 30 non-treated essential hypertensives and in 30 normotensive controls. IGF-I levels were higher in hypertensive as compared to controls. With the 95% (upper) limit of the normotensive population as a cut-off point, a subgroup of six hypertensives had an abnormally high IGF-I level. Mean blood pressure was slightly lower in these six patients (112 +/- 7 mmHg) than in the remaining patients (120 +/- 2 mmHg). As compared to normotensives and hypertensives with normal IGF-I levels, patients with increased IGF-I levels were characterized by lower (P < 0.01) fractional Na+ excretion and higher (P < 0.05) creatinine clearance. The analysis of the relation of plasma renin activity and the concurrent daily rate of Na+ excretion showed that patients with increased IGF-I were low-renin hypertensives and patients with normal IGF-I were normal-renin hypertensives. These results indicate that an association exists between exaggerated circulating levels of IGF-I and abnormalities of renal function present in some patients with essential hypertension. It is suggested that IGF-I can play a role in low-renin essential hypertension."}
{"id": "PMID:1482258", "title": "[Microalbuminuria and hypertension in obese patients].", "content": "The present study was designed to evaluate the frequency of an increase in the urinary albumin excretion rate (UAER) and the factors involved in this parameter in non-diabetic obese patients; 122 non-diabetic obese patients were investigated. None had proteinuria or history of nephropathy or uropathy. Fourty of them had moderate hypertension. Compared with a group of 22 lean controls, UAER was significantly higher in the obese patients (19.0 +/- 2.0 (SEM) mg/24 h vs 3.2 +/- 0.6 mg/24 h, p < 0.001). UAER was elevated (> 20 mg/24 h) in 29 patients (23.7%). Prevalence of microalbuminuria was not significantly different in hypertensive than in normotensive patients. However UAER was significantly higher in the 32 patients with a family history of hypertension (29.6 +/- 6.3 mg/24 h vs 15.3 +/- 1.5 mg/24 h, p < 0.002). In patients with microalbuminuria, body weight was significantly higher (100.3 +/- 3.9 kg vs 91.8 +/- 1.9 kg, p < 0.05), plasma albumin was significantly lower (38.3 +/- 0.6 g/l vs 40.3 +/- 0.3 g/l, p < 0.005) and the estimated value of fractional albumin clearance was significantly higher. These results show the high frequency of microalbuminuria in non-diabetic obese patients. They suggest that UAER level may be an index of family hypertension in obese patients and that microalbuminuria is part of a widespread abnormality of the capillary permeability."}
{"id": "PMID:1482259", "title": "[Increase of erythrocyte aggregation in hypertensive men with dyslipidemia].", "content": "We have already reported that erythrocyte aggregation (EA) is increased in hypertensive subjects. To study the influence of other risk factors in EA, we have measured aggregation index IA and disaggregation shear rate threshold (gamma c) by a laser technique and the biochemical parameters in 16 normotensive normocholesterolemic subjects (NT/NCT) and 45 hypertensive subjects where 17 were normocholesterolemic (HT/NCT), 18 were pure hypercholesterolemic (HT/HCTIIa) and 10 were hypercholesterolemic hypertriglyceridemic (HT/HCTIIb). The results show that IA and gamma c are more important in HT/NCT than NT/NCT patients and much more in patients with hypercholesterolemia and hypertriglyceridemia. The cumulative effects of hypertension and hyperlipidemia merit take into consideration in pathophysiology of cardiovascular complications and could help to new strategy therapeutic developments for treatment of these complications."}
{"id": "PMID:1482260", "title": "[Erythrocyte sodium-lithium countertransport in diabetic children: 12 months development and relationship with familial hypertension].", "content": "It has been suggested that an increased erythrocyte Na-Li countertransport (Na-Li CNT) rate in patients with IDDM is associated to the risk of developing diabetic nephropathy. Little is known, however, about the possible influence of metabolic control on Na-Li activity. Aims of the study were to evaluate Na-Li CNT at the onset of IDDM and during the remission phase and its relationship with some clinical and metabolic parameters. Twelve insulin-dependent diabetic children (6 males, 6 females; mean age 10 +/- 0.6 years) were studied at the onset and 1, 4, 12 months after the diagnosis; 6 of them had a family history of hypertension. Twelve healthy children (6 males, 6 females; mean age 12 +/- 0.3 years) served as controls. As compared to control subjects (212 +/- 24 mumol/l RBC/h), red cell Na-Li countertransport activity of diabetic children was significantly higher at the onset (354 +/- 31 mumol/l RBC/h) of IDDM and at the first month (348 +/- 36 mumol/l RBC/h). Red cell Na-Li countertransport activity returned toward normal range at the fourth (239 +/- 33 mumol/l RBC/h) and twelfth month (162 +/- 34 mumol/l RBC/h). No correlation was found between the values of red cell Na-Li countertransport activity and those of clinical and biochemical parameters at any time. Patients with hypertensive relatives showed at baseline evaluation a significantly higher red cell Na-Li countertransport activity than those without (436 +/- 28 vs 273 +/- 34 mumol/l RBC/h; p < 0.002). This difference, although not statistically significant, was still evident at the late follow-up.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1482261", "title": "[Atherosclerosis of an arterialized venous graft. Reduction by rigid external support].", "content": "Vein grafts undergo early intimal thickening and accelerated atherosclerosis. To assess the role of increased wall stress and distension in the pathogenic responses, 11 New Zealand white rabbits underwent interposition of an autologous jugular vein graft in the left common carotid artery. To relieve wall stress and reduce distension, the half proximal part of the vein was wrapped with a polytetrafluoroethylene graft (i.d. 4 mm). Animals were fed 1% cholesterol for 8 weeks. Vein graft and carotid artery were perfusion fixed with Karnovsky solution at 100 mmHg. They were stained with Sudan IV, and 5-microns cross sections were stained with hematoxylin-eosin and orcein. The internal diameter was reduced by 46 +/- 10% in wrapped vein graft segments as compared with unwrapped ones. The percentage of luminal surface covered by sudanophilic lesions (%AS) was assessed by automatic planimetry. Results (mean +/- SD) were as follows. [table: see text]. Abundant foam cells were found in the intima of unwrapped veins, whereas they were absent or rare in wrapped segments. We concluded that atherosclerotic lesions could be prevented in vein grafts by reducing wall stress and distension."}
{"id": "PMID:1482262", "title": "[In vitro study of the role of endothelium on the vasorelaxant effect of magnesium on the aorta from DOCA-salt hypertensive rats].", "content": "Vasorelaxant effects of magnesium (Mg) have been described in man and in animal with arterial hypertension. Some studies have shown relationships between extracellular Mg (magnesium e.c.) and endothelial function. So, our study is designed to determine whether elevated extracellular Mg leads to an endothelium-dependent vasorelaxant effect on contractile tension developed by noradrenaline in isolated aorta from DOCA-salt hypertensive rats. Elevated extracellular Mg (4.8 mM) in the bath significantly depressed the dose-response curve to noradrenaline in aorta with endothelium. Following disruption of endothelium, the vasorelaxant effect of elevated extracellular Mg on contractile response to noradrenaline was greatly inhibited. Furthermore, in presence of L. NG nitroarginine (L-NAME) (10(-4) M), inhibitor of endothelial nitric oxide (NO) biosynthesis, the vasorelaxant effect of extracellular Mg on contractility to noradrenaline was partially inhibited. The addition of sodium nitroprussiate (5 10(-9) M), known to spontaneously release NO, caused the reappearance of Mg vasorelaxation which had disappeared in aorta without endothelium. In conclusion, vascular endothelium seems to play an important role in the Mg-induced depressed contractile response to noradrenaline in isolated aorta from DOCA-salt hypertensive rat. Endothelial NO seems to be implicated in the endothelium-dependent action of extracellular Mg."}
{"id": "PMID:1482263", "title": "[Systemic and coronary hemodynamic effects of inhibition of nitrogen monoxide synthesis in conscious dogs].", "content": "Fourteen mongrel dogs were chronically instrumented on the circumflex coronary artery for measurement of coronary diameter (CD; Piezoelectric crystals) and coronary blood flow (CBF: Doppler flow probe). Coronary resistance (CR) was calculated as mean arterial blood pressure (MAP)/CBF. Systemic and coronary effects of three intravenous doses of NG-nitro-L-arginine (L-NAME: 0.1; 0.3; 1 mg/kg) were recorded (n = 5). Systemic and coronary effects of two vasodilators, acetylcholine (ACH) (endothelium-dependent: 0.3 micrograms/kg) and nitroglycerin (NTG) (endothelium-independent: 1 microgram/kg) were compared before and after L-NAME (1 mg/kg) (n = 6). Finally, the effects of L-NAME (1 mg/kg) were compared one week before and three days after denudation (balloon catheter) of the circumflex coronary artery (2 cm up and downstream from the crystals attachment site). All experiments were performed in conscious dogs. L-NAME induced a dose-dependent constriction of large epicardial coronary arteries [-1.5 +/- 0.5% from 3.1 +/- 0.3 mm, p < 0.05; -4.0 +/- 0.7% from 3.2 mm, p < 0.001; -5.3 +/- 1.2% from 3.0 mm, p < 0.01; respectively]. L-NAME 0.3 and 1 mg/kg induced a significant increase in MAP [+12.5 +/- 3.0% from 90 +/- 4 mmHg, p < 0.01; +11.3 +/- 3.5% from 96 +/- 7 mmHg, p < 0.05; respectively] and CR [+18.0 +/- 8.3% from 9.8 +/- 3.0 mmHg/cm.s, p < 0.01; +18.7 +/- 8.2% from 10.4 +/- 3.0 mmHg/cm.s, p < 0.01; respectively] with a significant bradycardia, but CBF was not modified. Effects of ACH were unchanged after L-NAME.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1482264", "title": "[Absence of labetalol interference on urine metanephrine determination in hypertensive patients].", "content": "The dosage of urinary catecholamines and their metabolites is a main element of diagnosis in the research of a pheochromocytoma in patients with high blood pressure. The literature reports high values of these compounds in patients treated with labetalol (an alpha/beta-blocker). An analytical interference has been evoked to explain these misleading results, which have not been observed with other beta-blockers. The goal of this work was to look for this eventual analytical interference in the dosage of urinary metanephrine by reversed phase liquid chromatography coupled with electrochemical detection, in patients with high blood pressure. Eighteen hypertensive patients, 52 +/- 14 years old, were included in the study. In 8 patients, a dosage of metanephrine, normetanephrine and creatinine on a 24 hours urine sample was performed before (D1) and 24 hours after (D3) the prescription of labetalol (200 mg twice a day). In the other group, labetalol was not prescribed but dosage was made in the same conditions. Urinary excretion of these compounds (metanephrine+normetanephrine) divided by urinary creatinine was not modified in the treated group (0.16 +/- 0.08 vs 0.14 +/- 0.04), nor in the reference group (0.17 +/- 0.08 vs 0.17 +/- 0.08). This study shows that administration of labetalol in patients with essential hypertension does not interfere with urinary metanephrine and normetanephrine determination after 48 hours of treatment. This implies that research for a pheochromocytoma is possible in patients with hypertension and receiving labetalol, by using reversed phase liquid chromatography coupled with an electrochemical detector for the dosage of urinary metanephrine and normetanephrine."}
{"id": "PMID:1482265", "title": "[Comparative effects of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors and calcium inhibitors related to baseline ambulatory blood pressure. A French multicenter study].", "content": "This multicenter study was aimed at determining whether the baseline ambulatory blood pressure (BP) level does influence the efficacy of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (CEI) and that of calcium antagonists (CA) to the same degree. The BP recordings of 236 patients with mild to moderate hypertension were reviewed: these subjects previously entered clinical trials comprising a mean 2-week placebo period and a mean 6-week active treatment phase (CEI = 115, CA = 121). The 24-hour baseline ambulatory BP was considered as high when greater than 139/87 mmHg, according to Staessen's meta-analysis. In the patients with an high baseline ambulatory BP, CEI and CA have had roughly a similar effect (reduction in systolic = 9.5 +/- 7.8% vs 7.7 +/- 6.3%, NS; reduction in diastolic = 9.8 +/- 8.6% vs 8.3 +/- 5.8%, NS). Conversely, the patients with a baseline ambulatory BP level lower than or equal to 139/87 mmHg experienced a greater reduction in ambulatory BP with CEI than with CA (systolic = 7.9 +/- 7.0% vs 0.6 +/- 6.7%, p = 0.0001; diastolic: 5.0 +/- 7.4% vs 1.9 +/- 7.6%, p = 0.040). Finally, further analysis found the threshold of drug efficacy to be 120/80 and 135/85 mmHg in CEI and CA patients respectively. 1) CEI are more effective than CA in patients with a low ambulatory BP only. 2) The risk of a visceral hypoperfusion seems however to be limited, since CEI do not reduce diastolic ambulatory BP further, when its baseline level is lower than 80 mmHg."}
{"id": "PMID:1482266", "title": "[Efficacy of antihypertensive treatment in the French population. A multicenter survey].", "content": "In order to assess the efficacy of antihypertensive treatment in the population, a study was undertaken in 5 French cities during the commercial fairs of Grenoble, Marseilles, Nice, Toulouse and Lille. The blood pressure was measured according to the WHO recommendations in volunteers. The study included a total of 7107 subjects of both sexes, with 4064 subjects in the 35-64 year age group. The therapeutic efficacy was evaluated in the 791 hypertensive patients who knew their antihypertensive therapy. Taking < 160/95 mmHg as the criterion of efficacy, 52 to 73% of the hypertensive patients were well controlled. However, if the therapeutic objective of normalisation of the blood pressure (BP < 140/90 mmHg) is taken as the criterion of efficacy, only 23 to 29% of the hypertensive patients were controlled whilst their BP remained significantly higher than that of normotensive controls of the same age. The difference in efficacy of antihypertensive therapy between the cities may be explained by the heterogenicity of the populations whereas the treatment did not differ significantly. After adjustment analysis with respect to sex showed that women were better controlled than men whatever the criterion chosen. The group controlled at BP < 160/95 mmHg only differed from the group < 140/90 with respect to the average BP value which was higher before treatment and decreased less with treatment; though this did not achieve statistical significance. In matters of public health, if the ideal blood pressure is taken as < 140/90 mmHg, this study shows that the objective is only attained in one out of four patients in the population studied."}
{"id": "PMID:1482267", "title": "[SYST-EUR: a multicenter trial of treatment of systolic hypertension in aged subjects. An initial report].", "content": "Syst-Eur is a multicentre placebo-controlled outcome trial, designed by the European Working Party on High Blood Pressure in the Elderly (EWPHE), to investigate the effect of antihypertensive treatment on the incidence of stroke in elderly patients with isolated systolic hypertension (ISH). Eligible patients must be at least 60 years old and have a systolic blood pressure averaging 160-219 mmHg with a diastolic blood pressure less than 95 mmHg. The present paper in an interim report on the first 316 patients randomized into this trial. The placebo (N = 170) and active treatment (N = 146) groups were similar at randomization with respect to age (73 +/- 8 years; mean +/- standard deviation), sitting blood pressure (178 +/- 12/85 +/- 7 mmHg), percentage men (34%) and percentage of patients with cardiovascular complications (29%). After randomization blood pressure fell more (p < 0.001) on active treatment than in the placebo group (19 +/- 20/6 +/- 10 mmHg versus 7 +/- 19/1 +/- 10 mmHg for the sitting blood pressure). This first interim report on the Syst-Eur trial demonstrates that a multinational trial in elderly patients with ISH is feasible and that a significant blood pressure difference between the 2 treatment groups can be achieved and maintained. New centres are being recruited in order to randomize a total of 3,000 patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1482268", "title": "[Effects of verapamil and nifedipine on blood pressure during rest and exertion and on left ventricular hypertrophy].", "content": "The effects of 6 months treatment with nifedipine 20 mg SR (N) or verapamil 240 mg SR (V) on rest and exercise BP and left ventricular mass (LVM) and function were evaluated in 31 essential hypertensive patients (mean age: 54, 19 males, 12 females), never treated with calcium antagonist. After a 15 days placebo run in, BP was measured at rest and during a maximal bicycle exercise test (stages: 30 watts, 3 min). 2D guided M mode echocardiography and pulsed Doppler allowed assessment of left ventricular mass (Devereux's formula) and function (fractional shortening FS, peak early (E) and late (A) velocities of LV filling). Patients were randomised to N (n = 18) or V (n = 13) and reassessed 6 months later. All echo-Doppler recordings were read blindly by 2 observers. rest BP was similarly reduced in both groups (V: 148 +/- 12/88 +/- 5 vs 162 +/- 10/101 +/- 7; N: 148 +/- 15/90 +/- 7 vs 170 +/- 14/101 +/- 8), as well as exercise maximal BP (V: 224 +/- 32/93 +/- 11 vs 243 +/- 21/104 +/- 11; N: 206 +/- 27/90 +/- 10 vs 231 +/- 17/97 +/- 8). The duration of exercise was significantly increased with V (15 +/- 5 min vs 12 +/- 4, p < 0.05) and insignificantly decreased with N (11 +/- 2 vs 12 +/- 3). Left ventricular mass was higher in V group at entry and was significantly more reduced with V (250 g +/- 74 vs 302 g +/- 92, p < 0.01) than with N (225 g +/- 54 vs 234 g +/- 69).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1482269", "title": "Identification of sulphate-reducing ectosymbiotic bacteria from anaerobic ciliates using 16S rRNA binding oligonucleotide probes.", "content": "The identity of ectosymbiotic bacteria of some marine, free-living anaerobic ciliates (Metopus contortus, Caenomorpha levanderi and Parablepharisma sp.) was studied using fluorescent-dye-conjugated oligonucleotides complementary to short sequence elements of 16S ribosomal RNA. The ectosymbiotic bacteria of all species hybridized with a eubacterial probe and those of the two former mentioned species hybridized with a general probe for sulphate-reducing bacteria, but not to a probe specific for Desulfobacter. The results support indirect evidence suggesting that ectosymbiotic bacteria of anaerobic ciliates are sulphate-reducers which depend on host metabolites for substrates."}
{"id": "PMID:1482270", "title": "Maleylacetate reductase of Pseudomonas sp. strain B13: dechlorination of chloromaleylacetates, metabolites in the degradation of chloroaromatic compounds.", "content": "The maleylacetate reductase of 3-chlorobenzoate-grown cells of Pseudomonas sp. strain B13 has been purified 50-fold. The enzyme converted 2-chloromaleylacetate to 3-oxoadipate with temporary occurrence of maleylacetate; 1 mol of chloride was eliminated during the conversion of 1 mol of 2-chloro- and 2,3-dichloromaleylacetate; 2 mol of NADH were consumed per mol of 2-chloro- and 2,3-dichloromaleylacetate while only 1 mol was necessary to catalyze the conversion of maleylacetate or 2-methylmaleylacetate. The maleylacetate reductase failed to use fumarylacetate as a substrate. The role of the enzyme in the chloroaromatics degradation is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1482271", "title": "The hyp operon gene products are required for the maturation of catalytically active hydrogenase isoenzymes in Escherichia coli.", "content": "The hyp operon of Escherichia coli comprises several genes which are required for the synthesis of all three hydrogenase isoenzymes. Deletions were introduced into each of the hypA-E genes, transferred to the chromosome and the resulting mutants were analysed for hydrogenase 1, 2 and 3 activity. The products of three of the genes, hypB, hypD and hypE were found to be essential for the synthesis of all three hydrogenase isoenzymes. A defect in hypB, as previously observed, could be complemented by high nickel concentrations in the medium, whereas the effects of mutants in the other genes could not. Lesions in hypA prevented development of hydrogenase 3 activity, did not influence the level of hydrogenase 1 but led to a considerable increase in hydrogenase 2 activity although the amount of hydrogenase 2 protein was not drastically altered. Lesions in hypC, on the other hand, led to a reduction of hydrogenase 1 activity and abolished hydrogenase 3 activity. HYPA and HYPC, besides being required for hydrogenase 3 formation, therefore may have a function in modulating the activities of the three isoenzymes with respect to each other and adjusting their levels to the requirement imposed by the physiological situation. Mutations in all five hyp genes prevented the apparent processing of the large subunits of all three hydrogenase isoenzymes. It is concluded that the products of the hypA-E genes play a role in nickel incorporation into hydrogenase apoprotein and/or processing of the constituent subunits of this enzyme. The importance of their roles is also reflected in their phylogenetic conservation in distantly related organisms."}
{"id": "PMID:1482273", "title": "[Symptomatic profile of depression].", "content": "There is no precise documentation about an universal nuclear composition of the depressive syndrome. Moreover, secondary manifestations of depression are even more controversial. In this paper the symptomatic profile of a sample of depressive patients attended in the Hospital Universitario de Canarias is analyzed. The characteristics, profiles and frequencies of the symptomatic pattern are discussed and commented."}
{"id": "PMID:1482272", "title": "[Effect of family environment on adaptation to the hemodialysis program in patients with chronic renal insufficiency].", "content": "In our study we have analyzed the influence of family environment on adjustment of renal patients to the HD as well as on the attitude towards kidney transplantation. The study included 57 patients (34 M, 23 F), mean age 52.3 years, and they had been on dialysis for an average of 34.5 months. We obtained information about adaptation and behavior in the care unit, and attitude and motivation towards renal transplantation. Biochemical variables were used to register disruption of medical compliance or dietetic transgression (K, PRC, BUN, weight gain, etc.). The patient's family climate was assessed through use of the Family Environment Scale (FES, Moos and Moos, 1981). The results showed that patients with aggressiveness and noncompliance during HD sessions tended to have high family conflict in family members. The most positive attitudes towards renal transplantation were found in the patients that came from families with the greatest degree of cohesion and expressiveness. In summary, family social climate is a variable influencing outcome of these patients. Its routine assessment would permit the prediction of adaptation to the therapeutic program as much as better efficacy of HD treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1482278", "title": "A study on the mechanical reliability of the Dacomed snap gauge: implications for the differentiation between organic and psychogenic impotence.", "content": "Two experiments were conducted testing reliability of expansion chamber determined gauge element breakage ranges; 20 trials with sexually functional males provided comparative data on the gauge in actual application. Circumference of the expansion chamber and increases in penile circumference were simultaneously monitored via a mercury strain gauge. Results for both experiments indicated considerable overlap at gauge element breakpoints, and yielded an overall misdiagnosis rate of 15.5% in a young, healthy population."}
{"id": "PMID:1482274", "title": "[Follow-up study at 6 months of a sample of drug addicts].", "content": "Global outcome of 94 drug abusers who began treatment in a Mental Health Center is studied in a six month follow-up. Drug use, medical, familial, occupational, legal and psychological status related with drug addiction are also analyzed. In the follow-up 90.4% patients were located, and the outcome was good in drug abuse, medical and familial areas. According to Global Outcome Scale, 36% scored high (optimal or good outcome) and 33% scored low (poor or very poor outcome)."}
{"id": "PMID:1482279", "title": "Measurement of sexual aggression in college men: a methodological analysis.", "content": "Researchers have devoted increased attention in recent years to the measurement of sexual aggression in college populations. This review describes and critically examines current methods of measuring sexual aggression which rely on a self-reported history of such behavior. We suggest that the construct validity of these approaches can be enhanced through a systematic consideration of instrumentation and methodological issues. Twenty-six empirical studies were evaluated with regard to sample characteristics such as size, type, representativeness, and subject exclusion criteria, as well as study design, measurement method, statistics reported, use of debriefing, and control for socially desirable response bias. Specific instrumentation methodology to measure a self-reported history of sexual aggression was examined in detail."}
{"id": "PMID:1482275", "title": "[Treatment with naltrexone in opiate dependents: 2 years' follow-up].", "content": "Outcome of a maintenance treatment with naltrexone (350 mg/week) are examined in a sample of 365 patients with opiate dependence disorder. Treatment was followed in an outpatient facility, in a setting similar to patient's own environment. The average attendance rate was of 198 days. Six months after the onset of the treatment, 52% of the patients still remained drug-free. Results of treatment was correlated with family support, HIV, work adjustment, use of other drugs and partner using drugs."}
{"id": "PMID:1482280", "title": "Adult sexual orientation in relation to memories of childhood gender conforming and gender nonconforming behaviors.", "content": "Heterosexual, bisexual, and homosexual men recalled the extent to which they had engaged in gender conforming (masculine) and gender nonconforming (feminine) behaviors as a child. Adult sexual orientation was predicted as accurately by memories of childhood gender conforming behaviors as by memories of childhood gender nonconforming behaviors. However, childhood scripts as recalled by homosexual men were considerably more diverse. Twenty-two of 61 homosexual men reported having experienced few, if any, of the gender conforming behaviors and most, if not all, of the gender nonconforming behaviors. Another 18 homosexual men had the same profile of recalled childhood experiences as heterosexual men (high probability of masculine behaviors and low probability of feminine behaviors). Such diversity has implications not only for commentaries on the basis for homosexuality but for issues to be addressed in future research."}
{"id": "PMID:1482281", "title": "Effects of recalled childhood gender nonconformity on adult genitoerotic role and AIDS exposure. HNRC Group.", "content": "The connections between childhood gender nonconformity (assessed by the Freund Feminine Gender Identity Scale, or FGI) and adult genitoerotic role (assessed by a sex history) were examined. The core sample was a group of 106 men who had sex with other men before 1980 and who are currently enrolled in two longitudinal studies of AIDS. Although other workers have cautioned against assuming a priori that childhood gender role is inherently related to adult preferences for particular sexual acts, our data suggest that there is at least a statistical association between these two concepts. In particular, the FGI (and many of its factors and items) are significantly associated with preferences for receptive anal intercourse and, less clearly, with oral-anal contact--but not with oral-genital intercourse or insertive and intercourse. Suggestions for AIDS prevention and safe-sex awareness are made on the basis of these findings. The data also suggest that in sex research involving homosexual men, the correct genitoerotic role distinction is not insertive vs. receptive behaviors, or even insertive vs. receptive and intercourse, but receptive anal intercourse vs. all other behaviors."}
{"id": "PMID:1482276", "title": "[Neuropsychological changes in drug addicts infected with human immunodeficiency virus].", "content": "The early organic mental disorder, caused by the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV) in the drug dependents (DD), if it is not taken into account, can disturb the diagnosis of the neuropsychiatric and the toxic disorders. The authors attempt to outline, with several neuropsychological tests (visuo-perceptual, memory, attention) and with the physical and neurologic exploration, if cognitive abnormalities are present in two groups of DD after detoxification period. The first group is infected by the HIV (n: 48), and the second one is not (n: 33). Differences can be found only in the Bender visuo-perceptual test, which are not justified by the divergences found between the groups about the drug dependence history and the present drug of abuse intake. The importance of the early diagnosis of these abnormalities is argued in order to get a suitable treatment of the possible neuropsychiatric complications in the DD development, and restrain the extent of the cognitive damage by HIV infection."}
{"id": "PMID:1482282", "title": "Paraphilias: a double-blind crossover comparison of clomipramine versus desipramine.", "content": "A relationship has been suggested between clinical presentation of paraphilias and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) with respect to the unwanted repetitive nature and insight into the irrationality of the paraphiliac behavior. This has led to speculation that paraphiliac disorders might belong to an \"obsessive compulsive spectrum.\" To address this issue, and because of the striking selective benefit of serotonin reuptake blocking antidepressants (such as clomipramine) in the treatment of OCD, 15 paraphiliacs entered a double-blind crossover comparison of clomipramine vs. desipramine preceded by a 2-week single-blind placebo period. Four subjects responded to placebo and were dropped from the study. Three others failed to complete the study. Although the study is limited by the small number of patients and the heterogeneity of the paraphilias, the observed benefit from both tricyclics (over the initial placebo) encourages further study. For the 8 subjects completing the protocol, there was no preferential response to the more specific serotonin reuptake inhibitor suggesting a difference in underlying pathophysiology between paraphilia and OCD."}
{"id": "PMID:1482284", "title": "Evaluation of the toxicity, pathology, and treatment of cyclohexylmethylphosphonofluoridate (CMPF) poisoning in rhesus monkeys.", "content": "Cyclohexylmethylphosphonofluoridate (CMPF) is an organophosphate cholinesterase inhibitor with military significance. The purpose of these studies was 1) to determine the acute toxicity of CMPF in the male rhesus monkey, 2) to evaluate the efficacy of pyridostigmine (PYR) pretreatment plus atropine and oxime (2-PAM or H16) treatment, and 3) to evaluate the pathological consequences of acute poisoning. An i.m. LD50 of CMPF was estimated using an up-and-down dose selection procedure and 12 animals. The 48-h and 7-day LD50 was 46.6 micrograms/kg, i.m. In the protection experiments, pyridostigmine (0.3-0.7 mg/kg/24 h) was administered by surgically implanted osmotic minipumps for 3-12 days resulting in 21-65% inhibition of erythrocyte acetylcholinesterase activity. Animals were challenged with 5 x L50 CMPF (233 micrograms/kg) and treated with atropine (0.4 mg/kg) and either 2-PAM (25.7 mg/kg) or HI6 (37.8 mg/kg) at the onset of signs or 1 min after challenge. Osmotic pumps were removed within 30 min after agent challenge. Pyridostigmine, atropine, and either 2-PAM or H16 were completely effective against CMPF, saving ten of ten animals in each group. In comparison, three of five animals challenged with 5 x LD50 of soman and treated with atropine and 2-PAM survived 7 days. The primary histologic lesions in the acute toxicity group were neuronal degeneration/necrosis and spinal cord hemorrhage. The CMPF treated groups (total of 20 animals) had minimal nervous system changes with no significant lesion difference resulting from the different oxime therapies. The primary non-neural lesions were degenerative cardiomyopathy and skeletal muscle degeneration which occasionally progressed to necrosis and mineralization.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1482283", "title": "HL\u00f6 7 dimethanesulfonate, a potent bispyridinium-dioxime against anticholinesterases.", "content": "HL\u00f6 7 dimethanesulfonate (1-[[[4-(aminocarbonyl)pyridinio]methoxy]methyl]-2,4-bis [(hydroxyimino)methyl]pyridinium dimethanesulfonate) is a broad-spectrum reactivator against highly toxic organophosphorus compounds. The compound was synthesized by a new route with the carcinogenic bis(chloromethyl)ether being substituted by the non-mutagenic bis(methylsulfonoxymethyl)ether. The very soluble dimethanesulfonate of obidoxime was also prepared by this way. HL\u00f6 7 dimethanesulfonate is the first water-soluble salt of HL\u00f6 7 that should be suitable for the wet/dry autoinjector technology, because aqueous solutions of HL\u00f6 7 are not very stable (calculated shelf-life 0.2 years when stored at 8 degrees C, 1 M solution, pH 2.5). The crystalline preparation contains 96% of the syn/syn-isomer, less than 2% of the syn/anti-isomer and some minor identified by-products. HL\u00f6 7 was very efficient in reactivating acetylcholinesterase (AChE) blocked by organophosphates as long as ageing did not prevent dephosphylation. HL\u00f6 7 was superior to HI 6 (1-[[[4-(aminocarbonyl)pyridinio]methoxy]methyl]-2- [(hydroxyimino)methyl]pyridinium dichloride) in reactivating soman and sarin-inhibited AChE from erythrocytes, and literature data indicate that HL\u00f6 7 exceeds HI 6 by far in reactivating tabun-inhibited AChE. In atropine-protected, soman-poisoned mice HL\u00f6 7 was three times more potent than HI 6 (protective ratio 5 versus 2.5), and in sarin-poisoned mice HL\u00f6 7 was 10 times more potent than HI 6 (protective ratio 8 for both oximes). In atropine-protected guinea-pigs HL\u00f6 7 was less effective than HI 6 (protective ratio: 2.3 versus 5.2 for soman; 5.2 versus 6.8 for sarin; 4.3 versus 3.8 for tabun). The mean survival time of anaesthetized guinea-pigs exposed to 5 LD50 soman (6.3 min) was increased by atropine (27 min) and atropine + HL\u00f6 (57 min). HL\u00f6 7 alone did not prolong the survival. The most impressive effect of HL\u00f6 7 was on respiration: 3 min after i.v. injection of HL\u00f6 7 and atropine, the depressed respiration increased rapidly to 60% of control and remained at that level during the observation period (60 min). With atropine alone, respiration recovered only slowly. Behavioural and physiologic parameters were determined in atropine-protected mice exposed to a sublethal soman dose. The running performance was significantly improved by HL\u00f6 7. Even central symptoms, e.g. hypothermia and convulsions, were decreased markedly by HL\u00f6 7 (evaluation 60 min after poisoning). The pharmacokinetic data for HL\u00f6 7 in male beagle dogs are similar to those of HI 6.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1482285", "title": "Protection of guinea pigs against soman poisoning with ferrocene carbamate.", "content": "The protective effect of ferrocene carbamate pretreatment against soman poisoning was studied in guinea pigs. At doses corresponding to 1/20 x and 1/10 x LD50 of this carbamate a 20% and 45% decrease of the acetylcholinesterase in blood and brain, respectively, was obtained. In combination with additional pretreatment, diazepam, and therapy, HI-6 and atropine, the protective ratios (LD50 of soman in treated animals/LD50 of soman in untreated animals) were around 20 and 40, respectively. Animals pretreated with the high dose of the ferrocene carbamate that survived 10 x and 15 x LD50s of soman showed no remaining signs of poisoning after 24 h. Thus, the ferrocene carbamate afforded a better protection against soman than physostigmine. The explanation for this could be due to the properties of the ferrocene carbamate, not correlated to its cholinesterase inhibiting activity. This hypothesis is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1482286", "title": "Comparison of DNA adduct formation between 2,4 and 2,6-dinitrotoluene by 32P-postlabelling analysis.", "content": "Using 32P-postlabelling, we examined DNA binding by 2,4 and 2,6-dinitrotoluene (DNT) in Fischer-344 rats. DNA binding between the two compounds was compared to determine if differences in adduct formation and persistence could partly explain the known isomer-specific hepatocarcinogenicity of DNTs. The differences in cytotoxicity between the two isomers were also assessed. Both 2,4 and 2,6-DNT induced adduct formation in hepatic DNA. Three distinct adducts were detected following single i.p. administration of 2,4-DNT, while the 2,6-isomer produced four different adducts. Depending on the concentration administered, the two compounds differed in their relative yields. 2,6-DNT produced a greater total adduct yield relative to the 2,4-isomer at low concentrations. Following administration of high concentrations, however, 2,4-DNT predominated. The maximum adduct levels measured were 3.0 and 1.8 adducted nucleotides per 10(6) nucleotides for 2,4 and 2,6-DNT, respectively. Substantial amounts of adducts from both compounds were found to persist over time. After 2 weeks, the mean persistence for 2,4 and 2,6-DNT induced adducts were 42% and 46%, respectively. Qualitative examination for liver toxicity showed 2,6-DNT to be more cytotoxic, inducing extensive hemorrhagic centrilobular necrosis. Rats treated with 2,4-DNT did not show any observable signs of hepatocellular necrosis. Under the conditions of this study, the differences between 2,4 and 2,6-DNT in adduct formation and persistence do not appear to be sufficient to account for their differences in carcinogenicity. The toxicity of 2,6-DNT may be a determining factor in the potent carcinogenicity observed with this compound."}
{"id": "PMID:1482287", "title": "Sex- and age-related nephrotoxicity due to 1,2-dichloropropane in vitro.", "content": "Sex- and age-related nephrotoxicity due to 1,2-dichloropropane was studied in vitro by means of renal cortical slices obtained from Wistar rats. Reduced glutathione content, organic anion accumulation (p-aminohippurate), and release of malondialdehyde (to measure the extent of lipid peroxidation), aspartate aminotransferase, gamma-glutamyltransferase and lactate dehydrogenase into the incubation medium were determined. Sex differences in naive rats parameters were slight, but male were more susceptible to toxic effects of 1,2-dichloropropane than female rats; glutathione depletion, lipid peroxidation, and loss of organic anion accumulation were higher in male than in female slices. During senescence, naive male rats showed a progressive decrease of glutathione content (statistically significant from 7-9 months of age), increase of spontaneous lipid peroxidation from the same age, and increase of signs of cytotoxicity (release of aspartate aminotransferase and lactate dehydrogenase into the incubation medium) from 3-4 months of age. A loss of organic anion accumulation started from 7-9 months of age. Slices from rats of 3-4 months old showed the apparently highest susceptibility to 1,2-dichloropropane but depletion of glutathione content and loss of organic anion accumulation were at the same level in the oldest rats. The age decrease of control values caused the differences in the percentage ratio and then, apparently, a lower DCP effect. On the contrary, the increase of aspartate aminotransferase released in the incubation medium by DCP-treated slices corresponded to the age-related increase in cytotoxicity."}
{"id": "PMID:1482288", "title": "The role of glutathione in the acute nephrotoxicity of sodium dichromate.", "content": "Ascorbate treatment 30 min prior to sodium dichromate (20 or 30 mg/kg, s.c.) shows higher potency than that of glutathione (GSH) in protecting against both the metabolic disturbance and nephrotoxicity induced by dichromate. However, ascorbate treatment after 2 h of dichromate intoxication had no effect on dichromate-induced blood urea nitrogen (BUN) elevation 3 days after intoxication. In contrast, dichromate-induced glucosuria, which reached maximum levels at 3 days after treatment, was significantly decreased by GSH or N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) treatment, even if its administration was after 24 h of dichromate intoxication. Pretreatment with GSH depletors such as diethyl maleate (DEM) and buthionine sulfoximine (BSO) had no effect on dichromate-induced nephrotoxicity. GSH levels in the liver and kidney were not affected at 3 h after dichromate treatment. However, dichromate significantly increased tissue GSH levels with a marked increase in liver per kidney GSH ratio at 24 h after treatment, if food was withheld subsequent to dichromate treatment, indicating that GSH biosynthesis resulted from the accelerated protein breakdown. These results suggest that GSH-mediated dichromate reduction is not a kinetically favorable pathway in vivo; however, GSH plays an important role in protection against dichromate-induced nephrotoxicity. In addition, the cellular metabolism of dichromate in the early period after treatment is important in the pathogenesis of its nephrotoxicity."}
{"id": "PMID:1482289", "title": "4-Methylpyrazole partially ameliorated the teratogenicity of retinol and reduced the metabolic formation of all-trans-retinoic acid in the mouse.", "content": "Oral administration of retinol (50 mg/kg) to NMRI mice on day 11 of gestation (vaginal plug = day 0) led to the metabolic formation of high quantities of all-trans retinoic acid and all-trans-4-oxoretinoic acid, both known as potent teratogenic agents in the mouse. A 96% reduction of the area under the concentration-versus-time-curve (AUC) of metabolically generated all-trans retinoic acid in maternal plasma, and an 84% decrease in the embryonic AUC were observed when mice had been pretreated with the alcohol dehydrogenase inhibitor 4-methylpyrazole. A similar reduction was observed for the major metabolite of all-trans retinoic acid in the mouse, all-trans-4-oxoretinoic acid. However, 4-methylpyrazole pretreatment decreased the AUC of retinol by 10% in maternal plasma and 15% in embryo. Treatment with retinol alone resulted in 55.6%, 43.9% and 56.0% skeletal anomalies of the forelimbs, hindlimbs and craniofacial structures, respectively. Pretreatment with 4-methylpyrazole lowered the retinol induced skeletal defects to 31.3%, 24.0% and 31.3%, respectively, in the forelimb, hindlimb and craniofacial region. Typical retinoid-induced malformations for gestational day 11, e.g. bent or reduced zeugopod or stylopod elements, or cleft palate, were significantly reduced by 4-methylpyrazole pretreatment but were still detected in significantly higher prevalence than in control mice. These data suggest that the teratogenic activity of a single high dose of vitamin A in mouse is partially but not exclusively dependent on the metabolic activation of retinol to all-trans retinoic acid. Thus it could be hypothesized that retinol is either a proximate teratogen or a coteratogen with all-trans retinoic acid."}
{"id": "PMID:1482290", "title": "Hair analysis for drugs of abuse. IV. Determination of total morphine and confirmation of 6-acetylmorphine in monkey and human hair by GC/MS.", "content": "The reliable analytical method for total morphine in hair was established by GC/MS-SIM. The calibration curve for morphine in hair showed linear over 0.5-100 ng/mg hair. Though the limit of detection was 0.1 ng/mg hair with an S/N > 3 of the base ion(m/z 429) for morphine, the limit of confirmation by detection of three major ions was 0.5 ng/mg. The hydrolytic extraction of the morphine analogs in hair with 10% HCl for 1 h at 100 degrees C gave quantitative recovery of morphine. The reproducibility of recovery of morphine spiked to the control hair was 2.9-7.3% in a concentration range between 2 and 50 ng/mg hair. The three monkeys were administered once a day with morphine at 10 mg/kg and heroin at 2.5 mg/kg, respectively, for 10 days and their back hair newly grown for 10 weeks was cut for analysis. The levels of total morphine in monkey hair intoxicated with morphine and heroin were 3.4 and 5.2 ng/mg, respectively. Taking their doses into account, it is concluded that the morphine level in hair from monkeys administered with heroin was 6 times higher than that with morphine. In hair from monkeys and humans intoxicated with heroin, 6-acetylmorphine was detected at the level of 0.7-7.2 ng/mg as a major component in hair together with morphine and no heroin. Drug concentrations of sectional hair shaft cut 2 cm each from the root side were compared with the self-reported drug histories of three cases. The results of sectional analysis of heroin abuser's hair suggested that the relationship between the distribution of morphine along hair shaft and the drug use history showed a good correlation, though the accumulation of heroin metabolites in body could result from chronic use of heroin."}
{"id": "PMID:1482291", "title": "Toxicological detection of selegiline and its metabolites in urine using fluorescence polarization immunoassay (FPIA) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and differentiation by enantioselective GC-MS of the intake of selegiline from abuse of methamphetamine or amphetamine.", "content": "Selegiline (R(-)-N-methyl-N-(1-phenyl-2-propyl)-2-propinylamine), a selective MAO-B inhibitor used as an antiparkinsonian, is excreted in urine as N-desmethyl selegiline (norselegiline), R(-)-methamphetamine (R(-)-MA), R(-)-amphetamine (R(-)-AM) and their conjugated p-hydroxy derivatives. We found that the fluorescence polarization immunoassays (FPIA) TDx amphetamine/methamphetamine II (AM/MA II) and TDx amphetamine class (AM class) lead to positive results for up to 2 days after a single oral dose of 10 mg selegiline (detection limit: 0.1 mg/l, each). Every urine specimen from long term selegiline patients (10 mg/day) showed positive TDx results during the selegiline regimen. Positive TDx results were confirmed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Selegiline metabolites, particularly MA, could be detected in urine for up to 7 days after intake of a single oral dose of 10 mg selegiline (detection limit: 0.01 mg/l for MA and AM). Norselegiline, the only specific selegiline metabolite, was only detectable for about 12 h. Moreover, norselegiline was not detected in all urine samples from long term selegiline patients (10 mg/day). Since differentiation of selegiline intake from MA/AM abuse by detecting norselegiline was not possible in most cases, an enantioselective GC-MS procedure was developed. It allowed differentiation of the enantiomers of the selegiline metabolites and thereby separation of selegiline intake (only R(-)-enantiomers) from methamphetamine and/or amphetamine abuse (racemates or S(+)-enantiomers). After derivatization with S(-)-N-trifluoroacetyl-prolyl chloride (TPC), the two enantiomers of MA and AM were each separated as diastereomers employing the routinely used achiral GC capillary.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1482292", "title": "Potential neurotoxin formation in thermally degraded synthetic ester turbine lubricants.", "content": "Under extreme conditions of thermal degradation, a potent neurotoxin, trimethylolpropane phosphate (TMPP), may be formed by reaction of tricresyl phosphate (TCP, an anti-wear additive) and trimethylolpropane esters (TMPE) of carboxylic acids that may be contained in turbine engine lubricant formulations. The neurotoxin is only formed at extreme temperatures (350-700 degrees C), which has minimized concern for use of the synthetic lubricants under intended applications; however, since researchers are often not privy to the proprietary composition of such lubricants, extreme caution should be exercised in studies of or applications of synthetic lubricants degraded under extreme conditions."}
{"id": "PMID:1482294", "title": "[Classification of allergens by positive percentage agreement and cluster analysis based on specific IgE antibodies in asthmatic children].", "content": "Classification and characterization of allergens is important because allergic patients are sensitized by a variety of allergens. One hundred and sixty-one sera from asthmatic children were investigated for specific IgE antibodies against 35 allergens including 20 inhalants and 15 foods by means of the MAST method. We assessed the allergenic properties of the allergens based on positive percentage agreement and cluster analysis. There was a high positive percentage agreement of specific IgE antibodies between house dust and Dermatophagoides spp., a relatively high agreement between 5 molds, cat and dog epithelium, mugwort and wormwood and 5 grasses. Among the food allergens, the positive percentage agreements were relatively high, especially between cow's milk, casein, cheese, and between 3 cereal grains. In the cluster analysis, house dust and Dermatophagoides spp. made a big cluster; therefore 32 allergens except house dust and mites were analyzed. From the results of the cluster analysis, the major cluster consisted of (1) ragweed, (2) mugwort and wormwood, (3) timothy, sweet vernal, velvet and cultivated rye, (4) wheat, barley and rice, (5) molds, (6) cow's milk, casein, soybean and cheese, (7) shrimp and crab, (8) egg white, (9) Japanese cedar, (10) dog epithelium, (11) cat epithelium. The cluster of grass pollens and cereal grains made one cluster. These results tend to confirm the presence of species cross-reactivities within the major classes of allergens."}
{"id": "PMID:1482295", "title": "[Evaluation of allergenicity of the extract of Japanese juniper pollen reacting to sera from asthmatic children--by the methods of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and immunoblotting].", "content": "We investigated the allergenicity of pollen extract of Japanese juniper (Juniperus rigida, Cupressaceae family) to sera of 49 asthmatic children by the methods of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and immunoblotting. Three bands stained with Coomassie Brilliant Blue R were detected on SDS-PAGE. Sera from 27 (55.1%) out of the 49 children showed positive reaction to the pollen extract in ELISA. The same sera from the 27 children were used as the first antibody in immunoblotting, which confirmed the presence of a band of protein with 70 K dalton molecular weight (M.W) common to the all sera. This band was bound with concanavalin A in lectins. We successfully purified the antigenic substance of Japanese juniper pollen from this band by the electroelution method. The major allergen of Japanese juniper pollen is glycoprotein with 70 KM.W. On sandwich-ELISA, there was no reaction of Sugi Basic Protein (SBP) and anti-SBP to Japanese juniper is an allergen that has no cross-reactivity with SBP."}
{"id": "PMID:1482296", "title": "[Sugi (Cryptomeria japonica D. Don) pollen scattering out of season].", "content": "We investigated the preseasonal blooming conditions of the male flowers of Sugi (Cryptomeria japonica D. Don) which flowers commonly in spring. We also investigated atmospheric Sugi pollen during all seasons for three years from 1988 through 1991 to determine pollen scattering in autumn. Our results showed that a discernible amount of pollen is scattered from the middle of October into December; this scattering would be expected in the following spring. Almost none of the buds of the flowers collected in October and in November bloomed when incubated at temperatures ranging from 6 degrees C to 20 degrees C after low-temperature treatment to arise the blooms from dormancy. However, small numbers of the male flowers from various Sugi trees bloomed and scattered pollen under these conditions. We found that the ratio of the blooming male flowers was one-third or less per blossom. The ratio changed depending on the growth stage and incubation conditions. In conclusion, the density of airborne Sugi pollen scattering is not high in autumn in general. However, the density would be expected to be high enough to induce allergic reactions and clinical symptoms in some areas of Sugi growth, especially in a good harvest year."}
{"id": "PMID:1482297", "title": "[The inhibitory effects of platelet activating factor (PAF) on ciliary activity of human paranasal sinus mucosa].", "content": "The effect of platelet activating factor (PAF) on human paranasal ciliated cells was investigated in vitro. Normal human paranasal sinus mucosa was obtained by surgical procedure and incubated with Eagle's MEM containing 10% FCS in the form of tissue culture. Ciliary activity was viewed at 37 degrees C under an inverted microscope equipped with a thermoregulator and a humidified CO2 chamber, recorded on video tapes and photoelectrically measured. Ciliary inhibition was observed by the treatment with PAF, in a dose dependent manner, at concentrations from 10(-10) M to 10(-6) M. The inhibitory effect of 10(-8) M PAF on ciliary activity was completely blocked when the mucosa was treated with 10(-6) M CV-3988 or 10(-6) M CV-6209 (specific PAF receptor antagonists). By the radioimmunoassay, the concentration of PAF in tissue culture was reduced by half within 12.5 min, and within 60 min it was only 5% of the initial concentration. There was no significant difference in ciliary inhibition between irrigation after a 60 min incubation with 10(-8) M PAF and non-irrigation. These results indicate that PAF inhibited ciliary activity directly and specifically, and induced irreversible damage primarily within the first 60 min after the challenge."}
{"id": "PMID:1482298", "title": "[Involvement of allergic mechanism in minimal change nephrotic syndrome (MCNS)].", "content": "In this study we evaluated the involvement of allergic mechanisms in patients with adult onset MCNS (17 cases) by measuring serum IgE levels and RAST scores to house dust 1 (H.D.1), house dust 2 (H.D.2), Dermatophagoides farinae (D.f.), Dermatophagoides ptenonyssinus (D.p.). Out of the 17 cases, three cases showed high levels of IgE (more than 1000 IU/ml) and the mean level of serum IgE was 877 IU/ml before treatment. All cases were treated with steroid and/or cyclophosphamide. After the treatment, all cases returned to remission. The level of IgE decreased to the normal range in four out of seven cases which had shown high levels of IgE before treatment. RAST was carried out on seven of the 17 cases. RAST scores for D.f. and D.f. were found to be positive in three cases, but these became negative in two cases after treatment. In five cases relapsed, the all cases showed to have the increased level of serum IgE and two of four cases which were examined RAST score showed to have the increased RAST score for D.f. and D.p. Thus, the data indicated that allergic mechanism, especially against D.f. and D.p. antigen, seemed to play one of the factors in the pathogenesis of MCNS."}
{"id": "PMID:1482299", "title": "[A case of sarcoidosis associated with Sj\u00f6gren's syndrome].", "content": "A 49-year-old woman, who has had a past history of Raynaud's phenomenon since 1981, dry mouth since 1987 and dry eyes since 1990, was admitted to our hospital complaining of general fatigue, bilateral gonalgia, and shortness of breath in April 1991. Physical examinations revealed bilateral parotid gland enlargement and bilateral uveitis. Her family history included mixed connective tissue disease in her eldest daughter. Laboratory findings indicated an elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate, hypergammaglobulinemia, and elevation of serum lysozyme and angiotensin converting enzyme levels. Antinuclear antibodies, anti-SSA antibodies, anti-SSB antibodies were positive, while tuberculin test was negative. Chest X-rays showed bilateral hilar lymphadenopathy and small nodular shadows in both lung fields. Increases in lymphocytes and the CD4/CD8 ratio of T cells were noted in alveolar lavage fluid. Renal biopsy revealed non-caseous granulomas. Other remarkable findings included positive Schirmer's test, apple tree lesions by sialography and chronic sialoadenitis by biopsy of the labial minor salivary gland. On the basis of all these findings, we diagnosed her as suffering from sarcoidosis with Sj\u00f6gren's syndrome. After oral administration of prednisolone, her shortness of breath, hilar lymphadenopathy and small nodular shadows in the lung field disappeared, but the patient was transferred to the department of urology due to the onset of hydronephrosis. This case is noteworthy because sarcoidosis associated with Sj\u00f6gren's syndrome has been reported in only 11 cases in the literature."}
{"id": "PMID:1482300", "title": "[Sodium cromoglycate nebulized solution has an acute bronchodilative effect in patients with aspirin-intolerant asthma (AIA)].", "content": "Sodium cromoglycate (SCG) (Intal) is a well-known anti-allergic agent which protects against allergen- and exercise-induced bronchospasms. The effect has been recognized non-acute, unlike that of bronchodilators. However, we have found that some patients with aspirin-intolerant asthma (AIA) show significant improvement soon after a single inhalation of SCG nebulized solution. In this study, we investigated the acute bronchodilator effect of SCG given by nebulizer in adult asthmatics, especially compairing AIA with non-AIA (aspirin-tolerant asthma) patients. Twenty patients with AIA and 11 with non-AIA participated in the study. After performing spirometry on remission, they inhaled either SCG via a nebulizer or 4 ml of placebo in a randomized double-blind fashion. After inhalation, spirometry was performed every ten minutes for one hour. The placebo used was a saline solution of the same osmolarity as that of the SCG nebulized solution. Placebo inhalation provoked asthmatic attacks in five of the patients with AIA and one with non-AIA, but SCG did not. In the AIA group, twelve out of the twenty patients also had improved nasal symptoms soon after inhalation of SCG. Forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) was significantly improved 10 minutes after inhalation of SCG. Fifty minutes after SCG inhalation, the percent degree of FEV1 improvement was approximately 17%. However, FEV1 was significantly decreased by approximately 14% after inhalation of placebo. In the non-AIA group, FEV1 was not increased after inhalation of SCG. V25 was not changed after inhalation of SCG in AIA and non-AIA groups.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1482301", "title": "[Morphology of the compensatory-adaptive responses in the placenta of multiparous women in uncomplicated pregnancy].", "content": "125 placentas of women with many (5-17) deliveries and 100 control placentas (with 1-2 deliveries) were studied morphologically. It is shown that placentas of women with 1-2 deliveries retain their structure, compensatory reactions are most active in the central part of the placenta. After 5-9 deliveries hemodynamic disturbances are observed, disorganization processes are less pronounced, the level of compensatory-adaptive processes increases. Hemodynamic disturbances and structural disorganization are observed after 10-17 deliveries with pronounced compensatory processes in the peripheral parts of the placenta. Dissociated disturbance of the villi maturation are revealed after numerous deliveries."}
{"id": "PMID:1482302", "title": "[Characteristics of bone marrow stromal cell-precursor cells in children with congenital hip dislocation].", "content": "Basing on cloning in vitro, colony-forming stromal cells (CFSC) of the bone marrow were studied in 66 children with a congenital dislocation of the hip. Degenerative processes in the bones of the hip joint were followed by a significant decrease of CFSC cloning. A direct correlation between the results of surgical treatment and cloning efficiency is established. Thus, the cloning efficiency may be used as a criterion for determining feasibility, time of surgery and its prognosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1482303", "title": "[Morphofunctional interrelationships between the placenta and the fetal kidneys in uncomplicated pregnancy and gestoses].", "content": "A histostereometric study of the placenta and kidneys was performed in non-complicated pregnancy (37 cases) and gestoses (31 cases) during the second part of the pregnancy. Two big groups of alterations are distinguished characterizing functional morphology of placenta in gestoses: increased specific volume of the involutive-degenerative changes and decreased specific volume of the terminal villi this being the substrate of chronic placenta failure. Correlation analysis revealed an increase of positive and negative links between placental structures in gestoses. Hypoxic alterations with an increase in stromal component develop in combined and \"pure\" gestoses and this was confirmed by quantitative and correlation analysis."}
{"id": "PMID:1482304", "title": "[Functional morphology of parathyroid cells in disorders of calcium metabolism].", "content": "Cell composition of the parathyroid gland was studied under normal conditions, after the hypo- or hyperloading with calcium gluconate and at hyperfunction. Three types of parathyrocytes were established that probably reflect different stages of their life cycle: the first--poorly differentiated cell, the second--mature differentiated cell and the third--degenerated cell. The majority of cells were represented by the parathyrocytes of the 2nd type the varieties of which reflect a non-active (A-subtype) and active (B-subtype) phases of secretion. The number of A-cells is increased under the condition of the hyposecretion and the relative number of B-cells under the condition of experimental hypersecretion."}
{"id": "PMID:1482305", "title": "[Role of glomus shunts of the anorectal cavernous bodies in the mechanism of hemorrhoid development].", "content": "Histological examination of the hemorrhoids in 67 preparations of the rectum of adult persons showed the significance, in their development, of glomus and glomus blocking arteriovenous anorectal cavernous bodies, the two-three-fold increase of their volume was established. The dilatation of the glomus body lumen (from 20-30 to 270-480 microns) in the cavernous body wall is due to the epithelioid cell atrophy and sclerosis. When persistent dilatation and shortening of the distance between glomus mouths occurs, arterial blood passes from the peripheral branches of the superior rectal artery directly to the vena lumen, resulting, first, in the development of a simple compensatory and then varicose angioma-like flebectasia."}
{"id": "PMID:1482306", "title": "[Intraoperative finding of complicated congenital heart defects in dogs].", "content": "Vitium cordis found in a dog comprised a defect of the interatrial septum, pulmonary artery trunk aneurysm and right pulmonary artery atresia. The heart chambers were filled with polymer protacryl mass for obtaining the cast. No such anomalies have been described in the literature so far. The probability of observing such type of vitium cordis in the human clinics is not excluded."}
{"id": "PMID:1482309", "title": "[A hypothesis about resorptive cellular resistance as a special form of antimicrobial host protection].", "content": "The ability of macrophages to phagocyte granulocyte debris (\"cleaning\" reaction) is evolutionary developed and represents the mechanism of cellular resistance preceding immunity. Activation of the mononuclear phagocyte system and acquisition by the macrophages of the capacity to the intracellular chlamydia destruction as well as other infectious agents parasitizing in the intact cells occurs in the process of the granulocyte debris phagocytosis. This phenomenon termed by the author as a resorptive cellular resistance is one of host barrier mechanisms."}
{"id": "PMID:1482310", "title": "[Changes in myocardial enzyme activity of patients with dilated cardiomyopathy and the relationship of these parameters to disturbed myocardial contractility and coronary atherosclerosis].", "content": "Endomyocardial biopsies from 20 patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCMP) were studied histochemically. The decrease of the mitochondrial enzyme activity and increase of the activity of lysosomal and hydrolytic enzymes were found. These alterations reflect degenerative processes in cardiomyocytes followed by activation of their degradation and utilization. This results in the decrease of the myocardium contractile volume and its contractile function damage. There was no correlation between the level of the enzyme activity in the myocardium and the degree of the contractile function activity. There was a tendency to the increase of the above changes in patients with early signs of coronary atherosclerosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1482311", "title": "[DNA synthesis in myocytes of the heart conduction system in myocardial infarction induced in young rats].", "content": "The myocardial infarction was induced in 13- and 21-day-old rats. The extent of the DNA synthesis activation in myocytes of conduction system compartments compared with atrial and ventricular myocytes was evaluated by cumulative indices of labeled nuclei after 30-times-repeated 2H-thymidine injections at 12h intervals. Labeling indices in atrial myocytes are two to six times higher (0.01 < P < 0.001) in rats with infarction than in control. On the contrary, in conduction system compartments there are no statistically significant differences between control and experimental groups (P > 0.05). An activation of DNA synthesis can occur in myocytes of His bundle in some animals."}
{"id": "PMID:1482312", "title": "[Functional morphology of the myocardium in acute experimental peritonitis].", "content": "Structural disorganization of the myocardium starts at the very early stages of acute experimental peritonitis, the maximum surface of the contractural lesions is registered one day and the maximum decrease of the adrenergic nervous fiber density 6 hrs after the start of the experiment. The change of the mitochondria surface and the biochemical process intensity in the cardiomyocytes depend on the disease stage. In the process of recovery the cardiomyocyte and microcirculatory bed repair starts to dominate."}
{"id": "PMID:1482313", "title": "[Primary glomerulonephritis: incidence, dynamics, clinical manifestations of morphologic types (on the basis of kidney biopsies at the Department of Pathology, I. M. Sechenov Moscow Medical Academy, from 1970 to 1989)].", "content": "Incidence and clinical manifestations of main morphological variants of primary glomerulonephritis (2142 biopsies) were studied retrospectively. Correlative changes in the clinical and morphological structure of primary glomerulonephritis with the increase in the incidence of nephrotic forms (minimal alterations, focal segmental glomerulohyalinosis, membranous nephropathy) and a trend to reduce the mesangiocapillary glomerulonephritis in patients with nephrotic and nephrotic-hypertensive syndrome were noted. A bimodal distribution of patients with membranous nephropathy with increasing age probably indicate the change of etiologic factors in the age groups."}
{"id": "PMID:1482314", "title": "[Differentiation, electrically stimulated nuclear motility and ultrastructure of buccal epithelial cells from normal people and psoriatic patients].", "content": "The comparative analysis of cell differentiation, ultrastructure and volt-stimulated cell nuclear motility was made on buccal epithelium scraped from normal persons and psoriatic patients. About 70% of cells in normal epithelium were classified as cells of the 5th differentiation stage. The same percent of cells exhibited the stimulated nuclear motility. In buccal epithelium of psoriatic patients 54% of cells belonged to the 4th differentiation stage, but ultrastructurally they were of the 3-5th differentiation stages. In epithelial cells of psoriatic patients only 25% of cells were classified as the 5th differentiation stage and 34% of cells had nuclear motility. Their percent increased by 60 when 10(-7) M adrenaline was added in vitro. The results allow conclusion that the nuclear motility is characteristic of degraded epithelial cells with defective tonofilamentous cytoskeleton but with retained electrochemical K(+)-potential."}
{"id": "PMID:1482315", "title": "[Thymus mass in infants in the first year of life, who died as a result of sudden death syndrome].", "content": "Thymus weight was studied in 117 infants of the first year of life who died a sudden death, in 195 breast-fed infants who died of various diseases and in 27 infants aged up to one year who died a violent death without disease symptoms. There was a great variability of the thymus weight in all the groups, although its values were statistically lower in the syndrome of sudden death whatever the method of comparison. No proof of the children thymomegaly in the syndrome of sudden death is found."}
{"id": "PMID:1482317", "title": "[Lobular breast cancer in males].", "content": "Mammary carcinoma occurs in males about 100 times more seldom than in females. 1/30 of all mammary carcinoma in males is lobular cancer. One such observation of lobular carcinoma in a male of 58 developing against the background of fibroadenomatosis is described."}
{"id": "PMID:1482318", "title": "[Cecum gangrene as a complication of amyloidosis in myeloma].", "content": "It is a report of a rare case of amyloidosis in myeloma with a predominant localization in the caecum wall with the narrowing of blood vessels and a caecum gangrene and peritonitis as complications. Rarity of the case resulted in an erroneous clinical diagnosis and unjustified appendectomy."}
{"id": "PMID:1482319", "title": "[Methods for the rapid preparation of paraffin blocks].", "content": "Two accelerated chloroform-paraffin processings of materials with the use of ultrasound (US) and microwave (MW) irradiation in the stove \"Electronica\" as well as a combined method with US- and MW-irradiation are proposed to shorten drastically the duration of the prehistologic processing."}
{"id": "PMID:1482320", "title": "[Local defense mechanisms in chronic nonspecific pulmonary inflammation].", "content": "The mechanisms of non-immune and immune injuries in chronic nonspecific lung inflammation are analysed on the basis of authors' research and literature. The data given concern the changes of the bronchial mucociliary transport system, incomplete functions of alveolar macrophages and polymorphonuclear neutrophils in chronic inflammatory foci, increase in the number of intra- and extracellular bacteria, metabolism of lung phagocytes in different chronic inflammatory lung diseases. The urgency of lung phagocyte and lymphocyte investigation both in specific cellular and humoral immune reactions, as well as in realization of immunopathologic mechanisms developing in chronic inflammation is emphasized."}
{"id": "PMID:1482322", "title": "Short time treatment with high-efficiency paired filtration dialysis for chronic renal failure.", "content": "With the aim of treating with short sessions even chronic uremic patients with cardiovascular instability, we have developed our previous findings about paired filtration dialysis (hemofiltration-hemodialysis in series) by a method we call high-efficiency paired filtration dialysis (HEPFD). We have treated with this method for 6 months 6 chronic anuric uremic patients previously treated for 6 months with hemofiltration (HF) because of their cardiovascular instability. By comparison with HF, HEPFD shows much higher clearances of small molecules with consequent significant decrease of their predialytic values, improvement of Kt/V value, lower beta 2-microglobulin clearance (its predialytic value remains unchanged), and the same tolerability. HEPFD allows short, efficient, and well-tolerated treatments even in patients with cardiovascular instability."}
{"id": "PMID:1482323", "title": "Adsorption of nafamostat mesilate by hemodialysis membranes.", "content": "The adsorption of the anticoagulant nafamostat mesilate (FUT-175) by five different hemodialysis membranes was studied in vivo and in vitro. In vivo, FUT-175 was adsorbed strongly by a polyacrylonitrile (AN69) membrane and slightly by another polyacrylonitrile (J-PAN) membrane but not by Cuprophan (CU), hemophan (HE), or polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) membranes during hemodialysis performed in 4 patients in whom FUT-175 was used as an anticoagulant. Only during hemodialysis using the AN69 membrane did FUT-175 not induce a significant prolongation of celite-activated coagulation time. In vitro studies showed that FUT-175 was adsorbed by the AN69, J-PAN, and PMMA membranes but not by the CU and HE membranes. Methylene blue, a dye that possesses a cationic portion in its chemical structure, stained AN69, J-PAN, and PMMA membranes. Since FUT-175 also possesses a cationic portion, we conclude that FUT-175 is adsorbed by negatively charged membranes via an ionic bond and is unsuited for use as an anticoagulant in hemodialysis using an AN69 membrane because of that membrane's marked capacity to adsorb FUT-175."}
{"id": "PMID:1482324", "title": "Systemic levels of tumor necrosis factor alpha during hemodialysis with cellulosic membranes: no effect of the sterilization procedure.", "content": "Extractable constituents of dialyzer membranes (e.g., monomers and beta-glucans) may induce the production of cytokines in vitro. We therefore studied circulating tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha) levels in 23 stable hemodialysis patients during treatment with dry Cuprophan membranes (ETO-sterilized n = 10, steam-sterilized n = 13) longitudinally over a period of 4 weeks. After 4 weeks, those 5 patients of each group showing the highest TNF alpha levels were switched to steam-sterilized, wet Cuprophan membranes. No significant increase in plasma TNF alpha was observed during hemodialysis with either ETO- or steam-sterilized dry Cuprophan membranes. A substantial TNF alpha increase (> or = 100% compared to pre-HD values), however, was observed during 14 of 84 treatment sessions. In 5 selected patients with ETO-sterilized, dry Cuprophan dialyzers, TNF alpha rose from (mean +/- SEM) 17.2 +/- 3.0 (pre-HD) to 20.9 +/- 6.2 (120 min) and 21.9 +/- 4.5 pg/ml (240 min). Corresponding levels in patients with steam-sterilized, dry Cuprophan were 16.2 +/- 5.4 (pre-HD), 21.9 +/- 6.8 (120 min), and 16.0 +/- 3.7 pg/ml (240 min), respectively. There was no difference between ETO- and steam-sterilized dialyzers. No significant reduction in mean TNF alpha plasma levels or in frequency of elevated peak levels was achieved when these patients were switched to wet Cuprophan dialyzers for another 4 weeks. It is suggested that an induction of elevated TNF alpha levels during hemodialysis is possible but is not observed regularly during treatment with Cuprophan membranes.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1482325", "title": "Regulation of differentiation and proliferation of rat hepatocytes by lactose-carrying polystyrene.", "content": "We noticed that hepatocytes recognize the structure of oligosaccharides via asialoglycoprotein receptors and synthesized lactose-carrying styrene polymer (PVLA) as an asialoglycoprotein model. We found that the regulation of differentiated function and proliferation of hepatocytes that were cultured on polystyrene dishes can be achieved by varying the amount of PVLA coated on the dishes. The 3H-thymidine uptake of cultured hepatocytes is low for cells cultured on dishes coated with high amounts of PVLA in which the hepatocytes are round and is highest for those cultured on dishes with a low PVLA coating level in which the hepatocytes are spread in shape. Moreover, bile acid release as a typical differentiated function of hepatocytes was maintained at higher levels in hepatocytes attached on dishes coated with a high level of PVLA. Our results indicated that regulation of differentiated function and proliferation in hepatocytes could be achieved by specific ligand-mediated recognition of microscopic surface structure. Thus, it may be possible to regulate proliferation and differentiation of hepatocytes by design of the culturing substrata."}
{"id": "PMID:1482326", "title": "Polylysine-immobilized chitosan beads as adsorbents for bilirubin.", "content": "Hyperbilirubinemia generally relates to an elevated bilirubin level in the blood and is usually an indication of a disease of the blood, liver, or biliary tract. Hemoperfusion using synthetic resins as sorbents has been one of the ways to reduce bilirubin. In this study, chitosan, a natural polysaccharide having structural characteristics similar to glycosaminoglycans and which is nontoxic and biocompatible, has been used for bilirubin binding. Several layers of poly-L-lysine have been coated covalently onto chitosan beads, using N2 plasma and carbodiimide treatments. Such surface-modified chitosan beads exhibited high binding affinities for bilirubin (1.13 +/- 0.18 mg/g beads) in aqueous phosphate buffer solutions at 4 degrees C in relation to activated charcoal (0.74 +/- 0.2 mg/g). The polylysine-coated resins have been reported to have an improved binding affinity for bilirubin over cholestyramine. It seems that the surface-immobilized polylysine has an increased bilirubin binding affinity and is highly stable. The binding capacity is proportional to the amount of polylysine bonded to the chitosan beads. The hemolytic potential of all modified beads is compatible with polystyrene control tubes. Studies were also performed against albumin as proof of specificity toward bilirubin binding. The albumin-coated beads have shown the highest blood compatibility and selectivity over the other modified beads. However, it appears that polylysine-modified chitosan may be an excellent sorbent system for hemoperfusion due to its high binding affinity, capacity, and blood compatibility. Further studies are needed to determine its behavior under clinical conditions."}
{"id": "PMID:1482327", "title": "Complement activation during low-density lipoprotein apheresis.", "content": "Complement system activation was investigated in two girls with familial homozygous hypercholesterolemia undergoing two monthly sessions on LA15 or LA40 (Kaneka liposorber). We determined blood levels of C3c and C3a, leukocyte counts, and plasma levels of C3c and C3a in the extracorporeal circulation device at the start of the sessions and 15 and either 60 or 120 min into them. Sequential eluates were collected from LA40 at the end of the sessions (0.5M NaCl, 1M hydroxylamine). Anaphylatoxin C3a increased throughout, especially with LA40. As previously reported, C3a was trapped in the dextran column but was noticeably present in efferent plasma. Besides many proteins, nonnative complement fragments bearing C3a and C3d antigens were detected in almost all the eluates, suggesting possible in situ complement activation. Practically, complement activation induced by the first filter is a risk; long-term side effects may arise from this extracorporeal circulation device."}
{"id": "PMID:1482328", "title": "Effects of pyridoxalated hemoglobin polyoxyethylene conjugate and stroma free hemoglobin on pulmonary vascular responsiveness to vasoactive substances in isolated perfused rat lungs.", "content": "We examined the effects of pyridoxalated hemoglobin polyoxyethylene conjugate (PHP) and stroma free hemoglobin (SFH) on vascular responsiveness to various vasoactive substances in isolated perfused rat lungs. The lungs isolated from rats were perfused with 6% PHP, 6% SFH, or 6% hydroxyethylstarch (HES) solution, and the effects of intrapulmonary arterial injection of norepinephrine (NE), angiotensin II (ANG-II), acetylcholine (ACh), and nitroglycerin (NG) were examined by measuring perfusion pressure. NE and ANG-II produced a dose-dependent increase in perfusion pressure in all groups. The NE response in the PHP- or SFH-perfused group was significantly larger than that in the HES-perfused one. ACh decreased perfusion pressure in both PHP- and HES-perfused groups but increased perfusion pressure in the SFH-perfused group. NG decreased perfusion pressure in all groups. Present results indicate that pulmonary arterial responses to endothelium-derived relaxing factor (EDRF) induced by ACh would not be affected in the presence of PHP."}
{"id": "PMID:1482329", "title": "A compact centrifugal pump for cardiopulmonary bypass.", "content": "A majority of the cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) systems still utilize bulky roller pumps. A direct-drive small centrifugal pump intended for second-generation CPB pump has been developed. The pump has a 50 mm diameter impeller and provides a 6 L/min flow at 3,000 rpm against 300 mm Hg. A flexible drive shaft allows us to separate the pump head from the console resulting in easier manipulation. An in vitro study showed that the pump generated less hemolysis (index of hemolysis = 0.0011, comparable to the value for Bio-medicus BP-80). To improve blood flow around the shaft-seal region and to reduce thrombus formation around the shaft, six holes were drilled through the impeller. In biventricular bypass experiments using calves, our pump demonstrated excellent antithrombogenicity and durability for 48 h. And the compact and atraumatic centrifugal pump system showed excellent performance and easy manipulation under actual CPB conditions in animal."}
{"id": "PMID:1482330", "title": "Development of an atraumatic small centrifugal pump for second-generation cardiopulmonary bypass.", "content": "A small and light direct-drive centrifugal pump has been developed for cardiopulmonary bypass. In the development process, blood compatibility studies including a hemolysis study, an in vitro fluid dynamic performance study, and in vivo durability and feasibility studies were performed. The centrifugal pump with a 50 mm diameter impeller resulted in almost the same index of hemolysis value as did a Bio-Medicus centrifugal pump. Heat dissipation from the motor was prevented by using a flexible drive cable. Forty-eight-hour sealing durability around the driving axis was accomplished by using a fluoro-rubber V-ring that connected to the hard chrome-plated stainless steel. In vitro and in vivo performances of the pump were satisfactory. Thrombus formation behind the impeller was prevented by using a holed impeller that generated blood flow from the back to the surface of the impeller. Elimination of air during priming procedures was also easier with this modification. This centrifugal pump has one-quarter of the priming volume, size, and weight of magnetically coupled centrifugal pump systems."}
{"id": "PMID:1482331", "title": "Versatile one-piece total artificial heart for bridge to transplantation or permanent heart replacement.", "content": "A versatile, one-piece total artificial heart (TAH) system that can be driven by either an electromechanical acutator (EM-TAH) or a pneumatic source (P-TAH) has been developed. The common units for both TAHs are the conically shaped left and right pusher-plate-type pumps (63 ml SV) that sandwich a thin centerpiece (18 mm) having a respective actuator. The EM actuator, mounted in the middle of the centerpiece, consists of a direct-current brushless motor and a roller screw while the pneumatic actuator consists of a low-pressure air source. The outer diameter of the pumping unit is 97 mm with its central thickness being 82 mm; overall volume is 510 cc. The TAH is operated in the left master alternative ejection mode with the left pump fill signal. High-flex-life Hexsyn rubber is used as the diaphragm, and the blood-contacting surface is coated with dry gelatin. The TAH can provide 3-8 L/min flow with a preload of 1-10 mm Hg against 100 mm Hg afterload. Anatomical fit of the pumping unit has been demonstrated in the pericardial space of 26 heart transplant recipients with average body weight of 78 kg. To date, 2 P-TAH and 4 EM-TAH (1 week) implantations were performed in 80-100 kg calves demonstrating excellent anatomical fit, controllability, and biocompatibility. This versatile TAH is suitable for a bridge to transplantation or permanent heart replacement."}
{"id": "PMID:1482332", "title": "Effect of synchronous and asynchronous pulsatile flow during left, right, and biventricular bypass.", "content": "Ventricular assist devices augment flow from the left atrium to the aorta and/or from the right atrium to the pulmonary artery. Most devices are used in the asynchronous full-to-empty mode (asynchronous) but may also be used in a synchronous counterpulsation mode (synchronous). This study determines the optimal assist modes to reduce myocardial oxygen consumption (MVO2) and metabolism. Twelve pigs were instrumented with carotid artery and Baim coronary sinus catheters for determination of MVO2 and myocardial lactate production (LACT). Six were implanted with a Pierce-Donachy left ventricular assist device (LVAD) and 6 with both right and left ventricular assist devices (BIVAD). Two periods each of control, synchronous, and asynchronous bypass were instituted, the midanterior descending coronary artery (LAD) was ligated, and the sequence was repeated. After each period, MVO2 and LACT were determined and myocardial biopsy specimens were obtained for tissue, lactate, and ATP assay. Following LAD ligation, biopsy specimens were obtained from both the infarct and noninfarct zones of the heart. MVO2 decreased (p < 0.05) in the asynchronous BIVAD mode compared with control. MVO2 was unchanged in synchronous BIVAD or either LVAD mode. Tissue ATP and tissue lactate were unaffected by any mode of bypass. Only BIVAD in the asynchronous mode reduced MVO2. When ventricular assist devices are utilized to aid recovery of the natural heart, two devices should always be inserted to allow biventricular assist. Synchronous counterpulsation offers no advantage."}
{"id": "PMID:1482333", "title": "Transposed basilic vein-brachial arteriovenous fistula: an alternative vascular access for hemodialysis.", "content": "Twenty-five brachial-basilic arteriovenous (AV) fistulas with transposed basilic vein for alternative vascular access were created in 22 chronic hemodialysis patients. This surgical procedure was performed under brachial block or general anesthesia. After a longitudinal skin incision that was made in the inner side of the arm, the basilic vein was exposed, transposed subcutaneously, and anastomosed end-to-side to the brachial artery. The follow-up was between 7 and 24 months. Early complications were hemorrhage, thrombosis, steal syndrome, and swelling of the arm. Among the late complications were failure of the fistula because of thrombosis and multiple stenosis at the site of venipuncture. The accumulated one-year patency rate of fistulas was 81%. The complications of high-output cardiac failure or local infection were not seen in our study. On the basis of our results, the brachial-basilic AV fistula with transposed basilic vein is a useful and safe second- or third-choice vascular procedure for hemodialysis patients, in particular for women without good quality of vessels."}
{"id": "PMID:1482334", "title": "Plasma lipids and fatty acid levels in chronically uremic patients undergoing blood purification with different methods.", "content": "Levels of plasma lipids and the fatty acid composition of major plasma lipid classes have been determined in chronically uremic patients before and after treatments with hemofiltration, high efficiency paired filtration dialysis, or acetate-free biofiltration. The major findings are a decrease of triglycerides and an increase of total free fatty acids (FFAs) at the end of the dialytic session--already reported in the literature--that do not appear to be strictly dependent on heparin administration. The changes in the plasma concentrations of selected saturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids, which may contribute to alteration of functional parameters in the cardiovascular system in dialyzed patients, are different in the various types of techniques."}
{"id": "PMID:1482335", "title": "Evaluation of two epoxy ether compounds for biocompatible potential.", "content": "Bovine arterial tissue exposed to two epoxy ether compounds (Denacol EX-313 and Denacol EX-810) was evaluated for its biocompatible potential by in vitro and in vivo test procedures. The battery of test procedures included percent Inhibition of Cell Growth, Medium Eluate Method (MEM), Agar Overlay (AO), Blood Compatibility, Acute Mouse Systemic Injection, Rabbit Intracutaneous Irritation, Rabbit Subcutaneous Implantation, Guinea Pig Maximization, and Ames Tests. The epoxy exposed tissue was found to be noncytotoxic, nonmutagenic, and biocompatible by the test methods employed. In addition, the maximum concentrations of the unreacted Denacol EX-313 and EX-810 solutions found to demonstrate noncytotoxic reactions by the MEM and AO procedures were identified as 55 and 60 ppm for the MEM and 150 and 200 ppm for the AO procedure, respectively. These studies suggest that Denacol EX-313 and EX-810 are acceptable solutions for the processing of implantable tissue provided the epoxy residuals remain below those levels found to be cytotoxic."}
{"id": "PMID:1482336", "title": "True three-dimensional dose computations for megavoltage x-ray therapy: a role for the superposition principle.", "content": "The objective of radiation therapy is to concentrate a prescribed radiation dose accurately within a target volume in the patient. Major advances in imaging technology have greatly improved our ability to plan radiation treatments in three dimensions (3D) and to verify the treatment geometrically, but there is a concomitant need to improve dosimetric accuracy. It has been recommended that radiation doses should be computed with an accuracy of 3% within the target volume and in radiosensitive normal tissues. We review the rationale behind this recommendation, and describe a new generation of 3D dose algorithms which are capable of achieving this goal. A true 3D dose calculation tracks primary and scattered radiations in 3D space while accounting for tissue inhomogeneities. In the past, dose distributions have been computed in a 2D transverse slice with the assumption that the anatomy of the patient dose not change abruptly in nearby slices. We demonstrate the importance of computing 3D scatter contributions to dose from photons and electrons correctly, and show the magnitude of dose errors caused by using traditional 2D methods. The Monte Carlo technique is the most general and rigorous approach since individual primary and secondary particle tracks are simulated. However, this approach is too time-consuming for clinical treatment planning. We review an approach that is based on the superposition principle and achieves a reasonable compromise between the speed of computation and accuracy in dose. In this approach, dose deposition is separated into two steps. Firstly, the attenuation of incident photons interacting in the absorber is computed to determine the total energy released in the material (TERMA). This quantity is treated as an impulse at each irradiated point. Secondly, the transport of energy by scattered photons and electrons is described by a point dose spread kernel. The dose distribution is the superposition of the kernels, weighted by the magnitude of the TERMA impulse for all interaction sites. In this review, we demonstrate the capabilities of the superposition method, particularly for situations of charged particle disequilibrium, and we report on the progress made by several research groups in adapting this method to clinical treatment planning. In the future, the superposition method will have a significant role in dose optimization for conformal irradiation techniques because of its close correspondence to image reconstruction by filtered back-projection."}
{"id": "PMID:1482337", "title": "Thermal and electrical characteristics of thermal dilution cardiac catheter systems.", "content": "A combination of cooling systems for the injectate used in thermal dilution cardiac output measurements is shown to quickly cool the thermal indicator to a low homogeneous temperature. The variability of the physical constants characterizing the catheter thermistors are found to be adequately compensated for by the calibration resistors incorporated in the catheters. The calibration resistors are found to have a magnitude approximately 20 times the differential resistivity of the thermistors and this linear relationship is validated on theoretical grounds."}
{"id": "PMID:1482338", "title": "Application of neural networks in medical diagnosis: the case of sexually-transmitted diseases.", "content": "In this paper neural networks are used to formulate a means of diagnosing sexually-transmitted diseases (STD's). An overview of the theoretical background of neural networks is presented. A summary of the diseases used in the project and their signs and symptoms are given. These signs and symptoms are used to train a network. Upon presentation of a set of signs and symptoms to the trained network, the presence of a disease or diseases with those symptoms may be deduced."}
{"id": "PMID:1482339", "title": "Computational fluid mechanical evaluation of steady-flow energy losses in cardiac valve prostheses.", "content": "A form of the general integral energy conservation equation is applied to the case of steady flow through a rigid control volume bounded by stationary walls and fixed inflow and outflow control surfaces. The total energy loss due to viscous dissipation in the control volume is then defined as the change in mean (pressure + kinetic energy + shear stress energy) quantities between the inflow and outflow surfaces. Computational fluid mechanical modelling can then be used to provide the extensive flow field data necessary to calculate the integral means of the total energy components--not only at the inflow/outflow surfaces, but throughout the control volume via a series of \"cutting surfaces\" progressing from the inlet to the outlet. This allows interchanges between the various forms of energy to be examined and provides an insight into the mechanisms responsible for these interchanges. Two illustrative examples are presented: laminar flow through a specially designed ball-occluded conduit valve in a long conduit run, and through a caged-ball annulus valve mounted in a ventricle-aorta model. Analysis of the results suggests that a new energy loss parameter be defined--a \"valve only\" loss, calculated by subtracting the total energy loss for the system with the valve absent, from the total energy loss for the same system with the valve in place. This developed concept of \"valve only\" energy loss has the potential of standardising the findings of different research groups by removing the arbitrary selection of measurement points from reported results."}
{"id": "PMID:1482340", "title": "Response of air, silicon and dosimetric films to x-ray spectra of various qualities.", "content": "Calculations have been performed of the kerma to radiographic film and to silicon from a number of x-ray spectra generated at 30 to 140 kV with tungsten and molybdenum targets. These results have been compared with the air-kerma values due to the same beams. It is concluded that both film and silicon can be used as practical dosemeters with an accuracy of +/- 5 to 15%, provided that correction factors are applied based on the generating potential or preferably the beam quality, expressed as half-value thickness."}
{"id": "PMID:1482341", "title": "The use of parallel plate ion chambers to determine surface dose of a 6 MV photon beam.", "content": "The shape of the measured photon build-up curve and the surface dose are strongly dependent on the chamber geometry and side wall density. This study examines the response at the phantom surface to a 6 MV beam for the NACP and MARKUS chambers and also for the recently available commercialized ATTIX chamber; and checks the consistency of a published correction term applied to these chambers by comparison of the corrected data sets. The MARKUS and ATTIX chamber results of surface dose versus field size agree to within less than 0.5% over the field size range, whereas the NACP results show an average discrepancy of 22.1% (absolute percentage points), although the slope of the dose versus field size plot is very similar for all three chambers. It is confirmed then that the NACP electron chamber is not optimal for photon dosimetry at an air-tissue interface, and that the chamber of choice from fabrication material and geometrical considerations is the ATTIX solid water chamber."}
{"id": "PMID:1482343", "title": "The stilbene disulfonic acid DIDS stimulates the production of TNF-alpha in human lymphocytes.", "content": "Exposure of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) to the stilbene derivative DIDS (4,4'-diisothiocyanatostilbene-2,2'-disulfonic acid) (60 microM and above) significantly increased the release of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), as determined by TNF-alpha activity in the incubation media. When the TNF-alpha message was analyzed in PBMC by a reverse transcription/polymerase chain reaction (RT/PCR)-based procedure, it was found that incubation with DIDS (60 microM) was followed by a time-dependent accumulation of TNF-alpha mRNA. Measurements of intracellular pH showed that the presence of increasing concentrations of DIDS resulted in a progressive intracellular alkalinization of PBMC. It is suggested that the known DIDS effect of inhibiting transmembrane anion exchange, i.e., chloride/bicarbonate exchange, might play a role in the stimulation of TNF-alpha production by PBMC exposed to DIDS."}
{"id": "PMID:1482344", "title": "A computer model of glycosylated human butyrylcholinesterase.", "content": "The three-dimensional structure of human serum butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE) was modeled using a computer-based amino acid replacement strategy and the known coordinates of crystallized acetylcholinesterase (AChE) from Torpedo californica. The BuChE model was then energetically minimized with dynamic iterations of an adopted basis Newton-Raphson algorithm and the program CHARMM. Hypothetical glycosylation of this structure based upon the known carbohydrate composition of the enzyme was also performed. The glycosylated, minimized model predicts that the tertiary structure of BuChE could be very similar to AChE but that the entrance of the narrow channel leading toward its active site triad probably differs. All nine of the known N-linked oligosaccharides of BuChE are predicted to occur away from the putative active site channel and most are located on one face of the monomer."}
{"id": "PMID:1482345", "title": "A tryptophan-substituted member of the AKH/RPCH family isolated from a stick insect corpus cardiacum.", "content": "A neuropeptide, Cam-HrTH-I, has been isolated from the corpus cardiacum of the Indian stick insect Carausius morosus. The peptide causes hyperlipaemia in Locusta migratoria and hypertrehalosaemia in Periplaneta americana and is related to the previously isolated Cam-HrTH-II (pGlu-Leu-Thr-Phe-Thr-Pro-Asn-Trp-Gly-Thr-NH2) by substitution, apparently by a hexose, on the Trp residue. This appears to be the first example of such substitution on a Trp residue."}
{"id": "PMID:1482346", "title": "Calcyclin and calvasculin exist in human platelets.", "content": "Using Ca(2+)-dependent affinity chromatography on a synthetic compound (W-7)-coupled Sepharose column, three distinct Ca(2+)-binding proteins have been identified in human platelets. The molecular mass of these three distinct proteins was estimated to be 10, 10.5, 17 kDa, respectively, by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of SDS. The partial amino acid sequence revealed these proteins have EF-hand structures and high homology to the predicted proteins, calcyclin, calvasculin, and calmodulin. Calcyclin and calvasculin have been considered as probably having roles in the control of cell proliferation, but the existence of these two proteins in platelets suggests that they have other intracellular functions related to the Ca(2+)-signal transduction system."}
{"id": "PMID:1482347", "title": "Functional and morphological changes in cultured neurons of rat cerebral cortex induced by long-term application of aluminum.", "content": "Aluminum is an environmental neurotoxin and a suspected risk factor for Alzheimer's disease. The neurotoxicity of aluminum on cultured neurons of rat cerebral cortex was investigated using an assay system for synapse formation and immunohistochemistry. The frequency of spontaneous oscillations of intracellular Ca2+, which is correlated to the number of synapses, was decreased after exposure to 100 microM of aluminum chloride for 22 days. Long-term application of aluminum (48 days) caused aggregation of cell bodies and fasciculation of processes. Processes and cell bodies were strongly stained by antibody to tau protein, which is one of the main components of Alzheimer's neurofibrillary tangles. It is suggested that the characteristics of the degeneration of cultured neurons induced by aluminum show some similarities to the pathology observed in brains with Alzheimer's disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1482348", "title": "Hepatocyte growth factor is linked by O-glycosylated oligosaccharide on the alpha chain.", "content": "The glycosylation site and the structure of O-glycosylated oligosaccharide of recombinant human HGF were investigated. N-acetylgalactosamine (GalNAc) in the alpha chain suggested the presence of O-glycosylated oligosaccharide. Sugar analysis and amino acid sequence analysis of peptide fragments produced by limited degradation revealed that O-glycosylated oligosaccharide linked to Thr445 of the alpha chain. The molecular weight of the oligosaccharide was determined with ion spray mass spectrometry. From these studies, the structure of the O-glycosylated oligosaccharide on the alpha chain of HGF was concluded as [formula: see text]."}
{"id": "PMID:1482349", "title": "A murine sequence-specific DNA binding protein shows extensive local similarities to the amyloid precursor protein.", "content": "Microinjection experiments suggested previously that protein binding to the DNA nucleotide sequence GTCACATG, identical to the CDEI element of the yeast centromere, plays an important role in the early development of the mouse. We established from a series of overlapping mouse cDNA clones the sequence of a candidate CDEI-binding protein. Synthesis in Escherichia coli of a fusion protein which binds specifically the CDEI box in vitro confirmed its identification. On the other hand, the translated 511 amino acid sequence shows two regions with high degrees of similarity to the protein precursor (APP) of the beta-protein (amyloid) that accumulates in the brain and blood vessels of Alzheimer patients. A continuous stretch of 195 amino acids includes 133 residues identical to part of the extracellular domain of APP, and 48 of the 70 C-terminal residues of the open reading frame are identical to the APP transmembrane and cytoplasmic domains."}
{"id": "PMID:1482350", "title": "11-hydroperoxyeicosatetraenoic acid is the major dioxygenation product of lipoxygenase isolated from hairy root cultures of Solanum tuberosum.", "content": "The profile of primary dioxygenation products of arachidonic acid catalyzed by lipoxygenase isolated from hairy root cultures of Solanum tuberosum treated with a fungal elicitor was compared to that obtained for the enzyme from potato tubers. 11-Hydroperoxyeicosatetraenoic acid (11-HPETE) was the most abundant dioxygenation product formed followed by 8- and 5-HPETEs in the decreasing order of abundance. In contrast, 5-HPETE is the predominant oxidation product of lipoxygenase from potato tubers. Differences in the defense requirements of storage tuber as compared to roots may be the basis of the differences in regio-specificity demonstrated in this work."}
{"id": "PMID:1482352", "title": "Selenouracil derivatives are potent inhibitors of the selenoenzyme type I iodothyronine deiodinase.", "content": "Type I iodothyronine deiodinase (ID-I) is a selenoenzyme, which is important for the conversion of the prohormone thyroxine (T4) to the bioactive thyroid hormone 3,3',5-triiodothyronine (T3). 2-Thiouracil derivatives inhibit ID-I by interaction with an enzyme form generated during catalysis. We have now tested the potential inhibitory effects of the selenocompounds 6-methyl- (MSU) and 6-propyl-2-selenouracil (PSU) in comparison with their thioanalogs 6-methyl- (MTU) and 6-propyl-2-thiouracil (PTU) on rat liver ID-I activity using 3,3',5-triiodothyronine (reverse T3, rT3) as substrate and dithiothreitol (DTT) as cofactor. All compounds showed dose-dependent inhibition of ID-I with IC50 values of 1, 0.5, 0.4 and 0.2 microM for MTU, MSU, PTU and PSU, respectively. Our results further suggest that these inhibitions are uncompetitive with substrate and competitive with cofactor. The high potency of selenouracils may be due to reaction with a substrate-induced enzyme selenenyl iodide intermediate under formation of a stable enzyme-selenouracil diselenide."}
{"id": "PMID:1482351", "title": "Proteolytic cleavages of proalbumin and complement Pro-C3 in vitro by a truncated soluble form of furin, a mammalian homologue of the yeast Kex2 protease.", "content": "We have recently purified and characterized a truncated soluble form of furin from which the predicted transmembrane domain and cytoplasmic tail were deleted (Hatsuzawa, K., Nagahama, M., Takahashi, S., Takada, K., Murakami, K., and Nakayama, K. (1992) J. Biol. Chem. 267, 16094-16099). Our results showed that furin resembles the yeast Kex2 protease with respect to both its enzymic properties and substrate specificity. Here we demonstrate that the soluble form of furin is capable of converting the precursors of albumin and the third component of complement (proalbumin and pro-C3, respectively) in vitro to mature proteins. Thus furin mimics the Ca(2+)-dependent proalbumin and pro-C3 convertases found in the Golgi membranes (Brennan, S. O., and Peach, R. J. (1988) FEBS Lett. 229, 167-170; Oda, K. (1992) J. Biol. Chem. 267, 17465-17471). Furthermore we show that the variant alpha 1-antitrypsin Pittsburgh, which is a specific inhibitor of the Golgi proalbumin convertase, inhibits not only the Golgi pro-C3 convertase, but also the soluble furin. These results suggest a role for furin in the cleavage of proproteins transported via the constitutive pathway."}
{"id": "PMID:1482353", "title": "Precursor and deaminated forms of both luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) and (hydroxyproline9)LHRH are present in the rat hypothalamus.", "content": "A naturally occurring analog of the decapeptide luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone ([Hyp9]LHRH) has been described previously in the hypothalamus of several mammals. It derives from post-translational hydroxylation of the LHRH proline9 residue. In the present work, intermediate LHRH precursors exhibiting both Pro9 or Hyp9 residues in the LHRH sequence were characterized in the rat hypothalamus. Hydroxylation of the Pro9 residue can thus be assumed to occur at an early stage of post-translational maturation. Deaminated, free acid forms of both native decapeptides were also detected. They correspond most likely to catabolites from incompletely processed precursors."}
{"id": "PMID:1482354", "title": "Immunochemical studies of pancreatic colipase-lipase interaction employing immobilized synthetic peptides.", "content": "In view to study the possible participation of the sequence portions of colipase including or close to the free carboxyl groups at positions 15 and/or 72 to the binding with pancreatic lipase, we have used three synthetic peptides matching portions 8-16, 59-67 and 67-72 of the amino acid sequence. Polyclonal rabbit anticolipase immune serum, which cross-reacts with peptides in ELISA, was fractionated on columns of peptide coupled to Sepharose. Of the three fractions of antibodies, only that interacting with peptide 8-16 had the capacity to inhibit colipase-dependent lipase activity by specifically preventing the association of lipase with its protein cofactor previously bound to lipid. We conclude that the region spanning residues 8-16 of colipase is of importance for colipase-lipase interaction in the active complex formed at interface."}
{"id": "PMID:1482355", "title": "A major lienal phosphotyrosine phosphatase is inhibited by phospholipids and inositol trisphosphate.", "content": "A major \"non-receptor\" phosphotyrosine-specific protein phosphatase isolated from the 30,000g pellet fraction of porcine spleen is related to the human T-cell tyrosine phosphatase (Cool et al. (1989) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 86, 5257-5261) and is strongly inhibited by micromolar concentrations of phosphatidyl inositol (IC50 6 microM) and phosphatidyl serine (IC50 3.7 microM). In addition, the enzyme is inhibited by myo-inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IC50 ca. 2 microM) in a non-competitive manner but not by myo-inositol hexaphosphate. Since the overall cellular tyrosine phosphatase activity greatly exceeds tyrosine kinase activity, inhibition of the phosphatase may be of importance for the regulation of the extent of tyrosine phosphorylation of cellular proteins."}
{"id": "PMID:1482356", "title": "Kinetics and organ distribution of [14C]-sialic acid-GM3 and [3H]-sphingosine-GM1 after intravenous injection in rats.", "content": "Serum kinetics and organ distribution of [14C]-sialic acid-GM3 and [3H]-sphingosine-GM1, administered as an intravenous bolus, were analysed in Wistar rats. [3H]-GM1 and [14C]-GM3 had serum half-lives of 1.4 hours and 1.8 hours, respectively. Three hours after injection 75% of the GM1- and 38% of the GM3-associated label were present in the liver. Smaller yet significant amounts of label were present in the central nervous system, kidneys and lung. In vitro studies showed that [14C]-GM3 and [3H]-GM1 incubated with serum were predominantly bound to the High Density Lipoprotein and the Low Density Lipoprotein fractions. These results suggest a rapid serum clearance of exogenous gangliosides by the liver in rats."}
{"id": "PMID:1482357", "title": "Photoaffinity labeling of plasma membrane receptors for aldosterone from human mononuclear leukocytes.", "content": "Non-genomic effects of aldosterone on the sodium-proton-antiport have been shown in human mononuclear leukocytes which could be related to a new aldosterone membrane receptor. In the present paper plasma membranes from human mononuclear leukocytes were covalently photolabeled with a [125I]-aldosterone derivative. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis showed significant aldosterone binding at a molecular weight of approximately 50000 Dalton which was absent with 1 microM cold aldosterone, but not cortisol in the binding media. The presence of the sulfhydryl agent dithiothreitol did not affect results suggesting the absence of disulfide bridges in the steroid binding domain of the receptor. These data are the first to define the molecular weight of the membrane receptor for aldosterone."}
{"id": "PMID:1482358", "title": "Fibronectin receptors are functional on mitotic Chinese hamster ovary cells.", "content": "In this paper, evidence is provided indicating that the blockade of presynchronized CHO 15B cells in prometaphase by nocodazole is fully reversible and efficient enough to allow us to analyze the function of the integrin receptors. Flow cytometry analysis using a specific antibody raised against the fibronectin receptor, and binding studies of the radiolabeled fibronectin on the cell membrane, indicated a stable number of receptors at the cell surface during mitosis. Furthermore, in the mean time, only a slight increase in the Kd value of the fibronectin-receptor interaction was detected. A binding assay designed to test the affinity of the receptor for its extracellular ligand in an insoluble form was used. No difference was observed between mitotic and interphasic cells. Taken together, these results indicate that the rounding up of the cells observed during mitosis is not due to a loss of the receptor affinity for its extracellular ligand."}
{"id": "PMID:1482359", "title": "Identification of novel inducible nuclear factors that interact with the acute phase responsive promoter element of rabbit alpha 1-acid glycoprotein gene.", "content": "Alpha 1-acid glycoprotein (alpha 1-AGP) is a major acute phase protein that is highly inducible during hepatic acute-phase response. To identify the promoter element(s) required for increased gene transcription under acute condition a 529 bp 5'-flanking region of alpha 1-AGP gene is fused to the chloramphenicol acetyl transferase (CAT) reporter gene and introduced into BNL liver cells. This DNA fragment is capable of inducing synthesis of the reporter gene-product about ten-fold when transfected cells are exposed to conditioned medium from lipopolysaccharide-stimulated peripheral monocytes. Deletion analyses have shown that sequences located between -224 to -22 are capable of eliciting this inducible promoter function. Using electromobility shift assay we have identified two novel inducible nuclear factors from turpentine-induced acute liver that can interact with this regulatory promoter region. Our results indicate that binding of these two factors to the promoter region of alpha 1-AGP gene is highly specific in nature and the induction of this gene under acute condition may involve their participation."}
{"id": "PMID:1482360", "title": "Differential expression of two forms of annexin 3 in human neutrophils and monocytes and along their differentiation.", "content": "A variant of annexin 3 (AX3) of apparent mass 36 kD has been detected in human monocytes using a specific immune serum directed against the original 33-kD form of AX3 purified from human placenta. This protein is not a phosphorylated or a glycosylated form of the 33-kD AX3 and its expression increased along monocytic differentiation whereas only the 33-kD AX3 accumulated in neutrophils. This suggests that these two forms of AX3 may play specific roles in these phagocytic cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1482361", "title": "Alterations of protein degradation and 2-D protein pattern in muscle cells of MDX and DMD origin.", "content": "Intracellular protein turnover of MDX, DMD and normal muscle was determined by [35S]methionine pulse-chase experiments and subsequent high resolution 2-D gel electrophoresis. In MDX myotubes intracellular degradation of short-lived and long-lived proteins was markedly increased by a factor of 1,4-2,1. In wildtype the rate of degradation of short-lived proteins was approximately 2.6%/h, whereas in MDX these proteins were degraded by 5.7%/h. Long-lived proteins were degraded in wildtype at a rate of 1.8%/h, and in MDX at a rate of 2.5%/h. Furthermore, we have described a 51.000 Da protein with an IEP of 5.1 (p51/5.1), whose net content is highly and specifically reduced in cultured MDX and DMD muscle cells as well as in isolated MDX muscle fibers. Treatment with calcium-channel blockers Dantrolene and Verapamil inhibited the degradation of p51/5.1 in MDX myotubes by more than 90% in contrast to controls."}
{"id": "PMID:1482362", "title": "Acid pH decreases OmpF and OmpC channel size in vivo.", "content": "To be effective against gram-negative organisms, beta-lactam antibiotics must be able to penetrate the outer membrane. For Escherichia coli, these compounds generally cross this barrier through non-specific channels in porins OmpF and OmpC. In vitro studies have shown that increased pH induces a switch in the structure of OmpF and OmpC from a small channel conformation to a set of larger-sized channel conformations. In this study, the permeability of two cephalosporins into cells producing either OmpC or OmpF was examined at various pHs. The results suggest that the pH-induced switch in channel size observed in vitro also occurs in vivo."}
{"id": "PMID:1482363", "title": "Calpain may produce a Ca(2+)-independent form of kinase C in long-term potentiation.", "content": "Both an enhancement of Ca(2+)-independent kinase activity in the supernatant fraction and enhanced breakdown of type beta kinase C (PKC-beta) were observed in the hippocampus after induction of tetanus-induced long-term potentiation (LTP) in the hippocampal CA1 region of rat. The enhanced activity was inhibited by the PKC-specific inhibitor, PKC19-36. Both phenomena were also observed simultaneously in the in vitro model system in which hippocampal homogenate was treated with CaCl2, and both enhancements were inhibited by the addition of calpain inhibitors, leupeptin and benzyloxycarbonyl-Leu-Met-H. The results suggest that Ca(2+)-independent kinase activity enhanced in the supernatant fraction during LTP derives from the catalytic fragment of PKC-beta released by calpain."}
{"id": "PMID:1482364", "title": "Renaturation of the brain myelin proteins by octyl glucoside detergent.", "content": "The secondary structure of myelin proteins undergoes a deep change when the membrane is delipidated and suspended in an aqueous buffer containing phosphate and sulfate anions. However, when increasing concentrations of octyl glucoside are dissolved in this saline medium, proteins recover gradually its native secondary structure, reaching a maximum for a detergent/protein ratio which, in addition, is optimal for maximal membrane solubilization. Larger amounts of detergent, however, reverted the effect. Results are explained in terms of anion-lipid and detergent-lipid interactions. Quantitative estimates on the spectral profiles let us find the optimal detergent-protein stoichiometry for preserving almost completely the native secondary structure of myelin proteins while keeping maximal solubilization. These findings are of great importance for reconstitution experiments designed with the goal of determining the biological functions of myelin proteins."}
{"id": "PMID:1482365", "title": "Physico-chemical modeling of the role of free radicals in photo-dynamic therapy. I. Utilization of quantum yield data of singlet oxygen formation for the study of the interaction between excited photosensitizer and stable free radicals.", "content": "The measurement of the relative quantum yield of singlet oxygen formation, a simple process without tedious sample deoxygenation, is shown to furnish data on the interaction of the excited photosensitizer with any additive (in this case stable free radicals) given to the sample. The rate constants derived from such measurements are in good agreement with direct determination of the corresponding values."}
{"id": "PMID:1482366", "title": "Identification of NGF-response element in the rat neuropeptide Y gene and induction of the binding proteins.", "content": "Gene expression of the rat neuropeptide Y (NPY) increases by 100 times, as the PC12 cells differentiate into sympathetic neuron-like cells with NGF treatment and this increase is partly due to transcriptional activation of the NPY gene (Sabol and Higuchi, Mol. Endocrinol. 4, 384, 1990). To identify the NGF-response element, a transient expression assay was carried out by using the CAT reporter genes containing various lengths of the 5' upstream region of the NPY gene in the PC12 cells. The 48-base element (-80/-33 upstream of the Cap site) was identified as a NGF-response element (NGFRE). Gel shift assay indicated the existence of at least two DNA-binding proteins to NGFRE. The binding activity of the protein(s) (NDF1) to the upper region (-80/-63) was increased by 3-fold with NGF treatment for 24 h. These findings suggest that these nuclear proteins are involved in the enhanced transcription of the NPY gene by NGF."}
{"id": "PMID:1482367", "title": "31P NMR studies of the ATP/alpha-crystallin complex: functional implications.", "content": "Evidence is presented for the binding of ATP to alpha-crystallin in the lens by 31P NMR spectroscopic measurements. The chemical shift data as well as the T1 and T2 values indicate that P beta and P gamma of ATP are of prime importance in binding. In addition, it is demonstrated that the association of alpha-crystallin with purified fiber cell membranes is significantly enhanced by the addition of ATP. These results suggest that ATP modulates the functional behavior of alpha-crystallin."}
{"id": "PMID:1482368", "title": "TSH-induced galactose incorporation at the NH2 terminus of thyroglobulin secreted by FRTL-5 cells.", "content": "FRTL-5 cells were cultured in media containing standard growth factors with or without TSH, plus labeled precursors of N-linked oligosaccharide chains. The thyroglobulin secreted in the medium was purified and fragmented with CNBr. Three peptides were identified by NH2-terminal sequencing, that were labeled mainly with D-[2-3H]mannose, independent of TSH. One of them, corresponding to the NH2-terminus of thyroglobulin, incorporated both more D-[2-3H]mannose and more D-[1-3H]galactose upon TSH addition. These data likely reflect a TSH-induced increment of N-linked glycosylation at the NH2-terminus of thyroglobulin, mostly with the maturation of high-mannose to complex chains."}
{"id": "PMID:1482369", "title": "Proteolytic activation of a single-chain precursor of hepatocyte growth factor by extracellular serine-protease.", "content": "Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) is biosynthesized as a single-chain precursor (pro-HGF) and is proteolytically processed to a two-chain mature form. When MRC-5 fibroblasts were pulse-radiolabeled under serum-free conditions, pro-HGF was the predominant molecular form of HGF in the culture medium. CHO cells transfected with an expression plasmid containing a full-size human HGF cDNA produced pro-HGF when these cells were cultured in serum-free medium. These findings suggest that HGF is secreted as a pro-form, which is then converted to a two-chain form by extracellular protease. Single-chain HGF exhibited mitogenic activity on cultured hepatocytes, with a potency similar to that of mature HGF, but this activity was remarkably inhibited by leupeptin. We postulate that inactive pro-HGF is converted to an active two-chain form by a leupeptin-sensitive serine-protease expressed by hepatocytes. Neither plasminogen activators nor plasmin showed any processing activity of pro-HGF in vitro."}
{"id": "PMID:1482370", "title": "Lipoprotein lipase-mediated lipolysis of very low density lipoproteins increases monocyte adhesion to aortic endothelial cells.", "content": "Lipoprotein lipase (LPL) bound to vascular endothelial cells hydrolyses triglycerides in plasma lipoproteins. To explore the role of LPL in atherogenesis, the effect of LPL-mediated lipolysis of very low density lipoproteins (VLDL) on monocyte adhesion to endothelial cells was examined. Adhesion of U937 monocytes to porcine aortic endothelial cells that were incubated with VLDL and purified bovine milk LPL was markedly higher than endothelial cells that were incubated with VLDL alone. The increase in monocyte adhesion obtained with VLDL was dependent on the concentration of the lipoprotein, monocyte dose and time of incubation. The increase in adhesion correlated with generation of free fatty acids from the hydrolysis of triglycerides in VLDL by LPL. Furthermore, direct addition of oleic acid to endothelial cells also increased adhesion of monocytes. We postulate that LPL-derived lipolytic products increase monocyte adhesion to vascular endothelium and thereby promote atherogenesis."}
{"id": "PMID:1482371", "title": "Surface activation of pro-cathepsin L.", "content": "Pro-cathepsin L is an inactive zymogen that has been shown previously to undergo autolysis at pH 3.0 to give mature forms of the enzyme. We have now been able to demonstrate that this enzyme can undergo activation at pH 5.5 in the presence of negatively charged surfaces. Activation could also be measured at pH 6.0, but no activation occurred at pH 6.5 or higher. The initiation of activation depends upon the presence of a small percentage of active pro-enzyme, and this is then followed by a more rapid activation to give mature forms of the enzyme. No significant intermediate molecular forms of the enzyme were seen. The time taken for processing of the pro-enzyme to single-chain mature enzyme is comparable to that seen in biosynthetic pulse-chase experiments."}
{"id": "PMID:1482372", "title": "N-linked glycosylation of beta-amyloid precursor protein.", "content": "The beta-amyloid peptide that accumulates in the brain of patients with Alzheimer's disease is derived by proteolytic processing of a family of membrane bound beta-amyloid precursor proteins (beta APPs). The three major isoforms of beta APP, derived by alternative splicing, contain 695, 751, and 770 amino acids. They are heavily O-glycosylated and contain two N-linked glycosylation sites. The pathways leading to beta-amyloid deposition in brain are not clear. It is possible that defects in metabolic and processing pathways of beta APP lead to the increased production and deposition of beta-amyloid. In many cases post-translational modifications, such as glycosylation, are important in regulating such pathways. We studied N-linked glycosylation of the 695 amino acid form of beta APP in detail by deleting the two potential glycosylation sites at Asn467 and Asn496. The mutants were examined both in a cell-free transcription/translation/glycosylation system and in transfected Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. In both systems, only Asn467 was glycosylated. In CHO cells the N-linked oligosaccharide on beta APP was completely resistant to Endoglycosidase H, suggesting that it is of complex type. These mutants will be useful for studying the role of glycosylation in the metabolism of beta APP."}
{"id": "PMID:1482373", "title": "Transcriptional inhibition of the bacteriophage T7 early promoter region by oligonucleotide triple helix formation.", "content": "We have identified a purine-rich triplex binding sequence overlapping a -35 transcriptional early promoter region of the bacteriophage T7. Triplex-forming oligonucleotide designed to bind this target was annealed to T7 templates and introduced into in vitro transcription systems under conditions favoring specific initiation from this promoter. These templates demonstrated significant transcriptional inhibition relative to naked genomic templates and templates mixed with non-triplex-forming oligonucleotide. It is suggested that triplex formation along this target interferes with transcriptional initiation, and this mechanism may hold potential to disrupt bacteriophage T7 early transcription in vivo."}
{"id": "PMID:1482374", "title": "Biosynthesis of sulfated glycoprotein-N-glycans present in recombinant human tissue plasminogen activator.", "content": "Recombinant human tissue plasminogen activator expressed in murine epithelial cells carries, in part, sulfated N-glycans, which are characterized by the presence of a NeuAc alpha 3[SO4-6]Gal unit. In order to study the biosynthesis of this novel structural element, corresponding sulfated asialooligosaccharide alditols were resialylated in vitro using a crude sialyltransferase preparation from murine liver which was shown to contain Gal beta 1,3(4)GlcNAc alpha 2,3-sialyltransferase activity. Products were analyzed for transfer of sialic acid residues by anion-exchange HPLC. The results demonstrated that resialylation of SO4-6Gal-residues did not occur. Therefore, it may be concluded that transfer of the sulfate group is the final step in the biosynthesis of this structural epitope."}
{"id": "PMID:1482375", "title": "Phosphorylation-associated conformation shift of anti-oncogene phosphoprotein p53 in concanavalin-A activated human T lymphocytes.", "content": "A new radioimmunoassay for p53, employing an anti-peptide antibody directed against conserved Domain V, exhibited specificity for a relatively dephosphorylated form of p53. This form, correlated with the monoclonal antibody PAB421+ conformation, appeared transiently in the cytosol of cycloheximide-treated T cells undergoing activation by concanavalin-A/serum. Concurrently, there were decreased levels of p53 in the nucleus that correlated with increased phosphorylation of p53. After 90 min nuclear levels of p53 increased steadily above levels of unstimulated cells. Anti-p53 antibodies introduced into cells prior to stimulation enhanced cell proliferation in response to mitogens."}
{"id": "PMID:1482376", "title": "Alpha-lipoic acid is a potent inhibitor of NF-kappa B activation in human T cells.", "content": "Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) results from infection with a human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The long terminal repeat (LTR) region of HIV proviral DNA contains binding sites for nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kappa B), and this transcriptional activator appears to regulate HIV activation. Recent findings suggest an involvement of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in signal transduction pathways leading to NF-kappa B activation. The present study was based on reports that antioxidants which eliminate ROS should block the activation of NF-kappa B and subsequently HIV transcription, and thus antioxidants can be used as therapeutic agents for AIDS. Incubation of Jurkat T cells (1 x 10(6) cells/ml) with a natural thiol antioxidant, alpha-lipoic acid, prior to the stimulation of cells was found to inhibit NF-kappa B activation induced by tumor necrosis factor-alpha (25 ng/ml) or by phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (50 ng/ml). The inhibitory action of alpha-lipoic acid was found to be very potent as only 4 mM was needed for a complete inhibition, whereas 20 mM was required for N-acetylcysteine. These results indicate that alpha-lipoic acid may be effective in AIDS therapeutics."}
{"id": "PMID:1482377", "title": "Structural organization of the mouse lactoferrin gene.", "content": "The complete structure of the mouse lactoferrin gene is presented. Mouse lactoferrin (mLF) is encoded by a single copy gene of approximately 30 kilobases (kb) in size. The gene is organized into 17 exons separated by 16 introns. The exons range in size from 48 base pairs (bp) to 190 bp whereas the introns range from 0.2 kb to 4.3 kb. Structural analysis of the mouse lactoferrin gene reveals that this gene shares a similar intron-exon distribution pattern with both human transferrin and chicken ovotransferrin."}
{"id": "PMID:1482378", "title": "IFN-gamma induces a phospholipase D dependent triphasic activation of protein kinase C in endothelial cells.", "content": "The IFN-gamma linked PKC activation in endothelial cells was analysed. It was shown that IFN-gamma activates PKC in three transient and separate cycles within the first 60 minutes after IFN-gamma stimulation. Before each PKC activation there was an increase in DAG level. IP3, phosphocholine and choline productions were measured to determine the origin of DAG. Neither of the PLC products, IP3 or phosphocholine, were released after IFN-gamma stimulation. On the other hand the PLD products choline and PA were released before all the three activation cycles of PKC."}
{"id": "PMID:1482379", "title": "Evidence for the presence and location of annexins in human platelets.", "content": "In this study the identity of annexins in human platelets has been determined together with their ability to be released by agents which induce platelet degranulation. The presence of proteins cross-reacting to antibodies against annexins I and V was detected in human platelets. However, the study provided evidence that these annexins are not located on the surface of the plasma membrane in a Ca++ dependent manner. Moreover, activation of platelets with several agents which induced platelet degranulation did not cause release of annexins I or V as determined by both immunoblotting and ELISA."}
{"id": "PMID:1482380", "title": "A low molecular weight peptide from Allium porum with inhibitory activity on platelet aggregation in vitro.", "content": "A peptide factor was isolated from Allium porum with strong inhibitory activity on platelet aggregation induced by collagen or ADP. The peptide was isolated by a series of chromatographic techniques and purified to homogeneity by HPLC on RP C8 column. Its molecular weight, as it was estimated by plasma desorption mass spectrometry, is 1052 Da. Amino acid analysis showed the presence of Phe, Asp, Ser, Thr, Arg and Pro."}
{"id": "PMID:1482381", "title": "Biochemical characterization of density-separated trout erythrocytes.", "content": "1. A discontinuous gradient in the region of 45-65% \"Percoll\" has been utilized for the separation of trout erythrocytes. Three different fractions were obtained. 2. We have evaluated antioxidant enzyme activities and membrane fluidity. The results indicated that catalase and glutathione peroxidase activities increased with the density of the fraction while the membrane fluidity was unchanged. 3. The observed results show a marked difference between nucleated (fish) and unnucleated (human) separated erythrocytes."}
{"id": "PMID:1482382", "title": "Serine proteinase inhibition by the cyclic thiolic compound YS3025: a crystallographic study.", "content": "In order to unravel the serine proteinase inhibition mechanism by cyclic thiolic compounds, the X-ray crystal structure of bovine alpha-chymotrypsin inhibited by 3-[2-(2-thiophencarboxythio)]-propanoyl-4-thioazolidin carboxylic acid (YS3025) has been studied by means of difference Fourier techniques and refined at 2.8 A resolution (R-factor = 0.174). The thiophencarbonyl moiety of YS3025 is covalently linked, in the acyl-enzyme complex, to Ser195 OG atom of bovine alpha-chymotrypsin, and located at the entrance of the proteinase primary specificity subsite (S1). The present data confirm previous hypotheses raised on the inhibition mechanism of serine proteinases, based on solution studies of human leukocyte elastase in the presence of the YS3025 parent compound 2-[3-thiophencarboxythio]-N-[dihydro-2(3H)- thiophenone-3-il]-propionamide (MR889)."}
{"id": "PMID:1482383", "title": "GM3 affects carboxyl methylation in the human erythrocyte membrane.", "content": "Effects of gangliosides in human erythrocyte membrane using carboxyl methyltransferase have been investigated. As GM3 concentration increased, methylatability for membrane was increased. But bovine brain ganglioside mixture did not alter methylatability even at a higher concentration. When 30 microM of GM3 was used in erythrocyte membrane, methylatability was increased by 32%. When purified-glucose transporters were reconstituted into egg phosphatidylcholine-liposome with GM3, methylatability was increased by 37%. Thus conformational difference of membrane according to localization of GM3 in intact human erythrocyte membrane or liposome possibly increases the methylatability and activity of glucose transporter itself."}
{"id": "PMID:1482384", "title": "Structural analysis of pigeon lens crystallins by near-infrared Fourier transform Raman spectroscopy.", "content": "Crystallins from pigeon eye lenses were isolated and purified by gel-permeation and anion-exchange chromatographies and characterized by gel electrophoresis, amino acid analysis and Raman spectroscopy. alpha- and beta-Crystallins could be obtained in relatively pure forms by single-step size-exclusion chromatography whereas an extra step of ion-exchange chromatography was needed for the separation of delta crystallin from the beta-crystallin fraction. In contrast to most characterized vertebrate species, a large amount of glycogen is eluted as a high molecular form in the first peak of gel filtration column. Structural analyses of total crude soluble proteins and purified alpha-, beta- and delta-crystallin fractions were made with respect to their amino acid compositions and characteristic near-IR Fourier-transform Raman spectra. The results indicate that the major secondary structures of alpha- and beta-crystallins are mainly anti-parallel beta-pleated sheet in nature as judged by the Raman signals at 1242 (amide III) and 1669-1670 cm-1 (amide I) whereas delta-crystallin consists of a significant content of alpha-helices as evidenced by the Raman signal at 1657-1660 cm-1 (amide I). The low intensity of S-S disulfide stretching vibration at 508-510 cm-1 coupled with the presence of S-H stretching at 2560-2580 cm-1 for alpha-, beta- and delta-crystallin pointed to the fact that sulfhydryl groups in most crystallins are resistant to air oxidation during the process of homogenization and protein extraction. It is also found that the relative Raman signal intensities of Tyr, Phe, and Trp residues in purified crystallins correlate very well with the data obtained from amino acid analysis. Especially noteworthy is the demonstrated usefulness of applying Raman techniques in the detection of the microenvironments of the aromatic amino acids such as Tyr and Trp in the native crystallins, which may prove useful in the study of contribution of these aromatic residues to crystallin packing and stability."}
{"id": "PMID:1482385", "title": "Determination of the subunit contact region of aspartase.", "content": "The subunits of tetrameric enzyme aspartase from Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas fluorescens were incapable of forming hybrid tetramers, suggesting that the subunit contact regions of these two enzymes are not conserved in spite of significant homology between the total sequences of the enzymes. To locate the subunit contact region, we modified cysteine residues of the intermediate species formed during the assembly of the subunits of aspartase from E. coli. Subunits modified with N-ethylmaleimide were unable to assemble into tetramers. Further experiments showed that Cys-88 was the primary residue that was modified. The sequence flanking Cys-88 is quite different from that in the the enzyme from P. fluorescens, suggesting that this region participates in the mutual recognition of subunits."}
{"id": "PMID:1482386", "title": "Effect of concanavalin A on the activity of acid and alkaline phosphatases.", "content": "The effect of Concanavalin A on the activity of acid and alkaline phosphatases has been investigated. Both the glycoproteins were inhibited by Con A (about 30-40% with 4 mg final concentration in the reaction mixture of Con A). In case of the acid phosphatase, the addition of 1.0 M NaCl, instead of 0.5 M, stimulated the enzyme activity at low concentrations of Con A. The significance of the lectin effect on the stability of glycoenzymes and its implications in bioseparation and enzyme immobilization is briefly discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1482387", "title": "Influence of pH and phosphate ions on the kinetics of enolisation and degradation of fructosamines. Studies with the model fructosamine, N epsilon-1-deoxy-D-fructos-1-yl-hippuryl-lysine.", "content": "Investigation of the rate of enolisation and degradation of the model peptide fructosamine N epsilon-1-deoxy-D-fructos-1-yl-hippuryl-lysine and related monosaccharides revealed the fructosamine to be activated towards enolisation but little of the enolic intermediates proceeded to form advanced glycation endproducts. For the oxidative degradation of monosaccharides, enolisation was rate-limiting. Enolisation of the fructosamine was promoted by hydroxide, phosphate and pyrophosphate buffer ions but not directly influenced by the protonation state of the fructosyl amino group. The formation of advanced glycation end-products may be greatly enhanced in the presence of suitable catalysts (trace metal ions) of the degradation of fructosamine-derived enolic intermediates."}
{"id": "PMID:1482388", "title": "Simultaneous formation of native ribonuclease and proinsulin from their mixed S-sulfonated derivatives by protein disulfide isomerase.", "content": "Although the formation of native disulfide bonds of a protein from randomly linked disulfides by protein disulfide isomerase has been extensively studied, the possibility of simultaneous formation of the native proteins from a mixture has not been examined. It is shown in this paper that native ribonuclease and proinsulin can be nearly quantitatively formed by protein disulfide isomerase from a mixture of their S-sulfonated derivatives independent of the presence of each other."}
{"id": "PMID:1482389", "title": "A sensitive method for the analysis of urinary proteoglycans.", "content": "Twelve control persons excreted 282 +/- 106 micrograms proteoglycans/l urine (+/- S.D.) in a random urine sample. For four patients with a clinical proteinuria of 1.1 to 5.8 g/l, the excretion varied between 52 and 387 micrograms/l. The control proteoglycan pattern in an electrophoretic analysis on polyacrylamide gel and stained with digoxigenin followed by incubation with digoxigenin antibodies, consisted of a major band with a molecular weight of 100,000. It comigrated with a similar band in the serum proteoglycan pattern. The control pattern contained also lighter fractions with molecular weights between 50,000 and 28,000. The major proteoglycan band remained unchanged in the pattern of the proteinuric patients while conspicuous new bands appeared in the pattern of patients with proteinuria greater than 1.9 g/l. They seem to be of urinary tract origin as they had no counterparts in the serum proteoglycan pattern."}
{"id": "PMID:1482390", "title": "Induction and regulation of D-xylose catabolizing enzymes in Fusarium oxysporum.", "content": "In Fusarium oxysporum DSM 841, the requirement of oxygen was found to be associated with the induction of key D-xylose catabolizing enzymes. NADPH-linked D-xylose reductase and NAD-linked xylitol dehydrogenase. Both enzymes were detected in cell free extracts of F. oxysporum grown in the medium containing D-xylose, L-arabinose and D-galactose as substrate. D-xylose, L-arabinose and D-galactose were also found to be substrates for NADPH-linked activities. However, unlike xylitol, neither L-arabitol nor galactitol supported the NAD-linked reactions, suggesting the diversion of metabolic pathways of L-arabinose and D-galactose from that of D-xylose following formation of pentitol."}
{"id": "PMID:1482391", "title": "Effect of diet-induced obesity on kinetic parameters of amino acid uptake by rat erythrocytes.", "content": "The effects of cafeteria diet-induced obesity upon in vitro uptake of L-Alanine, Glycine, L-Lysine, L-Glutamine, L-Glutamic acid, L-Phenylalanine and L-Leucine by isolated rat erythrocytes have been studied. The total Phe and Leu uptakes followed Michaelis-Menten kinetics. The Glu uptake was fitted to diffusion kinetics. The uptakes of Ala, Gly, Lys and Gln were best explained by a two-component transport: one saturable and one diffusion. Obesity increased the Km value for Ala, Gln and Leu, and the Vmax value for Ala, but decreased the Vmax for Lys. Kinetic parameters of Phe uptake were unaffected by obesity. In addition, the pseudo-first order rate constant (Vmax/Km) for Ala, Gly, Gln, Lys and Leu uptake decreased as a result of cafeteria diet-induced obesity. The Kd value for Ala, Gly, Gln and Glu decreased and that of Lys increased as result of obesity. These adaptations could, at least in part, explain alterations in amino acid distribution between blood cells and plasma related to overfeeding or obesity."}
{"id": "PMID:1482392", "title": "Vanadate treatment increases the activity of glycolytic enzymes and raises fructose 2,6-bisphosphate concentration in hearts from diabetic rats.", "content": "The present study examined the effect of vanadate on the activity of key enzymes of glycolysis and the level of fructose 2,6-bisphosphate (F-2, 6-P2) in the hearts of diabetic rats. A 20% decrease in the total hexokinase activity and 66% decrease in the type II isoenzyme was found in diabetic rat hearts. Vanadate treatment doubled the activity of type II hexokinase. Pyruvate kinase and phosphofructokinase 1 activity was reduced by 20% in diabetes, vanadate treatment restored the activity of the enzymes to normal. A 43% decrease in the cardiac F-2, 6-P2 level was found in diabetes of four weeks duration. A significant inverse correlation between blood glucose of experimental animals and the level of heart F-2, 6-P2 was observed. Vanadate treatment doubled the amount of F-2, 6-P2 in diabetic rat hearts."}
{"id": "PMID:1482393", "title": "Metabolism of 16 alpha-hydroxytestosterone by cytochrome P-450 in rat liver.", "content": "The metabolism of 16 alpha-hydroxytestosterone by cytochrome P-450 system was studied with two different inductions. At least 5 different metabolites with higher polarity were produced from 16 alpha-hydroxytestosterone. MT-B, one of their products, appeared to be specifically increased by 3-methylcholanthrene- and phenobarbital-inducible P-450, respectively. This suggests that monohydroxylated testosterones are further metabolized by the P-450 system and that the reactions are isozyme specific. This can contribute at least in part to the diversity of steroid metabolism by P-450."}
{"id": "PMID:1482394", "title": "Effect of seasonal acclimatization on estrogen-induced vitellogenesis and on the hepatic estrogen receptors in the male carp.", "content": "The levels of circulating vitellogenin in the plasma of male carp after induction by estradiol-17 beta was examined in summer- and winter-acclimatized fish. During the warm season male fish exhibited a clear vitellogenic response, whereas the fish adapted to the cold season did not. The evaluation of the hepatic estrogen receptors revealed that although steroid-binding affinity is not affected by seasonal acclimatization, the concentration of estrogen receptors certainly is. This was evidenced in estrogen treated fish. Summer-acclimatized carp featured a concentration of hepatic estrogen receptors 2.5 fold higher than the cold season adapted fish. The results suggest that the failure of estrogen to induce vitellogenesis in cold adapted carp may be due; at least in part, to a deficient up-regulation of hepatic estrogen receptors in the corresponding acclimatized state."}
{"id": "PMID:1482395", "title": "Effect of L-arginine on pancreatic arginase activity and polyamines in alloxan treated rats.", "content": "The effect of L-arginine on the arginase activity and polyamine levels was studied in the pancreas of normal and diabetic rats (120 mg/kg alloxan, i.v.). Four groups were formed (10 male adults per group). I-Control-0.154 M NaCl. II-Diabetic-0.154 M NaCl (96 h after alloxan). III-Control plus 10 mM L-arginine IV-Diabetics plus 10 mM L-arginine. Rats were sacrificed 20 min after L-arginine injection. Glucose in serum and dry weight, proteins, arginase activity and polyamines (HPLC) in pancreas were measured. Higher ratio mg protein/mg dry weight and arginase induction was observed for groups III and IV. Putrescine was low as a consequence of diabetes but restored with L-arginine. The concentrations of spermidine and spermine were lower. These results may suggest that arginine is metabolized to putrescine in the pancreas and that polyamines may be utilized in regenerating processes or for recovering the endocrine pancreatic function."}
{"id": "PMID:1482396", "title": "Iron-reducing activity of plasma membranes.", "content": "Human placental trophoblast plasma membranes were prepared by differential centrifugation and solubilized in nonionic detergent. Transferrin receptors were isolated from the solubilized membranes by affinity chromatography on diferric transferrin-coupled Sepharose 4B. The trophoblast plasma membrane vesicles demonstrated NADH-ferricyanide oxidoreductive activity. However, NADH-Fe(III) oxidoreductive activity was very weak when Fe(III)-ammonium citrate or diferric transferrin was used as electron acceptor in the presence of bathophenanthroline disulfonate as an indicator of the reaction. After solubilization, only NADH-ferricyanide oxidoreduction was recovered. Affinity chromatography-purified transferrin receptors did not exhibit any measurable oxidoreductase activity. Thus, when these receptors are present in plasma membranes they mediate redox reactions, but biochemically isolated receptors do not mediate such reactions. These observation suggest that transferrin receptors in plasma membranes bind diferric transferrin, and, in an undetermined way, facilitate Fe(III) release so that iron reduction can occur."}
{"id": "PMID:1482397", "title": "Characterization of Mirabilis antiviral protein--a ribosome inactivating protein from Mirabilis jalapa L.", "content": "A protein was purified from root tubers of Mirabilis jalapa to homogeneity by ion-exchange chromatography on CM-Sepharose CL-6B and FPLC on Mono-S column. The purified protein was confirmed to be Mirabilis antiviral protein (MAP). However, in addition to its antiviral property, the MAP was demonstrated to possess abortifacient activity in pregnant mice, inhibitory effect on cell-free protein synthesis and antiproliferative effect on tumor cells. As judged from its biological and physiochemical properties, MAP is a type I ribosome-inactivating protein."}
{"id": "PMID:1482398", "title": "Transcriptional regulation of MnSOD by manganese in the liver of manganese-deficient mice and during rat development.", "content": "Evidence is reported that liver manganese deficiency, whether artificially produced by the administration of a Mn-deficient diet, or physiologically occurring in the neonatal life, in mice and rats respectively, causes the down-regulation of the manganese-containing superoxide dismutase at (pre)-transcriptional level. These observations, in addition to previous data concerning Mn-deficiency and the low level of expression of MnSOD in Morris hepatomas, strongly support the role played by the metal ion in the control of the MnSOD by a mechanism of gene activation. While the molecular events taking place in such regulation are not yet identified, the involvement of reactive oxygen species (ROS) as second messengers in the activation of specific transcription factors is suggested."}
{"id": "PMID:1482399", "title": "The effect of intra- and intermolecular disulfide bonds after peptide grafting on the properties of yeast alcohol dehydrogenase.", "content": "Hydrophilic peptides including cysteine residues were grafted on activated yeast alcohol dehydrogenase. The grafted enzyme preparation was then submitted to oxidation at various concentrations in order to favour the formation of intramolecular or intermolecular disulfide bonds. Intermolecular bonds led to enzyme inactivation. But a rigidification of the enzyme was observed with intramolecular bonds. However, thiol groups also chelated the catalytic and structural zinc atoms, leading to the corresponding enzyme inactivation and thermolability. Formation of intramolecular disulfide bridges after peptide grafting strengthens enzyme conformation and can induce enzyme stabilization, but it has to take into account the possible interference with the naturally occurring cysteine bridges."}
{"id": "PMID:1482400", "title": "Purification and characterization of N-acetyl-beta-D-hexosaminidase in different anatomical regions of the adult rat epididymis.", "content": "The purpose of the present study was to purify and kinetically characterize N-acetyl-beta-D-hexosaminidases A and B (EC 3.2.1.52) from the caput, corpus and caudal regions of the adult rat epididymis. The molecular mass of the purified native enzyme was approximately 250,000 and approximately 223,000 daltons for the A and B isozymes, with a subunit molecular mass of approximately 63,000 and approximately 56,000 daltons, as determined by size exclusion chromatography and gel electrophoresis under reducing conditions. The apparent Michaelis-Menten constant and maximum velocity values were 0.60, 1.55 and 0.68 mM and 0.54, 3.20 and 2.30 microM/min./mg protein for the enzyme purified from the caput, corpus and caudal regions, respectively. These values were determined by using p-nitrophenyl-N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminide as the substrate. These data suggest that the enzyme may be more active in the corpus region of the epididymis than in the caput and caudal regions."}
{"id": "PMID:1482401", "title": "Characterisation of genes encoding two novel members of the aldo-keto reductase superfamily.", "content": "The predicted amino acid sequence of the protein encoded by a cDNA clone isolated from the protozoan haemoparasite Babesia bovis has approximately 22% amino acid identity with the Pichia stipitis xylose reductase. There are similar levels of amino acid identity with other members of the aldo-keto reductase superfamily. The identities include many residues highly conserved in the superfamily. However, the amino acid sequence of the B. bovis protein (AKR1) clearly lies outside the cluster of the previously characterized members of the superfamily. A putative protein encoded by a previously undescribed partially characterized open reading frame at the igrA (increased glyphosate resistance) locus of Pseudomonas sp. strain PG2982 also exhibits similarity to AKR1 and the aldo-keto reductases."}
{"id": "PMID:1482402", "title": "Effects of extremely low-frequency electromagnetic fields on three plasma membrane-associated enzymes in early chicken embryos.", "content": "Exposure to a 60 Hz, 4 uT electromagnetic field caused significant changes in levels of 5'nucleotidase (5'NT), acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) during early embryonic development in the chicken. Enzyme levels were significantly higher in embryos with various forms of anatomic malformations (abnormal) than in those with no visible abnormal characteristics (normal). The presence of the electromagnetic field was associated with a marked reduction in enzyme activities in abnormal embryos. Overall mean specific activities for 5'NT, AChE and ALP were 12, 57, 67 and 38, 196, 111 nmol/min/mg protein in abnormal-exposed versus abnormal-control embryos, respectively. In normal-exposed versus normal-control embryos, the values were 5, 28, 57 and 10, 29, 58, respectively."}
{"id": "PMID:1482403", "title": "Synthesis and secretion of gastric sulfomucin in the presence of ebrotidine, a new antiulcer agent.", "content": "The effect of a new antiulcer agent, ebrotidine, on the synthesis and secretion of gastric sulfomucin was investigated using mucosal segments incubated in the presence of [3H]proline, [3H]glucosamine and [35S]Na2SO4. The drug, while showing no discernible effect on the apomucin synthesis, evoked a dose-dependent increase in mucin glycosylation and sulfation, which at 100 microM ebrotidine, attained its maximum of 2.4 and 2.7-fold stimulation, respectively. The analysis of mucin secretory responses revealed that ebrotidine caused a concentration-dependent enhancement in sulfomucin secretion which attained its maximum increase of 3.3-fold at 100-120 microM ebrotidine. The sulfomucin elaborated in the presence of ebrotidine exhibited a higher content of a large molecular-weight mucus glycoprotein form, the assembly of which is intimately associated with the sulfation event. The results suggest that the ability of ebrotidine to enhance gastric sulfomucin synthesis and secretion may play an important role in the gastroprotective mechanism of action of this agent."}
{"id": "PMID:1482404", "title": "Comparative effect of fasting on acetoacetate and D-3-hydroxybutyrate metabolism in the newborn chick.", "content": "The effect of 24 h fasting on ketone body utilization by three extranervous tissues, liver, duodenum and kidney, was studied in two critical ages of neonatal chick: 4 and 9 days. In 4-day-old chick, plasma concentration of 3-hydroxybutyrate increased about 9-fold after 24 h starvation, while in 9-day-old chick this parameter increased about 23-fold in the same conditions. Hepatic lipogenesis from both precursors sharply decreased by fasting. Changes in the lipogenic activity of duodenum were less patent. However, we have found a clear increase in lipogenesis in chick kidney after 24 h starvation. CO2 production from acetoacetate was higher than that found from hydroxybutyrate. No significant differences in the acetoacetate oxidation to CO2 was observed in any tissue assayed after 24 h fasting. 14C incorporation from ketone bodies into amino acids was clearly decreased in kidney from 9-day-old chick by fasting. In liver and duodenum, acetoacetate incorporation into amino acids was higher than that from hydroxybutyrate."}
{"id": "PMID:1482405", "title": "Characterization of trehalase in Rhodotorula rubra.", "content": "Trehalase activity in Rhodotorula rubra was found to be bound to the particulate fraction of a cell-free extract in contrast with the soluble trehalase activity of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The enzyme was strongly repressed by glucose and derepressed during growth on maltose, trehalose and glycerol. This increase in activity was due to a \"de novo\" synthesis as seen by inhibition with cycloheximide, a mechanism not described for Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Catabolite inactivation by addition of glucose was also demonstrated. This particulate enzyme does not respond to activation by the cAMP-dependent protein kinase."}
{"id": "PMID:1482406", "title": "Coordinate expression of the enzymes of nitric oxide metabolism in Paracoccus denitrificans.", "content": "Cellular activities of nitric oxide producing nitrite reductase (NiR) and nitric oxide reductase (NOR) in Paracoccus denitrificans increased in parallel upon anaerobic adaptation of aerobically grown cells. In addition, both activities exhibited comparable dependences on oxygen supply into the growing culture. The results suggest that the maintenance of a sufficiently high NOR/NiR activity ratio plays an important role in preventing nitric oxide accumulation and its toxic effects on the cells during denitrification."}
{"id": "PMID:1482407", "title": "Purification and properties of chitinase from cabbage.", "content": "Chitinase has been purified from the extract of cabbage through successive steps of ammonium sulfate fractionation, chromatofocusing and Sephadex G-75 gel filtration. By these steps, the purity of the enzyme increased by 93.3 fold and the recovery of the enzyme activity was 20%. The purified enzyme had an optimal pH of 5.0, an optimal temperature between 40 to 50 degrees C and a Km of 76 microM for hydrolysis of ethylene glycol chitin. The molecular weight of the enzyme determined from filtration through Sephadex G-75 was 30,000 daltons. Heavy metal ions, Hg2+ (0.5 mM) and Ag+(2.5 mM) significantly inhibited the activity of the enzyme. NBSI1 (1.0 mM), DNFB (0.5 mM) and PMSF (0.5 mM) completely inhibited the activity of the enzyme. The enzyme also showed muramidase activity for hydrolysis of Micrococcus lysodeikticus cell wall. The presence of chitinase in cabbage may function as a defense enzyme against potential pathogens."}
{"id": "PMID:1482408", "title": "Relationship between substrate activity and pKa value of phenols on sulfotransferase from Eubacterium A-44.", "content": "The relationship between the kinetics of the enzyme activity and the structural features of phenolic donor and of acceptor substrates was investigated with a sulfotransferase from Eubacterium A-44, a human intestinal bacterium. The enzyme catalyzed the transfer of the sulfate group from the sulfate esters of phenol having a lower pKa to phenols having a higher pKa. When the Km values for acceptor substrates were measured at their optimal pH, a linear plot for log10Km versus the pKa with a slope of 0.615 was obtained. In addition, it is considered that the effect of pH on the Km values for the various acceptors is due to ionization of free enzyme. The kinetic behavior of bacterial sulfotransferase differed from that of mammalian phenol sulfotransferase."}
{"id": "PMID:1482409", "title": "Intervention of adriamycin induced free radical damage.", "content": "The cumulative cardiotoxicity of Adriamycin (ADR) is a constraint on its pharmacological use. The generation of drug induced oxygen radicals in heart cells lead to cardiac lipid membrane peroxidation. We studied the free radical scavenging potential of two compounds Oleanolic acid (OA) isolated from Eugenia jumbolana and Ursolic acid (UA) isolated from Ocimum sanctum against ADR induced lipid peroxidation both in liver and heart microsomes in vitro. In our attempt in the management of cardiotoxicity, we have identified OA as a strong protector against ADR induced lipid peroxidation and UA as a mild protector. Protection with OA was 49% and 21% in liver and heart microsomes respectively. On combined treatment, it increased to 69%. UA showed only 13% and 17% protection in liver and heart microsomes. Two methods for the microsome preparation, Calcium aggregation (CA) and Differential centrifugation (DC) were also compared. CA seems to give a better microsomal preparation though the protection was about the same."}
{"id": "PMID:1482410", "title": "Monitoring of haemoglobin-methyl isocyanate adduct by high-performance liquid chromatography with diode array detector.", "content": "Carbamylation of haemoglobin by methyl isocyanate (MIC) was detected by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) using a photodiode array detector following cyclisation of the N-terminal valine into methyl isopropyl hydantoin (MIH). MIH was also synthesised by reaction of MIC with valine, the chromatographic conditions standardised and the spectrum derived by a photodiode array detector recorded for confirmation of the identity of MIH. This HPLC method is specific, sensitive and suitable for the detection of exposure of blood samples to methyl isocyanate."}
{"id": "PMID:1482412", "title": "Early history of bioelectromagnetics.", "content": "The early history of bioelectromagnetics is reviewed as I experienced it. The period of time chosen extends from my joining the Institute for Physical Foundations of Medicine in Frankfurt in 1937 to the early 1970s, when I retired from the chair of my department at the University of Pennsylvania. Several themes emerge from these recollections. First, clinical and biological work led almost immediately to a heated controversy about the role of athermal vs. thermal effects; this issue has never been settled to the satisfaction of most. Second, good quantitative work on electrical properties and dosimetry began early, well before World War II; its impact on future developments was significant."}
{"id": "PMID:1482413", "title": "Long-term, low-level microwave irradiation of rats.", "content": "Our goal was to investigate effects of long-term exposure to pulsed microwave radiation. The major emphasis was to expose a large sample of experimental animals throughout their lifetimes and to monitor them for effects on general health and longevity. An exposure facility was developed that enabled 200 rats to be maintained under specific-pathogen-free (SPF) conditions while housed individually in circularly-polarized waveguides. The exposure facility consisted of two rooms, each containing 50 active waveguides and 50 waveguides for sham (control) exposures. The experimental rats were exposed to 2,450-MHz pulsed microwaves at 800 pps with a 10-microseconds pulse width. The pulsed microwaves were square-wave modulated at 8-Hz. Whole body calorimetry, thermographic analysis, and power-meter analysis indicated that microwaves delivered at 0.144 W to each exposure waveguide resulted in an average specific absorption rate (SAR) that ranged from 0.4 W/kg for a 200-g rat to 0.15 W/kg for an 800-g rat. Two hundred male, Sprague-Dawley rats were assigned in equal numbers to radiation-exposure and sham-exposure conditions. Exposure began at 8 weeks of age and continued daily, 21.5 h/day, for 25 months. Animals were bled at regular intervals and blood samples were analyzed for serum chemistries, hematological values, protein electrophoretic patterns, thyroxine, and plasma corticosterone levels. In addition to daily measures of body mass, food and water consumption by all animals, O2 consumption and CO2 production were periodically measured in a sub-sample (N = 18) of each group. Activity was assessed in an open-field apparatus at regular intervals throughout the study. After 13 months, 10 rats from each group were euthanatized to test for immunological competence and to permit whole-body analysis, as well as gross and histopathological examinations. At the end of 25 months, the survivors (11 sham-exposed and 12 radiation-exposed rats) were euthanatized for similar analyses. The other 157 animals were examined histopathologically when they died spontaneously or were terminated in extremis."}
{"id": "PMID:1482414", "title": "Physiological interaction processes and radio-frequency energy absorption.", "content": "Because exposure to microwave fields at the resonant frequency may generate heat deep in the body, hyperthermia may result. This problem has been examined in an animal model to determine both the thresholds for response change and the steady-state thermoregulatory compensation for body heating during exposure at resonant (450 MHz) and supra-resonant (2,450 MHz) frequencies. Adult male squirrel monkeys, held in the far field of an antenna within an anechoic chamber, were exposed (10 min or 90 min) to either 450-MHz or 2,450-MHz CW fields (E polarization) in cool environments. Whole-body SARs ranged from 0-6 W/kg (450 MHz) and 0-9 W/kg (2,450 MHz). Colonic and several skin temperatures, metabolic heat production, and evaporative heat loss were monitored continuously. During brief RF exposures in the cold, the reduction of metabolic heat production was directly proportional to the SAR, but 2,450-MHz energy was a more efficient stimulus than was the resonant frequency. In the steady state, a regulated increase in deep body temperature accompanied exposure at resonance, not unlike that which occurs during exercise. Detailed analyses of the data indicate that temperature changes in the skin are the primary source of the neural signal for a change in physiological interaction processes during RF exposure in the cold."}
{"id": "PMID:1482415", "title": "Research on the neurological effects of nonionizing radiation at the University of Washington.", "content": "This paper reviews research on neurological effects of low-level microwave irradiation, which was performed at the University of Washington, during the decade of the 1980s. We studied in the rat the effects of microwave exposure on the actions of various psychoactive drugs, on the activity of cholinergic systems in the brain, and on the neural mechanisms involved. Our results indicate that endogenous opioids play an important mediating role in some of the neurological effects of microwaves, and that parameters of microwave exposure are important determinants of the outcome of the microwave effects."}
{"id": "PMID:1482416", "title": "Radio-frequency electromagnetic fields associated with cellular-radio cell-site antennas.", "content": "Because of a heightened public awareness of issues pertaining to the use of electromagnetic energy, concurrent with a rapid growth of the cellular telephone industry, a study was initiated to characterize the electromagnetic environment associated with typical cell-site antennas. In particular, the radio-frequency electromagnetic (RF) fields in the vicinity of several antenna towers, ranging in height from 46-82 m, were characterized by measurement. In all cases, the antennas were omnidirectional co-linear arrays. The maximal power densities considered representative of public exposure were found to be less than 100 microW/m2 (10 nW/cm2) per radio channel. Comparison of measured values with the corresponding values that were calculated from the free-space transmission formula indicated that the analytical technique is conservative (i.e., overestimates field levels). The measured and corresponding analytical values were found to be well below accepted exposure limits even when extrapolated to simultaneous and continuous operation of the maximal number of transmitters that would be expected to be installed at a cell-site. Additional measurements were made in the near field of the same antenna type in a roof-mounted configuration. At a distance of 0.7 m from the antenna, the maximal power density in the main beam was found to be less than 30 W/m2 (3 mW/cm2) when normalized to sixteen radio channels (the maximal number used on a single antenna) and less than 30 mW/m2 (3 microW/m2) at 70 m. In all cases, the effective radiated power (ERP) by each radio channel was 100 W referenced to a half-wave dipole. This paper describes the instrumentation and measurement techniques used for this study and provides a summary of the results."}
{"id": "PMID:1482417", "title": "A frequency-dependent finite-difference time-domain formulation for induced current calculations in human beings.", "content": "The finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method has been used to calculate SARs and induced currents involving whole-body or partial-body exposures of models to spatially uniform or nonuniform (far-field or near-field), to sinusoidally varying EM fields, or to transient fields such as those associated with electromagnetic pulses. However, a weakness of the FDTD algorithm is that the dispersion of the tissue's dielectric properties is ignored and frequency-independent properties are assumed. Although this is permissible for continuous-wave or narrow-band irradiation, the results may be highly erroneous for short pulses, in which ultra-wide bandwidths are involved. In some recent publications, procedures are described for one- and two-dimensional problems for media in which the complex permittivity epsilon * (omega) may be described by a single-order Debye relaxation equation or a modified version thereof. These procedures based on a convolution integral describing D(t) in terms of E(t) cannot be extended to human tissues for which multiterm Debye relaxation equations must generally be used. We describe here a new differential-equation approach that can be used for general dispersive media. We illustrate the use of this approach by one- and three-dimensional examples of media for which epsilon * (omega) is given by a multiterm Debye equation, and for an approximate two-thirds muscle-equivalent model of the human body. Based on a single run involving a Gaussian pulse, the frequency-dependent FDTD [(FD)2TD] method allows calculations of SARs and induced currents at various frequencies by taking the Fourier components of the induced E fields. The (FD)2TD method can also be used to calculate coupling of the short (ultra-wideband) pulses to the human body."}
{"id": "PMID:1482418", "title": "Microwave sensing of physiological movement and volume change: a review.", "content": "The ability non-invasively to detect and monitor the movement of tissues and organs from outside the body provides many worthwhile areas of potential biomedical applications. Several non-invasive microwave techniques for contact and remote sensing of circulatory and respiratory movements and volume changes have been developed. In general, these systems consist of a microwave generator, a sampling device, a transmitting-receiving antenna, a set of signal-conditioning and processing devices, and a display unit. They operate at continuous-wave frequencies between 1 and 35 GHz and make use of amplitude and phase information derived from the received signal. The average power density of energy radiated by present systems ranges from approximately 0.001-1.0 mW/cm2. These systems are capable of registering instantaneous changes in fluid volume, pressure pulse, heart rate, and respiration rate in contact with body surface or at distances greater than 30 m, or behind thick layers of non-conductive walls."}
{"id": "PMID:1482419", "title": "Microwave radiometry in biomedicine: a reappraisal.", "content": "Nearly 20 years ago the first papers appeared on biomedical applications of microwave radiometry, and many other papers have since appeared. Yet, despite its unique capabilities, microwave radiometry has so far received only limited acceptance by the medical community, and little commercial success. The chief reasons, we suggest, are the shallow depth of sensing and the difficulty of extracting imaging information from radiometry signals emitted by electrically heterogeneous media. A secondary factor has been the difficulty of validating many proposed clinical applications for the method--in particular, cancer detection. We suggest that microwave radiometry is a viable method of thermal sensing, but its successful applications are likely to be quite different than those that were originally conceived for the technique."}
{"id": "PMID:1482420", "title": "Evaluation of microwave hyperthermia applicators.", "content": "Hyperthermia has been used in conjunction with radiation and chemotherapy for cancer treatment. When using electromagnetic heating, applicators are critical components in contact with or in proximity to patients and can be the determining factor for effective and safe treatment. Tissue absorption of electromagnetic energy is determined by many factors. Three cases are shown to illustrate the complexity of microwave heating: 1) The BSD MA-151 applicator has good center heating on a muscle-only phantom as shown in the operation manual. When fat slabs of 0.25, 0.5, 1, and 2 cm thick were added, two hot spots near the periphery of the applicator were evident on all fat surfaces, exposed at 631 MHz. At 915 MHz, the heating was elongated on the surface of the models with 0.25- and 2-cm fat, and two hot spots were observed on the 0.5- and 1-cm fat surfaces. 2) Heating patterns of the Clini-Therm applicators on a muscle-only phantom, as indicated in the operations guide, are elliptical with their major axes perpendicular to the electric field. However, when a bolus is used, the elliptical pattern is parallel to the E field. 3) Heating patterns in cylindrical structures were studied with inhomogeneous models of limbs. Arm and thigh models consisting of fat, bone, and muscle material were heated with Clini-Therm L, M, and MS applicators at 915 MHz. In addition to the geometric effect, the results indicated that placing the applicators with E field parallel to the long axis of cylindrical structures can minimize required power, produce less heating of fats and reduce stray radiation. In conclusion, to apply penetrating microwave or other RF fields for tissue heating, one must simulate the clinical exposure conditions as closely as possible to obtain useful heating patterns."}
{"id": "PMID:1482422", "title": "Anesthetic drugs and emergency departments.", "content": "Hospital emergency departments were surveyed on their use of N2O, intravenous anesthetics, and neuromuscular blocking drugs; patients monitoring during their use; and the monitoring and evaluation of the quality and appropriateness of the use of these drugs. We received 90 of the 170 surveys sent for a response rate of 53%. Sixty-three percent of the emergency departments that answered our survey administer one or more of these drugs in the emergency room. Less than two-thirds of these respondents indicated they use patient monitors while administering these drugs. The emergency department monitors and evaluates the appropriate use of these drugs in about half of the hospitals that use them, whereas the anesthesiology department is involved less than 20% of the time. Anesthesiology departments should become more involved in developing criteria for evaluating the quality of anesthesia administered by other hospital departments to help ensure that all patients receive a comparable level of anesthetic care throughout the hospital."}
{"id": "PMID:1482423", "title": "Assessing competency to make a will.", "content": "The finding by a court that the author of a will (the testator) lacked mental capacity or was subject to undue influence at the time the will was executed can invalidate the will. A psychiatrist may be asked to assess the competency of a testator when he or she is planning to create or modify a will or after the death of a testator when the will is challenged. To provide guidelines for such evaluations, the authors reviewed the relevant psychiatric, forensic, and legal literature and drew on their own professional experience as well. They outline a systematic approach to the contemporaneous and retrospective evaluation of the elements that affect decisions about mental capacity and undue influence and offer suggestions for the organization and presentation of expert testimony. Awareness of the relevant legal principles and a systematic clinical approach to the assessment can maximize the quality of the psychiatric consultation and expert testimony."}
{"id": "PMID:1482424", "title": "Antinociceptive effects of tizanidine, diazepam and eperisone in isolated spinal cord-tail preparations of newborn rat.", "content": "Antinociceptive effects of three centrally acting muscle relaxants, tizanidine, diazepam and eperisone, were studied using an isolated newborn rat spinal cord-tail preparation. Potentials were recorded from a lumbar ventral root (L3-L5) extracellularly using a suction electrode. Pinch stimulation applied to the tail elicited a depolarizing response in the ventral root lasting 15-30 sec, referred to as the tail-pinch potential. Electrical stimulation of the ipsilateral dorsal root of the same segment with a single shock induced depolarizing responses in the ventral root. The responses consisted of monosynaptic and polysynaptic reflexes with a fast time course, followed by a slow depolarizing response lasting about 20 sec. The latter slow response was designated the ipsilateral slow ventral root potential (VRP). Both the tail-pinch potential and the ipsilateral slow VRP were depressed by application to the spinal cord of tizanidine (2-3 microM), diazepam (2 microM) and eperisone (100-200 microM). The effect of tizanidine was reversed by alpha 2-adrenoreceptor antagonists, yohimbine and idazoxan, but not by an alpha 1-antagonist, prazosin. The effect of diazepam was reversed by the benzodiazepine antagonist, flumazenil."}
{"id": "PMID:1482425", "title": "Concomitant administration of recombinant human interleukin-2 and recombinant interferon alfa-2A: an active outpatient regimen in metastatic renal cell carcinoma.", "content": "A phase II trial of interleukin-2 (IL-2) and interferon alfa (IFN-alpha) in metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCCa) was conducted. A lower dosage of IL-2 was given via continuous intravenous (IV) infusion, a route with documented tumor activity associated with less toxicity, with the purpose of improving the therapeutic index of this treatment in an outpatient setting. Thirty patients with metastatic RCCa were treated with the combination of IL-2 and IFN-alpha-2A. IL-2 was administered on days 1 through 4 of each treatment week, as a continuous IV infusion at a dose of 2 x 10(6) U/m2/d. IFN-alpha-2A was administered intramuscularly or subcutaneously on days 1 and 4 of each treatment week, at a dose of 6 x 10(6) U/m2/d. One treatment course included 4 weeks of treatment followed by a 2-week rest. Patients received therapy as outpatients except for the first 4 days of treatment, cycle 1 only. All patients were assessable for toxicity and response assessment. A total of 105 courses of therapy were administered, 51% at full dose. Sixteen patients experienced toxicities resulting in dosage modification. The major treatment-limiting toxicities were gastrointestinal, neurologic, and fatigue. Nine patients (30%) had partial remissions (PRs) with a median duration of responses of 12+ months. The median time to response was 11 weeks. Two partial responders whose sites of metastatic disease were renal fossa and mediastinal lymph nodes (LN), respectively, were found to have achieved a pathologic complete remission (pCR) after surgery. A third patient with a pCR of axillary LN was rendered into a surgical complete remission (sCR) with salvage nephrectomy. Median survival of patients obtaining a PR has not been reached with a median follow-up time of 19+ months. IL-2 and IFN-alpha-2A is well tolerated in the outpatient treatment setting and demonstrates significant clinical activity against RCCa."}
{"id": "PMID:1482427", "title": "Catabolic effect of dexamethasone in the preterm baby.", "content": "Most babies treated with dexamethasone for bronchopulmonary dysplasia exhibit an appreciable rise in the blood urea concentration, from a mean of 2.3 mmol/l before steroid to a mean of 7.1 mmol/l after. In order to discover whether this was primarily the result of increased protein catabolism, nitrogen balance studies before and after the start of dexamethasone were performed and a mean deficit in nitrogen retention of 158 mg/kg/24 hours was found. Similarly the urinary 3-methylhistidine (3MH):creatinine ratio before and after the commencement of dexamethasone treatment in a group of preterm babies was measured. It was found that there was a substantial increase in 3MH excretion after dexamethasone: from a mean 3MH:creatinine ratio of 46 in the week before steroids to a mean ratio of 77 in the week after. As 3MH emanates almost exclusively from the breakdown of actin in skeletal muscle cell, this finding implies the loss of muscle tissue. It was also found that the babies were in less positive nitrogen balance after dexamethasone, to a degree which is significant relative to their protein reserves. The long term consequences of a period of increased catabolism are not yet known but the authors suggest caution in the use of dexamethasone, at least in babies with milder degrees of bronchopulmonary dysplasia in whom the ratio of benefit to risk may be less favourable."}
{"id": "PMID:1482428", "title": "Consumer competence and the reform of American health care.", "content": "This report examines the role of the expert in the American health care system, both as provider and administrative policymaker. It shows that the guiding assumption of American health care policy, ie, that the medical system can and should be managed by experts on behalf of consumers and patients, does not hold up to scrutiny. It also demonstrates that the important theme in American history of placing authority and responsibility for action in the hands of the individual has not been sufficiently influential in American health care. Drawing on this theme and creating consumer competence and responsibility in health care choices as the keys to health care reform in the United States are advocated."}
{"id": "PMID:1482430", "title": "Loss of 'complexity' and aging. Potential applications of fractals and chaos theory to senescence.", "content": "The concept of \"complexity,\" derived from the field of nonlinear dynamics, can be adapted to measure the output of physiologic processes that generate highly variable fluctuations resembling \"chaos.\" We review data suggesting that physiologic aging is associated with a generalized loss of such complexity in the dynamics of healthy organ system function and hypothesize that such loss of complexity leads to an impaired ability to adapt to physiologic stress. This hypothesis is supported by observations showing an age-related loss of complex variability in multiple physiologic processes including cardiovascular control, pulsatile hormone release, and electroencephalographic potentials. If further research supports this hypothesis, measures of complexity based on chaos theory and the related geometric concept of fractals may provide new ways to monitor senescence and test the efficacy of specific interventions to modify the age-related decline in adaptive capacity."}
{"id": "PMID:1482431", "title": "A comparison between preincisional and postincisional lidocaine infiltration and postoperative pain.", "content": "We conducted a randomized, double-blind trial to compare the efficacy of preincisional and postincisional wound infiltration with 1% lidocaine (40 mL) on the postoperative pain of 37 patients scheduled for elective inguinal herniotomy. The demand for additional postoperative analgesics occurred earlier in those who received lidocaine infiltration after incision (165 min) than in those who received preincisional lidocaine (225 min, P less than 0.05). The preincisional lidocaine infiltration group also had fewer patients requiring supplemental analgesics (58%) than the postincisional group (94%) (P less than 0.05). We conclude that preincisional infiltration of the surgical wound with lidocaine is a more effective method of providing postoperative analgesia than is postincisional infiltration."}
{"id": "PMID:1482432", "title": "Tampa Bay catheter: a new guiding catheter for endomyocardial biopsy via femoral approach.", "content": "Initially, endomyocardial biopsies were obtained almost exclusively using the jugular vein approach. Lately, the femoral vein route has gained popularity and in many centers, including ours, it is preferred. Despite this, guiding catheters specifically designed for endomyocardial biopsy via femoral vein approach are not available. Here, the experience with the Tampa Bay catheter, designed for endomyocardial biopsy using the femoral vein is described. From 1-1-89 to 1-31-90, a total of 486 endomyocardial biopsies were performed in 78 post-heart transplant patients (1-17, mean 6 per patient); 106 were performed via internal jugular vein (22%) and 380 (78%) via femoral vein. Of these, 100 were performed using the Tampa Bay catheter. The remaining 280 biopsies were done using a long sheath or a Judkin's right coronary angioplasty guiding catheter. Biopsy specimens were adequate for diagnosis of rejection in all 106 biopsies performed via internal jugular vein (100%) in 99 of 100 biopsies via femoral vein using the Tampa Bay catheter (99%) and in 274 of the 280 (98%) biopsies using the long sheath or the right Judkin's coronary angioplasty guiding catheter (NS). The femoral vein is larger and easier to find than the internal jugular vein. More important, complications such as right pneumothorax, Horner's syndrome, recurrent laryngeal nerve paralysis, and right phrenic nerve paralysis, known to occur when the internal jugular vein approach is used, can be completely avoided when the femoral vein approach is used."}
{"id": "PMID:1482433", "title": "What is empathy and can it be taught?", "content": "Empathy is the \"almost magical\" emotion that persons or objects arouse in us as projections of our feelings. Empathy requires passion, more so than does equanimity, so long cherished by physicians. Medical students lose some of their empathy as they learn science and detachment, and hospital residents lose the remainder in the weariness of overwork and in the isolation of the intensive care units that modern hospitals have become. Conversations about experiences, discussions of patients and their human stories, more leisure and unstructured contemplation of the humanities help physicians to cherish empathy and to retain their passion. Physicians need rhetoric as much as knowledge, and they need stories as much as journals if they are to be more empathetic than computers."}
{"id": "PMID:1482439", "title": "Radiological aspects of Zenker's diverticulum.", "content": "In a retrospective study of 143 patients with Zenker's diverticulum followed for a period of 20 years, we classified the diverticula into 4 categories (A, B, C and D) using Brombart's scheme as a basis; the difference between the first two categories, however, was made on the basis of a morphological-dynamic criterion rather than a purely morphological one. Furthermore, a quantitative index was introduced to define the size of the diverticulum. In two cases we noted a substantial increase in volume with the transition from category C to D after more than 3 years, but we were unable to demonstrate an evolution from category A to B, nor from B to C. Our study confirms, on a large scale, the presence of three possible pathogenetic mechanisms, as proposed earlier in the literature: decreased relaxation of the upper esophageal sphincter as the most frequent factor in all categories except category A, and delayed opening or early closing of this sphincter as less frequent factors. The good relaxation of the upper esophageal sphincter in our category A, the different sex ratio and the absence of evolution in this category suggest that category A does not necessarily evolve further."}
{"id": "PMID:1482441", "title": "Concomitance of psoriasis and atopic dermatitis.", "content": "There is a widespread belief that psoriasis (Ps) and atopic dermatitis (AD) are clinically mutually exclusive. A prospective study was undertaken to record the concurrent and/or consecutive coincidence of the two conditions and any shared clinical features. Patients attending a dermatology clinic were systematically examined for the presence of Ps and/or AD. Nine hundred and eighty-three patients were studied--428 with Ps, 224 with AD, 45 with both Ps and AD, and 286 controls. Of AD patients 16.7% had Ps, and 9.5% of Ps patients had AD. In consecutive occurrences, Ps generally followed AD. The ratio of concurrent to consecutive incidences was 3:1. The two diseases are shown not to be mutually exclusive and may coexist in the same individual."}
{"id": "PMID:1482442", "title": "Developmental regulation of insulin in the mammalian central nervous system.", "content": "We delineated the ontogeny of rabbit brain insulin concentrations to define the regulatory role of development on this hormone in the central nervous system. Employing a sensitive ELISA, we observed higher concentrations in the late gestation fetal brain (approximately 80-90 ng/g) and early neonatal brain (approximately 195 ng/g) in comparison to the adult (approximately 32 ng/g; P less than 0.01). Further, we characterized this hormone to determine the identity of insulin (or an insulin-like substance) in brain. Employing porcine/bovine or rabbit insulin as standards, we observed that brain insulin mimicked authentic insulin in its migration on SDS-polyacrylamide and native gel electrophoresis, immunogenicity on Western blot analysis, and its elution profile on immunoaffinity column chromatographic, and high performance liquid chromatographic separation. We then examined the developmental effects on circulating and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) radioimmunoassayable insulin levels. No statistically significant differences (ANOVA) existed through development in either the serum or CSF insulin levels. Employing multiple regression analysis, no correlation was evident between brain and either serum or CSF insulin concentration. A search for insulin mRNA by Northern blot analysis yielded minute amounts of atypical large sized transcripts. We conclude that the insulin peptide in the central nervous system closely resembles (or is identical to) circulating insulin in many properties and that there is a developmental increase in brain insulin concentrations, the maximal peak occuring in the late gestation fetus and early neonate. Insulin concentrations in brain demonstrate no conventional relationship to either the serum or CSF insulin levels, suggesting an additional source of peptide, which contributes beyond that which is available via the circulation. The amounts of insulin present within the central nervous system are minute (difficult to detect) but in the range (10-100 ng) where the hormone can interact with either insulin or insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) receptors that are abundantly present on developing brain cells, thereby executing the biological function of the hormone."}
{"id": "PMID:1482447", "title": "Phasic modulation of vestibulospinal neuron activity during fictive locomotion in lampreys.", "content": "This study was aimed at characterizing the activity of vestibulospinal neurons recorded intracellularly during fictive locomotion in lampreys. The majority (78%) of identified vestibulospinal neurons showed rhythmic fluctuations of their membrane potential correlated with locomotor discharges recorded in pairs of rostral ventral roots. Of the rhythmically modulated vestibulospinal cells, most (72%) were maximally depolarized during ipsilateral ventral root discharges and showed a minimum during contralateral activity. Other cells (20%) showed an opposite pattern, that is their peak of depolarization occurred during contralateral activity. Finally, a third category of cells (8%) showed a more complex pattern of activity. Two waves of depolarization could occur per locomotor cycle, one during each burst discharge. The pattern of fluctuation recorded in vestibulospinal neurons appears to be related to the side of the spinal cord onto which the cells are projecting."}
{"id": "PMID:1482501", "title": "Diagnostic and therapeutic technology assessment. Radiofrequency catheter ablation of aberrant conducting pathways of the heart.", "content": "Radiofrequency catheter ablation has very quickly generated considerable enthusiasm among electrophysiologists because it offers a less invasive alternative to an open surgical procedure and potentially offers an alternative to lifelong drug therapy. Early literature on RF catheter ablation focused on the technical aspects of the procedure. In contrast, the literature of the past several years is dominated by very favorable reports of large series of patients and the experience of individual institutions. The larger series have focused on the treatment of accessory pathways as opposed to AV nodal reentry pathways. The opinions of the DATTA panelists parallel the literature. The panelists considered the technology to be established in terms of its safety and effectiveness as a curative treatment of accessory pathways, and promising in terms of its safety and between promising and established in terms of its effectiveness as a treatment of AV nodal reentrant tachycardias."}
{"id": "PMID:1482503", "title": "Treatment of soft tissue sarcoma in childhood and adolescence. A report of the German Cooperative Soft Tissue Sarcoma Study.", "content": "In the first German soft tissue sarcoma (STS) study, CWS-81, 344 patients younger than 19 years of age who had previously untreated soft tissue sarcoma were studied. For this analysis, there were 218 patients with chemosensitive STS (Group A: rhabdomyosarcoma [RMS], synovial sarcoma, extraosseous Ewing sarcoma, leiomyosarcoma, undifferentiated sarcoma, and malignant peripheral neuroectodermal tumor) who could be studied for a minimum potential follow-up time of 6 years. A staging system based on the postoperative extent of the disease was used. The chemotherapy for Stage I-III disease consisted of vincristine, dactinomycin, cyclophosphamide, and doxorubicin (VACA). Patients with metastatic disease and patients with Stage III disease who failed to respond to VACA were given ifosfamide instead of cyclophosphamide. The definitive procedure for local tumor control (either no radiation exposure, 40 Gy, or 50 Gy) for patients with Stage II-III disease depended on the tumor status at second-look surgery after 16 weeks of chemotherapy. The rates of disease-free survival (DFS) and survival after 5 years was 61% +/- 4% and 57% +/- 4%, respectively, in group A; for patients with nonmetastatic tumors (Stages I-III), the rates were 69% +/- 4% and 72% +/- 4, respectively. Patients with nonmetastatic rhabdomyosarcoma had a similar prognosis: the survival rate was 73% +/- 4%, and the DFS rate was 68% +/- 4%. There was no difference in prognosis between patients with Stage I and and those with Stage II disease (DFS rate, 88% +/- 5% and 88% +/- 6%, respectively). The DFS rate for patients with Stage III disease was 54% +/- 5% and for those with Stage IV, 11% +/- 5%. Lack of local tumor control was the primary cause of therapy failure: 10% of patients with localized disease did not achieve complete remission, whereas 18% who were in complete remission experienced local relapse. The most important prognostic factors were tumor size (P = 0.005) and the degree of tumor regression after primary chemotherapy (P = 0.007). The prognosis also differed according to primary site: paratesticular tumors had the best prognosis, whereas tumors located in the parameningeal regions of the head and neck had the worst prognosis (DFS rate, 96% +/- 4% versus 49% +/- 7%, respectively). The following conclusions were drawn from the CWS-81 study: (1) intensive chemotherapy (VACA for 35 weeks) provides long-term control for most patients with Stage I-II disease; (2) patients with primary unresectable tumors (i.e., Stage III) who achieve complete remission with chemotherapy alone have the same prognosis as patients with postoperative disease of Stages I and II; (3) tumor size and the degree of tumor regression after primary chemotherapy influence outcome and thus can be used as a basis for risk-adapted therapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1482505", "title": "Reliability, sensitivity and validity of magnitude estimation, category scaling and paired-comparison judgements of speech intelligibility by older listeners.", "content": "This study investigated the reliability, sensitivity, and validity of speech intelligibility judgments for hearing aid evaluation. Subjects aged 60-87 years judged the intelligibility of sentences using either magnitude estimation, category scaling or paired comparisons. The 60+ age group was chosen as representative of the majority of hearing aid wearers. Speech recognition scores for Central Institute for the Deaf (CID) sentences and Northwestern University Auditory Test No. 6 (NU-6) words were also obtained. The speech was bandpass filtered using filter settings that produce a monotonic increase in predicted intelligibility based on articulation index theory. Speech recognition scores and intelligibility judgments were obtained for each of eight filter conditions. Test-retest reliability was poorest for paired comparisons and CID sentence scores. There were no differences in sensitivity among the three psychophysical procedures. Intelligibility judgments and NU-6 scores were more sensitive than CID sentence scores to differences among conditions. The results indicated that intelligibility judgments are valid measures of speech recognition."}
{"id": "PMID:1482507", "title": "The effect of porosity of articular cartilage on the lubrication of a normal human hip joint.", "content": "The effect of porosity of articular cartilage on the lubrication of a normal human hip joint has been studied. The poroelasticity equation of articular cartilage and the modified Reynolds equation for the synovial fluid lubricant have been successfully solved under squeeze-film motion and for the conditions experienced in a normal human hip joint. It has been shown that porosity of the articular cartilage depletes the lubricant film thickness, rather than increasing it, particularly when the lubricant film thickness becomes small. Furthermore, it has been shown that articular cartilage can be treated as a single-phase incompressible elastic material in the lubrication modelling under physiological walking conditions."}
{"id": "PMID:1482502", "title": "Case-control design: an appropriate strategy for nursing research.", "content": "The case-control design is a well-established research method in epidemiology and has considerable potential for nursing research. It is particularly appropriate for studying health or service outcomes that occur relatively infrequently and offer advantages in time, sample size, and resource requirements. While the retrospective observational nature of the design presents challenges in selection of subjects, avoidance of biases, and control confounding, the processes for managing these pitfalls are increasingly being explored. The analysis is straightforward and presents estimates of risk that are clearly interpretable by the nurse researcher, the policy makers, and other research consumers."}
{"id": "PMID:1482508", "title": "A model of human knee ligaments in the sagittal plane. Part 1: Response to passive flexion.", "content": "The development of a mathematical model of the knee ligaments in the sagittal plane is presented. Essential features of the model are (a) the representation of selected cruciate ligament fibres as isometric links in a kinematic mechanism that controls passive knee flexion and (b) the mapping of all other ligament fibres between attachments on the tibia and femur. Fibres slacken and tighten as the ligament attachment areas on the bones move relative to each other. The model is used to study the shape and fibre length changes of the cruciate and collateral ligaments in response to passive flexion/extension of the knee. The model ligament shape and fibre length changes compare well qualitatively with experimental results reported in the literature. The results suggest that when designing and implanting a ligament replacement with the aim of reproducing the natural fibre strain patterns, the surgeon must not only implant through the natural attachment areas but must also maintain the natural fibre mapping and render all fibres just tight at the appropriate flexion angle."}
{"id": "PMID:1482509", "title": "A model of human knee ligaments in the sagittal plane. Part 2: Fibre recruitment under load.", "content": "A mathematical model of the knee ligaments in the sagittal plane is used to study the forces in the cruciate and collateral ligaments produced by anterior/posterior tibial translation. The model is based on ligament fibre functional architecture. Geometric analysis of the deformed configurations of the model ligaments provides the additional compatibility conditions necessary for calculation of the statically indeterminate distributions of strain and stress within the ligaments and the sharing of load between ligaments. The investigation quantifies the process of ligament fibre recruitment, which occurs when fibres made slack by passive flexion/extension of the knee stretch and change their spatial positions in order to resist applied loads. The calculated ligament forces are in reasonable agreement with experimental results reported in the literature. The model explains some subtleties of ligament function not incorporated in models that represent the ligaments by a small number of lines."}
{"id": "PMID:1482510", "title": "A three-dimensional morphometrical study of the distal human femur.", "content": "The objective of this paper is to present a method to describe the three-dimensional variations of the geometry of the three portions forming the distal part of the human femur: the medial and lateral femoral condyles and the intercondylar fossa. The contours of equally spaced sagittal slices were digitized on the distal femur to determine its surface topography. Data collection was performed using a digitizer system which utilizes low-frequency, magnetic field technology to determine the position and orientation of a magnetic field sensor in relation to a specified reference frame. The generalized reduced gradient optimization method was used to reconstruct the profile of each slice utilizing two primitives: straight-line segments and circular arcs. The profile of each slice within the medial femoral condyle was reconstructed using two circular arcs: posterior and distal. The profile of each slice within the lateral femoral condyle was reconstructed using three circular arcs: posterior, distal and anterior. Finally, the profile of each slice within the intercondylar fossa was reconstructed using two circular arcs: proximal-posterior and anterior, and a distal-posterior straight-line segment tangent to the proximal-posterior circular arc. Combining the data describing the profiles of the different slices forming the distal femur, the posterior portions of each of the medial and lateral femoral condyles were modelled using parts of spheres having an average radius of 20 mm. The anterior portion of the lateral condyle was approximated to a right cylinder having its circular base parallel to the sagittal plane with an average radius of 26 mm. The anterior portion of the intercondylar fossa was modelled using an oblique cylinder having its circular base parallel to the sagittal plane with an average radius of 22 mm. Furthermore, it is suggested that the distal portion of the lateral femoral condyle could be modelled using parts of two oblique cones while the distal portion of the medial femoral condyle could be modelled using a part of a single oblique cone, all cones having their circular bases parallel to the sagittal plane. It is also suggested that the posterior portion of the intercondylar fossa could be modelled using two oblique cones: a proximal cone having its base parallel to the sagittal plane and a distal cone having its base parallel to the frontal plane."}
{"id": "PMID:1482511", "title": "The transmission of translational seat vibration to the head: the effect of measurement position at the head.", "content": "Head motion has been measured in six axes on twelve subjects exposed to vertical seat vibration in the frequency range 0.5-25 Hz. The subjects sat on a rigid flat seat in two postures: 'back-off' (no backrest) and 'back-on' (subject's back in contact with the seat backrest). Translational acceleration has been calculated for various locations on the head and transmissibilities between vertical seat vibration and translational head motion determined for each location and all axes. The translational motion of the head was most affected by pitch motion of the head. This caused variations in fore-and-aft motion with position along the vertical axis of the head and variations in vertical motion with position along the fore-and-aft axis of the head. These variations are illustrated for each subject in both postures. The individual data allow the identification of various modes of vibration and show that seat-to-head transmissibility is greatly affected by pitch modes of the head and neck. The magnitude of motion occurring in some modes is dependent on body posture."}
{"id": "PMID:1482512", "title": "A device for wear resistance tests of artificial heart valves.", "content": "According to the International Standard ISO 5840: 1990 the wear resistance test is a necessary step in the development and production of artificial heart valves (AHV). In developing the device, it is important that a reliable prediction is made of AHV longevity, as a number of specific problems appear that are connected with the results of tests, duration of testing, efficiency and reliability of the testing device. In this paper a procedure is outlined of service life testing of mechanical AHV and a description of the device is given. A comparative example of loads acting on AHV, operating in the accelerated wear testing device and in the pulse duplicator of the physiological mode is also described."}
{"id": "PMID:1482513", "title": "Computation of wear in artificial heart valves.", "content": "In order to assist with the prognosis of wear processes in low profile disc heart valves, an approximate haemodynamic theory has been used for the determination of opening and closing dynamics of these valves, together with the most developed theory to date of frictional fatigue. The heart valve element wear was defined by solving the contact problem, which takes account of changes to the contact surface form as a consequence of wear. Calculated values are compared with in vivo wear data for artificial heart valves. The proposed model for estimating wear in artificial heart valves allows an optimization to be made of the wear resistance in available designs and to predict the wear resistance of artificial heart valves at the design stage."}
{"id": "PMID:1482514", "title": "Quality of the surface finish of the head of the femoral component and the wear rate of the socket in long-term results of the Charnley low-friction arthroplasty.", "content": "Four Charnley femoral stems, removed on average 20 years after implantation, were examined for the quality of surface finish of the head. The average roughness was 0.031 microns (range 0.008-0.102 microns) as compared with 0.019 microns (range 0.008-0.031 microns) for the current production models and 0.05 microns as recommended by the British Standard and the International Standards Organization. The average socket penetration rate was 0.022 mm/year and there was no radiological or operative evidence of socket loosening. The findings emphasize the importance of achieving and maintaining good surface finish of the head of the femoral component. A suggestion is also made that the orientation of the asperities may be important."}
{"id": "PMID:1482515", "title": "3,5-Diphenyl-1H-pyrazole derivatives. X. N-substituted 1-(2-aminopropyl)- and 1-(3-amino-2-hydroxypropyl)-3,5-diphenyl-1H-pyrazoles with antiinflammatory and other activities.", "content": "The syntheses of 1-(2-hydroxypropyl)-3,5-diphenyl-1H-pyrazole 1 by reaction of 1-hydrazino-2-propanol with dibenzoylmethane and of N-substituted 1-(2-aminopropyl)-3,5-diphenyl-1H-pyrazoles 3 by reaction of primary and secondary amines with the tosylate of 1, as well as of N-substituted 1-(3-amino-2-hydroxypropyl)-3,5-diphenyl-1H-pyrazoles 6 starting from 3,5-diphenyl-1H-pyrazole, are described. Some compounds 3 and 6 showed remarkable antiinflammatory activity in rats, as well as weak analgesic, antipyretic, antiarrhythmic, hypotensive activities in mice and rats and moderate platelet antiaggregating effects in vitro."}
{"id": "PMID:1482516", "title": "N-substituted O-(3-amino-2-hydroxypropyl)oximes of 1,3,3-trimethyl-5-endo-(1-piperidinyl or 4-morpholinyl)-2-oxabicyclo [2.2.2]-octan-6-ones with platelet antiaggregating and local anesthetic activities.", "content": "The synthesis of a series of N-substituted O-(3-amino-2-hydroxypropyl)oximes of 1,3,3-trimethyl-5-endo-(1-piperidinyl or 4-morpholinyl)-2-oxabicyclo [2.2.2]octan-6-ones is described. Some of these ethers showed strong local anesthetic activity in mice and platelet antiaggregating activity in vitro comparable to that of acetylsalicylic acid, as well as moderate hypotensive, antiarrhythmic and analgesic activities in rats and mice."}
{"id": "PMID:1482517", "title": "Synthesis and antiinflammatory properties of 2-aminobenzimidazole derivatives.", "content": "Several 1-alkyl or 1-aralkyl substituted 2-aminobenzimidazole derivatives, bearing an acetic or acetohydroxamic group at 3-position, were synthesized. Some of these products were tested for their antiinflammatory and analgesic properties. These compounds exhibited an antiinflammatory activity lower than that of reference drug Indomethacin. Compound 2e showed the highest efficacy, but not in a dose-related manner. Only compounds 3a and 16 exhibited some analgesic activity, but at a very high dose."}
{"id": "PMID:1482518", "title": "Synthesis and biological activity of new heterocyclic structures: [1,3]thiazino[2,3-i]purine, thiazolo[3,2-c] [1,2,3]triazolo[4,5-e]pyrimidine and [1,2,3]triazolo [4', 5': 4,5] pyrimido[6,1-b][1,3]thiazine.", "content": "Some derivatives of thiazolo[3,2-c]pyrimidine, pyrimido[6,1-b][1,3]thiazine, thiazolo[2,3-i]purine, [1,3]thiazino[2,3-i]purine, thiazolo[3,2-c][1,2,3]triazolo[4,5-e]pyrimidine and [1,2,3]triazolo[4',5':4,5]pyrimido[6,1-b][1,3]thiazine were prepared. The compounds were tested for antimicrobial and antimycotic activity on a number of strains, namely, Escherichia coli, Proteus vulgaris, P. mirabilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella sp., Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus faecalis, Bacillus subtilis, Sarcina lutea, Candida albicans, Aspergillus sp., and for antiviral activity on Herpes simplex virus, Type 1 (HSV-1), Vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) and Coxsackievirus B5 (CoxB5). The compounds proved to be devoid of activity against viruses, mycetes and gram-negative bacteria, while some of them exhibited a modest activity against gram-positive bacterial strains."}
{"id": "PMID:1482522", "title": "A comparison of wound environments.", "content": "A comparison of a system of moist wound dressings to traditional normal saline wet-to-dry dressings was conducted on OB/GYN patients with open abdominal incisions. The moist wound products included in this study were a hydrogel (Intrasite Gel) and a foam wound cavity filler (Allevyn), manufactured by Smith & Nephew United, Inc. of Largo, FL, and a transparent cover (Bioclusive), manufactured by Johnson & Johnson Medical, Inc. of Arlington, TX. The results indicated that those incisions treated with the moist wound environment dressings experienced fewer complaints of pain, a decrease in healing time and a significant cost savings."}
{"id": "PMID:1482527", "title": "[Textual study on traditional Chinese drugs caodoukou and baidoukou].", "content": "Through a critical study of herbalogy, it is concluded that the mature seeds of Alpinia zermubet were used as caodoukou in ancient times. The original plant of Yutao recorded in Zhiwu Mingshi Tukao may be the species of Alpinia katsumadai. Baidukou used in ancient times may be the seeds of Alpinia katsumadai found in the south of China, or Amomum compactum and Am. kravanh imported from foreign countries."}
{"id": "PMID:1482528", "title": "[A research on the quality of radix Astragali].", "content": "Milkvetch root (Radix Astragali) and its likes were determined in their contents of trace elements, total extracts and astragalin A. The result showed there was some relationship between the drug quality, trace-element contents, difference of species, growing areas and on-the-spot processing methods."}
{"id": "PMID:1482530", "title": "[Farm irrigation index for culturing Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer].", "content": "The growth and yield of annual and perennial Panax ginseng were observed by applying methods of mini-irrigation and irrigation under different negative pressures of soil humidometer. After four experiments optimum values of negative pressure were found to assist timely irrigation, thus providing scientific criteria of rational irrigation and automated mini-irrigation for culturing Panax ginseng."}
{"id": "PMID:1482531", "title": "[Studies on the technological process for preparing medicated leaven].", "content": "This paper takes as index the content of free acids and total acids, the action of pepsin in the stomachs of hungry mice, impelling functions and intestines of hungry mice and makes a comparison of the raw products with the processed products of medicated leaven. It is suggested that bran-perched or burnt perched leaven is better for invigorating the function of the spleen and promoting digestion."}
{"id": "PMID:1482532", "title": "[Improving the method of processing Polygonum cuspidatum Sieb. et Zucc. and Spatholobus suberectus Dunn].", "content": "This paper is concerned with a comparison of Polygonum cuspidatum with Spatholobus suberectus in cutting, drying time, products, chief compositions and aqueous extracts. The results showed that fresh cut was better than the customary cut, i. e. re-cut pieces, for the former could not only raise the quality specifications and contents of ingredients of the drinking tablets, but also avoid repeated labour, save energy for drying and eliminate waste of drug materials."}
{"id": "PMID:1482533", "title": "[Thin layer chromatography and extractive technology of Panax japonicum C.A. Mey. var. major (Burk.) C. Y. Wu et K. M. Feng growing in Qingba Mountain Area].", "content": "Chemical components of the root, stem and leaves of Panax japonicum var. major were compared with those of Radix ginseng and Radix notoginseng by TLC. The results showed that the total saponin of the root Panax japonicum var. major was closer to that of Radix ginseng and the total saponin of its stem and leaves was similar to Radix notoginseng. A better extractive technology was obtained after isolating and purifying the whole herb of Panax japonicum var. major by ethyl alcohol at different concentrations. The components were compared by TLC. The results showed that with 60% ethyl alcohol the yield of the total extract was 17.15%."}
{"id": "PMID:1482534", "title": "[Stability examination of beta-cyclodextrin inclusion compound of Zingiber officinale volatile oil].", "content": "Based on different storage time and different methods, examination has been conducted of the appearance, properties contents and main constituents in the beta-cyclodextrin inclusion compound of Zingiber officinale volatile oil. The result shows that the oil with inclusion proves considerably more stable than that without inclusion."}
{"id": "PMID:1482535", "title": "[Chemical constituents of Pedicularis muscicola Maxim].", "content": "It is one of the main components in an effective secret recipe for the treatment of snakebite in Mabian, an autonomaus county of the Yi nationality in Sichuan province. Four compounds have been isolated from the herb of Pedicularis muscicola. On the basis of spectrometric analysis and physico-chemical constants, they were identified as pediculariside, D-mannitol, arachidic acid and hentriacontane."}
{"id": "PMID:1482536", "title": "[Chemical constituents of Eupolyphaga sinensis Walker].", "content": "Five compounds were isolated from the n-hexane extract and n-butanol of extract Eupolyphaga sinensis. These compounds were identified as octacosanol, beta-sitosterol, batyl alcohol, 2,4-pyrimidinedione and allantoin."}
{"id": "PMID:1482538", "title": "[A thin layer chromatography densitometric method for the determination of arecoline content in semen Arecae from different producing areas].", "content": "A TLC-densitometric method for the determination of arecoline in Semen Arecae (Areca catechu) was established, and arecoline content in three Semen Arecae (Imported, Hainan, Guanzhou) was determined. The method is accurate, sensitive and simple. The recovery is 102.39% and the coefficient of variation of six samplings is 1.95%. The are coline average content in the three Semen Arecae is 0.22%, 0.19%, 0.56% respectively."}
{"id": "PMID:1482539", "title": "[Pharmacological study on Veronicastrum sibiricum (L.) Pennell].", "content": "Six compounds were isolated from Veronicastrum sibiricum and identified as D-mannitol, beta-sitosterol, daucosterine, 3-0-acetyloleanolic acid, 3, 4-dimethoxy cinnamic acid and isoferulic acid. Pharmacological experiment has shown that isoferulic acid is anti-inflammatory and analgesic; 3-0-acetyloleanolic acid is anti-inflammatory; mannitol is analgesic, 3, 4-dimethoxy is also anti-inflammatory and analgesic."}
{"id": "PMID:1482540", "title": "[The use of 6-flavor Rehmannia decoction with additives in the prevention of ototoxic deafness induced by gentamicin in guinea pigs].", "content": "The purpose of this study is to discuss the effects of the Chinese medicine six-flavor Rehmannia Decoction with additives on preventing deafness induced by gentamicin (GM) in guinea pig by means of testing the thresholds of Preyer's reflex (PR) cochlear microphonic potential (CM), action potential of the auditory nerve (N1) and scanning electron microscope of inner ear (SEM). The results showed that the medicine is effective in reducing the ototoxic effect of GM on inner ear."}
{"id": "PMID:1482541", "title": "Subcortical deterioration after cortical damage: effects of diazepam and relation to recovery of function.", "content": "Agents which enhance the activity of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) can severely disrupt behavioral recovery in rats following damage to the neocortex if delivered during a sensitive postoperative period. The mechanisms of this disruption have not been found. It has been suggested previously that the ipsilateral striatum and related structures may be transiently disabled after cortical lesions and that diazepam may interfere with restoration of function in these areas. In the present experiment, the subcortical anatomical effects of chronic (3 weeks) administration of diazepam, an indirect GABAergic agonist, were assessed following unilateral lesions of the anteromedial cortex (AMC) or the sensorimotor cortex (SMC) in rats. Atrophic and degenerative changes were examined in the striatum, substantia nigra and thalamus. Following either AMC or SMC lesions, there was a reduction in the size of the ipsilateral striatum and thalamus and a loss of neurons in the ipsilateral substantia nigra pars reticulata (SNr). After AMC lesions, striatal atrophy and neuron loss in the SNr were increased by the diazepam regimen relative to vehicle-treated controls. In addition, diazepam interfered with the behavioral recovery from somatic-sensorimotor asymmetries in AMC-lesioned rats. After SMC lesions, the sites of striatal and thalamic atrophy were different from that observed after AMC lesions, and the extent of atrophy and neuron loss was not exaggerated by diazepam treatment. Consistent with these data, diazepam did not significantly affect recovery from SMC lesions. These findings suggest that the long-term disruptive effects of diazepam on recovery of function after AMC lesions may be related to an augmentation of lesion-induced degeneration."}
{"id": "PMID:1482542", "title": "Rabbit classically conditioned eyelid responses do not reappear after interpositus nucleus lesion and extensive post-lesion training.", "content": "The left eyelid responses of four rabbits were classical conditioned by pairing a tone conditioned stimulus and air puff unconditioned stimulus. After conditioned responses were well-established, the left interpositus nucleus was lesioned and 150-200 post-lesion training sessions, distributed over 10 months, were given. In three of the rabbits, no anticipatory conditioned responses were observed on paired trials and responses were at or below spontaneous blinking rates on 2,500 ms CS-alone trials that were also presented. Post-lesion conditioned responses were present when the right side was trained. The fourth rabbit showed few post-lesion conditioned responses on paired trials but eventually showed 80% conditioned responses on tone-alone trials. Histological analysis of the lesion extents indicate that a portion of the anterior interpositus nucleus was spared in this rabbit. These results argue that unlike other cerebellar lesion effects reported in the literature, where some recovery of function is normally noted, the effects of interpositus nucleus lesions are somewhat unique in that conditioned response abolition is seen as long as 10 months after the lesion."}
{"id": "PMID:1482543", "title": "Age-related changes in radial-arm maze learning and basal forebrain cholinergic systems in senescence accelerated mice (SAM).", "content": "Age-related changes in learning performance and the brain cholinergic system were studied in a senescence accelerated mice-prone series (SAM-P/8) and a senescence accelerated mice-resistant series (SAM-R/1, control) bred under specific pathogen-free conditions. In a radial-arm maze task, SAM-P/8 mice at 4 and 12 months of age showed virtually no significant impairment in working memory or reference memory compared with SAM-R/1 mice at the same age, although they needed more time to complete a trial than SAM-R/1. In contrast, in a passive avoidance task, SAM-P/8 showed a marked age-accelerated deficit in acquisition performance relative to SAM-R/1. Also, SAM-P/8 showed an age-accelerated decrease in locomotion and rearing in an open-field box. At the end of these behavioral tasks, neurochemical analyses showed that there were no differences in the concentrations of acetylcholine (ACh) in the cortex, hippocampus, striatum, midbrain, or cerebellum between SAM-P/8 and SAM-R/1. Although SAM-P/8 mice did not demonstrate any age-accelerated decline in radial-arm maze performance, they showed a normal age-related decline particularly in working memory, equal to that observed in SAM-R/1. Also, ACh levels in the aged groups of SAM-P/8 showed a significant decrease related to normal aging in the hippocampus and striatum, and a slight decrease in the cortex compared to the young group of the same strain. Thus, we found that SAM-P/8 show dissociative effects of aging in spatial learning and passive avoidance performance."}
{"id": "PMID:1482544", "title": "Adaptation of aimed arm movements to sensorimotor discordance: evidence for direction-independent gain control.", "content": "Human subjects pointed, without sight of their arm, at visual targets presented on a mirror-viewed monitor screen. During the adaptation period of each experiment, the position of the pointing fingertip was continuously recorded and displayed on the screen along with the targets. This visual feedback was not always veridical; rather, it was manipulated to require a gradual modification of the pointing response gain throughout the adaptation period. No visual feedback at all was available during the pre- and postadaptation periods of each experiment. The adaptive effect was determined as difference between pre- and postadaptation gains. In Expt. A, visual feedback during the adaptation period prescribed a gradual reduction of the horizontal response gain without specifying the gain for other directions; the adaptive effect was found to generalize uniformly to all movement directions. Expt. B1 prescribed a reduction of the horizontal, and an unchanged vertical gain component: in spite of this differential requirement, the adaptive effect was again uniform for all directions. Expt. B2 prescribed a reduction of the horizontal, and an increase of the vertical gain component: we found a reduced gain for all directions, with a mild direction-dependence in the magnitude of the adaptive effect. In a modified version of Expt. B2, no intermanual transfer of the adaptive effect was found. Expt. C1-3 prescribed gain reduction for target directions within 15, 30, or 45 degrees around the horizontal, and gain increase for all other directions: we found little or no adaptive effects under such conditions. From the above findings, we concluded that the adapted system controls movement gain largely independent of movement direction. This mechanism responds readily to requirements for gain reduction, but not gain increase. No evidence for an organization of the arm motor system in direction-selective channels was found, in contrast to findings on the saccadic control system in a paradigm similar to our Expt. A8. This discrepancy supports the view that arm and eye movements are controlled by distinct mechanisms."}
{"id": "PMID:1482545", "title": "Effects of mediodorsalis thalamic nucleus lesions on vigilance and attentive behaviour in cats.", "content": "In this study performed on 10 cats we analysed the effects of limited lesions of nucleus medialis dorsalis of the thalamus (MD) on behaviour and on some specific electrocorticographic (ECoG) patterns, known from previous works to accompany various states of waking attentiveness. The animals were tested during 90 min in three distinct behavioural situations; a neutral one (NS) where they simply explored their environment and then usually went to sleep; a second one (FA) where they could watch a mouse (but not catch it), which favoured 'focussed' attentiveness accompanied by the development of rhythmic ECoG activities in the anterior frontoparietal cortex ('beta rhythms' at 40 Hz); a third one (EX) with a hidden mouse whose appearance the cat was waiting for ('expectancy') which rather than favouring the development of beta rhythms elicited the appearance of another rhythmic activity dominating in somatic area SI, 'mu rhythms' at 14 Hz. The duration of each waking behaviour and its ECoG concomitant as well as that of slow wave and of paradoxical sleep were compared in each cat before and after lesion. Our results showed that MD lesions situated in the posterior part of the nucleus tended to increase the time occupied by focussed attentive behaviour and the accompanying beta rhythms. On the other hand, anteriorly located MD lesions elicited a concomitant reduction of both manifestations, behavioural and electrocortical. No such contrasting effects could be systematically noticed for the durations of expectancy, of slow sleep and of paradoxical sleep. These findings were discussed considering previous data showing that at least two systems project upon MD, that play distinct--in a way even antagonistic--roles in focussed attention upon a target. Both originate from the ventral tegmental mesencephalic area; one reaches MD through the ventral striatum (nucleus accumbens), the other one through the amygdala. The MD nucleus thus receiving contrasting information may participate in a final adjustment of the attentive state of the animal to its environment."}
{"id": "PMID:1482546", "title": "Engram activation reinstates the susceptibility of consolidated memory traces to retrograde amnesia by functional blockade of parabrachial nuclei.", "content": "Previous studies have shown that in rats the acquisition of a step-through passive avoidance reaction (PAR) in the light-dark box apparatus is disrupted by tetrodotoxin (TTX) inactivation of the parabrachial nuclei (PBN) 24 but not 48 h after the acquisition trial. The present experiment shows that TTX induces retrograde amnesia even when applied to the PBN 48 h after PAR acquisition only if it is preceded by a 30-min confinement (extinction) or by a footshock (retraining) in the dark compartment. These stimuli, independently of their sign, induce quantitatively comparable TTX disrupting effects. This happens notwithstanding the fact that these stimuli are too weak to modify PAR under control conditions. This paradoxical finding suggests that engram vulnerability may not be a simple inverse function of its recency but that it may reflect a reactivation of the neural circuits involved in memory trace formation. Consolidated engrams become again vulnerable only when contextual cue stimuli are presented shortly before the application of the disrupting procedure."}
{"id": "PMID:1482547", "title": "Unilateral dopamine lesions in neonatal, weanling and adult rats: comparison of rotation and reaching deficits.", "content": "The aim of this study was to compare the functional effects of neonatal, weanling and adult lesions of the dopaminergic (DA) mesencephalic neurones on paw-reaching behaviour. The mesotelencephalic DA pathway was destroyed unilaterally in neonatal (3 and 7 day), weanling (21 day) and adult (2 months) rats by local injection of 6-hydroxydopamine into the medial forebrain bundle at the level of the lateral hypothalamus, followed by behavioural studies conducted 2 months later. Amphetamine and apomorphine induced similar rates of rotation irrespective of the age of the lesion. By contrast skilled reaching with the contralateral paw was profoundly disrupted by lesions made in adult or weanling rats, but a much reduced deficit was observed in neonatally lesioned rats. Tyrosine hydroxylase immunohistochemistry indicated a similar degree of dopamine cell loss from the substantia nigra in all groups. These observations suggest that the host brain undergoes developmental changes 1-3 weeks postnatally that influence the long-term effects of lesions in the nigrostriatal dopamine system."}
{"id": "PMID:1482548", "title": "A new one-trial test for neurobiological studies of memory in rats. III. Spatial vs. non-spatial working memory.", "content": "Rats were submitted to object and spatial recognition tests (both based on the same paradigm) and to the radial-arm maze. The results are as follows: (1) rats could discriminate between a new and a familiar object when the retention delay was 1 min, 15 min or 60 min but not 24 h. The relationship between the level of discrimination and intertrial delays is quadratic with a maximum for 15 min. (2) Exposure to distractive stimuli during the retention delay may impair object recognition. (3) Rats discriminated between a new and a familiar space. (4) There is no correlation between the three tests which argues for a multiple form of working memory, especially a spatial and a non-spatial one. (5) Medial septal lesion did not impair object and spatial recognition memory, but the level of discrimination in the spatial recognition test was significantly reduced compared to that of control."}
{"id": "PMID:1482549", "title": "Drug discrimination learning in rats with excitotoxic lesions of nucleus basalis and ventral globus pallidus.", "content": "Rats can readily acquire conditional discriminations in which mixtures of drugs serve as compound internal discriminative stimuli. Excitotoxic lesions in the region of the nucleus basalis have been shown to impair the acquisition of conditional discriminations based upon external visual stimuli, but nothing was known about their effects on discrimination of internal stimuli. A baseline of undiscriminated bar-pressing for food reinforcers was established prior to surgery. Lesions were made by infusing either ibotenic or quisqualic acid bilaterally into the basal forebrain (the ibotenate-induced lesions had been shown previously to impair cortical cholinergic function and to produce non-specific damage). After surgery, rats were trained to discriminate effects of drug mixtures using a standard, two-bar operant conditioning procedure. The ibotenate, but not the quisqualate, lesion impaired the acquisition of a discrimination of a mixture of (+)-amphetamine plus pentobarbitone, while neither lesion impaired acquisition with a mixture of (-)-nicotine plus midazolam. The ibotenate lesions also reduced overall rates of responding in both experiments. Thus, the deficit in the acquisition of drug discrimination in rats with ibotenate lesions had some pharmacological specificity, but could not be related easily to disturbances in neocortical cholinergic function. In comparisons with other published data, the results suggest a possible dichotomy in the processing of interoceptive and external information in the basal forebrain, a major target of ventral striatal overflow."}
{"id": "PMID:1482550", "title": "Immediate-early genes, neuronal plasticity, and memory.", "content": "The demonstration that the immediate-early gene c-fos is rapidly and transiently expressed in brain following a variety of manipulations has led to intense study of these genes to determine what physiological role they play. The very wide range of stimuli which lead to induction of immediate-early genes (IEGs) in the brain has raised concerns for the specificity of their actions and the suggestion that they might merely be involved in housekeeping functions. On the other hand, there is evidence that these genes may play a role in the transmission of information from cell surface receptors to the genetic material in many instances of neuronal plasticity, including development of seizure susceptibility (kindling), long-term potentiation, drug-induced changes, the phase shift in circadian rhythms, and spreading neuronal depression. In addition to being a putative third (or fourth) messenger involved in transduction of signals to the genetic material, activation of IEGs has proven to be a useful tool for the study of transsynaptic activation of certain neuronal pathways in the brain. Thus, studies on the induction of IEGs are proving to be especially useful in understanding some important functions and properties of the mammalian brain."}
{"id": "PMID:1482551", "title": "The Dictyostelium ribosome: biochemistry, molecular biology, and developmental regulation.", "content": "This is the first comprehensive review of ribosomes in the cellular slime mold Dictyostelium discoideum. The physicochemical, biochemical, cellular, molecular, and developmental properties are reviewed. Several features demonstrate that a unique class of ribosomes exists in this organism, and a study of these ribosomes will be important to decipher special features of translational regulation, and evolution of the organelle in the eukaryotic kingdom."}
{"id": "PMID:1482552", "title": "Presence of a novel nuclear lamina protein in Raji cells.", "content": "In mammalian tissues, the nuclear lamina is composed of the major lamins A, B, and C, and minor lamins D/E. Although lamin B is present in all cell types, lamins A and C are absent from embryonic cells and most undifferentiated cells from hematopoietic lineage. We have investigated the nuclear lamina protein composition of the Raji cell line, lymphoblast-like cells established from a Burkitt lymphoma patient. Lamins A and C were confirmed absent by immunodetection and Northern blot analysis. Besides lamins B and D/E, a protein migrating around 71 kilodaltons was recognized by a serum directed against the nuclear lamina of BHK-21 fibroblasts. Cellular localization by sequential extraction established this 71-kilodalton protein as an exclusive component of the nuclear lamina fraction. These results indicate that the nuclear lamina has a more complex composition than previously thought to be the case for cells devoid of lamins A and C."}
{"id": "PMID:1482553", "title": "ATP-stimulated protease activity in brown fat mitochondria: response to a 24-h fast in mice.", "content": "Brown fat mitochondria have [3H]casein-hydrolyzing activity at pH 8.0 associated with both membrane and soluble fractions. An ATP-stimulated proteolytic activity inhibited by vanadate and N-ethylmaleimide was found in the soluble fraction. Membrane-associated proteolytic activity was inhibited by phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride and trypsin inhibitor, suggesting that it is a serine protease. A 24-h fast in mice caused a significant loss of mitochondrial proteins from the tissue, but had no effect on protease activity of isolated mitochondria with or without ATP. The ATP-stimulated release of amino acids or peptides from isolated mitochondria, as measured with fluorescamine, was not influenced by food deprivation. Thus, brown fat mitochondria possess an ATP-stimulated proteolytic pathway that does not appear to be involved in the bulk removal of mitochondrial proteins from brown fat of fasting mice."}
{"id": "PMID:1482554", "title": "Heat shock protein HSP90 and its association with the cytoskeleton: a morphological study.", "content": "To investigate the cellular localization of the 90-kilodalton heat shock protein (HSP90) and its interaction with the cytoskeleton, we performed single- and double-staining immunofluorescence microscopy of cytoskeletal proteins and HSP90 in the absence and presence of cytoskeletal inhibitors. As a model, we used a human endometrial adenocarcinoma cell line (Ishikawa cells), which expresses HSP90. We confirmed the recently reported colocalization of HSP90 with microtubules. However, Ishikawa cells treated with 10(-5) M of the antimicrotubule agents colchicine or triethyl lead showed residual filamentous structures stained with anti-HSP90 antibodies, while no microtubules were visualized with anti-tubulin antibodies. In the presence of 10(-5) M cytochalasin B, the microfilament staining of the cells disappeared, while residual filamentous structures were labeled with anti-HSP90 antibodies. Furthermore, Ishikawa cells treated with 10(-5) M triethyl lead and stained with anti-HSP90 antibodies demonstrated residual filamentous structures, clearly different from those of reorganized vimentin intermediate filaments. Conversely, similar reorganized morphology of filamentous structures stained with both anti-HSP90 and anti-cytokeratins antibodies were observed when Ishikawa cells were treated with 2 x 10(-5) M cytochalasin B and 2 x 10(-5) M colchicine. HSP90 was also present in Ishikawa cell preparations of the Triton X-100 insoluble cytoskeleton. In addition, Triton-insoluble cytoskeleton treated with 10(-5). M triethyl lead and double stained with anti-HSP90 and anti-vimentin antibodies demonstrated clearly different filamentous patterns, when exposed on the same photographic plaque.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1482555", "title": "The largest subunit of RNA polymerase II in Dictyostelium: conservation of the unique tail domain and gene expression.", "content": "cDNAs encoding the largest subunit of RNA polymerase II were isolated from a Dictyostelium cDNA library. A total of 2.9 kilobases (kb) of cDNA was sequenced and the amino acid sequence of the carboxyl-terminal half of the protein was deduced. Similar to other eukaryotic RNA polymerases II, the largest subunit of Dictyostelium RNA polymerase II contains a unique repetitive tail domain at its carboxyl-terminal region. It consists of 24 highly conserved heptapeptide repeats, with a consensus sequence of Tyr-Ser-Pro-Thr-Ser-Pro-Ser. In addition to the tail domain, five segments of the deduced primary structure show > 50% sequence identity with either yeast or mouse protein. RNA blots show that cDNA probes hybridized with a single mRNA species of approximately 6 kb and immunoblots using a monoclonal antibody raised against the tail domain lighted up a single protein band of 200 kilodaltons. Interestingly, expression of the largest subunit of RNA polymerase II appears to be under developmental regulation. The accumulation of its mRNA showed a 60% increase during the first 3 h of development, followed by a steady decrease during the next 6 h. Cells began to accumulate a higher level of the RNA polymerase II mRNA after 9 h of development. When cells were treated with low concentrations of cAMP pulses to stimulate the developmental process, the pattern of mRNA accumulation moved 3 h ahead, but otherwise remained similar to that of control cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1482556", "title": "Immunological characterization of neutral cholesteryl ester hydrolase from rat liver cytosol.", "content": "Rabbit polyclonal antibodies were raised against rat liver bile salt-independent neutral cholesteryl ester hydrolase (CEH) and used for subcellular localization and immunological comparison with isoforms from other tissues. Antibodies exhibited a high degree of specificity for the liver CEH through all stages of purification and neutralized 70-80% of the activity of liver cytosolic CEH. They exhibited various levels of cross-reactivity with cytosolic proteins from other tissues, but reacted weakly with pancreatic and intestinal proteins and did not inhibit pancreatic CEH. Cytosol contained 78% of total cellular CEH activity and 75% of CEH immunoreactive protein. Washed microsomes contained 3% of CEH activity and 5% of CEH protein."}
{"id": "PMID:1482557", "title": "Purpurogallin protects both ventricular myocytes and aortic endothelial cells of rats against oxyradical damage.", "content": "Rat ventricular myocytes have been isolated and cultured by two separate procedures. Using phase-contrast and electron microscopies, we illustrate that (a) definitive cell damage is produced when myocytes are exposed to xanthine oxidase--hypoxanthine and (b) purpurogallin between 0.25 and 1.0 mM prolongs survival of both myocyte preparations in a dose-dependent manner. The cytoprotection produced by 1 mM purpurogallin exceeds that given by 2 mM each of ascorbate, Trolox, and mannitol, or 24,200 IU superoxide dismutase/L and (or) 92,000 IU catalase/L. Furthermore, we noted, for the first time, that purpurogallin markedly protects rat aortic endothelial cells, a key target of free radical generation and attack. In contrast, Trolox has a negligible effect here. Mechanistically, we showed that purpurogallin inhibits urate formation by xanthine oxidase more potently than allopurinol. Also, the compound diminishes formation of superoxide-reduced cytochrome c. Therefore, purpurogallin is a potent protector of ventricular myocytes and aortic endothelial cells, both of which are important cells in the cardiovascular system."}
{"id": "PMID:1482558", "title": "Fatty-acyl esters of retinol (vitamin A) in the liver of the harp seal (Phoca groenlandica), hooded seal (Cystophora cristata), and California sea lion (Zalophus californianus).", "content": "The fatty-acid composition of retinyl esters in the livers of two species of phocid seal, the harp seal (Phoca groenlandica, n = 20) and the hooded seal (Cystophora cristata, n = 15), and one species of otariid seal, the California sea lion (Zalophus californianus, n = 6), was determined. Vitamin A ranged in concentration from 4 to 1024 nmol retinol/g liver for the phocids and from 381 to 979 nmol/g liver for the otariids. In most of the livers, retinyl palmitate was not the principal ester, and the palmitate + stearate + oleate trio of retinyl esters represented less than 50% of the total. In all samples, the retinyl esters contained 20:1, 20:4, 20:5, and 22:6 in unusually large amounts. Retinyl esters tended to be richer than whole-liver lipids in 20:5 + 22:6, whereas whole-liver lipids were richer in 18:0 and 18:2. Therefore, the pool of acyl donors used for the esterification of retinol may be distinct from that used for other lipids. Birth-to-weaning changes were seen only in the harp seals. In the pups, the hepatic vitamin-A concentration increased 454%, while the proportion of 18:0 and 20:1 in the retinyl esters rose and that of 14:0 + 16:1 and 20:4 fell. Concomitantly, in their mothers, the proportion of 20:4 increased but that of 16:0 and 18:0 decreased."}
{"id": "PMID:1482559", "title": "Mechanisms of oncogene-mediated alterations in metastatic ability.", "content": "Transfected ras oncogenes have been shown to induce metastatic properties in some cells. This altered behavior is likely due to changes in ras-mediated signal transduction pathways, resulting in altered expression of genes important to metastasis. Clarification of the mechanisms by which ras is able to induce metastatic ability in model systems will improve our understanding of tumor progression, even in those cells in which ras activation has not been implicated. Many of the consequences of ras expression also have been detected in cells that have become metastatic in the absence of altered ras, suggesting that there is a set of common changes that can lead to metastasis, with multiple signals capable of eliciting these changes. We have identified several changes in metastatic, ras-transformed NIH 3T3 cells that may contribute to their increased malignancy, including expression of proteolytic enzymes and their inhibitors, and adhesive and calcium-binding proteins. Not all cells, however, respond in this way to expression of oncogenic ras. We have found that murine LTA cells, which are tumorigenic but nonmetastatic, are ras resistant and remain nonmetastatic when expressing high levels of transfected ras, in contrast to NIH 3T3 cells, which are ras sensitive and become both tumorigenic and metastatic in response to comparable levels of ras. LTA cells differ in their patterns of gene expression in response to ras when compared with NIH 3T3 cells, suggesting that the two cell lines process the ras signal differently. Here we review our results with ras-transfected NIH 3T3 and LTA cells.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1482560", "title": "Nuclear matrix proteins bind very tightly to specific regions of the chicken histone H5 gene.", "content": "The nuclear matrix is operationally defined as the structure remaining after nuclease-digested nuclei are extracted with high concentrations of salt. The nuclear matrix is thought to have a role in organizing higher order chromatin into loop domains. We determined whether specific regions of the histone H5 gene were very tightly bound to protein of erythrocyte and liver nuclear matrices in vitro. We demonstrate that DNA fragments spanning sequences 5' to the promoter and the 3' enhancer region of the histone H5 gene, but not DNA fragments spanning the promoter, were very tightly bound to protein of nuclear matrices of erythrocytes and liver. The nuclear matrix consists of internal nuclear matrix and nuclear pore-lamina complex. Recently, we demonstrated that histone deacetylase could be used as a marker enzyme of the internal nuclear matrix. We demonstrate that nuclear pore-lamina complex preparations that were depleted of histone deacetylase activity, and thus of internal nuclear matrix, retained the protein that bound very tightly to the beta-globin and histone H5 enhancers. These results provide evidence that specific regions of the histone H5 gene are very tightly bound to nuclear pore-lamina complex protein."}
{"id": "PMID:1482561", "title": "Omeprazole-like compounds on histamine-stimulated acid and peptic secretions in conscious dog and cat.", "content": "A newly synthetized aniline derivative series has been tested on histamine-stimulated gastric acid secretion in conscious cats and dogs and compared to the proton pump inhibitors omeprazole and NC 1300. The compounds markedly and long-lastingly inhibited acid output with a potency lower than omeprazole but very close to the reference compound NC 1300. The results show that the introduction of a nitrogen atom, irrespective of the position in the benzimidazole ring does not seem to influence the gastric antisecretory activity."}
{"id": "PMID:1482562", "title": "Isolation, characterization and antimicrobial activity of coumarin derivatives from Cyperus incompletus.", "content": "Ten coumarin derivatives were isolated and characterized by UV, 1H NMR and GC-MS spectra. Their in vitro efficacy against several human pathogenic bacteria and two fungi was evaluated. The tested coumarins showed mild to undefined activity."}
{"id": "PMID:1482563", "title": "[Transmission electron microscopy observations of a homologous bone graft preserved at -196 degrees C].", "content": "The authors have studied the ultrastructural modifications after one year of a homologous bone grafting stored for 8 days in nitrogen liquid at -196 degrees C. It was observed that the osteocytes showed nuclear and cytoplasmic degenerations; the empty lacunae showed precipitates of mineralized matrix. In comparison with a bone autografting a homologous bone grafting lost the ability of bone synthesis."}
{"id": "PMID:1482564", "title": "A one-week test-retest reliability study of Brainstem Auditory Evoked Potentials.", "content": "Brainstem Auditory Evoked Potentials (BAEPs) are increasingly used in longitudinal evaluation of brainstem function. The reliability of the neurophysiological parameters and definition of the normal test-retest variability are required for such investigations. In the present study we submitted 20 healthy volunteers (10 males and 10 females; mean age 35.1 years, range 24-49) to BAEPs in two sessions separated by seven days. The reliability of the parameters was estimated by means of intraclass correlation coefficient (R). All BAEP parameters showed excellent R values (above 0.75). In addition, the confidence interval lower limits of all R coefficients had good to excellent values. Finally we computed the upper normal limits of the test-retest variability of each parameter, with alpha = 0.01, using the within-subjects mean square. The confirmed good reliability of the analyzed parameters enables us to employ BAEPs as useful monitoring instruments in longitudinal studies."}
{"id": "PMID:1482565", "title": "[Adaptability of the anti-hepatitis-B vaccine Recombivax HB to the Piazza protocol for the mass vaccination of newborn infants].", "content": "27 healthy babies born to HBsAg, antiHBs and antiHBc negative mothers were given three doses of hepatitis B vaccine \"Recombivax HB\" (5 micrograms/dose/0.5 ml) at 3, 5 and 11 months of age (Piazza's protocol). AntiHBs response was highly satisfactory. Since both in terms of seroconversion rate and of mean antiHBs titre immunogenicity of other hepatitis B vaccines given at 3, 5 and 11 months of age was already demonstrated, it is possible to conclude that Piazza's protocol is valid for all hepatitis B vaccines available in Italy and will certainly facilitate the compulsory hepatitis B vaccination in infants in Italy."}
{"id": "PMID:1482566", "title": "Analysis of complex mixtures of vapors in ambient air by fast-gas chromatography.", "content": "The use of Fast-GC was investigated for the separation and analysis of mixtures of organic vapors in ambient air. Mixtures of up to 34 components were separated and total analysis times ranged from 8 to 100 seconds. Analyses were performed using both flame ionization and electron capture detectors. Up to 950 effective theoretical plates per second were produced when the flame ionization detector was used, and up to 300 per second when the electron capture detector was used. Theoretical predictions of optimal analysis conditions and of column performance matched experimental results."}
{"id": "PMID:1482567", "title": "[Assessment of construct and content validity of Monitor--an index of the quality of nursing care--and the evaluation of clarity and concreteness of the criteria of Monitor].", "content": "The purpose of this study was to test construct and content validity of Monitor and to evaluate if its criteria were clear and concrete. The construct validity was evaluated after reviewing the Finnish nursing literature in order to determine how man is perceived and what are the essential principles of Finnish nursing care. Each of the Monitor criteria was then compared with that view of man and the principles present in the literature. The human needs by Yura and Walsh were examined in order to find out to what extent the Monitor-instrument covers these needs. The content validity and the clarity and concreteness of the criteria were evaluated by experts. The results imply that the physical characteristics of man were prevalent in 76 out of 155 criteria. The essential principles were found in Monitor, but the principles concerning health centricity and patients' independence were found only in 13 out of 155 criteria. The instrument covered 4 human needs by Yura and Walsh totally and 20 in part. The experts rated 151 criteria content valid, 143 concrete and 139 clear in this study. Retesting is needed in the future studies."}
{"id": "PMID:1482568", "title": "[Minimizing pain and fear of venipunctures in 6-year-old children].", "content": "The aim is to describe the interventions used by nurses to reduce pain and fear in children during venipuncture. The aim of the various methods is not to eliminate all the pain, but rather to encourage the child to adopt a behavior which will not hamper even long-term treatment. The material was collected from Oulu University Hospital by means of open questionnaires to a total of 59 nurses and laboratory assistants regarding their work. A content analysis was performed, replies significant from the point of view of the present topic being tabulated and the results depicted in the form of frequency and/or percentage distributions. The nurses regarded pain and fear in children as real, employing local anaesthetics to reduce the fear of pain. The child was prepared for the procedure by means of guidance and therapeutic play. The nurses acted mainly intuitively during the procedure, combining task orientation and traditional nursing."}
{"id": "PMID:1482569", "title": "[Nursing strategies in health promotion of long-term patients].", "content": "The purpose of the study, carried out in the Health Centre of J\u00e4rvenp\u00e4\u00e4, was to examine how directors of nursing and nurse managers perceived the health status of their long-term patients and how they thought health could be promoted by means of nursing strategies. The approach of the study was phenomenological, and the data were produced by the nurses themselves who wrote down their own ideas on the subject. The resulting qualitative data were then analyzed and interpreted by means of theme and model analysis. According to the conceptions of the directors of nursing and nurse managers, the long-term patient continues to enjoy certain aspects of health; this can be perceived as wellbeing. The patient accepts his current situation, participates in his care and meets his needs. Promoting health by means of nursing strategies is possible. 1) if the nursing practitioner knows both the past and present of her patient as well as his needs and wishes, and 2) if the organization facilitates implementation of individual patient care; a well functioning primary p6rsing model was seen as an ideal system. The following nursing strategies for promoting health came up in the study: the way of performing the work, protecting the patient against social death, creating a beneficial care environment and supporting the patient in the final stages of his life. The nursing care of long-term patients was regarded as demanding. The results of the study seem to imply that the way the nursing leaders perceive the health status and health promotion of long-term patients may differ from the perceptions of nursing practitioners.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1482573", "title": "Determinants of preventive practices of general practitioners in Torino, Italy.", "content": "We conducted a study of general practitioners in Torino, Italy, to determine their patterns of preventive practice. We examined a set of primary and secondary preventive interventions and their determinants. We explored the determinants of primary preventive interventions (antismoking and alcohol abuse counseling, counseling for prevention of accidents at home among the elderly, flu vaccination for the elderly, and counseling on contraceptive use) and cancer early detection techniques (chest x rays and sputum cytology for lung cancer; mammography, physical examination, teaching of breast self-examination, and Papanicolaou [Pap] smear for gynecological cancers). Grouping determinants in cognitive, sociodemographic, and organization factors, we found different patterns for each maneuver. Cognitive factors played an important role, but their importance varied for each intervention. We found that smoking behavior of physicians predicted antismoking counseling. Further, the availability of other primary care services is an important factor in the early detection of gynecological cancers."}
{"id": "PMID:1482572", "title": "Preventive practices of general practitioners in Torino, Italy.", "content": "Health care reforms introduced in Italy in the late 1970s triggered a profound rethinking of the role of general practitioners (GPs) in prevention. We interviewed 209 GPs registered in the Torino area to delineate their beliefs, attitudes, and practice patterns in relation to prevention. We examined an array of primary and secondary preventive interventions, including influenza vaccination of the elderly; counseling activities related to smoking, alcohol consumption, accidents, contraception, safety helmets, and seat belts; and early detection of hypertension and lung, cervical, and breast cancers. Improvement can still be made in the full implementation of preventive practices. We examine features of the organization of medical practices in Italy that impede the integration of preventive interventions in primary care."}
{"id": "PMID:1482574", "title": "Environmental indicators: a tool for evaluating community-based health-promotion programs.", "content": "We propose using a class of community-level measures--environmental indicators--as part of the evaluation of community-based health-promotion programs. Community-level measures of health-related behavior can be divided into three conceptual categories. The first two categories comprise statistical aggregates (e.g., means, sums, percentages) of measurements made on individuals, distinguished by whether individual-level covariates are also available. Individual-disaggregated measures include covariates, such as a comprehensive survey of health-risk behavior, including demographic information; individual-aggregated measures, such as sales data, do not. Our main focus is on the third category, environmental indicators, derived from observations of the community environment. Environmental indicators measures aspects of the physical, legal, social, and economic environment in a community that reflect, and likely influence, the attitudes and behavior of individual community members. They also measure an important intermediate step in community-based health-promotion interventions, namely environmental factors that programs target to modify individual attitudes and behavior. We present examples of environmental indicators for tobacco use and diet."}
{"id": "PMID:1482575", "title": "Patterns of interrelations among health-promotion behaviors.", "content": "We examined the interrelationships among 36 health behaviors for men and 38 for women in a telephone survey of a national sample of 3,025 adults. Wide variations existed in the frequency of respondents engaging in healthy practices, ranging from 9% to 96%. Men practiced an average of 17, and women 19, healthy behaviors. Correlations between health behaviors were weak, with an absolute value averaging r = .07, ranging from r = .00 to r = .71. Factor analysis revealed 10 underlying dimensions among the behaviors, which we interpreted for men as: (1) health care use, (2) exercise and recreation activity, (3) alcohol use, (4) smoking, (5) physical activity, (6) dental care, (7) nutrition, (8) sleep, (9) beverage use, and (10) breakfast. Women had the same 10 factors as men, except for a women's health screening factor instead of a beverage use factor. These findings suggest that engaging in one health behavior is not necessarily associated with practicing others, and that public health and individual counseling efforts to encourage healthy behaviors should be multifaceted and behavior-specific."}
{"id": "PMID:1482577", "title": "Validity of self-assessed physical fitness.", "content": "This study compared self-ratings of components of physical fitness with objective measures of physical fitness. We made comparisons in two groups of male infantry soldiers (n = 96 and n = 276) and one group of older male military officers (n = 241). To obtain self-ratings of physical fitness, we asked subjects, \"Compared to others of your age and sex, how would you rate your (a) endurance, (b) sprint speed, (c) strength, (d) flexibility?\" Subjects responded to each of the four questions on a five-point scale. Self-ratings of endurance were systematically related to three measures of aerobic capacity, including VO2max, peak VO2, and two-mile run time (r = 0.29 to 0.53). Self-ratings of sprint speed showed only weak relationships to measures of anaerobic capacity assessed by the Wingate test, push-ups, and sit-ups (r = 0.10 to 0.17). Strength ratings were systematically related to measures of maximal strength (r = 0.28 to 0.53). Upper body strength measures were more closely associated with the self-ratings of strength than were measures of lower body strength. Responses to the flexibility question were systematically related to measures of hip/low back flexibility (r = 0.30 and 0.48) but not to other measures of flexibility. Apparently, physically active subjects can approximately classify their aerobic capacity, muscle strength, and some types of flexibility."}
{"id": "PMID:1482583", "title": "[Multicomponent reconstructive operations on the mitral valve].", "content": "Between 1978 and 1990, 134 reconstructive operations were conducted on the mitral valve in its predominant incompetence. 50% of patients were related to functional class IV (NYHA), 76.1% had atrial fibrillation. In 44 (32.8%) patients interventions were conducted at the same time on other valves. The valvular disease was caused by rheumatism in 78.3%, congenital pathology in 10.4%, and impaired connective-tissue structure in 10.4% of cases. Hospital mortality was 5.9% (8 patients). Mortality in the group of patients with isolated annulovalvuloplasty was 4.4%. The immediate results were good in 93.3% of patients. The late results were studied in 120 patients during a maximum follow-up period of 12 years. The actuarial survival value by the 12th follow-up year was 83.5%. By that time there was no need for a repeated operation in 88.4% of patients, thrombolytic complications did not develop in 91.2% of cases, 96.7% of patients belong to functional classes I and II."}
{"id": "PMID:1482584", "title": "[Bidirectional cava-pulmonary anastomosis in complex congenital heart defects].", "content": "An operation for bidirectional cava-pulmonary anastomosis was performed in 11 patients. Anatomical correction could not be made due to the multiple pattern and complexity of the malformation. None of them was, however, an ideal candidate for hemodynamic correction either. The authors took into account not only anatomical and hemodynamic contraindications for Fontana's operation, but the latter was not performed when the patient's status was grave (severe hypoxemia). The operation was made under extracorporeal circulation and hypothermia. In addition to bidirectional cava-pulmonary anastomosis, dilation of the intraatrial junction, pulmonary artery plasty, etc. were conducted in some cases. Bilateral bidirectional cava-pulmonary anastomosis was performed when an accessory vena cava superior was present. Nine patients benefited from the operation. There was a significant health improvement and a substantial increase in arterial blood oxygen saturation. Four patients underwent a repeated examination one year after surgery. The anastomosis was found to function well."}
{"id": "PMID:1482579", "title": "Safety information provided to customers of New York City suntanning salons.", "content": "Little is known about the safety information tanning salon operators provide to customers or the extent to which artificial tanning salons adhere to federal regulations designed to protect customers from excessive ultraviolet radiation (UVR) exposure. We surveyed the operators of 20 artificial tanning salons in New York City from 1988 to 1989 concerning salon operating procedures and information provided to potential customers. Results revealed a disparity between known health risks of UVR exposure and safety information provided to tanning salon customers. For example, 75% of salon operators informed potential customers that artificial tanning would not cause a sunburn, and 80% informed potential customers that they would not get skin cancer from artificial tanning. Artificial tanning salons are a rapidly growing industry in the United States, with over two million customers annually. Results from this survey indicate a need for greater regulation of the tanning salon industry and for education of tanning salon operators in the risks associated with the use of artificial tanning devices."}
{"id": "PMID:1482585", "title": "[Transluminal balloon valvuloplasty in the treatment of congenital critical aortic valve stenosis in infants in the 1st year of life].", "content": "Balloon valvuloplasty was performed in 14 patients with congenital valvular aortic stenosis. Their age was 28 days to 12 months. All the patients had severe heart failure. Balloon valvuloplasty was successfully conducted in 8 patients. The systolic pressure gradient between the aorta and the left ventricle decreased, on the average, from 81.2 +/- 21.4 to 31.3 +/- 8.2 mm Hg, i.e. by 61.5%. Only 2 patients developed moderate aortic insufficiency after balloon valvuloplasty. The left ventricle could not be catheterised in 6 infants: in 4 patients due to critical valvular stenosis, in 2 due to a. lusoria. One of them died when the guide was attempted to be introduced through the narrowed aortic valve, which resulted in aortic sinus perforation. Long-term results were studied in 4 patients 3 to 24 months after surgery. Their clinical condition improved. The systolic pressure gradient between the left ventricle and the aorta was in agreement with the values obtained just after transluminal balloon valvuloplasty. Transluminal balloon valvuloplasty can be successfully performed in 1-year-old infants with congenital critical aortic valvular stenosis and yields good immediate results. A further accumulation of clinical findings, development of procedures for transluminal balloon valvuloplasty and study of long-term results will allow indications for this tool to be worked out in this group of patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1482576", "title": "Seasonal variation in plasma cholesterol distributions: implications for screening and referral.", "content": "In 3,377 men and 3,900 women who participated in a community-based plasma cholesterol screening program, we found a significant cyclic time-trend in cholesterol levels, with maximum peak in January. The 95% confidence interval (CI) of the peak to trough distance was 5.8-13.8 mg/dL (0.15-0.36 mmol/L) in men, corresponding to 2.6%-6.3% of the average cholesterol level. Corresponding figures for women were 2.0-9.3 mg/dL (0.05-0.24 mmol/L) or 1.0%-4.6%. Applying the cutoff level for high cholesterol risk proposed by the National Cholesterol Education Program (< or = 240 mg/dL [6.21 mmol/L]) to sex-specific bimonthly distributions, we found a statistically significant variation in prevalence, attributable to seasonal trends, in men (P < .01), but not in women. In men, the age-adjusted prevalence in winter (25.4%) was double that in the summer (13.5%). Seasonal variation is an important determinant of the prevalence of hypercholesterolemia in men and should be considered in patient follow-up and screening."}
{"id": "PMID:1482581", "title": "Developing primary care curricula in preventive medicine: some practical considerations.", "content": "I describe a practical approach to developing primary care curricular in preventive medicine, starting with the articulation of a rationale that relates training to current medical education, mortality, medical manpower, and health care system characteristics. I discuss recommended features of the ambulatory care setting for instruction and include automated record systems, practice teams, multidisciplinary staff, faculty role models, conferences and rounds, and needs of low-income populations. Further, I advocate a careful review of the three-year residency curriculum including conferences, rounds, and rotations to identify elements of the desired curriculum on which to build preventive medicine training so as to alter scheduling minimally. I consider longitudinal as well as block rotation experiences. I highlight published resources for defining preventive medicine content areas and recommend local resources for preventive medicine training and for involving residents in personal health promotion. Finally, I offer an example of a family medicine resident experience in breast and cervical cancer screening to illustrate an approach to accomplishing specific objectives for preventive medicine training."}
{"id": "PMID:1482586", "title": "[The causes of cerebral complications in patients with ischemic heart disease following myocardial revascularization operations].", "content": "In the period from Jan. 1988 to Jan. 1991 operations for the formation of an aortocoronary shunt were carried out in 437 patients at the Department of Combined Affections of the Coronary and Peripheral Arteries, Bakulev Research Institute. In some cases the operation was combined with resection of a postinfarction aneurysm of the left ventricle. Cerebral complications developed in the postoperative period in 28 (6.4%) patients. Their analysis showed the prevalence of severe forms of consciousness disturbances: coma and comatose states were encountered in 85.7% of cases. The main causes of the complications were acute heart failure (64.3%) and arterial embolism (14.3%). In only one case concomitant affection of the branches of the aortic arch was found to be the main cause of the development of a transitory ischemic attack. It is concluded that the development of acute heart failure in the patients may sharply increase the incidence of neurologic complications."}
{"id": "PMID:1482587", "title": "[Thanatological problems in cardiopulmonary surgery].", "content": "The pattern of immediate causes of death and types of terminal states (mechanisms of death) has been examined on the basis of thanatological analysis of 190 deaths occurred after operations on the heart (valve prosthesis) and lung (pneumonectomy). The differences in the thanatological profile of the respective surgical units are shown. Ways for reducing postoperative death in cardiopulmonary surgery are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1482580", "title": "Cardiovascular risk factor assessment of medical students as an educational tool.", "content": "For three consecutive years, beginning in 1986, we evaluated cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors of medical students as part of the teaching program in a Preventive Cardiology Academic Award. Entering students in three consecutive classes were screened on the first day of orientation to medical school. The first year, we evaluated 108 students (71 men and 37 women), the second year, 99 students (75 men, 24 women), and the third year 108 students (67 men and 41 women). During the single four-hour period, we obtained data on personal and family history of CVD risk factors, type A behavior, knowledge of CVD, attitudes toward CVD prevention, measures of depression and anger, blood pressure, blood pressure reactivity, physical activity, and diet. Blood was drawn for lipid analysis. Height and weight were measured, and a physical fitness step test was administered. Pulmonary function was measured during the third year. We used a four-tiered approach to preventive cardiology education. During the assessment session, abnormalities, such as elevated blood pressure or abnormal pulse, were discussed with the student. In the second tier, the data were analyzed and returned to all students during teaching sessions, enabling them to compare their levels with the class and the national averages. For the third tier, students with high-risk values, defined as low-density lipoprotein cholesterol level > or = 150 mg/dL, a total cholesterol or triglyceride level > or = 200 mg/dL, or blood pressure > or = 140/90 mmHg, were seen by faculty physicians who suggested remedial interventions in separate sessions.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1482578", "title": "The role of the telephone in providing prenatal care.", "content": "To assess the role of telephone services in the health care of pregnant women, we evaluated the pregnancy healthline, Info-Grossesse (IG). We assessed the population of users, the reasons for their use, their reactions to the program, and their willingness to participate in follow-up surveys. During a 44-month period, there were 3,589 calls from women who were (or thought they were) pregnant. Overall, about half the calls related to teratogen information services, whereas the other half were for more general pregnancy-related information. Although women calling about medications were slightly older than the others, there were no major differences between groups defined by the primary reason for a call. Overall, about 17% of calls required a referral for formal risk counseling, with referrals most likely for calls about medications. Based on responses to a satisfaction questionnaire completed by over 80% of those asked to participate, IG decreased concerns for and answered all the questions of about three quarters of the respondents. Over 85% of eligible callers provided information on the outcome of their pregnancies, indicating that collecting these follow-up data is an acceptable and feasible program component. This study suggests that a pregnancy healthline such as IG can reach women worried about their pregnancies and that it can, thereby, reduce adverse conditions of pregnancy associated with \"unnecessary\" concerns or \"inappropriate\" use of services."}
{"id": "PMID:1482588", "title": "[Intrapleural hemorrhages after the correction of acquired heart defects under hypothermia without perfusion].", "content": "The authors conducted a retrospective analysis of the case records of 757 patients who underwent correction of acquired heart valvular disease under conditions of hypothermia without perfusion. Intrapleural hemorrhage occurred in the postoperative period in 43 (5.7%) patients, in 35 of them rethoracotomy had to be performed to arrest the bleeding. In patients with aortal valvular diseases a relation was revealed between the postoperative blood loss and the patient's age, the volume of operative blood loss (reverse correlation), and total dose of protamine sulfate (direct correlation), in patients with mitral valvular diseases the postoperative blood loss was related to the volume of diuresis in the first postoperative day (direct correlation). It is concluded that defective surgical hemostasis is the main cause of intrapleural hemorrhages after correction of acquired valvular diseases of the heart under conditions of hypothermia without perfusion."}
{"id": "PMID:1482589", "title": "[Selective screening for abdominal aortic aneurysms by using the clinical examination and ultrasonic scanning].", "content": "The results of screening for asymptomatic abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) in patients with great artery lesions and arterial hypertension (n = 163) are analyzed in the paper. Ten aneurysms were detected. These included 9 fusiform aneurysms, mean 43 +/- 3 mm in diameter and 1 ampullar one, 32 x 33 mm. The prevalence of abdominal aortic aneurysms was 7.2% in the risk group. It is concluded that palpation is of low informative value in the detection and differential diagnosis of asymptomatic abdominal aortic aneurysms of small diameter and in this respect ultrasonic scanning is of high informative value. It is concluded that the target-oriented screening for abdominal aortic aneurysms is essential and cost-effective in angiological patients, especially in concomitance of chronic lower extremity ischemia and arterial hypertension, as well as in patients with thoracic aortic aneurysms (except for posttraumatic ones)."}
{"id": "PMID:1482590", "title": "[The hemostatic system and the status of aortocoronary venous autografts in patients with ischemic heart disease after surgery for direct myocardial revascularization based on autopsy research data].", "content": "The study was undertaken to examine the relationship between the major hemostatic factors in the early postoperative period and the status of an autovenous graft in 19 patients with coronary heart disease who died 3 to 40 days after aortocoronary bypass surgery. The hemostatic system was monitored on the patients' admission and during the whole observation. Hypercoagulation was recorded in all patients in the first postoperative hours. A trend towards hypercoagulation during the entire period of observation was more marked in 7 patients whose postmortem study revealed even one nonfunctioning graft than in 12 patients with maintained patency of all grafts. The major parameters associated with graft thrombosis were platelet aggregation, ethanol test, and levels of soluble fibrin monomer components. Platelet aggregation and the presence and degree of soluble fibrin monomer components were of independent correlative significance. The magnitude of degenerative and proliferative changes in the vein was associated with the interval after the surgery. Myocardial infarction in the early postoperative period was related to graft dysfunction."}
{"id": "PMID:1482591", "title": "[The prognosis of the efficacy of revascularization of the penile corpora cavernosa in the surgical treatment of Leriche's syndrome].", "content": "The authors have developed a procedure for predicting the efficiency of penal spongy body revascularization in surgical management. Thirteen qualitative parameters, such as duration of sexual dysfunction, libido, having a sexual intercourse partner, degree of intermittent claudication, duration of lower extremity diseases, penal erection angle after drug test and ultrasound Doppler echography with drug test, were evaluated in 36 patients with Leriche's syndrome and erectile dysfunction. The qualitative parameters obtained were converted to quantitative discrete characteristics. The set of characteristics was used to predict the postoperative parameter--the value characterizing the sexual function by using the well-known methods of regression analysis on a PS/XI personal computer by the multiple regression programme in the Statgraphics program package. The high accuracy of prediction of the value characterizing the sexual function by this method makes it possible to substantiate the expediency of penal spongy body revascularization and opens up new ways for improving its outcomes."}
{"id": "PMID:1482592", "title": "[The effect of normothermic cardioplegic reperfusion with phosphocreatine on the recovery of the cardiac functional indices after total ischemia].", "content": "Experiments were conducted on a model of an isolated functioning rat heart to study myocardial protection by normothermic cardioplegic reperfusion (NCR) with phosphocreatine (PC) in 30-minute total ischemia at 37 degrees C. Five series of experiments were performed: (1) cardioplegia (K+ 30 mM/l, Mg2+ 15 nM/l, osmolarity 330 MOSM/l), ischemia, NCR not applied; (2) the same solution was introduced in the preischemic period, ischemia, NCR (K+ 15 mM/l, Mg2+ 15 mM/l, osmolarity 360 MOSM/l); (3) with the same experimental schedule, PC (10 mmol/l) was added to the cardioplegic solution in the preischemic period; (4) in a similar experiment PC was added in the stage of NCR; (5) PC administered in the preischemic stage and in NCR. Restoration of heart functional parameters, rate and ejection of lactate dehydrogenase into the perfusate were compared. The results of the experiment bear evidence that NCR protects the myocardium from reperfusion damage in normothermic ischemia. The optimal cardioprotective effect of PC is produced when it is administered in the preischemic stage. PC added to the solution for NCR has no positive effect on the restoration of heart functional parameters."}
{"id": "PMID:1482593", "title": "[Repeat uni- and bilateral operations in surgery for multiple primary cancer of the lungs and intrathoracic metastases].", "content": "Repeated uni- and bilateral resections of the lungs conducted from 1963 to 01.01.91 at the Department of Surgery of the Lungs and Mediastinum of the National Research Center of Surgery, USSR AMS for primary multiple carcinoma (13 patients) and metastatic lesions (32 patients) accounted for 1.3% of all operations in lung carcinoma. Such interventions are more justified in differentiated forms of primary multiple carcinoma and in solitary and occasional metastases of malignant tumors of various localization to the lungs. Morphological signs are the main differential diagnostic criteria of primary multiple carcinoma and intrapulmonary metastases. The main principle of surgical treatment of patients with primary multiple carcinoma and metastatic involvement of the lungs is an economical character of the operation with maximally admissible, from the oncological standpoint, preservation of functionally valuable pulmonary tissue. The combined method of treatment (operation + drug antineoplastic therapy) should take the leading place in the management of patients with intrapulmonary metastases of malignant tumors."}
{"id": "PMID:1482594", "title": "[The treatment of the sequelae of penetrating injuries to the esophagus].", "content": "On the basis of experience in the treatment of the sequelae of penetrating esophageal injuries in 79 patients the authors divided the patients into 3 groups: those in whom the perforation healed and stricture of the esophagus developed; patients with incurable purulent complications and esophageal fistulas; patients who underwent various operative interventions for acute perforation or its sequelae and needed a reconstructive operation. Recommendations on the choice of adequate therapeutic tactics for each group are given. The method of examination of the patients and the peculiarities of surgical treatment are described in detail. The most frequently encountered complications and the produced results are analysed. It is concluded that patients with sequelae of esophageal perforation must be treated at specialized clinics experienced in the management of this severe condition."}
{"id": "PMID:1482596", "title": "[The surgical procedural problems in treating mitral restenosis].", "content": "The paper summaries the experience with 244 operations for mitral restenosis. The methods for surgical treatment of mitral restenosis: closed mitral recommissurotomy, valvuloplasty, and mitral valve prosthesis are comparatively analyzed. Indications and contraindications are defined for relapse. Advantages of reconstructive valve-sparing operations and the necessity of their wide introduction into clinical practice are shown. The paper also gives recommendations how to choose the optimal policy of surgical treatment of mitral restenosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1482598", "title": "[The results of the surgical treatment of aortic coarctation in nursing infants with a sharp decrease in left ventricular pumping function].", "content": "Two-dimensional echocardiography was conducted in 24 patients, aged from 14 days to 12 months, suffering from coarctation of the aorta (CA) with the left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction (EF) less than 30%. The symptom of LV fibroelastosis was found in only 16.7% of patients. In the first 7 days after correction of CA the LV end-systolic volume reduced by 20% and the EF increased by 1.5 times, which may be explained by removal of LV post-loading. The values of the LV pumping function improved in the late periods due to restoration of myocardial contractility. In infants operated on in the first 3 months of life the dynamics was more favorable, the EF reached 68 +/- 3.8% while in those operated on after the age of 3 months it reached only 50.8 +/- 2.5% (p < 0.05). The authors discuss problems of compensatory hypertrophy and myocardial contractile capacity as the main mechanisms responsible for LV pumping function in CA."}
{"id": "PMID:1482599", "title": "Fine structure of the Herbst corpuscles in the lingual mucosa of the finch, Lonchura striata.", "content": "The ultrastructure of Herbst corpuscles in the lingual mucosa of the finch, Lonchura striata var. domestica, was examined by light and electron microscopy. Numerous Herbst corpuscles were found at the top of connective tissue papillae just beneath the dorsal epithelium. The Herbst corpuscle was composed of an outer capsule, inner core and central axon. The central axon was discoid in shape and immunoreactive for NSE-antiserum. The central axon was surrounded by compactly stacked layers of thin lamellae of lamellar cell processes. Since these lamellae did not completely encircle the axon as seen in cross sections, they displayed a symmetrical longitudinal cleft dividing the inner core into bilateral halves. Numerous axonal spines were seen to extend from the Y-axis of the axolemma into the cleft and occasionally into the cytoplasmic invagination of the lamellar cell body in the inner core. A number of clear and dense-cored vesicles were seen in the axoplasm near the base of axonal spines. Further, the omega-shaped coated invaginations were occasionally found on the axolemma near those places. These findings suggest that the area nearby the axonal spine in the central axon of the Herbst corpuscle is a site active both metabolically and functionally."}
{"id": "PMID:1482600", "title": "The enveloping of intercellular collagenous fibrils by reticular cell processes in postnatal development of rat lymph nodes.", "content": "In the lymph nodes of adult rats reticular fibers are known to be covered by the processes of reticular cells. This study aims to visualize the sequence of the envelopment of reticular fibers by reticular cells during development. Rat popliteal lymph nodes of one to twenty-three days after birth were examined by electron microscopy. At the earliest stages, collagenous protofibrils were found in the intercellular space between studded mesenchymal cells. The protofibrils clustered around the plasma membrane of immature reticular cells and then became arranged into microfibrils of 30-40 nm in diameter. Bundles of the fibrils which might be called reticular fibers were surrounded by processes of more than one reticular cell. Then the reticular fiber came to be enclosed by the cytoplasmic process of a single reticular cell. Finally at 16-23 days after birth, the reticular fiber was completely ensheathed by the thick cytoplasmic process of a single reticular cell closed with a junctional complex. Throughout these periods, basal lamina-like materials existed between the reticular fiber and cytoplasmic process. Clumps of fibrils were rarely in contact with leukocytes, including lymphocytes. Immature elastic fibers appeared among collagenous fibrils of the reticular fiber when the fiber came to be enclosed by processes of some reticular cells. It was shown that the enclosure of the reticular fiber by the reticular cell did not result from physical pressure due to the increase of the number of lymphocytes, but the reticular cell actively enclosed the reticular fiber.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1482601", "title": "VIP-immunoreactive nerve structures of the gastrointestinal tract in the developing and adult domestic duck.", "content": "The first appearance and distribution of VIP-containing nerve structures were studied in the gut of embryonal, newly hatched and adult domestic ducks. Immunoreactive structures appeared in the mesenchyme of the gizzard-duodenum junction (antrum) at 5 days of incubation, and soon after diffused both cranially and caudally. Early in development, VIP-positive cell bodies were more numerous than positive fibres, appearing 3 days before the latter. Later on, the positive cell bodies decreased in number while the fibres increased. In the foregut, VIP-positive structures firstly appeared in the myenteric plexus while in the mid- and hindgut they appeared simultaneously in the myenteric and submucous-plexuses. The gastrointestinal VIP-innervation in newly hatched ducks differed from that of the adult because of the incomplete development of its mucosal component. The findings obtained indicated following: The time interval from 13 to 17 days of incubation seems critical for the growth of the gastrointestinal VIP-containing neurons. The molecular factors regulating the appearance of neuronal phenotypes are probably synthesized early in the avian gizzard development. VIP is widely diffused in the rectum where it may play important roles in regulating the onset and synchronism of peristaltic and anti-peristaltic movements."}
{"id": "PMID:1482602", "title": "Ultrastructural localization of Ca(++)-ATPases in Meissner's corpuscle of the Mongolian gerbil.", "content": "The cytochemical localization of Ca(++)-ATPases in Meissner's corpuscles of the palatine mucosa of the Mongolian gerbil was studied. Wachstein-Meisel's medium modified by SALAMA et al. (1987) was used for the demonstration of low-affinity Ca(++)-ATPase or Ca++/Mg(++)-ATPase, whereas the medium devised by K\u00f6rtje et al. (1990) was used for the demonstration of high-affinity Ca(++)-ATPase. Orthovanadate-containing medium, Ca(++)- or/and Mg(++)-free medium, ATP-free medium and preheated sections were used as controls. The plasma membrane of axon terminals consistently showed a strong reaction for high-affinity Ca(++)-ATPase and a capricious reaction for Ca++/Mg(++)-ATPase. In contrast, plasma membranes of the caveolae of lamellar plates showed a strongly positive reaction for Ca++/Mg(++)-ATPase."}
{"id": "PMID:1482603", "title": "The blood vascular bed of the human pancreas, with special reference to the insulo-acinar portal system. Scanning electron microscopy of corrosion casts.", "content": "Microdissection and scanning electron microscopy of corrosion casts showed the structures of the vascular bed of the human pancreas to consist mainly of the capillary plexuses of the exocrine lobules, extralobular ducts and endocrine islets. A considerable number of the exocrine lobules were found to contain one to four marked endocrine islets larger than 30 microns in diameter. These intralobular islets received one or more arterioles (afferent vessels) and emitted conspicuous insulo-acinar portal vessels which continued into the lobular capillaries, suggesting insular control over the functions of the exocrine acini of the pancreas. Direct drainage of the intralobular islets into the veins was never reproduced. Not excluding the possibility that some lobules might contain smaller, unidentifiable islets, there nonetheless were many lobules which directly received arterioles. These lobules are free of control by an islet. Rarely, an islet was located in the interlobular tissue space or along an extralobular duct. Such an extralobular islet issued no portal vessels, and drained into the interlobular or periductal veins. The surface of this type of islet comprised a thin network of fine capillaries. A possibility was suggested that this cortical network might be homologous with the lobular capillaries. No portal route was observed between the islets and extralobular ducts. Few connections were noted between the capillary plexuses of the lobules and ducts."}
{"id": "PMID:1482604", "title": "Incomplete vascular casting for a scanning electron microscope study of the microcirculatory patterns in the rat pancreas.", "content": "Scanning electron microscopy of resin casts prepared by incomplete arterial injections showed that in the rat pancreas, the casting medium fills blood capillaries in the endocrine islets more promptly than those in the exocrine lobules and secretory ducts. Furthermore, the exocrine lobules containing endocrine islets allowed a more rapid resin flow through the insulo-acinar portal route than those lobules lacking an islet. The secretory ducts were the last portions to be filled with resin. Since the resin medium used in this study was as viscous as blood and injected under a physiological pressure, the microcirculatory modes demonstrated by the present method suggest the physiological flow of blood in the rat pancreas."}
{"id": "PMID:1482605", "title": "Traumatic degeneration of transected myelinated fibers of the mouse sciatic nerve.", "content": "Traumatic degeneration of myelinated fibers was studied by electron microscopy over 5 days following transection of mouse sciatic nerve. Special attention was paid to the mechanism which separates the degenerating part, while preserving the viable part of the axon. Immediately after transection, the opened end of the proximal stump revealed extensive subcellular changes including the disorganization of neurofilaments, and disruption of mitochondria and axonal endoplasmic reticulum (SER). Subsequently, vesicles of round and tubular profiles filled up the whole area of the stump end, and proximal to it appeared a neurofilament-predominant area characterized by randomly oriented neurofilaments and normally appearing mitochondria and SER. Characteristic membranous demarcations occurred in early periods at the border between the vesicle accumulation and the neurofilament-predominant areas, and later also within these areas. The demarcation membranes formed both by invagination of the surface plasma membrane and, probably, by fusion of the large vesicles. These became prominent with time, dividing the axoplasm into compartments of varying sizes, which gradually underwent degeneration and were liberated from the parent axon. Occurrence of autophagic vacuoles was characteristic of the degenerating portions of the parent axon. Thus, by the function of demarcation membranes, the parent axon to be preserved could remain membrane-bound, while the degenerating parts were shed off."}
{"id": "PMID:1482606", "title": "Morphological and immunocytochemical characterization of osteoblast cultures from long bones of neonatal rats.", "content": "The present study reports a successful culture system of rat bone cells obtained from the bare long bone fragments of neonatal Wistar rats. The morphology, histochemical and immunocytochemical properties of the cultured cells were characterized by phase contrast microscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), histochemical staining with alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and immunocytochemical staining with the anti-osteocalcin antibodies. Under phase contrast microscopy, the cultured rat bone cells changed their morphology from being slender with relatively-short cytoplasmic processes to becoming polygonal with longer processes, and subsequently flattened. These cultured bone cells formed bone nodules after 3 weeks. Under SEM, the cultured bone cell appeared polygonal with some microvilli. The TEM showed that their cytoplasm contained abundant endoplasmic reticulum and well-developed Golgi apparatus. Positive histochemical staining of ALP was also detected as a blue coloration and granular appearance in the cultured bone cells. Immunocytochemistry with the polyclonal and monoclonal anti-osteocalcin antibodies showed the localization of osteocalcin in both the cytoplasm and nucleus. All these data lead us to consider that the cultured bone cells in our system were probably osteoblasts from growing bone tissue in vitro. This provides a convenient test system for further studies on the regulation of the growth and metabolism of rat bone cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1482607", "title": "Cryoultramicrotomy: electrostatic transfer of dry ultrathin frozen sections on grids applied to the central nervous system.", "content": "Due to the extreme fragility of ultrathin frozen sections of brain tissue, the cryoultramicrotomy of non-embedded tissue has not been sufficiently used for immunocytochemical studies of the central nervous system. Sections are easily disrupted by the liquid surface tension when a droplet of sucrose is used (method by Tokuyasu, 1973) for their transfer on the grids. Use of silicotungstic acid (Tsuji, 1986) in place of sucrose improved the preservation of the ultrastructure but still could not resolve the difficulty. This report describes a new procedure for transferring dry ultrathin frozen sections by means of electrostatic attraction induced on the membrane covering the grids. Once attached electrostatically to the membrane, the sections were retained by van der Waals' forces. The dry ultrathin frozen sections obtained from both fresh and fixed brains displayed good preservation of their ultrastructures over a large surface. This new method which electrostatically transfers dry ultrathin frozen sections, avoiding the use of any liquid, is expected to serve for the immunocytochemical identification of neuronal cell bodies and terminals as well as their neurotransmitters and enzymes in both fresh and fixed brains."}
{"id": "PMID:1482608", "title": "Structure of lymphatics in rat cecum with special reference to submucosal collecting lymphatics endowed with smooth muscle cells and valves. I. A scanning electron microscopic study.", "content": "The three-dimensional structure of lymphatic vessels in the rat cecum was studied by KOH-collagenase digestion/scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and corrosion casting/SEM. Abluminal surfaces of the lymphatic vessels show flat elliptical nuclear regions and flat cytoplasmic processes interdigitated with adjacent ones. The lymphatic capillaries closed by interdigitations of flat endothelial processes at their initial portion begin at the various levels of the mucosa. They descend and pass through the muscularis mucosa to connect with the lymphatic vessels in the submucosa. They form polygonal meshwork, the distances between intersections being about 0.2-0.5 mm. They also have valves, the distances between adjacent valves being about 0.1-0.6 mm. Most of the submucosal lymphatic vessels are surrounded by either periendothelial cells or typical smooth muscle cells. The polygonal meshworks made up of stellate periendothelial cells with many irregular processes embrace the initial segment of the collecting lymphatics. As they proceed proximally, the periendothelial cells become elongated and branch out by threes or fours, thus presenting the appearance of smooth muscle cells. These branches are connected side by side and run obliquely along the vessels, thus forming polygonal meshworks around the vessels. The more proximal collecting lymphatic vessels are surrounded by circularly oriented smooth muscle cells. Our results indicate that most of the lymphatic vessels in the submucosa are collecting ones and possess smooth muscle cells as well as valves. This suggests that the lymphatic vessels in the submucosa actively contract and propel the lymph towards the mesenteric lymphatic vessels."}
{"id": "PMID:1482609", "title": "Structural and endocytotic differences of fibroblasts and macrophages in the tail fin of amphibian larvae during metamorphosis.", "content": "Different features in the fibroblasts and the macrophages, which are prominent cell types in the dermis of the dorsal tail fin of the larval axolotl, Ambystoma mexicanum, and the tadpole, Rana japonica, were examined by light and electron microscopy. At the non-metamorphic stages, the cytoplasm of the macrophage, loaded with numerous lysosomes, is generally located in the cell periphery. Outstanding was the presence of many ruffles or microvillous projections of different shapes and sizes in the plasma membrane. In contrast, the fibroblasts are spindle-shaped and possess less numerous microvillous projections compared with the macrophages, and extracellular spaces neighboring the fibroblasts are loaded with collagen fibers. The fibroblasts are located superficially and sometimes contact each other by the desmosomes. The macrophages are situated relatively deep in the dermis. At the metamorphic stages, both fibroblasts and macrophages contain many phagolysosomes in common, but the desmosomes still remain between the fibroblasts, and therefore the fibroblasts are distinguished from the macrophages. The macrophages are characterized by the their phagolysosomes which contain degenerating cells or cell debris of fibroblasts, myelinated nerve fibers and neutrophils. The macrophages also exhibit a higher endocytotic activity than the fibroblasts for the injected foreign particles (FITC-dextran or latex beads). On the other hand, the phagolysosomes (or autophagolysosomes) of the fibroblasts are characterized by intracellular collagen fibers. These different phagolysosomes between the macrophages and the fibroblasts mean that they may play different roles in the degeneration of the cellular or the extracellular components, respectively, of the tail fins during metamorphosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1482610", "title": "Scanning electron microscopical study of skeletal muscle fiber ends in normal and dystrophic mice.", "content": "Muscle fiber ends at myotendinous junctions were examined by scanning electron microscopy after removal of tendon connective tissue components by HCl hydrolysis in the extensor digitorum longus muscle of 30-, 60- and 120-day-old normal and dystrophic (dy) mice. A remarkable morphological difference between normal and dystrophic mice was observed. In normal 30-day-old mice, muscle fiber ends had already assumed a complicated three-dimensional morphology with many thin cytoplasmic processes and lateral longitudinal clefts. On the other hand, in dystrophic animals at the 60th day, muscle fiber ends were characterized by a simple conical form with a rather smooth surface in which existed a number of pit-like sarcolemmal invaginations, and short and narrow longitudinal slits, possibly an indication of developmental immaturity. Thereafter, the slits increased in number and in length, although the linear elongation of the slits seems to be caused by the fusion of adjacent pits to one another and to existing slits. From these findings, the fiber ends in the adult (120-day-old) dystrophic mouse are suggested to retain a preceding state of their unique structural differentiation."}
{"id": "PMID:1482611", "title": "Alumina ceramic prostheses for bone tumor surgery.", "content": "Between 1979 and 1990 reconstruction using a ceramic prosthesis with a polycrystal alumina segment and a monocrystal alumina stem was carried out in 65 patients after the resection of malignant or benign aggressive bone tumors. Resection of 18 osteosarcomas, 5 chondrosarcomas, 9 other sarcomas, 10 giant cell tumors, 20 metastatic bone tumors, and 3 other bone tumors was followed by replacement of 17 proximal femurs, 12 distal femurs, 12 proximal tibia, 11 proximal humeri, 3 distal radii, 5 midshafts of the long bone, 2 pelvises, and 3 other parts. Results were rated excellent in 4 cases, good in 43, fair in 13, and poor in 4. In the cases with benignly aggressive or low-grade malignant tumors and those with tumors of the proximal femur, proximal tibia, or midshaft, satisfactory results can be obtained. Four skin ulcers, three dislocations, three loosenings, two infections, and two breaks were noted. Close interfacing between the ceramic prosthesis and the bone was observed radiologically in all cases with cementless fixation except in cases with high-grade malignancies in the knee joint. These results demonstrate that the ceramic prosthesis can be beneficial for the management of patients with benignly aggressive or low-grade malignant bone tumors who have retained adequate muscle strength around the joint even after tumor resection."}
{"id": "PMID:1482612", "title": "Bone-cement removal with the excimer laser in revision arthroplasty.", "content": "The excimer laser was thought to be an appropriate tool for the removal of bone cement without damaging the bone. However, due to its low ablation rate, its clinical use in total hip revision arthroplasty proved to be impossible. This experimental study was designed to evaluate the maximal ablation rate by adjusting the laser's parameters. Energy density, frequency, pulse duration, radiation area, quantity of pulses, and environmental conditions were varied in the experimental setup. Even with the best set of parameters the excimer laser was about ten times slower than, e.g., the carbon dioxide laser. The removal of 10 g bone cement takes about 1 h. Thus, complete cement removal by means of the excimer laser alone is not possible. However, selective application of the excimer laser in combination with other techniques could be discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1482613", "title": "Moderate heat treatment of bone allografts. Experimental results of osteointegration.", "content": "The use of bone allografts is often essential in orthopedic surgery. Strict donor screening, including HIV testing 3 months postoperatively, is mandatory before a transplant may be used. Yet these measures do not definitely rule out the possibility of HIV transmission, as there is a window period before infection is revealed by blood testing. Accordingly, there is a need for virus inactivation methods that can be used on bone allografts. As radiation treatment and chemical methods have a number of disadvantages, we chose a moderate heat treatment of 65 degrees C for a series of animal experiments. In 12 rabbit femoral condyles, moderate-heat-treated bone allografts were implanted into 6-mm drill holes. Twelve normal allografts and 12 empty drill holes served as controls. Radiologic and histological evaluation up to 12 weeks postoperatively revealed slow spontaneous bone remodeling from the rim to the center of the empty cavities. Normal deep frozen allografts were quickly intergrated after a short period of osteoclast reaction around the transplant, with occasional bone bridges between host and allograft. The examination of heat-treated allografts showed no differences to the controls, including morphologic aspects and the time course of osteointegration. Five zones of bone repair and osteointegration were distinguished. We conclude that thermal treatment of bone allografts has adverse effects on osteointegration in the rabbit femoral condyle. Thus, it may contribute to improving safety in human bone transplantation."}
{"id": "PMID:1482614", "title": "Osteochondrosis dissecans of the talus. Comparison of results of surgical treatment in adolescents and adults.", "content": "Clinical results in two groups of patients treated for osteochondrosis dissecans tali were examined in a follow-up examination: adolescents up to age 16 years versus adults. Thirteen patients were reexamined in each group. Clinical comparison revealed distinct differences between the groups. In adolescents there were eight excellent and three good results, only one fair, and one poor result. In contrast, adults demonstrated excellent results in only two and good results in five patients; five patients showed fair results and one a poor outcome. No signs of osteoarthrosis were detected in adolescents whereas in four adult patients slight radiological signs of osteoarthritis were visible. In both groups clinical and radiological results were better when the cartilage layer at the talar dome was found to be intact at the time of surgical intervention. Detectable cartilage damage at the time of operation was accompanied by a worse result at the time of follow-up examination. In conclusion, adolescents without any signs of joint locking or loose body formation should first be treated conservatively. The older the patient the shorter the period of nonsurgical treatment should be. In cases of increasing stages, joint locking, or formation of loose bodies surgical intervention is recommended."}
{"id": "PMID:1482615", "title": "A small effect of weight bearing in promoting fracture healing.", "content": "We treated 66 consecutive type IV comminuted femoral shaft fractures with static Grosse-Kempf interlocking nails and followed them up for at least 1 year (median 27 months). Although the effect of weight bearing was completely lost, 60 fractures healed primarily without dynamization. We conclude that weight bearing contributes only an auxiliary role in promoting fracture healing, and that the most decisive role is adequate mechanical stability with sufficient nutrition."}
{"id": "PMID:1482616", "title": "Ciprofloxacin-impregnated poly-L-lactic acid drug carrier. New aspects of a resorbable drug delivery system in local antimicrobial treatment of bone infections.", "content": "Resorbable poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA) cylinders (3.5 mm diameter, 5 mm in length) carrying 6% of weight ciprofloxacin (Ciprobay, Bayer AG, Leverkusen, FRG) were investigated in vitro to explore their properties as a slow-release antibiotic deposit. Forty bioactive cylinders stored in test tubes were covered with phosphate buffer (pH 7.4 at 37 degrees C) and 40 with fresh human blood plasma and tested under various conditions. For comparison a gentamicin-polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) chain (Septopal, E. Merck, Darmstadt, FRG) was exposed to similar test conditions. The quantities of ciprofloxacin and gentamicin released were analysed by a microbiological method (bioassay). The concentrations of ciprofloxacin released were analysed by a microbiological method (bioassay). The concentrations of ciprofloxacin released from 40 cylinder were initially very high (up to 180 mg/l) but they decreased rapidly within the first 5 days (4.2-22.5 mg/l). Early release of gentamicin reached up to 227.5 mg/l but dropped to of 22 mg/l on the 14th day. Complete degradation of the PLLA-cylinders was not seen in the observed period of 92 days. The mean loss of mass was 8.4%. The recovery of incorporated ciprofloxacin was 6.5% on average."}
{"id": "PMID:1482617", "title": "Osteoblastoma of the coccyx. A report of two cases.", "content": "Osteoblastoma, defined as a benign bone tumor by Jaffe and Lichtenstein, together with osteoid osteoma and multifocal osteoblastoma, belongs to the osteoblastic tumors. Due to the variable features of this tumor, differential diagnosis comprises fibrous dysplasia, giant cell tumor, aneurysmal bone cyst and osteoid osteoma; histological analysis is the only way to obtain a definite answer about the tumor type. Occasionally differential diagnosis from aggressive osteoblastoma and osteosarcoma may be difficult. The history of symptoms is usually long and diagnosis may be difficult both clinically and histologically."}
{"id": "PMID:1482618", "title": "Stress fracture of the radius following non-union of an isolated fracture of the ulna.", "content": "Non-union of the ulnar diaphysis after isolated ulnar shaft fracture is uncommon. Complications due to non-union of the ulna must therefore be very rare. A case of a stress fracture of the radius in a postmenopausal woman following an isolated ulnar shaft fracture and non-union is presented. The mechanism of the stress fracture and propositions for preventing non-union of the ulnar shaft after an isolated fracture in the osteoporotic patient are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1482619", "title": "Bilateral rupture of the patellar tendon without predisposing systemic disease.", "content": "Bilateral rupture of the patellar ligament in a 49-year-old woman is reported. She sustained a relatively minor trauma and no underlying systemic disease could be found. This is the 14th case of simultaneous spontaneous rupture of the patellar tendons reported in the literature. The diagnostic features were diffuse swelling around the knees, visible and palpable infrapatellar defects, and an inability to extent either leg."}
{"id": "PMID:1482620", "title": "Traumatic rupture of the quadriceps tendon in a 16-year-old girl. A case report.", "content": "Traumatic rupture of the quadriceps tendon is well known to occur in middle-aged men in patients on hemodialysis for renal failure and in patients with diabetes, but only very rarely in young and healthy women. We report a case of traumatic rupture of the quadriceps tendon of a girl without any of the predisposing factors listed."}
{"id": "PMID:1482621", "title": "Patellar tendon rupture. Description of a simplified operative method for a current therapeutic problem.", "content": "A simple operative method for the treatment of patellar tendon rupture is introduced. The operative procedure is described and we present the short-term results of the first seven patellar tendon ruptures that have been treated accordingly at our clinic. The technique is easily reproducible and utilizes a minimum of foreign body implant. A secondary procedure for removal of suture material is rarely necessary."}
{"id": "PMID:1482622", "title": "MRI of the knee joint with a 3-D gradient echo sequence. Equivalent to diagnostic arthroscopy?", "content": "Three-dimensional (3-D) gradient echo sequences offer the advantage of volume imaging within a few minutes scanning time and creating thin contiguous slices. An optimized sequence (FISP 3D 40) was evaluated for its potential to detect lesions of the menisci, cruciate ligaments, and articular cartilage in 80 patients compared to arthroscopy as the standard. Magnetic resonance imaging showed a sensitivity of 97.9%, a specificity of 97.3%, and an accuracy of 97.5% for meniscal lesions, and a sensitivity of 100%, a specificity of 97.1%, and an accuracy of 97.5% for lesions of the cruciate ligaments. Based upon morphological criteria normal cartilage was identified in 91.5%, but fibrillation of different depths (grades 1-3) was poorly recognized. All full-thickness defects (grade 4) were recognized. Measurement of mean signal intensity (95% confidence intervals) was more useful to discriminate normal from abnormal cartilage (grades 1-3). This method promises the capability to detect early stages of oestoarthritis in future. The present results show MRI of the knee joint with a 3-D fast imaging technique to be a noninvasive alternative to diagnostic arthroscopy."}
{"id": "PMID:1482624", "title": "Practical approaches to pediatric dermatology.", "content": "Pediatric dermatology has evolved as a subspecialty of dermatology. The ability to recognize and adequately treat the most common pediatric dermatoses represents an important skill for all dermatology nurses."}
{"id": "PMID:1482625", "title": "Staff nurse knowledge and perceptions about prevention of pressure sores.", "content": "A survey of 245 staff nurses from multiple health care settings revealed that nurses had a good knowledge of risk factors for skin breakdown. However, a variety of environmental and clinical factors were cited as impediments to their ability to maintain patient skin integrity. Development of nursing interventions that are effective and also practically feasible in a particular care setting are needed."}
{"id": "PMID:1482626", "title": "Skin care in the space environment.", "content": "Envisioned in the 21st century is the United States Space Program's establishment of a permanent human presence in a space station and a moon colony. Mid-21st century humans will take part in an exploratory trip to Mars from the moon (Collins, 1988; Ride, 1987). Fundamental to achieving these space goals will be human health care management. Skin, the largest human organ, will require care. The purpose of this article is to provide an understanding of skin care in the space environment."}
{"id": "PMID:1482628", "title": "Power at meetings: strategies to move people.", "content": "Opportunities exist during meetings to become visible, make impressions, gain control, and be an initiator of decisions. Selective strategies and group dynamic skills enhance the nurse's ability to generate influence and power at meetings."}
{"id": "PMID:1482629", "title": "Oxyquinoline-containing ointment vs. standard therapy for stage I and stage II skin lesions.", "content": "This study compared DermaMend and A & D for treating Stage I and Stage II skin lesions in nursing home residents. DermaMend led to more healing (p < .05) and more rapid healing (p < .03 Stage II lesions). Nurses preferred DermaMend over A & D 79.5% to 4% (16.5% no opinion) (p < 0.01)."}
{"id": "PMID:1482631", "title": "Methylprednisolone treatment of patients with steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome.", "content": "Treatment with a combination of pulse methylprednisolone (MP) and an alkylating agent has been reported to induce long-term remission of proteinuria in patients with steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome (SRNS). We have treated 13 patients with SRNS with a course of pulse MP. There were 8 black patients and 5 white; 10 had a biopsy diagnosis of focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) and 3 nil lesion. Initially 5 patients responded and 2 partially responded. Of the responding patients, 5 relapsed while treated with alternate-week MP therapy. Of these relapsing patients, 3 received a second course of MP plus chlorambucil; 2 responded. The patients were observed for a mean of 47 months (range 4-64 months). When last seen only the 3 patients with a biopsy diagnosis of nil lesion were protein free. There were no complications of steroid therapy. Six patients currently have end-stage renal disease and 2 have renal insufficiency. All of the 6 patients with no response to treatment were black. These data suggest that a course of pulse MP therapy alone induces short-term remission of the nephrotic syndrome in some white patients with FSGS, but in almost no blacks. Patients who relapse may respond to retreatment, but addition of an alkylating agent does not appear to induce long-term remission in patients with FSGS."}
{"id": "PMID:1482633", "title": "Creatinine for estimation of glomerular filtration rate.", "content": "The aim of this study was to evaluate the plasma creatinine concentration (PCr) and creatinine clearance (CCr) for estimation of glomerular filtration rate (GFR). Inulin clearance (Cin) was used as the reference standard for GFR. Thirty-nine concurrent Cin and CCr studies provided data for comparing Cin with the measured CCr and with the calculated CCr (calc-CCr). (Calc-CCr = k.L/PCr, where L = height in centimeters and k is the proportionality constant.) Thirty-one children 5.3-20.8 years of age, with Cin ranging from 2.8 to 138.8 ml/min per 1.73 m2, participated in these studies at The Children's Mercy Hospital. The measured CCr was 16.7 +/- 10.3 ml/min per 1.73 m2 (P < 0.001) greater than the Cin, and the calc-CCr overestimated Cin by a mean of 31.6 +/- 20.8 ml/min per 1.73 m2 (P < 0.001). Although there is good correlation between Cin and CCr (r = 0.96), and Cin and calc-CCr (r = 0.90), the 95% confidence intervals are quite broad. Hence, the CCr and the calc-CCr, derived using Schwartz values for k, consistently overestimate GFR. However, if the k value in the equation GFR = k.L/PCr is derived from k = Cin/L, rather than from k = CCr.PCr/L, a more accurate estimate of GFR may be obtained."}
{"id": "PMID:1482635", "title": "Renal cortical and renal medullary necrosis in the first 3 months of life.", "content": "Renal cortical necrosis, renal medullary necrosis, and combined renal cortical-medullary necrosis result from renal ischemia without vascular occlusion. Renal hypoperfusion and ischemic injury in infants have been ascribed to massive blood loss, hemolytic disease, septicemia, and severe hypoxemia. In a postmortem study we identified 82 cases among 1,638 autopsies during the 20 years between 1970 and 1989 in infants 3 months old or less at the time of death. The frequency of renal necrosis in autopsy cases increased significantly during the last 6 years of the study. The distribution of the renal lesion was cortical in 28, medullary in 23, and combined in 31. Forty infants carried diagnoses of congenital heart disease, 17 of asphyxial shock, 9 of sepsis, 3 of infectious myocarditis, 9 of major malformations, 4 of anemic shock, 1 of vascular malformation, and 1 of gastroenteritis and dehydration. A significantly higher proportion of babies with congenital heart disease had cortical involvement. Comparison of clinical characteristics revealed a significantly higher frequency of prematurity, respiratory distress syndrome, bleeding diathesis, and possibly sepsis in the children with congenital heart disease, suggesting that these factors are important in the pathogenesis of the renal lesion. Fourteen infants underwent cardiac catheterization; there was no demonstrable association between the renal lesions and the use of radiographic contrast medium. We conclude that severe congenital heart disease itself is a risk factor for life-threatening renal cortical and medullary necrosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1482636", "title": "Plasma atrial natriuretic peptide and endothelin levels in acute poststreptococcal glomerulonephritis.", "content": "Plasma levels of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and of endothelin (ET) were significantly elevated (87.7 +/- 13.9 pg/ml and 79.7 +/- 10.8pg/ml, respectively) during the acute phase of acute poststreptococcal glomerulonephritis (APSGN). Plasma renin levels were normal, fractional excretion of sodium (FENa) was 0.5 +/- 0.1% and creatinine clearance (CCr) averaged 82.2 +/- 18.3 ml/min per 1.73 m2. In the recovery phase of the disease (n = 12), levels of ANP (23.6 +/- 6.7 pg/ml) and ET (43.1 +/- 2.4 pg/ml) fell and were not significantly different from those measured in 11 control subjects. FENa increased to 1.3 +/- 0.1% and CCr to 113.5 +/- 12.1 ml/min per 1.73 m2 (all values mean +/- standard error). ANP did not correlate with PRA, blood pressure, CCr or FENa. There was an inverse relationship between the ET level and FENa in the acute phase of the disease (r = 0.489, P < 0.05), but no significant correlation between ET and blood pressure, PRA, CCr or ANP was found. We suggest that, despite the sodium retention, the increased ANP level in APSGN indicates unresponsiveness of the kidneys to ANP; the increased ET levels may contribute to this."}
{"id": "PMID:1482638", "title": "Plasma renin activity as a marker for growth failure due to sodium deficiency in young rats.", "content": "We evaluated the effect of feeding diets of varying sodium content on growth and plasma renin activity (PRA) in young rats. In the first study, four groups of rats were offered 10 g/100 g body weight per day of diets containing either 0.005%, 0.015%, 0.03%, or 0.3% sodium; weight gain per day of each rat was followed for 10-14 days and PRA was then measured. A control group was fed a sodium-replete tryptophan-deficient diet which caused protein calorie malnutrition and inhibited growth. Weight gain (g/day) among the rats on the sodium-deficient diets varied directly (r = 0.81, P < 0.001) and PRA inversely (r = -0.82, P < 0.001) with dietary sodium content. PRA varied inversely with weight gain (r = -0.84, P < 0.001). Insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), which is depressed in calorie-deficient growth failure, was depressed in all the rats on the low-sodium intakes relative to ad libitum-fed controls, but did not vary in relation to dietary sodium or weight gain within those groups. In rats fed the tryptophan-deficient diet, both IGF-1 and weight gain were severely depressed; PRA was normal. In the second study, rats in each of two groups were pair fed, the diet containing either 0.03% or 0.3% sodium matched to rats fed the 0.005% sodium diet; weight gain was followed for 28 days. Both length and weight gain were retarded; PRA again varied inversely with dietary sodium content and with weight gain.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1482639", "title": "Increased insulin-like growth factor-II tissue concentrations during compensatory kidney growth in infantile rats.", "content": "Insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I and IGF-II serum and kidney tissue concentrations were measured in compensatory kidney growth in infantile and adult rats. We hypothesized that the known switch from IGF-II in fetal life to IGF-I in adult life may be responsible for the different modes of compensatory kidney growth, which are mainly characterized by hyperplasia in infantile rats and hypertrophy in adult rats. While IGF-I serum concentrations increased with age in infantile rats, kidney tissue concentrations of IGF-I showed a similar increase in both age groups after uninephrectomy. In adult rats, serum and kidney tissue concentrations of IGF-II were unchanged by uninephrectomy. In infantile rats, however, a significant increase in both serum and kidney concentrations of IGF-II was observed with a maximum at day 5 after uninephrectomy. To investigate if compensatory kidney growth is dependent on hyperperfusion of the remnant kidney, the left renal artery was clipped in infantile rats. The clipped kidney showed growth retardation despite normal kidney tissue concentrations of IGF-I and IGF-II. The contralateral kidney was enlarged and IGF-II kidney concentrations were elevated. However, animals with one clipped kidney and nephrectomy of the contralateral kidney showed compensatory kidney growth of the clipped kidney combined with increased IGF-II kidney tissue concentrations. We conclude that IGF-II mainly promotes compensatory kidney growth in infantile rats by hyperplasia. Hyperperfusion of the remnant kidney seems to be unnecessary for initiation of compensatory kidney growth."}
{"id": "PMID:1482640", "title": "Developmental differences in renal sulfate reabsorption: transport kinetics in brush border membrane vesicles.", "content": "Renal tubular reabsorption of inorganic sulfate is greater in younger than older guinea pigs. To determine the mechanism of this difference, we studied the transport of inorganic sulfate in renal brush border membrane vesicles (BBMV) obtained from young (< 25 days) and adult guinea pigs (> 60 days). BBMV were obtained by mechanical and osmotic disruption of dissected renal cortices followed by magnesium precipitation and differential centrifugation. After the membranes were incubated for 10 s in solutions containing inorganic sulfate at several concentrations (0.1-10 mM) and trace amounts of 35sulfate, intravesicular uptake was measured. Based on 35sulfur uptake, reabsorption transport kinetics (Vmax and Km) were estimated. BBMV obtained from young guinea pigs demonstrated higher sodium-sulfate cotransport, Vmax (51.79 +/- 4.34 pmol/mg protein per s) than those obtained from adult animals (Vmax = 34.28 +/- 9.17 pmol/mg per s), P < 0.05. Vmax values are represented as means plus or minus standard deviation. No differences in Km were observed. Our results indicate that age-related differences in renal inorganic sulfate reabsorption are due to a higher Vmax for sodium-sulfate cotransport in the younger animals, suggesting a higher density of sodium-sulfate cotransporters or an increased cotransport turnover rate in this age group."}
{"id": "PMID:1482641", "title": "The effect of erythropoietin on the cellular defence mechanism of red blood cells in children with chronic renal failure.", "content": "The glutathione redox system, haemoglobin (Hb) oxidation, the activity of antioxidant enzymes and the lipid peroxidation product malonyl dialdehyde (MDA) were studied in red blood cells (RBCs) during administration of recombinant human erythropoietin (rhEPO) over 12 weeks in ten children maintained on haemodialysis. A rapid increase in the reticulocyte count was accompanied by a slower rise in total Hb concentration. The mean level of oxidized glutathione (GSSG) increased from 13.2 +/- 5.3 nmol/g Hb to 56.7 +/- 15.8 nmol/g Hb 4 weeks after the start of rhEPO (P < 0.001), followed by a fall to the basal value. Reduced glutathione (GSH) levels showed a smaller though constant elevation during rhEPO therapy (P < 0.001). Before rhEPO treatment, incubation of RBCs for 1 h with acetylphenylhydrazine induced a decrease in GSH concentration compared with controls (P < 0.001), which became more pronounced in the first few weeks of rhEPO therapy (P < 0.001). In addition, the percentage of Hb derivatives (metHb and haemichrome) increased in the first 4 weeks of rhEPO therapy (P < 0.001). Although there was no significant difference between the values obtained preEPO and during EPO treatment, MDA levels were continuously higher and superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase concentrations were lower than in the controls (P < 0.001). These results are compatible with oxidative damage to the RBCs in the early period of rhEPO therapy in children with end-stage renal failure. The GSH-GSSG system, as an important cellular defence mechanism of the RBCs, appears to be severely affected."}
{"id": "PMID:1482642", "title": "Peritoneal morphology in children treated by continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis.", "content": "Fifty peritoneal biopsies (PB) from 35 patients with end-stage renal disease, treated by continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) and aged 2 months to 18 years, were examined by light microscopy (n = 50) and/or scanning electron microscopy. PB were performed during surgical procedures immediately before the start of, during, or after the cessation of CAPD treatment. PB from 15 children without renal disease undergoing laparatomy were examined similarly. Before the start of CAPD, a scarcity and shortening of the mesothelial microvilli was observed by scanning electron microscopy. During and after CAPD, variable alterations of mesothelium, interstitium and capillaries were found. The mesothelial layer was absent in all 5 PB obtained during episodes of active peritonitis. In patients treated by CAPD for longer than 6 months, mesothelial denudation was observed more frequently (6/11) than in children treated for shorter periods (1/7) (P < 0.08). Fibrosis of the peritoneal membrane was present in about 50% of patients during or after the cessation of CAPD without impairment of peritoneal function. No correlation was found between the presence of fibrosis and the frequency of peritonitis or the duration of CAPD treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1482643", "title": "Acute tubulointerstitial nephritis with uveitis syndrome presenting as multiple tubular dysfunction including Fanconi's syndrome.", "content": "We describe an 11-year-old male patient with acute tubulointerstitial nephritis with uveitis (TINU) syndrome. He presented with easy fatigability, pallor, nocturia and weight loss. Laboratory examination disclosed anaemia, polyclonal hypergammaglobulinaemia, low molecular weight proteinuria, glycosuria, aminoaciduria, proximal and distal renal tubular acidosis, a urine concentration defect and decreased creatinine clearance. The multiple renal tubular dysfunction and slight glomerular dysfunction subsided spontaneously. Bilateral anterior uveitis was manifested 7 months after the onset of the disease. This is the first reported case of TINU syndrome with multiple proximal and distal tubular dysfunction including a complete type of Fanconi's syndrome."}
{"id": "PMID:1482644", "title": "Cerebral infarct with recurrence of hemolytic-uremic syndrome in a child following renal transplantation.", "content": "A white girl with a history of atypical hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS) and persistent microangiopathic anemia, and thrombocytopenia for 2 months after the initial presentation at age 7 months, received her first cadaveric renal transplant at age 3 years. During the first 2.5 days post transplant, she developed progressive thrombocytopenia and anemia followed by tonic-clonic seizures and loss of consciousness, secondary to a diffuse cerebral infarction of the left hemisphere. Renal histology showed evidence of glomerular microthrombi and microangiopathy. A large cerebral infarct, previously described in patients during their initial presentation with HUS, presented in our patient as part of the recurrence of the disease post renal transplantation."}
{"id": "PMID:1482645", "title": "Treatment of steroid-resistant post-transplant nephrotic syndrome with cyclophosphamide in a child with congenital nephrotic syndrome.", "content": "A child with congenital nephrotic syndrome underwent renal transplantation, was treated for acute rejection, and then developed nephrotic syndrome and renal failure. He was felt to have minimal change disease on allograft biopsy, but failed to respond to therapy with corticosteroids. Cyclophosphamide was substituted for cyclosporine and rapidly induced a complete remission of his nephrotic syndrome. We feel that this case not only represents an important example of a useful therapeutic approach to the child with congenital nephrotic syndrome who develops nephrotic syndrome post transplantation, and also raises questions concerning the pathogenesis of congenital nephrotic syndrome."}
{"id": "PMID:1482646", "title": "Hypertension associated with diffuse small artery calcification: a case report.", "content": "Renal ultrasound examination, performed following a urinary tract infection in a 4.5-year-old girl with triple X syndrome, showed multiple echogenic foci at the corticomedullary junction in both kidneys. She was asymptomatic but had hypertension with echocardiographic evidence of left ventricular hypertrophy. Computerised tomographic scan revealed foci of calcification in the kidneys, spleen and pancreas. On biopsy calcification was found in the internal and external elastic laminae of the superficial temporal artery and in the internal elastic lamina of a renal arcuate artery. Intimal fibrosis was mild and focal. No other arterial calcification was demonstrated radiographically or by ultrasound. Biochemical and hormonal profiles revealed no abnormality except hypercalciuria. The aetiology and prognosis of this child's condition are unknown. Although similar ultrasound and histological appearances have been described in pseudoxanthoma elasticum and in idiopathic arterial calcification of infancy, there is no evidence that the child has either of these conditions."}
{"id": "PMID:1482647", "title": "IgA nephritis in a patient with Alagille syndrome and a transplanted liver.", "content": "Alagille syndrome (arteriohepatic dysplasia) is a major cause of intrahepatic cholestasis in infancy. The present report describes a patient with Alagille syndrome who presented with hematuria and IgA nephritis 7 years after an orthotopic liver transplantation and immunosuppression. This patient suggests that glomerular lipidosis is not an inherent feature of the Alagille syndrome, and that IgA nephritis may develop in spite of ongoing immunosuppressive treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1482648", "title": "Arteriovenous fistula after biopsy of renal transplant kidney: diagnosis and treatment.", "content": "An 11-year-old renal transplant recipient was noted to have a bruit over her transplant graft 26 months post transplant and 17 months following percutaneous renal biopsy during an episode of rejection. Diagnosis of an arteriovenous (AV) fistula was made by ultrasound examination with Doppler flow and was confirmed with arteriography. The AV fistula was occluded by transcatheter embolotherapy with placement of a steel coil into the fistula from the renal vein approach. This procedure allowed nonsurgical closure of the AV shunt without significant change in renal function."}
{"id": "PMID:1482649", "title": "Tubulointerstitial nephritis.", "content": "Tubulointerstitial nephritis (TIN) describes a range of pathological processes that are at least partly responsible for the progression of renal disease of nearly all aetiologies. TIN is frequently the most important pathological manifestation of progressive glomerulonephritis, obstructive uropathy, reflux nephropathy and cystic diseases, although it may also present as a primary disease process associated with infection, drug use or other immunologically mediated disease. Recent clinical and laboratory research has increased our knowledge of tubulointerstitial structure, physiological function and tubulointerstitial response to injury. This review presents a classification of TIN in which acute and chronic tubulointerstitial diseases are recognized as forming a continuum. Primary TIN and TIN associated with glomerulonephritis, obstructive nephropathy and chronic progressive renal disease are discussed from both clinical and pathogenic aspects. It is argued that chronic TIN is a disease process in which inflammation is accompanied by a destructive tubulopathy and fibrogenesis. In acute TIN there is a cessation and reversal of this process. It is suggested that most forms of TIN have an immunological basis because of the presence of immune cell infiltrates, the occurrence of TIN in several immune diseases and immunological animal models of TIN. However, to date TIN has not been convincingly modified in patients by immune manipulation. Experimental evidence suggesting an important pathogenic role for proteinuria and antigenuria, and the renal tubule cell acting as an antigen-presenting cell is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1482651", "title": "Erythropoiesis in multiple myeloma: defective red cell production due to inappropriate erythropoietin production.", "content": "We investigated the pathophysiology of erythropoiesis in 62 patients with multiple myeloma and examined whether it would establish a rational basis for the treatment of their anaemia with recombinant human erythropoietin. Erythropoietin (Epo) production was evaluated by serum levels and erythropoiesis was quantitated by serum transferrin receptor (TfR) levels, both assessed relative to the degree of anaemia. Instead of the expected stimulation of erythropoiesis in response to anaemia, haematocrit correlated positively with marrow erythropoietic activity, indicating that the mechanism of anaemia was primarily defective red cell production. Erythropoiesis decreased and anaemia worsened significantly with advancing clinical stage. 25% of the patients had inadequate Epo production and this proportion increased to 50% in stage 3. Inappropriate Epo production was seen in 60% of patients with renal impairment but was also observed in a number of patients with normal renal function. Erythropoiesis correlated strongly with the adequacy of Epo production, particularly in advanced disease. We conclude that most myeloma patients have defective red cell production even in the absence of massive marrow infiltration and that inappropriate Epo production contributes to their anaemia."}
{"id": "PMID:1482652", "title": "Polyethylene glycol (PEG) modification of granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) enhances neutrophil priming activity but not colony stimulating activity.", "content": "PEG-modified proteins have numerous advantages over their unmodified counterparts (increased half life, reduced antigenicity, improved solubility), but almost without exception, they show a modest to marked reduction in biological or enzymatic activity. However, while investigating a new protocol for the preparation of PEG-proteins, we compared PEG-modified and unmodified GM-CSF with respect to their polymorphonuclear neutrophil granulocyte (PMN) priming activities. PEG-GM-CSF was unexpectedly more active than GM-CSF in its ability to prime neutrophils to respond to the synthetic peptide n-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (FMLP) with an oxidative burst (assessed both by nitroblue tetrazolium reduction and ferricytochrome c reduction). These results were in contrast to the findings for colony stimulating activity and with GM-CSF induced thymidine uptake, where the biological activity was unchanged or reduced. The enhanced neutrophil priming activity of PEG-GM-CSF was confirmed using FPLC fractionated PEG-modified GM-CSF. This showed changes in the bioactivity profile consistent with both the shift in protein elution profile and enhanced activity of the PEG-modified material (reflected in the increased area under the bioactivity curve). We also excluded a neutrophil priming action for PEG-modified fetal calf serum proteins, carrier proteins and 'irrelevant' cytokine, erythropoietin. The dissociation of the two bioactivities was confirmed using individual FPLC fractions. These results suggest the presence of differences in either binding, receptor/ligand processing or signal transduction for neutrophils versus progenitors, that are differentially affected by PEG-modification of GM-CSF. The demonstration that PEG-modification can partially dissociate two biological activities suggests the feasibility of using PEG-modification to produce proteins with subtly altered spectra of biological activity and hence new ranges of clinical applications."}
{"id": "PMID:1482653", "title": "Long-term treatment results for acute megakaryoblastic leukaemia patients: a multicentre study.", "content": "The prognosis and long-term results of a group of 57 acute megakaryoblastic leukaemia (M7-AML) patients was analysed from a multicentre perspective. Ages ranged from 4 to 83 years, median 49 years; 30 were males and 27 were females. The median follow-up time was 7 months, range 1-24 months. Early exits occurred in 12 cases, their median age being 71 years. Forty-five patients were treated with combined aggressive chemotherapy (CT) (n = 26) or low-dose cytarabine (LD-AraC) (n = 19). The following results were obtained with combined CT or AraC, respectively. Complete remission (CR) rates were 73% and 84%, 12-month survival (SV) were 37% and 26%, 24-month SV were 12% and 11%, median SV 10 and 4 months, and relapse rates (RR) were 68% and 94%. These differences were not statistically significant. Irrespective of the treatment modality, the results were better for children (n = 10) than for adults (n = 35): RR rates were 90% and 74%, median SV: 7 and 5 months, 12-month SV: 40% and 22%, 24-month SV; 30% and 9%, and RR: 78% and 81%, respectively; these differences also were not statistically significant. In addition, a literature review of 42 patients from 18 previous reports is presented, including seven cases treated with allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT). The best results were obtained with BMT: 12 and 24 month SV was 86% and the RR was 0%. On the above-mentioned basis, we feel that children and young adults with M7-AML should be offered BMT. In patients over 60 years old or not eligible for aggressive chemotherapy or BMT, an interesting possibility would be the use of LD-AraC which allows a high CR rate, followed by a classical consolidation regimen in order to prevent early relapses."}
{"id": "PMID:1482654", "title": "Multiple independent immunoglobulin class-switch recombinations occurring within the same clone in myeloma.", "content": "Multiple myeloma (MM) is characterized by the expansion of terminally differentiated plasma cells. It is still uncertain whether the clonogenic fraction is confined to the plasma cell or pre-plasma cell compartment. We examined the immunoglobulin (Ig) rearrangement of myeloma heavily infiltrated bone marrow cells with a probe from the heavy chain J region (JH) and the BamHI, EcoRI and HindIII restriction enzymes which are appropriate for the detection of clonal VDJ recombination. In 23/39 MMs, clonal Ig gene rearrangement was detected with BamHI, EcoRI and HindIII enzymes. Unexpectedly, in 14/39 patients both BamHI and EcoRI failed to detect Ig rearrangement, whereas HindIII consistently demonstrated VDJ recombination. The 5' sites of BamHI, EcoRI and HindIII restriction fragments are precisely defined by the VDJ rearrangement. Since the 3' ends of BamHI and EcoRI restriction fragments are downstream from the switch mu region and change in size during switch recombination, the absence of rearranged bands is determined by several autonomous recombinations affecting the switch region. By contrast, the 3' ends of HindIII restriction fragments are upstream, their size does not vary during isotype switch allowing the constant detection of clonality. Accordingly, in 35% of patients the clonogenic fraction seems to originate from a pre-switch B cell. This B cell will differentiate to a mature plasma cell developing multiple independent switch recombinations, as the variable mechanism of switch recombination suggests."}
{"id": "PMID:1482655", "title": "Argyrophilic nucleolar organizer region counts and prognosis in multiple myeloma.", "content": "The prognostic significance of argyrophilic nucleolar organizer regions (AgNORs) has been evaluated in bone marrow trephine biopsies from 64 patients with multiple myeloma (MM) prior to therapy. The univariate Kaplan-Meyer survival analysis showed a significant correlation between survivals and AgNOR counts (median of survival 51.3 months for cases with < or = 4.62 AgNORs per plasma cell (PC) versus 16 months for cases with > 4.62 AgNORs per PC; P = 0.0000) or AgNOR distribution in PC nucleus (AgNOR configuration) (median of survival 71.67 months for cases with tightly grouped AgNORs, 16.26 for partially grouped and 11.74 for dispersed AgNORs; P = 0.001). Significant prognostic correlations were also found for monoclonal immunoglobulin type (P = 0.008), platelet counts (P = 0.0078), serum creatinine level (P = 0.0001), Durie's clinical stage (P = 0.02), percentage of plasma cells in bone marrow biopsies (BMPC%) (P = 0.005), pattern of medullary involvement (P = 0.003) and PC atypia (P = 0.009). Borderline result was detected for the percentage of PCs in aspirates (P = 0.06). No significant correlation was found between prognosis and patients age, sex, haemoglobin level, serum albumin or calcium level, marrow cellularity and excess of haemosiderin. Multivariate survival analysis showed that only two variables were significantly correlated with prognosis: AgNOR counts (P = 0.003) and AgNOR configuration (P < 0.001). In addition, the analysis of variance showed significant association between AgNOR number and platelet counts, haemoglobin level, calcaemia, creatininaemia, clinical stage, percentage of PCs in aspirates, BMPC%, pattern of medullary involvement, PC atypia, marrow cellularity and configuration of AgNORs. Our results indicate that AgNOR counts and configuration have prognostic and diagnostic value and therefore they are useful independent parameters to assess the pretherapeutic aggressiveness of multiple myeloma."}
{"id": "PMID:1482656", "title": "Follicular dendritic cells in non-Hodgkin-lymphoma express adhesion molecules complementary to ligands on neoplastic B-cells.", "content": "In non-Hodgkin-lymphoma (NHL) with nodular growth patterns, follicular dendritic cells (FDC) form a spherical network which contains neoplastic B-cells. In order to dissect the basis of this close FDC/B cell association, the antigenic profile of adhesion molecules expressed by individual FDC and NHL-B-lymphocytes was evaluated. FDC isolated from NHL were found to express C3bi receptors (CD11b), the very late antigen (VLA) alpha-5- and alpha-6-chain (CD49e, CD49f), and the intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1; CD54). Only a percentage of the FDC population was positive for the VLA beta-1- and alpha-3-chain (CD29, CD49c), the vitronectin receptor (CD51) and the vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1). B-cells obtained from the lymph nodes of patients with centroblastic-centrocytic lymphoma expressed several ligands complementary to the adhesion molecules detected on FDC. These include LFA-1 alpha- and beta-chains (CD11a, CD18), and ICAM-1 (CD54). Surprisingly, monoclonal lymphocytes in the peripheral blood of patients with a leukaemic course of this lymphoma entity were devoid of these antigens. It seems likely then that neoplastic B-cells without CD11a, CD18 and CD54 surface molecules are unable to associate with FDC and now invade other compartments. Thus, the adhesive interactions which do occur between FDC and NHL-B-cells may directly influence the peculiar growth pattern and spread of centroblastic-centrocytic lymphoma."}
{"id": "PMID:1482657", "title": "Quantitative determination of the hybrid Bcr-Abl RNA in patients with chronic myelogenous leukaemia under interferon therapy.", "content": "In vitro amplification of the Bcr-Abl cDNA has been widely used to assess for the presence of minimal residual disease in patients with chronic myelogenous leukaemia (CML) presenting with complete clinical and cytogenetic remission. However, the level of sensitivity achieved in different laboratories remains largely unknown. Moreover, the results are usually expressed as positive or negative, making a precise follow-up of the patients difficult. In an attempt to overcome these limitations, we devised a quantitative method to measure the amount of Bcr-Abl mRNA in clinical samples. This methodology involves a single reverse transcription step, followed by separate amplifications of Bcr-Abl and total Abl mRNA. These two amplifications are performed in the presence of different dilutions of a same internal standard. This standard consists of Bcr-Abl sequences with an eight bases deletion in exon 2 of Abl. One of the primers used in each separate reaction is labelled with fluorescein. Following amplification, PCR products derived from cellular RNA and those from the internal standard are separated and their relative fluorescence is determined using a laser fluorescent DNA sequencer (ALF, Pharmacia). The number of Bcr-Abl and total Abl mRNA molecules initially present in each sample is then calculated. The accuracy and reproducibility of this method was assessed by studying serial dilutions of K562 RNA into normal RNA. Blood samples from 10 patients in cytogenetic remission under interferon therapy were studied. Only one sample was found negative while the others contained between 0.05 and 17 hybrid Bcr-Abl mRNA molecules per 1000 molecules of Abl mRNA. These results suggest that a variable number of malignant cells are present in the majority of CML patients in cytogenetic remission following interferon therapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1482658", "title": "Detection of minimal residual disease by polymerase chain reaction of bcr/abl transcripts in chronic myelogenous leukaemia following allogeneic bone marrow transplantation.", "content": "The prognostic significance of detecting minimal residual disease by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of bcr/abl mRNA transcripts was investigated in 27 bone marrow samples from 20 patients with Philadelphia chromosome (Ph1) positive chronic myelogenous leukaemia (CML) in complete cytogenetic remission following allogeneic bone marrow transplantation. Sixteen were transplanted in first chronic phase, two were in second chronic phase, one was in accelerated phase and one was in blast crisis. All 20 achieved complete cytogenetic remission post transplant and 15 patients had detectable bcr/abl mRNA by PCR from 2 to 22 months following the procedure. One of these patients had graft failure and one died from graft-versus-host-disease at 7 months. Of the remaining 13 PCR-positive patients, only one (8%) relapsed after 23 months; the other 12 were alive and still in remission after a median follow-up of 16+ months (ranging 5+ to 29+ months). Five patients were PCR negative; all are alive in complete clinical and cytogenetic remission at 10+, 11+, 19+, 25+ and 25+ months post transplant. In this study, detection of subclinical Ph1-positive cells by PCR was not associated with imminent clinical or cytogenetic relapse. Since late recurrence may potentially occur, long-term follow-up is required to definitely determine the prognostic value of the PCR assay."}
{"id": "PMID:1482659", "title": "The influence of therapeutic blocking of Gp IIb/IIIa on platelet alpha-granular fibrinogen.", "content": "Recent evidence suggests that platelet alpha-granule fibrinogen (fg) is derived from the plasma pool. Since platelets from patients with Type I Glanzmann's thrombasthenia (GT) are deficient in intracellular fibrinogen (fg) it was hypothesized that Gp IIb/IIIa could mediate the uptake of fg. To study the potential role of Gp IIb/IIIa in intracellular fg trafficking, the influence of therapeutic blocking of Gp IIb/IIIa on platelet fg was studied in 12 patients with stable ischaemic heart disease. Patients were either given a single intravenous dose of the monoclonal antibody 7E3 Fab (n = 4) or a combination of bolus and continuous infusion up to 24 (n = 3), 36 (n = 3) or 96 h (n = 2). All patients showed grossly prolonged bleeding times with a significant reduction of ex-vivo ADP induced aggregation. Although, surface Gp IIb/IIIa binding sites were consistently reduced in all patients, there was a variable but delayed decrease in platelet fg relative to vWf:Ag in only six out of the 12 patients studied. The reduction in fg appeared dependent upon both dosage and duration of Gp IIb/IIIa blockade. The study provides further evidence for the novel role of Gp IIb/IIIa in the intracellular trafficking of fg to platelet and megakaryocytic alpha-granules."}
{"id": "PMID:1482660", "title": "Adjusted dose continuous infusion of factor VIII in patients with haemophilia A.", "content": "Surgical interventions in patients suffering from haemophilia A require infusions of large doses of factor VIII (F VIII) concentrates. These are expensive and may pose a burden on the immune system, which is already compromised in many haemophiliacs. F VIII is usually given as bolus injections, although there are reports on fixed dose continuous infusion. We have developed a continuous infusion programme with dosage adjusted according to daily calculation of the clearance of F VIII. Twenty-four haemophiliacs received a total of 205 d of continuous infusion with F VIII (168 d in hospital, 37 d home therapy). Eighteen patients underwent surgeries (11 elective, seven emergency) and six were treated for serious haemorrhages. We observed a significant, progressive decrease of the clearance of F VIII over the first 5 d from 3.2 (2.8-3.5) to 1.7 (1.3-1.9) ml/kg/h (median and interquartile range). The decrease of the clearance together with the fact that a continuous infusion requires less drug than bolus injections to keep the same minimal concentration, contributed to much lower doses of F VIII than reported in the literature or than required by historical controls, matched for the type of operation. Other advantages of our method are improved safety with stable activities of F VIII, lack of hazardous troughs below the haemostatic range, and the convenience, which permits ambulant therapy even when high doses of F VIII are required."}
{"id": "PMID:1482661", "title": "Molecular characterization of a novel 10.3 kb deletion causing beta-thalassaemia with unusually high Hb A2.", "content": "A family of Asian-Indian descent has a variant form of beta-thalassaemia characterized by unusually high levels of Hb A2 in the heterozygous state. The propositus who is homozygous for the mutation has thalassaemia intermedia. Restriction endonuclease mapping suggested the presence of a 10.3 kilobase (kb) deletion removing the whole of the beta-globin gene. Subsequently, molecular analysis was performed by directly sequencing a specifically amplified region of genomic DNA. A 10329 basepair deletion was precisely defined which results in the loss of the 5' beta promoter region and the entire beta-globin gene. The deletion extends from 3011 bp 5' to the mRNA cap site to an L1 repeat element downstream of the beta-globin gene and is very similar to the 12.6 kb deletion of Dutch beta zero-thalassaemia. In common with four other mutations, both these deletions remove the 5' promoter region of the beta gene and all are associated with unusually elevated levels of Hb A2 in the heterozygous state."}
{"id": "PMID:1482662", "title": "Incompletely processed N-glycans of serum glycoproteins in congenital dyserythropoietic anaemia type II (HEMPAS).", "content": "Congenital dyserythropoietic anaemia type II, or HEMPAS (hereditary erythroblastic multinuclearity with positive acidified serum lysis test) is a genetic disease caused by membrane disorganization of erythroid cells. The primary defect of this disease lies in the gene encoding enzyme(s) which is responsible for the biosynthesis of Asn-linked oligosaccharides chains of glycoproteins (Fukuda et al, 1990). In order to know whether this gene defect affects the glycosylation in the cells other than the erythroid cells, the carbohydrate structures of the transferrin isolated from the sera of HEMPAS patients were analysed. Fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry analysis showed the presence of high mannose type and hybrid type oligosaccharides in the HEMPAS transferrin which is in contrast to the complex-type oligosaccharides found in the normal transferrin. The results strongly suggest that biosynthesis of Asn-linked oligosaccharide chains in HEMPAS hepatocytes is disturbed. As a result, the serum glycoproteins with incompletely processed carbohydrates are circulating in the plasma in HEMPAS patients, but they must have been absorbed by the cells in the liver and the reticuloendothelial cells. Upon intravenous infusion into rats, as much as 30% of the HEMPAS transferrin was cleared from the plasma circulation. The majority of the HEMPAS transferrins was taken up by the liver, and transferrin was distributed both in the hepatocytes and the Kupffer cells. The presence of enormous amounts of aberrantly glycosylated serum glycoproteins may lead to the liver cirrhosis and secondary tissue siderosis seen in HEMPAS patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1482663", "title": "Red cell autoantibody production by colonic mononuclear cells from a patient with ulcerative colitis and autoimmune haemolytic anaemia.", "content": "We have studied the ability of mononuclear cells extracted from the colon (CMC), draining lymph nodes (LNMC), peripheral blood (PBMC) and spleen (SMC) of a patient with ulcerative colitis and severe autoimmune haemolytic anemia to produce red cell autoantibodies. The LNMC, PBMC and SMC secreted immunoglobulin in vitro in pokeweed mitogen culture but not spontaneously. They also produced immunoglobulin when transferred to severe combined immunodeficient (SCID) mice but no anti-red cell activity was demonstrable. In contrast, in vitro cultures of CMC produced immunoglobulin spontaneously, showing the presence of activated B-cells and plasma cells, but anti-red cell activity could not be demonstrated. However, CMC transferred to SCID mice were able to produce IgG with anti-red cell activity. These results concur with clinical observations suggesting that the colon is the source of red cell autoantibodies in these patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1482664", "title": "Rheological properties of rosettes formed by red blood cells parasitized by Plasmodium falciparum.", "content": "A proportion of red blood cells parasitized by Plasmodium falciparum form rosettes with non-parasitized red cells. Although these rosettes are thought to impair microcirculatory flow, their rheological characteristics have not been fully described. Using dual-micropipette manipulation to pull apart individual rosettes, we found that the forces binding rosettes together were strong (average force for removal of a cell was 4.4 x 10(-10) N, approximately 5 times that required to detach a parasitized cell adhered to cultured endothelium). If disrupted rosettes were re-formed, cells rosetted immediately on contact, but the strength of attachment increased over minutes, and did not apparently reach its maximal level for hours. All non-parasitized cells tested could adhere to rosette-forming parasitized cells. Rosettes could withstand arterial flow stresses (1.4-1.6 Pa) for minutes without disintegration. To test the effects of rosetting on flow resistance, the time required for entry into a 4.3 microns pipette was measured. Entry times depended strongly on the number of cells in the rosette, and averaged 35 times longer than for non-parasitized cells. Our studies show that the cell-cell attachments within rosettes are strong, and suggest that rosettes might survive both the arterial circulation and passage through microvessels and could contribute to the ischaemic complications of falciparum malaria."}
{"id": "PMID:1482665", "title": "Detection of HIV in haemopoietic progenitors.", "content": "Peripheral blood cytopenias present a major problem in the management of patients with HIV infection. Their pathophysiology is likely to be multifactorial, although there is controversy as to whether haemopoietic progenitors are a target for HIV. In order to investigate the haemopoietic defect in HIV infection, we looked at bone marrow culture characteristics of marrow from eight HIV+ patients compared to normal controls. We performed long-term liquid culture (LTC) and colony forming assays for granulocyte-macrophage (CFU-GM) and granulocyte, erythroid, megakaryocyte, macrophage (CFU-GEMM). In LTC we found normal stromal appearance and haemopoietic focus formation. There was no difference in colony assays of CFU-GM and CFU-GEMM between HIV+ and normal controls. Colonies taken from CFU-GM and CFU-GEMM were analysed for HIV DNA sequences, and we were able to detect HIV DNA in colonies from all HIV+ patients. Our results indicate that despite infection of haemopoietic progenitor cells by HIV, bone marrow function is preserved. This suggests that HIV-related cytopenias may be due to alternative mechanisms not present in our in vitro system."}
{"id": "PMID:1482676", "title": "Species and tissue specificity of mammalian GTP cyclohydrolase I messenger RNA.", "content": "Northern blot analysis of rat RNA from cell lines and isolated organs with a specific rat cDNA probe detected two GTP cyclohydrolase I mRNA species of approx. 1.4 and 3.6 kb. The ratio between these two species varies between 0.6 and 2.4 in different rat organs. Using primers derived from highly conserved regions in the rat and Escherichia coli cDNA sequences a human GTP cyclohydrolase I probe was obtained by means of reverse transcription and PCR (polymerase chain reaction). The human PCR product consisting of 555 bp was cloned and sequenced. It shows a 92% identity with the published sequence of the rat gene. The analysis of various human cell lines with this specific probe shows only one species of GTP cyclohydrolase I mRNA with an approximate size of 3.6 kb."}
{"id": "PMID:1482677", "title": "Sequences of the swine 21-hydroxylase gene (CYP21) and a portion of the opposite-strand overlapping gene of unknown function previously described in human.", "content": "We sequenced a 4.8 kb BamHI swine genomic fragment comprising the entire 21-hydroxylase gene (CYP21) and its 5' and 3' flanking segments. The CYP21 coding sequence spanned 3050 bp and as in other species, comprised 10 exons separated by the corresponding introns. The deduced protein corresponded to 492 amino acid residues, 8 of which differed from a previously sequenced swine CYP21 enzyme. The 5' flanking region displayed several putative cis-acting elements which may be involved in either constitutive or cyclic adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate (cAMP) dependent transcriptional expression. We also characterized within the 5' region a 139 bp repetitive element of the short interspersed nucleotide element (SINE) family located on the opposite strand. In addition, we characterized the last five exons of a human-like opposite strand gene (OSG/X) located in the swine at the 3' end of CYP21. The sequenced part of this OSG/X displayed a very strong homology with its human counterpart."}
{"id": "PMID:1482678", "title": "Purification of a telomere-binding protein from Physarum polycephalum.", "content": "We have purified a telomere-binding protein (PPT) from the acellular slime mold Physarum polycephalum. As shown previously (Coren, J.S., Epstein, E.M. and Vogt, V.M. (1991) Mol. Cell. Biol. 11, 2282-2290), in vitro this protein binds specifically to the double stranded (TTAGGG)n repeats that are found at the telomeres of extrachromosomal ribosomal DNA from this organism, and also at telomeres of mammalian chromosomes. PPT was purified from Physarum nuclear extracts by heat treatment at 90 degrees C followed by heparin-agarose fractionation and gel filtration chromatography. The most purified fraction contained two major protein bands of 10 and 7 kDa when analyzed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. In gel filtration chromatography PPT migrated with a Stokes radius of 1.6 nm. Along with the previously determined sedimentation coefficient of 1.2 S, this value implies a molecular weight of about 8000, making PPT the smallest known telomere-binding protein."}
{"id": "PMID:1482679", "title": "Expression and regulation of cytochrome P-450I genes (CYP1A1 and CYP1A2) in the rat alimentary tract.", "content": "Cytochrome P-450 (P450) enzymes in the mucosa of the alimentary tract may be involved in the activation and/or inactivation of ingested xenobiotics and procarcinogens. Since the multiple P450 enzymes have overlapping substrate specificities and, in some cases, similar antigenic determinants, definitive identification of P450 genes that are expressed in various tissues requires molecular analysis. In this study, a sensitive and specific polymerase chain reaction assay along with hybridization analysis was used to examine the expression of the CYP1A gene family in the rat alimentary tract. CYP1A1 mRNA was expressed throughout the alimentary tract in untreated rats, as determined by the polymerase chain reaction. However, Northern blot analysis detected CYP1A1 mRNA and enzymatic activity only in small intestine and liver, with greater amounts in intestine. After treatment with beta-naphthoflavone, CYP1A1 mRNA and enzymatic activity was markedly induced in each alimentary tissue including esophagus, fore-stomach, glandular stomach, small intestine and colon. A single dose of inducer resulted in a rapid rise in CYP1A1 mRNA which was shown by nuclear run-on assays to be primarily due to an increase in transcription of the CYP1A1 gene. CYP1A2 mRNA was detected in significant amounts only in glandular stomach following induction although the polymerase chain reaction assay identified low levels of CYP1A2 mRNA in several other tissues. The definitive identification of the CYP1A genes that are expressed in alimentary tissue will allow the design of experiments to investigate the importance of these enzymes in the metabolism of carcinogens, and ultimately carcinogenesis, in the gastrointestinal tract. In addition, these data suggest that the aromatic hydrocarbon receptor, which mediates transcriptional induction of multiple genes by xenobiotics, is expressed through the alimentary tract."}
{"id": "PMID:1482680", "title": "Purification of ribonucleoproteins by a novel approach: isolation of the SSB1 ribonucleoprotein from yeast and demonstration that it has no role in mRNA splicing.", "content": "A novel approach is described to purify potential ribonucleoproteins (RNP) of yeast. The method assays a yeast RNP complex, assembled in vitro on actin pre-mRNA, by low-ionic strength acrylamide gel electrophoresis. The minimal protein components of this RNP complex were three proteins, one of 30 kDa and two at 42-44 kDa, defined by formation of the complex on biotinylated-RNA, binding of this complex to avidin-agarose, and salt elution of the protein in the biotinylated-RNP complex. Using the assay for RNP complex formation, an RNP protein was purified to homogeneity on the basis of its affinity towards single-stranded DNA and RNA. This RNP protein turned out to be identical to a known RNP protein, the single-stranded binding protein 1 (ssb1) of yeast, on the basis of identical gel electrophoretic migration, antibody cross-reactivity, and identical properties on the gel complex formation assay. In vitro mRNA splicing was normal in extracts made from a yeast strain missing ssb1 (ssb1- strain). Addition of anti-ssb1 antibody to splicing extracts made from a wild type strain did not inhibit or diminish splicing. Instead, mRNA splicing was reproducibly stimulated several fold, indicating competition between ssb1 and splicing factors for binding to single-stranded RNA in the extracts. RNP complexes still formed in the ssb1- strain, demonstrating that it would be possible to purify other RNP proteins from this strain using the gel complex formation assay."}
{"id": "PMID:1482681", "title": "Isolation and characterization of the gene encoding gluconolactonase from Zymomonas mobilis.", "content": "The gene encoding the enzyme gluconolactonase (D-glucono-delta-lactone lactonohydrolase, EC 3.1.1.17) has been isolated from a recombinant library of genomic Zymomonas mobilis DNA, by detection of enzyme activity in recombinant clones. The gene encoded a protein of 320 amino acids, which is processed to the mature enzyme of 285 amino acids (31079 Da) by cleavage at an Ala-Ala bond, as determined from N-terminal sequencing of the purified enzyme. A minor sequence commencing at amino acid 6 is suggestive of an alternative start of translation at the ATG codon of amino acid 5; in this case the expressed enzyme would remain cytoplasmic, whereas it is presumed that the main portion is directed to the membrane of periplasm by the leader sequence."}
{"id": "PMID:1482682", "title": "Cloning and sequencing of a cDNA for the delta-subunit of photosynthetic ATP-synthase (EC 3.6.1.34) from pea (Pisum sativum).", "content": "lambda gt10 cDNA clones for the nuclear encoded subunit delta of chloroplast ATP-synthase from Pisum sativum have been isolated. The 5' end was completed by PCR. The sequenced cDNA codes for the import precursor. N-Terminal sequencing of the mature protein isolated from chloroplasts revealed that the processing sites of the transit peptide from Pisum sativum and Spinacea oleracea are similar. The overall homology of the deduced amino acid sequences of the mature delta proteins from higher plants is about 40%. The conservation among hydrophilic residues is higher than for hydrophobic ones, indicating that the surface of delta is important for its function within the ATP-synthase."}
{"id": "PMID:1482683", "title": "Sequence analysis of cucumber cotyledon ribulosebisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase activase cDNA.", "content": "The cDNA encoding ribulosebisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase activase from cotyledons of dark-grown cucumber seedlings has been isolated and sequenced. The 2.0 kilobase pair cDNA encodes a polypeptide with 413 amino acid residues which shows 70% identity with the rubisco activase from green leaves of spinach. The full-length cDNA was used to prepare rubisco activase by in vitro transcription. Subsequent in vitro translation led to the formation of a 46 kDa protein which is the putative precursor of a 42 kDa plastid enzyme."}
{"id": "PMID:1482684", "title": "Sequence characterization of a sheep cDNA for antithrombin III.", "content": "We determined the cDNA sequence of the mRNA for antithrombin III (AT III) from sheep liver. It encodes a protein of 465 amino acids, including a signal peptide of 32 amino acids. The amino acid sequence of the mature protein shows a sequence identity of 89.1%, 95.6% and 85.0% to the human, bovine and rabbit equivalents, respectively. Cysteine residues involved in disulfide bonds as well as potential glycosylation sites are conserved between the four species. In contrast, the amino acid sequence of the signal peptide shows a smaller identity, i.e., 68.7% and 56.3% compared to the human and rabbit preprotein, respectively."}
{"id": "PMID:1482685", "title": "AAT1, a gene encoding a mitochondrial aspartate aminotransferase in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.", "content": "We have isolated a gene, AAT1, encoding an aspartate aminotransferase (AspAT) from a Saccharomyces cerevisiae genomic library. AAT1 encodes a 451 amino acid protein with a predicted molecular weight of 51,687, which is likely to be the yeast mitochondrial AspAT. Sequence comparison of this yeast AspAT with AspATs from other organisms shows a high degree of homology in regions previously shown to be important for catalysis. However, the yeast mitochondrial AspAT contains four obvious insertions with respect to all other known AspATs, suggesting that the AAT1-encoded protein represents a distinct AspAT."}
{"id": "PMID:1482686", "title": "Nucleotide sequence of a complementary DNA for human ST2.", "content": "Human ST2 cDNA, a homologue of murine ST2 that is only expressed in growth-stimulated BALB/c-3T3 cells and a member of the primary response gene family induced by growth factors, was isolated from the cDNA library of an activated human helper T cell line, 5C10. Human ST2 has 67.6% identity in a 327 amino acid overlap to murine ST2. Furthermore, as in the case of murine ST2, human ST2 encodes a protein remarkably similar in sequence to the extracellular portion of human interleukin 1 receptor, both types 1 and 2. The expression of ST2 in human lymphocytes could trigger further investigations into its physiological role in humans."}
{"id": "PMID:1482687", "title": "Molecular characterization of a putative peroxidase gene of Drosophila melanogaster.", "content": "We have identified genomic clones and corresponding cDNAs that encode a putative peroxidase of Drosophila melanogaster. The gene (DmPO) appears as a single copy gene located on the third chromosome at position 89 D/E. It is interrupted by seven small introns and one unusually large 5' intron (about 11 kb). Sequence analysis of the cDNA showed an open reading frame of 690 amino acids resulting in a protein of 77 kDa. The deduced amino acid sequence reveals an overall homology to myeloeosinophil and thyroid peroxidase, a human superfamily of peroxidases."}
{"id": "PMID:1482688", "title": "Nucleotide and (derived) amino acid sequence of a novel peptide from a rat (hypercalcemic) Leydig cell tumor.", "content": "The nucleotide sequence of a novel peptide from a rat Leydig cell hypercalcemic tumor H-500 was determined. This cDNA encodes a peptide of 93 amino acids and contains a heparin binding domain similar to histone 2-B. Northern blot analysis showed tissue specific expression of this peptide mRNA."}
{"id": "PMID:1482689", "title": "Polarized secretion of plasminogen activators by epithelial cell monolayers.", "content": "We have investigated the synthesis and the polarized secretion of plasminogen activators (PAs) in three epithelial cell lines (FRT, derived from rat thyroid; MDCK, from canine kidney, and CaCo-2, from human intestine) grown on filters, in bicameral systems. Confluency and acquisition of functional polarity were assessed by measuring transepithelial resistance and by showing polarized secretion of endogenous proteins. By zymography, before and after immunoprecipitation with specific antibodies, we found that FRT cells synthesized tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) and that tPA activity was mostly confined to the apical cell compartment. MDCK and CaCo-2 cells, instead, synthesized urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA). In MDCK cells the uPA activity was found predominantly in the apical cell compartment while in CaCo-2 cells it was mostly basolateral."}
{"id": "PMID:1482690", "title": "Insulin decreases chylomicron production in human fetal small intestine.", "content": "The objective of this study was to examine the effect of insulin on lipoprotein synthesis and secretion in human fetal intestine. Jejunal explants were cultured with [14C]oleic acid in Leibovitz medium for 42 h. Although the addition of insulin (30 U) did not alter the incorporation of [14C]oleic acid into triglycerides, phospholipids and cholesteryl esters in the tissue, it significantly decreased (P < 0.05) the level of triglycerides (20%) in the medium. Among the three lipoprotein classes (chylomicron, VLDL, and HDL) isolated by ultracentrifugation, the chylomicron level was found significantly (P < 0.05) diminished in the medium (29%). Neither the lipid chemical composition of CM or that of VLDL, LDL and HDL was affected by the presence of insulin. These results suggest that chylomicron synthesis is modulated by insulin, whereas lipoprotein distribution and lipid composition are not regulated by this hormone."}
{"id": "PMID:1482691", "title": "Regulation of mitochondrial glycerol-phosphate dehydrogenase by Ca2+ within electropermeabilized insulin-secreting cells (INS-1).", "content": "(1) A new insulin-secreting cell line (INS-1; Asfari et al. (1992) Endocrinology 130, 167-178) has been used to study the regulation by Ca2+ of mitochondrial FAD-linked glycerol-phosphate dehydrogenase (FAD-GPDH) in situ. (2) Enzyme activity was examined on-line in electropermeabilized cells by a new, sensitive, assay. This involved the reduction of the artificial electron acceptor, 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT), monitored by the quenching of the fluorescence of rhodamine-18. Using this approach, similar total levels of FAD-GPDH activity (nmol/min per 10(6) cells) were measured in INS-1 cells (1.35 +/- 0.22) and isolated rat islet cells (1.63 +/- 0.02) (3) Ca2+ ions markedly activated the enzyme, lowering the apparent Km-value for added DL-glycerophosphate from 8.8 +/- 1.4 mM to 1.0 +/- 0.1 mM. Ca2+ had no effect on the apparent Vmax. The enzyme displayed cooperative kinetics with respect to DL-glycerophosphate (Hill coefficient of 2.0 +/- 0.2 and 1.6 +/- 0.2 in the absence and presence respectively of Ca2+). Half-maximal effects of Ca2+ were observed in the range 30-130 nM, depending on the concentration of glycerol phosphate. (4) Enzyme activity was weakly (30%) inhibited by diazoxide, but not by the diabetogenic drug, streptozotocin. (5) The data indicate that INS-1 cells represent an excellent model for studying the r\u00f4le of FAD-GPDH in the control of insulin secretion."}
{"id": "PMID:1482692", "title": "Glycine, a new regulator of glutamine metabolism in isolated rat-liver cells.", "content": "Glycine (0.1-10 mM) caused a dose-dependent increase in the removal of 5 mM [1-14C]glutamine by isolated rat-liver cells; at low concentrations of glycine, an increase in the formation of 14CO2, urea and glucose from glutamine occurred. At 2-10 mM, glycine also caused an accumulation of ammonia, a well-established activator of glutaminase (E.C. 3.5.1.2) and, at concentrations found in the presence of glutamine plus glycine, ammonia stimulated glutamine removal. The inhibition of urea synthesis from glutamine observed with 10 mM glycine was relieved by the addition of ornithine, suggesting that this inhibition occurred by reducing the availability of ornithine for the ornithine transcarbamoylase reaction. The metabolism of glycine as sole substrate led to a small increase in the accumulation of ammonia. Glycine did not alter hepatic glutaminase activity but swelling of rat hepatocytes, a factor considered to stimulate glutamine metabolism, was observed in the presence of glycine (1 mM). It is concluded that stimulation by glycine of hepatic utilization of glutamine is mediated by the accumulation of ammonia arising from both glycine and glutamine metabolism and by hepatocyte osmotic swelling secondary to glycine transport."}
{"id": "PMID:1482693", "title": "Polyamine metabolism in enterocytes isolated from newborn pigs.", "content": "In the pig, the growth of intestinal mucosa is very intense after birth. Since the polyamines are key elements affecting cell proliferation and differentiation, the present work was undertaken in order to know whether this hypertrophy is associated with an adaptation of polyamine metabolism. Villus enterocytes isolated from pig immediately after birth or 2 days later were found to contain similar amounts of putrescine, spermidine and spermine, i.e., 0.23; 0.41 and 1.24 nmol/10(6) cells, respectively. At birth, despite a relatively high ODC activity, putrescine synthesis from 1 mM L-arginine or 2 mM L-glutamine was very low in isolated enterocytes (6.4 +/- 3.8 pmol/10(6) cells per 30 min), while spermidine and spermine production were not detectable. This could be explained by a very low L-ornithine generation from both amino acids and to an inhibitory effect of polyamines on ODC activity. Two days later, polyamine synthesis from L-arginine remained undetectable despite a higher L-ornithine generation. This was concomitant with a dramatic fall in ODC activity. At both stages, enterocytes were able to take up polyamines from the extracellular medium in a temperature-dependent manner. It is concluded that de-novo synthesis of polyamines from L-arginine or L-glutamine does not play a significant role in the control of polyamine content of pig enterocytes during the postnatal period. In contrast, polyamine uptake by enterocytes would contribute to maintain a steady-state polyamine content during this period."}
{"id": "PMID:1482694", "title": "Ion transport across the epithelium of the rabbit caecum.", "content": "The isolated rabbit caecum was studied in vitro. Under our experimental conditions, the rabbit caecum secreted potassium and chloride and absorbed sodium. To characterize the transport properties of the apical and the basolateral barriers, transepithelial electrical and flux (22Na, 36Cl and 86Rb) measurements and their sensitivity to transport inhibitors (furosemide, DIDS, ouabain and barium) are presented together with intracellular measurements with double-barrelled microelectrodes of intracellular electrical potentials and ionic activities. The fluxes of sodium and chloride were insensitive to DIDS and furosemide. The secretion of potassium and the absorption of sodium were both inhibited by ouabain, indicating that they are coupled through the sodium pump. Ouabain induced a slow fall in the chloride net fluxes, suggesting that these fluxes are also driven by the sodium pump, albeit indirectly. The basolateral to apical fluxes of potassium are insensitive to barium added to the apical side, but are accelerated by the replacement of chloride by gluconate on the apical side, suggesting the presence of a K+/Cl- symport in the apical barrier."}
{"id": "PMID:1482695", "title": "Participation of calpain I activation in the ATP release reaction of platelets stimulated with thrombin.", "content": "Proteolytic activation of calpain (calcium-dependent neutral protease) I in thrombin-stimulated platelets was determined by following the production of the 76- and 78-kDa forms from the 80-kDa subunit of calpain I as measured by immunoblotting using monospecific antibody to human calpain I, and the correlation between the extents of calpain I activation and ATP release was investigated. When platelets were stimulated with thrombin in the range from 0.01 to 0.5 U/ml, the maximal 60% activation of calpain I was achieved within 15 s after the stimulation, and ATP release began after the maximal activation had been reached. The extent of ATP release decreased in parallel with the decrease in activation ratio of calpain I on treatment of platelets with EGTA or EST, a membrane-permeable inhibitor of calpain. Although pretreatment of platelets with EST did not affect the thrombin-dependent elevation of the cytosolic Ca2+ concentration, both the inhibition of calpain I activation and the reduction of ATP release were observed as a function of EST concentration. These results suggest that calpain I participates in one of the processes leading to the ATP release reaction of platelets stimulated with thrombin."}
{"id": "PMID:1482697", "title": "Three types of Gi alpha protein of the guinea-pig lung: cDNA cloning and analysis of their tissue distribution.", "content": "cDNA clones encoding three types of Gi alpha, the alpha subunit of GTP-binding protein (Gi1 alpha, Gi2 alpha, and Gi3 alpha), were isolated from a cDNA library of the guinea-pig lung. Nucleotide sequence analysis revealed a high degree of homology with other mammalian Gi alpha cDNAs. By RNA blot analysis, the expression pattern of Gi1 alpha was more tissue-specific than those of other types of Gi alphas in the guinea-pig tissues examined. While Gi2 alpha and Gi3 alpha mRNAs were ubiquitously expressed in all tissues examined, Gi1 alpha mRNA was mainly expressed in the brain, lung and kidney. These results suggest that each Gi alpha protein may have a different role."}
{"id": "PMID:1482698", "title": "Antiprogestin ZK-98.299 and progesterone display differential binding characteristics in the human myometrial cytosol.", "content": "To investigate whether the synthetic progesterone antagonist ZK-98.299 binds to progesterone receptor or also has distinct binding sites, the binding characteristics of ZK-98.299 were compared with those of progesterone in the human myometrial cytosol. [3H]ZK-98.299 and [3H]progesterone showed specific binding in the myometrial cytosol and the binding of each radiolabelled ligand could be displaced with the respective ligand in a dose-response manner. However, while the binding of [3H]progesterone could be completely blocked with progesterone or ZK 98.299, the binding of [3H]ZK-98.299 could not be displaced more than 50%. The non-specific binding of [3H]ZK-98.299 was very high as compared to that of [3H]progesterone. Using [3H]progesterone, the relative binding affinity (RBA) of progesterone was more than that of ZK 98.299, whereas using [3H]ZK-98.299 the RBA of ZK 98.299 exceeded that of progesterone. Treatment of myometrial cytosol with increasing concentrations of -SH-modifying agents (iodoacetamide (IA) 0-10 mM or N-ethylmaleimide (NEM) 0-1000 nM) decreased the binding of progesterone by over 80%, whereas similar treatment did not have appreciable effect on the binding of [3H]ZK-98.299. Although both preformed ligand-receptor complexes were relatively stable in the presence of IA and NEM, the [3H]progesterone-receptor complex was more sensitive as compared to the [3H]ZK-98.299-receptor complex. The addition of 20 mM molybdate in the cytosol had a protective effect against the -SH-modifying agents. [3H]ZK-98.299 and [3H]progesterone-receptor complexes also showed differential stability when incubated at elevated temperatures (25 degrees C and 37 degrees C), [3H]ZK-98.299-binding sites being more thermolabile as compared to [3H]progesterone binding sites. Prior occupation of the receptor by the two ligands gave the complexes the ability to resist an elevated temperature of 25 degrees C. Moreover, molybdate stabilized both the liganded and unoccupied receptors at 25 degrees C. When the ligand-receptor complexes were applied onto a prefocused polyacrylamide gel, the progesterone and ZK-98.299-receptor complexes were resolved and focused at pH 7.2 and 8.4, respectively. The results of this study suggest that although progesterone and ZK-98.299 are mutually competitive for binding to progesterone receptor, ZK-98.299 also has distinct binding sites."}
{"id": "PMID:1482699", "title": "Cooperative effects of ethanol and protein kinase C activators on phospholipase-D-mediated hydrolysis of phosphatidylethanolamine in NIH 3T3 fibroblasts.", "content": "In a previous study, ethanol was shown to enhance the stimulatory effect of phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA), a prominent activator of protein kinase C (PKC), on phospholipase-D (PLD)-mediated hydrolysis of phosphatidylethanolamine (PtdEtn) in NIH 3T3 fibroblasts (Kiss et al. (1991) Eur. J. Biochem. 197, 785-790). Here, the mechanism and possible significance of ethanol-stimulated PtdEtn hydrolysis was further studied. In [14C]ethanolamine-labeled NIH 3T3 fibroblasts, 10 mM ethanol enhanced PMA-induced hydrolysis of PtdEtn 1.5-2.0-fold during a 2.5-15-min incubation period. Other alcohols, including glycerol, methanol, and 1-propanol, also enhanced PMA-induced PtdEtn hydrolysis. Of the other PLD activators tested, ethanol potentiated the PKC-dependent stimulatory effect of bombesin but failed to alter the apparently PKC-independent stimulatory effect of serum. Pretreatment of [14C]ethanolamine-labeled fibroblasts with 200 mM ethanol for 20 min resulted in increased (approx. 2-fold) hydrolysis of [14C]PtdEtn in isolated membranes. In membranes from ethanol-treated, but not from untreated, cells, PMA further enhanced (approx. 1.5-fold) the production of [14C]ethanolamine. Ethanol exerted none of the above stimulatory effects on phosphatidylcholine hydrolysis. These results suggest that the specific stimulatory action of ethanol on PLD-mediated PtdEtn hydrolysis can occur in vivo and may involve increased binding of a regulatory PKC-isoform to membranes."}
{"id": "PMID:1482700", "title": "Development of fibroblast-type-II cell communications in fetal rabbit lung organ culture.", "content": "The development of the fetal lung is regulated by fibroblast-type-II cell communications which involve fibroblast pneumonocyte factor (FPF). FPF production is positively regulated by glucocorticoids and negatively regulated by dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and transforming growth-factor beta (TGF-beta). We studied whether DHT or TGF-beta affected other steps in the process of lung maturation, by studying how the developing lung in organ culture would respond to exogenously supplied FPF after DHT or TGF-beta exposure. Fetal rabbit (day 19 of gestation) lung organ cultures were prepared and cultured in the presence of cortisol, DHT or TGF-beta. After seven days, the media were replaced with serum-free medium containing either cortisol or FPF conditioned medium. The incorporation of [14C]glycerol into surfactant lamellar body DSPC was studied over 24 h as the index of surfactant synthesis. Results were compared to simultaneous control cultures. Treatment had no significant effect on tissue protein concentration or on the efficiency of lamellar body recovery. Cortisol stimulated baseline incorporation of glycerol into DSPC. This was inhibited by DHT, such that DHT plus cortisol treatment was no different from untreated controls. FPF stimulated the incorporation of glycerol into DSPC, and did so even after culture treatment with DHT. Cultures treated with TGF-beta exhibited glycerol incorporation similar to untreated controls. After TGF-beta exposure, FPF did not stimulate glycerol incorporation into DSPC. We conclude that DHT interferes with progression of lung development by delaying the appearance of FPF production by the fibroblast. TGF-beta, on the other hand, inhibits other elements of lung maturation besides FPF production. We speculate that TGF-beta interferes with type-II cell development such that the cell cannot respond to FPF."}
{"id": "PMID:1482701", "title": "Simultaneous use of two retroviral vectors in human gene marking trials: feasibility and potential applications.", "content": "Two Moloney murine leukemia virus (Mo-MLV)-based neoR retroviral vectors--LNL6 and G1Na--were used to transduce various human tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) populations. These groups included bulk CD(8+)- and CD(4+)-enriched TIL from human renal cell carcinomas and melanomas. Transduction efficiencies averaged 5% for single 4-hr supernatant infections. Integrated provirus could be detected for up to 4 weeks of in vitro culture. LNL6 provirus could be distinguished from G1Na provirus using specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) primers. A single neomycin phosphotransferase (neoR) gene copy could be detected in 10(5) TIL. Using quantitative PCR, the relative ratio of LNL6 to G1Na copies in the same sample could be determined even at low copy numbers. These preclinical studies demonstrate the feasibility of using two retroviral marking vectors in human gene therapy efforts."}
{"id": "PMID:1482702", "title": "Correction of purine nucleoside phosphorylase deficiency by retroviral-mediated gene transfer in mouse S49 T cell lymphoma: a model for gene therapy of T cell immunodeficiency.", "content": "To determine the effectiveness of retroviral-mediated purine nucleoside phosphorylase (PNP) gene transfer and expression for metabolic correction of PNP deficiency, we used as a gene transfer target the NSU-1 subline of murine S49 T lymphoma cells, an in vitro genetic model of PNP deficiency. NSU-1 cells were transduced with recombinant retroviruses that express either the murine or human PNP coding sequences under transcriptional regulation of the Moloney murine leukemia virus (Mo-MLV) long terminal repeat (LTR), resulting in expression of substantial levels of PNP activity. Untransduced or control virus-transduced NSU-1 cells were extremely sensitive to deoxyguanosine, a PNP substrate that is toxic for lymphoid cells. However, PNP-virus transduction of NSU-1 cells metabolically corrected the sensitivity of these cells to deoxyguanosine, resulting in near wild-type levels of growth inhibition. These results demonstrate that retroviral-mediated PNP gene transfer and expression corrects the metabolic defect observed in PNP-deficient murine lymphoid cells, suggesting that PNP gene transfer and expression in human lymphoid cells might similarly correct substrate-mediated toxicity and provide an effective genetic therapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1482703", "title": "Toward gene therapy for Niemann-Pick disease (NPD): separation of retrovirally corrected and noncorrected NPD fibroblasts using a novel fluorescent sphingomyelin.", "content": "The neurologic (type A) and nonneurologic (type B) forms of Niemann-Pick disease (NPD) both result from deficiencies of acid sphingomyelinase (ASM) activity leading to the accumulation of sphingomyelin and other related lipids within lysosomes. Recently, the full-length cDNA and genomic sequences encoding ASM have been isolated and the nature of the molecular lesions causing NPD has been investigated. Although these developments have facilitated diagnosis for this debilitating disease, no effective treatment is currently available. Toward this latter goal, our laboratories recently reported the effectiveness of retroviral-mediated gene transfer for the in vitro correction of the cellular pathology in NPD fibroblasts (Suchi et al., 1992). In addition, novel selection procedures were developed to separate retrovirally corrected and noncorrected NPD fibroblasts based on the receptor-mediated delivery of a fluorescently (pyrene)-labeled sphingomyelin (P12-SPM) to the lysosomes of cells using liposomes coated with apolipoprotein E. In this study, we have used a different, fluorescent derivative of sphingomyelin (lissamine-rhodamine dodecanoyl sphingomyelin; LR12-SPM) to extend and improve this selection system. LR12-SPM offers a number of advantages over P12-SPM, including the facts that apolipoprotein E is not required for its efficient uptake and targeting to lysosomes and that the product of LR12-SPM degradation by ASM is efficiently transported out of cells. Thus, when analyzed in a fluorescence-activated cell sorter (FACS), there was complete separation (i.e., no overlap) of retrovirally corrected and noncorrected NPD cells after the administration of LR12-SPM.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1482705", "title": "Gene transfer in vivo with DNA-liposome complexes: lack of autoimmunity and gonadal localization.", "content": "Direct gene transfer into localized arterial segments can be performed in vivo by transfection with DNA-liposome complexes. This technique holds promise for the treatment of human diseases, including malignancy and cardiovascular disorders. We have previously characterized the potential toxicity of this form of treatment in mice in vivo (Stewart et al., 1992). In this report, we examined two issues relevant to long-term expression of foreign recombinant genes: (i) the potential for autoimmune damage to major organs and (ii) DNA localization in gonadal tissue. Autoimmunity and toxicity of allogeneic major histocompatibility (MHC) gene transfer was assessed in mice after induction of an immune response to a recombinant murine class I MHC gene by direct gene transfer in vivo. Histological examination of brain, heart, lung, liver, kidney, spleen, and skeletal muscle revealed no clinically significant immunopathology or organ damage. The toxicity of gene delivery by DNA liposomes was also analyzed in pigs and rabbits in vivo. No histopathology was observed following the introduction of plasmids encoding several different gene products, and analysis of serum following DNA liposome delivery revealed no abnormalities of serum biochemical parameters. The potential for transfer of recombinant DNA into testes and ovary in animals was evaluated by the polymerase chain reaction. Although evidence of recombinant plasmid was consistently observed in transfected, but not untransfected, arterial sites and occasionally in lung, kidney, spleen, and liver, no plasmid DNA was detected in testes or ovary. These studies suggest that uptake of recombinant DNA following direct gene transfer by liposomal transfection in major organs is not associated with autoimmunity, toxicity, or gonadal localization.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1482704", "title": "Hepatic gene therapy: persistent expression of human alpha 1-antitrypsin in mice after direct gene delivery in vivo.", "content": "The liver represents an excellent target organ for gene therapy. The current strategy for hepatic gene therapy involves the isolation of primary hepatocytes from a resected liver lobe, transduction of therapeutic genes in vitro followed by autologous hepatocellular transplantation. This ex vivo approach is a rather complex procedure in its entirety; thus, a simple method for direct gene delivery into hepatocytes in vivo has been developed. The procedure involves partial hepatectomy followed by the portal vein infusion of recombinant retroviral vectors. Histological analysis of hepatocytes after in vivo delivery of a recombinant retrovirus bearing the E. coli beta-galactosidase gene showed that 1-2% of the parenchymal cells were transduced. Direct hepatic transfer of human alpha 1-antitrypsin cDNA under the transcriptional direction of the albumin promoter-enhancer led to constitutive expression of the human protein in the sera of recipients at concentrations of 30-1,400 ng/ml for at least 6 months. The experimental animals showed no signs of illness and histologic analysis of the liver revealed no evidence of pathologic abnormalities. The results suggest that the in vivo approach is an attractive alternative for hepatic gene therapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1482706", "title": "The challenge of follow-up for clinical trials of somatic gene therapy.", "content": "Although extensive efforts have been made to optimize the safety of vectors for somatic gene transfer and somatic gene therapy, the safety of these agents must ultimately be assessed in clinical trials. A statistically significant assessment of safety will be complicated by the relatively small number of patients who will be enrolled in initial clinical trials, the need for long-term longitudinal follow-up of patients and perhaps their progeny, and the traditionally poor participation in long-term follow-up by many patients. This article reviews the potential risks of retroviral-mediated gene transfer, the statistical power required to assess the true incidence of potential complications, the number of patients who may participate in clinical trials involving retroviral vectors, and the factors that make thorough follow-up and uniform data ascertainment difficult. The role of the FDA in assessing the safety of retroviral vectors and the potential role of registries for patient tracking and data ascertainment are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1482712", "title": "Diarrhoea in Australian Aborigines.", "content": "Infectious diarrhoea has been recognised as a serious public health problem for Aboriginal Australians, particularly infants and young children, for more than two decades. These diseases are caused by bacterial, viral and parasitic infections which are spread mainly by the faecal-oral route and which must be interrupted if prevention is to be effective. This paper reviews published reports on this subject and interventions which have been used elsewhere to reduce the incidence of infectious diarrhoea. These reports have important implications for Aboriginal health but interventions and strategies to overcome this problem must recognise the unique circumstances of Aboriginal people in Australia."}
{"id": "PMID:1482713", "title": "The cost of cervical cancer screening provided by a women's health nurse.", "content": "This study examines the cost of cervical cancer screening provided by a women's health nurse. Methods used to estimate the cost of taking a Pap smear were based on the economic principle of opportunity cost. Techniques for estimating the magnitude of some costs were developed specifically for this study because the cost of taking a Pap smear had to be isolated from the costs of other services provided by the women's health nurse. The cost of taking a Pap smear in 1989 was estimated to be between $17.68 and $17.95. A sensitivity analysis was carried out so that the results of this study could be adapted for practices which differ from the women's health nurse's practice in the Mount Druitt and Hawkesbury area of New South Wales. As a result of this analysis, the cost of taking a Pap smear ranged from $14.16 to $38.88, depending on whether the women's health nurse was a Clinical Nurse Consultant or Clinical Nurse Specialist, the number of Pap smears taken, the proportion of clients who come for postnatal examinations, length of consultations and the distance travelled. It should be noted that the cost of taking a Pap smear would rise considerably above $38.88 for women's health nurses working in remote areas."}
{"id": "PMID:1482714", "title": "Estimates of the number of injecting drug users in a defined area.", "content": "Three estimates of the number of injecting drug users residing within the Eastern Sydney Area Health Service (ESAHS) were obtained by applying the capture-recapture technique to data from three reliable sources, specifically, Methadone Services, the Bourke Street Drug Advisory Service and the Albion Street Clinic. The obtained estimates were 3449, 3046 and 1103 respectively. Statewide methadone statistics were also used to obtain an estimate of 15,082 injecting drug users in New South Wales. This estimate was close to the linearly projected estimates (14,274 and 14,416) from two previous studies. Estimates based upon the methadone statistics indicate that approximately 23% of injecting drug users in New South Wales reside within the ESAHS. A sensitivity analysis was performed to assess the effects on the estimates of the likely violation of the closed population assumption."}
{"id": "PMID:1482715", "title": "Teenage pregnancy and fertility in New South Wales: an examination of fertility trends, abortion and birth outcomes.", "content": "This paper reviews the data available in New South Wales on teenage fertility rates and pregnancy outcomes. Teenage births comprise six per cent of all births in New South Wales, but they constitute a significant public health problem because they are associated with elevated rates of adverse pregnancy outcomes, which include low birthweight, perinatal death and pre-eclampsia. Risk is concentrated in females under 18 years of age. Pregnancy outcomes for females aged 18 to 19 years are similar to those of women aged 20 to 24 years. Teenage fertility rates have remained stable since the mid-1980s, following a decline which began in the early 1970s. There are large geographic variations in teenage fertility within the state, with the highest rates in the far west of New South Wales and in western Sydney. Teenage pregnancy in New South Wales (as distinct from fertility which reflects births) cannot be assessed accurately because of the lack of information on terminations of pregnancy. However, available data suggest that teenage pregnancy rates have not increased during the 1980s."}
{"id": "PMID:1482716", "title": "Indoor nitrogen dioxide and childhood respiratory illness.", "content": "Nitrogen dioxide is produced from the combustion of fossil fuels and as an emission from gas-fired appliances, and is also a component of tobacco smoke. Nitrogen dioxide has been shown in experimental animals to be toxic to the respiratory tract. A n number of recent studies have suggested that children exposed to significant levels of nitrogen dioxide in the home may be more susceptible to respiratory illness than children exposed to normal ambient levels. Respiratory illness is a major cause of morbidity in children everywhere. Here, we review the available evidence of this association and explore methodological issues in measurement of nitrogen dioxide exposure--misclassification of subjects, symptom bias and confounding. It has recently been shown that some New South Wales school rooms, where unflued gas heaters are often used as a source of warmth, have nitrogen dioxide levels which are above recommended ambient levels for outside air. This has underlined the need for setting standards for indoor levels of various pollutants, and cohort studies are suggested, to include personal monitoring and prospective data collection techniques."}
{"id": "PMID:1482717", "title": "Mortality from respiratory system cancer in New South Wales and Sydney.", "content": "Differential and spatial analyses of respiratory system cancer were undertaken for New South Wales and Sydney for the period 1980-1986. The source of data was death certificate information on the unit list mortality file tapes provided by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Characteristics of persons dying included age, sex, birthplace, occupational status and cause of death (ICD9 classification). The aim was to identify populations at risk from respiratory system cancer, and where they were located. Deaths were disaggregated for the abovementioned categories by cross-tabulation at the state level and for geographical areas having populations with higher levels of respiratory cancer mortality. Never-married males of lower occupational status had higher rates of respiratory cancer, mainly lung cancer. Divorced men also had higher mortality as did widowers who were in lower occupational status work, while married men in managerial work also had significantly high mortality. The marital status variation was mostly not found with females, although significantly high female mortality was found in several low socioeconomic status areas of Sydney. Mortality of both sexes was significantly higher in metropolitan Sydney than in the rest of New South Wales and associations between older age mortality and some industrial areas were found in Sydney."}
{"id": "PMID:1482718", "title": "Carbon monoxide exposure in blast furnace workers.", "content": "This study investigated the occupational exposure to carbon monoxide (CO) of a group of blast furnace workers from an integrated steelworks, compared to a control group having no significant occupational CO exposure from other areas in the same works. The study was undertaken in 1984 at Port Kembla, New South Wales. Carboxyhaemoglobin (COHb) levels before and after an eight-hour work shift were measured in 98 male steelworkers: 52 from two CO-exposed iron blast furnaces and 46 controls from production areas in the same steelworks. The sample was stratified by smoking habits. Environmental air CO levels had been found to be consistently higher on one furnace than on the other. Absorption of CO from the working environment occurred in workers on the blast furnace with higher CO levels, regardless of smoking habits. On this blast furnace, some readings of COHb levels after a workshift in nonsmokers approached the proposed Australian occupational limit of 5 per cent COHb saturation. Overall, workers with the highest occupational exposure who smoked most heavily had the highest absorption of CO over a work shift. Biological monitoring gives an accurate measure of individual worker 'dose' of CO from all sources. Both environmental monitoring and biological monitoring need to be included as part of a program for controlling occupational CO exposure."}
{"id": "PMID:1482719", "title": "Human factors in rural road crashes.", "content": "An in-depth study of 79 vehicle crashes on rural roads in an area of about 100 km radius around Adelaide examined sociodemographic and psychophysiological characteristics of the drivers and riders involved. In many respects this sample of crashes was similar to a much larger number of police-reported crashes in the same area but included: relatively more crashes with severe or fatal injuries; more crashes on divided roads, on sealed roads and on curves; and more crashes involving trucks. Alcohol and lack of seat belt use were shown to be major problems in these rural crashes. The drivers and riders most strongly associated with these particular problems were males, in blue collar occupations and with limited education; they tended to be aged 30 years or more in the case of alcohol abuse, and were likely to be under 30 years in the case of restraint misuse. The attitudes of these drivers and riders, and other characteristics likely to have contributed to their involvement in a crash, are discussed. There is a need to develop specific and effective countermeasures to reduce drink-driving and increase seat belt wearing in rural areas."}
{"id": "PMID:1482720", "title": "Compliance with dietary goals in a Queensland community.", "content": "Dietary goals designed to improve nutritional health and lower the risk of chronic disease have been drawn up in Australia. Compliance with quantified goals was assessed in a random sample of 91 residents of Nambour, a typical community in southeast Queensland. Compliance was highest for alcohol and cholesterol goals. About three-quarters of the sample complied with the goal of limiting alcohol intake to five per cent of energy intake, and over half complied with the goal to limit daily cholesterol intake to less than 300mg. Compliance was lower for total fat and fibre goals. About 40% of the sample complied with the goal of consuming less than 33% of energy as fat or the goal of consuming 30g or more fibre per day. Compliance was slightly better for women than for men. Only a small proportion of the sample complied with goals to increase total carbohydrate intake to 55% or more of energy, or to limit saturated fatty acid intake to 10% of energy. For each of the goals, some were far from complying. In general, compliance with goals was lowest for males under 40 and was also low for women under 40."}
{"id": "PMID:1482721", "title": "Hearing loss--an underestimated public health problem.", "content": "Estimates of hearing loss in Australia, collected over the last decade and a half, have reported a prevalence rate ranging from 0.1 to 7 per cent. This survey of a random sample of South Australians provides, depending upon definition, two estimates of 15 and 19 per cent. These data suggest that hearing loss has been underestimated as a public health problem. The need for an epidemiological study which measures actual hearing impairment, which can be used to develop an appropriate public health response, is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1482722", "title": "Arthritis outpatients: disability, pain and alcohol use.", "content": "There is a small body of literature describing investigations into the relationships between pain and disabling conditions and alcohol consumption. Of these few studies, most have concluded that pain and disability are positively associated with alcohol consumption, though these particular studies have not been methodologically rigorous. Arthritis is the most prevalent of the disabling conditions, and one of the major symptoms of arthritis is pain. Several factors associated with the disease are thought to make arthritis sufferers particularly vulnerable to the use of alcohol for its mind-altering and analgesic properties. In the present study, conducted in 1987, a sample of 154 Perth arthritic outpatients were interviewed to investigate the relationship between pain, disability and alcohol consumption. Results showed that pain and disability scores were very weak predictors of volume of weekly alcohol consumption for males, but the relationship was in a negative direction. Results from a previous study were confirmed in the finding that being an ex-drinker was a predictor of a higher disability score for females. Fewer patients were drinkers than in the population at large and fewer drank at the level of the highest consumption category. However, the proportions of male and female patients drinking above NHMRC low risk levels were the same as the general population (age-standardised comparison). Most who considered themselves current drinkers said that alcohol did not help their pain, stiffness or weakness. Various possible explanations are offered for these results and recommendations for future research are presented."}
{"id": "PMID:1482723", "title": "Paying for efficiency: what price the quality of hospital care?", "content": "Economic recession prompts governments and health service ministers to seek increased efficiency in the production of hospital services in order to reconcile increasing demands with scarce resources. As one approach to the problem, the National Health Strategy is recommending pilot schemes, similar to those which have been introduced in both the United Kingdom and the Netherlands, which involve the separation of purchaser from the provider of hospital services. It is argued that such separation, with the introduction of competition between providers of hospital services for contracts placed by publicly funded Area Health Boards, will increase efficiency and accountability in the use of resources. However, this argument ignores the hospital management's ability to keep costs down by altering the quality of hospital care in ways which are difficult to monitor by purchasing agencies. The article considers the effects the introduction of managed competition is likely to have on the quality of hospital services. The outcome is uncertain and competition may improve some dimensions of quality while jeopardizing others. If managed competition is tried in Australia, the opportunity should also be taken to examine its impact on the quality and outcomes of hospital care."}
{"id": "PMID:1482724", "title": "An outbreak of measles in the Hunter area of New South Wales.", "content": "An outbreak of measles occurred in 1990 in the Port Stephens Shire of New South Wales. The incidence of confirmed cases of measles and associated histories of immunisation are detailed by age for the period 24 June 1990 to 31 December 1990. Data were obtained from health and education professionals and from interviews with parents. Among the 158 cases were 116 school pupils, 82 of whom attended two large primary schools which had attack rates of 9.4 per cent and 4.1 per cent. The cases also included 29 persons who had been appropriately immunised. Inadequate immunisation coverage was seen as the principal cause of the outbreak in the Port Stephens Shire. Observance of institutional protocol was regarded as a principal impediment to disease counter-measures in a neighbouring measles-affected area. Regulated immunisation of young children and cooperative interaction among service providers could ultimately lead to the control of this serious disease in New South Wales."}
{"id": "PMID:1482725", "title": "Socioeconomic correlates of mortality and hospital morbidity differentials by Local Government Area in Sydney 1985-1988.", "content": "To determine the magnitude of differentials in mortality and hospital morbidity by Local Government Area (LGA) in Sydney (1985-1988), and to correlate these with LGA indicators of socioeconomic status. Cross-sectional group-based comparative study of mortality and hospital separations, and a group-based correlations analysis in relation to socioeconomic indicators. Mortality--life expectancy at birth, infant mortality, 0- to 4-year mortality, age-standardised 15- to 64-year mortality (all-cause and various causes), sex-specific (except infant and 0- to 4-year mortality). Hospital morbidity rates--0- to 4-year hospital separations, age-standardised 15- to 64-year hospital separations (all-cause and various causes), sex-specific. Census-derived LGA proportions of immigrants, Aborigines, professionals, unskilled workers, unemployed persons, those with a university degree and those having no qualifications, and the composite Ross Indicator. Considerable differences in mortality and hospital morbidity by LGA in Sydney were found. Males had higher mortality and lower rates of hospital separation than females. LGA differentials were most obvious for adults, with little variation noted for infants or children. Most socioeconomic indicators were highly correlated with adult mortality and hospital morbidity in the expected direction, particularly indicators of low socioeconomic status. The unemployment rate, proportion Aboriginal, proportion unskilled, proportion unqualified, and the Ross Indicator were the most highly correlated variables. There are persistent differentials by LGA in mortality and hospital morbidity in Sydney which are strongly associated with socioeconomic status. The Ross Indicator was found to be a useful composite indicator. The high correlations of mortality and hospital morbidity with the unemployment rate raise the question of to what extent this is due to illness and premature mortality in the unemployed. Monitoring of health status differentials needs to continue if progress towards Health For All targets is to be evaluated."}
{"id": "PMID:1482726", "title": "Socioeconomic status and mortality revisited: an extension of the Brisbane area analysis.", "content": "Using the methodology of an earlier study of socioeconomic mortality gradients, we partitioned Brisbane City into five strata of equal size on the basis of suburb scores derived from aggregate socioeconomic census data. Numbers of deaths by stratum, age, sex and cause were obtained from mortality files. For almost all causes, mortality gradients had not changed between 1976-1979 and 1980-1987. A new category, medically-preventable death under age 65, had lower rates in higher-ranking suburbs. Potential years of life lost (PYLL) per unit of population, age-standardised, were also computed by stratum and cause. External causes of death were the main contributors to PYLL among men, with a strong socioeconomic gradient, while neoplasms were most important among women, with little evidence of a social class effect. It is estimated that, in urban Australia, the annual number of additional deaths under age 65 due to socioeconomic circumstances is over 2000 for males and over 1000 for females. This study provides a baseline against which the programs of health advancement initiated in the mid-1980s may be evaluated, or conversely, the effects of societal changes assessed."}
{"id": "PMID:1482727", "title": "A note on sex-specific mortality and social class in Sydney, 1979 to 1983.", "content": "Simple indicators such as education, income, occupation, and employment status are often used to adjust for social class in studies of morbidity or mortality. The effect of social class on such outcomes can be different for men and women. In population-based studies, residential area may be the only means of assessing social class. This study investigated sex differences in the association between mortality between 1979 and 1983 and several area indices of social class--percentage with a degree, percentage professional, percentage blue collar, percentage unemployed, percentage with annual income greater than $40,000, and the composite indicator constructed by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Thirty-seven Sydney statistical local areas were ranked for men and women separately according to the indicators and standardised mortality ratios. Correlations between the indicators and mortality were all negative and stronger for men than for women. The composite indicator and percentage unemployed correlated most strongly with mortality. There was a moderate correlation between the remaining indicators and mortality for men, but only a weak correlation for women. The results suggest that the use of simple area indicators may be inadequate to classify the social class of women, and that the unemployment rate in those over 35 years of age may be a reasonable alternative to the composite indicator for the purpose of social class adjustment in mortality studies."}
{"id": "PMID:1482728", "title": "Media sources of HIV/AIDS information in injecting drug users.", "content": "We report on media habits of 797 members of a sample of 1245 injecting drug users interviewed in Sydney, Australia. While preferred hours of television viewing and radio listening were similar to those of the general population, the preferred channels and stations were different. These findings could assist in targeting injecting drug users with information about HIV/AIDS prevention. However as the self-regulatory advertising process has constrained broadcast and publication of overt messages directed at homosexual and bisexual men, similar restrictions may prevent optimal mass media approaches to educating this other important group at risk of HIV infection."}
{"id": "PMID:1482733", "title": "[Effect of anesthesia and operation on essential immune functions].", "content": "Study of the references listed leaves no doubt that essential specific and unspecific immune functions are more or less strongly influenced by a wide variety of anaesthetics. In clinically employed concentrations these negative effects are rapidly and completely reversible. No clinically relevant adverse actions on the immune system have ever been identified in short-term anaesthesia with any substance, not even with the thiobarbiturates although these are known to be highly inhibitory. However, matters are entirely different in respect of highly dosed long-term sedation. In such cases, it may occur with e.g. thiobarbiturates or diazepam that in the course of days or weeks concentrations are attained in the tissue which may lead us to expect in vivo quite considerable suppression of both unspecific and antigen-specific cellular immune mechanisms. This expectation, which is first of all based on in-vitro results, has been indirectly supported by a clinical study in patients suffering from craniocerebral trauma who received artificial respiration and in whom an association was seen between thiopental administration and the incidence of bacterial pneumonias. Over and above this, however, the preoperative condition of the patient and of course mainly the operation as such with its associated stress reaction will cause direct and indirect changes in the immune system (Fig. 4). Trauma and anaesthesia exert not only a direct action, but act as inhibitors or stimulators of important immune functions chiefly by modulating the stress response. We are still unaware as to whether and to what extent the prognosis of the individual patient is actually adversely affected by the combined action of these factors. Many findings, however, seem to point to an essential role played by both the surgical trauma and the stress response it induces, as well as by the pre-operative immune status of the patient, in the occurrence of subsequent infectious complications (Fig. 4)."}
{"id": "PMID:1482734", "title": "[Spinal anesthesia for surgery of inguinal hernia in infants at risk for respiratory complications. Initial experiences with 12 patients].", "content": "11 former premature babies born at a mean gestational age of 32 weeks (range 27-34 weeks) and one baby born at term with congenital diaphragmatic hernia scheduled for inguinal hernia repair were selected to receive a spinal anaesthesia after informed written consent was obtained from one of the parents. At birth, 10 infants were intubated and received assisted ventilation; the remaining two were on nasal CPAP for 24 hours after birth. The mean post-conceptual age of the former premature infants on the day of surgery was 39 weeks (range 36-43 weeks), the mean weight was 2.2 kg (range 1.8 to 3.6 kg). One boy with congenital diaphragmatic hernia who was intubated for 19 days after birth aged 4 months on the day of operation and weighed 5.3 kg. None of the children was oxygen-dependent on the day of surgery. Spinal anaesthesia was performed in 3 children in the lateral decubitus and in 9 children in the sitting position. In each group, there was one case when spinal anaesthesia could not be performed due to a bloody spinal tap. These children received general anaesthesia, one of them in combination with a caudal block. The 9 former premature received 0.6 ml isobaric bupivacaine 0.5%, and the child born on term with diaphragmatic hernia 0.8 ml isobaric bupivacaine 0.5%. The onset of the motor blockade in the former preterm infants was within 60-90 seconds, while in the older child the onset was 10 minutes. With the given dose, the operation could be performed without any problems.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1482735", "title": "[Effect of the volatile anesthetics halothane, enflurane and isoflurane on liver circulation in the human].", "content": "In 40 patients with normal liver function total hepatic blood flow (HBF) was determined by the indocyanine-green clearance method simultaneously with haemodynamic parameters, including cardiac output by means of the noninvasive thoracic electrical bioimpedance method. Furthermore, the influence of halothane, enflurane or isoflurane on HBF and the interaction with haemodynamic parameters was studied. HBF and the cardiocirculatory parameters were determined under normal conditions (waking state) and the 40 patients were then divided into 4 groups (each n = 10). After standardised induction of anaesthesia (0.3 mg/kg etomidate and 2 micrograms/kg fentanyl) and tracheal intubation (1.5 mg/kg suxamethonium chloride) an inhalation anaesthesia in O2/air under control of normal end tidal carbon dioxide concentration was performed by intermittent positive pressure ventilation. Anaesthesia was maintained in the 4 groups either with 1 MAC halothane, 1 MAC enflurane, 1 MAC isoflurane or 1.3 MAC isoflurane. The measurements were repeated at a steady of the desired end expiratory concentration of the respective volatile anaesthetic. All three anaesthetics produced a significant and comparable decrease of cardiac output and arterial blood pressure. Differences between halothane, enflurane and isoflurane in respect of haemodynamic parameters were only minimal. Contrariwise, marked differences could be seen in the effects of the anaesthetics on HBF. In the presence of halothane and enflurane HBF dropped to 58% and 56% resp. of the control value, whereas during isoflurane anaesthesia HBF remained unchanged. Furthermore, only during halothane anaesthesia a significant correlation between arterial blood pressure and HBF could be observed indicating a loss of autoregulation of the hepatic blood flow."}
{"id": "PMID:1482736", "title": "[Changes in cerebral metabolism and cerebral blood flow caused by halothane and isoflurane in increasing concentrations].", "content": "The results of two studies on the effects of halothane and isoflurane in increasing end-tidal concentrations (0.25; 0.5; 1.0vol%) on the cerebral metabolic rate for oxygen and the cerebral blood flow are compared. Both studies were performed on baboons using the same experimental model. Cerebral blood flow was determined from a washout curve after the intracarotid injection of 133xenon. Halothane and isoflurane led to a dose-dependent decrease of the cerebral metabolic rate for oxygen. Increasing concentrations of halothane caused a decrease of cerebral oxygen consumption from 3.4 +/- 0.8 (baseline) to 2.9 +/- 0.8 (0.25vol%), 2.7 +/- 0.7 (0.5vol%) and 2.4 +/- 0.4 mlO2 100 g-1min-1 at 1.0vol%. The administration of isoflurane reduced the cerebral oxygen consumption significantly from baseline 3.7 +/- 1.0 to 2.9 +/- 0.9 at 0.25vol%, 2.6 +/- 0.6 at 0.5vol% and 1.8 +/- 0.8 mlO2 100 g-1min-1 with 1.0vol%. A significant, dose-independent reduction of the cerebral blood flow from 55.8 +/- 8.0 to 46.3 +/- 10.2 (0.25%) to 44.6 +/- 9.5 (0.5vol%) and 44.5 +/- 10.2 ml 100 g-1min-1 (1.0vol%) was observed with halothane. However, a dose-dependent decrease in calculated cerebrovascular resistance was seen at 1.0vol% of halothane. If mean arterial pressure was kept within the normal limits of cerebrovascular autoregulation by the administration of angiotensin-II-amid during 1.0vol% of halothane a marked increase in cerebral blood flow above the baseline value was observed. The lacking increase in cerebral blood flow observed at 1.0vol% of halothane without blood pressure support appeared to be caused by the low cerebral perfusion pressure rather than by vasoconstriction.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1482743", "title": "[Massive natriuresis and polyuria after triple craniocervical subarachnoid hemorrhage: cerebral salt wasting syndrome?].", "content": "A thirty-year-old male patient suffered subarachnoidal haemorrhage from an angioma positioned in the cranio-cervical transition. After rebleeding twice the patient developed a hydrocephalus internus malresorptivus and excessive natriuresis and polyuria, accompanied by depressed renin activity and extremely low aldosterone plasma levels. Neither fluid restriction and sodium substitution, nor administration of hydro-chlorothiazide/indomethacin affected natriuresis and polyuria. It was only after treatment with fludrocortisone-acetate/hydrocortisone that hyponatraemia and polyuria were resolved. At the same time a ventriculo-peritoneal shunt was applied. Differential diagnosis excluded the syndromes of inadequate antidiuretic hormone secretion, renal and cerebral diabetes insipidus, osmotic receptor hypofunction, chronic renal dysfunction and tubular necrosis. Natriuresis and polyuria developed under dexamethasone therapy. Since patient history, physical examination and laboratory criteria could not explain the electrolyte and fluid imbalance, this might be attributed to the hydrocephalus. Similar disturbances have been reported from other patients with intracranial disorders. Mechanical pressure exercised on the hypothalamus might cause the disturbance of fluid and sodium balance. Assuming a cerebral salt wasting syndrome, a putative natriuretic factor coming from the brain or an imbalance in the cerebral renin-angiotensin-system, as described in rats and dogs, must be discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1482746", "title": "Is continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis adequate long-term therapy for end-stage renal disease? A critical assessment.", "content": "The significant growth in the continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) population and the recent interest in the quantitation of dialysis delivered have stimulated much work in the field of kinetic modeling, correlation between model parameters and clinical outcome, and comparison between the long-term benefits of hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis. A critical assessment of the long-term results of CAPD therapy is made on the basis of clinical results and recent experience with kinetic models including urea and creatinine. The significant differences between the hemodialysis and CAPD techniques have generated hypotheses to allow comparison between the two groups using similar kinetic models. Although CAPD has proven beneficial in the initial treatment of large numbers of patients with ESRD, there is concern about the adequacy of CAPD as long-term therapy for many patients. Prospective, long-term studies applying solute kinetic modeling are necessary to establish the adequacy of CAPD."}
{"id": "PMID:1482747", "title": "Insulin resistance, hyperinsulinemia, and obesity-associated hypertension.", "content": "Recent work to elucidate the cause of obesity-associated hypertension has focused on insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia. A significant amount of epidemiologic and correlational evidence suggests a link between these factors and obesity-associated hypertension, and acute insulin infusion studies have revealed renal, neural, and cardiovascular effects of this hormone that, if maintained chronically, could cause hypertension. However, correlations and acute effects may not reliably predict a chronic cause-and-effect relationship, and the fundamental question of whether chronic increases in plasma insulin concentration per se can produce a sustained increase in arterial pressure has not been completely resolved. Recent studies designed to address this question directly have found no evidence of a hypertensive effect of insulin in normal dogs, or in dogs with a 70% reduction in kidney mass and given a high sodium intake. Chronic hyperinsulinemia also did not potentiate the pressor effects of angiotensin II or norepinephrine. In fact, hyperinsulinemia caused significant reductions in total peripheral vascular resistance in dogs and a decrease in arterial pressure. Furthermore, induction of insulin resistance in dogs made obese by being fed a high-fat diet eliminated the decrease in peripheral vascular resistance during chronic insulin infusion but did not uncover a pressor effect of hyperinsulinemia. In contrast, insulin infusion for up to 7 days produced a sustained increase in arterial pressure in rats. Although the mechanism for this pressor response is unknown, these data indicate either that there are major species differences in the chronic blood pressure response to insulin or that specific, presently unknown, conditions must exist in order for insulin to raise blood pressure. Also, it is not clear whether humans respond more like rats or dogs with respect to blood pressure changes during chronic hyperinsulinemia. However, it is apparent that obesity hypertension is probably much too complex to be ascribed to insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia alone."}
{"id": "PMID:1482748", "title": "Effects of hyperglycemia on glucose transporters of the muscle: use of the renal glucose reabsorption inhibitor phlorizin to control glycemia.", "content": "Individuals with non-insulin dependent or insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus present insulin resistance in peripheral tissues. This is reflected in a subnormal whole body insulin-dependent glucose utilization, largely dependent on skeletal muscle. Glucose transport across the cell membrane of this tissue is rate limiting in the utilization of the hexose. Therefore, it is possible that a defect exists in insulin-dependent glucose transport in skeletal muscle in diabetic states. This review focuses on two questions: is there a defect at the level of glucose transporters in skeletal muscle of diabetic animal models, and is this a consequence of abnormal insulin or glucose levels? The latter question arises from the fact that these parameters usually vary inversely to each other. Glucose transport into skeletal muscle occurs by two membrane proteins, the GLUT1 and GLUT4 gene products. By subcellular fractionation and Western blotting with isoform-specific antibodies, it was determined that isolated plasma membranes (PM) contain GLUT4 and GLUT1 proteins at a molar ratio of 3.5:1 and that an intracellular fraction (internal membranes; IM) different from sarcoplasmic reticulum contains only GLUT4 transporters. The IM furnishes transporters to the PM in response to insulin. Both transporter isoforms bind cytochalasin B in a D-glucose-protectable fashion. In streptozocin-induced diabetes of the rat with normal fasting insulin levels and marked hyperglycemia, the number of cytochalasin B-binding sites and of GLUT4 proteins diminishes in the PM whereas the GLUT1 proteins increase to a new ratio of about 1.5:1 GLUT4:GLUT1. In the IM, the levels of GLUT4 protein drop, as does the cellular GLUT4 mRNA. To investigate if these changes are associated with hyperglycemia, glucose levels were corrected back to normal values for a 24-h period with sc injections of phlorizin to block proximal tubule glucose reabsorption. This treatment restored cytochalasin B binding, restored GLUT4 and GLUT1 values back to normal levels in the PM, and partly restored cytochalasin B binding but not GLUT4 levels in the IM, consistent with only a partial recovery of GLUT4 mRNA. It is concluded that GLUT4 protein in the PM correlates inversely whereas GLUT1 protein correlates directly with glycemia. It is proposed that the decrease in GLUT4 levels is a protective mechanism, sparing skeletal muscle from gaining glucose and experiencing diabetic complications, albeit at the expense of becoming insulin resistant.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1482749", "title": "Unusual causes of peritonitis in patients undergoing continuous peritoneal dialysis with emphasis on Listeria monocytogenes.", "content": "Peritonitis remains a significant cause of morbidity in ESRD patients undergoing continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD). Staphylococcus species, Streptococcus species, and less commonly, gram-negative rods comprise the majority of isolated organisms. Other organisms, including unusual bacteria, fungi, and mycobacteria, comprise 5% or less of cases. Many of the uncommon causes of CAPD peritonitis have been reviewed, with special emphasis on antimicrobial therapy and whether catheter removal was required. The presumed third case of CAPD-associated peritonitis caused by Listeria monocytogenes is also described. In contrast to two other reported cases, our patient was not overtly immunosuppressed. L. monocytogenes infection should therefore be considered in CAPD patients with gram-positive rod peritonitis, even if immunocompetence is presumed."}
{"id": "PMID:1482750", "title": "Extrarenal clearance of oxalate increases with progression of renal failure in the rat.", "content": "Oxalic acid is an end product of metabolism, and no significant degradation of oxalate occurs in mammals. The sole route of oxalate excretion is believed to be via the kidney. The extrarenal clearance of oxalate in control rats (N = 16) and in 5/6 nephrectomized rats (N = 25) with renal insufficiency was investigated. [14C]oxalic acid, approximately 2 microCi/day, was infused sc by a mini osmotic pump over 4 days. Excretion of 14C was measured in urine, in feces, and in expired CO2. The 14C content of kidney, heart, liver, muscle and bone was also determined at the time the animals were killed. Plasma oxalate was determined by an enzymatic method and by an isotopic dilution procedure. Creatinine clearance in the controls was 1.82 +/- 0.1 mL/min (mean +/- SE) compared with 0.31 +/- 0.04 mL/min (P < 0.0005) in the nephrectomized rats. Plasma oxalate was 5.6 +/- 0.6 mumol/L in controls and 27.0 +/- 3.9 (mean +/- SE; N = 24) in nephrectomized animals (P < 0.0005). The total 14C recovered in urine, feces, and CO2 combined was similar in both groups. The 14C excreted in the feces over the 4-day period was 27.8 +/- 1.5% (of the 14C recovered) in rats with renal failure and 6.5 +/- 0.5% in controls (P < 0.0005). Percent fecal 14C excretion in nephrectomized rats was inversely correlated with creatinine clearance (r = 0.80; P < 0.0001) and directly correlated with plasma oxalate (r = 0.66; P < 0.001).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1482751", "title": "Effect of epidermal growth factor in the rat 5/6 renal ablation model.", "content": "Acute administration of epidermal growth factor (EGF) has been shown to promote recovery from ischemic and nephrotoxic acute renal failure in vivo. The question of whether chronic subcutaneous administration of EGF (19.1 micrograms/day for 3 or 6 wk) could alter the course of chronic renal failure in rats subjected to 5/6 nephrectomy was studied. By week 6, there was no difference in renal function, as assessed by animal survival, BUN, urea and inulin clearances, proteinuria, renal morphometry, or renal size, between EGF- and vehicle-treated rats. This suggests that chronic renal insufficiency differs from acute tubular injury in its sensitivity to exogenous EGF. Unexpectedly, EGF significantly attenuated the rise in systolic blood pressure that occurred by the fourth week after 5/6 nephrectomy. The antihypertensive effect of EGF was still evident at week 5. Urinary flow rate, free water clearance, and excretion of total solutes, Na+, and K+, however, were not significantly altered by EGF at weeks 2, 4, 5, or 6, suggesting a mechanism other than increased natriuresis or diuresis for this antihypertensive effect."}
{"id": "PMID:1482752", "title": "The effect of uninephrectomy on progression of renal failure in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease.", "content": "The evolution of renal failure was compared in 47 patients (21 male, 26 female) with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) in Germany, France, Spain, and Portugal who had undergone uninephrectomy (UNX) (median age at uninephrectomy, 41 yr; range, 22 to 54) and 47 non-UNX matched controls. UNX was usually performed because of uncontrolled urinary tract infection (N = 30), stones (N = 8), trauma (N = 2), or hemorrhage (N = 7). Median serum creatinine at UNX was 2.1 mg/dL (0.9 to 4.3). Twenty-eight of the 47 uninephrectomized patients progressed to end-stage renal failure. When the age at renal death was evaluated by survival analysis, only minor and nonsignificant acceleration was seen in the uninephrectomized patients (median, 50 yr; p25 = 43.6 yr; p75 = 58.3 yr, where p is the percentile) compared with non-UNX patients matched for age, sex, and serum creatinine at the time of UNX in the propositus (51.2 yr; p25 = 48.6 yr; p75 = 56.1 yr). In addition, the median interval for serum creatinine to rise from 4 to 8 mg/dL was similar in UNX (21.3 months) versus nonuninephrectomized ADPKD patients (21.9 months). Renal survival differed in the two genders. In females, no significant difference of age at renal death was found between UNX (median age, 51.6 yr) and non-UNX ADPKD patients (53.7 yr). In male UNX patients, age at renal death was slightly (but not significantly) less than in non-UNX patients (median age, 47.3 versus 52.7 yr). All male patients reaching end-stage renal failure before age 44 were severely hypertensive."}
{"id": "PMID:1482753", "title": "Comparison of continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis and hemodialysis patient survival with evaluation of trends during the 1980s.", "content": "To evaluate the mortality of continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) patients relative to hemodialysis (HD) patients, all Michigan residents 20 to 59 yr of age who initiated therapy for ESRD during the 1980s (N = 4,288) were studied. The study population was stratified by primary renal diagnosis (glomerulonephritis, hypertension, diabetes, other), and analyses were conducted within each group by Cox proportional hazards methods controlling for age, race, sex, and year in which chronic dialysis was initiated. Intent-to-treat (ITT) and treatment history (RxHx) censoring criteria were used. For patients with hypertension or other reported causes of ESRD, there was no significant difference in CAPD and HD patient mortality (relative risk (RR) = 0.99 and 1.05, respectively). In the ITT analysis, both glomerulonephritic (RR = 0.73; P = 0.10) and diabetic patients using CAPD experienced mortality rates lower than their HD counterparts. Among diabetics, this difference ranged from a RR of 0.40 to 0.70, being lowest for younger diabetics and statistically significant (P < or = 0.05) for ages 20 to 52 yr. Evaluation of mortality trends showed a significant (P < 0.01) decrease in diabetic CAPD mortality rates during the decade, whereas diabetic HD mortality rates increased (P = 0.06). Among diabetics, men had higher mortality rates than women (ITT--RxHx; RR = 1.22 to 1.27; P < 0.001) and white patients had higher mortality rates than black patients (ITT--RxHx, RR = 1.34 to 1.44; P < 0.001). Differences in mortality by sex and race were not found among nondiabetics, but mortality did increase significantly with age in all groups.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1482754", "title": "Increased lipoprotein(a) concentrations in chronic renal failure.", "content": "Subjects with chronic renal failure have a greatly increased risk of coronary heart disease and dyslipidemia. Relatively few studies have examined the relationship of chronic renal failure to lipoprotein (Lp)(a) concentrations, an important risk factor for coronary heart disease. Diabetic subjects have been reported to have both increased Lp(a) concentrations and an increased risk of renal failure, thereby possibly confounding the Lp(a)-renal failure association. The association between Lp(a) and chronic renal failure in 359 control subjects and 111 subjects with renal failure was examined. Lp(a) (in milligrams per deciliter) was elevated in subjects with chronic renal failure, regardless of ethnicity (Mexican Americans, 19.8 +/- 2.7 versus 14.1 +/- 1.3; P = 0.03; non-Hispanic white patients, 24.9 +/- 3.0 versus 16.3 +/- 1.2; P = 0.006;). These differences persisted after adjustment for diabetes and ethnicity (P < 0.001). The type of treatment for chronic renal failure (diet, hemodialysis, or peritoneal dialysis) did not have an effect on Lp(a) concentrations. Lp(a) levels were not correlated with the level of creatinine in subjects with chronic renal failure. Thus, the elevation of Lp(a) levels in renal failure must occur early in renal failure, or alternatively, elevated Lp(a) levels may promote progression to chronic renal failure. These results indicate that Lp(a) concentrations are increased in chronic renal failure and may increase the risk for coronary heart disease in these subjects."}
{"id": "PMID:1482755", "title": "Clusterin production in the obstructed rabbit kidney: correlations with loss of renal function.", "content": "Clusterin, a protein associated with cell death, has been suggested as a marker of renal injury. Correlation of clusterin gene expression with changes in renal function and quantitative measurement of clusterin protein levels after ureteral obstruction have not been previously reported. With unilateral ureteral obstruction in rabbits as the experimental model, the time course of alterations in renal function, clusterin mRNA accumulation, and concentrations of clusterin protein in serum, urine, and renal tissue were investigated. RBF, GFR, and renal concentrating ability (percent sodium reabsorption and urine osmolarity) all decreased (P < 0.05) in the obstructed kidney from control values within 1 day of ureteral obstruction. Clusterin mRNA levels started to rise in the ipsilateral kidney within 12 h of ureteral obstruction and increased up to 10-fold above control levels after 3 days of obstruction. Hybridization histochemistry showed that clusterin mRNA was initially detectable in collecting ducts and distal tubules within 12 h of ureteral obstruction. After 7 days of obstruction, increased accumulation of clusterin mRNA was also detectable in proximal tubular epithelial cells. Clusterin gene expression remained elevated in collecting ducts after 60 days of obstruction. Clusterin expression in the contralateral kidney was increased twofold over control values after 12 h of obstruction. No increase in clusterin mRNA accumulation was detectable after 24 h in the contralateral kidney. Total clusterin protein in the obstructed kidney increased from 0.59 +/- 0.66 (mean +/- 1 SD) to 2.5 +/- 1.3 micrograms after 7 days of ureteral obstruction (P < 0.05).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1482756", "title": "Interaction of complement and clusterin in renal injury.", "content": "Clusterin is a heterodimeric glycoprotein that has been associated with such diverse biologic functions as reproduction, cell regression, cell aggregation, and regulation of the cytolytic activity of the membrane attack complex of complement. Clusterin is a component of glomerular immune deposits in the kidney, and increased clusterin expression occurs in a number of renal injury states. To further explore the interaction between clusterin and complement, the requirement for an intact complement system for renal clusterin induction in an acute (folic acid nephropathy) and a chronic (subtotal renal ablation) model of renal injury was examined. After it was first demonstrated that folic acid increased renal clusterin mRNA in the rat, a species in which renal clusterin was highly inducible by other stimuli, the effects of folic acid (250 mg/kg ip) on clusterin mRNA and immunoreactivity were examined in mice sufficient and deficient for the fifth component of complement. Similar increases in clusterin mRNA and immunoreactivity were seen in both the C5-sufficient and C5-deficient mice compared with their respective vehicle-injected control groups. Renal clusterin mRNA was also increased to a similar extent in the remaining kidney of both C5-sufficient and C5-deficient mice 10 days after subtotal nephrectomy. In conclusion, the induction of clusterin after folic acid administration or subtotal nephrectomy was independent of the presence of an intact complement system, because similar increases in clusterin expression were observed in C5-sufficient and C5-deficient mice."}
{"id": "PMID:1482757", "title": "Spatial learning impairments in rats with selective immunolesion of the forebrain cholinergic system.", "content": "A monoclonal antibody to the low-affinity NGF receptor, 192 IgG, coupled to a cytotoxin, saporin, was recently introduced as an efficient selective neurotoxin for the NGFr-bearing cholinergic neurones in the rat basal forebrain. In the present study we report that an intracerebroventricular injection of this 192 IgG-saporin conjugate induces a severe, long-lasting spatial learning impairment, as assessed in the Morris water-maze task. This behavioural impairment was associated with 65-90% depletion of choline acetyltransferase activity (ChAT) in the hippocampus and cortex. ChAT activity associated with other cholinergic neurone systems in the brain (striatum, mesencephalon, spinal cord), was left virtually unaffected. This new immunotoxin holds great promise as a tool for selective and efficient lesions of the forebrain cholinergic system in functional and behavioural studies."}
{"id": "PMID:1482758", "title": "Effects of paroxetine on 5-HT-induced head twitches and phosphatidylinositol hydrolysis in mice.", "content": "Head-twitch response and phosphatidylinositol (PIP) hydrolysis in cortex and spinal cord were measured after single or chronic (21 days) administration of paroxetine to normal mice or to mice neonatally treated with 5,7-dihydroxytryptamine, a serotonergic neurotoxin. In normal animals, a down-regulation of 5-HT-receptor numbers after chronic paroxetine was suggested by the attenuation of head-twitch responses compared with a single dose. There was a concomitant decrease in PIP hydrolysis. In DHT-treated animals, although changes in behavioural responses were comparable to those in normals, PIP hydrolysis in cortex and spinal cord after chronic paroxetine increased significantly. These results demonstrate that head-twitch responses and PIP hydrolysis may not be mediated by the same receptor and that the effects of chronic administration of paroxetine depend on the functional state of the serotonergic pathways."}
{"id": "PMID:1482759", "title": "Effects of TRH-T on spinal motoneurones in man.", "content": "The effect of thyrotropin-releasing hormone tartrate (TRH-T) on the decrease in H Max/M Max ratio, an index of the spinal motoneurone pool, induced by haloperidol, was studied in 15 healthy volunteers. In all subjects, the H response was examined by an electromyographic apparatus. The values were expressed as H Max/M Max ratio, that gives an index of excitability of the spinal motoneurone pool. It was found that the mean H Max/M Max ratio value significantly decreased after haloperidol administration, but this effect was completely reversed by the injection of TRH-T. This finding suggests that the peptide may modulate motoneurone functions."}
{"id": "PMID:1482760", "title": "Effects of the 5-HT1A agonist 8-OH-DPAT on food intake in food-deprived rats.", "content": "The effects of 8-OH-DPAT were investigated on food intake in food-deprived rats in both non-operant and operant feeding paradigms. 8-OH-DPAT produced dose-related reductions in food intake in both paradigms. While the higher doses of 8-OH-DPAT used in this study (i.e. 125-500 micrograms kg-1) produced a number of stereotyped behaviours which may have interfered with normal feeding, these behaviours were not apparent with the lower doses (i.e. 15.625-62.5 micrograms kg-1) which also depressed food-intake. The results of this study thus suggest that the inhibitory effect of 8-OH-DPAT on feeding in food-deprived rats is not secondary to the induction of stereotypy."}
{"id": "PMID:1482761", "title": "Blockade of natural and neuropeptide Y-induced carbohydrate feeding by a receptor antagonist PYX-2.", "content": "Neuropeptide Y (NPY injected into the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of rats has a potent stimulatory effect specifically on carbohydrate intake. This study examined the behavioral effects of a newly synthesized NPY antagonist, PYX-2. After PVN injection of PYX-2 (50-900 pmoles) alone, a strong dose-dependent reduction in spontaneous carbohydrate intake at the onset of the dark cycle was observed in freely-feeding rats. Moreover, at even lower doses (12.5 and 25.0 pmoles), PYX-2 also blocked the stimulatory action of PVN NPY (100 pmoles) on carbohydrate ingestion. These results provide the first evidence for the existence of endogenous NPY receptors in mediating the action of exogenous NPY in the hypothalamus. They also constitute a crucial step in demonstrating a physiological function of these PVN NPY receptors specifically in controlling carbohydrate ingestion at the onset of the natural feeding cycle."}
{"id": "PMID:1482762", "title": "Neuromedin N decreases self-stimulation of the medial prefrontal cortex.", "content": "Intracerebral microinjections of neurotensin (NT) decrease intracranial self-stimulation (ICSS) of the medial prefrontal cortex (MPC) in the rat. This effect could be due to the ability of NT to bind dopamine. To test this hypothesis we studied the effects of intracerebral microinjections of neuromedin N, a natural NT analogue that does not bind dopamine, on ICSS of the rat MPC. Unilateral microinjections of neuromedin N into the MPC at doses of 2.5, 5, 10, 20 and 40 nmol produced a dose-related decrease in ICSS of the ipsilateral MPC. ICSS of the contralateral MPC, used as a control, was not affected by the microinjections. These results suggest that the inhibitory effect of NT on ICSS is independent of NT-dopamine binding. Because neuromedin N is also present in the MPC, these results also suggest a possible neuromodulatory role of this neuropeptide on ICSS of the prefrontal cortex."}
{"id": "PMID:1482763", "title": "Activated astrocytes of the mouse hippocampus contain high levels of NADPH-diaphorase.", "content": "NADPH-Diaphorase has recently been shown to be identical to nitric oxide synthase in brain neurones. In the intact brain, NADPH-diaphorase is only present in selected populations of neurones and is not detectable in glia. However following a lesion in the mouse retrosplenial cortex, activated astrocytes display intense NADPH-diaphorase activity throughout their cytoplasm. After a control saline injection, NADPH-diaphorase-positive activated glia are only observed in damaged tissue immediately surrounding the injection site, but when kainic acid is injected unilaterally, activated astrocytes occur in the hippocampal formation bilaterally. This indicates that astrocytes activated by intense neuronal activity, as well as by direct mechanical damage, express high levels of NADPH-diaphorase."}
{"id": "PMID:1482764", "title": "Increased mortality in female rats after brain trauma is associated with lower free Mg2+.", "content": "Male and female Sprague-Dawley rat siblings (200-350 g) were monitored by phosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopy for 4 h after moderate (2.8 atmospheres) fluid-percussion-induced traumatic brain injury. Following injury, two of nine male animals died whereas 100% of all female rats (n = 16) died (p < 0.01). Prior to injury, brain free magnesium concentration in males was 0.58 +/- 0.05 mM and in females 0.41 +/- 0.09. After injury, mean brain free magnesium concentration in males declined to 0.32 +/- 0.06 whereas mean brain free magnesium concentration in ventilated females (n = 6) after injury declined to 0.17 +/- 0.03 (p < 0.05). There were no significant differences between groups with respect to any other measured variables. We conclude that female rats are more susceptible to irreversible injury after brain trauma, and that this increased susceptibility to injury may be related to brain free magnesium levels."}
{"id": "PMID:1482765", "title": "Metal uptake in neurone cultures: a systematic study.", "content": "We present the first comparative study of the uptake of metal ions by neurons, performed for Zn, Cr, Co, Mo, Al, Ni, Mn and Cd. The study reveals substantial differences in the uptake of different metals, under similar exposure procedures. In particular, we found very large uptakes for aluminium and molybdenum. We also found significant effects of excitatory substances, in particular kainate, as stimulants of uptake of some of the metals."}
{"id": "PMID:1482766", "title": "Dopamine transporter imaging with novel, selective cocaine analogs.", "content": "RTI-121 and RTI-122 are 3 beta-substituted phenyltropane analogs of cocaine that have high, selective binding affinity for dopamine transporters. [123I]RTI-121 and [123I]RTI-122 bind to dopamine transporters in vivo after intravenous administration and permit imaging of the transporters."}
{"id": "PMID:1482767", "title": "Regulation of an acetylcholine receptor LacZ transgene by muscle innervation.", "content": "The role of motor innervation in the expression of beta-galactosidase targeted to the nucleus (nls beta gal) under the control of a chicken muscle acetylcholine receptor alpha-subunit promoter of 850 bp was investigated using two lines of transgenic mice. After birth, nls beta gal was transiently expressed in the endplate areas of extensor digitorum longus, tibialis anterior and diaphragm muscles. In the adult, denervation of several fast twitch muscles caused a burst of transgene expression which started at endplates and displayed defined though transient spatio-temporal patterns; in the slow soleus muscle, no regular patterns were observed. Thus, in vivo, the 850 bp promoter confers preferential expression of nls LacZ in the motor endplates of newborn mice and, in addition, directs expression of nls LacZ in denervated adult muscles."}
{"id": "PMID:1482768", "title": "Elevated NMDA receptors in parkinsonian striatum.", "content": "Dopamine-glutamate interactions contribute to normal striatal function and have been implicated in neurotoxicity at nigrostriatal dopamine (DA) terminals. The present study examined the striata of idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD) patients and age-matched controls for regional differences in the DA transporter and binding to N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors. [3H]Mazindol labeling of the DA transporter was reduced by 70-80% in the caudate and putamen of PD patients, with reductions being more extensive dorsally than ventrally. In contrast, L-[3H]glutamate binding to NDMA-sensitive receptors was 20-40% higher in PD cases than in controls. These findings raise the possibility that modifications occur within corticostriatal glutamate synapses of PD patients, possibly as a consequence of reduced nigrostriatal DA activity."}
{"id": "PMID:1482769", "title": "Selective dopamine transporter inhibition by cocaine analogs.", "content": "Several isopropyl and phenyl esters of 3 beta-(4-substituted phenyl) tropan-2 beta-carboxylic acid analogs of cocaine are relatively more potent and selective than cocaine and some other compounds in inhibiting dopamine uptake. These analogs can be used as binding ligands and as tools for elucidating the mechanisms of action of cocaine."}
{"id": "PMID:1482770", "title": "The influence of haematocrit and blood glucose on cerebral blood flow in normal and in diabetic rats.", "content": "Cerebral blood flow (CBF) was measured at varying haematocrit values in 8 streptozotocin-diabetic and in 7 control rats using the intracarotid 133Xe technique. A hyperbolic relationship between CBF and haematocrit was established for the individual rats in both groups. Diabetic animals showed a preserved CBF response to changes to haematocrit. In 10 normal rats, CBF was measured during acute hyperglycaemia induced by intraperitoneal glucose injection. A significant, inverse correlation was found between CBF and blood glucose. We conclude that the CBF response to changes in haematocrit and thereby in pO2 is preserved in experimental diabetes. Secondly, in acute hyperglycaemia CBF varies inversely with blood glucose, by mechanisms not fully understood."}
{"id": "PMID:1482771", "title": "Guanosine enhances NGF-stimulated neurite outgrowth in PC12 cells.", "content": "Guanosine at 30 and 300 microM elicited the de novo extension of neurites from PC12 cells. With saturating concentrations of NGF, guanosine acted in a synergistic manner to enhance neuritogenesis. Adenosine alone also stimulated neurite outgrowth, but did not enhance NGF-induced neuritogenesis. 5'-N-ethylcarboxamidoadenosine (NECA), an adenosine analog and A1/A2 receptor agonist, also alone had neuritogenic effects. It enhanced NGF-induced neuritic outgrowth but not to the same extent as guanosine. However, when NECA was added together with guanosine in the presence of NGF, these compounds elicited a greatly enhanced neuritogenic response. This suggested that the mechanisms through which NECA modulates the neuritogenic effects may be different from those of guanosine and NGF."}
{"id": "PMID:1482774", "title": "Practical guidelines for body substance precautions in long term care.", "content": "In recent years acute care hospitals have recognized increasing risks to caregivers for acquiring infections in the workplace. As a result, many acute care hospitals are instituting body substance precautions as their infection control policy. However, little attention has been given to similar precautions in long term care facilities even though there is substantial potential for infection in elderly populations. Increased infection rates in the elderly are related to an age-associated decline in immunological functioning and underlying diseases. Infection control guidelines which currently exist for long term care facilities are general and lack the required specificity for task-centred caregivers. Before implementing body substance precautions, management and caregivers will have to consider issues such as the inappropriate use of barrier precautions and the attendant financial implications. Once a commitment to the infection control policy has been made, a task-specific guideline designed for long term care activities will facilitate implementation of body substance precautions. With multidisciplinary planning and education, body substance precautions can effectively be introduced into long term care facilities with benefits resulting to staff and residents."}
{"id": "PMID:1482775", "title": "The long term ventilator-dependent client: 35 years' experience.", "content": "The George Pearson Centre is a part of the British Columbia Rehabilitation Society. Twelve per cent of its 200 beds are long term ventilator-dependent clients. The range of years ventilated is one to 35. This paper addresses experience with the long term ventilator-dependent client. The care for these clients is based on appropriate sections of the Laboratory Centre for Disease Control Guidelines, relevant research and literature, and on the clinical experience of the Pearson team--infection control, medicine, nursing and respiratory therapy. The long term ventilator-dependent client differs greatly from the acute care intensive care unit ventilator-dependent patient. These aspects and related considerations are discussed. Finally, key components of the standards are presented."}
{"id": "PMID:1482777", "title": "Reported seroconversions to human immunodeficiency virus among workers worldwide--a review.", "content": "The authors undertook a review of published articles on reported worldwide seroconversions to the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) among workers who sustained occupational exposure to HIV. Documented seroconversions are occupational exposures for which the worker is tested and found negative for HIV antibody shortly after the exposure (usually within 30 days). The worker may develop symptoms of a retroviral illness, and seroconversion occurs usually within six months. In all cases the worker is interviewed to determine that there were no other risk factors for infection. Review of the literature identified 16 parenteral exposures (needlesticks or cuts with a sharp object), two mucous membrane exposures, two nonintact skin exposures and one cutaneous exposure to infected blood or body fluids."}
{"id": "PMID:1482778", "title": "Education to increase ophthalmologic care in older onset diabetes patients: indications from the Wisconsin Epidemiologic Study of Diabetic Retinopathy.", "content": "Both physicians and diabetic persons must be educated about the need for regular ophthalmologic examinations to prevent blindness. A large population-based study of diabetic persons living in Southern Wisconsin (Wisconsin Epidemiologic Study of Diabetic Retinopathy), designed to evaluate the incidence and associated risk factors for diabetic retinopathy, provided the opportunity to evaluate an intervention to increase ophthalmologic care. As part of this study, a sample of persons less than 80 years of age with older onset diabetes of less than 15 years duration was identified and examined in both 1980-1982 and 1984-1986 (n = 619) using standardized protocols. Study subjects received educational material on diabetic eye disease, and examination findings were conveyed to each participant and their primary physician. To evaluate the effect of this intervention, a random representative sample of diabetic persons who were not selected for examination (a nonintervention control group) was identified and interviews were completed with 241 (80%) of the surviving subjects. The two study groups were similar with respect to demographic factors, employment status, medical history, and frequency of physician visits and hospitalizations, but not for income. Self-assessments of general health were also identical between the selected and nonintervention groups. Overall, both groups reported very similar patterns of ophthalmologic care, visual impairment, and knowledge of retinopathy. These results suggest that a more intensive intervention is needed to improve the ophthalmologic care patterns of the diabetic population at risk of eye disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1482779", "title": "Does adequate control of diabetes in the preinfarction period improve the short-term postinfarction course?", "content": "It is uncertain whether adequate preinfarction diabetes control would alter the clinical outcome in diabetic patients once myocardial infarction has occurred. This study attempts an evaluation. Diabetic patients admitted successively to the cardiac intensive care unit with their first acute myocardial infarction were enrolled and followed throughout hospitalization. Every fourth consecutive patient with infarction, but not diabetic, was assigned to a control group. All patients were kept in the cardiac care unit for at least 48 h and vital signs and cardiac arrhythmias were continuously monitored. Radionuclide ventriculography was done within 24 h of admission and again upon discharge. When feasible, patients with postinfarction angina underwent coronary balloon angioplasty. During a 1-year period, 49 diabetic patients were studied, while 18 comparable nondiabetic patients served as controls. Diabetes was considered adequately controlled in 16 patients with glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) of 8.8 +/- 0.7%, whereas in 33 patients diabetes was uncontrolled (HbA1c 14 +/- 3%), p < 0.001. No difference was found in the extent of infarct size, occurrence of heart failure, arrhythmias, and mortality when comparing the adequately with the inadequately controlled diabetics during a hospitalization period of 11 days. In diabetics, no differences were found in the short-term clinical course after acute myocardial infarction, whether the diabetes was adequately controlled or not in the preinfarction period."}
{"id": "PMID:1482780", "title": "Astemizole reduces blood-retinal barrier leakage in experimental diabetes.", "content": "We examined the potential of astemizole, a histamine H1-receptor antagonist that does not cross the blood-brain barrier, to reverse blood-retinal barrier leakage to albumin in streptozotocin diabetic rats. Four groups of nondiabetic and four groups of diabetic rats received vehicle or astemizole at dosages of 5, 10, or 20 mg/kg body weight for days 22-28 of a 28-day holding period. There were no significant differences in nondiabetic plasma-vitreous albumin ratios between animals receiving vehicle or any of the three astemizole dosages. Only diabetic rats receiving vehicle showed a significant (p < 0.05) 100% increase in the plasma-vitreous albumin ratio over their nondiabetic counterparts. Diabetic rats receiving either 5, 10, or 20 mg/kg astemizole exhibited total normalization of vitreous albumin accumulation, despite persistence of diabetes. These data indicate that astemizole, an H1-receptor antagonist that does not cross the blood-retinal barrier, is effective in reversing blood-retinal barrier leakage of albumin in experimental diabetes."}
{"id": "PMID:1482786", "title": "Thin-layer chromatographic separation of the ferrochelatase-inhibitory ring A and ring B regioisomers of N-ethylprotoporphyrin from a mixture of the four regioisomers.", "content": "When N-alkylprotoporphyrins are prepared synthetically or biologically, a mixture of four regioisomers is obtained. For our studies, separation of the potent ferrochelatase-inhibitory ring A (NA) and ring B (NB) regioisomers from the ring C (NC) and ring D (ND) regioisomers of low potency is required. Previously this separation required two successive high-performance liquid chromatography procedures. We now report that the separation of the zinc complexes of the NA and NB regioisomers from the NC and ND regioisomers can be achieved by a rapid and inexpensive thin-layer chromatography procedure."}
{"id": "PMID:1482787", "title": "Placental perfusion. An overview of the literature.", "content": "Placental perfusion techniques are currently used to study not only the organ functions but also the transfer profile and metabolic pathway of different compounds. In view of the interest in the mechanism of transfer and potential adverse effects of compounds there are numerous publications on the topic, but no systematic picture is yet available. Thus an overview has been made of all studies published from 1966 to 1990 that use this experimental approach. Out of 359 computer-retrieved articles, 266 (74%) actually dealt with the target topic; 68 articles were added after a systematic hand search, so a total of 334 articles were analyzed. The distribution of papers per year was constant until 1980, and rose significantly thereafter. Animal studies using placental perfusion were performed either in situ or in vitro, whereas human investigations were mostly examined by in vitro perfusion techniques. Animal experiments were done on seven species, the guinea pig being the most widely used. The aims of all studies could be divided into five main categories: 132 studies researched the kinetics of compounds in the placenta; 100 studies investigated placental metabolism; methodology of perfusion was reported in 22 articles; and 49 studies examined physiological changes of placental variables. A clear increase in pharmacological studies was noted starting from 1986 (there were 31 such studies). Compounds studied were either endogenous or exogenous. Almost all endogenous compounds were investigated, some of them quite extensively (mainly hormones, angiotensin, glucose, and lactate). There seemed to be no preferential field for exogenous compounds (62 compounds could be assigned to 20 classes).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1482781", "title": "The influence of outpatient insurance coverage on the microvascular complications of non-insulin-dependent diabetes in Mexican Americans.", "content": "Does poor health insurance coverage contribute to increased microvascular complications (nephropathy and retinopathy) in Mexican Americans with non-insulin-dependent diabetes? Mexican-American subjects with diabetes were identified in a population-based cardiovascular risk factor survey, the San Antonio Heart Study. Retinopathy, nephropathy, source of health care, and type and extent of health insurance coverage were assessed in a special diabetes complications exam. Among Mexican-American subjects with non-insulin-dependent diabetes diagnosed prior to their participation in the survey (n = 255), 26% (n = 67) lacked any type of health insurance, and 28% relied on county- or federal-funded clinics rather than private doctors as their primary source of care. Among those with health insurance (188 of 255), only 68% (127 of 188) or 24% of the total sample had private health insurance, and, of those with private insurance, 48% (35 of 73) received reimbursement for outpatient doctor visits and 57% for outpatient medications. Microvascular complications were more common among those who received their health care from a clinic versus a private doctor, and among those who lacked health insurance coverage for outpatient doctor visits and medications. Thus, poor health insurance coverage in the outpatient setting correlates with higher rates of microvascular complications among Mexican Americans with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus."}
{"id": "PMID:1482788", "title": "Assessment of right ventricle dimensions with microsonometry in anesthetized rabbits.", "content": "Dimension measurements of the right ventricle are difficult to obtain because of its complex geometry, thus we evaluated a method of right ventricular dimension measurements. Crystals were placed on the ventral and dorsal side of the right ventricular free wall, approximately one-fourth of the right ventricular semicircle away from the septum, in the middle of a cranio-caudal axis of the ventricles. The effects of an increased (infusion of 20 mL/kg of 5% glucose for 3 min into seven rabbits), as well as decreased preload (nitroglycerin, 5 micrograms/kg/min i.v. n = 6) were measured and compared with changes during a placebo infusion (n = 6). The change in shortening of the right ventricle wall segment correlated with changes in both atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) plasma concentration (r = 0.89, p < 0.05) and central venous pressure (CVP) (r = 0.94, p < 0.05), respectively. Both these variables are influenced by right ventricular function and dimensions in healthy animals. Dimension measurements obtained across the free wall of the right ventricle appear to reflect right ventricular function well and should be useful in assessing the effects of drugs intended for the treatment of angina pectoris or heart failure."}
{"id": "PMID:1482783", "title": "Nonmydriatic fundus photography in screening for treatable diabetic retinopathy.", "content": "Diabetic retinopathy is a complication of both insulin-dependent (type I) and non-insulin-dependent (type II) diabetes. The American Diabetes Association and others recommend screening for retinopathy, beginning 5 years after onset of symptoms for patients with type I diabetes and at the time of diagnosis for patients with type II diabetes. Ideally, diabetic patients are evaluated at recommended intervals by an ophthalmologist. Realistically, however, this is often not feasible, for reasons both of cost and availability. There is evidence that many diabetic patients are being referred too late for intervention, perhaps in part due to lax screening and detection, often the responsibility of internists and other primary care physicians. Data supports the need for a cheap, widely available, easy-to-use, effective screening tool for detecting treatable diabetic retinopathy. To this end, several studies have evaluated nonmydriatic fundus photography, and compared it with more-established methods of detecting diabetic retinal disease. The real question to be considered is whether nonmydriatic fundus photography will help to detect early treatable retinopathy better than the average physician using ophthalmoscopy. Several studies support its usefulness in this regard, and are discussed in this review. Questions remain, however, and further study is warranted in evaluating its potential role."}
{"id": "PMID:1482789", "title": "A tail-artery cannulation method for the study of blood parameters in freely moving rats.", "content": "The aim of this study was to improve the chronic tail-artery cannulation technique for repeated substance administration and blood sampling under stress-free conditions in freely moving rats. For that purpose, a special metal capsula and spring-tube system were developed, which not only protects the inserted cannula but also provides a less injurious insertion procedure and improves the animals' welfare as illustrated by normal cleaning and feeding behavior. Intraarterial application of test substances and repeated blood sampling can be done under minimal stress conditions as shown by unaltered plasma levels of highly stress-sensitive prolactin and the catecholamines (CA), epinephrine (E), norepinephrine (NE), and dopamine (DA), after infusion of 300 microL saline."}
{"id": "PMID:1482785", "title": "Infections in the diabetic patient: the role of immune dysfunction and pathogen virulence factors.", "content": "It is a common belief that certain infections occur more frequently in patients with diabetes mellitus than in nondiabetics. In some infections, poor diabetic control is strongly linked. Diabetics comprise 50%-70% of all patients who undergo nontraumatic foot or leg amputations, the overwhelming majority of which are necessitated by infection and necrosis of soft tissue and/or bone. Imputed host defense abnormalities include defective immune responses (e.g., white blood cell function, granuloma formation), peripheral neuropathies, impaired distal arterial supply, and problems in \"control\" of the diabetic state eventuating in catabolic metabolism. Increased bacterial translocation as a source of the causative bacteria is another potential entry site. Possible virulence factors of the invading organisms include polymicrobial synergism, glycocalyx formation, and inoculum size. Attention to the principles of preventive education, vascular evaluation, diabetes management, and adequate debridement maximize healing potential."}
{"id": "PMID:1482782", "title": "Correlation between erythrocyte aldose reductase activity and the width of skeletal-muscle capillary basement membrane in insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.", "content": "Thickening of capillary basement membrane has been demonstrated in diabetic subjects, and it is considered to be the characteristic pathological lesion of diabetic microvascular disease. There are studies reporting the effects of inhibitors of aldose reductase, the first enzyme of the polyol pathway, on the thickening of the capillary basement membrane. These observations indicate a significant role of the polyol pathway in the development of microvascular disease. However, it is unknown whether or not there is any correlation between the thickness of the capillary basement membrane and the activity of aldose reductase in diabetic patients. To clarify this issue, we measured the width of skeletal-muscle basement membrane and erythrocyte aldose reductase activity in 27 insulin-dependent diabetic and 8 nondiabetic individuals. The results showed that both the aldose reductase activity and the width of capillary basement membrane were increased in diabetic patients as compared to nondiabetic individuals (6.89 +/- 0.38 versus 5.15 +/- 0.60 mL/mU erythrocytes, p < 0.05 and 2257 +/- 166 versus 1136 +/- 69 A, p < 0.0001, respectively) (mean +/- SE), but marked variability was observed in both the enzyme activity and the basement membrane thickness among the diabetic patients. There was a significant correlation between the capillary basement membrane thickness and the activity of erythrocyte aldose reductase (r = 0.51, p < 0.01) in diabetic patients. Our data suggest that the polyol pathway plays an important role in thickening of capillary basement membrane in diabetic individuals, and the variability in aldose reductase activity seen among diabetic patients may result in the varying susceptibility to the development of diabetic microvascular disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1482784", "title": "Association of sexual activity and bacteriuria in women with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.", "content": "A group of 215 patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) (147 women and 68 men) were selected by home interview, and accepted to undergo clinical examination including urine culture, in order to determine the frequency of bacteriuria and its possible associations with clinical and laboratory findings. Bacteriuria was found in 17.7% of women and 1.5% of men. Univariate and multivariate analysis performed for the group of women revealed sexual intercourse and pyuria as the only factors associated with the frequency of bacteriuria. It was concluded that asymptomatic bacteriuria may be associated with sexual activity in women with NIDDM."}
{"id": "PMID:1482790", "title": "The rat external urethral sphincter an in vitro model to evaluate the activity of drugs on the smooth and striated components of the urinary bladder outlet.", "content": "Electrical field stimulation (EFS, 2.5 Hz, 60 V, 1 ms, trains of 5 sec every 5 min) of the rat external urethral sphincter (EUS) produced contractile responses characterized by a \"slow\" tonic contraction on which was superimposed a series of phasic \"twitch-like\" contractions. Both responses were abolished by tetrodotoxin (0.6 microM), and their amplitude was significantly lower in samples taken from denervated (15 days before) sphincters. The tonic contraction showed duration, voltage, and frequency dependency, whereas the twitches were markedly duration dependent. No correlation was found between the amplitude of the tonic and that of the twitch-like contractions. Phentolamine (3 microM) reduced by 95% the amplitude of the tonic contraction produced by maximal parameters, whereas it did not affect the twitches. On the other hand, hexamethonium (10 microM) was ineffective on both components. Dantrolene (10 microM) inhibited the twitch response, whereas it did not influence the tonic component. Preincubation with d-tubocurarine (0.2 mM) or succinylcholine (2 mM) significantly inhibited the amplitude of twitches produced by EFS (0.1 Hz, 60 V) up to a duration of 50 microseconds. Stimulus width higher than 50 microseconds, resulted in twitches that were resistant to neuromuscular blocking agents but sensitive to dantrolene (10 microM). Our results indicate that the rat external urethral sphincter is a reliable and easy \"in vitro\" model for studying the activity of drugs capable of interfering with the nerve-mediated activity of the striated and smooth muscle portion of the urinary bladder outlet."}
{"id": "PMID:1482791", "title": "A radiotelemetry system for chronic measurement of blood pressure and heart rate in the unrestrained rat validation of the method.", "content": "Chronic measurements of systemic arterial blood pressure and heart rate via a chronically implanted telemetric transmitter in unrestrained rats, was validated in a three-phase study. In the first part, week-to-week variability of systolic, diastolic, and mean arterial pressures, and heart rate was found to be minimal over the course of nine weeks. In the second part, the reproducibility of cardiovascular response to three successive administration of sotalol, an antihypertensive agent, was studied. In the last part, cardiovascular parameters determined by telemetry were compared to those obtained by direct arterial catheterization and showed a good linear correlation between those two methods."}
{"id": "PMID:1482792", "title": "Prohibiting lawyer-client sex.", "content": "Psychotherapists' and physicians' sexual contact with their patients has been long held as unethical conduct. However, lawyers' sexual contact with clients has been largely ignored in the professional literature. This article uniquely anatomizes the similarities in the vulnerabilities and power imbalances that exist between psychotherapists' and lawyers' relationships with patients/clients. These characteristics enable the professional to exert undue influence over the less-powerful party, and for these reasons lawyers should be held to fiduciary standards in their personal dealings with clients. The authors propose a rebuttable presumption that sexual contact between an attorney and client was obtained through the attorney's exercise of undue influence and was therefore a breach of the attorney's fiduciary duties to the client."}
{"id": "PMID:1482793", "title": "Asbestos exposure and psychic injury--a review of 48 claims.", "content": "Asbestos exposure has been a common occupational risk resulting in much litigation. Where pulmonary dysfunction has been minimal or even absent, psychic injury has been made an element in claimed damages. Analysis of psychiatric and psychologic claims in 48 cases reveals that diagnoses often do not conform to professional standards, are based on insufficient data sampling, lack adequate overall history as well as medical history, and do not comport with the standard of probability usually required for litigation. The group studied was elderly (mean age--62.6), mostly retired (71%), with some significant medical illnesses (18% on medical retirement). None were retired for pulmonary reasons. As expected, conflict in opinion between the opposing professional medical participants was frequent. Commonly the patients did not substantiate the complaints reported in the medico-legal reports; some ridiculed statements made on their behalf. Many psychological reports reflected simplistic or erroneous concepts of medicine or ignored relevant medical data. This study indicates that in this group claims of psychic injury due to asbestos exposure have little justification and supports the view that the current system of utilization of expert opinions is not reliable or in conformity with reasonable professional standards. Correspondingly, these claims did not result in augmented awards."}
{"id": "PMID:1482794", "title": "Grievances and law suits against public mental health professionals: cost of doing business?", "content": "Although there has been an increase in risk of malpractice for all physicians, general psychiatrists continue to have a relatively low risk of being sued. With the change in the nature of involuntary patient populations as a result of dangerousness criteria for commitment, and the advent of an activist mental health bar, however, psychiatrists who work in the public sector are significantly more likely than private psychiatrists to face grievances and law suits. While specific data providing direct comparisons of numbers of lawsuits between private and public psychiatrists are not available, a review of the existing literature supports this hypothesis, particularly with respect to grievances. The author suggests reasons for the increased risk of legal challenges faced by psychiatrists working with committed patients, and discusses various strategies for preparing ward staff as well as professional staff to reduce the risk of being challenged as well as the chance of losing grievances and law suits. While the article focuses on psychiatrists, most of its arguments are equally applicable to other mental health professionals, whose risk of being legally challenged is escalating rapidly."}
{"id": "PMID:1482795", "title": "Sexual harassment: issues for forensic psychiatrists.", "content": "The number of civil lawsuits related to sexual harassment is increasing. The author bases this paper on her experience as an expert witness in 28 sexual harassment cases over the last 10 years. She delineates the psychological and legal issues about which forensic psychiatrists may be consulted. These include issues related to helping a jury determine the veracity of the complaints of harassment, the psychological effects of the harassment, the prognosis, and the treatment for women who have been harassed. The author gives examples of cases where psychiatric testimony was given to help in the decision making about damages related to the psychological effects of sexual harassment."}
{"id": "PMID:1482796", "title": "On the duty to protect: an evolutionary perspective.", "content": "Psychotherapists' duty to protect potential victims from their patients' violence has evolved in recent years toward a narrower set of obligations. This reformulation of the duty appears to us to be consistent with a sociobiological analysis of the reasonableness of compelled altruism. Altruistic behavior (e.g., rescuing a potential victim) takes place rarely in the animal world, and even among humans usually occurs only in situations in which reciprocity is likely. The Tarasoff-like duty to protect violates this sociobiological rule by requiring therapists to place the interests of an unknown victim over a known patient, and even to subordinate their own interests to the victim's. This has never been a socially tenable position. Psychotherapists appear to have escaped from this situation by avoiding potentially dangerous patients. The changes in the duty to protect have mitigated this dilemma, by moving the duty in a direction consistent with the evolutionary theory of altruism."}
{"id": "PMID:1482797", "title": "Tarasoff and the dangerous driver: a look at the driving cases.", "content": "In three recent cases, hereinafter referred to as the driving cases, the courts have taken up the issue of whether a psychotherapist should be held liable for negligent diagnosis and treatment and failure to warn third parties of a patient's potential danger to others in the operation of an automobile. These cases will be discussed as (1) an extension of the Tarasoff decision, which established psychotherapists' duty to protect third parties from patients' violent acts, and (2) what some commentators regard as a move toward holding the mental health professions to a standard of strict liability. How far have the courts in these cases extended the Tarasoff duty to protect and is the specter of strict liability real or imagined? This review finds the court adhering to a professional negligence standard as altered by the Tarasoff case in which the court applied the Restatement of Torts (Second) section 315 and held that the psychotherapist-patient relationship is a special relationship requiring a duty to protect or warn. And while a negligence standard ostensibly applies, the conclusions reached in these cases reveal an undeniable trend toward results one might expect to accrue under a strict liability standard."}
{"id": "PMID:1482798", "title": "Child sexual abuse and forensic psychiatry: evolving and controversial issues.", "content": "Child sexual abuse has received growing attention in recent years, and the topic continues to spark controversy among mental health and legal professionals as well as in the popular media. This paper will review the concept of child sexual abuse, cover relevant definitions, address the clinician's role, and then will address the principal evolving and controversial areas. These areas include psychic damages, false allegations, improper investigatory techniques, use of anatomical dolls, admissibility of expert testimony, hearsay testimony, and the competency of minors to testify."}
{"id": "PMID:1482799", "title": "Legal aspects of clinical care for severely mentally ill, homeless persons.", "content": "The problem of widespread homelessness among mentally ill persons is often attributed to changes in mental health law. In consequence, suggestions for addressing homelessness frequently involve legal interventions, including loosening of commitment standards. A review of the limited data on the relation of legal standards to homelessness suggests that the problem is not primarily a result of statutory changes or court decisions, but stems from broader social problems, including the diminution of public psychiatric services. Simple legal remedies are, therefore, unlikely to be found. Nonetheless, there may be ways in which legal initiatives can be useful in mitigating homelessness, ranging from implementation of outpatient commitment to modification of rules concerning confidentiality, to efforts to establish entitlements to psychiatric and social services."}
{"id": "PMID:1482800", "title": "The treatment of mentally disordered offenders: a national survey of psychiatrists.", "content": "A nationwide (U.S.) survey of major public mental hospitals treating patients who are incompetent for trial, not guilty by reason of insanity, mentally disordered sex offenders, or mentally ill inmates was conducted. Responses were received from 71 percent of the 115 facilities surveyed. Respondents were the directors of psychiatry from the respective facilities. The pattern of treatments delivered generally appeared clinically appropriate. However, behavioral and cognitive-behavioral treatments were reported infrequently, even in areas in which they would be particularly useful."}
{"id": "PMID:1482802", "title": "Outcomes of cefazolin versus ceftriaxone therapy in treating lower respiratory tract infections in adults.", "content": "To determine whether choice of a first- versus third-generation cephalosporin as initial therapy for lower respiratory tract infections in hospitalized adults affects the course and duration of care, both of which may influence antimicrobial treatment cost. Retrospective analysis of discharge abstracts and hospital pharmacy records. Forty-eight US acute-care hospitals. One thousand ninety-two hospitalized adults (aged > 17 y) with principal diagnoses of lower respiratory tract infections (DRGs 79-80, 89-90). Cefazolin or ceftriaxone, given as sole antimicrobial therapy for at least one day. (1) The number of patients who received another parenteral antibiotic anytime prior to hospital discharge; (2) the number of days during which patients received any parenteral antibiotic while in the hospital; and (3) the number of days patients remained hospitalized following the start of antibiotic therapy. Patients treated with cefazolin (n = 763) were more likely to receive another parenteral antibiotic while in the hospital (30.3 vs. 20.7 percent; p < 0.001) and received more total days of therapy (7.2 vs. 6.7 d; p < 0.05) than those treated with ceftriaxone (n = 329). Although the time to hospital discharge did not differ in the full sample (9.2 d for both groups), it was greater among those receiving cefazolin (8.6 vs. 8.0 d; p < 0.05) when patients with lengths of stay exceeding 24 days were excluded from both groups. In addition to acquisition cost, differences in course and duration of care should be considered when determining the most cost-effective choice for antimicrobial therapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1482803", "title": "Incidence and cost of hospital admissions secondary to drug interactions involving theophylline.", "content": "To determine the incidence and cost of hospital admissions for theophylline toxicity, which occurred as a result of the concurrent use of one of the following medications: cimetidine, erythromycin, or ciprofloxacin. Retrospective chart review (18 months, between June 1989 and November 1990). A Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center. All patients who were receiving theophylline chronically (913 patients) and also had a prescription for cimetidine (124 patients with 140 treatment courses), erythromycin (66 patients with 93 treatment courses), or ciprofloxacin (39 patients with 59 treatment courses) dispensed. Each patient's medical record was reviewed to identify hospital admissions within 30 days following the dispensing of the interacting drug. Admissions were considered to be related to theophylline toxicity if appropriate signs and symptoms were present and the theophylline concentration was above 20 micrograms/mL or had increased significantly from the concentration obtained prior to introduction of the interacting drug. One patient who received cimetidine and one who received ciprofloxacin were admitted for theophylline toxicity (2 of 292 potential interactions, 0.81 percent). Admissions were for 16 and 13 days, respectively, and total costs for the two admissions were $12,864.22 or $44.00, respectively, per potential interaction. The entire admission was not for theophylline toxicity; it appeared that iatrogenic factors contributed to the duration. The incidence of hospital admissions secondary to theophylline drug interactions with cimetidine, ciprofloxacin, or erythromycin is low, but the admissions represent considerable expense, even when distributed among all patients at risk for the interactions."}
{"id": "PMID:1482804", "title": "Assessment of the drug interaction between intravenous nitroglycerin and heparin.", "content": "To assess whether a clinically significant interaction occurs between heparin and nitroglycerin (NTG). Activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) was measured in patients with unstable angina who were stabilized on intravenous NTG and heparin just prior to weaning the NTG infusion, and one and four hours after stopping the NTG. In 22 heparin-treated patients (20 men, 2 women; aged 56.7 +/- 10 years; weight 79.5 +/- 15 kg), the APTT ratio was inversely related to the dose of NTG (slope = -0.003; p < 0.05). However, there were no significant differences between the APTT values measured before and after discontinuation of NTG (p = 0.8511). Our study demonstrates a clinically insignificant interaction between NTG and heparin at NTG doses commonly used in patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1482805", "title": "Seizures associated with high-dose intravenous morphine containing sodium bisulfite preservative.", "content": "To report a case of seizures occurring during administration of high-dose intravenous morphine containing sodium bisulfite as a preservative. A 56-year-old woman hospitalized with multiple myeloma developed myoclonic and tonic-clonic seizures following administration of intravenous morphine with sodium bisulfite preservative at doses exceeding 400 mg/h. These seizures resolved when the morphine was discontinued, anticonvulsants were administered, and the drug therapy was changed to intravenous fentanyl without preservative. The factors potentially associated with this adverse reaction are discussed and the literature concerning the adverse central nervous system effects of opiates and sulfites is reviewed. High doses of intravenous morphine with sulfite preservative may be associated with seizure development. If patients require high doses of intravenous morphine, a preservative-free formulation should be used to avoid possible additive or synergistic toxicities."}
{"id": "PMID:1482806", "title": "Abnormal platelet aggregation associated with fluoxetine therapy.", "content": "To document the development of abnormal hemostasis in a patient treated with fluoxetine. A 49-year-old man developed a release-type defect in platelet aggregation during treatment with fluoxetine. Abnormal platelet aggregation was observed during platelet viability testing, in which adenosine diphosphate, epinephrine, ristocetin, arachidonic acid, and collagen were used as agonists. Two days after the withdrawal of fluoxetine, platelet function returned to normal. Fluoxetine is an antidepressant that is thought to act through inhibition of serotonin reuptake in the central nervous system. Fluoxetine also inhibits the reuptake of serotonin in platelets, significantly decreasing granular storage and potentially influencing platelet aggregation characteristics. Clinical manifestations of abnormal platelet function have been reported in association with fluoxetine therapy. The rapid normalization of platelet aggregation after the withdrawal of fluoxetine in this patient does not conform to the known clinical pharmacokinetics of norfluoxetine. The half-life of fluoxetine is shorter, suggesting that the parent drug (rather than norfluoxetine) was the causative agent. Serum fluoxetine and norfluoxetine concentrations were not measured in this patient."}
{"id": "PMID:1482807", "title": "Stevens-Johnson-type reaction with vancomycin treatment.", "content": "To report a case of Stevens-Johnson syndrome caused by vancomycin. Stevens-Johnson syndrome is an acute mucocutaneous process characterized by epidermal and mucosal desquamation. Its pathogenesis is poorly understood. Mortality rates have ranged from 30 to 100 percent. We describe a case of Stevens-Johnson syndrome related to the use of vancomycin in a 71-year-old woman with rheumatoid arthritis receiving treatment for an infected cervical fusion site. Classic \"target\" lesions distributed throughout the trunk and extremities along with erosive lesions involving the oral and vaginal mucosae were observed in this patient. A number of agents have been implicated in the etiology of Stevens-Johnson syndrome. Serious cutaneous reactions to vancomycin, however, have been uncommon. Cessation of vancomycin treatment in our patient led to eventual resolution of her symptoms. Vancomycin is a potential causative agent of Stevens-Johnson syndrome."}
{"id": "PMID:1482808", "title": "Dobutamine-induced fever.", "content": "To report a case of dobutamine-induced fever. A 71-year-old woman with congestive heart failure who developed a fever after receiving dobutamine during two separate hospital admissions. Other possible causes of the fever during the first admission included relapse of staphylococcal sepsis and drug fever from vancomycin or metoclopramide. However, rechallenge with dobutamine on a subsequent admission demonstrated a highly probable relationship between dobutamine and fever. A strong temporal relationship between dobutamine and fever was noted during the patient's second admission and the case was not complicated by other new medications. No underlying infectious or noninfectious cause of the fever was found. Therefore, when patients receiving dobutamine become febrile, dobutamine should be considered as a possible cause."}
{"id": "PMID:1482811", "title": "Aspirin for the prevention of vascular death in women.", "content": "To review current information relevant to the use of aspirin for preventing vascular death in women, and to provide recommendations based on this information. References from pertinent articles are identified throughout the text. Based on current information, low-dose aspirin is not recommended as primary prevention for cardiovascular death in women; efforts are better focused at promoting risk-factor reduction. Low-dose aspirin is recommended for reducing further cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in women with known cardiovascular disease. Women presenting with unstable angina or myocardial infarction should receive aspirin 325 mg as soon as the diagnosis is confirmed, and this dosage should be continued on a chronic basis. Women who have experienced transient ischemic attacks or ischemic stroke should receive aspirin 1000 mg/d, with a subsequent dosage reduction to 325 mg/d in patients who do not tolerate the higher dose. Current recommendations are based on the results of studies that involved few women. Further investigation of antiplatelet agents for primary and secondary prevention of vascular death in women is needed."}
{"id": "PMID:1482812", "title": "Hirudins: antithrombin anticoagulants.", "content": "To review the chemistry, pharmacology, available clinical data, and adverse effects of the hirudin anticoagulants. A MEDLINE search and a review of recent scientific abstracts was conducted to identify pertinent literature. Focus was placed on studies conducted in humans. Because hirudin is still an investigational agent, however, relevant animal data, particularly pharmacokinetic studies and studies of preclinical efficacy, were also selected. Data from both human and animal studies were evaluated; emphasis was placed on human trials. Hirudin has demonstrated potent anticoagulant effects. Although hirudin could have a significant impact on the therapeutic management of patients requiring anticoagulant therapy, only a limited number of human studies have been published to date. Trials comparing hirudin and heparin in specific patient populations are still ongoing. Although still in clinical trials, hirudin is a unique agent that may represent a breakthrough in anticoagulant therapy. The specific role that this agent will play in the management of patients has yet to be determined."}
{"id": "PMID:1482813", "title": "Use of fish oil to prevent coronary angioplasty restenosis.", "content": "To review the literature investigating the use of fish oil in preventing restenosis postangioplasty (RPA). An Index Medicus and bibliographic search of the English-language literature pertaining to the use of fish oil in preventing RPA. The key terms used were fish oil, angioplasty, and eicosapentaenoic acid. The results of all trials, including abstracts, that were obtained are reviewed and critiqued. Restenosis of a coronary vessel at the site of angioplasty occurs 30-40 percent of the time. Because fish oil has been theorized to prevent atherosclerosis and because atherosclerotic-like processes are theorized to be involved in RPA restenosis, fish oil has been studied to determine whether it can prevent RPA. Results of such trials have been mixed. Some have observed a reduction in the number of patients with angiographic or clinical evidence of restenosis. Two trials have failed to observe such an effect. Reasons for the differences are unknown. Possible explanations include differences in study design, endpoint parameters, definition of restenosis, and dosing methods of the fish oil. Bleeding was not of significant concern in any of the trials, even when fish oil was combined with antiplatelet therapy. Fish oil may be considered for use in patients to prevent RPA. It probably should be continued for only six months following the procedure. Current data suggest that at least 3 g/d of eicosapentaenoic acid and 1 g/d of docosahexaenoic acid should be used. If possible, therapy should be started as soon as it is known that angioplasty will be performed or at least as soon as possible following the procedure. Many patients may not be able to tolerate fish oil because of its gastrointestinal effects."}
{"id": "PMID:1482814", "title": "Impact of drug use evaluation upon ambulatory pharmacy practice.", "content": "To review the expansion of ambulatory drug use evaluation (DUE). A description of ambulatory DUE characteristics and methodology is included. In addition, DUE computer usage, documentation concerns, and future research issues are addressed. A MEDLINE search was used to identify pertinent literature, including reviews. Primary and secondary literature describing ambulatory DUE was selected. Articles describing inpatient DUE were excluded. Rigorous studies evaluating current ambulatory DUE programs are limited, but the available literature and a description of existing program characteristics are included. All studies available at the time of publication were reviewed. Ambulatory DUE can provide useful information to assist in providing pharmaceutical care. The Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990 has prompted an expansion of DUE programs, and most of the formalized programs are retrospective in design. Prospective programs provide online, patient-specific drug use assessment whenever new prescriptions are entered into point-of-service databases. Although more well-designed evaluations of existing ambulatory DUE programs are needed, initial results indicate these programs may be extremely useful in identifying significant medication therapy problems and improving patients' drug therapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1482815", "title": "Effect of xanthine-related compounds on a theophylline assay using theophylline oxidase.", "content": "This study investigated a new, nonimmunologic, enzymatic-based theophylline assay for the possible interference of a clinically achievable serum theophylline concentration by four xanthine-related compounds: pentoxifylline, 1-methylxanthine, allopurinol, and oxypurinol. The enzyme theophylline oxidase is used in this assay kit to convert theophylline to 1,3 dimethyluric acid in the presence of cytochrome C. Cytochrome C is reduced to ferrocyte C, which is then measured by ultraviolet spectrophotometry at one minute and again at five minutes. The rate of appearance of ferrocyte C over this time is then related to a one-point 20-micrograms/mL (111-mumol/L) theophylline standard provided with the kit and the concentration of theophylline is calculated. Xanthine-related compounds have the potential to interact with theophylline oxidase via: (1) structural similarity, and (2) inhibition of xanthine oxidase, which increases theophylline metabolite concentrations. Human serum was spiked with known, therapeutically achievable concentrations of pentoxifylline, 1-methylxanthine, allopurinol, and oxypurinol, both alone and in combination with theophylline in a concentration of 15 micrograms/mL (83.3 mumol/L). Two controls were used: human serum and human serum spiked with theophylline. Data were analyzed statistically with ANOVA, and clinically with +/- 10 percent control criteria. Means (+/- SEM) for the control samples were 2.0 (0.2) micrograms/mL for serum alone and 15.3 (0.3) micrograms/mL for theophylline-spiked serum. For the test specimens, the results ranged from 2.3 to 2.8 micrograms/mL and from 13.9 to 16.6 micrograms/mL when xanthine-related compounds were added to serum without and with theophylline, respectively. The results were not statistically or clinically significant for the four xanthine-related compounds at the concentrations studied."}
{"id": "PMID:1482816", "title": "Value of community pharmacists' interventions to correct prescribing errors.", "content": "The purpose of this analysis was to estimate the economic value created by community pharmacists who routinely screen for and correct prescribing-related problems during the course of their dispensing activities. Three expert judges evaluated the documented interventions of community pharmacists practicing in five states. The judges agreed that 28.3 percent of the identified problems could have resulted in patient harm had the pharmacist not intervened to correct the problem. The direct cost of medical care that was avoided as a result of pharmacists' intervention activities was estimated to be $122.98 per problematic prescription, or +f42.32 per each new prescription order that was screened during the study. Clinical pharmacy services can and do create significant value by enhancing the achievement of positive patient outcomes and by avoiding negative outcomes. Research to develop reliable methods for measuring and monitoring the value of clinical pharmacy services must continue. Mechanisms must be created to encourage and reward pharmacists who consistently provide services that add measurable value to patient care."}
{"id": "PMID:1482817", "title": "Costs of pharmaceutical care: can the profession do anything?", "content": "To review some of the factors that influence the cost of pharmaceuticals and the delivery of pharmaceutical care as well as some possible measures for decreasing these costs. Clinical studies have been selected to illustrate factors that may add to the overall cost of pharmaceutical care. Because of the perceived problems resulting from the introduction of new, expensive pharmaceuticals, possible means of controlling the costs of individual products are discussed. In addition, recommendations for achieving cooperation between pharmaceutical manufacturers and pharmacy practitioners in demonstrating the cost-effectiveness of new products are provided."}
{"id": "PMID:1482822", "title": "Survival after repair of postinfarction ventricular septal defects in patients over the age of 70.", "content": "Ventricular septal defect (VSD) is an infrequent but extremely serious complication of myocardial infarction. Operative mortality rates tend to be higher in the elderly population; however, long-term follow-up has not been specifically studied. It is, therefore, important to assess not only the early but also the long-term results of VSD repair in patients over 70 years of age to determine its value for the elderly patient. Between June 1968 and May 1991, 86 patients who experienced a myocardial infarction underwent surgical repair of an infarct related VSD at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH). Group I (n = 57) includes those patients younger than 70 years, and group II (n = 29) represents those patients age 70 years and older. Follow-up of hospital survivors ranged from 1 month to 24 years and was compiled in April and May, 1991. Three patients were lost to follow-up (4%), and these were younger than 70 years of age. There were no differences in the values of the preoperative variables for the younger and older groups with respect to sex, concomitant procedures performed (bypass vs no bypass), use of an intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP), location of VSD, presence of shock, total hospital days, or days between infarction and operation. There was, however, a difference between the two groups relative to the era when surgery was performed. More patients over the age of 70 underwent surgery after 1978 than before 1978 (p = 0.0012). The majority of survivors are in New York Heart Association (NYHA) Class I or II, and there was no difference between the younger and older groups in functional class at the time of follow-up (83.3% vs 91.7% of survivors in Class I or II, respectively). Using the generalized Wilcoxon test to analyze these survival data, there was no apparent difference in long-term survival (p = 0.97) when comparing the two age groups. The mean follow-up period was 77.02 months for the younger group and 80.52 months for the older group. The fact that more older patients were repaired after we had significant experience in the surgical management of patients with VSDs probably accounted for our excellent results in the older age group. Our data reveal that patients over the age of 70 can expect excellent long-term survival, with over 90% of these survivors remaining in NYHA Functional Class I or II."}
{"id": "PMID:1482823", "title": "Rationale and technique for replacement of the ascending aorta, arch, and distal aorta using a modified elephant trunk procedure.", "content": "Replacement of the aortic arch during repair of either extensive aortic aneurysmal disease or aortic dissection can be a major undertaking. Borst introduced an \"elephant trunk\" technique whereby a tubular aortic graft prosthesis was inserted into the distal aorta while repairing the ascending aorta and aortic arch. The distal elephant trunk prosthesis was then used for a second stage operation that involved replacement of sections of the distal aorta. Since then, a few problems have been encountered with the standard elephant trunk procedure and this has led to a modification of the elephant trunk technique, which enables a more accurate and secure distal aortic arch anastomosis to be performed. Using the standard technique described by Borst, the surgeon has to suture in the groove between the tubular graft and the aortic wall, which can increase the risk that torsion on the suture needle will tear the aortic wall resulting in aortic rupture. Indeed, this complication has been noted in the postoperative period when performing the standard technique. Subsequently, the technique was modified with inversion of the graft in itself, placement of the graft in the descending aorta, and performance of the distal anastomosis using a technique similar to that described by Griepp. This has improved the ease of performing the procedure and the results of the technique such that a better than 90% survival rate can be expected for the first and the second stage repairs."}
{"id": "PMID:1482824", "title": "Technique of combined heart-lung transplantation.", "content": "Heart-lung transplantation was, for many years, conceptualized as a possible treatment for patients with combined end-stage cardiac and pulmonary disease. As experience grew with heart transplantation, particularly in the 1970s, the difficulties of performing the orthotopic operation in patients with fixed pulmonary hypertension became apparent. This further impetus for combined heart-lung transplantation led to successful animal experiments in the late 1970s, and the first successful heart-lung transplant operation was performed in 1981. There has been significant evolution in the operative technique for the recipient operation, with emphasis on preservation of the phrenic, vagal, and recurrent laryngeal nerves and on meticulous hemostasis, with particular attention to the bronchial vessels of the posterior mediastinum. Donor procurement is of critical importance to the success of the operation, and criteria for donor selection have been well established. Lung preservation remained, for many years, a significant limitation, but current techniques involving the use of prostaglandin E1 have led to safe distant procurement with ischemic times up to 6 hours. The heart-lung transplant operation remains an effective modality for the treatment of patients with congenital heart disease, primary pulmonary hypertension, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and cystic fibrosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1482825", "title": "Surgical significance of morphological variations in the atrial septum in atrioventricular septal defect for determination of the site of penetration of the atrioventricular conduction axis.", "content": "The morphological variation in the recognized landmarks for the atrioventricular conduction system was studied grossly in 94 hearts with atrioventricular septal defect, assessing 20 hearts with normal atrioventricular septation as a control. In all the hearts with intact atrioventricular septal structures, the tendon of Todaro demarcated the superior boundary of the triangle of Koch. In hearts with atrioventricular septal defect, however, the landmarks for the conduction axis made up a separate nodal triangle. The tendon of Todaro, along with a bridging tendon not found in the normal heart, were variably developed in hearts with atrioventricular septal defect and formed a further triangle unrelated to the axis for atrioventricular conduction. The opening of the coronary sinus was also variable in its location and size. It was the location of the inferior bridging leaflet as it crossed the ventricular septum that was the best surgical landmark to the site of penetration of the atrioventricular conduction axis."}
{"id": "PMID:1482826", "title": "Technical considerations for coronary artery bypass without cardioplegia.", "content": "Coronary artery bypass without cardioplegia remains the preferred technique at many centers around the world. This report describes in detail a technique that emphasizes intermittent cross-clamping of the aorta at mild hypothermia (30 degrees C). Since coronary bypass procedures require brief interruptions of coronary blood flow only for the distal anastomoses, the duration of myocardial ischemia with this technique is not prolonged by unexpected changes in the operative plan. Many bypass grafts can also be carried out without cross-clamping of the aorta by using local control of the coronary arteries. The increasing number of elderly patients with atherosclerotic aortas that cannot be safely clamped makes it helpful for all cardiac surgeons to be familiar with noncardioplegic techniques."}
{"id": "PMID:1482827", "title": "Hypothermic fibrillatory arrest for coronary artery bypass grafting.", "content": "Hypothermic fibrillatory arrest is a technique of myocardial preservation that has a long history of use in cardiac surgery. Numerous studies have documented its efficacy in various subgroups of patients with coronary artery disease. This report reviews the research support of the tenets of the technique and reports the results with its utilization in 2,801 consecutive patients having isolated myocardial revascularization."}
{"id": "PMID:1482828", "title": "Coronary artery surgery without cardiopulmonary bypass: usefulness of the surgical blower-humidifier.", "content": "Coronary artery bypass surgery can be performed without cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). Bleeding obscuring the operative field and hemodilution of shed blood with irrigating saline are some of the drawbacks of this technique. We report the use of a newly developed surgical blower-humidifier (custom made [Research Medical, Inc.]) for improved visualization and facilitation of coronary artery surgery without CPB."}
{"id": "PMID:1482829", "title": "Konno procedure for congenital aortic stenosis with a single coronary artery from the left coronary sinus.", "content": "A right coronary artery originating from the left coronary sinus and traversing anteriorly is thought to be one of the contraindications for a Konno aortoventriculoplasty in congenital aortic stenosis because this procedure necessitates incision of the right ventricular outflow tract. The case of a 5-year-old girl with congenital aortic stenosis associated with a single coronary artery, successfully treated surgically by the Konno procedure and right coronary artery reimplantation, is reported. Preoperatively there was a pressure gradient between the left ventricle and the ascending aorta of 109 mmHg, which disappeared postoperatively. A postoperative angiography showed a patent right coronary artery."}
{"id": "PMID:1482830", "title": "Simplified techniques of valve replacement.", "content": "After an extensive trial of many different suture techniques for implanting valvular prostheses, we have recently returned to using a simple, continuous suture of monofilament polypropylene. We believe this technique has many theoretical and practical advantages. Valvular implantation takes less time and is even more secure than when individual sutures are used. In addition, the need for porous felt pledgets, which may harbor bacteria, is eliminated. This simple technique facilitates implantation in the mitral and aortic positions."}
{"id": "PMID:1482831", "title": "Triiodothyronine (T3) and cardiovascular therapeutics: a review.", "content": "Hypothyroidism is associated with an abnormal hemodynamic state characterized by decreased heart rate, stroke volume, output, and contractility, and increased systemic vascular resistance. Since cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) and surgical stress can induce profound decreases in triiodothyronine (T3) levels, the hemodynamic consequences of \"stress-induced\" hypothyroidism and T3 repletion are of increasing clinical interest. Available data generally support the likelihood of a beneficial effect associated with T3 replacement in brain-dead organ donors and in cases of low cardiac output following CPB. Although hypotheses have been advanced to account for these salutary effects, the mechanism by which T3 may augment hemodynamic performance has not been precisely defined, particularly in the acute setting. Although additional research is needed to clarify these and other issues, preliminary findings with T3 replacement indicate that such investigation is warranted."}
{"id": "PMID:1482832", "title": "Ovum donation: ethical and legal aspects.", "content": "The newer technologies of assisted reproduction offer the infertile couple a wide spectrum of choices according to their specific problem. A relatively newer technique is that of ovum donation, whose technology is now well established. However, as with other newer technologies, it has given rise to new dimensions of ethical and legal issues which have to date not been fully appraised. It is very difficult to find a legal consensus under international umbrella to the specific issues involved in ovum donation. This is due to the different cultural, religious, and time influence atmosphere prevailing in the various parts of the world. Each society should develop its own statutes on ovum donation. A frame of ethical guidelines should be established by international organizations that may help each society issue its own regulations."}
{"id": "PMID:1482838", "title": "Prediction of nuclear maturity from cumulus-coronal morphology: influence of embryologist experience.", "content": "A majority of in vitro fertilization (IVF) programs continues to evaluate oocyte maturity on the basis of cumulus-coronal morphology (CCM) even though marked asynchrony has been reported between CCM and nuclear maturity. This study was designed to examine changes in embryologists' ability to correctly predict nuclear maturity from CCM as a function of increasing experience. Nuclear maturity was assessed by inverted microscopy with a modified spreading technique at follicular aspiration. A second objective was to determine the percentage of oocytes which displayed asynchrony between CCM and nuclear maturity as assessed by embryologists with extensive experience in oocyte maturity evaluation. The three participating embryologists had directly evaluated 1304, 75, and 0 oocytes for nuclear maturity and CCM at study initiation and correctly predicted nuclear maturity from CCM in 74, 64, and 47% of oocytes, respectively. Embryologist 1 did not significantly change in predictive ability during the 17-month study period. Embryologist 2 significantly improved in predictive ability during the first 9 months of the study (841 oocytes evaluated) and plateaued thereafter, at a similar percentage of correct predictions as embryologist 1. Embryologist 3 continued to improve in predictive ability throughout the study period, reaching 61% correct predictions at the close of the study after evaluating 223 oocytes. Once embryologists had plateaued in their predictive ability, 72% of oocytes evaluated received the correct nuclear maturity classification based on CCM. Significantly fewer oocytes (54%; 375/690) evaluated by embryologists who had not plateaued in their predictive ability received the correct nuclear maturity classification based on CCM. These results indicate that embryologists' ability to predict oocyte nuclear maturity correctly from CCM continues to change over several months even when pretraining video recordings are used before beginning direct evaluations. After embryologists plateaued in their predictive ability, nuclear maturity still could not be correctly predicted from CCM in 28% of oocytes due to asynchrony between nuclear and CCM maturity. Based upon this, circumstances in which the spreading technique should be used for direct assessment of nuclear maturity as opposed to assessment of CCM only are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1482839", "title": "Effects of platelet activating factor on mouse sperm function.", "content": "Platelet activating factor (PAF) has been implicated in a variety of reproductive processes. This study was designed to investigate the effect of PAF and the specific PAF receptor antagonist, CV-3988, on capacitation and the acrosome reaction in mouse spermatozoa using an in vitro fertilization (IVF) system. When spermatozoa were preincubated for 30 min in medium containing PAF (10(-7) to 10(-11) M), a significant increase in the fertilization rate with both cumulus-free and zona-free oocytes was observed. In contrast, treatment of the spermatozoa with 10(-5) M CV-3988 caused a significant decrease in both sperm motility and fertilization rates with zona-intact and zona-free oocytes. This suppression was reversed by the addition of PAF. Furthermore, the acrosome reaction was enhanced by PAF treatment of spermatozoa in a dose-dependent manner. This stimulation of the acrosome reaction by PAF required the presence of calcium ions in the medium. While 10(-5) M CV-3988 inhibited the acrosome reaction, the inhibition was also reversed by the addition of PAF. These results suggest that PAF can stimulate not only the capacitation process but also the acrosome reaction, both of which are dependent on extracellular calcium."}
{"id": "PMID:1482840", "title": "Embryo density and medium volume effects on early murine embryo development.", "content": "One-cell mouse embryos were used to determine the effects of drop size and number of embryos per drop for optimum development in vitro. Embryos were collected from immature C57BL6 female mice superovulated with pregnant mare serum gonadotropin and human chorionic gonadotropin and mated by CD1 males. Groups of 1, 5, 10, or 20 embryos were cultured in 5-, 10-, 20-, or 40-microliters drops of CZB under silicon oil at 37.5 degrees C in a humidified atmosphere of 5% CO2 and 95% air. Development score for embryos cultured in 10 microliters was higher than that of embryos cultured in 20 or 40 microliters. Embryos cultured in groups of 5, 10, or 20 had higher development scores than embryos cultured singly. The highest development score was obtained by the combination of 5 embryos per 10-microliters drop. The percentage of live embryos in 20 or 40 microliters was lower than that of embryos cultured in 10 microliters. Additionally, the percentage of live embryos cultured singly was lower than that of embryos cultured in groups. Our results suggest that a stimulatory interaction occurs among embryos possibly exerted through the secretion of growth factors. This effect can be diluted if the embryos are cultured in large drops or singly."}
{"id": "PMID:1482841", "title": "Analyses of 95 first-trimester spontaneous abortions by chorionic villus sampling and karyotype.", "content": "Our purpose was to determine the incidence of chromosomal aneuploidy in first-trimester pregnancy losses using chorionic villus sampling (CVS). All patients presenting for CVS with no fetal cardiac activity were offered CVS. Cytogenetic results were completed in 95 of 96 cases (99%). Eighty-three percent of the karyotypes were aneuploid. The 16 euploid fetuses had no excess of females. CVS is the most reliable method of determining the karyotype of spontaneously aborted fetuses. The incidence of aneuploidy is much greater than in previous reports that analyzed passed products of conception. CVS should be offered to women who present with first-trimester spontaneous abortions."}
{"id": "PMID:1482842", "title": "The genetic risks of in vitro fertilization techniques: the use of an animal model.", "content": "The influence of some technical and biological parameters on the genetic characteristics of embryos derived from in vitro fertilization (IVF) techniques was studied. Using a murine model, we assessed the effect of gamete manipulation, gamete maturation stage, and maternal age on the chromosome complements of first-cleavage embryos. We found a positive correlation between some of these parameters and the incidence of the different chromosome abnormalities studied. Regarding aneuploidy, we observed an influence of maternal age, using both prepubertal and old females. Polyspermy showed a positive correlation with in vitro fertilization, the immaturity and overmaturity of the oocytes employed, and the use of prepubertal females. The appearance of diploid female complements was related to oocyte immaturity and prepubertal females, while diploid male complements were directly related to in vitro fertilization. Premature chromosome condensation (PCC) had a direct relationship with oocyte immaturity and in vitro maturation of the oocyte. Finally, structural abnormalities were associated with the process of sperm aging in vitro."}
{"id": "PMID:1482843", "title": "Quantified ultrastructural study of spermatozoa in unexplained failure of in vitro fertilization.", "content": "Failure of in vitro fertilization or very low cleavage rates may occur even though oocyte and semen parameters seem satisfactory. Quantified ultrastructural study of spermatozoa was performed in such cases of failure (n = 6) or low cleavage rate (< 20%; n = 4). Through 1 to 11 retrievals, the number of inseminated oocytes ranged from 14 to 145. The results were compared to those of six fertile men. Quantification was achieved by cataloguing cell defects of the spermatozoon heads and mid-/principal pieces of the flagella. Using the data from each specimen, the percentages of total cellular abnormalities in the head/mid-/principal pieces were established. At the level of the head overall percentages for six groups of defects were determined. The overall percentage of combined head abnormalities, defined as the presence of at least three of these six defects on the same spermatozoon head, was established. Statistical differences among control and patient groups were analyzed by nonparametric Mann-Whitney U test. The percentages of anomalies of the midpiece and of the principal piece were not significantly different between patients and controls. Motility assessed by spermogram was considered \"functionally uncompromised.\" In eight patients the percentage of cell alterations of the head (93-100 vs 77.3 +/- 6.4%) and the percentage of combined anomalies of the head (78.1-100 vs 60.8 +/- 8.5%) were significantly different between patients and controls. In two cases, the percentages established for all head parameters considered were not globally different from those observed in controls. Thus in 8 cases of 10, electron microscopy with quantified analysis supplied valuable evidence about the poor quality of these sperm samples judged as normal under light microscopy and may provide an explanation for their impaired fertilizability.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1482847", "title": "Sperm electron microscopy for the evaluation of in vitro fertilization failures.", "content": "When performing IVF, the clinician is frequently confronted with the failure of fertilization. When the standard parameters to evaluate the male factor are \"within normal limits,\" the conclusion is often made that the lack of fertilization is most likely due to \"poor egg quality.\" These two cases demonstrate the fallacy of this approach and support a more rigorous evaluation of the male factor. Ultrastructural analysis of sperm is underutilized and, as demonstrated by these two cases, can play an essential role in this evaluation process."}
{"id": "PMID:1482849", "title": "Pick from thousands: a collaborative processing model for coded data entry.", "content": "Methods for optimizing coded data entry in clinical systems are a frequent topic of system design. We have developed a new mechanism for this type of data entry that we call \"Pick From Thousands\" (PFT). It combines several known methods, including menu selection, keyword entry, and initial character matching, but adds a new string matching algorithm. The PFT method is more selective than initial character matching for a given number of keystrokes if entries in the coded list have more than one word. Collaborative processing between a PC workstation and the central HELP system computer is used to optimize ease of maintenance and increase the flexibility and performance of the system."}
{"id": "PMID:1482850", "title": "Collaborative care documentation by exception system.", "content": "Development of a workstation-based documentation system supporting collaborative care and nurse charting by exception has been underway for the last two and one-half years at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee. The Pathways system has undergone two major revisions and is currently implemented on three nursing units. The system supports collaborative care by providing a mechanism for entry and printing of collaborative care pathways and collection of exception data. Paper flowsheets for manual charting are generated based on the patient's collaborative pathway and individual needs. The Pathways system has significantly decreased nursing time and effort for documentation. This paper describes the development, implementation, and impact of the workstation-based documentation system."}
{"id": "PMID:1482851", "title": "Signing out patients for off-hours coverage: comparison of manual and computer-aided methods.", "content": "This paper evaluates the communication of information to physicians who provide off-hours coverage to inpatients in two Family Practice residency programs. To describe the importance and accessibility of clinical information used by on-call residents in covering hospital patients, we administered a questionnaire. Then following the use of a new computerized sign-out system in one of the programs, residents filled out the same questionnaire again. Residents felt that a \"to do\" list and information about the patient's \"code status\" were the most important data desired from sign-out sheets. However, 69% of residents in both programs felt that provision of this information was normally poor. Nearly all of the residents in Buffalo, using an entirely handwritten sign-out sheet, felt it was in need of improvement. Residents in Pittsburgh, using a summary aided by the hospital's computer print-out, felt this need much less acutely. After implementation of a new computerized sign-out sheet in Buffalo, residents indicated a slightly higher level of satisfaction. The work of data entry and re-entry into the computer was unpopular and inefficient. The present method of transferring information at the end of a work day is not satisfactory for residents. Provision of data summaries from existing hospital information systems is a good first step in improving data transfer. A further study of more comprehensive automated sign-out systems is important, because of the increasing discontinuity of house officer care."}
{"id": "PMID:1482852", "title": "A temporal-abstraction system for patient monitoring.", "content": "RESUME is a system that performs temporal abstraction of time-stamped data. RESUME is based on a model of three temporal-abstraction mechanisms: point temporal abstraction (a mechanism for abstracting values of several parameters into a value of another parameter); temporal inference (a mechanism for inferring sound logical conclusions over a single interval or two meeting intervals); and temporal interpolation (a mechanism for bridging nonmeeting temporal intervals). Making explicit the knowledge required for temporal abstraction supports the acquisition of that knowledge."}
{"id": "PMID:1482853", "title": "An extended SQL for temporal data management in clinical decision-support systems.", "content": "We are developing a database implementation to support temporal data management for the T-HELPER physician workstation, an advice system for protocol-based care of patients who have HIV disease. To understand the requirements for the temporal database, we have analyzed the types of temporal predicates found in clinical-trial protocols. We extend the standard relational data model in three ways to support these querying requirements. First, we incorporate timestamps into the two-dimensional relational table to store the temporal dimension of both instant- and interval-based data. Second, we develop a set of operations on timepoints and intervals to manipulate timestamped data. Third, we modify the relational query language SQL so that its underlying algebra supports the specified operations on timestamps in relational tables. We show that our temporal extension to SQL meets the temporal data-management needs of protocol-directed decision support."}
{"id": "PMID:1482854", "title": "A framework for the knowledge-based interpretation of laboratory data in intensive care units using deductive database technology.", "content": "In co-operation with the Institute of Anaesthesiology of the Ludwig-Maximilians-University in Munich a computer-based system for the analysis and interpretation of renal function, fluid and electrolyte metabolism of critical care patients has been developed. This paper focuses on the requirements and implementation aspects of the knowledge-based interpretation for this particular system. Objective of the proposed approach is, to transform an enormous--and constantly increasing--amount of raw data available in modern intensive care units (ICUs) into relevant, patient-oriented information, which is easy to understand by the medical staff. The essential features of a knowledge-based system at an ICU are outlined. A system is described where these features are realized using deductive database technology as a specification paradigm and extended relational databases as an implementation platform. The integration into the hospital information system is highlighted."}
{"id": "PMID:1482855", "title": "Model-based interpretation of the ECG: a methodology for temporal and spatial reasoning.", "content": "A new software architecture for automatic interpretation of the electrocardiogram is presented. Using the hypothesize-and-test paradigm, a semi-quantitative physiological model and production rule-based knowledge are combined to reason about time- and space-varying characteristics of complex heart rhythms. A prototype system implementing the methodology accepts a semi-quantitative description of the onset and morphology of the P waves and QRS complexes that are observed in the body-surface electrocardiogram. A beat-by-beat explanation of the origin and consequences of each wave is produced. The output is in the standard cardiology ladder diagram format. The current prototype can perform the full differential diagnosis of 2:1 atrioventricular (AV) block, and can handle correctly complex rhythms such as AV nodal reentrant tachycardia with either hidden or visible P waves, and varying degrees of AV block."}
{"id": "PMID:1482856", "title": "Hierarchical geometric constraint networks as a representation for spatial structural knowledge.", "content": "A representation is proposed for capturing generic spatial knowledge about classes of objects in a structural hierarchy of biology. The basic premise is that spatial properties such as shape and relative relationships can be expressed as networks of interacting constraints. The representation is defined, partial implementations that demonstrate practical utility are described for model based organ and protein structure determination, and research issues are presented that must be solved before the representation can be implemented in its entirety. As these issues are resolved the representation will find increasing utility as the foundation for a spatial knowledge base of structural biology."}
{"id": "PMID:1482857", "title": "PEN&PAD (Geriatrics): a Collaborative Patient Record System for the shared care of the elderly.", "content": "The PEN&PAD (Geriatrics) project seeks to develop a Collaborative Patient Record System for the hospital based shared care of the elderly. The goal of the project is to produce a single, integrated information system which is both useful and usable by the different practitioner groups involved in geriatric care. A User Centred Design methodology is proposed which makes users and human issues central to the design and development process. Preliminary results indicate that the specification of a Minimum Basic Data Set as the basis of a shared record system is infeasible and undesirable. An architecture is presented which illustrates how the diversity between the different disciplines may be preserved in a Collaborative Patient Record System."}
{"id": "PMID:1482858", "title": "Use of computer network bulletin board systems by disabled persons.", "content": "Computer-based electronic support groups are being used by persons facing physical and emotional challenges. Twenty-six users of disability-related electronic support groups responded to a survey designed to determine computer network use and benefits users gain through their network use. The survey included questions about network use for general communication and support, enhancement of communication ability, attainment of knowledge on specific topics, and employment enhancement. Statistically significant results were obtained concerning the perceived benefits of emotional support and communication in relation to network use. Only a small number (n = 9) reported use of the network for employment purposes. These results demonstrate the feasibility of using networks to provide information, services, assistance, and support for disabled and their care providers."}
{"id": "PMID:1482859", "title": "Computer networks promote caregiving collaboration: the ComputerLink Project.", "content": "ComputerLink is a specialized computer network designed to support caregivers of persons with Alzheimer's Disease. ComputerLink delivers information, communication, and decision support, accessed through home terminals. It stands as a unique demonstration of how information technologies support collaboration among family caregivers of persons with Alzheimer's Disease, and between caregivers and professionals. In a randomized field experiment involving 102 AD caregivers, 47 caregivers had access to ComputerLink for 12 months, during which they accessed it 3888 times. Behavioral indicators of use demonstrate that ComputerLink promotes collaboration by providing pathways for communications among caregivers and by facilitating their access to information."}
{"id": "PMID:1482860", "title": "CHESS: a computer-based system for providing information, referrals, decision support and social support to people facing medical and other health-related crises.", "content": "CHESS (the Comprehensive Health Enhancement Support System) is an interactive, computer-based system to support people facing health-related crises or concerns. CHESS provides information, referral to service providers, support in making tough decisions and networking to experts and others facing the same concerns. CHESS will improve access to health and human services for people who would otherwise face psychological, social, economic or geographic barriers to receiving services. CHESS has developed programs in five specific topic areas: Academic Crisis, Adult Children of Alcoholics, AIDS/HIV Infection, Breast Cancer and Sexual Assault. The lessons learned, and the structures developed, will serve as a model for future implementation of CHESS programs in a broad range of other topic areas. CHESS is designed around three major desired outcomes: 1) improving the emotional health status of users; 2) increasing the cost-effective use of health and human services; and 3) reducing the incidence of risk-taking behaviors that can lead to injury or illness. Pilot-testing and initial analysis of controlled evaluation data has shown that CHESS is extensively used, is useful and easy-to-use, and produces positive emotional outcomes. Further evaluation in continuing."}
{"id": "PMID:1482861", "title": "Preliminary evaluation of learning via the AI/LEARN/Rheumatology interactive videodisc system.", "content": "AI/LEARN/Rheumatology is a level three videodisc system to teach clinical observational skills in three important diseases: rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, and ankylosing spondylitis. The AI/LEARN software was developed on an independent authoring system called GALE designed for MS-DOS based computers. The purpose of this paper is to present preliminary data about the efficacy of teaching by the use of an interactive videodisc system as evaluated by examinations centered upon disease-oriented learning objectives and by attitude questionnaires. We tested the efficacy of the AI/LEARN/Rheumatology system using both medical students and residents taking the rheumatology elective. Data collected were on learning, attitudes, and ranking of curricular elements of the rotation. We kept records on the student time and search path through the interactive videodisc system. Control data were collected during 1990, before the AI/LEARN/Rheumatology program was available. Data for the treatment groups were collected during 1991 and 1992, while the trainees used the AI/LEARN/Rheumatology system. The basic difference between the control year and the treatment year curricula was the substitution of AI/LEARN/Rheumatology for three hours of lecture covering the three target diseases. AI/LEARN/Rheumatology was as effective as traditional methods of instruction as measured by scores on a multiple choice test. Student and resident learning was related to the time spent on the system. Students and residents ranked the AI/LEARN/Rheumatology system as the single most helpful learning tool in their 8 week rheumatology block, ranking it above the examination of patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1482862", "title": "Iliad's role in the generalization of learning across a medical domain.", "content": "Medical informatics could facilitate more effective analysis and use of clinical knowledge by means of expert systems. To be most effective, such systems should be constructed in a manner which is consistent with physicians' cognitive processes. Our past five years' work with a system called Iliad indicates that it provides effective medical training and education. The current research extends our previous work by using a wider array of training and test cases. We also evaluated whether training on specific cases could generalize to improved testing performance on related cases, which featured similar complaints and pathophysiologic mechanisms, but different final diagnoses. In their junior internal medicine clerkship, students (n = 100) completed 1300 Iliad training cases covering 48 diagnoses. The findings indicated improved problem solving on the specifically trained cases as well as the generalization cases. We discuss a possible training model for expert systems such as Iliad."}
{"id": "PMID:1482863", "title": "Can artificial neural networks provide an \"expert's\" view of medical students performances on computer based simulations?", "content": "Artificial neural networks were trained to recognize the test selection patterns of students' successful solutions to seven immunology computer based simulations. When new student's test selections were presented to the trained neural network, their problem solutions were correctly classified as successful or non-successful > 90% of the time. Examination of the neural networks output weights after each test selection revealed a progressive increase for the relevant problem suggesting that a successful solution was represented by the neural network as the accumulation of relevant tests. Unsuccessful problem solutions revealed two patterns of students performances. The first pattern was characterized by low neural network output weights for all seven problems reflecting extensive searching and lack of recognition of relevant information. In the second pattern, the output weights from the neural network were biased towards one of the remaining six incorrect problems suggesting that the student mis-represented the current problem as an instance of a previous problem."}
{"id": "PMID:1482864", "title": "Visualization of large datasets in intensive care.", "content": "At the \"Institut f\u00fcr Anaesthesiologie der Ludwig-Maximilians-Universit\u00e4t\" in Munich a computer-based system for the analysis and interpretation of renal function and fluid and electrolyte metabolism of critical care patients has been developed. This paper describes requirements and implementation aspects of the presentation of data to the physician. Key issue is, how to transform the enormous--and, as we all know, constantly increasing--amount of plain data available in modern intensive care units (ICUs) into relevant information which can be easily turned into therapeutic actions. These issues have been discussed in literature extensively over many years, but with the upcoming of moderately priced, though powerful graphical UNIX workstations an extended functionality is feasible."}
{"id": "PMID:1482865", "title": "Integrating Radiology and Hospital Information Systems: the advantage of shared data.", "content": "Information management is central to modern patient care. Computerization of information management has resulted in both departmental systems which serve information needs in locations such as the Radiology Department and in hospital-wide information systems which seek to integrate management of clinical data from many departments. For each of these systems to achieve the goal of maximizing both the effectiveness of health care workers and the quality of patient care, they need to share the data that they capture. Below we discuss a variety of applications, both currently available and in the realm of research protocols, that depend on a high level of communication between Radiology Information Systems and Hospital Information Systems. These examples suggest the benefits of integrating the medically relevant data collected by all of the computer-based information systems in the hospital setting."}
{"id": "PMID:1482866", "title": "Automated Tumor Registry for Oncology. A VA-DHCP MUMPS application.", "content": "The VA Automated Tumor Registry for Oncology, Version 2, is a multifaceted, completely automated user-friendly cancer database. Easy to use modules include: Automatic Casefinding; Suspense Files; Abstracting and Printing; Follow-up; Annual Reports; Statistical Reports; Utility Functions."}
{"id": "PMID:1482867", "title": "Integrated ambulatory care services in oncology.", "content": "In today's medical care environment of cost containment and restricted reimbursement, it is important to maximize the use of expensive facility and personnel resources. Concurrently, it is important to provide superior and timely patient services in order to remain competitive in an extremely flexible market. There are many areas in today's larger hospital environments where such ideals can be easily achieved. One of the more obvious areas is the automation of appointment and resource scheduling for ambulatory care services. This article focuses on maximizing the use of available physical and personnel resources in the ambulatory care setting of large and specialty hospitals. The Johns Hopkins Oncology Center's integrated outpatient scheduling and resource management systems are used as examples of what can be achieved. It is hoped that the experiences of the Oncology Center in developing these integrated systems will help others in similar efforts."}
{"id": "PMID:1482868", "title": "An interactive, educational model for insulin dosage and dietary adjustment in type I diabetes mellitus.", "content": "Joe Daniels is a 41 year old, 76kg male, insulin-treated diabetic patient who was diagnosed as being diabetic in 1972, at the age of 22. Joe recently found that he was having hypoglycaemic symptoms. Using self-monitoring blood glucose equipment glycaemic levels below 3.0 mmol/l were recorded at least once a week while hyperglycaemic readings (> 16 mmol/l) were observed 2-3 times per week. Joe came into hospital to have his glycaemic control improved as doctors were concerned about the risks of him suffering a serious hypoglycaemic attack. Using some of the data collected by Joe while in hospital we will demonstrate how a computer model of glucose-insulin interaction in type I diabetes can be used interactively to teach diabetic patients about their diabetes and educate them to adjust their own insulin injections and diet."}
{"id": "PMID:1482869", "title": "ROENTGEN: case-based reasoning and radiation therapy planning.", "content": "ROENTGEN is a design assistant for radiation therapy planning which uses case-based reasoning, an artificial intelligence technique. It learns both from specific problem-solving experiences and from direct instruction from the user. The first sort of learning is the normal case-based method of storing problem solutions so that they can be reused. The second sort is necessary because ROENTGEN does not, initially, have an internal model of the physics of its problem domain. This dependence on explicit user instruction brings to the forefront representational questions regarding indexing, failure definition, failure explanation and repair. This paper presents the techniques used by ROENTGEN in its knowledge acquisition and design activities."}
{"id": "PMID:1482870", "title": "Designing computer assisted instruction programs for diabetic patients: how can we make them really useful?", "content": "Despite the increasing potential of computers for educational use, experience shows that few Computer Assisted Instruction (CAI) programs for patient education have been accepted into routine use by health care providers. A CAI program on hypoglycemia for insulin dependent diabetics, which was developed by the authors and has been widely used in Europe for over 6 years, is described and is used to illustrate some specific difficulties and possible solutions when using computers for patient education. We hope to show that patients suffering from a chronic disease, such as diabetes, require specific skills which are very different in nature from the theoretic knowledge they usually receive from different sources, including health care providers. In order to be really useful, a CAI program for patients must help them to cope with their disease and take into account patients' concerns, fears, and misconceptions as far as possible. Far beyond a detailed knowledge of the domain, a deep experience in patient education is mandatory to understand patients' needs."}
{"id": "PMID:1482871", "title": "The Columbia Registry of Controlled Clinical Computer Trials.", "content": "Numerous reports on randomized controlled clinical trials of computer-based interventions have been published. These trials provide useful evaluations of the impact of information technology on patient care. Unfortunately, several obstacles make access to the trial reports difficult. Barriers include the large variety of publications in which reports may appear, non-standard descriptors, and incomplete indexing. Some analyzers indicate inadequate testing of computer methods. The purpose of establishing a registry of randomized controlled clinical computer trials was to assist the identification of computer services with demonstrated ability to improve the process or outcome of patient care. A report collection, selection, information extraction, and registration method was developed and implemented. One hundred and six reports on computer trials have been collected. A large variety of computer-assisted interventions have been tested in the registered trials (40% reminder, 15% feedback, 14% dose planning, 14% patient education, 12% medical record). 76% of the registered reports were published in the United States and most of the remainder in various European countries. In reporting computer trial results, 77% of the authors did not use both the \"computer\" and \"trial\" keywords in the title or abstract of their papers. We conclude that a major obstacle to adequate computer technology assessment is inadequate access to the published results."}
{"id": "PMID:1482872", "title": "Automated integration of external databases: a knowledge-based approach to enhancing rule-based expert systems.", "content": "Expert system applications in the biomedical domain have long been hampered by the difficulty inherent in maintaining and extending large knowledge bases. We have developed a knowledge-based method for automatically augmenting such knowledge bases. The method consists of automatically integrating data contained in commercially available, external, on-line databases with data contained in an expert system's knowledge base. We have built a prototype system, named DBX, using this technique to augment an expert system's knowledge base as a decision support aid and as a bibliographic retrieval tool. In this paper, we describe this prototype system in detail, illustrate its use and discuss the lessons we have learned in its implementation."}
{"id": "PMID:1482873", "title": "Incorporating knowledge to databases--a solution to complex domains.", "content": "This paper describes the design of an integrated environment to handle information on congenital heart disease patients. A three-layer model that integrates a database, a knowledge-base and a graphical user-interface is presented. The role of each layer and its connections is discussed. The advantages of using a hypertext front-end system to present and retrieve complex data are also addressed. The current status of the project and its future developments are described in the final section."}
{"id": "PMID:1482874", "title": "The SQLX system: generating explanations for clinical rules encoded in SQL.", "content": "We have developed a system to provide case-specific explanations for SQL query results. The explanation facility, called SQLX, is intended to improve user acceptance of clinical rules that are encoded in the SQL query language and are triggered by updates to a relational database. Our design goal is to combine the efficiency and familiarity of the SQL query model with a more intuitive and case-specific display of query results. SQLX defines an augmented SQL syntax that allows the incorporation of explanation text directly into query specifications. A query analyzer determines which retrieved data logically contribute to rule firing, and combines the data with explanation text to generate a case-specific explanation. Although features of the SQL query model limit the use of this method as a general-purpose rule-explanation facility, the current design accommodates a wide range of SQL query formulations and can provide efficient processing and intuitive explanations of many clinical rules."}
{"id": "PMID:1482875", "title": "Development of a clinical data architecture.", "content": "This paper presents a methodology for developing a data architecture for clinical medicine. The methodology uses an object-oriented analysis approach that takes advantage of the domain expertise of practicing physicians. The resulting high-level data model combines a structured, event-based model of clinical information with the process-oriented structures usually associated with problem lists and practice protocols."}
{"id": "PMID:1482876", "title": "Visualization of multimodal image information in medicine.", "content": "Radiological and clinical practice can be enhanced by improved access to multimodal image informations. Analysis, visualization, method characteristic image processing and image synthesis is needed not only for the interpretation of the images but also for performing effective consultations with clinical colleagues and computer supported therapy planning and control strategies. The distributed system RADVIS (radiological visualization) is presented which enables the fast display, three dimensional visualization and the modality oriented analysis of multimodal image informations. Based on a unique image format, modality specific evaluation procedures and two- or three dimensional processing tools of image analysis produce the input data for therapy planning programs. The easy use of this multimedia visualisation tool enables radiologists and clinicians to deal with their image data. The description of methods and procedures of the prototype, as well as typical examples of radiologic practice will demonstrate the efficiency of the presented system."}
{"id": "PMID:1482877", "title": "Collaborative development of a uniform graphical interface.", "content": "A uniform graphical user interface to informational databases is evolving at the University of Washington through a collaborative development process. The interface, called WILLOW, has grown from model analysis and preliminary design to working prototype. The design replicates a natural flow of search retrieval. Development continues in a spiral of test and linear improvements based on user analysis. WILLOW's internal structure is built on a Unix client-server model communicating over the campus TCP/IP backbone network. Its external structure is an X-Windows/Motif visual presentation emphasizing a simple, consistent, graphical face to disparate information databases. The WILLOW collaborators have grown from an initial group composed of the Health Sciences Library & Information Center and Computing & Communications' Information Systems to the University Libraries, Computing & Communications divisions, Medical Center Information Systems, and departments throughout the health sciences."}
{"id": "PMID:1482878", "title": "The effects of time delays on a telepathology user interface.", "content": "Telepathology enables a pathologist to examine physically distant tissue samples by microscope operation over a communication link. Communication links can impose time delays which cause difficulties in controlling the remote device. Such difficulties were found in a microscope teleoperation system. Since the user interface is critical to pathologist's acceptance of telepathology, we redesigned the user interface for this system, built two different versions (a keypad whose movement commands operated by specifying a start command followed by a stop command and a trackball interface whose movement commands were incremental and directly proportional to the rotation of the trackball). We then conducted a pilot study to determine the effect of time delays on the new user interfaces. In our experiment, the keypad was the faster interface when the time delay is short. There was no evidence to favor either the keypad or trackball when the time delay was longer. Inexperienced participants benefitted by allowing them to move long distances over the microscope slide by dragging the field-of-view indicator on the touchscreen control panel. The experiment suggests that changes could be made to the trackball interface which would improve its performance."}
{"id": "PMID:1482879", "title": "PureMD: a Computerized Patient Record software for direct data entry by physicians using a keyboard-free pen-based portable computer.", "content": "This paper describes the data acquisition features of the PureMD Computerized Patient Record (CPR) software designed specifically for physicians. The physician uses a stylus to point, draw and handwrite on a Dynamic Dialog Interface that provides the same flexibility as the paper record and numerous other advantages. The clinical data thus entered is highly organized, easily legible and retrievable in many ways. The underlying Medical Knowledge Base (MKB) was optimized for rapid, intuitive and consistent data entry and automatic coding with minimum handwriting."}
{"id": "PMID:1482880", "title": "User-specific interfaces for clinical data-management systems: an object-based approach.", "content": "Multiple user-specific visual interfaces are desirable in any computer-based clinical data-management system that is used by different people with different jobs to perform. The programming and maintenance problems of supporting multiple user interfaces to a single information system can be addressed by separating user-interface functionality from data-management subsystems, and by building user interfaces from object-based software components whose functionality is bound to an underlying server-client data-management architecture. Experience with this approach in a patient-tracking system suggests that this object-based approach is viable in the design of a user interface for a clinical information system."}
{"id": "PMID:1482881", "title": "Integrating the UMLS into VNS Retriever.", "content": "We are developing a networked resource for the National Library of Medicine's Unified Medical Language System. We call this resource the UMLS Retriever, which is an instance of our VNS Retriever architecture. Our prototype user interface makes use of the Virtual Notebook System Browser. The development of a networked UMLS service will result in numerous advantages to our user community."}
{"id": "PMID:1482882", "title": "Development of a model of information security requirements for enterprise-wide medical information systems.", "content": "Information security methods developed within the narrow frameworks of operating system design, specific database models, and military security methods all concentrate on representation of the objects of access control, rather than on the information needs of the subjects. This approach does not adequately support the needs of the varied users of medical information systems, who must have access to information in support of multiple organizational roles. A new conceptual approach to access control in medical settings based on user requirements is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1482883", "title": "An evaluation of the source selection elements of the prototype UMLS Information Sources Map.", "content": "The Information Sources Map (ISM) is a component of the National Library of Medicine's Unified Medical Language System (UMLS) project. The ISM is intended to provide both human-readable and machine-interpretable information about the content, scope, and access conditions for various information sources such as databases, expert systems, and the organizations which make these information sources available. Automated source selection is supported by three types of indexing in the ISM: Medical Subject Heading (MeSH) terms and subheadings; Semantic Types from the UMLS Semantic Network; and Semantic Type Relations, which depict pairs of semantic types joined by a relationship chosen from the Semantic Network. This paper reports a study of the recall and precision of the source selection elements in the prototype version of the ISM."}
{"id": "PMID:1482884", "title": "The homogenization of the Metathesaurus schema and distribution format.", "content": "The third version of the UMLS Metathesaurus, Meta-1.2, to be released in October 1992, will have a simpler schema and simpler distribution formats than the first two versions, Meta-1.0 and Meta-1.1 released in October 1990 and 1991, respectively. For one thing, it will have only a single kind of entry (Concept), rather than three (Concept, Related, and Synonym). Further, the Relational Format, will consist of four logical relations, or tables, instead of the nearly three score different tables used to represent the same kind of information in Meta-1.1. These four tables will contain, respectively, (1) the names of each concept, (2) the relationships between concepts, (3) attributes of the concepts, and (4) a word-based index into the concept names. We argue that the new schema and formats provide a better conceptual model of the Metathesaurus, and represent the information contained there more uniformly. Even though these changes are incremental and evolutionary, both users and software developers should find the Meta-1.2 significantly easier to understand, and the information contained in it significantly easier to use."}
{"id": "PMID:1482885", "title": "Ongoing development of the Critical Care Information System: the collaborative approach to automating information management in an intensive care unit.", "content": "Point-of-care (bedside) clinical information systems can fulfill a variety of functions. Included in these functions are: becoming receptacles for patient data and allowing data to be manipulated into formats that facilitate clinical decision making; functioning as sources for billing and auditing processes; interfacing to other hospital systems and bringing distant data to the bedside; and being a repository for information used in the development of hierarchical and/or relational databases. The initial and ongoing development of these systems in a dynamic clinical environment requires the construction of processes and work pathways to ensure that the needs and requirements of myriad personnel, departments and agencies within the health center milieu are addressed."}
{"id": "PMID:1482886", "title": "An integrated multidepartmental hospital imaging system: usage of data across specialties.", "content": "Development of automated medical information systems requires knowledge about the utilization of the system; both for design and as feedback during the development process. One of the significant advantages of computer systems is that they can provide an automatic log of system utilization. This paper reports the first study of utilization data collected automatically in an integrated image environment. System monitoring indicates that images are routinely used in clinical care and clinical conferences. Selected images are shown repeatedly for teaching, demonstration, and reference at locations throughout the hospital. Images are viewed both by the collecting service when producing procedure reports and consultations, as well as by the treating physicians from other hospital services. Medical departments have developed image collection policies to meet their internal needs and the needs of treating physicians."}
{"id": "PMID:1482887", "title": "The Meta-1.2 engine: a refined strategy for linking biomedical vocabularies.", "content": "This paper presents a preliminary description of the database schema and associated procedures that are the foundation for the \"engine\" that will produce Meta-1.2. Meta-1.2 is the next incarnation of the Metathesaurus, which is one of the principal components of the National Library of Medicine's Unified Medical Language System (UMLS). We use the word \"engine\" as a generic term that includes a database and the programs that operate on it. While this design builds heavily upon previous work, it incorporates some major changes in philosophy. A major hypothesis is that the simple representation described here is suitable for any controlled vocabulary in the biomedical domain. Indeed, this hypothesis is central to a strategy for producing future versions of the Metathesaurus and for supporting collaboration with people who wish to contribute additional terms and relationships to the Metathesaurus. Another change involves the representation of classes and relationships. The revised database schema includes an explicit representation of the source or \"authority\" for relationships, which is analogous to the way that the sources of terms have been represented since the first version of the Metathesaurus. A sequence of steps utilizing the new representations to produce the Metathesaurus is presented."}
{"id": "PMID:1482888", "title": "The UMLS coverage of clinical radiology.", "content": "The informational content of clinical radiology reports was examined to determine the coverage of the Unified Medical Language System (UMLS) in relation to the terminology used by physicians in the Radiology Department of Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center (CPMC). The UMLS semantic network contained 17 semantic types which were compatible with the types of clinical information in the reports. The type of semantic categories missing from the UMLS consisted mainly of modifier information relating to certainty, degree, and change type of information. This type of information formed a substantial part of the domain. Although most of the informational categories were found in the UMLS semantic network, most of the domain terms were not. Our results strongly suggest that the UMLS could be a significant tool for developing clinical text processing applications if it were extended to cover clinical domains."}
{"id": "PMID:1482889", "title": "Information seeking by nurses during beginning-of-shift activities.", "content": "Information seeking by nurses at the beginning of a work shift is related to planning interventions and other patient activities. Subjects were observed for one hour following morning shift report. The most frequent type of information sought was medication schedules and other information related to medications. On average, nurses spent one-quarter of the first hour after shift report looking for and retrieving information. Nursing information, such as assessments and nursing summaries, required more time to retrieve than other types of information. Findings are compared to earlier research about nurses' information seeking."}
{"id": "PMID:1482890", "title": "GPSYCH: Clinical management software for a Geropsychiatry Division.", "content": "We have implemented a clinical management software system for an academic Geropsychiatry Division that allows us to gain many benefits of a computerized medical record system with minimal development and maintenance expense. We use brief electronic records to capture key information, combining coded and free-text formats. Data entry is fast and simple, readily accomplished by physicians during clinical rounds (for inpatients), or by clerk (from outpatient encounter forms). Sufficient clinical data is stored to be useful in patient management, and to support administrative and clinical research functions."}
{"id": "PMID:1482891", "title": "ROUNDS: a customizable HELP results review program for hospital staff physicians.", "content": "Physicians rely on the ready availability of clinical data such as laboratory results and procedure reports for the delivery of quality patient care. Such data may be obtained through telephone calls, printed reports or results review programs provided by hospital information systems, but the process is often time-consuming and laborious. To facilitate rapid access to critical patient data, an online M.D. Rounds Report program, ROUNDS, was developed as an adjunct to the HELP System at Rex Hospital. Qualified users may automatically obtain information on allergies and current medications, laboratory results, radiology reports and therapist notes for a list of patients without having to make additional menu or submenu selections. A detailed description of the M.D. Rounds Report program, along with a review of implementation objectives, physician evaluation, usage statistics, and the impact on future physician subsystem development, will be presented."}
{"id": "PMID:1482892", "title": "Patient discharge referral: interdisciplinary collaboration.", "content": "The INFORMM (Information Network For Online Retrieval & Medical Management) patient discharge referral form is interdisciplinary in scope. The initial automated form, implemented on 41 general inpatient care units as of December, 1991, involved the collaboration of the departments of Nursing, Social Services, Medical Records, and Patient Registration. As development proceeds, it is expected that other clinical disciplines will contribute additional data and information to augment and complement the content of the patient discharge referral form."}
{"id": "PMID:1482893", "title": "Rule set reduction using augmented decision table and semantic subsumption techniques: application to cholesterol guidelines.", "content": "Clinical practice guidelines must comprehensively address all logically possible situations, but this completeness may result in sizable and cumbersome rule sets. We applied rule set reduction techniques to a 576-rule set regarding recommendations for medication treatment of hypercholesterolemia. Using decision tables augmented with information regarding test costs and rule application frequencies, we sorted the rule sets prior to identifying irrelevant tests and eliminating unnecessary rules. Alternatively, we examined the semantic relationships among risk factors in hypercholesterolemia and applied a subsumption technique to reduce the rule set. Both methodologies resulted in substantial rule set compression (mean, 48-70%). Subsumption techniques proved superior for compacting a large rule set based on risk factors."}
{"id": "PMID:1482894", "title": "Computer assisted development of diagnostic expert systems. A domain-independent package (EMPTY) for acquisition and use of expert's medical knowledge.", "content": "The package EMPTY has been developed with the aim of providing a tool based on well assessed methodological principles which can support both the organisation and use of medical knowledge for diagnostic and educational purposes. EMPTY is domain-independent and results in two interactive programs: ASK guides the acquisition of medical knowledge and RUN supports medical decision-making and provides facilities for medical education. The knowledge bases developed on ASK have a standard formal structure: they include taxonomies, definitions and descriptions of diseases, clinical findings and investigations; production rules for activation and refinement of diagnostic hypotheses; frame-like profiles of diseases; and quantitative criteria for scoring the clinical evidence on the base of available data."}
{"id": "PMID:1482895", "title": "Graph-grammar productions for the modeling of medical dilemmas.", "content": "We introduce graph-grammar production rules, which can guide physicians to construct models for normative decision making. A physician describes a medical decision problem using standard terminology, and the graph-grammar system matches a graph-manipulation rule to each of the standard terms. With minimal help from the physician, these graph-manipulation rules can construct an appropriate Bayesian probabilistic network. The physician can then assess the necessary probabilities and utilities to arrive at a rational decision. The grammar relies on prototypical forms that we have observed in models of medical dilemmas. We have found graph grammars to be a concise and expressive formalism for describing prototypical forms, and we believe such grammars can greatly facilitate the modeling of medical dilemmas and medical plans."}
{"id": "PMID:1482896", "title": "Electronic imaging of the human body.", "content": "The Human Engineering Division of the Armstrong Laboratory (USAF); the Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology; the Washington University School of Medicine; and the Lister-Hill National Center for Biomedical Communication, National Library of Medicine are sponsoring a working group on electronic imaging of the human body. Electronic imaging of the surface of the human body has been pursued and developed by a number of disciplines including radiology, forensics, surgery, engineering, medical education, and anthropometry. The applications range from reconstructive surgery to computer-aided design (CAD) of protective equipment. Although these areas appear unrelated, they have a great deal of commonality. All the organizations working in this area are faced with the challenges of collecting, reducing, and formatting the data in an efficient and standard manner; storing this data in a computerized database to make it readily accessible; and developing software applications that can visualize, manipulate, and analyze the data. This working group is being established to encourage effective use of the resources of all the various groups and disciplines involved in electronic imaging of the human body surface by providing a forum for discussing progress and challenges with these types of data."}
{"id": "PMID:1482897", "title": "Representation of clinical data using SNOMED III and conceptual graphs.", "content": "None of the coding schemes currently contained within the Unified Medical Language System (UMLS) is sufficiently expressive to represent medical progress notes adequately. Some coding schemes suffer from domain incompleteness, others suffer from the inability to represent modifiers and time references, and some suffer from both problems. The recently released version of the Systematized Nomenclature of Medicine (SNOMED III) is a potential solution to the data-representation problem because it is relatively domain complete, and because it uses a generative coding scheme that will allow the construction of codes that contain modifiers and time references. SNOMED III does have an important weakness, however. SNOMED III lacks a formalized system for using its codes; thus, it fails to ensure consistency in its use across different institutions. Application of conceptual-graph formalisms to SNOMED III can ensure such consistency of use. Conceptual-graph formalisms will also allow mapping of the resulting SNOMED III codes onto relational data models and onto other formal systems, such as first-order predicate calculus."}
{"id": "PMID:1482898", "title": "PFGE MAPPER and PFGE READER: two tools to aid in the analysis and data input of pulse field gel electrophoresis maps.", "content": "Pulse field gel electrophoresis mapping is an important technique for characterizing large segments of DNA. We have developed two tools to aid in the construction of pulse field electrophoresis gel maps: PFGE READER which stores experimental conditions and calculates fragment sizes and PFGE MAPPER which constructs pulse field gel electrophoresis maps."}
{"id": "PMID:1482899", "title": "CHROMINFO: a database for viewing and editing top-level chromosome data.", "content": "CHROMINFO is a prototype database that is intended to serve as a liaison tool for researchers working in different centers on mapping of the same mammalian chromosome. It provides a bird's-eye-view of top-level entities on a chromosome (such as gene loci, chromosome breakpoints and contigs) and relates them to one another in one dimension, the axis of the chromosome. Consensus data can be entered, edited, queried and displayed in a variety of ways. Summary evidence for consensus data can also be stored and retrieved. Information may be downloaded from the Genome Data Base periodically, and order and distance information is then incorporated. The prototype of CHROMINFO was built for human chromosome 16. Versions have been created for several other chromosomes."}
{"id": "PMID:1482900", "title": "The SENEX Project: knowledge representation in molecular pathology.", "content": "SENEX is a computer program for students, educators, and research investigators in the domain of molecular pathology. The application allows an individual to ask a sequence of questions in a single interactive session, thereby facilitating the development and testing of several hypotheses in a short period of time. Graphical representations of molecules and molecular events help enable individuals to grasp spatial and functional relationships (and in the future, temporal relationships) among molecules, cellular compartments, and cell regions. Fairly simple but well-defined reasoning capabilities allow an individual to ask sophisticated questions and to predict novel molecular events or pathways. SENEX contains information about: 1) molecules and the motifs that impart function to these molecules; 2) molecular events; 3) cell-specific expression of genes; 4) disease processes. SENEX is being developed through object-oriented programming in a portable programming environment supported by COMMON LISP and the COMMON LISP INTERFACE MANAGER."}
{"id": "PMID:1482901", "title": "A method for publishing genomic maps.", "content": "We describe a method for the creation, manipulation and publication of physical human genome maps. Employing an \"intelligent\" document interface metaphor, our system uses a commercially available programmable document production system as an interface to primary genetic data resources and externally created mapping algorithms. Our document architecture distinguishes between primary data (usually obtained through database queries) and both manual and programmatic manipulations on these data. Our document architecture can be extended to accommodate a wide range of genetic and physical mapping problems. Because our approach is based on a widely available document preparation product, the principal focus of activity remains centered on the production of genomic maps that can be made available in a wide range of paper and electronic formats."}
{"id": "PMID:1482902", "title": "The findings--diagnosis continuum: implications for image descriptions and clinical databases.", "content": "As part of the Unified Medical Language System (UMLS) project, we have been exploring the use of semantic net representation to build a medical ontology that can adapt to the needs and perspective of differing kinds of users with varying purposes. A principal objective is to facilitate indexing and retrieval of objects in a variety of target databases, using their own source vocabularies, while maintaining the representation of concepts to which these source vocabularies refer in a single consistent form, so that retrievals that span resource types can be accommodated. In addition, a particular area of deficiency of the existing UMLS Metathesaurus is that of clinical findings, a part of the problem being the multiple alternative views and granularity levels at which clinical findings are described in different target databases. The problem is particularly obvious when one examines the way in which image findings are described, which may be at a purely perceptual level, or at varying levels of aggregation into higher level observations or interpretations. We have developed a recursive model for representing observations and interpretations in a semantic net along a continuum of degree of aggregation, that appears to lend itself well to adaptation to varying perspectives."}
{"id": "PMID:1482903", "title": "Enhancing the Metathesaurus with clinically relevant concepts: anatomic representations.", "content": "To create a comprehensive taxonomy for medical concepts it is necessary to identify gaps and reconcile differences that exist between clinical, bibliographic, and other source vocabularies. As part of the Unified Medical Language System project, we have proposed enhancements to the Metathesaurus by the inclusion of terms from two source vocabularies with different unique perspectives or views. This process has disclosed a number of issues that arise as complexity increases. These issues must be resolved if the resultant Metathesaurus is to support the variety of uses for which it is intended."}
{"id": "PMID:1482904", "title": "Representation of nursing terminology in the UMLS Metathesaurus: a pilot study.", "content": "To see whether the National Library of Medicine's Metathesaurus (tm) includes terminology relevant to clinical nursing practice, two widely used nursing vocabularies were matched against the Meta. The two nursing vocabularies are 1) the North American Nursing Diagnosis List of Approved Diagnoses; and 2) the Omaha System, a vocabulary of problems and interventions developed by the Omaha Visiting Nurses Association. First, the terms were scanned against Meta in their \"native\" form, with phrases and combinations intact. This produced a relatively low percentage of exact matches (12%). Next, the terms were separated into \"core concepts\" and \"modifiers\" and the analysis was repeated. The percentage of exact matches to terms in Meta increased to 32%. However, the semantic types of the split terms often were not equivalent to the semantic types of the phrases from which the split terms were derived; also, in some cases, terms returned as exact matches had different meanings in Meta. Automatic scanning for lexical matches is a helpful first step in searching for vocabulary representation in Meta, but term-by-term search for context, semantic type and definition is essential. However, it seems clear that representation of nursing terminology in the Metathesaurus needs to be expanded."}
{"id": "PMID:1482905", "title": "The clinical utility of META: an analysis for hypertension.", "content": "To evaluate the clinical completeness of the National Library of Medicine Metathesaurus(META), we coded the conceptual information found in 2000 problem oriented (SOAP) notes for hypertension from one COSTAR site. To minimize the effects of practice idiosyncracy, we analyzed an additional 500 notes from a second, geographically remote site. Concepts occurring at either site numbered 1337. We classified concepts occurring at both sites as core concepts and these numbered 121. We attempted to find a matching concept of the proper semantic type in META for each of the items. All matching was done by program with a manual review by a physician. The overall success rate for matching was: [table: see text] We observed the greatest frequency of unmatched concepts in physical examination, medications, symptoms, personal behavior, non-medical therapies and counselling. We conclude that the current release of META is not sufficiently rich to describe the process of care in the ambulatory management of hypertension. However, the construction and breadth of the current scheme holds promise for medical knowledge representation and translation."}
{"id": "PMID:1482906", "title": "A bidirectional ACR-NEMA interface between the VA's DHCP Integrated Imaging System and the Siemens-Loral PACS.", "content": "There is a wide range of requirements for digital hospital imaging systems. Radiology needs very high resolution black and white images. Other diagnostic disciplines need high resolution color imaging capabilities. Images need to be displayed in many locations throughout the hospital. Different imaging systems within a hospital need to cooperate in order to show the whole picture. At the Baltimore VA Medical Center, the DHCP Integrated Imaging System and a commercial Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS) work in concert to provide a wide-range of departmental and hospital-wide imaging capabilities. An interface between the DHCP and the Siemens-Loral PACS systems enables patient text and image data to be passed between the two systems. The interface uses ACR-NEMA 2.0 Standard messages extended with shadow groups based on draft ACR-NEMA 3.0 prototypes. A Novell file server, accessible to both systems via Ethernet, is used to communicate all the messages. Patient identification information, orders, ADT, procedure status, changes, patient reports, and images are sent between the two systems across the interface. The systems together provide an extensive set of imaging capabilities for both the specialist and the general practitioner."}
{"id": "PMID:1482907", "title": "Expert nurses' clinical reasoning under uncertainty: representation, structure, and process.", "content": "How do expert nurses reason when planning care and making clinical decisions for a patient who is at risk, and whose outcome is uncertain? In this study, a case study involving a critically ill elderly woman whose condition deteriorated over time, was presented in segments to ten expert critical care nurses. Think aloud method was used to elicit knowledge from these experts to provide conceptual information about their knowledge and to reveal their reasoning processes and problem-solving strategies. The verbatim transcripts were then analyzed using a systematic three-step method that makes analysis easier and adds creditability to study findings by providing a means of retracing and explaining analysis results. Findings revealed information about how patient problems were represented during reasoning, the manner in which experts subjects structured their plan of care, and the reasoning processes and heuristics they used to formulate solutions for resolving the patient's problems and preventing deterioration in the patient's condition."}
{"id": "PMID:1482908", "title": "Collaboration in task analysis for developing a database to record the essential clinical behaviors of nursing students.", "content": "This database for recording the Essential Clinical Behaviors of nursing students is the result of collaboration between nursing faculty and an instructional designer at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. The database was developed to aid nursing instructors in recording and tracking those student behaviors and skills essential to nursing education. The developers of the database are continuing to work toward the goal of having students record data and prepare reports. This would enable the students to be more self-directed in seeking appropriate and essential clinical experiences."}
{"id": "PMID:1482909", "title": "Curriculum planning and computer-assisted instruction (CAI) within clinical nursing education.", "content": "Some experts in nursing and computers have stated that the integration of the computer within nursing education needs to be planned. It has also been declared that there is a need for a body of knowledge that describes the planning and implementing of CAI and the degree of success with the implementation of CAI within nursing education. There is a paucity of literature addressing the planning, implementing, and evaluation of CAI within clinical nursing education. The purpose of this paper is to add to a knowledge base for the successful implementation of CAI within clinical nursing education. The information in this paper is based upon a two year study of CAI use within the clinical component of one course within a baccalaureate nursing program. A description of this approach to clinical nursing education is provided."}
{"id": "PMID:1482910", "title": "Supporting collaboration through a nursing informatics curriculum stage II.", "content": "Collaboration is at the center of the process used to design, implement and evaluate an integrated informatics curriculum in a baccalaureate nursing program. This paper describes the second stage of a process to design the informatics nursing courses. The challenges to foster faculty collaborative relationships as well as to enhance the course content of all nursing informatics curriculum. A number of strategies were used to develop the collaborative efforts between the faculty and nursing staff in the clinical agencies. Information technology was incorporated into the didactic and clinical portions of courses through the use of creative teaching strategies. Therefore, the faculty have ensured a blend of information, technology, and the clinical care process throughout the curriculum."}
{"id": "PMID:1482911", "title": "Integration of a stand-alone expert system with a hospital information system.", "content": "A stand-alone PC expert system for evaluating the appropriateness of inpatient admissions has been integrated with an existing hospital information system. The expert system supports preadmission screening for appropriateness of inpatient admissions. The HIS provides extensive clinical data in a coded electronic form, permitting high-level decision support. The integrated system was developed for a 20 week randomized clinical trial to evaluate the effects of preadmission screening on inappropriate inpatient admissions. Three factors of the integration are considered: programmatic integration of the expert system, seamless presentation of mixed platform applications, and integration of coded data from the stand-alone application into the HIS data structure."}
{"id": "PMID:1482912", "title": "The design of a rule-based clinical event monitor in a multi-vendor hospital computing environment.", "content": "The Clinical Event Monitor (CEM) described here is a prototype system designed to explore the issues involved in building an institutional CEM that permits rapid, automated evaluation of clinical transactions and notification to clinicians of exceptional events in a multi-vendor computing environment. The CEM uses expert systems, database, and systems integration techniques. Ancillary (departmental) applications, including as Patient Registration, Laboratories, and Pharmacy have been licensed from commercial vendors. Application-to-application and application-to-database interfaces were built to mirror subsets of the ancillary patient databases into an institutional relational database (Oracle). The CEM receives registration updates via an HL7 message and evaluates data dependencies in rules via an interface to the relational database. The CEM engine was built using Nexpert, a commercially available expert system shell. Our short term goals were to: (1) build and maintain a patient census within the expert system environment via net based HL7 update broadcasts; (2) explore the data-driven features of Nexpert, (3) deliver prototype exception reports. This paper describes in general terms the design features of the CEM and in detail the features of a patient registry to NEXPERT bridge (from Oracle via HL7 structured transactions to NEXPERT) and the delivery of exception reports."}
{"id": "PMID:1482913", "title": "Prevention of adverse drug events through computerized surveillance.", "content": "Adverse drug events (ADEs) are a serious health problem and are the leading adverse event experienced by hospitalized patients. Numerous hospitals have used different methods to improve the reporting of ADEs but few have undertaken studies aimed at the prevention of ADEs. We found that computerized ADE surveillance identified significantly more ADEs than our previous voluntary reporting method. Moreover, the computerized ADE surveillance system created a database of ADEs which allowed us to analyze the ADEs and design methods for prevention. We found that computer alerts of previously known drug allergies generated when drugs were ordered significantly reduced the number of type B ADEs, 56 vs 8 (p < 0.001). In addition, we found that the timely surveillance of ADEs combined with physician notification reduced the number of severe ADEs, 41 vs 12 (p < 0.001). Initial analysis of the ADE database has shown that on average patients with type B ADEs are hospitalized longer (17 vs 14 days) and have larger hospitalization costs ($30,617 vs $23,256) than patients with type A ADEs. Patients with severe ADEs also are hospitalized longer (20 vs 13 days) and have larger hospitalization costs ($38,007 vs $22,474) than patients with moderate ADEs. This indicates that the prevention and early treatment of ADEs can reduce the length of hospitalization and result in a considerable cost savings to the hospital."}
{"id": "PMID:1482914", "title": "Formalized decision-support for cardiovascular intensive care.", "content": "The massive volume of hemodynamic data routinely available within the Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit (CVICU) can adversely affect the quality, relevance and timing of hemodynamic management decisions on patients after cardiac surgery. Yet, at the same time, the lack of appropriate treatment-outcome data and access to prior CV case histories deprives the clinician of any opportunity to improve personal decision-making skill and assess the effectiveness of various treatment methods. This paper presents a formalized decision-support model for CVICU that incorporates expert and quantitative knowledge, as well as prior outcome and case experience to augment the clinician's decision-making capability. This includes the proposed use of optimal hemodynamic patterns derived from outcome analysis as therapy goals, expert rules and trend analysis to interpret incoming data, standardized protocols based on predefined hemodynamic patterns from clinical cases, and access to the database for similar case comparison. Most importantly, the model suggests an integrated approach where the clinical database is not only a documentation source for the patient, but can also serve as an outcome research database where clinical experience can be formalized and combined with expert knowledge to influence future therapy decisions. At present, a prototype is being developed at the CVICU of the University of Alberta Hospitals on a Unix platform using ART-IM, C and Ingres. Once implemented, the prototype will be evaluated on a small group of CV patients for its effectiveness and acceptability to clinicians."}
{"id": "PMID:1482915", "title": "Probability estimation for biomedical classification problems.", "content": "Suppose that we wish to know the probability that an object belongs to a class. For example, we may wish to estimate the probability that a patient has a particular disease, given a set of symptoms, or we may wish to know the probability that a novel peptide binds to a receptor, given the peptide's amino-acid composition. The conventional approach is to first use a classification algorithm to find partitions in feature space and to assign each partition to a class, and then to estimate the conditional probabilities as the proportion of patients or peptides that are correctly and incorrectly classified in each partition. Unfortunately, this estimation method often gives probability estimates that are in error by 20% or more, and thus can cause incorrect decisions. We have implemented and compared alternative methods. In Monte Carlo simulations the alternative methods are substantially more accurate than is the current method."}
{"id": "PMID:1482916", "title": "Combining logistic regression and neural networks to create predictive models.", "content": "Neural networks are being used widely in medicine and other areas to create predictive models from data. The statistical method that most closely parallels neural networks is logistic regression. This paper outlines some ways in which neural networks and logistic regression are similar, shows how a small modification of logistic regression can be used in the training of neural network models, and illustrates the use of this modification for variable selection and predictive model building with neural networks."}
{"id": "PMID:1482917", "title": "An application of least squares fit mapping to clinical classification.", "content": "This paper describes a unique approach, \"Least Square Fit Mapping,\" to clinical data classification. We use large collections of human-assigned text-to-category matches as training sets to compute the correlations between physicians' terms and canonical concepts. A Linear Least Squares Fit (LLSF) technique is employed to obtain a mapping function which optimally fits the known matches given in a training set and probabilistically captures the unknown matches for arbitrary texts. We tested our method with 16,032 texts from the Mayo Clinic, and judged the results using human-assigned answers. In a test for comparison, the LLSF mapping achieved a precision rate of 89% at 100% recall, outperforming alternative approaches including string matching (36% precision), string matching enhanced by morphological parsing (51% precision), and statistical weighting (61% precision)."}
{"id": "PMID:1482918", "title": "Comparison of different information content models by using two strategies: development of the best information algorithm for Iliad.", "content": "Iliad is a diagnostic expert system for internal medicine. Iliad's \"best information\" mode is used to determine the most cost-effective findings to pursue next at any stage of a work-up. The \"best information\" algorithm combines an information content calculation together with a cost factor. The calculations then provide a rank-ordering of the alternative patient findings according to cost-effectiveness. The authors evaluated five information content models under two different strategies. The first, the single-frame strategy, considers findings only within the context of each individual disease frame. The second, the across-frame strategy, considers the information that a single finding could provide across several diseases. The study found that (1) a version of Shannon's information model performed the best under both strategies---this finding confirms the result of a previous independent study, (2) the across-frame strategy was preferred over the single-frame strategy."}
{"id": "PMID:1482919", "title": "Reuse of knowledge represented in the Arden syntax.", "content": "Knowledge Data Systems is building a medical expert system for monitoring clinical events. This system uses the Arden syntax as a knowledge representation. Having encoded may different types of rules in the Arden syntax, we have noticed a number of shortcomings of the syntax. Many of these shortcomings originate from Arden's procedural orientation, from its failure to separate factual medical knowledge from knowledge of how the medical facts should be applied to a particular clinical situation. The absence of this separation leads to redundancy of knowledge and to difficulties in knowledge reuse. We suggest that standards for representing medical logic preserve this separation to engender knowledge reuse. We propose a general framework for representing medical logic which supports both knowledge sharing and reuse."}
{"id": "PMID:1482920", "title": "The MEDLINE Retriever.", "content": "Baylor College of Medicine has developed the MEDLINE Retriever, a tool to query MEDLINE, the data-base of medical literature at the National Library of Medicine. The MEDLINE Retriever communicates via the Internet to achieve excellent response time for MEDLINE queries. It uses the X Window System and the Motif toolkit, and employs the Knowbot Operating Environment developed by the Corporation for National Research Initiatives. We discuss the architecture of the MEDLINE Retriever, focusing on the graphical user interface that we have developed, as well as our experiences in developing and deploying the MEDLINE Retriever at Baylor. The MEDLINE Retriever is an extension of Baylor's IAIMS design concept that brought forth the Virtual Notebook System, and fits well with Baylor's aims with regard to the High Performance Computing Initiative."}
{"id": "PMID:1482922", "title": "Performance appraisal of online MEDLINE access routes.", "content": "To compare the performance and cost of 11 online MEDLINE systems with MEDLINE at Elhill. Comparative study. SYSTEMS: Eleven online daytime systems commercially available in North America offering the MEDLINE database. Number of relevant citations, number of irrelevant citations, proportion of searches producing no relevant citations and cost per relevant citation were analyzed for each system. Relevance and cost for each system were compared with direct searching of MEDLINE through NLM for librarian and clinician search strategies for 18 clinical questions. The citations retrieved by both strategies were pooled and rated for relevance on a 7-point scale. Numbers of relevant and irrelevant citations and cost per relevant citation were higher for clinician searches than librarian searches, reflecting the higher total number of citations retrieved by the clinician approaches. A lower proportion of clinician searches produced no relevant citations than librarian searches. Eleven daytime MEDLINE systems performed similarly in terms of retrieval and cost within similar searching groups. Clinicians, however, tended to capture larger overall retrievals resulting in higher numbers of relevant and irrelevant citations than librarians."}
{"id": "PMID:1482923", "title": "Grateful Med on an institutional local area network.", "content": "Grateful Med version 6.0 provides new features very desirable to network users. These include: a single copy of the application resident on a server providing access to many users; a new communications architecture which provides access to Medline via the Internet or local network modems; additional scripting capabilities allowing local customization. These new features reduce the overhead in installing and maintaining Grateful Med (GM), allow much quicker downloading of citations and abstracts from Medline, and remove the requirement of a local modem for each PC accessing Medline."}
{"id": "PMID:1482924", "title": "Developing a clinical hypermedia corpus: experiences from the use of a practice-centered method.", "content": "This paper outlines a practice-centered method for creation of a hypermedia corpus. It also describes experiences with creating such a corpus of information to support interprofessional work at a Primary Healthcare Center. From these experiences, a number of basic issues regarding information systems development within medical informatics will be discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1482925", "title": "Q & A: a query formulation assistant.", "content": "Inexperienced users of online medical databases often do not know how to formulate their queries for effective searches. Previous attempts to help them have provided some standard procedures for query formulation, but depend on the user to enter the concepts of a query properly so that the correct search strategy will be formed. Intelligent assistance specific to a particular query often is not given. Several systems do refine the initial strategy based on relevance feedback, but usually do not make an effort to determine how well-formed a query is before actually performing the search. As part of the Interactive Query Workstation (IQW), we have developed an expert system, Questions and Answers (Q&A), that assists in formulating an initial strategy given concepts entered by the user and that determines if the strategy is well-formed, refining it when necessary."}
{"id": "PMID:1482926", "title": "Using ethnography to build a working system: rethinking basic design assumptions.", "content": "The problem of user acceptance of knowledge-based systems is a current concern in medical informatics. User acceptance should increase when system-builders understand both the needs of potential users and the context in which a system will be used. Ethnography is one source of such understanding. This paper describes the contribution of ethnography (and an anthropological perspective) during the first year of a three-year interdisciplinary project to build a patient education system on migraine. Systematic fieldwork is producing extensive data on the information needs of migraineurs. These data call into question some of the assumptions on which the project was based. While it is not easy to rethink our assumptions and their implications for design, using ethnography has enabled us to undertake this process relatively early in the project at a time when redesign costs are low. This should greatly improve our chances of building a system that meets the needs of real users, thus avoiding the troublesome problem of user acceptance."}
{"id": "PMID:1482927", "title": "Involving patients in health care: explanation in the clinical setting.", "content": "The long-term goal of our research is to improve the overall effectiveness of physicians' time, by improving the information exchange between physicians and chronic-care patients, initially migraine patients. The computer system we are constructing has a partial knowledge base about migraines, common therapies, and common side effects of those therapies. The system consists of two main programs: data collection and explanation. The design of our system is based on empirical data concerning patients' information needs."}
{"id": "PMID:1482928", "title": "Concept graphics: a language for medical knowledge.", "content": "This paper makes a case for Concept Graphics, a novel form of medical knowledge representation. Concept Graphics are assemblies of icons each of which has a precise meaning. Individual icons are metaphors of the object or process they represent. Concept Graphics are analogs of pathological situations, their symptoms, signs and other relevant components necessary for a diagnosis. We propose three principal areas of application for Concept Graphics: medical education, medical records management and research based on medical records. Our earlier work in medical education showed a clear advantage in using Concept Graphics in parallel with text of equivalent information content, over text alone. A Concept Graphics based intelligent tutoring systems (ITS) is being developed. In the area of medical records management we are developing a system for the rapid identification of relevant records based on rapid visual screening. The Concept Graphics based system can reveal properties common to specific groups of records. As such the graphics are a research tool."}
{"id": "PMID:1482929", "title": "An object oriented approach to interpret medical knowledge based on the Arden syntax.", "content": "A method is presented where medical knowledge modules, written in the Arden Syntax, are used in a decision-support system (DSS). Knowledge modules are, after syntax-checking, translated into the object oriented programming language C++, compiled and linked to the DSS. The object oriented approach together with developed tools, such as knowledge editor and translator, makes it possible to implement the Arden Syntax and to get an efficient, easy-maintained DSS. Work on a prototype shows that this approach has several advantages when building a DSS where medical knowledge is represented in the Arden Syntax."}
{"id": "PMID:1482930", "title": "An interactive graphics information system for familial data.", "content": "GRIFFIN, an interactive graphics system for studying familial information, facilitates viewing of complex databases and introduces graphical representations of multivariate scalar data into a conventional pedigree display format."}
{"id": "PMID:1482931", "title": "Medical informatics and institutional strategy.", "content": "Programs in medical informatics can help academic medical centers make effective use of information technology. But to achieve the greatest strategic benefits from these programs, an institution must forge proper linkage between informatics and its overall effort to deploy computing in research, education and patient care. Here we explore this linkage and the ways in which it can be established and managed."}
{"id": "PMID:1482932", "title": "Work-sampling: a statistical approach to evaluation of the effect of computers on work patterns in the healthcare industry.", "content": "An increasing number of healthcare institutions are in the process of implementing clinical computing systems. The need for an accurate assessment of the clinical, administrative, social, and financial effects of such systems has been recognized. Techniques have been developed to evaluate these effects on the work patterns of healthcare workers including: 1) time-motion analysis, 2) subjective evaluations, 3) review of departmental statistics, 4) personal activity records, and 5) work-sampling. This manuscript reviews these techniques, discusses both positive and negative aspects, and presents a step-by-step description of work-sampling."}
{"id": "PMID:1482933", "title": "Informatics Workup.", "content": "We introduce the concept of a Medical Informatics Workup performed by fourth year medical students working in a busy inner-city Emergency Room. These students use portable computers (Macintosh PowerBook 170s connected to a removable cartridge hard drive and CD-ROM drive) to do the patient workups. The PowerBook 170 contains the automated medical record entry software (IMR-E), five expert system software packages, and a program that allows the PowerBook to emulate a PC-compatible computer. With this configuration the student has a portable system that allows for the creation of a computerized medical record at the patient's bedside, along with the ability to analyze the data and generate a list of differential diagnoses."}
{"id": "PMID:1482934", "title": "PC GI board review. A ToolBook application for postgraduate review of Gastroenterology.", "content": "\"Hypertext\" applications have become an important educational resource for medical teaching. ToolBook version 1.5 allows the import of SVGA 256 color, 640 x 480 pixel images. We developed a program for the review of Gastroenterology by Subspecialty Board applicants which included digitized pathology, endoscopy, dermatology, and radiology images interfaced with textual description. 5 cases were presented with 6 questions per case to test the user's comprehension of the material. A scoring function was included to give feedback to the users. An evaluation questionnaire was also completed to survey user satisfaction with the program. A similar \"shell\" could be applied to other teaching programs."}
{"id": "PMID:1482935", "title": "Digital patient records and the medical desktop: an integrated physician workstation for medical informatics training.", "content": "The Institute of Medicine and others have advocated a shift from a paper-based to an electronic medical record and many authorities have advanced the concept of a physician workstation that can provide access to a wide variety of both clinically and reference oriented medical information. We have developed a working model of an integrated physician workstation based on a graphically oriented \"Medical Desktop,\" for personal computers. This system gives the user access to much of the information necessary for the practice of medicine, by integrating an electronic medical record (notes, orders, consults, lab values, and radiological studies, organized both independently and in a \"Visual Chart\") with tools such as drug references, clinical manuals, textbooks of medicine, literature searching, expert system decision support, and electronic communication. It contains an on-line help system that facilitates use and allows access to all the systems' capabilities. This system has been used to teach students and physicians the methods and potential of computer-based medical information management to prepare them for the impact of computers in their practices and educate them concerning the imperative for the involvement of all health care providers in implementing these changes."}
{"id": "PMID:1482936", "title": "Increases in knowledge and use of information technology by entering medical students at McMaster University in successive annual surveys.", "content": "To determine self-reported microcomputer and information technology competency, access, and usage by entering medical students and their perceptions of the need for training in additional applications. Cross-sectional surveys of successive classes. McMaster University Faculty of Health Sciences Medical Undergraduate Program, which has a 33-month, problem-based, self-directed learning curriculum and a high applicant-to-student ratio. Medical school classes entering in 1987, 1988, and 1989. Response rates were 80%, 90%, and 86% respectively. A self-report questionnaire was sent to each student, with up to two follow-up letters to prompt a response. There was a progressive rise in reported information technology access and use for the three years. For the classes starting in 1987, '88, and '89 respectively, computer access was 29%, 49%, and 49% (P < 0.002 for linear trend), and, among those with computer access, modem access was 17%, 29% and 50% (P = 0.012). Self-service MEDLINE use on CD-ROM at the Health Sciences Library was 65%, 75%, and 89% respectively (P < 0.001) for all respondents within the first few months of starting medical school. Over 50% of each class stated they would take courses, if available, on clinical applications software, office management, online searching, filing, and CD-ROM searching. Half of the most recent entering students already had access to a personal computer and most wished to learn computer applications that would assist them with patient management, and with information access and organization. Medical schools need to address which applications they will teach or make available and how to bring all students to acceptable competency in their use."}
{"id": "PMID:1482937", "title": "Anticoagulation therapy advisor: a decision-support system for heparin therapy during ECMO.", "content": "We present a case study describing our development of a mathematical model to control a clinical parameter in a patient--in this case, the degree of anticoagulation during extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support. During ECMO therapy, an anticoagulant agent (heparin) is administered to prevent thrombosis. Under- or over-coagulation can have grave consequences. To improve control of anticoagulation, we developed a pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic (PK-PD) model that predicts activated clotting times (ACT) using the NONMEM program. We then integrated this model into a decision-support system, and validated it with an independent data set. The population model had a mean absolute error of prediction for ACT values of 33.5 seconds, with a mean bias in estimation of -14.3 seconds. Individualization of model-parameter estimates using nonlinear regression improved the absolute error prediction to 25.5 seconds, and lowered the mean bias to -3.1 seconds. The PK-PD model is coupled with software for heuristic interpretation of model results to provide a complete environment for the management of anticoagulation."}
{"id": "PMID:1482938", "title": "Drug delivery optimization through Bayesian networks.", "content": "This paper describes how Bayesian Networks can be used in combination with compartmental models to plan Recombinant Human Erythropoietin (r-HuEPO) delivery in the treatment of anemia of chronic uremic patients. Past measurements of hematocrit or hemoglobin concentration in a patient during the therapy can be exploited to adjust the parameters of a compartmental model of the erythropoiesis. This adaptive process allows more accurate patient-specific predictions, and hence a more rational dosage planning. We describe a drug delivery optimization protocol, based on our approach. Some results obtained on real data are presented."}
{"id": "PMID:1482939", "title": "An evaluation of explanations of probabilistic inference.", "content": "Providing explanations of the conclusions of decision-support systems can be viewed as presenting inference results in a manner that enhances the user's insight into how these results were obtained. The ability to explain inferences has been demonstrated to be an important factor in making medical decision-support systems acceptable for clinical use. Although many researchers in artificial intelligence have explored the automatic generation of explanations for decision-support systems based on symbolic reasoning, research in automated explanation of probabilistic results has been limited. We present the results of an an evaluation study of INSITE, a program that explains the reasoning of decision-support systems based on Bayesian belief networks. In the domain of anesthesia, we compared subjects who had access to a belief network with explanations of the inference results, to control subjects who used the same belief network without explanations. We show that, compared to control subjects, the explanation subjects demonstrated greater diagnostic accuracy, were more confident about their conclusions, were more critical of the belief network, and found the presentation of the inference results more clear."}
{"id": "PMID:1482940", "title": "ECG data compression by modeling.", "content": "This paper presents a novel algorithm for data compression of single lead Electrocardiogram (ECG) data. The method is based on Parametric modeling of the Discrete Cosine Transformed ECG signal. Improved high frequency reconstruction is achieved by separately modeling the low and the high frequency regions of the transformed signal. Differential Pulse Code Modulation is applied on the model parameters to obtain a further increase in the compression. Compression ratios up to 1:40 were achieved without significant distortion."}
{"id": "PMID:1482941", "title": "A needs analysis for computer-based telephone triage in a community AIDS clinic.", "content": "This study describes the complexity of the telephone-triage task in a community-based AIDS clinic. We identify deficiencies related to the data management for and documentation of the telephone-triage encounter, including inaccessibility of the medical record and failure to document required data elements. Our needs analysis suggests five design criteria for a computer-based system that assists nurses with the telephone-triage task: (1) online accessibility of the medical record, (2) ability to move among modules of the medical record and the triage-encounter module, (3) ease of data entry, (4) compliance with standards for documentation, and (5) notification of the primary-care physician in an appropriate and timely manner."}
{"id": "PMID:1482942", "title": "Object-oriented Information System in the HELIOS Medical Software Engineering Environment.", "content": "This paper presents the architecture of the Information System of HELIOS, a medical Software Engineering Environment. It is an object oriented framework for the development of medical applications which puts particular emphasis on tools and techniques favouring reuse of previous work and enhancing collaboration between developers."}
{"id": "PMID:1482943", "title": "The development of a virtual database to provide on-line access to a large archive of clinical data.", "content": "The archival database of the HELP Hospital Information System at LDS Hospital is too large to be stored on line. The archival data are important for clinical and research applications. Demountable disk packs have been used to store the archival database. This method of storage has four significant disadvantages. A virtual database was developed to overcome the limitations of this data-management scheme. This virtual database enables the transparent use of appropriate low-cost network-based storage technology to provide on-line availability of the entire archive of clinical data. The virtual database successfully resolves the problems associated with disk packs, and opens the door to enhanced use of the data for clinical and research applications."}
{"id": "PMID:1482944", "title": "The organization engine: virtual data integration.", "content": "The Organization Engine is an early example of Virtual Data Integration--providing the appearance of integration at the desktop without modifying existing infrastructure. Starting with the Organization Engine, eight programming days were needed to provide uniform desktop access to a CODASYL-compliant hospital information system and to a MUMPS-based radiology information system (the technique is equally effective for relational and other data bases). The resulting tool provides a seamless integration of these two systems, image storage, pre-recorded audio, and document storage. In addition to providing uniform access, the tool allows healthcare providers to organize the data to suit their individual needs. The ease of this integration lies in two simple techniques: the transformation of data from all sources into a single, homogeneous representation, and the use of simple customization files to describe new object types and formats. The approach is sufficiently general to allow the integration of applications which present external interfaces of radically different forms. Two such forms are discussed here: data map publication and transactions."}
{"id": "PMID:1482945", "title": "Computer-focused modification of physician prescribing behavior.", "content": "Prescribing data downloaded from the MUMPS-based hospital information system of the Department of Veterans Affairs has been used to target specific interventions aimed at changing physician prescribing patterns. Focused interventions aimed at specific groups of physicians, patients, clinics, and drugs have proven effective in reducing pharmaceutical costs by rationalizing prescribing patterns. The results indicate the potential usefulness of a microcomputer with a commercial database program in manipulating hospital information system data."}
{"id": "PMID:1482946", "title": "Evaluating drug prescribing in a large, ambulatory population: application of an embedded expert system.", "content": "DUR is a process of problem detection and intervention designed to improve the quality and economy of drug prescribing. Retrospective DUR attempts to detect and address patterns of prescribing that might be indicative of inappropriate therapy. When the process is extended to a largely ambulatory population such as Medicaid beneficiaries, a number of complications are introduced due to the large numbers of patients and sparsity of data. In order to examine the impact of implementing a Medicaid DUR program, we developed a system that would apply screening criteria to prescription claims. It has been used to screen prescribing of groups of two antihypertensive drugs in the 1990 Maryland Medicaid population for 177,409 Medicaid eligible individuals. Potentially significant problems were detected with respect to dosing, duplication of therapeutic agents and drug interactions. The system represents, we believe, a significant improvement in the ability to detect and report prescribing decisions by increasing the specificity of the detection system. By the application of this system to a set of real-world data, we have demonstrated that it is feasible to implement such a system and derive results that are potentially useful in reducing the incidence of inappropriate physician decision-making."}
{"id": "PMID:1482947", "title": "A critical appraisal of the literature on the effects of computer-based clinical decision support systems on clinician performance and patient outcomes.", "content": "To review the evaluations of computer-based clinical decision support systems (CDSS's). The literature collected in the MEDLARS, EMBASE, SCISEARCH and INSPEC databases was searched from 1974 to the present. The reference lists of relevant articles were reviewed as were conference proceedings. Prospective, controlled studies were included. Studies were rated for methodological quality. Study quality was assessed and data on study setting, subjects, method of allocation, and computer system were collected and verified using a structured form. There is considerable heterogeneity in both systems evaluated and design features of those systems. Future evaluations of CDSS's should focus on methodological issues in order to enhance overall quality of evaluations."}
{"id": "PMID:1482948", "title": "Continuous quality improvement and medical informatics: the convergent synergy.", "content": "Continuous quality improvement (CQI) and medical informatics specialists need to converge their efforts to create synergy for improving health care. Health care CQI needs medical informatics' expertise and technology to build the information systems needed to manage health care organizations according to quality improvement principles. Medical informatics needs CQI's philosophy and methods to build health care information systems that can evolve to meet the changing needs of clinicians and other stakeholders. This paper explores the philosophical basis for convergence of CQI and medical informatics efforts, and then examines a clinical computer workstation development project that is applying a combined approach."}
{"id": "PMID:1482949", "title": "An evaluation of concept based latent semantic indexing for clinical information retrieval.", "content": "Latent Semantic Indexing (LSI) of surgical case report text using ICD-9-CM procedure codes and index terms was evaluated. The precision-recall performance of this two-step matrix retrieval process was compared with the SMART Document retrieval system, surface word matching, and humanly assigned procedure codes. Human coding performed best, two-step LSI did less well than surface matching or SMART. This evaluation suggests that concept-based LSI may be compromised by its two-stage nature and its dependence upon a robust term database linked to main concepts. However, the potential elegance of partial- credit concept matching merits the continued evaluation of LSI for clinical case retrieval."}
{"id": "PMID:1482950", "title": "Coordinated delivery of clinical care: the \"re-integration\" of the medical group practice.", "content": "This paper suggests that for medical knowledge to be effective, it must be reliably translated into a series of synchronized activities, both clinical and operational. The goal of medical information science must be not only to identify the best course of care, but also through the use of systems for the ordering, scheduling, and deployment of staff and resources to assure that the planned course of care is reliably and efficiently delivered in actual practice settings. We present a brief history of several innovations in patient care coordination and logistics at Mayo Clinic to provide background for the main concepts presented. The principle of patient care coordination underlying this history of innovation is shown to have evolved into a new need for information systems capable of proactively effecting the delivery of care through patient, staff and resource deployment and monitoring."}
{"id": "PMID:1482951", "title": "Words, concepts, or both: optimal indexing units for automated information retrieval.", "content": "What is the best way to represent the content of documents in an information retrieval system? This study compares the retrieval effectiveness of five different methods for automated (machine-assigned) indexing using three test collections. The consistently best methods are those that use indexing based on the words that occur in the available text of each document. Methods used to map text into concepts from a controlled vocabulary showed no advantage over the word-based methods. This study also looked at an approach to relevance feedback which showed benefit for both word-based and concept-based methods."}
{"id": "PMID:1482952", "title": "The semantic structure of the UMLS Metathesaurus.", "content": "Meta-1.1, the UMLS metathesaurus, represents medical knowledge in the forms of names of concepts and links between those concepts. The representations of the semantic neighborhood of a concept can be thought of as dimensions of the property of semantic locality and include term information (broader, narrower, or otherwise related), the contextual information (parent-child, siblings in a hierarchy), the semantic types, and the co-occurrence data (links discovered empirically from concepts used to index the medical literature.) The degree of redundancy of each of these dimensions was investigated by reviewing the extent of multiple presentations of concepts which appear as related to a given concept. The degree of overlap was surprisingly small. While the co-occurrence data finds some of the links represented by other dimensions, those links are but minute fractions of the vast amount of co-occurrence derived links. Because parent-child relationships are often subsumptive (or categorical) in nature, it might be expected that siblings usually share the same semantic types. While true in the aggregate, the wide variance in percent of types shared may reflect the intended usages of the source vocabularies. Noun phrases were extracted from the definitions of 40 concepts in Meta-1 in order to assess systematically the coverage of important concepts by Meta-1, and to assess whether the links between these definitional concepts, which may have special value, and the concept being defined were indeed present. Out of 161 of these definitional concepts, 29 were not represented in Meta-1, and 37 of those represented in Meta-1 had no direct link to the concept they were defining.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1482953", "title": "How well does ICD9 represent phrases used in the medical record problem list?", "content": "We are considering using the International Classification of Diseases with Clinical Modifications, Ninth Revision (ICD9) as the basis for an automated problem list for a clinical information system. To determine physician satisfaction with an ICD9 representation of phrases used in the medical record problem list, we asked 6 physicians to evaluate ICD9 representations of 332 phrases taken from medical record problem lists, using a scale of 1(extremely dissatisfied) to 5 (extremely satisfied). The mean score was 3.0; intraclass correlation for 25 phrases given to all 6 evaluators was 0.47. In 45% of the phrases the physicians were dissatisfied with the ICD9 representation. In developing an automated problem list it is desirable to improve the level of satisfaction of clinician users above this level. This could be done by modifying ICD9, using a different vocabulary to represent the problem list, or improving the method of assigning ICD9 codes."}
{"id": "PMID:1482954", "title": "Collaboration between unlikely disciplines in the creation of a conceptual framework for nurse-computer interactions.", "content": "A unique conceptual framework for the study of nurse-computer interaction was created through the collaboration of two researchers in seemingly diverse fields: nursing informatics and developmental psychology. The framework depicts nurses and computers interacting in a system of mutual influences, exchanging information during a particular task, and proceeding on a developmental trajectory. The conceptual framework can help guide research within nursing informatics and help build a cohesive body of knowledge for the future."}
{"id": "PMID:1482955", "title": "Use of a neural network as a predictive instrument for length of stay in the intensive care unit following cardiac surgery.", "content": "A patient's intensive care unit (ICU) length of stay following cardiac surgery is an important issue in Canada, where cardiovascular intensive care resources are limited and waiting lists for cardiac surgery exist. A predictive instrument for ICU length of stay could lead to improved utilization of existing ICU and operating room resources through better scheduling of patients and staff. We trained a neural network with a database of 713 patients and 15 input variables to predict patients who would have a prolonged ICU length of stay, which we defined as a stay greater than 2 days. In an independent test set of 696 patients, the network was able to stratify patients into three risk groups for prolonged stay (low, intermediate, and high), corresponding to frequencies of prolonged stay of 16.3%, 35.3%, and 60.8% respectively. The performance of the network was also evaluated by calculating the area under the Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve in the training set, 0.7094 (SE 0.0224), and in the test set, 0.6960 (SE 0.0227). We believe the trained network would be a useful predictive instrument for optimizing the scheduling of cardiac surgery patients in times of limited ICU resources. Neural networks are a new alternative method for developing predictive instruments that offer both advantages and disadvantages when compared to other more widely used statistical techniques."}
{"id": "PMID:1482956", "title": "Automated acuity scoring within a computer based medical record.", "content": "This paper describes the initial development of a completely automated acuity scoring system that resides within the TMR bedside computing system at the Duke University Medical Center, Surgical Intensive Unit. The scoring system is based upon the APACHE II acuity scoring system and provides for the recalculation of acuity scoring at 12 hour intervals through the patient's ICU course. When comparing hand calculated versus computer generated acuity scores for 19 patients, discrepancies fell into three broad categories: 1) data available to the application differed from that available to the human scorer. 2) apparent transcription errors 3) data items lost or absent from the paper record. It remains to be determined if computer generated acuity scoring provides for a more accurate representation of the patient's acuity."}
{"id": "PMID:1482957", "title": "Optimizing staff scheduling by Monte-Carlo simulation.", "content": "DOCS is a computer program which generates the staff schedule. An accounting framework is combined with an optimization technique that searches for a schedule in which all accounts are simultaneously in balance. The search is accomplished using a Monte-Carlo process which shuffles staff within the schedule. The shuffling is biased according to each staffer's account balance: the staffer who owes the most is most likely to be scheduled."}
{"id": "PMID:1482958", "title": "A diagnostic system that learns from experience.", "content": "LiverSoar is a flexible knowledge-based system that can learn from its problem-solving experience in individual cases. Within an opportunistic abductive framework, it can diagnose liver diseases from findings in liver tissue biopsies. As more cases are encountered and more recognition knowledge is acquired, the system becomes prepared for most of the usual cases, hence solves them with less problem-solving effort. At the same time, it stays flexible enough to fall back to deliberative problem solving in more unusual cases if the acquired knowledge does not apply."}
{"id": "PMID:1482959", "title": "Towards unambiguous representation of patient data.", "content": "In the early eighties, the goal set for the development of computer-based patient records was the creation of patient records that were analogous to the paper record. In the Netherlands, where the number of physicians using computer-based patient records is steadily increasing, this strategy has been proven successful. Although these \"paper-like\" computer-based patient records were suitable for patient care, they were much less suited for other purposes. Experiments showed that the use of data for other purposes than those for which they were recorded, can only be performed reliably when these data permit unambiguous interpretation. Due to a physician's limited time there is a constant tension between benefit and effort. Therefore, we should not expect the physician to provide the large amount of additional information, required for unambiguous interpretation of his record. Many of the inferences made by physicians are based on general knowledge and do not require specific, patient related information. We have focused our research on the potential of using knowledge about concepts in the patient record, to infer information, that is implicit in the patient data. The paper discusses considerations with respect to possible strategies to elicit a maximum of information with a minimum of effort from the physician."}
{"id": "PMID:1482960", "title": "An approach to evaluating heuristics in abduction: a case study using RedSoar--an abductive system for red blood cell antibody identification.", "content": "Abduction, or inference to a best explanation, is a ubiquitous type of inference that is frequently used by humans in a wide range of tasks. However, many realistic domains have properties that make abduction computationally intractable (i.e., where the time to reach a solution increases exponentially with the number of possible explanations). We present a domain task analysis and performance evaluation of RedSoar, a plausible cognitive computational model of abduction, that accomplishes the antibody identification task in immunohematology. The task analysis reveals how a computationally intractable abductive problem, where one is seeking optimal solutions, can be reformulated to be a computationally tractable abductive problem, by seeking satisfactory rather then optimal solutions. From the satisfactory perspective, our evaluation framework of RedSoar's performance explores the computational benefits and costs of having directly available abstract hypothesis formation knowledge, and how a strong causal constraint between hypotheses and data reduces the combinatorial explosion of constructing a best explanation."}
{"id": "PMID:1482961", "title": "DentLE. The dental learning environment: a prototype.", "content": "The State University of New York at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine was awarded a 'Model Curriculum' grant through the USPHS Bureau of Health Professions Education. The award was provided in support of the School's ongoing effort to design a 'model electronic curriculum' for the health professions. The project's development is described from its grounding in critical thinking and problem solving to a discussion of its features including the organization of its knowledge base, the layout of its computer-based oral health record, and its navigation features."}
{"id": "PMID:1482963", "title": "Real problems: a layered approach to constructing a patient simulation.", "content": "We propose and have implemented a program, called \"Real Problems\", for the authoring of simulated patient encounters. This program uses a layered database approach to separate the unchanging sections of the program from the more patient-specific sections, so as to increase the speed of authoring. The user's interest is maintained through the use of graphics, sound and extensive feedback."}
{"id": "PMID:1482964", "title": "ATLAS-plus: multimedia instruction in embryology, gross anatomy, and histology.", "content": "ATLAS-plus [Advanced Tools for Learning Anatomical Structure] is a multimedia program used to assist in the teaching of anatomy at the University of Michigan Medical School. ATLAS-plus contains three courses: Histology, Embryology, and Gross Anatomy. In addition to the three courses, a glossary containing terms from the three courses is available. All three courses and the glossary are accessible in the ATLAS-plus environment. The ATLAS-plus environment provides a consistent set of tools and options so that the user can navigate easily and intelligently in and between the various courses and modules in the ATLAS-plus world. The program is a collaboration between anatomy and cell biology faculty, medical students, graphic artists, systems analysts, and instructional designers."}
{"id": "PMID:1482965", "title": "T-HELPER: automated support for community-based clinical research.", "content": "There are increasing expectations that community-based physicians who care for people with HIV infection will offer their patients opportunities to enroll in clinical trials. The information-management requirements of clinical investigation, however, make it unrealistic for most providers who do not practice in academic centers to participate in clinical research. Our T-HELPER computer system offers community-based physicians the possibility of enrolling patients in clinical trials as a component of primary care. T-HELPER facilitates data management for patients with HIV disease, and can offer patient-specific and situation-specific advice concerning new protocols for which patients may be eligible and the treatment required by those protocols in which patients currently are enrolled. We are installing T-HELPER at three county-operated AIDS clinics in the San Francisco Bay Area, and plan a comprehensive evaluation of the system and its influence on clinical research."}
{"id": "PMID:1482966", "title": "A protocol system to satisfy research specific, disease specific, physician specific, and patient specific informational needs.", "content": "The Department of Medicine at Loyola University Medical Center Chicago (LUMC) has developed and is utilizing a Patient Information Protocol System (PIPS) to address clinical and research informational needs. PIPS, an integrated module of the department's Patient Information Management System (PIMS), enables end-users to access pre-defined informational templates or \"protocols\". Protocols detail pre-defined data requirements for patient management or clinical research needs. Each protocol consists of a defined collection of protocol elements. Protocol elements belong to an object group which has several defined attributes (e.g. description, acceptable ranges or inputs, units, and grouping keywords). Approximately 3,500 protocol elements have been identified to define treatments/drugs, symptoms/toxicity, clinical labs, x-rays/scans, physical findings, and lesion groups. Utilizing protocols, PIPS permits end-users to selectively review or capture clinical information. Patients may have several active protocols. PIPS interacts with a specialized database gateway to permit automatic capture of clinical laboratories information, and with reporting systems to produce one of several \"chart-ready\", time-oriented protocol summary reports. Data extraction programs operate in conjunction with PIPS to facilitate exporting of data for statistical analysis. PIPS has been in operation for over 24 months and has 63 defined protocols (40 clinical research and 23 patient care)."}
{"id": "PMID:1482967", "title": "A clinical and research database management system for a geriatric nursing outreach program to rural elderly: purpose and general structure.", "content": "The need to systematically and comprehensively manage data to support nursing services asserts itself in all areas and contexts where nursing services are delivered to patients and families. While most applications have targeted inpatient nursing services, several systems to sustain ambulatory nursing care have been proposed as well. In this paper, we outline the purpose and general structure of a custom-designed computerized database management system to support the clinical, administrative, and research operations of a geriatric nursing outreach program in rural Virginia."}
{"id": "PMID:1482968", "title": "The TEAM evaluation approach to Project FAMUS, a pan-Canadian risk register for primary care.", "content": "The application of the TEAM--Total Evaluation and Acceptance Methodology--to the development of Project FAMUS--Family Medicine, University of Sherbrooke--is described. Project FAMUS is concerned with the establishment of a pan-Canadian risk register, the data being provided from a network of 800 family physicians distributed across Canada. Emphasis is on the first phase of the project and the overall evaluation strategy."}
{"id": "PMID:1482969", "title": "Health Care Plan's Nurse Advice System.", "content": "Staff model HMO's expend great effort in handling member phone calls. Health Care Plan, Inc. has developed a computer program to aid phone room nurses in their documentation and decision making processes. The Nurse Advice system has been successfully implemented in six of eight medical centers. By providing real-time access to patient clinical data, the quality of care and service is improved."}
{"id": "PMID:1482970", "title": "Computerized patient information under the Privacy Act: a regulatory effectiveness analysis.", "content": "Regulatory Effectiveness Analysis is a new technique for measuring compliance with a technological regulatory system. By examining the public policies, legal structures and technical tools involved in the regulatory system, it is possible to discover discontinuities which may result in non compliance with the regulatory system. This technique can be used to analyze the Veterans Health Administration's (VHA) actions under the Privacy Act."}
{"id": "PMID:1482971", "title": "FDA regulation of biomedical software.", "content": "A major problem faced by biomedical software developers and users is the complexity of the regulatory regimes confronting them. Of particular concern is whether, and to what extent, they are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the consequences of such regulation. Producers, distributors, and users of biomedical software often are unaware that FDA regulates many of these products as medical devices. Developers, vendors, distributors, or users of such software are subject to significant civil and criminal liability for noncompliance. This article explains the current regulatory requirements imposed on computer software developers and users by FDA, biomedical and some proactive strategies for avoiding adverse enforcement."}
{"id": "PMID:1482972", "title": "Decision support system and medical liability.", "content": "Expert systems, which are going to be an essential tool in Medicine, are evolving in terms of sophistication of both knowledge representation and types of reasoning models used. The more efficient they are, the more often they will be used and professional liability will be involved. So after giving a short survey of configuration and working of expert systems, the authors will study the liabilities of people building and the using expert systems regarding some various dysfunctions. Of course the expert systems have to be considered only for human support and they should not possess any authority themselves, therefore the doctors must keep in mind that it is their own responsibility and as such keep their judgment and criticism. However other professionals could be involved, if they have participated in the building of expert systems. The different liabilities and the burden of proof are discussed according to some possible dysfunctions. In any case the final proof is inside the expert system by itself through re-computation of data."}
{"id": "PMID:1482973", "title": "A history-taking system that uses continuous speech recognition.", "content": "Q-MED is an automated history-taking system that uses speaker-independent continuous speech as its main interface modality. Q-MED is designed to allow a patient to enter her basic symptoms by engaging in a dialog with the program. Error-recovery mechanisms help to eliminate findings resulting from misrecognitions or incorrect parses. An evaluation of the natural language parser that Q-MED uses to map user utterances to findings showed an overall semantic accuracy of 87 percent; Q-MED asks more specific questions to capture findings that were not volunteered, or that were unable to be parsed in their initial, open-ended form."}
{"id": "PMID:1482974", "title": "Augmented transition networks as a representation for knowledge-based history-taking systems.", "content": "Numerous history-taking systems have been built to automate the medical history-taking process. These systems differ in their control methods, input and output modalities, and kinds of questions asked. Thus, there has emerged no standard way of representing interviewing knowledge--the expert knowledge used to govern the sequence of questions asked in an interview. This paper discusses how we use an augmented transition network (ATN) to represent the knowledge of a speech-driven automated history-taking program, Q-MED, and how, more generally, ATNs could be used as a representation for any knowledge-based history-taking system. We identify three characteristics of ATNs that facilitate the use of ATNs in interviewing systems: explicitness, hierarchical structure, and generality."}
{"id": "PMID:1482975", "title": "The integration of a continuous-speech-recognition system with the QMR diagnostic program.", "content": "We describe a continuous-speech interface for Quick Medical Reference (QMR), which allows physicians to input spoken descriptions of physical-examination findings, or observations. We analyze the difficulties in designing a continuous-speech interface for systems that use medical terminology. We present a method for matching spoken findings names expressed in natural language to QMR terms. The method is based on a semantic representation of findings that both minimize the effect of misrecognition and derive grammars that are necessary for supporting the recognition process."}
{"id": "PMID:1482976", "title": "Improving the quality of emergency department documentation using the voice-activated word processor: interim results.", "content": "We examined whether voice-activated word processors provide an acceptable means for emergency physicians to create medical records. Our study addressed three areas of inquiry: whether physicians can be induced to try this new technology, whether they will continue to use it after outside technical support is withdrawn, and the factors contributing to adoption and substantial use of voice-activated computers by practicing emergency physicians. This paper presents findings from the first half of the study, reflecting physicians' reported experiences while receiving onsite training followed by technical support for three months after system installation. Based on preliminary assessments, the keys to successful use appear to include physician and group commitment, acceptance of a steep learning curve, and flexibility in adapting the computer software and/or practice habits."}
{"id": "PMID:1482977", "title": "A curriculum database with boolean natural-language searching in HyperCard.", "content": "A curriculum database including both natural-language and keyword searching was developed to assist faculty in curriculum research and reform. HyperCard (with extensions) on the Apple Macintosh provides a flexible single-user or networked environment for entering, indexing, searching and retrieving content in detailed faculty notes for the instructional activities in a four-year predoctoral curriculum."}
{"id": "PMID:1482978", "title": "Teaching pathology without lectures through computer-based exercises, small-group discussions and reading.", "content": "The Department of Pathology at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School teaches a 205-hour, one semester course to 150 second-year students in the fall semester of the second year. The course begins with General Pathology (4 weeks) and continues with Systemic Pathology (12 weeks). In 1986, lectures were eliminated as a means of conveying the course content. Students were expected to read the textbook and to participate in obligatory small group discussions. Extensive computer based self-learning materials were provided in both MS/DOS and Macintosh formats. In 1991, these computer resources included the full text of Robbins Pathologic Basis of Disease, extensive question banks and a guide through the Slice of Life Videodisc. Over the past 6 years this modified curriculum has been enthusiastically received by the students and faculty. Student performance on internal and external examinations has been excellent. Approximately 4% of the graduating students select pathology for their post-graduate training."}
{"id": "PMID:1482981", "title": "Direct physician entry of injury information and automated coding via a graphical user interface.", "content": "Injury data in the paper medical record are often inaccurate or lack adequate specificity to evaluate trauma patient care. To improve the quality of recorded injury data, we are testing a graphical, anatomic-based interface for quick collection of detailed injury information directly from the trauma physician. Navigation and data collection throughout the interface are facilitated by anatomic illustrations, menus, lists, and \"dialog boxes\". Using a \"point and click\" method, the user selects a specific anatomic structure (i.e., the spleen) from drawings. Detailed injury information, specific to the selected structure, is then collected from the user in an \"intelligent\" modal dialog box. The software uses SNOMED III nomenclature to create and store ICD, AIS, and trauma registry codes for each injury. Users can review and print abbreviated and detailed injury information for each patient. This demonstration will walk viewers through the injury collection and review process for injuries to the abdomen. We plan to evaluate the interface for accuracy, speed, user satisfaction and resources expended by comparing it with current methods of data collection and injury coding at our level I trauma facility."}
{"id": "PMID:1482982", "title": "Form-based clinical input from a structured vocabulary: initial application in ultrasound reporting.", "content": "Ultra-STAR (Ultrasound Structured Attribute Reporting) allows a sonographer to record reports using a hierarchic standardized vocabulary. Reports are constructed interactively by using checkboxes and radio buttons in a graphical user interface to select concepts from the vocabulary. Concepts are presented in small windows that open when needed to record further detail. Preliminary reports are printed for the referring physician. Reports are later finalized by an attending radiologist and uploaded to the hospital's information system. Clinicians involved so far prefer an outline report to a natural language format."}
{"id": "PMID:1482983", "title": "VA's Integrated Imaging System on three platforms.", "content": "The DHCP Integrated Imaging System provides users with integrated patient data including text, image and graphics data. This system has been transferred from its original two screen DOS-based MUMPS platform to an X window workstation and a Microsoft Windows-based workstation. There are differences between these various platforms that impact on software design and on software development strategy. Data structures and conventions were used to isolate hardware, operating system, imaging software, and user-interface differences between platforms in the implementation of functionality for text and image display and interaction. The use of an object-oriented approach greatly increased system portability."}
{"id": "PMID:1482984", "title": "PC CLIN-SIM: a toolbook based clinical simulation environment.", "content": "The Departments of Computer Medicine, Health Care Sciences, Medicine, and Electrical Engineering & Computer Science at the George Washington University have joined forces to create a clinical simulation program. The purpose of this program is to provide experience in the management of complex patient populations (eg geriatrics). A number of simulation programs are available commercially, however none provide adequate geriatric content, or were deemed to lack functionality important to the developers. The immediate goal of this effort was to create a computer-based, core curriculum in geriatric medicine for medical and allied health students. The curriculum includes case simulations linked to a comprehensive reference database. The development objectives were to create an intuitive, friendly, consistent user interface which could serve as a shell for additional content areas. In order to increase fidelity, free text entry and time simulation were included."}
{"id": "PMID:1482986", "title": "PathPics: an image-based instructional program used in the pathology and histology curriculum and transmitted over a wide area network.", "content": "PathPics is an image review and tutorial program developed at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine as an adjunct to the preclinical Pathology and Histology curriculum. It incorporates faculty expertise and provides a framework for self-paced study of this visually-oriented material. The program is served over our wide area network and runs on color-capable Macintosh computers. PathPics was added to the curriculum in January, 1992, and has been enthusiastically received by the students."}
{"id": "PMID:1482987", "title": "Images in Rheumatology: a multimedia program for medical education.", "content": "In recent years, undergraduate medical education has benefited from the use of computer-based instructional programs. However, in the case of clinical and postgraduate medical education there is a scarcity of such programs, particularly those with access to high-resolution images. Having a fundamental knowledge base of disease-associated images is crucial for the physicians during the diagnostic process. To fill this gap in clinical instruction in the rheumatic diseases, Images in Rheumatology was developed. By using a hypertext format, one may select representative color images of a clinical disease or view x-ray changes typical for one of the rheumatic disorders. In addition, for each displayed image there is an associated sound-bite which explains in detail what abnormalities are present and how the user may differentiate the disease being viewed from other illnesses. An extensive review element is also included so that one can assess their fundamental knowledge of rheumatologic images. The Images in Rheumatology program has been implemented in the DOS (IBM Microchannel). and Windows environments."}
{"id": "PMID:1482988", "title": "Physician use of an NICU laboratory reporting system.", "content": "Clinical workstation developers may gain useful insights from studies of physician acceptance and use of computer systems that have been incorporated into daily practice. We used a physician survey, intrinsic monitors built into the system and an observational study to assess physician acceptance and use of a touchscreen workstation that was put in place in an NICU in 1985. Each of the 87 physicians assigned to the 30 bed NICU during the two academic years beginning July, 1987 was sent a questionnaire that assessed experience and attitudes about the system. The 70 responding physicians (80 percent) were unanimous in agreeing or strongly agreeing that the system was \"easy to learn\" (57 reported it taking less than five minutes), \"easy to use\", and \"integrates smoothly into patient care activities\". Over 94 percent of the physicians agreed or strongly agreed that the system was \"fast\", \"saves time\", and was \"reliable and dependable.\" Sixty-three of the responding physicians (90%) reported using the system two or more times a day with 53 using it more than five times daily. The most frequently requested new feature was that of time-trend graphs (51 occurrences). The intrinsic monitors were useful in validating design decisions and survey results but also provided new insights relevant to security issues. Similarly, the observation study reinforced some of the survey results but also highlighted an additional issue not brought out by the other two assessment methods. The overall assessment indicated that the system has been both well-accepted and well-used by its intended clinical clientele."}
{"id": "PMID:1482989", "title": "DentLE. The Dental Learning Environment: a prototype demonstration.", "content": "DentLE, the Dental Learning Environment is a hypermedia software system being prototyped as part of a research and development project at the State University of New York at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine. The design seeks to reach beyond single discipline software or cases, and integrate a range of patient problems within a comprehensive dental knowledge base. The approach is to use computer and hypermedia technology to weave together the disciplines of dentistry so that learning occurs in relation to patients, as they appear in the real world. The DentLE system prototype allows the learner to explore information in all the disciplines related to patient problems, as well as other information including \"blind alleys\" and results of curiosity."}
{"id": "PMID:1482991", "title": "Testing spatial understanding of anatomy.", "content": "A system was designed to test the medical student's ability to recognize and locate anatomical cross-sections. The computer was used to prepare the data, present the test and track the user's responses. The nature of the test was such that it could be prepared, presented and used much more easily on the computer than on paper. The system was used successfully by anatomists and medical students."}
{"id": "PMID:1482992", "title": "Implementing guidelines in ambulatory practice.", "content": "As we understand the process of ambulatory care better, the need to effectively implement standards of practice becomes more apparent. To facilitate successful use of practice guidelines, we have integrated an artificial intelligence system of Medical Logic Modules into our computerized medical record. A rule shell allows rapid development and prototyping of rules which can be practice reminders, information gathering utilities, or standing orders. A set of utilities allows non-programmer clinicians to develop and maintain the rule set. We will demonstrate these enhancements in the context of the comprehensive patient record."}
{"id": "PMID:1482993", "title": "The MEDLINE Button.", "content": "We have developed a computerized method for performing bibliographic searches directly from patient data involving five steps: 1) identifying specific patient data which raises a question in the mind of the user, 2) selection (from a list of generic questions) of a small number of questions which fit the selected patient data, 3) automated translation of the patient data into appropriate terms used for bibliographic indexing, 4) conversion of the question selected by the user into a search strategy, and 5) transfer of the search strategy to a search engine for a bibliographic database. We have modified the Columbia-Presbyterian Clinical Information System to experiment with this method. The first implementation converts patient diagnoses and procedures coded in ICD9-CM into Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) and searches Medline using BRS/Onsite. Challenges include development of a useful set of generic questions and translation from ICD9-CM to MeSH using the Unified Medical Language System (UMLS)."}
{"id": "PMID:1482994", "title": "Health care informatics research implementation of the VA-DHCP Spanish version for Latin America.", "content": "The VA DHCP, hospital computer program represents an integral solution to the complex clinical and administrative functions of any hospital world wide. Developed by the Department of Veterans Administration, it has until lately run exclusively in mainframe platforms. The recent implementation in PCs opens the opportunity for use in Latinamerica. Detailed description of the strategy for Spanish, local implementation in Colombia is made."}
{"id": "PMID:1482995", "title": "MailMinder: taming DHCP's mailman interface.", "content": "While the Department of Veteran's Affairs Decentralized Hospital Computer Program (DHCP) is one of the most widely disseminated and successful hospital information systems in existence, it currently is accessed through a user interface which is not as mature as the rest of the system. This interface is a VT-100 compatible, character oriented interface using menus accessed by typed commands for feature access. This project demonstrated that a mature graphical user interface (MailMinder) can be successfully used as a \"front-end\" to DHCP. MailMinder is completely compatible with the existing unmodified DHCP electronic mail program, Mailman. MailMinder allows the user to be more efficient than the current interface and offers additional features over the current mail system. The program has undergone evaluation and limited deployment at five separate sites. The feature set of this program and its operation will be shown at this demonstration. The demonstration has implications for all current hospital information systems."}
{"id": "PMID:1482996", "title": "M NET: a statewide referring physician computer network.", "content": "M NET, the Referring Physician Computer Network, is a joint project between the University of Michigan Medical Center (UMMC) and IBM. A graphical user interface was developed to allow referring physicians easy access to a variety of patient, clinical, and institutional data. File transfer mechanisms were created and current clinical database files and programs were enhanced and restructured to facilitate remote data transmission. M NET is currently installed in referring physician office sites across the state, with additional physician sites identified and program enhancements under development."}
{"id": "PMID:1482997", "title": "A cost effective expert system to assist physicians: epileptologists' assistant.", "content": "While medical expert systems helped demonstrate that artificial intelligence was possible, few medical systems have been heralded as practical successes. We believe that expert systems will be practical successes if they cost effectively handle most of a physician's workload (i.e., routine care). To accomplish this goal, technology must appear invisible to the user; the system must be intuitive and anticipate users' needs. \"Epileptologists' Assistant\" is an example of our approach of combining a graphical user interface with an expert system and data base in a system to help in a routine specialty clinic. The goal is for two nurses and a physician to handle the workload of three physicians while increasing the quality of care. The current system reduces physician time by 66%. Our ultimate goal is to create a unified family of systems for medical specialties."}
{"id": "PMID:1482998", "title": "AIDA: an automated insulin dosage advisor.", "content": "A prototype computer system utilising a model of carbohydrate metabolism linked to an expert system is described. The prototype which integrates quantitative and qualitative computational methodologies can be used to predict blood glucose profiles and adjust insulin doses in type I diabetic subjects."}
{"id": "PMID:1482999", "title": "CompuLung: a multimedia CBL on pulmonary auscultation.", "content": "Cardio-pulmonary auscultation, a time honored art, is suffering a declining interest caused by competing diagnostic technology and inadequate training of physicians. Overreliance on diagnostic technology is expensive, not cost-effective and bound to lead to loss of our clinical heritage. We need novel methods to teach and revive this art. Computer-Based Learning (CBL), particularly multimedia supporting graphics plus sound-and-motion pictures, appears to be ideally suited for teaching and sharpening this skill. We present in this paper a multimedia CBL (\"CompuLung\"), that provides the user with a comprehensive and interactive tutorial on pulmonary auscultation."}
{"id": "PMID:1483001", "title": "Interactive query workstation: a demonstration of the practical use of UMLS knowledge sources.", "content": "The Interactive Query Workstation (IQW) has been developed to provide clinicians with a uniform program interface for retrieving medical-related information from various computer-based information resources. These resources can vary in content (bibliographic databases, drug information, general medical text databases), function (article retrieval, differential diagnosis, drug interaction detection, or drug dosage and administration information), and media formats (local hard disk, CD-ROM, local area network, or distant telecommunication link). IQW allows modular addition of new resources as well as extension of previously installed resources. The National Library of Medicine's three Unified Medical Language System (UMLS) Knowledge Sources, the Metathesaurus (Meta), the Semantic Network, and the Information Sources Map (ISM) have been incorporated into many aspects of IQW. Meta provides information about medical terminology and aids IQW in isolating the basic concepts from a clinician's question. The Semantic Network provides information about the categorization of concepts and possible relations between concepts. It also assists IQW in determining which queries are appropriate for a set of concepts contained in the clinician's question. The ISM provides information about the content available from a computer-based resources and aids IQW in selecting an appropriate resource from which to collect information. The computer-based resource selection is performed without user intervention. This interactive demonstration shows an environment which increases the accessibility of medical information to clinicians by utilizing the three UMLS Knowledge Sources."}
{"id": "PMID:1483002", "title": "Professional DOC (PDOC): a software environment for authoring and consulting of electronic documentation. INTERACTIVE DIAGNOSIS and THERAPY: a medical application.", "content": "Professional DOC (PDOC) is a software environment for electronic documentation authoring and consulting based on the Hypermedia technology. It allows to manage different kinds of information (pictures, sounds, texts, graphics, video) organized according to hyperstructures. The user-friendliness and effectiveness of its man-machine interface, and its availability on the most common hardware platforms makes it a suitable product for a very broad category of users. INTERACTIVE DIAGNOSIS AND THERAPY is an electronic medical book designed to help general practitioners to make diagnosis and treat patients in their daily clinic practice."}
{"id": "PMID:1483003", "title": "Computer-assisted diagnosis and teaching of disorders of electrolyte, acid-base, and water metabolism.", "content": "Application of the tools of graphics, animation, sound and hypertext integrated with expert knowledge may help overcome the difficulties in teaching electrolyte and acid-base metabolism and its disorders. Using the Macintosh computer and the application, Hypercard we have developed two related programs with the following characteristics. Each contains graphic maps, consisting of a nomogram for plasma pH, PCO2 and HCO3 with zones representing physiological adaptation for each acid-base disorder (the Acid-Base map), and a nomogram illustrating relationships between plasma [Na+] and osmolality in hypo- and hypernatremic and hypo- and hypertonic states (the Sodium-Osmolality map). These are incorporated graphically and mathematically into each of the two Hypercard programs: The Acid-Base Diagnostician and The Osmotic Diagnostician. In the diagnostic module of each program, a differential diagnosis is developed for each of several zones on each map and, after obtaining additional user-entered clinical information, the program applies the relevant expert algorithms and presents the most likely diagnosis and differential diagnosis on screen and in printout. Each program has a teaching module involving text, hypertext, color graphics, digitized speech, and animation which demonstrate and discuss normal physiology, pathophysiology, and diagnostic criteria. The comprehensiveness and flexibility of the programs enable use by students at all levels, residents in medical and surgical disciplines, and physicians in many specialties."}
{"id": "PMID:1483004", "title": "Computer-based multimedia in plastic surgery education.", "content": "Rapid developments in communications networks (cellular telephone, direct-link satellite, and international high-speed computer nets) and the continued success of affordable powerful personal computers (desktop, laptop and soon \"palmtop\" devices) have set the stage for educational materials accessible by electronic means. Computer-based multimedia are sophisticated audiovisual teaching materials built from digitized illustrations, photographs, audio and video recordings viewed by display on a computer screen. The computer interface allows interactive access to information, and connectivity to other sources of information. Computer programmability allows presentation of a single collection of information at different levels of sophistication (the \"patient\", \"medical student\" or \"surgeon trainee\" level, for example), to appeal to different viewer needs. The information may be electronically updated or changed whenever appropriate. This desktop exhibit demonstrates multimedia plastic surgery teaching materials with full-fidelity digital sound, three-dimensional computer graphics, and \"picture-in-picture\" video capabilities that we have developed since 1989. We have used these materials at St. Louis University for patient informed consent, and the education of medical students and surgical trainees. We are excited that similar multimedia teaching materials are now becoming commercially available in other fields of medical education, attesting to broadening interest among educators and publishers."}
{"id": "PMID:1483005", "title": "A multipurpose teaching workstation using expert systems, CD ROM and interactive laserdisc.", "content": "This demonstration shows a multipurpose workstation used in a clinical teaching application which combines currently available software suitable for clinical diagnosis and teaching. The medical software includes QMR, Scientific American Medicine, the Slice of Life and generic video laserdisc authoring software developed at the University of Ottawa. The system allows a clinical instructor either in an individual or in a small group teaching setting on a ward or in a classroom, to access high quality differential diagnosis information via QMR, which is then supplemented by the text components of Scientific American Medicine on CD ROM, with video laserdisc of the appropriate anatomy, imagery and pathology provided by one of the various laserdiscs. The generic authoring software allows the instructor or students to construct subject related tutorial or testing modules either with or without video laserdisc support. The workstation uses DESQview as the multitasking environment to control the various resources. This program allows easy transfer from one application to another and allows for marking and pasting of text material into a study document. DESQview can also be used to script a specific learning sequence. The demonstration will show the interaction required to study a specific clinical problem and how this can be made into a meaningful multimedia experience with hardcopy for study purposes."}
{"id": "PMID:1483006", "title": "HTRAK, a computerized health maintenance tracking system for primary care.", "content": "This presentation describes a computerized health maintenance tracking system for primary care designed to be linked to the practice billing system. Providers enter health maintenance data along with billing data on an encounter form. Physician and patient reminders are generated once a year for all patients regardless of appointment status. Multiple entry options are available and the frequency of procedures can be varied for individual patients. Summary reports are generated to assist compliance and quality assurance."}
{"id": "PMID:1483007", "title": "The Oncology Clinical Information System.", "content": "This presentation provides an overview of the functions of the Oncology Clinical Information System (OCIS) focusing on three new applications. The first part of the presentation will describe the structure of OCIS and show the basic clinical decision-support aspects of the system on-line. The second part of the presentation will provide on-line demonstrations of three new applications: a sophisticated blood products ordering systems, a chemotherapy and treatment scheduling system, and a radiation therapy scheduling system."}
{"id": "PMID:1483010", "title": "HyperOncology: demonstration of an evolving comprehensive hypermedia-based workstation for the radiation oncologist.", "content": "HyperOncology is a prototype hypermedia-based workstation designed for the practicing radiation oncologist. Individual patient records consist of linked demographic, clinical history, presentation, staging, course, laboratory and treatment data. Searching and sorting capabilities, navigational aids, information printing and archiving, plotting capability, and graphics and updating tools are available. Upon integration with an evolving knowledge base, HyperOncology will eventually become a comprehensive clinical database and information retrieval system in the specialty of radiation oncology."}
{"id": "PMID:1483011", "title": "Text-interpreter language for flexible generation of patient notes and instructions.", "content": "An interpreted computer language has been developed along with a windowed user interface and multi-printer-support formatter to allow preparation of documentation of patient visits, including progress notes, prescriptions, excuses for work/school, outpatient laboratory requisitions, and patient instructions. Input is by trackball or mouse with little or no keyboard skill required. For clinical problems with specific protocols, the clinician can be prompted with problem-specific items of history, exam, and lab data to be gathered and documented. The language implements a number of text-related commands as well as branching logic and arithmetic commands. In addition to generating text, it is simple to implement arithmetic calculations such as weight-specific drug dosages; multiple branching decision-support protocols for paramedical personnel (or physicians); and calculation of clinical scores (e.g., coma or trauma scores) while simultaneously documenting the status of each component of the score. ASCII text files produced by the interpreter are available for computerized quality audit. Interpreter instructions are contained in text files users can customize with any text editor."}
{"id": "PMID:1483012", "title": "SCUT: clinical data organization for physicians using pen computers.", "content": "The role of computers in assisting physicians with patient care is rapidly advancing. One of the significant obstacles to efficient use of computers in patient care has been the unavailability of reasonably configured portable computers. Lightweight portable computers are becoming more attractive as physician data-management devices, but still pose a significant problem with bedside use. The advent of computers designed to accept input from a pen and having no keyboard present a usable computer platform to enable physicians to perform clinical computing at the bedside. This paper describes a prototype system to maintain an electronic \"scut\" sheet. SCUT makes use of pen-input and background rule checking to enhance patient care. GO Corporation's PenPoint Operating System is used to implement the SCUT project."}
{"id": "PMID:1483013", "title": "Development of the cardiovascular system: an interactive video computer program.", "content": "The major aim of this project is to provide interactive video computer based courseware that can be used by the medical student and others to supplement his or her learning of this very important aspect of basic biomedical education. Embryology is a science that depends on the ability of the student to visualize dynamic changes in structure which occur in four dimensions--X, Y, Z, and time. Traditional didactic methods, including lectures employing photographic slides and laboratories employing histological sections, are limited to two dimensions--X and Y. The third spatial dimension and the dimension of time cannot be readily illustrated using these methods. Computer based learning, particularly when used in conjunction with interactive video, can be used effectively to illustrate developmental processes in all four dimensions. This methodology can also be used to foster the critical skills of independent learning and problem solving."}
{"id": "PMID:1483014", "title": "CHARTLINE: providing bibliographic references relevant to patient charts using the UMLS Metathesaurus Knowledge Sources.", "content": "A successful medical informatics program helps its users to match their information needs as closely and efficiently as possible to the capabilities of the system. CHARTLINE is a computer program whose input is a free text, \"natural language\" patient chart in ASCII format. Using the UMLS Metathesaurus Knowledge Sources, CHARTLINE can suggest bibliographic references relevant to the patient case described in the chart. The program does not attempt to \"understand\" the natural language content of the chart. CHARTLINE only recognizes UMLS Metathesaurus Main Concept terms (or their synonyms) as they occur in the medical text, since those terms represent the tokens used to index the literature. The program depends on user feedback to determine which topics of a large number of potentially relevant subjects are of interest to the user."}
{"id": "PMID:1483015", "title": "SCOUT: information retrieval from full-text medical literature.", "content": "SCOUT is an expert system designed to aid the practicing physician in searching a full-text database of biomedical literature for information in the domain of oncology. In the clinical setting, an information-retrieval system needs to provide only a few relevant documents that address a patient-specific query. SCOUT models the expertise of an oncologist and an information specialist in a probabilistic inference system; it applies expert heuristics both in selecting the best source of information for a particular question and in developing an effective, source-specific search statement that retrieves only a minimal number of pertinent documents."}
{"id": "PMID:1483016", "title": "Design of an easy-to-use physician order entry system with support for nursing and ancillary departments.", "content": "The Brigham Integrated Computing System (BICS) provides a broad range of clinical and administrative data-management functions for Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH), a 720-bed major urban teaching hospital. We describe here the development of an inpatient order-entry system (BICS-OE) which is fully integrated into the BICS clinical environment. BICS-OE uses direct entry of orders by physicians to improve order response time and minimize transcription problems. BICS-OE includes a number of novel features to enhance its acceptance by physician users and its benefit to clinical practice in the hospital. Dual-mode input gives users a choice of full-screen assistance with ordering, or an intelligent text mode which provides rapid entry of orders by direct typing. An automated primary/on-call coverage by direct typing. An automated primary/on-call coverage list directs patient alerts and cosigning requests to the proper physician. Variable order sets allow a large group of orders to be stored and entered rapidly, even when some of the orders may change for different conditions. Multitasking allows the user to check prior orders and labs while concurrently entering new orders. The system permits a wide range of order checking and alerts."}
{"id": "PMID:1483018", "title": "The influence of high technology care on patients, their relatives and nurses.", "content": "This article focuses on the potentially dichotomous relationship of caring for critically ill patients in a high technology environment. Does technology enhance or hinder the quality of patient care delivered by nurses in such an environment? The discussion within this article is initially at a societal level before focusing at an interpersonal level within a specific care setting. The author argues for finding a balance between high technology and humanity within the intensive care environment by highlighting the psychological impact that this may have on patients, relatives and nurses. Guidance as to how a balance may be achieved is also provided. Technology is an explicit theme within the text, whilst the concept of power that technology holds is discussed in an implicit manner."}
{"id": "PMID:1483019", "title": "Central venous catheter-related infection and dressing type.", "content": "Localised infection and septicaemia are recognised complications of central venous catheterisation. This paper investigates the influence of dressing type on rates of infection by a review of published literature. Semi-permeable transparent dressings are widely used but evidence is accumulating that they increase the risk of infection as compared to dry gauze dressings."}
{"id": "PMID:1483020", "title": "Using the Mead model as a framework for nursing care.", "content": "A model of nursing has no valid purpose unless it serves nurses to help make their nursing better (Fawcett, 1989). The Mead model formed the basis for nursing care of Jason, a young patient who sustained a head injury, a puncture wound and lacerations to his face, in the study presented here. Examination of the Mead Model of nursing is followed by an account of why this model was used in preference to others as a framework for Jason's care. Three components of his nursing care--wound care, communication, involvement of relatives--are discussed in relation to both the model and current knowledge. It was concluded that as a structured way of planning and giving care, the Mead model lacks adequate guidelines. A less experienced nurse using the Mead model may overlook certain aspects of care, an experienced nurse may use his/her knowledge to give high standard care using research-based information. However, models need to be tested so they may be rejected or modified as guidelines for care in this case in the United Kingdom, within a welfare-orientated society."}
{"id": "PMID:1483022", "title": "Potential hazards of tracheobronchial suctioning.", "content": "Tracheobronchial suctioning is a routine practice frequently carried out in intensive care units (ICUs). It is required when the normal coughing mechanism is inadequate or disrupted; for example, where there is underlying respiratory or neurological disease, or where the cough is deliberately suppressed by sedative, muscle relaxants or anaesthetic agents while a patient is undergoing intermittent positive pressure ventilation. The procedure is carried out via a nasotracheal, orotracheal or tracheostomy tube. During the performance of this intervention, the skilled nurse is aware of the risks to which the patient is exposed and endeavours to prevent or minimise possible complications. In the following account of complications that may occur during or as a result of the procedure these have been classified as immediate, intermediate and later complications, as shown in Table 2. The purpose is to stimulate greater awareness of the hazards involved in this common everyday practice in intensive care units."}
{"id": "PMID:1483023", "title": "Organ donation in intensive care--a look at the ethical issues.", "content": "This paper is based on consideration of the ethical issues surrounding organ donation. This emotive subject has far-reaching implications concerning both donation and transplantation but the purpose in this paper is to deal specifically with issues related to cadaveric organ donation and how they concern nurses in an intensive care unit (ICU). A brief, general description of both ethics and organ donation is followed by a discussion of the issues surrounding the donor himself, including the diagnosis of brainstem death, the donor's family, and the nursing and medical implications. Legal, social and economic factors are considered with the aim of highlighting ethical areas but not necessarily providing answers to the questions raised."}
{"id": "PMID:1483024", "title": "Secondary transportation of critically ill people--implications for nurses and the need for specialist training.", "content": "Much has been published about the techniques and procedures involved in secondary transportation of the critically ill, together with the complications and limitations that arise during the transfer procedure. However, little has been written or published concerning the implications to the staff accompanying the patient and it is acknowledged that this has yet to be properly addressed (Runcie et al 1991). Transfer of critically ill patients with complex problems places staff in a unique patient-care environment, placing a tremendous responsibility on the individuals concerned and puts them in a very vulnerable position, especially if an emergency develops during transit. Recognition must be made of this specialist role and the commitment involved. Nurses, who form a vital part of the transfer team, cannot be expected to adapt easily to this form of advanced care without some form of training, which should be undertaken before individual nurses are allowed to perform this most important and responsible role."}
{"id": "PMID:1483025", "title": "Chaos theory--a useful addition to the critical care curriculum?", "content": "Chaos theory (non-linear dynamics) is a relatively new mathematical concept. It shows that many apparently random processes and structures have in fact a simple underlying order. The theory is being applied increasingly to explain physiological processes and epidemiological findings, as well as in non-health areas, such as modelling weather systems. The author argues for its future inclusion as a modular option in post-registration critical care/high technology nursing courses."}
{"id": "PMID:1483026", "title": "How nurses can ensure the sounds patients hear have a positive rather than negative effect upon recovery and quality of life.", "content": "A number of studies imply that control of a patient's auditory environment can generate an improvement in recovery and quality of life. The evidence suggests nurses have the ability to control their patients' auditory environment and in so doing can reduce factors which contribute to physical and psychological instability. Through communication nurses are able to humanise treatment, deter ignorance and cement personal relationships of mutual trust between patients and their families. Reference to nursing unconscious patients in Intensive Therapy Units (ITU) indicates how nurses can relate theory to practice and ensure a positive rather than negative experience of recovery by regulating and influencing the sounds patients hear."}
{"id": "PMID:1483027", "title": "Ethical dilemmas and solutions for risk assessment scientists.", "content": "A sample survey of U.S. scientists who belong to the Society for Risk Analysis (SRA) was made to ascertain their observations of unethical behavior in the workplace and their opinions of the likely success of programs to prevent misconduct. SRA, an international organization with almost 1,700 U.S. members, includes toxicologists, epidemiologists, industrial hygienists, engineers, and social scientists, as well as experts in exposure assessment, statistics, and risk communications. Respondents reported relatively low rates of clearly unethical acts such as data destruction and fabrication (7%); however, 21% reported at least one observation of plagiarism. Reporting of other problematic behaviors ranged from less than 4% for human subjects violations to 51% observing deliberate overstatement of positive and deliberate understatement of negative results. SRA members did not think that government intervention would be effective in reducing misconduct. They were more supportive of formal education, seminars, videotapes, and a hotline that could be called for advice. We offer suggestions to ISEA and its members for developing a proactive approach to ethical misconduct."}
{"id": "PMID:1483028", "title": "PCP exposure for the Canadian general population: a multimedia analysis.", "content": "Pentachlorophenol (PCP) is ubiquitous in the Canadian environment, as a result of the large quantities used in the wood preservation and wood protection industries. In the past decade, agricultural and wood protection applications of PCP in Canada have been sharply curtailed. A multimedia approach was used to update estimates of PCP exposure of the members of the general population in Canada, based on currently available information. A detailed review of PCP concentrations reported in air, water, foods, household dust, and soil was performed. PCP intake estimates for infants, toddlers, school-age children, and adults in Canada were calculated. Estimates were made for people with average intakes of air, water, foods, household dust, and soil, as well as for recreational anglers and aboriginal subsistence fishermen, who were expected to have higher intakes. The current estimated intake by all of these populations is well below the Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) of 6 micrograms/kg bw/day. The average members of the general population have an estimated intake via all routes of 0.05 micrograms/kg bw/day; most exposure is calculated to occur via food (dairy products, grains and cereals and meats) and indoor air. Recreational anglers are estimated to be exposed to only marginally more PCP per day (roughly 2%) than the general population. In contrast, aboriginal subsistence fisherman, because of their very high consumption of fish and fish products, experience the highest exposure to PCP through food; their estimated intake of PCP is almost twice that of the general population."}
{"id": "PMID:1483033", "title": "Mammalian selenoproteins.", "content": "Selenium (Se) is an essential trace element for animals and humans. Its biological role was established following the discovery that Se is a structural component of the active center of the enzyme glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px). During the last decade remarkable progress has been made in the recognition of the structure and function of several selenoproteins. Cellular GSH-Px was the first enzyme recognized as a selenoprotein. In it Se was found in the form of selenocysteine. The enzyme is a tetrameric protein and is composed of four apparently identical subunits each containing one gram atom of Se. Plasma GSH-Px also has a tetrameric form with identical subunits and with one atom of Se per subunit. It is, however, a glycosylated protein, and is distinct from cellular enzyme. Both enzymes catalyze the reduction of hydrogen peroxide and a variety of organic hydroperoxides by glutathione. A third GSH-Px, called phospholipid hydroperoxide glutathione peroxidase (PHGSH-Px), is a monomeric, membrane-associated enzyme containing one atom of Se per mole of protein. This enzyme destroys esterified lipid hydroperoxides. The fourth known mammalian selenoenzyme is a type I iodothyronine 5'-deiodinase that catalyzes the deiodination of L-thyroxine to the biologically active hormone 3,3',5-triiodothyronine. It is a monomeric enzyme and contains one atom of Se per mole of protein. Selenoprotein P, a fifth known selenoprotein, is a glycosylated, monomeric protein containing ten atoms of Se per molecule. The function of this protein is not known, but it may play a role in Se transport or be connected with a protective activity against free radicals. In all these selenoproteins the Se is incorporated into the protein molecule via the selenocysteinyl-tRNA which recognizes the specific UGA codons in mRNAs to insert selenocysteine into the primary structure of selenoproteins."}
{"id": "PMID:1483034", "title": "The effect of seafood consumption on the assessment of occupational exposure to arsenic by urinary arsenic speciation measurements.", "content": "The determination of arsenite, arsenate, dimethylarsenic acid (DMA) and monomethylarsonic acid (MMA) in urine has been used for assessing occupational exposure to inorganic arsenic because these species were thought to be unaffected by dietary arsenic. However, this investigation reports how the consumption of certain types of seafood can lead to an increase in the amount of DMA excreted and hence an elevation in the urinary arsenic speciation total. Urine samples collected from volunteers between 4-20 hours after the ingestion of moderate-sized portions of mackerel, herring, crab or tuna, showed mean increases in the arsenic speciation totals of between 1.8 and 6.9 times compared with the levels in samples collected before the seafood was consumed. These findings have important implications in devising a biological monitoring strategy for workers exposed to inorganic arsenic."}
{"id": "PMID:1483029", "title": "Estimated distributions for total body surface area of men and women in the United States.", "content": "For the U.S. population in the age range 18 to 74 years, we estimated distributions for total body surface area for men and women using Monte Carlo simulations based on estimated bivariate distributions for height and weight. Surface area is well fit by individual lognormal distributions for men and women. These distributions are appropriate for use in public health risk assessments. We also examined the effect of the correlation between height and weight on the surface area distributions."}
{"id": "PMID:1483035", "title": "Behaviour of 12 trace elements in serum of uremic patients on hemodiafiltration.", "content": "The concentrations of the trace elements As, Au, Cd, Cs, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mo, Rb, Se and Zn were studied in the serum of 5 patients with end-stage renal failure who were undergoing treatment with hemodiafiltration. The concentrations of the following elements differ significantly from the reference values: As, Cd, Cu, Hg and Mo are higher, while Rb, Se, Zn and some of the Cs values are lower. The observed concentration deviations may be due to the uremic state and/or the dialysis process. To asses the contribution of the latter, the elements were determined in the substitution fluid and in the dialysate before and after blood contact and passage through the artificial kidney. Our findings suggest that the concentration abnormalities could be related to the substitution fluid for Cs, Rb, Se and Zn and to the dialysate for Mo and Rb."}
{"id": "PMID:1483030", "title": "Effects of measurement error on estimating biological half-life.", "content": "Direct computation of the observed biological half-life of a toxic compound in a person can lead to an undefined estimate when subsequent concentration measurements are greater than or equal to previous measurements. The likelihood of such an occurrence depends upon the length of time between measurements and the variance (intra-subject biological and inter-sample analytical) associated with the measurements. If the compound is lipophilic the subject's percentage of body fat at the times of measurement can also affect this likelihood. We present formulas for computing a model-predicted half-life estimate and its variance; and we derive expressions for the effect of sample size, measurement error, time between measurements, and any relevant covariates on the variability in model-predicted half-life estimates. We also use statistical modeling to estimate the probability of obtaining an undefined half-life estimate and to compute the expected number of undefined half-life estimates for a sample from a study population. Finally, we illustrate our methods using data from a study of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) exposure among 36 members of Operation Ranch Hand, the Air Force unit responsible for the aerial spraying of Agent Orange in Vietnam."}
{"id": "PMID:1483036", "title": "Cadmium intake with diet in Italy: a pilot study.", "content": "Data on Cd sources in food are presented and the effects are discussed of the raised environmental level of Cd concentration in some foods. Information is also presented on normal dietary intakes of this element and how these intakes may be increased by environmental pollution or atypical dietary habits. With reference to the exposure risk, the FAO/WHO has established for adults a Provisional Tolerable Weekly Intake (PTWI) limit of 7 micrograms/kg B.W.. Therefore the evaluation of dietary Cd intake has become very important. The purpose of this work is the estimation of dietary intakes of Cd using data on the composition of an average Italian diet. Complete meals from a factory canteen were analyzed and calculations of weekly intake of Cd carried out. Mean dietary intake was 222 micrograms per week (range 137-326 micrograms per week) or 32 micrograms per day (range 19-46 micrograms per day), with the median intake being 198 micrograms per week or 28 micrograms per day. Analyses were performed by means of Zeeman Electrothermal Atomization Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (ETA-AAS). The results obtained, related to the average and representative food consumption of Italian people, show that the weekly intake is well within the PTWI, but the emission of Cd into the environment is continuing and attention must be paid to population groups at risk due to particular food habits."}
{"id": "PMID:1483037", "title": "Dose-response relationships of alimentary PtCl2 and PtCl4 in growing rats.", "content": "In experiments with rats dose-response relationships of alimentary PtCl2 and PtCl4 were investigated. 2 x 81 animals weighing 35 g were randomly distributed among 9 treatment groups which were fed ad libitum with a synthetic diet containing various amounts of Pt during 4 weeks. Pt was added in the form of PtCl2 or PtCl4 in the amounts 0; 0.01; 0.05; 0.10; 0.50; 1.0; 5.0; 10 and 50 mg/kg diet. The Pt supplementation had no influence on life mass gain or food consumption. In the case of 50 mg/kg Pt in the form of PtCl4 the erythrocyte count and hematocrit were reduced by about 13% in comparison with the control group. Dependent on the Pt dose, the application of PtCl4 and PtCl2 induced Pt retention in nearly all tissues especially in kidney. The effects were greater with PtCl4 than with PtCl2. As a result of the higher Pt retention in the kidneys, the serum creatinine was increased for the higher doses of PtCl4."}
{"id": "PMID:1483031", "title": "Indoor concentration levels of selected pollutants and household characteristics.", "content": "As part of a large health effect-related human exposure study conducted in the city of Zagreb, Republic of Croatia (Sega and Fugas, 1987), NO2, NH3, HCHO, and settled dust concentrations were measured during winter and summer periods in the kitchens and living rooms of 90 homes throughout the city. Characteristics of households and household members were recorded and correlated with the pollutant concentration levels. The results indicate that household characteristics may be useful for predicting human exposure to air pollutants."}
{"id": "PMID:1483038", "title": "Characterization of selenocysteine lyase in human tissues and its relationship to tissue selenium concentrations.", "content": "The characterization of human selenocysteine lyase, an enzyme that specifically catalyzes the decomposition of L-selenocysteine to L-alanine and hydrogen selenide, is described. The enzyme is the first described that acts exclusively on a selenium compound. The enzyme from human tissues, analogous to that from pig tissues and bacteria, requires pyridoxal 5-phosphate as a cofactor. L-selenocysteine is the sole substrate with a Km = 0.50 mM. L-cysteine is a noncompetitive inhibitor of the enzyme with a Ki = 5.85 mM. The following amino acids and purines are inert: L-cysteine, selenocystamine, seleno-DL-methionine, 6-selenopurine, and 6-selenoguanosine. The enzyme was found in liver, kidney, heart, adrenal and muscle in decreasing order of specific activity. The enzyme activity in liver was found not to be related to tissue selenium concentration or glutathione peroxidase activity."}
{"id": "PMID:1483040", "title": "Malignant hyperthermia and neuromuscular disease.", "content": "Malignant hyperthermia (MH) is a rare clinical syndrome characterized by hypermetabolism and triggered by specific anesthetic agents. The mechanism of this abnormal reaction is due to uncontrolled calcium flux in the skeletal muscles resulting in a variable clinical syndrome of muscle rigidity, respiratory and metabolic acidosis, and elevation of temperature. The specific genetic defect underlying this condition has not been identified in humans, though in susceptible swine a mutation of the gene for the ryanodine receptor, a large protein which comprises the calcium channel in the sarcoplasmic reticulum, has been identified recently. Inheritance in humans appears to be autosomal dominant with variable penetrance. Patients with MH rarely have physical or laboratory signs of muscle disease. However, scattered case reports and investigations of individuals with known myopathies and other muscle related problems, such as acute rhabdomyolysis or idiopathic persistently elevated creatine kinase, suggest a possible association of MH with a variety of neuromuscular diseases and stress syndromes. This association is very strong in the case of central core disease (CCD) where it is supported by clinical and laboratory evidence, including the proximity of the CCD gene to the ryanodine receptor gene on chromosome 19. A variety of other diseases have been implicated and can be classified as possibly associated (King-Denborough syndrome, Duchenne muscular dystrophy) or unlikely to be associated (myotonia congenita, sudden infant death syndrome, limb girdle dystrophy, neuroleptic malignant syndrome, etc.).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1483041", "title": "Cardiac transplantation in Becker muscular dystrophy.", "content": "Becker muscular dystrophy is associated with abnormal cardiac features in about 75% of cases; up to one-third will develop ventricular dilatation leading to congestive cardiac failure. As this form of muscular dystrophy is relatively benign, failure to respond to medical treatment warrants assessment for cardiac transplantation."}
{"id": "PMID:1483042", "title": "Congenital myopathy associated with abnormal accumulation of desmin and dystrophin.", "content": "We studied a 5-yr-old boy clinically presenting congenital myopathy. Muscle biopsy showed sarcoplasmic accumulation of desmin filaments leading to diagnosis of desmin storage myopathy. An immunohistochemical study of other cytoskeletal proteins (actin, alpha-actinin, vimentin and dystrophin) was performed. Desmin positive areas reacted strongly with anti-mid-rod and C-terminus dystrophin antibodies. Probed with the same antibodies by Western blot, desmin and dystrophin showed normal molecular size but densitometric analysis demonstrated a parallel increase of both proteins. Our results indicate that intrasarcoplasmic desmin storage is associated with an abnormal accumulation of dystrophin. Since no other cytoskeletal proteins are accumulated this finding seems to be specific and suggests a possible structural and functional association between these two proteins in striated muscle."}
{"id": "PMID:1483043", "title": "The dystrophin-related protein, utrophin, is expressed on the sarcolemma of regenerating human skeletal muscle fibres in dystrophies and inflammatory myopathies.", "content": "Utrophin is the 400 kDa protein product of an autosomal homologue (DMDL) of the dystrophin gene. In normal skeletal muscle, utrophin is expressed in vascular smooth muscle, endothelium and nerves but not in mature muscle fibres except at the neuromuscular junction. We have examined the expression of utrophin in a wide range of human skeletal muscle diseases using monoclonal antibodies against three C-terminal epitopes. Utrophin is consistently expressed in all basophilic, regenerating fibres irrespective of the underlying disease or expression of dystrophin. It is also found in regenerating fibres from a normal volunteer. In Duchenne and Becker dystrophies, as well as in dermatomyositis, sarcolemmal staining for utrophin is also seen in larger fibres which are not obviously regenerating. These studies do not support the idea that utrophin occupies membrane attachment sites only when dystrophin is absent or reduced, but would be consistent with utrophin expression as part of an activated foetal programme during regeneration."}
{"id": "PMID:1483044", "title": "Myopathology and a mitochondrial DNA deletion in the Pearson marrow and pancreas syndrome.", "content": "A patient with the Pearson marrow and pancreas syndrome is presented. She showed an anaemia with neutropenia and thrombopenia, failure to thrive, diarrhoea, disturbed glucose homeostasis and lactic acidosis. An exocrine pancreatic insufficiency was lacking. The disease followed a fatal course. Biochemical investigations of skeletal muscle revealed a disturbed mitochondrial energy metabolism, while many ultrastructural abnormal features were observed in the muscle tissue. Molecular genetic studies showed a de novo deletion in the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), different in size from the already published deletions and flanked by two 4 bp direct repeats, interspaced by 4-5 non-repeated nucleotides. mtDNA from 12 other tissues showed the same deletion in different percentages. No obvious relation between these percentages and tissue dysfunction was found. In spite of an open reading frame of 74 codons, only little transcription product of the genomic region resulting from the deletion was found."}
{"id": "PMID:1483045", "title": "Epidemiology of neuromuscular disorders in the under-20 population in Bologna Province, Italy.", "content": "A retrospective epidemiological survey of the principal neuromuscular disorders was undertaken in the population under the age of 20 yr in Bologna city and province. The incidence of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) proved to be 25.8 x 10(-5), that is, comparable with the outcome of neonatal screening studies. The incidence of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) was very high (11.2 x 10(-5), probably the result of our greater awareness and recognition of this disorder. The prevalence of neuromuscular disorders in the 0-19 yr population is 1.5 times that in the general population; that of DMD is 28 x 10(-5) vs 6.3 x 10(-5) and that of the SMA 6.5 x 10(-5) vs 1.2 x 10(-5). Our results indicate that neuromuscular disorders, particularly DMD and SMA I and II, have a much higher prevalence in the first two decades of life than is generally thought. Awareness of the higher prevalence of neuromuscular disorders among the under-20s is essential to the adequate planning of medical services."}
{"id": "PMID:1483046", "title": "Isokinetic muscle testing (IMT) in neuromuscular diseases. Preliminary report.", "content": "Isokinetic muscle testing (IMT) allows precise and reliable measurement of the force produced by the skeletal muscle during exercise at constant velocity and accommodating resistance. This study reports on some clinical situations that illustrate the difference between manual muscle testing (MMT) and IMT in neuromuscular patients. IMT was performed by a special method (continuous passive motion plus gravity compensation) which allowed the measurement of very weak forces, such as in the four patients described in this study. It is important to note that for the same MMT grading the corresponding isokinetic force values were very different. Therefore there is an obvious correspondence between the isokinetic measurement of muscle strength and the morphological change in the muscle on the CT scan of the thigh, which did not show up on MMT. IMT could be extremely important for research into neuromuscular disorders, where the detection of even the tiniest variations in strength is relevant."}
{"id": "PMID:1483047", "title": "A chronic myopathy with coated vesicles and tubular masses.", "content": "Two muscle biopsies from a 38-yr-old man with a lifelong mild chronic nonprogressive myopathy, showed accumulations of randomly oriented tubules of T-tubular origin, some of which had become greatly dilated and had accumulated osmiophilic material. The tubular masses lacked oxidative enzyme activity but during their evolution acquired esterase and acid phosphatase activity. Tubular areas appeared to break down and lead to intrusions of extracellular space into the center of fibers. Coated vesicles were numerous and often appeared to arise from the tubules. No abnormality could be detected on SDS PAGE electrophoresis of fractions from sucrose gradients."}
{"id": "PMID:1483048", "title": "Neonatal seizures and severe hypotonia in a male infant suffering from a defect in peroxisomal beta-oxidation.", "content": "In this paper, we describe a baby male born to healthy non-consanguineous parents presenting at birth with hypotonia and seizures. Additional salient clinical features included the development of glaucoma, the absence of significant facial dysmorphism and the absence of liver enlargement or renal cysts. The patient died at the age of 3 months. At autopsy, liver fibrosis and kidney glomerulosclerosis were noted. Neuropathological findings included pachygyria of the olivary nuclei and cerebellar neuronal heterotopias. There was no evidence for a demyelinating process. Biochemically, the patient was found to have elevated plasma levels of very-long-chain fatty acids (VLCFA) and abnormal bile acid intermediates, whereas other indicators of peroxisomal function (plasmalogen biosynthesis and plasma pipecolic acid) were normal. Catalase staining of a liver biopsy specimen revealed peroxisomes to be present in normal numbers, although some were abnormally large. Trilamellar inclusions typical of a peroxisomal fatty acid oxidation defect were present in macrophages. Indeed, beta-oxidation of the very-long-chain fatty acid hexacosanoic acid (C26:0) was found to be strongly deficient. Fatty acyl-CoA oxidase activity in the patient's liver was normal, however. Furthermore immunocytochemical studies using antibodies against acyl-CoA oxidase, bifunctional protein and peroxisomal thiolase, revealed the normal localization of all three enzyme proteins within the peroxisomes. We suggest that our patient has a selective peroxisomal beta-oxidation defect, a recently identified heterogeneous group of early-onset peroxisomal disorders distinct from the Zellweger syndrome and other generalized peroxisomal disorders."}
{"id": "PMID:1483051", "title": "Immunoquantitation of carnitine palmitoyl transferase in skeletal muscle of 31 patients.", "content": "We studied 31 patients suspected of having muscle carnitine palmitoyl transferase 2 (CPT2) deficiency. The catalytic activity of CPT2 was measured in muscle biopsies by the isotope exchange method and CPT2 immunoreactivity was quantitated by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Nine patients had normal enzyme activity and immunoreactivity. Eight patients had significant deficiencies in catalytic activity (> 3 S.D. below reference mean) of which six were also deficient in immunoreactivity. An additional nine patients were significantly deficient in immunoreactivity with normal catalytic activity and five patients had partial deficiencies in both. At least two categories of alterations in CPT may exist which lead to a deficiency based on the data presented: (1) a regulatory defect in CPT which only alters the enzyme active site; and (2) a structural defect due to altered synthesis, increased degradation, or changes in the immunoreactive site. It may prove to be of diagnostic importance to combine the analysis of enzyme activity and immunoreactivity in patients suspected of having a CPT deficiency and to further investigate the condition of partial CPT deficiency."}
{"id": "PMID:1483052", "title": "Parameters of human motor unit twitches obtained by intramuscular microstimulation.", "content": "Intramuscular microstimulation of motor axons was used to study twitch responses of 209 motor units (MUs) in the first dorsal interosseus muscle (FDI) of 20 normal subjects. Twitch peak force (TF), maximum rate of rise of force (MRRF), contraction time (CT) and one-half relaxation time (HRT) were determined. The distributions of TF (mean 16.0 mN, median 10.3 mN) and MRRF (mean 0.88 N s-1, median 0.66 N s-1) were skewed to the right with the majority of the values lying in the lower ranges, whereas CT (mean 63 ms, median 62 ms) and HRT (mean 61 ms, median 58 ms) were approximately normally distributed. TF was significantly correlated with MRRF, but not with CT in contrast with studies of cat gastrocnemius muscle. TF values were similar to those obtained by spike-triggered averaging in the same muscle. The method proved to be reliable and appropriate for use in patients. Examples of MU twitch parameters from three patients with chronic partial denervation of the FDI are described."}
{"id": "PMID:1483053", "title": "Correlation of clinical and deletion data in Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophy, with special reference to mental ability.", "content": "We report the results of screening for molecular deletions in 164 boys with DMD and BMD and correlation of deletions with clinical features. A deletion was detected in 100 cases (61%) by Southern blot hybridization analysis with cDNA probes. Thirty-eight different deletions and two duplications were identified. All deletions except one (deletion of exons 48-53) found in males with DMD disrupted the translational reading frame of the gene; however, six deletions in boys with BMD were out of frame. The same deletion in different individuals was found to occur with or without mental impairment, and many different deletions were associated with mental retardation. We were able to ascertain a series of boys [from this study and a previous one (Hodgson S V, Hart K, Abbs S, et al. Correlation of clinical and deletion data in Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophy. J Med Genet 1989; 26: 682-693)] without significant mental retardation who had deletions which, when combined, covered the whole region of the gene in which deletions are commonly found, and within which region individual deletions can be associated with mental retardation."}
{"id": "PMID:1483054", "title": "A large inbred Palestinian family with two forms of muscular dystrophy.", "content": "This paper reports the results of a clinical, genetic and histopathological study of 19 patients belonging to a large inbred Palestinian family living in Um-El-Fahem, a town located in Israel, which is solely inhabited by Arabs. Their custom of marrying only among relatives has kept the genetic homogeneity of the families intact. There were ten cases of congenital muscular dystrophy (CMD) and nine cases of adult limb-girdle muscular dystrophy (LGMD) belonging to two generations of the same family. Both forms showed autosomal recessive inheritance. The patients with congenital muscular dystrophy had generalized muscular weakness and hypotonia at birth without arthrogryposis or CNS involvement and then had a relatively benign evolution with stabilization of the clinical picture at different ages and variable degree of severity. Muscle biopsy showed a dystrophic pattern. The other nine patients presented with the picture of adult limb-girdle muscular dystrophy but with an unusual tendency to the stabilization of symptoms."}
{"id": "PMID:1483055", "title": "Severe periodic febrile myalgia in infancy due to carnitine palmitoyltransferase deficiency.", "content": "A 7 1/2-yr-old girl suffered, since early infancy, severe recurrent myalgia during periodic attacks of fever, vomiting and pharyngitis. Neither myoglobinuria nor exercise-induced muscle pain was present. She was found to have carnitine palmitoyltransferase deficiency (CPTD) in leukocytes, fibroblasts and muscle. This case exemplifies the importance of looking for an associated metabolic etiology of recurrent febrile myalgia even in the absence of myoglobinuria."}
{"id": "PMID:1483057", "title": "Modulation of the immune response by transforming growth factor beta.", "content": "For the past several years immunologists have been fascinated by a series of experiments showing that transforming growth factor beta (TGF beta) suppresses T- and B-lymphocyte growth as well as IgM and IgG production by B cells. Moreover, while exerting chemotactic activity on monocytes and inducing expression of interleukin-1 and interleukin-6 by these cells, TGF beta interferes with bacterially induced tumor necrosis factor alpha production, oxygen radical formation and the adhesiveness of granulocytes to endothelial cells. These mechanisms may provide the basis for the effect of TGF beta to prevent the microvascular changes associated with brain edema formation in bacterial meningitis. Given the potential of lymphocytes as well as macrophages to produce TGF beta 1, this cytokine may exert negative feedback signals on the immune response, provided the cytokine is processed from its latent form to the bioactive homodimer. Potent effects of TGF beta have been observed in experimental animals including the inhibition of the generation of virus-specific cytotoxic T cells and antiviral antibodies as well as the diminution of cellular infiltrates with decreased major histocompatibility complex class-II expression and CD8+ T cells in the tissue of virally infected animals. TGF beta may also be of importance in tumor immunology. By the production of bioactive TGF beta as detected in glioblastoma and acute T-cell leukemia, tumor cells may induce an immunodeficiency state and escape immune surveillance. In inflammation, monitoring of TGF beta in the tissue will bring light on the immune regulation in acute and chronic inflammatory diseases."}
{"id": "PMID:1483058", "title": "Immunoglobulin E and G4 antibodies to infective larvae in a Wuchereria bancrofti endemic population.", "content": "IgE and IgG4 antibodies to infective larval antigen of W. bancrofti were measured by ELISA in filarial sera. IgE level was quite high in both infected and non-infected people living in filariae-endemic regions compared to people from non-endemic yet tropical regions. It was also demonstrated that IgE levels in amicrofilaraemic, normal children were lower compared to those of adults. Similarly IgG4 response in children was found to be reduced. The distribution of skin test (immediate hypersensitivity) reaction to larval antigen was not very extensive in people from endemic regions. Higher proportions of the normal population (39%) exhibited skin test reaction than either asymptomatic microfilaraemics or chronic patients (13% each). Specific IgG4 antibody was highly elevated in the sera of people with asymptomatic microfilaraemia. The rate of IgG4 seropositivity was 83% in microfilaraemic individuals compared to 20% in the normal population."}
{"id": "PMID:1483059", "title": "Presence of non-Fab IgE binding molecules in the intestinal nematode parasite of mice Heligmosomoides polygyrus.", "content": "Unsuccessful attempts to identify serum parasite-specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) responses in mice following infections with the intestinal nematode parasite Heligmosomoides polygyrus prompted us to explore the possibility that IgE bound within the parasite antigen could account for the false-positive results observed. A live-worm ELISA was developed. Following incubation, irrelevant IgE monoclonal antibody to DNP, IgE present in normal mouse serum, as well as IgE in immune serum were independently identified within live adult worms in this H. polygyrus-modified ELISA. It was concluded that in addition to parasite-specific IgE binding to H. polygyrus, the parasite may attract both parasite-specific and non-parasite-specific IgE via non-Fab IgE-binding molecules."}
{"id": "PMID:1483060", "title": "Analysis of IgE-binding factors (sCD23) within newborn sera.", "content": "Factors are discussed as potential diagnostic parameters of atopic disorders. The amounts of sCD23 in sera from newborn children (n = 4,329) were determined by radioimmunoassay with monoclonal antibodies specific for CD23. The sCD23 levels ranged between 0 and 81.5 ng/ml of CD23-specific mAb. Furthermore, the sera of newborns with more than 5 ng/ml (n = 45) were analyzed by SDS/PAGE and subsequent autoradiography using 125I-labeled IgE (PS). These experiments indicate that newborn sera with normal sCD23 amounts contain an IgE-binding activity with a molecular weight of 25 kD; this component was not observed within sera containing elevated amounts (> 5 ng/ml). In addition, a 60-kD IgE-binding component was detected within most of all newborn sera (76.4%). The data show that the IgE-binding pattern of newborn children and the pattern of adult donors are different. Our data suggest that the measurement of quantitative sCD23 amounts combined with the analysis of the molecular weight pattern of the IgE-binding factors might be a helpful diagnostic parameter with regard to IgE-associated diseases."}
{"id": "PMID:1483061", "title": "Effect of mast cell chymase on the morphology of thyroid cells in vitro.", "content": "We studied the effect of mast cell chymase on the thyroid cells in culture. Rat serosal mast cells, similar functionally to connective tissue mast cells, were obtained after lavage of the peritoneal cavity and lyzed by freezing. The resulting lysate was used as crude enzyme preparation. Mast cell chymase was purified from the crude preparation by anion exchange chromatography. Crude and purified chymase incubated with thyroid cells induced cellular retraction, the appearance of long processes and gradual cell detachment from the substratum. The effect of the enzyme was not cytotoxic. The immunofluorescence studies of thyroid cells showed a decreased amount of polymerized actin and tubulin after incubation with chymase. Neutral protease inhibitor abolished the effect of crude and purified chymase on thyroid cell morphology. The above findings suggest that mast cell chymase may have a function in the control of cell morphology and cell-matrix interaction."}
{"id": "PMID:1483062", "title": "Molecular characterisation of group I allergen Eur m I from house dust mite Euroglyphus maynei.", "content": "Using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) we have amplified and cloned genomic DNA encoding the secreted group I allergen proteins from the house dust mite species Euroglyphus maynei, Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus and D. farinae. Affinity chromatography using a monoclonal antibody to the allergen Der p I was used to purify the group I protein from E. maynei. We present the deduced amino acid sequence of a new member of the group I house dust mite allergen family Eur m I. The three proteins show a high level of primary structure similarity: Eur m I and Der p I show 85% amino acid identity, and the three allergen amino acid sequences taken together show 78% identity. A potential N-glycosylation site and residues of the cysteine protease active site are also conserved between the three proteins."}
{"id": "PMID:1483063", "title": "Selective IgA deficiency and autoimmunity.", "content": "Selective IgA deficiency is the most common primary immunodeficiency. Selective IgA deficiency, as most other immunodeficiencies, is frequently associated with autoimmune phenomena. In this article the authors critically review the literature concerning this association, and discuss the possible mechanisms leading to the increased frequency of autoimmune disorders in subjects with selective IgA deficiency."}
{"id": "PMID:1483064", "title": "Comparative immunoreactive profiles of Japanese and American patients with primary biliary cirrhosis against mitochondrial autoantigens.", "content": "Primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) has been described among various ethnic and racial populations in all parts of the world. However, the incidence and prevalence of PBC varies considerably in different geographic areas. It has the highest frequency in Northern Europe, is considerably lower in Japan and still lower in other parts of Asia. There has not hitherto been a detailed immunological profile of antimitochondrial antibodies according to geographic region. We have used recombinant or purified preparations from the 2-oxo-acid dehydrogenase enzyme complexes, the major mitochondrial autoantigens in PBC (PDC-E2, BCOADC-E2, OGDC, protein X and PDC-E1 alpha) to compare the reactivity of sera from either similarly staged sera from Japanese (n = 23) or American-Caucasian patients (n = 39) with PBC. In all cases, the first available sera following diagnosis was selected. Interestingly, only 65% of Japanese patients reacted by ELISA with PDC-E2 compared with more than 95% of the North American group. Moreover, the level of enzyme-inhibitory antibodies to PDC was lower in the Japanese. Our findings prompt the need for characterization of specific susceptibility genes and environmental factors in various parts of the world to clarify the etiology of PBC."}
{"id": "PMID:1483065", "title": "Analysis of autoantibodies among patients with primary and secondary uveitis: high incidence in patients with sarcoidosis.", "content": "The sera of 122 patients with uveitis were examined for the presence of various antinuclear autoantibodies. Overall 21.3% of the patients had antibodies to ribonucleoprotein (RNP) and 18% to Ro (SSA). When subdividing the patients according to primary uveitis versus secondary uveitis, the autoantibodies were detected more frequently in the second group [anti-RNP 13.3 vs. 31.4%, anti-Ro (SSA) 11.8 vs. 27.7%, anti-Sm 10.3 vs. 24% and poly (G) 2.9 vs. 14.8%, respectively]. No differences could be asserted in autoantibody frequencies according to disease location within the uvea. Among uveitis patients afflicted with sarcoidosis a particular high incidence of autoantibodies was detected in comparison with all other subgroups of patients with uveitis. Although the presence of autoantibodies among patients with uveitis appears not to have a major diagnostic value, their assessment may aid to a better understanding of disease pathogenesis."}
{"id": "PMID:1483066", "title": "Evaluation of the biological significance of leukocyte infiltration of the thyroid in Graves' disease.", "content": "Graves' goiter size and gland function may be affected by interferon-gamma influencing actions of the thyroid-stimulating antibody. Goiter weight (n = 20), lymphocytic infiltration and class II antigen expression were assessed. The largest goiters, strikingly, has least infiltration but, overall, the looked-for negative correlation between goiter size and lymphocyte infiltration did not materialize. This was presumably due, in part, to inhibiting antibodies in many (8/18) patients' sera. In addition, our data do not support a major pathogenetic role for class II antigen in Graves' disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1483067", "title": "Interferon-gamma production in atopic dermatitis: a role for prostaglandins?", "content": "Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from patients with atopic dermatitis (AD) have a reduced capacity to produce interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) in vitro, in response to phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) when compared to healthy non-atopic controls. This defect appears to correlate closely with the severity of AD at the time of sampling, with less IFN-gamma being produced by cells from patients with more severe disease. Enhanced production of IFN-gamma was observed as the patients clinical symptoms improved. In addition, IFN-gamma production could be increased by either pre-culturing the cells for 3 days prior to PHA stimulation or by addition of indomethacin to the culture medium. These observations suggest that the mechanism of reduced IFN-gamma production in AD is unlikely to be due to an intrinsic cellular defect. The possibility that prostaglandins mediate the suppressed production of IFN-gamma in AD was supported by demonstrating that exogenous prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) inhibited IFN-gamma production in PHA-stimulated PBMC. PGE2 at a physiological concentration (10(-9) M) was also shown to enhance interleukin 4 induction of IgE synthesis by PBMC cultures. Our data suggest that alterations in prostaglandin metabolism play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of AD by inhibiting the production of IFN-gamma."}
{"id": "PMID:1483068", "title": "Ultrastructural evidence for piecemeal and anaphylactic degranulation of human gut mucosal mast cells in vivo.", "content": "One hundred and seventeen coded intestinal biopsies were examined by electron microscopy and evaluated for morphological evidence of mast cell and basophil secretion in situ. Sixty percent of the biopsies had evidence of secretion. Mast cell secretion was evident in control biopsies, many of which were obtained from uninvolved tissues of patients with inflammatory bowel disease. Biopsies of inflamed continent pouches from ulcerative colitis (UC) patients showed more mast cell secretion than noninflamed UC pouch biopsies. This evidence of mast cell secretion supports recent work that documents high constitutive levels of histamine in jejunal fluids of Crohn's disease patients and suggests a proinflammatory role for mast cells in inflammation associated with pouchitis."}
{"id": "PMID:1483069", "title": "Effect of inhaled platelet-activating factor on bronchial inflammation in atopic non-asthmatic subjects.", "content": "We have investigated the effect of inhaled platelet-activating factor (PAF) on bronchial mucosal inflammation in 6 atopic non-asthmatic subjects in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomised and crossover study. On 2 study periods at least 4 weeks apart, fiberoptic bronchoscopy was performed 24 h after inhalation of either 200 micrograms PAF or methacholine (control) to obtain endobronchial biopsies. Immunocytochemistry using antibodies for trypase (AA1) and eosinophil cationic protein (EG2) was performed to enumerate mast cells and eosinophils, respectively, in the bronchial submucosa. Median values of AA1+ cells and EG2+ cells did not differ significantly after inhalation of PAF or control (23.8 vs. 39 and 6 vs. 8/mm2, respectively, PAF vs. control, non-significant). Our findings suggest that within 24 h of inhaling a bronchoconstrictor dose of PAF, this agonist does not induce bronchial hyperresponsiveness or mucosal inflammation in atopic non-asthmatic subjects. However, because of the small number of subjects studied, these preliminary data should be interpreted with caution."}
{"id": "PMID:1483070", "title": "Airway hyperresponsiveness is associated with inflammatory cell infiltration in allergic brown-Norway rats.", "content": "The time course of the development of airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) to inhaled acetylcholine (ACh) and the associated inflammatory cell recovery in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BAL) in actively sensitised Brown-Norway rats was studied following challenge with inhaled ovalbumin (OA). IgE for OA was detected in serum obtained from sensitised rats using passive cutaneous anaphylaxis, at titres of 1:10 to 1:30; none was detected in unsensitised animals. There was no significant change in either airway responsiveness to inhaled ACh or in BAL cell counts in rats challenged with saline over the 24 h. Following challenge with a 1% OA aerosol, airway responsiveness to inhaled ACh increased over the 24-hour period, maximal at 18-24 h (saline-challenged group mean -log PC200 1.95 +/- 0.07 M; OA-challenged group mean -log PC200 2.30 +/- 0.05 M; p < 0.01). The composition of the inflammatory cells in the BAL fluid after allergen inhalation varied over the 24-hour period, with an initial neutrophilia at 5-8 h (p < 0.01), followed at 18-24 h by an increase in lymphocytes (p < 0.01) and marked eosinophilia (p < 0.01). There was a significant correlation between airway responsiveness and eosinophil recovery at 5-8 h (p < 0.05), and at 18-24 h after allergen exposure (p < 0.05). At 18-24 h there was also a significant correlation between neutrophils and airway responsiveness (p < 0.05). There was no difference between baseline lung resistance in matched saline- or OA-challenged animals at each time point.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1483075", "title": "Randomised controlled trial of effects of coordinating care for terminally ill cancer patients.", "content": "To measure effects on terminally ill cancer patients and their families of coordinating the services available within the NHS and from local authorities and the voluntary sector. Randomised controlled trial. Inner London health district. Cancer patients were routinely notified from 1987 to 1990. 554 patients expected to survive less than one year entered the trial and were randomly allocated to a coordination or a control group. All patients received routinely available services. Coordination group patients received the assistance of two nurse coordinators, whose role was to ensure that patients received appropriate and well coordinated services, tailored to their individual needs and circumstances. Patients and carers were interviewed at home on entry to the trial and at intervals until death. Interviews after bereavement were also conducted. Outcome measures included the presence and severity of physical symptoms, psychiatric morbidity, use of and satisfaction with services, and carers' problems. Results from the baseline interview, the interview closest to death, and the interview after bereavement were analysed. Few differences between groups were significant. Coordination group patients were less likely to suffer from vomiting, were more likely to report effective treatment for it, and less likely to be concerned about having an itchy skin. Their carers were more likely to report that in the last week of life the patient had had a cough and had had effective treatment for constipation, and they were less likely to rate the patient's difficulty swallowing as severe or to report effective treatment for anxiety. Coordination group patients were more likely to have seen a chiropodist and their carers were more likely to contact a specialist nurse in a night time emergency. These carers were less likely to feel angry about the death of the patient. This coordinating service made little difference to patient or family outcomes, perhaps because the service did not have a budget with which it could obtain services or because the professional skills of the nurse-coordinators may have conflicted with the requirements of the coordinating role."}
{"id": "PMID:1483076", "title": "National survey of current arrangements for diversion from custody in England and Wales.", "content": "To assess the extent and nature of psychiatric assessment schemes based at magistrates' courts in England and Wales for the early diversion of mentally disordered offenders from custody and to determine the response of the NHS to new initiatives concerning alternatives to custody for this group. Postal survey of the probation service, petty sessional divisions, mental health provider units, and district purchasing authorities in England and Wales. All chief probation officers (n = 55), clerks to the justices (n = 284), managers of mental health provider units (n = 190), and purchasers of mental health services (n = 190) in each of the district health authorities. Number of psychiatric assessment schemes, practical difficulties in their operation, extent of regular liaison with health and social services; current and future intentions to purchase or provide services for diversion from custody. Data were obtained from every magistrates' court. Forty eight psychiatric assessment schemes were identified with another 34 under development. Particular problems were lack of adequate transport arrangements, difficulties with hospital admissions, and overdependence on key people. There was little liaison between health, social services, and members of the criminal justice system. Twenty five of the 106 purchasers who responded had a policy dealing with diversion, and 39 had a scheme under development; 56 purchasers had no current or future plans about diversion. Sixty nine of the 150 providers who responded reported that diversion was included in their current or next business plan. Schemes to divert mentally disordered offenders from the criminal justice system are often hampered by lack of adequate transport arrangements, difficulties in hospital admissions, and overdependence on key people."}
{"id": "PMID:1483077", "title": "Prevalence of asthma in adults in Busselton, Western Australia.", "content": "To estimate whether the prevalence of asthma in adults increased over a nine year interval. Serial cross sectional studies of the population with a protocol that included both subjective and objective measurements. Busselton, Western Australia. A random sample of 553 subjects aged 18-55 years in 1981, and of 1028 subjects aged 18-55 years in 1990. Respiratory symptoms measured by self administered questionnaire, bronchial responsiveness measured by bronchial challenge with histamine, and allergy measured by skin prick tests. Symptoms with increased prevalence were those with significant association with allergy in this population. Recent wheeze increased from 17.5% to 28.8% (p < 0.001) and diagnosed asthma increased from 9.0% to 16.3% (p < 0.001). The increase was greatest in subjects less than 30 years old. The prevalence of shortness of breath coming on at rest and of hay fever also increased significantly, but the prevalence of shortness of breath on exertion, chronic cough, bronchial hyperresponsiveness, current asthma (defined as recent wheeze plus bronchial hyperresponsiveness), and allergy did not increase. The severity of bronchial responsiveness did not change significantly in any symptom group. Young adults showed a significant increase in reporting of symptoms related to allergy but not in the prevalence of current asthma. The increase in symptoms may be due to increased awareness of asthma in this community, to changed treatment patterns, or to increased exposures to allergens."}
{"id": "PMID:1483082", "title": "Assessment of psychological care in general practice.", "content": "To pilot a method of assessing psychological care by general practitioners. Prospective examination of psychological care given in general practice by using general health questionnaire with predetermined quantifiable and case specific indices of outcome established at the original consultation. Rural general practice in Clwyd, North Wales. 447 consecutive adult general practice attenders. Three month follow up consultation rates, one year retrospective consultation rates, continuity of care, changes in general health questionnaire scores at follow up, general satisfaction, and acceptability of outcome measures. The principal and trainee identified 72 patients with psychological problems, 46 of whom had new conditions. 133 patients scored over 6 on the 28 item general health questionnaire, 33 of whom were identified as new cases by the general practitioners. 62 patients were seen at follow up, including 23 patients identified by the questionnaire but not by the doctor. The doctors used diagnostic terms to describe the presenting condition in 38 cases. At three month follow up the general health questionnaire scores had fallen by more than 5 points in 22/39 patients identified and managed by doctors and 11/23 identified by the questionnaire. The agreed index of good outcome was almost or completely achieved by 20 of the 39 patients managed by doctors. Quantifiable methods of evaluating the quality of the structure, process, and outcome of psychological care can be achieved in general practice."}
{"id": "PMID:1483084", "title": "Public health in inner London.", "content": "One of Sir Bernard Tomlinson's aims in his inquiry into London's health services was to advise the secretary of state for health on the future balance of primary and secondary health care \"taking account of the health needs of Londoners.\" Sir Bernard, however, also made it clear that \"we have not seen it as part of our remit to carry out a comprehensive needs assessment for the whole of London,\" but concluded that the extremes of health need found in London were \"unparalleled in the rest of England.\" Dr Jacobson highlights some of the major determinants of health inequality in inner London and assesses the extent to which the proposed solutions are likely to meet these needs."}
{"id": "PMID:1483085", "title": "Adapting antibodies for clinical use.", "content": "Techniques for antibody engineering are now overcoming the problems that have prevented monoclonal antibodies being used routinely in clinical practice. With chemical and genetic manipulation antibodies can be linked to bacterial toxins, enzymes, radionuclides, or cytotoxic drugs, allowing targeting of treatment. Antigen binding sites from antibodies raised in mice can be jointed with human IgG to reduce immunogenicity. In vitro gene amplification and genetic engineering of bacteriophage have produced large antibody gene libraries and facilitated large scale production of human monoclonal antibodies with high specificity. The trickle of monoclonal antibodies into clinical practice may soon become a flood."}
{"id": "PMID:1483103", "title": "Chromatin fiber loops protruded artificially from nuclei of rat ascites hepatoma cells.", "content": "To determine the size and location of supranucleosomal fibers, the isolated and swollen nuclei from rat ascites hepatoma cells were broken mechanically by a homogenizer, and the broken nuclei were observed with an electron microscope, with and without treatment with detergent Joy. The observation of the broken nuclei treated with 0.06% Joy demonstrated that most, but not all the protruded chromatin, had a loop structure. Protrusion of chromatin from nuclear fragments was estimated to be about 0.77 microns in length. The conformation of protruded chromatin mainly consisted of supranucleosomal fiber, and a little of nucleosomal fiber. Electron microscopy also indicated that an anchorage of chromatin was nuclear lamina. Therefore, chromatin loop size of supranucleosomal fiber (solenoid) was about 1.54 microns in length, corresponding to nucleosomal fiber of about 9.24 microns in length."}
{"id": "PMID:1483104", "title": "[Optimization of gold immunolabeling techniques on ultrathin slides obtained from samples fixed with glutaraldehyde and osmium tetroxide and enclosed in epoxy resin].", "content": "An immunogold labeling technique was carried out on plants infected with CMV, fixed with glutaraldehyde and osmium tetroxide and embedded in araldite CY 212. The effect of the type of support-film used, the resin and manipulations of the grids during immunogold steps, were studied and are discussed. The antigenic activity of virus was restored by treating the sections with sodium metaperiodate. The very high non-specific reactions observed with the support-film or with the resin were eliminated by adding powdered skimmed milk or non-purified albumin into the buffers. Purified bovine serum albumin (grade V) or chicken albumin (grade III to V) were inefficient in reducing this non-specific background."}
{"id": "PMID:1483107", "title": "Electron microscopical demonstration of alkaline phosphatase activity with the cerium-based method in citrate-containing medium at pH 9.3 and the influence of glutaraldehyde fixation.", "content": "A cerium-based incubation medium, developed for the light microscopical demonstration of alkaline phosphatase activity, was tried out for the electron microscopical demonstration of this enzyme in kidney and heart muscle of the rat. The medium is very stable and the pH is in the optimum range of the enzyme. The medium consists of 14 mM CeCl3, 11 mM Na-citrate, 4 mM MgCl2, 10 mM p-nitrophenyl phosphate, 0.18 M glycine/NaOH buffer, pH 9.3. Other concentrations of cerium and citrate were tried out as well but 14 mM CeCl3, and 11 mM Na-citrate gave the best results with a small amount of non-specific reaction product in the nucleus that can be largely avoided by postincubation rinsing in cerium-containing buffer. In the kidney reaction product was only present along the microvilli of the proximal tubular epithelial cells. In the glomerulus no reaction product could be found whereas light microscopical cryotome sections contained activity in the glomerulus. Replacement of glutaraldehyde by formaldehyde fixatives resulted in reaction product in glomerular and tubular basement membranes, on podocyte plasma membranes and in tubular basal infoldings. In glutaraldehyde-fixed heart muscle, reaction product was present in the basement membranes and on lateral plasma membranes of endothelial cells of blood capillaries."}
{"id": "PMID:1483106", "title": "Murine lymphocytes exhibit heterogeneity in their proliferative responsiveness to calcium ionophore.", "content": "The calcium ionophore, A23187, when used alone was found to induce proliferation of murine T cells, at concentrations of 0.5-1 mM. This response required the presence of syngeneic splenic adherant cells (SAC) as a source of accessory cells. Interestingly, only CD4+ T cells but not CD8+ T cells or B cells responded to the calcium ionophore by proliferation. The inability of CD8+ T cells or B cells to respond was not related to decreased elevation in the intracellular ionized calcium [Ca2+]i concentration induced by the ionophore, because activated CD4+ T, CD8+ T and B cells all exhibited similar elevation in [Ca2+]i. The inability of CD8+ T cells to respond to calcium ionophore was probably due to insufficient production of autocrine growth factors, such as IL-2, inasmuch as the addition of exogenous IL-2 could completely restore the CD8+ T cell responsiveness. Also, exogenous rIL-1 could partially restore purified T cell response to calcium ionophore, whereas, rIL-6 failed to do so. IL-2, but not IL-4, acted as an autocrine growth factor for T cells responding to the calcium ionophore in the presence of SAC, since, antibodies against IL-2 or IL-2 receptor (IL-2R) but not against IL-4, could inhibit the T cell proliferation. Furthermore, exogenous rIL-2 but not rIL-4 supported the proliferation of T cells to calcium ionophore in the absence of accessory cells. Our results suggest that murine lymphocytes exhibit heterogeneity in their proliferative responsiveness to calcium ionophore and that this may not depend on the early activation signal such as the elevation in [Ca2+]i) induced by the ionophore but may depend on subsequent signals which regulate endogenous growth factor production."}
{"id": "PMID:1483109", "title": "Functional analysis of a CArG-like promoter element in cardiac myosin light chain 2 gene.", "content": "We have examined the functional properties of a putative regulatory sequence, CCAAAAGTGG, (element A) in chicken cardiac myosin light chain 2 (MLC2) gene promoter by deletion/substitution mutagenesis and transcriptional analysis of RNA by S1 nuclease mapping. The results indicate that the element A sequence, which resembles the evolutionarily conserved A/T-rich CArG box, plays a role in defining the transcription initiation site in MLC2 gene. This is accomplished via repression of a potential transcription initiation at site -40 and promoting the initiation at +1. One of the two other dA-dT-rich sequences (element C), located proximal to initiation site (+1), serves as the basal promoter while the distal A/T rich element B participates in tissue specific transcription of the gene."}
{"id": "PMID:1483110", "title": "Modification of RBC properties by an autoantibody. Binding to RBC senescent antigen.", "content": "It has been reported that natural antibodies alter aging RBCs, so increasing their vulnerability for removal from the blood stream. Results presented indicate that binding of anti-Gal, a natural antibody, to erythrocytes increases RBC rigidity in terms of microviscosity and deformability. Removal of RBCs from circulation could, at least in part, depend on these alterations."}
{"id": "PMID:1483105", "title": "Changes in plasma membrane protein composition during early development of the frog Rana ridibunda.", "content": "Plasma membranes of fully-grown oocytes and early developmental stage embryos of Rana ridibunda were isolated by differential and density gradient centrifugation; they were purified 18-fold as indicated by 5'-nucleotidase. The plasma membrane protein pattern of five different developmental stages was studied by two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. More than 60 protein species could be detected by silver staining. Most of them are largely conserved during development. The rest either show precise stage specificity or exhibit stronger staining intensity at particular stages. The number of proteins specific for each stage is small, neurula being exempted. The changes observed in the plasma membrane profile during development are mostly prominent in a group of proteins with similar molecular weights (40-45 kDa) but with different pI values. The differences observed in the plasma membrane patterns are discussed in relation to the significance of each stage during development."}
{"id": "PMID:1483111", "title": "Purification and characterization of semicarbazide-sensitive amine oxidase from porcine aorta.", "content": "We purified semicarbazide-sensitive amine oxidase (SSAO) from porcine aorta by sequential DEAE-Sephacel, DEAE-Sephadex and Affi-gel-Con A chromatography. The analysis of this protein under denaturing conditions exhibited two protein bands migrating at 110-107 kDa. Under non-denaturing conditions only a single protein band was observed. By isoelectric focusing pI of SSAO was estimated to be 5.5. The apparent Km and Vmax of porcine SSAO for oxidation of benzylamine were 4.5 microM and 200 nmol/hr/mg protein, respectively. Porcine SSAO was inhibited both by semicarbazide and phenelzine while deprenyl or clorgyline were without any effect on enzyme activity. IC50 for inhibition of semicarbazide and phenelzine was 0.015 microM and 1 nmol, respectively."}
{"id": "PMID:1483108", "title": "Cold shock response of yeast cells: induction of a 33 kDa protein and protection against freezing injury.", "content": "Cold shock (10 degrees C) treatment to Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells normally grown at 30 degrees C resulted in splitting of vacuoles and retarded membrane fluidity as detected by phase contrast microscopy and in vivo nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) studies, respectively. The treatment was found to impart protection against subsequent freezing as studied by cell viability and colony forming efficiency. We have earlier reported similar protection and retarded membrane fluidity as a result of heat shock treatment to these cells (Obuchi et al., 1990). This suggests that cold shock and heat shock treatments to yeast cells evoke some analogous responses. However, biochemically a new 33 kDa protein (CSP 33) was detected upon cold shock treatment which is distinct from heat shock induced family of proteins (Kaul et al., 1992). We present here the first report of this kind and its practical implications for protection against freezing."}
{"id": "PMID:1483112", "title": "Concentration of sialic acid in alloxan diabetic rat islets of Langerhans.", "content": "A microanalytical procedure for the determination of total and surface sialic acid concentrations was employed to establish their changes in relation to the length of alloxan diabetes in rat islets of Langerhans. 14 and 60 days after alloxan administration (65 mg/kg), the number of Langerhans islets was significantly decreased (p < 0.001) compared to the control. According to their size, the distribution of islets displayed no significant difference in diabetic and control animals 14 days after alloxan administration, while after 60 days no large islets (dia > or = 128 microns) were found in diabetic animals. The surface sialic acid was significantly increased in the small islets (p < 0.001), whereas no change was found in the large islets 14 days after alloxan administration. After 60 days, the surface sialic acid of both small and large islets was significantly decreased (p < 0.001). These results demonstrate that chronic beta-cell destruction induces a decrease in the sialic acid content in the pancreatic islet cells, suggesting that sialic acid might play a role in insulin secretory regulation regarding chronic effects of alloxan beta-cytotoxicity."}
{"id": "PMID:1483113", "title": "Synthesis and secretion of glycosaminoglycans and proteins in human normal and otosclerotic bone cells.", "content": "Some biosynthetic activities of normal and otosclerotic temporal bone cultures have been studied. Bone cells were cultured for 24 hrs. in medium containing 3H-glucosamine, 35SO4 or 3H-proline. Labelled glycosaminoglycans (GAG) and proteins were precipitated from cells and media. In otosclerotic bone cells there was an evident reduction in the synthesis and secretion of radiolabelled macromolecules. The inhibitory effect was always greater in the extracellular than in the intracellular compartment. Some glycosidases were also studied. Otosclerosis decreased the activity of all enzymes examined, indicating that the lower GAG synthesis and secretion in otosclerotic bone cells were not due to an increased degradation."}
{"id": "PMID:1483119", "title": "Flow visualization analysis in a model of artery-graft anastomosis.", "content": "Flow characteristics near the end-to-end anastomosis of vascular graft were studied in model tubes by flow visualization techniques. Artery and vascular graft were modelled by an elastic tube fabricated from an elastomeric polymer and a rigid plastic tube, respectively. Anastomotic models were made by connecting these two tubes, which had compliance mismatch at their anastomoses. These model tubes were installed into a mock circulatory loop and flow was visualized using hydrogen bubbles and aluminum powder as the tracer. Flow disturbances including flow separation and eddies were observed near the modelled distal anastomosis (graft-to-artery anastomosis). Peak values of the wall shear rate were high in the proximal anastomotic area (artery-to-graft anastomosis) and low in the distal region. These phenomena were enhanced in the models with increased compliance mismatch. The local abnormal flow observed in the anastomotic zone might cause thrombus formation and subintimal hyperplasia. To improve the patency in small-calibered arterial grafts, it is important to match their compliance to that of natural arteries."}
{"id": "PMID:1483120", "title": "Chemical characterization of a potassium hydroxyapatite prepared by soaking in potassium chloride and carbonate solutions.", "content": "A potassium-doped synthetic apatite was prepared by soaking hydroxyapatite in potassium carbonate and potassium chloride solutions. The hydroxyapatite was prepared by firing slip cast ceramic bodies in vacuum at 1100 degrees C. The conical ceramic samples and a crushed material of this were soaked in carbonate and chloride solutions for 2, 4, 6, and 8 weeks. Potassium, calcium, and phosphate were determined by direct current plasma emission spectroscopy. The carbonate content was determined by thermogravimetric analysis and chloride titrimetrically. After 2 weeks, one potassium ion substituted one calcium ion when soaked in a carbonate solution. When soaked in the chloride solution substitution occurred to the same extent. At phosphate sites the substitution of phosphate for carbonate occurred at one sixth of the sites after 2 weeks. Chloride incorporated one half of the OH-sites after 2 weeks. After 4 weeks about one chloride ion was found in the apatite, and after 6 weeks one and a half of the OH-sites were occupied by chloride ions."}
{"id": "PMID:1483121", "title": "Analysis of primary bone formation in porous alumina: a fluorescence and scanning electron microscopic study of marrow cell induced osteogenesis.", "content": "Porous alumina ceramics alone and combined with rat marrow cells were implanted subcutaneously in the back of syngeneic Fischer rats. Fluorochrome-labeling was performed post operatively and the ceramics were harvested 6 and 8 weeks after implantation. Undecalcified sections of the implants were observed under fluorescence microscopy and the de novo bone-ceramic interfacial areas were analyzed by a scanning electron microscope equipped with an electron probe microanalyzer. Alumina ceramics alone did not show any bone formation, while all marrow cell loaded ceramics showed new bone formation 6 and 8 weeks after implantation. Bone formation was first observed in the center of the pores and proceeded in a centrifugal direction, leading to contact with the ceramic. These results suggest that bone marrow cells have inherent osteogenic capacity and in the pore region of alumina ceramics progression of the osteogenesis causes the dissipation of intervening fibrous tissue between the de novo bone and alumina ceramic surface."}
{"id": "PMID:1483116", "title": "Interleukin-1 alpha: regulation of cellular proliferation and collagen synthesis in cultured human osteoblast-like cells.", "content": "In this work the authors studied the effects of interleukin-1 alpha on metabolic activities of human osteoblast-like cells in vitro. The bone nature of the cells was established by assaying for specific bone protein, the osteonectin, and the parathormone receptor, an osteoblast marker. Administration of interleukin-1 alpha to cultured osteoblasts produce an increase in cellular proliferation as suggested by 3H-thymidine incorporation and cell growth studies. Interleukin-1 alpha also affected collagen synthesis confirming its potential role on bone-formation and resorption processes."}
{"id": "PMID:1483114", "title": "Partially purified bacteriocin kills malignant cells by apoptosis: programmed cell death.", "content": "Bacterial proteins, partially purified bacteriocin (PPB), were investigated for their selective killing of malignant cells. It is shown here that upon PPB-cell interaction DNA fragmentation starts within one hour and peaks at 6 hrs. This process requires an on-going cellular metabolism. It is prevented by both actinomycin D, a DNA dependent RNA synthesis inhibitor, and cycloheximide, a protein synthesis inhibitor. We show here that the DNA fragmentation is triggered by PPB-cell membrane-receptor interaction which signals the activation of endogenous cellular endonucleases rather than actually penetrating the cell and interacting directly with the DNA, or serving as a nuclease itself. Thus, it is suggested that the cell death initiated by the lethal bacterial proteins, PPB, is a programmed, step-wise cell death involving apoptosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1483117", "title": "The effect of protease inhibitors, leupeptin and E64d, on differentiation of C2C12 myoblasts in tissue culture.", "content": "Intracellular calcium levels play an important role in myofibril disintegration and regeneration of muscle fibers. Earlier studies have shown that the calcium activated protease, calpain, is involved in the removal of Z-discs from myofibrils of striated muscle and the tripeptide-aldehyde, leupeptin, which is an inhibitor of calpain, inhibits this activity. In the present communication, we demonstrate that leupeptin and another calpain inhibitor, E64d, inhibit the fusion of mouse skeletal muscle C2C12 myoblasts to form multinucleated myotubes in tissue culture."}
{"id": "PMID:1483122", "title": "Physical and biological characteristics of the main biomaterials used in pelvic surgery.", "content": "Our study compared mechanical and biological properties of four materials classically used in surgery: polyethylene terephtalate (Mersilene), polypropylene (Marlex), polytetrafluoroethylene (Teflon) and expanded one (Gore-Tex) and polyaramide (Kevlar). No deterioration for polytetrafluoroethylene and polypropylene under irradiation was observed when materials were treated by physical means. Mechanical tests showed that all these materials could bear more than 50 N. Such a high tensile strength is never reached in visceral physiology. Results of graft elongation during tensile strength test shows two classes: a first one that includes high elongation grafts (Gore-Tex and Marlex) and a second one that includes low elongation grafts (Mersilene and Kevlar). As these materials have many potential uses in surgery, we have performed cytotoxicity tests. Material extracts were obtained under standardized conditions, and we have looked at a potentially toxic effect of substances eventually leached from the materials towards cells cultured in vitro. None of the material extracts listed above were cytotoxic except for untreated Kevlar. Toxicity disappeared when Kevlar was treated with methanol. As suspected, untreated Kevlar contains toxic additives introduced during the manufacture of this textile. Thus, in spite of good mechanical properties, Kevlar should not be used in pelvic surgery on account of its lower bicompatibility. These results shows that the choice of the grafts by surgeons must be relevant in a given application."}
{"id": "PMID:1483123", "title": "Induction of conjunctival epithelial alterations by contact lens wearing. A prospective study.", "content": "In a prospective clinical study, contact lenses were applied to 14 wearers of glasses with clinically and cytologically normal conjunctiva. The alterations of conjunctival cytology after the start of contact lens wearing were recorded with the technique of impression cytology over a period of 6 months. Within the first few weeks after application of the contact lenses, the patients developed a rapidly increasing alteration of cell size and nuclear morphology. Enlargement of the cell diameter with flattening of the cell body was seen together with numerous different nuclear alterations, in particular snakes (condensations of the nuclear chromatin into a sticklike or snakelike shape, centrally arranged in the nucleus). After this very rapid onset, the alterations increased more slowly towards a possible saturation point (and it seemed that the ultimate changes might possibly not be reached within the investigated period). At about 3-6 months, the patients reached a degree of cytological alteration which was seen in long-time contact lens wearers in our previous study and before this, except for the lack of keratinization, only observed in diseases of the ocular surface. There was a distinct squamous metaplasia of major parts of the conjunctival epithelium which normally is columnar and a decrease of goblet cell density. Squamous metaplasia and nuclear alterations increased with the length of time which had elapsed since the application of contact lenses and with extending the daily wearing time but were always restricted to the contact lens excursion zone on the eye and disappeared after contact lens omission, as seen before. Even patients with major cytological alterations remained free of symptoms, and the conjunctiva was still clinically normal."}
{"id": "PMID:1483118", "title": "NMR study of seed hydration: the role of the seed anatomical structures in water uptake of soaked cowpeas.", "content": "A NMR method based on the analysis of the transverse magnetization decay curve of water protons, was employed to study the hydration process of commercial cowpeas. In order to investigate the role of the different anatomical parts of the seeds, hilum and micropyle, or alternatively seed coat, were inhibited by a water resistant epoxy resin. The kinetic constant for the hydration of the different sets of beans was measured."}
{"id": "PMID:1483124", "title": "Simplified microsurgical method of therapy for recurrent corneal erosion.", "content": "Recurrent corneal erosion can develop after superficial trauma and can prove unresponsive to traditional forms of conservative treatment. Over the past 5 years, we have treated 17 unilateral cases with our own surgical technique. The following method was applied for treatment: under an operating microscope the separated corneal epithelium was excised with microforceps and Vannas microscissors. After this, the underlying hypertrophic basement membrane was peeled off Bowman's membrane with a foreign body needle and excised at the rim with Vannas microscissors. The site of hyalin-like formation adhering on the area of Bowman's membrane was next carefully scraped with the foreign body needle. Following this procedure, a dressing lens was fitted to the eye. In 2 cases recurrences occurred, but the healing process was successful in these cases after treatment. With this simplified microsurgical procedure, the recurrent corneal erosion was curable. Through the application of dressing lenses, the danger of recurrence was eliminated, and the healing process was considerably shortened."}
{"id": "PMID:1483115", "title": "Light microscopic radioautographic study on the DNA synthesis of prenatal and postnatal aging mouse retina after labelled thymidine injection.", "content": "The DNA synthesis of mouse retina from the 19th prenatal day through 12 months postnatal has been studied by light microscopic radioautography after the injection of tritiated thymidine. A peak of the labeling index after incorporation of tritiated thymidine was found at fetal day 19. The labelled cells decreased gradually with the developing of the eye from the first postnatal day and were completely disappeared in two weeks after birth. The data also indicated obvious regional differences of the incorporation of tritiated thymidine during the periods of the retina development. The labeling index was the greatest in the anterior region compared to the equator region and the posterior region in the same group of age. The average number of the silver grains in labelled nucleus lead to a decrease with the development of the retina after birth, but there was no significant regional differences found in the same group of age. The data shown from this study suggest that the cell differentiation in mouse retina proceed from posterior to anterior region."}
{"id": "PMID:1483125", "title": "The significance of brown coloration with regard to lens nuclear hardness in the case of extracapsular lens extraction.", "content": "Prior to extracapsular cataract extraction, it is useful to have an indication of the nuclear hardness by means of slit-lamp microscopy. Using a fine conical probe and a miniature dynamometer, the resistance to penetration (hardness) of different colored lenses and different forms of 'senile' cataract was measured exactly. In cataracts with gray, brown, or black nucleus and sometimes a clear cortex or deep supranuclear, subcapsular or intumescent cortical opacities, distinct hardening of the nucleus was found, which reached values 3-4 times higher than in clear lenses of 80 year olds. Increasing pathological brown or black coloration of the lens nucleus is related to maximum hardness; on the other hand, maximum hardening was not restricted to brown or black coloration. In some cases we only found brownish or grayish coloration in the lens nucleus that had reached maximum hardness. We found the consistency of clear nuclei of deep supranuclear and subcapsular cortical cataracts to be the same values as those of clear lenses with clear nuclei of the same age."}
{"id": "PMID:1483126", "title": "Low-dose methotrexate treatment in noninfectious uveitis resistant to corticosteroids.", "content": "A total of 14 patients (10 women and 4 men) ranging in age from 18 to 56 years who presented with active chronic noninfectious uveitis were treated with low-dose methotrexate (MTX). All patients had failed to respond to previous systemic corticosteroid therapy. MTX therapy was initiated in 8 patients at a dose of 40 mg given intravenously once weekly for 4 weeks followed by 15 mg/week given orally; 6 subjects were started on the oral regimen of 15 mg/week. During a follow-up period of 3-24 months, intraocular inflammation improved in all subjects under immunosuppressive therapy with MTX. A concomitant improvement in visual acuity was observed in 11 patients. Side effects included slight elevations in transaminases in 4 patients, transient mucositis in 1 case, partial alopecia in 2 subjects, and nausea in 3 patients. Our initial results suggest that low-dose MTX therapy may be considered as a therapeutic modality in noninfectious, steroid-refractory uveitis."}
{"id": "PMID:1483127", "title": "Quantitative duplex and color Doppler ultrasound in the follow-up of beta-irradiated (106Ru/106Rh) choroidal melanomas. A prospective study.", "content": "The tumor response to radiotherapy depends highly on the local oxygen concentration, which is governed by the tumor's microcirculatory network. The aim of this prospective study was to quantitate the neovascular blood flow in human choroidal melanomas prior to 106Ru/106Rh irradiation and during a 1-year follow-up period. Pulsatile blood flow was elicited by means of duplex and color Doppler ultrasound in 54 of a total of 55 untreated melanomas with a mean peak systolic frequency of 1.0 kHz (range 0.3-2.7 kHz). The neovascular blood flow decreased significantly 4 and 6 months after beta-irradiation. No intrinsic tumor vascularity was detected 8 and 12 months after treatment. In 3 patients, a rising peak systolic frequency occurred following radiotherapy in advance of recurrent tumor growth. Results indicate that the noninvasive quantitation of neovascular blood flow in irradiated choroidal melanomas by pulsed Doppler ultrasound offers a new diagnostic modality for assessing tumor recurrence."}
{"id": "PMID:1483128", "title": "Argon laser trabeculoplasty: long-term follow-up of at least 5 years.", "content": "This retrospective study evaluates the long-term follow-up of 331 eyes of 219 patients treated with argon laser trabeculoplasty (ALT). A total of 258 eyes were included with a follow-up of at least 5 years. Success was defined as an intraocular pressure of under 22 mm Hg with a stable visual field and optic nerve head. Overall, 22% (58/258) were regulated after 5 years (glaucoma chronicum simplex 26%, pigment dispersion glaucoma 31%, pseudoexfoliation glaucoma 19%, angle-closure glaucoma 14%, secondary glaucoma 7%). Filtration surgery was performed in 13% (33/258) mainly (73%) in the first 3 years after ALT. Repeat ALT was done in 43% of the eyes, and 60% of these eyes with repeat ALT underwent filtration surgery in the first year. With repeat ALT the overall success rate increased to 38%. High initial intraocular pressure and the stage of glaucoma documented by the visual field loss correlated with the failure of ALT. These results indicate that ALT and re-ALT were effective in glaucomatous eyes, yet there was a substantial diminishing effect as time progressed. Therefore, close follow-up on ALT-treated patients is necessary."}
{"id": "PMID:1483129", "title": "Effects of endothelin and calcium channel blockers on membrane voltage and intracellular calcium in cultured bovine trabecular meshwork cells.", "content": "The membrane voltage was measured in cultured bovine trabecular meshwork cells. External barium (Ba2+; 10 mM) evoked repetitive overshooting action potentials which were reversibly inhibited by 10(-6) M nifedipine but insensitive to tetrodotoxin (10(-5) M). In contrast, no action potentials could be induced in bovine corneal endothelial cells. The vasoactive peptide endothelin (10(-9)-10(-6) M) induced dose-dependent depolarizations. The intracellular calcium concentration measured by the fura-2 method increased after endothelin application. An initial peak was followed by a sustained plateau. The effect of endothelin on the membrane potential and intracellular calcium value is typical for smooth muscle cells showing a contractile response to the peptide. Recent studies have shown the contractility of bovine trabecular meshwork. We conclude that calcium-channel antagonists and endothelin may alter the aqueous humour outflow through the trabecular meshwork."}
{"id": "PMID:1483130", "title": "Quantitative measurement of aqueous flare and aqueous \"cells\" in eyes with diabetic retinopathy.", "content": "In order to evaluate the applicability of the laser flare-cell meter to diabetic oculopathy, we measured aqueous flare and aqueous \"cells\" in 84 diabetic eyes of 84 patients and 50 normal control eyes of 50 age-matched subjects. Using fluorescein angiography, diabetic retinopathy was divided into background retinopathy (11 eyes), preproliferative retinopathy (38 eyes), and proliferative retinopathy (35 eyes). In diabetic eyes, the occurrence of both aqueous flare (0.73 +/- 0.39 mg/ml human albumin equivalent) and aqueous cells (mean 2.96, range 0-35.7 cells/0.075 mm3) was significantly greater than in the normal control group (flare 0.14 +/- 0.06 mg/ml, cells 0.39, range 0-2 cells/0.075 mm3, P < 0.0001 and P < 0.0002, respectively). The flare values also showed differences between the diabetic subgroups, with flare values being higher in more advanced stages of diabetic retinopathy. No significant correlation could be found between the flare values and the kind of diabetic therapy, the duration of the diabetes, and the number of or the time interval since previous retinal laser coagulations. A flare value of more than 0.5 mg/ml was found to represent probably a \"critical value\" indicating a tendency towards preproliferative and or proliferative changes. The laser flare-cell meter is a valuable instrument for noninvasive, quantitative assessment of alterations of the blood-aqueous barrier in diabetes. The increase of flare values seems to parallel the progression of diabetic retinopathy."}
{"id": "PMID:1483131", "title": "Proliferative activity and immunohistochemical cell differentiation in human epiretinal membranes.", "content": "Epiretinal membranes are a complex tissue mainly formed by the proliferation of retinal pigment epithelial cells, macrophages, glial cells, and fibroblasts. The proliferative contribution of these cells in regard of the formation of an epiretinal membrane is not yet clear. We determined the cellular proliferative activity by the use of the monoclonal antibody Ki-67 in 46 epiretinal membranes of proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR), PVR recurrences after intraocular silicone oil tamponade, proliferative diabetic retinopathy, and macular pucker. The proliferative activity of each membrane was indicated by the proliferative index (PI), which is the ratio of the actively proliferating Ki-67-positive cells and the total cell number in a cross-section of the membrane. The PI of each membrane was combined with the expression pattern of cell type associated antigens like cytokeratin for epithelial-like cells, KiM7 for macrophages, and glial fibrillary acidic protein for glial cells. Such a membrane typing revealed distinct interindividual differences, but no strict correlation with the underlying disease process. Our findings support the idea of an individual \"fingerprint-like\" membrane typing at the time of surgery combining the information about the antigen expression pattern of the participating cells and their functional proliferative state. Individual membrane typing for each patient might become clinically significant as soon as the dominating cells for tissue proliferation become key targets for specific pharmacological interventions."}
{"id": "PMID:1483132", "title": "Lymphocytes, macrophages and HLA-DR expression in vitreal and epiretinal membranes of proliferative vitreoretinopathy. An immunohistochemical study.", "content": "Proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR) as a severe complication of retinal detachment and also the main cause of failure in its treatments is not yet completely understood. In the present study, we examined 16 PVR epiretinal membrane specimens removed during vitrectomy from 16 patients with complicated rhegmatogenous retinal detachment by immunostaining of cryosections. We looked for the presence of lymphocytes and detected helper/inducer T lymphocytes (CD4+), suppressor/cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CD8+), B lymphocytes (CD22+), macrophages (CD68+), and HLA-DR expression. The results showed that 6 out of 16 specimens reacted positively with monoclonal antibody against the helper/inducer T cell subset (38%), 5 out of 16 reacted positively with a suppressor/cytotoxic T cell-specific monoclonal antibody (31%), 7 out of 16 reacted with B cell-specific monoclonal antibody (44%), and 14 out of 16 were positive for macrophages and HLA-DR (88%). Nevertheless, we think that the invasion of macrophages and lymphocytes into the membranes is not the cause for the pathogenesis, but a secondary event that might further complicate the course of the disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1483133", "title": "Biocompatibility of silicone oil and high-density liquids. An immunologic study.", "content": "Silicone oil and high-density liquids can be useful tools in the treatment of complicated retinal detachments. To test whether these substances induce specific and/or unspecific inflammatory responses, we performed immunoassays on 60 rats of two different inbred strains. After sensitization, each rat was injected in the right foot pad with either silicone oil, fluorosilicone oil, perfluorooctane, or perfluoropolyether. Depending on the inbred strain, the volume of the foot pads increased up to the fifth day, indicating an injection-induced inflammatory reaction. Histopathological examination of rats injected with silicone oil showed infiltration by mononuclear cells and occasional giant cells. In rats receiving fluorosilicone oil, additional eosinophilic reactions were observed. The most pronounced reactions occurred after injection of the two perfluorocarbons, which induced a greater number of giant cells and a slight granulomatous reaction. The degree of tissue response was independent of the type of sensitization; the majority of the draining popliteal lymph nodes showed no enlargement. Our findings demonstrate that all substances tested induced inflammatory though unspecific responses."}
{"id": "PMID:1483134", "title": "Depth position of spontaneous venous pulsations in ocular hypertensives and control-group discs.", "content": "Spontaneous venous pulsation can be observed at the site of entry of retinal veins into the physiological cup of the optic disc. Although it has been speculated that spontaneous vessel pulsation is related to primary open-angle glaucoma, no evaluation has been done on the depth position of such a pulsation inside the cup and its relationship to the intraocular pressure. Using laser scanning tomography, we measured the depth position of the maximal spontaneous vessel pulsation inside the optic cup in 24 discs of 24 patients, including 15 ocular hypertensives and 9 controls. The two groups did not differ significantly in age or refraction. The depth position of the maximal venous collapse, however, showed a significant difference between the two groups (p < 0.005), the mean value being 301 +/- 95 microns beyond the first retinal vessel reflection in the control-group eyes and 507 +/- 193 microns in the ocular hypertensive discs. The location of the depth position of the maximal venous collapse within the excavation could be a parameter that indicates the individual pressure tolerance of the ocular tissues."}
{"id": "PMID:1483136", "title": "Hearing loss among nursing home residents: perceptions and realities.", "content": "Audiometric examinations were conducted on a random sample of 104 elderly Massachusetts' nursing home residents. The testing revealed that the majority of the participants were hearing impaired. The participants, however, consistently reported satisfaction with their hearing ability and no related hearing problems. Qualitative observations of communication among the participants, staff, and visitors documented that the elderly were negatively affected by their hearing loss. Recommendations are made to improve the quality of care for residents with hearing impairment in the nursing home setting."}
{"id": "PMID:1483137", "title": "The parent expectations survey: a measure of perceived self-efficacy.", "content": "Self-efficacy in early parenting is the confidence that a mother has in her ability to meet the demands of the role of new parent. The Parent Expectations Survey (PES) was developed to measure perceptions of self-efficacy in early parenting. This article traces the development and psychometric testing of the PES. The PES was tested on 82 primiparas at 1 and 3 months postpartum. It demonstrated internal consistency reliability and concurrent validity. Those mothers who had higher self-efficacy early in the transition to parenthood had greater confidence in parenting and less stress 1 year after delivery, thus establishing the predictive validity of the instrument. The PES, both easy to use and to score, may be used by clinicians during the perinatal period to ascertain a mother's early perceptions of self-efficacy in parenting. For those mothers with low self-efficacy, interventions to empower them in that new role may then follow."}
{"id": "PMID:1483138", "title": "Women's views of the preterm labor experience.", "content": "This study used a naturalistic approach to describe the childbearing woman's views of her preterm labor and delivery experience. Specifically, the aim was to identify how women describe, interpret, and manage preterm labor and subsequent preterm or term delivery. The views of 20 women who were hospitalized for preterm labor (before 37 weeks) were documented with semistructured, tape-recorded, in-depth interviews during their hospitalization for preterm labor and after delivery. Qualitative data analysis focused on the process of becoming a preterm labor patient and on living with a diagnosis of preterm labor. Women either waited for a period of time before seeking care or sought care immediately for the symptoms they were experiencing. Women interpreted the experience by identifying causes of preterm labor and by worrying about the outcome for the baby. Managing preterm labor required extensive, moderate, or limited changes in their lives. Women who delivered at term appeared to have more tangible help than those who delivered preterm. A better understanding of women's preterm labor experiences will provide clues to nurses on how to improve the care they provide."}
{"id": "PMID:1483139", "title": "The impact of critical injury as described by a spouse: a retrospective case study.", "content": "This descriptive study explored the initial experience of critical injury from a spouse's perspective. A case study was used to examine the Lazarus stress and coping paradigm. The subject was 43-year-old Caucasian woman, with three young children. Semistructured interviews were conducted 1 month following critical injury. Analysis of data confirmed the cognitive, behavioral, and emotional coping processes as suggested by Lazarus. From the spouse's description, three distinct phases of the critical care experience also emerged: notification, arrival at the hospital, and waiting periods. Cognitive, behavioral, and emotional coping processes were clustered according to the spouse's distinct phases of this experience. A 3 x 3 matrix provides a description of the coping processes during the initial critical care period and offers direction for nursing interventions."}
{"id": "PMID:1483140", "title": "Body image measurement in overweight females.", "content": "This article details two studies of the reliability and validity of three instruments to measure body image and suggestions for their use in interventions for weight control programs. Weight control programs often fail because there is no attempt to modify clients' negative body images; hence clients may regain weight to match incorrect images. Short, easily administered instruments, such as the Nash Body Image Scale, the Body Image Photo Technique, and the Body Shape Questionnaire used in these studies, are needed to evaluate clients' progress in weight control programs. Subjects were 120 women who were either satisfied or dissatisfied with their body image and weight. All subjects completed body image measures at the outset of the study and 43 subjects completed measures again to determine trait stability of body image at 1 year. Cronbach's alpha estimates provided evidence of reliability, with internal consistency coefficients ranging from .83 to .96. Validity of the measures was supported by significant correlations with scores on the Physical subscale of the Tennessee Self-Concept Scale (r = .60 to .63) as well as by significant differences on the three measures between normal-weight and overweight groups (Nash: F = 28.03, p = .001; Photo: F = 11.58, p = .001). Body image was found to be stable over the 1-year period on the Nash Body Image Scale and the Body Image Photo Technique. These instruments can provide valuable information and potential intervention content for practitioners and researchers alike. The three body image instruments discussed were found to have sufficient reliability and validity to warrant their use in practice and research."}
{"id": "PMID:1483141", "title": "Challenging commonly held beliefs about obesity.", "content": "The task of nurses is to diagnose and treat human responses to illness and the threats of illness. The challenge is in finding the correct diagnosis and selecting the appropriate treatment. To do this appropriately, nurses need to separate health and illness from life-style; to discover whether or not life-style changes are really called for in treating illness or threats of illness or if nurses are uncomfortable with life-styles that are different from their own and expect all people to have a life-style similar to theirs. To intervene appropriately, nurses need to know whether they are working to help others return to their life-style preference or are forcing patients to chose the nurses' life-style preference. The case of the obese and the search for the successful dieter exemplifies the health care system's need to have individuals follow an exercise and eating program to lead them to thinness (a cultural value) whether or not they value thinness. Are health professionals forcing patients to conform to the professionals' life-style rather than assisting them to a healthier state within their own?"}
{"id": "PMID:1483142", "title": "Improving elders' continence state.", "content": "A 6-month study was conducted to assess the effects that noninvasive self-managed interventions on 12 remediable risk factors had on elder's urinary continence status. Each remediable risk factor was linked with a criterion meeting normal and if not normal, one or more interventions. Continence history assessments were conducted monthly on 31 elders (M age = 67.65 years). After the first assessment, elders were identified as continent, incontinent or at risk for loss of continence. At the end of the 6 months, 9 of the 11 incontinent elders moved to the at-risk group and the other 2 remained incontinent, and 12 of the 20 at-risk elders became continent. Both the elders who were initially at risk and those who were incontinent had a statistically significant reduction in the number of remediable risk factors reported at the end of the study period. The assessments and interventions are useful."}
{"id": "PMID:1483145", "title": "Current understanding of malignant hyperthermia: genesis, prevention, and treatment.", "content": "Malignant hyperthermia (MH) is an uncommon and potentially fatal pharmacogenetic complication of anesthesia. It is commonly triggered by administration of halothane and succinylcholine. The treatment of choice is to administer dantrolene sodium while simultaneously discontinuing the triggering agent. The continued treatment of the patient will reflect the hypermetabolic state. Anesthesia can be safely administered to MH-susceptible patients. Nontriggering agents are used, and meticulous monitoring of the patient is performed. All anesthesia providers should be familiar with MH."}
{"id": "PMID:1483148", "title": "Thermoregulation in the neonate and the consequences of hypothermia.", "content": "The anesthesia provider plays a major role in the maintenance of a homeothermic state in the neonate undergoing a surgical procedure. It is essential for the anesthesia provider to be knowledgeable about the principles of thermal regulation in the neonate and the potential consequences that can occur as a result of thermal instability."}
{"id": "PMID:1483151", "title": "Post-traumatic stress disorders and European war veterans.", "content": "After tracing the history of PTSD as a diagnosis and exemplifying its use among non-European war veteran groups, this review article documents the size and characteristics of European war veteran populations and the known psychological, social and medical sequelae of war experience since 1918. Models of psychopathology vary markedly over time and between countries. Treatment practices owe more to sociopolitical and military expediency than systematic assessment of European veterans' needs and treatment outcomes. PTSD has not yet attained the pivotal status it enjoys in studies of American war veterans. Reasons for this are offered along with a proposal that recent European studies rightly highlight a broad spectrum of post-war adjustment difficulties in which PTSD emerges as a process phenomenon with implications for prognosis and future care planning."}
{"id": "PMID:1483152", "title": "Patterns of service for the long-term mentally ill in Europe.", "content": "Mental health services are organized and financed in very different ways across Europe; nevertheless there are a number of common trends and issues. In this paper we deal with some of those issues which influence the quality of services to those with long-term and severe mental health problems and disabilities. The most obvious trend has been the rundown of psychiatric beds particularly in the large mental hospitals and this in its turn has given rise to the problem of providing alternative services. Throughout Europe people are striving, with mixed success, to establish new services that are community orientated, provide reasonable levels of clinical care with some continuity and coordination, and ensure that the individuals served have appropriate accommodation and day-time activities. While there are some excellent services, there are even more services throughout Europe struggling to solve common problems. We have tried to draw some lessons from their efforts."}
{"id": "PMID:1483153", "title": "Clinical psychology training in Europe.", "content": "Clinical psychology training in the United Kingdom (UK) and in the remainder of Europe differs in several respects; in particular, the latter allows for greater variability and clinical specialization with much more training taking place postqualification than in the UK; differences in content and in the balance between the supply of, and demand for, clinical psychologists also exist. These differences reflect employment arrangements and, to a lesser extent, the structure of higher education and legal regulation. Various current and predicted changes in health-care systems and in the legal and educational context will probably lead to training in the UK and elsewhere in Europe becoming more similar in the years after 1992."}
{"id": "PMID:1483154", "title": "Expressed emotion research in Europe.", "content": "The results of increased research into Expressed Emotion (EE) in Europe over the past five years reinforce the significance of the measure, show that it is not culturally specific and can be used with different carers including staff, and across different languages. This continuing and productive research is reviewed and new questions and issues are identified. In addition, outcome studies in schizophrenia, research in other conditions; intervention studies, methodological issues and theoretical aspects are focused on."}
{"id": "PMID:1483155", "title": "Social support and stress: the role of social comparison and social exchange processes.", "content": "This paper first presents four different conceptualizations of social support: social integration, satisfying relationships, perceived helpfulness and enacted support. Then, classic and contemporary social comparison theory and social exchange theory are analysed as they are two theoretical perspectives that are particularly useful in understanding social support. These perspectives are employed to explain three seemingly paradoxical phenomena in the domain of social support: (1) the fact that support sometimes has negative effects; (2) the fact that the occurrence of stress itself can sometimes decrease the availability of support resources; and (3) the phenomenon that people believe that they give more support than they receive, and that there is more support available for them than for others."}
{"id": "PMID:1483157", "title": "Psychosocial aspects of cardiac rehabilitation in Europe.", "content": "While the present objectives of cardiac rehabilitation include recovery or restoration of everyday behaviour and secondary prevention, the effects of the traditional exercise-based, cardiac rehabilitation programmes are quite modest. It is argued that psychological interventions may affect these targets more easily, since there is evidence from controlled studies that psychological interventions may have beneficial effects on psychosocial recovery, compliance with medical advice and cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. As a consequence one may expect that psychologists would be at least part-time members of most cardiac rehabilitation teams in European countries. In order to get an impression of the position of psychologists and the share of psychosocial care in cardiac rehabilitation in Europe, a questionnaire was sent out to two or three individuals in each European country. Health care professionals from 16 European countries returned their completed questionnaires on time. Among other things, the results show that in general social workers and psychologists, who may be considered the main potential agents for psychosocial care, are largely underrepresented in cardiac rehabilitation teams. As far as psychologists are concerned, the number involved in cardiac rehabilitation varies significantly from country to country. Three groups of countries could be distinguished: a group consisting of The Netherlands, Austria, and Italy, where psychologists are fairly well represented; a second one consisting of Norway, Finland and Belgium, where small numbers of psychologists are involved in cardiac rehabilitation; and a third group (the largest) consisting of Switzerland, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Ireland, Sweden, the UK, Greece, Portugal and Turkey, where the number of psychologists is negligible."}
{"id": "PMID:1483156", "title": "Conditioning of drug-induced immunomodulation in human volunteers: a European collaborative study.", "content": "Although several studies on conditioning of the immune system in animals have been published, no comparable data on human research have been available in the past. The present paper presents results of conditioning studies in volunteers performed in two research centres, namely the University of Trier (Germany) and the University of Utrecht (The Netherlands). After administration of a neutral stimulus (conditioned stimulus: CS), subjects were injected with epinephrine (unconditioned stimulus) for three or four days (depending on study). Subcutaneous injection of epinephrine caused a rapid enhancement of the activity of natural killer cells (NKCA) in venous blood, which was chosen as the unconditioned response. On the test trial, when saline instead of epinephrine was injected, the Trier group found a conditional enhancement of NKCA. No changes in NKCA were found in the control subjects, who received saline injections on all days along with the CS. The Utrecht group tried to replicate these results using a slightly different design. After obtaining non-confirmative results, the Utrecht experimenters tried to parallel the experimental settings of the Trier group as closely as possible. However, once again they failed to replicate the results of the Trier group. Possible reasons for the different results obtained in the two research groups are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1483158", "title": "Cognitive predictors of health behaviour in contrasting regions of Europe.", "content": "Four important health behaviours--dietary fat avoidance, regular exercise, smoking and alcohol consumption--were assessed by questionnaire, together with measures of risk awareness and beliefs about the importance of each behaviour for health, in comparable samples of young adults from eight countries: Belgium, England, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Poland, Portugal and Spain. Results from 3223 men and 3930 women were analysed. Substantial differences in the prevalence of behaviours were identified, but no country consistently showed the most or least healthy profile across behaviours. Women tended to smoke and drink less than men and attempted to avoid dietary fat to a greater extent, while men exercised more than women. Ratings of the importance of behaviours for health were high, while risk awareness showed wide variations, with lower scores from samples in southern and eastern Europe. Across countries, few associations were observed between the prevalence of behaviour and either mean belief ratings or risk awareness. However, in comparisons of people who did and did not perform each behaviour, beliefs were consistently associated with practice. In multiple regression, beliefs about the importance of the behaviour for health independently accounted for 11.3 per cent of the variance in exercise, 18.9 per cent of the variance in smoking and 4.5 per cent of the variance in alcohol consumption. The association between beliefs and dietary fat avoidance was also substantial. In contrast, the relationships between risk awareness and behaviour were mixed. People who avoided dietary fat were more aware than others of the health risks of fat. But non-smokers were less aware than smokers of the risks of smoking, and people who drank regularly were more aware of the dangers of alcohol than were non-drinkers. The results are discussed in the context of the contribution of health psychology to European health promotion."}
{"id": "PMID:1483159", "title": "Post-traumatic stress disorder: the history of a recent concept.", "content": "This review describes the history of PTSD in relation to military psychiatry, physiology, and crisis theory. It appears that the consequences of psychic trauma are often underestimated and mental health services often fail to provide adequate care. PTSD may be explained as an initially adequate reaction to danger, which becomes pathological if it does not disappear after the danger is gone. The authors argue in favour of better psychiatric intervention after traumatic events and better care for trauma victims."}
{"id": "PMID:1483160", "title": "Suicide in psychiatric patients: risk and prevention.", "content": "The prevention of suicide requires an understanding of protective as well as risk factors, and the recognition of high-risk groups. Factors which increase the risk in patient populations include previous parasuicide, recent relapse or discharge, features of mental state (depression, psychosis), social circumstances (isolation, unemployment), and demographic characteristics (male sex, young age). Protective factors are under-researched but are likely to lie in the nature of psychiatric care. Consequently, community care may affect suicide by altering the level of protection at critical periods in an episode of illness. The clinical prevention of suicide should therefore be a priority for community services, and the relationship between suicide and mental health care should be researched by a national process of monitoring."}
{"id": "PMID:1483161", "title": "A selective review of child psychiatric syndromes with a somatic presentation.", "content": "This review focuses on 'aches and pains' and conversion syndromes as a basis for the description of psychological factors and mechanisms of relevance for the somatisation of distress in childhood and which may contribute to medical help-seeking for children. The characteristic pattern of associated psychological factors includes child personality features; academic concerns; family health problems; and styles of family interaction. Further research is required to explore in more depth the nature of these factors, the mechanisms that mediate the development of severe handicapping problems, and effective interventions."}
{"id": "PMID:1483162", "title": "The psychosocial impact of HIV infection in gay men. A controlled investigation and factors associated with psychiatric morbidity.", "content": "This study aimed to establish the prevalence of psychosocial problems in gay men with HIV infection, and to identify factors associated with psychological morbidity. The study was a cross-sectional controlled investigation, which included 24 HIV seropositive and 25 seronegative gay men. Outcome measures included current psychological status and psychiatric history; coping and health beliefs; and social and sexual functioning. Seropositive subjects had worse scores on the PSE total score, and greater sexual difficulties. There were also differences in health beliefs and coping. Psychological morbidity was associated with hopelessness, previous psychiatric illness, symptomatic HIV disease, and low self-esteem."}
{"id": "PMID:1483163", "title": "The burden of schizophrenia on the family. A study from Nigeria.", "content": "The burden of schizophrenia on rural and urban Nigerian families was studied using a standardised questionnaire. Rural families experienced more burden; however, the difference was significant only in respect of financial burden. Rural families of schizophrenics were shown to be more prone to minor psychiatric morbidity than urban families. Policies should be instigated to reduce such burden."}
{"id": "PMID:1483164", "title": "The influence of ethnicity and family structure on relapse in first-episode schizophrenia. A comparison of Asian, Afro-Caribbean, and white patients.", "content": "There is overwhelming evidence that the outcome for people with schizophrenia in Western industrialised countries is inferior to that of those living in the Third World. Extended family structures, greater opportunities for social reintegration, and more positive constructions of mental illness have been offered as possible explanations for this effect. The Asian community in the UK retains many of these features as well as strong links with native cultures of origin. The issue arises as to whether similar differences in outcome may be observed in the UK. An exploratory study was undertaken, examining the early progress of schizophrenia in a first-episode sample (n = 137), and based on systematic examination of case-note data. A lower rate of relapse/readmission in the first 12 months after discharge was found in the Asian (16%) as compared with white (30%) and Afro-Caribbean (49%) patients. Available evidence suggested that speed of access to care, living with a family, and employment may account for this effect. Medication compliance may have contributed to differences in relapse between white and Afro-Caribbeans but was not a factor influencing the low rate among Asians. The limitations and strengths of case-note studies are discussed at length, and it is concluded that a prospective study is warranted and would be highly instructive."}
{"id": "PMID:1483165", "title": "Comparison of quality of life with standard of living in schizophrenic out-patients.", "content": "Standard of living reflects the objective dimension of how well the basic needs of life are met, while quality of life is the patient's own subjective view of well-being and satisfaction with her/his life. Sixty-one schizophrenic out-patients completed self-report inventories and participated in interviews about quality of life and standard of living. When living standards were met by a well functioning social service system, patients' perceptions of their quality of life and their standard of living appeared to be independent. Subsequent analyses revealed that 'inner experiences' was one quality-of-life domain frequently reported as unsatisfactory. Moreover, differences in quality of life were found across patients' age, education, and work status."}
{"id": "PMID:1483166", "title": "Expressed emotion in staff working with the long-term adult mentally ill.", "content": "Staff-patient relationships in long-term settings were examined in 35 staff and 61 patients. Measures were also taken of the staff's general health, their coping style in relation to work events, and job satisfaction. A range of ratings of EE was evident in staff descriptions of patients under their care. Strain and criticism in the relationship were not associated with identified stressors in the workplace, or the general health of the carer. When patients were grouped according to high-EE and low-EE interviews, there were no significant differences in their symptoms. Criticism was associated with other patient characteristics, including aggressive and attention-seeking behaviour, underactivity, and limited social interaction. The findings have implications for staff training and for the maintenance of optimal staff-patient relationships in services supporting severely disabled patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1483167", "title": "Change in locus of control following admission in adolescent in-patients.", "content": "A multidimensional measure of children's perception of control was administered to 56 adolescents before and after admission. Different sources of control ('internal', 'powerful others' and 'unknown') were analysed by domain (sphere of behaviour) and outcome ('success' or 'failure'). There were changes across domain and outcome for all three sources of control with significant changes away from 'powerful others' and 'unknown' control. The trend towards internality was also evident in significant changes in the adolescents' perceptions in the 'general' domain and for a 'success' outcome. Changes towards 'internal' source of control were associated with higher cognitive ability, whereas changes away from 'powerful others' were most marked in girls, and changes away from 'unknown' were greatest in the older adolescents. These preliminary observations may help us understand beneficial effects of in-patient care and plan strategies for sustained change in these patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1483168", "title": "Deliberate self-poisoning and self-injury in adolescents. A study of characteristics and trends in Oxford, 1976-89.", "content": "In Oxford during the late 1970s and early 1980s a decline in rates of deliberate self-poisoning and self-injury in older female teenagers was followed by a steady increase between 1986 and 1989. Rates for male adolescents and young female adolescents remained relatively stable throughout 1976-89. Applying the Oxford rates to England and Wales suggest a total of 18,000-19,000 hospital-referred cases per year. While self-poisoning with minor tranquillisers and sedatives has declined, there has been a marked increase in paracetamol self-poisoning, such that by 1988-89 it was involved in 48.3% of overdoses. Relationship difficulties were the most frequent problems faced by these adolescents, especially the females, with unemployment and alcohol and drug problems also being common, especially in males, but psychiatric disorders relatively rare. Substantial proportions of the adolescents, especially the males, were not living with either relatives or friends, and had a history of violence or a criminal record. The annual rate of repetition of attempts, which was 8.9% overall, was higher in adolescents not admitted to the general hospital, and in females not referred to the hospital psychiatric service. Adolescent attempted suicide clearly continues to be a major health problem for which both effective preventive and therapeutic strategies are badly needed."}
{"id": "PMID:1483169", "title": "Methodological issues in using a polydiagnostic approach to define psychotic illness.", "content": "Although a polydiagnostic approach to the definition of psychotic disorder provides many advantages to the researcher, there are also disadvantages. A comparison between several different sets of operational criteria using the OPCRIT computer program on a consecutive series of 397 psychotic subjects is described. The results show that although current diagnostic procedures are generally reliable, such approaches can still only supplement skilled clinical judgement, and there remain many pitfalls for the unwary."}
{"id": "PMID:1483170", "title": "Cardiac vagal tone in generalised anxiety disorder.", "content": "The aim of the present study was twofold: firstly, to determine cardiac vagal tone in subjects with generalised anxiety disorder directly, using an invasive pharmacological method; and secondly, to test whether the non-invasive method of measuring the amplitude of respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) gives a reliable estimate of cardiac vagal tone in this form of anxiety disorder. Comparison of baseline physiological measures of anxious and control subjects revealed that cardiac vagal tone and heart rate were not different in the two groups of subjects, whereas length of the respiratory cycle and amplitude of respiratory sinus arrhythmia were reduced in the former group. Because of the higher respiratory rates of anxious subjects, the RSA method was found to underestimate cardiac vagal tone in generalised anxiety disorder."}
{"id": "PMID:1483172", "title": "Can autism be detected at 18 months? The needle, the haystack, and the CHAT.", "content": "Autism is currently detected only at about three years of age. This study aimed to establish if detection of autism was possible at 18 months of age. We screened 41 18-month-old toddlers who were at high genetic risk for developing autism, and 50 randomly selected 18-month-olds, using a new instrument, the CHAT, administered by GPs or health visitors. More than 80% of the randomly selected 18-month-old toddlers passed on all items, and none failed on more than one of pretend play, protodeclarative pointing, joint-attention, social interest, and social play. Four children in the high-risk group failed on two or more of these five key types of behaviour. At follow-up at 30 months of age, the 87 children who had passed four or more of these key types of behaviour at 18 months of age had continued to develop normally. The four toddlers who had failed on two or more of these key types of behaviour at 18 months received a diagnosis of autism by 30 months."}
{"id": "PMID:1483173", "title": "An empirical study of delirium subtypes.", "content": "Using a structured instrument, 325 elderly patients admitted to a general hospital for an acute medical problem were evaluated daily in order to detect symptoms of delirium. Patients were scored for 'hyperactive' or 'hypoactive' symptoms, and then the 125 patients with DSM-III delirium were rated as 'hyperactive type' (15%), 'hypoactive type' (19%), 'mixed type' (52%), or 'neither' (14%). There were no statistically significant differences between the groups with respect to age, sex, place of residence, or presence of dementia. These definitions of subtypes should be studied further."}
{"id": "PMID:1483174", "title": "Mentally ill sex offenders. The experience of a regional secure unit.", "content": "Sex offenders suffering from psychotic illness formed an important small group of a regional secure unit's patients. Ten of the 11 such offenders had a diagnosis of schizophrenia. There was a complex relationship between their mental illness and offending."}
{"id": "PMID:1483175", "title": "Pisa syndrome mistaken for conversion in an adolescent.", "content": "We present a case of acute dystonia in an adolescent, with features that fit the description of the Pisa syndrome. The symptoms developed postoperatively, in a non-psychiatric setting, following administration of antiemetic medication, and the phenomenon was misdiagnosed as a conversion disorder. This case reinforces previous reports cautioning against misinterpretation of dystonic reactions as functional disorders, especially in children and adolescents."}
{"id": "PMID:1483176", "title": "A female monozygotic twin pair discordant for transsexualism. Some theoretical implications.", "content": "A 13-year-old girl was referred because of sexual identity problems. There was no mental illness or neurological abnormalities. As her twin sister had no sexual identity problems, it appears that transsexualism is not transmitted by a simple genetic mechanism."}
{"id": "PMID:1483177", "title": "Neuroleptic malignant syndrome and diabetic keto-acidosis.", "content": "A patient suffering from schizophrenia developed diabetic keto-acidosis and NMS after treatment with neuroleptics. The combination of two uncommon complications of treatment with neuroleptics proved fatal."}
{"id": "PMID:1483190", "title": "A real-time approach to spoken language processing in aphasia.", "content": "The study is based on an on-line investigation of spoken language comprehension processes in 25 French-speaking aphasics using a syllable-monitoring task. Nonsense syllables were presented in three different conditions: context-free (embedded in strings of nonsense syllables), lexical context (where the target nonsense syllable is the initial, medial, or final syllable of real three-syllable words), and sentence context. This study builds on an earlier one that explored the relationship between the acoustic-phonetic, lexical, and sentential levels of spoken language processing in French-speaking normals and gave evidence of top-down lexical and sentential influence on syllable recognition. In the present study, aphasic patients from various diagnostic categories were classified as high (N = 13) or low (N = 12) comprehenders. The results show that low comprehending aphasics make no use of sentence information in the syllable-recognition task. As for top-down effect at the single word level that is observed in normal listeners. However, a subgroup analysis shows that the Broca's are the only high comprehending aphasics who perform in the same way as normal listeners; this sets them apart from the anomics and conduction aphasics."}
{"id": "PMID:1483189", "title": "Impairment of inflectional morphology and lexical storage.", "content": "The present study investigates the repetition, comprehension, and production abilities of three French-speaking agrammatic aphasics on stimuli that require attention to the inflectional markers of number, gender, and tense. Two sets of experiments were conducted within a Strong Lexicalist framework. The results suggest that morphological deficits can manifest themselves at distinct levels of grammar, the lexical and the postlexical. The internal morphological structure and idiosyncracies of lexical items were found to have an effect on aphasic performance. A proposal of a differentially organized lexical storage reflecting the particularities of the French verbal system is put forth. The storage hypothesis suggested for verbs is extended to other lexical items."}
{"id": "PMID:1483191", "title": "Allocation of attention, reading skills, and deafness.", "content": "Brannan and Williams (1987) found that poor readers cannot successfully utilize parafoveal cues to identify letter targets. Whether a similar deficit in the use of cue information occurs in deaf poor readers and whether it is only specific to processes that capture attention automatically were investigated in congenitally deaf young adults classified as poor or good readers and hearing controls classified as good readers. Subjects were presented with central or parafoveal cues that varied in cue validity probability, followed by letter targets presented to the left or right of fixation. The reaction time data analyses showed significant main effects for cue type and cue location and significant interactions among cue type, cue location, cue validity probability, and visual field. No significant main effect or interactions involving groups were found. These results raise the possibility that reading difficulties associated with deafness do no involve a deficit in the visual attentional system of deaf people. They also confirm that parafoveal cues are more effective than central cues in capturing attention."}
{"id": "PMID:1483192", "title": "Can residual lexical knowledge concern word form rather than word meaning?", "content": "We described a patient with a dramatic deficit of both word comprehension and naming but with good preservation of visual pictorial semantics. On word-picture matching, his performances were slightly better than expected based on the observed lexical semantic disorder; in addition, the patient, who maintained good preservation of his underlying phonology, showed a tendency to point to the picture phonologically related to the target. In order to interpret these data, we advanced the hypothesis that the patient, in spite of his virtually complete inability to name, would be able, in a word-picture matching task, to \"covertly\" (i.e., preverbally) retrieve the name from the picture and to use this name to attempt a match with the phonological form of the stimulus word. This mechanism, that we called \"phonological\" comprehension, would allow the identification of the correct target and would explain the choice of the phonologically related foil that was sometimes selected."}
{"id": "PMID:1483194", "title": "Rapid automatized naming and gesture by normal and language-impaired children.", "content": "This study investigates whether language-impaired (LI) children show deficits in rapid automatized naming and whether RAN performance is specific to verbal output (or to rapid motor output in general). A total of 67 LI and 54 age-matched control children were tested with the Rapid Automatized Naming (RAN) test (Denckla & Rudel, 1976) and with a manual version of the RAN (RAN-manual) in which subjects were required to provide a nonverbal, pantomime response. Subjects also completed tests of rapid oral and manual sequencing skills and standardized tests of reading ability. Each subject was tested at 4, 6, and 8 years old. The results showed that LI children perform significantly poorer on both versions of the RAN than age-matched controls. Correlations between RAN scores and tests of reading ability were significant for normal and LI subjects and were particularly high for 8-year-old LI children. RAN-manual scores also correlated with 8-year-old LI children's reading scores. Further, RAN and RAN-manual scores for the LI children correlated significantly with these children's manual sequencing abilities, whereas this was not the case for the control subjects. These findings suggest that LI children's rapid sequential processing deficits are not limited to verbal output, but also generalize to other motoric domains."}
{"id": "PMID:1483195", "title": "Morphologic agrammatism following a right hemisphere stroke in a dextral patient.", "content": "There is evidence of two major components of grammatic function in the brain: (1) morphologic, probably based in the postcentral perisylvian cortex, encompassing the selection of individual words and inflectional endings according to the rules of grammar; and (2) syntactic, probably based in the frontal lobes, encompassing construction of the overall structure of a sentence (syntax) to match the concept being considered. We present a stroke patient with impaired morphology but, unlike Broca's aphasics, relative sparing of syntax. He omitted 43% of articles, 40% of complementizers, 20% of pronouns, 27% of semantically marked prepositions, 43% of purely grammatic prepositions, and 22% of auxiliary verbs, but his average sentence length was 9.8 words and 64% of his sentences contained embedded clauses. He frequently intermingled two sentences to convey a given concept, juxtaposing words in grammatically unacceptable ways. This intermingling may represent either a grammatic \"conduite d'approche,\" or a failure of the filtering function of a defective morphologic processor. His great difficulty in completing syntactic frames suggests that a more general form of the processes underlying grammatic morphology may play an important role in phrase structure generation."}
{"id": "PMID:1483196", "title": "Effects of semantic context and event-related potentials: N400 correlates with inhibition effect.", "content": "Two experiments investigated the modulation of event-related brain potentials (ERPs) by semantic context. A prime-target pair was visually presented in each trial of a lexical decision task. For word targets, three types of relatedness conditions were employed: (1) Related word condition (e.g., school-teacher); (2) Neutral word condition (e.g., [symbol: see text] - number); (3) Unrelated word c((e.g., hospital-potato). In Experiment 1, the reaction time for unrelated targets was longer than that for neutral targets (inhibition effect) which was longer than that for related targets (facilitation effect). The N400 amplitude in the unrelated targets was larger compared to those in the related and neutral targets, which did not differ. In Experiment 2, where only the facilitation effect was obtained, the N400 amplitude did not differ among conditions."}
{"id": "PMID:1483197", "title": "Why are kana words named faster than kanji words?", "content": "Feldman and Turvey (1980) found that colors conventionally written in kanji (a logo-graphic script) are named slower than are the unconventional kana (a syllabic script) transcriptions of the kanji color words. This surprising finding was attributed to the closer relation of kana to phonology, which is consonant with the general dual-route theory. However, the present study has shown that kanji numerals are named faster than are the corresponding kana numerals. A hypothesis involving selection difficulty inherent in most kanji is presented to explain those apparently conflicting results. Some implications for further research on the kanji versus kana issue are also discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1483198", "title": "Interhemispheric dissociation of expressive and receptive language functions in patients with complex-partial seizures: an amobarbital study.", "content": "Bilateral intracarotid amobarbital procedures (IAP) were performed in 144 patients with medically intractable complex-partial seizures. As a result of language testing, 29 patients (20.1%) were found to have bilateral language representation to different degrees. In four (2.8%) of these patients--all right-handers with early onset of epilepsy and/or evidence of early brain damage--there was strong evidence of an interhemispheric dissociation of expressive and receptive language functions. Two of these patients had circumscribed temporal foci (one left, one right), and receptive language functions were represented in the hemisphere contralateral to the focus. One patient with a right frontal focus showed left-hemisphere dominance for expressive functions, while the fourth patient exhibited left-hemisphere dominance for receptive functions associated with a right temporo-parietal focus. It is argued that in these four cases the circumscribed functional and/or structural impairments have led to a shift of the anatomically associated language functions to the opposite hemisphere (rather than to neighboring regions of the same hemisphere). These findings substantiate the hypothesis that in special circumstances the anterior (expressive) language area can be located in one hemisphere and the posterior (receptive) area in the other."}
{"id": "PMID:1483199", "title": "Contribution of articulatory rehearsal to short-term memory: evidence from a case of selective disruption.", "content": "We describe a brain-damaged patient with disturbed articulatory rehearsal in whom all predictions derived from a working memory model were fulfilled. The patient showed a reduced verbal span, no word-length effect on immediate recall in both the visual or the auditory modalities, no phonological similarity effect in the visual modality, and no effect of articulatory suppression. A slowed overt articulation rate provided independent evidence for disrupted articulatory rehearsal. The other components of working memory, the visuospatial scratch-pad, phonological storage system, and central executive, were functional. The selectivity of the deficit can be taken as evidence for the specific role of articulatory rehearsal in working memory."}
{"id": "PMID:1483200", "title": "Sensitivity to inflectional morphology in aphasia: a real-time processing perspective.", "content": "The present study investigates Broca's aphasics' sensitivity to morphological information in an on-line task. German is used as the test language because it is highly inflected. Results from two word monitoring experiments show first that Broca's patients like normal controls are sensitive to the presence of a contextually incorrect inflection. Contrary to normals, they are, however, not sensitive to the absence of an obligatory inflection even when its presence is syntactically highly constrained. Second, they reveal that Broca's aphasics are only sensitive to the presence of an incorrect inflection when it functions as a marker of lexical category (noun vs. verb) and not when it functions as a diacritical marker (second person singular vs. third person singular). The results are taken as evidence for the claim that Broca's aphasics are impaired in the ability to process the full syntactic information encoded in closed class elements in a fast, automatic, and obligatory way."}
{"id": "PMID:1483202", "title": "Could an autonomous syntax module have evolved?", "content": "Darwinian evolution necessitates a contribution to reproductive fitness. Recent studies of aphasia and Parkinson's disease show that functional syntactic ability involves neural structures that also are involved in speech motor control and nonlinguistic cognition. The evolution or presence of an autonomous syntax module is, therefore, implausible."}
{"id": "PMID:1483203", "title": "[Experimental method for the definition of intercalation of compounds in DNA].", "content": "Intercalation of aromatic compounds into DNA can be appreciated by using, in a complementary way, fibre X-ray diffraction and measurement of variations of the fibre dimensions. The different behaviours resulting from an actual intercalation or an association of small molecules into the DNA grooves can be distinguished by this experimental method which provides significant results for proflavine, ethidium bromide, a platinum compound, 9-aminoacridine and ellipticine."}
{"id": "PMID:1483204", "title": "[Quantitative determination method of nucleic acids by enzymatic amplification (PCR method) to saturation].", "content": "We describe here conditions under which the enzymatic amplification of DNA using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is quantitative, even when the amplification reaction is run to saturation. DNA in the sample to analyze is co-amplified with known quantities of an internal standard, namely a DNA molecule whose sequence or length differs from that of the sample DNA by only a few base pairs. The two amplification products are detected as run-off products elongated from one or several additional labelled, primers. The ratio between the two signals provides a precise estimate of the amount of specific DNA in the sample to analyze."}
{"id": "PMID:1483205", "title": "[Demonstration of prolactin messenger RNA after amplification in the brain in rats].", "content": "By means of immunocytochemistry, a central neuronal network containing a prolactin-like substance has been described in the rat. In order to demonstrate the synthesis of this peptide in these cells, we examined the presence of prolactin messenger RNA (PRL mRNA) in several brain samples including the pituitary gland. Amplification of the PRL mRNA was performed by the polymerase chain reaction technique, followed by southern blotting and hybridization with a specific oligonucleotide. Results showed the presence of the expected cDNA (468 bp) in the hypothalamus. Another cDNA with a lower molecular weight was also observed."}
{"id": "PMID:1483206", "title": "Marketing dentistry: a pilot study in Dudley.", "content": "This study was an attempt to persuade non-users or irregular users of dental services to change their behaviour and visit the dentist more regularly. The task was divided into two main parts. One was a promotion campaign undertaken in the Borough of Dudley in the West Midlands and the other a professional development programme for the dentists practising in the same area. The professional development campaign was designed to make the practitioners aware of the barriers to dental care which are perceived by patients. It was undertaken through a series of workshops on various aspects of practice development and promotion to which the staff of all the dental practices in Dudley were invited. Thirty-nine out of a total of forty-one accepted the invitation and attended some or all of the programme. In addition to the workshops members of the research team visited each of the participating practices regularly to discuss aspects of the programme and to record progress. The practitioners had varied attitudes to marketing and varied learning styles, and therefore they had different expectations of the nature and purpose of professional development. The majority attended solely to learn about the promotion campaign. There were also varying perceptions of patient recruitment and retention. None saw this as a serious problem. However, even before the new National Health Service contract for general dental practitioners there was the growing realisation that in the future there would be competition between practices and that this could be a reason for considering recruitment and the retention of patients more carefully. This was considered by many of the dentists, but not all, to be a problem of patient behaviour, linked with a degree of fatalism, and that nothing much could be done about it. There was a reluctance to change and the fear of the risks involved led a number of the general dental practitioners to identify and emphasise the difficulties in making new developments rather than their benefits. Only one quarter of the practices made any changes and they tended to prefer quick solutions rather than basic development. The experience gained in this part of the study indicated that in the future professional development should be considered in terms of the dentist's perception of the costs and the benefits; direct costs, opportunity costs, and the prospect of effecting change.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1483237", "title": "Sulfite-containing Canadian pharmaceutical products available in 1991.", "content": "To compile an inclusive list of Canadian pharmaceutical products available in 1991 that contained sulfites. Written and oral responses from 94 pharmaceutical companies selected from the 1989 Compendium of Pharmaceuticals and Specialties. A list of sulfite-containing pharmaceutical products was compiled from data supplied by the 90 responding companies. Companies whose products contained no sulfites were separately identified. Sulfites are present in many pharmaceutical products and are one of many excipients and additives that have been reported to cause severe adverse reactions. The provided list should be a useful aid for health care practitioners when prescribing pharmaceutical products for sulfite-sensitive patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1483258", "title": "Cytosol and serum ferritin in breast carcinoma.", "content": "This study was undertaken to determine tissue and serum ferritin levels in different stages of breast carcinoma. Eighty-nine cases have been evaluated, the groups investigated being breast carcinoma, benign breast disease and healthy controls. Ferritin levels in both the sera and the tissue cytosols were measured by an enzyme immunoassay method, while total proteins were assayed by Lowry's procedure and the ferritin concentrations given in ng ferritin/mg cytosol protein. No significant difference has been determined for serum ferritin between any of the groups studied, while the tissue cytosol ferritins were found to be 91.6 +/- 50.9, 565.0 +/- 48.3, 142.7 +/- 93.3, 683.3 +/- 212.9 and 655.5 +/- 100.4 ng/mg cytosol protein for the benign, malign (global), malign (stage I), malign (stage II) and malign (stage III) groups, respectively. The differences between the malign groups and the benign group were found to be highly significant (P < 0.001) except for the stage I subgroup, which was fairly significant (P < 0.05). A sensitivity of 90% was evaluated for tissue cytosol ferritin in breast carcinoma, the 'intra-patient' sensitivity being 100%. In conclusion, we state that tissue ferritin is more valuable than serum ferritin as a tumour marker of diagnosis for breast carcinoma."}
{"id": "PMID:1483259", "title": "Early manifestations of induced prostate tumors in Lobund-Wistar rats.", "content": "Lobund-Wistar (L-W) rats are susceptible to spontaneous and induced metastasizing prostate cancer. In the search for the initial site of tumor development in the induced disease, rats at risk were examined periodically to acquire this information. In the course of 12 months after the onset of the induction of prostate cancer in L-W rats, 14 of 40 rats (35%) developed visible tumors in the anterior and in the dorso-lateral lobes of the gland. The prostate tumors appeared at 7 months and thereafter. Two of the tumor-bearing rats had developed, in addition, a visible neoplasm in the seminal vesicle. None of the rats with small early tumors had developed visible metastatic tumors, which were manifested in rats with large tumors."}
{"id": "PMID:1483260", "title": "Formation of DNA adducts of 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP) in male Fischer-344 rats.", "content": "2-Amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]-pyridine (PhIP) is known to induce colon tumors in male Fischer-344 rats. Using 32P-postlabeling assays, we have examined PhIP-DNA adduct formation in various organs and white blood cells (WBCs) of the male Fischer-344 rat 24 h after a single oral dose of 0, 0.5, 5 or 50 mg PhIP/kg. Three PhIP-DNA adducts were detected in WBCs and in all organs, except in the liver and stomach which had only two adducts. The extent of adduct formation was dose-related, but at 0.5 mg/kg no adducts could be detected in any of the organs. At 50 mg/kg, adduct levels, expressed as relative adduct labeling values (RAL x 10(7), or adducts per 10(7) nucleotides assuming complete labeling) were highest in the large intestine (5.66), followed by WBCs (5.04), stomach (1.44), small intestine (1.32), kidney (1.16), liver (0.67) and lungs (0.52). It is concluded that orally administered PhIP forms high levels of specific DNA adducts in the large intestine, the target organ in PhIP carcinogenesis in the male Fischer-344 rat, and that the high level of adducts in WBCs indicates that significant amounts of the ultimate carcinogenic form of PhIP are present in the circulation."}
{"id": "PMID:1483255", "title": "Liposuction surgery and autologous fat transplantation.", "content": "Since the importation of liposuction surgery into the United States more than a decade ago, we have witnessed a number of major technique changes and practice trends occur. One of us (L.M.F.) was the first dermatologic surgeon to undergo the \"lipsuction experience\" (Paris, 1977) under the tutelage of Giorgio and Arpad Fisher and Pierre Fournier, and another (R.S.N.) the first to undergo training with Yves Illouz (also Paris). All three co-workers have served on teaching faculties of both the International and American Societies for Dermatologic Surgery, the American Society of Liposuction Surgery, and the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery, have performed many hundreds of procedures, and have lectured/published on this subject on repeated occasions. We recognize certain vital changes and expansions have occurred during the past decade, and share our impressions of these with you."}
{"id": "PMID:1483261", "title": "N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea induced brain tumors in rats monitored by nuclear magnetic resonance imaging, plasma proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and microscopy.", "content": "Characteristic slow growing brain gliomas were induced in rats by a single subcutaneous injection of N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea (ENU) within 24 h of birth. A parallel control group of rats was injected with saline. Seven treated rats developed gliomas within 2 years. Periodic nuclear magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain in 3-mm slices at 1.5 Tesla and monthly plasma sampling for proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) at 360 MHz were started 6 months after the injection of ENU. In the MRS experiments, the Fossel index, average of the line widths of the methylene and methyl peaks at 360 MHz, was determined from half-line widths of methyl and methylene peaks at 0.8 ppm and 1.3 ppm. In five of the ENU injected animals that developed histologically verified brain tumors, these were also observed by MRI without contrast agents. There was no consistent correlation between the imaged tumors and the Fossel index obtained through MRS during the course of the study where repeated observations were performed on individual animals, nor was there any consistent statistical difference in the Fossel index between ENU-treated and control animals. The results of this study demonstrate that slowly developing carcinogen-induced brain tumors in rats can be successfully and reliably monitored noninvasively by MRI but not by MRS of plasma."}
{"id": "PMID:1483262", "title": "Cathepsin D in primary squamous laryngeal tumors: correlation with clinico-pathological parameters and receptor status.", "content": "Using an immunoradiometric assay, Cathepsin D (Cath D) levels were measured in the cytosol of 23 normal and 39 neoplastic human laryngeal tissues. Scattered Cath D levels (from 2.2 to 17.8 pM/mg protein; median = 7.6) were found in normal mucosa specimens. Cath D concentrations range from 2.0 to 29.3 pM/mg protein (median = 8.5) in laryngeal tumors. When a comparison between Cath D levels in normal and neoplastic tissue specimens from the same patient was done, Cath D levels were significantly higher in laryngeal cancers than in their normal counterparts (P = 0.03). No correlation with clinico-pathological parameters and steroid hormone and epidermal growth factor receptor status was found. Further studies should investigate whether the production of Cath D by laryngeal tumors could have a clinical relevance for this neoplasia."}
{"id": "PMID:1483263", "title": "Lack of therapeutic effects of platelet activating factor antagonists in WEHI-3B leukemia, human xenotransplanted colorectal and lung cancer and Lewis-lung tumor in vivo.", "content": "Four new antagonists of platelet activating factor (PAF) from two different chemical classes (imidazoisoquinolines: SDZ 62-434, SDZ 63-135, SDZ 62-759; imidazopiperidines: SDZ 62-293) were tested for in vivo therapeutic activity in various tumor models including the murine myelomonocytic leukemia WEHl-3B, xenografts of human colon (HTB 38) and lung (HTB 119) cancer cell lines and the murine Lewis-lung tumor. After intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of 1 x 10(3), 5 x 10(3) and 1 x 10(4) WEHl-3B cells into Balb/c mice, the drugs were given per os (p.o.) or i.p. over 6-14 days. Drug doses were pushed to exceed the lethal dose for 10% of the animals (LD10) and ranged from 1 to 100 mg/kg daily for p.o. treatment and from 1 to 75 mg/kg daily for i.p. treatment. In the xenotransplants and the Lewis-lung tumor experiments, PAF antagonists were given i.p. to nude Balb/c and C57 Black mice after intracutaneous (i.c.) tumor cell inoculation. None of the four compounds induced reproducible prolongation of life span, significant numbers of long term survivors, reduction of tumor size, or delay of tumor growth in any of the therapeutic models. Oral SDZ 62-759 had some activity in experiments in which there was slow WEHl-38 tumor growth in the controls. Toxicity of equivalent drugs doses was higher in the i.p. than in the p.o. schedules."}
{"id": "PMID:1483264", "title": "Changes of DNA methylation in protooncogenes in the process of radiation-induced transformation of mouse m5S/1M cells in vitro.", "content": "To assess the importance of changes in DNA methylation in an X-ray-induced cellular transformation process, methylation patterns of five nuclear protooncogenes in fifteen transformant clones were studied and compared to that of the parental non-transformed cell line m5S/1M. All transformants examined revealed an alteration in DNA methylation in some of the genes, although these changes were variable among them. A comparison of cellular characteristics with corresponding DNA methylation changes in different clones suggested that the loss of contact inhibition and the gain of anchorage independency were associated with increases of methylation in many genes, whereas the acquisition of tumorigenicity was often accompanied by a decrease of methylation in the N-myc and c-myc genes. Resultant data indicate that the alteration of DNA methylation is closely related to transformation process, yet how this involvement occurs is complex and remains unclear."}
{"id": "PMID:1483265", "title": "Nitrogen analogues of haematoporphyrin and haematoporphyrin derivative.", "content": "The preparation of a number of amines related to haematoporphyrin (HP) and haematoporphyrin derivative (HPD) have been studied and their composition and structure discussed through examination of their 1H, 13C NMR and mass spectral data and other physical properties. In vitro biological studies have been carried out and have shown these amines to have a similar photodynamic efficiency to that of HPD. One of these showed cytotoxic properties at exceptionally low light energy levels."}
{"id": "PMID:1483266", "title": "The induction of ornithine decarboxylase by ornithine takes place at post-transcriptional level in perifused Ehrlich carcinoma cells.", "content": "The increase in ODC activity during perifusion of Ehrlich carcinoma cells with 0.5 mM ornithine correlates with an increase in 'de novo' synthetized ODC protein. ODC synthesis was followed by immunoprecipitation of equal quantities of 35S-labelled proteins after 10, 20 and 30 min of labelling. In addition, the rate of 'de novo' protein synthesis is very much elevated in cells perifused with saline buffer supplemented with 0.5 mM ornithine than in cells perifused with the saline buffer only. In spite of the higher specific ODC activity observed in cells perifused with saline buffer plus 0.5 mM ornithine respect to cells perifused with only saline buffer for 3.5 h, no elevation in ODC mRNA was observed when the cells were perifused in the presence of 0.5 mM ornithine."}
{"id": "PMID:1483267", "title": "Antitumor effect and toxicity of two new active-site-directed irreversible ornithine decarboxylase and extrahepatic arginase inhibitors.", "content": "The irreversible ornithine decarboxylase and extrahepatic arginase inhibitors (+)-S-2-amino-5-iodoacetamidopentanoic acid (2-AIPA) and (+)-S-2-amino-6-iodoacetamidohexanoic acid (2-AIHA) were evaluated. The LD50 tests were made in rats and mice using both compounds. Rats and mice were treated with either 2-AIPA or 2-AIHA i.p. for a period of 180 days. The treated animals showed a decrease of total serum proteins and increased ALT and AST levels. CK was also modified but inversely related to dose. Protection tests were carried out using L5178Y mouse lymphosarcoma. The mean survival time for each treated group was calculated and the percentage T/C was determined. For 2-AIPA it was 170 and for 2-AIHA it was 210 at 15 mg/kg."}
{"id": "PMID:1483268", "title": "Aphidicolin selectively kills neuroblastoma cells in vitro.", "content": "Aphidicolin is a tetracyclic diterpene antibiotic which is known to inhibit the growth of eucaryotic cells by reversible binding to DNA polymerase alpha without significant effect on cell viability in most common human cell lines. We observed that aphidicolin at a concentration of 5 x 10(-7) M kills all cells of four human neuroblastoma cell lines. In contrast, viability of normal human embryonal cells and of human continuous cell lines including HeLa, H9, A549 and Caco-2 was influenced only moderately by aphidicolin. In addition, neuroblastoma cells were killed after treatment with 5 x 10(-7) M aphidicolin in cocultures with normal embryonal cells which continued to proliferate after removal of aphidicolin. These results show that aphidicolin provides an agent which selectively kills neuroblastoma cells in vitro."}
{"id": "PMID:1483269", "title": "Growth inhibitory effects of bioflavonoids and related compounds on human leukemic CEM-C1 and CEM-C7 cells.", "content": "Seven compounds, which included some naturally occurring dietary substances, were tested for their inhibitory effects on growth and metabolism of human leukemic CEM-C1 and CEM-C7 cell lines. Among the active compounds the naturally occurring dietary constituents were found to be the most active. The strongest inhibitory effects were observed with 3',4',5,7-tetrahydroxy-flavone (luteolin) and 4,4'-dihydroxychalcone. 31P-NMR spectra of cells incubated for 24 h with 30 microM of either of these compounds show complete ATP depletion. Also glucose uptake by the cells as measured by 13C-NMR is completely inhibited by these compounds. These results may be relevant to the tumor suppressing activity of bioflavonoids and the role of these compounds in chemoprevention."}
{"id": "PMID:1483270", "title": "The cytotoxic properties of malachite green are associated with the increased demethylase, aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase and lipid peroxidation in primary cultures of Syrian hamster embryo cells.", "content": "Malachite green (MG), an industrial compound and potential environmental health hazard, is highly cytotoxic to mammalian cells in culture. In an attempt to define the biochemical basis, we have compared the cytotoxic effects and morphological alterations shown by MG in Syrian hamster embryo (SHE) cells with the levels of lipid peroxidation and the activities of aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase, aminopyrine-N-demethylase, superoxide dismutase and catalase. Treatment of SHE cells with MG results into an induction of the mono-oxygenase system, lipid peroxidation and catalase in a dose-dependent way, indicating the formation of reactive free radicals. Accordingly, the possible involvement of reactive free radicals especially hydroxymethyl radicals in the observed high cytotoxicity due to exposure to MG is postulated."}
{"id": "PMID:1483271", "title": "[Present possibilities of prenatal diagnosis of Fabry's disease].", "content": "Fabry's disease (angiokeratoma corporis diffusum universale) is an inborn error of metabolism, which is based on a shortage in the cumulation of glycosphingolipids in endothelial and epithelial cells of glomeruli, vascular endothelia and in ganglion cells with subsequent severe organ damage. Heredity is X-linked recessive. In the submitted paper the authors present a case-history of a family where three men were affected and carriership was confirmed in five women. During the first pregnancy one of them a successful prenatal diagnosis was made from cultivated amniotic fluid cells. Chromosomal examination revealed female sex and the levels of the alpha-galactosidase A were established in cultivated cells. A healthy girl was delivered."}
{"id": "PMID:1483272", "title": "[Relation of retinopathy to puberty and sex in insulin-dependent diabetics].", "content": "The authors examined by chromatoophtalmoscopy the optic fundus in 302 children and adolescents with insulin dependent diabetes. They classified the findings according to their own classification and selected from the entire number two groups of patients where the common sign was persistence of diabetes for a period of 5-8 years. Group A (n = 32) was, however, formed only by children under 11 years, while group B (n = 35) comprised adolescents aged 16-20 years. In group A the authors found incipient retinopathy in 12.5% children, in group B in 48.6% of the patients (p < 0.005). The degree of retinopathy was also more severe in older subjects. Comparison of the whole group by sex did not reveal a significant relationship (p > 0.05). In the conclusion the authors draw attention to the necessity of careful follow up of the optic finding in child diabetics, in particular during adolescence."}
{"id": "PMID:1483273", "title": "[Evaluation of a peptide preparation (milk) in the care of infants with various gastrointestinal intolerances].", "content": "The use of an enteral peptide feed based on hydrolysed whey protein (Pepti Junior, Cow and Gate/Nutricia Ltd.) was evaluated in 17 patients with complex GIT intolerance. Nine post surgical neonates were weaned onto the feed either following a period of parenteral nutrition (8) or after demonstrating intolerance of both breast milk and a lactose-free soy based formula. Eight infants admitted to a gastroenterology ward with multiple protein intolerances were also studied. Patients were fed to their nutritional requirements with the milk containing/100 ml; 67 kcal (280 kJ), 2.0 g protein, 3.7 g fat (50% MCT, 50% vegetable oil) and 6.7 g carbohydrate (98% maltodextrins). Patients were maintained on the feed for 7-45 weeks (mean 21 weeks). Full nutritional support was possible with the new formula in all but 2 children who had jejunostomies; in these patients > 50% of nutritional requirement were supplied by the enteral feed. All patients gained weight (mean 0.16 kg/week) (SD 0.09). With the exception of subclinical selenium deficiency, no abnormalities of haematological, biochemical or vitamin states were observed. Post prandial plasma amino-acid concentrations were within acceptable limits and similar to those reported on standard whey based infant formulae. The feed appeared well tolerated in infants with GIT intolerances with no major complications in long term usage."}
{"id": "PMID:1483274", "title": "[Vaccination in children with neurologic diseases].", "content": "The authors explain the main risks of immunization of children with affections of the central nervous system. For practical reasons the diseases are divided into four groups: 1. Perinatal affections and developmental diseases of the CNS. 2. Neurodegenerative and metabolic affections of the CNS. 3. Acquired affections of the CNS. 4. Paroxysmal diseases. The objective of the paper is to reduce the risk of postvaccination complications in children with serious affections of the CNS, while ensuring the contemporary necessary vaccination rate of the population."}
{"id": "PMID:1483275", "title": "[Prevention and reduction of psychological and motor defects in childhood. II. Advantages and risks of longitudinal studies in pediatrics].", "content": "The presented investigation characterized the general types of longitudinal projects focused on the long-term follow-up of children in health and disease. First the authors outline briefly the principles and disadvantages of cross-sectional projects. Then follows an account on the methodology of longitudinal projects, evaluation of their advantages and their multiple risks. Approximately 50 years of experience with longitudinal projects indicate that this pretentious research strategy can provide an overall view of developmental trends as regards changes of the health status in the ontogenetic perspective and contribute to the improvement of health care of the child population."}
{"id": "PMID:1483276", "title": "[Hyperechogenic renal pyramids in children].", "content": "The authors describe the case-histories of four children with hyperechogenic renal pyramids. These children are followed up at the First Paediatric Clinic in Bratislava."}
{"id": "PMID:1483277", "title": "[Care of foreskin constriction in children].", "content": "The suspicion of phimosis is more frequent than it's real occurrence. The diagnosis of phimosis is often used for another nonobstructive conditions of prepuce--conglutination or tight prepuce. The early operation is necessary just in cases of real phimosis, whereas conservative approach is recommended in cases of conglutination and tight prepuce. Physiological development can bring spontaneous improvement in these children. In boys with persisting tight prepuce operation is indicated."}
{"id": "PMID:1483278", "title": "[Broncho-Vax and IRS 19 in the treatment of recurrent respiratory tract inflammation in children].", "content": "A group of 80 children with relapsing infections of the respiratory pathways (a minimum of three during the previous period) were investigated during the first year of the investigation (1987-88) with regard to the number and duration of the disease, absence from school, antibiotic consumption and use of bronchodilatating agents. In the subsequent year 1988-1989 the children were divided into a group treated with Broncho-Vaxom, a group treated with IRS 19 and a control group. Before the onset of administration and then every two months functional examinations of the lungs were made in the children. At the beginning of treatment and after its termination some immunological and laboratory values were examined. The effect of treatment was evaluated also subjectively by the parents and physician. Both preparations had a favourable effect on prevention of relapses of respiratory infections. This effects was more favourable after Broncho-Vaxom, in particular in prevention of inflammations of the lower respiratory pathways. IRS 19 eliminates relapses of infections of the upper respiratory pathways sooner."}
{"id": "PMID:1483279", "title": "[The therapeutic effect of tiapride in the treatment of dyskinetic forms of cerebral palsy in children].", "content": "The authors administered tiaprid (Tiapridal, Delagrange), to six patients with the dyskinetic form of cerebral palsy, mean dose 11.4 mg/kg/day in three portions. In five instances clinical improvement was recorded, all patients improved as regards tests of practical skills. On the EEG during tiaprid treatment reduction of muscular artefacts was recorded. By means of an original testing device the authors revealed that tiaprid exerts a relatively small influence on the reaction time in response to a light stimulus but that it prolongs significantly the time needed for the motor performance proper. More marked undesirable effects were manifested in one patient (subjectively reported short-term change of sensitivity of the lower extremities and increased amplitude of dyskinesias). The authors emphasize the positive properties of the preparation and recommend tiaprid as the drug of first choice for pharmacological inhibition of extrapyramidal hyperkinesias in patients with the dyskinetic form of cerebral palsy in children."}
{"id": "PMID:1483281", "title": "[Outdoor camp schools from the aspect of mental hygiene].", "content": "A survey by means of questionnaires revealed a positive attitude of parents and teachers to outdoor schools of children from nursery and primary schools. While parents prefer three-week stays, teachers are definitely in favour of two-week stays. As far as the subjective experience of children is concerned, analysis of the answers of a total of 1200 primary school children (answers classified by sex, age and period of outdoor school) proved the primary correlation with age and thus also with the level of adaptation mechanisms. The position is most pretentious for pupils of the first and second form of primary schools who must overcome two types of new stresses: separation from parents and demands of the teaching process. Boys are at greater risk than girls as their risk of psychic subdeprivation is greater than in girls. Special care must be devoted maladjusted who in the teachers opinion account for 4% of primary school children and 1.7% nursery school children."}
{"id": "PMID:1483287", "title": "The effect of endurance training on serum triiodothyronine kinetics in man: physical conditioning marked by enhanced thyroid hormone metabolism.", "content": "We studied the relationship between endurance training, aerobic capacity, and T3 metabolism in healthy euthyroid men. T3 kinetic studies performed on two groups of subjects differentiated on the basis of physical activity status and aerobic capacity. Five endurance-trained athletes and five sedentary controls (mean +/- SD VO2 max = 48.2 +/- 7.1 vs 23.2 +/- 4.5 ml/kg/min, respectively) matched for age, body surface area, lean body mass, and baseline thyroid function. Kinetic analysis performed using serial serum T3 levels measured following oral T3 administration. Metabolic clearance rate, total volume of distribution, disposal rate, and total body pool calculated using non-compartmental analysis. When normalized for lean body mass, all kinetic parameters were 25-38% greater in the athletic group compared to controls (P < 0.05). Total volume of distribution, disposal rate, and total body pool were positively correlated with aerobic capacity (r = +0.69 to +0.79; P < 0.05). Metabolic clearance rate was positively correlated to a non-significant degree. These results confirm the findings of prior studies that thyroid hormone metabolism is altered by physical conditioning. In addition, we demonstrated a positive correlation between aerobic capacity and several parameters of T3 kinetics. Differences in absolute lean body mass cannot explain these findings; rather it appears that there is something qualitatively different in the way endurance-trained tissue processes thyroid hormone, compared to untrained tissue. The study was not designed to elucidate these differences at the cellular level; however, it does support a link between muscle physiology and T3 activity and may suggest a physiological role for thyroid hormone in physical conditioning."}
{"id": "PMID:1483288", "title": "Subtle changes in serum thyrotrophin (TSH) and sex-hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) levels during long-term follow-up after radioactive iodine in multinodular non-toxic goitre.", "content": "We investigated possible changes in the pituitary-thyroid axis after radioactive iodine (RAI) treatment of multinodular non-toxic goitre. Consecutive patients with multinodular non-toxic goitre, who remained euthyroid after radioactive iodine (RAI) treatment. Twenty-three women with multinodular non-toxic goitre were followed after treatment with RAI. Free T4 index (FT4I), FT3I, free T4, SHBG (immunoradiometric assay), and a third-generation TSH assay (chemiluminetric assay) TSH were measured. Three weeks after RAI treatment TSH had decreased and SHBG increased (P < 0.05). Only 2/18 patients actually had suppressed TSH values, while 12/18 had values in between euthyroid and toxic levels. Trend analysis from 1.5 to 24 months after RAI treatment demonstrated a progressive increase in TSH (P < 0.01) and gradual decrease in SHBG (P < 0.02). No changes in FT4I, FT3I, or free T4 were found. A third-generation TSH assay gave detailed information about changes in thyroid status when TSH was below normal values. FT4I, FT3I, and free T4 seem to be less sensitive parameters than TSH and SHBG for recording subtle changes in thyroid status after RAI treatment of nodular non-toxic goitre. We demonstrated that changes in the pituitary-thyroid axis continue for a long time after RAI treatment of multinodular non-toxic goitre. These patients should be followed up in order to detect possible late hypothyroidism."}
{"id": "PMID:1483289", "title": "Genetic linkage studies of X-linked hypophosphataemic rickets in a Saudi Arabian family.", "content": "OBJECTIVE, PATIENTS AND DESIGN: X-linked hypophosphataemic rickets (HYP) is the most common inherited form of rickets and the gene causing this disorder has been localized to Xp22.3-p21.3 by linkage studies of affected families of Northern European origin. In addition, the locus order Xpter-(DXS207-DXS43,DXS197)-HYP-DXS41-X cen has been established and the flanking markers are useful for the presymptomatic diagnosis of HYP. However, a recent study indicates locus heterogeneity and this may hinder the use of the flanking markers for presymptomatic diagnosis in additional families and in particular those from different populations. We have therefore investigated one Saudi-Arabian family (13 affected and six unaffected members) with hypophosphataemic rickets for linkage to these and other X-linked markers. A total of 17 cloned human X chromosome sequences identifying restriction fragment length polymorphisms were used to localize the mutant gene causing this disorder in the Saudi Arabian family. Nine (four from Xp and five from Xq) of the 17 X-linked DNA probes proved informative and linkage was established between HYP and the DSX41 locus, peak LOD score = 4.22 (recombination fraction, theta = 0.00). A positive peak LOD score of 2.32 (theta = 0.05) was also obtained between HYP and the DXS207 locus. Thus, the HYP gene in this Saudi Arabian family is linked to two of the four flanking markers which demonstrated linkage in families of Northern European origin. We conclude that the X-linked hypophosphataemic rickets gene in a Saudi Arabian family is located in the Xp22.3-p21.3, a region where this gene has previously been mapped by linkage studies of families of Northern European origin. Our studies have not demonstrated locus heterogeneity, so the flanking markers for HYP previously established in the families of Northern-European origin will be useful in the genetic counselling and presymptomatic diagnosis of this disorder in the Saudi Arabian family."}
{"id": "PMID:1483290", "title": "Normal pattern of parathyroid response to blood calcium lowering in primary hyperparathyroidism: a citrate clamp study.", "content": "The objective of the present study was to elucidate the parathyroid responsiveness by measurements of blood ionized calcium and serum intact parathyroid hormone (PTH) concentrations, before and during trisodium citrate induced hypocalcaemia. Sixteen patients with primary hyperparathyroidism and 32 healthy volunteers. Blood ionized calcium concentration was lowered by about 0.20 mmol/l and maintained at this level for 2 hours by blood ionized calcium controlled trisodium citrate infusion. Serum PTH(1-84) was measured by an immunoradiometric assay. In patients and controls, baseline measurements of blood ionized calcium were 1.39 +/- 0.07 vs 1.24 +/- 0.04 mmol/l (mean +/- SD) (P < 0.001) and of serum PTH (1-84) 9.7 +/- 5.4 vs 3.2 +/- 1.1 pmol/l (P < 0.001). During a trisodium citrate clamp, serum PTH(1-84) rose to a maximal concentration after 5-10 minutes in both groups, the patients to 2-10 times baseline, whereas controls rose to 4-7 times baseline values. In both groups the peak of serum PTH(1-84) declined to a steady state concentration around 2-4 times baseline. In conclusion, adenoma cells seem to react in almost the same way as normal parathyroid cells. They respond to initiation of hypocalcaemia by the release of preformed PTH(1-84), and continue to secrete increased amounts of PTH(1-84) during the maintenance of relative hypocalcaemia. The increased baseline concentrations of blood ionized calcium and serum PTH(1-84) and the serum PTH(1-84) response during blood ionized calcium lowering all suggest a shift upwards in the calcium set point."}
{"id": "PMID:1483291", "title": "The effect of morphine and naloxone administration on plasma oxytocin concentrations in the first stage of labour.", "content": "We investigated the effect of an opiate (morphine) and an opiate antagonist (naloxone) on the maternal secretion of oxytocin in the first stage of labour. Patients were randomized to receive either morphine 5 mg (n = 9), naloxone 1.2 mg (n = 10) or sterile water (n = 9) which was injected intravenously. Healthy women in the first stage of labour between 3 and 6 cm dilated with no prior analgesia or oxytocin administration were recruited for the study. Peripheral maternal oxytocin levels were measured by radioimmunoassay for 15 minutes before and 15 minutes after administration of the assigned substance. Sampling was at 2.5 minute intervals. Significant reduction in the mean oxytocin concentration was found in the patients who received morphine (-2.62 pmol/l/sample) but no change was found in the naloxone group (+0.57 pmol/l/sample) when compared with controls (+0.64 pmol/l/sample). Maternal oxytocin secretion is inhibited by exogenous opiates in the first stage of labour while an effect of opiate antagonism was not demonstrated."}
{"id": "PMID:1483292", "title": "A randomized double blind placebo controlled trial of the effects on bone metabolism of the combination of nafarelin acetate and norethisterone.", "content": "We observed the effects on bone metabolism of the addition of different doses of oral norethisterone during treatment with the GnRH agonist nafarelin (Synarel, Syntex). Ninety-four women with a subjective complaint of heavy menstrual blood loss or objective evidence of endometriosis received intra-nasal nafarelin 400 micrograms daily for 6 months and also received, in a randomized, double blind manner, either 0.7 mg (n = 24), 1.4 mg (n = 23) or 2.45 mg (n = 23) of oral norethisterone or placebo (n = 24) daily. Follow-up was continued for a further 6 months after treatment. Thirty-one patients (33%) left the study prematurely and three patients were non-compliant with the study drug. By 6 months significant increases in urinary calcium/creatinine ratio were seen, compared to baseline, in the nafareline and placebo (P = 0.001, n = 14), 0.7 mg (P = 0.04, n = 13) and 1.4 mg norethisterone groups (P = 0.009, n = 17) but not in the nafarelin or 2.45 mg norethisterone groups (P = 0.72, n = 16). Densitometry of the spine, however, showed decreases at 6 months in all groups: 6.14% (P = 0.0004, n = 11), 5.46% n = 0.0006, n = 13), 3.93% (P = 0.008, n = 14) and 4.04% (P = 0.004, n = 16) for the groups receiving nafarelin and placebo, nafarelin and norethisterone 0.7, 1.4 and 2.45 mg respectively. Six months after stopping nafarelin, with or without norethisterone, bone mass was not different from baseline. The concomitant daily use of up to 2.45 mg of norethisterone does not eliminate the bone demineralization seen during GnRH agonist therapy with nafarelin in premenopausal women."}
{"id": "PMID:1483293", "title": "The late growth hormone rise induced by oral glucose is enhanced by cholinergic stimulation with pyridostigmine in normal subjects.", "content": "We have investigated the late GH rise occurring 3-5 hours after oral glucose administration. We have assessed the effect of endogenous cholinergic enhancement with pyridostigmine on the delayed GH rise following oral glucose loading in normal subjects. Placebo or 75 g oral glucose was given to the normal subjects 3 hours before 120 mg oral pyridostigmine or placebo. Four tests were carried out at random. (0 min) + placebo (180 min); test 2: glucose (0 min) + placebo (180 min); test 3: placebo (0 min) + pyridostigmine (180 min); test 4: glucose (0 min) + pyridostigmine (180 min). We studied eight normal subjects (four male and four female), ages 19-29 years, body mass indices 18-22 kg/m2. Plasma glucose and serum GH concentrations were measured for 6 hours after oral glucose or placebo administration. Pyridostigmine treatment significantly enhanced the GH releasing effect of prior (3 h) oral glucose. Late GH peak obtained by oral glucose loading rose from (mean +/- SEM) 17.4 +/- 4.6 to 37.2 +/- 9.0 mU/l (P < 0.05) after pyridostigmine, while GH peak following placebo plus pyridostigmine was 12.4 +/- 2.0 mU/l (P < 0.05 vs glucose plus pyridostigmine). The analysis of GH area under curves (AUCs) in the second phase of the tests (180-360 min) confirmed that glucose plus pyridostigmine released a greater amount of GH (4128 +/- 764 mU/l/3h) than glucose (1694 +/- 494 mU/l/3h, P < 0.001) or pyridostigmine alone (1292 +/- 150 mU/I/3h, P < 0.001). Pyridostigmine, an indirect cholinergic drug likely to inhibit somatostatin secretion from the hypothalamus, enhanced the late GH releasing activity of oral glucose. There is evidence that glucose suppresses plasma GH initially by increasing hypothalamic somatostatin release. This would result in an increase in the pituitary stores of GH. We propose that the delayed GH rise after oral glucose occurs when there is a fall in hypothalamic somatostatinergic tone; this is further reduced by the administration of pyridostigmine. At this time the pituitary stores of GH are released as a consequence of resumption of hypothalamic GHRH activity. This leads to the late GH rise."}
{"id": "PMID:1483294", "title": "Characterization of big, big prolactin in patients with hyperprolactinaemia.", "content": "The present study was designed to characterize the clinical findings of patients with macroprolactinaemia (sustained hyperprolactinaemia where the predominant form of prolactin is of large molecular size) and to further assess the bioactivity and structure of big, big prolactin (BB-PRL). The patients with macroprolactinaemia were identified by the domperidone test and by gel filtration of their serum samples. The bioactivity of sera and fractions containing BB-PRL was evaluated and the fractions analysed by affinity chromatography and electrophoresis. Eleven patients with hyperprolactinaemia in whom BB-PRL was the predominant form (group 1) were studied. Sera were also examined from eight patients with prolactinomas (group 2). Thirty-one first-degree relatives from patients in group 1 were screened for macroprolactinaemia. Prolactin in the sera and fractions was measured by radioimmunoassay (RIA), immunoradiometric assay (IRMA) and Nb2 cell bioassay (Nb2 BA). The distribution of BB-PRL was also investigated after protein A Sepharose chromatography, immunoprecipitation, SDS-PAGE and Western blotting. (1) Seven out of 11 patients in group 1 had galactorrhoea, menstrual disturbances or both; (2) the ratio Nb2 BA/RIA in whole serum was similar to the ratio found in group 2 patients; (3) the ratios Nb2 BA/RIA and Nb2 BA/IRMA in the BB-PRL fractions obtained after gel filtration were significantly lower than in whole serum (P < 0.003); (4) in group 1 patients, RIA estimates of PRL did not correlate either with Nb2 BA or with IRMA, while Nb2 BA and IRMA were correlated. In group 2 patients, RIA and Nb2 BA were correlated (r = 0.881; P = 0.02); (5) 24-86% of BB-PRL reacted as immunoglobulin-bound PRL as demonstrated by protein A Sepharose and by SDS-PAGE; (6) a high percentage of BB-PRL (54, 49 and 43%), was found in three of the serum samples obtained from 31 first-degree relatives of patients in group 1. Macroprolactinaemia must be suspected not only in patients with asymptomatic hyperprolactinaemia but also in women with galactorrhoea and/or menstrual disturbances who have normal responses to PRL stimulating tests. Our results also suggest that the absence of symptoms in these women is not explained by a lower bioactivity of BB-PRL. Instead, we postulate that due to the high molecular weight, BB-PRL does not easily cross the capillary walls. During gel chromatography either a change in the structure of BB-PRL and/or a removal of substances which potentiate the bioactivity of PRL occurs, explaining the lower bioactivity of fractions containing BB-PRL in comparison with the serum. In this study we demonstrated that at least half (range 24-86%) of BB-PRL behaves as an immunoglobulin-bound PRL. Finally, we found that macroprolactinaemia was not genetically transmitted to first-degree relatives in the majority of the cases studied."}
{"id": "PMID:1483295", "title": "High affinity growth hormone binding protein in plasma of patients with acromegaly and the effect of octreotide treatment.", "content": "The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of plasma GH-levels on the high affinity growth hormone binding protein (GHBP). We studied plasma samples of eight patients with acromegaly and eight age and sex matched healthy subjects. Patients with acromegaly were treated with octreotide administered by continuous subcutaneous infusion. Levels of growth hormone binding protein (GHBP) were measured in plasma samples before therapy and 3, 6 and 12 months after starting treatment. During this period, octreotide was administered in doses of 300-800 micrograms/day. The mean dose per patient over the study period ranged from 300 to 575 micrograms/24 h. The GHBP levels of patients with acromegaly were compared with those in the healthy subjects. Bound and free 125I-GH in plasma were measured using FPLC gel chromatography on a Superose 12 column, after an overnight incubation period. The binding data were used for a Scatchard plot analysis. Wilcoxon's signed rank test was used for statistical analysis. We found lower GHBP levels in acromegalic patients (P = 0.01) than in the control subjects. Octreotide treatment resulted in IGF-I levels < 300 micrograms/l in four patients. In these patients GHBP levels increased. We conclude that growth hormone binding protein levels are down regulated in acromegaly, indicating an important role for GH in the regulation of this protein."}
{"id": "PMID:1483296", "title": "Oncogenous osteomalacia and malignancy.", "content": "An example of oncogenous osteomalacia is described in association with the rate mesenchymal chondroblastoma. The tumour was characterized with a variety of immunohistochemical antibodies which confirmed its mesenchymal origin. Despite several surgical excisions of local recurrence, plasma 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 concentrations (off treatment) indicate continued tumour activity and the continuing need for vitamin D therapy. This case and two others briefly discussed illustrate some of the difficulties in diagnosis and in achieving a cure in cases of oncogenous osteomalacia. Oncogenous osteomalacia in association with any malignant tumour is rare, there being eight previously recorded cases. Details of these cases are briefly reviewed for comparison. Despite undoubted malignancy our patient has survived 30 years from presentation indicating the benefits of aggressive surgical management."}
{"id": "PMID:1483298", "title": "Pathophysiology of portal hypertension.", "content": "Portal hypertension is characterised by alterations in the splanchnic and systemic circulation associated with the development of portosystemic collateral channels, the most important of which are found in lower oesophagus and stomach. Bleeding from these gastro-oesophageal varices represents the major clinical complication and over the last decade there has been considerable interest in the pharmacological management of this condition. The factors underlying the development and maintenance of portal hypertension and the pathogenesis of variceal rupture are as yet not fully understood. Whilst an increase in portal vascular resistance, as a consequence of liver disease, appears to be the primary event in the majority of cases, increasing attention has focused on the potential importance of enhanced circulating levels of vasoactive compounds coupled with a proposed reduction in vascular sensitivity to endogenous vasoconstrictors. Consequently, portal hypertension is now being more widely considered as a multi-organ disorder associated with changes in blood flow within both systemic and splanchnic vascular beds. This article reviews the factors currently implicated in the development and maintenance of portal hypertension and considers the pathogenesis of variceal bleeding."}
{"id": "PMID:1483299", "title": "The role of endoscopic sclerotherapy in the management of esophageal varices.", "content": "Endoscopic sclerotherapy of esophageal varices has gained worldwide popularity. There is a consensus that sclerotherapy is an effective treatment for temporarily controlling acute variceal hemorrhage. Sclerotherapy has no place in the routine prophylaxis before the index bleed. The role of long-term sclerotherapy to prevent rebleeding is debatable. It is our bias that once patients with cirrhosis suffer a variceal hemorrhage, they should be considered for liver transplantation. If they are not suitable candidates for transplantation and have mild to moderate hepatic dysfunction, then portosystemic shunting provides definitive secondary prophylaxis against rebleeding. Sclerotherapy should be reserved for patients with advanced decompensated cirrhosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1483300", "title": "Surgical therapy of acute esophageal variceal hemorrhage.", "content": "Options for the management of patients with acute variceal hemorrhage must be compared for their ability to stop bleeding and prevent rebleeding, for their safety, and for their impact on hepatic reserve. Pharmacologic treatment may stop bleeding in up to 50% of patients, but cannot prevent rebleeding. Balloon tamponade controls bleeding in 90% of patients but is only transiently effective and may cause complications. Immediate sclerotherapy may stop acute bleeding and may provide chronic control with repeated treatments. However, patients who fail to respond to such measures must be submitted for surgical intervention. Emergency portosystemic shunt or esophageal transection represent the current procedures of choice for these patients. Surgery may also prove more cost effective than repeated sclerotherapy as primary therapy in a select group of patients with a high risk of rebleeding. Ultimately, however, primary pharmacologic therapy or hepatic transplantation to correct the pathophysiology underlying the esophageal variceal hemorrhage must be developed and refined if the natural history of this disease is to be substantially altered."}
{"id": "PMID:1483301", "title": "Endoscopic esophageal sclerotherapy: long-term results of the elective procedure.", "content": "Chronic endoscopic esophageal sclerotherapy represents a primary technique for the prevention of recurrent bleeding in cirrhotic patients who have already experienced one variceal bleeding episode. 131 patients with portal hypertension and a history of esophageal variceal bleeding underwent endoscopic sclerotherapy. 74 of these patients constituted a subgroup which was singled out for special analysis. In these patients, treatment had been started after conservative management of an acute bleeding episode had stopped the bleeding and follow-up data for at least 6 months were available. 90.5% of these patients had nonalcoholic etiology for their portal hypertension. 60.8% of patients developed recurrent varices and 11.1% had recurrent bleeding from esophageal varices. The bleeding risk index, calculated as the number of hemorrhages/patient/months of follow-up, correlated strongly with the number of previous hemorrhages and inversely with hepatic reserve (Child's class). The bleeding risk index decreased tenfold after sclerotherapeutic obliteration of varices. These data suggest that chronic elective endoscopic sclerotherapy may play a primary role in the management of patients who have bled from esophageal varices."}
{"id": "PMID:1483302", "title": "Bleeding esophageal varices: today's role of portosystemic shunts.", "content": "Emergency portosystemic shunting has once again become a significant option in the management of bleeding esophageal varices and portal hypertension. The decision to perform such a shunt and the choice of shunt procedure requires a rational assessment of the pathophysiology and hepatoportal hemodynamics of the patient's disease and the manner in which it is anticipated that the selected procedure may alter portal flow. Since shunt surgery may interfere with hepatic transplantation, the patient's suitability as a future transplant recipient must also be considered in choosing a shunt procedure. Furthermore, if a shunt is to be performed on an emergency basis to control acute bleeding, this procedure must be done before the patient's condition deteriorates sufficiently to represent a prohibitive surgical risk."}
{"id": "PMID:1483303", "title": "Distal splenorenal shunt--premise, perspective, practice.", "content": "Despite progress in our understanding and management of patients with portal hypertension, the long-term control of variceal bleeding remains a significant challenge. With further clarification of the underlying pathophysiology and technological advances that have facilitated progress in both diagnosis and treatment, the goal of safe, selective management of patients presenting with variceal hemorrhage is closer to realization. While a variety of non-operative therapies have been advocated, shunt surgery remains the most reliable and durable method of controlling the portal hypertension and the bleeding. More than 20 years ago, Warren and Zeppa introduced the concept of selective shunting to prevent recurrent variceal hemorrhage. The distal splenorenal shunt (DSRS) was advocated as an approach that could selectively decompress the esophageal and gastric varices (resulting in effective bleeding control) while maintaining prograde portal flow (presumably leading to a lower incidence of post-shunt encephalopathy and hepatic failure). While the hemodynamic basis for the DSRS remains valid, its selectivity is neither uniform nor durable and this shunt is neither applicable nor effective in all patients bleeding from varices. It remains, however, appropriate and safe therapy in selected cirrhotic patients with variceal hemorrhage. With careful pretreatment assessment (in the context of the advances that have occurred in both operative and anesthetic management), the DSRS retains an important role in the management of patients with variceal bleeding."}
{"id": "PMID:1483304", "title": "Interventional treatment of portal hypertension.", "content": "For many years now, percutaneous transhepatic and transjugular approaches to the portal vein have been applied by gastroenterologists and radiologists for diagnosis and therapy. In patients with variceal bleeding these techniques were used to obliterate the varices, and have provided the knowledge for further developments, such as the creation of an intrahepatic portosystemic shunt by balloon dilatation of the needle tract between the portal vein and a hepatic vein. The recent development of expandable vascular stents has led to improvements in the efficiency and long-term patency of interventional shunts, and justified their clinical application. The rationales for this new approach to the treatment of portal hypertension are its relative safety, even in Child C patients, and the disabilities such as rebleeding or aggravation of hepatic encephalopathy of other current treatments. Since the first clinical application of the transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic stent-shunt in January 1988, the technique has been improved considerably, and the frequency of its application is increasing rapidly. This article attempts to summarize the current state of knowledge of this interventional technique, which will soon have its place among the various methods of treating portal hypertension."}
{"id": "PMID:1483306", "title": "Calcium pyrophosphate deposition disease: description in defleshed skeletons.", "content": "The osseous appearance, skeletal distribution, and distinguishing features of calcium pyrophosphate deposition disease (CPPD) were delineated in a population of 2906 contemporary defleshed skeletons. The limitations of routine x-ray and clinical examination were transcended in this study of defleshed bones. The nature of the disease was clearly identified and preconceived notions (based on the \"shades of black and white\" of the conventional x-ray technique) were examined on the basis of the actual osseous impact. Epidemiologic assessment of this disease allowed it to be distinguished from rheumatoid and other erosive forms of arthritis. Analysis of the \"pseudo-rheumatoid\" subgroup of CPPD provided clear criteria for distinguishing the disease from rheumatoid arthritis. Characterization of the nature and epidemiology of osseous alterations in a contemporary skeletal population permitted the development of a standard for recognition of CPPD in skeletal populations and for clarification of the nature of associated pseudo-erosions."}
{"id": "PMID:1483307", "title": "Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and Sj\u00f6gren's syndrome. An immunopathological study of 113 patients.", "content": "One hundred and thirteen patients with untreated non-Hodgkin's lymphoma were evaluated for Sj\u00f6gren's syndrome (SS) using clinical and biological parameters, and a minor salivary gland biopsy. Concomitant immunophenotyping for T and B cells, and kappa and lambda chains was performed on both minor salivary gland and lymphomatous tissues. Patients with a positive focus score on examination of their minor salivary gland biopsy had a second biopsy, when possible, at the end of induction therapy. Fourteen of the 113 patients had SS according to the Greek criteria, and 4 of these 14 patients had an identical monotypic infiltrate in both their minor salivary gland and lymphomatous tissues. In all four cases this infiltrate disappeared from both locations when the lymphoma was in complete remission (CR). The 10 other patients with criteria for SS had a mixed infiltrate which persisted unchanged when the lymphoma was in CR. Among the 99 patients without SS, 12 had a positive focus score and an identical monotypic infiltrate in both their minor salivary gland and lymphomatous tissue. This infiltrate disappeared from both locations when the lymphoma was in CR. Among the remaining 87 patients, 82 had no minor salivary gland infiltrate, and 5 had a positive focus score with mixed lymphocytic infiltrate. Long term follow up and a large cooperative study are needed to better understand the immunopathologic lesions of patients of this latter type."}
{"id": "PMID:1483308", "title": "Rheumatoid arthritis associated with high levels of immunoglobulin a: clinical and biological characteristics.", "content": "We measured the serum immunoglobulins in 191 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) over an 8-month period, looking for a relationship between high IgA levels, disease activity, and clinical and biological features. Twenty-nine patients with a polyclonal hyperimmunoglobulin A (IgA) (15.2%) above 5 g/l constituted group A. A control group of 29 randomized RA patients with normal IgA levels was studied over the same period (group B). The mean serum IgA concentration was significantly elevated in group A: 6.6 +/- 1.8 g/l versus 2.8 +/- 0.9 g/l in group B (p < 0.01). In group A, microscopic haematuria occurred in 20.7% of the cases, as against 3.4% from group B (p < 0.05). Furthermore, the incidence of unilateral sacroiliitis and of arthritis of the distal interphalangeal joints was significantly increased in group A (41.4% and 34.5%, respectively) against 6.9% and 3.4% in group B (p < 0.01) and this correlated with a high IgA serum level (p < 0.01). On the other hand, neither disease activity nor the biological parameters of inflammation were influenced by the level of IgA. Patients with RA associated with high levels of IgA are characterized by a significant increase in the incidence of distal interphalangeal arthritis, unilateral sacroiliitis and microscopic haematuria. These clinical and biological features could define a distinct subgroup of patients with RA."}
{"id": "PMID:1483309", "title": "Lymphocyte subpopulations in an experimental model of axial and peripheral enthesiopathies.", "content": "We report a study of lymphocyte subsets in experimental arthritis induced in Wistar Furth rats by native human type II collagen and muramyl dipeptide. This experimental arthritis shares similarities with both the spondyloarthropathies and rheumatoid arthritis. Peripheral blood T lymphocytes, primarily the CD4+ cells (p = 0.01), were lower in arthritic rats than in the controls, although the difference in the CD4/CD8 ratio was not statistically significant. Splenic CD4 cells were significantly (p = 0.03) more numerous in arthritic rats, while the numbers of MHC class II positive cells (p = 0.002) and kappa-bearing B-cells (p = 0.0004) were significantly lower. Determination of peripheral blood and spleen lymphocytes subsets could therefore be used for the assessment of arthritis and for the evaluation of therapeutic agents. Thymic T-cell differentiation does not appear to be impaired in this model. These results differ from the peripheral blood disturbances described in the active stages of human rheumatoid arthritis and are more similar to those reported in ankylosing spondylitis patients. However, the absence of alterations in the Peyer's patches suggests that pathogeneic mechanisms involving mucosal areas and exogenous intestinal antigens are not reproduced in this model."}
{"id": "PMID:1483310", "title": "Specificity analysis of antibodies to single-stranded micrococcal DNA in the sera of normal human subjects and patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.", "content": "To evaluate the properties of antibodies to bacterial DNA in the sera of normal human subjects (NHS) and patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), the effects of ionic strength and pH on their binding to single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) from Micrococcus lysodeikticus (MC) were measured. By ELISA, antibodies to MC ssDNA in NHS showed greater activity at high ionic strength (0.2-1.0 M) than antibodies in lupus sera. Similarly, antibodies in NHS had higher activity at pH 9 than lupus anti-DNA. Competition binding assays indicated, moreover, that NHS anti-DNA showed greater inhibition by DNA than lupus anti-DNA at comparable inhibitor concentrations. Together, these results suggest that antibodies to MC ssDNA in NHS and SLE sera may differ in their mode of interaction with bacterial DNA and that NHS can generate high avidity antibodies to at least certain DNA determinants."}
{"id": "PMID:1483311", "title": "Effect of adjuvant-induced arthritis on bone mass in rats and its prevention by non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).", "content": "The effect of two propionic acid derived drugs, ketoprofene and butibufene, on the prevention of osteopenia due to adjuvant-induced anti-inflammatory arthritis, was studied in groups composed of 10 rats each. Another group of 10 rats was treated with a placebo and 20 non-treated rats served as controls. Once arthritis was evoked, propionic acid derived drugs were administered at equivalent doses, in the form of a local cream applied on the foot where arthritis was induced. The placebo group was treated with the cream without propionic acid derivatives. Rats were sacrificed at the end of the study and the femurs where arthritis was induced were dissected. Bone densitometry studies were conducted with double energy X-ray on these bones to calculate the bone mass. Bone mass was higher in the group treated with ketoprofene (p < 0.025) than in the butibufene and placebo-treated groups, and these 3 groups showed lower values than the control (p < 0.001). These results suggest that propionic acid derivatives can prevent the osteopenia induced by inflammation and the subsequent lack of limb use, an effect which may be related to its analgesic and/or anti-inflammatory effects. In addition, this may serve as a good model for the indirect measurement of the effectiveness of analgesic and/or non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs in experimental animals."}
{"id": "PMID:1483312", "title": "Anticardiolipin antibodies and interleukin-6 in cerebrospinal fluid and blood of Chinese patients with neuro-Beh\u00e7et's syndrome.", "content": "Anticardiolipin antibodies of the IgG, IgM and IgA isotypes and soluble IL-6 were measured in paired serum and cerebrospinal fluid samples from five patients with neuro-Beh\u00e7et's syndrome. Another five patients with non-inflammatory neurological diseases were also studied as a control group. Anticardiolipin antibodies, especially the IgM isotype, and IL-6 were highly elevated in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with neuro-Beh\u00e7et's. Levels of both IgM isotype anticardiolipin antibodies and IL-6 in the cerebrospinal fluid dropped after disease activity subsided. These results suggest that the increase in IgM isotype anticardiolipin antibodies and IL-6 in cerebrospinal fluid may be involved in the immune response of neuro-Beh\u00e7et's within the central nervous system. Serial measurements of IgM isotype anticardiolipin antibodies and IL-6 in the cerebrospinal fluid may be useful in evaluating disease activity in neuro-Beh\u00e7et's."}
{"id": "PMID:1483313", "title": "Antiphosphatidylethanolamine antibody as the sole antiphospholipid antibody in systemic lupus erythematosus with thrombosis.", "content": "A previously healthy 34-year-old woman, was diagnosed as having systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), with membranous glomerulopathy which improved rapidly. Neither lupus anticoagulant nor anticardiolipin antibodies were detected in her plasma. After three months of total remission, she developed a severe pulmonary thromboembolism for which no specific biological cause was found. Her plasma was analysed for different antiphospholipid antibodies: lupus anticoagulant and anticardiolipin antibodies were again negative. Using an ELISA prepared with either five different anionic phospholipids or zwitterionic phosphatidylethanolamine, solely an anti-phosphatidylethanolamine IgG was discovered in her plasma. In lupus patients, the presence of antiphospholipid antibodies is now well recognized as a high risk factor for repeated thrombosis and/or recurrent abortions. This case suggests that the presence of antiphosphatidylethanolamine antibody should be investigated in cases of unexplained thrombosis in SLE, where the usual clinical and biological investigations have failed to shed light."}
{"id": "PMID:1483315", "title": "Antiphospholipid syndrome in a child with trisomy 21: the relationship between anticardiolipin G antibodies and the von Willebrand factor.", "content": "A young child with trisomy 21 developed severe multiple arterial thromboses in a three-phase clinical course which proved fatal. The episodes were characterized by high levels of both IgG anticardiolipin antibodies and the von Willebrand factor. The data suggest that there is a relationship between these two elements and the clinical events which followed."}
{"id": "PMID:1483316", "title": "The effect of intravenous immunoglobulin on lymphocyte populations in children with Kawasaki syndrome.", "content": "High dose intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) is extremely effective therapy for Kawasaki syndrome (KS), but the mechanism of action remains unknown. The present study was performed to determine the effect of IVIG on lymphocyte populations and lymphocyte activation markers in 15 children with KS. Following IVIG, there was a decrease in the percentage of CD19 cells and an increase in the percentage of CD8 cells, but there was no change in the proportion of CD3 or CD4 cells. Moreover, there was no change in the percentage of activated CD4 or CD8 cells, as measured by HLA DR and interleukin-2 receptor expression after IVIG therapy. These results indicate that IVIG is effective treatment for KS via mechanisms other than the direct modulation of T cell activation markers."}
{"id": "PMID:1483314", "title": "Elastolytic activity of human monocytes: rheumatological aspects.", "content": "Activation of human monocytes in rheumatic disorders includes the production of substances active in immunologic interactions, inflammatory responses, and tissue remodelling. This review discusses the cell surface-related elastolytic activity of live human monocytes, as determined by a newly developed elastin assay. Elastase activity was not found to be depressed by patient treatment with glucocorticoids or slow-acting disease modifying drugs nor enhanced by phagocytosis, but was increased by immune complexes in vitro and in patients with rheumatoid arthritis or giant cell arteritis. The leucocyte elastase content seems to be influenced by systemic factors before the monocytes are released into the blood. The enzyme expression of elastase is determined by local factors acting after the cells have left the circulation. Monocyte expression may therefore be a link between immune activation and proteolytic activity."}
{"id": "PMID:1483323", "title": "Family violence: a letter to my doctor.", "content": "The epidemic of family violence in America is widespread, deadly and complex. Even the very young, the very old and pregnant women may be safer on the streets than in there own homes, according to a recent article in the AM News. The cost to our society is staggering. And you, as physicians, are on the front lines, daily confronting the effects of this national crisis. Approximately every third patient you see is a victim of family violence. Your patients' bruises, fractures and other injuries are often symptoms of a far more sinister disease. The patient needs your help. As doctors, you are being asked to treat not just the symptoms but also the underlying cause--to look below the surface to the illness beneath. As healthcare professionals you are being asked to take the lead in helping society eradicate this devastating epidemic and restore the health of our families through these individual lives. In a letter to you, her trusted doctor, the following profiles a victim of abuse."}
{"id": "PMID:1483317", "title": "Spinal and somatic growth in patients with juvenile chronic arthritis treated for up to 2 years with deflazacort.", "content": "We previously reported a double-blind controlled trial of Deflazacort vs Prednisone in patients with Juvenile Chronic Arthritis who had required corticosteroid therapy for at least one year. This paper presents further results on an additional 11 patients, making 26 altogether, who were treated for one year with deflazacort. Fourteen of these went on to a second year of deflazacort treatment. As previously reported, the relative rate of spinal bone mineral growth in the first year was greater for the spinal bone mineral content than for the body surface by about 70%. In the second year of treatment spinal bone mineral continued, with wide variations, to grow at the same or a very slightly greater rate. However, somatic growth recovered so that there was no significant difference between the relative growth rates in the spinal bone mineral and the body surface area in year 2 (P = 0.78). Deflazacort therapy appears to permit appropriate growth of the spine in relation to the rest of the body against a background of variable growth impairment due to the disease process and the treatment required to control it."}
{"id": "PMID:1483327", "title": "Flow measurement using duplex Doppler ultrasound: haemodynamic changes in patients with colorectal liver metastases.", "content": "Duplex Doppler ultrasound has been used to make measurements of liver blood flow. The relationship between time average velocity as measured using pulsed Doppler and the true mean velocity was determined using a flow phantom. Correction factors were applied to measured time average velocities of blood in the hepatic artery and portal vein. Blood flow was calculated from the product of corrected velocities and the cross-sectional area of the vessels. There was no significant difference in total liver blood flow for patients with colorectal liver metastases when compared with controls. However, the ratio of the hepatic arterial flow to the sum of the portal and hepatic arterial flows (Doppler perfusion index, DPI) was markedly elevated (P < 0.0001) in the patients with metastases when compared with the controls. The DPI values for a third group of subjects who had undergone resection for colonic cancer but who had no proven liver metastases overlapped the values for the other two groups. When attention is paid to technique, the procedure can detect and quantify the changes in liver blood flow which occur in the presence of metastases."}
{"id": "PMID:1483328", "title": "A thermal clearance probe for continuous monitoring of cerebral blood flow.", "content": "Thermal clearance has been used as a measure of tissue blood flow for over 60 years. We have developed a probe which can be used to monitor cerebral cortical thermal clearance in patients suffering from acute neurosurgical disorders. Despite its limitations of size, invasiveness, small sample volume, and difficult quantification it has proved a reliable method, showing a good correlation between measured thermal clearance and the onset of clinical signs of ischaemia."}
{"id": "PMID:1483329", "title": "Antimony electrode for the determination of the intramyocardial pH during open-heart surgery.", "content": "The development of an antiomony electrode (Sb) and a pH meter as a substitute for a glass electrode(G) to measure the intramyocardial pH is reported, and the results of their clinical application. The determination of the pH of CPD (citrate-phosphate-dextrose) blood by Sb showed small differences when compared to G (less than 0.1). Sb was also temperature sensitive. The temperature coefficient of Sb was determined in buffers by varying their temperatures, and an antimony-thermocouple electrode and a temperature-compensated pH meter were subsequently constructed. In CPD blood of varying temperatures Sb showed similar tendencies to G. The results of the application of the new apparatus to 28 patients were statistically no different from those obtained previously by G on 22 patients, either in baseline pH or its fall following aortic cross-clamping. It is concluded that although Sb is not as accurate as G, it is a reasonable alternative for the determination of myocardial acidosis during open-heart surgery."}
{"id": "PMID:1483330", "title": "Spectrophotometric measurements of haemoglobin saturation and concentration in skin during the tuberculin reaction in normal human subjects.", "content": "A non-invasive technique employing light-guide spectrophotometry is described for the measurement of haemoglobin concentration and oxygenation in human skin. Measurements were carried out in the visible wavelength range (500-620 nm) and a series of experiments were carried out in vitro and in vivo in order to calibrate the system. Indices were derived for the measurement of relative haemoglobin concentration and absolute oxygen saturation. The technique was applied to measure the changes in these parameters occurring during the course of the tuberculin reaction in human skin. The results are compared with those from laser Doppler flowmetry and transcutaneous oxygen measurements which were carried out concurrently. Divergence between the intracapillary and tissue oxygenation during the course of the reaction provides evidence for the existence of increased diffusion resistance for oxygen; a model is proposed. The study demonstrates the potential clinical usefulness of light-guide spectrophotometry for the non-invasive investigation of tissue oxygen supply."}
{"id": "PMID:1483331", "title": "Effects of myocardial electrotonic interaction on the sequence of excitation and repolarisation and on T wave polarity. Computer modelling experiments.", "content": "A computer model of a 3-dimensional rectangular block of myocardial tissue (3969 cells) has been used to investigate the influence on excitation and repolarisation sequences and on the modelled electrocardiographic T wave of (a) electrotonic interaction, (b) intrinsic distribution of refractoriness, and (c) the speed of repolarisation of action potentials. The model allowed electrotonic interactions to be investigated separately during the depolarisation and repolarisation phases. Scales of 14 values of the strength of electrotonic interaction during the depolarisation phase, 14 values of the strength of electrotonic interaction during the repolarisation phase, 3 shapes of action potential, and 5 distributions of tissue refractoriness were selected and all 2940 combinations were examined. In each experiment, the tissue model was artificially excited and the resulting excitation and repolarisation sequences were simulated. The results of the study suggested that electrotonic interactions between excited cells can cause non-uniform speed of propagation which, by means of the phase shifts of action potentials, contributes to the inversion of the repolarisation sequence and to the physiologic orientation of T waves. Experiments with this model did not support the hypothesis that simple electrotonic smoothing of the differences in repolarisation phases due to the excitation phase shift of action potentials reverses the repolarisation sequence and explains T wave polarity."}
{"id": "PMID:1483332", "title": "An error study on some linear reconstruction algorithms for electrical impedance tomography.", "content": "An error analysis on the Poisson-type linear reconstruction algorithms is performed. Three types of error are discussed and it is found that re-scaling error is dominant in most cases. It is also found that the commonly used small perturbation assumption in obtaining the Poisson's equation often fails but, due to the dominance of the re-scaling error, the reconstruction of the relative impedance distribution is still feasible by using the linear algorithms. The error analysis leads to a useful understanding of the mechanism of linear reconstruction approaches."}
{"id": "PMID:1483333", "title": "Changes of erythropoietic and storage iron components in certain clinical situations as evaluated by ferrokinetic investigations.", "content": "A method is described for the quantitative analysis of in vivo organ measurements of 59Fe activity in ferrokinetic investigations. The time-activity curves obtained by sequential surface monitoring over sacrum, liver and spleen can be resolved quantitatively into their different components contributing to the recorded count rate. The analysis is performed in three steps: (1) Count rate contributions from activity in other organs and from scattered radiation from regions outside the organ under investigation are corrected. (2) Distinction is made between radioactivity uptake of the tissue and radioactivity contained in the perfusing blood. (3) The resulting net organ activity is then further resolved into an erythropoietic and a storage iron component by use of a computer program (SAAM-27) and assuming a compartmental model for internal iron exchange. The method was tested in three groups of patients with different haematological disorders and in normal controls. Characteristic patterns of the parameters are found for different diseases and the results correlated well with the clinical findings. It is concluded that in vivo organ measurements of 59Fe activity, when performed and analysed with sufficient care, can provide an insight into the dynamics of the iron exchange that is taking place in an organ. This analytical approach may improve the diagnostic predictions of ferrokinetic investigations."}
{"id": "PMID:1483334", "title": "Endothelin-like immunoreactivity in the aqueous humour and in conditioned medium from cultured ciliary epithelial cells.", "content": "Endothelin-like immunoreactivity was detected in human (15.6 +/- 2.7 pg/ml) and bovine (11.1 +/- 0.98 pg/ml) aqueous humour of the eye. These concentrations are 2-3 times higher than the corresponding plasma levels. Cultured human nonpigmented ciliary epithelial cells released endothelin-like immunoreactivity with a maximum of 2.1 +/- 0.32 pg/(cm2* 48 h). The release was stimulated by fetal calf serum, thrombin, carbachol and phorbol ester and blocked by cycloheximide. Immunocytochemistry showed cytoplasmic staining of cultured human nonpigmented ciliary epithelial cells for endothelin-1. Endothelin-1 was shown to induce contractions in isolated human ciliary muscle by isometric force measurements. Endothelin in the aqueous humour may play a role in the regulation of intraocular pressure."}
{"id": "PMID:1483335", "title": "Intravitreal and subretinal proliferation induced by platelet-rich plasma injection in rabbits.", "content": "We developed an experimental model of proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR) in albino rabbits by combining some factors suspected of causing the disease. Sixty nine eyes divided into six groups served as controls (Groups C 1-6). Forty nine eyes were divided into four experimental groups (Groups E 1-4). Group E1 (n = 12) was injected with 0.15 ml of platelet-rich plasma. In addition, Groups E2 (n = 12) and E3 (n = 12) underwent cryotherapy or vitrectomy. Group E4 (n = 13) underwent both procedures. Seven of the 13 Group 4 experimental eyes developed total retinal detachment and giant holes. None of the other groups developed more than two total retinal detachments or giant holes (P < 0.05). Light and electron microscopy showed intravitreal or preretinal proliferation composed of fibroblast-like cells. Retroretinal membranes appeared only in Group E4 eyes, composed of elongated cells with oval nuclei and abundant organelles in the cytoplasm. We believe these lesions mimic human PVR more closely than other models previously developed."}
{"id": "PMID:1483336", "title": "Tear protein G originates from denatured tear specific prealbumin as revealed by two-dimensional electrophoresis.", "content": "One-dimensional sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (1D-SDS PAGE) of the non-denatured low molecular weight (MW) tear proteins (dilution in phosphate buffered saline or in the non-ionic detergent Triton X100) revealed no protein G but a strongly marked 23-kD related to a tear specific prealbumin (TSP) subunit coming with the known 15, 17, 18 and 20-kD TSP subunits. Under mild denaturating conditions of sample preparation with SDS dilution just before electrophoresis, 23-kD protein decreased and a faint 32-kD protein G appeared. Under stronger denaturing conditions of sample preparation with SDS treatment (boiling or freeze-thaw cycles), 23-kD protein disappeared and two main protein G forms (32 and 34-kD) and additional bands (29, 36, 39, 42, 57 and 60-kD) appeared depending on the sample treatment. The isoelectric pH (pI) of these proteins ranged from pH 5.2 to pH 5.4. Different two-dimensional electrophoresis methods revealed that: - in presence of SDS, 23-kD protein was spontaneously changed into 17-kD TSP and such a phenomenon was partially reversible by using a non-ionic detergent (Triton X100), new proteins appeared under denaturating processes were related to various protein G forms and originated from TSP group, proteins G were produced by the aggregation of TSP subunit related to MW 17-kD/pI 5.0 corresponding to the major TSP subunit, disulfide bond formation was shown to play a major role in the aggregation process although protein G group was not totally reduced by dithiothreitol. Such results suggest that protein G is an in vitro experimental artifact due to denaturing conditions with SDS treatment.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1483337", "title": "Intracamerally injected platelet activating factor (PAF) induces marked intraocular inflammatory reactions.", "content": "An inflammatory response was elicited in the rabbit eye by intracameral injection of platelet activating factor (PAF). PAF induced severe aqueous flare, corneal edema, pupillary constriction and marked biphasic changes in intraocular pressure (IOP) in a dose-dependent manner. All of the responses to PAF were inhibited by the PAF receptor antagonist, BN 52021 (20 mg/kg, i.p.). The cyclooxygenase inhibitor, indomethacin (30 mg/kg, i.p.) caused significant inhibition of the early phase PAF-induced aqueous flare, pupillary constriction and intraocular hypertension, but did not effect PAF-induced corneal edema or intraocular hypotension. NDGA (10 mg/kg, i.p.), a lipoxygenase inhibitor, did not inhibit the inflammatory effects of PAF. PAF-induced chemotactic response was evaluated by tissue chemiluminescence. Intracamerally injected PAF did not significantly increase chemiluminescence in cornea or iris-ciliary body, but intracorneal injection of PAF did cause a chemotactic response in both the conjunctiva and cornea. These data suggest that PAF may be an important mediator of intraocular inflammation and that some PAF-induced effects are prostaglandin dependent, while others may be independent of eicosanoid synthesis and release."}
{"id": "PMID:1483338", "title": "Ciliary body in experimental autoimmune uveitis: tissue repair and immunoreactivity of extracellular matrix substances.", "content": "Experimental autoimmune uveoretinitis was induced in female Lewis rats with bovine retinal soluble antigen (S-antigen). Tissue changes and immunoreactivities of transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta), epidermal growth factor (EGF), and extracellular matrix compounds in the anterior segment (ciliary body) were investigated by immunocytochemical methods. Control animals received adjuvant only. The immunized animals were sacrificed at day 0, 3, 7, 14, 20, and 30 postimmunization. Tissue changes that occurred at the peak of inflammation (day 14) included destruction of the inner basement membrane, epithelial cell loss, distortion of the ciliary stroma, and loss of epithelial basal infoldings. Ciliary body architecture was regenerated almost completely by day 30. Basement membrane laminin and collagen type IV levels did not change much during the inflammatory process. Fibronectin labeling level peaked at day 14 postimmunization. Collagen type V level was low at day 14 and elevated at day 20 and day 30. TGF-beta immunoreactivity peaked at day 14 and remained elevated thereafter. EGF labeling did not increase until day 20 and was maximal at day 30. Labeling of both growth factors was principally confinded to the stromal regions. The presence of TGF-beta and EGF in the ciliary stroma at well defined intervals suggests a coordinated effect upon the synthesis and reorganization of the extracellular matrix and possibly upon the inflammatory cell population in the anterior tissue."}
{"id": "PMID:1483339", "title": "Effects of 2-mercaptopropionylglycine on the development of X-ray-induced cataract in rats.", "content": "The effect of 2-mercaptopropionylglycine on the development of cataract induced by a single dose of X-ray (10 Gy) was investigated in rats. Intraperitoneal injection of 20 mg/kg, three times weekly starting 1 day after irradiation delayed the development of X-ray-induced cataracts significantly. The amounts of non-protein SH groups, malondialdehyde and the Na+/K+ ratio, in the lenses of rats post-treated with the drug were significantly maintained at normal levels even at 27 weeks after irradiation. On the other hand, a single administration of 250 mg/kg of the compound, 30 min prior to irradiation had no effect on cataract progression induced by X-ray."}
{"id": "PMID:1483340", "title": "Proteolytic activation of corneal matrix metalloproteinase by Pseudomonas aeruginosa elastase.", "content": "Purified Pseudomonas aeruginosa elastase cleaved a 65 kDa gelatinase [inactive proenzyme form of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP-2)] from human corneal fibroblasts into a biologically active fragment with an approximate molecular mass of 58 kDa. However, purified pseudomonal alkaline protease did not cleave MMP-2 appreciably. Since activated MMP-2 is known to degrade native type IV, V and VII collagens, all components of the corneal basement membrane or stroma, our results suggest a new role for pseudomonal elastase in the pathogenesis of corneal infection, inflammation and ulceration."}
{"id": "PMID:1483341", "title": "Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus keratitis in the rabbit: therapy with ciprofloxacin, vancomycin and cefazolin.", "content": "To determine the efficacy of a fluoroquinolone antibiotic in the treatment of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) keratitis, topical administration of 0.3% ciprofloxacin was compared with topical 5.0% vancomycin or 5.0% cefazolin in experimental infections in the rabbit eye. The infections were established by intrastromal injection of 100 colony forming units (CFU) of MRSA, which resulted in greater than 10(6) CFU per cornea by 12 hr postinfection. Chemotherapy (one drop every 15 min) was given from 4-9, 10-15, or 10-20 hr postinfection. Early therapy (4-9 hr postinfection) with ciprofloxacin rendered all eyes free of bacteria; ciprofloxacin was significantly more effective than vancomycin or cefazolin. When treatment was initiated 6 hr later (10-15 hr postinfection), no corneas became free of bacteria, but ciprofloxacin was again more effective than vancomycin or cefazolin. Bacterial killing by ciprofloxacin after treatment from 10-20 hr postinfection was also significantly greater than that of vancomycin. Overall, the results show that ciprofloxacin is effective in killing methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus, and is most effective when applied during the very early stages of infection."}
{"id": "PMID:1483343", "title": "Mitotic regulation in Aspergillus nidulans.", "content": "The nimA and bimE genes of Aspergillus nidulans respectively encode a 79 kDa protein kinase that is a positive regulator of mitosis and a 229 kDa protein that is a negative regulator of mitosis. Either overproduction of nimA or inactivation of bimE can induce mitosis and override the checkpoint associated with incomplete DNA replication. Double mutants between temperature-sensitive nimA and bimE alleles undergo chromatin condensation and spindle polymerization at restrictive temperature, suggesting that the p79nimA kinase is not required for chromatin condensation and spindle polymerization when bimE function is defective. In contrast double mutants carrying ts bimE and nimEcyclinB mutations or bimE and nimTcdc25 mutations are blocked in interphase at restrictive temperature. These results indicate that the mitotic block caused by inactivation of bimE requires activation of the p34cdc2/MPF kinase for chromatin condensation and spindle polymerization to occur. Antibodies against bimE fusion proteins have been used to study p229bimE in wild-type cells and cells overexpressing the bimE gene."}
{"id": "PMID:1483344", "title": "DNA replication and progression through the cell cycle.", "content": "Somatic cells possess control mechanisms which monitor DNA replication and assure that it is complete before mitosis is initiated. We have been investigating these mechanisms in Xenopus egg extracts. Using in vitro cycling extracts, which spontaneously alternate between interphase and mitosis, we found that the onset of mitosis is inhibited by the presence of unreplicated DNA, demonstrating that the completion of DNA replication and the initiation of mitosis are coupled in these extracts. As in somatic cells, this coupling is sensitive to caffeine and to okadaic acid. In Xenopus extracts unreplicated DNA increases the tyrosine phosphorylation of p34cdc2, thereby maintaining MPF (mitosis-promoting factor) in an inactive state and preventing the onset of mitosis. The block to mitosis in the presence of unreplicated DNA can be reversed by the addition of bacterially expressed cdc25 protein. The extent of MPF activation by cdc25 protein under these conditions depends on the number of nuclei present. We have developed an assay to examine the rate of tyrosine phosphorylation on p34cdc2. It is increased by unreplicated DNA, in a manner consistent with unreplicated DNA up-regulating the kinase that phosphorylates p34cdc2. We have begun to examine how unreplicated DNA generates the signal that inhibits MPF activation by testing the ability of naked single- and double-stranded DNA templates to inhibit mitosis, and by investigating the role of RCC1, a chromatin-associated protein required for the coupling of DNA replication and mitosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1483345", "title": "Cyclins A and B1 in the human cell cycle.", "content": "Cyclins are a family of proteins involved in the regulation of the eukaryotic cell cycle. The first cyclins to be isolated were the A- and B-type cyclins and we have been studying their behaviour in human somatic cells. The levels of both cyclin A and B1 are regulated transcriptionally as well as post-translationally; both are rapidly and specifically degraded in mitosis. Cyclin A synthesis commences at the start of S phase and the protein is predominantly nuclear, whereas cyclin B1 appears during S phase and is primarily cytoplasmic. Cyclin B1 moves into the nucleus just at the start of mitosis and associates with condensed chromosomes and the mitotic spindle. Both cyclin A and cyclin B1 bind to and activate a protein serine/threonine kinase subunit; cyclin A associates with p33cdk2 and with p34cdc2, whereas cyclin B1 seems to bind exclusively to p34cdc2. Cyclin A-associated kinase activity appears much earlier in the cell cycle than that of cyclin B1, which appears only at the G2 to M transition. Therefore cyclin A may play a role in the events of S phase as well as G2 and M phases. Cyclin A forms a cell cycle-dependent complex with p33cdk2 and the transcription factor E2F, although the function of this complex is not yet clear. We conclude that cyclins A and B1 may differentially regulate the cell cycle in several ways. They form complexes with distinct protein kinases and these complexes are active at different times in the cell cycle; they form distinct multiprotein complexes, such as with the transcription factor E2F; and they are localized to different parts of the cell where different substrates will be available to them."}
{"id": "PMID:1483346", "title": "Is START a switch?", "content": "The cell cycle in Saccharomyces cerevisiae is controlled by regulation of START in late G1. The CLN1, CLN2 and CLN3 family of cyclin homologues is required for cells to pass START. They probably act by activating the CDC28 protein kinase. Expression of CLN1 or CLN3 under the control of an inducible promoter shows that transcription of either gene is sufficient for cyclin-deficient strains arrested in G1 to traverse START. A model of START regulation involves activation of CDC28 kinase by any CLN protein, leading to activation of CLN1 and CLN2 transcription in a positive feedback loop and passage through START. The cell cycle-dependent transcriptional regulators SWI4 and SWI6 may be components of the feedback loop. Cell cycle commitment entails resistance to the inhibitory action of mating factor, which correlates with peak levels of CLN1 and CLN2 mRNAs. FAR1 encodes an alpha-factor-dependent inhibitor of CLN function whose expression is markedly reduced at the time of START. The interplay of all these factors may sharpen the START transition such that it is close to an all-or-nothing switch event. This may be important for several START-dependent events to be activated at the same time, leading to coordinated cell cycle progression."}
{"id": "PMID:1483347", "title": "Regulation of CYL/cyclin D genes by colony-stimulating factor 1.", "content": "The proliferative effects of colony-stimulating factor 1 (CSF-1) on macrophages are exerted only throughout the G1 phase of the cell cycle. Genetic targets of the delayed early response to CSF-1 include novel G1 cyclin (CYL or cyclin D) genes. In macrophages, cyclin D1 is induced early in G1 and is expressed throughout the cell cycle as long as CSF-1 is present. The cyclin D1 protein turns over rapidly in CSF-1-stimulated cells and its level declines precipitously upon CSF-1 withdrawal. Cyclin D2 is induced later in G1 and its expression is periodic, whereas cyclin D3 is not expressed in macrophages but is regulated by growth factors in other cell types. The cyclin D1 protein associates during G1 with a polypeptide antigenically related to p34cdc2 and binds in vitro to a histone H1 kinase present in lysates of CSF-1-starved macrophages. The instability of the cyclin D1 protein and its ability to rescue a cyclin-dependent kinase activity from growth factor-deprived macrophages together suggest that the cyclin D protein is the dynamic partner in the complex. The timing of expression of cyclin D genes suggests that they act to link growth factor signals with cell cycle transitions during G1."}
{"id": "PMID:1483348", "title": "Cell cycle regulation of retinoblastoma protein phosphorylation.", "content": "The product of the retinoblastoma susceptibility gene (Rb) is a substrate of the cell cycle-regulated cdc2 and cdk kinases. The Rb protein is phosphorylated from S through M phases of the cell cycle and is dephosphorylated in G1. In in vivo phosphorylated Rb protein, we have found ten phosphotryptic peptides, all of which could be phosphorylated by cdc2 kinase, p34cdc2, in vitro. The sites of phosphorylation for eight of the ten peptides have been mapped and they conform to the known p34cdc2 phosphorylation consensus. Although the activated p34cdc2 in mitotic cells is the major phosphorylation enzyme for Rb, the Rb kinase activity of p34cdc2 is not activated at G1/S transition. A cyclin A/p33 complex is activated at G1/S. We have assembled active cyclin B1/p34cdc2 complex in insect cells. The insect cell-derived kinase complex phosphorylates histone H1 well but exhibits a poor Rb kinase activity. These results indicate that the retinoblastoma protein is phosphorylated by distinct cyclin/kinase complexes in the cell cycle and suggest a regulation of the substrate specificity of the p34cdc2/cyclin complex."}
{"id": "PMID:1483349", "title": "cdc2 protein kinase: structure-function relationships.", "content": "Activation of the cdc2 kinase in the cell cycle occurs upon binding to a regulatory subunit called cyclin. Cyclin A associates with both Cdc2 and its homologue Cdk2. The two complexes appear in S phase but cyclin A/Cdk2 is activated earlier than cyclin A/Cdc2. Several regions in Cdc2 are involved in binding cyclins A and B. Phosphorylation of cyclin/Cdk complexes ensures that the kinase activity peaks at a specific time in the cell cycle. Phosphorylation of Thr161 in Cdc2 is required for strong cyclin binding and kinase activity in vitro; its dephosphorylation is necessary for cells to exit mitosis. We have identified a novel 'Activating factor' that stimulates binding between cyclin and Cdc2 by inducing phosphorylation of Cdc2 on Thr161. We propose that Thr161 is targeted by an additional cell cycle regulatory pathway."}
{"id": "PMID:1483350", "title": "Activation of MPF in fission yeast.", "content": "In fission yeast p34cdc2/cyclin is activated at the G2/M boundary by dephosphorylation of Tyr15 of the p34cdc2 subunit. Two protein phosphatases carry out this dephosphorylation event. The major activity is encoded by cdc25, which is a distantly related member of the protein tyrosine phosphatase family. A minor activity is provided by a newly identified fission yeast protein tyrosine phosphatase."}
{"id": "PMID:1483351", "title": "G1 control in yeast and animal cells.", "content": "In budding yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the cell cycle is controlled at the G1/S phase transition by regulating the activity of the CDC28 protein kinase. This is the budding yeast homologue of the cdc2 protein kinase associated in most organisms with control of mitosis. In budding yeast CDC28 controls both the G1/S phase transition and the G2/M phase transition by being differentially activated by two distinct classes of positive regulatory subunits known as G1 cyclins or CLNs and B-type cyclins or CLBs, respectively. To establish whether a similar dual role for Cdc2-related kinases exists in animal cells, we and others have sought human homologues of yeast G1 cyclins. Of several candidates, cyclin E is the most promising in that it accumulates prior to S phase and is associated with a pre-S phase protein kinase activity. The kinetics of accumulation of cyclin E-associated protein kinase activity is consistent with a role at the mammalian cell cycle restriction point."}
{"id": "PMID:1483352", "title": "Regulation of p34cdc2 protein kinase activity by phosphorylation and cyclin binding.", "content": "Activation of the protein kinase p34cdc2 is required for entry into meiotic or mitotic M phase in all eukaryotic cells. One important mechanism regulating the activity of p34cdc2 during the cell cycle is based on phosphorylation/dephosphorylation. Avian p34cdc2 is phosphorylated on threonine 14 (Thr14), tyrosine 15 (Tyr15), threonine 161 (Thr161) and serine 277 (Ser277). Dephosphorylation of both Thr14 and Tyr15 is required for activation of p34cdc2 at the G2/M transition, indicating that phosphorylation of these residues negatively regulates p34cdc2 activity. Conversely, phosphorylation of Thr161 is required for kinase activity. Whether modification of this residue is due to intramolecular autophosphorylation or to the action of an as yet unidentified kinase remains unresolved. Likewise, the role of phosphorylation of p34cdc2 on Ser277 during G1 phase of the cell cycle remains to be determined. The function of p34cdc2 is regulated also by cell cycle-dependent complex formation with cyclin proteins. We found that chicken cyclin B2 undergoes a striking redistribution from the cytoplasm to the nucleus just prior to the onset of mitosis. Expression of a non-destructible cyclin B2 mutant causes HeLa cells to arrest in mitosis. Frequently, arrested cells displayed multiple mitotic spindles."}
{"id": "PMID:1483353", "title": "Cyclins and cdc2 kinases in Drosophila: genetic analyses in a higher eukaryote.", "content": "Cyclin proteins and the kinases with which they associate are encoded by gene families in multicellular eukaryotes. A variety of cyclin/kinase complexes with different functions may exist. We have started a genetic dissection of this complexity in Drosophila. We have done experiments to investigate a potential functional overlap between two kinases (Dmcdc2 and Dmcdc2c) and two cyclins (cyclin A and cyclin B). No functional overlap was observed between the Dmcdc2 and the Dmcdc2c kinases. The phenotype resulting from mutations in Dmcdc2 was not affected by altering the level of Dmcdc2c. Our results concerning cyclin A and cyclin B strongly suggest that these two cyclins have largely overlapping functions. Cell proliferation was observed in the absence of either cyclin A or cyclin B, but not if both cyclins were absent. Cyclin A also has essential functions that cannot be taken over by cyclin B, but these functions appear to be required at defined developmental stages in specific tissues only."}
{"id": "PMID:1483354", "title": "Age-related differences in vascular effects of pentoxifylline in isolated perfused ferret lungs.", "content": "We have determined the magnitude and sites of action of pentoxifylline (PTX), a methylxanthine derivative, in the adult and 3- to 4-week old ferret pulmonary circulation. Lungs of 8 ferrets, four 3- to 4-week-old and 4 adult, were isolated and perfused with blood. During perfusion, blood flow was kept constant, as were airway and left atrial pressures (6 and 8 cm H2O respectively, zone 3 conditions). In all lungs, pulmonary artery pressure was measured continuously and the circulation was partitioned into arteries, microvessels and veins, by measurement of pressures in 20-50 microns diameter subpleural arterioles and venules using the micropipette-servonulling method. Pressures were obtained in each lung during baseline, after vasoconstriction with hypoxia, and again after the infusion of PTX, 20 mg/kg, during hypoxia. We found that with hypoxia, total vascular resistance increased by approximately 90% in both adult and neonatal lungs; arterial and venous resistances increased by 100-180% in both age groups, with little change in microvascular resistance. PTX resulted in a significant decrease in total vascular resistance, due to a decrease in resistance in both arteries and veins. The decrease in resistance with PTX was greater in adult lungs (of the increase in resistance induced by hypoxia, 80% was eliminated by PTX) than in 3- to 4-week old lungs (51% elimination of tone induced by hypoxia). This difference was mainly due to a smaller reduction in arterial resistance with PTX in 3- to 4-week-old lungs. We conclude that PTX is a powerful pulmonary vasodilator in ferrets and that its effectiveness as a vasodilator depends on the age of the animal, the older animal showing greater responsiveness."}
{"id": "PMID:1483355", "title": "Age-related changes in calcium antagonist receptors in rabbit ureter.", "content": "(+)-[3H]PN 200-110 (a dihydropyridine calcium channel antagonist) binding sites were studied in ureters of 1-day (neonatal), 6-week (premature), 6-month (young) and 4.5- to 5-year (old) female rabbits. Specific binding of (+)-[3H]PN 200-110 to ureteral membrane particulates was saturable, reversible and of high affinity. The densities (Bmax) of (+)-[3H]PN 200-110 binding sites were 46.7 +/- 2.5, 22.6 +/- 2.0, 12.7 +/- 1.8 and 11.9 +/- 1.6 fmol/mg protein in 1-day, 6-week, 6-month and 4.5- to 5-year rabbit ureters, respectively. The affinity constants (KD) of the binding sites for (+)-[3H]PN 200-110 were similar in all groups. Calcium agonists and antagonists inhibited (+)-[3H]PN 200-110 binding to 1-day and 6-week rabbit ureters with the following rank order of Ki values: nitrendipine < nifedipine < BAY K 8644 < verapamil. There were no significant differences in Ki values between the neonatal and premature groups. The data demonstrate the presence of an age-related down-regulation of (+)-[3H]PN 200-110 binding sites in rabbit ureteral membrane particulates."}
{"id": "PMID:1483356", "title": "Relationship of prenatal caffeine exposure and zinc supplementation on fetal rat brain growth.", "content": "Pregnant rat dams were divided into four groups on the 3rd day of gestation. Group 1 dams were fed a 20% protein diet as controls. Dams of group 2 were fed a 20% protein diet supplemented with zinc (0.6 g ZnCl2/kg diet). Group 3 dams were fed a 20% protein diet supplemented with caffeine (2 mg/100 g body weight) and dams of group 4 were fed a 20% protein diet supplemented with both caffeine and zinc. Fetuses were surgically delivered on day 22, and brains were removed and analyzed for alkaline phosphatase activity, protein, zinc, cholesterol and DNA concentrations. Fetal brain caffeine levels, as well as maternal and fetal plasma caffeine levels, were determined in caffeine-supplemented groups. The body weight of group 4 and brain weights of groups 3 and 4 were higher than those of groups 1 and 2. Alkaline phosphatase activity of group 3 was less than that of group 1. The brain zinc concentration of group 2 was higher than in the other groups, but that of group 4 was less than that of group 1. The present study indicated that the supplementation of caffeine to the maternal diet decreased zinc levels in the fetal brain, and the addition of extra zinc to this diet did not return the zinc level to that of the control level as we had expected. In addition, the supplementation of caffeine and zinc together increased the body weights of the fetuses compared to the controls, but the addition of only one of these substances had no effect, suggesting that the combination of caffeine and zinc may have unique effects on fetal growth."}
{"id": "PMID:1483357", "title": "Effects of prenatal cocaine on the ventilatory response to hypoxia in newborn rabbits.", "content": "Recently, investigators have reported an alteration of postnatal respiratory pattern, deficient hypoxic arousal from sleep, and an increased incidence of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) among human infants exposed to cocaine prenatally, thus suggesting that prenatal cocaine exposure may perturb the maturation of respiratory control thereby increasing the risk for SIDS. To investigate the effects of prenatal cocaine on postnatal respiration, we evaluated the ventilatory response to 0.21 FIO2 (baseline) and at 0.15, 0.10, and 0.08 FIO2 by the barometric method on days 4-5 of life in 23 New Zealand White rabbit pups born to cocaine-exposed (30 mg/kg/day of cocaine HCl by continuous subcutaneous infusion), pair-fed and free-fed does. The chamber pressure deflection (proportional to VT after appropriate calculation) was computer-sampled at 200 Hz when the unanesthetized pups were resting quietly with no gross body movements. Recording was made after 10 min acclimatization to a specific FIO2. We found that baseline ventilation did not differ significantly among study groups. However, minute ventilation (VI), inspiratory flow (VT/TI), tidal volume (VT), increased significantly with hypoxia to peak values at 0.08 FIO2 in pair-fed and free-fed pups but these measurements did not increase significantly in cocaine-exposed pups. Our finding of a deficient second phase of the hypoxic ventilatory response among cocaine-exposed pups supports the hypothesis that prenatal cocaine perturbs the maturation of respiratory control.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1483358", "title": "Effects of betamethasone and thyroid hormone on fetal rat lung maturation in vivo.", "content": "We studied the effect of maternal administration at various intervals of betamethasone, triiodothyronine (T3), or both, on fetal rat lung maturation. T3 alone did not enhance choline incorporation to phosphatidylcholine by 20-day fetal lung explants, or morphometric lung maturation. Betamethasone, and betamethasone plus T3, increased both of those parameters over control and T3 values. However, addition of T3 offered no advantage over administration of betamethasone alone. Significant enhancement of morphometric lung maturation was already present after only 24 h of exposure to beta-methasone, or to the combination of hormones. However, choline incorporation to phosphatidylcholine only increased significantly by 36 h of exposure to betamethasone with or without T3."}
{"id": "PMID:1483359", "title": "Pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics of cyclosporin A in the newborn pig.", "content": "The disposition kinetics of cyclosporin A in the neonates as well as age-related differences in lymphocyte responses to cyclosporin A are unknown. A single intravenous infusion of cyclosporin A was given to neonatal (2.5 or 5 mg/kg) and mature pigs (10 mg/kg) and blood cyclosporin A levels were measured by RIA. The neonates had longer elimination half-life and lower drug clearance than mature animals. Suppression in lymphocyte proliferation was only observed in mixed lymphocyte reaction and phytohemagglutinin-stimulated cultures of the 2-hour samples from neonates receiving 5 mg/kg. We conclude that neonatal pig exhibit different cyclosporin A pharmacokinetics and show higher sensitivity to cyclosporin A than mature animals."}
{"id": "PMID:1483360", "title": "Effect of prazosin on hypoxemia-induced blood flow redistribution in the newborn piglet.", "content": "We examined the effect of the alpha 1-adrenergic antagonist prazosin on blood pressure, left ventricular output and blood flow redistribution during normoxemia and mild hypoxemia in the chronically instrumented, unanesthetized newborn piglet employing the radiolabeled microsphere technique. Prior to prazosin, hypoxemia caused increases in aortic pressure and blood flows to the brain, myocardium and diaphragm, accomplished by small, statistically insignificant decreases in flows to the carcass and viscera without an increase in cardiac index. Prazosin treatment during normoxemia caused a fall in blood pressure and resulted in greater blood flows of left ventricular origin to the carcass, myocardium and lung. Hypoxemia after prazosin administration increased not only aortic pressure and blood flows to the brain, myocardium and diaphragm, but also, unlike the situation before drug treatment, cardiac index. Thus, in the newborn piglet, the maintenance of critical organ oxygen delivery during hypoxemia is not blocked by prazosin, but is accomplished by an increase in cardiac index rather than simply by redistribution of blood flow."}
{"id": "PMID:1483361", "title": "Quantitative contribution of endogenous compounds and hypoalbuminemia in reducing the binding of furosemide in the plasma of newborn infants.", "content": "The protein binding of furosemide was studied in the plasma of newborn infants and adult subjects. Plasma consisted of two pools obtained from 25 newborns and adult subjects. The concentrations of albumin were 36.8 (newborn) and 48.3 g/l (adult). The unbound fraction of furosemide was 1.38 +/- 0.15 (adult) and 2.03 +/- 0.13% (newborn; p < 0.001). After extensive dialysis of the plasma, the unbound fraction of furosemide was 1.12 +/- 0.15 (adult) and 1.39 +/- 0.09% (newborn; p < 0.0001), suggesting that dialyzable endogenous compounds interfere with the binding of furosemide. The addition of human albumin to the newborn plasma to give a final albumin concentration of 48.3 g/l yielded an unbound fraction of furosemide of 1.63 +/- 0.08 (nondialyzed plasma) and 1.17 +/- 0.08% (dialyzed plasma; p < 0.0001). The addition of albumin to the dialyzed newborn plasma, to give a final albumin concentration similar to that in adult plasma, decreased the unbound furosemide to the level of the dialyzed adult plasma. The binding defect of furosemide in newborn plasma reflects either the effects of the endogenous inhibitors or of hypoalbuminemia. The intrinsic binding properties for furosemide of newborn dialyzed plasma are similar to those of dialyzed adult plasma. This consideration corroborates our previous results on the binding of furosemide and diazepam, salicylic acid and digitoxin to newborn and adult albumin. The displacement of furosemide by salicylic acid, tolbutamide and azapropazone is 70% greater in newborn than in adult plasma. The greater displacing effect is largely due to hypoalbuminemia."}
{"id": "PMID:1483362", "title": "Ontogeny of vascular smooth muscle responsiveness in the postweaning rat.", "content": "This study investigated the ontogeny of contractile and relaxation responses in aortic and tail artery preparations from 3-, 7-, and 11-week-old male Sprague-Dawley rats. Contractile responses to norepinephrine, serotonin, KCl, electrical stimulation, and potassium-free physiological solution were significantly increased in vascular smooth muscle from 3-week-old rats when compared to 7- and 11-week-old rats. Endothelium-dependent acetylcholine-induced relaxation and beta-adrenoceptor mediated isoproterenol-induced relaxation were significantly attenuated with maturation. These data demonstrate that significant changes occur in aortic and tail artery smooth muscle responsiveness during the postweaning maturational period of the rat. The alterations may have significant implications with regard to cardiovascular and thermoregulatory function as well as the age of the animal when utilized as an experimental model for identifying pathogenic mechanisms involved in various disease states such as hypertension. As such, further studies are warranted to determine if similar ontogenic changes in vascular function occur at the level of the resistance vessel."}
{"id": "PMID:1483363", "title": "Benzoyl-CoA ligase activity in the liver and kidney cortex of weanling guinea pigs treated with various inducers: relationship with hippurate synthesis and carnitine levels.", "content": "Recent reports have indicated that guinea pig may be a better model for the study of benzoate conjugation in humans because of the presence of a salicylate-activating ligase. We gave intraperitoneal injections of sodium benzoate, sodium salicylate, sodium methylprednisolone and sodium phenobarbital for 4 consecutive days to groups of weanling guinea pigs before sacrifice. A measurement of benzoyl-CoA ligase activity and in vitro hippurate synthesis was done in liver and kidney cortex homogenates from each treated group at 21 days of age, as compared to an untreated (saline) 21-day control group. The results indicate that benzoyl-CoA ligase in guinea pigs is affected by phenobarbital (liver and kidney; p < 0.05-0.01) and methylprednisolone (liver; p < 0.01). Liver hippurate synthesis was also significantly induced by phenobarbital (p < 0.01). Both these treated groups also had reduced levels of free carnitine in plasma taken from 21-day-old guinea pigs as compared to the untreated control. Sodium benzoate did not have any effect on benzoyl-CoA ligase activity or on in vitro hippurate synthesis. However, sodium salicylate did show some effect on the induction of liver and kidney benzoyl-CoA ligase (not significant) and liver (p < 0.05) and kidney hippurate synthesis. It is important that studies on the guinea pig model be extended for application to children receiving therapy of benzoate and other aromatic acids like p-aminobenzoate or salicylate."}
{"id": "PMID:1483364", "title": "Effects of nimodipine on brain blood flow following acute brain ischemia in the newborn piglet.", "content": "We examined the effect of the calcium channel blocker nimodipine on postischemic hypoperfusion in the newborn piglet brain. A severe pneumothorax (SP) was induced by injecting air into the right thorax until the mean arterial blood pressure fell to 25% of baseline and was maintained for 4 min. Blood flow was immediately reduced 70-90% from baseline in each brain region during SP. In untreated animals postischemic hypoperfusion existed at 60 min, following recovery from SP with regional brain blood flow reduced 20-30% from baseline. Nimodipine infusion after SP prevented postischemic hypoperfusion in all brain regions and increased blood flows by as much as 40% above baseline in midbrain and brainstem structures. Nimodipine infusion began after severe brain ischemia prevented postischemic hypoperfusion and enhanced brain blood flow in this model."}
{"id": "PMID:1483365", "title": "Potential of population pharmacokinetics to reduce the frequency of blood sampling required for estimating kinetic parameters in neonates.", "content": "Data obtained from neonates receiving zidovudine as part of a phase I study were used to estimate the population pharmacokinetic parameters of this drug and to determine the minimum number of data points necessary to provide accurate estimates of the kinetic parameters and their variability. Analysis was performed with 541 concentrations of zidovudine, obtained from 32 infants and with a variety of reduced data sets using NONMEM (nonlinear mixed effect model). The reduced data sets were derived by randomly reducing the number of sampling time points per dosing interval and/or by randomly reducing the number of available subjects. We determined that accurate estimates of pharmacokinetic parameters and their variability were obtained with the inclusion of all 32 patients using only two concentration-time points per dose interval, provided that one of the points was obtained during the first 2 h after administration of the drug. The parameters themselves were adequately estimated with only 24 subjects and two concentration-time points per dose interval. We suggest that NONMEM should be used in addition to the traditional pharmacokinetic analysis to obtain more precise information directly in the population of interest with a minimum of blood sampling from each patient. This is especially critical in infants whose blood volumes are limited."}
{"id": "PMID:1483366", "title": "7-Ethoxycoumarin metabolism in hepatocytes from pre- and postpubescent male rats.", "content": "Marked changes in rates of drug metabolism occur during adolescence; however, biochemical events underlying alterations in drug metabolism in whole hepatocytes during this period of development are not well established. Accordingly, metabolism of 7-ethoxycoumarin, a model substrate for mixed-function oxidation, was studied in hepatocytes isolated from prepubescent and postpubescent male rats. Rates of 7-ethoxycoumarin O-deethylation increased 2.4-fold from 65 to 154 pmol/10(6) cells/min in intact hepatocytes during the narrow period of adolescence. In contrast, microsomal 7-ethoxycoumarin O-deethylase was the same in preparations from the two groups of animals. 7-Hydroxycoumarin glucuronide production in hepatocytes increased 2-fold and sulfate formation increased 16-fold across puberty. The results indicate that increases in drug metabolism, particularly sulfate conjugation, are mediated by biochemical events in addition to increases in total amounts and specific activities of hepatic drug-metabolizing enzymes."}
{"id": "PMID:1483367", "title": "Placental transport of dioxins from mother to fetus. II. PCBs, dioxins and furans and vitamin K metabolism.", "content": "Placental transport of dioxins and furans from mother to fetus takes place. It is probably related to the fatty acid transport. Between 10 and 20% of fatty acids in a full-term baby are of maternal origin. In adipose tissue of children that died in the early neonatal period concentrations of +/- 25% were found of three dioxin and furan congeners 12378 P5CDD, 123678 H6CDD, and 23478 P5CDF in relation to a mean concentration of these congeners in the fat of 14 breastmilk samples. Data of concentrations are given as measured in liver and adipose tissue. In the placenta of a Dutch woman an accumulation of dioxins and furans is found in relation to blood. Animal studies support the hypothesis that polychlorobifenyls play a role in the cause of the late hemorrhagic disease in the newborn, in particular the 2, 4, 5, 2, 4, 5-hexachlorobifenyl that is present in relatively high concentrations in breastmilk."}
{"id": "PMID:1483368", "title": "Cataract surgery and IOL implantation. More than 40 years of personal experience. My present criteria and considerations.", "content": "The author refers his personal experience with different types of IOL since 1950. After an initial period of enthusiasm (1950 to 1961) the author abandoned the techniques of Ridley, Strampelli and Dannheim, because of the considerable incidence of severe complications directly related to the IOL. Over many years he emphasized the serious postoperative complications which appeared in the course of the years, even with the different new types of IOL which acquired a certain prestige. With the new posterior chamber lenses placed in the capsular bag, the results became more encouraging and the author resumed IOL implantation with this type of lenses after an adequate period of observation and experimentation. The present criteria, technique and results of the author are discussed together with some considerations on future research work to develop new techniques for substitution of the opacified lens and also to attempt to restore accommodation."}
{"id": "PMID:1483369", "title": "Capsulorhexis in mature cataracts: why not?", "content": "Continuous circular capsulorhexis is now widely used in cataract surgery. In the case of mature cataract, however, this technique may be difficult due to the poor visibility of the anterior capsule. This problem can be overcome performing capsulorhexis under air. A small amount of a high molecular weight viscoelastic agent is injected near the incision, so as to avoid air escaping from the anterior chamber. Visibility is good and the handling of the anterior capsule is easy and safe."}
{"id": "PMID:1483370", "title": "An update on multifocal lens implants.", "content": "The performance of multifocals is partly determined by the degree to which contrast at the focussed image is reduced by out of focus images. This paper discusses how optical performance may vary with lens design and includes consideration, with available core study results, of multifocal designs marketed by Iolab, 3M, AMO, Ioptex, Storz and Domilens. For most lenses an acuity of 20/40 and J3 can be achieved unaided in over 70% of best case eyes and J2 with the distance correction in over 80%. However the risk of disappointment tends to prevent a more widespread use of multifocals among surgeons, and an explanation is given as to possible reasons."}
{"id": "PMID:1483371", "title": "The effect of indomethacin, diclofenac and flurbiprofen on the maintenance of mydriasis during extracapsular cataract extraction.", "content": "Surgically induced miosis (SIM) frequently occurs during extracapsular cataract extraction (ECCE). A randomized clinical trial was performed to evaluate the effect of 3 nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs Indomethacin 1%, Diclofenac 0.1% and Flurbiprofen 0.03%, administered topically before ECCE, on the maintenance of mydriasis during surgery. The patients were grouped based on the type of NSAID given preoperatively in addition to the standard mydriatic agents: 46 patients in group A (Indomethacin), 40 patients in B (Diclofenac), 44 patients in C (Flurbiprofen) and 34 patients formed control group D (no NSAID was instilled). Horizontal pupillary diameter measurements were taken, using a caliper, immediately prior to surgery (step 0), after capsulotomy (step I), after expression of the lens nucleus (step II) and after irrigation-aspiration of the cortical remnants (step III). Differences in pupillary diameter between step 0 and the different surgical steps were used as indices of pupillary constrictions observed in the 4 groups. A significantly less pupillary constriction was found in groups A and C than in D between steps 0 and II (p = 0.01) and in groups A and C than in B and D between steps 0 and III (p = 0.001). Our results show that Indomethacin 1% and Flurbiprofen 0.03%, compared to Diclofenac 0.1% and no NSAID regime, are significantly more effective in maintaining mydriasis during cataract surgery."}
{"id": "PMID:1483372", "title": "Endothelial cell density and corneal pachometry after no-stitch, small-incision cataract surgery.", "content": "In a prospective study we used the change of central and peripheral (12 o'clock-position) corneal thickness (CT) after no-stitch small incision cataract surgery as a parameter of tissue traumatisation (33 eyes) and compared the values to a series of cases (32 eyes) with conventional 3.5 mm scleral step incision. In both groups the peripheral measurements showed a higher increase in corneal thickness than the central. After 1 month all eyes regained their central preoperative thickness. Increase in corneal thickness (delta CTc, delta CTp) after the different postoperative periods were correlated. The values of the central cornea showed no significant difference between the two groups. 1, 7 and 30 days after surgery the increase of peripheral CT was significantly higher in the no-stitch group. This fact was underlined by the clinical aspect at the slit lamp and is due to the anatomical and surgical characteristic of this procedure. One month postoperatively there was no increased endothelial cell loss in the no-stitch group (3%). No-stitch cataract surgery surgery provides a lot of intra- and postoperative advantages. The problem of increased swelling of the peripheral corneal entry seems to be a secondary one as corneal thickness decreases with time. Concerning the prospective endothelial cell loss it is mandatory to study the long term results."}
{"id": "PMID:1483373", "title": "Cystoid macular edema in anterior chamber lens implantation following posterior capsule rupture.", "content": "By comparing the incidence of cystoid macular edema (CME) in three groups of patients having different surgical procedures, we attempted to assess the role of vitreous loss as a risk factor for CME development. In the first group (n = 470), the surgical procedure was extracapsular cataract extraction followed by implantation of posterior chamber lens (EC-CE + PC-IOL). The second group (n = 42) had extracapsular cataract extraction which was complicated by posterior capsule rupture, and therefore anterior vitrectomy followed by implantation of anterior chamber lens had to be performed (ECCE + anterior vitrectomy + AC-IOL). In the third group (n = 22) the surgery was intracapsular cataract extraction followed by anterior chamber lens implantation (ICCE + AC-IOL). The third group was included in this follow up study to assess the role of AC-IOL as a possible causative factor for development of CME in uncomplicated cases of ICCE and AC-IOL. The difference of incidences of CME in the second and third group would therefore depend mostly on the vitreous loss. The incidence of CME diagnosed by fluorescein angiography in the first, second and third group was 1.5% (7/470), 35.7% (15/42) and 9.0% (2/22), respectively. All patients who developed CME were treated with combination of corticosteroid-antibiotic drops, dexamethasone retrobulbarly (40 mg/day) and peroral indomethacin (25 mg/day/6 weeks). This therapeutic regime resulted in only moderate improvement of visual acuity."}
{"id": "PMID:1483375", "title": "The WHO programme for the Prevention of Blindness and cataract in developing countries.", "content": "In 1990, the WHO Programme for the Prevention of Blindness estimated that there were 13.5 million unoperated cases of cataract in the world. More than 95% of this backlog is found in developing countries. A conservative estimate of incidence of blindness due to cataract as 1/1000 population/year demonstrates that most developing countries are still unable to provide cataract surgery to the annual load of new cases. The situation is particularly worrying in Africa, south of the Sahara, where only one out of ten cataract ever gets operated on. The WHO Programme has developed a primary health care strategy for the large-scale management of cataract. Identification of cases requiring surgery should be possible at the community level, through training of auxiliary staff. Referral for surgery at the district or province hospital level is possible in most cases, given manpower development. This implies a need for training of cataract surgeons in many developing countries. There should be one cataract surgeon per 250,000 population. Increasing surgical 'productivity' of existing ophthalmologists should be considered as well as improving management of intervention programmes."}
{"id": "PMID:1483374", "title": "Lens-induced glaucoma.", "content": "The crystalline lens is implicated as a causative element in producing several forms of glaucoma. Etiologically they represent a diversity in the presentation of the glaucomatous process. These conditions include glaucoma related to: lens dislocation (ectopia lentis), lens swelling (intumescent cataract), classical pupillary block, aqueous misdirection--ciliary block, phacoanaphylaxis, lens particle, and phacolytic glaucoma. The management of elevated intraocular pressure often requires altering the intraocular relationship of anatomic structures surrounding the lens or lens removal. We will review the entities that produce these lens-induced glaucomatous conditions and suggest a rational approach to their diagnosis and treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1483376", "title": "The role of international non-governmental organisations in dealing with cataract blindness in developing countries.", "content": "The international non-governmental organisations (INGOs) dealing with the prevention and cure of blindness in developing countries are closely networked with each other and are an integral part of the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPE) and the World Health Organization (WHO) Global Programme for the Prevention of Blindness. As operable cataract accounts for more than half of world blindness. As operable cataract accounts for more than half of world blindness the INGOs have a particular interest in this blinding condition which took on major proportions with the eye camp movement in South Asia from the end of the 1960s. Despite this initiative, and the use of paramedic cataract surgeons in many African countries, the volume of cataract surgery is being outstripped by increased incidence arising from greater longevity as a product of improved general health. Among the options facing the INGOs in the 1991s are the increased utilisation of eye beds through year round surgery in South Asia and shorter post-operative hospital occupancy and the possibility of putting lens implantation surgery within the economic reach of INGOs and partner NGOs and governments."}
{"id": "PMID:1483377", "title": "The role of Western ophthalmologists in dealing with cataract blindness in developing countries.", "content": "Of the estimated 35-40 million blindness worldwide, 17 million is caused by cataract and this proportion will double by year 2025. In Africa alone, it is estimated that there are about 3 million cataract blind. As life expectancy in Africa increases so will the incidence of cataract blindness. Existing resources of manpower and services cannot cope adequately with the present backlog of cataracts, let alone the anticipated increased load. The deployment of local ophthalmologists to deal with cataract load would be cost-effective in delivering appropriate eye care but the scarcity of ophthalmologists makes the option ineffective. The role of Western ophthalmologists will be considered in the provision of cataract surgical services and training of ophthalmic assistants, cataract surgeons and ophthalmologists."}
{"id": "PMID:1483380", "title": "Synergistic principles of development: overlapping patterning systems in Xenopus mesoderm induction.", "content": "The first inductive event in Xenopus development establishes the mesoderm at the equator of the developing embryo. As part of this process, the dorsal-ventral and anterior-posterior axes of the embryo are initially established. A number of signalling molecules which may play a role in mesodermal induction and patterning have been identified in the last several years, including members of the FGF, TGF-beta and Wnt gene families. A variety of experiments, using either purified factors or injection of RNA encoding these factors, have added to the wealth of classical embryological experimental data collected over the last century. We have synthesized some recent results with the classical data to provide a framework for examining the process of mesoderm induction, and to formulate putative roles for some of the different factors. We incorporate these ideas into a working model of mesoderm induction that provides a basis for future experimental directions. Finally, we suggest that mesoderm induction may not be a discrete set of well separated events, but instead may be a process involving partially overlapping signals that produce the same pattern."}
{"id": "PMID:1483381", "title": "Expression of en and wg in the embryonic head and brain of Drosophila indicates a refolded band of seven segment remnants.", "content": "Based on the expression pattern of the segment polarity genes engrailed and wingless during the embryonic development of the larval head, we found evidence that the head of Drosophila consists of remnants of seven segments (4 pregnathal and 3 gnathal) all of which contribute cells to neuromeres in the central nervous system. Until completion of germ band retraction, the four pregnathal segment remnants and their corresponding neuromeres become arranged in an S-shape. We discuss published evidence for seven head segments and morphogenetic movements during head formation in various insects (and crustaceans)."}
{"id": "PMID:1483382", "title": "Cleavage and gastrulation in the shrimp Sicyonia ingentis: invagination is accompanied by oriented cell division.", "content": "Embryos of the penaeoidean shrimp Sicyonia ingentis were examined at intervals during cleavage and gastrulation using antibodies to beta-tubulin and DNA and laser scanning confocal microscopy. Cleavage occurred in a regular pattern within four domains corresponding to the 4-cell-stage blastomeres and resulted in two interlocking bands of cells, each with similar spindle orientations, around a central blastocoel. Right-left asymmetry was evident at the 32-cell-stage, and mirror-image embryos occurred in a 50:50 ratio. Gastrulation was initiated by invagination into the blastocoel at the 62-cell-stage of two mesendoderm cells, which arrested at the 32-cell-stage. Further invagination and expansion of the archenteron during gastrulation was accompanied by rapid and oriented cell division. The archenteron was composed of presumptive naupliar mesoderm and the blastopore was located at the site of the future anus of the nauplius larva. In order to trace cell lineages and determine axial relationships, single 2- and 4-cell-stage blastomeres were microinjected with rhodamine-dextran. The results showed that the mesendoderm cells which initiated gastrulation were derived from the vegetal 2-cell-stage blastomere, which could be distinguished by its slightly larger size and the location of the polar bodies. The mesendoderm cells descended from a single vegetal blastomere of the 4-cell-stage. This investigation provides the first evidence for oriented cell division during gastrulation in a simple invertebrate system. Oriented cell division has previously been discounted as a potential morphogenetic force, and may be a common mechanism of invagination in embryos that begin gastrulation with a relatively small number of cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1483383", "title": "Expression and potential functions of G-protein alpha subunits in embryos of Xenopus laevis.", "content": "During early embryonic development, many inductive interactions between tissues depend on signal transduction processes. We began to test the possibility that G-proteins participate in the signal transduction pathways that mediate neural induction. The expression during Xenopus development of three G alpha subunits, G alpha 0, G alpha i-1 and G alpha s-1, was characterized. The three maternally expressed genes showed different expression patterns during early development. Whole-mount in situ hybridization revealed that all three genes were expressed almost exclusively in the gastrula ectoderm and predominantly in the neuroectoderm in the neurula embryo. In order to investigate the involvement of these proteins in neural induction, we overexpressed the G-protein alpha subunits by injecting the G alpha mRNAs into fertilized eggs. Overexpression of G alpha s-1 increased the ability of gastrula ectoderm to become induced to neural tissue approximately four-fold. Overexpression of G alpha 0 and G alpha i-1 had less pronounced effects on neural competence, and inhibition of the G alpha 0 and G alpha i-1 proteins by pertussis toxin did not change the neural competence of the exposed gastrula ectoderm. Overexpression of the G alpha 0 and G alpha i-1 genes did, however, inhibit the normal disappearance of the blastocoel during gastrulation, suggesting a role for these G-proteins in regulating this process. The data also suggest a specific role for the G alpha s subunit in mediating the initial phases of neural induction."}
{"id": "PMID:1483384", "title": "Embryonic alkaline phosphatase is expressed at M-phase in the spermatogenic lineage of the mouse.", "content": "We have recently cloned and characterized a novel embryonic alkaline phosphatase (EAP) expressed at the two-cell to blastocyst stage of preimplantation development in the mouse. The isozyme is re-expressed in trace amounts in the thymus, intestine and testis during adult life. In the present report, we find that EAP transcripts can be detected, by RT-PCR analysis, in very low amounts in the testes of newborn mice, but at 24 days of age EAP mRNA levels reach the highest concentrations, remaining high at 40 and even 117 days of age. We produced a synthetic peptide and a corresponding rabbit anti-peptide antiserum (Rb-1434), which was characterized by enzyme antigen immunoassays and reactivity with chinese hamster ovary cell transfectants, as reacting specifically with EAP. The Rb-1434 antibody enabled us to examine immunohistochemically what cell types in the testis are responsible for the expression of EAP during different developmental stages. No positive cells were recognized in the testis of newborns (day 0) and 8-day-old mice. Positive cells were first observed at day 15 and, at 24 days of age, many positive M-phase cells, morphologically corresponding to spermatocytes in mid to late prophase of meiotic division I, were strongly positive for EAP expression. Positive M-phase cells were also observed at 40 days and 151 days of age. Transgenic mice expressing the human GCAP isozyme in a tissue-specific manner in the testis, showed equivalent stages of M-phase figures when stained immunohistochemically with a specific rabbit polyclonal antiserum.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1483385", "title": "A transgenic model for studying development of the enteric nervous system in normal and aganglionic mice.", "content": "The dopamine beta-hydroxylase promoter has been shown to direct expression of the reporter gene product, beta-galactosidase, to enteric neurons and putative embryonic neuroblasts in transgenic mice (Mercer et al., 1991; Kapur et al., 1991). In this paper, expression of the transgene, D beta H-nlacZ, in the gastrointestinal tract is characterized in more detail in wild-type mice and mice which are also homozygous for the lethal spotted allele (ls). Expression of the transgene in wild-type embryos was first detected in scattered mesenchymal cells in the proximal foregut on embryonic day 9.5, and progressed distally until embryonic day 13.5 when the entire length of the gut was colonized by such cells. Several observations suggest that the mesenchymal cells which express the transgene (MCET) are, in fact, enteric neuroblasts, probably derived from the vagal neural crest. (1) The presence of MCET in progressively more caudal portions of the embryonic gut correlated with the neurogenic potential of isolated gastrointestinal segments grafted under the renal capsule. (2) Mitotic activity of MCET was demonstrated by incorporation of [3H]thymidine in utero. (3) The migratory behavior of MCET and/or their precursors was revealed in anastomotic subcapsular grafts of gut from transgenic and non-transgenic embryos; enteric ganglia of the latter were populated by MCET from the former. (4) Enteric expression of the transgene postnatally was restricted to intrinsic neurons that coexpressed other phenotypic markers of neuronal differentiation. The pattern of transgene expression in ls/ls mice was identical to that seen in ls/+ and +/+ mice until embryonic day 12.5.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1483386", "title": "The neurogenic locus brainiac cooperates with the Drosophila EGF receptor to establish the ovarian follicle and to determine its dorsal-ventral polarity.", "content": "We have characterized the function of a new neurogenic locus, brainiac (brn), during oogenesis. Homozygous brn females lay eggs with fused dorsal appendages, a phenotype associated with torpedo (top) alleles of the Drosophila EGF receptor (DER) locus. By constructing double mutant females for both brn and top, we have found that brn is required for determining the dorsal-ventral polarity of the ovarian follicle. However, embryos from mature brn eggs develop a neurogenic phenotype which can be zygotically rescued if a wild-type sperm fertilizes the egg. This is the first instance of a Drosophila gene required for determination of dorsal-ventral follicle cell fates that is not required for determination of embryonic dorsal-ventral cell fates. The temperature-sensitive period for brn dorsal-ventral patterning begins at the inception of vitellogenesis. The interaction between brn and DER is also required for at least two earlier follicle cell activities which are necessary to establish the ovarian follicle. Prefollicular cells fail to migrate between each oocyte/nurse cell complex, resulting in follicles with multiple sets of oocytes and nurse cells. brn and DER function is also required for establishing and/or maintaining a continuous follicular epithelium around each oocyte/nurse cell complex. These brn functions as well as the brn requirement for determination of dorsal-ventral polarity appear to be genetically separable functions of the brn locus. Genetic mosaic experiments show that brn is required in the germline during these processes whereas the DER is required in the follicle cells. We propose that brn may be part of a germline signaling pathway differentially regulating successive DER-dependent follicle cell activities of migration, division and/or adhesion and determination during oogenesis. These experiments indicate that brn is required in both tyrosine kinase and neurogenic intercellular signaling pathways. Moreover, the functions of brn in oogenesis are distinct from those of Notch and Delta, two other neurogenic loci that are known to be required for follicular development."}
{"id": "PMID:1483387", "title": "Down-regulation of the POU transcription factor SCIP is an early event in oligodendrocyte differentiation in vitro.", "content": "The POU-domain transcription factor SCIP (also known as Tst-1) has been implicated in the development of Schwann cells, the myelinating cells of the peripheral nervous system (PNS). We have investigated the possibility that SCIP also might play a role in the development of oligodendrocytes, the myelinating cells of the central nervous system (CNS). We purified oligodendrocyte precursors (O-2A progenitors) by immunoselection and cultured them in the presence of platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), which together keep O-2A progenitors proliferating and prevent oligodendrocyte differentiation. Under these culture conditions, O-2A progenitors expressed high levels of SCIP mRNA and protein, and did not express myelin-specific genes. When oligodendrocyte differentiation was initiated by withdrawing the growth factors, SCIP mRNA was rapidly down-regulated, followed by a decline in SCIP protein and the sequential activation of myelin-specific genes. Rapid down-regulation of SCIP mRNA required continued protein synthesis. In O-2A progenitors that were cultured in the presence of PDGF alone, SCIP expression declined to an intermediate level, and low levels of the myelin gene products were induced. Thus, the level of SCIP expression in O-2A progenitors is inversely related to the level of myelin gene expression, suggesting that SCIP may be involved in the developmental switch from proliferation to differentiation in the oligodendrocyte lineage. When O-2A progenitors are cultured in the presence of 10% fetal calf serum, they differentiate into type-2 astrocytes rather than oligodendrocytes. SCIP mRNA was also down-regulated in type-2 astrocytes, which do not express myelin genes, so down-regulation of SCIP seems to be more closely linked to the cessation of cell proliferation per se than the expression of a particular differentiated phenotype."}
{"id": "PMID:1483388", "title": "NeuN, a neuronal specific nuclear protein in vertebrates.", "content": "A battery of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against brain cell nuclei has been generated by repeated immunizations. One of these, mAb A60, recognizes a vertebrate nervous system- and neuron-specific nuclear protein that we have named NeuN (Neuronal Nuclei). The expression of NeuN is observed in most neuronal cell types throughout the nervous system of adult mice. However, some major cell types appear devoid of immunoreactivity including cerebellar Purkinje cells, olfactory bulb mitral cells, and retinal photoreceptor cells. NeuN can also be detected in neurons in primary cerebellar cultures and in retinoic acid-stimulated P19 embryonal carcinoma cells. Immunohistochemically detectable NeuN protein first appears at developmental timepoints which correspond with the withdrawal of the neuron from the cell cycle and/or with the initiation of terminal differentiation of the neuron. NeuN is a soluble nuclear protein, appears as 3 bands (46-48 x 10(3) M(r)) on immunoblots, and binds to DNA in vitro. The mAb crossreacts immunohistochemically with nervous tissue from rats, chicks, humans, and salamanders. This mAb and the protein recognized by it serve as an excellent marker for neurons in the central and peripheral nervous systems in both the embryo and adult, and the protein may be important in the determination of neuronal phenotype."}
{"id": "PMID:1483389", "title": "Actin filaments, stereocilia and hair cells of the bird cochlea. VI. How the number and arrangement of stereocilia are determined.", "content": "Beginning in 8-day embryos, stereocilia sprout from the apical surface of hair cells apparently at random. As the embryo continues to develop, the number of stereocilia increases. By 10 1/2 days the number is approximately the same as that encountered extending from mature hair cells at the same relative positions in the adult cochlea. Surprisingly, over the next 2-3 days the number of stereocilia continues to increase so that hair cells in a 12-day embryo have 1 1/2 to 2 times as many stereocilia as in adult hair cells. In short, there is an overshoot in stereociliary number. During the same period in which stereocilia are formed (9-12 days) the apical surface of each hair cell is filled with closely packed stereocilia; thus the surface area is proportional to the number of stereocilia present per hair cell, as if these features were coupled. The staircase begins to form in a 10-day embryo, with what will be the tallest row beginning to elongate first and gradually row after row begins to elongate by incorporation of stereocilia at the foot of the staircase. Extracellular connections or tip linkages appear as the stereocilia become incorporated into the staircase. After a diminutive staircase has formed, eg. in a 12-day embryo, the remaining stereocilia located at the foot of the staircase begin to be reabsorbed, a process that occurs during the next few days. We conclude that the hair cell determines the number of stereocilia to form by filling up the available apical surface area with stereocilia and then, by cropping back those that are not stabilized by extracellular linkages, arrives at the appropriate number. Furthermore, the stereociliary pattern, which changes from having a round cross-sectional profile to a rectangular one, is generated by these same linkages which lock the stereocilia into a precise pattern. As this pattern is established, we envision that the stereocilia flow over the apical surface until frozen in place by the formation of the cuticular plate in the apical cell cytoplasm."}
{"id": "PMID:1483390", "title": "Cloning and developmental expression of Sna, a murine homologue of the Drosophila snail gene.", "content": "The genetic analysis of dorsoventral patterning in Drosophila has identified a zinc-finger gene, snail, that is required for mesoderm formation. The cloning and nuclease protection analysis of a Xenopus homologue of this gene has suggested a possible role in the mesoderm of vertebrates. Here, we describe the cloning of a murine homologue of snail, Sna, and in situ hybridisation studies of its developmental expression. Sequence analysis reveals substantial conservation of the second to fifth zinc fingers, but not of the first zinc finger in the Sna gene. Expression occurs in the ectoplacental cone, parietal endoderm, embryonic and extraembryonic mesoderm, in neural crest and in condensing precartilage. Based on the timing and spatial restriction of expression in embryonic mesoderm, we suggest that Sna might be required for the early development of this tissue, as is the case for its Drosophila counterpart. In addition, we propose that Sna might have an analogous role in the development of neural crest. The expression in condensing precartilage indicates that this gene also has a later function in chondrogenesis."}
{"id": "PMID:1483391", "title": "Expression of four zebrafish wnt-related genes during embryogenesis.", "content": "The wnt gene family codes for a group of cysteine-rich, secreted proteins, which are differentially expressed in the developing embryo and are possibly involved in cellular communication. Here, we describe the polymerase chain reaction based cloning and embryonic expression patterns of four zebrafish wnt-related sequences; wnt[a], wnt[b], wnt[c] and wnt[d]. One of these genes, wnt[a], is a potential homologue of murine Wnt-3, while the other three genes most likely represent new members of the vertebrate wnt gene family. In zebrafish embryos, transcripts of wnt[a] are confined to the dorsal diencephalon, the dorsal midbrain, the rhombic lips and the dorsal portions of the spinal cord. wnt[b] is expressed in the tail bud and at considerably lower levels in the mesoderm of the head. wnt[c] transcripts are present within the diencephalon and the posterior midbrain whereas wnt[d] shows a surprisingly similar expression pattern to zebrafish wnt-1. By analogy to wnt-1, it is likely that the members of the zebrafish wnt gene family play an important role in cell-to-cell signalling during pattern formation in the neural tube and the tail bud."}
{"id": "PMID:1483392", "title": "Differential expression and regulation of two distinct fibroblast growth factor receptors during early development of the urodele amphibian Pleurodeles waltl.", "content": "Fibroblast growth factor (FGF) has been shown to be involved in mesoderm induction during amphibian development. Its presence in the embryo suggests that FGF is an endogenous inducer. By polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methods and by screening a Pleurodeles waltl tail-bud cDNA library with a cDNA probe for human FGF receptor, we have isolated two full-length cDNA clones, which we designate PFR1 and PFR4 based on their homology to the human FGF receptors FGFR-1 and FGFR-4. Both cDNA clones encode Pleurodeles FGF receptors that share characteristics common to members of the FGF receptor superfamily. The deduced amino acid sequence of PFR1 is 85% identical overall with the human fms-like-gene (FLG). PFR4 is most closely related to the human FGFR-4 (66% overall identity). The tyrosine kinase catalytic domains of both receptors are remarkably conserved. The two receptors show distinct patterns of regulation during early development. PFR1 first appears as a maternally derived mRNA and mRNA levels remain constant during early developmental stages. However, PFR4 mRNA is first expressed at the late blastula stage, which suggests that its expression is a result of zygotic transcription. Furthermore, northern blot analysis indicates that PFR1 mRNA is distributed evenly in the early gastrula while PFR4 mRNA is predominantly localized to the presumptive ectoderm. At tail-bud stage, PFR1 transcripts are localized primarily to the neural and mesodermal tissues, PFR4 transcripts are most abundantly expressed in neural tissue, and more transcripts are detected in lateral plate mesoderm than in the somites. When animal cap explants of blastulae are cultured in the presence of mesoderm-inducing factors, PFR1 mRNA levels are maintained by bFGF and activin A. In contrast, PFR4 mRNA levels are significantly down-regulated. These observations suggest a differential expression and regulation of FGF receptors in early amphibian development."}
{"id": "PMID:1483393", "title": "Transforming growth factor-beta control of cell-substratum adhesion during avian neural crest cell emigration in vitro.", "content": "It has been proposed that, in higher vertebrates, the onset of neural crest cell migration from the neural tube involves spatially and temporally coordinated changes in cellular adhesiveness that are under the control of external signals released in the extracellular milieu by neighboring tissues. In the present study, we have analyzed the dynamics of changes in cell-substratum adhesiveness during crest cell emigration and searched for regulatory cues using an in vitro model system. This model is based on the fact that, in vivo, crest cell dispersion occurs gradually along a rostrocaudal wave, allowing us to explant portions of the neural axis, termed migratory and premigratory levels, that differ in the time in culture at which neural crest cells initiate migration and in the locomotory behavior of the cells. We found that neural crest cell emigration is not triggered by the main extracellular matrix molecules present in the migratory pathways, as none of these molecules could abolish the intrinsic difference in the timing of emigration between the different axial levels. Using an in vitro adhesion assay, we found that presumptive neural crest cells from premigratory level explants gradually acquired the ability to respond to extracellular matrix material with time in culture, suggesting that acquisition of appropriate, functional integrin receptors was a necessary step for migration. Finally, we showed that members of the transforming growth factor-beta family reduced in a dose-dependent manner the delay of neural crest cell emigration from premigratory level explants and were able to increase significantly the substratum-adhesion properties of crest cells. Our results suggest that acquisition of substratum adhesion by presumptive neural crest cells is a key event during their dispersion from the neural tube in vitro, and that members of the transforming growth factor-beta family may act as potent inducers of crest cell emigration, possibly by increasing the substratum adhesion of the cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1483394", "title": "The big brain gene of Drosophila functions to control the number of neuronal precursors in the peripheral nervous system.", "content": "big brain (bib) is one of the six known zygotic neurogenic genes involved in the decision of an ectodermal cell to take on the neurogenic or the epidermogenic cell fate. Previous studies suggest that bib functions in a pathway separate from the one involving Notch and other known neurogenic genes. For a better understanding of the bib function, it is essential first to characterize the mutant phenotype in detail. Our mutant analyses show that loss of bib function approximately doubles the number of neuronal precursors and their progeny cells in the embryonic peripheral nervous system. Mosaic studies reveal a hypertrophy of sensory bristles in bib mutant patches in adult flies. Our observations are compatible with a function of bib in specifying neuronal precursors of both the embryonic and adult sensory nervous system. This is in contrast to the function of Notch, which continues to be required at multiple stages of neural development subsequent to this initial determination event."}
{"id": "PMID:1483395", "title": "Regional differences in retinoid release from embryonic neural tissue detected by an in vitro reporter assay.", "content": "Retinoic acid and related retinoids have been suggested to contribute to the pattern of cell differentiation during vertebrate embryonic development. To identify cell groups that release morphogenetically active retinoids, we have developed a reporter assay that makes use of a retinoic acid inducible response element (RARE) to drive lacZ or luciferase reporter genes in stably transfected cell lines. This reporter gene assay allows detection of retinoids released from embryonic tissues over a range equivalent to that induced by femtomole amounts of retinoic acid. We have used this assay first to determine whether the floor plate, a cell group that has polarizing properties in neural tube and limb bud differentiation, is a local source of retinoids within the spinal cord. We have also examined whether the effects of exogenously administered retinoic acid on anteroposterior patterning of cells in the developing central nervous system correlate with differences in retinoid release from anterior and posterior neural tissue. We find that the release of morphogenetically active retinoids from the floor plate is only about 1.5-fold that of the dorsal spinal cord, which does not have neural tube or limb polarizing activity. These results suggest that the spatial distribution of retinoid release from spinal cord tissues differs from that of the neural and limb polarizing activity. This assay has also shown that retinoids are released from the embryonic spinal cord at much greater levels than from the forebrain. This result, together with previous observations that the development of forebrain structures is suppressed by low concentrations of retinoic acid, suggest that the normal development of forebrain structures is dependent on the maintenance of low concentrations of retinoids in anterior regions of the embryonic axis. This assay has also provided initial evidence that other embryonic tissues with polarizing properties in vivo release retinoids in vitro."}
{"id": "PMID:1483396", "title": "Planar and vertical signals in the induction and patterning of the Xenopus nervous system.", "content": "The cellular mechanisms responsible for the formation of the Xenopus nervous system have been examined in total exogastrula embryos in which the axial mesoderm appears to remain segregated from prospective neural ectoderm and in recombinates of ectoderm and mesoderm. Posterior neural tissue displaying anteroposterior pattern develops in exogastrula ectoderm. This effect may be mediated by planar signals that occur in the absence of underlying mesoderm. The formation of a posterior neural tube may depend on the notoplate, a midline ectodermal cell group which extends along the anteroposterior axis. The induction of neural structures characteristic of the forebrain and of cell types normally found in the ventral region of the posterior neural tube requires additional vertical signals from underlying axial mesoderm. Thus, the formation of the embryonic Xenopus nervous system appears to involve the cooperation of distinct planar and vertical signals derived from midline cell groups."}
{"id": "PMID:1483397", "title": "Pintallavis, a gene expressed in the organizer and midline cells of frog embryos: involvement in the development of the neural axis.", "content": "We have identified a novel frog gene, Pintallavis (the Catalan for lipstick), that is related to the fly fork head and rat HNF-3 genes. Pintallavis is expressed in the organizer region of gastrula embryos as a direct zygotic response to dorsal mesodermal induction. Subsequently, Pintallavis is expressed in axial midline cells of all three germ layers. In axial mesoderm expression is graded with highest levels posteriorly. Midline neural plate cells that give rise to the floor plate transiently express Pintallavis, apparently in response to induction by the notochord. Overexpression of Pintallavis perturbs the development of the neural axis, suppressing the differentiation of anterior and dorsal neural cell types but causing an expansion of the posterior neural tube. Our results suggest that Pintallavis functions in the induction and patterning of the neural axis."}
{"id": "PMID:1483398", "title": "Parthenogenetic stem cells in postnatal mouse chimeras.", "content": "The ability of parthenogenetic (pg) cells to contribute to proliferating stem cell populations of postnatal aggregation chimeras was investigated. Using DNA in situ analysis, pg participation was observed in highly regenerative epithelia of various regions of the gastrointestinal tract, e.g., stomach, duodenum and colon, in the epithelia of tongue and uterus and in the epidermis. Pg cells also contributed to the epithelium of the urinary bladder, which is characterized by a relatively slow cellular turnover. Using a sensitive proliferation marker to determine division rate of pg and normal (wt) cells in tissues of a 24-day-old chimera, no significant differences between pg and fertilized cells were observed. However, in colon and uterus of a pg <==> wt chimera aged 101 days, a significant loss of proliferative capacity of pg cells was found. In the colon, this loss of proliferative potential was accompanied by an altered morphology of pg crypts. In general, they were situated at the periphery of the epithelium and lacked access to the lumen, with consequent cystic enlargement and flattened epithelium. No obvious morphological changes were observed in the pg-derived areas of the uterine epithelium of this chimera. Our results provide evidence that pg cells can persist as proliferating stem cells in various tissues of early postnatal chimeras. They suggest that pg-derived stem cells may cease to proliferate in restricted areas of the gastrointestinal tract and in the uterine epithelium of pg <==> wt chimeras of advanced age.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1483400", "title": "Etiology and treatment of fluid retention (hydrops) in M\u00e9ni\u00e8re's syndrome.", "content": "For years low sodium diets have been recommended in the treatment of M\u00e9ni\u00e8re's syndrome. Elevated levels of insulin play an important role in sodium retention in renal tubules. Insulin production is stimulated by high carbohydrate diets. Adrenaline, cortisone, and glucagon levels may be increased by stress or food or inhalant allergies, further elevating insulin levels. The end result of prolonged hyperinsulinemia includes vasoconstriction and eventually arterial smooth muscle hypertrophy. Individual susceptibility to M\u00e9ni\u00e8re's syndrome may occur as a result of inflammatory changes in the endolymphatic sac or cochlear aqueduct secondary to primary or latent viral infections, thus predisposing to fluid retention. Long term medical treatment of M\u00e9ni\u00e8re's should be directed towards preventing sodium retention through sodium restriction and carbohydrate management. Other factors including stress and allergy should also be considered."}
{"id": "PMID:1483401", "title": "Lateral cervical radiographs and adenoid size: do they correlate?", "content": "Clinicians have questioned the value of lateral soft tissue neck x-ray (LSTN) in assessing adenoid size. Elaborate cephalometric assays have been devised to measure degree of nasopharyngeal obstruction secondary to adenoid hypertrophy. This study prospectively studied 73 children, aged 11 months to 13 years, with clinical evidence of adenoid hypertrophy to assess how well a LSTN correlates with direct intraoperative observation of adenoid size and nasopharyngeal obstruction. We found a relatively weak correlation (Pearson coefficient r = 0.34) between x-ray and operative observations. We conclude that LSTN is an appropriate examination in the preoperative assessment of children being considered for adenoidectomy. However, this test must be interpreted by recognizing the inherent limitations of evaluating a dynamic structure, such as the nasopharynx, through a non-dynamic modality."}
{"id": "PMID:1483402", "title": "A prospective study of ocular abnormalities in hearing impaired and deaf students.", "content": "In a prospective study of 505 hearing impaired and deaf students conducted at Children's Hospital Eye Clinic, 48.7% were found to have significant ocular abnormalities. The prevalence of myopia, astigmatism, and pathological intraocular changes was found to be significantly increased over the general population. In addition, the prevalence of ocular abnormalities generally increased with the severity of the hearing loss. Of importance was the high prevalence of rubella-consistent abnormalities in the hearing impaired and deaf student populations. Rubella syndrome may be responsible for a major portion of high refractive errors and ocular pathological changes. It is recommended that ENT specialists and pediatricians be aware of the nearly 50% chance of ocular abnormality in hearing impaired and deaf students, and that ophthalmologic examination may be valuable for identification or confirmation of the etiology of hearing impairment."}
{"id": "PMID:1483403", "title": "Contemporary skin grafting in otologic surgery.", "content": "In the post-operative healing phase following external auditory canalplasty or open cavity mastoidectomy, problematic epithelialization of surfaces may ensue. Exposed surfaces or surface epithelialized with tissues other than skin may predispose to secondary infection and result in recurrent otorrhea. Split-thickness skin grafts can be useful in promoting healing of exposed canal and mastoid cavity surfaces. Our experience and methodology for harvesting and placing these grafts are reviewed. The indications, management, and complications of split-thickness otologic skin grafting will be presented."}
{"id": "PMID:1483404", "title": "Neurotologic manifestations of von Hippel Lindau disease.", "content": "Von Hippel Lindau disease is a hereditary phakomatosis characterized by congenital angiomatosis of the retina and cerebellum. This autosomal dominant syndrome exhibits variable penetrance and expressivity. Because of the marked clinical variability and sporadic age of onset, members of affected families must be counseled and screening protocols established. It has been recommended that initial screening include appropriate laboratory work, ophthalmologic and neurologic examination, radiologic evaluation of the CNS, and when appropriate, abdominal ultrasound. Follow-up examination should be annually with acute evaluations as focal signs and symptoms develop. With the help of technological advances and screening of family members, patients with vHL disease can live long, productive lives with reduced morbidity."}
{"id": "PMID:1483405", "title": "Laryngeal chondrosarcoma: diagnosis and management.", "content": "Chondrosarcoma of the larynx is a rare malignancy accounting for 0.5% of all laryngeal tumors. We report our approach to laryngeal chondrosarcoma and review the recent literature on the subject. Our review supports the previously held opinions about sites of origin, but draws new conclusions about symptoms. In addition, we examine the controversy of conservative surgery vs. total laryngectomy."}
{"id": "PMID:1483406", "title": "Submandibular rhabdomyoma.", "content": "A case of recurrent adult rhabdomyoma of the submandibular gland is presented. This is a rare tumor of the skeletal muscle. Approximately 80 cases have been reported. The salient pathologic features are reviewed and a discussion and review of the literature is presented."}
{"id": "PMID:1483407", "title": "The hydration shell of myoglobin.", "content": "The space in the unit cell of a metmyoglobin crystal not occupied by myoglobin atoms was filled with water using Monte Carlo calculations. Independent calculations with different amounts of water have been performed. Structure factors were calculated using the water coordinates thus obtained and the known coordinates of the myoglobin atoms. A comparison with experimental structure factors showed that both the low and the high resolution regime could be well reproduced with 814 Monte Carlo water molecules per unit cell with a B-value of 50 A2. The Monte Carlo water molecules yield a smaller standard R-value (0.166) than using a homogeneous electron density for the simulation of the crystal water (R = 0.212). A reciprocal space refinement of the water and the protein coordinates has been performed. Monte Carlo calculations can be used to obtain information for crystallographically invisible parts of the unit cell and yield better coordinates for the visible part in the refinement."}
{"id": "PMID:1483408", "title": "Interaction of recombinant human epidermal growth factor with phospholipid vesicles. A steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence study of the bis-tryptophan sequence (Trp49-Trp50).", "content": "The interaction of recombinant human epidermal growth factor with small unilamellar phospholipid vesicles was studied by steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence of the bis-tryptophan sequence (Trp49-Trp50). Steady-state anisotropy measurements demonstrate that strong binding occurred with small unilamellar vesicles made up of acidic phospholipids at acidic pH only (pH < or = 4.7). An apparent stoichiometry for 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-phosphoglycerol of about 12 phospholipid molecules per molecule of human epidermal growth factor was estimated. The binding appears to be more efficient at temperatures above the gel to liquid-crystalline phase transition. The conformation and the environment of the Trp-Trp sequence are not greatly modified after binding, as judged from the invariance of the excited state lifetime distribution and from that of the fast processes affecting the anisotropy decay. This suggests that the Trp-Trp sequence is not embedded within the bilayer, in contrast to the situation in surfactant micelles (Mayo et al. 1987; Kohda and Inigaki 1992)."}
{"id": "PMID:1483409", "title": "Conformational change of a synthetic amyloid analogue des[Ala21,30]A42 upon binding to octyl glucoside micelles.", "content": "The secondary structure of a synthetic amyloid fragment des [Ala21,30]A42 was studied by circular dichroism and Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy. Measurements were performed in trifluoroethanol/water and octyl beta-D-glucopyranoside solutions. The spectra of the peptide in trifluoroethanol indicate a high percentage of alpha-helical structure. However, in octyl glucoside, at and above the critical micelle concentration, the peptide adopts a beta-sheet conformation. Secondary structure analysis yields a predominant (> 70%) beta-sheet content. Our data suggest that the peptide backbone or polar side groups of des[Ala21,30]A42 interact with the sugar-coated surface of micelles, which promotes an alpha to beta conformational transition."}
{"id": "PMID:1483410", "title": "A quantitative description of components of in vitro morphometric change in the rat osteoclast model: relationships with cellular function.", "content": "We describe the in vitro morphometric changes shown by rat osteoclasts that accompany their functional responses to the application of a range of regulatory agents of known physiological importance. We introduce a cellular motility parameter, mu, which was defined through a quantification of retraction-protrusion behaviour. This was used in conjunction with a net cell retraction, rho, which is derived from the change in total cell area following the application of an agent. These terms were used together for the description of cellular motility changes in response to specific cellular regulatory agents. The definition of retraction-protrusion was normalised against control cell area, to give a dimensionless variable independent of the net cell retraction. Thus, mutual terms present in either descriptor cancelled when the complementary parameter was held constant. Furthermore, the descriptor, mu remained time-invariant for extended intervals (around 20 min) even when rho was varying following cell introduction into culture. Interventions also with substances known to modify osteoclast function, were capable of altering each descriptor, to different extents. Thus elevation of the extracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]e) at the osteoclast calcium \"receptor\" altered rho without changes in mu. In contrast, the polypeptide amylin (250 nM), within 20 minutes of application, elicited a marked change in mu, but only a relatively small change in rho. Finally, human calcitonin treatment (300 pM) influenced both descriptors. When combined together, these morphometric findings accordingly offer complementary descriptions of visible cellular changes in response to added agents of physiological relevance.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1483411", "title": "Application of dynamic light scattering to studies of protein folding kinetics.", "content": "The applicability of dynamic light scattering to studies of the kinetics of unfolding and refolding reactions of proteins is discussed and demonstrated experimentally. The experimental set-up and the data acquisition and data evaluation schemes that have been optimized for kinetic experiments are described. The relationship of the signal-to-noise ratio to the minimum data acquisition time that is needed to obtain results of sufficiently high precision is discussed. It turns out that the attainable time resolution is of the order of a few seconds for proteins with molar masses of about 50,000 g.mol(-1) and concentrations of 1 g.1(-1). Thus, DLS is too slow to follow conformational changes in the subsecond region, but it is useful for studies of unfolding-refolding reactions of proteins that proceed with time constants in the range of seconds or minutes. This is demonstrated by investigations of the kinetics of the cold denaturation of 3-phosphoglycerate kinase from yeast."}
{"id": "PMID:1483414", "title": "Dietary fat intake and plasma lipid levels in adolescents.", "content": "The relationship between dietary fat intake and fasting plasma lipid levels was assessed in 35 female and 19 male adolescents recruited from two local education authority schools in Norwich, UK. Dietary intakes were assessed using a 7-day weighed dietary record method, coupled with the collection of duplicate diets. Fat and energy intakes calculated using food composition tables were compared with values obtained by direct analysis of duplicate diets. Fasting plasma lipid levels (total, HDL and LDL cholesterol and triglycerides) were measured and compared with total dietary lipids and fatty acid intakes. The average proportion of energy consumed as fat was higher than is currently considered desirable but lower than previous studies have reported for adults. Mean serum total cholesterol values were 4.2 (SEM 0.1) mmol for females and 4.5 (SEM 0.2) mmol for males; this difference was not statistically significant. In male subjects the dietary fatty acid profiles were significantly correlated with several parameters of plasma lipid status which are thought to be risk factors for coronary heart disease, and in particular with the ratio of total:HDL cholesterol."}
{"id": "PMID:1483415", "title": "Variability of body density and body impedance at different frequencies.", "content": "Body density and body impedance at 15 selected frequencies ranging from 1 to 1350 kHz were determined in 13 subjects on four consecutive days of the week. Bioelectrical impedance at the same frequencies was also determined in 11 subjects on the same day of the week during four consecutive weeks. Day-to-day variability of body density and body impedance and week-to-week variability of body impedance were studied. Statistical analyses did not reveal significant day- or week-effects in variabilities. The mean within-person variation in body density between days was 0.0019 kg/l (CV 0.2%). Mean within-person variation in body impedance between days was 57 ohms (CV 8.7%) at 1 kHz. At 5, 50 and 100 kHz the within-person variation between days was 16 ohms (CV 2.4%), 12 ohms (CV 2.1%) and 11 ohms (CV 2.0%), respectively. Mean within-person variation between weeks was 44 ohms (CV 2.4%) at 1, 5, 50 and 100 kHz, respectively. Overall the within-subject variability in impedance at all frequencies was higher in females. The larger mean within-person variation in impedance at 1 kHz could only partly be explained by variation in body weight and may be a real error in the measurement. Electrodes with a larger surface area reduced the variability to values comparable with those at higher frequencies. The day-to-day variation in impedance at higher frequencies causes an error in calculated FFM, which is about two times larger compared to the estimated error in FFM by body density."}
{"id": "PMID:1483416", "title": "Vitamin A metabolism in plasma of normal and anorectic women.", "content": "Plasma retinol and retinyl ester kinetics were determined following an oral bolus of vitamin A in normal women and in women suffering from anorexia nervosa. Circulating levels of vitamin A and alpha-tocopherol were lower in anorectics than in normals with alpha-tocopherol levels close to minimal adequate levels. This suggests the possibility of deficiencies of other dietary factors. Following an oral bolus, plasma retinol increased more in anorectics than in normals, but transport values were not changed. Retinyl ester levels increased sevenfold more in anorectics than normals with a parallel enhancement in transport. Retinyl esters in plasma of normals and anorectics were present mainly in low-density lipoprotein with lesser amounts in very-low-density and high-density lipoprotein, but only minor amounts were found in chylomicrons. These data were used to calculate a relative dose response and indicated that anorectics had higher values than normals. Anorectics appear to have a lower status of vitamins A and E than normals but no defect in vitamin A metabolism was observed."}
{"id": "PMID:1483417", "title": "Diet, body size and micronutrient status in Parkinson's disease.", "content": "Nutritional status was assessed in a group of patients with Parkinson's disease. Weight loss since the onset of disease occurred in 52% of the patients and 22% had lost more than 12.8 kg. Although 67% of patients experienced eating difficulties of some kind, dietary intakes of protein and energy were not significantly lower than recommended intakes. Plasma levels of albumin (44.2 g/l vs 45.7 g/l), vitamin A (2.61 vs 2.94 mumol/l), vitamin E (22.0 vs 32.0 mumol/l), iron (15.3 vs 18.3 mumol/l) and zinc (14.2 vs 18.7 mumol/l) were significantly lower (P < 0.05) in the patients than in healthy controls. Levels of ferritin, total iron-binding capacity and copper were similar between groups. The potential significance of low levels of vitamin E and zinc are discussed in relation to oxidative stress in the pathogenesis of this disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1483418", "title": "Nutritional status of children of urban leprosy patients staying at preventoria based on biochemical parameters.", "content": "Measurements of nutritionally relevant biochemical and endocrine variables were made on 60 apparently healthy children (group A) whose parents suffered from leprosy and who had been separated at the age of 4 years and brought up in preventoria. Most of the measurements were also made on a comparison group of healthy children from the same poor socio-economic class (group B). In both groups the serum concentrations of cholesterol and triglycerides were well below those found in Western populations. Almost all the children in both groups were anaemic, but serum iron and ferritin levels were satisfactory. Folate and vitamin B12 levels were measured in group A only and were low in a significant proportion. Deficiency of these water-soluble vitamins may be a cause of the anaemia. Low albumin levels were found in 40% of group A children, compared with 2% in group B. The concentrations of calcium and magnesium were lower and that of phosphate higher in group A than in B. In both groups one-third of the children had low levels of serum zinc. Fifteen per cent of group A children had biochemical evidence of vitamin A deficiency, but none were deficient in vitamin E. Levels of total T3 and total T4 were below the lower limit of normal in a substantial proportion of children in both groups. Concentrations of parathyroid hormone were increased in parallel with the low values for serum calcium. Radiological studies of ossification centres in 57 group A children showed delayed maturation in 11 cases. The relevance of these findings to previous studies of the children of lepers in India is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1483419", "title": "The effect of a high protein-low calorie diet on the energy expenditure of obese adolescents.", "content": "Resting energy expenditure (REE), and body composition, as fat-free mass (FFM) and fat mass, were determined in seven obese adolescents before and after weight loss of a mean 13.5 kg on an approximately 800 kcal/d (3349 kJ), high protein reducing diet regimen. Ideal body weight decreased from 166% to 142% in 8 weeks. There were no significant changes in total body potassium (TBK), extracellular water (ECW), intracellular water (ICW) or total body water (TBW) with weight loss. The REE (kcal/d) fell from 2034 +/- 392 (8514 +/- 1641 kJ) to 1762 +/- 453 (7376 +/- 1896 kJ) with weight loss (P < 0.05). However, when the REE was expressed as kcal/body weight there was no difference between before and after weight loss, 21.4 +/- 2.8 (90 +/- 21 kJ) and 21.6 +/- 4.5 (90 +/- 19 kJ). Similarly, when REE was examined in relation to FFM (kcal/kg) before and after weight loss, there were also no significant differences: 34.6 +/- 5.1 (145 +/- 21 kJ) and 32.1 +/- 7.9 (134 +/- 33 kJ)."}
{"id": "PMID:1483420", "title": "Fascial planes within subcutaneous fat in humans.", "content": "We have used B-mode (brightness-mode) ultrasound to investigate the fascial planes within subcutaneous fat at the triceps and abdominal sites in a group of 17 women attending a weight control group over a 12 month period. In most subjects there was a single intralipid fascial plane at each site. As the thickness of adipose tissue increased, most of the change at the abdominal site was in the deep rather than the superficial layer of fat. At the triceps site both deep and superficial layers increased. Our findings confirm the presence of two different layers in human subcutaneous fat at the triceps and abdominal sites. These layers have been shown to be functionally different in animals and our study supports this in humans at the abdominal site."}
{"id": "PMID:1483421", "title": "On the use of dimension-less parameters in acid-base theory. I. The buffer capacity of simple ampholyte solutions.", "content": "A complete mathematical account of the buffer capacity of bivalent ampholytes is given. The consistent use of dimensionless parameters makes it possible to obtain very neat expressions and equations. Direct proof of the well-known condition K1 > or = 4 K2 is presented. Since water is also an ampholyte, its buffer capacity is considered as well."}
{"id": "PMID:1483422", "title": "Polyhydroxy and polyethyleneglycol (meth)acrylate polymers: physical properties and general studies for their use as electrophoresis matrices.", "content": "A new series of materials have been tested for their suitability as electrophoresis matrices. The mechanical and optical properties of gels composed of polyethyleneglycol (meth)acrylate esters or polyhydroxy (meth)acrylate esters in water and in various concentrations of organic solvents are described. Several crosslinkers including polyethyleneglycol and polyhydroxy di(meth)acrylates, piperazine diacrylate, and bisacrylamide were used in these studies. Electrophoretic migration and separation of a series of protein standards through polyethyleneglycol methacrylate (PEGM) 200, PEGM 400, and glyceryl methacrylate is demonstrated. Further, copolymerization of all of the monomers with acrylamide was performed and the distribution of monomer incorporation into the polymer network calculated. All monomers and copolymers that were examined by IR spectroscopy showed greater than 99% polymerization. These results justify their further study for biomolecule separations."}
{"id": "PMID:1483423", "title": "Polyethyleneglycol methacrylate 200 as an electrophoresis matrix in hydroorganic solvents.", "content": "The properties of gels composed of poly(polyethyleneglycol methacrylate) and copolymers of polyethyleneglycol methacrylate and acrylamide were studied. These novel electrophoresis matrices are amphigels (swellable in water and organic solvents) that have unprecedented organic solvent compatibility. Hydrophobic proteins which are poorly solubilized in aqueous detergent systems (e.g., zein) are well-resolved in these gels with hydro-organic solvents. This is especially relevant for isoelectric focusing, to avoid using either ionic detergents that may interfere with the focusing, or urea that may cause carbamylation of proteins. Variations of crosslinker, buffer, and solvent systems in these gels were explored."}
{"id": "PMID:1483424", "title": "Investigation of the electroosmotic flow effect on the efficiency of capillary electrophoresis.", "content": "The influence of the electroosmotic flow profile on the efficiency and resolution of capillary electrophoresis is studied. The mathematical model is formulated and the set of equations is solved numerically. The results of the analysis are applicable to a wide range of buffer concentrations and capillary diameters. The temperature dependence of electrophoretic mobility, viscosity and thermal conductivity and the dependence of electrical conductivity on temperature and ion concentration in the double layer are taken into account. It is shown that there exists a region of buffer concentrations and capillary diameters where the influence of the electroosmotic flow profile on the efficiency and resolution is much greater than that of the temperature dependence of the electrophoretic mobility. The results are especially essential for small buffer concentrations or capillary diameters comparable with the double electrical layer thickness."}
{"id": "PMID:1483425", "title": "Computer simulation of transient states in capillary zone electrophoresis and isotachophoresis.", "content": "Transient states in the evolution of electrophoretic systems comprising aqueous solutions of weak monovalent acids and bases are simulated. The mathematical model is based on the system of nonstationary partial differential equations, expressing the mass and charge conservation laws while assuming local chemical equilibrium. It was implemented using a high resolution finite-difference algorithm, which correctly predicted the behavior of the concentration, pH and conductivity fields at low computational expense. Both the regular and the irregular modes of separation in capillary zone electrophoresis and isotachophoresis are considered. It is shown that the results of separation, particularly zone order, strongly depend on pH distribution. Simulation data as well as simple analytical assessments may help to predict and correctly interpret the experimental results."}
{"id": "PMID:1483426", "title": "Identification of gram-negative bacteria by isoelectric focusing of soluble cellular proteins.", "content": "Strains of Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Proteus mirabilis, isolated from clinical specimens were disrupted by repeated freezing in liquid nitrogen and thawing at room temperature. The samples were separated by isoelectric focusing using polyacrylamide gels. The resulting protein patterns showed clear differences between the three species and made identification possible."}
{"id": "PMID:1483427", "title": "Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis analysis of Syrian hamster embryo cells: morphological transformation is not cell type specific.", "content": "Studies were conducted to investigate the protein phenotype of normal and morphologically transformed Syrian hamster embryo (SHE) cells. Based upon two-dimensional gel protein phenotype analysis, we conclude that (i) SHE cells are a mixture of multiple cell types including mesenchymal and epithelial cells and (ii) several cell types present in the SHE cell population can be morphologically transformed by a variety of genotoxic and non-genotoxic carcinogens."}
{"id": "PMID:1483428", "title": "Quantitative two-dimensional gel electrophoresis analysis of human fibroblasts transformed by ras oncogenes.", "content": "Quantitative two-dimensional gel electrophoresis was used to compare the cellular protein patterns of a normal foreskin-derived human fibroblasts cell line (LG1) and three immortal derivatives of LG1. One derivative, designated MSU-1.1 VO, was selected for its ability to grow in the absence of serum and is non-tumorigenic in athymic mice. The other two strains were selected for focus-formation following transfection with either Ha-ras or N-ras oncogenes and form high grade malignant tumors. Correspondence and cluster analysis provided a nonbiased estimate of the relative similarity of the different two-dimensional patterns. These techniques separated the gel patterns into three distinct classes: LG1, MSU-1.1 VO, and the ras transformed cell strains. The MSU-1.1 VO cells were more closely related to the parental LG1 than to the ras-transformed cells. The differences between the three classes were primarily quantitative in nature: 16% of the spots demonstrated statistically significant changes (P < 0.01, T test, mean ratio of intensity > 2) in the rate of incorporation of radioactive amino acids. The patterns from the two ras-transformed cell strains were similar, and variations in the expression of proteins that occurred between the separate experiments obscured consistent differences between the Ha-ras and N-ras transformed cells. However, while only 9 out of 758 spots were classified as different (1%), correspondence analysis could consistently separate the two ras transformants. One of these spots was five times more intense in the Ha-ras transformed cells than the N-ras.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1483429", "title": "Superimposing two-dimensional gels to study genetic variation in malaria parasites.", "content": "Two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis is a valuable tool for studying genetic variation in the human malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum. It involves examining the position of protein spots in gel produced from different isolates. Some spots have been seen to vary, while others have had a constant position in all isolates so far examined. These invariant spots provide a reference frame to compare variations in other spots. This paper discusses the usefulness of digital image handling, warping and superimposition in a personal computer environment. Rather than produce a fully automatic interpretation system, we show how the computer may be used as a tool for manipulating gel images, although interpretation of the gels' features remains with the human expert. Autoradiographs are scanned on a desktop scanner, and the images in digital form can be displayed on a monitor attached to a personal computer. The coordinates of the invariant spots on each of several gels are identified by the user. Each of the gels is then warped so that the invariant spots of all the gels coincide as closely as possible. The variable spots are then examined. We have used both affine warping transformations, which match the invariant spots as closely as possible, and thin plate spline transformations, which match them exactly. Colour superimposition proved a useful way of examining the gels."}
{"id": "PMID:1483430", "title": "The local reciprocal method for sizing DNA fragments: an obscure limitation.", "content": "The local reciprocal method, for sizing DNA fragments, has been found to fail when the experimental data produces a linear relationship. A simple solution for computerised systems is to test for this unexpected condition."}
{"id": "PMID:1483431", "title": "A simple and rapid method for HLA-DQA1 genotyping by polymerase chain reaction-single strand conformation polymorphism and restriction enzyme cleavage analysis.", "content": "A simple and rapid method for identification of alleles at the human leucocyte antigen (HLA)-DQA1 locus is described. The polymorphic second exon of the HLA-DQA1 locus was amplified by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method. The amplified DNA was analyzed by single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) and restriction enzyme cleavage assay. Using this method, the eight known DQA1 alleles could be distinguished from each other. This paper suggests that the method can be used for quick genotyping of DQA1 alleles, but detecting point mutations at various positions in a fragment as well as new HLA-DQA1 genotypes should also be possible."}
{"id": "PMID:1483432", "title": "The terminator, an apparatus for simultaneous homogenization of 96 small seeds individually.", "content": "An apparatus was developed to homogenize 96 individual seeds of tomato, pepper, cabbages, and other seeds of similar size in a 96-well tissue culture plate in 45 s. The apparatus, named the terminator, consists of two parts: a base plate that can hold the 96-well tissue culture plate, and a vibrating part that is attached to a variable transformer. The seeds are homogenized by the vibrating action of 96 small homogenizers that are attached to the vibrating part and that fit perfectly into the wells of the tissue culture plate. The seed homogenates made in this way can be used for electrophoretic analysis of genetic variations of seed proteins."}
{"id": "PMID:1483433", "title": "Preincubation with cysteine prevents modification of sulfhydryl groups in proteins by unreacted acrylamide in a gel.", "content": "It has been found that the double bond of free, unreacted acrylamide in a gel can react with a free -SH group of proteins, forming a cysteinyl-S-propionamide adduct. When beta-lactoglobulin was incubated at concentration levels lower than those of free acrylamide, left after polymerizing a 5% T, 4% C gel (barely 12 mM), under anaerobic conditions in 0.1 M borate, pH 9.5, for 1 h and then the tryptic digests analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), two new peptides were detected. The two new peaks were recovered and sequenced by the Edman degradation procedure. They correspond to the sequence from Leu-149 to Ile-162. Residue No. 160 was found to be a cysteinyl-S-propionamide reaction product. Interestingly, only this residue, out of a total of 5 Cys residues, had reacted. No other amino acids (including -NH2 terminus and free -NH2 in Lys) reacted with free acrylamide. The addition of free acrylamide to the -SH group could be completely inhibited if: (i) the gel was extensively washed prior to sample application, or (ii) the gel was incubated for 1 h in 100 mM free Cys."}
{"id": "PMID:1483434", "title": "Chicory seed lot variety identification by leucine-aminopeptidase and esterase zymogram analysis.", "content": "A method of identifying closely related chicory varieties has been developed using native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and subsequent leucine aminopeptidase and esterase staining of bulked seed sample extracts. The variety zymograms are analyzed according to a mobility-density scheme. This quick, easy and low-cost method can be a useful tool for chicory breeders."}
{"id": "PMID:1483435", "title": "Marathon running: physiological and chemical changes accompanying late-race functional deterioration.", "content": "Twenty-one experienced runners were studied before, during and immediately after a marathon race to ascertain whether either depletion of energy substrate or rise in body temperature, or both, contribute to late-race slowing of running pace. Seven runners drank a glucose/electrolyte (GE) solution ad libitum (Na+ 21 mmol l-1, K+ 2.5 mmol l-1, Cl- 17 mmol l-1, PO4(2-) 6 mmol l-1, glucose 28 mmol l-1) throughout the race; 6 drank water and 8 drank the GE solution diluted 1:1 with water. Although average running speeds for the three groups were not significantly different during the first two-thirds (29 km) of the race, rectal temperature was significantly higher (P < 0.05) and reduction of plasma volume was greater (P < 0.05) in runners who replaced sweat losses with water. During the last one-third of the race, the average running pace of the water-replacement group slowed by 37.2%; the pace slowed by 27.9% in the 8 runners who replaced their sweat loss with GE diluted 1:1 with water (1/2 GE) and 18.2% in runners who replaced fluid loss with full-strength solution (GE). Eleven runners (5 in the water group, 4 in the 1/2 GE group and 2 in the GE group) lapsed into a walk/run/walk pace during the last 6 miles of the race. Ten of these had a rectal temperature of 39 degrees C or greater after 29 km of running, and plasma volume in these runners was reduced by more than 10%.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1483436", "title": "Thermoregulatory responses of young and older men to cold exposure.", "content": "Nine young (20-25 years) and ten older (60-71 years) men, matched for body fatness and surface area:mass ratio, underwent cold tests in summer and winter. The cold tests consisted of a 60-min exposure, wearing only swimming trunks, to an air temperature of 17 degrees C (both seasons) and 12 degrees C (winter only). Rectal (Tre) and mean skin (Tsk) temperatures, metabolic heat production (M), systolic (BPs) and diastolic (BPd) blood pressures and heart rate (fc) were measured. During the equilibrium period (28 degrees C air temperature) there were no age-related differences in Tre, Tsk, BPs, BPd, or fc regardless of season, although M of the older men was significantly lower (P < 0.003). The decrease in Tre and Tsk (due to the marked decrease in six of the older men) and the increase in BPs and BPd were significantly greater (P < 0.004) for the older men during all the cold exposures. The rate of increase in M was significantly greater (P < 0.01) for the older group when exposed to 12 degrees C in winter and 17 degrees C in summer (due to the marked increase in four of the older men). This trend was not apparent during the 17 degrees C exposure in winter. There was no age-related difference in fc during the exposures. Significant decreases in Tre and Tsk and increases in M, BPs and BPd during the 12 degrees C exposure were observed for the older group (P < 0.003) compared to their responses during the 17 degrees C exposure in winter. In contrast, Tre, M, BPs in the young group were not affected as much by the colder environment. It was concluded that older men have more variable responses and some appear more or less responsive to mild and moderate cold air than young men."}
{"id": "PMID:1483437", "title": "Influence of body position and pre-exercise activity on cardiac output and oxygen uptake following step changes in exercise intensity.", "content": "Parallel measurements of breath-by-breath oxygen uptake, cardiac output (Doppler technique), blood pressure (Finapres technique) and heart rate were performed in nine subjects during cycle ergometer exercise in the upright and supine positions. Transients were monitored during power steps starting from and leading to either rest or lower levels of exercise intensity. Oxygen uptake (VO2) and cardiac output kinetics were markedly faster than in all other conditions when exercise was started from rest. In contrast to exercise-exercise on steps, the computed arteriovenous difference in O2 content increased almost immediately in this situation, indicating that not only the additional energy expenditure due to the acceleration of the flywheel but also an increased venous admixture from non-exercising parts of the body contributed to the early kinetics. The off kinetics generally showed a more uniform pattern and did not simply mirror the on transients. The present findings indicate that transitions from rest should be avoided when muscle VO2 kinetics are to be assessed on the basis of VO2 measurements at the mouth."}
{"id": "PMID:1483438", "title": "Muscle strength according to level of physical exercise and educational background in middle-aged women in Finland.", "content": "The aim of this study was to examine the role of socio-economic status and the practice of physical exercise in explaining variation in muscle strength in 50 to 60-year-old women. Consequently, four study groups combining education and physical activity were formed: (1) university education, physically active; (2) university education, sedentary; (3) vocational or lower level of education, physically active; (4) vocational or lower level of education, sedentary. Maximal isometric strength of hand grip, arm flexion, body flexion and extension as well as dynamic power of the abdominal muscles were measured in 112 women. The results of the maximal isometric strength measurements were standardised by body mass index. The means of the maximal isometric strength results and sit-up tests were compared between the groups using two-way analysis of variance. The physically active women performed better than the sedentary in both the isometric and dynamic tests. Greater muscle strength was also found among the more highly educated compared with the less educated. The less educated sedentary women showed the poorest performance in the strength tests."}
{"id": "PMID:1483439", "title": "Effects of carbohydrate feedings on plasma free tryptophan and branched-chain amino acids during prolonged cycling.", "content": "Brain serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) has been suggested to be involved in central fatigue during prolonged exercise. Changes in the ratio of plasma free tryptophan (free Trp) to branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) are associated with altered brain 5-HT synthesis. The purposes of this study were to describe systematically the effects of prolonged exercise on changes in plasma free Trp and BCAA and to examine the effects of carbohydrate (CHO) feedings on these same variables. Eight well-trained men [VO2max = 57.8 (SE 4.1) ml kg-1 min-1] cycled for up to 255 min at a power output corresponding to VO2 at lactate threshold (approximately 68% VO2max) on three occasions separated by at least 1 week. Subjects drank 5 ml kg-1 body wt-1 of either a water placebo, or a liquid beverage containing a moderate (6% CHO) or high (12% CHO) concentration of carbohydrate beginning at min 14 of exercise and every 30 min thereafter. Exercise time to fatigue was shorter in subjects receiving placebo [190 (SE 4) min] as compared to 6% CHO [235 (SE 10) min] and 12% CHO [234 (SE 9) min] (P < 0.05). Glucose and insulin decreased in the placebo group, and free Trp, free-Trp/BCAA, and free fatty acids increased approximately five- to sevenfold (P < 0.05). These changes were attenuated in a dose-related manner by the carbohydrate drinks.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1483440", "title": "Physical activity and energy expenditure in lean and obese adult human subjects.", "content": "We compared the physical activity of 11 lean and 11 obese men and women over a 7-day period. There were no significant differences in either the amount of movement recorded with an accelerometer (9.5 (SD 3.9) vs 9.9 (SD 2.6) kcounts.day-1), or in the energy expenditure due to physical activity reflected by the difference between the average daily metabolic rate measured by the doubly labelled water technique and the sleeping metabolic rate measured in a respiration chamber and adjusted for fat-free mass: 112 (SD 33) vs 118 (SD 22) kJ.kg-1.day-1. The obese showed a non-significant loss of body mass of 0.5 (SD 1.1) kg, probably due to reduced intake during the 7-day intake recording period."}
{"id": "PMID:1483441", "title": "Differential mobilization of leucocyte and lymphocyte subpopulations into the circulation during endurance exercise.", "content": "A total of 14 healthy subjects [means (SD): 27.6 (3.8) years; body mass 77.8 (6.6) kg; height 183 (6) cm] performed endurance exercise to exhaustion at 100% of the individual anaerobic threshold (Th(an)) on a cycle ergometer (mean workload 207 (55) W; lactate concentrations 3.4 (1.2) mmol.l-1; duration 83.8 (22.2) min, including 5 min at 50% of individual Th(an)). Leucocyte subpopulations were measured by flow cytometry and catecholamines by radioimmunological methods. Blood samples were taken before and several times during exercise. Values were corrected for plasma volume changes and analysed using ANOVA for repeated measures. During the first 10 min of exercise, of all cell subpopulations the natural killer cells (CD3-CD16/CD56+) increased the most (229%). Also CD3+CD16/CD56+ (84%), CD8+CD45RO- (69%) cells, eosinophils (36%) and monocytes (62%) increased rapidly during that time. CD3+, CD3+HLA-DR+, CD4+CD45RO+, CD4+CD45RO-, CD8+CD45RO+ and CD19+ cells either did not increase or increased only slightly during exercise. Adrenaline and noradrenaline increased nearly linearly by 36% and 77% respectively at 10 min exercise. The increase of natural killer cells and heart rates between rest and 10 min of exercise correlated significantly (r = 0.576, P = 0.031). We conclude that natural killer cells, cytotoxic, non-MHC-restricted T-cells, monocytes and eosinophils are mobilized rapidly during the first minutes of endurance exercise. Both catecholamines and increased blood flow are likely to contribute this effect."}
{"id": "PMID:1483442", "title": "Reduced short-term thermic effects of a meal in obese adolescent girls.", "content": "Post-meal energy expenditure (TEM) was compared for 14 healthy obese (body fat = 45.3%, body mass index, BMI = 35.9 kg m-2) and 9 healthy nonobese (body fat = 20.7%, BMI = 17.8 kg m-2) adolescent girls. The test meal for both groups was a standard 3348.8-kJ, 0.473-1 chocolate milkshake of 15% protein (casein), 40% fat (polyunsaturated/saturated ratio = 0.05; 75 mg cholesterol) and 45% carbohydrate (lactose and sucrose). Glucose, insulin and resting energy expenditure (RMR) were measured at rest prior to meal consumption and 20, 40, 60, 90, and 120 min after the meal. Cumulative net TEM was calculated as the integrated area under the TEM curve with RMR as baseline. Reliability was assessed by retesting 4 subjects, and a placebo effect was tested by administering a flavored energy-free drink. Results indicated high reliability and no placebo effect. The meal resulted in a greater rise in insulin and glucose for the obese compared to the nonobese subjects (P < or = 0.05), and a significant TEM for both groups (P < or = 0.05). The cumulative TEM (W kg-1) was 61.9% greater for the nonobese (P < 0.01) when expressed relative to body mass, and 33.2% greater for the nonobese (P < or = 0.01) when expressed relative to the fat-free body mass. Expressed relative to the meal, the TEM was 25.5% less for the obese (P < 0.01). The data support an energy conservation hypothesis for obese female adolescents."}
{"id": "PMID:1483443", "title": "Effects of temperature on electromyogram and muscle function.", "content": "The effects of 30 min of cooling (15 degrees C water) and warming (40 degrees C water) on arm muscle function were measured. A reference condition (24 degrees C air) was included. Of nine young male subjects the maximal grip force (Fmax), the time to reach 66% of Fmax (rate of force buildup) and the maximal rhythmic grip frequency were determined, together with surface electromyographic activity (EMG) of a forearm muscle (flexor digitorum superficialis). The results showed that in contrast to warming, cooling resulted in a significant decrease of 20% in the Fmax and a significant 50% decrease in force build-up time and the maximal rhythmic grip frequency. The relationship between the root mean square value (rms) of the EMG and the static grip force did not change due to temperature changes. The median power frequency (MPF) in the power spectrum of the EMG signal decreased by 50% due to cooling but remained unchanged with heating. During a sustained contraction at 15% of Fmax (Fmax depending on the temperature) the increase in the rms value with contraction time was 90% larger in the warm condition and 80% smaller in the cold condition compared to the increase in the reference condition. The MPF value remained constant during the warm and reference conditions but in the cold it started at a 50% lower value and increased with contraction time.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1483444", "title": "Glucocorticoid response to exercise as measured by serum and salivary cortisol.", "content": "Serum and salivary cortisol concentrations were studied in 78 elite athletes engaged in different sports, by subjecting them to high-intensity laboratory exercise. The mean difference in the pre-exercise cortisol concentrations in the seven groups studied were more marked in serum (from 311 to 768 nmol.l-1) than in saliva (from 17.9 to 22.7 nmol.l-1, only one group reaching 40 nmol.l-1). Judging from the correlation coefficients based on total variances, the post-/pre-exercise differences in cortisol concentrations in serum depended chiefly on pre-exercise values, while those in saliva tended to depend more on the postexercise concentrations. The coefficients of correlation between that difference and either the pre- or postexercise values were -0.71 and 0.47, respectively, for serum, and -0.51 and 0.58, respectively, for saliva. This would suggest that salivary cortisol concentration might be a more suitable variable for assessing glucocorticoid activity in exercise than serum cortisol concentration, probably being less sensitive to pre-exercise emotional state."}
{"id": "PMID:1483445", "title": "Thermographic studies on patterns of skin temperature after exercise.", "content": "In six subjects thermograms of the thighs and the forearms were taken before, during and after 10 min ergometer exercise at 100 W at an ambient temperature of 23 degrees C. During exercise, an intra-individually constant and reproducible skin temperature pattern with local temperature differences exceeding 3 degrees C evolved. Reactions after external local cooling or after occlusion of blood flow and measurements with a laser Doppler-flowmeter showed dispersed convective heat transport to be the source of this irregular pattern. Temperature differences of 3.6 degrees C and deviations of blood flow in the skin microcirculation of 300% within a distance of a few centimetres reduce the value of single-spot measurements of skin temperature with reference to the whole extremity."}
{"id": "PMID:1483446", "title": "The acute effect of 30 min of moderate exercise on high density lipoprotein cholesterol in untrained middle-aged men.", "content": "Fifteen middle-aged, untrained (defined as no regular exercise) men (mean age 49.9 years, range 42-67) cycled on a cycle ergometer at 50 rpm for 30 min at an intensity producing 60% predicted maximum heart rate [(fc,max), where fc,max = 220 - age]. Total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and triglyceride (Tg) concentrations were measured from fasting fingertip capillary blood samples collected at rest, after 15 and 30 min of exercise, and at 15 min post-exercise. The mean HDL-C level increased significantly from the resting level of 0.85 mmol.l-1 to 0.97 mmol.l-1 (P < 0.05) after 15 min of exercise, increased further to 1.08 mmol.l-1 (P < 0.01) after 30 min of exercise and remained elevated at 1.07 mmol.l-1 (P < 0.01) at 15 min post-exercise. These increases represented changes above the mean resting level of 14.1%, 27.1% and 25.9% respectively. The HDL-C/LDL-C ratio increased significantly from a resting ratio of 0.20 to 0.26 after 30 min of exercise (P < 0.01) and to 0.24 at 15 min post-exercise (P < 0.05). The mean Tg level increased significantly from a resting level of 0.88 mmol.l-1 to 1.05 mmol.l-1 after 15 min, and to 1.06 mmol.l-1 after 30 min of exercise (P < 0.05 at each time). The TC/HDL-C ratio decreased significantly (P = 0.05) after 30 min of exercise and at 15 min post-exercise by 18.8% and 14%, respectively. No significant changes were observed in the levels of TC or LDL-C over time.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1483447", "title": "Physiological correlates of middle-distance running performance. A comparative study between men and women.", "content": "To compare the relative contributions of their functional capacities to performance in relation to sex, two groups of middle-distance runners (24 men and 14 women) were selected on the basis of performances over 1500-m and 3000-m running races. To be selected for the study, the average running velocity (v) in relation to performances had to be superior to a percentage (90% for men and 88% for women) of the best French v achieved during the season by an athlete of the same sex. Maximal O2 consumption (VO2max) and energy cost of running (CR) were measured in the 2 months preceding the track season. This allowed us to calculate the maximal v that could be sustained under aerobic conditions, va,max. A v:va,max ratio derived from 1500-m to 3000-m races was used to calculate the maximal duration of a competitive race for which v = va,max (tva,max). In both groups va,max was correlated to v. The relationships calculated for each distance were similar in both sexes. The CR [0.179 (SD 0.010) ml.kg-1 x m-1 in the women versus 0.177 (SD 0.010) in the men] and tva,max [7.0 (SD 2.0) min versus 8.4 (SD 2.1)] also showed no difference. The relationships between VO2max and body mass (mb) calculated in the men and the women were different. At the same mb the women had a 10% lower CR than the men; their lower mb thus resulted in an identical CR.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1483448", "title": "Effects of hypnosis on plasma proenkephalin peptide F and perceptual and cardiovascular responses during submaximal exercise.", "content": "Little information is available concerning the influence of subconscious mechanisms on neuroendocrine function, more specifically, proenkephalin peptide F release. Ten men [5 middle distance runners (21.6 (SD 0.54 years) and 5 untrained men (24.0 (SD 4.3 years)] consented to be volunteers in this investigation. Submaximal exercise intensities of 25% and 50% of peak oxygen consumption (VO2) (8 min stages) were used for both the control and hypnosis treatments. A traditional hypnotic induction was used, with the suggestion of two higher intensities of exercise stress (50% and 75% peak VO2) previously experienced in familiarization and testing by each subject. Each minute oxygen consumption was measured using open circuit spirometry, heart rate via an ECG, and ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) using the Borg scale. Plasma peptide F immunoreactivity (ir) [preproenkephalin-(107-140)] in blood sampled from an indwelling cannula was measured by radioimmunoassay at 7-8 min of each stage of the exercise test. Expected significant increases were observed for all cardiorespiratory and perceptual variables over the increasing exercise intensities and there were no significant differences between trained and untrained groups for peptide F if response patterns. Hypnosis did not significantly affect peptide F ir concentrations (P > 0.05) and did not significantly alter exercise heart rate, RPE or minute ventilation (P > 0.05). However, hypnosis did significantly increase oxygen consumption during exercise (P = 0.0095) but not of the magnitude needed for the metabolic demands of the higher exercise intensities. Thus, traditional hypnosis was unable to make functionally significant changes in the cardiorespiratory variables.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1483449", "title": "Short-chain and medium-chain aliphatic-ester synthesis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.", "content": "In the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the enzymes which catalyse the synthesis of ethyl acetate, ethyl n-hexanoate and isoamyl acetate were partly resolved from a fraction containing slowly sedimenting lipoproteins released during cell disruption with glass beads. Solubilization with detergents and fractionation by affinity chromatography have demonstrated the presence of at least three, and probably four, ester synthases which differ in their catalytic properties. Isoamyl-acetate synthase was solubilized and extensively purified to apparent homogeneity by successive chromatographies on various columns. On the basis of its specific activity in cell-free extracts, the enzyme was purified 19,000-fold with a 5% activity yield. As judged by SDS/PAGE, it consists of a single polypeptide chain with a molecular mass of 57 +/- 3 kDa and its apparent pI is 5.5. The enzyme acetylates isoamyl alcohol, ethanol and 12-DL-hydroxystearic acid from acetyl-CoA but is unable to use n-hexanoyl-CoA as a cosubstrate. This enzyme, defined as an acetyl-CoA: O-alcohol acetyltransferase, could be the product of one of the anaerobically induced genes in S. cerevisiae."}
{"id": "PMID:1483450", "title": "Identification and isolation of common and tissue-specific geranylgeranylated gamma subunits of guanine-nucleotide-binding regulatory proteins in various tissues.", "content": "Heterotrimeric guanine-nucleotide-binding regulatory proteins (G proteins) have been classified into several subtypes on the basis of the properties of their alpha subunits, though a notable multiplicity of gamma subunits has also been demonstrated. To investigate whether each subtype of alpha subunit is associated with a particular gamma subunit, various oligomeric G proteins, purified from bovine tissues, were subjected to gel electrophoresis in a Tricine buffer system. All G proteins examined were shown to have more than two kinds of gamma subunit. Of the brain G proteins, GoA, GoB, and Gi1 contain the same set of three gamma subunits, but Gi2 contains only two of these subunits. Lung Gi1 and Gi2 and spleen Gi2 and Gi3 had similar sets of two gamma subunits, one of which was distinct from the gamma subunits of brain G proteins. These observations indicate that each subtype of alpha subunit is associated with a variety of beta gamma subunits, and that the combinations differ among cells. For analyses of the structural diversity of the gamma subunits, beta gamma subunits were purified from the total G proteins of each tissue and subjected to reverse-phase HPLC under denaturing conditions, where none of the beta subunits were eluted from the column. Three distinct gamma subunits were isolated in this way from brain beta gamma subunits. In contrast, lung and spleen beta gamma subunits contained at least five gamma subunits, the elution positions and electrophoretic mobilities of which were indistinguishable between the two tissues. Among several gamma subunits, two subspecies appeared to be common to the three tissues. In fact, in each case, the partial amino acid sequence of the most abundant gamma subunit in each tissue was identical, and the sequences coincided exactly with that of 'gamma 6' [Robishaw, J. D., Kalman, V. K., Moomaw, C. R. & Slaughter, C. A. (1989) J. Biol. Chem. 264, 15758-15761]. Fast-atom-bombardment mass spectrometry analysis indicated that this abundant gamma subunit in lung and spleen was geranylgeranylated and carboxymethylated at the C-terminus, as was 'gamma 6' from brain. In addition to abundant gamma subunits, other tissue-specific gamma subunits were also shown to be geranylgeranylated by gas-chromatography-coupled mass spectrometry analysis of Raney nickel-treated gamma subunits. These results suggest that most gamma subunits associated with many different subtypes of alpha subunit are geranylgeranylated in a variety of tissues, with the single exception being the retina where the G protein transducin has a farnesylated gamma subunit."}
{"id": "PMID:1483452", "title": "Assignment of the magnetic resonances of the imino protons and methyl protons of Bombyx mori tRNA(GlyGCC) and the effect of ion binding on its structure.", "content": "The magnetic resonances in the low-field H-NMR spectra of Bombyx mori tRNA(GlyGCC), corresponding to the hydrogen-bonded imino protons of the helical stems and tertiary base pairs, could be tentatively assigned by means of the sequential nuclear Overhauser effects. While B. mori tRNA(GlyGCC) does not contain the G19C56 tertiary base pair, the D20G57 base pair exists between the D and T loops, which was not found in the X-ray crystal structure of yeast tRNA(Phe). The effects of Mg2+, spermine and temperature on the conformation of this tRNA have also been examined based on the behavior of the assigned resonance signals. Mg2+ stabilize the D and T stems and the tertiary structure between the D and T loops. Spermine affects the resonances of the D and anticodon stems, and A23G9, but does not stabilize them. While the acceptor stem melts sequentially from both ends (G7C66 and G1C72) with increasing temperature, the anticodon stem melts from only one end (G39C31) and the G26C44 base pair is the most stable. In the tertiary structure between the variable loop and D stem, G10G45 melts first and G22G46 last. Yeast tRNA(Phe) has also been examined, and the results were compared with those for B. mori tRNA(Gly)."}
{"id": "PMID:1483453", "title": "Cloning and expression of a heat-inducible hsp70 gene in two species of Hydra which differ in their stress response.", "content": "A heat-inducible, intron-containing member of the hsp70 gene family has been isolated and characterized in Hydra magnipapillata and Hydra oligactis, two species previously shown [Bosch, T. C. G., Krylow, S. M., Bode, H. R. & Steele, R. E. (1988) Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 85, 7927-7931] to differ in their stress response. The gene, hsp70.1, encodes a 654-amino-acid protein of predicted molecular mass 70 kDa with 78% amino acid identity to Xenopus HSP70. Northern-blot analysis revealed that polyps of H. oligactis accumulate significantly less hsp70.1 mRNA after heat shock than polyps of H. magnipapillata. In nuclear run-off experiments, we found that transcriptional induction of hsp70.1 expression in response to stress is similar in both species. Thus, the previously reported inability of H. oligactis to synthesize heat-shock proteins in response to stress is at least in part due to reduced stability of hsp70.1 mRNA during heat shock."}
{"id": "PMID:1483454", "title": "1H-NMR assignments and local environments of aromatic residues in bovine, human and guinea pig variants of alpha-lactalbumin.", "content": "1H-NMR assignments have been defined for the aromatic-ring protons of the bovine, guinea pig and human variants of alpha-lactalbumin. Spin-system networks were identified by means of double-quantum-filtered two-dimensional J-correlated spectroscopy and two-dimensional relayed coherence spectroscopy data. Analysis of two-dimensional nuclear-Overhauser-enhancement spectroscopy data of the proteins indicated that in each case two clusters of aromatic residues exist. The two clusters are also evident in the crystal structure of the human protein, and this evidence, in conjunction with sequence differences between the three proteins, permitted sequence-specific assignments to be made for the majority of aromatic residues. Remaining ambiguities in the assignments could be resolved by analysis of photochemically induced dynamic nuclear polarization (PCIDNP) effects. Comparison of the PCIDNP spectra of the three proteins indicated the presence of only minor differences in the surface exposure of conserved aromatic residues. Taken together, these results indicate that the environments of the conserved aromatic residues in bovine, guinea pig and human alpha-lactalbumin in solution are very similar to each other, and that the solution and the crystal forms of at least the human protein are similar."}
{"id": "PMID:1483455", "title": "Fluorescence study of the ligand stereospecificity for binding to lumazine protein.", "content": "6,7-Dimethyllumazine derivatives, substituted at the 8-position with aldityls or monohydroxyalkyl groups, have been examined for their binding ability to lumazine apo-protein from two strains of Photobacterium phosphoreum using fluorescence dynamics techniques. On the protein the lumazine has a nearly monoexponential decay of fluorescence with lifetime 13.8 ns (20 degrees C). In free solution the lifetime is 9.6 ns. The concentration of free and bound lumazine in an equilibrium mixture can be recovered readily by analysis of the fluorescence decay. Only the aldityl derivatives D-xylityl and 3'-deoxy-D-ribityl, having stereoconfigurations at the 2' and 4' positions identical to the natural ligand, 8-(1'-D-ribityl), show comparable dissociation constants (0.3 microM, 20 degrees C, pH 7.0). D-Erythrityl and L-arabityl have dissociation constants of 1-2 microM. All other ligands show no interaction at all or have dissociation constants in the range 6-80 microM, which can still be determined semi-quantitatively using the fluorescence decay technique. In the case of these very weakly bound ligands, unambiguous detection of bound ligand can be shown by a long correlation time (23 ns, 2 degrees C) for the fluorescence anisotropy decay. Examination of the bound D-xylityl compound's fluorescence anisotropy decay at high time resolution (< 100 ps) shows rigid association, i.e. no mobility independent of the macromolecule. All bound ligands appear to be similarly positioned in the binding site. The influence of the stereoconfiguration at the 8-position found for lumazine protein parallels that previously observed for the enzyme riboflavin synthase, where the lumazines are substrates or inhibitors. This is consistent with the finding of significant sequence similarity between these proteins. The binding rigidity may have implications for the mechanism of the enzyme."}
{"id": "PMID:1483456", "title": "Mechanism of the degradation of non-enzymatically glycated proteins under physiological conditions. Studies with the model fructosamine, N epsilon-(1-deoxy-D-fructos-1-yl)hippuryl-lysine.", "content": "The degradation of fructosamines, formed from the non-enzymic glycation of proteins under physiological conditions, to advanced glycation end products was investigated by studying the model peptide fructosamine N epsilon-(1-deoxy-D-fructos-1-yl)hippuryl-lysine (DHL). At pH 7.4 and 37 degrees C in aerobic phosphate buffer, DHL degraded to form N epsilon-carboxymethyl-hippuryl-lysine, and hippuryl-lysine over a 29-day incubation period. The expected N epsilon-(3-lactato)hippuryl-lysine and 'hippuryl-lysylpyrraline' derivatives were not found. Superoxide radicals and hydrogen peroxide were formed during the degradation of DHL but were also both consumed during the degradation reaction. Reversal of the Amadori rearrangement was not a major fate of the fructosamine. The formation of N epsilon-carboxymethyl-hippuryl-lysine was decreased by desferrioxamine, catalase, superoxide dismutase, catalase with superoxide dismutase, anaerobic conditions and aminoguanidine. The formation of hippuryl-lysine was decreased by desferrioxamine, catalase and catalase with superoxide dismutase, but was increased by the addition of aminoguanidine. N epsilon-Carboxymethyl-serine and unmodified lysine residues are major peptide-based end products in the degradation of lysyl-fructosamine under physiological conditions. Oxygen, redox-active metal ions, catalase, superoxide dismutase and the pharmacological agent aminoguanidine are expected to be influential on the rate and fate of fructosamine degradation."}
{"id": "PMID:1483457", "title": "Inhibition of cytochrome-P450 reductase by polyols has an electrostatic nature.", "content": "The present study was undertaken to examine the nature of the inhibitory action of glycerol on the liver microsomal monooxygenase system. In agreement with earlier observations, glycerol inhibited benzphetamine N-demethylation by liver microsomes of the phenobarbital-treated rabbit. The presence of glycerol in the medium did not affect binding of the substrate to cytochrome P450. Another polyol, ethylene glycol, was equally efficient in inhibiting benzphetamine N-demethylation. Both also inhibited reduction of rabbit cytochrome P450 LM2, cytochrome c and potassium ferricyanide by NADPH-cytochrome-P450 reductase in microsomes. Recently, we showed that the stimulation of electron transfer by increased ionic strength is due to neutralization of electrostatic interaction between NADPH-cytochrome-P450 reductase and its charged redox partners [Voznesensky, A. I. & Schenkman, J. B. (1992) J. Biol. Chem. 267, 14669-14676]. Polyols have an opposite effect to that of salt on ionic properties of a solution. They decrease the dielectric constant, thereby promoting electrostatic interactions between proteins. Addition of polyols decreased the conductivity of the medium. When rates of electron transfer to charged acceptors, cytochrome P450, cytochrome c and potassium ferricyanide, at various salt and polyol concentrations, relative to activities in 200 mM sodium phosphate, were plotted as a function of the conductivity the data for each acceptor fit on the same line. In contrast, neither alteration of ionic strength nor polyol addition affected the rate of electron transfer from NADPH-cytochrome-P450 reductase to an uncharged acceptor 1,4-benzoquinone. The data obtained is consistent with our earlier suggestion that charge repulsion limits redox interactions between rabbit cytochrome P450 LM2 and its reductase at low ionic strength, and suggest that the observed action of polyols is the result of enhancement of electrostatic interactions that inhibits electron transfer between NADPH-cytochrome-P450 reductase and its charged redox partners. In congruence with the hypothesis, the Km of rabbit cytochrome P450 LM2 for NADPH-cytochrome-P450 reductase was increased almost one order of magnitude by elevating the glycerol content from 5% to 25% (by vol.) without a change in Vmax."}
{"id": "PMID:1483458", "title": "A weighting method for predicting protein structural class from amino acid composition.", "content": "A protein is generally classified into one of the following four structural classes: all alpha, all beta, alpha+beta and alpha/beta. In this paper, based on the weighting to the 20 constituent amino acids, a new method is proposed for predicting the structural class of a protein according to its amino acid composition. The 20 weighting parameters, which reflect the different properties of the 20 constituent amino acids, have been obtained from a training set of proteins through the linear-programming approach. The rate of correct prediction for a training set of proteins by means of the new method was 100%, whereas the highest rate of previous methods was 82.8%. Furthermore, the results showed that the more numerous training proteins, the more effective the new method."}
{"id": "PMID:1483459", "title": "Catalysis by alpha-chymotrypsin entrapped into surface-modified polymeric nanogranules in organic solvent.", "content": "Physicochemical characteristics of previously suggested surface-modified polymeric nanogranules (SMPN) and catalytic and stability properties of alpha-chymotrypsin entrapped into such nanogranules in a nonpolar solvent were investigated in more details. SMPN were obtained by polymerization of an acrylamide/N,N'-methylene-bisacrylamide mixture in a mixed reversed micellar system composed of Aerosol OT [sodium di(2-ethylhexyl)sulfosuccinate] and the polymeric surfactant Pluronic F-108 modified with polymerizable groups, followed by the chromatographic removal of the auxiliary surfactant, Aerosol OT. An optimal solvent system was found providing the required orientation of the polymeric surfactant in starting mixed micelles, i.e. with polar fragments immersed into the micellar interior and apolar fragments protruding into organic solvent. The hydrodynamic diameter of SMPN in benzene solution was estimated by means of quasi-elastic light scattering to be 84 +/- 1 nm. Catalytic and stability properties of alpha-chymotrypsin entrapped into SMPN strongly depended on conditions of preparation of SMPN. The optimal concentration of acrylamide monomers in the micellar interior and hydration degree of starting reversed micelles were found to be 20% by mass and wo = 15, respectively. alpha-Chymotrypsin-containing SMPN were used as a catalyst in the synthesis of N-acetyl-L-tyrosine ethyl ester from N-acetyl-L-tyrosine and ethanol, performed in a membrane reactor."}
{"id": "PMID:1483460", "title": "Studies on the aminopeptidase activity of rat cathepsin H.", "content": "Three synthetic substrates H-Arg-NH-Mec, Bz-Arg-NH-Mec and H-Cit-NH-Mec (Bz, Benzoyl; NH-Mec, 4-methylcoumaryl-7-amide; Cit, citrulline) were used to characterize specificity requirements for the P1-S1 interaction of cathepsin H from rat liver. From rapid equilibrium kinetic studies it was shown that Km, kcat and the specificity constants kcat/Km are quite similar for substrates with a free alpha-amino group. In contrast, a 25-fold decrease of kcat/Km was observed for the N-terminal-blocked substrate Bz-Arg-NH-Mec. The activation energies for H-Arg-NH-Mec and Bz-Arg-NH-Mec were determined to be 37 kJ/mol and 55 kJ/mol, respectively, and the incremental binding energy delta delta Gb of the charged alpha-amino group was estimated to -8.1 kJ/mol at pH 6.8. The shown preference of cathepsin H for the unblocked substrates H-Arg-NH-Mec and H-Cit-NH-Mec was further investigated by inspection of the pH dependence of kcat/Km. The curves of the two substrates with a charged alpha-amino group showed identical bell-shaped profiles which both exhibit pKa1 and pKa2 values of 5.5 and 7.4, respectively, at 30 degrees C. The residue with a pKa1 of 5.5 in the acid limb of the activity profile of H-Arg-NH-Mec was identified by its ionization enthalpy delta Hion = 21 kJ/mol as a beta-carboxylate or gamma-carboxylate of the enzyme, whereas the residue with a pKa2 of 7.4 was assigned to the free alpha-amino group of the substrate with a delta Hion of 59 kJ/mol. Bz-Arg-NH-Mec showed a different pH-activity profile with a pKa1 of 5.4 and a pKa2 of 6.6 at 30 degrees C. Cathepsin H exhibits no preference for a basic P1 side chain as has been shown by the similar kinetics of H-Arg-NH-Mec and the uncharged, isosteric substrate H-Cit-NH-Mec. In summary, specific interactions of an anionic cathepsin H active site residue with the charged alpha-amino group of substrates caused transition state stabilization which proves the enzyme to act preferentially as an aminopeptidase."}
{"id": "PMID:1483461", "title": "Metabolic effects of short-chain ceramide and glucosylceramide on sphingolipids and protein kinase C.", "content": "Recent studies have identified a potential role for glucosylceramide (GlcCer) in growth promotion and hormonal signalling. In an effort to demonstrate a growth-promoting activity of GlcCer, we prepared a GlcCer having a short-chain acid (octanoyl), in the belief that this glycolipid could be absorbed more readily and more uniformly by cultured cells. By using a mixture of two specific lecithins, dioleoylglycerophosphocholine and 1-stearoyl-2-palmitoylglycerophosphocholine, we were able to prepare dispersions containing a high molar proportion of the GlcCer and the related ceramide, octanoyl sphingosine. Unexpectedly, both sphingolipids inhibited protein and DNA synthesis in Madin-Darby canine kidney cells and produced large increases in the levels of the natural lipids, GlcCer, ceramide, free sphingosine, and an amine that may be glucosylsphingosine (GlcSph). Decreases were seen in the level of sphingomyelin and the proportion of protein kinase C in the cell membranes. The level of lactosylceramide was diminished by octanoyl GlcCer but elevated considerably by octanoyl sphingosine. Diacylglycerols were increased by the lecithins in the liposomes, but the exogenous sphingolipids had no effect. Octanoyl sphingosine labeled in the sphingoid base yielded labeled GlcCer and sphingomyelin labeled in both long-chain and very-long-chain fatty acid families, as well as the octanoyl version. The two families of ceramides, however, had relatively little radioactivity. Some of these changes are attributed to rapid hydrolysis of the added lipids with the formation, particularly from the ceramide, of sphingosine and its anabolic metabolite, GlcSph. Several observations support the idea that the octanoyl sphingosine inhibited the phosphocholinetransferase that synthesizes sphingomyelin while the octanoyl GlcCer inhibited GlcCer beta-glucosidase and GlcCer galactosyltransferase. The use of unnatural short-chain lipids in the study of cell growth and other phenomena may result in unexpected changes in related metabolites and the findings from such experiments should therefore be interpreted cautiously."}
{"id": "PMID:1483462", "title": "Characterisation of the control of respiration in potato tuber mitochondria using the top-down approach of metabolic control analysis.", "content": "Control over oxidative phosphorylation by purified potato mitochondria was determined using the top-down approach of metabolic control analysis. The control over the respiration rate, phosphorylation rate, proton-leak rate and proton motive force exerted by the respiratory chain, phosphorylation reactions and the proton leak were measured over a range of phosphorylation rates from resting (state 4) to maximal (state 3). These rates were obtained by adding different amounts of hexokinase in the presence of glucose, or different amounts of oligomycin in the presence of ADP. The respiratory substrate was NADH or succinate, both of which feed electrons directly to ubiquinone. The rate of oxygen consumption by the alternative oxidase pathway was negligible with NADH as substrate but was measurable with succinate and was subtracted. Control over the respiration rate in potato mitochondria was predominantly exerted by the respiratory chain at all rates except close to state 4, where control by the proton leak was equally or more important. For oxidation of NADH, the flux control coefficient over the respiration rate exerted by the respiratory chain in state 3 was between 0.8 and 1.0, while in state 4, control over the respiration rate was shared about equally between the chain and the proton leak. The control over the phosphorylation rate was predominantly exerted by the respiratory chain, although at low rates control by the phosphorylation system was also important. For oxidation of NADH, the flux control coefficient over the phosphorylation rate exerted by the respiratory chain in state 3 was 0.8-1.0, while near state 4 the flux control coefficients over the phosphorylation rate were about 0.8 for the phosphorylation system and 0.25 for the chain. Control over the proton leak rate was shared between the respiratory chain and the proton leak; the phosphorylation system had negative control. For oxidation of NADH, the flux control coefficients over the leak rate in state 3 were 1.0 for the leak, 0.4 for the chain and -0.4 for the phosphorylation system, while in state 4 the flux control coefficients over leak rate were about 0.5 for the leak and 0.5 for the chain. Control over the magnitude of the protonmotive force was small, between -0.2 and +0.2, reflecting the way the system operates to keep the protonmotive force fairly constant; the respiratory chain and the phosphorylation system had equal and opposite control and there was very little control by the proton leak except near state 4."}
{"id": "PMID:1483463", "title": "Purine-cytosine permease of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Effect of external pH on nucleobase uptake and binding.", "content": "The cloned FCY2 gene (strain pAB4) of the purine-cytosine permease (PCP) of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and the cloned allele fcy2-21 (strain pAB25) introduced into an S. cerevisiae strain carrying a chromosomal deletion at the FCY2 locus [Weber, E., Rodriguez, C., Chevallier, M. R. & Jund, R. (1990) Mol. Microbiol. 4, 585-596] were studied. The influence of external pH (varying over 3.5-6) has been analysed on the uptake of adenine, hypoxanthine and cytosine (Ktapp, apparent Michaelis constant and Vm) and on the binding constants of these three solutes (Kdapp, apparent half-saturation constant and Bmax, total binding sites) determined on plasma membranes. For pAB4, the variations of Ktapp and Vm were the same for the three bases, i.e. an increase in Ktapp when the pH increased and a maximum Vm around pH 5. For pAB25, Ktapp values varied in the same way and were significantly higher for the three bases than those found in pAB4. There was almost no variation of Vm for adenine, and there was a continuous decrease when the pH increased in the Vm of hypoxanthine and cytosine. Equilibrium binding measurements were performed for the three bases with plasma membrane isolated from pAB4 and pAB25. One single class of binding sites was detected. For pAB4, the affinity increased when the pH decreased for the three bases. The affinity of PCP for adenine was always greater than for cytosine or hypoxanthine. For pAB25, the same phenomenon was observed. However, the curves showing the variation of Kdapp as a function of pH were shifted towards more acidic pH values. A model was used to fit the experimental binding data obtained with hypoxanthine for the calculation of the dissociation constants of its binding to PCP and to determine the ionization constants of an amino acid involved in ligand binding. For pAB4, at acid pH, the dissociation constant was 1.7 +/- 0.4 microM. An amino acid displaying a pK of 3.8 was determined; this value was shifted to pK 4.8 when hypoxanthine was bound. For pAB25, the main effects of the mutation were a large decrease in the affinity of PCP for hypoxanthine (Kd of 14.4 +/- 4.3 microM) and a shift in the pK of the amino acid towards a more acidic pH (about 2.9). The pK of this group remained similar to the value obtained with pAB4 when hypoxanthine was bound. From these data, it is proposed that the binding of hypoxanthine and H+ is a random process."}
{"id": "PMID:1483464", "title": "Decreased stress inducibility of the HSP68 protein in a rat hepatoma variant clone.", "content": "Analysis of the stress response of closely related rat hepatoma clones revealed that the major inducible heat-shock protein 68 (HSP68) was only slightly inducible upon stress in the glucocorticoid-resistant, dedifferentiated clone-2 cells, but strongly activated in the differentiated, glucocorticoid-sensitive Faza 967 cells from which clone 2 was derived. The decreased inducibility of HSP68 in clone-2 cells was not the consequence of altered kinetics of protein synthesis recovery, was not correlated with the deficient inducibility of other major heat-shock proteins and had no effect on the heat sensitivity of the cells. This deficiency was observed after treatment with mild and strong heat and various chemicals. The results of nuclear run-on experiments suggested that the impairment of HSP68 mRNA induction most likely occurs at the transcriptional level and is probably specific for the corresponding gene. In Faza 967 and clone-2 cells, stress activated comparable levels of heat-shock-factor binding to the heat-shock element, and the expression of a reporter gene under the control of murine HSP70.1 promoter was strongly stimulated in both cells. Therefore, our results raise the possibility that the deficient stress inducibility of HSP68 is due to some specific regulation of the endogeneous HSP68 gene, rather than to a deficiency of the heat-shock factor or mutation of the corresponding gene."}
{"id": "PMID:1483465", "title": "A chick skeletal-muscle alpha-actinin gene gives rise to two alternatively spliced isoforms which differ in the EF-hand Ca(2+)-binding domain.", "content": "A chick non-muscle alpha-actinin cDNA probe encoding the EF-hand region of molecule was used to screen a lambda gt10 chick brain cDNA library from 14-day embryos. A partial 2.1-kb alpha-actinin cDNA was isolated (8W cDNA) which encoded a protein identical to chick skeletal-muscle alpha-actinin, except in the C-terminal part of the first EF hand. In the variant, the 22 residues found in the skeletal-muscle isoform were replaced by a stretch of 26 unique residues. Analysis of the structure of the skeletal-muscle alpha-actinin gene showed that the region of divergence was encoded by two exons which are alternatively spliced. Quantitative reverse transcriptase/polymerase chain reaction (RT/PCR) was used to investigate the levels of the alpha-actinin transcripts in various tissues. The skeletal-muscle alpha-actinin variant was expressed at low levels in brain, liver and spleen, but could not be detected in skeletal muscle. Surprisingly, skeletal-muscle alpha-actinin mRNA was also expressed in brain, liver and spleen. The RT/PCR products were authenticated by using diagnostic restriction enzyme sites and by sequencing. The splice variant derived from the skeletal-muscle alpha-actinin gene was also detected in a variety of cDNA libraries from both adult and embryonic tissues by PCR. Although a transcript encoding this alpha-actinin splice variant is expressed in non-muscle tissues, neither of the two EF-hands would be predicted to be functional, making it unlikely to be a typical non-muscle isoform which are calcium-sensitive with respect to binding actin. The two vertebrate non-muscle alpha-actinins sequenced to date also have a spacer of five amino acids between the two EF hands, whereas in the variant, the spacer is just four residues in length. Further analysis will be required before this alpha-actinin isoform, which we refer to as SKv, can be classified as muscle or non-muscle alpha-actinin. We propose a new nomenclature to describe the various alpha-actinin genes and their transcripts."}
{"id": "PMID:1483466", "title": "A mutant Kex2 enzyme with a C-terminal HDEL sequence releases correctly folded human insulin-like growth factor-1 from a precursor accumulated in the yeast endoplasmic reticulum.", "content": "Mutations in the pro region of the yeast DNA hybrid of prepro-alpha-factor and human insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) cause the accumulation, in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, of an unglycosylated precursor protein where the pre sequence is missing. The prepro sequence of the prepro-alpha-factor consists of a pre or signal sequence and a proregion which possesses three sites for N-glycosylation. Isolation of a precursor, where the pro region is still linked to IGF-1 through a pair of dibasic amino acid residues, implies that the polypeptide may have translocated into the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) but has not been processed by the Golgi membrane-bound Kex2 endoprotease. However, the lack of any N-glycosylation in the translocated polypeptide is surprising. The mutated pro region, can be processed, in vitro, by treatment with a soluble form of the Kex2 enzyme. It is also possible to release the pro region, in vivo, by coexpressing a mutant Kex2 protease which is partially retained in the ER with the help of the C-terminal tetrapeptide sequence, HDEL. The mature IGF-1, which is secreted from the intracellular pool of precursor proteins, is predominantly an active, monomeric molecule, corroborating observations that early removal of the pro region before folding in the ER helps to prevent aberrant intermolecular disulfide-bond formation in IGF-1. These results have revealed the utility of the ER-retained Kex2 enzyme as a novel in vivo biochemical tool."}
{"id": "PMID:1483467", "title": "Cardiolipin liposomes sequester a reactivatable partially folded rhodanese intermediate.", "content": "The interaction was studied between the mitochondrial enzyme thiosulfate sulfurtransferase and liposomes, in the form of large unilamellar vesicles (LUV), prepared from either cardiolipin (CL), PtdCho or PtdSer. At equivalent concentrations of lipid, more partially folded thiosulfate sulfurtransferase bound to CL/LUV than to PtdSer/LUV, and only traces were bound to PtdCho/LUV. Native thiosulfate sulfurtransferase did not bind to any of these LUV. We show that CL/LUV-sequestered thiosulfate sulfurtransferase is inactive but may be reactivated (approximately 56%) with the aid of detergents, thiosulfate, beta-mercaptoethanol and phosphate buffer. Reactivations in the presence of PtdSer/LUV or PtdCho/LUV was only 9% or 1%, respectively. Analysis of the complex by protease digestion and fluorescence spectroscopy indicated that thiosulfate sulfurtransferase was held by CL/LUV and PtdSer/LUV as a folding intermediate. Data presented here suggest that detergents may not interact directly with the protein, but, rather, their primary role in reactivation is to disrupt the LUV, allowing flexibility to the anchored thiosulfate sulfurtransferase molecule, thereby promoting folding. These studies complement other reports which imply a possible role for CL in protein translocation across the mitochondria, since we find that CL binds to thiosulfate sulfurtransferase and sequesters it in a translocation-competent prefolded conformation, which may readily lead to a correctly folded enzyme."}
{"id": "PMID:1483468", "title": "Amino-acid sequence and cell-adhesion activity of a fibril-forming collagen from the tube worm Riftia pachyptila living at deep sea hydrothermal vents.", "content": "We have determined the amino acid sequence of the alpha chain of a fibril-forming collagen from the body wall of the marine invertebrate Riftia pachyptila (vestimentifera) by Edman degradation. The pepsin-solubilized collagen chain consists of a 1011-residue triple-helical domain and short remnants of N- and C-telopeptides. The triple-helical sequence showed one imperfection of the collagen Gly-Xaa-Yaa triplet repeat structure due to a Gly-->Ala substitution. This imperfection is correlated to a prominent kink in the molecule observed by electron microscopy. No strong sequence similarity was found with the fibril-forming vertebrate collagen types I-III, V and XI except for the invariant Gly residues. However, one of the two consensus cross-linking sequences was well conserved. The Riftia collagen shared with the vertebrate collagens many post-translational modifications. About 50% of the Pro and Lys residues are found in the Yaa position and were extensively hydroxylated to 4-hydroxyproline (4Hyp) and hydroxylysine (Hyl). A few proline residues in Xaa position were partially hydroxylated to either 4Hyp or 3Hyp. Despite the low sequence similarity, Riftia collagen was a potent adhesion substrate for two human cell lines. Cell adhesion could be inhibited by antibodies against the integrin beta 1 subunit but not by RGD peptides. This biological activity is apparently conserved in fibril-forming collagens of distantly related species but does not require the two RGD sequences present in Riftia collagen."}
{"id": "PMID:1483469", "title": "Single-stranded DNA binding protein from calf thymus. Purification, properties, and stimulation of the homologous DNA-polymerase-alpha-primase complex.", "content": "A binding protein for single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) was purified from calf thymus to near homogeneity by chromatography on DEAE-cellulose, blue-Sepharose, ssDNA-cellulose and FPLC Mono Q. The most purified fraction consisted of four polypeptides with molecular masses of 70, 55, 30, and 11 kDa. The polypeptide with the molecular mass of 55 kDa is most likely a degraded form of the largest polypeptide. The complex migrated as a whole on both glycerol gradient ultracentrifugation (s = 5.1 S) and gel filtration (Stokes' radius approximately 5.1 nm). Combining these data indicates a native molecular mass of about 110 kDa, which is in accord with a 1:1:1 stoichiometry for the 70 + 55/30/11-kDa complex. The ssDNA binding protein (SSB) covered approximately 20-25 nucleotides on M13mp8 ssDNA, as revealed from both band shift experiments and DNase I digestion studies. The homologous DNA-polymerase-alpha-primase complex was stimulated by the ssDNA binding protein 1.2-fold on poly(dA).(dT)14 and 10-13-fold on singly primed M13mp8 DNA. Stimulation was mainly due to facilitated DNA synthesis through stable secondary structures, as demonstrated by the vanishing of many, but not all, pausing sites. Processivity of polymerase-primase was not affected on poly(dA).(dT)14; with poly(dT).(rA)10 an approximately twofold increase in product lengths was observed when SSB was present. The increase was attributed to a facilitated rebinding of polymerase alpha to an already finished DNA fragment rather than to an enhancement of the intrinsic processivity of the polymerase. Similarly, products 300-600 nucleotides long were formed on singly primed M13 DNA in the presence of SSB, in contrast to 20-120 nucleotides when SSB was absent. DNA-primase-initiated DNA replication on M13 DNA was inhibited by SSB in a concentration-dependent manner. However, with less sites available to begin with RNA priming, more homogeneous products were formed."}
{"id": "PMID:1483470", "title": "Effect of actin on the tryptic digestion of myosin subfragment 1 in the weakly attached state.", "content": "The structure of myosin subfragment 1 (S1) in the weakly attached complex with actin was studied at three specific sites, at the 50-kDa/20-kDa and 27-kDa/50-kDa junctions, and at the N-terminal region, using tryptic digestion as a structure-exploring tool. The structure of S1 at the vicinity of the 50-kDa/20-kDa junction is pH dependent in the weakly attached state because the tryptic cleavage at this site was fully protected by actin at pH 6.2, but the protection was only partial at pH 8.0. Since the actin protection is complete in rigor at both pH values, the results indicate that the structure of S1 at the 50-kDa/20-kDa junction differs in the two states at pH 8.0, but not at pH 6.2. Actin restores the ADP-suppressed tryptic cleavage after Lys213 at the 27-kDa/50-kDa junction in the strongly attached state, but not in the weakly attached state, which indicates structural difference between the two states at this site. ATP and ADP open a new site for tryptic cleavage in the N-terminal region of the S1 heavy chain between Arg23 and Ile24. Actin was found to suppress this cleavage in both weakly and strongly attached states, which shows that, in the vicinity of this site, the structure of S1 is similar in both states. The results indicate that the binding of S1 to actin induces localized changes in the S1 structure, and the extent of these changes is different in the various actin-S1 complexes."}
{"id": "PMID:1483471", "title": "Determination of the three-dimensional solution structure of the histidine-containing phosphocarrier protein HPr from Escherichia coli using multidimensional NMR spectroscopy.", "content": "We recorded several types of heteronuclear three-dimensional (3D) NMR spectra on 15N-enriched and 13C/15N-enriched histidine-containing phosphocarrier protein, HPr, to extend the backbone assignments [van Nuland, N. A. J., van Dijk, A. A., Dijkstra, K., van Hoesel, F. H. J., Scheek, R. M. & Robillard, G. T. (1992) Eur. J. Biochem, 203, 483-491] to the side-chain 1H,15N and 13C resonances. From both 3D heteronuclear 1H-NOE 1H-13C and 1H-NOE 1H-15N multiple-quantum coherence (3D-NOESY-HMQC) and two-dimensional (2D) homonuclear NOE spectra, more than 1200 NOE were identified and used in a step-wise structure refinement process using distance geometry and restrained molecular dynamics involving a number of new features. A cluster of nine structures, each satisfying the set of NOE restraints, resulted from this procedure. The average root-mean-square positional difference for the C alpha atoms is less than 0.12 nm. The secondary structure topology of the molecule is that of an open-face beta sandwich formed by four antiparallel beta strands packed against three alpha helices, resembling the recently published structure of Bacillus subtilis HPr, determined by X-ray crystallography [Herzberg, O., Reddy, P., Sutrina, S., Saier, M. H., Reizer, J. & Kapafia, G. (1992) Proc. Natl, Acad. Sci. USA 89, 2499-2503)."}
{"id": "PMID:1483472", "title": "The uncoupling protein from brown adipose tissue mitochondria. The environment of the tryptophan residues as revealed by quenching of the intrinsic fluorescence.", "content": "The uncoupling protein from brown adipose tissue is a member of the family of metabolite carriers of the mitochondrial inner membrane. It contains two tryptophan residues which have been characterized by fluorescence spectroscopy. Application of fluorescence-quenching-resolved spectroscopy (FQRS) allowed the determination of the emission maximum for each residue, both of which occur at 332 nm, thus suggesting that they are both located in a non-polar environment. Fluorescence quenching has demonstrated that both residues are accessible to acrylamide and inaccessible to Cs+, while only one of them is accessible to I-. When FQRS is combined with guanidinium hydrochloride denaturation, the unfolding of the regions containing each tryptophan can be monitored separately as they are transferred to the polar medium where the emission maximum appears at 359 nm, revealing also that the iodide-accessible residue is more sensitive to the denaturant. Secondary structure predictions, together with the data presented here, suggest that the iodide-accessible residue could correspond to Trp173 and the denaturant-resistant iodide-inaccessible one to Trp280, located in the center of the sixth transmembrane alpha-helix. Interaction of the protein with GDP (a transport inhibitor) has been studied and has revealed that it partially shields Trp173 from the interaction with I-, as well as reducing the static component of the acrylamide quenching."}
{"id": "PMID:1483473", "title": "Sequence-specific 1H-NMR assignment and determination of the secondary structure of bovine heart fatty-acid-binding protein.", "content": "The nearly complete sequence-specific 1H resonance assignment of the pI = 4.9 isoform of cytosolic 15-kDa fatty-acid-binding protein from bovine heart (H-FABPc) by homonuclear two-dimensional NMR spectroscopy is presented. Regular secondary structure elements were identified from NOE spectra and the sequence locations of slowly exchanging backbone amide protons. The molecular structure of the protein was found to consist mainly of ten antiparallel beta-strands and two short alpha-helices. The data presented here for the first time for a hydrophobic molecule transporter of the fatty-acid-binding protein type is the basis for a complete tertiary structure determination currently in progress."}
{"id": "PMID:1483474", "title": "Conformation/activity studies of rationally designed potent anti-adhesive RGD peptides.", "content": "The Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) sequence is a universal cell-recognition site of various extracellular proteins that interact with integrin cell-surface receptors. In order to design low-molecular-mass RGD protein antagonists, the determination of the biologically active conformation is a prerequisite. We present a method that yields detailed insight into the steric factors which govern the binding of the ligands to their receptors by systematically scanning the conformational space accessible for the tripeptide sequence RGD. The investigation is based on the conformationally controlled design of homodetic cyclic oligopeptides and their structural determination, coupled with biological assays. For this purpose, a whole set of cyclic pentapeptides and hexapeptides has been synthesized and their three-dimensional structures in solution analyzed by modern two-dimensional NMR techniques in combination with restrained and free molecular dynamics simulations. Their biological activity was compared with that of linear GRGDS in inhibition assays of tumor cell adhesion to laminin P1 and vitronectin substrates. An up to 100-fold, and in part selective, increase in activity was observed for two cyclic pentapeptides. Most other peptides showed a decreased activity which, however, was useful to correlate activity with rather small variations in conformation. Detailed comparative studies of the systematically designed conformations and the corresponding anti-adhesive activities offer an access to lead structures for a rational indirect drug design of peptide and peptidomimetic pharmaceuticals with strong interfering activity for integrin-mediated cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions."}
{"id": "PMID:1483475", "title": "Molecular analysis of the protein-protein interaction between the E9 immunity protein and colicin E9.", "content": "The specificity-determining region of the colicin E9 immunity protein (Im9) for its interaction with its cognate E colicin has been localized to residues 16-43 of the 86-amino-acid protein by the use of gene fusions. A comparison of the alignment of residues in this region of the Im2, Im8 and Im9 proteins have identified nine candidate specificity-determining residues. Using site-directed mutagenesis, we have changed each of these residues in the Im9 protein to the residue found in the same position in the Im8 protein. The immunity phenotype conferred by the mutant immunity protein was then tested. Of the nine residues, only one (Val34 to Asp) showed any evidence of conferring immunity to colicin E8. Changing other residues in the specificity-determining region to the equivalent Im8 residue did not affect the phenotype conferred by the mutant protein, with the exception of the change of Val37 to Glu, which resulted in low-level E8 immunity. While the substitutions at positions 34 and 37 of the Im9 protein introduced immunity towards ColE8, they did not diminish the immunity towards ColE9, suggesting that the two immunity proteins may have a common specificity framework which can be modified by single mutations. In addition, we have used chemical modification of the unique cysteine residue of Im9 (Cys23) in order to probe further this specificity-determining region. Cys23 in the purified Im9 protein is accessible to modification with the thiol-specific reagent 5,5'-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoic acid) and the stoichiometry of labelling is close to 1:1. This residue, however, cannot be labelled by 5,5'-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoic acid) when the Im9 protein is complexed to colicin E9. This result is consistent with the Cys23 residue being buried in the complex. However, when the purified Im9 protein modified at Cys23 with a variety of reagents was used in DNase inhibition assays with colicin E9, the modified Im9 proteins still possessed anti-DNase activity but only up to a certain derivative molecular mass. These results are discussed in terms of the proximity of Cys23 to the specificity-determining region."}
{"id": "PMID:1483476", "title": "The primary structure of piscine (Oncorhynchus mykiss) retinol-binding protein and a comparison with the three-dimensional structure of mammalian retinol-binding protein.", "content": "1. The primary structures of two variants of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) plasma retinol-binding protein (RBP) were determined and found to be approximately 60% identical with those of both human and Xenopus laevis RBPs. The comparable sequence similarities that we have found agree with the estimate of similar divergence times between bony fishes and mammals and between bony fishes and amphibians. The two piscine RBP variants differ by six amino acid substitutions at positions that are not crucial for the interaction with retinol, on the basis of the human RBP three-dimensional structure [Cowan, S. W., Newcomer, M. E. & Jones, T. A. (1990) Proteins Struct. Func. Genet. 8, 44-61]. 2. Models were developed for the three-dimensional structures of rainbow trout and X. laevis RBPs, based on that of human RBP. The overall three-dimensional structure appears to be very well preserved for RBPs isolated from vertebrate species for which the divergence time is 350-400 million years. At variance with an almost absolute conservation for the residues that participate in the formation of the retinol binding site in mammalian RBPs, several amino acid replacements are found for this part of the RBP molecule when the comparison is extended to piscine and amphibian RBPs. However, the only allowed amino acid replacements are either conservative or more than 0.4 nm distant from retinol. Besides the retinol binding site, a few regions at the protein surface appear to be rather conserved during phylogenetic development of vertebrates and, therefore, might be involved in molecular interactions."}
{"id": "PMID:1483477", "title": "Biochemical characterization of single-chain chimeric plasminogen activators consisting of a single-chain Fv fragment of a fibrin-specific antibody and single-chain urokinase.", "content": "K12G0S32 is a 57-kDa recombinant single-chain chimeric plasminogen activator consisting of scFv-K12Go, a single-chain variable-region antigen-binding fragment (Fv) of the monoclonal antibody MA-15C5, which is specific for fragment D-dimer of human cross-linked fibrin, and a low-molecular-mass (33 kDa) urokinase-type plasminogen activator (u-PA-33k) containing amino acids Ala132-Leu411 (Holvoet, P., Laroche, Y., Lijnen, H. R., Van Cauwenberghe, R., Demarsin, E., Brouwers, E., Matthyssens, G. & Collen D. (1991) J. Biol. Chem. 266, 19717-19724). In addition, the Arg156-Phe157 thrombin-cleavage site in the u-PA moiety of K12G0S32 is removed by substitution of Phe157 with Asp. In the present study, the fibrinolytic potency of K12G0S32, determined in a system composed of a 125I-fibrin-labeled human plasma clot submerged in citrated plasma, was found to be only twofold higher than that of intact single-chain u-Pa (rscu-PA), but 17-fold higher than that of rscu-PA(M), a variant of rscu-PA in which the thrombin-cleavage site was removed by substitution of Phe157 with Asp. The fibrinolytic potency of K12G0S32T, with an intact thrombin-cleavage site, was 6-15-fold higher than that of rscu-PA. Conversion of 1 microM single-chain K12G0S32 or rscu-PA(M) into their two-chain derivatives with plasmin occurred at a rate of 1.0 +/- 0.15 nmol.min-1.nmol plasmin-1 and 0.85 +/- 0.074 nmol.min-1.nmol plasmin-1, compared to 14 +/- 2.3 nmol.min-1.nmol plasmin-1 and 18 +/- 2.6 nM.min-1.nmol plasmin-1 for K12G0S32T and rscu-PA, respectively. Purified fragment D-dimer of human cross-linked fibrin inhibited the fibrinolytic potency of single-chain K12G0S32T, but not of two-chain K12G0S32T, in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, the fibrinolytic potencies of two-chain K12G0S32 and K12G0S32T were not significantly higher than those of recombinant two-chain u-PA (rtcu-PA) or of rtcu-PA(M). These findings suggest that the 59-fold increase in fibrinolytic potency of K12G0S32T, relative to that of rscu-PA(M), is due both to targeting of the activator to the clot via the single-chain Fv fragment (sixfold increase) and to a more efficient conversion of single-chain K12G0S32T to its two-chain derivative (eightfold increase). Thus, targeting to clots by means of fibrin-specific antibodies results in a significant increase of the fibrinolytic potency of single-chain but not of two-chain u-PA.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1483478", "title": "Time-resolved fluorescence study of human recombinant interferon alpha 2. Association state of the protein, spatial proximity of the two tryptophan residues.", "content": "Human recombinant interferon alpha 2 belongs a to family of proteins active against a wide range of viruses. It contains two tryptophan residues located at positions 77 and 141 in the peptide sequence. The fluorescence emission spectrum of these tryptophan residues displays a maximum at 335 nm. The fluorescence intensity decay is described by one broad excited-state-lifetime population centered around a value of 1.7 ns (full width at half maximum, 1.5 ns). These observations suggest that in the native protein, both tryptophan residues emit from similar environments, not directly exposed to the surrounding solvent. The anisotropy decay is essentially biexponential. The correlation-time value characterizing the Brownian rotation of the protein varies linearly with the viscosity/temperature ratio. The calculated hydrodynamic volumes are compatible with the existence of a dimer and a tetramer, at pH 5.5 and 9.4, respectively. Addition of urea at pH 5.5 disrupts the dimer and modifies to some extent the excited-state-lifetime distribution which becomes more heterogeneous. Disulfide-bond reduction also dissociates the dimer and leads to a highly heterogeneous fluorescence-intensity decay with four excited-state-lifetime populations. An opening of the local structure in the Trp region of the protein is likely to occur in these conditions. The fast-anisotropy-decay components can be due to either fast rotation or energy transfer between the indoles. Close proximity of the two Trp residues (less than 1 nm) is suggested from steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence-anisotropy measurements in vitrified medium [95% (by mass) glycerol at -38 degrees C]. This suggestion is in agreement with the recently published three-dimensional structure of the homologous protein murine interferon beta [Senda, T., Shimazu, T., Matsuda, S. Kawano, G., Shimizu, H., Nakamura, K. T. & Mitsui, Y. (1992) EMBO J. 11, 3193-3201]."}
{"id": "PMID:1483479", "title": "The hemoglobins of Notothenia angustata, a temperate fish belonging to a family largely endemic to the Antarctic Ocean.", "content": "The blood of the teleost Notothenia angustata contains a major hemoglobin (Hb 1, over 95% of the total), accompanied by a minor component (Hb 2). The two hemoglobins have identical beta chains and differ in their alpha chains. The primary structure of both hemoglobins has been established through the elucidation of the complete amino acid sequence of the three chains. The study of the oxygen-binding properties shows that Hb 1 displays the Bohr and Root effects and has high affinity for organic phosphates. N. angustata belongs to the family Nototheniidae, suborder Notothenioidei. Unlike the vast majority of nototheniid species, which live in isolation in the Antarctic Ocean and have developed cold adaptation, N. angustata inhabits the waters of southern New Zealand and is not cold adapted. Although some hematological parameters typically favour oxygen transport in a temperate environment, the hemoglobin multiplicity and structural and functional features closely resemble those of the Antarctic species of the same family and suborder. Thus, N. angustata may be considered as a link between temperate and Antarctic habitats. The hypothetical separation history of N. angustata from the Antarctic species of the same family is discussed in the light of the present findings."}
{"id": "PMID:1483480", "title": "Salt dependence, kinetic properties and catalytic mechanism of N-formylmethanofuran:tetrahydromethanopterin formyltransferase from the extreme thermophile Methanopyrus kandleri.", "content": "N-Formylmethanofuran(CHO-MFR):tetrahydromethanopterin(H4MPT) formyltransferase (formyltransferase) from the extremely thermophilic Methanopyrus kandleri was purified over 100-fold to apparent homogeneity with a 54% yield. The monomeric enzyme had an apparent molecular mass of 35 kDa. The N-terminal amino acid sequence of the polypeptide was determined. The formyltransferase was found to be absolutely dependent on the presence of phosphate or sulfate salts for activity. The ability of salts to activate the enzyme decreased in the order K2HPO4 > (NH4)2SO4 > K2SO4 > Na2SO4 > Na2HPO4. The salts KCl, NaCl and NH4Cl did not activate the enzyme. The dependence of activity on salt concentration showed a sigmoidal curve. For half-maximal activity, 1 M K2HPO4 and 1.2 M (NH4)2SO4 were required. A detailed kinetic analysis revealed that phosphates and sulfates both affected the Vmax rather than the Km for CHO-MFR and H4MPT. At the optimal salt concentration and at 65 degrees C, the Vmax was 2700 U/mg (1 U = 1 mumol/min), the Km for CHO-MFR was 50 microM and the Km for H4MPT was 100 microM. At 90 degrees C, the temperature optimum of the enzyme, the Vmax was about 2.5-fold higher than at 65 degrees C. Thermostability as well as activity of formyltransferase was dramatically increased in the presence of salts, 1.5 M being required for optimal stabilization. The efficiency of salts in protecting formyltransferase from heat inactivation at 90 degrees C decreased in the order K2HPO4 = (NH4)2SO4 >> KCl = NH4Cl = NaCl >> Na2SO4 > Na2HPO4. The catalytic mechanism of formyltransferase was determined to be of the ternary-complex type. The properties of the enzyme from M. kandleri are compared with those of formyltransferase from Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum, Methanosarcina barkeri and Archaeoglobus fulgidus."}
{"id": "PMID:1483481", "title": "Expression and secretion of wheat germ agglutinin by Saccharomyces cerevisiae.", "content": "Genes encoding pre-protein and prepro-protein of wheat germ agglutinin isolectin 2 (WGA2) were chemically synthesized and expressed in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae under the control of the ENO1 promoter. Yeast harboring either a pre-WGA2 or a prepro-WGA2 gene expression plasmid secreted a mature form of WGA2 into the culture medium. The amount of WGA2 secreted by the strain KS58-2Ddel, which has a ssl1 mutation causing a supersecretion of human lysozyme [Suzuki, K., Ichikawa, K. & Jigami, Y. (1989) Mol. Gen. Genet. 219, 58-64], was 20-fold greater than that secreted by the wild-type strain KK4. The recombinant WGA2 from the cells containing the prepro-WGA2 gene expression plasmid was purified to homogeneity by a three-step ion-exchange chromatography scheme. As in wheat, the N-terminal signal peptide of recombinant WGA2 purified from yeast culture was processed to form an N-terminal 5-oxoprolyl (pyroglutamyl) residue. Likewise, we found that the C-terminal pro-region of recombinant WGA2 had also been processed in yeast. Using electrospray ionization mass spectrometry, we found the processed C-terminus to be heterogeneous in both recombinant WGA2 purified from yeast and in authentic WGA2. The major component of the recombinant WGA2 contained two additional amino acids at its C-terminus compared to that of authentic WGA2. In spite of this difference in the C-terminus, the recombinant WGA2 exhibited a sugar binding activity that was indistinguishable from that of authentic WGA2."}
{"id": "PMID:1483482", "title": "Large intercommunity difference in cardiovascular drug consumption: relation to mortality, risk factors and socioeconomic differences.", "content": "A comparison of cardiovascular drug sales and cardiovascular mortality was made between two Swedish counties (V\u00e4rmland and Malm\u00f6hus) and between two rural municipalities in those counties (Torsby in V\u00e4rmland and H\u00f6rby in Malm\u00f6hus). Cardiovascular drug sales (defined daily doses (DDD) per 1,000 inhabitants per day) during 1986-87 were 25% higher in V\u00e4rmland than in Malm\u00f6hus county, and the age-standardized mortality of coronary heart disease (CHD) was 36% (men) and 54% (women) higher. In Torsby, age-standardized CHD mortality (1986-87) was 71% (both sexes) higher than in H\u00f6rby, and the sales of cardiovascular drugs (1978-87) were 58% higher. Statistically, every third inhabitant of Torsby took one DDD of a cardiovascular drug every day, as compared to every fifth inhabitant in H\u00f6rby. In Torsby there was a 6% higher serum cholesterol, 71% lower tap water hardness, 33% lower income, a lower educational level, a three-fold higher unemployment rate, and a different ethnic background (20% eastern Finnish ancestry), all factors assumed to promote a high CHD rate. All of these factors may contribute to the higher CHD mortality, which was in turn reflected in higher sales of cardiovascular drugs."}
{"id": "PMID:1483483", "title": "Flow resistance and its components in hypertensive men treated with the calcium antagonist isradipine.", "content": "The components of blood flow resistance were investigated in 14 men with essential hypertension (diastolic blood pressure higher or equal to 100 mm Hg) before and after treatment with the dihydropyridine calcium antagonist-isradipine. Isradipine reduced intraarterial blood pressure by decreasing the total (placebo 5.1 U.mPa-1.s-1; isradipine 3.9 U.mPa-1.s-1), and renal (placebo 48.9 U.mPa-1.s-1, isradipine 35.4 U.mPa-1.s-1) vascular hindrance, the blood viscosity being unchanged. Arterial compliance was increased by isradipine (placebo 1.03 ml.mmHg-1; isradipine 1,25 ml.mmHg-1). The pressor response to adrenergic alpha stimulation with phenylephrine was decreased during treatment with the calcium antagonist. The compliance of the venous system was not changed by the treatment with isradipine. Haemorheological parameters were stable throughout the study but some changes in the correlations between the different rheological parameters were observed. The present study indicates that the antihypertensive effect of the dihydropyridine calcium antagonist isradipine was the result of functional modulation of the small and large arteries, the venous system and the flow properties of blood being unaffected."}
{"id": "PMID:1483484", "title": "Portal pressure, renal function and hormonal profile after acute and chronic captopril treatment in cirrhosis.", "content": "The acute effects of captopril in cirrhosis are well known but there are few descriptions of the pattern of response to chronic administration of captopril in this disease. Nine nonuraemic cirrhotic patients with ascites and portal hypertension were studied after 1 week on fixed sodium and water intake (balance diet) and following acute and chronic treatment with captopril (three doses of 25 mg every 30 min and 75 mg.day-1 for three weeks, respectively). Whilst on the balance diet, 7/9 patients were unable to excrete the amount of sodium ingested. After the acute administration of captopril, a significant reduction was seen in arterial blood pressure (86.9 vs 77 mm Hg), with no change in the intra-hepatic pressures (free suprahepatic pressure, FSHP: 15.0 vs 12.1 mm Hg and wedged suprahepatic pressure, WSHP: 22.9 vs 20.7 mm Hg). After chronic captopril treatment, a drop was observed in portal pressure (FSHP: 9.4 mm Hg and WSHP 18.8 mm Hg, NS) and the arterial pressure returned to its basal level. The plasma aldosterone concentration decreased, whilst noradrenaline and dopamine increased significantly, the latter more than the former, leading to a reduction in the noradrenaline/dopamine ratio (14.5 vs 5.0). Seven out of nine patients showed enhanced natriuresis and the remaining two, who previously had had a positive sodium balance failed to do so. These haemodynamic, hormonal and renal changes were interpreted as evidence of blockade of angiotensin II generation by captopril, and also as a homoeostatic response by the sympathetic nervous system."}
{"id": "PMID:1483485", "title": "Objective evidence for tolerance, against a background of improvement, during maintenance therapy with controlled release levodopa/carbidopa.", "content": "We have investigated whether the potential benefits of a controlled release formulation of levodopa (200 mg)/carbidopa (50 mg), Sinemet CR, are realised during maintenance therapy. Eight sufferers from idiopathic Parkinsonism, mean age 69.9 y, were studied: all exhibited \"end of dose\" effect within 4 h of a dose of their maintenance therapy with levodopa (100 mg)/carbidopa (25 mg) in a conventional release formulation, Sinemet Plus. They received, in random order, initial single dose challenges with one tablet of Sinemet Plus, one and two tablets of Sinemet CR and placebo alone, each on a separate day. After a mean of 21 weeks on maintenance therapy with Sinemet CR, subsequent single dose challenges with Sinemet CR and placebo were made. Objective measures of performance and blood sampling for assay of plasma concentrations of levodopa and the major peripheral metabolite, 3-0-methyldopa (30MD) were carried out immediately before (10.00 h) and serially until 6 h after each challenge. The overall mean stride length was significantly greater in relation to the subsequent (679 mm) than the initial (517 mm) placebo challenge. Moreover, stride length immediately before the challenges was significantly greater on the subsequent occasions. Improved performance, also seen for free walking speed, was not explained by plasma levodopa or 30MD concentrations. In the initial challenges, the mean increment in stride length achieved by active treatment, as compared with placebo, did not differ significantly between the one (210 mm) and two (235 mm) tablet doses of Sinemet CR: a maximal response had been obtained.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1483486", "title": "Effect of treatment at night with S-1452, a thromboxane A2 receptor antagonist, on the morning rise in platelet aggregation.", "content": "It is well known that platelet aggregation shows a morning rise, which may contribute to the increase in the onset of ischaemic heart diseases during the morning period. The present study was undertaken to determine whether nocturnal dosage with S-1452, a thromboxane A2 receptor antagonist, would blunt the morning rise in platelet aggregability. S-1452 50 mg or placebo were given orally to 8 healthy subjects at 10.00 h (day trial) or 22.00 h (night trial) according to a cross-over design. Plasma concentrations of S-1452 and its metabolites, bisnor-(+)-S-145 and tetranor-(+)-S-145, and platelet aggregation were determined during the 12-hour period following the dose. Mean plasma concentrations of S-1452, bisnor-(+)-S-145 and tetranor-(+)-S-145 during the absorption phase were lower after the nocturnal dose than after the morning dose. The maximum plasma concentration and area under the plasma concentration-time curve of the compounds were also lower and the time to the maximum concentration were delayed after the treatment at night. A morning rise in platelet aggregation was observed following placebo treatment. The inhibitory effect of S-1452 on platelet aggregation was observed at 3 hours and persisted for up to 9 h in both trials. The results suggest that S-1452 is absorbed more slowly after the nocturnal dose than after the morning dose. However nocturnal treatment with 50 mg S-1452 may blunt the morning rise in platelet aggregability."}
{"id": "PMID:1483487", "title": "Influence of food on the tyramine pressor effect during chronic moclobemide treatment of healthy volunteers.", "content": "An open study was carried out to examine the effect of moclobemide, a new antidepressant reversible inhibitor of MAO-A, on the pressor response induced by oral tyramine added to meals of different lipid and protein composition, and to correlate the blood pressure increase in the tyramine test with that obtained during an exercise test. Eight healthy volunteers of both sexes participated in the study. A tyramine sensitivity and an exercise test were performed beforehand. Subjects were included if, under fasting condition, their systolic blood pressure (SBP) increased by more than 30 mmHg after administration of 400 or 600 mg tyramine. Exercise tests were performed to determine the grade of effort that corresponded to a rise in SBP of 30 mmHg. Subjects received moclobemide 600 mg/d. Starting on Day 7, each subject consumed a standardized meal (52 g lipids, 43 g proteins, 86 g carbohydrates) just before taking moclobemide. Tyramine was added to these meals in daily increasing doses of 50, 100, 150...mg until an increase in SBP > or = 30 mmHg was obtained. On moclobemide treatment, an average dose of 250 mg tyramine (range 150-400 mg) increased SBP by 36.6 mmHg. The time to reach peak SBP was longer (175 min) than in the fasting condition before the trial (40.6 min).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1483488", "title": "Quantification of tissue distribution of antibiotics by kinetic hysteresis analysis.", "content": "Distribution of antibiotics can be described by kinetic hysteresis analysis when concentrations are measured in the serum and an extravascular sampling site. By calculating the area of the hysteresis loop (a simple formula is presented), the relative amount of drug transferred to an extravascular site can be quantified. With this approach, changes in disposition characteristics can be evaluated under various pathophysiological conditions. In addition, a specific distribution coefficient may be derived for any drug when different dose levels are studied under identical conditions. Kinetic hysteresis analysis overcomes the drawback of conventional compartment model pharmacokinetic analysis, since no simultaneous fitting of two different concentration-time courses is feasible."}
{"id": "PMID:1483489", "title": "Penetration of tinidazole into skin blister fluid following its oral administration.", "content": "Plasma and skin blister fluid concentrations of tinidazole following a single oral dose of 2 g drug, and after multiple doses of 0.25 g every 12 h, were determined. Skin blisters were produced by direct application of 0.25% cantharidin ointment to the skin. The maximum concentration in plasma of about 36 mg.l-1 was observed after about 2 h, whereas in skin blister fluid the peak occurred after about 6 h and was 30 mg.l-1. The half-life in plasma was slightly shorter than in blister fluid at 17 and 19 h, respectively, but the difference was not significant. The penetration of tinidazole into cantharidin-induced skin blister fluid, defined according to Wise as the ratio of the AUCs in blister fluid and plasma was 1.00. During routine treatment with tinidazole (0.25 g every 12 h), the concentrations in plasma and blister fluid collected before and 3 h after the morning dose exceeded the minimal inhibitory concentrations for susceptible pathogens. The results provide a pharmacokinetic basis for the proven efficacy of tinidazole in the treatment of protozoal and anaerobic infections."}
{"id": "PMID:1483490", "title": "Intracolonic bioavailability of human calcitonin in man.", "content": "Human calcitonin (hCT) injected into the lumen of the descending colon of normal human subjects was absorbed within minutes and could be recognized intact in plasma as shown by RIA in combination with reverse-phase HPLC. The absorption was low and variable, with bioavailabilities ranging from 0.01% to 2.7% relative to intravenously administered hCT (area under the concentration-time curve). With intravenous hCT serum calcium was lowered and the fractional urinary excretion of calcium, phosphorus, sodium and chloride was significantly stimulated. With the intracolonic hCT, the fractional urinary excretions of calcium, sodium and chloride were also marginally stimulated relative to intracolonic vehicle (placebo). In conclusion, hCT is absorbed intact from the colon, but the bioavailability is low and highly variable."}
{"id": "PMID:1483491", "title": "Human pharmacokinetics of an analogue of atrial natriuretic factor.", "content": "The pharmacokinetics of ANP-270, a 26 amino acid analogue of alpha human natriuretic factor (alpha-hANF) with a prolonged effect on isolated arterial preparations, has been studied in 40 healthy males, in a double-blind placebo controlled investigation. Placebo or ANP-270 0.3, 1.5 or 3.0 micrograms/kg were given by intravenous bolus injection, each to groups of 10 subjects. Blood samples were assayed for ANP-270 by a specific sandwich ELISA. The disappearance of ANP-270 from plasma followed a two-compartment decay, with mean distribution and elimination half-lives of 2.6 min (n = 30) and 10.6 min (n = 20), respectively. These estimates were similar to those obtained by other investigators for alpha-hANF. Their brevity explains the lack of a prolonged effect of ANP-270 in vivo compared to alpha-hANF."}
{"id": "PMID:1483492", "title": "Menstrual cycle effects on caffeine elimination in the human female.", "content": "Increases in the levels of sex steroids due to pregnancy or oral contraceptive steroid use are known to decrease significantly the rate at which caffeine is eliminated from the body. An investigation has now been made into whether the changes in sex steroid levels that occur during normal menstrual cycling also affect the rate of caffeine elimination, especially whether hormonal shifts in the luteal phase are associated with slower elimination of caffeine. Repeated 24-hour caffeine elimination studies were conducted during the follicular and luteal phases of the menstrual cycle in 10 healthy women. Comparisons of the follicular and luteal phases revealed that systemic clearance of caffeine was slower in the luteal phase, although the t1/2 did not differ. The slowing effect was related to the proximity to onset of menstruation and to levels of progesterone. The evidence suggests that caffeine elimination may be slowed in the late luteal phase, prior to the onset of menstruation. Such a reduction would lead to increased accumulation of caffeine with repeated self-administration during the day, but the effect may be too small to be of clinical significance in the majority of women."}
{"id": "PMID:1483493", "title": "Exercise and the pharmacokinetics of propranolol, verapamil and atenolol.", "content": "The volumes of distribution of the beta-adrenoceptor blocking agents propranolol and atenolol, and the calcium antagonist verapamil, during exercise have been investigated. Changes in the plasma concentrations of atenolol and propranolol during exhaustive exercise at 70% of maximal aerobic power were compared after 1 week of oral treatment (propranolol 80 mg b.d. and atenolol 100 mg once daily) in 12 healthy volunteers. In a second study the effect of 10 min exercise at 50% of maximal aerobic power on steady state plasma concentrations of propranolol, atenolol and verapamil was compared in 7 healthy subjects. The drugs were administered by a continuous intravenous infusion. The plasma concentration of atenolol was not changed by exercise in either study, but the plasma concentrations of propranolol and verapamil were significantly increased in both studies. However, after correction for changes in plasma volume during exercise, the plasma propranolol concentration was not significantly elevated in the second study. From the results it is concluded that exercise led to a reduction in the volume of distribution of propranolol during prolonged exercise (25 min) at 70% Wmax, which was not clearly demonstrable during 10 min exercise at 50% Wmax. The volume of distribution of verapamil was reduced during 10 min exercise at 50% Wmax. No change in the volume of distribution of atenolol during exercise could be shown. The changes in the volumes of distribution of propranolol and verapamil during exercise may contribute to preventing an increase in the half-life of these drugs in patients performing prolonged physical exercise."}
{"id": "PMID:1483494", "title": "Serum concentration-effect relationship of (+/-)-nicardipine and nifedipine in elderly hypertensive patients.", "content": "The concentration-effect relationships of (+/-)-nicardipine and nifedipine have been investigated in hypertensive geriatric patients. Following a parallel group, randomised, double blind trial design, they received either slow release nifedipine 20 mg b.d. (n = 9) or slow release (+/-)-nicardipine 50 mg b.d. (n = 10) for 7 days. On Days 1 and 7 serum (+/-)-nicardipine and nifedipine, blood pressure and heart rate were measured 6 and 12 h after drug administration. (+/-)-Nicardipine showed significant cumulation (ca 2 x) without a corresponding decrease in blood pressure or increase in heart rate. Concentration-effect plots indicated that (+/-)-nicardipine was more potent than nifedipine but that it showed apparently comparable efficacy in reducing the blood pressure. Compared to young healthy volunteers, both drugs had a more pronounced effect in elderly patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1483495", "title": "Effect of propranolol on urinary prostaglandin E2 excretion and renal interlobar arterial blood flow after furosemide administration in patients with hepatic cirrhosis.", "content": "The effect of propranolol on furosemide-stimulated urinary prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) excretion and renal blood flow was evaluated in 12 patients with alcoholic liver cirrhosis. Plasma and urine were collected before and 60 min after furosemide 20 mgI with or without propranolol pretreatment, and plasma renin activity (PRA), plasma aldosterone concentration (PAC), urinary excretion of PGE2 and sodium were determined. The renal interlobar arterial Pulsatility Index (PI), as an index of resistance to blood flow, was also determined before and 60 min after furosemide administration with and without propranolol pretreatment, by using a duplex Doppler ultrasound (Hitachi EUB 565). Urine volume and sodium excretion after furosemide administration were not influenced by the propranolol pretreatment. Furosemide administration significantly increased urinary PGE2 excretion, PRA and PAC, and these effects were significantly reduced by propranolol. Furosemide administration with or without propranolol significantly reduced renal interlobar arterial PI, the average reduction in PI being significantly lower after furosemide administration with propranolol pretreatment. The results demonstrate that propranolol pretreatment significantly influenced the furosemide-induced increase in urinary PGE2 excretion and renal interlobar arterial blood flow in cirrhotic patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1483496", "title": "Pharmacokinetics of famotidine in patients with cirrhosis and ascites.", "content": "The pharmacokinetics of famotidine has been investigated in ascitic cirrhotic patients. 10 decompensated cirrhotic patients were studied (9m, 1f), who had normal renal function, and six healthy control subjects (4m, 2f), matched for age, sex and weight. Each subject received on two occasions, at least four days apart, a single oral (40 mg) or intravenous dose (20 mg) of famotidine, at 21.00 h in a randomised manner. Serial blood samples were collected and famotidine in plasma was determined by a HPLC/UV method. Plasma data were subjected to non compartmental pharmacokinetic analysis. There were no statistically significant differences in pharmacokinetic parameters between the two groups after either the intravenous or oral administration of famotidine. The findings suggest that the dose of famotidine may not require any adjustment in ascitic patients without renal failure."}
{"id": "PMID:1483497", "title": "Correlations between theophylline concentrations in plasma, erythrocytes and cantharides-induced blister fluid and peak expiratory flow in asthma patients.", "content": "Theophylline levels in plasma, erythrocytes and cantharides-induced blister fluid (BF) have been correlated with peak expiratory flow (PEF) in asthmatic patients. Nine asthmatic men received an IV infusion of 240 mg theophylline at a constant rate for 30 min. The theophylline concentrations in erythrocytes and blister fluid were 37% and 78% of those in plasma. There was not a strong correlation between erythrocyte or blister fluid penetration and the clinical effect of theophylline."}
{"id": "PMID:1483498", "title": "Effect of tetracycline on mefloquine pharmacokinetics in Thai males.", "content": "The kinetics of a single oral dose of mefloquine given either alone or with tetracycline has been studied in 20 healthy Thai male volunteers. There was a significantly higher maximum whole blood mefloquine concentration after coadministration with tetracycline (1600 vs 1160 ng.ml-1), as well as a significantly reduced terminal half-life (14.4 vs 19.3 days), mean residence time (11.9 vs 16.0 days) and volume of distribution at steady state (13.3 vs 19.9 1.kg-1). Although there was no significant change in the AUC from zero time to infinity, the AUC from zero time to 7 days was significantly increased by tetracycline (6.18 vs 4.76 micrograms.ml-1.day). The changes in mefloquine disposition after tetracycline treatment are probably due to a reduction in enterohepatic recycling. The initial increase in mefloquine AUC without an apparent increase in side-effects suggests that this combination may have a place in the treatment of multi-drug resistant falciparum malaria."}
{"id": "PMID:1483499", "title": "Image analysis of the lens opacities induced in developing chick embryo by glucocorticoid.", "content": "Glucocorticoid-induced cataracts in chick embryos were monitored by an image analysis system. Opacities in the lens visually showed a complex pattern with significant changes in the cortical and nuclear regions. An electronic image analyser produced an image in which contrast represented different zones of lens opacification in the frontal plane and documented objective lens findings such as the precise topography of the opacities, density and opacity measurements, geometric measurements of boundary surfaces and of regional areas. Parameters of lens clouding were evaluated quantitatively by measuring the optical density index and the area of the zones of clouding outlined with equi-densities. The light intensity standard graded different morphological areas of the lens into up to 256 grey levels. The data were entered and stored quantitatively into a computer. The lens images thus picked up by the TV camera and digitally stored in a frame buffer of the measuring system could be reliably transformed into a 2-D or 3-D picture of lens clouding. The approach demonstrated by the current study provides a sensitive and meaningful measure of cataractous changes for lens laboratory research."}
{"id": "PMID:1483500", "title": "Spatial buffering of extracellular potassium by M\u00fcller (glial) cells in the toad retina.", "content": "We examined the role of M\u00fcller (glial) cells in buffering light-evoked changes in extracellular K+ concentration, [K+]o, in the isolated retina of the toad, Bufo marinus. We found evidence for two opposing M\u00fcller cell current loops that are generated by a light-evoked increase in [K+]o in the inner plexiform layer. These current loops, which are involved in the generation of the M-wave of the electroretinogram (ERG), prevent the accumulation of K+ in the inner plexiform layer by transporting K+ both to vitreous and to distal retina. In addition, under dark-adapted conditions, we found evidence for a M\u00fcller cell current loop that is generated by a light-evoked decrease in [K+]o in the receptor layer. This current loop, which is involved in the generation of the slow PIII component of the ERG, helps to buffer the light-evoked decrease in [K+]o throughout distal retina by transporting K+ from vitreous. The spatial buffering fluxes of K+ can be abolished by blocking M\u00fcller cell K+ conductance with 200 microM Ba2+. The separate contributions of the M-wave and slow PIII currents to M\u00fcller cell spatial buffering were isolated by various pharmacological treatments that were designed to enhance or suppress light-evoked activity in specific retinal neurons. Our results show that M\u00fcller cell K+ currents not only buffer light-evoked increases in [K+]o, but also buffer light-evoked decreases in [K+]o, and thereby diminish any deleterious effects upon neuronal function that could arise in response to large changes in [K+]o in the plexiform layers. Moreover, our results emphasize that spatial buffering currents generate many components of the electroretinogram."}
{"id": "PMID:1483501", "title": "Age-dependent loss of the C-terminal amino acid from alpha crystallin.", "content": "Antiserum made against the C-terminal region of alpha-A crystallin was used to monitor the purification of a tryptic peptide containing the C-terminus of the molecule from fetal versus adult bovine lenses. Mass spectral analysis of the peptide preparations obtained from these lenses demonstrated the presence of a peptide (T20) containing an intact C-terminus from fetal lenses and the presence of an additional peptide (T20') from older lenses that contained a cleaved C-terminal serine. These results demonstrate an age-dependent processing of alpha-A crystallin in the bovine lens, resulting in removal of the C-terminal amino acid residue."}
{"id": "PMID:1483502", "title": "Retinal pigment epithelial cell transplantation in RCS rats: normal metabolism in rescued photoreceptors.", "content": "Photoreceptor cells in Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) rats with inherited retinal dystrophy can be rescued by the transplantation of normal, wild-type retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells, if done before photoreceptor cell death. In the present study, we have examined several metabolic features of rescued photoreceptors and transplanted RPE cells at 2.3-3.3 months after transplantation. Rescued photoreceptors with a structurally normal RPE interface showed a rod outer segment renewal rate similar to that of normal control rats of 2.2 microns day-1, as measured in autoradiograms. Rod outer segment disc shedding had values indistinguishable from those in normal controls, as measured by the number of phagosomes in the transplanted RPE cells both during the burst of disc shedding soon after the onset of light in the morning and during the middle of the light cycle when disc shedding is low. The interphotoreceptor matrix, which is synthesized by both photoreceptors and the RPE, was distributed normally in the regions where normal-appearing photoreceptors were present underlying normal, transplanted RPE cells. Thus, the rescued photoreceptors show normal metabolic rates and normal interactions with the RPE in each of the parameters examined. These findings, combined with the previous demonstration of opsin and Na+,K(+)-ATPase expression by the rescued photoreceptors, support our interpretation that the surviving, normal-appearing photoreceptors may function normally. Moreover, transplantation of normal RPE cells reversed pathological changes in the photoreceptors that had already occurred by the time of transplantation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1483503", "title": "Kinetic properties of the bovine corneal aldehyde dehydrogenase (BCP 54).", "content": "The major soluble protein of bovine cornea (BCP 54: bovine corneal protein 54 kDa) was isolated successively by gel filtration, anion-exchange chromatography and chromatofocusing. The amino acid sequence of a fragment of the purified BCP 54 obtained by lysyl-endopeptidase digestion showed marked homology with tumor-associated and 2,3,7,8-tetrachloro-dibenzo-p-dioxin-inducible aldehyde dehydrogenase (AIDH). From the high similarity of BCP 54 with tumor-associated AIDH in structural form, it is suggested that BCP 54 has AIDH activity. We confirmed a high AIDH activity of BCP 54 by immunoprecipitation using a mouse anti-BCP 54 monoclonal antibody followed by a spectrophotometric assay for AIDH activity. Next we demonstrated the unique properties of the purified BCP 54 as AIDH. The major isoelectric point is 6.41. BCP 54 preferentially oxidizes aromatic aldehyde such as benzaldehyde with NAD as coenzyme, but cannot oxidize phenylacetaldehyde. After heat treatment the AIDH activity is more stable with propionaldehyde-NAD than with benzaldehyde-NADP. With propionaldehyde-NAD the pH profile shows a broad plateau from pH 6-9 followed by a sharp rise up to pH 10. In contrast, with benzaldehyde-NADP there is a sharp optimum at pH 9.0. The activity with only benzaldehyde-NADP is inhibited by p-hydroxymercuribenzoate, but is not affected by disulfiram and diethylstilbestrol. So we suggested that BCP 54 is an AIDH with kinetic properties different from the rat tumor-associated AIDH."}
{"id": "PMID:1483504", "title": "Proteinase K decreases Pseudomonas aeruginosa adhesion to wounded cornea.", "content": "The present study was designed to obtain further information regarding the molecular nature of the corneal receptor(s) facilitating Pseudomonas aeruginosa adhesion to cornea. Scarified adult mouse corneas in organ culture were treated for 10 or 60 min with a panel of lipase-free proteases [each at 20 micrograms ml-1 or 0.22 Units (U) ml-1, activity] including trypsin, chymotrypsin, V8 protease, elastase, subtilisin A, pronase protease and proteinase K. All of these, except proteinase K treatment (20 micrograms ml-1 for 60 min), either significantly elevated or had no effect (proteinase K 20 micrograms ml-1 for 10 min) on subsequent bacterial adhesion at 60 min following topical application of the inoculum to the scarified corneal surface. Enzyme treatment times of 10, 30 or 60 min at a higher concentration (50 micrograms ml-1) of proteinase K, significantly decreased binding at 60 min after bacterial application for each enzyme treatment time. The combined effects of proteases and lipase on bacterial binding also was examined. Eyes treated with proteinase K (20 micrograms ml-1 for 1 hr) or protease-free lipase (50,000 U ml-1 for 1 hr) alone or in combination, all reduced bacterial binding, but the effect was not additive. Trypsin or lipase alone significantly enhanced or decreased binding, respectively. In contrast, trypsin (20 micrograms ml-1 for 1 hr) followed by lipase treatment (50,000 U ml-1 for 1 hr) resulted in binding which was not significantly different than phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) control binding, indicating that the trypsin exposed receptor was lipase sensitive.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1483505", "title": "In vitro galactosylation of rhodopsin and opsin: kinetics, properties and characterization.", "content": "At best, only trace amounts of galactose have been detected as constituents of rhodopsin as analysed by several laboratories. Nevertheless, the enzymatic galactosylation of rhodopsin proceeds readily in vitro, a process which can be catalysed by galactosyltransferases from several sources. Little information is available, however, concerning the properties of the in vitro reaction. We have examined characteristics of the latter process with the hope of shedding light on the capacity of the retina to carry out this reaction. Kinetic properties of the galactosyltransferases of bovine and embryonic chick retinas, bovine milk and rat liver-Golgi were examined using rhodopsin, opsin, N-acetylglucosamine and ovalbumin as exogenous acceptors. All of these studies demonstrated the very limited activity of the galactosyltransferases of the retina as compared to the milk and rat liver systems. The subcellular distribution of the galactosyltransferases of bovine retina was examined. The influence of compounds that might modulate the reaction was also examined. alpha-Lactalbumin, a modifier of the galactosyltransferase in milk, acted as a competitive inhibitor of the galactosylation of opsin. Analogs of vitamin A, shown to inhibit galactosyltransferases in other systems, did not have this effect on the galactosylation of opsin. Similarly, mixing experiments could not demonstrate the presence of endogenous material that inhibited the reaction in the retina. The conformation of the visual pigment was shown to influence the reaction. After bleaching by visible light, opsin was preferred over rhodopsin as an acceptor of galactose by the galactosyltransferases of bovine and embryonic chick retinas and by rat liver. This distinction was only minimally demonstrated by the milk enzyme. The galactosylation of ovalbumin was unaffected by conditions of light or dark by any of the enzymes. While the mode ratio of galactose to rhodopsin after catalysis by the milk enzyme was about 1.6, this ratio was only about 0.01 after reaction with the enzyme from bovine retina. The linkage of galactose in enzymatically galactosylated rhodopsin and opsin was beta(1-4)."}
{"id": "PMID:1483506", "title": "Cell death in the rat retina after a pressure-induced ischaemia-reperfusion insult: an electron microscopic study. I. Ganglion cell layer and inner nuclear layer.", "content": "In rats, a pressure-induced ischaemia-reperfusion insult can lead to retinal cell death. In order to elucidate the underlying mechanisms, we performed a qualitative study of the ultrastructural morphology of degenerating retinal cells in the ganglion cell and inner nuclear layers at several time points after the insult. Three morphologically distinct types of cell death could be individualized. Type I was characterized by progressive karyo- and cytolysis and was consistent with necrosis. Type II exhibited progressive shrinkage and condensation of the nuclear and cytoplasmic components followed by heterophagic elimination, thus resembling apoptosis. Type III was characterized mainly by homogenization of the nucleoplasm and cytoplasm and dilation of the perinuclear cisternae and endoplasmic reticulum, thus showing features of 'non-lysosomal vesiculate' cell death. This study lends support to the concept that there may exist a fair but limited number of types of cell death in the retina."}
{"id": "PMID:1483507", "title": "Colloid osmotic pressure of steer crystallins: implications for the origin of the refractive index gradient and transparency of the lens.", "content": "The osmotic behavior of soluble cortical and nuclear steer lens crystallins was characterized by secondary osmometry for several ionic strength and pH conditions. Osmotic pressure versus protein concentration relationships were measured for pressures up to 1.15 x 10(6) dyn cm-2. At low concentrations (< 0.2 g ml-1), the osmotic pressure increased linearly with pressure, whereas for concentrations above 0.2 g ml-1, the pressure rose more sharply, giving progressively larger changes in osmotic pressure with increasing crystallin concentration. At a given ionic strength and applied osmotic pressure, the nuclear proteins attained a higher protein concentration than did the cortical proteins. For example, at the highest osmotic pressure of 1.15 x 10(6) dyn cm-2 at pH 7.6 and 0.1 M ionic strength, the observed protein concentrations were 0.43 g ml-1 for the cortical proteins and 0.52 g ml-1 for the nuclear proteins. For both cortical and nuclear steer crystallins, the pressure rose more steeply with concentration than do pressures for calf crystallins described in the literature. The impact of these developmental differences in osmotic pressure on lens transparency is discussed. Both the nuclear and cortical crystallins exhibited ionic strength-dependent shifts in their pressure-concentration behavior. At 0.02 M ionic strength, higher pressures were observed, whereas at 0.4 M ionic strength lower pressures were observed for a given protein concentration. The crystallins were also found to equilibrate to different protein concentrations at a constant osmotic pressure and 0.1 M ionic strength over a pH range of 4-9, with a maximum concentration around pH 5 for the cortical crystallins and pH 6 for the nuclear crystallins. Thus, the adult bovine cortical and nuclear soluble lens extracts are different in their osmotic properties, reflecting underlying differences in protein composition. The results of the ionic strength and pH experiments suggest that hard-sphere, electrostatic, and Donnan forces contribute to the total colloid osmotic pressure of the lens crystallins. However, near physiologic pH and ionic strength the charges of the proteins are screened to the extent that the colloid osmotic pressure exhibits only minor changes for large changes in ionic conditions. The differences in the osmotic behavior of the cortical and nuclear proteins are consistent with a model where regional variations in the colloid osmotic properties of the proteins across the lens help support the radial refractive index gradient that is present in vertebrate lenses. The importance of a radial concentration gradient of metabolites is also discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1483508", "title": "Profile of messenger RNA decay in the Emory mouse lens in cataractogenesis and in aging.", "content": "The Emory mouse is presumed to be a model for studies on human senile cataracts. The cataract develops in 5-8 months after birth, and it does not appear to have an osmotic component. To date, no specific metabolic lesion has been uncovered as a probable cause to this cataract. Several studies have shown that the Emory mouse undergoes accelerated aging changes, possibly leading to development of senile-type cataracts. In this study we quantitated changes that might occur in the population of various mRNAs for proteins presumed to be essential for lens transparency, and for proteins that may contribute to development of cataracts. By Northern blot hybridization analysis we quantitated the mRNAs for: alpha A-crystallin, beta B1-crystallin, gamma-crystallin, the main lens intrinsic membrane protein, MP26, and aldose reductase; all in lenses of Emory mouse early cataract strain (EMEC), and of an age-matched cataract resistant strain (CR). These measurements were done in increments of 1 month over a 6-month period, then at both 9 and 12 months. The results show that all of these mRNAs decrease with age and with development of cataracts; although in some cases the initial concentrations at 1 month appear to be lower in the EMEC than in the CR strain. The most dramatic change occurred with the MP26 mRNA. In the CR strain, MP26 mRNA maintained its high concentration for a period of about 6 months before it began its decline to the 12 month level (about 25% of the 1 month level).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1483509", "title": "The microchemical detection of carbonic anhydrase in corneal epithelia.", "content": "Carbonic anhydrase (CA) activity has been detected and quantified in the corneal epithelia of various mammalian species using a microchemical assay. The highest levels were found in the rabbit, followed by man, dog, sheep, and cat. Enzyme levels in the rabbit epithelium were approximately one-third the amount found in the endothelium, perhaps explaining earlier failures to find CA in the epithelium. Selective inactivation of CA-II in tissue homogenates with bromopyruvic acid allowed determination of CA-I/CA-II ratios. The ratios in corneal epithelia from two species (rabbit and dog) approximated that in the erythrocyte. Although CA levels in the epithelium are low they are perhaps functional in the transfer of CO2 across the cornea."}
{"id": "PMID:1483512", "title": "Role of primate basal ganglia and frontal cortex in the internal generation of movements. I. Preparatory activity in the anterior striatum.", "content": "The purpose of these studies was to investigate neuronal activity in the basal ganglia and frontal cortex in relation to the internal generation of goal-directed movements. Monkeys performed goal-directed arm movements at a self-chosen moment in the absence of phasic stimuli providing external temporal reference. They were rewarded with a small morsel of food for each movement, although automatic or repetitive behavior was not reinforced. For reasons of comparison, animals were also trained in a delayed go no-go task in which visual cues instructed them to perform or refrain from an arm movement reaction to a subsequent trigger stimulus. This report describes the activity of neurons in the head of the caudate nucleus and rostral putamen preceding self-initiated arm movements and compares it with instruction-induced preparatory activity preceding movements in the delay task. A total of 497 caudate and 354 putamen neurons were tested in the delay task. Two types of preparatory activity were observed: (1) transient responses to the instruction cue, and (2) sustained activity preceding the trigger stimulus or movement onset. Transient responses were found in 48 caudate and 50 putamen neurons, occurring twice as often in movement ('go') as compared to no-movement ('no-go') trials, but rarely in both. These responses may code the information contained in the instruction relative to the forthcoming behavioral reaction. Sustained activity began after instruction onset and lasted until the trigger stimulus or the arm movement occurred, this being for periods of 2-7 s, 12-35 s, or up to 80 s, depending on the task requirements. This activity was seen in 47 caudate and 45 putamen neurons, was largely confined to go trials, and was unrelated to the preparation of saccadic eye movements. In some cases, this activity began as direct responses to the instruction stimulus, but in the majority of cases developed more gradually before the movement. Thus, both transient and sustained activations appear to be related to the preparation of movements. A total of 390 caudate and 293 putamen neurons were tested during self-initiated movements. Activity preceding earliest movement-related muscle activity was found in 32 caudate and 42 putamen neurons. This premovement activity began 0.5-5.0 s before movement onset (median 1160 ms), increased slowly, reached its peak close to movement onset, and subsided rapidly thereafter. It was unrelated to the preparation of saccadic eye movements. Comparisons between the two tasks were made on 53 neurons.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1483513", "title": "Role of primate basal ganglia and frontal cortex in the internal generation of movements. II. Movement-related activity in the anterior striatum.", "content": "In order to more comprehensively assess the role of the basal ganglia in the internal generation of movements, we studied the activity of neurons in the head of the caudate and in the rostral putamen in relation to the execution of movements. Monkeys performed self-initiated and stimulus-triggered arm reaching movements in separate blocks of trials. With stimulus-triggered movements, 217 striatal neurons increased their activity after the trigger stimulus (127 in caudate, 90 in putamen). Of these, 68 neurons showed time-locked responses to the trigger stimulus, with a median latency of 60 ms, that were independent of visual or auditory stimulus modalities. Three quarters of responses were conditional on a movement being performed. These responses may participate in neuronal processes through which the reception of a stimulus is translated into the execution of a behavioral reaction. Further, 44 neurons increased their activity before the earliest muscle activity without being clearly time-locked to the stimulus (148-324 ms before movement onset), 55 neurons were activated later before the movement, and 50 neurons were activated after movement onset. With self-initiated movements, 106 striatal neurons showed movement-related activity beginning up to 460 ms before movement onset (52 in caudate, 54 in putamen). Comparisons between the two types of movement were made on 53 neurons with premovement activity beginning more than 500 ms before self-initiated movements. Only one fifth of them also showed movement-related activity with stimulus-triggered movements, including trigger responses. Comparisons among 39 neurons with movement-related activity during self-initiated arm movements showed that about half of them also showed movement-related activity with stimulus-triggered movements. These data demonstrate a considerably segregated population of striatal neurons engaged in the internal generation of movements, whereas processes underlying the execution of movements appear to involve overlapping neuronal populations."}
{"id": "PMID:1483514", "title": "Role of primate basal ganglia and frontal cortex in the internal generation of movements. III. Neuronal activity in the supplementary motor area.", "content": "This study is a part of a project investigating neuronal activity in the basal ganglia and frontal cortex and describes externally and internally induced preparatory activity in the supplementary motor area (SMA), which forms a closed neuronal loop with the striatum. Monkeys made self-initiated arm reaching movements toward a constant target in the absence of phasic external stimuli. In separate blocks of trials, animals performed in a delayed go no-go task in which an instruction cue prepared for subsequent movement or no-movement to a trigger stimulus. A total of 328 neurons were tested in the delay task. Of these, 91 responded transiently to the instruction light with a median latency of 262 ms. Three quarters of these responses were restricted to the instruction preparing for arm movement, as opposed to withholding it, and thus may be involved in movement preparation processes. Sustained activation during the instruction-trigger interval was found for 67 neurons and occurred nearly exclusively in movement trials. Activation usually increased gradually after the cue and ended abruptly upon movement onset and thus could be related to the setting and maintenance of processes underlying the preparation of movement. Time-locked responses to the trigger stimulus were found in 38 neurons and were usually restricted to movement trials (median latency 80 ms). Activity time-locked to movement execution occurred in 67 neurons, beginning up to 252 ms before movement onset. A total of 266 neurons were tested with self-initiated arm movements. Of these, 43 showed premovement activity beginning 610-3030 ms before movement onset (median 1430 ms). The activity increased slowly and reached its peak at 370 ms before movement onset. It ended before movement onset or continued until the arm began to move or reached the target. This activity appears to reflect neuronal processes related to the internal generation of movements. Two thirds of activations preceding self-initiated movements occurred in neurons not activated before externally instructed movements, suggesting a selectivity for the internal generation process. Activity related to the execution of self-initiated movements occurred in 67 neurons: it began during and up to 420 ms before movement onset and was usually not associated with premovement activity. Most of these neurons were also activated with stimulus-triggered movements, suggesting a lack of selectivity for the execution of self-initiated movements. In comparison with the striatum, more SMA neurons showed preparatory activity preceding externally instructed movements (transient 27% vs 16%, sustained 20% vs 12%) and self-initiated movements (16% vs 11%).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1483515", "title": "Difference in receptive field features of taste neurons in rat granular and dysgranular insular cortices.", "content": "Receptive fields (RFs) of 59 cortical taste neurons (35 in the granular insular area, area GI, 21 in the dysgranular insular area, area DI, and 3 in the agranular insular area, area AI) were identified in the oral cavity of the rat. The fraction of the neurons with RFs in the anterior oral cavity only was significantly larger in area GI (74.3%) than in area DI (42.9%). On the other hand, the fraction of neurons with RFs in both the anterior and posterior oral cavity was larger in area DI (42.9%) than in area GI (11.4%). On the whole, it is suggested that area GI is involved in discrimination of several taste stimuli in the oral cavity, whereas in area DI taste information originating from various regions of the oral cavity is integrated. When neurons were classified according to the best stimulus which most excited the neuron among the four basic tastes, different categories of taste neurons had RFs in different parts of the oral cavity. It is suggested that, in either taste area, different categories of taste neurons are involved in different sorts of taste coding. The majority of neurons in both areas had bilateral RFs. In area GI, neurons with RFs on single subpopulations of taste buds were significantly more numerous at the rostral region of the cortex than at the caudal region. There was no such relation between RF types and cortical localization in area DI. Otherwise, topographic representation of the oral cavity by taste neurons on the cortical surface was not obvious. RF features of taste neurons did not differ across layers in either cortical area."}
{"id": "PMID:1483516", "title": "Difference in taste quality coding between two cortical taste areas, granular and dysgranular insular areas, in rats.", "content": "The responses of 84 taste neurons to stimulation of the oral cavity in rats were examined; most taste neurons were found in either a granular insular area (area GI; n = 55) or dysgranular insular area (DI; n = 25), and the others (n = 4) were in an agranular insular area (area AI). The fraction of neurons responding to only one of the four basic stimuli was significantly larger in area GI than in area DI. When neurons were classified by the stimulus which most excited the neuron among the four basic stimuli, every \"best-stimulus category\" of neurons was found in both GI and DI areas. Quinine-best and \"multistimulus-type\" neurons, whose responses to some non-best stimulus exceeded 90% of the maximum, were more numerous in the cortex than in the thalamocortical relay neurons. When responses were plotted against taste stimuli arranged in the order of sucrose, NaCl, HCl, and quinine along the abscissa (taste coordinate), response profiles of taste neurons often showed two peaks. The double-peaked type of response profiles were found in every best-stimulus category of neurons in both areas; though, a significantly large fraction of quinine-best neurons in area GI were of the double-peaked type. Some taste neurons in area GI (n = 21) and in area DI (n = 7) were inhibited by one to two taste stimuli, particularly by the stimuli present next to the best one along the taste coordinate. In correlation profiles--correlation coefficients between sucrose and NaCl and between HCl and quinine--pairs of stimuli which were located next to each other on the taste coordinate were significantly smaller in area GI than in area DI. It is thus highly probable that area GI plays an important role in fine taste discrimination and area DI in integration of taste information."}
{"id": "PMID:1483517", "title": "A comparison of monaural and binaural responses to frequency modulated (FM) sweeps in cat primary auditory cortex.", "content": "Monaural and binaural single unit responses to frequency-modulated (FM) sweeps were compared in cat primary auditory cortex (AI). Both upward-directed (changing from low to high frequency) and downward-directed (changing from high to low frequency) FM sweeps were presented monaurally and binaurally at five rates of frequency modulation (referred to here as the speed of FM sweep). Two types of binaural FM sweep conditions were presented: (1) like-directed FM sweeps, in which identical FM sweeps were presented to both ears, and (2) opposite-directed FM sweeps, in which one ear was presented with one direction of FM sweep while the other ear was simultaneously presented with the opposite direction of FM sweep. In a sample of 78 cells, 33 cells were classified as EE (binaural facilitatory) and 45 were classified as EI (binaural inhibitory). Ninety-four percent of all units were sensitive to the direction and/or speed of FM sweeps. In general, under binaural stimulus conditions, EE cells responded optimally to like-directed FM sweeps, while EI cells preferred opposite-directed FM sweeps. When tested monaurally, 59% of all cells (both EE and EI) were direction selective, with the majority (76%) preferring downward-directed FM sweeps. When tested binaurally, most direction selective EE cells (60%) preferred upward-directed FM sweeps, while the majority of direction selective EI cells (71%) preferred downward-directed FM sweeps. Our analysis also allowed us to classify inhibitory responses of EI cells as either direction selective (37%) or non-direction selective (63%). For FM speed selectivity under monaural conditions, most EE cells preferred fast FM sweep rates (0.4-0.8 kHz/ms), while approximately equal numbers of EI cells preferred either slow (i.e., 0.05-0.1 kHz/ms) or fast (i.e., 0.4-0.8 kHz/ms) speeds. Under binaural conditions, the majority of EE and EI cells responded best to high speeds when tested with like-directed FM sweeps, while the preferred speed with opposite-directed FM sweeps was more broadly tuned. The results suggest the presence of binaural neural mechanisms underlying cortical FM sweep direction and speed selectivity."}
{"id": "PMID:1483518", "title": "How complete is physiological compensation in extrastriate cortex after visual cortex damage in kittens?", "content": "Previous studies indicate that neurons in the cat's posteromedial lateral suprasylvian (PMLS) visual area of cortex show physiological compensation after neonatal but not adult damage to areas 17, 18, and 19 of the visual cortex (collectively, VC). Thus, VC damage in adults produces a loss of direction selectivity and a decrease in response to the ipsilateral eye among PMLS cells, but these changes are not seen in adult cats that received VC damage as kittens. This represents compensation for early VC damage in the sense that PMLS neurons develop properties they would have had if there had been no brain damage. However, this is only a partial compensation for the effects of VC damage. A full compensation would involve development of properties of the VC cells that were removed in the damage. The present study investigated whether this type of compensation occurs for detailed spatial- and temporal-frequency processing. Single-cell recordings were made in PMLS cortex of adult cats that had received a VC lesion on the day of birth or at 8 weeks of age. Responses to sine-wave gratings that varied in spatial frequency, contrast, and temporal frequency were assessed quantitatively. We found that the spatial- and temporal-frequency processing of PMLS cells in adult cats that had neonatal VC damage were not significantly different from PMLS cells in normal cats. Therefore, there was no evidence that PMLS cells can compensate for VC damage by developing properties that are better than normal and like those of the striate cortex cells that were damaged. We also assessed the effects of long-term VC damage in adult cats to determine whether the normal properties seen in cats with neonatal VC damage represent a compensation for abnormalities in PMLS cortex present after adult damage. In a previous study, we found that acute VC damage in adult cats has small but reliable effects on maximal response amplitude, maximal contrast sensitivity, and spatial resolution (Guido et al. 1990b). In the present study, we found that long-term VC damage in adult cats does not increase these abnormalities as a result of secondary degenerative changes. In fact, the minor abnormalities that were present after an acute VC lesion were virtually absent following a long-term adult lesion, perhaps because they were due to transient traumatic effects. Therefore, there was little evidence for abnormalities in spatial- or temporal-frequency processing following long-term adult VC damage for which PMLS cells might show compensation following long-term neonatal damage.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1483519", "title": "Differential effects of long-term transplantation on the growth of cortical neurons containing parvalbumin or calbindin.", "content": "Numerical density and morphology of the two main GABAergic neuronal classes, the parvalbumin (PV) and calbindin- (CaBP)-containing nerve cells were investigated in long-term neocortical transplants in rats. It was observed that 4 months after the transplantation both CaBP- and PV-immunoreactive neurons survive and grow in neocortical grafts. However, the numerical density of PV cells decreased to about half of the control value (host cortex), while the density of CaBP-positive cells was 25-60% of that seen in the host cortex, depending on the degree of integration of the graft. The mean diameter of PV neurons rose to double of the control value, while the size of CaBP-positive perikarya did not change. This indicates that GABAergic neurons with hypertrophic perikarya (Bragin et al. 1991a) are identical to PV neurons. On the basis of these qualitative and quantitative morphological data it is concluded that PV- and CaBP-containing GABA cells in the transplant exhibit different sensitivities to transplantation-related structural and functional alterations."}
{"id": "PMID:1483520", "title": "Integration of multiple sensory modalities in cat cortex.", "content": "The results of this study show that the different receptive fields of multisensory neurons in the cortex of the cat anterior ectosylvian sulcus (AES) were in spatial register, and it is this register that determined the manner in which these neurons integrated multiple sensory stimuli. The functional properties of multisensory neurons in AES cortex bore fundamental similarities to those in other cortical and subcortical structures. These constancies in the principles of multisensory integration are likely to provide a basis for spatial coherence in information processing throughout the nervous system."}
{"id": "PMID:1483521", "title": "Regulatory aspects of nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons.", "content": "In the urethane-anesthetized rat, electrical stimulation (10 Hz, 30 s, 250 microA) of the medial forebrain bundle (MFB), at 20-min intervals over an 8-h period, combined with intracerebral microdialysis in the striatum caused: an undiminished increase in the release of dopamine (DA) with each stimulation episode; a decreased efflux of 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) and 4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenylacetic acid (HVA) after the first stimulation only; a delayed increased efflux of DOPAC with no change in HVA; and a poststimulation depression of firing of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra (before, 3.1 +/- 0.7 Hz; after, 1.9 +/- 1.0 Hz; P < 0.05). After the last stimulation episode, the release of DA declined to prestimulation values, while the increased efflux of DOPAC persisted for three more hours. After the infusion of tetrodotoxin (4.0 x 10(-7) M, 1.5 microliters, 1.0 microliters/min) into the MFB, the basal release of DA was reduced (P < 0.05), while the efflux of DOPAC and HVA was increased (P < 0.05). A model is proposed suggesting that: (1) during increased release of DA in the striatum, the metabolism of DA is decreased; (2) inhibition of nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons is the usual cause of increased synthesis and metabolism of DA in the striatum; and (3) increased release of DA, and increased synthesis and metabolism of DA in the striatum are not causally linked and are noncoupled processes."}
{"id": "PMID:1483522", "title": "Experimental study and modeling of vestibulo-ocular reflex modulation during large shifts of gaze in humans.", "content": "An experimental study of head-free and head-fixed gaze shifts explores the role of the vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) during saccadic and slow phase components of the gaze shifts. A systematic comparison of head-free and head-fixed gaze shifts in humans revealed that while the VOR is switched off as soon as the saccade starts, its function is progressively restored during the terminal phase of the saccade. The duration of this restoration period is fairly constant; therefore, the faster the gaze saccade, the sooner the VOR function starts to be restored. On the basis of these experimental data, a new eye-head coordination model is proposed. This model is an extension of the one proposed by Laurutis and Robinson (1986) where VOR gain is a function of both the dynamic gaze error signal and head velocity. This extension has also been added to another eye-head coordination model (Guitton et al. 1990). Both modified models yield simulation results comparable to experimental data. This study pinpoints the high efficiency of the gaze control system. Indeed, a fixed period of time (approximately 40 ms) is needed to restore the inhibited VOR; the gaze control system thus must have a knowledge of its own dynamics in order to be able to anticipate the end of the saccadic movement."}
{"id": "PMID:1483523", "title": "Effects of weak antagonist on fast elbow flexion movements in man.", "content": "By using a mathematical model and experiments involving electrical simulation of antagonistic muscles, we have formed the hypothesis (Wierzbicka et al. 1986) that in one-joint movements the antagonist muscle not only provides braking torque but also controls movement time. To get additional experimental support for this hypothesis, we studied elbow flexion movements performed by patients with spinal cord injury at the C5-6 level who had relatively normal strength in their biceps muscle and little or no voluntary control of the triceps. Seven quadriplegic patients and six control subjects performed elbow flexion movements of 10 degrees, 20 degrees, and 30 degrees \"as fast and accurately as possible\". Despite the lack of antagonist, patients used the same \"pulse height\" strategy as control subjects to scale their responses with movement amplitude. However, patients' movement time was on average twice that of control subjects, and durations of both accelerative and decelerative phases of movement were increased. Movement speed and acceleration were reduced to 20-50% of the corresponding values of control subjects. Patients tended to overshoot the target to a larger extent than control subjects, particularly 10 degrees targets, with nearly twice the error. We performed the same experiments using an external torque motor to assist the weak triceps. When a constant extensor torque of 2.5 or 5 Nm was provided by the motor, patients were able to move faster, and movement accuracy improved to within the normal range. These results provide direct evidence that the lack of an antagonist has an important effect on completion time and accuracy of fast goal-directed movements."}
{"id": "PMID:1483524", "title": "An anisotropy of human tactile sensitivity and its relation to the visual oblique effect.", "content": "The ability of humans to detect striated stimuli on the distal phalanges was found to be highly anisotropic. Observers were much more sensitive to stripes presented in the proximal-distal orientation than to stripes in any other orientation. This tactile anisotropy was contrasted with the well-known visual anisotropy in which sensitivity is greatest for stripes at the horizontal and vertical orientations. We suggest that both the tactile anisotropy and the visual anisotropy are caused by corresponding anisotropies in the distribution of preferred orientations of orientation-selective neurons with in the respective modalities."}
{"id": "PMID:1483525", "title": "Human ocular following responses are plastic: evidence for control by temporal frequency-dependent cortical adaptation.", "content": "Optokinetic nystagmus (OKN) induced by wide-field visual stimulation was measured with and without prior adaptation to moving sinusoidal gratings. Under unadapted conditions the mean gains of the slow phases of OKN in the first 500 ms were 0.5-0.8, and the eye velocities and amplitudes had rise times with time constants of 0.1-0.2 s. By contrast, following adaptation to as little as 1 s of image motion, the magnitude of the initial gains fell and the rise times of the velocities and amplitudes increased markedly. The degree of adaptation depended on the adapting temporal frequency, the optimum adaptive frequencies being 1.7-3.4 Hz. In this range of temporal frequencies, the initial gains fell to 0.1-0.3 and the rise times for velocity and amplitude ranged from 0.4 to 7.0 s, depending on the length of the adapting period. Thus the observed changes in the time constant were up to 70-fold. Neither spatial frequency or image velocity had any marked influence on the level of adaptation. The dependence on temporal frequency rather than image velocity suggests that the motion detectors feeding the adaptive system respond to local motion-related changes in luminance. The adaptive effects were direction-selective, showing that this must also be the case for the motion detectors. The adaptive effects were observed both when the drift temporal frequency on the retina was established by artificially maintaining a fixed gaze or when the adapting temporal frequency was induced by retinal slip during OKN. Time constants for recovery from adaptation were similar to motion aftereffects measured by psychophysical and physiological methods. The results suggest a link between cortical motion adaptation and adaptive mechanisms effecting the oculomotor system."}
{"id": "PMID:1483526", "title": "Independent control of the digits: changes in perceived heaviness over a wide range of force.", "content": "Perceived heaviness of a weight lifted by flexion of the distal joint of one digit increases when an adjacent digit concurrently lifts a weight. The present study confirmed this finding for relatively low weights (representing 3-5% maximal voluntary force) and a method was adapted to show that this effect occurs for much larger weights (20-25% maximal force). Thus, the increase in perceived heaviness is likely to operate over a wide range of muscle force generated by the hand. As perceived heaviness is biased by the magnitude of the central motor commands, these findings may reflect a lack of complete independence of motor commands to the long flexor muscles acting on the digits."}
{"id": "PMID:1483532", "title": "C-value paradox in angiosperm plant species. I. Sensitivity to DNase I in species with different 2C DNA content.", "content": "The experimental conditions for DNAase I digestion in situ for plant nuclei have been presented. Cytophotometric measurements of DNA loss performed on Feulgen-stained nuclei of three species differing in 2C DNA, heterochromatin and condensed euchromatin contents have shown that the lower 2C DNA amount the higher is DNase I sensitivity. Heterochromatin and some fractions of euchromatin are DNase I resistant. Microdensitometric measurements along M chromosome in Vicia faba have demonstrated the sites hypersensitive to DNase I."}
{"id": "PMID:1483527", "title": "American women's sexual behavior and exposure to risk of sexually transmitted diseases.", "content": "According to nationally representative data from the 1988 National Survey of Family Growth and the 1988 and 1989 General Social Surveys, 67% of all women aged 15-44 who have ever had intercourse have had more than one partner, 41% have had four or more, 23% six or more and 8% more than 10; 71% have had one or more nonmarital partners. Fewer than 1% of currently married women report having had more than one partner in the previous three months, compared with 13% of formerly married women and 9% of single women who are sexually active. For the most part, women with multiple partners do not have characteristics that set them apart from other women; women in all age-groups and racial or ethnic groups appear equally likely to have multiple partners while unmarried. Fifty-seven percent of women who report multiple partners have never been married, and another one-quarter are currently divorced. Twenty-one percent are teenagers, 46% are aged 20-29 and 24% are in their 30s. Between 27% and 39% of all sexually active women aged 18-44 are estimated to have had direct or indirect contact with more than one sexual partner during the preceding 12 months (including women with only one partner whose partner had multiple partners). About 20% of currently sexually active women reported using the condom, but one in five condom users had not used one at last intercourse. Once social and demographic factors are controlled, condom users with multiple partners are less likely than other condom users to have used a condom at last intercourse."}
{"id": "PMID:1483533", "title": "Analysis of spatial structure of thymocytes and of their contacts with thymic non-lymphoid cells.", "content": "The study aimed et determining morphological relations between thymic cells and thymocytes. The studies were performed on 16 days old rats of Wistar strain. The material was processed for ultrastructural studies in a routine manner. For 50 thymocytes computer reconstruction was performed which allowed to define cell volume, volume of cell nucleus and of condensed chromatin. The value characterizing three-dimensional morphology of thymocytes provided grounds for analysis using graph theory. The stereological methods allowed to examine microarchitecture of individual thymic zones. Thymocytes in contact with dendritic cells or with macrophages were found to differ in morphology from thymocytes with no such contacts. The results indicated direct effect of dendritic cells and of macrophages on thymocytes."}
{"id": "PMID:1483528", "title": "Substance use and other factors associated with risky sexual behavior among pregnant adolescents.", "content": "A study of the relationship between substance use and risky sexual behavior was conducted among 241 unmarried pregnant adolescents aged 17 and younger who lived in a metropolitan area in the Northwest. The respondents had comparable or higher lifetime use rates for all substances than did women in a national sample of high school seniors, even though the pregnant adolescents were younger. Ninety-four percent had used alcohol, 78% marijuana, 30% cocaine and 30% stimulants, compared with 92%, 48%, 14% and 23%, respectively, among women in the national sample. Among the pregnant adolescents, 84% had had more than one sexual partner, 39% had had a sexually transmitted disease and 60% had used contraceptives during less than half of their sexual encounters. At the bivariate level, use of cigarettes and alcohol in general and use of alcohol and drugs during sex were positively associated with risky sexual behavior. However, when other characteristics associated with risky sexual behavior--family bonding, parental monitoring, commitment to conventional values, peer associations, self-esteem and delinquent activities--were included in the multivariate analysis, the effect of substance use disappeared."}
{"id": "PMID:1483534", "title": "Analysis of thymocytes contacts with other thymic cells.", "content": "The study aimed et defining morphological relationships between thymic stroma cells and thymocytes. The studies were conducted on 16-days old Wistar strain rats. The material was routinely processed for ultrastructural examination. On grounds of serial section analysis, types of contacts of 83 thymocytes were established, for each cell total area and areas of contact with other cells were estimated. Employing stereological techniques microarchitecture of individual thymic zones was studied. The results point to a direct influence of thymic stroma cells on thymocytes."}
{"id": "PMID:1483535", "title": "Parvalbumin in skeletal muscles of teleost (Tinca tinca L. and Misgurnus fossilis L.). Histochemical and immunohistochemical study.", "content": "Musculatures of two fish species belonging to the suborder Cyprinoidei were examined histochemically and immunohistochemically for demonstration of mATP-ase activity and parvalbumin content, respectively. The tench lateral musculature shows a typical \"acid reversal\" picture of mATP-ase activity--red fibres are alkali labile, acid stable and white and white fibres are alkali stable, acid labile. In the pond loach a superficial layer of musculature is composed of alkali--and acid stable red fibres. This alkaline stability of the red fibres caused the classical \"acid reversal\" picture impossible to obtain. For immunohistochemical reaction a monoclonal antibody specific for parvalbumin II component of the Carp muscles (Pv Carp II) was used. Immunohistochemical results gave evidence that lateral musculatures of the two species examined possessed parvalbumin II component entirely in the fast-contracting fibres--intermediate and white. This results correlate with mATP-ase activity in the tench musculature and did not correlate in the pond loach with respect to mATP-ase alkali stable red muscle fibres in the fish. We conclude that fish muscles mATP-ase activity not always correlates with parvalbumin content in the opposite to mammalian muscles where such correlation seems to be obvious."}
{"id": "PMID:1483536", "title": "The effect of calcium on DNA synthesis in pea (Pisus sativus L.) roots after treatment with heavy metals.", "content": "Cortex cells of the meristematic (1 mm) and differentiated (7 mm) zones of Pisus sativus L. roots after 144 h culture in distilled water (control), Ca2+ (10(-3) M) and/or Cd2+, Cr3+, Pb2+ solutions (10(-4) M, each) were subject of the present studies. Reductions in the number of nuclei incorporating 3H thymidine was observed in meristem in the presence of Cd2+ and in differentiated zone in Pb2+ treated roots. Intensity of DNA synthesis diminished after Pb2+ treatment but mostly in Cd2+ treated roots, mainly in meristem. Addition of calcium to the metal solutions caused an increase in the number of nuclei witch uptook the radioactive material in both studied root zones. Positive effect of calcium alone was visible also in the differentiated zone. Presence of calcium in the metal solutions caused a marked increase in 3H thymidine incorporation into nuclear DNA in meristem, although neutralizing calcium effect in this root zone was visible only in roots treated with Cr2+ and Pb2+. In the differentiated zone of roots growing in Cd2+ solution, calcium addition stimulated DNA synthesis but the intensity of this process was lower than in control (water)."}
{"id": "PMID:1483537", "title": "Disturbances of mineral metabolism in teeth of rats receiving corticosteroids for 3 generations.", "content": "Distribution of calcium and phosphorus was investigated with quantitative and qualitative methods in teeth of rats chronically treated with low doses of corticosteroids for 3 generations. In animals from 2nd and 3rd generation, scanning electron microscopy revealed focal lesions in enamel and dentin. The disturbances of the mineral metabolism in teeth of corticosteroid-treated rats were also reflected by abnormal calcium and phosphorus content in enamel and dentin, as assessed by X-ray microanalysis."}
{"id": "PMID:1483538", "title": "Fertility transition, conscious choice, and numeracy.", "content": "One of the preconditions of the fertility transition, as stated by A.J. Coale, is that reproductive decisions must be within the calculus of conscious choice. It is suggested that the change in mentality which leads to family limitation includes \"numeracy about children,\" a clear notion of what family size ought to be and the awareness of individuals of where they stand with respect to the norm. The article explores the hypothesis that numeracy about children appeared historically in various times and places, and that the conceptualization of family size was a necessary condition for adopting family limitation."}
{"id": "PMID:1483539", "title": "Family organization and fertility limitation in Nepal.", "content": "This paper uses the family mode of organization framework to link together hypotheses relating social change to fertility limitation. Experiences in nonfamily activities are predicted to affect fertility behavior, with the outcome depending on the social, economic, and cultural context. To provide individual-level tests of hypotheses, the paper uses data from a Nepalese community which recently began dramatic family and fertility transitions. The findings show that experiences in nonfamily activities before marriage increase the odds of subsequently adopting fertility limitation in this setting. The evidence also demonstrates the importance of including measures of husbands' experiences in models of fertility decisions."}
{"id": "PMID:1483540", "title": "The perceived impact of child care costs on women's labor supply and fertility.", "content": "In a sample of Detroit-area mothers of preschool-aged children interviewed in 1986, one-third reported that child care problems had constrained their employment. Such reports were relatively prevalent among poor women, those without relatives nearby, and those willing to entrust the care of their children to nonfamily members. Only one-tenth of the sample reported a similar child care constraint on fertility, a phenomenon unrelated to income but relatively prevalent among women with strong labor force attachment. The results suggest that policies to increase the supply of child care or to lower its cost could increase female labor supply by a substantial fraction, with an even greater rise among women most at risk of poverty and reliance on public assistance, but probably would not raise fertility significantly."}
{"id": "PMID:1483541", "title": "Forgone labor participation and earning due to childbearing among Norwegian women.", "content": "Individual-level retrospective data from the Family and Occupation Survey of 1988 are used to assess the time diverted from gainful employment because of the presence of children in two Norwegian birth cohorts. We find that a two-child mother born in 1950, whose births occurred in her early twenties, lost 6.6 women-years up to age 37, compared to a childless woman. By matching information on registered income with the survey data, we estimate that her lost income amounts to $151,000 at 1990 prices. After taxation the loss is $98,000. Women with fewer than 12 years of schooling seem to forgo more labor market activity by reason of childbearing than do their better-educated counterparts. The pattern is less clear with respect to the loss of income."}
{"id": "PMID:1483542", "title": "A description of the extreme aged population based on improved Medicare enrollment data.", "content": "The mortality and size of the extreme aged population can be studied most accurately with Medicare enrollment data from the Social Security Administration's Master Beneficiary Record after certain types of questionable records are eliminated. With the improved data base we find that mortality rates at the very old ages are higher than published rates, we are more confident of the reality of the race crossover, and we can estimate the number of centenarians more accurately. Furthermore, a large matched-records study shows close agreement on age at death between the Master Beneficiary Record and the death certificate."}
{"id": "PMID:1483543", "title": "Extreme mortality in nineteenth-century Africa: the case of Liberian immigrants.", "content": "Several studies have examined the mortality of immigrants from Europe to Africa in the nineteenth century. This paper examines the level of mortality in Liberia of Africans who emigrated there from the United States. A life table is estimated from data collected by the American Colonization Society from 1820 to 1843. The analysis reflects the mortality experience of a population that is transplanted from one disease environment to another, more exacting, disease environment. The results of this analysis show that these Liberian immigrants experienced the highest mortality rates in accurately recorded human history."}
{"id": "PMID:1483544", "title": "Immigrant's ages and the structure of stationary populations with below-replacement fertility.", "content": "A sustained regime of low fertility plus immigration yields an unusual kind of stationary population. The author demonstrates that all stationary populations have a common structure, and that the familiar replacement-level fertility population is the youngest among the many stationary populations corresponding to a particular life table. This finding has important consequences for policy because although fertility increase and immigration are equally effective at halting population decline, immigration is inferior as a means of rejuvenating low-fertility populations. In fact, an immigration-based policy could make a low-fertility population older rather than younger. The paper includes examples using U.S. and West German vital rates."}
{"id": "PMID:1483545", "title": "Estimates of long-term immigration to the United States: moving US statistics toward United Nations concepts.", "content": "US immigration data are revised to reflect the UN demographic concept of long-term immigration. Long-term immigration is measured by the number of new immigrants (permanent resident aliens) arriving in the year, temporary migrant arrivals (nonimmigrants) who subsequently adjust to permanent resident status, arrivals of asylees and refugees, and nonimmigrants who arrive during the year and stay for more than twelve months before departing. The estimates of long-term immigration for 1983 are compared to official INS statistics on alien immigration. Significant differences emerge according to country of origin, age, and state of intended residence. A method of producing current estimates of long-term immigration is illustrated."}
{"id": "PMID:1483546", "title": "Operant and Pavlovian contributions to the ontogeny of pecking in ring doves.", "content": "This series of experiments analyzes the role of learning in the development of pecking in ring dove squab. Experiment 1 showed that there is a high probability that parents will feed squab after a period of separation (Experiment 1). Such feedings may have been essential for producing the previous observation (Graf, Balsam, & Silver, 1985) that pecking develops normally if squab which have been separated from their parents are given a daily 20-min interaction with seed followed by an immediate return to their parents. Experiment 2 showed that exposure to seed followed by experimenter-provided feedings were sufficient for inducing adult pecking levels. Experiment 3 showed that general experience with conspecifics was not necessary for the development of pecking and that maturation alone could not account for the pecking observed in previous experiments. Experiment 4 showed that Pavlovian contingencies consisting of visual exposure to seed followed by feeding was sufficient to induce high levels of pecking. There did not appear to be an additional contribution of an operant contingency present when squab were allowed to both see and peck at seed prior to feedings in Experiment 5. However, squab must actually be given experience in handling and ingesting seeds before adult levels of pecking can be obtained. These results are discussed in terms of the developmental pathways whereby experience leads to adult behavior."}
{"id": "PMID:1483547", "title": "Visual discrimination and recognition of facial expressions of anger, fear, and surprise in 4- to 6-month-old infants.", "content": "On the assumption that the ability to discriminate facial expressions has adaptive value to infants during early social exchanges, ethologically based theorists have argued that this ability is innate. Guided by this perspective, we investigated the ability of infants, 4-6 months old to recognize and discriminate facial expressions of anger, fear, and surprise. Results obtained with an infant-controlled habituation-recovery procedure showed that infants both discriminated and recognized these expressions when portrayed by several adult female models. In addition, infants spent more time looking at expressions of anger and surprise than at fear expressions. These results suggest that infants can abstract configurations of features that give affective meaning to facial expressions. It is suggested that the differences in habituation to each expression might be the result of their distinct functional signification for the infant."}
{"id": "PMID:1483548", "title": "Mobile surrogate mothers and the development of exploratory behavior and radius of action in infant long-tailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis).", "content": "One of the effects of rearing young monkeys on surrogate mothers is a delay in the development of exploratory behavior. An important question is which difference between mother and surrogate mother caused this delay. We hypothesized that the mothers' carrying the infant through the environment promotes the development of exploratory behavior and the radius of action of infant macques. Using surrogate mothers, we reared 9 infants in a peer group with immobile surrogates and 10 infants in another peer group with mobile surrogates. During the 3rd to the 6th month, we observed each infant for 30 min weekly, collecting observational data on several behavioral parameters and on time spent in several areas in the cage. Results showed that exploratory behavior and an increase in radius of action developed more rapidly in the mobile-reared infants."}
{"id": "PMID:1483549", "title": "Behavioral selection of odor cues by young female mice affects age of puberty.", "content": "Female house mice were reared from weaning at 21 days of age until first vaginal estrus in 40 1 aquaria in which they were given a choice of exposing themselves to bedding placed on opposite halves of the aquarium floor and sprayed with water or urine containing puberty-influencing chemosignals. In Experimental 1, mice housed with only male urine cues sprayed on the bedding matured significantly earlier and mice housed with only grouped female urine sprayed on the bedding matured significantly later than control mice where water was sprayed on the bedding for both halves of the aquarium. In Experiment 2, there were no significant differences in mean ages at vaginal introitus or first estrus for females reared with choices between (a) bedding sprayed with male urine versus bedding sprayed with water, (b) bedding sprayed with urine from grouped females versus bedding sprayed with water, (c) bedding sprayed with male urine versus bedding sprayed with urine from grouped females, or (d) the control condition where both sides of the aquarium contained bedding sprayed with water. Analysis of continuous video tapes of the locations of the females for Experiment 2 revealed that females chose initially to spend more time on the half of the floor with bedding that delayed puberty relative to the other side, but shifted their preference toward a more puberty-enhancing signal at about the time of first estrus. Female house mice appear to be able to exert some behavioral control over their own sexual maturation."}
{"id": "PMID:1483551", "title": "[Cost of fibroscopy in gastroduodenal ulcer].", "content": "The assessment of mean cost of upper GI endoscopy is of critical importance if one wants to perform pharmacoeconomic studies, especially in peptic ulcer disease (PUD). The aim of this work was to calculate such costs, based on an inquiry conducted in December 1991 in a representative sampling of 94 French gastroenterologists (GEs) (i.e. 4.3% of the whole population). Thirty-nine percent of GEs work in their office; 25% work in private and 26% in public hospitals. GEs performed 70 +/- 5 (mean +/- SEM) upper GI endoscopies per month. Fifty-nine % are performed to investigate epigastric pain; PUD was found in nearly one patient out of four. Fifteen % of the endoscopies were performed for follow-up of PUD. Upper GI endoscopy modalities varied greatly according to whether performed in GEs' office, private or public hospital. The proportion of investigations performed with biopsies was 66, 71 and 50%, respectively. Neuroleptanalgesia (or general anesthesia), was performed in 8, 49 and 4% of cases, respectively, and a 24-hour hospitalization was required in 0, 7 and 2% of cases, respectively. Sources of expenditure were evaluated according to the current fares of the French Health Care System (for GEs' office and private hospitals) and to real costs (for public hospitals). Taking into account the differences in place and modalities of realization, mean cost of upper GI endoscopy was evaluated at 1,084 FF. This cost could be used in future cost or cost/effectiveness studies of diagnostic or therapeutic strategies."}
{"id": "PMID:1483552", "title": "[Economic analysis of maintenance treatment with ranitidine 150 mg in duodenal ulcer].", "content": "While it is well-established that ranitidine 150 mg/day is effective in preventing recurrence and complications of duodenal ulcer, the economic impact of maintenance therapy is unknown. Socio-economic data, allowing to calculate the costs and cost-effectiveness ratio of intermittent and maintenance therapy, were prospectively obtained from a therapeutic trial in 399 duodenal ulcer patients (Mignon et al, Gastroenterol Clin Biol 1990;14:732-8). Visits and endoscopy investigations, work days lost, duration of hospital stay and drug consumption were recorded in both placebo (n = 202) and ranitidine (n = 197) groups. Each source of expenditure was evaluated using current fares and sales prices, from the point of view of both the collectivity and the French Health Care System. The costs of ranitidine strategy were less than the costs of placebo strategy, for the collectivity (2,031 and 2,823 FF per patient for one year, respectively) as well as for the French Health Care System (1,541 and 2,426 FF per patient per year, respectively). In the ranitidine group, expenditures were principally due to the drug (71%) and endoscopy investigation (24%). In the placebo group, endoscopy and hospital stay accounted for 50 and 39% of the expenses, respectively. The latter were due to the occurrence of complications in the placebo group. Sensitivity analysis disclosed that the results were unsensitive to the variations in cost hypotheses of the main expenditure sources. Cost/effectiveness analysis defined as cost per patient successfully treated showed that the cost of a \"ranitidine strategy\" was 2-3 times less than a \"placebo strategy\". Maintenance therapy for duodenal ulcer with ranitidine 150 mg/day for one year is less expensive and more cost-effective than intermittent treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1483553", "title": "[Stomach adenocarcinomas: comparison between CA 19-9 and carcinoembryonic antigen for the diagnosis of recurrences after surgical treatment].", "content": "The aim of this study was to compare carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and CA19-9 for the detection of local recurrences and distant metastases after complete resection of gastric carcinoma. At least one postoperative measurement of CEA and CA19-9 was performed in 54 patients. Among these, 32 had recurrence (59%) with a median follow-up of 618 days. Significantly higher sensitivity was observed for CA19-9 in comparison with CEA (68.8% vs 38.2% respectively), but specificity was slightly lower (81.8% vs 95.6% respectively). Increased CEA plasma level never preceded the diagnosis of recurrence while increasing CA19-9 preceded diagnosis in 13 patients (40.6%) from 1 to 22 months (median = 4.5 months). Increasing the normal range of CA19-9 to 80 UI/mL (2.5 x N) raises the specificity to 100% with acceptable sensitivity (53.1%). This study shows that CA19-9, compare with CEA, allows diagnosis of recurrence more often and earlier in the follow-up of resected gastric cancer."}
{"id": "PMID:1483554", "title": "[Treatment of pseudocysts in acute pancreatitis. Retrospective study of 45 patients].", "content": "A total of 55 pancreatic pseudocysts in 45 patients with acute pancreatitis were managed between 1980 and 1990. Six patients were managed conservatively with resolution of pseudocysts in 5 patients. All pancreatic pseudocysts that disappeared were smaller than 35 mm. CT or ultrasound-guided aspiration were performed in 26 patients with a morbidity rate of 5%. Nine among 21 patients (42%) who were initially treated by percutaneous puncture were definitively cured: all pseudocysts were smaller than 55 mm. Nine patients were managed by long-term percutaneous drainage: 3 minor complications occurred and in 7 patients, no other treatment was necessary even for large pseudocysts. Endoscopic cystoenterostomy was performed in 12 patients. Only 15 pseudocysts (27%) bulged into the digestive wall, mainly of the stomach. Three complications (following 2 cystogastrostomies) occurred and one patient died after endoscopic cystogastrostomy. In 7 patients (58%), no other treatment was necessary even for large pancreatic pseudocysts. Surgery was required in 13 patients but only 4 patients underwent surgery as primary treatment. One major complication occurred and one patient died. Percutaneous drainage and endoscopic cystoenterostomy when technically feasible, are effective treatments of pancreatic pseudocysts complicating acute pancreatitis."}
{"id": "PMID:1483555", "title": "[Post-antibiotic diarrheas: role of Klebsiella oxytoca].", "content": "From May 1989 to January 1991, 20 patients were investigated for antibiotic-associated acute diarrhea. Colonoscopy or rectosigmoidoscopy was performed in each patient. Cultures of colonic mucosal biopsies were carried out using conventional culture grounds (cystine-lactose-electrolyte-deficient). The aim of this study was to investigate the role of a gram negative bacillus: Klebsiella oxytoca. Among the 20 patients with antibiotic-associated acute diarrhea, 11 had bloody and mucus diarrhea and colitis ranging from a right-sided hemorrhagic to diffuse acute ulcerative or erosive colitis, 7 had a grossly normal colonic appearance, while 2 had mucus diarrhea and pseudomembranous colitis. Of colonic biopsies cultures obtained from 36 control patients, 15 had a normal colonic appearance, 15 had ulcerative or crohn's colitis, 6 had well-tolerated amoxicillin therapy. Klebsiella oxytoca was never found in the 36 control patients; Klebsiella oxytoca was noted among 8/11 patients with mucus-discharging and bloody diarrhea. These results suggest that antibiotic-associated, non pseudomembranous colitis is frequently associated with Klebsiella oxytoca infection, which may be the cause of this type of colitis."}
{"id": "PMID:1483557", "title": "[Pathogenesis of cholelithiasis in chronic pancreatitis].", "content": "The prevalence and the pathogenesis of gallstones in patients with chronic pancreatitis have never been studied prospectively. The aim of this study was to evaluate prospectively the prevalence of gallstones with ultrasonography and to look for markers of pigment or cholesterol stone formation in gallbladder bile. Ultrasonography was performed in 39 patients and detected gallstones in 7 patients and sludge in 3. Common bile duct and intrahepatic bile duct dilatation were observed in 16 and 13 patients, respectively. Liver biopsies were obtained in 31 patients and cirrhosis was found in 4. There were calcium bilirubinate granules in 7 of the 27 bile samples examined. Cholesterol crystals were not found in any case. The nucleation time (median: 21 days) was higher in patients with chronic pancreatitis than in patients with cholesterol stones (median: 2 days) (P < 0.001) but was not different from nucleation time in patients either free of stones (median: 21 days) or with pigment stones (median: 21 days). The cholesterol saturation index was similar in patients with chronic pancreatitis and in controls. The 2 patients with chronic pancreatitis who underwent cholecystectomy had pigment stones. Calcium bilirubinate granules were more frequent in patients with intrahepatic bile ducts dilatation (P < 0.02). In conclusion, this study demonstrates a high prevalence of cholelithiasis in chronic pancreatitis patients. Pigment stone formation could be favored by cholestasis."}
{"id": "PMID:1483558", "title": "[Is cholecystectomy by celiovideoscopy dangerous in the initial period? Prospective study of 100 initial cases].", "content": "The aim of this study was to prospectively study the complication rate of our 100 initial laparoscopic cholecystectomies. The ultimate goal was to obtain a morbidity rate comparable to open cholecystectomy. No major complications were noticed. The conversion rate to open cholecystectomy was 8%, slightly higher in comparison with the literature. Absence of major complications could be explained by: a) indications limited to symptomatic non complicated cholelithiasis; b) assistance at the beginning of our experience of gynecologists used to laparoscopic techniques; c) conversion to open cholecystectomy in case of technical difficulties. Application of these principles allows the digestive surgeon to start laparoscopic cholecystectomy without submitting the patient to additional risks."}
{"id": "PMID:1483560", "title": "[Diffuse leiomyomatosis of the esophagus. Analysis of a case and review of the literature].", "content": "Diffuse leiomyomatosis of the esophagus is a rare affection which is characterized by a diffuse hypertrophy of esophageal muscles, without involvement of the muscularis mucosae. This disease involves children and young adults, occasionally associated with other localisations of leiomyomatosis. The case of a 21 year old female, successfully treated by total esophagectomy, is reported herein. In this patient, proteinuria and hematuria led to the discussion of an aspect of Alport's syndrome which is characterized by association of leiomyomatosis, deafness, cataract, and hematuria."}
{"id": "PMID:1483561", "title": "[Acute Budd-Chiari's syndrome after surgical treatment of polycystic liver disease].", "content": "A case of acute Budd-Chiari syndrome after surgical treatment of polycystic liver disease is described. This complication, presently unreported in the literature, was secondary to the operative interruption of two hepatic veins, while the third was already obstructed by pericystic fibrosis. Preoperative radiologic vascular mapping should be performed in case of voluminous polycystic liver disease when associated liver resection appears likely."}
{"id": "PMID:1483570", "title": "The role of epidemic infectious diseases in the discovery of America.", "content": "As the world prepares to celebrate the quincentennial events surrounding the discovery of the New World by Christopher Columbus in 1492, a particular interest regarding the influence of epidemic infectious diseases on the history of the conquest of America has emerged. Contrary to popular belief, it was not the European guns or fierce soldiers that conquered the native Americans, but instead it was the common childhood illnesses brought from the Old World by the European conquistadors. Diseases such as smallpox, measles, and typhus annihilated most of the American native populations. Devastating epidemics resulted throughout the New World. We will review the consequences of introducing new infectious agents into a nonimmune population, discuss the major pathogens that were imported from the Old World, and focus on how these diseases may have affected the aboriginal depopulation of the Americas."}
{"id": "PMID:1483571", "title": "The voyage of Columbus led to the spread of syphilis to Europe.", "content": "The discovery of the New World by the Old World had a massive impact on subsequent events. It appears likely, but not certain, that the syphilitic epidemic in Europe may have been an imported affliction. It is impressive to appreciate how little was known in 1492 about infectious diseases and how much has been learned since the later decades of the nineteenth century. Syphilis represents the first major infectious disease for which discovery of etiology, development of a diagnostic test, and effective therapy was achieved, a major accomplishment of modern medicine."}
{"id": "PMID:1483572", "title": "Epidemic hecatomb in the New World.", "content": "The American population developed, during thousands of years, free of epidemics that had been attacking Europe, Asia and Africa. The European and African migrations, after Columbus's first trip, produced an epidemic invasion of influenza, smallpox, measles, yellow fever, malaria, diphtheria, typhus, and other diseases that attacked the immunologically virgin populations and produced a very high mortality, with a diminution of the indigenous population of more than 90% in many places. According to historical evidence, the first epidemic was influenza, produced by swine strain of virus, immediately followed by smallpox. The Spaniards mated freely with the Indians producing a mixed race called the Mestizo, who were immunologically more capable of defending themselves against various viruses, bacteria, and parasites brought over from the Old World. Marriage between the races also was sanctioned by Queen Isabella (1503) and Fernando I (1515). With these new genetic immunologic defenses against infections, the Mestizo eventually made up the majority of the population of Indians in the New World."}
{"id": "PMID:1483573", "title": "Genetic difference between Europeans and Indians: tissue and blood types.", "content": "When Columbus reached America, the continent probably was inhabited by 15 to 30 million natives. Mexico now has 68 different Indian tribes classified from a linguistic point of view; 5 million people speaking different languages are registered. However, the Mexican population is mainly composed of Mestizos (95%), who have a triracial admixture of Caucasian genes coming from the Spanish conquerors, black genes from the African slaves brought by the Spaniards to America, and an Oriental gene-pool derived from the natives. The admixture started around 1500, but at present it may be very difficult to distinguish phenotypically one group from another, and the Mestizos from the Indians. Therefore, polymorphic systems like the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) or several blood markers are very valuable tools and crucial elements to trace human migrations, to define degree of admixture, and to explore the impact of genetics on the epidemiology of the different populations. The distribution of blood group systems throughout western Europe is very homogeneous. In contrast, in the Mongolian the A2 subgroup and the S allele almost disappear compared with European Caucasian. Although homogeneity also exists in Orientals, several groups have a very particular pattern, such as the Senoi from Malay, the Tharons from Burma and the Ainu from Japan. We analyzed four Mexican Indian tribes, and as in Amerindians group 0 is extremely high, almost all are kappa; Fya is increased as in Mongolians, and Dia is an Oriental and Amerindian marker. The distribution of Lu and Kp suggests that the environment might have influenced the variability of these antigens found in Indians.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1483575", "title": "Allergy to pistachio nuts.", "content": "Three patients with adverse food reactions due to pistachio and mango were studied. Specific IgE against these tropical stone fruits of the Anacardiaceae family could be demonstrated, indicating type I allergic reactions. Methods are described to detect these specific antibodies in a reproducible way."}
{"id": "PMID:1483580", "title": "Peroxyl radical scavenging by a series of coumarins.", "content": "Sixteen plant-derived or synthetic coumarins with various hydroxyl and other substitutions were tested for their ability to scavenge alkylperoxyl radicals generated in the aqueous phase by the controlled thermolysis of 2,2'-azo-bis-(2-amidinopropane) dihydrochloride (ABAP). Protection by coumarins against inactivation of lysozyme by the radicals was assayed by measuring the loss of turbidity of suspensions of M. lysodeikticus. Ten of the coumarins were potent scavengers of aqueous peroxyl radicals with activities comparable to n-propyl gallate, desferrioxamine, ferrioxamine and trolox c, yielding IC50 values in the range 21 to 92 micromolar. The presence of 6,7-ortho-dihydroxy functions gave compounds of the greatest potency. Scavenging activity was unrelated to ability to chelate iron ions. The active coumarins are attractive candidates for evaluation as protective agents against disorders in which oxidative stress is implicated."}
{"id": "PMID:1483576", "title": "Prevalence of dust-mite allergens in homes and workplaces of the Upper Connecticut River Valley of New England.", "content": "This study sought to determine the relative abundance and seasonal variation of Dermatophagoides farinae and D pteronyssinus allergens in homes and workplaces of the Upper Connecticut River Valley of New England. Dust samples were obtained from 15 homes and 23 carpeted workplaces in public buildings. Half the samples were collected in June 1990 and half in September 1990. D pteronyssinus and D farinae content of the samples were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). This observational study of homes and workplaces found a predominance of D pteronyssinus allergens in both homes and workplaces; a marked seasonal increase in total Dermatophagoides group I allergens from June to September; and only very low levels of allergens in workplaces. Workplaces seem an unlikely source of significant dust-mite allergen exposure, and workplace exposure does not negate efforts at home dust control by affected patients in this region."}
{"id": "PMID:1483581", "title": "Luminol luminescence induced by 2,2'-Azo-bis(2-amidinopropane) thermolysis.", "content": "2,2'-Azo-bis(2-amidinopropane) thermolysis induces luminol luminescence. The luminescence intensity is quenched by SOD, catalase, Trolox and human blood serum. However, the time course of the light intensity profile is different for the different additives. In particular, the quenching efficiency of Trolox and human blood serum decreases with time after addition. Double quenching experiments show that SOD and Trolox are not competitive quenchers, while a simple competition can be established between Trolox and human blood serum in trapping a common intermediate. From the kinetic analysis of the data it is concluded that, at least at low additive concentrations, Trolox scavenges a luminol derived radical. Higher concentrations of Trolox or human blood serum produce induction times that are proportional to the additives concentrations. The possibility of employing luminol luminescence in the evaluation of TRAP levels and the capacity of biological samples to scavenge free radicals is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1483582", "title": "Oxygen-derived free radicals mediate liver damage in rats subjected to tourniquet shock.", "content": "The placement of rubber band tourniquets upon rat hind-limbs for 5 h followed by reperfusion of the extremities results in a severe form of circulatory shock characterized by hypotension and death within 24 h of tourniquet release. Oxidative damage to muscle tissue is an early consequence of hind-limb reperfusion on tourniquet release, yet this local damage does not explain the lethal hypotensive shock state which evolves within the next 24 h. Multiple system organ failure (MSOF), of as of yet unknown causes, is usually described in relation to several shock states. It has been suggested that injured or necrotic tissue may activate neutrophils, platelets, and the coagulation system leading to embolization in remote tissues. Effective decreases in hepatic blood flow have been observed in several forms of sepsis which precedes the biochemical evidence consistent with an ischemic insult of the liver. In support of our original hypothesis, that organ failure has its genesis in a primary perfusion abnormality with secondary ischemic organ injury, herein we have assessed the possibility that oxygen-derived free radicals are generated in the liver of rats after reperfusion of their hind-limbs on release of the tourniquets. We report on the protective effects of allopurinol (ALLO) and a mixture of superoxide dismutase (SOD) catalase (CAT) and dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) on liver free sulfhydryl content (SH), thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS), and on the release of aspartic acid (AsT) and alanine aminotransferase (AlT) activities, and of alkaline phosphatase during a 5 h tourniquet period and after 2 h of reperfusion of the hind-limbs. During the hind-limb ischemic period hepatis tissue SH levels remained essentially constant during the first hour (6.02 +/- 0.36 to 5.65 +/- 0.20 mumoles/g wet tissue), and decreased significantly, over and above the normal circadian decrease of liver glutathione levels, to 4.02 +/- 0.69 mumoles/g wet tissue after the third hour and remained lowered until tourniquet release. A further significant decrease (3.11 +/- 0.49 mumoles/g wet tissue) was observed after 2h of reperfusion. TBARS production remained constant during the 5 h hind-limb ischemic period (168.4 +/- 37.3 mumoles/g wet tissue) and rose by 55% to 261.7 +/- 55.8 mumoles/g wet tissue after 2 h of tourniquet release. ALLO, but not the SOD-CAT-DMSO combination, protected hepatic SH loss during the hind-limb ischemic insult, yet both offered protection after 2 h of tourniquet release.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1483583", "title": "Effect of ozone on the activities of reactive oxygen scavenging enzymes in RBC of ozone exposed Japanese charr (Salvelinus leucomaenis).", "content": "The effect of ozone exposure on the activities of reactive oxygen scavenging enzymes (SOD, catalase, GSH-Px) in RBC of Japanese charr (Salvelinus leucomaenis) was examined. Ozone (0, 0.4 and 0.7 ppm as initial concentrations) was exposed to Japanese charr for 30 min, which definitely caused serious membrane damage to RBC of fish. Ozone exposure at 0.4 and 0.7 ppm decreased activities of both catalase and GSH-Px by 80 to 57% of the control. On the other hand, the activities of SOD remained unaffected even by 0.7 ppm ozone exposure. A hypothesis on the RBC membrane damage and participation of SOD and heme-iron was proposed."}
{"id": "PMID:1483584", "title": "Magnitude of hyperoxic stress and degree of lung maturity determine the nature of pulmonary antioxidant response in the guinea pig.", "content": "The ability of the immature lung to induce antioxidant defences in response to hyperoxic stress was examined. Preterm guinea pigs (65 days gestation, term = 68 d) were exposed to either 21% O2, 85% O2 or 95% O2 for 72 hours. Exposure to 85% O2 increased lung catalase, glutathione peroxidase and manganese superoxide dismutase activities in comparison to air controls. Exposure to 95% O2 resulted only in an increase in glutathione peroxidase activity. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid GSH concentration was increased by a similar amount by both exposure regimes, while lung copper/zinc superoxide dismutase activity was unchanged by either treatment. Comparison of the antioxidant response of term and preterm animals exposed to 85% O2 for 72 hours indicated a greater response in the lung of the preterm animals. Manganese superoxide dismutase activity was elevated in both term and preterm animals, while catalase and glutathione peroxidase activities were elevated only in preterm animals. The extent of microvascular permeability as indicated by bronchoalveolar lavage fluid protein concentration, was lower in preterm animals than in term animals. We conclude that the immature lung can respond to hyperoxic stress by antioxidant induction and that the nature of the response is dependent, in part, both on the severity of the stress and on the maturity of the lung."}
{"id": "PMID:1483577", "title": "Chronic rhinitis: an underrecognized association with fibromyalgia.", "content": "We prospectively studied 47 consecutive patients with either seasonal or perennial allergic rhinitis or nonallergic rhinitis in a general allergy clinic. A diagnostic questionnaire was administered for symptoms of rhinitis and fibromyalgia, and patients were examined for tender points. A history of congestion was present in 91%, rhinorrhea in 87%, and postnasal drip in 83%. Forty-nine percent had a history of diffuse, aching pain, or tiredness for at least 3 months; 49% percent had 11 or more tender points; and 38% had both a history of widespread pain plus 11 or more tender points (the 1990 criteria of the American College of Rheumatology for fibromyalgia). This frequency is much higher than the expected 4 to 5% prevalence of fibromyalgia in a general population. Seventy-nine percent of all subjects were skin-test positive to inhalant allergens, but positive skin tests alone did not correlate with the number of tender points or criteria for fibromyalgia. Rhinitis, rather than atopy, is associated with fibromyalgia and may be an underdiagnosed, but important causative factor."}
{"id": "PMID:1483587", "title": "Paraneoplastic marrow alterations in patients with cancer.", "content": "Bone marrow abnormalities may be found in patients with cancers even without marrow metastases. We have seen that patients with non-hematologic neoplasias may show bone remodelling, stromal modifications, reactive changes and myelodysplastic alterations of erythro-, granulo- and megakaryocytic series comparable to those found in myelodysplastic syndromes (MDSs). At the beginning of the study 58 bone marrow biopsies (BMBs), performed in 40 patients with previously diagnosed cancer from different primary sites but without marrow metastasis (group A), were evaluated. Osseous and stromal modifications, marked reactive changes, quantitative and qualitative alterations of erythro-, granulo- and megakaryopoiesis were observed. Afterwards, 30 BMBs from 20 patients without a previous diagnosis of neoplasia (group B) were found to have features similar to those discovered in group A. Further investigations detected malignant tumors in all these cases. The findings of the two groups were compared with our former observations on myelodysplastic syndromes. The main differences between groups A-B and MDSs regarded bone remodelling, stromal modifications and reactive changes. These marrow alterations linked to a neoplasia may be considered paraneoplastic. They may cause problems for a differential diagnosis with some proliferative diseases and, above all, with primary MDSs. The reported features should prompt the pathologist to suggest a search for possible occult cancer."}
{"id": "PMID:1483590", "title": "Primary gastric non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in a population-based registry.", "content": "The incidence of primary gastric non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) appears to have increased worldwide in recent years, and this seems to be confirmed by large-sample population studies. We derived our data from the Lombardy Cancer Registry, which provides the incidence of cancer in the province of Varese, Northern Italy. From 1978 to 1987 we identified 3261 cases of gastric neoplasms, 119 of which were gastric NHL: 32 (1.87%) from 1978 to 1982, and 87 (5.32%) from 1983 to 1987. The difference in the age and sex standardized incidence trend between these two time periods was statistically significant (p < 0.001). The overall survival rate of the 112 evaluable patients was 54% at 5 years and 45% at 10 years. A multivariate analysis was performed. Age (p < 0.0005), clinical stage (p < 0.04) and therapy (p < 0.0005) were found to be significant prognostic factors for survival. This study stresses the utility of prospective randomized clinical trials that could indicate the optimal management of patients with primary gastric lymphoma."}
{"id": "PMID:1483588", "title": "HIV-related thrombocytopenia: four different clinical subsets.", "content": "Many factors have been considered in the pathogenesis of HIV-related Thrombocytopenia (HIV-rel TP): immunological destruction, retroviral infection of megakaryocytes and altered reticulo-endothelial function. Nevertheless the pathogenesis is still controversial. We reviewed 52 patients (all intravenous drug users) with HIV-rel TP (< 100 x 10(9)/L) by evaluating bone marrow morphology, antiplatelet antibodies (28/52), kinetic studies with 111In Oxine and response to therapy. Seventeen percent of TP were evaluated as \"acute ITP-like\", and 40% as \"chronic ITP-like\"; 35% were evaluated as \"pooling\" TP and 8% as \"hypoplastic\" TP. Twenty-four patient with moderate TP (> 30 x 10(9)/L) were followed for a mean time of 27 months and no hemorrhages were seen during the period of observation despite the fact that no treatment was given; twenty-eight others with severe TP (< 30 x 10(9)/L) were treated in different ways: 18% responded to steroids and/or HDIg, 70% to splenectomy and 56% to zidovudine. The term \"HIV-related thrombocytopenia\" should include more than one kind of TP: \"Acute ITP-like\" TP, \"chronic ITP-like\" TP, \"pooling\" TP and \"hypoplastic\" TP have to be evaluated differently for pathogenesis, clinical manifestations and treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1483589", "title": "Sex and age as prognostic factors in essential thrombocythemia.", "content": "The major causes of morbidity and mortality in essential thrombocythemia (ET) are bleeding and thrombotic accidents, but a prognostic pattern for these complications has not yet been discovered. In this study we report data from a large cohort of patients with thrombocytosis, distinguished for sex and age, in order to define their thrombotic risk. The prevalence of vascular complications recognized in 86 patients with essential thrombocythemia was studied. In addition, 91 patients with polycythemia vera (PV), 20 with myelofibrosis (MF) and 63 with secondary thrombocytosis (ST) were evaluated. 6.3% of ET subjects younger than 40 (4.6% of males and 7.0% of females), 11.8% of patients between 40 and 65 years old (14.9% of males and 9% of females), and 16.8% of subjects over 65 (14.6% of males and 17.8% of females) showed thrombotic accidents. In the PV and MF groups thromboses occurred more frequently than in the ET groups for all ages and for both sexes. On the contrary, ST subjects showed fewer thromboses than ET patients, but their incidence rose with patient age; moreover the prevalence of males in this group was limited. In ET patients, particularly in females, the incidence of thrombosis was low under 40 years of age, but rapidly increased later. ET females over 40 must be followed with particular attention in order to prevent thrombotic complications."}
{"id": "PMID:1483600", "title": "[The role of neuronal cytoskeleton associated proteins in neuronal network formation].", "content": "There have been many studies to determine extrinsic factors that may regulate the neuronal migration and growth of axons and dendrites. However, the intracellular mechanism, especially the regulation of cytoskeleton, has not been clarified. It has been reported that actin filament crosslinking protein, MAR-CKS, play roles in cell motility through cytoskeletal rearrangement accompanied by rapid, PKC-dependent phosphorylation. Recently, we have demonstrated that neuron-specific actin binding protein, drebrin, changed the stability and distribution of microfilaments within the fibroblast and formed highly-branched dendrite-like cell processes from their cell perimeters. It has also been reported that overexpression of microtubule associated protein, tau, in a fibroblast induced long axon-like cellular processes. This review will focus on dynamic regulations of the microfilament by drebrin and those of the microtubules by MAP2 and tau. Since all kinds of cytoskeletons are related to each other, the binding ability of neurofilament H to microtubules and that of MAP2 to neurofilaments were also discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1483591", "title": "Low-dose \"natural\" alpha-interferon in B-cell derived chronic lymphocytic leukemia.", "content": "Alpha-interferon (alpha-IFN) was found to have a good antiproliferative effect in early stage chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), but recombinant alpha-IFN administration may induce serious side effects. Therefore low-dose \"natural\" IFN was evaluated in terms of efficacy and safety. Fifteen patients affected by stage A (according to Binet) B-CLL underwent the treatment: natural IFN 1 MU three times a week for 6 months. Overall lymphocyte count decreased from 13,050 +/- 3,200 to 7,500 +/- 2,940 within 6 months. One patient did not respond to IFN therapy. No one complained of side effects. Low dose \"natural\" alpha-IFN seems useful and well tolerated in CLL, but the potential curative role of IFN in CLL remains to be established."}
{"id": "PMID:1483595", "title": "Idiopathic hypereosinophilic syndrome and \"eosinophilic leukemia\".", "content": "We report a case of idiopathic hypereosinophilia syndrome (H.E.S.) with a pronounced myeloproliferative disorder, which during the course of the illness has exceeded more than one \"blastic crisis\". This again proposes the difficult relationship between H.E.S. and myeloproliferative syndromes (M.S.), and is indicative of why some cases of H.E.S. are differentially diagnosed as chronic myeloid leukemia (C.M.L.) with an eosinophilic component."}
{"id": "PMID:1483601", "title": "[Establishment of a method to analyze drugs in the hair and its application for determining patient compliance].", "content": "The human scalp hair is a useful tissue that retains the past dosage history over a rather long period of time, acting like a \"tape-recorder\". It should be emphasized that the sampling of hair can be made noninvasively by cutting a few to several pieces of hair nearest to the scalp. Because the hair continues to grow at the rate of about 1 cm/month, each 1-cm hair length contains the drug corresponding to the amount ingested over a 1-month period when the hair is cut into 1-cm lengths successively from the scalp end. However, the hair growth rate is variable both within and between individuals, and the hair has its own growth cycle, i.e., 2 to 8 years or more of the growing stage and a few months of the resting stage. Therefore, the validity of the obtained results must always be considered cautiously, especially in relation to whether a resting phase hair might have been sampled. For obtaining information on the growth rate and stage of a hair, a drug that can be detected in the hair even after a short-term exposure to the drug has been found. These drugs are antimicrobial quinolones such as ofloxacin. By analyzing the axial distribution of ofloxacin along the hair shaft, we can expect to determine the so-called \"tape-speed\" and \"uniformity of tape-running\" of a single hair."}
{"id": "PMID:1483593", "title": "Biochemical and molecular basis of Glanzmann's thrombasthenia.", "content": "Glanzmann's thrombasthenia is a rare autosomal recessive bleeding disorder characterized by a quantitative deficiency or a functional abnormality of the major platelet membrane integrin receptor: the glycoprotein (GP) IIb/IIIa complex. The GPIIb/IIIa complex functions as a platelet receptor for fibrinogen, von Willebrand factor, fibronectin and vitronectin; therefore it plays an important role in platelet adhesion and aggregation. Thrombasthenic platelets are severely deficient in GPIIb/IIIa content or function, and fail to aggregate and form the hemostatic plug at the site of vessel injury. On the other hand, heterozygous subjects (having about half the number of normal GPIIb/IIIa complexes) do not show bleeding problems. It has been demonstrated that a molecular defect affecting one of the two GP coding genes is sufficient to determine a contemporary deficit of both GPIIb and GPIIIa, and hence the thrombasthenic phenotype. Up to now, few molecular abnormalities giving rise to Glanzmann's thrombasthenia have been characterized. Large rearrangements within the GPIIb or GPIIIa coding genes appear to be unusual, whereas small modifications in the nucleotide sequence of the coding regions occur with higher frequency."}
{"id": "PMID:1483592", "title": "Interferon therapy in intravenous drug users with HIV-associated idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura.", "content": "There is no generally accepted treatment for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)--associated idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP). recombinant alpha interferon (rIFN) has been used in classic ITP with conflicting results. We have tested its activity in a group of intravenous drug users (IVDUs) with HIV-associated ITP, who also had a high prevalence of chronic liver disease. Nine patients were treated with a short course of rIFN-2b (3 MU s.c. three times a week for four weeks), and their hematological and biochemical parameters were monitored before (t0), at the end (t1), and one month after discontinuation of rIFN therapy (t2). Platelet counts increased significantly from 15.9 +/- 7.3 x 10(9)/L at t0 up to 67.0 +/- 38.8 x 10S(9)/L at t1 (p < 0.005), but returned to 24.7 +/- 12.7 x 10(9)/L at t2 (t1 vs t2: p < 0.005). The other parameters did not change, with the exception of the alanine aminotransferase levels, which decreased from 105 IU/L at t0 to 42 IU/L at t1 (p < 0.05). A short course of rIFN is an effective treatment for HIV-associated ITP in IVDUs and may also be beneficial for the frequently concomitant chronic liver disease. Since the efficacy of rIFN on the platelet count is short-lived, long-term rIFN administration would be worth testing."}
{"id": "PMID:1483597", "title": "\"Very late\" relapses in Hodgkin's disease patients: a rare but real phenomenon.", "content": "In the past several decades, scientific and therapeutic advances have transformed Hodgkin's disease from a uniformly fatal illness to one that can be treated with the expectation of long-term remission or cure in the majority of cases. Because patients now survive for long periods after treatment, various late complications are being identified. Among patients with such late complications, some have been reported to experience \"very late\" relapses (> 10 years). Here we document recurrences in three patients with Hodgkin's disease more than 10 years after remission."}
{"id": "PMID:1483603", "title": "Kinematics of the ankle: a hinge axis model.", "content": "We used a mechanical method to locate the axis of rotation of the talocrural joint. A single constant axis of rotation was found just distal to the tips of the malleoli. The paths of light-emitting diodes mounted on a talar pin were recorded with time lapse photography during flexion-extension. These paths were analyzed both in the sagittal plane and in a plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation. Sagittal plane studies were distorted by perspective error. The plane used to analyze joint motion or shape must be the plane of motion. Models of the talocrural joint for gait analysis, reconstructive surgery and prosthetic design should have a single offset axis of rotation."}
{"id": "PMID:1483596", "title": "Polycythaemia after myeloid metaplasia with fibrosis: an unusual sequence.", "content": "In November 1981, a 77-yr-old woman consulted for myeloid metaplasia with fibrosis. A persistent hyperleucocytosis was treated with hydroxyurea from March, 1985 to March, 1989. At that time facial dyskinesia and polycythaemia developed. Investigations revealed a regression of myelofibrosis and a predominance of myeloid metaplasia in the liver. The mechanism of this event, rarely observed in myeloproliferative syndromes, is discussed in this new case."}
{"id": "PMID:1483604", "title": "Treatment of hallux valgus by oblique osteotomy of the first metatarsal.", "content": "This paper describes a simple technique of oblique osteotomy of the first metatarsal for treatment of symptomatic hallux valgus deformity. The osteotomy is performed at a 30 degree angle from the long axis of the metatarsal shaft. The head of the metatarsal is then displaced laterally to provide correction of the hallux valgus. This is an uncomplicated procedure for the treatment of hallux valgus. From 1984 through 1989, 53 feet in 31 patients were treated with an oblique osteotomy of the first metatarsal. A total of 49 feet in 27 patients were followed up more than 2 years. The follow-up x-rays and clinical examinations revealed a good result in 43 feet. In six feet of three patients, all of whom had simultaneous oblique osteotomies of both the first and second metatarsals, a fair or poor result was obtained. It was learned that oblique osteotomy for hallux valgus greater than 40 degrees provided insufficient correction of the valgus angle or limitation of motion at the metatarsophalangeal joint of the great toe."}
{"id": "PMID:1483594", "title": "Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in a child with cystic fibrosis.", "content": "The association of cystic fibrosis (CF) and acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) is extremely rare. Only three cases have been reported in the literature and all of them had a fatal outcome. In this paper we describe the case of a little girl who was diagnosed with CF (mild course) when she was five months old, and who presented at the age of five years with ALL (intermediate risk). Complete Remission (CR) was rapidly obtained with standard chemotherapy for ALL.; treatment was continued for two years without major complications and with no apparent influence on the course of CF. The patient remains alive and well and in continuous CR four years after discontinuing treatment, and six years after the diagnosis of ALL."}
{"id": "PMID:1483605", "title": "Excision of ununited fractures of the posterior process of the talus: a treatment for chronic posterior ankle pain.", "content": "The cases of nine patients with ununited fracture of the posterior process of the talus were reviewed. The most common mechanism of injury was forced plantarflexion. All patients had pain in the posterior ankle region. Common physical findings included tenderness between the lateral malleolus and the Achilles tendon and pain on forced plantarflexion. Of the radiographic imaging modalities used, 99Tc bone scan was found to be the most helpful in diagnosis. All nine patients eventually underwent surgical excision at a mean period of 9.4 months post injury. At average follow-up of 27 months after surgery (range 7-69 months), six of nine patients had good or excellent results with respect to pain relief and return to function. There were two complications of sural neuroma formation, one of which resulted in severe persistent pain after surgery. Based on these findings, we believe the differential diagnosis of chronic posttraumatic ankle pain should include fracture of the posterior process of the talus. Furthermore, excision of an ununited fragment through a lateral approach, taking care to preserve and protect the sural nerve, should lead to the return of painless function in the majority of cases."}
{"id": "PMID:1483606", "title": "Anatomical considerations of posterior tibialis tendon entrapment in irreducible lateral subtalar dislocation.", "content": "Irreducible lateral subtalar dislocation is associated with posterior tibialis tendon entrapment. Mulroy and Leitner have proposed conflicting theories regarding the exact mechanism of tendon entrapment. Cadaveric analysis of lateral subtalar dislocation supported Leitner's contention that tearing of the flexor retinaculum promotes posterior tibialis tendon entrapment. Retinacular disruption allowed tendon subluxation over the medial malleolus and talar head to the entrapped position. Entrapment of the flexor digitorum longus only occurred in the Leitner model. When the flexor retinaculum and deep posterior compartment fascia were preserved, the muscle failed at the musculotendinous junction. Flexor hallucis longus entrapment could not be produced in either experimental model. Plantarflexion of the great and lesser toes, noted on clinical presentation, is caused by functional lengthening of the route coursed by the flexor digitorum longus and flexor hallucis longus."}
{"id": "PMID:1483607", "title": "The Harris and Beath footprint: interpretation and clinical value.", "content": "The Harris and Beath footprint is an inexpensive, noninvasive method of recording foot/ground pressure patterns to aid clinical diagnosis, decision making, and follow-up. Studies of normal children and skeletally mature individuals have identified the wide variations found in normal feet, a knowledge of which is fundamental to the interpretation of the footprint in the clinical situation."}
{"id": "PMID:1483608", "title": "Microvascular anatomy of the peroneal tendons.", "content": "The etiology of longitudinal splitting of the peroneus brevis tendon is unclear. It has been hypothesized that compressive load applied to the tendon as it passes through the fibular groove may compromise the vascularity of the tendon with resultant inhibition of the repair response and degeneration of tendon structure. To investigate this possibility, a study of the microvascularity of the peroneal tendons was undertaken. Twelve fresh, frozen cadaveric limbs were injected with India ink. The vascularity of the peroneal tendons was examined in situ and the tendons were harvested and cleared using a modified Spalteholz technique. The vascularity of the cleared tendons was evaluated utilizing a dissecting microscope. The vascular supply of the peroneal tendons arises from two posterolateral vincula, one for the peroneus longus tendon and one for the peroneus brevis tendon. These vincula are supplied by branches of the posterior peroneal artery. A zone of hypovascularity within the peroneus brevis or peroneus longus tendon correlating with the site of peroneus brevis splits was not found. There was no relationship between increasing age of specimens and alteration in vascular supply."}
{"id": "PMID:1483609", "title": "Open total dislocation of the talus with extrusion (missing talus): report of two cases.", "content": "Two different methods of treatment for open dislocation of the extruded talus without soft tissue attachments (missing talus) were examined. In case 1, a 20-year-old man sustained an open total dislocation of the talus due to a motorcycle accident. The missing talus was found within 3 hr and replaced after thorough washing and debridement. Weightbearing was permitted at 20 weeks; however, the density of the talar body increased in the x-ray and nonweightbearing status was resumed. Reexamination at 2 1/2 years revealed that there was joint space narrowing on the x-ray and decreased pain with ambulation; the patient had returned to his job. In case 2, a 26-year-old man sustained an open total dislocation of the talus with a severe crush wound and impaired circulation to the foot. After thorough washing and debridement of the wound, the calcaneus and distal end of the tibia were aligned. The missing talus was found 3 days later, but not replaced. Weightbearing was allowed on the affected foot at 2 months; however, the patient felt pain at the joint surfaces and arthrodesis was consequently performed. At 2 1/2 years, the patient had a 4.0-cm leg length discrepancy in the involved extremity, but felt no pain when walking. Although reduction of the talus is ideal to preserve function and length of the extremity, several complications can occur. A review of literature on open total dislocation of the talus with extrusion was performed."}
{"id": "PMID:1483611", "title": "Achilles tendinitis.", "content": "Achilles tendinitis is a problem encountered frequently. There are certain anatomical and biomechanical principles that help explain the etiology of this entity. We prefer to separate our thinking into \"insertional\" and \"noninsertional\" Achilles tendinitis. This is helpful because it allows nonoperative and operative treatment to be problem specific and systematic."}
{"id": "PMID:1483614", "title": "[Pathophysiologic principles of metabolic syndrome. Consequences for early diagnosis and prevention].", "content": "The metabolic syndrome (syndrome X) is characterised by an association of elevated insulin levels, a tendency to obesity of the android type, a disturbance of lipid metabolism with elevated triglyceride levels and commonly associated hypertension. The underlying common cause of this syndrome appears to be insulin resistance of the skeletal muscles, which is related in particular to the non-oxidative glucose utilization on the part of the muscle. The molecular cause of this syndrome has not been clarified, but a defect in the signal transduction chain between the insulin receptor and glycogen synthase is suspected. Epidemiological studies have shown that the metabolic syndrome may be considered a preliminary stage of manifest type II diabetes. In addition, it appears to play a major role in the development of cardiovascular complications in certain high-risk groups."}
{"id": "PMID:1483615", "title": "[Metabolic syndrome and type-II diabetes. Relations to macroangiopathy].", "content": "Clinical and epidemiological findings over the last few years are increasingly pointing to a metabolic syndrome comprising major cardiovascular risk factors, which frequently characterizes type II diabetes and its preliminary stages. More recent studies have shown that insulin resistance is genetically determined and can be detected in a pre-diabetic stage long before diabetes mellitus becomes manifest. It is thus not surprising that a large percentage of patients with type II diabetes already have clear signs of arteriosclerosis at the time the diagnosis is made. The results of the Schwabing study II indicate a \"point of no return\" for the development of cardiovascular disease, which makes early and vigorous intervention involving all facets of the metabolic syndrome a matter of urgency."}
{"id": "PMID:1483616", "title": "[Hypertension in metabolic syndrome. Etiology and consequences].", "content": "Essential hypertension in patients with the metabolic syndrome is regularly associated with other metabolic disorders. Thus, most hypertensives are overweight and have a glucose intolerance, while many have concomitant hyperproteinemia and dyslipoproteinemia. Up until fairly recently, it was not known that so-called insulin resistance is a common denominator both of metabolic risk factors and hypertension. In recent years, our knowledge about insulin resistance has spawned an equally convincing and fascinating multidimensional concept which reveals and plausibly explains complex relationships between metabolism, hypertension and the coronary risk."}
{"id": "PMID:1483617", "title": "[Dyslipoproteinemia and metabolic syndrome. Effects of insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia on lipid metabolism].", "content": "Insulin resistance and consecutive hyperinsulinemia in individuals with the metabolic syndrome are associated with dyslipidemia. This latter is characterised by hypertriglyceridemia and a diminishment of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol in the plasma. In severe forms of insulin resistance, low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol may also be elevated. Hypertriglyceridemia is due to an increase in the rate of synthesis of very low density lipoproteins (VLDL) in the liver, and a reduction in their breakdown by the lipoprotein lipase in non-hepatic tissue. Changes in VLDL metabolism are associated with a reduction in HDL concentrations. In addition, direct effects of insulin on the lipid metabolism have been described. Changes in lipid metabolism due to insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia may be of significance for the atherosclerosis risk in patients with the metabolic syndrome."}
{"id": "PMID:1483619", "title": "[Ibuprofen--successful in activated arthrosis. Results of a administration study].", "content": "Within the framework of an observational study carried out on a national basis and involving some 4,000 patients, a total of 1,156 patients with activated arthrosis were treated with oral ibuprofen and observed over a period of three weeks. It was found that, at a dose of 600 mg tid, ibuprofen led to significant remission rates in terms of the symptoms pain at rest, pain on movement, tenderness, restriction of movement, swelling, joint effusion, and morning stiffness. After the third week of treatment, these rates reached 90%. In the first week, rapid onset of action within the first 30 minutes was noted in about 50%, which increased in the third week to 65%. Since at the same time the tolerability of ibuprofen was also found to be good--4% side effects--it can be recommended also for long-term use in this indication."}
{"id": "PMID:1483621", "title": "Microsurgical and angiographic analysis of anterior communicating artery aneurysms with associated anomalies.", "content": "A direct operation was performed on 110 patients with an aneurysm of the anterior communicating artery (ACoA). During the surgery, in 52% of the cases, the neck of the aneurysm was found at the junction of the A-1 segment and ACoA and they presented with a hypoplastic contralateral A-1 segment. Associated ACoA anomalies were seen in 13 (12%) of the 110 cases. The most common anomaly was duplication of the ACoA, found in 11 cases (10%). In 2 other cases triplicate ACoA was found. Preoperative bilateral carotid angiograms were reviewed and duplication of the ACoA associated with the aneurysms able to be pointed out on angiograms in 4 cases, retrospectively. The anatomical and radiological aspects of aneurysms with associated anomalies are also discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1483622", "title": "[Diagnostic goals in aortic dissection. Value of transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography].", "content": "The combination of different ultrasound techniques like transthoracic, suprasternal, subcostal and transesophageal echocardiography have a high sensitivity and specificity in the diagnosis of aortic dissection. The limitation of this combined ultrasound technique is related to the visualization of the ascending part of the aortic arch which, cause of the interposition of the trachea, can not be visualized completely. The beginning or the end of a dissection in this part of the aorta may be misinterpreted. False negative results are rare. False positive results due to artefacts resulting from reverberations in an ectatic ascending aorta have to be taken into account. The most important diagnostic aims in acute or chronic aortic dissection can be described: 1. confirmation of the diagnosis by visualization of the intima membrane, 2. the differentiation of the true and false lumen depending on visualization of spontaneous echocardiographic contrast thrombus formation, slow or reduced reversed flow, systolic diameter reduction and signs of entry jet into the false lumen, 3. detection of intimal tear, demonstrating communication by two-dimensional or color Doppler echocardiography, 4. determination of the extent of the dissection with classification according to DeBakey type I, II and III or Stanford A and B with differentiation to communicating or non-communicating dissection, antegrade or retrograde dissection limited to the descending aorta or expanding to the ascending aorta, 5. detection of wall motion abnormalities as a sign of preexisting coronary artery disease or myocardial ischemia due to ostium occlusion by an intimal flap, coronary artery rupture or collapse of the true lumen during diastole, 6. detection and grading of aortic insufficiency, 7. detection of side branch involvement by suprasternal, subcostal and abdominal sonography, which will gain the information which side can be chosen for cannulation or catheterization at the femoral artery, 8. detection of pericardial pleural effusion and mediastinal hematoma as a sign of emergency as rupture can occur within minutes. Without surgical intervention have be performed. Based on these informations, surgery can be performed in all acute situations in type A dissection without further investigations. This decision is particularly important in patients with signs of emergency like pericardial or pleural effusion or mediastinal hematoma."}
{"id": "PMID:1483623", "title": "[Acute and subacute dissection of the thoracic aorta: diagnostic importance of magnetic resonance tomography].", "content": "The purpose of this study was to retrospectively assess the reliability of ECG-triggered magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for the diagnosis of acute and subacute thoracic aortic dissection and associated clinical epiphenomena. 67 patients were subjected to MRI; the diagnostic results were compared with morphological standards. 25 patients had type A, 12 patients type B dissection. In 30 cases a dissection was excluded. 17 patients with aortic dissection had acute onset of symptoms, 10 patients had subacute onset of symptoms. 17 patients revealed thrombosis of the false lumen, which was found in the descending aorta in 59% of the cases. Aortic regurgitation and pericardial effusion was most often associated with type A dissection (Table 1). Three patients were studied while on mechanical ventilation. Scan time for MRI ranged from 15 to 71 minutes with an average of 46 +/- 18 minutes. In this series no deleterious events were encountered related to MRI diagnostics. In contrast to previously published data using other noninvasive techniques the sensitivity of MRI was 100% for detecting a dissection in the ascending segment of the thoracic aorta. Moreover, the specificity of MRI for a dissection was 100% and thus higher than previously published data using transesophageal echocardiography. Sensitivity and specificity for detection and correct classification of type B dissection was 100% and 100% respectively (Table 2). In addition, MRI proved to be sensitive in detecting the formation of thrombus material in the false lumen of the ascending aorta (92%), the aortic arch (100%) and the descending segment (88%). Specificity for exclusion of suspected thrombus material even proved to be slightly higher with 100% in the ascending and descending aorta and 96.1% in the aortic arch (Table 3). The site of entry to a dissection was detected in 78%, with a sensitivity of 76% in the ascending and 92% in the descending aorta. The involvement of side branches in the dissecting process was identified in 60%. There were no false positive findings concerning side branch involvement. Aortic regurgitation and pericardial effusion were detected in 100% and 100%, respectively (Tables 1 and 2). MRI performed even in acute cases proved to be a atraumatic, safe and highly sensitive method to identify and classify acute and subacute dissections of the entire thoracic aorta. Limited patient access was not associated with an increased risk and mechanical ventilation did not interfere with MRI. These results may establish MRI as a valid and promising noninvasive technique to establish the diagnosis in patients with thoracic aortic dissection.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1483624", "title": "[Surgical aspects of acute aortic dissection].", "content": "This paper highlights some of the surgical aspects of acute aortic dissections such as: emergency diagnosis, indications for surgery, reconstructive operative techniques, malperfusion phenomena and necessity for follow-up. Aortic dissection is caused by an intimal tear, called the \"entry\", and subsequent splitting of the media by the stream of blood. Two lumina are thus created, which may communicate through \"re-entries\". As this creates severe weakness of the aortic wall, rupture and/or dilatation are the imminent dangers of acute aortic dissection. Acute aortic dissection type A, by definition involving the ascending aorta (Figures 1 and 2), is an absolute indication for emergency surgical treatment, because its natural history shows an extremely poor outcome (Figure 3). Due to impending (intrapericardial) aortic rupture, it may be necessary to limit diagnostic procedures to a minimum. Transesophageal echocardiography is the method of choice for establishing a quick, precise and reliable diagnosis (Figure 4). In stable patients, computed tomography gives additional information about aortic diameters or sites of extrapericardial perforation. Digital subtraction angiography (DSA) shows perfusion of the lumina and dependent organs. The surgical strategy in acute aortic dissection type A aims at replacement of the ascending aorta. Reconstructive techniques have to be considered, especially in aortic valve regurgitation without annuloectasia (Figures 5 and 6). In recent times, the use of GRF tissue glue has reduced the need for teflon felt. Involvement of the aortic arch should be treated aggressively up to the point of total arch replacement in deep hypothermic circulatory arrest as part of the primary procedure (Figure 7). Malperfusion phenomena of aortic branches remain risk-factors.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1483625", "title": "[Surgical therapy of thoracic aortic dissection].", "content": "Considerable surgical progress of treating aortic dissection has been achieved during the past decade. The emergency indication for acute dissection of the ascending aorta (type A according to the Stanford classification) is unquestioned while surgical treatment for acute dissection of the descending aorta (type B dissection) is mainly reserved for complicated cases. The major complication of acute operations--fatal hemorrhage from the suture line and secondary multi-organ failure--have been successfully reduced by a progress of cardiopulmonary bypass techniques, the introduction of cold cardioplegic myocardial protection, the development of modern suture materials and glues and last not least by a continuous intensive monitoring. Especially the introduction of the so-called french glue safely enabled both the closure of the false lumen as well as the strong reinforcement of the diseased aortic wall and seems to offer a reliable alternative to the application of multi-layered teflon strips. Since the principle of all reconstructive approaches in case of dissection consists of closure of dissected layers and the limited replacement of the segment that is susceptible to a rupture the exact readaptation and reinforcement of the diseased aortic wall represents a fundamental operative step. In type A operations the supracoronary aortic prosthetic replacement or the combined replacement of ascending aorta plus aortic valve followed by the reattachment of coronary arteries has become the standard operative technique. In fact, independently from the location of the primary intimal tear the operation has been traditionally limited to replace the ascending aorta in order to remove an aortic segment that is most likely to rupture. Yet an increasing number of follow-up investigations has demonstrated recurrence of dissection or an aneurysmatical dilatation of the false lumen in about 20% of patients treated with ascending aortic replacement. Consequently, repair of the aortic transverse arch and the radical elimination of the intimal entry is now favoured by an increasing number of surgeons. In addition to these various perioperative and intraoperative adjuncts the introduction of new imaging techniques, especially computerized tomography, magnetic resonance imaging and transesophageal echocardiography allowed to establish adequate therapeutical concepts on a more rational basis. Transesophageal echocardiography as a mobile diagnostic device enables investigators to perform a bed-side dynamic visualization of both the location and extent of a dissection, the evaluation of ventricular performance and aortic competence. Treatment of acute type B dissection is mainly conservative unless complications like intractable pain, aneurysmatic enlargement of the false lumen, ischemia of visceral organs or even rupture occur.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1483626", "title": "Intraoperative echocardiography for diagnosis and treatment of aortic dissection. Utility of color flow mapping for surgical decision making in acute stage.", "content": "In the past eight years until July 1992, 92 patients were admitted in the acute state of aortic dissection within two weeks from the onset of symptoms. 41 were diagnosed as Stanford type A and 51 were type B by transthoracic and transesophageal echography, computer tomography, and surgery. Sensitivity of transesophageal echography to detect the intimal flap and the false lumen was 97.6% in patients with Stanford type A and 100% in patients with Stanford type B. The surgical decision making has been mostly depending on the transesophageal echographic diagnosis. When the intimal flap was detected in the ascending aorta (Stanford type A) surgery was performed in emergency regardless of any evidence of rupture, cardiac tamponade, and severe aortic regurgitation. When the aortic dissection was detected only in the descending aorta (Stanford type B) the main course of therapeutic strategy in our institute was medical treatment. Surgery was performed on 37 patients of type A and nine patients of type B with mortality of 18.9% and 55.5% respectively. Four patients of type A and 42 patients of type B were treated medically with a mortality of 75.0% and 2.2% respectively. The relatively large leakages from the anastomosis of the aortic clamp site were repaired secondarily in two patients, and fenestration of the superior mesenteric artery was performed on one patient due to ischemia of the small intestine depending on the intraoperative direct scanning of color flow mapping. Coronary artery involvement of dissection was strongly suspected in two patients by intraoperative transesophageal echography and aortocoronary bypass grafting was performed on these patients. Perfusion problems was encountered in five of 37 patients with type A aortic dissection (13.5%) during cardiopulmonary bypass. Intraoperative transesophageal echography could clearly detect the hemodynamic changes in the descending aorta resulting from inadequate perfusion which was useful for the management of perfusion control during cardiopulmonary bypass. Secondary repair of the aortic arch was required due to ischemia of the aortic arch vessels in two patients after the primary surgery. The extension of the dissection into the aortic arch vessels can be promptly diagnosed with the combination of transesophageal echography and transcutaneous echography. In conclusion, transesophageal Doppler echography is the most rapid diagnostic tool for decision making in acute aortic dissection, and intraoperative transesophageal echo can provide useful information to resolve the perfusion difficulties during cardiopulmonary bypass.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1483627", "title": "A cylinder-shaped balloon catheter for the management of dissecting aneurysms in acute stage.", "content": "We developed a new procedure to close the entry of dissecting aneurysm in acute stage with a specially designed cylinder-shaped balloon catheter. The balloon catheter consists of 7F double lumen catheter and a silicone rubber balloon at the tip. The balloon has a central tube 14 mm caliber made of rigid silicone and it inflates into the shape of a cylinder with an injected solution. The central tube serves as a route for maintaining the aortic blood flow to the distal site. The catheter with a deflated balloon is inserted into the thoracic aorta ascendingly through a 14 or 16 mm caliber Dacron vascular graft sutured at the side of the distal aorta in a similar manner to intra-aortic balloon pumping. The tip of the catheter is carried to the entry tear of the pseudo-lumen. Then the cylinder-shaped balloon is inflated with solution. The entry is, therefore, closed with the side wall of the balloon and the blood stream into the dissected lumen is occluded while maintaining an aortic blood flow to the distal site. To prevent any possible occlusion due to thrombosis, some type of anticoagulant is administered via the catheter connected to a continuous injector. The healing process of the dissected lumen can be enhanced by injecting some type of coagulant directly into the lumen. The treatment is completed when the blood in the false lumen coagulates and stabilizes. The cylinder-shaped balloon is then deflated and the catheter withdrawn. The graft is removed and the stump is sutured.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1483628", "title": "Long-term follow-up after separate replacement of the aortic valve and ascending aorta.", "content": "Between May 1974 and November 1991, 28 patients underwent a separate replacement of the aortic valve and the ascending aorta (20 male, eight female; 32 to 71 years old, x = 52 years). 23 patients were operated for ascending aortic aneurysm, three for chronic and two for acute aortic dissection type A. 17/18 patients living at the beginning of this study were re-investigated after a mean follow-up interval of 8.5 years postoperatively with DSA, thoraco-abdominal CT and echocardiography. 1/8 biological aortic valves and 1/20 mechanical valves had to be replaced (four years and two months postoperatively) for valve degeneration and paravalvular leakage respectively. Three patients developed a sinus of Valsalva aneurysm and were reoperated five, 9.2 and 9.3 years after primary repair. In all three patients histological signs of idiopathic degenerative media disease of the aorta were found. Two other patients presented with a perfused perigraft channel and therefore had to be reoperated. Patients with chronic aortic dissection type A and/or ascending aortic aneurysms presenting clinical or intraoperative signs of degenerative media disease of the aorta should undergo composite graft replacement to preclude formation of sinus Valsalva aneurysms."}
{"id": "PMID:1483629", "title": "[Meta-analysis of the prognosis of thoracic aortic dissection: changing mortality in the last four decades].", "content": "The acute dissection of the thoracic aorta is a potentially lethal event with a death rate of 1 to 2% per hour urging for undelayed diagnosis and adequate treatment. First, this paper highlights both the demographic characteristics and the classification according to anatomical and prognostic criteria, i.e. class I to III according to DeBakey and type A and B according to Daily (or Stanford). Moreover, the etiology of aortic dissection is explained, including factors such as degenerative changes of the aortic media layer, chronic trauma from hypertension, primary connective tissue disease and acute deceleration trauma. Second, the clinical criteria of acute (within 14 days of the index event) and chronic dissection (> 14 days) is discussed with respect to the current literature. The dominant part of this paper represents a meta-analytic approach comprising all available literature sources with respect to emerging changes in the prognosis of thoracic aortic dissection over 40 years as a function of either the type, the anatomic location, the acuity or the impact of medical or surgical treatment of this disorder. The meta-analysis revealed that in acute and chronic type A dissection medical treatment alone failed to lead to a significant improvement of 30 day-mortality rate (Tables 1 and 2, Figure 1). However, with surgical interventions the 30 day-mortality rate was continuously lowered from 60% to 10% within the past 30 years. A similar evolution was observed for the chronic type A dissection (Tables 3 and 4, Figure 2). Furthermore, the meta-analysis revealed that the acute type B dissection benefits from medical treatment, especially antihypertensive medication since the 30 day-mortality of 40% in 1960 decreased to less than 10% at present with monitoring and effective medication (Tables 1 and 2, Figure 3). In case of chronic type B dissection the literature survey revealed mortality numbers fluctuating between 2% and 20% without a clearcut beneficial effect of medical therapy throughout these years, though possibly revealing some advantage over surgical treatment. Thus, both for the acute and chronic type B dissection the antihypertensive therapy is considered treatment of first choice, whereas surgical interventions may be necessary for complicated and progressive cases. In summary, compared to the natural course of thoracic aortic dissection with only 10% survival-rate after one year of onset (Table 9, Figure 5), any effective mode of treatment may significantly lower the high spontaneous death rate.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1483631", "title": "Political contributions from the health and insurance industries.", "content": "During a major election year, interest surges in discovering the sources of campaign funds for influential members of Congress and presidential candidates. This study traces the contributors from the health and insurance industries during the 1990 campaign and presents preliminary figures for the 1992 campaign. Health interests contributed $16.3 million to congressional candidates in 1990, many of whom sit on influential committees and subcommittees. The insurance industry gave $10.9 million that same year. In either case, more than half of the funds came from political action committees (PACs); the rest, from individuals. As of 30 June 1992 health industry PACs had given more than $8.3 million to candidates for federal office in the 1992 campaign; insurance PACs had contributed $6.4 million."}
{"id": "PMID:1483632", "title": "One approach to tracking state and local health spending.", "content": "National health system reform proposals continue to emphasize states' shared responsibility for their citizens' health care. In view of this increased interest, this Data Watch examines how much state and local governments spend for health care, using primarily data from the U.S. Bureau of the Census. Significant discrepancies exist between these data and other sources of state and local health spending data. Nevertheless, census data are the most comprehensive source of information on state and local spending. In the 1980s the gross rate of state spending on health was exceeded only by spending on corrections; later reports indicate that health has now overtaken corrections. Health and hospital spending varies widely among states, ranging from $1.79 per $100 of personal income in New York (after federal funding and charges are subtracted) to $0.36 per $100 in Nebraska. Continued work is needed to unravel the differences between data sources and to improve the collection and use of data at the state and local levels."}
{"id": "PMID:1483633", "title": "The concentration of health expenditures: an update.", "content": "An earlier study tracing trends in health spending from 1928 to 1980 found health expenditures concentrated among the top 1 percent of those spending money for health care. In an update to that study, the authors found that that trend toward concentration has increased. In 1987 the tope 1 percent of spenders accounted for 30 percent of health spending, up from 26 percent in 1970 and 29 percent in 1980. In contrast, the bottom half of the population in terms of spending accounted for only 3 percent of total spending in 1987. The average expenditure for the top 1 percent of spenders in 1987 was $47,331. Nearly half of those top spenders in 1987 were elderly. Also, more than 16 percent were black, up from nearly 10 percent in 1980."}
{"id": "PMID:1483634", "title": "Effect of Medicaid payment levels on access to obstetrical care.", "content": "Across the nation, the number of providers serving pregnant Medicaid clients has dropped precipitously. In an effort to retain providers, in 1986 the Maryland Medicaid program tripled reimbursement fees for deliveries. This raised Medicaid payments for perinatal care to levels roughly comparable to those paid by private insurers. Providers' participation can be measured using two criteria: the total number of participating providers in a given country and the number of deliveries performed by targeted providers. The fee increase was associated with an overall stabilization in the number of providers performing deliveries. Providers performed slightly more deliveries after the fee increase, relative to predictions derived from statistical models. One-quarter of all providers increased their participation on a scale commensurate with the fee increase."}
{"id": "PMID:1483635", "title": "Medicaid 2176 home and community-based care waivers: the first ten years.", "content": "Budget reconciliation legislation in 1981 created a waiver program whereby states could provide home and community-based care under Medicaid for certain populations. States spent nearly $1.7 billion on services delivered under these waivers, known as 2176 waivers, in 1991, compared with $3.8 million in 1982, when only six states were participating in the program. Although these programs have not been rigorously evaluated for effectiveness, they continue to be a popular approach to delivering care outside of institutions for various groups. Across all states, states spent 13.4 percent of their Medicaid long-term care dollars on care outside of institutions (which includes the 2176 waiver program)."}
{"id": "PMID:1483636", "title": "Political evolution of federal health care regulation.", "content": "Although federal regulation of health care faces cultural obstacles and skepticism among policymakers, it has grown markedly over the past two decades. Beginning in the 1970s with decentralized programs aimed at regulating provider behavior (Health Systems Agencies and certificate of need) and budgets (state rate setting), health care regulation grew more centralized in the 1980s as federal policymakers expanded their influence on behavior (peer review organizations and medical practice guidelines) and budgets (Medicare prospective payment and the resource-based relative value scale). Behavioral regulation has increased the heavy micromanagement that providers face in the United States, while budgetary regulation falls well short of the fiscal macromanagement (global budgets, for example) that other Western nations use. As cost increases intensify, the coalitions that supported limited regulation as a compromise designed to forestall more threatening intrusions may yield to political pressure for firmer central budget controls."}
{"id": "PMID:1483637", "title": "Employer-sponsored health insurance in 1991.", "content": "Since 1987 the Health Insurance Association of America (HIAA) has documented features of employer-sponsored group health insurance through detailed surveys of over 3,000 U.S. firms. The 1991 employer survey reveals several noteworthy developments. The percentage of small firms (100 employees and under) that offer health insurance to their employees has declined since 1989. With a significant increase in health maintenance organization (HMO) market share, more than half (54 percent) of employees in employer-sponsored plans are now covered by managed care plans. Premiums increased 14 percent in 1991, showing identical increases for conventional, HMO, and preferred provider organization (PPO) plans. The percentage of employees in self-insured health plans decreased from 45 percent in 1990 to 40 percent in 1991."}
{"id": "PMID:1483651", "title": "The legislative battle over health services research.", "content": "Budget reconciliation legislation in 1989 created the new Agency for Health Care Policy and Research (AHCPR), which folded in the National Center for Health Services Research and Health Care Technology Assessment, among the law's other provisions. The creation of the new agency represented a shift in priorities toward outcomes and effectiveness research in medical practice and made explicit the federal government's role in developing practice guidelines. The new agency was born in the midst of an extraordinary bipartisan budget negotiation process in late 1989; its becoming linked to the contentious issue of physician payment reform nearly killed the new agency before it appeared. The narrative of political wrangling that resulted in the creation of AHCPR spans Capitol Hill, the White House, the agencies of the Department of Health and Human Services, and renowed health services researchers on either coast and in Washington, D.C."}
{"id": "PMID:1483654", "title": "A federal/state partnership for health system reform.", "content": "In view of the continued lack of consensus regarding health system reform, a new approach is needed to the pluralism that characterizes the U.S. political scene. A two-step strategy can help to break the deadlock around health care financing and provision: a framework around which to shape federal/state responsibility for health care and a process to ensure that policy is translated into action. This strategy, called a federal/state compact for health, builds on actions already under way in several states and represents a process that is both incremental and comprehensive in nature. The federal government would take the lead regarding policy making, financing, and establishing benefits. The states would administer the program with flexibility similar to that existing in Canada's provinces."}
{"id": "PMID:1483655", "title": "The role of federal waivers in the health policy process.", "content": "Federal waiver programs enable states to bypass the requirements of federal programs such as Medicare and Medicaid to experiment with different ways of financing, organizing, and delivering health care. In tracking waiver activity from 1980 to 1990, the authors found that federal involvement with waivers lost momentum during the latter part of the 1980s, while state involvement increased. Three key issues dominate the discussion of waivers: administrative control, the role of the states, and the ability to evaluate demonstration waivers. Examination of the chronology of waiver activity suggests the emergence of a new era, wherein federal control reemerges as a way to counter the increased fragmentation of health policies among states. If this is the case, four areas need to be addressed: (1) balance of political and research objectives; (2) administrative flexibility for states; (3) careful scrutiny of rules; and (4) increased accountability. These recommendations can guide the federal government, with the states as partners, in its attempt to regain momentum in the use of waivers to expand the knowledge base."}
{"id": "PMID:1483656", "title": "The courts and health policy: strengths and limitations.", "content": "In recent years the nation's courts have expanded their influence in health policy in four areas: reviewing insurers' coverage decisions, deciding the adequacy of Medicaid payment rates to hospitals and nursing homes, arbitrating hospital mergers, and assessing hospitals' tax-exempt status. The major problem with developing health policy through the courts is that the courts' focus will be the concerns of the individuals or groups involved in specific cases, not the broader implications and overall objectives of the health care system. As alternatives to litigation to resolve policy conflicts, scholars have suggested negotiation, binding arbitration, clarification of legislative language, administrative courts, contract revision, and general restructuring of the decision-making process."}
{"id": "PMID:1483657", "title": "The physics of esophageal dilatation.", "content": "The use of dilators to enlarge esophageal strictures is an old and widely used technique. New technology and designs permit reduced trauma and complications and may ultimately extend the durability of the procedure. Understanding the physics of dilators and their use is essential for clinicians to achieve maximum therapeutic benefit for their patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1483658", "title": "Balloon dilatation of benign esophageal stenoses.", "content": "The traditional nonoperative management of benign esophageal stenoses has been bougienage; recently, balloon dilatation has become available. Balloon dilatation can be accomplished with balloons that are passed over a guide-wire or with balloons that are passed through the working channel of an endoscope. In the present paper, the methodologies for the use of these two types of balloons are described and the literature reviewed. Balloon dilatation appears to be an efficacious and a safe alternative to bougies."}
{"id": "PMID:1483660", "title": "Mercury bougie dilation of benign esophageal strictures.", "content": "Dilation with mercury filled bougies is the oldest and simplest technique available for treatment of benign esophageal strictures. In the majority of patients, mercury-filled dilators are effective and quite safe. Dilation is successful in 80-90%, and the rate of complication is less then 0.2%. Maloney dilators have superseded Hurst dilators because their tapered, flexible tip allows better guidance of the dilators into the lumen of the stricture. Several cautions are in order when using Maloney dilators. Dilation of difficult strictures should be observed by fluoroscopy to prevent misdirection of the dilator and esophageal perforation. Where possible, Maloney dilators should not be used to treat narrow, elongated, or angulated strictures. Dilation need not be rushed. Treatments may be repeated over months to years, both to achieve symptomatic relief initially and to maintain that state. Finally, patients susceptible to endocarditis require antibiotic prohylaxis prior to treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1483661", "title": "Surgical management of esophageal strictures.", "content": "Benign esophageal strictures may be caused by numerous disorders, but more than 90% of them are due to severe gastroesophageal reflux or ingestion of lye. A new classification of the severity of the stricture is proposed, based on the endoscopic and radiological evaluation of three parameters: internal diameter, length of the stricture and ease or difficulty of dilatation. In patients with strictures secondary to reflux, initial treatment includes periodic dilatation. Grade I and II strictures require esophageal resection. In grade III patients, bile diversion or esophageal resection should be performed. Caustic ingestion produces a wide spectrum of tissue damage in the upper digestive tract ranging from minimal chemical burn to an extensive and massive necrotic lesion. The basic and main treatment in patients with an established esophageal stricture is periodic dilatation avoiding, if at all possible, any kind of surgery. In patients with grade III stricture, colonic interposition between cervical esophagus and stomach or duodenum is preferred, treating the damaged esophagus by resection or leaving it \"in situ\". Psychiatric evaluation is mandatory in these cases."}
{"id": "PMID:1483662", "title": "Significance of venous drainage for small-bowel allografts.", "content": "Small bowel transplantation has proved feasible in rats and in larger animal, but several important questions have yet to be answered before it becomes a potential therapy in man. One consideration is the site of venous outflow of the allograft. Portal drainage, however, re-establishes the physiological route of venous outflow, while systemic drainage creates a partial mesocaval shunt, the metabolic consequences of which have not been studied in detail. Using the canine model in partial mesocaval shunt and porta-caval shunt, we compared the metabolic and histological changes following each shunt. The metabolic changes in Eck were hyperammonemia and amino acid imbalance, while those in partial mesocaval shunt were similar to controls. The histological appearance of the liver in Eck was atrophy, fatty infiltration and deglycogenation, while that in partial mesocaval shunt was completely normal except for minimal fatty degeneration. These data suggest that there is no metabolic or histological disadvantage of systemic venous drainage as compared with control, and because of its technical simplicity, systemic venous drainage may be preferable in small bowel transplantation."}
{"id": "PMID:1483663", "title": "Esophagogastrectomy: a consecutive single-center series.", "content": "We present a 7-year consecutive, nonselected, single-center series of patients (n = 140) submitted to surgery for esophageal or upper gastric malignancy. Follow-up data are complete for 96.4% of patients. Of 114 intrathoracic anastomoses, 74 (65%) were esophagogastric and 40 (35%) were esophagojejunal. Unresectable lesions were present in 26 (19%) patients. Age (mean +/- sd 64.6 +/- 11.1 years), and sex distribution were similar in all groups, while 36% of patients were over 70 years. There was no significant difference in the time from the onset of symptoms to presentation between the groups (p < 0.05). The values of admission hemoglobin, serum albumin, PaO2 or peak expiratory flow rate did not correlate with survival. There was no significant difference in 30-day operative mortality between the three procedures - esophagectomy 5%, thoraco-abdominal gastrectomy 10.8% and unresectable 11.5% (p > 0.05). The incidence of respiratory complications was the same whether a right (30%) or left (35%) thoracotomy was performed. Some 33% of patients were discharged from hospital after 14 days and 72% after 21 days (12.9% died in hospital). One-year survival was 33.4% for esophagectomy, 37.5% for total gastrectomy and 6% for unresectable lesions. The esophagectomy versus total gastrectomy survival curves were not significantly different, but there was a significant survival advantage when patients undergoing esophagectomy were compared with those who had unresectable tumors (0.02 > p > 0.01).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1483664", "title": "Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis in cirrhosis: clinical and laboratory features, survival and prognostic indicators.", "content": "This is a retrospective study of 35 patients with spontaneous bacterial peritonitis and liver cirrhosis identified between 1981 and 1989. The mean age of all patients was 44 years, with a range of 16 to 68. Criteria for spontaneous bacterial peritonitis included either a positive ascites culture with a polymorphonuclear cell concentration greater than 250 cells per mm3 (18 cases) or a negative ascitic fluid culture with a polymorphonuclear cell count greater than 500 cells per mm3 and no evident intra-abdominal source of infection (17 cases). Twenty-one patients were male and 14 female. The most frequent presenting symptoms were abdominal pain and fever, noted in 20 (57%) and 19 (54%) patients, respectively, while 5 patients (14%) were completely asymptomatic. The overall mortality in this series was 54% (19 of 35 patients). The presence of encephalopathy or renal insufficiency was associated with a high mortality rate (73% and 87%, respectively). Encephalopathy was present in 67% of the non-survivors, but in only 25% of the survivors (p < 0.0025); likewise, renal failure was observed in 68% of the non-survivors, but in only 12.5% of those who survived (p < 0.001). The use of newer-generation cephalosporins and penicillins led to a diminished mortality (42%) as compared with that (64%) observed in patients treated with conventional antibiotic regimens."}
{"id": "PMID:1483665", "title": "Reappearance of vanished bile ducts.", "content": "A 36-year-old Surinam woman with a severe form of toxic epidermal necrolysis of unknown origin is presented. Skin lesions healed gradually without scarring within 3 to 4 weeks, but eye lesions progressed to symblepharon and corneal opacification, resulting in almost complete blindness. In addition, toxic epidermal necrolysis was associated with severe intrahepatic cholestasis caused by vanished bile duct syndrome; viral hepatitis, primary biliary cirrhosis and primary sclerosing cholangitis were excluded. After about six months, intrahepatic chole-stasis improved spontaneously and a third liver biopsy taken after 51 weeks of illness revealed that the bile ducts had reappeared. At present, the patient is relatively well, with no jaundice, although parameters of cholestasis are still elevated: Alkaline phosphatase three times, and gamma GT thirty times the normal values. This sequence of events has to our knowledge never been reported in the literature."}
{"id": "PMID:1483666", "title": "Splenic hyperkinetic state and splenic artery aneurysm in portal hypertension.", "content": "Forty-eight out of six hundred and thirty patients with portal hypertension undergoing a celiac angiography series were diagnosed as cases of splenic artery aneurysm during the period 1977-1988. The case-control study of patients with portal hypertension with splenic artery aneurysms and those without was designed to characterize the angiological features. The splenic arterial flow was assessed by measuring the radii of the splenic arteries on celiac arteriograms. In the portal hypertensive patients with splenic artery aneurysms, the splenic artery was larger (p < 0.05) and the splenic arterial flow greater (p < 0.05), and these patients were in a more hyperkinetic state, than were those with no splenic artery aneurysm. The study suggests that splenic artery aneurysms in cases of portal hypertension may be the consequence of a hyperkinetic state in the spleen."}
{"id": "PMID:1483667", "title": "Antineutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibodies (ANCA) in acute pancreatitis.", "content": "Antineutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibodies, which are now considered reliable serological markers of acute necrotizing vasculitic diseases, were measured in 11 patients with acute necrotizing pancreatitis and 12 patients with acute interstitial pancreatitis. When tested by indirect immunofluorescence, none of the sera was positive for diffuse cytoplasmic staining, and none was positive for perinuclear staining of antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies. Also by the sensitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, none of the sera was positive when purified alpha-granule fraction of granulocytes was used as an antigen. We can therefore conclude that neither the diffuse cytoplasm-reacting, nor the perinuclear form of antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies, is involved in cases of acute pancreatitis."}
{"id": "PMID:1483668", "title": "Double-blind randomized clinical trial comparing neomycin and placebo in the treatment of exogenous hepatic encephalopathy.", "content": "Hepatic encephalopathy due to cirrhosis is frequently precipitated by exogenous factors, and the effectiveness of a specific treatment with neomycin sulfate has so far not been submitted to clinical trials. Over a period of five years, 102 cirrhotic patients developed hepatic encephalopathy at admission or during hospitalization, and 39 were randomized for treatment with either neomycin sulfate or placebo. Exclusion criteria were: 1. current usage of specific treatment for hepatic encephalopathy, 2. chronic hepatic encephalopathy and 3. multiple organ failure syndrome associated with hepatic encephalopathy. The group of excluded patients (n = 63) was compared with the randomized group (n = 39), and no statistical differences were found regarding sex and age distributions, Child-Pugh classification, etiology of cirrhosis, percipitating factors and grade of hepatic encephalopathy. These same parameters were also comparable among the 20 patients who received active neomycin and the 19 who were treated with placebo. The therapy for hepatic encephalopathy consisted in the control of precipitating factors associated with 6 g of neomycin sulfate \"per os\" or placebo. Therapeutic failure and death by the fifth day of treatment, occurred in four patients (10.2%), two in each of the randomized groups. The time elapsed between the initiation of the therapeutic procedure and regression to grade zero of hepatic encephalopathy was 39.11 +/- 23.04 hours for the group of active neomycin, and 49.47 +/- 21.92 hours for the placebo group, but this difference did not achieve statistical significance."}
{"id": "PMID:1483669", "title": "Comparative effects of 5% ethanolamine oleate versus 5% ethanolamine oleate plus 1% polidocanol for sclerosing esophageal varices.", "content": "Sixty-six patients with portal hypertension and esophageal varices due to liver cirrhosis were randomized to receive either 5% ethanolamine oleate (EO) or 5% EO plus 1% polidocanol (EOP) as a sclerosant for endoscopic injection sclerotherapy (EIS). The two groups were well matched with regard to age, sex and the severity of liver disease. In no patient in the two groups was there any major complication, such as esophageal perforation or esophageal bleeding. Eradication of esophageal varices was attained with an average of 4.7 and 4.3 sessions of endoscopic injection sclerotherapy in the ethanolamine oleate and polidocanol groups, respectively. Data on one patient in the ethanolamine oleate group had to be excluded because he left the hospital after 2 sessions of endoscopic injection sclerotherapy. Esophageal ulcers occurred earlier in the polidocanol group (after an average of 2.8 weeks) than in the ethanolamine oleate group (3.8 weeks), the difference being statistically significant (P < 0.01). The rate of occurrence of esophageal stricture requiring more than 2 sessions of bougienage was significantly (P < 0.01) higher in the polidocanol group (16/33, 48%) than in the ethanolamine oleate group (4/32, 12%). This study suggests that the two sclerosants have equal efficacy for treating patients with esophageal varices. With polidocanol there was ulceration and stricture in the distal esophagus."}
{"id": "PMID:1483670", "title": "Importance of direct hepatocytolysis by liver macrophages in experimental fulminant hepatitis.", "content": "When lipopolysaccharide was administered to mice that had been injected with heat-killed Propionibacterium acnes, most of them died of massive liver necrosis. Previously, we demonstrated that a soluble hepatocytotoxic factor released by liver adherent cells fully activated by both P. acnes and lipopolysaccharide was attributable to the late stage of this severe liver injury. In this report, we focused on the hepatocytolysis by these liver adherent cells in a cell-cell interaction manner. Shortly after stimulation with lipopolysaccharide, the P. acnes-elicited liver adherent cells almost completely killed the hepatocytes prepared from both normal syngeneic mice and P. acnes-treated ones. Since P. acnes-elicited liver adherent cells also proved to produce various kinds of cytokines in a short time, the role of cytokines in this liver injury was analyzed. Only TNF-alpha enabled the P. acnes-elicited liver adherent cells to kill hepatocytes prepared from the same mice, but none from the normal ones. These results suggest that the liver adherent cells accumulated and partly stimulated by P. acnes-treatment might rapidly lyse the autologous hepatocytes once triggered by lipopolysaccharide and that the TNF-alpha these liver adherent cells produced might upregulate their own hepatocytotoxic ability."}
{"id": "PMID:1483671", "title": "Protecting against the acid aspiration syndrome in adult patients undergoing emergency surgery.", "content": "This paper has studied the effect of i.v. cimetidine and ranitidine, given 1 h prior to anesthesia, on gastric volume and pH in three homogeneous groups undergoing emergency surgery. Group I (10 patients) received placebo, group II (20 patients) cimetidine 400 mg in saline solution, and group III (20 patients) ranitidine 150 mg in saline. Standardised premedication was administered and anesthesia induced. Immediately after tracheal intubation the stomach contents were aspirated and analysed for volume and pH. There were no significant differences in gastric volume among the three groups. However, treated patients had significantly elevated pH as compared with the control group and the number of patients at risk (pH < 2.5 and volume > 25 ml) was significantly smaller at 20% and 15%, respectively, than in the control group (40%). It is concluded that cimetidine 400 mg, and ranitidine 150 mg i. v., given about 70 min. prior to induction of anesthesia may decrease the risk of the acid aspiration syndrome in emergency operations."}
{"id": "PMID:1483672", "title": "Gallstone ileus.", "content": "A retrospective analysis of 74 patients with gallstone ileus detected during the period between 1975 and 1987 was performed at the Surgical Department. The group comprised 55 females and 19 males, with a mean age of 64.8 years. Previous biliary symptoms had been observed in 76% of the cases and in 58% there had been concomitant disease. The main duration of symptoms previous to admission was 3.4 days. In 85% of the cases complementary diagnostic procedures were performed. The triad of air in the biliary tract, air-fluid levels and ectopic stone was found in only 9.5% of the cases. The preoperative diagnosis of gallstone ileus was made in 31% of the patients. The preoperative period was 2.2 days. The main surgical procedure was enterolithotomy in 92% of the cases, the site of impaction being the terminal ileum in 65%. Only in 1 case was simultaneous biliary tract surgery and enterolithotomy performed. Overall, the 30-day postoperative mortality rate was 13.5%, with intra-abdominal sepsis as the main cause of death. Sixteen patients were submitted to biliary surgery 2 to 6 months later, and no deaths occurred."}
{"id": "PMID:1483673", "title": "Cholangiocellular carcinoma in the caudate lobe with intraluminal growth in the extrahepatic bile duct.", "content": "A case of cholangiocellular carcinoma in the caudate lobe with intraluminal growth in the extrahepatic bile duct is reported. The main tumor in the caudate lobe was detected by computed tomography and angiography, and two intraluminal tumors at the hepatic hilus and at the root of the right posterior segmental duct were well demonstrated by cholangiography and percutaneous transhepatic cholangioscopy. Independent total caudate lobectomy with bile duct resection was performed. Cholangiocellular carcinoma of the liver with intraluminal growth in the extrahepatic bile duct is very rare and has not been reported in the literature. Independent caudate lobe resection requires a rather complicated technique. However, this method has the advantage of reducing to a minimum the hepatic volume to be resected, and is useful for poor-risk patients or for cases with localized carcinoma at the hepatic hilus."}
{"id": "PMID:1483674", "title": "Polymorphonuclear count in ascitic fluid after laparotomy in cirrhotic patients.", "content": "In order to establish whether an ascitic polymorphonuclear count greater than 250/mm3 remains a diagnostic criterion for postoperative bacterial peritonitis, a prospective study of 16 patients with cirrhosis and ascites undergoing hepatectomy (n = 4), portocaval shunt (n = 5) and biliary and digestive surgery (n = 7) was carried out. Sixty-four consecutive specimens of ascitic fluid were obtained through abdominal one-way suction tubes left in situ. In 17 (26%) specimens, ascitic fluid was blood stained and the polymorphonuclear count was unreliable; none of these specimens demonstrated positive ascitic fluid culture. In the remaining 47 specimens the polymorphonuclear count ranged from 5 to 5,920/mm3. Positive ascitic fluid culture was significantly higher in polymorphonuclear > or = 250/mm3 group (5/13: 38%) than in polymorphonuclear < 250/mm3 group (2/34: 6%) (p < 0.02). These results suggest that, as in non-operated cirrhotic patients: (a) polymorphonuclear count should be taken in account in the diagnosis of postoperative bacterial peritonitis; (b) polymorphonuclear count greater than 250/mm3 is a good criterion for the diagnosis of bacterial postoperative peritonitis."}
{"id": "PMID:1483675", "title": "Gastric volvulus complicating myotonic dystrophy.", "content": "Myotonic dystrophy is an autosomal inherited disorder of both striated and smooth muscle, and is considered to be a rare cause of gastrointestinal dilatation and abnormal peristalsis. We report on a patient with myotonic dystrophy complicated by gastric volvulus. A 57-year-old female with myotonic dystrophy suddenly developed abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting. X-ray examinations revealed gastric dilatation and pyloroantral obstruction, consistent with acute gastric volvulus. The patient underwent successful emergency gastrectomy. Gastric volvulus is often an unrecognized surgical emergency, but its clinical and radiographic features are so characteristic that accurate diagnosis is possible if the condition is kept in mind. Thus, the clinician should consider the possibility of gastric volvulus when evaluating gastrointestinal complaints in patients with myotonic dystrophy."}
{"id": "PMID:1483682", "title": "[Activation of N-myc gene in leukemia cell lines derived from spontaneous murine lymphomas].", "content": "MuLV-integration sites were analyzed on seventeen thymic leukemia cell lines which have been established from spontaneous thymic leukemias in AKR mice and bone marrow chimeras. Three proviral integration sites were identified; near c-myc, N-myc and pim-1. Among them the integrations near the N-myc were analyzed. Two cell lines from AKR and a cell line from [(BALB/c x B6) F1-->AKR] bone marrow chimera contained the proviral integration near N-myc. In all three cell lines the integration of the provirus was found 18 to 20 bp downstream of the translational termination codon. The partial sequence analysis of the integrated LTR cell line established from AKR thymic lymphomas was the same as AKV. In contrast, the LTR integrated in a cell line from a bone marrow chimera was different from that of MuLV so far reported."}
{"id": "PMID:1483683", "title": "[An electron microscopic study of axonal dystrophy in the gracile nucleus of vitamin E deficient and normally aging rats].", "content": "Light and electron microscopic studies were carried out on the axonal dystrophy (AD) appearing in the gracile nucleus of normally aging and vitamin E (VE) deficient rats aged 18, 33, and 48 weeks. In both of 2 groups, AD was observed in axon terminals (AT) and axons. The accumulations of mitochondria, various types of dense bodies and tubular structures were common to both dystrophic AT and axons of normally aging and VE deficient rats. Synaptic vesicle-like vesicles, however, were scattered in dystrophic AT and neurofilaments in some of dystrophic axons increased. The incidences and mean areas of AD in VE deficient rats increased with aging much more than in normally aging rats. No essential ultrastructural differences of AD were observed in VE deficient and normally aging rats, but, structural changes of AD were more advanced in VE deficient rats. These results suggest that the formation of AD in AT and axons is accelerated by VE deficiency."}
{"id": "PMID:1483684", "title": "[Electrical tinnitus suppression--a comparative study of clinical trials and animal experiments].", "content": "Electrical tinnitus suppressor was newly developed and clinical study of electrical tinnitus suppression was discussed. Tinnitus was treated with this prototype suppressor in 38 ears out of 34 outpatients. Tinnitus was suppressed during electrical stimulation in all patients. After cessation of electrical stimulation, in 5 ears out of them tinnitus has disappeared at least for more than six months. In 12 ears it made tinnitus more than 10 dBHL softer for the following period, about six months. Hearing was unchanged in all patients. To know the mechanism how electrical stimulation of the cochlea suppressed tinnitus, animal experiments using a single fiber recording technique were made. A positive direct current on the cochlea suppressed the spontaneous activity of the cochlear nerve fiber, while a negative direct current increased the spontaneous activity. An alternative current on the cochlea increased the spontaneous activity of the cochlear nerve fiber. These electrical effects on the spontaneous activity were temporary. Therefore, after cessation of electrical stimulation on the cochlea, changed spontaneous activity restored to the level of prestimulation. Comparing temporary electrical effects on the spontaneous activity of cochlear nerve fiber with a longer suppression on tinnitus, tinnitus suppression following electrical stimulation of the cochlea was not thought to occur at the level of cochlea, but at auditory central nervous system."}
{"id": "PMID:1483685", "title": "[Localization of human sterol carrier protein 2 gene and cDNA expression in COS-7 cell].", "content": "Sterol carrier protein 2 (SCP2) is known to be an important polypeptide in intracellular sterol and lipid movement. Here are reported the cloning and expression of a cDNA encoding human SCP2, and the assignment of SCP2 gene to human chromosome 1. The 1,229 bp cDNA contains an open reading frame and the encoded polypeptide consists of 143 amino acids. This polypeptide is very similar in amino acid composition to human, bovine and rat liver SCP2. The deduced amino acid sequence of this cDNA has a 20-residue amino-terminal leader sequence with mature SCP2. Northern blot analysis suggests that there are 1.8 kb and 3.2 kb mRNA species in human liver poly (A)+RNA. PCR analysis of human x rodent somatic cell hybrid panels indicates that the gene encoding SCP2 is on human chromosome 1. Transient expression of the human liver SCP2 cDNA in COS-7 cells shows a 15.3KDa polypeptide and increased amounts of a 13.2KDa polypeptide. Coexpression of the SCP2 cDNA with cholesterol side-chain cleavage enzyme and adrenodoxin cDNAs resulted in a 2.5-fold progestin synthesis in comparison with that of the steroidogenic enzyme system alone. These findings suggest that SCP2 plays a role in regulating steroidogenesis, among other possible functions."}
{"id": "PMID:1483687", "title": "Of palindromes and peptides.", "content": "On the average, 30% of the residues in a protein are members of peptidic palindromes, tripeptidic and longer. This percentage may go up to 50% in histones and certain other DNA binding proteins. The longest peptidic palindrome encountered thus far was 14 residues in length. However, there is every reason to expect even longer peptidic palindromes in other proteins not yet analyzed."}
{"id": "PMID:1483686", "title": "On genetic components in autoimmunity: a critical review based on evolutionarily oriented rationality.", "content": "The immune system furnishes the organism with the utmost effective defence mechanisms against \"foreign\" and changes in \"self\" without doing self-harm. However, optimized efficacy in the defence against the immense variety of \"foreign\" antigens generates a higher risk for inadvertent self challenge. Such inherent short-comings are the inevitable burden traded for the benefits of an optimally organized defence system. The central molecules involved in specific immune reactions include antigen receptors of B and T lymphocytes, and antigen-presenting proteins encoded by the major histocompatibility complex (MHC; in man HLA). The genetics and evolution of these multigene families is discussed here with respect to their potential contributions to disturbances of \"self\" recognition. Simple molecular biological tools and procedures for efficiently screening the immunologically relevant genes are described."}
{"id": "PMID:1483688", "title": "A 47,XXY female with unusual genitalia.", "content": "A 47,XXY karyotype was found in a 6-year-old girl. The patient had female external genitalia, clitoromegaly, remnants of the ductus mesonephricus, uterus, and gonads in the labia majora which were determined to be testes by histology. Cytogenetic and DNA analyses suggest that the Y chromosome had a normal structure and that both X chromosomes were of maternal origin. The unusual clinical findings in the patient are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1483689", "title": "A familial mutation in the testis-determining gene SRY shared by both sexes.", "content": "A familial mutation in SRY, the gene coding for the testis-determining factor TDF, was identified in an XY female with gonadal dysgenesis, her father, her two brothers and her uncle. The mutation consists of a T to C transition in the region of the SRY gene coding for a protein motif known as the high mobility group (HMG) box, a protein domain known to confer DNA-binding specificity on the SRY protein. This point mutation results in the substitution, at amino acid position 109, of a serine residue for phenylalanine, a conserved aromatic residue in almost all HMG box motifs known. This F109S mutation was not found in 176 male controls. When recombinant wildtype SRY and SRYF109S mutant protein were tested in vitro for binding to the target site AAC AAAG, no differences in DNA-binding activity were observed. These results imply that the F109S mutation either is a rare neutral sequence variant, or produces an SRY protein with slightly altered in vivo activity, the resulting sex phenotype depending on the genetic background or environmental factors."}
{"id": "PMID:1483690", "title": "Analysis of segregation and expression of an identified mutation at the neurofibromatosis type 1 locus.", "content": "A previously identified complex mutation, affecting exon 28 of the neurofibromatosis type 1 gene, was employed for the analysis of the expression pattern in primary cultures of neurofibroma cells and melanocytes from a caf\u00e9-au-lait macule of the patient, respectively. Reverse transcription and subsequent polymerase chain reaction amplification of the segment carrying the mutation revealed that both alleles were expressed in both cell types analysed, thus excluding loss of heterozygosity in this particular instance. Segregation of the alleles of the intragenic Alu sequence length-polymorphism disclosed the paternal origin of the mutated allele. Detection of this mutation was also used for presymptomatic direct DNA diagnosis in the younger child of the patient."}
{"id": "PMID:1483691", "title": "Bloom's syndrome. XVIII. Hypermutability at a tandem-repeat locus.", "content": "D1Z2 is a highly polymorphic DNA locus composed of a tandem of repetitive units. Its molecular constitution has been examined in 61 clonal cell lines selected at random from two lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs), each of which had been proliferating in vitro for several hundred days. Thirty-three of the cells were selected from an LCL derived from the blood of a person with Bloom's syndrome (BS), and the others from a normal person. A total of 20 distinctive band alterations in D1Z2 were observed, all in BS cells: appearance of a novel band(s); disappearance of a band(s), or alterations in the intensity of a band(s). Unequal sister-chromatid exchange giving rise to intra-locus mutation is considered the most plausible explanation for the accumulation of the changes detected."}
{"id": "PMID:1483692", "title": "Detection of fetal cells with 47,XY,+21 karyotype in maternal peripheral blood.", "content": "Fetal cells were isolated from the peripheral blood of a pregnant woman at 19 weeks of gestation whose fetus had Down syndrome. An amniocentesis had been performed 2 weeks earlier because of abnormalities detected on an antenatal sonogram. Fetal cells were separated by fluorescence-activated cell sorting using monoclonal antibody to the transferrin receptor (TfR). Fluorescence in situ hybridization studies with probes for chromosomes Y and 21 revealed a small number of 47,XY,+21 cells in the TfR+ sorted fraction. Although preliminary, the results of this study suggest the possibility that one day, fetal chromosome aneuploidy will be routinely diagnosed from maternal venous blood samples."}
{"id": "PMID:1483693", "title": "Complete characterization of a large marker chromosome by reverse and forward chromosome painting.", "content": "Marker chromosome are small supernumerary chromosomes that are sometimes associated with developmental abnormalities. Hence, the genes involved in such cases provide an interesting approach to understanding developmental abnormalities in man. As a first step towards isolating such sequences, marker chromosomes need complete characterization. By combining chromosome isolation by flow sorting and the \"degenerate oligonucleotide primed - polymerase chain reaction\", we have constructed a DNA library specific for a marker chromosome found in a child with severe developmental abnormalities. We used fluorescent in situ hybridization of the library onto normal metaphase spreads (\"reverse chromosome painting\") and were thus able to determine that the marker consists of the centromeric part of chromosome 7, the telomeric region of the long arm of chromosome 5 and the telomeric region of the short arm of the X-chromosome. Subsequently, we hybridized normal chromosome-specific libraries of the relevant chromosomes onto metaphases containing the marker chromosome (\"forward chromosome painting\") and could in this manner establish the precise location of the different chromosome regions on the marker chromosome itself. This is a general approach suitable for outlining marker chromosomes in detail, and will aid the identification of the genes involved."}
{"id": "PMID:1483694", "title": "Molecular analysis of five independent Japanese mutant genes responsible for hypoxanthine guanine phosphoribosyltransferase (HPRT) deficiency.", "content": "Five independent mutations in the hypoxanthine guanine phosphoribosyltransferase (HPRT) gene were identified in a partially HPRT deficient patient with gout and in four Lesch-Nyhan patients. Using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique coupled with direct sequencing, the nucleotide sequences of the entire HPRT coding region amplified from the cDNA and also of each exon amplified form the genomic DNA were analyzed. Three independent point mutations in the coding region were detected in the partially HPRT deficient patient (Case 1) and in two Lesch-Nyhan patients (Case 2 and 3), resulting in single amino acid substitutions. The family study of Case 3, utilizing a PvuII restriction site created in the mutant gene, indicated that the mother was a heterozygote, and a sister and a fetal brother had inherited the normal HPRT gene from the mother. In two other mutants causing Lesch-Nyhan syndrome, a portion of the HPRT gene was deleted, and RNA splicing was missing in both mutants. A 4-bp deletion at the 5' end of exon 4 resulted in formation of three different types of abnormal mRNA (Case 4). The other mutant (Case 5) produced abnormal mRNA including 26 bp of intron 8 instead of the deleted 58 bp at the 5' end of exon 9, because of a 74-bp deletion from intron 8 to exon 9."}
{"id": "PMID:1483695", "title": "Variants of the anti-M\u00fcllerian hormone gene in a compound heterozygote with the persistent M\u00fcllerian duct syndrome and his family.", "content": "The persistent M\u00fcllerian duct syndrome (PMDS) is a rare form of male pseudohermaphroditism, characterized by the persistence of M\u00fcllerian derivatives in otherwise normal males. Two mutations, present in the homozygous state, have been previously described in such patients. The present observation is the first example of compound heterozygosity in this condition. DNA was obtained from a 3-month-old patient with PMDS, in whom no serum anti-M\u00fcllerian hormone (AMH) could be detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Sequencing of cloned polymerase chain reaction amplified fragments of the AMH gene revealed a 14-bp deletion in the second exon of the maternal allele; this deletion disrupted the open reading frame. It occurred at a site containing two 8-bp direct repeats flanking a 6-bp sequence and removed one whole repeat plus all of the intervening sequence. It may be the result of a slipped mispairing at the DNA replication fork. The paternal allele contains a stop mutation in the third exon. These two mutations, impairing both AMH alleles, are consistent with the occurrence of PMDS, and are shared with a phenotypically normal younger sister. In this family, various other mutations, devoid of physiological significance, suggest that the AMH gene is highly polymorphic."}
{"id": "PMID:1483696", "title": "The intron 7 donor splice site transition: a second Tay-Sachs disease mutation in French Canada.", "content": "Mutations at the hexosaminidase A (HEXA) gene which cause Tay-Sachs disease (TSD) have elevated frequency in the Ashkenazi Jewish and French-Canadian populations. We report a novel TSD allele in the French-Canadian population associated with the infantile form of the disease. The mutation, a G-->A transition at the +1 position of intron 7, abolishes the donor splice site. Cultured human fibroblasts from a compound heterozygote for this transition (and for a deletion mutation) produce no detectable HEXA mRNA. The intron 7 + 1 mutation occurs in the base adjacent to the site of the adult-onset TSD mutation (G805A). In both mutations a restriction site for the endonuclease EcoRII is abolished. Unambiguous diagnosis, therefore, requires allele-specific oligonucleotide hybridization to distinguish between these two mutant alleles. The intron 7 + 1 mutation has been detected in three unrelated families. Obligate heterozygotes for the intron 7 + 1 mutation were born in the Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean region of Quebec. The most recent ancestors common to obligate carriers of this mutation were from the Charlevoix region of the province of Quebec. This mutation thus has a different geographic centre of diffusion and is probably less common than the exon 1 deletion TSD mutation in French Canadians. Neither mutation has been detected in France, the ancestral homeland of French Canada."}
{"id": "PMID:1483697", "title": "Mapping of X chromosome translocation breakpoints in females with Duchenne muscular dystrophy with respect to exons of the dystrophin gene.", "content": "There are rare female patients who suffer from Duchenne or Becker muscular dystrophy because they carry an X;autosome translocation with a breakpoint in the dystrophin gene. We have defined the positions of seven of these breakpoints with respect to exon-containing HindIII fragments detected by dystrophin cDNA. One breakpoint lies between exon-containing HindIII fragments 7 and 8, five breakpoints between exon-containing HindIII fragments 31 to 41, and one lies close to exon-containing-HindIII fragment 50. The distribution of these and of a further seven translocation breakpoints whose positions are known is compared with that reported for deletions and duplications in affected males."}
{"id": "PMID:1483698", "title": "Identification of a nonsense mutation in the amelogenin gene (AMELX) in a family with X-linked amelogenesis imperfecta (AIH1).", "content": "A family with X-linked amelogenesis imperfecta (XAI) is described in which the disease is associated with a nonsense mutation in exon 5 of the amelogenin gene. This mutation involves a single base deletion (CCCC-->CCC) in the exon in an affected male, his sister and his mother. The effect of this deletion is to alter the reading frame and to introduce an inappropriate TGA stop codon (an opal mutation) into the exonic sequence of the amelogenin gene immediately 3' of the mutation. The clinical features in the examined members of this family indicate that, in some individuals, the most noticeable defect is of enamel hypoplasia. In others, the hypoplastic changes are subtle and might have been overlooked on cursory examination; the most noticeable change is of enamel colour, indicating a degree of hypomineralisation. We propose that the amelogenin gene is implicated in both the formation of enamel of normal thickness and in the normal mineralisation process."}
{"id": "PMID:1483699", "title": "Molecular characterization of beta-thalassemia in Azerbaijan.", "content": "We have analyzed the beta-thalassemia mutations in 99 chromosomes of 49 adults with beta-thalassemia major and of one with Hb S-beta-thalassemia, who are regular patients at a large hematology clinic in Bak\u00fc, Azerbaijan. A total of 20 different mutants were identified; three [frameshift at codon 8 (-AA); IVS-II-I (G-->A); IVS-I-110 (G-->A)] were present in about two-thirds of all chromosomes. Most alleles are the same as found in Mediterranean populations; a few have an Asian origin or come from Kurdistan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, or a black population. One mutant [frameshift at codons 82/83 (-G)] might be specific for the Azerbaijanian population. Nearly all patients were transfused, which made quantitation of Hb F impossible; high G gamma values were present in the Hb F of those patients whose beta-thalassemia chromosome carried the C-->T mutation at position -158 in the promoter of the G gamma-globin gene."}
{"id": "PMID:1483700", "title": "Alport syndrome: a genetic study of 31 families.", "content": "Thirty one families with Alport syndrome including 3 families with associated syndromes were studied. The location of the COL4A5 gene, responsible for the Alport syndrome, was determined by linkage analysis with eight probes of the Xq arm and by a radiation hybrid panel. Concordant data indicated the localization of the Alport gene between DXS17 and DXS11. Four deletions and one single base mutation of the COL4A5 gene were detected. Homogeneity tests failed to show any evidence of genetic heterogeneity superimposed on clinical heterogeneity for ophthalmic signs and end-stage renal disease age."}
{"id": "PMID:1483701", "title": "New chromosome 21 DNA markers isolated by pulsed field gel electrophoresis from an ETS2-containing Down syndrome chromosomal region.", "content": "To generate new chromosome 21 markers in a region that is critical for the pathogenesis of Down syndrome (D21S55-MX1), we used pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) to isolate a 600-kb NruI DNA fragment from the WA17 hybrid cell line, which has retained chromosome 21 as the only human material. This fragment, which contains the oncogene ETS2, was used to construct a partial genomic library. Among the 14 unique sequences that were isolated, 3 were polymorphic markers and contained sequences that are conserved in mammals. Five of these markers mapped on the ETS2-containing NruI fragment and allowed us to define an 800-kb high-resolution PFGE map."}
{"id": "PMID:1483702", "title": "Chromosomal assignment and linkage analysis of the human glutathione S-transferase mu gene (GSTM1) using intron specific polymerase chain reaction.", "content": "Oligonucleotide primers specific for intron 5 sequences were used to amplify a unique 718 bp fragment in the human GST mu gene. Using DNA from a panel of somatic cell hybrids it was possible to confirm the assignment of the GST1 locus to chromosome 1p and to refine localisation to 1p13 using Southern blot analysis of DNA from three-generation CEPH families and a GST mu specific DNA probe."}
{"id": "PMID:1483703", "title": "A single base pair polymorphism in the WT1 gene detected by single-strand conformation polymorphism analysis.", "content": "The Wilms' tumor predisposition gene, WT1, was analysed exon-by-exon in a variety of tumours using the single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) technique. A consistent variation in the usual band pattern for exon 7 was detected in this survey. On sequencing, a silent mutation was noted in codon 313 resulting in an A-->G transition in an arginine codon. The A-->G transition destroys an AflIII restriction enzyme recognition site, which provides a rapid means of identifying heterozygotes at this locus. Analysis of the segregation of this polymorphism in families demonstrated a co-dominant inheritance pattern. In an analysis of 21 randomly selected individuals 25% were heterozygous at this locus, which makes this polymorphism useful in a variety of genetic analyses."}
{"id": "PMID:1483704", "title": "Molecular characterization of a 17q11.2 translocation in a malignant schwannoma cell line.", "content": "Malignant schwannomas are soft-tissue neoplasms that occur at increased frequency with germline alterations of the neurofibromatosis-1 (NF1) gene at 17q11.2. We report molecular and cytogenetic characterization of a malignant schwannoma cell line established from an individual affected with NF1. This cell line has a complex hyperdiploid karyotype with two cytogenetically identical der(13)t(13;17)(p11,q11.2) chromosomes. Using somatic cell hybrids, we mapped twelve chromosome-17 probes to either the der(13)t(13;17) chromosome or a small der(17) chromosome. Two chromosome-17p loci, including the p53 tumor suppressor gene, were present in the schwannoma cell line, but did not map to either of these chromosomes. Loss of heterozygosity studies indicated that the two der(13)t(13;17) chromosomes arose by duplication, presumably after the translocation event. The 17q11.2 translocation break-point maps distal to the NF1 gene, and may not disrupt its functioning. Although NF1 mRNA was detected in this cell line by polymerase chain reaction, Northern blot analysis revealed very little or none of the 13-kb mature NF1 transcript. This suggests that the single remaining allele of the NF1 gene contains a mutation that results in either greatly reduced transcription or message instability."}
{"id": "PMID:1483705", "title": "Genetic studies of antithrombin III with IEF and ASO hybridization.", "content": "Antithrombin III (AT III) was analyzed by two different methods. Isoelectric focusing was used to screen 3 different populations (southwest Germans, Portuguese, Xavante Indians). The same variant was detected both in the German and the Portuguese populations with frequencies of 0.007 and 0.00024, respectively. Further characterization of this variant was performed by allele specific oligonucleotides. By this means, it was possible to identify the variant as AT III Dublin, originally found in 4 Irish families."}
{"id": "PMID:1483706", "title": "A very conservative region of ApoB-100 in the putative binding region to the LDL receptor in the Toulouse population.", "content": "The nucleotide sequence of the putative binding site of ApoB-100 was studied in Hypercholesterolemic IIa patients and controls from the Toulouse area. Only one patient possesses the 3,500 mutation, which is responsible for defective familial hypercholesterolemia. The other individuals (including 39 patients and 14 controls) display the same nucleotide sequence although four nucleotide substitutions have been described in this region. This homogeneity of the Toulouse population in the putative binding site of ApoB-100 is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1483707", "title": "Analysis of 30 known cystic fibrosis mutations: 10 mutations account for 27% of non-delta F508 chromosomes in southern France.", "content": "We have analyzed 131 unrelated families from Southern France for 29 known cystic fibrosis (CF) mutations identified in 8 exons of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane regulator gene. All these mutations were detected by amplification of DNA by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) followed by restriction enzyme digestion or hybridization with allele specific oligoprobes. The most frequent mutations after the delta F508 deletion (frequency: 63%) were G542X (5.3%), delta I507 (1.1%), and N1303K (0.76%). Seven other mutations (621 + 1G --> T, Y122X, R347P, R334W, S549N, G551D, R1162X) were each identified in only one CF chromosome. Apart from G542X, most of the other mutations identified in this study were found to be associated with 7-(GATT)-repeats allele of IVS6A. In Southern France, only 73% of CF chromosomes could be identified by the analysis of 30 mutations."}
{"id": "PMID:1483708", "title": "Aplasia cutis congenita reminiscent of the lines of Blaschko.", "content": "A male newborn showing congenital symmetrical abdominal skin defects and an alopecia on the scalp following a spiral pattern is described. The pattern of distribution of both skin anomalies was reminiscent of the lines of Blaschko, indicating that somatic mosaicism is the most probable cause for the defects."}
{"id": "PMID:1483710", "title": "Role of rapid imprint cytology in the diagnosis of skin cancer and assessment of adequacy of excision.", "content": "Imprint cytotechnique was employed in 20 cases of maligant skin tumours (11 squamous cell carcinoma, 4 basal cell carcinoma and 5 malignant melanoma) to evaluate the reliability of the technique by comparing the results with histologic diagnosis. In ten cases margins of the excised tumours were also subjected to imprint and histopathologic studies to assess the clearance of malignancy. All the tumours were correctly diagnosed in imprint smears. Similarly 100% cytohistopathologic correlation was also obtained in the assessment of excisional margins of the tumours. The technique of imprint cytology may be employed for quick diagnosis of skin cancers and in assessment of clearance of surgical field during surgery."}
{"id": "PMID:1483711", "title": "Cytological evaluation of conjunctival scrape smears in cases of conjunctivitis.", "content": "The present study was conducted on 130 cases of untreated conjunctivitis and 25 control cases to assess the diagnostic value of cytology. Conjunctival scrapings from all cases were stained with Giemsa and Papanicoloau's stain and categorized cytologically and later correlated with the clinical profile. Normal cytologic profile was obtained in 7 cases (5.4%) of the study group and 14 cases (56%) of the control group. Cytologic diagnosis of trachoma was made in 63 cases (48.5%) including 48 out of 51 clinically diagnosed cases of trachoma, 9 cases of allergic conjunctivitis and 6 cases of acute follicular conjunctivitis, positive clinico cytologic correlation being 76.2%. Mucopurulent conjunctivitis was diagnosed in 24 cases (18.5%) both clinically as well as by cytological technique. Viral conjunctivitis was diagnosed in 24 cases (18.5%) including 19 cases (14.6%) of clinically diagnosed viral conjunctivitis and 5 cases (3.9%) of acute follicular conjunctivitis, positive correlation being 79.2%. Only 2 cases (1.5%) out of 15 clinically diagnosed cases of allergic conjunctivitis were confirmed cytologically. In all the 4 cases (3.1%) of spring catarrh and 6 cases (4.6%) of phlyctenular conjunctivitis the cytologic features were found to be consistent with the clinical diagnosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1483712", "title": "Vaginitis in non pregnant women in Haryana.", "content": "Study was carried out in 100 patients of non-specific vaginitis (NSV) to find out the incidence of vaginitis due to G. vaginalis. Out of a total of 100 subjects 20 were positive for G. vaginalis as compared to only 6 in equal number of normal matched controls. One positive specimen showed concomitant presence of C. albicans and E. coli was found in another positive specimen. Presence of amines and clue cells in the discharge did not correlate with the isolation rate of G. vaginalis, thus emphasizing the necessity of culture to diagnose NSV due to G. vaginalis."}
{"id": "PMID:1483713", "title": "A delayed permeability factor in the culture filtrates and cell lysates of Salmonella weltevreden.", "content": "Salmonella weltevreden strains produced a delayed permeability factor (PF) when tested on depilated rabbit skin. The PF activity could be demonstrated in freshly concentrated culture filtrates as well as in the cell lysates. The activity varied with strain and preparation. The induration and blueing reactions were associated with well marked balancing zones."}
{"id": "PMID:1483721", "title": "Salmonellosis in Goa.", "content": "During the period 1982-86, a total of 657 Salmonella strains were isolated from various clinical samples processed in the Microbiology laboratory of Goa Medical College, Bambolim, Goa. The strains were distributed amongst 23 different Salmonella serotypes. The commonest serotypes encountered were S.typhimurium (66%) and S.typhi (24%), the other serotypes were S.bareilly (5.4%), S.paratyphi B (1.2%), S.newport (1.2%) and S.chester (0.8%). Stool samples yielded the maximum Salmonella isolates of which the S.typhimurium was the highest followed by S.bareilly."}
{"id": "PMID:1483722", "title": "Immunoperoxidase localization of fibronectin in small bowel mucosa.", "content": "An indirect immunoperoxidase technique was employed to demonstrate fibronectin in cryostat sections of small bowel mucosa. Prior exposure of the sections to a solution of pepsin (4 mg/ml) was not essential to localize antigenicity of fibronectin immunohistologically."}
{"id": "PMID:1483723", "title": "Solitary rectal ulcer syndrome and colitis cystica profunda--a clinico-pathological review.", "content": "Twenty cases of solitary rectal ulcer syndrome (SRUS) and three cases of colitis cystica profunda (CCP) diagnosed between 1985 to 1990 were studied retrospectively. Clinical features, sigmoidoscopic findings and histopathology of the above lesions were reviewed. Haematoxylin and Eosin, Masson's Trichome, and high iron diamine Alcian blue staining was done in all the cases. Histopathologic examination helps in diagnosing the benign condition of the rectum viz. SRUS and CCP which are considered malignant clinically. Since an overlap of histopathological features were seen in SRUS and CCP, both can be considered as one entity, which has been highlighted in our study. Fibromuscular obliteration of lamina propria is the hallmark of the lesion."}
{"id": "PMID:1483729", "title": "Mechanical aids in the prevention of dental diseases in the elderly.", "content": "Dental practitioners, who are often unaccustomed to treating geriatric patients, should be taught to accept that old people do not necessarily respond to optimal dental treatment as younger patients do. There is an evident need for continuing education in this respect. The many plaque removing mechanical aids available, such as toothbrushes, toothpicks, and dental flosses, have not been studied in the elderly. Since manual dexterity decreases with increasing age, the use of electric tooth cleaning devices and other aids for improving oral hygiene should be encouraged among the elderly. This is particularly so in patients with physical or mental handicaps. Future studies should investigate the benefits of preventive dental procedures in the elderly and to survey their knowledge, attitudes and behaviour related to oral health. Maintaining proper oral hygiene among the institutionalised elderly has been neglected in many cases. Nurses and other staff in institutions need more information about the role of optimal oral health in the patient's general health and well-being. Staff also need to know more specifically how to help the patients in their daily oral hygiene and how to take care of the patient's dentures. The recently discovered association of poor oral health with life-threatening vascular diseases and other medical catastrophes further emphasizes the importance of maintaining good oral hygiene. Diseases of the mouth and the teeth must be diagnosed and treated in the elderly, who are just as entitled to receive individually designed preventive dental care as are the younger generations."}
{"id": "PMID:1483730", "title": "Attitudes and values concerning oral health and utilisation of services among the elderly.", "content": "Thus, attitudes to oral health and dental utilisation patterns of older adults show great variation and it seems the level of oral health care an individual will seek and accept will depend on their individual: age and their personal experience with dentists, past and present socio-demographic environment, number of remaining teeth, level of education achieved, expectations of family and/or significant others, level of discomfort experienced either with the dental condition or with past dental care, economic ability to pay for care, level of health or functional dependency, level of cognitive impairment, ability to reach dental services which includes distribution of dentists and geographic isolation, the philosophy of the dentists available to care for the individual."}
{"id": "PMID:1483734", "title": "Intravasal injection of formed-in-place silicone rubber as a method of vas occlusion.", "content": "This report describes the procedure for percutaneous injection of silicone to form plugs in the vas deferens. The injection of 0.1-0.16 ml Chinese-made silicone into 14 men achieved occlusion of a 1-cm length of the vas. Sperm concentrations declined within 1 month of the operation and azoospermia was achieved in all men by 9 months."}
{"id": "PMID:1483735", "title": "Recovery of fertility after removal of polyurethane plugs from the human vas deferens occluded for up to 5 years.", "content": "The present study reports the outcome of operations to remove MPU plugs from 130 men who had had occlusions of the vas deferens for between 0.5 and 5 years. The female partners of all the men achieved a pregnancy over a period of 0.5-4 years after the reversal operation."}
{"id": "PMID:1483736", "title": "Safety and efficacy of percutaneous injection of polyurethane elastomer (MPU) plugs for vas occlusion in man.", "content": "This report describes the safety and efficacy of the procedure for percutaneous injection of medical-grade polyurethane elastomer (MPU) to form plugs in the vas deferens. The injection of 0.16-0.22 ml MPU in 53 men resulted in occlusion and azoospermia in 85% of the men after 12 months; 96% achieved azoospermia by 2 years. The success rate of the method and the rate of sperm suppression to azoospermia depended on the shapes of the plugs; this was determined by palpation after insertion. There were few complications and the results are discussed in terms of the reversibility potential of this method."}
{"id": "PMID:1483737", "title": "Semen analysis and fertility prognosis in andrological patients.", "content": "Semen analyses of 529 men who consulted our department due to infertility problems, were related to the time period prior to conception, with factors adversely affecting the fertility of the female partner taken into consideration. The statistical method used was Cox's proportional-hazard model of regression. Untransformed, logarithmically transformed and dichotomized semen analysis variables were included in the calculations. The relationship between the following parameters and the probability of conception was examined: sperm count, sperm motility, progressive sperm motility, morphology and sperm motility remaining 24 h after ejaculation. All variables co-varied with the probability of conception; however, the exact type of relationship could not be determined by regression analyses. Cox's model assumes an exponential relationship. Our data suggest that this assumption is not suitable for fertility investigations. Using conventionally defined limiting values for normal and pathological semen quality, statistical analysis yielded significant differences in fertility between both categories for all of the variables considered; in the stepwise regression analysis, however, it could be shown that progressive motility and morphology alone were sufficient to discriminate between normal and pathological semen quality. The results are interpreted as indicating that, as a result of semen analysis, it is possible to predict the individual probability of conception if the exact shape of the relationship can be determined, which, up to now, has not been accomplished."}
{"id": "PMID:1483738", "title": "Subnormal sperm parameters in conventional semen analysis are associated with discrepancies between fertilization and pregnancy rates in in-vitro fertilization and embryo transfer.", "content": "Three hundred and twenty-eight consecutive treatment cycles in 168 couples were analysed retrospectively in order to examine the influence of conventional semen analysis results on the outcome of in-vitro fertilization and embryo transfer with respect to the occurrence of both fertilizations and pregnancies. All treatments were performed under maximally standardized and controlled conditions. Each of the three main determinants of the spermiogram, namely the concentration, motility and morphology of sperm in seminal plasma, was of significant importance for fertilization and subsequent pregnancy. Best correlations were achieved by counting the number of progressively (a+b) motile sperm and the number of normally formed sperm in seminal plasma. The pregnancy rate was reduced significantly in cases in which the sperm concentration was < 10 x 10(6) ml-1 (P < 0.01), or in which there was < 40% progressively motile sperm (P < 0.001), or < 30% normally formed sperm (P < 0.001). If more than one parameter in the spermiogram was abnormal, the fertilization rate depended mainly on the most disturbed sperm parameter. The implantation rate as well as the pregnancy rate was reduced significantly in patients with low progressive sperm motility and normal morphology rates. The difference could only be attributed partially to the lower number of embryos replaced. In conclusion, subnormal sperm quality seems to interfere with developmental stages beyond the process of fertilization."}
{"id": "PMID:1483739", "title": "Migration sedimentation technique as a predictive test for the fertilizing capacity of spermatozoa in an in-vitro fertilization programme.", "content": "The migration-sedimentation technique (MST) has been proposed as a means of separating high quality motile spermatozoa. The present study was conducted in order to evaluate whether sperm performance following separation by MST predicts their fertilizing capacity in an in-vitro fertilization (IVF) programme. Ninety semen specimens were analysed for use in an IVF-embryo transfer (ET) programme. Each specimens was divided into two parts: one was processed in the IVF programme and was used after sperm swim-up separation for insemination of human ova. The other aliquot (0.2 ml) was separated by MST, and the sperm then characterized by their concentration, motility, degree of motility and morphology. Sperm characteristics after separation by MST were then correlated with the results of the IVF-fertilization rates. In 79 of 90 IVF-ET cycles, at least one oocyte was fertilized. All post-MST sperm characteristics were significantly higher in cycles with fertilizations compared to IVF cycles without fertilization. A larger percentage of the total motile spermatozoa were recovered after MST in semen specimens with fertilization, compared to semen specimens without fertilization (39.9 +/- 3.6 and 20.6 +/- 6.6%, respectively; P < 0.05). This value was correlated with the percentage of fertilized oocytes (r = 0.24; P < 0.02). More IVF cycles with fertilizations were recorded in cases in which the recovery of motile sperm was > 25% (P < 0.005), or when more than 1.5 x 10(6) motile spermatozoa were recovered after MST (P < 0.0001). As sperm characteristics after MST correlated significantly with their fertilizing capacity, the MST test could be used in evaluation of the fertilizing capacity of spermatozoa."}
{"id": "PMID:1483742", "title": "The effects of barometric pressure according to Paul Bert: the question today.", "content": "The scientific activity of Paul Bert was very diverse, but his main achievements concern the effects of barometric pressure upon life. The fundamental physiological effect of decreasing barometric pressure is due to the concomitant fall of the O2 partial pressure. The effects of lowering or raising the barometric pressure can be countered by increasing or decreasing the O2 fraction in the air. Extreme hyperoxia modifies cellular metabolism of all living beings: this is O2 poisoning, the Paul Bert effect. Rapid decompressions from several atmospheres, or even from sea level to high altitude, can entail the formation of bubbles of N2 dissolved under the high pressure in the tissues and blood. Decompression accidents may be prevented by decompressing slowly. Immediate recompression is the only way to overcome decompression accidents, as the N2 is forced back into solution. These main discoveries were not universally accepted before about 1915. However, since Paul Bert's time, some additional effects of changes of the barometric pressure, for example related to the variation of gas diffusivity and density, have been pointed out. It is also clear that some factors other than low barometric pressure, for instance radiation, temperature, humidity etc. may play important roles in the mechanism of mountain sickness. However, it remains that the main factor is hypoxia, since oxygen inhalation or recompression lead to a quick recovery."}
{"id": "PMID:1483743", "title": "Nutritional aspects of health and performance at lowland and altitude.", "content": "One of the most important nutritional goals amongst athletes is to maintain adequate energy and fluid balance, since these are subject to relatively rapid changes and are directly related to performance and health. This may especially be the case when exercise intensity is high. Furthermore, when due to exercise and environmental stress food and fluid intake become depressed. In such conditions there may be a dramatic increase in the utilization of carbohydrate (CHO), fluid, and in some instances protein. These increased requirements may then not be covered. Insufficient replacement of CHO may lead to hypoglycemia, altered protein metabolism, central fatigue and exhaustion. Large sweat losses may pose a risk to health by inducing severe dehydration, impaired blood circulation and heat transfer, leading to heat exhaustion and collapse. Inadequate CHO and protein intake leads to a negative nitrogen balance, which over the long term will lead to a loss of muscle mass. In the scope of this presentation we will refer to the most important nutritional factors which are known to affect performance over a short term, at sea level and altitude."}
{"id": "PMID:1483744", "title": "Energy sources for muscular exercise.", "content": "The basic energy yielding mechanisms of muscle contraction are reviewed and the main structural and functional features of human muscle are compared with those of some common athletic animal species. Sex and age related muscle power (alactic) characteristics are examined in both sedentary and athletic subjects. Recent measurements of the kinetics of contraction of the O2 debt by NMR spectroscopy by the human plantar flexors are shown. The main features of anaerobic (lactic) exercise in untrained and trained subjects, as a function of sex, age and environmental conditions (high altitude), are described with particular emphasis on the so-called lactic anaerobic threshold. With regard to aerobic exercise, the main determinants of O2 transport to the tissues are reviewed and an update of the factors limiting human performance is made. The possible causes of arterial O2 desaturation in athletes, both at sea level and at altitude, are discussed. A comparative analysis between man and woman of the progress of the records of some typical competitions is made and possible implications are discussed. The potential role of some commonly used physiological and/or paraphysiological procedures for improving the performance is analyzed."}
{"id": "PMID:1483745", "title": "Amino acid metabolism, muscular fatigue and muscle wasting. Speculations on adaptations at high altitude.", "content": "Recent investigations from our and other laboratories indicate that glycogen is a carbon-chain precursor in muscle for the synthesis of TCA cycle intermediates and glutamine. During intense exercise and in conditions of a relative lack of energy (hypoxia, trauma, sepsis) the metabolism of branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) is accelerated in muscle. In the primary BCAA aminotransferase reaction 2-oxoglutarate is used as amino-group acceptor (putting a carbon-drain on the TCA cycle) under formation of glutamate. Glutamate will subsequently react with ammonia, generated in the AMP deaminase reaction or by deamination of amino acids, under formation of glutamine in a reaction catalysed by glutamine synthetase (glutamate + ammonia + ATP--> glutamine + ADP). Muscle glycogen stores may be smaller or less available at high altitude. It is hypothesized that this will lead to premature fatigue (due to both a lack of fuel and of TCA cycle carbon-precursor) and to a reduction in the synthesis rate of glutamine. A chronic reduction in the synthesis rate of glutamine during a long term stay at high altitude on its turn may lead to gut atrophy, bacterial translocation, endotoxemia, muscle protein catabolism and a weakened immune status."}
{"id": "PMID:1483746", "title": "Role of lipids on endurance capacity in man.", "content": "A man whose weight is near 70 kg has approximately 15 kg of fat as triglycerides in adipose tissue, representing about 140,000 kcal. With such a quantity of stored fat, the question is to know why triglycerides are not the only fuel for exercise. Probably because this fuel cannot sustain maximal rates of exercise. The ability to sustain maximal exercise is dependent on carbohydrate use. The reason for the limited rate at which energy can be derived from fat store is not clear. We can examine successively: 1) The rate of release from adipose tissue. Hydrolysis of the adipose tissue triglyceride is regulated by hormonal and nervous influence. It has recently been shown that 70% of fatty acids released from adipose tissue at rest are reesterified. This value decreases to 25% at the onset of submaximal exercise at 40% of VO2max. One part of the increase in fat oxidation could therefore result from the reduced reesterification. 2) The capacity of transport and muscle extraction. A close correlation has been shown between the increase in FFA concentration and FFA uptake during increased energy expenditure under the effect of exercise. Exercise increases lipoprotein lipase (LPL) activity in muscle. This causes increase in muscle and cardiac FFA uptake and a decrease in LPL activity in adipose tissue. The control of this enzyme is coordinated by hormonal mechanisms resulting from the reduction of insulin and the increase in catecholamines induced by exercise.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1483747", "title": "Enzyme mechanisms for pyruvate-to-lactate flux attenuation: a study of Sherpas, Quechuas, and hummingbirds.", "content": "During incremental exercise to fatigue under hypobaric hypoxia, Andean Quechua natives form and accumulate less plasma lactate than do lowlanders under similar conditions. This phenomenon of low lactate accumulation despite hypobaric hypoxia, first discovered some half century ago, is known in Quechuas to be largely unaffected by acute exposure to hypoxia or by acclimatization to sea level conditions. Earlier Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and metabolic biochemistry studies suggest that closer coupling of energy demand and energy supply in Quechuas allows given changes in work rate with relatively modest changes in muscle adenylate and phosphagen concentrations, thus tempering the activation of glycolytic flux to pyruvate--a coarse control mechanism operating at the level of overall pathway flux. Later studies of enzyme activities in skeletal muscles of Quechuas and of Sherpas have identified a finely-tuned control mechanism which by adaptive modifications of a few key enzymes apparently serves to specifically attenuate pyruvate flux to lactate."}
{"id": "PMID:1483748", "title": "Exogenous substrate oxidation during exercise: studies using isotopic labelling.", "content": "This presentation summarizes the experimental data on the oxidation of exogenous substrates using isotopic labelling: glucose, fructose, maltodextrins, glucose polymers, starch and FFA. The two main determining factors for the oxidation of exogenous substrates are in this order: power output and amount of ingested substrates. The largest oxidation of exogenous substrate is observed for glucose, maltodextrins, Polycose, and starch. For exercises of one hour duration or more, the average rate of oxidation of these compounds can reach up to 0.5 g/min, which agrees with the indirect estimation of Coyle et al. Fructose is oxidized at a lower rate, except when it is taken before the exercise period. FFA are only oxidized to a small extent."}
{"id": "PMID:1483749", "title": "Carbohydrate feeding during exercise.", "content": "During strenuous exercise (i.e. 70% maximal O2 consumption) there is a progressive shift from muscle glycogen to blood glucose oxidation with increasing duration of exercise. By maintaining blood glucose concentration and the rate of carbohydrate oxidation necessary to exercise strenuously, carbohydrate consumption throughout exercise delays fatigue by 30-60 min in endurance-trained subjects. This requires exogenous glucose supplementation at rates in excess of 1 gram/min (i.e., 16 mg/kg/min) as evidenced by the observation that intravenous glucose infusion at this rate is required to maintain blood glucose at 5 mM. Exogenous glucose must be infused at a rate of 2.6 gram/min (i.e., 37 mg/kg/min), which is similar to the total rate of carbohydrate oxidation, in order to maintain blood glucose at 10 mM after 2 h of exercise. However, carbohydrate supplementation during intense exercise does not spare muscle glycogen utilization in people. This suggests that over the course of 2-4 hours of exercise at 70% VO2max, muscle glycogen and blood glucose contribute equally to total carbohydrate oxidation. Furthermore, during the latter stages of prolonged exercise, exogenous blood glucose supplementation may be capable of supplying almost all of the carbohydrate requirements of exercise at intensities up to 70% VO2max."}
{"id": "PMID:1483750", "title": "Nutrition and high altitude exposure.", "content": "Altitude exposure leads to considerable weight loss. The different hypotheses that have been put forward to explain this phenomenon are discussed reviewing the literature: 1) a primary decrease of food intake due to loss of appetite caused, directly or indirectly, by hypoxia, changes of menus, comfort and habits, 2) a discrepancy between energy intake and energy expenditure due to an increased basal metabolic rate and/or high levels of activity which are not matched by an increased food intake, 3) a loss of body water due to increased insensible loss through increased ventilation in the mountain environment, decreased liquid intake, and/or changes in water metabolism, 4) an impaired absorption of nutrients from the gastrointestinal tract, and 5) a loss of muscle mass due to lack of physical exercise and/or direct effects of hypoxia on protein synthesis. It is concluded that altitude weight loss is due to an initial loss of water and subsequently to loss of fat mass and muscle wasting. Up to altitudes around 5000 m the weight loss from fat and muscle seems to be largely avoidable by maintaining adequate intake in a comfortable setting. Primary anorexia, lack of comfort and palatable food, detraining, and possible direct effects of hypoxia on protein metabolism seem to inevitably lead to weight loss during longer exposures at higher altitudes. In order to minimize losses it is advisable to acclimatize properly, to reduce the length of stay at extreme altitude as much as possible and to maintain a high and varied nutrient intake."}
{"id": "PMID:1483751", "title": "Oxygen transport and cardiovascular function at extreme altitude: lessons from Operation Everest II.", "content": "Operation Everest II was designed to examine the physiological responses to gradual decompression simulating an ascent of Mt Everest (8,848 m) to an inspired PO2 of 43 mmHg. The principal studies conducted were cardiovascular, respiratory, muscular-skeletal and metabolic responses to exercise. Eight healthy males aged 21-31 years began the \"ascent\" and six successfully reached the \"summit\", where their resting arterial blood gases were PO2 = 30 mmHg and PCO2 = 11 mmHg, pH = 7.56. Their maximal oxygen uptake decreased from 3.98 +/- 0.2 L/min at sea level to 1.17 +/- 0.08 L/min at PIO2 43 mmHg. The principal factors responsible for oxygen transport from the atmosphere to tissues were (1) Alveolar ventilation--a four fold increase. (2) Diffusion from the alveolus to end capillary blood--unchanged. (3) Cardiac function (assessed by hemodynamics, echocardiography and electrocardiography)--normal--although maximum cardiac output and heart rate were reduced. (4) Oxygen extraction--maximal with PvO2 14.8 +/- 1 mmHg. With increasing altitude maximal blood and muscle lactate progressively declined although at any submaximal intensity blood and muscle lactate was higher at higher altitudes."}
{"id": "PMID:1483752", "title": "Fluid balance and exercise.", "content": "The rate of metabolic heat production during prolonged exercise may be increased to 15-20 times that at rest. Evaporation of sweat secreted onto the skin can effectively limit the rise in body temperature which would otherwise occur, but results in the loss of water and electrolytes from the body. Dehydration and an increased thermal load can accelerate the onset of fatigue during exercise. The available evidence supports the idea that ingestion of fluids during prolonged exercise can improve performance. Heart rate and rectal temperature will generally be lower, and plasma volume will be better maintained when fluids are given. There is, however, no general agreement on the optimum formulation nor on the frequency or volume of drinking that is most appropriate. In practice, the ideal solution will depend on a number of factors, including the duration and intensity of the exercise, the environmental conditions and the characteristics of the individual. The variation between individuals is, however, large and the optimum strategy can only be established by subjective experience."}
{"id": "PMID:1483753", "title": "Peptides and exercise at high and low altitudes.", "content": "Some peptides are released with stress. We therefore examined effects of different exercise stress at low and moderate altitudes and after heat stress on beta-endorphin and endothelin in the human circulation. We also assessed longitudinally the effects of chronic exertion on beta-endorphin and the relationship to melatonin secretion in well-trained athletes. All peptides and melatonin increased after exercise, but the magnitude of this increase was age-dependent. Chronic exertion is associated with a decrease in exercise induced opioid release and in such individuals melatonin secretion is not beta-endorphin related. Long term high altitude exposure is associated with high-beta-endorphin levels at rest. Atrial natriuretic factor and vasopressin is also released with exercise at moderate altitude. Endothelin, a powerful vasoconstrictor, is increased independent of type of exercise, duration and moderate hypoxia."}
{"id": "PMID:1483754", "title": "Exercise and neuromodulators: choline and acetylcholine in marathon runners.", "content": "Certain neurotransmitters (i.e., acetylcholine, catecholamines, and serotonin) are formed from dietary constituents (i.e., choline, tyrosine and tryptophan). Changing the consumption of these precursors alters release of their respective neurotransmitter products. The neurotransmitter acetylcholine is released from the neuromuscular junction and from brain. It is formed from choline, a common constituent in fish, liver, and eggs. Choline is also incorporated into cell membranes; membranes may likewise serve as an alternative choline source for acetylcholine synthesis. In trained athletes, running a 26 km marathon reduced plasma choline by approximately 40%, from 14.1 to 8.4 uM. Changes of similar magnitude have been shown to reduce acetylcholine release from the neuromuscular junction in vivo. Thus, the reductions in plasma choline associated with strenuous exercise may reduce acetylcholine release, and could thereby affect endurance or performance."}
{"id": "PMID:1483755", "title": "Magnetic resonance spectroscopy and imaging of muscle--a physiological approach.", "content": "Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) and imaging (MRI) are now well established techniques for the study of cellular metabolism and gross structure of muscle. Using non-ferrous materials, we have constructed a system for the measurement of isometric force of quadriceps in response to percutaneous electrical stimulation and voluntary effort within the bore of a 48 cm diameter 1.5 T General Electric SIGNA whole body MR system. Using this system we have been able to study the relationship between electromechanical coupling and chemistry of muscle, with 31P MRS for the measurement of high-energy phosphates and pH, during electrically stimulated activity. Image analysis using the Context Vision system enables a distinction to be made, in 1H MRI by T1/T2 mapping, of muscle, fat and connective tissue to give force per unit cross sectional area of muscle. The combination of MR and functional measurements provide a valuable tool for further detailed analysis of human muscle weakness and fatigue."}
{"id": "PMID:1483756", "title": "Measuring exercise-induced adaptations and injury with magnetic resonance spectroscopy.", "content": "We compared the metabolic capacity of calf muscles in young normal subjects who performed endurance training to highly trained track athletes, older subjects, and subjects with several metabolic diseases. Metabolic capacity was measured as the rate of phosphocreatine (PCr) recovery following submaximal exercise. PCr levels were measured using magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS). Exercise consisted of repeated plantar flexion against resistance. MRS calculated metabolic capacity agreed well with rates from muscle biopsies. Short term endurance training resulted in a 14% increase in metabolic capacity. This adaptation was small compared to the metabolic capacities of endurance athletes (70% greater than control subjects), and changes due to aging (20% and 55% declines by 66 and 80 years of age, respectively). Exercise training is also associated with muscle injury. Muscle injury was seen as a transient elevation of Pi/PCr at rest in response to an acute bout of exercise. The elevation of resting Pi/PCr persisted during continued training. Metabolic capacity as measured by the rate of phosphocreatine recovery increased with endurance training and decreased with normal aging and metabolic disease. Small levels of persistent muscle injury is a natural by product of strenuous endurance training."}
{"id": "PMID:1483757", "title": "Muscle bioenergetics in skiers: studies using NMR spectroscopy.", "content": "Sedentary human subjects (n = 6) and two homogeneous groups of athletes, trained for down-hill skiing (n = 5) and cross-country skiing (n = 7), were subjected to cardiorespiratory testing and to evaluation of the bioenergetics of calf muscles by means of Phosphorus Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy. The exercise consisted of successive plantar flexions performed at graded fractions of the maximal voluntary contraction force. It appears from this study that the decrease in phosphocreatine level induced by exercise at 80% of maximal voluntary contraction, was smaller in the muscles of athletes who trained for cross-country skiing, than in the muscles of down-hill skiers and control subjects. Intracellular acidosis was virtually absent in cross-country athletes. The rate of restitution of phosphocreatine, after the exercise, was higher in both groups of skiers, compared to sedentary subjects. The maximal oxygen consumption and the maximal alactic power were higher in athletes than in sedentary subjects. NMR data and mechanical measurements are used in consideration with functional systemic indexes to characterize the capabilities of skiers."}
{"id": "PMID:1483758", "title": "Myoelectrical and metabolic changes in muscle fatigue.", "content": "In isometric contraction-induced fatigue force loss has been related to mostly myoelectrical or intramuscular events. However, some factors potentially involved may interfere at more than one site in these events and it has proven difficult to distinguish between those influences. The study of the relationships between force generating capacity, the metabolic state of a muscle and its myoelectrical properties may therefore help broaden our understanding of the fatigue process. In order to investigate these relationships, we have evaluated changes in force-generating capacity, NMR-determined metabolic variables, and myoelectrical activity, as measured from surface EMG, simultaneously in brachial biceps muscle of healthy subjects, during different types of fatiguing isometric exercise and during recovery. Factors studied include intramuscular pH, inorganic phosphate and its diprotonated form concentrations, root-mean square and mean power frequency of the EMG power spectrum, and neuromuscular efficiency index. Results show that different mechanisms are likely to contribute to force loss in fatiguing muscle and during different phases of recovery from fatigue. Indeed, relationships between variables from the three groups differed according to exercise protocol as well as in fatiguing and recovering muscle."}
{"id": "PMID:1483759", "title": "Metabolic transient studies by NMR.", "content": "The time course of phosphocreatine (PC) hydrolysis in humans was measured by 31P-NMR spectroscopy (31P-NMRS) with a time resolution of 10.8 s in the gastrocnemius muscle and a relationship between muscle O2 consumption (VO2) and [PC] was derived from a bioenergetic model. This allowed a direct estimate of the half-time of the intracellular VO2 kinetics (t1/2 VO2) of the contracting human gastrocnemius in aerobic conditions. t1/2 VO2 was found to be approximately 16 s and independent of the work load. This value corresponds to the shortest t1/2 VO2 determined at the mouth of the subject in the absence of lactate accumulation in the rest to work transient. t1/2 VO2 may now be assessed in man at low muscle temperatures. To this aim a procedure was developed allowing corrections of the 31P-NMR spectra based on the muscle temperature profiles obtained by a simultaneously acquired proton image."}
{"id": "PMID:1483760", "title": "Non-invasive measurements of O2 availability in human skeletal muscle with near-infrared spectroscopy.", "content": "The availability of O2 in the human vastus lateralis muscle has been investigated with non-invasive near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) using a commercially available unit (RunMan, NIM Inc. Philadelphia). The measuring probe placed above the skin illuminates the underlying tissue and measures the reflected light at two wavelengths (760 and 850 nm). Due to differences in the absorption spectra between HbO2 and Hb the difference in light intensity at these two wavelengths will be a relative index of tissue oxygenation. Prolonged arterial occlusion and static contraction have been studied. Arterial occlusion resulted in a decreased O2 saturation with a half-time of 2.3 +/- 0.2 min (mean +/- SE, n = 4). Restoration of blood flow resulted in a rapid tissue reoxygenation with a half-time of 24 +/- 2 s. Reoxygenation after static contraction occurred with a half time of 19-37 s. The half-time of reoxygenation subsequent to exercise and/or ischemia may be a valuable parameter in sports medicine and in the evaluation of peripheral vascular disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1483761", "title": "Injury to skeletal muscle during altitude training: induction and prevention.", "content": "A contracting skeletal muscle will shorten, remain isometric, or lengthen depending on the interaction between external load and the force developed by the muscle. Most physical activities involve shortening, isometric and lengthening contractions. The fluctuations in terrain encountered at altitude, increase both the likelihood that lengthening contractions will occur and the severity of the stretches. When performing a given amount of work, muscles lengthened during contractions expend less energy and fatigue less rapidly than muscles that shorten. Conversely, with equal activation, displacement, and velocity, the work done on a muscle during lengthening contractions is greater than the work performed by a muscle during shortening contractions, but force decreases more rapidly during lengthening. Furthermore, muscles are more likely to be injured during lengthening contractions than during shortening or isometric contractions. The occurrence of contraction-induced injury can be eliminated, or minimized, by prior training specific for the performance of lengthening contractions."}
{"id": "PMID:1483762", "title": "Muscular adaptations at extreme altitude: metabolic implications during exercise.", "content": "Residence at extreme altitude results in pronounced reductions in muscle mass and the cross-sectional area of the slow and fast twitch fibre types. The reductions in muscle contractile proteins appear not to be accompanied by significant alterations in the proportion of the major fibre types and consequently in the myosin heavy chain isozymes. Acclimatization to extreme altitude is also accompanied by a marked reduction in mitochondrial potential that occurs regardless of activity status. At least during mountaineering expeditions, the maximal activity of cytosolic enzymes involved in anaerobic function appear to be unaffected. In contrast, extreme hypobaric hypoxia with low exercise appears to result in loss of the activities of cytosolic enzymes. The attenuation of glycolysis during exercise accompanying acclimatization does not appear to be due to adaptations in fibre size, capillarization or mitochondrial potential. Rather, evidence from both acclimatization and training at sea level suggests that a depressed blood epinephrine concentration is involved."}
{"id": "PMID:1483763", "title": "Muscle structural modifications in hypoxia.", "content": "The effects of prolonged severe hypoxia on human performance capacity and muscle structure and function have recently been studied during real and simulated ascents to Mt. Everest. The results of several independent research teams, using different techniques, are broadly compatible. It is found that body and muscle mass is significantly reduced after exposure to hypoxia. As a consequence, muscle fiber size is also reduced. The capillary density of muscle tissue is increased, not because of capillary neoformation, but because of the reduction in muscle fiber size. The activities of enzymes of the oxidative pathways are decreased in skeletal muscle tissue. A loss of mitochondria is the structural evidence of the diminished potential for muscle oxidative metabolism. In contrast to these results, recent experimentations with hypoxia in human exercise settings have demonstrated that if hypoxia is only present during a limited daily period of an endurance training session, hypoxia has a different effect on muscle tissue. It is found that muscle fiber size, capillarity, myoglobin concentration and muscle oxidative capacity are all enhanced with training in hypoxia. These controversial findings raise questions regarding the nature of the adaptational mechanisms triggered by the different hypoxic stimuli to which subjects had been subjected and thus offer important new venues for further studies on the control of protein metabolism in muscle tissue."}
{"id": "PMID:1483764", "title": "Mechanisms of adaptation to cold.", "content": "The animal model used the most frequently for understanding the mechanisms of adaptation to cold in humans has been the rat. It has been established that rats kept in the cold for a few weeks stop shivering while preserving a normal internal temperature because of an enhanced thermogenic capacity of the brown adipose tissue (BAT) mediated by the sympathetic nervous system. Studies on groups of humans exposed to cold have shown that shivering is also attenuated but without compensatory increased in heat production possibly because of non-significant contribution of the BAT. However when humans and laboratory animals are exposed repeatedly to short severe cold evidence for adaptation has been described. This adaptation is not metabolic; instead it is related to the phenomenon of habituation. When exposed to a novel stress such as cold, the alarm reaction is initiated as evidenced by the activation of the sympathetic nervous system which opposes the stressing situation. However with time, when it is realized that the normal functioning of the body is not endangered the responses are attenuated and enhanced tolerance is observed. This type of adaptation was observed in Eskimos, fishermen, outdoor workers, etc."}
{"id": "PMID:1483765", "title": "The different types of general cold adaptation in man.", "content": "Different types of general cold adaptation have been described over the last 50 years. Metabolic adaptation (Alacaluf Indians, Arctic Indians Eskimos), insulative adaptation (coastal Aborigines of tropical northern Australia), hypothermic adaptation (bushmen of the Kalahari desert, Peruvian Indians) and insulative hypothermic adaptation (Central Australian Aborigines, nomadic Lapps, Korean and Japanese diving women). These different types of cold adaptation are related to the intensity of the cold stress and to individual factors such as diet, the level of physical fitness and body fat content. Thus, in natural environments, man develops a strategy of adaptation to cold, which takes into account environmental and individual factors. This strategy is susceptible to be modified when these conditions change. Caloric intake deficit could have been responsible for the hypothermic adaptation observed after J.-L. Etienne's journey to the North Pole. Physiological responses were adapted to maintain an acceptable level of energetic reserves with a moderate hypothermia, which was not life threatening for the climatic conditions encountered by the polar explorer."}
{"id": "PMID:1483766", "title": "Cold, fitness and the exercise electrocardiogram. A 20 year longitudinal study of Canadian Inuit.", "content": "A 20 year longitudinal study has examined fitness, lung function and exercise electrocardiograms in the Inuit of Igloolik (NWT, 69 degrees 40' N). When first examined (1969/70), an energy expenditure of up to 16 MJ/day was estimated from Kofranyi-Michaelis respirometry. Step test predictions of maximal oxygen intake were also high initially, but values declined progressively with acculturation to a sedentary lifestyle. Throughout the 20 years, right-branch bundle block (RBBB) has been somewhat more prevalent than in southern Canada. The majority of those affected have shown no more than slight R-wave notching. In 1969/70, a few of the more marked cases of RBBB may have been attributable to chronic respiratory disease, but the majority of cases have shown high normal values for both lung function and maximal oxygen intake. We thus conclude that the major cause of RBBB in this community is a ventricular hypertrophy due to the vigorous physical demands of the traditional lifestyle."}
{"id": "PMID:1483767", "title": "Cold exposure and ischemic heart disease.", "content": "Exposure to cold causes a vasoconstriction and a tachycardia, both resulting in a rise of blood pressure and cardiac work. This last effect may have a deleterious influence on people suffering from ischaemic heart disease (IHD). Moreover, coronary artery spasm could occur if vasoconstriction extends to the heart vessels. Epidemiologic studies have shown that mortality from IHD was correlated to the ambient temperature. There will be more deaths per day in the winter, and fewer in the summer. However, the daily number of deaths also increases during the heat waves. During a cold test, the coronary blood flow remains normal or slightly increased in normal subject. There is never a coronary artery spasm. Subjects who suffer from angina but have normal coronary arteries behave in the same way as normal subjects. Patients with IHD show a decrease in coronary blood flow. In a few cases, those patients may exhibit a coronary spasm with chest pain and even myocardial infarction. It is concluded that people with normal cardiovascular function are unaffected by cold stress whereas those with IHD may be crippled, although rarely, by exposure to cold, especially if they perform a physical work."}
{"id": "PMID:1483768", "title": "Increased arterial pressure after acclimatization to 4300 m: possible role of norepinephrine.", "content": "Both systemic arterial pressure and sympathetic activity increase at high altitude, but neither the time course of these increases nor the relationship between them are known. Examination of resting and exercising data from our prior studies at sea level and on Pikes Peak indicated that blood epinephrine concentrations either showed little change (from sea level) or rose early in altitude exposure and then declined with acclimatization. By contrast, norepinephrine concentrations in blood and urine were not increased on arrival but consistently rose later in the acclimatization process. Also with altitude exposure, arterial pressure also increased concomitantly with the increase in norepinephrine concentrations. The study designs were not adequate to establish cause and effect, but the results were consistent with the concept that arterial pressure increments at altitude were associated with increased alpha adrenergic-mediated vascular tone."}
{"id": "PMID:1483769", "title": "Cold and the airways.", "content": "Physiological and pathological respiratory responses are triggered by various conditions of exposure to cold climates. Beside airway smooth muscle, both the pulmonary and the tracheobronchial vasculatures are major effectors of respiratory responses to cold. General exposure to cold causes pulmonary vasoconstriction known as \"Raynaud's phenomenon of the lung\" in subjects with primary Raynaud syndrome and favors acute pulmonary oedema in subjects with congestive heart failure. In healthy subjects acute hyperventilation of very cold air has led to acute respiratory failure closely similar to hypoxic pulmonary oedema. In outdoor exercising people years long repetition of hyperventilation of subfreezing air causes \"eskimo lung\" made of obstructive lung disease and increased wall thickness of pulmonary arteries. At a lesser degree hyperventilation of dry air cools the central airways and triggers subclinical bronchial obstruction in healthy subjects. In asthmatic subjects hyperventilation of dry air causes asthma attacks. Results of recent animal and human experiments point to a key role of mucosal vessels in thermal balance of the airways. Simultaneously, there is increasing evidence that hyperventilation-induced asthma is triggered by a thermal stimulus."}
{"id": "PMID:1483770", "title": "Cold and muscle performance.", "content": "The effects of muscle temperature on the development of muscular power are discussed. Temperature influences power (both metabolic and mechanical) by means of its effects on the rate of ATP hydrolysis and/or resynthesis. One would therefore expect reduced power outputs at cold muscle temperatures in humans. However, this is not the case during submaximal aerobic exercise. In fact, no changes in metabolic power output at any given submaximal work load were found at cold muscle temperatures, despite the reduced rate of ATP resynthesis and/or splitting. To explain this, it has been postulated that the fraction of active muscle mass at any given time instant could increase in the cold, thus compensating for the reduced ATP splitting rate. This means that the aerobic ATP resynthesis in the cold may be carried out at a slower rate by a greater activated muscle mass. This compensation cannot be operational when maximal power is attained, for in this case the instantaneously activated muscle mass is constant and limited. In fact the maximal aerobic power and the maximal instantaneous anaerobic power decrease with decreasing muscle temperature, as indicated by an average Q10 of 1.4 in the physiological muscle temperature range. The reduction in maximal aerobic power in the cold may be the consequence particularly of a decrease in O2 supply associated with reduced maximal cardiac output and muscle blood flow. On the other hand, the Q10 of the maximal anaerobic power should strictly depend on the reduced rate of ATP hydrolysis. The Q10 of the latter, however, according to Arrhenius law, should be 2 to 3 instead of 1.4.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1483771", "title": "Acute exposure to cold air and metabolic responses to exercise.", "content": "Acute exposure of the whole body to cold air activates thermoregulatory mechanisms which may influence the physiological responses to exercise. Interactions between cold stress and exercise greatly depend on the intensity of cold stimulation. During exposure to moderate cold (MC) peripheral vasoconstriction shifts part of the blood from the periphery to the core, increasing the central volume and the ventricular filling. When an incremental exercise is performed in MC, the persistence of cutaneous vasoconstriction alters the cardiovascular pattern. Moreover, a delayed onset of the increase in plasma lactate concentration (LA) is found and LA remains lower for submaximum exercise intensities. Simultaneously a greater plasma norepinephrine (NA) response is observed. In addition to cutaneous vasoconstriction shivering thermogenesis occurs during exposure to severe cold (SC) which increases heat production. During incremental exercise, the oxygen consumption (VO2) and the expired minute ventilation (VE) are higher for each exercise intensity. However the ventilatory equivalent (VCO2/VO2) does not change significantly. The increased ventilatory response seems to remain a pure reaction to increasing metabolic demand. The ventilatory threshold occurs at the same exercise intensity but at a higher VO2 and VE than in warm conditions. According to the intensity of cold stress the VO2 level may be similar, increased or decreased at exhaustion. The LA is higher for light exercise intensities, lower for heavy exercise intensities and recovery. Simultaneously a greater NA was found with no change in plasma epinephrine response."}
{"id": "PMID:1483772", "title": "Energy metabolism during cold exposure.", "content": "Recent advances on the influence of cold exposure on energy metabolism in animals and humans are summarized. Although the cold-induced enhancements in carbohydrate metabolism have been the focus of numerous studies, it was only recently that pieces of evidence from animal studies have suggested that cold exposure exerts an insulin-like effect on peripheral tissue glucose uptake, which appears to proceed primarily via insulin-independent pathways. Interestingly, this phenomenon was observed in insulin-sensitive tissues of warm- a well as cold-adapted rats. Whereas previous human studies have concentrated on the cold-induced changes in basal levels of hormones and metabolic substrates, recent work from our laboratory has demonstrated that exposure to cold at rest shifts substrate utilization from mainly lipids at thermal neutrality to carbohydrates, representing the main fuel for shivering thermogenesis. Further investigation has revealed that the marked increment in carbohydrate oxidation in cold-exposed humans is derived from a greater utilization of both circulating glucose and intramuscular glycogen. With respect to lipid metabolism, recent studies have shown that the cold-induced increase in lipid oxidation in man is fuelled primarily by the fatty acids released from white adipose tissue triglycerides (TG) and possibly intramuscular TG, not plasma TG. One practical application of this work on energy metabolism in the cold resides in the pharmacological approach to improve cold tolerance, where pharmacological agents that alter energy metabolism and substrate utilization could be used to enhance cold thermogenesis and produce warmer body temperatures."}
{"id": "PMID:1483773", "title": "Mountain frostbite. Current trends in prognosis and treatment (from results concerning 1261 cases).", "content": "From an experience of a large number (1261) of cases of mountain frostbite, an attempt is made to explain its pathophysiological mechanisms and describe the different modalities which to now allow early prognosis to be made. Laser-Doppler, microwave thermography, nuclear magnetic resonance (31P spectroscopy) and bone scintigraphy (technetium 99) are some of the investigations which deserve a special attention. Treatment is discussed, which still appears to be limited to saving viable tissue, especially for severe frostbite lesions, the only ones which pose problems. Rapid rewarming is a keystone of therapy. The role of haemodilution, vasodilators, sympathetic blockade and surgery is also discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1483774", "title": "The cause of death after rescue.", "content": "It is recognized that some people die from hypothermia even though they are alive and uninjured when rescued. The traditional explanation is that this is due to ventricular fibrillation resulting from the afterdrop of core temperature. This hypothesis was based on inadequate measurement and failure to consider the physiology of cold. It should now be discarded. Most deaths after rescue occur through an imbalance between the active vascular capacity and the circulating fluid volume i.e. relative hypovolaemia or fluid overload. The actual mechanism in any individual case depends both on the history of the cooling and the method of rewarming used. Some deaths will however occur due to continued cooling of the body or to ventricular fibrillation precipitated by rough handling."}
{"id": "PMID:1483775", "title": "Field care of the hypothermic patient.", "content": "The world literature of sports medicine and mountain medicine has been much concerned with early recognition, emergency on-site care, and rescue transportation of the cold-injured patient. Considerable problems exist for the initial rescuer and first responder, particularly if that person is alone. Thoughts of initial approach and care, are presented, particularly for the first, often untrained in-field rescue responders. The site of rescue and field variables found at that site are presented. Methods in aiding field assessment of the state of hypothermia are listed, particularly the evaluation of signs and symptoms of the victim. Early care and avoidance of further heat loss is discussed. The consideration for the rescuer (and victim) is to 'think heat'. Basic principles of care are stated, particularly for care of the victim 'with no apparent signs of life'."}
{"id": "PMID:1483776", "title": "Training at altitude in practice.", "content": "There can be little doubt that training at altitude is fundamental to preparing an athlete for competition at altitude. However the value of training at altitude for competition at sea level appears on the one hand to lack total acceptance amongst sports scientists; and on the other to hold some cloak of mystery for coaches who have yet to enjoy first hand experience. The fact is that very few endurance athletes will ignore the critical edge which altitude training affords. Each fraction of a percentage of performance advantage gained through methods which are within the rules of fair play in sport, may shift the balance between failure and achievement. Moreover, there is growing support for application of training at altitude for speed-related disciplines. This paper aims to demystify the subject by dealing with practical aspects of training at altitude. Such aspects include a checklist of what should and should not be done at altitude, when to use altitude relative to target competitions, and specific training examples."}
{"id": "PMID:1483777", "title": "Altitude training and muscular metabolism.", "content": "To study the effects of training at moderate altitude on muscle metabolism; we defined the lowest altitude which affected the aerobic capacity in man, and we studied the differences between training at an altitude of 2300 m and at sea level, both at the same relative (to the VO2max) and absolute intensity of work. We confirmed that at 1200 m the VO2max is decreased in sedentary and well-trained persons. Elite athletes already at 900 m decrease their VO2max. We have found an increase in myoglobin, oxidative enzyme activities and endurance capacity and a decrease in some glycolytic enzyme activities associated with simulated altitude training. We conclude that when the amount of training performed at altitude is similar to the amount at sea level, the stimulus of hypoxia associated with the training stimulus induces improvements in the muscle oxidative enzymes and myoglobin."}
{"id": "PMID:1483778", "title": "A practical approach to altitude training: where to live and train for optimal performance enhancement.", "content": "Altitude training may improve performance by a number of mechanisms. Acclimatization may improve both oxygen delivery and extraction. Hypoxic exercise may increase the training stimulus thus magnifying the effects of endurance training. Conversely, high altitude decreases VO2max and reduces the workloads at which training occurs. At altitude, base training is performed at a slower velocity and lower oxygen uptake (lower absolute workload) compared to sea level, though heart rate is similar and lactate is higher (probably greater relative workload). Interval workouts are performed at a lower absolute workload at altitude and are associated with lower peak heart rates and blood lactate concentrations. Red cell volume is increased during altitude training, as long as iron stores are normal. We suggest that for performance at altitude, acclimatization and/or hypoxic exercise is preferable; for performance at sea level, living at altitude (acclimatization) with sea level training may be the optimal strategy. However neither approach is a substitute for a carefully designed training program including appropriate rest and nutrition."}
{"id": "PMID:1483779", "title": "Pre-acclimatization to high altitude using exercise with normobaric hypoxic gas mixtures.", "content": "Pre-acclimatization was conducted using a new method elaborated in our laboratory, combining high intensity exercise while breathing hypoxia normobaric gas mixtures. The training consisted in a daily training during three weeks, 6 days a week, two hours a day, on bicycle ergometer. Eighteen subjects aging 22.2 +/- 1.4 years (11 males, 7 females) were matched in two similar groups: one group trained in normoxic conditions (NG) while the other group (HG) trained with a progressive decrease of the fraction of inspired oxygen (from 12.2% to 10.0%). Maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) were measured before and after the protocol period in both hypoxic (VO2max H, FIO2 = 10.4%) and normoxic (VO2max N) conditions, for the 2 groups. Training induced a similar O2max N increase in the two groups. The ratio VO2max H/VO2max N was calculated. As expected, in NG group, this ratio decreased significantly (from 63.9 +/- 4.3 to 57.5 +/- 3.1%, p < 0.01) after the training period compared to the initial value, diminution associated with an elevation of VO2max N (from 48.4 +/- 9.0 to 52.9 +/- 9.0 ml.min-1 x kg-1, p < 0.01). Conversely, in HG group, this ratio was not significantly diminished (from 61.7 +/- 3.8 to 60.5 +/- 5.2%, NS) in spite of a similar increase of VO2max N (from 47.5 +/- 5.5 to 50.7 +/- 4.9 ml.min-1 x kg-1, p < 0.01). This does not follow the diminution of the ratio usually described when VO2max N reach higher values.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1483780", "title": "Use of a hypobaric chamber for pre-acclimatization before climbing Mount Everest.", "content": "Climbing Mount Everest needs an acclimatization period of 3 to 4 weeks between 3000 and 6000 m. In order to reduce this period of time spent in dangerous conditions, an experience of pre-acclimatization was performed with 5 elite alpinists (4 male, 1 female), aged 30 +/- 4 yrs (mean +/- SD), before their attempt to climb Mount Everest. Subjects first remained one week on Mont-Blanc (between 4350 and 4807 m), then spent a total of 38 hours in a hypobaric chamber (in 4 consecutive days) from 5000 to 8500 m standard altitude. Then, they flew to Kathmandu and reached 7800 m five days only after leaving the base camp. The pre-acclimatization period showed a 12% increase in hemoglobin concentration, and no change in ventilatory response to hypoxia. Arterial oxygen saturation at submaximal exercise in hypoxia (FIO2 = 0.115) increased from 75 +/- 4 to 82 +/- 3%, probably because of an efficient ventilatory acclimatization. On Mount Everest, the speed of ascent was very high (5600 m of altitude gain in 6 days), knowing that in conventional expeditions, 12 to 32 days are generally necessary to reach, safe, the same altitude. In conclusion, pre-acclimatization seems to have triggered efficient mechanisms which allowed climbers to save 1 to 3 weeks of time in mountain conditions."}
{"id": "PMID:1483781", "title": "Reflex control of the circulation during exercise.", "content": "Current theory is that circulatory control in exercise is governed by central command which sets basic patterns of effector activity that is modulated by arterial baroreflexes and chemo- and mechanoreflexes from active muscle. Because central command acts on vagal activity rather than sympathetic nerve activity (SNA), and because muscle chemoreflexes are not normally active during mild to moderate dynamic exercise, current theory cannot explain why SNA to virtually all organs, including active muscle, increases even during mild exercise. Are arterial baroreflexes involved? Baroreflex sensitivity is maintained during exercise, and most importantly, the reflex is reset to higher blood pressure (BP). A new hypothesis is that central command works by resetting the baroreflex to a higher BP and withdraws vagal activity to raise heart rate, cardiac output and BP at the onset of exercise. The key to the hypothesis is that the rise in cardiac output at exercise onset must be fast enough to raise BP to its new reset level immediately, otherwise a BP error occurs that must be corrected by baroreflex and SNA."}
{"id": "PMID:1483782", "title": "Pulmonary circulation in hypoxia.", "content": "Hypoxia constricts the pulmonary vessels. An increase in pulmonary vascular resistance is seen in normal subjects during hypoxic breathing at sea level, in acclimatized lowlanders and in high altitude natives. Hypoxic pulmonary hypertension in all these circumstances is most generally moderate, except in high altitude natives at exercise. However, in the absence of high altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE) or chronic mountain sickness, a right heart failure that would be the human counterpart of brisket disease described in cattle, apparently never occurs. In adult patients with HAPE, reported mean pulmonary artery pressures (Ppa) measured during a right heart catheterization range from 22 to 63 mmHg with an average of 39 mmHg. Recent echo-Doppler estimates of systolic Ppa in patients with a HAPE are at an average of 53 mmHg, only moderately higher than in healthy subjects exposed to comparable normobaric or hypobaric hypoxia. Subjects with a previous HAPE often present with an enhanced pulmonary vascular reactivity to hypoxia compared to controls when tested at sea level, but the overlap is great. Non invasive echo-Doppler pulmonary hemodynamic studies at sea level have not been reported to reliably discriminate subjects susceptible to HAPE."}
{"id": "PMID:1483783", "title": "Chemosensitivity and regulation of ventilation during sleep at high altitudes.", "content": "The paper presents new observations on young high altitude natives (Andes and Himalayas), testing the hypothesis that periodic breathing with apnea during sleep is determined by their ventilatory sensitivity to hypoxia and its interaction with the sleep state. The hypothesis is in general supported by the evidence. But, contrary to expectation, the ventilatory sensitivity to hypoxia in the Sherpa children was significantly lower than those in the Andes. Despite that departure, the magnitude of ventilatory periodicity among the subjects was internally consistent with their ventilatory sensitivity to hypoxia. Although the carotid chemosensory input is the pacesetter for the reflexive periodicity, mechanisms in the central nervous system can influence it significantly."}
{"id": "PMID:1483784", "title": "Sleep apneas and high altitude newcomers.", "content": "Sleep and respiration data from two French medical high altitude expeditions (Annapurna 4,800 m and Mt Sajama 6,542 m) are presented. Difficulties in maintaining sleep and a SWS decrease were found with periodic breathing (PB) during both non-REM and REM sleep. Extent of PB varied considerably among subjects and was not correlated to the number of arousals but to the intercurrent wakefulness duration. There was a positive correlation between the time spent in PB and the individual hypoxic ventilatory drive. The relation between PB, nocturnal desaturation, and mountain sickness intensity are discussed. Acclimatization decreased the latency toward PB and improved sleep. Hypnotic benzodiazepine intake (loprazolam 1 mg) did not worsen either SWS depression or apneas and allowed normal sleep reappearance after acclimatization."}
{"id": "PMID:1483785", "title": "Control of anxiety and acute mountain sickness in Himalayan mountaineers.", "content": "This investigation explores the relationship between psychological factors and acute mountain sickness (AMS). AMS occurs in most people staying more than a few hours above 3500 m. Symptoms include headache, nausea, vomiting, insomnia, anorexia, etc. Subjects studied were climbers preparing for an expedition to the Himalayas (80 men and 20 women). The psychological investigation consisted in two mono-factorial tests: STAI (anxiety inventory) and Bortner stress scale. After the expedition, subjects were classified into two groups: those who were susceptible to AMS and those who were not. Results indicated that the two groups differed for trait-anxiety on one hand, and for the level of anxiety before the final ascent on the other hand. In both cases, subjects susceptible to AMS were significantly more anxious than those who were not."}
{"id": "PMID:1483786", "title": "Sleep apneas in high altitude residents (3,800 m).", "content": "The question is: to what extent periodic breathing usually observed in translocated subjects at high altitude affects normal and polycythemic residents of high altitude? Standard sleep parameters, chest wall movements, temperature of ventilated gas and arterial O2 saturation (SaO2) were continuously recorded in 7 normal highlanders (mean hematocrit: 51%) and 14 polycythemic highlanders (mean hematocrit: 68%) during one night in La Paz, 3,850 m, Bolivia. The patterns of breathing instability were analysed by two ways: measuring duration of apneas and counting all the oscillations of SaO2 greater than 1%. Normal and polycythemic highlanders displayed a wide intersubject variability with regard to breathing instability, hence no significant difference in the total number of apneas and oscillations of SaO2 could be evidenced between the 2 groups. However, the longest apneas and the highest number of oscillations of SaO2 were found in the polycythemic highlanders."}
{"id": "PMID:1483787", "title": "Long term effects of high altitude on brain function.", "content": "Absence of oxygen to the brain for even a very few minutes results in loss of consciousness and can cause permanent injury. Can the wanderer to the limits of earth-bound hypoxia suffer similar harm from more prolonged exposure to milder hypoxia that does not cause loss of consciousness? I shall review the results from studies where neurobehavioral function has been compared in mountaineers before and after return from great heights and in individuals with chronic pulmonary disease before and after prolonged, continuous oxygen therapy. Many (although not all) of these studies report mild impairment of neurobehavioral function after fairly prolonged hypoxic exposure. Impairment was manifest by deficits in memory storage and recall, aphasia, concentration, and finger tapping speed; the last deficit was still detectable a year later in one group of mountaineers. Limited evidence suggests that climbers with a high ventilatory response to hypoxia (HVR) may be more susceptible to impairment than those with a lower HVR."}
{"id": "PMID:1483788", "title": "The blood-brain barrier in hypoxia.", "content": "The concept of blood-brain barrier has moved over the past years from a passive and relatively immutable structure to a more dynamic interface between blood and brain tissue. The transport mechanisms regulating this adaptative interface might be considered as the most sensitive elements to change such as hypoxia. Among various carrier mediated transports existing at the blood-brain barrier, glucose transport seems to play a predominant role. In severe hypoxia, progressive changes in glucose transport are occurring. These modifications associated with hypoxia can lead to deleterious events when reaching critical threshold. In addition the appearance of vasogenic edema due to changes in cerebral-blood flow, can possibly be prevented by some pharmacological interaction such as the use of selective brain calcium channel blockers."}
{"id": "PMID:1483789", "title": "Increase of cerebral blood flow at high altitude: its possible relation to AMS.", "content": "CBF increases with acute hypoxia despite the opposing vasoconstrictor effects of the drop in pCO2 caused by hyperventilation. Maintaining normocapnia by adding CO2 the hypoxic CBF responsiveness about doubles. As we have shown recently by this test, the hypoxic CBF response is not blunted but rather somewhat sharpened over five days at almost 4000 meters of altitude. This, along with other evidence, shows that CBF does not in itself adapt to chronic hypoxia. Nevertheless, a decrease in CBF is seen over days at constant altitude primarily due to increase in the hematocrit. The cerebral vasodilatation cannot explain the usual (mild) form of AMS. But it may well be involved in the pathogenesis of the rare but severe cerebral form of AMS, as prolonged increased capillary pressure in vasodilated areas could lead to vasogenic cerebral edema."}
{"id": "PMID:1483790", "title": "Haemostasis at high altitude.", "content": "Haemostasis has been studied by several authors during exposure to altitude hypoxia. On acute induction to hypoxia, platelet count, platelet aggregability and bleeding time are normal; an increase of thromboxane released from platelets and of prostacyclin, released from endothelial cells is observed; coagulation factors are unchanged except of F. VIII which is increased; modified antithrombin III (ATm) are normal; fibrinopeptide A is increased in subjects with pulmonary edema and fibrinolytic activity after venous occlusion is normal. In chronic hypoxia, during a stay at 6542 m (Mt. Sajama), we found in 7 subjects an important increase in D. Dimer (p < 0.001) that seems to correspond to an activation of coagulation and a decrease of F. VIII R. Cof/F. VIII R. Ag ratio which suggests an endothelial cell damage."}
{"id": "PMID:1483791", "title": "Microcirculation and high altitude edema.", "content": "Physiological functions are a conglomeration of cell functions, and all cells are regulated by information processing and energy distributing systems. The former consists of nervous systems and the latter consists of respiro-circulatory systems. Defensive reactions appear in response to local cold stress which can induce frostbite or edema. We analyzed the cold vasoreaction time course in which rhythmical changes and trends were found using rabbit's ear blood vessels. In sheep, hypobaric hypoxia corresponding to 6600 m altitude was applied for 3 hrs. Lung lymph volume increased in response to this stress. Most sheep exposed recovered later. The factors influencing the increase in lung lymph flow and the conditions to induce interstitial edema were analyzed. Simulated-altitude symptoms were, then, analyzed by Sampson's method. In eight subjects exposed to 3700 m condition, the nervous system symptoms were well correlated with the respiro-circulatory symptoms. Thus we concluded that the distinction between system-specific diseases, viz., that between acute mountain sickness cerebral type (AMS-C) and respiratory type (AMS-R) was somewhat fuzzy. A common AMS condition, AMS-general, exists. Lastly, a case of 22-year-old male who died of lung and cerebral edema on a winter mountain was reported. The lung weighed 1506 g and the brain 1610 g."}
{"id": "PMID:1483792", "title": "High altitude pulmonary edema is caused by stress failure of pulmonary capillaries.", "content": "The pathogenesis of high altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE) is disputed. We propose that the mechanism is stress failure of pulmonary capillaries. The main features to be accounted for are the strong association with pulmonary hypertension, the high permeability characteristics of the edema, and the presence of inflammatory markers in the lung lavage fluid. When the capillary pressure is raised to about 40 mmHg in anesthetized rabbits, ultrastructural damage to the capillary walls is seen including breaks in the capillary endothelial layer, alveolar epithelial layer, and sometimes all layers of the wall. This results in a high permeability form of edema with the escape of high molecular weight proteins and blood cells into the alveolar spaces. In addition the basement membrane of the endothelial layer is frequently exposed, and we suggest that this highly reactive surface attracts and activates platelets and neutrophils. The result is the formation of small thrombi which are frequently seen in HAPE, and the presence of inflammatory markers such as leukotriene B4 and the complement fragment C5a in the lung lavage fluid. Hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction raises the pressure in some capillaries because the constriction is uneven. Since HAPE has its origin in the high pulmonary artery pressure, the objective of treatment should be to reduce the pressure by descent, administering oxygen, or giving drugs such as calcium channel blockers (e.g. nifedipine) which relax pulmonary vasoconstriction. Stress failure of pulmonary capillaries satisfactorily accounts for the features of HAPE."}
{"id": "PMID:1483793", "title": "The quest for an animal model of high altitude pulmonary edema.", "content": "The understanding of the mechanisms underlying certain human diseases usually requires an animal model which can be manipulated in a way that will allow dissection of the pathophysiologic events which lead to the disease. High altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE) occurs in some healthy individuals who ascend from low to high altitude. The disease is characterized by a high protein leak into the lungs and is associated with accentuated pulmonary hypertension. Attempts to find an animal model for HAPE have been made in a number of animal species, including rats, rabbits, sheep, dogs and ferrets. None has been consistently successful. Utilizing the physiologic characteristic of an accentuated hypoxic pulmonary vascular response, we studied both pigs and rats during the stresses of hypoxia and exercise (rats) and examined the lungs for the cellular, protein, and morphologic changes. Protein and cell contents in the lung lavage of the hypoxic animals were slightly higher than the controls while the presence of von Willebrand factor in the hypoxic animals suggests early epithelial damage. This presentation will review previous attempts to find an animal model of HAPE and will discuss the preliminary results of our studies with their suggestive but not confirmatory results."}
{"id": "PMID:1483794", "title": "From the mountains to the labs. A brief summary of the people and their studies on which rests most of what we know today.", "content": "The science of mountain medicine is less than 150 years old, partly because mountaineering became popular only in the middle of the 19th century. In the last 30 years there has been an explosion of activity on very high mountains, in laboratories, and in simulated high altitude environments. Our knowledge and understanding of high altitude hypoxia has been built slowly and painfully over many centuries. First came recognition that pure air was essential to health. Then the physical properties of the atmosphere were demonstrated 300 years ago. Slowly the vital ingredient in air was identified, and even more recently the relationship between barometric pressure, oxygen, and the sicknesses that affect men at altitude was appreciated. In this paper, will be described how some of the most important advances were made, and where the explorers sometimes went astray. I will mention some of the people whose major contributions have been forgotten, to remind us that fame or fortune does not necessarily go to those who deserve it most. Remember that not until the middle of the 18th century did men climb high mountains. The intrepid prehistoric hunter (Otzi) who was lost on a high mountain 5000 years ago and found last year was certainly an exception. Only recently have mountaineer-scientists begun to study in the laboratory what they observed on the summits. By knowing how we came to know what we believe to be true today, perhaps we may understand better how knowledge grows, not only in a steady flow but now and then by brilliant leaps.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1483795", "title": "Salt and water control at altitude.", "content": "The physiological effect of altitude hypoxia, in the absence of exercise, is a sodium and water diuresis with decrease in plasma and extra-cellular volumes. Plasma aldosterone concentrations (PAC) are reduced but plasma atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) levels are modestly increased. Day-long exercise at low altitude has almost opposite effects on fluid balance. There is an anti-diuresis, sodium retention, expansion of the plasma and extra-cellular compartments, elevation of PAC and ANP. Subjects who develop acute mountain sickness (AMS) show a pathological response to hypoxia even before the development of symptoms. There is an anti-diuresis, sodium retention, increased plasma and extra-cellular volumes and increased PAC compared with subjects resistant to AMS. Plasma ANP tends to be elevated compared with sea level values but the relation of ANP levels to AMS is variable. In general therefore, the pathological response to altitude hypoxia parallels that of exercise at low altitude and is opposite to the physiological response. Both exercise and the pathological response predispose the subject to edema and are probably important in the genesis of AMS."}
{"id": "PMID:1483796", "title": "Acetazolamide and high altitude diseases.", "content": "Acetazolamide is a useful prophylactic for acute mountain sickness causing marked reduction in headache, nausea, vomiting, weakness, etc. Improvements correlate with increased arterial oxygen concentrations, reduction in proteinuria and peripheral oedema and other objective measures of acute mountain sickness. Evidence that Acetazolamide is beneficial for pulmonary oedema or cerebral oedema is scanty because of the lower frequency of these severe forms of mountain sickness. Dexamethasone, used prophylactically, also reduces the symptoms of acute mountain sickness partly due to its euphoric effect. Use of Acetazolamide as a treatment for established acute mountain sickness has been investigated. Large doses of Acetazolamide increase arterial oxygen levels over a few hours and this leads to a reduction of symptoms but data is limited and faster acting carbonic anhydrides inhibitors such as Methazolamide may be preferable in an emergency situation. There is no comparison of the effectiveness of Acetazolamide with other drugs used for treating acute mountain sickness such as steroids and calcium channel blocking drugs. Also, there is no data on drug combinations which could have additive effects and thereby be more beneficial than individual drugs."}
{"id": "PMID:1483797", "title": "Prevention and treatment of high altitude pulmonary edema by a calcium channel blocker.", "content": "High altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE) is characterized by marked pulmonary hypertension. Treatment of 6 subjects suffering from radiographically documented HAPE with the calcium channel blocker nifedipine, lowered pulmonary artery pressure and resulted in clinical improvement, better oxygenation, reduction of alveolar-arterial oxygen gradient and a progressive clearing of alveolar edema on chest x-ray. This amelioration occurred despite continued exercise at an altitude above 4000 m and without supplementary oxygen. Prophylactic application of nifedipine slow release preparation, 20 mg every 8 hours, prevented HAPE in 9 out of 10 subjects with a history of radiographically documented HAPE upon rapid ascent and subsequent stay to an altitude of 4559 m. Seven of 11 comparable subjects who received placebo developed pulmonary edema at 4559 m. As compared with the subjects who received placebo, those who received nifedipine had a significantly lower mean systolic pulmonary artery pressure, alveolar-arterial pressure gradient of oxygen and symptom score of acute mountain sickness at 4559 m. Thus nifedipine offers a potential emergency treatment of HAPE when descent or evacuation is impossible and oxygen is not available. Prophylactic administration of nifedipine prevents HAPE in susceptible subjects. High pulmonary artery pressure has an important role in the pathogenesis of HAPE."}
{"id": "PMID:1483798", "title": "The effect of vasodilators on pulmonary hemodynamics in high altitude pulmonary edema: a comparison.", "content": "High altitude pulmonary edema is characterized hemodynamically by a markedly restricted pulmonary vascular bed. Pulmonary vascular resistance is six to eight times higher than control values at altitude, and mean pulmonary pressure is generally elevated two to four-fold over control values. We wished to compare the effect of various vasodilators on the hemodynamics of HAPE, both to gauge their potential effectiveness in treatment of HAPE, and also to gain clues as to the mechanism of the altered pulmonary circulation. In a series of field experiments using a total of 16 subjects with HAPE and 10 well controls, we measured pulmonary hemodynamics by non-invasive Doppler echocardiography. The per cent reduction in pulmonary vascular resistance and mean pulmonary artery pressure, respectively, were 46 and 33 for oxygen, 30 and 29 for nifedipine, 29 and 25 with hydralazine, 57 and 42 with phentolamine, and 72 and 52 when oxygen and phentolamine were combined. All the vasodilators improved gas exchange, suggesting a link between edema formation and pulmonary vasoconstriction. A number of vasodilators may be useful in the treatment of HAPE; the superiority of an alpha adrenergic blocker may implicate the sympathetic nervous system in the pathophysiology of high altitude pulmonary edema."}
{"id": "PMID:1483799", "title": "Treatment of high altitude diseases without drugs.", "content": "Treatments other than descent and supplemental oxygen are discussed in this short review. Exercise gives rise to physiologic responses which may enhance acute mountain sickness (AMS), high altitude cerebral edema (HACE) and high altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE). Therefore, physical rest can be considered the principle treatment for moderate AMS and it should always accompany any treatment of severe high altitude illnesses as long as descent is not possible. Therapy with a portable fabric hyperbaric chamber has a beneficial short-term effect in subjects with AMS, HACE and HAPE. However, treatment modalities using this device which result in long-term beneficial effects need yet to be established. New technical solutions practicable under field conditions at extreme altitude are required for the removal of CO2 from the bag. Expiratory positive airway pressure (EPAP) improves arterial oxygen saturation by 10-20% in subjects with HAPE in trials of 10 min duration. Clinical studies examining longterm effects are necessary, before EPAP can be recommended as initial emergency treatment of HAPE."}
{"id": "PMID:1483800", "title": "The causes of death among trekkers in Nepal.", "content": "A review of trekking deaths from 1984 to mid-1987 showed a death rate of 15/100,000 trekkers. Altitude sickness deaths accounted for 3/23 (13%) of these deaths. Recently, we followed up on our original study by compiling the number and causes of trekking deaths in Nepal from mid-1987 through 1991. The overall number of deaths was 40, out of 275,950 trekkers (death rate 14/100,000). Illness accounted for 14 deaths, trauma was the cause of 12 deaths, altitude sickness was the cause of 10 deaths, 3 people were found dead after being reported missing, and one person is still missing and presumed dead. Eight out of 10 altitude sickness deaths occurred in organized trekking groups, even though only 40% of trekkers trek in organized groups. Four people were reported to have died from heart attacks, and 3 people died from apparent diabetic ketoacidosis above 4000 meters in altitude. Trekking in Nepal is a relatively safe holiday that currently attracts more than 60,000 people each year. Monitoring the causes of death among trekkers can help generate advice that could make trekking even safer."}
{"id": "PMID:1483801", "title": "Detection of high-risk subjects for high altitude diseases.", "content": "The variability in sensitivity to acute mountain sickness among individuals is a phenomenon well known to physicians and high altitude alpinists. The measurement of cardiac and respiratory responses to hypoxia (FIO2 = 0.115) at rest and during exercise (50% VO2max) allows the detection of those subjects who are more liable to suffer from high altitude diseases. In a retrospective study performed on 288 subjects evaluated with a hypoxic test during a Mountain medicine consultation, we found that the most clinically susceptible subjects had at least one abnormal response to the hypoxic tests, especially during exercise. The observation of one or several abnormal values in cardiac or respiratory responses to hypoxia leads us to advise a modification in the alpine or trekking objective, an increase in the acclimatization time and/or prevention by acetazolamide."}
{"id": "PMID:1483802", "title": "Pathophysiology and epidemiology of chronic mountain sickness.", "content": "Chronic mountain sickness, which affects permanent residents of high altitudes, is the outcome of a progressive loss of ventilatory rate which naturally occurs with age and resulting in excessive hypoxemia and polycythemia. A theoretical model predicts the progressive failure of homeostatic control of the hemoglobin concentration when the values increase above those found at sea level. This is confirmed by lack of feedback mechanism between high altitude erythrocytosis and serum erythropoietin. The results of epidemiological studies are in agreement with the physiological findings. In a male population living at 4,300 m, an increase with age of the prevalences of excessive erythrocytosis (Hb > 213 g/l), blood oxygen saturation < 83%, headaches and a high score of symptoms of chronic mountain sickness has been found. The studies suggest the possibility that in addition to an accentuated hypoxemia, the excessive erythrocytosis may also result from an overreaction of the bone marrow to a fixed level of hypoxemia in ageing individuals."}
{"id": "PMID:1483803", "title": "Anaerobic performance at altitude.", "content": "Anaerobic metabolism is usually evaluated by the determination of the anaerobic capacity and the maximal anaerobic mechanical external power (Wmax). Conflicting results are reported on anaerobic capacity evaluated by maximal oxygen deficit and debt, and maximal blood lactate concentration during acute or chronic hypoxia (acclimatized subjects). Data on muscle biopsies (lactate concentration, changes in ATP, phosphocreatine and glycogen stores, glycolytic enzyme activities) and the few studies on lactate flux give in most cases evidence of a non-alteration of the anaerobic capacity for altitudes up to 5,500 m. No differences are observed in Wmax measured at high altitudes up to 5,200 m during intense short-term exercises: (1) jumps on a force platform which is a good indicator of alactic Wmax, and (2) 7-10 s sprints (i.e. force-velocity test) which solicit alactic metabolism but also lactic pathway. For exercises of duration equal or more than 30 s (i.e. Wingate test), there are conflicting results because a lower participation of aerobic metabolism during this test at high altitude can interfere with anaerobic performance. In conclusion, we can admit that anaerobic performances are not altered by high altitudes up to 5,200 m if the length of exposure does not exceed 5 weeks. After this period, muscle mass begins to decrease."}
{"id": "PMID:1483804", "title": "Are Tibetans better adapted?", "content": "Evidence is reviewed from our recent (1987-1991) investigations which demonstrate better high-altitude adaptation among Tibetans than in acclimatized newcomers or other lifelong high-altitude residents. Characteristics of oxygen transport contributing to the Tibetans' remarkable exercise performance are described."}
{"id": "PMID:1483805", "title": "Muscle enzymatic composition and metabolic regulation in high altitude adapted natives.", "content": "Quechuas and Sherpas have long attracted the interest of high altitude biology and medicine. From our current knowledge, it appears that three of their most impressive high altitude adaptations are (i) high efficiency performance even in hypobaric hypoxia, (ii) low maximum (aerobic and anaerobic) capacities, and (iii) high endurance (the latter being less well documented, but widely accepted). Muscle biopsy and enzyme activity measurements clarify the basis for at least some of these adaptations. Firstly, low activity levels of enzymes in oxidative metabolism (comparable to power athletes) predict low VO2max capacities, as previously observed. Secondly, anaerobic glycolytic capacities also are low (comparable to endurance athletes) which explains low anaerobic work capacities. Thirdly, the glycolytic pathway is seemingly organized for carbohydrate oxidation, not fermentation. Because glucose (glycogen) metabolism uses O2 efficiently, the endurance characteristic may arise from coupling carbohydrate-based adenosine triphosphate (ATP) synthesis with efficient pathways of ATP utilization (for high yield of muscle work/ATP)."}
{"id": "PMID:1483807", "title": "Physical fitness of children resident at high altitude in Bolivia.", "content": "In 7-15-yr-old children living in La Paz (Bolivia, altitude 3,700 m) (HA): 1) Maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max) varies from 35 to 45 ml.min-1.kg-1 and maximal heart rate from 188 to 194 beats.min-1. These values are lower than those of their counterparts at low altitude (LA) by 10-20% and 10-15 b.min-1, respectively. 2) The anaerobic metabolism is not affected by chronic hypoxia if the nutritional conditions and pubertal development of HA and LA boys are the same. When related to percent of VO2max, submaximal O2 debts are similar at HA and LA. After supramaximal exercise, maximal O2 debts (45.7 +/- 2.7 vs 45.9 +/- 3.8 ml.kg-1) and blood lactate concentrations (7.6 +/- 0.6 vs 6.5 +/- 0.6 mmol.l-1) are also the same at HA and LA. No differences are observed between the 2 altitudes in ventilatory (60 vs 56% VO2max) and lactate (60 vs 65% VO2max) thresholds. The altitude of La Paz does not alter the anaerobic performance of a force-velocity test (from 6 to 10 W.kg-1) between the ages of 7 to 15 years but reduces by 14-17% the mean anaerobic power developed during a 30-s Wingate test. This decrease could be linked to a lower participation of glycolysis and aerobic metabolism at HA during this test. 3) Poor socio-economic and nutritional conditions do not modify the aerobic performance of boys living in La Paz but lead to lower maximal anaerobic power (from -17% to -25%) when compared with HA boys from a high socio-economic background.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1483808", "title": "Surveillance for equity in primary health care: policy implications from international experience.", "content": "Experience around the world shows that health agencies can promote community-based surveillance for equity to focus low-cost interventions on priority needs. Social inequities which have seemed intractable can be resolved if care responds directly to demonstrated need. The concept of promoting equity as a basic principle of primary health care has an interesting psychological twist. The ethical imperative of equity can strengthen services when linked with the practical management tool of surveillance. Moral conviction in applying this social justice norm can facilitate action which is made efficient by the realism of statistically based methods of surveillance. If international agencies condition their aid on surveillance for equity their assistance will more likely go to those in greatest need. This is a more efficient and effective way of tracking their money than the previous tendency to set up vertical programmes which generally have poor sustainability. Surveillance helps mobilize political will and community participation by providing practical data for local, district and national decision-makers. The many field demonstrations of successful surveillance for equity tend to have been brushed off by development experts who say they are difficult to replicate nationally. The Model County Project in China shows how a systematic extension process can test procedures in experimental areas and adapt them for general implementation. Surveillance can help bureaucracies maintain capacity for flexible and prompt response as decentralization promotes decision-making by local units which are held responsible for meeting equity targets. Surveillance for equity provides a mechanism to ensure such accountability."}
{"id": "PMID:1483809", "title": "Effect of occupational and recreational activity on the risk of colorectal cancer among males: a case-control study.", "content": "Epidemiological studies have consistently demonstrated that either occupational or recreational physical activity is protective against colon cancer. However, it is unclear whether recreational activity is similarly protective among those who engage in high or low occupational activity. We therefore compared 440 male cases of colorectal cancer with 1164 male hospital patients. Occupational activity was defined according to job title, while recreational activity was assessed by questionnaire for three different periods of life. Occupational activity was protective with respect to colorectal cancer irrespective of whether one engaged in recreational activity at any different period of life. In contrast, recreational activity, performed at 20-44 years of age appeared to decrease colon cancer risk by 10-25% irrespective of the intensity of job activity. The present results suggest that, although we observed a larger effect with occupational activity than with recreational activity, middle-aged men may reduce their risk of colorectal cancer if they exercise when they are not working. These findings need to be confirmed in other populations."}
{"id": "PMID:1483810", "title": "Occupational risk factors for acute leukaemia: a case-control study.", "content": "A case-control study has been performed for occupational risk factors of acute leukaemia, based on 185 cases more than 30 years old and 513 matched controls. There was a significant excess of polyvalent farming and electronic engineers among professions of cases, and, in addition of metal workers when considering the professions pursued for more than 5 years. The corresponding exposures were analysed through a detailed questionnaire, and assessed by an industrial hygienist after blinding the case-control status. The odds ratios (OR) were computed after adjustment on matching variables and prior chemo- or radiotherapy treatment, and after stratification for the level and total duration of exposure. There was no excess of professional exposure to ionizing radiation among cases. A significant relationship was observed between acute leukaemia and high or medium exposure to benzene, as well as over 10 years high or medium exposure to exhaust gas. In addition a significant relationship was observed with exposure to pesticides--insecticides and/or weed killers--and to electric and magnetic fields (EMF). The relationship with pesticides was significant when considering high or medium exposure to weed killers and more than 10 years exposure to both subtypes of pesticides. The relationship with pesticides and EMF remained significant when confounding factors were taken into consideration and after adjustment on co-exposure to benzene. The cytological studies showed that acute leukaemias following exposure to benzene (high or medium) and to EMF were only of myelogenous subtypes, whereas those following exposure to pesticides were divided between lymphoblastic and myeloblastic subtypes. Cytogenetic studies failed to show increased frequency of chromosomal abnormalities, as described in acute leukaemias secondary to anti-cancer treatments. Our study adds credence to the hypothesis that pesticides and EMF are leukaemogenic agents, together with benzene."}
{"id": "PMID:1483811", "title": "A case-control study of coronary heart disease in Athens, Greece.", "content": "A case-control study of coronary heart disease (CHD) was conducted in Athens, Greece. The case series consisted of 329 patients with electrocardiographically confirmed coronary infarct or a diagnostic coronary arteriogram, or both, who were admitted during a 16-month period to a major teaching hospital. Controls were 570 patients admitted to the same hospital just before or after the CHD cases for minor surgery; eye, ear, nose or minor urological problems; or chest problems definitely shown to be unrelated to CHD. All cases and controls were interviewed in the hospital wards and selected laboratory data were abstracted. The main analysis was done by modelling through multiple logistic regression, controlling for demographic variables as well as for the mutual confounding effects of the investigated risk factors. Obesity, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, elevated blood cholesterol and excessive coffee intake were significant (P < 0.02) independent risk factors with relative risk estimates in the 2- to 3-fold range. Non-significant positive associations were found with respect to tobacco smoking and modest coffee consumption, whereas non-significant negative associations were noted with respect to alcohol intake and regular exercise. A negative association with duration of afternoon siesta was of borderline statistical significance."}
{"id": "PMID:1483812", "title": "The Framingham Type A behaviour pattern and coronary heart disease in three countries: a cross-cultural comparison.", "content": "The Framingham Type A behaviour pattern (TABP), a risk factor for cardiovascular disease mortality, was examined in a cross-cultural study involving three countries known to differ in cardiovascular disease mortality, namely Germany, Lithuania and Northern Ireland. The factorial structure of the Framingham TABP scale was strikingly similar in the three countries, with three factors (work pressure, hard driving, and impatience) identified; evidence for the cross-cultural validity of the scale. Scores on all three factors showed considerable variation between the three populations for both men (multivariate P < 0.0001) and women (multivariate P < 0.0001). Of particular note, on the two factors, hard driving and impatience, thought to be core pathogenic elements in the TABP complex, Lithuanian and Northern Irish males and females scored substantially higher than their German counterparts. These cross-cultural variations in levels of risk are discussed in the context of the different ischaemic heart disease mortality rates in the three countries."}
{"id": "PMID:1483813", "title": "Time trends in survival from myocardial infarction in Stockholm County 1976-1984.", "content": "In Stockholm county, a rapid decline in mortality from acute myocardial infarction (AMI) was observed among middle-aged men in the early 1980s. In the present study survival among AMI patients from 1976 to 1984 was investigated in order to explore whether improvements in survival may have contributed to this decline. AMI patients aged 30-74 years (n = 16,108) were identified through a hospital discharge register. Deaths within one year of hospital admission were ascertained by means of linkage to the national cause of death register. Survival 1 year after hospital admission increased in both genders during the period 1981-1984, but among women there was no uniform trend over the whole study period. The estimated age-adjusted relative risk of death within one year after hospital admission for patients with a first infarction admitted to hospital in 1983-1984 as compared to in 1981-1982 was 0.88 for men and 0.79 for women. The causes of the observed increase in survival could not be determined from this study, but changes in medical intervention as well as diagnostic improvements may have been important. Improved survival may have contributed to about 30% of the decline in mortality from AMI among middle-aged men in Stockholm county during the early 1980s."}
{"id": "PMID:1483814", "title": "Reinterpreting the effects of maternal smoking on infant birthweight and perinatal mortality: a multivariate approach to birthweight standardization.", "content": "Infants of women who smoke during pregnancy have lower birthweights and have been observed to have higher rates of perinatal mortality than infants of non-smokers. It is not clear whether this increased risk of mortality is due to an excess of small births among smokers or to an independent effect of smoking. Although infants of smokers have overall higher mortality rates than non-smokers, low birthweight (< 2500 g) infants of smokers have lower mortality rates than low birthweight infants of non-smokers. However, comparison of birthweight-specific mortality between two groups is problematic when there are differences in the birthweight distributions. Methods that have been developed to standardize for these differences by comparing mortality rates relative to their own mean do not allow for simultaneous control of confounding variables. Using data from over 13,000 births of women who participated in a prepaid health care plan we present a method to standardize for birthweight while adjusting for variables that may confound the relationship between maternal smoking and perinatal mortality. After controlling for race, maternal age, education, parity, and number of cigarettes smoked, we found that 85% of the increased mortality due to smoking was attributable to an excess of small births in the birthweight distribution of offspring of smoking mothers, while 15% was due to higher birthweight-specific mortality at almost all standardized birthweights. Contrary to previous reports, we found that low birthweight infants of smoking mothers are at higher risk of perinatal mortality if a population-specific standard for birthweight is used."}
{"id": "PMID:1483815", "title": "Maternal smoking during pregnancy and delinquency of the offspring: an association without causation?", "content": "The aim was to evaluate the association between maternal smoking in pregnancy and delinquency of the offspring in youth and early adulthood. The study population consisted of 5966 male members of the Northern Finland birth cohort of 1966, of whom 355 (6.0%) had committed a crime which led to a criminal record by early 1989, which was taken as an indicator of delinquency. Data collection was started during pregnancy and the development and health of the children was followed up continuously to the age of 14. The incidence of delinquency by the age of 22 was 4.6% among the sons of the mothers who did not smoke during pregnancy and 10.3% among those of the smokers. No clear dose-response gradient was observed, and those stopping smoking during the first trimester of the pregnancy had only a slightly smaller incidence of delinquency than those continuing smoking through pregnancy. The association of maternal smoking with delinquency was studied by controlling a number of social and demographic variables using an approach based on stratification by a confounder score. The adjusted incidence difference between smoking and non-smoking mothers was 4.1% (95% confidence interval [CI] : 2.5-5.8) and the ratio was 1.73 (95% CI : 1.41-2.12). A parallel analysis by logistic regression yielded an estimated odds ratio of 1.74 (95% CI : 1.37-2.11) for the same comparison. Even though the association between maternal smoking and delinquency of the offspring remained after adjustment for the available social and demographic factors, maternal smoking may be symptomatic of a certain lifestyle and norm-breaking behaviour which is likely to increase delinquency in the children rather than being an agent with a direct causal role. This is supported by the lack of any clear dose-response pattern and the minor importance of stopping smoking. Another possibility is that maternal smoking may cause some kind of brain damage which affects the behaviour of the child."}
{"id": "PMID:1483816", "title": "Occupational accidents and alcohol consumption in Spain.", "content": "The real impact that alcohol consumption has on occupational accidents is unknown. We estimate the percentage of occupational accidents related to the regular consumption of alcohol in the population through the population attributable proportion (PAP). Spanish National Health Survey data were used to calculate the odds ratio (OR) and prevalence of alcohol consumption. The study restricted the selection of individuals by age and sex, using only interviews of men aged between 16 and 64 years. The results obtained show that approximately 17% of all occupational accidents can be attributable to alcohol consumption; 19% aged 16-24 years, 21% in those aged 25-44, and 9% in those aged 45-64. Although this methodology has some limitations, the advantages of this kind of study are important in public health because the magnitude of the problem, the potential impact of different strategies and the population groups most susceptible to intervention are addressed."}
{"id": "PMID:1483817", "title": "Control-informant agreement on exposure history in case-control studies of Alzheimer's disease.", "content": "Data on control-informant agreement from four published case-control studies of Alzheimer's disease are compared, using both the kappa statistic and proportion of agreement for the presence and absence of exposures. Agreement was best for exposures involving lifestyle, medical interventions or disorders of more recent origin, and worst for exposures which involved judgements by the respondent. Agreement levels are similar across studies, and are commensurate with levels of specificity and sensitivity to be expected in this type of enquiry. We discuss the problems and implications associated with the interpretation of data from such studies of the elderly."}
{"id": "PMID:1483818", "title": "Diabetes diagnosed before the age of 2 years: mortality in a British cohort 8-17 years after onset.", "content": "Childhood diabetes diagnosed before the age of 24 months presents specific management problems. We report here on the establishment (using the British Diabetic Association [BDA] Children's Register) and mortality of a cohort of children with diabetes diagnosed before age 24 months. Children registered during the period 1972-1981 were traced by contacting consultants or by using the National Health Service Central Registers (NHSCR) of the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys (OPCS). Standardized mortality ratios (SMR) were estimated using person-years of follow-up for each child and age-specific death rates for the England and Wales population for the years 1972-1989. Of 339 children notified during 1972-1981, 231 were traced through consultants and 99 of the remaining 108 through the NHSCR. Twenty were found to be ineligible. The cohort available for mortality analysis comprised 310 (97%) of 319 eligible children. Their age at the time the cohort was established was 8-18 years, and their duration of diabetes 8-17 years. The male:female ratio is 1.4:1. Of 310 children studied, seven have already died: SMR 5.4 (95% CI: 2.5-11.5). We have established a large, unique cohort of children with diabetes diagnosed before age 24 months and still living in the UK and Ireland. The natural history including mortality and occurrence of complications will be analysed prospectively in this cohort and compared to other cohorts of similar disease duration, but later age at onset."}
{"id": "PMID:1483819", "title": "Migraine and tension-type headache in a general population: psychosocial factors.", "content": "In a cross-sectional study of headache disorders in a representative general population, the prevalence of migraine and tension-type headache was assessed in relation to various psychosocial factors. The random sample comprised 1000 25-64 year old men and women of whom 740 attended the investigation. The headache disorders were classified on the basis of a clinical interview, a physical and a neurological examination using the operational diagnostic criteria of the International Headache Society. None of the sociodemographic variables: marital status, cohabitation, educational level, occupational category or employment status were significantly associated with migraine or tension-type headache. In the univariate analyses tension-type headache was significantly associated with a high Neuroticism score on the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire whereas migraine was not. Variables on work conditions and psychosocial factors significantly associated with the headache disorders in univariate analyses were subjected to multivariate analysis. Migraine was significantly associated with exposure to chemicals and fumes at work in women and poor self-appraisal of health in men. In the univariate analyses tension-type headache was significantly related to a series of psychosocial variables. In the multivariate analyses it remained associated with a current feeling of fatigue in both sexes, time-pressure at work in women and exposure to fumes in men."}
{"id": "PMID:1483820", "title": "Effects of different designs and extension of a food frequency questionnaire on response rate, completeness of data and food frequency responses.", "content": "The authors studied how the introduction of several modifications to a basic food frequency questionnaire can influence the results of dietary surveys. Modifications covered eight combinations based on three levels: increasing versus decreasing order of frequency categories; questionnaires without versus with questions about portion sizes, and questionnaires without versus with extra non-dietary questions. The sample included 6783 women between the ages of 40 and 70 years who took part in mammography screening. The women were randomly assigned to one of the eight study groups. All of the women in each group received one of the eight differently modified questionnaires. The forms extended in length by extra non-dietary questions and portion size categories resulted in a 20% higher total non-response compared to the shorter basic form. Partial non-response was significantly lower for all four questionnaire types that included portion sizes. When portion sizes were included in the questionnaire, the reported mean frequency of consumption was significantly reduced for fat (-10 times per month), milk (-6), bread (-5), vegetables (-2) and fish (-0.4). The decreasing order of responses to the frequency categories was associated with a statistically significant increase in the frequency responses for bread (2.6 times per month), vegetables (2) and fish (0.6). These data provide evidence that the design and extension of food frequency questionnaires influence the results of dietary studies."}
{"id": "PMID:1483821", "title": "Validity and reliability of a questionnaire on fecundability.", "content": "The validity of a short questionnaire on fertility problems was tested on a group of 151 moderately educated women who had participated in a prospective study on early pregnancy failure some years before. Part of this group was approached by a personal interview, another part by telephone interviews and a third part was sent a questionnaire by mail. Reliability was tested on another population of 89 women with at least one child. The questionnaire was presented to these women twice with an interval of 3-5 weeks. The validity study showed no systematic errors for either of the approaches. Random errors were fairly large except for the personal interviews. The reliability showed great stability for the telephone interviews as well as for the mailed questionnaire. It is concluded that the questionnaire performs reasonably well, but on some items the draft questionnaire should be rephrased. The choice of a specific approach to the study population depends on the research question."}
{"id": "PMID:1483822", "title": "Excreta disposal behaviour and latrine ownership in relation to the risk of childhood diarrhoea in Sri Lanka.", "content": "A case-control study of environmental and behavioural risk factors for childhood diarrhoea was conducted in Kurunegala district, Sri Lanka. From five hospitals, 2458 children aged less than 5 years and suffering from diarrhoea were recruited as clinic cases, and a further 4140 reporting with complaints other than diarrhoea were recruited as clinic controls. Community-based cross-sectional surveys were also conducted in three of the five areas served by these hospitals, and from these a further 1659 children were recruited as community controls. Children from households where excreta were reported to be disposed of in a latrine were less likely to have diarrhoea than children whose families improperly disposed of excreta. The results obtained from comparisons of cases with clinic controls (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 1.42, 95% confidence interval [CI] : 1.01-1.98), and of cases with community controls (OR 1.35, 95% CI : 0.85-2.13) were in agreement, suggesting that no important selection bias operated on this association. If the observed proportion (91%) of improper excreta disposal among the population could be reduced to 50%, 12% of childhood diarrhoea episodes would be prevented. Although latrine ownership may be a necessary condition for safe excreta disposal behaviour, diarrhoeal morbidity may only be reduced in Sri Lanka if behavioural changes take place concomitant with the construction of sanitation facilities."}
{"id": "PMID:1483823", "title": "Seroepidemiology and evaluation of passive surveillance during 1988-1989 measles outbreak in Taiwan.", "content": "A seroepidemiological study was carried out to explore the risk factors of a measles outbreak that occurred among school children at a rural village (Li-Tse) in Taiwan. Among the 1166 participants, the percentage susceptible before the outbreak was 10.5% (122/1158) which was estimated as the sum of measles IgG-negative (29/1158) and IgM-positive (93/1166) individuals. Among 340 vaccinated children, 16 (4.7%) were measles IgM-positive and 10 (2.9%) were measles IgG-negative; therefore the vaccine failure rate was estimated to be 7.6% (26/340) and vaccine efficacy was 79.7% (95% confidence interval [CI] : 65.0-88.5). The most important risk factors for acquiring measles infection were the presence of other measles cases in the family (Odds Ratio [OR] = 32.5, P = 0.002) and the presence of more than two cases in a class (OR = 29.1, P = 0.003). The physician reporting rate was 6.1% (4/66), and the sensitivity of passive measles surveillance was only 4.3% (4/93) by active serosurvey. A concomitant rubella epidemic also amplified the inaccuracy of a passive reporting system based only on clinical diagnosis. Five children developed measles IgM but did not experience any symptoms, indicating that asymptomatic measles infection can occur. Our experience has highlighted three important areas for future measles elimination: (1) the need for serological evaluation of vaccinees, particularly those who were born during the introduction of mass immunization; (2) improvement in measles vaccine efficacy; and (3) further investigations on the role of asymptomatic transmission and susceptibles who remain after mass immunization."}
{"id": "PMID:1483824", "title": "Tuberculosis among institutionalized elderly in Alberta, Canada.", "content": "Previous studies in the US have suggested that the risk of tuberculosis is increased among elderly residents of nursing homes. This registry-based study determined and compared the tuberculosis incidence rate for the elderly in nursing homes and community dwellings in Alberta, Canada, over the 5-year period 1979-1983. Rate ratios (RR) using the community elderly rate as baseline, were estimated for all notified cases and for culture positive cases only. Adjustment was made for the variables age, sex, and ethnicity. The nursing home elderly in Alberta did not have an increased risk of tuberculosis: adjusted RR = 1.09, 95% CI : 0.38-1.80."}
{"id": "PMID:1483825", "title": "Pleural plaques and exposure to asbestos: a mathematical model.", "content": "The objective of this study was to find a model to describe the relationship between the occurrence of pleural plaques and exposure to asbestos. A simple model based on the cumulative exposure was postulated and empirically tested on shipyard workers occupationally exposed to asbestos. Exposure time was used to approximate the cumulative dose. It was found that the incidence of pleural plaques could be described as K(t-w)a where 't' is time since onset of exposure; 'K' is a constant that would depend on the level of asbestos exposure; 'w' is a latency period and was around 13 years; 'a' is a constant that was 0.4. In subgroups of the workers, i.e. plumbers, fitters and platers, 'a' was 0.4, 0.6 and 0.2 respectively."}
{"id": "PMID:1483826", "title": "A method to compare exposed populations in seroepidemiology.", "content": "In seroepidemiology when a single sample is taken from exposed and non-exposed subjects, the results of serological tests are usually reduced to a dichotomy: normal (low or no antibodies) or elevated (high or antibodies found). The choice of the cutoff point between these values has been based on various vaguely defined methods and the results depend, at least partly, on the method chosen. An alternative method is introduced here which is not based on the absolute value of a serological test but on the rank order of the values of the test. In this ordered series the risk ratio (RR) and the upper and lower confidence limits (CL) are plotted for each exposed subject as the cutoff value is moved from the highest value to the lowest one. The method is applicable in quantitative immunoassays. If a priori defined RR and confidence limit or limits are reached at any point of the plot, the data support the original hypothesis. The advantage of this alternative method is that no single cutoff value is needed."}
{"id": "PMID:1483829", "title": "Incorporation of azaglutamine residues into peptides synthesised by the ultra-high load solid (gel)-phase technique.", "content": "The solid (gel)-phase peptide synthesis of peptides, each containing an azaglutamine residue, has been examined. Procedures using various mono-, di- and tripeptide and carbazate fragments containing or relating to an azaglutamine (1) residue have been evaluated. N-Activation of the amino-terminus of a resin-bound peptide with bis-(2,4-dinitrophenyl)carbonate (2) yielded the terminal isocyanate species, which reacted with protected carbazates to give resin-bound protected peptides containing the aza-residue. By contrast, coupling of activated amino-acid derivates to the free amino-group of a resin-bound peptide with an aza-residue at the N-terminus was a slow and unsatisfactory process. It is concluded that the route yielding the best results involves the reaction of a protected amino-acyl carbazate to a resin-bound isocyanate-activated peptide."}
{"id": "PMID:1483830", "title": "Synthesis of specific peptide substrates for HIV-1 proteinase.", "content": "Two small peptide substrates for HIV-1 proteinase were synthesised. The sequences chosen were basically from that of the gag-pol protein, which is the natural substrate for the proteinase. To protect these peptides from the attack of exopeptidases, the N- and C-termini were suitably protected, which also makes these substrates specific to HIV-proteinase and eliminates the requirement for highly purified enzyme."}
{"id": "PMID:1483831", "title": "Purification of synthetic peptides using reversible chromatographic probes based on the Fmoc molecule.", "content": "A rapid, versatile, reversible procedure for purifying synthetic peptides has been developed based on the specific incorporation of 4-carboxylate Fmoc derivatives onto the terminal amino acid of peptidyl-resins. The acid stable 4-COR-Fmoc derivatives were synthesised with a variety of chemical groups thus altering the chromatographic properties of the \"target\" peptides and permitting their convenient purification, either by reversed-phase HPLC or ion exchange chromatography. The assembly of the peptides involved a capping step to prevent the formation of deletion forms. The 4-COR-Fmoc derivatives were incorporated either as preformed amino acid conjugates or as activated succinimidyl esters. After HF cleavage and purification the 4-COR-Fmoc probes were quantitatively removed with organic bases. The efficiency of the technique was demonstrated by the purification of small to large sized peptides, including a cyclic analogue."}
{"id": "PMID:1483832", "title": "Conformation of cyclosporin A in polar solvents.", "content": "A major conformation of cyclosporin A in methanol and in aqueous methanol was revealed by some simple NMR experiments. Thus, a stepwise transition of cyclosporin A conformation from 100% CDCl3 to 100% CD3OD was followed by 1H NMR, which showed that the chloroform conformation of cyclosporin A was still the major one in methanol. Employing the same technique, it was also shown that the chloroform conformation of cyclosporin A was one of the major conformations in 50% aqueous methanol. This may be the first experimental determination of a major conformation of cyclosporin A in polar solvents."}
{"id": "PMID:1483833", "title": "Conformational studies on beta-bend containing a cis peptide unit.", "content": "Conformational studies have been carried out on the X-cis-Pro tripeptide system (a system of three linked peptide units, in the trans-cis-trans configuration) using energy minimization techniques. For X, residues Gly, L-Ala, D-Ala and L-Pro have been used. The energy minima have been classified into different groups based upon the conformational similarity. There are 15, 20, 18 and 6 minima that are possible for the four cases respectively and these fall into 11 different groups. A study of these minima shows that, (i) some minima contain hydrogen bonds--either 4-->1 or 1-->2 type, (ii) the low energy minima qualify themselves as bend conformations, (iii) cis' and trans' conformations are possible for the prolyl residue as also the C gamma-endo and C gamma-exo puckerings, and (iv) for Pro-cis-Pro, cis' at the first prolyl residue is ruled out, due to the high energy. The available crystal structure data on proteins and peptides, containing cis-Pro segment have been examined with a view to find the minima that occur in solid state. The data from protein show that they fall under two groups. The conformation at X in X-cis-Pro is near extended when it is a non-glycyl residue. In both peptides and proteins there exists a preference for trans' conformation at prolyl residue over cis' when X is a non-glycyl residue. The minima obtained can be useful in modelling studies."}
{"id": "PMID:1483834", "title": "Conformational regions of Boc-Ala-Aib-Ala-OMe. Sampling with molecular dynamics simulations using time averaging of distance restraints.", "content": "The method of time averaging of distance restraints in molecular dynamics simulations is applied to Boc-Ala-Aib-Ala-OMe in order to demonstrate the improved sampling properties of this method compared to conventional distance restraining. Two conformational regions, beta-turn type II and gamma-turn, are seen during MD runs at a simulation temperature of 500 K, while in simulations with conventional distance restraining, no conformational transitions could be observed for temperatures up to 1000 K."}
{"id": "PMID:1483835", "title": "Activation of carboxylic acids by pyrocarbonates. Synthesis of symmetric anhydrides and esters of N-protected amino acids using dialkyl pyrocarbonates as condensing reagents.", "content": "Activation of carboxylic acids was achieved via dialkyl pyrocarbonates (ROCO)2O, R = C2H5, i-C3H7, sec-C4H9, tert.-C4H9) in aprotic solvents in the presence tertiary amines. A convenient procedure for the preparation of carboxylic acid anhydrides from carboxylic acids and di-tert.-butyl pyrocarbonate in the presence of pyridine is reported. Analogously, di-isopropyl- or diethyl pyrocarbonate may be used in the presence of N-methylmorpholine (triethylamine). With pyridine, di-isopropyl- or diethyl pyrocarbonate carboxylic acids form isopropyl- or ethyl esters, respectively. A wide variety of esters were prepared in good yields in a one-pot procedure from carboxylic acids, including N-protected amino acids, and alcohols or from phenols by means of di-tert.-butyl pyrocarbonate in the presence of pyridine (Boc2O-pyridine system). t-Butyl esters of carboxylic acids were obtained by the same procedure with 4-dimethylaminopyridine. In the absence of carboxylic acid, with 4-dimethylaminopyridine Boc2O and alcohols generate alkyl tert.-butyl carbonates."}
{"id": "PMID:1483836", "title": "Fatty acid and drug binding to a low-affinity component of human serum albumin, purified by affinity chromatography.", "content": "Binding equilibria for decanoate to a defatted, commercially available human serum albumin preparation were investigated by dialysis exchange rate determinations. The binding isotherm could not be fitted by the general binding equation. It was necessary to assume that the preparation was a mixture of two albumin components about 40% of the albumin having high affinity and about 60% having low affinity. By affinity chromatography we succeeded in purifying the low-affinity component from the mixture. The high-affinity component, however, could not be isolated. We further analyzed the fatty acid and drug binding abilities of the low-affinity component. The fatty acids decanoate, laurate, myristate and palmitate were bound with higher affinity to the mixture than to the low-affinity component. Diazepam was bound with nearly the same affinity to the low-affinity component as to the albumin mixture, whereas warfarin was not bound at all to the low-affinity component."}
{"id": "PMID:1483837", "title": "A bifunctional heterodimeric insect neuropeptide analog.", "content": "The synthesis and biological activity of a bifunctional, heterodimeric insect neuropeptide analog are described. The heterodimer is composed of the C-terminal pentapeptide active core regions of the leucokinin/achetakinin and pyrokinin neuropeptide families linked via their N-terminal amino groups with a succinyl diacid moiety. Members of the leucokinin/achetakinin family can induce fluid secretion in malpighian tubules of the house cricket, Acheta domesticus, whereas the pyrokinins demonstrate activity in a cricket oviduct myotropic bioassay. No cross-activity is observed for the two neuropeptide families in these bioassays. However, the heterodimer elicits responses in both Acheta bioassays. Such a bifunctional analog may in future serve as a template for the design of stable, bifunctional pest insect control agents of greater efficiency."}
{"id": "PMID:1483838", "title": "Antibacterial peptides designed as analogs or hybrids of cecropins and melittin.", "content": "Eight new analogs of cecropin A, two new analogs of melittin and 30 hybrid peptides containing sequences from cecropins and melittin have been synthesized. The lengths of the peptides have varied from 37 residues (the length of cecropin A) to 18 residues. The peptides have been assayed for lysis of sheep red blood cells and for antibacterial activity against two Gram negative and three Gram positive bacteria. The best analogs of cecropin A maintained the anti-Escherichia coli activity of the parental peptide, and were not lytic for red blood cells. Melittin and its replacement analogs were all lytic for red blood cells, but an analog with transposed segments was not. Several of the hybrid peptides were found to be both non-hemolytic and highly active against all test bacteria. The data were used to define the structural requirements for antibacterial activity."}
{"id": "PMID:1483839", "title": "Pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide (PACAP) with 27 residues. Conformation determined by 1H NMR and CD spectroscopies and distance geometry in 25% methanol solution.", "content": "The conformation of pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide with 27 residues (PACAP27) has been determined by two-dimensional NMR and CD spectroscopies and distance geometry in 25% methanol. Residues 9-20 and 22-25 have well-defined conformations but other residues do not show ordered conformations. The conformation of residues 9-20 is composed of three distinct regions of beta turn-like conformation (residues 9-12), alpha helix (residues 12-14) and the looser helical conformation (residues 15-20), while residues 22-24 form alpha helix. PACAP27 has a 2 helices separated by a disordered region similar to a VIP analog reported by Fry et al. but is distinct from the VIP analog in the position of the first helix, which is shifted by 2 residues toward the C-terminus, and in the form of the second helix [Fry, D.C., Madison, V.S., Bolin, D.R., Greeley, D.N., Toome, V. and Wegrzynski, B.B. (1989) Biochemistry 28, 2399-2409]."}
{"id": "PMID:1483840", "title": "Spectroscopic studies on proteinase K and subtilisin DY. Relation to X-ray models.", "content": "Circular dichroic spectroscopy has been used to study the effect of pH, guanidinium hydrochloride concentration and temperature on the conformation of the fungal subtilisin-like proteinase K and the bacterial DY. The ellipticity of the bands in the far ultraviolet region remains almost unchanged in the pH range 3.0-11.0 (PMS-proteinase K) and 5.0-10.0 (PMS-subtilisin DY). The same ranges of pH stability were determined from the pH dependence of the near ultraviolet dichroic spectra. Hence the changes in the tertiary and secondary structure occur in parallel. Proteinase K is considerably more stable at acidic and somewhat more stable at alkaline pH than subtilisin DY. At neutral pH proteinase K is more resistant to denaturation by guanidinium hydrochloride than is subtilisin DY. The midpoints of the denaturation curves were 6.2 M and 3.2 M guanidinium, respectively. The thermal unfolding of proteinase K occurred at a higher temperature than for subtilisin DY, the transition midpoints being 65 degrees and 48 degrees, respectively. Thus proteinase K is overall a much more robust molecule than subtilisin DY, showing greater resistance to all three forms of denaturation. The differences in the stability of the two proteinases can be partly explained by differences in their calcium binding sites."}
{"id": "PMID:1483841", "title": "Enclaves and excursions.", "content": "This paper describes and names as 'enclaves' and 'excursions' two deteriorations of the psychoanalytic situation, which occur when an analyst exceeds the limited, partial acting out inevitable in clinical work. Under pressure from his patient an analyst may unwittingly turn the analysis into a refuge from disturbance, i.e. an enclave. If he succumbs to pressures to move away from, instead of towards, knowing what is psychically urgent, an analyst may turn the analysis into a series of flights, i.e. an excursion. Unrecognized, these deformations interfere with or even halt the therapeutic process, which requires that the analyst find a way of working which accommodates both the patient's communication of, and need for, a refuge or flight with the analyst, while at the same time analysing it."}
{"id": "PMID:1483842", "title": "The dialectically constituted/decentred subject of psychoanalysis. II. The contributions of Klein and Winnicott.", "content": "The present paper focuses on the contributions of Klein and Winnicott to a psychoanalytic conception of the dialectically constituted and decentred subject. Klein's idea of 'positions' represents a conception of the subject constituted in the creative and negating dialectical interplay of fundamentally different modes of attributing meaning to experience. The Kleinian subject is decentred in psychological space and in psychoanalytic time. The concept of projective identification provides the elements of a theory of the creation of the subject in the context of a psychological-interpersonal dialectic. The subject for Winnicott is not coincident with the individual psyche: 'There is no such thing as an infant [apart from the mother]'. Winnicott's notion of the creation of the subject in the psychological space between mother and infant involves a conception of the on-going constitution of the subject in the simultaneity of forms of dialectical tension between at-one-ment and separateness, internality and externality, I and me, I and Thou."}
{"id": "PMID:1483843", "title": "The psychoanalytic setting as the instrument of the container function.", "content": "Different settings reveal the operation of different psychical mechanisms; for this reason I try in this paper to take a fresh look at the psychoanalytic setting which underlies the specificity of what we psychoanalysts call psychoanalysis and helps to distinguish it from other forms of therapy--in particular, psychotherapy. In my view, the analyst's creative container function is expressed particularly through the setting. This setting is not an inert vessel, a mere juxtaposition of rules, but an active container which interacts dynamically with the process. Observance of the conditions of the psychoanalytic setting seems to me important if what comes to life is intended to be a psychoanalytic process; the analysand's (or analysand-to-be's) pressures on the analyst to abandon aspects of the setting can then sometimes be interpreted as unconscious attacks on the creative container function of the analyst and on that of the patient himself. A number of clinical examples are given, showing that, like 'Donkey Skin', the analysand may sometimes demand not only pieces of gold from psychoanalysis but also, unconsciously, its skin."}
{"id": "PMID:1483844", "title": "The Eros of dreaming.", "content": "This paper examines the aspects of dreaming derived from the principle of Eros, the life instinct as described by Freud in Beyond the Pleasure Principle. The life instinct is interpreted in information-processing terms, as the inverse of entropy. The paper emphasizes the role of condensation as a mechanism that binds together the representations of present and past events in the imagery of the dream. This distinguishes it from displacement, which appears to be a mechanism whose function is solely defensive. The role of the dream in finding a common ground between current and past experience (Galton's method of comparison by superimposition) is discussed in detail. It is suggested that condensation is a primitive cognitive mechanism at work in many kinds of mental activity. The implications of this idea for psychoanalysis and for the creative process in general are explored in brief."}
{"id": "PMID:1483845", "title": "The analyst's transference imagery.", "content": "The countertransference is a concept whose meaning has changed considerably. Freud and his followers regarded it as a negative reaction in the treatment which the analyst had to master. Since 1950 and Paula Heimann's pioneering paper, the countertransference has been understood and used more positively and has come to be seen as an essential tool for achieving completeness in the work of analysis. In line with this approach, this paper describes a countertransference reaction which has proved to be useful. It concerns the appearance of images of houses in the analyst. These houses correspond to important experiences revived by the analysand's material. The emotional content of these images links up with an identical content in the patient. An interpretation based on this experience has an enhanced therapeutic strength and effect. The paper concludes with a case study and a theoretical discussion of the phenomenon."}
{"id": "PMID:1483846", "title": "A fantasy penis: its development, multiple meanings and resolution.", "content": "A 30-year-old single woman came to analysis because of anxiety, guilt and a sense of being bad. After two years of analysis that focused primarily on her relationship with her family members, an unconscious fantasy of having a penis was uncovered. The origin of the fantasy was traced to the narcissistic crisis and the birth of her brother, and as an attempt to regain the loss of mother's love. However, other meanings were added during subsequent developmental stages; namely, the fantasy penis was an umbilical cord that connected her with her mother, it bestowed power and licence to do whatever one wants and was a shield against father's subtle breach of the oedipal fantasies. The resolution of the fantasy passed through a stage of losing the penis and ending up with 'nothing' before a vagina could be experienced as a natural way to be."}
{"id": "PMID:1483847", "title": "Turning points and change in psychoanalysis.", "content": "The turning point is defined as the sudden change of quality that plays the part of a forerunner or prerequisite to the slow structural change in psychoanalytic treatment. Turning points have two common elements, confrontation and surprise, that lead to the centre of the turning point experience -- the feeling of having an inner life--which leads up to the interpretive working through process that corresponds to structural change. To restore or create the feeling of having an inner life runs parallel to restoring the psychoanalytic process from acting-out temptations. Harold Stewart's agents of change are discussed as having the characteristics of turning points and clinical vignettes are described to show the main points. Finally, the countertransference aspect of allowing turning points to happen is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1483848", "title": "The psychoanalytic experience and psychic change.", "content": "In an effort to examine psychic change and the factors promoting this therapeutic growth on the psychoanalytic situation, the analytic material from three sequential stressful periods in an analysis is compared. The patient, an 8-year-old child, was particularly vulnerable to conflicts surrounding separation and abandonment and there were three long summer vacations in the course of his treatment. Reflections of his psychic growth are first underscored and clarified, and then elements of the psycho-analytic experience that prompted this change and growth are delineated and discussed. An integration of the insight oriented aspects and the interactional components of the psycho-analytic experience is suggested."}
{"id": "PMID:1483849", "title": "Some technical and theoretical considerations regarding the missed session.", "content": "Although Freud (1913b) originally proposed the 'principle of leasing a definite hour', there are many proponents of a more 'lenient' fee policy. The author critically examines some of the arguments put forward by the latter writers and argues that the missed session risks degrading into a 'missing' session if a financial marker does not remain in the patient's vacated place. The conflict mobilized in both partners to the therapeutic relationship by the missed session is best left open for analytic exploration rather than solved by a 'rational' and 'flexible' fee arrangement. The author suggests ways of theorizing, and eventually interpreting, the 'breach' in the relationship in terms of the absent, decentred subject, the Desire of the Other, the inherent contingency of our most primitive identifications, and the ineluctable violence and alienation of human interdependency. The 'rule of indenture' is seen in closer affinity to these basic contradictions than the more gracious 'gentlemen's agreement'."}
{"id": "PMID:1483850", "title": "About interpretation of self-envy.", "content": "I present clinical material from two patients in order to describe self-envy interpretation in borderline structures, where negative therapeutic reaction type of mechanisms are usually present, and where massive and intrusive projective identifications are continuously used with the main unconscious purpose of establishing a perverse collusion with the analyst. In these cases there is also a need for splitting and projection of sadistic superego components, in order to provide a corporeity to the persecutor by placing it outside. Self-envy interpretation may help the analyst to deal with the transferential pressure exercised by these patients, and as a consequence improving the 'working space' and providing a better analytical objectivity."}
{"id": "PMID:1483851", "title": "The transference: distortion or plausible conjecture?", "content": "The paper begins with a description of two conceptions of the transference found in the literature: transference as distortion and transference as plausible conjecture based on the signals received by the analysand from the analyst. The plausibility of the transference phenomenon in the Freudian conception of the transference is then reviewed. The author continues by considering the analyst's function as bait and how it is related to the stripping down of reality practised by the analyst. A brief clinical vignette is given to illustrate these propositions. To conclude, there is a discussion of the paradox of the reality sense, the transference and interpretation, based on the ideas of Matte-Blanco, mental functioning being considered in terms of bi-logic."}
{"id": "PMID:1483852", "title": "Adolescence and borderline pathology: characteristics of the relevant psychoanalytic process.", "content": "This paper results from a research project on the specific characteristics of borderline adolescents and their analysability. An in-depth understanding of the adolescent process is considered essential because it is superimposed on the specific pathology of the borderline subject. Our cases agree in almost all respects with symptomatologies described in the international literature, although pronounced differences emerge in regard to serious acting out and behavioural disturbances. Separation processes, particularly from the mother, are very important in both cases presented. In the authors' view, this research shows that borderline adolescents constitute a definite clinical reality and that strict psychoanalytic technique can be used successfully with them."}
{"id": "PMID:1483853", "title": "Psychic changes in the paternal image.", "content": "My main objective in this article is to show the changes which take place in the inner world of a young patient after his father's suicide, and the identifications he goes through. I hope the clinical material presented succeeds in doing so. We can also see the solid primary identifications which made it possible for this patient to get better and achieve a cure. It was not my aim to embark on a theoretical discussion of primary and secondary identification, an extremely complex subject in the writings of Freud."}
{"id": "PMID:1483854", "title": "Carboplatin combined with carmustine and etoposide in the treatment of glioblastoma.", "content": "The aim of this study was to verify the tolerability and efficacy of therapeutic chemotherapy protocols, employing different combinations of cisplatin, carboplatin, etoposide and carmustine in primary glioblastoma patients. The purpose was focused on 2 end points: the response index to treatment, the TTP (tumor progression) and the ST (survival time). Eighty-four out of a group of 99 consecutive glioblastoma patients, entered this study. Patients were divided into 4 disparate treatment groups: (A) BCNU alone; (B) CDDP + VP-16; (C) CBDCA + BCNU; (D) CBDCA + BCNU + VP-16. The effectiveness and the TTP of the protocols differed, but differences were not statistically significant. Data concerning platinum treatment compare favorably with the best literature results. At 18 months more than half the carboplatin-treated patients are alive. Moreover these patients had a significantly longer ST than those treated with BCNU. We conclude that platinum-based chemotherapy has a beneficial effect on glial tumors."}
{"id": "PMID:1483855", "title": "EEG changes induced by carbamazepine therapy at rest and during mental processes.", "content": "The effects of carbamazepine (CBZ) on EEG background activity have been studied, at rest and during mental processes, in 18 epileptic patients suffering from focal epilepsy and starting antiepileptic treatment for the first time. The EEGs were recorded before and after CBZ therapy, at rest with eyes closed (EC), during blocking reaction (BR), fixation (FIX) and mental arithmetic (MA) tasks, and then evaluated by spectral analysis. All data underwent statistical evaluation utilizing the ANOVA and correlation coefficient. The following parameters were evaluated: mean absolute and relative power and mean frequency. The results have shown that CBZ induced a significant increase of slow activity at rest with EC, which was represented by delta potentials, and was correlated with CBZ plasma levels. In evaluating the different cortical activation patterns, a decrease of the alpha reactivity was noted during BR and FIX, while a significant increase of beta activity was observed during the performance of all tasks. The relationship between the increased beta power, possibly reflecting an increase of cognitive activity for processing information, and the lack of a significant decrease of alpha activity are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1483856", "title": "Single-blind, placebo-controlled multicenter trial of vigabatrin in the treatment of epilepsy. The Italian Study Group on Vigabatrin.", "content": "A single-blind, placebo-controlled multicenter trial of vigabatrin was carried out in 101 epileptic patients (mostly with partial seizures) refractory to conventional therapy. The study design included four consecutive periods: (i) an observation phase (run-in), (ii) a placebo period, (iii) fixed-dosage add-on vigabatrin (2 g/day) and (iv) dose titration (up to a maximum of 4 g/day) to optimize clinical response. Each period lasted 8 weeks, except for the titration phase, which could be extended to 16 weeks. 90 patients completed the trial. Eleven dropped out, one patient developing absence status and 4 cases showing an increased seizure frequency. In the patients completing the trial, the median number of seizures/month decreased from 16 (inter-quartile range 8-34) during placebo to 5 (2-10) during the last 8 weeks on vigabatrin (p < 0.0001). Both partial and generalized tonic clonic (mostly secondary) seizures were significantly reduced. A greater than 50% reduction in seizure frequency (compared to placebo) was observed in 60 patients. Sedation and weight gain were the most frequently reported adverse events."}
{"id": "PMID:1483857", "title": "Neurological examination in patients recovering from general anesthesia.", "content": "We performed serial neurological evaluations on 86 patients who underwent surgery for herniated lumbar disk during the first 3 hours after the end of anesthesia (isoflurane-N20-02 for 25 patients, halothane-N20-02 for 38, fentanyl-droperidol-N20-02 for 23). At time 0, the idiomuscular response to percussion of the extensor carpi muscle was present in every patient, while tendon reflexes were always absent. Hyperreflexia was as frequent as shivering, but it took place earlier; we could determine no correlation between these two phenomena. There was no correlation between shivering and rectal temperature of the patients. Although almost all the patients were cooperative and could correctly calculate 100-7, the post-hyperventilation-apnea test was positive in 35 patients at time 120 minutes: this suggests that many patients considered \"awake\" still exhibit neurological abnormalities, such as inadequate respiratory drive."}
{"id": "PMID:1483858", "title": "Phenobarbital in the prophylaxis of late posttraumatic seizures.", "content": "390 patients with severe head injuries were treated with phenobarbital (PB) orally for a period of 12 months in order to determine whether this drug could reduce the incidence of posttraumatic epilepsy (PTE). An intramuscular PB dose of 2.5-3 mg/kg body weight per day was administered within 24 hours after the trauma; after 5 days, or longer if the coma persisted, the drug was administered orally. Maintenance dosage adjustments, when necessary, were based on serial plasma concentrations of the drug, sustained at between 5 and 30 micrograms/ml. 293 patients completed the study. 66% of these presented one risk factor, while 34% presented two or more. 6 patients (2.04%) had at least one seizure during the twelve months. Plasma drug levels at the time of the seizure, with one exception of 15 micrograms/ml, ranged from 20 to 28 micrograms/ml. The results of the study indicate that PB administered during the first twelve months after the trauma, even at relatively low doses, can have a prophylactic effect on PTE."}
{"id": "PMID:1483859", "title": "Acute monophasic focal demyelinating diseases of the central nervous system: longitudinal clinico-neuroradiological study of two patients.", "content": "We report the clinical features and laboratory-instrumental findings in two patients with acute monophasic demyelinating disease with focal clinical expression: one case of incomplete cervical transverse myelitis and one of focal supratentorial encephalitis. We describe the clinical course and evolution of the neuroradiological findings (CT and MRI) and discuss their pathological meaning and diagnostic value."}
{"id": "PMID:1483860", "title": "Ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL) in the cervical spine. Clinical, neuroradiological and neurophysiological study on 9 cases.", "content": "Ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL) in the cervical spine is considered to be uncommon in western countries, although widely known and studied in Japan. We report on 9 cases of OPLL cervical myelopathy investigated by x-ray films and cervical CT and by somatosensory evoked potentials. The patients reported spastic tetraparesis, sensory disorders of the limbs and, in one case, sphincter incontinence. Neuroradiological examinations showed that the posterior columns of the spinal cord were more affected than the roots. Our data suggest that OPLL is more frequent in the West than has so far been reported and that combined radiological and neurophysiological investigation ensures correct diagnosis and accurate assessment of the cord impairment."}
{"id": "PMID:1483861", "title": "Hemichorea due to a cavernous angioma of the caudate. Case report of an aged patient.", "content": "A 75 year old man presented left hemichorea due to a cavernous angioma of the head of the contralateral caudate. Cavernous angiomas of the basal ganglia are an infrequent cause of hemichorea especially in older subjects but should be considered in the differential diagnosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1483862", "title": "Biopsy diagnosis of a case of adult onset orthochromatic leukodystrophy. Clinical and brain biopsy findings.", "content": "We report the intra vitam histopathological findings on the brain of a female patient presenting an adult form of orthochromatic leukodystrophy. At 38 years of age the patient began to show progressive dementia and a pseudobulbar syndrome. The pedigree revealed an autosomal dominant pattern of inheritance. The CT scan showed a wide hypodensity of the anterior white matter. Biochemical investigations showed only a slight elevation of serum VLCFA and no alteration of urinary enzymatic activities. Cortical and subcortical biopsy specimens from the right frontal lobe showed: neuronal loss in the gray matter, accumulation of autofluorescent material within residual neurons and sudanophilic material within macrophages and astrocytes, sparing of axons. Electron microscopy showed lamination and fragmentation of the myelin and the presence of electrondense bodies and vesicular material into oligodendrocytes and astrocytes. We discuss the differential diagnosis of OLD forms with adult onset, namely between L\u00f6wenberg-Hill disease and the pure form of OLD with pigmented glial cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1483863", "title": "Associated polyneuropathy and demyelinating disease. Case report.", "content": "We report a case in which an acute Guillain-Barr\u00e9-like syndrome was quickly followed by a central demyelinating disease, documented by the clinical findings as well as by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), electrophysiological and cerebrospinal fluid examinations. The close follow-on of the clinical signs seems to exclude a simple coincidence of two separate diseases and it may constitute further evidence for a possible etiological link between central and peripheral myelin damage. We discuss the possibility of a common pathogenic factor underlying central and peripheral demyelination."}
{"id": "PMID:1483866", "title": "Smoking attitudes amongst nursing tutors and their students.", "content": "We have compared the smoking habits, and attitudes towards the habit, in 51 nurse tutors and 649 of their students. There were similar proportions of never-smokers, but rather more ex-smokers among the tutors. Only nine (17.6%) of the smoking and ex-smoking tutors admitted to having started smoking before the age of 18, compared with 75.5% of the students. Seven tutors and a similar proportion of students believed that smoking was not very harmful. Social behaviour differed between the two groups, the students tending to smoke in pubs and the tutors at home and over coffee. Reasons for having stopped also differed; in tutors cost was cited most often, whereas in students smell on clothes and future health damage ranked most highly. Cost, future health damage and smell were given as the main reasons for wanting to stop by smokers in both groups. We suggest that slightly different anti-smoking strategies might be required in students and tutors."}
{"id": "PMID:1483867", "title": "The Read Clinical Classification.", "content": "After a short historical introduction, the article explains the roles of the NHS Centre for Coding and Classification, Computer Aided Medical Systems Ltd and the Scottish Clinical Coding Centre. The structure of the Read Clinical Classification (the Read Codes) is then described, its relationships to the other widely used classifications, and the potential which the codes have for use as the standard for the coding of clinical data."}
{"id": "PMID:1483868", "title": "Immunisation and health advice for travellers: the role of the general practitioner.", "content": "More and more travellers go to ever more widespread destinations. Diverse sources of advice exist on the protection of travellers against medical hazards encountered abroad. This study attempts to show that the General Practitioner (GP) is the best person to give pre-travel health advice on immunisation and malaria prophylaxis. A postal questionnaire was sent to all 681 GPs in the Greater Glasgow area, to assess their views on the provision of health advice for travellers; in addition we asked whether they knew about the free access to a computerised database on travel health advice (Travax) provided by the Communicable Diseases (Scotland) Unit, and what their view was of the usefulness of this service. The overwhelming majority (87%) of responding GPs felt that pre-travel health advice was best provided in the primary care setting. This group of GPs appear enthusiastic about providing health advice for travellers, in accord with the apparent preference of travellers themselves, and 85% indicated that they would find the travel health advice service a useful aid."}
{"id": "PMID:1483869", "title": "The dependent elderly: a comparative survey of institutional care in Fife.", "content": "Dependency levels were assessed in 441 elderly people in long term geriatric hospital care, 488 living in private nursing homes and 637 in the local authority residential homes in Fife. Results indicated that the most dependent were in hospital care, the most able in residential homes with private nursing homes accommodating elderly people with intermediate dependency levels. While each care setting cares for severely dependent elderly people, up to 29% of those in residential homes, 24% of those in nursing homes and 6% of hospital residents were considered by care staff to be fully independent. The implications of this in relation to the future provision and pattern of long term care for the frail elderly in Fife are considerable."}
{"id": "PMID:1483870", "title": "Clinical Directorates: a panacea for clinicians involved in management?", "content": "A clinical Directorate is a managerial subunit led by a Clinical Director who is accountable for the Directorate's functioning and who exerts budgetary control over staff, equipment and supplies. The composition of Directorates and their possible structures are discussed, and requirements, conflicts of interest, and potential benefits are reviewed in the light of current experience."}
{"id": "PMID:1483871", "title": "Urinary incontinence: a survey of knowledge, working practice and training needs of nursing staff in Fife.", "content": "Urinary incontinence results in substantial morbidity within society and presents a serious public health problem. Improvements in the well being of incontinence sufferers can be achieved by appropriately trained nursing staff. As part of the development of a strategy to tackle the problem of incontinence in Fife, a survey of nursing staff working in the Board's three health care units was carried out. Response rates between 64% and 100% were achieved among the different units. The results of the survey have revealed a number of deficiencies in current nursing practice, with a substantial proportion of nursing staff indicating a desire for more training in aspects of the management of incontinence. Health visitors in particular reported a significant lack of training in the area of childhood enuresis."}
{"id": "PMID:1483872", "title": "The chief scientist reports... Consultant out-patient services: provision at health centres in Scotland.", "content": "Hospital based consultant (out-patient) services are most likely to be found in the community at health centres. By 1991 some 45% of the Scottish population had access to services provided at these health centres. The clinical specialties most commonly provided were psychiatry, obstetrics, paediatrics and gynaecology, and they accounted for some 10% or more of all attendances. Regular consultant visits in these and other specialties were more common at the larger health centres and at those further distant from alternative provision."}
{"id": "PMID:1483873", "title": "PRAD1 (cyclin D1): a parathyroid neoplasia gene on 11q13.", "content": "Hyperparathyroidism is a central component of multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN 1), and both sporadic and familial forms of parathyroid disease may share certain pathogenetic features. We recently identified a gene that is clonally rearranged with the PTH locus in a subset of sporadic parathyroid adenomas. This candidate oncogene, PRAD1 (previously D11S287), appears to contribute to parathyroid tumorigenesis in a fashion analogous to activation of C-MYC or BCL-2 by rearrangement with tissue-specific enhancers of the immunoglobulin genes in B-lymphoid neoplasia. The PRAD1 gene maps to 11q13 and has been linked to the BCL-1 breakpoint locus, although not to the most tightly linked MEN 1 markers, by pulsed field gel electrophoresis. PRAD1 may, in fact, be the long-sought BCL-1 lymphoma oncogene. PRAD1 encodes a novel type of cyclin protein and thus may normally function in controlling the cell cycle, perhaps through direct interaction with cdc2 or a related kinase. PRAD1's possible primary, or more likely secondary, involvement in the pathogenesis of MEN 1-related tumors is unknown and under investigation."}
{"id": "PMID:1483874", "title": "Should patients with medullary thyroid carcinoma undergo extensive lymph node (re)operation to improve long-term survival?", "content": "To investigate the role of primary and/or secondary modified radical neck dissection (MRND) in patients with medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC), follow-up data on 43 patients operated on between 1972 and 1983 were analyzed retrospectively; patients included 16 with sporadic MTC (group 1) and 27 with multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2 (group 2). Primary surgical therapy consisted of (near-) total thyroidectomy and limited lymph node dissection; one patient in group 1 and two in group 2 underwent primary MRND. Positive nodes were found in nine patients of group 1 and in 12 of group 2. Calcitonin (CT) was raised postoperatively in 11 group 1 patients, who all died (four after additional MRND). Postoperative CT was normal in the four survivors of group 1. In group 2, post-operative CT was raised in 15 patients, including those who had MRND and in four apparently node-negative patients. Three of them underwent additional MRND, which was successful in one case. One patient in this group died of the disease; two patients developed elevated CT levels during follow-up, whereas in one, CT normalized spontaneously. In conclusion, the role of extensive lymph node surgery in patients with more than limited lymph node involvement or elevated postoperative CT levels remains to be established."}
{"id": "PMID:1483875", "title": "Role of insulin-like growth factor-I in the autocrine regulation of cell growth in TT human medullary thyroid carcinoma cells.", "content": "Since the TT human medullary thyroid carcinoma cell line required fewer exogenous growth factors (serum), we investigated whether this line has an autocrine mechanism by examining the effects of antibodies directed toward insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) and its receptor on TT cell growth in serum-free conditions. Treating cells with anti-IGF-I antibody for four days reduced the cell number by more than 50% compared with a nonimmune IgG control. Furthermore, a monoclonal antibody to the IGF-I receptor suppressed DNA synthesis when determined by a [3H]thymidine incorporation assay. Exogenous IGF-I (20 ng/mL) stimulated [3H]thymidine incorporation in serum-free medium; approximately 70% of the IGF-I-induced stimulation was blocked by the presence of the receptor antibody. Treating TT cells with IGF-I for 48 hours increased the cell population in the S phase by 62% when analyzed by flow cytometry. These data suggest that TT cells might respond to endogenously produced IGF-I and therefore provide an in vitro model for autocrine regulation of human tumor cell growth by IGF-I."}
{"id": "PMID:1483876", "title": "PDN-21 (katacalcin) and chromogranin A: tumor markers for medullary thyroid carcinoma.", "content": "The malignant C-cell releases several markers of potential clinical significance into the circulation. To determine the usefulness of these markers for management of medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC), it is necessary to compare the usefulness of these markers with calcitonin (CT), the classical tumor marker for MTC. Measurement of serum concentrations of the peptide PDN-21 (katacalcin), a carboxyterminal cleavage product of procalcitonin, showed a high correlation with serum CT levels (r = 0.99, P < 0.01, n = 65 patients with MTC). The presence of equimolar concentrations of CT and PDN-21 (CT/PDN-21 molar ratio = 0.95 +/- 0.33) indicates the peptide is cosecreted with CT. Stimulation of CT release by intravenous pentagastrin was associated with a parallel increase of PDN-21, providing further evidence of cosecretion of these two peptides. Finally, measurement of either PDN-21 or CT in selective venous catheterization specimens was useful for localization of MTC. Chromogranin A (CgA) levels were also measured in patients with MTC. Circulating levels were elevated in most patients with advanced disease. There was a moderate correlation between CgA and CT serum levels (r = 0.87, P < 0.01, n = 61 patients with MTC). Pentagastrin did not stimulate CgA, and the long half-life of CgA in the circulation did not make it possible to use this peptide for tumor localization by selective venous catheterization. We conclude that measurement of PDN-21 provides an independent assay system for diagnosis, localization, and postoperative management of MTC, whereas CgA measurement is not useful in early diagnosis of MTC and is of limited value for localization or management of progressive disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1483877", "title": "Biologic and cytogenetic characterization of three human medullary thyroid carcinomas in culture.", "content": "Neuroendocrine features and cytogenetic abnormalities of one continuous cell line (MTC-SK) and two long-term cultures (GER, STAH) derived from three sporadic cases of human medullary thyroid carcinomas (MTCs) were studied. Specific neuroendocrine markers (NSE, chromogranins, calcitonin, calcitonin gene-related peptide) were identified by electron microscopy and immunocytochemistry. In situ hybridochemistry and Northern blot analysis confirmed endocrine activity. Cytogenetic studies of the cell line MTC-SK revealed three consistent marker chromosomes, t(3;10), 11p+, and 22p+. Cells of long-term cultures GER and STAH exhibited a consistent translocation t(2;18), a trisomy 7, and two consistent marker chromosomes der3 and 5p+, respectively. Recently, we have isolated 12 stable clones of this MTC-SK cell line, which showed two different growth patterns. Quantitative measurement of mitotic activity flow cytometry and semiquantitative analysis of AgNOR-, Ki67-, and Cyclin/PCNA-(immuno)reactivity showed different DNA composition and duplication rates, indicating at least two subpopulations. Some of our clones developed a new consistent marker (i.e., an unbalanced translocation between mar11p+ and 1q). However, no correlations between chromosome findings, growth rate, and neuroendocrine markers were observed."}
{"id": "PMID:1483879", "title": "Effect of volume on spinal anesthesia level with hyperbaric tetracaine.", "content": "The purpose of this prospective, randomized, double-blind study was to determine if the volume of a fixed milligram dose of hyperbaric tetracaine hydrochloride injected into the subarachnoid space affected the average maximal dermatomal spread of sensory anesthesia, determined by pinprick testing. One hundred two adults received spinal hyperbaric tetracaine in a volume of 2 mL, 3 mL, or 4 mL with the dose based on the patient's height. The addition of 0.2 mg of epinephrine to the anesthetic solution was allowed at the discretion of the attending anesthesiologist. A two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) demonstrated that neither the dose selected nor the use of epinephrine affected anesthetic spread. ANOVA showed that anesthetic volume insignificantly affects the spread of sensory anesthesia. A Tukey HSD multiple comparisons test demonstrated a mean difference greater than 1 sensory dermatome between volumes of 2 mL and 4 mL, which was clinically detectable but statistically insignificant. Increasing the volume of hyperbaric spinal tetracaine solutions to improve anesthetic spread is unjustified."}
{"id": "PMID:1483880", "title": "Invasive hemodynamic monitoring during cardiopulmonary resuscitation in a community hospital emergency department.", "content": "Monitoring the effects of resuscitation efforts in a community emergency department are limited primarily to noninvasive techniques. Coronary perfusion pressure (CCP) has been used as a predictor for successful resuscitation. The authors investigated the feasibility of measuring the CPP in a community emergency department and incorporating the CPP into decisions for managing the resuscitation effort. During a 7-month period, the authors prospectively studied 77 nontraumatic, normothermic adults in cardiopulmonary arrest who were treated in the emergency department. Fifty-one patients underwent invasive monitoring and 26 patients entered a control (noninvasive monitoring) group. Successful CPP monitoring was accomplished in 84% of the patients; the average time to obtain an initial CPP was 12.1 +/- 7.3 minutes. Twenty patients had a return of spontaneous circulation, but no patient survived to hospital discharge. There was no significant difference in return of spontaneous circulation between patients in the invasively monitored and the noninvasively monitored group. Coronary perfusion pressure monitoring had a positive influence on the management of three patients. This study showed that CPP monitoring is feasible in a community hospital, but further studies are needed to better define the effects of CPP in resuscitation effort outcome."}
{"id": "PMID:1483881", "title": "Irritable bowel syndrome.", "content": "The irritable bowel syndrome is a common disorder of gastrointestinal motility. Abdominal pain, bloating, and inconsistent bowel habits are the hallmark symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome. Fever, weight loss, and gastrointestinal bleeding often indicate more serious pathologic gastrointestinal conditions, such as inflammatory bowel disease or infectious enteritis. Because irritable bowel syndrome is so prevalent in our society, the primary care physician should be able to readily recognize the clinical features of this disorder in order to spare patients expensive, unnecessary diagnostic and therapeutic interventions. In this review, the authors discuss the clinical and psychological features of irritable bowel syndrome and offer a useful approach to the diagnosis and treatment of this disorder."}
{"id": "PMID:1483882", "title": "The family physician's contribution to the care of patients in the final stages of HIV infection.", "content": "This article concludes the monthly series developed from the AOA Task Force on AIDS Writers' Workshop, held August 16 to 18, 1991, in New York. The workshop was sponsored by an education grant from Burroughs Wellcome. This series has provided brief clinical updates and perspectives on the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Readers may request tear sheets from the AOA editorial offices."}
{"id": "PMID:1483883", "title": "Scurvy in a nonalcoholic person in the United States.", "content": "Scurvy is rarely diagnosed in our society today. The authors describe the case of a 31-year-old man with weakness, gingival pain, and a rash over the lower extremities. He had a history of poor nutritional intake, no alcohol consumption, and a 13 pack-year history of cigarette smoking. Laboratory studies revealed an extremely deficient serum ascorbic acid level. Treatment was begun with oral ascorbic acid tablets and, within 3 days after discharge, all clinical symptoms of scurvy had resolved. Scurvy is an easily treated disease and should be considered when there is an appropriate history and classic clinical findings. Because vitamin C deficiency can be seen in many chronic disease states, it is important to recognize some of the early features and clinical manifestations of such nutritional deficiencies."}
{"id": "PMID:1483884", "title": "Chest pain secondary to membranous subaortic stenosis in a young woman.", "content": "Left ventricular outflow obstruction can be divided into three distinct categories: valvular aortic stenosis, the most common form; supravalvular aortic stenosis, which is often seen in early childhood; and subvalvular stenosis, which can be further subdivided into muscular, tunnel, and fibromembranous subtypes. All may be found in a patient seen with symptoms of angina, syncope, or heart failure as a precursor to sudden death. Prompt clinical recognition is essential as is a high degree of suspicion when these signs are associated with a systolic ejection murmur on clinical examination. Echocardiography and a meticulous Doppler examination are very useful in the diagnosis of these disorders as well as in further distinguishing among the different subtypes. The authors describe the case of a 40-year-old woman with chest pain refractory to medical therapy and a long systolic ejection murmur."}
{"id": "PMID:1483886", "title": "Historical overview of the development of family-centered, community-based, coordinated care in Michigan.", "content": "Caring for children with special health care needs (SHCN) is a challenge that has been faced with commitment and concern in this country. However, by the late 1970s, it was clear to some that an analysis of the efficacy of the existing structure of care was long overdue. As scrutiny of the current processes began to unfold, new and improved ideas were emerging throughout the United States. A continuous theme through that process was the need and desire to create care systems that were family-centered, aimed at coordinating care, and were close to the child and family's community. These activities provided a conceptual background from which Michigan began to redesign existing programs and develop new initiatives. Simultaneously, Michigan's experiences were influencing national efforts to create family-centered, community-based, coordinated care structures for children with SHCN. This article highlights key national efforts and individuals who influenced program development for children with SHCN in Michigan. In addition, specific family-centered efforts that occurred in the state since the early 1980s, and that continue to date, are described."}
{"id": "PMID:1483887", "title": "Building community-based service systems for children with special needs: the Michigan Locally Based Services program.", "content": "The philosophy of the Michigan Department of Public Health, Division of Children's Special Health Care Services (DCSHCS) program holds that children with special health care needs have a right to every opportunity for self-support and self-fulfillment. To assist families, the program historically has provided support with medical care and treatment payments. Likewise, local health departments have shared in the process of supporting families of children with special health care needs. A growing awareness that these families experience a variety of other needs not directly attended to by these mechanisms led the Division to respond further to those needs. The response was aimed toward increasing the capacity to locate clients and provide family assessments, and, where necessary, case management services at the local community level. The implementation, on-going program development, stabilization, and future trends of the Locally Based Services program are described from the varying perspectives of the state and a local health department."}
{"id": "PMID:1483888", "title": "Parent/professional partnerships in caring for children with special health care needs.", "content": "In order for children with special health care needs to be adequately cared for, a variety of integrated, coordinated services are needed to support the children and their families. To facilitate optimal coordination of care for these children, it is imperative that the professionals who serve them engage in a partnership of care with parents or other family members. To that end, the Division of Children's Special Health Care Services (DCSHCS), Michigan Department of Public Health has carried out a variety of efforts to foster such partnerships. This article describes the efforts that have been carried out over the last few years in Michigan to develop parent/professional partnerships. It is not intended to be a scholarly review of the literature, but rather an explanation of strategies that have been used successfully to develop this important interface. Particular emphasis is given to describing the establishment of partnerships between parents of children with special health care needs and nurses and physicians. It is hoped that the sharing of such information will assist others who are just beginning such efforts."}
{"id": "PMID:1483889", "title": "Parent-to-parent support: a critical component of health care services for families.", "content": "Families of children with chronic medical conditions or disabilities face many unique difficulties. It is often necessary for them to assimilate technical medical information and participate in important decisions regarding their children's care before they have had time to adjust to their children's condition. Health care providers are not always available to help parents learn how to function in their dramatically changed roles. To adjust to their new parenting roles and work through feelings of confusion, denial, anxiety, guilt, anger, and depression, parents of children with special health care needs need opportunities to fully vent feelings, and to experience the grieving processes in their own way and at their own pace, in a nonthreatening, nonjudgmental environment. An informal support network is a powerful tool for accomplishing these tasks, for teaching day-to-day coping skills, and for supporting the establishment of new value systems that incorporate families' unique needs. The literature on family support documents ways in which parents of children with special health care needs are particularly qualified to help each other. This article briefly describes the philosophy of parent-to-parent support, its unique contributions in the health care setting, and the ways that health care providers can assist in creating an environment in which parents and professionals can work together more effectively."}
{"id": "PMID:1483899", "title": "Rabies surveillance in the United States during 1991.", "content": "In 1991, 49 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico reported 6,972 cases of rabies in nonhuman animals and 3 cases in human beings to the Centers for Disease Control. Ninety-one percent (6,354 cases) were wild animals, whereas 8.9% (618 cases) were domestic species. The total number of reported cases of rabies increased 42.9% over that of 1990 (4,881 cases), with most of the increase resulting from continued spread of the epizootic of rabies in raccoons in the mid-Atlantic and northeastern states. Large increases in cases of rabies in animals were reported from Connecticut (200 cases in 1991, compared with 3 in 1990, an increase of 6,567%), Delaware (197 cases in 1991, compared with 44 in 1990, an increase of 348%), New York (1,303 cases in 1991, compared with 242 in 1990, an increase of 326%), and New Jersey (994 cases in 1991, compared with 469 in 1990, an increase of 112%). Other noteworthy increases were reported by Wyoming (96.4%), Texas (69.7%), California (41.3%), Oklahoma (33.1%), Minnesota (31.4%), Georgia (26.7%), and Maryland (23.7%). Hawaii reported 1 imported case of rabies in a bat. Only 16 states reported decreases in rabies in animals in 1991, compared with 30 in 1990. Pennsylvania and Iowa reported decreases of 40.6% and 27.4%, respectively. Rhode Island was the only state that did not report a case of rabies in 1991."}
{"id": "PMID:1483902", "title": "Effect of tiletamine/zolazepam sedation on intradermal allergy testing in atopic dogs.", "content": "Seven atopic dogs underwent intradermal allergy testing with 46 inhalant antigens before and after administration of a tiletamine/zolazepam solution (4 mg/kg of body weight, IV). This anesthetic protocol had no significant effect on the intradermal response caused by histamine, whole flea extract, or various inhalant allergens. Short-acting chemical restraint induced by the drug combination facilitated the intradermal testing procedure."}
{"id": "PMID:1483903", "title": "Clinical and histologic evaluation of the prolapsed third eyelid gland in dogs.", "content": "Eighteen prolapses of the gland of the third eyelid in 17 Beagles were randomly allocated to 3 groups, which included nontreated (group 1, n = 6), excised (group 2, n = 4), and surgically repositioned (group 3, n = 8) glands. A schirmer tear test (STT) was performed on affected and normal (control) eyes for 5 consecutive days on weeks 0 (baseline), 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 16, 18, 20, and 24. All prolapsed third eyelid glands were excised and examined histologically. Ten female and 7 male Beagles were used in the prospective study. Mean age at prolapse was 35.1 weeks (range, 6 to 89 weeks). Control STT data revealed a population mean of 22.2 +/- 2.1 mm/min. Complications developed in 4 of 6 eyes when the gland was allowed to remain in a prolapsed position. Complications for group-1 eyes were significantly (P < 0.005) greater than those for eyes in groups 2 and 3 (0 of 12). Comparison of affected and control eye baseline data revealed decreased STT values for eyes with prolapsed glands (P < 0.01). Mean differences between affected and control eyes were 2.2, 2.0, and 3.4 mm/min for groups 1, 2, and 3, respectively. A significant (P < 0.001) decrease in lacrimation (0.2 to 3.1 mm/min) in group-2 eyes was detected after removal of the gland. Tear production for affected eyes of nontreated dogs fluctuated above and below that of control eyes prior to excision of the prolapsed gland of the third eyelid; however, with time, affected and control eye STT values were not significantly different.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1483904", "title": "Use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in food animal practice.", "content": "We attempted to determine the extent to which nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) are used in the treatment of food animals, and whether withdrawal times for milk and slaughter are recommended to clients. A survey questionnaire was mailed to a stratified random sample of 2,000 veterinarians whose practices were at least half food animals. A cross-sectional study was used to examine the responses to determine whether differences existed on the basis of a respondent's geographic location, number of years since graduation from veterinary college, and percentage of practice devoted to beef and dairy cattle. The response rate was 71% (1,424/2,000). Of those practitioners responding, 93% (1,325/1,424) reported using NSAID, with approximately 57 (751/1,322), 24 (327/1,322), and 18% (244/1,322) of respondents reporting use more than once a week, once a week, and 1 to 2 times per month, respectively. Dairy practitioners reported more frequent use than did beef practitioners. Use of flunixin meglumine was reported more frequently than the use of aspirin, phenylbutazone, or dipyrone. Approximately 88% (1,146/1,306) of respondents that used NSAID did so in combination with antibiotics. Withdrawal times for milk and meat were made on the basis of guidelines for the antibiotic. When using NSAID alone, recommendations for withdrawal times for milk and meat varied extensively. Overall, practitioners indicated that NSAID were useful and necessary for the treatment of food-producing animals."}
{"id": "PMID:1483905", "title": "Benefits and costs of using an orally absorbed vaccine to control rabies in raccoons.", "content": "In November 1989, the epizootic of rabies affecting raccoons in the mid-Atlantic states reached New Jersey. An economic evaluation was conducted in 2 counties first affected by the epizootic to estimate the costs of the epizootic and to assess the costs and benefits of orally administering a newly developed recombinant rabies vaccine to prevent further spread of the disease. Data on expenditures associated with prevention of rabies in human beings and domestic animals and laboratory testing of suspect animals were collected and analyzed for 1988 (before the epizootic) and 1990 (first full year of the epizootic). Benefit-cost ratios were calculated and used to evaluate the economic advisability of the vaccine at various vaccination program alternatives. Two indices of capital investment analysis, payback period and net present value, were used to evaluate the economic benefits of the rabies vaccine. Expenditures were estimated to be $1,952,014 in 1990 (primarily for pet animal vaccinations), compared with $768,488 in 1988. Benefit-cost ratios ranged from 2.21 for the most expensive vaccination program alternative to 6.80 for the least expensive alternative. The payback period varied from 0.69 to 2.11 years, and the net present value ranged from $2,105,453 to $4,877,452. The high costs of this epizootic necessitated the reallocation of scarce public health resources to various rabies prevention activities, particularly the vaccination of dogs. This study also demonstrated the usefulness of benefit-cost analysis in developing public health strategies. Although the mass application of this recombinant vaccine was found to be economically beneficial, other qualitative considerations must be used to supplement these findings."}
{"id": "PMID:1483906", "title": "Epizootic of rabies in raccoons in Maryland from 1981 to 1987.", "content": "The epizootic of rabies in raccoons entered Maryland in 1981 and systematically moved through the state affecting raccoons in all counties except those of the lower Eastern Shore. A precoded surveillance form was provided to all county and city health departments and data were requested for each animal head submitted for testing for the year 1985. The disease persisted and, in 1987, all counties previously reporting rabies in raccoons also had documented cases in other species. The incidence of rabies in raccoons increased in late winter and peaked in March. Most human exposures occurred during daylight hours and in private yards. Agricultural areas were similarly affected by rabid animals. Analysis of vaccination status of animals exposed to rabid animals gave estimations of statewide vaccination rates for dogs (70%) and cats (28%). The danger of rabies in cats was emphasized by the large number of animals exposed by each rabid cat. The spillover of rabies in raccoons to other species persisted in all jurisdiction through 1992, with periodic upsurges of disease at 3- to 4-year intervals as the raccoon population is replenished. Rabies was not diagnosed in any human beings."}
{"id": "PMID:1483907", "title": "Yohimbine/flumazenil antagonism of hemodynamic alterations induced by a combination of midazolam, xylazine, and butorphanol in dogs.", "content": "Reversal of hemodynamic alterations induced by midazolam maleate (1.0 mg/kg of body weight), xylazine hydrochloride (0.44 mg/kg), and butorphanol tartrate (0.1 mg/kg) with yohimbine (0.1 mg/kg) and flumazenil (0.25 mg/kg) was evaluated in 5 dogs. The dogs were anesthetized with isoflurane for instrumentation. With return to consciousness, baseline values were recorded, and the midazolam/xylazine/butorphanol mixture with glycopyrrolate was administered IV. Hemodynamic data were recorded for 60 minutes, and then a reversal mixture of yohimbine and flumazenil was administered IV. All variables were measured 1 minute from beginning of the reversal injection. Mean arterial pressure, pulmonary arterial pressure, systemic vascular resistance, and right ventricular stroke work index increased significantly (P < 0.05) above baseline at 60 minutes. Cardiac index and central venous pressure significantly decreased below baseline at 60 minutes. After reversal, mean arterial pressure and central venous pressure significantly decreased from baseline, whereas cardiac index, pulmonary arterial pressure, and right ventricular stroke work index increased significantly above baseline. Heart rate, cardiac index, and right ventricular stroke work index increased significantly above the 60-minute value after reversal. Mean arterial pressure and systemic vascular resistance decreased significantly (P < 0.05) below the 60-minute value after reversal. The hemodynamic alterations accompanying midazolam/xylazine/butorphanol sedation-anesthesia may be rapidly reversed with a combination of yohimbine and flumazenil."}
{"id": "PMID:1483908", "title": "Resolution of generalized dermatophytosis without treatment in dogs.", "content": "Natural resolution of generalized dermatophytosis reportedly is common in large-animal species. In dogs with generalized dermatophytosis, antifungal treatment usually is prescribed, because the prevalence of natural resolution of dermatophytosis in dogs is not known. Five dogs, 6 to 18 months old, were diagnosed as having generalized dermatophytosis. Each dog was treated with an inert substance given orally with food, once daily. Signs of disease resolved in 3 of the dogs after 4 to 8 weeks of treatment with the inert substance. Two dogs did not improve, so treatment with ketoconazole was initiated. Resolution was achieved in these 2 dogs after 6 weeks of treatment with ketoconazole."}
{"id": "PMID:1483909", "title": "Pneumothorax in a dog infected with Dirofilaria immitis.", "content": "Rupture of a pulmonary abscess secondary to Dirofilaria immitis infection was the cause of acute pneumothorax in a dog. The dog was euthanatized because it did not respond well to treatment for pneumothorax. Postmortem examination revealed a mass in the right middle lung lobe and adult D immitis in the pulmonary artery. Histologic examination of the lungs revealed microfilariae, suppurative inflammation, thrombi, vasculitis, and fibrosis. Clinicians should include D immitis infection in the differential diagnosis of pneumothorax."}
{"id": "PMID:1483910", "title": "Malignant anterior uveal melanoma with diffuse metastasis in a dog.", "content": "Enucleation was performed in 10-year-old sexually intact female mixed-breed German Shepherd Dog. Histologic examination revealed that the dog had an uveal amelanotic melanoma of the eye. The tumor consisted of anaplastic cells with a high mitotic index, indicating malignancy. On examination 3 months after enucleation, the dog had difficulty breathing and nasal discharge. Radiography revealed pulmonary metastasis. The dog was euthanatized. Necropsy revealed diffuse metastasis involving various organs."}
{"id": "PMID:1483911", "title": "Aneurysmal bone cyst in a six-month-old dog.", "content": "A 6-month-old female Yorkshire Terrier was examined because of acute left forelimb lameness secondary to a Salter-Harris type IV fracture of the lateral condyle of the humerus. Radiography revealed an eccentric, osteolytic lesion in the distal humeral metaphysis associated with a pathologic fracture. The limb was amputated, and the dog recovered. Microscopic examination revealed an extensive zone of hemorrhage and dilated coalescent spaces, which were filled with blood. Hemosiderin-laden macrophages and multinucleated giant cells were observed throughout the stroma. On the basis of clinical, radiographic, and histologic examinations, a diagnosis of aneurysmal bone cyst was made. Aneurysmal bone cysts generally have been detected in 11- to 13-year-old, medium- to large-sized dogs. They can develop secondary to malignant processes."}
{"id": "PMID:1483912", "title": "Hypertrophic osteopathy in three horses and a pony.", "content": "Hypertrophic osteopathy was diagnosed in 3 horses and in a pony, ranging in age from 8 to 21 years. There were 2 females, 1 sexually intact male, and 1 gelding. In 3 animals, hypertrophic osteopathy was associated with pulmonary abscesses, bronchogenic squamous cell carcinoma, and ovarian granulosa-cell tumor, respectively, and resulted in death or euthanasia. Duration of the condition ranged from 1 to 4 months. In 1 horse, hypertrophic osteopathy was believed to be secondary to pregnancy, and resolved following uncomplicated delivery of a live foal."}
{"id": "PMID:1483913", "title": "Excision of the distal sesamoid bone for treatment of infection of the digit in a heifer.", "content": "An 8-month-old Holstein heifer was evaluated for right hind limb lameness of 3 weeks' duration. Diagnoses were osteomyelitis and fracture of the distal sesamoid bone, septic arthritis of the distal interphalangeal joint, and osteomyelitis of the third phalanx. After excision of a section of tissue from the plantar aspect of the digit and partial section of the deep digital flexor tendon, the distal sesamoid bone was excised. The third phalanx was curetted, and the surgical wound was lavaged. Twenty months after surgery, the heifer was fully weightbearing on the affected digit. Surgical exploration of the digit should be considered an alternative to claw amputation in cattle that have severe digital infections."}
{"id": "PMID:1483914", "title": "Severe renal oxalosis in five young Beefmaster calves.", "content": "Severe renal oxalosis was diagnosed in 4 male and 1 female purebred Beefmaster calves from herds in southeastern and northwestern United States. Clinical signs included weakness, anorexia, lethargy, alopecia, dehydration, and diarrhea. Results of serum biochemical analysis for 2 calves were consistent with end-stage renal disease. Calves died 2 days to 6 weeks after birth. At necropsy, renal calyces were dilated and contained pale yellow granular calculi. Histologically, there was renal interstitial fibrosis, and cortical and medullary tubules were distended with calcium oxalate crystals. Oxalate crystals were also in the tracheal glands of 1 calf. Severe renal oxalosis in young purebred calves, on widely varied diets, with no known exposure to exogenous oxalates is suggestive of an inherited metabolic defect resulting in primary hyperoxaluria."}
{"id": "PMID:1483915", "title": "Concurrent mammary gland hyperplasia and adrenocortical carcinoma in a domestic ferret.", "content": "Mammary gland hyperplasia associated with adrenocortical carcinoma in a domestic ferret had a histologic appearance similar to that observed in cats. It is important to consider this hyperplastic condition in the differential diagnosis of mammary gland enlargement in the ferret."}
{"id": "PMID:1483916", "title": "Epididymal swelling attributable to generalized lymphosarcoma in a stallion.", "content": "Aspermia was diagnosed in a 12-year-old Thoroughbred stallion with generalized lymphosarcoma. Invasion of the epididymus by neoplastic cells caused thickening and enlargement of both epididymes. The testes were not affected. The nodular ultrasonographic architecture was similar to that in previously reported cases of infectious epididymitis."}
{"id": "PMID:1483917", "title": "Vacuum phenomenon associated with osteochondrosis of the scapulohumeral joint in dogs: 100 cases (1985-1991).", "content": "The vacuum phenomenon was visualized in 20 of 100 scapulohumeral joints with osteochondritic lesions in 65 dogs. The phenomenon was associated with the finding of a cartilage flap, lack of joint effusion, and clinical signs of pain and lameness. The vacuum phenomenon was not observed on radiography of 30 clinically normal contralateral joints, and it could not be induced in 36 clinically normal scapulohumeral joints radiographed under stressed extension."}
{"id": "PMID:1483918", "title": "Stress reactions and stress fractures of the proximal palmar aspect of the third metacarpal bone in horses: 58 cases (1980-1990).", "content": "The case records, radiographs, and nuclear bone scans of 58 horses with stress reactions or stress fractures of the proximal palmar aspect of the third metacarpal bone (MC3) were reviewed. There were 47 Standardbreds, 4 Quarter Horses, 3 Thoroughbreds, 2 Arabians, 1 Oldenburg, and 1 Pony of America. Fifty-six of the horses were racehorses or performance horses. The mean and median ages of affected horses were 4 and 3 years, respectively. Lameness ranged from mild to severe. Physical findings were usually subtle and included signs of pain on deep palpation of the proximal palmar aspect of MC3 and slight effusion of the middle carpal joint in some cases. Lameness was commonly improved by high palmar and palmar metacarpal nerve blocks or anesthesia of the middle carpal joint. Fifty-three horses had higher than normal radiopharmaceutical uptake in the proximal palmar aspect of MC3 in the left or right limb. The other 5 horses had higher than normal radiopharmaceutical uptake bilaterally. Fifty-six of the 63 limbs with abnormal bone scans also had abnormal radiographs. Treatment consisted of a variable period of rest (1 to 6 months). Healing was best assessed by follow-up bone scans. Of the 45 horses for which follow-up information was adequate, 29 (64%) returned to their previous level of performance."}
{"id": "PMID:1483923", "title": "Inactivation of the p53 gene is not required for tumorigenesis of medullary thyroid carcinoma or pheochromocytoma.", "content": "A polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-mediated RNase protection analysis was performed to detect subtle genetic alterations of p53 in medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) and pheochromocytoma. None of the 30 pheochromocytomas showed abnormal RNase protection patterns. Only one of 32 MTCs showed an abnormal pattern, and subsequent DNA sequencing of the PCR product revealed that it had a G to C transversion in codon 49 that resulted in a change from aspartic acid to histidine. However, this was a sporadic MTC with no specific clinicopathological characteristics. On the basis of a previous report that genes on chromosome 17p were not deleted in MTCs and were relatively infrequently deleted in pheochromocytomas, our results suggest that the p53 gene is not involved in tumorigenesis of MTC or pheochromocytoma."}
{"id": "PMID:1483924", "title": "Precise localization of the excision repair gene, ERCC5, to human chromosome 13q32.3-q33.1 by direct R-banding fluorescence in situ hybridization.", "content": "The genomic DNA fragment encoding the excision repair gene, ERCC5, was mapped by direct R-banding fluorescence in situ hybridization. The signals were localized to human chromosome 13q32.3-q33.1. This result was in agreement with previous reports, and the gene was assigned to a narrower region."}
{"id": "PMID:1483925", "title": "Effect of pravastatin, a potent 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase inhibitor, on survival of AH130 hepatoma-bearing rats.", "content": "3-Hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitor is known to have an inhibitory effect on cell growth in addition to a cholesterol-lowering effect. This study examined the effect of pravastatin, a potent inhibitor of HMG-CoA reductase, on the survival of AH130 hepatoma-bearing rats. Pravastatin (1, 2, or 8 mg/kg body weight) was intraperitoneally injected once a day into tumor-bearing rats. The difference in the survival curves was significant between the controls and the rats treated with 8 mg/kg of pravastatin (P < 0.019 by logrank test) but not between the controls and the rats treated with 1 or 2 mg/kg of the inhibitor. The tumor volume was significantly decreased in the rats treated with 8 mg/kg of pravastatin (P < 0.05). These observations showed that intraperitoneal injection of pravastatin could improve the survival of AH130 hepatoma-bearing rats and had an inhibitory effect on the growth of the ascites form tumor."}
{"id": "PMID:1483926", "title": "Telomere elongation frequently observed during tumor metastasis.", "content": "Changes in the number of telomere repeat arrays have been examined during metastasis of two mouse tumor cell lines. Telomeres were detected as bands and a smear by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and gel-hybridization using (TTAGGG)4 as a probe. Very long size variants of telomeres were frequently observed in metastatic nodules. This suggests that at least some of the tumor cells have an ability to elongate telomeres. This elongation may compensate for the continuous loss of telomere repeats due to cell divisions, which would eventually lead to cell death."}
{"id": "PMID:1483927", "title": "Oligonucleotide sequences required for natural killer cell activation.", "content": "Based on the previous finding that certain 30-mer single-stranded oligodeoxyribonucleotides (oligonucleotides) having particular 6-mer palindromic sequences could induce interferon-alpha and -gamma, and enhance natural killer activity, the present study was carried out to clarify the entire relationship between the activity and the sequence of 30-mer oligonucleotides. The results indicated that the activity depended critically on the presence of particular palindromic sequences including the 5'-CG-3' motif(s). The size and the number of palindromes as well as the extra-palindromic sequences also influenced the activity. An oligonucleotide with a 10-mer palindrome and extra-palindromic oligoguanylate sequences showed the strongest activity among the oligonucleotides tested."}
{"id": "PMID:1483928", "title": "A prospective study of atrophic gastritis and stomach cancer risk.", "content": "The relation of atrophic gastritis, other gastric lesions and lifestyle factors to stomach cancer risk was prospectively studied among 3,914 subjects who underwent gastroscopic examination and responded to a questionnaire survey at the Aichi Cancer Center Hospital. During 4.4 years of follow-up on average, 45 incident cases of stomach cancer were identified at least three months after the initial examination. If the baseline endoscopic findings indicated the presence of atrophic gastritis, the risk of developing stomach cancer was increased 5.73-fold, compared with no indication at the baseline. The risk further increased with advancing degree of atrophy and increasing extension of atrophy on the lesser curvature. These trends in the relative risks were statistically significant (P = 0.027 and P = 0.041, respectively). The risk of developing stomach cancer was statistically significantly increased among subjects with gastric polyps, but not among those with gastric ulcer. Stomach cancer cases tended to consume more cigarettes, alcohol, rice, pickles and salted fish gut/cod roe and less fruits and vegetables and to have more family histories of stomach cancer than noncases, although these differences were not statistically significant. The results of the present study provide additional evidence on the relation between atrophic gastritis and stomach cancer and suggest a need for intensive follow-up of patients with atrophic gastritis and gastric polyps."}
{"id": "PMID:1483929", "title": "Clinicopathologic characteristics and prognosis of breast cancer patients associated with pregnancy and lactation: analysis of case-control study in Japan.", "content": "Clinicopathologic characteristics and prognosis of breast cancer patients associated with pregnancy and lactation were clarified by means of a case-control study of matched non-pregnant and non-lactating patients with breast cancer. From 18 institutions in Japan, a total of 192 subjects with breast cancer diagnosed during pregnancy (72 cases) and lactation (120 cases) were collected between 1970 and 1988, accounting for 0.76% of all breast cancer patients. The duration of symptoms was longer and tumor size was larger in the study subjects. Although the disease-free interval was longer than that in the control patients, the survival time was shorter. There was no characteristic difference in histologic type. Vascular invasion and lymph node metastasis were found more frequently in the subjects. The positive rates of estrogen receptor and progesterone receptor were lower in the subjects. The 5- and 10-year survival rates of the study patients were 65% and 55%, respectively, and these survivals were significantly lower than those of the control (P < 0.001). The survival rates were poorer in the subjects, in accordance with stage and lymph node metastasis. The results suggest that most of the patients with breast cancer diagnosed during pregnancy and lactation are in a more advanced stage because of a delay in detection and diagnosis, and hence have unfavorable prognosis. Therefore, it is important to diagnose and treat early for improvement of prognosis in patients with breast cancer during pregnancy and lactation."}
{"id": "PMID:1483930", "title": "Comparison of the anatomic distribution of stomach cancer and precancerous gastric lesions.", "content": "The anatomic distribution of precancerous gastric lesions among 3,400 residents in Linqu, Shandong Province of China, was compared with the anatomic distribution of stomach cancer (SC) among 959 patients in Tokyo, Japan. The incidence of SC is high in both areas, and locations within the stomach of the precancerous and malignant lesions were classified using similar criteria. Chronic atrophic gastritis (CAG) affected 98% of the population in Linqu, with intestinal metaplasia (IM) the most severe diagnosis in 33% and dysplasia (DYS) in 20%. Neither the SC nor precancerous lesions were uniformly distributed in the stomach. Among the DYS 3% were along the greater curvature of the body, 15% along the lesser curvature of the body, 25% in the angulus, 22% along the lesser curvature of the antrum, and 34% elsewhere in the antrum. Among the SC the corresponding percentages were 2, 16, 28, 25 and 29. The similarity to the SC distribution increased gradually from CAG to IM to DYS, providing further evidence for the multistage progression of precancerous gastric lesions."}
{"id": "PMID:1483931", "title": "An intrinsic thymic epithelial abnormality is responsible for the spontaneous development of predominantly lymphocytic thymomas in BUF/Mna rats.", "content": "The nature of tumorigenesis of predominantly lymphocytic thymoma was examined using an animal model. Rats of the inbred BUF/Mna strain were found spontaneously to develop predominantly lymphocytic thymomas, histologically indistinguishable from their human counterparts, at an incidence of virtually 100%. Thymic rudiments of BUF/Mna rats grafted 17 months previously under the renal capsule of young athymic ACI/NMs-rnu/rnu rats also gave rise to similar lesions. The lymphocytes in the thymomas expressed T-cell antigens (rat Lyt-1 and Lyt-2.3), as in the normal case, and ACI rat specific antigen. When BUF/Mna rats of thymoma age were irradiated with a lethal dose of 12 Gy and then received a single injection of bone marrow cells (8 x 10(7)) from BALB/c-nu/nu mice, thymomas were re-formed three weeks later (in 2 of 5 rats) with the replacement lymphocytes expressing mouse Thy-1.2 antigen. These results indicate that an intrinsic thymic epithelial abnormality is responsible for the development of predominantly lymphocytic thymomas in BUF/Mna rats."}
{"id": "PMID:1483932", "title": "Accelerated appearance of skin tumors in hairless mice by repeated UV irradiation with initial intense exposure and characterization of the tumors.", "content": "Skin tumors were produced on the back of hairless mice, HOS (HR/De), by exposure to ultraviolet B light (UVB, 290-320 nm) with 4 different protocols. The first tumors appeared earlier (in 10 weeks in group I and 7 weeks in group III) when initial intense exposure was given, followed by repeated lower-level exposures, than when the mice were exposed to the repeated UV only (in 16 weeks both in group II and group IV). All mice developed skin tumors earlier in the groups given the repeated UV exposures three times a week than in the groups given the exposures twice a week. Most of the skin tumors produced by the UVB exposure were histologically malignant, being transplantable to nude mice, and the cultured cells grown from the tumors were capable of producing tumors when injected into nude mice. The accelerated development of skin tumors by initial intense exposure and short intervals of repeated exposure observed in this study may have implications for humans who expose themselves to intense sunbathing and UV tanning (burning) by fluorescent sun lamps."}
{"id": "PMID:1483933", "title": "Lack of allelic preference in amplification and loss of the c-myc oncogene in methylcholanthrene-induced mouse sarcomas.", "content": "Sarcomas were induced in F1 mice between C57BL/6N and C3H/He strains by subcutaneous injection of methylcholanthrene. The c-myc oncogene was found to be amplified in 16 cases among 43 sarcomas of C57BL/6N x C3H/He mice and 1 case among 5 sarcomas of the reciprocal cross. The origin of the amplified allele was determined by the polymerase chain reaction single strand conformation polymorphism analysis. Among the 17 sarcomas, only one had both of the alleles amplified. The rest of the tumors carried the amplified c-myc allele coming either from C57BL/6N (9 cases) or from C3H/He (8 cases). These results indicate that the c-myc allele is amplified randomly in methylcholanthrene-induced mouse sarcomas irrespective of its origin, such as paternal or maternal allele and C57BL/6N or C3H/He allele. In addition to these changes, the unamplified c-myc oncogene was found to be lost in 12 cases out of the 17 sarcomas with the amplification."}
{"id": "PMID:1483934", "title": "Genomic organization of the human WT1 gene.", "content": "We have analyzed the genomic structure of the human WT1 gene, one of the recessive oncogenes for Wilms' tumor at chromosome 11p13. By analyses of three cosmids covering the WT1 gene as well as products generated by polymerase chain reaction, cleavage sites for 10 restriction enzymes were mapped in a region of about 80 kb, and the positions of 10 exons were defined. We also mapped two polymorphic sites for TaqI. Our genomic map will be useful to analyze DNA abnormalities sometimes found in the tumors, as well as loss of heterozygosity."}
{"id": "PMID:1483935", "title": "Quercetin, an inhibitor of heat shock protein synthesis, inhibits the acquisition of thermotolerance in a human colon carcinoma cell line.", "content": "Here, we describe the effects of quercetin on the induction of thermotolerance as examined by colony forming assay in a cell line derived from human colon carcinoma (COLO320 DM). Cells became resistant to heat treatment at 45 degrees C when they were preheated at 42 degrees C for 1.5 h or at 45 degrees C for 10 min. This induction of thermotolerance was almost completely inhibited by continuous treatment with 100 microM quercetin during the first and second heating sessions, and the interval between. This effect of quercetin was demonstrated to be dose-dependent over a concentration range of 50-200 microM. Quercetin did not increase the thermosensitivity of non-tolerant cells. The presence of quercetin during the first conditioning heating was more effective in inhibiting thermotolerance than its presence during the second heating. Quercetin was also found to inhibit the acquisition of thermotolerance induced by sodium arsenite. Cycloheximide, a nonspecific inhibitor of protein synthesis, did not affect the acquisition of thermotolerance by the same cell line. Quercetin specifically inhibits the synthesis of all heat shock proteins so far reported previously, and this leads to inhibition of the induction of thermotolerance. Such inhibition of thermotolerance by quercetin may improve the efficacy of clinical fractionated hyperthermia."}
{"id": "PMID:1483936", "title": "Flow cytometric analyses of the characteristics of tumor cells treated with two platinum compounds: 1,1-cyclobutanedicarboxylato(2-aminomethylpyrrolidine)- platinum(II) and cisplatin.", "content": "In order to reduce the toxicities of cisplatin (DDP) and/or to improve antitumor efficacy, a large number of new platinum analogues have been synthesized. 1,1-Cyclobutanedicarboxylato(2-aminomethylpyrrolidine)platin um(II) (DWA2114R) is one of them. In this study, we characterized the action mechanism of DWA2114R flow-cytometrically in 3 human lung cancer cell lines by using bromodeoxyuridine (BrdUrd), rhodamine 123 (Rho) and Ki-67 antibody (Ab), and compared the results with those for DDP. We found that the actions of these 2 platinum analogues were characteristically different at the subcellular level. Our observations may be summarized as follows. a) Simultaneous exposure of cells to DDP and BrdUrd resulted in decreases in fluorescence intensity, i.e. in the amount of BrdUrd incorporated into single-stranded DNA. b) DDP appears to be approximately 20-fold more active than DWA2114R in producing cell cycle perturbation. c) In PC-6 small cell carcinoma cells, DDP induced decreases in S phase cells and accumulation of cells in the G2M phase, whereas in PC-10 squamous carcinoma and PC-3 adenocarcinoma cells DDP produced S phase cell accumulation. Weak but similar changes occurred with DWA2114R. d) The high Ki-67 antigen cell population was decreased by treatment with either DDP or DWA2114R, but DDP reduced the low Ki-67 antigen population more than DWA2114R. e) In PC-10 and PC-6 cells, DDP suppressed Rho incorporation into live mitochondria, whereas DWA2114R produced no change in Rho incorporation. PC-3 cells were not affected by either DDP or DWA2114R. It is likely that these differences reflect the biological activities of DDP and DWA2114R."}
{"id": "PMID:1483938", "title": "Vertical transmission of HTLV-1 in HTLV-1 carrier rat.", "content": "A female F344 rat was injected with 2.4 x 10(6) MT-2 cells intravenously at 3 and 4 weeks old, and was mated with a non-infected male rat at the 17th week after injection, when the dam rat contained HTLV-1 provirus in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells as determined by polymerase chain reaction. HTLV-1 provirus was detected in at least 2 out of 9 offspring. This system should be useful for studies on the routes and prevention of vertical transmission and on elimination of once-transmitted HTLV-1."}
{"id": "PMID:1483939", "title": "Physical ordering of three polymorphic DNA markers spanning the regions containing a tumor suppressor gene of renal cell carcinoma by three-color fluorescent in situ hybridization.", "content": "Fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) is a powerful technique for gene mapping and multi-color FISH allows us to determine directly the order of two or more probes on both metaphase and interphase chromosomes. We report the physical ordering of three DNA markers by three-color FISH using two fluorochrome dyes, fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC; green) and rhodamine (red). The third color was visualized as a pseudo-color (yellow) generated by optical interference with FITC and rhodamine. Using this system we could rapidly determine the order of three polymorphic DNA markers located on the 3p23-p21.2 bands which span a tumor suppressor gene for renal cell carcinoma, lung carcinoma, and several other types of tumors."}
{"id": "PMID:1483940", "title": "Sensitive detection of p53 gene mutations in esophageal endoscopic biopsy specimens by cell sorting combined with polymerase chain reaction single-strand conformation polymorphism analysis.", "content": "For the rapid and sensitive detection of p53 gene mutations in esophageal endoscopic biopsy specimens, we combined cell sorting with the polymerase chain reaction and single-strand conformation polymorphism (PCR-SSCP) analysis. Mutations in exons 5-8 of the p53 gene were investigated by PCR-SSCP analysis using 10(3) sorted nuclei obtained from each endoscopic biopsy specimen of 16 patients with esophageal cancer. DNAs extracted from their respective surgical specimens were investigated by a conventional method of PCR-SSCP analysis. Mutations in the biopsy specimens were detected in 6 of the 12 aneuploid tumors but in none of the 4 diploid tumors. After tumor cell enrichment by cell sorting, one mutation in exon 8 became apparent, which could not be detected from the surgical specimen by a conventional method of PCR-SSCP analysis. This method should improve the sensitivity of detecting p53 gene mutations, and provides additional information concerning the DNA ploidy pattern in the tumors."}
{"id": "PMID:1483941", "title": "The effects of sodium chloride, miso or ethanol on development of intestinal metaplasia after X-irradiation of the rat glandular stomach.", "content": "The influence of sodium chloride (NaCl), miso (Japanese soybean paste) and ethanol on development of intestinal metaplasia was examined. Five-week-old male CD(SD): Crj rats were treated with two 10 Gy doses of X-rays to the gastric region at a 3-day interval (total 20 Gy). After irradiation, the rats received supplementation with NaCl (1% or 10% in diet), miso (10% in diet) or ethanol (10% in drinking water) for 12 months. The number of alkaline phosphatase-positive foci of intestinal metaplasia in rats given 1% NaCl diet (Group 3) after X-rays was significantly elevated as compared to that in rats given X-rays alone (Group 1) (P < 0.01) or X-rays with 10% NaCl (Group 2) (P < 0.01). In the pyloric gland mucosae, the total numbers of metaplastic foci in rats of Group 3 were much higher than in Group 2, or after miso diet (Group 4) or ethanol supplementation (Group 5) (P < 0.01), but no difference was found between Group 2, 4 or 5 and Group 1. Atypical hyperplasia only appeared at incidences of less than 6% in Groups 1-3 and no promoting effect on gastric tumorigenesis was evident in Group 2. The present results thus showed that the occurrence of intestinal metaplasia induced by X-irradiation can be significantly increased by administration of 1% NaCl and decreased by 10% NaCl and ethanol, but this is not associated with any influence on gastric neoplasia."}
{"id": "PMID:1483942", "title": "Modifying effects of fungal and herb metabolites on azoxymethane-induced intestinal carcinogenesis in rats.", "content": "Modifying effects of a fungal product, flavoglaucin, and four plant-derived chemicals, shikonin, gingerol, oleanolic acid and paeoniflorin, on intestinal carcinogenesis were examined in a rat model using azoxymethane (AOM). A total of 280 male F344 rats, 6 weeks old, were divided into 12 groups. Group 1 (30 rats) was given two subcutaneous injections of 15 mg/kg of AOM at the start of the experiment. Groups 2 (30 rats), 3 (20 rats), 4 (20 rats), 5 (30 rats) and 6 (30 rats) received a test chemical (flavoglaucin, shikonin, gingerol, oleanolic acid or paeoniflorin, respectively) in the diet at a concentration of 0.02% for 3 weeks, during which time AOM was applied, and then kept on basal diet until the end of experiment (one year). Groups 7-11 (each 20 rats) were given a test chemical corresponding to Groups 2-6, respectively. Group 12 (20 rats) served as a control. The incidence and average number of intestinal tumors in Group 2 (47%, 0.57 +/- 0.68) were significantly less than in Group 1 (74%, 1.07 +/- 0.87) (P < 0.05, respectively). Multiplicity of intestinal neoplasms of Group 3 (0.55 +/- 0.60) or 4 (0.47 +/- 0.51) was also significantly smaller than that of Group 1 (P < 0.05 and P < 0.01, respectively). These results suggest that flavoglaucin, shikonin and gingerol might be promising chemopreventive agents for intestinal neoplasia."}
{"id": "PMID:1483943", "title": "Forestomach neoplasm induction in F344/DuCrj rats and B6C3F1 mice exposed to sesamol.", "content": "Sesamol was administered at a dietary level of 2% to groups of 30 male and female F344/DuCrj rats and B6C3F1 mice for 104 and 96 weeks, respectively. Squamous cell carcinomas in the forestomach were induced in nine of 29 (31%) effective male rats, three of 30 (10%) female rats, eleven of 29 (38%) male mice and five of 30 (17%) female mice treated with sesamol. Papillomas developed in ten of 29 (34%) male rats and fourteen of 30 (47%) female rats, but not in any of the mice. Hyperplasias developed in almost all rats and mice of both sexes. Significant differences from control values were found for all three lesions in rats and for carcinoma and hyperplasia categories in mice. The incidences of other tumors in the 2% sesamol group were comparable with control values. In conclusion, sesamol induces squamous cell carcinomas in the forestomach of rats and mice, males being more susceptible than females."}
{"id": "PMID:1483944", "title": "3,2'-Dimethyl-4-aminobiphenyl-induced gallbladder carcinogenesis and effects of ethinyl estradiol in hamsters.", "content": "The effects of ethinyl estradiol (EE) on 3,2'-dimethyl-4-aminobiphenyl (DMAB)-induced carcinogenesis were examined in Syrian golden hamsters. DMAB was subcutaneously injected in corn oil at a concentration of 100 mg/kg once a week for 20 weeks and EE was administered in the diet at a dose of 0.75 ppm throughout the experiment. Some animals were killed at week 20 and all surviving ones were killed at week 50. Gallbladder tumors (adenomas and carcinomas) were induced in 6 of 15 hamsters (40%) in the DMAB + EE group and 5 of 14 (36%) in the DMAB alone group in males, and in 6 of 13 (46%) in the DMAB + EE group and 1 of 8 (13%) in the DMAB alone group in females at week 50. A clearer enhancing effect of EE on DMAB gallbladder carcinogenesis was observed for tumor multiplicity (No./animal) for both sexes; from 0.36 to 0.67 in males and from 0.14 to 0.62 in females. Thus, DMAB was demonstrated to be carcinogenic in the gallbladder of hamsters and EE enhanced this DMAB-induced gallbladder tumorigenesis."}
{"id": "PMID:1483945", "title": "p53 gene mutations associated with anaplastic transformation of human thyroid carcinomas.", "content": "Anaplastic carcinoma of the thyroid gland, which is one of the most aggressive, malignant tumors in humans, is considered to originate from preexisting differentiated thyroid cancer. To define the genetic alterations associated with such progression, we examined nine cases of anaplastic thyroid carcinoma for mutation in exons 4-9 of the p53 tumor suppressor gene. Preliminary screening for mutation by RNase protection analysis demonstrated that two out of nine anaplastic carcinomas contained sequence alterations in the p53 gene. Subsequent DNA sequencing identified the mutated nucleotides in these two cases; one was a nonsense mutation at codon 165, and the other was a single-base deletion at codon 176 resulting in the creation of a stop codon downstream due to frameshift. The fact that no mutations were detected in coexisting foci of papillary carcinomas from the same patients shows that these mutations of the p53 gene occurred after development of papillary carcinomas. These results suggest that p53 gene mutation triggers the progression from differentiated into anaplastic carcinoma in the human thyroid gland."}
{"id": "PMID:1483946", "title": "Absence of activating mutations in the transmembrane domain of the c-erbB-2 protooncogene in human lung cancer.", "content": "The rat neu gene is known to be activated by a point mutation in its predicted transmembrane domain. Overexpression of the human homologue of neu, the c-erbB-2 gene, in human lung cancer has been reported, and a similar activating point mutation has been suggested. Therefore, we tested for possible aberrations of the c-erbB-2 gene in the region of the transmembrane domain in surgical specimens of human primary lung cancer from 190 patients, and also examined 24 metastases and 26 specimens of noncancerous portions of the lung of the same patients. Single-strand conformation polymorphism analysis of polymerase chain reaction products revealed no point mutations in the target domain in any of these specimens."}
{"id": "PMID:1483947", "title": "Differences in chemotaxis to fibronectin in weakly and highly metastatic tumor cells.", "content": "We have examined the chemotactic ability of tumor cell lines with different metastatic potential to plasma fibronectin in Transwell chamber assay. Human renal carcinoma cells with highly metastatic potential, SN12 C-2, chemotactically migrated to fibronectin (10 micrograms/ml) about three-fold more strongly than weakly metastatic SN12 C-4 cells. Similarly, murine melanoma B16-BL6 cells (highly metastatic) showed higher motility to soluble fibronectin in comparison with weakly metastatic B16-F1 cells. Anti-VLA-alpha 3 and beta 1 antibodies potently blocked the chemotaxis of both highly and weakly metastatic cells (SN12 C-2 and C-4) to fibronectin. This implies that the migration of both C-2 and C-4 cells to fibronectin is basically mediated by VLA-3 receptor. In contrast, the anti-VLA-alpha 5 antibody and RGDS peptide significantly inhibited the chemotaxis of SN12 C-2 cells to fibronectin, but did not affect weakly metastatic SN12 C-4 cells. These results suggest that the chemotactic ability to fibronectin positively correlates with the metastatic potential in SN12 and B16 cell lines, and that VLA-5 receptor is concerned in the motility of highly metastatic SN12 C-2 cells to soluble fibronectin."}
{"id": "PMID:1483948", "title": "Recombinant human interferon-alpha 2a increases hormone receptor level of a human breast carcinoma xenograft in nude mice and enhances the anti-proliferative activity of tamoxifen.", "content": "The effect of recombinant human interferon-alpha 2a (rhIFN-alpha 2a) on the hormone receptor level and antitumor activity of tamoxifen (TAM) was investigated in nude mice using ZR-75-1, an estrogen receptor (ER)-positive, and progesterone receptor (PgR)-negative human breast carcinoma xenograft. ER levels (maximum binding sites) of tumors treated with rhIFN-alpha 2a at a dose of 6 x 10(5) U/mouse/day for 1 or 3 wk were not significantly different from the control, whereas those with rhIFN-alpha 2a at a dose of 6 x 10(4) U/mouse/day for 1 or 3 wk were higher than the control (3.9- to 4.4-fold) with a significant difference at P < 0.01. The increase of ER by rhIFN-alpha 2a was investigated using a sucrose density gradient method. The peak was only seen at 8S in both rhIFN-alpha 2a-treated tumor and control ER, and the sedimentation patterns were almost the same, suggesting that both ERs were essentially equivalent. On the other hand, PgR of all the treated groups could be detected, while that of the control group was undetectable. The antitumor effect of the combination treatment of rhIFN-alpha 2a and TAM was compared with those of single treatments. While rhIFN-alpha 2a at a dose of 6 x 10(5) U/mouse/day and TAM did not show a combination effect, rhIFN-alpha 2a at a dose of 6 x 10(4) U/mouse/day and TAM showed a synergistic combination effect, and ER was decreased to the threshold of detection by the combination treatment. These findings indicated that a low dose of rhIFN-alpha 2a increased the ER levels of ER-positive human breast cancer in vivo as well as in vitro and enhanced the anti-proliferative effect of TAM, and the newly synthesized ER was essentially the same as the original ER."}
{"id": "PMID:1483949", "title": "Analysis by step sectioning of early invasive bladder cancer with special reference to G3.pT1 disease.", "content": "Eighty cases of cystectomized and step-sectioned pT1 transitional cell carcinomas of various grades were analyzed. During the same period, 30 consecutive cases of pT2 carcinomas were also cystectomized and examined for comparison. This is a cross-sectional study of a variety of cases of bladder cancer, designed to delineate the characteristics of G3.pT1 disease. Tumors in this series had a full set of various pathological findings; grades 1 to 3, stages Ta-T1-T2, papillary-papillonodular-nodular tumor configuration, alpha-beta-gamma type of invasion, presence of lymphatic and venous involvement, and presence of associated carcinoma in situ/dysplasia. There is a distinct tendency of stepwise disease progression, such as grade 1-->3, stage T1-->T2, papillary-->nodular configuration, and alpha-->gamma invasion, these factors being mutually related. We noted a similarity between tumor groups containing G3 component, such as G2-3.pT1, G3 > 2.pT1, G3.pT1, G1-3.pT2, and G3.pT2. These tumors are different from groups such as G1-2.pT1, G2.pT1 and G2 > 3.pT1 in terms of tumor configuration and type of invasion. As regards pT1 having G3 components, early cystectomy seems to be the surest treatment. Whenever one adopts a conservative policy in treatment of these tumors, extreme care should be taken to monitor tumor progression."}
{"id": "PMID:1483951", "title": "Detection of locally recurrent colorectal cancer with radiolabeled monoclonal antibody H-15.", "content": "H-15 (HT-29-15) is an IgG1 mouse monoclonal antibody (mAb) to a cell surface antigen (molecular mass, 200,000 daltons) present on virtually all colorectal cancers and also in normal pancreatic ducts and bile ducts, but not in other normal tissues. The biological distribution and imaging characteristics of iodine-131 (131I)-labeled mAb H-15 were studied in 5 primary colorectal cancer patients and 9 patients with local recurrence of colorectal cancer. H-15 mAb labeled with 0.5-10 mCi of 131I was administered 7 to 8 days before surgery at 4 dose levels, ranging from 0.2 to 6 mg. Selective mAb H-15 localization to tumor tissues was demonstrated in 6 of 12 patients with antigen-positive tumors: in two patients, recurrent tumors were negative to H-15 mAb, although the primary tumors were positive. In six patients with positive radioimaging, tumor:normal tissue ratios ranged from 2.05 to 5.35 and tumor:serum ratios from 1.18 to 2.73. The clarity of images seems to correlate well with the latter ratios. Technetium-99 (99mTc)-albumin blood pool studies in selected cases showed that local recurrence of colorectal cancers was hypovascular, emphasizing the selective localization of mAb H-15 despite poor blood flow distribution in the tumors. The results altogether demonstrated that radioimmunodetection with 131I mAb H-15 is valuable for differentiating recurrent colorectal cancer from granuloma formation after surgery."}
{"id": "PMID:1483950", "title": "Solid-phase anti-CD3 antibody activation and cryopreservation of human tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes derived from epithelial ovarian cancer.", "content": "The effect of solid-phase anti-CD3 antibody activation and cryopreservation was evaluated on thirteen samples of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) derived from epithelial ovarian cancer. Seven preparations of TILs were cultured with or without solid-phase anti-CD3 antibody in addition to 100 units/ml of recombinant interleukin-2 (rIL-2). The proliferation rate of all of the seven TIL preparations stimulated by anti-CD3 antibody on the fourth or fifth day of culture was 3.4 to 9.8 times greater than that of lymphocytes cultured with rIL-2 alone. Furthermore, in an experiment with five TIL samples activated with anti-CD3 antibody, three of them showed augmented cytotoxic activity against autologous fresh tumor cells. The population of CD3+/CD8+ TILs was increased after 4-5 weeks of cultivation and CD8+ lymphocytes amounted to over 70% in all of seven preparations tested, whereas two of seven preparations not activated by anti-CD3 antibody were CD3+/CD4(+)-dominant. In addition, nine preparations of TILs cultured with rIL-2 were cryopreserved for several weeks; after recovery from cryopreservation, no major change was observed in cell surface markers, in growth rate or in cytotoxic activity. These results suggest that cryopreserved and/or anti-CD3 antibody-activated lymphocytes could conveniently be employed in a clinical trial of adoptive immunotherapy employing TIL."}
{"id": "PMID:1483962", "title": "Culture and characterization of pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells.", "content": "Surface proteins were compared in endothelial cells (EC) obtained from bovine peripheral lung, pulmonary artery and vein, and dorsal aorta using sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Galactose-containing glycoproteins [molecular weight (M(r)) 160-220 and 40 kDa] binding to the Ricinus communis agglutinin (RCA) and peanut agglutinin (PNA) were selectively observed on pulmonary microvessel EC as compared to EC from pulmonary artery, pulmonary vein, and dorsal aorta. The unique RCA- and PNA-binding profiles of EC from the pulmonary artery and microvessels may be important in characterizing EC from different sites in the pulmonary circulation. The pulmonary microvessel EC monolayer was also 15-fold more restrictive to transendothelial flux of [14C]sucrose (M(r) = 342 Da) than the pulmonary artery EC monolayer. In contrast, the microvessel EC were only six- and twofold more restrictive to the flux of larger tracer molecules, ovalbumin (M(r) 43 kDa) and albumin (M(r) = 69 kDa) than pulmonary artery EC. The greater restrictiveness of pulmonary microvessel EC monolayer indicates a major phenotypic difference in the cultured pulmonary microvessel EC barrier function."}
{"id": "PMID:1483963", "title": "Insulinlike growth factor-1 inhibits cell death induced by cycloheximide in MCF-7 cells: a model system for analyzing control of cell death.", "content": "Prolonged exposure of cells to the potent protein synthesis inhibitor cycloheximide terminates in cell death. In the present study we investigated the effect of insulinlike growth factor-1, insulin, and epidermal growth factor on cell death induced by cycloheximide in the confluent MCF-7 cells, and correlated this effect to the inhibition rate of protein synthesis. Cell death was evaluated by measuring either dead cells by the trypan blue dye exclusion test or by the release of lactic dehydrogenase into the culture medium. After 48 h incubation, cycloheximide (10 to 50 micrograms/ml) was shown to induce cell death in a concentration-dependent manner. Insulinlike growth factor-1, at physiologic concentrations (0.2 to 5 ng/ml), reduced this cell death. Insulin at supraphysiologic concentrations (1 to 10 micrograms/ml) mimicked the effect of insulinlike growth factor-1, whereas epidermal growth factor (10 to 50 ng/ml) had no effect. More than 90% of protein synthesis measured by [3H]leucine incorporation was inhibited by 10 to 50 micrograms/ml cycloheximide. Insulinlike growth factor-1 and insulin at the concentrations that reduced cell death to control level, had no effect on the protein synthesis inhibition rate induced by cycloheximide. These results indicate that inhibition of cell death by insulinlike growth factor-1 does not depend on protein synthesis and may be mediated via a posttranslational modification effect."}
{"id": "PMID:1483964", "title": "Relative promoter activity in human mammary epithelial cells assayed by transient expression.", "content": "Chimeric DNA expression vectors containing regulatory sequences proximal to the 5' end of coding sequences for mammalian genes provide valuable tools to study gene expression. Genes coding for easily measured products (reporter genes) can be used to study promoter strength and regulation of gene expression after transient expression of promoter-reporter constructs in mammalian cells. To determine the strength of a variety of mammalian and viral promoter-enhancer sequences in primary cultures of human mammary epithelial cells (HMEC), these sequences were fused to the bacterial chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) gene and transfected into HMEC using strontium phosphate. The long terminal repeat (LTR) of the endogenous murine leukemia virus AKR-623 was the most potent promoter of transient CAT expression in HMEC. A number of commonly available promoter sequences displayed a wide range of activities in these cells. The glucocorticoid responsive LTR promoter from the murine mammary tumor virus modulated expression of CAT and was sensitive to the concentration of dexamethasone in the growth media. In a similar fashion, the regulatory sequences from the murine metallothionein-1 gene retained responsiveness to zinc concentration in the growth media."}
{"id": "PMID:1483965", "title": "Evidence supporting the role of a proteinaceous, loosely bound extracellular molecule in the cell density signaling between tendon cells.", "content": "Normal cells in culture respond to cell density by altering their proliferation rates and their pattern of protein expression. Primary avian tendon (PAT) cells are a case in point where procollagen production increases approximately 10-fold at high cell density while proliferation almost ceases. In an earlier report focusing on the cell density regulation of procollagen expression, the signaling mechanism communicating the presence of other cells was shown to have the characteristics of a loosely bound component of the cell layer. Extending these studies to the cell density regulation of proliferation, the cell density signal (CDS) was again shown to be altered by medium agitation, stimulating cell division. Agitation, however, was only disruptive to cell signaling when there was a high ratio of medium to cells. When sufficient cells were present, agitation was less effective. Therefore, the CDS controlling procollagen production and the CDS controlling the inhibition of growth seemed to be linked because the signaling mechanism is disrupted in a parallel manner by agitation. However, the proliferative response of PAT cells is more complex in that there is also a positive influence at moderate cell density (> 2 x 10(4) cells/cm2) on the rate of cell division. As a consequence, PAT cells would not proliferate into an area of low cell density, but within the same dish would rapidly fill an area of moderate density. PAT cells were capable of filling a gap between high cell density areas if the gap was less than 2 mm. Medium agitation also affected cells at low cell density in a different manner. It was inhibitory if all the cells were at low cell density but it was stimulatory if the cells at low cell density were in close proximity to cells at high cell density. In addition, medium conditioned by agitation over cells at a high cell density would stimulate cells at low cell density to divide and grow out into low cell density regions. Using the growth-promoting activity of the conditioned medium as an assay, this component of the CDS was shown to have unique characteristics: heat, pH, dithiothreitol (DTT) stable; tris ion and protease sensitive. By gel exclusion chromatography it was larger than 100 kDa. But after DTT treatment its mobility shifted to < 30 kDa while retaining activity."}
{"id": "PMID:1483966", "title": "Participation of the mitochondrial genome in the differentiation of neuroblastoma cells.", "content": "Using clonal cell lines isolated from murine neuroblastoma C1300, we investigated the mitochondrial changes related to neuronal differentiation and, more generally, the role played by the mitochondrion in this phenomenon. By different approaches (measurement of the mitochondrial mass, immunoquantification of specific mitochondrial proteins, or incorporation of Rhodamine 123), the differentiation of the inducible clone, N1E-115, was found associated with an important increase of the cellular content in mitochondria. This increase could be observed with differentiating N1E-115 cells maintained in suspension, i.e. under conditions where neurite outgrowth is prevented but other early stages of (biochemical) differentiation continue to occur. That these mitochondrial changes are likely to be correlated with these stages of neuronal differentiation, rather than with simple progression to the postmitotic stage, stems from comparative experiments with clone N1A-103, a neuroblastoma cell line variant that becomes postmitotic after induction but fails to differentiate and shows no modification in its cellular content in mitochondria. In accordance with these observations, chloramphenicol prevents differentiation when added together with the inducer. This effect is probably related to the inhibition of mitochondrial translation rather than to modification of the bioenergetic needs because oligomycine, a potent inhibitor of the mitochondrial ATP synthetase, shows no effect on neurogenesis. As a working hypothesis and in keeping with independently published models, we postulate that products resulting from mitochondrial translation could be involved in the organization of the cytoskeleton or of certain membrane components whose rearrangements should be the prerequisite or the correlates to early stages of neuronal differentiation."}
{"id": "PMID:1483971", "title": "Classification of pervasive developmental disorders: some concepts and practical considerations.", "content": "Classifications have to meet a variety of purposes. Clinical and research needs are different and there is much to be said for separate clinical and research schemes. Care is needed to ensure that classifications provide an appropriate medium for teaching about diagnosis and do not cause difficulties when used as a \"passport\" to resources. Principles of classification are considered in relation to the need to take course, as well as symptomatology, into account, and with respect to the neuropsychiatric interface. The value of a multiaxial approach is noted. The pros and cons of autism and pervasive developmental disorders (PDD) as an overall descriptive term, of lumping or splitting, and of different choices with respect to PDD subcategories are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1483972", "title": "Three diagnostic systems for autism: DSM-III, DSM-III-R, and ICD-10.", "content": "ICD-10 draft research criteria for childhood autism were applied to a previously published data set comparing DSM-III and DSM-III-R to clinicians' diagnoses of autism. The ICD-10 approach paralleled clinicians' patterns of diagnosis and, to a lesser extent, the DSM-III system. Relative to either clinicians, DSM-III, or ICD-10 the DSM-III-R system overdiagnosed the presence of autism. Implications for research and for future revision of diagnostic criteria are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1483969", "title": "Polymorphonuclear leukocytes-mediated lysis of A431 cells induced by IgG1 mouse anti-epidermal growth factor receptor monoclonal antibodies.", "content": "The ability of different Fc receptors (Fc gamma R) on IgG-mediated cytotoxicity for human epidermoid carcinoma A431 cells bearing large number of epidermal growth factor receptors (EGFRs) was examined by using two isotypes (IgG1 and IgG2a) of murine monoclonal antibodies (MoAbs) against EGFR in the presence of human monocytes and granulocytes. Two MoAbs (225 and LA1) of the IgG1 isotype exhibited effective cytolytic activity for A431 cells with human polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) rather than with human mononuclear cells (MNC). In contrast, two MoAbs (528 and 579) of the IgG2a-isotype lysed the cells less effectively with PMN than with MNC. Anti-Fc gamma R II (CDw32) MoAb 2E1 inhibited the IgG1-mediated cytotoxicity by PMN, and anti-Fc gamma R III (CD16) MoAb 80H3 did not inhibit the IgG2a-mediated cytotoxicity by MNC. Under these conditions, antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity by mouse MoAb IgG1 isotypes resulted from antibody binding to the Fc gamma R II (CDw32) of PMN."}
{"id": "PMID:1483967", "title": "Criteria that optimize the potential of murine embryonic stem cells for in vitro and in vivo developmental studies.", "content": "Cultured mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells are used for both in vitro and in vivo studies. The uncommitted pluripotent cells provide a model system with which to study cellular differentiation and development; they can also be used as vectors to carry specific mutations into the mouse genome by homologous recombination. To ensure successful integration into the germ line, competent totipotent diploid ES cell lines are selected using a cell injection bioassay that is both time consuming and technically demanding. The prolonged in vitro culture of rapidly dividing ES cells can lead to accumulated changes and chromosomal abnormalities that will compromise the biological function and abrogate germ line transmission of chimeric mice carrying novel genetic mutations. Such in vitro conditions will vary between individual laboratories; for example, differences in the serums used for maintenance. Using a number of different criteria we attempt in this paper to define the parameters that we found to be key factors for optimization of the biological potential of established ES cell lines. The successful integration into the germ line is dependant on acquiring or deriving a competent totipotent mouse ES diploid cell line. In this paper parameters and criteria are defined which we found to be key factors for the optimization of the biological potential of established ES cell lines."}
{"id": "PMID:1483973", "title": "Comparison of DSM-III-R and childhood autism rating scale diagnoses of autism.", "content": "The purpose of this study was to clarify the issue of whether DSM-III-R (American Psychological Association [APA], 1987) over- or underdiagnoses autism by comparing this diagnostic system to a well-established objective measure of diagnosis, the Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS). A secondary goal was to determine which of the 16 criteria are the best discriminators of autism. DSM-III-R, CARS, and clinical diagnoses of 138 consecutive admissions to a statewide program for the diagnosis and treatment of autistic and related communication-handicapped individuals (Division TEACCH in North Carolina) were compared. Results indicated a generally high degree of agreement on the diagnosis of autism using the three systems. Within this treatment-oriented program, the CARS and clinical ratings diagnosed a greater number of cases as autistic than did the DSM-III-R criteria, suggesting that DSM-III-R slightly underdiagnosed autism. The criteria that most strongly related to the diagnosis of autism regardless of the system were lack of awareness of others, abnormal social play, an impaired ability to make friends, abnormal nonverbal communication, stereotypic body movements, and restricted range of interests."}
{"id": "PMID:1483970", "title": "Decreased cultured endothelial cell proliferation in high glucose medium is reversed by antioxidants: new insights on the pathophysiological mechanisms of diabetic vascular complications.", "content": "Exposure to hyperglycemia slows the rate of proliferation of cultured human endothelial cells. Recently, it has been reported that glucose may autoxidize generating free radicals which have been hypothesized to delay cell replication time. To test whether oxidative stress has an effect on delaying cell replication time in hyperglycemic conditions, human endothelial cells cultured from umbilical veins were incubated in 5 or 20 mM glucose, either alone or in the presence of one of three different antioxidants: superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase and glutathione (GSH). Cells grown in medium with 5 mM glucose, with or without antioxidants, yielded similar population doubling times and cell cycle phase distributions. Significantly lower growth parameters were observed in cells grown in medium with 20 mM glucose, without antioxidants. The presence of the antioxidant reverted them to almost normal growth. These data show that high glucose levels may delay endothelial cells replication time through the generation of free radicals, suggesting a possible pathophysiological linkage between the high levels of glucose and the development of microvascular complications of diabetes, possibly suggesting a new therapeutic approach to prevent such complications."}
{"id": "PMID:1483974", "title": "A review of the DSM-III-R criteria for autistic disorder.", "content": "The objective of this paper is to review the psychometric properties of the new DSM-III-R criteria for autism. Five data sets were evaluated according to a set of methodological criteria. The results indicate that the DSM-III-R criteria for autistic disorder have, on average, very good sensitivity, but much lower specificity. The implications of this are (a) greater numbers of children diagnosed as autistic; (b) greater numbers of children misdiagnosed as autistic; and (c) greater heterogeneity among samples of autistic children. In essence, the DSM-III-R criteria act more like screening tests than diagnostic criteria. Conceptual and methodologic issues in the evaluation of diagnostic criteria are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1483968", "title": "Basic conditions for the drug selection and transient gene expression in the cultured cell line of Bombyx mori.", "content": "We established basic conditions for transient gene expression and selection of antibiotics in the cultured cell line of silkworm, Bombyx mori, by use of the promoter of the heat shock protein (hsp70) gene of Drosophila melanogaster. The control promoter (hsp70) promoted the expression of chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) gene ligated at the downstream, dependent on the orientation of the promoter in the silkworm cell. The cell line is able to be supplied for the promoter assay of the silkworm genes. The concentration for the drug selection was determined as 0.75 mg/ml on neomycin analog, G418 (geneticin)."}
{"id": "PMID:1483975", "title": "Pervasive developmental disorders: from DSM-III to DSM-III-R.", "content": "The present paper provides a brief history of the development of the DSM-III-R (American Psychiatric Association [APA], 1987) section on Pervasive Developmental Disorders. It describes the process by which the contents of the text and criteria for Autistic Disorder and Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified were decided and gives the reasons for the changes from DSM-III (APA, 1980) categories and criteria. The paper concludes with a short discussion of critical diagnostic issues."}
{"id": "PMID:1483976", "title": "Is Rett syndrome a subtype of pervasive developmental disorders?", "content": "The author reviews the issue on whether Rett syndrome (RS) is a subtype of pervasive developmental disorders (PDDs). More than 200 articles of RS have been published in the last 10 years. Internal and external validities of RS have been established by several independent studies. There remains the question whether RS presents clinical features that meet the total criteria for PDDs. The available data seem to support the idea of classifying RS as a subtype of PDDs in the DSM-IV."}
{"id": "PMID:1483977", "title": "Diagnostic assessment in a sample of autistic and developmentally impaired adolescents.", "content": "A sample of 43 autistic and developmentally impaired adolescents were assessed with the Autism Diagnostic Interview (ADI), DSM-III-R criteria, and the clinician's diagnosis. DSM-III-R criteria for autism have low specificity and agree poorly with the other two definitions. Detailed results of the ADI are provided that confirm the usefulness and discriminant validity of this semi-structured diagnostic interview in a sample of very retarded autistic subjects."}
{"id": "PMID:1483978", "title": "The validity of autistic spectrum disorders: a literature review.", "content": "The objective of this literature review is to assess the validity of autistic spectrum disorders (ASD). Twenty papers were identified that adequately investigated the internal or external validity of various subtypes of ASD. At least three groups can be distinguished from autism on clinical grounds; an Asperger syndrome subtype, and two atypical subtypes characterized by low IQ and high IQ. However, the evidence that these clinical distinctions carry inferences with respect to etiology, clinical course, and treatment is only suggestive. Nevertheless, the specification of several ASD subtypes might promote further research and resolve many of the nosologic issues with respect to the classification of pervasive developmental disorders (PDDs)."}
{"id": "PMID:1483979", "title": "Child and adolescent (early onset) schizophrenia: a review in light of DSM-III-R.", "content": "Early onset schizophrenia (EOS) is defined as that beginning in childhood or adolescence (under 16 or 17). Studies of EOS are infrequent, and comparative adult figures not always available, but tentative conclusions may be drawn. EOS is more common in males; symptomatology is often undifferentiated; frequencies of homotypic family disorder, premorbid schizotypal personality, and neurodevelopmental abnormalities high; outcome poor but only slightly worse than in adults; response to psychotropic drug treatment probably similar though not properly tested; and confusion with psychotic bipolar disorder particularly common. Onset before language is developed presents special diagnostic difficulties. There are a few reports of autistic children developing schizophrenia but this requires replication. Differences from adult schizophrenia are more marked when onset is in childhood than in adolescence but all are quantitative rather than qualitative suggesting that the disorders are the same and that there should be no separate category for children or adolescents."}
{"id": "PMID:1483980", "title": "Childhood disintegrative disorder: issues for DSM-IV.", "content": "Childhood disintegrative disorder, also known as Heller syndrome or as disintegrative psychosis, is a relatively uncommon condition which has variably been included in official diagnostic systems. Available evidence regarding the validity of this diagnostic concept, particularly with regard to autism, supports inclusion of the category in DSM-IV. Proposed criteria and narrative description for the disorder are presented."}
{"id": "PMID:1483987", "title": "Endoscopic sphincterotomy: preliminary experience at a university hospital.", "content": "Endoscopic sphincterotomy (ES) was attempted in 38 patients with biliary calculi. There were 21 patients (55.3%) with common bile duct (CBD) stones following cholecystectomy, 14 patients (36.8%) with intact gall bladder and 3 patients with retained CBD stones along with T tube in the early post-operative period. Endoscopic sphincterotomy was possible in all but one patient and duct clearance was attained in 34 (89.4%) patients. Spontaneous clearance of calculi occurred in 31 (81.6%) patients while 3 patients required instrumental extraction. Four patients failed to clear stones and required surgical intervention. Complications occurred in 4 (10.5%) patients--haemorrhage in two, pancreatitis and cholangitis in one each. One patient died of bleeding on the 4th day following ES while hemostasis was achieved in other after two units of blood. Other complications were managed conservatively without any mortality. Endoscopic sphincterotomy appears to be a simple, effective and safe therapeutic modality for the management of biliary calculi."}
{"id": "PMID:1483988", "title": "Fine needle aspiration cytology, sonography and radionuclide scanning in solitary thyroid nodule.", "content": "One hundred and ninety three consecutive patients with solitary thyroid nodule (STN), with a mean age of 36.0 +/- 12.8 years and male to female ratio of 5.6:1, were studied. Ninety five percent of patients came from iodine deficient regions. Seventy two percent presented for local neck swelling, 12.4% for hyperthyroid state and in 7.7% STN was discovered incidentally. Scintigraphically, 77.7% of nodules were cold, 12.4% hot and 8.5% warm. Sonographic evaluation did not reveal any characteristic echotexture diagnostic of malignancy, but detected clinically nonpalpable accessory nodules in 20.6% of patients. Fine needle aspiration cytology was positive for malignancy in 6.2% of patients. Features of follicular and Hurthle cell neoplasm were seen in 12.9% of aspirates. Eighty eight (45.6%) STN were resected surgically. Histologically, there was one false positive and one false negative aspirate and a case of parathyroid adenoma on aspiration proved to be parathyroid carcinoma on histology."}
{"id": "PMID:1483989", "title": "Ranitidine--rifampicin interaction.", "content": "Newly diagnosed patients of pulmonary tuberculosis (n = 112) were put on a rifampicin-containing drug regimen. Fifty six patients were also given a placebo tablet twice daily while the other fifty-six were given ranitidine 150 mg twice daily. Gastric pH, gastric emptying time, serum rifampicin levels, urinary total and unchanged rifampicin, serum bilirubin and ALT levels were measured serially. Clinical record of adverse symptoms was maintained. Ranitidine increased the basal as well as post-drug gastric pH without altering the gastric emptying time. Concomitant administration of ranitidine and rifampicin did not alter the absorption, metabolism or excretion of the latter but reduced the frequency of gastrointestinal symptoms."}
{"id": "PMID:1483990", "title": "IgA associated glomerulonephritis.", "content": "Immunohistological analysis of 1146 renal biopsies revealed IgA associated glomerulonephritis (IgAGN) in 83 (7.24%) patients (33 children, 50 adults). Clinical features were unusually severe in a high proportion. Nephrotic syndrome (NS) responding poorly to prednisolone was found in 24%, hypertension (HT) in 39%, and azotemia in 34% of patients. NS was slightly more frequent in children than in adults, but HT and azotemia occurred twice as often in adults as in children. Histologically, extensive glomerular crescents and sclerosis were prominent. In addition, moderate arteriolitis and arteriolosclerosis and marked tubulointerstitial nephropathy were notable features. Thus, a low incidence and marked severity characterized IgAGN in this study."}
{"id": "PMID:1483991", "title": "Adult respiratory distress syndrome following non-thoracic skeletal trauma.", "content": "Thirty adult patients with severe non-thoracic skeletal trauma were monitored over the first five days for evidence of adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Three of the patients developed progressive respiratory distress, refractory hypoxaemia and pulmonary infiltrates suggestive of ARDS. Two patients died while one recovered completely. Close monitoring is suggested for early recognition of the disease and institution of therapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1483992", "title": "Human rabies: modes of transmission.", "content": "In contrast to past experience, transmission of rabies by routes other than bite or licking by rabid animals has been identified in recent years. Man to man spread via corneal transplant is a well recognised phenomenon now. Airborne infection in caves as well as in laboratories among workers dealing with rabies virus has been well documented. There is also a potential risk of infection to attendants of rabies patients. Hence, adequate protective measures should be adopted."}
{"id": "PMID:1483994", "title": "Acupuncture in bronchial asthma.", "content": "By now, there is adequate clinical experience of treating bronchial asthma with acupuncture. It has a limited role in treating acute attacks since it is a weak bronchodilator, but it has an excellent prophylactic effect in the long run. Controlled trials have shown that acupuncture causes modest improvement in objective parameters, with significant subjective improvement. However, in all these trials there is a large degree of variation in the technique and methodology used. It is expected that with standardization of the technique as per the guidelines given, future trials will be able to quantify the efficacy of acupuncture in bronchial asthma. In addition, investigation of the mechanism by which acupuncture works may lead to better understanding of the pathophysiology of asthma."}
{"id": "PMID:1483995", "title": "Neuropsychiatric manifestations of typhoid fever.", "content": "Various neuropsychiatric syndromes in typhoid fever were seen in nine patients of multiple drug resistant (both in vitro and in vivo) Salmonella typhi infection of a total of 270 suspected cases in the last two years. All but one patient received oral norfloxacin (400 mg 12 hourly) for two weeks with complete recovery, while the other patient died. Bacteremia and toxemia seem to be the only common factor responsible for neuropsychiatric complications."}
{"id": "PMID:1483996", "title": "Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia presenting as breast mass.", "content": "A 14 year old girl presented with bilateral symmetrical involvement of the breast with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL). Treatment with combined therapy of adriamycin, vincristine and prednisolone produced a remission in the leukaemia with complete resolution of the breast mass."}
{"id": "PMID:1483997", "title": "Acute undifferentiated leukaemia in a patient of aplastic anaemia treated with foetal liver infusions.", "content": "A 54 year old man with aplastic anaemia was treated initially with androgens, corticosteroids and blood transfusions for 24 months. Subsequently, foetal liver infusions were administered thrice, with transient response after the first two infusions and maintained remission after the third. However, 32 months after the first infusion (56 month from initial symptoms), the patient developed acute undifferentiated leukaemia."}
{"id": "PMID:1483998", "title": "Pathophysiology and treatment of spasticity: report of two cases.", "content": "Two patients who had severe spinal spasticity with painful flexor spasms were treated with oral baclofen with relief of symptoms. The various drugs to treat severe spastic weakness and flexor spasms and their mode of action are briefly discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1483999", "title": "Intravenous immunoglobulin therapy of immune thrombocytopenia.", "content": "High dose intravenous gamma globulin has been used in the therapy of immune thrombocytopenia with variable success. Nine non-splenectomized patients with immune thrombocytopenia (8 ITP, 1 Evans syndrome) were treated with IV IgG. One patient with ITP and the case of Evans syndrome had chronic disease, and the others had acute ITP. All patients had been pretreated with steroids with variable response. The patient with chronic ITP and the one with Evans syndrome responded completely to IgG; remission has lasted for 18 months in both. Two patients with acute ITP responded fully to IgG, but one relapsed after 8 months and the other was lost to follow-up after 1 month. Two patients with acute ITP had partial response to IgG, which could be maintained off steroids in one and on a low dose of steroids in the other. Three patients with acute ITP had no response at all to IgG. High dose IV IgG is useful in selected cases of acute as well as chronic ITP, and previous response to steroids increases the likelihood of response. Splenectomy is not a prerequisite for response."}
{"id": "PMID:1484019", "title": "Assessment of impaired left ventricular diastolic function in patients with coronary artery disease, using radionuclide angiography.", "content": "Left ventricular (LV) diastolic filling at rest was assessed in 76 patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) and 16 healthy subjects using radionuclide angiography. Peak LV filling rate (PFR), expressed in end diastolic volume per second (EDV/sec), was subnormal in CAD patients (1.95 +/- 0.51 as compared to the normal 3.11 +/- 0.36, P < 0.001) and time to PFR (TPFR) was prolonged (171.1 +/- 79 msec versus 106.6 +/- 25 msec normal, P < 0.001). These indices were also abnormal in 60 patients with normal resting LV ejection fraction (PFR 2.17 +/- 0.48 EDV/sec, TPFR 163.9 +/- 68 msec). Abnormal LV filling at rest (PFR EDV/sec or TPFR 160 msec) was found in 88 percent of all patients with CAD, 85 percent of patients with normal resting LV ejection fraction, and 83 percent of patients without Q waves on resting electrocardiogram. Thus, LV diastolic filling, evaluated non invasively by radionuclide angiography, appears to be abnormal in a high percentage of patients with CAD independent of LV systolic function or previous myocardial infarction."}
{"id": "PMID:1484020", "title": "Enalapril in hypertension.", "content": "Twenty five patients of mild to moderate uncomplicated essential hypertension and five with severe hypertension were treated with long acting converting enzyme inhibitor enalapril for six weeks. Diuretic was added in those patients who did not respond satisfactorily. Twenty one patients of mild to moderate hypertension had their diastolic blood pressure controlled at the end of the study; fifteen with enalapril alone and six with the help of diuretic. Remaining four showed a relative fall but not to level below 150/90 mm Hg. Only one patient with severe hypertension showed fall to normal levels. Four showed a relative fall but not to the normal level even with the addition of a diuretic. Enalapril is an effective anti hypertensive drug in mild to moderate essential hypertension."}
{"id": "PMID:1484021", "title": "Subcutaneous insulin pulse therapy.", "content": "Subcutaneous Insulin Pulse Therapy (SIPT) consists of administration of small doses of regular insulin hourly or two hourly in the subcutaneous tissue of anterior abdominal wall through a scalp vein needle. Fifteen Non-Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus (NIDDM) subjects, 8 males and 7 females with mean ages 58 +/- 8.7 years and mean duration of diabetes 11.7 +/- 9.1 years and mean BMI 25.2 +/- 5.64 were admitted for elective surgery. Glycemic control was attempted preoperatively with multiple pre-meal doses of Actrapid MC with a single injection of Monotard MC at bed time. The mean fasting plasma glucose in the 15 subjects with this insulin regimen was 321.28 +/- 69.32 mgm% and the insulin requirement per day was 106.87 +/- 35.77 units. The subjects were put on SIPT for 48 to 72 hours. During SIPT the mean fasting plasma glucose dropped to 123.2 +/- 74.11 mgm% and this marked decline in fasting plasma glucose value was statistically significant (P < .05). The insulin requirement during SIPT was 96.42 +/- 31.36 units, similar to the previous regimen (NS). The subjects were switched back to conventional insulin therapy after SIPT during which period the mean fasting plasma glucose was 125.82 +/- 34.50 mgm% and this value was again significantly lower than the pre SIPT fasting plasma glucose value (P < .05). Insulin requirement during conventional insulin therapy after SIPT was reduced to 71 +/- 21.89 units/day. This dose was significantly lower than the insulin dose administered during SIPT (P < .05).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1484022", "title": "A comparison of the clinical efficacy of ranitidine and sucralfate in reflux esophagitis.", "content": "A total of 40 patients with endoscopically proved reflux esophagitis were treated in a randomised study. Treatment was given for six weeks and consisted of daily doses of either 1 gm sucralfate four times a day or one, 150 mg ranitidine tablet twice daily. Twenty patients received each drug. Clinical evaluation was done weekly and endoscopic evaluation after six weeks. Forty percent patients on ranitidine and 50% patients on sucralfate became asymptomatic at six weeks. Fifty percent patients on ranitidine and 60% patients on sucralfate were endoscopically healed. The results did not show any difference in the effect of ranitidine and sucralfate treatment (p > 0.05). Overall tolerance and compliance in the two forms of treatment was good. Though ranitidine has a more convenient dose schedule and is more cost effective, sucralfate needs further clinical trials."}
{"id": "PMID:1484023", "title": "Fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) in the evaluation of acute renal allograft rejection.", "content": "310 Fine needle aspirations biopsies (FNAB) were performed in sixty-five live related renal donor transplant recipients in a prospective study over 2 years. 82.8% of FNAB were adequate for opinion and there were no complications after the procedure. Methodology used and interpretation of FNACs was as described by Von Willebrand and Hayry. The procedure of FNAC had a sensitivity of 83.3%, specificity of 98.3% and accuracy of 96.1%, and statistically significant (p < .001) correlation was noted between FNAC and Needle biopsy. The increment in lymphoblasts, lymphocytes and score above 3 was suggestive of acute cellular rejection. Increment in monocytes and macrophages above 1% in addition to other cells, was suggestive of acute vascular rejection. FNAC was found to be a safe, simple and easy procedure with high specificity and sensitivity."}
{"id": "PMID:1484024", "title": "\"An analysis of epileptic patients nonresponsive to drugs\".", "content": "Fifty-four consecutively referred patients with uncontrolled epilepsy were subjected to Therapeutic Drug Monitoring on an out patient basis. Regular 2 weekly follow up for a minimum period of 2 months was done, after altering the drug dosage and bringing plasma level(s) within therapeutic range. Plasma levels of Phenobarbitone, Phenytoin and Carbamezepine were done by High Pressure Liquid Chromatography. Eventually, 24 patients were controlled and 30 remained uncontrolled. Significant differences between these 2 groups were found, as regards, duration of epilepsy (p < 0.01), associated mental retardation (p < 0.02), initial carbamazepine dosage and plasma levels in patients on carbamazepine montherapy (p < 0.02 and P < 0.01, respectively) and final phenytoin plasma levels in patients on combined therapy with phenobarbitone and phenytoin (p < 0.05). This study emphasizes the importance of early diagnosis and treatment of epilepsy with the help of plasma level monitoring of anti-epileptic drugs."}
{"id": "PMID:1484025", "title": "Glucoregulatory hormones in hepatic cirrhosis.", "content": "In the present study hormonal responses to 75 gm oral glucose were studied in 34 biopsy proven cases of hepatic cirrhosis and 15 normal subjects. Though fasting blood glucose was similar in both controls and cirrhotics the latter showed higher glucose values throughout the study. The peak of glucose level in cirrhotics was delayed to 60 minutes. Two of 34 (5.8%) cirrhotics showed marginal fasting hyperglycaemia and 44% had (impaired glucose tolerance (IGT). There was no significant difference (P > 0.05) in blood glucose levels in patients with and without varices. The fasting serum insulin was significantly raised in cirrhotics (24.9 +/- 2.2 vs 8.4 +/- 1.2 mu/ml, p > 0.05). Hyperinsulinaemia was significantly marked in cirrhotics with abnormal Oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) as compared to those who had normal OGTT. The mean fasting serum insulin concentration in patients with and without varices was similar showing thereby that portasystemic shunt in cirrhotics is not the cause for peripheral hyper-insulinaemia. Basal cortisol was similar in cirrhotics and controls though expected fall in cirrhotics like control was absent. Twelve percent cirrhotics had basal human growth hormone (hGH) more than 10 ng/ml. Forty four percent showed paradoxical rise of hGH. hGH has significantly high (p < 0.01) in cirrhotics with abnormal OGTT as compared to those with normal OGTT."}
{"id": "PMID:1484026", "title": "Efficacy of low-dose cytarabine therapy in myelodysplastic syndromes.", "content": "The efficacy of low-dose cytarabine given as 10 mg sub-cutaneously 12 hourly for 2 weeks and repeated at 2 to 3 weekly intervals was evaluated prospectively in 15 consecutive patients of myelodysplastic syndrome over a 3 year period. Response to therapy was assessed clinically and by haematological parameters including bone marrow examination. No patient achieved complete remission. Three patients responded partially. Four patients transformed into acute myelogenous leukaemia. Overall, the results of therapy were disappointing as all the 15 patients died within 6 months of diagnosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1484030", "title": "Poncet's disease.", "content": "Tuberculous rheumatism is not generally accepted as a specific disease entity in Great Britain or the U.S.A. We are reporting a adult male whom we believe suffered from this disease, to open the controversy surrounding its existence with a review of the literature."}
{"id": "PMID:1484031", "title": "Bourneville's tuberous sclerosis associated with double outlet right ventricle and infundibular pulmonary stenosis.", "content": "The cardiac manifestation usually associated with tuberous sclerosis is rhabdomyoma of the heart. We report a rare association with cyanotic congenital heart disease in the form of double outlet right ventricle with infundibular pulmonary stenosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1484032", "title": "W. bancrofti as a causal agent of polymyositis.", "content": "A case of polymyositis associated with Bancroftian filariasis in an adult male who presented with generalised painful swelling and weakness of muscles is presented. He had elevated muscle enzymes, a myopathic EMG pattern, focal vasculitis on gastrocnemius muscle biopsy and W. bancrofti in the peripheral blood. There was clinical, biochemical and histopathological evidence of resolution of the disorder and total clearance of microfilaremia with diethyl carbamazine (DEC) therapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1484034", "title": "Chloroform ingestion causing toxic hepatitis.", "content": "Chloroform ingestion poisoning leading to toxic hepatitis is very uncommon. We report one such case in a 16 yrs old patient."}
{"id": "PMID:1484061", "title": "Hemocompatibility of human whole blood on polymers with a phospholipid polar group and its mechanism.", "content": "The hemocompatibility of a polymer containing a phospholipid polar group, poly(2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine (MPC)-co-n-butyl methacrylate(BMA)), with human whole blood was evaluated. When human whole blood without an anticoagulant was contacted with polymers, the blood cell adhesion and aggregation on the polymer without the MPC moiety was extensive, and considerable fibrin deposition was observed. This phenomenon was suppressed with an increase in the polymer MPC composition. Thus, the MPC moiety in the copolymer plays an important role in the nonthrombogenic behavior of the copolymer. These results were also confirmed by the whole blood coagulation time on the polymer surface which was determined by Lee-White method. The adsorption of phospholipids and proteins from human plasma on poly(MPC-co-BMA) was investigated to clarify the mechanism of the nonthrombogenicity observed with the polymer. The amount of phospholipids was increased; whereas, adsorbed proteins were decreased with an increase in the MPC composition. From these results, we concluded that the phospholipids adsorbed on poly(MPC-co-BMA) play the most important role in the nonthrombogenicity of the MPC copolymer."}
{"id": "PMID:1484062", "title": "In vitro and in vivo studies on bioabsorbable ultra-high-strength poly(L-lactide) rods.", "content": "Ultra-high-strength poly(L-lactide) (PLLA) rods were fabricated using a drawing technique. Rods with a diameter of 3.2 mm and a draw ratio of 2.5:1 showed initial bending strength and modulus values of 240 MPa and 13 GPa, respectively. The purpose of this study was to investigate the in vitro and in vivo degradation of PLLA rods with a draw ratio of 2.5:1. The greater the rod diameter, the longer the bending strength was maintained in phosphate buffered saline at 37 degrees C. The bending strength retention of rods (diam. 3.2 mm) implanted in the subcutis of rabbits was almost equal to that of rods in the in vitro study, while those rods implanted in the medullary cavity of rabbit femora showed a slightly lower bending strength retention. Molecular weight was reduced to the greatest extent in the medullary cavity, followed by in the subcutis and in vitro. The weight of PLLA rods in the medullary cavity was reduced by 22% at 52 weeks and by 70% at 78 weeks after implantation. Histologically, no inflammatory or foreign body reaction was observed in the medullary cavity for 52 weeks. The drawn PLLA rods maintained a bending strength exceeding that of human cortical bone in the medullary canal for a period of 8 weeks, suggesting that the drawn PLLA rods may be useful in the repair of fractured human bones."}
{"id": "PMID:1484063", "title": "In vitro and in vivo digestion of collagen covalently immobilized onto the silicone surface.", "content": "In order to study the in vivo digestion of immobilized collagen and gelatin, these proteins labeled with 125I or fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) were covalently immobilized onto silicone surfaces, which were grafted with acrylic acid to introduce carboxyl groups, and implanted subcutaneously in rats and mice. When the proteins were labeled with FITC, the amount of proteins immobilized decreased with the increase of the number of FITC molecules conjugated with the protein molecule. In the wet state, FITC conjugated with the proteins was less stable than 125I. Approximately half of the amount of the immobilized proteins was digested in vivo within the first week and until 5 weeks after implantation the proteins were gradually digested. At that time, the amount of the proteins remaining on the silicone surface ranged from 0.6 to 1.0 microgram/cm2, which was several times larger than the amount of an assumed monolayer adsorption of proteins. Even after 15 weeks, the amount of proteins remaining on the silicone was almost the same as after 5 weeks. No significant difference in digestion was observed between collagen and gelatin, regardless of the labeling agent. Because of less stability and easier handling of FITC and higher stability and more difficult handling of 125I, FITC seems more suitable for short-term and 125I for long-term studies."}
{"id": "PMID:1484064", "title": "Tissue reactions induced by modified poly(vinyl alcohol) hydrogels in rabbit cornea.", "content": "The purpose of this study was to compare the tissue reactions induced by modified poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) hydrogels with other materials implanted in the rabbit cornea. PVA hydrogels with and without covalently bonded collagen were compared to ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer, and polysulfone discs. These materials were implanted in the rabbit corneal stroma. The resultant tissue reactions were histologically and clinically studied. The PVA hydrogels had high flux rates of glucose and L-lactic acid in vitro. Covalent immobilization of collagen onto their surface was found to render them more biocompatible. However, excessive ulceration and vascularization of the cornea still occurred in vivo, possibly because of extremely little blinking of the rabbits, which might cause desiccation of the cornea."}
{"id": "PMID:1484065", "title": "The fracture toughness of titanium-fiber-reinforced bone cement.", "content": "Fracture of the poly(methyl methacrylate) bone cement mantle can lead to the loosening and ultimate failure of cemented total joint prostheses. The addition of fibers to the bone cement increases fracture resistance and may reduce, if not eliminate, in vivo fracturing. This study discusses the effect of incorporating titanium (Ti) fibers on fracture toughness. Essential characteristics of the composite bone cement included a homogeneous and uniform fiber distribution, and a minimal increase in apparent viscosity of the polymerizing cement. Ti fiber contents of 1%, 2%, and 5% by volume increased the fracture toughness over non-reinforced bone cement by up to 56%. Bone cements of two different viscosities were used as matrix material, but when reinforced with the same fiber type and content, they showed no difference in fracture toughness. Four different fiber aspect ratios (68, 125, 227, 417) were tested. At 5% fiber content, there was no statistically significant dependence of fracture toughness on fiber aspect ratio. Scanning electron microscopy revealed important toughening mechanisms such as fiber/matrix debonding, local fracture path alteration, and ductile fiber deformation and fracture. Fiber fracture was evidence that the critical fiber length was exceeded. The surfaces of the Ti fibers were rough and irregular, indicating that a high degree of mechanical interlock between matrix and fiber was likely. The energy absorption contribution of plastic deformation and ductile fracture is absent in brittle fibers, like carbon, but is a distinction of the Ti fibers used in this study."}
{"id": "PMID:1484066", "title": "Mechanical deformation of polymer matrix controlled release devices modulates drug release.", "content": "When magnetic fields were applied to polymer matrices of ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer embedded with drug and a small magnet, drug release was increased up to 30-fold above baseline levels. It has been hypothesized that the effect of magnetic stimulation on the release of drugs from these matrices is the transduction of the applied magnetic field into a mechanical deformation of the matrix through motion of the magnet within the matrix. This current study provides support for this hypothesis by demonstrating that repeated pulsatile mechanical deformation of matrices can enhance the release of macromolecules from ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer matrices. Furthermore, similar modulated release kinetics were obtained with mechanically compressed and magnetically stimulated matrices. We also established that modulation was dependent on the ratio of compression area to matrix volume and that modulation was maximized when this ratio was optimized."}
{"id": "PMID:1484067", "title": "Changes in fibrinogen adsorbed to segmented polyurethanes and hydroxyethylmethacrylate-ethylmethacrylate copolymers.", "content": "Fibrinogen adsorption from blood to biomaterials may regulate platelet adhesion and thrombus formation because of fibrinogen's central role in the coagulation cascade and its ability to bind specifically to the platelet membrane glycoprotein (GP) IIb-IIIa. Adsorption of fibrinogen from blood plasma to many materials exhibits a maximum with respect to plasma dilution and exposure time (the Vroman effect). In this study fibrinogen adsorption to several polymers was examined to ascertain the influence of controlled changes in surface chemistry on the Vroman effect. The materials included hydroxyethylmethacrylate-ethylmethacrylate (HEMA/EMA) copolymers, Biomer, and a series of segmented polyurethanes (PEUs), two of which contained fluorinated chain extenders. Each material exhibited maximal adsorption of fibrinogen at intermediate plasma concentrations. Little effect of soft-segment type or molecular weight was observed and no significant differences in fibrinogen adsorption to the fluorinated PEUs were seen. Changes in the strength of fibrinogen attachment to these materials with time after adsorption were also assessed. Fibrinogen adsorbed for 1 min was displaced more readily by blood plasma than that adsorbed for 1 h, regardless of the material. The more hydrophobic polymers exhibited greater retention of adsorbed fibrinogen. In addition, the fraction of fibrinogen retained by polyethylene depended on the amount of fibrinogen adsorbed to the surface, being greatest when the surface loading was the least. These studies indicate that spreading or transition of adsorbed fibrinogen molecules from a weakly to tightly bound state is a general consequence of protein adsorption to solid surfaces."}
{"id": "PMID:1484068", "title": "Interactions of thermally denatured fibrinogen on polyethylene with plasma proteins and platelets.", "content": "During the investigation of fibrin deposition onto hydrophobic polymers in contact with human blood, a model was developed in which fibrinogen was denatured and irreversibly coated onto a polyethylene surface by heating to 70 degrees C for 10 min. The denatured fibrinogen-polyethylene surface is resistant to fluid wall shear rates of up to 550 s-1 and the fibrinogen does not desorb in the presence of plasma proteins. Compared to uncoated polyethylene, little albumin or fibrinogen adsorbs to heat-denatured fibrinogen. Thrombin binds to the denatured fibrinogen-coated polyethylene with low affinity and also acts on the surface-bound denatured fibrinogen and cleaves fibrinopeptide A (FPA) quantitatively. Washed, 51Cr-labeled platelets do not adhere to the thermally denatured fibrinogen at either low or high shear rates compared to surfaces coated with undenatured fibrinogen (p < 0.01). These observations support the role of the D domain of fibrinogen in platelet adhesion because this is the region that is denatured by heating. In contrast, the E domain of fibrinogen is not altered by heating to 70 degrees C and hence remains susceptible to thrombin and/or plasmin cleavage. The characteristics of this surface are such that it can be used to develop fibrin-coated surfaces for use in studies of thrombus formation on artificial surfaces."}
{"id": "PMID:1484071", "title": "[Cecal and right colonic perforation on a single or multiple diverticulum. Apropos of three new cases].", "content": "There are two types of cecal diverticula: in the first type, the diverticula are often multiple, and they really are false diverticula like in sigmoiditis. The second type, the so-called single type, is a frequently single diverticulum with a complete wall, which may have a congenital origin. Cecal diverticula are often expressed between 45 and 55 years of age by symptoms mimicking appendicitis. Two signs may suggest the diagnosis: the virtual absence of nausea and vomiting, and the long delay before the onset of pain. The surgical treatment, in case of acute complications (perforation, abscess), varies according to the surgical findings. In fact, if a pseudotumoral inflammatory mass is discovered, the correct diagnosis is established in 58% to 72% of all cases only. The treatment can therefore range from simple diverticulotomy to righ hemicolectomy."}
{"id": "PMID:1484074", "title": "[Sensory sequelae of injuries to the median nerve].", "content": "Median nerve wounds are frequent because of the superficial course of this nerve, especially in the wrist. The sensory sequellae of such lesions, either complete or dissociated, represent a major handicap which may be associated to a motor impairment of the external thenar muscles. The curative procedures such as neurolysis and, above all, sutures or grafts, must be very widely used, even some time after the initial injury and in spite of motor reinnervation. The role of palliative surgery is therefore limited, although it is sometimes useful. There are many procedures, which may be summed up by two techniques: use of sensitive neurovascular skin flaps, the most frequent grafts, neurotization of the median nerve with a transfer of sensory rami from the radial nerve, a less-known technique. The treatment of the sensory sequellae of median nerve lesions is primarily based on a good initial management of the nerve lesions by a good-quality emergent microsurgical suture."}
{"id": "PMID:1484080", "title": "Determination of creatinine and ultraviolet-absorbing amino acids and organic acids in urine by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography.", "content": "A simple and reliable method for the determination of urinary creatinine, amino acids and organic acids was developed. A urine sample was preliminarily separated into an organic acid fraction (including neutral species) and an amino acid fraction by cation-exchange chromatography. Both fractions were analysed by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography, with a phosphoric acid-methanol gradient elution system and ultraviolet detection at 210 nm. Relationships between concentrations and peak heights were linear from 2 to 500 microM for the analytes. Overall recoveries were ca. 100%. The concentrations of creatinine for 37 urine samples, from 20 healthy newborns and from 17 patients with several inherited metabolic disorders, were 2.35 +/- 2.29 mM (ranging between 0.27 and 10.15 mM). The method was applied to the determination of several diagnostically useful metabolites in urine. The concentrations of phenylalanine and phenylacetic acid for five urine samples from patients with phenylketonuria were 347 +/- 177 and 282 +/- 224 microM/mM creatinine, respectively. The concentrations of tyrosine and 4-hydroxyphenyllactic acid in the urine of a patient with tyrosinemia were 112 and 1871 microM/mM creatinine, respectively."}
{"id": "PMID:1484069", "title": "[Surgical treatment of colonic diverticulosis: results of a series of 70 cases].", "content": "Results are reported on a series of 70 patients operated upon for colon diverticulosis, surgery being elective in only 23 (32.9%) cases. Global mortality (12.9%), was higher in patients over 70 years of age (P < 0.01) and for emergency cases (17% against 4.3% (NS) after cold surgery). Global morbidity was 20%, the onset of septic complications being influenced (p < 0.01) only by treatment with antiinflammatory drugs. Despite the absence of precise factors predictive of the course of diverticular disease, it should be possible to further improve the very poor prognosis in patients with serious septic complications (Hinchley's stages I to IV) by: prophylactic colectomy in symptomatic diverticulosis, improved evaluation by complementary examinations, notably the scanner, of localized septic complications (stages I and II), with the possible association of guided puncture to avoid the septic areas and to allow performance of a cold colectomy without the need for colostomy. Certain severe septic complications may still develop and these cannot be totally prevented by any therapy. In these cases preference is given to resection of the septic focus using mainly Hartmann's operative techniques. Further studies are needed to evaluate those cases where protected anastomotic resection provides the best results, since in the long term the incidence of re-establishment is higher."}
{"id": "PMID:1484073", "title": "[Abscess of the abdominal wall: a rare presentation of xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis].", "content": "A young psychiatric patient presented with a purulent collection in the lower abdominal wall. Simple drainage failed to heal the abdominal wall abscess, and the presence of a primary septic focus was suspected. Full investigation showed a right renal pelvis calculus with xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis complicated by a retroperitoneal abscess. Recovery was complete after a nephrectomy. A review of the published literature demonstrated the rarity of this presentation, although even more curious cases have been described, including a urinobronchial fistula, as well as catastrophic cases presenting with a massive haemorrhage. Authors are unanimous that ultrasonography should be the first examination, the scanner being also of primordial value for the diagnosis and demonstration of the retroperitoneal spaces ans fascia. Treatment requires both rapid and radical surgical intervention."}
{"id": "PMID:1484075", "title": "[Synthetic prostheses used in surgery to repair abdominal wall defects (excluding groin hernias). Characteristics, in situ behaviour and applications].", "content": "This study is an updating on synthetic prostheses used today to repair incisional hernias, eviscerations and abdominal wall defects due to a severe infection or a parietal excision of malignant tumours. The present prostheses are the fruits of the constantly developing plastic industry. Their characteristics and types (mesh or patch), together with the materials they are made of, are studied taking this development into account. The tissular reactions caused by prostheses are different depending on whether the material they are made of is an absorbable one or not. Published data on animal experimentation are largely used in this part of the study. A significant part is also allocated to the pathobiology of prostheses infection on which is based prevention of risk infection in the surgical practice. A synthetic prostheses has to be chosen depending on its characteristics and the tissular reactions it generates. In a septic environment, only absorbable prostheses can be used without risk. As for incisional hernias, which allows the authors to refer to their own exp\u00e9rience, the choice also depends on both the surgeon's own conception of the treatment and its purpose. The defect recovery after parietal excision of malignant tumours is eased by the use of a synthetic prostheses. In the future, synthetic prostheses will be even more used than today in the repair of abdominal wall. A present, the materials they are made of keep on being developed."}
{"id": "PMID:1484070", "title": "[Study of static transcutaneous oximetry before amputation in patients with arteritis].", "content": "Transcutaneous oximetry has been used to define the level of amputation in arteritic patients, with discrepant results. We have studied preoperative statix oximetry in 33 arteritic patients at the Leriche-Fontaine Stage IV, who underwent 36 amputations (thighs = 6, Legs+Symes = 14, transmetatarsal = 7, toes = 9). Oximetry included the measurement, at the level of amputation, of the transcutaneous partial oxygen pressure (tc pO2), of the tissue oxygenation ratio (TOR), preferably with a precordial electrode, of the tc pO2 gain after oxygen inhalation and of the gain ratio with the reference electrode. Two patients died postoperatively, the amputation stump did not heal in another 8 patients. The tc pO2 value was 36.6 +/- 16.2 mm Hg in the healed group and 21.1 +/- 19.9 mm Hg in the non healed group. The TOR respectively was 71.2 +/- 32.7% and 38.6 +/- 29.9% in these two groups. These differences were statistically significant. The difference between the two groups in the measurements made after the oxygenation test was not statistically significant. With a tc pO2 threshold at 26 mm Hg, the sensitivity was 73% and the specificity 75%, the positive predictive value 90%, the negative predictive value 46% and the value of the test 73.5%. The thresholds calculated to be 56% for TOR, 11 mm Hg for the gain and 32% for the gain ratio, did not improve the performances of oximetry. In our study, the tc pO2 was the parameter that best allowed predicting healing was obtained with smaller values than the threshold. Other elements such as the general condition and diabetes have played a role in the prognosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1484081", "title": "Monitoring of benzylpenicillin decomposition in gastric contents by capillary zone electrophoresis.", "content": "A method has been developed to follow the decay of the antibiotic penicillin, specifically penicillin G or benzylpenicillin, in the gastric contents of laboratory rats. Purification by centrifugation and DEAE cellulose treatment of the stomach contents (diluted with pH 9 phosphate-borate buffer) was sufficient to allow the quantification of penicillin by capillary zone electrophoresis. An internal standard was used to minimize the injection error. The loss of activity was greater in fasted animals, as expected from the lower pH of their gastric contents, than in fed rats. The in vivo kinetics of the decomposition of the antibiotic was compared to that obtained in water and in hydrochloric acid solutions."}
{"id": "PMID:1484076", "title": "[Endoluminal angioplasty of the superior mesenteric artery in the treatment of intestinal angina].", "content": "The authors report about the case of a 69-year-old patient suffering from intestinal angina, in whom an endoluminal angioplasty of the superior mesenteric artery for a stenosis located 3 cm from the ostium allowed suppressing the symptoms. The published series of arterial angioplasty for gastrointestinal care are still rare, but they indicate that angioplasty may be an interesting alternative to or a complement to surgery for patients with intestinal angina."}
{"id": "PMID:1484082", "title": "Immunomagnetic separation of tumor necrosis factor alpha. I. Batch procedure for human temporomandibular fluid.", "content": "A batch separation procedure has been developed for retrieval of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) alpha from the microliter volumes of fluid isolated from the human temporomandibular joint (TMJ). Paramagnetic beads coated with monoclonal antibodies for TNF were used. The beads, and bound TNF, were recovered from solution with the aid of a magnetic field. The amount of bead-bound TNF was quantified using an immuno-based assay developed in this laboratory called the cluster assay. The cluster assay was specific for TNF and linear up to 10 ng. Using these methods we found that TMJ fluid contained 0.2-4.2 ng per 100 microliters of fluid with a mean value of 1.9 ng and a standard deviation of 1.1 ng. This study demonstrates the utility of batch immunomagnetic separation for the concentration and purification of proteins, and the cluster assay for quantification of proteins from microliter volumes of body fluids."}
{"id": "PMID:1484083", "title": "Characterization of plasma apolipoproteins by capillary electrophoresis.", "content": "The main apolipoproteins of plasma high-density lipoproteins (HDL) and low-density lipoproteins (LDL) were analyzed by capillary electrophoresis. Where possible the results were compared with slab sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Addition of the detergent SDS to the running buffer was essential for separation. Separations were carried out in bare silica and polyacrylamide-coated capillaries. The main apolipoproteins of HDL could be separated in an uncoated capillary filled with borax buffer containing 0.1% SDS. Using the coated capillary, a mixture of HDL and LDL apolipoproteins was resolved in less than 12 min. These preliminary studies indicate that capillary electrophoresis is a promising technique for screening plasma apolipoproteins."}
{"id": "PMID:1484078", "title": "[Damage through surgical risk. A persistent challenge].", "content": "No surgical act is innocuous and a complication is not inevitably the result of a mistake. Improved definition of the risk involved should allow a new approach to compensation for damages to be envisaged. Publicly or privately sponsored mutual insurance is worth considering for application of the single European act. Without questioning the concept of professional responsibility, a response should be prepared adapted for damages due to medicosurgical accidents for which a fault cannot be demonstrated. By stimulating enlightened reflection, the present study should allow acceptance of this persistent challenge."}
{"id": "PMID:1484084", "title": "Determination of a new calcium antagonist and its main metabolite in plasma by thermospray liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry.", "content": "A highly sensitive thermospray liquid chromatographic-mass spectrometric method has been developed for the simultaneous determination of FRC-8653 (I), a new calcium antagonist, and its main metabolite (M-4) in plasma. A deuterated analogue of I was added to the plasma as the internal standard. After the purification and concentration of the plasma sample on bonded-phase disposable columns, the extract was injected into the thermospray liquid chromatograph and analysed by selected-ion monitoring mass spectrometry. The calibration curves obtained were linear over the concentration range 0.5-100 ng/ml. The limits of quantification are 0.5 ng/ml for I and 1 ng/ml for M-4 in plasma, which are sufficient to evaluate plasma concentrations after oral administration to rats."}
{"id": "PMID:1484085", "title": "New, high-sensitivity high-performance liquid chromatographic method for the determination of acyclovir in human plasma, using fluorometric detection.", "content": "A high-performance liquid chromatographic method for the determination of acyclovir in human plasma has been developed. It is the first published chromatographic method capable of determining acyclovir in plasma with sufficient sensitivity and for sufficiently long periods of time following oral administration of a standard dose of acyclovir during pharmacokinetic investigations. Following precipitations of the proteins with perchloric acid, the sample is chromatographed with a strongly acidic mobile phase on a reversed-phase column, and is then subjected to fluorometric detection (excitation 260 nm, emission 375 nm). The determination limit is 6-10 ng/ml human plasma. The calibration is linear in the range 10-12,400 ng/ml plasma, with the coefficients of variation less than 8%. The absolute recovery rate is between 102 and 113%. This method has already been used to analyse several thousand plasma samples."}
{"id": "PMID:1484086", "title": "Determination of cetirizine in serum using reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet spectrophotometric detection.", "content": "A method using reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection for the determination of ceterizine in serum is described. The method is sensitive down to 50 ng/ml (250-microliter loop). Sample preparation involves only serum deproteination with perchloric acid and injection of the centrifuged supernatant. Elution is at pH 2.5 with acetonitrile-methanol-0.05 M phosphate buffer (33:9:58, v/v) on a 25 cm x 4.6 mm I.D. Spherisorb S5 ODS2 column. Detection is at 211 nm, its lambda max. For levels above 300 ng/ml the serum sample size is 100 microliter and a 200-microliter sample is necessary for concentrations less than 300 ng/ml. At the 2 micrograms/ml concentration the intra-assay relative standard deviation is better than 2.2%, whilst the inter-assay deviation is 2.6% over eight samples. At 200 ng/ml the intra-assay relative standard deviation is 6% over seven samples. Detector response is linear from 100 ng/ml to 10 micrograms/ml (100-microliter loop)."}
{"id": "PMID:1484087", "title": "Selective determination, in plasma, of artemether and its major metabolite, dihydroartemisinin, by high-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection.", "content": "A sensitive and selective reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic method for the determination of artemether and its major metabolite dihydroartemisinin in plasma has been developed. It involves extraction of plasma with dichloromethane, solid-phase separation of the two analytes and acid decomposition prior to chromatography on a C18 Spherisorb column with a mobile phase of acetonitrile-water (50:50, v/v). Run time is 30 min. The assay satisfies all of the criteria required for use in clinical pharmacokinetic studies."}
{"id": "PMID:1484088", "title": "Immunomagnetic separation of tumor necrosis factor alpha. II. In situ procedure for the human gingival space.", "content": "An in situ procedure has been developed for the separation of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) alpha directly from the fluid in the human gingival space. Paramagnetic beads coated with anti-TNF monoclonal antibodies were introduced into the gingival space of the subject with a polypropylene-tipped calibrated delivery system and retrieved using a permanent magnet designed to fit into the space. After retrieval, the amount of immunoadsorbed TNF was quantified using an immunochemical assay called the \"cluster assay\". The results indicate that following the appropriate preparation of the site, over 95% of the beads could be recovered. With this method we found that 62% of those cavities sampled contained TNF and that the values ranged from 0.10 to 13.0 ng/ml with a mean value of 1.7 ng/ml. A comparison of these values with those obtained from the same space using other methods suggests that the immunomagnetic method was more effective in retrieval of TNF. Because the separation is performed in situ we have named the procedure \"chromatobiosis\"."}
{"id": "PMID:1484089", "title": "Investigation of red blood cell fractionation by gravitational field-flow fractionation.", "content": "Gravitational field-flow fractionation is used for the separation of particles according to their sizes in the range 1-100 microns: larger particles elute before smaller ones. This phenomenon can be explained as a result of the steric exclusion of the particles from the vicinity of the channel walls, and/or hydrodynamic effects supposedly associated with the inertia of the liquid. The method was used for the investigation of red blood cells. The dependence of the retention ratio on the flow-rate, sample volume, concentration of blood and relaxation time was studied. Analysis of fifteen individual fractions by Coulter counter and reinjection of three other fractions were studied in order to verify fractionation of red blood cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1484090", "title": "Gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric method for the determination of selenium in biological samples.", "content": "The determination of selenium by capillary gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), using an enriched stable isotope 76Se as internal standard, is described. Reference values for selenium in human biological fluids (serum, red blood cells and urine) are reported. With the advent of new compact capillary GC-MS (benchtop) instruments, this method will be very simple and accurate for routine analysis."}
{"id": "PMID:1484091", "title": "Capillary gas chromatographic method for the determination of the thromboxane A2 receptor antagonist S-1452 and its metabolites in human plasma.", "content": "A capillary gas chromatographic method for the determination of a newly developed thromboxane A2 antagonist, S-1452, and its metabolites in human plasma has been developed. This nitrogenous compound was detected as the free acid (+)-S-145 using a nitrogen-phosphorus detector. The two metabolites bisnor-(+)-S-145 and tetranor-(+)-145 were also assayed. The three compounds, which all possess carboxylic acid group, were converted into their hexafluoro-2-propyl esters with hexafluoropropan-2-ol-pentafluoropropionic anhydride as reagent. The esterification resulted in a decreased background response from the detector, and hence higher sensitivity and better precision. The glucuronides of the three compounds were also assayed after alkaline hydrolysis. The plasma concentration of the glucuronide of I was more than twice that of the free acid. This method allows determination of the three compounds at more than 2 ng/ml with a precision of 2-6% and an accuracy variation of less than +/- 5%. The analysis was performed within 2 min after injection to assay the sample rapidly from the Phase I test. The method is suitable for pharmacokinetic studies."}
{"id": "PMID:1484092", "title": "Capillary gas chromatographic method for the determination of the thromboxane A2 receptor antagonist S-1452 and its metabolites in human urine.", "content": "A capillary gas chromatographic method using a sulphur-specific detector (Hall's electrolytic conductivity detector) was established to determine the thromboxane A2 antagonist S-1452 and its metabolites in human urine. The target species were the free acid (+)-S-145 of the drug and its nine metabolites: the three hydroxyl forms of (+)-S-145 (I, II and III), bis-nor-(+)-S-145 (IV) the hydroxylated forms of IV (V and VI), tetranor-(+)-S-145 (VII) and the hydroxylated forms of VII (VIII and IX). These ten compounds, which have the same sulphur-containing functional group in common, were determined simultaneously. Their conjugated forms, which were assumed to be glucuronides, were also assayed after hydrolysis. The first derivatization was esterification with diazomethane. The second, for the hydroxylated compounds, was trimethylsilylation with bis(trimethylsilyl)trifluoroacetamide. The ten analytes appeared as separate peaks without mutual interference during 5 min. Hall's detector distinguished the ten analytes selectively from the other urinary components, which removed the need for complex clean-up procedures and led to higher sensitivity with a lower noise level. The method is sensitive enough for the assay of substances present at more than 0.1 micrograms/ml of urine. All the compounds could be determined with a high level of precision and accuracy, with 2-5% relative standard deviation and within +/- 5% deviation from the actual value. Day-to-day measurements verified the reproducibility of the method. Recovered substances were quantified by following the time course, and the analytical data together with previously obtained plasma data clarified the metabolism pharmacokinetically."}
{"id": "PMID:1484093", "title": "Identification of metabolites of 4,4'-diaminodiphenylmethane (methylene dianiline) using liquid chromatographic and mass spectrometric techniques.", "content": "The in vitro metabolism of 4,4'-diaminodiphenylmethane (methylene dianiline, MDA) was investigated using rabbit liver microsomes. Minimal clean-up of the microsomal incubations was carried out using zinc sulphate precipitation followed by solid-phase extraction on Sep-Pak C18 cartridges. Three metabolites were detected in hepatic microsomal incubations, namely the azodiphenylmethane (azo) azoxydiphenylmethane (azoxy) and 4-nitroso-4'-aminodiphenylmethane (nitroso) compounds. The azo and azoxy metabolites were produced enzymatically whereas the nitroso compound may have been formed via a non-enzymatic process. Reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography-plasma spray mass spectrometry was used to initially detect these metabolites. Fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry and fast atom bombardment tandem mass spectrometry were utilized to further structurally characterise these compounds. Comparison of mass spectral data obtained from synthesised standards with data obtained on the putative metabolites substantiated the characterisation of these compounds."}
{"id": "PMID:1484094", "title": "Automated high-performance liquid chromatographic determination of chloramphenicol in milk and swine muscle tissue using on-line immunoaffinity sample clean-up.", "content": "An on-line high-performance liquid immunoaffinity chromatographic (HPLIAC) system for the direct determination of chloramphenicol in milk and swine muscle tissue is described. The system consisted of a dual-column system in which an HPLIAC column was directly coupled to an RP-8 high-performance liquid chromatographic column. Skimmed and deproteinated milk or aqueous muscle tissue extract was directly injected into the HPLIAC column. After a washing step with phosphate-buffered saline, chloramphenicol was desorbed by a glycine-NaCl buffer (pH 2.8) and directly concentrated on the RP-8 column. Next, chromatography was carried out using acetonitrile-sodium acetate buffer as the mobile phase. Chloramphenicol was detected at 280 nm. Mean recoveries from spiked raw milk were 70 +/- 2% (1-50 micrograms/kg) and from spiked swine muscle tissue 64 +/- 2% (10-50 micrograms/kg). The calibration curves were linear in the range 1-200 micrograms/kg spiking levels. Limits of determination were 1 microgram/kg for milk and 10 micrograms/kg for muscle tissue."}
{"id": "PMID:1484095", "title": "High-performance liquid chromatographic assay of the methyl and nucleotide metabolites of 6-mercaptopurine: quantitation of red blood cell 6-thioguanine nucleotide, 6-thioinosinic acid and 6-methylmercaptopurine metabolites in a single sample.", "content": "A reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic assay was developed to quantify intracellular metabolites of the cytotoxic drug 6-mercaptopurine in the human red blood cell. The 6-thioguanine nucleotides, 6-thioinosinic acid and 6-methylmercaptopurine metabolites are measured in a single sample. A similar assay measures the parent thiopurine compounds. The limit of quantitation of the assay is 0.03, 0.03 and 0.12 nmol per 8 x 10(8) red blood cells for the 6-thioguanine nucleotides, 6-thioinosinic acid and the 6-methylmercaptopurine metabolites, respectively."}
{"id": "PMID:1484096", "title": "High-performance liquid chromatographic method for the simultaneous measurement of remacemide (a novel anticonvulsant and cerebroprotectant) and an active metabolite in human plasma.", "content": "A high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method was developed and validated for the determination of both remacemide (a novel anticonvulsant and cerebroprotectant) and an active, major metabolite in human plasma. After the addition of an internal standard, the analytes were extracted from the plasma by ion-exchange solid-phase extraction and measured by an isocratic HPLC system with ultraviolet detection at 210 nm. The recovery of the analytes was > 90%. The standard curves were linear over the range of quantitation of approximately 10-500 ng/ml for remacemide itself and 15-250 ng/ml for the metabolite. Both intra-day and inter-day accuracy and precision data were excellent. Remacemide and its metabolite were shown to be stable in human plasma for at least a year when stored at -20 degrees C."}
{"id": "PMID:1484097", "title": "High-performance liquid chromatographic method for the determination of tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane (tromethamine) in human plasma.", "content": "Determination of tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane (tromethamine) in human plasma involved derivatization of the amino and hydroxyl groups with a ultraviolet-absorbing chromophore followed by extraction into an organic phase. Reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography with gradient elution was used for the separation of the analyte from the internal standard (2,3-butanediol). The assay was linear in the range 1.0-1000.0 micrograms/ml of plasma and the coefficient of variation varied between 9.6 and 16.3% whereas the accuracy varied between 90 and 108%. The limit of detection for the assay was 0.282 micrograms/ml. Stability of tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane in human plasma frozen at -20 degrees C was studied over a period of three month and the data indicated no significant change."}
{"id": "PMID:1484098", "title": "Determination of trimethylamine and related aliphatic amines in human urine by head-space gas chromatography.", "content": "A rapid and simple assay procedure employing head-space gas chromatography has been developed for the routine quantification of volatile methylamines and stable trimethylamine N-oxide present in human urine. This assay will enable the rapid screening of patients and aid the diagnosis of fish odour syndrome."}
{"id": "PMID:1484099", "title": "Simultaneous determination of serum cortisol and cortisone by reversed-phase liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection.", "content": "A rapid high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method for the simultaneous determination of cortisol and cortisone in a single extract of 1 ml of serum is described. The method employs meprednisone as the internal standard. The steroids were analysed isocratically by reversed-phase HPLC with an octadecylsilane-bonded (ODS) column using ultraviolet detection. The matrix effect was reduced by lowering the sample pH by adding glacial acetic acid to the sera. The samples were then filtered through regenerated cellulose membranes at 4 degrees C and extracted with diethyl ether. The dried eluates were redissolved in the mobile phase and injected into the column. The detection limit of the assay for both steroids was 500 ng/l. Cortisol was determined in twenty serum samples by both HPLC and radioimmunoassay (RIA). The results were similar. Interference by other steroids and certain steroid analogue drugs was also studied. The HPLC method yielded no cross-reactivity between the different steroids as may occur with the RIA technique. The HPLC method was technically easy to perform and it allowed us to quantify both cortisol and cortisone in a single serum extract with high specificity."}
{"id": "PMID:1484100", "title": "Quantification of carnitine esters by high-performance liquid chromatography. Effect of feeding medium-chain triglycerides on the plasma carnitine ester profile.", "content": "A high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) technique was developed using commercially available derivatization reagents and commonly used reversed-phase HPLC column chemistry to analyze plasma samples for their carnitine ester content. The method proved to be sufficiently sensitive to determine changes in the carnitine ester profile in plasma resulting from metabolic disorders or metabolic insults. The method was tested using plasma samples obtained from pigs fed medium-chain triglycerides (MCT) of different chain lengths (four to seven carbons). The MCT feeding was associated with transient increases in plasma carnitine and carnitine esters, and feeding odd-chain MCT (tri-C5 or tri-C7) led to elevated levels of propionylcarnitine in plasma."}
{"id": "PMID:1484101", "title": "Reversed-phase chromatographic method for specific determination of glutathione in cultured malignant cells.", "content": "A chromatographic method for the specific determination of glutathione in malignant cell lines is described. The method is based on the ability of glutathione-S-transferase to specifically and quantitatively conjugate glutathione to 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene and chromatographic quantitation of the resultant conjugate, dinitrophenyl-S-glutathione, by reversed-phase liquid chromatography. The assay can be performed on 20,000 g supernatants of cell homogenates without acid extraction. 2-Mercaptoethanol, a sulfhydryl compound often used as a thiol-protective agent to preserve enzymatic activities of a number of enzymes, did not interfere with glutathione determination by this method. The dinitrophenyl-S-glutathione isolated from either standard glutathione samples or from cell homogenates was shown to be identical to authentic dinitrophenyl-S-glutathione using mass spectrometry. Recovery of glutathione in standard samples by the current method was identical to that determined using 5,5'-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoic acid). Exogenous glutathione added to supernatants of cell homogenate in the presence or absence of 2-mercaptoethanol was also completely recovered."}
{"id": "PMID:1484102", "title": "Use of eluent containing surfactant for the liquid chromatographic analysis of porphyrins by direct serum injection.", "content": "A gradient elution reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic method was developed for the direct serum injection analysis of porphyrins based on the use of eluent containing an anionic surfactant (sodium dodecyl sulfate) at a concentration below the critical micelle concentration to elute the serum proteins at the column void volume. Separation and detection performances were tested with a mixture of porphyrin standards containing uro-, heptacarboxylic-, hexacarboxylic-, pentacarboxylic-, copro-, zinc proto- and mesoporphyrin in a model serum consisting of 50 mg/ml bovine serum albumin. Average limit of detection is 0.06 pmol with a 10-microliter injection volume using fluorimetric excitation at the Soret band of porphyrins. The utility of this method for the direct serum injection analysis of porphyrins in human serum was evaluated by investigating serum samples from individuals suffering from iron-deficiency anemia and breast cancer."}
{"id": "PMID:1484103", "title": "Enantiospecific gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric procedure for the determination of ketoprofen and ibuprofen in synovial fluid and plasma: application to protein binding studies.", "content": "A method for the enantiospecific quantitation of two commonly prescribed non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (ketoprofen and ibuprofen) is described. The method involves formation of a mixed anhydride of the drug with ethylchloroformate and subsequent conversion to an amide by reaction with optically active amphetamine. The subsequently formed diastereomers are separated by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry using selected-ion monitoring. The assay is capable of quantifying ketoprofen (2 ng/ml) and ibuprofen (3 ng/ml) enantiomers from a 200-microliters sample of synovial fluid or plasma and is particularly suitable for protein binding studies."}
{"id": "PMID:1484104", "title": "Development of a method for the determination of zopiclone in whole blood.", "content": "Mass spectrometry in both electron-impact and positive chemical ionisation modes has been used to elucidate the structures of the decomposition products of zopiclone after gas chromatography. A high-performance liquid chromatographic method has been developed for the determination of zopiclone in whole blood. After selective extraction (butyl chloride) the extracts are chromatographed on Spherisorb ODS-5 (5 microns) using dibasic ammonium phosphate-acetonitrile (40:60). The zopiclone is measured by ultraviolet detection with a limit of quantitation of 4 ng/ml. This method has been successfully applied to the determination of zopiclone in post-mortem blood. Zopiclone levels found in five post-mortem cases are presented."}
{"id": "PMID:1484105", "title": "Determination of Oltipraz in serum by high-performance liquid chromatography with optical absorbance and mass spectrometric detection.", "content": "Three methods have been developed for the analysis of Oltipraz in serum. A method suitable for routine use employs spiking with a homologous internal standard, off-line solid-phase extraction, high-performance liquid chromatographic separation, and optical absorbance detection at 450 nm. Method detection limit is about 1 ng/ml. A second method, less susceptible to bias from co-eluting interferences, uses a stable isotope-labeled internal standard, similar extraction and separation, and detection by thermospray mass spectrometry. Method detection limit is about 0.2 ng/ml. A third method was developed which can be used without specially synthesized internal standards. It uses on-line solid-phase extraction, with quantification by comparison with external standards. Method detection limit is about 3 ng/ml. Good agreement was observed between these methods and with similar and different methods run in other laboratories. Calibration curves were linear over the entire range which was investigated, i.e., up to 500 ng/ml. Coefficients of variation were similar for all three methods, being about 5%."}
{"id": "PMID:1484106", "title": "Determination of a new bisphosphonate, YM175, in plasma, urine and bone by high-performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection.", "content": "A high-performance liquid chromatographic method for the determination of disodium dihydrogen(cycloheptylamino)methylene-bisphosphonate monohydrate (YM175) in plasma, urine and bone is described. Plasma obtained in high-dose animal studies is pretreated by Method A, a simple method using 1 ml of plasma, which is based on deproteinization of plasma followed by coprecipitation of the drug with calcium phosphate and removal of excess calcium ions by AG 50W-X8 resin. Plasma obtained in lower-dose clinical studies is treated by Method B, a more sensitive method using 10 ml of plasma, which is based on solid-phase extraction using a Sep-Pak C18 cartridge coupled with Method A. Urine and bone are treated similarly to Method B. The chromatographic system consists of a mobile phase at pH 11, an alkali-stable column and an electrochemical detector operating in the oxidation mode. The determination limit is 5 ng/ml for Method A and 0.5 ng/ml for Method B in plasma, 1 ng/ml in urine, and 25 ng/g in bone."}
{"id": "PMID:1484107", "title": "Simultaneous high-performance liquid chromatographic determination of salicylates in whole blood, plasma and isolated erythrocytes.", "content": "A method using liquid-liquid extraction has been developed for the isolation of acetylsalicylic acid and its metabolites, salicylic, gentisic or possibly salicyluric acids, from whole blood, isolated erythrocytes and plasma. Methylene chloride proved to be the best of the organic solvents tested. For whole blood and isolated erythrocytes it was necessary to carry out haemolysis prior to their extraction. The high-performance liquid chromatographic conditions for the quantitation of acetylsalicylic acid and its metabolites from samples of whole blood, erythrocytes and whole plasma were optimized. Separation was performed using reversed-phase chromatography on Separon SGX C18 and ultraviolet detection at 236 nm. A mixture of methanol-water (80:100, v/v) was the mobile phase, acidified with perchloric acid to pH 2.5."}
{"id": "PMID:1484108", "title": "Enantiospecific high-performance liquid chromatographic assay with fluorescence detection for the monoamine oxidase inhibitor tranylcypromine and its applicability in pharmacokinetic studies.", "content": "In order to be able to measure low concentrations of tranylcypromine enantiomers in biological material, chiral fluorescent derivatization and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) were employed. The internal standard S-(+)-amphetamine and borate-sodium hydroxide buffer pH 11 were added to plasma or urine sample aliquots. o-Phthaldialdehyde was used for precolumn derivatization in combination with the chiral mercaptan N-acetylcysteine. HPLC resolution of the diastereoisomeric derivatives was possible on an octadecylsilane column. The mobile phase consisted of sodium phosphate buffer solution pH 6.5, methanol and tetrahydrofuran. The fluorescence of the eluate was monitored at 344/442 nm. The intra-day coefficients of variation were below 10%, the limit of determination was 0.5 ng/ml. The assay was found to be applicable for routine analyses in a preliminary pharmacokinetic study, in which an oral dose of 20 mg racemic tranylcypromine sulfate was administered to three healthy volunteers. The plasma concentrations were generally low, and those of S-(-)-tranylcypromine significantly exceeded those of the R-(+)-enantiomer. Average maximum concentrations were 57.5 and 6.3 ng/ml for S- and R-tranylcypromine, respectively. While S-tranylcypromine was well detectable within the whole study period (8 h), R-tranylcypromine concentrations fell below the detection limit after 4 h in two out of the three studied volunteers."}
{"id": "PMID:1484109", "title": "High-performance liquid chromatographic determination of amitriptyline and its main metabolites using a silica column with reversed-phase eluent. Application in mice.", "content": "A method was developed for the assay of amitriptyline, amitriptyline N-oxide, nortriptyline, desmethylnortriptyline and E (trans) and Z (cis) isomers of 10-hydroxyamitriptyline and of 10-hydroxynortriptyline in plasma and brain of animals, using high-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection (254 nm). Single extraction was performed at pH 10.5 from 0.25 ml of plasma or 1 ml of brain mixture. Chromatographic separations were achieved with a silica column and an aqueous methanol mobile phase containing ammonia. This procedure offers high sensitivity (8-10 ng/ml), high linearity (r > 0.99) and acceptable precision (coefficient of variation < or = 13.3%). The method was used to determine levels of amitriptyline and its major metabolites in mice 30 min after a single intraperitoneal administration of amitriptyline (20 mg/kg)."}
{"id": "PMID:1484110", "title": "High-performance liquid chromatography-electrochemical detection of 3-methylhistidine in human urine.", "content": "A reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic method is described for the determination of 3-methylhistidine content in human urine using pre-column derivatization with phenylisothiocyanate, isocratic elution with 15 mM sodium acetate-acetonitrile (92:8, v/v) and electrochemical detection. The limit of quantitation was 0.1 pmol. The method has been applied in routine analyses of 3-methylhistidine in both clinical and research work."}
{"id": "PMID:1484111", "title": "Determination of eperisone in human plasma by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.", "content": "A gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric method was developed to determine eperisone hydrochloride, 4'-ethyl-2-methyl-3-piperidinopropiophenone hydrochloride, in human plasma over the concentration range 0.2-40 ng/ml. Excellent sensitivity was achieved by selection of a favorable fragment ion, m/z 98, of eperisone and reduction of heat decomposition of eperisone by using a splitless injector and a shortened capillary column. The method described here allows the determination of plasma concentrations as low as 0.2 ng/ml, the concentration attained 6 h after a single oral administration of 50 mg. At eperisone hydrochloride concentrations higher than 0.5 ng/ml, the mean inter-day variation of accuracy of the assay was less than 12%."}
{"id": "PMID:1484112", "title": "Improved method for the determination of trimethadione and its demethylated metabolite, dimethadione, in human serum by gas chromatography.", "content": "An improved gas chromatographic method, involving the use of a wide-bore capillary column, for the determination of trimethadione and its only demethylated metabolite, dimethadione, in human serum is described. The results indicate that both substances and the internal standard (maleinimide) were well separated with no tailing peak. The detection limit was 10 ng/ml for trimethadione and 50 ng/ml for dimethadione. This improved method is reliable in terms of sensitivity, selectivity and reproducibility for the simultaneous determination of both compounds in human serum."}
{"id": "PMID:1484113", "title": "Determination by high-performance liquid chromatography of hydroxyurea in human plasma.", "content": "An assay using reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection was developed to measure hydroxyurea in plasma at concentrations suitable for pharmacokinetic studies. The sample preparation is simple, the analysis rapid and assays can be batched. The between-run precision is excellent (coefficient of variation = 2.8-4.5%) and the limit of detection is 0.02 mmol/l. Preliminary studies have shown that the method is suitable for pharmacokinetic studies."}
{"id": "PMID:1484114", "title": "Preparation of a fluorescent derivative of benzoylecgonine, and preliminary studies of its application to the analysis of urine.", "content": "A sensitive high-performance liquid chromatographic method using 3-bromomethyl-6,7-dimethoxy-1-methyl-2(1H)-quinoxalinone (Br-DMEQ) as a fluorescent labeling reagent is described for the determination of benzoylecgonine (BE) and ecgonine (EC). The Br-DMEQ derivatives of BE and EC were separated on a C18 column and detected at 455 nm with excitation at 370 nm. The detection limits of the proposed method were 18.7 fmol for BE and 12.5 pmol for EC at a signal-to-noise ratio of 3. Relative standard deviations of five replicate measurements were 1.94% (10 pmol) and 2.98% (50 pmol) for BE and 6.3% (250 pmol) and 5.62% (1.25 pmol) for EC. This method was applied to the determination of BE in human urine. BE was extracted from urine by solvent extraction with chloroform-isopropyl alcohol (9:1, v/v) solution. Levels of 2.5.10(-8) M BE in urine (25 pmol/ml) could be determined."}
{"id": "PMID:1484115", "title": "Redeployment of trigeminal motor axons during metamorphosis.", "content": "As a consequence of the degeneration and replacement of the jaw muscle fibers in the leopard frog, Rana pipiens, trigeminal motoneurons innervate different targets before and after metamorphosis. This investigation examined the morphological correlates of the reassignment of trigeminal motoneurons during the initial phases of myofiber turnover. Specifically, silver-cholinesterase histochemistry and electron microscopy were used to 1) identify the fate of motor axons within the neuromuscular junctions (NMJs) applied to degenerating larval myofibers and 2) to determine the origin(s) of the motor axons that innervate the postmetamorphic muscle fibers of the jaw. The results demonstrate that the NMJs are retained on larval myofibers throughout their degeneration and are readily identifiable on the residual larval basal laminae that remain after involution of the sarcoplasm. Light and electron microscopic observations provide evidence that both pre- and post-synaptic elements are present on the degenerating fibers. Furthermore, morphometric analyses indicate that the preponderance (86%) of motor axons supplying adult muscle fibers originates from the larval NMJs. This condition suggests that metamorphic redeployment of trigeminal motoneurons occurs through the resumption of growth at the axon terminal supplying larval muscle rather than through the proximal collateralization of these axons and resorption of larval terminals."}
{"id": "PMID:1484116", "title": "The termination pattern and postsynaptic targets of rubrospinal fibers in the rat spinal cord: a light and electron microscopic study.", "content": "The spinal course, termination pattern, and postsynaptic targets of the rubrospinal tract, which is known to contribute to the initiation and execution of movements, were studied in the rat at the light and electron microscopic levels by using the anterograde tracer Phaseolus vulgaris-leucoagglutinin (PHA-L) in combination with calbindin-D28k (CaBP), gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and glycine immunocytochemistry. After injections of PHA-L unilaterally into the red nucleus, labelled fibers and terminals were detected at cervical, thoracic, and lumbar segments of the spinal cord. Most of the descending fibers were located in the dorsolateral funiculus contralateral to the injection site, but axons descending ipsilaterally were also revealed. Rubrospinal axon terminals were predominantly found in laminae V-VI and in the dorsal part of lamina VII at all levels and on both sides of the spinal cord, but stained collaterals were also seen in the ventrolateral aspect of Clark's column and in the ventral regions of lamina VII on both sides. The proportion of axonal varicosities revealed on the ipsilateral side varied at different segments and represented 10-28% of the total number of labelled boutons. Most of the labelled boutons were engaged in synaptic contacts with dendrites. Of the 137 rubrospinal boutons investigated, only 2 were found to establish axosomatic synaptic junctions in the lumbar spinal cord contralateral to the PHA-L injection. With the postembedding immunogold method, 80.8% of dendrites establishing synaptic contacts with rubrospinal terminals did not show immunoreactivity for either GABA or glycine, whereas 19.2% of them were immunoreactive for both amino acids. Rubrospinal axons made multiple contacts with CaBP-immunoreactive neurons in laminae V-VI. Synaptic contacts between rubrospinal terminals and CaBP-immunoreactive dendrites were identified at the electron microscopic level, and all CaBP-containing postsynaptic dendrites investigated were negative for both GABA and glycine. The results suggest that rubrospinal terminals establish synaptic contacts with both excitatory and inhibitory interneurons in the rat spinal cord, and a population of excitatory interneurons receiving monosynaptic rubrospinal input is located in laminae V-VI."}
{"id": "PMID:1484117", "title": "Distribution of catecholamine-containing nerves on blood vessels of the rat trachea.", "content": "This study was performed to determine the distribution of catecholamine-containing sympathetic nerves on blood vessels of the rat trachea. The glyoxylic acid method was used to visualize catecholamine-containing axons in tracheal whole mounts, and silicone vascular casts were used to elucidate the architecture of the vasculature. We also examined the relationship of these axons to the trachea's plexus of cholinergic nerves and ganglia, using tracheal whole mounts stained for acetylcholinesterase activity. We found that most catecholamine-containing axons were associated with arterioles located between cartilaginous rings or in the posterior membrane. In both regions, catecholamine-containing nerves were most abundant at the origin of terminal arterioles, which supplied the airway mucosa and smooth muscle. At the origin of these vessels, the fluorescent axons changed their orientation from longitudinal to circumferential. Few fluorescent axons were present beyond this region of the terminal arterioles, and none was found on capillaries or venules or on smooth muscle cells of the posterior membrane. Fluorescent axons were present in some tracheal ganglia but non enveloped neuronal cell bodies or had varicosities, and no ganglion cells had glyoxylic acid-induced fluorescence. Catecholamine-fluorescence was also present in clusters of small intensely fluorescent (SIF) cells, which were located in the adventitia of the posterior membrane and in the longitudinal nerve trunks which ran the length of the trachea. Pargyline pretreatment increased the fluorescence of axons and SIF cells but did not reveal a different distribution of these structures.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1484118", "title": "Distinctive pattern of organisation in the retinofugal pathway of a marsupial: I. Retina and optic nerve.", "content": "The nasotemporal division in the retina and the pattern of crossed and uncrossed axons in the optic nerve were determined in an Australian marsupial, a wallaby, Setonix brachyurus (the quokka), following unilateral horseradish peroxidase injections into primary visual centres. The gross morphology of the nerve was also examined. Ipsilaterally projecting ganglion cells were restricted to the temporal retina, whereas those that project contralaterally were located in all retinal regions. The morphological study of the nerve showed that fasciculation patterns, evident along much of the length of the nerve, became indistinct centrally and were replaced in the prechiasmatic region by dorsoventrally oriented fissures. In this prechiasmatic region, axons were oriented in two directions. Whereas the majority were aligned centroperipherally with the long axis of the nerve, a proportion were aligned dorsoventrally in the fissures. Labelling with HRP revealed that uncrossed axons were restricted to the lateral region of the optic nerve and possibly to discrete fascicles, whereas those destined to cross at the chiasm occupied all regions of the nerve but were less dense on the lateral side. This spatial distribution of crossed and uncrossed projections did not change along the length of the nerve. These results demonstrate that fibre organisation in the marsupial optic nerve is different than that found in eutherian mammals."}
{"id": "PMID:1484119", "title": "Distinctive pattern of organisation in the retinofugal pathway of a marsupial: II. Optic chiasm.", "content": "In the mammalian optic chiasm retinal axons from each eye divide into two populations, those that decussate and those that remain uncrossed. In eutherian (placental) mammals, the separation of these pathways is not reflected in the structure of the chiasm. The two populations from each eye are mixed through each hemichiasm, segregating only at the midline, where the uncrossed projection turns back. In this study the optic chiasm of a marsupial, the wallaby, Setonix brachyurus (quokka) has been investigated with staining and neuronal tracing techniques. The chiasm of this mammal is quite different from that of eutherian mammals. In coronal section it can be morphologically subdivided into three regions, a central body in which fasciculated groups of axons from each eye interdigitate across the midline, and two distinct lateral regions, one on each side, which contain the uncrossed retinal projections. In the rostral chiasm the lateral regions are separated from the main body of the chiasm by vertically oriented fibre-free regions. Caudally, the lateral regions increase in size and become less distinct as increasing numbers of contralaterally projecting axons that have crossed the midline project into them. However, the two populations remain predominantly segregated in this region. As the lateral regions develop, the central body of the chiasm becomes thinner and finally detaches at the midline to form the two optic tracts. The routes taken by retinal axons through the eutherian and marsupial chiasm appear to be fundamentally different. Therefore, the developmental factors that determine the laterality of retinal projections are likely to show significant differences in the two mammalian groups."}
{"id": "PMID:1484120", "title": "Time-course and extent of retinal ganglion cell death following ablation of the superior colliculus in neonatal rats.", "content": "This study has examined the deleterious effect of superior colliculus (SC) ablation on the viability of identified retinotectally projecting ganglion cells in the neonatal rat retina. The time-course and extent of lesion-induced retinal ganglion cell (rgc) death has been determined and an estimate obtained for the rate of clearance of individual dying neurons. In order to demonstrate the projection of rgcs to the SC and the subsequent death of these same neurons after SC lesions, the fluorescent dye diamidino yellow (DY) was injected into the left SC of anesthetized 2 day old Wistar rats (P2: day of birth = P0). DY retrogradely labels the nuclei of tectally projecting rgcs; if these identified rgcs subsequently die, their DY-labelled nuclei become pyknotic and can be visualized in retinal wholemounts. At P4 the rats were again anesthetized and the injected area, seen as a yellow patch in the SC, was removed by aspiration. Rats were perfused 2 to 336 hours after the lesion and retinal wholemounts of the right eye were prepared. Control rats received only DY injections and were perfused at times corresponding to the lesioned animals. In three sham-operated rats; the injected SC was reexposed at P4 but the tectal tissue was not removed. In each of the 42 rats that were analyzed, about 10% of the retina containing retrogradely labelled rgcs was counted; the number of pyknotic versus normally labelled rgcs was determined and changes in normal cell density were also assessed. Pyknotic rates in control and sham-operated rats were similar (average 0.8%, n = 11). In SC-lesioned rats, the proportion of pyknotic DY-labelled rgcs increased to about 2.5% 4 to 8 hours postlesion (PL); the peak period of death occurred at 23 hours PL (8.0%). The amount of pyknosis decreased thereafter and most dying cells had been eliminated by 50 hours PL. Phagocytosis of dying cells was a common feature of retinae in SC lesioned rats. In the long-term (336 hours) rats, counts of normal DY-labelled rgcs in corresponding regions of control and lesioned rats revealed an average decrease in rgc density of 47.3% after P4 tectal ablation. Calculations suggest a clearance time of about 3 hours for dying neonatal rgcs."}
{"id": "PMID:1484121", "title": "Distribution and innervation of lateral line organs in the axolotl.", "content": "The lateral line system in axolotls consists of three types of receptors and the cranial nerves that innervate them. Superficial neuromasts, which are mechanoreceptors, are distributed in lines on both the head and trunk. Eight cephalic and three trunk lines can be distinguished on the basis of their innervation and differences in the orientation of the major axes of their neuromasts. A combination of histological techniques reveals that five separate pairs of cranial nerves innervate the neuromasts: anterodorsal lateral line nerves innervate cephalic supraorbital and infraorbital lines; anteroventral lateral line nerves innervate cephalic angular, oral, jugal, and preoperculomandibular lines of the cheek and lower jaw; middle and supratemporal lateral line nerves innervate the cephalic postotic lines; and posterior lateral line nerves innervate the trunk lines. In addition to lines of neuromasts, a second class of mechanoreceptive lateral line organs, pit organs, also occur on the head. Pit organs are smaller than neuromasts but are innervated in a manner identical to that of neuromasts: the sensory hair cells of a single pit organ are innervated by two afferent fibers and a single efferent fiber. Although they occur in localized clusters rather than lines, the four distinct pit organ clusters occurring in axolotls are referred to as the anterior, middle, middle cheek, and gular pit lines as they appear to be homologous to the similarly named pit lines in fishes on the basis of their topography and innervation. In addition to neuromasts and pit organs, ampullary organs comprise a third class of lateral line receptors and are restricted to the head. These electroreceptors occur singly or in small clusters adjacent to the neuromast lines and along the base of the external gills. The ampullary organs adjacent to the supraorbital and infraorbital lines are innervated by the anterodorsal lateral line nerves, whereas all other ampullary organs of the head are innervated by the anteroventral lateral line nerves. Thus postotic ampullary organs and neuromasts of the head are innervated by different lateral line nerves. Examination of the sensory ganglia of the lateral line nerves with respect to the ganglia of the other cranial nerves indicates varying levels of fusion. The ganglia of the anterodorsal lateral line and profundal-trigeminal nerves are totally separate throughout their rostrocaudal extent. The ganglia of the anteroventral lateral line and facial nerves form a fused ganglionic complex with the larger pigmented cells of the anteroventral nerve occupying the dorsal portion of the ganglionic complex.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1484122", "title": "Development of GABA-immunoreactivity in the neocortex of the mouse.", "content": "The prenatal and postnatal development of GABAergic elements in the neocortex of the mouse was analyzed by GABA-immunocytochemistry. Radial distribution of cells and laminar numerical densities were calculated at each developmental stage to substantiate qualitative observations. The first immunoreactive neurons were observed in the cortical anlage at embryonic day 12-embryonic day 13 (E12-E13) in the primitive plexiform layer. At following prenatal stages (E14-E19), most GABA-positive neurons were present in the marginal zone, subplate, and subventricular zone. GABA-immunoreactivity in the cortical plate appeared early (E14), although the complete maturation of its derivatives was achieved postnatally. At prenatal stages we noted a well-developed system of immunopositive fibers in the subplate. As indicated by the direction of growth cones, most of these fibers had an extracortical origin and invaded the cortex laterally through the internal capsule and striatum. In rostral and middle telencephalic levels, fibers originating in the septal region contributed to the cingulate bundle. Presumably corticofugal fibers and callosal axons were also noticed. At postnatal stages the maturation of GABA-immunoreactivity appeared to be a complex, long-lasting process, in which the adult pattern was produced at the same time as the appearance of certain regressive phenomena. Thus, between postnatal day 0 and postnatal day 8 (P0-P8), GABA-positive populations disappeared from the subventricular zone, marginal zone and to a lesser extent from the subplate. At the same ages we noticed the presence of morphologically abnormal, GABA-immunoreactive neurons in the subventricular zone and subplate which are interpreted as correlates of neuronal degeneration. Most GABA-positive subplate fibers also disappeared whereas GABA-immunoreactive axons were seen in the cingulate bundle until the adult stage. In the derivatives of the cortical plate, the maturation of GABA-immunoreactive elements progressed according to the \"inside-out\" gradient of cortical development, with the important exception of layer IV, which was the last layer to exhibit an adult-like appearance. Within each layer deriving from the cortical plate (layers VIa to II-III), GABA-immunoreactivity showed a protracted maturation in which the first GABA-positive cells were detected a few days after cell birth but substantial numbers of neurons began to express GABA considerably later. The later phase occurred concurrently with the maturation of GABA-positive axonal plexuses. These results suggest that different GABA-positive populations show different developmental regulation of GABA expression during cortical ontogenesis."}
{"id": "PMID:1484123", "title": "A quantitative study of the human cerebellum with unbiased stereological techniques.", "content": "Estimates of total number of different neuron and glial cell types in the dentate nuclei and the four major regions of the human cerebellum were obtained by new stereological methods. With the optical disector and Cavalieri methods, the total number of neurons and glial cells in the human cerebellum of five elderly men was estimated to be 105,000 x 10(6) (coefficient of variation, CV = 0.13). Of this total, the granule cells comprised 101,000 x 10(6) (CV = 0.13) and the Purkinje cells comprised 30.5 x 10(6) (CV = 0.13) of the neurons. The mean of the total number of neurons in the dentate nucleus was 5.01 x 10(6) (CV = 0.28). The average surface area of the human cerebellum was estimated to be 1160 cm2 (CV = 0.29). The rationale for the different sampling schemes used to quantify the various cell types is described."}
{"id": "PMID:1484124", "title": "Effects of neonatal transection of the infraorbital nerve upon the structural and functional organization of the ventral posteromedial nucleus in the rat.", "content": "The present study examined the way in which an indirect partial deafferentation of the medial portion of the ventrobasal complex (VPM/VPL) induced by neonatal transection of the infraorbital nerve (ION) altered the structural and functional properties of its constituent neurons. This manipulation significantly reduced the volume of the contralateral VPM/VPL. In addition, cell counts in Nissl-stained material revealed a significant reduction of the number of VPM/VPL neurons contralateral to neonatal ION transection. We also analyzed the effect of neonatal ION transection on the soma-dendritic morphology of individual neurons in the ventral posteromedial nucleus of the thalamus (VPM) by intracellular injection of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) in vivo and Lucifer yellow in fixed slices. Neonatal transection of the ION resulted in increased dendritic length, area, and volume of VPM neurons in both preparations; however only the changes observed in fixed slices reached statistical significance. Alterations in the functional characteristics of VPM neurons were also observed following neonatal nerve damage. There was a significant decrease in the percentage of vibrissae-sensitive neurons and a corresponding increase in the percentages of neurons responsive to guard hair deflection or that were unresponsive to peripheral stimulation. Neonatal nerve damage also resulted in significantly longer latencies of VPM cells after stimulation of either trigeminal nucleus principalis or subnucleus interpolaris. The present results indicate that the development of normal response properties and soma-dendritic morphology of VPM neurons is dependent upon intact afferent input during development. Indirect partial deafferentation of VPM/VPL by neonatal transection of the ION results in reduced neuron number, which may result in decreased competition among the dendrites of these neurons. This proposal is consistent with observations of increased dendritic dimensions of VPM neurons contralateral to neonatal ION damage."}
{"id": "PMID:1484125", "title": "PHA-L analysis of projections from the supramammillary nucleus in the rat.", "content": "The projections of the supramammillary nucleus (SUM) were examined in the rat by the anterograde anatomical tracer Phaseolus vulgaris leucoagglutinin (PHA-L). The majority of labeled fibers from SUM ascended through the forebrain within the medial forebrain bundle. SUM fibers were found to terminate heavily in the hippocampal formation, specifically within the granule cell layer and immediately adjoining molecular layer of the dentate gyrus. In addition, SUM fibers were shown to distribute densely to several structures with strong connections with the hippocampus, namely, the nucleus reunions of the thalamus, the medial and lateral septum, the entorhinal cortex, and the endopiriform nucleus. SUM fibers were also shown to project significantly to several additional subcortical and cortical sites. The subcortical sites were the dorsal raphe nucleus, the midbrain central gray, the fields of Forel/zona incerta, the dorsomedial hypothalamic area, midline/intralaminar nuclei of the thalamus (posterior paraventricular, rhomboid, central medial, intermediodorsal, and mediodorsal), the medial and lateral preoptic areas, the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, the substantia innominata, the vertical limb of the diagonal band nucleus, and the claustrum. The cortical sites were the occipital, temporal, parietal, and frontal cortices. Some notable differences were observed in projections from the lateral as compared to the medial SUM. For example, fibers originating from the lateral SUM distributed heavily to the hippocampal formation and parts of the cortex, whereas those from the medial SUM projected sparsely to these two regions. The SUM projections to the hippocampal formation and associated structures may serve as the substrate for a SUM involvement in the generation of the theta rhythm of the hippocampus and the gating of information flow through the hippocampal formation."}
{"id": "PMID:1484126", "title": "Translaminar deficits in the retinae of albinos.", "content": "The central retina in albino mammals is poorly developed. There is a general reduction in ganglion cell density compared with the normal animal, and there are irregularities in the center to periphery gradient in ganglion cell density. It is not known whether, and if so to what extent, this abnormality is associated with deficits in other retinal layers. In this study the distribution of cells in the ganglion cell layer has been determined in horizontally sectioned eyes from pigmented and albino ferrets. This was undertaken to define the location of the region of highest cell density and the relative cell gradients around it. Detailed counts and measurements were then undertaken to determine the cell density within, and thickness of, the inner and the outer nuclear layers in these animals. All the albino animals had an abnormal distribution of cells in the ganglion cell layer in the central retina when compared with pigmented animals. The extent of this abnormality was variable. No differences between pigmented and albino animals could be found in the packing density of cells within the inner or the outer nuclear layer. However, in the pigmented animals there was a clear increase in the thickness of these layers associated with the region of highest density in the ganglion cell layer. This feature was absent in the albino animals, where the gradient in layer thickness was less marked and frequently contained irregularities. These abnormalities were most obvious in the outer nuclear layer."}
{"id": "PMID:1484134", "title": "Assessing environmental health concerns associated with nitrous oxide.", "content": "Concerns about the effects of occupational exposure to nitrous oxide have existed for a decade. Unfortunately, data are lacking that document biologically tolerable exposure levels. Current guidelines regarding use of N2O are reviewed."}
{"id": "PMID:1484135", "title": "A year of chronic TMPDS: relating patient symptoms and pain intensity.", "content": "Pain intensity among 136 women with TMPDS was compared with the signs and symptoms of TMPDS. Most masticatory muscle pain was related to TMPDS pain intensity. Clicking, restricted mandibular range and evidence of tooth grinding were not related to pain intensity."}
{"id": "PMID:1484136", "title": "Endodontic case selection: to treat or to refer.", "content": "Endodontic treatment in the United States is delivered primarily by general dentists. A dilemma often arises as to which cases should be treated and which should be referred for specialty care. The case selection system described here rates endodontic cases so that practitioners can assess those cases they are best qualified to treat."}
{"id": "PMID:1484138", "title": "How dentists see themselves, their profession, the public.", "content": "The public traditionally has held dentistry in high regard as a profession. But some recent evidence suggests a decline in public confidence--a fact that may be affecting the way dentists view themselves. What should and can be done?"}
{"id": "PMID:1484142", "title": "Low early gallstone recurrence rate after successful extracorporeal lithotripsy in patients with solitary stones.", "content": "Piezoelectric lithotripsy with the EDAP LT-01 machine combined with adjuvant bile acid therapy results in complete clearance of radiolucent gallstones in selected patients. We assessed stone recurrence rate in 84 patients with complete clearance of stone fragments and followed up at least 12 months after cessation of bile acid therapy (mean 17 months, range 12-33). Fifty-four patients had a solitary stone and 30 multiple stones. Bile acid therapy was continued for 3 months after complete fragment stones clearance which was ascertained by two consecutive ultrasound examinations. Stone recurrence was assessed by ultrasonography at 6 and 12 months, and then at least once a year. Gallstone recurrence occurred in 5 patients (6%) between 9 and 12 months with no further recurrence up to 33 months. The rate of recurrence at one year was 3.7% in patients with a solitary stone and 10% in patients with multiple stones. Only one patient with stone recurrence had recurrent biliary pain. We concluded that early gallstone recurrence rate after successful lithotripsy seems to be low in patients with solitary stones."}
{"id": "PMID:1484143", "title": "Endocytosis of soluble IgG immune complex and its transport to lysosomes in hepatic sinusoidal endothelial cells.", "content": "Both Kupffer cells and sinusoidal endothelial cells are engaged in the hepatic uptake of soluble IgG immune complex (IgG-IC) through Fc-receptors on their surface. Hepatocytes have also been reported to take up IgG-IC. It remains unclear, however, whether the endothelial cell degrades IgG-IC and whether the hepatocyte participates in IgG-IC clearance. In this study, normal mice received a single intravenous injection of soluble immune complex preformed in antigen excess, i.e. bovine serum albumin (BSA) anti-BSA-mouse-IgG complex (BABIgG) or BSA anti-BSA-mouse-F(ab')2 complex (BABF(ab')2), or BSA alone. An immunoperoxidase study for BSA showed that from 1 to 120 min after injection only BABIgG was ingested by both endothelial cells and Kupffer cells but not by hepatocytes. The staining intensity of BABIgG was maximal at about 15 min and decreased subsequently. Endocytosis of BABIgG occurred through coated pits in the endothelial cells. Within a few minutes, endocytosed BABIgG was found in tubulovesicular structures and large vesicles. The occasional large vesicles were shown to be lysosomes by simultaneous demonstration of BABIgG with acid phosphatase. BABIgG was not found on either of the endothelial and hepatocellular surfaces facing the space of Disse or in hepatocytes. These results indicate that soluble IgG-IC is endocytosed by sinusoidal endothelial cells and degraded in the lysosomes and that the participation of hepatocytes in the clearance of IgG-IC is improbable."}
{"id": "PMID:1484144", "title": "Membrane-bound phenylalanine hydroxylase of human liver.", "content": "Phenylalanine hydroxylase (EC 1.14.16.1) antigen and activity have been identified among proteins extracted with a buffer containing 0.4% Triton X-100 from adult human liver bioptate fraction, which was sedimented at 105,000 x g (n = 4). This enzyme fraction was designated as a 'membrane-bound form of phenylalanine hydroxylase'. It amounted to 5-15% of phenylalanine hydroxylase activity and 15-25% of phenylalanine hydroxylase antigen content. After immunoblotting two-dimensional gels, the soluble (cytoplasmic) form of phenylalanine hydroxylase antigen displayed three spots: one spot corresponded to the L-subunit with a molecular weight of 55,000, the two other spots corresponded to the H-subunit with a molecular weight of 57,000. Only the L-subunit was revealed in the membrane-bound enzyme form. Both phenylalanine hydroxylase activity and antigen were also demonstrated in extracts from human embryonic livers (n = 7). However, in this case the membrane-bound phenylalanine hydroxylase amounted to 85% of the antigen content. Subunit compositions of the enzymes were similar in adult and embryonic livers. The differences in the subunit compositions and enzyme activities of membrane-bound and cytoplasmic forms of phenylalanine hydroxylase in adults and embryos may be due to other functions of this enzyme in the hepatocyte membrane."}
{"id": "PMID:1484145", "title": "The recognition site for hepatic clearance of plasma kallikrein is on its heavy chain and is latent on prokallikrein.", "content": "We partially purified the glycoproteins prokallikrein and kallikrein from rat plasma. The purification of rat plasma kallikrein may result in two forms: an intact form (alpha, M(r) 84-87 kDa) and a partially degraded form (beta, M(r) 46-51 kDa). The alpha-form is composed of a heavy chain (M(r) 50 kDa) and a light chain (M(r) 34-37 kDa) linked by a disulfide bond. The catalytic site is found on the light chain. The beta-form has a partially degraded heavy chain (M(r) 28 kDa). Using a preparation of exsanguinated and perfused rat liver, we verified that rat plasma prokallikrein is not activated by the liver and that neither the proenzyme nor the light chain is removed by the organ. Both forms (alpha and beta) of the active enzyme are similarly removed from the perfusate. We also observed that the clearance of plasma kallikrein is temperature-dependent, and not affected by substances that inhibit binding to galactosyl-, mannosyl-, fucosyl- or phosphomannosyl-specific lectins, but inhibited by beta-galactosides. We suggest that: (a) the binding site to hepatocytes is latent on prokallikrein and is located on its heavy chain, more specifically on the 28-kDa fragment still present in the beta form of the active enzyme and (b) plasma kallikrein is recognized by an S-type lectin."}
{"id": "PMID:1484146", "title": "Liver fibrosis in genetic hemochromatosis. Respective roles of iron and non-iron-related factors in 127 homozygous patients.", "content": "A retrospective study of 127 patients with untreated homozygous genetic hemochromatosis (HGH) was conducted to evaluate the respective roles of iron overload and non-iron-related factors in the development of hepatic fibrosis in HGH. Twenty-seven percent of the patients had cirrhosis, 21% had liver fibrosis and 52% had no fibrosis (prefibrotic group). The mean value of liver iron concentration was increased significantly (p < 0.001) in cirrhotic (378 +/- 144 mumol/g dry wt.) and in fibrotic (331 +/- 168) subjects compared to prefibrotic (237 +/- 108) patients. Of 13 patients with liver iron concentration > or = 500, 12 had liver fibrosis or cirrhosis, versus 48/134 with liver iron concentration < 500. Chronic alcoholic men exhibited hepatic fibrosis or cirrhosis more frequently than non-alcoholic men (p < 0.001). Non-alcoholic men had hepatic fibrosis or cirrhosis more often than non-alcoholic women (p < 0.05). Cirrhotic and fibrotic patients were significantly older than prefibrotic patients whilst a significant correlation between age and liver iron concentration was found in younger patients only. These results suggest that the iron overload threshold necessary to induce fibrosis is modulated by non-iron-related factors such as alcoholism, sex and age. The development of fibrosis in HGH with liver iron concentration < 500 mumol/g is frequent and must lead to a search for associated non-iron-related fibrogenic factors."}
{"id": "PMID:1484147", "title": "Thermogenic response to intravenous nutrition in patients with cirrhosis.", "content": "Energy expenditure was determined using continuous indirect calorimetry in the basal state and during 3 h of total parenteral nutrition (TPN) in 8 patients with cirrhosis and 8 healthy volunteers. TPN consisted of glucose, fat and amino acids and had a glucose/fat ratio of 50:50. The infusion rate was set to provide energy corresponding to 62.5% of the individually measured 24-h resting energy expenditure. In the basal state energy expenditure was similar in patients and controls while the respiratory quotient (RQ) was lower in the patients (0.78 +/- 0.01 vs. 0.82 +/- 0.01, mean +/- SEM, p < 0.05). During TPN, energy expenditure increased progressively during the 3-h infusion period. The average rise in energy expenditure was similar in patients (19.1 +/- 1.2%) and in controls (21.4 +/- 1.6%, n.s.). The RQ rose in both groups, but more in the patients with cirrhosis. At the end of the study, RQ was higher in patients (0.89 +/- 0.01) than in controls (0.85 +/- 0.01, p < 0.05). It is concluded that the nutrient-induced rise in energy expenditure during TPN is not significantly different in patients with cirrhosis and control subjects. Furthermore, the results indicate that the increased fat utilization in overnight fasting cirrhotic patients is rapidly shifted to an augmented carbohydrate oxidation during TPN, possibly as a consequence of marked hyperinsulinemia."}
{"id": "PMID:1484148", "title": "Intrahepatic expression of hepatitis B core and surface antigens in chronic hepatitis delta-virus infection.", "content": "To evaluate the interference of hepatitis B virus (HBV) protein expression in the liver in chronic hepatitis delta-virus (HDV) infection, the intrahepatic expression of hepatitis B core and surface antigens (HBcAg and HBsAg) was studied in 36 HBsAg carriers who were seropositive for anti-HDV and in 36 anti-HDV negative controls [18 with serum hepatitis B e-antigen (HBeAg) and 18 with anti-HBe]. Of 18 HBeAg-positive patients with anti-HDV, 12 had HDV antigen (HDAg) in the liver. HBcAg was positive in 66.7% (8/12) of the HbeAg-positive patients with HDAg in the liver, and in 94.4% (17/18) of controls (p = 0.14). The distribution of HBcAg was exclusively cytoplasmic in 75% (6/8) of HDV-infected patients, but was mixed nuclear and cytoplasmic in 70.6% (12/17) of the controls. The prevalence and quantitative expression of HBcAg in the nucleus, but not in the cytoplasm, were significantly decreased in chronic HDV infection. HBsAg was positive in 91.6% (11/12) of HBeAg-positive patients with HDV infection and in all controls. Membranous expression of HBsAg was detected less frequently in HDV-infected patients than in controls (7/12 vs. 17/18, p = 0.05), while the prevalence and quantitative expression of HBsAg in the cytoplasm showed little or no difference. HDAg was detected in all of the anti-HBe-positive patients with anti-HDV. Of these, none had HBcAg detectable in the liver, nor did controls, while HBsAg was detected exclusively in the cytoplasm in 94.4% (17/18). The prevalence and quantitative expression of HBsAg in the cytoplasm was not different for HDV-infected patients or controls.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1484149", "title": "Polyamine plasma levels and liver regeneration following partial hepatic resection in man.", "content": "Polyamines (putrescine, spermidine, and spermine) are widely distributed in animal and vegetal tissues, where their intracellular concentration strictly correlates with normal and pathological cell growth and protein synthesis. By means of a sensitive HPLC technique, the fasting plasma concentrations of polyamines were measured serially in 11 patients who underwent partial hepatic resection because of focal liver lesions. Samples were obtained before surgery and over the next 6 months, during hepatic regeneration. Liver volume was also measured by ultrasound on the basis of the 3 maximum diameters of the liver. From 2 to 4 weeks after surgery, plasma putrescine increased by a maximum of 78%, and spermidine by approximately 50%. No changes were observed in spermine levels. The spermidine/spermine ratio nearly doubled during liver regeneration. The volume of the liver decrease from 1505 [SD 236] ml to 743 [151] ml after resection, and returned to nearly normal values after 6 months (1231 [100] ml, p < 0.05 vs. basal values). The liver regeneration rate was highest 2-4 weeks after resection, and declined thereafter, when prevailing polyamine concentrations returned to normal. These data show that liver regeneration is accompanied by a significant increase in fasting putrescine and spermidine concentrations, which might be biochemical signals of active liver cell regeneration."}
{"id": "PMID:1484150", "title": "Thrombocytopenia post liver transplantation. Correlations with pre-operative platelet count, blood transfusion requirements, allograft function and outcome.", "content": "This study reports that thrombocytopenia is a universal phenomenon post hepatic transplantation. In 53 consecutive adult patients undergoing liver transplantation the platelet count fell by a mean of 63% (157 x 10(9)/l to 50 x 10(9)/l). The platelet count reached a nadir at Day 5 post-transplant but returned to pre-operative levels by Day 14. Non-parametric regression analysis found that pre-operative platelet count, blood transfusion requirements and maximum post-operative ALT values were independent predictors of the percentage fall in platelet count. No correlation was seen with length of graft cold ischaemic time or the use of University of Wisconsin (UW) solution. The nadir day correlated with maximum post-operative bilirubin and ALT, graft ischaemic time and use of UW solution. Maximum post-operative ALT was also an independent predictor of nadir platelet count. It was observed that patients who did not survive the hospital admission had lower post-operative platelet counts and these did not return to pre-operative levels by Day 14. The percentage fall in platelet count was an independent predictor of survival. Severe thrombocytopenia was associated with cerebral haemorrhage in 3 patients. This report provides evidence that allograft dysfunction (maximum post-operative bilirubin and/or AST/ALT) was the most consistent independent predictor of the nadir platelet count, nadir day and percentage fall in platelet count post liver transplantation although the exact mechanism(s) of the platelet changes remain uncertain."}
{"id": "PMID:1484151", "title": "In vitro secretion of specific antimitochondrial antibodies in primary biliary cirrhosis.", "content": "Antimitochondrial antibodies are present in the serum of virtually all patients with primary biliary cirrhosis. They have a well-defined antigen reactivity that is diagnostic for the disease. The role of these autoantibodies in the disease process remains to be defined. In this study we show that antimitochondrial antibodies can be produced in vitro by peripheral blood lymphocytes, that the cells producing antimitochondrial antibodies are present in the peripheral blood in a high frequency and seem to be maximally activated. Stimulation with pokeweed mitogen did not augment the in vitro production of antimitochondrial antibodies in patients nor did it induce the production of these antibodies by control lymphocytes. Thus, antimitochondrial antibodies are not simply an expression of polyclonal B-cell stimulation. The high frequency of maximally activated B-cells producing antimitochondrial antibodies suggests active antigenic stimulation."}
{"id": "PMID:1484152", "title": "Bed-rest-induced hypernatriuresis in cirrhotic patients without ascites: does it contribute to maintain 'compensation'?", "content": "Renal function, plasma renin activity, plasma aldosterone concentration and urine excretion of free norepinephrine were evaluated in 13 cirrhotics without previous or ongoing ascites and in 13 healthy subjects, after 6 days of controlled electrolyte intake (40 mmol of Na and 70 mmol of K per day) and during 24 h of recumbency. Plasma concentrations of the atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) were also measured in 8 patients and 8 controls. Despite a low-normal filtered load of sodium (14.6 +/- 1.2 vs. 17.1 +/- 1.2 mmol/min), cirrhotic patients showed supernormal natriuresis (141.5 +/- 14.1 vs. 78.8 +/- 8.6 mmol/day; p < 0.001). Whereas the fractional excretion of sodium in these patients was twice that of controls (0.70 +/- 0.05 vs. 0.36 +/- 0.04%; p < 0.001), potassium excretion (42.5 +/- 2.7 vs. 43.1 +/- 2.7 mmol/day) and urine volume (1270 +/- 98 vs. 1452 +/- 148 ml/day) did not differ. In cirrhotics, plasma renin activity was reduced (0.50 +/- 0.12 vs. 1.39 +/- 0.33 ng/ml/h; p < 0.02), and plasma aldosterone concentration tended to be lower (66 +/- 10 vs. 86 +/- 9 pg/ml; p = 0.09), while urine norepinephrine excretion did not significantly differ from controls (961 +/- 120 vs. 782 +/- 43 ng/h). ANP was higher in patients than in controls (92 +/- 17 vs. 48 +/- 9 pg/ml; p < 0.05). Natriuresis was directly correlated with ANP (r = 0.69, p < 0.005) and ANP/plasma aldosterone ratio (r = 0.63; p < 0.01) in patients and healthy subjects taken together.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1484153", "title": "Memory T-lymphocytes are the main population of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes obtained from human primary liver tumors.", "content": "The phenotypic characteristics of freshly isolated tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) obtained from human liver tumors were analyzed by two-color flow cytometry. TIL consisted of mainly CD3+ T-lymphocytes (70-80%). The ratio of CD4/CD8 in TIL from primary and metastatic liver tumors and autologous peripheral blood lymphocytes (A-PBL) was 1.3, 1.1 and 1.3, respectively. The majority of CD3+ T-lymphocytes (mean +/- SD; 95 +/- 11%) expressed T-cell antigen receptor (TCR) alpha/beta, and gamma/delta TCR positive T-cells were only 5 +/- 4.5% in TIL from both primary and metastatic liver tumors. TIL showed significantly higher percentages of transient activation markers, such as CD25 (Tac) and HLA-DR, than A-PBL. TIL also contained significantly more populations of CD3+ CD45RO+ T-lymphocytes, which are considered to be expressed on primed (memory) T-lymphocytes, than A-PBL. Furthermore, TIL from primary liver tumors demonstrated significantly higher percentages of CD3+ CD45RO+ T-cells than those from metastatic liver tumors. These data indicate that TIL from human liver tumors are an apparently distinct population from A-PBL, and that local immune responses against human primary and metastatic liver tumors might be different. Moreover, TIL from primary liver tumors consisted of mainly activated or primed (memory) T-cells, suggesting that they were sensitized and activated by autologous tumor cells in vivo. These observations may imply the possibility of adoptive immunotherapy using TIL against human primary liver tumors."}
{"id": "PMID:1484154", "title": "Liver transplantation for erythropoietic protoporphyria. Report of a new case with subsequent medium-term follow-up.", "content": "We report a new case of successful liver transplantation in a 36-year-old patient with terminal hepatic failure due to erythropoietic protoporphyria. Data regarding protoporphyrin levels in erythrocytes and feces, before and after transplantation, seem to indicate that in this case protoporphyrin overproduction was in part due to liver synthesis. Four years after surgery, the patient is completely free of skin photosensitivity. His liver function tests are normal; there are no visible protoporphyrin deposits or ultrastructural abnormalities in his new liver. However, recurrence of the disease in the long term cannot be excluded, since erythrocyte protoporphyrin levels remained elevated after liver transplantation."}
{"id": "PMID:1484155", "title": "Blockade of ATP-sensitive K+ channels by glibenclamide reduces portal pressure and hyperkinetic circulation in portal hypertensive rats.", "content": "Certain results of in vitro studies raise the possibility that blockade of ATP-sensitive K+ channels by glibenclamide may induce vasoconstriction. Therefore, this substance might decrease portal pressure and hyperkinetic circulation in animals with portal hypertension. Thus, systemic and regional hemodynamics (radioactive microspheres) were measured before and 20 min after a bolus intravenous injection of glibenclamide (20 mg/kg) in conscious rats with portal vein stenosis. Blood pressure decreased significantly from 14.5 +/- 1.5 to 12.2 +/- 1.2 (mean +/- SE). Cardiac index significantly decreased by 24%, portal tributary blood flow by 31%, and hepatic artery blood flow by 35%. Systemic vascular resistance significantly increased by 38%, portal territory vascular resistance and hepatic artery vascular resistance by 61%, each, and renal vascular resistance by 17%. Arterial pressure, heart rate, and renal blood flow were unchanged. Moreover, glibenclamide blunted the vasodilating action of diazoxide (an ATP-sensitive K+ channel opener). These results show that in rats with extrahepatic portal hypertension the blockade of ATP-sensitive K+ channels by glibenclamide reduces portal pressure and hyperkinetic circulation."}
{"id": "PMID:1484156", "title": "Comparison of pre-core/core hepatitis B virus region in liver tissue and serum from patients with chronic hepatitis B infection.", "content": "We examined the relationship between HBV-DNA isolated from the liver and from the serum in patients with various serological characteristics of chronic hepatitis B infection. Amplification and direct sequencing of the HBV pre-core/core region was carried out in 9 patients who were seropositive for HBsAg and HBV-DNA--4 HBeAg positive and 5 anti-HBe positive. Complete sequence identity was observed between HBV-DNA isolated from the serum and the liver in individual patients. In addition, shortened forms of the HBV core ORF were detected in patients with chronic active hepatitis, but not in patients with chronic persistent hepatitis."}
{"id": "PMID:1484157", "title": "Can hepatocytes serve as 'activated' immunomodulating cells in the immune response?", "content": "During the last few years, there has been a growing evidence that hepatocytes are not merely 'passive' target cells for immunological attack by effector T-cells, but may play a more 'active' role in the initiation and perpetuation of the immune response. Immune modulators released by inflammatory cells at the site of inflammation, as well as the eliciting antigen itself, are able to modulate the phenotype of hepatocytes. This would result in abnormal cytokine production and/or cytokine/receptor expression, as well as active synthesis and display of surface immune 'activation' markers and adhesion molecules, which act as co-stimulatory signals for T-cell activation. These accessory functions involve multiple molecular pathways of cell-cell interactions, which in turn will enable hepatocytes to play a role as 'accessory' cells in both the afferent and efferent arms of the cell-mediated immune response."}
{"id": "PMID:1484158", "title": "Diurnal variation in cholesterol metastability of hepatic bile and its acute modulation with ursodeoxycholic acid in humans.", "content": "We studied the alteration of cholesterol metastability of hepatic bile caused by diurnal variations in hepatic biliary lipid excretions and acutely induced changes following ursodeoxycholic acid (UCDA) administration. Hepatic bile was collected at 6-h intervals for 24 h from 6 patients with an indwelling choledochal drainage before and after UDCA administration. A basal diurnal variation showed the highest cholesterol saturation index (p < 0.05) and cholesterol distribution in vesicles (p < 0.01) and the shortest nucleation time (p < 0.05) in the early morning. After the ingestion of ursodeoxycholic acid for 1 day, early morning biliary cholesterol concentrations were reduced. Interestingly, significant decreases in vesicular cholesterol concentrations (1.0 +/- 0.2 to 0.1 +/- 0.04 mM, p < 0.01) and in the vesicular cholesterol/phospholipid ratio (1.6 +/- 0.1 to 0.7 +/- 0.1, p < 0.05) were associated with prolongation of the nucleation time (11.5 +/- 1.2 to 18.7 +/- 1.5 days, p < 0.01). Biliary protein had no diurnal variations and did not decrease significantly with UCDA. These results indicate that during a day the early morning hepatic bile is the most unstable and that UCDA acutely enhances hepatic biliary metastability mainly by decreasing the rate of vesicular cholesterol saturation."}
{"id": "PMID:1484165", "title": "'Albumin-mediated transport phenomenon' observed for ligands with high membrane permeability. Effect of the unstirred water layer in the Disse's space of rat liver.", "content": "In this paper, we offer experimental evidence of the rate-limiting diffusion of ligands through the unstirred water layer (UWL) as an explanation for the so-called albumin-mediated transport phenomenon. The relative membrane permeability of various ligands was first evaluated using isolated rat hepatocytes. Then, the effect of albumin on the uptake of ligands of a wide range of membrane permeabilities was examined using the perfused rat liver. The results were similar to those expected from the UWL model: ligands with high membrane permeability (warfarin, diazepam and taurocholate) clearly exhibited albumin-mediated transport, those with medium membrane permeability (tolbutamide and salicylate) showed less albumin-mediated transport, and ligand with low membrane permeability (cefodizime) did not show albumin-mediated transport. These results were explained by simulation studies of two separate cases based on the UWL model; one assuming the rapid equilibrium of ligand binding with albumin, and the other considering the slow dissociation of ligands from albumin. In light of these findings, we suggest that the rate-limiting diffusion through the UWL plays an important role in the so-called albumin-mediated transport phenomenon."}
{"id": "PMID:1484167", "title": "Vitamin D and osteocalcin levels in liver transplant recipients. Is osteocalcin a reliable marker of bone turnover in such cases?", "content": "Patients with advanced liver disease are at increased risk for the development of hepatic osteodystrophy in the form of either osteomalacia or osteoporosis. The pathogenesis of these two bone diseases is multifactorial and includes, among other factors, alterations in vitamin D metabolism, malnutrition and hypogonadism. Little is known regarding vitamin D metabolism and the osteoblastic activity in liver transplant recipients. In order to clarify these issues, vitamin D metabolites and osteocalcin levels were measured prior to and 30 days following liver transplantation in 30 cirrhotic patients of various etiologies. While the mean plasma concentrations of 25-hydroxyvitamin D and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D of the entire group of 30 patients were significantly greater prior to orthotopic liver transplantation (OLTx) as compared to those after OLTx (11.5 +/- 8.6 vs. 7.4 +/- 5.8 ng/ml, p = 0.0066 and 41.0 +/- 34.6 vs. 20.4 +/- 11.0 pg/ml, p = 0.0003, respectively), no significant changes in osteocalcin concentrations pre- or post-transplantation could be demonstrated (5.2 +/- 3.0 vs. 6.4 +/- 4.1 ng/ml, p = 0.51). Furthermore, no correlation between the plasma concentration of osteocalcin and either vitamin D metabolite, the prothrombin time or cyclosporine levels was found. The reasons for the normal levels of osteocalcin prior to OLTx can be explained by the fact that in vitamin-K-deficient states osteocalcin is predominantly decarboxylated and, therefore, a smaller proportion is bound to bone and/or the synthesis of osteocalcin is partially modulated by 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D, the level of which has been found to be normal.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1484168", "title": "Risk of needle-stick injuries in the transmission of hepatitis C virus in hospital personnel.", "content": "To assess the risk to hospital personnel of acquiring an hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection as a result of occupational exposure to needle-stick injuries, 81 employees who had parenteral exposure to an anti-HCV-positive source were followed for 12 months. None developed hepatitis and anti-HCV testing by a second-generation ELISA system of serum samples collected on the day of exposure and at 3, 6 and 12 months was negative. Consequently, a low efficacy of needle-stick injuries in the transmission of HCV in hospital personnel may be suggested."}
{"id": "PMID:1484169", "title": "The validity of bioelectrical impedance analysis in estimating total body water in patients with cirrhosis.", "content": "This study assessed the validity of bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) to predict total body water (TBW) in patients with cirrhosis. TBW was estimated by deuterium oxide dilution (D2O) and compared with TBW predicted by BIA in 27 patients with cirrhosis with and without ascites or edema (Group A), in a subgroup of 18 'dry' cirrhotics without clinical signs of fluid overload (Group B) and in 27 healthy controls. Three different BIA regression equations were used. In all three groups of subjects high correlation coefficients were obtained between D2O-TBW and BIA-TBW (r > 0.88). In the cirrhotic Group A, BIA significantly underpredicted D2O-TBW by all 3 equations (2.9-3.8 l) and the regression lines were different from the lines of identity by two equations. Standard errors of estimate were high in Group A (3.04-3.97 l) in comparison with Group B (1.79-2.46 l) and the controls (1.03-1.41 l). In the 'dry' cirrhotics (Group B) and in the controls, TBW was correctly predicted by two of three BIA equations, and regression lines were not significantly different from lines of identity. Correlation coefficients in Group B were higher than in Group A (r = 0.96-0.97 vs. 0.89-0.92) and were comparable with controls (r = 0.98-0.99). We conclude that BIA is not a valid method of estimating TBW in cirrhotic patients with ascites and edema. In cirrhotic patients without clinical signs of fluid overload BIA can be used to predict TBW, although accuracy is slightly lower than in healthy controls."}
{"id": "PMID:1484171", "title": "Bacteriuria in patients with cirrhosis.", "content": "The prevalence and bacteriology of bacteriuria was studied in 140 patients with cirrhosis of the liver, referred to the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center for evaluation for liver transplantation (72 males and 68 females; mean age 46 years). Urine samples were obtained for cultures within 24 h after admission. Significant bacteriuria (SB) (> 10(5) bacteria/ml) was present in 25 patients (18%), the most common being E. coli (36%) and coagulase-negative staphylococcus (20%). SB was more common in females than in males (32 vs. 4%, p < 0.001), and was seen in every category of cirrhosis. The occurrence of bacteriuria did not correlate with the severity of the underlying liver disease or with the age of the patient. Based upon these results, it can be concluded that: (1) bacteriuria is common in patients with advanced liver disease and occurs in approximately 20% of the cases; (2) it is more common in females than in males; and (3) its prevalence in patients with primary biliary cirrhosis is similar to that in other types of chronic advanced liver disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1484172", "title": "Biliary endogenous inorganic phosphate, D-glucose, IgA and transferrin are differentially altered by hydrostatic pressure.", "content": "Our objective was to determine the effects of hydrostatic biliary pressure on excretion patterns of endogenous solutes which reflect various pathways of bile formation. A stable in vivo model was developed using anesthetized rats intraduodenally infused with taurocholate to maintain bile flow. Bile was collected during a 2-h basal period, a 4-h pressure period where elevation of the bile duct cannula decreased bile flow to 1/3 the basal rate, and a 2-h period after release of hydrostatic biliary pressure. During pressure treatment, bile salt concentration gradually increased approximately 3-fold, biliary inorganic phosphate concentrations rapidly rose approximately 5-fold, and biliary glucose concentration progressively rose approximately 17-fold. Concentrations of proteins in bile were affected differently with extreme decreases in IgA, moderate decreases in total protein and leucine aminopeptidase, and minimal change in transferrin. By 2 h after pressure release, only the alterations in biliary glucose and IgA persisted. The observed striking and persisting increases in biliary glucose are tentatively explained as an impaired reabsorption of glucose by the biliary tract."}
{"id": "PMID:1484173", "title": "Impaired functions of normal peripheral polymorphonuclear leukocytes in cirrhotic ascitic fluid.", "content": "The function of normal polymorphonuclear cells in the ascitic fluid of 32 patients with cirrhotic ascites and 17 patients with malignant ascites was studied independently of ascitic fluid heat-labile factors. Polymorphonuclear (PMN) function was assessed by a chemiluminescence method using preopsonized zymosan as stimuli. The chemiluminescence response was higher in malignant ascitic fluid than in cirrhotic ascitic fluid (0.84 and 0.15, respectively, p < 0.001). These results were confirmed by a microbiological assessment of phagocytosis. Suppressive factors were evidenced by making ascitic fluid dilutions and using cell-free chemiluminescence measurements. Addition of malignant ascitic fluid to cirrhotic ascitic fluid showed that there is also a deficiency in supportive factors other than C3. The impaired PMN production of oxidative metabolites we observed in cirrhotic ascitic fluid can partly explain the high susceptibility of cirrhotic patients to spontaneous bacterial peritonitis independently of C3 levels."}
{"id": "PMID:1484174", "title": "Clinical implications of the pharmacology of serotonin reuptake inhibitors.", "content": "The selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are a tribute to the ingenuity of pharmacologists and designers of molecules. Not only do these drugs have remarkable selectivity for the reuptake of serotonin compared with other monoamines, but also they have a commendable lack of affinity for receptors including the serotonin receptor. In contrast, the classical tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) are less specific in their pharmacological action. In addition to inhibiting the reuptake of serotonin, TCAs inhibit the uptake of noradrenaline, dopamine and tyramine, and antagonize cholinergic (muscarinic), adrenergic and histaminergic receptors. Moreover, TCAs have quinidine-like anti-arrhythmic activity and lower the seizure threshold. Clinical investigations have shown that the SSRIs have equivalent therapeutic efficacy compared with the TCAs in the treatment of depression. However, the pharmacological specificity of the SSRIs is a clinical advantage since they lack the propensity to cause dry mouth, blurred vision, urinary hesitancy, constipation, hypotension and arrhythmia. Furthermore, the SSRIs are relatively safe in overdosage. The similarities between the SSRIs are more obvious than their differences: all are highly potent and selective inhibitors of serotonin reuptake with efficacy in the treatment of depression. Nevertheless, each has a distinctive pharmacological profile. In this review the characteristics desired in an \"ideal\" antidepressant are examined, and the ways in which the TCAs and SSRIs fit this ideal are compared."}
{"id": "PMID:1484175", "title": "The acute and long-term treatment of major depression.", "content": "Millions of depressed patients do not receive appropriate treatment in spite of the substantial increase in our knowledge about this major medical problem. In addition to individual suffering, there are tens of thousands of deaths by suicide, an increase in morbidity and mortality from medical illnesses whose course is aggravated by an associated depression, a disruptive effect on family life and childrearing, and an economic loss of billions of dollars. Among the many reasons for the inadequate treatment of depression is the fact that the side effects (anticholinergic, antihistaminic, etc.) of traditional antidepressants result in many patients receiving inadequate doses of medication or discontinuing treatment prematurely. The availability of a new class of antidepressant medications--the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)--heralds a new phase in the treatment of depression. Although these drugs are not free of side effects, an increased number of depressed patients now seem able to receive adequate doses of medication and to stay on treatment much longer than in the past. The increased acceptance of SSRIs by patients represents an important phase in our ability to effectively treat larger numbers of patients and to prevent relapse in many of them."}
{"id": "PMID:1484176", "title": "Bridging the gap between psychiatric practice and primary care.", "content": "The recognition and treatment of psychiatric illness in general practice is a skilled and difficult task and it is estimated that about 30% of psychiatric diagnoses may be missed. Patients whose illness is recognized are more likely to recover at follow-up than those whose illness is missed, demonstrating the importance of adequate training in recognizing psychiatric illness. Many general practitioners find difficulty in using tricyclic antidepressants to treat depression. The usual dose is lower than research evidence accepts as therapeutic and side effects often result in patient refusal to take a full dose. Additionally, the tricyclics are highly toxic in overdose. Many general practitioners in the UK are wary of new treatments because of previous experience of rare side effects leading to withdrawal of some new drugs. However, prescriptions of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) for depression are gradually increasing here and in other countries such as the USA, France and Canada, where the SSRIs as a class account for upwards of 30% of new antidepressant prescriptions. The SSRIs are well suited to general practice; they have a greater therapeutic index than tricyclics, are much safer in overdosage, and have a different range of side effects (mainly nausea) which are better tolerated by patients at therapeutic doses. Furthermore, the SSRIs generally do not require dosage escalation for most patients and evidence indicates that they are effective in the treatment of depression associated with anxiety and insomnia. The safety and efficacy of the new SSRI sertraline has been established in comparative trials versus amitriptyline, imipramine and dothiepin (Reimherr et al., 1990; Cohn et al., 1990; Fontaine, 1991; Langdon, 1991).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1484177", "title": "Sertraline in the treatment of obsessive compulsive disorder: two double-blind, placebo-controlled studies.", "content": "Sertraline is a non-tricyclic, potent and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) which is currently approved for the treatment of depression in several countries, including the UK and the USA. The role of serotonin in the aetiology of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) has been established through considerable indirect evidence. The strongest evidence comes from the fact that drugs known to be SSRIs have been found to be useful in the pharmacotherapy of OCD. Two double-blind, placebo-controlled studies, including a total of 412 patients, were undertaken to evaluate the efficacy and safety of sertraline in OCD. The first of these studies of a flexible dosing design showed that sertraline, given for eight weeks in daily dosages of 50-200 mg, was a safe and effective treatment for OCD, and superior to placebo. The second study of a fixed dose design and 12 weeks duration confirmed the efficacy and safety of sertraline in OCD at fixed dosages of 50, 100, or 200 mg/day and demonstrated that further improvement in OCD symptoms can be achieved through continued treatment with sertraline. A comparison between the results of these two studies and similar studies with clomipramine shows that, while both drugs have significant therapeutic efficacy, their side-effect profiles may be markedly distinct."}
{"id": "PMID:1484178", "title": "Serotonin and psychiatric disorders.", "content": "One of the ongoing problems in biological psychiatry lies in relating clinical laboratory findings to specific symptoms or behaviour patterns. In recent years it has become clear that serotonin (5-HT) is involved in a wide range of psychiatric disorders and in quite specific behaviour patterns, mainly characterized by a poor control of impulses. Psychopharmacotherapy with substances able to enhance the metabolism of serotonin (mainly antidepressants) is able to clinically improve what appear to be very dissimilar conditions. Moreover, antidepressants with serotonergic activity are the only class of drugs able to relieve the symptoms of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), which are characterized by a high control of impulses or, more precisely, by a dysfunctional, non-adaptive control of impulses. Recent neurochemical data suggest that a hypersensitivity to 5-HT exists in this condition. Therefore, the hypothesis that serotonin is important for efficient control of impulses is a key to the interpretation of many laboratory findings and to the penetration of the complex field of biological substrates of psychopathology."}
{"id": "PMID:1484179", "title": "[Single-stage urethroplasty using a mobile pedicled cutaneous flap. Value of the extension patch and the tubular flap].", "content": "The author presents a well experimented technique for male urethral strictures. This plasty uses a mobile skin flap, taken from the scrotum or the penis, and vascularized from the dartos. The technique performed under locoregional anesthesia, offers a choice of two methods of repair: the widening patch and the substitution plasty, a tubularized graft for urethral substitution. Our technique is applicable to all types of stenoses, allowing one stage repair of all urethral strictures, whatever the cause, the site or the length of the stricture. Attention is called for on two technical points: the size of the flap which must be shorter than the urethral tissue loss; careful dissection of the pedicle, whose excellent blood supply, flexibility and mobility will provide a wide maneuverability to the graft. We have performed 237 cases using this technique and have obtained excellent results (96.7) success rate, which have proven long lasting, as follow-up exceeded 7 years for the oldest cases. Although our technique requires meticulous execution, calling for certain precautionary items that the author attempts to emphasize in this article, this widely used technique, because of its reliability and efficiency, may certainly be considered at first, particularly for the repair of difficult, infected, fistulated, and recurrent urethral strictures."}
{"id": "PMID:1484180", "title": "[Vesicovaginal fistulas. Etiopathogenic and therapeutic aspects in Senegal].", "content": "Obstetrical vesicovaginal fistulas are still very common in third world countries, due to the difficulties of medical care. With this series of 123 cases seen over 6 years, we analyze their epidemiological, pathological and therapeutical aspects. A simplified classification is proposed."}
{"id": "PMID:1484181", "title": "[Composition of urinary calculi defined with precision by infrared spectrophotometry].", "content": "In order to reduce the relapse of the disease lithiasis, it is very important to have a very good idea about the growth process of the urinary stone. The greatest concern is the recuperation and the profound analysis of the nucleus and the peripheral layers. The preceding morphological study of the stone fragments in combination with the infrared spectrometry is the only manner to know all about the urinary calculus. Many information is lost if only an overall infrared spectrum of the sample is taken."}
{"id": "PMID:1484182", "title": "[Cutaneous ureterostomy with vascular prosthesis. Preliminary results of a new technique].", "content": "Cutaneous ureterostomy represents a simplified and less traumatic alternative for urine diversion. The small diameter ureter is often responsible for stenosis of the stomal end. In order to avoid this complication, we developed a surgical method with application of vascular endoprosthesis to prevent stenosis of the ureter. The method was first applied experimentally, and later on 12 patients. A description of the method and the results for the first 12 patients are given. The lack of complication and the good functional results are encouraging, but a longer follow-up and more patients are needed for final evaluation."}
{"id": "PMID:1484183", "title": "[Cancer of the penis. Epidemiological aspects and therapeutic problems in Senegal].", "content": "Penile carcinoma is rare in Senegal representing 0.35% of all cancers and 0.97% of cancers in the male adult. Neonate circumcision widely used in this country seems to prevent this disease. With this series of 11 cases, clinical and therapeutical aspects are reviewed."}
{"id": "PMID:1484184", "title": "[Discovery of an undetected thrombosis of the artery of the graft during kidney transplantation. Value of resolution of the obstruction and high pressure kidney washing].", "content": "During the transplantation of a kidney, we have discovered an undetected recent thrombosis of the renal artery of the graft, which was revealed after clamp removal by infarction of the kidney. We performed an immediate arterial desobstruction and a secondary high flow rate washing of the kidney, which allowed properly restoring the vascularity of the graft and successfully grafting it."}
{"id": "PMID:1484185", "title": "[Uretero-arterial fistula. A rare cause of massive hematuria].", "content": "Ureteroarterial fistulae is a rare condition, with less than 25 reported cases. We describe such a fistula in a young female patient, after radiation therapy for cancer of the cervix and rectovaginal and vesicovaginal fistulae requiring sigmoidostomy and an ureteroureterostomy after long-lasting ureteral intubation. Angiography demonstrated the fistula and the reflux of contrast medium up to the pyelocalyceal cavities, and allowed establishing the origin of the massive hematuria, which caused the patient's death."}
{"id": "PMID:1484186", "title": "[Resection of a pyelonephritic small kidney by celiosurgery].", "content": "The authors report about the exeresis of a pyelonephrictic left small kidney with laparoscopic surgery. First a ureteral tube was inserted to facilitate detection of the ureter by laparoscopy possible after reclining the colon. Dissection of the ureter was taken up to the hilum and pedicle, which was severed between rows of clamps by means of the endoscopic GIA stafler. The operation lasted 4 hours and 30 minutes. The blood loss was minimal and the stay in hospital was of three days."}
{"id": "PMID:1484187", "title": "[Syndrome of the pyelo-ureteral junction of the graft after kidney transplantation. Apropos of 2 cases].", "content": "We report 2 cases of decompensation of a pelviureteric obstruction in a transplanted kidney. In one case, the pyeloureteral obstruction was discovered intraoperatively during grafting (cadaver kidney) and was corrected at that time. In the other case, the obstruction was decompensated one month after grafting (kidney taken from a living donor with a very discrete bilateral junction syndrome) and required surgical treatment. The procedure used in both cases was a pyelopyelic anastomosis after nephrectomy of the recipient's kidney."}
{"id": "PMID:1484188", "title": "[Cancer of the urachus].", "content": "We report a case of mucin-producing adenocarcinoma of the urachus. Preoperative diagnosis was established by computerized axial tomography. An en bloc resection was performed, including the urachus with supravesical mass and bladder dome."}
{"id": "PMID:1484189", "title": "[Hemorrhagic complications revealing renal angiomyolipoma. Apropos of 2 cases].", "content": "Renal angiomyolipomas are rare benign tumors, which are most often discovered with ultrasonography, owing to the hyperechogenicity of their fatty component, and with computed tomography. The authors report about two cases of severe hemorrhagic complications revealing a renal angiomyolipoma, for which computed tomography made a preoperative diagnosis possible."}
{"id": "PMID:1484191", "title": "The evaluation of analgesic effects in cancer patients as exemplified by a double-blind, crossover study of immediate-release versus controlled-release morphine.", "content": "We compared the effects of controlled-release and immediate-release morphine preparations in adult patients with moderate-to-severe cancer pain and report methodologic approaches to pain evaluation. The study consisted of a two-phase randomized crossover trial preceded by a titration phase; all phases were conducted under double-blind conditions. To evaluate pain intensity, a visual analogue scale (VAS) and the Present Pain Intensity scale of the McGill Pain Questionnaire were used. Additional morphine solution for breakthrough pain was used as an outcome measure. Pain was evaluated nine times daily, which permitted correlation of pain scores with the pharmacokinetic patterns of the test drugs. Side effects were rated once daily, using a scale from 0 to 3. To assess the relative importance of side effects, a toxicity index was designed based on both the intensity and duration of each side effect. The overall VAS pain scores during treatment with controlled-release and immediate-release morphine were 1.3 (SD = 0.1) and 1.4 (SD = 0.2), respectively. Use of supplemental morphine solution for breakthrough pain expressed as the percentage of the daily dose of the test drug was 5.5% for the controlled-release drug and 10.9% for the immediate-release drug. Differences in pain scores, side effects, and supplemental morphine requirement between the two groups were not significant. We discuss methodologic issues in double-blind clinical trials of analgesics, in particular the validity of \"Patient Preference\" as an outcome measure and problems related to the titration phase."}
{"id": "PMID:1484192", "title": "A comparative study of controlled-release morphine (CRM) suspension and CRM tablets in chronic cancer pain.", "content": "This study compared the efficacy and the adverse effects of controlled-release morphine (CRM) suspension (SAR 213) and CRM tablets (Moscontin) in the treatment of cancer pain. This multicenter, randomized, double-blind, double-dummy, crossover study was carried out on 52 patients. Each patient received both study treatments given at an equivalent dosage of morphine during each of two 7-day periods. The primary outcome variable was the severity of pain assessed three times daily by means of a visual analogue scale. Secondary criteria of efficacy were the severity of pain assessed by verbal rating scale, the need for \"rescue\" doses of immediate-release morphine, treatment preference, and indices of quality of life (activity, mood, sleep). There were no statistically significant differences in the parameters assessed when comparing the two groups. This study shows that, when prescribed at the same doses, CRM suspension and CRM tablets have similar efficacy and adverse effects, as well as the same duration of action. The results of this first clinical study carried out on CRM suspension are especially relevant for patients with cancer pain who have difficulty swallowing."}
{"id": "PMID:1484193", "title": "Pharmacokinetics of two novel rectal controlled-release morphine formulations.", "content": "Administration of morphine by the oral route is not possible in cancer patients who are unable to swallow or are intolerant of oral morphine. Thus, there is a need for reliable alternate routes of drug administration. We compared the bioavailability of two prototype 30-mg morphine sulfate controlled-release suppository formulations (high and low viscosity) with 30-mg oral controlled-release morphine sulfate tablets in a 14-subject single-dose randomized, three-way crossover study. Venous blood samples were obtained immediately prior to and for 24 hr following each dose. Morphine concentrations were determined by radioimmunoassay. Compared with oral controlled-release morphine, the high- and low-viscosity suppository formulations had significantly greater bioavailability (AUC0-24 72.7 +/- 13.2 for the oral preparation versus 98.6 +/- 35.7 and 105.8 +/- 37.3 ng.hr/mL for the suppositories, respectively, P < 0.05), later peak concentration (tmax 2.3 +/- 0.8 versus 3.1 +/- 2.3 and 5.0 +/- 1.5 hr, respectively, P < 0.05), and longer half-value duration (4.3 +/- 1.6 versus 10.4 +/- 5.5 and 9.5 +/- 4.3 hr, respectively, P < 0.05). Peak concentration for the high-viscosity suppository formulation (Cmax 7.75 +/- 2.66 ng/mL) was significantly lower than the low-viscosity suppository (Cmax 9.23 +/- 2.85 ng/mL) and the oral tablet (Cmax 10.4 +/- 2.78 ng/mL) formulations (P < 0.05). The increased bioavailability observed with the two controlled-release suppositories may be the result of partial avoidance of hepatic biotransformation with rectal administration."}
{"id": "PMID:1484194", "title": "Hospital palliative care services: three models in three countries.", "content": "There is an increasing trend toward providing palliative care services within general hospitals. The history and work of three hospital palliative care teams is reviewed, one in New York, one in London, and one in Ontario, Canada. The evolution, leadership, structure, functioning, and financing of the teams is discussed. Indicators of success and survival, principally financial support, leadership, and acceptability within hospitals, are considered. It is recommended that the service traditionally limited to oncology patients be extended to other patient groups. It is also recommended that, taking into account cultural and institutional differences, standardized mechanisms be adopted so that services can be systematically audited and changes implemented. Research and education will become increasingly important if services within hospitals are to survive."}
{"id": "PMID:1484195", "title": "Home palliative care: results in 1991 versus 1988.", "content": "Home care is greatly expanding because of the savings it offers by avoiding unnecessary hospitalization and also because patients benefit from being in their own home environments. Since 1988, Societa Assistenza Malato Oncologico Terminale (SAMOT) has organized a pain relief and home palliative care unit for terminal cancer patients. Objectives, difficulties, protocols, and achievements of 4 years of experience were examined, and the findings of the various years were compared. Our results suggest that considerable progress has been made in home palliative care. There are still social and cultural difficulties to overcome, however."}
{"id": "PMID:1484196", "title": "Fentanyl: clinical use as postoperative analgesic--epidural/intrathecal route.", "content": "The administration of epidural and intrathecal opioids for the management of postoperative pain is well established. Fentanyl, because of its greater lipophilicity, offers a number of advantages over morphine for epidural analgesia, including a lower incidence of side effects and reduced risk of delayed-onset respiratory depression. The relatively short duration of action of epidural fentanyl makes this agent more ideally suited for continuous infusion or patient-controlled epidural analgesia (PCEA). The effective doses and adverse effects profile of epidural fentanyl are reasonably well understood. Because of the lack of spread through the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and hence the segmental nature of the analgesia achieved, location of epidural catheter placement is of paramount importance when this agent is used. Prolonged epidural infusion of fentanyl may result in high systemic concentrations not dissimilar to IV infusion, and, therefore, the greatest efficacy of epidural fentanyl administration may be in combination with low concentrations of bupivacaine, an approach that achieves a synergistic effect. 2-Chloroprocaine has been shown to antagonize epidural fentanyl analgesia. Intrathecal fentanyl for postoperative analgesia is limited by its short duration of action with single-bolus administration. The widespread international increase in the use of epidural fentanyl for postoperative analgesia promises further improvements and refinement in techniques."}
{"id": "PMID:1484197", "title": "Long-term stability after inferior maxillary repositioning by miniplate fixation.", "content": "Nineteen patients underwent Le Fort I osteotomy and inferior maxillary repositioning. Miniplates were used to maintain the maxilla in its new position. The patients were followed from 12 to 58 months, postoperatively. Fourteen patients were considered to be stable over the long term. Five patients had a long-term relapse of more than 30%. A tendency towards greater relapse was seen in patients with more than 5 mm inferior repositioning, and in patients who had concurrent segmental osteotomies of the maxilla. In spite of the use of miniplates, there continues to be an element of unpredictability with regard to vertical relapse after inferior maxillary repositioning, and this may be related to soft-tissue influences."}
{"id": "PMID:1484198", "title": "The sagittal ramus osteotomy. Stability of fixation with internal miniplates.", "content": "Radiographs of 15 patients who underwent sagittal split mandibular ramus osteotomy with rigid miniplate fixation for mandibular lengthening were studied. Evaluation of postoperative stability of the mandibular lengthening at 6 months to 2 years revealed minimal postoperative changes."}
{"id": "PMID:1484199", "title": "Two similar \"bad splits\" and how they were treated. Report of two cases.", "content": "Two high fractures of the proximal segments during separate sagittal split osteotomies were treated by a modification of the \"Obwegeser II\" technique and screw osteosynthesis. Careful wedging of the large spreading osteotome in a more superior position while splitting up to the posterior border will probably prevent such complications."}
{"id": "PMID:1484200", "title": "Unusual nasoendotracheal tube damage during Le Fort I osteotomy. Case report.", "content": "An unusual case of endotracheal tube damage during Le Fort I osteotomy is presented. A minor change in design of the tube might prevent similar complications."}
{"id": "PMID:1484201", "title": "Maxillofacial fractures in a Norwegian district.", "content": "Records of 169 patients referred to Haukeland Hospital, Bergen, Norway, for treatment of maxillofacial fractures during the period 1989-91 were studied with respect to socio-etiologic aspects, frequency and localization of jaw fractures, treatment, and complications. The number of maxillofacial fractures found in the present study was about twice as many as found in a study from the same area during the period 1974-9. Recent trends in the etiology of maxillofacial traumas were confirmed, such as increased number of fractures caused by interpersonal violence, and a reduction of cases related to traffic accidents. Alcohol abuse was a contributing factor in 28% of the patients. Mandibular fractures were 4.8 times more frequent than maxillary fractures. Reduction and fixation with miniplate osteosynthesis was the preferred treatment in most patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1484202", "title": "Screwdriver aspiration. A complication of dental implant placement.", "content": "Endosseous implants are part of the prosthodontic rehabilitation of patients who have undergone radical tumor resection in the oral and maxillofacial area. Several complications arising from the use of these implants have been reported. Intraoperative aspiration of a screwdriver as a rare and life-threatening complication is presented. It was followed by a chain of further complications including pneumothorax, late laryngeal obstruction requiring tracheotomy, and pleural effusion requiring drainage. To prevent similar complications, we recommend general anesthesia when placing dental implants in patients who have previously undergone extended radical tumor surgery of the oral cavity."}
{"id": "PMID:1484203", "title": "A new method of reconstruction in a patient undergoing bilateral total maxillectomy.", "content": "A new application of the titanium hollow screw reconstruction plate (THORP) system, originally designed for bridging mandibular defects, is presented. Because of the screw-plate locking principle, the system allows rigid fixation of the plate without unphysiologic load to the bone underneath. A case is presented with a large squamous cell carcinoma requiring bilateral total maxillectomy. The titanium plate was attached horizontally to the zygomatic bones with two titanium hollow screws on each side. Six months later a prosthetic device was constructed and attached to the exposed part of the plate by a modified bar and clips system. The patient is able to speak, chew, and swallow without difficulty."}
{"id": "PMID:1484204", "title": "Acinic cell carcinoma of the maxillary sinus. A case report.", "content": "A case of acinic cell carcinoma of the maxillary sinus is presented. As can be assumed from the number of reported cases, this is an uncommon site for this tumor to occur."}
{"id": "PMID:1484205", "title": "The desmo- and osteoplastic ameloblastoma. Histologic variant or clinicopathologic entity? Case reports.", "content": "Two cases of desmoplastic ameloblastoma (DA) are presented, bringing the total number of reported cases to 29. One case of the so-called \"hybrid lesion\" is added to the presentation. Immunohistochemical studies indicate that the desmoplasia is caused by active de novo synthesis of extracellular matrix proteins. Moreover, the DA may also show osteoplasia, and this probably explains the characteristic radiographic appearance of many DAs, i.e. the occurrence of both radiolucent and radiopaque changes, suggestive of a fibro-osseous lesion. Many more cases of DA are needed to clarify the true nature of this most interesting tumor."}
{"id": "PMID:1484206", "title": "Clear-cell ameloblastoma of the mandible (a case report).", "content": "An ameloblastoma with histologic evidence of clear cells in a 15-year-old Nigerian male patient, who presented with a slow-growing, intraosseous, anterior mandibular swelling, is reported. The lesion was treated by surgery alone, and has not shown any recurrence 5 years after initial surgery."}
{"id": "PMID:1484207", "title": "Sonography of nonneoplastic disorders of the salivary glands.", "content": "We examined 637 patients with salivary gland disorders by real-time sonography. In 270 patients, the possibility of neoplasia of the salivary glands could not be excluded by ultrasound. In the remaining 367 patients, the following disorders were diagnosed sonographically: acute inflammation (72 patients), Sj\u00f6gren's syndrome or chronic inflammation (81 patients), abscess (9 patients), sialolithiasis (192 patients), and cysts (13 patients). The present study discusses the ultrasound appearances of a variety of diseases and the indications and limits of sonography in the evaluation of salivary gland pathology."}
{"id": "PMID:1484208", "title": "Sialographic changes related to clinical and pathologic findings in chronic obstructive parotitis.", "content": "This paper presents the results from a study of 23 patients with chronic obstructive parotitis (COP) in whom the sialographic changes were related to the clinical and histopathologic features. The sialographic changes were divided into four types. The stimulated parotid flow rate (SPFR) was normal in sialography Type I patients, while SPFR was significantly reduced in Types II, III, and IV patients, as compared with healthy persons. The changes observed by light microscopy were irregular dilation and chronic inflammation of main and branching ducts with saliva deposits in the enlarged luminal system. Ultrastructural changes included degeneration of ductal epithelial cells, marked proliferation of periductal fibrous tissue, and moderately electron-dense deposits in the lumen of the dilated peripheral ducts. The extent of the histopathologic changes largely paralleled the severity of the sialographic changes. These findings indicate that COP is a relatively common inflammatory disease and that the sialographic classification reflects the severity of the disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1484209", "title": "Computer-aided optimization of choice and positioning of bone plates and screws used for internal fixation of mandibular fractures.", "content": "The present study describes a biomechanical integrated model of the mandibular system in which the maxilla and mandible, the masticatory muscles, and the temporomandibular joints are regarded as one system. In this model, strains in plate-osteosynthesis devices for internal fixation of mandibular fractures can be minimized by optimizing their positions. The model evaluates maximal bite force strategies on all possible dental elements; it uses a linear programming technique and a muscle architecture model, resulting in muscle recruitment patterns. The shape of a \"standard\" lower jaw is digitized by means of a three-dimensional (3-D) coordinate retrieval device and drawn on a computer screen after its dimensions have been changed according to the clinical case at hand. The 3-D location of the fracture as well as the anatomic restrictions for screw placement can be indicated on the screen. Osteosynthesis devices can be indicated in terms of dimensions, number, and material properties."}
{"id": "PMID:1484216", "title": "[Laparoscopy-guided extraperitoneal resection of ovarian cysts: surgical procedure, indications and limitations].", "content": "We designed a new surgical method for the treatment of benign ovarian cysts. We have previously reported that, with our laparoscopy-guided method, the cyst wall is pulled outside the abdominal cavity after evacuation of the cyst contents, and resection is performed by the same method as during laparotomy. The preoperative assessment and surgical findings were investigated in 16 subjects, 5 with simple cysts, 2 with para-ovarian cysts, 2 with chocolate cysts, 5 with dermoid cysts and 2 with mucinous cysts. This surgical method was applicable in 11 of the 14 patients. Laparotomy was required in the other 3, because 2 of the patients had strong adhesions and in 1 evacuation was impossible. The patients were classified into 3 grades of difficulty before surgery: Grade I; operable, Grade II; operable with special care, Grade III; laparotomy required. During surgery, the feasibility of continuing the procedure was also assessed. In this surgical procedure, through a small incision in the abdominal wall, the entire resection of an ovarian cyst is done extra-peritoneally. However, the eligibility of patients for this method needs to be very carefully examined preoperatively and reviewed throughout the procedure."}
{"id": "PMID:1484217", "title": "[Fetal hemodynamics assessed by transvaginal color flow mapping during the first and early second trimesters].", "content": "The present study has been carried out to evaluate the usefulness of transvaginal color flow mapping in the assessment of fetal hemodynamics during the first and early second trimesters. Forty normal fetuses were examined by transvaginal color flow mapping from 12 to 20 weeks of gestation. Maximum velocity in the transmitral (MVmax), transtricuspid (TVmax), transaortic (AVmax), fetal descending aorta (Vmax) and fetal internal carotid artery (ICVmax) was assessed. The systolic/diastolic ratio and pulsatility index (PI) of umbilical artery was also assessed. The detection rates for the fetal and umbilical flow velocity waveforms were 42.5%-85.0%. In particular, intracardiac blood flow velocity was easy to detect by transvaginal color flow mapping. The Vmax, ICVmax, MVmax, TVmax and AVmax increased significantly with advancing gestation in the normal fetuses. The TVmax was lower than the MVmax during the first and early second trimesters. Transvaginal color flow mapping studies can improve the understanding of the characteristics of fetal blood flow during the first and second early trimesters. Thus it seems to be useful in making an accurate antenatal diagnosis of congenital heart disease earlier."}
{"id": "PMID:1484218", "title": "[Development of method for measurement of pulsatile change in arterial diameter in the fetus].", "content": "The present study was designed to evaluate perfusion dynamics of organs by measuring pulsatile change in arterial diameter concomitant with flow velocity determination. An ultrasonic phased locked echo tracking system equipped with a real time linear array scanner was used to measure pulsatile change in arterial diameter. The distance from the transducer to a distal or proximal point on the inner vessel wall can be defined as the relative time difference of the zero cross for each reflective wave. The pulsatile change in the arterial diameter was a reflection of intra-arterial pressure change which was confirmed by simultaneous measurement of direct pressure in the adult brachial, femoral and descending aorta (DA) by arterial catheterization. The accuracy of measurement of arterial diameter and pulsatile change were confirmed by the coefficient of variation (C.V) in the diameter of than 4% in the former and less than 8% in the later in both inter- and intra-assay variance. In normal growth fetuses, the pulsatile changes in the DA were within the range of about 10% of the minimum arterial diameter. Intrauterine growth retarded fetuses (IUGR) who had a high pulsatility index (PI) were 7.26 +/- 0.36% (n = 5, p < 0.01 v.s. normal growth group) and showed discrete figures between pulsatile and blood flow velocity waveforms. Furthermore, large for date fetuses (LFD) who had a high PI were 12.20 +/- 0.50% (n = 3, p < 0.05 v.s. normal growth group) and had similar figures in pulsatile and blood flow velocity waveforms.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1484219", "title": "[Multimodal treatment for advanced, ovarian cancer patients with poor performance status--its effectiveness and limitations].", "content": "We assessed the feasibility of the sequential multimodal treatment including neoadjuvant chemotherapy for far advanced ovarian cancer patients not amenable to a standard modality because of poor medical status. Seven consecutive advanced ovarian cancer patients presented with massive ascites (5 with pleural effusion). Based on the priming theory, immunotherapy with OK432 (s.c. priming with 0.2 KE of OK432 followed by a local injection with 10KE of OK432) was successfully applied to a carcinomatous effusion. Thereafter, patients were treated with 4-6 courses (13-20 wks) of \"low-dose consecutive CP (CPM 500 mg/m2, day 1; CDDP 10 mg/m2, day 1-7), which delivered 1CR, 5PR and 1NC (tumor regression rate: 30-100%). Subsequently, the patients underwent radical surgery including small/large bowel resection, splenectomy and diaphragma resection in addition to hysterectomy, bilateral adenectomy and omentectomy, with tumor resectability being 100% in 4 cases and 90% < (residual 2 cm) in 3. Postoperatively, patients received intraperitoneal (IP) chemo-immunotherapy and were followed up with IP washing cytology through an implanted reservoir. Mean survival time was 17.1 months (10-32) with the follow up interval being 10-32 months. Four patients with complete tumor resection are alive with no evidence of disease for 14-32 months. Among 3 incomplete patients, 2 with persistent/recurrent disease received further IP chemotherapy and the remaining one died of the disease at 15 months from the start of therapy. Thus, the present multimodality indicates the possibility of a \"cure\" for far advanced ovarian cancer patients with poor performance status."}
{"id": "PMID:1484220", "title": "[Comparison of the indirect immunobead test and the sperm immobilization test for detection of antisperm antibody].", "content": "The indirect immunobead test (indirect IBT; IgG.IgA) and the sperm immobilization test (SIT) were carried out for 75 infertile patients to detect antisperm antibodies in the sera. The results were as follows. 1) Twenty three cases showed positive results in the IBT, and 14 out of the 23 showed also positive in the SIT. 2) Fifty two cases which had negative results in IBT also had negative results in SIT. 3) IgG-IB attached to sperm were observed in 14 with positive SIT, but no IgA-IB were observed in 4 cases out of the 14. 4) IgG-IB attached to both the sperm head and end-tail in 12 cases out of the 14, but only to the sperm end-tail in the other 2 cases. We therefore concluded that, 1) IBT detected anti-sperm antibodies more readily than SIT. 2) IBT was an alternative to SIT for screening. 3) Sperm immobilization antibodies appeared to be in the IgG class rather than in the IgA class. 4) It appeared that sperm immobilization antibodies might be able to attach to the sperm tail as well as the head."}
{"id": "PMID:1484221", "title": "[The role of fibronectin in repairing fetal membrane].", "content": "The fibrin adhesion technique is being recognized as a way to prevent amniotic fluid leakage in the case of preterm premature rupture of the fetal membrane (PROM). However, the effect of fibrin adhesion is still not clear. The aim of this study is to investigate the implications of fibronectin in repairing the fetal membrane. We divided 9 normal fetal membranes into 4 groups. In all the groups, an incision was made in the membrane with a sterile knife. Group A: The incisions in the membranes were sealed with fibrinogen and thrombin (N = 9). Group B: The incisions in the membranes were sealed with fibrinogen and thrombin with fibronectin (N = 9). Group C: Fibronectin was added to the culture medium containing fetal membranes (N = 9). Group D: The fetal membranes were cultured in the medium alone (N = 9). All membranes were cultured for 6 days in 10% fcs added to MEM and analyzed histologically. In group A, fibrin clots did not attach to the membranes at all. In group B, fibrin clots attached closely to the membranes. In group C, fibroblasts increased remarkably at the incision sites on the fetal membranes. In group D, fibronectin accumulated at the incision sites on the fetal membranes. These results suggest that fibronectin is important in repairing fetal membrane."}
{"id": "PMID:1484225", "title": "Utilizing the nursing process in the ophthalmic operating room documentation.", "content": "Nursing documentation has always been regarded not only as time consuming but a nursing activity that is problematic when it comes to compliance. Somehow nurses must find the balance between documentation of significant events and observations versus duplication or repetition of routine patient activities. This paper describes how these problems were met by one institution."}
{"id": "PMID:1484226", "title": "Carotid fistula.", "content": "Frequently it is the ophthalmic nurse who obtains the patient's pertinent health history and background information. This case study of a patient diagnosed with an orbital carotid fistula shows how the nursing history helped to solve the patient's diagnosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1484228", "title": "Eyeglasses and common complaints.", "content": "About one-half of the population wear eyeglasses. For them, a pair of eyeglasses is a necessary aid and when properly fit, can provide clear and comfortable vision for a variety of daily activities."}
{"id": "PMID:1484232", "title": "Ophthalmic nursing assessment.", "content": "This article is written to assist the ophthalmic nurse in performing a basic assessment of the eye and provide a system for easy documentation. Many nursing physical assessment forms are developed to collect and organize data. However, there is very little published in gathering pertinent data on the ophthalmic patient in either the outpatient or inpatient setting."}
{"id": "PMID:1484233", "title": "[Cap brace: a new treatment for newborn and infant congenital muscular torticollis].", "content": "Herein is reported a new treatment, using a cap brace, for congenital muscular torticollis (CMT) in newborn and infant. The subjects consisted of 72 cases undergoing cap brace treatment (CB-group), and 197 cases undergoing ordinary treatment (O-group) for CMT. In children of the O-group, the rolling-over developmental stage was later than in normal infants, while in those of the CB-group this stage was not delayed. The good prognostic factors for lessening cranial and facial asymmetry, evaluated by chi-square test, were as follows: partus praematurus, a high APGAR score, breast-feeding, an early start to rolling-over, early vanishing of the sternomastoid tumor, and early vanishing of limitation of neck movement. For discriminant analysis of the factors related to cranial and facial asymmetry, the quantification method of the second type was used. In the O-group, discrimination between asymmetry and no asymmetry was achieved (R = 0.832), but in the CB-group the factors involved could not be discriminated. Moreover, ultratomosonography was very useful for examining the sternomastoid muscle. The internal echogenicity changed from low to high with aging, and was the echo pattern was classified as types I to IV accordingly. Patients with an early change from type I to type II tended to show good results in cranial and facial asymmetry. This brace was developed with an improvement of the other similar braces. But unlike other devices our brace did not fix the infant's head in one position for correction. And as a result of this virtue, the sternomastoid muscle of the affected side was relaxed and the vanishing periods of asymmetrical tonic neck reflex are hastened. Use of this brace improved the cure rate and was especially effective in decreasing cranial and facial asymmetry."}
{"id": "PMID:1484234", "title": "Effects of enforced exercise on biomechanical properties of the anterior cruciate ligament of bipedal rats.", "content": "The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of enforced exercise on the biomechanical properties of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in bipedal rats. These rats were divided into two groups: (1) bipedal rats without exercise, E(-)G, and (2) bipedal rats with exercise for 4 weeks, E(+)G. Strength (the maximum load that can be sustained by specimen prior to rupture) results for E(+)G were significantly lower than those for E(-)G at the loading rates of 8.3 mm/sec and 1 x 10(3) mm/sec. Stiffness (the slope of the load-deformation curve for a specimen with a linear-deformation relationship) results for E(+)G were significantly lower than those for E(-)G at the rate of 8.3 mm/sec. A load relaxation test (a test of viscoelastic behavior characterized by a decrease of load in a specimen with time under a constant load or deformation) showed a larger load-relaxation phenomenon (a decline in load over time under a constant deformation) in E(-)G. Analyzing these results by a three-element model, we found that the viscosity was higher in E(+)G than in E(-)G. This study offers insight into the effects of exercise on the ACL of humans."}
{"id": "PMID:1484235", "title": "[Development of synthetic bone models for the evaluation of fracture fixation devices].", "content": "Mechanical tests are indispensable for the research and development of internal devices used for fracture fixation. It is ideal to use fresh human bones even for in vitro experiments. However, fresh human bones are difficult to access, so that alternative materials have been developed. In this study, the applicability of synthetic tibia or femur models made from polyurethane resin (Hiprox) was studied, comparing the mechanical properties of both the synthetic models and the fresh human bones under fracture-fixation conditions using various fixation devices. When the models were designed to simulate the cortical bone with solid resin and the cancellous bone with porous resin, the mechanical properties can be fairly approximated to those of the fresh human bones. It was concluded that the Hiprox models are useful in for preliminary testing of fracture fixation devices."}
{"id": "PMID:1484236", "title": "[Experimental study on the effect of forced running on occurrence of osteoarthritis in the knee of C 57 BL mice].", "content": "We investigated the effects of running load on the development of osteoarthritis (OA) in C 57 black male mice (Silberberg), a strain which spontaneously develops OA of the knee joint, and in Std:ddy male mice, a strain which does not develop OA. Six-week-old mice of both strains were randomly assigned to a non-forced running (control) group or forced running groups, which ran on treadmill 1 or 2 hours per day of 5 day/week program. Six, 18, and 30 weeks after the running period, the mice were sacrificed and the knee joints examined histologically and bone morphometrically. In the control C 57 black mice, OA occurred at 6 months of age, while in the forced running C 57 black mice, OA occurred at 3 months of age (6 weeks after the end forced running). In 6 and 9 months old C 57 black mice the incidence of OA in the forced running group was higher than that in corresponding control group. These data suggest that forced running load accelerates the process of OA in the knee joint in young mice of a strain which spontaneously develops OA."}
{"id": "PMID:1484237", "title": "[Mechanism of adhesion of polyphenolic protein and its potential for clinical application].", "content": "The protein of the marine mussel Mytilus edulis L. known as \"polyphenolic protein (ppp)\" evolved specifically to allow mussels to attach strongly to solid surfaces in the sea and plays an important role in anchoring this mollusc to ocean rocks. In the present study, the mechanism of the adhesiveness of ppp in a \"wet environment\" was investigated. The adsorption of ppp to both glass and polypropylene was very rapid, and it reached saturation within 10 minutes. When the concentration of ppp was low, it formed a monolayer on glass surfaces, and its affinity for the surface proved to be as great as that of poly-D-lysine which is generally considered to have a strong affinity for solid surfaces and is applied as a cell adhesive. On the other hand, when the ppp concentration exceeded 5.0 x 10(-3) mumol/ml, multilayer adsorption to glass was observed. Moreover, when ppp was modified by tyrosinase, intermolecular condensation occurred which was contributed to a rigid adhesion by cross-linking between the dopa and lysine residues of ppp molecules. These findings provide important information on the development of a new type of adhesive for use on living tissues."}
{"id": "PMID:1484238", "title": "[An experimental study on elongation injury of peripheral nerve].", "content": "The sciatic nerve of rabbits was indirectly elongated by lengthening the femur to clarify the pathology of elongation injury of the peripheral nerve. Electrophysiologic and morphologic changes and the blood flow in the nerve due to nerve elongation were evaluated in this model. No significant changes were observed when the nerve was elongated by 5.01%. Conduction disturbances, however, developed and the blood flow in the nerve was markedly reduced by sustained 11.8% elongation. In the latter case, the blood-nerve barrier was disrupted after 6-12 hours, endoneurial edema was observed after 48 hours, and extensive degeneration of nerve fibers was noted after 5 days. When the nerve was returned to the original length after 11.8% elongation for 2 hours, degeneration of the nerve fibers followed only partially. These findings suggest that circulatory impairments as well as mechanical damages are closely involved in elongation injury of peripheral nerves. The results also indicate that the duration of elongation plays an important role in determining the severity of elongation injury of peripheral nerves."}
{"id": "PMID:1484241", "title": "Opponensplasty by extensor indicis and flexor digitorum superficialis tendon transfer.", "content": "From 1977 to 1988, 166 patients with median nerve paralysis of varied aetiology underwent opponensplasty. In 50 of these the extensor indicis was used, and in 116 the flexor digitorum superficialis of the ring finger. An analysis of these hands showed that the EI opponensplasty was best in supple hands and FDS opponensplasty was more suitable for less pliable hands. There were fewer complications seen after FDS opponensplasty if the detachment of the donor tendon was done through a volar oblique incision rather than the conventional lateral incision."}
{"id": "PMID:1484243", "title": "Restoration of pinch in ulnar nerve palsy by transfer of split extensor digiti minimi and extensor indicis.", "content": "Subcutaneous transfer of the ulnar slip of the extensor digiti minimi (EDM) to the adductor tubercle across the dorsum of the hand restores pinch, and index finger abduction is reproduced by re-routing extensor indicis proprius around the thumb extensor tendons. Six patients with post-traumatic ulnar palsy have been treated by this method with a minimum follow-up period of 40 months. Pinch was improved from an average of 5% to 40-50% of the normal side, and index abduction to 30-40%. There was no donor morbidity."}
{"id": "PMID:1484244", "title": "Flexor digitorum superficialis tendon transfer for intrinsic replacement. Long-term results and the effect on donor fingers.", "content": "This study is a review of 127 hands in 100 patients in whom one or two FDS tendons were used to correct claw-hand deformity and/or loss of opposition of the thumb. In lumbrical replacement the results were graded as excellent in 16 hands (21%) and good in 43 hands (57%). For opponensplasty the results were excellent in 26 hands (32%) and good in 42 hands (51%). Possible defects that can develop in the donor finger are: swan-neck deformity, flexion posture of the DIP joint, not as part of the swan-neck deformity, check-rein deformity or flexion contracture, and insufficient finger flexion. Of the 158 fingers swan-neck deformity was seen in 15%, DIP flexion in 29%, check-rein deformity in 26% and insufficient finger flexion in 18%. The latter occurred with another defect. In 48 fingers (30%) no defects were observed."}
{"id": "PMID:1484245", "title": "The blood supply of digital nerves: a microanatomical study of superficial and deep palmar venous networks.", "content": "In this work on vascularization of digital nerves, we have studied the anatomy of the deep network of venae comitantes of digital arteries, and the system of superficial palmar venules. 22 specimens of nerve and artery were dissected as one unit and were infused with Microfil prior to study under the microscope. The deep venous network, a satellite of the digital artery, can be classified into four types. A true network of deep venae comitantes exists in three of these four types, drained by deep veins arising from the transverse anastomotic arches between the palmar digital pedicles. Vascularization of the digital nerve is supplied by numerous anastomotic vessels connecting epineurial vessels, digital artery and the periarterial network (venae comitantes and vasa vasorum). This anatomical configuration lends itself to vascularized nerve grafting; for example, it is possible to use a nerve/artery graft taken as a unit from an amputated finger unsuitable for replantation. Two types of valves in this superficial venous network have been identified and their function is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1484246", "title": "The terminal branch of posterior interosseous nerve: a useful donor for digital nerve grafting.", "content": "The anatomical relationships of the terminal branch of posterior interosseous nerve have been studied in 57 cadaver and amputation specimens. Removal of the nerve leaves the patient with no apparent sensory deficit. In all dissections the nerve was present and its location was constant. The mean obtainable length was 3.7 cm (range 2.7-5.1 cm) and its cross-sectional area made the nerve suitable for grafting of digital nerves."}
{"id": "PMID:1484247", "title": "Replantation of the radial side of the hand in the rhesus monkey: anatomical and functional aspects. A preliminary study to composite tissue allografting.", "content": "Before human hand transplantation can even be considered, an appropriate research model must be studied in a non-human primate. The first ray of the hand, augmented with a radial forearm flap, was chosen as a functional composite tissue graft. Four technically successful replantation of the radial unit have been carried out. One monkey died on the first post-operative day due to cardiac arrythmia. Normal wound healing occurred in the other three animals. In three monkeys, functional sensory and motor recovery was almost complete. The monkeys were able to pick up small particles of food with the index finger and thumb. It is suggested that this model could be used for allogeneic composite tissue transplantation in a non-human primate."}
{"id": "PMID:1484248", "title": "Arteriovenous fistulae after free flap surgery in a replanted hand.", "content": "AV fistulae are extremely rare complications after hand replantation. In the case presented, the formation of an AV fistula did not occur immediately after the replantation, but after the insertion of the free lateral arm flap to the extensor surface of the replanted hand. This paper discusses the mechanisms responsible for the formation of AV fistulae."}
{"id": "PMID:1484250", "title": "Operative findings in camptodactyly of the little finger.", "content": "In five of six cases of camptodactyly in which an abnormality of the flexor tendon was examined at operation, the flexor digitorum superficialis tendon was hypoplastic and there was no continuity of the normal tendon between the muscle belly and bony insertion. The proximal end of the flexor digitorum superficialis tendon was attached to the palmar aponeurosis and the flexor tendon sheath of the ring finger in two patients, to the palmar aponeurosis in one, to the undersurface of the transverse carpal ligament in one and to the flexor tendon sheath of the ring finger in one. The tenodesis effect of the abnormal tendon of the flexor digitorum superficialis is considered to play an important role in the cause and rapid increase of the deformity of camptodactyly."}
{"id": "PMID:1484251", "title": "Long-standing extended dynamic splintage and release of an abnormal restraining structure in camptodactyly.", "content": "62 patients with camptodactyly of the little finger have been reviewed, and only five cases failed to respond to conservative treatment. These cases are reported. One patient could straighten the deformed PIP joint with snapping, and the other two were resistant to conservative treatment and were found to have a restraining structure requiring release. These findings are in keeping with an imbalance between flexion and extension forces due to long-standing malposition of the extensor lateral bands. Operative treatment should be reversed for cases of failed conservative treatment, which should be started as early as possible."}
{"id": "PMID:1484252", "title": "Acrylic resin finger prosthesis.", "content": "A technique is described for the prosthetic replacement of two fingers using acrylic resin. Retention was obtained using finger rings. The stages of the technique are outlined. Advantages and disadvantages are briefly stated."}
{"id": "PMID:1484253", "title": "Mycobacterium fortuitum infections of the hand. Report of five cases.", "content": "Five cases are reported of infection due to Mycobacterium fortuitum involving the hand following contaminated injection or traumatic wounds. Synovectomy, debridement, or amputation together with prolonged chemotherapy using kanamycin or amikacin were required. Doxycycline and sulphamethoxasole also seemed to be the effective antibiotics for this organism. A high index of suspicion is important in order to obtain the correct diagnosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1484254", "title": "The gymnast's wrist: acquired positive ulnar variance following chronic epiphyseal injury.", "content": "Five cases of symptomatic acquired positive ulnar variance are described. All cases occurred due to premature physeal closure of the growth plate in teenage girl gymnasts. All cases demonstrated ulnocarpal impingement, for which we describe a clinical test. Arthroscopic assessment of the wrist allowed us to assess the integrity of the TFCC (triangular fibrocartilaginous complex) and decide on the most appropriate surgery. Two patients needed distal ulna recession and one needed shaving for a TFCC perforation, with a good result."}
{"id": "PMID:1484255", "title": "The Swanson ulnar head prosthesis for post-traumatic disorders of the distal radio-ulnar joint.", "content": "20 Swanson ulnar head prostheses inserted for post-traumatic disorders of the distal radio-ulnar joint were reviewed at a mean of 44.2 months post-operatively (range 12-104 months). The indication for surgery was painful loss of forearm rotation with or without ulno-carpal impingement and ulno-carpal instability. Symptoms in 16 patients were the result of malunion following severe distal radial fractures (two Frykman 7 fractures and 14 Frykman 8 fractures), and in the remainder were due to unreduced dislocations in the distal radio-ulnar joint (two patients) or unsatisfactory Darrach procedures (two patients). 70% of patients achieved excellent or good clinical results despite the fact that radiographs showed bone resorption in all cases, tilting of the prosthesis in 40% and implant fractures in 15%."}
{"id": "PMID:1484256", "title": "Silicone rubber distal ulnar replacement arthroplasty.", "content": "We retrospectively reviewed 42 patients who underwent resection of the distal ulna with implantation of a silicone rubber ulnar head prosthesis (45 wrists). Two prostheses were used: the original Swanson prosthesis, and a prosthesis of our own design. Follow-up X-rays showed migration or breakage of 63% of the prostheses. No statistically significant correlation existed between the quality of functional outcome and the integrity of the prostheses. There was no significant difference between pre-operative and post-operative range of motion for the entire group or between patients with broken or intact prostheses. Histological confirmation of silicone synovitis was documented in one patient who required implant removal. We suggest that destabilization and breakage of prostheses result from fatigue failure secondary to the torque generated at the distal radio-ulnar joint during repeated pronation and supination. Use of a silicone rubber ulnar head prosthesis following distal ulna resection is not recommended."}
{"id": "PMID:1484257", "title": "Rupture of extensor tendons due to osteoarthritis of the distal radio-ulnar joint.", "content": "Extensor tendons ruptured in 12 patients as a result of osteoarthritis of the distal radio-ulnar joint. Rupture occurred without warning in ten cases and was sequential in five. Perforation of the dorsal capsule of the distal radio-ulnar joint, allowing contact between the roughened ulnar head and extensor tendons, was present in every case. The capsular performation was demonstrated by arthrography, which may be used to identify patients who are at risk of extensor tendon rupture. Loss of independent extension of the little finger is a valuable clinical sign because rupture of extensor digiti minimi may be masked by a powerful contribution from the extensor tendon of the ring finger."}
{"id": "PMID:1484258", "title": "Natural history of scaphoid non-union, with special reference to \"asymptomatic\" cases.", "content": "33 patients with non-union of the carpal scaphoid were diagnosed by X-ray examination two to 37 years following the original trauma. All of the patients could be contacted and summoned for a re-examination ten to 17 years later. X-rays revealed a 100% incidence of progressive radio-carpal osteoarthritis. It is concluded that freedom of pain is not a reliable prognostic indicator, and that all patients with non-union of the carpal scaphoid are likely to benefit from surgical treatment of the pseudarthrosis. The only exception to this rule might be the patient in whom the radio-carpal joint is already deteriorated by an advanced degenerative arthritis."}
{"id": "PMID:1484260", "title": "Effects of dopamine agonist, bromocriptine, and some dopamine antagonists on ocular blood flow.", "content": "A dopamine agonist, bromocriptine, and several dopamine antagonists, domperidone, haloperidol, floropipamide and chlofluperol, were studied for their effects on the ocular blood flow. Both domperidone and haloperidol are ocular hypotensive agents and are able to increase the ocular blood flow significantly. Floropipamide had little effect on the intraocular pressure (IOP), yet it reduced the ocular blood flow markedly. Chlofluperol is an ocular hypertensive agent, yet it increased the ocular blood flow significantly. Although bromocriptine lowered the IOP, it did not affect the ocular blood flow. These results indicate that the changes of ocular blood flow are independent of the changes of the IOP. Therefore, it is critical to develop antiglaucoma agents which can increase retinal and choroidal blood flow in addition to lowering the IOP."}
{"id": "PMID:1484261", "title": "Inhibitory effect of tetrandrine on lens proteins-induced ocular inflammation in rabbits.", "content": "Ocular inflammation was induced by 25 microliters of lens proteins (62.5mg/ml) injected into anterior chamber of the rabbit eye. Tetrandrine (Tet) (50mg/kg ip) and Indomethacin (Ind) (20 mg/kg ip) showed marked inhibition on this ocular inflammation. Maximum inhibition rate of Tet and Ind was 65% and 66% and their anti-inflammation action lasted 5 and 4 h, respectively. In the early phase of ocular inflammation (at 2 h) the total content of prostaglandin E(PGES) in the iris was reduced by Tet and Ind. Ind showed a greater effect than Tet on PGES. Tet also inhibited leukocyte chemotaxis significantly at late phase of inflammation. No significant effect was observed on the IOP recovery following reduction by 20% NaCl iv. Topical instillation of 50 microliters of 2% Tet did not display any inhibition of ocular inflammation. These results indicate that Tet is an effective ocular antiinflammatory agent without producing ocular hypertension. The antiinflammatory mechanism of Tet in early phase (at 2 h) was related to inhibition of PGES synthesis. The relationship between ocular anti-inflammation and calcium antagonism of Tet was discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1484262", "title": "Continuous flow contact lens delivery of gentamicin to rabbit cornea and aqueous humor.", "content": "The Morgan Therapeutic Lens (MTL) was investigated as a continuous corneal perfusion system in New Zealand white rabbits. Gentamicin concentration in the cornea and aqueous humor delivered by the MTL was compared to gentamicin drops (13.6 mg/ml) administered every 15 or 30 minutes. Gentamicin (1 mg/ml) or 5 mg/ml was perfused at 10 ml/hr for up to 4.0 hours. At each time interval of 0.5, 1, 2 and 4 hours, homogenized corneas and aqueous humour were assayed for gentamicin concentrations. The highest aqueous humour gentamicin concentrations of 57.99 +/- 12.86 micrograms/ml were significantly higher with the MTL and 5 mg/ml of gentamicin compared with the MTL and 1 mg/ml of gentamicin or than drops applied every 30 minutes, but not significantly different than drops every 15 minutes. Highest corneal concentrations of gentamicin of 496.04 +/- 101.16 micrograms/gm cornea were significantly higher with MTL and 5 mg/ml of gentamicin compared with the MTL and 1 mg/ml gentamicin or than drops applied every 30 minutes, but not significantly different than drops every 15 minutes. All mean gentamicin concentrations attained via the MTL exceeded the mean inhibitory concentration for most sensitive bacterial species. The MTL is a reliable drug delivery system with distinct advantages, and may be a useful therapeutic modality in the ocular delivery of gentamicin and other drugs."}
{"id": "PMID:1484263", "title": "THC:YAG laser sclerostomy with mitomycin subconjunctival injection in rabbits.", "content": "We performed sclerostomy using THC:YAG laser (thulium, holmium, chromium doped YAG crystal) and subconjunctival injection of mitomycin soon after the filtering process in rabbits to observe the lowering effect of intraocular pressure(IOP) and filtering bleb formation. A 1-mm conjunctiva wound was made 12 mm away from the sclerostomy site to allow the entry of the optic probe for delivering energy. Forty-eight rabbits were divided into 3 groups. After sclerostomy, Group I received 0.2 ml normal saline subconjunctival injection and Group II and III received 0.2 ml mitomycin injection of 0.1 and 0.2 mg/ml respectively. One eye of each rabbit was randomly selected for the experiment while the fellow eye served as control. The bleb lasted 1.4 +/- 0.5 days (or 1 to 2 days) in Group I, 8.5 +/- 4.5 days (or 4 to 17 days) in Group II and 15.4 +/- 10.9 days (or 4 to 37 days) in Group III. The IOP lowering effect was significantly enhanced in Group III. The postoperative complication was minimal corneal punctate erosion in the mitomycin group, but all of them, however, resolved within one week. The results demonstrated that mitomycin is effective in prolonging the filtering effect produced by the THC:YAG laser."}
{"id": "PMID:1484264", "title": "Prostaglandin synthesis and accumulation by porcine ciliary epithelium.", "content": "The activity to synthesize prostaglandins (PGs*) from arachidonic acid [i.e. cyclooxygenase (CO) activity] was compared between nonpigmented epithelial (NPE) cells and pigmented epithelial (PE) cells from porcine ciliary processes. PG synthesizing activities were about the same (0.58 and 0.52 pmol per mg protein per 15 min for NPE and PE, respectively), and inhibited by indomethacin and anti-CO antibody but not by nordihydroguaiaretic acid. By immunogold labeling, CO immunoreactivity was found both in NPE and PE. The present results and the previous observation on higher PG omega/omega-1 hydroxylation activities in NPE than in PE, taken together, suggest that controlled synthesis and inactivation of PGs may have a role in functions of NPE. When PGE2 was incubated with NPE or PE, NPE cells accumulated PGE2 more actively than did PE cells. PG uptake by the NPE cells may prevent aqueous and vitreous PGs from entering the anterior chamber and causing anterior uveitis."}
{"id": "PMID:1484265", "title": "Glucagon administration to the rat via eye drops.", "content": "Systemic absorption of glucagon from eye drops containing an emulsant caused an elevation in blood D-glucose concentrations in anesthetized rats. Glucagon (0.03 mg) delivered to the eye in buffered saline had no significant hyperglycemic action. However, delivery of glucagon in eye drops containing 0.25% saponin caused a rapid, dose-dependent increase in blood D-glucose values. Maximal absorption was observed 20 minutes after eye drop administration and values returned to baseline after 60 minutes. Immunoreactive glucagon levels measured 20 minutes after administration of eye drops containing saponin plus glucagon were increased by 2.4-fold compared to basal values. Glucagon administration via eye drops was ineffective when 0.5% Brij78 or BL-9 was substituted for saponin. These results demonstrate that in the rat, systemic absorption of glucagon delivered in eye drops is possible, but the choice of an emulsant may be critical."}
{"id": "PMID:1484268", "title": "The repertoire of human antibody to the Haemophilus influenzae type b capsular polysaccharide.", "content": "Human antibody to the Haemophilus influenzae capsular polysaccharide (Hib CP) is restricted in diversity in the individual and the population with a limited number of variable region genes encoding antibody. Antibody to the Hib CP shows restricted isoelectric focusing gel patterns and light chain usage with frequent restriction to use of only kappa light chains. Shared cross-reactive idiotypes are expressed on antibody. The heavy chain of antibody to the Hib CP is predominantly encoded by two members of the VH3 family--LSG 6.1/M85-like and VH26/30P1-like. In VH the CDR1, based on complete identity in LSG 6.1/M85-like antibodies, CDR2, based on the suggestion of mutation in this region, and CDR3, based on conserved CDR3 usage in unrelated individuals, may be important for antigen binding. Six or more different VL gene families encode antibody. The predominant antibody of the majority of individuals uses the A2-V kappa II gene in germline or near germline configuration, which encodes an idiotype designated HibId-1. Antibody can also be encoded by V kappa I, non-A2 V kappa II, V kappa III, V kappa IV, V lambda II, and V lambda VII genes. Although different VL genes can be used, unrelated individuals appear to use the same V kappa III (A27), V lambda II (V lambda 2.1 and V lambda VII (4A) genes. The VL diversity accounts for differences in fine binding specificity, with A2-V kappa II genes not encoding E. coli K100 CP cross-reactive antibodies and V lambda VII genes and some of the non-A2 V kappa genes encoding cross-reactive antibodies. The arginine in CDR3 of both antibody kappa and lambda light chains and the asparagine in CDR2 of VL sequences and in CDR1 of LSG6.1-M85 VH sequences of antibody appear to be important residues for antigen binding. A relatively limited degree of somatic mutation has occurred in the non-A2 VL genes, V lambda VII, and the VH genes. Further studies comparing the polymorphism of germline V genes to antibody-encoding V genes are needed to clarify this issue. Research comparing this repertoire to repertoires directed to other bacterial CP and to self antigens and defining structure-antigen binding relationships is in progress."}
{"id": "PMID:1484269", "title": "Human antibody responses to bacterial antigens: studies of a model conventional antigen and a proposed model B cell superantigen.", "content": "We have investigated the human antibody repertoires that bind to two different classes of bacterial antigens. Immunization with the conventional antigen, type b capsular polysaccharide of Haemophilus influenzae Hib PS, uniformly induces IgA and IgG responses dominated by clones that use heavy chains structurally related to two subsets of VH3 genes, while in a minority of subjects antibodies from the VH1 or VH4 families are co-induced. In contrast, the \"alternative binding site\" of Staphylococcal Protein A (SPA) represents an unconventional determinant, because; (i) SPA is bound by a large proportion of non-immune IgM, IgA and IgG F(ab')2, (ii) SPA is bound only to Fab from the VH3 family, which can be encoded by at least four different germline genes, (iii) SPA binding is independent of VL usage, (iv) by flow cytometry SPA is bound by > 15% of tonsilar B cells, but not to T cells. (v) In vitro stimulation with an SPA containing mitogen induces the preferentially production of Ig bearing a VH3 marker. Taken together, these studies characterize a VH family restricted binding interaction that is distinct from the properties associated with conventional antigens such as Hib PS. Based on these data we propose that SPA represents a prototype for a B cell superantigen."}
{"id": "PMID:1484271", "title": "Postoperative analgesia using a computerised infusion of alfentanil following aortic bifurcation graft surgery.", "content": "A Psion microcomputer controlled infusion system for alfentanil was assessed for the provision of post-operative analgesia in 14 patients who had undergone aortic bifurcation graft surgery. The system employed a pharmacokinetic model working in real time to deliver any selected target plasma concentration of alfentanil. The alfentanil infusion system was used for a mean time of 39 hours and for 96% of this time, patients were scored as having no pain or only mild pain. Severe pain was recorded for only 0.05% of the study time. The use of a pharmacokinetic delivery system may offer a convenient and simple method of providing postoperative analgesia with alfentanil."}
{"id": "PMID:1484273", "title": "Neonatal physiological trend monitoring by computer.", "content": "A premature baby born up to four months early is a fragile patient dependent on intensive care. The body systems are physiologically immature and so tolerate stress badly. The tendency of these infants to rapidly deteriorate, has led us to use a cotside computer monitoring system which displays physiological trends. Information from standard neonatal monitors is accessed by individual cotside PC's linked to a central network server and Doctors terminal. Trend graphs can be easily manipulated, displaying from 7 minutes to 3 days of physiological information on a single screen. Pathology may be observed in real time as it occurs. The system has 3 main areas of use, (a) as a real time clinical aid to patient management, e.g. apnoea of the newborn; (b) as a research tool, demonstrating the effects of procedures on physiology; (c) for educating members of staff about how physiological events develop. Data is saved for the whole of each neonates intensive care stay. Assessment of staff and parent attitudes by questionnaire have been favourable."}
{"id": "PMID:1484274", "title": "Acquisition of ICU data: concepts and demands.", "content": "As the issue of data overload is a problem in critical care today, it is of utmost importance to improve acquisition, storage, integration, and presentation of medical data, which appears only feasible with the help of bedside computers. The data originates from four major sources: (1) the bedside medical devices, (2) the local area network (LAN) of the ICU, (3) the hospital information system (HIS) and (4) manual input. All sources differ markedly in quality and quantity of data and in the demands of the interfaces between source of data and patient database. The demands for data acquisition from bedside medical devices, ICU-LAN and HIS concentrate on technical problems, such as computational power, storage capacity, real-time processing, interfacing with different devices and networks and the unmistakable assignment of data to the individual patient. The main problem of manual data acquisition is the definition and configuration of the user interface that must allow the inexperienced user to interact with the computer intuitively. Emphasis must be put on the construction of a pleasant, logical and easy-to-handle graphical user interface (GUI). Short response times will require high graphical processing capacity. Moreover, high computational resources are necessary in the future for additional interfacing devices such as speech recognition and 3D-GUI. Therefore, in an ICU environment the demands for computational power are enormous. These problems are complicated by the urgent need for friendly and easy-to-handle user interfaces. Both facts place ICU bedside computing at the vanguard of present and future workstation development leaving no room for solutions based on traditional concepts of personal computers.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1484275", "title": "A knowledge-based system for assisted ventilation of patients in intensive care units.", "content": "The procedure for weaning a patient with respiratory insufficiency from mechanical ventilation may be complex and requires expertise obtained by long clinical practice. We designed a knowledge-based system for the management of patients receiving respiratory support and implemented a weaning procedure. The system is intended for patients whose spontaneous respiratory activity is assisted by a Hamilton Veolar ventilator delivering a positive pressure plateau during inspiration (Pressure Support Ventilation mode). Our closed-loop real-time system running on a Personal Computer continuously adapts the assistance provided by the ventilator to the patient's evolution, and indicates when the patient can be withdrawn from the ventilator. Three parameters are used to appreciate the 'respiratory comfort' of the patient: breathing frequency, which we consider the most informative index, tidal volume and end-tidal CO2 pressure. A preliminary study of 19 patients was performed to evaluate the ability of our system to adapt the assistance to the patient's needs, with the main objective of facilitating weaning by gradually lowering the level of assistance. In 10 of these patients, considered as good candidates for weaning on the strength of objective criteria, the system maintained the breathing pattern in a zone of comfort for 95% of the period of assisted ventilation and stated that they were 'weanable'. This was consistent with the clinical evolution of all 10 patients. These results show that such a system can provide effective management for mechanically ventilated patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1484276", "title": "Fuzzy classification of hemodynamic trends and artifacts: experiments with the heart rate.", "content": "Fuzzy set theory allows one to map inexact data, concepts, and events to fuzzy sets via user-defined membership functions. This paper describes a method for (1) robustly estimating the mean and slope of an arbitrary number of data points, (2) developing a set of fuzzy membership functions to classify various properties of heart rate trends, and (3) finding the longest consecutive sequence of heart rate data that fit a particular fuzzy membership function. Preliminary results indicate that fuzzy set theory has significant potential in the development of a clinically robust method for classifying heart rate data, trends, and artifacts."}
{"id": "PMID:1484283", "title": "A mechanosensitive K+ channel in heart cells. Activation by arachidonic acid.", "content": "Mechanosensitive ion channels have been described in many types of cells. These channels are believed to transduce pressure signals into intracellular biochemical and physiological events. In this study, the patch-clamp technique was used to identify and characterize a mechanosensitive ion channel in rat atrial cells. In cell-attached patches, negative pressure in the pipette activated an ion channel in a pressure-dependent manner. The pressure to induce half-maximal activation was 12 +/- 3 mmHg at +40 mV, and nearly full activation was observed at approximately 20 mmHg. The probability of opening was voltage dependent, with greater channel activity at depolarized potentials. The mechanosensitive channel was identical to the K+ channel previously shown to be activated by arachidonic acid and other lipophilic compounds, as judged by the outwardly rectifying current-voltage relation, single channel amplitude, mean open time (1.4 +/- 0.3 ms), bursty openings, K+ selectivity, insensitivity to any known organic inhibitors of ion channels, and pH sensitivity. In symmetrical 140 mM KCl, the slope conductance was 94 +/- 11 pS at +60 mV and 64 +/- 8 pS at -60 mV. Anions and cations such as Cl-, glutamate, Na+, Cs+, Li+, Ca2+, and Ba2+ were not permeant. Extracellular Ba2+ (1 mM) blocked the inward K+ current completely. GdCl3 (100 microM) or CaCl2 (100 microM) did not alter the K+ channel activity or amplitude. Lowering of intracellular pH increased the pressure sensitivity of the channel. The K+ channel could be activated in the presence of 5 mM intracellular [ATP] or 10 microM glybenclamide in inside-out patches. In the absence of ATP, when the ATP-sensitive K+ channel was active, the mechanosensitive channel could further be activated by pressure, suggesting that they were two separate channels. The ATP-sensitive K+ channel was not mechanosensitive. Pressure activated the K+ channel in the presence of albumin, a fatty acid binding protein, suggesting that pressure and arachidonic acid activate the K+ channel via separate pathways."}
{"id": "PMID:1484284", "title": "Two functionally distinct 4-aminopyridine-sensitive outward K+ currents in rat atrial myocytes.", "content": "In the experiments here, the detailed kinetic properties of the Ca(2+)-independent, depolarization-activated outward currents (Iout) in enzymatically dispersed adult rat atrial myocytes were studied. Although there is only slight attenuation of peak Iout during brief (100 ms) voltage steps, substantial decay is evident during long (10 s) depolarizations. The analyses here reveal that current inactivation is best described by the sum of two exponential components, which we have termed IKf and IKs to denote the fast and slow components, respectively, of Iout decay. At all test potentials, IKf inactivates approximately 20-fold more rapidly than IKs. Neither the decay time constants nor the fraction of Iout remaining at the end of 10-s depolarizations varies over the potential range of 0 to +50 mV, indicating that the rates of inactivation and recovery from inactivation are voltage independent. IKf recovers from inactivation completely, independent of the recovery of IKs, and IKf recovers approximately 20 times faster than IKs. The pharmacological properties of IKf and IKs are similar: both components are sensitive to 4-aminopyridine (1-5 mM) and both are relatively resistant to externally applied tetraethylammonium (50 mM). Taken together, these findings suggest that IKf and IKs correspond to two functionally distinct K+ currents with similar voltage-dependent properties and pharmacologic sensitivities, but with markedly different rates of inactivation and recovery from inactivation. From the experimental data, several gating models were developed in which voltage-independent inactivation is coupled either to channel opening or to the activation of the individual channel subunits. Experimental testing of predictions of these models suggests that voltage-independent inactivation is coupled to activation, and that inactivation of only a single subunit is required to result in functional inactivation of the channels. This model closely approximates the properties of IKf and IKs, as well as the composite outward currents, measured in adult rat atrial myocytes."}
{"id": "PMID:1484281", "title": "Minimum respiratory function for breath alcohol testing in South Australia.", "content": "The aim of this study was to determine if inability to complete a breath alcohol test successfully, using a Lion Alcolmeter SD-2 or Drager Alcotest 7110, was related to any of the standard parameters obtained from the lung function spirometry test. A total of 153 subjects referred to a clinical laboratory for routine lung function testing were tested using the Alcolmeter, 158 using the Alcotest, with 69 subjects completing tests on both instruments. Of the 153 patients who volunteered to use the Alcolmeter, 49 (32%) were unable to produce a valid test effort on this instrument. One subject failed to complete a satisfactory test using the Alcotest, and one was unable to master the technique. There was considerable overlap of the minimum value for each of the lung function parameters of those subjects who could or could not successfully complete the breath alcohol test. It is recommended that changes are made to both of the instruments, the techniques used and the legislation, to minimize the number of breath alcohol testing failures and to reduce the variability of the results."}
{"id": "PMID:1484285", "title": "Steady-state and dynamic properties of cardiac sodium-calcium exchange. Sodium-dependent inactivation.", "content": "Sodium-calcium exchange current was isolated in inside-out patches excised from guinea pig ventricular cells using the giant patch method. The outward exchange current decayed exponentially upon activation by cytoplasmic sodium (sodium-dependent inactivation). The kinetics and mechanism of the inactivation were studied. (a) The rate of inactivation and the peak current amplitude were both strongly temperature dependent (Q10 = 2.2). (b) An increase in cytoplasmic pH from 6.8 to 7.8 attenuated the current decay and shifted the apparent dissociation constant (Kd) of cytoplasmic calcium for secondary activation of the exchange current from 9.6 microM to < 0.3 microM. (c) The amplitude of exchange current decreased synchronously over the membrane potential range from -120 to 60 mV during the inactivation, indicating that voltage dependence of the exchanger did not change during the inactivation process. The voltage dependence of exchange current also did not change during secondary modulation by cytoplasmic calcium and activation by chymotrypsin. (d) In the presence of 150 mM extracellular sodium and 2 mM extracellular calcium, outward exchange current decayed similarly upon application of cytoplasmic sodium. Upon removal of cytoplasmic sodium in the presence of 2-5 microM cytoplasmic free calcium, the inward exchange current developed in two phases, a fast phase within the time course of solution changes, and a slow phase (tau approximately 4 s) indicative of recovery from sodium-dependent inactivation. (e) Under zero-trans conditions, the inward current was fully activated within solution switch times upon application of cytoplasmic calcium and did not decay. (f) The slow recovery phase of inward current upon removal of cytoplasmic sodium was also present under the zero-trans condition. (g) Sodium-dependent inactivation shows little or no dependence on membrane potential in guinea pig myocyte sarcolemma. (h) Sodium-dependent inactivation of outward current is attenuated in rate and extent as extracellular calcium is decreased. (i) Kinetics of the sodium-dependent inactivation and its dependence on major experimental variables are well described by a simple two-state inactivation model assuming one fully active and one fully inactive exchanger state, whereby the transition to the inactive state takes place from a fully sodium-loaded exchanger conformation with cytoplasmic orientation of binding sites (E1.3Ni)."}
{"id": "PMID:1484282", "title": "Alleged sexual violation of a human female by a Rottweiler dog.", "content": "An unusual case involving the alleged sexual violation of a woman by three men and a Rottweiler dog is described. Forensic examination proved difficult and showed little of evidentiary value but did reveal the presence of dog hairs at the scene, and semen from one of the men on the victim's panties. All attempts to locate and identify dog semen were unsuccessful. It was not clear whether dog semen could not be located using available techniques for semen identification, or whether dog semen was, in fact, not present at all."}
{"id": "PMID:1484286", "title": "Steady-state and dynamic properties of cardiac sodium-calcium exchange. Secondary modulation by cytoplasmic calcium and ATP.", "content": "Dynamic responses of cardiac sodium-calcium exchange current to changes of cytoplasmic calcium and MgATP were monitored and analyzed in giant membrane patches excised from guinea pig myocytes. Secondary dependencies of exchange current on cytoplasmic calcium are accounted for in terms of two mechanisms: (a) The sodium-dependent inactivation process, termed I1 modulation, is itself strongly modulated by cytoplasmic calcium. Recovery from the I1 inactivated state is accelerated by increasing cytoplasmic calcium, and the calculated rate of entrance into I1 inactivation is slowed. (b) A second modulation process, termed I2 modulation, is not sodium dependent. As with I1 modulation, the entrance into I2 inactivation takes place over seconds in the absence of cytoplasmic calcium. The recovery from I2 inactivation is a calcium-dependent transition and is rapid (< 200 ms) in the presence of micromolar free calcium. I1 and I2 modulation can be treated as linear, independent processes to account for most exchange modulation patterns observed: (a) When cytoplasmic calcium is increased or decreased in the presence of high cytoplasmic sodium, outward exchange current turns on or off, respectively, on a time scale of multiple seconds. (b) When sodium is applied in the absence of cytoplasmic calcium, no outward current is activated. However, the full outward current is activated within solution switch time when cytoplasmic calcium is applied together with sodium. (c) The calcium dependence of peak outward current attained upon application of cytoplasmic sodium is shifted by approximately 1 log unit to lower concentrations from the calcium dependence of steady-state exchange current. (d) The time course of outward current decay upon decreasing cytoplasmic calcium becomes more rapid as calcium is reduced into the submicromolar range. (e) Under nearly all conditions, the time courses of current decay during application of cytoplasmic sodium and/or removal of cytoplasmic calcium are well fit by single exponentials. Both of the modulation processes are evidently affected by MgATP. Similar to the effects of cytoplasmic calcium, MgATP slows the entrance into I1 inactivation and accelerates the recovery from inactivation. MgATP additionally slows the decay of outward exchange current upon removal of cytoplasmic calcium by 2-10-fold, indicative of an effect on I2 inactivation. Finally, the effects of cytoplasmic calcium on sodium-calcium exchange current are reconstructed in simulations of the I1 and I2 modulation processes as independent reactions."}
{"id": "PMID:1484279", "title": "An investigation of the feasibility of inferring ethnic origin from DNA profiles.", "content": "A small experiment is described which uses databases of Afro-Caribbeans and Caucasians to establish the quality of information that might be given to an investigator about the ethnic group of the donor of an unknown crime stain. The results show that the technique can provide qualified indications, but categoric conclusions are not, in general, feasible. An appraisal is given of the technique within the operational context."}
{"id": "PMID:1484280", "title": "Oral sex--further information from sexual assault cases.", "content": "A survey was carried out of sexual assault cases submitted to the Metropolitan Police Forensic Science Laboratory during 1988 and 1989. There were 104 cases with male victims, and 1403 with females. In the all-male offences, fellatio was reported in 34%; nearly two-thirds of the acts were by the offender, one-third by the victim. In the offences on females, oral-genital acts were alleged in 22%, 78% of which were fellatio, and 22% cunnilingus. The majority of offenders were white. The few Afro-Caribbeans studied rarely performed oral sex on males or very young females."}
{"id": "PMID:1484287", "title": "Comparison of location, severity, and dose response of proximal axonal lesions induced by 3,3'-iminodipropionitrile and deuterium substituted analogs.", "content": "Administration of 3,3'-iminodipropionitrile (IDPN) to rats results in massive accumulation of tangled neurofilaments in the proximal axons of large neurons, such as in dorsal root ganglia (DRG) and ventral horns of the lumbar spinal cord (LSC). Clinically, rats develop hyperexcitability, circling, head bobbing, and retropulsion. The ultimate toxicant and the molecular mechanism are not known. In a study designed to explore potential activation and detoxification pathways, dose-related differences in location and severity of lesions were observed in rats treated with IDPN or deuterium substituted analogs, 2,2,2',2'-tetradeuterio-IDPN (2-d-IDPN) or 3,3,3',3'-tetradeuterio-IDPN (3-d-IDPN). The compounds or saline were administered intraperitoneally to three rats per group at dose levels of 3.0, 1.5, 1.0, and 0.0 mmole/kg/day for 3 days. One week after the initial dose, tissues from DRG and LSC were collected, prepared and evaluated histologically in zones extending from areas adjacent to the cell bodies, distally toward the DRG stalk or toward the lumbar spinal roots. In the low dose IDPN group, DRG and LSC lesions were most prominent in distal zones. As dosage increased, the lesions progressed in severity and in proximity to the cell bodies. At the high dose, lesions were prominent in all zones. The same general pattern occurred with both analogs, although 2-d-IDPN was less potent than IDPN and 3-d-IDPN was more potent than IDPN. The differences in potency from the secondary isotopic effect of deuterium suggest that the 3-position is important in detoxification while the 2-position is important in the bioactivation of IDPN."}
{"id": "PMID:1484288", "title": "Sudden infant death syndrome: postnatal changes in the numerical density and total number of neurons in the hypoglossal nucleus.", "content": "Tissue specimens from the medulla were sampled from 28 sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) victims and from 15 control cases without neurological disease (36-95 postconceptional weeks). Morphometric analyses were performed on serial Nissl sections through the hypoglossal nucleus. The total volume of the hypoglossal nucleus, the numerical density (Nv, cells per mm3) and the total number of motor neurons, interneurons and glia were determined. Normal development was characterized by a linear increase in the volume of the hypoglossal nucleus during the first postnatal year. While the Nv of neurons decreased, the total number of neurons remained relatively constant at approximately 7,600 motor neurons and 3,100 interneurons. In SIDS cases the rate of increase in the volume of the hypoglossal nucleus was significantly greater than in controls (79%). The Nv of neurons was less than in controls (25-30%), although the total number of motor neurons and interneurons did not differ significantly. In SIDS cases the mean profile area of motor neuron cell bodies was significantly greater than in controls (29%), while the mean profile areas of interneurons and glia did not differ. These abnormalities in growth indicate a greater volume of neuropil in a hypoglossal nucleus containing a normal complement of neurons. The disproportionately rapid increase in volume of neuropil in the hypoglossal nucleus of SIDS cases may result from an increased arborization of dendrites on the motor neurons."}
{"id": "PMID:1484289", "title": "Selective neuronal vulnerability in HIV encephalitis.", "content": "Recent studies of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) encephalitis have shown that in addition to well established white matter damage, the neocortex shows thinning, loss of large neurons and dendritic damage. In order to identify neuronal populations affected in HIV encephalitis and to determine how neuronal damage relates to the severity of HIV infection within the nervous system, we quantified parvalbumin (PV+) and neurofilament (NF+) immunoreactive neurons in the frontal cortex and hippocampus. We found that in the neocortex, the density of NF+ and PV+ neurons was independent of severity of HIV encephalitis, and therefore changes in these neuronal subsets did not account for previously reported neuronal loss. However, neuritic processes of PV+ neurons were fragmented, atrophic and in some cases distended. In contrast to the frontal cortex, there was a trend toward decreased density of PV+ neurons in the hippocampus which only reached significance in the CA3 layer where there was a 50-90% decrease in PV+ neurons. This decrease was closely correlated with the severity of HIV encephalitis. Double-label immunocytochemical analysis confirmed neuritic damage to interneurons. These results suggest that HIV encephalitis differentially involves specific subpopulations of neurons. Since direct HIV infection of neuronal cells was not detected, damage to PV+ cells and fibers may be indirectly mediated by cytokines released by HIV-infected microglia."}
{"id": "PMID:1484290", "title": "The development of induced cerebrocortical microgyria in the rat.", "content": "Placement of a freezing probe on the skull of neonatal rats produces four-layered microgyria, complete with a lamina dissecans and microsulcus. We studied the developmental course of this induced microgyria under light microscopy by examining changes in neurons, glia, and macrophages following a focal freezing insult on the day of birth (postnatal day [P]0). The destruction of neurons and glia induced by the freezing probe extends through the cortical plate and occasionally through the subplate, but the pial membrane appears undamaged and radial glial cells, while damaged, are not eliminated. Reactive astrocytes and macrophages arrive in the damaged area within 24 hours of the injury, and repair of the damaged tissue peaks within the first week. Damaged radial glial fibers regrow, and supragranular neurons migrate through this damaged area, also within the first week. The newly formed supragranular layer overlies the cell-free area. The damaged cortex begins to assume its adult-like microgyric appearance from P5 to P10. On P15 and P32, long glial fibers, resembling radial glia, are present and are immunoreactive for glial fibrillary acidic protein and radial glial fiber antibodies (vimentin and Rat-401). No such fibers appear at this age in the non-microgyric areas or in normal brains. We conclude that microgyria formation may be the consequence of brain repair mechanisms occurring during neuronal migration to the neocortex, and that it appears to preserve primitive features characteristic of the developing cortex."}
{"id": "PMID:1484291", "title": "Innervation of the vasa nervorum: changes in human diabetics.", "content": "Transperineurial and epineurial vessels are innervated by plexuses of unmyelinated axons. Human sural nerve biopsies were examined ultrastructurally and immunocytochemically with an antibody which recognizes a neuronal and neuroendocrine protein, PGP 9.5, to characterize perivascular axons of these plexuses. Diabetics exhibited a greater degree of abnormal innervation of the vasa nervorum than nondiabetics with and without neuropathy. Abnormal innervation included: a reduction in the percentage of vessels exhibiting perivascular axons and a concomitant increase in the percentage of vessels having denervated Schwann cell units, particularly around vessels confined to perineurial compartments, and remaining axons in nerves from diabetics exhibited fewer varicosities. Denervated arterioles of diabetics also displayed structural changes indicating injury. The arteriolar structural defects and loss of neurogenic control of neural blood flow may lead to or aggravate endoneurial ischemia or hypoxia. The patchy, focal endoneurial fiber loss that is prominent in proximal nerves and associated with the distal myelinated fiber loss of some diabetic patients may be due in part to perivascular denervation of the vasa nervorum."}
{"id": "PMID:1484292", "title": "Parenting classes: focus on discipline.", "content": "Nurses in community settings have an opportunity to provide instruction related to health and life-style needs. An important consideration is the parental role. A particularly controversial and opinion-laden aspect of parenting is disciplining children. Discipline provides children with the security of clearly enforced rules to help them learn self-control and social standards. Parenting classes are worthwhile for people who have little formal or informal preparation. A survey of middle-class elementary school district parents' and childrens' attitudes toward discipline was conducted to develop meaningful parenting classes. Parents' feelings about being a mother or father were surprisingly negative. A parent educational program was developed to cover child growth and development and disciplinary practices. Parent evaluations led to continuation and an expansion of this program to other schools within the area."}
{"id": "PMID:1484295", "title": "Community health assessment tool: a patterns approach to data collection and diagnosis.", "content": "Creation of an assessment tool to apply Gordon's functional patterns to the community as a client was a rewarding and stimulating project. Through use of the CHAT, students developed an appreciation of the complexity and inter-relationship of numerous aspects of the community. They completed the nursing process by developing appropriate nursing diagnoses, and planning, implementing, and evaluating a health promotion project. As the students continue to use this tool in the health promotion course, the diagnoses which they generate are being collected. From this accumulated input the plan is to compile a list of common diagnoses which are appropriate to use when the community is the client."}
{"id": "PMID:1484296", "title": "Health needs of a suburban community: a nursing assessment approach.", "content": "Community health nursing can play an important role in conducting community needs assessments that provide critical data upon which programming, planning, and evaluation should be based. The community health services developed for any given community should be planned with the specific needs of the community residents in mind. A community needs survey is one method that should be periodically employed to ascertain the specific needs and concerns of community residents. Nursing conceptual models developed by CHNs are very appropriate to the assessment of all aspects of community life related to health and well-being. Comprehensive community needs surveys should include assessment of environmental, psychosocial, and physiological aspects of health as well as indicators of health-related behaviors in the population. The Omaha classification system adapted for this study provides a broad conceptual framework that facilitates the development of comprehensive programs of assessment. Public health services are in a state of crisis in many states. Traditional program offerings may no longer be the key to providing the types of services most needed by some communities. Analysis of data on problems related to personal and family well-being in one upper middle class suburban community indicate a need for health promotion and services focused on many of the psychosocial aspects of health. The stress experienced by younger community residents appears to be related to issues of parenting and balancing the dual roles required at work and home. Families of elders are also confronted by issues concerning the decreasing independence of these individuals and the need to find additional support services for them. Community health services must be designed that take these factors into account. Professional nurses can provide the leadership necessary to assess health needs and current public health practices in these communities and to recommend and implement programs appropriate to the needs of the present and the goals of the future."}
{"id": "PMID:1484297", "title": "Primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention in reducing pesticide-related illness in farmers.", "content": "American farmers are a specific population with specific health concerns, and there is little in the literature that addresses nursing care of farmers. The farmer needs to be educated and assessed for the potential of poisoning injury related to pesticide exposure. Studies done by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and others have shown a somewhat greater risk of specific cancers in farmers using pesticides. Acute exposures and chronic conditions resulting from years of exposure to pesticides are oftentimes not attributed to pesticides. By use of the nursing process, nurses can develop programs at all levels of prevention to deal with this problem. This article describes such programs, as well as providing resources useful in their development."}
{"id": "PMID:1484299", "title": "The clinical presentation of intracranial abscesses. A study of seventy-eight cases.", "content": "From 1980 through 1991, 78 patients with brain abscess were treated at the Cukurova University School of Medicine Department of Neurosurgery by surgical excision and antimicrobial therapy. Males predominated in all age groups. Although only 17 percent had a predisposing conditions such as local sinus infection, cyanotic heart disease, the majority of the cases had some evidence of a systemic infection such as peripheral leucocytosis and elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate. The correct diagnosis was commonly not considered despite to these clues of an infective process on admission. The operative mortality was 20% which was similar to the other series reported in the literature. However in spite of significant progress with the advent of computerized tomography, microbiology and antibiotic treatment, difficulties in early diagnosis are held to be responsible for the residual high mortality. Although the appropriate antibiotic therapy, adjuvant medical therapies to control perioperative brain swelling, and the application of reliable surgical techniques have decreased the mortality and morbidity rates, the best result can only be obtained to a wider number of patients if the physician remains alert to the possibility of an intracranial abscess."}
{"id": "PMID:1484301", "title": "Delayed recovery from indirect optic nerve injury. A report of two unusual cases.", "content": "Two patients with indirect optic nerve injury are reported. In one, head injury was minor, while in the second, the head injury was severe. Both the patients had immediate type of optic nerve injury with complete visual loss. CT scans for the orbit and optic canal were normal. Visual evoked potentials (VEP) repeatedly performed in the first 6-8 weeks were absent in both the patients. Onset of visual recovery was very late, in first case it was noticed after 12 weeks and in the second case visual recovery started after 8 weeks. Both the patients had partial visual recovery."}
{"id": "PMID:1484298", "title": "Craniosynostosis: surgical treatment during the first year of life.", "content": "Out of 276 children with craniosynostosis operated on in a 9 year period, 231 were operated on under 1 year of age. According to the sutures involved in the process of early fusion, two groups of infants were individuated. Patients belonging to the first group were characterized by the involvement of the sagittal suture, while infants of group II presented with a synostosis of the anterior or posterior sutural complex. Two different techniques were required for the 2 groups of subjects, the first of them being mainly based on linear craniectomies, the second requiring more complex reconstructive surgical procedures. The morbidity, mortality and recurrence rates of the series were low, demonstrating that infants can tolerate the procedure as well as older children. The advantage of the early treatment consists of a better cosmetic result with a more physiological growth of faciocranial skeleton."}
{"id": "PMID:1484302", "title": "Cavernous angioma of the pineal region.", "content": "The pineal region is one of the most rare localizations of intracranial cavernous angiomas, with only 8 cases reported up today. The Authors report a case of cavernous angioma of such localization and review the pertinent literature. Magnetic resonance allows the correct diagnosis of cavernous malformations on the basis of their typical aspect, even in the absence of histological verification. We suggest that this imaging technique will allow to identify more frequently pineal cavernomas preoperatively, thus avoiding useless irradiation."}
{"id": "PMID:1484303", "title": "Solid supratentorial haemangioblastoma. Case report.", "content": "A rare case of solid supratentorial haemangioblastoma presenting in a 67-year-old female with psyco-motory lowering, dysphasia and mild haemiparesis is reported and the pertinent literature is reviewed. The distinction between angioblastic meningioma and haemangioblastoma with the non specific radiological findings of this supratentorial uncommon tumour in are also debated."}
{"id": "PMID:1484300", "title": "Pseudotumor cerebri. Lumboperitoneal shunt in long lasting cases.", "content": "The Authors report three cases of pseudotumor cerebri with noteworthy visual defect. Lumboperitoneal shunt enables good recovery where there was no atrophy of the optic nerve and demonstrated its usefulness also in serious situations."}
{"id": "PMID:1484304", "title": "Diastasis of the maxillary bone: an unusual complication of transsphenoidal surgery.", "content": "Diastasis of the intermaxillary suture is an unusual complication of the transsphenoidal approach to the sella turcica. Over the 1977-1989 twelve-year-period, 192 procedures were performed at our Center. This complication occurred only once, in a senile patient with marked osteoporosis. It did not alter the course of the operation, nor did it create additional problems during the postoperative period."}
{"id": "PMID:1484306", "title": "Associated cervical schwannoma and dorsal meningioma. Case report and review of the literature.", "content": "The association between spinal meningiomas and neurinomas without clinical signs of neurofibromatosis is very rare with only four cases reported in literature. A case of 70-year-old woman with a history of progressive paraparesis is presented. A cervico-dorsal magnetic resonance with contrast showed two tumors with different enhancement. The patient had examination negative for neurofibromatosis. At histological examination cervical schwannoma and a dorsal meningioma were found. The Authors debate the rarity of this association, the possible pathogenesis and the MR findings."}
{"id": "PMID:1484310", "title": "An overview of continuous infusion chemotherapy.", "content": "Chemotherapy administered by continuous infusion has been shown to be more effective and less toxic than bolus therapy in many instances. Because of advances in infusion-pump and access-device technology, most patients receive their chemotherapy as outpatients. Careful patient selection and comprehensive patient teaching are essential to ensure the success of continuous infusion chemotherapy delivery."}
{"id": "PMID:1484305", "title": "Metastasis of breast carcinoma to intracranial meningioma. Case report and review of the literature.", "content": "A case of metastasizing breast carcinoma to an intracranial meningioma is presented. The pathogenesis and principles of diagnosis of this rare occurrence are discussed in light of the data reported from the literature."}
{"id": "PMID:1484311", "title": "High-dose ifosfamide and mesna therapy in the outpatient setting.", "content": "Ifosfamide and mesna as a chemotherapeutic and protective combination has increased oncologists' choice of agents in the treatment of various forms of cancer today. Additional responsibility is placed on both patient and caregiver when high doses of these drugs are administered in an outpatient setting. Of utmost importance is the education of the patient and the caregiver in their immediate responsibilities, as well as required procedures after the course of the drug has been completed. In this article, areas of concern to the patient and caregiver are described in detail. Initial therapy and any subsequent side effects are managed on an outpatient basis except in rare circumstances."}
{"id": "PMID:1484312", "title": "The impact of a nutritional support team on the cost and management of multilumen central venous catheters.", "content": "Total parenteral nutrition (TPN) is most commonly delivered into a large vein through a central venous catheter (CVC). Because complications associated with CVCs may be life threatening or costly to the patient and the medical facility, proper care and maintenance of a CVC is essential. A 12-month retrospective study was conducted by a nutritional support team to evaluate cost effectiveness of CVC care in patients receiving TPN. Certain factors, such as catheter type and location, duration of usage, number of catheters, physician who placed the catheter, and complications were recorded for each patient receiving TPN. All CVCs used for TPN were maintained by a member of the nutritional support team. A total of 434 CVCs were placed in 277 patients who required TPN (average, 1.6 catheters/patient; range, 1-10 catheters/patient). Specific catheter-related data, and occurrences of complications were recorded on a flow sheet designed specifically for patients requiring TPN. Major complications (those which potentially increased mortality and morbidity) and minor complications (those that did not prolong hospitalization) were distinguished and the average cost of these complications was determined based on actual patient charges. Major complications occurred in 5% of the catheters placed, including: pneumothorax, thoracic duct fluid leak, artery laceration, malposition, failed attempts, and catheter-related sepsis. Catheter-related sepsis occurred in only 0.5% of patients, compared with a reported incidence of 5%, and cost an average $20,200. Thus, complications of CVC may be reduced when maintenance is provided by a skilled clinician or specific team, decreasing the cost, as well as improving the quality of care."}
{"id": "PMID:1484309", "title": "Current perspectives on intravenous administration of digoxin.", "content": "Cardiac glycosides were used as early as the first century A.D. The most commonly prescribed compound of this family is digoxin, because of its relatively short half-life. Intravenous digoxin has high utility 1) for instances in which digitalization must be rapidly accomplished; 2) when oral digitalization is not feasible; and/or 3) as augmentation therapy to other medication protocols. Myocardial uptake of I.V. digoxin is rapid and extensive; yet, serum half-life is approximately 34 hours, the same as in oral administration. Intravenous digoxin can be administered in divided doses every 4 to 8 hours, the 24-hour dose not to exceed 1.0 mg for a 155-pound, or 70.0-kg patient. Awareness of risk factors along with state-of-the-art technology can improve ongoing monitoring of the patient receiving I.V. digoxin."}
{"id": "PMID:1484307", "title": "Intramedullary cervical cavernoma. Case report.", "content": "A rare case of intramedullary cervical cavernoma with complete neuroradiological examination is described. The Authors debate about clinical course, radiological examination and surgical indications."}
{"id": "PMID:1484313", "title": "Improved outcome for post-thoracotomy patients using intermittent bupivacaine with epinephrine by the CADD-Plus Ambulatory Infusion Pump.", "content": "Comfort in the post-thoracotomy patient is frequently a major care issue. It is particularly relevant for nurses practicing in smaller institutions where physician staff are not \"in house\" and easily accessible. A retrospective chart audit was used to compare pain therapy in two groups of patients undergoing thoracic surgery. Group 1 patients received traditional pain control therapy primarily by the intravenous route. Group 2 patients received intercostal bupivacaine with epinephrine via the CADD-Plus Ambulatory Infusion Pump Model 5400 (Pharmacia Deltec, Inc., St. Paul, Minn). Narcotic and analgesic medication requirements, length of stay, patient perception of comfort, and nursing interventions for pain management were evaluated. The use of the CADD-Plus infusion pump was found to have a positive outcome on the recovery of post-thoracotomy patients in this institution. They had a decreased length of stay, a decreased perceived level of pain, and used less nursing time for pain control than patients treated with more traditional methods of pain control."}
{"id": "PMID:1484317", "title": "Monoclonal antibodies against recombinant parts of the Ki-67 antigen (MIB 1 and MIB 3) detect proliferating cells in microwave-processed formalin-fixed paraffin sections.", "content": "The monoclonal antibody Ki-67 reacts with a human nuclear cell proliferation-associated antigen that is expressed in all active parts of the cell cycle. Recently we have raised monoclonal antibodies, MIB 1-3, against recombinant parts of the Ki-67 antigen. These antibodies are true Ki-67 equivalents, as demonstrated by immunostaining of fresh specimens, biochemistry, and molecular biological techniques. Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded sections routinely processed for immunohistochemistry failed to stain for Ki-67 and MIB 2. Antibodies MIB 1 and MIB 3 labelled mitotic figures, while non-mitotic proliferating cells were negative under these conditions. However, when dewaxed microwave oven-processed paraffin sections of formalin-fixed tissues were used, MIB 1 and MIB 3 gave strong nuclear staining of those cells presumed to proliferate under a variety of normal and neoplastic conditions. Moreover, routine decalcification or depigmentation techniques did not alter the immunoreactivity of MIB 1 and MIB 3 with microwave-processed paraffin sections. This method is highly reproducible, easy to perform at low cost, and no additional technical skill is needed because after microwave treatment just routine immunohistochemical methods are used. Since we have successfully applied this new method to sections obtained from paraffin blocks stored for a long time (in one case more than 60 years), the assessment of cell kinetics through the detection of Ki-67 antigen is now possible on archival material collected in histopathology departments all over the world."}
{"id": "PMID:1484318", "title": "Immunoreactivity for p53 protein in malignant mesothelioma and non-neoplastic mesothelium.", "content": "The presence of p53 protein in non-neoplastic pleural mesothelium (40 cases) and in human malignant mesothelioma (36 cases) was assessed immunohistochemically using the antibodies DO7, CM-1, and PAb240. In a quarter of the malignant mesotheliomas, there was nuclear immunoreactivity for p53 protein with both the DO7 and CM-1 antibodies. There were no statistically significant differences between the various mesothelioma subtypes (P > 0.05). No immunoreactivity was found with the PAb240 antibody, suggesting absence of mutant-type p53 protein. Nonneoplastic mesothelium was not immunoreactive with any of the antibodies. We conclude that there is immunoreactivity for p53 protein in some mesotheliomas. p53 protein immunoreactivity could be used to discriminate between neoplastic and reactive mesothelium."}
{"id": "PMID:1484319", "title": "p53 immunostaining in the distinction between benign and malignant mesothelial proliferations using formalin-fixed paraffin sections.", "content": "The distinction between reactive mesothelium and mesothelioma in pleural biopsy specimens is notoriously difficult, and conventional immunohistochemical markers have provided no relief. The object of this study was to examine the frequency of immunohistochemically detectable p53 overexpression in routinely processed, paraffin-embedded tissue from pleural mesotheliomas and from pleura showing reactive mesothelial hyperplasia, using a polyclonal antibody to formalin-resistant p53 epitopes, and to consider the diagnostic utility of this antibody in the distinction between mesothelioma and reactive mesothelium in pleural biopsy specimens. Immunostaining was enhanced by pepsin predigestion prior to the application of the primary antibody. Positivity occurred in 10/16 epithelial mesotheliomas, 9/19 biphasic mesotheliomas, 2/12 sarcomatous mesotheliomas but in none of 20 reactive pleura. Immunostaining was particularly intense in some of the biopsy specimens, which may be due to the rapidity with which these small pieces of tissue were fixed. In conclusion, this study suggests that p53 immunostaining can help to distinguish epithelial or biphasic mesothelioma from reactive mesothelial hyperplasia in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded pleural biopsy specimens."}
{"id": "PMID:1484320", "title": "Characterization of the smooth muscle cell infiltrate and associated connective matrix of lymphangiomyomatosis. Immunohistochemical and ultrastructural study of two cases.", "content": "Lymphangiomyomatosis (LAM) consists of smooth muscle (SM) cell proliferation of unknown origin involving the lymph nodes and the lung interstitium. From morphological studies showing both SM differentiation of the proliferating cells and lymphatic hyperplasia, hypotheses were suggested concerning the origin of the proliferation. Two cases of LAM were investigated by electron microscopy and immunohistochemistry; tissues were obtained by lymph node and open lung biopsies. Cytoplasmic and matrix protein markers were used in order to clarify the pattern of differentiation of the proliferating cells and to characterize their connective tissue environment. The proliferating cells present ultrastructural characteristics of SM cells; they contain vimentin, desmin, and alpha-SM actin and are devoid of Factor VIII, favouring a parieto-arterial origin. The connective tissue matrix inside the infiltrate is composed of interstitial collagens and basement membrane components. At the late stage of the disease, remodelling of the interstitial matrix accompanies the infiltrate and remains perilesional."}
{"id": "PMID:1484321", "title": "Dominantly inherited tubular aggregate myopathy.", "content": "We report an unusual familial myopathy characterized morphologically by the presence of large tubular aggregates in all fibre types. Two patients, a father and daughter, presented with slowly progressive proximal weakness, limitation of eye movement, and Achilles tendon contractures. Serum creatine kinase was 5-10 times normal. Light microscopy revealed type I fibre predominance. Basophilic accumulations, which stained intensely with the NADH-TR reaction, were present in both fibre types. Electron microscopy revealed that these consisted of tightly packed parallel tubular arrays. These varied somewhat in their ultrastructural appearance and were classified accordingly as type I, II, and III tubular structures. The tubular aggregates appear to be derived from the sarcoplasmic reticulum. This report further supports the evidence of a distinct clinico-pathological entity of genetic origin."}
{"id": "PMID:1484322", "title": "Localization of CEA messenger RNA by in situ hybridization in normal colonic mucosa and colorectal adenocarcinomas.", "content": "Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) mRNA expression was studied in 14 cases of normal colorectal mucosa and colonic adenocarcinomas using in situ hybridization with a 32P-labelled cDNA probe to the unique 3'-untranslated region of CEA. This approach has the advantage that the target mRNA remains in the cell of origin, whereas there is considerable ambiguity in immunocytochemistry data for CEA because the protein is secreted. Furthermore, the specific cDNA probe overcomes potential problems of immunological cross-reactivity with other members of the CEA family. The results demonstrated that abundant, heterogeneously distributed CEA mRNA was present in colorectal adenocarcinomas, with the highest levels in cells lining glandular structures. Parallel immunohistochemistry with anti-CEA monoclonal antibody A5B7 showed that the regions of tumours with the highest levels of CEA mRNA also had the highest CEA protein levels, suggesting that the heterogeneous distribution reflects CEA expression rather than differential secretion of the protein. In the normal colonic mucosa, CEA mRNA expression was observed in surface epithelial cells and goblet cells of the upper crypts, with very low hybridization in the mid crypt and at the base. This crypt-surface distribution was identical to that observed for CEA protein. In situ hybridization therefore confirms that high levels of CEA mRNA are expressed in differentiated surface epithelial cells of the normal colon."}
{"id": "PMID:1484325", "title": "Policy options: early intervention services for substance-exposed infants.", "content": "Substance-exposed infants, or babies that have been victims of their mothers' drug use during pregnancy, have reached substantial proportions. Currently, no comprehensive public policy exists to deal with these infants as they enter a society unprepared to respond to an issue increasingly fraught with substantial adverse economic, social, and political ramifications. In order to address the needs of this emerging sub-population, California's governor and state legislature must develop and adopt a concerted interagency policy which outlines: a) uniform criteria for local health care workers, social service agencies, and educators; b) consistent guidelines governing the exchange of information among a range of agencies, including hospitals, schools, and other public and private agencies; and c) increased prevention and early intervention services for these babies and their families. Addressing the needs of these infants requires a bold, comprehensive, interdisciplinary approach from the creators of public policy."}
{"id": "PMID:1484326", "title": "Impact evaluation of Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE).", "content": "The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) on fifth-grade students in the Long Beach Unified School District in Long Beach, California. The research suggests that DARE does not significantly change the amount of drug use, which is minimal at the fifth grade level. In general, children receiving DARE during the study period maintained existing levels of drug abuse. Approximately 3,000 students participated in the study. A pretest and posttest self-report survey was utilized during the Fall 1989 semester for experimental and control groups. As DARE programs gain popularity in other school districts, school administrators need more information on the program to decide if DARE should be presented in their schools. Administrative decision-making must consider program effectiveness and curriculum time constraints."}
{"id": "PMID:1484327", "title": "Youth's recreation and drug sensations: is there a relationship?", "content": "Adolescents' social behaviors remain a mystery to parks and recreation providers. Adolescence is a \"high-risk\" time for all youth in terms of experimenting with potentially health-compromising behavior, whether alcohol, drugs, or sex. Most of these antisocial behaviors occur during adolescents' leisure time. These inferences gave impetus to this research effort. The study was designed to ascertain information on adolescents' preferences for pleasure: drugs or recreation. Data were collected from a sample of 100 high school students from a medium-sized college town, and 100 students from a rural town in Florida. Findings revealed four statistically significant associations in the motives or pleasures sought in recreation and in drug behaviors: \"enhancement of popularity,\" \"provision of a means for self-discovery,\" \"achievement of personal goal,\" and means to rebel against parents. In reference to the latter motive, findings revealed that neither drugs nor recreation were used to rebel against parents. Findings also provide documentation of the value of recreation in insulating adolescents against many of the stressors of contemporary life."}
{"id": "PMID:1484328", "title": "Women as home caregivers: gender portrayal in OTC drug commercials.", "content": "Concern has long been expressed over possible adverse effects of television advertising of over-the-counter (OTC) medicines. This study investigated a sample of prime time network television ads to determine how gender portrayals differed in drug and non-drug commercials. Findings indicated that women were significantly more likely than men to appear as characters in drug ads than in ads for other products, and that they are frequently portrayed in these commercials as experts on home medical care, often as mothers caring for ill children. This supports the hypothesis that drug advertisers take advantage of stereotypical images of women as home medical caregivers. It also raises the question of whether female consumers are being encouraged by these ads to overuse OTC medications as a way of gaining the family's love and respect."}
{"id": "PMID:1484329", "title": "Risk factors for drug use in rural adolescents.", "content": "This study tested the relevance of a risk factor model for predicting drug use among rural adolescents. A questionnaire battery assessing drug use and the presence/absence of twenty risk factors derived from a previous study of urban adolescents was administered to a sample of seventh graders (N = 235) in the public school system of a rural community. All but one of these risk factors were found to be significantly related to at least one category of drug use. In addition, a risk factor index based on a subset of ten risk factors was significantly associated with the prevalence and frequency of use for cigarettes, beer and wine, hard liquor, marijuana, and other drugs. These findings support the generalizability of a risk factor approach to predicting drug use, and underscore the need for increased prevention and research efforts directed at rural adolescents."}
{"id": "PMID:1484330", "title": "\"The responsibility to inform, the power to act\": a conference for New England college newspaper editors on the role of the campus press in addressing substance use issues.", "content": "College newspapers are a powerful but underutilized medium for educating students on health issues, including those related to drug and alcohol use on campus. Editors of these publications are in a position to wield significant influence among their readers. In addition to communicating factual information about the prevalence and impact of substance use among college students, editors can use the press to advocate changes in students' attitudes and behaviors and in college or community policies that affect substance use. A pilot conference was held to help New England college newspaper editors perceive the importance of their role in educating their peers about substance use and other health-related issues, and to offer concrete suggestions as to how they can incorporate these topics into an \"activist\" campus press."}
{"id": "PMID:1484331", "title": "Screening for patients with alcohol problems: severity of patients identified by the CAGE.", "content": "Primary care physicians are well situated to identify patients with substance abuse problems and motivate them to seek appropriate assistance, but active programs are the exception. A study in a community setting was undertaken to assess the CAGE (the first letters of key words in a series of four questions about drinking: cut down; annoyed; guilty; and eye-opener), instrument in the routine screening for alcohol problems in both new and established patients. The screening process identified subjects for a pilot evaluation of a motivational interview designed to encourage problem-solving behavior. This article focuses on the screening results and the use of the CAGE instrument. During June and July of 1990, 687 patients of two primary care physicians belonging to a large group practice were asked to complete a health questionnaire that included the CAGE. Those who responded affirmatively to at least two of the four CAGE questions were requested to participate in follow-up assessment of problems associated with alcohol and health. The type and severity of alcohol problems experienced by patients who scored positive on the CAGE are described. Prevalence of a positive score on the CAGE was 8.6 percent with males, smokers, and blue collar and unemployed persons being more likely to score positive. The positive predictive value was .68. Primarily, persons with moderate alcohol problems were identified. Results show that the CAGE instrument is a useful screening device for identifying those with mild to moderate substance abuse problems, increasing the opportunity for intervention prior to serious medical complications. The instrument is easily administered, and has demonstrated relatively high levels of sensitivity and specificity. When combined with assessment and motivational interviews, the CAGE shows promise in the secondary prevention of substance abuse and related health problems."}
{"id": "PMID:1484332", "title": "Academically successful drug users: an oxymoron?", "content": "The present study examines substance use among academically successful students. The data were collected in two discrete anonymous surveys of 2,288 ninth-grade and 2,653 eleventh-grade California students, and 1,043 ninth-grade and 862 eleventh-grade students from a large suburban county. Over 70 percent of the academically successful students from both samples reported some type of drug use. These successful students were divided for comparison into three groups according to their involvement with drugs: abstainers, conventional users, and high-risk users. The analyses indicated that the negative association between drug use and academic achievement may be counter-balanced by mediating factors identified in the study. These factors included high \"educational aspiration,\" \"parent educational level,\" and \"emotional stability.\""}
{"id": "PMID:1484333", "title": "Parental response to cystic fibrosis: a contextual analysis of the diagnosis phase.", "content": "A contextual framework guided the measurement of specific stressors encountered by parents of children recently diagnosed with cystic fibrosis (CF). Three variables were assessed within the context of the parenting role: illness-specific tasks, normal parenting tasks, and strains in family roles. These situation-specific stressors were contrasted with global measures of parenting stress in their ability to predict depression. Sixty-four parents (36 mothers, 28 fathers) of infants and toddlers recently diagnosed with CF completed a structured interview and standardized measures in the home. Parents reported elevations in both situation-specific and global parenting stress, and a greater number of depressive symptoms than a norm group. Mothers reported significantly greater strain in managing their caregiving role and higher levels of depression than fathers. Controlling for situation-specific parenting stress and marital satisfaction, regression analyses indicated that role strain related to CF was associated with greater depression in mothers, but not fathers. Furthermore, stressors measured contextually rather than globally accounted for substantially greater proportions of the variance in depression. The findings highlight the need to measure ongoing strains specific to the medical condition, and to assess role-related changes."}
{"id": "PMID:1484334", "title": "Functioning among mothers and fathers of children with juvenile rheumatic disease: a longitudinal study.", "content": "Examined the adaptation of mothers and fathers of children with juvenile rheumatic disease on two occasions, 1 year apart, using 159 married couples at Time 1, and 111 of these couples at Time 2. A stress and coping model was tested in which parental functioning is determined by ongoing life stressors (patient and spouse dysfunction), family resources, and parents' illness-related coping. Mothers reported more depression than fathers did. However, poorer concurrent functioning among both mothers and fathers was explained partly by patients having more functional disability, pain, and psychosocial problems. In addition, spouse's dysfunction and the parent's use of avoidance coping were related to poorer parental adaptation, both concurrently and 1 year later. The implications of the findings for developing stress and coping models of parental adaptation to having a chronically ill child, and for intervention strategies with parents, patients, and families, are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1484335", "title": "Children with physical handicaps and their mothers: the interrelation of social support, maternal adjustment, and child adjustment.", "content": "Examined the interrelation of maternal adjustment, mother-child interaction, and child adjustment in 29 families of children with spina bifida and without mental retardation and in 28 families of children without handicaps. A multivariate, ecological model proposed that adjustment of mother and child depends on the adaptiveness of maternal response to the stress of the physical handicap and on the ability of mothers to create an optimal caregiving environment through mother-child interaction. Analyses examining the relationships among maternal social support, maternal psychological adjustment, and child adjustment are reported. Social support was found to be related to higher maternal psychological adjustment and to higher child adjustment, and maternal psychological adjustment was related positively to child adjustment in both groups. No significant differences were found between groups in the examined relationships or in the levels of resources and adjustment. Results underscore strengths of families of children with spina bifida in their adaptation to the stress of the handicap."}
{"id": "PMID:1484336", "title": "Psychological adjustment of children with cystic fibrosis: the role of child cognitive processes and maternal adjustment.", "content": "Found 60% of children 7-12 years old with cystic fibrosis to have a parent-reported behavior problem and 62% met the criteria for a DSM-III diagnosis based on a structured clinical interview with the child. Mixed internal and external behavior problem patterns and diagnoses of anxiety and oppositional disorder were most frequent. Support was provided for the hypothesized psycho-social/mediational roles of child perception of self-worth and maternal anxiety in child adjustment. Together, the variables of the transactional stress and coping model accounted for 39 and 43% of the variance in mother-reported internalizing and externalizing behavior problems and for 68% of the variance in child-reported problems."}
{"id": "PMID:1484337", "title": "Perceived control as a predictor of distress in children undergoing invasive medical procedures.", "content": "Children's anticipatory attributional assessment of the source(s) of perceived control is hypothesized to play an important role in the etiology of distress in children undergoing invasive medical procedures. Four perceived control types, based on learned helplessness theory, are specified by a conceptual model that guides this research: Mutual, Powerful Other, Personal, and Unknown. Among 73 children between the ages of 4 and 18 having their blood drawn, it was predicted that children with an attributional analysis of unknown perceived source of control prior to the impending medical procedures would experience a heightened level of anxiety (procedure-related distress). As predicted, children with an anticipatory attributional assessment of unknown perceived control interfered with or extended the medical procedure significantly more (41%) than children who could attribute some perceived source of control (13%). They were also rated by themselves, the parents, and a trained clinical observer as manifesting significantly greater (p < .05) anticipatory procedural distress using both cognitive (subjective) and behavioral (objective) assessment perspectives. These findings were independent of children's age. This paper supports the need for additional theory-driven research and the importance of investigating the role of attributional variables in the etiology of procedure-related distress in children."}
{"id": "PMID:1484338", "title": "Peer influences in pediatric chronic illness: an update.", "content": "Examined research on peer relations of children with chronic illness. In general, scant attention has been devoted to this topic. A recent review (La Greca, 1990) highlighted this oversight and suggested several avenues for further research and clinical endeavors. This paper updates the earlier review, and provides examples from current literature regarding the role of peer relations in adjustment to chronic disease. Data are presented from an ongoing investigation of the ways in which friends and family members provide support for adolescents with diabetes. Adolescents' friends were more oriented toward companionship support than were family members; both family and friends were reported to provide emotional support for diabetes care, although the types of emotional support varied. Findings are discussed in the context of the important and varied role that peers play in youngsters' disease adaptation."}
{"id": "PMID:1484339", "title": "Vale dictum: an editor's view of the field of pediatric psychology and its journal.", "content": "Examines activities of Editor of the Journal of Pediatric Psychology for issues published 1988-1992. Articles published during term are analyzed in terms of senior author gender, affiliation, academic rank, grant support, theoretical orientation, population type, population age, article type, and research purpose. Comparisons are made to earlier analysis of article trends in Journal by Elkins and Roberts (1988). A summary is provided of what the Journal reflects about pediatric psychology in terms of clinical practice, scientific research, and professional issues."}
{"id": "PMID:1484340", "title": "Influence of melatonin on the proliferation of hepatoma cells in the Syrian hamster: in vivo and in vitro study.", "content": "A study was carried out to determine the possible influence of melatonin on the proliferation of Kirkman-Robbins hepatoma cells in Syrian hamsters, both in vivo and in vitro. A highly significant inhibition of the proliferation of transplanted hepatoma cells was observed in vivo following melatonin administration (proliferation index 10.3 +/- 1.5; mean +/- SD) in comparison with controls (proliferation index 23.3 +/- 2.2), whereas in vitro melatonin (at concentrations of 10(-5)-10(-11) M) was ineffective. These results indicate that inhibitory effect of melatonin on transplantable hepatoma cells in vivo may be indirect."}
{"id": "PMID:1484341", "title": "Diurnal variations of urinary 6-sulphatoxymelatonin in male intact or ganglionectomized mink.", "content": "The existence of the major urinary metabolite of melatonin, 6-sulphatoxymelatonin (aMT6s), was validated for mink and the 24 hr urinary excretion pattern was determined in intact and superior cervical ganglionectomized animals under different photoperiodic conditions. Within- and between-assay variations, parallelism between serially mid-night pooled urine dilutions and standard curves in aMT6s free urine of mink at 1:125 dilution and recovery of aMT6s in mid-day pooled urine at 1:125 dilution provided a good validation for the mink urinary a MT6s assay. In natural photoperiods (January, LD 9:15; April, LD 13:11) the diurnal rhythm was characterized by low aMT6s values during the day and high values at night. There were no differences in the nocturnal values measured under long- (April, 4.11 +/- 0.40 ng/hr) or short-day (January, 4.74 +/- 0.36 ng/hr) conditions. In an experimental long photoperiod (LD 15:9), the same result was obtained on the 24 hr rhythm in intact animals, but in ganglionectomized mink the nocturnal rise in aMT6s was abolished and the nocturnal values were always low (0.88 +/- 0.09 ng/hr). Our results agree with those obtained in other species concerning plasma melatonin rhythm and urinary aMT6s excretion; we thus conclude that this is an effective assay for measuring pineal activity in mink."}
{"id": "PMID:1484342", "title": "A phase-dependent delay of the chick pineal rhythm in rate of thymidine incorporation by brief exposure to aphidicolin.", "content": "Cultured chick pineal glands show a persistent rhythm in the rate of cumulative incorporation of thymidine into DNA. In this study we have examined the effects of pulse-exposure to aphidicolin in the dark on the first day of culture on thymidine incorporation during the second and third days of culture in the dark with aphidicolin-free medium. The phase of the rhythm in the rate of thymidine incorporation was delayed in a concentration-dependent manner by a 4-hr exposure to aphidicolin, commencing in the final hour of the photoperiod. This effect was phase-dependent and not seen when exposure to aphidicolin began earlier in the photoperiod."}
{"id": "PMID:1484343", "title": "Effects of pinealectomy on wool growth and wool follicle density in merino sheep.", "content": "There is evidence to indicate that pinealectomy may enhance wool growth in the sheep. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of pinealectomy on wool growth and wool follicle density in Merino sheep. Castrated Merino rams (4 months old) were either pinealectomized (P), sham-pinealectomized (S) or not treated (C). Wool growth on mid-side patches was measured every 4 weeks and follicle density was monitored in skin biopsies collected before treatment and at regular intervals for 60 weeks. Venous blood samples were taken on each of these occasions for prolactin analysis. Melatonin concentrations were determined in venous blood collected pre- and posttreatment from samples taken over a 24-hr period during the winter solstice. Pre- and posttreatment plasma melatonin levels (mean +/- SEM) 65 +/- 17 and < 13 pg/ml for P, 86 +/- 21 and 69 +/- 20 pg/ml for S, and 94 +/- 41 and 122 +/- 37 pg/ml for C, respectively, indicated that the pineal glands had been successfully removed. Wool growth, total follicle density and liveweight (mean +/- SEM) did not differ between treatment groups. Measurements at week 60 were 3.9 +/- 0.3, 4.1 +/- 0.2, and 3.8 +/- 0.3 gm clean wool/100 cm2; 66 +/- 6, 69 +/- 7, and 64 +/- 3 follicles/mm2; and 50.4 +/- 1.3, 50.8 +/- 1.4, and 52.6 +/- 1.1 kg liveweight for groups P, S, and C, respectively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1484344", "title": "Participation of the pineal gland in sexual maturation of female rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss Walbaum).", "content": "In the study rainbow trout, pinealectomized at two different periods of their sexual cycle, i.e., at either 1 or 5 months before spawning, were studied. It was found that the lack of the pineal gland in the period directly preceding the spawning had no statistical effect on either spawning or the number of females that produced eggs. Pinealectomy performed during vitellogenesis delayed spawning by about 2 weeks and resulted in the absence of ovulation in 20% of the females. The results suggest that the pineal gland may influence the hypothalamo-pituitary-gonadal axis by altering the maturation period and controlling spawning in the rainbow trout."}
{"id": "PMID:1484345", "title": "[New hypotheses for the mechanisms of streptozotocin and alloxan inducing diabetes mellitus].", "content": "We propose new hypotheses for the mechanisms of streptozotocin (STZ) and alloxan inducing experimental diabetes in animals. STZ is transported into pancreatic beta cells through glucose transporter in the cell membranes and attacks mitochondria. Mitochondrial ATP generation is inhibited and the resulting high concentration of intracellular ADP causes its degradation providing hypoxanthine, a substrate of xanthine oxidase (XOD) whose activity is intrinsically very high in beta cells. Then, XOD-catalyzing reaction is proceeded as proved by increased formation of uric acid and O2- radicals are produced, but beta cells are inefficient to scavenge these radicals because of their extremely low activity of superoxide dismutase. On the other hand, STZ directly activates XOD and enhances O2- generation. Consequently, pancreatic beta cells are dually suffered from O2- radicals or probably hydroxyl radicals derived from the former when exposed to STZ. Allopurinol, an inhibitor of XOD, can protect animals from the diabetogenic effect of STZ. In pancreatic beta cells, alloxan anion radicals are generated from alloxan probably mediated by the action of microsomal cytochrome P-450 system. These radicals have long half-life and directly damage DNA in vitro. The widely accepted hypothesis that the cause of alloxan-induced diabetes is attributable to O2- radicals formed from alloxan is excluded, because alloxan itself shows a very potent scavenging effect to O2- radicals. Therefore alloxan anion radicals seem to be directly related to the incidence of diabetes by alloxan."}
{"id": "PMID:1484346", "title": "[Terpenoids and curcuminoids of the rhizoma of Curcuma xanthorrhiza Roxb].", "content": "The fresh rhizomes of Curcuma xanthorrhiza Roxb. were investigated for terpenoids and curcuminoids. Nine sesquiterpenoids, alpha-curcumene (1), arturmerone (2), xanthorrhizol (3), germacrone (4), beta-curcumene (6), beta-sesquiphellandrene (9), curzerenone (10), alpha-turmerone (11) and beta-turmerone (12), and three curcuminoids, curcumin (7), mono-demethoxycurcumin (8) and bis-demethoxycurcumin (13), were isolated and one monoterpenoid, camphor (5), was identified by capillary GC-MS. Four species of C. xanthorrhiza could be classified into two chemotypes by their bisabolane-type sesquiterpenoid compositions. The first type contained large amounts of 2, 11 and 12 (CX I type). The second type contained large amounts of 1, 3 and 6, and none of 2, 9, 11 and 12 (CX II type). These two chemotypes, CX I type and CX II type, were compared with the two chemotypes of C. longa L., CL I type and CL II type, on their contents by capillary GC and HPLC analysis. It was found that all of them contained curcuminoids, 7, 8 and 13 and large amounts of various bisabolane-type sesquiterpenoids."}
{"id": "PMID:1484347", "title": "[Strain differences of mice in learning of swimming behavior and effect of hemicholinium and vasopressin. Observation by a simple water maze apparatus].", "content": "In order to determine the strain differences in learning of swimming behavior and to study the influence of vasopressin or its derivatives on hemicholinium-3-induced impairment of water maze learning in mice, we designed a new apparatus using water maze which has three panels in small fish breeding water bath (L60 x W30 x H36 cm). In the first swimming, six strains of adult male mice, ICR, ddY, ddN, C3H/He, BALB/C and C57BL were subjected to learn swimming behavior twice a day for 6 d in a straight course. Only ICR, ddN, C57BL and BALB/C strain mice were chosen for the next experiment. In the second swimming, mice (ICR, ddN, C57BL, BALB/C) were swum in the water maze apparatus. Scopolamine-induced impairment of water maze learning was produced only in ICR, BALB/C mice, but not in C57BL and ddN strain, which was recovered by physostigmine. Amnesia was not obtained by intracerebroventricular injection (i.c.v.) of cycloheximide and AlCl3 in mice (ICR). Hemicholinium-induced amnesia was improved by vasopressin and desmopressin. Lysine-vasopressin and oxytocin were without affecting hemicholinium-induced amnesia. Pretreatment with a vasopressin antagonist, ([1-(beta-mercapto-beta,beta-cyclopenta-methylene propionic acid), 2-(o-methyl)tyrosine arginine]-vasopressin) resulted in a reversible effect on the improvement of hemicholinium-induced amnesia by vasopressin. Of four different strain mice, ICR mice were the most preferable to the presently used test. They were also more responsive to hemicholinium and vasopressin than the other strains. These results suggest that the simple water maze apparatus may be useful for a pre-examination of nootropics or a study of learning of swimming behavior in mice."}
{"id": "PMID:1484348", "title": "[The effect of etoposide on influx and efflux of cytosine arabinoside in P388 murine leukemic cells].", "content": "We studied the effects of etoposide on the influx, intracellular accumulation and efflux of ara-C in P388 leukemic cells. Etoposide inhibited the active influx of ara-C in a dose dependent manner, and the inhibition was reversible. Etoposide also affected the intracellular accumulation of ara-C, though its inhibitory effect for the intracellular accumulation was weaker than that for the influx of ara-C. It was also shown that etoposide inhibited the active efflux of ara-C. Furthermore, etoposide inhibited the active transport of ara-C bidirectionally but the insensitive route of etoposide existed especially at high concentration of ara-C. The effect of inhibition of the transport of ara-C on the accumulation of ara-C was more significant at lower concentration of ara-C. Judging from the drug concentrations used in this study, an interaction between etoposide and ara-C could occur in the clinical treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1484349", "title": "[Assay of flow cytometry for the effect of cepharanthine on resistance to doxorubicin].", "content": "The biochemical activity of cepharanthine and the possible mechanism by which it reverses the resistance to doxorubicin in P388 leukemia cells were examined in vitro. The microfluorometric analysis of the cellular level of doxorubicin in drug-resistant cells showed that cepharanthine markedly enhanced the sensitivity of doxorubicin against resistant cells in the cellular level. Cepharanthine also enhanced the inhibitory effect of doxorubicin on the incorporation of thymidine into DNA in resistant cells. The analysis of DNA histogram obtained by flow cytometry showed that doxorubicin exerted its growth-inhibitory effect by blocking the cell cycle at the G2 phase in P388 cells. At higher concentrations, doxorubicin prolonged the S phase and inhibited cell cycle progression to the G2/M phase in cells. The treatment with cepharanthine potentiated these blocking effects induced by doxorubicin in cells. It seems that the modifications of the biological effect of doxorubicin by cepharanthine are due to the change of their ability to induce DNA damage in cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1484350", "title": "[Pharmacological study on Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer. XIV. Effect of 70% methanolic extract from red ginseng on the cytocidal effect of mitomycin c against rat ascites hepatoma AH 130].", "content": "The influence of the 70% methanolic extract (RMe) from Red Ginseng (a steamed and dried root of Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer) on the antitumor activity of mitomycin C (MMC) against rat ascites hepatoma AH 130 was investigated. In the case of a solid tumor, RMe at oral doses of 200, 500 mg/kg showed an inhibitory effect, but RMe was ineffective in the case of an ascites tumor. MMC combined with RMe showed a stronger antitumor effect than MMC alone. Moreover, RMe inhibited the pulmonary metastases of the tumor cells, as well as the decrease of blood platelet counts and of the fibrinogen level induced by the infusion of the tumor cells in rats. Furthermore, RMe promoted the uptake of MMC into the tumor cells and enhanced in vitro the cytotoxicity of MMC against the cultured tumor cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1484351", "title": "[Pharmacological study on Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer. XV. Effects of 70% methanolic extract from red and white ginseng on the antitumor activity of mitomycin C].", "content": "The influence of various fractions and ginsenosides from the 70% methanolic extract (RMe) of Red Ginseng (a steamed and dried root of Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer) on the cytocidal effect of mitomycin C (MMC) against Ehrlich ascites carcinoma was investigated in vitro. The AcOEt soluble portion (RMe-I) showed an increasing effect on the activities of lysosomal enzymes in the cultured tumor cells. RMe-I promoted the uptake of MMC into the tumor cells and enhanced the cytotoxicity of MMC against the cultured tumor cells. 20(S)-, 20(R)-ginsenoside Rg3 and ginsenoside Rh2 isolated from RMe-I promoted the uptake of MMC into the tumor cells but ginsenosides from the n-BuOH soluble portion (RME-II) had no effect. Furthermore, the influence of RMe and the 70% methanolic extract (WMe) from White Ginseng (a dried root of Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer) on the cytocidal effect of MMC was investigated in vivo. MMC combined with RMe showed stronger antitumor effects against the ascites form of mouse Ehrlich ascites carcinoma and rat ascites hepatoma AH 130 than MMC combined with WMe. The activities of lysosomal enzymes in tumor cells were also more increased in comparison with that combined MMC and WMe."}
{"id": "PMID:1484352", "title": "The effect of inspiratory muscle fatigue on breathing pattern and ventilatory response to CO2.", "content": "1. The effects of inducing inspiratory muscle fatigue on the subsequent breathing pattern were examined during resting unstimulated breathing and during CO2 rebreathing. In addition, we examined whether induction of inspiratory muscle fatigue alters CO2 responsiveness. 2. Global inspiratory muscle fatigue and diaphragmatic fatigue were achieved by having subjects breathe against an inspiratory resistive load while generating a predetermined fraction of either their maximal mouth pressure or maximal transdiaphragmatic pressure until they were unable to generate the target pressure. 3. Induction of inspiratory muscle fatigue had no effect on the subsequent breathing pattern during either unstimulated breathing or during CO2 rebreathing. 4. Following induction of inspiratory muscle fatigue, the slope of the ventilatory response to CO2 was significantly decreased from 18.8 +/- 3.3 during control to 13.8 +/- 2.1 l min-1 (% end-tidal CO2 concentration)-1 with fatigue (P < 0.02)."}
{"id": "PMID:1484353", "title": "The relationship between glucose-induced K+ATP channel closure and the rise in [Ca2+]i in single mouse pancreatic beta-cells.", "content": "1. Intracellular calcium [Ca2+]i and channel activity were simultaneously recorded in single, dissociated mouse beta-cells kept in culture for 1-3 days. [Ca2+]i was estimated from microfluorometric ratio methods using Indo-1. Channel activity was measured using the cell-attached configuration of the patch-clamp technique. 2. At low glucose concentrations (0.3 mM), resting K+ATP channel activity was prevalent. Increasing glucose up to 16 mM, produced a gradual decrease in K+ATP channel activity over a time course of 90-120 s (temperature = 23 degrees C) and an increase in [Ca2+]i. 3. In the majority of experiments, glucose elicited biphasic action currents (action potentials) which preceded the rise in [Ca2+]i. There was a close correlation between spike frequency and the levels of [Ca2+]i. 4. The sulphonylurea tolbutamide (1 mM) blocked K+ATP channels in 10-20 s. K+ATP channel blockade was associated with a quick rise in [Ca2+]i. 5. When K+ATP channel activity was stimulated in the presence of diazoxide (100 microM), increasing the glucose concentration from 3 to 16 mM produced a decrease in [Ca2+]i. Only when diazoxide was removed did glucose produce an increase in [Ca2+]i. 6. In a small population of cells, glucose (16 mM) produced a small decrease in K+ATP channel activity but not an increase in [Ca2+]i. In such cells, tolbutamide blocked K+ATP channels and produced an increase in [Ca2+]i. 7. These results demonstrate a close correlation between K+ATP channel activity and [Ca2+]i in beta-cells. The findings are consistent with the model in which glucose metabolism produces a rise in [Ca2+]i through the blockade of K+ATP channels, membrane depolarization and calcium current activation."}
{"id": "PMID:1484354", "title": "Crossed actions on group II-activated interneurones in the midlumbar segments of the cat spinal cord.", "content": "1. Evidence has been sought for crossed actions on midlumbar propriospinal neurones activated by ipsilateral group II muscle afferents, with particular emphasis on those neurones with projections to the ipsilateral hindlimb motor nuclei. 2. A large majority of group II-activated midlumbar neurones were influenced by stimulation of contralateral group II afferents. The most frequent and most powerful actions were from those nerves which most effectively influenced ipsilateral midlumbar neurones. Crossed actions from group I afferents were rare. 3. In the great majority of neurones the pattern of actions was similar from both limbs, the neurones being bilaterally excited, bilaterally inhibited or had both EPSPs and IPSPs from both sides. 4. The latencies of crossed actions suggest that the earliest crossed EPSPs from group II afferents were evoked disynaptically (i.e. via a single commissural neurone) and that the crossed IPSPs were evoked trisynaptically. 5. The pattern of crossed actions suggests a strong bilateral interaction between midlumbar neurones. The possible role of these neurones in postural control and the production of co-ordinated movements of the hindlimbs is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1484355", "title": "Coherence between the sympathetic drives to relaxed and contracting muscles of different limbs of human subjects.", "content": "1. This study was undertaken to quantify the simultaneous sympathetic drives to muscles in the two legs of human subjects, and to elucidate the extent to which a common drive determines sympathetic outflow to different limbs at rest, during apnoea and during voluntary contractions. 2. Sympathetic efferent activity was recorded simultaneously from fascicles of both peroneal nerves, innervating the pretibial flexor muscles. At rest the similarity was quantified for a sample of records by manual measurement of equivalent bursts in the two recordings, and for all records by cross-correlation and power spectral analysis of the two recordings. During contractions, only the latter method was used. 3. At rest the correlation coefficient for the relationship between the burst amplitudes for the two recordings was 0.72 (S.D. 0.1). For the same sequences, the computed coherence between the two recordings was 85.6% (S.D. 6.7%) at the cardiac period. There was a statistically significant linear relationship between these two measures of similarity, and this was stronger when data from sequences recorded during apnoea were included in the analysis. At rest the mean difference in coherence between consecutive sequences with no intervening manoeuvre (apnoea, contraction, change in recording site) was 4.2% (S.D. 4.3%). In only two of forty-nine such instances was the difference in coherence > 10%. 4. Apnoea at end-expiration increased the amplitude and frequency of sympathetic bursts and increased the similarity between the two recordings. The correlation coefficients increased from a mean of 0.72 at rest to 0.89 during apnoea. Coherence increased from a mean of 82.1% at rest to 91.9% during apnoea. 5. On the right side, graded voluntary contractions were performed at 5, 10, 20 or 30% maximal force using the muscle innervated by the fascicle from which the recording was made. The coherence between the recordings made from the right and left legs decreased by > 10% at each contraction level. Pooling the data for all contractions, there was a significant decrease in power at the cardiac frequency in the sympathetic recording from the contracting leg. Contraction of a synergist or antagonist at 10% maximum produced negligible changes in coherence. 6. It is concluded that, at rest, homologous muscles of the lower limbs are subject to a common drive and that, during apnoea, this common drive can dominate the sympathetic outflow to the virtual exclusion of regional drives. During voluntary activity, the importance of this common drive is lessened, presumably because of regionally specific changes involving the contracting muscle.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1484356", "title": "Ca(2+)-dependent and -independent components of transmitter release at the frog neuromuscular junction.", "content": "1. When a Ca2+ chelator, bis (O-aminophenoxy)ethane-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid (BAPTA), was loaded into the presynaptic nerve terminal of the frog neuromuscular junction (NMJ), facilitation, measured as an increase in endplate potential (EPP) amplitudes during a train of ten stimulations at 100 Hz, was greatly decreased within 20 min of BAPTA-AM (the acetoxymethyl ester of BAPTA) perfusion, and remained at a constant low level thereafter, suggesting that [Ca2+]i at the presynaptic nerve terminal was buffered by BAPTA. 2. Detailed examination of the two components of facilitation of EPP amplitude in the BAPTA-loaded NMJs showed that the fast component was lost almost completely, while the slow component was unaffected by loaded BAPTA. Augmentation and potentiation were also unaffected by BAPTA. 3. Under external Ca(2+)-free conditions (with 1 mM-EGTA), both augmentation and potentiation of miniature endplate potential (MEPP) frequency were clearly observed after tetanic stimulation in the normal NMJ, and were also unaffected by loaded BAPTA. 4. The above findings strongly support the residual Ca2+ hypothesis for the fast component of facilitation, and suggest that the three slower processes (the slow component of facilitation, augmentation and potentiation) occur independently of [Ca2+]i. This Ca2+ independence was supported by the fact that facilitation and potentiation have multiplicative effects on the amount of release. 5. The quantal content of the first EPP in the train remained unchanged throughout the time course of BAPTA loading for most NMJs. This suggests that [Ca2+]i immediately adjacent to Ca2+ channels at the active zone triggers transmitter release and is little affected by loaded BAPTA. 6. MEPP frequency was almost unchanged during BAPTA loading, suggesting that the basal [Ca2+]i remained unchanged close to the dissociation constant of BAPTA for Ca2+ (108 nM). 7. The slow component of facilitation had a multiplicative relationship with augmentation and potentiation, suggesting that the underlying mechanism for the slow component of facilitation differs from that for augmentation and potentiation."}
{"id": "PMID:1484357", "title": "Equilibrium and kinetic study of glycine action on the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor in cultured mouse brain neurons.", "content": "1. The characteristics of the activation of the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) response by glycine were studied using whole-cell and outside-out patch clamp recording techniques. 2. Glycine concentration-response (C-R) curves were measured in the presence of 10 microM-NMDA and fitted with the Hill equation modified to account for the response to NMDA observed in the absence of added glycine. The mean value of the apparent dissociation constant (KD) was 150 nM, and the mean value of the Hill coefficient (nH) was 1.1. When the KD was corrected for the concentration of contaminating glycine in nominally glycine-free solutions, estimated assuming that there is no response in the absence of glycine, the value was 130 nM. 3. The question of how many glycine binding sites there are on each NMDA receptor-channel complex was addressed by examining the curvature at the foot of the glycine C-R curve. An equation that allowed estimation of both the concentration of contaminating glycine and of the value of nH was fitted to glycine C-R data up to 50 nM. The mean value of nH was found to be 1.0, consistent with the idea that there is one glycine binding site. 4. The kinetics of the interaction of glycine with the NMDA receptor were measured by fitting single exponential curves to the current relaxation following a jump in glycine concentration in the presence of 10 microM-NMDA. The plot of the inverse of the relaxation time constant as a function of glycine concentration after the concentration jump was linear. The association rate constant was estimated from these data as 1.2 x 10(7) M-1 s-1 and the dissociation rate as 1.0 s-1. 5. Experiments were devised to allow the evaluation of the KD and dissociation rates of glycine in the absence of NMDA. They led to a value for KD of 80 nM, slightly but significantly lower than the value of 150 nM estimated in the presence of 10 microM-NMDA. The glycine dissociation rate in the absence of NMDA was found to be 0.7 s-1, not significantly different from that measured in the presence of 10 microM-NMDA. 6. The results are consistent with a model of the NMDA receptor with a single glycine binding site. The characteristics of glycine binding are similar in the absence and the presence of 10 microM-NMDA, although NMDA binding may cause a small increase in the glycine KD.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1484358", "title": "Multiplicative and additive Ca(2+)-dependent components of facilitation at mouse endplates.", "content": "1. Facilitation of endplate potentials (EPPs) and frequency of miniature endplate potentials (MEPPs) were studied, in the presence of low Ca2+/raised Mg2+, in isolated mouse hemidiaphragm, using pseudo-random sequences of nerve stimulation and automated (computer) counting of MEPPs and quantal components of EPPs. 2. The facilitation in quantal content of EPPs (m) produced by one or more antecedent stimuli was accompanied by facilitation of MEPP frequency (fm) that was similar in magnitude and substantially less than expected if facilitation reflects persistent (residual) intraterminal Ca2+. The time course of 'phasic' quantal release, associated with the EPP, was little if at all altered with facilitation. 3. The magnitude and time course of facilitation was consistent with two distinct presynaptic processes, each manifest both in m and fm, (i) an effect to multiply transmitter release, and (ii) residual Ca2+ which adds to Ca2+ brought in by nerve impulses. These have distinct time courses. 4. After loading nerve terminals with bis (O-aminophenoxy)ethane-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid (BAPTA), facilitation of m and fm became very small. 5. At sufficiently low Ca2+/raised Mg2+ facilitation of m and fm became very small although latency histograms showed clear EPPs. However, the multiplicative component of facilitation became maximal at Ca2+/Mg2+ concentrations giving an average m value less than 0.1, corresponding to about 5% of normal Ca2+ entry per pulse. At lower Ca2+, facilitation was restored when EPPs were made larger using 4-aminopyridine. 6. With EPPs elicited by brief 'direct' nerve terminal depolarizations, facilitation was graded with pulse intensity (and m) and could be much less than with EPPs with similar m evoked by nerve stimuli at lower Ca2+ and/or higher Mg2+. 7. It was concluded that fast facilitation is primarily multiplicative and reflects activity within the nerve terminal of a Ca(2+)-sensitive process distinct from that generating Ca(2+)-dependent release."}
{"id": "PMID:1484359", "title": "Estimation of the carnosine content of different fibre types in the middle gluteal muscle of the thoroughbred horse.", "content": "1. Skeletal muscle samples were obtained by needle biopsy from one of two depths of the m. gluteus medius in a group of twenty race-trained thoroughbred horses. 2. The content of carnosine was determined in each muscle sample, part of which was used for histochemical analysis. Fibres were classified as type I, type IIA or type IIB on the basis of the pH dependent lability of the myosin ATPase reaction. 3. Muscle samples with a higher type II fibre section area (FSA) have a higher carnosine content than those with a higher type I FSA. 4. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to estimate the mean carnosine content of individual fibre types. The results estimated a mean carnosine content in type I fibres of 54 mmol (kg dry muscle (DM))-1, in type IIA fibres 85 mmol (kg DM)-1 and in type IIB fibres 180 mmol (kg DM)-1. 5. Based on the estimated values of single fibre carnosine content, there was close concordance between the estimated and the measured carnosine content of mixed fibre samples. 6. It would appear from this and other studies that carnosine has an important role as a physico-chemical buffer in equine middle gluteal muscle and that this is greatest in type IIB fibres, where it may account for up to 50% of physico-chemical buffering of H+ produced by muscle in the pH range 7.1-6.5."}
{"id": "PMID:1484360", "title": "Muscarine increases cation conductance and decreases potassium conductance in rat locus coeruleus neurones.", "content": "1. Whole-cell patch-clamp recordings were made from rat locus coeruleus neurones in slices of brain tissue in vitro. Muscarine (30 microM) caused an inward current of about 100 pA in neurones voltage clamped at -60 mV. 2. In about 75% of cells, the current elicited by muscarine was independent of potential in the range -60 to -120 mV and had no associated conductance change. 3. In about 25% of cells, the current became smaller with hyperpolarization, was associated with a decreased conductance, and reversed polarity between -100 and -140 mV. The reversal potential changed with the logarithm of the extracellular potassium concentration. Barium and caesium blocked inward rectification and also prevented reversal of the muscarine current. 4. When potassium ions of the intracellular and extracellular solutions were replaced by caesium, the current evoked by muscarine became smaller with depolarization at reversed polarity at +9 mV. This current was associated with an increase in conductance, and was greatly reduced when the extracellular sodium concentration was reduced to 20 mM. 5. The results could be quantitatively accounted for by a model in which muscarine both increases a voltage-independent cation conductance and decreases the inward rectifier potassium conductance."}
{"id": "PMID:1484361", "title": "Effect of maternal cold exposure on brown adipose tissue and thermogenesis in the neonatal lamb.", "content": "1. This study examines the effect of chronic cold exposure during pregnancy, induced by winter shearing twin-bearing ewes 4 weeks before predicted lambing date, on O2 consumption and CO2 production during non-rapid-eye-movement (REM) sleep in lambs maintained for at least 1 h at warm (28-18 degrees C) and cold (14-5 degrees C) ambient temperatures at 1, 4, 14 and 30 days of age. This was combined with measurement of the thermogenic activity (GDP binding to uncoupling protein in mitochondrial preparations) of perirenal adipose tissue from lambs immediately after birth and at 33 days of age. 2. Lambs born from shorn (cold-exposed) ewes were 15% heavier (P < 0.01) and possessed 21% (P < 0.01) more perirenal adipose tissue that contained 40% more protein and mitochondrial protein than unshorn (P < 0.05) controls. Total GDP binding in perirenal adipose tissue was 40% greater (P < 0.05) in lambs born from shorn ewes but there was no difference in lipid content of this tissue between the two groups. 3. At 1 day of age, lambs born from shorn ewes exhibited a 16% higher (P < 0.05) rate of O2 consumption (per kilogram bodyweight) at the warm temperature and a 40% greater metabolic response to the cold ambient temperature. All lambs born from shorn ewes responded to cold exposure without shivering (i.e. via non-shivering thermogenesis) whilst shivering was measured in four out of seven lambs in the unshorn group. These differences had disappeared by 4 days of age as a result of a 25% increased (P < 0.01) rate of O2 consumption in the warm in lambs born from unshorn ewes and a 20% decrease (P < 0.05) in the response to the cold in lambs from shorn ewes. Shivering during cold exposure was measured in six out of nine lambs born from shorn ewes indicating a rapid alteration in thermoregulatory responses to cold during the first few days of life. 4. The levels of GDP binding and mitochondrial protein in perirenal adipose tissue fell by one-third in both groups of lambs during the first 33 days of life whereas lipid content either increased or was unchanged. This indicated that brown adipose tissue (BAT) was developing the characteristics of white adipose tissue.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1484362", "title": "Ca2+ efflux mechanisms following depolarization evoked calcium transients in cultured rat sensory neurones.", "content": "1. We have used a combination of microfluorimetry and patch-clamp techniques to investigate cytoplasmic Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i) buffering in response to physiological Ca2+ loads in neurones cultured from the dorsal root ganglia of the rat. 2. In cells loaded with Indo-1 AM and using high resistance microelectrodes to initiate and record action potentials, single action potentials were associated with a measurable rise in [Ca2+]i. Short trains of action potentials evoked [Ca2+]i transients with monoexponential recovery rates with time constants of around 5 s. 3. Similar Ca2+ buffering properties were seen in cells perfused with patch-clamp pipettes in the whole-cell recording mode suggesting that the slow (seconds) Ca2+ buffering properties were not seriously perturbed by the recording technique. 4. In cells held under voltage clamp, reversal of the Na(+)-Ca2+ exchanger driving force had a small but significant effect on the rate of Ca2+ removal. 5. Increasing extracellular pH or adding vanadate (200 microM) to the internal solution dramatically slowed the rate of recovery. Addition of calmidazolium to the pipette solution also produced a significant but much less dramatic slowing of Ca2+ efflux. 6. The results demonstrate that the activity of a plasmalemmal Ca(2+)-ATPase is important for the removal of somatic Ca2+ loads of a similar amplitude to those generated by the firing of a few action potentials."}
{"id": "PMID:1484363", "title": "Phenylephrine-induced translocation of protein kinase C and shortening of two types of vascular cells of the ferret.", "content": "1. The relationship between phenylephrine-induced smooth muscle contraction and the subcellular distribution of protein kinase C (PKC) was investigated. 2. Cell shortening induced by phenylephrine (10(-5) M) was measured in single vascular cells freshly isolated from ferret portal vein and aorta. 3. At various time points during phenylephrine activation, single cells were fixed with paraformaldehyde and the distribution of PKC was imaged in cells labelled with the fluorescent PKC probe 12-(1,3,5,7-tetramethylBODIPY-2-propionyl)phorbol-13-acetate. 4. The PKC probe located to a perinuclear region, the cytosol and surface membrane. The amplitude and time course of the phenylephrine-induced changes in the surface membrane/cytosol fluorescence ratio were measured and compared with the amplitude and time course of phenylephrine-induced cell shortening. 5. In portal vein cells incubated in 1 mM-external Ca2+, phenylephrine caused significant shortening and time-dependent translocation of the PKC probe to the surface membrane, but cell shortening preceded PKC translocation. In Ca2+free solution both cell shortening and translocation of the probe were completely inhibited. 6. Verapamil (3 x 10(-7) M) partially, but significantly, inhibited the magnitude of cell shortening and delayed the onset and time to peak shortening. Translocation of PKC in verapamil preceded or coincided with cell shortening. 7. In aorta cells incubated in 1 mM-extracellular Ca2+, phenylephrine induced significant shortening and time-dependent translocation of the PKC probe. Cell shortening preceded PKC translocation. In Ca(2+)-free solution, shortening was only partially, but significantly, inhibited and PKC translocation preceded the fraction of the shortening response that remained. 8. These data are consistent with a role for PKC in the maintenance of the phenylephrine-induced contraction in both portal vein and aorta. The data also suggest that phenylephrine-induced contraction may involve activation of a Ca(2+)-dependent PKC isoform in ferret portal vein but a Ca(2+)-independent isoform in ferret aorta."}
{"id": "PMID:1484364", "title": "Calcium-activated potassium channels in native endothelial cells from rabbit aorta: conductance, Ca2+ sensitivity and block.", "content": "1. Isolated native endothelial cells, obtained by treatment of rabbit aortic endothelium with papain and dithiothreitol, were voltage clamped, and single channel (unitary) and spontaneous transient outward currents (STOCs) were recorded from both whole cells and excised membrane patches. 2. In inside-out patches, the reversal potential of unitary currents was dependent on the extracellular K+ concentration and had a single-channel slope conductance of 220 pS in symmetrical 140 mM-K+ solutions. The open-state probability (Po) of the unitary K+ currents was sensitive to the intracellular Ca2+ concentration with half-maximal activation at approximately 1 microM at +20 mV. The ionic selectivity and Ca2+ sensitivity indicate that a large conductance, Ca(2+)-activated K+ channel is present in freshly dissociated rabbit aortic endothelial cells. 3. The frequency and amplitude of whole-cell unitary currents and amplitude of spontaneous transient outward currents were voltage-dependent. Whole-cell outward K+ currents evoked by depolarizing voltage ramps had amplitudes often corresponding to the simultaneous opening of more than five single Ca(2+)-activated K+ channels. Lowering the intracellular EGTA concentration tenfold, and hence the Ca2+ buffering capacity of the cell, increased unitary K+ current activity and shifted the relationship between Po and membrane potential by approximately -20 mV. 4. Bradykinin (1 microM), adenosine 5'-triphosphate (3 microM) and acetylcholine (3 microM) applied extracellularly evoked a biphasic increase in N Po (where N is number of channels activated) of the Ca(2+)-activated K+ channel studied in the whole-cell recording configuration. The development of a biphasic response to agonist stimulation requires a source of extracellular Ca2+. The sustained increase in N Po of the Ca(2+)-activated K+ channel was attenuated upon the removal of external Ca2+ (Mg2+ replacement) or in the presence of the Ca2+ entry blocker, Ni2+, and the potassium channel blockers tetrabutylammonium (TBA) or tetraethylammonium (TEA). 5. Unitary and spontaneous transient outward currents were inhibited by extracellularly applied TEA (0.5 mM), TBA (0.5-5 mM) and charybdotoxin (100 nM). Ca(2+)-activated K+ currents were blocked completely by 5 mM-TEA, whereas 3,4-diaminopyridine (1 mM), Ba2+ (10 mM) and apamin (0.1-1 microM) did not abolish these K+ currents. 6. The K+ channel opener cromakalim (10 microM) evoked a sustained increase in N Po of the Ca(2+)-activated K+ channels which was not potentiated by the addition of bradykinin. Glibenclamide (10 microM) alone increased N Po and partially inhibited the cromakalim-induced increase in N Po with respect to control.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1484365", "title": "Luminal Ca2+ promoting spontaneous Ca2+ release from inositol trisphosphate-sensitive stores in rat hepatocytes.", "content": "1. Spontaneous Ca2+ release from the inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (InsP3)-sensitive stores in permeabilized hepatocytes was monitored using Fluo-3 to measure the free [Ca2+] of the medium bathing the cells. 2. Permeabilized cells rapidly sequestered Ca2+, reducing the [Ca2+] to 103 +/- 5 nM. Under conditions that depended critically upon cell density and the amount of Ca2+ in the medium, this was followed by a slow increase in [Ca2+] culminating in a substantial Ca2+ spike representing synchronous discharge from the InsP3-sensitive stores. 3. During the latency preceding the Ca2+ spike, the stores increased their sensitivity to InsP3. This sensitization seemed to be an all-or-none phenomenon. 4. Oxidized glutathione and thimerosal promoted the spontaneous release by sensitizing the InsP3 receptor. 5. An increase in the [Ca2+] within the stores was required for both the increased sensitivity to InsP3 and the subsequent spike. 6. Caffeine (6 mM) antagonized the effect of very low InsP3 concentrations and abolished the Ca2+ spike, without itself releasing Ca2+. 7. Our results suggesting that luminal Ca2+ may sensitive InsP3-sensitive stores leading to spontaneous Ca2+ mobilization will be discussed in the light of a modified version of the two-pool model for explaining cytosolic Ca2+ oscillations."}
{"id": "PMID:1484366", "title": "Monosynaptic EPSPs elicited by single interneurones and spindle afferents in trigeminal motoneurones of anaesthetized rats.", "content": "1. Our aim has been to quantify the monosynaptic connections of trigeminal interneurones and spindle afferents onto jaw-elevator motoneurones as a step towards identifying common features in organization of monosynaptic inputs onto motoneurones. We have used the intracellular variant of the spike-triggered averaging method to examine the connections of single identified trigeminal interneurones and jaw-elevator muscle spindle afferents onto single jaw-elevator motoneurones. The interneurones examined lay in the region immediately caudal to the trigeminal motor nucleus. The experiments were performed on rats anaesthetized with pentobarbitone, paralysed and artificially ventilated. 2. Ten EPSPs and eight IPSPs were obtained from examining the connections of seventeen interneurones to thirty-six motoneurones, suggesting a functional connectivity of 50% for individual interneurones onto elevator motoneurones. Fourteen EPSPs were obtained from examining the connections of thirteen spindle afferents onto twenty-seven motoneurones, giving a functional connectivity of 52% for individual spindle afferents onto elevator motoneurones. The amplitudes of the EPSPs elicited by interneurones ranged from 7-48 microV (mean = 17, S.D. = 12.5, n = 10) and from 7 to 289 microV (mean = 64, S.D. = 76.0, n = 14) for the spindle-mediated EPSPs; the difference in the two means was not significant (P = 0.07). 3. However, the amplitude of averaged responses obtained by signal averaging methods are dependent on the assumption that the postsynaptic response occurs following every impulse in the presynaptic neurone. We therefore estimated the percentage of sweeps which contained EPSPs triggered by the presynaptic neurone under study. In essence the method used consisted of visual inspection of the individual sweeps comprising an average in order to assess the occurrence of EPSPs within six separate time windows, each of duration +/- 0.3 ms. Five windows were placed at randomly selected times on average and were used to provide an estimate of the frequency of occurrence of randomly triggered EPSPs. The sixth window was centred on the start of the averaged EPSP and the frequency of occurrence of randomly triggered EPSPs was subtracted from the frequency of occurrence of EPSPs in this window to produce an estimate of the incidence of EPSPs triggered by the presynaptic neurone under study. 4. Values of the incidence of occurrence of EPSPs triggered by the presynaptic neurones ranged from 4.3 to 92% for the fifteen averaged EPSPs which could be analysed in this manner (two elicited by interneurones and thirteen by spindle afferents).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1484367", "title": "Ca(2+)-dependent heat production under basal and near-basal conditions in the mouse soleus muscle.", "content": "1. The rate of energy expended for the clearance of sarcoplasmic Ca2+ by sarcoreticular Ca2+ uptake process(es), plus the concomitant metabolic reactions, was evaluated from measurements of resting heat production by mouse soleus muscle before and after indirect inhibition of Ca2+ uptake by sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR). 2. Direct inhibition of the Ca2+, Mg(2+)-ATPase of SR membrane in intact muscle preparations exposed to the specific inhibitor 2,5-di(tert-butyl-1,4-benzohydroquinone (tBuBHQ) slowly increased the rate of heat production (E). Indirect inhibition of SR Ca2+ uptake was obtained by reducing sarcoplasmic Ca2+ concentration (Ca2+i) as a consequence of reducing Ca2+ release from the SR using dantrolene sodium. This promptly decreased E by 12%. Exposure of the preparations to an Mg(2+)-enriched environment (high Mg2+) or to the chemical phosphatase 2,3-butanedione monoxime (BDM), two other procedures aimed at decreasing SR Ca2+ release, also acutely decreased E, by 20 and 24%, respectively. 3. Subthreshold-for-contracture depolarization of the sarcolemma achieved by increasing extracellular K+ concentration to 11.8 mM induced a biphasic increase of E: an initial peak to 290% of basal E, followed by a plateau phase at 140% of basal E during which resting muscle tension was increased by less than 3%. Most, if not all, of the plateau-phase metabolic response was quickly suppressed by dantrolene or high Mg2+ or BDM. Another means of increasing SR Ca2+ cycling was to partially remove the calmodulin-dependent control of SR Ca2+ release using the calmodulin inhibitor W-7. The progressive increase in E with 30 microM-W-7 was largely reduced by dantrolene or high Mg2+ or BDM. 4. In the presence of either dantrolene or BDM to prevent the effect of W-7 on SR Ca2+ release, exposure of the muscle to W-7 acutely suppressed about 3% of E. This and the above results confirm that the plasmalemmal, calmodulin-dependent Ca(2+)-ATPase, although a qualitatively essential part of the Ca2+i homeostatic system of the cell, can only be responsible for a very minor part of the energy expenditure devoted to the homeostasis of Ca2+i. Active Ca2+ uptake by SR which, at least in the submicromolar range of Ca2+i, is expected to be responsible for most of this Ca(2+)-dependent energy expenditure, might dissipate up to 25-40% of total metabolic energy in the intact mouse soleus under basal and near-basal conditions."}
{"id": "PMID:1484368", "title": "Regulation of perfusive O2 transport during exercise in humans: effects of changes in haemoglobin concentration.", "content": "1. Recently it was suggested that submaximal cardiac output (Q) could vary in response to changes in arterial O2 concentration (Ca,O2), so that arterial O2 delivery (Qa,O2 = Q x Ca,O2, in ml min-1) is kept constant. 2. This hypothesis was tested on eight healthy male subjects, at rest and during exercise (50, 100 and 150 W) in three conditions: normaemia (N), after 6 weeks of endurance training (T), and 2 days after subsequent autologous blood reinfusion (P). 3. Measured variables were oxygen consumption (VO2), by open circuit method, Q, by a CO2 rebreathing method, and haemoglobin concentration ([Hb]), by a photometric method. Ca,O2 was calculated as the product of [Hb], arterial O2 saturation (0.97), and the O2 binding coefficient. 4. [Hb] and thus Ca,O2 increased by 2.6% (T vs. N) and subsequently by further 5.8% (P vs. T). VO2 and Qa,O2 were linear functions of power (w), both relationships being unaffected by changes in Ca,O2. As a consequence, the linear Q vs. VO2 relationships were shifted downward as Ca,O2 increased. 5. The VO2 vs. w and the Qa,O2 vs. w relationships had the same slope. Therefore, the difference between Qa,O2 (w) and VO2 (w), equal to O2 flow in mixed venous blood (Qv,O2), was constant. 6. In conclusion, the tested hypothesis was supported by the present results. The observed constancy of Qv,O2 suggested that Qv,O2 may play a key role in regulating the cardiovascular response to exercise."}
{"id": "PMID:1484369", "title": "Primary effects of carotid chemoreceptor stimulation on gracilis muscle and renal blood flow and renal function in dogs.", "content": "1. In chloralose-anaesthetized and artificially ventilated dogs, the carotid sinus regions were vascularly isolated and perfused either with arterial or mixed (arterial and venous) blood (partial pressure of O2 (PO2) 43.8 +/- 2.4 mmHg, mean +/- S.E.M. n = 14) to stimulate the carotid chemoreceptors. The carotid sinus pressure was held constant at 142.0 +/- 2.8 mmHg. Measurements were made of renal and gracilis muscle blood flow by wrap-round electromagnetic flow probes placed around the renal and gracilis arteries, glomerular filtration rate by creatine clearance, urinary sodium excretion by flame photometry and solute excretion by osmometry. 2. In ten dogs, with intact cervical vagosympathetic trunks, carotid chemoreceptor stimulation produced significant increases in aortic pressure (AoP) of 12.7 +/- 1.1% (n = 10, P < 0.001), in glomerular filtration rate (GFR) of 14.7 +/- 4.1% (P < 0.001), urine flow rate (V) of 16.5 +/- 3.5% (P < 0.002), in urinary sodium excretion (UNaV) of 17.5 +/- 2.5% (P < 0.005) and in urinary osmolar excretion (UosmV) of 13.2 +/- 2.2% (P < 0.001), but a significant decrease in renal blood flow (RBF) of 5.8 +/- 1.8% (P < 0.02). In six of these dogs in which gracilis muscle blood flow (MBF) was also recorded, carotid chemoreceptor stimulation caused significant increases in AoP of 12.8 +/- 1.4% (n = 6, P < 0.001) and in MBF of 10.0 +/- 1.6% (P < 0.002), and a small but significant decrease in RBF of 3.6 +/- 1.5% (P < 0.02). 3. In fourteen dogs, with sectioned cervical vagosympathetic trunks, carotid chemoreceptor stimulation produced increases in AoP of 22.0 +/- 2.6% (n = 14, P < 0.001), in GFR of 36.9 +/- 4.2% (P < 0.001), in V of 30.1 +/- 4.4% (P < 0.001), in UNaV of 31.4 +/- 5.3% (P < 0.001), and in UosmV of 25.7 +/- 5.8% (P < 0.001). However, it produced a greater decrease in RBF of 10.5 +/- 1.9% (P < 0.001). In ten of these dogs, where MBF was recorded, carotid chemoreceptor stimulation caused greater increase in AoP of 22.4 +/- 3.0% (n = 10, P < 0.001) and in MBF of 32.8 +/- 3.7% (P < 0.001), and a greater decrease in RBF of 9.8 +/- 1.9% (P < 0.001).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1484370", "title": "Ionic basis of membrane potential changes induced by anoxia in rat dorsal vagal motoneurones.", "content": "1. The effects of anoxia on membrane properties of 119 dorsal vagal motoneurones (DVMs) were investigated in an in vitro slice preparation of the rat medulla. 2. Membrane potential was unaffected by anoxia in 11% of DVMs. An hyperpolarization accompanied by a decrease in input resistance occurred in 44% of DVMs; the remaining 45% depolarized with either an increase (60%) or decrease in input resistance (40%). TTX at a concentration of 0.3-1 microM did not significantly affect these responses. 3. Anoxic artificial cerebrospinal fluid (ACSF) containing 20 mM-TEA reversed the response of DVMs that hyperpolarized in standard ACSF to reveal a depolarization of 7.4 +/- 2.1 mV, and increased the anoxic depolarization from 5.0 +/- 0.7 to 8.7 +/- 1.4 mV. 4. Anoxic depolarization was converted to an hyperpolarization of 7.3 +/- 2.1 mV in ACSF containing 5 mM-4-aminopyridine (4-AP) and 1 microM-TTX. A residual depolarization of 4.5 +/- 3.5 mV was then observed in ACSF containing 5 mM-4-AP, 1 microM-TTX and 20 mM-TEA. Anoxic hyperpolarization was increased from 7.8 +/- 1.8 to 10.0 +/- 3.9 mV in 5 mM-4-AP and 1 microM-TTX and converted to a depolarization of 5.3 +/- 4.5 mV in 5 mM-4-AP, 1 microM-TTX and 20 mM-TEA. 5. In anoxic ACSF containing TEA, the action potential width was increased from 0.92 +/- 0.04 to 8.1 +/- 1.1 ms in hyperpolarizing DVMs, and from 0.85 +/- 0.01 to 2.4 +/- 1.0 ms in depolarizing DVMs. The increase in width was prevented by 2-3 mM-Mn2+. 6. The long after-hyperpolarization (AHP) of DVMs, which is contributed to by both an apamin-sensitive IK(Ca) and an apamin, charybdotoxin and TEA insensitive IK(Ca) was decreased in duration from 2.59 +/- 0.14 to 1.94 +/- 0.12 s during anoxia. 7. It is concluded that anoxia enhances the delayed rectifier current (IK(DR)) and an inward current, probably ICa, but suppresses the A currents (IA). In DVMs that hyperpolarize during anoxia, the increase in IK(DR) outweighs the increase in ICa and the decrease in IA. In depolarizing DVMs the decrease in IA and increase in ICa outweight the increase in IK(DR). The change in input resistance is determined by the relative sizes of current enhancement or suppression."}
{"id": "PMID:1484371", "title": "Prognostic indicators for horses with duodenitis-proximal jejunitis. 75 horses (1985-1989).", "content": "The medical records of 75 horses with duodenitis-proximal jejunitis (DPJ) were reviewed. Ages, physical parameters, laboratory values, and treatment data were compared between horses surviving DPJ and horses not surviving DPJ (Table 1). Fifty of 75 horses (66.6%) survived. Sixty-six horses (88.0%) were managed with medical treatment alone and nine horses (12.0%) were managed with medical treatment plus surgical intervention. Using a logistic regression model, the association of each of the 19 physical and laboratory parameters with death was evaluated retrospectively in the 75 horses. Three parameters (anion gap, abdominal fluid total protein concentration, and volume of gastric fluid for the first 24 hours of hospitalization) were significantly associated with death by univariate analysis. Using a stepwise multiple logistic regression, two parameters remained significantly associated with death (P < 0.05), anion gap and abdominal fluid total protein concentration."}
{"id": "PMID:1484372", "title": "Lymphedema. Clinical signs, diagnosis, and treatment.", "content": "Medical management of lymphedema is warranted in all dogs with suspected congenital lymphedema, before surgical intervention. Although pharmaceutical agents, such as the benzo-pyrones, have not been investigated for clinical use in dogs, such studies appear to be justified. None of the surgical techniques discussed will cure lymphedema. The only technique reported with any frequency in the dog has been excision of affected tissues, and although some successes have been reported with this procedure, others have found it to be of no benefit or severe complications have occurred. Excisional techniques require meticulous attention to prevent infection intraoperatively and postoperatively. Staging the procedure may decrease problems associated with devascularization of remaining tissues. Evaluation of other techniques may be warranted in dogs; however, no technique has proven to be consistently beneficial in human beings with lymphedema."}
{"id": "PMID:1484376", "title": "High-resolution imaging of chromosome-related structures by atomic force microscopy.", "content": "An atomic force microscope (AFM) was combined with a conventional optical microscope. The optical microscope proved to be very convenient for locating objects of interest. In addition, the high-resolution AFM image can be compared directly with the traditional optical image. The instrument was used to study chromosome structures. High-resolution chromosome images revealed details of the 30-nm chromatide structure, confirming earlier electron microscopic observations. Chromosomes treated with trypsin revealed a banding pattern in height which is very similar to the optical image observed after staining with Giemsa. Furthermore, it is shown that the AFM can be used to locate DNA probes on in situ hybridized chromosomes. Images of the synaptonemal complex isolated from rat spermatocytes revealed details that improve the understanding of the three-dimensional structure of this protein."}
{"id": "PMID:1484377", "title": "Low-energy electron microscopy (LEEM) and mirror electron microscopy (MEM) of biological specimens: preliminary results with a novel beam separating system.", "content": "Low-energy electron microscopy (LEEM) and mirror electron microscopy (MEM) utilize a parallel beam of slow-moving electrons backscattered from the specimen surface to form an image. If the electrons strike the surface an LEEM image is produced and if they are turned back just before reaching the surface an MEM image results. The applications thus far have been in surface physics. In the present study, applications of LEEM and MEM in the biological sciences are discussed. The preliminary results demonstrate the feasibility of forming images of uncoated cultured cells and cellular components using electrons in the threshold region (i.e. 0-10 V). The results also constitute a successful test of a novel beam-separating system for LEEM and MEM."}
{"id": "PMID:1484373", "title": "Increased serum growth hormone concentration in feline hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.", "content": "Serum growth hormone concentration was measured by radioimmunoassay in 31 cats with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, 38 normal cats, and 35 cats with other cardiac disease. Cats with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy had a significantly increased serum growth hormone concentration when compared with normal cats and cats with other cardiac disease. The serum growth hormone concentration in cats with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy was less than that previously reported in cats with growth hormone secreting pituitary tumors. Pituitary tumors were not identified in eight of the cats with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy examined at necropsy. An increased serum growth hormone concentration may be measured in cats with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy but it is unclear if the increased serum growth hormone concentration is a cause or effect of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy."}
{"id": "PMID:1484378", "title": "Quick-freezing of cultured cardiac cells in situ with special attention to the mitochondrial ultrastructure.", "content": "A new method has been developed which allows quick-freezing in situ of primary, cardiac cell cultures grown to confluence on gas-permeable membranes (Petriperm dishes). Small pieces of the growth substratum, with rhythmically beating myocardial cells, were slam-frozen, without cryoprotectants, against the surface of a helium-cooled copper block at approximately 16 K. The quality of the cellular cryopreservation, as judged by ultrastructural criteria, was studied in freeze-substituted specimens processed for transmission electron microscopy. The ultrastructure of cryofixed cardiac cells was compared with that of unfrozen, chemically fixed samples. The severity of cryodistortions increased progressively with increasing distance from the point of first impact. Of particular interest were the dramatic alterations of the mitochondrial ultrastructure. The concept that the reticular and the outer mitochondrial membranes are intimately and strongly associated was clearly demonstrated. Optimally frozen material revealed cryopreserved ultrastructure of high quality. The method described appears to offer an ideal model system for correlating the information gained by phase-contrast microscopy of living cell cultures with the ultrastructure of the same samples fixed in situ by chemical or physical techniques. Cryofixation would be particularly useful for studying dynamic cellular processes associated with physiological and pathophysiological conditions, e.g. metabolic inhibition, anoxia and substrate deprivation."}
{"id": "PMID:1484375", "title": "Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva in the cat. A case report.", "content": "Clinical, radiographic, electromyographic, and pathologic findings in a cat with fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva are described. The features of five previously reported cases of this feline disorder are also presented. This disorder affects young adult to middle-aged cats of both sexes. Characteristic clinical features include progressive stiffness of gait, with enlargement of proximal limb musculature. Radiography reveals multiple mineralized densities within the affected musculature. The clinical course is rapid, with development of severe disability within 2 weeks to several months. Electromyographic and pathologic findings suggest that this is a disorder of connective tissue, affecting primarily the epimysium, tendons, and fasciae, and results in marked proliferation of fibrovascular connective tissue, with associated chondroid and osseous metaplasia."}
{"id": "PMID:1484379", "title": "Fibromyalgia: a time-series analysis of the stressor-physical symptom association.", "content": "The purpose of this study was to investigate the association among daily stressors, cognitive rumination, and fibromyalgia symptoms using time-series methodology and to determine whether autocorrelation was present in the self-report data. Twelve female fibromyalgia subjects monitored their daily level of stressors, cognitive rumination, and fibromyalgia symptoms for 30-35 days. Time-series regression analyses indicated that there was a positive association between previous-day stressors and fibromyalgia symptoms for one subject and between previous-day cognitive rumination and fibromyalgia symptoms for four subjects. For 7 out of 12 subjects autocorrelation was present, and generalized least-squares methods were used with these subjects. These results indicate that ordinary least-squares methods may often not be appropriate for within-subject designs with self-report data. These results also question the often reported stressor-physical symptom association. This study illustrates a useful methodology and analysis to investigate psychosocial-physical symptom associations."}
{"id": "PMID:1484374", "title": "Neospora caninum infection in English Springer Spaniel littermates. Diagnostic evaluation and organism isolation.", "content": "Progressive paraparesis developed in four male English Springer Spaniel pups from a litter of five during the first 10 weeks of life. Two of the pups, which had the earliest onset of neurologic signs, were euthanatized without further workup. However, a detailed investigation was completed on the remaining two littermates at 12 weeks of age. Both pups had progressive paraparesis for 3 to 4 weeks before presentation, with one dog developing subsequent asymmetric pelvic limb extensor rigidity. Based on results from neurologic examination, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis, electrophysiology, and muscle/nerve biopsy, a presumptive diagnosis of protozoal polyradiculitis and polymyositis was made. Necropsy of the most severely affected pup confirmed the clinical diagnosis of inflammatory nerve root and muscle disease but no organisms were found. To increase the potential yield of organisms, the second pup was placed on immunosuppressive doses of corticosteroids and euthanatized 2 weeks later. Numerous organisms were found in lesions in muscle and the central nervous system. Organisms grew in tissue culture and were isolated from the peritoneal fluid of gerbils inoculated with infected tissue. Organisms were not isolated from inoculated mice, guinea pigs, rabbits, and hamsters. No parasites were seen in feces or tissues of three cats fed infected dog tissues. Serologic testing demonstrated a strong positive titer to Neospora caninum in both pups, and electron microscopy showed the characteristic morphology of this parasite."}
{"id": "PMID:1484380", "title": "Smoking rate, carboxyhemoglobin, and body mass in the Second National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES II).", "content": "The relationship of body mass and triceps skinfold thickness to both reported number of cigarettes smoked per day and carboxyhemoglobin levels was examined in healthy cigarette smokers in the NHANES II. Among both men and women, higher carboxyhemoglobin levels were related to lower body mass and thinner skinfolds, whereas higher levels of reported daily cigarette smoking were related to increased body mass and thicker skinfolds among men only. These relationships were independent of age, education, caloric intake, physical activity, and exercise. The opposite effects of number of cigarettes smoked per day and a biological index of cigarette smoke exposure on body mass suggest that increased cigarette smoking may covary with factors that would favor increased body weight among men, whereas decreases in body weight with increases in carboxyhemoglobin may reflect the effects of nicotine exposure on energy expenditure in both men and women."}
{"id": "PMID:1484381", "title": "Social and behavioral factors associated with episodes of inhibitory breathing.", "content": "Previous research has shown that episodes of inhibitory breathing, characterized by low-frequency breathing, occur both in laboratory animals during intervals preceding avoidance tasks and in humans in the natural environment. The present study investigated social and behavioral factors accompanying episodes of inhibitory breathing that occur in the natural environment. Breathing frequency and tidal volume of ambulatory subjects were monitored via inductive plethysmography. Information concerning location, social environment, behavior, and mood was self-recorded in a computerized diary. The percentage of episodes of inhibitory breathing was found to be significantly greater in social situations than when subjects were alone. Additional analyses eliminated talking as an explanation for these effects. Inhibitory breathing was more frequent when subjects were sedentary rather than active, and inhibitory breathing was not associated with changes in mood or appraisal. Additional research is needed to determine the nature of the social interactions that elicit inhibitory breathing, its physiological concomitants, and its long-term health implications."}
{"id": "PMID:1484382", "title": "Effects of cognitive style and maintenance strategies on breast self-examination (BSE) practice by African American women.", "content": "A convenience sample of 159 African American women, 18-45 years old, was trained to perform breast self-examination (BSE) and was categorized according to the participants' cognitive style (monitors/blunters). Participants were then randomly assigned to one of four groups differing in BSE maintenance strategy (self-management, positive reinforcement, both, or neither). Self-reported monthly compliance with BSE was subsequently assessed during a 9-month period. A significant interaction between maintenance strategies and cognitive style was found. For blunters, the highest compliance rates and the highest competency scores occurred in the group with no maintenance strategy, whereas for monitors, the highest compliance rates and competency scores were found in the groups receiving positive reinforcement and/or self-management strategies. Additional results indicate that high levels of BSE competency were achieved across conditions and that competency improved over time."}
{"id": "PMID:1484383", "title": "Matching pain coping strategies to the individual: a prospective validation of the cognitive coping strategy inventory.", "content": "The validity of the Cognitive Coping Strategy Inventory (CCSI; Butler et al., 1989) was tested in a prospective fashion. Subjects were randomly assigned to one of three conditions. Some were \"matched\" to a strategy for which they received a high CCSI score, some were \"mismatched\" to a strategy for which they received a low CCSI score, and some were given a choice of strategies. Those subjects using a matched strategy obtained better threshold and tolerance times on the cold pressor than subjects who used a mismatched strategy. Despite clear differences in exposure to the cold pressor these conditions did not differ from each other in self-reported levels of pain. It was concluded that the CCSI appears to be a valid and useful tool for selecting a coping strategy to help particular individuals manage acute pain. Though the CCSI is relatively easy to administer and score, the comparative costs and benefits of using it must be weighed against the somewhat more efficient approach of simply offering the subject a choice of treatments. Subjects given a choice of strategies performed as well as subjects matched to a strategy on the basis of CCSI scores."}
{"id": "PMID:1484384", "title": "Measuring life event stress in the lives of college students: the Undergraduate Stress Questionnaire (USQ).", "content": "We describe the development of the Undergraduate Stress Questionnaire (USQ), a life events checklist designed to measure stress among undergraduates. Several studies demonstrate the USQ's validity. The USQ correlates positively with physical symptoms and negatively with mood. Students rated the USQ as the most complete and accurate of four different life events questionnaires. In a panel study, the USQ closely tracked subjective reports of stress, both during the term and finals week. The USQ predicted symptoms more reliably than three other stress measures, controlling for negative affect. Students waiting in the college infirmary score higher on the USQ than students socializing on campus. Finally, we compare the checklist format to subjective scaling, and show the superiority of the checklist version. We discuss the usefulness of the USQ in terms of validity, representativeness, adaptability, brevity, and low confounding with negative affect."}
{"id": "PMID:1484385", "title": "The role of microtubule-associated protein 2 (MAP-2) in neuronal growth, plasticity, and degeneration.", "content": "Microtubule associated protein 2 (MAP-2) historically has been perceived primarily as a static, structural protein, necessary along with other cytoskeletal proteins to maintain neuroarchitecture but somewhat removed from the \"mainstream\" of neuronal response mechanisms. Quite to the contrary, MAP-2 is exquisitely sensitive to many inputs and recent investigations have revealed dynamic functions for MAP-2 in the growth, differentiation, and plasticity of neurons, with key roles in neuronal responses to growth factors, neurotransmitters, synaptic activity, and neurotoxins. These discoveries indicate that modification and rearrangement of MAP-2 is an early obligatory step in many processes which modify neuronal function."}
{"id": "PMID:1484386", "title": "Expression of the T-lymphocyte activation gene, F5, by mature neurons.", "content": "F5 was first identified as an mRNA expressed by activated but not resting T-lymphocytes. Subsequent studies suggested that it also is selectively expressed by mature neurons. Although the F5 protein coding sequence is highly conserved, the function of the F5-encoded protein is unknown. The present studies were undertaken to define the anatomic distribution, cellular specificity, and developmental pattern of F5 mRNA expression in the mouse nervous system, addressing specifically the question of whether the expression pattern of F5 corresponds to that of known ligand-receptor or signal-transduction systems. The use of a nonradioactive in situ hybridization method and paraffin-embedded sections provided excellent morphological preservation and a high degree of cellular resolution. F5 mRNA was detected in the central nervous system, peripheral nervous system, and retina in cells having the location and morphological features of neurons. Combined in situ hybridization histochemistry for F5 mRNA and immunofluorescence staining for cell-specific markers confirmed that neurons expressed F5 mRNA but astrocytes did not. The neuronal expression of F5 mRNA had two interesting features. First, the level of expression appeared to correlate directly with the size of the neuronal perikarya, the length of the axonal projection, or the extent of dendritic arborization. Second, F5 mRNA appeared late in post-natal development. These observations are of interest because of preliminary data suggesting that F5 may function as a substrate for protein kinase C, which demonstrates a similar expression pattern in the nervous system."}
{"id": "PMID:1484387", "title": "The neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) heparin binding domain binds to cell surface heparan sulfate proteoglycans.", "content": "The neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) has been strongly implicated in several aspects of neural development. NCAM mediated adhesion has been proposed to involve a homophilic interaction between NCAMs on adjacent cells. The heparin binding domain (HBD) is an amino acid sequence within NCAM and has been shown to be involved in NCAM mediated adhesion but the relationship of this domain to NCAM segments mediating homophilic adhesion has not been defined. In the present study, a synthetic peptide corresponding to the HBD has been used as a substrate to determine its role in NCAM mediated adhesion. A neural cell line expressing NCAM (B35) and its derived clone which does not express NCAM (B35 clone 3) adhered similarly to plates coated with HBD peptide. A polyclonal antiserum to NCAM inhibited B35 cell-HBD peptide adhesion by only 10%, a value not statistically different from inhibition caused by preimmune serum. Both these experiments suggested no direct NCAM-HBD interactions. To test whether the HBD peptide bound to cell surface heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPG), HSPG synthesis was inhibited using beta-D-xyloside. After treatment, B35 cell adhesion to the HBD peptide, but not to control substrates, was significantly decreased. B35 cell adhesion to the HBD peptide could be inhibited by 10(-7) M heparin but not chondroitin sulfate. Preincubation of the substrate (HBD peptide) with heparin caused dramatic reduction of B35 cell-HBD peptide adhesion whereas preincubation of B35 cells with heparin caused only modest reductions in cell-HBD adhesion. Furthermore, inhibition of HSPG sulfation with sodium chlorate also decreased the adhesion of B35 cells to the HBD peptide. These results strongly suggest that, within the assay system, the NCAM HBD does not participate in homophilic interactions but binds to cell surface heparan sulfate proteoglycan. This interaction potentially represents an important mechanism of NCAM adhesion and further supports the view that NCAM has multiple structurally independent binding sites."}
{"id": "PMID:1484388", "title": "MHC class II-positive microglia in human brain: association with Alzheimer lesions.", "content": "Cells of the mononuclear phagocytic system (MPS) present foreign antigen on their cell surfaces bound to major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II molecules. Previous studies of normal human brain samples reported MHC class II expression primarily by perivascular MPS cells and white matter microglial cells. Marked increases in MHC class II-expressing microglia have been shown in many neuropathologic disorders, including Alzheimer's disease (AD). A close morphologic association between these cells and Alzheimer senile plaque beta-amyloid has been demonstrated. The present study used a mixed aldehyde fixative to enhance the localization of MHC class II-expressing MPS cells in non-AD and AD brain. Two antibodies against MHC class II (HLA-DR; LN3), as well as the lectin Ricinus communis agglutinin (which recognizes both ramified and activated microglia) were used for light and electron microscopic analyses. We now report that MHC class II-expressing ramified microglia are distributed in a uniform reticular array throughout the grey, as well as the white matter in non-AD cases. In AD cases, immunolabelled cells had the morphology of activated microglia, with darkly stained plump somata and short, thick processes. Microglia clustered around senile plaque amyloid and neurofibrillary tangles (NFT), rather than forming the uniform array characteristic of control tissue. Finally, we report that perivascular MPS cells are found in a morphologic relationship with vascular amyloid identical to that seen between microglial cells and senile plaque beta-amyloid. These data suggest that MHC class II-expressing cells may be involved in the degradation of NFT-laden neurons and the posttranslational modification of extracellular-NFT epitopes. In addition, both parenchymal and perivascular MPS cells are ideally situated to uptake and process the beta-amyloid protein precursor and deposit beta-amyloid on senile plaques, NFT, and the cerebrovasculature."}
{"id": "PMID:1484389", "title": "Developmental expression of neuronal calmodulin mRNA species in the rat brain analyzed by in situ hybridization.", "content": "The temporal and spatial distribution of calmodulin mRNAs which are preferentially expressed in neurons was determined during postnatal development of rat central nervous system. Expression of these mRNAs was strongly detected in the developing neocortex, hippocampus, and cerebellum. Differences in the pattern of expression of a 1.8 and 4.0 kb neuronal calmodulin mRNA species were identified in the developing cerebellum. Expression of the smaller mRNA appeared to correlate with proliferating and developing cerebellar granule neurons while the larger mRNA was present in the mature granule neuron population. A transient elevation in the neuronal calmodulin mRNA species was observed in the superior and inferior colliculus and in the thalamus at postnatal days 5 and 10."}
{"id": "PMID:1484390", "title": "Interaction of AChE with Lens culinaris agglutinin reveals differences in glycosylation of molecular forms in sarcoplasmic reticulum membrane subfractions.", "content": "Fractionation of muscle microsomes rich in sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) by isopicnic centrifugation yielded three types of membranes. Heavy (HM), intermediate (IM), and light membranes (LM), with isopicnic points of 38, 33, and 25% w/w sucrose, were rich in terminal cisternae/triads, longitudinal SR, and T-tubules, respectively. All membrane subfractions displayed acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity. About 60, 80, and 50% of total AChE in HM, IM, and LM was extracted with a Tris-saline-Triton buffer. AChE molecular forms of 4.5 S (G1), 10.5 S (G4), and 16 S (A12) were found in all membranes but their relative proportion varied among the several membranes. Asymmetric and tetrameric forms were partly sedimented with Lens culinaris agglutinin (LCA), but most of the monomeric AChE failed to interact with the lectin. However, some of the monomers, exclusively found in LM, reacted with LCA. The data suggest that monomeric AChE is classified in rough endoplasmic reticulum. A subset is destined to SR, a second one converted into oligomeric forms, and a third one is associated to external membrane after passing through the Golgi system."}
{"id": "PMID:1484391", "title": "In search of the central respiratory neurons: I. Dissociated cell cultures of respiratory areas from the upper medulla.", "content": "Dissociated cells from the areas of the nucleus ambiguus and the nucleus tractus solitarius obtained by tissue punch or block dissection from coronal slices of the medulla at the level of the obex were cultured from fetal rats at 18 to 21 days gestation. The dissociated neurons were plated either directly in vitrogen-coated 35 mm tissue culture dishes or in such dishes which had been seeded with subcultures of cortex- or medulla-derived astrocytes. After the astrocytes reached confluency and were treated with an antimitotic agent, dissociated nucleus ambiguus or nucleus tractus solitarius was plated at 0.5-1.0 x 10(6) cells per dish. Neurons grew well on monolayers of medullary or cortical astrocytes, but survived poorly on vitrogen-coated dishes without a cellular substrate. Rat medulla was preferred as the source of astrocytes. Tissue dissociation with papain rather than trypsin produced less cellular debris, and the neuronal yield from the tissue was higher. The neuronal population was heterogenous in morphology including small and large bipolar, pyramidal, and multipolar cells. Neurons sensitive to CO2 and/or low pH (Rigatto et al., J Neurosci Res 33:590-597, 1992) did not appear to have any definitive morphologic characteristics, but most were multipolar. These neurons stained well with antibodies to neuron-specific enolase and Fragment C of tetanus toxin, but not to choline acetyltransferase (ChAT). These findings suggest that neurons possibly responsible for the central regulation of respiration can be maintained for several weeks in dissociated cell culture, providing a system for neurotransmitter, electrophysiological, and morphological studies."}
{"id": "PMID:1484392", "title": "In search of the central respiratory neurons: II. Electrophysiologic studies of medullary fetal cells inherently sensitive to CO2 and low pH.", "content": "Although extensively pursued, the central respiratory neurons have remained elusive. We departed from the more conventional physiologic and morphologic methods of system and tissue examination and cultured dissociated fetal rat cells (Fitzgerald et al., J Neurosci Res 33:579-589, 1992) from the area of the nucleus ambiguus and the nucleus tractus solitarius located within the 2 mm rostral to the obex. Pacemaker-like cells, with a regular single or bursting activity, studied at 3-5 weeks of age, responded to very small pulses of CO2 (50 ms) and low pH with an increase in spike frequency and a decrease in spike amplitude. Other irregularly beating or silent cells did not respond or else required very large pulses (> 200 ms) to do so. The pacemaker cells also responded to hypoxia induced by administration of sodium hydrosulfite with an increase in spike frequency and amplitude; high oxygen (> 600 torr) and adenosine produced a decrease in electrical activity. Most of these cells were multipolar after staining with antibodies to neuron-specific enolase (NSE) and Fragment C of tetanus toxin. They did not stain for choline acetyltransferase (ChAT). The results suggest that these cultured cells, expressing a phenotype inherently responsive to CO2 and low pH, have the characteristics of central respiratory chemoreceptors, and may be involved in the generation of the respiratory rhythm."}
{"id": "PMID:1484393", "title": "Elevation of extracellular potassium facilitates the induction of hippocampal long-term potentiation.", "content": "Hippocampal long-term potentiation (LTP) is widely believed to be a cellular substrate for learning and memory. A likely physiological stimulus for initiating LTP is repetitive neuronal activity, which also results in K+ accumulation extracellularly. Therefore, the involvement of elevated extracellular K+ concentrations in the induction of LTP of the stratum radiatum-CA1 neuronal synapse was investigated in the hippocampal slice preparation. Increasing the K+ content in extracellular perfusing medium from 3.1 to 15 mM resulted in facilitation of LTP induction in weak excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs). Since changes that occur to generate LTP are thought to be localized to synaptic regions, it would be relevant to selectively increase synaptic K+ levels. To this end, the following experiments were conducted: i) baclofen, a GABAB receptor agonist which, in addition to having a disinhibitory presynaptic action, activates a K+ conductance in CA1 neuronal dendrites, was applied to the slice; ii) K+ was directly applied by iontophoresis. At a concentration of 5 microM baclofen, as well as with K+ iontophoresis (200-300 nA), LTP of weak EPSPs was facilitated. The present data suggest that an increase in synaptic K+ levels can fulfill the condition of cooperativity for LTP induction, raising the possibility that an elevation of this monovalent ion plays a physiological role in triggering LTP."}
{"id": "PMID:1484394", "title": "Haloperidol prevents induction of the hsp70 heat shock gene in neurons injured by phencyclidine (PCP), MK801, and ketamine.", "content": "The non-competitive NMDA receptor antagonists, PCP (phencyclidine), MK801, and ketamine produce psychosis in humans and abnormal vacuoles in posterior cingulate and retrosplenial rat cortical neurons. We show that PCP (> or = 5 mg/kg), MK801 (> or = 0.1 mg/kg), and ketamine (> 20 mg/kg) induce hsp70 mRNA and HSP70 heat shock protein in these vacuolated, injured neurons, and PCP also induces hsp70 in injured neocortical, piriform, and amygdala neurons. The PCP, MK801, and ketamine drug induced injury occurs in 30 day and older rats, but not in 0-20 day old rats, and is prevented by prior administration of the antipsychotic drugs haloperidol and rimcazole. Since haloperidol and rimcazole block dopamine and sigma receptors, and since M1 muscarinic cholinergic receptor antagonists also prevent the injury produced by PCP, MK801, and ketamine, future studies will be needed to determine whether dopamine, sigma, M1, or other receptors mediate the injury."}
{"id": "PMID:1484395", "title": "Ethanol administration during early embryogenesis affects neuronal phenotypes at a time when neuroblasts are pluripotential.", "content": "Our previous studies have reported that ethanol administration during a critical period of development profoundly affects the expression of neuronal phenotypes in whole brains of chick embryos. The present study examines a) the long-lasting effects of early ethanol treatment on neurotransmitter phenotypic expression and b) its differential effects on anatomically discrete regions of the developing chick CNS. Ethanol (10 mg/50 microliters) was administered to embryos via the air sac from E1 to E3. Embryos were sacrificed on days 4, 8, 10, or 15 of embryonic development (E4, E8, E10, E15) and assayed in specific regions of the CNS for glutamate decarboxylase (GAD) or choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) as markers for GABAergic or cholinergic neurons, respectively. The magnitude of the developmental profile for ChAT was highest in spinal cord (SC), with similar profiles observed for cerebral hemispheres (CH) and optic lobes (OL). In contrast, the developmental profile for GAD was highest in OL and lowest in SC. Thus, neuronal phenotypes inhabit specific CNS areas from early primordial stages of development. Furthermore, cholinergic neuronal populations in discrete CNS areas reached mature levels by E10, whereas GABAergic populations continued to increase throughout the experimental period. We suggest that GABAergic precursor neuroblasts may differentiate at a later embryonic age and that specific regional factors may play a role in neuronal distribution and the rate of maturation. As reported previously, primordial CNS areas exposed to ethanol (E1-E3) exhibited a differential sensitivity. Cholinergic neuronal expression in CH remained retarded throughout the experimental period examined, whereas the early decline observed at E4 in SC cholinergic expression was reversed by E15.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1484396", "title": "Biphasic changes in NCAM level after an NMDA lesion to the hippocampal formation: a quantitative dot-immunobinding assay.", "content": "With a quantitative dot-immunobinding assay, the time course changes of neuronal cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) concentrations and total tissue content were monitored in the rat hippocampus after a 40 nmol NMDA injection. A biphasic alteration was observed; a decrease occurred at day 3, an increase at day 30. The time course of changes differed from that of the glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), a marker for reactive astroglial cell, but was similar to that for the markers of sprouting neurites, i.e., low (L) and high (H) molecular weight subunits of the neurofilament polypeptides. It is suggested that NCAM is implicated in the onset of neurite sprouting in the hippocampus after an excitotoxic trauma."}
{"id": "PMID:1484398", "title": "Recovery of pulmonary diffusing capacity after maximal exercise.", "content": "Pulmonary diffusing capacity (DICO), together with spirometric variables, arterial oxygen tension (paO2) and cardiac output were determined before and at intervals after maximal arm cranking, treadmill running and ergometer rowing. Independent of the type of exercise, D1CO increased immediately post-exercise from a median 13.6 (range 7.3-16.3) to 15.1 (9.3-19.6) mmol min-1 kPa-1 (P < 0.01). However, it decreased to 11.6 (6.9-15.5) mmol min-1 kPa-1 (P < 0.01) after 24 h with cardiac output and paO2 at resting values, and D1CO normalized after 20 h. Thoracic electrical impedance at 2.5 and 100 kHz increased slightly post-exercise, indicating a decrease in thoracic fluid balance, and there were no echocardiographic signs of left ventricular failure at the time of the decrease in D1CO. Also, active muscle (limb) circumference and volume, and an increase in haematocrit from 43.8 (38.0-47.0) to 47.1 (42.7-49.8) (P < 0.01), had normalized at the time of the decrease in D1CO. Vital capacity, forced vital capacity, forced expiratory volume in 1 s, peak and peak mid-expiratory flows did not change. However, total lung capacity increased from 6.8 (5.0-7.6) to 7.0 (5.1-7.8) litres (P < 0.05) immediately after exercise and remained elevated at 6.9 (5.1-8.7) litres (P < 0.05) when a decrease in D1CO was noted. The results demonstrate that independent of the type of maximal exercise, an approximate 15% reduction in D1CO takes place 2-3 h post-exercise, which normalizes during the following day of recovery."}
{"id": "PMID:1484399", "title": "A model of the elastic take-off energy in the long jump.", "content": "A theoretical analysis of the long jump take-off is presented, with the conclusion that elastic effects are important. Measured data from the literature for groups of top athletes and average performers in the long jump confirm this conclusion and lead to an estimate of elastic energy conversion efficiency, which is very low (between 0.2 and 0.3), in contrast with much higher conversion efficiencies for the running stride."}
{"id": "PMID:1484400", "title": "Pre-season physiological characteristics of English first and second division soccer players.", "content": "This investigation was undertaken in an effort to establish physiological characteristics of soccer players and to relate them to positional roles. A total of 135 footballers (age 24.4 +/- 4.6 years) were assessed for body mass, % body fat, haemoglobin, maximal oxygen uptake (VO2 max), leg power, anaerobic capacity and speed prior to an English league season. The sample included 13 goalkeepers, 22 full-backs, 24 centre-backs, 35 midfield players and 41 forwards. The goalkeepers were significantly heavier (86.1 +/- 5.5 kg; P < 0.01) than all groups except the centre-backs, had significantly higher estimated body fat percentages than centre-backs, forwards, midfield players (P < 0.01) or full-backs (P < 0.05), significantly lower estimated VO2 max values (56.4 +/- 3.9 ml kg-1 min-1; P < 0.01) and were slowest over 60 m (12.71 +/- 0.42 s). The midfield players had the highest predicted VO2 max values (61.4 +/- 3.4 ml kg-1 min-1), this being significantly greater (P < 0.05) than for the centre-backs. The forwards were the fastest group over 60 m (12.19 +/- 0.30 s), being significantly quicker than goalkeepers or centre-backs (P < 0.01) and full-backs (P < 0.05). Anaerobic power, as well as knee extensor torques (corrected for body mass) and extensor-flexor ratios, were similar between groups. No difference in estimated body fat percentage was observed between any of the outfield players, and haemoglobin concentrations were similar among players of all positions.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1484402", "title": "[Newly developed MRSA medium].", "content": "We have developed a new selective medium, tentatively named MR(SA)2, for rapid identification of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) from clinical specimens. MR(SA)2 medium contained modified M\u00fcller-Hinton agar supplemented with 75 g of NaCl, 10 g of mannit, 20 mg of bromcresol purple, 20 g of egg-yolk, 4 mg of oxacillin, and 12.5 mg of ceftisoxime per 1,000 ml. There were no differences between the growth of MRSA strains on this medium at 30 C and that of 37 C. This medium can detect the egg-yolk reaction instead of the coagulase reaction. By single streaking of a test material on the surfaces of MR(SA)2 agar, MRSAs can easily be distinguished from methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative staphylococci (MR-CNS), other bacteria and fungi from their colony morphologies in a quantitative manner. A few MRSA strains would not form colonies on this medium because of their susceptibilities to ceftisoxime, but this may not inpede its use, since most MRSA strains isolated from clinical materials showed resistance to ceftisoxime. From the above results, the MR(SA)2 medium may be suitable for rapid detection of MRSA and MR-CNS."}
{"id": "PMID:1484403", "title": "[Proposal for the nosocomial infection control of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)].", "content": "To determine the prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in hospital environments, quantitative isolation of MRSA from environmental and human specimens was performed. It was found that as many as 6 x 10(4) colony forming units (CFU)/100cm2 of MRSA and also methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (MRCNS) were isolated from 1) 25-100% of the bed-mattresses tested in 10 out of 11 (90%) hospitals, and also 2) bed sheets for patients, floors of patient wards, laundry, bath-room, toilet and laundry storage-room. And seven and eight palms of 20 patients were contaminated with MRCNS and MRSA, respectively, and MRCNS contamination was revealed in six of medical staffs. These results indicate that hospital environments, especially the mattresses and hospital floors are highly contaminated with MRCNS and MRSA, and sanitation and cleanliness of mattresses and floors are necessary to prevent the dissemination of both MRCNS and MRSA in hospital."}
{"id": "PMID:1484404", "title": "[Chemical and serological study of lipopolysaccharide isolated from Shigella flexneri 88-893 possessing a new type-antigen].", "content": "The O-specific polysaccharide chain which represents a new type-antigen in lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of Shigella flexneri 88-893 was investigated. The O-polysaccharide chain was found to be composed of repeating units comprising rhamnose, N-acetylglucosamine and glucose (3:1:2). In the passive hemolysis test, group-6 antiserum of S. flexneri exhibited a high hemolytic titer (50% hemolysis titer: 7,900) against sheep red blood cells (SRBC) sensitized with intact 893 LPS, but virtually no hemolytic activity against SRBC sensitized with alkali-treated 893 LPS. None of the type-specific antisera (I-VI), showed any significant hemolytic titer against SRBC sensitized with either intact or alkali-treated 893 LPS. Thus, 893 LPS contained both the group-6 antigen and a new type-antigen which is distinct from any known type-antigen of S. flexneri."}
{"id": "PMID:1484405", "title": "[Structure and function of the experimental polycystic kidney induced by diphenylthiazole with special reference to renal micropuncture study].", "content": "Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is one of the major causative diseases leading to renal failure and dialysis treatment. Although the genetic study on the disease has been progressed so far, the initial trigger for cyst formation and several factors enhancing the progression of ADPKD remain to be clarified. Using an animal model of ADPKD, induced by 2-amino-4,5-diphenylthiazole hydrochloride (DPT), we examined the early events in cytogenesis. Especially the role of tubular obstruction in the model in triggering off tubular dilatation was investigated by means of renal micropuncture and tubular microperfusion techniques. Light and electron microscopic studies demonstrated epithelial hyperplasia along collecting ducts after 2 weeks of DPT feeding. In addition, some collecting ducts revealed partial obstruction with hyperplastic cells. Cystic change became prominent over 8 weeks of the treatment. Then micropuncture and microperfusion experiments were performed to measure intratubular pressure in the rats fed DPT for 2-5 weeks (PKD rats) and pair-fed control Sprague-Dawley rats (control rats). Free flow pressure in proximal segments of PKD rats (21.5 +/- 1.0mmHg) was not significantly elevated, as compared with that in control rats (21.3 +/- 1.0mmHg). During the stepwise increments in proximal tubular flow rate, proximal tubular pressure in PKD rats significantly increased especially at higher flow rate, 41.0 +/- 3.6 mmHg in PKD rats and 19.4 +/- 3.1mmHg in control rats (P < 0.01) at 40nl/min. On the other hand, the transit time of loop of Henle was longer in PKD rats (38.9 +/- 2.4 sec) than in control rats (24.9 +/- 0.6 sec, P < 0.01). These results suggest that cyst formation in PKD rats could be preceded by the elevation of tubular resistance, which might be explained by the partial obstruction of collecting ducts. Moreover, these tubular obstruction in the distal segments might be the trigger for the cyst formation in this model."}
{"id": "PMID:1484406", "title": "[Effects of glucose on proliferation and collagen synthesis in cultured rat mesangial cells].", "content": "The influence of glucose concentration on proliferation and collagen production was studied in rat cultured mesangial cells. The cells at passage 6-8 were cultured in 10% FCS/DMEM with different glucose concentration (5, 15 or 25 mM). (3H) thymidine uptake was significantly suppressed in 25 mM glucose condition in the presence or absence of FCS. Immunocytochemistry revealed a dramatic increase in intracellular staining for collagen I, III and IV in 25 mM glucose condition. Analysis of soluble extracellular matrix production using ELISA also showed increased concentration of collagen I, III and IV in the supernatant of mesangial cells grown in 25 mM glucose. The message for collagen I, III and IV increased and decreased rapidly within 24 h after refeeding, making a first peak of message level. After 24 h mRNA for collagen I, III and IV increased again in 25 mM glucose media, whereas the message remained depressed in 5 mM glucose media. These results obtained from in vitro studies suggest that high blood glucose per se may play an important role in increased extracellular matrix in diabetic glomerulosclerosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1484407", "title": "[Studies on the mechanism of action of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors on the dog kidney].", "content": "The effects of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, rampipril, captopril and enalapril, on the renal circulation and function were examined in normotensive dogs, in relation to the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone (R-A-A) and kallikrein-kinin (K-K) systems and prostaglandins (PGs). These inhibitors markedly decreased renal vascular resistance (RVR) in parallel with a reduction in systemic blood pressure, and increased renal blood flow (RBF). Captopril exerted its effects rapidly, but its disappearance was also rapid. The onset of ramipril's effects was slightly delayed, but its antihypertensive and RVR-decreasing effects were fairly prolonged. Ramipril showed more potent and longer-lasting RBF-increasing effect and induced marked Na diuresis. Enalapril had no diuretic effect, and captopril's effect was only temporary. Plasma renin activity was increased similarly by the three inhibitors, but only ramipril significantly decreased plasma aldosterone concentration. This aldosterone secretion inhibition by ramipril may be partly involved in the diuretic effect. Involvement of the K-K system and PGs in ramipril's effects on the dog kidney was examined. When systemic PG biosynthesis was inhibited by indomethacin pretreatment, ramipril-induced increases in RBF and urine volume were inhibited about 50%. Inhibition of the K-K system by aprotinin pretreatment resulted in marked inhibition of urine volume increase, but scarcely affected RBF increase. These results indicate that ramipril produces the most potent effect on the renal circulation and function of the dog among the three ACE inhibitors and that its diuretic action is mostly due to kinins and kinin-induced PGs in the kidney and the RBF increase, due to the R-A-A system and PGs."}
{"id": "PMID:1484408", "title": "[A study of the measurement of p-aminohippurate in diabetic subjects].", "content": "Glomerular filtration rate has been found to be elevated in the early stage of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus and has been proposed to play a pathogenetic role in the development of diabetic nephropathy. However, the reports about the change in renal plasma flow (RPF) among diabetic subjects were inconsistent, suggesting that the presence of hyperglycemia may in some way interfere the procedures of RPF measurement. Recently, it has been reported that the glucose in the urine may react with p-aminohippurate (PAH), a widely used marker for RPF measurement, and influence the chemical measurement of PAH, misleading the result of RPF value. In fact, we obtained the decrease of PAH value in urine samples obtained from diabetic subjects during the storage for one week in frozen condition. In order to clarify the factors which may influence the glucose-PAH reaction, we have conducted various in vitro studies. The decrease of PAH values was dose-dependent to urine glucose. The pH of the test solution or urine was also found to greatly influence the result of PAH measurement when glucose was present. The analysis of glucose-PAH reactants by HPLC suggested that the amino residue of PAH might be reacted with glucose, producing the glycation product (Schiff base). The rate of glycation of PAH was time- and pH-dependent. However, when the reaction time was prolonged at the last step of PAH measurement after the addition of the acid solution, the decrease of PAH value was gradually corrected reaching to the theoretical value in 7 hours.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1484409", "title": "[Percutaneous nephrostomy versus the placement of double pigtail ureteral stent for the treatment of postrenal failure secondary to malignancies].", "content": "From August 1989 through September 1991 we performed percutaneous nephrostomy under ultrasonic guidance in 26 kidneys of 25 patients. We also indwelled double pigtail ureteral stents by endoscopy in 14 kidneys of 13 patients. No patients died because of renal failure. The survival was dependent on progression of primary disease and performance status. Neither significant nor life-threatening complications were encountered. The difference in the improvement of renal function between nephrostomy group and stent group was not statistically significant. Although the indwelling ureteral stent method requires no external drainage bag, this method has certain drawback such as occasional obstruction of stent. Especially in poor risk patients, percutaneous nephrostomy technique seems to be better than placement of double pigtail ureteral stent in the treatment of postrenal failure secondary to malignancies."}
{"id": "PMID:1484410", "title": "[Studies on the sodium concentration of dialysate solution for continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis].", "content": "Overloaded sodium(Na) induces the expansion of extracellular volume in case with severe renal insufficiency. Accordingly, in patients undergoing CAPD, the Na balance via trans-peritoneum is the critical determinant of fluid state. This study was performed to clarify the trans-peritoneal Na kinetics in patients using standard dialysate (Na: 132mEq/1,2-1), and to explore the clinical effects of lower Na concentration solution. Peritoneal dialysis effluent obtained from 87 patients was analysed [1.5% dextrose dialysate (D): 33 bags, 2.5%D: 54 bags]. In terms of net-Na removal, no significant relation was found with serum Na level. Whereas, a significant positive relation was found with ultrafiltration (UF) volume (p < 0.01). Net-Na removal was 10.0 +/- 3.3mEq in 1.5%D and 30.2 +/- 1.8 mEq in 2.5%D (mean +/- SEM). On the other hand, ultra low sodium concentration dialysate (ULNaD, Na level: 98mEq/1, Osm:340mOsm/1, 2l) was effectively used for the purpose of increasing Na removal. Net-Na removal was 78.1 +/- 5. 6mEq after 4-hr dwelling (n = 18). ULNaD was applied to ten patients who showed signs of overhydration, using once a day consecutively instead of standard one. After 9 days (mean) in this regimen, signs of overhydration were disappeared. Significant reductions in their body weight and fall in blood pressure were found compared to the periods before commencement of ULNaD, showing remarkable increase in Na removal (p < 0.01, respectively). No significant changes were found in serum Na level or UF volume.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1484411", "title": "[Effect of angiotensin II(AII) on peritoneal transport during peritoneal dialysis in rat].", "content": "Ultrafiltration volume (UFV) in peritoneal dialysis is expressed as the difference between net transcapillary ultrafiltration (TCUF) and lymphatic absorption (LA) in peritoneal cavity. An increase in LA results in a decrease in UFV. Endogenous hormones may modulate peritoneal membrane permeability and LA. This study was conducted to assess the effect of angiotensin II(AII) on peritoneal permeability and LA in rat. Rats (BW, approximately 300g) with normal renal function were dialyzed for 4 hours using 30ml of hypertonic dialysate (dextrose concentration: 3.86%). AII was added in dialysate at the concentration of 10(-9)-10(-2) mol/30ml. Peritoneal membrane permeability and UFV were studied by clearance of urea N and inorganic phosphate, albumin excretion, glucose absorption and LA. LA was calculated by the concentration change of dextran 70 in dialysate. AII decreased UFV from 15.7 +/- 2.8ml/4hr(control) to 5.7 +/- 1.5(AII 10(-4) mol/dwell). LA was increased in a dose dependent fashion (ED50:0.25 x 10(-6)mol) with no change in TCUF and clearances of urea N and inorganic phosphate. Ten types of AII analogue were used to investigate the site of action for LA in 8 amino acids of AII. [beta-Asp1], [Val5], [Ile3, Val5] and [Sar1] AII showed agonistic action against LA. [Sar1, Thr8], [Sar1, Ile8], [Sar1, Leu8], [Sar1, Ala8], [Sar1, Val5, Ala8] and [Sar1, Gly8] AII had no effect on LA, which found the importance of the 8th amino acid of AII for LA. These actions of AII analogue against LA were similar to those for vascular smooth muscle.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1484412", "title": "[A case of superimposed renal lesions of IgA and membranous nephropathy with diabetic nephropathy].", "content": "A 64-yr-old man presented with diabetes mellitus, proteinuria, hypertension and moderate renal dysfunction. Renal biopsy revealed diabetic glomerulosclerosis (diffuse lesion), IgA nephropathy and membranous nephropathy (stage 2). Both mesangial IgA and subepithelial IgG deposits were demonstrated by immunofluorescence and immunoelectron microscopy. Electron microscopic studies by immunogold method showed localization of IgA (diameter 15nm gold particles) within mesangial dense deposits and IgG (diameter 15nm gold particles) within subepithelial dense deposits. Overlapping IgA and membranous nephropathy was revealed in the same diabetic glomeruli with functional and biochemical alternations."}
{"id": "PMID:1484413", "title": "[Glomerulopathy associated with glomerular microtubular deposits: a report of a case].", "content": "A male aged 58 was admitted to our hospital because of proteinuria, hematuria and bilateral pretibial edema. Laboratory tests showed normocytic, normochromic anemia and moderately impaired renal function. Antinuclear antibodies were negative. Neither M-protein nor Bence-Jones protein were detected. Light microscopic study on the biopsied renal specimen indicated a moderate mesangial proliferation accompanying with the deposition of PAS-positive and Congo red-negative materials in the subendothelial area. C3 accumulated segmentally along the capillary walls, which was clarified by immunofluorescence microscopy. Staining for IgG, IgA, IgM and light chains were negative. Electron microscopy demonstrated the deposition of microtubules in the mesangial, subepithelial and subendothelial areas. The diameter of these microtubules ranged from 40 to 80 nm. Such type of the microtubules have been reported to exist in the glomeruli in the patients with systemic diseases such as amyloidosis, systemic lupus erythematosus, cryoglobulinemia and light chain disease. In our patient, however, any clinical or serological findings suggestive of these systemic diseases were not obtained. On the other hand previous report pointed out that microtubules deposited in the glomeruli in the patients with immunotactoid glomerulopathy or other glomerulopathies. Our patient had the clinical features consistent with these glomerulopathies. However, no depositions of immunoglobulins were observed. This case is an atypical glomerulopathy accompanying with the glomerular microtubular deposits."}
{"id": "PMID:1484414", "title": "[A case of rheumatoid arthritis with immunotactoid glomerulopathy].", "content": "The patient was a 64-year-old female who had been treated by a local doctor for rheumatoid arthritis and hypertension for 10 years. Malaise and edema developed since July, 1990, and as proteinuria and renal dysfunction were noted, the patient was admitted to our hospital on November 2. On admission, BUN was 33mg/dl, creatinine was 2.5mg/dl, and proteinuria was about 3g/day. Renal biopsy was performed after admission. Light microscopy revealed nodular lobulation of glomeruli and occlusion of loops. Dylon staining was negative. Immunofluorescent study showed granular deposition of IgG, IgM, C3, C4, Clq in the glomerular basement membrane and mesangial area. Electron microscopy showed a large amount of electron dense deposits in the subendothelium and mesangial area and dense aggregation of tubular structure in the deposit, part of which exhibited a profile of fingerprint deposit. The tubular structures were classified into three major types, which were 120, 100, and 50nm in diameter. From these findings, a diagnosis of immunotactoid glomerulopathy was made. After renal biopsy, plasmapheresis and prednisolone were administered, and the patient has been managed conservatively to date."}
{"id": "PMID:1484415", "title": "[A case of extra-adrenal pheochromocytoma with frostbite in extremities].", "content": "We describe a patient who presented frostbite in extremities in addition to characteristic symptoms, such as severe hypertension, sweating attacks, palpitations and headache. The patient was eventually diagnosed as having single extra-adrenal pheochromocytoma. The frostbite in extremities rapidly resolved after the removal of the tumor as well as other characteristic clinical symptoms. It is speculated that this frostbite might have been induced by severe continuous constriction of peripheral artery and loss of heat by frequent sweating attacks. Regarding cutaneous symptoms in this disease, pallor, acrocyanosis and cold extremities are commonly found. However, it seems that typical frostbite associated with pheochromocytoma has not been reported so far."}
{"id": "PMID:1484416", "title": "[A case of sarcoidosis with hypercalcemia, urolithiasis, nephrocalcinosis and renal insufficiency].", "content": "A sixty nine-year-old woman was admitted to the hospital because of further examination of hypercalcemia. On July 1990, she complained of general fatigue and loss of appetite. She was pointed out to have hypercalcemia (15.1mg/dl), urolithiasis, and renal insufficiency. CT films of the chest showed swelling of the mediastinal lymphnodes and CT of the abdomen nephrocalcinosis. Ga-scintigraphy demonstrated an abnormal accumulation of gallium in the mediastinum. Levels of the parathyroid hormone was normal. Levels of the serum calcium (13.7mg/dl), angiotensin converting enzyme (30.4IU/L) and 1.25 (OH)2D (87PG/ml) were elevated. Giant cells were found in the biopsy specimen of the lung. A significant relationship between the serum calcium and creatinine were observed (r = 0.76, p < 0.02). Proximal fractional reabsorption of sodium showed to be suppressed (47.7%), and distal fractional reabsorption of sodium showed to be normal (88.4%). From these findings hypercalcemia and urolithiasis was suggested to result from sarcoidosis. The hypercalcemia and renal insufficiency improved with corticosteroid therapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1484417", "title": "[The prevalence and the clinical characteristics of silent myocardial ischemia detected by stress thallium scintigraphy].", "content": "The prevalence of silent myocardial ischemia was retrospectively assessed in a group of 100 consecutive patients with angiographically proved coronary artery disease, and diagnostic ECG, by symptom-limited exercise thallium-201 scintigraphy. Twenty-four patients had no evidence of ischemia despite adequate exercise level. So among 76 patients with exercise induced ischemia, only 33 patients (43%) stopped exercise due to anginal pain (symptomatic ischemia: Group 3). And 43 patients with asymptomatic ischemia composed of 23 patients (30%) with ECG change (Group 2B) and 20 patients (26%) without ECG change (Group 2A). Patients background including the history of old myocardial infarction and diabetes mellitus, were similar among Group 2A, 2B, and Group 3. And our major observation was that the extent and severity of quantified SPECT perfusion defects was nearly identical between 3 groups Thus in this study group, there was a rather high prevalence rate of silent ischemia (57%) by exercise thallium-201 criteria. Patients with silent ischemia, associated with positive and negative exercise ECG findings, and those with exercise angina had similar background and comparable amount of jeopardized myocardium."}
{"id": "PMID:1484418", "title": "[Relation between serum PAP (prostate acid phosphatase) and bone scintigraphy in prostatic cancer].", "content": "Seventy-seven patients with prostatic cancer were treated at our department in the last 5 years. Of these patients 30 cases were followed by bone scintigraphy and serum PAP. In 27 follow-up scintigraphy procedures changes of bone scintigraphy corresponded to changes in serum PAP levels Changes of PAP levels did not always correspond to changes of scintigraphy, but almost all cases in which the level of PAP increased in a short period showed progression of bone metastasis. A 3-month interval between bone scintigraphy procedure in stage D2 prostatic cancer patients is generally recommended. However, we think that in prostatic cancer patients follow-up bone scintigraphy at regular short intervals is unnecessary if there is no change in serum PAP levels, symptoms or physical condition. Bone scintigraphy should be performed when the tumor marker changes rapidly or when any physical symptom appears."}
{"id": "PMID:1484419", "title": "[Influence of increased 201Tl lung uptake on the myocardial viability of the patients with dilated cardiomyopathy under congestive heart failure].", "content": "Influence of increased 201Tl lung uptake on the myocardial viability was studied in 15 patients with dilated cardiomyopathy under congestive heart failure. Rest and 4 hours delayed 201Tl SPECT were obtained. At the same time anterior planar images were collected. In 10 patients of 15 patients 201Tl lung heart ratio in SPECT (LHR) was larger than that in planar images. Maximal 201Tl lung uptake was noted at the lower left lung adjacent to the heart. In the delayed images 201Tl lung uptake diminished. In 10 patients the value of LHR in the delayed images was less than 0.5. By comparing initial images with delayed images it was proved to be difficult to determine the myocardial margin adjacent to the increased 201Tl lung uptake. In 2 patients lateral defects were concealed by the increased 201Tl lung uptake. In the remaining patients lateral wall was similar to the hypertrophic myocardium. The effect of scatter due to the increased 201Tl lung uptake was noted in the neighboring myocardium. In most cases %201Tl uptake in the septum was relatively depressed by increased %201Tl uptake in the lateral wall. In the delayed images pseudo-redistribution was noted in the septum. Mean value of differences in %201Tl uptake between initial and delayed images was 8 (2-15)%. It was concluded that in case of increased 201Tl lung uptake SPECT could not accurately estimate myocardial viability by initial images and delayed images were necessary for precise estimation."}
{"id": "PMID:1484420", "title": "[Influence of hypertensive left ventricular hypertrophy on detection of ischemic area with exercise thallium-201 myocardial scintigraphy].", "content": "Sixty-four patients with single left anterior descending artery disease having effort angina (group A: 40 patients without hypertension, group B: 10 patients with hypertrophic hypertension, group C: 14 patients with non-hypertrophic hypertension) were assessed the influence of hypertensive left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy on detection of ischemic area. The criterion of hypertrophy by two-dimensional echocardiography was > 12 mm in the wall thickness of interventricular septal or posterior wall. Population in Group B might show low detectability in ischemic area by 201Tl myocardial scintigraphy (positive thallium rate 60%, defect score 2.7 +/- 3.6), and high lung thallium uptake and high frequence of ECG positive among three groups. In semiquantitative analysis, the washout rate of the posterolateral wall and %RD (delayed %uptake-initial %uptake) of the septal wall in patients with Group B were lowest among three groups. However, the washout rate in the septal wall against the posterior wall, and the initial %uptake and the delayed %uptake of the septal wall were not significantly different among three groups. We could conclude that the decreased washout rate in nonischemic area with hypertensive LV hypertrophy might make the ischemic area masked."}
{"id": "PMID:1484421", "title": "[Calculation algorithm of three-dimensional absorbed dose distribution due to in vivo administration of nuclides for radiotherapy].", "content": "In the in vivo administration of radionuclides for radiotherapy including radioimmunotherapy, an algorithm is proposed for the purpose of calculating three-dimensional absorbed dose distributions of tumors and adjacent tissues, and neighboring organs. The absorbed dose distribution due to the algorithm is given by convolution of the three-dimensional dose matrix for a unit cubic voxel containing unit cumulated activity, with the three-dimensional matrix of the cumulated activity distribution given by the same voxel size above. The dose calculation algorithm does not depend upon the source size, the source shape, and the nonuniform and irregular activity distribution. In addition, it can exceedingly decrease computation time compared to other calculation algorithms. Computer simulations were performed using the MIRD thyroid phantom for 32P, 90Y, 131I, 186Re, and 188Re that appear promising for radioimmunotherapy, and their results verified the validity of the proposed calculation algorithm and high accuracy of the calculations."}
{"id": "PMID:1484422", "title": "[Time course of regional myocardial glucose metabolism after transient ischemia assessed by positron emission tomography].", "content": "The purpose of this study was to examine the significance of glucose metabolism in ischemic canine myocardium after reperfusion. Transient ischemia was induced by 90 or 180 minutes occlusion of the left anterior descending coronary artery. Twelve hours and 4 weeks after reperfusion, myocardial blood flow (MBF) and glucose metabolism were assessed (with H2(15)O and 18F-FDG, respectively) by positron emission tomography (PET) under the fasting state, and the metabolic findings were compared with the histologic examination. Glucose metabolism in ischemic regions was inversely related to the amount of tissue necrosis 12 hours and 4 weeks after reperfusion (r = -0.89 and r = -0.82, respectively). The perfusion-metabolism mismatch pattern was seen in the area with less than 10 percent necrosis 12 hours after reperfusion, but this pattern disappeared after 4 weeks. The area with 10 to 50 percent necrosis showed the mismatch pattern until 4 weeks after reperfusion, and in the area with more than 50 percent necrosis, perfusion-metabolism concordantly decreased. Thus, metabolic index assessed early after reperfusion by PET identified myocardial viability, and the perfusion-metabolism mismatch pattern sustained in relation to the degree of ischemic injury. Since some regions estimated to be irreversible by PET were viable by the histologic examination, PET study might underestimate the myocardial viability."}
{"id": "PMID:1484423", "title": "[The usefulness of dipyridamole stress myocardial scintigram as a preoperative test for detecting ischemic heart disease before vascular surgery].", "content": "We evaluated the usefulness of dipyridamole 201Tl myocardial scintigraphy (DS) for detecting myocardial ischemia in 18 candidate for vascular surgery. DS indicated significant thallium redistribution in 6 patients. Coronary angiography was performed in 5 of these 6 patients and revealed significant coronary artery disease in all patients. As a result, operation was cancelled in 4 patients with severe coronary artery disease. One of these cases died of acute myocardial infarction after being discharged from hospital. One other patient was operated after percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty. Another patient was operated knowing that he had significant but mild coronary artery disease. Subsequently, operations were performed in 14 patients. No serious cardiac event occurred in these 14 patients except one case with T wave inversion without myocardial enzyme elevation. Thus, we concluded that DS was a useful method for detecting ischemic heart disease and prevent cardiac event associated with vascular surgery."}
{"id": "PMID:1484424", "title": "[Correlation of the perfusion scintigram with pulmonary functions in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease].", "content": "We carried out ventilation-perfusion scintigraphy and pulmonary function tests in 21 patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. We used 99mTc-macroaggregate for perfusion scintigram and 133Xe gas for ventilation scintigram. We added the radioactivities of rebreathing phase and made lung volume image using computer. Regions of interest (ROIs) were derived from radioactivities in each image. ROIs on lung volume image included each whole lung and those on perfusion image included the areas which had relatively high radioactivity. We counted the area of ROIs on lung volume (L) and perfusion (P) images. Then we used the ratio of perfusion to lung volume (P/L) as a parameter of pulmonary perfusion. P/L had the significant correlations with the vital capacity, the actual FEV1.0, arterial oxygen partial pressure, diffusing capacity, RV/TLC and peak flow rate. These results suggested that P/L was a useful parameter of pulmonary perfusion in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1484425", "title": "[Usefulness and limitations of ECG-gated myocardial single-photon emission computed tomography with 99mTc-methoxy-isobutyl-isonitrile (MIBI) in patients with prior myocardial infarction].", "content": "To evaluate the relationship between regional wall motion and 99mTc-methoxy-isobutyl-isonitrile (MIBI) uptake, ECG-gated single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) with 99mTc-MIBI was performed in 20 patients with prior myocardial infarction. The left ventricular images at end-diastole (ED) and end-systole (ES) were divided into 39 segments, respectively. Based on circumferential profile analysis, relative uptake (%EDc, %ESc), percent count increase (% delta C), and normalized percent count increase (% delta Cn) were analyzed in each segment and compared with regional wall motion indices assessed by echocardiography and left ventriculography. ECG-gated SPECT with 99mTc-MIBI provided high contrast tomograms of the left ventricular myocardium. %EDc and %ESc showed good correlations with regional wall motion indices. % delta C and % delta Cn, however, showed lower correlations compared with %EDc and %ESc. In conclusion, high-quality left ventricular images were obtained with 99mTc-MIBI ECG-gated SPECT, but quantitative analysis based on only percent count increase (% delta C) have limitations for evaluation of regional wall motion."}
{"id": "PMID:1484426", "title": "[Usefulness of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography for evaluating myocardial viability in old myocardial infarction].", "content": "The purpose of this study is to compare the characteristics of images obtained by positron emission tomography (PET) using 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) in the fasted state (> 6 hours) and in the glucose-loaded state (oral 50 g glucose load). In the both condition FDG-PET were performed in 18 cases with old myocardial infarction. PET images in the fasted state were divided into 2 groups (Group A; 12 cases and Group B; 6 cases). FDG uptake of normal region was visually absent (grade 0) in group A, whereas it was visually apparent (grade 1-3) in group B. Serum free fatty acid in group B was significantly lower than that in group A. In the 7 cases, the relation between myocardial FDG uptake of the infarcted regions and reversibility after coronary intervention was studied. Both in the fasted and in the glucose-loaded state, postoperative improvement was observed in the segments, in which myocardial uptake of FDG were visually apparent (glucose-loaded state, 11/13 segments; fasted state, 6/8 segments). Therefore FDG-PET images appeared to be useful for evaluating myocardial viability."}
{"id": "PMID:1484427", "title": "[Thallium-201 and gallium-67 scintigraphies in the diagnosis of pneumoconiosis combined with lung cancer].", "content": "Thallium-201 (201Tl) and Gallium-67 (67Ga) scintigraphies were performed on 62-year-old male with silicosis combined with lung cancer (squamous cell carcinoma). In 67Ga and early 201Tl images, radiotracer uptakes were observed in both sites of cancer and silicosis, and thus, it was impossible to differentiate cancer mass from the large opacity of pneumoconiosis. On the other hand, in the 201Tl delayed images, 201Tl was localized only in cancer mass, while it was washed out from the large opacity. Our findings indicated that 201Tl early and delayed scintigraphy findings were very useful to differentiate lung cancer from silicosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1484428", "title": "[A comparison of community-acquired lung infection and nosocomial infection--review of autopsy cases in Hisayama town].", "content": "All people in Hisayama town who died either at home or in hospital are autopsied in Kyushu University Hospital. We examined the incidence and the pathogen of community-acquired lung infection and nosocomial infection from the records of 463 autopsy cases from 1977 to 1988. Of these cases, 243 died at home. Among them, pulmonary infections were present in 122 cases (50.2%), and pulmonary infection was the cause of death in 87 cases (35.8%). Of 220 cases that died in hospital, pulmonary infections were present in 133 cases (60.5%) and were the cause of death in 83 cases (37.7%). In the cases that died at home, the incidence of pulmonary infections during the first 6-year period of the study was almost the same as that during the last 6 years. In the case that died in hospital, the incidence of pulmonary infections during the last 6-year period was higher than that during the first 6-year period. Regarding the pathogenic organisms of the fungal infections, only Candida was detected in case that died at home, while Candida, Aspergillus and Cryptococcus were detected in the case that died in hospital."}
{"id": "PMID:1484429", "title": "[Pulmonary blood flow measurement by acetylene rebreathing method in subjects without respiratory function disturbance].", "content": "Simultaneous measurement of pulmonary blood flow by the acetylene rebreathing method and cardiac output by the thermodilution method was performed in subjects without respiratory function disturbance during right heart catheterization. After the measurement of cardiac output, the subjects rebreathing a gas mixture containing acetylene and argon from the end tidal level. The inspiratory and expiratory gases were measured by a mass-spectrometer. Results were analyzed by a lung model consisting of two compartments (rebreathing bag compartment and lung compartment), while taking into account the volume reduction due to O2 and CO2 exchange and the fluctuation of end tidal gas concentration until equilibrium between the bag and the lung. The correlation coefficient between these two methods was 0.944, which was statistically significant. The regression line was near the line of identity. The measurement of pulmonary blood flow by the acetylene rebreathing method was applicable in cases without lung function disturbance."}
{"id": "PMID:1484430", "title": "[Pulmonary function and pulmonary hemodynamics in obstructive sleep apnea syndrome].", "content": "The prevalence and mechanisms of daytime pulmonary hypertension were examined in 24 cases of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS). All patients were free from chronic lung disease. They underwent pulmonary function tests and blood gas analysis in the sitting and supine position, hypercapnic ventilatory response test, exercise test and right heart catheterization. Elevation of mean pulmonary arterial pressure (m-PAP) above 20 mmHg was observed in 5 out of 24 cases (20.8%). The group with pulmonary hypertension (PG+: m-PAP = 22.2 +/- 2.7 mmHg) showed marked obesity (p < 0.001), significant decrease of supine FRC/TLC (p < 0.05), increase of supine CC/FRC (p < 0.01), decrease of supine PaO2 (p < 0.02) and desaturation during exercise (p < 0.05) in comparison with the group without pulmonary hypertension (PH-: 13.9 +/- 3.1 mmHg). m-PAP was positively correlated with %IBW and desaturation during exercise (p < 0.01, p < 0.02) and negatively correlated with supine PaO2 (p < 0.01). Various changes in pulmonary function and pulmonary hemodynamics due to obesity seem to lead to daytime pulmonary hypertension of OSAS."}
{"id": "PMID:1484431", "title": "[Clinical study of bronchial inhalation challenge in summer-type hypersensitivity pneumonitis induced by Trichosporon cutaneum].", "content": "To evaluate the methods and criteria of judgement for the bronchial antigen inhalation challenge test, the test was performed with culture filtrate antigen of serotype I and II of Trichosporon cutaneum in 18 patients with summer-type hypersensitivity pneumonitis from 15 families. The quantity of 15 mg of culture filtrate antigen was adequate, and had no side effects. In the tests, 17 of 18 patients showed a positive reaction to both or either, serotype of antigen. In 36 performances of inhalation, there were 21 positive reactions and 15 negative reactions. According to the criteria of judgment for inhalation challenge test, the positive response rates of observation items were 75% for symptoms and signs, and 51% for laboratory data. Items with a high positive rate were cough, crepitant rales, and decrease of PaO2. On the other hand, low positive rates were observed for decrease of DLco, VC and positive CRP. Items with both high sensitivity and high specificity were cough, crepitant rales and decrease of PaO2. The low positive rate of decreased DLco was due to insufficient improvement before inhalation challenge. It was concluded that our methods and criteria of judgment for bronchial inhalation challenge test are useful."}
{"id": "PMID:1484432", "title": "[Generation of effector cells from primary lung cancer patients by stimulation with anti-CD3 monoclonal antibody followed by culture with recombinant interleukin-2].", "content": "Peripheral blood mononuclear cells obtained from 24 primary lung cancer patients were stimulated with anti-CD3 monoclonal antibody (alpha CD3MoAb) followed by culture with recombinant interleukin-2. The optimal concentration of alpha CD3MoAb for stimulation was 50 ng/ml in the liquid phase, and the sensitization culture was commenced at a cellular concentration of 1 x 10(6)/ml. Patients entered into this study were 14 cases of adenoca rcinoma, 7 of squamous cell carcinoma, and 3 of small cell carcinoma. After 4-6 days of stimulation with alpha CD3MoAb followed by culture with RIL-2 for 5-7 days, the cellular expansion was 3.7 folds (mean). Surface marker analysis of the cells revealed significant increments of CD3+, CD8+, HLA-DR+, and IL-2R+ cells after sensitization culture. In 2 cases, fresh autologous tumor cells could be obtained from surgical specimens. Effector cells generated in those 2 cases did not show significant cytotoxic activity against autologous tumor cells in 4 hr 51Cr release assay. In 5 cases, cytotoxicity against established lung cancer cell lines, STC-1 and L0301, were analyzed. In all cases, effector cells showed significant cytolytic activity against both targets. The sensitization culture utilizing alpha CD3MoAb was easy to perform and feasible for the majority of patients, and it is considered that utilization of this culture system would be worth while for adoptive immunotherapy in primary lung cancer patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1484433", "title": "[Inhibitory effect of vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) and peptide histidine isoleucine (PHI) on bronchoconstriction in guinea pigs].", "content": "The present studies were conducted to investigate whether or not VIP and PHI have a bronchodilator effect in vivo. VIP or PHI was administered intravenously in guinea pigs, and dynamic respiratory resistance was measured. Intravenous administration of VIP and PHI reduced dynamic respiratory resistance; however, the effect was significantly less than that of isoprenaline. VIP and PHI inhibited the increase in dynamic respiratory resistance by intravenous administration of histamine in a dose-dependent manner, suggesting that VIP and PHI may be involved in the pathogenesis of airway hyperresponsiveness through inhibiting the effect of mediators on the airway."}
{"id": "PMID:1484434", "title": "[Ultrastructural observation of eosinophils in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid in eosinophilic pneumonia].", "content": "To investigate the morphological changes of local eosinophils in the lungs, we observed the ultrastructure of eosinophils in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) from patients with eosinophilic pneumonia. We also measured the BALF concentration of eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) as an index of the activation of eosinophils. The eosinophils in BALF from patients with eosinophilic pneumonia showed various ultrastructural changes compared to eosinophils in BALF of the control patient. Changes included degranulation or disintegration of specific granules, cytoplasmic vacuolation, increased lipid droplets and the appearance of Charcot-Leiden crystals. These changes of BALF eosinophils were more prominent than those of peripheral blood eosinophils. ECP concentration (mean +/- SD) in BALF from patients with eosinophilic pneumonia was 12.2 +/- 7.78 micrograms/l which was significantly higher than the concentrations in patients with bronchial asthma not during an attack (1.36 +/- 2.08 micrograms/l) and in healthy control subjects (2.14 +/- 4.62 micrograms/l). These results suggest that local eosinophils in the lungs are activated and degranulated by various stimuli and undergo structural degeneration in eosinophilic pneumonia."}
{"id": "PMID:1484435", "title": "[Expression of epidermal growth factor receptor in adult human airway epithelium--application of AMeX method].", "content": "To elucidate the role of epidermal growth factor (EGF) in the maintenance and repair of airway epithelial cells in adult humans, we investigated immunohistochemically whether EGF receptor (EGFR) is expressed in these cells. In the present study, we employed the AMeX method (Sato et al., 1986) for tissue preparation. We first examined the expression of EGFR in peripheral lung tissue and bronchial tissue obtained at surgery from thirteen adult patients with lung carcinoma. The results showed that there was no positive staining for EGFR in the bronchial surface epithelium, bronchial glandular cells, bronchiolar epithelium or alveolar lining cells. There was also no expression of EGFR in cells comprising areas of basal cell hyperplasia and epidermoid metaplasia in the bronchus, or alveolar cell hyperplasia and columnar cell metaplasia in fibrotic lung tissue. Second, we examined the expression of EGFR in regenerating distal airway epithelial cells, which were experimentally produced by xenotransplantation of human lung tissue into the subcutaneous tissue of nude mice. There was also no expression of EGFR at any stage of regeneration from one week through six weeks after the transplantation. It is concluded that EGFR is not expressed, at least at an immunohistochemically detectable level, by airway epithelial cells of adult humans, not only in the quiescent state but also under conditions in which epithelial cells are stimulated to replicate. Thus, it appears unlikely that the EGF/EGFR system plays an important role in either maintenance or repair of airway epithelial cells in adult humans."}
{"id": "PMID:1484436", "title": "[A case of round atelectasis associated with spontaneous pneumothorax].", "content": "A 59-year-old female was admitted for spontaneous pneumothorax. After evacuation, the chest X-ray film showed a round mass lesion at the left hilum. Following curettage and bronchoalveolar lavage of the left B3c, the mass became smaller, suggesting the diagnosis of round atelectasis. This is the first report of round atelectasis complicated by spontaneous pneumothorax. The mechanism of this case is suggested to resemble that of round atelectasis associated with pleural effusion."}
{"id": "PMID:1484437", "title": "[A case of Wegener's granulomatosis complicated by hypopituitarism].", "content": "A 71-year-old male complaining of chest pain was admitted to our hospital. A single cavitary mass shadow was observed on chest X-ray films. Urinalysis revealed microscopic hematuria. CT examination demonstrated a tumorous shadow in the maxillary sinus. The diagnosis of Wegener's granulomatosis was histologically established by biopsy specimens from the nasal mucosa which showed necrotizing vasculitis and granuloma with fibrinoid degeneration. He was treated with combination therapy of prednisolone and cyclophosphamide. The abnormal shadows on chest X-ray and in the maxillary sinus on CT improved rapidly, but the patient developed progressive weight loss and complained of cold intolerance, weakness and dysphagia. Serum T3, T4 and TSH were found to be reduced. Anterior pituitary function tests showed reduction of TSH, GH and ACTH responses, which was probably due to irreversible vasculitis."}
{"id": "PMID:1484438", "title": "[A case of secondary lung cancer of cystadenocarcinoma showing multiple thin-walled cavities].", "content": "A 74-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital with the complaint of general fatigue. Chest X-ray revealed multiple thin-walled cavities in both lung fields. Cystadenocarcinoma in the liver and secondary lung cancer were diagnosed on the basis of chest X-ray, abdominal CT, and lung biopsy. She died of respiratory failure, in spite of treatment with chemotherapy for 8 months. At autopsy, the liver mass was diagnosed as cystadenocarcinoma, which had developed from a benign cystadenoma with the capacity to produce mucinous material. Thin-walled cavities in the lungs showed the same histological findings. Therefore, the mechanism of cavity formation in this case was speculated to have been metastasis of mucin-producing cystadenocarcinoma, with entry of air secondary to communication with the terminal bronchiole."}
{"id": "PMID:1484439", "title": "[A case of squamous cell carcinoma of the lung associated with acanthosis nigricans and solitary bronchial papilloma].", "content": "A 58-year-old man diagnosed as having acanthosis nigricans symmetrically distributed on the face, neck, hands, navel and external genitals, was admitted to our department for further investigation of abnormal chest films. Bronchoscopy revealed squamous cell carcinoma of left S6 and solitary bronchial papilloma of left S3. After left pneumonectomy, facial hyperpigmentation improved slightly. About half of the reported cases of acanthosis nigricans are accompanied by various kinds of malignant neoplasms, mostly adenocarcinomas of the digestive system. The association with squamous cell carcinoma of the lung in our case appears to be unique. Only 16 cases of solitary bronchial papilloma, including our case which had the smallest diameter of 2 mm, have been reported in Japan. While it is suggested that malignant neoplasms contribute to abnormal epidermal growth such as acanthosis nigricans, a causal relationship between squamous cell carcinoma of the lung and bronchial papilloma cannot be established."}
{"id": "PMID:1484440", "title": "[Two cases of malignant mesothelioma controlled by pleurectomy].", "content": "Open biopsy and pleurectomy were performed in 2 cases of asbestos exposure with bloody pleural effusion. Pathological examination revealed marked proliferation of fibrous tissue containing tumor cells. The tumor was diagnosed as malignant pleural mesothelioma on the basis of histochemical staining and transmission electron microscopy. Almost complete excision of tumor tissue was performed, and malignant mesothelioma had not relapsed 10 and 12 months after the operation. We recommend open biopsy and pleurectomy for cases of exposure with bloody and intractable pleural effusion."}
{"id": "PMID:1484441", "title": "[A case of central nervous system sarcoidosis, presenting with psychomotor seizure].", "content": "A rare case of neurosarcoidosis presenting with psychomotor seizure is reported. A 35-year-old woman was admitted to our ward for further evaluation of syncopal attacks and suspected sarcoidosis. The patient had a history of syncopal attacks for about 15 years prior to admission; however, the pathogenesis was not clarified in spite of various examinations. Three months prior to admission, left peripheral facial nerve palsy, bilateral hypopion and bilateral hilar lymphadenopathy on plain chest film were noted at the departments of neurosurgery and ophthalmology of our hospital. She was referred and admitted to our ward. The diagnosis of sarcoidosis was made by scalene node biopsy. The syncopal attacks could not be controlled by several anticonvulsant agents. Although no significant findings were observed on brain CT and cerebral angiography, spike wave was revealed on electroencephalography (EEG) in the parieto-temporal lead. The syncopal attacks were diagnosed psychomotor seizures from both the clinical features and the EEG findings. We concluded that syncope was caused by neurosarcoidosis. The patient was prescribed steroid with much improvement of these symptoms."}
{"id": "PMID:1484442", "title": "[A case of obstructive ventilatory disturbance caused by bronchial wall granulation due to a fish bone].", "content": "A 62-year-old man was admitted to Kawasaki Medical School Kawasaki Hospital after suffering from wheezing for one year. His chest X-ray film showed no significant findings in the lung fields and mediastinum. A chest CT film showed a small protrusion at the posterior wall of the right main bronchus. Bronchofiberscopy disclosed a polypoid tumor with a smooth surface in the right main bronchus, confirming the finding of the chest CT, and a restiform eminence at the truncus intermedius. The restiform eminence was revealed to be a fish bone after removal from the bronchus using the forceps of a bronchofiberscope. Histological examination of a bronchoscopic biopsy specimen from the tumor of the right main bronchus showed inflammatory granulation tissue. We confirm subsequently questioned the patient who revealed that he had aspirated another fish bone two months earlier, and we presumed that the tumor of the right main bronchus might be granulation tissue secondary to the impaction of a fish bone. The patient was not aware that he had aspirated a foreign body, but it was presumed that he had aspirated the fish bone one year earlier, coinciding with the onset of wheezing. Immediately after removal, his wheezing disappeared. Comparison of the results of pulmonary function tests after removal with those before showed improvement of V25/predicted V25 ratio from 24% to 72%, and improvement of V50/V25 ratio from 3.7 to 2.4. This is considered to be a rare case of bronchial granulation due to a foreign body, which was recognized as a small polypoid tumor by chest CT."}
{"id": "PMID:1484443", "title": "[Angioscopic findings of the peripheral pulmonary arteries in patients with chronic pulmonary diseases].", "content": "Angioscopic observation of the peripheral pulmonary arteries was performed in 14 patients with chronic lung diseases (male 9/female 5, age 70.8 +/- 8.3 years, pulmonary tuberculosis sequelae 6, chronic bronchitis 4, chronic pulmonary emphysema 3, pneumoconiosis 1). The blood flow was stopped by the inflated balloon of a 7F guiding catheter, and then the peripheral pulmonary arteries (inner diameter 1.0-4.5 mm) were observed with a fiberoptic catheter (outer diameter 0.7 mm). In 10 out of 14 patients abnormal findings were obtained, which included redness, erosion, ulceration of the vascular wall, thrombus, fibrous tissue, and occlusion of the lumen. The incidence of abnormal findings tended to be higher in chronic bronchitis and pulmonary tuberculosis sequelae than in chronic pulmonary emphysema. These results suggest that 1) various changes including \"vasculitis\" and thrombus exist in the peripheral pulmonary arteries of chronic lung diseases, and 2) that angioscopy may provide the detailed information about both the vascular wall and the lumen which cannot be obtained by pulmonary angiography."}
{"id": "PMID:1484454", "title": "Being a family. The experience of raising a child with a disability or chronic illness.", "content": "This chapter examined the experiences of families of children with a variety of specialized needs, families who, as pioneers in family-centered, community-based care, are defining the future of services. It also looked at the services that are supposed to support the families in their efforts. On one hand, we have exposed the reader to the tension between traditional approaches to services for children with special needs and the expressed needs of families for coherence and empowerment. On the other hand, the data testify to the development of a new definition of the parent-professional relationship as individual professionals and select service systems around the country strive to work out what it means to support families. When the testimony of these families is carefully read, we are left with an impression of a schizophrenic system of public and private supports for home care for children with severe disabilities and specialized health care needs. The official rhetoric affirms the primacy of the family, and yet the experience of these families is otherwise. Again and again, the families told of benefits managers, case managers, discharge planners, social workers, program administrators, special educators, and the like who implied that parents were out to \"milk the system.\" This attitude was conveyed even in dealing with entitlements and plans to which the parents had long contributed. Families were treated as beneficiaries of benevolent charity for which they should be grateful. Families, already struggling to come to terms with their child's impairment and the care demands associated with it, find themselves stigmatized, impoverished, and degraded. In a society of rugged individualists they are forced to ask for help. That in itself is more than some of the parents can deal with. It should be clear that these parents are not asking for charity. No one here is out to \"milk the system.\" They are simply seeking support to meet some of the extraordinary demands associated with raising their children. As parents, they are not looking for the state to assume their responsibilities. Rather, they seek supports that will enable them to devote their energies to being parents. Their testimony suggests the need for states to recognize support for the family as an entitlement that affirms that the family. They base this call on the fact that support for families is the most cost effective service the state can provide.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1484456", "title": "CAGE and the Brief MAST study of alcohol use and misuse by medical students in Papua New Guinea.", "content": "This article reports a comparative study of alcohol use and misuse among Papua New Guinea medical students in their second, third, fourth and fifth years of undergraduate study using CAGE and the Brief MAST. The study instrument was divided into three parts, namely Part A for collecting demographic data, Part B comprising the four CAGE questions and Part C comprising the ten-item Brief MAST. The self-administered questionnaires were distributed to each year group separately by one of the two investigators (FYAJ or LI). Each year group took about ten minutes to complete the questionnaires. A total of 98 completed questionnaires were returned (41 out of 42 in the second year; 18 out of 22 in the third year; 21 out of 26 in the fourth year, and 18 out of 18 in the fifth year). This gives a total response rate of 98 out of 108 (90.7%). The collected data were evaluated by statistical analysis. The results are presented in Tables 1 to 6."}
{"id": "PMID:1484457", "title": "Drug abuse in America: medical and socio-legal dilemmas.", "content": "This article's first section describes some medico-legal issues that have been most influential in shaping responses to drug abuse in America. The next section presents a number of approaches to combating substance abuse within the criminal justice and civil systems, and discusses their rationale, effectiveness and problems. The article concludes by raising socio-political dilemmas that face America regarding the control of drug use, and asks to what extent these dilemmas are the product of ill-conceived theory and practice."}
{"id": "PMID:1484458", "title": "Characteristics of ethics committees of Japanese medical schools.", "content": "In Japan, almost all of the 80 medical colleges and medical faculties of universities have founded ethics committees voluntarily. To date, many of them have concentrated their deliberation on the general policy of advanced medical technologies which should be resolved at national level, while they have failed to become involved in ethical decisions in daily clinical cases."}
{"id": "PMID:1484459", "title": "Physician-assisted suicide: epistemological problems.", "content": "In the debate over physician-assisted suicide, it is assumed that issues of who might appropriately be granted such extreme assistance or how such decisions might be made can be unambiguously decided. However, the validity of such judgments remains unknown. It is clear that some rate of error in diagnosis and clinical assessment is unavoidable, while there are presently no scientific grounds to believe that competency to request physician-assisted suicide can be reliably determined. At best, resolving the question of when or if to assist a patient in suicide would require a number of clinical judgments which are currently unsupported by any research. Moreover, these judgments are not clearly separable from the physician's feelings towards the procedure, the patient or the patient's family, thus potentially subverting the objectivity needed for such a decision. Even if physician-assisted suicide could be justified on purely ethical grounds, there is no reason to believe that it is possible for physicians accurately to determine whose requests should be granted according to any proposed standards of fitness."}
{"id": "PMID:1484460", "title": "Medical experimentation on humans: a moral point of view.", "content": "This article deals with the medical ethical dilemma in performing experiments on humans. Its aim is to examine and offer solutions to the complex subject of medical experimentation in relation to the medical community, society, the patient, doctor and nurse, keeping in mind the importance of its benefits to the patient and to medical research. Doctors are obliged to follow the rules dictated by medical ethics, and are guided by them in times of decision-making and judgments regarding the performance of medical experimentation."}
{"id": "PMID:1484461", "title": "REMEDHOS: the development of a medical and hospital liability database in Quebec.", "content": "Confronted in 1985 with the sudden rise of costs for liability protection, the health care sector in Canada took note of the fact that little or no reliable data were available and easily accessible to assess the actual scope and nature of the phenomenon of increasing medical liability suits in Canada. In order to correct this situation, a computerized database was created covering malpractice suits launched against Quebec health care professionals and establishments. This article presents the methodology that was used for the creation of the database; it describes the material that was used, the technical instruments that were developed and the software utilized. It also describes the structure and content of the database and presents its practical application with respect to the areas of risk management, health care evaluation, professional controls and tort reform."}
{"id": "PMID:1484462", "title": "Insanity: making law in the absence of evidence.", "content": "The Insanity Defense Reform Act (IDRA) of 1984, passed by the United States Congress after two years of hearings, illustrates the dangers of making law in the absence of evidence. In attempting to produce fewer not guilty by reason of insanity (NGRI) verdicts, the lawmakers changed the test definition of insanity, banned ultimate opinion testimony by experts and altered the burden and standard of proof. Yet, when each of these changes was empirically tested, it failed to produce fewer NGRI verdicts. From an empirical vantage point, research now is exploring the common sense constructs of sane and insane that mock jurors consistently appear to use, and these turn out to be complex, relevant and powerfully determinative of verdict. Evidence for partial responsibility judgments, along with two types of culpability judgments--at the moment of the act for the act, and for earlier actions that may bring about the mental disability--have been found. Finally, a sequential schema for insanity, which assesses both types of culpability and their degree has been tested, and the results show the least variance and the greatest coherence with other judgments and ratings of responsibility."}
{"id": "PMID:1484463", "title": "Health care as a natural right.", "content": "Health care is recognized as a right in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and by the World Health Organization's Declaration on the Rights of Patients. This article demonstrates that this concept of a 'right' to health care draws strong support from leading modern works on natural law and justice and responds to the arguments, both theoretical and practical, put forward against this proposition. It concludes with two warnings: (a) Even in a system where health care is said to be a right, this can be meaningless if the system does not promote basic health, fails to set proper legal and ethical controls or ignores the important individual rights of patients. (b) Our primary commitment must be to those persons who are denied access to health care. To them, talk of patient's individual rights is superfluous. They cannot claim such rights if they are denied the more fundamental right to be a patient."}
{"id": "PMID:1484464", "title": "Where there's a will.", "content": "Since the United States Supreme Court decision in the Cruzan case, there will be more use of living wills which authorize the discontinuance of medical treatment for the terminally ill. Nutrition and hydration have been included as medical treatment in some cases. The statutes which authorize these documents provide that they can be revoked. Medical personnel who may be in close contact with patients and their families, such as nurses and social workers, should be trained in the provisions of living wills and what can amount to their revocation."}
{"id": "PMID:1484465", "title": "The physician's physician: latent duties to protect third persons.", "content": "It is apparent from a growing body of court decisions that physician-patient confidentiality has been limited in those circumstances where society has a need to know certain specific information. The treating physician's duty to breach confidentiality and to warn third parties of a patient's dangerousness because of violent intent, effects of medication or dangerous health condition encompasses a duty to report previously undisclosed impairment of a fellow physician who is in treatment. The alternative is to convince the impaired colleague to withdraw from practice until the impairment is remedied. Thus, a physician collegially providing care of a colleague shoulders a particular responsibility when the physician patient is found to manifest professional impairment. This article presents a development of this thesis based upon common law and legislation in the United States."}
{"id": "PMID:1484466", "title": "Dr Rogers' 'insanity detector' and the admissibility of novel scientific evidence.", "content": "The R-CRAS (Rogers' Criminal Responsibility Assessment Scales) purports to be a systematic and empirically based approach to evaluations of criminal responsibility. This 'insanity detector' has been heralded as a reliable instrument in the resolution of the psycholegal controversies surrounding the plea of insanity. It is contended that, regardless of its possible scientific merit, most courts will find that the R-CRAS fails to satisfy the Frye test for admissibility of novel scientific evidence (that is, general acceptance by the relevant scientific community). Moreover, it is argued that the R-CRAS's potential for prejudice outweighs its probative value, in that it might unfairly bolster the testimony of the expert witness who relies upon it and might overwhelm the jury because of its 'aura of special reliability and trustworthiness'. Until such time as the R-CRAS does gain widespread acceptance and is shown to be sufficiently reliable to outweigh any potential prejudice (if ever), the author is of the opinion that forensic psychiatrists and psychologists may have to continue to conduct evaluations of criminal responsibility 'the old-fashioned way'. 'Truth does less good in the world than its appearances do harm' --La Rochefoucauld."}
{"id": "PMID:1484467", "title": "Psychosurgery in the modern era: therapeutic and ethical aspects.", "content": "Brain operations for psychiatric illness were in the past the centre of public controversy. Fear of untoward side-effects and an exaggerated use of the procedure including treatment of societal aspects of the disease process caused a virtual cessation of psychosurgical operations. With the introduction of techniques that could accurately lesion specific areas in the brain, especially in the limbic system, psychosurgical procedures were revived. Psychiatric syndromes, such as obsessive-compulsive affective disorders, were shown to have benefited from such intervention, without giving rise to untoward side-effects. Given societal supervision it is appropriate to reconsider the use of psychosurgery in well-defined clinical entities of mental disease that do not respond to alternative therapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1484468", "title": "A plea for the establishment of psychiatric forensic units in Israel.", "content": "The growing interaction between psychiatric and legal systems justifies the establishment of specialized services. From a theoretical viewpoint, the obligation of judges to apply a dichotomic categorization between 'mentally ill' offenders and the rest--encompassing a wide spectrum of normal people as well as those suffering from severe personality disorders--contradicts the psychiatrist's conception of continuum in pathology and liability. In practice, the criterion of accountability determines whether an offender will be punished or treated in a mental institution. Mentally disturbed but non-psychotic offenders cannot benefit from advances in psychiatric techniques. This article details suggestions for change: The decision about mentally disturbed offenders should be based on two criteria--liability and chance of improvement through treatment. The judicial decision may then integrate punishment and treatment. The establishment of psychiatric forensic units would significantly add to the present range of services handling mentally disturbed offenders, would end the dispersion of the professionals (psychiatrists, psychologists, criminologists, social workers, probation officers) involved in the management of such offenders, and could provide an academic base and a framework for training residents."}
{"id": "PMID:1484469", "title": "Judicial murder.", "content": "It is catastrophic when a judicial error results in the implementation of the death penalty. The western system of courts of appeal diminishes the risk of the condemnation of innocent persons but does not rule it out. Intrinsic influences of psychological effects are just as detrimental as preconceived notions as was the case, for instance, when Socrates' life ended unnaturally. This happened despite the fact that he was able to establish persuasively that the court had considered false evidence and had therefrom made unfair and untruthful deductions. This article uses the example in psychosomatic medicine of a member of a family who becomes aggressive because of envy and jealousy and this results in often tragic consequences for the 'victim' of his offensive behaviour. The principle is the same. The only solution is the intercession of an unbiased influence to work out the problem from a point of view that is unaffected by such turmoils which are often inherent in the system. If this is not done any organization or society can make deadly mistakes."}
{"id": "PMID:1484470", "title": "Legal and therapeutic interventions with incestuous families.", "content": "Explanations for the occurrence of incest can be grouped into four general categories. Although some authors and clinicians have stated that one category of explanations best explains incest, the literature contains empirical and case report support for each category. In this article, it is argued that each category of explanations is useful for understanding incest, and that a single category can explain only a small minority of incest cases. Most cases are more effectively characterized by a combination of explanations. Assessing which of the explanations describes a particular incestuous family will provide valuable guidelines for determining the most appropriate legal and therapeutic interventions for that family."}
{"id": "PMID:1484471", "title": "On mitigating professional arrogance in the treatment of sex offenders.", "content": "This article suggests that the adversarial approach of the criminal justice system towards handling of the paraphilias ultimately does more harm than good. The acceptance by helping professionals of the criminal justice model into their diagnostic consideration and treatment procedures is discussed, along with a discussion of some of the debilitating ethical and scientific implications of such an alignment. Historical, political and professional factors which have contributed to these disturbing trends are discussed and proposals are made as to how helping professionals might reclaim and reassert their traditional roles in service of their clientele."}
{"id": "PMID:1484472", "title": "Treatment of chronic nonvalvular atrial fibrillation in the elderly: a decision analysis.", "content": "The objective of the study was to determine the preferred treatment strategy for elderly patients with chronic nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (CNVAF). A Markov decision-analytic model was used to compare three treatment strategies for CNVAF: 1) warfarin; 2) aspirin; and 3) no treatment. Five-year quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) were calculated for male and female cohorts aged 70 and 75 years. In the baseline analysis (effectiveness of warfarin = 0.70, effectiveness of aspirin = 0.45, utility of warfarin = 0.99, and utility of aspirin = 0.999) the quality-adjusted survival rates for 70-year-old males were 4.03 QALYs on warfarin, 4.02 QALYs on aspirin, and 3.95 QALYs on no treatment. Results were similar for all age and sex cohorts. Sensitivity analyses revealed that the results were very sensitive to the effectiveness of aspirin and the disutility of warfarin. The authors conclude that the optimal strategy for the treatment of CNVAF in elderly patients varies with the disutility assigned to warfarin therapy and the effectiveness value for aspirin therapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1484473", "title": "Data-source effects on the sensitivities and specificities of clinical features in the diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis: the relevance of multiple sources of knowledge for a decision-support system.", "content": "An experimental computer system was developed to support diagnosis of rheumatic disorders by computing diagnostic probabilities using modified likelihood ratios. The authors examined whether the performance of the model was affected by the settings in which the data used to derive the likelihood ratios were collected. The sensitivities and specificities of various clinical features for diagnosing rheumatoid arthritis (RA) were obtained from: 1) a study of 1,570 consecutive outpatients at a rheumatology clinic; 2) a review of the literature; 3) estimates by rheumatologists; and 4) a population study. Considerable variations in sensitivity and specificity but satisfactory agreement in likelihood ratios were found across the four data sets. The likelihood ratios were then used to compute the probabilities of RA in a test series of 570 of the rheumatology clinic outpatients. The model's diagnoses with likelihood ratios from the other sources were adequate. When the likelihood ratios from these sources were combined, discrimination came close to what could be achieved by using the likelihood ratios based on the data from the clinic. The method applied in the study, which makes use of variation of input data instead of variation of test series, and the results are relevant to assessing the external validity and transferability of Bayesian decision-support systems."}
{"id": "PMID:1484475", "title": "Hormonal replacement therapy: analysis of clinical strategies used by residents.", "content": "The authors investigated strategies employed by resident physicians to decide whether to prescribe hormonal replacement therapy (HRT) for menopausal women, a matter of continuing clinical controversy. Verbal protocols were obtained from 21 residents in three specialties as they responded to 12 brief case descriptions. The cases incorporated three levels of cancer risk and two levels of osteoporosis risk in a 3 x 2 factorial design with two replications in each cell. Substantial variation in willingness to prescribe HRT was observed. By clustering subjects with relatively similar approaches to the problem, three treatment strategies were formulated that accounted for the decisions of 20 subjects. Each strategy is a simplified representation of the conflicting considerations in this clinical dilemma that facilitates rapid decision making. The differences between these representations and formal decision-analytic models help to explain why observed clinical decisions were inconsistent with expected utility maximization."}
{"id": "PMID:1484474", "title": "Birthweight-adjusted mortality rates for assessing the effectiveness of neonatal intensive care.", "content": "Mortality rates for very-low-birthweight infants vary significantly among different neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). Computational models and computer simulation are used to predict the performance of an algorithm for identifying individual NICUs within a network that have greater than 110% of the expected birthweight-adjusted mortality risk. The algorithm maintains high sensitivity and specificity with as few as three moderately heterogeneous risk categories when applied to large health care networks; the model parameters were based on preliminary data from a real NICU network. The performance of the algorithm depends on the number of admissions at the individual NICU. A NICU with a center-specific risk 130% of the network average would be correctly identified as an outlier 50% of the time if it had 35 admissions, 59% of the time if it had 70 admissions, and 77% of the time if it had 280 admissions. A NICU with average risk would be incorrectly identified as an outlier 16%, 12%, or 2% of the time if it had 35, 70, or 280 admissions, respectively. Severity-of-illness casemix adjustment did not improve these results. It is concluded that the sensitivity and specificity of the algorithm in determining which facilities have higher-than-expected mortality will be less in typical NICU networks than in large health care networks that treat adult patients. It is unlikely that severity-of-illness adjustments will overcome the problem of the small numbers of admissions at individual NICUs."}
{"id": "PMID:1484481", "title": "The Fis protein: it's not just for DNA inversion anymore.", "content": "Higher-order nucleoprotein complexes are associated with many biological processes. In bacteria the formation of these macromolecular structures for DNA recombination, replication, and transcription often requires not only the participation of specific enzymes and co-factors, but also a class of DNA-binding proteins collectively known as 'nucleoid-associated' or 'histone-like' proteins. Examples of this class of proteins are HU, Integration Host Factor, H-NS, and Fis. Fis was originally identified as the factor for inversion stimulation of the homologous Hin and Gin site-specific DNA recombinases of Salmonella and phage Mu, respectively. This small, basic, DNA-bending protein has recently been shown to function in many other reactions including phage lambda site-specific recombination, transcriptional activation of rRNA and tRNA operons, repression of its own synthesis, and oriC-directed DNA replication. Cellular concentrations of Fis vary tremendously under different growth conditions which may have important regulatory implications for the physiological role of Fis in these different reactions. The X-ray crystal structure of Fis has been determined and insights into its mode of DNA binding and mechanisms of action in these disparate systems are being made."}
{"id": "PMID:1484478", "title": "Assessing utilities by means of conjoint measurement: an application in medical decision analysis.", "content": "A method is presented for helping patients who have laryngeal cancer to decide between laryngectomy and radiotherapy in cases where these treatments are deemed medically equivalent. The method is based on the model of additive conjoint measurement. The treatment with the higher utility is determined from pair comparisons among outcomes that vary in quality and quantity of life. Pair comparisons enable a (partial) test of the axioms of additive conjoint measurement. This is in contradistinction to earlier work on decision making for patients with laryngeal cancer, and most of the work in medical decision making in general, in which underlying axioms have almost never been tested. Besides testing the axioms, another important advantage of pair comparisons is that they avoid difficulties with other, risk-based, assessment procedures by presenting only riskless alternatives. Encouraging results have been found in a study among patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1484479", "title": "Use of formal methods in medical decision making: a survey and analysis.", "content": "Apparent low usage of formal decision techniques by general clinicians has raised questions about dissemination methods and about the techniques' perceived usefulness. Two literature searches examined whether use of formal decision techniques among clinicians had indeed failed to increase from the 1970s to the 1980s. A general MEDLINE search for the period 1983-87 relative to 1973-77 indicated that usage of formal decision techniques had more than doubled. This increase, however, was due to increased coverage of formal decision techniques in specialist methods journals. A manual search of seven major clinical journals and a MEDLINE search restricted to the clinical journals of the manual search disclosed no increase in overall usage for the same time periods. MEDLINE detected only a small subset of the actual instances of formal method usage found by the manual search. Individual medical subspecialties were found to utilize different formal decision techniques to different degrees. The authors suggest interventions that may increase the usage of formal decision techniques among general clinicians."}
{"id": "PMID:1484482", "title": "Three-stranded DNA structure; is this the secret of DNA homologous recognition?", "content": "A novel type of triple-stranded DNA structure was proposed by several groups to play a crucial role in homologous recognition between single- and double-stranded DNA molecules. In this still putative structure a duplex DNA was proposed to co-ordinate a homologous single strand in its major groove side. In contrast to the well-characterized pyrimidine-purine-pyrimidine triplexes in which the two like strands are antiparallel and which are restricted to poly-pyrimidine-containing stretches, the homology-specific triplexes would have like strands in parallel orientation and would not be restricted to any particular sequence provided that there is a homology between interacting DNA molecules. For many years the stereo-chemical possibility of forming homology-dependent three- or four-stranded DNA structures during the pairing stage of recombination reactions was seriously considered in published papers. However, only recently has there been a marked increase in the number of papers that have directly tested the formation of triple-stranded DNA structures during the actual pairing stage of the recombination reaction. Unfortunately the results of these tests are not totally clear cut; while some laboratories presented experimental evidence consistent with the formation of triplexes, others studying the same or very similar systems offered alternative explanations. The aim of this review is to present the current state of the central question in the mechanism of homologous recombination, namely, what kind of DNA structure is responsible for DNA homologous recognition. Is it a novel triplex structure or just a classical duplex?"}
{"id": "PMID:1484483", "title": "How bacterial protein toxins enter cells; the role of partial unfolding in membrane translocation.", "content": "Bacterial protein toxins translocate across membranes by processes that are still mysterious. Studies on diphtheria toxin have shown that partial unfolding processes play a major role in toxin membrane insertion and translocation. Similar unfolding behaviour is seen with other bacterial toxins. The lessons gained from this behaviour allow us to propose novel mechanisms for toxin translocation."}
{"id": "PMID:1484476", "title": "Combining and comparing area estimates across studies or strata.", "content": "A method for combining and comparing medical tests across studies or strata is presented. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve is the parameter of interest to be used for comparison. The combined area is a weighted average of the areas under the curve in each study or stratum. A chi-square test for equality of areas across strata can be used to compare the areas. The power of the test is also explored. The methods presented are simple and require only knowledge of estimates of area and their standard errors. Either parametric or nonparametric estimates of the area can be used."}
{"id": "PMID:1484484", "title": "Role of the RNA polymerase alpha subunit in transcription activation.", "content": "The N-terminal two-thirds of the alpha subunit of Escherichia coli RNA polymerase plays an essential role in the initiation of subunit assembly, by gathering two large subunits, beta and beta', together into a core-enzyme complex. One group of RNA polymerase mutants deficient in response to transcription activation carries mutations in the C-terminal region of the alpha subunit, indicating that the C-terminal region of the alpha subunit is involved in protein-protein contact in positive control of transcription. A set of activators (class I transcription factors) which make contact with this contact site I region on RNA polymerase alpha subunit bind in most cases to DNA upstream of the promoter -35 signal. Genetic fine mapping indicates that a cluster of subsites exists in the contact site I region, each interacting with a set of the class I factors and each consisting of a structure formed by only 5-10 amino acid residues."}
{"id": "PMID:1484477", "title": "Reproducibility of predictor variables from a validated clinical rule.", "content": "It has been suggested that clinical prediction rules are not reproducible, and that the most important variables frequently do not appear in replicate models. The authors studied the reproducibility of a validated rule for predicting radiographic evidence of pneumonia (ROC areas for the training and validation cohorts, 0.816 and 0.821, respectively). Two hundred replicate samples of size 250 and size 500 were generated by sampling without replacement from the original training cohort of 905 patients with a 14.6% prevalence of pneumonia. Forward selection was performed among 31 candidate variables by stepwise logistic regression. Using as reproducibility criteria: 1) inclusion of all five variables from the original model in the original order; 2) inclusion of all five variables in any order; 3) inclusion of the first three variables; 4) inclusion of the first two variables; 5) inclusion of the first variable; and 6) inclusion of any of the five variables: 2.5%, 13.5%, 48.5%, 85.5%, 98.0%, and 100% of replicate models of sample size 500, respectively, met the criteria, whereas 0%, 0%, 16.5%, 49.0%, 71.5%, and 97.5% of models of sample size 250 met the criteria (all comparisons by sample size p < .0001 except for criteria 1 and 6, p = 0.07). Mean ROC areas in the training and validation samples were 0.829 and 0.791 for replicate models of sample size 500, and 0.831 and 0.779 for models of sample size 250. There was no significant difference in ROC areas between training and validation cohorts for 80.5% of models of sample size 500, and for 75.3% of models of sample size 250.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1484486", "title": "Subtelomeric expression regions of Borrelia hermsii linear plasmids are highly polymorphic.", "content": "Borrelia hermsii, a relapsing fever agent, undergoes multiphasic antigenic variation to evade its host's immune response. Serotype specificity is determined by variable membrane lipoproteins, Vmps, which are expressed from genes located near the end of a linear plasmid. Using the polymerase chain reaction and primers representing the promoter of the active vmp and a conserved telomeric sequence, we characterized the subtelomeric expression regions of the 25 known serotypes of strain HS1. The distance from the promoter to the telomere fell into three size classes of approximately 1.0, 1.5, and 2.5 kilobases. In the sequenced serotypes the size differences were accounted for by variable lengths of the vmp genes and intervening sequences between 3' end of the vmp gene and the start of a downstream homology block. The degree of nucleotide identity between different vmp genes, or between the different 3' flanking DNA varied from 39-78%. Thus, there is length and sequence variability not only between vmp genes themselves but also between the 3' flanking regions of vmp genes."}
{"id": "PMID:1484485", "title": "Characterization of the micro-environment of Salmonella typhimurium-containing vacuoles within MDCK epithelial cells.", "content": "Salmonella typhimurium has the capacity to enter into and multiply within epithelial cells. During the entire intracellular stage, bacteria are enclosed within a vacuole. To characterize the micro-environment of the bacteria-containing vacuoles, we have used a new method to measure the expression levels of several S. typhimurium genes in intracellular bacteria within Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) epithelial cells. Our study was based on the determination of beta-galactosidase activity derived from lacZ transcriptional fusions using the highly sensitive substrate fluorescein-di-beta-D-galactoside (FDG). Expression of the iroA and mgtB genes (induced by Fe2+ and Mg2+ limitation respectively), and cadA (induced by pH 6.0 in the presence of lysine, with enhanced expression under anaerobiosis) were characterized at different post-infection times. High intracellular expression levels were detected for the iroA and mgtB genes, suggesting that the concentrations of free Fe2+ and Mg2+ in the vacuole may be low. cadA activity was detected only at early post-infection times (4 h), suggesting that the vacuole may have a mild-acidic pH, and oxygen and lysine present at this time. Globally, the results reported indicate that the use of a highly sensitive beta-galactosidase substrate can provide information about the micro-environment within which an intracellular pathogen, such as S. typhimurium, resides."}
{"id": "PMID:1484487", "title": "Site-directed mutagenesis of an amino acid residue in the bacteriophage P2 ogr protein implicated in interaction with Escherichia coli RNA polymerase.", "content": "The P2 ogr gene encodes a 72-amino-acid protein required for P2 late gene expression. This gene was defined originally by a class of compensatory mutations which overcome the block to P2 late transcription imposed by a host mutation, rpoA109, in the gene encoding the alpha subunit of Escherichia coli RNA polymerase. Spontaneous compensatory ogr mutations substitute a Cys for a Tyr residue at amino acid 42 in the Ogr polypeptide. Using suppression of an ogr amber mutation and site-directed oligonucleotide mutagenesis, we have studied the effect of amino acid substitutions at this position in Ogr. Substitution of charged residues at this site renders Ogr protein inactive, in rpoA+ and rpoA109 strains. While 11 different amino acids are capable of replacing the wild-type Tyr-42 to allow P2 growth to varying degrees in a wild-type E. coli strain, only three of these allow phage growth in strains carrying the rpoA109 mutation. Phages carrying Cys or Ala in place of Tyr-42 gave burst sizes at least as high as P2 ogr+ in a rpoA+ strain; a Gly substitution also allowed P2 to grow in either a rpoA+ or rpoA109 background, but markedly reduced the burst size. These results are consistent with a direct interaction between Ogr and the alpha subunit of E. coli RNA polymerase in positive control of P2 late transcription, and indicate that the block imposed by the rpoA109 mutation is due to steric hindrance."}
{"id": "PMID:1484488", "title": "Differential expression of nodS accounts for the varied abilities of Rhizobium fredii USDA257 and Rhizobium sp. strain NGR234 to nodulate Leucaena spp.", "content": "Transfer of a cosmid containing nodSU from Rhizobium sp. NGR234 to Rhizobium fredii USDA257 expands the host range for nodulation to include the perennial tropical legumes, Leucaena leucocephala and Leucaena diversifolia. Complementation experiments with a series of subclones established that nodS and its associated nod-box promoter from NGR234 are sufficient to confer this extended host-range phenotype to L. leucocephala. Strain USDA257 contains its own copy of nodSU, including upstream nod-box sequences. Although both nucleotide and deduced amino acid sequences of the reading frames are homologous between the two strains, there are gaps within the promoter region and the 5'-end of nodS of USDA257. Consequently, the deduced NodS protein of USDA257 is shorter than its counterpart from NGR234, and the distance between the nod-box and the initiation codon is greater. A 36 bp deletion encompasses the extreme right border of the USDA257 nod-box and extends into the upstream leader sequence. Transcriptional fusions with both nod-boxes confirmed that the promoter from NGR234 is flavonoid-inducible, and that the nod-box from USDA257 is not. These observations were corroborated by Northern analysis with a nodS-containing Xhol fragment as hybridization probe. Flavonoid-induced cells of NGR234 gave an intense signal, but those of USDA257 yielded only a weak trace of hybridization. EcoRI fragments with homology to nodSU of USDA257 are present in 17 of 35 tested strains, including several representatives of Bradyrhizobium japonicum, Rhizobium sp., R. loti, and R. fredii. Two wild-type, leucaena-nodulating strains of Rhizobium sp. lack this homology. We conclude that a genetic defect in expression of nodS accounts for the inability of USDA257 to nodulate leucaena and that diverse rhizobia may have evolved alternative mechanisms to nodulate this legume species."}
{"id": "PMID:1484489", "title": "Quelling: transient inactivation of gene expression in Neurospora crassa by transformation with homologous sequences.", "content": "Up to 36% of Neurospora crassa transformants showing an albino phenotype were recovered by transforming a wild-type strain with different portions of the carotenogenic albino-3 (al-3) and albino-1 (al-1) genes. The presence of the exogenous sequences (which were randomly integrated in ectopic locations) provoked a severe impairment in the expression of the endogenous al-1 or al-3 genes. This phenomenon, which we have termed 'quelling', was found to be spontaneously and progressively reversible, leading to wild-type or intermediate phenotypes. The phenotypic reversion is characterized by a progressive release of the transcriptional inhibition and seems to correlate with a reduction of the number of the ectopic integrated sequences. Moreover, quelling appears to be monodirectional, as, once relieved, it cannot take place again, despite the continuing presence of some of the ectopic sequences in the genome."}
{"id": "PMID:1484490", "title": "The beta-tubulin gene from rat and human isolates of Pneumocystis carinii.", "content": "The development of new drugs for treating Pneumocystis carinii infections in AIDS patients is hampered by the lack of long-term culture systems, and by our generally limited knowledge of this organism. Recently, however, we observed significant activity of various benzimidazoles against growth of this organism in short-term cultures. Benzimidazoles inhibit microtubule polymerization; there is strong evidence that the primary target is the beta-tubulin subunit. To understand the basis for benzimidazole activity against P. carinii, and to examine the apparent relatedness of this organism to fungi, we have cloned and sequenced the single beta-tubulin gene from a rat P. carinii isolate. There was 89-91% identity at the amino acid level to beta-tubulins from filamentous fungi, but only 79-82% identity to yeast and protozoal beta-tubulins. Also, eight introns were distributed throughout the P. carinii beta-tubulin gene in a pattern characteristic of filamentous fungi. Specific residues previously implicated in benzimidazole sensitivity were conserved in P. carinii beta-tubulin. The polymerase chain reaction was used to amplify a segment of P. carinii beta-tubulin DNA from bronchoalveolar lavages obtained from two patients with AIDS. There was considerable divergence at the DNA level between the human and rat sequences, but 100% identity at the amino-acid level."}
{"id": "PMID:1484491", "title": "The Rhizobium leguminosarum FnrN protein is functionally similar to Escherichia coli Fnr and promotes heterologous oxygen-dependent activation of transcription.", "content": "An open reading frame from Rhizobium leguminosarum bv. viciae strain VF39, previously identified and found to be similar to Escherichia coli fnr and Rhizobium meliloti fixK (orf240, thereafter called fnrN), was further analysed. Analysis of the expression of an fnrN-lacZ transcriptional fusion revealed that fnrN is preferentially expressed under oxygen limitation. Using R. meliloti fixN-lacZ fusions it was shown that the fnrN gene product only mediates transcriptional activation under microaerobiosis, indicating that the FnrN protein responds, directly or indirectly, to oxygen. Plasmids which expressed fnrN under the control of an E. coli promoter were able to complement an E. coli fnr mutant with respect to anaerobic growth on nitrate but not fumarate, and to promote anaerobic but not aerobic activation of the Fnr-dependent E. coli genes narGHJI, nirB and fdnGHI coding for nitrate reductase, NADH-dependent nitrite reductase and formate dehydrogenase-N, respectively. Fumarate and DMSO reductase activities were not induced by FnrN. The E. coli fnr gene substituted for fnrN in oxygen-regulated transcription of nirB- and fixN-lacZ fusions in R. leguminosarum. The results indicate that Fnr and FnrN are functionally very similar and share a common mode of oxygen-dependent transcriptional activation. From hybridization studies, it appeared that fnrN-like genes are present in a number of different R. leguminosarum strains."}
{"id": "PMID:1484492", "title": "Genetic analysis of the immunity region of phage-plasmid P4.", "content": "In the prophage P4, expression of the early genes is prevented by premature termination of transcription from the constitutive promoter PLE. In order to identify the region coding for the immunity determinant, we cloned several fragments of P4 DNA and tested their ability to confer immunity to P4 superinfection. A 357 bp long fragment (P4 8418-8774) is sufficient to confer immunity to an infecting P4 phage and to complement the immunity-defective P4 cl405 mutant, both in the presence and in the absence of the helper phage P2. The immunity region covers PLE and the cl locus. We were unable to obtain evidence of translation of the region, thus we suggest that P4 immunity is not elicited by a protein but by a transcript (or transcripts) encoded by the region downstream of the promoter PLE. The promoter PLE appears to be necessary for the expression of P4 immunity: fragments in which the PLE region is deleted did not complement P4 cl405 for lysogenization, although they still interfered with P4 growth. Two complementary sequences downstream of PLE (seqA and seqB) at the 5' and 3' ends of the immunity region play an essential role in the control of P4 immunity."}
{"id": "PMID:1484493", "title": "Bacteriophage P4 immunity controlled by small RNAs via transcription termination.", "content": "Satellite bacteriophage P4 immunity is encoded within a short DNA region 357 bp long containing the promoter PLE and 275 bp downstream. PLE is active both in the early post-infection phase, when genes necessary for P4 lytic cycle are transcribed from this promoter, and in the lysogenic condition, when expression of the above genes is prevented by prophage immunity. In order to understand how P4 immunity is elicited, we have characterized the transcription pattern during the establishment and the maintenance of the satellite phage P4 lysogenic condition. We found that prophage transcription starting at PLE ends prematurely and the transcripts do not extend beyond 300-400 nucleotides downstream of PLE. Thus P4 immunity acts by causing premature transcription termination rather than by repressing transcription initiation. The P4 immunity region is transcribed in the prophage, but it does not seem to be translated; this region contains two elements (seqA and seqB) of a palindromic sequence. In addition to transcripts about 300 nucleotides long, P4 prophage produces a family of shorter transcripts, about 80 nucleotides long, containing seqA or seqB. Evidence is presented suggesting that SeqB RNA is the trans-acting immunity factor, and that interaction of SeqB RNA with the complementary nascent RNA containing seqA may be involved in bringing about premature transcription termination."}
{"id": "PMID:1484497", "title": "Neuronal metabolism and sympathetic pupillary activity in infants.", "content": "A delayed or immature transmission dynamics of an otherwise diffuse mesolimbic catecholamine circuit is suggested to be the reason behind lack of pupillary activity and reflex often observed in infants less than one year of age. This deficiency is known to be fully compensated in later years following a growing curve of neuronal metabolic change and as well as a curve for synaptoogenesis."}
{"id": "PMID:1484498", "title": "Ophthalmologic manifestations of type B Niemann-Pick diseases.", "content": "Type B Niemann-Pick Disease (NPB) is a rare lysosomal storage disease resulting from diminished activity or deficiency of sphingomyelinase and is characterized by multi-system involvement with visceromegaly. Rare ocular involvement (the Macula Halo Syndrome) has been reported. Eight patients (ages 4-36) with NPB underwent complete ophthalmologic evaluations. All patients had periorbital fullness, a hitherto unreported clinical feature. Two patients had a classic Macula Halo Syndrome. One patient developed peri-macular granular deposits forming an incomplete Macula Halo over 5 years. Another patient had macular granular deposits and developed deterioration of central vision and abnormal visual evoked potentials. Ophthalmologic involvement in NPB is more common than previously described. Complete ophthalmologic evaluation is recommended in all patients suspected to have NPB."}
{"id": "PMID:1484499", "title": "Blood viscosity and retinopathy of prematurity: a preliminary report.", "content": "Whole blood viscosity (WBV) and haematocrit (Hct) were measured in 8 very low birth weight premature neonates developing acute severe retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) and 7 control neonates without retinopathy or mild ROP. Single samples were collected at 32-34 weeks conceptual age. There was no statistically significant difference in WBV or Hct between the two groups. The results of this preliminary report suggest that WBV does not appear to play a major role in the development of advanced ROP, though larger studies are required to investigate this further."}
{"id": "PMID:1484500", "title": "Platelet function in diabetic retinopathy: levels of beta-thromboglobulin and platelet factor 4.", "content": "Altered platelet function has been reported in diabetic patients. This article reports plasma levels of beta-thromboglobulin and platelet factor 4 as measures of in vivo platelet activity in diabetic and control groups. Both beta-thromboglobulin and platelet factor 4 were significantly higher in diabetics than in controls (p < 0.01). The levels observed were not significantly affected by age, sex, diabetes type or whether the diabetic had nonproliferative or proliferative retinopathy, but beta-thromboglobulin levels were significantly higher in diabetics of less than 10 years standing than in those who had suffered diabetes for over 20 years (p < 0.05)."}
{"id": "PMID:1484501", "title": "Retinitis pigmentosa and discoid lupus erythematosus.", "content": "A 41 year old male is presented who suffers from both advanced retinitis pigmentosa and active discoid lupus erthematosus. A possible association between the two pigmenting disorders is discussed as well as the treatment of the discoid lupus with potentially retinotoxic hydroxychloroquine."}
{"id": "PMID:1484502", "title": "Isolation, characterization and immunolocalization of a 53-kDal dentin sialoprotein (DSP).", "content": "We isolated a sialic-rich protein from rat dentin extracts and have named it dentin sialoprotein, DSP (formerly called 95K glycoprotein). DSP is rich in aspartic acid, glutamic acid, glycine and serine, but contains no cysteine or phosphate. The 30% carbohydrate content includes about 9% sialic acid and indicates that several N-glycosides and O-glycosides are present. Sedimentation equilibrium analysis gave a M(r) of 52,570. Based on this molecular weight we calculated that DSP contains about 350-amino acids and 75 monosaccharides. With automated Edman degradation the sequence of the first 8-amino acids was shown to be: Ile-Pro-Val-Pro-Gln-Leu-Val-Pro. The initial 3 residues of this sequence are identical to the first 3 in human osteopontin (OPN) and are closely similar to the Leu-Pro-Val sequences of OPN from other species, as well as at the beginning of bone acidic glycoprotein-75 (BAG-75). On Western immunoblots, purified polyclonal antibodies reacted only with DSP in dentin extracts and with none of the proteins from bone. Similarly, immunolocalization experiments showed the presence of DSP in dentin but not in enamel or alveolar bone. Along with immunohistochemical localization data reported elsewhere, these observations suggest that DSP may be an important marker for cells in the odontoblast lineage."}
{"id": "PMID:1484503", "title": "Type IV collagen synthesis and accumulation in neonatal rat aortic smooth muscle cell cultures.", "content": "The production of type IV collagen by cultured neonatal rat aortic smooth muscle cells was monitored over a three-week period to further characterize the extracellular matrix of this unique culture system. Type IV collagen was quantified using a dot immunobinding assay and was found to represent 1% or less of the total collagen produced by these cells in culture. Total collagen represented up to 33% of the total protein. The pattern of type IV collagen production in the media and the cell layer suggests that although these cells synthesize and secrete type IV collagen from the onset of culture, type IV collagen deposition only occurs after the cells have reached confluence. In the presence of ascorbate the amount of type IV collagen peaked in the media in preconfluent cultures. In the absence of ascorbate, little type IV collagen was detected in the media. On the other hand, the presence or absence of ascorbate made little difference in the amount of the total collagen detected in the media, although hydroxylation was affected. Remarkably, in the absence of ascorbate type IV collagen accumulation in the cell layer was similar by the end of the culture period to that in cultures treated with ascorbate. Laminin was not affected by the presence or absence of ascorbate. When these cells were exposed to ascorbate for 24 hours, a peak of soluble elastin was detected in the media. However, soluble elastin was not detected in the media in the absence of ascorbate or in cultures which were maintained in the presence of ascorbate. Modulation of the extracellular matrix with ascorbic acid indicated that type IV collagen deposition did not depend on the presence of ascorbic acid and that there was no discernable interaction between type IV collagen, laminin, and elastin."}
{"id": "PMID:1484504", "title": "Initiation of bone regeneration in adult baboons by osteogenin, a bone morphogenetic protein.", "content": "Osteogenin, and related bone morphogenetic proteins, induce endochondral bone differentiation through a cascade of events which include formation of cartilage, hypertrophy and calcification of the cartilage, vascular invasion, differentiation of osteoblasts, and formation of bone. These events have been studied in a postnatal model of bone development in rodents. Information concerning the morphogenetic potential of osteogenin in primates is a prerequisite for potential clinical application in man. The efficacy of allogeneic osteogenin in primates was investigated in both extraskeletal and skeletal sites in 19-Chacma baboons (Papio ursinus). Osteogenin was isolated from demineralized baboon bone matrix and purified by chromatography on heparin-Sepharose, hydroxyapatite, and Sephacryl S-200. Protein fractions with a molecular mass range of 26-42 kDa induced cartilage and bone differentiation in the subcutaneous space of rats. Final purification to homogeneity was obtained by electroendosmotic elution from a preparative sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) polyacrylamide gel, resulting in a single band on a SDS-polyacrylamide gel with an apparent molecular mass of 30-34 kDa, with biological activity in rats. The osteoinductive potential of osteogenin in primates was tested first in intramuscular sites in baboons and found to be active. The bone regeneration potential was investigated in nonhealing calvarial defects surgically prepared in adult male baboons. Baboon osteogenin induced complete regeneration of the cranial wound. These findings in adult primates establish a primary role for osteogenin in initiation and promotion of osteogenesis, and imply a potential therapeutic application based on cell biology of extracellular matrix-cell interactions."}
{"id": "PMID:1484505", "title": "Isolation of hydroxylysyl pyridinoline, a mature collagen crosslink from neonatal rat aorta smooth muscle cell cultures.", "content": "Hydroxylysyl pyridinoline (HP) is a nonreducible collagen crosslink derived from three posttranslationally modified lysyl residues. Neonatal rat aorta smooth muscle cell cultures (NNRSMC) produce mg amounts of insoluble collagen. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the capability of NNRSMC to produce collagen containing HP crosslinks. Cultures were pulsed with [14C]-lysine and then chased for five weeks. Insoluble collagen was prepared by digestion of the cell layer material with porcine pancreatic elastase and trypsin. After acid hydrolysis and cation-exchange chromatography, purified HP was isolated by reversed phase ion-paired chromatography. The material eluting from the HPLC was monitored continuously at 295 nm and the ultraviolet absorption spectrum was recorded every 21 msec. The ultraviolet spectrum of the HP peak was virtually identical to that of standard HP run on the HPLC. The HP exhibited a homogeneity of 97.3% when the ultraviolet spectrum of the apex of the peak was compared with the spectra of the shoulders of the peak. The radioactive HP also exhibited the expected fluorescence emission spectrum. We calculate a mean of 0.40 +/- 0.03 nmol HP/nmol collagen in the three experiments as compared with reported values of 0.57 +/- 0.1 for rabbit aorta. This is the first report of cell culture biosynthesis of chemically measurable amounts of HP. Using such pulse-chase techniques one can study the maturation of intermediate collagen crosslinks into HP. HP can also be used as a marker to study the metabolism of mature collagen molecules during normal and pathologic states."}
{"id": "PMID:1484506", "title": "A substrate-gel assay for hyaluronidase activity.", "content": "Hyaluronic acid (HA) is a key structural element of the extracellular matrix. Turnover rates of HA are determined in part by hyaluronidases, that are themselves modulated by hyaluronidase inhibitors. A substrate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis procedure is described here that separates enzyme from inhibitors. The HA is embedded in the gel, and following electrophoretic separation, enzymatic digestion of the HA is allowed to occur. The gel is stained with Alcian blue and can be secondarily stained with Coomassie blue. Enzymatic activities appear as cleared bands on a light blue background, while major proteins appear as dark blue bands. The procedure can be performed in the presence or absence of sodium dodecylsulfate, though levels of hyaluronidase activity decrease when the detergent is used. Hyaluronidases active in the neutral or acid pH range can be detected. This technique will facilitate characterization of hyaluronidases and inhibitors from a wide variety of sources."}
{"id": "PMID:1484507", "title": "Type X collagen is transcriptionally activated and specifically localized during sternal cartilage maturation.", "content": "Type X collagen is an extracellular matrix protein which is synthesized by chondrocytes when they undergo hypertrophy. We present evidence here that the expression of type X collagen in the developing chick sternum is controlled primarily by transcriptional mechanisms. Using chondrocyte nuclei isolated from 15-, 16-, 17- and 18-day chick embryonic sterna, nuclear run-off assays demonstrate that type X collagen gene transcription begins at day 16 in chondrocytes isolated from the cephalic portion. This occurs two days prior to mineralization of this tissue as observed by alizarin red staining. The rate of type X transcription increases dramatically through days 17 and 18. Western blot analyses of extracts of freshly isolated sternal chondrocytes from the same stages show that intracellular levels of the type X protein follow the same time course. Immunostaining with a monoclonal antibody specific for type X collagen demonstrates that the initial appearances of hypertrophic cells and pericellular type X collagen occur at embryonic day 16 in the cephalic portion of sterna. Observation of immunostained cephalic sternal sections from day 18 embryos by confocal microscopy reveals that type X collagen is localized in a capsule-like configuration around each hypertrophic chondrocyte."}
{"id": "PMID:1484512", "title": "Telehealth: the delayed revolution in health care.", "content": "It is recognized that health care in rural communities could be improved significantly with the assistance of telehealth, the term by which the combined application of computer and telecommunications technologies to health care has come to be known. Yet in spite of its obvious potential, the telehealth literature has shown a surprising lack of growth. This paper reports an analysis which revealed that, between 1975 and 1990, few telehealth articles were catalogued by the National Library of Medicine, and suggests why this might have been the case. Following a brief discussion of the origins of telehealth, terminology, and the rural health care crisis, this overview examines the status of telehealth in terms of its main applications: telemedicine and tele-education. An analysis of the pattern of publications between 1975 and 1990 is then used to suggest why telehealth has not fulfilled its potential. Corrective measures are proposed and the paper concludes with a summary of recent telehealth initiatives."}
{"id": "PMID:1484513", "title": "An image management and communications (IMAC) system for radiology.", "content": "Managing x-ray films is a difficult problem in a hospital. Advances in digital imaging, high speed networks and high fidelity displays make it possible to develop an image management and communication system for a hospital. As many of the technical problems are solved, many operational problems remain. Experience with a prototype installation became the basis for a much more comprehensive implementation of a fully digital filmless imaging support system in a number of hospitals. The use of IMAC technology will bring about profound changes in the radiology community; physicians, administrators, manufactures of imaging systems and the users of radiology service, the patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1484508", "title": "Public medicine and global security: the challenge and the opportunities.", "content": "The new discipline of Global Security Studies is defined as the consideration of transnational issues with global implications that can only be solved by collaborative endeavour. There is a need for new thinking leading to actions for a sustainable future. An analogy is drawn with the preventive activities of public health medicine, and the opportunities presented to Medical Action for Global Security are examined."}
{"id": "PMID:1484514", "title": "Spectroscopic quantitative analysis of blood glucose by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy with an attenuated total reflection prism.", "content": "As an alternative way of long-term glycemic monitoring, the glucose measurement by analyzing Fourier transform infrared absorbance spectra with an attenuated total reflection prism has been developed. In glucose aqueous solution, glucose has characteristic absorptions at the wave numbers of 1033 and 1080 cm-1 and the absorption intensities are proportional to glucose concentrations. In serum and whole blood samples, however, red blood cell corpuscles, serum albumin and serum gamma-globulin interfere with the absorbance spectra of glucose and shift the base line upward significantly. Therefore, to eliminate these interferences in serum and whole blood samples, the feasibility of the calibration curves obtained by using difference absorbance spectra with those of fasting samples was studied. As a result, highly significant correlations between glucose concentrations estimated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic method and those measured by glucose oxidase method were obtained (r = 0.981 and 0.989 for serum and whole blood samples, respectively). From these experiments, it was concluded that by infrared spectroscopy glucose concentrations in the serum and whole blood samples could be measured quantitatively or monitored if the base line drifts and interferences were subtracted."}
{"id": "PMID:1484515", "title": "Biomedical engineering basis of traditional Chinese medicine.", "content": "Traditional Chinese medicine is an ancient medical science that can be traced back for three to four thousand years of written history. Using the transient response characteristic method, we studied the frequency property of some simulated organs. We tried to explain the concept that the energy in the blood pressure wave is distributed to different organs in the body according to the frequency. This will elucidate the ancient teaching of Chinese medicine in terms of current engineering terminology."}
{"id": "PMID:1484517", "title": "[EEG in HIV infection].", "content": "Since 1985, early changes in the EES have been demonstrated in the course of HIV infection. This method can be considered one of the accurate tests for the assessment of evolution of the disease. Abnormal anterior changes are present in about 30% of HIV+subjects with at least stage II disease. EEG abnormalities during the disease form a spectrum ranging from minor changes to slow diffuse activity, usually found in cortical lesions. These are associated in some cases with a periodic or pseudo-periodic activity as often found in white matter lesions."}
{"id": "PMID:1484518", "title": "[Evoked potentials in HIV infection].", "content": "The study of the literature data on the multimodal evoked potentials in HIV infected patients shows many abnormalities as well in asymptomatic subjects without AIDS as in AIDS subjects with or without neurological signs. Visual evoked potentials (VEPs) reveal prolonged P100 wave latency in 22% of HIV asymptomatic subjects and in 26% of HIV symptomatic subjects; brainstem auditory evoked potentials (BAEPs) reveal an increase of the interpeak latency I-V in 16% of asymptomatic subjects and in 32% of symptomatic subjects; somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs) by median nerve stimulation reveal prolonged central conduction time in 6% of asymptomatic subjects and in 11% of symptomatic subjects; somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs) by tibial nerve stimulation reveal prolonged central conduction time in 4% of asymptomatic subjects and in 45% of symptomatic subjects; motor evoked potentials (MEPs) by magnetic stimulation reveal prolonged central motor conduction time in 46% of asymptomatic subjects."}
{"id": "PMID:1484519", "title": "[Cognitive evoked potentials and HIV infection].", "content": "Endogenous event-related potentials (and especially the P300 component) have delayed latencies relative to normal controls in patients with dementias of diverse aetiologies. Moreover, the subcortical varieties of dementia tend to affect also the early-stage N1 and P2 components whereas both types of dementias affect the later-stage N2 and P3 components. However it has become obvious that patients with HIV infection are susceptible to develop progressive, AIDS-related dementia, renamed 'HIV encephalopathy' by the Center for Disease Control. Several studies have shown that endogenous, but also early, components of long latency auditory evoked potentials are prolonged in latency in HIV-demented patients. However, these changes may also be present in class II and III patients and may permit the early recognition of HIV encephalopathy."}
{"id": "PMID:1484520", "title": "Peripheral and central nervous system anomalies in HIV-1 infection: an electrophysiological study.", "content": "This study explored the neurophysiological changes in 87 HIV1+ (20 AIDS, 24 ARC, 24 LAS and 19 AC) patients showing no clinical evidence of neurological impairment. Tracing somatosensory responses by recording SEPs from upper and lower limbs, we found a slowing of both peripheral and central nerve conduction. Peripheral alterations occurred in virtually all patients of the AIDS group. Central anomalies, confined largely to the lower spinal cord, manifested themselves only during the later stages of the disease (ARC and AIDS) and then only in about half of our sample. More marked neurotropic varieties of HIV1 may account for these differences. We feel that SEP studies can serve to reveal pre-clinical NS involvement in HIV1+ subjects and should be included among research strategies aimed at tracing the evolution of AIDS."}
{"id": "PMID:1484521", "title": "[Study of sensory involvement and dysautonomia in HIV infected patients. A prospective study of 55 cases].", "content": "Subclinical impairment of the peripheral nervous system (PNS) is frequent during HIV infection. Nevertheless, little attention has been given to the autonomic nervous system (ANS). We undertook a prospective study of the ANS, exploring 55 HIV+ subjects with non-invasive functional tests for the cardiac ANS. We also made a quantitative study of thermic (small fibers) and vibratory (large fibers) sensibilities. The results do not show any statistically significant difference between HIV+ subjects and control subjects or between HIV+ subjects of groups I, II and III and those of group IV of the CDC classification. However, an individual analysis comparing the results of the infected subjects with those of the control group indicated the presence of functional abnormalities of the ANS (small fibers) in 34.5% of HIV+ patients with an equally frequent impairment of the thermic perception (small fibers) and of the vibratory perception (large fibers). Moreover, the signs of subclinical dysautonomia were more frequent in group IV (48.3%) than in groups I, II and III (19%) showing a progressive accentuation of the troubles during the course of the infection."}
{"id": "PMID:1484523", "title": "Pediatric nutrition surveillance system--United States, 1980-1991.", "content": "The CDC Pediatric Nutrition Surveillance System (PedNSS) monitors the general health and nutritional characteristics of low-income U.S. children who participate in multiple public health programs. This system is intended to characterize trends and patterns in key indicators of nutritional status so that the information can be used for program planning and targeting. The indicators monitored by PedNSS are birth weight, childhood growth status, anemia, and breast-feeding patterns. From 1980 through 1991, the trends for low birth weight, low height-for-age (shortness), low weight-for-height (thinness), and high weight-for-height (overweight) were stable for all children monitored by the PedNSS, with the exception of Asian children, who were predominantly of Southeast Asian refugee background. In the early 1980s, the prevalence of low birth weight and shortness was higher among Asian children than among children of other racial or ethnic groups who were monitored by the PedNSS. However, these prevalences declined steadily from 1980 through 1991. By 1991, the prevalences of low birth weight and shortness for Asian children were similar to those observed for children of other races/ethnic groups. Overall, low-income U.S. children had a slightly lower height-for-age than expected, indicating that some of these children were at a health and nutritional disadvantage. The prevalence of overweight varied among different racial/ethnic groups; Hispanic and Native American children had the highest prevalences of overweight. The 20%-30% prevalence of anemia among low-income children monitored by the PedNSS was higher than among the general population, reflecting in part the preferential enrollment and retention of anemic children by public health nutrition programs and also indicating that many children had inadequate iron nutrition. From 1980 through 1991, the prevalence of anemia declined > 5% for most of the age- and race/ethnicity-specific groups monitored by PedNSS. That decline represents an improvement in iron nutritional status. PedNSS is a useful system for the monitoring and characterization of the nutrition status of low-income children at both state and national levels."}
{"id": "PMID:1484524", "title": "Pregnancy nutrition surveillance system--United States, 1979-1990.", "content": "Since 1979, the CDC Pregnancy Nutrition Surveillance System (PNSS) has monitored behavior and nutritional risk factors among low-income pregnant women participating in public health programs. Although the states contributing to the system have varied over the period, the PNSS is able to characterize the behavior and health outcomes of pregnant women from diverse low-income populations. In 1990, 66.2% of the women in the system initiated prenatal care during the first trimester of pregnancy; 26.4% smoked during pregnancy. Since 1979, the prevalence of smoking remained relatively stable for white women, but declined for blacks and Hispanics. Prepregnancy body mass index (BMI, defined as kg/m2) showed marked changes from 1979 through 1990; the prevalence of underweight (BMI < 19.8) declined steadily and the prevalence of overweight (BMI > 26) increased steadily. In 1990, 39.3% of the women had gestational weight gains below levels recommended by the National Academy of Sciences. Both prepregnancy underweight and inadequate gestational weight gain were associated with greater risk for low birth weight in the PNSS. The prevalence of anemia at each trimester has remained stable since 1979. In 1990, 9.8%, 13.8%, and 33% of the women reported by the PNSS were anemic in the first, second, and third trimesters, respectively. Anemia in the first trimester appeared to be strongly associated with a high risk of low birth weight; this association was attenuated in later trimesters. These findings indicate the need to improve iron nutrition among low-income women."}
{"id": "PMID:1484526", "title": "Golfers' cramp: clinical characteristics and evidence against it being an anxiety disorder.", "content": "The clinical characteristics of 20 golfers suffering from golfers' cramp or the \"yips\" are described. The typical description is that of a middle-aged golfer who has played competitive golf since his teens and develops the problem during a tournament in the form of a jerk, spasm, or freezing of movement while putting or chipping, with the rest of the game being relatively unaffected. The problem generally takes a chronic fluctuating course, and a number of 'trick' strategies are partially or fully successful. In this study, the subjects were compared with a matched group of 20 unaffected golfers on a number of indices of psychopathology; no significant differences emerged. The more severely affected golfers also did not differ significantly from the mildly affected ones, except on the subjective report of anxiety. These data support the argument that golfers' cramp is not an anxiety disorder or a neurosis. The important role of anxiety and arousal in its manifestation is, nevertheless, recognized and its pathophysiology speculated upon."}
{"id": "PMID:1484527", "title": "Noise-induced psychogenic tremor associated with post-traumatic stress disorder.", "content": "Tremors in post-traumatic stress disorders have not been previously well characterized. A 67-year-old man has a 46-year history of a noise-induced exaggerated startle reflex followed by a large amplitude rest, postural and kinetic tremor that may persist for up to 3 days. This tremor is superimposed on a continuous mild organic postural/kinetic tremor whose electrophysiological characteristics are different from those of the overlying tremor. We attribute the exaggerated startle reflex and the noise-induced tremor to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and postulate a psychogenic origin for the noise-induced tremor. The patient also believes the noise-induced tremor to be psychologically based and to be produced by the fear and anxiety he experiences when he hears loud, unexpected noises. The sudden onset of the noise-induced tremor, its intermittent character, its temporary disappearance on distraction despite the patient's inability to suppress it, inconsistencies in handwriting and figure drawing, and the fact that the noise-induced tremor is stimulus specific and persists long after the offending stimulus (noise) is no longer present all suggest a tremor of psychogenic origin."}
{"id": "PMID:1484528", "title": "Premorbid smoking, alcohol consumption, and coffee drinking habits in Parkinson's disease: a case-control study.", "content": "A number of studies have reported lower cigarette consumption in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) previous to onset of the disease. In an attempt to determine whether there existed a \"premorbid attitude\" by patients against the use of socially accepted \"drugs,\" the premorbid tobacco, alcohol, and coffee consumption habits were compared in 128 PD patients and 256 controls. Patients and controls were selected by case control method and were recruited from the same health area and socioeconomic stratum. In males, the habits of smoking more than 10 cigarettes/day (p < 0.001) and drinking more than 50 g/day of alcohol (p < 0.001) were significantly less frequent in the PD patients than in the controls, but the differences in coffee consumption were nonsignificant. In females behavior did not differ significantly between the PD group and the controls for any of the three habits. There was no correlation between the amount of smoking and alcohol drinking and age at onset of PD or current Hoehn and Yahr's staging. Our results suggest the existence of a premorbid personality in males with PD, possibly conditioning a restrictive attitude toward the consumption of such toxic substances as tobacco and alcohol, yet a more tolerant attitude toward habits more widely accepted socially, like coffee consumption."}
{"id": "PMID:1484529", "title": "The undulating toe flexion sign in brain death.", "content": "Brain-dead patients may exhibit gross spontaneous and reflex movements (e.g., Babinski sign, stereotypic flexion of one or more limbs, and Lazarus sign). We report three brain-dead patients who had unusual complex sequential movements of the toes. Undulating toe flexion was elicited by noxious stimuli to the lower extremities, and consisted of initial plantar flexion of the great toe, followed by sequential brief plantar flexion of the second, third, fourth, and fifth toes. The undulating toe flexion sign differs from previously described responses characterized by plantar flexion of the toes (e.g., Rosselimo's sign and the Mendel-Bechterew sign) in that it consists of complex patterned sequential movements of the digits rather than brief simultaneous flexion and/or fanning of the toes. Neurologists should be aware of this unusual finding, which should not preclude the diagnosis of brain death."}
{"id": "PMID:1484530", "title": "Corticobasal degeneration: decreased and asymmetrical glucose consumption as studied with PET.", "content": "Cerebral energy metabolism was studied by positron emission tomography and [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose in five patients with clinical diagnoses of probable corticobasal degeneration. A reduction in glucose consumption was observed in most cortical and subcortical structures compared to age-matched controls. The reduction was greatest on the side of the brain contralateral to the most affected limbs, as shown by the significantly lower ratios of contralateral to homolateral metabolic rates, in the temporal and sensorimotor cortex of patients compared to controls. A distinct asymmetry between the two hemispheres could be observed in a patient who was examined twice in the course of his illness. Detection of this asymmetrical decrease in brain cortical and subcortical glucose metabolism may prove useful as additional evidence supporting clinical diagnoses of the disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1484531", "title": "Diffuse Lewy body disease presenting with supranuclear gaze palsy, parkinsonism, and dementia: a case report.", "content": "A 67-year-old man with a family history of parkinsonism had visual complaints due to difficulty in convergence, which was followed 2 years later by development of bradykinesia and rigidity. The diagnosis of Steele-Richardson-Olszewski syndrome was made on the basis of a supranuclear gaze palsy, bradykinesia, rigidity, and poor response to levodopa. However, subsequent neuropathological examination revealed diffuse Lewy body disease with no evidence of neurofibrillary tangles involving either subcortical or brain stem structures."}
{"id": "PMID:1484532", "title": "Recumbent tic.", "content": "A 59-year-old man with a 30-year history of an unusual movement disorder characterised by involuntary axial spasms that occur only in recumbency is described. Clinical and electrophysiological evidence suggest that this disorder is best characterised as a simple tic of unusual form. We have coined the term \"recumbent tic\" to describe this disorder."}
{"id": "PMID:1484534", "title": "Isolated continuous rhythmic lingual myoclonus.", "content": "Isolated continuous lingual myoclonus is an exceptional entity, poorly documented and understood. A patient with a nonepileptic continuous rhythmical myoclonus, affecting the anterior portion of the tongue, as an independent involuntary disorder, is reported. Electromyography showed low frequency (2-4 Hz) bursts of genioglossus muscles activity. The EEG, visual, auditory and somatosensory evoked responses were normal. Imaging techniques like CT and MRI failed to reveal any brainstem or cerebellar lesion. Lingual myoclonus showed a very good response to sodium valproate."}
{"id": "PMID:1484535", "title": "Hemiballism and tremor due to ependymal cyst.", "content": "A 21-year-old woman was admitted with right hemiballism and tremor. She had tremor since the age of 6 years. At age 12, an intracerebral, left paraventricular space-occupying lesion was found and treated with 4,500 rads. Increasing tremor was associated with mass enlargement. By age 20, there was insidious presentation of right hemiballism. At age 21, she had craniotomy and a large septate cyst was opened and drained. Biopsy of the cyst wall revealed that it was consistent with ependymal cyst. Postoperatively the hemiballism resolved and the tremor improved. This case is unusual due to the presentation of hemiballism caused by ependymal cyst."}
{"id": "PMID:1484545", "title": "Cloning and characterization of a Loa loa-specific repetitive DNA.", "content": "A Loa loa EcoRI genomic library in lambda gt11 was screened with 32P-labeled L. loa DNA and 1 repetitive clone, LL20, was isolated. An 800-bp Rsa I fragment of LL20, which is L. loa specific, was subcloned into pUC19 and the recombinant plasmid was designated pRsa4. While the 3.8-kb Eco RI fragment of LL20 cross-hybridized to other filarial DNA under low stringency conditions, the 800-bp fragment of pRsa4 was L. loa specific under the same conditions. Further characterization of the insert of pRsa4 was therefore carried out. Its lower limit of detection is 800 pg of L. loa genomic DNA, it has a low copy number (50-100) and an interspersed distribution in the genome. As a probe it does not distinguish between simian and human L. loa DNA. The nucleotide sequence contains 69% A + T and 31% G + C and shows no notable internal repeats."}
{"id": "PMID:1484546", "title": "The expression of small heat shock proteins in the microfilaria of Brugia pahangi and their possible role in development.", "content": "Development of the microfilariae of Brugia pahangi in the mammalian host is blocked until uptake by a mosquito vector when the developmental cycle is re-initiated. Comparison of the profile of polypeptides labelled in microfilariae cultured at mammalian temperature (37 degrees C) or mosquito temperature (28 degrees C) revealed a complex of low-molecular-weight proteins (18 kDa and 22-24 kDa) synthesized only in microfilariae at 37 degrees C. The synthesis of these proteins was also induced by transfer of microfilariae to 41 degrees C (i.e., heat shock conditions), suggesting that these are heat shock proteins. The expression of the small heat shock proteins in the Brugia life cycle is developmentally regulated, as they are not observed in the mature adult female. Their synthesis is strictly temperature dependent and is repressed upon transfer of the microfilariae to 28 degrees C."}
{"id": "PMID:1484547", "title": "Expression of small heat shock proteins by the third-stage larva of Brugia pahangi.", "content": "Changes in proteins synthesised by the infective third-stage larvae (L3) of the filarial nematode Brugia pahangi were examined with respect to the temperature shift encountered by the parasite as it migrates from insect to mammal, and the presence of serum in the culture medium. While the synthesis of a number of polypeptides is regulated by the temperature shift of the L3 from 28 degrees C to 37 degrees C in vitro, there is no evidence that serum has any significant effect on protein synthesis. Two complexes of small acidic polypeptides (22-24 kDa and 18 kDa) are synthesised for a limited period only by L3 transferred to 37 degrees C. One component of each complex appears to be constitutively expressed at 28 degrees C, but its synthesis is up-regulated at 37 degrees C, while the remaining members of each complex are synthesised only at 37 degrees C. Subjection of L3 and post-infective (p.i.) L3 to heat shock (41 degrees C) also induces synthesis of both complexes, indicating that these heat-inducible polypeptides are related to the family of small heat shock proteins. The possible role of the heat shock-related proteins in this important environmental transition is considered."}
{"id": "PMID:1484548", "title": "Alpha-tubulin II is a male-specific protein in Plasmodium falciparum.", "content": "The tubulin gene family in Plasmodium falciparum consists of one beta-tubulin and two alpha-tubulin genes (alpha-tubulin I and II). We present here data indicating that alpha-tubulin II is expressed only in male sexual stage parasites. An IgM mAb, 5E7, specifically reacted with stage III (day 4-5) through mature (day 10-11) male gametocytes and with emerging, exflagellating, or freely moving male gametes. No reactivity was detected in female gametocytes, female gametes, sporozoites, or asexual parasites. mAb 5E7 also specifically recognized male gametes of the avian parasite, Plasmodium gallinaceum, and immunoblotted a 50 kDa protein in extracts of male gametes from both species. This 50 kDa antigen was localized by immunoelectron microscopy to axonemes of male gametes in a pattern similar to that obtained with anti-alpha- and anti-beta-tubulin antibodies. Furthermore, mAb 5E7 specifically reacted with recombinant alpha-tubulin II protein obtained using the PCR-amplified alpha-tubulin II gene from a gametocyte-specific cDNA library. The sex-specific expression of alpha-tubulin II and its localization to axoneme of the male parasite suggest a role for this molecule in the morphologic changes that occur during exflagellation and in the motility of the parasite. alpha-Tubulin II and mAb 5E7 may prove useful tools in studies of the biology of sexual stage differentiation and development in P. falciparum in addition to the general understanding of post-translational modifications of tubulin isoforms."}
{"id": "PMID:1484549", "title": "Energization-dependent Ca2+ accumulation in Trypanosoma brucei bloodstream and procyclic trypomastigotes mitochondria.", "content": "The permeabilization of Trypanosoma brucei procyclic and bloodstream trypomastigotes with digitonin permitted the quantitative estimation of a mitochondrial membrane potential of the order of 130-140 mV, in both forms, using safranine O. Dependence on substrate oxidation and response of the procyclic mitochondrial membrane potential to phosphate, FCCP, valinomycin, and Ca2+ indicate that these mitochondria behave similarly to vertebrate mitochondria regarding the properties of their electrochemical proton gradient. In contrast, in bloodstream mitochondria, development of a membrane potential was independent of substrate oxidation and dependent on hydrolysis of ATP by the mitochondrial oligomycin-sensitive ATPase, as demonstrated by collapse of the membrane potential by oligomycin and its insensitivity to the respiratory chain-inhibitor antimycin A. Mitochondria of T. brucei bloodstream forms were also able to take up Ca2+ by an electrophoretic mechanism. This is the first report of the presence of a Ca2+ transport mechanism in an eukaryotic cell devoid of complete tricarboxylic acid cycle and respiratory chain, the activities of which are known to be regulated by changes in intramitochondrial calcium concentration in other cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1484550", "title": "Filarial parasites contain a ras homolog of the TC4/ran/Spil family.", "content": "We have isolated and characterized a gene encoding a novel GTP-binding protein of the GTPase superfamily in the filarial parasites Brugia malayi and Onchocerca volvulus. The deduced amino acid sequence of the cloned molecule has approximately 30% overall homology to ras proteins and approximately 90% homology to the 'ras-like' nuclear proteins TC4, ran and Spil. Rabbit antisera to bacterially expressed filarial protein detect a 24-22 kDa doublet in extracts of adult B. malayi and mature microfilariae, which is absent from immature microfilariae. Increased expression of the native parasite protein occurs when worms are cultured in the presence of epidermal growth factor."}
{"id": "PMID:1484551", "title": "A cloned antigen for serological diagnosis of Wuchereria bancrofti microfilaremia with daytime blood samples.", "content": "By differentially screening an adult Brugia malayi cDNA library with sera from microfilaremic and amicrofilaremic donors infected with Wuchereria bancrofti, we have identified a novel parasite antigen denoted SXP-1. Recombinant SXP-1 filarial antigen is preferentially recognized by sera from microfilaremic persons with bancroftian filariasis and from skin snip-positive patients with onchocerciasis. Antibodies to SXP-1 are restricted to the IgG4 subclass and gradually decline after treatment with diethylcarbamazine. These findings indicate that it may be possible to replace microscopic examination of night blood films with a serological test designed to detect antibodies to a mix of SXP-1 and other suitable antigens for the diagnosis of microfilaremia due to bancroftian filariasis."}
{"id": "PMID:1484552", "title": "Galactosamine-synthesizing enzymes are induced when Giardia encyst.", "content": "Galactosamine, a Giardia filamentous cyst wall specific-sugar, is below the limits of detection in non-encysting trophozoites. Radiolabeling studies suggest that Giardia synthesize galactosamine primarily from endogenous glucose rather than salvage it from the environment. Enzymes responsible for galactosamine synthesis from glucose are induced during encystment and have been characterized in crude homogenates and in supernatant (soluble) fractions. These enzymes (specific activity; time after encystment is induced for maximal activity; x-fold increase) include glucosamine 6-phosphate isomerase (in the deaminating direction, 167 mU mg protein-1; 20 h; x 182-fold; in the aminating direction, 258 mU mg protein-1; 20 h; x 13-fold), glucosamine 6-phosphate N-acetylase (11 mU mg protein-1; 20 h; x 20-fold), phosphoacetylglucosamine mutase (160 mU mg protein-1; 20 h; x 12-fold), UDP-N-acetylglucosamine pyrophosphorylase (22 mU mg protein-1; 48 h; x 8-fold), and UDP-N-acetylglucosamine 4'-epimerase (13 mU mg protein-1; 48 h; x 4000-fold). This represents the first report of these enzymes and of an inducible carbohydrate-synthesizing pathway in any protozoan."}
{"id": "PMID:1484560", "title": "Cloning and sequencing of an hsp70 gene of Schistosoma mansoni.", "content": "Schistosomes have a complex life cycle (vertebrate and molluscan hosts as well as larvae living freely in water) in which they are exposed to different environments and temperatures (20 degrees C - 37 degrees C). Since heat shock genes are activated in response to stress and during development [1], it is of interest to study the hsp70 gene family in schistosome. To approach this issue we have isolated from Schistosoma mansoni a genomic clone containing the complete coding region of hsp70 and the 5' flanking DNA with transcription regulatory elements including HSE (heat shock element) sequences."}
{"id": "PMID:1484561", "title": "Phospholipase D in heart: basal activity and stimulation by phorbol esters and aluminum fluoride.", "content": "Evidence for a general role of phospholipase D in signal transduction is accumulating. In the present study, the activity of the enzyme was investigated in heart tissue under basal conditions and after addition of phorbol esters or aluminum fluoride (AlF-4; 10 mM NaF plus 10 microM AlCl3). Atria of rats and chickens were incubated with [3H]-myristic acid in order to label preferentially phosphatidylcholine. Under basal conditions, the tissues generated choline and phosphatidic acid (PtdOH), the primary catalytic products of phospholipase D. When 0.5 or 2.0% ethanol was present, [3H]-phosphatidylethanol (PETH) was rapidly formed at the expense of [3H]-PtdOH. This transphosphatidylation reaction is specific for phospholipase D activity. The basal formation of PETH was not inhibited by a Ca(2+)-free, EGTA-containing medium. The phorbol ester 4 beta-phorbol-12 beta, 13 alpha-dibutyrate (PDB), which is known to activate protein kinase C, enhanced the net formation of choline, whereas the inactive 4 beta-phorbol-13 alpha-acetate (PAc) was ineffective. PDB (0.2 microM), in contrast to PAc, also increased the formation of [3H]-PtdOH and, in the presence of ethanol, of [3H]-PETH. The PDB-evoked formation of PETH occurred again at the expense of PtdOH. Treshold and maximum effective concentrations of PDB were 10 nM and 0.2-0.6 microM, respectively. The effects of PDB on either choline efflux and generation of PETH showed the same Ca(2+)-dependency, i.e., both effects were blocked by a Ca(2+)-free, EGTA-containing medium, but not by a Ca(2+)-free medium without EGTA.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1484562", "title": "Reactivity of human iris-sphincter to muscarinic drugs in vitro.", "content": "From tissue to tissue the contractile response of human irides to carbachol varied by 40 fold. The mean EC50 value of carbachol in tissues remaining in an in vitro environment for 24-37 h was equal, however, to that obtained from tissues examined during 79-161 h. The maximum response of the tissue to the highest concentration of carbachol increased up to 24 h, then a gradual decline in the maximum occurred. In 38 observations, the average decline after 72 h was approximately 30%. A plot of negative log EC50 values (n = 38) of carbachol exhibited normal Gaussian curve. The geometric mean EC50 value of carbachol was 0.38 mumol/l (0.28-0.51 mumol/l, 95% C.L.). Based on EC50 values, the rank order of potency of cholinergic agonists is as follows: Muscarine = carbachol, 1 > pilocarpine, 1/5 > methacholine, 1/23 > bethanechol, 1/29 > acetylcholine, 1/1310. The percent maximum contraction of irides to muscarine, carbachol, pilocarpine, methacholine and bethanechol were 100, 100, 80, 76 and 95, respectively. Acetylcholine at the highest concentration tested produced 71% of the maximum produced by carbachol. Within a concentration range of 1 to 100 mumol/l, physostigmine consistently contracted isolated irides. The mean EC50 value was 6.73 mumol/l. The effect was sensitive to blockade by atropine. When the temperature of the bathing medium was lowered from 37.5 degrees C to 27.5 degrees C or 17.5 degrees C the magnitude and the duration of the response of the iris to carbachol was increased, the EC50 value, however, was not changed significantly. The response to pilocarpine was similarly altered by the lower temperature.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1484563", "title": "Cholinergic sensitivity of irides from donors with various pathological conditions and lens implants.", "content": "In vitro, iris contractions after muscarinic agonists were measured in mg of tension change and the concentration producing 50% of the response was expressed as EC50 mumol/l. Although the average EC50 value of carbachol in the iris sphincter of the donors with diabetes or Parkinson's disease did not change significantly when compared with the control, the maximum contraction of the tissue from the diseased state was increased significantly. Thus, in addition to the well known denervation supersensitivity of the iris-dilator, the iris-sphincter also develops adaptive sensitivity changes. Antimuscarinic drug treatment in some Parkinson's patients interfered with the estimation of supersensitivity in vitro studies. The enhanced response of carbachol at the low temperatures or the relative potency of carbachol and pilocarpine in the tissue obtained from the diseased donors was not significantly different from that of controls. Based on EC50 values, the potency of arecoline on the iris was 1/3 that of carbachol. Significantly lower EC50 values of carbachol were found in irides which were in contact with open loop type anterior chamber lens implants compared with those in contact with the closed loop anterior chamber lens implants. Maximum responses of irides to carbachol were less when the tissue was in contact with open loop lens compared with those in contact with closed loop anterior chamber implants. Irides from many donors having unilateral or bilateral replacement of the artificial lenses responded with EC50 of carbachol which was approximately equal to that of the contralateral eye. The maximum difference between EC50 values of the left and right iris was less than 5 fold.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1484564", "title": "5-Hydroxytryptamine-induced increase in left ventricular dP/dtmax does not suggest the presence of ventricular 5-HT4 receptors in the pig.", "content": "Although 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) increases porcine atrial force and rate via 5-HT4 receptors, its effect on left ventricular contractility is not known. Therefore, using the maximum rate of rise of left ventricular pressure (LVdP/dtmax) as an index of cardiac contractility, we have attempted to analyze the possible role of ventricular 5-HT4 receptors in the anaesthetized pig. The full agonists at 5-HT4 receptors, 5-HT and 5-methoxytryptamine (each 3, 10 and 30 micrograms.kg-1), and the beta-adrenoceptor agonist, isoprenaline (0.01, 0.03 and 0.1 micrograms.kg-1), increased heart rate, LVdP/dtmax and cardiac output. For a given degree of tachycardia, the increase in LVdP/dtmax by isoprenaline was substantially more than that observed with either 5-HT or 5-methoxytryptamine. The 5-HT4 receptor partial agonist, renzapride (3, 10, 30, 100 and 300 micrograms.kg-1), also increased heart rate and LVdP/dtmax dose-dependently. When the heart was paced at 150 beats.min-1, increases in LVdP/dtmax as well as cardiac output (except with the highest doses) by 5-HT, 5-methoxytryptamine and isoprenaline were clearly attenuated. However, the magnitude of attenuation of LVdP/dtmax responses by cardiac pacing was more marked in the case of 5-HT and 5-methoxytryptamine than with isoprenaline. The effects of renzapride (300 micrograms.kg-1) and tropisetron (0.3 and 3 mg.kg-1) on increases in heart rate and LVdP/dtmax by 5-HT, 5-methoxytryptamine and isoprenaline were also studied.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1484565", "title": "Effects of adenosine derivatives on human and rabbit platelet aggregation. Correlation of adenosine receptor affinities and antiaggregatory activity.", "content": "The inhibitory effects of several adenosine analogues, including the new A2-selective agonists 2-[p-(2-carboxyethyl)phenethylamino]-5'-N-ethylcarboxamido-adenosi ne (CGS 21680) and 2-hexynyl-5'-N-ethylcarbox-amidoadenosine (2-hexynyl-NECA), were investigated in vitro on human and rabbit platelet aggregation. The compounds examined inhibited ADP-induced platelet aggregation over a wide range of potency. The rank order of activity was similar between the two species thus showing that the rabbit is a useful animal model for studying the effects of adenosine derivatives on platelet aggregation. 2-Hexynyl-NECA was found to be the most potent adenosine compound of those currently available, having IC50 values of 0.10 and 0.07 microM in human and rabbit platelets, respectively. Conversely, the A1 agonists R(-)-N6-(2-phenylisopropyl) adenosine (R-PIA), S(+)-N6-(2-phenylisopropyl) adenosine (S-PIA) and 2-chloro-N6-cyclopentyladenosine (CCPA) were the least potent compounds with IC50 values in the micromolar range. The potency of the compounds in inhibiting platelet aggregation was found to be highly correlated with their affinity for A2 receptors as measured using 3H-CGS 21680 binding in rat brain striatum."}
{"id": "PMID:1484566", "title": "Differential effects of locally-applied capsaicin on distension-stimulated gastric acid secretion in the anesthetized rat.", "content": "The effects induced by the local administration of capsaicin on acid production have been investigated in the continuously perfused stomach of the anesthetized rat. Basal acid secretion was not influenced by 10 min intragastric perfusion with capsaicin (300 micrograms min-1). Acid responses elicited by distension of the stomach with increases in intragastric pressure of 5 and 10 cm H2O were not modified after a 10 min intraluminal infusion with 80 or 300 micrograms min-1 of capsaicin. H+ output stimulated by higher intraluminal pressure (20 cm H2O) were significantly decreased by intraluminal infusion of capsaicin (20, 80, 300 and 600 micrograms min-1). Acid responses to carbachol (4 micrograms kg-1, i.p.) were not influenced by intragastric (300 micrograms min-1), or systemic neonatal, treatment with capsaicin. Intraluminal infusion of the neurotoxin tetrodotoxin (0.12 micrograms min-1, 10 min) decreased acid responses to an increase in intragastric pressure of 20 cm H2O but not those elicited by distention with a pressure of 10 cm H2O. Neonatal systemic treatment (s.c.) with capsaicin or local gastric serosal application of either capsaicin or tetrodotoxin abolished acid responses to gastric distension (+20 cm H2O). Capsaicin (80 micrograms min-1) and tetrodotoxin (0.12 micrograms min-1) infused concurrently into the lumen did not inhibit gastric acid secretion stimulated by an increase of 20 cm H2O in intragastric pressure to any greater extent than did either drug given alone.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1484567", "title": "K+ channel openers, cromakalim and Ki4032, inhibit agonist-induced Ca2+ release in canine coronary artery.", "content": "The effects of K+ channel openers, cromakalim and an acetoxyl derivative of KRN2391 (Ki4032), were studied on force of contraction, increases in intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i) measured by fura-2 and inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3) production induced by the thromboxane A2 analogue, U46619, in canine coronary arteries. Upon single dose applications of U46619 at 300 nmol/l, phasic and tonic increases in [Ca2+]i and force were seen, which were almost abolished by cromakalim (10 mumol/l) and Ki4032 (100 mumol/l). In the absence of extracellular Ca2+, U46619 induced a transient increase in [Ca2+]i with a contraction. Cromakalim (0.01-10 mumol/l) and Ki4032 (0.1-100 mumol/l) concentration-dependently inhibited the increases in [Ca2+]i and contraction. The inhibitory effects of cromakalim and Ki4032 were blocked by the K+ channel blocker tetrabutylammonium (TBA) and counteracted by 20 mmol/l KCl-induced depolarization. Cromakalim and Ki4032 did not affect caffeine-induced Ca2+ release. Cromakalim reduced U46619-induced IP3 production significantly and TBA blocked this inhibitory effect. These results suggest that the hyperpolarization of the plasma membrane by K+ channel openers inhibits the production of IP3 and Ca2+ release from intracellular stores related to stimulation of the thromboxane A2 receptor."}
{"id": "PMID:1484568", "title": "Erythromycin and motilin stimulate sphincter of Oddi motility and inhibit trans-sphincteric flow in the Australian possum.", "content": "The actions of erythromycin lactobionate and porcine motilin on trans-sphincteric flow and simultaneous sphincter of Oddi motility were studied in 15 anaesthetized Australian Brush-tailed possums (Trichosurus vulpecula). Erythromycin (25-200 micrograms/kg) and motilin (25-200 ng/kg) were administered as graded doses by close intraarterial injection. Trans-sphincteric flow was measured as inflow and outflow. Both motilin and erythromycin decreased trans-sphincteric inflow (both P < 0.0001) and outflow (P < 0.0001 and P = 0.0017 respectively) in a dose-dependent manner. The highest dose of each agent abolished trans-sphincteric flow. These agents increased sphincter of Oddi phasic contraction frequency and basal pressure up to 2 and 3 fold respectively (P < 0.05). The amplitude of the sphincter of Oddi phasic contractions were not influenced in any consistent fashion by either agent. The durations of the responses (trans-sphincteric inflow) elicited by erythromycin and motilin were dose dependent (P = 0.0225 and P = 0.0001 respectively). The actions of erythromycin (200 micrograms/kg) or motilin (100 ng/kg) on trans-sphincteric flow and sphincter of Oddi motility were not influenced by neural blockade with tetrodotoxin. These findings support the hypothesis that erythromycin acts as a motilin agonist and both substances increase the resistance to flow through the sphincter of Oddi by raising the basal pressure and frequency of contractions."}
{"id": "PMID:1484569", "title": "[Use of 24-hour casette monitoring of the EEG recording in the differential diagnosis of attacks of unconsciousness in adults].", "content": "24-hour cassette recording of EEG using the Medilog 9000 system was done in 36 patients referred for observations because of diagnostic difficulties in cases of refractors unconsciousness attacks. The method made possible isolation of 3 groups: 1. 6 patients with attacks not suggestive of epilepsy 2. 12 patients with false unconsciousness attacks which were in fact short partial complex seizures (temporal lobe absence) 3. 17 patients with actual unconsciousness attacks. The study demonstrated a high usefulness of 24-hour EEG monitoring in the differential diagnosis of unconsciousness attacks increasing the likelihood of attack recording and making possible their precise clinical and EEG characteristics which is often impossible with routine EEG and history taking."}
{"id": "PMID:1484571", "title": "[Effects of age and body height on somatosensory evoked potentials].", "content": "The influence of age and height on somatosensory evoked potentials (SEP) following median and tibial nerve stimulation was studied. Age correlated with increase of latencies and decrease of amplitudes; exceptionally the amplitude of cortical N20 component increased with age. The central conduction time P31-P40 (tibial nerve stimulation) was longer in elderly subjects, whereas the time N13-N20 (median nerve stimulation) was independent of age. Height showed a positive correlation with latencies and peripheral conduction times; central conduction times (N13-N20 and P31-P40) were independent on height. The correlations of SEP parameters with age and height were expressed quantitatively by regression equations. The presented equations should be treated as a valuable complement to normative data in interpretation of SEP testing results."}
{"id": "PMID:1484572", "title": "[Paroxysmal EEG changes in patients with multiple sclerosis].", "content": "The electroencephalograms (EEG) and visual evoked potentials (VEP) were recorded in 100 multiple sclerosis patients treated from 1981 to 1989. In 35 cases the EEG records were pathological and in 12 of them they showed paroxysmal changes. Pathological EEG were mostly seen in young patients, during the first relapse, with high degree of Kurtzke's disability score. Patients with paroxysmal changes showed on physical examination brain stem lesions that could be responsible for paroxysmal activity in EEG. The latencies of P100 wave and amplitudes of P100/N120 complex were analysed in two groups of patients (with and without paroxysmal activity in EEG). There was no statistically important difference between two groups, although in the group with paroxysmal changes in EEG some prolongation of the latency of P100 wave and a little higher amplitude of P100/N120 complex were recorded."}
{"id": "PMID:1484570", "title": "[Diagnostic value of 24-hour simultaneous EEG and ECG monitoring of patients with heart diseases and atypical consciousness disorders].", "content": "In 24 patients with diagnostically not clear, short, recurrent episodes of consciousness disturbances and heart diseases and/or a history of arrhythmia simultaneous 24-hour recording was done of eeg and ecg. In the differential diagnosis epilepsy was considered, especially since in most cases routine eeg records demonstrated slight episodic changes. During 24-hour recording in 8 cases typical episodes of consciousness disturbances developed but in none of them these episodes were associated with arrhythmia which ruled out their cardiogenic origin. In 2 cases EEG recording served for establishing the diagnosis of partial complex seizures, 2 patients had hyperventilation syncope, one had TIA, in the remaining 3 cases absence of eeg and ecg changes during these episodes and coexistence of anxiety neurosis suggested functional origin. So the combined 24-hour eeg+ecg recording made possible establishing of diagnosis in 1/3 of these patients, enabling adequate treatment to be instituted."}
{"id": "PMID:1484574", "title": "[Atrophy of the granular layer of the cerebellar cortex in patients with nonlymphoblastic leukemia treated with cytosine arabinoside].", "content": "The reported analysis comprised 81 patients dying of acute non-lymphoblastic leukaemia type M1, M2, M4 and blastic crises in chronic myelocytic leukaemia. It was observed that the number of cases of cerebellar granular layer atrophy rose markedly in the years 1984-1990 as compared with 1976-1983 (45.4% vs 16.2%). It is suggested that this was due to the introduction of cytostatic treatment schedules with higher doses of cytosine arabinoside (ARAC), especially TAD (6-thioguanine, ARAC, daunorubicin). Cerebellar granular layer atrophy seems to be dependent rather on the cumulative dose of ARAC and not on a single high dose of that drug."}
{"id": "PMID:1484576", "title": "[Non-traumatic cerebral hematoma and the mechanisms of intracranial volume compensation].", "content": "The results are presented of measurements of the intracranial pressure, pressure instability index and shifting of ventricular structures in 42 patients with non-traumatic intracerebral haematoma. Only the value of the instability index showed a correlation with the state of consciousness. For a more complete assessment of the state of sufficiency of the intracranial pressure compensation mechanism all these parameters should be analysed jointly."}
{"id": "PMID:1484575", "title": "[Intracranial pressure in cases of non-traumatic cerebral hematoma-- personal observations and review of the literature].", "content": "The analysis of intracranial pressure records in 95 cases of non-traumatic intracerebral haematoma is presented. In 74 cases continuous recording was done. No correlation was found between the values of this pressure and consciousness disturbances. Three types of pressure change patterns were demonstrated: type A - low or normal values unchanging in 43 cases, type B - high initial values with normalization during conservative treatment, type C - very high initial values which decreased after operation in only some patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1484573", "title": "[Significance of oligoclonal proteins and magnetic resonance imaging in the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis].", "content": "The new techniques identifying inactive clinical injury, as well as revealing immunological disturbances connected with the CNS, are very helpful for arriving at the correct diagnosis of multiple sclerosis. In their analysis the authors of the work include six cases and emphasize the great practical significance of magnetic resonance imaging and oligoclonal bands in the cerebrospinal fluid in making the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1484580", "title": "[History of discoveries and advances in the studies of parkinsonism].", "content": "A review is presented of the more important discoveries and advances in the 175-year history of the studies and therapeutic trials on parkinsonism. The personality and achievements of James Parkinson are described, with a brief discussion on his most important paper \"An Essay on Shaking Palsy\". The important works of clinicians, neuropathologists and pharmacologists in the 19th and 20th centuries, especially in the \"era of L-DOPA\", are reviewed. The development of neurosurgical methods of parkinsonism treatment, including intracerebral grafting of dopamine-producing cells, is outlined."}
{"id": "PMID:1484577", "title": "[Antifibrinolytic treatment after subarachnoid hemorrhage].", "content": "The value of the antifibrinolytic treatment was assessed in two groups od patients treated after subarachnoid haemorrhage from ruptured aneurysm. One group of 449 patients received EACA before the operation, and 308 were not given EACA. The effectiveness of this treatment was analysed considering the frequency of recurrent haemorrhages, site of aneurysm and sequelae of recurrent haemorrhage as well as ischaemic complications of subarachnoid haemorrhage. The frequency of recurrent haemorrhages was significantly lower in the group not treated with EACA, and the frequency of ischaemic complications of subarachnoid haemorrhage was significantly higher in those treated with EACA."}
{"id": "PMID:1484578", "title": "[Diplomyelia and diastematomyelia. Case reports].", "content": "Diplomyelia and diastematomyelia. Case report. Three cases of diplomyelia [1] and diastematomyelia [2] were studied and treated between 1980 and 1990 years. All patients had symptomatic onset in adulthood. Pathological features were caused by localization on the lesion in cervical, thoracic and lumbar segment of the spinal cord. Plain X-rays showed a variety of osseous malformations associated with spinal dysraphism. The most usefull radiographic examination was computerized tomography (CT). Indications to surgical treatment are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1484583", "title": "[A case of progressive multisystem damage of the central nervous system with suspected olivopontocerebellar atrophy type I].", "content": "A case of progressive multisystem damage to the central nervous system was observed in a patient aged 36 years. On the ground of family history, disease course, clinical findings and results of laboratory investigations type I of olivo-ponto-cerebellar atrophy according to McKusick's classification was suspected."}
{"id": "PMID:1484582", "title": "[Clinico-electrophysiological image and the results of the treatment of Isaacs-Mertens syndrome].", "content": "A case of Isaacs-Mertens syndrome is reported in which the predominating clinical symptom was muscular rigidity. Characteristic bioelectric activity was recorded in resting muscles. Good response was observed after diphenylhydantoin."}
{"id": "PMID:1484590", "title": "[Problems in general management during barbiturate therapy].", "content": "Sixty-three patients (aged from 4 to 75 years) who had suffered severe head injury or cerebrovascular disease were placed on barbiturate regimens in which intravenous administration was given in amounts of 1-4 mg/kg/hr. Dobutamine and dopamine were also administered to prevent cardiac failure and renal failure. Immediate and delayed complications caused by barbiturate therapy were investigated and analyzed. Immediate complications included tachycardia which was seen in 16 cases (25%), and hypotension in 14 cases (22%), respectively. Higher incidence of those complications was noted among the patients who underwent surgery. Delayed complications included hypokalemia (41 cases, 65%), liver dysfunction hypernatremia (24 cases, 38%), infection (21 cases, 33%), cardiac failure (8 cases, 13%) and renal failure (1 case, 2%), respectively. Therefore, in patients treated under barbiturate regimens great care should be taken in order to avoid above mentioned complications."}
{"id": "PMID:1484591", "title": "[An evaluation of temporary clipping during aneurysmal surgery: a retrospective study].", "content": "A temporary clipping of a parent artery has been found convenient in facilitating an aneurysmal dissection. This is because it controls the bleeding from an unexpected rupture and keeps the sac collapsed during the operation. Such a temporary arterial occlusion, however, involves the risk of a focal ischemia that may lead to permanent postoperative neurological deficits. Therefore, to evaluate the influence of a temporary clipping on the outcome of an operation, a retrospective study of 302 patients who underwent an operation for a ruptured supratentorial aneurysm between 1981 and 1990 has been conducted. This study has revealed the information that follows: 1) Overall outcomes In patients given no temporary clipping, their postoperative activity in daily living (ADL) grade was good in 70.7%, i.e. ADL 1 or 2, whereas only 46.4% of the patients given a temporary clipping achieved a similar ADL. 2) Influence of the preoperative Hunt and Kosnik neurological classification on the outcome Irrespective of whether a temporary clip had been used, patients with a Hunt and Kosnik grade of 1 or 2 made a good recovery, whereas patients with a grade of 4 or 5 did not. The application of a temporary clip in grade 3 patients led to a poor result, whereas in grade 3 patients given no temporary clipping the results were good. This would seem to indicate that Hunt and Kosnik grade 3 rating is a critical factor in consideration whether a temporary clip should be used or not. 3) Influence of the operative timing on the outcome.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1484579", "title": "[Use of dexamethasone in the treatment of spinal cord injuries in the early post-traumatic period].", "content": "The clinical usefulness of dexamethasone administered early after injury to the spinal cord is assessed comparing the results of treatment in 269 cases receiving dexamethasone and in 256 controls not receiving corticosteroids. In cases of complete as well as incomplete severing of the cord treated with dexamethasone, the results were better, both qualitatively and quantitatively. However, some increase was noted in the incidence of complications, such as gastrointestinal bleeding and delayed wound healing. Good results demonstrated in this analysis suggest the necessity of widespread administration of corticosteroids within the first hours after cord injury."}
{"id": "PMID:1484584", "title": "[A case of blast injury of the brain].", "content": "Cases of craniocerebral injuries associated with foreign body penetration into the cranial cavity are not frequent in peacetime. The reported case was that of shot wound of the head caused by a steel pin used in construction works. The foreign body penetrated into the cranial cavity through the right eyeball and across the brain to the occipital lobe. The foreign body was not removed, and after 34 days in hospital the patient was discharged home with only a slight neurological deficit, i.e. low-grade paresis of his left foot. No remote complications were observed during 4 years of follow-up."}
{"id": "PMID:1484592", "title": "[Short-latency somatosensory evoked potentials in patients with hypertensive intracerebral hemorrhage: clinical availability of N20 component].", "content": "Short-latency Somatosensory Evoked Potentials (SSEPs) were studied in 14 patients with putaminal hemorrhage and 17 patients with thalamic hemorrhage. After median nerve stimulation SSEPs were recorded from the electrodes placed on C3', C4' (2cm behind C3 or C4 of the internal 10-20 system respectively), and Cv7. (Reference was the linked ears.) Erb's potential was also recorded from the Erb's point using the contralateral one as the reference. The patients were classified into three groups according to central conduction time laterality index (CCT LI). CCT LI = (CCT on the affected side which is defined as the interpeak latency between N13 and N20)--(CCT on the non affected side). Group 1: CCT LI < or = 0.73 (it means within normal limit); Group 2: CCT LI > 0.73 (it means the significant latency delay of the N20 on the affected side); Group 3: CCT LI is not available (because the N20 was abolished on the affected side). We analyzed retrospectively the localization of the hematoma on CT scans, the degree of motor and sensory disturbance of the upper extremity in each group. Of the 14 patients with putaminal hemorrhage, 5 were in group 1; 3 were in group 2; 6 were in group 3. Patients in group 1 had a localized hematoma within the pallido-putamen complex. Patients in group 2 had a hematoma compressing the posterior limb of the internal capsule. Patients in group 3 had a hematoma involving the posterior limb of the internal capsule and had severer motor disturbance than those in group 1 or group 2.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1484581", "title": "[Biochemical, rheological and clinical aspects of using the HELP system in the treatment of hypercholesterolemia and cerebrovascular disorders].", "content": "The HELP system is a new method of selective plasmapheresis, which decreases LDL concentration in plasma with the additional effect of lowering Lp (a) and fibrinogen, while HDL are increased during long-term treatment. The HELP system also significantly improves plasma viscosity, erythrocyte aggregation and red cells deformability. In patients with severe hypercholesterolaemia a good clinical effect of this therapy has been established. Preliminary results of the HELP system application in cerebrovascular disease indicated a clinical improvement in patients treated in this way in relation to the basic values as well as to the control group. No serious haemorrhagic or thrombotic effects have been observed during therapy, but in view of interference in coagulation and fibrinolysis this possibility should be considered."}
{"id": "PMID:1484593", "title": "[A rare case of choroid plexus papilloma in the third ventricle].", "content": "A rare case of choroid plexus papilloma in the third ventricle is presented. A 19 year old male patient was admitted to our hospital for further examination of a head injury. On admission, he was asymptomatic. CT and MRI showed a homogeneous mass extending from the third ventricle to the right lateral ventricle. The right lateral ventricle was slightly enlarged. Craniograms showed calcification above the sella turcica. Cerebral angiograms disclosed a tumor stain fed by the right medial posterior choroidal artery in the third ventricle. Anterior transcallosal approach was chosen for the extirpation of the tumor. Histological study revealed choroid plexus papilloma. The postoperative course was uneventful."}
{"id": "PMID:1484594", "title": "[Choroid plexus papilloma of the third ventricle in infancy: a case report].", "content": "The incidence of choroid plexus papilloma is about 0.5% of all intracranial tumors, but they are only infrequently found in the third ventricle. This is a case report of choroid plexus papilloma of the third ventricle in an infant. A make child in his 7th month of age was admitted because of large head circumference, on the 28th February, 1989. CT scan demonstrated hydrocephalus caused by a tumor in the third ventricle. Total removal of the tumor was performed on the 8th of March. Histologically the tumor was found to be choroid plexus papilloma. The patient suffered from postoperative subdural effusion and convulsions, so we performed ventriculoperitoneal shunt on the 14th April, and convulsions were controlled by zonisamid."}
{"id": "PMID:1484595", "title": "[Coexistence of intracranial and spinal cavernous angiomas: case report].", "content": "A case of a 43-year-old man with coexistence of intracranial and spinal cavernous angiomas is presented. The patient had a 2-year history of severe back pain incurred by neck flexion, and he became aware of weakness of the right lower extremity and paresthesia of the left lower extremity. Neurological examinations at the time of the first admission demonstrated incomplete Brown-S\u00e9quard syndrome. Myelograph, myelo-CT and contrast enhanced CT showed an intramedullary mass at the Th3-Th5 level. The patient received laminectomy with total removal of the lesion. Pathological diagnosis was cavernous angioma. Six years later, the patient complained of subacute weakness and numbness of the left upper extremity. Head CT demonstrated a high density lesion of about 2cm in diameter in the right frontal lobe. MRI showed a mixed signal intensity lesion with a marked low-intensity rim in the same area. Total extirpation of the lesion was performed. Pathological diagnosis of the intracerebral lesion was also cavernous angioma. Intramedullary cavernous angioma is very rare. Furthermore, bifocal cavernous angiomas involving both the spinal cord and the brain are extremely rare, and, only 5 cases have been reported in the literature. To our knowledge, this is the first case diagnosed by surgical specimens of coexisting intramedullary and intracerebral lesions."}
{"id": "PMID:1484596", "title": "[A case of granulomatous hypophysitis].", "content": "The patient was an unmarried, 25-year-old woman who presented herself with amenorrhea and lactation as her chief complaints. Radiography revealed a tumor in the sella turcica. Upon neurological examination at the time of admission, there were no abnormal findings affecting the field of vision or visual acuity, and no abnormalities were seen in the fundus oculi. In endocrinological tests, the basal plasma values of pituitary hormones were normal except for that of prolactin, which was 69.1 ng/ml. The preoperative diagnosis was nonfunctioning pituitary adenoma, and this neoplasm was resected by the transsphenoidal approach. Postoperative histological investigation showed vermiculous destruction of the anterior lobe of the pituitary gland, and also scattered lymph follicles accompanying infiltration by numerous lymphocytes and multinucleated foreign-body giant cells, and deposition of calcium. These findings, together with the epithelioid cells gathered around them, pointed to a diagnosis of granulomatous hypophysitis. The causes of granulomatous hypophysitis are known to include syphilis, tuberculosis, sarcoidosis, mycotic granuloma, and foreign-body granuloma due to the rupturing of a Rathke's cleft cyst, but no evidence of any of these was found in this patient. Another known source of inflammatory lesions in the hypophysis is lymphocytic hypophysitis, which resembles Hashimoto's autoimmune disease of the thyroid gland, and which is characterized both by the formation of lymph follicles and by extensive lymphocyte infiltration. In relation to the cause of granulomatous hypophysitis, thinking that it might possibly be an autoimmune disease, we conducted an immunological investigation, and also made a serological study of autoantibodies, but obtained no positive results.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1484597", "title": "[A ruptured aneurysm of the distal posterior inferior cerebellar artery associated with basilar artery occlusion: a case report].", "content": "We presented a case of a distal posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA) aneurysm associated with basilar artery occlusion. A 66-year-old female was found unconscious at home and transferred to our hospital in a deep coma on February 9, 1991. Emergency CT scan revealed subarachnoid hemorrhage in the posterior fossa. She was treated conservatively because of her poor neurological status. The angiograms performed on February 13 showed occlusion of the basilar artery and a saccular aneurysm at the cortical branch of the PICA. The contrast material remained in the aneurysm for a long time throughout the venous phase. The left vertebral artery was markedly hypoplastic. The patient improved remarkably after admission and became almost alert late in February, although she still presented tetraparesis, dysfunction of lower cranial nerves and other neurological signs linked with the brain stem. The unusual angiographical findings in this case prompted us to perform the examination again, expecting some angiographical changes. The angiograms taken on March 15 revealed spontaneous disappearance of the aneurysm, although the basilar artery occlusion remained unchanged. The authors discussed some problems involved in this case, including the relation between the aneurysm and the arterial occlusion, and the mechanism of spontaneous disappearance of the aneurysm."}
{"id": "PMID:1484598", "title": "[Serial MRI findings in neuro-Beh\u00e7et disease].", "content": "Beh\u00e7et disease is a systemic disorder characterised by the triad of recurrent aphthous ulcers of the mouth, genital ulcers and uveitis. Neurological involvement is estimated at 10-25% in Beh\u00e7et disease (neuro-Beh\u00e7et). These include diplopia, pseudobulbar palsy, cranial nerve palsies, cerebeller ataxia, and cerebral and spinal sensory and motor disturbances. A case of neuro-Beh\u00e7et disease is reported. A 51-year-old man was admitted with TIA attack. He had been suffering from recurrent oral and genital ulcers for several months before admission. Neurological examination on admission revealed poor mental activity, left facial nerve palsy and left hemiparesis. Lumbar puncture showed CSF pleocytosis. CT and MRI revealed multiple lesions in the cerebral hemisphere and the brain stem. CT showed spotty high density areas with perifocal low density areas in the frontal, temporal and parietal lobe which were enhanced with contrast materials. T1 weighted image of MRI revealed iso intensity areas with perifocal low intensity areas which were enhanced with Gd-DTPA in the frontal, temporal and parietal lobes. T2 weighted image revealed low intensity areas with perifocal high intensity areas in the same regions shown in the T1 weighted image. Moreover ring-like enhanced lesions with Gd-DTPA were revealed in the brain stem and corona radiata in the T1 weighted image. After high dose steroid treatment, he showed marked clinical improvement. CSF pleocytosis was normalized and the lesions were gradually reduced in size and were no longer enhanced with Gd-DTPA. MRI findings are well correlated with clinical features.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1484599", "title": "[Interhemispheric choroidal epithelial cyst associated with partial agenesis of the corpus callosum: case report and review of the literature].", "content": "A case of interhemispheric choroidal epithelial cyst is reported. The patient is a 9-month-old female who was transadmitted to our hospital for further examination because of the enlargement of her head. She had no neurological deficits nor symptoms of increased intracranial pressure. CT scanning performed on admission showed multiple cystic lesions in the right frontoparietal interhemispheric space, whose circumference was partially enhanced with contrast medium. Metrizamide CT cisternography demonstrated no communication between the lesions and the ventricular system. The signal intensity of the cysts was higher than that of cerebrospinal fluid on both T1-weighted and T2-weighted MR images. Sagittal T1-weighted images showed partial agenesis of the corpus callosum. The surgical exploration was performed via interhemispheric approach. The cyst wall was found to be white, relatively rich in vascular components, and was removed as much as possible. The examination of the cyst fluid showed total protein levels of 1250 to 3440 mg/dl, and sugar contents of 43 to 99mg/dl. Callosal agenesis was confirmed at operation. The light microscopic examination revealed that the cyst wall was composed of a single layer of columnar or cuboidal epithelium with occasional papillary configuration and thick collagenous connective tissue. The epithelial cells contained PAS-positive granules in the cytoplasm. Electron microscopy showed numerous club-shaped microvilli with no coating materials, continuous basement membrane, tight junction, interdigitation, and multiple fenestrations of endothelium of stromal vessels. On the basis of these findings, the lesion was diagnosed as choroidal epithelial cyst. In the literature, interhemispheric choroidal epithelial cyst associated with partial callosal agenesis, confirmed ultrastructurally, has not, to out knowledge, been reported."}
{"id": "PMID:1484600", "title": "Deterioration of word meaning: implications for reading.", "content": "We investigated six patients with progressive focal dementia or progressive aphasia, who showed impairments in knowledge of word meaning ranging from moderate to very severe. In all cases, a test of oral word reading demonstrated preserved reading of words with regular spelling-to-sound correspondences (e.g. MINT), but impaired reading of words with atypical correspondences (e.g. PINT). The level of success on these \"exception\" words was significantly related to word frequency, and the most common error was the assignment of a more typical spelling-sound correspondence. Various explanations are considered for this common association between loss of word meaning and a surface alexic pattern of reading performance."}
{"id": "PMID:1484601", "title": "Lateralized mediation of arousal and habituation: differential bilateral electrodermal activity in unilateral temporal lobectomy patients.", "content": "The purpose of the present study was to increase our understanding of the differential hemispheric processing of arousal and habituation. Subjects were unilateral temporal lobectomy patients and controls. Each was exposed to an arousal/habituation task consisting of a series of tones and an auditory discrimination paradigm. Electrodermal activity was recorded from the left and right hands throughout. Results provide evidence for a state of hypoarousal in right temporal patients and some support for hyperarousability in lefts. This is consistent with data showing that right hemisphere damage is associated with inattention and denial and left hemisphere damage with hypervigilance and anxiety. The concept of laterally differentiated mediation of arousal and habituation was supported."}
{"id": "PMID:1484602", "title": "EEG and EMG responses to emotion-evoking stimuli processed without conscious awareness.", "content": "Dichotic stimulus pairs were constructed with one word that was emotionally neutral and another that evoked either negative or positive feelings. Temporal and spectral overlap between the members of each pair was so great that the two words fused into a single auditory percept. Subjects were consciously aware of hearing only one word from most pairs; sometimes the emotion-evoking word was heard consciously, other times the neutral word was heard consciously. Subjects were instructed to let their thoughts wander in response to the word they heard, during which time EEG alpha activity over left and right frontal regions, and muscle activity (EMG) in the corrugator (\"frowning\") and zygomatic (\"smiling\") regions were recorded. Both EEG and EMG provided evidence of emotion-specific responses to stimuli that were processed without conscious awareness. Moreover both suggested relatively greater right hemisphere activity with unconscious rather than conscious processing."}
{"id": "PMID:1484603", "title": "Loss of visual imagery and loss of visual knowledge--a case study.", "content": "As a sequel of a left posterior cerebral artery infarction a patient had severely defective mental imagery of shapes and colours of objects. Imagery of faces, letters, and topological relationships was preserved. The impairment of imagery of object colours was associated with colour agnosia and colour anomia. For colours, there was no difference between performance on tasks calling for imagery of object colours and tasks affording a distinction between correctly and incorrectly coloured objects. For shapes of objects, imagery appeared to be below the level of the patient's knowledge about the visual appearance of objects as manifested by the ability to identify objects and to distinguish correctly from incorrectly drawn pictures. The apparently selective image generation deficit for shapes of objects could be a sequel of loss of knowledge about visual attributes of objects, if superior performance on shape recognition tasks was afforded by perceptual entry level representation which enable a rapid identification of objects but are inaccessible to introspective consciousness."}
{"id": "PMID:1484604", "title": "A stimulus-response relationship in unilateral neglect: the power function.", "content": "We have previously suggested that patients with unilateral neglect may be limited in their ability to sequentially attend or act upon stimuli. To assess the nature of this capacity limitation, we examined the relationship between number of stimuli presented on cancellation arrays and how many targets a patient with neglect cancelled. This relationship was systematic and described by a power function: targets cancelled = K (targets presented)B, in which the constant and exponent were derived empirically. Density of targets and time taken to cancel targets did not account for the relationship. Improvement on subsequent testing was reflected in an increase in the constant. However, the exponent of the power function did not change, suggesting that some critical aspect of her dysfunction remained the same. These data also imply that she had implicit knowledge of quantity of stimuli presented, and that this knowledge systematically influenced her explicit behavior."}
{"id": "PMID:1484606", "title": "Influence of short-term ischemia on the ultrastructure of hippocampal gyrus in Mongolian gerbil. III. Synapses in late stage of the pathological process.", "content": "Electron microscope analysis of the CA1 Ammon's horn sector was performed in Mongolian gerbils three days after an incident of short-term ischemia of the forebrain. CA1 pyramidal neurons showed advanced disintegration. Some GABA-ergic interneurons revealed ultrastructural alteration of variable degree. The latter finding contradicts the generally helt view on the relative resistance of CA1 sector interneurons to the ischemic injury. Synapses localized in all cortical layers of the CA1 sector exhibited ultrastructural abnormalities involving both pre- and postsynaptic parts. They consisted in marked swelling and accumulation of unbound electron dense material, considered as calcium deposits. Presynaptic parts revealed additionally reduced number of synaptic vesicles and their abnormal distribution. Contrary to the early postischemic period, the most severe synaptic alterations appeared in stratum pyramidale, radiatum and oriens, involving both small dendritic branchings and their spines as well as large shafts of both basal and apical pyramidal dendrites. Synaptic alterations especially features of the postsynaptic damage correspond to those indicating excitotoxic neuronal lesions. Presynaptic alterations may indicate both cessation of neurotransmission function as well as direct ischemic damage. The presence of calcium deposition seems to favour the former possibility."}
{"id": "PMID:1484607", "title": "Blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier integrity in cerebral infarction.", "content": "Using a sensitive isotachophoretic technique total cerebrospinal fluid protein, CSF-serum albumin and CSF-serum IgG ratios as indicators of blood-CSF barrier integrity were determined in 35 cases of ischemic cerebral infarction. Since it proved to be changed in about 57% of these patients, the CSF-serum albumin ratio was found to be the most sensitive parameter in evaluating the blood-CSF barrier disturbances. No clear-cut correlation was found between the age of patients, the clinical course of the disease, different periods after onset of the illness nor the size of the infarction and CSF-blood barrier permeability."}
{"id": "PMID:1484608", "title": "Expression of tumor necrosis factor-alpha cachectin in primary brain tumors of astrocytic lineage.", "content": "The tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) is a cytokine released within central nervous system from activated astrocytes and macrophages and involved in several pathologic processes including AIDS-myelopathy, multiple sclerosis and myelin dilatation in panencephalic type of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. We studied the expression of the TNF-alpha in brain tumors. Only tumors of astrocytic lineage like astrocytomas and glioblastomas, or tumors of mixed lineage as oligo-astrocytomas and multipotential primitive neuroectodermal tumors (PNET) expressed TNF-alpha-like immunoreactivity. We conclude that this lymphokine is expressed in neoplastic astrocytes. We postulate that TNF-alpha may participate in neoplastic transformation of astrocytes via cascade of interactions with receptor for TNF-alpha."}
{"id": "PMID:1484609", "title": "Effect of selected cytostatic drugs administration on the brain of young rabbits.", "content": "The aim of the study was to compare the effect of two selected cytostatic drugs (cyclophosphamide and vincristine) on the brain of young rabbits. The experimental models were similar to clinical administration of the examined drugs. Cyclophosphamide was given orally from the 5 to the 16th day of life and vincristine in a single intraperitoneal injection on the 8th day of life. Despite the assumed poor penetration of both drugs through the blood-brain barrier, both drugs induced changes in perivascular astrocytes. Other structural elements of the CNS exhibited lesions characteristic for the given drug: proliferation of endoplasmic membranes after cyclophosphamide administration and destruction of microtubules with proliferation of microfilaments after vincristine application."}
{"id": "PMID:1484610", "title": "Does damage of perivascular astrocytes in multiple sclerosis plaques participate in blood-brain barrier permeability?", "content": "In six young and two senile MS cases perivascular astrocytes within demyelination lesions were evaluated immunocytochemically. The peroxidase-antiperoxidase method of Sternberger et al. (1970) was used for visualization of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP). In all cases very weak immunoreactivity of perivascular astrocytes was noted. Accumulation of perivascular glial fibers, and infrequently their fragmentation were observed both within active and old demyelination plaques. Clasmatodendrosis, Rosenthal's fibers and prominent regressive changes of astrocyte perikarya were found only in old plaques. A lack of immunoreactivity of perivascular astrocytes was noted within old demyelination lesions. The background of the latter was often immunonegative to GFAP. It is suggested that secondary damage of perivascular astrocytes influences vascular permeability within demyelination lesions including old plaques."}
{"id": "PMID:1484611", "title": "Chronic progressive axonal polyneuropathy simulating Guillain-Barr\u00e9 syndrome.", "content": "Six cases of chronic progressive and/or relapsing polyneuropathy are reported. All cases were idiopathic at the beginning of observation. Electrophysiological examination and biopsy of sural nerve in all cases as well as autopsy of spinal roots S1 in case 6 showed loss of fibers and axonal degeneration of myelinated fibers but neither active demyelination nor inflammatory cells were observed. Chronic progressive or relapsing idiopathic axonal polyneuropathy appear to be a distinct entity different from GBS. The term \"axonal GBS\" seems to be questionable."}
{"id": "PMID:1484623", "title": "Complications of laparoscopic cholecystectomy in a geriatric population group.", "content": "The purpose of this study was to assess the complications of laparoscopic cholecystectomy among geriatric patients in New York State who receive their medical care under the Federal Medicare Program. A 20% random sample survey (304 patients) of the 1,520 patients who underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy between January 1, 1990, and June 30, 1991, was selected. Coded ICD-9 diagnoses and procedures were carefully reviewed for these patients. In some patients with complications, the medical charts were reviewed by a medical epidemiologist and a surgeon to more fully elucidate the reported complications. The patients in this study were randomly selected from public, proprietary, voluntary, and teaching hospitals. Seventy-two complications (23.68% of the 304 patients) were identified in 48 patients (15.78% of the 304 patients). Of these complications, 27 (8.88%) were surgical, and 43 (14.14%) were medical in character. There were two deaths (0.66% of the 304 patients). Individual chart review of 32 of the 48 cases with complications revealed physician-related surgical quality-of-care problems which directly contributed to complications in 10 patients (31.25%). The overall complication rate of 23.68% found in this study represents one of the highest so far reported among published studies of laparoscopic cholecystectomy. The results of this study indicate a significant level of morbidity when laparoscopic cholecystectomy is performed on a geriatric population group. Although age-associated risk factors contributed to this high complication rate, so too did errors of surgical judgment and technique.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1484624", "title": "Economic interventions to discourage the illegal sale of cigarettes to minors in New York State.", "content": "In New York State it is illegal to sell tobacco products to persons under the age of 18 years. In most communities, compliance with this law is poor. This study provides estimates of teenage cigarette smoking and the illegal sale of cigarettes to minors in 1990 in each of New York's 57 counties and in New York City. Results show that in New York State, approximately 135,700 teens between the ages of 12 and 17 years are regular cigarette smokers. Data available on the cigarette consumption and purchasing habits of teenage smokers reveal that nearly 21.9 million packs of cigarettes were sold illegally to minors in 1991 in New York State. This finding underscores the fact that cigarette sales to underage youth in New York is big business, representing $39.5 million in sales annually. Government officials should consider levying an illegal drug profit tax on the cigarette industry to recover the millions in profits derived annually from the illegal sale of cigarettes to children."}
{"id": "PMID:1484625", "title": "Low level and bystander exposure to lead among factory workers.", "content": "A clinical field survey of 36 workers employed in the manufacturing of leaded products used in radiologic safety was conducted. Although the principal source of lead exposure was limited to an area where two individuals mixed lead oxide and vinyl liquid, increased lead absorption was found in other workers employed in adjacent areas. The mean lead concentration of the plant workers was 29.3 micrograms/dL (SD +/- 9.0), and four workers had blood lead levels of 40 micrograms/dL or higher. A statistically significant correlation was noted between blood lead and serum creatinine; linear regression analysis demonstrated that cigarette smoking was a significant factor in predicting the blood lead level. The exposure encountered in this plant may be typical of lead exposure in many similar industrial settings. It calls attention to the risk of excessive exposure among workers who are not working at the primary source of exposure, and should be considered in the design of medical surveillance programs for workers employed in small manufacturing plants."}
{"id": "PMID:1484639", "title": "The purchaser-provider split: implications for dental services.", "content": "In July 1991, the National Government announced proposals for a radical restructuring of the New Zealand public health system, a central feature of which is the separation of the purchasing and providing roles currently performed by area health boards. While the competitive market model suggests that the split should improve the efficiency of public health services by effectively creating a market system, this paper suggests that, in practice, there are likely to be a number of obstacles. Other potential sources of efficiency are improved accountability, improved management, and integration of primary and secondary care. For dental health services, the separation of purchaser and provider should introduce greater flexibility into State-funded dental services by opening up options for alternative providers and methods of provision. Factors such as the number and structure of provider units; the contractual arrangements between these units and the RHAs, especially in respect of payment mechanisms; and the regulatory regime which covers these contractual arrangements will all affect service delivery. If real choices between types of providers and methods of provision eventually emerge, a major challenge for RHAs will be to monitor and enforce at reasonable cost any quality measures built into contracts."}
{"id": "PMID:1484640", "title": "Some current factors restricting the potential of private general practice.", "content": "This background paper focuses on two or three aspects which, in the writer's opinion, are crucial to the healthy development of general dental practice, although the rapidly progressing health reforms have already altered the relevance of some comments made. The first aspect is equitable access, especially for the financially disadvantaged in this time of economic recession. The ability and inclination of providers to treat the financially disadvantaged has not currently been matched by the political will of funders, even though an effective system could simply be organised. Access problems also apply to the elderly. A smooth transitional system of oral health care should exist for every aging patient, whether economically, physically, and mentally healthy, or in a state of total dependence, and this should be an integral part of general dental practice management. Generally it is not. Secondly, the fragmentation of the New Zealand dental workforce, and the lack of a real team approach have hindered the logical development of oral health services and prevented many possible options from being offered. Dialogue to reduce the fragmentation must continue, hopefully to a successful conclusion. Perhaps the catalyst for meaningful change may be contained in the current health reforms. Certainly opportunities for change have been clearly signalled."}
{"id": "PMID:1484641", "title": "How the Maori community sees the dental-care system.", "content": "This report has addressed the question of how the Maori community sees the system of oral health care by indicating the complex factors influencing the Maori community's attitude toward health issues. These factors preclude the Maori community from many of the perceived benefits of the present oral health-care system. There is a need in this current climate of debate over health policies to re-focus on primary prevention policies that will be relevant to the Maori community of today. No one is seen in the Maori community to be articulating concern for oral health issues. The challenge for the Dental Council of New Zealand is how then to create a focus on oral health issues within the Maori community, and to actively promote oral health care and encourage usage of a system that is affordable, available, accessible, and appropriate. Practical and relevant recommendations arising from Rapuora: Health and Maori Women 1984 and the Hui Hauora Mokopuna, 1990(10) should be considered when planning future health-care systems. Health was one of the four key areas highlighted in the Ka Awatea report, and it will be an important feature of the work of the new Ministry of Maori Development. It is timely that the Dental Council of New Zealand and the Ministry of Maori Development should facilitate oral health-care systems for the future in partnership with the Maori community."}
{"id": "PMID:1484642", "title": "Inequities in oral health: implications for the delivery of care and health promotion.", "content": "This paper has summarised data showing that inequities in oral health and the receipt of oral health care exist in New Zealand. We submit that these inequities, and the consequences of oral ill-health, are of such seriousness that they cannot be ignored. Overcoming barriers to oral ill health and barriers to dental care will be a complex task. Although much can be done by the dental providers and their organisations, there is need for oral ill health to be viewed within the overall context of inequity and disadvantage within society."}
{"id": "PMID:1484643", "title": "The oral health and attitudes to dental treatment of a dentate elderly population in Mosgiel, Dunedin.", "content": "As part of the Mosgiel Community Study, a longitudinal investigation of the health of the elderly, a dental survey was used to determine the oral health status and treatment needs, both objective and subjective, of a group of dentate older adults. Sixteen percent of the 817 subjects were dentate. Of these, 95 were available for the dental survey, and they were questioned and examined at their homes. The mean age was 77 years, and 55 percent of subjects were male; disproportionately more older males than females had retained some of their natural teeth. Seventy-two percent regularly sought dental treatment, and 39 percent felt they were in need of treatment. Few real barriers to treatment were identified, although a major obstacle preventing many from seeking treatment was their lack of perceived need. However, even the realisation that they required treatment was not sufficient cause for many to seek treatment. All subjects required some form of dental treatment. Eighty-five of the 95 subjects required at least one restoration, and 16 percent advanced restorative treatment. The frequencies of coronal and root surface caries were similar. Oral mucosal pathology was also common. Sixty-five percent of denture wearers required prosthetic treatment. Most subjects needed simple periodontal treatment, but 11 percent required advanced therapy. The main oral health problems of this group related to the simple management of plaque-related disease, and the wearing of dentures. However, 24 percent of people required complex restorative and periodontal treatment, or both."}
{"id": "PMID:1484648", "title": "Back injuries: a review of liability reports in healthcare environments.", "content": "Physiotherapist, Margaret Hollis, has provided expert evidence in over 400 cases of back injury in health care environments. Reviewing her work over the last five years she believes that we still have a long way to go to ensure that practice matches teaching."}
{"id": "PMID:1484649", "title": "Managing migraine.", "content": "Absenteeism by migraine sufferers is treated with little sympathy by employers and fellow workers even though it is a condition that affects nearly eight per cent of the population. Helen Kogan looks at how an understanding of its debilitating effects can reduce the stigmatisation of employees."}
{"id": "PMID:1484651", "title": "Hypertension in pregnancy.", "content": "Pregnancies complicated by hypertension require a well-formulated management plan. Women with chronic hypertension should be evaluated prior to pregnancy. At onset of pregnancy, they should be classified into low-risk and high-risk groups. The majority of pregnant women identified as low-risk hypertensives will have good perinatal outcome without the use of antihypertensive drugs. In general, antihypertensive medications should be reserved for those considered as having high-risk hypertension. In either case, all these women should have close follow-up of maternal and fetal conditions throughout pregnancy. All women with diagnosed preeclampsia should be hospitalized at the time of diagnosis for evaluation of maternal and fetal well-being. Subsequent management will then depend on gestational age and the severity of the disease process. An individualized management plan and a referral to a tertiary care center will improve maternal and perinatal outcome in those women who are remote from term and in those with the HELLP syndrome."}
{"id": "PMID:1484652", "title": "Diabetes mellitus and pregnancy.", "content": "Diabetes mellitus represents the most common medical complication of pregnancy. Care programs emphasizing normalization of maternal glucose levels have resulted in perinatal outcome that is nearly equivalent to that observed in normal pregnancies. Reducing the rate of significant congenital anomalies in insulin-dependent women remains a goal for the future."}
{"id": "PMID:1484653", "title": "Endocrine disorders in pregnancy.", "content": "Disorders of the pituitary gland such as diabetes insipidus, pituitary adenomas, and hyperprolactinemia, disorders of the thyroid gland such as Graves' disease and hypothyroidism, and diseases of the adrenal gland such as adrenocortical insufficiency and Cushing's syndrome can complicate pregnancy. The goals of this article were to provide a basic scientific understanding of the normal function of these endocrine glands, their pregnancy-related changes, and suggestions for diagnosis and treatment of maternal and fetal endocrine disorders during pregnancy. Antenatal recognition and appropriate management of the disorders that especially affect the fetus (i.e., maternal Graves' disease, fetal hypothyroidism, and congenital adrenal hyperplasia) is essential in order to prevent fetal and neonatal morbidity and mortality."}
{"id": "PMID:1484654", "title": "Management of cardiovascular disease in pregnancy.", "content": "Pregnancy itself poses risks of morbidity and mortality to even the young, healthy woman. The nature of these risks may vary from country to country and, within the United States, from state to state. Hemorrhage, eclampsia, and infection, in general, are common obstetric risks. One of the most important nonobstetric causes of maternal death, and the focus of this article, is heart disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1484655", "title": "Pulmonary disorders complicating pregnancy.", "content": "The pulmonary physiologic changes associated with pregnancy increase oxygen transport to the developing fetus. Because of these changes, the fetus is allowed an extra measure of protection against insults that would decrease blood or oxygen flow to the uteroplacental unit. The goal of treating a patient with pulmonary disease in pregnancy should be to maximize pulmonary function throughout gestation. Experts in pulmonary disease should be readily available for patients with significant pulmonary disorders or worsening disease during pregnancy. Pregnancy affords all providers the opportunity to address the major respiratory health problem in the United States, which is smoking. This concerns not only the patient's personal health, but also that of her unborn offspring."}
{"id": "PMID:1484656", "title": "Autoimmune diseases in pregnancy.", "content": "Autoimmune diseases are a significant problem in women of reproductive age. This article reviews some of the more common autoimmune disorders and discusses their diagnosis and management during pregnancy. The effects of the autoimmune disorder on pregnancy and the effects of pregnancy on the course of the autoimmune disorder are also discussed with an emphasis on the implications for clinical management."}
{"id": "PMID:1484657", "title": "Gastrointestinal disorders in pregnancy.", "content": "Gastrointestinal disorders constitute one of the most frequent complaints of pregnancy. An understanding of the mode of presentation and the incidence of the various gastrointestinal disorders will optimize care in obstetric patients. Disorders of the esophagus, stomach, duodenum, ilium, jejunum, colon, rectum, and appendix are individually discussed with reference to physiologic changes in pregnancy, infectious diseases, autoimmune disease, and ulcer formation."}
{"id": "PMID:1484658", "title": "Pregnancies complicated by liver disease and liver dysfunction.", "content": "Although liver dysfunction is infrequently seen in pregnancy, it can result in severe maternal and fetal compromise. An unrecognized case of acute fatty liver may result in both maternal and fetal death. Failure to screen for hepatitis B can result in a newborn who will be a hepatitis carrier for life. Because of such consequences, the obstetrician must remain vigilant for signs of liver dysfunction and must understand the pathophysiology of these disorders."}
{"id": "PMID:1484659", "title": "Neurologic diseases in pregnancy.", "content": "Although most neurologic problems require conservative management, such as headaches and nerve compression syndromes, other demand aggressive treatment, such as plasmapheresis in Guillain-Barr\u00e9 syndrome and prompt surgery in those patients with hemorrhagic strokes secondary to a ruptured aneurysm or arteriovenous malformation. Myasthenia gravis, discussed in the autoimmune disease section, and epilepsy are associated with congenital anomalies, whereas the progeny of patients with multiple sclerosis are at a much greater risk than the general population of contracting this disease. Therefore, knowledge of these risks is essential in providing quality preconceptional counseling. Pregnancy provides many physiologic changes that alter the course of preexisting neurologic conditions as well as increasing the risks and morbidity of other diseases. It is for this reason that a cooperative team effort, including the obstetrician, neurologist, and, if needed, the neurosurgeon, is essential for an optimal outcome."}
{"id": "PMID:1484660", "title": "Hematologic disorders in pregnancy.", "content": "Hematologic disorders in pregnancy are relatively common and encompass a wide spectrum of clinical conditions. The treatment and obstetric management of the majority of these diseases are well established, although controversy exists in areas such as sickle cell disease and ITP. Once the diagnosis of a specific disorder is confirmed, therapy is directed toward improved perinatal outcome. Recent advances in prenatal diagnostic techniques make in utero diagnosis feasible for most of the inherited disorders and aid in genetic counseling."}
{"id": "PMID:1484661", "title": "Management of genetic disorders during pregnancy.", "content": "Using several specific genetic diseases as examples, this article has illustrated basic genetic principles that can be applied to many clinical situations. Practicing obstetricians must be aware that advances are being made daily in the care of patients with inherited disorders and in prenatal diagnosis. A fundamental understanding of human genetics is essential in order to offer optimal care for patients during their reproductive years."}
{"id": "PMID:1484662", "title": "Cancer and pregnancy.", "content": "The diagnosis of cancer rarely complicates pregnancy. Despite the fact that advanced disease is often encountered, there is no scientific evidence that the pregnant state alters the neoplastic process. Only through careful attention to the patient can the clinician detect cancer at an early stage and offer the patient reasonable hope for a cure."}
{"id": "PMID:1484663", "title": "Compensatory epithelial hyperplasia in human corneal disease.", "content": "Compensatory hyperplasia of the corneal epithelium (CEH) has been observed histopathologically in animal and human eyes after excimer laser photoablative keratectomy, and has been implicated as a cause of variable refractive results and refractive regression after this procedure. Retrospective histopathologic analysis of routine keratoplasty specimens revealed CEH in 85 of 130 (65%) corneas with keratoconus, 18 of 36 (50%) corneas with chronic herpes simplex virus (HSV) keratitis, and 14 of 25 (56%) corneas coded as nonspecific scars. Mild CEH occurred apically and/or peripherally in keratoconus. Massive CEH (up to 200 microns thick) occurred in chronic HSV keratitis with irregular stromal loss. Our data indicate that CEH occurs frequently in several corneal diseases marked by stromal ectasia or loss. We postulate that stromal loss may contribute to CEH by providing relative protection against exfoliative shearing forces of superior eyelid closure. Our study complements previous reports that imply that CEH is a contributory factor in refractive regression after excimer laser photoablation."}
{"id": "PMID:1484664", "title": "A biomechanical evaluation of rabbit corneas in M-K and Dexsol.", "content": "We compared the average force required to separate normal corneas at a 50% stromal depth, with the force required to separate corneas stored for 2, 5, 7, 10, and 14 days in either McCarey-Kaufman or Dexsol corneal storage medium. The required interlamellar separation force was calculated by standardizing the width of the test strips. The average required force for 35 fresh rabbit corneas (no storage) was 9.1 +/- 1.5 g/mm. There was no significant change in the required separation force after storage in either medium for up to 14 days."}
{"id": "PMID:1484665", "title": "Pharmacologic alteration of corneal topography after radial keratotomy.", "content": "Contraction of corneal wounds as the incisions heal may account for changes in corneal topography after radial keratotomy; such contractility of avascular corneal wounds has been demonstrated in vitro. Using a cat model of radial keratotomy, we demonstrated in vivo contractility of radial keratotomy incisions. In eight eyes of adult female cats, four-incision radial keratotomies were performed, producing central corneal flattening. After 3 and 8 days, serotonin (1 mg/mL) was applied. On day 3, application of topical serotonin resulted in corneal steepening (P < .0001); serotonin produced no topographic changes when applied on day 8 and had no effect on normal unoperated corneas. Vehicle produced no change in corneal curvature before or at any time after radial keratotomy. Fluorescence microscopy revealed cells with myofibroblastic differentiation at the incisions. These data suggest that cells with contractile abilities play a role in determining corneal topography after radial keratotomy."}
{"id": "PMID:1484666", "title": "Comparison of two needle lengths in regional ophthalmic anesthesia with etidocaine and hyaluronidase.", "content": "The effect of needle length on the efficacy of regional ophthalmic anesthesia in conjunction with cataract surgery was studied in 97 patients using a two-site injection technique. The local anesthetic used was etidocaine 1.5% with hyaluronidase. In 48 patients, the anesthetic was administered inferolaterally with a 22-millimeter needle, and in the other 49 patients, with a 31-millimeter needle. Every patient had a medial injection with a 12-millimeter needle to achieve lid akinesia and to complete the globe akinesia. At 5 minutes, lid akinesia was considered better in the 22-millimeter needle group (P < .005). After one supplemental dose, when necessary, complete globe akinesia was achieved at 15 minutes significantly more often (94% vs 79%) in the 31-millimeter needle group (P < .05). Lid akinesia in the two groups was identical at that time. Eight patients in the short-needle group and three in the long-needle group experienced some pain during surgery. Throughout the study, the required intraorbital anesthetic volumes were smaller in the 31-millimeter needle group. We recommend the use of a 31-millimeter needle inferolaterally in combination with a 12-millimeter needle medially to achieve satisfactory regional anesthesia for cataract surgery."}
{"id": "PMID:1484667", "title": "A comparison of visual outcome in open-globe repair: succinylcholine with D-tubocurarine vs nondepolarizing agents.", "content": "We compared the visual outcome in patients with ocular perforations who received succinylcholine with d-tubocurarine during anesthesia induction, with the visual outcome of those who did not. No statistically significant differences in visual outcome were detected. No extrusion of intraocular contents occurred during induction in either group."}
{"id": "PMID:1484668", "title": "Optical principles related to optimizing sclerostomy procedures.", "content": "A simple probe, consisting of a 200-micrometer uncladded silica optical fiber, advanced from a protecting 22-gauge hypodermic needle, was used to create sclerostomy fistulas both ab interno and ab externo by means of a combined radiation/mechanical effect. Perforation was achieved by exerting gentle forward pressure on the fiber in synchrony with the delivery of radiation pulses. An irradiation protocol suitable for producing such canals in cadaver porcine eyes was delineated using Ho:YAG, Nd:YAG, and diode laser energy sources. Despite significant differences in the pulse energy required for perforation (0.25, 7, and 8 J for the Ho:YAG, diode, and Nd:YAG lasers, respectively), the extent of collateral damage was comparable for each type of laser. The physical mechanisms underlying these findings are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1484669", "title": "Histologic differences in the conjunctiva of black and white glaucoma patients.", "content": "We compared perioperative conjunctival biopsy specimens from 31 consecutive trabeculectomy patients to determine if there were any histologic differences between black and white glaucoma patients. We found a statistically significantly greater mean and distribution of mast cells and neutrophils in the white patients. No significant difference was found in the mean number of goblet cells, eosinophiles, macrophages, fibroblasts, plasma cells, or lymphocytes; or in thickness of the epithelium, vascular density, or collagen or mucopolysaccharide staining. We conclude that histological conjunctival factors that could be evaluated preoperatively probably are not related to the poor results in black patients of filtration surgery noted by some investigators."}
{"id": "PMID:1484670", "title": "Limiting applications of cryotherapy for severe retinopathy of prematurity.", "content": "In an effort to minimize surgical and visual morbidity of cryotherapy for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), 18 eyes of 13 patients with 3 to 7 clock hours of stage 3 ROP with \"plus\" disease were treated by cryotherapy applications limited to the avascular retina adjacent to the areas of stage 3 disease. In 17 of 18 eyes, this limited use of cryotherapy was sufficient to cause regression of ROP without further treatments. After at least 3 months follow-up, ROP outcome showed a normal macular appearance in 16 eyes; two eyes developed macular dragging; no retinal detachments occurred."}
{"id": "PMID:1484671", "title": "Visual, astigmatic, and inflammatory results with the Staar AA-4203 single-piece foldable IOL: a randomized, prospective study.", "content": "One hundred twelve unilateral cataract extraction patients were randomly assigned to receive either a one-piece Staar Model AA-4203 silicone intraocular lens (IOL) implanted through a 3.2-millimeter incision, or a one-piece polymethylmethacrylate IOL implanted through a 6.0-millimeter incision. Follow up was 96% at 1 day postoperatively, 90% at 3 months, and 70% at 1 year. Fifty-three percent of the eyes that received a smaller incision could see 20/40 or better uncorrected at 1 day, as compared with 19% of the eyes that received a 6-millimeter incision (P < .01). At 3 months, significantly more smaller-incision eyes could still see 20/40 or better (P = .03). The smaller-incision eyes also had significantly less surgically-induced astigmatism at both 1 day (P < .01) and 3 months (P = .02), and had significantly less flare (P < .01) and cellular reaction (P = .04) at 1 day."}
{"id": "PMID:1484672", "title": "Surgical treatment and desensitization therapy of giant papillary allergic conjunctivitis.", "content": "We found that three cases of giant papillary conjunctivitis responded well to local specific desensitization therapy and transplantation of the conjunctiva with saphenous vein tissue."}
{"id": "PMID:1484673", "title": "Clinical experience with tissue plasminogen activator stored at -20 degrees C.", "content": "We developed a new dilution technique that allows tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) to be stored at -20 degrees C, as opposed to the -70 degrees C recommended by the United States manufacturer (Genentech Inc). Following tests that showed neither loss in activity nor microbiological contamination, we clinically proved the efficacy of t-PA stored at -20 degrees C in 10 cases."}
{"id": "PMID:1484674", "title": "Hyperopia, anisometropia, and irregular astigmatism in a patient following revisional radial keratotomy.", "content": "We present a patient who underwent bilateral radial keratotomy (RK) followed by a bilateral revisional RK for undercorrection. After the second procedure, the patient had a severely flattened left cornea, with marked hyperopia and irregular astigmatism. The right eye, however, remained myopic, causing extreme anisometropia. We hypothesize that the different results in these two eyes may have been due to a critical number of damaged left corneal stromal fibers. Patients undergoing revisional RK or requiring additional incisions may be at increased risk for such a complication."}
{"id": "PMID:1484675", "title": "Adjunctive viscoelastic therapy for postoperative ciliary block.", "content": "Following Molteno device implantation, trabeculectomy, or needling revision of trabeculectomy, six eyes of six chronic glaucoma patients developed a flat anterior chamber without hypotony, ciliochoroidal detachment, pupillary block, or external wound leak. The ciliary block did not respond to vigorous medical and laser therapy. We performed an intracameral injection of sodium hyaluronate, which resulted in maintenance of a full anterior chamber and normal intraocular pressure in all of the six eyes. The use of intracameral viscoelastic appears to be a reasonable adjunct for management of ciliary block not responsive to vigorous medical therapy and intracameral air injection trial, before attempting more extensive surgery."}
{"id": "PMID:1484676", "title": "Reproducibility of data obtained by a newly developed anterior eye segment analysis system, EAS-1000.", "content": "The reproducibility of data obtained from the recently developed anterior eye segment analysis system (EAS-1000) was evaluated. 40 normal eyes and 62 cataractous eyes were examined at Kanazawa Medical University Hospital or Yayoi Hospital. The radius of the corneal curvature, the corneal thickness, anterior chamber depth, whole lens thickness, anterior chamber angle and the scattering light intensity were all observed on a slit section of the lens, and the intrapupillary area of the cataractous shadow was measured from a retroillumination image. The measurements were made twice at an interval of 14.2 days. There were no significant differences between the data of the 1st and 2nd examination in either place."}
{"id": "PMID:1484677", "title": "In vivo observation of the axial movement of intraocular lenses through an anterior eye segment analysis system.", "content": "The small axial movement of the anterior surface of implanted intraocular lenses (IOLs) were examined in pseudophakic eyes with one-piece and three-piece IOLs using an anterior eye segment analysis system. The movement was calculated as the distance between the posterior surface of the cornea and the anterior surface of an IOL under a normal pupil size, following the instillation of 1% pilocarpine and 1% cyclopentolate solutions, respectively. The axial movement including movement after instillation of pilocarpine and cyclopentolate was 0.17 +/- 0.06, 0.05 +/- 0.07 and 0.13 +/- 0.06 mm, in phakic eyes and eyes with one-piece and three-piece IOLs, respectively. Image analysis techniques using Scheimpflug images proved its usefulness in the research field of IOL implantation."}
{"id": "PMID:1484678", "title": "Quantitative evaluation of nuclear cataract using image analysis.", "content": "To quantitatively evaluate nuclear lens opacification, we applied image analysis techniques. Utilizing a newly developed anterior eye segment analysis system, Scheimpflug slit images were taken in 65 eyes with transparent lenses and 31 eyes with nuclear cataract. In transparent lenses, scattering light intensity of the anterior fetal nucleus (AFN) was equal to or less than that of the posterior fetal nucleus (PFN). In eyes with nuclear cataract, scattering light intensity of the AFN was higher than that of the PFN. Utilizing this phenomenon, nuclear opacification was evaluated by the difference of scattering light intensity between the AFN and PFN (delta i value). The methodology applied in this investigation provides precise grading of nuclear cataract and progression thereof."}
{"id": "PMID:1484679", "title": "Application of a new Scheimpflug camera (EAS-1000) to animal cataract models.", "content": "A newly developed anterior eye segment system, EAS-1000, was applied to animal experiments. Since the device was developed to be used with human eyes, several minor changes were made to facilitate the use with animals. These changes included an animal-holding place instead of a chin rest, an additional monitor screen for help in alignment, a foot pedal for flushing and image cancellation and variable illumination for adjusting the volume of the retroillumination image. The examined animals were mice, rats, rabbits, dogs and monkeys. The image quality of this camera was almost always satisfactory. One advantage of this device is that the quality of the images can be checked instantly, making it possible to store only images of superior quality. The mean of the repeatability test had a coefficient of variation of 6%."}
{"id": "PMID:1484680", "title": "A photodocumented study on lens thickness and densitometric value according to the type of cataract.", "content": "Photodocumented measurements of the lens thickness using an EAS-1000 Scheimpflug camera were performed in 261 cataract eyes (162 pure type) compared with 52 control eyes. The lens thickness in normal eyes usually increased with age by 0.015 mm annually. The cataractous lens, especially in the anterior subcapsular type combined with the superficial cortical and posterior subcapsular types of opacity, showed statistically significant lens thinning. The photodocumented values of lens thickness were higher in 7.9%, and those of the anterior chamber depth were lower in 5% compared with A scan ultrasonographic measurements."}
{"id": "PMID:1484681", "title": "Reproducibility of mydriasis.", "content": "A combination of a single drop of each of 0.5% tropicamide and of 10% phenylephrine hydrochloride instilled after routine applanation tonometry gave consistent pupil dilatation in a population with cataract studied over 5 years. The dilatation allows reproducible photographic documentation of cataracts in long-term studies."}
{"id": "PMID:1484682", "title": "Objectified measurements of eye lens transparency in a volunteer group of advanced age, carried out over a period of 3.5 years. Results of a Scheimpflug-photographic study.", "content": "The present study deals with a prospective investigation on the optical density of the eye lenses of 32 volunteers with initially normal eyes (mean age 65 years) over a period of 3.5 years. The negatives of the Scheimpflug photographs (Topcon SL-45) were evaluated by linear densitometry in 3 measure planes (Joyce Loebl 3CS). The evaluation of the coefficient of correlation, the representation of the regression straight line as well as the evaluation of the percent changes in lens density showed that during the observation period of 3.5 years a minimum increase in density took place mainly in the anterior cortex."}
{"id": "PMID:1484683", "title": "Scheimpflug photography in clinical ophthalmology. A review.", "content": "The development of a slitlamp camera system based on the Scheimpflug principle with image analysis has been a major improvement in lens and cataract research. Since its introduction into ophthalmology by Brown and Niesel in the sixties of this century and further technical amelioration by Hockwin, Dragomirescu and Sasaki it has been applied in various experimental and clinical investigations. The purpose of this paper is to summarize and review the application of Scheimpflug photography in clinical ophthalmology and to show possibilities and indications for the use of the Scheimpflug technique in clinical studies."}
{"id": "PMID:1484684", "title": "Comparison of the Nidek EAS 1000 system and the Topcon SL-45 in clinical application.", "content": "Some years ago, Nidek developed a new imaging system for the anterior eye segment, which offers the possibility of recording Scheimpflug and retroillumination images. The system consists of 2 different technical units, a camera unit for image recording and a computer unit for storage, system operation and image analysis. To evaluate the clinical use of the system and its reproducibility, a study with 31 volunteers/patients was performed that were photographed with the Nidek EAS 1000 at the meridians 0 degree, 45 degrees and 180 degrees. Two examinations with a 1-week interval were performed. In addition, a direct comparison of the EAS 1000 with the Topcon SL-45 was carried out with 32 volunteers that were photographed at 0 degree and 45 degrees; a retroillumination photo was additionally recorded. The video images were evaluated with the computer software, the SL-45 negatives were standardly measured with a Joyce-Loebl densitometer. The handling of the EAS 1000 in clinical use was found to be easy and comfortable for the patient, as the alignment is done with infrared light. Difficulties occur only with the retroillumination photography in that the infrared light for imaging may outshine the red fixation light during exposure. However, shadowing problems due to the eyelashes occur in oblique slit positions, especially in those patients with a pronounced front head. In studying the reproducibility, the mean values of the individual coefficients of variation for light scattering (density) were in a range between 3.6 and 5.06%, but more than 35% of the single values show a variation coefficient above 5% (maximum 20.3%).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1484685", "title": "Nonlinear equations for calculating lens parameters based on Scheimpflug photographs: preliminary results.", "content": "Real lens diameter and real lens volume cannot be measured by Scheimpflug photography, but the apparent lens radii and the lens thickness (anterior and posterior) can. Some stereometric equations allow us to calculate lens volume and lens diameter. Equations for the adaptation of the data points to nonlinear curves are given. There are no linear but sigmoid relationships between the age-dependent parameters. These can be estimated with the aid of equations 2 and 3 presented in this paper. When carrying out further investigations a greater number of parameters should be included in the analysis. It is conceivable that the equations must be expanded in order to be able to take other important parameters into consideration. Preliminary results of the calculations with regard to age are reported."}
{"id": "PMID:1484686", "title": "Simultaneous thermal and optical breakdown mode dual laser action.", "content": "Tests on blood agar and human tissue prove that the combined simultaneous dual laser action of a thermal and an optical breakdown mode laser ablates tissue by a mechanism of mutual enhancement of each laser's effect. The force of pressure and the energy of heat combine to ablate tissue in sclerostomy and iridotomy procedures without inducing bleeding."}
{"id": "PMID:1484687", "title": "Drusen and 'choroidal filling defects': a cross-sectional survey.", "content": "The present study was designed as a cross-sectional survey to assess the association between soft drusen and 'choroidal filling defects'. Sixty-eight eyes presenting hard drusen and 58 eyes with soft drusen of 126 subjects with an age range of 45-83 years were examined in the present study. Choroidal filling defects were present in 13 out of 68 (19.1%) patients with hard drusen and 29 out of 58 (50%) with soft drusen (chi 2 square = 13.4; p < 0.0001 and an odds ratio = 4.2 with 95% CI 1.9-9.3). Age, ocular and systemic hypertension, and diabetes did not influence the results. The association between soft drusen and choroidal filling defects, found in our study, suggests that these abnormalities are possibly due to changes in the staining or permeability properties of Bruch's membrane rather than to a defect in the choroidal blood supply. Soft drusen and choroidal filling defects may both be caused by an accumulation of hydrophobic material within the Bruch's membrane, which is discrete in the case of drusen and diffuse in the case of choroidal filling defects. Choroidal filling defects and soft drusen may represent useful clinical sign of hydrophobicity of Bruch's membrane."}
{"id": "PMID:1484688", "title": "Hyperemic swollen optic disk in patients with primary open-angle glaucoma.", "content": "We report a hyperemic swollen optic disk as an initial manifestation of primary open-angle glaucoma. Two cases are presented; one bilateral, the other with unilateral involvement."}
{"id": "PMID:1484689", "title": "Pattern electroretinograms and visual evoked potentials in idiopathic intracranial hypertension.", "content": "A subclinical visual dysfunction can be detected by psychophysical methods in early-stage papilledema associated with idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH). We recorded steady-state pattern electroretinograms (PERGs) and visual evoked potentials (VEPs) to sinusoidal gratings of variable spatial frequency [0.6, 1.0, 1.4, 2.2 and 4.8 cycles/degree (cpd)] in 18 patients with IIH and early papilledema and in 21 age-matched controls. Spatial frequency selective reductions in the mean PERG (at 1-4.8 cpd) and VEP (at 4.8 cpd) amplitudes were found in patients in comparison with controls. The response functions of amplitude versus spatial frequency of patients' PERG and VEP displayed a low-pass shape, whereas in normal subjects PERG and VEP functions showed a band-pass and a high-pass shape, respectively. PERG and VEP abnormalities were found in 14 (77.7%) and 10 (55.5%) out of 18 patients, respectively. Most of these abnormalities involved only selected spatial frequencies (1.4-4.8 cpd). These results indicate spatial-frequency-dependent functional losses on both PERG and VEP in early papilledema, and suggest a potential value of these responses for detecting subtle visual abnormalities in IIH."}
{"id": "PMID:1484690", "title": "Difference of spatial summation property between b and d waves in focal electroretinogram of the cat.", "content": "A new system for focal electroretinogram (ERG) using a charge-coupled device camera was developed. With this device, focal ERGs to on-off luminance modulation of uniform fields with different area (circle diameter; 16, 12, 8, 6 and 3 degrees) centered on the area centralis were recorded in 12 eyes of 6 cats. With a decrease of the stimulus area, the reduction of the amplitude in both b and d waves was observed, however, the implicit times of these waves were almost same. The amplitude ratio (12 degrees stimulus/16 degrees stimulus, 8/16, 6/16, and 3/16) of b and d waves showed statistically significant differences between the b wave and d wave (8/16, 6/16 and 3/16; p < 0.01). The difference in spatial summation property was demonstrated between the b wave and the d wave."}
{"id": "PMID:1484691", "title": "Paul Stoewer, the forgotten inventor--a belated recognition.", "content": "Ninety years ago, Paul Stoewer introduced the vacuum method for cataract surgery. It is felt that it is about time to acknowledge his authorship which has been so far almost ignored in ophthalmic literature."}
{"id": "PMID:1484692", "title": "A six-generation family with autosomal dominant retinitis pigmentosa and a rhodopsin gene mutation (arginine-135-leucine).", "content": "This study documents the ophthalmological findings in a six-generation. Swedish family with autosomal dominant retinitis pigmentosa with a previously unknown rhodopsin, exon 2, mutation, Arg-135-Leu (CGG to CTG). Six affected patients from the family were available for analysis and were all found to be heterozygous for the mutation, whereas eight clinically normal family members and 29 unrelated normal individuals did not have it. The disease appears to be of a type with comparatively rapid progression to blindness."}
{"id": "PMID:1484693", "title": "Grating-acuity in children. Normal values of visual acuity in children up to 13 years as assessed by the acuity card procedure.", "content": "The acuity card procedure proved to be a useful method for assessing visual acuity in children. Normal values of visual acuity measured by this method had already been assessed in children up to four years. To enable application of the test in older children this study obtained values in a group of 396 normal children, aged three months to 13 years. The mean curve as well as the 10th centile was calculated in different age groups. A considerable variation of acuity values causing a 'dip' in the 10th centile was found in the ages 18 to 24 months. A smaller 'dip' was found in the ages 48 to 52 months. This has to be attributed to behavioural properties connected with age. The results obtained in the group of children under four years of age corresponded fairly well with other studies. In schoolchildren a fair agreement could also be found between the data obtained using the acuity card procedure and the data obtained with the Landolt-C rings. Obtaining normal values for the acuity card procedure in children covering a wide age range facilitates recognition of visual handicap in children who are difficult to assess."}
{"id": "PMID:1484694", "title": "Congenital glaucoma in a child with partial 1q duplication and 9p deletion.", "content": "A case of partial duplication of chromosome 1 (1q41-qter) and partial deletion of chromosome 9 (9p24-pter) with infantile congenital glaucoma is reported. The histopathology of the eyes is described. The clinical findings ascribed to trisomy 1q and partial monosomy 9p are summarized and compared to this case. As this is the second report of a patient with monosomy 9p24-pter and congenital glaucoma, it may indicate localization of a gene involved in congenital glaucoma in this region of the human genome."}
{"id": "PMID:1484695", "title": "Encephalocraniocutaneous lipomatosis and oculocerebrocutaneous syndrome. A differential diagnostic problem?", "content": "The authors describe a female patient with unilateral malformations of skin, cerebrum and eye. The symptoms consisted of local skin hypoplasia, skin appendages and lipomatous tissue; cysts, hypoplasia and lipomatosis of the brain; and ocular malformations. In the newborn period the symptoms led to the diagnosis of oculocerebrocutaneous (OCC) syndrome. In the first year of life the clinical course deteriorated and the psychomotor development was progressively retarded. Evaluation at the age of 15 months prompted the authors to change the diagnosis to encephalocraniocutaneous lipomatosis (ECCL). The differential diagnosis of ECCL and OCC syndromes is discussed and a possible common pathogenetic pathway of these two rare disorders is proposed."}
{"id": "PMID:1484696", "title": "Epidemiology of congenital eye malformations in 131,760 consecutive births.", "content": "The epidemiology of eye malformations was studied in the geographical area covered by the authors' registry of congenital malformations. For each of the 78 new cases studied during the period 1979 to 1988, more than 50 factors were compared in probands and in controls. The prevalence rate of congenital eye malformations was 7.5 per 10,000 with microphthalmia 1.8, anophthalmia 0.3, cataract 2.3 and coloboma 0.7 respectively. Sex ratio was 0.82. Prenatal diagnosis was performed in ten cases and three cases were induced abortions. The more common types of associated malformations in the 42 affected cases (53.8%) with at least one anomaly other than an eye malformation were clubfeet, microcephaly, hydrocephaly and facial dysmorphia. At birth infants with eye malformations and other malformations were smaller, weighed less and their head circumference was lower than in controls. Placental weight was also lower than in controls. Pregnancies with eye malformations were more often complicated by threatened abortion, oligoamnios and polyhydramnios. Mothers of children with congenital eye malformations took more often drugs during pregnancy than mothers of controls. Fathers of children with congenital eye malformations were more often exposed to occupational hazards than fathers of controls. There was a significant association between eye malformation and consanguinity of parents. First degree relatives of probands had more than three times the prevalence of non-eye malformations than controls. These results are of relevance to genetic counseling."}
{"id": "PMID:1484697", "title": "Electro-oculogram in vitamin A deficiency associated with cystic fibrosis. Short communication.", "content": "Electro-oculograms (EOGs) were recorded in a patient with cystic fibrosis and vitamin A deficiency before and during vitamin A supplementation (25,000 IU/day). Before vitamin A supplementation the EOG Arden light/dark ratio was 1.27. After seven months of vitamin A supplementation the Arden ratio increased to 3.0. These results reveal that vitamin A deficiency can cause an abnormal EOG."}
{"id": "PMID:1484698", "title": "Functional morphology of the human endolymphatic sac. A review.", "content": "Modern immunohistochemical methods allow a functional characterization of the human endolymphatic sac (ES) and its associated cell populations. The currently available immunohistochemical data on the extraosseous part of the human ES support the assumption that the epithelium is metabolically active and capable of both secretion and absorption. The reactivity of some epithelial cells with antibodies against neuroendocrine antigens implies a paracrine activity of the human ES. Further results provide evidence for a possible role of the human ES in inner ear immune defense and indicate a putative functional relationship of the human ES to the common mucosa-associated immune system."}
{"id": "PMID:1484699", "title": "Cytodifferentiation within the developing human endolymphatic sac.", "content": "The cytodifferentiation of the human endolymphatic sac was studied in the period between gestational weeks 8 and 20. This period is of particular interest since it covers the major part of the morphological and functional maturation of the human inner ear. The studied time, i.e. 8-20 weeks of gestation, may be divided into three periods. Before week 10, between weeks 11 and 15 and weeks 15-20. While the endolymphatic sac appears as a simple slit-like appendage in the first period, until week 10 with cells of uniform size and shape, a beginning cytodifferentiation occurs in the second period between weeks 10 and 15. Thus the cells attain a more mature shape with different stainability, i.e. light- and dark-staining cells, as well as open lateral intercellular spaces indicating some functional maturity. In the third period, after week 15, the endolymphatic sac more or less seems mature with a rugose appearance in its proximal portion and a more even, slit-like appearance in the distal portion. The cells are differentiated with morphological signs of functional maturation. It may be concluded that the development of the endolymphatic sac roughly follows that of the cochlea which is regarded to be functionally mature in the beginning of the second half of pregnancy."}
{"id": "PMID:1484700", "title": "Origin of sympathetic and sensory innervation of the endolymphatic sac. A retrograde axonal tracing study in the guinea pig.", "content": "Lectin-conjugated horseradish peroxidase (WGA-HRP) was used as a retrograde axonal tracer to determine endolymphatic sac (ES) innervation and the nature of such a nervous supply. WGA-HRP placed into the ES of the guinea pig resulted in labelling of neurons in the ipsilateral sympathetic superior cervical ganglion and the sensory trigeminal ganglion. The number of labelled neurons in the cervical superior ganglion varied according to the survival time with peak labelling occurring after 48 h. Sparse labelling of the sensory trigeminal ganglion was also present after 48 h. The results indicate that sympathetic neurons from the superior cervical ganglion and to a certain extent trigeminal somatosensory neurons innervate the ES or perisaccular tissue. If these findings reflect the existence of a sympathetic functional reflex unit remains to be elucidated."}
{"id": "PMID:1484701", "title": "Osmotically induced macrophage activity in the endolymphatic sac. On the possible interaction between periaqueductal bone marrow cells and the endolymphatic sac.", "content": "This study aimed to investigate the origin of the free cells in the lumen of the endolymphatic sac (ES). Activation of the cells was accomplished through osmotic induction using glycerol. The ES and the perisaccular tissue were analyzed with special reference to the activity of periaqueductal bone marrow cells after different time intervals following the injection of hyperosmotic agents. The results show that the perisaccular or periaqueductal bone marrow space may constitute a source of some of the free cells occurring in the ES. Osmotic challenging of the inner ear may cause activation of the periaqueductal bone marrow, initiating the locomotion and migration of cells (mostly monocytes, neutrophils and eosinophilic leukocytes) along bone marrow sinusoids that frequently anastomose with the ES vessels. The free cells show signs of transepithelial diapedesis and, in the lumen of the ES, cells may develop into phagocytes which initiate the ingestion and degradation of secreted macromolecular aggregates. It is thought that osmotic alterations in the inner ear may give rise to local changes in or around the ES, leading to the chemotactic attraction of bone marrow cells. The results verify the existence of a complex sugar/protein aggregate metabolism over the wall of the ES, which is linked to the turnover of free cells. The findings may indicate that ES macrophages are important in the regulation of inner ear fluid homeostasis."}
{"id": "PMID:1484702", "title": "Acidity in the endolymphatic sac fluid of guinea pigs.", "content": "The pH value and the DC potential in the endolymphatic sac (ES) were measured using H(+)-selective double-barreled electrodes and the intra- and extradural approach, the pH value in the ES fluid (6.65 +/- 0.12, n = 7) was markedly lower than that in the cerebrospinal fluid (7.39 +/- 0.07, n = 7). Acidity in the ES fluid, under normal (nontreated) conditions may be closely associated with metabolism in the epithelium of the ES."}
{"id": "PMID:1484703", "title": "Effects of glycerol on the endolymphatic sac. A time sequence study.", "content": "A time sequence study was performed on experimental animals to investigate long-term effects of intravenously administered glycerol on the epithelial cell activity in the endolymphatic sac (ES) and on the ES volume. Fifteen to 60 min after systemic glycerol administration, the ES volume decreased. During this time, the ES lumen was often obliterated. Subsequently, the lumen dilated. Meanwhile, many light epithelial cells showed granules with floccular and/or lamellar contents. Concomitant deposition of floccular material into the luminal space suggested secretion of macromolecular substances, presumably from these transformed light cells. The number of granule-containing cells was significantly increased 2 h (p < 0.01) and 4 h (p < 0.01) after glycerol administration. The ES was significantly dilated after 4 h (p < 0.01) and 6 h (p < 0.05). Thus systemic alterations in osmotic pressure led to a reversible change in ES volume, with initial collapse followed by dilation and normalization after 8 h. The secretory response of the ES preceded the volume increase. A great variability in ES volume indicated high compliance of this organ system. A secretion/degradation system or turnover of osmotically active macromolecular complexes in the epithelial lining and ES lumen seems to be linked to the ability of the ES to hold fluid volumes within a wide range. This may serve as a micromechanical pressure-volume-regulating device for monitoring endolymph fluid homeostasis."}
{"id": "PMID:1484704", "title": "Microorganism transport in the human endolymphatic duct.", "content": "There are indications that endolymphatic sac (ES) may be an immunologically active part of the inner ear. So far, no microorganisms or foreign substances have been localized in this area under 'normal' conditions. Only a limited number of human specimens, including the entire endolymphatic duct (ED) and ES, have been collected and analyzed from cadavers or surgical biopsy specimens. In this study, 6 human ED and ES collected from cadavers and at surgery were analyzed by light and electron microscopy. This was done in order to investigate if microorganisms may normally be drained at this route into the ES. Some microorganisms (Mycoplasma pneumoniae) were found in the lumen and subepithelial tissue of 1 human ED. These observations suggest that microorganisms may also be locally processed and disposed at the level of the ED. These results add further evidence as to the immunodefensive role of the human ES."}
{"id": "PMID:1484705", "title": "A technique to obtain and process surgical specimens of the human vestibular aqueduct for histopathological studies of the endolymphatic duct and sac.", "content": "The endolymphatic sac (ES) may play a crucial role in the pathophysiology of M\u00e9ni\u00e8re's disease. This paper presents a technique to obtain and process fresh human specimens of the endolymphatic duct (ED) and the presumably more active intraosseous portion of the ES obtained at surgery. The specimens are preserved with an intact bony shell around the ED and the intraosseous ES. This allows ultrastructural histopathological evaluation of the intraluminal contents, the epithelium and the subepithelial tissue as well as the mutual relationships of these structures. Various factors influencing ES ultrastructure are discussed. The results obtained from this method may increase our understanding of the possible role of the ES in the etiology of different inner ear disorders."}
{"id": "PMID:1484706", "title": "Cochlear structure and function in a recessive type of genetically induced inner ear degeneration.", "content": "An age-related consecutive morphological analysis of the cochlea has been performed in homozygote (je/je) and heterozygote (je/+) jerker mouse mutants. A difference in the time of onset of hair cell pathology was evident between the two, but, when taking place, it showed a similar morphological type of degeneration. The cuticular plate and the stereocilia are particularly vulnerable structures and are the primary sites of damage. The suprastructures on both outer and inner hair cells disintegrate at the same time, irrespective of the level along the basilar membrane. During aging, the je/+ animals showed a progressive age-related impairment of auditory brainstem response thresholds which was correlated semiquantitatively to hair cell pathology."}
{"id": "PMID:1484707", "title": "[Lyme borreliosis in childhood].", "content": "Ten years after detection of Borrelia burgdorferi as the etiologic agent of Lyme borreliosis and after introduction of serological methods an overview of the disease in children is given and compared with own observations. In view of the wide clinical spectrum and the difficulties in interpreting serological results the early diagnosis of Lyme borreliosis is still problematic at present. On the other hand, in case of late diagnosis therapeutic failure and/or partial recovery may result. Data of 138 children with clinically suspected recent Lyme borreliosis demonstrate that the early diagnosis particularly of neuroborreliosis can only be ameliorated when a careful synopsis of all specific and nonspecific laboratory parameters available is done. Additionally, the results of a prospective randomized study of the treatment of acute neuroborreliosis (penicillin G sodium versus ceftriaxone) and results of liquor patency and half-life of ceftriaxone are presented."}
{"id": "PMID:1484708", "title": "[Clinical medicine and homeopathy].", "content": "A growing number of physicians in everyday practice use homoeopathy not as an alternative but rather as a supplementation to conventional medicine. A whole number of trials concerning both basic and clinical research have given evidence of the efficacy of homoeopathy and of the way it works. Nevertheless, in order to draw definite conclusions, the methodological quality of the trials will have to be improved. The evidence accumulated so far justifies the planning of further studies in collaboration between homoeopathic practitioners and clinicians. In order to achieve relevant results further studies have to be designed according to the principles of homoeopathy, especially the individual prescription of remedies."}
{"id": "PMID:1484709", "title": "[Indications, problems and future perspectives of bone marrow transplantation in pediatrics].", "content": "Bone marrow transplantation (BMT) is an established therapy in pediatric oncology and is increasingly used as curative approach in the treatment of congenital, non-oncologic diseases of the lymphohematopoietic system. There is increasing evidence, however, that BMT can be followed by severe long term effects including neuroendocrine, ophthalmologic, dental and central nervous system abnormalities, particularly in children. Therefore the indication to BMT depends on the results obtained by conventional therapy. Due to the high cure rates of leukemia with conventional therapy BMT is only warranted following relapse except for certain forms with poor prognosis factors. For patients with chronic myelogeneous leukemia, however, BMT is the only chance of cure. In solid tumors the role of BMT is more difficult, because there is no clear evidence that BMT is superior to conventional therapy with regard to long term survival. In severe aplastic anemia, however, the long term results of BMT are clearly better than those obtained by conventional therapy. Other undisputed indications for BMT are severe combined immuno deficiencies and other congenital diseases for which BMT is currently the only curative therapy. Progress with matched unrelated donor transplantations by better histocompatibility testing and more specific immunosuppressive therapy to reduce graft-versus-host disease, still a major problem of allogeneic BMT, as well as the perspectives of gen therapy in the future will offer a chance of cure to many patients without a matched sibling donor."}
{"id": "PMID:1484710", "title": "The effect of meal frequency on postprandial thermogenesis in obese children.", "content": "The effect of meal frequency on the thermic effect of food (TEF) was studied in six obese boys and five obese girls (age: mean +/- SE, 12.7 +/- 0.6 yr). Post-absorptive and postprandial resting energy expenditure (REE) were monitored continuously by indirect calorimetry. The children consumed one large liquid meal (LM) or three consecutive small meals (SM) at 1.5 h intervals on subsequent days. The first mode of nutrient intake was determined random. The energy content of the LM and one SM was tailored to provide 30% and 10% of the 24 h postabsorptive REE, respectively. The postprandial changes in REE were monitored for 6 h. The postabsorptive REE (mean +/- SE) was 4.86 +/- 0.28 and 4.9 +/- 0.27 kJ/min before the LM and SM, respectively. REE, respiratory quotient, plasma glucose and insulin concentrations increased sooner, steeper and higher with the LM than with the SM. The magnitude of the TEF was greater (p < 0.02) after the LM (11.9 +/- 1.3%) than after the SM (8.5 +/- 0.7%). It is concluded that the frequency of food consumption influences the immediate thermogenic response as well as the changes in respiratory quotient, glycaemia and insulinaemia. However, the complex effect of different meal frequencies on the overall energy balance of obese patients cannot be answered on the basis of the present results."}
{"id": "PMID:1484711", "title": "[Schoenlein-Henoch syndrome with abdominal manifestations without skin involvement].", "content": "The etiology of Schoenlein-Henoch' Syndrome has not yet been fully clarified [10, 15]. An allergically toxic genesis is under discussion [8, 19]. The classical combination of symptoms consists of urticariel efflorescences, bleeding of skin and lining tissue and arthralgies [8, 19]. Involvement of kidneys and abdomen may occur [8, 19]. Our case report concerns exclusively an abdominal form with colics, vomiting and diarrhea [10, 18, 16]. Chemical tests reveal a reduction of factor XIII [1, 5, 21]. There is no involvement of kidneys, skin or joints. With reference to literature and this particular case, etiology, diagnosis and therapy are dealt with."}
{"id": "PMID:1484713", "title": "Plasma and cerebrospinal fluid beta-endorphin in chronic tension-type headache.", "content": "Previous studies have provided evidence of an increased sensitivity to pain, a decreased hypothalamic opioid tone, and decreased cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) beta-endorphin (beta-EP) concentration in patients with primary chronic headache. We applied separate specific radioimmunoassays for beta-EP in CSF and plasma on samples from age-matched controls and a group of 50 patients with chronic tension-type headache (CTH) fulfilling the diagnostic criteria set by the International Headache Society. Median CSF beta-EP concentrations (95% confidence limits) were 12.8 pmol/l (11.0-14.5) in CTH patients and 11.9 pmol/l (10.9-14.2) in the control group, which is not significantly different (P = 0.28). Plasma beta-EP concentrations did not differ either, being 3.1 pmol/l (2.4-3.7) and 3.3 pmol/l (1.8-4.0) in the patients with CTH and in controls, respectively (P = 0.88). Plasma and CSF beta-EP concentrations did not correlate. Reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) of CSF pools from the headache patients and controls revealed similar profiles of beta-EP-immunoreactivity both when C-terminally and N-terminally directed antisera were used, suggesting a normal post-translational processing of the pro-opiomelanocortin gene in patients with CTH. beta-EP is not involved in the pathogenesis of CTH, or such a role is not reflected in CSF or plasma concentrations of the neuropeptide."}
{"id": "PMID:1484714", "title": "Cervicogenic headache, migraine, and tension-type headache. Pressure-pain threshold measurements.", "content": "Pressure-pain threshold (PPT) measurements were performed with a pressure algometer, at 22 specified points in the head in patients with cervicogenic headache (n = 32), migraine (with and without aura) (n = 26) and tension-type headache (n = 17). Comparisons were made with a group of healthy controls (n = 20). The average PPT differed significantly between the groups (ANOVA, F = 9.5, P < 0.0005), largely caused by the low threshold in cervicogenic headache patients. There were no significant differences between controls and the 2 other headache groups. In the cervicogenic headache group, the lowest PPT was found in the occipital part of the head on the side with pain predominance. The ratio between the dominant and non-dominant sides (all 11 points on each side) was 0.85 in cervicogenic headache, whereas it was 0.99 in migraine patients with side preponderance of the pain. The present results support the view that the pathogenesis of cervicogenic headache differs from that of migraine and tension-type headache. The results may further support the theory that fibres from the C2 level (innervating the occipital part of the head) may be included in the pathogenetic mechanism in cervicogenic headache."}
{"id": "PMID:1484715", "title": "Painful neuropathy: altered central processing maintained dynamically by peripheral input.", "content": "We performed sensory assessments before and during diagnostic tourniquet-cuff and local anesthetic blocks in 4 patients diagnosed with reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD). All patients complained of mechano-allodynia; lightly touching the skin evoked an intense pain sensation. At detection levels, electrical stimuli were perceived as painful, suggesting that the mechano-allodynia was mediated by A beta low-threshold mechanoreceptor afferents. A beta-mediated allodynia was further supported by reaction time latencies to painful electrical stimuli at threshold for A-fiber activation and, in 1 patient, by differential cuff blocks which abolished A beta function and allodynia while thermal sensation (warm and cold) were preserved. Local anesthetic block of painful foci associated with previous trauma abolished mechano-allodynia, cold allodynia, and spontaneous pain in all patients and relieved the motor symptoms in 1 patient with tonic contractures of the toes. Tactile and thermal perception in the previously allodynic area was preserved. When the local anesthetic block waned, spontaneous pain, allodynia, and motor symptoms returned. We propose a model of neuropathic pain in which ongoing nociceptive afferent input from a peripheral focus dynamically maintains altered central processing that accounts for allodynia, spontaneous pain, and other sensory and motor abnormalities. Blocking the peripheral input causes the central processing to revert to normal, abolishing the symptoms for the duration of the block. The model accounts for sympathetically maintained (SMP) and sympathetically independent (SIP) pain. The peripheral input can be independent of sympathetic activity or driven completely or in part by activity in sympathetic efferents or by circulating catecholamines. The shared final common pathway may explain the common features of SMP and SIP."}
{"id": "PMID:1484716", "title": "Formalin pain is expressed in decerebrate rats but not attenuated by morphine.", "content": "Subcutaneous injection of dilute formalin induces pain in humans and behaviors indicative of pain in animals. The formalin test, which is based on these observations, is now widely used as a model of pain produced by tissue injury, but the neural mechanisms of pain and analgesia in this test have not been identified. Rats with transections of the brain rostral or caudal to the pons show behavioral reactions to formalin similar to those of normal rats, although the temporary abatement of pain 10-15 min after formalin is absent in transected animals. Doses of morphine that suppress the behavioral response to formalin in normal rats are not antinociceptive in the formalin test in decerebrate rats although sedation, catalepsy and inhibition of the tail-flick reflex still occur. These results suggest that the response to formalin is organized in the brain stem but the antinociceptive effect of morphine in this test is mediated by the diencephalon or forebrain."}
{"id": "PMID:1484717", "title": "Dynamic and static components of mechanical hyperalgesia in human hairy skin.", "content": "The principle finding of the present study is that there are two types of mechanical hyperalgesia developing in human hairy skin following injurious stimuli. Mechanical hyperalgesia comprises a dynamic component (brush-evoked pain, allodynia) signalled by large myelinated afferents and a static component (hyperalgesia to pressure stimuli) signalled by unmyelinated afferents. While the static component is only found in the injured area, the dynamic component also extends into a halo of undamaged tissue surrounding the injury. The irritant chemicals, mustard oil or capsaicin, were applied transdermally in 20 subjects to a patch (2 x 2 cm) of hairy skin. Both substances evoked burning pain and hyperalgesia to mechanical stimuli. While stroking normal skin with a cotton bud was perceived only as touch prior to chemical stimulation, there was a distinctly unpleasant sensation afterwards. This component of mechanical hyperalgesia persisted for at least 30 min and was present in the skin exposed to the irritants (primary hyperalgesia) as well as in a zone of untreated skin surrounding the injury (secondary hyperalgesia) measuring 38 +/- 4 cm2 after capsaicin. Pressure pain thresholds dropped to 55 +/- 8% of baseline level after mustard oil and to 46 +/- 9% after capsaicin. However, this drop of thresholds was short-lived, lasting 5 min following mustard oil but persisting more than 30 min following capsaicin treatment. The reduction of pressure pain thresholds was only observed for treated skin areas, but not in the surrounding undamaged tissue from where brush-evoked pain could be evoked. When pressure pain thresholds were lowered, the pain had a burning quality which differed distinctly from the quality of brush-evoked pain. On-going burning pain and both types of mechanical hyperalgesia were critically temperature dependent. Mildly cooling the skin provided instant relief from on-going pain, abolished brush-evoked pain and normalized pressure pain thresholds. Rewarming resulted in a reappearance of on-going pain and hyperalgesia. The effect of a nerve compression block of the superficial radial nerve on these sensations was tested in 14 experiments. When the ability to perceive light touch had been abolished, there was also no touch-evoked pain, indicating that this component of mechanical hyperalgesia is mediated by large-diameter primary afferents. At a later stage of the block when the subjects' ability to perceive cold stimuli had also been lost, application of cool stimuli still eliminated on-going burning pain, suggesting that pain relief afforded by cooling the skin acts at the peripheral receptor level and not by central masking.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1484718", "title": "Daily coping with pain from rheumatoid arthritis: patterns and correlates.", "content": "Seventy-five individuals with rheumatoid arthritis reported their pain coping, mood, and joint pain for 75 consecutive days. Pain coping strategies used most often were taking direct action to reduce the pain and using relaxation strategies; those used least often were expressing emotions about the pain and redefining the pain to make it more bearable. Several background characteristics, including gender, disability, neuroticism, and pain control perceptions predicted use of various coping strategies. Controlling for these characteristics, individuals who used relaxation more frequently as part of their daily coping repertoire had less daily pain during the course of the study, and those who reported more overall coping efforts were more likely to display declining levels of daily pain across time. Pain severity moderated the relations of seeking emotional support and use of distraction with daily mood. At low levels of pain, greater use of these strategies related to more positive mood but, at high levels of pain, related to less positive mood. Finally, individuals who reported a greater number of distinct forms of coping were more apt to enjoy improving daily mood over the course of the study. Findings are discussed in terms of the advantages of prospective daily research designs."}
{"id": "PMID:1484719", "title": "Behavior of patients with lung cancer: description and associations with oncologic and pain variables.", "content": "Although reflexes are recognized as protective responses to noxious stimuli, less is known about voluntary behavioral responses to cancer pain, which could provide clinicians with important diagnostic and therapeutic information. Forty-five patients with lung cancer were studied in their homes on 2 occasions to identify pain behaviors and to examine relationships between behaviors and selected variables. Patients completed the McGill Pain Questionnaire (MPQ) and Visual Analogue scale (VAS). Using a videotape observation method, patients sat, stood, walked, and reclined for 10 min. Videotapes were scored using 5 position-related and 31 pain-related behavior definitions. Within 3 days scored behaviors were described to patients who reported whether each scored behavior was performed: to express pain; because pain prevented usual behavior; to control pain; or as a habit. Patients reported that pain was controlled by 42 different behaviors; the number of different pain-reduction behaviors was correlated with pain intensity (r = 0.44) and pain quality (r = 0.64). Simultaneous multiple regression indicated that length of time pain was experienced, number of pain sites, pain quality, and pain intensity accounted for 41% of the variance in the number of pain control behaviors. None of the taped behaviors was reported as performed to express pain, and few of the patients reported that pain prevented behavior during the video session. Results clarify the pain-behavior construct, provide insight about the multidimensional nature of lung cancer pain, and suggest directions for behavioral interventions to augment pharmacological therapy for lung cancer pain."}
{"id": "PMID:1484720", "title": "The NMDA-receptor antagonist CPP abolishes neurogenic 'wind-up pain' after intrathecal administration in humans.", "content": "Involvement of the NMDA receptor system in the transmission of nociceptive information, including the development of central sensitization and a wind-up phenomenon, has increased interest in NMDA-receptor antagonists as antinociceptive drugs. This case report describes the use of an NMDA receptor antagonist 3-(2-carboxypiperazin-4-yl)propyl-1-phosphonic acid (CPP) in a carefully selected patient with severe and intractable neurogenic pain in her left leg. The pain syndrome had components of a continuous deep pain, an allodynia, and a wind-up-like component, including afterdischarge and spread of painful sensations outside the territory of the injured nerve. After intrathecal (i.t.) administration of 200 nmol of CPP the continuous deep pain component and allodynia were unchanged, but the following 'wind-up' phenomenon with afterdischarge and spread of the pain sensation in the left half of the body was completely abolished. Another 500 nmol of CPP administered over 2 h did not improve pain relief. Pain thresholds for heat and cold stimulation, measured with a Marstock thermostimulator, did not change. There was no effect on blood pressure, heart rate, sensitivity, reflexes, coordination or motor performance. Psychotomimetic ketamine-like side effects developed 4 h after the last injection of CPP and were probably due to rostral spread of CPP. These early experiences with i.t. administration of NMDA-receptor antagonists to humans indicate that the NMDA-receptor system plays an important role in neurogenic pain and that antagonizing this system may be a useful way to obtain better pain control although psychotomimetic side effects due to rostral spread may be a problem."}
{"id": "PMID:1484721", "title": "Grand mal seizures associated with high-dose intravenous morphine infusions: incidence and possible etiology.", "content": "A retrospective review of pharmacy records during a 7-year period at the Johns Hopkins Oncology Center revealed that 6 patients received greater than 4 g of morphine sulfate per day by continuous infusion (CI). Three patients received high-dose infusions for more than 24 h. Two of these 3 patients developed grand mal seizures, while the third was receiving a neuromuscular blocking agent making detection of seizures difficult. Prolonged administration of high concentrations of the sodium bisulfite preservative contained in the morphine solution is a possible explanation for the development of these seizures. Caution is suggested in using CI, preservative-containing morphine at high doses."}
{"id": "PMID:1484725", "title": "Assessment of rehabilitation in patients with spinal cord injuries: methodological considerations.", "content": "It is becoming a necessity to predict the outcome of spinal cord injured patients, because their prognosis has greatly improved in recent years. The assessment of rehabilitation should be done with methodology to avoid selection bias and confounding factors, and to choose criteria for measuring outcome. Some simple rules are proposed in order to correctly use major statistical models."}
{"id": "PMID:1484726", "title": "Spinal cord injury: prognosis for ambulation based on quadriceps recovery.", "content": "The purpose of this study was to determine if early recovery of quadricep muscle strength post spinal cord injury (SCI) is a useful predictor of future ambulation. Seventeen C4-T10 motor incomplete (Frankel C) spinal cord injured patients admitted to our center between March 1988 and April 1990 were examined within 72 hours to one week post injury. All patients had initial quadricep strengths < or = 2/5 in both legs. Strength in the strongest quadricep was followed prospectively at intervals from admission to one year post injury. Recovery time to a > 3/5 quadricep was established for each patient. Patients were categorized into 2 groups: FA (n = 11) were those patients who achieved functional ambulation and NA (n = 6) were those subjects who were nonambulators. Functional ambulators were defined as those patients who were able to walk in the household and/or the community while non ambulators were those who either did not ambulate or did so only for exercise. All patients (n = 9) who achieved a > 3/5 quadricep by 2 months post SCI became functional ambulators whereas in the group of 8 patients who did not achieve a > 3/5 by 2 months, only 2 became functional ambulators. This result was found to be significant using a point-by-serial correlation with p < 0.05. In conclusion, motor incomplete spinal cord injured patients who recovered to a > 3/5 quadricep strength by 2 months post injury had an excellent prognosis for subsequent ambulation by 6 months post injury."}
{"id": "PMID:1484727", "title": "Repeated measurements of pulmonary function following spinal cord injury.", "content": "Twelve subjects (11 males, 1 female) with complete spinal cord lesion (level of lesion ranging from C4 to T10), with a mean age of 23.5 years participated in pulmonary function testing (PFT). Inspiratory and expiratory flow measurements were made at 2-month intervals from 25 to 351 days post injury. The values were interpolated and extrapolated to common dates to facilitate comparison. The effect of time on pulmonary function was determined by a repeated measures ANOVA. Forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1.0) significantly increased during the course of the study (40%, p < 0.05), but increases in forced vital capacity (FVC) (32.5%) and maximal voluntary ventilation (MVV) (16%) were not statistically significant. Lesion level was found to be correlated (Spearman Product Moment Correlation) with pulmonary function if a single measure was made (r = 0.55 to 0.73), but emerged as a stronger predictor if the average of several repeated PFTs was correlated with lesion level (r = 0.74 to 0.84). In addition, lesion level was not correlated with the amount of improvement attained during the time period studied. We conclude that the time course of recovery of pulmonary function is variable between individuals with spinal cord injuries and can only be weakly predicted by knowledge of the initial value and the lesion level."}
{"id": "PMID:1484728", "title": "Lipid profiles in spinal cord injury.", "content": "Measurement of blood levels of total cholesterol and lipoproteins (HDL and LDL) were conducted on 96 men with spinal cord injury, 46 paraplegics and 50 quadriplegics. All these patients were studied in the stabilized phase of the disease as a follow up to the rehabilitation process. The study was designed to compare results with a normal, able bodied population and to investigate if any abnormal finding could be related to the age at onset of the spinal cord injury, the duration of the disease or the level of the lesion. Compared to the normal, able bodied population, this study indicates that patients with a spinal cord injury do not have higher levels of cholesterol or LDL, nor lower levels of HDL. Levels of total cholesterol increase with aging, as in the normal population, but have no relation to the duration of the disease or the level of the lesion. Blood levels of HDL and LDL do not seem to be related either to the duration of the disease or to the level of the lesion."}
{"id": "PMID:1484729", "title": "Bladder rehabilitation with dorsal rhizotomy and ventral neuroprosthesis.", "content": "Two patients with severe neuropathic bladders were successfully treated with selective dorsal rhizotomy in conjunction with a ventral root neuroprosthesis. Both patients achieved stabilization of their renal function, continence, resolution of vesicoureteral reflux, and relief from indwelling urethral catheters. This alternative form of management avoids the complications of other operative approaches."}
{"id": "PMID:1484730", "title": "Vertebral osteomyelitis following manipulation of spondylitic necks--a possible risk.", "content": "Neurological complications of neck manipulation are well recognised but are usually due to acute vascular incidents. However, we describe two patients with cervical spondylosis, who developed staphylococcal osteomyelitis of the cervical spine with progressive tetraplegia, apparently following manipulation of the neck by a chiropractor. Although it is possible that the manipulation resulted in cervical spine trauma sufficient to cause local haemorrhage, the area becoming a nidus for infection, it is also conceivable that the patients underwent neck manipulation in an attempt to relieve pain due to an already existing osteomyelitis of the cervical spine, and the manipulation may have hastened the onset of spinal cord paralysis. Clearly, this could have occurred, as the average time between the onset of symptoms and diagnosis of vertebral osteomyelitis in most published series is about 2 months. Approximately 80% of cases of osteomyelitis occur in the 50-70 age group, a group in which cervical spondylosis is extremely common. It would seem that neck manipulation is particularly contraindicated in older patients with cervical spondylosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1484731", "title": "Physeal injuries in myelomeningocele patients.", "content": "Epiphysiolysis from a series of 253 patients under regular control in the Spina Bifida Unit at our hospital has been analysed from 1967 to the present time. From that total there have been 18 physeal fractures in 9 of the myelomeningocele patients. The clinical characteristics, diagnostic difficulties and therapeutic criteria for this type of lesion are considered, and we suggest the need to use suitable orthoses whenever the patient is able to walk, and to temporarily increase the level of orthotisation in patients if the physis of the knee is affected."}
{"id": "PMID:1484732", "title": "Management of pyogenic vertebral osteomyelitis with spinal cord compression in the elderly.", "content": "Five elderly and debilitated patients presented with compressive myelopathy due to pyogenic spondylitis. All had undergone surgery which consisted of eradication of the infected tissue via an anterior approach followed by primary bone graft. Supplementary antibiotic treatment was determined by intraoperative bacteriological culture. This aggressive approach, disregarding the patients' advanced age and poor general medical state, resulted in total resolution of the neurological deficit and the patients' return to their preoperative everyday activity."}
{"id": "PMID:1484733", "title": "A psychological study of spinal cord injured patients involved in the Madras Paraplegia Project.", "content": "The psychological features of spinal cord injured (SCI) patients involved in the Madras Paraplegia Project are described. Three hundred and twenty-eight patients were studied. Based on personality tests, 11% were extroverts, 14% were introverts and 76% were neither extroverts nor introverts. Twenty-four percent of the subjects were neurotic, 11% had a depressive illness, and 26% had pathological anxiety. The study has highlighted the psychological status of SCI patients, and the usefulness of a psychiatric team in the multidisciplinary care of such patients. This is probably the first large psychological study of SCI patients from a developing country."}
{"id": "PMID:1484734", "title": "Computerized quantitative radionuclide assessment of heterotopic ossification in spinal cord injury patients.", "content": "We evaluated the progression of heterotopic ossification (HO) in 17 spinal cord injury patients by comparing radiographs, quantitative radionuclide bone scans, and serum alkaline phosphatase levels. Evidence of maturation of HO appeared earlier (3 months to 6 years post injury) in radiographs, whereas, during the same time frame, radioactive nuclide assessment showed continued progression of HO in 10 out of the 17 patients. The evolution of HO appeared to take place over a period ranging between 3 and 80 months. We believe that stabilization of HO may be reasonably defined in terms of uptake ratios of 2.0 or less in patients with initial uptake ratios over 3.0 but below 5.0, and of ratios of 3.0 or less when the initial values are over 5.0."}
{"id": "PMID:1484735", "title": "Peripheral nerve block with phenol to treat spasticity in spinal cord injured patients.", "content": "In this study an attempt was made to treat spinal cord injured patients with severe spasticity by peripheral nerve blocks. Thirty-six patients (5 female, 31 male) ranging in age from 20 to 71 years (mean: 29 +/- 8.2) were treated by phenol injections. A specially designed electrostimulation needle was used for the injections. The results showed that peripheral nerve blocks with phenol solution could be a remedy on a temporary basis, but are not as effective as has been described previously."}
{"id": "PMID:1484736", "title": "Laminin receptors in the integrin family.", "content": "Integrins are membrane receptors, consisting of an alpha and a beta subunit, which are involved in cell adhesion. Their extracellular domain is able to bind to ligands such as laminin which occurs in basement membranes of various kinds of cells. Most of these integrins, with their intracellular domains, interact with the actin-containing cytoskeleton, via linking proteins such as vinculin and talin, while one of them interacts with the keratin filaments, via an as yet unknown linking molecule(s). Among more than eighteen integrins which have been identified to date, integrins alpha 3 beta 1 and alpha 6 beta 1 have been characterized as laminin receptors. They recognize the laminin long arm E8 fragment obtained after elastase digestion of the molecule. The binding requires the presence of divalent cations which bind to specific sites on the integrin alpha subunit. The affinities of the alpha 3 beta 1 and alpha 6 beta 1 integrins for murine and human laminin are different, which is probably depended on the existence of different isoforms of laminin. When cells have adhered to laminin, the alpha 6 beta 1 integrin localizes in focal contacts in which actin microfilaments are anchored to the plasma membrane. Whether another integrin, the alpha 6 beta 4 complex, of epidermal cells is also a laminin receptor has not yet been confirmed. The alpha 6 beta 4 integrin localizes in hemidesmosomes which are attachment structures to the substratum where intermediate (keratin) filaments are anchored.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1484737", "title": "[Regulation and therapeutic modulation of T-lymphocytes adhesion].", "content": "LFA-1, Mac-1, and p150,95 are leukocyte adhesion proteins called beta 2 integrins. LFA-1 is expressed at the surface of all leukocytes. A rare disease caused by mutations of the gene encoding the integrin beta 2 subunit is characterized by defective expression of these leukocyte adhesion molecules. Affected individuals have profound immune deficiency with severe bacterial infections for which the only effective treatment is bone marrow transplantation. These patients are unable to reject a transplant from only partially \"Human Leucocyte Antigen\" (HLA) compatible donors. In vivo studies have demonstrated decreased transplant rejection after injection of anti-LFA-1 antibodies to patients with other immune deficiencies. Simultaneous administration of an anti-CD2 antibody that blocks the second major pathway of lymphocyte adhesion can be expected to reduce even further the rate of rejection episodes."}
{"id": "PMID:1484738", "title": "Novobiocin-brilliant green-glycerol-lactose-agar: further routine evaluation on 5554 human stools and 982 veterinary samples.", "content": "In order to provide a wider evaluation of \"Novobiocin-brilliant green-glycerol-lactose\" (NBGL) agar, dishes of this medium were added to standard media: Hektoen (H), Salmonella-Shigella agar (SS), at all plating steps for 5554 stool cultures of human medical routine (280 isolates) and 982 samples of veterinary routine (133 isolates). NBGL expectedly missed lactose-glycerol positive strains of the serotype Senftenberg (n = 4), H2S negative strains (n = 1), and strains of the Typhi serotype (n = 7). Otherwise, three strains, of serotype Virchow, were unable to grow on NBGL (0.7% of positive samples). Nevertheless overall sensitivities were increased by approximately 10% in the human routine (H: 70%; SS: 63%; NBGL: 94%; at the direct plating step) (H: 83%; SS: 84%; NBGL: 92%; at the enrichment plating step) and by 48% in the veterinary one (NBGL: 97%; versus usual media: 68%). Positive predictive values of black centred colonies were significantly higher on NBGL in human routine (H: 38%; SS: 40%; NBGL: 89%; at the direct plating step) (H: 20%; SS: 21%; NBGL: 82%; at the enrichment plating step); and in the veterinary one as well (NBGL: 90%; versus usual media: 17%). These data suggest that NBGL agar does improve Salmonella isolation in these kinds of routines, and that growth should be made sure before experiments using given strains."}
{"id": "PMID:1484739", "title": "[Evaluation of three types of empirical antibiotherapy in patients with febrile neutropenia: imipenem-cilastatin versus ceftazidime-vancomycin versus ticarcillin-amikacin-vancomycin].", "content": "A three-arm prospective randomized trial was designed to compare the effectiveness of single drug therapy with imipenemcilastatin (IC), two-drug therapy with ceftazidime-vancomycin (CV), and three-drug therapy with ticarcillin-vancomycin-amikacin (TVA) for the empirical antimicrobial treatment of febrile neutropenia events. The objectives of the study were to determine whether IC monotherapy was as effective as combination drug therapy (CV or TVA) and to assess the value of adding vancomycin at initiation of treatment. One hundred eighty-three febrile neutropenia events were randomized and 125 were evaluable. Success rates were 73% with IC, 67% with CV, and 72% with TVA. There were no statistically significant differences between the three treatment groups, regardless of the duration and severity of neutropenia. Fifty-four bacterial isolates were recovered from 43 patients. Among recovered bacterial strains, 55% were Gram-negative and 45% were Gram-positive. Rates of bacteriologically documented failures (14/33) and superinfections (3/33) were similar in the three groups. Adverse events were rare but two patients given CV and three given TVA developed severe skin toxicity requiring modification of the antimicrobial regimen. IC alone showed similar effectiveness and less toxicity, as compared with CV or TVA. Vancomycin given initially increased toxicity but failed to improve the success rate. Vancomycin may be appropriate only in patients at high risk for infection with methicillin-resistant staphylococci."}
{"id": "PMID:1484741", "title": "Lethal and non-lethal course of endotoxic shock is determined by interactions between tumor necrosis factor, platelet activating factor and eicosanoids.", "content": "Continuous lipopolysaccharide (LPS) infusion in pigs induced death in approximately half of the animals and a prolonged state of shock (up to 3 hours of experimental observation period, i.e., two hours after discontinuation of LPS infusion) in the surviving animals. Lethal-induced shock was marked by huge release of Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF) into the blood, whereas eicosanoid and Platelet Activating Factor (PAF) levels remained unchanged. In pigs surviving LPS-infusion but still remaining in a state of shock, transient increases in PAF and thromboxane levels were observed, whereas prostacyclin and leukotrienes values remained above normal levels up to the end of the observation period. It is concluded that different types of mediators play a role in LPS-induced lethal shock as compared to non-lethal prolonged state of shock."}
{"id": "PMID:1484742", "title": "Disintegrins: RGD-containing proteins which inhibit cell/matrix interactions (adhesion) and cell/cell interactions (aggregation) via the integrin receptors.", "content": "Whereas many attempts have been made to generate synthetic, high affinity, linear RGD-peptides (Arginine-Glycine-Aspartic acid), by analogy with glycoprotein ligands to integrins, success has been limited. What has emerged is that the stereochemistry of the Arg-Gly-Asp-X (RGDX) recognition sequence is essential to ligand binding. This has led to the study of small, chemically synthesised, cyclic-RGD peptides. Another approach is to study the disintegrins. These high-affinity RGD-polypeptides (50-90 KDa) from viper venoms are \"natural\" ligands to integrins, presumably as inhibitors of physiological ligands such as fibrinogen. A study of the disintegrins may shed some light on the preferred conformation of the active form of RGD, as well as the contribution of other potential recognition motifs in these molecules to modulate RGD interactions with receptors (fig. 1)."}
{"id": "PMID:1484744", "title": "[A comparative microbiological and pharmacokinetic activity of vancomycin and teicoplanin].", "content": "Vancomycin and teicoplanin are two commercially available glycopeptide antibiotics. They have identical spectra of activity and similar mechanisms of action, and both are complex molecules. In vitro, vancomycin is more active against coagulase-negative staphylococci, while teicoplanin is more active against enterococci and pneumococci. The activity of the two antibiotics against Staphylococcus aureus is similar. The serum pharmacokinetics of vancomycin and teicoplanin are highly different, teicoplanin having a longer elimination half-life (40 hours versus 6-8 hours for vancomycin), but a higher degree of protein binding (90% versus 55%). We compared the two antibiotics on the basis of their inhibitory quotient kinetics, using the MIC90 values for the above bacterial species as the microbiological parameters, and the total and free (non-protein bound) serum concentrations as the pharmacokinetic parameters. The inhibitory quotient kinetics of vancomycin were always more favorable in terms of the free concentrations, even against those bacteria for which the teicoplanin MIC was lower."}
{"id": "PMID:1484750", "title": "An epidemiological study of anorectic and bulimic symptoms in adolescent girls: implications for pediatricians.", "content": "Our findings suggest that most cases of anorexia nervosa among high school girls are eventually recognized and treated. However, it is worrisome that a large number of girls suffering from early anorexia nervosa and an even greater number suffering from bulimia do not seek treatment for their disorder. In addition, it is clear that girls who do not meet criteria for the full syndromes may nonetheless be engaging in the cardinal behaviors associated with these disorders. Therefore, the pediatrician must actively inquire about weight control practices and binge-purge behavior during the course of routine examinations. These behaviors are sufficiently common that such inquiry should be incorporated into the routine evaluation of every girl, even when there is no obvious reason to be concerned. The vast majority of girls will express dissatisfaction with their weight and report that they have attempted to control their weight in some manner, most often with dieting, in the past year. Normative data from a cross-sectional study such as the one described provide some guidelines as to when such behavior is likely to be associated with other types of problems, such as depressive symptoms or amenorrhea. For example, our data suggest that weight loss of 10 lbs or more in the past year and fasting are more likely to be associated with depressive symptoms and menstrual irregularity than less severe forms of caloric restriction. Our findings also suggest that purging behavior (self-induced vomiting and laxative use), particularly in combination with binge eating, is associated with very high rates of both depressive symptoms and menstrual irregularity.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1484752", "title": "The adolescent male with an eating disorder.", "content": "While it is clear that males and females with eating disorders share more features in common than dissimilarities, males are distinctive in their past histories of obesity, sexual identity concerns, defensive dieting, and dieting in relationship to sports participation. All adolescents with an eating disorder are likely to be guarded in terms of disclosing items affecting their psychological state. Young men may be more so. In light of this fact, diagnosis of these disorders in adolescent male patients still depends on ruling out possible organic etiologies, thoroughly assessing the adolescent's mental status, and looking for underlying psychiatric symptoms. The association between mood disorders, namely depression, and obsessive-compulsive disorder as well as other anxiety disorders is as strong in young males with eating disorders as with females. Assessment of developmental and nutritional status is key to the diagnosis and is helpful in monitoring recovery. Standards of monitoring other than weight are important and have been outlined. Lastly, family psychodynamics must be addressed in order to provide the eating-disordered young man with more control as well as more independence in order that he take more personal responsibility for a healthier lifestyle."}
{"id": "PMID:1484753", "title": "Cilia in children with recurrent upper respiratory tract infections: ultrastructural observations.", "content": "We investigated the ultrastructure of nasal cilia in 27 children suffering from recurrent infections of the upper respiratory tract, during and after the onset of an acute respiratory infection, and after a convalescent period of 12 weeks. Our results demonstrated that in seven subjects after resolution of infection, the morphology of a large proportion of the cilia (32%) was not back to normal. These findings suggest a long-term residual effect of infection, or the inability to reestablish normal ciliary structure during the convalescent period in some subjects with recurrent upper respiratory tract infection."}
{"id": "PMID:1484754", "title": "Delayed compliance increase in infants with respiratory distress syndrome following synthetic surfactant.", "content": "Recent research has demonstrated that Exosurf (EXSF), a newly synthesized artificial surfactant, increases survival when administered endotracheally to premature infants with RDS. This study examines the effects of EXSF on static respiratory system compliance (Crs). Thirty-four patients received two doses of EXSF in this rescue protocol. Crs (mL/cmH2O/kg) did not significantly change within the first 4 hours after either dose. However, Crs values did increase significantly (paired Student's t-test, P = 0.005) when data collected after the second dose (0.36 +/- 0.13 mL/cmH2O/kg) were compared to first week follow-up data (0.51 +/- 0.21 mL/cmH2O/kg). Crs data collected between 2 and 4 weeks after treatments were again not significantly different from non-concurrent control data collected at 3-4 weeks of life. The measurement of Crs in infants receiving EXSF may have been affected by an increase in lung inflation, which could mask an increase in Crs. We speculate that improved lung inflation may occur with less barotrauma in the first week of life due to surfactant replacement treatment and may in part explain the improved Crs seen at 1 week of age. Many investigators using different surfactants, dosing schedules, and pulmonary function methodologies to evaluate lung mechanics have reported that the improvement in compliance after surfactant treatment usually follows the clinical improvement in gas exchange. Additional studies are needed to explain the mechanism of early improvement following surfactant replacement in infants with RDS."}
{"id": "PMID:1484755", "title": "Lung function in 6-20 month old infants born very preterm but without respiratory troubles.", "content": "Lung function results of 21 healthy infants born very prematurely are reported. The median gestational age was 29 weeks, but none had developed respiratory distress or required any form of respiratory support in the neonatal period. Lung function was assessed by measurements of thoracic gas volume (TGV) and airway resistance (Raw) plethysmographically, and of functional residual capacity (FRC) using a helium gas dilution technique. Two separate measurements were made between 6 and 20 months of age; all infants were measured once in the first and once in the second year of life. Regression equations were calculated for TGV, Raw, and FRC related to weight, height, and postnatal age. These data provide a new set of values for very preterm infants, in part small for gestational age, without neonatal respiratory trouble."}
{"id": "PMID:1484756", "title": "Response to external obstruction in preterm infants with apnea.", "content": "A proportion of preterm infants respond to an external airway obstruction by becoming apneic. We have studied 23 infants (median birthweight, 1.14 kg; gestation, 29 weeks) on 80 occasions, to determine the time course of the response and its relationship with spontaneous apnea occurrence. Upper airway flow was measured with a face mask and pneumotachograph, and a tap was turned intermittently to produce an occlusion. A total of 380 occlusions were analyzed. The infants became apneic during the obstruction on 72 occasions (19%), and after the obstruction on 122 occasions (32%). Both of these events were significantly more common than immediately prior to the obstruction, when apnea occurred on 29 occasions (8%). Of the apneas following occlusion 57% were central in type. The point in the respiratory cycle at which obstruction occurred had no effect on the production of apnea. An obstruction score was calculated for each study. This was the mean of the number of apneas during and after each obstruction, expressed as a percentage of the number of obstructions per study. This score was positively correlated with the number of spontaneous apneas recorded. Obstruction score rose from a mean of 20% during days 0-14, to 34% during days 15-28, and thereafter it declined. This pattern may be relevant to the time course of apnea in susceptible infants."}
{"id": "PMID:1484757", "title": "Atypical thrombotic and septic complications of totally implantable venous access devices in patients with cystic fibrosis.", "content": "The use of vascular access systems in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) is well accepted, with lower overall complications and maintenance costs than percutaneous silastic catheters. We report our 6 year experience with 22 infusaports in 15 CF patients. Our patients had indwelling catheters for an average of 539 days per catheter (range, 14-2,224 days). These infusaports were used for home antibiotic therapy, blood sampling, and total parenteral nutrition. The overall complication rate was relatively low, 1 in every 1,483 catheter days. Infectious complications were extremely infrequent at a rate of 1 in 5,929 catheter days. The rate of mechanical complications was 1 in 1,976 catheter days. However, superior vena caval syndrome or deep venous thrombosis was associated with 3 of 22 catheters (13.6%). Due to this high incidence of major thrombotic events with the attendant risk of pulmonary embolism, all patients with CF using infusaports and without evidence of liver disease or bleeding problems receive aspirin prophylaxis."}
{"id": "PMID:1484759", "title": "Selected neurocognitive test data and work attendance for chronic psychiatric patients.", "content": "The relationship between work attendance-absence and selected measures of executive (Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, Trail Making B) and motor (Purdue Pegboard) function was explored in a sample of 42 chronic psychiatric patients at a sheltered workshop setting. Work attendance was unrelated to intelligence but correlated with several executive and motor variables. A stepwise regression analysis produced a three-variable model which accounted for 40% of the variance. However, the direction of the relationships suggested that high attendance was most likely for older, more cognitively rigid patients, with less manual dexterity than other patients. These findings are discussed in terms of the need to consider jointly neurocognitive and environmental constraints on ecological functioning."}
{"id": "PMID:1484761", "title": "Children's gender-typed perceptions of physical activity: consequences and implications.", "content": "This paper provides an expanded discussion of issues raised in our 1990 experimental study, with particular focus upon the differential cognitive, affective, and psychomotor consequences to girls and boys of gender-typed, sex-segregated play. Evidence is provided that, as agents of socialization, teachers and schools can enlist practices and provide structure to foster cross-sex interaction and behavior. Nonstereotypical play is advocated so that each sex can enjoy the benefits typically accruing only to the opposite; correspondingly, and in light of a society not yet gender-aschematic, psychological androgyny is invoked as the developmental ideal."}
{"id": "PMID:1484762", "title": "Development of complex motor skills in psychotic children.", "content": "This article describes the study of the concurrent complex mechanisms which take place during behavioral changes in psychotic children and adolescents when they are asked to learn a motor task, in this case, to practise the sport of judo. Complex motor skills can be acquired by the psychotic subject insofar as the proposed physical activity is isomorphous with the psychosis. The different stages of development are marked by different levels structuring interpersonal space. The examination treats the linking processes between psychic mechanisms and motor behavior from a developmental perspective."}
{"id": "PMID:1484763", "title": "Reaction time for global and local identification of small-large composite letters presented in different orientations.", "content": "Eight men and eight women were timed as they made judgments about a large capital letter F composed of small versions of the same letter. The subjects were asked to indicate by manual key-pressing responses whether either the large letter (global identification task) or the small letters (local identification task) were normal or reflected letters. With both the large and small letters always in the same orientation but sometimes conflicting in their normal-reflected aspect, the letters were presented in six different angular orientation. Analysis showed that reaction time (RT) (1) increased in relation to the deviation of the letters from standard upright, (2) was slower when both small and large letters were reflected than when both were normal, and (3) was faster for the global than for the local identification task when the letters were completely inverted. The study provided only qualified evidence that global identification of the normalness-reflectedness of letters occurs more quickly than local identification of this attribute."}
{"id": "PMID:1484764", "title": "Right hemisphericity and low self-esteem in high school students: a replication.", "content": "A total of 26 Grade 9 and 24 Grade 12 boys and girls were administered the Rosenberg self-esteem questionnaire and Vingiano's hemisphericity questionnaire. Greater right hemisphericity was associated with lower self-esteem. The strength of the effect (r = 0.52) was comparable to previous studies involving university students and supports the hypothesis that persistent input of negative affect from right hemispheric activation adversely influences the affective component of self-concept."}
{"id": "PMID:1484765", "title": "Effects of time of posttest after two durations of exercise on speed and accuracy of addition and subtraction by fit and less-fit women.", "content": "18 adult female volunteers, ages 27 to 49 years, were divided into two groups based on their cardiorespiratory fitness to investigate speed and accuracy of addition and subtraction immediately, 5 min., and 15 min. postexercise. A 2 (fitness level) x 3 (exercise duration) x 3 (postexercise performance trials) repeated-measures analysis of variance indicated that, for the fit group, speed of problem solving was significantly faster after both 20-min. and 40-min. exercise sessions across all performance trials; for the less-fit group, speed of addition/subtraction was significantly faster only after the 20-min. exercise session across performance trials. No significant postexercise difference in accuracy was found for either fit or less-fit groups."}
{"id": "PMID:1484766", "title": "Aggression of youth as related to parental divorce and eye color.", "content": "Among 214 youth in Grades 5 to 12, students classified by eye color did not differ in aggression or hostility although boys scored higher on Assault and girls scored higher on Indirect Hostility. Also, children of divorced parents scored higher on Aggression, Resentment, and Assault as previously reported."}
{"id": "PMID:1484767", "title": "Positive thinking reduces heart rate and fear responses to speech-phobic imagery.", "content": "30 speech-anxious subjects imagined a phobic speech scene 10 times. The experimental conditions varied according to whether the subjects engaged in positive, neutral, or negative thinking prior to each scene presentation. Heart rate and self-reports of fear were measured during the imagery periods. Positive thinking just before visualization of the phobic images reduced both subjective anxiety about speech and cardiovascular responses."}
{"id": "PMID:1484769", "title": "Reaction times with reference to musculoskeletal complaints in adolescence.", "content": "Recent studies have related long reaction times and various musculoskeletal complaints in different groups of adults. The aim here was to analyze reaction times with reference to musculoskeletal complaints in adolescent athletes and controls. Simple reaction time and choice reaction time were measured, and inquiries made about various musculoskeletal injuries of 119 subjects aged 11 to 14 years. Gender, age, maturational age, body composition, and participation in sports were included in the analyses as subject-related factors affecting reaction times. Prolonged simple reaction time was related to low-back and lower extremity complaints in a two-way analysis of variance. The finding agreed with data of previous studies suggesting that slow psychomotor speed of reaction is associated with the outcome of musculoskeletal injuries."}
{"id": "PMID:1484770", "title": "Fashion advertisements: a comparison of viewers' perceptual and affective responses to illustrated and photographed stimuli.", "content": "The perceptual and affective responses of 44 women to actual illustrated and photographed fashion advertisements during focused interviews were explored. Content analysis methods identified categories of response; frequency of response categories for the two media were compared using Fisher's z tests. Significant differences in perceptual responses included greater visual interest created by the use of color in photographs, greater interest in layout and design features of the illustrations, and interest in characteristics of the models in the photographs. Affective response differences included greater preference for photographic advertisements and the garments in them. Contrary to suggestions from professionals in fashion advertising, no significant differences were found in viewers' perceptions of information about the products in the advertisements or perceptions of meaning and aesthetic response."}
{"id": "PMID:1484771", "title": "Perceived threat as a cognitive component of state anxiety and confidence.", "content": "This study was designed to test propositions from the 1990 competitive anxiety model proposed by Martens, Vealey, and Burton. Specifically, the relationships among perceived threat and state responses of anxiety, confidence, and efficacy were examined to assess whether perceived threat might explain anxiety and confidence in 52 intercollegiate female volleyball players. Somatic anxiety was significantly correlated with perception of importance of both outcome and personal performance while uncertainty regarding personal performance was significantly related to cognitive anxiety. In addition, perceived threat was significantly related to state self-confidence and self-efficacy."}
{"id": "PMID:1484772", "title": "Psychomotor and visual performance under the time-course effect of alcohol.", "content": "This study examined reaction time (RT), anticipation time (AT), and visual performance under the influence of blood alcohol concentration (BAC), using a repeated-measures design. Subjects (8 men and 8 women), 21 to 40 yr. of age, participated in both single- and double-dose sessions, in which they drank approximately 2.3 oz. and 4.6 oz. of 86-proof vodka, respectively. The breath BAC was measured at 5-min. intervals. The RT, AT, and visual performance were tested every 20 min. for 140 min. in both sessions. In general, results indicated that RT, AT, and stereoscopic vision were impaired more in the rising BAC curve than the falling BAC curve. In addition, the impairment tended to be greater for the double-dose than the single-dose session. The far and near visual acuities were not affected by the BAC."}
{"id": "PMID:1484773", "title": "Effects of subliminal backward-recorded messages on attitudes.", "content": "This study was designed to measure the effects of subliminal backward messages on attitudes. It was hypothesized that subliminal backward-recorded messages would influence the attitudes of listeners. Three subliminal backward-recorded messages from a popular song were used. 82 undergraduates were randomly assigned to one of four conditions: a three-message group heard a tape containing the backward messages recorded three times in succession, a six-message group heard a tape with the same backward messages recorded six times in succession, two control groups heard nonbackward recorded music. No statistically significant differences were found between the groups on a posttape attitude questionnaire. The results are discussed in terms of unconscious processing and the tricomponent theory of attitudes and attitude change."}
{"id": "PMID:1484775", "title": "Relationships among selected attributes and three measures of upper body strength and endurance in elementary school children.", "content": "The purpose of this investigation was to assess (a) proportions of children unable to perform each of three measures of upper body strength and endurance--pull-up, flexed-arm hang, and modified pull-up; (b) relationships among selected attribute variables of age, weight, percent body fat, and body mass index, and the three measures of upper body strength and endurance; and (c) the attribute variables which best predict scores for the three measures of upper body strength and endurance. Subjects were 104 elementary school children in Grades 1 through 6. Percentages of children obtaining zero scores were computed. Intercorrelations among the attribute and upper body strength and endurance variables were examined for significance and effect size. For each of the three measures of upper body strength and endurance, a max R2 forward stepwise, multiple regression analysis was performed to identify which attribute variables best predict the score of that particular measure. Analyses indicated that age and percent body fat were the best predictors of pull-up and flexed-arm hang scores, whereas age and body mass index best predicted the modified pull-up score."}
{"id": "PMID:1484776", "title": "Suicide among Asian Americans and social deviancy.", "content": "As with African-Americans, the suicide rates of Chinese-Americans were lower in states where there were many Chinese. Suicide rates of Japanese and Filipinos did not fit this pattern."}
{"id": "PMID:1484777", "title": "Transpersonal experiences in childhood: an exploratory empirical study of selected adult groups.", "content": "A questionnaire was developed to assess adult recall for a range of transpersonal experiences throughout childhood and adolescence (mystical experience, out-of-body experience, lucid dreams, archetypal dreams, ESP), as well as nightmares and night terrors as indicators of more conflicted, negative states. In two exploratory studies this questionnaire was administered to subjects with high estimated levels of early transpersonal experiences and practising meditators, with respective undergraduate controls. A cognitive skills/precocity model of early transpersonal experience was contrasted with a vulnerability of self model by comparisons of these groups on questionnaire categories, imaginative absorption, neuroticism, and visual-spatial skills, with some support found for both models depending on experience type, age of estimated recall, and adult meditative practice."}
{"id": "PMID:1484779", "title": "From Erickson to attribution: attaching meaning to hypnosis.", "content": "On the surface it seems that various Ericksonian theories of hypnotherapy differ considerably from each other; however, they can all be seen to be similar in three areas, namely, focus on the intrapsychic activities of the individual, focus on linear causality, and focus on objectivity of observation. These three foci are shown to embody certain conceptual and practical limitations. It is suggested that such limitations may be circumvented if Ericksonian techniques are applied from the perspective of attribution of meaning rather than from the point of view of reductionism, linearity, and objectivity."}
{"id": "PMID:1484780", "title": "Changes in the self-reported consistency of normal habitual sleep duration of college students (1978 and 1992).", "content": "Changes in the consistency of self-reported sleep habits within two large samples of 763 and 782 college students were assessed for 1978 and 1992. Noteworthy changes over the 14-yr. period included significant decreases in the percentage of students who claimed stable (> or = 5-year) sleep-duration habits and the percentage reporting satisfaction with their sleep."}
{"id": "PMID:1484781", "title": "Field independence and art achievement in meditating and nonmeditating college students.", "content": "Research has confirmed that cognitive style is associated with the art skills of children and adolescents; such an association has not been reported for practicing artists. In this study for a volunteer group of 47 B.A. and B.F.A. art students from two universities, scores on field independence were positively correlated .24 with grade point average and .29 with self-perceived artistic ability. The findings also suggest the practice of meditation may enhance field independence in college art students."}
{"id": "PMID:1484782", "title": "Recognition times for rotated normal and \"Thatcher\" faces.", "content": "To test whether face recognition is more disrupted by inversion than is the recognition of nonface stimuli and that an inverted Thatcher face is much less likely to be noticed as different than an upright one, reaction times were measured for recognizing \"normal\" and \"abnormal\" (Thatcher) faces (created by inverting the eyes and mouth relative to the rest of the face) presented at six orientation angles from upright. Over-all, reaction time of 22 students increased monotonically as faces were rotated away from upright; however, the orientation effect was essentially the same for both types of faces, indicating processing of faces is not qualitatively different from the processing of other types of stimuli. These data allow the inference that the subjects mentally rotated the internal features of eyes and mouth to upright and then judged whether the face was normal or abnormal."}
{"id": "PMID:1484783", "title": "Visual acuity and stereoacuity among mentally retarded children.", "content": "To evaluate the reliability and the validity of Landolt Rings and of the Frisby Test as measures of visual acuity and stereoacuity, respectively, the visual acuity of 30 mentally retarded children was measured with Landolt Rings shown as games, the Sj\u00f6gren Test, the Dot Visual Acuity Test and stereoacuity with the Frisby Test. Subjects were tested 3 times over a period of 3 weeks to measure the reliability of the tests. No significant difference was observed among these tests. The validity of the Landolt Rings was measured by a correlation of .55 for the highest logMAR values of the Sj\u00f6gren Test with the highest logMAR values of the Landolt Rings. Visual acuity was systematically lower on the Dot Visual Acuity Test. The Frisby Test was not reliable among a group of 16 normal children who improved systematically over 3 weeks."}
{"id": "PMID:1484785", "title": "Use of a verbal fluency measure in understanding and evaluating ADHD as an executive function disorder.", "content": "A primary characteristic of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is an inability to establish and maintain sustained attention, which is speculated to reflect frontal lobe involvement. The Knight Verbal Fluency measure was administered to 19 ADHD inpatient boys and to a cohort group of 7 children who were matched for mean age, psychiatric diagnosis (depression), treatment facility, and examiner but were without the diagnosis of ADHD. Analysis indicated that ADHD children performed significantly lower than expected and lower than the similar non-ADHD children. These findings lend support to the hypothesis that frontal lobe dysfunction is involved in attentional process disorders and suggests the potential clinical usefulness in the diagnostic screening of ADHD children of a simply administered measure amenable to interpretation of frontal lobe function."}
{"id": "PMID:1484787", "title": "Phonologically impaired preschoolers: rhyme with an eye toward reading.", "content": "In this study were compared the phonological awareness of 15 moderately to severely phonologically impaired and 15 phonologically normal children, matched on mental age and gender, on sensitivity to alliteration and to rhyme. Analysis showed no significant difference between the groups in detection of alliteration; however, there was a significant difference in detection of rhyme. The latter correlated .43 with speech intelligibility. We conclude that phonological awareness is associated closely with productive phonological ability early in development."}
{"id": "PMID:1484788", "title": "Fechner's psychophysical law as a special case of Stevens' three-parameter power law.", "content": "This paper shows that Fechner's law of psychophysics is a special case of Stevens' power law with three parameters. Consequently, at least as good over-all fit to experimental data is always obtained, at the cost of one additional parameter, by using Stevens' power law involving an extra parameter added to the response variable."}
{"id": "PMID:1484789", "title": "Handwriting and perceptual-motor skills in clumsy, dysgraphic, and 'normal' children.", "content": "Among various perceptual-motor tests, only visuomotor integration was significant in predicting accuracy of handwriting performance for the total sample of 59 children consisting of 19 clumsy children, 22 nonclumsy dysgraphic children, and 18 'normal' children. They were selected from a sample of 360 fourth-graders (10-yr.-olds). For groups of clumsy and 'normal' children, the prediction of handwriting performance is difficult. However, correlations among scores on 6 measures showed that handwriting was significantly related to visuomotor integration, visual form perception, and tracing in the total group and to visuomotor integration and visual form perception in the clumsy group. The weakest correlations occurred between tests measuring simple psychomotor functions and handwriting. Moreover, clumsy children were expected to do poorly on tests measuring aiming, tracing, and visuomotor integration, but not on tests measuring visual form perception and finger tapping. Dysgraphic children were expected to do poorly on visuomotor integration only."}
{"id": "PMID:1484790", "title": "Attrition of the Zeigarnik effect: role of subjects' expectancy aroused by placebos.", "content": "The present paper describes the effect for 45 medical students and interns of \"placebo\" treatment on the Zeigarnik effect. Attrition of the Zeigarnik effect caused by placebo was resistant to caffeine and diazepam (ns = 58 and 28)."}
{"id": "PMID:1484791", "title": "Types of percept-genetic defenses in self-defeating personality disorder.", "content": "The Defense Mechanism Test was administered to 20 subjects with a psychometric diagnosis of self-defeating personality disorder and to 40 controls with evidence of other personality disturbances. The groups did not differ on sex distribution, age, or education. The following two types of repression were significantly more characteristic of the self-defeating group, (1) the hero is seen as an inanimate or rigid being and (2) the hero is disguised or masked. Codings of introaggression and other major defensive variables did not discriminate between groups."}
{"id": "PMID:1484792", "title": "Opposing changes in past and future time orientations with age.", "content": "The bidirectional model of psychological time, that past and future orientations change in opposite directions with increasing age, was tested. Age was positively related to the number of life experiences recalled by 67 college students from the distant past but was negatively correlated with life experiences expected to occur in the near or distant future. This simultaneous and inverse adjustment of past and future orientations with age adds further support to a bidirectional model consistent with field theory."}
{"id": "PMID:1484793", "title": "Effects of a cognitive intervention package on the free-throw performance of varsity basketball players during practice and competition.", "content": "To examine the effects of a cognitive intervention package on the free-throw shooting performance of basketball players, with 3 Canadian male university caliber basketball players ages 20, 22, and 24 years, during practice and in competition single-subject multiple-baseline design was implemented. Each subject was introduced to the imagery-rehearsal intervention at different times during the 14-week competitive basketball season. Free-throw data were collected during 50 practice sessions and 32 games. Data from both practice and competitive situations were examined using a comparison of graphed means. In the practice condition an increase in free-throw performance for all three subjects occurred during the posttreatment intervention. In the game condition, Subjects A and B showed posttreatment improvement. The cognitive intervention package consisting of visualization and relaxation can be an effective strategy for improving free-throw performance of some basketball players. Further research should involve control-group examination using a larger sample across a variety of tasks."}
{"id": "PMID:1484795", "title": "Have national suicide rates increased and converged over the last 100 years?", "content": "The suicide rates of 14 nations were examined for 1875, 1952, 1962, 1975, and 1986 and found to have increased over this period. There was no change in the dispersions of the suicide rates over the years."}
{"id": "PMID:1484796", "title": "Isometric squeeze relaxation (progressive relaxation) vs meditation: absorption and focusing as predictors of state effects.", "content": "We taught isometric squeeze relaxation (a variant of progressive relaxation) or meditation to 52 anxious subjects (16 men, 36 women). For meditation, pretreatment high absorption correlated with reductions in state cognitive and somatic anxiety as well as increments in state focusing. For isometric squeeze relaxation, pretreatment low state focusing correlated with reductions in somatic anxiety and increments in focusing. Results suggest that isometric squeeze relaxation (and progressive relaxation) may be more appropriate for individuals who have difficulty focusing, and meditation for those who already possess well-developed relaxation skills at a trait level. The results appear more consistent with Smith's cognitive-behavioral model of relaxation than with Benson's relaxation response or Davidson and Schwartz's specific effects models."}
{"id": "PMID:1484798", "title": "Hemispheric processing strategies for lexical decisions among elderly persons.", "content": "Lexical decision vocal reaction times were obtained in 1990 for 30 young adult and 18 elderly subjects to tachistoscopically presented concrete and abstract words by Rastatter and McGuire. The young adults' data suggested differential right-hemispheric processing, while the elderly subjects' data were interpreted as suggesting that the right hemisphere loses its processing function. Here we reinterpret the elderly subjects' data based on visual information-processing theory and suggest that variations in processing strategy account more completely for their data."}
{"id": "PMID:1484800", "title": "Relation of eye color and gender to Type A scores and vocational preference.", "content": "Type A behavior scores on the Jenkins Activity Survey, Form T, and ACT Interest Inventory data were collected for 90 male and 90 female university students who equally represented three eye-color groups, black/brown, blue, and other. Chi-squared analyses indicated no statistically significant associations at the .05 level. Observations which may be of interest to researchers are noted."}
{"id": "PMID:1484801", "title": "What is vividness of imagery? Characteristics of vivid visual imagery.", "content": "Two experiments were conducted to examine the characteristics of vivid visual imagery. In Exps. 1 and 2, analysis showed that the subjects' drawings of their imagery indicated more visual features for the vivid imagers than for the non-vivid imagers and no difference in sketching time between the two groups. Image-construction time was shorter for the vivid imagers than for the nonvivid ones in Exp. 2, but no difference was found in Exp. 1. On the basis of these results, the mechanism underlying individual differences in vividness of imagery was discussed in relation to the model of imagery processes proposed by Kosslyn (1980) and his colleagues."}
{"id": "PMID:1484802", "title": "Enhanced incidence of \"the sensed presence\" in people who have learned to meditate: support for the right hemispheric intrusion hypothesis.", "content": "If the \"sensed presence\" is the transient intrusion of the right hemispheric equivalent of the left hemispheric (and highly linguistic) sense of self, then any process that facilitates interhemispheric electrical coherence should enhance these experiences. As predicted, the \"ego-alien intrusion\" (sensed presence) factor was specifically and significantly elevated in 221 people who had learned to meditate (65 to 70% were involved in Transcendental Meditation) compared to 860 nonmeditators. Variants of a sensed presence were more frequent in female than in male meditators and were particularly evident in left-handers who had learned to mediate. The effect size suggests that learning a meditation technique is counterindicated for subpopulations, such as borderline, schizotypal, or dissociative personalities, who display very fragile self-concepts."}
{"id": "PMID:1484803", "title": "The Ruff 2 and 7 Selective Attention Test: a neuropsychological application.", "content": "The neuropsychological application of the Ruff 2 and 7 Selective Attention Test as a measure of visual selective attention was investigated. The instrument was constructed as a paper-and-pencil approach to evaluate sustained attention utilizing different distractor conditions in the study of voluntary or intentional aspects of attention. Four patient groups with cerebral lesions confined to either the right or left anterior or left or right posterior region (ns = 8, 8, 8, 6) were studied. Patients with right-hemispheric lesions showed a greater over-all reduction in processing speed independent of the serial or parallel processing mode in comparison to individuals with left-sided lesions. Furthermore, as predicted, the two groups with anterior brain damage showed a larger discrepancy between serial and parallel processing modes than patients with posterior lesions. Specifically, the right frontal cases showed the greatest differential of accuracy on the serial and parallel tasks."}
{"id": "PMID:1484804", "title": "Grip strength as a function of 200 repetitive trials.", "content": "A study was done to see how grip strength deteriorates after an extended number of grips. Eight male subjects, all right-handed and 23 to 35 years old, participated. Each subject made 200 grips on a dynamometer at his maximum strength. There were 15-sec. rests between trials. Performance dropped significantly after two trials. There were drops of about 40% and 50% at Trials 100 and 200, respectively. The grip strength/trial relationship is logarithmic as noted by Montazer and Thomas in 1991."}
{"id": "PMID:1484805", "title": "Mood alteration with yoga and swimming: aerobic exercise may not be necessary.", "content": "The mood benefits of Hatha yoga and swimming, two activities that differ greatly in aerobic training benefits, were examined. College students (N = 87) in two swimming classes, a yoga class, and a lecture-control class completed mood and personality inventories before and after class on three occasions. A multivariate analysis of variance indicated that both yoga participants (n = 22) and swimmers (n = 37) reported greater decreases in scores on Anget, Confusion, Tension, and Depression than did the control students (n = 28). The consistent mood benefits of yoga supported our earlier observation that the exercise need not be aerobic to be associated with mood enhancement. However, underlying and causal mechanisms remain uncertain. Among the men, the acute decreases in Tension, Fatigue, and Anger after yoga were significantly greater than those after swimming. Yoga may be even more beneficial than swimming for men who personally select to participate. The women reported fairly similar mood benefits after swimming and yoga. It seems that aerobic exercise may not be necessary to facilitate the mood benefits. Also, students with greater mood changes attended class more regularly than those who reported fewer psychological benefits. Maximizing the immediate psychological benefits of exercise might be one way to encourage adults to be physically active."}
{"id": "PMID:1484807", "title": "Is stuttering due to a deficient comprehension of linguistic structures?", "content": "The results of two studies with 19 stutterers of two educational levels show that stutterers with more education stutter less but judge boundary depths in sentences better than stutterers with less education. This finding suggests that, among stutterers, the amount of stuttering and the comprehension of linguistic structures correlate negatively. These results gave rise to the loaded assumption that stuttering may be based on a deficiency in central linguistic processes. However, a third study with 20 nonstutterers leads to the conclusion that this does not hold for the imaginable continuum from nonstuttering to stuttering: for both educational levels nonstutterers do not differ from stutterers in judging constituent boundaries. This outcome does not support that stuttering may be based on a shortcoming in central linguistic processes but rather on a shortcoming in speech production at the level of articulation."}
{"id": "PMID:1484808", "title": "Effects of septal lesions on a higher-order conditioned taste aversion: a preliminary analysis.", "content": "Septal-lesioned rats (n = 7) and nonsurgical controls (n = 7) were exposed to a higher-order conditioned taste aversion procedure and the effects of septal lesions on the development of a higher-order conditioned taste aversion examined. In Phase 1, septal and control rats were permitted to consume a sodium chloride solution and illness was produced by an injection of cyclophosphamide. Following a recovery period, in Phase 2, both groups were allowed access to a saccharin solution followed by 1 ml of sodium chloride placed directly inside the mouth of the rat. Subsequent preference tests for the septal-lesion group, the control group, and a second unconditioned control group (n = 5) showed the former two groups learned the higher-order conditioned taste aversion, as demonstrated by a marked aversion to the saccharin solution, and the septal lesions attenuated the severity of the conditioning process."}
{"id": "PMID:1484810", "title": "Collaboration: integrating practice and research in public health nursing.", "content": "The need to integrate clinical practice and research has been stressed for many years in both public health and nursing. This article describes such a collaborative project between two rural upper Midwest public health nursing agencies and public health nursing faculty from a small, liberal arts, baccalaureate nursing program. The high-risk prenatal research project provided an opportunity for nursing staff and faculty research consultants to work together on a clinical study. A model for collaborative research is illustrated, and advantages and disadvantages for practice, administration, and research are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1484811", "title": "Community analysis in community health nursing practice: the GENESIS model.", "content": "A community-analysis strategy, GENESIS (general ethnographic and nursing evaluation studies in the state), is a comprehensive, holistic portrait of communities obtained through secondary analysis of existing data and qualitative methods. The GENESIS method is delineated and examples of studies are presented. To explicate the method and illustrate the findings, an aggregate-focused GENESIS study and two studies in which entire communities were the targets are compared and contrasted. Other defining concepts of nursing, such as caring and health, are redefined or explicated to make them congruent with the recognition that for community health nurses, the community is the client."}
{"id": "PMID:1484812", "title": "A model skills list for orienting nurses to community health agencies.", "content": "Nurse managers in community health can streamline the orientation of new employees by building planning and evaluation on a list of nursing skills that meet requirements for beginning practice. A model list of skills required in public health nursing and home health care can guide individual agencies in tailoring orientation programs to their respective needs, streamlining the process, reducing overall costs, and producing long-term benefits for nurse managers and nursing staff."}
{"id": "PMID:1484813", "title": "Evaluation study of a transcultural discovery learning model.", "content": "This qualitative, descriptive study explored the extent to which students' discovery learning centered around cultural understanding and sensitivity occurs in a clinical rotation involving migrant health care. Thirteen nursing students enrolled in this community health clinical rotation were the study sample. Demographically, they were similar to other baccalaureate students in the school of nursing. Characteristics that set them apart were their levels of maturity, motivation, and independence, and their ability to cope with stress and ambiguity. Student journal entries were used to explore changes in cultural understanding and sensitivity over the course of an intensive six-week clinical experience. The method of inquiry was qualitative descriptive. Discovery learning from the perspective of the students was analyzed using domain analysis scheme. Themes that emerged from analysis of the data were personal and professional growth, specialized nursing practice roles with ethnic minorities, and health care system needs and issues for culturally sensitive care. Our findings contribute to faculty understanding of the degree to which student nurses make a transformation in terms of cultural understanding and sensitivity, and the process by which increased cultural understanding and sensitivity result in application of theoretical transcultural concepts."}
{"id": "PMID:1484814", "title": "Evaluation of a peer-education program on heart disease prevention with older adults.", "content": "This investigation evaluated the effect of a peer-education program on preventing cardiovascular disease in older persons. Peer leaders at two urban senior housing residences were provided with training on cardiovascular disease and its risk factors, strategies to reduce the risk factors, and communication skills. Baseline and follow-up data were collected on residents at the two intervention and two control sites. The dependent variables were knowledge of cardiovascular disease risk factors; perceived self-efficacy to reduce calories, dietary fat and salt intake, to lose weight, to stop smoking, and to exercise regularly; and self-reported cardiovascular risk behaviors. Analysis of individual change scores between baseline and follow-up surveys showed a statistically significant increase in overall knowledge of heart disease, dietary self-efficacy, and exercise self-efficacy for the intervention group compared with the control group. This program appeared to benefit the individuals who lived in housing residences where the peer educators also resided."}
{"id": "PMID:1484815", "title": "An inner-city community's perspective on infant mortality and prenatal care.", "content": "Neither expanded Medicaid eligibility nor case-finding approaches have significantly increased use of early prenatal care. Failure to improve use points to the importance of further study of the broader community's perspectives on prenatal care and perinatal health issues. A convenience sample of 380 low-income, inner-city, black adults were interviewed with respect to their understanding of infant mortality, perceived barriers to and importance of prenatal care, and recommended numbers of prenatal visits. All respondents reside in a community with negative indexes of perinatal health as measured by infant mortality, low birthweight, and average number of prenatal visits. Fifty percent of the sample could correctly define the term infant mortality. The majority believed that prenatal care is very important and should begin in the first trimester of pregnancy. Respondents recommending the least number of prenatal visits (0-6) perceived financial, institutional, and attitudinal factors as barriers to care. Pregnant women's fear of detection of drug use was the most salient barrier regardless of the recommended number of prenatal visits, age, sex, employment status, or number of children. Changing health problems mandate continued monitoring of community perceptions and expectations of services such as prenatal care. Public health nursing is ideally positioned to articulate community values to policy makers and health care professionals concerned with perinatal health."}
{"id": "PMID:1484816", "title": "Women's perspectives on homelessness.", "content": "An increase in the number of individuals who are homeless since the 1980s has made homelessness a major social, economic, and political problem in the United States. The number of homeless in this country is estimated as high as 3 million, with women and children constituting the fastest growing subgroup of this population. A study of eight homeless women using a shelter in a southeastern city was conducted to explore the experience of homelessness from the women's perspectives. A modified ethnographic approach using a semistructured interview provided qualitative data. The constant comparative method of analysis identified themes of heightened awareness, guarding, identification of needs, and strategies for resolution. This study provides a new understanding of how some women experience homelessness, as well as the responses they take to solve this problem."}
{"id": "PMID:1484817", "title": "Risk factors for disease in a homeless population.", "content": "Risk factors of smoking, drug and alcohol abuse, obesity, and sedentary lifestyle were related to health problems of clients at a walk-in clinic for the homeless. The sample of 1252 clients was predominately male (91.4%) and multiethnic, with a majority (65%) age 18 to 40 years. Data on diagnoses of health-related conditions were collected from clinic charts, coded into ICD categories, analyzed for relationships of risk factors to health problems, and compared with categories of diagnoses in a matched national sample of ambulatory care visits. Findings indicate that a larger proportion of homeless suffered from health problems in 24 of 27 diagnostic categories than the nonhomeless. Most prevalent were respiratory, dermal conditions, injuries, and digestive problems, in that order. Risk factors of alcohol abuse, smoking, sedentary lifestyle, drug abuse, and obesity were predictive of health problems in 18 of the categories analyzed. The findings suggest that immediate interventions such as education and rehabilitation to reduce risk factors, and provision of facilities for personal hygiene and cleaning of clothing could reduce some of the health-related conditions in this population while longer-term solutions of housing and employment are sought. The analysis model developed here appears to be a useful way of comparing relative effects of risk factors as a basis for establishing priorities for interventions."}
{"id": "PMID:1484818", "title": "AIDS education on the college campus: Roy's adaptation model directs inquiry.", "content": "We assessed the beliefs of 49 college students regarding the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), condom use, and sexual behaviors related to AIDS prevention. Roy's modes of self-concept, interdependence, and role function were used as a framework to find psychosocial determinants that influence safer sex practices. Interdependence was measured by a sexual regard scale. Beliefs regarding both AIDS beliefs and condom were very positive. Students were selectively using safer sex practices; most reported avoiding high-risk partners, but only 39% were using condoms. No significant associations were found among the four independent measures of AIDS beliefs, condom beliefs, self-esteem, and sexual regard or with the dependent measure, AIDS safer sex practices. A two-hour safer sex educational module did change several beliefs but did not increase safer sex practices. Most participating students stated they had a good understanding of how AIDS was spread, they knew how to use condoms correctly, and they discussed AIDS with friends and parents."}
{"id": "PMID:1484820", "title": "A good example and a lasting impression. Facilitating an effective learning environment for student nurses.", "content": "If student nurses are to gain maximum benefit from their clinical placements, it is essential ward-based nurses involve them in patient care as positively and actively as possible. Liaison with nurse tutors and keeping up-to-date with issues in patient care can make this a rewarding learning experience for both qualified and student nurses."}
{"id": "PMID:1484821", "title": "A considered response to an emotional crisis. A&E nurses' role in detecting child sexual abuse.", "content": "Child sexual abuse inevitably arouses strong feelings and heightened emotions. It is essential, however, that health professionals--especially A&E nurses, who are often the first point of contact--offer objective and compassionate care which aims to manage the trauma."}
{"id": "PMID:1484822", "title": "An insight into patient satisfaction. Evaluation of a stoma care service.", "content": "Stoma care nursing aims to put patient needs first. A questionnaire was devised by a stoma care nurse to assess her patients' satisfaction with the service provided, enabling changes to be made according to users' specified needs."}
{"id": "PMID:1484823", "title": "Prevention is better than cure. A survey of the use of Pegasus Airwave System in pressure sore treatment.", "content": "Pressure relieving mattresses play an important role in pressure sore prevention and healing. This study describes the current use and reported effectiveness of the Pegasus Airwave System in pressure sore prevention."}
{"id": "PMID:1484824", "title": "Liquid preparations for oral administration.", "content": "Liquids are easier to swallow and act more quickly than solid dosage forms, but may be unpalatable and relatively unstable. Solutions contain dissolved drugs and may be difficult to formulate or to make palatable; suspensions are usually more pleasant to take but accuracy of dosing may be affected by settling of drug particles. The dose of a drug in liquid and solid form may differ because different drug compounds are often used. Liquids contain many additives which can give rise to adverse affects in the patient."}
{"id": "PMID:1484825", "title": "When can I do 'it' again nurse? Sexual counselling after a heart attack.", "content": "Nurses often feel embarrassed when discussing problems about resuming sexual activity with patients who have had a myocardial infarction. By coming to terms with their own attitudes to sexuality, they can address the issue positively and directly."}
{"id": "PMID:1484826", "title": "Current methods of continuous fetal heart rate monitoring.", "content": "The composite paper record of fetal heart rate (FHR) and uterine activity is known as a cardiotocograph (CTG). Interpretation of a CTG requires knowledge of the means by which the fetal heart beat signals are obtained. The continuous FHR record is derived from signals of consecutive fetal heart beats. Fetal hearts beats may be detected through the mother's abdomen by processing the Doppler shift of an ultrasound beam. The R waves of the fetal electrocardiogram (ECG) may be obtained by direct contact with the fetus through the cervix after rupture of the membranes."}
{"id": "PMID:1484827", "title": "Re-evaluation of practice reaps positive results. Putting a quality programme into practice.", "content": "A commitment to quality must run throughout the organisation, from top management to grassroots staff. Evaluation of service quality needs to be a systematic, continuous part of working practice. Improved quality management can enhance client-centred healthcare."}
{"id": "PMID:1484828", "title": "Screening to save lives. The Gloucestershire aneurysm screening project.", "content": "Aortic aneurysms can rupture without warning, and cause 10,000 deaths a year in Britain. They are most common in men over 65, and can be repaired if identified before rupture. This article describes the first year of a project to screen for aneurysms."}
{"id": "PMID:1484829", "title": "Reach for the highest standard. Comparison of leg ulcer management in two practices.", "content": "The quality of management and treatment of leg ulcers still varies widely throughout the UK. This article compares two health centres relatively local to each other, illustrating the need for national standards in this field."}
{"id": "PMID:1484831", "title": "Cerebral glucose utilization during conditioned sexual arousal.", "content": "Local cerebral glucose utilization was investigated in male rats during conditioned sexual arousal. Increased glucose utilization was found in three amygdaloid nuclei after exposure to a stimulus associated with exposure to a sexually active female. No changes were observed in areas known to be of crucial importance for the expression of consummatory aspects of sexual behavior. These results corroborate and extend previous results showing a dissociation between the expression of appetitive and consummatory aspects of sexual behavior at a neural level."}
{"id": "PMID:1484832", "title": "Spontaneous feeding-related monoaminergic changes in the rostromedial hypothalamus revealed by microdialysis.", "content": "The activity of hypothalamic monoamines in response spontaneous feeding was investigated using the in vivo technique of brain microdialysis together with the instrumental recording of feeding pattern. The simultaneous variations of dopamine (DA), serotonin (5-HT), and their respective metabolites, DOPAC and 5-HIAA, were measured in the rostromedian hypothalamus, where the probe was located between the PVN and VMH. Throughout the experiment, the changes in DOPAC followed a mirror image of those in DA: DA regularly increased, reaching its zenith within the 15-min sample collected during the meal before returning to the same level as just before the meal. Following a premeal plateau, both 5-HT and 5-HIAA increased as soon as the beginning of feeding; 5-HT reached its zenith during the meal while 5-HIAA showed a more delayed and prolonged increase. When a new meal was initiated, 60 to 70 min later, a similar monoaminergic pattern was observed again. These data suggest that building up hunger is announced by an ascending slope of DA and setting up of satiation is concomitant with a descending slope of DA. Concerning serotonergic changes, the sharp 5-HT release during the meal would be a signal of satiation (transient preabsorptive fullness) while the longer-lasting increase in 5-HIAA, reflecting 5-HT synthesis, would be associated with satiety (more persistent postabsorptive state substituting satiation). These data partially confirm and extend previous pharmacological studies as well as the findings on deprivation-induced, imposed meals. They suggest a possible causal relation between monoaminergic changes and behavioral initiatives."}
{"id": "PMID:1484833", "title": "Effect of prolonged, continuous rectal distention on mouth-to-cecum and colonic transit time in pigs.", "content": "The effect of prolonged (6 h), continuous rectal distention on mouth-to-cecum and colonic transit time was studied in four unrestrained pigs. Mouth-to-cecum transit time was determined from samples of cecal efflux using the phenol red dye technique. Colonic transit time was assessed with radiopaque markers that were injected into the cecum before each trial. Rectal distention was applied 2-1/2 h before feeding, during feeding, and 3-1/2 h after feeding. No distention was applied during control conditions. Stools were collected for 48 h after marker application. Rectal distention increased mouth-to-cecum transit time (p < 0.05). Colonic transit time was also prolonged by rectal distention as shown by a significant decrease in the number of markers excreted within 36 h (p < 0.05). Rectal distention for 6 h increased colonic transit time up to 30 h following distention and prolonged mouth-to-cecum transit of a high fat liquid meal."}
{"id": "PMID:1484834", "title": "Evaluation of transient forebrain ischemia induced by four vessel occlusion using schedule-controlled behavior.", "content": "Transient (5-min) global forebrain ischemia, induced by four- vessel occlusion, was assessed using a multiple fixed-ratio, fixed-interval schedule of food presentation in five rats. Under control conditions, the schedule produced distinctive response rates in each schedule component. Initially, ischemia disrupted responding under both schedule components, and to approximately the same degree. In general, total session responses returned to pre-occlusion levels during the course of 45 post-occlusion days, however, response rates under the fixed-interval component showed slightly less recovery than those under the fixed-ratio component. Histological assessment revealed considerable variability in hippocampal damage between rats. Severe damage in the CA1, CA2, and CA3 formations was observed in a single rat, and that rat also showed the greatest degree of response disruption. These results suggest that schedule-controlled responding may be a valuable method for assessing the effects of ischemic injury, and thus, putative neuroprotective compounds, on complex behavior."}
{"id": "PMID:1484835", "title": "Cognitive and noncognitive processes involved in selective object exploration: comparison between young adult and old rats.", "content": "The age effects on locomotor activity, object-oriented exploration, habituation, and response to a spatial change were studied in young adult and old rats using an object exploration test. In this test the spatial response was evaluated by the renewal of exploration of a familiar object after its repositioning. The specificity of the spatial response was determined by comparison with control animals not submitted to a spatial change. Male Wistar rats 6 and 24 months old were used. Results showed a significant decrement in locomotor activity, object exploration, and spatial reactivity in old rats. The habituation curve and the reactivity to a new object were preserved. Detail analyses suggest that the spatial deficit of old rats is due to an incapacity to detect the spatial change and not to their poor locomotor or exploratory activity. These results corroborate those obtained in spatial orientation tasks and support the idea that the lack of spatial response observed in old animals is more related to cognitive impairments than to other factors such as sensory, motor, or motivational differences."}
{"id": "PMID:1484836", "title": "Enhancement or loss of the hypophagic effect of interleukin-1 upon chronic administration.", "content": "To further characterize the effect of interleukin-1 on food intake, we tested whether a tolerance to the hypophagic effect of recombinant human interleukin-1 beta (rhIL-1 beta) develops with repeated injections or continuous infusion in rats. Daily intraperitoneal (IP) injections of rhIL-1 beta (25,000 LAF units/kg b.wt.) for 4 days did not result in tolerance to rhIL-1 beta's hypophagic effect. The hypophagic effect of the same dose of rhIL-1 beta actually increased if injections were given every second day, when the hypophagic effect of the preceding injection had subsided. A dose of rhIL-1 beta that usually did not affect food intake (5000 LAF units/kg b.wt.) reduced food intake if injected repeatedly. Continuous infusion of rhIL-1 beta (25,000 LAF units/kg b.wt/day) via IP-implanted osmotic minipumps caused a strong initial suppression of feeding followed by the development of tolerance to the hypophagic effect of the infused rhIL-1 beta. Nevertheless, hypophagia caused by a subsequent IP injection of rhIL-1 beta (25,000 LAF units/kg b.wt.) was enhanced. As specific antibodies to rhIL-1 beta could be detected in sera of only three of 11 rhIL-1 beta-infused rats, the observed tolerance was probably not due to a humoral immune response. The results demonstrate that, dependent on test conditions, chronic administration of rhIL-1 beta in the rat can lead to an enhancement or to a loss of its hypophagic effect. The reasons for this difference remain unclear."}
{"id": "PMID:1484837", "title": "Time of day effects on a human force discrimination task.", "content": "Although numerous studies have demonstrated reliable relationships between various human performance measures and time of day, disagreement exists concerning the shape of these relationships and their dependence on task variables. Most perceptual-motor tasks emphasize responsiveness to exteroceptive stimuli. We used a multiple force-band discrimination task that requires responsiveness to both exteroceptive and proprioceptive information. Results for a response duration measure showed a quadratic time of day trend similar to previously reported performance tasks. Response latency to the force emission cue and number of correct inband force emissions showed cubic time of day trends not typically reported in the time of day and performance literature. These results have implications for time-of-day effects on real world perceptual performance."}
{"id": "PMID:1484838", "title": "Entrainment of methamphetamine-induced locomotor activity rhythm to feeding cycles in SCN-lesioned rats.", "content": "Suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN)-lesioned rats, showing a locomotor activity rhythm with a circadian period by chronic methamphetamine treatment, were subjected to the periodic food restriction (RF) of 4 h per every 27 h and 24 h. All rats were phase set by the feeding schedule of both 24-h and 27-h periods. Phase angle differences between the activity onset and food presentation were more positive under the RF with a period of 27 h than that of 24 h. Methamphetamine-induced locomotor rhythm showed a stable entrainment to RF of the 27-h period in all rats. Under the RF of the 24-h period, on the other hand, some rats showed circabidian rhythms, i.e., an activity band appeared at every second food presentation. After the termination of feeding schedule, the locomotor rhythm started to free-run from the phase set by the previous feeding schedule in all rats examined. Methamphetamine-induced locomotor rhythm was shown to be entrained by the RF with a predictable manner of an oscillation theory."}
{"id": "PMID:1484839", "title": "Long-term callosal lesions and learning of a black-white discrimination by one-eyed rats.", "content": "We know from our previous studies that mature rats with monocular enucleation at birth (OEBs), as well as animals enucleated at maturity (OETs), were unable to learn a black-white discrimination when they were trained after lesions of the visual cortex contralateral to the remaining eye. Since it is well known that synaptic reorganization takes place in the adult rat brain through reactive synaptogenesis following deafferentation, we wondered if long-term callosal lesions in OEBs and OETs would bring out such synaptic reorganization in the visual cortex and, consequently, affect the outcome of the discrimination mentioned above. In the present study, two experiments were carried out: in Experiment 1 the previous experiment was replicated in that OEBs and OETs of 3 months of age were trained on the discrimination 10 days following unilateral visual cortex lesions; in Experiment 2, effects of callosal lesions made 10 weeks earlier either at 3 weeks of age or 13 weeks of age were investigated. The results were: 1) the findings of the previous experiment were confirmed; 2) the long-term callosal lesions facilitated the acquisition of discrimination in OEBs but not in OETs; 3) the facilitative effects were more prominent in OEBs with callosal lesions at 3 weeks of age than in those at 13 weeks of age. The findings were discussed in relation to possible synaptic reorganization produced in the visual cortex ipsilateral to the remaining eye following callosal lesions made 10 weeks earlier and also in relation to reorganization of the uncrossed visual pathways resulting from monocular enucleation at birth."}
{"id": "PMID:1484840", "title": "Changes in food intake and forestomach motility of dwarf goats by recombinant bovine cytokines (IL-1 beta, IL-2) and IFN-gamma.", "content": "The present study was carried out to investigate the effects of rboIL-1 beta, rboIL-2, and rboIFN-gamma on food intake and forestomach motility in conscious dwarf goats. The intravenous injection of rboIL-1 beta (1 micrograms kg-1) resulted in tachycardia and an immediate fever that reached peak values 45 and 180 min after injection. At 9 to 13 min after rboIL-1 beta administration, both frequency and amplitude of rumen contractions rapidly diminished, being minimal at 30 min; during the fever, all goats refused to eat. Compared with the fever induced by rboIL-1 beta, that caused by rboIFN-gamma (2 micrograms kg-1 IV) was delayed in onset. Although the biphasic fever after rboIFN-gamma was more pronounced than after rboIL-1 beta, the changes in forestomach motility, food intake, and heart rate were less than after rboIL-1 beta. No changes in rectal temperature, heart rate, forestomach motility, and food intake were observed after rboIL-2 (1 micrograms kg-1 IV) injection. These results strongly indicate that the effects of cytokines on body temperature can be dissociated from their effects on food intake. Furthermore, these data suggest a possible relationship between forestomach motility and food intake."}
{"id": "PMID:1484841", "title": "The effect of convulsions on the rectification of central nervous system disorders in epileptic mice.", "content": "Abnormal behavior in epileptic mice (El mice) may be rectified after convulsive seizures. This mechanism was investigated behaviorally through measurements of ethanol-induced sleeping time and locomotor activity, as well as immunohistochemically using a microphotometry system. Decreased ethanol-induced sleeping time and increased ethanol-dependent locomotor activity in El mice as compared to ddY mice (the mother strain of El mice) were rectified by convulsions as well as the intraventricular (IVT) administration of CaCl2, dopamine, or serotonin. Also, the lower dopamine levels in the neostriatum and nucleus accumbens septi in El mice as compared to ddY mice were improved by convulsions as well as the IVT administration of CaCl2. We have previously observed that a lower level of serum calcium in El mice causes a decrease in central biogenic amine synthesis through a calmodulin-dependent system. This may increase the susceptibility to epileptic convulsions and induce abnormal behavior. Combining the present results with our previous observations, we suggest that the convulsions in El mice will be induced when the balance of physiological functions is lost, as may be seen when the biogenic amine syntheses are decreased. The serum calcium level in El mice is increased by convulsions, and an elevated serum calcium level enhances brain biogenic amine synthesis through a calmodulin-dependent system. Subsequently, biogenic amines rectify physiological disorders in El mice."}
{"id": "PMID:1484842", "title": "Maudsley reactive (MR/Har) and nonreactive (MNRA/Har) rats: performance in an operant conflict paradigm.", "content": "The present studies were designed to characterize the behavior of Maudsley reactive (MR/Har) and nonreactive (MNRA/Har) rats in a modification of the Geller-Seifter operant conflict paradigm. Food-restricted (85% of free-feeding weights) female MR/Har and MNRA/Har rats were trained to lever press for food reinforcement in a multiple-schedule operant conflict paradigm. In the absence of a tone, a fixed ratio-30 (FR-30) schedule for reinforcement only was in effect (i.e., every 30th lever press resulted in the delivery of a 45-mg food pellet). During the presence of a tone, a fixed ratio-1 (FR-1) schedule of both reinforcement (food) and punishment (0.20 mA footshock applied for 500 ms) was in effect (i.e., each lever press resulted in both food and shock delivery). The tone periods were 27 s in duration and were presented on a variable interval (VI)-120-s schedule (approximately 20 tones/40-min session). Behavioral testing was conducted 5 days/week for 35 weeks. Initially, punished responding between the MR/Har and MNRA/Har rat strains did not differ dramatically. However, over the course of many weeks of conflict testing, rats of the MNRA/Har strain came to accept significantly more shocks than did subjects of the MR/Har strain. A direct examination of footshock sensitivity in these rats revealed that this difference in conflict behavior over time was not due to strain differences in shock sensitivity. The mechanism for this time-dependent difference in conflict behavior between the MR/Har and MNRA/Har rats remains undetermined."}
{"id": "PMID:1484843", "title": "Umami taste of monosodium glutamate enhances the thermic effect of food and affects the respiratory quotient in the rat.", "content": "Having previously shown that orogastric stimulation with carbohydrates or sweeteners triggers an increase in metabolic rate and in respiratory quotient, we investigated the possibility that the umami taste of monosodium glutamate (MSG) could act similarly on metabolic responses to protein ingestion. Monosodium glutamate solutions (0.01 and 0.15 M) or vehicle were infused via an intraoral tube during a standardized meal of chow taken in a metabolic device linked to a computer capable of instantaneously measuring RQ and background (resting) metabolic rate in the freely behaving rat. Monosodium glutamate added to the food resulted in a rapid enhancement of metabolic rate that lasted about 30 min, i.e., the period of the anticipatory fraction of thermogenesis. The RQ also switched towards figures indicative of protein utilization. Monosodium glutamate is ineffective when administered independently of meal taking. Taken together these data indicate that the umami taste of MSG exerts an enhancing and specific action on metabolism that obeys the rules of anticipatory reflexes in the sense that both the metabolic rate and substrate utilization adapt from the very first announcement of ingestion of an extra load of protein."}
{"id": "PMID:1484844", "title": "Effect of hepatic portal infusion of water on water intake by water-deprived rats.", "content": "To determine whether or not hepatoportal osmoreceptive (or sodium-receptive) signals participate in the control of drinking, we examined the effects of portal infusion of water, 0.9% saline, and 1.8% saline on water intake by water-deprived rats. Infusion was started 0.5 h prior to the end of the water deprivation period for 3.5 h at a rate of 52 microliters/min through either a portal or a jugular catheter. After 24-h water deprivation, water intake was measured successively for 24 h without food. As a result of the water infusion tests, water intake of the portal infusion group was significantly less than that of the jugular infusion group during and after the infusion. Portal infusion of neither 0.9% nor 1.8% saline affected the water intake compared to similar infusion into the jugular vein. It is concluded that hypotonic stimulation of the hepatoportal osmoreceptor suppresses water intake in water-deprived rats. On the contrary, isotonic or hypertonic stimulation does not produce any change of water intake."}
{"id": "PMID:1484845", "title": "Chin-marking behavior in male and female New Zealand rabbits: onset, development, and activation by steroids.", "content": "Chin marking (chinning) frequency was determined daily in 25 male and 24 female New Zealand rabbits aged 31-150 days. Chinning appeared earlier in females (mean +/- SD = 41 +/- 16 days) than in males (47 +/- 13 days). Between days 30-50, females displayed chinning more frequently than males. Thereafter, chinning increased steadily in both sexes up to day 100. Chinning curves levelled on days 100 and 140 in males and females, respectively. Profile analysis of male and female chinning curves showed significant differences in their slopes and in their population means (p < 0.001). At 7 months of age (days 210-224), both sexes displayed adult chinning frequencies: mean of means +/- SD = 103 +/- 18 and 79 +/- 14 marks/10 min in males (n = 8) and females (n = 8), respectively. The administration of testosterone propionate (TP, 1 mg/day) or estradiol benzoate (EB, 1 microgram/day) to males and females, respectively, from days 31-50, stimulated higher chinning frequencies than those displayed by untreated animals. Results suggest that chinning frequency increases throughout development largely as a consequence of a concomitant increase in sex steroid secretion."}
{"id": "PMID:1484846", "title": "Olfactory recognition of infants in laboratory mice: role of noradrenergic mechanisms.", "content": "Noradrenaline depletion of the olfactory bulbs induces cannibalism at parturition in primiparous mice, without producing anosmia or impairment of maternal behaviour. Similar lesions made in multiparous experienced females do not result in cannibalism. The present studies investigated 1) whether a 30-min exposure to pups or to distal cues from pups given to virgin females before noradrenaline depletion of the olfactory bulbs overcame the impairment in recognition at first parturition, and 2) whether noradrenaline-depleted females allowed to care for their pups for the 24 h following parturition showed a failure in recognition on a second parturition. Experiment 1 showed that exposure to distal cues from pups enabled the females to successfully recognize pups at parturition in comparison to naive females. However, neither the exposure to pup cues nor the fully interactive experience with pups overcame the disruptive effect on recognition at birth of the noradrenaline depletion. In Experiment 2, we found that olfactory recognition was impaired in noradrenaline-depleted females on second parturition, in spite of the mothering experience with their own pups."}
{"id": "PMID:1484847", "title": "Testicular function, secondary sexual development, and social status in male mandrills (Mandrillus sphinx).", "content": "Positive correlations between dominance rank and plasma testosterone levels have been described for adult males of several primate species in captivity, but the relevance of such observations to free-ranging animals is unclear. CIRMF in Gabon maintains a breeding group of 45 mandrills in a six hectare, naturally rainforested enclosure. This study describes correlations between dominance rank (in agonistic encounters), levels of plasma testosterone, testicular volume, body weight, and development of secondary sexual characteristics (red and blue sexual skin on the muzzle and rump areas) in male mandrills under semifree ranging conditions. Two morphological and social variants of adult male mandrill were identified. Large-rumped or fatted adult males (n = 3) remained in the social group and exhibited maximal development of sexual skin coloration as well as large testicular size and highest plasma testosterone levels. By contrast, slimmer-rumped or nonfatted males (n = 3) lived a peripheral or solitary existence and these exhibited less development of their secondary sexual coloration and had smaller testes and lower plasma testosterone levels. Longitudinal studies of gonadal development in these six males revealed that testicular volumes and plasma testosterone levels increased most rapidly during pubertal development (4-5 years of age) in the three animals which proceeded to the fatted condition. These included the highest ranking, group-associated male which exhibited the most intense sexual skin coloration and had higher testosterone levels, although this was not correlated with testicular volume. This study shows that in the male mandrill social factors and reproductive development are interrelated.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1484848", "title": "Naloxone prevents interruption of parturition and increases plasma oxytocin following environmental disturbance in parturient sows.", "content": "Experiments in rodents have suggested that environmental disturbance can disrupt parturition through an opioid-mediated inhibition of oxytocin secretion. To test this hypothesis in a large animal model, 14 primiparous female pigs were allowed to commence parturition in a strawed pen. Five of these gilts were allowed to continue parturition undisturbed in this pen, while the remainder were moved to a farrowing crate immediately after the birth of the first piglet. At this time, pigs were injected subcutaneously with either the opioid antagonist naloxone (n = 4; dose 1 mg/kg body weight) or saline (n = 5). Whereas the undisturbed pigs all gave birth to a second piglet within 53 min, in three of the five disturbed and saline-treated pigs no further births occurred for 2 h, at which time oxytocin was administered subcutaneously to restart parturition. By contrast, all of the naloxone-treated pigs gave birth spontaneously within 2 h, although mean interbirth intervals were still prolonged compared to undisturbed pigs. In a second experiment, nine primiparous female pigs with chronic catheters preplaced in the external jugular vein were similarly moved after the birth of their first piglet and either injected with naloxone (n = 5) or saline (n = 4). Again, parturition was interrupted in three out of four saline-treated animals for at least 2.5 h, but resumed promptly when exogenous oxytocin was administered. Plasma concentrations of oxytocin in these pigs were significantly lower than in naloxone-treated pigs, five out of six of which gave birth spontaneously to one or more piglets within 2.5 h.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1484849", "title": "Diminished luteinizing hormone release in prenatally stressed male rats after exposure to sexually receptive females.", "content": "Prenatally stressed (P-S) males show reductions in male sexual behavior, medial preoptic area volume, and levels of circulating testosterone. We examined the luteinizing hormone (LH) response to the presence of a sexually receptive female, a known index of sexual arousal. Adult male offspring from mothers stressed on days 15-22 of pregnancy (thrice-daily exposures to heat, light, and restraint) were implanted with an intraatrial catheter. Forty-eight h later they were placed into test chambers divided by a wire mesh partition; the catheter was extended outside the chamber. Thirty min later a baseline blood sample (time 0 min) was taken and a sexually receptive female was then placed on the side of the partition opposite the male for 60 min. Blood samples were collected 5, 10, 15, 30, 60 min, and 24 h after introduction of the female. Prenatally stressed males exhibited significantly lower LH levels following exposure to the female at each time point, 5 min to 24 h. Furthermore, at no point were P-S males' LH levels significantly increased above baseline levels. These data suggest that attenuations in female-induced LH release are associated with the marked reductions in male sexual behavior characteristic of the P-S male."}
{"id": "PMID:1484850", "title": "Taste preferences, body weight gain, food and fluid intake in singly or group-housed rats.", "content": "Two behavioral experiments were performed to determine if the housing conditions modify taste preferences, body weight gain, food and fluid intake, and alimentary diurnal pattern in adult male rats. In Experiment 1, a two-bottle 24-h preference test (salt, sweet, sour, bitter solutions versus deionized water) was performed in singly, dually or multiply housed rats. In Experiment 2, the same sapid solutions as Experiment 1 and water were contemporaneously offered to singly, dually, or multiply housed rats. Crowded rats drank more water, sweet solution, and total fluid, but less salt solution than singly or dually housed rats during dark and whole-day periods. All rats preferred sour solution, but not bitter solution, to water. In both experiments, crowded rats gained less body weight and ate less food than dually or isolated rats. These results suggest that the housing conditions influence taste preferences, food and fluid intake, body weight gain, but not alimentary diurnal pattern in rats. An important implication of these results is that in experiments in which appetite and taste are dependent variables, all rats should be housed under the same social and environmental conditions."}
{"id": "PMID:1484851", "title": "Characterization of stress-induced long-term behavioural changes in rats: evidence in favor of anxiety.", "content": "Recently, we reported that rats exposed to one brief session of inescapable footshocks showed a gradually developing and long-lasting decrease in behavioural activity and an increase in defecation in an open field. The aim of the present study was to further characterize the long-lasting changes in behavioural responsiveness to environmental stimuli. For this purpose, behavioural paradigms validated as tools in the preclinical study of the psychobiology of depression were used. Footshocked rats (S) showed a decreased response latency in an one-way avoidance-escape task and decreased immobility in a forced swim test as compared to nonshocked control rats (C) 14 days after shock exposure. These S rats showed decreased behavioural activity and increased defecation as compared to the C rats in an open field test carried out 28 days after footshock exposure. In addition, footshock exposure did not affect the preference for or consumption of a 0.05% saccharin solution on a long-term basis, although a decreased consumption of this solution was evident in S rats on day 1 postshock. These S rats showed an exaggerated immobility response to a sudden reduction in background noise level compared to C rats while placed in a novel environment on day 11 postshock. We conclude that the long-term effects of one short session of inescapable footshocks are not compatible with what is supposed to represent behavioural manifestations of depression in animals. It is argued that the common denominator of shock-induced long-lasting changes is increased behavioural defensiveness, which is more likely related to increased fear and/or anxiety."}
{"id": "PMID:1484852", "title": "Physiological and psychological differentiation of bidirectional baroreceptor carotid manipulation in humans.", "content": "We investigated a phase-related-external-suction (PRES) method of bidirectional carotid stimulation which, unlike other methods, is not readily discriminable for direction (excitation vs. inhibition). Thirty-two subjects were first given 128 6-s PRES trials (64 each excitatory and inhibitory) which were signaled by two tones of differing frequency. There followed a 20-trial discrimination phase where subjects' task was to identify excitatory and inhibitory PRES trials (randomly presented) in terms of the two tone signals. Physiological (HR) discrimination was bidirectional (deceleration and acceleration for excitatory and inhibitory PRES trials, respectively), reflex-like (no habituation), but asymmetrical in magnitude (larger decelerations than accelerations), and topography (e.g., presence of a short latency deceleration). Group psychological discrimination was absent, although two subjects had a 100% hit rate on the discrimination test. There were, however, no systematic HR changes associated with these two subjects. Finally, the small-magnitude (2-3 bpm) physiological HR reflex was markedly augmented by what appeared to be a psychological, attentional factor. Accordingly, while the results indicated a dissociation between physiological and psychological differentiation, there was also evidence of a psychological factor (attention) influencing a physiologically induced reflex."}
{"id": "PMID:1484853", "title": "Individual aged rats are impaired on repeated reversal due to loss of different behavioral patterns.", "content": "Aged rodents compared to young rodents are impaired in making repeated reversals and more variable in performance on many tasks. In the present study, a comparison of ten aged (21 months) and 10 young (3 months) Sprague-Dawley rats on a repeated spatial discrimination reversal water escape task revealed that the deficient and variable performance of the aged rats was due to the aged animals developing deficits in different behavioral patterns that were necessary to perform the task. Individual aged rats had deficits in inhibiting an unlearned first choice tendency (perseveration), repeating a first choice that lead to escape on the preceding trial (win-stay deficit) or inhibiting a first choice that lead to confinement and delayed escape on the preceding trial (lose-shift deficit). Because the aged animals were deficient on one or more of the necessary behavioral processes, as a group they were deficient on the repeated reversal task. However, because the aged rats differed on the specific behavioral process(es) on which they were deficient, when evaluated on any one process they were more variable than were the younger rats."}
{"id": "PMID:1484854", "title": "Behavioral response of rats with cortical lesions to cholinomimetics.", "content": "This study examined the performance of cortically lesioned rats and their response to cholinomimetic agents in passive avoidance and water maze tasks. Lesions encompassing mainly the frontal and parietal cortices produce a deficit in a 5-day passive avoidance retention test. This deficit was attenuated by the intraperitoneal (IP) administration of muscarinic agonists or an anticholinesterase. In the Morris water maze task, lesioned vehicle-treated animals showed greater escape latency times when compared to their sham counterparts. Cholinomimetics, injected daily during acquisition, improved mean escape latency time on days 3 and 4 of testing. The performance of the various groups in a cued version of the water task did not differ. This work demonstrates that performance deficits arising from neocortical loss can be attenuated by cholinergic drugs."}
{"id": "PMID:1484855", "title": "Effects of haloperidol on the acquisition of a spatial learning task.", "content": "The effects of systemic injections of the dopaminergic antagonist haloperidol on the acquisition of the Morris water maze with either a visible or an invisible platform (nonspatial vs. spatial learning) were investigated. An open field test was used for selecting a dosage (< or = 0.1 mg/kg), that (hardly) affected locomotor behaviour. Differential effects were found. At 0.1 mg/kg, haloperidol reduced locomotion in the open field, impaired acquisition in the Morris maze with a visible platform, and blocked escape onto an invisible one. Even though 0.07 mg/kg haloperidol reduced locomotion, both 0.04 and 0.07 mg/kg only impaired Morris maze performance in the spatial version. A large effect was found in the first trial of every day's training block. These results indicate that haloperidol at low doses can lead to a moderate but significant impairment of spatial learning. It is suggested that the effects found are related to the function of the striatal areas in cue- and noncue-directed behaviour."}
{"id": "PMID:1484856", "title": "Resetting of a feeding-entrainable circadian clock in the rat.", "content": "Reentrainment of anticipatory activity (AA) after phase shifts of food access was studied in rats with lesions of the suprachiasmatic nuclei. Eight- or 10-h phase delays of feeding time resulted in delaying transients of AA. Twelve-h phase shifts and some 10-h phase advances resulted in rapid reentrainment (2-3 days) without visible transients. Most phase advances of 10 h resulted in delaying transients while 8-h advances induced transients with advancing and delaying components in a number of rats. Split transients were not prevented by advancing mealtime in 1-h steps. Phase shifts of food in multiple steps failed to accelerate delay shifts but retarded advance shifts. After the first 8-h phase delay shift, increased activity reappeared at the preshift phase of AA, simultaneously with anticipation of the phase-shifted meal time. The observation of split transients indicates that two or more circadian oscillators mediate entrainment to mealtime, and the reappearance of AA at a previously established phase suggest the possibility that this system has a memory of phase displacement."}
{"id": "PMID:1484857", "title": "Resetting of a circadian clock by food pulses.", "content": "Rats with lesions of the suprachiasmatic nuclei were exposed to daily feeding until anticipatory activity (AA) developed. Meals were then phase advanced or delayed and presented for 1-4 consecutive days. The phase of the circadian pacemaker was assessed during probes of total food deprivation before or after 8 days of intervening ad lib feeding. One or two food pulses caused phase delays for one cycle but were insufficient to reset the feeding entrainable pacemaker. Complete or partial resetting to 6- or 9-h advances or delays was observed in some rats after three food pulses and in all rats after four food pulses. In some rats, phase shifts of meals appeared to induce both advancing and delaying transients, and two bouts of AA appeared during food-deprivation probes. This suggests that the feeding entrainable pacemaker consists of two or more oscillators which became uncoupled after phase shifts. The persistence of AA at the preshift phase observed after initial phase delays, concomitantly with AA to the phase shifted meals, also suggests the presence of a second oscillator."}
{"id": "PMID:1484858", "title": "The effect of neonatal capsaicin treatment on gustatory behavior in the albino rat.", "content": "Small-diameter fibers present in gustatory peripheral nerves have historically been suspected of relaying information about the bitter quality of a taste stimulus. Neonatally injected capsaicin irreversibly destroys a proportion of unmyelinated C- and some A delta-fibers. Consummatory responses to increasing concentrations of quinine and other chemical solutions following neonatal capsaicin injection were compared to those of untreated and vehicle-injected control Sabra albino rats. Capsaicin-treated rats significantly increased their withdrawal thresholds to noxious, CO2 laser-generated heat pulses verifying treatment effectiveness. Furthermore, neonatal capsaicin treatment diminished sensitivity to pungent capsaicin solutions in mature rats. However, there were no group differences in quinine intake, suggesting that the full array of unmyelinated fibers associated with taste buds is not essential for the transmission of bitter taste. Capsaicin-treated animals showed a significant reduction in intake of normally highly preferred sodium chloride and sucrose concentrations. These results were probably not due to loss of peripheral unmyelinated afferent fibers per se, but rather to secondary central changes."}
{"id": "PMID:1484859", "title": "Ovariectomy does not attenuate aggression by primiparous lactating female rats.", "content": "Nulliparous female hooded rats were allowed to cohabit with a sexually active male in a large living cage. Aggression toward an unfamiliar female was assessed during the second and third week of pregnancy. Within 12 to 24 h following parturition females were ovariectomized (n = 7) or sham-ovariectomized (n = 6) in a manner that balanced previous aggression scores. Aggression was assessed at 48 h following ovariectomy and at three weekly intervals thereafter. Ovariectomized and sham-ovariectomized females did not differ in the number of attacks, number of bites, duration of on-top, or frequency of piloerection on any test day following parturition. These results indicate that circulating levels of ovarian steroids do not influence the level of aggression by a primiparous lactating female toward an unfamiliar female conspecific."}
{"id": "PMID:1484860", "title": "Selective attention and the perceptual analysis of odor mixtures.", "content": "Two psychophysical methods were used to investigate the capacity of humans to identify the constituents of odor mixtures consisting of up to six components. With one method subjects were required to identify all the components present in each stimulus; with the other, a selective attention procedure was used where subjects had to identify only one component at each trial. Little difference was found between the levels of identification obtained with both methods, reinforcing the finding that humans have great difficulty in identifying more than three components in an odor mixture and indicating that it is unlikely that olfactory adaptation influenced the identification process."}
{"id": "PMID:1484861", "title": "Antiserum to prolactin decreases rapid eye movement sleep (REM sleep) in the male rat.", "content": "Previous reports suggest that blood-born prolactin (PRL) may selectively promote rapid eye movement sleep (REMS). To study the possible involvement of endogenous PRL in sleep regulation, rats were systemically injected with either antiserum to PRL or normal rabbit serum, and the sleep-wake activity was determined during the subsequent 12-h light cycle. The administration of normal rabbit serum in physiological saline did not alter sleep-wake activity compared to control recordings, whereas the PRL antiserum caused a modest and selective suppression in REMS. Immunoreactive PRL was eliminated from the serial plasma samples obtained between 6 to 11 h after the injection of the antiserum. Brain temperature was not affected by the antiserum. The results indicate that physiological pituitary PRL secretion has a slight REMS-promoting activity in the male rat. It is speculated that an increased release of pituitary PRL or the PRL-like substance previously demonstrated in the brain may significantly stimulate REMS."}
{"id": "PMID:1484862", "title": "NMDA lesions of lateral hypothalamus enhance the acquisition of schedule-induced polydipsia.", "content": "Schedule-induced polydipsia (SIP) is affected by damage to various limbic structures that have connections with the lateral hypothalamus. The present experiment sought to determine whether or not SIP could be induced in rats bearing NMDA-induced lesions of the lateral hypothalamus. Following surgery, lesioned rats lost weight and were hypophagic and hypodipsic. Drinking, in response to systemic injection of hypertonic saline, was impaired in lesioned rats. Prior to testing for SIP, all rats were placed on a food-restriction regime to maintain body weight at 85% of normal. There was no statistically significant difference in mean body weight between lesioned and control groups before deprivation began, though lesioned rats were hypodipsic in their home cages. The lateral hypothalamic-lesioned rats acquired SIP significantly more rapidly than controls over the first six sessions, but over four following sessions no differences were present. The enhanced acquisition of SIP by lateral hypothalamic-lesioned rats cannot be accounted for by postoperative recovery of body weight or by hypodipsia in the home cage, neither of which correlated with SIP. It is suggested that the lateral hypothalamus has a role in cueing appropriate and inhibiting inappropriate behavior in conditions of motivational excitement. SIP is suggested to have two CNS components--one excitatory and one inhibitory."}
{"id": "PMID:1484863", "title": "The effects of wheel running, a light/dark cycle, and the instrumental cost of food on the intake of food in a closed economy.", "content": "The effects of wheel running on the food intake of rats, and on the extent to which rats defend their daily food intake against increases in the instrumental cost of food, were studied in a closed economy. Rats lived in cages that were attached to running wheels. Within each cage, water was freely available and lever pressing was required for access to food; a fixed number of presses was required for the delivery of a single food pellet. All cages were located in an environmental chamber where a 12-h light/dark cycle was continuously maintained. During stage I, the entrance to each running wheel was blocked and two series (series 1 and 2) of progressively increasing fixed ratios (FRs) of presses per pellet were imposed. Each FR was used for a single day. During stage II, the entrance to each wheel was unblocked and wheel running and food intake were allowed to stabilize. During stage III, the running wheels remained available and the FR was again increased (series 3). In stage I, increases in the FR reduced food intake proportionally more rapidly during the light than during the dark, and this reduction in the light was greater during series 1 than series 2. During stage II, food intake was transiently reduced during the first week of access to running wheels, but recovered by the end of the second week. During stage III, increases in the FR again reduced food intake proportionally more rapidly during the light than during the dark. Wheel running did not affect the extent to which food intake was reduced within light and dark periods.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1484865", "title": "Garlic in the ovine fetal environment.", "content": "We investigated whether the odor of garlic can cross the placental barrier from the mother to the fetal environment. Samples of amniotic fluid, allantoic fluid, fetal blood, and maternal blood were collected 0, 50, 100, and 150 min after a pregnant ewe (approximately day 110 of gestation) was gavaged with 6 ml of Egyptian garlic oil. A panel of judges detected (p < 0.05) garlic odor in samples of allantoic fluid, fetal blood, and maternal blood collected 50, 100, and 150 min after the ewe was given garlic and in samples of amniotic fluid collected 100 min after treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1484864", "title": "Lashley maze learning deficits in NZB mice.", "content": "In a prior study we found excellent Lashley III maze learning in BXSB mice and poor learning in NZB mice, despite the fact that both strains are autoimmune and develop cortical ectopias. This prompted us to examine NZB Lashley maze performance in detail, including comparisons to other strains and attempts to improve performance by giving additional trials with or without additional intramaze visual cues. In conventional Lashley testing (10 trials), RF mice (non-autoimmune and nonectopic) and BXSBs performed well in the Lashley maze. They had high learning indices and few errors. NZB mice performed poorly, with low learning indices and many errors. Even with additional trials or additional trials plus intramaze cues, NZB performance remained poor. The number of backward and forward errors stayed high; learning indices were low. Since both BXSB and NZB mice develop autoimmune disorders and cortical ectopias, it is unlikely that differential Lashley performance is the result of the presence of these phenomena. NZB mice are known to have alterations in their hippocampal morphology, and this is a possible mediator of the Lashley deficit."}
{"id": "PMID:1484866", "title": "Description of a modular, low cost, eater meter for the study of feeding behavior and food preferences in fish.", "content": "The eater meter described in this paper is especially designed for fish studies. It consists of three parts: the detector, the feeder, and the interface between the detector and the feeder. The detector is a rod that closed a circuit (by contact or through a magnetic detector) when stuck by a fish, the feeder is electric and can be of any commercial model, and the interface is a simple electronic device, or a computer. Some preliminary results obtained with rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss, are also presented in order to illustrate the uses of this modular eater meter for fish."}
{"id": "PMID:1484867", "title": "Lack of an order effect in brief contact taste tests with closely spaced test trials.", "content": "The number of licks during 30-s exposures to a range of concentrations of sucrose, glucose, fructose, maltose, and Polycose were recorded. A complete series of concentrations of each carbohydrate was offered in ascending, descending, or random order with 30-s intertrial intervals. The order of presentation differed on different days. For sucrose, glucose, fructose, and maltose the number of licks in the 30-s periods was an increasing monotonic function of concentration regardless of the order of stimulus presentation. For Polycose, the lick rate-concentration function was an inverted U-shaped function of concentration with a peak on the 0.1 M to 0.2 M range. In all cases the rate of licking declined during the 30-s exposure period, suggesting the development of gustatory sensory adaptation. The results indicate that it is possible to obtain a rapid assessment of the taste sensitivity of the rat to a variety of carbohydrate solutions on a single day with very brief intertrial intervals."}
{"id": "PMID:1484868", "title": "Perinatal estradiol benzoate administration affects control of ventilation in adult male rats.", "content": "One injection of estradiol benzoate (EB) (100 micrograms) or vehicle was administered to male rat pups 5 days after birth. Two months later ventilation, ventilatory responses to 7% carbon dioxide, and to 580 mg/kg aspartic acid (an agent used as a marker of sexually dimorphism in the control of ventilation) were evaluated and body weight, testes weight, and nose-anus length were measured in animals in each group. The EB-treated rats had similar tidal volumes, frequency of breathing, and minute ventilation as did control male rats. The ventilatory responses of EB-treated rats to hypercapnia were markedly less than those of control animals. Aspartic acid administration depressed ventilation in control animals, but had no effect on ventilation in EB-treated males. Body and testes weights, as well as nose-anus length, were less in EB-treated compared with control rats. However, when body weight was normalized by nose-anus length and testes weight was normalized by body weight, the values were comparable between the two groups. Thus, perinatal EB treatment of male rat pups results in small, hypogonadal adult animals whose ventilation in response to hypercapnia was diminished and whose response to aspartic acid was female-like relative to those of control rats."}
{"id": "PMID:1484869", "title": "Maudsley reactive and nonreactive rats in the forced swim test: comparison in fresh water and soiled water.", "content": "Maudsley reactive (MR) and nonreactive (MNRA) and Sprague-Dawley (SD) male rats were tested for their immobility response in the forced swim test when the water was fresh or soiled by a rat of the same or other strain. For all strains, rats tested in soiled water were less immobile than rats in fresh water. The three strains did not differ as producers of soiling substance, but did differ in their response to it. The MR strain was least responsive, whereas the MNRA and SD did not differ from one another. These results support a previous study suggesting that MR rats are more immobile than MNRA rats in the forced swim test. The interpretation of these findings regarding the use of the Maudsley rat strains as an animal model for studying anxiety and/or depression is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1484870", "title": "The effect of odours on stimulated parotid salivary flow in humans.", "content": "We have previously shown that smell has no effect on resting parotid salivary flow in humans. In this study we investigated the effect of two odours on unilateral parotid salivary flow stimulated by either mastication or mastication with gustation. Neither odour stimulated flow above that elicited by either mastication or mastication with gustation. Removing an odour by sealing the nares has been reported to reduce stimulated parotid salivary flow, suggesting that smell contributes to stimulated salivary flow. However, in the present study, sealing the nares with a nose clip caused a significant reduction in the saliva elicited by an odourless stimulus. Even placing the nose clip over the bridge of the nose without sealing the nares significantly reduced the salivary flow, suggesting that the nose clip itself causes a reduction in stimulated parotid salivary flow. In conclusion, smell has no effect on stimulated parotid salivary flow in humans."}
{"id": "PMID:1484871", "title": "Vasopressin prolongs behavioral and cardiac responses to mild stress in young but not in aged rats.", "content": "In young male Wistar rats sudden silence superimposed on low intensity background noise evokes a relative decrease in heart rate. This bradycardia is accompanied by immobility behavior. In the present study, involving young (3 month), late-adult (14 month), aged (20 month), and senescent (25 month) rats the magnitude of the stress-induced bradycardia shows an age-related reduction while the behavioral immobility response remained unchanged during the process of aging. Arginine-8-vasopressin (AVP, 6 micrograms/kg SC) administered 60 min prior to the experiment led to a prolonged behavioral and cardiac stress response in young and late-adult rats, but not in aged and senescent animals. The peripheral and central mechanisms possibly involved in the failure of systemically applied AVP to improve bradycardiac stress responses in aged rats are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1484872", "title": "Behavioral thermoregulation in mice inoculated with influenza virus.", "content": "Mice housed at 30 degrees C and inoculated with a mouse-adapted influenza virus show a fall in body temperature (Tb) and a decrease in food intake to almost 0 grams per day. This study tested whether the fall in Tb could be accounted for by the decreased food intake and whether the fall in Tb was due to a decrease of thermoregulatory set point or to an inability to maintain Tb at set point level. The fall in Tb of influenza-infected mice was greater than that of food-deprived mice. When food deprived, mice given access to a thermal gradient increased their preference for warmer areas in the gradient and, as a result, Tb did not fall as much as Tb of starved mice not given access to a thermal gradient. When infected with influenza virus, mice given a thermal gradient decreased Tb less and at a slower rate than mice not given a gradient. However, this fall in Tb of influenza-infected mice was greater than that of food-deprived mice given a thermal gradient. Mice given a thermal gradient increased their preference for the warmer temperatures after inoculation; this returned to preinoculation preference for cooler temperatures during the later days of infection despite a continuous fall in Tb. Influenza-infected mice given a thermal gradient survived significantly fewer days than infected mice not given a thermal gradient. We conclude that the influenza-induced fall of Tb in mice cannot be explained solely by the decrease in food intake, and is partially due to a decrease in thermoregulatory set point."}
{"id": "PMID:1484873", "title": "An anorectic agent from adipose tissue of overfed rats: effects on feeding behavior.", "content": "Parabiosis and blood-transfer studies with rodents suggest the existence of humoral factors capable of affecting energy balance. The nature and origin of these factors is undetermined. Aqueous extracts of adipose tissue from overfed rats significantly reduce food intake when administered intraperitoneally (IP) or intracerebroventricularly (ICV). We term the agent(s) responsible for this effect adipose satiety factor (ASF). A single IP dose of ASF, equivalent to 44 mg crude protein, suppresses cumulative food intake for over 12 h. ASF, prepared using a combination of adipose tissue from obese Zucker rats and overfed rats, is more potent per unit of protein than ASF prepared exclusively using adipose tissue from overfed rats. A single ICV dose of this hybrid preparation, equivalent to 14.6 micrograms of crude protein, suppresses cumulative food intake by 40% for up to 48 h. By ultrafiltration, the molecular weight associated with maximal ASF activity is between 30 and 100 kilodaltons (kDa). The behavioral specificity of ASF-induced anorexia is demonstrated using meal pattern, taste aversion, and differential starvation paradigms."}
{"id": "PMID:1484874", "title": "Unilateral but not bilateral olfactory bulbectomy inhibits body weight gain in hamsters.", "content": "The relation of the olfactory bulbs and photoperiod to the regulation of body weight was studied in male golden hamsters. Animals underwent sham operation, bilateral olfactory bulbectomy, or unilateral bulbectomy. They were left on long photoperiod for 5 weeks and then were transferred to short photoperiod for 11 weeks. The unilaterally olfactory bulbectomized hamsters gained less weight on long or short photoperiod than the sham operated group, while the bilaterally bulbectomized hamsters gained at least as much weight as the sham group. Thus, we report the novel finding that unilateral but not bilateral olfactory bulbectomy reduces body weight gain in male golden hamsters."}
{"id": "PMID:1484875", "title": "Food intake and body temperature responses of rats to recombinant human interleukin-1 beta and a tripeptide interleukin-1 beta antagonist.", "content": "Food intake and body temperature are two of many factors affected by IL-1 beta, a cytokine which is produced in response to tissue injury and inflammatory processes. In the present experiment, a tripeptide IL-1 beta antagonist which blocked IL-1 beta-induced hyperalgesia was tested for the ability to block IL-1 beta-induced effects on food intake and body temperature. Food intake was decreased 4-22 h after intraperitoneal (IP) administration of 1.25, 1.88, or 2.50 micrograms IL-1 beta/rat, and 0-22 h food intake was decreased by 1.88 and 2.50 micrograms IL-1 beta/rat. The effect of 1.25 micrograms IL-1 beta/rat on food intake measured 4 and 22 h after (IP) injection was blocked by coadministration of 5 mg tripeptide IL-1 beta antagonist. However, 25 mg tripeptide IL-1 beta antagonist/rat plus 1.25 micrograms IL-1 beta/rat decreased 0-22 h food intake more than IL-1 beta alone. Administration (IP) of 1.25 micrograms IL-1 beta/rat increased body temperature 1 degrees C 4 h later, and 5 and 25 mg tripeptide IL-1 beta antagonist/rat blocked this increase. Although food intake remained decreased after IL-1 beta administration alone or with 25 mg tripeptide IL-1 beta antagonist/rat for 22 h, body temperature returned to normal under these conditions. Thus, a tripeptide IL-1 beta antagonist shown to block IL-1 beta-induced hyperalgesia also blocked food intake and body temperature responses to IL-1 beta, although the effective doses of IL-1 beta and the tripeptide IL-1 beta antagonist differ by 4,000-fold when both are administered peripherally."}
{"id": "PMID:1484876", "title": "Effects of adrenal steroid agonists on food intake and macronutrient selection.", "content": "These experiments tested the effects of subcutaneous (SC) and paraventricular nucleus (PVN) administration of the steroid receptor agonists, corticosterone (CORT), aldosterone (ALDO), RU28362, and dexamethasone (DEX), on food intake and macronutrient selection during the first h of the dark feeding period in the rat. Results indicate that CORT and the selective type II receptor agonist RU28362 specifically stimulate carbohydrate ingestion after SC or PVN administration, while DEX has no effect on feeding. This selective effect of SC CORT on carbohydrate ingestion is dose dependent, seen at doses ranging from 0.125 to 2.0 mg/kg. Moreover, the stimulatory effects of CORT and RU28362 on carbohydrate intake are observed in ADX rats but not in sham rats. This is in contrast to SC and PVN administration of the type I receptor agonist ALDO, which specifically enhances fat ingestion in both sham and ADX rats. These results, with both peripheral and central steroid administration, reveal selective effects of type I and type II receptor stimulation on fat and carbohydrate intake, respectively."}
{"id": "PMID:1484877", "title": "Acute, but not chronic, exercise lowers the body weight set-point in male rats.", "content": "The influence of muscular training on overall energy balance and body weight is not clear. A group of male rats was trained to feed every day from 1000 to 1200. Then the intersect of regression line of food hoarded during meal time vs. body weight with the X-axis was measured. Finally, the rats were trained to run 1 h every day on a motor-driven treadmill. When the training took place in the morning, just before the hoarding session, the mean intersect was significantly lowered from control (497 +/- 18 g to 433 +/- 9 g). When the training took place in the afternoon, after the hoarding session, the mean intersect was not significantly different (504 +/- 21 g) from control. Food intake during the hoarding sessions was affected neither by body weight changes nor by muscular exercise. These results suggest that the set-point for body weight regulation is acutely lowered just after muscular exercise, but is not influenced by chronic training."}
{"id": "PMID:1484878", "title": "Effects of body weight loss and taste on VMH-LH electrical activity of rats.", "content": "Electrical responses of ventromedial (VMH) and lateral (LH) hypothalamus to graded decrease in body weight and to taste were recorded from a conscious rat with chronically implanted macroelectrodes. Graded reduction in body weight was correlated with gradual increase in LH activity and reciprocal decrease in VMH activity, both of which were stable and specific to each gradation in body weight. On gustation of any test solution, basal activity was temporarily altered, if any. On sweet taste of calorically rich sucrose, VMH activity was enhanced and LH showed decrease. But on sweet taste of calorically inert saccharin, VMH activity was increased, though a reciprocal decrease in LH was not shown. Contrastingly, both bitter taste and salt taste caused increased LH activity but no change in VMH activity. Enhanced VMH activity correlated with sweet taste may be due to activation of VMH glucoreceptors. LH activation correlated with bitter and salt taste is a likely response of two distinct groups of LH units; one responding to salt taste and the other to bitter aversive taste."}
{"id": "PMID:1484879", "title": "Long-term regulation of pancreatic B-cell responsiveness to D-glucose by food availability, feeding schedule, and diet composition.", "content": "The immediate metabolic, cationic, and secretory response of the insulin-producing B-cell to D-glucose is regulated, in a delayed or long-term manner, by nutritional factors such as food availability, feeding schedule, or diet composition. The B-cell keeps the memory of these nutritional manipulations so that the corresponding changes in its responsiveness to D-glucose can be documented in vitro in isolated pancreatic islets. The results of experiments conducted in starved rats, in animals exposed to an altered feeding schedule, and in rats given free access to a high-carbohydrate, high-protein, or high-lipid, as distinct from balanced, diet all suggest that a sufficient prandial hyperglycemia is essential for maintenance of an optimal metabolic and secretory behavior of the islet B-cell in response to a rise in D-glucose concentration."}
{"id": "PMID:1484880", "title": "Further characterization of cortical polarization-induced motor behavior in rabbits.", "content": "Anodal direct currents of 1 or 10 microA were unilaterally applied for 30 min once a day to the premotor area of the cerebral cortex in rabbits, in which the current application was repeated 10 times at intervals of 2-3 days. Peripheral motor behavior was observed during and after each polarization trial, and was compared with that before polarization. The motor manifestations were classified into two types: gentle flexion of either forelimb and struggle with violent movement of forelimbs. Flexion of the forelimb contralateral to the polarized cortical side was clearly increased by polarization at an intensity of 1 microA, but not at 10 microA. Forelimb struggle of both sides decreased only when 10 microA was applied. These results suggest that the passage of 1 microA current activates the polarized local area of the cortex, while 10 microA has an inhibitory effect on cortical activity."}
{"id": "PMID:1484881", "title": "Chronic dietary choline enrichment affects DRL responding of old, but not of adult CPBB rats.", "content": "Using adult (11-month-old) and aged (22-month-old) inbred female CPBB rats, we tested the hypothesis that chronic dietary choline supplementation affects timing behavior. The rats had received choline chloride in their tap water for about 9 months before they acquired responding on a differential reinforcement of low-rate schedule with a critical delay of 8 s (DRL-8\"). One retention session and two extinction sessions were given 4 weeks after the end of acquisition. The treatment had no effect on the timing behavior of the adult rats. Choline-treated old animals made more perservation errors, i.e., responses with interresponse times (IRTs) < 2 s, than the untreated old control rats. Even after correction for burst responses, the frequency of short IRTs was higher in the treated than in the control group, indicating that choline supplementation slightly impaired timing behavior. The mechanisms underlying the action of supplemented choline are still unknown."}
{"id": "PMID:1484882", "title": "Ethological categorization of adult rat motor behavior in an open field.", "content": "From 100 rats observed during 1 h, elementary behavioral units were identified, characterized, and behavioral boundaries were established. From this, two main categories were established and named a) basic body postures, and b) posture-associated moving actions. Four subcategories concerning posture-associated moving actions were 1) body-directed actions; 2) actions of interaction with the environment; 3) moving actions without locomotion; and 4) displacement actions with locomotion. This ethological characterization in an open field could be applied to the study of motor effect induced by experimental manipulation of the brain function, at maturity."}
{"id": "PMID:1484883", "title": "An improved method for carotid artery infusion without vessel occlusion.", "content": "This is an simple, non-time-consuming and advantageous procedure for catheterization and drug administration in thin arteries of small animals. The cannulation method consists of implanting polyimide-coated silica capillary tubing. To avoid vascular tear during puncture, the tubing tip is beveled. The cannula is stuck to the wall of the artery without artery ligation, using a small drop of a fast cyanoacrylate adhesive. The surgical procedure can be completed in 15 min and has the following properties: 1) it is wise but not indispensable to perfuse a solution continually through the cannula; 2) the dead volume is low and drugs may be injected in a very low solution volume; 3) it is not necessary to close the lumen of the vessel during catheterization; 4) the drug solution may be perfused into a normal bloodstream and thus its kinetic behavior is not modified by undesired cul-de-sac effects presented after artery ligation."}
{"id": "PMID:1484884", "title": "Cryptolepis sanguinolenta: antimuscarinic properties of cryptolepine and the alkaloid fraction at M1, M2 and M3 receptors.", "content": "From an ethanol extract of the roots of Cryptolepis sanguinolenia the alkaloid fraction and its main constituent cryptolepine were isolated by partitioning at pH 11 and column chromatography using silica gel and chloroform/methanol as eluent. Cryptolepine was identified mainly by EI-MS and 1H/13C-NMR spectroscopy. Cryptolepine (3-30 microM) and the alkaloid fraction of Cryptolepis sanguinolenta (3-10 micrograms/ml) antagonized muscarinic effects at M1 receptors in rabbit vas deferens, M2 receptors in guinea-pig atria, and M3 receptors in guinea-pig ileum. The experiments, using N-methylatropine as reference drug, showed a significant antimuscarinic activity for both cryptolepine and the alkaloid fraction, but no appreciable receptor subtype selectivity (pA2 = 5.00-5.73). Cryptolepine was determined as the antimuscarinic principle of Cryptolepis sanguinolenta. At higher concentrations both materials displayed negative inotropic effects."}
{"id": "PMID:1484885", "title": "Effect of Gomisin A (TJN-101) on liver regeneration.", "content": "We studied the effect of TJN-101, a lignan component of Schisandra fruits (Schisandrae fructus), on liver regeneration after partial hepatectomy. TJN-101 was given orally to male Wistar rats 30 min before partial hepatectomy. The mitotic index and the level of DNA synthesis increased after partial hepatectomy and their increase was significantly enhanced by TJN-101. Ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) activity increased in the early stages of liver regeneration and it was also significantly enhanced by TJN-101. Besides, TJN-101 enhanced the increase in hepatic putrescine. These results suggest that TJN-101 stimulates liver regeneration after partial hepatectomy by enhancing ODC activity, which is an important biochemical event in the early stages of liver regeneration."}
{"id": "PMID:1484886", "title": "Structure and hepatoprotective activity of a biflavonoid from Canarium manii.", "content": "Canarium manii (Burseraceae) was chemically investigated and the presence of the biflavonoid agathisflavone is reported for the first time from this plant. Pharmacologically, this biflavonoid in doses 50.0 mg and 100.0 mg given orally exhibited dose-dependent hepatoprotective activity against experimentally-induced carbon tetrachloride-hepatotoxicity in rats and mice."}
{"id": "PMID:1484887", "title": "Analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects of Ranunculus japonicus extract.", "content": "The analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects of Ranunculus japonicus extract after parenteral administration were determined in several animal models. The extract inhibited the mice writhing responses caused by acetic acid and raised the pain thresholds of mice in the hot-plate test. The extract also inhibited the paw edema of rats induced by carrageenin, ear swelling of mice caused by xylene, mice vascular permeability increase induced by acetic acid, and granuloma formation in rats."}
{"id": "PMID:1484888", "title": "Histamine release inhibition activity of bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloids.", "content": "Eleven examples of bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloids (head-to-head; 10, head-to-tail; 1) and one half molecule type (N-methylcoclaurine), were tested by in vitro histamine release inhibition assay. The order of the potency of the inhibitory effect was ranked thus: homoaromoline, aromoline, isotetrandrine, cepharanthine, fangchinoline, obaberine, and tetrandrine. The following substances, cepharanoline, berbamine, oxyacanthine, and cycleanine (head-to-tail structure) had no inhibitory effect. N-Methylcoclaurine showed an inhibitory effect comparable to that of fangchinoline."}
{"id": "PMID:1484889", "title": "Effect of \"Rosa Canina\" infusion and magnesium on the urinary risk factors of calcium oxalate urolithiasis.", "content": "The effects on the calcium oxalate urolithiasis urinary risk factors of \"Rosa Canina\", in herb infusion form, and magnesium chloride have been studied using female Wistar rats under balanced dietary conditions. No significant effects on the volume of liquids drunk or on creatinine, phosphate, and oxalate urinary concentrations and excretions were observed. The herb infusion did not cause any diuretic effect. Calciuria decreased and citraturia increased when taking the herb infusion, and vice versa when taking magnesium chloride. Magnesium chloride decreased the urinary pH value, but this effect was not observed when magnesium chloride was administered with herb infusion. In conclusion, the same beneficial effects of the studied infusion herb on calcium oxalate urolithiasis urinary risk factors can be clearly detected. An interesting fact is that it seems that some possible effects depend on dietary components, thus, i.e., an increase in the urinary pH was only detected when the intake of the herb infusion was studied in a magnesium chloride-supplemented diet."}
{"id": "PMID:1484890", "title": "Hypoglycemic activity of olive leaf.", "content": "The hypoglycemic activity of olive leaf was studied. Maximum hypoglycemic activity was obtained from samples collected in the winter months, especially in February. One of the compounds responsible for this activity was oleuropeoside, which showed activity at a dose of 16 mg/kg. This compound also demonstrated antidiabetic activity in animals with alloxan-induced diabetes. The hypoglycemic activity of this compound may result from two mechanisms: (a) potentiation of glucose-induced insulin release, and (b) increased peripheral uptake of glucose."}
{"id": "PMID:1484891", "title": "Immunostimulant activity of Picroliv, the iridoid glycoside fraction of Picrorhiza kurroa, and its protective action against Leishmania donovani infection in hamsters.", "content": "Picroliv, a standardised fraction from root and rhizome of Picrorhiza kurroa, consisting of iridoid glycosides and shown to be responsible for its hepatoprotective activity, was studied for immunostimulant activity. Oral administration of Picroliv (10 mg/kg x 7 days) in mice prior to immunization with sheep red blood cells (SRBC) resulted in a significant increase in haemagglutinating antibody (HA) titre, plaque forming cells (PFC), and delayed hypersensitivity (DTH) response to SRBC. Picroliv enhanced the non-specific immune response characterized by an increase in macrophage migration index (MMI), [14C]-glucosamine uptake, phagocytosis of [14C]-leucine labelled Escherichia coli, chemiluminescence of peritoneal macrophages, and higher uptake of [3H]-thymidine in the lymphocytes of treated mice. It also induced a high degree of protection in golden hamsters against challenge infection with Leishmania donovani promastigotes."}
{"id": "PMID:1484892", "title": "Effects of three compounds extracted from Morinda lucida on Plasmodium falciparum.", "content": "The effects of three compounds, digitolutein (1), rubiadin 1-methyl ether (2) and damnacanthal (3) extracted from the stem bark and the roots of Morinda lucida Benth. on the growth of Plasmodium falciparum in vitro were investigated. The number of parasites (schizonts) decreased significantly in a dose-dependent manner, and 100% of inhibition was obtained with 30 to 40 micrograms of each compound tested. The IC50 values were calculated."}
{"id": "PMID:1484893", "title": "Inhibitory effect of tannic acid sulfate and related sulfates on infectivity, cytopathic effect, and giant cell formation of human immunodeficiency virus.", "content": "The acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) is thought to result from infection of T cells by a pathogenic human retrovirus, human immunodeficiency virus [HIV (HTLV-III/LAV)]. In this report, we synthesized sulfated plant polyphenols such as tannic acid sulfate, rutin sulfate, ellagic acid sulfate, (-)-epicatechin sulfate, and (-)-epigallocatechin 3-gallate sulfate, and examined the in vitro inhibitory effect on HIV infection using human T-cell lymphotropic virus type-I-carrying MT-4 cells, which are extremely susceptible to HIV infection. Of the compounds tested, tannic acid sulfate was the most effective and had low cytotoxicity. Tannic acid sulfate completely inhibited the cytopathic effect of HIV and the HIV-specific antigen expression in MT-4 cells at the concentration of 6 micrograms/ml. In addition, this sulfate inhibited giant cell formation in coculture at the concentration of 5 micrograms/ml."}
{"id": "PMID:1484894", "title": "In vitro antimalarial activity and chloroquine potentiating action of two bisbenzylisoquinoline enantiomer alkaloids isolated from Strychnopsis thouarsii and Spirospermum penduliflorum.", "content": "The bisbenzylisoquinolines 7-O-demethyltetrandrine and limacine, respectively, isolated from Strychnopsis thouarsii Baill. and Spirospermum penduliflorum Thou. were evaluated for their intrinsic antimalarial activity in vitro and chloroquine potentiating action against the chloroquine-resistant Plasmodium falciparum FCM 29 originating from Cameroon. They both showed significant antiplasmodial potency in vitro with very similar IC50 values of respectively, 740 nM and 789 nM (IC50 = 214 nM for chloroquine used as standard drug), which demonstrated that the stereochemistry of the C-1 and C-1' configuration likely plays a role in the chloroquine potentiating effect of these drugs. If confirmed in vivo, these results may account for the traditional use of the two plants as antimalarials and adjuvant to chloroquine in Madagascan folklore remedies."}
{"id": "PMID:1484895", "title": "Antihepatotoxic C-glycosylflavones from the leaves of Allophyllus edulis var. edulis and gracilis.", "content": "From the leaves of Allophyllus edulis var. edulis and Allophyllus edulis var. gracilis nine C-glycosylflavones have been isolated and identified as schaftoside (8), vicenin-2 (9), lucenin-2 (10), isovitexin 2\"-O-rhamnoside (11), cerarvensin 2\"-O-rhamnoside (12), vitexin 2\"-O-rhamnoside (13), isoorientin 2\"-O-rhamnoside (15), orientin 2\"-O-rhamnoside (16) and saponarin (17). In addition, gallic acid (2), the phenol C-glycosides bergenin (3) and 11-O-galloylbergenin (4), three flavonol 3-O-rhamnosides and a new C-glycosylflavone identified as mollupentin 2\"-O-rhamnoside (14) were obtained from the leaves of Allophyllus edulis var. edulis. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of chemical and spectral data. For the first time the C-glycosylflavones were found to have remarkable anti-hepatotoxic activities against CCl4 and galactosamine cytotoxicity in primary cultured rat hepatocytes. Structure-activity relationships are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1484896", "title": "Cajucarinolide and isocajucarinolide: anti-inflammatory diterpenes from Croton cajucara.", "content": "Cajucarinolide and isocajucarinolide, two new clerodane diterpenes, have been isolated from the cortices of Croton cajucara (Euphorbiaceae). These compounds possess anti-inflammatory activity and inhibit bee venom phospholipase A2 in vitro."}
{"id": "PMID:1484905", "title": "[Clinical study of correlation pre-senile, senile depressive state with silent cerebral infarction--MRI findings and its distribution].", "content": "We examined the relationship between the pre-senile/senile depressive state and silent cerebral infarction using MRI. The subjects studied were 56 patients 50 years of age or older with a depressive state who underwent MRI and who were hospitalized and treated at the Department of Psychiatry or the Department of Neurology of Hiroshima Prefectural Hospital. We made a diagnosis of depression in patients who fulfilled the criteria of DSM-III-R for major depression. Patients in whom apoplectic attacks had occurred, or who had local neurologic symptoms or a history of evident cerebrovascular disorders, were not included in the study. Silent cerebral infarction was observed with pre-senile onset in 60.3% of patients with a pre-senile depressive state, and the complication rate was significantly higher than for cases with juvenile onset (20%). For patients with a senile depressive state, the complication of silent cerebral infarction was found in 53.6% of cases of pre-senile onset and in 100% of cases of senile onset. These rates were remarkably higher than the age-related complication rate of silent cerebral infarction in normal persons reported hitherto, we therefore suspect that nearly half of patients with depressive state of pre-senile onset and most of patients with that of senile onset might have an organic-depressive state complicated by silent cerebral infarction. Both perforating-type infarcts and cortical-type infarcts were found, suggesting that infarct-related foci of depressive states were polyphyletic. When we divided the depressive states complicated by cerebral infarction into 2 subtypes, those complicated by a perforating-type infarct and those by a cortical-type infarct, and compared the 2 types, we found possible differences in clinical symptoms and course between the subtypes. These differences seem worthy of further study. Among cortical-type lesions, parietal lesions were predominant, followed by frontal and then temporal lesions in incidence. There were significantly more left frontal lesions than right frontal lesions. Infarcts of both the parietal lobe and left frontal lobe may be related to the depressive state. Compared with cases not complicated by cerebral infarction, those with perforating- and mixed-type cerebral infarction were complicated with PVH significantly more frequently, similarity in risk factors and pathology between perforating-type cerebral infarction and PVH was suggested by these results."}
{"id": "PMID:1484906", "title": "[Changes of pupil size in brain death patients].", "content": "The representative criteria of brain death in Japan is Takeuchi Criteria (Koseisho Criteria), which is the definition of irreversible loss of brain function (functional brain death). The 3rd item of that criteria is \"fixed pupil\" and pupil size more than 4 mm. The 4th item is loss of the brain nerve reflexes including the light reflex. Three cases of brain death by whole brain destruction (organic brain death) who showed slow changes of pupil size were reported. Except fixed pupil, one case fulfilled Takeuchi Criteria. Other two cases fulfilled all items of Takeuchi Criteria, showing the same pupil size accidentally at the first and the second judgements. But, they changed their pupil size slowly and continuously after the examinations, showing tendencies toward mydriasis and/or miosis, repeatedly. They never decreased their pupil size less than 4 mm. The changes of pupil size were so slow that we could recognize them only after several hours or several days, and they were quite different from the light reflex. They did not receive any influences from turnover of day and night, darkness of the room, dopamine, etc. For the changes of pupil size were observed in the cases of organic brain death, it was elucidated that they were not due to the brain nerve activity. Then, it was considered that the changes of pupil size in the cases of functional brain death should be the same phenomena, because brain nerve function was lost.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1484907", "title": "Elevated frontal cerebral blood flow in Gilles de la Tourette syndrome: a 99Tcm-HMPAO SPECT study.", "content": "Case reports, numerous brain imaging studies, and certain disease states suggest that the orbital frontal cortex and the striatum are dysfunctional in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Interest has also grown recently concerning the genetic, neuroanatomic, and clinical links between OCD, chronic motor tics, and Gilles de la Tourette Syndrome (GTS). To test the hypothesis of possible orbito-frontal/basal ganglia dysfunction in GTS, similar to OCD, we studied 20 unmedicated GTS subjects, 10 of whom also had comorbid OCD (GTS/OCD), and 8 control subjects. The subjects were examined with high-resolution single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and the labeled regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) ligand technetium-99m-d,l-hexamethyl-propylene amine oxime (99Tcm-HMPAO). As a group, GTS subjects showed significantly elevated right frontal/visual cortex activity (mean = 0.879, SD = 0.107) compared with control subjects (mean = 0.798, SD = 0.049). A subanalysis comparing simple GTS versus GTS with comorbid OCD failed to reveal significant differences in regional flow."}
{"id": "PMID:1484908", "title": "Leukoencephalopathy and major depression: a preliminary report.", "content": "The comparative prevalence of leukoencephalopathic changes in 119 young and old inpatients and outpatients with major depression was examined. Patients underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examinations with T1- and T2-weighted pulse sequences. Leukoencephalopathic changes were uncommon in depressed patients and medical control subjects younger than 45 years of age. Such changes were, however, seen in approximately 44% of older depressed patients and 30% of elderly medical control subjects."}
{"id": "PMID:1484909", "title": "Reliability of drawing regions of interest for positron emission tomographic data.", "content": "We determined interrater reliability for two raters who independently used a standard protocol to draw regions of interest (ROIs) on F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomographic data acquired from eight patients with mild to moderate memory impairment. Intraclass correlation coefficients for region sizes (total pixel number) varied among anatomical ROIs (RIs from 0.324 to 0.935). However, correlations calculated from relative metabolic rates (normalized average counts) were consistently high (RI > or = 0.954). The raters also showed high agreement for region recognition on each image plan (kappa = 0.978). These results suggest that rater disagreements in ROI margins have minimal impact on average count densities used to calculate metabolic rates."}
{"id": "PMID:1484910", "title": "A comparison of xenon-133 and xenon-127 for the determination of regional cerebral blood flow measured by dynamic SPECT.", "content": "Phantom studies and cerebral blood flow (CBF) measurements in 11 normal subjects at rest were performed by single photon emission tomography (SPECT) with Xe-133 (16 mm full-width at half-maximum [FWHM] collimation) and Xe-127 (16 mm, 12 mm, and 9 mm FWHM collimation). The phantom results clearly illustrated the feasibility of Xe-127 studies and the advantage of Xe-127 over Xe-133 for equivalent patient dose exposures. CBF values obtained with Xe-127 were comparable to those of Xe-133 for the 16 mm collimator, although higher flow values were found with the better resolution, probably because of reduced partial volume effects. The correlations between the various groups of examinations were high, except for the Xe-133 and Xe-127 16 mm collimator groups. Xe-127 allows a considerable increase in the resolution of the images, while exposing the patient to a lower radiation dose. Potential limitations because of higher energy penetrating photons from Xe-127 were not observed in this specially shielded equipment."}
{"id": "PMID:1484911", "title": "Exploratory statistical methods, with applications to psychiatric research.", "content": "This article introduces statistical methods for describing and summarizing the results of studies and introduces statistical principles that will guide the psychiatric researcher in the evaluation and interpretation of clinical research. We discuss relatively easy-to-use and informal methods for describing and comparing data. Our aim is to develop methods for investigating relationships among variables, to learn about the effect of one variable upon another. Once we have observed an apparent relationship between variables, an important question to be addressed is whether or not this observed relationship is causal in the sense that a change in one variable causes a changes in the other. We discuss and illustrate principles related to the evaluation of the nature of the association among variables. Throughout the article, principles and methods will be illustrated by examples and case studies based on data sets primarily from the psychiatric research literature."}
{"id": "PMID:1484912", "title": "Striatal dopamine metabolism is differentially affected by insulin according to the genotype in Zucker rats: a microdialysis study.", "content": "The genetically obese Zucker rat presents several abnormalities related to insulin and brain monoamines, which may play a role in its impaired regulation of food intake and body weight. In a previous study, the possible insulin-monoamine interplay was investigated by measuring brain monoamine and metabolite levels in the three genotypes of the Zucker strain. In addition to the expected results, insulin had a particular effect on striatal dopamine (DA) release, regardless of ponderal status and genotype. We further investigated this point in the present study, using the brain microdialysis technique in the striatum. Lean homozygous Fa-Fa rats responded as expected to insulin with regard to striatal DA release, with increases in DA and 3-methoxy-tyramine levels and decreases in dihydroxyphenylacetic acid and homovanillic acid. Lean heterozygous Fa-fa rats showed a very specific response profile, with decreases in all dopaminergic parameters, suggestive of an effect on DA synthesis rather than DA release. This further emphasizes the marked differences between homozygous and heterozygous lean rats. The obese fa-fa rats clearly fell into two populations. The first showed a profile of response to insulin similar to that of the lean Fa-fa rats, in keeping with the disturbances related to the \"fa\" gene. The second showed an increase in all the dopaminergic parameters. This pattern of response was, however, different from that of the Fa-Fa rats. These opposing responses in the two obese populations did not reflect differences in the blood glucose response to insulin. One explanation is that 16 wk may be a critical transition period in the development of genetic obesity, with regard to brain monoamine disturbances and the response to insulin."}
{"id": "PMID:1484913", "title": "Cortisol response during different anxiogenic challenges in panic disorder patients.", "content": "The present study assessed the relation of cortisol response to anxiogenic reactivity during intravenous lactate infusion and oral fenfluramine in 12 panic disorder (PD) patients who responded positively to both challenges and in eight non-reactive control subjects. There was no significant cortisol response difference between the PD patients and the controls during lactate infusion, but there was s significant difference at 120 min during the fenfluramine challenge. These findings are consistent with the possibility that these challenges stimulate different neurobiologic mechanisms and that fenfluramine-precipitated anxiety is more akin to anticipatory or generalized anxiety than to true panic anxiety."}
{"id": "PMID:1484914", "title": "Cortisol levels and vigilance in eating disorder patients.", "content": "Elevated plasma levels of cortisol, as well as deficits in cognitive processes such as attention, have been observed in patients with eating disorders. The association between plasma cortisol and performance in vigilance task was studied in 17 patients with bulimia nervosa or anorexia nervosa during the acute phase of their eating disorder. In comparison to normal young women, the patients had a significantly lower hit rate in a discrimination task and showed an impaired perceptual sensitivity index. They also displayed significantly longer reaction times to hits, but not to false alarms. Cortisol levels of the patients were significantly higher than those of the normal controls. When patients were divided according to their median cortisol level, the patients with higher levels performed significantly more poorly than did the patients with lower levels. In the total patient sample, cortisol levels showed a significant negative correlation with hit-rate (r = -.54) and a significant positive correlation with reaction time to hits (r = .70). Other clinical characteristics were not related to cognitive performance. These results suggest a possible role of cortisol in the development of attentional deficits in eating disorder patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1484915", "title": "Effects of estrogen on memory function in surgically menopausal women.", "content": "The effects of estrogen (E) on memory were assessed in 19 women who required a hysterectomy and bilateral oophorectomy for benign disease. Blood samples were drawn and memory tests were administered before surgery and again after 2 mo of postoperative treatment consisting of either monthly E or placebo (PL) injections. Scores on the immediate and delayed recall of paired-associates stayed at the same level in E-treated women, whereas they decreased significantly pre- to post-operatively in the PL-treated subjects. In the immediate recall of paragraphs, the scores of those given E improved postoperatively compared to baseline; scores remained unchanged in the PL group. No hormonal effects were apparent on the immediate or delayed recall of visual material, delayed recall of paragraphs, or digit span scores. These findings suggest that variations in specific aspects of memory function may occur in surgically menopausal women coincident with changes in plasma estrone and estradiol levels."}
{"id": "PMID:1484916", "title": "Variations in memory function and sex steroid hormones across the menstrual cycle.", "content": "Memory, mood, and hormone levels were measured in 25 women during the menstrual and luteal phases of their cycles. Significantly lower visual memory (delayed recall) scores were found during the menstrual phase compared to the luteal phase. No phase differences were found on mood measures or on other memory measures including digit span, paired-associate learning, immediate recall of visual material, and immediate or delayed paragraph recall. The visual memory decrease was most prominent in approximately one-half of the sample and was significantly correlated with plasma progesterone in the luteal phase. For all subjects, paragraph recall scores were negatively correlated with free testosterone levels, whereas paired-associate learning was positively correlated with estradiol levels in the luteal phase. These results suggest that changes in memory test performance may be associated with sex steroid levels, particularly in some subgroups of women."}
{"id": "PMID:1484917", "title": "Neuroendocrine aspects of primary endogenous depression: XII. Receiver operating characteristic and kappa analyses of serum and urine cortisol measures in patients and matched controls.", "content": "The majority of studies investigating the diagnostic utility of hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis measures in major depression have focused on the dexamethasone (DEX) suppression test (DST). The DST correlates well, but imperfectly, with other measures of HPA activity. Fewer studies have considered the ability of basal cortisol measures to discriminate depressives from non-depressed patients or normal subjects. We used receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis to examine the mean 24-hr serum cortisol concentration, our benchmark of basal HPA axis activity, compared to smaller segments of the 24-hr cortisol profile, post-DEX serum cortisol values, and pre- and post-DEX 24-hr urinary free cortisol (UFC) levels in 40 primary endogenous major depressives compared to 40 matched normal control subjects. No statistically significant differences in ROC curves were found between mean 24-hr cortisol and the other cortisol measures. The mean 24-hr, 1300h-1600h, 1600h-1900h, and 16-hr post-DEX serum cortisol concentrations and the post-DEX UFC level all appeared to be comparable estimators of HPA activity. The single 2300h pre-DEX serum cortisol concentration and the pre-DEX 24-hr UFC level performed notably poorer than did the other measures. We additionally calculated kappa statistics to determine the optimally sensitive and specific discriminators of the cortisol measures between the depressives and the normal controls. The 2300h post-DEX serum cortisol measure was optimally sensitive, and the 1500h post-DEX serum cortisol was optimally specific. The 0700h, 1500h, and 2300h post-DEX serum cortisols were very close together as the optimally efficient measures (best combination of sensitivity and specificity)."}
{"id": "PMID:1484918", "title": "The effect of haloperidol on aldosterone secretion.", "content": "Haloperidol (0.02 mg/kg, intravenous) did not stimulate aldosterone secretion in six normal controls or in six schizophrenic subjects. This is contrary to our hypothesis, which was based on the finding that peripheral D2 receptor antagonists stimulate aldosterone secretion, including haloperidol in rats and chlorpromazine in man. We speculated that a different dose of haloperidol would stimulate aldosterone in man. As expected, prolactin release was markedly stimulated in both groups of subjects, but no difference was found between groups."}
{"id": "PMID:1484919", "title": "Relapse-precipitating life events and feelings in patients with inflammatory bowel disease.", "content": "This study examined whether life event stress under general or more specific conditions (fear of separation, feeling of being under pressure, feeling of being caught between two quarreling parties, separation experiences) contribute to the aggravation of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Firstly, 51 patients with ulcerative colitis, 57 patients with Crohn's disease, and 60 controls were compared in terms of these variables. In addition, the IBD patients filled out questionnaires asking for life events, the specific psychological conditions mentioned above, and their symptoms every 3 months for 1 year after the first measurement. Patients with Crohn's disease and patients with ulcerative colitis reported a lower amount of life event stress than members of the control group, but listed more feelings of being under pressure. Within group comparisons between patients in relapse and patients in remission, as well as comparisons between patients with recently increased disease activity and patients without increased disease activity did not yield clear results. We conclude that the variables in question have little influence on the beginning of a relapse."}
{"id": "PMID:1484921", "title": "Chronic fatigue syndromes in clinical practice.", "content": "Chronic fatigue is a common and difficult challenge in clinical practice. The majority of patients with this chief complaint have treatable mood or anxiety disorders, complicated by a tendency toward somatization. A minority of patients suffer from sleep disorders, endocrinologic abnormalities, or chronic inflammatory conditions. Prolonged recovery after viral infections is only rarely the cause of chronic fatigue. Specific pharmacologic interventions and cognitive-behavioral therapy are effective in an environment that is sensitive to the patient's interpretation of symptoms and avoids unproven medical investigations and therapies."}
{"id": "PMID:1484922", "title": "The measurement of quality of life through the content analysis of verbal behavior.", "content": "The 'quality of life' is a construct which many researchers are attempting to measure by means of self-rating procedures and by ratings from external observers. Another method of measuring this construct includes features of both the self-report method and the external observer rating method, and by doing so it minimizes some of the measurement errors inherent in the separate methods; this third method involves the content analysis of verbal behavior. This latter method preserves the reliability and validity of the scales that have been developed and tested for content analysis, while preserving the meanings intended by the subjects who are being assessed on this dimension, which meanings are often obscured or lost through self-report and ratings scales. A group of Content Scales especially applicable to assess the quality of life are reviewed and examples of their applicability are given. A discussion is provided dealing with special problems involving the assessment of this dimension, including cross-cultural issues and other factors that need consideration with respect to generalizability of the findings."}
{"id": "PMID:1484923", "title": "Sick-role susceptibility. A commentary on the contemporary data base (1989-1991) and classification system.", "content": "A brief review of the historical and current status of the 'sick-role' concept is followed by an extensive literature survey of 526 articles published on the sick role since 1989. The commentary discusses measurement and research issues and then examined the areas of enquiry and trends from a biological, psychological, social and cultural perspective. Questions are raised about the significance of the data base from the view-point of classification and treatment. A descriptive and therapeutic model is proposed."}
{"id": "PMID:1484924", "title": "Alexithymia--state and trait.", "content": "Alexithymia is conceptualized as both affect-deficit disorder and continuous personality variable. Two-hundred-sixty-four adolescents were surveyed using (1) a core symptom questionnaire for alexithymic state; (2) the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS), and (3) the Solacing Methods Questionnaire. Three percent were positive for core symptoms and used significantly fewer solacers than matched controls (p = 0.048); the affect-deficit disorder hypothesis is supported. Twenty-three percent were TAS-positive suggesting the need for a trait measure. However, only one of the 8 core symptom subjects was TAS-positive raising a question about the sensitivity of the TAS to the extreme cases on which the alexithymia concept is based. While 62.5% of the matched controls reported using memories for solace, none of the core symptom subjects did; one of the alexithymic's central problems may consist in finding psychological as opposed to action-oriented and physical comfort."}
{"id": "PMID:1484925", "title": "Effects of group psychosocial intervention on coronary risk factors.", "content": "The purpose of this study was to investigate whether a psychosocial intervention approach aimed at resolving psychological conflicts could reduce the severity of risk factors for post-acute myocardial infarction patients. Twenty-three patients with a recent myocardial infarction participated in a group psychosocial intervention program which lasted 1 year. Twenty other patients with recent myocardial infarction served as controls. Patients form both groups had regular clinical and laboratory follow-up as well as medication. Mean values for seven risk factors of coronary heart disease (smoking, S; body weight, W; serum cholesterol, C; triglycerides, T; systolic and diastolic blood pressure, SBP, DBP; serum uric acid, U) were compared between the two groups in the 1st, 3rd, 6th and 12th months of the follow-up. The maximal mean improvements of the study versus the control group were as follows: W: -2.82 vs. -1.05 kg; C: -56.04 vs. -6.25 mg/dl; T: -20.61 vs. -2.4 mg/dl; U: -0.57 vs. -0.9 mg/dl; S at 1 year -55.5 vs. -10%. It is concluded that group psychosocial intervention with post-acute myocardial infarction patients considerably reduces some coronary-disease risk factors."}
{"id": "PMID:1484926", "title": "Immunotherapy of immune-mediated diseases.", "content": "Owing to advances in knowledge of the basic mechanisms of the immune response, pathogenetic mechanisms in animal models of human disease and genetic and pathogenetic processes in human disease itself, it is now possible not only to speculate on but to apply novel immunotherapeutic treatments to immune-mediated human diseases. Some of these regimens have already shown therapeutic promise but in order to assess their effectiveness, optimum mode of administration and possible short- and long-term side-effects, multicentre controlled clinical trials are clearly required. Such work is already underway."}
{"id": "PMID:1484927", "title": "Spectrum of hospital-acquired acute renal failure in the developing countries--Chandigarh study.", "content": "The spectrum of hospital-acquired acute renal failure in the developing countries has not been documented. We undertook a prospective study to define the causes and outcome of hospital acquired acute renal failure as seen at a referral center in North India. Over a one year period, all patients who developed acute elevation in serum creatinine during the hospital stay were studied. One hundred and ninety of 29,503 admitted patients (0.64 per cent) satisfied the criteria for entering into the study. Nephrotoxic drugs (29 per cent), decreased renal perfusion (21 per cent), major surgery (18 per cent) and septicaemia (17 per cent) were the most frequent causes. Acute renal failure was non-oliguric in 52 per cent of patients. Non-oliguric patients had significantly fewer episodes of hyperkalaemia, neurological abnormalities, metabolic acidosis and gastrointestinal bleeding. They required fewer episodes of dialysis (p < 0.001) and had a significantly lower mortality (p < 0.001) compared to the oliguric patients. Other poor prognostic factors included severity of renal insufficiency, high baseline serum creatinine and presence of multiorgan failure. The present study shows that the spectrum of hospital-acquired acute renal failure in the developing countries is quite similar to that of technologically advanced countries, although the pattern of community acquired acute renal failure is vastly different."}
{"id": "PMID:1484928", "title": "Anorexia nervosa as a compulsive behaviour disease.", "content": "A number of anorexic young women develop bulimia, a condition in which binge eating is driven so intensely they cannot resist it. Although this drive has the character of a compulsion the patients do not as a rule suffer from obsessional-compulsive neurosis. A questionnaire was developed and used to determine whether similar compulsive drives manifest themselves in restricting anorexics and whether there are compulsive features resembling patients with compulsive personality disorder (as described in DSM-III) in eating disorders. A total of 162 patients were studied, comprising 42 controls, 30 depressed patients, 34 non-bingeing anorexics, 28 bingeing anorexics and 28 compulsive patients. The questionnaire was shown to be a stable instrument and, on the compulsion scale, the anorexics, bulimics and compulsive patients all scored very highly (mean +/- S.E.; 32.1 +/- 1.9, 35.8 +/- 1.9, 28.0 +/- 2.2, respectively) compared to the controls (13.1 +/- 1.1, p < 0.005). The compulsive patients did not have anorexia-type eating disorders. It was concluded that many of the factors which underlie compulsive personality disorder are present in primary eating disorders and the compulsive nature of anorexia could not be ignored when treatment was considered. The difference between compulsive behaviour and addiction is discussed in the light of the failure of long-term naloxone infusion to cure severe anorexia, even though some patients had dramatic weight gains associated with the antilipolytic action of naloxone."}
{"id": "PMID:1484929", "title": "The ventilatory cost of exercise compared in chronic heart failure and chronic renal anaemia.", "content": "The cardiorespiratory responses to maximal treadmill exercise were compared in matched groups of patients with chronic renal anaemia or treated chronic heart failure, and in normal controls. Exercise capacity was similarly reduced in both patient groups compared to normal controls, the raised respiratory exchange ratio at peak exercise implying anaerobic metabolism due to limited oxygen delivery in heart failure and limited oxygen carrying capacity in anaemia. Minute ventilation (VE) was related linearly to minute CO2 production (VCO2) in all subjects (each r > 0.92) from all three groups. The slope of the VE/VCO2 relationship was normal in anaemia but steeper in heart failure, reflecting ventilation/perfusion mismatching in chronic heart failure."}
{"id": "PMID:1484930", "title": "Outcome of pregnancy in an Oxford-Cardiff cohort of women with previous bacteriuria.", "content": "To investigate the influence of asymptomatic bacteriuria in childhood on subsequent pregnancy, we reviewed the outcome of 139 pregnancies in 88 women who were first identified during a programme of screening schoolgirls for asymptomatic bacteriuria carried out between 1970-1972. Data were analysed for the following groups: 50 pregnancies in 28 women with known renal scars (group 1); 16 pregnancies in 14 women with normal kidneys and reflux (group 2); 73 pregnancies in 46 women with normal urinary tracts (group 3); 139 healthy controls. Women in group 1 had a 3.3-fold increased relative risk of hypertension (p < 0.01) and a 7.6-fold increased risk of pre-eclampsia (p < 0.05) compared to controls, and a higher rate of obstetric interventions, including emergency caesarean section. Women in groups 2 and 3 appeared to carry a slightly increased risk of hypertension during the last trimester (RR = 1.8) but there were no significant differences in this or the incidence of pre-eclampsia or mode of delivery. Bacteriuria was more prevalent in all index groups compared to controls (37 per cent vs. 8 per cent, p < 0.01) and included four cases of acute pyelonephritis in in the study group. Fetal outcome was satisfactory in all cases. These results suggest that women with renal scars are at risk of hypertension and pre-eclampsia during pregnancy but that modern obstetric care minimizes these risks."}
{"id": "PMID:1484931", "title": "Successful treatment of bone marrow failure in Gaucher's disease with low-dose modified glucocerebrosidase.", "content": "We report the beneficial effects of enzyme replacement therapy with mannose-terminated human glucocerebrosidase ('Ceredase') in a patient suffering from transfusion-dependent bone marrow failure due to Gaucher's disease. Treatment with low-dose enzyme infusions, given twice weekly, rapidly reversed the haematopoietic failure and incapacitating skeletal disease. It appears likely that prior splenectomy favourably influenced the response to this therapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1484932", "title": "Haematological manifestations of primary Sj\u00f6gren's syndrome: a clinicopathological study.", "content": "Clinically significant cytopenias are thought to be uncommon in primary Sj\u00f6gren's syndrome: only a few cases have been reported in the literature. Over a 3-year period we identified haematological abnormalities in 11 of 27 patients with Sj\u00f6gren's syndrome. Six patients had a positive direct antiglobulin test, including one patient with all the features of autoimmune haemolytic anaemia and two others with some features of this condition. Four patients had immune thrombocytopenia and two patients had myelodysplastic syndrome. Neutropenia was noted in two patients, one patient had aplastic anaemia and one had pure red cell aplasia. Haematological disorders were found to be common in patients with Sj\u00f6gren's syndrome (40 per cent). Accordingly, we suggest that patients with immune cytopenia(s) should be screened for Sj\u00f6gren's syndrome using sensitive assays for anti-SS.A and anti-SS.B antibodies, and that patients with Sj\u00f6gren's syndrome should be periodically monitored, with a full blood count to rule out any haematological abnormality."}
{"id": "PMID:1484933", "title": "Snoring increases the risk of stroke and adversely affects prognosis.", "content": "In a case-controlled study we recruited 400 patients admitted to hospital with stroke and 400 community controls matched for age, gender and family practitioner. Snoring history was obtained from 326 patients and 345 controls. Odds ratio for admission to hospital with stroke was 3.2 (95 per cent confidence intervals 2.3-4.4) for regular snorers against those who did not snore regularly. This risk was independent for age, gender and other risk factors for stroke. Snoring did not increase the chances of stroke during sleep. Level of consciousness was reduced more frequently in snorers (p = 0.0003). As the frequency of snoring increased so did the mortality to 6 months (p = 0.0006). Snoring is an important risk factor for stroke and adversely affects the prognosis in patients admitted to hospital with stroke."}
{"id": "PMID:1484936", "title": "Yersinia-related arthritis in the United Kingdom. A report of 12 cases and review of the literature.", "content": "Reactive arthritis following infection with Yersinia is endemic in Scandinavian countries; the prevalence is low in the UK, however. We have reviewed the literature pertaining to Yersinia-related reactive arthritis in the UK and describe 12 patients who presented over a 3-year period with an asymmetrical seronegative polyarthropathy and serological evidence of recent Yersinia infection. Five patients recalled having a diarrhoeal illness prior to the onset of the arthropathy. None had a prior history of psoriasis, inflammatory bowel disease or ankylosing spondylitis. A history of urethral discharge was elicited from one patient. Extra-articular manifestations were seen in three patients (iritis in two, erythema nodosum in another). Four patients developed chronic joint disease after periods of 4, 6, 8, and 18 months, respectively. The prevalence of Yersinia-related arthritis in the UK may be higher than previously thought."}
{"id": "PMID:1484937", "title": "Postural fall in blood pressure in the elderly in relation to drug treatment and other lifestyle factors.", "content": "In a study of 843 independent-living men and women aged between 60 and 87 in Perth, Western Australia, stepwise multiple regression, after correction for initial levels of systolic blood pressure, showed that postural fall in systolic blood pressure was positively related to alcohol intake of more than 20 ml/day, the use of sleeping tablets and higher levels of anxiety on the Spielberger state-trait scale, and negatively related to body mass index. Postural fall in blood pressure was not significantly related to treatment for hypertension, age, sex, patterns of usual physical activity, tea or coffee drinking, or the diagnosis of diabetes mellitus. This analysis is the first to examine the relationship between lifestyle factors and the magnitude of the fall in systolic blood pressure on standing after adjustment for the association between the change in a variable and its initial level. Our analysis suggests the need for further study of the possible role of lifestyle factors such as the use of sleeping tablets and alcohol in postural hypotension in the elderly."}
{"id": "PMID:1484938", "title": "Asymptomatic thrombocytopenia developing during pregnancy (gestational thrombocytopenia)--a clinical study.", "content": "During pregnancy some women develop unexplained thrombocytopenia (gestational thrombocytopenia). Previous studies have detected abnormal platelet antibodies, suggesting an autoimmune aetiology. To determine whether gestational thrombocytopenia is associated with increased maternal bleeding or adversely affects the fetus, 31 pregnant women with asymptomatic thrombocytopenia were compared with 12 women with thrombocytopenia associated with pre-eclampsia and 34 normal pregnant controls. There was no increase in maternal bleeding in those with asymptomatic thrombocytopenia compared with the normal controls, but pre-eclamptic women experienced more bleeding (mean difference 181 ml, 95 per cent confidence limits 50-312 ml, p < 0.01). There was no difference in the mean weights of the babies or placenta, nor in the APGAR scores between infants born to controls and those with asymptomatic thrombocytopenia. Cord blood platelet levels were measured in 26 women with asymptomatic thrombocytopenia and were normal in 25 and mildly reduced in one. Thus measures used for the treatment and delivery of pregnancies complicated by autoimmune thrombocytopenia are not indicated in gestational thrombocytopenia. Pregnant women should not be considered thrombocytopenic unless the platelet count has fallen below 120 x 10(9)/l."}
{"id": "PMID:1484939", "title": "A clinical study of type 2 neurofibromatosis.", "content": "The clinical features, age at onset of symptoms and survival of 150 patients with type 2 neurofibromatosis were studied. The mean age at onset was 21.57 years (n = 110) and no patients presented after 55 years of age. Patients presented with symptoms attributable to vestibular schwannomas (acoustic neuroma), cranial meningiomas and spinal tumours. In 100 patients studied personally by the authors 44 per cent presented with deafness and this was unilateral in the majority (35/44). Deafness was accompanied by tinnitus in a further 10 per cent and muscle weakness or wasting was the first symptom in 12 per cent. Less common presenting symptoms were seizures (8 per cent), vertigo (8 per cent) numbness and tingling (2 per cent) and blindness (1 per cent). Eleven patients were diagnosed asymptomatically through screening. Caf\u00e9 au lait spots occurred in 43 per cent (n = 43) but only one case had six. Skin tumours were detected in 68 per cent (68/100) and 38 per cent (34/90) had an identifiable lens opacity or cataract. The mean age at death in 40 cases was 36.25 years and all but one death was a result of a complication of neurofibromatosis. There are marked inter-family differences in disease severity and tumour susceptibility."}
{"id": "PMID:1484940", "title": "Clinico-pathological correlations and long-term follow-up of 253 United Kingdom patients with IgA nephropathy. A report from the MRC Glomerulonephritis Registry.", "content": "The Medical Research Council's Glomerulonephritis Registry was used to study clinicopathological correlations and renal survival in patients with IgA nephropathy reported between 1978 and 1985. IgA nephropathy was the histological diagnosis in 9.3 per cent of all renal biopsies reported to the registry during this period, and in 18.1 per cent of those with a primary glomerulonephritis. The 10-year cumulative renal survival rate accounting for censored data (Kaplan-Meier) was 83.3 per cent. Univariate analysis of survival curves (log-rank test) found the following parameters to be significantly correlated with poor renal survival: serum creatinine > 120 mumol/l (p < 0.001), hypertension (p < 0.001), serum albumin < 40 g/l (p < 0.005), proteinuria > 1 g (p < 0.025), age > 30 years (p < 0.025), and focal mesangial proliferation (p < 0.05). There was no significant difference in renal survival between males and females. Multivariate analysis (Cox's proportional hazards model) revealed that only a serum creatinine of > 120 mumol/l and a serum albumin of < 40 g/l were independently predictive of outcome. These findings indicate marked similarities between the UK experience of IgA nephropathy and the published European experience. IgA nephropathy is not a benign condition in the UK and patients with impaired renal function and/or those with a reduced serum albumin are significantly more likely to progress to end-stage renal failure within 10 years."}
{"id": "PMID:1484941", "title": "Obstructive left ventricular hypertrophy. Reversibility of outflow tract obstruction by drug therapy.", "content": "We report the cases of four patients with secondary left ventricular hypertrophy (three due to hypertension and one to aortic stenosis) in whom Doppler echocardiography showed dynamic left ventricular outflow tract obstruction and marked impairment of diastolic filling. Each patient derived marked symptomatic benefit from treatment with either a beta-blocker (atenolol) or calcium antagonist (verapamil). Repeat Doppler studies in three patients revealed a substantial improvement in systolic and diastolic flow abnormalities. Ventricular outflow tract obstruction should be recognized as occurring in a subgroup of patients with secondary left ventricular hypertrophy, and its presence should be sought by Doppler echocardiography before embarking on therapy. Negatively inotropic or positively lusitropic agents such as beta-blockers and rate-limiting calcium antagonists appear to be logical therapy for this condition."}
{"id": "PMID:1484943", "title": "An epidemiological and clinical investigation of pulmonary function and respiratory symptoms in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.", "content": "Several studies have investigated lung function in patients with rheumatoid arthritis but have reached different conclusions. The main discrepancy has been between airways disease reported in 38-65 per cent of patients and interstitial pulmonary disease reported in 30-41 per cent. These variable results have probably arisen because specific lung disorders have often been diagnosed on the basis of non-specific tests of lung function which, when considered in isolation, are subject to different interpretations. We adopted a combined epidemiological and clinical approach to investigate lung function and respiratory symptoms in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Epidemiological data showed that rheumatoid arthritis is associated with a mild restrictive lung defect with reductions in mean FEV1 and FVC of 0.26 l and 0.29 l respectively and a normal FEV1/FVC ratio. The reduction in mean maximum mid-expiratory flow rate of 0.34 l/s could be explained on the basis of lung restriction and there was no evidence of widespread airways dysfunction other than that which could be explained by cigarette smoking. The clinical study showed that abnormal lung function tests in individual patients were caused by a heterogeneous group of conditions which are frequently caused, or exacerbated, by cigarette smoking. Cigarette smoking, and not the rheumatoid process, was the most frequent cause of abnormal lung function in rheumatoid arthritis."}
{"id": "PMID:1484944", "title": "Normal levels of lipoproteins including lipoprotein(a) after liver-heart transplantation in a patient with homozygous familial hypercholesterolaemia.", "content": "A 33-year-old female with severe diffuse coronary artery disease and left ventricular outflow tract obstruction secondary to homozygous familial hypercholesterolaemia underwent liver and heart transplantation. During a post-operative follow-up period of 13 months, apart from one episode of cardiac rejection at 3 weeks, she has remained well and without evidence of accelerated coronary disease on angiography. By 3 months after transplantation serum total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein cholesterol, apolipoprotein B and lipoprotein(a) levels had decreased and apolipoprotein A-I and high density lipoprotein cholesterol levels had increased, all to within the normal range. These changes were accompanied by marked regression of xanthomata and were maintained at 13 months. Liver transplantation provides an effective means of correcting serum lipids in patients with homozygous familial hypercholesterolaemia and is an important adjunct to cardiac transplantation."}
{"id": "PMID:1484945", "title": "Dietary management of patients with familial hypercholesterolaemia treated with simvastatin.", "content": "The effect of diet on plasma lipids and lipoproteins was examined in 19 patients with familial hypercholesterolaemia treated with the HMGCoA reductase inhibitor, simvastatin. The study was a randomized double-blind cross-over trial of two diets: a low fat diet and a higher fat diet, and was performed to determine whether ongoing attention to diet is necessary for patients receiving this drug for the treatment of familial hypercholesterolaemia. Plasma cholesterol concentration was 6.5 per cent lower on the low fat diet than on the high fat diet. The difference was within the range predicted by the Jacobs modification of the Keys formula from the reported intake on the two diets. The fall on the low fat diet was principally accounted for by a reduction in low density lipoprotein cholesterol, although high density lipoprotein cholesterol and apolipoprotein A1 also fell. Patients taking HMGCoA reductase inhibitors for the treatment of familial hypercholesterolaemia respond to changes in dietary fat intake. They are thus likely to achieve further reduction in their coronary heart disease risk, and should remain on a low saturated fat low cholesterol diet even when taking these powerful lipid lowering drugs."}
{"id": "PMID:1484946", "title": "Phrenic nerve and diaphragm function following open heart surgery: a prospective study with and without topical hypothermia.", "content": "In a prospective study, 100 patients undergoing open heart surgery were randomly allocated to receive ice/slush topical hypothermia for myocardial protection (Group I, n = 56) or not (Group II, n = 44). Chest radiographs, diaphragm screening, lung function and phrenic nerve conduction time were assessed pre-operatively and at 1 week and 1 month post-operatively in all patients and subsequently at 3 months, 6 months, 1 year and 2 years in all patients with radiological evidence of diaphragm paralysis. The two groups were similar in terms of age, sex, diabetes and smoking habits. Cardiopulmonary bypass and aortic cross-clamp times were similar in the two groups. Radiological evidence of partial left lower lobe collapse was more frequent in Group I (79 per cent vs. 36 per cent, p < 0.01). Twenty (36 per cent) Group I patients developed unilateral diaphragm paralysis (19 left-sided) compared with none in Group II. Diaphragm paralysis was still present in 19 patients (34 per cent) at 1 month, in five patients (9 per cent) at 1 year and in one patient (2 per cent) at 2 years post-operatively. Phrenic nerve conduction time was recorded in 98 per cent of patients pre-operatively, but was unrecordable on the appropriate side in all 20 patients with diaphragm paralysis 1 week post-operatively. Prolonged phrenic nerve conduction time on the left side was found in a further seven Group I patients 1 week post-operatively. There were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of post-operative arrhythmias, myocardial infarction or mortality.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1484948", "title": "Renal replacement for diabetic patients: experience at King's College Hospital 1980-1989.", "content": "Renal failure is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in diabetic patients, who account for up to 25 per cent of new patients entering renal replacement therapy. Between 1980 and 1989, 651 patients with renal failure were treated at King's College Hospital, of whom 177 (27 per cent) had diabetes. Of these 177 patients 148 had diabetic nephropathy (65 non-insulin-dependent), while the rest had other renal diseases. Of the non-insulin-dependent diabetics, 45 per cent (29 of 65) were Asian or Afro-Caribbean compared to only 12 per cent (10/83) of the insulin-dependent diabetics. Ninety-two patients (62 per cent) have received a renal transplant with actuarial patient survival of 82 per cent at 1 year and 61 per cent at 4 years. Both patient and graft survival have been improved by the introduction of cyclosporin A. Continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis is the main form of dialysis and has allowed increasing numbers of patients to be dialysed, especially older individuals with non-insulin-dependent diabetes. Rehabilitation is best in those with functioning transplants: 21 patients (19 with functioning grafts) have survived for longer than 5 years. Diabetic complications before and after renal replacement therapy are described. Cardiovascular disease is especially common and may limit the success of renal replacement therapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1484949", "title": "Bronchiectasis in HIV disease.", "content": "An increased frequency of bacterial pneumonia occurs in HIV-infected individuals: however the development of bronchiectasis is not well recognized. We describe seven patients with HIV infection who developed chronic symptomatic lung disease, six with troublesome recurrent infective exacerbations. Bronchiectasis was demonstrated by computed tomography in five patients, and bronchial wall thickening was shown in a further two patients. The characteristics of the patients are described, and possible aetiological factors are discussed. As measures become available which prolong the later stages of HIV disease, bronchiectasis may become an increasing problem in this patient population. Early recognition and appropriate management may significantly alter morbidity in advanced HIV disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1484947", "title": "Use of prednisolone in the treatment of HIV-positive tuberculosis patients.", "content": "Corticosteroids are beneficial in the treatment of some forms of tuberculosis, but their role in TB affecting HIV-positive patients is not clear. During a cohort study of tuberculosis patients in Lusaka, Zambia, prednisolone was prescribed for specific indications. Six of 47 (13 per cent) of patients who received prednisolone early in treatment developed herpes zoster, compared with 2 of 118 (2 per cent) of those who did not. Three patients who received prednisolone developed Kaposi's sarcoma, compared with none who did not. At 2 months patients who had received prednisolone showed a greater improvement in generalized lymphadenopathy and cough. Controlled studies of the risks and benefits of administration of corticosteroids to HIV-positive TB patients are urgently needed."}
{"id": "PMID:1484951", "title": "Coronary heart disease risk factors in relation to the menopause.", "content": "The incidence of coronary heart disease increases after the menopause, but the mechanism is unclear. We assessed the relationship of age to fasting plasma insulin, total triglycerides, total cholesterol, total high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, including HDL2 and HDL3 subfractions, total/HDL cholesterol ratio, body mass index and waist-hip circumference ratio in 394 women and 824 men aged 40-69 years who participated in an epidemiological survey in East Bristol. Women over the age of 50 years were assumed to be post-menopausal, this being the median age of the menopause in Britain. Compared to younger women, post-menopausal women had higher plasma triglycerides by 0.31 mmol/l (95 per cent confidence interval 0.10-0.43), higher cholesterol by 1.0 mmol/l (0.77-1.24), higher total/HDL cholesterol ratio by 0.42 (0.15-0.69), higher insulin by 2.0 mU/l (0.02-0.11), higher body mass index by 0.9 kg/m2 (0.02-1.68), and higher waist-hip ratio by 0.02 (0.01-0.03). Age-related changes in men were absent or less marked. On multiple regression analysis the increases in plasma total triglycerides, total cholesterol, high density lipoprotein cholesterol, HDL3 cholesterol and total/HDL cholesterol ratio in postmenopausal women were independent of body mass index, waist-hip ratio, cigarette habits, alcohol consumption and antihypertensive therapy. On analysis of covariance sex had a significant effect on all variables which was independent of age. We conclude that there is an increase in coronary heart disease risk factors in women as they pass through the menopause, and insulin may play a central role."}
{"id": "PMID:1484954", "title": "Listeria monocytogenes meningitis in previously healthy adults: long-term follow-up.", "content": "A few cases of Listeria meningitis in healthy individuals have been recorded in the world literature. The lack of a prolonged follow-up in most of these cases makes it difficult to exclude the existence of an underlying disease. The clinical and CSF data of four previously healthy patients with meningitis due to Listeria monocytogenes are presented. These patients were followed prospectively over 2-6 years; during this time none developed any disease associated with immunosuppression, including HIV infection, and none died. Listeria meningitis in an otherwise healthy person is, therefore, not always a sign of underlying immunosuppressive disease, and does not necessarily have a poor prognosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1484950", "title": "Percutaneous transluminal renal angioplasty in patients with renal failure.", "content": "Renovascular disease is a common cause of end-stage renal failure in the elderly population. We assessed the role of percutaneous transluminal renal angioplasty in the treatment of patients with renal failure due to renovascular disease by analysing our results in 60 patients treated between 1982 and 1991. All the patients had a baseline serum creatinine level greater than 150 mumol/l; improvement in renal function was defined as a 20 per cent reduction in this level. Seventy-five angioplasty procedures were attempted on 70 arteries in 60 patients. There was an improvement in renal function in 24 patients (40 per cent), whilst six (10 per cent) showed deterioration. The most dramatic improvement was seen in a small group of patients who had suffered an acute deterioration in renal function prior to angioplasty. There was a low incidence of serious complications. Renovascular disease is an important reversible cause of chronic renal failure and should be investigated aggressively so that percutaneous transluminal renal angioplasty can be undertaken in selected patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1484952", "title": "No effect of blood transfusion on muscle metabolism.", "content": "31Phosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopy allows examination of skeletal muscle bioenergetics in vivo. The forearm muscle of four male patients receiving regular blood transfusions for myelodysplastic anaemia showed increased acidification and phosphocreatine depletion during exercise (compared to six age-matched male controls). Transfusion produced no significant improvement in these measurements or in the estimated maximum oxidative capacity of the muscle. We conclude that transfusion of patients with chronic anaemia (haemoglobin of 8-9 g/dl) does not improve skeletal muscle oxidative metabolism."}
{"id": "PMID:1484953", "title": "The potential impact of patient self-referral on mortality in acute myocardial infarction.", "content": "Audit is now an important component of the provision of acute cardiology services. In particular, the desire to administer thrombolytic treatment early in acute myocardial infarction has led to a reappraisal of admission procedures. Using records collected prospectively onto a computerized coronary care database for 36 months to December 1991, median delay before arrival at the emergency department and delay between admission and thrombolytic treatment was calculated. Of 1993 consecutive admissions to the coronary care unit, 816 patients had an initial diagnosis of myocardial infarction (later confirmed in 89.6 per cent), and 608 (74.5 per cent) of these received thrombolytic treatment. Overall median delay before arrival at hospital was 147 min. Randomization during the ISIS-3 trial significantly prolonged delays after arrival at hospital (64 vs. 50 min; p < 0.007). General practitioner referral delayed arrival at the emergency department (175 vs. 100 min self-referred; p < 0.0001) and was associated with similar hospital delay (54 vs. 55 min self-referred). Older patients ( > 65 years) presented later in the self-referred group (120 vs. 99 min for age < 65 years; p < 0.04), but there was no difference in the GP-referred group. Previous ischaemic heart disease did not predict type of referral. If delays before thrombolytic treatment are to be reduced significantly patients should be encouraged to seek early medical assistance by telephoning for an ambulance. Delays for patients arriving at the hospital following referral by a GP should be reduced by facilities for direct admission to the cardiologist.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1484973", "title": "Attentional modulation of size contrast.", "content": "A test circle surrounded by smaller context circles appears larger if presented in isolation, whereas a test circle surrounded by large context circles is seen as smaller than in isolation. Two experiments are reported indicating that this phenomenon, the Ebbinghaus illusion, depends on whether subjects are attending to the context circles. Subjects first saw a reference circle and then a briefly presented (150 msec) test circle. Their task was to determine whether the test circle was larger or smaller than the reference. The test circle was surrounded by smaller context circles of one colour arrayed along a horizontal axis centred on the test, and larger context circles of a different colour arrayed along a vertical axis centred on the test. Subjects judged both the size of the test and the colours of either the small or large context circles. Perceived test size changed systematically, depending on which context circles were task-relevant."}
{"id": "PMID:1484974", "title": "Automatic activation of word phonology from print in deep dyslexia.", "content": "The performance of deep dyslexics in oral reading and other tasks suggests that they are poor at activating the phonology of words and non-words from printed stimuli. As the tasks ordinarily used to test deep dyslexics require controlled processing, it is possible that the phonology of printed words can be better activated on an automatic basis. This study investigated this possibility by testing a deep dyslexic patient on a lexical decision task with pairs of stimuli presented simultaneously. In Experiment 1, which used content words as stimuli, the deep dyslexic, like normal subjects, showed faster reaction times on trials with rhyming, similarly spelled stimuli (e.g. bribe-tribe) than on control trials (consisting of non-rhyming, dissimilarly spelled words), but slower reaction times on trials with non-rhyming, similarly spelled stimuli (e.g. couch-touch). When the experiment was repeated using function words as stimuli, the patient no longer showed a phonological effect. Therefore, the phonological activation of printed content words by deep dyslexics may be better than would be expected on the basis of their oral reading performance."}
{"id": "PMID:1484975", "title": "Relative effectiveness of central, peripheral, and abrupt-onset cues in visual attention.", "content": "The relative effectiveness of central arrow, peripheral arrow, and abrupt-onset cues was assessed in a character recognition task. On each trial, either a central or a peripheral arrow cue was presented 0, 100, or 200 msec before the appearance of a three-digit display. Two of the digits were \"uncamouflaged\" from previous figure-eight masks, whereas the third digit appeared abruptly in a previously empty space. Four different groups of subjects were run in factorial combinations of high or low expected validities for arrow and onset cues. In Experiment 1, arrow cues were located centrally, near the fixation point. Abrupt onsets showed larger cost-plus benefits than central arrows, except when subjects expected the central cues to have higher validity than the onsets. In Experiment 2, arrow cues were located peripherally, near the display digits, and abrupt onsets were again more effective in capturing attention except when peripheral cues had higher validity and led the onsets by 100 msec or more. In both experiments, the relative effectiveness of abrupt onsets decreased with arrow SOA. The results were consistent with a model in which automatic and voluntary processes interact in their control of attentional resources."}
{"id": "PMID:1484976", "title": "Scrutinization, spatial attention, and the spatial programming of saccadic eye movements.", "content": "Results are presented from an experiment in which subjects' eye movements were recorded while they carried out two visual tasks with similar material. One task was chosen to require close visual scrutiny; the second was less visually demanding. The oculomotor behaviour in the two tasks differed in three ways. (1) When scrutinizing, there was a reduction in the area of visual space over which stimulation influences saccadic eye movements. (2) When moving their eyes to targets requiring scrutiny, subjects were more likely to make a corrective saccade. (3) The duration of fixations on targets requiring scrutiny was increased. The results are discussed in relation to current theories of visual attention and the control of saccadic eye movements."}
{"id": "PMID:1484977", "title": "Cognitive strategies and short-term memory for movement distance and location.", "content": "A number of researchers (e.g. Kerr, 1978; Walsh, Russell, Imanaka, & James, 1979) have previously demonstrated interference between location and distance information in motor short-term memory. This interference manifests itself in a characteristic pattern of undershooting and overshooting, with reproduction movement location being drawn in the direction of criterion movement distance and, conversely, the distance of reproduction movements being influenced by the terminal location of the criterion movement. We investigated the effects of different cognitive strategies upon the appearance of this location-distance interference during the reproduction of movement location (Experiment 1) and distance (Experiments 2 and 3) in a linear arm positioning task. Experiment 1 compared performance in location reproduction between two strategy groups differing in the availability of explicit information about the change in starting position. The characteristic undershooting-overshooting interference pattern was observed for the group without the explicit information about the change in starting position but disappeared for the group in which explicit information about the change in starting position was provided. Experiment 2 examined the systematic undershooting-overshooting pattern in distance reproduction for a location strategy (involving some extrapolation of the start and end locations), a counting strategy, and a distance sense strategy (involving the use of visual imagery). The systematic response bias pattern disappeared when the subjects used a location strategy but was clearly observed for the subjects using the other two strategies. This finding was generally confirmed by Experiment 3, which showed a typical undershooting-overshooting pattern in distance reproduction for a counting/distance sense strategy but not for two location strategies (a general location and an explicit location strategy). The location strategies differed in the availability of explicit information about starting and end locations for both the criterion and reproduction movements. The results from these three experiments indicate that explicit information about the start and/or end locations prevents the usual interference between location and distance information from arising in movement reproduction. The notions of automatic and controlled processing and cerebral hemispheric specialization are discussed as potential explanations of these results and of the interference typically observed in motor short-term memory between distance and location information."}
{"id": "PMID:1484978", "title": "[Dermatophagoides: its role in infantile asthma].", "content": "The role and allergenic importance of dermatophagoides pteronyssinus in house and other environments is reviewed. This mite provokes asthma in children at an earlier age than pollens."}
{"id": "PMID:1484979", "title": "[Prevention of atopic diseases: recent findings and personal data].", "content": "Prevention of IgE-mediated diseases relies on the skill necessary to overcome the natural forces unceasingly working to sensitize humans to produce IgE antibodies. The phenotypic expression of allergic disease ensues from an elaborate inter-relationship between the atopy-prone genetic constitution of a child and the experienced environment surrounding it. Prevention of atopy could potentially by met by selectively interfering with the genetic and environmental factors that appear to be responsible in concert for the final phenotypic expression of atopy. As no ideal cow's milk substitute exists, and all the suggested formulas could cause allergy, the currently available foods for children are soy milk, hydrolyzed protein, and home-made meat-based formulas. From a nutritional point of view, soy milk formulas are adequate, however in IgE mediated forms and atopic dermatitis reactions to hydrolyzed protein are more common. Although no long-term studies on the nutritional value of hydrolyzed protein are available, some formulae have shown a satisfactory growth rate in short term clinical trials. Meat-based formulas, such as the home-made lamb formula are well accepted and economical."}
{"id": "PMID:1484980", "title": "[Conservative treatment of splenic trauma].", "content": "Authors present a series of 19 patients accepted for a splenic trauma. Four cases underwent TNO and 15 splenectomy, associated in 9 of them to autotransplant in omental pouch. Authors stress the importance of the conservative management of spleen injuries, to preserve its hematologic and immunologic functions."}
{"id": "PMID:1484981", "title": "[Perforated diverticulitis of the sigmoid. Our experience].", "content": "The authors report their experience on sigma acute perforated diverticulitis. They affirm that best results are obtained with a surgical treatment \"case for case\" depending to anatomopathologic pattern, patient age and his general conditions."}
{"id": "PMID:1484982", "title": "[Laser applications in ambulatory care. Review of the literature].", "content": "The authors present different kinds of laser used in the treatment of several surgical affections in out patients. A review of the international literature and main uses of this technique are shown."}
{"id": "PMID:1484983", "title": "[Congenital ptosis or blepharoptosis of the superior palpebrae: surgical correction by transplant of the fascia lata].", "content": "Description of a modified surgical technique for blepharoptosis correction. The homogeneous opening of eye is obtained by a fascia lata transplant with an upside-down \"y\" shape that joins the tarsus with the levator palpebrae superioris muscle."}
{"id": "PMID:1484984", "title": "[Variations of plasma renin in hemodialysis].", "content": "We evaluated the variations of serum renin concentrations during hemodialysis in 17 patients (5 hypertensive and 12 normotensive). In addition we have studied the relationships between serum renin levels, right heart atrium diameters, arterial pressure, and body weight. At the end of the hemodialytic process we observed in both groups of patients an increase in the serum renin concentrations, as well as changes in the above parameters."}
{"id": "PMID:1484985", "title": "[Hemospermia: cause, clinical significance and our experience].", "content": "The hemospermia is first of inflammatory origin, in the young, where it is due to urethro-prostatitis or orchio-epididymitis, in the old, to benign or malignant prostatic tumours. In 30-70% of the cases it is idiopathic. It can be connected with a prolonged sexual abstinence or with intense sexual activity. Predisposing diseases are prostatitis, epididymitis, urinary stones, gonorrhea, syphilis, tuberculosis, cirrhosis of the liver, blood hypertension, haematologic diseases. Our casistics, 60 patients in 4 years (1987-1990), has showed the hemospermia as isolated episode in 20% of the cases, in 35% associated with urologic symptoms. Juvenile forms, connected with urethro-prostatitis, are often associated with the echographic presence of periurethral calcifications or to a swelling of the seminal vesicles. In 8 patients, the hemospermia was recurrent, and due to a prostatic tumour. In 2 patients, with recurrent hemospermia, a urogenital tuberculosis has been detected."}
{"id": "PMID:1484986", "title": "[The importance of tumor markers in adenocarcinoma of the prostate].", "content": "The discovery of the new markers for the diagnosis and therapy of the carcinoma of the prostate, the prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP) and the prostatic specific antigen (PSA), and their correlation has opened new horizons in the field of the neoplastic prostatic pathology. The PAP fails have a rule in the diagnosis of a prostatic tumour in the initial phase, and therefore as a test of screening. It increases considerably only in the bone metastases. The PSA is highly specific, and together with the PAP is very useful in the check of the patients in treatment and in the surveillance of the appearance of metastases. We have considered over a period of 10 months, 70 patients with prostatic pathology. 22 were affected with carcinoma of the prostate. 48 were affected with benign prostatic hyperplasia. In both groups the simultaneous dosage of the PAP and PSA has been carried out with the RIA method. In the patients with BPH the simultaneous dosage of the 2 markers was elevated only in two cases. On the contrary, in the patients with carcinoma of the prostate we have noticed univocal data of increasing of both the markers. In the patients with metastases, the 2 markers behave in a very similar way, and progressively increase with the progressively increase with the evolution of the clinical stage of the tumour. The control after 3 months of treatment with analogues of the LH-RH and flutamide has showed a reduction of the serum levels of the 2 markers varying between 65 and 85% and over."}
{"id": "PMID:1484993", "title": "[Continued progress in the legal aspects of integrating handicapped patients--recommendations of the Federal Council on Rehabilitation to SGB IX].", "content": "In January 1991, the Government coalition parties agreed that the existing rehabilitation and severely disabled persons legislation should be rearranged in a distinct manner and integrated in the German Social Code as Book IX--Integration of disabled persons. This forthcoming codification moreover is intended as an opportunity for introducing appropriate adjustments and amendments, as well as for considering the possibilities for limited material reform. The Federal Rehabilitation Council has submitted a number of proposals to the Federal government aimed at settling various intersectoral aspects of rehabilitation legislation in the forthcoming Book IX."}
{"id": "PMID:1484988", "title": "[Immunohistochemical profile of the nasal mucosa during the acute phase of cluster headache].", "content": "We studied 20 patients with cluster headache (11 males, 9 females) and 10 subjects free from this disorder. Nasal cavities were endoscopically studied to evaluate the mucociliary transport, pH, IgG, IgA and IgM levels in nasal secretion and in serum, and Na, K and Cl serum levels. We observed in all patients in the study group in comparison with the control group an increase of pH, and of serum IgA and IgM levels (but not of IgG). Na, K, and Cl serum levels in the patients with cluster headache were lower than those in the control subjects."}
{"id": "PMID:1484994", "title": "[Early neurologic rehabilitation--an urgent requirement].", "content": "The majority of patients with severe craniocerebral damage can be enabled to return to a relatively independent life if early rehabilitation measures are provided. The number of beds currently available for early rehabilitation, however, covers little more than 10 percent of the demand at hand. Expanding the number of beds available hence is a pressing need. The present article contains pertinent information in view of qualitative and quantitative implementation of related efforts."}
{"id": "PMID:1484989", "title": "[Left ventricular thrombosis in acute myocardial infarction: incidence, complications, and clinical effects of calcium heparin].", "content": "It is known that the myocardial infarction may be associated with left intraventricular thrombosis (LIT) as the anatomopathologic studies and the heart surgery operations confirmed. The authors verified in this study the incidence and the complications of de LIT in the patients with acute myocardial infarction treated with low-dose heparin."}
{"id": "PMID:1484987", "title": "[Anesthesiologic experience with propofol in tumor pathology].", "content": "The author reports her experiences about the Propophol use in the tumor's pathology. This drug is used instead of traditional anesthetics in comparison with immunodepression in such pathologies and because of his lower toxicity."}
{"id": "PMID:1484995", "title": "[Decompressive craniotomy and its effect on recovery and rehabilitation of the patient].", "content": "The rehabilitation of patients who have to be operated on because of severe craniocerebral trauma and in whom the roof of the cranium must be removed because of severe post-traumatic cerebral oedema, is extremely difficult. The slow rehabilitation and recovery of these patients, who also show psychological changes in most cases, must be attributed to the pathological intracranial conditions which have arisen in consequence of large defects in cranial bones. A causal correlation between severe pathological intracranial conditions, which have arisen not only from trauma but also from bone flap decompressions, and protracted postoperative recovery and difficult rehabilitation has only recently been established. Our experience has shown that rapid rehabilitation of the injured person can only be expected after skullcap reconstruction and normalization of intracranial conditions."}
{"id": "PMID:1484996", "title": "[Traumatic paraplegia with injury of the upper extremity--effects on the success of rehabilitation].", "content": "The evaluation of a greater number of patients with traumatic paraplegia and tetraplegia showed more than 20% of associated injuries of the upper limbs. In view of the fact that arms and shoulders of the paraplegic person take over a decisive weight-bearing function, we were interested in the effects of these special injuries on rehabilitation outcome. Injuries of the distal arm were found to have more serious repercussions for achievement of the rehabilitation aim than the relatively more impressing injuries of the shoulder girdle and the upper arm. Serious limitations were found in the range of motion of the affected joints. Compensation was due only to the skill of the paraplegics in dealing with these deficits in motion and in using the uninjured extremity. This is the main reason why the functional deficits in independence were relatively minor."}
{"id": "PMID:1484997", "title": "[Occupational stress and decreased performance of psychiatric patients].", "content": "After a short summary of the state of research on problems of work performance and job strains of psychiatric patients, a pilot study in job and task analysis is presented which examines job strains and impairment of work performance of psychiatric patients in various vocational rehabilitation facilities, based on the interactive theory of subjective job analysis. Together with semi-structured interviews and self-developed rating scales for measuring impairment of work performance, standardized questionnaires in job analysis (SAA, Martin et al. 1980; ABB, Neuberger & Allerbeck 1978) are used. On comparison of the patients in the various rehabilitation facilities, differences in work performance and appraisal of job strains and work conditions were found. By discriminant analysis two types of facilities could be differentiated especially by features like work performance and prehospital vocational integration. The results of multiple regression analysis show that the impairment of work performance is influenced in particular by previous vocational integration and by the patients' appraisal of future vocational perspective. The results are discussed in comparison with other research studies in psychiatric rehabilitation. Further studies are suggested, inter alia, to record the present psychiatric state in a systematic manner and to include long-term criteria for success in vocational rehabilitation."}
{"id": "PMID:1484998", "title": "[PASS: a community, system-related program for occupational rehabilitation of chronic psychiatric patients in competitive employment].", "content": "Notwithstanding considerable success, the concepts currently applied by vocational rehabilitation workshops for persons with chronic mental illness are deemed open to criticism in some respects. Presented is the PASS programme, developed on the basis of more than two decades of experience with the clinic's own rehabilitation workshop. The greater part of the five-phase programme no longer occurs within the workshop but is spent at training workplaces with regional firms. A mobile rehabilitation team does not only support the patients at their training facilities but also their colleagues and immediate superiors, who have been prepared for their forthcoming tasks by psychoeducational information meetings. These community-based, ecological system-related aspects of the programme are complemented by repetitive social skills training and group work with relatives. Assessments carried out in each phase provide important decision-making data for programme development and render its scientific evaluation possible. Our experience so far demonstrates the possibility of recruiting enterprises to provide training places."}
{"id": "PMID:1484991", "title": "[Surgery of epithelioma in the outer canthus].", "content": "We review the tumors localized in the orbito-palpebral region. Their prevalence varies between 2.5 and 16.8%. Skin epitheliomas are more frequently seen. We discuss the surgical techniques for the repair and reconstruction of the orbital region."}
{"id": "PMID:1484999", "title": "[Effect of combination treatment by concentration and relaxation training after subarachnoid hemorrhage (single case analysis)].", "content": "Using an ABAB single case design, the effects of a combination therapy (phase A) of computer-assisted attention retraining and Progressive Relaxation (PR) are examined in comparison to those of condition B in which short breaks are used instead of PR. The patient was a 57 year-old man with specific attention deficits following spontaneous subarachnoid haemorrhage (without operation). In both conditions, A and B, the patient ran through three therapy sessions of 45 minutes duration in the course of three days, with 6 minutes of attention retraining alternating with 6 minutes of PR or break, respectively. The results revealed that a) in comparison to the baseline (attention retraining without PR or break), both conditions, A and B, enabled the patient to cope effectively with the 45 minute training sessions without significant increase of complaints (muscular tension, excitement); b) attentional performance (complete test d2) raised up to the average over the whole ABAB experiment; c) attentional performance (tested before and after each phase with a third part of test d2) decreased under the break condition during the individual sessions, while it was unchanged under PR; d) attentional performance at the computer retraining programme (\"Bild\" by Rigling) partially increased under PR and slightly decreased under break condition; e) there was less excitement and less muscular tension under PR in comparison to the break condition; and f) pain in the joints and exhaustion (both measured with the GBB) were reduced significantly under PR, as opposed to a marked increased in the break condition."}
{"id": "PMID:1484992", "title": "[The pathology of thyroid nodules. Our experience].", "content": "The authors report their experience on 149 surgical operations for thyroid nodules between 1979 and 1991 period. They underline the diagnostic preoperative difficulties related to solitary nodules existent before the fine needle-aspiration. Finally they observe that cytologic diagnosis allow to select malignant and benign lesions and planning surgical treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1485002", "title": "Platelet-activating factor does not induce bronchial hyperreactivity in nonasthmatic subjects.", "content": "Platelet-activating factor (PAF) is a phospholipid which plays a role as a mediator in inflammation. Recently, it has been implicated in the induction of bronchial hyperresponsiveness in man. In order to establish the effect of PAF on bronchial reactivity, 6 normal subjects without bronchial hyperresponsiveness inhaled 400 micrograms of PAF in 10 divided cumulative doses. All subjects felt a hot flush and a slight tracheal irritation after the inhalation of PAF. Forced expiratory flows (FEF) were measured between each inhalation of PAF and did not change significantly. Bronchial reactivity to methacholine (MCH up to a dose of 2 mg) was determined 1, 7, 14 and 21 days after inhalation of PAF. Forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), forced expiratory flow between 25 and 75%, and at 75% of vital capacity (FEF25-75% and FEF75%) measured after the inhalation of 2 mg of MCH did not differ significantly from baseline values determined before PAF challenge. In conclusion, the administration of PAF by inhalation in tolerable doses does not induce bronchial hyperresponsiveness as determined by a reduction of 20% of FEV1 nor by more sensitive indicators of ventilatory obstruction, such as FEF25-75% and FEF75%."}
{"id": "PMID:1485003", "title": "Effects of a constant dose rate of terbutaline on circadian peak expiratory flow, heart rate and systolic arterial pressure in patients with asthma exacerbation.", "content": "The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of a constant infusion rate of terbutaline on circadian bronchial peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR), heart rate and arterial pressure in patients with asthma exacerbation. Fifteen hospitalized asthmatic patients (6 females and 9 males, mean age 43.3 years, mean weight 67.0 kg) were included in this study. In order to reach the desired plasma concentrations of terbutaline immediately, a pharmacokinetic simulation was done. Based on the predicted values thus obtained, an initial 5-min bolus dose of 2.94 micrograms/kg was given to all patients at 7 a.m., i.e. at the beginning of the study. Over the following 24 h (7 a.m. to 7 a.m.), 33 micrograms/kg of terbutaline was infused intravenously at a constant rate with an electric pump. Since severe acute asthma requires corticosteroids, a 40-mg injection of methylprednisolone was given to all patients at 7 a.m. PEFR, heart rate, systolic arterial pressure, side effects and plasma terbutaline levels were recorded at 7 and 10 a.m., 1, 4, 7 and 11 p.m., and 3 and 7 a.m. the following morning. Terbutaline had a significant favorable effect on asthma exacerbation but no circadian rhythm was found in PEFR. Although terbutaline was infused at a constant rate, plasma levels depended on circadian variations."}
{"id": "PMID:1485004", "title": "Electron-microscopic evidence for cytochrome P-450 in Clara cells and type I pneumocytes of the rat lung.", "content": "Using immunoelectron microscopy, we examined the distribution of cytochrome P-450 in rat lungs and determined the cell types in which P-450 was localized. To demonstrate P-450, a rabbit polyclonal antibody against P-450b (P-450 IIB1), the major constitutive isozyme of rat pulmonary P-450, was used. Strong reactivity for anti-P-450b antibody was observed in nonciliated bronchial and bronchiolar epithelial cells (Clara cells) and type I pneumocytes. Type II pneumocytes and Kultschitzky cells showed no reactivity. Most ciliated cells were negative, although a small number in peripheral bronchioles showed a weakly positive reaction. Endothelial cells and other mesenchymal cells were P-450b negative. Many studies have suggested that the Clara cell was metabolically very active and had P-450 containing mixed function oxidase systems. Our study shows that both Clara cells and type I pneumocytes have P-450 and may play an important role in the metabolism of xenobiotics. The metabolic significance of type I pneumocytes was not recognized, but it is reasonable to postulate that type I pneumocytes may have a xenobiotic metabolic function because they comprise most of the surface area of the lungs and are thus extensively exposed to the environment."}
{"id": "PMID:1485005", "title": "Increased prevalence of IgG-induced sensitization and hypersensitivity pneumonitis (humidifier lung) in nonsmokers exposed to aerosols of a contaminated air conditioner.", "content": "Specific IgG antibodies against antigens of a contaminated air conditioner were estimated in serum of 134 workers of a printing company. Altogether 64% of the workers investigated revealed significantly elevated levels (> 3 U/ml) of IgG antibodies specific to these antigens as compared to a nonexposed control group. The occurrence of IgG antibodies for microbial extracts were 25% for Fusarium, 23% for Penicillium notatum, 13% for Alternaria tenuis, 12% for Aureobasidium pullulans, 9% for Sphaeropsidales species, 3% for Micropolyspora faeni, 2% for Aspergillus fumigatus and 2% for Thermoactionomyces vulgaris. Out of the 86 workers with elevated IgG antibodies for air conditioner antigens, 59 were nonsmokers. Considering a cut-off level of 10 U/ml IgG for high values, the proportion of smokers to nonsmokers becomes even more pronounced (6 to 36 respectively, binominal test p < 0.001). This is despite the fact that the distribution of smokers and nonsmokers among the 134 workers is approximately equal (60 to 74). All 3 workers with clinical diagnosis of humidifier lung or humidifier fever belonged to the nonsmoker group. Our findings indicate that crude water extracts of contaminated air conditioners are the best choice as antigen source for the diagnosis of humidifier lung in exposed workers. Nonsmokers are shown to have a high risk for immunological sensitization."}
{"id": "PMID:1485006", "title": "Iatrogenic pneumothorax: etiology and morbidity. Results of a Department of Veterans Affairs Cooperative Study.", "content": "The purpose of this study was to delineate the etiological factors for iatrogenic pneumothorax in the era of increased use of invasive procedures and to determine its impact on morbidity. Between 1983 and 1987 the Department of Veterans Affairs conducted a cooperative study at 13 medical centers to assess the utility of the intrapleural instillation of tetracycline for the prevention of recurrent pneumothorax. Since all patients with any type of pneumothorax were screened at each medical center, it was decided to collect data on all the iatrogenic pneumothoraces during that period. During the study period, the number of reported iatrogenic pneumothoraces were 538. Because of incomplete data, 3 iatrogenic pneumothoraces reported from one center were excluded. The leading causes of iatrogenic pneumothorax were transthoracic needle aspiration (128), subclavicular needle stick (119), thoracentesis (106), transbronchial biopsy (54), pleural biopsy (45) and positive pressure ventilation (38). Most patients required treatment for 4-7 days; however, hospitalization was prolonged due to this treatment in only 8% of patients, presumably because of their underlying disease which required long hospitalization. Patients with underlying chronic obstructive pulmonary disease required significantly longer duration of treatment than those without. We conclude that in our patient population, the three leading causes of iatrogenic pneumothorax are transthoracic needle aspiration, subclavicular needle stick and thoracentesis. Hospitalization is prolonged in only a small percentage of the patients who required treatment for the iatrogenic pneumothorax."}
{"id": "PMID:1485007", "title": "Value of computer tomography in the detection of bullae and blebs in patients with primary spontaneous pneumothorax.", "content": "In this prospective study, the value of computed tomography (CT) in detecting bullae and bleb formation of the lung in 35 patients with primary spontaneous pneumothorax (PSP) has been determined. The ability of CT in the detection of bullae and bleb formation and fibrotic changes is compared with the chest film in PSP. CT showed pathological lung changes in 31/35 patients. In most cases, few (n < 5) and small blebs (i.e., < 2 cm in diameter) were found. In 16/35 cases, blebs (< 2 cm) and bullae (> 2 cm in diameter) occurred in the extra-apical region. Contralateral pathological changes were found in 23/35. Bullae (> 2 cm) could be detected only in 6/35. In the chest film, bullae and blebs could be detected in 11/35 cases on the ipsilateral (in 2/35 cases not confirmed by CT), in 3/35 on the bilateral and in 4/35 only on the contralateral side. Thus, CT was proved to be of high value in the assessment of bullae and bleb formation in PSP compared with chest film. Negative pressure drainage was instituted as primary therapy. In a follow-up of 9.6 (+/- 5.7 SD) months, only early recurrences were noticed (n = 35). The rate of recurrences was 6/35 patients. The longer follow-up period (mean 31.7 +/- 6.1 months) could be performed for 32 patients; 3 were lost. Additionally, 2 recurrences occurred. No correlation between recurrences and anatomical status (number, size and distribution of blebs/bullae) as assessed by CT was found. Differential treatment protocols on the basis of the initial findings do not appear to be warranted."}
{"id": "PMID:1485008", "title": "Anterotracheal temperature during and after exercise in the guinea pig.", "content": "We measured the temperature in the anterotracheal region of the guinea pig during and after various intensities of exercise (from 20 to 100 m/3 min). The temperature decreased during exercise, and the maximal drop of the temperature increased with increasing intensity of exercise up to a speed of 80 m/3 min. When the exercise was discontinued, the temperature initially fell rapidly, then rose progressively to equal or exceed the preexercise value. The changes in temperature were similar among 5 animals. These findings suggest that the tracheal wall temperature changes during and after exercise relative to the intensity of exercise. Using this method in guinea pigs may provide more information about the pathophysiology of exercise-induced asthma."}
{"id": "PMID:1485009", "title": "Phrenic nerve function in type 1 diabetic patients with diaphragm weakness and peripheral neuropathy.", "content": "Phrenic nerve latency was studied in 14 male type 1 diabetic patients with impaired diaphragm function and in 14 healthy control subjects. The diabetics showed significantly decreased values regarding inspiratory vital capacity and forced volume in 1 s compared with the control subjects. All other lung function parameters were similar in both groups. Although motor and sensory nerve conduction studies provided evidence for peripheral neuropathy in all patients, phrenic nerve latencies turned out to be normal. These results rule out a neuropathic disorder of the phrenic nerve. Thus, impaired diaphragm function in type 1 diabetic patients is not caused by phrenic neuropathy."}
{"id": "PMID:1485010", "title": "Open lung biopsy: a safe, reliable and accurate method for diagnosis in diffuse lung disease.", "content": "The ideal method for obtaining lung tissue for diagnosis should provide high diagnostic yield with low morbidity and mortality. We reviewed all 432 patients (mean age 55 years) who underwent an open lung biopsy at this hospital over a 10-year period. Twenty-four patients (5.5%) were immunocompromised. One hundred and twenty-five patients were on steroid therapy at the time of operation. Open lung biopsy provided a firm diagnosis in 410 cases overall (94.9%) and in 20 out of 24 patients in the immunocompromised group (83.3%). The commonest diagnosis was cryptogenic fibrosing alveolitis (173 patients). Twenty-two patients (5.1%) suffered complications following the procedure: wound infection 11 patients, pneumothorax 9 patients and haemothorax 1 patient. Thirteen patients (3.0%) died following open lung biopsy, but in only 1 patient was the death attributable to the procedure itself. We conclude that open lung biopsy is an accurate and safe method for establishing a diagnosis in diffuse lung disease with a high yield and minimal risk."}
{"id": "PMID:1485011", "title": "A case of pulmonary tuberculosis with bilateral hilar lymphadenopathy diagnosed by sputum culture subsequent to open thoracic biopsy.", "content": "We report a case of pulmonary tuberculosis with bilateral hilar lymphadenopathy. Open thoracic lymph nodes and lung biopsy revealed findings consistent with sarcoidosis. Culture and special staining of the biopsied specimen for mycobacteria were negative. Culture of the postoperative sputum grew Mycobacterium tuberculosis and antituberculous therapy resulted in a decrease in sizes of the lymphadenopathy. A review of the literature, with emphasis on the differential diagnosis between tuberculosis and sarcoidosis, is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1485012", "title": "Treatment of pulmonary alveolar microlithiasis with a diphosphonate--preliminary results of a case.", "content": "A diphosphonate, disodium etidronate, a compound known to inhibit microcrystal growth of hydroxyapatite was given to a 3.5-year-old girl with pulmonary alveolar microlithiasis (PAM) that was symptomatic. The drug was used for approximately 36 months in a single daily dose of 15 mg/kg. No significant side effects were encountered with somewhat clearing of lung bases in chest radiograms and subjective improvement in general condition. These findings suggest a role of diphosphonates in the treatment of PAM."}
{"id": "PMID:1485013", "title": "Clinicopathologic study of bilateral macular holes treated with pars plana vitrectomy and gas tamponade.", "content": "The clinicopathologic findings of light and electron microscopic examination of a 78-year-old woman who underwent successful bilateral pars plana vitrectomy for bilateral stage III macular holes are reported. Examination disclosed anatomical repair of the full-thickness macular holes by glial cell proliferation in the left eye. The hole apparently collapsed with no glial cell proliferation in the right eye. The photoreceptors adjacent to the healed macular holes appeared normal. Defects in the internal limiting membrane in the foveal area were noted in both eyes."}
{"id": "PMID:1485014", "title": "Treatment of dislocated crystalline lens and retinal detachment with perfluorocarbon liquids.", "content": "Removal of a crystalline lens dislocated into the vitreous cavity can be hazardous, particularly in the presence of a retinal detachment. Hard pieces of nuclear material may be difficult to extract and may repeatedly fall onto the retina when emulsification is attempted in the vitreous cavity. Cases involving four eyes with dislocated crystalline lens and rhegmatogenous retinal detachment, into which liquid perfluorocarbon was injected after vitrectomy to float the dislocated lens material off the retina and reattach the retina, are reported. The dislocated lens was removed while floating on the perfluorocarbon liquid, which also provided a cushion that prevented dropped fragments of lens from traumatizing the retina. In all four cases, surgery was not associated with complications and resulted in improvement in visual acuity and retinal reattachment."}
{"id": "PMID:1485015", "title": "Visual loss associated with pseudoxanthoma elasticum.", "content": "An 18-year-old woman with pseudoxanthoma elasticum had sudden profound bilateral visual loss, presumably as a result of optic nerve infarction caused by anemia and hypotension from massive gastrointestinal bleeding. Her central visual acuity largely recovered in her right eye, but her left eye had only hand motions acuity. During the subsequent 24 years, she underwent three separate surgical procedures for gastrointestinal bleeding. Abdominal arterial angiography showed numerous aneurysms of the gastric arteries. A subtotal gastrectomy was done, and histopathologic examination found advanced degenerative changes of the elastic lamina of the gastric arteries. At age 42 years, the patient lost residual vision in her right eye. This was caused by an extrafoveal subretinal choroidal neovascular membrane, which was obliterated with laser photocoagulation. Degeneration of elastic tissue, the primary defect in this syndrome, may cause cardiovascular complications and formation of breaks in the Bruch membrane, which are visible as angioid streaks. Ingrowth of fibrovascular tissue through angioid streaks may cause disturbances of macular function. The optic nerve ischemia and infarction associated with the profound visual loss in this patient reminds the ophthalmologist of the systemic nature of this disorder and the possibility that systemic vascular complications with massive blood loss may occur."}
{"id": "PMID:1485016", "title": "Misconceptions and techniques in the management of retinoblastoma. The 1992 Paul Henkind Memorial Lecture.", "content": "For many years, enucleation has been the most common treatment of retinoblastoma. It generally has been done on the affected eye of children with unilateral disease and on the more severely affected eye in children with bilateral disease. In recent years, there has been a trend toward earlier diagnosis of retinoblastoma, and there have been refinements in conservative therapeutic methods, such as radiotherapy, photocoagulation, and cryotherapy. Consequently, it often is possible to salvage the affected eye and retain useful vision in many patients who would have undergone enucleation in the past. This article provides an update on the diagnosis and treatment of retinoblastoma, with emphasis on certain misconceptions related to the management of this tumor. New genetic aspects and their relationship to counseling are discussed briefly."}
{"id": "PMID:1485017", "title": "Pneumocystis carinii and Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare infection of the choroid.", "content": "It has been hypothesized that coinfection with mycobacteria occurs in patients with Pneumocystis carinii choroiditis, but cases demonstrating ocular infection by both organisms have not been reported. This study reports the case of a patient with P. carinii choroiditis who was treated with intravenous trimethoprim and sulfamethoxazole, followed by intravenous trimethoprim and dapsone. The choroidal lesions failed to resolve despite 6 weeks of treatment, and the patient died from massive pulmonary infection caused by P. carinii, Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare, and cytomegalovirus infections. Ocular histologic and electron microscopic examinations revealed choroidal infection by both P. carinii and M. avium-intracellulare. Serum levels of sulfamethoxazole were below the recommended therapeutic range for treating P. carinii infection during the first week of therapy, but adequate drug levels were subsequently obtained. Failure of choroidal lesions of P. carinii to resolve in some cases may suggest insufficient antimicrobial levels in the blood or raise the possibility of coexistent M. avium-intracellulare or other opportunistic infection."}
{"id": "PMID:1485018", "title": "Intravitreal corticosteroids as an adjunct in the treatment of bacterial and fungal endophthalmitis. A review.", "content": "The use of intravitreal corticosteroids in the management of endophthalmitis remains controversial. Several clinical and experimental reports are reviewed that suggest that intravitreal corticosteroid therapy, when used in conjunction with antibiotics with and without vitrectomy, reduces the intraocular inflammatory process and secondary complications associated with microbial endophthalmitis."}
{"id": "PMID:1485019", "title": "Endogenous Aspergillus-induced endophthalmitis. Successful treatment without systemic antifungal medication.", "content": "A 32-year-old man had unilateral visual loss, a gravitational layering of preretinal inflammatory cells in the macula (pseudohypopyon), subretinal infiltrates, and hemorrhagic vasculitis. The patient initially denied intravenous drug abuse. Apsergillus terreus was cultured from undiluted vitreous obtained from a diagnostic and therapeutic vitrectomy specimen. Intravitreal and subconjunctival injections of amphotericin B alone were successful treatment. To the author's knowledge, antemortem diagnosis and treatment of A. terreus-induced endophthalmitis has not been reported previously. This article describes the second case of aspergillar endophthalmitis successfully treated without adjunctive systemic antifungal therapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1485020", "title": "Hemorrhagic detachment of the internal limiting membrane after penetrating ocular injury.", "content": "During surgery to remove an intraocular gunshot pellet, a loculated \"preretinal\" hemorrhage was identified. This provided an opportunity to evaluate the structural identity of the inner wall, presumably representing detached posterior vitreous. The preretinal membrane was excised and evaluated using lectin histochemical analysis. All lectins tested bound to the excised tissue, supporting the conclusion that the membrane was a hemorrhagic internal limiting membrane detachment resulting from direct penetrating ocular injury. During intraoperative biomicroscopic examination, this detachment was indistinguishable from a subhyaloid hemorrhage. Because there are no natural history studies on internal limiting membrane loss and damage to retinal visual function, caution is urged in the surgical management of these lesions."}
{"id": "PMID:1485021", "title": "Variation of perfluoropropane disappearance after vitrectomy.", "content": "In complex cases of retinal detachment, perfluoropropane (C3F8) is frequently used after vitrectomy for tamponade of retinal breaks. Results of previous studies of C3F8 disappearance using 10% C3F8 after vitrectomy in human eyes have differed significantly. A wide variation in the decay rate and half life of C3F8 after vitrectomy was observed in eyes that had similar clinical settings and received the same C3F8 concentration (15%, 20%, or 25%). This occurred even in those eyes where there was no change in the geometric contour of the eye after a repeat vitrectomy."}
{"id": "PMID:1485022", "title": "Longevity of expanding gases in vitrectomized eyes.", "content": "The effect of lensectomy and vitrectomy on the disappearance of intraocular gas was studied in a rabbit model. Ten rabbits underwent lensectomy and vitrectomy in one eye, and ten others underwent vitrectomy alone in one eye. The second eye of each rabbit served as a control. Equal amounts of perfluorocarbon gas, either perfluoromethane (CF4) or perfluoromethane (C2F6), was injected into both eyes of the 20 animals. After an interval corresponding to one or more half-lives of the gases had elapsed, the residual volumes of gas in the paired eyes were measured directly by an invasive method and compared. The volume of gas in the aphakic vitrectomized eye was 1.3 times greater, on average, than in the paired control eye. There was no significant difference between eyes that had undergone only vitrectomy and the control eyes. It is postulated that vascular congestion and decreased aqueous secretion caused by surgical trauma were responsible for the delay in the disappearance of gas in the eyes that underwent both lensectomy and vitrectomy."}
{"id": "PMID:1485023", "title": "Distribution of the posterior ciliary arteries revealed after vascular occlusions. A case report.", "content": "Recognized posterior ciliary artery occlusion combined with central retinal artery occlusion is relatively uncommon. Clinical and experimental evidence of combined occlusions appear to support a nasal and temporal distribution for the posterior ciliary arteries in most cases. A case involving a patient in whom the posterior ciliary arteries divided superiorly and inferiorly to supply the region of the macula is reported. Some of the more common variations in the distribution of the posterior ciliary arteries are discussed. Clinicians should be aware that the territorial divisions of the choroidal perfusion in the macula may be horizontally based."}
{"id": "PMID:1485024", "title": "Evaluation of the blood-aqueous barrier after vitreous replacement with perfluoropropane gas and liquid silicone.", "content": "Fluorophotometric measurements of blood-aqueous barrier permeability after intravitreal injection of perfluoropropane gas in rabbit eyes revealed fluorescein leakage immediately after injection; 3 days later, recovery of barrier integrity had begun to occur and 7 days and 14 days after gas injection, when the gas bubble was still in the eye, anterior chamber fluorescein concentrations were normal. Similarly, in eyes undergoing vitrectomy and injection of silicone liquid or vitrectomy only, anterior chamber fluorescein levels were elevated 3 days and 1 week after surgery. Nevertheless, normal barrier integrity was reestablished in both the silicone-filled eyes and the vitrectomized eyes after 1 week. Since there was no difference between the group injected with silicone and the group that underwent vitrectomy only with respect to anterior chamber fluorescein concentration at any of the times studied, it is concluded that the temporary disruption of the blood-aqueous barrier is associated with the surgical procedure rather than the presence of silicone liquid in the vitreous cavity."}
{"id": "PMID:1485028", "title": "[Treatment of chronic refractory idiopathic thrombocytopenia purpura. 10 years experience at the Salvador Zubiran National Institute of Nutrition].", "content": "A total of 126 patients with chronic idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura were diagnosed from January 1980 to January 1990 in our institute. In this group of patients, 21 were refractory to prednisone therapy, splenectomy or both, or had had a relapse after a good response with these treatments. They were given other therapies. There was enough information for evaluation in 16 of the 21 patients. The treatment responses were classified according to the post-therapy platelet counts: complete response (CR) = > 150 x 10(9)/L for more than three months; partial response (PR) = 50-150 x 10(9)/L for more than three months; any response (AR) = CR + PR; no response (NR) = < 50 x 10(9)/L. There were 15 women and one male. The median age was 41 years (range 11 to 65). 6-mercaptopurine was given in all patients with CR = 31.2%, PR = 18.8%, AR = 50% and NR = 50%. Seven patients received cyclophosphamide with CR = 28.6%, PR = 14.3%, AR = 42.9% and NR = 57%. Vincristine was given in four patients with only one PR. Interferon alpha 2B was given in four patients with two transitory PR. One patient received colchicine and vitamin C without response. It is concluded that 6-mercaptopurine and cyclophosphamide are useful drugs in refractory thrombocytopenic purpura."}
{"id": "PMID:1485027", "title": "[Association of plasma ammonia and GABA levels and the degree of hepatic encephalopathy].", "content": "Several toxic factors have been implicated in the pathogenesis of hepatic encephalopathy (PSE) among which ammonia plays a dominant role. More recently, the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) hypothesis in which an increase in the GABA-ergic tone and the presence of one or more GABA/benzodiazepine receptor ligands which interact with that receptor, has been proposed. We investigated the levels of GABA and ammonia in plasma of patients with acute PSE to test the hypothesis that elevated plasma GABA levels would be found in acute encephalopathy and that GABA levels would correlate with the degree of hepatic encephalopathy. We measured plasma levels of GABA and ammonia during an acute episode of PSE, spontaneous or precipitated by gastrointestinal bleeding or sepsis, and performed assessments of PSE by the PSE index. Patients were evaluated before and two days after standard treatment with lactulose. We also measured plasma GABA levels in the hepatic vein of a selected group of patients undergoing hemodynamic studies. Plasma GABA levels were significantly higher in patients with acute PSE (458 +/- 108 pmol/mL) when compared with normal subjects (110 +/- 23 pmol/mL) (p < 0.01) although no correlation was found between plasma GABA concentration and the degree of PSE. Changes in plasma ammonia, however, correlated with improvements in the PSE index (r = 0.56; p < 0.02) and with abnormalities in the EEG (r = 0.65; p < 0.01).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1485029", "title": "[Pancreatic phlegmon: a potentially fatal form of acute pancreatitis].", "content": "To report the clinical characteristics of a group of patients with pancreatic phlegmon (PF) seen at the Instituto Nacional de la Nutricion Salvador Zubiran, Mexico City. We reviewed all the cases of acute pancreatitis hospitalized from January 1981 to December 1989. The diagnosis of pancreatic phlegmon was established when the CT scan showed a solid mass in the pancreas and peripancreatic region with more than 20 Hounsfield units without liquid collections or a fibrous capsule. We analyzed clinical, biochemical, and radiological data. Acute pancreatitis was diagnosed in 132 patients. In 14 a pancreatic phlegmon was observed (10.6%). Twelve were men; the mean age was 44.7 years. In six cases acute pancreatitis was secondary to alcohol abuse and in four to gallstones. Abdominal pain was present in all patients. Ten had leucocitosis and seven fever and/or jaundice. An abdominal mass was detected in three cases. The severity of pancreatitis was graded according to our institutional criteria as mild (0-2 signs) or severe (3-5 signs). In 10 patients AP was graded as mild: no mortality was observed in this group but three presented complications (two liquid collections and one an abscess). The four patients with severe pancreatitis presented complications and three died (one abscess, two multiorgan failure). Five patients were operated on. In three an abscess was drained. Pancreatic phlegmon is a potentially severe form of AP. All patients who died presented, in addition to PF, clinical criteria of severe pancreatitis."}
{"id": "PMID:1485030", "title": "The BCAA/AAA ratio of plasma amino acids in three different groups of cirrhotics.", "content": "We studied the plasma amino acid profiles in the postabsorptive period in three groups of cirrhotic patients: stable, unstable, and with acute portal systemic encephalopathy (PSE), and compared them with a healthy control group in order to investigate the differences among the different groups and reevaluate the use of the branched-chain amino acid/aromatic amino acid (BCAA/AAA) ratio. Although plasma amino acid levels were similar to the control group, stable cirrhotics had a significantly decreased BCAA/AAA ratio (2.9 +/- 0.2) compared to the control group (3.9 +/- 0.3) (p < 0.05). Unstable cirrhotics had differences in plasma amino acid levels and the BCAA/AAA ratio was even lower (1.7 +/- 0.3) compared with stable cirrhotics and controls, respectively (p < 0.05 and p < 0.01). Patients with PSE had extreme elevations of most amino acids and showed the lowest BCAA/AAA ratio of all four groups (0.8 +/- 0.07) (p < 0.001 compared with controls). We conclude that it is possible to detect differences in plasma amino acid concentrations in different groups of cirrhotics, and that the BCAA/AAA ratio is a good index for the assessment of liver impairment. The latter could be used in the follow-up of a selected group of patients such as those undergoing major surgery or liver transplantation in whom the BCAA/AAA ratio could be used to help determine the best time for the transplant."}
{"id": "PMID:1485031", "title": "[Effects of the addition of conditioned media on the response of Fanconi anemia lymphocytes to mitomycin C].", "content": "It has been shown that the addition of normal plasma to Fanconi anemia (FA) lymphocyte cultures significantly decreases the frequency of mitomycin C (MMC) induced chromosome aberrations, suggesting that normal plasma contains a diffusible correction factor (CF) which is able to partially complement FA lymphocytes. On the other hand, there is evidence suggesting that FA cells are defective in the DNA postreplicative repair. CF could then be involved in DNA repair processes and in possible inducible mechanisms. In the present study MMC-treated FA lymphocytes were grown during the last 24 hours of culture, in conditioned media obtained from untreated and MMC-treated normal cells. The purpose was to investigate if MMC-stressed normal cells were induced to produce CF in vitro. The results failed to show a constant decrease of FA cells chromosome aberrations when plasma-free conditioned media from MMC-stressed normal cells were added (experiments 2 and 3). However, when the conditioned media were supplemented with normal plasma (experiments 1 and 4) a partial repair of MMC-induced damage of the FA cells was observed. The results suggest the presence of CF in normal plasma and two possible mechanisms of action are suggested: CF is involved in DNA repair of MMC-damaged FA cells or it induces cellular division selecting the less damaged cell population through mitosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1485032", "title": "[The perception of family function and psychosexual development in obese adolescents].", "content": "The interaction of psychological and social factors with family functioning and psychosexual development was studied in obese adolescents. Family functioning was evaluated using the triaxial classification of Tseng and McDermott. A total of 246 adolescents 8 to 18 years old (124 males and 122 females) were grouped in two: obese (n = 109) and non obese (n = 137). With the use of multivariate analysis it was found that the group of obese youngsters had higher rates of triangular parents-child dysfunction (p < 0.001) and more disapproval for their feeding behavior (p = 0.002); on the other hand, they considered they were more accepted in the family (p = 0.029) and felt greater concern from their parents (p = 0.004). It was concluded that the feeding behavior is interrelated with several aspects of the family psychodynamics which has an effect on the adolescents homeostasis and on his own body image perception. Those factors should be taken into consideration when the obese youngster is studied in clinical practice."}
{"id": "PMID:1485033", "title": "[Heterotopic pregnancy. Case report and review of the literature].", "content": "Heterotopic pregnancies (simultaneous ectopic and intrauterine pregnancies) can occur spontaneously or associated with assisted reproductive technology. It is infrequent in Mexico. We present a case of heterotopic pregnancy in a 32 year old woman submitted to surgery due to rupture of the ectopic pregnancy located in the right fallopian tube. The evolution was satisfactory for the woman, but the newborn died shortly after delivery because of meconium aspiration. We review the literature on this disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1485035", "title": "[Possible use of serum calcitonin in septic patients at risk of acute respiratory distress syndrome].", "content": "The acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a late complication in critically ill patients and its diagnosis is usually made when the syndrome is fully established. There is an increased interest in developing early markers that may help to identify ARDS in its initial stages. Calcitonin was recently reported as a useful serum marker to identify burned patients at risk for respiratory failure. We report a case with abdominal sepsis and ARDS, whose serum calcitonin level was 1000 pg/mL without other known clinical causes of hypercalcitoninemia and who died in multiorganic failure. The possible mechanisms of hypercalcitoninemia and its possible utility as marker of ARDS in critically ill patients is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1485051", "title": "Estimating HIV prevalence and projecting AIDS incidence in the United States: a model that accounts for therapy and changes in the surveillance definition of AIDS.", "content": "The AIDS incubation distribution is changing in calendar time because of treatment and changes in the surveillance definition of AIDS. To obtain reliable estimates of HIV prevalence and projections of AIDS incidence in the 1990s using the method of backcalculation, we constructed an appropriate incubation distribution for each calendar date of infection. We parameterized the impact of treatment on the incubation distribution by specifying the relative hazard for AIDS in treated versus untreated people as a function of duration of HIV infection. To account for trends in the incubation distribution, we modelled the prevalence of treatment, the distribution of treatment onset times, and the impact of the revision of the AIDS surveillance definition in 1987. We selected and evaluated backcalculation models based on consistency with external information. We defined a 'plausible range' of estimates that took into account uncertainty about the natural incubation distribution and treatment efficacy, as well as bootstrap assessment of stochastic error. Using these methods, we projected that national United States AIDS incidence will plateau during 1991-1994 at over 50,000 cases per year. Projections exhibited substantial systematic uncertainty, and we calculated a plausible range for AIDS incidence in 1994 of 42,300 to 70,700 cases. An estimated 628,000 to 988,000 cumulative HIV infections occurred as of 1 January 1991. After accounting for AIDS mortality, we estimated that 484,000 to 844,000 people were living with HIV infection on 1 January 1991. Favourable trends in HIV incidence appeared in gay men and intravenous drug users. Plausible ranges for our estimates overlapped with those from a 'stage model' approach to incorporating treatment effects in backcalculations. Our approach, however, tended to yield smaller estimates of epidemic size, mainly because the parameters used with the stage model implied that more treatment was in use and that treatment was more effective than in our model."}
{"id": "PMID:1485052", "title": "The epidemic dynamics of HIV-1 in Italy: modelling the interaction between intravenous drug users and heterosexual population.", "content": "Data gathered through the Latium HIV Surveillance System were used in conjunction with a compartmental mathematical model to describe the transmission dynamics of HIV-1 in Italy. In the Latium region, as in the rest of Italy, fewer than 1 in 5 cumulative cases of AIDS are attributable to male homosexual transmission, while 55-60 per cent of the cases have been observed among intravenous drug users (IVDUs). Moreover, the number of non-drug-using heterosexual cases is increasing (14 per cent of cumulative cases). Anonymous notification of positive HIV-1 tests, mandatory in Latium since 1985, were used to produce a time series of new HIV-1 diagnoses; just over 400 new cases of infection per quarter were diagnosed from mid 1989 to mid 1990, with no evidence of increasing incidence. A minimum of 6009 and a maximum of 10,000 individuals with HIV-1 as of the end of 1989 were estimated, 80 per cent of adult cases occurring among IVDUs. The model included two main subgroups: IVDUs and non-drug-using heterosexuals, both with behavioural heterogeneities. Sharing of needles among IVDUs and heterosexual contact were considered as possible ways of transmitting HIV-1. A mathematical framework was developed to reproduce different mixing patterns within and between subgroups. A scenario analysis of the model showed incident cases of HIV-1 among IVDUs peaking early, then declining dramatically and stabilising at low values, with a stable-state prevalence higher than 0.75. Heterosexual interaction with IVDUs resulted in a significant, but non-self-sustaining, virus spread in the general population, affecting females more than males. The extent of this spread is associated with the assortativeness of the sexual mixing pattern adopted. The qualitative features of the Italian epidemic are well represented by the model, which highlights the role of IVDUs as an infection reservoir. However, the need emerges for more accurate information on the key parameters influencing the transmission dynamics of HIV-1."}
{"id": "PMID:1485053", "title": "Repeated measures in clinical trials: analysis using mean summary statistics and its implications for design.", "content": "This paper explores the use of simple summary statistics for analysing repeated measurements in randomized clinical trials with two treatments. Quite often the data for each patient may be effectively summarized by a pre-treatment mean and a post-treatment mean. Analysis of covariance is the method of choice and its superiority over analysis of post-treatment means or analysis of mean changes is quantified, as regards both reduced variance and avoidance of bias, using a simple model for the covariance structure between time points. Quantitative consideration is also given to practical issues in the design of repeated measures studies: the merits of having more than one pre-treatment measurement are demonstrated, and methods for determining sample sizes in repeated measures designs are provided. Several examples from clinical trials are presented, and broad practical recommendations are made. The examples support the value of the compound symmetry assumption as a realistic simplification in quantitative planning of repeated measures trials. The analysis using summary statistics makes no such assumption. However, allowance in design for alternative non-equal correlation structures can and should be made when necessary."}
{"id": "PMID:1485054", "title": "Analysis of a clinical trial involving a combined mortality and adherence dependent interval censored endpoint.", "content": "Clinical trials often involve a variety of clinical and laboratory measures that are used as endpoints and sometimes two of these measures are combined in one endpoint. When the individual components of such a combined endpoint are 'time to event' measurements, the analysis is straightforward if each of the components is measured frequently and regularly over time. However, the analysis of the combined endpoint is more difficult when one component of the endpoint is right censored and the other is interval censored. This paper describes a statistic, based on a rank ordering of events for such a combined measure. The power of the test statistic is explored."}
{"id": "PMID:1485055", "title": "Impact of measurement error and temporal variability on the estimation of event probabilities for risk factor intervention trials.", "content": "The impact of measurement error and temporal variability of risk factors on estimates of disease probabilities based on the logistic function is discussed. Monte Carlo results and empirical findings from the Multiple Risk Factor Intervention Trial indicate that the degree of attenuation of logistic parameter estimates is well approximated by the reliability coefficient when the errors are assumed to be normal random variates and event probabilities are small. In the design of intervention studies, measurement error and temporal variability of risk factors do not usually influence estimates of the probability of developing the disease in the control group, but can result in mis-estimation of the probability of developing the disease in the experimental group, substantially reducing the statistical power of the clinical trial."}
{"id": "PMID:1485056", "title": "Prediction of short-term survival with an application in primary biliary cirrhosis.", "content": "Many long-term follow-up studies for survival accumulate repeated measurements of prognostic factors. Survival models which include only covariate values at baseline do not use all available information, and do not relate to survival predictions for times other than at that baseline. Time-dependent covariate models (which update covariate values as measurements occur through time) might be used, though limitations of software for estimating the underlying hazard functions and difficulty in relating hazard function changes to survival prediction present serious drawbacks. By dividing each patient's follow-up into successive intervals of equal length (using a length of interest for prediction) and with measurements available at the start of each, we describe how an analysis taking person-intervals as the observation units can be undertaken using readily available software to produce short-term survival models. We show that this approach is related to both the baseline and time-dependent covariate models. The method is illustrated using data from a long-term study of patients with primary biliary cirrhosis, where interest is in short-term survival predictions to aid the decision when to undertake liver transplantation."}
{"id": "PMID:1485057", "title": "The concept of residual confounding in regression models and some applications.", "content": "In this paper the concept of residual confounding is generalized to various types of regression models such as logistic regression or Cox regression. Residual confounding and a newly suggested parameter, the relative residual confounding, are defined on the regression parameters of the models. The estimator gives the proportion of confounding which has been removed by incomplete adjustment. The concept quantifies the effects of categorizing continuous covariables and of model misspecification. These are investigated by a simulation study and with data from an epidemiological investigation. A case-control study of laryngeal cancer is used to illustrate the residual confounding effect of arbitrary transformation of a continuous confounder, smoking, on the effect of alcohol consumption on laryngeal cancer risk. The data also showed that categorization into two levels can yield high residual confounding. The parameters described in this paper are of some use in quantifying the effect of inadequate adjustment for confounding variables."}
{"id": "PMID:1485058", "title": "Control sample size when cases are given in constant ratio stratum-matched case-control studies.", "content": "Strata-matched case-control studies based on a given number of cases and k times as many controls are common. We obtain a necessary and sufficient condition for there to exist a numerical solution for k with a desired level of a power. We derive the maximum power of the Cochran test, which may be less than one, when the number of cases is fixed. We provide an approximate formula for the minimum number of cases required for a specified power. There exists a numerical solution (that is, convergence of an iterative method) for k if the number of cases given is greater than this minimum number and no such a solution otherwise. We also show that the incremental gain in relative efficiency of the test with respect to k is diminished as k gets large."}
{"id": "PMID:1485059", "title": "Comparison of the proportions of affected relatives of cases and controls: analysis and minimum sample size formula.", "content": "The problem of familial aggregation has frequently been approached by comparing the proportion of affected relatives of index cases with the proportion of affected relatives of index controls. This type of study has an analogy with the case-control design and is frequently analysed as if it was one. It is however an essentially different design which may involve dependent observations. We show that conventional tests for comparing proportions of affected subjects are still valid with this design; we give a formula for computing the minimum sample size required to detect a given degree of aggregation measured by the intracluster correlation coefficient, which can be estimated very simply by the difference in proportions of affected relatives in the two groups."}
{"id": "PMID:1485060", "title": "Bioequivalence revisited.", "content": "The FDA permits marketing of a generic formulation of a drug G for the same indications as a standard preparation S if one can show that G is bioequivalent to S. Present implementation requires convincing evidence that the population mean difference in bioavailability (drug exposure) between the two preparations lies within specified bounds. The basis for this standard does not appear to involve a comprehensive model for the dose-response relationship, or consideration of clinical issues, notably (i) whether a patient is to commence on the drug or to switch from an established regimen to a new one; or (ii) that the risk of inequivalence relates to uncertainty of outcome. In this paper, I propose a comprehensive model for dose response and a tentative model for risk that addresses these issues. Specifically, I propose two new measures of bioequivalence which are based on these models, which differ in the two clinical circumstances above, and which respond to both bias and variance of outcome. I present two examples, and some simulations of the application of the new measures."}
{"id": "PMID:1485074", "title": "[Descriptive epidemiology of gynecologic and breast cancers].", "content": "The epidemiology of gynecological and breast cancers are better known in France as a result of the mortality data provided by INSERM and the mortality data obtained from the French Tumor Register. Breast cancers are the most common form of cancer in women, accounting for about 30 p. cent of tumors (excluding skin cancers) followed by cancers of the uterine cervix, uterine body and the ovary. The change in incidence shows a definite reduction in the number of uterine cancers over the past 10 years, whereas the incidence of breast cancers is rising by 1 to 2 p. cent per year. Mortality due to breast cancer has risen steadily in France since 1950, particularly in higher age groups. At birth, the risk of developing a breast cancers is 7 p. cent, i.e. one woman in 14 will develop a breast cancer. The figures for cancers of the uterus and ovary are much lower. Survival curves for various types of cancer confirm the steady decline in survival for breast cancers, whereas for cancers of the cervix, uterine body and ovary, mortality rates stabilize after 5 years. The risk of a secondary cancer remains very high for breast tumors, and half the cases of a secondary tumor involve a contralateral breast tumor. In general, there is an increased risk of a secondary cancer after a primary gynecological tumor."}
{"id": "PMID:1485075", "title": "[Treatment of severe rhesus isoimmunization by repeated transfusions in utero].", "content": "Repeated transfusions in utero by umbilical cord puncture enable the treatment of severe forms of rhesus incompatibility. The two cases reported, including one involving seven transfusions between twenty and thirty seven weeks since the LMP, form the basis of a review of the literature defining the advantages and results of this technique."}
{"id": "PMID:1485076", "title": "Review on copper in male reproduction and contraception.", "content": "The effect of copper on spermatozoa was studied as early as 1956 by Quatrefages, and has given rise to numerous studies and the assay findings have recurred in all the tissues of the male reproductive system, with considerable individual differences, the cause of which is not understood. Its role in the sperm is unclear, but it appears to be involved in spermatozoan mobility and it may also act at the pituitary receptors which control the release of LH. In the seminal fluid, the level of copper appears to fall in cases of azoospermia and to increase in oligo- and asthenozoospermia, but the findings of different authors are somewhat contradictory and some authors do not report any correlation between the seminal level of copper and the number of mobility of the gametes. It is true that the concentrations in the ejaculate vary considerably from one day to the next and that they also vary in different fractions from a single ejaculate. The toxic effects of copper on spermatozoa, which was demonstrated in 1850 by Quatrefages, has often been confirmed. Copper reduces the oxidative processes and glucose consumption, which reduces or abolishes mobility: this property is exploited in intrauterine devices. The use of copper for male contraception has given rise to experimental implantations at various sites within the male system: lumen of the deferens, epididymis, seminal vesicle scrotum and the mobility of the spermatozoa was abolished in all cases. Tissue toxicity makes it impossible to use this method in human practice.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1485077", "title": "[Efficacy and tolerance of a dietary iron supplement (Bio-fer) in pregnancy anemia].", "content": "Fifty pregnant women with a hemoglobin between > 10 and < or = 12 g/100 ml during the second three months of pregnancy participated in a non-comparative clinical trial intended to evaluate, during a one month treatment period, the acceptability and effectiveness of an iron supplement (Bio-fer), combined with a high iron diet. Gastric discomfort regressed (present in 11 and 3 women before and after treatment) (p < 0.05), the same applying to constipation (p < 0.05) (present in 17 and 8 women before and after treatment). Reasons for abandoning treatment were nausea (n = 2) and vertigo (n = 1). Anemia or deficiency, evaluated on the basis of hemoglobin and iron-binding capacity levels, improved or stabilised in 34 patients out of 47 (72.3%). Hemoglobin increased (p < 0.0001) on average from 11.4 +/- 0.6 to 11.7 +/- 0.8 g/100 ml."}
{"id": "PMID:1485078", "title": "[Epidemiology of genetic hemoglobin diseases in metropolitan France].", "content": "The number of subjects with heterozygous beta-thalassaemia and sickle-cell anaemia in metropolitan France can be evaluated by the distribution of populations originating from countries with a high prevalence of genetic haemoglobinopathies. Taking into account the movements of these populations observed since the 1982 census, the current prevalences of beta-thalassaemic and drepanocytic traits are higher than the figures of 180,000 and 130,000 respectively found at that date. On the other hand, it appears from episodic screenings performed during the last few years that the percentage of subjects with heterozygous beta-thalassaemia is 3.09% in Corsica, 0.77% in school-age population in the Marseille area, and 0.72% in the general population of Marseille, Toulon and Nice. In 1992, the number of patients with heterozygous beta-thalassaemia and with major sickle-cell syndrome is estimated at 250-350 and 1000-3000 respectively. Patients with sickle-cell anemia predominate in the Paris area, whereas those with heterozygous beta-thalassemia predominate in the provinces, notably in the Provence-C\u00f4te d'Azur and Corsica regions."}
{"id": "PMID:1485079", "title": "[Health policies and sickle cell disease].", "content": "Issues of public health raised by sickle cell disease and available solutions vary greatly between countries. Two main variables lead the choices: the affordable health resources, and the distribution of the abnormal genes in the population. Three examples have been chosen to illustrate these challenges. 1. In continental France, the level of health resources is good but the distribution of sickle traits is very heterogeneous among the population. Health policies against sickle cell disease aim at organizing screening and care to reach populations at risk, and concentrate the efforts upon them. This task is made difficult by two usual characteristics of these minorities: their rather poor social condition, and their cultural isolation. 2. In Guadeloupe (French West Indies) available health resources are similar to those of France but the sickle trait is common and has a homogeneous distribution in the population (14% carriers). Sickle cell disease is a health priority. Such conditions have recently favoured the organization of an efficient program for prevention and care of the disease. 3. In Benin (West Africa) a very high prevalence of sickle trait (more than 30% individuals are carriers, and about 4% have the disease) comes along with quite precarious resources that have to be shared with several other health priorities. An efficient and sustained policy against sickle cell disease has not yet been developed, which impedes a rational use of the few available resources, and creates much distress for diseased individuals."}
{"id": "PMID:1485080", "title": "[Genetic aspects of sickle cell anemia].", "content": "The genetics of sickle cell anemia may be considered as a model. Its mendelian transmission was hypothesized even before the molecular era. Once the mutation identified, it could be studied at the protein and DNA level; a consistent pathophysiological mechanism was proposed; the various genetic forms of the disease could be identified; the way by which a balanced polymorphism with Plasmodium falciparum malaria is obtained was analyzed. More recently, investigations were run in order to understand how modulating, or epistatic factors could modify the pathophysiological mechanism and contribute to the high clinical diversity of the disease. Several factors have been identified, among which a concomitant alpha-thalassemia, an overproduction of fetal hemoglobin, due either to an activation of the gamma genes or to an increase of the F-cell number, and finally a quantitative control of the beta s chains themselves. Such a high number of genetic active factors questions the concept itself of a monogenic disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1485081", "title": "[Natural history of sickle cell anemia].", "content": "Sickle-cell anaemia is characterized by three categories of clinical signs: anaemia, vaso-occlusive phenomena and infective complications, which are described here according to age. The natural history of the disease can be divided into four periods: the neonatal period which is asymptomatic but important to organize an effective protection; the first 5 years of life are characterized by a high risk of mortality, a high level of morbidity due to severe infections, episodes of acute anaemia and painful crises typical of that age-group; the life of older children and adolescents is dotted with painful crises; it is in this period that degenerative tissue pathology begins; in adulthood, the acute episodes are less frequent, but multiple complications develop. Some of them (cerebral vascular accidents or lung diseases) may be fatal, while others are the source of chronic and disabling lesions, notably ocular, orthopaedic and renal lesions, which affect the functional prognosis. Pregnancy remains a high risk. There is, therefore, a striking contrast between the basic physiopathological mechanism (polymerization of haemoglobin S) and the various clinical manifestations which depend on the type of haemoglobin, on the social and sanitary conditions in each country and on other reasons which remain to be elucidated."}
{"id": "PMID:1485082", "title": "[Neonatal diagnosis of hemoglobinopathies].", "content": "The technical problem of neonatal diagnosis of haemoglobinopathies has definitely been solved. There is no longer a methodological obstacle to a formal distinction between heterozygous and homozygous subjects with sickle cell disease, despite the presence at birth of strong haemoglobin F and F-acetylated concentrations. In France as in the USA and Great Britain mass screening for sickle cell disease in the newborn is necessary because this disease is frequent- as a monogenic hereditary disease it ranks second to cystic fibrosis on average and first in the Paris region-detection is useful for an early diagnosis and the new method is inexpensive."}
{"id": "PMID:1485083", "title": "[Genetic counseling and sickle cell anemia].", "content": "In sickle cell anaemia genetic counselling benefits from the easy diagnosis and, as early as the foetal stage, from the heterozygosity (AS) and the major syndromes. Its main objective is to inform as many as possible of the subjects concerned and in particular couples with genetic risk. Counselling gives them all the elements they require to decide freely about their offsprings. It is part of the management of sickle cell anaemia patients and is often associated with the neonatal diagnosis. The ever increasing number of justified requests for a prenatal diagnosis and the early time of these requests during pregnancy show that the information has really been transmitted. Actions remain to be developed in certain medical groups and in the populations at risk. A sickle cell anaemia centre is necessary for a better rationalization of genetic counselling."}
{"id": "PMID:1485084", "title": "[Management of drepanocytic patients].", "content": "Comprehensive supportive care includes outpatient follow up (periodic evaluation of baseline status, psychosocial support, prevention of sepsis through oral prophylactic penicillin in young children and vaccinations, early treatment of acute episodes (painful crises, other vaso-occlusive events, infection, acute anemia...); In adulthood residual organ dysfunction becomes one of the foremost problems. Further, more specific high risk situations (pregnancy, anesthesia) require adequate responses. Early diagnosis, improved strategy of care best achieved in Sickle Cell Centers can reduce mortality and morbidity in the aim of providing a better quality of life."}
{"id": "PMID:1485091", "title": "[Intratumoral biological markers in breast cancers].", "content": "Tumoral biological markers of breast cancer expand the predictive value of conventional prognostic factors, such as tumor size, axillary lymph node status, and histoprognostic grade. They include tumor estrogen and progesterone receptor levels, flow cytometric DNA analysis, to convey a prognostic value. Expression of the product of the gene pS2, which reflects the functional integrity of the estradiol receptor, indicates a good prognosis. In contrast, presence of growth factor receptors, such as the EGF receptor, or amplification of the HER2/neu or INT2 oncogene indicate a poor prognosis. Study of protein gp 170 and GST-pi predicts the response of tumors to chemotherapy, while the study of the potential doubling time (Tpot) provides an indication of the renewal capacity of the tumor. Markers of tumor invasiveness and metastatic potential include proteases (activators and inhibitors) produced either by tumor cells or by the cells of the stroma, gene nm 23, and membrane fatty acids. The place of the last markers in patients' treatment is not known yet. The knowledge of the tumor biological parameters along with clinical features should provide an accurate prediction of the aggressiveness of the tumor, allowing the best adjustment of treatment with the expected behavior of the disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1485102", "title": "[Classification of angiomas: hemangiomas and superficial vascular malformations].", "content": "The present classification of angiomas is not only of nosological interest. If it has effectively replaced the previous multiple classifications, it is because it provides a perfect correlation between the clinical features of each type and its angio-architectural and haemodynamic features. In practice, this results in a well-established attitude since determining the clinical type makes it possible to select first the additional examinations required, then the therapeutic indications particular to each type. Angiomas are divided into two main groups: haemangiomas or pseudo-vascular tumours which are specific to infants and spontaneously resolve after the first months of life; superficial vascular malformations proper, with their elementary types each of them developed on a sector of the vascular blood system: capillary, venous or capillaro-venous, and arteriovenous malformations. These three types may be diversely associated in any given patient; they may also be associated with abnormalities of the lymphatic system, producing systematized and/or disseminated complex angiodysplasias."}
{"id": "PMID:1485103", "title": "[Diagnostic orientation in the presence of superficial vascular malformation].", "content": "Diagnosis relies first on clinical evaluation of the patients. Subsequently, modern diagnostic imaging techniques, such as CT scan, MRI and Echo-Doppler, confirm the clinical approach and define the type of vascular anomaly. Angiographic analysis is not performed for all cases: indications are carefully thought out."}
{"id": "PMID:1485104", "title": "[Immature hemangiomas in children].", "content": "Immature haemangiomas affect only infants and children and follow a peculiar course: first an expansion phase, then an involution phase which ends in complete cure in the majority of cases. Because of this favorable outcome, all inopportune treatments must be avoided, and abstention is the best attitude. However, early corticosteroid therapy must be prescribed when the lesion is located in a dangerous area, such as the eyelids or the lips. Specific treatments must be instituted only in very special cases, such as visceral or giant cutaneous haemangiomas or Kasabach-Merritt syndrome."}
{"id": "PMID:1485105", "title": "[Port wine hemangioma].", "content": "Port wine stains are mainly due to an increase in the number or size of dermal capillary vessels. They are a natural disgrace which, in their most common form (i.e. isolated and non-systematized), requires a cosmetic treatment. It is for this purpose that various therapies were formerly prescribed with inconstant results. Since the development of lasers, notably the argon laser and, most recently, the pulsed dye laser, these treatments have become obsolete. Before they fall into oblivion, it must be remembered that until the seventies radiotherapy was part of the old methods and that all cases of port wine stain now seen in adults must be followed up with particular attention if they have received radiotherapy in their childhood."}
{"id": "PMID:1485106", "title": "[Superficial venous malformations].", "content": "Mature vascular malformations of the venous compartment are haemodynamically inactive and persist throughout the patient's life. They have no systemic repercussions, except in patients with disorders of coagulation (e.g. disseminated intravascular coagulation), but they have local, cosmetic and functional repercussions. Percutaneous embolization, notably with Ethibloc, has modified their prognosis favourably. This simple and effective procedure is mainly used for superficial venous malformations of the face."}
{"id": "PMID:1485107", "title": "[Temporo-masseter vascular malformations].", "content": "Temporo-masseterine vascular malformations are mature capillarovenous malformations. Being congenital lesions, they are present at birth and progress throughout life, particularly before adolescence. The clinical diagnosis rests on the finding that the malformation swells when the patient is in supine position. Its extent is determined by MRI. Treatment is radiosurgical and always begins with one or several embolizations using Ethibloc. Surgical resection, which is exceptionally complete, may be performed to make the face symmetrical."}
{"id": "PMID:1485108", "title": "[Arteriovenous malformations].", "content": "Arteriovenous malformations (AVM) are the most dangerous of vascular malformations, being haemodynamically active. These malformations proceed in two phases: a phase of quiescence which may last throughout life, and an unpredictable phase of activity sometimes triggered by a trauma or by hormonal variations (puberty, pregnancy, oral contraceptives). Treatment must be careful usually limited, and considered in the phase of activity. A multidisciplinary consensus is necessary."}
{"id": "PMID:1485109", "title": "[Lymphangioma].", "content": "The term lymphangioma applies to two types of vascular malformations with very different prognoses: cystic lymphangioma, a benign and easy to treat condition, and tissue lymphangioma, a deeply infiltrating lesion the course of which is sprinkled with complications which may be severe in some locations. Therapeutic sclerosis of cystic pouches with ethibloc gives excellent results and must be performed prior to any surgical treatment, but it is ineffective in tissue lymphangioma which requires a difficult and often maiming treatment. Both types of lymphangioma may coexist, each one following a different course."}
{"id": "PMID:1485110", "title": "[Disseminated complex vascular malformations].", "content": "Diffuse complex vascular malformations are sporadic or hereditary. They usually concern one type of vessel: capillary, venous or arterial (with AV fistula). They involve skin, mucosal membranes and internal organs. They lead to a rich and heterogeneous symptomatology, depending on the lesional localizations. Five out of them are described: cutis marmorata, Rendu Osler disease, Bean syndrome, Maffucci syndrome, and Proteus syndrome."}
{"id": "PMID:1485111", "title": "[Systematized complex vascular malformations].", "content": "Various types of systematized vascular syndromes are described, either in the head or in the limbs. The Sturge-Weber syndrome includes a facial portwine stain, ocular anomalies, and a pial vascular malformation. Complex combined vascular malformations with limb overgrowth need careful investigations to clearly define the vascular component and the management."}
{"id": "PMID:1485115", "title": "[Reconstruction of the external ear].", "content": "The authors after a short morphological description of the microtia, expose the surgical evolution which had led to the actual auricular reconstruction technique, using a costal cartilage framework. This technique requiring several steps is exposed in the typical case of microtia. It is the preferential method. The difficult reconstructions due to the poor quality of the skin are exposed by degree of complexity: in these cases, tissue expansion, fascia temporalis superficialis can be useful and finally auricular prostheses, attached to bone-integrated implants, can be recommended. The functional surgery of the middle ear is also replaced in the context of the auricular reconstruction which is done around 8 years old."}
{"id": "PMID:1485126", "title": "[Bone demineralization and cytokines].", "content": "Cytokines are secreted by several cell types in the bone microenvironment. These peptides act on bone cells by a paracrine or autocrine mechanism and play an important role, although not completely clarified, in the regulation of bone remodeling. Postmenopausal osteoporosis could be due to a local overproduction of some osteoclast-stimulating cytokines in response to estrogen deficiency. During chronic inflammatory joint diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, synovial cells produce large amounts of cytokines leading to increased local bone resorption and juxta-articular bone destructions. The local action of cytokines is also involved for interactions between tumoral cells and bone cells. These are secreted by the tumoral (metastatic or hemopoietic) cells, bone marrow cells, bone cells, or even could be released from the bone matrix during bone resorption. Recent progress in our knowledge in the field of cytokines have improved the understanding of the pathogenesis of these diseases and let hope future promising developments for more specific treatments."}
{"id": "PMID:1485129", "title": "[Current aspects of inflammatory rheumatic diseases in elderly patients].", "content": "Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) are the most common rheumatologic diseases encountered in older patients. However, other disorders including spondylarthropathy and a variety of connective tissue diseases also occur in the elderly. PMR and the RS3PE syndrome seem to occur only in the elderly, although their symptoms may be difficult to differentiate from those of other conditions. Late-onset RA and, above all, late-onset spondylarthritis may have unusual presentations responsible for diagnostic mistakes. Pitting edema is typical of RS3PE syndrome but may also occur in other rheumatic diseases. This symptom seems to be associated with advanced age rather than with a specific cause. Because of these many unusual features, rheumatologic diseases in the elderly are often difficult to diagnose and to differentiate from a variety of other rheumatologic or nonrheumatologic conditions."}
{"id": "PMID:1485130", "title": "[Antiperinuclear antibodies and corrisponding antigens].", "content": "Antiperinuclear factors (APF) are directed to epithelial cell \"kerato-hyaline granules\". Standardization of the APF test has been achieved, but the way to express the results is still debatable. APF were found to be present in 76% of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients: thus the sensitivity and the specificity for RA were 76 and 97%, respectively. No clinical or serological associations were substantiated in RA. The antigens targetted by these auto-antibodies are extremely variable from one to another donor."}
{"id": "PMID:1485132", "title": "[Specific rheumatologic disorders in musicians].", "content": "The author reviews the locomotor problems observed in performing musicians. The overall frequency of these problems is high. Three presentations exist: overuse, entrapment and dystonic syndromes. Treatment of these problems implies not only a technical approach, but also consideration of life experience and individual personality."}
{"id": "PMID:1485133", "title": "[Surgery of scoliosis. Decision aid by three-dimensional imaging (3D)].", "content": "Scoliosis is a spatial deformations of the spine not reducible to a plan. Usually perception of this phenomena is made from frontal and lateral radiographies and needs a mental process to construct a 3D form. The proposed aid-system consists, firstly, to construct a 3D model from digitalised characteristic points on radiographies, and to visualize this model from any point of view, even the above view. Secondly, corrective bending posture radiographies are used to estimate kinematic spine variables and then to simulate optimal orthopedic correction. Methods and materials are adaptable for other osteo-articular systems."}
{"id": "PMID:1485135", "title": "[Post-traumatic psoriatic rheumatism. Clinical and medico-legal aspects].", "content": "The possibility that injury may play a role in the development of some forms of chronic inflammatory rheumatic disease has been a subject of debate for many years. Such a role is accepted for some cases of rheumatoid arthritis, remains controversial for spondylarthropathies, and is poorly understood in psoriatic arthritis. Three cases of post-traumatic psoriatic arthritis are reported herein. The difficulty of establishing the causative role of the injury (despite precise criteria) is underlined, the pathophysiologic mechanism is discussed (deep Koebner phenomenon?), and possible legal consequences are reviewed."}
{"id": "PMID:1485136", "title": "[Chondroitin sulfate in the treatment of gonarthrosis and coxarthrosis. 5-months result of a multicenter double-blind controlled prospective study using placebo].", "content": "One hundred twenty patients with osteoarthritis of the knees and hips were entered into a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial designed to evaluate the effectiveness of chondroitin sulfate (Structum). The three-month treatment phase was followed by a two-month treatment-free phase to allow evaluation of carry-over effects. The main endpoint was use of nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (expressed as mg of diclofenac equivalent). At completion of the three-month treatment phase, patients taking chondroitin sulfate (4 capsules/day) were using significantly less NSAIDs; this decrease persisted throughout the two-month treatment-free follow-up phase. The other parameters studied including visual analog scale assessment of pain, the Lequesne pain-function index, and overall patient and physician assessments, all showed a similar significant tendency. Tolerance was outstanding and no patients required premature withdrawal. These findings indicate that chondroitin sulfate is useful for the treatment of osteoarthritis, both as an agent slowly effective against symptoms and to reduce the need for NSAIDs. The carry-over effect of the drug suggests that intermittent administration may be appropriate."}
{"id": "PMID:1485142", "title": "Coverage by four information services of the core journals of rehabilitation and related topics.", "content": "In this study, three serials databases were used to identify core journals in rehabilitation and related areas. Simple strategies were used to search SERLINE (Serials Online, National Library of Medicine), Ulrich's International Periodicals Directory and SACHET (British Library serials database). Coverage of the journals identified by four secondary information services was then studied. These were Medline, Excerpta Medica, CINAHL (Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health) and CATS (Current Awareness Topics Services, British Library). The results confirmed and extended the findings of earlier work: the number of core journals in rehabilitation is very large and their coverage by information services is very selective. Of the services studied here, CATS seemed to be most comprehensive for the journals identified."}
{"id": "PMID:1485137", "title": "[Gout in Togolese patients].", "content": "A study was carried out to determine the frequency and semiological characteristics of gout in patients attending a hospital clinic in Lom\u00e9, Togo. Gout was diagnosed in 71 of the 1,821 patients seen from october 1989 through october 1991. Clinical findings and increased serum uric acid levels were the basis for the diagnosis of gout in 63 patients; in addition, in the eight other patients monosodium urate crystals were demonstrated in joint fluid. All gout patients were male and mean age at onset was 45 years. Mean duration of the disease was 8.5 years, Forty-seven patients had normal hemoglobin, whereas a hemoglobinopathy was present in the 24 other subjects (hemoglobin AS: 15 cases; hemoglobin AC: 7 cases; hemoglobin CC: 2 cases). Twenty-seven patients (38%) were obese and 24 (34%) had hypertension. Forty-six patients (65%) were habitual drinkers. Twenty patients (28%) had tophi. None of the patients had a history of renal colic. The other clinical features of the disease were similar to those seen in Western countries. Results of this study are in striking contradiction with the common belief that gout is exceedingly rare in black Africa."}
{"id": "PMID:1485143", "title": "Measurement of torque of trunk flexors at different velocities.", "content": "The purpose of this study was to determine the test-retest reliability of recording isometric and isokinetic torque of the trunk flexors and to examine the effect of velocity on the torque curves. Thirty healthy subjects were tested on two occasions for isometric torque of trunk flexion at four angles and eccentric and concentric torque at three velocities. Two subjects repeated these tests in the passive mode to determine the torque produced by the trunk when there was no active flexion effort. Intraclass correlation coefficients were above 0.85 for all isometric and isokinetic measures. Standard errors of measurement ranged from 6.9 to 19.5 Nm. Student t-tests indicated no significant differences between occasions for all outcome measures. Examination of passive and active torque curves indicated that the torque produced by the mass of the trunk increased with increasing velocity. It is concluded that both isometric and isokinetic testing of the trunk flexors are reliable, but that testing at higher velocities may not provide a valid measure of muscle performance."}
{"id": "PMID:1485138", "title": "[Diagnosis of extruded herniated disks].", "content": "In a patient with disk herniation it is often difficult to establish that the disk is free in the spinal canal. A retrospective medical record study comparing 65 cases of free herniated disk (FHD) confirmed upon surgery and 65 cases of disk protrusion (DP) demonstrated that FHD was more common in young male blue collar workers, especially those who worked in the sitting position. No clinical findings were diagnostic of FHD although the straight-leg raising test was positive at smaller angles than in disk protrusion. In this study, sensitivity and specificity of CT scan for the diagnosis of FHD were 75% and 80%, respectively. CT scan findings suggestive of FHD included a free disk fragment, found in 22.5% of cases, and an acute connecting angle. Saccoradiculography was more sensitive but less specific than CT scan in this study. In FDH, migration was common and ragged hernia contours were seen on the saccoradiculography images."}
{"id": "PMID:1485144", "title": "Gait in relation to ageing and idiopathic parkinsonism.", "content": "Distance/time measures of gait in 105 sufferers from idiopathic Parkinsonism, who were able to walk unaided, and 144 healthy controls were examined systematically. Those sufferers with overt fluctuations in control were assessed during their \"therapeutic window\". Free walking speed was lower for a given cadence in the sufferers, but reached a plateau whilst cadence could still be increased. Age, cognitive function and the range of passive hip flexion were important determinants of gait in them. Even minor degrees of cognitive impairment were associated with reduced free walking speed in sufferers: it appears unwise that they were prescribed more sedatives than the controls. The potential benefit of physiotherapy in maintaining joint flexibility was noted. The deficits in speed of individual sufferers, and hence the estimated potential for prophylaxis and treatment, were unrelated to age at presentation. There was no evidence for a limited period of responsiveness to levodopa therapy in this cross-sectional study."}
{"id": "PMID:1485145", "title": "Blood pressure response to detrusor pressure elevation in patients with a reflex urinary bladder after a cervical or high thoracic spinal cord injury.", "content": "In 12 patients with a reflex urinary bladder after a cervical or high thoracic spinal cord injury, blood pressure was measured every 30 s during cystometry. Four consecutive cystometries were performed by means of suprapubical catheters and 50 ml/min filling rate. The aim was to improve the methodological basis for cystometrical studies of paroxysmal hypertension and its treatment. In each cystometry there was an elevation of the systolic (20-60 mmHg) and the diastolic (15-55 mmHg) blood pressure. The maximum blood pressure always occurred during the emptying phase and always in close relation to the peak of the detrusor pressure. The amplitude of the blood pressure response varied intraindividually, but did not change in any particular direction during the series of cystometries. Thus, a cystometrical method which stimulates the detrusor in a physiological way is sufficient to give the typical uninhibited blood pressure reaction in most patients with a reflex bladder and a spinal reflex vasomotor function after a high level spinal cord injury. The blood pressure reaction obtained with this method is probably representative for the daily reaction during physiological reflex emptying of the bladder. To describe the maximum blood pressure reaction, it has to be measured during a well defined emptying phase and close to the occurrence of the maximum detrusor pressure. Since repetition of cystometry did not change the blood pressure response, this cystometrical method is useful for evaluation of pharmacological intervention."}
{"id": "PMID:1485140", "title": "[Evaluation of the effectiveness of serotonin (fluoxetine hydrochloride) treatment. Open study in fibromyalgia].", "content": "Primary fibromyalgia may involve an anomaly in the metabolism of serotonin responsible for the sleep disorders and diffuse pain. Effectiveness of an agent with pure serotonin-agonist properties (fluoxetin hydrochloride) was evaluated in 23 patients during a three-month open study. Treatment had no effect on pain severity, number of tender sites, or pain score. Sleep disorders improved and 57% of patients believed the treatment was effective. Adverse events were recorded in 43.4% of patients, with the most common being nausea (21.7%). Effectiveness and tolerance of fluoxetin hydrochloride in fibromyalgia are mediocre. A double-blind placebo-controlled trail versus a placebo is needed to clarify these preliminary findings."}
{"id": "PMID:1485139", "title": "[Spontaneous fracture of the femoral neck in hip algodystrophy in pregnancy. Apropos of a case and review of the literature].", "content": "A case of reflex sympathetic dystrophy involving the hip with a pathologic fracture of the femoral neck in a pregnant patient is reported. The low incidence of this condition is underlined and its characteristics are reviewed. The role of increased fragility related to pregnancy is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1485146", "title": "A comparison of different psychosocial questionnaires in patients with myocardial infarction.", "content": "In a consecutive study of 140 patients investigated one month after myocardial infarction (MI), a battery of American and English questionnaires was used to measure depression, anxiety, sleep problems, health locus of control and perceived health. These measures were compared with a well-documented generic questionnaire, the Nottingham Health Profile (NHP), and a similarly well-documented mood scale, the Mood Adjective Check List (MACL). There was close agreement among all measures depicting anxiety and tension. The concordance between the measures of anxiety states and depression was lower. Depression and sleep problems seem to constitute separate concepts, since they are not as highly related to the other measures of anxiety. Because psychosocial factors are important measures for the outcome after an infarction, accurate assessments of these variables are required. Further research is clearly warranted to clarify the complicated interaction between psychosocial constructs and to improve the methods used for their evaluation."}
{"id": "PMID:1485148", "title": "Epidemiological research needs access to data.", "content": "Data protection laws and their implementation have led to serious restrictions on access to personal data for research purposes. This seriously affects the development of social medicine and public health by making effective prevention of illness, and rational planning of health services, and their evaluation impossible in many instances. The conflict between people's need for knowledge about prevention and cure of illness and the control over personal data must be solved. Therefore, it is necessary to change the laws and ensure access to data for research use in accordance with the guidelines laid down by the European Science Foundation."}
{"id": "PMID:1485147", "title": "Assessment of handicap in chronic dialysis diabetic patients (Uremidiab section study).", "content": "As part of a large epidemiological study concerning 494 diabetic patients undergoing dialysis throughout France--the so-called Uremidiab section study--we collected data with the aim of describing objective as well as subjective aspects of quality of survival. Questionnaires were completed from medical records and from direct interviews by trained collectors. The data included: (a) medical status and impairments; (b) functional status with the Barthel index for basic activities of daily living; (c) subjective aspects through self-estimation of fatigue, pain, care burden, quality of life and working capacity. Only 21% of the patients had type 1 diabetes and more than 71% were currently insulin-treated. Among the various long-term complications registered, visual impairment was a prominent feature: 25% of the patients were blind and the best eye vision scored 0.8 or more for only 20%. The differences found between the two types of diabetes are discussed. As a result of these impairments, functional status was poor even when considering basic activities, with a mean Barthel index (BI) of 80 +/- 19. Type 2 patients and those patients undergoing continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis had significantly lower BI. The results are discussed in the light of the literature. Compared with a group of 121 non-dialyzed diabetics, patients scored higher for fatigue and pain, but not for care burden and quality of life."}
{"id": "PMID:1485149", "title": "Mortality in alcohol-related diseases in Sweden during 1971-80 in relation to occupation, marital status and citizenship in 1970.", "content": "A new Swedish population register, created by linking Census data to the Cause of Death Registry and covering over 99% of the population, has been used to study the relationship between occupational category, marital status and citizenship in 1970 and mortality in closely alcohol-related diseases during 1971-1980 for the ages 25-64 years. Age-standardized rate ratios (SRR) have been computed for mortality in alcoholism, alcohol intoxication and alcohol psychosis (\"AAA\") and in liver cirrhosis. SRR-values for both diagnose categories and both sexes were higher than average among not gainfully employed (SRR = 3.71 among males and SRR = 1.96 among females in 1976-80 for \"AAA\"), among employees in the service sector, engine-drivers and unskilled workers and increased in liver cirrhosis among artists and authors. Among females there were smaller variations in mortality for occupational groups than among males. The SRR-values showed a tendency to be higher in 1976-80 than in 1971-75, probably due to health-related selection to some extent. The alcohol-related mortality was also increased among divorced, widows (SRR = 1.37 for \"AAA\" and 2.81 for liver cirrhosis in 1976-80) and widowers and among never married males. SRR was much higher among Finnish citizens in Sweden (SRR for \"AAA\" = 3.85 among males and 2.35 among females in 1976-80) than among males and females living in Finland (SRR for \"AAA\" = 1.13 among males and 0.36 among females) and also higher than among immigrants from other countries, summed (SRR for \"AAA\" = 0.62 among males and 0.64 among females).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1485150", "title": "Further course of mental health and use of alcohol and tranquilizers after cessation or persistence of cannabis use in young adulthood: a longitudinal study.", "content": "The main question addressed in this study is how cessation or persistence of cannabis use is related to use of legal drugs and mental health problems. In a longitudinal study a representative sample of young people in Norway, age 17-20 years (n = 1997), participated in a postal survey in 1985 and was followed up again in 1987 and 1989. The results showed a decrease in alcohol consumption among men both among those who ceased to use cannabis and those who continued their use, whereas among women who continued cannabis use the alcohol consumption increased. The use of tranquilizers was significantly reduced among those who ceased to use cannabis compared with those who continued cannabis use, while mental health problems were unchanged. The results indicate that use of tranquilizers for self medication is mainly related to a polydrug use in the cannabis using culture."}
{"id": "PMID:1485151", "title": "Knowledge, attitudes and cardiovascular risk factors in Danish adults.", "content": "A community cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention programme was undertaken in 1989 in a Danish County (Vejle). A random sample of 5192 adults were asked to complete a mailed questionnaire on knowledge, attitudes, and behaviour in relation to CVD risk factors. The response rate was 56%. The questionnaire produced baseline data for programme planning and measuring the success of on-going interventions. Smoking, overweight, and unhealthy food habits were the most prevalent CVD risk factors. A CVD risk score was calculated from the data on smoking, food habits, exercise, stress, overweight, self-reported presence of hypertension, diabetes, and gender. A high score was commoner in men, in the least educated, in groups who judged their own risk as high, and in groups with negative health beliefs. The level of knowledge about CVD risk factors was high in general. Low knowledge was commonest in the youngest age group, in the least educated, in unskilled workers, and in groups with negative health beliefs. As social position and personality factors seem to play an important role in actions people may take in prevention of CVD, they should be considered in the planning of the health promotion activities in Vejle."}
{"id": "PMID:1485152", "title": "An update on knowledge and sexual behaviour among students in Greenland. Monitoring of the stop-AIDS campaign.", "content": "Greenland is a considered high risk area for a self-sustained heterosexual HIV-epidemic due to rather relaxed sexual norms in larger segments of the population and a high incidence of sexual transmitted diseases. However, the prevalence of HIV-positives is still low. As part of a monitoring programme longitudinal studies of young peoples' knowledge and sexual behaviour has been established. This paper presents results from the second survey among all students in vocational training and all 10th grade students in the public schools. Previous studies were performed in 1988 and 1989. The present study which took place in April 1991 involved a total of 1201 students, or about 85% of all students in the target groups (95% among students present on the day of surveying). Data collection was based upon standardized self-administered questionnaires. The study showed better knowledge than previously but no marked change in sexual habits. The age of sexual d\u00e9but even appeared to be decreasing. More than half reported a sexual d\u00e9but before the age of 15. More than 20% reported 10 sexual partners or more within the last year. HIV has still not reached the young population in Greenland but when it happens the present sexual behaviour carries a high risk of a self-sustained epidemic."}
{"id": "PMID:1485153", "title": "Health behaviour of fathers of young families expecting their first baby.", "content": "Health behaviour in fathers of young families expecting their first baby was studied using randomized cluster sampling and confidential questionnaires given to 1414 fathers, of whom 1,279 responded to the questionnaire. The drop-out rate was 9.5%. Participants and drop-outs had matching occupations. Basic educational level, age, occupation and location of home were used as background variables. Health behaviour was studied by means of many questions on habits associated with health, such as alcohol consumption, smoking, physical exercise, dietary habits, and social relations and use of cultural services connected with health. The results showed that the health behaviour of the fathers was related to their childhood family background, level of education and occupation. Health education literature and counselling best reached fathers with a high level of education and those with professional occupations. The most negative health behaviour patterns were seen in fathers working in manufacturing industry or primary production and in the youngest fathers. Maternity health care clinics and Well-baby clinics establish a longstanding relation with young families, and health care staffs have a good opportunity to support the future fathers' health behaviour in a positive direction."}
{"id": "PMID:1485154", "title": "War-wounded refugees. Quality of life after 2-3 years in Sweden.", "content": "The Medical Center for Refugees in Link\u00f6ping, Sweden, includes a medical ward for refugees and asylum applicants. It was started in January, 1986 and is financed by the Swedish Immigration Board. Sixty percent of the patients are war-wounded and 40% have diagnoses non-related to war. This article describes a group of 19 refugees who were the war-wounded patients at this ward in June, 1986. In most of them the main medical impairment was amputation. They were followed up in 1988 by interview and self-ratings. The aim was to illuminate their quality of life after 2-3 years in Sweden. Most of them were satisfied with their external living conditions. Their psychological well-being, however, was not so good and they were very occupied by thoughts of their native countries. Their physical handicaps seemed to be of secondary importance."}
{"id": "PMID:1485155", "title": "Do not forget the battered male! A comparative study of family and non-family violence victims.", "content": "This study is based on interviews with and psychiatric ratings of female family violence victims and male non-family violence victims. Despite differences in the type of violence and the relation to the assailant, the psychological consequences of the battering were very much the same in the two groups. The background and present social situation of the victims were very similar. The conclusion drawn with regard to the medical services, is that both groups of victims need the same attention and treatment when attending the emergency department. Apart from routine medical care, they might need treatment for alcohol problems, depression or other psychiatric conditions frequently occurring in victims of violence."}
{"id": "PMID:1485156", "title": "The Nordland Health Study. Design of the study, description of the population, attendance and questionnaire response.", "content": "In 1988/89, 10,497 men and women aged 40-42 were invited to a health screening in the County of Nordland in northern Norway. The screening procedure comprised completion of a questionnaire, measurement of blood pressure, weight, height and collection of a non-fasting blood sample. Eighty-two percent of the invited population attended the screening. They were given another questionnaire which covered a broad spectrum of relevant topics. Eighty-seven percent of the attenders returned this questionnaire by mail. Non-attenders to the screening tended to be single. Non-responders to the second questionnaire did not differ much from responders, the most consistent finding was a slightly higher heart rate in non-responders. Non-responding men had somewhat higher serum total cholesterol and tended to be smokers."}
{"id": "PMID:1485158", "title": "Impact of occupations and job tasks on the prevalence of carpal tunnel syndrome.", "content": "In this investigation reported epidemiologic studies on carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) (15 cross-sectional studies involving 32 occupational or exposure groups and six case-referent studies) were reviewed. The prevalence of CTS in the different occupational groups varied between 0.6 and 61%. The highest prevalence was noted for grinders, butchers, grocery store workers, frozen food factory workers, platers, and workers with high-force, high-repetitive manual movements. Odds ratios greater than 10 were reported for exposed groups in three studies. On the basis of epidemiologic and other evidence, it was concluded that exposure to physical work load factors, such as repetitive and forceful gripping, is probably a major risk factor for CTS in several types of worker populations. At least 50%, and as much as 90%, of all of the CTS cases in these exposed populations appeared to be attributable to physical work load."}
{"id": "PMID:1485159", "title": "Fetal growth, preterm birth and infant mortality in relation to work with video display terminals during pregnancy.", "content": "Through register linkage between a trade union file and public health registers 24,352 pregnancy outcomes were selected from a source population of 214,108 commercial and clerical employees. In a case-base study including all recorded cases and a randomly selected base sample, the potential effect of video display terminal (VDT) use in pregnancy on the risk of low birthweight, preterm birth, light weight for delivery date, stillborn, perinatal death, and infant death was investigated. Data on VDT use and potential confounders were collected from postal questionnaires sent to 6312 women and 426 employers. The rate ratio for women exposed to any degree of use was 0.88 for low birthweight [95% confidence interval (95% CI) 0.67-1.16], 1.11 for preterm birth (95% CI 0.87-1.47), 0.99 for light weight for delivery date (95% CI 0.80-1.21), 0.73 for stillborn (95% CI 0.36-1.48), 1.10 for perinatal death (95% CI 0.62-1.94), and 0.20 for infant death (95% CI 0.04-1.03). In conclusion, this investigation did not show an increased risk of the studied adverse pregnancy outcomes among women with VDT use."}
{"id": "PMID:1485160", "title": "Mortality studies of machining-fluid exposure in the automobile industry. II. Risks associated with specific fluid types.", "content": "Excesses of digestive and respiratory cancers have been reported previously in association with exposure to machining fluids, agents in widespread use as coolants and lubricants in machining operations. Previous studies have had limited power to distinguish the effects of the different types of machining fluids in use. In a cohort of over 30,000 workers employed at two automotive plants in Michigan, mortality patterns were studied in relation to exposure to each of the three major fluid types--straight oils, soluble oils, and synthetic fluids. Standardized mortality ratios were estimated for subgroups of the cohort ever exposed to each of the three fluid types, and Poisson regression analyses were used to assess trends in risk with duration of exposure. The data suggest modest positive associations between exposure to straight oils and rectal, laryngeal, and prostatic cancer and a negative association between soluble and synthetic fluid exposure and lung cancer."}
{"id": "PMID:1485161", "title": "Sources of variance in exposure to postural load on the back in occupational groups.", "content": "The variability of exposure to postural load on the back was studied in five occupational groups. A random sample of workers in each group was observed for two periods of 30 min during a shift, their posture being classified every 20 s. The estimated percentage of time spent in trunk flexion and rotation formed the principal measures of exposure. The partitioning of the total variability of exposure showed that occupational group status was the principal source of variance. The between-group variance accounted for 47 and 72% of the total variability of exposure to trunk flexion and rotation, respectively. The corresponding percentages were 29 and 16% for the within-worker variance of trunk flexion and rotation and 24 and 12% for the between-worker variance. This type of analysis of the sources of exposure variability may help to establish appropriate measurement strategies for exposure to postural load on the back in epidemiologic studies on low-back pain."}
{"id": "PMID:1485162", "title": "Role of psychosocial risk factors in work-related low-back pain.", "content": "The experience of low-back pain and its psychosocial associates were directly compared among sufferers drawn from three populations, a blue-collar working group, a white-collar working group, and a patient group. Sufferers drawn from the patient population revealed the expected psychological disturbance. There was no evidence of such involvement for sufferers still at work. Disability resulting from low-back pain was positively linearly related to severity of pain for sufferers drawn from working groups, irrespective of psychological disturbance. For patients, on the other hand, the presence of psychological disturbance modified the relationship between severity and disability such that no simple linear relationship existed between the two variables. Work dissatisfaction was not found to be related to the presence of, and did not account for disability resulting from, low-back pain in working subjects."}
{"id": "PMID:1485163", "title": "Temporary health effects from exposure to water-borne paints.", "content": "Temporary health effects of exposure to experimental paints were studied. Ten painters feeling nuisance from water-borne paints and eight painters not feeling such nuisance applied eight experimental water-borne paints according to normal work routines. The effects were a decrease in forced vital capacity, forced expiratory volume in 1 s and peak expiratory flow, an increase in urine excretion, and a decrease in urine density. A small, but statistically highly significant, increase in the mean volume of erythrocytes was observed. The effects were similar in the two groups, but the \"nuisance group\" reacted with a larger urine excretion and a larger increase in the mean volume of erythrocytes. The effects did not influence physical work capacity. The effects on the lungs and urinary excretion were probably not associated with the organic solvents or ammonia in the paints. Instead, they were probably due to derivatives of isothiazolinone. This assumption needs verification."}
{"id": "PMID:1485164", "title": "Work-related behavioral and dental risk factors among confectionery workers.", "content": "The dietary habits and dental health behavior of 294 employees in a Finnish confectionery company were studied to determine the reasons for their dental caries experience and their caries-promoting salivary microbiological findings. A diary and a questionnaire were used. A caries risk index was constructed for salivary microbiological findings. Daily dietary acidogenic exposures were calculated, and differences between low and high caries-risk groups were analyzed. Statistically significant differences in dietary habits between the low- and high-risk groups were found for the entire study population and for the men, the cookie markers, and the sweets makers. A significant positive correlation was found between untreated caries and the number of sugary meals. No differences were found in dental health behavior or dental knowledge between the study groups. The results show that the nature of between-meal snacks and confectionery workers' freedom to consume their products constitutes a potential hazard to dental health."}
{"id": "PMID:1485165", "title": "Occupationally related ultrasonic findings in carpet and floor layers' knees.", "content": "Soft-tissue changes in the anterior aspect of the knees were evaluated with ultrasonography among 96 randomly selected carpet and floor layers and 72 painters. The ultrasonography showed thickening of the prepatellar or superficial infrapatellar bursa in 49% of the carpet and floor layers and 7% of the house painters. Fluid collection in the prepatellar or superficial infrapatellar bursa was noted for 10 carpet and floor layers, and this ultrasonographic finding was associated with knee pain in kneeling postures."}
{"id": "PMID:1485166", "title": "Possible mechanisms of formaldehyde-induced discomfort in the upper airways.", "content": "Occupational exposure to formaldehyde often causes nasal discomfort. The objective of this study was to determine whether chronic exposure to formaldehyde causes annoying symptoms by direct irritation and whether it affects all exposed people (through hyperreactivity in atopic persons, through formaldehyde-induced hyperreactivity also in nonatopic persons, or through an immunologically mediated, immediate type 1 reaction to formaldehyde itself). It was found that about 50% of the studied population of 66 workers occupationally exposed to formaldehyde during formaldehyde production experienced nasal discomfort through hyperreactivity. Atopics were not significantly overrepresented among the persons with occupational nasal symptoms. Two workers with isolated occupational nasal discomfort, and sensitized by long-term inhalation, had a positive radioallergosorbent test for formaldehyde. The conclusion was reached that exposure to formaldehyde should be minimized as much as possible for all people, not only for atopic persons."}
{"id": "PMID:1485169", "title": "Chemotherapy of advanced sarcomas of bone and soft tissue.", "content": "The chemotherapeutic approach to advanced sarcomas of bone and soft tissue is reviewed. The most active single agents against osteosarcoma are doxorubicin (overall response rate, 21%), methotrexate (30% to 40%), cisplatin (25%), and ifosfamide (28%). Current multimodality treatment for Ewing's sarcoma consists of combination chemotherapy with doxorubicin, vincristine, and cyclophosphamide (or ifosfamide in current trials) prior to and concurrent with radiation therapy for the involved bone. In soft tissue sarcomas, doxorubicin is the most active single agent, with overall response rates ranging from 15% to 35%. Dacarbazine has a single-agent response rate of 16%. Ifosfamide has documented activity in sarcoma patients who have failed treatment with doxorubicin-containing regimens. The combination regimen currently producing the highest response rates in soft-tissue sarcomas is doxorubicin/dacarbazine/ifosfamide. Doxorubicin and dacarbazine should be administered by continuous infusion to reduce the severity of nausea and vomiting and the risk of cardiotoxicity. Ifosfamide can be given by continuous infusion or in divided doses with mesna to mitigate urothelial toxicity."}
{"id": "PMID:1485170", "title": "The history of ifosfamide.", "content": "Ifosfamide was developed by investigators at Asta-Werke in Germany. Its chemical structure differs from that of cyclophosphamide by the transposition of one of the side chain chloroethyl groups to the ring nitrogen. In several preclinical models, ifosfamide had greater activity than cyclophosphamide. It produced less myelosuppression, but more commonly produced hemorrhagic cystitis as its dose-limiting toxicity. This toxicity has been minimized with the urothelial protective agents mesna and N-acetylcysteine. Thus, increasing doses have been administered and a new spectrum of toxicities observed, including neurotoxicity, hematologic toxicity, nephrotoxicity, and acidosis. Ifosfamide has been shown to have a broad spectrum of clinical activity in various cancers. Questions remain as to the optimal doses and schedules."}
{"id": "PMID:1485171", "title": "New perspectives in the treatment of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.", "content": "Curability of patients with advanced intermediate- or high-grade non-Hodgkin's lymphoma using front-line anthracycline-containing chemotherapy remains disappointingly low. Novel regimens used as salvage therapy for these patients continue to be explored. Ifosfamide has been shown to have significant single-agent activity against non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and its use in various combinations produces response rates of 20% to 83% in patients with refractory or relapsing disease. In our study of 32 evaluable patients using dexamethasone/ifosfamide/cisplatin/etoposide as salvage treatment, seven patients (22%) achieved a complete response and 15 (47%) had a partial response, for an overall response rate of 69%. Median duration of response is substantial for patients who achieve a complete response (18+ months), and dexamethasone/ifosfamide/cisplatin/etoposide produces useful palliation in some patients who attain a partial response (16+ months). Gastrointestinal side effects are minimal, with myelosuppression being the dose-limiting toxicity. Ifosfamide-containing regimens have now been incorporated either as response-adapted consolidation to front-line therapy or integrated with standard front-line treatment. We have divided our patient population by age and are investigating prednisone/etoposide/mitoxantrone as front-line therapy for patients older than 65 years. Patients younger than 65 are now being entered into a front-line, response-adapted, ifosfamide-containing chemotherapy regimen with a view to enhancing their curability."}
{"id": "PMID:1485172", "title": "Gynecologic Oncology Group studies with ifosfamide.", "content": "The Gynecologic Oncology Group has conducted a series of phase II studies with ifosfamide and mesna since 1985. Previously untreated patients received ifosfamide 1.5 g/m2 intravenously daily for 5 days. Mesna was given intravenously every 4 hours three times daily at 20% of the daily ifosfamide dose. Because of the toxic effects observed in previously treated patients with ovarian cancer, the ifosfamide dose was reduced to 1.2 g/m2/d in patients with prior chemotherapy or radiotherapy. In epithelial ovarian cancer, responses were observed in eight (20%) of 41 evaluable patients, with three (7%) complete responses. In patients with squamous carcinoma of the cervix, an 11.1% response rate (three of 27 patients) was observed in those who had received prior platinum therapy. In 51 previously untreated patients, the response rate was 15.7%. In nonsquamous cervical carcinomas, there were three partial responses among 25 patients (12%). An 8.6% response rate was observed among 23 patients with previously treated endometrial adenocarcinomas. In uterine sarcomas, response rates were 30.7% in mixed m\u00fcllerian tumors, 17.2% in leiomyosarcomas, and 27.3% in endometrial stromal sarcomas. Patients with ovarian sarcomas responded in 27.8% of cases. Studies with ifosfamide combinations are currently under way by the Gynecologic Oncology Group."}
{"id": "PMID:1485173", "title": "Activity of ifosfamide in breast cancer.", "content": "Ifosfamide is an alkylating agent that has clearly demonstrated efficacy against advanced breast cancer. In broad phase II trials, ifosfamide produced response rates of approximately 15% to 20%, and up to 30% in patients without exposure to previous chemotherapy. In subsequent studies, in which ifosfamide was evaluated in higher doses with mesna uroprotection in advanced breast cancer patients with or without prior chemotherapy, the combined complete and partial response rate was 28%. Ifosfamide has also been used in combination regimens. The ifosfamide/methotrexate/5-fluorouracil (IMF) combination has produced efficacy similar to that of the cyclophosphamide/methotrexate/5-fluorouracil (CMF) combination in both previously treated and untreated metastatic breast cancer. Combinations of ifosfamide/epirubicin, ifosfamide/mitoxantrone, and ifosfamide/etoposide have shown encouraging results. Response rates of approximately 70% have been obtained with regimens that include ifosfamide/doxorubicin or ifosfamide/epirubicin. The dose-limiting toxic reactions of ifosfamide, with administration of mesna uroprotection, are myelosuppression, renal tubular acidosis, and renal insufficiency. Additional studies are needed to determine the role of ifosfamide in well-defined patient subsets, to assess its cross-resistance with other alkylating agents, and to determine the slope of the dose-response curve in patients with breast cancer. Further, the role of ifosfamide in front-line combinations needs to be defined."}
{"id": "PMID:1485174", "title": "Current studies of ifosfamide for pediatric solid tumors and leukemia in the United States.", "content": "This paper reviews current approaches to the use of ifosfamide/mesna alone or in combination with other agents or modalities in the treatment of pediatric malignancies. Included are data from current or recently completed studies conducted by major pediatric oncology cooperative groups and large individual oncology centers for patients with newly diagnosed or recurrent tumors. Sarcomas, neuroblastoma, lymphomas, recurrent solid tumors, brain tumors, and acute lymphoblastic leukemia are discussed. Randomized trials to determine the relative efficacy of ifosfamide and cyclophosphamide in various childhood malignancies are under way. The long-term consequences of ifosfamide in survivors of childhood cancer, in terms of development of bladder cancer or other malignancies thought to be associated with alkylating agents, are not known, and will only be determined through follow-up studies of adult survivors. Ifosfamide's future role in pediatric oncology will depend on evaluation of its therapeutic benefits against long-term toxicity."}
{"id": "PMID:1485175", "title": "Oral mesna: a review.", "content": "Oral administration of mesna can facilitate outpatient ifosfamide therapy. Blood and urinary mesna concentrations are more steady and prolonged after oral delivery compared with after intravenous delivery. The incidence of hematuria observed during partial oral mesna therapy is no greater than that during intravenous mesna therapy. The pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, efficacy, safety, and reported schedules of administration are reviewed."}
{"id": "PMID:1485176", "title": "Single-dose ondansetron for the prevention of cisplatin-induced emesis: efficacy results.", "content": "Ondansetron 0.15 mg/kg, given intravenously (IV) every 4 hours for three doses, has replaced metoclopramide as standard antiemetic therapy for patients receiving cisplatin-based chemotherapy. Several clinical observations suggested that ondansetron may be effective when given in a single dose: (1) demonstration of efficacy over a wide dose range, (2) similar efficacy with dosing intervals of 2, 4, 6, and 8 hours, and (3) efficacy of single-dose regimens with high-dose metoclopramide and other 5-hydroxytryptamine3 antagonists. In this study, patients receiving cisplatin-based chemotherapy were randomized to receive one of three ondansetron dosing regimens: ondansetron 0.15 mg/kg IV every 4 hours x 3 (standard schedule), ondansetron 32 mg IV x 1, or ondansetron 8 mg IV x 1. All patients were chemotherapy naive, at least 18 years of age, Karnofsky performance status > or = 60%, and inpatients. The number of emetic episodes, nausea, and food intake were measured during the 24 hours following cisplatin administration. Six hundred eighteen evaluable patients were randomized to the three ondansetron treatment groups; 301 received moderate-dose cisplatin (50 to 70 mg/m2) and 317 received high-dose cisplatin (> or = 100 mg/m2). Patients in both cisplatin groups receiving ondansetron 32 mg had a higher complete response rate, lower failure rate, fewer total emetic episodes, less nausea, and more food intake than did patients receiving ondansetron 8 mg. In addition, the 32-mg schedule was superior to the standard three-dose schedule in that it had a lower failure rate and higher food intake and was equivalent to the standard regimen in all other comparisons. All three schedules were well tolerated. Ondansetron 32 mg given prior to cisplatin is superior to a single 8-mg dose and is at least as effective, if not superior to, the standard three-dose schedule (0.15 mg/kg every 4 hours). On the basis of these data, ondansetron 32 mg should be considered standard therapy in patients receiving cisplatin-based chemotherapy and should be the schedule with which new antiemetics and alternate dosing schedules are compared."}
{"id": "PMID:1485177", "title": "Mechanisms by which cancer chemotherapeutic drugs induce emesis.", "content": "Because the area postrema seems essential for chemotherapy-induced vomiting, both circulating and/or neurally mediated stimuli in this area could trigger the emetic response. In our laboratories results of cross-circulation and direct intracerebroventricular infusion experiments in dogs do not support a role for circulating substances. The large increases in serum vasopressin induced by cisplatin were not blocked by inhibitors of the angiotensin-converting enzyme. In the ferret inhibition of serotonin synthesis with p-chloro-phenylalanine, administration of selective antagonists of 5-hydroxy-tryptamine3 (5-HT3) receptors, or visceral deafferentation inhibited the emetic response evoked by cisplatin or high-dose cyclophosphamide. The results suggest that serotonin plays an important role and that peripheral neural mechanisms are involved in the emetic response. The strong antiemetic efficacy of selective 5-HT3 antagonists also has been confirmed in humans. In cancer patients high-dose cisplatin increased the plasma and urinary levels of 5-hydroxy-indoleacetic acid (5-HIAA), but did not affect platelet and free plasma serotonin. The changes in 5-HIAA levels paralleled the onset and development of vomiting. No evidence of serotonin depletion has been obtained after high-dose cisplatin. Dacarbazine, another strongly emetogenic agent, increased urinary 5-HIAA; however, only small increases in 5-HIAA were produced with low-dose cisplatin or cyclophosphamide-containing regimens. Thus, emetogenicity appears to be directly related to the ability of the cytotoxic agent to release serotonin. In humans, antiemetics such as ondansetron, metoclopramide, and dexamethasone did not effect high-dose cisplatin-induced increases in serotonin metabolism. Therefore, these antiemetics seem not to affect the amount of serotonin released. The mechanism by which chemotherapeutic drugs induce serotonin release is unknown; however, release may occur by direct cytotoxicity on the gastrointestinal mucosa, including the enterochromaffin cells. Delayed emesis appears to be mediated by 5-HT3-independent mechanisms. It is proposed that emesis that develops despite high-dose ondansetron (residual emesis) should be considered delayed emesis. Residual and delayed episodes of emesis have similar time courses, are characterized by very mild emetic episodes and poor response to 5-HT3 antagonists, and are not associated with increases in serotonin metabolism."}
{"id": "PMID:1485178", "title": "Efficacy of ondansetron tablets in the management of chemotherapy-induced emesis: review of clinical trials.", "content": "The selective 5-hydroxytryptamine3 antagonist ondansetron has been shown to be effective in preventing nausea and vomiting associated with highly emetogenic cisplatin chemotherapy. Two multicenter, placebo-controlled, dose-comparison studies (S3A-361 and S3A-362) were undertaken to investigate the efficacy and safety of oral ondansetron in patients receiving non-cisplatin, cyclophosphamide-based regimens in the outpatient setting. Chemotherapy-naive patients undergoing their first cycle of cyclophosphamide-based (> or = 500 mg/m2) chemotherapy were randomized to receive placebo or ondansetron, 1, 4, or 8 mg, three times per day for 3 days. In addition to cyclophosphamide, all patients received doxorubicin, methotrexate, or another low-to-moderately emetogenic agent. In study S3A-361, 318 of 349 patients were evaluable for efficacy; 297 of 324 patients in study S3A-362 were evaluable for efficacy. All patients in both studies were evaluable for safety. All ondansetron groups were superior to placebo groups in both studies for all measured efficacy parameters. In the two studies combined, 14%, 47%, 65%, and 66% of patients in the placebo, 1-, 4-, and 8-mg ondansetron groups, respectively, experienced no emetic episodes. The rate of therapeutic failure was statistically lower in the ondansetron groups in both studies compared with the placebo groups. In addition, therapeutic failure decreased in a dose-dependent manner. Severity of nausea, food intake, time to first emetic episode, and need for rescue antiemetics were also improved for the ondansetron groups. When the patients were stratified for doxorubicin-containing regimens, those patients receiving doxorubicin had a lower response rate with placebo and ondansetron than those on non-doxorubicin regimens. However, a dose-related improvement in efficacy was still observed with ondansetron in this subset of patients. In patients receiving the more emetogenic high-dose cyclophosphamide (> or = 600 mg/m2) regimens, a dose-related improvement in efficacy also was observed. In conclusion, oral ondansetron was found to be an effective and safe antiemetic for patients receiving cyclophosphamide-based chemotherapy in the outpatient setting. The 8-mg dose was optimal, particularly in patients receiving doxorubicin-containing or high-dose cyclophosphamide regimens."}
{"id": "PMID:1485179", "title": "Clinical safety of ondansetron.", "content": "The safety of intravenous (IV) and oral ondansetron has been evaluated in over 7,000 cancer patients in world-wide clinical trials. In adult patients receiving single-day chemotherapy, the incidence of adverse events was 45% with IV ondansetron (n = 317) and 59% with metoclopramide (n = 279). Headache occurred in 17% of ondansetron patients and 10% of metoclopramide patients, whereas diarrhea symptoms were reported in 15% of the former and 29% of the latter. The incidence and types of adverse events were similar following three 0.15 mg/kg IV ondansetron doses and 8- or 32-mg single IV doses. There was a slight increase in the incidence of headache following a single 32-mg dose (25%) compared with a single 8-mg dose (18%) or three 0.15 mg/kg doses (18%). The safety profile of oral ondansetron was similar to that of the IV formulation. Following an 8-mg oral dose administered three times a day for 3 days, the most frequently reported adverse events were headache (21%), constipation (7%), and abdominal pain (5%). In a group of 209 pediatric patients receiving chemotherapy, the incidence of adverse events following IV and oral ondansetron was 19%. The most commonly reported adverse event was headache (4%). In comparative clinical trials, extrapyramidal symptoms were reported in 5% of the metoclopramide patients but none of the ondansetron patients. In open-label trials, two patients who received ondansetron reported symptoms consistent with, but not diagnostic of, extrapyramidal reactions. The incidence of vascular occlusive events and seizure disorders was identical for ondansetron and comparative agents. Serum transaminase values increased significantly in 6% to 8% of ondansetron patients and 2% of metoclopramide patients who received cisplatin. There was no apparent relationship between the dose of ondansetron administered and the incidence of increased transaminase abnormalities. However, there was an apparent relationship between the dose of cisplatin administered and the incidence of transaminase abnormalities. In patients who received non-cisplatin chemotherapy, there was no difference in serum transaminase values between oral ondansetron and placebo. These data demonstrate that ondansetron is better tolerated than metoclopramide and is safe for IV and oral administration to patients receiving chemotherapy. In addition, ondansetron is well tolerated when administered as a single 32-mg infusion over 15 minutes."}
{"id": "PMID:1485180", "title": "Results of a compassionate-use program using intravenous ondansetron to prevent nausea and vomiting in patients receiving emetogenic cancer chemotherapy.", "content": "This study reports the effectiveness and side effects of intravenous ondansetron as a single-agent antiemetic therapy for patients receiving emetogenic cancer chemotherapy under a compassionate-use program for patients not enrolled in controlled clinical trials. Patients were > or = 7 years old and had uncontrolled nausea and vomiting or intolerable side effects with standard antiemetics administered with previous cancer chemotherapy. All patients received ondansetron 0.15 mg/kg every 4 hours x 3 daily doses beginning 30 minutes prior to emetogenic chemotherapy. Patients could receive ondansetron for up to 5 consecutive days of chemotherapy. One hundred ninety patients received ondansetron during chemotherapy treatments that were similar to previous cycles of chemotherapy during which the patients had received standard antiemetics (identical chemotherapy or differing only by addition/deletion of chemotherapy agents of low emetogenicity). Chemotherapy regimens included cisplatin (n = 99; 52%), doxorubicin (without cisplatin, n = 52; 27%), and other drugs (n = 39; 21%). Patient experiences with nausea and vomiting and side effects with ondansetron and with previous standard antiemetics were rated on a scale of 1 to 10 (1, did not experience; 10, as bad as could be). On the nausea and vomiting scale, 74% of patients improved on ondansetron relative to standard antiemetics. Mean nausea and vomiting scales were 3.9 for ondansetron and 7.7 for standard antiemetics (P < .001). On the side effects scale, 62% of patients improved with ondansetron. Mean side effect scores were 1.8 for ondansetron and 4.5 for standard antiemetics (P < .001). One hundred nine patients assessed the effect of nausea and vomiting on their quality of life by means of the Functional Living Index-Emesis. On a 100-point scale (100=best quality of life), quality of life scores were 65.5 for ondansetron and 39.5 for standard antiemetics (P < .01). Functional Living Index-Emesis scores were higher for 76% of patients during ondansetron treatment as compared with previous chemotherapy with standard antiemetic regimens. Twenty-eight patients (15%) were withdrawn from the study because of nausea and vomiting. Forty-four patients (23%) experienced other adverse effects (headache, 17 patients; diarrhea, eight patients; all other events occurred in two or fewer patients). Only six patients were withdrawn due to adverse effects. In conclusion, ondansetron therapy resulted in significantly improved control of nausea and vomiting, fewer side effects, and better quality of life than standard antiemetic therapy in the same patients receiving similar chemotherapy regimens."}
{"id": "PMID:1485181", "title": "Radiation-induced emesis: effects of ondansetron.", "content": "The incidence, severity, and onset of radiation-induced emesis (RIE) are related to field size, site, and dose per fraction. Radiation-induced emesis can occur (1) within 2 to 3 weeks in approximately 50% of patients after conventional fractionated radiotherapy (200 cGy/fraction) to the upper abdomen, (2) acutely in more than 90% of patients receiving fractionated total body irradiation (TBI) for bone marrow transplantation, and (3) within 30 to 60 minutes in more than 80% of patients following single high-dose (> 500 cGy)/large field hemibody irradiation (HBI). The increased frequency of emesis associated with TBI and HBI has renewed the interest in the mechanism and treatment of RIE. A number of studies have reported a significant difference in the incidence of emesis following doses of > or = 500 cGy to the upper-mid (> 80%) and lower (20% to 40%) hemibody. The data suggested that the organ responsible for emetic response was in the upper abdomen. However, the mechanism of RIE is not well understood, although degradation products from normal tissues and tumor have been suggested. The introduction and effectiveness of the 5-hydroxytryptamine3 receptor antagonists in chemotherapy-induced emesis and the location of these receptors in the upper abdomen (possible site of the radiation-associated emetic response) suggested that this group of compounds may have a role in RIE. Lucraft and Palmer (Clin Radiol 33:621-622, 1982) reported no differences between levonantradol and chlorpromazine in preventing RIE in patients treated with single doses of more than 10 Gy to a small upper abdominal field. Priestman (Eur J Cancer Clin Oncol 25:529-533, 1989 [Suppl]) reported on a pilot and randomized study with ondansetron after single doses of 8 to 10 Gy to the upper abdomen. In the pilot study, ondansetron achieved major or complete control of vomiting in 77% to 90% of patients; subsequently, he reported a significant difference between ondansetron (97%) and metoclopramide (45%) in controlling RIE on the day of radiotherapy. Hewitt et al (Bone Marrow Transpl 7:431-433, 1991) reported a complete or major response on 93% of the days of ondansetron therapy during pretreatment therapy with cyclophosphamide and TBI for bone marrow transplantation. A preliminary analysis of 41 patients treated with HBI at the Rex Cancer Center confirms the role of ondansetron in RIE. Twenty-eight patients (upper-mid 16 patients/lower HBI 12 patients) did not receive pretreatment antiemetics (group A); seven received non-ondansetron pre-HBI (group B); and six received ondansetron (group C).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1485189", "title": "Diagnosis and management of patients with ambiguous genitalia.", "content": "Ambiguous genitalia in the newborn is an emergency requiring a multidisciplinary approach to diagnosis and management. The differential diagnosis includes gonadal differentiation disorders, female pseudohermaphroditism, and male pseudohermaphroditism. The initial evaluation includes a history, physical examination, radiologic studies, and a karyotype, with subsequent specifically directed laboratory tests. Gender assignment involves consideration of future sexual functioning, fertility, and physical appearance. The information required to assign sex of rearing is usually available within 48 to 72 hours of birth. Management involves ongoing medical follow-up, timely surgical repair, and psychological counselling as needed. Parents require education with respect to sex differentiation and the specific disorder of their child. Normal psychosocial development is dependent on parents' confidence in their ability to raise their child according to the assigned sex."}
{"id": "PMID:1485190", "title": "Can ethnography save the life of medical ethics?", "content": "Since its inception contemporary medical ethics has been regarded by many of its practitioners as 'applied ethics', that is, the application of philosophical theories to the moral problems that arise in health care. This 'applied ethics' model of medical ethics is, however, beset with internal and external difficulties. The internal difficulties point out that the model is intrinsically flawed. The external difficulties arise because the model does not fit work in the field. Indeed, the strengths of that work are its highly nuanced, particularized analyses of cases and issues and its appreciation of the circumstances and contexts that generate and structure these cases and issues. A shift away from a theory-driven 'applied ethics' to a more situational, contextual approach to medical ethics opens the way for ethnographic studies of moral problems in health care as well as a conception of moral theory that is more responsive to the empirical dimensions of those problems."}
{"id": "PMID:1485191", "title": "Innovation in primary care: community health services in Mexico and the United States.", "content": "Providing adequate health care to a nation's citizens is a challenge in every country. Despite large differences in wealth, health care organization, and health politics, both Mexico and the United States undertook similar efforts to expand primary care to previously underserved populations during the past 30 years. This study analyzes common antecedents, contexts of change, elements of the innovations, problems with entrenched interests, and resources that have allowed both programs to survive in difficult environments. We show that new forms of primary health care can face similar problems and prospects in very different countries because of similar political, bureaucratic, and economic limitations."}
{"id": "PMID:1485192", "title": "Workable competition in health care: prospects for the Dutch design.", "content": "Since 1989 a gradual restructuring of the Dutch health care system is taking place to realize a multiple choice social health insurance system with workable competition among insurers and among health care providers. This paper investigates whether the structural change will induce the intended competition. An examination of the characteristics of the market for health insurance, physician services and hospital services in the Netherlands points out that the scope for competition is limited. If competition is to work, rather extensive government regulation to monitor the conduct of both providers and insurers is needed. Without an effective antitrust policy a high degree of concentration and collusion is likely."}
{"id": "PMID:1485193", "title": "The anthropology of sexually transmitted disease in Liberia.", "content": "In sub-Saharan African countries where AIDS is established, HIV transmission is primarily by means of heterosexual intercourse. A major co-factor in such transmission is the presence of other, sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Efforts to limit the heterosexual transmission of HIV in Africa must therefore address the high prevalence of other, standard STDs. The present study attempts to establish a preliminary information base for interventions to prevent the spread of HIV in Liberia where there is relatively high incidence of standard STDs but low incidence of HIV seropositivity. Employing in-depth, key-informant interviews with traditional healers, prostitutes and others, as well as focus group discussions with groups selected on the basis of several criteria, knowledge, beliefs, attitudes and behavior related to AIDS and STDs were elicited. Although evidence of exposure to scientific concepts was found, traditional, ethnomedical views predominated. Notions of sorcery, taboo violation and contamination were often expressed when describing the etiologies of locally-recognized sexually transmitted diseases. More 'naturalistic' explanations were often based on simplified notions of human anatomy and biochemistry. Three basic messages about AIDS that were broadcast in a recent radio campaign were retained, namely 'AIDS kills;' 'there is no cure for it;' and 'it is transmitted through sex.' There was also evidence of Liberians beginning to view AIDS in frameworks of interpretation compatible with traditional ethnomedical beliefs, such as sorcery. Most traditional healers reported they knew little or nothing about AIDS, including those who had a lot to say about other STDs that are well-established in Liberia. Many cases of STDs seem to be handled by traditional healers. Treatment typically consists of decoctions from the leaves and roots of various medicinal plants, administered as teas--less often as enemas or vaginal implants--to be taken over a 2-4 day period. It is recommended that efforts to lower incidence of standard STDs be given priority comparable to promotion of condom use and 'safer sex' in efforts to slow the transmission of HIV in Liberia. Strategies for combating STDs will have to take into account popular beliefs and attitudes regarding STDs as well as the role and influence of traditional healers. Strategies of this sort are recommended."}
{"id": "PMID:1485194", "title": "Led (astray) by genetic maps: the cartography of the human genome and health care.", "content": "Advocates of projects to map the human genome claim that the information produced will illuminate the causes of human disease, improve treatment and, in general, increase our health and well-being. While concerns about the costs of mapping and the possible discriminatory and eugenic applications of the information it will provide have received some attention, assumptions implicit in the biomedical discourse in which its 'benefits' are proposed and which are shaping definitions of illness and health, normality and abnormality, have not yet been adequately analyzed. This paper examines how the genetic stories about mapping and its potential products being told in the biomedical (and popular) literature continue a tradition of reductionism and determinism. This new 'cartography', by adopting the blueprint as a metaphor for genes, leads to restricted conceptions of health and illness, reinforces inequities in the distribution of health and, by privatizing and individualizing responsibility for health, creates and legitimizes a new arena for social control."}
{"id": "PMID:1485195", "title": "Primary care training for patent medicine vendors in rural Nigeria.", "content": "The provision of essential drugs and the involvement of various potential and existing health care providers (e.g. teachers and traditional healers) are two important primary health care strategies. One local group that is already actively supplying the medication needs of the community is the patent medicine vendors (PMVs), but the formal health establishment often views their activities with alarm. One way to improve the quality of the PMVs' contribution to primary care is through training, since no formal course is required of them before they are issued a license by government. Primary care training was offered to the 49 members of the Patent Medicine Sellers Association of Igbo-Ora, a small town in western Nigeria. Baseline information was gathered through interview, observation and pre-test. A training committee of Association members helped prioritize training needs and manage training logistics. Thirty-seven members and their apprentices underwent the 8 weekly 2-hr sessions on recognition and treatment (including non-drug therapies) for malaria, diarrhoea, guinea worm, sexually transmitted diseases, respiratory infections, and malnutrition, plus sessions on reading doctor's prescriptions and medication counseling. The group scored significantly higher at post-test and also showed significant gains over a control group of PMVs from another town in the district. The Igbo-Ora experience shows that PMVs can improve their health care knowledge and thus increase their potential value as primary health care team members."}
{"id": "PMID:1485196", "title": "Fair law, unfair practices? Benefiting from protective legislation for pregnant workers in Italy and France.", "content": "Protective Maternity Legislation (PML) for pregnant workers is well established in Italy and France, but little is known about the way it fulfils some of its aims, such as the protection of mothers' and babies' health and of the rights of women workers. In this paper, we present the results of two surveys, one carried out in Italy and the other in France, concerned with the implementation of these regulations. Results show that women who were regularly employed generally could benefit from PML, while non-eligible workers, most of them holding manual jobs, were not protected at all. Among eligible workers, inequalities existed: women with less qualified jobs and those employed in the private sector were less likely to benefit from the protective measures considered. A number of specific measures, such as the possibility of taking an early maternity leave for work reasons and of being moved to another job within the same firm were underused in both countries. Some limitations of PML are discussed, namely the fact it covers some but not all pregnant workers, that it ignores domestic work and the tendency to remove the pregnant worker rather than to modify her working conditions."}
{"id": "PMID:1485197", "title": "The gap between legal rules and practice in advertising non-registered pharmaceutical products. A new method of analysis.", "content": "The market of non-registered pharmaceutical products is growing fast in number and overall costs, not only in the Netherlands, but also in other European countries. These products often give the impression that the consumer may expect 'an effect as from a drug'. Legally, there is a clear distinction between 'drugs' and 'commodities' in the Netherlands; the question is whether legislation and practice concur. In an investigation we analysed texts of advertisements for non-registered pharmaceutical products published in a popular magazine. A method was developed, based on the legal definition of a drug and jurisprudence, to determine in a qualitative and quantitative way the application of medicinal claims. It transpired that in 65% of the analysed advertisements explicit or implicit claims were made. These products should therefore be subject to drugs legislation. Thus, in the Netherlands there is a gap between legislation and practice in advertising non-registered pharmaceutical products."}
{"id": "PMID:1485198", "title": "The relationship between work stress and oral health status.", "content": "This study investigated whether oral health status is associated with work stress. 164 male workers aged from 35 to 44 years, equally distributed over four socio-economic groups took part in the study. Three work characteristics related to stress were studied: mental demand, control and variety. Age, socio-economic status, sugar consumption, frequency of dental attendance, toothbrushing frequency, type of toothpaste used, years of residence in Belo Horizonte and marital quality were considered in the data analysis. The results of simple regression analysis (dental caries data) and simple logistic regression analysis (periodontal data) showed a significant relationship between periodontal health status and work-related mental demand (P < 0.001), marital quality (P < 0.01) and socio-economic status (P < 0.05). Dental caries status was significantly associated with age (P < 0.001), socio-economic status (P < 0.05), sugar consumption (P < 0.01) and marital quality (P < 0.0001). Socio-economic status did not remain significantly associated with dental caries after adjusting for all the variables studied."}
{"id": "PMID:1485199", "title": "Optimizing bereavement outcome: reading the road ahead.", "content": "After a death has occurred, those most affected are left to make sense of the illness and the awesome event that has taken place. When the death is caused by cancer, many skills may have been employed to ensure that the palliative care was of a high enough standard. Yet still many mourners reflect with sadness and bitterness about the experience that was unique to them. In the process of evaluating a volunteer bereavement support programme, the key carers were asked to reflect upon their experience before, during and after the death. If we listen to them, we can learn the ways in which our skills can enable the death to be an enriching experience and not one which interferes with mourning."}
{"id": "PMID:1485200", "title": "Disease concordances amongst marital partners: not 'way of life' or mortality data artifact.", "content": "Mortality statistics for Great Britain (1979-80, 1982-3) for more than 500 occupations and 20 different causes of death were examined. The paper demonstrates that there is clear concordance of cause of death between men and married women which can be linked to the occupation of the male. Various possible explanations are considered including shared social class and way of life and the suggestion that the associations reported are the result of various forms of statistical bias inherent in Standardized Mortality Ratio statistics. It is proposed that this is consistent with a psychosocial hypothesis, although longitudinal empirical research would be required to establish this."}
{"id": "PMID:1485202", "title": "[Peroperative endoscopic papillosphincterotomy].", "content": "The authors describe their experience with combinations of endoscopic and surgical procedures when dealing with stenoses of the papilla Vateri. They give a detailed account of the endoscopic phase of surgical intervention. In their opinion the most important thing is exclusion of duodenotomy which should reduce the risk of a duodenal fistula. Another important advantage is more rapid convalescence and a shorter hospitalization period as well as a shorter time required for the intervention. Next the authors discuss possible complications described in the literature and their relationship to endoscopic papillotomy. The authors evaluate contemporary possibilities of endoscopic treatment and emphasize the necessity to extend the use of endoscopic methods in everyday surgical practice."}
{"id": "PMID:1485203", "title": "[Intensive care in patients with intra-abdominal septic complications].", "content": "The authors investigated diagnostic and therapeutic possibilities of intensive care units when treating septic conditions in intraabdominal surgery. The authors emphasize the comprehensive and systematic character of the follow up of patients who are threatened by sepsis. Care involves in particular aimed antimicrobial therapy, immunotherapy, normalization of haemodynamics and the acid-base balance and rational parenteral nutrition. Only a thus conceived therapeutic regime makes it possible to control such serious conditions as sepsis."}
{"id": "PMID:1485204", "title": "[Initial experience with use of fibrin glue in the treatment of acute gastroduodenal hemorrhage].", "content": "A new therapeutic method of acute haemorrhage into the upper gastrointestinal tract is the application of fibrin sealants to the bleeding site. The authors present their own experience with the method of endoscopic haemostasis of haemorrhage into the upper gastrointestinal tract in a total of 56 patients with haemorrhage into the gastrointestinal tract. Five patients with oesophageal varices were treated by the injection technique--Polidocanol was used for sclerotization. In 35 patients with haemorrhage Forrest I haemostasis was ensured by use of a fibrin sealant. In 28 patients this was preceded by electrocoagulation or thermocoagulation. In these 35 patients fibrin sealing had to be repeated in three patients and only one of the patients was operated. Another patient was operated on account of a relapse of haemorrhage without repeated endoscopic intervention. From the total number of 35 patients only four were operated--two patients because of local permanent haemostasis after endoscopic treatment, two patients on account of relapse of haemorrhage. Both died during the postoperative period. One man committed suicide--complete haemostasis after endoscopic treatment was confirmed on autopsy. In a total of 35 patients in 33 permanent haemostasis was achieved incl. 30 were the lesion healed completely."}
{"id": "PMID:1485205", "title": "[The modern approach to dressing wounds].", "content": "The author evaluates from the pathophysiological aspect the impact of various dressings applied to wounds with regard to the permeability of secretions, gases, maintenance of a stable temperature and preservation of an optimum pH as well as with regard to preventing penetration of toxic substances, bacteria and foreign bodies. The author also pays attention to the important condition of non-adhesiveness of the dressing to the surface of the healing wound. From this aspect he evaluates cotton, paraffin, hydrocolloid, porous and silicon dressings. Based on the study of extensive literature and his own experiments, the author reaches the conclusion that it is essential to provide optimal mechanical and thermal protection of the wound and that for every type and stage of wound healing an appropriate dressing must be selected."}
{"id": "PMID:1485206", "title": "[A vesico-sigmoid fistula in a 15-year-old girl].", "content": "The authors diagnosed in a fifteen-year-old girl. other wise healthy, a double vesicosigmoidal fistula. It developed probably at the age of two after an acute abdominal attack of inflammatory character which was treated conservatively. The fistulae caused repeated inflammations of the urinary pathways. In the late diagnosis participated among others evaluation of miction cystography which was imperfect from the technical aspect. When repeated, this examination contributed to the diagnosis. After surgery the girl recovered."}
{"id": "PMID:1485208", "title": "Alterations in cerebral vessels in experimental animals and their possible relationship to the development of aneurysms.", "content": "Aneurysmal changes were studied by light and electron microscopes in experimental monkeys to elucidate their pathogenesis. Early changes were found not at the medial defect but in one branch near the apex. Degeneration of the elastic lamina was always more than that of the media throughout the process of aneurysm formation. Endothelial injury was present even at the bifurcation without a bulge. The present study suggests that aneurysmal changes are initiated by degenerative changes in the endothelium, which are followed by alterations in the underlying elastic lamina and, in turn, in the medial layer."}
{"id": "PMID:1485209", "title": "Compression of thoracic nerve root by a facet joint synovial cyst: case report.", "content": "Synovial cysts are not an uncommon feature in the mobile spinal segments. The lack of reports at the thoracic level has stimulated us to present this patient with compression of the 10th dorsal root."}
{"id": "PMID:1485210", "title": "Ruptured suprasellar dermoid associated with middle cerebral artery aneurysm: case report.", "content": "Dermoid tumor associated with cerebral aneurysm is extremely rare. We report here a case of ruptured suprasellar dermoid cyst associated with middle cerebral artery (M1) aneurysm and stenosis of adjacent arterial trunks. The characteristic feature of this association is the tight adhesion of the vascular lesion to the tumor capsule."}
{"id": "PMID:1485211", "title": "Giant aneurysm of the distal anterior cerebral artery: associated with an anterior communicating artery aneurysm and a dural arteriovenous fistula.", "content": "We describe an unusual case of a giant pericallosal artery aneurysm, producing psychomotor depression from mass effect, associated with a smaller aneurysm of the anterior communicating artery, a dural arteriovenous fistula, and a meningioma. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and cerebral angiography demonstrated the giant aneurysm and the meningioma. Cerebral angiography provided a detailed appreciation of the cerebral circulation, including both aneurysms, the dural arteriovenous fistula, and the potential collateral supply to the involved anterior cerebral distribution. The anterior communicating artery aneurysm was successfully clipped as was the distal anterior cerebral branch supplying the giant aneurysm before its resection. The patient made a full recovery but with persisting, slight dysphasia. We conclude that computed tomography, cerebral angiography, and MRI are of specific value in the assessment of giant aneurysms, but only angiography can provide detailed characterization of the aneurysm and demonstrate other possible cerebrovascular pathology such as multiple aneurysms and arteriovenous fistulas."}
{"id": "PMID:1485212", "title": "Selective and superselective infusion of urokinase for embolic stroke.", "content": "Intraarterial administration of urokinase using Tracker microcatheter was performed in 11 patients with acute cerebral infarction caused by embolic occlusion of the internal carotid or the middle cerebral artery. Recanalization was observed in seven cases (64%) following the fibrinolytic therapy, and the time until recanalization from the start of the treatment was on the average 2.8 hours. Recanalization was seen in five out of six cases that received superselective infusion of urokinase, while it was seen in two out of five cases that received selective infusion. This study suggests that superselective infusion of urokinase is an excellent therapeutic method for embolic occlusion of the cerebral artery."}
{"id": "PMID:1485213", "title": "Unruptured intracranial aneurysms in elderly patients.", "content": "A total of 556 patients with 769 intracranial aneurysms, of which 256 were unruptured and 513 were ruptured, were included in the present study. The patients were divided into three age groups: those aged 59 years or younger, those aged 60 to 69 years, and those aged 70 years or older. Small aneurysms of 4 mm or less in diameter were more common in the series of unruptured aneurysms than in the ruptured aneurysms. The rupture rate in anterior communicating artery aneurysms was the highest, and it increased with age. A follow-up study was performed on 47 patients with 55 unruptured aneurysms, and only one giant basilar artery aneurysm ruptured during the average follow-up period of 5.2 years. Direct operation was performed on 52 patients with unruptured aneurysms. While the surgical mortality rate was 0%, the morbidity rate was 6% (three of 52 cases), which was not directly related to the patients' age. When considering surgery for unruptured aneurysms, rupture rate of aneurysms at each site is one of the most important factors, especially in elderly patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1485214", "title": "Detection and management of gangliogliomas in children.", "content": "Forty-two children treated for gangliogliomas were reviewed to identify the best methods of detection and management. Thirty-two of the tumors were supratentorial, four infratentorial, and six were in the spinal cord. Twenty-five patients presented with seizures; the mean duration of symptoms was 5 years in contrast to 1 year in non-seizure patients. Of 31 children studied by computed tomography (CT), calcification in the tumor lesion was found in 19. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed abnormal high-signal intensity on T2 imaging in six of eight patients. All patients underwent surgical resection and were diagnosed pathologically. Twenty-four patients had total resection, and 14 underwent temporal lobectomies including hippocampectomy. The management of this tumor remains surgical resection without the need for any adjuvant therapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1485215", "title": "Transoral-transclival clipping of a giant lower basilar artery aneurysm.", "content": "The authors discuss the choice of the transoral-transclival approach for the repair of a lower basilar artery aneurysm in a 32-year-old sickle-cell patient. Efficiency of approach and minimization of damage to vital structures support the use of this technique. The risks of cerebrospinal fluid fistula and meningitis are considered. One year after operation, the patient is neurologically intact."}
{"id": "PMID:1485216", "title": "Skull base reconstruction in cases of intracranial teratoma extending into the extracranial structures.", "content": "Recently experienced were two cases of postnatally diagnosed intracranial teratoma, one a mature teratoma and the other an immature teratoma, both extending into the extracranial structures. In each case, tumor resection was performed in which a barrier was created between the intracranial and extracranial spaces with a temporalis muscle flap. The technical aspect of skull base reconstruction is described, and previously reported cases of intracranial teratoma involving the skull base are reviewed."}
{"id": "PMID:1485217", "title": "Use of tissue adhesive to secure spinal epidural stimulating electrodes: technical note.", "content": "Securing spinal cord stimulating electrodes (SCS) within the epidural space is often a challenging task. Complications of the technique include development of cerebrospinal fluid leaks and electrode migration. We report four patients who underwent a limited laminectomy for placement of epidural spinal cord stimulating electrodes to relieve pain and/or spasticity. Suturing electrodes to the dura was not possible, and a tissue adhesive was used. Two-year follow-up shows no migration of the electrodes. Tissue adhesive of \"fibrin glue\" is a viable alternative for securing epidural SCS electrodes."}
{"id": "PMID:1485273", "title": "Quantitative variability and multilocus polymorphism under epistatic selection.", "content": "We study multilocus polymorphism under selection, using a class of fitness functions that account for additive, dominant, and pairwise additive-by-additive epistatic interactions. The dynamic equations are derived in terms of allele frequencies and disequilibria, using the notions of marginal systems and marginal fitnesses, without any approximations. Stationary values of allele frequencies and pairwise disequilibria under weak selection are calculated by regular perturbation techniques. We derive conditions for existence and stability of the multilocus polymorphic states. Using these results, we then analyze a number of models describing stabilizing selection on additive characters, with some other factors, and determine the conditions under which genetic quantitative variability is maintained."}
{"id": "PMID:1485274", "title": "Relatedness and inclusive fitness with inbreeding.", "content": "Relatedness arising in kin selection theory is measured by a variable taking as values two pedigree indices in populations with inbreeding when selection is weak. This variable reduces to a single pedigree index when inbreeding is caused by partial selfing or partial sib-mating. General inclusive fitness formulations of kin selection models based on such a variable of relatedness are proposed."}
{"id": "PMID:1485275", "title": "An optimizing principle of natural selection in evolutionary population genetics.", "content": "This paper brings together two themes in evolutionary population genetics theory. The first concerns Fisher's Fundamental Theorem of Natural Selection: a recent interpretation of this theorem claims that it is an exact result, relating to the so-called \"partial\" increase in mean fitness. The second theme concerns the desire to find an optimality principle in genetic evolution. Such a principle is found here: of all gene frequency changes which lead to the same partial increase in mean fitness as the natural selection gene frequency changes, the natural selection values minimize a generalized distance measure between parent and daughter generation gene frequency values."}
{"id": "PMID:1485276", "title": "[Epidemiology and risk factors of venous thromboembolism].", "content": "Venous thromboembolism (deep venous thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE)) is a serious and quite frequent disease. In this review, we summarize the present state of knowledge regarding clinical epidemiology and risk factors. These features should allow the general practitioner to assign each individual patient to a particular risk group and to order an personalized prophylaxis."}
{"id": "PMID:1485277", "title": "[Diagnosis of deep venous thrombosis].", "content": "The clinical diagnosis of deep venous thrombosis (DVT) is unreliable. Phlebography, an invasive method, has gained wide diffusion and is considered as gold standard, but it has several draw-backs such as elevated costs and x-ray exposure. For these reasons, other, non-invasive techniques for diagnosing DVT have been looked for. Among them, CW-Doppler, occlusion plethysmography and, more recently, colour-Duplex-sonography have gained most acceptance. While the first two methods are able to diagnose with sufficient sensitivity and specificity proximal DVT, they are unreliable for isolated calf vein thrombosis. The colour-Duplex-sonography, on the other hand, produces results similar to phlebography for proximal thrombosis and succeeds in detecting isolated calf vein thrombosis with sufficient accuracy. We propose therefore the following non-invasive proceeding when confronted with the question of DVT: The first investigation to be done is a (colour)-Duplex examination. If one lacks such an infrastructure, an investigation with CW-Doppler or occlusion plethysmography has to be performed. If the results are positive, the patient will be treated. Otherwise, the exam will be repeated after five to seven days for CW-Doppler and plethysmography. If now the result is positive, the patient will be treated, otherwise, as with a negative Duplex study, the suspicion of DVT will be dismissed."}
{"id": "PMID:1485278", "title": "[Radiologic and nuclear medicine diagnosis of lung embolism].", "content": "The imaging methods used in diagnosing pulmonary embolism and their appropriate indication in individual situations are discussed. Chest radiography is needed to exclude other diseases, whereas nuclear ventilation and perfusion scans are the main screening method and have not been replaced by intravenous digital subtraction angiography up to now. As long as these non-invasive methods are clearly negative or positive, no other method is needed. With questionable findings (intermediate scan probability), pulmonary angiography is needed, above all when there is a contraindication to anticoagulation."}
{"id": "PMID:1485279", "title": "[Prevention of venous thromboembolism in surgery].", "content": "Incidence of postoperative deep venous thrombosis extends from 7% (transurethral prostatectomy) to more than 50% (hip surgery) depending on the magnitude of trauma and due to the corresponding surgical procedure. Although more common with higher age, younger patients suffer from postoperative thromboembolic complications as well. This insight leads to the conclusion that all immobilized adult patients or those needing an operation are to receive thromboembolic prophylaxis should there be no contraindication. As 50% of all postoperative thromboses develop sometime during the operative procedure, thromboembolic prophylaxis has to be effective intraoperatively as well. The first dose must therefore be preoperative. Duration of prophylaxis depends on the ambulation of the individual patient and should be maintained for at least seven days. Physiotherapeutic measures and drug therapy should complement each other. Low molecular heparins have been very successful lately. Their effect on thrombosis in visceral surgery has been equal when compared with unfractioned heparin whereas the effect in hip surgery compared to unfractioned heparin has been even more promising. Due to the longer half-life of low molecular heparin when compared with unfractioned heparin and its better bioavailability, one dose of low molecular heparin a day is sufficient. This is certainly a benefit for the patient and the nursing staff. To our current knowledge the tendency toward bleeding does not differ basically if low molecular heparins or standard heparin is being used. In patients with spinal anaesthesia, as with low molecular heparins, the first dose has to be administered preoperatively. Different ways of application are possible."}
{"id": "PMID:1485280", "title": "[Prevention of venous thromboembolism in internal medicine patients].", "content": "In the entirety of medical patients, mechanical prophylactic measures and subcutaneous application of heparin have a documented efficiency and few side effects. With them the hospital mortality can be lowered by about 30%. When analysing the risks for patients of internal medicine, immobilisation respectively absence of the muscle pump play a central role in the list of risk factors. Possibilities for improving prophylaxis comprise an individual adjustment of heparin dosing (the improved efficiency in comparison with fixed dosing is not yet proven, but probable on the basis of experience made with surgical patients), the combination with mechanical/physical measures and the more consistent realisation in patients at risk. For achieving this the dosing only once per day with low molecular heparin is favourable, the latter being at least equally efficient."}
{"id": "PMID:1485281", "title": "[Internal medicine therapy of venous thromboembolism].", "content": "Treatment of venous thromboembolism aims at the reduction of mortality of massive pulmonary embolism, the arrest of further thrombotic processes and at avoiding late post-thrombotic sequelae. Anticoagulation with heparin and oral anticoagulants remains the treatment of choice. Heparin is administered intravenously or subcutaneously for four to five days. Oral anticoagulation follows thereafter for three to six months or even life-long. Low molecular weight heparin will probably be able to substitute for the unfractionated heparin in the initial treatment phase. Therapeutic fibrinolysis or surgical treatment are considered as alternative treatment modalities. Furthermore, new potent thrombin or platelet inhibitors appear as promising future antithrombotics."}
{"id": "PMID:1485282", "title": "[Prevention of venous thromboembolism with heparin in risk patients during pregnancy: monitoring by measuring thrombin-antithrombin III complex].", "content": "Women at high risk for thromboembolism deserve prophylactic treatment with heparin in the course of pregnancy. Since activation of the coagulation system is associated with an increase of TAT complexes which may well precede the clinical thrombosis, this parameter was used to determine start as well as dosage of the heparin prophylaxis. Thereby, the increase of TAT complexes during a normal pregnancy without thrombolic events had to be taken in account. 43 pregnancies of 40 patients who had already suffered from thrombotic events before pregnancy or had a positive family history were monitored by this method; in none of them any thromboembolic complication occurred. Duration of treatment and maximal amount of heparin showed wide individual variations and could not be predicted by clinical criteria. However, the total dose of heparin necessary was in many patients far below of what is usually administered, thus reducing the risk of heparin-induced osteoporosis and of local allergic reactions."}
{"id": "PMID:1485283", "title": "[Evaluating the origin of thrombophilia: indications and implementation].", "content": "The overall incidence per year of deep vein thrombosis is about one per thousand, but may be much higher in the presence of certain clinical risk factors such as advanced age, immobilization, surgical procedures, pregnancy, puerperium, use of oral contraceptive agents and malignancy. Moreover, homocystinuria, nephrotic syndrome, systemic lupus erythematosus and hematological disorders such as paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria or myeloproliferative syndromes predispose to thrombotic disease. Evaluation of the patient with thromboembolism should include detailed history, clinical examination and laboratory investigation to exclude these secondary thrombophilic states. Primary or hereditary thrombophilia is suspected mainly in patients suffering from (venous) thromboembolism at an early age (< 45 years), especially if recurrent and/or familial thrombosis is present. Hereditary thrombophilia may be due to deficiency of antithrombin III, protein C, protein S or plasminogen, some other defects being less well-established prethrombotic risk factors. These currently recognized primary prethrombotic molecular defects are found in 10 to 30% of patients with idiopathic thromboembolism. In the majority of cases the cause of thrombosis remains unknown."}
{"id": "PMID:1485284", "title": "[Thromboembolic diseases from the hematologic viewpoint: 13 case examples].", "content": "Numerous patients with a thromboembolic history are referred to our Central Haematology Laboratory for a complete investigation of thrombophilia. Among them, patients with idiopathic thromboembolism represent the largest group. In collaboration with the obstetrician we control pregnant women at increased risk for thromboembolic complications. Individuals with myeloproliferative disorders often suffer from thromboembolism and are investigated at our Laboratory as well. Thirteen illustrative cases are presented, which are of diagnostic and/or therapeutic interest for the practitioner."}
{"id": "PMID:1485290", "title": "[Injuries following a hurricane in Nordm\u00f8re].", "content": "In this article we describe the efforts of local authorities to detect and treat casualties caused by a hurricane that struck the west coast of Norway January 1st, 1992 and prevent further injuries. Wind velocity exceeded 100 knots (117 mph), the strongest ever recorded in Norway. The damage to buildings, trees and power lines was so devastating that the Nordm\u00f8re area, with approximately 50,000 inhabitants, was left without electricity for five days. Altogether 56 casualties were reported by physicians and the local hospital (one death, caused by hypothermia and exhaustion, and six admissions to hospital) in the period 1-5 January. Nine old people suffered injuries by falling in the dark in their houses, and ten men were injured during repair work."}
{"id": "PMID:1485291", "title": "[The effect of moderate physical exercise in the treatment of overweight. Quantitative and qualitative evaluation of weight loss by weighing and body composition measurements].", "content": "The present study includes 413 persons with overweight or obesity problems, with Body Mass Index (BMI) ranging from 26.7 to 40.2 kg/m2, who participated in a seven weeks weight reduction programme. All persons were given the opportunity either to follow a low-fat diet (1,200 kcal/d) alone or a low-fat diet combined with an exercise programme (1/2 hour walk every day). 240 persons decided to follow the full programme (diet and exercise) (group I), while 173 persons only dieted (group II). The results indicate that a combination of diet and modest exercise is superior to dieting alone when trying to achieve a reduction in weight where the major part of the weight loss is due to reduction of the fat deposits. Whether this will have an essential influence on the long-term results of different weight reduction programmes needs to be investigated in more detail."}
{"id": "PMID:1485292", "title": "[To put one's femininity at stake. Admission of women to medical studies; Marie Sp\u00e5ngberg and other pioneers].", "content": "In 1993, 100 years have passed since the first woman graduated in medicine from the University of Oslo. Her name was Marie Sp\u00e5ngberg. A long-lasting \"battle\" had previously taken place to allow women to enter the University and to study medicine in particular. The first proposal to the Storting (the Norwegian national assembly) on this matter was made by Mr. L. Smitt, who strongly argued for the admittance of women to medical studies at the University. The Storting agreed, but the Medical Faculty protested violently in a note which was regarded as one of the most reactionary statements of the time on the nature of women. However, on 23 June 1884, an Act allowing women to graduate in all University studies was finally passed. In spite of the earlier resistance from the Medical Faculty, the female students did not experience any discrimination of women during their studies. They did meet difficulties, however, after their graduation, both in continuing their education and in obtaining a position."}
{"id": "PMID:1485294", "title": "[Gerhard Henrik Armauer Hansen--still of current interest].", "content": "Armauer Hansen described his first observation of Mycobacterium leprae on 28 February 1873 in detail. His discovery of the leprosy bacillus was the result of a logical process in which distinct stages can be clearly seen. The first step was clinical, and established criteria for leprosy as \"a specific disease\". The second stage was epidemiological. Contrary to the main view favouring a genetic basis, these observations convinced him of the infectious nature of the disease. The third stage was the search for the bacillus. His basic observations were reproduced, as documented. Armauer Hansen afterwards tried to fulfill Koch's postulates, in order to prove that the bacillus was the causative agent of leprosy. His second main contribution is the work on leprosy control, emphasizing isolation to contain the infection. The subsequent decline of leprosy in Norway differs from the trend in many developing countries, where leprosy has remained an important public health problem. In recent years Norwegian medical research has made significant contributions to leprosy research, in the field of epidemiology in Bergen, and through immunological studies of the disease originating from the Armauer Hansen Research Institute in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia."}
{"id": "PMID:1485295", "title": "[Leprosy and heredity. Reflections of a district physician in 1884].", "content": "During the 19th century leprosy was a serious health problem in Norway, especially in some western, rural districts. In 1856 it was decided that all leprous patients should be examined by the local doctor (District Health Officer), and registered in a national leprosy register. The patients' family relationships received special attention. Some patients tried to avoid registration, fearing that the data might be misused. After Armauer Hansen (1841-1912) discovered in 1873 that leprosy was an infectious disease, isolation of leprous patients was enforced. In 1884 Thomas Collett (1835-1898), the local doctor in a rural district of western Norway, carried out a survey of all leprous patients registered in his district, a total of 164 patients. The data from his survey provide convincing support for the view that hereditary factors play an important role in the development of the disease. Modern research has confirmed that an important gene controls the susceptibility to leprosy."}
{"id": "PMID:1485296", "title": "[No connection between scarlet fever and gouty fever. Historical analysis from Ytre Nordhordland during 1862-1884].", "content": "In 1987 there was an unexplained increase in severe streptococcal diseases in Norway and other western countries. In Norway this increase was not accompanied by a corresponding increase in acute rheumatic fever. This study investigated the occurrence of scarlet fever and acute rheumatic fever in a rural district (approximately 15,000 inhabitants) of western Norway during the years 1862-1884. Four epidemics of severe scarlet fever occurred during this period. The local doctor treated 1,155 patients (96% children), of whom 154 (13.3%) died. Acute glomerulonephritis with subsequent kidney failure seems to have been a major cause of death. During the same period 76 patients (96% adults) were treated for acute rheumatic fever. These cases were not related to the severe epidemics of scarlet fever. It is probable that different, co-circulating strains of streptococci caused the infections, which were followed by glomerulonephritis and rheumatic fever. It is possible that rheumatic fever was caused by the strain that induced the more benign \"Angina tonsillaris\"."}
{"id": "PMID:1485297", "title": "[La pierre de la folie. The stone of madness].", "content": "During the 16th and 17th centuries the expression \"to have a stone in the head\" was synonymous with peculiar behaviour or mental symptoms. Many quacksalvers earned their living by treating such patients with a scalp incision, pretending to remove a stone. Some of the great painters from this period have used the subjects as models for their works of art. A series of paintings of this kind have been traced in different museums, catalogues and publications, and are described, followed by a short survey of popular beliefs and superstitions connected with stones."}
{"id": "PMID:1485299", "title": "[New electronic methods for clinical measurement of temperature].", "content": "A proposed Norwegian ban on clinical thermometers containing mercury will affect the equipment available for clinical measurements of temperature. The basic technological principles and applications of electronic thermometers and infrared tympanic thermometers are reviewed and discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1485300", "title": "[How are we today? On physicians' health, well-being and job satisfaction].", "content": "The authors present a review of Scandinavian and English literature on physicians' health and well-being. A simple model with three groups of effect variables (health, well-being and job satisfaction) and 16 groups of possible affect variables (gender, age, personality, family background, childhood conditions, student years, house officer period, working conditions, specialty, conditions and attitudes in society, patients, colleagues, lifestyle, living conditions, social network and family) are used as a framework for the review. Suicide mortality is higher among physicians than in other occupations. Female and young physicians seem to be most at risk of experiencing stress and psychosocial problems. There may be an inherent personality incongruence between the ideal doctor and the good spouse and parent. Having an \"instrumental\" specialty and working style, and not having to cope with too much professional uncertainty, seem to protect against stress and burnout. The review shows that greater consideration should be given to factors like these when carrying out a comprehensive study of physicians' health, well-being and job satisfaction. The forthcoming survey of Norwegian physicians' health, well-being and job satisfaction (Legek\u00e5rsunders\u00f8kelsen) will include all the areas reviewed."}
{"id": "PMID:1485301", "title": "[Foreign physicians in Norway. Where do they come from--how do they work--what are their plans for the future?].", "content": "In a market with almost 500 vacant positions for doctors it is of considerable interest to obtain more knowledge about immigrant doctors. In a survey of 408 immigrant doctors, the majority came from the Nordic (22%) and other West European countries (37%), whereas the rest came from Eastern Europe (19%), Asia (17%), America and Africa. One third (36%) obtained their first appointment in central Norway and 22% in remote North Norway. The corresponding figure for the present appointment were 40 and 17%. Most doctors (73%) had been well received in Norway. Language problems (21%) and social isolation (16%) were frequently encountered, but professional problems were less common (7%). Doctors from West European countries complained that their medical qualifications tended to be under-rated by their Norwegian colleagues."}
{"id": "PMID:1485313", "title": "Contractile behaviour of skinned papillary muscle in mitral valve disease.", "content": "The contractile behaviour of Triton-X 100 skinned left ventricular papillary muscle from 19 patients undergoing cardiac surgery for mitral valve stenosis: n = 6, mitral valve incompetence: n = 7, or combined mitral valve disease: n = 6 was analyzed. At supramaximal activation the \"vibration induced force clamping technique\" was used for isometric analysis of time course and extent of isometric postvibration force recovery. Afterloaded contractions were applied for extrapolation of the maximum shortening velocity at zero load (Vmax). The Calcium sensitivity was analysed by variation of the free EGTA-buffered Calcium concentration at a passive resting force of 2 mN at 26 degrees C. In different types of mitral valve disease the characteristics of isometric force development were unaltered in terms of maximum force development, force per square mm, Calcium sensitivity and the time course of isometric contraction after force clamping. However the capability to shorten as expressed by Vmax was reduced in mitral valve incompetence (3.87 +/- 0.37 ML/s) as compared with mitral valve stenosis (5.29 +/- 0.35 ML/s) or combined mitral valve disease (4.83 +/- 0.51 ML/s). The ratio between the inverse value of Vmax and the time constant of isometric force development after force clamping was significantly different in mitral valve incompetence as compared with other types of mitral valve disease (p < 0.0001). These data argue for the presence of different resistances against shortening in various types of mitral valve disease, due to altered cross-bridge cycling characteristics or to morphological factors."}
{"id": "PMID:1485314", "title": "Total correction of tetralogy of Fallot in adolescents and adults.", "content": "From 1976 to 1988, 23 adolescent and adult patients underwent total correction of tetralogy of Fallot. There were 13 males and 10 females, ranging in age from 16 to 47 years (mean 24.3 +/- 8.6 years). Eight patients were in New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class II, 14 patients in class III, and one patient in class IV. Sixteen patients (69.6%) had undergone previous palliative operation. All shunts were patent at the time of repair. In 9 patients bovine pericardial monocusp patches were used for reconstruction of the right-ventricular outflow tract. Intraoperatively, the right-ventricular to left-ventricular systolic pressure ratio after repair ranged from 0.29 to 0.80 (mean 0.49 +/- 0.13). There were 2 early deaths (8.7%). Eight of 23 patients (34.8%) exhibited postoperative low cardiac output syndrome. One late death occurred: a 22-year-old male patient died of Staphylococcus sepsis 8 months postoperatively. All surviving patients were followed from 3 to 15 years (mean 8.3 +/- 2.7 years). No patient required reoperation in the follow-up period. The actuarial survival estimate for all 23 patients was 87% at the end of 15 years. At follow-up 17 patients were in NYHA class I, two were in class II, and one was judged to be in class III. We believe advanced age is no contraindication to surgery in tetralogy of Fallot. Adolescents and adults remain in need of total correction which can be performed with acceptable risk and long-term symptomatic improvement."}
{"id": "PMID:1485315", "title": "Different ways of application of the implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD)--which is the current approach?", "content": "The implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) has proved to be effective in patients at risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD). Because of the development of more effective lead- and defibrillator systems the surgical implantation modes have changed from extensive operative interventions (sternotomy, lateral thoracotomy) to less traumatical (subxiphoidal/subcostal approach) and less invasive (transvenous) techniques. Procedures with less operative damage may be offered to patients with reduced cardiac function. However, the kind of operative procedure to be performed must be decided individually. The different system configurations, their advantages and disadvantages as well as their complications are surveyed and discussed in the light of our patient population, 102 cases between 1984 and 1991, and the literature. Even when the \"non thoracotomy\" implantations will become the favoured method, the standard incisions by thoracotomy will still be of importance. Considering that major complications occur also in transvenous implant procedures and that cardiac operations have to be performed in 20-30% of the patients simultaneously, we suggest--following the recommendations of the North American Society of Pacing and Electrophysiology (NASPE)--that the devices be implanted exclusively in units for cardiac surgery in cooperation with rhythmologically well-trained cardiologists."}
{"id": "PMID:1485316", "title": "Haemodynamic and oxymetric investigations on patients under rate-responsive dual-chamber stimulation during exercise.", "content": "Rate-response dual-chamber pacing combines the advantages of atrio-ventricular synchrony and rate adaptation in patients suffering from binodal disease. However, it is not known if patients really benefit from the additional rate response under exercise conditions. Therefore, 15 patients suffering from binodal disease received rate-responsive dual-chamber pacemakers. 1, 3, and 6 months postoperatively haemodynamic parameters and oxygen consumption were measured during treadmill ergometry under conventional (DDD) and rate-modulated AV-universal stimulation (DDDR). Using the NCCOM3-R7 (Osypka) technique, rate (f), cardiac index (CI), stroke volume index (SVI), and the end-diastolic volume index (EDVI) were determined non-invasively. Oxygen consumption (VO2) was measured with the Biotec Oxysuper. Based on preoperative status (NYHA) and ventricular contractility, which was determined by means of echocardiography, the patients were divided into two groups: Group I (n = 8) with normal ventricular contractility demonstrated a moderate increase of intrinsic heart rate during exercise. Group II (n = 7) with impaired ventricular contractility showed only a slight or no increase in intrinsic heart rate. When comparing DDD and DDDR pacing a significant increase of CI and VO2 was found for the rate-modulated pacing mode in group II. The reverse was found for patients of group I. The difference between the two groups was statistically significant. According to these results, only patients with nearly no increase in intrinsic sinus heart rate and impaired ventricular function can be expected to benefit from the additional rate-adaptation of a dual-chamber pacemaker."}
{"id": "PMID:1485317", "title": "Cardiac surgery in HIV-positive intravenous drug addicts: influence of cardiopulmonary bypass on the progression to AIDS.", "content": "In the last years the number of HIV-positive patients needing cardiac surgery has greatly increased. Cardiopulmonary bypass is suspected to have a role in the progression of HIV-infection to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). From October 1988 to December 1990, 6 intravenous drug addicts underwent cardiac surgery for infective endocarditis at our Department. Preoperative and postoperative absolute lymphocyte T-helper (CD4) and T-suppressor (CD8) counts did not show a close association between the temporary lymphopenia induced by cardiopulmonary bypass and progression to AIDS."}
{"id": "PMID:1485318", "title": "Myocardial ischemia and left-ventricular function after ligation of left coronary artery (Bland-White-Garland syndrome): a long-term follow-up.", "content": "Left-ventricular function and myocardial perfusion were studied in 8 patients for between 3 and 21 years (mean 16 years) after ligation of the anomalous left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery. While only one patient complained of exercise-dependent stenocardia, 4 patients had abnormal ST-segments in the exercise ECG and all patients showed myocardial ischemia at exercise scintigraphy. At rest, the ejection fraction of the left ventricle was within normal range in all patients. In 5 patients, it failed to increase adequately under exercise conditions, reflecting impaired ventricular function. These results confirm the advantages of surgical procedures establishing a 2-coronary system."}
{"id": "PMID:1485319", "title": "Can the chest tube draining the pleural cavity with persistent air leakage be removed?", "content": "The pleural drain with persistent air leak in six selected patients after pulmonary surgery was clamped or removed without causing pulmonary collapse. In all the patients, air leak through the chest tube was present when speaking or coughing but not seen when breathing normally at rest or taking deep breaths. The fact that the chest tube could be removed in selected patients is explained by supposing the air leakage through an alveolopleural fistula is dependent on pressure difference between the alveoli and the pleural cavity, and this was confirmed in a rethoracotomy case for persistent air leak. Removal of the chest tube following the above-mentioned rationale would reduce the number of rethoracotomy cases for air leak and facilitate early removal of the chest tube in some patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1485320", "title": "Surgical approach to pseudoaneurysms with Beh\u00e7et's disease.", "content": "One of the arterial complications of Beh\u00e7et's disease, arterial false aneurysms, has a sudden onset of symptoms and high mortality risk if left untreated. Four cases with arterial pseudoaneurysms of 3 male patients is reported and the choice of surgical intervention is emphasized. It is underlined that PTFE grafts are the graft of choice in reconstructions for arterial complications of Beh\u00e7et's disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1485321", "title": "Desmoid tumour in thoracotomy scar 5 years after excision of a left giant atrial appendage aneurysm in female with a family history of Gardner's syndrome.", "content": "A very large desmoid tumour extensively involving the chest wall and the left anterior abdominal wall is described in a patient with a family history of Gardner's syndrome. The desmoid arose at the site of a thoracotomy scar due to the removal of a large aneurysm of the left atrial appendage five years before. Both a plastic surgeon and a thoracic surgeon were required to remove the tumour. Aneurysmal dilatation of the left atrium is extremely rare and has not been reported in association with Gardner's syndrome before."}
{"id": "PMID:1485322", "title": "Is cellular disruption the mechanism of release of basic fibroblast growth factor from anterior pituitary gonadotropes?", "content": "Adult female Fischer 344 (F344) and Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats, intact and ovariectomized (10-30d), have been used for immunolocalization of basic fibroblast growth factor (FGF). Tissues were selected from three specific sites (postero-lateral, lateral wing, and anterior wedge) of the periphery of the anterior pituitary (AP) carefully maintaining the association between the gland and the highly vascular meningeal connective tissue which envelopes it. In both rat strains, most of the periphery of the AP was characterized by intact parenchymal cells delimited from the meningeal connective tissue by an intact basal lamina. However, foci also were evident in which parenchymal cells projected directly into the connective tissue without a basal lamina intervening. These zones, designated the Non-Delimited Peripheral Parenchyma (NDPP), were present minimally in control rats, but were more numerous in ovariectomized rats. Profiles of focally disrupted gonadotropes were evident within the NDPP of 20-30d ovariectomized rats juxtaposed against intact, granulated parenchymal cells. Partially disrupted gonadotropes also were evident within the peripheral parenchyma within approximately 100 mu of the edge, and occasionally the disruptions resulted in an association of neighboring gonadotropes as a syncytium. FGF was localized only within the cytosol of gonadotropes, i.e., cells immunopositive for LH-beta and FSH-beta subunits. Gonadotropes nearer to the edges of the AP, especially the postero-lateral edge, were the most intensely stained. Electron microscopy and immunostaining for S-100 protein, a marker for folliculo-stellate cells (FSC), demonstrated that in intact and ovariectomized SD rats FSC were present in all peripheral zones of the AP, whereas portions of the postero-lateral periphery of the AP of intact and ovariectomized F344 rats often lacked FSC. We propose that FGF may be released from the cytosol of gonadotropes by a mechanism of cellular disruption. FGF released at peripheral sites of the AP would be well-positioned to stimulate angiogenesis from systemic blood vessels within the meninges. Since FSC are known phagocytes within the AP, their consistent presence in the periphery of the AP of SD rats may help regulate the effects of the released FGF, and by contrast, their absence in F344 rats may intensify or prolong the effects of released FGF. Such differences may underlie the higher incidence of pituitary tumors in F344 rats."}
{"id": "PMID:1485323", "title": "Synaptic contacts established by primary sensory fibers innervating the teeth of rats: an ultrastructural study of the pars interpolaris of the spinal trigeminal nucleus.", "content": "Transganglionic degeneration was used in an electron microscopic study of afferent synaptic contacts in the dorsomedial region of the pars interpolaris of rats. In one experiment, the left inferior alveolar nerve was transected and in the other, partial pulpectomy of the first and second left lower molars was performed. Well defined degenerating terminals, almost completely occupied by round synaptic vesicle profiles were found in both ipsi and contralateral sides. In both experiments, approximately 70% of these terminals formed single asymmetric contacts with intermediate or distal dendritic segments. Fewer contacts were observed with proximal dendritic segments, dendritic spines, perikarya and other terminals. In addition, double and multiple synaptic contacts (synaptic glomeruli), accounting for 10% of the total, were also observed. Quantitative data regarding ultrastructural synaptic elements suggest that there is no preference for post-synaptic sites of fibers related to different sensory modalities such as pain, conveyed by dental fibers or other modalities, conveyed by the inferior alveolar nerve fibers."}
{"id": "PMID:1485324", "title": "Proliferative activity of cells of the intermediate lobe of the rat pituitary during the postnatal period.", "content": "Cellular proliferation was studied in the intermediate lobe (IL) of the pituitary gland of developing rats by labelling cells at the S-phase of the cell cycle with bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU). The number of BrdU-labelled cells in the IL decreased from birth until the 14th postnatal day and was low from that day until the end of the first month after birth. Throughout the postnatal period a large proportion of BrdU-labelled cells was found in the marginal layer (ML) of the IL, suggesting for the ML a role as a germinative layer of the IL during postnatal growth. Double immunostaining with anti-BrdU and anti-MSH showed that MSH cells actively proliferate as from the day of birth. Cells doubly immunostained with anti-BrdU and anti-S100 protein were first seen on the 14th postnatal day. From then onwards, most proliferating cells were labelled with either anti MSH or anti S-100 protein. This, together with the high proportion of proliferating cells found in the ML marks a clear difference with the pattern of cellular proliferation previously reported during a similar period in the anterior lobe of the rat pituitary."}
{"id": "PMID:1485325", "title": "Age-related changes in the morphology and function of the zona glomerulosa of the rat adrenal cortex.", "content": "The age-related changes in the morphology and function of rat adrenal zona glomerulosa (ZG) were investigated by coupled stereological and radioimmunological techniques. For this purpose 4-, 8-, 16- and 24-month-old rats were studied. Aging caused a notable lowering in the plasma aldosterone concentration and a marked decrease in both basal and ACTH- or angiotensin II (ANG-II)-stimulated secretion of collagenase-dispersed ZG cells. Plasma renin activity (PRA) underwent an age-dependent decrease, while the plasma level of ACTH displayed a significant rise. ZG and its parenchymal cells did not evidence any age-related morphologically demonstrable alteration in their growth, nor ZG cells showed any marked ultrastructural change, with the exception of a severe lipid-droplet repletion. This last finding is in keeping with the aging-induced decrease in the secretory activity of ZG cells, inasmuch as lipid droplets are the intra-cellular stores of cholesterol esters, the obligate precursors of steroid hormones in rat adrenals. ACTH and ANG-II are well known to be involved in the maintenance of the growth of rat ZG; thus, the combined impairment of ANG-II production (as evidenced by PRA lowering) and increase in ACTH secretion may maintain unchanged ZG growth during aging."}
{"id": "PMID:1485326", "title": "Differences in cell division and thymidine incorporation with rat and primate fibroblasts in collagen lattices.", "content": "Human and gorilla dermal fibroblasts, primate cells, suspended in a collagen lattice, do not divide for the first 3 days. In contrast, rat fibroblasts divide within 24 hr. In this study, the proliferation of rat fibroblasts were compared to primate fibroblasts. Rat fibroblasts in monolayer culture increase from 100,000 to 355,000 in 2 days, and human cells increase from 100,000 to 436,000 in the same period. An initial seeding of 100,000 rat fibroblasts suspended in collagen increased to 163,000 cells in 2 days. An initial 100,000 human fibroblasts seeded in collagen decreased to 80,000 cells in 2 days. Retarded proliferation of human and gorilla fibroblasts in collagen is unrelated to a defect in DNA synthesis. By autoradiography human fibroblasts suspended in collagen incorporate labelled thymidine. By flow cytometry analysis, the DNA concentrations of human fibroblasts suspended in collagen exhibited 41% in a 4N chromosome state, compared to 14% in monolayer culture. Nuclei of gorilla fibroblasts from collagen displayed 42% in a 4N state, compared to 19% in monolayer culture. With nuclei of rat fibroblasts from collagen, 14% were in a 4N state, compared to 9% in monolayer culture. Primate fibroblasts show a three-fold increase in the number of nuclei in a 4N state compared to rat fibroblasts suspended in collagen. After replating fibroblasts released from collagen in monolayer culture in the presence of 1 mM hydroxyurea (an inhibitor of DNA synthesis) primate fibroblasts doubled in 24 hr. Under identical conditions, rat fibroblasts showed no cell division.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1485327", "title": "Airway branching patterns and cytodifferentiation in cultured fetal hamster lung.", "content": "Intact fetal hamster lungs were taken for culture on gestational day 12, when only lobar bronchi and primary bronchioles are established and the epithelial cells are undifferentiated. Explants were maintained on Transwell collagen membranes for 2 and 4 days in BGJb medium alone, with 5% FBS, or with the following additives: insulin, transferrin, hydrocortisone, cholera toxin, EGF, and vitamin A. Development of the respiratory tree was affected differently by each medium formulation. BGJb medium with 5% FBS permitted near normal branching of airways and presumptive alveoli. In contrast, BGJb medium alone permitted only limited branching of these structures. BGJb medium with additives permitted branching but markedly altered normal development. The differentiation of endocrine and secretory cells was monitored by immunolabeling for serotonin and calcitonin gene-related peptide, and Clara cell protein, respectively. Ciliated cells were identified by morphology. All medium formulations supported the timely differentiation of endocrine, secretory, and ciliated cells. The ultimate goal of our studies is to characterize factors that influence airway branching and cytodifferentiation during fetal lung development. This study showed that near normal airway branching and cytodifferentiation were supported in vitro by BGJb medium with 5% FBS. Although cytodifferentiation occurred with the two other formulations, airway development was impaired."}
{"id": "PMID:1485328", "title": "Female sex steroid induced epithelial changes in the gallbladder of the ovariectomized Syrian hamster.", "content": "Ovariectomized Syrian hamsters treated by female sex steroids during a 1-month period show gallbladder surface epithelial changes in the fundic area consistent with apical bulging and decapitations of the epithelial cells. These events were detected in the infundibulum and the fundic or body regions of estrogen- and estrogen+progesterone-treated hamsters. In control hamsters, these events were restricted to the region in the vicinity of the bile duct. Following steroid treatment, intraluminal deposits detected resembled Ca-bilirubinate deposits described in previous studies while decapitations are similar to endometrial epithelium changes associated with hormonal physiological changes or treatments. Moreover some small electron-dense deposits are comparable to those found in human cholesterol gallstones. This report indicates that, besides an alteration in bile composition, cell fragments originating from the surface epithelium of the bile duct and/or of the gallbladder mucosal epithelium could participate in gallstone nucleation."}
{"id": "PMID:1485329", "title": "Phenotypic responses of mouse mammary tumours and normal mammary epithelium cultured in collagen gels: correlation with tumour type and progression.", "content": "Mammary tumours in female BR6/Icrf mice and the corresponding contralateral normal mammary glands were disaggregated with collagenase and the epithelial structures released ('organoids') separated from other cellular components by filtration. The organoids were established in primary culture in a collagen matrix and the outgrowths obtained were studied by light microscopy and time-lapse cinemicroscopy. The pattern of three-dimensional outgrowths produced was found to be specific to the original tissue. Organoids from normal tissue formed a characteristic outgrowth designated Pattern A. Normal tissue from pregnant mice formed an additional characteristic outgrowth (Pattern A') which has not been described previously. Pregnancy-dependent tumours produced a distinctive phenotypic outgrowth designated Pattern D, whereas pregnancy-independent tumours gave a different distinctive Pattern B as well as a unique specific outgrowth designated Pattern C. Outgrowths of Pattern D from a pregnancy-dependent tumour were removed from culture and implanted into a syngeneic female mouse. Tumours arising in the host were found to be pregnancy-independent and showed phenotypic outgrowths in subsequent culture of pregnancy-independent Patterns B and C. The results show that the type of outgrowths in these cultures correlates with the biology of the tissue in vivo and that changes in tumour progression in vivo are accompanied by alterations in phenotypic outgrowths in culture."}
{"id": "PMID:1485330", "title": "A cytological and cytoskeletal comparison of Sertoli cells without germ cell and those with germ cells using the W/WV mutant mouse.", "content": "The distribution of F-actin and intermediate filaments in the W/WV mouse was investigated by light and transmission electron microscopy, and fluorescence methods. No spermatogenic cells were detected in the seminiferous epithelium of the W/WV mouse. Its seminiferous tubule was one-half the diameter of that in the normal (+/+) mouse. The Sertoli cell which was an only component of the W/WV mouse seminiferous epithelium was decreased in height, but still retained the polarity as evidenced by light microscopy. The Sertoli cell organelles were similar in appearance when normal and mutant mice were compared. F-actin was recognized at ectoplasmic specialization (ES) of the W/WV mouse Sertoli cell and appeared similar to the normal mouse. However, the junction with ES was more extensive compared with that of the normal mouse Vimentin in the W/WV mouse Sertoli cell was distributed around the nucleus and extended towards the tubular lumen similar to the normal mouse. Its extension within the Sertoli cell trunk, however, was restricted to a lesser degree as compared with that in the normal. Thus, the subcellular Sertoli cell and the distribution of F-actin and intermediate filaments (vimentin) in the W/WV mouse Sertoli cell seemed not to be strikingly affected by lack of spermatogenic cells, suggesting minimal influence of germ cells on Sertoli cell cytology and cytoskeleton."}
{"id": "PMID:1485331", "title": "Phagocytosis of collagen fibrils by periosteal fibroblasts in long bone explants. Effect of concanavalin A.", "content": "In an attempt to determine whether phagocytosis of collagen by fibroblasts involves binding of the fibril to the plasma membrane, the effect of the lectin concanavalin A (Con A) was studied in an in vitro model system. Metacarpal bone rudiments from 19-day-old mouse fetuses were incubated with varying concentrations of the lectin. Quantitative electron microscopic analysis indicated that Con A caused a dose-related increase in the amount of phagocytosed collagen fibrils in periosteal fibroblasts, suggesting either an enhanced uptake or a decreased intracellular breakdown of fibrils. Since a Con A-inducible increase was not seen in the combined presence of both the lectin and the proteinase inhibitor leupeptin, which is known to inhibit the intracellular digestion of phagocytosed fibrillar collagen, it is unlikely that Con A stimulated phagocytosis. Based on the finding that Con A interfered with the digestion of a synthetic substrate by the collagenolytic lysosomal enzyme cathepsin B it is suggested that the augmentation of intracellular fibrillar collagen under the influence of the lectin was due to a decreased intracellular digestion. Since Con A did not inhibit the uptake of collagen fibrils by the fibroblasts it is concluded that Con A-inhibitable binding sites for collagen molecules are unlikely to be involved in phagocytosis of collagen fibrils by fibroblasts."}
{"id": "PMID:1485332", "title": "Evaluation of four different immunogens for the production of snake antivenoms.", "content": "Four different immunogens were used to produce polyvalent antivenom in rabbits to the venoms of Bothrops atrox, Crotalus atrox, Crotalus adamanteus and Crotalus durissus terrificus. The immunogens were: (1) unfractionated mixture of the four crude venoms, and three fractions of the mixture as follows, (2) HPLC gel filtration high (> 50,000) mol. wt fraction, (3) HPLC gel filtration medium (14,000-50,000) mol. wt fraction, and (4) HPLC gel filtration low (< 14,000) mol. wt fraction. The resultant immune sera were compared with commercial antivenom (Wyeth, polyvalent Crotalidae) for total IgG content, ELISA reactivities, patterns of Western blots and ability to neutralize lethal and local hemorrhagic activities of the four venoms. The results indicate that the rabbit antivenoms had significantly higher ELISA reactivity and blotting signals than Wyeth antivenom. However, neither ELISA nor Western blotting signals correlated with the ability of the antivenoms to neutralize the lethal or hemorrhagic activities of the venoms. The protective ability of the antivenoms varied considerably. In general, antivenoms generated by using fractionated venoms as immunogens exhibited greater protective ability than antivenom produced by using the mixture of four venoms as immunogen. Some of the antivenoms provided greater or comparable protective ability for certain venoms when compared to Wyeth antivenom. It appears that the use of certain venom fractions as immunogens is a promising alternative for production of effective antivenoms."}
{"id": "PMID:1485333", "title": "Sequence determination and characterization of a phospholipase A2 isozyme from Trimeresurus gramineus (green habu snake) venom.", "content": "In addition to phospholipase A2-I (PLA2-I) reported previously (ODA et al., 1991, Toxicon 29, 157), a new PLA2 named PLA2-II was isolated from Trimeresurus gramineus (green habu snake) venom, and its amino acid sequence was determined by sequencing the native protein and the peptides produced by enzymatic (Achromobacter protease I and clostripain) cleavages of the carboxamidomethylated derivative of the protein. The protein consisted of 122 amino acid residues and His-47, Asp-48, and Asp-98 which have been assumed to be essential for PLA2 activity were conserved. Its sequence similarity to PLA2-I was 79%, with 26 residual differences. In contrast to the unique presence of Phe-28 in PLA2-I, PLA2-II contains Tyr-28 as seen in most of other PLA2s. There was no significant difference between the dissociation constants of PLA2-I and PLA2-II for Ca2+. Secondary structure compositions of PLA2-II were similar to those of PLA2-I and Crotalus atrox PLA2. A striking difference was found between these isozymes in contractile activity of isolated smooth muscle preparation of guinea-pig ileum. PLA2-II was over ten times more potent than PLA2-I, although its lipolytic activity toward egg-yolk was even slightly weaker (73%) than that of PLA2-I. The difference in contractile activities of PLA2-I and PLA2-II could be assumed to be due to discriminative lipid recognition brought about by different amino acid residues at the 58th position (Asp for PLA2-I and Asn for PLA2-II)."}
{"id": "PMID:1485334", "title": "Isolation and physiological characterization of taicatoxin, a complex toxin with specific effects on calcium channels.", "content": "Taicatoxin is a new complex oligomeric toxin that was isolated from the venom of the Australian taipan snake Oxyuranus scutellatus scutellatus. It is composed of three different molecular entities: an alpha-neurotoxin-like peptide of mol. wt 8000, a neurotoxic phospholipase of mol. wt of 16,000 and a serine protease inhibitor of mol. wt 7000, linked by non-covalent bonds, at an approximate stoichiometry of 1:1:4. The most active form of the complex was isolated by ion exchange chromatography through DE-Cellulose followed by two steps of CM-Cellulose chromatography at pH 4.7 and pH 6.0, respectively. At this stage the complex migrates as a single component in beta-alanine-acetate-urea gel electrophoresis and is very toxic to mice (1 or 2 micrograms of the complex protein kills a mouse of 20 g within 2 hr). It blocks the high threshold calcium channel current of excitable membranes in heart and does not affect the low threshold calcium channel current. The block occurs at a site that is accessible extracellularly but not intracellularly. The block is selective for calcium channels, reversible, does not affect single channel conductance but only changes channel gating, and is voltage dependent with higher affinity for inactivated channels. The phospholipase activity of the complex toxin can be separated by affinity-chromatography using a phospholipid analog (PC-Sepharose). The resulting complex contains only alpha-neurotoxin and protease inhibitor and is still capable of blocking calcium channels, although with less potency than the native oligomeric form. Sephadex G-50 gel filtration chromatography in the presence of high salt (1M NaCl) at alkaline pH (8.2), separates the alpha-neurotoxin-like peptide from the protease inhibitor, but at this stage the resulting peptides lose physiological activity towards the calcium channels. The amino acid sequence of the protease inhibitor was determined by automatic Edman degradation. The alpha-neurotoxin-like peptide and two isosubunits displaying phospholipase activity were sequenced at the N-terminal part of the molecule."}
{"id": "PMID:1485335", "title": "Local heat and cold application after eastern cottonmouth moccasin (Agkistrodon piscivorus) envenomation in the rat: effect on tissue injury.", "content": "We studied the effect of local application of heat or cold on the development of tissue necrosis in envenomated rats. Anesthetized animals had 6 mg/kg venom from Agkistrodon piscivorus injected subcutaneously into the lateral aspect of a hind limb. Heat or cold was applied to the site of envenomation in the experimental groups for 4-6 hr, and the injected area was examined histologically after 24 hr. Neither local treatment, with or without the presence of systemic antivenin, significantly affected the severity of tissue necrosis induced by the venom in comparison to a control group left at ambient temperature."}
{"id": "PMID:1485336", "title": "A fibrinogen-clotting serine proteinase from Cerastes cerastes (horned viper) venom with arginine-esterase and amidase activities. Purification, characterization and kinetic parameter determination.", "content": "An enzyme displaying proteolytic activity toward the natural substrate casein as well as clotting activity on fibrinogen was purified to homogeneity from Cerastes cerastes (horned viper) venom and characterized. The enzyme is constituted of two identical subunits of mol. wt 48,500 as determined by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and has an isoelectric point of 3.75. N-terminal sequencing up to the 33rd residue evidenced a high homology with other snake venom proteinases. The proteinase is of serine-type as indicated by high sensitivity to DFP and shows both arginine-ester hydrolase and amidase activities on synthetic substrates. Both specific activities were 30-fold higher than the respective activities found in the crude venom. The Km value determined for arginine-containing substrate BAEE was 3.0 x 10(-4) M and the Km for chromogenic substrate CBS 34-47 0.65 x 10(-4) M. The Vm/Km ratio, however, was two-fold higher for BAEE than for CBS 34-47; the arginine-esterase activity of this enzyme is thus slightly higher than its amidase activity."}
{"id": "PMID:1485337", "title": "Effects of canatoxin on the Ca(2+)-ATPase of sarcoplasmic reticulum membranes.", "content": "Canatoxin, a toxic protein isolated from the seeds of Canavalia ensiformis, was studied for its effects on the sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles obtained from rabbit skeletal muscle. Canatoxin inhibited Ca2+ accumulation catalysed by the Ca(2+)-ATPase, without affecting the hydrolytic activity of this enzyme or membrane permeability to Ca2+. The effects of canatoxin were dose dependent, but not time dependent. It is concluded that canatoxin interacts with the Ca2+ pump and uncouples Ca2+ uptake from Ca(2+)-dependent ATP hydrolysis."}
{"id": "PMID:1485338", "title": "Role of Tyr and Trp in membrane responses of Pyrularia thionin determined by optical and NMR spectra following Tyr iodination and Trp modification.", "content": "Pyrularia thionin is a strongly basic and bioactive 47 amino acid peptide which contains two Tyr residues at positions 13 and 45 and one Trp at position 8. Limited iodination does not have a significant effect, but prolonged iodination of the peptide leads to progressive inactivation for all known cellular responses (Evans, J. et al. (1989) Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 86, 5849-5853). 1H NMR spectra of the native Pyrularia thionin show four Tyr bands, two arising from each Tyr residue. One resonance band for the epsilon hydrogens of Tyr 45 disappears early during limited iodination and the band from the delta hydrogens shifts to low field. The two bands corresponding to Tyr 13 remain during limited iodination, but both decrease in intensity during prolonged iodination, with the epsilon hydrogen band decreasing somewhat more. The resonance bands arising from Trp disappear during prolonged iodination. This sequence of reactions is verified by the optical absorbance properties of two small peptide fragments obtained by Staphylococcal V8 protease hydrolysis of thionin which had been iodinated to varying degrees. Limited iodination did not significantly inhibit the thionin's biological activity, yet the fragment from the -COOH terminus showed the conversion of Tyr 45 to diiodoTyr. This treatment did not significantly modify the Tyr 13 or Trp 8 located in the -NH2 terminal fragment. More extensive iodination resulted in a disappearance of Trp 8 absorbance with an accompanying conversion of Tyr 13 to the monoiodo form. Extensive iodination yielded two atoms of iodine in the Tyr 45-containing fragment, and only one atom in the Tyr 13 fragment. The data indicate that Tyr 45 of the native thionin is more readily iodinated, proceeding to the diiodo form without significant loss of activity. Prolonged iodination does not lead to the formation of any diiodoTyr 13, but does lead to modification of Trp 8 and probably formation of monoiodoTyr 13. Modification of Trp 8 with N-bromosuccinimide inhibits the hemolytic activity of the thionin, showing that Trp 8 is necessary for Pyrularia thionin activity. It is most likely Trp 8 modification during prolonged iodination which results in the loss of biological activity."}
{"id": "PMID:1485339", "title": "An idiotypic-anti-idiotypic competitive immunoassay for quantitation of okadaic acid.", "content": "A competitive indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the measurement of okadaic acid, a marine toxin, was developed. The assay uses a murine monoclonal anti-idiotypic antibody bearing an internal image of okadiac acid epitope to capture an anti-okadaic acid monoclonal antibody in the presence of free okadaic acid. Bound anti-okadaic acid antibody is detected with peroxidase-conjugated anti-mouse immunoglobulin antiserum. If present, free toxin will lessen the amount of anti-okadaic acid antibody binding to its corresponding anti-idiotypic antibody in a dose-dependent manner that can be quantified from the standard curve. The assay permits reliable measurement of okadaic acid in the 9-81 ng/ml range. The intra- and interassay coefficients of variation in the measurement of OA in the toxin spiked mussel samples averaged 9% and 12%, respectively. The assay is rapid, accurate, reproducible and relatively simple to perform. It may be of potential use to laboratories involved in monitoring the toxin levels in plankton, seafood or sponges."}
{"id": "PMID:1485340", "title": "Two new L-serine variants of microcystins-LR and -RR from Anabaena sp. strains 202 A1 and 202 A2.", "content": "Two new microcystins, [L-Ser7]microcystin-LR (1) and [L-Ser7]microcystin-RR (2), were isolated from a filamentous fresh water cyanobacterium (blue-green alga), Anabaena sp. strain 202 A1, along with the two major toxins, [Dha7]microcystin-LR (3) and [Dha7]microcystin-RR (4) and their minor components the D-Asp variants [D-Asp3,Dha7]microcystin-LR (5) and [D-Asp3,Dha7]microcystin-RR (6). Anabaena sp. strain 202 A1 also produced another new toxin, whose structure is tentatively proposed as [D-Asp3,L-Ser7]microcystin-XR (7), where X is a leucine homologue. Anabaena sp. strain 202 A2 produced one new microcystin, 1, and three known microcystins, 3, 4, and 5. The structures of the toxins were assigned based on their amino acid analyses, and fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry data."}
{"id": "PMID:1485341", "title": "Two methyl ester derivatives of microcystins, cyclic heptapeptide hepatotoxins, isolated from Anabaena flos-aquae strain CYA 83/1.", "content": "Cultured cells of Anabaena flos-aquae strain CYA 83/1, isolated from Lake Edlandsvatn, Norway, produced two microcystin mono-methyl ester derivatives (1 and 2) at the D-Glu unit in addition to microcystin-LR (3), [D-Asp3]microcystin-LR (4), microcystin-RR (5), and [D-Asp3]microcystin-RR (6). Structures of these compounds were assigned based on their amino acid analysis with a Waters Pico Tag HPLC system plus fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry (FABMS), including tandem FABMS, analysis on the two new microcystins, [D-Glu(OCH3)6]microcystin-LR (1) and [D-Asp3, D-Glu(OCH3)6]microcystin-LR (2). Toxicity data were not obtained for 1 and 2 because of the small amounts isolated from the cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1485342", "title": "Isolation and structures of microcystins from a cyanobacterial water bloom (Finland).", "content": "A hepatotoxic cyanobacterial (blue-green algal) water bloom was collected from a constructed water reservoir in Finland. The water bloom contained two cyanobacterial species, Microcystis aeruginosa and Aphanizomenon flos-aquae. Two hepatotoxins, 1 and 2, were isolated from extracts of lyophilized cells. The structures of 1 and 2 were assigned based upon their amino acid analyses on a Waters Pico Tag HPLC system and a chiral GC capillary column (Chirasil Val III), fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry (FABMS), high resolution FABMS, and tandem FABMS data. Toxin 1 was identical to a previously reported compound, [D-Asp3]microcystin-RR. Toxin 2 was new and was assigned the structure [D-Asp3]microcystin-YR."}
{"id": "PMID:1485343", "title": "Isolation and structures of five microcystins from a Russian Microcystis aeruginosa strain CALU 972.", "content": "Five microcystins were obtained from Microcystis aeruginosa strain CALU 972 isolated from a hepatotoxic water bloom collected in Lake Kroshnosero (Russia). The structure of a new toxin (1) was determined as [Dha7]microcystin-YR by amino acid analyses and fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry, and the toxins 2, 3, 4, and 5 were assigned the structures as [Dha7]microcystin-LR, [D-Asp3,Dha7]microcystin-LR, [Dha7]microcystin-RR, and [D-Asp3,Dha7]microcystin-RR, respectively, by direct comparison with authentic samples."}
{"id": "PMID:1485344", "title": "A zinc-protease specific domain in botulinum and tetanus neurotoxins.", "content": "Neurotoxins produced by Clostridium botulinum are classified into groups (A to G) based on their serological nature. They consist of two subunits, heavy and light chains, linked by one or more disulphide bridges. The light chain is responsible for the blocking of acetylcholine release. Amino acid sequences of light chains have already been reported for botulinum toxins types A, C, D and E. Five highly homologous regions are found between these four toxins. One of these homologous regions, sequence HELIHSL, shows strong similarity with the active site of zinc-proteases. We suggest that inhibition of acetylcholine release might be associated with this protease activity."}
{"id": "PMID:1485345", "title": "Experimental acute intoxication with ripe fruit of Karwinskia humboldtiana (Tullidora) in rat, guinea-pig, hamster and dog.", "content": "Previous acute toxicity studies with 'Tullidora' in mice showed mainly hepatic and pulmonary complications. We tested samples in rat, guinea-pig, hamster and dog, searching for the mechanism of death. A single oral preparation of ripe fruit of Karwinskia humboldtiana was given to all animals. Clinical signs and histopathology were reproduced in all species except dogs. We propose a selective toxicity of the toxins of this fruit to the lungs and liver."}
{"id": "PMID:1485346", "title": "Dendrotoxin-like effects of noxiustoxin.", "content": "Noxiustoxin from the Mexican scorpion (Centruroides noxius Hoffmann) is known to block neuronal K+ channels. Noxiustoxin facilitated acetylcholine release in chick biventer cervicis nerve-muscle preparations, but not in mouse phrenic nerve-hemidiaphragm preparations. Noxiustoxin displaced binding of a radiolabelled dendrotoxin from synaptosomal membranes from rat brain, with a Ki of 10(-10) M. It is concluded that noxiustoxin shares some pharmacological properties with the K+ channel blocking dendrotoxins."}
{"id": "PMID:1485347", "title": "An EDTA.Ca2+ complex inhibits the enzymatic activity but not the lethality of beta-bungarotoxin.", "content": "An EDTA.Ca2+ complex inhibits the phospholipase A2 activity of the presynaptic neurotoxin beta-bungarotoxin without affecting its lethal potency. The EDTA.Ca2+ complex induces a conformational change in the enzymatic active site region of beta-BuTx, as indicated by the suppression of the 340 nm tryptophan fluorescence peak. Modification of the enzymatic site without loss of toxicity supports the presence of separate loci for the two activities."}
{"id": "PMID:1485348", "title": "Age changes of Vipera berus venom amidolytic activity.", "content": "The study of age changes of amidolytic activity of Vipera berus venom is investigated using mixtures of chromogenic peptide substrates differing by detected groups. Quantities of venom (total protein content) and its proteolytic activity from snakes of different ages were compared. The venom composition of newly born adders was shown to be considerably different from the venom composition of young (12-month) adders of the same population. The next evolution of protease activity is weakly expressed."}
{"id": "PMID:1485351", "title": "Molecular karyotype analysis in Leishmania.", "content": "The advent of pulsed field electrophoresis has allowed a direct approach to the karyotype of Leishmania. The molecular karyotype thus obtained is a stable characteristic of a given strain, although minor modifications may occur during in vitro maintenance. Between 20 and 28 chromosomal bands can be resolved depending on the strain, ranging in size from approximately 250 to 2600 kb. The technique has revealed a striking degree of polymorphism in the size and number of the chromosomal bands between different strains, and this seems independent of the category (species, zymodeme, population) to which the strains belong. It appears that only certain strains originating from the same geographic area may share extensive similarities. This polymorphism can largely be accounted for by chromosome size variations, which can involve up to 25% of the chromosome length. As a result, homologous chromosomes can exist in versions of markedly different size within the same strain. When this occurs with several different chromosomes, the interpretation of PFE patterns appears difficult without prior identification of the size-variable chromosomes and of the chromosome homologies. DNA deletions and amplifications have been shown to account for some of these size modifications, but other mechanisms are probably involved; nevertheless, interchromosomal exchange does not seem to play a major role in these polymorphisms. These chromosomal rearrangements, yet in an early stage of characterization, exhibit two relevant features: they seem (1) to affect essentially the subtelomeric regions and (2) to occur in a recurrent nonrandom manner. Chromosomal rearrangements sharing the same characteristics have been identified in yeast and other protozoa such as Trypanosoma and Plasmodium. The significance of this hypervariability for the biology of the parasite remains unknown, but it can be expected that such mechanisms have been maintained for some purpose; genes specifically located near chromosome ends might benefit from rapid sequence change, alternating activation, or polymorphism of expression. The chromosomal plasticity could represent a general mode of mutation in these parasites, in parallel with genetic exchange which may be uncommon in nature. The molecular characterization of these rearrangements, the identification of each chromosome with the help of physical restriction maps and linkage maps, and the collation of such data on a number of strains and species should allow a significant progress in the understanding of the genetics of Leishmania, in particular as regards ploidy, generation of phenotypic diversity, and genome evolution. Finally, like other models, this is susceptible to improve our knowledge of DNA-DNA interactions and of the chromosome functional structure and dynamics."}
{"id": "PMID:1485363", "title": "Acute aspirin overdose: mechanisms of toxicity.", "content": "The case history described herein illustrates many of the salient clinical and laboratory features of acute salicylate overdose. Aspirin overdose remains a commonly used means of attempting suicide in young adults. This case demonstrates the role of the laboratory in the management of salicylate overdose. Medical treatment of several critical concurrent metabolic responses was dependent on frequent evaluations of serum electrolytes, blood and urine pH, blood PO2, blood PCO2, and blood HCO3- concentrations. In addition, essential to her excellent medical care was the ongoing close interaction between the clinical toxicology laboratory and the clinical staff."}
{"id": "PMID:1485364", "title": "Monoethylglycinexylide formation in assessing pediatric donor liver function.", "content": "Lidocaine metabolism to monoethylglycinexylide (MEGX) has been described as a novel method to assess liver function in adult transplant donors and recipients. While this assay appears to offer a number of advantages over existing liver function tests, limited work has been done to evaluate its potential in the pediatric population. This study evaluated MEGX formation in potential pediatric liver donors (n = 35) and a control group of children (n = 16). The mean MEGX formation was significantly higher in pediatric donors than in the control group (156 +/- 62 vs 106 +/- 33 ng/ml, p < 0.05). No correlation with age, total bilirubin, liver transaminases, or alkaline phosphatase could be made within each group. Significant differences in MEGX levels were noted when each group was compared to its adult counterpart. Both pediatric donors and controls had greater mean MEGX formation than has been reported for adult donors and controls (156 +/- 62 vs 127 +/- 61 ng/ml, p < 0.05 and 106 +/- 33 vs 72 +/- 36 ng/ml, p < 0.05, respectively). Drugs that alter lidocaine pharmacokinetics and their potential influence on MEGX formation were evaluated in the pediatric donor group. Donors exposed to hepatic enzyme-inducing drugs had a higher mean MEGX formation (187 +/- 60 vs 146 +/- 63 ng/ml). No significant differences were noted between donors receiving and not receiving vasopressors. In conclusion, the significant differences between pediatric and adult MEGX formation should be noted when establishing reference or normal ranges for this diagnostic test. Furthermore, concomitant drug therapy may significantly alter MEGX formation."}
{"id": "PMID:1485365", "title": "A within-subject analysis of carbamazepine disposition related to development in children with epilepsy.", "content": "The effect of aging on carbamazepine (CBZ) plasma level/dose ratio was evaluated retrospectively in 15 children who were receiving CBZ monotherapy and who were followed up for at least 3 years. Subjects of the study were selected from a population of roughly 4,500 patients attending our therapeutic drug monitoring service during a 12-year period. Results showed that the CBZ plasma level/dose ratio increases within subject during childhood, in agreement with data obtained in between-patient studies. However, the increase is not linear with age, the greatest modifications being observed between 9 and 13 years of age. Weight gain alone does not seem to explain this finding, implicating the involvement of complex physiological changes occurring during puberty."}
{"id": "PMID:1485366", "title": "Postmortem redistribution of morphine in rats.", "content": "Because morphine is often found in the postmortem (PM) blood samples of patients treated with or abusing the drug, its causation in death has to be considered. The possibility of PM redistribution of the opioid drug has not been studied previously. We treated adult Wistar rats with 4 mg/kg of morphine i.m. and measured cardiac cavity levels at the time of death, by killing (2 h postdose) 24 and 96 h PM. Morphine concentrations rose from 41.4 +/- 13.2 ng/ml at death to 111.9 +/- 66.6 ng/ml at 24 h (p = 0.00036), with no additional increase at 96 h (98.7 +/- 21.7 ng/ml). After death there was accumulation of endogenous substances cross-reacting with the morphine radioimmunoassay. Although these attribute only 3% to total accumulation of morphine, they may complicate interpretation of morphine \"readings\" in patients who had not received the drug. Our study suggests that after death there is substantial redistribution of morphine. Elevated PM levels cannot necessarily by interpreted as representing antemortem concentrations."}
{"id": "PMID:1485367", "title": "Variability in the disposition of ibuprofen enantiomers in osteoarthritis patients.", "content": "The pharmacokinetics of the enantiomers of ibuprofen have been investigated following oral administration of 300 or 600 mg of racemic ibuprofen four times daily to 45 patients with osteoarthritis. Fifteen of these patients also received single doses of 300 or 600 mg of racemic ibuprofen. Serum concentrations of R- and S-ibuprofen and urine concentrations of the stereoisomers of ibuprofen and its metabolites were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography. The fraction inverted (F(inv)) of the inactive R- to active S-ibuprofen was estimated by a urinary metabolite method. For the 15 patients in both the chronic and single dose studies, there were no significant differences in the clearance of R-ibuprofen or F(inv). The elimination half-lives of R- and S-ibuprofen were comparable for the single and chronic dosing studies. The area under the curve (AUC) values, 6-h trough concentrations, and average steady state concentrations of the R- and S-enantiomers were statistically different after chronic dosing. Despite considerable variability in the clearances in these patients, e.g., clearance (CL) of R-ibuprofen showed 28-49% CV, much less variability was seen in F(inv) (range 9-19% CV), implying that patients would receive similar effective doses of active S-ibuprofen in spite of large differences in kinetics."}
{"id": "PMID:1485368", "title": "Use of theophylline in neonates as an aid to ventilator weaning.", "content": "Respiratory diseases are major causes of morbidity and mortality in premature neonates. Theophylline has been utilized as an adjunct in facilitating ventilator weaning and in the management of apnea with or without bradycardia. Patient characteristics associated with improved outcome from theophylline have not been determined. The purpose of this study was to evaluate parameters associated with improved outcome in neonates with respiratory diseases receiving theophylline. The study population consisted of premature neonates that were studied retrospectively. Criteria for entry into the study were (1) less than 40 weeks gestation, (2) a diagnosis of respiratory distress syndrome (RDS), apnea of prematurity, hyaline membrane disease (HMD), or bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), (3) dependence on intermittent mandatory ventilation, (4) failure to wean from the ventilator 24 h or more before the study, or (5) receiving theophylline. In this study, we found no correlations between time to wean from the ventilator and postnatal age at the time theophylline was initiated, 5-min APGAR score, and final theophylline serum concentration before complete weaning from the ventilator. However, there were significant negative correlations between birthweight and gestational age with respect to time to wean from the ventilator. The average theophylline serum concentration before weaning from the ventilator for this population of neonates was approximately 5-10 micrograms/ml, indicating that theophylline is not beneficial as an aid to ventilator weaning at serum concentrations < 10 micrograms/ml."}
{"id": "PMID:1485369", "title": "Pharmacokinetics of rapamycin: single-dose studies in the rabbit.", "content": "The pharmacokinetics of rapamycin was investigated in five New Zealand white rabbits following intravenous administration of 0.05 and 0.5 mg/kg rapamycin in a randomized crossover fashion. Whole blood concentrations of rapamycin were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Model-dependent and -independent parameters were calculated. The volume of distribution at steady state and total body clearance increased significantly as the dose increased. Rapamycin pharmacokinetics appear to be nonlinear. The whole blood volume of distribution, especially at the higher dose, indicated distribution out of the blood component. The drug is not cleared rapidly, with a terminal half-life of > 13 hours as calculated by model-independent parameters. The 24-h whole blood trough concentrations of the drug are well within the analytical range of the HPLC procedure. This should permit trough level monitoring for therapeutic range studies involving the drug."}
{"id": "PMID:1485370", "title": "Comparative oxycodone pharmacokinetics in humans after intravenous, oral, and rectal administration.", "content": "The pharmacokinetics of oxycodone have been determined after single-dose administration by the intravenous (4.6-7.3 mg), oral (tablets, 9.1 mg and syrup, 9.1 mg), and rectal (30 mg) routes, in 48 patients undergoing minor surgery. There were no significant differences in the mean elimination half-lives between the intravenous (5.45 +/- 1.43 h), oral tablets (5.65 +/- 1.13 h), oral syrup (4.80 +/- 1.13 h), and rectal suppository (5.40 +/- 1.19 h) formulations of oxycodone. After intravenous administration, the mean plasma clearance of oxycodone was 25.5 +/- 10.1 L/h and the mean volume of distribution at steady state was 2.5 +/- 0.8 L/kg. The mean normalized area under the curve (AUC/D) obtained after intravenous dosing (48.2 +/- 30.2 micrograms.h/L/mg) was more than twice the AUC/D values obtained after the administration of oxycodone tablets (19.8 +/- 3.5 micrograms.h/L/mg), oxycodone syrup (17.5 +/- 5.3 micrograms.h/L/mg), and rectal suppository (20.3 +/- 5.1 micrograms.h/L/mg), indicating that the amount of oxycodone reaching the systemic circulation after the extravascular routes of administration was < 50% of that obtained after intravenous dosing. The mean absorption lag times after oxycodone tablets (0.52 +/- 0.33 h), oxycodone syrup (0.48 +/- 0.40 h), and rectal suppository (0.76 +/- 0.47 h) were consistent with the onset of pharmacological effects reported by the patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1485371", "title": "Pharmacokinetics of diltiazem in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting.", "content": "The pharmacokinetics of oral diltiazem (DZ) were studied in 10 patients on the day before cardiac surgery and on the next day during surgery and cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). Six patients were taking DZ 60 mg q.i.d. and four patients were taking DZ 90 mg q.i.d. All had been receiving DZ treatment for at least 3 months. The plasma concentration profile of DZ on the day before surgery was assumed to reflect the steady-state condition. DZ showed dose-dependent kinetics. On the day of surgery, the levels of total DZ (TDZ) at 15 min and 1 h after the initiation of CPB were significantly reduced (approximately 50%) when compared with the pre-CPB level. The levels of unbound DZ (FDZ) and the two major metabolites, N-demethyl DZ (MA) and deacetyl-DZ (M1) were not changed significantly by CPB. The plasma unbound fraction value increased sharply from 0.43 +/- 0.12 before the onset of CPB to a peak value of 0.83 +/- 0.12 during CPB, and returned to baseline level 24 h after dosing. We conclude that CPB decreases the TDZ concentration but has little effect on FDZ, MA, and M1 levels. The lack of effect of CPB on FDZ was related to the reduction of plasma protein binding of DZ."}
{"id": "PMID:1485372", "title": "Single and multiple oral dose fluvoxamine kinetics in young and elderly subjects.", "content": "The pharmacokinetics of fluvoxamine maleate was studied in two separate studies in healthy young and elderly subjects. In a single and multiple oral dose administration study, six healthy young subjects received an initial 50 mg oral dose followed by 50 mg tablets every 12 h for 28 days. In a second study, 13 elderly subjects received 50 mg tablets every 12 h for 28 days. Fluvoxamine peak plasma concentrations were reached in approximately 5-6 h following oral administration of single and multiple 50 mg doses to healthy young and elderly volunteers. The area under the curve (AUC) of fluvoxamine tended to be larger following multiple (873 ng.h/ml) as compared to single-dose administration (652 ng.h/ml). Also the terminal half-life after chronic dosing (22 +/- 6 h) tended to be longer than after single dosing. Steady-state plasma levels were obtained within 10 days' administration. The pharmacokinetics of fluvoxamine in elderly healthy subjects were no different from those recorded in young subjects. These results suggest that it is not necessary to adjust the dosage of fluvoxamine in elderly depressed patients, on the basis of pharmacokinetic arguments. Independent of the age group, approximately 3% of a dose was recovered as unchanged drug in the urine."}
{"id": "PMID:1485373", "title": "A radioimmunoassay for the new antiviral agent 1-beta-D-arabinofuranosyl-E-5-(2-bromovinyl)uracil.", "content": "A specific and sensitive radioimmunoassay (RIA) for the measurement of 1-beta-D-arabinofuranosyl-E-5-(2-bromovinyl)uracil (BV-araU) in biological fluids has been developed. The assay has a range of 2.5-1,000 ng/ml and 10-1,000 ng/ml for serum and urine, respectively, and has the sensitivity to detect 2.5 and 25 ng/ml of BV-araU in serum and urine, respectively. A satisfactory zero binding and sensitivity were obtained after an overnight incubation at 4 degrees C. Separation of the antibody-bound and free ligand was achieved by employing polyethylene glycol-goat anti-rabbit gamma globulin separant. A quantitative recovery of the exogenous analyte was obtained at all concentrations of BV-araU tested. The assay is specific for the parent drug and is not affected by the presence of its metabolite, BV-U (bromovinyl uracil) or serum components (nucleotides, nucleosides, or sugars). Intraassay coefficients of variation were 3.1-4.4% and 2.5-4.2% for serum and urine controls, respectively. Interassay variability was < 8.6% for all serum and urine controls. Linear regression analysis showed that the correlation between RIA and high-pressure liquid chromatography was excellent (r = 0.997). The ascending dosage studies have been analyzed by the BV-araU RIA, and results indicate that the values of area under the serum concentration-time curve increased proportionally with the administered dose of BV-araU up to 80 mg. Cumulative urinary excretion data showed that approximately 50% of unchanged BV-araU was excreted in the urine within 24 h."}
{"id": "PMID:1485374", "title": "A liquid chromatographic assay using a high-speed column for the determination of lamotrigine, a new antiepileptic drug, in human plasma.", "content": "A sensitive, specific and rapid liquid-chromatographic method for the determination of the new antiepileptic drug lamotrigine (LTG) in human plasma is described. The method involves the use of a commercially available 3-microns particle size normal-phase column and a microflow-cell-equipped ultraviolet detector. Extraction is carried out with ethyl acetate after alkalinization on a 100-microliters plasma sample containing LTG and 3,5-diamino-6-(2-methoxyphenyl)-1,2,4-triazine as internal standard. The residue is reconstituted with 50 microliters of ethanol, and 5 microliters of the final solution is injected into the column. Elution is carried out at 35 degrees C using n-hexane/absolute ethanol/35% ammonia (80/20/0.25 by volume) as mobile phase at a flow rate of 2.0 ml/min. Detection is at 313 nm. The chromatographic separation requires < 3 min and the sensitivity limit is < 0.1 mg/L. Recovery is 88-96.2%, whereas within-day and day-to-day coefficients of variation are between 4.1 and 7.7%."}
{"id": "PMID:1485375", "title": "Determination of free valproic acid: evaluation of the Centrifree system and comparison between high-performance liquid chromatography and enzyme immunoassay.", "content": "Valproic Acid (VPA) is an important drug for the treatment of several types of seizures because it has a wide spectrum of activity. Since VPA has an unusual nonlinear binding characteristic and a wide interindividual variation, monitoring of its free concentration can be helpful in patient management. The determination of unbound VPA is more difficult because an extra sample preparation step is needed and the concentration of free VPA is low. Free drug monitoring can assume a more important role if there is a refinement in the technology. A high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method with isocratic elution has been established for the analysis of the 4-bromomethyl-7-methoxycoumarin (BrMMC) derivative of free VPA. This method has a better sensitivity, linearity, and precision than enzyme immunoassay (EIA). Ultrafiltration with the Centrifree system was evaluated for the sample preparation. The influence of centrifuge times, relative centrifugal forces, and the starting sample amounts on the final results of the ultrafiltration were investigated. There was a satisfactory correlation between the free VPA levels determined by the HPLC method and the concentrations obtained by EIA. The total and free VPA were determined on 100 samples from 36 patients. The total VPA levels were in a range of 25 to 208 micrograms/ml, free VPA concentrations ranged from 1.92 to 55.75 micrograms/ml with the free fractions from 7 to 37%."}
{"id": "PMID:1485376", "title": "Bayesian estimation of streptomycin pharmacokinetics.", "content": "Streptomycin dose requirements were determined in an 83-year-old man with renal impairment who was being treated for miliary tuberculosis. Concentration measurements were interpreted using a Bayesian parameter estimation program. Estimated creatinine clearance (1.1 L/h) was used as a starting value for streptomycin clearance, and volume was initially assumed to be 0.3 L/kg. Bayesian estimates of clearance were close to the starting value and declined from 1.4 L/h to 0.9 L/h during the course of therapy. Volume was higher than the initial estimate (0.4-0.5 L/kg), possibly due to the patient having a low albumin and being underweight. Satisfactory concentrations were maintained for several weeks with doses of 500 mg every 36-48 h."}
{"id": "PMID:1485377", "title": "Analysis of ofloxacin in hair as a measure of hair growth and as a time marker for hair analysis.", "content": "The distribution of ofloxacin (OFLX) along a single hair shaft was analyzed in detail for use as an index of hair growth and as a time marker for drug analysis in hair. A single hair obtained from each of seven subjects, who had taken OFLX for 1-4 days (total of 200-1,200 mg) 2.7-5.3 months before hair sampling, was cut into 1-cm-long portions successively from its scalp end. OFLX in each hair portion was measured by high-performance liquid chromatography with a fluorescence detector, and the distance from the scalp end of the hair portion containing OFLX was determined. Then the other 2-cm long segment of hair, which had the above-determined distance at its middle, was cut successively into 2-mm-long pieces and OFLX was determined in each piece. This procedure was repeated in a total of three to four hair strands collected from one subject. OFLX was observed to distribute only in one to three consecutive 2-mm-long pieces of hair, showing no large diffusion of OFLX along the hair shaft with time. Therefore, OFLX distribution may serve as a time marker for analyzing other drugs in hair. Hair growth rate could be thus estimated and ranged from 0.99 to 1.27 cm/month (1.12 +/- 0.11 cm/month, mean +/- SD) among individuals. The intraindividual variability of hair growth rate was 4.8-18.1% (10.3 +/- 5.1%) as coefficient of variation."}
{"id": "PMID:1485378", "title": "A review of 43 cases of tetanus neonatorum.", "content": "Forty-three patients with neonatal tetanus admitted to the Infectious Diseases Ward of the Istanbul University Faculty of Medicine Children's Hospital at Capa from 1982-1989 are presented. Thirty-two (74.4%) of the subjects were boys. The overall mortality was found to be 60 percent and the mean incubation period 6.1 +/- 20 days. The mean period between onset of symptoms and hospital admission was 1.7 days. Thirty-nine (90.7%) of the 43 patients were unhygienic home deliveries and only two cases were delivered with a midwife in attendance. None of the mothers of the children in our series had been immunized with tetanus toxoid. The incidence of neonatal tetanus in Turkey is on the decline, but a fraction of the population, the so-called urban poor, is still at high risk for preventable diseases. Every contact an unvaccinated person has with a health care professional should be viewed as an opportunity for tetanus immunization."}
{"id": "PMID:1485379", "title": "The evaluation of vaccination against measles at nine months of age (report of an epidemic).", "content": "Sixteen measles cases were studied during an epidemic that broke out in Etimesgut district of Ankara. Eight of these children had never been vaccinated against measles while the remainder had been vaccinated at nine months of age. In the sera obtained during the course of the illness, anti-measles antibody was not detectable in six vaccinated children and in four unvaccinated children. Upon observing the siblings of the subjects, it was determined that one out of three who had not been vaccinated against measles and three out of seven who had been vaccinated at nine months of age contracted the disease within a month. However none of the siblings who had been vaccinated against measles at 15 months contracted the disease. In our cases, although vaccination at nine months of age could not prevent measles, it resulted in a milder form of the disease. It seems that measles vaccine administered to infants at around nine months of age does not prevent the occurrence of the disease in many children."}
{"id": "PMID:1485381", "title": "The relationship between blood glucose and serum electrolyte levels in children with acute diarrhea.", "content": "The relationship between simultaneous serum electrolyte and blood glucose levels was studied in 119 moderately or severely dehydrated children with acute infectious gastroenteritis. Their ages ranged between two months to fifteen years. A positive correlation was found between blood glucose and serum sodium levels in the children with serum bicarbonate values below 15 mmol/L. This correlation is more prominent in cases of severe metabolic acidosis with serum bicarbonate values less than 10 mmol/L. No correlation was found between blood glucose, serum potassium and chloride levels. Our results show that a positive correlation between blood glucose and serum sodium levels is present only in cases with metabolic acidosis, which is contrary to classical knowledge."}
{"id": "PMID:1485380", "title": "The correlation between the clinical, laboratory and histopathological features of childhood membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis and response to treatment.", "content": "In this study, the clinical, laboratory and histopathological features of 50 children with membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis are reviewed. Age distribution varied from 5 to 15 years. The clinical presentation in the patients was nephrotic syndrome (24%), acute nephritic syndrome (20%) and nephritic/nephrotic syndrome (56%). Hypertension, macroscopic hematuria and hypocomplementemia were present in 40 percent, 58 percent and 34 percent of the patients, respectively. Light microscopic findings were as follows: glomerular lobulation (36%), mesangial sclerosis (20%), tubulointerstitial findings (36%), and crescents (26%). C3 (93%) was the most common immunofluorescence and IgM (86%), the most frequently encountered immunoglobulin. Response to treatment could not be anticipated by the initial clinical and laboratory features. Patients who did not have tubulointerstitial changes tended to have a greater response to therapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1485384", "title": "Two-dimensional and Doppler echocardiographic findings of congenital coronary artery fistula.", "content": "Three patients with coronary artery fistula confirmed by coronary angiography and surgery were studied using two-dimensional and Doppler echocardiography. Two of these patients had left coronary artery-right ventricle fistula. The proximal dilatation of the coronary arteries was visualized in all three patients by two-dimensional echocardiography. The course of the dilated right coronary artery and left circumflex artery was demonstrated by two-dimensional echocardiography in two patients. We were able to detect the disturbed flow at the drainage site in one patient by using the conventional Doppler echocardiography. In conclusion, it should be emphasized that two-dimensional and Doppler echocardiography can be useful methods in diagnosing coronary artery fistula."}
{"id": "PMID:1485383", "title": "Neonatal peritonitis.", "content": "A retrospective study was undertaken over an eight-year period to assess the mortality rate of 66 newborns who had undergone surgery in our clinic because of peritonitis. The mortality rate for the patients admitted in poor condition was 95.2 percent, whereas it was 45.5 percent for those in good condition. There was a 100 percent mortality associated with newborns that had hypothermia and with those that had severe respiratory difficulties, whereas it was 92.3 percent for low-birth-weight infants and 86.5 percent for dehydrated infants. All babies with sclerema neonatorum died. The newborns with white blood cell counts under 5,000/mm3 also did not survive (83.3%). Etiologically, congenital megacolon, meconium ileus and spontaneous gastrointestinal perforations were the most frequent anomalies leading to death (100%). In the newborns with gastrointestinal perforations, most deaths occurred in patients with perforations of the cecum, duodenum and stomach (100%). Mortality seemed to be greater in patients with complications (77.3%), and it rose to 83.3 percent for patients who had to undergo a repeat operation due to complications. The overall mortality rate was found to be 71.2 percent."}
{"id": "PMID:1485387", "title": "Bronchogenic cyst in a 14-month old boy (a case report).", "content": "A patient with a bronchogenic cyst in the mediastinum is presented. This rare cyst was found by chance in a 14-month-old boy suffering from respiratory distress due to partial compression of a bronchus. Ultrasonographic and tomographic examinations revealed a cystic mass measuring 3 x 3 cm in diameter located within the apex of the right lobe of the lung. Bronchogenic cyst should be considered when these signs present in early childhood."}
{"id": "PMID:1485382", "title": "Atrial natriuretic peptide and aldosterone in sick premature neonates.", "content": "Plasma atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and aldosterone concentrations were investigated in 25 sick premature neonates. Group A consisted of 11 premature neonates with sepsis and group B of 14 neonates with hyperbilirubinemia. In both groups, ANP and aldosterone levels were found to be higher than in the controls. Group A concentrations of ANP and aldosterone were also higher than in group B."}
{"id": "PMID:1485388", "title": "Duplication of the rectum resembling a juvenile polyp.", "content": "A five-year-old boy with a rectal mass mimicking a rectal polyp, which proved to be a cystic duplication of the rectum, is presented. In a child with painless rectal bleeding, a mass palpated during rectal examination is usually diagnosed initially as being a rectal polyp. However, the case presented revealed the possibility of rectal duplication."}
{"id": "PMID:1485385", "title": "Congenital coronary arteriovenous fistula in a ten-year-old boy with angina pectoris.", "content": "Congenital arteriovenous fistula (CAVF) is a rare cardiac lesion. Angina pectoris is uncommon in younger patients with CAVF. Fistula-related symptoms, complications of this anomaly and surgical complications have a strong correlation with the age of the patient. A ten-year-old male patient with angina pectoris in whom the diagnosis of CAVF was established, and who, following surgical ligation recovered, is presented."}
{"id": "PMID:1485386", "title": "Meckel Gruber syndrome: a case diagnosed in utero.", "content": "A case of Meckel Gruber syndrome is presented, diagnosed prenatally from the medical history of the mother which revealed a previous malformed stillborn with anencephaly, meningomyelocele, polydactyly and ambiguous genitalia. This was the first prenatally diagnosed case ever reported in Turkey. The clinical, computed tomography and postmortem findings and the related literature are reviewed."}
{"id": "PMID:1485399", "title": "Relationship between latency of brainstem auditory-evoked potentials and head size in dogs.", "content": "Cranium and brainstem dimensions were measured in 32 postmortem dog heads. Positive correlations were found between cranium length (CL) and brainstem length (BL) (r = 0.87), between cranium width (CW) and brainstem width (BW) (r = 0.83), and between cranium distance (CD = CL+CW/2) and brainstem distance (BD = BL+BW/2) (r = 0.91). Positive correlation coefficients were also found between CL and CW (r = 0.90), and between BL and BW (r = 0.85). It was concluded that head size accurately reflected brainstem size. A least squares estimation of the brainstem distance (BD) from CL and CW values was BD = 10.9 + 0.16 (CL+CW/2) (BD, CL and CW in mm). Brainstem auditory evoked potentials (BAEPs) and cranium dimensions were measured in 43 dogs (86 ears) with different head size, body size, sex and age. Wave form, absolute and interpeak latencies and correlation coefficients, relating latencies to cranium dimensions and body weight, were analysed. CL, CW, and CD were positively correlated with body weight (r = 0.93, 0.70 and 0.93, respectively), and CL, CW, and CD were correlated with age (r = 0.33, 0.52, and 0.40, respectively). BAEPs consisted of five distinct positive peaks (I to V). Secondary positive peaks following peaks I and II were seen in 60% (I') and 90% (II') of the recordings. Late waves were recorded in 90% (VI), 50% (VII), and 25% (VIII) of the recordings. Latencies increased with decreasing stimulus intensity level (from 90 dB to 10 dB hearing level, HL), especially for peaks I, II, V, and the I-V interpeak interval.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1485400", "title": "Effects of methods used for blood collection on plasma concentrations of luteinising hormone, testosterone, and cortisol in male dogs.", "content": "The effects of two putative stressors relative to the collection of blood, namely the environment of the treatment room and the pain associated with venepuncture, on plasma levels of luteinising hormone (LH), testosterone and cortisol were examined in six trained male experimental dogs. Blood samples were collected from the dogs in a treatment room as well as in the kennels (control), and by venepuncture as well as via an indwelling intravenous catheter (control). No significant influence of either stressor on plasma levels of LH, testosterone or cortisol was found. Plasma concentrations of these hormones varied considerably both between and within dogs. Mean (+/- SEM; n = 6) plasma concentrations were 4.3 +/- 1.0 micrograms/l for LH, 4.6 +/- 1.9 nmol/l for testosterone and 68 +/- 10 nmol/l for cortisol. It was concluded that the putative stressors, the environment of the treatment room and the pain associated with venepuncture, did not significantly influence plasma levels of LH, testosterone or cortisol in trained male experimental dogs. This conclusion implies that under the experimental conditions described, the validity of results will not be affected by the method of blood collection used."}
{"id": "PMID:1485401", "title": "Ethical issues in the ownership of companion animals: an empirical and normative analysis.", "content": "This article deals with the ethical aspects of companion animal ownership. Research was done by means of interviews (n = 40) and questionnaires (n = 871). Respondents were randomly chosen from Dutch telephone directories. Euthanasia, docking tails, ear clipping and sterilisation are discussed on the basis of the opinions of respondents. Owners of companion animals very often seem to have insufficient knowledge about animal behaviour. Companion animal owners as a group differ rather strongly in their moral opinions about the acceptability of certain actions towards animals. At the individual level also people are not always consequent in their reasoning as was illustrated by their opinions about ear clipping and the stopping of tail docking and vice versa. Respondents live in a community with animals and usually use a utilitarian balancing model. The different outcomes of the uses of this balancing model indicate how far the respondents are willing to adapt their life style to the needs of an animal; in other words to what extent intrinsic values and integrity are taken into account within the process of (re)creating a living community."}
{"id": "PMID:1485402", "title": "The relationship between homozygosity and the occurrence of specific diseases in Bouvier Belge des Flandres dogs in The Netherlands.", "content": "Since purebred dog populations represent closed gene pools, a relatively high level of consanguinity between individuals, and hence of inbreeding, is common. This case control study was conducted to establish the possible connection between the actual level of homozygosity due to inbreeding and specific diseases (flea allergy, osteochondrosis, laryngeal paralysis, neoplasm, autoimmune disease, hypoplastic trachea, and food allergy) occurring in the Bouvier Belge des Flandres breed. One hundred and sixty-eight animals referred to the Utrecht University Clinic formed the patient group. Each of the seven diseases was chosen because of the demonstrability of the diagnosis. Each animal was chosen because one of the selected diseases was established in that individual, and because its pedigree was complete. All dogs of the patient group were born between 1 January 1980 and 31 December 1985. A control group (n = 123) was randomly chosen from the total population of registered Bouviers born in the Netherlands in the same period. pedigree data were obtained from the Dutch Kennel Club. The extent of inbreeding was determined for all animals using Wright's inbreeding coefficient. The distribution of inbreeding coefficients in each patient group was compared with the distribution in controls. Inbreeding coefficients in the control group ranged from 0.0 to 0.406. Animals in which osteochondrosis, food allergy, autoimmune disease, neoplasm, or hypoplastic trachea was diagnosed had higher inbreeding coefficients than controls. It was concluded that in the Bouvier Belge des Flandres dog population examined, the level of homozygosity was positively correlated with occurrence of these diseases."}
{"id": "PMID:1485403", "title": "An epidemiological study of Fasciola hepatica in The Netherlands.", "content": "Transmission of F. hepatica under natural conditions was analysed in a three year programme. The variables used were the indirect haemagglutination (IHA) technique, worm establishment in tracer lambs and the population dynamics, infection rate and shedding pattern of Lymnaea truncatula. It is concluded that fluke eggs, infected snails and metacercariae on herbage can survive the winter in the Netherlands. Metacercarial availability was positively correlated to the amount of rainfall in the grazing period. The role developed eggs that survive the winter is important, because this results in earlier infections in the herd. The use of the serological diagnosis method IHA is important to detect F. hepatica infection in an early stage. Use of cellophane paper on floats is a useful method for determining the shedding pattern of cercariae from L. truncatula. It is concluded that collection of metacercariae on cellophane floats, inventarization of L. truncatula and its infection level are useful tools for the prediction of liverfluke infections."}
{"id": "PMID:1485404", "title": "Subcutaneous tissue reaction to polyethylene terephtalate-covered electronic identification transponders in pigs.", "content": "Polyethylene terephtalate-covered identification transponders were injected in 4 week old piglets to examine clinically and histologically the reaction in the surrounding tissue after 4, 7 and 21 days and 6 months. Inflammatory signs at the injection site were clinically noticed from 2 days onwards and gradually decreased after day 3. A second series of inflammatory events occured in some animals around day 7. Swelling was observed thereafter in a few animals. In the pigs slaughtered at day 4, all samples showed a layer of exudate and debris surrounding the transponder. Afterwards a fibrous capsule developed. The mean thickness of reactive tissue decreased significantly (p < 0.01) between days 4 and 7 and days 14 and 21, and remained unchanged between day 21 and 6 months. The mean (+/- s.e.) capsule thickness was 0.32 +/- 0.12 mm after 6 months. It is concluded that PET-covered transponders are encapsulated in fibrous connective tissue within 3 weeks after injection at the base of the ear. After 6 months the capsule around the transponder revealed no or only minor signs of inflammation."}
{"id": "PMID:1485405", "title": "An immunohistochemical study of bovine antral follicles, with special attention to non-atretic follicles with and without atypical granulosa cells.", "content": "Inhibin and oxytocin were immunohistochemically demonstrated in all non-atretic and light-atretic follicles > 2 mm from untreated and pregnant mare's serum gonadotrophin (PMSG)-treated heifers and cows. Immunostaining for luteinizing hormone (LH) and oestradiol was observed in all non-atretic follicles > 4 mm, but only in follicles from PMSG-treated cows. Inhibin and oestradiol immunoreactivity was restricted to the granulosa. Oxytocin and LH immunoreactivity was visualized in both the theca interna and the granulosa. Within the granulosa, LH immunoreactivity was mainly present in cells that were located near the basement membrane. Normal granulosa cells differed from atypical granulosa cells (AGCs) with respect to their ability to bind LH and oestradiol. It is concluded that immunostaining for alpha-inhibin, oxytocin, oestradiol and LH cannot be used as a marker of follicle quality to discriminate between non-atretic follicles with AGCs and non-atretic follicles without AGCs in mid-luteal bovine ovaries."}
{"id": "PMID:1485406", "title": "Comparison of an indirect haemagglutination assay and an ELISA for diagnosing Fasciola hepatica in experimentally and naturally infected sheep.", "content": "An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) with somatic (S) or excretory-secretory antigens (ES) was compared with an indirect haemagglutination assay (IHA) for ability to detect antibodies against Fasciola hepatica in sheep. The specificity of both assays was determined by testing sera collected from sheep experimentally or naturally mono-infected with Fasciola hepatica, Haemonchus contortus, Ostertagia circumcincta, Cooperia curticei, Taenia ovis, Eimeria spp., Trichostrongylus vitrinus, Trichostrongylus colubriformis or Nematodirus battus respectively. With S or ES antigens the specificity of the ELISA was 98% or 95% respectively, whereas the specificity of the IHA was 86%. Antibodies directed against Fasciola hepatica were detected by the ELISA with S or ES antigens from 2 weeks after infection until the end of the experiment, whereas the IHA detected antibodies from week 3. We conclude that the ELISA with S antigens compares favourably with the IHA and can be used for the serodiagnosis of ovine fasciolosis in the Netherlands."}
{"id": "PMID:1485407", "title": "Total CK and CK-BB activity in serum from sheep with scrapie.", "content": "Total CK and iso-enzyme CK-BB activity was measured in serum from four sheep with scrapie and in serum from four healthy control sheep. Blood samples were taken weekly for about six months. There was a clear overlap between the total CK and CK-BB activity in serum from sheep with scrapie and that in serum from control sheep. Thus measurement of these enzymes does not aid the clinical diagnosis of scrapie."}
{"id": "PMID:1485408", "title": "Hepatic lipidosis in pregnant cows on a dairy farm.", "content": "A syndrome very similar to hepatic lipidosis is described in dairy cows during the dry period. After being sent to pasture the animals did not eat well for undetermined reasons. The disease phenomena were mainly observed in animals carrying twins. At post mortem examination severe falty infiltration was found in the 3 animals made available for post mortem examination. Increase of the energy supply to the dry cows by addition of maize silage to the ration prevented new cases."}
{"id": "PMID:1485409", "title": "The survival of Sarcocystis gigantea sporocysts following exposure to various chemical and physical agents.", "content": "Using in vitro excystation as a measure of viability, it was found that at 4 degrees C Sarcocystis gigantea sporocysts survived considerably better in tap water (85% excystation after 174 days) than in either 2.5% potassium dichromate (15% excystation after 174 days) or 2% sulphuric acid (0% excystation after 5 days). Although they were able to resist 48 h suspension at room temperature in most laboratory reagents and disinfectants tested, six (sulphuric acid, ammonia, methanol, ethanol, potassium hydroxide, sodium hydroxide, Medol) had substantial sporocysticidal properties. Further investigation with three of these showed that sporocyst excystation was reduced from 65% to less than 10% following contact with 2.5% sulphuric acid for 1 h or with 2% ammonia or 4% Medol for 4 h. Sporocysts were either killed or had their ability to excyst severely impaired by heating to 60 degrees C and 55 degrees C for 5 and 60 min, respectively, by exposure to ultraviolet radiation at a dose of 4000 ET, or by prolonged storage in water at 24 degrees C. Sporocysts exposed to either constant or intermittent freezing at -18 degrees C suffered a comparatively slow decline in excystation rate with time, as did those subjected to desiccation. The duration of survival of desiccated sporocysts was inversely related to relative humidity and after 245 days at 33% relative humidity and temperatures of 15 degrees C or 24 degrees C, 60% of such sporocysts excysted."}
{"id": "PMID:1485410", "title": "Infectivity of Moniezia benedeni and Moniezia expansa to oribatid mites from Ohio and Georgia.", "content": "Six species of oribatid mites belonging to four families and five genera were successfully infected by M. benedeni. They were Scheloribates laevigatus (Scheloribatidae), Exoribatula sp. cf. biundatus (Scheloribatidae), Xylobates capucinus (Haplozetidae) and Zygoribatula undulata (Oribatulidae) from Ohio, and Galumna ithacensis (Galumnidae) and Scheloribates lanceoliger (Scheloribatidae) from Georgia. Cysticercoids were also recovered from S. laevigatus infected with M. expansa. Among the six species of mites, S. laevigatus is the major intermediate host of M. expansa and M. benedeni worldwide, while the other five species have not been previously reported as transmitters of Moniezia spp. This is also the first report of any species from the genera Exoribatula and Xylobates as intermediate hosts of tapeworms. Different species of oribatid mites varied in their efficiency as intermediate hosts of M. benedeni. Moniezia benedeni had higher infection rate and infection intensity in S. laevigatus than in other species. Development in S. laevigatus was also more rapid than in the other species. Mite size was only one of the determinants of intermediate host efficiency. Storage at 4 degrees C for 1 to 5 weeks reduced the viability of M. benedeni eggs. Stored eggs had lower infection rates and infection intensity and slower development in S. laevigatus. They also had lower infection rates in X. capucinus and Exoribatula sp. cf. biundatus."}
{"id": "PMID:1485411", "title": "Haemonchus contortus resistance to ivermectin and netobimin in Brazilian sheep.", "content": "Suffolk, Texel, Hampshire Down and Ile de France sheep from the municipalities of Porto Amazonas, Piraquara and Araucaria in the State of Paran\u00e1, and Bag\u00e9 in the State of Rio Grande do Sul were brought to Sobral, State of Cear\u00e1, to be used in a cross-breeding project. On arrival they had clinical signs of nematode parasitosis, and one Suffolk female died. The animals were treated orally with ivermectin (0.2 mg kg-1) and fifteen days later with netobimin (20.0 mg kg-1). Neither drug reduced the egg counts (measured in eggs per gram, EPG) significantly, and this suggested that the nematodes in the sheep were resistant to the anthelmintics used. Haemonchus contortus was the species involved. The egg counts were reduced after oral treatment with trichlorfon (100.0 mg kg-1). Haemonchus contortus larvae obtained from these animals before trichlorfon treatment and passaged through two nematode-free sheep were used in a further experiment. Twenty 6- to 9-month-old nematode-free lambs were infected with the H. contortus larvae (10,000 per animal) and after the infection was confirmed, were randomly divided into four groups of five animals. Group I was orally treated with ivermectin at 0.2 mg kg-1, Group II with oral netobimin at 20.0 mg kg-1, Group III with oral trichlorfon at 100.0 mg kg-1 and Group IV was a non-treated control. Egg counts and faecal cultures were taken before dosing on the day of treatment and seven days later when all animals were necropsied and the nematodes were collected from the abomasa and counted.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1485412", "title": "Epidemiology of trichostrongylidosis in cattle: development of infective larvae in the second part of the grazing period and their contribution to infections in the same year.", "content": "A grazing experiment was performed in the Swiss midland region with 22 first-season calves which were grazed together from May to mid July when they were allocated to two equal groups, one receiving a morantel sustained-release trilaminate bolus (Paratect Flex) bolus, Pfizer, Zurich, Switzerland) and the other one remaining as an untreated control. Each group was moved to a clean pasture on 21 July. The larval contamination on the pasture with the control animals reached 4652 third stage larvae (L3) per kilogram of dry matter (L3 kg-1 DM) after 10 weeks. Parasitic gastroenteritis was observed in two calves of the control group in August, and mean serum pepsinogen levels exceeded 4000 mU tyrosine in this group in September. Eggs from Ostertagia sp. and Cooperia sp. that were excreted by the animals at the beginning of July and the end of August showed similar hatching rates of 94% and 99%, respectively. In the calves of the bolus group the egg output was reduced by 95% within 14 days of administration of the bolus. Larval contamination on the pasture of the bolus group was zero until the beginning of September when a slight increase occurred, reaching 793 L3 kg-1 DM in October. At the end of the trial the bolus-treated calves had a mean weight gain advantage of 18 kg (P < 0.05) compared with the controls. The results confirm that a second generation of larvae developed on pasture in August and September and caused parasitic gastroenteritis in first-year grazing calves in late summer. The relevance of the results for the prophylaxis of parasitic gastroenteritis in calves in mixed grazing systems with calves and older cattle is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1485413", "title": "The efficacy of ivermectin against the eyeworm, Thelazia skrjabini, in experimentally infected cattle.", "content": "The anthelmintic efficacy of ivermectin (administered subcutaneously at 200 micrograms kg-1 body weight) was assessed for control of Thelazia skrjabini in experimentally infected calves. Twenty-four uninfected male Holstein calves, 1-2 weeks old, were artificially infected with Thelazia skrjabini by placing 15 third-stage larvae under the third eyelid of calves. The challenge larvae were recovered from naturally infected face flies, Musca autumnalis. The exposed calves were randomly assigned to either an ivermectin treatment group or a control group within pairs ranked by weight. Equal numbers of calves were housed in each of four indoor fly-free rooms. The calves were treated with ivermectin or saline 35 days post-infection, then slaughtered 14 days later to determine eyeworm numbers. All eyes and associated tissues (including the lacrimal glands and ducts) were removed and examined for total number, species and viability of eyeworms. Thelazia skrjabini was found in the control group of calves only. The efficacy of ivermectin against Thelazia skrjabini was thus shown to be 100%."}
{"id": "PMID:1485414", "title": "Proteolytic enzymes from Trichinella spiralis larvae.", "content": "Trichinella spiralis larvae infect their hosts by the penetration of small intestine enterocytes. The exact mechanism of penetration is unknown, but the presence of proteolytic enzymes is suspected. In this study, whole worm extracts and excretory-secretory (ES) components were obtained and their proteolytic enzymes examined. Enzymes from worm extracts were capable of hydrolysing azocoll, a general protease substrate in a wide range of pH (2-8), with maximal activity at pH 5. Trichinella spiralis larval enzymes were sensitive to metalloprotease and serine protease inhibitors. Three proteases were identified in worm extracts at molecular weight (MW) 48, 54 and 62 kDa by incorporating a gelatine substrate into a standard or a modified sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) set-up, in which we used low SDS concentration in gel and electrophoresis buffer (0.01%). Intact larvae incubated in a medium containing azocoll showed azocollytic activity. Subsequent analysis of ES products by modified SDS-PAGE in gels containing gelatine demonstrated the presence of three protease of apparent MW 33, 62 and 230 kDa."}
{"id": "PMID:1485415", "title": "The biology of Ctenocephalides canis in Ireland.", "content": "A colony of Ctenocephalides canis was established using dogs as hosts. Two diets were used as media. Fleas reared on cats did not develop beyond the first larval stages. The effects of different temperatures on egg hatching and larval development were examined. Larval survival was poor at 22 degrees C and 25 degrees C at 50% relative humidity, but good at 75% relative humidity at these temperatures. The development from egg to adult took 21 days."}
{"id": "PMID:1485416", "title": "Field efficacy of injectable and pour-on moxidectin in cattle naturally infested with Psoroptes ovis (Acarina: Psoroptidae).", "content": "Field efficacy of moxidectin, a macrocyclic lactone endectocide, was evaluated in cattle naturally infested with Psoroptes ovis. Three groups of six animals were used based on parasitological and clinical status. Group 1 animals received one subcutaneous injection of injectable moxidectin at 0.2 mg kg-1 body weight; Group 2 animals received topically one dose of 0.5 mg kg-1 body weight of pour-on moxidectin; Group 3 individuals remained untreated as controls. Efficacy was assessed by (a) taking skin samples from each animal on Days -4, 14, 28, 42 and 56 post-treatment (PT) and observing numbers of viable mite stages and species and (b) clinical examination of animals on Days 14, 28, 42 and 56 with the percentage of affected body surface calculated for each animal on Days -4, 28 and 56. Both formulations gave 100% efficacy as no live mites were found in Groups 1 or 2, 14, 28 and 56 days after treatment. Clinical indices showed a sharp decrease in the affected body surface area from a mean of 5.48% and 6.1% on Day -4 in Groups 1 and 2, respectively, to 0% in both groups on Days 28 and 56 PT. All untreated animals remained positive until Day 28. The clinical condition of the controls worsened rapidly during the experiment (mean clinical index: 2.87% and 13.05% on Days -4 and 28, respectively) and they were given an emergency treatment on Day 28. No side-effects were observed with either formulation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1485417", "title": "Human serum for in vitro cultivation of Babesia bovis.", "content": "Various combinations of human serum (from blood of groups A and Rhesus positive) with bovine serum, i.e. 20% + 20% (Medium I), 30% + 10% (II), 40% + 0% (III) and 0% + 40% (IV) and Medium-199 (60%) were used in the propagation of Babesia bovis. Babesia bovis stabilate revived by inoculation in a bovine calf was used at a level of 6% parasitized erythrocytes (PPE). The medium was replenished every 24 h. The medium changed from bright red to dark-coffee color every 24 h. The increase in PPE was maximal between 24 and 48 h. It was also observed that the increase in PPE was significantly higher in a 1:2 dilution compared with a 1:1 dilution. The increase in PPE was highest in Medium I with a 50% replacement of bovine with human serum. However, the parasites could not be subcultured and maintained continuously. Fifty percent replacement was thus optimal for the human-bovine serum combination in a microaerophilous stationary phase (MASP) system. The results indicate that B. bovis can also multiply in a human/bovine serum MASP culture system at least for a period of 48 h, and this is consistent with the zoonotic nature of Babesia species."}
{"id": "PMID:1485418", "title": "Detection of stable diagnostic antigen from bile and feces of Fasciola hepatica infected cattle.", "content": "Diagnostic antigens in bile and feces from Fasciola hepatica infected cattle were detected and characterized by enzyme-linked immunotransfer blot (EITB) techniques. As sources of antigen, samples of bile, intestinal contents and feces were collected from five uninfected calves and from 10 calves with known Fasciola hepatica burdens. A band detected by EITB using a densitometer in the area corresponding to 26 kDa reacted with rabbit anti-fresh fluke antigen and infected cattle sera but not with fluke-negative rabbit sera, rabbit anti-Fasciola hepatica egg sera, Fascioloides magna positive or negative cattle sera. This band was not detected by Coomassie blue in sodium dodecylsulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) gels or by Ponceau-S stained nitrocellulose strips. Band groups located at 104-66, 66-42, 42-26 and 25-16 kDa reacted inconsistently with the above sera. Sera from mice hyperimmunized with Fasciola hepatica excretory-secretory (ES) products detected only the 26 kDa band by EITB, without cross-reactivity with bands in the other molecular weight (MW) ranges. The results suggest that the 26 kDa antigen may consist of a stable component of ES products and/or tegument-related worm antigen. Diagnosis of Fasciola hepatica through detection of specific, stable antigens in feces of infected animals offers potential advantages over serum-based tests of better sample accessibility, discrimination between previous and current infections, and possible semi-quantitation of fluke burdens."}
{"id": "PMID:1485419", "title": "The pathophysiology of ovine trypanosomosis: haematological and blood biochemical changes.", "content": "The course of Trypanosoma congolense infection in sheep was followed for 96 days. Infected animals developed fluctuating parasitaemia, macrocytic normochromic anaemia and leucocytosis which was principally a lymphocytosis. Following treatment with the trypanocidal drug, diminazene aceturate at 84 days after infection, the haematological values returned to normal within 12 days. Infected sheep developed hypocholesterolaemia and hypophospholipidaemia leading to a reduction in total serum lipids. This study has shown that sheep infected with T. congolense develop anaemia, the onset of which follows the first wave of parasitaemia. The changes in blood lipids observed in infected sheep appeared to be related to the intensity and duration of parasitaemia."}
{"id": "PMID:1485420", "title": "Pathological changes in kidneys of dogs with natural Leishmania infection.", "content": "A study was made of the nephropathy in canine leishmaniasis produced in ten adult dogs naturally infected with Leishmania infantum. Renal function analyses were performed (uraemia, creatinaemia, plasma proteins, biochemistry and urinary sediment), the humoral immune response (fluorescent antibodies and levels of serum IgG, IgM and IgA) was assessed and histopathological studies were carried out. Correlation of the results showed acute renal insufficiency which was reversible in two animals (endotheliomesangial glomerulonephritis) and irreversible in four cases corresponding to glomerulonephritis in its Type I and Type II proliferative forms; extensive increase in the glomerular basal membrane, proliferation of mesangial cells and growth of the mesangial matrix were observed, as was a widespread incidence of immune complex deposits. Two animals showed chronic renal insufficiency. Lack of renal changes (minimal-changes glomerulonephritis) in two dogs was accounted for in one animal by an almost complete absence of symptoms and in the other by chronic viscerocutaneous symptoms; neither showed more than a slight immunoglobulin response."}
{"id": "PMID:1485421", "title": "Humoral and cellular immune responses in rats during a primary infestation with Fasciola hepatica.", "content": "The antibody and lymphocyte responses to Fasciola hepatica were studied in rats. Infested rats were shown to produce antibodies against excretory-secretory (ES) products of adult flukes as early as the first week after infestation. Immunoblotting revealed fractions of ES products of adult flukes to which antibodies were progressively produced during the course of the infestation. Proliferation of peripheral blood lymphocytes, splenocytes and thymocytes when incubated with different mitogens (Concanavalin A (ConA) or Pokeweed mitogen (PWM) or different liver fluke antigens (metacercariae antigen (EM) or ES products of adult flukes) have been studied. In response to these mitogens or antigens, splenocytes were stimulated on the second and fourth weeks after infestation. Thymocytes were significantly activated by PWM on the second week but peripheral blood lymphocytes did not show any statistically significant response. Results obtained in antibody production, immunoblotting and lymphocyte proliferation suggested sequential releases of F. hepatica substances and the existence of common proteins between adult and juvenile parasite stages. Cellular and humoral responses observed in this work did not seem to confer a complete resistance to liver fluke primary infestation on the rat."}
{"id": "PMID:1485422", "title": "Schistosoma mansoni antibodies in tissue specimens demonstrated by a diffusion-in-gel ELISA technique.", "content": "A modification of the diffusion-in-gel enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (DIG-ELISA) for analysis of antibodies in tissue fragments has been elaborated. In this technique, tissue specimens are placed on top of a thin gel layer covering a plastic surface coated with an antigen preparation. The gel thus serves as a medium through which diffusion of antibodies contained in tissue samples may occur. Specimens from skin, lung, liver, kidney, heart and skeletal muscle as well as blood serum and blood sampled onto filter paper were successfully used for analysis of the antibody response to two different antigens (soluble adult worm antigen and soluble egg antigen) during experimental infection of mice with the helminth parasite Schistosoma mansoni. It was concluded that skin and lung tissue reflected the serum antibody response more closely than the other tissues tested, although zone sizes were slightly smaller than those registered for corresponding serum samples. The DIG-ELISA reaction zone size was, as expected, shown to be dependent on the weight (size) of the tissue specimen. The variability of the modified technique was comparable to that found for analysis of serum by the conventional DIG-ELISA technique. It is concluded that the described technique may be used for serological analysis when blood samples cannot be easily obtained, e.g. at examination of animal carcasses or single organs."}
{"id": "PMID:1485423", "title": "Immunological detection of chemotherapeutic success in bovine fasciolosis using the specific antigen f2.", "content": "An improved hemagglutination (HA) test using the purified specific f2 antigen of Fasciola hepatica has been evaluated with regard to its potential use for the prediction of chemotherapeutic success in natural bovine infections with F. hepatica. Lactating cows (n = 16) from a herd naturally infected with F. hepatica were successively treated with nitroxynil (Dovenix, Specia) and with oxyclozanide (Zanil, ICI) 1 month later. Their f2-specific antibodies were significantly lower than those of a non-treated control group (n = 15) from the second month after the first treatment, and continued to decline thereafter to negative values 5-6 months post-treatment. In a second experiment, culled and fattened cows (n = 32) of unknown fasciolosis history were treated with closantel (Janssen Pharmaceutica). Three months after treatment, f2-specific antibodies of the serologically positive animals (n = 24) were reduced nine-fold. In contrast, in the control group (n = 28), the titers of f2-specific antibodies of the serologically positive animals (n = 21) were not modified significantly. The results show that the f2-HA test is useful for the prediction of chemotherapeutic success in bovine fascioliasis."}
{"id": "PMID:1485424", "title": "Use of Echinococcus granulosus worm antigens for immunodiagnosis of E. granulosus infection in dogs.", "content": "Echinococcus granulosus worm excretory/secretory antigens (WES) were used in ELISA for diagnosis of E. granulosus infection in dogs and compared with protoscolex somatic antigens (PSM). Sera from 224 dogs were tested. There was no correlation between ELISA absorbance values and E. granulosus worm burdens using either antigen. There was a significant linear relationship between absorbance values of sera tested in the ELISA using WES (W-ELISA) and the ELISA using PSM (P-ELISA). However, there was a small but significant difference between the absorbance values of the sera tested against the two antigens. Western blot analysis of WES using sera from E. granulosus-infected and uninfected dogs revealed antigenic components of relative molecular mass (Mr) larger than 94,000, Mr 94,000-68,000 and Mr 43,000-39,000 in worms, and these were specific for E. granulosus and not identified in PSM; these antigenic differences may be responsible for differences in reactivity in ELISA. The sensitivities of W-ELISA and P-ELISA were 80.8% and 75.6%, respectively. The specificities of W-ELISA and P-ELISA were 93.7% and 97.9%, respectively. The reduced specificity in W-ELISA was mainly attributable to increased background reactivity of sera from Taenia hydatigena-infected dogs. Despite the reduction in specificity, both ELISAs are valuable epidemiological tools to determine the prevalence of antibody to E. granulosus in dog populations and to monitor the success of hydatid control campaigns."}
{"id": "PMID:1485425", "title": "[The effect of nicergoline on the systemic and cerebral hemodynamics of patients with circulatory encephalopathy and an atherosclerotic lesion of the major cerebral arteries].", "content": "The Evans blue dilution method and ultrasound dopplerography were used to study the effect of nicergolin on the systemic and cerebral hemodynamics in 31 patients with dyscirculatory encephalopathy against the background of atherosclerotic lesions of the major head arteries. It was established that nicergolin reduces the arterial pressure, diminishes the minute blood volume, cardiac and stroke indices, increases the specific peripheral vascular resistance, the linear blood flow velocity prevailingly in the stenosed major head arteries, results in a regression of the subjective and objective neurological symptomatology. Considering the cardiodepressive effect of nicergolin, this agent is indicated in patients with the hyperkinetic type of the systemic hemodynamics."}
{"id": "PMID:1485426", "title": "[The characteristics of the autogenic training of patients with a history of craniocerebral trauma].", "content": "The author describes a new variant of autogenous training specially designed for patients who sustained head injuries. Principles are outlined of the formation of treatment groups, details of the training, specific perfection of the routine autogenous training (degree I) and new techniques of autogenous training (degree II)."}
{"id": "PMID:1485427", "title": "[Ultrasonic dopplerography in the diagnosis of the initial manifestations of insufficiency of the blood supply to the brain].", "content": "Sixty-eight patients with cerebrovascular insufficiency received a course of quantum hemotherapy by means of ultraviolet irradiation of the blood. The cerebral hemodynamics was evaluated by ultrasound transcranial dopplerography. It was found that this method may be used for early diagnosis as well as for the control of treatment efficacy. It was established that ultraviolet irradiation of the blood essentially effected the cerebral hemodynamics, reduces interhemispheric asymmetry, causes no cerebral steal syndromes."}
{"id": "PMID:1485429", "title": "[The use of acetylcysteine in the combined treatment of patients with acute 1,2-dichloroethane poisoning].", "content": "The authors analyse the use of acetylcysteine as specific antidote treatment in 37 patients with acute 1,2-dichlorethane (DCE) poisoning. Administration of dichlorethane did not produce any determining effect on the outcome of the treatment in critical and irreversible concentration of DCE in the blood. The main component in complex therapy is early hemosorption. Acetylcystein may be used in the complex treatment of acute DCE intoxications after early extracorporal detoxication with the purpose of reducing the severity of troxic of hepatopathies."}
{"id": "PMID:1485437", "title": "[The medical aspects of agricultural production and rural ecology under the new management conditions].", "content": "Problems of rural hygiene are evaluated related to new conditions of agricultural production, technization of working processes, development of microbiological industry. Working conditions of women are emphasized. Medical aspects of ecology are discussed in detail. Socio-hygienic problems are evaluated."}
{"id": "PMID:1485438", "title": "[A new methodological procedure for studying the health status of the population of industrial cities].", "content": "Investigation and evaluation of the population health depending on the environment are realized in two directions. One of them are values characterizing separate indices of the health status. The other direction is based on a study of nosological entities observed in separate systems of the body, evaluation of the functional state of these systems in the whole body and determination of their dependence on environmental factors."}
{"id": "PMID:1485439", "title": "[The characteristics of the course of tuberculosis in children under the ecological conditions in Bukovina].", "content": "The pathomorphosis of tuberculosis in children was evaluated in conditions of unfavourable ecological conditions of Bukovina. Five clinical cases are analyzed. Mass screening of children is recommended (mucus analysis)."}
{"id": "PMID:1485441", "title": "[A comparative evaluation of the efficacy of quantum methods for treating hypertension patients].", "content": "A study is presented of the effect of laser and microwave resonance therapy on the hemodynamics and hemorheology in 56 patients with hypertensive disease. The hypotensive effect of intravascular laser therapy is related to the positive changes, reduction of blood viscosity and general peripheral vascular resistance. The effect of low molecular electromagnetic radiation on acupuncture points favoured clear reduction of peripheral vessel resistance. Combination of laser and microwave resonance therapy produces a positive effect due to potentiation of these methods and, thus, influencing the systems of hemodynamics, hemostasis and hemorheology."}
{"id": "PMID:1485442", "title": "[The level of total immunoglobulin E in the blood serum of rheumatism patients].", "content": "The mean level of total IgE in the sera of patients with active rheumatism was significantly higher than during non-active phase of the disease and in healthy blood donors. The highest level of hyper-IgE-emia is observed in the continuously relapsing variant of rheumatism. Increased content of total serum IgE in active rheumatism is observed both in manifest and in latent variants of the disease. Articular and cerebral manifestations of rheumatism are not, apparently, related to the IgE level. The serum IgE may be a supplementary diagnostic criterion of rheumatic activity, especially with advance of the cardiovascular insufficiency."}
{"id": "PMID:1485443", "title": "[Laser irradiation of the blood in patients with refractory tachyarrhythmias].", "content": "A study of 108 with paradoxic tachyarrhythmias including 80 with tachyarrhythmias refractory to antiarrhythmic drugs revealed that a major role is played by the structural functional changes of the membranes and in humoral chain of the immune response that is accompanied by functional disorder of the cell receptor apparatus. Laser blood irradiation effecting neurohumoral regulation promotes normalization of barrier and receptor functional of myocardium cell membranes and overcoming refractivity of tachyarrhythmias to antiarrhythmic agents."}
{"id": "PMID:1485444", "title": "[The rheology of the gastric mucus and the secretory activity of the main gastric glands in patients with duodenal peptic ulcer].", "content": "A study of 150 patients with ulcer and 38 healthy persons revealed that duodenal ulcer is characterized not only by an increase of the acid- and pepsin-secretory gastric function but also by a reduction of the resilient-viscous properties of the native parietal mucus. Complex determination of acid and pepsin secretion, rheological properties of the gastric mucus is of high diagnostic and prognostic importance."}
{"id": "PMID:1485445", "title": "[Changes in the trace element content of the blood in chronic hepatitis].", "content": "Trace elements were examined spectrophotometrically in 45 patients with chronic hepatitis (persisting--31; chronic--14). Lead and cadmium showed a significant increase both in the healthy and hepatitis patients. A reduction of zinc and increase of copper was found in patients with chronic hepatitis. Changes in the content of microelements depended on the severity of the disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1485446", "title": "[The verification of amyloidosis by biopsies of the gastric and duodenal mucosa in patients with destructive tuberculosis and chronic nonspecific lung diseases].", "content": "Biopsy of the gastric and duodenal mucosa was carried out during diagnostic esophagogastroduodenofibroscopy. Histological examination was realized using the light polarization microscope. Amyloid was found in 48.8% with pathological changes in the urine. In patients without pathological changes of the urine amyloidosis was diagnosed bioptically in 8.6% of duodenal and 10.3% of gastric biopsies."}
{"id": "PMID:1485447", "title": "[Plasmapheresis in the combined therapy of patients with chronic glomerulonephritis and the nephrotic syndrome].", "content": "Plasmapheresis (P) was used in the complex treatment of 16 patients with chronic glomerulonephritis (CHG) and nephrotic syndrome. Before P. 12 patients were treated ineffectively with prednisolone and curantyl. After 3-5 sessions of P detoxication was observed in all patients, increased diuresis (15 patients). Renal function normalized in 4 of 5 patients, proteinuria reduced by 50-80%. The authors discuss indications of including P into the complex treatment of patients in whom chronic glomerulonephritis with the nephrotic syndrome was present."}
{"id": "PMID:1485448", "title": "[The treatment of meningococcemia by preserving immune homeostasis].", "content": "A study is presented of the cellular-humoral immunity in patients with typical meningococcemia complicated by infectious-toxic shock. Obtained data evidence significant changes of the cellular-humoral immunity in meningococcemias, especially those accompanied by infectious-toxic shock along with traditional methods the authors propose immunoregulatory and pathogenetic treatment: human immunoglobulin, aminocaproic acid, sodium, ethamsilate or dicinon, thymalin or T-activin, dopamin, rifampycin. The dosage of these drugs should be individual. The indications and efficiency should be controlled immunologically."}
{"id": "PMID:1485449", "title": "[The morphological aspects of the protective action of enterosorbent K(2)9 during the use of the antitumor anthracycline antibiotic carminomycin].", "content": "The authors substantiate morphologically the protector effect of K(2)9 enterosorbent during its parallel use with the antitumour anthracyclin antibiotic carminomycin. The agent was administered intraperitoneally in animals at the maximum tolerable dose. Use of the K(2)9 enterosorbent reduces the cardiotoxic effect of carminomycin."}
{"id": "PMID:1485451", "title": "[The effect of reflected glare on overall and visual work capacity in visually stressed work].", "content": "It was established that used in some working placed light may create reflected lustricity that worsens discrimination of objects. This in its turn worsens general and visual working capacity."}
{"id": "PMID:1485452", "title": "[The effect of solvents and emulsifiers on the toxicity of synthetic pyrethroids].", "content": "It was established that the preparation form of pyrethroid during peroral, percutaneous uses is significantly more toxic than its components. The solvent in the composition of the preparative form increases the irritative properties of deltametatrin and also essentially effect mean time of death of half of the animals. Other toxicokinetic effects are discussed in detail."}
{"id": "PMID:1485453", "title": "[The brain function of animals exposed to the action of centimeter electromagnetic waves].", "content": "It was established that centimeter electromagnetic waves (EMW) are a biologically active factor. Dynamic of changes of behavioural reactions under the effect of EMW evidences instability of the functional state of the brain EMW densities of 1000, 1500 mW/cm2 produce a response characterized by inhibition of motor activity."}
{"id": "PMID:1485454", "title": "[The endocrinological aspects of cancer of the vulva].", "content": "Patients with cancer of the vulva showed significant disorders of pituitary adrenal cortex, ovarian and thyroid function. This requires carrying out corrective hormone therapy with the purpose of increasing the efficiency of combined treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1485455", "title": "[The potentials of homeopathic treatment in the clinical picture of internal diseases].", "content": "In this review the author describes the main principles of homeopathy, the stages of its development, methods of approach to the treatment of diseases of the internal organs. The wide range of homeopathic treatment of different kinds of pathology is evaluated. The absence of side effects, availability of raw materials, simple methods of manufacturing homeopathic drugs substantiate the return to homeopathy as one of the effective methods of treatment, in particular, chronic diseases."}
{"id": "PMID:1485456", "title": "[The complications of manual therapy in osteochondrosis of the cervical spine].", "content": "The authors analyze literary and own findings on complications of manual therapy. The causes and clinical picture of possible complications are discussed. An original classification of complications due to manual therapy of cervical spine disorders is presented."}
{"id": "PMID:1485457", "title": "[Laser puncture in the treatment of diabetic angiopathies of the lower extremities].", "content": "Laseropuncture in patients with diabetes mellitus associated with angiopathies of the lower extremities (grade II and III) produced a pronounced clinical effect which was manifested by removing the pain syndrome, improvement of the peripheral circulation and extremity function and function of the lower extremities, improvement of thermographic values. But this positive dynamics was more pronounced in angiopathies of the lower extremities of the stage of functional disorders than obliterating atherosclerosis of the legs. Sterility of the laser beam, possibility of local effect on biologically active points, non-painful procedure, absence of age limits and side effects allow to widely recommend this method for the treatment of Diabetes mellitus associated with angiopathies of the lower extremities."}
{"id": "PMID:1485458", "title": "[The classification of myocardiodystrophies].", "content": "The importance of singling out myocardial lesions of non-coronary genesis. A classification of myocardiodystrophies is presented. The problem of etiology, pathogenesis, clinical and treatment of myocardial dystrophies is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1485459", "title": "[The efficacy of a 4-year course of drug treatment for patients with juvenile hypertension].", "content": "To evaluate the hypotensive efficacy and effects of some hypotensive drugs on the hemodynamics and concentration of testosterone in its blood plasma the authors examined 205 patients with juvenile hypertension (JH): main group--134 patients; comparison group--71 patients). Course treatment (1.5-2 months) with obsidan, niphedipin, verapamyl was carried out with nondrug treatment during intervals. The obtained data evidence efficacy of the hypotensive treatment. Most patients with JH showed a characteristic increase of the blood testosterone level. After a four-year treatment the testosterone level was within normal levels."}
{"id": "PMID:1485461", "title": "[The dynamic electrocardiogram in the late period after the surgical treatment of obesity patients].", "content": "An analysis is presented of ECG of 68 patients with obesity (grade III-IV) before the operation of jejunoileal shunting and 1-2, 3-5 and 6-10 years after surgery. It was found that the main changes in the cardiovascular system occur during the first 2 years, i.e. during the period of body mass reduction. The importance of ECG in the diagnosis of hypertrophy of different compartments of the heart in obesity of grade III-IV."}
{"id": "PMID:1485462", "title": "[Combined pathology of the biliary and urinary tracts].", "content": "Association of chronic cholecystitis and pyelonephritis as well as associated formation of calculi are the cause of prolonged course of the disease, resistance to antibacterial therapy, frequent exacerbations. For his reason the authors recommend detailed examinations of the kidneys in patients with chronic cholecystitis for early diagnosis of their pathology and institution of adequate treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1485463", "title": "[The incidence and nature of hepatobiliary system diseases in workers of the Ternopol Clothing Association].", "content": "A detailed clinico-laboratory examination of workers of Ternopol sewing factories revealed in 13.9% chronic inflammatory diseases of the hepatobiliary system which exceeds 4 times the indices of seeking medical advice (3.5%) mainly due to latent course. Entropy of blood serum protein data are more informative than bilirubin and transaminase data used in evolution of homeostasis disorders in these patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1485464", "title": "[The treatment of acquired deficiency of alpha 1-proteinase inhibitor in the early stages of chronic obstructive lung diseases].", "content": "A new treatment scheme is proposed with a differential approach to correction of acquired deficiency of proteinase alpha-1 inhibitor. The treatment includes periodically repeated courses of antioxidant agents. In case of failure antioxidant agents are supplemented with courses of substitutive therapy by courses of proteolysis inhibitors up to normalization. Further treatment included repeated courses of antioxidant treatment for a more prolonged remission and prophylaxis of exacerbations."}
{"id": "PMID:1485466", "title": "Do thermal lasers increase the risk of distal embolism in angioplasties? An experimental study with cw Nd: YAG and excimer lasers.", "content": "A thermal (contact cw Nd:YAG) and non-thermal (Xe-Cl excimer) laser were used to irradiate fresh human blood in an experimental setting to investigate the possible thrombogenic properties of lasers and to compare the two laser modalities. Blood was obtained into 10 ml citrate test tubes from healthy volunteers. Laser irradiations were performed with cw Nd: YAG laser (10W, 3 and 6 secs) and with excimer laser (20 mJ, 60 ns pulses, 15 secs). Altogether, 80 samples were collected. A thromboelastographic (TEG) analysis was performed for each sample as well as the controls, which were taken simultaneously. Serum potassium levels indicating haemolysis were also determined. Thermal laser energy seems to have more thrombogenic effect than excimer laser. There appear to be no previous reports available in the literature using TEG to determine thrombogenicity of different lasers."}
{"id": "PMID:1485467", "title": "Hematocrit dependent changes of muscle tissue oxygen supply in the lower limb muscle of patients with intermittent claudication.", "content": "Hematocrit dependent changes of muscle tissue oxygen supply at rest and after exercise were detected in 23 patients with chronical arterial occlusive disease stage IIb according to Fontaine. In these patients with a concomitant high hematocrit a stepwise isovolemic hemodilution by vena esection and subsequent infusion of 10% hydroxyethylstarch solution (200/0.5%) was achieved intraindividually. Measurements of muscle tissue oxygen pressure (pO2) values in the lower limb muscle using a standardized pedalergometric exercise test as well as pain free walking distance with a treadmill were performed. Improvement of muscle tissue pO2 supply after pedalergometric exercise as well as muscular performance on the treadmill were found at an average hematocrit value of 40.50%, whereas muscle tissue oxygen supply and pedalergometric performance were markedly reduced at hematocrit 50.60% as well as 33.75%. Thus it is likely that an improvement of muscle tissue oxygen supply in severe intermittent claudication can be achieved by isovolemic hemodilution to hematocrit values about 40-41%."}
{"id": "PMID:1485468", "title": "The effect of antimicrobial impregnation on vascular graft healing. An experimental porcine study.", "content": "This study evaluates the impregnation of a phenol derivative (Y105) to polymerized Dacron grafts. Y-105 has broad spectrum anti-microbial characteristics. The grafts were inserted end to side in the iliac artery of pigs. Reexploration and graft removal was performed after 7, 14 and 30 days. After pressure fixation with glutaraldehyde the grafts were evaluated for gross morphology and by scanning electron microscopy. A gradual development of pseudo-intima was observed without sign of graft occlusion. The addition of the antimicrobial impregnation did not interfere with healing."}
{"id": "PMID:1485469", "title": "Hematologic changes in type 2 diabetic patients with various localizations of peripheral vascular disease.", "content": "Some hematologic parameters have been measured in 80 patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus. The patients were divided into three groups: (a) proximal (pelvic and femoral) lower limb macroangiopathy; (b) distal (tibial) macroangiopathy; and (c) control group of diabetics without lower limb macroangiopathy. Mean hemoglobin, hematocrit and fibrinogen values were significantly higher in both the proximal and distal macroangiopathy groups in comparison with the controls. On the other hand, mean leucocyte and platelet counts were significantly elevated only in the proximal macroangiopathy group. Significant correlations were observed in univariate and multivariate analyses between blood fibrinogen concentration and pressure indices expressing severity of lower limb macroangiopathy (ankle/thigh, ankle/arm). In summary, increased levels of hematologic parameters contributing to the increase of whole blood viscosity were observed in Type 2 diabetics with arteriosclerosis obliterans. The observed relationship between fibrinogen concentration and severity of arteriosclerosis obliterans could be an evidence in favor for fibrinogen lowering therapy in this pathologic condition."}
{"id": "PMID:1485470", "title": "Collagen and gelatin-impregnated vascular grafts--is their thrombogenicity enhanced? An experimental study.", "content": "The early thrombogenicity of dacron vascular grafts with and without impregnation with collagen (n = 7) or gelatin (n = 7) was evaluated in a sheep carotid artery interposition model. Autologous platelets were labelled with 32P and reinjected. Flow was reduced to 25 ml/min to mimic a situation with poor run-off and the graft thrombogenicity was studied for 4 hours. The results showed no difference as regards patency, thrombus-free surface, or uptake of 32P-labelled platelets between collagen- or gelatin-impregnated grafts and their parent dacron grafts. Thus, no difference in early graft thrombogenicity could be documented."}
{"id": "PMID:1485471", "title": "[Aneurysms of the hepatic artery].", "content": "A series of seven cases of hepatic artery aneurysms is reported. Guidelines for diagnosis and therapeutic approach to this rare disease are specified based on our own results and on the work of other authors. Because of high mortality, hepatic and biliary complications in cases of ruptured hepatic aneurysms elective vascular surgery is recommended in symptomatic and asymptomatic patients. In cases of intrahepatic localization percutaneous catheter embolization may be the method of choice except for some cases of false aneurysms in transplanted livers."}
{"id": "PMID:1485472", "title": "[Preoperative cardiovascular assessment of patients with vascular diseases].", "content": "Pathologic cardiovascular symptoms and signs were assessed preoperatively in 72 consecutive patients scheduled for vascular surgery. All postoperative cardiovascular complications were monitored and statistical relation to the preoperative pathology was tested using the X2-method. The following preoperative cardiovascular symptoms are associated with a significant incidence of postoperative complications: Angina pectoris (p < 0.05); congestive heart failure (p < 0.025); ventricular and/or supraventricular arrhythmias (p < 0.01); pathologic ECG (p < 0.01); ejection fraction < 50% in echocardiography (p < 0.05); myocardial hypokinesias in echocardiography (p < 0.025). The use of preoperative echocardiography as a reliable and accurate method is emphasized."}
{"id": "PMID:1485473", "title": "Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty in 226 iliac artery stenoses: role of the superficial femoral artery for clinical success.", "content": "We reviewed the results of 174 consecutive percutaneous transluminal angioplasties (PTA) for 226 iliac artery stenoses (mean length 1.6 cm, range 0.2-9.6 cm) in 150 patients with lower limb ischaemia. Vascular intervention was indicated by intermittent claudication in 123 and critical ischaemia in 51 (29%) limbs. There were 12 (7%) failed guide-wire recanalizations. Four (2%) serious complications from puncture site haemorrhages or peripheral embolizations were handed surgically and caused one major amputation. Five-year patency in 162 successful dilatations was 68% primarily and 81% secondary to vascular surgical reconstructions during an average 28 (range 1-60) months of observation. One hundred and thirteen (70%) limbs improved clinically. In 95 limbs treated exclusively by iliac PTA, clinical improvement was achieved in 38/47 (81%) limbs with patency and 24/48 (50%) limbs with occlusion of the superficial femoral artery (SFA) (p < 0.003), whereas vascular patency of iliac PTA was unaffected by status of the SFA. Five-year limb salvage rate was 50% in limbs with critical ischaemia. We conclude that PTA for iliac artery stenoses is a low-risk procedure offering acceptable clinical results provided the SFA is patent. As an adjunct to distal bypass surgery, iliac PTA improves inflow without the requirement for major aorto-iliac surgery and may extend indications for vascular intervention in patients with lower limb ischaemia."}
{"id": "PMID:1485474", "title": "[Double-blind study of the effect of dipyridamole in patients with intermittent claudication].", "content": "32 patients (mean age 65 years, range 51-75 years) were included in this controlled, double blind study to evaluate the effect of dipyridamole in patients with intermittent claudication. Following a run-in phase of one month, 15 patients received 400 mg dipyridamole per day and 17 patients placebo. Patient characteristics (risk factors, age, clinical and apparative tests) of both groups did not differ significantly before and during the study period. Mean pain free und absolute walking distance on the treadmill (3.2 km/h, 12.5 degrees gradient) increased significantly in both groups during study period (p < 0.001 and p < 0.01). Explanations are more intensive physical activity and increasing adaptation to treadmill exercise. However, dipyridamole did not induce a significantly longer walking distance in comparison with placebo. The working hypothesis that the drug with inhibiting properties of thrombocyte function prolongs walking distance in intermittent claudication, could not be confirmed."}
{"id": "PMID:1485475", "title": "[Comparison of the effectiveness of physical training with parenteral drug therapy in Fontaine stage IIb peripheral arterial occlusive disease].", "content": "In an open, randomized study in patients with peripheral arterial occlusive disease in state IIb according to Fontaine the clinical efficacy and tolerability of Actovegin upon intravenous and intraarterial application was examined compared to vascular training. 30 patients were included in each of the three therapy groups. Over a period of four weeks each patient received daily therapy--except for weekends. Patients of group I received a daily intravenous infusion of 250 ml Actovegin 20% p.i. the patients in group II received this medication by the intraarterial route. The third patient group received standardized vascular training. From a total of 90 patients 73 completed the study according to the study protocol. In all three groups the therapy resulted in the improvement of pain-free and pain-limited walking distances. Upon comparison of relative changes in the intraarterial and intravenous group significant differences turned out: whereas patients in the intravenous group achieved a mean increase in pain-free walking distance of 37.8%, a mean increase in walking distance of 44.9% in the intraarterial group was observed. With respect to maximum walking distances the relative improvements amounted to a mean of 44.0% in the intravenous group, and 64.3% in the intraarterial group. After training over four weeks in the vascular-training group the patients achieved a mean increase in pain-free walking distance of 69.6% and 53.5% in pain-limited walking distance. This meant a significantly greater improvement in pain-free walking distance compared to the intravenous group; the difference compared to the intraarterial group was not significant; however the mean values indicated that the vascular-training group showed greater improvements in pain-free walking distance, and more moderate improvements in maximum walking distance than the intraarterial group. However, these results were significantly modified, if a differentiation was made in the vascular-training group between patients with high and low compliance. In the patients' rating all three therapies were described as throughout beneficial, however, less positive for the intravenous therapy, which is in accordance to the results of changes in walking-distance. The results of the present study are discussed having in mind physical therapy being limited through contraindications and insufficient patient compliance."}
{"id": "PMID:1485476", "title": "[Gingko biloba extract EGb 761 and pentoxifylline in intermittent claudication. Secondary analysis of the clinical effectiveness].", "content": "Clinical trials on the efficacy of EGb 761 and pentoxifylline are summarized in the context of their methods and results and compared with each other. All placebo-controlled, randomized and double-blind studies with the major target objective of \"pain-free walking distance\" were selected. The pentoxifylline studies were adopted from a survey of the existing literature in the English language, which has been brought up to date via DIMDI research. The studies on both active substances are fraught with similar difficulties as to method, and are not different as regards their quality. The increase in walking distance is highly variable, especially in the pentoxifylline studies. On average through each and all of the studies on both preparations, an increase of 45% (EGb 761) or 57% (pentoxifylline) in relation to initial values is here found. No differences in the documentation of efficacy and the clinical efficacy were discovered between the two substances, both of which are registered as effective substances in the treatment of peripheral arterial occlusion (pAO) in accordance with the Federal German Drugs Law (Arzneimittelgesetz, AMG) of 1976."}
{"id": "PMID:1485477", "title": "[Effect of naftidrofuryl on viscoelasticity, thrombocyte aggregation and erythrocyte fluidity of blood].", "content": "In 30 patients suffering from cerebrovascular disease stage I with atherosclerotic plaques in the carotid's bifurcation the effect of a 7-days application with 400 mg Naftidrofuryl versus NaCl was tested. As parameters viscosity and elasticity of whole blood, plasma viscosity, erythrocytes' and membrane fluidity point, as well as platelet aggregation (spontaneous, ADP-, Epinephrine- and Collagen-induced) were determined before onset, after 4 days and after 8 days. After 8 days treatment with naftidrofuryl there was a significant improvement in viscosity and elasticity of whole blood as well as in erythrocytes' elongation, membrane-fluidity and in the induced test of platelet aggregation."}
{"id": "PMID:1485478", "title": "[Bilateral brachial claudication as the initial manifestation of giant cell arteritis. Case report and review of the literature].", "content": "A 69-year-old woman presented with bilateral arm claudication caused by segmental occlusions of both brachial arteries. Bilateral retrograde ring-desobliteration resulted in restauration of full pulses. Microscopic examination of the resected specimen revealed giant cell arteritis. No other manifestations of the disease could be detected. At autopsy affection of the aortic arch and of the arm arteries is found in about 70% of patients with giant cell arterities. Symptoms occur in only about 5% of them. Arterial stenoses are successfully treated with corticosteroids. In case of chronic occlusion, however, ischemia-induced symptoms may necessitate an operation. Endarterectomy (i.e. total dissection of the destroyed inner arterial wall layers) should be preferred to bypass procedures. Subsequent long-term corticosteroid therapy should be instituted in order to treat the underlying disease, and to prevent reocclusions."}
{"id": "PMID:1485479", "title": "[Aorto-aortic bypass through the right pleural cavity in recurrent coarctation of the aorta].", "content": "A patient with recurrent coarctation of the aorta was treated by a bypass between ascending and descending aorta performed through a right-sided thoracotomy. The procedure resulted in a normalization of the previously elevated blood pressure. The efficacy and simplicity of the method and the low risk of the access through the right pleural cavity are emphasized."}
{"id": "PMID:1485480", "title": "[Popliteal anastomotic aneurysm as the origin of recurrent embolism].", "content": "We report on a young patient who underwent numerous arterial interventions after injury to the right groin. After several years, a popliteal anastomotic aneurysm, unidentified at that time, began to cause recurrent peripheral emboli. The importance of an intensive search for the source of the emboli is demonstrated. Bland arteriography does not rule out the presence of an aneurysm and should prompt further investigation with duplex-sonography and/or MR-imaging. Aneurysms causing recurrent peripheral emboli are an absolute indication for surgery."}
{"id": "PMID:1485483", "title": "Stability of retinol in milk during frozen and other storage conditions.", "content": "The effect of storage temperature and storage time on the retinol content of four commercial unfortified whole UHT milk samples was studied by HPLC. Significant losses of retinol in these milks were observed after 1 month of storage at 30 degrees C. Losses generally increased with storage time. Increasing the storage temperature from 30 degrees C to 40 degrees C had a variable effect depending on the particular milk. Short periods of frozen storage (up to 60 days) had no effect on the retinol content. However, frozen storage time from 4 to 8 months led to significant (P < 0.05) losses in retinol content. The effect of water activity and temperature conditions during storage of unfortified whole milk powder on the stability of retinol was also studied. Increasing the activity of water and temperature of storage significantly lowered the retinol content in milk powder."}
{"id": "PMID:1485484", "title": "Immunoaffinity-chromatography purification of salbutamol in liver and HPLC-fluorometric detection at trace residue level.", "content": "A method combining immunoaffinity-chromatography (IAC) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) for the analysis of Salbutamol in liver with a low quantification limit of 1 micrograms/kg has been developed. Salbutamol was extracted with 0.01 mol/L HCl and purified by IAC. The samples were analysed on a liquid chromatograph fitted with a C18 mu-Bondapak column. A fluorometer was used for the detection of salbutamol. Recoveries of 67-80% could be obtained."}
{"id": "PMID:1485486", "title": "The frequency of mutations in exon 11 of the CF gene in Polish cystic fibrosis patients.", "content": "Results of mutation analysis in exon 11 of the CF gene have been presented. Using the SSCP technique 18 mutations (of four different types) were detected in cystic fibrosis patients of Polish origin. Thus, we were able to detect in exon 11 about 10% of all CF mutations occurring in the affected population examined."}
{"id": "PMID:1485487", "title": "Is the tRNA ochre suppressor supX derived from gltT?", "content": "Some of the argE3-->Arg+ revertants show supX suppressor activity. The genetic relationship of supX is not yet known but the evidences are presented, that supX does not derive from gltT encoding tRNA(Glu)UUG."}
{"id": "PMID:1485488", "title": "Thromboxane increase in irradiated animals is caused by stimulation of cyclooxygenase activity.", "content": "The irradiation of whole body of rabbits with a dose of 6.0 Gy causes an increase in thromboxane synthesis from exogenous arachidonic acid. The uptake of [14C]arachidonic acid and the total amount of radioactivity released during collagen stimulated aggregation of platelets are not changed following the exposure of animals. The irradiation changes the relation between released arachidonic acid and synthesized thromboxane. The amount of 12-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid remains unchanged. The results indicate that the increase in thromboxane synthesis is not associated with the activation of phospholipase but is caused by stimulation of cyclooxygenase activity."}
{"id": "PMID:1485489", "title": "Two intron-containing pre-tRNAs(Tyr) from Triticum aestivum are efficiently processed and spliced in homologous cell-free extract.", "content": "Two wheat pre-tRNAs(Tyr) containing introns and flanks are accurately and efficiently spliced in homologous wheat germ S23 extract. The initiation and termination sites upon in vitro transcription in HeLa cell extract have been estimated for both pre-tRNAs."}
{"id": "PMID:1485490", "title": "Enzyme activities in human breast tumours.", "content": "The activities of six enzymes associated with carbohydrate metabolism were measured both in carcinomas and in normal breast tissues. The following differences were observed. 1. The carcinoma showed higher enzyme activities than the normal mammary tissue. 2. The ratios of glutamate dehydrogenase, hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase, glutathione reductase and catalase to lactate dehydrogenase were lower in carcinomas than in normal tissues. Similarly, the ratios of glutamate dehydrogenase, hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase, glutathione reductase and catalase to glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase were also significantly lower in carcinomas. 3. There were no significant differences in enzyme activities between I and II stage of the disease and the metastatic tissues, however, there were significant differences between I and III stage. The significance of these findings is discussed in terms of the alterations in the balance between the metabolic pathways."}
{"id": "PMID:1485491", "title": "The nucleotide sequence of 5S rRNA from bovine liver.", "content": "We have determined the nucleotide sequence of ribosomal 5S RNA from bovine liver. The comparison of this sequence with those from other eukaryotic sources shows that a common secondary structure model for all eukaryotic 5S rRNAs may exist. Analysis of the evolutionary conserved nucleotides in metazoan 5S rRNAs suggests that the tertiary interactions, proposed earlier for plant 5S rRNA, are also possible."}
{"id": "PMID:1485494", "title": "A small yaws survey on the island of Sumatra, Indonesia.", "content": "Yaws (framboesia tropica), caused by Treponema pallidum subspecies pertenue, is a chronic infectious disease, found in tropical rural regions. As a result of mass treatment campaigns conducted in the 1950s and 1960s the prevalence of yaws and the other endemic treponematoses (pinta and endemic syphilis) has decreased greatly. However, in several tropical regions in the world resurgence of yaws was reported in the 1980s. In this article we present the results of a small survey on yaws in six health centres in the Pariaman region in West Sumatra, Indonesia. A general conclusion from this small survey is that yaws is far from being eradicated and that in this region the disease is on the increase again. Some major findings of T. pertenue research are presented here."}
{"id": "PMID:1485495", "title": "Ultrastructural changes in the blood-brain barrier of mice infected with Plasmodium berghei.", "content": "Mice infected with the rodent malaria parasite Plasmodium berghei exhibit ultrastructural changes of the blood-brain barrier during the course of infection. Firm adherence including cellular interdigitation of infected cells or leucocytes and even clusters of cells to the vascular-endothelial lining is repeatedly observed early during infection. Ghosts and membrane remnants can be found engulfed in the surface of the endothelial cells. Frequently leucocytes migrate between endothelial cells and even cause a lift off and degeneration of these cells. In addition, endothelial cells exhibit increased pinocytotic activity, many irregular cytoplasmic extensions and even phagocytic activity. These changes are associated with degenerative changes in the basement membrane. Swelling and deposition of collagen-like fibres and even loss of fragments of basement membrane is observed. In some places fingerlike extensions of pericytes passed through the basement membrane and contacted or even bulged into the cytoplasm of endothelial cells. Ballooning and even coalescence of perivascular astrocytes was observed and contributed to the appearance of a perivascular oedematous space. The observed changes indicate a progressive deterioration of the blood-brain barrier eventually leading to endothelial lesions and hemorrhage."}
{"id": "PMID:1485496", "title": "Onchocerca Volvulus infection in Sierra Leone: relation between prevalence, intensity of infection, and ocular problems in a 'forest' region.", "content": "A two-year longitudinal study carried out in five villages in a forest region of Gorama Chiefdom, Kono District, Sierra Leone, revealed that infection with Onchocerca volvulus was hyperendemic, the overall rate of infection being 61.6%. Prevalence rose from 28.6% in the 1-5-year age group, peaking among the 21-30-year age group (82.5%) and then levelling off. The intensity of infection though low, peaked in the 31-40-year-old males and in the 41-50-year-old female cohorts. The iliac crest was more sensitive for microfilarial (mf) recovery than the shoulder and the outer canthus. The majority of the nodules were located in the pelvic region. Microfilariae invasion of the eye was low, with low anterior chamber lesions but high posterior chamber lesions comprising mainly optic atrophy and choroidoretinitis. The rate of blindness was 1.6%, ocular onchocerciasis being the leading cause of blindness followed by cornea opacities."}
{"id": "PMID:1485497", "title": "Onchocerciasis in the forest-savannah mosaic region of Sierra Leone. Prevalence, intensity of infection, and endemicity levels.", "content": "The present study was carried out between December 1986 and January 1988. A series of 3,048 individuals (46% males and 54% females) were examined in 56 villages; onchocercal dermatitis and lymphadenitis were seen. The crude prevalence of nodules and of microfilariae amounted to 14% and 43%, respectively. The prevalence of nodules was significantly higher at the femoral trochanter than at other anatomical sites. The overall prevalence of nodules, and of microfilariae, was significantly higher in males than in females. The age-adjusted prevalence and the geometric mean microfilarial load were significantly higher in the cohort of males older than 15 years than in their female counterparts. The overall geometric mean microfilarial load was 18 microfilariae per skin snip. The correlation between prevalence and intensity of infection was poor, but was perfect between mean microfilarial density per skin snip and mean microfilarial density per milligram skin. The ratio of mean microfilarial density per skin snip to mean microfilarial density per milligram skin was 1:6. The correlation between prevalence of onchocercomata and microfilarial prevalence or microfilarial density was weak. Both of the latter criteria identified the Rokel/Seli as the river with the highest proportion of hyperendemic villages. The implications of the present findings for the epidemiology of onchocerciasis are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1485498", "title": "Typing leptospira from the perspective of a reference laboratory.", "content": "Leptospirosis is caused by different leptospiral variants. Analysis by cross agglutination absorption tests (CAAT) led to the definition of entities called serovars to distinguish between leptospires on sub-species level, and to the designation of reference strains representing serovars. For decades CAAT has been used to classify leptospires and now approximately 200 serovars have been recognized. In the last few years, it has become increasingly more clear that the serovar concept is no longer fully satisfactory as it may fail to adequately define epidemiologically important entities. In addition, CAAT is too cumbersome and time-consuming for routine typing. Various methods have been developed based on antigenic or genetic analysis with the purpose to supplement or to replace the CAAT. Most of these methods are still in an experimental state. It is to be expected that a typing method based on genomic analysis will eventually become most important. Such a new method should have considerable advantages in order to be acceptable for the development of a new classification system replacing the system based on serovars, which is widely accepted and in many respects still satisfactory. From the new methods, analysis of leptospiral DNA fragment length after digestion with restriction enzymes (REA) has been widely used and proven to be useful for typing. Pending the development of new typing methods that have clear advantages and may lead to a new classification system, it is suggested that the classification system based on serovars is maintained and that REA is added to each description of a new serovar."}
{"id": "PMID:1485499", "title": "[Aseptic necrosis of the femoral head following renal transplantation: assessment of a 25-year experience].", "content": "From June 1963 to December 1988 aseptic necrosis of the femoral head has been treated surgically in 84 renal transplant recipients (150 surgical procedures). The long-term results of drilling of the neck and head of the femur (16), cup arthroplasty (32), cemented cup (1) and hemiarthroplasty (8) were unsatisfactory, as 23 of these 57 hips underwent a secondary procedure. Total hip arthroplasty progressively became the standard procedure for treatment of hip disease in transplanted patients. Since 1971, 63 renal transplant recipients underwent 92 cemented total hip replacement (THR) as a primary (73), secondary (16) or third (3) surgical procedure for severely symptomatic femoral head necrosis. Hospital stay averaged 22 days, and follow-up averaged 53 months. Two deaths related to the surgical procedure occurred in the first 4 years of our experience (one major local sepsis, one pulmonary infection). Other postoperative complications were urinary tract infection (12), pulmonary infection 1, transient sciatic nerve irritation (3), wound hematoma (6), reversible deterioration of renal function (3) and rejection of the graft (2). Thromboembolic complications did not occur. All operated hips showed a marked symptomatic improvement. Loosening of one or both components was definite in one, probable in two and possible in three of the 33 hips followed up more than 5 years. Other late complications included dislocation (6), painful class III heterotopic ossification (4), recurrence of previous sepsis (1) and late hematogenous sepsis. Late hip revision was required in 5 cases (recurrent dislocation, 1, ossification, 2, sepsis, 2). Two renal complications (one graft infarction and one reversible acute tubular necrosis) occurred after these revisions. The functional results of THR compare favourably with the results of other surgical procedures used in our early experience. We conclude that THR has become the treatment of choice for symptomatic established osteonecrosis of the femoral head in renal transplant patients. A relatively high rate of early and late complications is nevertheless to be expected."}
{"id": "PMID:1485500", "title": "The effect on cortical bone of reaming and filling of canine tibial diaphysis with inert bone wax.", "content": "In canine studies the effect of intramedullary reaming on tubular bone was investigated in 4 dogs. Intramedullary reaming was further compared with reaming and intramedullary filling with bone wax in 6 dogs. Bone blood perfusion was measured by a microsphere technique and bone remodelling activity by 99mTc-MDP uptake. From histological sections bone necrosis and remodelling activity were estimated. The biological response increased with the surgical trauma. If the medullary cavity was only reamed, endosteal apposition was the predominant reaction. Obturation of the medullary cavity resulted in more vigorous subperiosteal and cortical reaction. It is concluded that the remodelling processes differ significantly between reamed bone and bone where the medullary cavity is reamed and blocked. Thus when testing bone cement the studies should include a control operation with obturation of the medullary canal in a way simulating bone cement."}
{"id": "PMID:1485501", "title": "Osteoid osteoma as a cause of knee pain. A review of 10 cases.", "content": "Osteoid osteoma is a benign tumor frequently situated around the knee. It should therefore be considered as a possible cause of atraumatic knee pain in young adults. The mean interval from onset of symptoms to diagnosis is 14 months. Clinical symptoms are the most reliable diagnostic factors. Block resection is the treatment of choice. A retrospective study of 10 patients is presented."}
{"id": "PMID:1485502", "title": "The influence of automated percutaneous lumbar discectomy (APLD) on the biomechanics of the lumbar intervertebral disc. An experimental study.", "content": "Twenty human lumbar motion segments were prepared and tested in an electromechanical materials testing machine in order to investigate the biomechanical changes, i.e. intradiscal pressure, radial extension and height of the intervertebral disc, after automated percutaneous lumbar discectomy (APLD) developed by Onik. The biomechanical data were statistically analyzed with the Friedman test (significance level p < 0.05). The APLD lasted 45 minutes in every segment. The mean weight of material removed was 4.6 g. The removal of 4.6 gram of nucleus pulposus material reduced the height of the disc by an average of 1.42 mm. The intradiscal pressure also decreased by an average of 5.7 bar. The radial bulge increased by an average of 0.45 mm. Our results show that the mechanism improving radicular pain in patients with herniated disc after treatment with percutaneous nucleotomy is still in question. While clinical studies show an improvement of 70% to 85% of patients treated with APLD for herniated disc, this in vitro study showed clearly that radial bulge increases after removal of nuclear material. We postulate that loss of height of the disc and, as a consequence, reduction of tension in the affected nerve root, plays a major role with regard to this improvement."}
{"id": "PMID:1485503", "title": "Congenital flat foot: different clinical forms.", "content": "Using standard lateral x rays of 32 congenital flat feet (CFF) treated in our institutions, we studied the alignment in the sagittal plane of the tarsal and metatarsal bones. All feet presented with a complete dislocation of the talonavicular joint and a vertical talus. In some cases, however, the alignment of the calcaneocuboid joint was abnormal. In these, both the talus and the calcaneus appeared verticalized with no apparent subtalar joint subluxation (type I). Other cases, by contrast, had a normally aligned calcaneus thus implying subluxation of the subtalar joint (type II). Between the two types, a spectrum of clinical forms combining features from both categories exists. Recognition of the different varieties of CFF is of importance when planning surgery. Type I CFF requires reduction and stabilization of the whole midtarsal joint, while in type II CFF attention must be given to both the subtalar and calcaneocuboid joints."}
{"id": "PMID:1485504", "title": "[Rupture of the metallic lining in bicentric hemi-arthroplasties of the hip. Apropos of 3 cases].", "content": "Three cases of rupture of outer shell of biarticular prostheses used for femoral head fractures are reported. Insufficient thickness of this metallic surface is observed at the pole of the cups. The biomechanical forces inducing the rupture of such a defective surface are the result of mobility of the acetabular horns with weight-bearing. This 3-dimensional behavior of the acetabulum may explain the individual variations of mobility of the floating cups."}
{"id": "PMID:1485505", "title": "Perioperative analgesia by 3-in-one block in total hip arthroplasty. Prospective randomized blind study.", "content": "In a prospective randomized blind study of 182 patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty, the patients per- and postoperative need for analgesics was assessed in two groups, one receiving general anesthesia and a 3-in-one block, the other group only general anesthesia. Although we found a significant reduction in analgesics per- and postoperatively in the 3-in-one block group, the difference in analgesics was small and has no clinical relevance in the patient with a healthy cardiovascular status. We conclude that 3-in-one block in combination with light general anesthesia is not the anesthetic of choice in total hip arthroplasty using the posterior approach."}
{"id": "PMID:1485506", "title": "A review of the 2- to 8-year results with a proximally fixed noncemented threaded modular total hip.", "content": "A review of 50 cases of a proximally modular noncemented stem has been carried out. The primary method of fixation was a proximal threaded sleeve which was screwed into bone. Mean follow-up was 5.2 years. Six cases were revised, two for stem loosening. The remaining cases rate 69% excellent, 14.3% good, 11.9% fair and 4.8% poor. Two cases showed distal lucency due to polyethylene debris which leaked through the taper lock because of two vertical grooves. The results were felt to be adequate, but the threaded sleeve is too difficult to insert which lead to an alternative method of sleeve fixation. The longitudinal grooves, which were obviously a fault in design, have been removed."}
{"id": "PMID:1485507", "title": "Factors affecting survival of patients with hip fractures.", "content": "The preoperative findings of 111 patients after 117 fractures of the proximal femur were recorded retrospectively. Data on survival, present type of residence and ambulatory status were analyzed. After age and sex, the presence of dementia, renal insufficiency and cardiac failure seemed to be the most important factors affecting the outcome. A full preoperative evaluation of patients with a proximal femoral fracture is needed to identify those at risk. This evaluation may help in the selection of the operative procedure."}
{"id": "PMID:1485508", "title": "Lesions of the triangular fibrocartilaginous complex.", "content": "The authors present a retrospective study of 14 triangular fibrocartilaginous lesions in 13 patients. Based on their radiographic and clinical observations a new classification is presented taking into account associated lesions in the wrist."}
{"id": "PMID:1485509", "title": "The meningovertebral ligaments as a barrier to the side-to-side migration of extruded lumbar disc herniations.", "content": "The hypothesis that side-to-side migration of an extruded lumbar disc herniation can be blocked or restrained by the presence of the ventral meningovertebral ligaments has been verified by the author by using the presently available methods of imaging of the spinal canal in vivo. The images obtained at levels L4-L5 and L5-S1 from nine patients showing this type of pathology and preoperatively assessed by transverse CT (eight patients) or MRI (one patient) seem to support the above assumption. These ligaments should not be confused with pathologic adhesions."}
{"id": "PMID:1485510", "title": "[Dissection of the sub-astragalar ligaments and magnetic resonance imaging].", "content": "The aim of this study is to find the different ligamentous structures in the subtalar region through dissection and to compare them with images obtained on MRI. MRI allows visualization of the different ligamentous structures with greater precision than with computerized tomography. This investigation should permit a more precise diagnosis of injuries often poorly understood in this region."}
{"id": "PMID:1485511", "title": "[Electronic podometry--2-year experience: preliminary report].", "content": "The authors relate their experience with the EMED system for the dynamic assessment of plantar pressure used in clinical practice for 2 years: how the measurement device was chosen; how the examination is performed; the usefulness of this type of examination in foot surgery. They discuss the specific problems related to the application of this new diagnostic tool in clinical practice."}
{"id": "PMID:1485513", "title": "Avascular necrosis of the humeral head after dislocation with fracture of the greater tuberosity.", "content": "A case of posttraumatic avascular necrosis of the humeral head in a young patient was detected 3 years after an anterior dislocation with a nondisplaced greater tuberosity fracture. The evolution to degenerative joint disease is described."}
{"id": "PMID:1485514", "title": "[Progressive correction of an ulnar deviation of the hand following defective healing of the 2 forearm bones and probable sequellae of a Volkmann contracture].", "content": "The authors describe the progressive correction of a deformed forearm and an ulnar deviation of the hand as a result of a bullet wound. The injury comprised a fracture of the two bones of the forearm, with deformed callus and after effects of a probable Volkmann syndrome. The correction was obtained after 10 months. This report illustrates the interest and the difficulty presented by osteogenesis by distraction and osteotomy with a minimal cutaneous wound. This allows the reduction of risk to the cutaneum and vessels involved in extemporaneous corrections."}
{"id": "PMID:1485515", "title": "A phalangeal osteoid osteoma. Case report.", "content": "We describe a typical case of a phalangeal osteoid osteoma in the hand. The clinical (night pain with complete relief with aspirin, tender local swelling) and radiographic features (a zone of bone sclerosis surrounding a small area of translucency) were obvious. We performed an \"en bloc\" excision with histological confirmation of the diagnosis and complete relief of symptoms."}
{"id": "PMID:1485516", "title": "The missed thorn.", "content": "Following surgical exploration, a swelling on the back of a boy's hand was thought to be a tuberculous granuloma and was treated as such. Eleven months later, when the lump was re-explored, a plant thorn was retrieved from the middle of a foreign body granuloma. Even though a definite history of trauma is not given, an organic foreign body lesion should be considered in the differential diagnosis of a lytic lesion of bone."}
{"id": "PMID:1485517", "title": "Medial meniscal cyst as a cause of bone erosion.", "content": "A case of a medial meniscal cyst which was so extensive that it caused erosion of the medial tibial condyle is described. Clinical data and roentgenographic features of this case are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1485518", "title": "Spontaneous ruptures of the flexor carpi radialis tendon secondary to STT osteoarthritis.", "content": "Two cases of closed ruptures of the flexor carpi radialis which resulted from attrition of the tendon caused by bony spurs secondary to Scapho Trapezo Trapezoidal (STT) osteoarthritis are described. Treatment is conservative."}
{"id": "PMID:1485520", "title": "Season of birth of schizophrenics in Mississippi, USA.", "content": "Prior reviews indicate that schizophrenics tend to be born in the winter, relative to non-psychiatric controls. This conclusion has been criticized, however, as the association between birth seasonality and schizophrenia may be the result of a statistical artifact, the age-incidence effect. To examine this possibility, we studied the birth seasonality of 2892 schizophrenics, controlling for the age-incidence effect. Both before and after instituting these controls, we found excesses for the months of December and March. We conclude that the age-incidence hypothesis does not provide any general explanation of the season-of-birth effect in schizophrenia."}
{"id": "PMID:1485521", "title": "Age at onset in a cohort of schizophrenics in Nigeria.", "content": "Over a period of 3 years, 340 patients (199 men and 141 women) who met DSM-III-R criteria for schizophrenia and who knew their exact date of birth were interviewed to determine the age at onset of illness. The immediate family's first awareness of psychotic symptoms was used as the index of onset. Men had a significantly earlier mean age at onset (24 +/- 6) than the women (27 +/- 8). By the time they were 30 years of age, 83% of the men and 66% of the women had become ill. The findings are remarkably similar to those of an earlier report in the same cultural setting, and add to the evidence of sex differences in age at onset of schizophrenia."}
{"id": "PMID:1485522", "title": "Similarities in diagnostic comorbidity between suicide among young people in Sweden and the United States.", "content": "A significant difference in the prevalence of personality disorders was reported between similar studies of suicide among young people (under age 30) performed in San Diego, California (10% of 133 cases), and G\u00f6teborg, Sweden (34% of 58 cases). The difference was due entirely to the absence of borderline personality disorder (BPD) reported in the San Diego sample. In this study, we used preselected variables to reassess the suicides from the San Diego study for criteria consistent with BPD. We found that 41% met the criteria, which was now not significantly different from the G\u00f6teborg sample. Comparisons among a number of other demographic, social, and diagnostic variables revealed many similarities in the two samples, particularly Axis I comorbidity with depression and/or substance abuse and Axis II comorbidity with antisocial personality disorder. We conclude that the characteristics associated with BPD identify similar young persons who committed suicide in Sweden and the United States. Questions remain as to whether or not Axis I and II disorders are independent in relation to suicide. The comorbidity pattern described here must be considered seriously in the clinical setting for its fatal implications."}
{"id": "PMID:1485523", "title": "Alzheimer's disease in adults with Down's syndrome: the relationship between regional cerebral blood flow equivalents and dementia.", "content": "Twenty adult patients suffering from Down's syndrome (DS) were recruited from hospitals and the community, together with 14 age- and sex-matched controls of normal intelligence. Dementia was diagnosed in patients using a structured psychiatric and physical examination as well as a carer interview and case notes. All patients and controls were imaged using single photon emission computerized tomography with 99mTc-exametazime. Four patients were clinically demented and all of them showed regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) changes commonly found in patients with Alzheimer's disease, namely bilateral temporo-parietal deficits. These changes were also observed in about half of the patients without clinical evidence of dementia, but in none of the healthy controls. Across the group of patients, temporo-parietal rCBF deficits were associated with evidence of deterioration, but not with advancing age."}
{"id": "PMID:1485524", "title": "Postimperative negative variation and skin conductance response in chronic DSM-III-R schizophrenia.", "content": "The hypothesis was tested that there are relationships between schizophrenic negative or deficit symptoms, the skin conductance nonresponding and an elevated amplitude of the postimperative negative variation (PINV). These variables were recorded in 16 chronic schizophrenics and 10 healthy controls. Clinical symptoms were assessed by the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale, Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms, Frankfurt Complaint Questionnaire 3 and Chapman Questionnaire. In the patient group we found a significantly elevated PINV at Fz. Surprisingly, only one patient was a skin conductance nonresponder. PINV amplitude at Fz and the number of skin conductance responses to habituation were not correlated with negative or deficit symptoms inclding anhedonia. The hypothesis thus had to be rejected."}
{"id": "PMID:1485525", "title": "Reduced bone density and major hormones regulating calcium metabolism in anorexia nervosa.", "content": "Bone density of lumbar vertebrae (L2 to L4) and the whole body in 29 patients with anorexia nervosa were measured by dual photon absorptiometry, and the results were compared with those of 10 age-matched normal controls. The patients had significantly lower bone mineral density (BMD) in L3 and L2-4 than controls. However, there was no difference in whole-body BMD. L3 and L2-4 BMD was positively correlated with body weight and was negatively correlated with duration of illness and amenorrhea. Patients who had been more active 6 months before the time of the study had significantly higher L3 BMD than the less active patients. Most patients had an abnormally low serum estrogen level, whereas the mean serum levels of thyroid hormone (T3, T4), cortisol, calcitonin, parathyroid hormone and vitamin D were within the normal range. No correlation was found between L3 or L2-4 BMD and the levels of these hormones. These results suggest that severe weight loss, low physical activity, longer duration of amenorrhea and deficiency of estrogen contribute to bone loss in patients with anorexia nervosa, whereas calcium-regulating hormones such as parathyroid hormone, calcitonin and vitamin D are unlikely to be a primary contributor to bone loss."}
{"id": "PMID:1485526", "title": "Debrisoquine oxidation phenotype and neuroleptic-induced dystonic reactions.", "content": "To evaluate the role of defective drug oxidation as a predisposing factor for neuroleptic-induced dystonic reactions, 26 patients who developed the reaction and 53 with no history of dystonia were phenotyped by the debrisoquine hydroxylation test. The percentage of poor debrisoquine metabolizers was similar in patients with dystonic reactions (11.5%) and in the control group (9.4%). These results suggest that there is no association between the individual's drug oxidative status and the occurrence of neuroleptic-induced dystonia."}
{"id": "PMID:1485527", "title": "Familial influences on the clinical characteristics of major depression: a twin study.", "content": "We sought in this study to clarify the role that familial factors play in influencing the clinical presentation of major depression (MD). We examined the similarity of the historical and symptomatic features of MD in 176 pairs of female-female monozygotic (MZ) and dizygotic (DZ) twins from a population-based registry, where both members reported a history of MD defined by DSM-III-R criteria. The age at onset and treatment-seeking were significantly correlated in all twin pairs and the correlation in concordant DZ pairs was actually somewhat higher than in concordant MZ twins. The degree of impairment was modestly correlated in all twin pairs with substantially higher correlations in MZ vs DZ twins. No twin resemblance was observed for number of episodes or longest duration of an episode. Twin resemblance for the clinical features of MD was modest, but so was their consistency for the same individual over successive 1-year periods. However, in 5 of the 6 neurovegetative symptoms involving changes in appetite, weight and sleep, MZ twins were significantly correlated and correlations were significantly greater in concordant MZ vs DZ twins. Although the familial factors that cause twin resemblance for the age at onset and treatment seeking appear to be largely environmental, twin resemblance for the degree of impairment and neurovegetative symptoms are probably due largely to genetic factors. Our results suggest that familial factors influence the predisposition to some clinical features of MD."}
{"id": "PMID:1485528", "title": "Multivariate modelling and the Defence Mechanism Test: a comparative study of defensive structures in borderline, other personality disorders and schizophrenic disorder.", "content": "The study aims at discerning discriminating patterns in the perceptual responses according to the projective percept-genetic method Defence Mechanism Test (DMT) among 45 subjects with the diagnoses borderline personality disorder (BPD), other personality disorders (OPD), schizophrenic disorder (SD) and a non-patient group. The overall results show that, by means of partial least squares (PLS) discriminant analysis of 130 DMT variables, it is possible to separate these groups. Patients with a BPD or a SD diagnosis and the non-patient group are clearly separated, whereas the OPD group shows a less homogeneous pattern. The findings support both the validity of the DMT as a method to measure personality features and the psychodynamic validity of BPD. The most characteristic properties of the BPD group are responses of emotional expressions, especially introaggression and frequent distortions of the stimulus picture. Regarding the SD/OPD group, a pattern of high threshold values for perception emerges as a discriminating feature as well as different variants of introjection. The non-patients are characterized by very few DMT distortions and consequently show a good reality orientation. The conclusion is that the DMT and the PLS discriminant analysis are powerful methods in the assessment of personality pathology."}
{"id": "PMID:1485529", "title": "Plasma homocysteine in vascular disease and in nonvascular dementia of depressed elderly people.", "content": "Depression among elderly people with reversible cognitive loss often manifests with concomitant vascular disease and can also precede the development of nonvascular degenerative dementia. Little is known about etiological factors for reversible or irreversible dementias in older depressed people. The amino acid homocysteine (HC), which is both a vascular disease risk factor and a precursor of the excitotoxic amino acids cysteine and homocysteic acid, could play a role in the pathophysiology of such individuals. Twenty-seven depressed elderly acute inpatients by DSM-III-R criteria had significantly higher plasma homocysteine levels and lower cognitive screening test scores than did 15 depressed young adult inpatients. HC was highest in the older patients who had concomitant vascular diseases (n = 14). HC was lowest in the older depressives who had neither vascular illnesses nor dementia (n = 8), comparable to the young adult depressives. Higher HC correlated significantly with poorer cognition only in the nonvascular geriatric patients (rs = -0.53). The findings extend earlier work showing higher HC in vascular patients from general medical populations, and also suggest a possible metabolic factor in certain dementias associated with late-life depression."}
{"id": "PMID:1485530", "title": "A double-blind comparison of raclopride and haloperidol in the acute phase of schizophrenia. The British Isles Raclopride Study Group.", "content": "This is the first comparative double-blind study of raclopride. Ninety-one patients with acute schizophrenia received either raclopride 2-8 mg twice daily or haloperidol 5-20 mg twice daily for 4 weeks. Both neuroleptics produced clinical improvements. There were no significant between-drug differences in overall efficacy measurements as assessed by the schizophrenia change sub-scale of the Comprehensive Psychopathological Rating Scale and the Krawiecka (Manchester) Rating Scale. Assessment by the Clinical Global Impression scale found haloperidol to be more effective. There were significantly fewer extrapyramidal symptoms with raclopride and a significantly lower incidence of acute dystonia. The results suggest that raclopride has an antipsychotic effect with a low incidence of extrapyramidal side effects."}
{"id": "PMID:1485531", "title": "Associations between self-induced vomiting and personality disorder in patients with a history of anorexia nervosa.", "content": "Fifty-five patients of an eating disorders service with a history of anorexia nervosa (AN), defined by a history of refusal to maintain body weight above a level of 15% below that expected, completed a modified version of the revised Personality Diagnostic Questionnaire (PDQ-R) based on DSM-III-R personality disorders (PD). The subjects were divided into 2 groups based on AN subtypes: vomiters, defined by a history of self-induced vomiting, and non-vomiters, who had maintained low weight mainly or only by diet +/- excessive exercise. Vomiters showed significantly higher scores on self-report measures of borderline and antisocial PD criteria. Discriminant analysis based on PD scores for all 13 DSM-III-R PD categories correctly predicted AN subtype membership based on vomiting history in 85.5% of patients. The implications of PD comorbidity for the development and management of eating disorders are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1485532", "title": "Are siblings of schizophrenic individuals psychologically disturbed? A perceptgenetic inquiry.", "content": "Questions about psychopathology among siblings of schizophrenic individuals were addressed by means of a projective test, the Perceptgenetic Object-Relation Test (PORT), which uses tachistoscopic presentations of 3 object-relation themes: attachment, separation and oedipal. Twenty-two siblings of schizophrenic individuals--10 siblings of patients with recent onset, and 12 siblings of chronic patients--were compared with normal controls and with siblings of mentally handicapped people. Earlier observations of unstable defensive organizations among the siblings of chronic schizophrenic patients were corroborated, particularly in response to the attachment theme. The schizophrenia siblings fell within the narcissistic-borderline spectrum of PORT. The 50% drop-out rate was discussed as reflecting anxiety and evasiveness, and the results were seen as substantiating that siblings of schizophrenic people are structurally if not clinically affected by their sibship."}
{"id": "PMID:1485534", "title": "Sulfur amino acid levels and related enzyme activities in various brain regions (and other tissues) in normal mice and rolling mice Nagoya.", "content": "The contents of the sulfur amino acids, and the activities of cystathionine beta-synthase and cystathionine gamma-lyase were measured in various regions of the brain and several other tissues in both normal mice and rolling mice Nagoya. The cystathionine content and cystathionine beta-synthase activity were found to be unevenly distributed in various regions of the brain in both normal mice and rolling mice Nagoya, being highest in the cerebellum. Except for the mesencephalon and thalamus plus hypothalamus, the cystathionine content and cystathionine beta-synthase activity in the brain regions of rolling mice Nagoya were much higher than those of the normal mice. The cystathionine content after D,L-propargylglycine treatment was also found to be unevenly distributed in various brain regions in both normal mice and rolling mice Nagoya. The concentrations of cystine and methionine were also higher in all regions of the brain of rolling mice Nagoya than those of normal mice, while the concentration of taurine in the various regions of the brain was almost the same in normal mice and rolling mice Nagoya. Cystathionine beta-synthase and cystathionine gamma-lyase activities in the liver, kidney, and pancreas were almost the same in both the normal mice and rolling mice Nagoya."}
{"id": "PMID:1485535", "title": "Detection of oncogene rearrangements in human non-Hodgkin's lymphomas.", "content": "Southern blot hybridization was used to detect the rearrangement and amplification of five proto-oncogenes (bcl-2, bcl-1, c-myc, c-myb and c-Ha-ras) and one tumor suppressor gene (RB-1) in 55 Japanese patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma; 16 with T-cell lymphomas and 39 with B-cell lymphomas (7 follicular and 32 diffuse lymphomas). Genetic abnormalities of the proto-oncogenes were detected in 7 of the 55 (13%). Genetic abnormalities of bcl-2 plus other genes were detected in 5 of 7 cases of follicular lymphoma (71%), rearrangements of bcl-2 and c-myc, rearrangement of bcl-2 and amplification of c-myb. Genetic abnormalities were observed in only three cases of diffuse lymphoma. In each of 3 cases of B-cell lymphoma, one of the genes, blc-2 mbr, bcl-2 mcr and c-myc, was rearranged respectively. The incidence of genetic abnormalities in diffuse lymphomas (6.3%) was lower than that in follicular lymphomas. None of diffuse lymphomas had double oncogene abnormality. No abnormalities were found in RB-1, bcl-1, and Ha-ras. These findings suggest that follicular lymphomas are associated with some abnormalities of oncogenes not restricted to bcl-2 that facilitate growth which may be associated with their clinical features."}
{"id": "PMID:1485536", "title": "Report of a study using phantom materials, and clinical experience with simultaneous radio-hyperthermotherapy.", "content": "Simultaneous radiohyperthermotherapy (SRH) is a combined hyperthermia-radiation therapy in which irradiation is given during heating. Mutual interference between the high energy radiotherapy system (Toshiba LMR-15A) and the 13.56 MHz capacitive heating system (Omron HEH-500C) was tested with phantom materials prior to a clinical trial with SRH. The energy and flatness of irradiation were not affected by the heating system within the range of clinical use. The high energy radiotherapy system did not affect the increase or distribution of temperature during simultaneous treatment. The results of this phantom study indicated that these apparatuses would not produce clinically significant mutual interference during SRH. A clinical trial was performed on a 57-year-old woman with postoperative recurrence of rectal cancer. This is the first reported clinical case treated with true SRH in which external irradiation was administered during mid capacitive heating. Twelve SRH treatments were performed on the recurrent lesion at a frequency of twice a week for six weeks using the apparatuses described above. There was a significant reduction in pain after treatment. The tumor marker carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) level decreased after treatment. On CT images taken after treatment, the tumor site became a low density area which indicated necrosis. There were no side effects. These results suggest that further clinical study of SRH should be performed to clarify its advantages."}
{"id": "PMID:1485537", "title": "Sensitive detection of ganglioside GD3 on the cell surface using liposome immune lysis assay.", "content": "We developed a sensitive method for detection of glycosphingolipid (GSL) antigen(s) on the cell surface. As a model of GSL antigen, ganglioside GD3 was used. An IgM monoclonal antibody (DSG-1) specific for ganglioside GD3 was preincubated with standard inhibitor liposomes containing ganglioside GD3. Then carboxyfluorescein-entrapped indicator liposomes containing ganglioside GD3 and complement were added. Release of the marker from the indicator liposomes was specifically inhibited by inhibitor liposomes. The assay system was simple, sensitive, reproducible, and semiquantitative. Pg to ng of ganglioside GD3 could be detected. Furthermore, ganglioside GD3 on the cells was investigated with SK-MEL-28 human melanoma cell line and human red blood cells (HRBC). When SK-MEL-28 melanoma with ganglioside GD3 was used as an inhibitor, specific inhibition was observed. However, HRBC without ganglioside GD3 showed no significant inhibition. The marker release was 50% inhibited by 1.4 x 10(6)SK-MEL-28 melanoma cells/ml. The amount of ganglioside GD3/melanoma cell was estimated to be at least 1.1 x 10(-14) g from the standard curve made with the liposomes containing 10% epitope density of ganglioside GD3. This assay system may be useful for detection of GSL antigen on the cell."}
{"id": "PMID:1485538", "title": "Fetal and neonatal excretion of free and conjugated ritodrine.", "content": "The ability of the human fetus and neonate to conjugate and excrete ritodrine, a beta 2-sympathomimetic drug, was investigated. Free and conjugated ritodrine concentrations in the plasma, amniotic fluid and urine were measured in 11 mother-infant pairs, to whom intravenous ritodrine had been administered before elective cesarean section at term. Ritodrine was determined by HPLC with electrochemical detection. At delivery, conjugated ritodrine values were significantly higher than those for the free form in maternal and fetal plasma. There were significant positive correlations between the concentrations in the maternal and umbilical vein plasma for both free and conjugated ritodrine. In the amniotic fluid, the total ritodrine concentrations were much higher than those in the fetal plasma, the conjugated form accounting for 90.2% of the total. Furthermore, the percentages of conjugated ritodrine in the amniotic fluid and neonatal urine were significantly higher than the percentage in the maternal urine on the day of birth. In the neonatal urine, the concentrations of free and conjugated ritodrine decreased rapidly after birth as did those in the maternal urine, on day 3 postpartum being less than 2% of the values on the day of parturition. These results indicate that the fetus at term is capable of forming conjugated metabolites of ritodrine and of excreting free and conjugated ritodrine in its urine."}
{"id": "PMID:1485539", "title": "Kimura's disease: clinical, histological and immunohistochemical studies.", "content": "In the present study, 14 cases of Kimura's disease were clinicopathologically studied. The disease occurred at ages ranging from 5 to 75 years. The average age was 37.8 years. Sexes were about equally affected. The most common sites were the subcutis of head and neck, and parotid gland. Simultaneous involvement of lymph nodes occurred in 5 cases. Laboratory findings revealed eosinophilia in almost all the patients, but serum IgE levels were not elevated in 2 patients. Lesions were surgically removed and the clinical course thereafter was favorable for all but one case. Histologically, lesions were characterized by lymphoid follicles, granulation tissue with infiltration by many eosinophils, lymphocytes, plasma cells, mast cells and histiocytes, proliferation of blood vessels and fibrosis. Immunohistochemically, IgE reacted strongly in germinal centers, showing a reticular pattern. IgG-, IgA- and lysozyme-positive cells were scattered mainly in interfollicular granulomatous areas. Pathogenesis of this disease is briefly discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1485540", "title": "Antiproliferative effects of suramin on human cancer cells in vitro and in vivo.", "content": "The present experiment was undertaken to study what types of human cancers are responsive to the antiproliferative effects of suramin. The human malignant cells used were as follows: cervical cancer (HeLa), mammary cancer (MCF-7), bladder cancer (EJ), hepatoma (HuH-7, PLC/PRF/5), embryonal carcinoma (PA-1), in vitro transformed fibroblasts (KMST-6, SUSM-1, VA-13), five myeloma cell lines (KMM-1, KMS-5, KMS-11, KMS-12, RPMI 8226), Burkitt's lymphoma (Raji), acute promyelocytic leukemia (HL-60), chronic myelocytic leukemia (K562), Epstein-Barr virus nuclear antigen positive lymphoblastoid cells (KMS-9). The cells were treated with 25 to 100 micrograms/ml suramin for 72h. Proliferation of HuH-7 and two human myeloma cells (KMS-11 and KMS-12) was remarkably inhibited, and that of PA-1, PLC/PRF/5, KMST-6, two other myeloma cell lines (KMM-1 and KMS-5), Raji and HL-60, was moderately inhibited. In order to confirm part of the results obtained from in vitro experiments, in vivo experiments were also undertaken. The growth of HuH-7 cells transplanted subcutaneously into nude mice was significantly suppressed by intravenous injection of suramin. We discussed the possibility that certain types of human cancers, the growth of which seemed to be more or less dependent on polypeptide growth factors, might be sensitive to the antiproliferative effects of suramin."}
{"id": "PMID:1485541", "title": "Long-term results of surgery for mitral regurgitation due to mitral valve prolapse: a comparison of valve replacement and annuloplasty.", "content": "Patients with mitral regurgitation (MR) due to mitral valve prolapse operated at the Second Department of Surgery, Okayama University Medical School, between 1976 and 1986 were divided into two groups. The first consisted of 20 patients who had mitral valve replacement (MVR) and the second 15 patients who had mitral annuloplasty (MAP). Long-term results of surgery, cardiac function, hemodynamic status, and surgical findings were compared between the two groups. Before surgery, there were no significant differences in patient's clinical status and cardiac function between the two groups. However, after surgery statistically significant differences emerged between the two groups in ejection fraction (EF), cardiac index (CI) and mean circumferential fiber shortening velocity (mVcf). Left ventricular pumping function and myocardial contractile force tended to decrease after surgery in the MVR group and to remain unchanged or even increase in the MAP group indicating that valve preservation procedures should be selected as often as possible for the patients involved in mitral valve prolapse."}
{"id": "PMID:1485542", "title": "Gadolinium-DTPA enhanced magnetic resonance imaging of bone and soft tissue sarcomas in comparison with pathological findings.", "content": "We compared gadolinium diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (Gd-DTPA) enhanced T1-weighted images (T1-Gd) with the histopathological findings in 13 patients with bone or soft tissue sarcomas. Signal intensity of the viable tumor tissue was increased in T1-Gd in 92% of the patients. The necrotic or cystic areas in the tumor were not enhanced, rendering them distinctly. The degree of enhancement of the edematous area around the tumor was similar to or more marked than that of the tumor in 54% of the patients. Area showing inflammatory cells infiltration and edematous areas in the tumor tissue were also enhanced. Thus, the effect of preoperative chemotherapy in tumor tissues other than necrotic and cystic areas tended to be underestimated in T1-Gd. Its effect should be comprehensively evaluated based on not only T1-Gd but also T2-weighted images and findings of other imaging techniques."}
{"id": "PMID:1485543", "title": "Acute superior mesenteric artery syndrome following left hemicolectomy: a case report.", "content": "Acute superior mesenteric artery syndrome (SMAS) following a major surgical procedure is extremely rare, and represents an iatrogenic cause of postoperative upper gastrointestinal obstruction. In this report, the first documented case of acute SMAS following a left hemicolectomy is presented in an obese patient. Upper gastrointestinal roentgenographic series and conservative management remain to be the first line diagnostic and therapeutic modalities and were successful in our patient. Up to date no patient with SMAS reported to be obese but apparently obesity per se, can not be considered as an insurance. A postoperative acute SMAS is impossible to predict depending on the previous history, predisposing factors and the physique of the patient. Therefore, the surgeon should be aware of the SMAS and it is his task to secure all the precautions in order to preclude excessive traction on the mesenteric vasculature and vascular compression of the duodenum during surgery. In cases in which SMAS is suspected during extended colonic resections with lymph node dissection, duodenal mobilization seems to be selectively justifiable."}
{"id": "PMID:1485544", "title": "Mechanism of proteinuria in nephrotic syndrome.", "content": "We developed a \"tissue negative staining method\" to observe the molecular-level ultrastructure in situ in any portion of the ultrathin sections routinely prepared for electron microscopy. This method was used in electron microscopy of the glomerular basement membranes (GBM). The GBM in patients with nephrotic syndrome was discovered to possess a tunnel structure, designated as \"nephrotic tunnel\", with lumen large enough to allow free passage of protein molecules. This tunnel seemed to be involved in the etiology of nephrotic syndrome. This new method appears to be applicable to a variety of purposes in biological studies."}
{"id": "PMID:1485546", "title": "Skeletal development and bone functional adaptation.", "content": "The role of in vivo mechanical loading histories in normal skeletogenesis is related to the process of adaptive, stress-regulated bone remodeling in the adult. The results of many previous computer models for endochondral ossification and bone modeling and remodeling are reviewed. These studies support the view that simple stress-related mathematical algorithms or \"construction rules\" can be used to emulate normal skeletal development and architectural construction. Such mathematical rules presumably represent the net result of biophysical phenomena influencing cell metabolism and biosynthetic activity. These rules are also successful in describing the adaptation of adult bone to changes in tissue stresses. The findings suggest that stress-related functional adaptation in mature bones may be merely the adult manifestation of the same mechanical construction rules that guide and constrain normal development."}
{"id": "PMID:1485547", "title": "Mechanical stress and osteogenesis in vitro.", "content": "The use of hydrostatic pressure to apply mechanical stress to bone organ cultures is reviewed. Ossifying long bones and calvarial rudiments are sensitive to this type of stress. Intermittent hydrostatic compression of near physiologic magnitude (ICF) has anabolic effects on mineral metabolism in such rudiments, and continuous hydrostatic stress of high magnitude (CCP) has catabolic effects. The effects of ICF may be ascribed to shear stress generated at tissue interphases of different chemical and mechanical properties. Local factors, such as prostaglandins and growth factors, seem to be involved in the tissue response to mechanical stress."}
{"id": "PMID:1485545", "title": "Control of bone architecture by functional load bearing.", "content": "The continuing ability of the skeleton to withstand functional loads without damage requires that bone mass and architecture are adjusted according to the loads experienced. Load bearing is the only functional influence that requires a particular bone architecture, and functionally engendered strains within the bone tissue provide the only feedback containing the necessary information on the relationship between current architecture and prevailing load history. The specific strain-related objectives of the adaptive modeling and remodeling response to load bearing have not been adequately defined. They appear to be different for cortical and cancellous bone and vary according to cortical location. Experiments suggest that adaptive modeling and remodeling is sensitive to dynamic but not static strain change and that the osteogenic response to a period of dynamic strain is quickly saturated but is higher when the rate of change in strain is high and the distribution of strain unusual. Presumably it is the cumulative effect of this osteogenic response to load bearing that normally maintains bone mass above that seen in disuse situations. Through their independent effects on bone cell behavior, nutritional and hormonal factors can enable, enhance, limit, or frustrate full expression of the osteogenic response to strain change. However, such systemic factors do not appear to be able to engender or successfully imitate the sustained cumulative local response to load bearing that normally maintains functionally appropriate bone mass and architecture. Experiments in vivo and in vitro suggest that in osteocytes and surface osteoblasts the almost immediate response to strain change is increased production of prostacyclin. Surface osteoblasts also produce prostaglandin E.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1485548", "title": "Effect of intermittent mechanical force on bone tissue in vitro: preliminary results.", "content": "The structure of metatarsal bones from 18-day-old rats subjected to intermittent mechanical force in organ culture are reported. The application of mechanical force enhances the osteoid thickness and osteoblast number in the periosteum and increases the number of viable osteocytes. These results indicate that (1) the mature bone tissue survives in organ cultures; (2) the mechanical forces better preserve the structure of the osteocytes and stimulate the osteoblasts, and (3) stimulate the osteogenesis."}
{"id": "PMID:1485549", "title": "Demonstration of subchondral bone density patterns by three-dimensional CT osteoabsorptiometry as a noninvasive method for in vivo assessment of individual long-term stresses in joints.", "content": "Since the work of Pauwels and his successors, it has been possible to use the distribution of subchondral bone density within a joint surface as a metric parameter that can reflect the principal long-term stress acting upon a joint. However, the x-ray densitometry method he employed cannot be applied to living people. A procedure was therefore developed whereby CT osteoabsorptiometry (CT OAM), based on the use of computed tomography, allows the distribution pattern of the density to be demonstrated in living subjects. This method has now been further developed, so that the form of the individual joint surfaces can be included by means of a three-dimensional reconstruction program. This method is presented here. In addition, selected representative examples of various joints from normal people, athletes, and patients are used to demonstrate the use of CT OAM. In these examples from living subjects, regularly occurring, reproducible distribution patterns of subchondral bone density can be recorded, reflecting changes in mechanical stresses on a joint (increased stress, reduced stress, and disorders of joint mechanics). CT osteoabsorptiometry is demonstrated as a suitable noninvasive technique for investigating the individual long-term stresses (loading history) acting on a living joint."}
{"id": "PMID:1485550", "title": "Quantitative study of articular cartilage and subchondral bone remodeling in the knee joint of dogs after strenuous running training.", "content": "All tissues of the joint are affected in some way in osteoarthritis because the joint is an interactively functioning unit. Our goal was to investigate the combined responses of articular cartilage and subchondral bone to altered loading conditions to improve our understanding of the physiology of these two components and, ultimately, the pathophysiology of osteoarthritis. A group of 20 female beagle dogs were divided pairwise into runners (n = 10) and controls (n = 10). The running training on a treadmill started at the age of 15 weeks, and during the following 40 weeks the running distance was gradually increased to 40 km/day with a 15 degree uphill inclination. With this daily running distance the beagles ran another 15 weeks. The samples for histology were taken from 11 different locations of the knee joint. Subchondral bone and articular cartilage histomorphometry was carried out in three different regions of the specimens (central, middle, and peripheral regions) using an image-analyzing system and an eyepiece graticule. In all regions of the articular cartilage, both the uncalcified and calcified cartilage showed slightly increased thickness in the runner dogs. The change was more evident in the peripheral and the central areas. The thickness of the subchondral bone plate tended to be higher in runners, too. Bone histomorphometric parameters showed significant signs of increased remodeling. The most notable change was the enlargement of the bone formation surface. The most intense remodeling was usually observed either centrally or peripherally in the articular surface. The strongest increase in trabecular bone volume and thickness of the cartilage was recorded in the femoropatellar area.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1485551", "title": "Does immobilization influence the systemic acceleratory phenomenon that accompanies local bone repair?", "content": "The rate of remodeling in the region of a bone defect exceeds normal tissue activity. It was Frost who described this reaction as the regional acceleratory phenomenon (RAP). We previously showed that restoration of a local bone defect in the rat leads not only to RAP but also leads to a systemic acceleration of osteogenesis (systemic acceleratory phenomenon, SAP) in distant sites of the skeleton. In this study we investigated the impact of immobilization of the defect-bearing extremity on the development of SAP. A hole 1.2 mm in diameter was drilled in the diaphysis of the left tibia of female rats. In the experimental group (n = 15), a knee tenotomy was performed in the defect-bearing left hind leg. We examined both femora, both tibiae, and the fourth lumbar vertebra by computed x-ray densitometry on day 7 postoperatively. Immobilization of the defect-bearing limb led to a decrease in x-ray density not only of the immobilized (p < 0.0001) but also of the contralateral tibia (p < 0.0001). Both femora (p < 0.001) and the fourth lumbar vertebra (p < 0.025) of the experimental group also showed a significant decrease in x-ray density. We previously showed that SAP leads to an increase in x-ray density of both femora. This increase is no longer detectable in animals after immobilization of the defect-bearing limb. Thus we conclude that immobilization interferes with SAP. This suggests the possible dependence of SAP on mechanical load. Furthermore, these data suggest a possible impact of local immobilization on the rest of the skeleton."}
{"id": "PMID:1485552", "title": "Mineral apposition rate in rat cortical bone: physiologic differences in different sites of the same tibia.", "content": "The mineral apposition rate (MAR) is a commonly used parameter for the characterization of bone formation and is often determined to test for experimental effects on cortical bone. We investigated whether there are physiologic variations in rat cortical MAR dependent on the side or site of measurement. In our experiment we used female rats. The animals were sacrificed on day 8, after double-fluorochrome labeling with calcein and tetracycline was performed. The MAR was calculated at 3.6, 5.4, 7.2, 9, and 10.8 mm from the epiphyseal growth plate of the lateral as well as of the medial endosteum of both right and left tibiae. We found a physiologic significant difference in the MAR between the lateral and the medial endosteal sites of the same tibia (p < 0.0001), especially near the epiphyseal growth plate. Regarding the same cortical side, there is a significant decrease (p < 0.0001) in the endosteal MAR with increasing distance from the epiphyseal growth plate. We conclude that the observed differences in endocortical MAR must be due to specific mechanical challenges. Because these differences are statistically significant, it is necessary to standardize the area of histomorphometric measurement not only with respect to the distance from the epiphyseal growth plate, but also with respect to the cortical side."}
{"id": "PMID:1485553", "title": "Interrelationships between geometric and mechanical properties of long bones from three rodent species with very different biomass: phylogenetic implications.", "content": "In femora from rats or mice, the area and moment of inertia (but not the wall-lumen ratio) of a diaphyseal section correlated with biomass and were determinants of the strength and stiffness of the integrated bone. In otter metacarpals, however, the geometric variable typically associated with body weight and mechanical ability of the integrated bone was the wall-lumen ratio (not the sectional moment of inertia). These differences may be associated with the meaningfulness of body density for natural selection in diving species like otters. A negative relationship between wall-lumen ratio and material modulus of elasticity in bones from the three species pointed out the impossibility of increasing diaphyseal thickness and stiffness at the same time. The results are compatible with the hypothesis that ecologic habits are selectively more important than phylogenetic relationships between species for the determination of bone mechanical properties in the upper vertebrates."}
{"id": "PMID:1485554", "title": "Effect of bone size, not density, on the stiffness of the proximal part of normal and osteoporotic human femora.", "content": "Proximal femur fractures in the elderly lead to a high rate of hospitalization. In studying the operative treatment of such fractures, it is first necessary to understand the relationship between the morphologic properties of this part of the femur (related to both geometry and density) and its mechanical properties. Numerous investigations showed that femoral strength correlates with bone mass; however, the dimension of the bones was not taken into account. We measured the relationship between the stiffness of the proximal femur under physiologic load and its geometry and density. Conventional x-rays and quantitative computed tomography (QCT) were carried out on pairs of human cadaver femora. Eight pairs were instrumented with strain gauges. Bones were subjected to an eccentric load that simulates moderate weight bearing (single-leg stance), and the strain parallel to the bone axis was plotted as a function of the load applied. An apparent bone stiffness was calculated as the ratio between the strain gradient within the section and the load applied. Strong correlation was found between x-ray densitometry and QCT. The bone stiffness also correlates strongly with the geometry (area) and slightly with bone mass; however, an unexpectedly low correlation was found between stiffness and density. We chose stiffness as a mechanical parameter (not strength) because it describes the \"normal\" bone behavior under load. Our results clearly demonstrate that the cross-sectional size of the bones must be taken into account when establishing the relationship between the mechanical characteristics of the bone and its morphology. In accordance with previous predictions, our results support that bone loss due to osteoporosis is compensated for by an increase in bone diameter."}
{"id": "PMID:1485555", "title": "Microgravity and bone adaptation at the tissue level.", "content": "Our knowledge of the adaptation of human bone microgravity remains poor despite long-term Russian spaceflights and the recent use of accurate techniques for bone mass measurements. The extent of bone deficits in the adaptation of the whole skeleton is not clear. At the tissue level, bone resorption and formation activities have been studied only in bones from rats after spaceflights lasting a few days to 3 weeks. In these animals, architectural features consistent with osteoporosis have been found in the proximal tibia. In pregnant animals the osteoclast population is increased at other skeletal sites. In areas of weight-bearing bones that are not protected by muscular insertions, bone resorption is not markedly altered after 7 days of spaceflight and bone formation is reduced. In areas of weight-bearing bones with muscular insertions and in non-weight-bearing bones, similar changes in bone cell activity are delayed. The severity of the response seems to vary with the location of the bone in the skeleton and its initial level of bone turnover. After 12.5 days the acute bone changes are less and no additional changes are observed after 21 days in space. We conclude that generalized bone deficits do not appear to be a consequence of microgravity but occur in localized areas according to the level of modeling and remodeling and of the support function of each bone at 1 g."}
{"id": "PMID:1485556", "title": "Effect of exercise and bisphosphonate on mineral balance and bone density during 360 day antiorthostatic hypokinesia.", "content": "As we enter a phase of space exploration that will involve long-duration flights, there is a need to use ground-based models to study the long-term effects of countermeasures to prevent the loss of bone mineral in microgravity. Mineral balances, hormone levels, and bone density were measured for 360 days in nine bed rest subjects treated with an exercise program used by cosmonauts. Four of these subjects received the bisphosphonate, ethane-1-hydroxy-1-disphosphonate, 900 mg daily, a drug known to inhibit bone resorption. Compared to a 120 day control period, the bisphosphonate combined with exercise reduced negative calcium balances by 50% for the first 120 days, 80% for the second 120 days, and 69% during the third 120 days. Exercise alone had no effect until the second 120 day period, when calcium balance improved 52%. Negative phosphorus balances were not affected by either treatment. Magnesium balances were negative during the first 120 days and returned to nearly normal during the last 240 days in both groups. The combined exercise and bisphosphonate treatment prevented increases in serum ionized calcium and decreases in plasma calcitonin during the first 120 days, as well as trends toward decreases in the mineral density of the femoral neck. These results suggest that bisphosphonates can be efficiently used together with exercise to reduce calcium loss and prevent some of the changes in mineral metabolism during long-term simulated microgravity."}
{"id": "PMID:1485566", "title": "Generation of mutant mice lacking surface expression of CD4 or CD8 gene targeting.", "content": "With the use of homologous recombination in embryonic stem cells, two new strains of mice lacking surface CD4 or CD8 expression have been generated. It is hoped that they will be useful mouse strains for the study of autoimmune diseases, tissue transplantation rejections and tumour rejections."}
{"id": "PMID:1485570", "title": "[Primary open angle glaucoma and low tension glaucoma--pathogenesis and mechanism of optic nerve damage].", "content": "The etiology, pathogenesis and mechanism of optic nerve damage in primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) and low tension glaucoma (LTG) were investigated by experimental glaucoma in monkey and by follow-up studies of many patients over 15 years, by pathohistological and immunohistochemical analysis. 1) LTG was proved to be a real glaucoma, showing pressure-dependent optic nerve damage. The pathological entity was a primary weakness of the lamina cribrosa (LC), and therefore even normal pressure could deform the LC. Due to backward distortion of LC the channels were disarranged and twisted, inducing mechanical optic nerve damage. There was no active vascular damage or vascular constriction at the site of the optic nerve damage. The filling defects of the advanced glaucomatous optic disc were not the cause of optic nerve damage, but the result of regressive vascular change after axon bundle loss. Splinter hemorrhage of the optic disc might be the result of the same process. 2) The weakness of LC might be induced by the abnormal metabolism of the extracellular matrix of the LC. 3) To arrest the progressive optic nerve damage in LTG, the intraocular pressure (IOP) should be maintained under 12, or ideally, 10 mmHg. 4) The optic nerve damage in POAG was not only pressure-dependent, but also dependent on the weakness of the LC, as in the case of LTG. In the early stage the IOP should be under 19 mmHg, in the advanced stage under 14 mmHg in order to arrest progression for over 15 years. 5) In advanced experimental glaucoma of monkeys, the LC showed reduction of elastin, fragmentation of collagen, and change of proteoglycans. 6) As in the LC, the trabecular meshwork also showed abnormal metabolism and abnormal deposits on the extracellular matrix in POAG, and LTG as well. 7) POAG and LTG might belong to the same family in which common abnormal metabolism of LC and trabecular meshwork induce various clinical features."}
{"id": "PMID:1485571", "title": "[Eye movement: experimental and clinical study using cine mode MRI].", "content": "As a special lecture at the 96th Annual Congress of the Japanese Ophthalmological Society in 1992, we presented experimental and clinical studies on eye movement using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). MRI is more valuable than X-ray CT in defining external muscle anatomy in the orbit in a variety of pathological changes, and is free from the danger of radiation. Cine mode MRI, which was originally developed to observe cardiovascular function, was utilized experimentally for observation of eye movement. We invented two methods to produce a series of photographs. In the first method, \"the moving eye method\", the subjects were asked to perform 256 or 512 vertical and horizontal eye movements in synchronization with a sound trigger. In the second, \"the fixed eye method\", the subjects were asked to gaze at individual points in a 5 to 7 point sequence as indicated by the investigator. In both methods MRI data was generated and the resulting series of photographs were observed in cine mode on a television monitor. Displaying the MRI generated photographs in cine mode enables direct observation of the movement of the eye, optic nerve and extraocular muscles within the orbit. The moving eye method was more accurate in its portrayal of the actual movement of the eye, but the large number of eye movements, at least 256 movements, required about 5 minutes, and caused physical and mental fatigue for the subjects. The fixed eye method did not show actual movement of the eye, but was less fatiguing than the former method, and avoided several of its problems. A large number of ophthalmoplegia cases such as abducens palsy, oculomotor palsy, fracture of the orbital wall, foreign bodies in the orbit, Duane's syndrome, endocrine myopathy, esotropia, exotropia, etc., were examined using the fixed eye method of cine mode MRI. Using this technique, anatomical changes, such as atrophy or hypertrophy and the functional state demonstrated by the contraction and relaxation of the extraocular muscles could be investigated. Transposition of the extraocular muscles, an effective treatment for paralytic squint, was reexamined and a new surgical procedure was developed for abducens palsy. The measurement of the length, thickness and weight of the extraocular muscles from the MRI-generated photographs allowed for more accurate analysis. The three dimensional reconstructive method of MRI is very valuable for diagnosis in the orbit and is expected to contribute to future progress."}
{"id": "PMID:1485572", "title": "[Transurethral incision and fulguration of the bladder diverticulum: radicality and clinical efficacy].", "content": "We performed transurethral incision and fulguration of the bladder diverticulum (TUIFBD) for 8 diverticula in 6 patients. In combination with TUIFBD, one patient received transurethral resection of the prostate and another one transurethral lithotripsy of bladder stones. TUIFBD has been easily performed without any operative complications. All 8 diverticula had shrunken from one to two months after the operation but only one diverticulum had disappeared. Symptoms related to the bladder diverticulum had disappeared postoperatively in all cases. In conclusion, TUIFBD can be easily and safely performed in combination with other transurethral surgical procedures. TUIFBD may be insufficient for radicality, but is clinically effective."}
{"id": "PMID:1485573", "title": "[Clinical experience of urological surgery of the patients with hemostatic disorder or hemolytic disease].", "content": "This report deals with clinical experience of urologic surgery of patients with hemostatic disorder or hemolytic disease. In the past 5 years from May 1986, 14 operations were conducted in our clinic on 13 patients, consisting of 4 with von Willebrand disease (vWd), 1 with hemophilia B, 4 who had warfarin administration, 3 with essential thrombocythemia and 2 with spherocytosis. Almost all patients were treated hematologically before the urological operations. Except in 1 case, the post-operative course was favorable and under hematologic control. Massive bleeding in 1 case was obviously attributable to over-dosage of warfarin. It is difficult to determine the optimal dose of warfarin under an unstable hemostatic condition during the operation and recovery periods. However, it is possible to carry out urologic surgery for these patients under appropriate hematologic control, and ESWL was safely performed without medical treatment on 3 patients; 1 with vWd, 1 treated with warfarin and 1 with spherocytosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1485574", "title": "[Pheochromocytoma discovered in a pregnant woman: a case report].", "content": "A case of pheochromocytoma discovered at pregnancy is reported. The patient was a 27-year-old woman who had no symptoms before pregnancy. A sudden hypertensive attack occurred during vaginal examination at the 36th week of pregnancy. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and ultrasonography showed a right adrenal mass. The level of catecholamine in blood and urine was beyond the normal limit. This patient was diagnosed as pheochromocytoma with pregnancy. Cesarean section was immediately done to avoid hypertensive crisis caused by spontaneous delivery. Blood pressure and blood volume were controlled by an alpha-blocker for one month after delivery, and, then the tumor was removed surgically. Pheochromocytoma with pregnancy is life-threatening for the mother and the fetus because of difficult diagnosis and complex clinical features. Early diagnosis and appropriate treatment are mandatory. Pathophysiological characteristics and the treatment of such specified statics are mainly discussed through our successful achievement."}
{"id": "PMID:1485575", "title": "[A case of neuroleptic malignant syndrome with acute renal failure].", "content": "Neuroleptic malignant syndrome is a potentially lethal side effect of neuroleptic drugs, characterized by fever, muscle rigidity, autonomic dysfunction, and altered consciousness. A 50-year-old female hospitalized three times in the past for psychiatric treatment was admitted to Umayabashi Hospital for treatment of a relapse of a schizophrenic psychosis. She had received 50 mg of chlorpromazine and one tablet of Vegetamin-A (chlorpromazine 25 mg, promethazine 12.5 mg, phenobarbital 40 mg). Approximately 24-36 hours later, the patient became febrile and lost consciousness, and eight days later, acute renal failure occurred with muscle rigidity. She was transported to Maebashi Red Cross Hospital to receive hemodialysis. On admission, the laboratory studies showed high levels of serum creatine phosphokinase, glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase, glutamic pyruvic transaminase, creatinine and blood urea nitrogen. She underwent hemodialysis for treatment of acute renal failure and recovered from it after 16 sessions of hemodialysis."}
{"id": "PMID:1485576", "title": "[A case of CA19-9 producing transitional cell carcinoma of the ureter effectively responsive to combination chemotherapy].", "content": "We report a case of CA19-9 producing transitional cell carcinoma of the right ureter effectively responsive to combination chemotherapy (methotrexate, vinblastine, doxorubicin and cisplatin (M-VAC) regimen) in a 53-year-old woman. The maximum level of serum CA19-9 showed 3,000 U/ml and clinical staging of the tumor was T4 N3 M0. Marked regression of the tumor was identified by computed tomographic scan and the level of serum CA19-9 returned to the normal range after 3 courses of M-VAC therapy. Right total nephro-ureterectomy and partial cystectomy was done and the surgical specimen revealed no viable tumors. She is alive without evidence of local recurrence or metastasis at 6 months after resection. The serum CA19-9 level was useful for monitoring the clinical course."}
{"id": "PMID:1485577", "title": "[Ureteral polyp: a difficult case to make a differential diagnosis with ureteral tumor].", "content": "We report a case of primary fibroepithelial polyp of the left ureter. The patient was a 34-year-old-man, complaining of left flank pain. An excretory urogram and retrograde pyelogram revealed left hydronephrosis and filling defect of the middle third of ureter. It was difficult to make a differential diagnosis with ureteral tumor. A frozen section revealed no malignancy and we performed partial ureterectomy and end-to-end anastomosis. We discussed the clinical features of adult primary ureteral polyp reported in the Japanese literature."}
{"id": "PMID:1485578", "title": "[Recurrent transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder in a young woman: report of a case].", "content": "A rare case of transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder in an 18-year-old female is presented. The chief complaint was gross hematuria and pain on urination. Transurethral resection was performed and pathological findings were low grade transitional cell carcinoma without invasion. During a 5-year follow up, she had relapse of the bladder tumor twice. Transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder in children and adolescents may be low grade, low stage and rarely recurrent, but the possibility of recurrence does exist. We emphasize the necessity of periodic cystoscopy for following up young adolescents with transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder."}
{"id": "PMID:1485579", "title": "[Pseudosarcomatous fibromyxoid tumor of the urinary bladder: a case report].", "content": "A 41-year-old man was referred to our clinic for gross hematuria. Cystoscopy revealed a 6 x 5 x 5 cm wide-based tumor located at the dome of the bladder. Pathological diagnosis of the biopsy was pseudosarcomatous fibromyxoid tumor. Microscopically this tumor was composed of spindle cells and myxoid stroma, and immunohistochemical and ultrastructural studies showed benign characteristics of this tumor. Therefore partial cystectomy was performed. It is important to recognize the histological characteristics of this essentially benign condition so that total cystectomy can be avoided."}
{"id": "PMID:1485580", "title": "[Prostatic cancer presenting as palpable lymph node metastasis--report of three cases].", "content": "Three cases of prostatic carcinoma with palpable metastatic lymph nodes are presented. In case 1, the intrapelvic lymph node metastases were recognized as an abdominal mass. In case 2 and 3, non-regional superficial lymph node metastases were palpable. Orchiectomy and anti-androgen therapy were effective in all cases."}
{"id": "PMID:1485581", "title": "[Giant epidermoid cyst of the scrotum: a case report].", "content": "A 74-year-old male with the chief complaint of painless enlargement of a mass in the scrotum was diagnosed as having a giant epidermoid cyst on July 8, 1991. He had no past history of injury or pain of the scrotum. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the scrotum demonstrated a well-circumscribed homogeneous mass, and was distinguished from both normal testes. Under the diagnosis of intrascrotal epidermoid cyst, the mass was resected surgically. The mass measured 23 x 15 x 15 cm, and it contained liquids. The pathological diagnosis was epidermoid cyst of the scrotum."}
{"id": "PMID:1485582", "title": "[Kallmann's syndrome in a child--a case report].", "content": "The patient was a male child 6 years and 6 months old. He visited our hospital because of bilateral cryptorchism and true phimosis. Since he was found to have fairly small testis, micropenis, and anosmia, endocrinological examination was performed. The plasma levels of luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) were at the lower limit of normal values. LH gave a low reaction to the LH-releasing hormone test, while the reaction of FSH was near the lower limit of normal values. In the human chorionic gonadotropin test, there was no rise in the plasma levels of testosterone. Nor was there any reaction to the venous olfactory test with Alinamine (thiamine propyldisulfide). Accordingly, the patient was diagnosed as having Kallmann's syndrome. A search of the literature reveals few reports that deal with Kallmann's syndrome in infancy. Early diagnosis seems to be of significance, however, to institute early appropriate treatment to prompt the development of proper secondary sexual characteristics and ensure normal future fertility."}
{"id": "PMID:1485583", "title": "[Present status and controversy of treatment for renal cell carcinoma].", "content": "The current status and controversy of the treatment for renal cell carcinoma are reported. From 1980 to 1990, a total of 283 patients with renal cell carcinoma were treated in Nara Medical University and its affiliated hospitals. All patients were divided into two groups: M0 group (n = 217) and M1 group (n = 66). In addition, the M0 group patients were divided into two groups according to the followup study: M0-->M0 group (n = 194) and M0-->M1 group (n = 23). There was a significant difference between the survival of the M0 group and that of the M1 group (p < 0.001). A significant difference was also seen between the survival of M0-->M0 group and that of the M0-->M1 group (p < 0.001). The clinical and pathological factors which might be related to prognosis were analyzed. In the M1 group, high stage, high grade, non-surgical treatment for primary site and metastatic sites other than the lungs were found to be poor prognostic factors. In the M0-->M1 group, no prognostic factor was seen. These findings indicated that surgical treatment for the primary site in M1 patients should be performed. In addition, development of effective treatment for metastatic sites other than the lungs and effective postoperative adjuvant treatment would be necessary."}
{"id": "PMID:1485584", "title": "[Interferon therapy for advanced renal cell carcinoma].", "content": "To determine the effect of human lymphoblastoid interferon (HLBI) on metastatic renal cell carcinoma (MRCC), we performed two clinical trials. First, between 1982 and 1984, we performed a phase II study using 3 mega-units (MU) of HLBI daily in 25 eligible patients with MRCC. Six patients (24.0%) showed objective responses, including 2 with complete response (CR) and 4 with partial response (PR). Patients with a prior nephrectomy or with a good performance status were likely to respond to the therapy. Based on the above observation, we performed a prospective randomized trial to compare 2 different doses of HLBI following nephrectomy. Treatment consisted of HLBI, 3 MU intramuscularly 6 days a week in arm A and 1 MU intramuscularly 6 days a week in arm B. Treatments were started within 4 weeks after the nephrectomy and patients were evaluated every week for 1 month, and every month thereafter. Between 1985 and 1991, 16 patients were enrolled in arm A and 15 patients in arm B. Responses were seen in 5 (31.3%) of the 16 arm A patients (4 CRs and 1 PR) and 3 (20.0%) of the 15 arm B patients (1 CR and 2 PRs). Most responses occurred in patients with lung metastasis and favorable PS. There was no statistical difference in efficacy between the two arms. Hematologic toxicity was more frequent in arm A (43.8%) than arm B (13.3%). We conclude that further studies are needed to secure the clinical efficacy of HLBI for MRCC."}
{"id": "PMID:1485585", "title": "[Treatment of advanced renal cell carcinoma with interferon alpha and OK-432 (streptococcal preparation)].", "content": "A total of 12 patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma received interferon alpha (3 million units intramuscularly 6 times weekly) and OK-432 (5 KE (Klinische Einheit) intramuscularly twice weekly). Metastatic lesions appeared before operation in six patients and after operation in six patients. Among them 5 patients had received interferon therapy and this combination therapy was started after the judgment of progressive disease for interferon therapy. Eleven pulmonary and 5 bone metastases were evaluable. The median duration of the combination therapy was 89.3 weeks. There were 4 partial responses and no complete responses among the 12 patients, giving a response rate of 33.3%. The median duration of response was 25 months, with a range of 6 to 54 months. Responses were seen predominantly in patients in whom metastases appeared after operation (3 of 4 responders). However, regarding the individual organs, two complete and 2 partial responses were observed among 11 pulmonary metastases and 2 partial responses among 5 bone metastases. The survival period after discovery of the metastasis was 10 to 67 months and the 5-year survival rate was 70.5%. Almost all patients had fever and induration at the injection site. Other side effects included leukopenia, anorexia, and depression. This combination therapy is thought to be effective against bone or other organs metastasis resistant to interferon alone."}
{"id": "PMID:1485586", "title": "[Lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) therapy for metastatic renal cell carcinoma].", "content": "Fifteen patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC) were treated by administration of autologous lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cells given together with systemic administration of interleukin-2 (IL-2). Pulmonary metastases alone were found in 10 cases, pulmonary and mediastinal nodal metastases in 3, and pulmonary and bone metastases in 2. LAK cells, generated by incubation in 700 units/ml of IL-2 for 3-4 days, were intravenously administered once a week. In addition, beginning on the day of the first LAK cell infusion, 3.5 x 10(5) units of IL-2 were intravenously infused once or twice a day with occasional supplementation of 3.5 x 10(5) units of IL-2 on each day of LAK cell infusion. The total number of LAK cells and total amount of IL-2 administered per patient in this study ranged from 0.8 x 10(10) to 6.9 x 10(10) cells and from 10.2 x 10(6) to 74.9 x 10(6) units, respectively. As toxic effects caused by the infusion of LAK cells, headache, shaking chills, fever and leukocytosis were found in all cases. Side effects possibly induced by IL-2 infusion were tolerable fever, fluid retention (body weight gain of 2-3 kg) and eosinophilia. Out of 15 patients, a partial response was observed in 4 patients who had pulmonary metastases alone. One of the 4 patients with a partial response was clinically free of disease after undergoing a thoracotomy for resection of residual lesions, but a brain metastasis was detected 10 months after the thoracotomy. The remaining 3 patients are being closely followed up at present.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1485587", "title": "[Lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) therapy for advanced renal cell carcinoma: clinical study on arterial LAK therapy and experimental study on LAK cell activity].", "content": "Experimental and clinical studies were conducted on lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cell therapy for advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC). The traffic assay using radiolabeled LAK cells indicated short-term but appreciable accumulation of LAK cells in the tumor site when trans-arterially infused. By contrast, systemically infused LAK cells were localized not to the tumor tissue but to the lung. Therefore, we began treatment of the patients with extrapulmonary metastases by means of regional arterial administration of LAK cells and those who had pulmonary metastases by a systemic LAK therapy. Regimen of Interleukin-2 (IL-2) administration was bolus infusion of 5 x 10 U IL-2 twice daily. Frequency of LAK cell administration varied from one to three times a week depending upon the patient's condition. Eight out of 16 metastases, such as bone, muscle, and lymph node metastases, in 9 patients treated by arterial LAK therapy showed regression. Side effects during LAK therapy were not serious. Past history of having chemotherapy was an unfavorable factor that could reduce the sensitivity to LAK therapy. Our laboratory study showed the production of Interferon (IFN)-gamma and Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF)-alpha by LAK cells when preincubated with RCC cells, which may indicate the mechanism of LAK cell-mediated antitumor activity in vivo. The study also showed that LAK cells as well as monocytes preincubated with the supernatant of LAK cells damaged normal endothelial cells in vitro, which suggested the possibility that LAK therapy risks increasing the frequency of brain metastasis by damaging the blood-brain barrier.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1485588", "title": "[Circumvention of the intrinsic multidrug-resistance in renal cell carcinoma].", "content": "Most of renal cell carcinomas (RCCs) are refractory at the start of chemotherapy. We have demonstrated that the frequently elevated expression of the multidrug resistance gene (MDR) in RCCs is associated with the intrinsic vinca alkaloids and anthracyclines resistance. The preliminary clinical trials using verapamil or amiodarone in combination with vinblastine or doxorubicin to overcome multidrug-resistant (MDR) tumors could not achieve satisfactory results owing to severe cardiovascular toxicities of such reversing agents. In the present study, we studied the sensitizing ability of bis-benzyl-isoquinoline (cepharanthine) and SDB-ethylenediamine (N-1379) in natural MDR kidney cancer cells. Cepharanthine remarkably sensitized vinblastine and doxorubicin sensitivities in those cells with high MDR RNA levels. From a clinical point of view, cepharanthine seems to be a potent and less toxic agent to treat natural MDR kidney cancers."}
{"id": "PMID:1485589", "title": "[Renal cancer specific antitumor activities of a mouse monoclonal antibody K2.7 to human renal cell carcinoma].", "content": "We have prepared a mouse monoclonal antibody (mAb) K2.7 (IgG3) by immunizing mice with renal cancer cell (RCC) line OS-RC-2. In a serological analysis by protein A assay, 25 out of 31 RCC lines reacted with the mAb K2.7 but none of the 50 other cell lines from different organs except for 2 cell lines did. In immunohistological analysis by indirect immunoperoxidase assay, 66 out of 72 renal cancer tissues showed positive staining. Metastatic lesions of renal cancers also reacted similarly to the primary lesion. Some restricted normal tissues including tubules of normal kidney showed positive staining. Specific antitumor activities of mAb K2.7 against RCC lines were investigated in vitro by complement dependent cytotoxicity (CDC) and antibody dependent cell mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) assays. In CDC assay, all of the 9 RCC lines were killed by mAb K2.7 and normal human serum, and killing activities of mAb K2.7 presumably depend on the number of antibody molecules bound to the cell surface. Sera from 9 patients with renal cancers including low and high stages showed the same killing activities to 3 RCC lines as normal human serum. In the ADCC assay, peripheral leukocytes (PBLs) from 4 healthy donors showed strong killing activities to RCC lines. Killing activity differed with the individual. PBLs from the same 9 patients as in the CDC assay showed significantly positive killing activity against 3 RCC lines. These findings suggest the usefulness of mAb K2.7 for the specific immunotherapy of renal cancer."}
{"id": "PMID:1485590", "title": "[Anti-interleukin-6 (IL-6) therapy of IL-6-producing renal cell carcinoma].", "content": "Interleukin-6 (IL-6) has been demonstrated to be an autocrine growth factor of renal cell carcinoma in vitro and released IL-6 has been thought to elicit the acute phase response in vivo. We investigated the possibility of anti-IL-6 therapy of IL-6-producing renal cell carcinoma. There was a dose-dependent decrease in the number of colonies formed in vitro of NC65 renal cell carcinoma cell line in the presence of dexamethasone which is known to inhibit the induction of IL-6 messenger RNA. IL-6 receptor antisense oligonucleotide and anti-IL-6 receptor antibody also showed growth inhibition of NC65 cells. IL-6 antisense oligonucleotide and anti-IL-6 antibody did not alter the proliferation of NC65 cells. These findings suggest that inhibitors of IL-6 production or IL-6 function may be useful for some renal call carcinoma patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1485591", "title": "[Clinical evaluation of usefulness of cefixime (200 mg administered once daily) in the treatment of acute uncomplicated cystitis].", "content": "A comparative study of cefixime (CFIX), a new oral cephem antibiotic, was carried out at the Department of Urology, Nagoya University Hospital and its four affiliated hospitals to evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of two dosage regimens of CFIX, given either in twice daily doses (BID group) or once daily dose (UID group), in the treatment of acute uncomplicated cystitis. Forty six female patients (BID group) were administered the daily dose of 200 mg in two divided doses for 3 days, 30 female patients (UID group) were administered 200 mg once daily for 3 days. The clinical efficacy was evaluated in 33 cases from the BID group and in 22 cases from the UID group, respectively, according to the criteria recommended by the Japan UTI Committee. In the BID group, the clinical efficacy was evaluated as excellent in 18 cases, moderate in 13 and poor in 2, with an overall clinical effectiveness rate of 94%. In the UID group, it was evaluated as excellent in 9 cases, moderate in 12 and poor in 1, with an overall clinical effectiveness rate of 96%. Safety was monitored in 71 patients, and only one case of stomatitis was seen in the UID group. This findings suggest that 200 mg once daily dosing regimen of cefixime is as effective as 100 mg twice daily dosing regimen in treatment of acute uncomplicated cystitis, and is well tolerated in terms of safety."}
{"id": "PMID:1485592", "title": "A new method of administration of topical nasal extracts. Immunoaerosol therapy.", "content": "Topical nasal immunotherapy (TNI) is a therapeutic option in residual rhinitis. Adverse reactions are common with pollen extracts and often are related to the phenol and thimerosal conservatives. This study sought to determine the clinical effectiveness of two methods of administration of TNI. Twenty-eight patients with allergic perennial rhinitis treated for 2 years with parenteral semidepot immunotherapy were divided into two groups of 14 patients: group A receiving conventional aerosol nebulization (TNE), and group B, which received TNAI using a type F aerosol electrocompressor. Clinical response and tolerance to TNI were evaluated using scores for signs and symptoms. The conclusions were: Both group A and group B exhibited statistically significant differences between baseline and post-immunotherapy parameters (p < 0.001). There were no statistically significant differences in the degree of improvement achieved in the two groups. The main advantages of TNAI were better tolerance of the D. pteronyssinus extracts, perhaps due to the elimination of conservatives, and the guarantee of correct administration of the dose and control of minimum reactions. For these reasons it is a viable therapeutic option in allergic perennial rhinitis previously treated for two years with parenteral semidepot immunotherapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1485594", "title": "Expression of the epidermal growth factor receptor in squamous carcinoma cell lines of the larynx and hypopharynx.", "content": "Characterization of the EGF-R has been carried out on five squamous carcinoma cell lines of the head and neck region (FaDu, HLaC-78, HLaC-79, UM-SCC-17A and 17-B). The results have been compared with those from a spontaneously immortalized aneuploid human keratinocyte cell line (HaCaT) and cultured fresh skin keratinocytes. A monoclonal antibody directed against the external region of the EGF-R was used for APAAP-immunostaining and flow cytometric analysis. We observed an important heterogeneity in the EGF-R expression of the different cell lines. The highest overexpression of the EGF-R was found on the cell line UM-SSC-17A. The results of our flow cytometric studies confirm and extend previous studies in which either radioimmunoassay of tissue extracts or immunocytochemistry of tissue sections showed an altered expression in head and neck squamous carcinoma. The cell line UM-SSC-17A seems to be most useful in elucidating the role of the EGF-R expression in the behaviour of head and neck epidermoid malignancies."}
{"id": "PMID:1485595", "title": "Complement system in malnutrition.", "content": "The total complement and C3 and C4 components serum levels were assessed in vitro in forty children suffering from severe and moderate protein-calorie malnutrition in the 2 to 5 year age group. Twenty well-nourished children of the same age were as a control group. The results in the three group showed no significant differences."}
{"id": "PMID:1485593", "title": "Cellular immunity in paracoccidioidomycosis.", "content": "Paracoccidioidomycosis was studied in 62 patients from Brazil in the 10 year period between 1978 and 1988. In 46 patients included in a first group, the disease was active and in 16 patients included in a second group, the disease was cured. The study was conducted according to both the clinical form of the disease and the response to paracoccidioidin in both groups. In the first group, 10 patients presented the acute form, 12 presented the chronic unifocal form and 24 had the chronic multifocal form of the disease. As to the response to paracoccidioidin, in the first group 16 patients were negative and 30 were positive; in the second group, 11 were positive and 5 were negative. An immunological study was performed in all patients using in vivo methods such as skin tests and sensitization to DNCB and in vitro techniques such as total lymphocyte counts, T and B cell counts, leukocyte migration inhibition test, chemotaxis of total leukocytes and mononuclear leukocyte phagocytosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1485596", "title": "Study of the possible crossed reactivity between D. pteronyssinus and non pyroglyphide acarus. 1. Skin tests and FAST inhibition.", "content": "On 132 patients with case history of rhinitis and/or asthma in a domestic environment and with positive cutaneous tests contrasted with D. pteronyssinus, we have made cutaneous tests compared to said antigen and compared with D. farinae, L. destructor and A. siro, with extracts 5000 E/ml (Noon Units), as well as FAST inhibition, using D. pteronyssinus in its solid phase and all the above mentioned extracts in their liquid phase. Our results show that the frequency of D. pteronyssinus positivities in prick is greater than the other mites as well as the intensity of the response expressed in the size of the wheal showing significant differences between those found for D. pteronyssinus and those obtained with other mites. In turn those obtained with the D. farinae are significantly greater than those obtained with non-pyroglyphide mites. In FAST inhibition we only found a good correlation for D. pteronyssinus-D. pteronyssinus and D. pteronyssinus-D. farinae and there is no good correlation between the other mites. The correlation coefficients differ significantly except for those of the pyroglyphides, and the regression equations show a lack of parallelism in the regression lines. Consequently, on the basis of this study, we conclude that there is no crossed reactivity between D. peteronyssinus and non-pyroglyphide mites."}
{"id": "PMID:1485603", "title": "Refractory thrombocytopenia. A myelodysplastic syndrome that may mimic immune thrombocytopenic purpura.", "content": "The French-American-British classification scheme of myelodysplastic syndromes includes a category of refractory cytopenia that includes refractory thrombocytopenia (RTC). Because dysmegakaryopoiesis manifesting as an isolated cytopenia can be difficult to identify morphologically and because it may be accompanied by megakaryocytic hyperplasia, RTC may be confused with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura. A review of 1,220 cases of myelodysplastic syndromes at Mayo Clinic Jacksonville and Mayo Clinic Rochester from 1979 to 1990 yielded 9 cases (0.7%) of isolated thrombocytopenia (RTC) associated with clonal chromosome abnormalities. Review of 319 marrow chromosome analyses performed at the cytogenetics laboratory at Mayo Clinic Rochester from 1979 to 1990 for patients with low platelet count yielded two additional cases of RTC (0.6%). Of the 11 RTC cases, 3 previously had been misdiagnosed as idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura. All patients had oval macrocytes in peripheral blood smears and abnormal megakaryocyte morphology in bone marrow aspirates, lacked antiplatelet antibodies, and did not have splenomegaly on clinical examination. The most common clonal chromosome abnormalities involved chromosomes 3, 5, 8, or 20. Steroid therapy was ineffective. Clinical and laboratory findings can establish the diagnosis of RTC and allow the physician to avoid recommending inappropriate therapy (steroids or splenectomy) for these patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1485604", "title": "Serum ferritin measurement and the degree of agreement using four techniques.", "content": "Four commercial assay kits to measure serum ferritin were compared to establish the degree of agreement and interchangeability between the different techniques based on the intraclass correlation coefficient (ri). Radioimmunoassay, microparticle enzyme immunoassay, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and chemiluminescent immunoassay systems were used. The Pearson product-moment correlation factor (r) between any two methods was at least 0.98, and the intercept of the regression equations ranged from -0.613 to 3.797, indicating that the methods were comparable. Furthermore, the intraclass correlation coefficient (ri) was at least 0.98, suggesting that the methods were interchangeable."}
{"id": "PMID:1485605", "title": "Congenital dyserythropoietic anemia type II diagnosed in a 69-year-old patient with iron overload.", "content": "Congenital dyserythropoietic anemia type II is a rare disorder that is often diagnosed in patients before age 20 years. Patients with this disorder, which is also called hereditary erythroblastic multinuclearity associated with a positive acidified serum lysis test, may have symptoms of iron overload. The purpose of this case report is to alert physicians to consider the diagnosis of congenital dyserythropoietic anemia type II in elderly patients who have anemia and iron overload."}
{"id": "PMID:1485606", "title": "A rapid method to isolate platelets from human blood by density gradient centrifugation.", "content": "Platelets can be damaged easily or activated during isolation, making them unsuitable for functional studies. The most common technique for isolating platelets involves centrifugation. Although gentler methods have been devised to isolate platelets by density gradient centrifugation or electrophoresis, these techniques either result in a relatively dilute platelet preparation or are time-consuming. A simple, gentle technique for isolating concentrated platelet preparations for experimental or clinical use is reported. Freshly drawn whole blood was spun over a commercially available density gradient medium for 30 minutes. The mononuclear cell layer (which also contains most of the platelets) was collected and nucleated cells were pelleted by centrifugation. The recovery of platelets was about 60%. Contamination with leukocytes was less than 1%, and the platelet concentration was about 130% of blood concentration. Higher concentrations can be obtained if more whole blood is layered onto the Mono-Poly Resolving Medium (MPRM; Flow Laboratories, McLean, VA). About 10% of the platelets expressed the activation marker GMP-140 by flow cytometric analysis. They could be activated by thrombin so that 70% to 90% of the platelets expressed GMP-140. Thus, this technique can rapidly and easily yield a functionally intact platelet preparation. This preparation can be purified again if needed. No specialized skills or equipment are needed. A significant advantage of the method is that platelets can be obtained from thrombocytopenic patients in final concentrations that are high enough to use for platelet function testing."}
{"id": "PMID:1485607", "title": "Excessive fibrinolysis in amyloidosis associated with elevated plasma single-chain urokinase.", "content": "Severe bleeding resulting from excessive fibrinolysis has been observed in patients with primary amyloidosis. The authors studied a patient with this hemostatic disorder before and during therapy with epsilon-aminocaproic acid. Excessive fibrinolysis was associated with depressed plasma concentrations of coagulation Factors XII, XI, high-molecular-weight kininogen, and Factors VIII and V; and plasminogen and alpha-2-plasmin inhibitor. These deficiencies were corrected with treatment. The functional and antigenic concentrations of tissue plasminogen activator and plasminogen activator inhibitor in the patient's plasma were normal. Urokinase-type activator activity and antigen were three to five times elevated in the patient's plasma. Results of immunoprecipitation showed that single-chain urokinase-type activator was the primary urokinase-type activator species in the patient's plasma. Excessive fibrinolysis in patients with amyloidosis results from increased plasma single-chain urokinase-type activator activity."}
{"id": "PMID:1485608", "title": "Development of alloanti-Jka in a patient with hemolytic anemia due to autoanti-Jkb.", "content": "Autoanti-Jkb and a transient autoanti-E were identified in a patient with autoimmune hemolytic anemia, and red blood cells negative for Jkb and E antigens were transfused. Twelve weeks after transfusion, the autoantibody appeared to have developed broad specificity. However, autoadsorption studies revealed that the broad reactivity was due to the development of alloanti-Jka in addition to the autoanti-Jkb. Distinguishing this combination of alloanti-Jka plus autoanti-Jkb from an autoantibody with broad specificity will be important in selecting Jka antigen-negative red cells for subsequent transfusions. This case emphasizes the importance of additional serologic testing to detect alloantibodies in patients with broadly reactive warm autoantibodies."}
{"id": "PMID:1485611", "title": "Parental and family predictors of behavior problems in inner-city black children.", "content": "Studied contributions of maternal psychological distress, family stress load, maternal and family risk factors, and family coping strategies in predicting behavior problems in 441 inner-city black primary-grade children. Results indicated maternal psychological distress and high family stress load were associated with high child behavior problems. Family coping strategies offered no protection against risk, while coping with life difficulties by reframing them was detrimental to child behavioral adjustment. Active help-seeking strategies (i.e., family mobilization, acquiring social supports) served to moderate the effects of maternal psychological distress and family risk attributes for boys, but exacerbated the effects of dysfunctional maternal social and psychiatric histories for girls. Implications for understanding vulnerability and resilience in inner-city black children and recommendations for future research are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1485612", "title": "How did it work? An examination of the mechanisms through which an intervention for the unemployed promoted job-search behavior.", "content": "Conducted process analysis of treatment mediation effects (Judd & Kenney, 1981) on longitudinal data from a large randomized field experiment with 928 recently unemployed persons. The experimental treatment included an intervention that succeeded in promoting quality reemployment outcomes, as described in earlier reports (Caplan et al., 1989; Vinokur et al., 1991). Using Ajzen's theory of planned behavior (Ajzen, 1985, 1988), the analyses examined the mediating effects of job-search self-efficacy, attitude, norms, and intention on job-search behavior. The results provided substantial support for the theory of planned behavior and demonstrated the mediational role of job-search self-efficacy. For both 1- and 4-month posttests, job-search self-efficacy was shown to mediate the effects of the intervention through its direct effects on job-search intention and on short term job-search behavior, as well as through its indirect effects on subjective norms and attitude. However, in the longer term 4-month posttest, exposure to the intervention had a direct effect on job-search behavior. This long-term direct effect of the intervention was hypothesized to reflect the influence of inoculation against setbacks which is essential for sustaining the long-term behavioral efforts involved in job seeking."}
{"id": "PMID:1485613", "title": "Prediction of early social and academic adjustment of children from the inner city.", "content": "Investigated predictors of five measures of early school adjustment for an ethnically diverse cohort of 683 inner-city kindergartners and first graders. Data from 2 consecutive years were collected from teachers, school records, and children. A multiple-regression preduction model significantly explained children's competence behavior, problem behavior, reading achievement, mathematics achievement, and school absences. Prior adjustment and sociodemographic factors explained a majority of the variance in adjustment. Perceived quality of parent involvement was signifcantly related (in the expected direction) to all five outcomes. Exposure to life events was significantly associated in the expected direction with competence behavior, problem behavior, and school absences but not with reading and mathematics achievement. Together, parent involvement and life-event variables explained as much as 12% of the variance in adjustment independent of sociodemographic and prior adjustment factors. The role of family and school factors in the adjustment of children at risk is discussed [corrected]."}
{"id": "PMID:1485614", "title": "A longitudinal study of the effects of various crime prevention strategies on criminal victimization, fear of crime, and psychological distress.", "content": "Examined the effects of precautionary behavior on subsequent criminal victimization, fear of crime, and psychological distress. A sample of 538 adults was interviewed three times at 6-month intervals. Four different aspects of precaution were assessed: vigilance (alertness), locks (access control), neighbors (informal cooperation), and professionals (formal programs). In logistic regressions that controlled for 14 risk factors, precaution had no preventive effects on the occurrence of subsequent crimes. LISREL models revealed that use of neighbors was the only precaution not to increase fear of crime, although both locks and neighbors showed a capacity to buffer the effects of fear on generalized distress. It was concluded that the most promising strategy was protective neighboring. Altogether, however, the promotion of citizen-initiated prevention appears highly inadequate as a policy response to problems of crime and fear."}
{"id": "PMID:1485615", "title": "Bereavement support groups: who joins; who does not; and why.", "content": "Compared widowed spouses who joined (n = 40) bereavement support groups (BSGs) during the first 13 months of bereavement with those who declined to join (n = 96). Controlling for gender, age, and socioeconomic status, no differences were found for perceived levels of social support, but joiners, compared with nonjoiners, reported experiencing more stressful events and scored significantly higher on measures of depression, anger, anxiety, and subjective stress. Nonjoiners and, to a lesser extent, joiners viewed those attending groups as less self-sufficient (e.g., need help, lonely), suggesting a mildly stigmatizing image of BSGs. A dialectical model is proposed in which BSG utilization rates are seen as the product of an avoidance-avoidance conflict involving the choice between suffering emotional distress on one's own or the perceived stigma of joining a BSG. Implications for future research on participation in self-help and mutual support groups are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1485616", "title": "Family characteristics of children who self-select into a prevention program for children of alcoholics.", "content": "Evaluated the efficacy of a self-selection recruitment process designed to attract fourth-, fifth-, and sixth-grade children into a school-based prevention program for children of alcoholics. Participants were 296 families comprising one child and either one or both parents. Family members' self- and collateral reports were used to assess parental problem drinking, family characteristics, and individual pathology. Analyses revealed that the recruitment process was not effective in recruiting children of alcohol-abusing parents. Furthermore, families in which children received parental consent to participate in the prevention program were indistinguishable from families whose children either showed interest without obtaining consent or showed no interest at all. Implications for recruitment strategies for future prevention programs for children of alcoholics are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1485636", "title": "Relationship of squamosal suture to asterion in pongids (Pan): relevance to early hominid brain evolution.", "content": "Based on 244 measurements of the relationship of the squamosal suture to the landmark asterion in 49 chimpanzee skulls, it is shown that in the normal lateral view the squamosal suture is very rarely inferior to asterion. In hominid crania, the squamosal suture is always well superior to asterion. Even in Pan, that part of the squamosal suture most homologous with the remnant found on the Hadar AL 162-28 Australopithecus afarensis hominid cranial fragment is very rarely inferior to asterion. Such variability suggests that Falk's (Nature 313:45-47, 1985) orientation of the Hadar specimen is incorrect; she places asterion superior to the position of the squamosal suture if projected endocranially. The implication for the brain endocast is that, however the fragment is oriented, the posterior aspect of the intraparietal (IP) sulcus is in a very posterior position relative to any chimpanzee brain. The distance from the posterior aspect of IP to occipital pole is twice as great in chimpanzee brain casts than on the Hadar AL 162-28 endocast, even though the chimpanzee brain casts are smaller in overall size. This suggests that brain reorganization, at least as exemplified as a reduction in primary visual striate cortex (area 17 of Brodmann), occurred early in hominid evolution, prior to any major brain expansion."}
{"id": "PMID:1485637", "title": "Evolution of the power (\"squeeze\") grip and its morphological correlates in hominids.", "content": "The \"squeeze\" form of power grip is investigated for the purposes of clarifying the hand posture and activities associated with the grip, assessing the potential in chimpanzees for using the grip, and identifying morphological correlates of an effective power grip that may be recognized in fossil hominid species. Our approaches include: (1) the analysis of the human grip, focusing on both the hand posture involved and hand movements associated with use of the grip in hammering; (2) the analysis of similar chimpanzee grips and associated movements; (3) comparative functional analysis of regions in the hand exploited and stressed by the grip and its associated movements in humans; and (4) a review of the literature on the power grip and its morphological correlates. Results of the study indicate that humans use a squeeze form of power grip effectively to wield cylindrical tools forcefully as extensions of the forearm. Several morphological features occur in high frequency among humans which facilitate the grip and are consistent with the large internal and external forces associated with it in hammering and in other tool-using activities. Chimpanzee hand postures resembling this form of human power grip are not fully comparable and lack some of these morphological correlates that facilitate its use. The hand of Australopithecus afarensis does not appear to have been stressed by use of the grip, but there is some evidence for this type of stress in the metacarpals from Sterkfontein Member 4. Hands from Olduvai and Swartkrans do not provide sufficient evidence for assessment of power grip capabilities."}
{"id": "PMID:1485638", "title": "Meningeal arteries in rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta): implications for vascular evolution in anthropoids.", "content": "The branching patterns of meningeal arteries are reported for 200 endocast hemispheres representing rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) of known cranial capacity. We detect five basic patterns for the branching of the anterior division of the middle meningeal artery and its relationship with the anterior meningeal artery. These results confirm and elaborate trends published for much smaller samples that were based on direct dissections of rhesus monkey arterial patterns. The most common pattern is that in which the anterior meningeal artery dominates the blood supply above the rostral part of the middle cranial fossa. Analysis of cranial capacities reveals that presence of this pattern on both sides of endocasts is associated with increased cranial capacity. When studied in light of published reports of anatomical dissections of cranial arteries in apes and human embryological data, the anterior meningeal artery in rhesus monkeys appears to be a possible homologue of the lacrimal meningeal artery in apes and the anterior branch of the middle meningeal artery in humans. This finding provides a step towards understanding cranial vasculature homologies that may be useful for accurately scoring the branching patterns of the meningeal arteries in monkeys, apes, and humans."}
{"id": "PMID:1485639", "title": "Medieval example of metastatic carcinoma: a dry bone, radiological, and SEM study.", "content": "An elderly male skeleton from medieval Canterbury displayed evidence of DISH and metastatic carcinoma. The dry bone findings, SEM, and radiography suggest a primary focus in the prostate. A review of the palaeopathological literature has shown that such a finding is extremely rare in archaeological remains. This is the first reported case of prostatic carcinoma from medieval England."}
{"id": "PMID:1485640", "title": "Paleohistology of Paget's disease in two medieval skeletons.", "content": "Paget's disease has been ascribed several times to specimens of archeological bone but, in the absence of microscopic examination, the evidence remains insubstantial. Suspected metabolic bone disease is described here in the archeological remains of a skeleton from a 16th century burial ground at Wells Cathedral, England and from a single medieval sacrum recovered from a large deposit of disarticulated bones from a churchyard at Barton-on-Humber, England. Radiographs showed apparent structural abnormality in one femoral shaft and calcaneus and in the isolated sacrum. Histomorphometry on undecalcified bone cores confirmed the regions of abnormality and showed not only increased trabecular width but also areas of \"mosaic\" woven bone together with extensive resorption cavities; these features contrasted with the normal structure and organized lamellar bone from sites elsewhere. Despite post-interment changes in surrounding tissues, the morphological stability of some of the osteocytes was remarkable. Preservation of the histology was sufficient to permit the assignment of a metabolic bone disorder and the nature of the sclerosis was consistent with Paget's disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1485641", "title": "Estimating femur and tibia length from fragmentary bones: an evaluation of Steele's (1970) method using a prehistoric European sample.", "content": "Steele's (1970) regression method for estimating femur and tibia length from fragmentary bones is tested on a sample of complete femora (female N = 26; male N = 33) and tibiae (female N = 16; male N = 22) from a number of European Mesolithic and Neolithic sites. Over half of the regression equations given by Steele for predicting maximum length of the bone from the length(s) of one or more of its constituent segments are shown to produce inaccurate predictions in this test sample. However, a closer evaluation of these results, including calculation of regression equations for the test sample itself, reveals that this inaccuracy does not derive from any inherent flaw in Steele's method. Rather, it is shown that differential distribution of maximum bone length among the various bone segments as defined by Steele may occur due to variation in muscular activity pattern and intensity. This argues for the retention of Steele's basic method, with care being taken to match closely the activity pattern typical of the sample from which regression equations are derived with that of the population to which the equations are to be applied. The equations calculated in this study thus are provided for use where deemed appropriate."}
{"id": "PMID:1485642", "title": "Measurement of subcutaneous adipose tissue using ultrasound images.", "content": "The objectives of this paper are to explore the potential of the ultrasound technique to quantify subcutaneous adipose tissue, and to explain the differences between skinfolds and ultrasound measurements across a large range of ages and levels of adiposity. The sample consisted of 115 men and 117 women aged 35 to 51 years, 132 girls and 145 boys aged 12 to 20 years. Subcutaneous fat thickness was measured at four sites using skinfolds calipers, and at seven sites using a real-time B-mode ultrasound scanner. Anthropometric measurements were obtained, and percent body fat was estimated using electric impedance. The agreement between skinfolds and ultrasound measurements was calculated for each age and sex group. The agreement between techniques, and the levels of correlation between body composition and fatness measurements were high in the sample of young men. However, the results were less consistent in the other groups. Site specific differences were also noted."}
{"id": "PMID:1485643", "title": "Falsification of a single species hypothesis using the coefficient of variation: a simulation approach.", "content": "Dental variation remains an important criterion for assessing whether a morphologically homogeneous fossil primate sample includes more than one species. The Coefficient of Variation (CV) has commonly been used to compare variation in a fossil sample of unknown taxonomic composition with that of extant single-species samples, in order to determine whether more than one species might be present. However, statistical tests for differences between fossil and single species reference sample CVs often lack power, because fossil samples are usually small and confidence limits of the CV are consequently large. The present study presents a new methodology for using the CV to test the hypothesis that a sample represents only one species. Simulated sampling distributions of single-species and pooled-species CVs are generated based on variation observed in dental samples of extant Cercopithecus species. These simulated distributions are used to test a single-species hypothesis for 13 different combinations of two or three sympatric Cercopithecus species across four dental characteristics at different sample sizes. Two different ways to generate the reference value of the CV are used. Results show the proposed methodology has substantially greater power than previous methods for detecting multiple-species composition, while maintaining an acceptable Type I error rate. Results are also presented concerning the dependence of power on sample size and on the average difference between means in a pooled-species combination."}
{"id": "PMID:1485644", "title": "Probit and survival analysis of tooth emergence ages in a mixed-longitudinal sample of chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes).", "content": "Tooth emergence data from a mixed-longitudinal sample of 58 chimpanzees of known age were analyzed using probit and survival techniques to produce median emergence ages, ranges of variability, and emergence sequences for primary and permanent teeth. Between-group comparisons were made to test for statistically significant differences in emergence ages. No such differences were found between right and left sides, or between maxilla and mandible, for any primary or permanent teeth. Male-female comparisons did demonstrate significant emergence-age differences for some teeth, although they were not always bilaterally symmetrical. More complete data are required to further clarify the nature of sex differences in tooth emergence in chimpanzees. Regression models for age prediction from the number of emerged teeth were generated and indicate that males achieve a given number of emerged teeth at a significantly later age than females. However, when fewer than five teeth have emerged, males are predicted to be younger than females. The sizable root mean square error values for these models suggest that this method of age prediction has limited usefulness owing to the amount of variability in timing of tooth emergence in chimpanzees. The implications of these data for studies on tooth emergence in early hominids are addressed."}
{"id": "PMID:1485645", "title": "Parietaria pollinosis: a review.", "content": "Species of the genus Parietaria (pellitory) are a prevalent cause of allergy in the Mediterranean area and the most important in some European regions such as southern Italy and coastal Spain (14, 26, 27, 29, 30, 31, 36, 59, 69). Up to now, however, Parietaria has received little attention in northern Europe and the US because of its limited regional distribution. Therefore, less is known about Parietaria allergy than about other inhalant allergens such as those of grasses, ragweed, and mites. During the last 5 years, only 31 reports on Parietaria allergy have appeared in the literature, as compared with 37 papers on birch pollen. This ratio may appear unbalanced, considering that millions of people suffer from pollinosis caused by Parietaria, while a much smaller number have rhinitis and/or asthma caused by birch pollen. The increasing movement of people throughout Europe and to and from the US is reason to broaden our knowledge of patterns of inhalant allergy in each geographic area, especially where tourism and immigration are high. This paper briefly reviews available data and personal studies on the botanical, aerobiological, immunochemical, and clinical features of Parietaria allergy."}
{"id": "PMID:1485646", "title": "Human Th1 and Th2 lymphocytes: their role in the pathophysiology of atopy.", "content": "In human beings, as in mice, two distinct patterns of cytokine secretion have been defined among CD4+ helper T-cell clones. Human type 1 helper (Th1), but not type 2 helper (Th2), cells produce interleukin-2 (IL-2), gamma-interferon (IFN-gamma), and tumor necrosis factor-beta, whereas Th2, but not Th1, cells secrete IL-4 and IL-5, but not IL-2 or IFN-gamma. Other cytokines, such as IL-3, IL-6, GM-CSF, or TNF-alpha, are produced by both Th1 and Th2 cells. Th0 cells, a third Th subset, show combined production of Th1- and Th2-type cytokines. The different cytokine patterns are associated with different functions. In general, Th2 cells provide an excellent helper function for B-cell antibody production, particularly of the IgE class. On the other hand, Th1 cells are responsible for delayed type hypersensitivity reactions and are cytolytic for autologous antigen-presenting cells, including B cells. Most allergen- or helminth-antigen-specific human CD4+ T-cell clones exhibit a Th2 phenotype, whereas most clones specific for bacterial antigens show a Th1 profile. Allergen-specific Th2 cells seem to play a crucial role in atopy. These cells induce IgE production via IL-4 and favor the proliferation, differentiation, and activation of eosinophils via IL-5. In addition, Th2-derived IL-3 and IL-4 are mast-cell growth factors that act in synergy, at least in vitro. Recent evidence indicates that allergen-specific Th2 cells are selectively enriched in tissues affected by allergic inflammation, such as the bronchial mucosa of subjects with allergic asthma.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1485647", "title": "Heterozygous alpha 1-antichymotrypsin deficiency may be associated with cold urticaria.", "content": "Proteins of the serpin family (serine protease inhibitor) control key steps in the inflammatory, coagulation and complement systems. C1-inhibitor deficiency predisposes to hereditary angioneurotic oedema, and other serpins control proteolytic enzymes that may cause complement activation or the forming of oedema. We investigated whether deficiency of proteins of the serpin family may predispose to cold urticaria and therefore screened 7 male patients with severe cold urticaria for the presence of deficiency alleles of some of the members of the serpin antiprotease family. There were no findings of C1-inhibitor, alpha 1-antitrypsin, alpha 2-antiplasmin, antithrombin III, tissue plasminogen activator inhibitor or thyroxine binding protein deficiency. The prevalence of heterozygous alpha 1-antichymotrypsin deficiency was significantly higher than expected (prevalence ratio 25.8 (95% confidence interval 6.0-112), p < 0.0001). This finding is in concert with previous studies that have shown lower mean levels of alpha 1-antichymotrypsin among patients with cold urticaria and suggests that heterozygous deficiency of this antiprotease, which controls neutrophil cathepsin G and mast cell chymase may predispose to cold urticaria. The present series is, however, small and the results need confirmation in larger materials."}
{"id": "PMID:1485648", "title": "Clinical evaluation of CAP System and RAST in the measurement of specific IgE.", "content": "We investigated the diagnostic value of a new in vitro test, Pharmacia CAP System (Pharmacia Diagnostics AB, Uppsala, Sweden), for the quantitative measurement of allergen-specific IgE antibodies by comparison with RAST in 2 groups of patients, 71 atopic and 48 non-atopic. In the last 20 years RAST has supplied a good diagnostic tool, but this test presents some problems, the main one being sensitivity. The new test has a solid phase able to bind even very small amounts of specific IgE and an anti-IgE tracer with very low cross-reactivity with other immunoglobulins, thus presenting more favourable conditions. From the analysis of our results, Pharmacia CAP System gave higher sensitivity (94% compared to 88% of RAST) with no loss of specificity (96% for both tests). The reliability of these results is ensured by the proper selection of patients who were all suffering from pollinosis and were clinically diagnosed as certainly hypersensitive to a single pollen. A positive trend was found between severity of asthma and levels of specific IgE for timothy. Pharmacia CAP System appears to identify a larger number of atopic patients than RAST."}
{"id": "PMID:1485649", "title": "Evidence of a common regulation of IgE and IgG-subclass antibodies in humans during immunotherapy.", "content": "Based on a 3-year prospective study of 20 pollen-allergic patients, where a detailed analysis of the IgE, IgG1 and IgG4 immune response was performed, we propose that a common regulatory mechanism exists between the IgE and IgG1 synthesis and between IgE and IgG4 synthesis during immunotherapy. It was found that the IgE immune response to a number of antigens was quantitatively diminished during the period of immunotherapy when IgG1 was present early (week 12), and for other antigens there was a rise in IgE without an early IgG1 antibody response. Additionally, it was found that for some antigens a rise in IgE antibodies was contrasted by a fall in the IgG4 antibody response and for other antigens the opposite was true, indicating a regulatory mechanism between the IgE and the IgG4 synthesis. A statistical analysis showed that these findings were statistically significant at the 0.01% level for the IgE/IgG1 relationship and at the 0.05% level for the IgE/IgG4 relationship. These findings could have implications for future immunotherapy regimens."}
{"id": "PMID:1485650", "title": "Distribution of serum IgE in children and adolescents aged 7 to 16 years in Copenhagen, in relation to factors of importance.", "content": "The distribution of total serum-IgE and factors of importance for the level of IgE was studied in a random sample of 508 children and adolescents, aged 7-16 years, from Copenhagen. A detailed history about asthma, rhinitis, dermatitis and urticaria was obtained, and a physical examination, skin prick test with 9 common allergens, lung function test, bronchial challenge with inhaled histamine and exercise, and measurement of IgE (kU/l) were performed. The distribution of IgE among children and adolescents was found to exhibit a log normal distribution and a positive skin prick test, allergic symptoms, a family history of allergic diseases, age and smoking were found to be significantly related to an increased level of IgE. No relationship was found between increased bronchial responsiveness and IgE. The geometric mean of \"normal\" values of IgE (*1 SD and *2 SD) of the Danish children and adolescents was 18 kU/l (*4.7, *18.2), suggesting that normal IgE values were within 330 kU/l. Measurement of IgE as the only screening for allergic disease is unreliable, as the predictive value of an elevated IgE in population samples was found to be 50%, whereas misclassification (1-specificity) of asymptomatic subjects as allergic because of an increased IgE was low (4%). In conclusion, total IgE is highly influenced by allergen skin reactivity. Further, this study suggests that normal IgE values were within 330 kU/l, although the range was wide."}
{"id": "PMID:1485651", "title": "Possible consequences of elimination diets in asymptomatic immediate hypersensitivity to fish.", "content": "The natural history of IgE antibodies to food without related symptoms is unknown. We have followed the progress of 7 children with various atopic diseases and asymptomatic immediate hypersensitivity to fish, treated with elimination diet in spite of full alimentary tolerance. During the diet period, between 24 and 113 months, all 7 patients presented immediate symptoms upon accidental exposure to or challenge tests with fish (skin symptoms in all 7 cases, digestive in 5, respiratory in 4, and anaphylaxis in 2), which differed from those related to atopic diseases previously present. The levels of fish-specific IgE (prick test, RAST) remained unchanged or were increased. These findings suggest that during elimination diet, and perhaps due to minimal and hidden contact with the allergen, the patients' degree of sensitization may increase, turning an asymptomatic into a symptomatic immediate hypersensitivity."}
{"id": "PMID:1485652", "title": "Comparison between two different assays for measurements of allergen-specific IgE and skin prick test in the diagnosis of insect venom allergy.", "content": "Forty-one patients stung by wasp and 29 by bee were evaluated by comparing the correlation between skin prick test (SPT), Phadebas radioallergosorbent test (P-RAST) and Magic Lite SQ Specific IgE assay (LIA). All patients had had a systemic reaction to insect sting. In the patients stung by bee we found agreement between SPT and P-RAST, and SPT and LIA. Similarly, there were no significant differences in sensitivity between P-RAST and LIA (p > 0.05). In patients stung by wasp, SPT was found to be more sensitive than P-RAST. There were no differences between SPT and LIA or between P-RAST and LIA."}
{"id": "PMID:1485653", "title": "Damp housing and adult respiratory symptoms.", "content": "The relationship between home dampness and adult respiratory symptoms was investigated using data from a parent-administered questionnaire on childhood respiratory symptoms that also included questions on parental respiratory symptoms. Questionnaires were returned by the parents of 3344 children living in the town of Helmond, The Netherlands. The response was 73%. Home dampness was characterized by reports of damp stains or mould growth on indoor surfaces and was reported by 23.6% and 15.0% of the study population, respectively. Of the homes, 25.4% had dampness and/or mould. Information about respiratory symptoms was collected for the mothers and fathers of a population of 6-12-year-old schoolchildren. Symptoms analysed were cough, phlegm, wheeze, asthma, and allergy to pollen or house dust. Cough and phlegm in both men and women were found to be strongly associated with living in a damp home. Weaker associations were found for wheeze and asthma, and there was little association between living in a damp home and allergy to pollen or house dust. Current smoking was strongly associated with cough, phlegm and wheeze in both men and women. Smoking was inversely associated with allergy to pollen or house dust, suggesting that allergic subjects do not start smoking, or give up the habit. The results suggest that the association between home dampness and respiratory symptoms previously reported for children also applies to adults. Suggested mechanisms include exposure to biological contaminants produced by fungi or house dust mites, but it has not yet been documented to what extent these exposures are responsible.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1485654", "title": "Aeroallergen analyses and their clinical relevance. II. Sampling by high-volume airsampler with immunochemical quantification versus Burkard pollen trap sampling with morphologic quantification.", "content": "A comparison was made between the amount of airborne pollen collected by Burkard airsampler and the allergenic activity of particles trapped on glass fibre filters in an Accu-Vol high-volume airsampler. The comparison was made throughout the pollen seasons 1986 to 1989. Both airsamplers were operated 24 h a day. They were placed less than 5 m apart, and estimation of the pollen amount was made on a day-to-day basis during the pollen seasons, and on a weekly basis outside the seasons. The occurrence of the 3 clinically most important allergenic types of pollen, birch, grass, and mugwort, was analysed, and close correlations between the 2 sampling techniques were found (rs 0.5-0.8, p < 0.001). The detected range of counted pollens/m3 was: birch 0-1075, grass 0-156, and mugwort 0-44. By immunochemical analysis we found the corresponding amounts to be 0-80, 0-8, and 0-1 SQ-U/m3, respectively. Pollen counts and immunochemical estimation were compared with the symptom score recordings of allergic persons for birch season 1989 and for grass seasons 1986, 1988, and 1989. A close correlation was found for both sampling techniques for the grass seasons in 1986 and 1989 (rs 0.51-0.61, p < 0.001-0.0001), but a less significant correlation was found for the 1988 grass season, and for birch in 1989 (rs 0.24-0.34, p < 0.001-0.05)."}
{"id": "PMID:1485655", "title": "Polyunsaturated fatty acids in plasma, red blood cells and mononuclear cell phospholipids of patients with atopic dermatitis.", "content": "Recent studies of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in plasma and blood cell components of patients with atopic diseases have indicated disordered fat metabolism as linoleic acid (18:2n-6) tends to be increased while the more unsaturated fatty acids, such as gamma-linolenic acid (18:3n-6) and arachidonic acid (20:4n-6) are present in decreased amounts. To further clarify these abnormalities, we examined the PUFA content in phospholipids derived from plasma, red blood cells and mononuclear cells (MNC) in patients with atopic dermatitis. In plasma no significant differences were found between patients and controls. In red blood cells dihomo-gamma-linolenic acid (20:3n-6) was reduced in eczema patients, as compared with controls. The most significant findings in eczema patient MNC were reduced ratios of 20:4n-6/20:3n-6 in total lipids and in phosphatidyl ethanolamine (PE) and of 20:4n-6/18:2n-6 in both total lipids, phosphatidyl choline (PC) and PE. These findings indicate a disordered fatty acid metabolism in MNC of patients with atopic dermatitis. It is possible that these changes in the fatty acid profile of MNC may account for some of the immunological abnormalities seen in these patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1485656", "title": "Neonatal IgE levels and three different blood sampling techniques.", "content": "Comparison was made of IgE and IgA levels in aspirated and gravity-collected cord blood (CB) from the umbilical vein and in capillary blood samples collected on the 4-5th day of life among 21 infants with atopic heredity. The IgA levels, but not the IgE levels, were significantly (p < 0.001) lower at days 4-5 of life than at delivery. Further, there were significantly (p < 0.05) more infants with decreasing IgA levels (20/21; 95%) than IgE levels (9/15; 60% of those with detectable IgE, i.e., > or = 0.125 kU/l). These observations, together with the highly significant correlation observed between IgE in aspirated CB samples and at 4-5 days of age, suggest active IgE synthesis during the prenatal and postnatal periods. Contamination of CB with maternal blood, defined as an increased CBIgA level (> or = 14.1 micrograms/ml), was found in 3 (14%) CB samples, all of which were gravity-collected. Of 4 CB samples (gravity-collected) with elevated IgE (i.e., > or = 0.9 kU/l), 2 had suspected maternal contamination. Therefore, aspiration of CB or capillary collection at 4-5 days of age should be preferred for allergy prediction. If gravity collection is used, contamination should be investigated by determining IgA in all CB samples with IgE concentrations exceeding the cut-off point."}
{"id": "PMID:1485657", "title": "Ovalbumin aerosol challenge in actively sensitized guinea pigs: relationship between airway microvascular leakage and airflow obstruction.", "content": "Airway inflammation is a common feature of asthma, and one of the cardinal features of inflammation is increased microvascular permeability. We investigated the characteristics of inhaled ovalbumin challenge-induced airflow obstruction and airway microvascular leakage in vivo in mechanically ventilated guinea pigs actively sensitized to ovalbumin. A method was used to quantify both airflow obstruction and airway microvascular leakage in order to investigate the relationship between these 2 pathophysiological features in the same animal. Airway microvascular leakage was assessed by Evans blue dye extravasation into airway tissues. Actively sensitized guinea pigs developed both acute airflow obstruction (increased lung resistance and reduced dynamic lung compliance) and Evans blue dye extravasation in response to exposure to aerosolised ovalbumin. Evans blue dye extravasation was preferentially distributed in the distal airways and correlated with airflow obstruction. The results show that inhaled allergen induced both acute airflow obstruction and airway microvascular leakage."}
{"id": "PMID:1485658", "title": "Evaluation of antihistamine-related daytime sleepiness. A double-blind, placebo-controlled study with terfenadine.", "content": "The daytime sleepiness potentially associated with antihistamines was evaluated by the multiple sleep latency test (MSLT) in a study comparing terfenadine with placebo. According to a double-blind, randomized, cross-over design, 12 healthy men were given either 120 mg terfenadine or placebo once daily in the morning, for 3 consecutive days with a 5-day interval. EEG-polygraphic recordings were made each study day at 9:30 and 11:30 a.m., and 1:30, 3:30, and 5:30 p.m., and the tendency to fall asleep was measured. All mean stage-1 sleep latencies throughout the study failed to show any significant difference between terfenadine and placebo. Accordingly, psychomotor performance assessed by visual and auditory reaction time did not change after treatment. The results of this study confirmed that terfenadine does not induce daytime sleepiness as objectively measured by MSLT."}
{"id": "PMID:1485659", "title": "Characterization of antigens and allergens of date palm (Pheonix dactylifera) pollen. Immunologic assessment of atopic patients by whole extract and its fractions [corrected].", "content": "Antigenic and allergenic components of date palm (Phoenix dactylifera) pollen were investigated to observe their effects on the skin test reactivity, lymphocyte blastogenesis and cytokine production in atopic and healthy individuals. Date pollen extracts were fractionated using SDS-PAGE and Sephacryl S-200 gel filtration. Western blotting of SDS-PAGE separated components with antiserum raised against whole pollen extract in rabbits revealed at least 22 immunoreactive bands ranging in molecular weight between 12 and 94 kD. The immunogenicity of the pollen extract was further confirmed by strong positive reactions in ELISA and Ouchterlony's double diffusion tests. Immunoblot analyses revealed IgG and IgE reactive components (14-94 kD for IgG and 12-90 kD for IgE) in the skin test-positive patients' sera against whole pollen extract. Fifteen of 60 atopics reacted positively to either whole or some fractions of date pollen extract when skin tested. In response to whole or components of date pollen extract atopic patients showed differential peripheral blood lymphocyte (PBL) proliferative response and cytokine (IL-2, IL-4) production when compared with PBL of normal subjects. Our findings strongly suggest that date palm pollen should be considered a reaginic component and should be included in the battery of allergens for determining the allergic status of atopic patients, particularly in those parts of the world where the date palm is grown commercially."}
{"id": "PMID:1485660", "title": "Effect of an allergy prevention programme on incidence of atopic symptoms in infancy. A prospective study of 159 \"high-risk\" infants.", "content": "A total of 105 \"high-risk\" infants born in 1988 were studied prospectively from birth to 18 months of age. The infants were recommended breastfeeding and/or hypoallergenic formula (Nutramigen or Profylac) combined with avoidance of solid foods during the first 6 months of life. All mothers had unrestricted diet. Avoidance of daily exposure to tobacco smoke, furred pets and dust-collecting materials in the bedroom were advised. This prevention group was compared with a control group consisting of 54 identically defined \"high-risk\" infants born in 1985 in the same area. All infants had either severe single atopic predisposition combined with cord blood IgE > or = 0.5 KU/l or biparental atopic predisposition. The control group had unrestricted diet and was not advised about environmental factors. Apart from the prevention programme and year of birth the prevention group and the control group were comparable. The parents were highly motivated and compliance was good. The rate of participation was 97%, and 85% followed the dietary measures strictly. The cumulative prevalence of atopic symptoms was significantly lower at 18 months in the prevention group (32%), as compared with the control group (74%) (p < 0.01), due to reduced prevalence of recurrent wheezing (13% versus 37%; p < 0.01), atopic dermatitis (14% versus 31%; p < 0.01), vomiting/diarrhoea (5% versus 20%; p < 0.01) and infantile colic (9% versus 24%; p < 0.01). The cumulative prevalence of food allergy was significantly lower in the prevention group (6% versus 17%; p < 0.05).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1485661", "title": "Biomolecular regulation of the IgE immune response. I. Cell-associated IgE and in vitro IgE synthesis.", "content": "Several cell types, including mast cells, basophils, macrophages/monocytes, lymphocytes, platelets and eosinophils, may bind or contain IgE. To investigate the source of cell-associated IgE and its relation to spontaneous IgE synthesis, peripheral blood mononuclear cells from allergic and non-allergic donors were examined. Using a combination of different cell fractionation techniques and varying methods for extraction of cell-associated IgE, data were obtained indicating that monocytes constitute a major source of cell-associated IgE in human blood. The amount of cell-associated IgE in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from allergic and non-allergic donors varied more than 100-fold but correlated closely to the level of serum IgE (r = 0.84, p < 0.001, n = 38). Spontaneous and mitogen-induced in vitro syntheses of IgA, IgE and IgG were compared for allergic and non-allergic donors. Only one donor with very high serum IgE demonstrated spontaneous or mitogen-induced in vitro IgE synthesis despite synthesis of IgA and IgG."}
{"id": "PMID:1485662", "title": "Anaphylactic shock by rupture of hydatid hepatic cyst. Follow-up by specific IgE serum antibodies.", "content": "Total and specific serum IgE antibodies were estimated in a 68-year-old woman with anaphylactic shock due to spontaneous rupture of hydatid cyst of the liver. After she had recovered, an abdominal ultrasonography showed a cyst, 10 x 15 cm, in the right hepatic lobe. The cyst was surgically removed. Antihydatid IgE in the acute phase and periodically after surgical intervention, determined by Phadezym RAST, Pharmacia, and Pharmacia CAP system (a new solid-phase immunoassay, fully automated, for the titration of specific IgE with greater sensitivity in the detection of low IgE antibody levels), showed decreasing antihydatid IgE antibodies on day 10 after surgical intervention and may thus serve to monitor the evolution of hydatid disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1485663", "title": "Occupational pharyngitis associated with allergic patch test reactions from acrylics.", "content": "A female dentist specialized in orthodontics repeatedly developed symptoms of pharyngitis at work. A chamber provocation test indicated that her symptoms were caused by acrylics. Prick tests with acrylics were negative, while patch tests were strongly positive although the patient had no skin symptoms. The relationship between the symptoms and the patch test results is discussed. It is suggested that type IV allergic reactions may be involved in symptoms of the upper respiratory tract."}
{"id": "PMID:1485664", "title": "A case of fallow deer allergy. Cross-reactivity between fallow deer and horse allergy.", "content": "We report the case of a 25-year-old housewife, a native of Mexico City, with rhinitis and asthma induced by exposure to fallow deer in an animal park close to her home. In the literature, we could find only one previous case. The patient presented a polyvalent IgE sensitization in prick skin tests and RAST to several animals' dander and epithelia, but RAST inhibition experiments showed a cross-reactivity only between fallow deer and horse allergen extracts."}
{"id": "PMID:1485665", "title": "Coronary artery spasm and acute myocardial infarction in naproxen-associated anaphylactic reaction.", "content": "We present the case of a 43-year-old man who suffered an acute myocardial infarction after oral administration of 250 mg of naproxen, prescribed as antiinflammatory-analgesic agent after tooth extraction. Both intradermal skin test and human basophil degranulation test were positive to naproxen. These findings suggest a naproxen-associated anaphylactic reaction with concomitant coronary artery spasm and posteroinferior infarction, a clinical event previously not reported with the use of this drug."}
{"id": "PMID:1485668", "title": "[The prevention of a pressor reaction to tracheal intubation in patients with aneurysms of the cerebral vessels. A comparative study of 7 methods].", "content": "A comparative study of seven techniques preventing pressor reactions to tracheal intubation (profound barbiturate anesthesia, conventional clinical doses of fentanyl, intravenous lidocaine, pentamine, glycerol trinitrate, sodium nitroprusside and magnesium sulfate) has been conducted in 75 patients with arterial aneurysms and arteriovenous malformations in brain vessels. The best preventive effect was observed with the use of glycerol trinitrate and conventional clinical doses of fentanyl. However, none of the above techniques could completely prevent pressor reactions to intubation."}
{"id": "PMID:1485669", "title": "[Oxygen transport in patients with ischemic heart disease operated on under a program to preserve the patient's blood].", "content": "The results of the studies performed in 112 patients operated on with preservation of the patient's blood are reviewed. This meant pre- and intraoperative blood taking, surgery under normovolemic hemodilution, blood taking and transfusion upon its neutralization with heparin, collection of the blood flowing from drainages. Acid-base balance, pO2, blood Hb level, the degree of Hb saturation with O2, free plasma Hb, platelet count, the level of 2,3-diphosphoglyceric acid have been determined and parameters of oxyhemoglobin dissociation curve have been calculated. Computer monitoring of O2 transport was performed before and after assisted circulation in 28 patients. During surgery it proved possible to collect and return to the patients 10% of the circulating blood. The blood collected during surgery had no negative effect on the hemostasis. The above technique makes it possible to reduce the amount of donor blood used during surgery and has no negative effect on O2 transport."}
{"id": "PMID:1485670", "title": "[Norfin in oncological practice].", "content": "A synthetic opiate agonist-antagonist norphin (buprenorphin) has been studied in 297 cancer patients as an analgetic component of general anesthesia, in postoperative analgesia and in the treatment of chronic pain syndrome. In modified neuroleptanalgesia based on norphin, diazepam, droperidol and N2O the patient is more adequately prevented from surgical trauma than in conventional neuroleptanalgesia based on fentanyl. This is confirmed by greater stability in circulation, metabolism and stress hormone parameters, however this anesthesia technique is less manageable and may be accompanied by prolonged postanesthesia depression of the central nervous system. Good results have been obtained when norphin pills were used sublingually for the treatment of long-lasting intensive chronic pain syndrome in incurable cancer patients. Norphin is no less effective than morphin, however, unlike morphin, it causes no severe adverse reactions."}
{"id": "PMID:1485666", "title": "[The comparative characteristics of anesthesia methods in operations for tumors located on the extremities].", "content": "Seventy patients operated on for malignant tumors located in the extremities have been examined, 30 of them were operated on under conduction anesthesia. The adequacy of anesthesia was assessed using clinical metabolic and electrophysiological techniques. Evident advantages of conduction anesthesia over general anesthesia during short-term interventions have been substantiated. Anesthesia with bupivacaine proved most effective."}
{"id": "PMID:1485672", "title": "[The protein components of the acid-soluble fraction of normal human blood plasma and in peritonitis patients].", "content": "Samples of acid-soluble blood plasma fractions from 10 healthy donors and 12 patients with peritonitis have been fractionated, using the techniques of vertical electrophoresis in polyacrylamide gel and high pressure liquid chromatography. Three basic protein-containing components with the molecular mass 43, 30 and 14 kD have been identified in samples of donor blood plasma. In peritonitis there is an increase in the level of some fractions present in acid-soluble fractions of donor blood plasma and the generation of new protein-containing acid-soluble components. A band corresponding to a component with a molecular mass 64 kD and a wide band in the range of 9-14 kD have been registered. The treatment of donor blood with trypsin generates some components characteristic of acid-soluble blood plasma fraction of patients with peritonitis. The authors believe that increased proteolytic activity is one of the factors responsible for qualitative and quantitative changes in acid-soluble blood plasma fraction in peritonitis."}
{"id": "PMID:1485667", "title": "[The validation of the use of Moradol for anesthesia in spontaneous labor].", "content": "Pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic peculiarities of moradol have been studied during natural delivery. It has been shown that moradol injected both intramuscularly and intravenously in the first period of labour did not inhibit the circulation in the women in labour, had no impact on the course of labour and had no negative effect on the newborn. The use of moradol is recommended for analgesia of natural delivery. A correlation has been established between blood drug concentration and its pharmacodynamic indexes in women."}
{"id": "PMID:1485673", "title": "[Intrapulmonary blood shunting during surgical interventions in children].", "content": "It has been observed that controlled lung ventilation during surgery in children is accompanied by an increase in intrapulmonary blood shunting, which averages 7.3% in urological surgery, 12% in abdominal surgery and 16.8% in thoracic surgery. The shunting is caused by ventilation-perfusion disturbances. The use of high-frequency jet ventilation, i.e. application of 16.7 Hertz oscillatory modulations together with conventional controlled lung ventilation enables one to decrease intrapulmonary shunting, reduce the signs of circulatory hyperdynamia and the load on the heart ventricles and leads to normalization of pulmonary flow in thoracic surgery."}
{"id": "PMID:1485674", "title": "[The use of T-activin in the intensive therapy of the postoperative period in gestosis patients].", "content": "Cellular immunity and blood serum levels of parathyroid hormone have been studied in patients with gestoses depending on the disease severity. Progressive immune depression accompanied by a parallel drop in parathyroid hormone level up to critical values has been demonstrated in patients with eclampsia. The patients with pre-eclampsia were treated postoperatively with t-activin. Cellular immunity was compared in patients on and off t-activin. A marked immunostimulating effect of the drug on T-lymphocytes and especially on theophylline-resistant T-lymphocyte subpopulations has been revealed. The effect of t-activin was most marked on the 3rd-5th day of the postoperative period."}
{"id": "PMID:1485676", "title": "[The prevention and treatment of suppurative-inflammatory complications in the bronchopulmonary system during prolonged artificial ventilation].", "content": "The use of physical methods, namely low frequency magnetic field in critically ill patients under respiratory therapy made it possible to prevent and in case of their development to effectively treat pyoinflammatory bronchopulmonary complications that accompany prolonged controlled lung ventilation. The results obtained were due to the elimination of an unfavourable effect of controlled lung ventilation on natural resistance and immune response of the respiratory tract because of normalization of physicochemical properties of the tracheobronchial tree secretion, enhanced functional capacities of phagocytes, repaired bonds between cellular and humoral local immunity in the lungs."}
{"id": "PMID:1485677", "title": "[The use of moderate neurovegetative adrenergic inhibition together with anticoagulants in patients with acute cholecystitis].", "content": "The studies have been performed in 178 patients during and after surgery on the biliary ducts. The patients developed marked hyper-reaction of the sympathoadrenal system, total and regional hemodynamic disturbances, hypoxia, disorders in redox processes and blood viscosity and hypercoagulation. To prevent and eliminate the disorders observed small doses of ganglioblockers, alpha- and beta-blockers in combination with heparin were used during surgery and in the earliest postoperative period. As a result hyper-reaction of the sympathoadrenal system was considerably reduced, total and regional hemodynamic parameters were improved, hypoxia was attenuated, redox processes were activated, hypercoagulation decreased and blood viscosity was improved. Lethality in this group decreased from 7.9% to 1.1%. The above technique of neurovegetative adrenergic inhibition and heparinization enhanced adaptation capacities of the body to surgical intervention and improved the results of surgical treatment of patients with acute cholecystitis."}
{"id": "PMID:1485678", "title": "[The gas-exchange properties of membrane blood oxygenators with immobilized heparin].", "content": "Gas-exchange properties of membrane oxygenators (MO) \"MOST-122\" with immobilized heparin have been studied during 18 open heart surgeries. It has been shown that heparin immobilization on MO surfaces that are in contact with blood is accompanied by enhanced MO ability to oxygenate blood and remove CO2."}
{"id": "PMID:1485679", "title": "[The effect of dalargin on the hemodynamics in acute myocardial infarct complicated by clinical death].", "content": "Cardiac output and myocardial contractility have been studied in dogs with experimental myocardial infarction complicated by 5 min clinical death. Control animals (16 dogs) were intravenously injected physiologic saline, while test animals (12 dogs) were administered leu-enkephalin analogue dalargin at a dose of 100 micrograms/kg, 20 min and 6-h after recovery. It has been established that dalargin improved basic hemodynamic parameters due to normalization of cardiac contractility, arrhythmia removal and reduction of the peripheral resistance. The data obtained make it possible to recommend dalargin for combined therapy of postresuscitation hemodynamic disturbances in acute myocardial infarction."}
{"id": "PMID:1485675", "title": "[The importance of the monitoring of free-radical processes in the diagnosis and treatment of septic shock in newborn infants].", "content": "The changes in free-radical processes have been studied using peroxide chemiluminescence of the blood sera in patients with meconial-aspiration syndrome on controlled lung ventilation and in the newborns with severe forms of sepsis. Monitoring of free-radical processes may be used for the diagnosis and prediction of septic shock and hemosorption prescription."}
{"id": "PMID:1485680", "title": "[A method for determining the body water compartments in patients with mechanical jaundice in the preoperative and postoperative periods].", "content": "Literature data concerning the techniques of body fluid determination in patients with mechanical jaundice in the pre- and postoperative periods have been briefly reviewed. A well-known technique of determining total, extra- and intracellular body fluid using urea, sodium rodonate and I13-albumin has been modified. The possibility of one-time determination of body fluids and the results of the author's studies are presented. It has been established that the preoperative period in patients with mechanical jaundice is characterized by considerable disturbances in fluid balance due mainly to total and extracellular body fluid; in the most severe cases there are changes in intracellular space volume. It has been established that upon correcting infusion therapy positive changes are observed on the second or third day of the postoperative period."}
{"id": "PMID:1485681", "title": "[Problems in improving anesthesiological and resuscitation care for children].", "content": "Some organizational problems of children's anesthesiological and intensive care service causing certain difficulties for practicing physicians have been analysed. The following problems are reviewed: consultations of specialists in intensive care units, transmission of patients, methods of infusion therapy, clinical diagnosis, duration of resuscitation, etc."}
{"id": "PMID:1485686", "title": "[Lipoprotein lipase deficiencies].", "content": "Lipoprotein lipase (LPL) is an enzyme which plays a major role in the metabolism of circulating triglyceride-rich lipoproteins. It hydrolyzes chylomicron and VLDL triglycerides, thereby delivering fatty acids to tissues for storage or oxidation. In order to gain insight into the molecular basis of LPL deficiency, the structure of the LPL gene (ten exons and nine introns spanning about 30 kb) is first set out in relation to the different domains of the LPL protein. There is a high sequence homology between the aminoacids of LPL and of other lipases, such as hepatic triglyceride lipase (HL) and pancreatic lipase (PL). The PL catalytic triad Ser132, Asp156, His241 is also present in LPL. Absence of LPL activity can result from absence of LPL protein synthesis (Brunzell class I), or from the synthesis of an LPL protein devoid of enzymatic activity consequently to a mutation (class II). LPL can also be unable to bind to endothelial cells--a defect combined with deficient enzymatic activity--(class III). Among the known mutations of the LPL gene (such as nonsense, frameshift, abnormality in intron-exon junction, deletion, duplication) resulting in pathological cases, the most frequent are punctual mutations located mainly in exons 4, 5 and 6, leading to the substitution of an aminoacid for another in essential domains of LPL. The combined deficiency LPL + HL has also been described. The study of the abnormalities of the LPL gene, known only since the years 1990-1991, allows not only to better understand the pathology of LPL deficiencies, but also to point out which aminoacids play a major role in LPL activity."}
{"id": "PMID:1485687", "title": "Detection of occult blood in stools: comparison of three gaiac tests and a latex agglutination test.", "content": "The detection of occult blood in the stools is the only simple screening method for colorectal cancer. The aim of this study was to compare the results obtained with the new Hemolex kit (Orion diagnostica, Fumouze France) with those given by three gaiac tests--Hemoccult (Smithkline diagnostics), Hemofec (Boehringer Mannheim) and Hemopreuve (Fumouze) of 165 stools from patients without special diet. Seventy-one patients with at least two positive gaiac tests or a positive Hemolex test underwent colonoscopy followed, if negative, by fibroscopy: 28 had lesions of the lower digestive tract and five of the upper digestive tract. Sensitivity, specificity and negative and positive predictive value were of 70, 98, 91 and 92% respectively for Hemolex; 82, 74, 94 and 44% for Hemoccult; 94, 67, 98 and 42% for Hemopreuve and 91, 73, 97 and 46% for Hemofec. The results obtained in this study confirm the value of the Hemolex test for the detection of human occult blood in the stools whereas the gaiac tests used are influenced by dietary components (unless restricted), explaining their poor positive predictive value. In conclusion, due to their good negative predictive values, the authors recommend that screening for colorectal tumours should be based on the use of two or three gaiac tests which should be confirmed, when positive, by an immunological test for human hemoglobin."}
{"id": "PMID:1485682", "title": "[Intensive therapy in high fever in young children at the prehospital stage].", "content": "It has been shown that in the most severe cases of high fever children with encephalopathy and epileptic syndrome should be treated with droperidol. The clinical signs of circulation centralization in such cases are as follows: marble skin, disturbed consciousness, elevated BP, increased difference between rectal and axillary temperature. High fever was more favourable in children without concomitant diseases and with moderately expressed signs of circulation centralization (pale skin and cool extremities)."}
{"id": "PMID:1485688", "title": "Comparative value of polymerase chain reaction and conventional biological tests for the prenatal diagnosis of congenital toxoplasmosis.", "content": "When toxoplasmosis is acquired during pregnancy, there is a risk of severe congenital defect in the foetus. Maternal treatment with spiramycin limits the transplacental passage of the parasite to the foetus but does not prevent infection in all cases. Prenatal diagnosis should be based on specific and fast methods to prescribe the more potent combination of sulfadiazine and pyrimethamine. This study evaluates PCR in the prenatal diagnosis of toxoplasmosis; PCR was based on the detection of the gene coding for the P30 surface protein. Amniotic fluid from 44 women with suspected foetal infection was tested by PCR and results were compared to those of conventional diagnostic tests on foetal blood and amniotic fluid. PCR was positive in 7 out of 10 samples from proven congenital toxoplasmosis cases. Sensitivity of PCR was similar to cell culture and mouse inoculation of amniotic fluid but was superior to tests carried out on foetal blood (specific IgM, eosinophil and platelet counts, gamma glutamyl transferase, mouse inoculation). In two cases, PCR was positive with no detected infection of the foetus. In this study, the combination of fast detection methods, ie cell culture and PCR of amniotic fluid, eosinophil and platelet counts, GGT activity and specific IgM, enabled us to confirm 10/10 cases of congenital toxoplasmosis in less than a week. PCR therefore appears to be an additional test which improves early prenatal diagnosis of toxoplasmosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1485683", "title": "[The systems analysis of anesthesiological activities in a general hospital].", "content": "Using an information mathematical model of anesthesiological service suggested, the authors have performed system analysis of anesthesia management in a multi-profile hospital in Arkhangelsk. Changes in the scope and structure of anesthesia, indexes of anesthesiological activity, frequency of procedures, asepsis, incidence of complications have been analysed. The analysis performed demonstrates the possibility of the control and management of anesthesiological service and forms the necessary prerequisites for its further development on the basis of economic parameters and criteria."}
{"id": "PMID:1485689", "title": "Microdialysis and glucose biosensor for in vivo monitoring.", "content": "Microdialysis coupled to a glucose biosensor led to a continuous monitor system in vivo for glucose. Several microdialysis probes were used to stabilize the biosensor response. In vivo experiments, especially when the probe was placed subcutaneously, showed that the sensitivity of the biosensor decreased continuously; various kinds of fibers with a molecular weight cut-off (MWCO) ranging from 6,000 to 20,000 were compared. A wall-jet flow cell as detector for glucose showed less interference when compared to a thin layer cell. Glucoday, a new commercial instrument based on this principle, is presented."}
{"id": "PMID:1485684", "title": "[The effect of fentanyl on myocardial function].", "content": "The addition of fentanyl to the perfusate (up to the concentration of 1.84.10(-7) M) did not change the baseline levels of the parameters studied in the isolated hearts. By the end of the experiments stroke volume, heart rate, coronary flow, heart performance, rates of contractions and relaxations in the left ventricle remained at baseline level and were better than in the control group. The authors hold that reduced O2 demands are the reason for the stabilization of the myocardial function observed. The above peculiarities of fentanyl make it a drug of choice in cardiosurgical patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1485690", "title": "New generation RIBA hepatitis C strip immunoblot assays.", "content": "Second generation hepatitis C virus (HCV) Elisas are currently in use in Europe and have been submitted for approval in the United States. These new assays contain additional antigens from the putative nucleocapsid and NS-3 regions of the HCV genome in addition to the c100-3 antigen present in first generation Elisas. A supplementary test, the second generation RIBA (Chiron Co trademark) HCV strip immunoblot assay (2-RIBA HCV SIA) has also been developed. The strip immuno-blot assay uses four recombinant HCV antigens (5-1-1 [NS-4], c100-3 [NS-4], c33c [NS-3], and c22-3 [NS-3 [nucleocapsid]) slot blotted on nitrocellulose. Screening of random volunteer blood donors with the Ortho (Ortho Diagnostic Systems trademark) second generation HCV Elisa (2-Ortho HCV Elisa) indicates that a substantial change in the repeat reactive donor population is observed with the new test. Two notable features of this change are: i) a large number of samples reactive in the 2-RIBA HCV SIA for the second generation antigens, c33c and c22-3, are detected by the 2-Ortho HCV Elisa; ii) the percentage of 2-Ortho HCV Elisa reactive specimens found indeterminate (reactive for only one HCV antigen) by the 2-RIBA HCV SIA is higher than in first generation HCV Elisas (approximately 25 versus 5%). In addition, 2-ortho HCV Elisa repeat reactive, 2-RIBA HCV SIA indeterminate samples are dominated by reactivity to c22-3 instead of c100-3 which is the case for first generation HCV Elisa repeat reactive samples.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1485691", "title": "Multianalyte microspot immunoassay. The microanalytical 'compact disk' of the future.", "content": "Throughout the 1970s, controversy centered both on immunoassay 'sensitivity' per se and on the relative sensitivities of labelled antibody and labelled analyte methods. Our own theoretical studies in this period revealed that radioimmunoassay (RIA) sensitivities could be surpassed only by the use of very high specific activity non-isotopic labels in 'non-competitive' designs, preferably based on the use of monoclonal antibodies. The time-resolved fluorescence methodology known as Delfia - developed in collaboration with the instrument manufacturer LKB/Wallac - represented the first commercial 'ultra-sensitive' non-isotopic technique based on these theoretical insights, the same concepts being subsequently adopted in comparable methodologies relying on the use of chemiluminescent and enzyme labels. However, a second advantage of high specific activity labels is that they permit the development of 'multi-analyte' immunoassay systems combining ultra-sensitivity with the simultaneous measurement of tens, hundreds or thousands of analytes in a small biological sample. This possibility relies on simple, albeit hitherto unexploited, physicochemical concepts. The first is that all immunoassays rely on measurement of Ab occupancy by analyte. The second is that, provided the Ab concentration used is 'vanishingly small', fractional Ab occupancy is independent of both Ab concentration and sample volume. This leads to the notion of 'ratiometric' immunoassay, involving measurement of the ratio of signals (eg fluorescent signals) emitted by two labelled Ab's, the first ('sensor' Ab) deposited as a microspot on a solid support, the second a 'developing' Ab directed against either occupied or unoccupied sensor Ab binding sites.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1485695", "title": "The impact of mammography on breast biopsy.", "content": "To determine the efficacy of mammography in the detection of early breast carcinoma at an urban teaching hospital, the results of all breast biopsies performed between 1983 and 1987 that were preceded by mammographic examination were retrospectively reviewed. There were 503 women in this population. Malignancy was detected in 79 cases (15.7%); 21 were in situ and 58 were invasive. Among all nonpalpable malignancies, 53.0 per cent were in situ, while only 2.4 per cent of all palpable malignancies were in situ. An abnormality was found in 374 mammograms (74%), and 73 (19.5%) were malignant. The abnormality most likely to represent a malignancy (44% yield) was spiculated density, followed by clustered microcalcifications (25%), mass (22%), and asymmetric density (14%). Six malignancies were detected by biopsy for clinical indications, despite a negative mammogram (4.7% false- negative rate). The interpretation of mammograms by radiologists carried a 2.4 per cent false-negative rate. The mammographic features of mass, clustered microcalcifications, spiculations or asymmetric density should generally mandate breast biopsy, although the clinical examination should remain an important basis for management decisions. An aggressive approach toward screening mammography and breast biopsy based on mammographic criteria may enhance survival among women with breast carcinoma."}
{"id": "PMID:1485696", "title": "Laser thoracoscopy for pleural effusion.", "content": "A potential, new, therapeutic modality for the treatment of recurrent symptomatic pleural effusion in a patient with metastatic carcinoma is presented using \"minimal access surgery.\" Diagnosis at the time of thoracoscopy, as well as treatment using free-beam and contact-tip modalities, is outlined in detail. Also, a complication of inter-costal artery bleeding is presented, as well as its solution using the end-firing endoclip applier. This is an effective and useful procedure that should be particularly of interest to surgeons already using various scope methods. Surgeons currently express strong interest in accomplishing diagnosis and treatment goals in a variety of clinical situations using \"minimal access surgery,\" a phrase coined at the 1989 International Congress of the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons. Enthusiasm about this procedure is evident across the country by the number of laparoscopic courses offered at a variety of institutions. Similarly, the chest allows certain applications of minimal access surgery resulting in accurate diagnosis and possible definitive treatment by use of the thoracoscope."}
{"id": "PMID:1485697", "title": "Bronchial carcinoid tumor: experience over 20 years.", "content": "Nineteen cases of bronchial carcinoid tumor seen over 20 years in a 1,000-bed, tertiary medical center were retrospectively reviewed. They consisted of 0.4 per cent of all patients with lung tumors. Initial complaints were hemoptysis, persistent pulmonary infection, chest pain, and diarrhea. Two of the five patients with atypical carcinoid tumors came to the hospital with diarrhea as a result of their chemically active tumors. However, seven patients (36%) were asymptomatic and were diagnosed after an abnormal chest radiograph was noted incidentally. Of 13 patients receiving bronchoscopic examination, 9 (69%) had visible tumors. Bronchial biopsy was performed in 7 patients and led to a diagnosis in all seven. Significant bleeding was noted in 3 patients as a result of biopsy. Lobectomy was the most common surgical procedure in this series. Follow-up of these patients was from 6 months to 15 years. The general outcome for patients with typical carcinoid was good. However, all patients with atypical carcinoid died as a result of dissemination."}
{"id": "PMID:1485698", "title": "Management of barium enema-induced colorectal perforation.", "content": "Unless recognized and treated promptly, colorectal perforation induced by barium enema examination is a life-threatening complication. Between 1977 and 1986, 13,000 barium enemas were performed at the Mayo Medical Center. Colorectal perforation occurred in five patients (overall incidence: 0.04%). The two colonic perforations were managed by immediate celiotomy with resection in one and primary repair in the other. The three rectal perforations were managed conservatively in two patients and by proximal diversion in one. All patients recovered. Perforations were believed to be related to the tip of the enema catheter or presumably to excessive hydrostatic pressure. In contrast to other reports, barium enema-induced colorectal perforation is not always fatal when recognized early and treated aggressively. Localized, contained extraperitoneal rectal perforation may be managed conservatively in selected patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1485699", "title": "Small bowel metastases from primary lung carcinoma: a rarity waiting to be found?", "content": "Isolated, small bowel metastases from lung carcinoma are extremely rare; only 34 cases have been previously reported. Rarer still is the presentation of lung carcinoma with a lesion metastatic to the small bowel. These 34 cases and 3 recent ones from Easton Hospital (Easton, PA) were analyzed to clarify the clinical and pathologic features of the disease. The majority of patients had a history of abdominal pain (86%), melena (23%), or nausea and vomiting (26%). Few had weight loss (16%). Twenty-one patients (57%) came to the hospital with perforation and peritonitis, including 9 in whom lung carcinoma was undiagnosed before laparotomy. Thirteen patients (34%) underwent laparotomy because of small bowel obstruction, 2 (6%) for bleeding and 1 (3%) for a mass found during work-up. Squamous cell (49%) and large cell (22%) were the most common cell types, and the jejunum was the most common site of the metastases (79%). Survival time was dismal (mean 51 days) and was unaffected by therapy to the primary site of the cancer or its metastases. The authors conclude that small bowel metastases from lung carcinoma are not uncommon and may be seen more frequently as patients live longer after their diagnosis of cancer. Small bowel metastases must be considered in any patient with both lung carcinoma and abdominal pain, and should be expected in patients with both lung carcinoma and an acute abdomen."}
{"id": "PMID:1485700", "title": "Management of isolated splenic metastases from carcinoma of the lung: a case report and review of the literature.", "content": "Splenic metastases from bronchogenic carcinoma are considered very rare. In most cases, these represent diffuse disease and widespread hematologic dissemination. Reports of isolated splenic metastases are exceedingly rare and essentially unknown in the thoracic literature. A case report of isolated splenic metastases is detailed and a review of the literature provided."}
{"id": "PMID:1485701", "title": "Changing patterns in colorectal carcinoma: a 25-year experience.", "content": "The pattern of colorectal carcinoma, especially with respect to stage and tumor location, has changed noticeably over the past 25 years. During that time period, 1,959 patients came to Hahnemann University Hospital with colorectal cancer, 1,584 of whom were reviewed in this study. There was a significant relationship between extent of disease and date of diagnosis, with the trend being toward decreasing stage at the time of diagnosis. In addition, there has been a demonstrable \"rightward shift\" in tumor location, especially over the past 15 years. This has been accompanied by a slight increase in the detection of rectal lesions as well. The trend toward earlier and more proximal lesions is likely due in large part to the increasingly widespread use of surveillance colonoscopy and sigmoidoscopy."}
{"id": "PMID:1485702", "title": "Breast cancer in nonpalpable lesions: can mammographic parenchymal pattern improve the predictive value of biopsy?", "content": "The increasing number of women referred for surgical biopsy of nonpalpable breast lesions detected by screening mammography led to a retrospective review of all such cases from October 1, 1986 to September 30, 1990. There were 165 consecutive, wire-localized, excisional biopsies of radiographic lesions performed on 158 patients during this 4-year period. A positive (i.e., malignant) result was found in 16 patients (10%); all but one of these 16 patients had stage I disease at subsequent treatment. Examination of historical factors (age, family history, prior biopsy, breast symptoms) and mammographic factors (mass, microcalcification, irregular borders, new lesion, parenchymal pattern of increased fibroglandular density) revealed that no patient with a diffuse parenchymal pattern of increased fibroglandular density had a malignant diagnosis. This finding was statistically significant (P = 0.002) by chi-square analysis. This negative relationship of radiographic parenchymal pattern to early cancer in nonpalpable lesions is contrary to what one would expect, based on several reports in the radiology literature. Over one-third (36%) of the author's patients had the increased fibroglandular x-ray pattern, making this finding potentially important for surgeons evaluating the patient with a nonpalpable lesion detected by mammography."}
{"id": "PMID:1485703", "title": "Endarterectomy with arterial dilators: surgical technique.", "content": "A simplified technique of semi-closed endarterectomy with arterial dilators that insures complete removal of intimal fragments was used by the authors. Complications, such as arterial wall penetration and residual intimal fragments, are reduced. This technique has proven useful in aortoiliac and short-segment femoral artery endarterectomy. It is also helpful for proximal anastomosis of femoral/popliteal/tibial in situ bypass where termination of saphenous vein cannot reach femoral artery."}
{"id": "PMID:1485704", "title": "Inhibition of afferent vagus nerves decreases gastric stress lesions.", "content": "Capsaicin (Sigma Chemical Co.) is a unique chemical agent that causes degeneration of afferent nerve fibers. Previous conclusions about Capsaicin effects on the gastric mucosal response to stress have not precisely defined which afferent nerves were affected. Therefore, the aim of the first portion of this study was to define the origin of afferent vagus nerves to the anterior gastric wall after injections of fluorogold (which is an axonal tracer) into the stomach. The second part of this study was to compare the stress effects on the gastric mucosa in rats with impaired afferent nerve function after Capsaicin treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1485705", "title": "Solcoderm as alternative conservative treatment for acute anal fissure: a controlled clinical study.", "content": "Acute anal fissure is a common malady that results in morbidity. If a patient is not responsive to conservative treatment, the current recommended treatments are either anal dilatation or lateral internal sphincterotomy. Both operations promise relatively good results, but the recurrence rates are about 16 per cent and 7 per cent, respectively. This fact, together with possible postoperative complications and costs, justifies trying conservative treatment before referring patients for surgery. The authors treated a study group of 25 patients with a topical application of Solcoderm. Another group of 25 patients concurrently treated with the usual conservative treatment served as the control group. Analysis of the early and late results proved Solcoderm to be simple to use, safe, without systemic side effects, cost-effective, and with statistically significant better outcome. Consequently, the authors believe that this method of treatment is justified in cases of acute and fissure and should be attempted before operation."}
{"id": "PMID:1485706", "title": "Treatment of Zenker's diverticula by cricopharyngeus myotomy under local anesthesia.", "content": "Optimum surgical management of the hypopharyngeal diverticulum is controversial. The authors discuss 48 consecutive patients (average age 72.1 years) with documented hypopharyngeal diverticula who were treated by cricopharyngeus myotomy, leaving the diverticula in situ. All came to the hospital with dysphagia; other symptoms included postdeglutitive cough, regurgitation, aspiration, and weight loss. Seven patients had had previous surgery for a Zenker's diverticulum with recurrence. Aspiration pneumonia was treated in 9 patients; 28 patients had concurrent chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or cardiovascular disease. Thirty-nine patients had cricopharyngeus myotomy under local anesthesia, 5 had cricopharyngeus myotomy under general endotracheal anesthesia, and 4 patients underwent myotomy with a cervical esophagostomy. There was one mortality (2.1%) and no incidence of postoperative bleeding, sepsis, or cranial nerve injury. Follow-up was done with 30 patients via telephone an average of 64 months after operation. Twenty-one of 30 patients reported excellent relief of symptoms, 5 reported improvement with occasional symptoms, and 4 patients described persistent dysphagia. Cricopharyngeus myotomy under local anesthetic is a safe and effective approach to the patient with a hypopharyngeal diverticulum. The awake patient can swallow on command, which enables the surgeon to identify the upper esophageal sphincter (UES) and to perform an accurate, complete myotomy. The absence of a pharyngeal suture line eliminates the risk of leakage and mediastinal sepsis, and allows early, postoperative feeding and discharge."}
{"id": "PMID:1485707", "title": "The reliability and stability of biomarkers of aging.", "content": "Different types of stability of a biomarker are important properties, influencing the degree of predictability across age (ordinal stability) and the interpretation of quantitative and qualitative change with age (structural stability). These properties may be expected to differ from biomarker to biomarker and may change with age. Any age-related process with individual differences in time of onset of change or in rate of change will necessarily display reduced ordinal stability. Another source of reduced correlation across occasions is the short-term fluctuance of individuals due to cyclic processes and to responsiveness to environmental displacements of biomarker values and recovery therefrom. Structural stability of composite variates may be quite high across relatively short intervals but sufficiently low across longer intervals as to suggest the inappropriateness of simple description of mean changes or differences across these longer time spans. The outcome with multivariate composites raises the issue that single biomarkers may have quite different meanings at different parts of the life span."}
{"id": "PMID:1485708", "title": "The response of human lymphocytes to phytohemagglutinin is impaired at different levels during aging.", "content": "Several parameters generally believed to be necessary for the activation and progression of proliferation of human lymphocytes have been investigated and compared with special reference to aging. The responding capacity of plasma membrane potential to depolarizing and also repolarizing conditions induced by exposure to mitogens like PHA was lower in lymphocytes from old donors as compared to those of young ones. This indicates a significant age-dependent difference in the readiness to respond to channel-activating perturbations. As an early signal of activation, after one hour PHA stimulation the merocyanine 540 uptake by the lipid regions was chosen, based on the property of this fluorescent probe to bind to loosely packed lipids of the plasma membrane. The proteins encoded by the c-myc and c-myb genes were chosen as markers of the G0/G1 and G1/S phased transition, respectively. The mean number of cells that increased the uptake of MC 540 following mitogenic stimulation did not differ in young vs. old individuals. However, 4 samples out of 10 from the old population showed lower MC 540 fluorescence than the lowest signal from the young population. The number of responding cells was decreased during aging when the presence of the c-myc protein was taken as its measure; and this decrease was further accentuated, determining the expression of the c-myb protein. This frequently encountered age-dependent pattern, however, was not followed by the lymphocytes of all old donors. One example is reported in which the MC 540 uptake, the c-myc and c-myb expression in the cells from one old subject fell in the range of the young subjects. However, even in this case, the response of the lymphocytes as measured by 3H-thymidine incorporation was only 64% of that of young subjects. For this sample, we found an impairment of the response at the mitochondrial level. In addition to these parameters, the amount of 3H-thymidine incorporated by the cells expressing the c-myb protein was calculated. The values in old individuals were lower than those in the young, suggesting that not all the cells expressing the c-myb protein were able to synthesize DNA in lymphocyte populations from the elderly. Our data support the view that the age-dependent decline of lymphocyte responsiveness to mitogens can be accounted for by impairments at different levels.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1485712", "title": "Free radical injury in skin cultured fibroblasts from Alzheimer's disease patients.", "content": "Oxygen radical production is postulated to be a major cause of cell damage in aging. We have studied the response to toxic oxygen metabolites of fibroblast cell lines derived from skin biopsies of patients with familial and sporadic Alzheimer's disease compared with those derived from normal controls. Fibroblasts were damaged by the generation of oxygen metabolites during the enzymatic oxidation of acetaldehyde by 50 mU of xanthine-oxidase. To quantify cell damage we measured lactate dehydrogenase activity in the culture medium and cell viability in fibroblast cultures from four normal subjects, five FAD, and four AD patients after 2 hours of Xo incubation. We found a significant increase of LDH activity in FAD vs. controls and also in AD vs. controls, suggesting that AD cells are more susceptible to oxygen radical damage than are normal controls."}
{"id": "PMID:1485715", "title": "Transmembrane signaling changes with aging.", "content": "Altered immune response and transmembrane signaling with aging has previously been demonstrated. The aim of the present study was to characterize PMNLs and lymphocyte G proteins and to determine whether their relative amounts are altered with aging. First we studied the effects of FMLP on PMNLs IP3 formation. It was found that in any group of elderly the PMNLs IP3 formation was significantly decreased compared to that of young subjects. In FMLP receptor binding affinity no measurable difference exists in either low- or high-affinity FMLP receptors. The autoradiogram of 32P-ADP-ribosylated proteins by CT in lymphocytes of young individuals showed a major polypeptide of 40 kDa, and two much less prevalent components of 52 and 45 kDa. In contrast, in lymphocytes of elderly subjects the major polypeptide was 45 kDa, and the two others were very weakly labeled. In PMNLs, CT labeled the 45-kDa band quite strongly, mainly in the elderly, and the 52- and 40-kDa bands were very weakly labeled, mainly in young subjects. When PT was used, no age-related pattern changes could be demonstrated, while differences could be observed between the two types of cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1485720", "title": "Thymic involution in aging. Prospects for correction.", "content": "The thymus produces several putative thymic hormones: thymosin alpha 1, thymulin, and thymopoietin, which have been reported to circulate and to act on both prothymocytes and mature T cells in the periphery, thus maintaining their commitment to the T cell system. These endocrine influences decline with age and are associated with \"thymic menopause\" and cellular immune senescence, which contribute to the development of diseases in the aged. Thymus endocrinology is characterized by the action of many hormones and hormone-like substances on the cellular components of the thymus, including thymocytes, thymic epithelial cells, and thymic stromal cells. The intrathymic environment is characterized by a complex network of paracrine, autocrine, and endocrine signals involving both interleukins and thymic peptides, which can be envisioned to operate in a synergistic network to carry the evolving T cell through its stepwise development to a mature T cell. Extrathymic influences regulating the secretory function of thymic epithelial cells and the stepwise evolution of T cells can be ascribed to circulating interleukins, mainly IL1 and IL2, derived from activation and secretion of leukocytes in the periphery. These interleukins act in a synergistic fashion at all levels of T cell development by the induction of high-affinity IL2 receptors and the resultant IL2-dependent proliferative responses. To determine whether exogenous administration of interleukins would induce T lymphocyte development in aged mice, we chemically thymectomized aged mice with a steroid hormone and treated them with mixed interleukins or thymic hormones such as thymosin. We found that mixed interleukins, but not thymosin, restored thymic weight and cellularity and enhanced thymocyte responses to interleukins and mitogen. Thymosin potentiated the effect."}
{"id": "PMID:1485721", "title": "Aging in the T lymphocyte compartment. A developmental view.", "content": "A decline in the capacity of bone marrow cells to differentiate to T lymphocytes was found when cells from young and old donors were seeded onto an alymphoid fetal thymus. A step-by-step analysis of cell-cell interactions of the lymphohemopoietic cells and the thymic stroma indicated an effect of age on a variety of cell differentiation parameters. These included a decrease in the affinity of bone marrow cells to the stroma, and in their capacity to compete with the thymic lymphoid resident cells on colonization of the thymus. There was a significant decrease in the ability of cells of old donors to replicate sequentially within the thymic microenvironment. There was a reduced capacity of bone marrow cells from aging mice to express a developmental preference after seeding onto a syngeneic fetal thymus in a mixture with cells from allogeneic donors. We addressed the question whether the aging thymus contains increased levels of immature cells that fail to differentiate in the involuted thymic microenvironment by seeding thymocytes from young and old donors onto the fetal thymic stroma. The values of T cells that developed from the old donor inoculum were lower under these conditions. Our studies suggest that at least some of the manifestations of aging in the T cell compartment are related to developmentally programmed events in the lymphohemopoietic cell compartment."}
{"id": "PMID:1485724", "title": "Age-related white matter atrophy in the human brain.", "content": "Aging of the brain involves not only appreciable shrinkage of the cortex and other gray matter structures but above all loss of white matter. This could be due to a decline in the number of myelinated fibers or to a loss of water. To assess the role played by each of these factors we studied brains from 33 neurologically intact subjects at autopsy representing three different age groups: 15-50, 51-70, and 71-93 years. The precentral gyrus, gyrus rectus, and corpus callosum were selected for investigation, with staining for alkaline phosphatase on native cryostat sections to visualize the capillary network, and staining for myelin on semithin sections for nerve fiber visualization. Atrophy was objectified by measuring the number of capillaries, the intercapillary distance, and capillary length, since the capillary network remains constant throughout normal life. A mean difference of 16-20% was found, representing white matter atrophy, between the oldest and youngest age-groups. The cortex of the corresponding gyri, on the other hand, showed a difference of less than 6%. Morphometric investigation of sections stained for myelin showed that the brains with a mean age of 78.7 +/- 6.6 years had 10-15% fewer myelinated fibers. This was only partly offset by an increase in the volume of extracellular space. Our findings show that the age-related decline in brain volume is much more a question of white matter atrophy than of brain cortex atrophy. White matter atrophy could be an indirect indicator of nerve cell loss, since the volume of a nerve cell is much smaller than its myelinated fiber."}
{"id": "PMID:1485729", "title": "Arteriosclerosis. Impairment of cellular interactions in the arterial wall.", "content": "Our understanding of the cellular interactions in the arterial wall has increased considerably during the last 15 years. It has become clear that arteriosclerosis is a multifaceted disease, in which the accumulation of monocyte-derived macrophages, smooth muscle cells, T-lymphocytes, and lipid deposits contributes to the progressive thickening of the arterial intima. Many different types of stress, including cholesterol-rich lipoproteins, smoking, hypertension, hyperfibrinogenemia, endothelial damage, and inflammatory activation, contribute to this derailed \"repair\" response in the arterial intima. They are recognized as risk factors for cardiovascular disease. As a consequence of the progressive thickening of the arterial intima, the arterial lumen narrows, the barrier, vasoregulatory, and anticoagulant properties of the endothelium become impaired, and the arterial wall becomes prone to rupture and thrombosis. The advanced lesions can cause serious complications: myocardial infarction, stroke, claudication, and angina pectoris. As the extent of arteriosclerosis increases with age--a process that is accelerated by risk factors--it has a particular impact on the mortality and the quality of life of elderly people."}
{"id": "PMID:1485730", "title": "New in vitro findings on the \"free\" form of apolipoprotein A-1.", "content": "Clinical and experimental gerontologists are extremely interested in lipoproteins as well as in new methods for investigating and probing the apolipoprotein pattern. Using immunofixation electrophoresis, we separated free apolipoprotein A-1 from the apo A-1 associated with high-density lipoproteins. Free apolipoprotein A-1 is a low-molecular-mass form of apo A-1 that seems to contain an extremely low quantity of lipids. The use of IFE as a tool for probing free apo A-1 has revealed new and interesting findings, such as its \"artificial\" increase during serum conservation at temperatures between 0-4 degrees C. From the clinical point of view, we demonstrated a decrease to the point of disappearance of free apo A-1 in some patients with liver cirrhosis. Moreover, one of the main findings here reported is the failure of anti-human apo A-1 murine monoclonal antibody and monoclonal antibody mixture to precipitate free apo A-1 in agarose systems. This discovery has important implications both for basic knowledge on apolipoproteins and for practical reasons concerning variability in those immunoassays (radial immunodiffusion) utilizing monoclonal antibody mixtures."}
{"id": "PMID:1485732", "title": "Dietary restriction in nonhuman primates: progress report on the NIA study.", "content": "Rhesus and squirrel monkeys have been fed a semisynthetic diet at approximately ad libitum or 30% reduced levels for 3.5 (rhesus group 2) to 4.5 (rhesus group 1 and squirrel) years. Animals have maintained excellent health status as determined by physical examinations, hematology, and blood chemistry. While relative rates of body weight gain in restricted group 1 rhesus and squirrel monkeys have been markedly reduced, DR effects on crown-rump length (body height) have been variable. In addition, numerous physiological and biochemical parameters have been measured, and several exhibit significant cross-sectional age effects. Interestingly, several of these also exhibit possible species and genotype (group 1 and 2 rhesus) differences. A number of physiological parameters are emerging that might be altered by DR; however, further explanation of these effects awaits more extensive and detailed analyses."}
{"id": "PMID:1485738", "title": "Mitochondrial DNA mutation associated with aging and degenerative disease.", "content": "Previous theories of aging based on somatic mutation neglected mtDNA, which has a high propensity for mutational error. Knowledge of yeast mtDNA mutations and their functional effects, and of human mtDNA mutations identified in the mitochondrial cytopathies, provides for a concept of aging based on the cumulative effect of mutations affecting human mtDNA. An essential feature of this concept is heteroplasmy, representing mixtures of normal and mutant mtDNA at the cellular and mitochondrial level, resulting in a \"tissue mosaic\" of focal bioenergetic deficits. Direct evidence for the concept is provided by (i) focal loss of staining for mitochondrially encoded enzymes, such as cytochrome c oxidase, in tissues of aged individuals (humans and rats) and (ii) an age-related increase in deletional mutations in mtDNA demonstrable by application of the polymerase chain reaction to DNA templates from individuals of different ages."}
{"id": "PMID:1485739", "title": "Cause and treatment of presbyopia with a method for increasing the amplitude of accommodation.", "content": "To understand the mechanism and cause of accommodation and presbyopia, the sclera in the region of the ciliary body of presbyopic patients was expanded. The amplitude of accommodation was increased in all presbyopic patients. A unique hypothesis of accommodation based on increased zonular tension is presented, which when applied clinically, results in a treatment for presbyopia."}
{"id": "PMID:1485740", "title": "Hyperbaric oxygen therapy in the treatment of secondary keratoendotheliosis.", "content": "We evaluated the effectiveness of hyperbaric oxygen therapy in the treatment of keratoendotheliosis secondary to surgical treatment. A total of 33 patients were randomized to two arms of this study. The first arm consisted of 12 patients treated with pharmacologic therapy and hyperbaric oxygen daily for ten days. The second arm consisted of 21 patients treated with pharmacologic therapy alone (control group). Our evaluation of the results was based on testing visual acuity, grading of corneal alterations, and pachymetry findings. Hyperbaric oxygen treatment was effective in reducing corneal edema, particularly when administered early. Corneal neovascularization did not occur in any patient treated with hyperbaric oxygen."}
{"id": "PMID:1485741", "title": "Our experience in intraocular foreign-body removal.", "content": "Foreign bodies embedded in the retina and choroid that cannot be extracted by a magnet and require vitreous surgery for their removal comprise a separate group. A retrospective review of 40 consecutive cases (between 1977-1990) showed that this type of trauma frequently accompanied extensive ocular damage, including corneal and or scleral perforation, disruption of the lens, significant vitreous hemorrhage, retinal and choroid hemorrhage, and retinal detachment. Intraoperative and late complications occurred frequently, making the visual and structural outcomes of such eyes uncertain; therefore, another alternative must be sought that might improve the prognosis of these eyes. In this review, we emphasize (1) the time elapsed between the accident and the removal of the foreign body and (2) the final visual acuity and the time before the surgery."}
{"id": "PMID:1485742", "title": "Inorganic element concentrations in cataractous human lenses.", "content": "We evaluated the presence of calcium, potassium, zinc, copper, and selenium in human lenses (53 cataractous and 10 clear lenses). The determinations of these elements were done using atomic absorption spectrometry techniques, namely flame and flameless methods, after acidic digestion of the samples. Compared with the results obtained from samples of normal lenses (zinc, 16.5 +/- 2.5 mg/kg dry weight; copper, 0.53 +/- 0.08 mg/kg dry weight; selenium, 0.83 +/- 0.18mg/kg dry weight; potassium, 10,306 +/- 1232mg/kg dry weight, and calcium, 9.9 +/- 2.7mg/kg dry weight), the mean concentration values of the cataractous lenses showed some significant changes. Increases were found for zinc, copper, and calcium; the potassium concentration decreased. No significant changes occurred in selenium values. A positive correlation was found between zinc and copper concentrations (y = 0.030x + 0.007, r = .79). An inverse correlation was evident between calcium and potassium values (y = -0.097x + 1141, r = -.65)."}
{"id": "PMID:1485743", "title": "Ocular and visual side effects of systemic cyclosporine.", "content": "In this study, we investigated the ocular and visual side effects of systemic cyclosporine used as an immunosuppressant in 51 renal transplant recipients during the postoperative period. Three different treatment schemes were used. The patients in the first group received cyclosporine and a corticosteroid. The second group was given azathioprine and a corticosteroid. Those in the third group were treated with azathioprine, a corticosteroid, and cyclosporine. Cotton-wool exudates, retinal hemorrhages, and retinal artery branch occlusion were observed only in one patient each in the second group, and these patients were excluded from the statistical evaluation. Macular hyperpigmentation was observed as a new finding in each group, but there was no statistical difference between the groups. The same results were found for cataract; this probably was related to the use of steroids. Trichomegaly, visual hallucinations, and cerebral blindness were not observed by contrast with previous studies. We suggest that systemic cyclosporine does not have significant ocular and visual side effects."}
{"id": "PMID:1485744", "title": "Corneal epithelial basement membrane dystrophy: an overlooked cause of painless visual disturbances.", "content": "Although decreased vision from corneal epithelial basement membrane dystrophy (CEBMD) usually is associated with pain from corneal epithelial erosion, it may be an overlooked cause of painless, sometimes sudden, visual disturbance. We report a series of eight patients referred to our department with visual deficits for whom various diagnoses had been made. A total of 15 neurologic and ophthalmologic tests had been ordered before their referral. All patients had CEBMD as a cause for their visual deficit. Retroillumination through a dilated pupil and examination of the fluorescein tear film were the best methods to demonstrate the CEBMD. Six of the eight patients underwent epithelial debridement with complete resolution of their symptoms. We recommend that all patients with unexplained visual disturbances be examined closely for CEBMD."}
{"id": "PMID:1485745", "title": "[Neonatal laryngeal paralysis. Apropos of 116 cases].", "content": "The following study is based on a retrospective survey of 116 cases of neonatal vocal cord paralysis referred to out department over a period of 5 years. The purpose of this study is to better define the etiology, the evolution, and the prognosis of this affection in the newborn. The principal prognostic factors are: 1) unilateral versus bilateral involvement, 2) the etiological factors associated with the paralysis. Among 21 newborns with unilateral paralysis occurring after an abnormal or difficult delivery, 90% recovered spontaneously. In this form of vocal cord paralysis and in brachial plexus or facial nerve paralysis of obstetrical origin, the etiopathogenesis and prognosis are comparable. Unilateral vocal cord paralysis as the result of other etiological factors and bilateral paralysis as a group have a worse prognosis (76% and 74% spontaneous recoveries, respectively)."}
{"id": "PMID:1485746", "title": "[Sudden deafness. Analysis of a series of 117 cases].", "content": "A retrospective study have been conducted in 117 cases of sudden sensori-neural hearing loss, between 1988 and 1991, int he department of Head and Neck Surgery (Strasbourg). After a brief review of actually treatments, they show, in a statistic and comparative analysis, that efficacy of therapeutics are never significant. This results are compared with international bibliography, and show that treatments of sudden loss remains doubtful."}
{"id": "PMID:1485747", "title": "[Multiple localization and lymphatic involvement of papillary micro-carcinoma of the thyroid. Results of total thyroidectomy with bilateral lymph node excision. Apropos of 38 patients].", "content": "This study involved 38 patients with occult papillary carcinoma of the thyroid gland treated by total thyroidectomy and bilateral prophylactic neck dissection. The histological results show the glandular multicentricity on either side, both in single nodule (65%) and in multinodular goiter (73.3%). High risk of cervical spreading clearly appears in papillary carcinoma (18.4% of the patients) even in these small foci (lower than 10 mm). Topography of involvement brings into prominence two main territories: paratracheal, mid and lower jugularly nodes (involved in 92.8% of the positive dissections)."}
{"id": "PMID:1485749", "title": "[A multiparameter method of computer-assisted objective vocal evaluation].", "content": "The aim of this study is to validate an aid for the evaluation of dysphonia with objective measurements. We recorded exhaled airflow, fundamental frequency and sound level pressure, for a sustained vowel \"a\", with 51 dysphonic subjects and 15 normal subjects. The following measurements are made on these three parameters: mean value, standard deviation and coefficient of variation. The exhaled airflow volume was also computed for a duration of 2 seconds. A principal components analysis of the measurements indicated that it is possible to recognise the classes of vocal evaluation and vocal pathology. These findings reinforce on objective aid for the vocal evaluation of dysphonia."}
{"id": "PMID:1485748", "title": "[Polyposis of the nasal sinuses. Epidemiology and clinical aspects of 350 cases. Treatment and results with a follow-up over 5 years on 93 cases].", "content": "The authors report a series of 350 patients referred for clinical investigation of nasal polyps between 1980 and 1990. 93 patients were followed for more than 5 years. Allergy to inhalants was rarely found (2.8%). Detailed study of past rhinosinusal and bronchial symptoms often revealed a history of vasomotor rhinitis (nasal hyperreactivity HRN) preceding the nasal polyposis by a mean interval of 8 years. The ratio non-allergic vasomotor rhinitis/nasal polyps was 4.31 in women (41.4% of the patients) and 1.74 in men (58.6% of the patients). Treatment is usually based on the use of local corticosteroids. However, because of the variable clinical pattern of nasal polyposis treatment may be medical alone or both medical and surgical, and always requires a long clinical follow-up. Intolerance to aspirin is a factor of poor prognosis. A 15% failure rate was noted among patients intolerant to aspirin."}
{"id": "PMID:1485750", "title": "[Cervicofacial metastasis of cutaneous neuroendocrine carcinoma (Merkel cell tumor). Apropos of a case. Review of the literature].", "content": "The authors report the case of an 81 year old woman with a Merkel cell tumor (trabecular carcinoma, cutaneous neuroendocrine carcinoma). A review of the literature is used to recall the principal clinical and pathological characteristics of this rare tumor and to define treatment modalities."}
{"id": "PMID:1485751", "title": "[Evaluation and treatment of chronic pain after cervicofacial cancer surgery].", "content": "When lasting pain occurs after surgery of head and neck cancer, tumoral recurrence should be considered. In addition to curative treatment, relief of pain is often provided by opioid analgesics. Doses vary according to tolerance and patient. Other than digestive routes of administration may be required. Here are two clinical reports: the first case with cervical epidural analgesia by ambulatory autoadministration device (Patient control analgesia), the other one with intrathecal in C7-T1 catheter with port access in which morphine was injected every 24 hours resulting in efficient analgesia, in metastatic Pancoast's syndrome. Surgical or radiotherapy sequelae sometimes bring about pain; bilateral cervicalgy described as burns associated with pain-related depression, 18 months after glotto-subglottic partial laryngectomy, requires psychological support and carbamazepine for desafferation pain removed within 6 months. When the only treatment left appears to be analgesia after surgery of head and neck cancer, follow-up in a multidisciplinary pain treatment centre allows a therapeutical management with optimum tolerance and efficiency."}
{"id": "PMID:1485752", "title": "[Contribution of therapeutic angiography in the management of tumors of the base of the skull].", "content": "Embolization of tumors of the skull base plays an important role in the treatment of these often complex lesions. Endovascular techniques provide important information concerning the circle of willis and facilitate surgery by reducing blood loss. The coordination of the different steps of embolization and neurosurgical treatment necessitate a preliminary multidisciplinary discussion of each case. Different procedures are possible: Arterial embolization of the branches of the internal and external carotid arteries, definitive or temporary champing of the internal carotid, and, most recently, embolization by direct injection."}
{"id": "PMID:1485753", "title": "[Intramuscular hemangioma of the sternocleidomastoid muscle. Apropos of a case. Review of the literature].", "content": "One patient presenting this vascular abnormality in this unusual site was treated surgically. The literature pertaining to this rare etiology for a neck mass is reviewed."}
{"id": "PMID:1485754", "title": "[Deep lupus erythematosus in children].", "content": "Deep cutaneous lesions are seldom encountered in lupus erythematosus. The disease described in the literature as lupus erythematosus profundus or lupus erythematosus panniculitis usually occurs in middle-aged women. The authors report a case of deep lupus erythematosus which was exceptional in that it occurred in an 11-year old girl. The lesions were situated on the face and consisted of solid subcutaneous nodules and clear-cut ulcerations leaving atrophic pigmented scars. The histological image of a nodule was one of lobular lymphocytic panniculitis with homogeneous hyalinization of adipose nodules, to which must be added periadnexal and perivascular dermo-epidermal lymphocytic infiltrates. Granular IgM deposits arranged along the dermo-epidermal junction were observed at direct cutaneous immunofluorescence. Laboratory examinations showed leucopenia (3,300/mm3) with neutropenia (1,100/mm3) and the presence of antinuclear antibodies at 1/100 speckled fluorescence, as well as antibodies directed against native DNA. Studies of renal function and for complement gave normal results. The other causes of lobular panniculitis were excluded. The lesions regressed within 3 weeks under hydroxychloroquine; this drug was also successful in arresting a relapse consecutive to withdrawal of treatment. The authors have analysed the 17 paediatric cases of deep lupus erythematosus and were able to determine their main characteristics: 1. The lesions occur mostly in girls (70 p. 100). They are located electively on the face and the lateral aspect of the shoulders. They consist of well-limited, solid or hard subcutaneous nodule which may congregate to form plaques. The epidermis may be normal or pathological, poikilodermic, looking like a discoid or ulcerated lupus erythematosus. The lesions regress, leaving a characteristic atrophic scar.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1485755", "title": "[Facial hemiatrophy, homolateral cervical linear scleroderma and thyroid disease].", "content": "A case of facial hemiatrophy and homolateral cervical band of scleroderma, complicated by hypothyroidism is reported. This case raises two problems: one is the problem of distinction between Romberg's disease and facial hemiatrophy due to a genuine localized scleroderma; the other concerns the relationship between localized scleroderma and dysthyroidism. The generalized scleroderma-dysthyroidism association has now been recognized, but the coexistence of thyroid disease and localized scleroderma has not yet been reported. Several pathogenetic hypotheses on this association are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1485756", "title": "[Dermal myxoma of nerve sheats (neurothecoma)].", "content": "The histological study of a painful cutaneous nodule located in the interscapular region, which had been present for 20 years in a 59-year old male patient has show typical features of dermal myxoma of the nerve sheaths. This was a lobulated myxomatous tumour with fusiform and dendritic cells plus a few epithelioid and multinucleate cells. Immunostaining was positive for the S100 protein and negative for factor XIIIa and EMA. These data suggest that this tumour was of schwannian origin."}
{"id": "PMID:1485760", "title": "[Squamous cell carcinoma and recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa].", "content": "We report a case of spindle cell carcinoma developed in a patient with recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa. This association is classical but rare since only 46 cases have been found in the literature. The various possible treatments are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1485761", "title": "[Histology and physiology of black skin].", "content": "The aim of this article is to review the experimental knowledge concerning black skin. We point out its histological and physiological features without discussing here the specific pathology of black patients. Under the microscope skin structure is roughly the same in all races, but morphological differences exist, particularly within the epidermis, with potential practical consequences. In comparison with white skin, the black skin stratum corneum is equal in thickness but more compact: about twenty cell layers are observed in blacks versus sixteen layers in whites. The lipid content of black epidermis is also somewhat higher, and this perhaps explains the greater cellular cohesion, hence the difficulty in stripping off the black horny layer. These findings could also explain a slightly inferior permeability of black skin to certain chemicals. The hair of blacks in naturally more brittle and more susceptible to breakage and spontaneous knotting than that of whites. The kinky or wooly form of black hair, the weak intercellular cohesion between cortical cells and the specific hair grooming practices among black people account for these effects. The higher electrical resistance of black skin suggests that the black epidermis would be less hydrated than white epidermis. Anatomically, the amount of sweat glands in black and white skins is identical and varies with climatic changes but not with racial factors. Likewise, sweating is thought to be similar in both races, taking into account the contradictory results from studies, but black subjects withstand humid heat better while whites cope better with dry heat.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1485781", "title": "[Lipomas of the mesentery in young children].", "content": "Lipomas of the small bowel and mesentery are exceedingly rare in young pediatric patients. This article reports a case which underlines the difficulty of establishing this diagnosis before exploratory laparotomy."}
{"id": "PMID:1485782", "title": "[Multicenter study of sodium alginate in the treatment of regurgitation in infants].", "content": "An open multicenter study was performed to assess the efficacy and safety of alginic acid in two different dosages in 76 pediatric patients with gastroesophageal reflux confirmed by pH monitoring. Among the 69 patients in whom endoscopy was carried out before treatment, 18 had erythematous esophagitis and 5 had erosive esophagitis. Irrespective of the dosage used, the frequency of regurgitation and vomiting decreased significantly (p < 0.00001 and p = 0.01, respectively). Clinical and biochemical tolerance were outstanding and no adverse effects were recorded. On the basis of these data, the recommended dosage is 1 to 2 ml/kg/day in divided doses after meals."}
{"id": "PMID:1485784", "title": "Laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Experience of the first 150 patients.", "content": "Between April 1991 and May 1992, 150 patients were treated by laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Eleven patients (7.3%) required conversion to open laparotomy and five (3.3%) patients were operated on for postoperative complications. There were two (1.3%) patients with a hepatic duct lesion, one of which was treated with a T-tube alone but the other required a bilioenteral reconstruction. The average operation time was 72 minutes (range 30-240 minutes). The mean hospital stay of all patients was 2.1 days (range 1-28 days) and the mean time to return to work was 11.5 days (range 6-60 days)."}
{"id": "PMID:1485785", "title": "Laparoscopic cholecystectomy for symptomatic gallstone disease. Experience of the first 200 cases.", "content": "Laparoscopic cholecystectomy was carried out in 200 patients between January 1991 and September 1992 at the Second Department of Surgery, Helsinki University Central Hospital. Mortality was nil. The overall major complication rate was 4% (n = 8). The incidence of common bile duct lesions was 0.5% (n = 1). In seven (3.5%) patients the procedure had to be converted into open cholecystectomy. Repeat surgery was needed in two patients. The average hospital stay was 3.0 +/- 1.5 days and the average sick leave 14 +/- 4 days. Obese and high-risk patients tolerated the procedure well without significant increase in complication rate or hospital stay. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy may be regarded as the treatment of choice for symptomatic gallstone disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1485786", "title": "Bile acid malabsorption in patients with post-vagotomy diarrhoea.", "content": "75SeHCAT scanning was evaluated as a means of detecting bile acid malabsorption in patients with postvagotomy diarrhoea. Seven day 75SeHCAT retention ratios were measured in five patients with unequivocal post-vagotomy diarrhoea. The results were compared with an age matched group of asymptomatic control patients (n = 4) each of whom had previously undergone truncal vagotomy and drainage and a further group of normal volunteers (n = 6). The median 75SeHCAT retention ratios in patients with post-vagotomy diarrhoea was 2% (range 0-9%). In contrast, the median 75SeHCAT retention ratios in asymptomatic controls was 29% (range 26-61%) and 28% (range 19-70%) in normal volunteers. These results demonstrate that there is gross bile salt malabsorption in patients with post-vagotomy diarrhoea and that 75SeHCAT scanning is an effective screening test in these patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1485787", "title": "Cholecystoenteral anastomosis with the biofragmentable ring and manual suture--a prospective, randomized study.", "content": "20 patients treated by cholecystojejunostomy for obstructive icterus were randomized to be treated either with a biofragmentable intraluminal ring (Valtrac) (10 patients) or suture of the cholecystointestinal anastomosis (10 patients). Postoperatively one patient in each group died of advanced malignancy. There were no surgical complications in either group. The relief of icterus, recovery of the gastrointestinal tract and the mean hospital stay were similar in both groups. The biofragmentable anastomosis ring (BAR) is a safe method for cholecystoenteral anastomoses."}
{"id": "PMID:1485788", "title": "Injection sclerotherapy for esophageal varices.", "content": "Thirty-five consecutive patients with bleeding esophageal varices were treated by repeated endoscopic injection sclerotherapy. During each session the varices were injected with 14 +/- 4.2 ml (mean +/- SD) of 5% ethanolamine oleate submucosally or intravariceally. The varices were obliterated in 31 (89%) patients. On average 3.3 +/- 2.4 sclerotherapy sessions were required for eradication of the varices. Mild fever was noticed almost in every patient after sclerotherapy. Mediastinitis was a complication in one (2.8%) patient. Esophageal stricture ensued in two (5.7%) patients which did not require treatment. The cumulative survival rates at 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 years were 83%; 65%; 52%; 52% and 47% respectively. The corresponding 95% confidence intervals were (0.7, 0.96); (0.48, 0.8); (0.34, 0.7); (0.3, 0.74) and (0.22, 0.7). Sclerotherapy is an effective and safe method to treat bleeding esophageal varices."}
{"id": "PMID:1485789", "title": "Aesthetic repair of submeatal strictures with transverse ventral skin flap.", "content": "Reconstruction of fossa navicularis strictures by a modified plastry is presented. The method relies on the use of a pediculated skin flap taken ventrally. To achieve a good cosmetic result, the skin between the glandular edges is left untouched. The functional results have been excellent."}
{"id": "PMID:1485790", "title": "Femoral shaft fractures in the elderly treated with Grosse-Kempf slotted locked intramedullary nail.", "content": "Thirty-one femoral shaft fractures in patients over 60 years of age were treated with the Grosse-Kempf slotted, locked intramedullary nail and followed for a median of 24 months. The patients tolerated the operation reasonably well and the mortality was not higher than the mortality connected with femoral neck fractures. Three reoperations were performed due to intra- and postoperative complications. The main reason for the less satisfactory result was shortening > 2 cm after unstable dynamical locking. This occurred in 8 of 15 dynamically nailed fractures with locking screw(s) in one end of the nail only. A 9 cm shortening among these was the reason for one of the two poor results in the series. The other poor result was a malalignment of the distal fragment in a statically locked fracture. We conclude that locked intramedullary nailing is a good way to treat femoral shaft fractures in the elderly, the high subtrochanteric, midshaft and infraisthmic fractures."}
{"id": "PMID:1485791", "title": "Hip fractures in two health care regions in Finland in 1989: an analysis of treatment.", "content": "We studied prospectively the demographic data, fracture types and modes of treatment in 390 patients with acute traumatic hip fractures in two health care regions in Finland, the Middle Finland region and the Kymenlaakso region in 1989. In Middle Finland population (251,203 inhabitants) 199 patients with a hip fracture were admitted to two acute care hospitals, while 191 patients were admitted in Kymenlaakso (population 189,726) to four acute hospitals. There were no significant differences in the sex- and age-specific incidences between the two regions. In Middle Finland, 70% of the fractures were of the femoral neck, 28% were trochanteric and 2% subtrochanteric. The corresponding figures in Kymenlaakso were 57%, 38% and 5% (P < 0.05). In Middle Finland, 73% of the femoral neck fractures were treated primarily with a hemiendoprosthesis, 2% with primary total hip replacement and 25% by osteosynthesis. The corresponding figures in Kymenlaakso were 81%, 7% and 12% (P < 0.001). The mean duration of hospital stay was 14 days in Middle Finland and 21 days in Kymenlaakso (P < 0.01)."}
{"id": "PMID:1485792", "title": "Holding power of metallic screws in cancellous bone and metallic plates in cortical bone. An experimental study on rabbits using polymethylmethacrylate and bone graft as supporting material.", "content": "The holding power of metallic screws in cancellous bone and metallic plates in cortical bone was tested in sixty rabbits (n = 60). These metallic devices were fixed either without support or with the support of plastic material or autogenous bone graft. The fixation firmness was studied radiographically and by a test of the bonding strength. After six weeks, the mean value of the holding power of screws in cancellous bone without support was 440 N, and that of screws supported by polymethylmethacrylate 674 N and by bone graft 540 N. Corresponding values after twelve weeks were 436 N, 664 N, and 616 N. Fixation with polymethylmethacrylate was better than either fixation without support (P < 0.001, t-test) or fixation with bone graft (P < 0.01), whereas fixation with bone graft was better than fixation without support (P < 0.07). The best fixation was achieved by polymethylmethacrylate according to group mean values. Our investigation of the holding power of plates in cortical bone did not reveal any statistically significant differences between the methods used."}
{"id": "PMID:1485793", "title": "[Influence of the maternal pineal gland on the testicular function in rats].", "content": "Female rats were exposed to a short (6L:18D) photoperiod from 21 days of age. On day 2 of gestation, animals were pinealectomized or sham-operated. Lighting regimens were not changed during the course of the study. Male offspring of the 2 groups of rats were sacrificed on days 21 after birth. Pinealectomy of the mother induced the following modifications: a decrease in prostate and seminal vesicle weights, a decrease in testicular testosterone and androstenedione content and in plasma dihydrotestosterone levels. We conclude that when rats are maintained on a 6L:18D cycle the maternal pineal gland stimulates the testicular function in 21-day-old offspring."}
{"id": "PMID:1485795", "title": "[Urologic cancer mortality in France].", "content": "In 1989, 14,150 men died from urological cancer in France: 64% of these deaths were due to prostatic cancer, which represents the second highest cause of male cancer mortality in France. Deaths from urological cancer are mainly observed after 50 years of age, with a frequency which increases very rapidly with age, except for testicular cancer for which one out of every two deaths occurs between 20 and 45 years of age. Between 1968 and 1989, increased mortality was observed in males due to prostate cancer and kidney cancers, whereas a decreased mortality was observed for testicular cancer, especially in males between 20 and 45 years of age. Mortality was stable for bladder cancer and cancer of the penis. In females during the same period, mortality was stable for cancer of the kidney and bladder. During the period 1979 to 1984, a significant increase in mortality due to bladder cancer was observed in certain Northern departments and those surrounding the Mediterranean basin, although the mortality for other cancer sites is generally lower in this latter region. A significant increase in mortality was also observed for cancer of the kidney in Auvergne and in Alsace-Lorraine. Regarding prostatic cancer, geographical variations are minor and no particular region with an increased or decreased mortality could be identified."}
{"id": "PMID:1485796", "title": "[Epidemiology of kidney cancers].", "content": "Renal carcinomas represent 2% of all tumors. More than 90% of these cancers occur in adults with the frequency in adult males being twice as high as that in adult females. The frequency of renal carcinomas is relatively high in France especially in males. Renal carcinomas mortality has been increasing in France over the last 40 years by more than 2% per year and suggests that tobacco is involved in this increase. Obesity, especially in women, and chronic renal failure are two other frequent associations found with renal carcinomas. The prognosis for this cancer is not clear-cut as the relative 5-year survival rate for all adult tumors ranges from 36 to 54%."}
{"id": "PMID:1485797", "title": "[Epidemiology of bladder cancer].", "content": "The urinary bladder cancer mortality varies in different countries. The highest rates are noted in Denmark, UK, Belgium and Italy, the lowest rates in Japan, Singapore and Venezuela. The mortality rates are increasing for both males and females. In France, the highest rates are observed in the South of France contrary to other cancer sites. The highest incidence rates are observed in Europe, in USA and in some countries of Africa. In these same areas, the rates are higher for males and are increasing with time. The mortality is high in the first years after diagnosis. The five-year relative survival rates are 41%, for males and 35% for females. Tobacco, and especially cigarettes, is a well known risk factor. A dose effect relation appears to exist. The occupational risk factors are potentiated by tobacco and modifications are noted and are in relation with new factors. Ground coffee is associated with urinary bladder cancer and appears to be a co-carcinogenic factor with tobacco. Some drugs, such as antimitotics, phenacetin, radiation and urinary bilharziosis, are etiological factors of this cancer. The role of artificial sweeteners, alcohol and nutrition is less well documented."}
{"id": "PMID:1485798", "title": "[Epidemiology of prostate cancer].", "content": "Prostatic cancer is frequent in elderly men. The incidence of \"clinical\" cancer varies greatly in different regions of the world. The highest incidences have been reported in black populations in North America and the lowest incidences are observed in Asian populations. \"Subclinical\" cancer is much more frequent than \"clinical\" cancer. Among the subclinical forms, the prevalence of carcinoma in situ varies only slightly from one region to another and is constant beyond the age of 40 years. Different aetiological factors are therefore probably involved in these two forms of prostatic cancer. The corrected 5-year survival for all patients with prostatic cancer in France is 41 to 47%. These poor results can probably be attributed to the very advanced stage of the disease at the time of diagnosis. Dietary, toxic, infectious, hormonal and genetic factors have been suggested in the aetiology of prostatic cancer, but the results of the various studies conducted are sometimes contradictory. In the absence of any known risk factors, primary prevention cannot be envisaged. Secondary prevention by means of screening raises certain problems due to the poor understanding of the natural history of the disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1485799", "title": "[Epidemiology of testicular cancer].", "content": "Testicular carcinoma is a rare disease, with an incidence ranging from 0.2 (Blacks in Connecticut) to 7.8 (Denmark) in the World, and ranging from 2.5 to 4.3 in French Cancer Registries. An increase among young men has recently been described in Denmark and in England (Mortality Data between 1936 and 1976). Survival is 75% after five years, all histological types combined. No role as a risk factor \"per se\" has been confirmed for Genetics alone (Twins study in Finland), but a familial RR of 6 has been observed among first degree relatives of testicular carcinoma cases. Most interesting is a study by A.R. Moss, showing a RR of 4.4 among cases whose mother on had a breast cancer, as it emphasizes a possible role or hormones for non seminomatous testicular cancer."}
{"id": "PMID:1485800", "title": "[\"Surveillance\" of non-seminomatous testicular tumors. A prospective study of 100 patients in the first stage of illness].", "content": "In a prospective study, 100 patients with clinical stage I nonseminomatous testicular tumours were investigated by a surveillance policy, which consisted of regular follow-up after orchiectomy alone until disease progression was confirmed. Follow-up revealed that 65 of the 100 patients were free of disease at 25 to 90 months after orchiectomy. Disease progression was detected in 35 patients at 3 to 27 months following orchiectomy. Patients with progression were treated by PVB chemotherapy. Patients with non-seminomatous testicular tumours in clinical stage I represent a group which is not homogeneous and can therefore not be treated by means of a single modality. It is necessary to individually define optimal treatment based on prognostic factors. The surveillance policy is available in patients without risk factors and regular follow-up is mandatory. Multidisciplinary collaboration and cooperation with patients are essential."}
{"id": "PMID:1485801", "title": "[Epithelial tumors of the urinary tract in children].", "content": "Through 1987 the authors observed and treated ten children with malignant urothelial cancers of the urinary tract: three malignant papillary cancers, six cancers of the bladder and one papilloma of the pyeloureteral segment. All were transitional cell cancers. The methods of diagnosis and treatment are described. The early results were good and the late results did not reveal any recurrence. All children are alive, except for one case with cancer of the bladder. Death in this case was due to lung cancer eighteen months after cystectomy. The authors analyse the aetiological factors involved in these tumours for the year 1987, taking into account the ecological-radioactive contamination of our country, after the accident of Chernobyl in 1986."}
{"id": "PMID:1485802", "title": "[Staghorn calculi in children. 32 cases].", "content": "The authors report thirty-two cases of children with staghorn calculi treated in the department of urology H. Bourguiba, Hospital of Sfax. Such calculi are frequently seen in young boys over the age of 6 years. Urinary tract infection by Proteus is the main etiologic factor of lithogenesis. Surgical treatment, still the most advocated, is laborious; it must ensure complete stone removal, while protecting renal function."}
{"id": "PMID:1485804", "title": "Role of exposure databases in risk assessment.", "content": "Risk assessments have assumed an increasingly important role in the management of risks in this country. The determination of which pollutants or public health issues are to be regulated, the degree and extent of regulation, and the priority assigned to particular problems are all areas of risk assessment that influence the country's $100 billion annual investment in environmental protection. Recent trends in public policy have brought the practice of risk assessment under greater scrutiny. As policy makers increasingly insist that specific numerical risk levels (so-called bright lines) be incorporated into regulatory decisions, the stakes for good risk assessment practice, already high, are raised even further. Enhancing the scientific basis of risk assessments was a major goal of the Workshop on Exposure Databases. In this article, we present the Risk Assessment Work Group's evaluation of the use of exposurerelated databases in risk assessment and the group's recommendations for improvement. The work group's discussion focused on the availability, suitability, and quality of data that underly exposure assessments, a critical component of risk assessment. The work group established a framework for evaluation, based on exposure scenarios typically used in regulatory decisions. The scenarios included examples from Superfund, the Clean Air Act, the Toxic Substances Control Act, and other regulatory programs. These scenarios were used to illustrate current use of exposure data, to highlight gaps in existing data sources, and to discuss how improved exposure information can improve risk assessments. The work group concluded that many of the databases available are designed for purposes that do not meet exposure and risk assessment needs. Substantial gaps exist in measurements of actual human exposure and in the data necessary to model exposures, to characterize distributions of exposure, to identify high-risk groups, and to identify possible environmental inequities in exposure. The work group, on the basis of its findings, made both short-term and longer-term recommendations for improving the collection of exposure data in the future."}
{"id": "PMID:1485803", "title": "Estimating human exposures to environmental pollutants: availability and utility of existing databases.", "content": "Information about human exposures to environmental agents is a crucial component of informed decisions about protection of public health. Results from an inventory of exposure-related databases are used to examine the value of exposure information for risk assessment, risk management, surveillance of status and trends, and epidemiologic studies. Findings indicate that current and future exposure-related databases should include (1) standardized procedures for the collection, storage, analysis, and reporting of data; (2) an enhanced ability to compare data over time, i.e., conduct comparison studies of \"old\" and \"new\" methods; (3) mechanisms for coordination and cooperation among public and private-sector organizations with respect to the design, maintenance, exchange, and review of information systems; (4) measurements of actual exposures and dose for relevant human populations; and (5) data collection, storage, and retrieval methods that permit easy manipulation of information for both model building and testing."}
{"id": "PMID:1485805", "title": "Role of exposure databases in risk management.", "content": "Despite the development of numerous national exposure-related databases, exposure assessment remains a weak link in the chain of risk assessment and risk-management activities. Most databases include measures of environmental releases or concentrations of pollutants in specific media, but do not include actual measures of exposure. If accurate estimates of exposure experienced by populations or individuals are absent, it is impossible to judge the effectiveness of risk-management strategies. The Risk Management Work Group evaluation identified the following needs: refinement of measurements of total exposure experienced by individuals, improved characterization of the distribution of exposures in the population, longitudinal monitoring of exposure trends, and improved information about the public health implications of exposure. Recommendations are presented with the hope that the utility of existing databases will be improved and that future initiatives will be developed that meet the needs of risk management."}
{"id": "PMID:1485810", "title": "Systemic and mucosal antibodies to Klebsiella in patients with ankylosing spondylitis and Crohn's disease.", "content": "Whole gut lavage fluid is a useful source of material for the study of intestinal immunity and inflammation in humans. Systemic and mucosal antibodies to Klebsiella pneumoniae were measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in serum samples and whole gut lavage fluid from 14 patients with ankylosing spondylitis, 14 with Crohn's disease, and 16 immunologically normal controls. As the concentration of IgG in whole gut lavage fluid reflects disease activity in Crohn's disease, this approach was used to detect intestinal inflammation in patients with ankylosing spondylitis who also had disease activity and use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) recorded. Small intestinal permeability to cellobiose and mannitol was also studied. In serum samples, levels of IgA antibody to klebsiella were high in patients with Crohn's disease and in patients with active ankylosing spondylitis, and were significantly correlated with the erythrocyte sedimentation rate in patients with ankylosing spondylitis. Levels of IgG antibody to klebsiella were also high in patients with Crohn's disease. Studies of whole gut lavage fluid showed similar levels of IgA antibody to klebsiella in the three study groups, but levels of whole gut lavage fluid IgM and IgG antibodies to klebsiella were high in patients with Crohn's disease. Levels of IgG in whole gut lavage fluid were high in patients with Crohn's disease but in only one patient with ankylosing spondylitis, though the cellobiose/mannitol permeability ratio was abnormal in eight of 13 patients with ankylosing spondylitis. It is concluded that high levels of serum IgA antibody to klebsiella are not specific to ankylosing spondylitis, and that there is no evidence of an abnormal intestinal IgA antibody response to klebsiella in patients with ankylosing spondylitis."}
{"id": "PMID:1485807", "title": "Role of exposure databases in epidemiology.", "content": "At present, exposure databases record data primarily for regulatory purposes; they have not focused on serving the needs of epidemiologists or public health. However, the modification of exposure databases could facilitate their use in epidemiology. Characteristics necessary to enhance the use of all databases include easy access by users; documentation of methods, sampling bias, error, and inconsistences; widespread coverage in time and space; and methods and measures for estimating exposure of individuals as well as populations. Also needed are exposure scenarios and models to estimate exposures for geographic areas and time intervals not currently sampled. Multidisciplinary teams are needed to examine current databases, to review strategies for improving data collection, and to suggest and help implement appropriate changes. A long-term goal is to develop and validate data from exposure scenarios and models using data on the relationship of exposure to doses measured in humans."}
{"id": "PMID:1485811", "title": "Autoantibodies in chronic arthritis of childhood: relations with each other and with histocompatibility antigens.", "content": "Studies have shown the presence of either antibodies to histone or anticardiolipin antibodies in some forms of childhood chronic arthritis. The relation between these autoantibodies has not been previously reported, however, and the immunogenetics of their association with childhood arthritis has not been studied. The interrelation of fluorescent antinuclear antibodies, antibodies to histone, and anticardiolipin antibodies and their associations with histocompatibility antigens (HLA) were studied in 114 children with chronic arthritis (45 children with pauciarticular onset juvenile chronic arthritis (JCA), 22 with polyarticular onset JCA, 13 with systemic onset JCA, and 34 with juvenile psoriatic arthritis (JPsA). Antibodies to histone and anticardiolipin antibodies were determined in 108 children. HLA antigens (A, B, C, and DR) were studied in the 83 white children. Antibodies to histone occurred in 0% (systemic onset JCA) to 42% (uveitis negative, pauciarticular onset JCA), and anticardiolipin antibodies in 26% (JPsA) to 55% (polyarticular onset JCA) of patients. Only 12 patients (11%) had both antibodies to histone and anticardiolipin antibodies. Neither antibodies to histone nor anticardiolipin antibodies associated with the type of arthritis. Neither of these antibodies alone associated with uveitis. Antibodies to histone were associated with HLA-A2, probably reflecting the known association of HLA-A2 with pauciarticular onset JCA. There was no other HLA association. Fluorescent antinuclear antibodies occurred most often in patients with uveitis; however, the occurrence of fluorescent antinuclear antibodies in patients with pauciarticular onset JCA (the group most at risk for uveitis) was not significantly greater in children with uveitis than in those without uveitis (100 and 88% respectively). Although antibodies to histone and anticardiolipin antibodies often occur in serum samples from patients with JCA and JPsA, they rarely occur together. Their presence does not associate with uveitis. This study did not show any strong evidence that production of either antibodies to histone or anticardiolipin antibodies in patients with JCA or JPsA is under the control of the histocompatibility locus."}
{"id": "PMID:1485812", "title": "IgG and IgM anti-snRNP reactivity in sequentially obtained serum samples from patients with connective tissue diseases.", "content": "Sequentially obtained serum samples from 30 patients with connective tissue disease positive for antibody to ribonucleoprotein (RNP) were examined to determine the specificities of IgG and IgM antibodies to snRNP during the disease course using immunoblotting of nuclear extracts. The antibody patterns were correlated with disease activity. The patterns of antibody to snRNP of individual patients were mainly stable during the study but changes in levels of antibody to snRNP were seen corresponding to changes in clinical activity. These results indicate that increased reactivity of serum IgM antibodies against the B/B' proteins seems to precede a clinically evident exacerbation of disease whereas IgG antibody reactivity to the 70 K protein peaks at the time of a disease flare."}
{"id": "PMID:1485806", "title": "Use of exposure databases for status and trends analysis.", "content": "Exposure databases are useful for monitoring status and trends in environmental health. However, other supporting data are usually needed to infer human exposure or internal dose. Program planning and evaluation, environmental health surveillance, epidemiologic research, and contributions to international efforts are four major purposes for monitoring environmental exposure status and trends. Although databases play an important role in monitoring human exposure, certain methodological problems need to be overcome. The work group developed six criteria for meeting information needs for human exposure assessment. Areas that need attention are (1) specification of location, (2) specification of facility and chemical identifiers, (3) documentation of special populations at risk, (4) provision of early warning of new problems, (5) monitoring changes over time, and (6) enhancement of documentation. We tested these criteria by examining six available databases that might be used for monitoring exposure to contaminants in drinking water. Available data fell short of information needs. We drew four conclusions and offered several recommendations for each. First, available data systems lack adequate measures of human exposure. Second, data for monitoring exposures for many important population subgroups and environmental settings are inadequate. Third, an \"early warning\" system that monitors human exposures is needed. Fourth, designers of data-collection systems should consider the needs of users who monitor status and trends of human exposure."}
{"id": "PMID:1485813", "title": "Clinical associations of IgG antibodies to the ribonucleoprotein p67 polypeptide in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.", "content": "The ribonucleoprotein (RNP) p67 antigen was purified from rabbit thymus and used in an enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) with low interassay variability to detect IgG antibodies to p67 in patients with autoimmune connective tissue diseases. These antibodies were found in eight (80%) patients with a clinical diagnosis of mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD) but also in 27 (40%) patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Sixty six per cent of the 12 patients with SLE with high levels of antibodies to p67 (> 50 U) had three or more features of MCTD, including myositis, fibrosing alveolitis, Raynaud's phenomenon, and sclerodactyly. Antibodies to the p67 RNP were not associated with the presence or absence of renal disease in the patients with SLE. This study suggests that antibodies against the p67 RNP are markers for clinical features of MCTD even in the context of SLE."}
{"id": "PMID:1485815", "title": "Work related upper limb disorder: the relationship between pain, cumulative load, disability, and psychological factors.", "content": "Repetitive strain injury, or work related upper limb disorder, provides an interesting paradigm for the study of the relative contribution of physical and psychological factors to the resulting pain and disability. Sixty three subjects were studied, comprising the work-force of a subsection of a large local industrial company, in whom pain in the arm related to work was known to be common. Ergonomic data were obtained by estimating the cumulative daily load on the wrist joint for each of four identified tasks. Data on the occurrence of pain, treatment sought, and disability were obtained by a structured self administered questionnaire. Psychological data were obtained by administering the Hospital Anxiety and Depression (HAD) scale, a self reported measure of anxiety and depression, and the Bradford Somatic Inventory (BSI), an inventory of somatic symptoms associated with anxiety and depression. The employment specific period prevalence of work related upper limb disorder was 81%, with 30% of the subjects having pain at the time of the study. Domestic disability was minimal in all but two subjects, though the use of devices such as jar openers at home was common (12 of 51 subjects). Medical advice was seldom sought. Twenty per cent of subjects had received anti-inflammatory drugs, 10% had received physiotherapy, and 47% had wrist splints. Pain was related to the tasks with the highest estimated daily loads, but a history of pain and current pain were associated with higher scores on the HAD and BSI scales, suggesting an interaction between physical and psychological factors."}
{"id": "PMID:1485814", "title": "Continuation of long term treatment with hydroxychloroquine in systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis.", "content": "Hydroxychloroquine is used for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Long term studies have shown a high rate of termination of hydroxychloroquine treatment in patients with RA. Although it has been shown that discontinuation of treatment with hydroxychloroquine is associated with exacerbation of SLE, long term maintenance rates of treatment with hydroxychloroquine in patients with SLE have not been investigated. Hydroxychloroquine use in patients with RA and SLE in a group of patients in a single community rheumatology practice was studied. Information was drawn from a computer drug use database containing details of the beginning and end of treatment. Data were analysed using life table methods. Four hundred and three treatment episodes (366 patients with RA, 37 patients with SLE) were observed over eight years. In patients with RA, the cumulative probability of discontinuing treatment was 37% at 12 months and 54% at 24 months. In contrast, hydroxychloroquine treatment of patients with SLE continued over significantly longer periods of time (p < 0.001); the discontinuation probabilities at 12 and 24 months were 8 and 24% respectively. Treatment terminations were predominantly for inefficacy; terminations for toxicity were limited to the first 19 months of treatment. No ocular toxicity was observed. Treatment of patients with RA in a community rheumatology practice with hydroxychloroquine has a low probability of long term continuation, mostly because of inadequate control of disease manifestations rather than toxicity. In patients with SLE, treatment with hydroxychloroquine has a significantly higher probability of long term continuation."}
{"id": "PMID:1485816", "title": "Methotrexate treatment of rheumatoid arthritis: is a fortnightly maintenance schedule enough?", "content": "In 15 patients with rheumatoid arthritis who were in clinical remission the weekly regimen of methotrexate treatment was changed to fortnightly without a change in dose. A total of 13 patients completed a 12 month trial. No change in clinical or laboratory parameters occurred. There was no change in the use of analgesics or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and the patients remained in remission. Two patients had to be withdrawn after two and four months respectively because of a flare in disease activity. It is suggested that in most patients with rheumatoid arthritis who are treated with methotrexate and whose disease activity is stable a fortnightly regimen can be permitted without affecting drug efficacy."}
{"id": "PMID:1485817", "title": "Long term prognosis in yersinia arthritis: clinical and serological findings.", "content": "Twenty two patients were followed up for a mean of 10.7 years after acute yersinia arthritis. Their clinical course, agglutination antibodies, antibodies against plasmid coded yersinia proteins, and laboratory parameters of inflammation were analysed. The clinical findings were unremarkable. Serum agglutinating antibodies against Yersinia enterocolitica were not found in any patient. Ten patients had no antibodies against plasmid coded bacterial proteins. Five patients showed IgG antibodies, one patient had an IgA and IgG result of questionable significance, and six patients had IgA and IgG antibodies in the immunoblot reaction. No evidence of systemic inflammation was found. The persistence of IgA or IgG antibodies, or both, did not have a discernible influence on the clinical course. The development of erosive changes in the sacroiliac joints occurred independently of yersinia infection."}
{"id": "PMID:1485818", "title": "Giant cell tumours in mandible and spine: a rare complication of Paget's disease of bone.", "content": "The case of a man who was diagnosed as having polyostotic Paget's disease at the age of 52 years is described. He developed a rare neoplastic complication of Paget's disease--a giant cell tumour in his mandible, which was excised. Nine years after the diagnosis of this tumour he developed a new giant cell tumour arising from the L3 vertebral body. He was born in Avellino in Italy, from where five other cases of giant cell tumours arising from Pagetic bone disease have been reported. No family relationship between our patient and the other cases was established. His Paget's disease was particularly aggressive and resistant to treatment with two single high dose infusions of pamidronate almost two years apart."}
{"id": "PMID:1485826", "title": "The role of polymorphonuclear neutrophils in myocardial damage during ischemia and reperfusion.", "content": "In addition to their traditional role in infection elimination and scavenging dead tissue, neutrophils may be injurious to myocardial tissues. Besides mechanical participation they produce toxic oxygen species, PAF, arachidonic acid metabolites, and release the proteases from intracellular granules. The deleterious role of PMN within myocardial ischemic focus depends also on the cooperation with platelets, macrophages, endothelial and mast cells. Rapid entry of neutrophils during ischemia contribute to arrhythmia, loss of coronary vasomotion, no-reflow phenomenon and extension of cellular injury. Further work is needed to define the precise role that neutrophils play in tissue injury and to propose an appropriate strategy by which PMN function can be modified to limit infarct size."}
{"id": "PMID:1485828", "title": "Chemiluminescence of bronchoalveolar macrophages: effect of adherence to plastic cuvette.", "content": "The chemiluminescence of alveolar macrophages was determined in presence of luminol or lucigenin, either before or after the macrophage isolation by adherence to plastic. In presence of luminol, the purified and non-purified macrophages behave almost in the same way, and their chemiluminescence activity is stimulated both by zymosan and phorbol ester. On the other hand, the lucigenin chemiluminescence of non-purified macrophages is considerably higher than that obtained in presence of luminol, but is almost completely insensitive to the zymosan or phorbol ester stimulation. Moreover, the adherence purification considerably inhibits the lucigenin chemiluminescence. These results can be indicative of functionally different macrophage states."}
{"id": "PMID:1485831", "title": "Inhaled natural human interferon alpha induces bronchospastic reactions in asthmatics.", "content": "There is a relationship between viral infection and aggravation of bronchial asthma symptoms. Viruses belong to the strongest and fast acting inducers of interferon (IFN), which, in turn, may enhance histamine release from effector cells. We have administered IFN intrabronchially to 49 patients suffering from bronchial asthma. The impairment of lung ventilation with significant decrease of forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) have been observed in majority of the patients who inhaled crude or purified IFN preparations."}
{"id": "PMID:1485832", "title": "IgG subclasses distribution in immunoglobulin preparations for intravenous use.", "content": "The levels of IgG subclasses were determined, by radial immunodiffusion using monoclonal antibodies, in 16 production batches of two human immunoglobulin preparations for intravenous use--Immunovenin and Immunovenin-intact. While the partially degraded preparation--Immunovenin contained exclusively IgG1, the subclass distribution in Immunovenin-intact was close to that observed in normal human serum."}
{"id": "PMID:1485833", "title": "Association of giant multinucleated cells with deterioration of osteoinductive potency of bone matrix.", "content": "A thirty four intramuscular implants of rat decalcified bone matrix into mice and rats were histologically inspected in order to find out if there is an inverse correlation between the induction of multinucleated giant cell formation and the bone induction activity. It was found that the presence of multinucleated giant cells which avidly resorbed the implanted matrix was almost always combined with the lack of local bone induction. In contrast, the specimens exhibiting intense bone induction were devoided of multinucleated giant cells. Our observation confirm the opinion expressed by Walters and Schneider that multinucleated giant cells induced by mineralized bone chips are not osteoclasts but a type of inflammatory cells, analogous if not identical to the \"foreign body cells\". It is postulated that formation of multinucleated giant cells is a morphological expression of hyperactivity of mononuclear phagocytes. Hyperactive multinucleated giant cells avidly resorb bone matrix and degrade bone inducing substance(s) like skeletal growth factor and/or bone morphogenetic peptides resulting in the deterioration or lack of bone induction."}
{"id": "PMID:1485834", "title": "Serological characterization of Proteus penneri species novum.", "content": "Serological characterization of the first collection of the 20 Proteus penneri strains is presented. All anti-0 sera were examined in microagglutination, semi-quantitative precipitation and passive hemagglutination tests. Some P. penneri lipopolysaccharides showed strong cross-reactivity in passive hemagglutination additionally confirmed by inhibition in this test. Serological similarity between species within genus Proteus is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1485835", "title": "Antibacterial and antifungal agents. XV. Synthesis and antifungal activity of structural analogues of bifonazole and ketoconazole.", "content": "The synthesis and antifungal activities of the cis- and trans-1-acetyl-4-[4-[[2-(1,1'-biphenyl-4-yl)-2-(1H-imidazol-1-ylmethy l)- 1,3-dioxolan-4-yl]-methoxy]phenyl)piperazines 3 and 4 are reported. Stereochemical assignments to diastereomeric pairs of cis/trans isomers were made on the basis of 1H- and 13C-NMR data. Among test derivatives the best activity was shown by the benzoyl esters of the cis- and trans-[2-(1,1'-biphenyl-4-yl)-2-(1H-imidazol-1-ylmethyl)-1,3-di oxolan-4- yl]methanols 9 and 10."}
{"id": "PMID:1485836", "title": "[Pharmacokinetics of hypolipedemic agents. 9. The question of biliary excretion of the hypolipidemic agent ciprofibrate (1) (2-(4-(2,2-dichlorocyclopropyl)-phenoxy)-2-methylpropionic acid].", "content": "After oral administration of 200 mg Ciprofibrate (1) to 10 patients, who were cholecystectomated with subsequent T-drainage, 1 could be determined in the collected bile only as its 1-O-beta-acylglucuronide to a very small amount. Approximative calculations have shown that two days after a single dose, less than 0.5% of the administered dose of 1 is excreted on the biliary route. It is an unsolved problem if there is an increase of biliary excretion after multiple dose."}
{"id": "PMID:1485837", "title": "[N-phosphorylated amino acids as potential cytostatics].", "content": "Phosphoramidic dichlorides 3 are synthesized by nucleophilic attack of methyl 2-(1-ethylenimino)-alkanoates 1 on POCl3 or by the reaction of amino acid methyl ester hydrochlorides 2 with POCl3. Subsequent treatment of 3 with ethylenimine affords the TEPA-analogs 4, and with 3-(1-ethylenimino)-1-propanol (6) the IFOSFAMID analogous 1,3,2-oxaza-phosphorines 5, the cytostatic activity of which was tested in the P388-leukemia of the CD2F1-mouse."}
{"id": "PMID:1485838", "title": "[Synthesis of enantiomerically pure 6,10-epoxybenzocycloocten-7-amines with CNS activity].", "content": "In an oxa-Pictet-Spengler reaction the methyl (S)-phenyllactate 6 and methyl levulinate (7a) are condensed to the 2-benzopyrans cis-8a and trans-8a, which react with CH3I to yield the dimethyl ethers cis-9a and trans-9a. Cis-9a and trans-9a can be separated by medium pressure liquid chromatography. In the subsequent Dieckmann-Cyclisation cis-9a is transformed to the laevorotatory beta-ketoester (-)-10a, while the dextrorotatory enantiomer (+)-10a is obtained from trans-9a after C-3-epimerisation. With Eu(hfc)3 the ketone (-)-11, prepared by saponification and decarboxylation of (-)-10a, proves to be enantiomerically pure. By reductive amination, ketone (-)-11 is transformed to the amines (-)-12a and (-)-12b. Symptoms typical for central damping are caused after i.p. application of (-)-12a and (-)-12b to mice. In the mouse writhing-test (-)-12a HCl affords an ED50-value of 7.0 mg/kg, comparable with the ED50-value of tramadol."}
{"id": "PMID:1485840", "title": "A call to the international nursing community: put AIDS in developing countries on the agenda.", "content": "In some African countries 10%-15% of the middle class may due during the 1990s and at the present time the human infrastructure is being eroded by HIV. Over 90% of home and community care is being supervised by nursing and midwifery personnel in some developing countries. What will happen if these carers become ill or die? Peter Kerr provided a micro view of HIV disease in developing countries in 'Health care crisis in Africa', August ANJ. In this article he discusses the macro implications for developing countries as they encounter the consequences of what is likely to be the most devastating epidemic of this century."}
{"id": "PMID:1485845", "title": "Casemix is coming.", "content": "Casemix is the term used to describe the types of patients being treated in hospitals. During the 1980s, the main casemix classification adopted in Australia utilised diagnosis related groups (DRGs) and Australian Governments are now moving towards output-based funding of hospitals using DRGs. Changes to hospital funding mechanisms, increased focus on the output or product of hospital services and the availability of more information linking service provision to costs will have an impact on all nurses employed in hospital settings."}
{"id": "PMID:1485847", "title": "Experimental exposure of broiler chickens to boric acid to assess clinical signs and lesions of toxicosis.", "content": "One-day-old broiler chicks were housed on litter treated with 0, 0.9, 3.6, or 7.2 kg of boric acid per 9.3 m2 of floor space. After 15 days, average body weights were 340.7 g, 278.1 g, and 213.2 g for chickens exposed to 0, 3.6, and 7.2 kg boric acid/9.3 m2, respectively (P < or = 0.05). Feed conversion was 1.68 and 2.29 in chickens exposed to 0 and 7.2 kg boric acid/9.3 m2 (P < or = 0.05). In a second experiment, after birds ingested feed treated with 2500 and 5000 ppm of boric acid for 2 weeks, body weights were 254.8 g and 149.6 g, respectively. The chickens in the control group weighed an average of 285.0 g (P < or = 0.05). The 5000 ppm treatment group had a feed conversion of 1.70, vs. 1.45 in the controls (P < or = 0.05). A dose-related feathering abnormality was evident in treated chickens. No significant histopathologic changes were observed. Livability, weight gain, and feed conversion were not adversely affected in broilers as a result of exposure to litter treated with boric acid at recommended levels of 0.4-0.9 kg/9.3 m2."}
{"id": "PMID:1485846", "title": "Polymerase chain reaction amplification for direct detection of chicken anemia virus DNA in tissues and sera.", "content": "Direct detection of chicken anemia virus (CAV) DNA in tissues and sera was investigated by a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay. Using a pair of primers constructed to amplify the coding sequence of the CAV DNA genome, the PCR assay was shown to be extremely sensitive, being able to detect 1 fg of CAV replicative form DNA. The oligonucleotide primers used for the PCR yielded 583 base-pair (bp) amplified product, which was sized by ethidium bromide-agarose gel electrophoresis. Tissue samples from seven cases of suspected chicken infectious anemia were obtained for CAV isolation. DNA extracted from the homogenized suspension of pooled tissues of each case was analyzed by the PCR assay. Results showed that five of the seven cases were positive for CAV DNA by PCR, whereas CAV was isolated from four cases only. The PCR assay also detected CAV DNA in two of 37 serum samples from disease-free chickens. The specificity of PCR was confirmed by chemiluminescence dot-blot analysis of the amplified products."}
{"id": "PMID:1485850", "title": "Increasing incidence of anemia among clinically ill Georgia broilers: 1988-89 vs. 1990.", "content": "The incidence of anemia in clinically ill Georgia broilers climbed from 66.4% (324/488) during 1988-89 to 80.9% (531/656) during 1990. The incidence of polycythemia fell from 1.6% (8/488) during 1988-89 to 1.5% (10/656) during 1990. Specifically, compared with 1988-89, the 1990 incidence of anemia increased significantly in chicks at age 7 days (P = 0.0002) and 28 days (P = 0.05). We have no certain explanation for this shifting incidence of anemia in clinically ill Georgia broilers. Anemic chicks have plasma that contains virus particles with morphologic characteristics consistent with a virus (chicken anemia agent [CAA]) known to cause anemia in chickens. If CAA is the predominant etiology for anemia in clinically ill Georgia broilers, then our observation could be easily explained. The increasing rate of anemia could indicate a decline in broiler health over time."}
{"id": "PMID:1485849", "title": "Effect of age of maternal flock and strain on the incidence of tibial dyschondroplasia in growing chicks.", "content": "Two experiments were conducted to study the effects of age of the maternal flock (27 vs. 57 weeks of age at time the eggs were set) and strain of broiler chicks (Cobb 500, Ross, Arbor Acres, and Avian) on the incidence of tibial dyschondroplasia (TD) in broiler cockerels grown to 3 weeks of age. The chicks were fed a corn/soybean meal-based diet containing 3145 kcal metabolizable energy corrected for nitrogen retention (MEn)/kg, 24% protein, and 0.50% available phosphorus. Each treatment was replicated four times with eight chicks per pen. In Expt. 1, chicks from the old parent flock had significantly higher body weights (P < or = 0.05) than those from the young parent flock. There were no significant differences in feed efficiency or incidence of TD. In Expt. 2, body weights, feed efficiency, and TD were unaffected by strain."}
{"id": "PMID:1485851", "title": "Comparison of MTT colorimetric assay and tritiated thymidine uptake for lymphocyte proliferation assays using chicken splenocytes.", "content": "The MTT (3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyl-tetrazolium bromide) colorimetric assay was compared with the conventional tritiated thymidine deoxyriboside (3H-TdR) incorporation for assay of lymphocyte blastogenesis using mononuclear cells isolated from the spleens of specific-pathogen-free chickens. The study was undertaken in an effort to simplify methods for assessing avian lymphocyte proliferation, specifically for evaluating response to mitogens or for indirect measurement of T-cell growth factors. The results from stimulated cells in both assay methods were significantly different from results from the control cells, and the MTT assay results regressed in a significant linear manner on counts from 3H-TdR incorporation. On this basis, the MTT assay is a valid test for evaluation of lymphocyte proliferation of chicken splenocytes."}
{"id": "PMID:1485848", "title": "Failure of the Congo red dye uptake test to discriminate between virulent and avirulent avian Escherichia coli.", "content": "Twenty avian Escherichia coli isolates from normal and diseased chickens were compared by use of three virulence tests. These tests included the uptake of Congo red dye, an embryo lethality test, and a quantitative microtiter complement resistance test. A direct correlation was seen between the results of the complement resistance test and the embryo lethality test. The results of the Congo red test did not correlate with the two other tests."}
{"id": "PMID:1485852", "title": "A feather-trap system for the removal of chicken feathers from laboratory sewage.", "content": "A simple feather-trap system is described for use on the drain lines of buildings housing poultry for research or other purposes where floors are frequently washed. The trap uses disposable plastic-mesh bags that can efficiently remove almost all feathers from the water, preventing sewer lines from being blocked by compacted feathers. Critical measurements and operational procedures are described."}
{"id": "PMID:1485853", "title": "Immunization of young chickens by trickle infection with Eimeria tenella.", "content": "Immunization of chickens was attempted with low levels of Eimeria tenella oocysts (50 oocysts per day) over the first 1 or 2 weeks of life--the \"trickle infection\" (TI) method. When chickens were immunized by TI at 0-13 days of age, no cecal lesions and a reduced number of oocysts in ceca were observed after challenge at 17 days of age. TI at 0-6 days of age conferred better protection against challenge with E. tenella than did TI at 7-13 days. However, cecal lesions were observed in almost all of these chickens. These findings indicated that TI for 2 weeks (0-13 days of age) provided better immunity than TI for 1 week (0-6 or 7-13 days of age)."}
{"id": "PMID:1485857", "title": "Studies on the effect of concurrent infections of Ascaridia dissimilis and Eimeria meleagrimitis in turkeys.", "content": "The effects of concurrent infections of Ascaridia dissimilis and Eimeria meleagrimitis in turkeys were studied in two separate trials. In the first trial, newly larvated ova were used to inoculate poults 7 or 3 days before, on the same day as, or 3 days after the poults received E. meleagrimitis. Poults receiving the A. dissimilis 3 days before, on the same day as, or 3 days after receiving E. meleagrimitis had significantly lower total oocyst production than the E. meleagrimitis-positive control. In the second trial, larvated ova that were approximately 100 days old were used in the same regimen. In this trial, poults that were inoculated with A. dissimilis 3 days before or 3 days after receiving the E. meleagrimitis produced significantly fewer oocysts than poults inoculated simultaneously with both parasites. Poults inoculated with A. dissimilis 3 days before receiving E. meleagrimitis also had significantly fewer third-stage nematodes than the A. dissimilis-positive controls. There were no significant differences in weight gain between treatments in either trial."}
{"id": "PMID:1485856", "title": "Simulation of maternal immunity by inoculation of immune yolk preparations into the yolk sac of 1-day-old chickens.", "content": "Yolk harvested from eggs laid by hens hyperimmunized with killed Newcastle disease virus (NDV) was inoculated into the yolk sac of 1-day-old specific-pathogen-free (SPF) chickens. Serum hemagglutination-inhibition antibody titers reached maximum levels 1 to 4 days after yolk inoculation and declined at a rate similar to that reported for naturally acquired maternal antibody. Expected levels of immune interference were observed when yolk-inoculated chickens were vaccinated with a conventional oil-emulsion NDV vaccine. These results show that yolk-sac inoculation with yolk antibody is a suitable approach for producing maternally immune chickens for laboratory studies."}
{"id": "PMID:1485854", "title": "An inexpensive system to monitor air flow in isolation units.", "content": "Isolation units are used extensively for conducting infectious disease research in poultry. By necessity, these units are airtight and receive air only through electrically powered ventilation systems. Therefore, interruptions in electrical service to these units present a serious hazard to the animals they contain. A system was designed to monitor the air flow through isolation units and to alert animal caretakers in the event of any interruption in air flow. The \"intelligence\" of the system relies on an electronic monitor connected to a telephone line that places alerting telephone calls when it detects loss of air flow to the units. The system is constructed from easily acquired and relatively inexpensive parts and components."}
{"id": "PMID:1485859", "title": "Comparisons of packed cell volumes (PCVs) from so-called chicken anemia agent (CAA; a virus)-free broilers to PCVs from CAA-free specific-pathogen-free leghorns.", "content": "Packed cell volumes (PCVs) from 3-, 7-, 14-, 21-, 28-, and 35-day-old clinically healthy chicken anemia agent (CAA)-free and specific-pathogen-free (SPF) leghorn chicks were compared with PCVs from age-matched clinically healthy CAA-free broiler chicks. The PCVs of the SPF chicks regressed significantly (F = 20.6, df = 2/3, P < 0.025) on age in a linear fashion. The PCVs of the broiler chicks regressed significantly (F = 9.56, df = 2/3, P < 0.05) on age in a cubic parabola. The mean PCVs of the broiler chicks were significantly (P < 0.05) higher than PCVs of SPF chicks at every tested time interval. Results indicate that PCV values are higher in broiler chicks than in SPF leghorn chicks, and that PCVs increase as chicks age. Clinicians, diagnosticians, and investigators who intend to work with chicken blood must be aware of these differences."}
{"id": "PMID:1485855", "title": "Effect of hypoxia and diet on spontaneous turkey cardiomyopathy (round-heart disease).", "content": "The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of hypoxia-induced hypoxemia and rate of growth on spontaneous dilatory cardiomyopathy in turkey poults. Turkey poults grown in a hypobaric chamber at an atmospheric pressure of 592 mmHg (calculated partial pressure of oxygen: 124 mmHg; calculated altitude and O2 equivalents: 2054 m and 16.3%) on a rapid-growth diet developed a mainly right ventricular dilatory cardiomyopathy typical of the acute form of spontaneous turkey cardiomyopathy (STC). Poults grown in a hypobaric chamber on a slow-growth diet had a much lower incidence of STC. Control poults at atmospheric pressure, altitude 295 m (calculated atmospheric pressure: 735 mmHg; partial pressure of oxygen: 154 mmHg, 20.26% O2), on a rapid-growth diet had an incidence of STC similar to that of the slow-growth hypobaric group, while those on a slow-growth diet had a lower incidence."}
{"id": "PMID:1485858", "title": "Plasma bile acid concentrations in response to feeding in peregrine falcons (Falco peregrinus).", "content": "A significant post-prandial increase of plasma bile acid concentration (PBAC) was observed in peregrine falcons (Falco peregrinus). In order to avoid physiological food-induced elevations in PBAC, which can complicate interpretation of plasma chemistry results in birds of prey, it is recommended that blood samples be obtained after a fasting period of at least 24 hours."}
{"id": "PMID:1485860", "title": "Sarcocystis in mallards on the Southern High Plains of Texas.", "content": "Two hundred thirty-one mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) collected during 1989-91 on the Southern High Plains of Texas were examined for macroscopically detectable Sarcocystis spp. Only eight adult mallards were infected. Based on small quantified tissue samples, five, one, and two birds had light, medium, and heavy infections, respectively. Prevalences were 4%, 8%, 9%, and 0% across two consecutive summer and winter periods, respectively. A new locality record for Sarcocystis spp. was established in both migratory and breeding populations of mallards. Our data suggest that geographic regions other than the Southern High Plains are more important in the transmission of Sarcocystis spp. in mallards."}
{"id": "PMID:1485862", "title": "Pullorum disease in Delaware roasters.", "content": "An index case of pullorum disease in 4-week-old roasters from a completely integrated poultry operation is reported from Delaware. Severe articular and periarticular swelling of hock and/or wing joints was observed on postmortem examination. Also seen were moderate to severe hydropericardium and large white-gray nodules in the heart and gizzard that grossly could have been taken for tumors. The livers showed multiple small white foci, petechial hemorrhages, and swelling. Initially, Salmonella pullorum was isolated from the articular fluid by direct culture on MacConkey agar, but it was not isolated from liver, spleen, or heart samples after enrichment in selenite broth."}
{"id": "PMID:1485864", "title": "A syndrome in commercial turkeys in California and Oregon characterized by a rear-limb necrotizing skeletal myopathy.", "content": "A necrotizing skeletal myopathy of rear limbs was diagnosed in 17 flocks of commercial turkeys. The mean mortality attributed to the myopathy was 2.29% (range = 0.13-9.7%) over a mean period of 9.6 days (range = 6-14 days). The mean age of the birds at the time of onset was 7.4 weeks (range = 4-10.5 weeks). Clinically, birds experienced an episode of watery droppings and high-pitched crying, followed by rear-limb paresis or paralysis. Creatine kinase and aspartate aminotransferase were markedly elevated in birds with the myopathy. Grossly, a few birds had pale streaking in the muscles of the thighs and legs. Histologically, acute and subacute degeneration was present in myofibers of the legs, abdomen, thighs, back, and tail. The subacute lesion was characterized by marked sarcolemmal cell proliferation. Feed analyses ruled out selenium deficiency and the presence of mycotoxins as etiologies. Monensin was present in approved usage or only slightly elevated levels. A known potentiating antibiotic was being used concurrently with monensin in only one flock."}
{"id": "PMID:1485861", "title": "Pyogranulomatous typhlitis and hepatitis of market turkeys.", "content": "Pyogranulomatous lesions in the liver and cecum were observed in groups of 7-to-8-week-old market turkeys. Necropsy revealed multifocal lesions in the liver and the presence of cecal cores that, in some cases, distended the cecum to the point of rupture. Mortality was associated with the ruptured ceca. Two successive flocks also succumbed to these lesions. An epizootiological study was performed to determine the cause and/or initiation of lesions leading to the formation of cecal cores."}
{"id": "PMID:1485865", "title": "Toxicosis in broiler chicks due to excess dietary ethoxyquin.", "content": "A commercial broiler company experienced a sudden increase of mortality in four flocks at two separate locations. Affected houses had red dust on inside walls and on the equipment. Affected chickens were 10 to 18 days old. Grossly, chickens had pale, swollen kidneys, dark-brown enlarged livers, and urates in joint spaces. Histologically, the kidneys had multifocal proximal tubular necrosis, the livers had dilated sinusoids, biliary hyperplasia, and accumulation of brown pigment in hepatocytes and bile ducts. One starter ration was analyzed, and it contained 6500 mg ethoxyquin/kg. The red dust in the houses and the brown pigment in livers were interpreted to be ethoxyquin. Clinical signs and histologic lesions were reproduced experimentally with 12,500 mg ethoxyquin/kg feed."}
{"id": "PMID:1485867", "title": "Aeromonas hydrophila conjunctivitis in a pet parrot (Amazona versicolor).", "content": "A bilateral conjunctivitis in a pet parrot (Amazona versicolor) is reported. Aeromonas hydrophila was isolated in pure culture from both eyes and considered of diagnostic significance. Biochemical characteristics and antimicrobial susceptibility of the strain were studied, as were the factors that could have contributed to the clinical conjunctivitis and the role of A. hydrophila as an opportunistic pathogen."}
{"id": "PMID:1485866", "title": "Sarcoid granuloma-like lesions in the lungs of broiler chicks.", "content": "Sarcoid granuloma-like lesions were observed in the lungs of two broiler chicks showing depressed growth. Multinucleated giant cells in the lesions often contained foreign bodies comprising amorphous and laminated material. These were morphologically similar to Schaumann bodies found in human sarcoidosis. This is the first report of sarcoid granuloma-like lesions and Schaumann body-like material in chickens."}
{"id": "PMID:1485863", "title": "Tracheal aspergillosis in 6 1/2-week-old chickens caused by Aspergillus flavus.", "content": "A case of localized tracheal aspergillosis in 6 1/2-week-old single-comb white leghorn pullets caused by Aspergillus flavus is documented. Yellow caseous plaques adherent to the mucosal surface of the tracheas were observed grossly. In several tracheas, the plaques occluded the lumina, and the surrounding tracheal walls were reddened. Histologically, the mucosa was necrotic and infiltrated with macrophages, and fibroplasia was evident in the subadjacent tracheal wall. The lumen of the trachea was almost completely occluded by a combination of fungal mycelia and pyogranulomatous exudate. Portions of tracheal cartilage were elevated into the lumen of the trachea. Other than a sudden increase in mortality to 0.5% per day, there was no evidence of disease in the flock. Depletion of bursal lymphocytes, with concomitant cryptosporidiosis, was evident on histological examination. Acute infectious bursal disease was diagnosed in the succeeding flock at this ranch based upon serology and typical histology."}
{"id": "PMID:1485868", "title": "Bacteremia and vegetative endocarditis associated with a heart murmur in a blue-and-gold macaw.", "content": "A 6-year-old male blue-and-gold macaw (Ara ararauna) was presented with severe weakness, anorexia, and weight loss of 2 weeks duration. Cardiac auscultation revealed a soft systolic murmur. Blood cultures collected both antemortem and postmortem yielded pure isolates of Enterobacter cloacae. At necropsy, vegetative endocarditis was found involving the left atrioventricular valve. Microscopically, the lesion on the valve was characterized by a mixture of necrotic material, colonies of gram-negative bacteria, fibrosis, and inflammatory infiltrate consisting primarily of heterophils."}
{"id": "PMID:1485869", "title": "Myocarditis as a component of psittacine proventricular dilatation syndrome in a Patagonian conure.", "content": "Psittacine proventricular dilatation syndrome was diagnosed at necropsy in a Patagonian conure. Gross and histopathological lesions in the proventriculus, ventriculus, and brain were similar to those previously reported. In addition, severe myocarditis was a prominent feature of this case, a finding not previously defined as a significant component of the condition."}
{"id": "PMID:1485872", "title": "Protection of chickens from Newcastle and Marek's diseases with a recombinant herpesvirus of turkeys vaccine expressing the Newcastle disease virus fusion protein.", "content": "Recombinant strains of herpesvirus of turkeys (HVT) were constructed that contain either the fusion protein gene or the hemagglutinin-neuraminidase gene of Newcastle disease virus (NDV) inserted into a nonessential gene of HVT. Expression of the NDV antigens was regulated from a strong promoter element derived from the Rous sarcoma virus long terminal repeat. Recombinant HVT strains were stable and fully infectious in cell culture and in chickens. Chickens receiving a single intra-abdominal inoculation at 1 day of age with recombinant HVT expressing the NDV fusion protein had an immunological response and were protected (> 90%) against lethal intramuscular challenge at 28 days of age with the neurotropic velogenic NDV strain Texas GB. Recombinant HVT expressing the NDV hemagglutinin-neuraminidase provided partial protection (47%) against the same challenge. Chickens vaccinated with recombinant HVT vaccines had low levels of protection against NDV replication in the trachea when challenged ocularly. Recombinant HVT vaccines and the parent HVT strain provided similar levels of protection to chickens challenged with the very virulent RB1B strain of Marek's disease virus, indicating that insertion of foreign sequences into the HVT genome did not compromise the ability of HVT to protect against Marek's disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1485873", "title": "Effect of used litter from floor pens of adult broilers on Salmonella colonization of broiler chicks.", "content": "The effect of used pine-shaving litter from broiler floor pens on Salmonella colonization resistance was evaluated in broiler chicks. One-day-old chicks were placed in floor pens on fresh unused litter or on used litter. All chicks were challenged orally with 10(4) S. typhimurium at 3 days of age. The study was replicated in three trials with used litter that was collected and stored for 1 day (Trial 1), 4 days (Trial 2), or 50 days (Trial 3) before the start of each trial. Cecal concentrations of volatile fatty acids (VFAs) were significantly higher (P < 0.05) in chicks placed on used litter than in chicks on new litter. In all three trials, the number of Salmonella in the cecal contents and the number of Salmonella cecal-culture-positive chicks was significantly lower (P < 0.01) at 10 days and 20 days of age in the chicks on used litter than in the chicks on new litter. The results indicated that newly hatched chicks reared on used litter had higher cecal VFA concentrations and higher resistance to Salmonella colonization than chicks reared on new litter."}
{"id": "PMID:1485874", "title": "Experimental Streptococcus bovis infections in pigeons.", "content": "Thirty pigeons were experimentally infected with Streptococcus bovis using an intravenous infection model. Ninety percent of the inoculated pigeons developed clinical disease. Disease signs included acute death, inability to fly, lameness, inappetence, emaciation, polyuria, and the production of slimy, green droppings. At necropsy, the septicemic character of the disease was evident. Typical lesions included extensive well-circumscribed areas of necrosis in the pectoral muscle, tenosynovitis of the tendon of the Musculus pectoralis profundus, and arthritis of the stifle, tibiotarsal, or shoulder joints. Focal myocardial necrosis also was seen. Meningitis and encephalitis occurred in the cerebrum and the cerebellum. Disease signs and lesions described here after experimental infection were similar to those in naturally occurring cases of S. bovis septicemia."}
{"id": "PMID:1485871", "title": "Effect of virginiamycin on serum carotenoid levels and long, segmented, filamentous organisms in broiler chicks.", "content": "Virginiamycin (Stafac 20) was mixed with feed at three levels recommended for chickens--5.5, 11, and 22 mg/kg (respectively 5, 10 and 20 g/ton)--and fed to broiler chicks. When fed from 1 day through 2 weeks of age, the drug appeared to retard infection of the lower small intestine by long, segmented, filamentous organisms (LSFOs), and at 2 weeks of age serum carotenoids in treated chicks were significantly higher than levels found in unmedicated chicks. However, as chicks were grown out to 4 and 6 weeks of age, the drug did not completely prevent eventual LSFO infection, even at the highest dose, and mean serum carotenoid levels in treated chicks were not significantly different from levels in control chicks. However, chicks fed at the level of 22 mg/kg had fewer LSFOs. Withdrawal of virginiamycin from treated chicks at 4 weeks of age allowed LSFO infection to occur but did not significantly affect serum carotenoid levels. When the drug was fed for 2 weeks at 22 mg/kg to 2-week-old chicks already infected with LSFOs, the bacteria could no longer be detected, suggesting that virginiamycin may aid the natural decline in LSFO population. Coincident with this treatment, serum carotenoids were higher, but not significantly so. Virginiamycin did not significantly increase the mean body weights of chicks in any of these experiments."}
{"id": "PMID:1485877", "title": "Evaluation of the kidney as a potential site of avian influenza virus persistence in chickens.", "content": "One-day-old chickens were inoculated intravenously with one of three low-pathogenicity avian-origin influenza isolates. On day 5 postinoculation (PI), the frequency of influenza virus isolation from cloacal swabs following challenge with each isolate ranged from 83% to 100% for clinically normal euthanatized chickens. Influenza virus was also frequently isolated from kidneys of these chickens (47%) and from chickens that died (100%). Kidneys positive for virus isolation had lesions of nephrosis and/or acute nephritis, and influenza viral nucleoprotein was demonstrated in nuclei and cytoplasm of necrotic renal tubule epithelium. On sampling days 28 and 45/60 PI, influenza virus was neither isolated from nor immunohistochemically demonstrated in kidneys (0/125); however, the kidneys (47%) did have chronic histologic lesions that suggested previous influenza virus infection of the kidneys. Influenza virus was isolated from cloacal swabs of two of 44 chickens on day 28 PI, but all cloacal swabs were negative for virus recovery on sampling day 45/60 PI (0/81). These results indicate that replication of influenza virus in renal tubule epithelial cells did not result in persistence of type A influenza virus in this immunologically privileged site."}
{"id": "PMID:1485870", "title": "Toxin production by Clostridium perfringens isolated from broiler chickens and capercaillies (Tetrao urogallus) with and without necrotizing enteritis.", "content": "A total of 192 isolates of Clostridium perfringens were isolated from 99 broiler chickens and 93 capercaillies (Tetrao urogallus). Fifty of the isolates from broilers and 44 of the isolates from capercaillies were from birds with necrotizing enteritis, and the remainder were from birds without this disease. The isolates were tested for the production of three major toxins (alpha, beta, and epsilon) and four minor toxins (theta, gelatinase, mu, and nu). All isolates were found to be C. perfringens type A. Alpha toxin was produced in significantly larger amounts by isolates from birds with necrotizing enteritis than by isolates from birds without the disease, regardless of bird species. Isolates from broilers produced significantly more alpha toxin than did isolates from capercaillies."}
{"id": "PMID:1485876", "title": "Pathologic and serologic characterization of a variant of duck hepatitis type I virus.", "content": "A duck hepatitis virus (DHV), isolated from ducks on a farm in Virginia in 1963, was shown to be only partially related to DHV type I (DHV-I) in cross-neutralization and in cross-protection tests. The virus, named DHV-Ia, apparently is a serologic variant of DHV-I; both viruses are serologically distinct from DHV type III. Pathologic responses to DHV-Ia were similar to those described for DHV-I infection."}
{"id": "PMID:1485878", "title": "Optimum conditions for the chicken lymphocyte transformation test.", "content": "Optimum conditions for chicken (Gallus gallus) lymphocyte transformation tests were determined. Thrice-washed chicken buffy-coat cells obtained after slow centrifugation (40 x g for 10 minutes) responded substantially better to mitogenic stimulation than lymphocytes isolated on separation media containing Ficoll. Maximum responses were obtained with 2 x 10(7) lymphoid cells/ml. Responses to the mitogens were greatest when fetal bovine serum was used at a 5% concentration or pooled chicken serum and autologous plasma were used at a 1.25% concentration. Optimum mitogen concentrations varied with individual birds, timing of the culture, temperature of incubation, and serum concentration in the cultures. When 1.25% chicken serum was used in the cultures, responses were usually greatest with final concentrations of 30-50 micrograms/ml of concanavalin A (Con A) and 30-50 micrograms/ml of phytohemagglutinin-P (PHA-P). The optimum concentration of pokeweed mitogen (PWM) varied from 1 to 40 micrograms/ml among the birds and was practically impossible to establish in general. The incubation in humidified air with 5% CO2 was significantly better at 40 C than at 37 C. The total culture time of 40 hours including pulsing with 3H-thymidine during the final 16 hours of incubation was the best for Con A- and PHA-P-stimulated cells, whereas a longer incubation of 64 hours gave the highest results with PWM stimulations."}
{"id": "PMID:1485875", "title": "Nephrotropic properties demonstrated by A/chicken/Alabama/75 (H4N8) following intravenous challenge of chickens.", "content": "Tissue tropism properties of A/chicken/Alabama/75 (H4N8) were examined after intravenous inoculation of 5-week-old specific-pathogen-free chickens. From 14 clinically normal chickens euthanatized on days 1-20 postinoculation, the frequencies of virus recovery were highest for cloacal swabs (86%), bursal swabs (64%), and kidney tissues (64%) and lowest for tracheal swabs (14%), thymus tissues (14%), bone-marrow swabs (7%), and brain tissues (0%). Evidence that the high frequency of virus recovery from kidney tissues was associated with virus replication in the kidney tissues was provided by high virus titers, ranging up to 10(9.5) mean embryo infectious dose per gram of kidney tissue, and by identification of intranuclear and intracytoplasmic type A influenza nucleoprotein in kidney cells using immunohistochemistry. Virus-recovery and virus titer results from three chickens that died on days 4 and 5 postinoculation paralleled the results from the clinically normal chickens. These findings indicate that A/chicken/Alabama/75 has nephrotropic properties similar to nephrotropic properties previously reported for waterfowl-origin type A influenza viruses and provide evidence that kidney lesions could be manifestations of systemic influenza infections in commercial laying chickens."}
{"id": "PMID:1485879", "title": "Mycoplasma gallisepticum vaccination-challenge: an egg-production model.", "content": "Specific-pathogen-free layer hens in maximum lay were exposed by aerosol to a broth culture of Mycoplasma gallisepticum R' strain. Egg-production loss of greater than 50% was evident 7-14 days following challenge of unvaccinated chickens, with a gradual recovery during the next several days. Various vaccine preparations were tested to determine the effect in the model. All vaccinated chickens exhibited significantly (P < or = 0.05) lower egg-production loss than the unvaccinated controls. The model provides a method for testing treatment effects on egg-production losses resulting from controlled exposure to M. gallisepticum and may be useful in simulating field exposure."}
{"id": "PMID:1485882", "title": "Turkey macrophage and heterophil bactericidal activity against Pasteurella multocida.", "content": "Bactericidal activity of turkey macrophages and heterophils was demonstrated in an in vitro colorimetric bactericidal assay. Two vaccine strains and one field isolate of Pasteurella multocida A:3,4 and a single isolate each of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus were compared for susceptibility to the bactericidal activity of turkey macrophages and heterophils. Only P. multocida A:3,4-strain M-9 (the least virulent strain) was susceptible to macrophage bactericidal activity in the absence of specific immune serum, whereas all three P. multocida A:3,4 organisms were killed when opsonized with specific immune serum. E. coli was susceptible to the bactericidal activity of macrophages, and S. aureus was resistant. All bacteria tested were highly sensitive to the bactericidal activity of intact turkey heterophils, regardless of the opsonin treatment. Electron microscopic findings suggested that heterophils may kill extracellular P. multocida. Only S. aureus and E. coli were killed by lysed heterophils."}
{"id": "PMID:1485880", "title": "Re-evaluation of the pathogenicity of A/chicken/Alabama/75 (H4N8) influenza virus.", "content": "Avian influenza (AI) virus A/chicken/Alabama/7395/75 (H4N8), a putatively non-pathogenic virus associated with a self-limiting outbreak of severe disease in commercial layers, was selectively passed in chickens or in cell cultures and then in chickens to determine whether virus with increased pathogenicity would emerge. When 20 derivatives of the parental virus were each inoculated intranasally and intratracheally in leghorn hens, mortality rates ranged from zero (0/24) to 25% (6/24); mortality was 4% (1/24) for hens inoculated with the parental virus. Many virus reisolates (51/144) from hens that died exhibited high pathogenicity, killing at least six of eight intravenously inoculated 4-week-old chickens. Most derivatives examined produced plaques in trypsin-free cell cultures more efficiently than the parental virus, but the highest plaquing efficiencies observed (10%) were lower than would be expected (100%) for highly pathogenic subtype H5 or H7 AI viruses. These results confirm that the Alabama H4N8 virus can acquire increased pathogenicity upon passage in chickens and suggest that it may have acted alone in producing the severe disease observed in laying chickens in Alabama."}
{"id": "PMID:1485884", "title": "Significance of adaptation mechanisms in adriamycin induced congestive heart failure.", "content": "Natural history of myocardial dysfunction due to chronic contractile deficit consists of physiological and pathophysiological adaptations culminating in congestive heart failure. Among the mechanisms considered is the combination of compensatory as well as the harmful overcompensatory role of the adrenergic system during the genesis of a congestive heart failure \"spiral\" due to the chronic treatment with adriamycin. Refractoriness of this spiral to various inotropic agents may involve reduced sympathetic support of the myocardium, structural loss of contractile elements and abnormalities of the Ca2+ metabolism."}
{"id": "PMID:1485885", "title": "Myocardial contractile protein ATPase activities in adrenalectomized and thyroidectomized rats.", "content": "This report compares the effects of adrenalectomy and thyroidectomy, with and without hormone replacement, on loss of contractile protein ATPase activities. The rationale for this study was derived from the similarities in their intracellular receptors, mechanisms of action, and the large number of proteins regulated by both hormones. Rats were adrenalectomized, thyroidectomized, or both, and were subsequently treated for 6 weeks with hydrocortisone, triiodothyronine, or saline. Sham-operated rats were given saline for the same period of time. Six weeks of adrenal insufficiency resulted in diminished enzymatic activity of myofibrillar, Ca(2+)-activated myosin ATPase, and actin-activated myosin ATPase fractions. Treatment with hydrocortisone prevented the decline in enzymatic activity due to adrenalectomy. Likewise, thyroidectomy caused a loss of enzymatic activity which was prevented by treatment with triiodothyronine. The full deleterious effect of combined ablation could be partially prevented by treatment with either hydrocortisone or triiodothyronine, but the latter was most effective. The results suggest that hydrocortisone and triiodothyronine each had significant positive effects in the presence of the other, but not in its absence, on the activity of myofibrillar Ca(2+)-dependent Mg-ATPase and Ca(2+)-activated myosin ATPase. The effects of these two hormones on actin-activated myosin ATPase activity were more independent of each other. We conclude that the actions of thyroid and glucocorticoid hormones on the heart are interrelated and that optimum myocardial function results from their combined action."}
{"id": "PMID:1485881", "title": "Vaccination of turkeys with cell-free culture filtrate of Pasteurella multocida: effects of dilution, iron chelation, and heterologous challenge.", "content": "Two experiments were done to further define cell-free culture filtrate (CCF) from Pasteurella multocida and its endotoxin content in protecting turkeys against challenge. In the first experiment, the greater-than-30,000-molecular-weight fraction of P. multocida strain R44/6 (serotype 3/4/9/12) CCF was used in 10-fold dilutions given by air-sac inoculation or aerosol to vaccinate turkeys, which were subsequently challenged with either homologous (P-1059, serotype 3) or heterologous (X-73, serotype 1) strains. Endotoxin content of the CCF fraction was high. Compared with positive controls given either live Clemson University vaccine or a commercial bacterin, homologous protection was provided by undiluted CCF and 1:10 dilutions of CCF, but there was no heterologous protection. In the second experiment, CCF of strain R44/6 in regular and iron-limiting media and CCF of strain FC127B (serotype 1/4) were used alone or in combination to vaccinate turkeys, which were challenged as in the first experiment. Homologous but not heterologous protection occurred, even though growth of strain R44/6 in iron-limiting media reduced endotoxin content of CCF by approximately 93%. These results indicate that endotoxin levels of less than 10% but greater than 1% of those in CCF from regular media are sufficient to induce protection in turkeys against homologous challenge but that CCF from either regular or iron-limiting medium does not provide protection against heterologous challenge."}
{"id": "PMID:1485883", "title": "Evaluation of the efficacy of an oil-emulsion bacterin for protecting chickens against Salmonella enteritidis.", "content": "To assess the potential protective efficacy of a Salmonella enteritidis bacterin, an acetone-killed oil-emulsion vaccine was prepared from a phage type 13a S. enteritidis strain and administered subcutaneously to hens in two experiments. Hens were housed individually, and every other hen was vaccinated (at 23 weeks of age in one experiment and at 45 weeks in the other). A second (booster) bacterin injection was administered 6 weeks later in both experiments. Three weeks after the second vaccination, all hens were challenged with an oral dose of approximately 10(9) cells of a heterologous (phage type 14b) S. enteritidis strain. In both trials, S. enteritidis was isolated from fewer internal organs (spleens, ovaries, and oviducts) and pools of egg contents from vaccinated hens than from unvaccinated control hens. Vaccination did not, however, affect the percentage of hens that shed S. enteritidis in feces in either experiment."}
{"id": "PMID:1485887", "title": "Predicting functional recovery from ischemia in the rat myocardium.", "content": "Depletion of high-energy phosphates, accumulation of inorganic phosphate and intracellular acidosis have each been proposed as important events in the transition from reversible to irreversible ischemic injury. To assess whether each variable is predictive of functional recovery on reperfusion, these were measured in the isolated isovolumic rat heart using 31P NMR. Perfused hearts were subjected to either 10, 12 or 40 min of normothermic ischemia followed by 40 min of reperfusion. Hearts were then freeze-clamped for further analysis of phosphate metabolites by NMR and ion chromatography. High-energy phosphates, Pi, phosphomonoesters and pH were measured by 31P NMR spectroscopy at 2 minute intervals. Heart rate and developed pressure were monitored simultaneously. All hearts undergoing 10 min of ischemia and 40% of hearts subjected to 12 min of ischemia demonstrated good functional recovery. The remainder of hearts ischemic for 12 min went into contracture on reperfusion with little return of function. Hearts subject to 40 min of ischemia went into ischemic contracture and showed no recovery on reperfusion. Intracellular pH, [ATP], and [Pi] measured prior to reperfusion did not predict the extent of recovery. However, phosphomonoesters were detected prior to reperfusion in all hearts that did not recover well, but were not observed in hearts that showed good mechanical recovery. Analysis of tissue extracts by 31P NMR and ion chromatography indicated that the most prominent components of the phosphomonoesters were glucose 6-phosphate, alpha-glycerol phosphate and AMP. In conclusion, of the various phosphorus metabolites that can be measured by 31P NMR, only one group, the phosphomonoesters, was predictive of functional recovery."}
{"id": "PMID:1485889", "title": "Nitric oxide is an important determinant of coronary flow in the isolated blood perfused rat heart.", "content": "Many vasoactive substances are involved in the regulation of vasomotor tone and some of them, like nitric oxide (NO), are derived from the endothelium. Nitric oxide is able to relax preconstricted coronary resistance vessels almost completely. However, it is not clear what the contribution of NO is to vasomotor tone in the intact blood perfused heart. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the contribution of NO to coronary pressure-flow relations. We used isovolumically beating, donor supported, blood perfused isolated rat hearts. We measured pressure-flow relations under control conditions, after blocking endothelial NO production with NG-nitro-L-Arginine (LNNA) and after administration of L-Arginine (L-Arg) in order to overrule the blocking effect. Administration of LNNA at a perfusion pressure of 105 mm Hg resulted, after about 40 min, in a significant (Wilcoxon's signed-rank test, (n = 8) p < 0.05) reduction of coronary flow to 47 +/- 5% (mean +/- SEM) of control and a reduction of developed isovolumic left-ventricular pressure to 62 +/- 4% of control. L-Arg returned flow to 60 +/- 7% of control which is a significant increase with respect to LNNA (p < 0.05). L-Arg did not increase the left-ventricular pressure. The entire perfusion pressure-flow relation (pressure range 65-125 mm Hg) was significantly shifted downwards after LNNA with respect to control. Pressure-flow relations after L-Arg were in between those during control and after block of NO production. L-Arg alone was found to have no effect on flow and left-ventricular pressure (n = 2) and both LNNA and L-Arg were found to have no effect on contractility of isolated trabeculae (n = 6), thus, coronary blood flow reduction after LNNA administration is mainly the result of inhibition of endothelial NO production. At a perfusion pressure of 105 mm Hg reactive hyperemia is still present after LNNA and subsequent L-Arg administration, indicating that endothelial NO is not the only factor involved in flow regulation. We conclude that endothelium-derived NO is involved in the control of coronary flow in the blood perfused rat heart."}
{"id": "PMID:1485886", "title": "Preconditioning of heart by repeated stunning: adaptive modification of myocardial lipid membrane.", "content": "Recent studies indicate that preconditioning of the heart by repeated stunning protects it from subsequent ischemic injury. Such myocardial preservation is likely to be due to adaptive modification of lipid composition and dynamic structure of cellular membrane. To test this hypothesis, swine heart was subjected to four episodes of 5 min stunning by LAD occlusion, followed by 10 min of reperfusion after each stunning. The heart was then made regionally ischemic for 60 min by LAD occlusion, followed by 6 h reperfusion. A control heart was perfused for 60 min, followed by 60 min ischemia and 6 h reperfusion. Free fatty acids (FFA) accumulated in the control heart during ischemia, as expected, which was further enhanced by reperfusion. The FFA level was also enhanced during ischemia in stunned myocardium. However, this FFA level was almost restored during reperfusion. The levels of unsaturated fatty acids (UFA) such as oleate, linoleate, and arachidonate followed a similar pattern. Membrane fluidity, monitored by fluorescence polarization, was decreased during ischemia and reperfusion in the unstunned heart, with the corresponding increase in microviscosity. The increased microviscosity was significantly reduced by stunning. Since FFA are presumably generated from membrane phospholipids, these results suggest that stunning may cause the incorporation of a greater proportion of PUFA in membrane phospholipids, leading to preservation of membrane phospholipids and maintaining the membrane fluidity, which may be at least partially responsible for the attenuation of ischemic reperfusion injury."}
{"id": "PMID:1485894", "title": "Sexual behavior, smoking, and HIV-1 infection in Haitian Women.", "content": "To determine whether a previously observed association between human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection and smoking in Haitian women could be explained by confounding high-risk behaviors. A nested case-control study at a primary care health clinic in Cit\u00e9 Soleil, Haiti. Women who reported having smoked (n = 89) and randomly selected nonsmokers (n = 329) who had participated in a survey 1 to 12 months earlier evaluating risk factors for HIV-1 infection. Lifetime sexual practices, smoking, health beliefs and practices, and other factors potentially confounding the relationship between smoking and HIV-1 infection. Compared with nonsmokers, smokers reported higher rates of high-risk behaviors, including more lifetime sex partners (P less than .001), being less likely to be married (P less than .01), and being more likely to have visited folk healers (P less than .01). No intravenous drug use was reported, and no significant differences were noted between smokers and nonsmokers in numbers of past surgical or dental procedures or injections. Adjustment for all factors associated with HIV-1 infection and smoking in regression analyses revealed an independent association between smoking and HIV-1 infection (odds ratio [OR], 3.4; 95% confidence interval [Cl], 1.6 to 7.5). Other factors associated with HIV-1 infection included having more than two life-time sex partners (OR, 3.4; 95% Cl, 1.7 to 6.8) and lower socioeconomic status as reflected by a dirt floor in the home (OR, 8.6; 95% Cl, 3.3 to 22.0). Smoking is a marker for high-risk sexual behavior and is associated with an increased risk of HIV-1 infection in this population. The persistent association between smoking and HIV-1 infection after adjustment for all known risk factors suggests the possibility of a biologic effect of smoking that warrants further evaluation in other populations."}
{"id": "PMID:1485895", "title": "Effect of partial obstruction of the rabbit urinary bladder on malate dehydrogenase and citrate synthase activity.", "content": "Previous studies have demonstrated that partial outlet obstruction in rabbits induced a significant decrease in oxidative metabolism in urinary bladder smooth muscle. The current experiments were designed to determine whether the decreased oxidative metabolism of obstructed bladder tissue is associated with alterations in the activities of specific mitochondrial enzymes. The activities of two important enzymes in the tricarboxylic acid cycle, malate dehydrogenase and citrate synthase, were measured in samples of bladder body and base from normal bladders and in bladders from rabbits in which partial outlet obstruction had been produced seven days prior to the experiments. The results can be summarized as follows: malate dehydrogenase activity was similar in bladder body and base isolated from control rabbits; and decreased by approximately 40% in both segments of the bladder isolated from obstructed rabbits. In contrast to malate dehydrogenase, citrate synthase activity was significantly higher in the bladder body than in the base of normal rabbits. Outlet obstruction caused about a 50% decrease in activity of this enzyme in the bladder body, but had no significant effect on citrate synthase activity of the bladder base. These findings demonstrate that the deficiency in bladder function following partial outlet obstruction is associated with a marked decrease in the activities of two essential enzymes in oxidative metabolism: malate dehydrogenase and citrate synthase. This decrease in enzyme activity is consistent with the previously observed decrease in oxidative metabolism and would be expected to lead to an inability of the tissue to supply sufficient metabolic energy for proper contractile function."}
{"id": "PMID:1485890", "title": "Antiproliferative effects of a c-myc antisense oligonucleotide on human arterial smooth muscle cells.", "content": "The effects of a c-myc antisense phosphorothioate DNA oligonucleotide were assessed on the proliferation rate of human arterial smooth muscle cells (HSMCs). Compared to a control oligonucleotide the antisense oligonucleotide suppressed the proliferation of HSMCs in a concentration-dependent manner without a major cytotoxic effect. Outgrowth of HSMCs from media explants was significantly inhibited as well. Induction of c-myc expression by serum stimulation of cells was blunted by the antisense oligonucleotide, as shown by immunoblotting. These results demonstrate that c-myc expression is an essential factor for proliferation of HSMCs after growth stimulation, and they show the potential of antisense technology for modulating gene expression of HSMCs in vitro."}
{"id": "PMID:1485888", "title": "The reciprocal protective effects of magnesium and calcium in hyperkalemic cardioplegic solutions on ischemic myocardium.", "content": "The cardioprotective effects of magnesium and calcium in hyperkalemic cardioplegic solutions were investigated in isolated rat hearts. Isolated rat hearts were arrested for 30 min at 37 degrees C in cardioplegic solutions containing magnesium and calcium in varying concentrations. In St. Thomas' Hospital cardioplegic solution, the magnesium and calcium concentrations were varied as follows: Mg 0; Ca 0.1, 0.3, 0.6, 1.2 mmol/l (mM)./ Mg 4; Ca 0.1, 0.3, 0.6, 1.2 mM./ Mg 8; Ca 0.1, 0.3, 0.6, 0.9, 1.2 mM./ Mg 12; Ca 0.1, 0.6, 0.9, 1.2 mM./ Mg 16; Ca 0.1, 0.6, 1.2, 1.5 mM. For each magnesium concentration, the percentage recovery of aortic flow generated dose-response curves depending on calcium concentration. The maximum percentage recovery of aortic flow was 76.0% +/- 2.7% (mean +/- SEM) in the Mg0-Ca0.1 mM group, 77.1% +/- 2.0% in the Mg4-Ca0.3 mM group, 78.5% +/- 2.3% in the Mg8-Ca0.6 mM group, 79.8% +/- 2.4% in the Mg12-Ca0.9 mM group and 80.0% +/- 3.4% in the Mg16-Ca1.2 mM (ST solution) group. Significant difference in the recovery of aortic flow has not been observed among these groups, and furthermore, significant differences in the recovery of other parameters of cardiac function and Ck leakage have not been observed among these groups. These results suggest that the cardioprotective effects depend on the relative combination of magnesium and calcium concentrations, and that it is important to maintain an appropriate balance of magnesium and calcium in hyperkalemic cardioplegic solutions."}
{"id": "PMID:1485891", "title": "The electrophysiology of cardiac allograft rejection: independent effects of rejection and perioperative ischemia on the sinus node recovery phenomenon after cardiac transplantation.", "content": "We characterized the effect of cardiac allograft rejection on the sinus node (SN) recovery response from overdrive suppression. A total of 54 corresponding data sets (SN recovery time [SNRT]/endomyocardial biopsy [EMB]) was available in 24 transplant recipients with normal SNRT. Data were pooled in the rejection vs the no-rejection group (n = 16 vs n = 38, respectively). During cardiac rejection (defined as a 7-day period starting 3 days prior to and lasting until 3 days after the EMB) the SNRT curves were moderately, but significantly shifted towards higher values (F = 13.4, p = .0003). All changes occurred within accepted normal limits for the SNRT. Multivariate analysis indicated independent effects of donor heart ischemic time (p = .0005) on SNRT in addition to that of rejection. After accounting for that influence of ischemic time respective F values regarding the influence of rejection on the SNRT excursions were 10.8 (ischemic time < 100 min, p = .0014) and 4.36 (ischemic time > or = 100 min, p = .039). This study shows that cardiac allograft rejection significantly delays the SN recovery response from overdrive suppression. These changes, however, are subtle and, hence, are an unlikely explanation for the often grossly abnormal postoperative SN function."}
{"id": "PMID:1485899", "title": "A microassay for proteases using succinylcasein as a substrate.", "content": "A photometric assay for proteases has been developed. A chemically modified casein whose amino groups were succinylated was used as a substrate. After incubation with trypsin, chymotrypsin, thermolysin, and subtilisin, the extent of hydrolysis of the substrate was determined with trinitrobenzene sulfonate (TNBS). The whole procedure of the assay was performed in the microtiter plate wells and the increase in the absorbance resulting from the reaction between TNBS and newly formed amino groups in the substrate was able to be determined with a high sensitivity by a microtiter plate reader, enabling the simultaneous measurement of a number of samples. Application of this method to the measurement of proteolytic activity contained in the protein extract of Tapes philippinarum is demonstrated."}
{"id": "PMID:1485892", "title": "Differential effects of quinidine and flecainide on plateau duration of human atrial action potential.", "content": "Quinidine and flecainide, two class-I antiarrhythmics increase action potential duration (APD) at 90% repolarization and cellular refractory period in human atrial fibers without significant change in resting potential. On the other hand, quinidine decreases APD at 50%, whereas flecainide slightly increases, which suggests different effects on Ca2+ current. Using isolation cell procedure and whole cell recording, we found that 10 microM quinidine (34.77 +/- 6.5%, n = 5) and 0.5 microM flecainide (50.46 +/- 6.2%, n = 4) decrease calcium current in human atrium. It is concluded that, at therapeutical concentrations, quinidine and flecainide modify the action potential plateau phase in a different manner, which is not only related to the calcium current decrease."}
{"id": "PMID:1485893", "title": "A genetic abnormality of cardiac myocytes from the blind mutant (RC) chick heart: abnormalities of cardiac structure and choline transport.", "content": "A new genetic cardiomyopathy was identified in a blind mutant avian strain. Cardiac myocytes were cultured from 7-day-old chick embryos from Rhode Island Red chickens and from another strain of this species that has been identified to have several abnormalities, the most striking of which is blindness. Cardiac myocytes were maintained in tissue culture. Morphologically, in culture, the cardiac myocyte from the blind mutant strain assumed a spherical shape and showed abnormalities of sarcolemmal membrane compared to control myocytes from heterozygous animals. Choline uptake and metabolism were examined, using [methyl 3H] choline, because it is a sarcolemmal transport process and choline is metabolised to phosphatidylcholine, an important phospholipid for cellular structure and function. Choline uptake through the active transport process was markedly and significantly reduced in the mutant cells compared to control cells, while choline metabolism to phosphatidylcholine was not significantly altered. These results demonstrate a new abnormality of cardiac myocytes, a cardiomyopathy that can be studied in cell culture and one with abnormalities of cellular choline transport."}
{"id": "PMID:1485903", "title": "Combined immunohistochemical and immunofluorescence method to determine the phenotype of proliferating cell populations.", "content": "To determine the phenotype of proliferating cell populations. The double immunostaining technique combines the autofluorescent properties of alkaline phosphatase substrate naphthol/Fast Red with immunofluorescence using fluorescein. Fresh human tonsil and fresh atherosclerotic aortic aneurysm wall tissue were studied using a panel of monoclonal antibodies including Ki-67, CD4, CD8, CD19, CD22, HLA-DR alpha, CD68 and CD31. This double immunostaining method permitted simultaneous colocalisation of different markers on the same cell and could be used to identify HLA-DR positive cells as well as proliferation associated Ki-67 positive cells in human tonsil tissue and in chronic periaortitis associated with advanced atherosclerosis. This technique is simple and the results may be viewed using a single fluorescence filter. The Fast Red reaction product is stable and does not fade under storage. The staining works particularly well with markers for nuclear antigens in combination with markers for cytoplasmic or surface antigens."}
{"id": "PMID:1485904", "title": "Various wedge isodose angles for treatment planning.", "content": "Various wedge isodose angles or simply wedge angles smaller than the nominal wedge angle were created by combining the isodose distributions generated from a single physical wedge with the isodose distributions of the open field for the 8-MV photon beam. The particular wedge angle generated depends on the weights imposed on these isodose distributions. The relationship between these weights and the wedge angle were examined and found to be nonlinear. The difference between the wedge angles defined at 10 cm depth and those defined using the 50% isodose curve is less 6 degrees. The present data was fitted using two proposed empirical equations."}
{"id": "PMID:1485905", "title": "Wedge filter effects on dosimetric parameters of a linear accelerator.", "content": "The open-field and wedged-field output factors as a function of field size for two linear accelerators were measured. Wedge factors were determined by taking the ratio of the outputs with and without the wedge filter. For one linear accelerator, the difference in the output factors between the wedged field and open field can be as large as 5%. The wedge factor for this linear accelerator also varies with the field size. On the other hand, the other linear accelerator shows smaller variation of output factors between wedge field and open field. The variation of wedge factor is less than 1% for a 60 degree wedge. In addition to modifying the isodose distributions, the wedge filter also changes the percent depth dose curves, the output factor, and the wedge factor. The degree of wedge effects on these dosimetric parameters is different for different linear accelerator."}
{"id": "PMID:1485906", "title": "A dosimetric study comparing three-, four-, and six- field plans for treatment of carcinoma of the prostate.", "content": "We present a three-dimensional dosimetric analysis of 3-, 4-, and 6-field plans using 24 MV photon beams for treatment of carcinoma of the prostate. We compare isodose distributions on a transverse plane through the center of the target as well as differential and integral dose volume histograms for the target and critical structures, respectively. An extensive study on a representative case led to the development of a technique where two complementary 3-field daily plans deliver the same daily target dose as the standard 4-field box while affording sparing of the bladder and rectum similar to that achieved with a 6-field plan. This technique was shown to yield the same results on a sample of four additional patients representing a range of target and patient sizes. We conclude that the combined two-day, 3-field method for treatment of the prostate may be a better choice than the standard 4-field box or the 6-field daily plan for dose escalation studies."}
{"id": "PMID:1485907", "title": "Three-dimensional dosimetric comparison of radiation therapy treatment planning of the pancreas.", "content": "Radiation therapy for carcinoma of the pancreas requires high doses for local control. Three-dimensional dose distributions are calculated for four patients with pancreatic cancer using two conventional (4-field box and 3-field techniques) and two noncoplanar (4 and 6 oblique fields) treatment field arrangements. Uniform dose distributions are obtained for all beam arrangements. The 4-field oblique beams show a potential advantage for lower dose to the kidneys when compared with 4-field box technique, and to the small bowel, when compared with 3-field beams. The data suggest that the noncoplanar beams may be useful alternative techniques for treating this disease with certain case presentations and should be considered during the treatment planning process."}
{"id": "PMID:1485908", "title": "Comparison of absorbed doses in water and solid water for electron beams.", "content": "Solid water, as a substitute for water, has become commercially available for dosimetry measurements. A study was undertaken to compare the dose in water and solid water respectively for 6, 9, 12, 16 and 20 MeV electron beams. Measurements using ion chamber show that the dose in water is higher than the dose in solid water by 1% for 6, 9, and 12 MeV electrons. For 16 and 20 MeV electrons, the dose in water and solid water are the same within the uncertainty of our measurements."}
{"id": "PMID:1485909", "title": "Dosimetry of shaped electron fields using a radial integration method.", "content": "The feasibility of an analytical approach to calculate monitor units for shaped electron fields is investigated. A radial integration method is used to calculate the dose at prescription depth from an average output factor and an average depth dose. This concept, as implemented in a commercial planning system, has been tested on various arbitrary fields, and 66 shaped electron fields clinically used for head and neck, chestwall, internal mammary, breast boost, and skin lesions. The measured and prescribed doses agreed within 3.5% or better for 71% of all clinical fields tested; for 91% the agreement was 5.5% or better. The greatest discrepancy (-7.2%) was found for a narrow, long internal mammary field. All treatments were administered on a linear accelerator with electron energies between 6 and 20 MEV."}
{"id": "PMID:1485910", "title": "A simple method for indirectly verifying noncoplanar treatment fields in radiotherapy.", "content": "The use of a vertex field can be a practical technique for treatment of pituitary and brain tumors. This approach may be underutilized, primarily because of the difficulty in documenting noncoplanar treatment fields. This paper describes a method for documenting vertex treatment fields by inference using portal films. This method is relatively simple to implement, yet yields accurate results."}
{"id": "PMID:1485911", "title": "Advantages of using high activity 125I seeds in temporary interstitial breast implants.", "content": "There has been considerable interest in the use of high activity 125I sources as a substitute for 192Ir seeds for removable implants of the breast and prostate. 125I seeds with an initial activity of approximately 5 mCi per seed, loaded in special afterloading nylon catheters, are used to improve dose distribution in the tumor volume and minimize dose to the adjacent critical organs and normal tissues. Seed spacing in strands is adjusted to maintain a dose rate of 40-60 cGy per hour at a distance of 5 mm from the plane of the implant. Implants custom loaded with 125I sources achieve superior isodose distribution compared to implants loaded with standard 192Ir seed strands. High activity 125I seeds also offer the advantage of reduced exposure to radiation oncology staff, nurses, and visitors leading to better patient care. Due to reduced exposure to personnel, the accuracy of the actual implant geometry can be verified by taking a localization film with actual 125I sources placed in the tumor bed."}
{"id": "PMID:1485912", "title": "A simple eye-lens shielding technique compatible with independent jaws of a linear accelerator.", "content": "A technique, compatible with accelerators having independent collimators, is presented, which greatly simplifies alignment of pencil eye-lens shields. The patient is placed so that the eye to be shielded is on the central axis of the beam and the accelerator's collimators are adjusted independently to define the field. A divergent lead shield 14 cm long is suspended from a wire that hangs along the central axis from a blocking tray in its usual location. The suspension length is variable and adjusted on the first day so that the shield is about 1 cm above the patient's eye. On subsequent treatment days, the wire is simply put in place on the tray with no further adjustment required. This technique reduces setup time and makes the shield positioning highly reproducible."}
{"id": "PMID:1485913", "title": "Photon beam attenuation for a patient support assembly during arc therapy for a medical linear accelerator.", "content": "Arc therapy is one of the treatment techniques for small, centrally located deep-seated tumors. However, care must be taken to remove any components that would interfere with the beam as the gantry rotates around the patient. One such component that may interfere with the beam is the patient support assembly (PSA) or treatment table. Beam attenuation factors due to the presence of the couch side-rails and the centerspine bar of the PSA are presented for both 6 MV and 18 MV photon beams of a Clinac 1800 during a 360 degrees rotation. Dose perturbations arising from these obstructions are displayed using an Alderson Rando phantom. A method is described to calculate the start and stop angles for the largest unobstructed arc for a given field size (FS), centerspine bar to the isocenter height (H), centerspine bar width (W), and SAD. As an illustration, for an SAD of 100 cm and a W of 4 cm, the start and stop angles for arc therapy with a FS of 10 x 10 cm2 and an H of 12.7 cm would be 29 degrees and 331 degrees."}
{"id": "PMID:1485914", "title": "Mutational specificities of N-nitrosamines in a host-mediated assay: comparison with direct-acting N-nitroso compounds in vitro and an approach to deducing the nature of ultimate mutagens in vivo.", "content": "The mutational activities and specificities of several N-nitrosamines in Salmonella recovered from mouse liver in the host-mediated assay (HMA) were compared with the specificities of related direct-acting N-nitroso compounds in vitro. The specificities of the direct-acting methyl, ethyl, propyl, and 2-hydroxypropyl compounds were all different and presumably are attributable to the DNA adducts resulting from the corresponding alkyldiazonium or carbonium ions. Introduction of a 2-hydroxyl group greatly influenced the mutational specificity. The 2-oxopropyl compound showed the same specificity as the methyl compound. This result is consistent with one of the known breakdown pathways of the oxopropyl diazonium ion (or related reactive species), which leads to a methyl diazonium ion. The N-nitrosodialkylnitrosamines N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), N-nitrosodiethylamine (NDEA), and N-nitrosodipropylamine (NDPA), which all require metabolic activation, showed specificities in the HMA similar to those of their direct-acting counterparts. The cyclic nitrosamine N-nitrosopyrrolidine was weakly active in the HMA, although its direct-acting derivative was a potent mutagen in vitro. The results for NDMA and NDEA were consistent with most previous studies of the metabolism of these compounds in vivo. However, NDPA can yield methylating, and probably hydroxypropylating, species in addition to propyldiazonium ion. As the specificity of NDPA was similar to that of a propylating agent, NDPA appears to lead to genotoxic products in the mouse liver mainly by direct alpha-hydroxylation. The initial results described here indicate that mutational specificity in the HMA can be used to deduce metabolic pathways leading to genotoxic products when the appropriate proximate mutagens are available as standards. Furthermore, we observed a reasonable correlation between potency in the HMA and hepatocarcinogenesis."}
{"id": "PMID:1485915", "title": "Suppression of radiation-induced neoplastic transformation by overexpression of mitochondrial superoxide dismutase.", "content": "Manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) scavenges toxic superoxide radicals produced in the mitochondria. Transfection of the human MnSOD gene into mouse C3H 10T1/2 cells resulted in production of active MnSOD, which was properly transported into mitochondria. Overexpression of MnSOD protected cells from radiation-, but not chemically-induced neoplastic transformation. This finding demonstrates that oxidative stress that occurs in the mitochondria plays an important role in the development of neoplastic transformation."}
{"id": "PMID:1485916", "title": "Partial suppression of tumorigenicity in a human lung cancer cell line transfected with Krev-1.", "content": "A human non-small-cell lung carcinoma cell line, Calu-6 (from an anaplastic carcinoma), was transfected with the Ki-ras-related anti-oncogene Krev-1. Several transfectant lines were obtained that showed a reduced tumorigenicity in nude mice with respect to the parental and control transfected cell lines. This decrease was approximately 50% in tumor incidence at 4 wk after subcutaneous inoculation of the transfected cells. In addition, the volume of the Calu-6 revertant-derived tumors was three to 10 times smaller than that of the equivalent tumors produced by inoculation of the control cell line transfected with the neomycin-resistance gene. Krev-1--transfected cells that exhibited reduced tumorigenicity expressed Krev-1 mRNA and had variable numbers of copies of the Krev-1 gene. Moreover, Krev-1--transfected cells exhibited a more differentiated squamous epithelial morphology than the parental and control cell lines did. Moderately elevated levels of protein kinase C activity were detected in some revertant clones. Such activity correlated with the level of expression of Krev-1 mRNA in most cases. In summary, Krev-1 induced important morphological and biological changes in transfected Calu-6 cells that we interpreted as partial reversion of the malignant phenotype."}
{"id": "PMID:1485917", "title": "ras oncogene activation in mammary carcinomas induced by N-methyl-N-nitrosourea in Copenhagen rats.", "content": "The occurrence of Ha-ras and Ki-ras oncogenes was investigated in mammary tumors produced by treating genetically resistant Copenhagen (Cop) rats with N-methyl-N-nitrosourea. G35-->A codon 12 mutations in both Ha-ras and Ki-ras genes were analyzed by a polymerase chain reaction/liquid hybridization and gel retardation assay. More than half of the adenocarcinomas analyzed contained an activated Ha-ras gene. This was also the predominant mutation in similar tumors from susceptible Buf/N rats, suggesting a common mechanism of initiation. In contrast, only two of 15 mammary adenosquamous carcinomas from the Cop rats contained an activated Ha-ras gene, suggesting a different initiation mechanism for most of these tumors. Ki-ras activation was found in none of five and one of five adenocarcinomas from Buf/N and Cop rats, respectively, and in none of 13 adenosquamous carcinomas from Cop rats. These results suggest that Ki-ras activation does not play a major role in the initiation of the mammary tumors."}
{"id": "PMID:1485918", "title": "Growth and transformation suppressor genes for BHK Syrian hamster cells on human chromosomes 1 and 11.", "content": "To map putative tumor suppressor genes for the near-diploid baby hamster kidney fibrosarcoma cell line BHK, we transferred five different normal human chromosomes (1, 3, 7, 11, and 12) into these tumor cells by microcell-mediated chromosome transfer. Transfer of human chromosome 1 into BHK cells resulted in suppression of cell growth both on plastic and in soft agar, indicating that chromosome 1 has a generalized effect on cell growth and thereby suppresses anchorage-independent growth. Selection against cells with an intact chromosome 1 was observed. In contrast, the introduction of chromosome 11 into BHK cells resulted in suppression of anchorage independence but not growth on plastic. Most chromosome-11 growth-suppressed BHK hybrids retained intact copies of human chromosome 11. Tumorigenic derivatives of chromosome 11 hybrids had lost this chromosome. Transfer of human chromosome 3, 7, or 12 into BHK cells did not correlate with growth suppression of BHK cells on plastic or in soft agar. Thus, we conclude that genes that suppress BHK-cell growth in general or in agar reside on human chromosomes 1 and 11, respectively."}
{"id": "PMID:1485919", "title": "[Dimensions of the human aortic arch and thoracic aorta studied by nuclear magnetic resonance].", "content": "The size of the aortic arch and thoracic aorta was measured in 50 healthy volunteers studied by NMR. In each case the following parameters were measured and statistically elaborated: diameter (in mm) of ascending aorta (between onset and arch beginning), of aortic arch (intermediate zone), of isthmus, of descending aorta (between isthmus and diaphragm), of diaphragmatic isthmus; a mean diameter was also calculated, and for every diameter mean and standard deviation were obtained. Moreover, the length (in mm) of superior and inferior contours of the aortic arch, as the ratio of these two values were obtained. At last, total length of considered aortic tract, area of visualized surface and theoretic volume were obtained. For each parameter a diagram was then plotted, with age in ordinates and values of above mentioned parameters in abscissae. Statistical evaluation allows to affirm that the size of the aorta grows with ageing. On the contrary, the ratio between superior and inferior contour of the aortic arch tends to remain unvaried; this fact seems to disagree with the current opinion that the superior wall of the arch grows with age more than the inferior one."}
{"id": "PMID:1485920", "title": "[Structural organization of the menisci of the human knee: scanning electron microscopy study].", "content": "The structure of the meniscus of the knee joint was studied in 10 human subjects after meniscectomy for acute trauma. The specimens were studied by scanning electron microscopy after cryofracture. Collagen fibres are arranged in two layers: a thin superficial zone with radially oriented fibres and a deep zone with circumferentially oriented ones. Deep fibres are surrounded by oblique fascicules. The cells are rare and oval-shaped. The observations enhance the hypothesis that the meniscus of the knee joint is not a real fibrocartilage."}
{"id": "PMID:1485921", "title": "Mechanical properties of the coronary vasculature: indirect evaluation.", "content": "Information on the mechanical properties of the coronary vascular bed can be obtained indirectly by modelling the vascular system. This indirect approach, unlike 'in vitro' measurements, allows to take into account the vasomotor conditions of the circulatory district as well as the effect of the surrounding embedding tissue on the vascular performance. An experimental manoeuvre of sudden occlusion and subsequent release of the thoracic descendent aorta on 5 anaesthetized dogs with open pericardium induces a step-like variation in the coronary perfusion pressure and the occurrence of oscillations in the mean coronary flow. Such a behaviour can be described using a second-order model ('windkessel'+inductance, which takes into account blood inertia in the large vessels). The value of the coefficients entering the equations have been obtained with a 'best-fit' procedure (minimum of the chi-squared variable) on the haemodynamical data. Coefficient variations are in agreement with the direct estimation of the myocardial compliance and volume, measured by Ultrasound Echocardiographic imaging (4-chamber projection mode)."}
{"id": "PMID:1485922", "title": "[High-conductance K+ channels in guinea pig gallbladder epithelium].", "content": "Since secretion of electrolytes may be regulated by membrane potential difference, ion channels were studied using patchclamp technique. We have identified, in cell-attached configuration, inward-rectifying channels: the zero-current potential corresponded to the K+ equilibrium potential calculated from intracellular K+ activity. Using inside-out configuration and symmetric 145 mM KCl salines, i/V curve was linear, channel conductance was about 170 pS and the reversal potential 0 mV. The channels were selective for K+ over Na+, N-methylglucamine and anions and were activated by membrane depolarization."}
{"id": "PMID:1485923", "title": "Fertilization and embryonic development in vitro in cattle. Morphological and cytogenetic observations.", "content": "The presented ichonography provides a documentation of the changes occurring during maturation, fertilization of oocytes and embryonic development in vitro; it points out the correlations between morphological features and the stage of nuclear chromatin and gives the possibility to observe some abnormalities that frequently occur during these processes."}
{"id": "PMID:1485924", "title": "The reliability of eye movement quantitative evaluation. I. Saccadic eye movements.", "content": "We adopted the estimate of the intraclass coefficient of reliability, R, to evaluate the reliability of saccadic eye movements quantitative analysis. At a one-week interval we recorded refixative saccadic eye movements twice from fifteen healthy subjects by means of the binocular electrooculographic technique. R was computed for the constants and the slopes of the amplitude/duration and the amplitude/peak velocity relationships, for the mean precision values and for the mean latency values adjusted for subject's age. Our data demonstrated that the reliability of saccade parameters is fairly good for the amplitude/peak velocity relationship, good for the precision and very good for the amplitude/duration relationship. Finally, we believe that the normal variability values we obtained can be usefully employed in neurophysiological longitudinal studies not only in normal subjects, but also in pathological condition provided the more reliable parameters and the more adequate strategies to compute normal variability values are chosen."}
{"id": "PMID:1485925", "title": "The reliability of eye movement quantitative evaluation. II. Smooth pursuit eye movements.", "content": "We adopted the estimate of the intraclass coefficient of reliability, R, to evaluate the reliability of smooth pursuit eye movement quantitative analysis. At a one-week interval, we recorded twice smooth pursuit eye movements from fifteen healthy subjects by means of the binocular electrooculographic technique. R was computed for the constant and the slope of the target velocity/gain relationships. R values were rated good for the slope and excellent for the constant. Finally, we computed for each parameter the maximum variability value according to two differing methods; on the basis of the within-subjects mean square values, we defined the normal range of biological test-retest variability for the two parameters."}
{"id": "PMID:1485926", "title": "The effect of daily hassles on salivary IgA: experimental evidence.", "content": "The study aimed at evidencing the suppressive effect of daily hassles on salivary immunoglobulin A (S-IgA); in fact, previous research did not detect a clear relationship between the two variables. Twenty-four subjects were tested as to the hassles that had occurred in their recent life and to S-IgA; the tests were repeated three times, with an interval of four weeks between each. The results show that the variation of S-IgA values between times 2 and 3 is associated with the variation of hassles between times 1 and 2 (r = -.46, p < .01)."}
{"id": "PMID:1485927", "title": "Autogenic training and signs of distress: an experimental study.", "content": "The research investigated the autogenic training (AT) effects, analyzing the emotional and somatic distress symptoms of patients during their learning of the AT standard exercises (N = 79). An improvement was observed even before the beginning of the course, thus demonstrating the Balint effect of the drug-doctor phenomenon. The control subjects, entered in a waiting list, showed no further improvements from this phase of the study; the experimental ones, who had begun their AT exercises, continued to show significant improvement."}
{"id": "PMID:1485930", "title": "Assessment of functional ability in Alzheimer disease: a review and a preliminary report on the Cleveland Scale for Activities of Daily Living.", "content": "Assessment of activities of daily living (ADL) in Alzheimer disease (AD) is critical in establishing the diagnosis, monitoring disease progression, evaluating the efficacy of treatment interventions, and determining the need for health and social services. The proper method to measure ADL depends on the purposes to which the scale is to be put. Existing ADL scales differ as to the type of behaviors assessed, the nature of the observations made, and the manner in which the observations are quantified. These scales were not specifically designed to evaluate changes in the nature and extent of the broad spectrum of functional difficulties seen in individuals with AD. We describe the Cleveland Scale for Activities of Daily Living (CSADL), an informant-based instrument designed to expand upon the capacity of existing physical and instrumental ADL scales by assessing both premorbid and current component acts (e.g., initiation versus implementation) of daily living functions."}
{"id": "PMID:1485931", "title": "Alzheimer Disease Assessment Scale: a subtest analysis.", "content": "The Alzheimer Disease Assessment Scale (ADAS) was administered to 61 Alzheimer patients, 52 elderly controls, and 80 controls between age 7 and 54 years. The Alzheimer group was categorized into different severity levels of dementia based on MMSE scores: very mild (> or = 24), mild (> or = 20), moderate (10-19), and severe (0-9). All 11 ADAS Cognitive subtest scores for the mild, moderate, and severe dementia groups were statistically worse than the elderly control group. This was also the case for the very mild group, except for Naming, Commands, Constructional Praxis, and Ideational Praxis. In terms of magnitude of effect, memory and spontaneous language items were the earliest indicators on the ADAS, while praxis, commands, and naming items were only sensitive later in the course of the disorder. The best single indicators of progression throughout the severity continuum of dementia (i.e., from normal to severe) were the Orientation subtest, the ADAS Cognitive score, and the ADAS Total score. The ADAS Noncognitive subtests generally did not show the progression with increasing dementia that was evident on the ADAS Cognitive subtest. Differences in educational level had no statistically significant effects on any of the ADAS subtest scores, and age differences were few and small in magnitude. The differential rate of decline of the various ADAS subtests appears to reflect both the changing pattern of cognitive impairments as a function of severity of DAT and also to some extent the psychometric limitations of some of the subtests."}
{"id": "PMID:1485935", "title": "Colony-stimulating factors: a new step in clinical practice. Part I.", "content": "Haematopoietic colony stimulating factors (CSFs) stimulate the proliferation, differentiation and functional activity of myelocytes. Since approval of the use of these factors in patients with chemotherapy-induced neutropenia, patients undergoing autologous bone marrow transplantation (BMT) and patients with delayed engraftment after BMT, several other potential clinical uses have been described. Current and potential future clinical applications of CSFs will be reviewed."}
{"id": "PMID:1485936", "title": "Breast-conserving therapy for mammary carcinoma: psychosocial aspects, indications and limitations.", "content": "Breast-conserving therapy (BCT) for invasive cancer comprises complete tumour excision and axillary dissection, followed by irradiation. The object is to perform local treatment and determine the stage of disease on lines similar to those of mastectomy. In selected series of patients the efficacy of BCT has been equivalent to that of mastectomy with a view to distant relapse and survival. On the other hand, it has not been proved whether local relapse pattern is comparable to that of mastectomy, especially in high-risk patients. The advantage of BCT is of psychological nature, since preserving the configuration of the body maintains the sensation of female identity and body image to a better extent than that seen after mastectomy. BCT does not, however, reduce the high frequency of anxiety phenomena, mental instability, and depression. The selection of patients for BCT is based primarily upon a clinical-technical assessment, patient's preference and surgeon's preference, rather than eligibility based on biological risk factors. Demands on surgical technique, radicality of operation, and irradiation are important issues regarding local control. The relation between local recurrence rate and distant relapse will be discussed. The conclusion is that BCT is a method eligible for selected patients and that the increased used of mammography is going to extend the intake of patients for the method. However, it must be an obligation to keep following up the therapeutic results, in order not to lose the advantage of an early diagnosis by altered treatment.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1485937", "title": "Fragile X syndrome: molecular analysis reveals a new mechanism of mutation in human genetic diseases.", "content": "The fragile X syndrome belongs to the most common genetic diseases and has a prevalence of one in every 2000 children. The syndrome is named after the fragile site in q27.3 on the X chromosome. The molecular cloning of the DNA containing the fragile site has resulted in the identification of a heritable unstable DNA sequence revealing a new mechanism of mutation in human genetic disorders. This DNA sequence significantly facilitates the diagnosis and provides a rapid method for carrier detection and prenatal diagnosis. The unstable element is located within a candidate gene, FMR1. The FMR1 protein is not made in fragile X patients and nothing is known about its function. We will have to await studies on this protein to be able to understand the variable phenotype of this disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1485938", "title": "Remission of angina pectoris and dyspnea by fundoplication in gastro-oesophageal reflux disease.", "content": "This study investigates 113 consecutive patients with gastro-oesophageal reflux disease before and after fundoplication and crural repair with respect to symptomatic improvement of chest pain, angina pectoris, exercise-linked chest pain, meal-linked chest pain, dyspnea, and air hunger, and any correlation between these items and smoking habits. The patients were followed by identical questionnaires completed at the time of oesophageal manometric examination prior to operation and from 6 months up to more than 5 years after operation. There was a highly significant reduction in all kinds of chest pain including angina pectoris, and of dyspnea at follow-up independent of smoking habits. However, air hunger was not significantly reduced. The present results suggest that gastro-oesophageal reflux disease should be taken into consideration in the symptomatic diagnosis of angina pectoris."}
{"id": "PMID:1485939", "title": "Multiple metabolic syndrome: aspects of genetic epidemiology and molecular genetics.", "content": "Epidemiological studies have documented the association between cardiovascular disease and high blood pressure, dyslipidaemia, impaired glucose tolerance, non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM), and central obesity. In fact, several of these abnormalities, often all of them, can be identified in the very same individuals, constituting the entity of the multiple metabolic syndrome. Furthermore, many of these abnormalities seem to run in families. These findings raise important questions about the genetic epidemiology of the disease and about the molecular genetic background of the most likely common nominator of this syndrome, namely insulin resistance. Therapeutic actions must also be carefully considered to avoid the encouragement of some abnormalities while treating others."}
{"id": "PMID:1485940", "title": "Abdominal obesity and the metabolic syndrome.", "content": "Abdominal obesity in man is an integrated part of the Metabolic Syndrome, and is associated with a complex neuroendocrine disturbance. Its consequences for the metabolism of the periphery seems to be insulin resistance caused by a combination of a relative hypercortisolaemia and a relative deficiency of sex steroid hormones. This hormonal aberration, in combination with a relative insufficiency of growth hormone secretion, might also direct depot triglycerides to visceral adipose tissues, a consequence at least partly due to varying densities of the specific receptors for these hormones. Visceral fat accumulation may thus be a consequence of the neuroendocrine aberrations, and may amplify the metabolic symptoms via effects on the liver of free fatty acids released in abundance from the lipolytically sensitive enlarged visceral fat depots. The origin of the neuroendocrine disturbance is not known, but epidemiological and cross-sectional information suggest that psychosocial factors are intimately involved. Animal and human studies indicate that the mediating factor(s) may be stress-sensitivity, leading to the neuroendocrine consequences observed."}
{"id": "PMID:1485941", "title": "Familial dyslipidaemic hypertension and other multiple metabolic syndromes.", "content": "Data from several different studies are reviewed suggesting that a subset of hypertension is associated with metabolic abnormalities involving lipids, insulin, and often obesity, all aggregating strongly in families. Persons with 'familial dyslipidaemic hypertension (FDH)' have an especially high risk of early coronary disease. The clinical and biochemical features of FDH are compared with Reaven's Syndrome X, familial combined hyperlipidaemia, dense LDL subfractions, diabetes, impaired glucose tolerance, central and general obesity, pre-diabetes, pre-hypertension, and heterozygous lipoprotein lipase deficiency. Some contribution from major gene effects is suggested in specific subsets reported in several different genetic studies reviewed in this report. It seems likely that multiple metabolic abnormalities are genetically heterogeneous. The data also suggest significant contributions from environmental factors such as diet and physical activity."}
{"id": "PMID:1485942", "title": "Genetic epidemiology of low-density lipoprotein subclass phenotypes.", "content": "Heterogeneity in LDL particles can be described by two distinct phenotypes in individual subjects, denoted A and B, based on gradient gel electrophoresis. Phenotype A is characterized by a predominance of large, buoyant LDL particles, while phenotype B is characterized by a predominance of small, dense LDL particles. Several studies have demonstrated that LDL subclass phenotype B is associated with both increased risk of coronary heart disease and an atherogenic lipoprotein profile. Complex segregation analyses in families, heritability analyses in twins, and recent linkage analyses, uniformly support the presence of genetic influences on LDL subclass phenotypes. However, environmental and behavioural influences on LDL subclasses have also been documented. Understanding the mechanisms underlying LDL subclass phenotypes may lead to targeted intervention to reduce coronary heart disease (CHD) risk in genetically susceptible individuals. Thus, LDL subclass phenotypes represent a common, genetically-influenced risk factor for coronary heart disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1485943", "title": "The etiology and pathogenesis of non-insulin-dependent diabetes.", "content": "Although environmental factors are important triggers of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM), heredity plays a major role in the pathogenesis of the disease. Insulin resistance manifested as impaired activation of glycogen synthase and thereby storage of glucose as glycogen in skeletal muscle is demonstrable early on in NIDDM relatives, suggesting that NIDDM could be an inherited muscle disease. On the other hand, insulin deficiency is almost unequivocally present before manifest diabetes develops. An intensive search for candidate genes for NIDDM has been initiated; so far it has not been possible to ascribe NIDDM to any alterations in the human genome. Given the heterogenous nature of NIDDM, its age-dependent penetrance and strong influence of environmental factors, it may not be fruitful to use NIDDM as an end-point in genetic linkage or association studies. It is more likely that DNA defects result in either insulin resistance or insulin deficiency, which in turn, can both lead to NIDDM. In accordance with the thrifty gene hypothesis, the insulin resistance gene has protected individuals during long periods of starving by storing energy as fat rather than as glycogen in muscle. The abundance of food in Western society has made this once protective gene a deleterious one, suggesting that these individuals are not equipped with the metabolic machinery to handle overeating."}
{"id": "PMID:1485944", "title": "The genetics of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus in south India: an overview.", "content": "Non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus affects approximately 10% of urban Indian and Indian migrant populations and as such carries major health implications for these groups. Whilst a strong genetic component to the aetiology of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus is incontestable, progress in identifying the specific genetic determinants involved in its pathogenesis has been slow. In studies of South Indian pedigrees, preliminary segregation analysis indicates that non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus is likely to be a polygenic disease. A number of candidate genes have been studied with the aim of demonstrating either association or linkage with the disease; in South Indians the only positive results thus far have been associations between non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus and the genes for insulin, apolipoprotein D and complement component C4B. However, it seems likely that these genes contribute only a small proportion of the genetic susceptibility to non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus in this ethnic group and that the major genes underlying glucose intolerance remain to be determined."}
{"id": "PMID:1485945", "title": "Genetic epidemiology of NIDDM among Asian Indians.", "content": "Prevalence of non-insulin-dependent diabetes (NIDDM) in India was reported to be 2.3% in the urban and 1.5% in the rural areas in the early 1970s by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). Recent studies both in the migrant Indians and in the native Indians have shown the prevalence to be much higher than the above values. Similar prevalence of NIDDM in the migrant and native Indians in affluent areas suggests that Indians as an ethnic group have a high genetic risk for diabetes. Our recent study in South India showed a high prevalence of diabetes in the urban area (8.2%) versus a low prevalence of 2.4% in the rural area. Age, urban-rural factor, body mass index (BMI) and the waist:hip ratio (WHR) were positively associated with diabetes. Interestingly, the prevalence of impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) was similar in urban and rural areas (8.7% and 7.8%, respectively) despite a four-fold lower prevalence of diabetes in the latter. The ratio of new to known diabetes was 1:2 in the urban and 3:1 in the rural areas. There was a male preponderance among Indian diabetic patients. Migration from rural to urban environment with changes in dietary habits and physical inactivity may have contributed to the increased prevalence of diabetes. A high rate of familial aggregation is noted in NIDDM in India and the genetic risk of NIDDM increases with increasing family history of diabetes. In the adult offspring of diabetic parents, hyperinsulinaemia and decreased insulin sensitivity are observed before the development of glucose intolerance."}
{"id": "PMID:1485946", "title": "Dyslipidaemias, insulin resistance and atherosclerosis.", "content": "Recent studies have demonstrated that insulin resistance, a proportionate decrease in insulin action at all insulin concentrations, is associated with clustering of many cardiovascular risk factors, particularly hyperlipidaemias. Already epidemiological studies have indicated that high insulin levels are related to low high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and high total and very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) triglyceride levels. Recent studies based on the direct quantification of insulin resistance by the euglycaemic clamp method have verified these findings. In contrast, insulin resistance seems not to be associated with high low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. Abnormalities in HDL and VLDL levels may contribute to accelerated atherosclerosis, but there is evidence that insulin resistance is also directly associated with asymptomatic atherosclerosis. Thus, prevention of atherosclerosis should not be targeted only to the lowering of LDL cholesterol, but also to the reduction of the degree of insulin resistance either with diet, weight reduction, regular exercise or drug therapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1485947", "title": "Type II diabetes: search for primary defects.", "content": "Type 2 diabetes is a familial disease, but recent analysis of nuclear families indicates it is unlikely to be due to a single dominant gene with high penetrance and that it could be polygenic. Insulin resistance is a major feature, with obesity being a major determinant. Beta cell deficiency is a sine qua non of Type 2 diabetes. It is possible that obesity, insulin resistance independent from obesity and impaired beta cell function are independently inherited factors. None of these can be said to be 'primary' as diabetes usually results from the interaction of several geometric and environmental factors. This makes linkage analysis of Type 2 diabetes of uncertain benefit, since heterogeneity can occur within a pedigree. The only mutation so far discovered is of glucokinase producing maturity-onset diabetes of the young, that has a clearly defined and unusual phenotype. Identification of genes that cause classical Type 2 diabetes is likely to come from population association studies, molecular scanning techniques and direct sequencing of candidate genes rather than linkage analysis."}
{"id": "PMID:1485948", "title": "Microalbuminuria: a genetic link between diabetes and cardiovascular disease?", "content": "Non-insulin-dependent diabetes is associated with a 2-3 fold increased risk of cardiovascular disease. The poor relationship between this risk and either glycaemic control or diabetes duration suggests that some other aspect of the diabetic state, and not hyperglycaemia per se, mediates this risk. This other aspect of diabetes does not comprise alterations in recognized cardiovascular risk factors such as blood pressure or lipids, as the major component of the excess risk is in those diabetics with low levels of the other risk factors. It thus appears that there may be some factors that predispose both to diabetes and to cardiovascular disease. In insulin-dependent diabetics most of the excess risk of cardiovascular disease occurs in subjects with proteinuria, and microalbuminuria or proteinuria in non-insulin-dependent diabetics also substantially increases cardiovascular risk. Although changes in recognized risk factors in diabetics with nephropathy may partly explain these observations, we and others have shown that microalbuminuric non-diabetics also have a markedly increased prevalence of cardiovascular disease and substantially increased cardiovascular mortality. The observations that in insulin-dependent diabetics nephropathy shows family clustering and that these patients have elevated sodium lithium counter-transport rate, a possible genetic marker for the vascular complications of hypertension, have led to the suggestion that microalbuminuria may be a marker of a genetic predisposition to vascular disease.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1485949", "title": "Role of HLA genes in predisposition to develop insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.", "content": "Insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM), or type I diabetes, is the end result mainly of a T-cell mediated autoimmune destruction of pancreatic islet beta cells. Genetical and environmental factors are both of importance in the pathogenesis. Genes in the HLA complex seem to be the most important genetical factors. Among Blacks, Caucasoids and Orientals, IDDM susceptibility is associated with some particular combinations of DQA1 and DQB1 genes in cis or trans position. This strongly argues that susceptibility is primarily associated to the corresponding HLA-DQ molecules themselves. However, weaker contributions by other genes in the HLA complex cannot be excluded. Similarly, a dominant protection is strongly associated with some other DQ molecules, in particular HLA-DQ6, in all three ethnic groups. The function of HLA-DQ (and other class II) molecules is to present peptide-fragments of antigens to CD4+ T cells (mainly helper T cells). Thus, the recognition of certain islet beta cell derived peptides by self-reactive CD4+ T cells, may be an initial event in the pathogenesis. The DQ molecules involved in IDDM susceptibility or protection may exert their function either during thymic development of potential self-reactive CD4+ T cells, or by preferential presentation of certain beta-cell derived peptides to CD4+ T cells, or both. The finding that certain DQ molecules as such confer IDDM susceptibility may lead to new methods to prevent IDDM, for example by using blocking peptide analogues."}
{"id": "PMID:1485950", "title": "DQA1 and DQB1 heterodimers in insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus: a genetic-epidemiological study in Finland. DiMe Study Group.", "content": "Susceptibility to insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) correlates with the absence of aspartic acid in position 57 of the DQB1 and/or the presence of arginine in position 52 of the DQA1. It has been postulated that transcomplementation between the DQ alpha and beta chains of the two haplotypes could create new molecules conferring susceptibility to IDDM. Finland has the highest incidence of IDDM in the world (35/100,000). In a nationwide study of IDDM in childhood (DiMe study) HLA genotyping using conventional serology was carried out according to genetic-epidemiological principles. We simulated DQA1 and DQB1 alleles in 707 consecutively diagnosed IDDM probands and 98 non-diabetic children based on serology, restriction fragment length polymorphism results and sequence data assuming no recombination between DQ and DR. In 34% of Finnish children with IDDM all four combinations (two in cis and two in trans) could lead to SS heterodimers. Two-thirds of these combinations were explained by DR3,DR4 heterozygotes. In 50% of IDDM children half and in 11% a quarter of the combinations could lead to heterodimers. In 38 IDDM patients (5%) the formation of hybrid molecules was not possible. In 59% of the controls SS heterodimers were possible and should therefore have an underlying genetic susceptible for IDDM assuming the theory of transcomplementation is correct. These findings, together with the fact that the lowest frequency of DR3,DR4 heterozygosity (21%) was seen in Finland, show that heterozygosity for DQ and DR cannot explain the differences seen in IDDM incidence."}
{"id": "PMID:1485951", "title": "Biological complexity and strategies for finding DNA variations responsible for inter-individual variation in risk of a common chronic disease, coronary artery disease.", "content": "Most common chronic diseases of humans aggregate, but do not segregate, in families. The segregation-linkage research paradigm has not provided great insights into their genetic etiology. In this paper, using coronary artery disease as an example, we discuss hierarchical organization, coherence, emergent properties and dynamism as features that characterize the complexity of genotype-phenotype relationships. We summarize a research strategy for evaluating the contribution of genetic and environmental factors to the prediction of inter-individual variation in risk of disease. We then review a statistical strategy that employs cladistic theory to identify individuals carrying mutant DNA sequences responsible for an observed association between marker variation in a gene and inter-individual variation in biological traits that determine risk of a common multifactorial disease. Finding these DNA sequences is a necessary step in our search for an understanding of the nature of the mapping of genetic variation into variation in risk of a disease like coronary artery disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1485952", "title": "Ethical aspects of genetic screening.", "content": "Public and professional concern associated with the idea of genetic screening has generated numerous publications on the ethics of genetic screening (e.g. 1-4). Concerns revolve around inadequate consultation before screening is carried out, the unearthing of worrying risks, the use of genetic information in ways that could be disadvantageous to the person involved, stigma, and a phenomenon known as the 'technological imperative', which means that simply because a technology is available there is a tendency to use it. Most reports agree that, in practice, the main ethical problems are likely to involve screening for risk of common diseases of adult life, because of the possible impact on a person's healthy self-image, implications for health and life insurance, and the possibility of commercial exploitation of people who know themselves to be vulnerable. In this paper I do not propose to address these issues directly. I have been invited to discuss this subject as a clinician involved with genetic screening, counselling and prenatal diagnosis for the haemoglobin disorders, the most common serious human recessively inherited diseases. Since we are scientists, any recommendations we make should be based on experience: my aim is to show that experience is often surprising, and that it is often possible to meet public concerns by taking quite simple practical steps."}
{"id": "PMID:1485953", "title": "The future of genetic epidemiology.", "content": "Starting from a broad definition of genetic epidemiology, current developments in association, segregation, and linkage analysis of complex inheritance are considered together with integration of genetic and physical maps and resolution of genetic heterogeneity. Mitochondrial inheritance, imprinting, uniparental disomy, pregressive amplification, and gonadal mosaicism are some of the novel mechanisms discussed, with speculation about the future of genetic epidemiology."}
{"id": "PMID:1485954", "title": "Protein prenylation: more than just glue?", "content": "As with other lipid modifications of proteins, prenylation now appears to be critically important in the regulation of protein function. Recent research has led to an explosion of information concerning prenylation signals, prenyl transferase enzymes and the role of prenylation in protein-membrane interactions. Experiments have examined the role of prenylation in protein function and the results suggest that protein prenylation may be involved in facilitating proper subcellular localization, promoting protein-protein and protein-membrane interactions and regulating protein function."}
{"id": "PMID:1485955", "title": "Glycosylation.", "content": "Protein glycosylation is more abundant and structurally diverse than all other types of post-translational modifications combined. Protein-bound saccharides range from dynamic monosaccharides on nuclear and cytoplasmic proteins, to enormously complex 'recognition' molecules on extracellular N- or O-linked glycoproteins or proteoglycans. Recent elucidation of a few of the myriad functions of these saccharides has finally opened a crack in the door to one the last great frontiers of biochemistry."}
{"id": "PMID:1485956", "title": "Novel proteases with unusual specificities.", "content": "This review describes specific proteases that have been implicated in several interesting biological systems. Proteases have been selected for discussion in those instances where natural substrates appear to have been identified. The studies reviewed point to the critical role that proteases play in protein processing and degradation."}
{"id": "PMID:1485959", "title": "Muscle differentiation.", "content": "Recent studies indicate that vertebrate skeletal muscle originates from two distinct populations of muscle precursor cells formed in early embryogenesis. Divergent patterns of expression for the myoD family of myogenic regulatory genes in different vertebrate embryos suggest some functional redundancy amongst the myogenic factors. Initial gene knockout experiments in mice support this view. Systematic mutagenesis has identified a conserved motif in the basic region of these proteins that is necessary for their biological activity. Direct interaction of both MyoD and myogenin with the transcription factor Jun indicates a mechanism for integrating the control of myoblast growth and differentiation."}
{"id": "PMID:1485960", "title": "Flower development.", "content": "Several homeotic genes controlling flower development have been characterized in Antirrhinum and Arabidopsis. Comparisons of their mutant phenotypes, expression patterns and genetic interactions have revealed that many of the basic mechanisms controlling flower development have been conserved in evolution, although important differences in the balance and interactions of genes also exist."}
{"id": "PMID:1485961", "title": "Cell differentiation and patterning in Dictyostelium.", "content": "In Dictyostelium development, prestalk cells first differentiate at scattered positions in the aggregate and then sort out, probably by chemotaxis to cAMP. They may regulate their proportions by selective depletion of the stalk cell inducer, DIF-1. Once sorted, prestalk cells form a DIF-1 sink, which can produce gradients of DIF-1 and its metabolites in the slug. Global movements of cells in the slug may be regulated by cAMP signals, as in aggregation. Terminal differentiation of stalk and spore cells requires activation of cAMP-dependent protein kinase, possibly brought about by ammonia depletion. Finally, a technique for insertional mutagenesis promises the ready isolation of developmental genes."}
{"id": "PMID:1485962", "title": "A plethora of intercellular signals during Caenorhabditis elegans development.", "content": "Reproducible cell-cell interactions contribute to the invariance of Caenorhabditis elegans development and allow high resolution study of molecular mechanisms of intercellular signaling. A number of new cell interactions have been discovered in the past year. The power of nematode molecular genetics has been increased through several technical advances and the genome project, and these new approaches are now being successfully applied both to familiar and new signaling mechanisms."}
{"id": "PMID:1485963", "title": "Sex determination and differentiation in invertebrates: Drosophila and Caenorhabditis elegans.", "content": "Sex determination in flies and worms is controlled by cascades beginning with the X chromosome: autosome ratio and terminating in transcription factors. We are now gaining an understanding of the molecular mechanisms governing the largely post-transcriptional regulation of the intermediate steps in these cascades."}
{"id": "PMID:1485964", "title": "Molecular mechanisms of determination in Drosophila.", "content": "A number of Drosophila proteins have been identified that play key roles in the establishment of active or inactive states of selector gene expression. Interactions between these proteins and their target selector genes are beginning to be understood, shaping our molecular view as to how stable determination of cells is achieved."}
{"id": "PMID:1485965", "title": "New blossoms in the neural crest field: trophic and transcription factors.", "content": "Just as the answers to some of the most basic, long-standing questions concerning neural crest differentiation have become apparent, the field has been invigorated by a cross-fertilization of mouse genetics, and studies on transcription factors and trophic/instructive factors. These findings raise new questions, at a deeper level of inquiry."}
{"id": "PMID:1485966", "title": "Molecular genetics of the Pax gene family.", "content": "Three members of the Pax gene family are now known to be responsible for the established mouse developmental phenotypes Splotch, Small eye and undulated; two of these genes are implicated in the human congenital diseases Waardenburg's syndrome and aniridia. The mouse mutants will act as model systems for these human disorders and, in addition, will provide insights into the processes of vertebrate development."}
{"id": "PMID:1485968", "title": "Determinants of mRNA localization.", "content": "RNA localization provides a mechanism for protein targeting within developing or differentiating cells. Specific cis-acting sequences on mRNA mediate this process. Such 'localizer' or 'zipcode' nucleic acid sequences have been restricted to the 3' untranslated region of several mRNAs. The presence of genetic information denoting a spatial component of translation adds a new dimension to gene expression."}
{"id": "PMID:1485969", "title": "mRNA stability: in trans-it.", "content": "The regulation of mRNA stability is an important step in the control of gene expression. Characterization of the mechanisms involved in the turnover of individual mRNAs has identified a requirement for specific cis-acting sequences and trans-acting factors, as well as an involvement of the translation apparatus. In the past year, significant progress has been made in the identification of trans-acting factors by both biochemical and genetic approaches. This review summarizes that progress and promotes the notion that the ribosome itself should also be considered as a trans-acting component of the mRNA decay machinery."}
{"id": "PMID:1485970", "title": "The mitogen-activated protein kinase activator.", "content": "The mitogen-activated protein kinase appears to be regulated by another growth factor regulated kinase, the mitogen-activated protein kinase activator. In the past year, much progress has been made in purifying and characterizing the mitogen-activated protein kinase activator, in determining its primary structure, and in identifying another protein kinase that may function upstream to regulate its activity."}
{"id": "PMID:1485971", "title": "Neonatal anatomic repair of transposition of the great arteries and ventricular septal defect.", "content": "From January 1985 to March 1992, 64 consecutive neonates with transposition of the great arteries (TGA) and ventricular septal defect (VSD) underwent an arterial switch operation and VSD closure. The mean age at operation was 18.5 +/- 12 days and the mean weight was 3.3 kg. Seventeen patients had an associated aortic coarctation, of whom 15 underwent single-stage repair through median sternotomy. Coronary artery distribution was: type A: 45 patients; type B: 2; type D: 11 and type E: 6 patients. The location of the VSD was perimembranous in 42 patients, trabecular in 13, infundibular in 5, and 4 presented with the Taussig Bing heart anomaly. The hospital mortality was 9.3% (n = 6). There were four late deaths (one TGA-VSD and three TGA-VSD and coarctation). Nine patients required reoperation. The mean follow-up of all survivors was 36 +/- 19 months. They were in NYHA class I without medication. Six patients developed mild-to-moderate aortic insufficiency. The actuarial survival and freedom from reoperation at 5 years were 81.06% and 84.6%, respectively. We conclude that neonatal anatomic repair of TGA and VSD offers good medium-term results and avoids iterative operations."}
{"id": "PMID:1485972", "title": "Open-window thoracostomy in pleural empyema.", "content": "Open-window thoracostomy (OWT) was performed in 21 cases of empyema. The indications were postpneumonectomy empyema with (n = 6) or without (n = 1) fistula, early recurrent empyema after decortication (n = 6), chronical empyema in ill elderly patients with (n = 5) or without fistula (n = 2), and total unilateral lung gangrene with a large fistula of the main bronchus after radiotherapy and chemotherapy (n = 1). All cases presented with severe sepsis, eight of them with acute septic shock, and six with signs of multiorgan failure. Three to five ribs were resected, the muscles and skin were sutured to the ribs confining the window located at the lowest point of the empyema cavity, while the intercostal muscles of the resected ribs were used to close fistulae. The cavity was packed with dressings every day. In all cases, the sepsis subsided immediately after OWT. With the exception of one patient with postpneumonectomy empyema, who died of contralateral pneumonia on day 36, no surgery-related complications were seen. Four further patients died of unrelated causes 2, 4, 5, and 7 months, respectively, after OWT. In one of them, the OWT had been closed. Up to this time, obliteration and closure of the cavity has been carried out in 7 cases by using thoracoplasty (n = 2) or predicted muscle flaps (n = 5) either in the early course or after a delay of 11 to 23 months, with fair functional and cosmetic results. In one further case, operative closure has been planned. In seven of the eight remaining patients, four of whom declined further operations, the cavities closed spontaneously, despite their initial size after intervals of between 11 and 21 months."}
{"id": "PMID:1485973", "title": "Cancer surgery on a single residual lung.", "content": "A series of nine patients with single lungs operated on for lung cancer is reported. This represents 10% of all the synchronous and metachronous lung cancers operated during the same period. There were three early postoperative deaths and a further three patients died subsequently at 15, 20 and 24 months, respectively, after operation; the remaining three are alive 6, 12 and 29 months, respectively, following their surgery. The analysis of the results of this small series indicates that wedge and segmental resection, when feasible, may be undertaken in patients with a single lung with reasonable life expectancy. The fact that lobectomy is not tolerated in such patients emphasizes the importance of early diagnosis when minimal local excision can be undertaken."}
{"id": "PMID:1485974", "title": "Dynamic cardiomyoplasty for long-term cardiac assist.", "content": "The principle of cardiomyoplasty is long-term electrostimulation of a latissimus dorsi muscle (LDM) wrapped around the failing heart. Technically, this procedure consists of placing the left LDM flap around the heart via a window created by partial resection of the 2nd or 3rd rib, and subsequent muscle electrostimulation in synchrony with ventricular systole. The aim of cardiomyoplasty is to support ventricular function in ischemic or dilated cardiomyopathies, or to partially replace the ventricular myocardium after large aneurysm or tumor resections. Our clinical experience at Broussais Hospital involves 44 patients. The functional class and quality of life improved after cardiomyoplasty. Improvement of the ventricular performance and limitation of cardiac dilatation were demonstrated over the long-term. The actuarial survival at 6 years was 71%. Risk factors influencing perioperative mortality were: age > 65 years, associated surgical procedures, pulmonary vascular hypertension, and patients hemodynamically unstable or on inotropic drug support. Preoperative risk factors influencing the long-term mortality were: permanent NYHA functional class 4, cardiothoracic ratio > 0.60, LV ejection fraction < 15%, bi-ventricular heart failure, and atrial fibrillation. Cardiomyoplasty does not preclude the use of future orthotopic heart transplantation."}
{"id": "PMID:1485975", "title": "Acute effects of massive transfusion of a bovine hemoglobin blood substitute in a canine model of hemorrhagic shock.", "content": "The capability of stroma-free hemoglobin solutions to act as a plasma expander with oxygen and carbon dioxide transport properties has encouraged the idea of their possible use in settings of massive blood loss. Using a canine hemorrhagic shock model (systolic arterial pressure < or = 50 torr for 60 min), we evaluated the efficacy of an ultra-pure stroma-free bovine hemoglobin solution (PBHg) as a resuscitation fluid in hypovolemic and acidotic animals, using homologous blood (PRBC) and 10% human serum albumin (HSA) as control solutions. Following volume replacement, dogs were studied for 2 h under anesthesia and for 4 h subsequently while awake. Resuscitation with PBHg (30 +/- 3 ml/kg) was able to restore stable hemodynamics and correct acidosis to an extent comparable to that in animals treated with PRBC. Additionally, oxygen transport was maintained at a higher level than that in dogs treated with HSA. Administration of PBHg in this shock model revealed no significant cardiopulmonary toxicity or adverse effects. These short-term results suggest that PBHg may be useful for effective resuscitation after major blood loss."}
{"id": "PMID:1485976", "title": "Early evidence of beneficial effects of chordal preservation in mitral valve replacement on left ventricular dimensions.", "content": "Earlier authors have shown the improved left ventricular (LV) function after chordae-preserving mitral valve replacement (MVR) in follow-up studies. Seventy-nine consecutive patients undergoing MVR were studied preoperatively and pre-discharge with M-mode and two-dimensional Color Doppler echocardiography for early LV morphometric changes. Conventional MVR was performed in 42 patients (Group 1) and the posterior leaflet-chordae-papillary muscle complex was preserved in 37 patients (Group 2). Both cohorts were similar in age, sex, preoperative NYHA class and valve pathology. Four St. Jude bioprostheses, 9 Medtronic and 66 Sorin prostheses were implanted. The intraoperative and perioperative management protocol was uniform for both groups. The median left atrial dimension in both groups decreased to better physiological levels (53 to 46 mm in group 1, 52.5 to 46 mm in group 2). The median LV enddiastolic dimension increased from 47 to 48 mm in group 1 while it decreased from 56.5 to 49 min in group 2. The median LV endsystolic dimension remained unchanged in group 1 but decreased in group 2 (37.6 to 36 mm). Echocardiographic documentation of such early changes in the LV dimensions after modified MVR indicates that the beneficial effects of chordal preservation become evident early in the postoperative period and may explain the improved perioperative LV function after modified MVR compared to conventional MVR."}
{"id": "PMID:1485977", "title": "Traumatic mitral insufficiency following percutaneous mitral dilation: anatomic lesions and surgical implications.", "content": "Percutaneous mitral dilation is a widely accepted technique for treating pure mitral stenosis. Traumatic mitral insufficiency may occur secondary to this technique raising the problem of the feasibility of mitral valve repair. Twenty patients were operated on for traumatic mitral insufficiency following percutaneous mitral dilation. Three patients required emergency operations (within 6 h). In the other cases, surgery was carried out within the following days or weeks. Operative analysis of the mitral valves showed the following lesions: tear of the anterior leaflet (n = 4), tear of the posterior leaflet (n = 2), anterior (n = 4) or posterior (n = 9) paracommissural tear and papillary muscle rupture (n = 1). Associated chordal rupture was found in 3 patients. Septal perforation secondary to transseptal puncture was found in all cases. A septal tear of more than 10 mm was present in 4 patients. Surgery consisted of mitral valve reconstruction (n = 12) or mitral valve replacement (n = 8). Anatomic lesions following percutaneous mitral dilation may affect all the elements of the mitral valve apparatus. The possibility of repair depends more on the degree of calcification of the valve than on the extent of the leaflet tear."}
{"id": "PMID:1485978", "title": "Intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography for the evaluation of mitral, aortic and tricuspid valve repair. A tool to optimize surgical outcome.", "content": "The present study reviews the clinical applicability and usefulness of intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) during valve repair. Intraoperative TEE was performed in 48 consecutive patients, who were divided into three groups: 1. mitral valve repair (MVR), 2. aortic valve repair (AVR), 3. tricuspid valve repair (TVR). Residual valve regurgitation was assessed by color Doppler echocardiography on a scale from 0 to 4. The ratios of the jet area (JA) to the left- and right-atrial areas (JA/LAA and JA/RAA) were analyzed before and after cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). In group 1, 14 patients were scheduled for MVR, of which 4 patients underwent valve replacement and 10 MVR. Post-repair TEE studies showed a significant decrease of mitral regurgitation. In 2 of the 10 patients, TEE demonstrated severe residual regurgitation requiring valve replacement during the same thoracotomy. In group 2, 11 patients underwent aortic commissurotomy. Post-repair TEE showed an increase in the systolic opening diameter and opening area of the aortic valve. One patient underwent valve substitution because of severe aortic regurgitation. In group 3, 23 patients were scheduled for TVR. In 3 of them TEE showed no significant regurgitation thus rendering tricuspid valve surgery unnecessary. Twenty patients underwent TVR of whom two showed unacceptable post-repair regurgitation requiring further surgery. Eighteen patients showed a significant reduction of valve regurgitation after TVR, and a further reduction was achieved by adjusting the tricuspid annuloplasty under TEE guidance."}
{"id": "PMID:1485979", "title": "Bronchial fistula to the mediastinum in a heart-lung transplant patient.", "content": "We present a case of heart-lung transplantation complicated by bronchial perforation as the cause or consequence of prolonged lung infection. Periodic bronchoscopic and radiological follow-up showed resolution of the condition following adequate antibiotic and physiotherapeutic treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1485981", "title": "[Determination of basal and stimulated blood gastrin in duodenal ulcer].", "content": "Serum gastrin levels were measured under basal conditions and after hyperproteic meal stimulation in 24 patients with non-stenotic duodenal ulcer, 78% of them were males with a mean age of 36.4 years. Results were compared with those obtained in 20 volunteers. Basal gastrin levels in patients with duodenal ulcer 46.2 +/- 17.5 pg/ml did not show any significant statistical differences when compared with those in the control group (51.01 +/- 28.1 pg/ml). After meal stimulation gastrin levels at different time intervals, were similar in patients with duodenal ulcer and in the control group. We conclude that serum gastrin does not seem to play a relevant pathogenic role in the development of duodenal ulcer; its measurement is of no value as a biological marker of duodenal ulcer disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1485982", "title": "[Prevalence of Helicobacter pylori in gastric pathology in Aragon].", "content": "The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori in 400 patients referred for upper digestive tract endoscopy. In our area it hasn't developed yet any epidemiologic study about this disease. Helicobacter pylori was observed in 281 of the 400 patients studied (70%). No significant differences by sex were found in the subjects analyzed. There was a rise in the percentage of positivities as age increased. Helicobacter pylori were positive in 74 of the 88 patients with chronic superficial gastritis (84.1%), in 53 of the 65 with chronic atrophic gastritis (81.5%), in 16 of the 25 with chronic atrophic gastritis and intestinal metaplasia (64%), in 49 of the 63 with gastric ulcer (77.8%), in 73 of the 85 with duodenal ulcer (85.9%), in 9 of the 24 patients with gastric carcinoma (37.5%), in 5 of the 19 with stump gastritis (26.3%), where as only a few Helicobacter pylori were found in 2 of the 31 histologically normal subjects (6.5%). These findings support the wiew that Helicobacter pylori may be etiologically related to chronic gastritis and peptic ulceration, even though their precise role still remains to be determined."}
{"id": "PMID:1485983", "title": "[Perioperative blood transfusion and prognosis in colorectal cancer. Analysis of a series].", "content": "The relationship between survival after surgical resection of colorectal carcinoma, and perioperative blood transfusion was studied retrospectively. \"Curative\" surgery was performed in 164 cases of colorectal cancer--stages B and C--, 72 of them received red-cell concentrates perioperatively. Multiple regression analysis did not show any deleterious effect of blood transfusion on the survival of the surgically treated patients (P = 0.941). The volume of the blood derivative received neither seems to influence their outlook. As it was expected a higher rate of transfusion occurred among rectal cancer patients. Mechanisms and factors involved in this controverted issue are discussed and literature is widely reviewed."}
{"id": "PMID:1485984", "title": "[Intraoperative echography of hepatic metastases].", "content": "In order to evaluate the usefulness of intraoperative echography in the study of liver metastases, two groups of patients were submitted to study: A consecutive series of 25 patients operated on for digestive tumours. Before operation, echography was performed to all of them. Four patients operated on for liver metastases. In the patients who were operated for digestive tumors, the authors found 8.6% of metastasis which neither the preoperative echography nor liver palpation had detected. The usefulness of the examination in the patients to whom resective hepatic surgery was going to be performed was based on: The finding of a portal thrombosis which had not been detected in the preoperative study. The possibility of connecting the intrahepatic vascularity with the lesions, in order to decide which technique to choose. The demonstration of the non-existence of other metastases."}
{"id": "PMID:1485985", "title": "[Palliative treatment of carcinomatous ascites with peritoneovenous shunt].", "content": "Carcinomatous ascites (CA) is not an uncommon manifestation of a metastatic neoplasia. The aim of this study was to evaluate the utility of peritoneovenous shunt (PVS) in patients with CA refractory to conventional management. Twelve patients in whom a PVS was placed with palliative intention were studied. One patient died in the postoperative period. Permanent control of the ascites was achieved in 7 (63.6%) of the remaining patients. PVS obstruction occurred in 4 patients (36.4%) and no other complications related to the shunt were seen. Results were better in CA of gynecological origin but without reaching significant statistical differences. We conclude that PVS can be useful for palliation of CA with a low complication rate."}
{"id": "PMID:1485986", "title": "[Xanthogranulomatous cholecystitis].", "content": "Ten cases of xanthogranulomatous cholecystitis are presented, 5 women and 5 men, from a total of 439 cholecystectomies (2.2%). In 50% of cases the clinical course was consistent with acute cholecystitis; in 30%, gallbladder cancer was suspected preoperatively; and in 70% of cases cancer was suspected during surgery but intraoperative biopsies showed no malignancy. Definitive pathological findings included early carcinoma of the gallbladder in two patients, and a cholecystocolic fistula in one patient. A perforated gallbladder was found in one patient. The incidence of postoperative septic complications was 18.1%, a figure that doubles that of elective biliary surgery in our hospital."}
{"id": "PMID:1485987", "title": "[Digestive hemorrhage secondary to ileocecal actinomycosis].", "content": "Report of a case of abdominal actinomycosis, including the cecoapendicular region, that clinically presented as lower digestive bleeding, and was diagnosed by the anatomopathological study of the surgical resection specimen, since the patient was operated with the preoperative diagnosis of vascular malformation. This type of presentation is uncommon in abdominal actinomycosis, and explains the presentation of this clinical case."}
{"id": "PMID:1485988", "title": "[Acute abdomen caused by transmural eosinophilic enteritis].", "content": "A 45 year old man with personal history of B-Lactamic antibiotics allergy and one episode of hemochezia was admitted to hospital because of abdominal pain in the lower right quadrant and nausea, and diagnosed of acute appendicitis. At laparotomy he was found to have histological evidence of transmural eosinophilic enteritis in the terminal ileon and ascitis. After an intestinal resection a full evaluation was performed."}
{"id": "PMID:1485989", "title": "[Enterolithiasis].", "content": "The term enterolithiasis refers to concretions formed within the gastrointestinal tract. Conditions causing stasis predispose formation of enteroliths, which may be either radiopaque or radiolucent. Thus, a wide spectrum of intestinal disorders are associated with enterolithiasis including intestinal diverticulum, Crohn's ileitis, intestinal tuberculosis, radiation enteritis and strictures after surgery. The authors report one patient with intestinal obstruction as a complication of enterolithiasis and diagnosed previously as gallstone ileus. The pathogenesis and management concerning this entity are also discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1485990", "title": "[Rupture of splenic artery aneurysm as a cause of acute abdomen].", "content": "A male, 52 years old, presenting acute abdominal pain and hypovolemic shock, was diagnosed by ultrasound and CAT of fissured aneurysm of the splenic artery. Emergency laparotomy confirmed that the aneurysm had ruptured into the peritoneal cavity."}
{"id": "PMID:1485991", "title": "[Cystic neoplasm of the pancreas as a cause of intestinal obstruction].", "content": "Cystic neoplasms of the pancreas are unusual varieties of pancreatic tumors. We herein report a new case presenting with atypical features, such as mental and electrolytic disturbances secondary to upper intestinal obstruction. We reviewed the literature, and discuss the differential diagnosis, the histopathological characteristics of prognostic value, and the therapeutic strategy. We conclude that these tumors should be included in the differential diagnosis of the upper intestinal obstructions, and emphasize the need to remove the lesion in all cases because of the difficulties of predicting the benign or malignant behaviour of these tumors before and during the surgical procedure."}
{"id": "PMID:1485998", "title": "Survey of services to patients in general practice.", "content": "Family doctors vary in the range of services they provide for their patients. Of 267 practices in Devon and Cornwall, 245 responded to a questionnaire sent in September 1989 asking for information about services to patients. Most doctors consulted at six to eight patients per hour, whether or not an appointment system operated. About two-thirds of patients had access to a female GP. Nine out of ten practices employed a practice nurse. Almost all offered a surgery on Saturday mornings. Most surgeries took the phone over at 8.30 a.m. in the week and started consulting at 9 a.m. Almost half were consulting until 6.30 p.m. or later on at least one day per week. 80% of practices were offering a non-urgent appointment on the same or next day. All practices offered childhood immunisation. 80% offered some form of personal list system. 80% offered minor operations, one-third manipulations, 10% homeopathy, 6% hypnosis and 5% acupuncture."}
{"id": "PMID:1486002", "title": "Centrosome organization and centriole architecture: their sensitivity to divalent cations.", "content": "The centrosome plays a major role in the spatial organization of the microtubular network and has a controlled cycle of duplication, the two duplicated centrosomes functioning as mitotic poles during subsequent cell division. However, a comprehensive description of the overall organization of the centrosome in animal cells is lacking. In order to integrate the various pieces contributing to the centrosome structure and to optimize the quality of the data, we have undertaken an extensive ultrastructural study of centrosomes isolated from human lymphoblasts, which involved (i) orientation of centrosomes by sedimentation before embedding and sectioning, (ii) ultrathin serial sectioning, (iii) digitalization of micrographs to obtain quantitative data, and finally, (iv) comparison between two methods of isolation, which differ by the presence or absence of EDTA. Using this strategy, we have unambiguously described the pericentriolar organization of two distinct sets of appendages (distal and subdistal) about the so-called parental centriole. New structures have been also observed in association with the microtubule sets in this study: (i) external columns, which are dense structures localized at the basis of the subdistal appendages and (ii) internal columns, which are made of globular subunits integrated in a more luminal and probably helical structure. We have also observed that removal of divalent cations by the EDTA during the isolation procedure could affect the centrosomal structure at different levels (subdistal appendages, internal and external columns, pericentriolar matrix), including a significant variation in centriole diameter. A scheme of the overall organization of the centrosome from animal cells and of its modulation by divalent cations can be drawn from this study. Our data gives a view of the centrosome as an organelle displaying a complex and possibly dynamic structural organization."}
{"id": "PMID:1486004", "title": "Formation of 2-D paracrystals of F-actin on phospholipid layers mixed with quaternary ammonium surfactants.", "content": "Two-dimensional paracrystalline arrays of F-actin have been formed on positively charged lipid layers composed of phosphatidylcholine (PC) and quaternary ammonium surfactants. These quaternary ammonium surfactants were found to be better promoters of two-dimensional order than PC lipid layers mixed with stearylamine. In addition, the length of the hydrocarbon chain was found to influence the achievement of 2-D order. Lipid layers composed of dilauryl-PC and didodecyldimethylammonium bromide, which are saturated C12 lipids, promoted 2-D crystallization better than mixtures of dipalmitoyl-PC, a saturated C16 lipid, and dioctadecyldimethylammonium bromide, a saturated C18 lipid. Thus, the hydrocarbon chain length, which influences lipid layer fluidity, had a significant effect on paracrystal formation. We suggest that quaternary ammonium surfactants may have advantages in some cases for forming ordered arrays on lipid layers. In addition to investigating the effect of lipid layer composition on paracrystal formation, we found that the injection of G-actin rather than F-actin under a fluid lipid layer into a polymerizing solution produced better ordered paracrystals."}
{"id": "PMID:1486003", "title": "Transient storage of a nuclear matrix protein along intermediate-type filaments during mitosis: a novel function of cytoplasmic intermediate filaments.", "content": "We recently identified a nuclear matrix protein, named NMP125 for its molecular weight (M(r) 125 kDa). On the basis of immunofluorescence analysis with monoclonal anti-NMP125 antibodies of differentially extracted cells in situ, including detergents, DNase I, RNase A, and high/low ionic strength conditions, it is concluded that NMP125 is a component of a chromatin- and histone-depleted nuclear substructure, operationally defined as nuclear matrix in interphase cells. The protein revealed evolutionary conservation in man, rat, chicken, and Xenopus, at least at the level of immunological crossreactivity. The subcellular distribution of NMP125 is cell-cycle-dependent; in interphase cells NMP125 is confined to a nuclear substructure with a granular aspect, whereas after nuclear envelope breakdown, it is freed into the cytoplasm. However, most of the protein remains attached to a cytoskeletal ligand that we have identified as the intermediate-type filament vimentin. In late mitotic stages the protein forms punctuate aggregates of relatively large size, which get passively closer to the newly formed telophase nuclei together with the reorganized vimentin around the nuclei in late telophase. From the morphological point of view, although static in nature, a dynamic cell-cycle-dependent distribution of NMP125 is found, revealing dissociation and spreading throughout the cytoplasm in metaphase, binding to vimentin filaments, cytoplasmic aggregation, and transport to nuclei in telophase. The transient affinity of the nuclear protein NMP125 to vimentin filaments during mitosis together with a passive cytoplasmic dislocation of the vimentin/NMP125 conjugate toward the telophase nuclei could represent a novel and dynamic function of cytoplasmic intermediate filaments, implicating a transient repository and passive shift of nuclear proteins during mitosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1486005", "title": "Glial fibrillary acidic protein and its mRNA: ultrastructural detection and determination of changes after CNS injury.", "content": "We have previously demonstrated that glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) containing intermediate filaments in retinal M\u00fcller cells undergo both quantitative induction and subcellular reorganization as a response to long-term retinal detachment (an induced CNS degeneration wherein the M\u00fcller cells form a multicellular scar). This study demonstrates by RNA blotting analysis that normal retina expresses a low basal level of GFAP mRNA, which is induced approximately 500% within 3 days of retinal detachment. At the cellular level, electron microscopic in situ hybridization analysis readily detects GFAP mRNA in M\u00fcller cells of detached retinas, but not in normal retinas. On the other hand, GFAP mRNA was readily detected in retinal astrocytes (which appear to express GFAP mRNA at high, constitutive levels). In both cell types, the ultrastructural localization of GFAP mRNA was the same. In the nuclei, the GFAP mRNA was associated with amorphous, electron-dense regions within the euchromatin. In the cytoplasm, the GFAP mRNA was associated with intermediate filaments near the nuclear pores, along the filaments when no other structures were apparent, and when the filaments appeared to be associated with ribosomes and polysomes. The ultrastructural location of the GFAP mRNA (especially along the intermediate filaments) may be unique to this mRNA or may represent a more generalized mRNA phenomenon."}
{"id": "PMID:1486008", "title": "Phase diagram of deep rough mutant lipopolysaccharide from Salmonella minnesota R595.", "content": "The structural polymorphism of deep rough mutant lipopolysaccharide--in many biological systems the most active endotoxin--from Salmonella minnesota strain R595 was investigated as function of temperature, water content, and Mg2+ concentration. Differential scanning calorimetry was used to determine the amount of bound water and the enthalpy change at the beta<==>alpha gel to liquid crystalline acyl chain melting. The onset, midtemperature Tc, and completion of the beta<==>alpha phase transition were studied with Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. Synchrotron radiation X-ray diffraction was used to characterize the supramolecular three-dimensional structures in each phase state. The results indicate an extremely complex dependence of the structural behavior of LPS on ambient conditions. The beta<==>alpha acyl chain melting temperature Tc lying at 30 degrees C at high water content (95%) increases with decreasing water content reaching a value of 50 degrees C at 30% water content. Concomitantly, a broadening of the transition range takes place. At still lower water content, no distinct phase transition can be observed. This behavior is even more clearly expressed in the presence of Mg2+. In the lower water concentration range (< 50%) at temperatures below 70 degrees C, only lamellar structures can be observed independent of the Mg2+ concentration. This correlates with the absence of free water. Above 50% water concentration, the supramolecular structure below 70 degrees C strongly depends on the [LPS]:[Mg2+] ratio. For large [LPS]:[Mg2+] ratios, the predominant structure is nonlamellar, for smaller [LPS]:[Mg2+] ratios there is a superposition of lamellar and nonlamellar structures. At an equimolar ratio of LPS and Mg2+ a multibilayered organization is observed. The nonlamellar structures can be assigned in various cases to structures with cubic symmetry with periodicities between 12 and 16 nm. Under all investigated conditions, a transition into the hexagonal II structure takes place between 70 and 80 degrees C. These observations are discussed in relation to the biological importance of LPS as constituent of the outer membrane of gram-negative bacteria and as potent inducer of biological effects in mammals."}
{"id": "PMID:1486007", "title": "The three-dimensional structure of frozen-hydrated bacteriophage phi X174.", "content": "The three-dimensional structure of bacteriophage phi X174 (phi X174) was determined to approximately 2.6 nm resolution from images of frozen-hydrated 114 S particles. The outer surface of phi X174 is characterized by several prominent features: (i) 12 mushroom-shaped caps (approximately 7.1 nm wide x 3.8 nm high) are situated at each of the vertices of the icosahedral virion and extend to a maximum radius of 16.8 nm; (ii) a \"collar\" of density surrounds the base of each apical cap; and (iii) 20 conical protrusions (approximately 2.3 nm high) lie along the three-fold symmetry axes. The caps have a pentagonal morphology composed of five globular \"subunits\" and appear to be loosely connected to the underlying capsid. The distribution of the four gene products present in virions (60 copies each of gpF, gpG, and gpJ, and 12 copies of gpH), and the single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) genome cannot be directly discerned in the reconstructed density map, although plausible assignments can be made on the basis of solvent-excluded volume estimates and previous biochemical data. Thus, gpG accounts for most of the mass in the caps; gpH, a presumed cap protein, cannot be identified in part due to the symmetry-averaging procedures, but may be partially located within the interior of the capsid; and gpF and gpJ make up the remainder of the capsid. The genome appears to be less densely packaged inside the capsid compared to many dsDNA viruses whose nucleic acid is arranged in a liquid-crystalline state."}
{"id": "PMID:1486006", "title": "A new method for the routine spreading of DNA in protein-free conditions.", "content": "Electron microscopic studies of DNA are hampered by difficulties encountered with the spreading of DNA under protein-free conditions. The established and currently popular technique of spreading DNA on carbon membranes treated by glow discharge in an atmosphere of pentylamine is limited with regard to its reproducibility and the proper distribution of spread molecules on the surface of the membranes. A new, reliable, and highly reproducible technique using tri-L-(dimethylaminomethyl)phenol (DMP 30), a promotor factor for spreading circular DNA, linear DNA, and DNA-protein complexes, is described in this paper. Monolayers of DMP 30 are formed at the air-water interface by a microdiffusion procedure on droplets. DNA molecules that diffuse on this monolayer can easily be picked up on hydrophobic carbon membranes. This method, which is easy, reproducible, and fast, will facilitate electron microscopic studies of DNA-protein interactions."}
{"id": "PMID:1486015", "title": "The role of 5-HT in postoperative nausea and vomiting.", "content": "In this review it has been speculated that PONV is induced by the anaesthetic and by the trauma and perturbations associated with surgery. Indeed, it is unlikely that PONV is caused by any one pathophysiological input, but is multifactorial in origin. These perturbations may be peripheral, central, or both, and involve direct effects on the vomiting system together with afferent inputs in the vagal, splanchnic and trigeminal nerves. A proposed scheme summarizing these inputs is given in figure 1. The precise mechanisms through which 5-HT and 5-HT3 receptors contribute to the control of PONV is unknown, but their involvement is demonstrated by the antiemetic effect of ondansetron."}
{"id": "PMID:1486017", "title": "Neuroreceptor changes in Alzheimer disease.", "content": "Multiple neuroreceptor changes are present in Alzheimer disease. These observations are based upon analysis from autopsy brain tissue or more seldom from neurosurgical biopsies. The drawback of information from autopsy material is that the receptor changes represent the final stage of the dementia disorder. It might therefore be somewhat misleading to base therapeutic strategies on these findings. Hopefully, new imaging techniques such as positron emission tomography (PET) and single photon emission tomography (SPECT) will provide valuable new in vivo data from the earlier course of the disease. Among the transmitter systems changed in Alzheimer disease, the cholinergic system shows the most consistent deficits. Cholinergic muscarinic receptors seem to be preserved in Alzheimer brains while nicotinic receptors show losses. The number of serotonin (both 5-HT1 and 5-HT2) and glutamate receptors are also reduced. Interestingly, kainate receptors increase in number while NMDA receptors are reduced in cortical Alzheimer tissue. Common for all receptor changes in Alzheimer disease is that the changes in number of binding sites are seen while the affinity constant remains unchanged. alpha- and beta-receptors and dopamine receptors are relatively preserved in Alzheimer brains. Among the neuropeptides, losses in receptor sites have been reported for somatostatin and neuropeptide Y (NPY). Interestingly, the number of CRF receptors are increased in cortical areas of Alzheimer brains. Thus, the muscarinic (M1), kainate, and CRF receptors show receptor compensatory reactions probably due to degenerative reactions in Alzheimer disease. Few attempts have been made to visualize neuroreceptors in vivo in Alzheimer patients. The field, however, is in dynamic progress. Reduced numbers of nicotinic receptors have been visualized in the brain of Alzheimer patients by PET and [11C]-nicotine and confirm earlier observations in post-mortem brain tissues. A lower uptake of (R)(+)[11C]nicotine compared to (S)(-)[11C]nicotine in patients with a mild form of dementia might be a possible diagnostic marker. SPECT studies indicate preserved muscarinic receptors in Alzheimer brains. Analysis of neuroreceptor changes in peripheral nonneural tissues have shown a reduction in nicotinic and muscarinic receptors in peripheral lymphocytes obtained from Alzheimer patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1486018", "title": "Alteration of blood pressure regulation and cerebrovascular disorders in the elderly.", "content": "The objective of this study was to review the available data on the effects of management of hypertension on stroke in the elderly. MED-LINE was searched for articles published from 1967 to 1991 for articles on hypertension and hypotension. The following \"key words\" were used to limit our search to relevant studies: \"stroke\", \"cerebrovascular disease\", \"elderly\", \"hypertension\", \"hypotension\", \"drug trials in hypertension\", \"complications of acute stroke\", and \"stroke management\". Original articles with data related to the effects of hypertension management or complications of hypotension were reviewed in detail. Of about 900 papers reviewed, 121 were selected for this review. These papers specifically addressed the long-term prognosis of subjects treated with antihypertensive medications, the prognosis after TIA or stroke, and complications of aggressive antihypertensive therapy. The incidence of hypertension increases with age. Hypertension is the most important correctable risk factor for stroke. Most studies on stroke prevention in asymptomatic hypertension (primary prevention) have shown clear benefits (including management of systolic hypertension in the elderly). Data on stroke prevention in patients with TIAs (secondary prevention) is limited but suggests that management of hypertension will decrease the risk of stroke in such patients. Patients with completed stroke who are hypertensive should have very careful management of their hypertension as they may be at risk for hypotensive complications. Sudden reduction in blood pressure in the elderly (especially in the presence of pseudohypertension) increases the risk of symptomatic cerebral hypoperfusion and stroke. Management of hypertension in the elderly is effective in stroke prevention. Because of the real risk of a sudden decrease in cerebral perfusion, pressure reduction should be done slowly and with care."}
{"id": "PMID:1486019", "title": "Adenosine and brain ischemia.", "content": "Recent experimental data indicate a probable role of adenosine as an endogenous neuroprotective substance in brain ischemia. This nucleoside is rapidly formed during ischemia as a result of intracellular breakdown of ATP and it is subsequently transported into the extracellular space. With use of microdialysis and other techniques, a massive increase of interstitial adenosine has been measured during ischemia in different brain areas. Adenosine acts through two subtypes of receptors, A1 and A2, which are located on neurons, glial cells, blood vessels, platelets, and leukocytes and are linked via G-proteins to different effector systems such as adenylate cyclase and membrane ion channels. There is a very high density of A1-receptors in the hippocampus, an area with specific vulnerability to ischemia. In different in vivo and in vitro models of brain ischemia, the pharmacological manipulation of the adenosine system by adenosine receptor antagonists tended to aggravate ischemic brain damage, whereas the reinforcement of adenosine action by receptor agonists or inhibitors of cellular reuptake and inactivation showed neuroprotection. The up-regulation of adenosine A1-receptor number and affinity by chronic preadministration of the competitive antagonist caffeine also attenuated ischemic brain damage. The mechanisms underlying the neuroprotective effects of adenosine seem to involve both types of adenosine receptors, A1 and A2, but the A1-mediated pre- and postsynaptic neuromodulation may be of special importance. By inhibiting neuronal Ca2+ influx, adenosine counteracts the presynaptic release of the potentially excitotoxic neurotransmitters glutamate and aspartate, which may impair intracellular Ca2+ homeostasis via metabotrophic glutamate receptors or induce uncontrolled membrane depolarization via ion channel-linked glutamate receptors, especially of the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) type. In addition, adenosine directly stabilizes the neuronal membrane potential by increasing the conductance for K+ and Cl- ions, thereby counteracting excessive membrane depolarization. The latter triggers a number of pathological events including blockade of voltage-sensitive K+ currents, increase of NMDA receptor-mediated Ca2+ influx, and presumably also impairment of glutamate uptake by astrocytes. In the way of a vicious cycle, all these factors again tend to enhance extracellular glutamate levels and membrane depolarization, finally leading to cytotoxic calcium loading and neuronal cell death. In addition to its important neuromodulatory effects, which tend to reduce energy demand of the brain, adenosine acting via A2-receptors in brain vessels, platelets, and neutrophilic granulocytes may improve the cerebral microcirculation and thus oxygen and substrate supply to the tissue. There is evidence that the functional state of adenosine receptors is impaired during ischemia, limiting the time window of the adenosine action.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1486020", "title": "Culture media for enterococci and group D-streptococci.", "content": "Lancefield group D-streptococci are contaminants of various food commodities, especially those of animal origin. They encompass the new genus Enterococcus comprising 13 known species and some species of streptococci which have their habitat in the intestine of animals, e.g. Streptococcus bovis, suis and equinus. The serologically based grouping may no longer constitute the best definition for streptococci from the food chain. Food hygiene monitoring systems using enterococci as indicators need reliable methods for selective cultivation and identification of marker strains. Up to now more than 100 modifications of selective media have been described for isolating streptococci or enterococci from various specimens. The selection of a medium requires either experience or consultation. It depends on the kind of specimen, the method of cultivation (plate count or membrane filter) and whether or not the habitat is heavily contaminated with other organisms. The choice of media is made more difficult as commercial versions of the same culture medium may vary in recipe and/or performance from producer to producer. Therefore, reviewing the literature may help in the choice of medium and confirmation tests. The selectivity and productivity of some commonly used or cited media are reported here, partly based on our own experience: citrate azide tween carbonate agar (CATC), kanamycin aesculin azide agar (KAA) and M-enterococcus agar (ME) including earlier results with aesculin bile azide agar (ABA), and thallous acetate tetrazolium glucose agar (TITG). No medium was completely selective for all group D-streptococci or for all enterococci but some media were highly selective for a single Enterococcus species, e.g., for E. faecalis which serves as indicator of human pollution. Confirmatory tests must be carried out when experience in the evaluation procedure is limited. Selective media for enterococci should be used only after or while checking in parallel their selectivity and productivity against appropriate test organisms."}
{"id": "PMID:1486021", "title": "Culture media for non-sporulating gram-positive food spoilage bacteria.", "content": "The spoilage association especially of protein-rich foods can be dominated by Gram-positive bacteria, notably lactic acid bacteria (LAB) which affect vacuum packaged refrigerated processed meats and some dairy products. New food ecosystems are being created by novel packaging and processing technologies, resulting in spoilage associations differing from those previously reported. In addition, improvement in identification methods, allow the detection and isolation of 'novel' bacterial groups, e.g., Carnobacterium spp. This review considers the genera Aerococcus, Brevibacterium, Brochothrix, Carnobacterium, Kurthia, Lactobacillus, Leuconostoc, Microbacterium, Micrococcus, Pediococcus and Propionibacterium. Strictly selective procedures, including incubation temperature and atmosphere, are not yet available for the genera Aerococcus, Brevibacterium, Microbacterium and Micrococcus, and only with some limitations for Kurthia and Propionibacterium. On the other hand, a causative role in food spoilage has not been established clearly for all those groups, some of which may be 'opportunistic' in their behaviour. The LAB groups Lactobacillus, Leuconostoc and Pediococcus ('LLP-Group') often share similar habitats and show similar physiological behaviour on a number of elective and selective media. Modifications to increase selectivity have been based mainly on de Man, Rogosa and Sharpe (MRS) or Rogosa agar, and include pH reduction, supplementation with chemical preservatives (e.g., sorbic acid and nitrate) and the use of reduced atmospheres or suboptimal incubation temperatures. Carnobacteria differ from other LAB in their non-aciduric nature, and selective plating procedures use high-pH media (pH 8-9) by which competitors (mainly lactobacilli) are eliminated."}
{"id": "PMID:1486022", "title": "Principles involved in the detection and enumeration of clostridia in foods.", "content": "The clostridia are a group of anaerobic bacteria that vary considerably in their biochemical and physiological properties. Not surprisingly, attempts to develop a single isolation medium for all species that occur in foods have not been entirely successful, and the problem is compounded by the need to recover both vegetative cells and spores, some of the latter being unable to germinate without heat activation. Most available isolation media, except some of those used in the dairy industry, include sulphite and an appropriate iron salt, so that blackening due to sulphite reduction can serve as a differential test for clostridia. The limitations of this test in solid agar media are discussed and some advantages described in relation to its use in liquid media for Most Probable Number determinations. A medium favoured for the purpose is the Differential Reinforced Clostridial Medium of Gibbs and Freame (1965). An unresolved issue is whether or not special precautions are needed to exclude oxygen during food sample preparation and dilution, preparation of media, and in conditions used for anaerobic incubation. Although such stringency may be required for maximum recovery of sub-lethally damaged cells or spores, practical constraints in food control laboratories necessitate use of relatively simple procedures for detecting clostridia routinely."}
{"id": "PMID:1486023", "title": "Media for detecting and enumerating yeasts and moulds.", "content": "Dilution plating techniques are designed to determine populations of viable fungal propagules per unit weight or volume of food. Direct plating techniques, on the other hand, are designed to assess the internal mycoflora of individual pieces of foods, e.g., seeds or dried fruits, and results are expressed as a percentage of infected pieces. Both techniques are used by industry and regulatory agencies to monitor levels of fungal contamination at various stages of food handling, storing, processing and marketing. Peptone (0.1%) water is commonly used as a diluent for samples to be homogenized or blended. Buffered diluents containing up to 30% glucose or 60% sucrose are recommended for enumerating xerophiles. No one medium is satisfactory for detection or enumeration of yeasts and moulds in all foods. Dichloran rose bengal chloramphenicol agar, oxytetracycline glucose yeast extract agar and rose bengal chloramphenicol agar are superior to acidified potato dextrose agar for enumeration of yeasts and moulds. Dichloran 18% glycerol agar performs well for enumerating moderately xerophilic yeasts and moulds. Fastidious xerophiles require media containing high concentrations of sugars and/or sodium chloride. Media have been formulated to detect potentially aflatoxigenic aspergilli and mycotoxigenic strains of penicillia and fusaria, but increased selectivity and specificity of media for detecting mycotoxigenic moulds are needed. Heat-resistant mould ascospores often require heat treatment prior to plating in order to activate the germination process. The spread-plate technique is strongly preferred over the pour-plate technique for enumerating yeasts and moulds. The recommended incubation temperature is 25 degrees C, but incubation time between plating and counting colonies ranges from 5 days for determination of general populations of mycoflora to 4 weeks or more for fastidious xerophiles. There is a need for new and improved media for selectively isolating various groups, genera, species and/or strains of fungi capable of growing only under specific environmental conditions, e.g., low aw or, in the case of sublethally injured cells, under conditions which facilitate resuscitation. Improved media are needed which accurately detect moulds producing specific mycotoxins in a wide range of food types."}
{"id": "PMID:1486024", "title": "Microbiological assessment of culture media: comparison and statistical evaluation of methods.", "content": "In this review methods for the quality control of media were compared, taking the following questions as a guidelines. (i) Which methods are easy to use and give reliable results? (ii) Which experimental design should be used in order to obtain reliable data with a minimal input of resources (staff and materials)? These questions can be answered satisfactorily using statistical methods. This review shows that solid media can be assessed with acceptable accuracy using well established methods like the spread plate technique. In order to assure a minimum of statistical error, at least two plates with an average count of 100 colonies per plate seems to be the best design. This also applies to the ecometric streaking technique, a good alternative to the more quantitative methods. For an accurate assessment of liquid media, large numbers of tubes need to be tested. This is very expensive in terms of laboratory resources and therefore unlikely to be used routinely. Therefore it is proposed to use the serial dilution technique, in which the broths are tested in triplicate (Richard, N. (1982) Monitoring the quality of selective liquid media used in the official serial dilution technique for the bacteriological examination of food. In: J.E.L. Corry (Ed.). Quality Assurance and Quality Control of Microbiological Culture Media. Proceedings of the Symposium held on 6-7 September 1979, Callas de Mallorca, Spain, G.I.T.-Verlag Ernst Giebeler, Darmstadt. pp. 51-58). The recommendations in this review can be used together with the methods recommended by the International Committee for Food Microbiology and Hygiene, Working Party on Culture Media (ICFMH, WPCM: Baird et al., 1987) to assist laboratories setting up QC tests for culture media."}
{"id": "PMID:1486025", "title": "A standard protocol for the quality control of microbiological media.", "content": "A protocol, comprising standardized analysis and data forms, has been drawn up for the quality control of microbiological media. It was developed in order to standardize the testing procedures in our laboratory and to test media with minimal investment in time and resources. The forms encourage proper recording of the trials, which facilitates internal and external consideration of the results. The protocol was validated in a comparative investigation of the quality of media obtained from different suppliers and were shown to work satisfactorily. Based on the overall results, preferred suppliers for each medium were chosen. The standardized forms can be used in conjunction with the documents drafted by the International Committee for Food Microbiology and Hygiene (ICFMH) Working Party for Culture Media, bringing standardization of testing procedures one step nearer."}
{"id": "PMID:1486026", "title": "Isolation of Yersinia enterocolitica from foods.", "content": "Many selective enrichment and plating media for the isolation of Yersinia enterocolitica from foods are described. However, at present no single isolation procedure is available for the recovery of all pathogenic strains of Yersinia enterocolitica. Cold enrichment in phosphate-buffered saline plus 1% sorbitol and 0.15% bile salts (PBSSB) and two-step enrichment with tryptone soy broth (TSB) and bile oxalate sorbose (BOS) broth are very efficient methods for the recovery of a wide spectrum of serotypes of Y. enterocolitica. Enrichment in irgasan ticarcillin chlorate (ITC) broth was found to be the most efficient method for the recovery of strains of serotype 0:3, which is the most common clinical serotype of Y. enterocolitica in Europe. Post-enrichment alkali treatment often results in higher isolation rates. Cefsulodin irgasan novobiocin (CIN) agar and Salmonella-Shigella deoxycholate calcium chloride (SSDC) agar are the most commonly used plating media. For the recovery of serotype 0:8 strains, the common clinical isolates in North America, enrichment in BOS and plating on CIN seems the most efficient procedure. Selection of the proper enrichment procedure will depend on the bio/serotypes of Yersinia spp. sought and on the type of food to be examined. The use of more than one medium for both enrichment and plating will result in higher recovery rates of Yersinia spp. from foods. Parallel use of the following two isolation procedures is recommended. (1) Enrichment in ITC for 2 days at 24 degrees C; plating on SSDC agar (2 days at 30 degrees C). (2) Pre-enrichment in TSB for 1 day at 24 degrees C; enrichment in BOS for 5 days at 24 degrees C; alkali treatment (mixing 0.5 ml enriched broth with 4.5 ml of 0.5% KOH in 0.5% NaCl for 5 s); plating on CIN agar (2 days at 24 degrees C)."}
{"id": "PMID:1486027", "title": "Media for the detection and enumeration of Bacillus cereus in foods: a review.", "content": "Bacillus cereus is an established cause of food poisoning in addition to being a troublesome and persistent contaminant, responsible for a variety of spoilage defects in processed foods and dairy products. A range of diagnostic and selective media has been developed to facilitate the detection and enumeration of B. cereus in routine surveillance situations and food poisoning investigations. These media are reviewed with respect to the selective and diagnostic systems they employ, their ability to recover and differentiate the target organism, and their advantages and limitations in particular applications."}
{"id": "PMID:1486029", "title": "Bone marrow cells from A/J mice do not proliferate in interleukin-3 but express normal numbers of interleukin-3 receptors.", "content": "Haemopoietic cells from A/J mice do not form colonies (proliferate) in response to interleukin-3 (multi-CSF, IL-3). We have examined different populations of cells from A/J mice and shown that, despite their failure to proliferate in response to IL-3, cells from bone marrow, spleen and the peritoneum all bound 125I-labelled IL-3. A wide variety of cell types bound IL-3 as determined by autoradiography, including promyelocytes, myelocytes, metamyelocytes, polymorphs, promonocytes, monocytes, eosinophils and lymphocytes, but not nucleated erythroid cells, and the proportion of each cell type binding label was similar when cells from A/J mice were compared with those of C57B1/6 and Balb/c mice. Bone marrow cells from A/J mice internalized interleukin-3 with normal kinetics and mRNA extracted from these cells contains the same species of IL-3 receptor and IL-3 receptor-like mRNAs as are found in the other strains. Collectively the data suggest that the failure of haemopoietic cells from A/J mice to proliferate in response to IL-3 is related to a selective defect in signalling to proliferation specific genes. This defect is apparently not related to internalization or processing of the IL-3/IL-3-receptor complex, but may be due to failure to activate appropriate accessory molecules in the cell."}
{"id": "PMID:1486030", "title": "Inactivation of the retinoblastoma gene in acute myelogenous leukaemia.", "content": "To investigate the role of retinoblastoma susceptibility (RB) gene inactivation in leukaemogenesis, we evaluated 36 bone marrow specimens of acute leukaemia for RB protein expression by immunoprecipitation and Western blot analysis. 15 patients had no detectable RB protein at initial screening. However, nine of them were subsequently excluded due to evidence of protein degradation. Of 27 valid cases, six (22%) were repeatedly shown to lack expression of the RB protein with three different anti-RB antibodies. Five were patients with acute myelogenous leukaemia (AML) and one, mixed-lineage acute leukaemia. The RB inactivation was noted more frequently in AML (5/18, 28%) than in acute lymphoid leukaemia (0/7, 0%). By karyotyping, none of these six patients exhibited cytogenetic changes involving chromosome 13q14, the RB locus. There is no correlation between inactivation of the RB gene and FAB subtypes or cytogenetic changes. Four patients achieved complete remission with standard chemotherapy for 6, 12, 20 and 26+ months, respectively. Southern and Northern blot analyses further indicated that the RB genes were grossly intact and the level of RB transcripts did not decrease in the majority of these six patients. These results suggest that the absence of RB products in some of acute leukaemia might be regulated at the post-transcriptional level, and it imposes no significant effect on treatment response and prognosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1486031", "title": "Simultaneous establishment of myeloid and B-lymphoid cell lines with identical chromosome abnormalities from Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myelogenous leukaemia.", "content": "Two continuously growing cell lines, designated YOS-M and YOS-B, were established simultaneously from a patient with Philadelphia (Ph1) chromosome-positive chronic myelogenous leukaemia (CML) in myeloid blast crisis. Both YOS-M and YOS-B had the Ph1 chromosome and identical additional chromosome abnormalities, which were not detected in the chronic phase. Cytochemical analysis showed that YOS-M was significantly positive for peroxidase, whereas YOS-B was entirely negative. YOS-M expressed myeloid-associated antigens (CD14, CD33) as well as CD4, CD25 and CD34. The surface phenotype of YOS-M was identical to that of the leukaemic blasts found in the patient. On the other hand, YOS-B expressed mature B-cell markers, CD19, CD20, CD21 and surface immunoglobulin, but not myeloid-associated antigens. These two cell lines showed an identical rearrangement pattern of the break point cluster region on chromosome 22, but rearrangement of the immunoglobulin heavy chain gene was detected only in YOS-B. These findings provide definite evidence that CML cells still have the capability to differentiate and mature along different haematopoietic cell lineages even after blast crisis."}
{"id": "PMID:1486032", "title": "Effects of bryostatin 1 and rGM-CSF on the metabolism of 1-beta-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine in human leukaemic myeloblasts.", "content": "The effects of the protein kinase C activator bryostatin 1, either with or without recombinant granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (rGM-CSF) were examined with respect to the in vitro metabolism of ara-C in leukaemic myeloblasts obtained from 10 patients with acute myelogenous leukaemia (AML). Coincubation of cells with 12.5 x 10(-9) M bryostatin 1 and 10(-5) M ara-C for 4 h resulted in a significant increase in ara-CTP formation (compared to controls) in 6/10 specimens (mean increase 106%; range 38-255%), and no change in the remainder. In contrast, coincubation of cells with 1.25 ng/ml rGM-CSF resulted in a significant increase in only one specimen, and decreases in two. Bryostatin 1 also significantly increased ara-C DNA incorporation in 6/9 evaluable samples, including two which did not display an increase in ara-CTP formation. Coincubation of cells with both bryostatin 1 and rGM-CSF did not lead to a further increase in ara-CTP formation or ara-C DNA incorporation compared to values obtained with either agent alone. Finally, exposure of blasts to bryostatin 1 for 24 h before ara-C led to an increase in ara-CTP formation in 3/8 additional specimens, and a decrease in one sample displaying evidence of bryostatin 1-induced macrophage differentiation. Incubation of cells with both rGM-CSF and bryostatin 1 for this period resulted in ara-CTP levels equivalent to those obtained with bryostatin 1 alone. These studies indicate that while bryostatin 1 exerts a heterogeneous effect on ara-C metabolism in leukaemic myeloblasts, it is capable of potentiating ara-C phosphorylation in a subset of patient samples, including some that do not exhibit an increase in response to rGM-CSF. They also raise the possibility that bryostatin 1-induced potentiation of ara-C metabolism in some leukaemic cells may contribute, at least in part, to the antileukaemic efficacy of this drug combination."}
{"id": "PMID:1486033", "title": "Diagnosis of acute promyelocytic leukaemia by RT-PCR: detection of PML-RARA and RARA-PML fusion transcripts.", "content": "Acute promyelocytic leukaemia (APL; AML M3) is identified by a unique t(15;17) translocation which fuses the PML gene to the retinoic acid receptor alpha gene (RARA). Reverse transcription coupled with the polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) has been used to develop a diagnostic test for APL based on the PML-RARA fusion message. Separate PCR assays were designed to amplify either PML-RARA (15q+ derived) or RARA-PML (17q- derived) chimaeric transcripts. PML-RARA transcripts were detected in every case from a series of 18 APL patients with cytogenetically confirmed t(15;17) translocations, whereas RARA-PML messages were detected in only 67% (12/18) of these patients. This suggests that it is the 15q+ derivative which mediates leukaemogenesis. Furthermore the PCR approach (or Southern analysis) may be used to identify in which of the alternative PML introns the breakpoint occurs; 52% of cases (15/29 patients) utilize a 5' PML intron and 48% the 3' intron (14/29 cases). Neither the choice of PML intron nor the expression of the 17q- derivative could be correlated with the microgranular variant of APL (M3V), overall survival rate, age, sex or presence of coagulopathy. Finally, the fusion message is undetectable in five remission samples. This indicates a possible use for RT-PCR in monitoring remission patients for evidence of relapse."}
{"id": "PMID:1486034", "title": "Expression of the IFN alpha receptor in hairy cell leukaemia.", "content": "The expression of IFN alpha receptors on the surface of hairy cell leukaemia cells was studied using affinity crosslinking methods, flow cytometry with a recently produced anti-IFN alpha receptor monoclonal antibody (IFNaR3), and binding techniques. IFN alpha receptors were detected by flow cytometry and affinity crosslinking in eight cases showing a normal receptor structure with 125I-IFN alpha 2-receptor complexes with molecular weights of 210, 130 and 110 kD. The hairy cell leukaemia cells from one patient did not express IFN alpha receptors as determined by flow cytometry, affinity crosslinking and binding studies. Northern blot analysis showed expression of mRNA for the gene coding for the putative IFN alpha receptor in all cases studied, including the patient with lack of IFN alpha receptor expression on hairy cells. This patient was refractory to IFN alpha 2 treatment. Our data suggest that lack of expression of IFN alpha receptors in rare cases may be associated with refractoriness to IFN alpha 2 therapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1486035", "title": "Modified adriamycin-vincristine-dexamethasone (m-VAD) in primary refractory and relapsed plasma cell myeloma: an NCI (Canada) pilot study. The National Cancer Institute of Canada Clinical Trials Group.", "content": "The purpose of this single arm phase II study was to test a modified version of the three drug combination vincristine, adriamycin and dexamethasone (m-VAD), in which intravenous vincristine (0.4 mg/d) and adriamycin (9 mg/m2 per day) infusions are administered for only 2 h on days 1-4 of each 28 d cycle, in patients with refractory multiple myeloma. In addition, only two 4 d courses of dexamethasone 40 mg/d was given during each cycle. The entry criteria for 44 patients included plasma cell myeloma and a measurable monoclonal peak, either refractory to initial treatment with melphalan and prednisone, or resistant to melphalan and prednisone after initially responding (resistant relapsed disease, 27 patients). Patients treated previously with chemotherapy other than melphalan and prednisone were excluded. There were no complete responses. Of the 41 evaluable patients who completed at least one course of therapy 11 had a partial response (27%, 95% C.I. 14-40%). The response rates were 19% for primary refractory disease patients, and 32% for those with resistant relapsed disease. The median duration of response was 4 months. The median survival for all 44 patients was 7.6 months (5.5 months for primary refractory patients, and 10 months for relapsed resistant disease patients). Episodes of documented bacterial infection occurred in 12 patients, and 10 patients had minor viral infection. The dexamethasone dose was reduced in 12 patients. The median neutrophil nadir was 1.2 x 10(9)/l, and median platelet nadir was 147 x 10(9)/l. Five deaths were judged as treatment related and occurred during marrow cytopenia. The results of this modified form of VAD are inferior to that reported previously for 4 d continuous infusions of vincristine and doxorubicin. This could be related to either patient selection factors, or to a reduction of the efficacy of the drug combination produced by either the shortened intravenous infusions and/or omission of one 4 d course of dexamethasone."}
{"id": "PMID:1486036", "title": "Beta 2-glycoprotein 1 (beta 2GP1) enhances cardiolipin binding activity but is not the antigen for antiphospholipid antibodies.", "content": "Some investigators have reported that a serum protein, beta 2-glycoprotein 1 (beta 2GP1), either alone or in combination with negatively charged phospholipid, may be the antigen for anticardiolipin (aCL) antibodies. To examine these reports further, ELISA tests, inhibition experiments, Ouchterlony and Western blot techniques were used to examine anticardiolipin binding to beta 2GP1. Sera from patients with the antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) and syphilis were studied, as well as whole IgG immunoglobulin and affinity purified (a.p.) IgG aCL antibodies. Results showed no binding of aCL antibodies to beta 2GP1 in the absence of cardiolipin. beta 2GP1 caused enhanced binding of aCL antibodies to cardiolipin, but this enhancement was not observed in inhibition experiments. Binding to cardiolipin occurred in the absence of beta 2GP1. Enhancement of cardiolipin binding activity by beta 2GP1 was observed for APS, but not for syphilis. We conclude that beta 2GP1 is not the antigen for aCL antibodies, nor is it likely that the antibody recognizes shared beta 2GP1-cardiolipin epitopes. Instead, this protein may make cardiolipin more available for aCL binding on solid surfaces by some yet undefined mechanism. This effect may not extend to aqueous suspensions."}
{"id": "PMID:1486037", "title": "Some 'antiphospholipid antibodies' bind to beta 2-glycoprotein I in the absence of phospholipid.", "content": "Some antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) only bind to anionic phospholipids in the presence of a serum cofactor, beta 2-glycoprotein I (beta 2GPI). Whether these aPL can bind to beta 2GPI in the absence of phospholipid is controversial. We have purified anticardiolipin antibodies (aCL) from the plasma of four patients and beta 2GPI from normal plasma by solid phase affinity methods. All four aCL bound to cardiolipin and phosphatidylserine in the presence of beta 2GPI but not in its absence. The binding of two of the antibodies to cardiolipin and phosphatidylserine at various concentrations of human beta 2GPI was compared with that obtained using 10% bovine serum. The two antibodies responded differently to increasing beta 2GPI concentrations, and binding to phosphatidylserine was relatively greater than to cardiolipin using human beta 2GPI. All four aCL bound to plastic plates coated with beta 2GPI in the absence of phospholipid, and beta 2GPI in the fluid phase had no effect on binding. Binding to beta 2GPI coated plates was increased equally when bovine serum or bovine albumin were used as the sample diluent in place of gelatine. These findings and those of others have important implications for the design of assays for antiphospholipid antibodies."}
{"id": "PMID:1486038", "title": "Mechanisms of inhibition of T cell IL-2 secretion by factor VIII concentrates.", "content": "We have continued our previous study of the inhibitory effects of factor VIII concentrates on IL-2 secretion by T cells. Experiments with an extended range of products confirm our previous conclusion that some but not all low, intermediate and high purity concentrates possess inhibitory activity on IL-2 secretion. The inhibition occurs almost immediately after addition of factor VIII concentrate and it was not possible to adsorb inhibitory activity with activated or non-activated cells; this suggests that the mechanism of inhibition involves interference with early T cell activation events rather than simple blocking of cell surface components by inhibitory molecules. The inhibitory components were shown to reside in different molecular weight fractions of concentrates. A strongly inhibitory component of approximately 200 kD and a minor species of approximately 60 kD were identified in strongly inhibitory concentrates. Some products contained a dialysable inhibitory substance which is most likely a salt as it was also present in some formulation buffers. The proportions of the inhibitory components varied widely between products. We have found that the pattern of inhibition using in vitro systems reflects that observed using a mouse in vivo antigen challenge method. In addition we have shown that the previously reported concentrate mediated inhibition of lectin induced low affinity IL-2 receptor (CD25) is mainly a consequence of diminished IL-2 secretion rather than a 'direct' effect on CD25 expression. Considering the wide variation between products of the same purity group, caution should be exercised in drawing conclusions concerning the immunosuppressive effects of a particular type of concentrate in haemophilia patients from study with only one product from that group."}
{"id": "PMID:1486039", "title": "Beta thalassaemia in the indigenous British population.", "content": "We have analysed the molecular basis of beta-thalassaemia in 22 Anglo-Saxon individuals, all of whom were heterozygous for beta-thalassaemia except for one, who was a compound heterozygote. Using a combination of allele-specific priming of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and direct sequencing of genomic DNA amplified by the PCR, 20/23 beta-thalassaemic genes were characterized. Nine different mutations were identified; four are commonly found in the Mediterranean, one in Asia, one has been described previously in both Europe and Asia, and three are rare mutations associated with a dominant beta-thalassaemia phenotype. In three individuals the mutation remains uncharacterized despite sequence analysis of the beta-globin gene and its immediate flanking regions. We report our findings and discuss the diversity of these mutations."}
{"id": "PMID:1486040", "title": "Homozygosity for dominant form of hereditary spherocytosis.", "content": "A 6-month-old male infant with hereditary spherocytosis (HS) who was the first child of a cousin marriage is presented. The patient had splenomegaly and severe anaemia. Examination of the peripheral blood smear revealed spherocytes and the osmotic fragility of red blood cells was greatly increased. Physical examination of the parents revealed that both parents had mild anaemia, jaundice and splenomegaly. Their peripheral blood smears showed spherocytes and a few acanthocytes. Osmotic fragility of red blood cells of both parents were increased. Red cell membrane electrophoresis indicated a deficiency of ankyrin in the propositus; mild deficiency was also detected in both parents. Electrophoretic patterns of red cell membrane proteins suggested that the child was homozygous for the dominant form of HS associated with ankyrin deficiency, while both parents had the simple dominant form of the disease. Red blood cell transfusions were given to the patient starting at the age of 1 month until splenectomy was performed at the age of 1 year that resulted in complete haematological response. This observation indicates that homozygosity for dominant type of HS associated with ankyrin deficiency is life compatible and splenectomy may cure the anaemia."}
{"id": "PMID:1486041", "title": "Serum immunoreactive erythropoietin in patients with idiopathic aplastic and Fanconi's anaemias.", "content": "In patients with idiopathic aplastic anaemia (n = 34) and Fanconi's anaemia (n = 8), sampled once or on several occasions, serum erythropoietin (Epo) increased with increasing severity of anaemia with apparently similar rates of increase in each group. However, after adjustment for Hb, log Epo values for the Fanconi's anaemics tended to be greater than those for the idiopathic aplastic anaemics (P < 0.01). Erythropoietin concentrations in serum samples from patients with Fanconi's and idiopathic aplastic anaemias tended to be greater than in samples from patients with anaemias from protein energy malnutrition, myelodysplasia and iron deficiency. The results suggest that there is no deficiency of erythropoietin in Fanconi's and idiopathic aplastic anaemias and that if exogenous erythropoietin is of any benefit it would need to be administered in doses large enough to induce a significant increase in log Epo. Results of the study illustrate the need to take account of the assumptions which underlie interpretation of the statistical analysis. Use of erythropoietin values in place of log Epo gives misleading conclusions demonstrable as invalid as the conditions for normality of distribution of the data and homogeneity of variances were not satisfied."}
{"id": "PMID:1486042", "title": "Serum erythropoietin levels in anaemic patients with advanced human immunodeficiency virus infection.", "content": "This study attempts to evaluate the adequacy of the erythropoietin (EPO) response in 42 anaemic patients with advanced human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection [30 with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and 12 with AIDS-related conditions] by comparing their serum EPO levels with those found in a non-HIV reference population consisting of 36 patients with anaemia of chronic disorders (ACD) and 57 with iron deficiency anaemia (IDA). Although the average Hb concentration was similar in the three groups, the EPO level for HIV patients (mean +/- SEM, 64.3 +/- 7.7 mU/ml) did not differ significantly from that in ACD patients (45.3 +/- 8.3 mU/ml, P > 0.1), and both groups had a lower mean EPO level (P < 0.05 and P < 0.01 respectively) than IDA subjects (133.5 +/- 18.7 mU/ml). Thirteen HIV patients on zidovudine therapy showed similar mean Hb and EPO levels to those in the untreated patients. A significant inverse correlation between the log of serum EPO and the Hb values was observed in the three groups. However, this relationship was found to be stronger in IDA patients than in either HIV or ACD subjects (P < 0.001), with no difference between the two latter groups (P > 0.2). These data suggest that the EPO response is blunted in the anaemia associated with advanced HIV infection."}
{"id": "PMID:1486043", "title": "Prevalence of thrombocytopenia in HIV-infected and non-HIV infected drug users and homosexual men.", "content": "We studied the prevalence and risk factors for thrombocytopenia among 299 drug users and 461 homosexual men. The prevalence of thrombocytopenia was 3.3% in HIV-negative homosexual men, 8.7% in HIV-negative drug users, 16.4% in HIV-positive homosexual men, and 36.9% in HIV-positive drug users. With multivariate logistic regression HIV-seropositivity (odds ratio 3.3), a history of injecting drugs (OR 3.9), an increased number of lymphocytes (OR 0.44), an increased number of neutrophils (OR 0.53) and a larger mean platelet volume (OR 2.8) were independently and significantly associated with thrombocytopenia. The results obtained with linear regression analysis were consistent with the results of the logistic regression. The higher prevalence of thrombocytopenia among drug users was related to a history of intravenous drug use but not to recent injecting. The mechanisms causing thrombocytopenia among HIV-positives and HIV-negatives seem to be related, but HIV-infection seems to enhance thrombocytopenia in an independent way."}
{"id": "PMID:1486051", "title": "A cross-cultural evaluation of expectations about psychological counselling.", "content": "This study investigated differences in British Asian and white people's expectations about psychological counselling. Ninety-eight general practice subjects not anticipating counselling completed the Expectations About Counselling (EAC) questionnaire. There were significant differences on 10 of 18 EAC subscales relating to client and counsellor attitudes and characteristics, and counselling process and outcome."}
{"id": "PMID:1486052", "title": "Critique of a Kleinian case presentation.", "content": "An account of Kleinian analysis illustrating the concept of the pathological organization is discussed from an alternative theoretical position, that of cognitive analytic therapy. It is suggested that the alternative model of development, while still essentially an object relations theory, produces a different understanding and that the therapeutic method associated with it offers a more powerful means of aiding personality integration."}
{"id": "PMID:1486053", "title": "The psychodynamics of the STD clinic: secrecy, splitting and isolation.", "content": "We introduce the idea of a professionally isolated and apparently disconnected agency. We describe how health professionals working in settings with good multi-agency links may not recognize the effect of the isolated agency system on the presentation of problems. In particular, we describe the setting of the Sexually Transmitted Diseases clinic (STD) in which confidentiality can be turned into secrecy by the patients at the service of their denial of the seriousness of their problems. The isolation of the STD clinic as an agency resonates with the patients' isolation from their own feelings and emotional contact with people. It also isolates the professional and the therapeutic network. By way of clinical examples, we describe how this may deskill the staff and lead to dangerous situations."}
{"id": "PMID:1486054", "title": "Facilitators and regulators: cross-cultural and methodological considerations.", "content": "In a model of motherhood Raphael-Leff (1983) delineated two basic orientations: the Facilitator who adapts to the baby and the Regulator who expects the baby to adapt. The FR questionnaire was completed by 97 Israeli mothers of six-month-old infants; 34 per cent were classified as Facilitators, 34 per cent Regulators, 15 per cent Intermediates and 17 per cent were labelled Bipolars. Future research should explore the characteristics of this latter group and its prevalence in other societies."}
{"id": "PMID:1486055", "title": "Psychodynamic aspects of delayed abortion decisions.", "content": "Multiple regression analysis of a wide range of variables for a sample of 58 women obtaining elective abortion identified psychodynamic factors as the only statistically significant explanations for seeking abortion at later gestational ages. Delay among these women was associated with greater disturbance in the basic sense of self as noted in indications of gender/sexual conflict on their drawings of a human figure, and lower achievement orientation ('striving') as expressed by lower levels of striving attributed to parents or other primary (early) caretakers. These findings are discussed as an active taking charge of an unintended pregnancy for women who present early for abortion; for those who delay, attempts to affirm a deficient feminine identification and/or reunite psychologically with the early caretaker are discussed as underlying dynamics."}
{"id": "PMID:1486056", "title": "Psychological theories of delusional thinking: in search of integration.", "content": "Psychological theories approach the problem of delusional thinking in psychosis from a range of perspectives. Recent attention has focused on the attributional style of sufferers; research points towards the relevance of cognitive deficits; the potential value of cognitive therapy in reducing delusional thinking is being explored; and psychodynamic theories argue for the role of defence mechanisms. Aspects of these approaches are reviewed and ideas for integration discussed within the vulnerability-stress model of psychosis. Implications for therapy are noted."}
{"id": "PMID:1486057", "title": "Defining delusion and the serving of professional interests: the case of 'paranoia'.", "content": "This paper examines the related concepts of paranoia and delusion from a broadly social constructionist perspective. Through an analysis of the American Psychiatric Association's (1987) definition of delusion, inherent inconsistencies and implied philosophical assumptions are highlighted. It is argued that psychiatric definitions are not merely academic and clinical but are a site of political and professional interest. The implications of such an analysis are discussed with particular reference to developing new directions for research and clinical practice."}
{"id": "PMID:1486058", "title": "Paranoia and the defensive attributional style: deluded and depressed patients' attributions about their own attributions.", "content": "A data set of Attributional Style Questionnaire responses collected by Kaney & Bentall (1989) from persecutory deluded, normal and depressed subjects was added to a similar data set collected by the first author. The attributions made for hypothetical positive and negative events by the combined pool of subjects were then blind rated for internality by five independent judges. Whereas the internality ratings made by the subjects for their own attributions showed evidence of an exaggerated self-serving bias in the case of the deluded subjects, and an absence of such a bias in the case of the depressed subjects, the independent ratings showed no such group differences. These findings suggest that the differences in internality for positive and negative events observed on the ASQ between deluded, normal and depressed subjects may not reflect differences in the types of causal statements made by these subjects but differences in their attributions about their attributions. The relevance of this observation for attribution theory in general and attributional accounts of psychopathology in particular are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1486059", "title": "Psychosis precipitated by marriage: a culture-bound syndrome?", "content": "A retrospective study of 258 psychiatric out-patients in Jerusalem compared 122 patients from an ultra-orthodox Jewish community with 136 other Jewish patients. It was found that six patients who had a psychosis within a month of marriage all belonged to the ultra-orthodox community. The possible links between cultural and educational practice in the ultra-orthodox community and the vulnerability to the stress of marriage are discussed. It seems feasible to regard the precipitation of major mental illness by marriage as a largely culture-bound phenomenon."}
{"id": "PMID:1486060", "title": "Brightness versus apparent contrast. 2: Large-field asymmetry.", "content": "Experiments were performed on the quasi-static perception of brightness and of apparent contrast of a foveal 1-deg disk, presented either as a luminance increment or decrement against a 300 cd.m-2 background. Results suggest that the perceptual attributes of brightness and apparent (or subjective) contrast should be distinguished. For an equal brightness difference with respect to the background, luminance increments are more effective than decrements. For an equal apparent contrast it is found that increments and decrements, up to 100 cd.m-2, are about equally effective; for higher values luminance decrements are more effective. Brightness increments and decrements can both be described by a Stevens power function of the respective luminance increments and decrements. Apparent contrast can, apart from applying a usual luminance contrast formula, also be described as a power function of the luminance difference with the background."}
{"id": "PMID:1486061", "title": "Brightness versus apparent contrast. 3: Blurred disks and concentric cosine gratings.", "content": "Matching either the centre-brightness or the apparent contrast of incremental 1-deg disks, with varying edge-sharpness, yields quite different results. These suggest that the maximum brightness gradient at the edge determines apparent-contrast perception. However, no significant differences are found in matching the brightness maxima, the brightness minima, or the apparent contrast of concentric cosine gratings with varying spatial frequency. This means that spatial frequency influences both brightness extremes in the same way, and that apparent contrast is a function of the difference between the brightness extremes. The grating results therefore deviate from the results obtained with sharp as well as blurred disks. These contradictions complicate the construction of a model which unifies suprathreshold disk and grating perception."}
{"id": "PMID:1486062", "title": "Sensitivity to colour- and to orientation-carried motion respectively improves and deteriorates under equiluminant background conditions.", "content": "This study presents two distinct effects produced by manipulation of the background illumination on the directional sensitivity to colour- and orientation-carried motion. The two motion percepts were produced with two of a class of stimuli extensively used by the first and last authors in apparent-motion studies. The stimuli were designed to produce motion perception by virtue of spatiotemporal matching of (a) colour with orientation systematically mismatched (Colour across Orientation, CxO) and of (b) orientation with colour systematically mismatched (OxC). An increase in background illumination from dark to the equiluminance point (relative to the luminance of the discrete stimulus microelements) entails a significant increase and decrease of directional performances with CxO and OxC stimuli, respectively. It is proposed that these anti-symmetrical background effects have distinct neurophysiological origins. For CxO stimuli, improvement of directional performances at the equiluminant point is presumably due to the inactivation of the inhibitory effect of the luminance-motion pathway on the chromatic-motion pathway. The opposite effect obtained with OxC stimuli, previously referred to as the veto effect (Gorea and Papathomas, 1988 Invest. Ophthal. Vis. Sci. Suppl., 29, 265), is supposed to be entailed by the inactivation of the luminance-oriented mechanism, the only motion sensitive mechanism activated by this stimulus configuration."}
{"id": "PMID:1486063", "title": "Comparing local and remote motion aftereffects.", "content": "A new method, using phase-reversing sinusoidal gratings to cancel perceived motion, was developed to measure the motion aftereffect (MAE). This technique was used to show the existence of a remote MAE, i.e. an MAE in areas that were not directly stimulated during adaptation. In several experiments, this remote MAE was compared to the local MAE. The remote effect was generally weaker and of shorter duration. It showed no directional tuning within the investigated range, as compared to a tuning of +/- 60 deg of the local MAE. There was no adaptation effect to the component gratings of a plaid, indicating that the plaid was treated as a coherent pattern. The local MAE showed clear spatial frequency tuning, whereas the remote MAE varied little with spatial frequency difference, although there was a tendency towards frequencies lower than the adaptation frequency. The possibility is considered that both local and remote MAEs are generated in extrastriate areas."}
{"id": "PMID:1486064", "title": "Biostability and blood-contacting properties of sulfonate grafted polyurethane and Biomer.", "content": "Sulfonate-containing polyurethanes were evaluated for in vivo biodegradation using subcutaneously implanted tensile bars. In addition, these anionically charged polyurethanes were evaluated for in vivo activation of human complement C3a and ex vivo platelet deposition in arteriovenously-shunted canines. The sulfonate derivatized polymers included laboratory synthesized polyurethane and Biomer. Other polymers used for references included Intramedic polyethylene, Silastic and a poly(ethylene oxide) based polyurethane. The biodegradation results indicated that Biomer and the laboratory sulfonated Biomer (both manufactured with stabilizers), remained mechanically stable, retaining both tensile strength and elasticity after 4 weeks of subcutaneous implantation. The unstabilized polyurethanes (with or without sulfonation), however, showed marked cracking and a loss of mechanical properties after the same period of subcutaneous implantation. Sulfonated polyurethanes depressed human complement C3a activation in plasma, as indicated by decreased levels of anaphylatoxin production. The results of canine ex vivo blood contacting experiments were conducted in both an acute and chronic model and demonstrated decreased platelet deposition and activation for the sulfonated polyurethanes."}
{"id": "PMID:1486065", "title": "Iron(III) chelating resins II. 3-Hydroxy-4(1H)-pyridinones-sepharose gels.", "content": "3-Hydroxy-4(1H)-pyridinones(HP)-Sepharose gels were prepared to study their iron(III) chelating properties. As ligands, derivatives of 3-hydroxy-4(1H)-pyridinone were coupled to CNBr-activated Sepharose gels. HP-Sepharose gels were obtained with HP densities of 23-28 mumol/ml gel and iron(III) chelating capacities of 19-23 mumol/ml gel at pH 6.8. From preliminary experiments, it was found that with the gels 19-27% iron could be removed from milk. In addition, 74% of iron(III) was removed from 100% iron(III) saturated lactoferrin within 24 h at pH 6.8 in the presence of citrate and a Sepharose gel, onto which 1-(2-aminoethyl)-3-hydroxy-2-methyl-4(1H)-pyridinone had been immobilized as a ligand. The properties of the gels make them potentially useful as water-insoluble iron(III) chelating agents."}
{"id": "PMID:1486066", "title": "In vivo protein adsorption on polymers: visualization of adsorbed proteins on vascular implants in dogs.", "content": "The absorption of plasma proteins is an important event at the blood-material interface, and strongly affects subsequent cellular interaction and thrombus formation. Although considerable efforts have been expended to elucidate the mechanism of protein adsorption and the role of absorbed protein layer at the blood-material interface, there has been little knowledge of how the initial adsorbed proteins are maintained or changed in a time-variant process in in vivo long-term implantation. In this study, we described detailed analyses concerning the characterization of adsorbed proteins on HEMA--styrene block copolymer surfaces (HEMA-st) and poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) grafted Biomer (B-PEO4K) for in vivo long-term canine vascular graft implants as well as in vitro short-term experiments. Biomer vascular grafts (6 mm I.D., 7 cm in length) were fabricated by a dip coating and the luminal surface was modified with PEO grafting, HEMA-st coating, or Biomer coating (control). These surface modified grafts were recirculated for different time intervals (5, 15, 30, 60 and 120 min) using citrated canine whole blood. The grafts were then implanted in the abdominal aortas of dogs and evaluated for graft patency and protein adsorption. The adsorbed proteins (albumin, IgG and fibrinogen) were quantified using an in situ radioimmunoassay. Surface protein layer thickness was measured by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Visualization of absorbed plasma proteins (albumin, IgG and fibrinogen) was performed with TEM using an immunoperoxidase double antibody technique. In in vitro recirculation systems, albumin and IgG showed similar Langmuir type pattern onto all test surfaces. On B-PEO4K surfaces, fibrinogen adsorption kinetics demonstrated 'Vroman effect'. The Biomer and B-PEO4K grafts occluded within 1 month, while HEMA-st grafts were patent for over 3 months. Biomer and B-PEO4K showed thick multilayers of adsorbed proteins, and the thickness increased with implantation periods and the composition altered with time. In contrast, HEMA-st showed a monolayer-like adsorbed protein pattern, and the composition and thickness were consistent regardless of implantation time including in vitro short-time experiments, which may attribute to less conformational change of adsorbed proteins on HEMA-st surfaces. In terms of nonthrombogenicity, the stable monolayer-like adsorbed protein layer on HEMA-st surfaces exhibited improved blood compatibility over thick multilayered adsorbed proteins on Biomer and B-PEO4K surfaces."}
{"id": "PMID:1486067", "title": "Iron(III) chelating resins--I. Preparation and properties of Sepharose-desferrioxamine gels.", "content": "For the removal of iron(III), Sepharose-desferrioxamine gels were prepared by the coupling of CNBr-activated Sepharose with desferrioxamine (DFO) at pH 7.8-8.3. DFO densities of the gels were 12-23 mumol/ml gel with iron(III) chelating capacities of 8.5-18 mumol/ml gel. The Sepharose-DFO gels with a high affinity for iron(III) were used for the removal of iron(III) from aqueous iron(III) solutions, wine, milk and whey."}
{"id": "PMID:1486069", "title": "Seasonal variations in the onset of retinal vein occlusion.", "content": "Seasonal variation in the development of retinal vein occlusion in 1003 consecutive patients with various types of retinal vein occlusion was studied prospectively from 1973 to 1990. No seasonal variation in the onset of any type or combination of types of retinal vein occlusion was found. This refutes previous reports of such seasonal variation, which were based on small retrospective series."}
{"id": "PMID:1486070", "title": "Acyclovir ointment plus topical betamethasone or placebo in first episode disciform keratitis.", "content": "Thirty patients with first episode disciform keratitis and with no previous steroid exposure were randomly assigned to double blind treatment with 3% acyclovir ointment and 0.1% betamethasone (Betnesol) drops or acyclovir ointment and matching placebo. In the steroid group 14 of the 15 patients healed in a mean time of 21.8 days. In the placebo group eight of the 13 patients healed in a mean time of 34.5 days. The difference in mean healing time between the two groups was significant (p < 0.05). The cumulative rate of healing was also quicker in the steroid group when compared with the placebo group (p < 0.001). Other clinical parameters improved more favourably in the combination treatment group. Four patients, two in either group, experienced a mild transient punctate epitheliopathy, but no other serious adverse effects were noted. There has been no significant difference in the recurrence rate between the two groups after a mean follow-up period of approximately 3 years."}
{"id": "PMID:1486071", "title": "Topical ofloxacin compared with gentamicin in the treatment of external ocular infection. Ofloxacin Study Group.", "content": "In a double-masked, randomised, controlled study the effectiveness and safety of 0.3% ofloxacin solution were compared with those of 0.3% gentamicin ophthalmic solution in treating external bacterial ocular infections. The clinical improvement rate for patients treated with ofloxacin was 98% (51/52) and 92% (48/52) for those treated with gentamicin. Microbiological improvement was achieved in 78% (40/51) of the ofloxacin patients, compared with 67% (35/52) of the gentamicin group. Ofloxacin treatment eradicated or controlled 85% (86/101) of the Gram positive and 89% (17/19) of the Gram negative organisms cultured, compared with 83% (103/124) and 78% (29/37), respectively, after gentamicin treatment. None of these differences were statistically significant. The incidence of adverse effects attributable to ofloxacin treatment (3.2%) was less than that reported for gentamicin (7.1%). Ofloxacin proved to be an effective, safe, and comfortable therapy for external bacterial ocular infection."}
{"id": "PMID:1486072", "title": "Contrast sensitivity and glare in cataract using the Pelli-Robson chart.", "content": "There is a need for a convenient, clinically applicable test of glare disability which can be used in the preoperative evaluation of patients with cataract. In this study, contrast sensitivity (using the Pelli-Robson letter chart), near vision, and visual acuity were compared, with and without the introduction of a glare source in 70 patients with cataract, 15 with intraocular lenses, and 19 controls. A disposable pen torch was shone at the pupillary margin to induce glare. Contrast sensitivity demonstrated the most marked reduction during glare testing. Cortical cataracts were most affected followed by posterior subcapsular opacities. The glare disability was significantly less in pseudophakic patients and was absent from patients with non-cataractous phakic eyes. Glare testing with a disposable pen torch and a Pelli-Robson contrast sensitivity letter chart provides a rapid test of glare disability which can be easily incorporated into the clinical appraisal of patients with cataract."}
{"id": "PMID:1486073", "title": "Refraction changes in children developing convergent or divergent strabismus.", "content": "Strabismus and amblyopia were studied in a cohort of children born in 1979 or 1980 in the area of V\u00e4ster\u00e5s, Sweden. Forty percent of the children had participated in a voluntary eye examination at 1 year of age. All children diagnosed as strabismic and/or amblyopic between 1979 and 1988 at any of the three eye clinics in the area were included in this study. Strabismic cases were mostly detected by the parents while microstrabismus and straight eye amblyopia were found at the general 4 years of age screening at children's health centres. In 57 cases with (n = 31) and without amblyopia (n = 41) it was possible to obtain several refraction values between 1 and 6 years of age. In this study we concentrated on manifest esotropia and exotropia. The aim of the study was to describe changes of refraction before and after onset of strabismus and to establish risk indicators that identified populations at risk of developing strabismus. We found that patients with esotropia show a more pronounced hypermetropia than exotropic cases at the time of detection of strabismus. This difference becomes more definite over time, since hypermetropia increased in the deviating eye in the esotropic cases while refractive errors remained stationary in most of the exotropic eyes. It was also apparent that anisometropia frequently developed after onset of strabismus in esotropic cases in contrast to exotropic cases. An increasing refractive error in the deviating esotropic eye could be combined with an emmetropisation of the fixating eye."}
{"id": "PMID:1486074", "title": "Magnetic resonance imaging of the optic nerve in extremes of gaze. Implications for the positioning of the globe for retrobulbar anaesthesia.", "content": "Orbital magnetic resonance imaging was carried out in nine directions of gaze in a normal subject. The findings are presented and discussed especially in relation to retrobulbar injections. Atkinson's position is confirmed to be hazardous and a new position for the globe at retrobulbar injections is suggested."}
{"id": "PMID:1486075", "title": "Vertical transposition of the horizontal recti (Knapp procedure) for the treatment of double elevator palsy: effectiveness and long-term stability.", "content": "Full tendon width vertical transposition (Knapp procedure) of the horizontal recti is an established treatment for double elevator palsy (DEP) but the long-term stability of the surgical results have not been well studied. We undertook a retrospective study to determine the overall effectiveness of the Knapp procedure, the postoperative stability of alignment, and the influence of prior inferior rectus muscle recession (IRc) on the magnitude of correction. Nineteen patients with DEP underwent a Knapp procedure. Eight were corrected to within 5 delta of orthophoria, six were undercorrected, and five were overcorrected by at least 5 delta after a mean follow-up of 3 years (to last visit or to further surgical intervention). The average vertical correction was 37.5 delta in patients who underwent a prior IRc compared with 21.1 delta in patients with no prior IRc (p = < 0.0017). Over and undercorrections were more likely to occur in patients with prior IRc. Postoperative drift was towards increased effect in all patients. The seven patients with long-term (> 36 months) follow-up demonstrated an increased magnitude of correction (average = 12.6 delta) over an average follow-up of 76 months. The Knapp procedure had an increasing effect over time but the amount of vertical correction did not correlate with the size of the preoperative vertical deviation and was less predictable when a prior IRc had been performed."}
{"id": "PMID:1486076", "title": "A method for assessing the accuracy of surgical technique in the correction of astigmatism.", "content": "Surgical results can be assessed as a function of what was aimed for, what was done, and what was achieved. One of the aims of refractive surgery is to reduce astigmatism; the smaller the postoperative astigmatism the better the result. Determination of what was done--that is, the surgical effect, can be calculated from the preoperative and postoperative astigmatism. A simplified formulation is described which facilitates the calculation (magnitude and direction) of this surgical effect. In addition, an expression for surgical accuracy is described, as a function of what was aimed for and what was achieved."}
{"id": "PMID:1486077", "title": "Localisation of corneal foreign bodies.", "content": "Of 50 patients attending the eye casualty department with a corneal foreign body (FB), 41 were able to say where they felt the FB and 78% of these were localised correctly for side or level of cornea. Patient handedness did not influence FB location. Indicating the upper lid was a particularly poor guide to localisation, whereas FB sensations within the palpebral fissure, in the lower lid or medially or laterally were good guides to actual FB location. A simple method of recording FB location by zone and clock hour is proposed."}
{"id": "PMID:1486079", "title": "Horner's syndrome: an electron microscopic study of a human iris.", "content": "Electron microscopy was performed on the irides of a man with a history of a long standing Horner's syndrome which resulted in iris heterochromia. Comparison of his normal brown iris with the depigmented blue iris showed depletion of anterior border cells and absence of sympathetic nerve fibres. Stromal melanocyte numbers were also diminished but melanosome numbers within the residual cells were not significantly different. Postnatal maintenance of stromal and anterior border zone pigmentation, derived from the neural crest, would appear to be dependent on an intact sympathetic nerve supply in contrast to the iris pigment epithelium which remains normally unaffected in Horner's syndrome."}
{"id": "PMID:1486080", "title": "Neurilemmoma of the anterior ethmoidal nerve encroaching upon the nasolacrimal duct.", "content": "The clinical, light microscopic, ultrastructural, and immunohistologic findings of a neurilemmoma encroaching upon the nasolacrimal duct are presented. This is the first reported case of this rare tumour of the nasolacrimal duct where the diagnosis has been confirmed by electron microscopy and immunohistochemical techniques."}
{"id": "PMID:1486081", "title": "Anthrax of the eyelids.", "content": "Anthrax is a disease caused by Bacillus anthracis. The disease affects primarily herbivores including sheep, cattle, horses, and other domestic animals. Humans may rarely be affected. We examined one male and two female patients with a localised itchy erythematous papule of the eyelid. A necrotising ulcer formed in each of the three cases resulting in a black lesion. Scraping in each case showed Gram positive rods and culture grew Bacillus anthracis. All three patients responded to the intravenous administration of penicillin G, and the lesion resolved leaving scars in two cases. Anthrax is a rare disease but should be considered in the differential diagnosis of ulcers or pustules of the eyelids."}
{"id": "PMID:1486082", "title": "Bilateral Kimura's disease of the eyelids.", "content": "A case of Kimura's disease affecting the eyelids bilaterally is reported in a 5-year-old boy of Afro-Caribbean extraction who has been followed for 12 years with repeat biopsies. He initially presented at 5 years of age with swelling of the left upper eyelid, left cervical lymphadenopathy, and eosinophilia. One year later he developed swelling of the right upper eyelid. There has been no change in the clinical appearance over the next 12 years. Repeated biopsies of the eyelids showed a diffuse inflammatory infiltrate with many eosinophils and lymphocytes. A lymph node biopsy showed reactive lymphoid hyperplasia. Immunohistochemistry using lymphoid markers showed a polyclonal pattern. Kimura's disease is a rare cause of eyelid swelling, particularly at such a young age and with bilateral involvement. This case demonstrates that bilateral orbital lymphoid lesions with cervical node involvement do not always imply lymphoma, but may have a benign pathogenesis. The unusually long follow up in this case confirms an excellent prognosis for Kimura's disease with conservative management. Accurate diagnosis in small orbital biopsies may spare the patient unnecessary radical surgery."}
{"id": "PMID:1486083", "title": "Progressive myopia in early onset chronic angle closure glaucoma.", "content": "A 19-year-old girl presented with advanced unilateral chronic angle closure glaucoma and myopia with gross cupping and field loss in a previously hyperopic eye with a marked increase in corneal curvature. This emphasises that a marked myopic shift may be an important sign of glaucoma in a young patient."}
{"id": "PMID:1486084", "title": "Dermochondral corneal dystrophy (of Fran\u00e7ois).", "content": "Dermochondral corneal dystrophy (of Fran\u00e7ois) has been reported rarely in the literature. It consists of a triad of findings characterised by the development of skin nodules, acquired deformities of the extremities, and a corneal dystrophy. The corneal dystrophy is central and superficial with whitish subepithelial opacities. We present two brothers who display previously unreported ocular findings. Specifically, they developed confluent opacification of their central corneas with anterior stromal involvement, and peculiar anterior cortical cataracts. These findings should be added to the spectrum of findings seen in this rare disorder."}
{"id": "PMID:1486085", "title": "Anterior subcapsular plaque cataract in hyperornithinaemia gyrate atrophy--a case report.", "content": "Hyperornithinaemia gyrate atrophy (HOGA) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder in which chorioretinal degeneration occurs with cataracts, myopia, and hyperornithinaemia. We report the case of an 18-year-old female who presented with the typical features of HOGA, including posterior subcapsular cataracts and elevated plasma ornithine. She later developed distorted vision in both eyes owing to wrinkling of the anterior lens capsules. Histological examination following lens extraction showed the wrinkling was caused by focal distortion from capsular fibrosis (anterior subcapsular plaque cataract). This specific lens change has not been linked previously with HOGA."}
{"id": "PMID:1486086", "title": "Pink hypopyon: a sign of Serratia marcescens endophthalmitis.", "content": "Endogenous bacterial endophthalmitis in infants is uncommon. We recently examined and treated an infant who presented with pink hypopyon which followed a Serratia marcescens septicaemia. Culture of the aspirate from the anterior chamber showed no red blood cells, and grew Serratia marcescens, which was also isolated from the tip of the child's umbilical artery catheter. The presence of a pink hypopyon in the absence of hyphaema may suggest the diagnosis of Serratia marcescens endophthalmitis."}
{"id": "PMID:1486092", "title": "Electroencephalographic sleep and mood during cocaine withdrawal.", "content": "We report on nine patients between the ages of 21 and 39 years who were admitted to an inpatient substance abuse treatment unit for cocaine treatment. The patients' sleep was studied in the laboratory for 4 nights during the first week, and 2 nights during the second and third weeks of their hospitalization. Daily mood ratings, cocaine craving scores and sleep logs were also recorded on each patient. During the first week of withdrawal, these patients had a markedly shortened REM latency, an increased REM sleep percentage, a very high REM density and a long total sleep period time. During the third week, REM latencies were very short and total percentage of REM sleep was increased. By week three of withdrawal the sleep continuity pattern was similar to that found in chronic insomnia, with a long sleep latency, an abnormally increased total time awake after sleep onset and a poor sleep efficiency. The subjects' ratings of cocaine craving, total POMS scores and depression fell precipitously after the first week of withdrawal and were at sub-clinical levels by week three of withdrawal."}
{"id": "PMID:1486093", "title": "Neuropsychiatric effects of cocaine: SPECT measurements.", "content": "Cocaine causes serious neurologic and neuropsychiatric complications. Cocaine-induced seizures are common and appear to be due to the local anaesthetic actions of this compound. Cocaine induced stroke has varied mechanisms. With ischemic stroke there is severe vasospasm induced by rises in brain catecholamines. These changes can persist for many weeks and can be demonstrated using single-photon emission computerized tomography (SPECT). In many patients with psychiatric symptoms such as psychosis or mania, SPECT demonstrates similar changes in cerebral blood flow. In fact, some of the psychiatric symptoms induced by cocaine may be due to decreases in cerebral blood flow. In cocaine abuse, treatment strategies based on decreasing cerebral vasospasm need to be developed."}
{"id": "PMID:1486094", "title": "Respiratory effects of cocaine freebasing among habitual cocaine users.", "content": "Smoking of alkaloidal cocaine (\"crack\") has become increasingly prevalent in our society. Recent evidence suggests that crack smoking can cause acute respiratory symptoms, abnormalities in lung function and, in some instances, severe, life-threatening acute lung injury. To evaluate further the relationship between frequent cocaine smoking and respiratory symptoms and lung dysfunction, we studied a sample of 177 heavy, habitual smokers of freebase cocaine (mean 6.6 gm/wk for an average of 27 months) with or without concomitant smoking of tobacco and/or marijuana. Results in this sample were compared with those in a control sample of 75 age-, sex- and race-matched nonsmokers of cocaine who did or did not also smoke tobacco and/or marijuana. After controlling for the use of other smoked substances, heavy, habitual cocaine smoking was associated with the following: (1) a high frequency of acute respiratory symptoms (cough, black sputum, chest pain) in temporal association with freebase use; (2) an obstructive ventilatory abnormality involving the large airways; and (3) a mild but significant impairment in the diffusing capacity of the lung. These findings suggest that heavy, habitual crack smoking produces (1) respiratory tract injury manifested by acute respiratory symptoms and evidence of chronic airflow obstruction in large airways, and (2) an abnormality in diffusion of gas at the alveolar-capillary level. The mechanism of the diffusion defect is unknown but could reflect damage to the alveolar-capillary membrane. Further study of the magnitude, persistence, reversibility, mechanism and clinical significance of the abnormality in diffusing capacity is needed."}
{"id": "PMID:1486095", "title": "Cardiovascular effects and toxicities of cocaine.", "content": "Cocaine exerts a myriad of adverse cardiovascular effects which are dependent on the dose, rate of administration, and duration of use. The drug has two primary pharmacologic actions: it is a powerful sympathomimetic agent and a local anesthetic. The drug blocks the presynaptic reuptake of catecholamines resulting in the marked hormonal increase at the postsynaptic receptor sites. These effects, in turn, lower the threshold for coronary vasoconstriction and vasospasm, myocardial ischemia and infarction. In addition, the drug's multiple pharmacologic and electrophysiologic cardiovascular actions can promote arrhythmias, myocarditis, cardiomyopathy, as well as unmasking subclinical diseases. Long-term cocaine use can cause autonomic disturbances and alter catecholamine homeostasis: chronic cocaine addicts face serious cardiovascular sequelae from the drug's multiple adverse effects. It is important to assess the prevalence of cocaine-related cardiovascular diseases, to understand how the drug affects the autonomic nervous system, and to determine its long-term effects on the cardiovascular system."}
{"id": "PMID:1486096", "title": "Observations on increased CPK levels in \"asymptomatic\" cocaine abusers.", "content": "In order to assess increased creatinine phosphokinase (CPK) among medically asymptomatic active crack cocaine abusers, retrospective analysis of daily supervised urine data collected in a 20 day daily visit plus 12 week followup weekly visit study of heavy crack cocaine abusers was performed. The subjects were 36 black male chronic crack cocaine users unmotivated in drug abuse treatment, willing to be studied for daily payment, who were recruited by word of mouth on the street. Of the 464 CPK results obtained, the mean CPK value was 397 (SD = 784) IU/L. Two-thirds of the results were greater than 200; 19% were greater than 500 IU/L. CPK test results were systematically eliminated if related to medical causes or concurrent other drug use. The relative contribution of recent alcohol use versus recent cocaine use in raising CPK was assessed by dividing the remaining 435 observations into sequential use groups. With alcohol use instances excluded, a statistically significant relationship between urine cocaine metabolite and elevated CPK was found. When all other possible causes of elevated CPK levels were controlled, crack cocaine use was associated with a significant quantitative effect on CPK level."}
{"id": "PMID:1486097", "title": "Pathophysiological effects of cocaine in humans: review of scientific issues.", "content": "Almost all data on pathophysiological abnormalities associated with human cocaine use comes from clinical observation and testing of cocaine abusers seeking treatment. Such data are subject to several confounding factors which preclude drawing definitive conclusions about the pathophysiological mechanism for the observed abnormality, its prevalence and prognosis, and individual differences in susceptibility. Confounding factors include the unknown purity of cocaine used, uncertainty as to quantity and duration of cocaine exposure, effects of other substances frequently used by cocaine users, abnormalities associated with drug route of administration and the drug abuse lifestyle, and selection bias. Future studies can address these issues by employing more sophisticated research designs, such as prospective, longitudinal follow-up of large, representative samples of cocaine users, case-control comparisons of well characterized cocaine users with appropriately matched groups, and experimental administration of cocaine under safe, controlled conditions."}
{"id": "PMID:1486098", "title": "The undertreatment of depression.", "content": "In spite of considerable progress in the establishment of physical and psychological treatments for major depression in clinical trials, little is known of the impact of treatment on the prevalence and course of depression in the population. Improved methods for assessing need for care have not yet been applied systematically to such a population. One hundred and thirty men and women attending psychiatric hospitals with depressive disorders were interviewed at the time of their initial contact. After a mean 4-month interval, 119 were reassessed in order to determine the extent to which potentially effective treatments were being fully deployed in those who had not made a complete recovery. Half had made a good recovery. At least 78% of those remaining at threshold level or above apparently had not been offered alternative, potentially effective physical or psychosocial treatment, and were therefore rated as having unmet need. Older male patients were less likely to have unmet need. This study thus raises doubts about the effectiveness of routine clinical management of depression. However, we will remain uncertain of how far the routine falls below the ideal until systematic needs for care procedures (Brewin et al. 1987) are applied prospectively to depressed populations."}
{"id": "PMID:1486099", "title": "First onset and early symptomatology of schizophrenia. A chapter of epidemiological and neurobiological research into age and sex differences.", "content": "In the frame of the ABC (Age, Beginning and Course) Schizophrenia Project we studied the influence of age and sex on first-ever onset, symptom manifestation and early course up to first admission in schizophrenia by using a large, representative sample of first-admitted schizophrenic patients. The results showed that the two variables had surprisingly little bearing upon the core symptoms, particularly on negative and other most frequent symptoms and on first-rank symptoms. In 70% of the cases schizophrenia started solely with negative symptoms, in 20% with negative and positive and in 10% with positive symptoms only. In most of the cases symptoms accumulated exponentially up to the first acute episode with positive symptoms appearing considerably later. The age differences observed concerned secondary phenomena associated with developmental factors. Such phenomena, i.e. anxiety, depression and the cognitive formation of delusions, can be interpreted as responses to the psychosis. Also the sex differences, which culminated in far more frequent socially negative disease behaviour in males, were limited to secondary phenomena. This positive and negative core symptomatology of schizophrenia seems to be astonishingly uniform and fairly independent of age and sex at this early stage of the disease. The only remarkable difference was a three to four years higher mean age of onset in females. We were able to show in animal experiments and to confirm in a clinical study that this finding is attributable to a neuromodulatory effect of estrogens on the sensitivity of D2 receptors in the brain. Apparently, estrogens raise the vulnerability threshold until menopause and have a slight neuroleptic-like effect on the symptomatology in acute schizophrenic episodes."}
{"id": "PMID:1486100", "title": "A follow-up and family study of DSM-III-R schizophreniform disorder with good prognostic features.", "content": "A follow-up and family study was carried out of 16 first episode, DSM-III-R schizophreniform disorder patients with good prognostic features. Mean length of follow-up was 52.3 months. It was found that 62.5% had affective episodes, 31.2% had schizophreniform episodes. No case of schizophrenia was observed. Outcome was good. Morbid risk for affective disorder among first degree relatives was 25%, morbid risk for schizophrenia was 0%. These findings suggest a link between DSM-III-R schizophreniform disorder with good prognostic features and affective disorder, and no relationship with schizophrenia."}
{"id": "PMID:1486101", "title": "Are CSF or serum ganglioside antibodies related to peripheral nerve demyelination in neuroborreliosis, Guillain-Barr\u00e9 syndrome, or chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy?", "content": "Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum IgG and IgM antibodies to seven gangliosides were determined in patients with neuroborreliosis (NB) (n = 20), Guillain-Barr\u00e9 syndrome (GBS) (n = 13), and chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (CIDP) (n = 10). The incidence of elevated antibodies was highest in NB and lowest in CIDP. Correlation between CSF and serum antibodies was only observed for IgG antibodies to GM1, GD1b and GT1b in GBS. The strong IgM antibody reactivity to gangliosides in the CSF of NB patients may be involved in the variety of neurological disorders attributed to Borrelia burgdorferi infection. Since one CIDP and three GBS patients had serologic evidence of prior or concurrent borrelia infection, this infection may belong to the infections that can trigger GBS or CIDP. The lack of specific ganglioside antibody patterns in these four patients suggests that ganglioside antibodies are not the link between Borrelia burgdorferi infection and the demyelination of peripheral nerves in GBS and CIDP."}
{"id": "PMID:1486102", "title": "Psychological functioning and psychiatric morbidity in an elderly urban population in Greece.", "content": "As part of a systematic epidemiological survey of mental disorders in two Athenian boroughs, a probability sample of 251 elderly community residents was examined by a psychiatrist. For the assessment of their mental health, symptom screening scales were used (Langner and CES-D). Cognitive functioning was also evaluated. An overall psychological functioning profile was composed from previously derived mental health levels. Clinical diagnostic examination was based on a semi-structured schedule (PEF) supplemented by DSM-III criteria. A higher proportion of females than males were characterised as psychologically impaired, reporting non-specific symptoms of distress. Older respondents of lower socioeconomic status experiencing stressful life events, such as living alone or having been exposed to migration in the past, exhibited a significant degree of psychopathology. Of the sample, 20.3% was diagnosed as suffering from a specific psychiatric illness. The prevalence of organic mental disorders was 5.6% and affective disorders of any type constituted nearly half of the diagnosed psychiatric \"cases\". The implications of this survey are of great importance for the design and the development of preventive strategies and community-based interventions."}
{"id": "PMID:1486103", "title": "The Zurich Study: XV. Suicide attempts in a cohort from age 20 to 30.", "content": "The life-time prevalence of suicide attempts in a Swiss population, interviewed four times between the ages of 20 and 30 years, was 3.8% (females 5.4%, males 2.1%). One fifth of the 30-year-olds reported persistent suicidal ideation. In comparison with controls, attempters reported a more disturbed childhood, and subjects with multiple attempts reported more sexual abuse. Over 10 years attempters persistently showed more negative affectivity, more feelings of helplessness and lower self-esteem. At age 30 they were higher on the scales neuroticism, masculinity and aggressivity in a personality test. Over ten years, a higher than expected comorbidity appeared of suicide attempts with depressive and anxiety disorders, with substance abuse, and with sociopathic features."}
{"id": "PMID:1486104", "title": "The Zurich Study. XVI. Early antecedents of depression. A longitudinal prospective study on incidence in young adults.", "content": "The purpose of this study was to investigate antecedents of first incidence of major depressive disorder and recurrent brief depression with the help of a cohort of 20 year-old Swiss, who was interviewed four times up to age 30. Cases diagnosed as depressed at the third or fourth interview (age 28 or 30) were compared with never diagnosed controls for antecedents at the first and second interview (age 21 and 23). Besides retrospectively assessed childhood precursors, later depressives showed slight differences in their relationship to parents and friends and early symptoms of subclinical depression, persistent helplessness and a surplus of life events. These antecedents were mainly found in females. The most persistent antecedent of later depression for both sexes was a higher score than controls' on the SCL-90R (\"negative affectivity\"). Whether this finding signifies that proneness to the milder depressions in young adults is rooted in personality is subject to discussion."}
{"id": "PMID:1486105", "title": "The co-occurrence of depressive symptoms and cognitive impairment in a French community: are there gender differences.", "content": "The cross-sectional data are reported for co-occurrence of depressive symptomatology and cognitive impairment from the first wave of a longitudinal study of normal and pathological aging in a representative sample of 2792 older adults (> or = 65) residing in the Aquitaine Region (Bordeaux) of Southwest France. The prevalence rate for co-occurrence was 4.2% for men and 6.2% for women. Co-occurrence was associated with age, no or little education, functional impairment and dissatisfaction with social support for both men and women, though men were at higher risk than women for the latter two factors, and women were at higher risk than men for no or little education. Women over the age of 85 years were at increased risk whereas men were not, and marital status was associated with co-occurrence for men but had no effect for women. These findings indicate that the risk of co-occurrence differs for men and women, and that, with the exception of social support, the correlates we examined play different roles according to gender."}
{"id": "PMID:1486106", "title": "The factor structure of the 28-item General Health Questionnaire when used in Japanese early adolescents and adult employees: age- and cross-cultural comparisons.", "content": "The principal-component analysis (PCA) with varimax rotation on the 28-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28) in Japanese translation was performed separately for two samples of the Japanese population: early adolescents (junior high school students) and adult employees. The initial PCA yielded different number of components across sub-samples. The later PCA, however, with restriction of the number of components four generally produced a similar structure across sub-samples by means of visual inspection and the coefficient of factor similarity between the components calculated by using the loadings matrices, while a slight different structure emerged for the employees aged 40-49 years. Then, based on these two ways of comparison, the factor structure of GHQ-28 was compared between the present Japanese samples and the European and Turkish school-aged adolescent populations with three ethnic backgrounds. The results showed that its structure was highly stable across age (generation) and several cultural backgrounds, at least among these nations. The internal consistency reliability of the GHQ-28 was at a high level among the present sample of Japanese."}
{"id": "PMID:1486107", "title": "All-night electroencephalographic sleep and cranial computed tomography in depression. A study of unipolar and bipolar patients.", "content": "All-night electroencephalographic (EEG) sleep recording and cranial computed tomography were performed in 24 inpatients with major depression (14 unipolar, 10 bipolar). The patients showed the characteristic \"depression-like\" EEG sleep alterations and their ventricular brain ratio (VBR) was increased compared with the control subjects. No major differences were found between the unipolar and the bipolar groups. There was a close and positive association between the VBR values and several measures of slow wave sleep. It is hypothesized that this relationship is due to an altered function of the limbic-hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical axis in depression that affects both EEG sleep and brain morphology."}
{"id": "PMID:1486108", "title": "Marchiafava-Bignami disease. A case studied by structural and functional brain imaging.", "content": "Marchiafava-Bignami disease (MBD) is a rare complication of chronic alcoholism. The clinical features, X-ray, CT and MRI findings are well documented. However, functional brain imaging has not been used in cases of MBD. We used single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) to monitor the regional cerebral blood flow in a patient suffering from a acute form of MBD, from which he subsequently recovered. Several abnormalities were found. A more frequent use of functional brain imaging in MBD could improve our knowledge of pathogenesis and prognosis for MBD."}
{"id": "PMID:1486109", "title": "Hypnotizability in bulimic patients and controls. A pilot study.", "content": "Various studies have indicated that bulimics are more easily hypnotized and dissociate more readily than control groups and patients with other eating disorders. A comparison is reported of 15 inpatients with bulimia nervosa (DSM III-R) with 15 subjects in a control group comparable in age and education. The instrument used was the Harvard Group Scale of Hypnotic Susceptibility/Form A (HSGHS:A), which includes 12 standardized test suggestions. The results show that bulimics have higher scores in hypnotizability than the control group. A method study (comparison of self-evaluation with a video recording) shows that this is a result of the behaviour itself and not of the answering pattern used by the subjects in the questionnaire. It is possible that differing expectations regarding the experiment may have influenced the results. Considerations concerning the increased ability of bulimics to dissociate as a causal factor versus an accompanying phenomenon of the disorder are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1486110", "title": "The Munich Diagnostic Checklist for the assessment of DSM-III-R Personality Disorders for use in routine clinical care and research.", "content": "Diagnostic checklists for the assessment of DSM-III-R Axis I diagnoses have proven to be a reliable and feasible instrument in research and routine clinical care. Therefore, a checklist for the assessment of the DSM-III-R Personality Disorders (MDCL-P) has been developed. An English version of the MDCL-P is available. The MDCL-P has been tested for reliability in a test-retest design. The average duration of the interview was 36 min. Of the patients, 48% received a diagnosis of at least one personality disorder. The Kappa value concerning the distinction personality disorder as opposed to no personality disorder was 0.62. The range of Kappa values of specific personality disorders, which were diagnosed at least five times, was from 0.35 to 0.79."}
{"id": "PMID:1486111", "title": "Acceptance, attrition, and outcome in an outpatient treatment programme for alcoholics. A comparison between a randomized and a non-randomized process-outcome study.", "content": "Acceptance, attrition and outcome of the same outpatient treatment programme for alcoholics was studied first in a non-randomized and later in a randomized study. There was a lower (15%) rate of acceptance and a higher (19%) rate of attrition in the randomized study. Among treatment completers drinking outcome during the third year after commencement of treatment did not differ between the non-randomized and the randomized study. It is concluded that the characteristics of subjects accepting a randomly assigned study should always be clearly presented. The absence of a patient-therapist matching in a randomized design could negatively effect attrition and probably also acceptance of treatment, while it seems to be less influential on outcome in those completing therapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1486112", "title": "Alopecia and mood stabilizers: two case reports.", "content": "Two cases of alopecia observed during treatment with lithium and valproate are described, and the recent literature on this subject is reviewed. Our clinical observations confirm earlier reports. These toxic alopecias are characterized by a diffuse but rarely total hair loss. After stopping medication, the hair grows back generally and completely. Two cases of toxic alopecia are presented where hair grew back following a substitution of lithium by valproate in the first case and after stopping valproate in the second. The evaluation and therapeutic attitude in the presence of alopecia in patients needing mood stabilizers are also discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1486113", "title": "The risk of minor depression in families of probands with major depression: sex differences and familiality.", "content": "Currently it is not clear whether minor forms of unipolar depression not matching the criteria of \"major depression\" should be considered as a separate diagnostic category. A controlled family study examined the familial aggregation of minor depression among probands with unipolar major depression. In the families of these probands the relative risk for minor depression was elevated by a similar magnitude to the risk for major depression. Therefore, the diagnostic category \"minor depression\" would not increase diagnostic sensitivity at the expense of diagnostic specificity as far as familiality is the criterion. In agreement with recent epidemiological studies, minor depression did not reveal a similar excess prevalence in females compared with males as major depression does. The variation of the sex ratio for any subtype of unipolar depression was not associated with the familiality of this disorder."}
{"id": "PMID:1486114", "title": "Automatic-voluntary dissociation: an unusual facial paresis in a patient with probable multiple sclerosis.", "content": "A patient with multiple sclerosis is described who presented with a unilateral loss of voluntary function of his lower face muscles. However, in an emotional situation, there was strong involuntary innervation of these muscles: automatic-voluntary dissociation. The subcortical afferents to the facial motor nucleus are discussed. It is hypothesized that cortical disinhibition of midbrain nuclei underlies the accentuated involuntary innervation."}
{"id": "PMID:1486115", "title": "Treatment of multiple sclerosis with mitoxantrone.", "content": "Ten multiple sclerosis patients, all with a rapid deteriorating disease profile, were treated with 12 mg/m2 of the cytostatic agent mitoxantrone, administered every 3 months. This dosage is only 25% of what a patient with a solid tumour would normally receive during the same time period. In all treated patients the deterioration was stopped following the initial dosage; in four out of ten patients there was even an immediate improvement of the neurological status. Eight out of nine patients showed an improvement after 1 year as compared with their enrollment status; the other one remained stabile. In correlation with the clinical improvement, the mean P100 latencies of visual evoked potentials showed a reduction after 1 year. However, the changes identified through magnetic resonance imaging were even clearer than those seen clinically. At admission, this group of patients presented with a total of 169 gadolinium (Gd)-enhancing lesions. Only 10 lesions were enhancing in nine patients 12 months after the initiation of treatment. It appears that mitoxantrone accelerates the disappearance of Gd-enhancing lesions and prevents the development of new ones. Minimal side effects such as mild nausea and a slight faintness were evident in six patients and then for only 1-2 days."}
{"id": "PMID:1486118", "title": "Thallium-201: what do we gain from new clinical protocols and acquisition procedures? The Italian Study on Thallium Reinjection/SIRT).", "content": "Nine medical centers, equipped with the same gamma camera and computer software, participated in this multicenter study on thallium-201 reinjection imaging. Preliminary findings for the first 143 patients with ischemic heart disease and perfusion defects at stress imaging are reported. Eighty-eight patients were reinjected at rest after conventional stress-redistribution imaging. Another 55 patients were reinjected at rest on a separate day. After segmental comparison of conventional redistribution versus stress imaging, differences > 1 in the segmental scores on a reduced 3 point scale identified 58 patients with irreversible or mainly irreversible defects (dominant scar pattern) and 85 patients with reversible or mainly reversible defects (dominant ischemic pattern). When reinjection was compared to stress images, 24 patients out of 58 with a dominant scar pattern at the conventional analysis were then assigned to the group with a dominant ischemic pattern. No clinical variables or exercise stress data were found to be significantly different in this patient subgroup. Only 4 out of 85 patients with a dominant ischemic pattern were reassigned to a dominant scar pattern after reinjection scoring. These preliminary results of the SIRT study confirm the consistent problem of scar overestimation by conventional stress-redistribution imaging and the clinical value of the thallium-201 reinjection procedure for differentiating viable from necrotic myocardium."}
{"id": "PMID:1486119", "title": "99mTc-sestamibi: its clinical role as a viability agent.", "content": "The correlation between the presence of viable myocardium and 99mTc-sestamibi uptake is still to be defined. Preliminary studies indicate that: 1) reduced 99mTc-sestamibi uptake at rest is not necessarily evidence of scar tissue, and 2) its uptake is correlated to the severity of coronary stenosis. To define the relationship between rest thallium-201 and 99mTc-sestamibi uptake in dyssynergic segments, we studied 10 patients with ventricular dysfunction. 99mTc-sestamibi uptake was higher than thallium-201 uptake in normal segments but was similarly reduced in segments perfused by stenotic coronary arteries with or without wall motion abnormalities. Post-revascularization studies of regional wall motion showed that 99mTc-sestamibi had a positive and a negative predictive accuracy in identifying viable segments of 88 and 69%, respectively; these values were significantly lower than that provided by Thallium-201. 99mTc-sestamibi appears to be a primary perfusion agent with a high sensitivity to blood flow reduction at rest; it can be cautiously used as a viability agent in segments with wall motion abnormalities at rest."}
{"id": "PMID:1486127", "title": "Computer simulation of the segmental neural network generating locomotion in lamprey by using populations of network interneurons.", "content": "Realistic computer simulations of the experimentally established local spinal cord neural network generating swimming in the lamprey have been performed. Populations of network interneurons were used in which cellular properties, like cell size and membrane conductance including voltage dependent ion channels were randomly distributed around experimentally obtained mean values, as were synaptic conductances (kainate/AMPA, NMDA, glycine) and delays. This population model displayed more robust burst activity over a wider frequency range than the more simple subsample model used previously, and the pattern of interneuronal activity was appropriate. The strength of the reciprocal inhibition played a very important role in the regulation of burst frequency, and just by changing the inhibitory bias the entire physiological range could be covered. At the lower frequency range of bursting the segmental excitatory interneurons provide stability as does the activation of voltage dependent NMDA receptors. Spike frequency adaptation by means of summation of afterhyperpolarization (AHP) serves as a major burst terminating factor, and at lower rates the membrane properties conferred by the NMDA receptor activation. The lateral interneurons were not of critical importance for the burst termination. They may, however, be of particular importance for inducing a rapid burst termination during for instance steering and righting reactions. Several cellular factors combine to provide a secure and stable motor pattern in the entire frequency range."}
{"id": "PMID:1486122", "title": "Coronary revascularization and recovery of function: the ultimate target.", "content": "Recovery of contraction in the akinetic segments represents an important target of coronary revascularization, and the preoperative recognition of viable dyssynergic (hibernating) myocardium is a crucial point in the preoperative investigation of patients with chronically depressed left ventricular function. Dobutamine-echocardiography was utilized in 14 patients to study the contractile reserve retained by viable segments. Redistribution of thallium-201 after rest injection was also used to assess the viability of these areas. The wall motion response to dobutamine infusion predicted immediate postoperative improvement in 85 of 93 segments (sensitivity 91%) and identified 25 of 32 segments which did not exhibit early postoperative improvement (specificity 78%). Rest-redistribution of thallium-201 demonstrated high sensitivity (93%) but low specificity (44%) for predicting the early recovery of regional wall motion. When late recovery was also considered, the specificity of this method increased to 64%. Recovery of function following coronary revascularization can be predicted in patients in whom hibernating myocardium is recognized preoperatively."}
{"id": "PMID:1486128", "title": "A simple vector implementation of the Laplace-transformed cable equations in passive dendritic trees.", "content": "Transient potentials in dendritic trees can be calculated by approximating the dendrite by a set of connected cylinders. The profiles for the currents and potentials in the whole system can then be obtained by imposing the proper boundary conditions and calculating these profiles along each individual cylinder. An elegant implementation of this method has been described by Holmes (1986), and is based on the Laplace transform of the cable equation. By calculating the currents and potentials only at the ends of the cylinders, the whole system of connected cylinders can be described by a set of n equations, where n denotes the number of internal and external nodes (points of connection and endpoints of the cylinders). The present study shows that the set of equations can be formulated by a simple vector equation which is essentially a generalization of Ohm's law for the whole system. The current and potential n-vectors are coupled by a n x n conductance matrix whose structure immediately reflects the connectivity pattern of the connected cylinders. The vector equation accounts for conductances, associated with driving potentials, which may be local or distributed over the membrane. It is shown that the vector equation can easily be adapted for the calculation of transients over a period in which stepwise changes in system parameters have occurred. In this adaptation it is assumed that the initial conditions for the potential profiles at the start of a new period after a stepwise change can be approximated by steady-state solutions.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1486129", "title": "A theory of maximizing sensory information.", "content": "A theory is developed on the assumption that early sensory processing aims at maximizing the information rate in the channels connecting the sensory system to more central parts of the brain, where it is assumed that these channels are noisy and have a limited dynamic range. Given a stimulus power spectrum, the theory enables the computation of filters accomplishing this maximizing of information. Resulting filters are band-pass or high-pass at high signal-to-noise ratios, and low-pass at low signal-to-noise ratios. In spatial vision this corresponds to lateral inhibition and pooling, respectively. The filters comply with Weber's law over a considerable range of signal-to-noise ratios."}
{"id": "PMID:1486130", "title": "On the performance of single-layered neural networks.", "content": "This paper studies the performance of single-layered neural networks. This study begins with the performance of single-layered neural networks trained using the outer-product rule. The outer-product rule is a suboptimal learning scheme, resulting under certain assumptions from optimal least-squares training of single-layered neural networks with respect to their analog output. Extensive analysis reveals the improvement on the network performance caused by its optimal least-squares training. The effect of the training scheme on the performance of single-layered neural networks with binary output is exhibited by experimentally comparing the performance of single-layered neural networks trained with respect to their analog and binary output."}
{"id": "PMID:1486131", "title": "A computational model of vertical signal propagation in the primary visual cortex.", "content": "A computational model of the flow of activity in a vertically organized slab of cat primary visual cortex (area 17) has been developed. The membrane potential of each cell in the model, as a function of time, is given by the solution of a system of first order, coupled, non-linear differential equations. When firing threshold is exceeded, an action potential waveform is \"pasted\" in. The behavior of the model following a brief simulated stimulus to afferents from the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus (dLGN) is explored. Excitatory and inhibitory post-synaptic potential (E and IPSP) latencies, as a function of cortical depth, were generated by the model. These data were compared with the experimental literature. In general, good agreement was found for EPSPs. Many disynaptic inhibitory inputs were found to be \"masked\" by the firing of action potentials in the model. To our knowledge this phenomenon has not been reported in the experimental literature. The model demonstrates that whether a cell exhibits disynaptic or polysynaptic PSP latencies is not a fixed consequence of anatomical connectivity, but rather, can be influenced by connection strengths, and may be influenced by the ongoing pattern of activity in the cortex."}
{"id": "PMID:1486126", "title": "Formation of a stable 99mTc-tri-hydrazidophosphine oxide (99mTc-THP) chelate.", "content": "Atri-hydrazidophosphine oxide (THP) ligand was synthesized and used to complex 99mTc in high yield (> 95%) by Sn(II) reduction of 99mTcO4-. 99mTc-THP has excellent stability in both 0.9% acqueous NaCl at neutral pH and in human serum at 37 degrees C. Biodistribution studies indicate minimal organ specificity and no significant in vivo release of 99mTcO4-. The ease of 99mTc complexation with THP and the high stability of 99mTc-THP suggests that this ligand may be used as a basis for the development of new imaging agents."}
{"id": "PMID:1486132", "title": "Basic functions of variability of simple pre-planned movements.", "content": "A model of a pre-planned single joint movements performed without feedback is considered. Modifications of this movement result from transformation of a trajectory pattern f(t) in space and time. The control system adjusts the movement to concrete external conditions specifying values of the transform parameters before the movement performance. The pre-planned movement is considered to be simple one, if the transform can be approximated by an affine transform of the movement space and time. In this case, the trajectory of the movement is x(t) = Af (t/tau + s) + p, were A and l/tau are space and time scales, s and p are translations. The variability of movements is described by time profiles of variances and covariances of the trajectory x(t), velocity v(t), and acceleration a(t). It is assumed that the variability is defined only by parameters variations. From this assumption follows the main finding of this work: the variability time profiles can be expanded on a special system of basic functions corresponding to established movement parameters. Particularly, basic functions of variance time profiles, reflecting spatial and temporal scaling, are x2(t) and t2v2(t) for trajectory, v2(t) and (v(t)+t.a(t))2 for velocity, and a2(t) and (2a(t)+t.j(t))2, where j(t) = d3x(t)/dt3, for acceleration. The variability of a model of a reaching movement was studied analytically. The model predicts certain peculiarities of the form of time profiles (e.g., the variance time profile of velocity is bi-modal, the one of acceleration is tri-modal, etc.). Experimental measurements confirmed predictions. Their consistence allows them to be considered invariant properties of reaching movement. A conclusion can be made, that reaching movement belongs to the type of simple pre-planned movements. For a more complex movement, time profiles of variability are also measured and explained by the model of movements of this type. Thus, a movement can be attributed to the type of simple pre-planned ones by testing its variability."}
{"id": "PMID:1486133", "title": "A new algorithm for the identification of multiple input Wiener systems.", "content": "Multiple-input Wiener systems consist of two or more linear dynamic elements, whose outputs are transformed by a multiple-input static non-linearity. Korenberg (1985) demonstrated that the linear elements of these systems can be estimated using either a first order input-output cross-covariance or a slice of the second, or higher, order input-output cross-covariance function. Korenberg's work used a multiple input LNL structure, in which the output of the static nonlinearity was then filtered by a linear dynamic system. In this paper we show that by restricting our study to the slightly simpler Wiener structure, it is possible to improve the linear subsystem estimates obtained from the measured cross-covariance functions. Three algorithms, which taken together can identify any multiple-input Wiener system, have been developed. We present the theory underlying these algorithms and detail their implementation. Simulation results are then presented which demonstrate that the algorithms are robust in the presence of output noise, and provide good estimates of the system dynamics under a wide set of conditions."}
{"id": "PMID:1486134", "title": "Multiplying with neurons: compensation for irregular input spike trains by using time-dependent synaptic efficiencies.", "content": "A leaky integrate-and-fire (LIF) neurons can act as multipliers by detecting coincidences of input spikes. However, in case of input spike trains with irregular interspike delays, false coincidences are also detected and the operation as a multiplier is degraded. This problem can be solved by using time dependent synaptic weights which are set to zero after each input spike and recover with the same time constant as the decay time of the corresponding excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSP). Such a mechanism results in EPSP's with amplitudes independent on the input interspike delays. Neuronal computation is then performed without frequency decoding."}
{"id": "PMID:1486135", "title": "Adaptive feedback control models of the vestibulocerebellum and spinocerebellum.", "content": "We extend the cerebellar learning model proposed by Kawato and Gomi (1992) to the case where a specific region of the cerebellum executes adaptive feedback control as well as feedforward control. The model is still based on the feedback-error-learning scheme. The proposed adaptive feedback control model is developed in detail as a specific neural circuit model for three different regions of the cerebellum and the learning of the corresponding representative movements: (i) the flocculus and adaptive modification of the vestibulo-ocular reflex and optokinetic eye-movement responses, (ii) the vermis and adaptive posture control, and (iii) the intermediate zones of the hemisphere and adaptive control of locomotion. As a representative example, simultaneous adaptation of the vestibulo-ocular reflex and the optokinetic eye-movement response was successfully simulated while the Purkinje cells receive copies of motor commands through recurrent neural connections as well as vestibular and retinal-slip parallel-fiber inputs."}
{"id": "PMID:1486136", "title": "Doublet-split-scaling of correlation integrals in non-linear dynamics and in neurobiology.", "content": "The search for the low-dimensional attractor behaviour and the dynamic self-organization of neuronal systems, from an analysis of electroencephalographic (EEG) signals, must be carried out under conditions in which the signals are not stationary for more than a few seconds. We employ a technique that we have introduced for analyzing short signals obeying a differential equation and develop it further. The technique uses the fact that in plots of \"slope curves\" of d log C(r)/d log r against log C(r), C(r) = correlation integral, for short time sequences, the dynamics may be \"trans-embedding-scaled\", i.e. a horizontal power-law structure builds up, that is constructed from different slope curves (different embeddings), and appears at the right value of the correlation dimension, although no single slope curve exhibits scaling. Patterns of the family of slope curves are described exhibiting the \"doublet-split-scaling\" of the correlation integrals. Examples include a solution of the Mackey and Glass delay differential equation and EEG signals. The two components of a doublet differ in the dimensions of the embeddings of which they are formed, i.e. low- and high-dimensions, respectively. The advantages subsequent to recognizing trans-embedding-scaled correlation integrals and doublet-split-scaling are illustrated for EEG delta sleep signals, with emphasis on ideal doublet-split-scaling. Unambiguous evidence of attractor behaviour in delta sleep is presented."}
{"id": "PMID:1486137", "title": "Associative learning in a network model of Hermissenda crassicornis. I. Theory.", "content": "A time-varying Resistance-Capacitance (RC) circuit computer model was constructed based on known membrane and synaptic properties of the visual-vestibular network of the marine snail Hermissenda crassicornis. Specific biophysical properties and synaptic connections of identified neurons are represented as lumped parameters (circuit elements) in the model; in the computer simulation, differential equations are approximated by difference equations. The model's output, membrane potential, an indirect measure of firing frequency, closely parallels the behavioral and electrophysiologic outputs of Hermissenda in response to the same input stimuli presented during and after associative learning. The parallelism of the computer modeled and the biologic outputs suggests that the model captures the features necessary and sufficient for associative learning."}
{"id": "PMID:1486138", "title": "Control of rabbit nictitating membrane movements. I. A computer model of the retractor bulbi muscle and the associated orbital mechanics.", "content": "Our objective in this study is to synthesize existing experimental data by constructing a realistic neuromechanical control model of rabbit nictitating membrane (NM) movements. We model the retractor bulbi muscle at the motor unit level because this is the level of nervous system control and also facilitates comparison with experimental data. Our motor unit model is derived from an earlier model of muscle activation based on calcium kinetics and includes a post-activation potentiation mechanism. Motor units are combined into a model of whole muscle that includes length-tension and force-velocity effects. Finally, we incorporate the muscle model into a biomechanical model in which the globe and NM are represented as a system of inertial, viscous, and elastic elements. The model takes patterns of neural signals (in the form of impulses) as input and produces movement of the NM as output. Our muscle model quantitatively accounts for data on isometric force development and decay for twitch, double shock, and tetanic stimulation. The complete model may be used for analysis of the relationship of motoneuron activity to behavior or as a realistic response generator in models of NM conditioning. This study also highlights gaps in the experimental data on the rabbit NM effector system."}
{"id": "PMID:1486139", "title": "Control of rabbit nictitating membrane movements. II. Analysis of the relation of motoneuron activity to behavior.", "content": "The objective of this study is to understand more precisely the relationship of motoneuron activity to movements of the rabbit nictitating membrane (NM). We use a model of the oculomotor plant to investigate what NM movements are generated by a given pattern of neural input and what inputs are required to generate particular NM movements. Simulated peak NM extensions can occur well over 50 ms after the end of motoneuron activity. The neural input required for the model to generate full amplitude NM extension responses is more consistent with single accessory abducens unit recordings from awake rabbits than recordings from anesthetized rabbits. An initial high frequency burst of neural activity followed by a rapid decay is required for simulations of conditioned responses (CRs) trained at a 125 ms interstimulus interval (ISI). For CRs trained with a 250 ms ISI, a more slowly rising and decaying neural activity is required. Model simulations show that the linear correlation between the shape of histogrammed motoneuron activity and the shape of NM movements can be high for long duration responses (> 400 ms) but is low for short duration responses (< 200 ms). Simulations are also consistent with the hypothesis that NM retraction is generally passive."}
{"id": "PMID:1486140", "title": "The relationship between short-term memory capacity and EEG power spectral density.", "content": "Multiplying memory span by mental speed, we obtain the information entropy of short-term memory capacity, which is rate-limiting for cognitive functions and corresponds with EEG power spectral density. The number of EEG harmonics (n = 1, 2,..., 9) is identical with memory span, and the eigenvalues of the EEG impulse response are represented by the zero-crossings up to the convolved fundamental, the P300. In analogy to quantum mechanics the brain seems to be an ideal detector simply measuring the energy of wave forms. No matter what the stimulus is and how the brain behaves, the metric of signal and memory can always be understood as a superposition of n pi states of different energy and their eigenvalues."}
{"id": "PMID:1486141", "title": "A self-organising neural network model of image velocity encoding.", "content": "A self-organising neural network has been developed which maps the image velocities of rigid objects, moving in the fronto-parallel plane, topologically over a neural layer. The input is information in the Fourier domain about the spatial components of the image. The computation performed by the network may be viewed as a neural instantiation of the Intersection of Constraints solution to the aperture problem. The model has biological plausibility in that the connectivity develops simply as a result of exposure to inputs derived from rigid translation of textures and its overall organisation is consistent with psychophysical evidence."}
{"id": "PMID:1486142", "title": "A neural network model rapidly learning gains and gating of reflexes necessary to adapt to an arm's dynamics.", "content": "Effects of dynamic coupling, gravity, inertia and the mechanical impedances of the segments of a multi-jointed arm are shown to be neutralizable through a reflex-like operating three layer static feedforward network. The network requires the proprioceptively mediated actual state variables (here angular velocity and position) of each arm segment. Added neural integrators (and/or differentiators) can make the network exhibit dynamic properties. Then, actual feedback is not necessary and the network can operate in a pure feedforward fashion. Feedforward of an additional load can easily be implemented into the network using \"descendent gating\", and a negative feedback control loop added to the feedforward control reduces errors due to external noise. A training, which combines a least squared error based simultaneous learning rule (LSQ-rule) with a \"self-imitation algorithm\" based on direct inverse modeling, enables the network to acquire the whole inverse dynamics, limb parameters included, during one short training movement. The considerations presented also hold for multi-jointed manipulators."}
{"id": "PMID:1486143", "title": "A computational model of four regions of the cerebellum based on feedback-error learning.", "content": "We propose a computationally coherent model of cerebellar motor learning based on the feedback-error-learning scheme. We assume that climbing fiber responses represent motor-command errors generated by some of the premotor networks such as the feedback controllers at the spinal-, brain stem- and cerebral levels. Thus, in our model, climbing fiber responses are considered to convey motor errors in the motor-command coordinates rather than in the sensory coordinates. Based on the long-term depression in Purkinje cells each corticonuclear microcomplex in different regions of the cerebellum learns to execute predictive and coordinative control of different types of movements. Ultimately, it acquires an inverse model of a specific controlled object and complements crude control by the premotor networks. This general model is developed in detail as a specific neural circuit model for the lateral hemisphere. A new experiment is suggested to elucidate the coordinate frame in which climbing fiber responses are represented."}
{"id": "PMID:1486145", "title": "Hypersecretion of melatonin following diurnal exposure to bright light in seasonal affective disorder: preliminary results.", "content": "Night-time melatonin secretion was measured in five depressed inpatients with seasonal affective disorder before and after 1-week of morning and evening exposure to bright (3000 lux) and dim (300 lux) light. Analysis of variance by ranks showed no differences in timing of melatonin secretion but statistically significant differences in plasma melatonin levels. There was a decrease of the area under the curve after bright light and a very robust rebound after exposure to dim light. The failure to constitute a parallel group of patients in a crossover design did not permit to control for an ordering effect of light exposure. These findings raise many questions concerning the diurnal sensitivity to different intensities of light in seasonal affective disorder."}
{"id": "PMID:1486147", "title": "Effects of hypothyroidism on rat circadian activity and temperature rhythms and their response to light.", "content": "Male rats made hypothyroid by administration of propylthiouracil plus sodium ipodate in drinking water were compared to controls in terms of period of circadian activity and temperature rhythms, amount of gross motor activity, and mean temperature. Animals were studied under entrainment, constant darkness (DD), and constant dim light (LL). There was no difference in the period of the circadian activity rhythm between groups in DD. However, hypothyroid rats showed significant blunting of the period-lengthening response to increasing ambient illumination. As expected, the period of the circadian temperature rhythm increased in controls with increasing ambient illumination. In contrast, the period of the circadian temperature rhythm in hypothyroid animals actually shortened under LL compared to DD. This blunting of the period-lengthening response to increasing ambient illumination of both activity and temperature rhythms in hypothyroid animals could not be explained by differences in activity level or mean temperature between the groups."}
{"id": "PMID:1486148", "title": "Multidiagnostic evaluation of prolactin response to haloperidol challenge in schizophrenia: maximal blunting in Kraepelinian patients.", "content": "We have previously reported that prolactin (PRL) responses to haloperidol 0.5 mg IV were blunted in subjects characterized by several diagnostic systems of schizophrenia compared to controls (Keks et al 1990). However, an attempt to find a diagnostic system most different from controls was unsuccessful due to inherent difficulties in the statistical analysis of multidiagnostic data. In this paper we present new methodologies. A test for differences in dependent correlations demonstrated that most of the variance in stimulated PRL was accounted for by Kraepelinian, and least by Schneiderian and M. Bleulerian, schizophrenias (p < 0.001). The main symptomatic difference between nonKraepelinian and Kraepelinian patients was the presence of association disturbance and feelings of passivity. Patients with both symptoms had a lower stimulated PRL than controls. Further findings and possible implications are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1486149", "title": "Lateralized effects of diazepam on frontal brain electrical asymmetries in rhesus monkeys.", "content": "A growing body of literature has documented the differential role of the frontal regions of the two cerebral hemispheres in certain positive and negative affective processes. This corpus of evidence has led to the hypothesis of a possible differential effect of diazepam on asymmetry of frontal activation. To examine this question, nine infant rhesus monkeys were tested on two occasions during which brain electrical activity was recorded from left and right frontal and parietal scalp regions. During one session, recordings were obtained under a baseline restraint condition and then after an injection of diazepam (1 mg/kg). In the other session, following the same baseline restraint condition, a vehicle injection was given. In response to diazepam, the animals showed an asymmetrical decrease in power in the 4-8 Hz frequency band, which was most pronounced in the left frontal region. No change in electroencephalogram (EEG) activity was observed in response to vehicle. Asymmetry in parietal EEG activity was also unchanged by diazepam. Diazepam also produced overall reductions in power across different frequency bands in both frontal and parietal regions. Good test-retest stability of EEG measures of activation asymmetry was also found between the two testing sessions separated by three months. The possible proximal cause of the asymmetrical change in frontal brain electrical activity in response to diazepam, as well as the implications of these findings for understanding the mechanism of action of benzodiazepines are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1486150", "title": "Cerebrospinal fluid neuropeptides in dementia.", "content": "Cerebrospinal fluid concentrations of corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) and somatostatin (SRIF) were measured in 77 female inpatients with moderate to extreme dementia and in 17 elderly female controls. Both multi-infarct (MID) and Alzheimer-type (SDAT) demented patients had equally elevated CSF CRH and TRH but not SRIF levels as compared with the controls. This elevation was, however, not seen in patients with simple dementia while it was most prominent in those exhibiting marked depressive symptoms. It is concluded that depression rather than dementia itself may be associated with CSF CRH and TRH elevation in elderly patients with cognitive impairment."}
{"id": "PMID:1486153", "title": "Review article: urease, gastric ammonium/ammonia, and Helicobacter pylori--the past, the present, and recommendations for future research.", "content": "The presence of ammonium in gastric contents was described in 1852; urease activity in the stomach was identified 70 years later. The discovery of gastric urease resulted in intense research activity to discover its origin, function, and relation to the gastric levels of ammonium and urea. Interest in urease waned in the 1960s as most pertinent questions appeared to have been addressed and there was strong evidence that gastric urease was not a property of the stomach but was of microbial origin. Identification of Helicobacter pylori as the source of urease in the stomach in the last decade has resulted in a rebirth of interest in gastric urease and its products. There is little actual evidence to support a role for toxicity of ammonia in relation to H. pylori and the bulk of the evidence suggests that the products of urease activity are not toxic and may even be beneficial. The purpose of this review is to examine the older literature and to examine new findings in the perspective of what is already known and to suggest areas remaining to be examined. We ask, 'What is old, what is new, and what needs to be done?'"}
{"id": "PMID:1486154", "title": "The effects of 5-aminosalicylic acid and acetyl-5-aminosalicylic acid on lipid peroxidation in erythrocytes and prostaglandin production by mononuclear cells.", "content": "In parallel studies, the effects of 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA) and acetyl-5-aminosalicylic acid (acetyl-5-ASA) on peroxidation of red-cell membrane lipids and production of prostaglandins by peripheral blood mononuclear cells were assessed. 5-ASA at concentrations of 10(-5), 10(-4) and 10(-3) M significantly inhibited erythrocyte lipid peroxidation, measured as malondialdehyde production, by 20%, 56% and 63%, respectively, (P < 0.05, P < 0.002, P < 0.001, respectively) while acetyl-5-ASA had no effect. 10(-5) and 10(-4) M 5-ASA significantly increased production by stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells of PGE2 (by 31% and 30%, P < 0.01, P < 0.05, respectively) and PGF2 alpha (by 30% and 25%, P < 0.05, P < 0.01, respectively). 10(-4) M 5-ASA also significantly stimulated prostacyclin production measured as 6KF1 alpha by 10% (P < 0.05). At 10(-3) M 5-ASA there were significant falls in 6KF1 alpha (by 37%) PGE2 (by 45%) and PGF2 alpha (by 47%) (P < 0.01, P < 0.001, P < 0.001, respectively) although this was accompanied by a decrease in cell viability. Acetyl-5-ASA had little effect upon prostaglandin production. 5-ASA scavenges free radicals and stimulates production of cytoprotective prostaglandins."}
{"id": "PMID:1486155", "title": "Absorption of polar drugs following caecal instillation in healthy volunteers.", "content": "We have investigated colonic drug absorption in man by the caecal instillation of a multi-component solution of atenolol, cimetidine, frusemide, hydrochlorothiazide and salicylic acid. We found that salicylic acid absorption from this solution was delayed but complete whereas the absorption of atenolol, cimetidine, frusemide and hydrochlorothiazide was four- to five-fold lower than expected from oral bioavailability studies."}
{"id": "PMID:1486156", "title": "Ranitidine: differential effects on gastric bleeding and mucosal damage induced by aspirin.", "content": "This study investigated the influence of ranitidine on mucosal injury and gastric bleeding in 20 normal volunteers taking 600 mg aspirin q.d.s. This study was a double-blind placebo controlled crossover study comparing ranitidine, as 150 mg b.d., 300 mg q.d.s. and 600 mg b.d. with placebo. Gastric mucosal injury was assessed at unsedated endoscopy by counting haemorrhagic and non-haemorrhagic erosions; bleeding was measured in gastric washings. Aspirin alone increased mucosal injury from 0 to 11.4 erosions (mean, P < 0.01) and bleeding from 1.77 to 9.11 microliters blood/10 min (mean P < 0.001). Ranitidine prophylaxis reduced bleeding to 5.34, 3.18 and 3.47 microliters/10 min with 150 mg b.d., 300 mg q.d.s. and 600 mg b.d. respectively (overall effect of ranitidine P < 0.001) and also reduced haemorrhagic erosions though it had no effect on the total number of erosions. Ranitidine is effective at reducing aspirin-induced gastric bleeding and whilst not reducing aspirin-induced gastric erosions, it does reduce the number that appear haemorrhagic. Ranitidine may have a role in the prophylaxis of aspirin-induced gastric bleeding."}
{"id": "PMID:1486157", "title": "A comparison of upper gastrointestinal mucosal damage by standard and delayed-release indomethacin.", "content": "Forty-five patients taking long-term indomethacin and with endoscopic erosions or superficial ulcers in the oesophagus, stomach or duodenal bulb were randomized in a double-blind study to continue with standard indomethacin or receive a 'delayed-release' formulation. This consisted of microgranules of indomethacin coated with an acrylic resin, Eudragit L, which releases drug in the small intestine. Endoscopy was repeated after 8 weeks and biopsies taken on both occasions. Changes in endoscopic lesions and histological appearances were similar in both groups, although mucosal erythema was less in those given Eudragit L indomethacin. Systemic, rather than topical, effects of indomethacin may therefore be responsible for persistence of gastro-duodenal mucosal lesions in these patients. There is reason to question the clinical practice of using expensive, delayed-release preparations."}
{"id": "PMID:1486158", "title": "Maintenance therapy in duodenal and gastric ulcer disease: survey of practice amongst British gastroenterologists.", "content": "We have used a postal questionnaire to obtain data on the practice of maintenance therapy for peptic ulcer disease by members of the British Society of Gastroenterology. Completed questionnaires were returned by 434 members. Ninety-six per cent used maintenance therapy for patients with duodenal ulcer and 81% for gastric ulcer. Maintenance therapy was considered to be safe (duodenal ulcer 91%; gastric ulcer 78%), acceptable to patients (duodenal ulcer gastric ulcer 89%; gastric ulcer 80%) and to reduce the incidence of ulcer complications (duodenal ulcer 81%; gastric ulcer 68%). There was consensus that increasing age of patient, current use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, previous ulcer complications, and ulcer relapse after surgery were relatively strong indications for maintenance therapy. However, the proportion of patients who received maintenance therapy varied widely amongst respondents (from < 10% to > 50%). There was no agreement on the optimal duration of therapy, nor on management of patients who relapsed during maintenance therapy. It appears that the criteria for use of maintenance therapy need to be better defined, and that established knowledge about the practice of maintenance therapy should be better disseminated and acted upon."}
{"id": "PMID:1486159", "title": "Is oropharyngeal anaesthesia with topical lignocaine useful in upper gastrointestinal endoscopy?", "content": "The aim of this study was to determine whether patients' tolerance of upper gastrointestinal endoscopy is related to the dose of lignocaine spray used for oropharyngeal anaesthesia and to measure plasma concentrations at these doses. Sixty consecutive patients undergoing routine upper gastrointestinal endoscopy with sedation were randomized to receive lignocaine spray 50 mg (Group A), 100 mg (Group B) or 200 mg (Group C). Patient, endoscopist and endoscopy nurse were unaware of the variation in dose used. Each patient's tolerance of the intubation and of the remainder of the gastroscopy was assessed independently by the patient, endoscopy nurse, and endoscopist using a visual analogue scale. Plasma lignocaine concentration was measured at 20, 40, 60 and 80 min after administration of the spray. Fifty (83%) patients were unable to recall either the intubation, or the procedure. On the endoscopy nurse's assessment, the patients in Group B tolerated the intubation better than those in Group A, and Groups B and C tolerated the remainder of the gastroscopy better than those in Group A. On the endoscopist's assessment, Groups B and C tolerated the remainder of the gastroscopy better than Group A. There were fewer gags per min in Groups B and C compared to Group A. Mean plasma lignocaine concentrations showed a dose-dependent absorption of the spray, but none exceeded the potentially toxic level of 5 mg/L."}
{"id": "PMID:1486160", "title": "The effects of flumazenil on alertness and hypoxia in elderly patients after ERCP.", "content": "It is not known whether hypoxia, associated with upper gastrointestinal endoscopic procedures when midazolam sedation is used without narcotics, persists into the post-procedure recovery period. Thirty consecutive patients aged over 60 years, undergoing ERCP using midazolam sedation alone, were monitored clinically and by pulse oximetry before, during and for 2 hours after the procedure. They were randomized prospectively to receive either 0.5 mg flumazenil or normal saline on extubation. Results show that patients were most hypoxic in the first 30 minutes after the procedure and that mean oxygen saturation had not returned to pre-sedation values by 2 hours. Treatment with flumazenil increased alertness 2 minutes after the procedure, and was associated with a significantly higher arterial oxygen saturation at 15 minutes."}
{"id": "PMID:1486161", "title": "Short report: omeprazole plus antibiotic combinations for the eradication of metronidazole-resistant Helicobacter pylori.", "content": "Twenty-eight Helicobacter pylori-positive patients with metronidazole-resistant isolates and 25 with metronidazole-sensitive isolates were treated for 14 days with 40 mg omeprazole nocte plus 500 mg amoxycillin t.d.s. Eradication of H. pylori, defined as absence of the organism one month after cessation of treatment, was assessed using the [14C]urea breath test. The eradication rate in patients with metronidazole-resistant isolates was 14/28 (50%) while that in patients was metronidazole-sensitive isolates was 12/25 (48%). In contrast to these encouraging eradication rates, very poor results were obtained with a 7-day course of omeprazole (40 mg nocte) in combination with erythromycin ethylsuccinate (500 mg q.d.s.) and tripotassium dicitrato bismuthate tablets (120 mg q.d.s.). The latter eradication rates were 3/20 (15%) in patients taking erythromycin tablets and 3/19 (16%) in those taking a liquid formulation of erythromycin. All treatment regimens were well tolerated and all patients completed the prescribed course of therapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1486164", "title": "[A clinical study of Kaposi's sarcoma associated with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome].", "content": "We have retrospectively studied 35 cases of Kaposi's sarcoma in 460 patients with AIDS (incidence of 7.6%) during a period of 10 years. All of them were males, with a mean age of 38 years. 88% of the cases belonged to the homosexual risk group. The tumor was the diagnostic criteria of AIDS in 25 patients. At the moment of the diagnosis, 4 patients were at stage I, 23 at stage II, 1 at stage III and 7 at stage IV, according to the Mitsuyasu's classification; 7 patients had systemic symptoms. The tumor was localized at the skin (34 cases), mucosa (16), digestive tract (7), lung (6) and ganglion (4). The immunological study revealed lymphopenia in 74% of patients, reduction of T4 lymphocytes ( < 0.5 x 10(9)/L) in 93% and inverted T4/T8 ratio in 96%. Sixteen patients received antitumoral treatment (8 with chemotherapy, 7 with interferon and 5 with radiotherapy). The response was stabilization of lesions in 8 cases, partial remission in 2 and progression in 3; in other 3 cases, such response was not assessed. The mortality was 48% and the average survival, 13 months. Opportunistic infections were the cause of death in most patients. Our results confirm the clinical and evolutive characteristics of the Kaposi's sarcoma associated to AIDS; disseminated cutaneous affectation with frequent visceral affectation, poor response to treatment and low survival associated to the presence of opportunistic infections. The lower incidence of tumor observed in our study is related to the different distribution of the risk groups for HIV in our country."}
{"id": "PMID:1486165", "title": "[Anticardiolipin antibodies in women with habitual abortion. A case-control study].", "content": "According to case and control studies we determine the prevalence of anticardiolipin antibodies (ACA) and autoimmune phenomena in 23 women with recurrent abortions (two or more) without apparent cause after study, using as pattern a sample of 86 patients belonging to different subgroups: 21 women with only one abortion, 15 with toxemia, 30 healthy pregnants and 20 healthy non-pregnants. We found that 6 (26%) of the cases with recurrent abortions showed high ACA-IgG versus 6 (7%) of the control group (p = 0.009), with an odds ratio (OR) of 4.7 (Confidence Interval [CI] 95%, 1.4-15). We didn't find a relation with ACA-IgM, OR or 2.2 (CI 95%, 0.72-6.50; p = 0.160). Our patients only showed as manifestation of antiphospholipid antibodies syndrome, recurrent abortions, finding neither association with thrombotic phenomena, nor thrombocytopenia. They didn't show either clinical or analytical manifestations of autoimmune disease. We concluded that the ACA-IgG can be associated to the fetal loss in these kind of patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1486166", "title": "[The results of a program of preoperative hospital assessment of geriatric patients].", "content": "In order to illustrate the possibilities that offers the specialized geriatric evaluation during the preoperative period of elderly patients in a general hospital, the results obtained throughout two years are presented and compared, according to preestablished design, in 551 urological patients (U) (age: 75.4 years) and 597 traumatological patients (T) (age: 79 years), all of them over 65 years old. The more frequent interventions were hip fractures (88% of T), prostatic adenoma and vesical urothelioma (42 and 27% of U). Only in 10% of T and 18% of U, we did not observed related problems. The most frequent of these were cardiovascular, neuropsychiatric and respiratory problems, especially in group T. Some kind of recommendations were given in 88% of T and 80% of U. The average period in taking care of these inter-consultations was 1.3 days and the number of perioperative visits was 2.4. In 42% of T and 74% of U, we did not observe psychical discapacities. The average surgical risk measured by the ASA was grade III or IV in 22% of T and 12% of U, similar figures than the ones of the cardiac risk (Goldman). We believe that this type of specialized evaluation is more comprehensive and renders important benefits both for the elderly patients and for the surgeon, when compared with the traditional system of preoperative evaluation."}
{"id": "PMID:1486167", "title": "[Changes in the mechanism of action of insulin on fatty tissue accumulations in lipomas, Madelung's lipomatosis and liposarcoma].", "content": "In this paper, the preliminary results regarding the alterations of the biological action mechanism of insulin in several types of pathological accumulations of fat, i.e. lipomas, Madelung's Lipomatosis and liposarcoma, are presented. The results indicate significant alterations both at the insulin receptor and post-receptor levels, with reduced biological activity of this hormone, which could have and inductive role in the pathogenesis of such entities."}
{"id": "PMID:1486168", "title": "[Malignant angioendotheliomatosis associated with an acute confusional syndrome: a case report and review of the literature].", "content": "We present a case of malignant angioendotheliomatosis (MAE) localized at the central nervous system (CNS) in a 74-years-old male, manifested as an acute confusional syndrome with fever, characteristics of lymphocytic meningitis in the cephalorhachidian liquid (CRL) and dilatation of the left lateral ventricle according to the cranial computerized tomography (CT). The diagnosis was established using post-mortem immunohistological techniques, concluding that it was an intravascular lymphomatous process with secretion of immunoglobulins."}
{"id": "PMID:1486169", "title": "[Bronchiolitis obliterans with organized pneumonia: apropos 2 new cases].", "content": "We present two cases of bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia (BOOP) with different clinical and radiological characteristics. In one case, the chest X-ray demonstrated bilateral migrating infiltrates. The pathology showed bronchiolar and intra-alveolar occupation by granulation tissue in both cases. It should be noted that both patients responded well to treatment with prednisone although alterations in gas exchange persisted in one case."}
{"id": "PMID:1486170", "title": "[Q fever and endocarditis. Apropos a new case].", "content": "Endocarditis is the first manifestation of Q fever in its chronic form, generally affecting prosthetic cardiac valves or previously injured valves. Its clinical presentation is an endocarditis with negative culture and there is not agreement with regard to the most adequate antimicrobial treatment and its duration. Frequently, the valve has to be replaced. We present a case of a patient with double aortic lesion, in whom endocarditis by Q fever was diagnosed and treated with doxycycline, initially with success. However, she relapsed one year later, being then resistant to the medical treatment (doxycycline, ciprofloxacine plus rifampicine). It was not possible to replace the valve and the patient died two months later due to cardiac failure."}
{"id": "PMID:1486171", "title": "[Bronchoalveolar lavage in respiratory pathology].", "content": "Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) offers great opportunities in the study of pulmonary diseases. It is safe and noninvasive technique, with similar possibilities than other invasive diagnostic methods and allo-wind repetitions. With the obtained sample, we can assess what happens at the bronchial level as well as the alveolar structures. The introduction of new study methods has increased its profitability in several respiratory pathologies: analysis of tumoral markers in lung cancer, monoclonal antibodies in histiocytosis X, and so on. The BAL can be considered a technique of diagnosis, follow-up, prognosis and evaluation in pulmonary diseases."}
{"id": "PMID:1486177", "title": "Management of women with a cervical smear showing a mild degree of dyskaryosis: a review of policy.", "content": "Three hundred and thirty-seven women who presented for the first time with a cervical smear showing a mild degree of dyskaryosis were followed for a minimum period of 3 years and 9 months. Of the 305 women with complete cytological and histological records, 178 were biopsied and 127 remained on cytological follow up. In the biopsied group one case of microinvasive squamous cell carcinoma was diagnosed within 1 year of the patient's first abnormal smear. A further 24% showed cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) I, 17% showed CIN II and 29% showed CIN III. The overall regression rate for the group of 305 women was 34%. Our results indicate that cytological surveillance is acceptable provided that biopsy is advised when dyskaryosis persists. No major modifications to laboratory policy are indicated and in approximately 34% of cases an unnecessary hospital referral would be avoided."}
{"id": "PMID:1486178", "title": "Immunocytochemical detection of the androgen receptor in fine needle aspirates from benign and malignant human prostate.", "content": "A monoclonal antibody to the androgen receptor was applied to fine needle aspirates from patients with benign and malignant prostatic disease. The series includes six patients with benign hyperplasia and 24 patients with prostatic carcinomas. The androgen receptor was detected in most nuclei of both benign and malignant epithelial cells. The intensity of immunostaining varied. No obvious relation was observed between the intensity of the staining in benign versus malignant cells. In addition no clear differences were found in the proportion of androgen receptor positive cells in benign aspirates as compared with aspirates from well differentiated or moderately well differentiated prostatic carcinomas. The relative number of androgen receptor positive cells was highest in smears from poorly differentiated prostatic carcinomas."}
{"id": "PMID:1486179", "title": "Necrotic debris in thyroid aspirates: a feature of follicular carcinoma of the thyroid.", "content": "Fine needle aspirates from 44 follicular thyroid tumours (30 adenomas, 14 carcinomas) have been studied. All aspirates contained neoplastic cells in follicular and trabecular arrangements. The individual tumour cells showed varying degrees of anisonucleosis and nuclear pleomorphism. Colloid was scanty or absent from all smears. Granular or filamentous necrotic material was observed in both biopsies and smears from one moderately and two poorly differentiated follicular carcinomas, but in none of the adenomas. This suggests that necrotic debris may be a feature of follicular carcinoma of the thyroid."}
{"id": "PMID:1486180", "title": "Fine needle aspiration cytology of high grade T-cell lymphomas in human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 carriers.", "content": "We studied the fine needle aspiration (FNA) cytology of high grade peripheral T-cell lymphomas from eight human T-lymphotropic virus-1 (HTLV-1) positive patients. FNA smears from seven lymphomas showed a distinctive cytologic pattern with a dominance of rounded cells with irregular nuclei and a moderately basophilic cytoplasm. Irregular cells with a pale abundant cytoplasm were present in varying amounts. Some smears contained a few giant cells with cerebriform nuclei. In addition, plasma cells and eosinophils were found. Epithelioid cells were an inconstant finding. On histology these seven lymphomas were assigned to the pleomorphic medium-large cell subtype and all but one were of T-helper phenotype with rearrangements of the T-cell receptor. FNA smears from a lymph node in a patient with a previous histological diagnosis of lymphomatoid papulosis of the gingiva showed a monotonous pattern of large immunoblastic cells with some binucleated variants consistent with a diagnosis of high grade immunoblastic lymphoma, which was confirmed histologically. Our results show that peripheral T-cell lymphomas from HTLV-1 positive patients have cytological patterns which are distinctive enough to allow a conclusive diagnosis of high grade T-cell lymphoma. However, we do not think that the cytology of HTLV-1 positive lymphomas can be differentiated from that of virus-unrelated high grade T-cell lymphomas."}
{"id": "PMID:1486181", "title": "Acinic cell tumour: a metastasis in the lung diagnosed by electron microscopy of aspirated material.", "content": "A case of acinic cell carcinoma, metastatic to lung is presented. Fine needle aspiration showed a low-grade adenocarcinoma. Electron microscopy of the aspirated material, however, allowed definite preoperative diagnosis of metastatic acinic cell carcinoma. The lesion was successfully resected and diagnosis confirmed on histology. Ten years previously an acinic cell carcinoma of similar histology had been excised from the left parotid region."}
{"id": "PMID:1486182", "title": "Spontaneous infarction of an intraductal papilloma of the breast: cytological presentation on fine needle aspiration.", "content": "A relatively rare case of spontaneous infarction of an intraductal papilloma of the breast is presented which was considered to be suspicious for malignancy on fine needle aspiration (FNA) cytology. The aspirate revealed several groups of atypical cells featuring a high nuclear-cytoplasmic ratio, coarsely granular chromatin, and somewhat prominent nucleoli. There was abundant necrotic cellular debris in the background. These cellular features were considered evidence of ductal carcinoma of the breast. The correct diagnosis was made by open biopsy which revealed necrosis involving the breast due to infarction of an intraductal papilloma."}
{"id": "PMID:1486183", "title": "Fine needle aspiration cytodiagnosis of a carcinoid tumour of the male breast.", "content": "The diagnosis of a primary carcinoid tumour of the breast in a 38-year-old male was initially made from a fine needle aspiration sample. The cytodiagnosis was supported by the histochemical demonstration of Grimelius-positive granules in tumour cells which were also found in tissue removed in a subsequent biopsy. An immunocytochemical study using markers for neuron-specific enolase and chromagranin in the aspirated sample and tissue was found to be negative. A total mastectomy with axillary node dissection was performed which showed no residual or metastatic tumour. No primary tumour was found elsewhere."}
{"id": "PMID:1486184", "title": "Stimulation of pyloric contractions by intraduodenal triglyceride is persistent and sensitive to atropine.", "content": "Intraduodenal lipid infusion stimulates phasic and tonic pyloric contractions and suppresses antral contractions. This study determined: (i) whether this response is sustained over 90 min; and (ii) the role of muscarinic mediation of this response. Antropyloroduodenal motility was recorded in 17 healthy volunteers with a sleeve/sidehole manometric assembly. Subjects received either a 90 min intraduodenal infusion of saline or triglyceride (20% Intralipid) at a rate of 1 mL/min; 30 min after the start of this infusion, the eight subjects who received triglyceride were given intravenous atropine 15 micrograms/kg over 30 s, followed by a maintenance infusion of 4 micrograms/kg/h until the study was completed. Intraduodenal triglyceride infusion stimulated isolated pyloric pressure waves consistently, producing a median rate of 2.4 per min after 30 min of triglyceride infusion, compared with a median rate of 0 per min pre-infusion. In intravenous saline studies, there was a reduction (P < 0.05) in the median rate of isolated pyloric pressure waves to 1.3 per min at 90 min, when compared with pyloric pressure waves at 30 min. Atropine reduced isolated pyloric pressure waves to a median rate of 0 per min, significantly different from preatropine (P < 0.01) and from intravenous saline studies (P < 0.0001). These results indicate that the phasic pyloric response to intraduodenal lipid persists during 90 min stimulation, albeit with significant attenuation. In humans, muscarinic cholinergic blockade prevents the occurrence of triglyceride stimulated localized pyloric contractions."}
{"id": "PMID:1486185", "title": "Field evaluation of a rapid, simple and inexpensive urease test for the detection of Helicobacter pylori.", "content": "A modified rapid urease test (MRU test) for the detection of Helicobacter pylori was evaluated under field conditions during an endoscopic survey in rural India and compared with a commercially available urease test (CLO test) and with histology. Of 195 consecutive subjects who underwent upper gastrointestinal endoscopy, 153 (78.5%) were positive for Helicobacter pylori when tested by the CLO test and/or histology. The sensitivity and specificity of the MRU test relative to this was 97.4 and 95.2%, respectively when the test was read over a 3 h period. The MRU test was positive in 77.4, 89.0, 93.8 and 96.6% of cases at 1, 5, 20 and 60 min, respectively, compared with 2.7, 14.4, 48.6 and 71.2% of cases for the CLO test at the same time. The accuracy of the MRU test was thus similar to that of other methods for the detection of Helicobacter pylori. Furthermore, it gave a positive diagnosis more rapidly than other tests, in most cases before the subject had left the endoscopy suite. The MRU test is extremely simple to prepare and read and costs less than 0.05 pounds per test compared with 2.26 pounds for a CLO test. It is suitable for use in clinical or epidemiological work and especially where cost factors are critical."}
{"id": "PMID:1486187", "title": "Adaptation of rat gastric mucosa to repeated doses of non-salicylate non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.", "content": "To determine whether gastric mucosal adaptation occurs to the damaging effects of repeated non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) administration, we compared the extent of gastric damage in rats after single or repeated doses of four non-salicylate NSAID. With daily dosing, adaptation occurred only to repeated doses of the short-acting NSAID ibuprofen and diclofenac but not to indomethacin and naproxen, both of which have considerably longer half-lives. Adaptation to indomethacin was demonstrable if the dosage interval was lengthened and the drug was given on alternate days rather than daily. Histological examination of the gastric mucosa of diclofenac-treated rats showed a similar degree of superficial damage in the single and repeatedly dosed groups. However there was a highly significant reduction in the amount of deeper mucosal damage in the repeatedly dosed rats. Our findings show that under certain conditions of dosage, adaptation to non-salicylate NSAID is demonstrable. The pharmacokinetics of individual NSAID appear to be important in determining whether or not adaptation occurs. Histological examination showed that adaptation to one of the shorter acting NSAID, diclofenac, was characterized by a significant reduction in deeper mucosal damage."}
{"id": "PMID:1486192", "title": "Factors influencing the fate of T cells responding to Mls antigens.", "content": "Although T cell tolerance to self antigens is primarily a reflection of clonal deletion in the thymus, recent evidence suggests that mature T cells are subject to negative regulation in the post-thymic environment: Extrathymic tolerance is the result of clonal anergy in some studies and T cell deletion in others. The factors controlling the induction of anergy versus deletion of mature T cells are still poorly understood. This article summarizes evidence that exposure of T cells to Mls superantigens in vivo leads to a sequence of T cell proliferation, anergy and deletion; anergy appears to reflect persistence of antigen. The biochemical consequences of exposing T cells to superantigens in vitro are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1486189", "title": "Clinical significance of the serum levels of the 7S domain of type IV collagen in patients with primary biliary cirrhosis.", "content": "The serum levels of the 7S domain of type IV collagen were measured with a radio-immunoassay in 42 patients with primary biliary cirrhosis (asymptomatic: n = 28; symptomatic: n = 14), 10 patients with chronic active hepatitis, 10 patients with liver cirrhosis and 10 healthy female controls. Serum levels of the 7S domain of type IV collagen were: 4.28 ng/mL (3.88-4.72 ng/mL; mean and range of mean +/- s.d.) in healthy controls; 5.97 ng/mL (5.07-7.02 ng/mL) in patients with chronic active hepatitis; 8.23 ng/mL (6.40-10.58 ng/mL) in patients with liver cirrhosis; and 6.79 ng/mL (4.76-9.67 ng/mL) in patients with primary biliary cirrhosis. Patients with liver cirrhosis and primary biliary cirrhosis had higher levels of serum 7S domain of type IV collagen than healthy controls (P < 0.001, respectively). Serum levels of the 7S domain of type IV collagen in patients with asymptomatic primary biliary cirrhosis, 5.83 ng/mL (4.55-7.48 ng/mL) were significantly lower than those in symptomatic primary biliary cirrhosis, 9.18 ng/mL (6.53-12.91 ng/mL; P < 0.001). Serum levels of the 7S domain of type IV collagen increased significantly along with advancement of the histological stages of primary biliary cirrhosis. Serum levels of the 7S domain of type IV collagen in the paired sera of eight patients with asymptomatic primary biliary cirrhosis (mean interval 30 months, range 12-48 months) showed significant rises during the intervals (P < 0.05), while serum levels of albumin and total bilirubin did not change significantly during these intervals.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1486186", "title": "Double-blind comparison of omeprazole 20 mg OM and ranitidine 300 mg NOCTE in duodenal ulcer: a Taiwan multi-centre study.", "content": "Two hundred and twenty-six patients with endoscopically confirmed duodenal ulcers > or = 5 mm in diameter entered a double-blind randomized trial comparing 20 mg omeprazole administered once daily in the morning with 300 mg ranitidine administered once daily at night. The patients were assessed endoscopically and symptomatically after 2 weeks, and those whose ulcers had healed terminated the study. Patients with unhealed ulcers continued treatment for a total of 4 weeks. Omeprazole produced significantly higher healing rates than ranitidine at both 2 weeks (57 vs 28%, P < 0.0001) and 4 weeks (93 vs 80%, P = 0.006). Similarly, significantly higher 'effective healing rates' (defined on the criteria established by the Japanese Society of Digestive Endoscopy) were observed with omeprazole compared with ranitidine at 2 and 4 weeks. After 2 weeks, there were significantly fewer reports of both day-time and night-time epigastric pain by omeprazole-treated patients compared with ranitidine-treated patients (22 vs 44%, P < 0.0001 for day-time pain; 24 vs 35%, P = 0.025 for night-time pain). Both drugs were well-tolerated and no major adverse effects were recorded during either treatment. In conclusion, 20 mg omeprazole administered once daily was superior to 300 mg ranitidine administered once daily for duodenal ulcer healing and symptom relief."}
{"id": "PMID:1486190", "title": "Gall-bladder sludge: lessons from ceftriaxone.", "content": "Ceftriaxone-associated sludge has been a fascinating story. The occurrence is novel and unique. It has produced a model of gall-bladder sludge in humans. This phenomenon has taught us a great deal about biliary lipid and organic anion excretion by the liver, and the physical chemistry of calcium and calcium sensitive anions. It has added further insights into the pathophysiology of gall-bladder sludge formation. It points to a combination of a hepatic effect where the liver secretes a biochemically abnormal bile, and a gall-bladder effect which provides an environment for precipitation, in order for sludge to develop. The precipitated calcium ceftriaxone has prompted us to re-evaluate the imaging criteria for the diagnosis of gall-bladder sludge versus gallstones. Above all, the rapid onset and rapid disappearance of ceftriaxone sludge has mirrored in a compressed, encapsulated form, the natural history of gall-bladder sludge. It has reminded us that, like gallstones, biliary sludge is usually benign and asymptomatic. However just because it is smaller than gallstones does not mean it cannot cause problems. It can disappear or it can become a calcium ceftriaxone gallstone."}
{"id": "PMID:1486188", "title": "Protective effects of a prostaglandin E1 oligomer on taurocholate-induced rat pancreatitis.", "content": "Effects of prostaglandin E (PGE) on acute pancreatitis have been controversial. This study shows the effects of PGE1 oligomer, MR-356, on trypsin-taurocholate-induced acute pancreatitis in rats. Divided intraperitoneal doses of 0.6 mg/rat were administered, which increased 24 h survival rates when the oligomer was given both at 1 h before and after (group A) and immediately and 3 h after (group B) induction of pancreatitis. In group A MR-356 significantly improved the survival rates at 18 h (94 vs 61%, P < 0.05) and 24 h (68 vs 33%, P < 0.05) when compared with controls. MR-356 improved the survival rates dose-dependently up to 0.6 mg/rat when given by the same protocol of group A. In group B MR-356 also improved the survival rate (72 vs 39%, P < 0.05) only at 24 h, while other parameters failed to improve. The present results suggest that the PGE1 oligomer may play a beneficial role in bile-induced pancreatitis, probably through its proposed effects of stabilization of lysosomal membranes, maintenance of microcirculation and inhibition of protease in the pancreas."}
{"id": "PMID:1486191", "title": "A review of postgastrectomy bone disease.", "content": "Postgastrectomy bone disease was a term devised to describe the metabolic disorders of bone which may follow a gastrectomy operation. Although the use of this operation has declined drastically in recent years, this metabolic bone disorder is still with us and may escape and confuse the unwary. These disorders may take the form of osteomalacia, osteoporosis in excess of normal ageing, or a combination of both. For screening purposes, regular estimations of plasma alkaline phosphatase levels identify patients who may be developing osteomalacia which can then be treated with calcium and vitamin D supplements. Numerically, osteoporosis in excess of ageing is a bigger problem and its prevention and treatment is at present unsatisfactory. Screening procedures for osteoporosis are reviewed, including the more recent methods of bone mineral density assessment. Osteopenia or demineralization occurs in both osteomalacia and osteoporosis therefore osteomalacia must be excluded before attributing any loss to osteoporosis. The present situation with regards to the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis is also reviewed."}
{"id": "PMID:1486199", "title": "Effects of long-term bilateral and unilateral fitting of different hearing aid types on the ability to locate sounds.", "content": "Aided localization ability of 87 hearing-impaired listeners was tested for horizontal and vertical sound sources, at two signal levels, and for two orientations to the loudspeaker array (facing, sideways). Some listeners wore behind-the-ear (BTE) aids, others in-the-ear (ITE) aids. Some were bilaterally fitted, others unilaterally fitted. Listeners were tested only with types of aids and fittings that they were accustomed to wearing. The results strongly supported bilateral fitting for moderately and severely hearing-impaired listeners. However, for mildly impaired listeners, those fitted unilaterally performed as well, on average, as those fitted bilaterally. This suggests a need to consider individual listening requirements and also to provide such listeners with experience in unilaterally-aided listening before assessing the possible advantages of bilateral fitting. When hearing level was controlled, there was no overall difference in the performance of ITE and BTE aid wearers. This discrepancy with other research may be explained by measures (removal of intensity cues, permitting of head movement) designed to make the test situation more representative of real-life listening."}
{"id": "PMID:1486193", "title": "New trends in non-absorbable antibiotics in gastrointestinal disease.", "content": "Numerous antibiotics have been used for several years in the treatment of intestinal diseases, the majority belonging to the class of aminoglycosides. These are effective against gram-positive and some gram-negative bacteria, above all aerobes, and do not therefore cover the entire range of microorganisms responsible for intestinal infections. With these antibiotics, moreover, it is not possible to exclude intestinal absorption which can lead to serious side effects. Other intestinal antibiotics, however, such as Vancomycin, have a restricted spectrum of action which limits their use. This study analyzes the pharmacological characteristics of a new non-absorbable antibiotics with particularly interesting properties from a clinical pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic point of view: Rifaximin. This drug has an extremely broad spectrum of action covering all intestinal germs, and its absorption is practically zero. The results of some controlled clinical studies in gastrointestinal diseases are examined, such as the treatment of infectious diarrhoea, of acute or chronic portal-caval encephalopathy and of diverticular disease of the colon. The possible role of Rifaximin in some intestinal diseases, such as small bowel bacterial overgrowth and Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, is also analyzed."}
{"id": "PMID:1486200", "title": "Maximum length sequence auditory evoked brainstem responses in human newborns and adults.", "content": "Experiment 1 investigated developmental differences at high stimulus rates by using maximum length sequences (MLSs) and cross-correlation techniques to recover auditory evoked brainstem responses (ABRs). Reliable MLS ABRs were recorded in all of the newborns tested at the highest rate presented (minimum interpulse interval = 1.1 msec). Interpreting developmental rate effects from latency and amplitude shifts is problematic. Identification of higher order kernals offers new information concerning developmental rate effects. Kernel slices were measured at lower rates in more adults than newborns, suggesting that the newborn auditory system is less sensitive to temporal nonlinearities than the mature auditory system. This runs counter to developmental rate studies using conventional stimuli. Experiment 2 investigated developmental differences at high rates due to varying stimulus intensities. MLS wave V intensity functions were less steep than conventional wave V intensity functions. MLS thresholds were also higher than conventional thresholds (primarily due to the newborn data). Without equating for signal-to-noise ratio, it is difficult to make unambiguous conclusions concerning the observed developmental differences."}
{"id": "PMID:1486201", "title": "Adult-onset auditory deprivation.", "content": "Adult-onset auditory deprivation following prolonged lack of amplification in the unaided ears of persons with bilaterally symmetrical sensorineural hearing impairment was first reported in 1984. This article on the phenomenon includes a review of the literature on adult-onset auditory deprivation in relation to etiology, pathophysiology, hearing-loss manifestations, typical audiologic profile, amplification strategies, contraindications or challenges to conventional hearing-aid fitting, and future research. A case study illustrates the phenomenon of auditory deprivation from monaural amplification with recovery following binaural amplification. The results of a complete audiologic and acoustic-immittance evaluation are presented for a bilaterally sensorineural hearing-impaired male with adult-onset auditory deprivation who initially was fit monaurally and later was fit binaurally. A significant decrement in the suprathreshold word-recognition scores occurred only in the unaided ear following monaural amplification, illustrating the phenomenon of adult-onset auditory deprivation. Following binaural amplification, the suprathreshold word-recognition scores for the formerly unaided ear improved significantly, illustrating the phenomenon of recovery from the adult-onset auditory deprivation with binaural amplification."}
{"id": "PMID:1486196", "title": "Requirements for the use of intestinal action antibiotics in the treatment of ulcerative colitis.", "content": "The causes of ulcerative colitis are still unknown and above all the circumstances which can lead to inflammatory episodes are unclear. Antibiotic therapy has not provided encouraging results so far but it is possible that the pathogenesis of this disease may involve bacterial species which have not yet been identified. The use of an antibiotic with specific colic activity therefore seems to be justified."}
{"id": "PMID:1486202", "title": "Early detection of ototoxicity using high-frequency, tone-burst-evoked auditory brainstem responses.", "content": "Subjects receiving treatment with ototoxic agents were evaluated concurrently with conventional and high-frequency (> or = 8 kHz) behavioral threshold measures and with ABR to click and to 8, 10, 12, and 14 kHz tone-burst stimuli. Behavioral threshold data revealed ototoxic change in 51 percent of ears evaluated. Of these ears demonstrating behavioral change, 90 percent revealed concurrent ABR changes. If only ABR monitoring with high-frequency tone-burst stimuli had been used, 87 percent of allears showing behavioral change would have been identified. Three fourths of these would have been identified from wave V responses, with 87 percent identified from the two highest frequencies tested for each individual. This research suggests that behavioral change is reflected accurately in the ABR, that high-frequency tone bursts will identify a majority of initial ototoxic changes, and that monitoring hearing with high-frequency, tone-burst-evoked ABRs during treatment with potentially ototoxic agents is significantly more effective than click-evoked ABRs for early detection of ototoxicity."}
{"id": "PMID:1486197", "title": "Non-absorbable antibiotics and small bowel bacterial overgrowth.", "content": "The normal gastrointestinal flora includes no more than 10(3) organisms/ml of gastric aspirate and no more than 10(5) organisms/ml of duodenal or jejunal juice. The organisms are primarily gram-positive and aerobic bacteria. In particular anatomical or functional predisposing conditions, an abnormal colonization takes place in the small bowel with microbial concentrations > or = 10(7)/ml of aspirate and with a predominance of anaerobes and coliforms. At times this small bowel bacterial overgrowth remains asymptomatic, but more often leads to a true malabsorption syndrome with symptoms, such as diarrhoea, weight loss and megaloblastic anemia. The most accurate procedure for confirming the presence of this condition is represented by the bacterological analysis of the jejunal aspirate. The routine use of this method is, however, notably hindered by the need for intubation of the patient and by the lack of laboratories suitably equipped for anaerobe culture. As an alternative to this complex procedure, numerous non-invasive tests have been perfected over the last few years, including the glucose- or lactulose- H2 breath test. The main aim of the treatment of the small bowel bacterial overgrowth is the suppression of the bacterial colonization using antimicrobial therapy. Among the local-action non-absorbable antibiotics, rifaximin, was shown to have bactericidal activity against aerobes and anaerobes bacteria, such as bacteroides, lactobacilli and clostrides. In controlled clinical trials the antibiotic has demonstrated therapeutic efficacy in bacterial origin diarrhoea, in porto-systemic encephalopathy, in diverticulosis and, finally, in small bowel bacterial overgrowth."}
{"id": "PMID:1486203", "title": "Precedence effect and speech understanding in elderly listeners.", "content": "It has been reported that many elderly persons exhibit problems in identifying the location of fused auditory images in a test of the precedence effect in sound localization. The precedence effect involves the neural integration of multiple competing binaural temporal cues, and may reflect subtle age-related neural timing or integration problems. This study investigated whether elderly persons who have difficulty with this test also exhibit problems with speech understanding. The speech measures involved a comparison of performance-intensity functions for phonetically balanced (PB) words and for synthetic sentences presented with ipsilateral speech competition (SSI-ICM). The performance of the elderly subjects on the precedence effect test was significantly correlated with the SSI-max scores but not with PB-max. These findings suggest that age-related difficulties in speech understanding may reflect, at least in part, breakdowns in auditory temporal acuity or resolution."}
{"id": "PMID:1486204", "title": "High-frequency thresholds: circumaural earphone versus insert earphone.", "content": "Benefits of high-frequency audiometry in monitoring hearing sensitivity of patients administered ototoxic medications are well established. High-frequency thresholds have been reported to be variable, due in part to small differences in the placement of the earphone diaphragm over the opening of the ear canal. Reliability may be improved by using insert earphones (ER-2) when obtaining high-frequency thresholds. The purposes of this study were to determine high-frequency threshold test-retest reliability using Koss HV/1A+ and ER-2 earphones and to determine if significant differences are present between high-frequency thresholds obtained using these two earphones. Results obtained on 40 ears of 20 normal hearing adults revealed that differences between the test and retest thresholds for each earphone were not significant. Intrasubject threshold differences between the test and retest thresholds for each earphone were, for the most part, within +/- 10 dB at all test frequencies. Further, significantly greater intensity was required to measure threshold when using the ER-2 earphone when compared to the Koss HV/1A+ at all test frequencies."}
{"id": "PMID:1486194", "title": "Treatment of hepatic encephalopathy with non-absorbable antibiotics.", "content": "Hepatic encephalopathy represents a well known neuropsychiatric syndrome in patients with either acute or chronic impaired liver function and is characterized by disturbance of consciousness, personality and intellectual capacity, altered neuromuscular activity and electroencephalographic abnormalities. The pathogenesis of the syndrome is still unknown, although important roles are ascribed to circulating gut-derived toxins of nitrogenous origin and to changing in central neurotransmission. Therefore, treatment is aimed to reduce the production and absorption of gut-derived toxins and to modify central neurotransmission balance. Among the different therapeutic approaches proposed for the management of hepatic encephalopathy, antimicrobial agents, alone or in combination with non-absorbable disaccharides, represent an important step, being able to reduce the production and absorption of ammonia, a compound of key importance in the pathogenesis of hepatic encephalopathy."}
{"id": "PMID:1486205", "title": "Factors affecting speech in patients with isolated cleft palate. A methodic, clinical and instrumental study.", "content": "The present study deals with various factors affecting speech, particularly its resonance, in patients with isolated cleft palate. For that purpose a method to evaluate hypernasality was developed. The degree of hypernasality was assessed in terms of hypernasality indexes by means of a modified cul-de-sac hypernasality test. The phonetic content of the test words was chosen so as not to bias the evaluations by compensatory articulations. The reliability and validity of four variations of hypernasality indexes were examined. All these four indexes proved reliable, valid and feasible for evaluating hypernasality. The hypernasality indexes were compared with nasalance scores derived from the Model 6200 Nasometer (The Nasometer 1987, Fletcher et al. 1989). Reference nasalance scores for normal Finnish speech were measured. The mean percent nasalance and the standard deviation were 13 and 8, respectively. In addition to the present hypernasality test modification, more traditional descriptive speech analysis was used in some studies. The effect of the age at primary palatal repair on speech was examined in three year old children with isolated cleft palate. The effect on speech of two techniques for primary palatal repair - a Veau-Wardill-Kilner V to Y push back procedure and the Cronin modification - were compared in young adults with isolated cleft palate. The effect on speech of two techniques for a secondary velopharyngeal flap - a Sanvenero-Rosselli and modified Honig flap - were compared in patients with various ages and cleft types. One third had cleft lip and palate or submucous cleft palate. The rest had isolated cleft palate. The quality of speech was significantly dependent on the age at primary palatal repair. The children, whose palatal repair was performed at the average age of 22 months demonstrated, significantly more frequently, hypernasality and misarticulations related to velopharyngeal insufficiency than the children operated upon earlier. The children operated upon between the average ages of 12-18 months, demonstrated normal speech in about 3/4 of the cases. If the palate was operated on later, about 1/4 of the patients demonstrated normal speech. The technique for primary palatal repair had a significant influence on the quality of speech. Hypernasality assessed in terms of hypernasality indexes was less frequent in the speech of patients with the Cronin modification than with the Veau-Wardill-Kilner push back procedure. The technique for the secondary velopharyngeal flap also affected speech significantly. The patients with a modified Honig velopharyngeal flap eliminated more efficiently hypernasality from their speech than those with a Sanvenero-Rosselli flap.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1486195", "title": "Antibacterial drugs in Crohn's disease.", "content": "The evidence of a beneficial role of antibacterial drugs in Crohn's disease is largely empirical. Data accumulate to show that these drugs may well be used as an adjunctive therapy to oral anti-inflammatory drugs. Circumstantial evidence has also been provided that antibacterial drugs are effective in relieving symptoms related to bacterial overgrowth and when used for specific indications such as perianal lesions."}
{"id": "PMID:1486206", "title": "Symptoms of gallstone disease.", "content": "The most certain symptomatic manifestation of gallstones is episodic upper abdominal pain. Characteristically, this pain is severe and located in the epigastrium and/or the right upper quadrant. The onset is relatively abrupt and often awakens the patient from sleep. The pain is steady in intensity, may radiate to the upper back, be associated with nausea and lasts for hours to up to a day. Dyspeptic symptoms of indigestion, belching, bloating, abdominal discomfort, heartburn and specific food intolerance are common in persons with gallstones, but are probably unrelated to the stones themselves and frequently persist after surgery. Many, if not most, persons with gallstones have no history of pain attacks. Persons discovered to have gallstones in the absence of typical symptoms appear to have an annual incidence of biliary pain of 2-5% during the initial years of follow-up, with perhaps a declining rate thereafter. Gallstone-related complications occur at a rate of less than 1% annually. Those whose stones are symptomatic at discovery have a more severe course, with approximately 6-10% suffering recurrent symptoms each year and 2% biliary complications. The far higher rates of symptom development reported in a few studies raise the possibility that these incidence estimates may be too low. The best predictors of future biliary pain are a history of pain at the time of diagnosis, female gender and possibly obesity. The risk of acute cholecystitis appears to be greater in those with large solitary stones, that of biliary pancreatitis in those with multiple small stones, and that of gallbladder cancer in those with large stones of any number. Drugs that inhibit the synthesis of prostaglandins may now be the treatment of choice in patients with gallstones who are suffering acute pain attacks. Persistent dyspeptic symptoms occur frequently following cholecystectomy. A prolonged history of such symptoms prior to surgery and evidence of significant psychological distress appear to be the best predictors of unsatisfactory outcome."}
{"id": "PMID:1486209", "title": "Bile acid dissolution therapy of gallbladder stones.", "content": "Oral cholelitholytic bile acid therapy has become established treatment for selected patients with cholesterol gallstones. The treatment finds its clinical application both alone and in combination with ESWL. UDCA alone or, less commonly, a combination of this bile acid with CDCA is used. Optimal results can be expected only in carefully selected patients. Bile acid dissolution therapy is most successful in patients with radiolucent gallstones which are < or = 0.5 cm in diameter or are shown by OCG to be floating. Dissolution is seldom seen when the stones are > 1 cm in size. Cholelitholytic treatment in combination with ESWL yields optimal results in single radiolucent gallstones which are not greater than 2 cm. ESWL thus makes it possible to use medical treatment effectively in single 1-2 cm gallstones when bile acids alone would not be successful. Bile acid treatment is extremely safe, especially if UDCA is given without the addition of CDCA."}
{"id": "PMID:1486210", "title": "Gallbladder stones: shockwave therapy.", "content": "Within the past 7 years, gallbladder lithotripsy by shockwaves has been proven to be a safe and effective non-invasive therapy for selected patients with gallstone disease. While regulatory decisions prevent shockwave therapy from being used more frequently in the USA, the number of patients treated in Europe and Asia is increasing constantly. At our institution, a relatively constant number of about 250 new patients per year have been treated since 1988 (Figure 4). About 20% of patients with gallstones are suitable for shockwave therapy according to present criteria. The rate of evacuation of all fragments is determined by the initial stone number and stone size, the success at stone fragmentation, adjuvant bile acid dissolution therapy, and gallbladder contractility. In contrast to laparoscopic cholecystectomy (Dubois et al, 1989; Perissat et al, 1989; Southern Surgeons Club, 1991), shockwave therapy does not require general anaesthesia. And in contrast to direct contact dissolution therapy of gallbladder stones using MTBE (Thistle et al, 1989), lithotripsy is non-invasive. In the majority of patients, complete fragment disappearance takes several months. Preliminary analyses of the cost-effectiveness of lithotripsy have revealed that lithotripsy, including retreatments and bile acid medication for recurrent stones, costs about as much as open cholecystectomy (Rothschild et al, 1990; Bass et al, 1991). The ideal patient for gallbladder lithotripsy has a single radiolucent stone < or = 20-25 mm in diameter in a functioning gallbladder (Figure 1). In patients with such stones, nearly all studies have confirmed a favourable outcome with rapid clearance of all fragments and a relatively low rate of stone recurrence. For carefully selected patients, extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy is therefore an attractive non-invasive therapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1486211", "title": "Direct contact dissolution therapy.", "content": "Direct contact dissolution using MTBE is a safe, effective treatment for many patients with cholesterol gallstones when performed by clinicians experienced with this technique. This may be the treatment of choice for many patients at high risk for general anaesthesia or surgery. Cholecystostomy using local anaesthesia with subsequent stone extraction is an alternative requiring prolonged catheter drainage, and is associated with some risk and discomfort (Hawkyard et al, 1990). Most experts concur that laparoscopic cholecystectomy cannot be performed safely and comfortably without general anaesthesia under most circumstances. A second small population of patients are inordinately apprehensive about general anaesthesia or surgical removal of their gallbladder and refuse standard therapy in spite of recurrent biliary symptoms. Although direct contact dissolution is generally well tolerated, it may require several days of paramedical attention with medical supervision. This procedure will be most efficiently, effectively and comfortably performed by an experienced team and is, therefore, probably best provided by referral centres with physicians sufficiently interested in the treatment of biliary tract stone disease to develop expertise with this method."}
{"id": "PMID:1486212", "title": "Laparoscopic cholecystectomy: an analysis of 777 cases.", "content": "Born in secret in 1987 and developed in an atmosphere of scepticism throughout 1988, laparoscopic cholecystectomy triumphed in 1989 and 1990, causing a veritable revolution in the world of general surgery. The 777 consecutive cases that are reported in this chapter reflect the spirit of these various periods. From conservatively restrictive, our indications widened to include 90% of gallstone cases. For us the sclero-atrophic gallbladder still constitutes the greatest endoscopic challenge and should be reserved for the most experienced operators. The rates for mortality (0.1%) and complications (3.3%), which include three common bile duct injuries (0.4%), are comparable to, if not better than, those for traditional cholecystectomy. The quality of recovery is markedly better: near absence of pain, short hospitalization, return to normal physical activity within 10 days, rapid return to work and preservation of the abdominal musculature in sportspeople. These advantages are unavailable to the 5.5% of patients for whom an intraoperative conversion to an open procedure is necessary. Their recovery is that of traditional cholecystectomy, which itself is far from being poor. The large multicentre studies, such as those carried out in France and Belgium recently, reporting 3708 cases, have reached identical conclusions. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is set to become the gold standard for treatment of gallstones and is the first step towards surgical techniques of the 21st century which will be performed within the musculocutaneous envelope of the intact human body."}
{"id": "PMID:1486214", "title": "Management of recurrent gallstones.", "content": "The risk of gallstone recurrence following non-surgical treatment has been overestimated in the past for two reasons: (1) diagnosis of primary gallstone dissolution was based on oral cholecystography; and (2) gallstone recurrence was expressed as a cumulative recurrence rate. Results based on better methodologies for diagnosis of gallstones (ultrasonography) and for calculation of results (life-table analysis) have indicated that gallstones recur in about 50% of patients, and that the risk of recurrence is confined mainly to the first 5 years after dissolution. Pretreatment gallstone characteristics, but not patient characteristics, are important risk factors for gallstone recurrence. Multiple stones are more likely to recur than solitary stones, a phenomenon attributable to the presence of a potent pronucleating factor in the bile of patients with multiple stones. This observation, and the finding that NSAID administration may reduce gallstone recurrence via inhibition of mucin secretion, suggests that the nucleation defect might be a key factor in the pathogenesis of recurrent gallstones. Prophylaxis with low-dose CDCA or UDCA has proven ineffective for preventing gallstone recurrence, although it may reduce it. Since the majority of recurrent gallstones are small when first seen because of regular ultrasonographic follow-up, multiple, radiolucent and in functioning gallbladders, they are amenable to bile acid retreatment, and intermittent bile acid therapy is probably a viable strategy for long-term management of cholesterol cholelithiasis."}
{"id": "PMID:1486215", "title": "Surgical interventions for bile duct stones.", "content": "Based on our experience of 420 common bile duct procedures for stone disease and a literature review, it is evident that treatment of common duct stones today is based on a wide variety of non-operative and surgical methods which are still being developed. The mode of treatment is basically related to the time of diagnosis. Methods also differ depending on the localization of calculi, on inflammatory complications of stone disease, and whether combined or isolated cholecystocholedocholithiasis is present. At the moment, traditional operative methods as well as newly developed advanced techniques have to be evaluated. Selection of patients and their appropriate surgical and non-surgical treatment is an important issue to be further developed in the next few years. Therefore, therapeutic indications and definitive therapy present a much more demanding challenge for the surgeon than in the period when only open surgery was available."}
{"id": "PMID:1486216", "title": "Tumor-specific antigens revisited: presentation to the immune system of fusion peptides resulting solely from tumor-specific chromosomal translocations.", "content": "Adaptive immune responses depend upon recognition by lymphocytes-T of short polypeptide sequences bound to major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules. Since endogenous intracellular proteins can be presented to the immune system in this way, any tumor-specific structure may function as a potentially tumor-specific antigen. Fusion proteins arising as a result of chromosomal translocations provide good candidates for novel tumor-specific antigens recognizable by the host immune system. Recent molecular cloning data have demonstrated the existence of mRNAs encoding several different potential tumor-specific fusion proteins in both acute and chronic leukemias, and analysis of a number of these sequences suggests the presence of a newly defined amino acid motif associated with MHC-binding and T cell recognition. Preliminary data suggest the possibility of generating in vitro lymphocyte-T responses to synthetic peptides representing the chimeric sequences. It remains to be seen whether tumor cells themselves can be recognized by lymphocytes-T in vitro and in vivo, and, if so, how leukemia cells escape such immune surveillance in vivo."}
{"id": "PMID:1486217", "title": "The role of immune effector cells in flavone acetic acid-induced injury to tumor cells in EMT6 spheroids.", "content": "Inhibition of tumor blood flow appears to a major antitumor mechanism of flavone acetic acid (FAA), although non-ischemic processes may also be a significant role. To distinguish between direct and immune effector cell-mediated cytotoxicity as the basis for non-ischemic killing, effects of FAA were compared in EMT6 spheroids grown entirely in vitro and spheroids recovered from the peritoneal cavities of mice after six days of in vivo growth (ex vivo spheroids). Approximately 50% of the cells in the latter case were of host origin (macrophages and lymphocytes). Ex vivo spheroids showed specific histological changes when exposed to FAA, including tumor cell rounding, apoptosis, depression of mitotic activity and dissolution of necrotic debris in the spheroid core. Quantitation of histological changes indicated these effects to be significantly greater in ex vivo than in vitro spheroids. The histological changes in FAA treated ex vivo spheroids were partially inhibited by dexamethasone. Oxygen tension did not influence the response of spheroids to FAA. The results suggest that immune effector cells, probably macrophages, mediate blood flow-independent antitumor effects of FAA."}
{"id": "PMID:1486218", "title": "Status of the p53 tumor suppressor gene in human squamous carcinoma cell lines.", "content": "Dominant-negative and/or loss-of-function mutations of the p53 tumor suppressor gene are frequently found in squamous cell carcinomas of the skin and of the head-and-neck region. In order to identify the precise mechanisms of inactivation of p53 in tumors of this class, we examined the status of p53 RNA, protein and DNA in a panel of eight human squamous carcinoma cell lines (head-and-neck, 3; esophagus, 1; lung, 1; uterine cervix, 2; vulva, 1). Three lines (A253, CaLu-1, SqCC/Y1) failed to express any p53 mRNA. A253 cells contained a single p53 allele without mutations in exons 2-9, suggesting that the lack of transcription was the result of mutations in the regulatory region of the gene. Both p53 alleles were deleted in CaLu-1 cells, whereas the single allele present in SqCC/Y1 cells was rearranged and carried two missense mutations in exon 5. Two cell lines (A431, FaDu) expressed only 50% of the normal level of p53 mRNA, either because only one allele was present (A431), or because only one of the two alleles was transcribed (FaDu). The two cervical carcinoma lines (CaSki, C4-1) expressed normal levels of p53 mRNA, but no wild type protein, presumably as a result of accelerated degradation by the human papillomavirus 16 or -18 E6 oncoprotein present in these cells as previously described (Scheffner et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 88:5523-5527; 1991). Three of the lines expressed only mutant p53 protein (A431, FaDu, CE-48) resulting from missense mutations in codons 248 and 273.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1486219", "title": "Mechanism of prevention of development of N-nitrosobis(2-oxopropyl)amine induced pancreatic carcinoma by a protein-free diet in hamsters.", "content": "It has been shown that feeding a protein-free diet prior to injection of N-nitrosobis(2-oxopropyl)amine (BOP) can inhibit the development of pancreatic carcinoma in the hamster. The purpose of this study was to determine whether this inhibition is due to a direct effect on the pancreas or to a systemic mechanism. Pancreas transplantation was used to create four groups of two-pancreas hamsters (Group 1: protein-containing diet donor/protein-containing diet host; Group 2: protein-containing diet donor/protein-free diet host; Group 3: protein-free diet donor/protein-containing diet host; Group 4: protein-free diet donor/protein-free diet host). Animals were fed either a protein-containing diet or a protein-free diet for four weeks preoperatively. One day after transplantation, the two-pancreas animals received a 40 mg/kg body weight, subcutaneous, single dose of BOP. Animals in all groups were maintained on a regular protein-containing diet postoperatively, and were then sacrificed 42 weeks after BOP injection. The results showed that a) the incidence of carcinoma in groups 2, 3, and 4 was significantly lower than that in group 1; b) there was no significant difference in group 2 between donor and host pancreas; c) the incidence of carcinoma in the donor pancreas was lower than that in the host pancreas in groups 3 and 4. These results confirm that the protein-free diet significantly inhibits the development of BOP induced pancreatic carcinoma in the hamster. The inhibitory effect appears to act both directly on the pancreas and through an indirect systemic mechanism.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1486221", "title": "[To break the isolation. Telecommunication to help the schooling of sick children].", "content": "A 2-way teleconferencing system has been described which links the sterile and pediatric units of the Center for Cancer Treatment in Lyon to a secondary school and the pediatric unit of the University Hospital Edouard Herriot where primary teaching is given. The L\u00e9on B\u00e9rard Center and Edouard Herriot Hospital are 300 m apart. Elie Vignal secondary school is 6 km from the first site; all three establishments are connected via hyperfrequency aerials. With the help of this system, communication (voice and image) between children in hospital and pupils or teachers in school is instantaneous. Children in bed can listen to the lesson, break in on the conversation in school, ask questions or answer those of teachers and play with children in the classroom. The aims of the system are: 1) to improve the education delivered to children and teenagers who have to spend long periods in hospital; 2) to establish a relationship between the worlds of healthy and sick children through teaching and playing in common; 3) to facilitate the social insertion of sick children after leaving the hospital."}
{"id": "PMID:1486222", "title": "[A new marker of aggressivity of breast cancers: loss of heterozygote on chromosome 7q].", "content": "The etiology of breast cancer is a complex interplay of various factors, including genetic alterations. A number of studies have been made to identify and characterize mutations that frequently occur during breast tumorigenesis. In this paper, we have described a new deletion, located on the long arm of chromosome 7. Patients whose tumor carried a deletion on chromosome 7q had a significantly shorter survival time. These findings identify the long arm of chromosome 7 as a candidate region for a putative tumor (or metastasis) suppressor gene."}
{"id": "PMID:1486223", "title": "[Hodgkin's disease associated with HIV infection: clinical characteristics and development. French registry of tumors associated with HIV infection].", "content": "From May 1987 to July 1990, 45 cases of Hodgkin's disease (HD) were recorded by the French Registry of HIV-associated tumors. Thirty-nine patients were male and median age was 30 years. Twenty-two cases had mixed cellularity type (MC), 18 nodular sclerosis, two lymphocyte depletion and three were not classified. Thirty-four patients had advanced HD clinical stages (CS III and IV). Thirty-six patients (80%) presented with B symptoms. Bone marrow involvement was diagnosed in 12 patients. Mediastinal involvement was present in only 4/30 patients (12%). Risk groups for AIDS were homosexuality in 18 cases, intravenous drug abuse in 17, both in one, and other in nine cases. In 40 cases (89%), HD occurred before any AIDS-related episode. Median CD4 cell count at HD diagnosis was 304 cells/microliters. Seventy-nine percent of the patients achieved complete remission with standard therapy, but hematological and infectious complications were very frequent. The rate of progression to AIDS was 71% at three years and opportunistic infections (mainly pneumocystis carinii pneumonia) were the most frequent cause of death. Overall two-year survival was 41% (78% for patients with initial CD4 cell count higher than 300 cell/microliters and 0% for those with CD4 cell count lower than 300/microliters). HD-HIV has a specific clinical profile as compared to primary HD, with a predominance of MC type and advanced clinical stage, without mediastinal involvement (88%). This study provides a basis for future clinical trials on HD-HIV: intensity of chemotherapy should be adapted to CD4 cell count; pneumocystis carinii prophylaxis is mandatory in all cases. Zidovudine should be included during and after HD treatment; the potential role of hematological growth factors has still to be evaluated."}
{"id": "PMID:1486224", "title": "[Neoadjuvant chemotherapy, with mitoxantrone, cyclophosphamide and fluorouracil, in operable breast cancer of intermediate stage: first results of a phase II study in 40 patients].", "content": "Forty patients with intermediate stage (T2 > 3 cm-T3, N0-N1) operable breast cancer received neoadjuvant chemotherapy by MCF (mitoxantrone, cyclophosphamide, 5-fluorouracil). Four cycles were administered at 3-week intervals. The obvious hematological toxicity (64% of grade III for the leucocytes and up to 34% of grade IV for the granulocytes) was rapidly reversible and did not hinder completion of the treatment. Ten patients showed a complete remission and a tumor volume regression of more than 50% was observed in 12 other patients. Tumor shrinkage allowed breast-saving surgery in 50% of the cases. A complete sterilisation of the surgical specimen was found in only two of the 40 patients and a few persisting neoplastic cells were found in ten other cases. A positive response at the level of the axillary lymph nodes was also obtained in more than 50% of the cases. In 25 of the 36 cases examined, the primary chemotherapy induced cellular lesions (fibrosis, necrosis) at the tumor level. A feasibility study was undertaken in order to determine quantitatively several biochemical parameters (steroid hormone receptors, cathepsin D, c-erbB-2 oncoprotein) in very small tumor samples obtained by Tru-Cut before any treatment and in surgical specimens. In the future, these micromethods will be used systematically with the aim of estimating the value of these potential prognostic factors for therapeutic follow-up of the patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1486229", "title": "In vitro characteristics of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis of nonhuman primate origin.", "content": "Six strains of serotypes 1 or 2 of Y. pseudotuberculosis were isolated from dead squirrel monkeys, a cotton-top tamarin and a marmoset hybrid. All strains harboured a 71.6 kb plasmid, all were totally oxacillin-resistant and partially resistant to cephalosporins. Biochemically, serotypes 1 and 2 differed from each other in their beta-galactosidase production in a nonfermenter system, whereas the lack of rhamnose, maltose, salicin and trehalose fermentation seemed to be attributable to technical causes."}
{"id": "PMID:1486230", "title": "A CAMP-like phenomenon in Serpulina (Treponema) spp.", "content": "A CAMP-like phenomenon was observed in 40 Serpulina (Treponema) isolates from the intestines of pigs, dogs, mice and rats. The strains examined included reference strains of the serotypes 1-4 of Serpulina (Treponema) hyodysenteriae and Serpulina (Treponema) innocens. The possible pathogenic importance of this phenomenon is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1486231", "title": "The chemiluminescent detection of leptospiral antigen.", "content": "The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility of using enhanced chemiluminescence for the rapid detection of leptospiral antigen (L. interrogans serovar hardjo) in biological fluids, and to assess the suitability of such an assay for the early diagnosis of human leptospiral infections. The limit of detection for homologous antigen in phosphate buffered saline was 9 x 10(4) leptospires/ml. In human blood the sensitivity remained unchanged throughout the sampling time, (1.8 x 10(5) leptospires/ml), but decreased with time in human urine. The assay did not cross-react with other members of the Leptospira interrogans species, was unaffected by the presence of biological fluids but the sensitivity was reduced by contaminating bacteria. The assay was both rapid and sensitive, when compared with current cultural techniques, and offers a potentially valuable aid to the early diagnosis of leptospirosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1486232", "title": "Characterization of methicillin-susceptible and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolates by molecular typing methods.", "content": "Two groups of clinical Staphylococcus aureus isolates were examined by molecular typing methods. Detailed protocols for the technical procedures are described. By means of plasmid DNA profiles, plasmid DNA restriction enzyme digestion, as well as whole-cell DNA endonuclease digestions subjected to conventional agarose gel electrophoresis and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, eight methicillin-susceptible S. aureus strains from three patients segregated into three different groups. Consecutive isolates from the same patient revealed identical fingerprints. Generally, good agreement between different molecular typing methods also was achieved in the investigation of 28 methicillin-resistant isolates. However, compared to whole-cell DNA restriction endonuclease analysis, plasmid DNA profiling (all but one strain had detectable plasmid DNA) showed a somewhat greater discriminatory ability. The techniques evaluated were reproducible and relatively easy to perform and provided valuable tools for studying the epidemiology of S. aureus in hospitals."}
{"id": "PMID:1486233", "title": "The isolation of Plesiomonas shigelloides in polymicrobial septicaemia originating from the biliary tree.", "content": "The first two cases are reported in which Plesiomonas shigelloides was isolated from patients with mixed aerobic/anaerobic septicaemia originating from the biliary tree. The first patient who was previously well survived after removal of a gangrenous gallbladder. The second patient suffered from an extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma and died of infection thus highlighting the poor prognostic outcome of P. shigelloides septicaemia in immunocompromised patients. Furthermore these cases demonstrate that P. shigelloides can be isolated from mixed infections and may act synergistically with other bacteria to produce disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1486234", "title": "Sialic acid as receptor of Bacteroides fragilis lectin-like adhesin.", "content": "It was observed that sialic acid and macromolecules rich in this sugar were able to inhibit the hemagglutination activity (HA) of Bacteroides fragilis strains in low concentrations. Reversion of the HA and also of the adsorption to beads of Sepharose coupled to bovine submaxillary mucin, by this sugar residue corroborated the recognition capacity of the bacterial lectin-like adhesin. However, when erythrocytes were treated with clostridial neuraminidase, an increase in the HA of some strains was observed. Protease treatment of erythrocytes abolished the HA, indicating that cell receptors of B. fragilis are probably a glycoprotein moiety."}
{"id": "PMID:1486235", "title": "Thymocyte proliferation and maturation in response to staphylococcal lipoteichoic acid.", "content": "Lipoteichoic acid (LTA) from Staphylococcus saprophyticus strain S1 could be shown to induce thymocyte proliferation and maturation in BALB/c-mice after systemic administration. The increase in thymocyte numbers per mg organ weight was statistically significant. Determination of thymic lymphatic subsets revealed a considerable up-regulation of mature cells expressing helper/inducer (L3T4) or cytotoxic/suppressor (Lyt-2) phenotypes. Thus administration of staphylococcal LTA obviously accelerated murine thymocyte proliferation and maturation. Counts of BALB/c-mouse peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) revealed no evident fluctuation within one week after LTA administration, however, statistically significant increases could be detected two weeks after treatment. The determination of activated PBL expressing IL-2 receptors suggested that injection of staphylococcal LTA apparently induced an immunostimulation since those cells were significantly enhanced within one week after LTA administration."}
{"id": "PMID:1486236", "title": "Propionibacterium acnes-metabolites inhibit experimental lung metastasis of murine sarcoma L-1 in BALB/c-mice.", "content": "Adhesive interactions between tumor cells and host tissue occur at several stages of metastasis. Such interactions might be inhibited by microbial metabolites resembling the binding regions of matrix molecules. Certain metabolite sequences including Gly, Asp, Arg, and Ser (GAAS) proved to be critical for cell interactions, e.g. with fibronectin. In vitro, the rosette formation of murine pulmonary cells and sarcoma L-1 cells decreased significantly in the presence of Propionibacterium acnes-metabolites rich in GAAS. In vivo, coinjection of Propionibacterium acnes-metabolites and sarcoma L-1 cells significantly inhibited the formation of lung colonies in BALB/c mice. The inhibition of lung colonization by these metabolites appeared to be noncytotoxic and obviously did not result from impairment of cellular tumorigenicity."}
{"id": "PMID:1486237", "title": "Trypanosoma congolense: manifestation of resistance to Berenil and Samorin in cloned trypanosomes isolated from Zambian cattle.", "content": "Four Trypanosoma congolense clones derived from a Mumbwa field isolate proved to be resistant to Berenil with a minimum curative dose (MCD) value of 40 mg/kg and to Samorin with an MCD of 4 mg/kg for mice. Two other clones, one being resistant to Berenil with an MCD of 45 mg/kg but susceptible to 1 mg/kg Samorin, and the other being resistant to Samorin with MCD of 16 mg/kg but susceptible to 7 mg/kg Berenil, were experimentally rendered resistant to each of the respective drugs they were susceptible to by subcurative treatments in mice. The original trypanosome strains and their derivative clones were then screened for their sensitivity to Berenil or Samorin. Three clones derived from the Mumbwa isolate were resistant to Berenil, with MCD's of 14 to 28 mg/kg, and to Samorin, with MCD's of 4 mg/kg. A single Mumbwa derivative clone was relatively sensitive to both Berenil with an MCD of 7 mg/kg and to Samorin with an MCD of 2 mg/kg. The reciprocal drug induction results confirmed that although trypanosomes can acquire tolerance to both Berenil and Samorin, no cross-resistance between the two was evident."}
{"id": "PMID:1486238", "title": "Non-pathogenic entamoeba histolytica in Italian HIV-infected homosexuals.", "content": "A cohort of 51 homosexuals who were either HIV-positive or had AIDS was followed prospectively with parasitologic stool examination and in vitro culture in order to determine the incidence of E. histolytica infection. Amoebic isolates were further characterized by electrophoretic isoenzyme study. Five subjects (9.8%) were found to be infected with E. histolytica. None of the amoebic isolates were found to be pathogenic by isoenzyme analysis."}
{"id": "PMID:1486239", "title": "Escherichia coli types isolated from porcine E. coli infections in Saxony from 1963 to 1990.", "content": "Between 1963 and 1990, 4221 Escherichia coli strains were isolated from 4221 cases of porcine neonatal colibacillosis and 16826 E. coli strains from 16064 cases of E. coli enterotoxicosis of weaned pigs. They belonged to serotypes which, due to their enterotoxigenicity or verotoxigenicity, are considered to be pathogenic for pigs. Nonhaemolytic enterotoxigenic strains characterized by one of the fimbrial antigens K99 (F5), 987p (F6), and F41 and one of at least 8 different A antigens were only found in suckling piglets. Haemolytic serotypes lacking the K88 (F4), K99, 987p, and F41 fimbrial antigens as well as A antigens were only isolated from pigs with E. coli enterotoxicosis of weaned pigs, which can occur already some days before weaning, while enterotoxigenic types carrying the fimbrial antigen K88 were found in both neonatal colibacillosis and E. coli enterotoxicosis of weaned pigs. In the 28 years considered, the type O149: (K91), K88 dominated in neonatal colibacillosis and, since 1972, in E. coli enterotoxicosis of weaned pigs, too. It was mainly nonhaemolytic during the first years and always haemolytic later. The emergence of type O147: (K89) coincided with a gradual disappearance of type O147: (K89), K88, both types differing in their biochemical behaviour."}
{"id": "PMID:1486240", "title": "Yersinia enterocolitica serovar 1,2a,3 biovar 3 in chinchillas.", "content": "Yersinia enterocolitica (serovar 1,2a, 3; biovar 3, autoagglutination test positive) was isolated in a chinchilla, in which autopsy showed the typical lesions associated with pseudotuberculosis. We assume that this \"chinchilla type\" of Yersinia enterocolitica still persists among stock, more than thirty years after its discovery. A brief overview of the distribution of the pathogen in Europe and North America is given."}
{"id": "PMID:1486241", "title": "The nuclear serine/threonine protein kinase DNA-PK.", "content": "The DNA-activated protein kinase (DNA-PK) is a nuclear serine/threonine protein kinase that phosphorylates DNA-binding proteins, including several transcription factors. DNA-PK is one of a very few enzymes known to be regulated through interaction with DNA that does not have DNA as a template or substrate. We suggest that DNA-PK may function in cell homeostasis, in part through the modulation of transcriptional activity."}
{"id": "PMID:1486242", "title": "Biological and functional aspects of catalytic RNAs.", "content": "Several naturally occurring ribozymes have now been well characterized with respect to their in vivo and in vitro activities. Through detailed biochemical and genetic analyses, it has become possible to alter the substrate specificity of each ribozyme using simple Watson-Crick base pairing. Several laboratories, therefore, have designed ribozymes to cleave viral or other cellular transcripts in vitro with the hope of developing these molecules as antiviral or therapeutic agents. In addition to Watson-Crick base pairing, however, other factors such as protein or RNA tertiary interactions are involved in the ribozyme cleavage activity. Although several engineered ribozymes have been used successfully to reduce gene expression in vivo, it is difficult to determine whether gene expression has been reduced by the cleaving activity of the ribozyme or by its inherent antisense activity. In order to discriminate between these two activities and optimize potentially therapeutic ribozymes, it is imperative to develop in vivo assays in which the antisense activity of ribozymes is negligible."}
{"id": "PMID:1486243", "title": "Initiation of replication in mammalian chromosomes.", "content": "Mammalian origins of replication are scattered at about 100-kb intervals along each chromosomal DNA fiber. It is not known whether origins are genetically defined sequences analogous to those that control initiation of replication in microorganisms. Since the advent of recombinant DNA techniques, it has become possible to search for origins in defined chromosomal domains. A variety of methods have suggested that nascent chains initiate at preferred locations on the chromosome, but there is some disagreement as to how precisely defined these initiation sites are."}
{"id": "PMID:1486247", "title": "Improvement in protein absorption with a small-peptide-based diet in patients with high jejunostomy.", "content": "We compared urinary and fecal excretions of fluid, electrolytes, and nutrients in six patients with a high jejunostomy during three randomized consecutive 3-day periods of total enteral nutrition with three diets differing only by the degree of hydrolysis of the protein moiety: whole proteins, their hydrolysate (63% nitrogen as small peptides with < 1000 M), and the two mixed together. Daily nitrogen absorption was significantly enhanced with the small-peptide and mixed diets (14.3 +/- 3.4 and 13.1 +/- 2 g, respectively) compared with the whole protein diet (10.9 +/- 2.4 g, p = 0.012). Concomitantly, blood urea nitrogen and urinary urea excretion increased with the small-peptide diet. Apparent absorption of fat and calories, fecal weight, and urinary and fecal excretions of sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium remained unchanged. We conclude that a small-peptide-based diet may be beneficial in patients with short-bowel syndrome."}
{"id": "PMID:1486246", "title": "Dietary L-lysine and calcium metabolism in humans.", "content": "Calcium deficiency contributes to age-related bone loss; consequently, any preventive approach to osteoporosis should include dietary Ca adjustment or supplementation. The ideal Ca supplement would yield the greatest bioavailability. Studies in animals have shown that dietary supplements with certain amino acids, particularly L-lysine, can increase Ca absorption. Therefore, we examined the potential effect of this essential amino acid on Ca metabolism in humans. In one study, the acute effects of an oral Ca load (3 g as CaCl2) administered with or without 400 mg of L-lysine were compared in 15 healthy and 15 osteoporotic women. In all cases, the oral Ca load determined a progressive increase in serum total Ca and Ca2+ and a concomitant decrease in neophrogenous cAMP. As expected, a progressive increase in urinary Ca excretion was also observed, except in the L-lysine-treated healthy subjects, who exhibited a blunted calciuric response to the Ca load. In a second study, the effects of a short-term dietary supplementation with either L-lysine, L-valine, or L-tryptophan (800 mg/day) on 47Ca fraction absorption were compared in 45 osteoporotic patients. L-Lysine but not L-valine or L-tryptophan significantly increased the intestinal absorption of the mineral. Our results suggest that L-lysine can both enhance intestinal Ca absorption and improve the renal conservation of the absorbed Ca. The combined effects may contribute to a positive Ca balance, thus suggesting a potential usefulness of L-lysine supplements for both preventive and therapeutic interventions in osteoporosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1486249", "title": "Diet, age and intestinal bile acids in pigs.", "content": "Total bile acid concentrations in gallbladder bile and duodenal juice of neonatal piglets receiving sow milk were compared to values from 10-wk-old pigs receiving either high-fat low-carbohydrate (HF/LC) or low-fat high-carbohydrate (LF/HC) diets. Ten-week-old pigs on either diet had higher bile acid concentrations in gallbladder bile than newborn pigs (108.6 +/- 2.5 and 109.3 +/- 1.4 vs. 50.0 +/- 10.0 mM, mean +/- SE for HF/LC, LF/HC, and newborn, respectively, p < 0.007; n = 8-10). Ten-week-old pigs in the LF/HC group had higher bile acid concentrations in duodenal juice than either the HF/LC or newborn animals (31.7 +/- 4.2 vs. 16.8 +/- 2.5 and 14.7 +/- 1.8 mM, respectively, p < 0.0001). These data demonstrate that like the human neonate, the newborn pig has decreased bile acid concentrations available for digestion compared with the adult and resembles the adult pig adapted to a high-fat diet."}
{"id": "PMID:1486250", "title": "Enriched feeding formula and immune responses and outcome after Listeria monocytogenes challenge in mice.", "content": "Immunocompromised malnourished patients are at high risk of developing serious opportunistic infection. This study examined the effect of feeding a special nutrient-enriched formula (Immun-Aid) on immune responses and mortality in mice challenged with Listeria monocytogenes. Two protocols were followed. In the first protocol, the animals were challenged with microorganisms when the experimental formula was introduced as the sole source of their nutrition. There was no significant effect on total T-lymphocyte number, but the proportion of helper T cells increased by day 7, resulting in a higher helper/suppressor (H/S) T lymphocyte ratio as well. Response to the mitogen phytohemagglutinin (PHA) was slightly higher on day 3 but came down and was comparable with that of control animals by day 7. Natural killer cell activity was slightly higher on day 7. Other immunologic parameters were unchanged. There was no significant difference in mortality between the two groups. In the second protocol, the animals were fed the experimental diet for 7 days before the infectious challenge. There was a slight increase in the total number of T lymphocytes on day 7. The numbers of helper and suppressor T lymphocytes were unchanged, but H/S was slightly higher on day 3 in the experimental group. Response to PHA was again higher on day 3 but plateaued on day 7. Natural killer cell activity was not altered. Mortality after infectious challenge was slightly but significantly decreased in the group of animals fed the enriched special formula. These results indicate a slight enhancement of selected parameters of immunity in mice fed the specially enriched formula and show that prior feeding with this formula for several days may partly protect against infectious challenge, resulting in reduced mortality."}
{"id": "PMID:1486251", "title": "Hemoglobin levels and anemia-associated symptoms in pregnant Liberian women.", "content": "An epidemiological study was conducted of 515 pregnant Liberian women. The purposes of the study were to 1) assess the prevalence of anemia in Liberian women during the last trimester of pregnancy (when latent deficiencies are more apt to become clinically manifest), 2) ascertain which physician-obtained symptoms are related to low hemoglobin (Hb) levels and anemia, and 3) determine the sensitivity and specificity of symptoms commonly associated with anemia. The results indicated that the prevalence of anemia (defined as Hb < 11.0 g/dl) was 79.8%. Women who had headache as a symptom had significantly lower mean Hb values than women who did not have this symptom. The socioeconomic status of women with and without symptoms was not statistically different. The sensitivity of headache as an indicator of anemia and low Hb values was 83%, but the specificity of this symptom was low (27%). The utility of signs and symptoms as indicators is discussed in relation to the economic means of lesser-developed societies and their cultural practices."}
{"id": "PMID:1486248", "title": "Fine-bore peripheral catheters versus central venous catheters for delivery of intravenous nutrition.", "content": "We present a descriptive study of 229 consecutive inpatients requiring intravenous nutrition. These patients received either complete peripheral intravenous nutrition via a fine-bore silicone catheter (n = 80) or short Teflon catheter (n = 15) or received conventional central intravenous nutrition (n = 134). Nutrient delivery was similar for both systems, providing 0.2-0.4 g N.kg-1 x day-1 and 0.13-0.15 mJ.kg-1 x day-1 from preparations containing 4.3 MJ/L total energy (65-75% lipid: 25-35% glucose for peripheral support and 100% glucose for central delivery) with 6 g N/L. We compared the incidence of catheter complication and the probability of catheter function over time for the peripheral and conventional central systems. Venous access complications were seen only with central venous catheterization (10.4%). Chemical phlebitis occurred in 17% of fine-bore catheters and 91.4% of Teflon catheters. The infective phlebitis rate of fine-bore silicone catheters was 1.02% and daily risk of phlebitis 0.016%, with no instance of device-related bacteremia or sepsis. Central-line microbial contamination (21.7%) and catheter-related sepsis (3%) were significantly greater (p < 0.0005, chi 2 goodness-of-fit test) than with fine-bore silicone and Teflon catheters. The probability of complication-free function against time was similar (0.75 < p < 0.90, log-rank test) in fine-bore silicone catheters and central venous catheters. We conclude that fine-bore silicone catheters provide long-term phlebitis-free delivery of complete peripheral intravenous nutrition."}
{"id": "PMID:1486252", "title": "Regulation by insulin of muscle protein metabolism during sepsis and other catabolic conditions.", "content": "The anabolic effect of insulin in skeletal muscle reflects increased protein synthesis and reduced protein degradation. Insulin stimulates protein synthesis mainly at the translational level by enhancing peptide chain initiation. The mechanism by which the hormone reduces protein breakdown is less well understood, but inhibition of the lysosomal pathway is probably an important component. Sepsis results in pronounced muscle catabolism, mainly reflecting increased protein breakdown, particularly myofibrillar protein breakdown, and a less prominent inhibition of protein synthesis. There is evidence that muscle protein breakdown becomes resistant to the effect of insulin during sepsis, probably at the postreceptor level. This insulin resistance may be mediated by increased beta-adrenoreceptor activity. In contrast, the stimulatory effect of insulin on muscle protein synthesis and amino acid transport is maintained during sepsis. The regulatory effect of insulin on muscle protein metabolism may be affected by other catabolic conditions as well, e.g., fasting, denervation, burn injury, and trauma."}
{"id": "PMID:1486258", "title": "[The effect of carteolol. Prolonged and increased effect by liposome suspension].", "content": "Liposomes are small lipid vesicles capable of trapping beta-blockers such as carteolol within their bilayer structure, the advantage being improved drug action, prolonged action time, and a reduction in drug concentration. In a prospective, randomized double-blind trial, carteolol 2%, liposomes (frozen and thawed multilamellar vesicles, FAT-MLVs), or carteolol 2% suspended with FAT-MLVs was applied to 25 eyes of 25 patients per group in a single 20 microliters dose. Intraocular pressure was measured for 3 days. A significant reduction in the IOP was observed in the patient groups receiving carteolol and carteolol suspended with liposomes. Moreover, improved action and prolongation of drug action was noted in the carteolol/MLV group as compared to carteolol treatment alone. Hence, carteolol 2% is suitable for reduction of IOP, but a reduction of drug concentration can be achieved by suspension with liposomes, thus reducing the side effects."}
{"id": "PMID:1486259", "title": "[Does timolol modify retinal hemodynamics in patients with normal pressure glaucoma?].", "content": "In 31 patients with normal-pressure glaucoma, retinal blood flow, diameter of the retinal vessels and velocity were measured with 2-point fluorometry and automatic measurement of the diameters before and after administration of 0.5% timolol over 2 weeks. After timolol therapy the tension was significantly decreased (before therapy: 18.26 +/- 2.50; after therapy: 15.61 +/- 2.56 mm Hg, P < or = 0.01). The arterial and venous diameters and blood flow were nearly unchanged, but a slight increase in the arterial and venous velocity was noted. We conclude that timolol does not significantly influence the retinal hemodynamics in patients with normal-pressure glaucoma."}
{"id": "PMID:1486260", "title": "[Removal of silicone oil in treatment of so-called emulsification glaucoma].", "content": "We investigated whether emulsification glaucoma after silicone oil implantation can be influenced positively by removal of the oil. In 16 of 264 patients successfully operated upon with purified silicone oil 5000 cps, we found a glaucoma refractory to medical therapy and probably caused by emulsification. We removed the silicone oil from these eyes and followed them up for a period of 6 months (12.5 +/- 7.3 months). In 12 of the 16 eyes, the intraocular pressures were normalized after silicone oil removal with or without antiglaucomatous therapy. Four eyes showed raised intraocular pressures in spite of silicone oil removal. These could, however, be largely explained by neovascularization or chronic inflammation with increasing anterior synechia formation. In eyes with possible emulsification glaucoma, early and thorough removal of the silicone oil is therefore recommended since this can result in normalization of intraocular pressures in a large percentage of cases."}
{"id": "PMID:1486261", "title": "[1,3,7-trimethylxanthine. Effects on circadian aqueous humor dynamics in probands].", "content": "Anterior chamber fluorophotometry (Fluorotron Master II, Coherent, Palo Alto, Calif.) was used to investigate the influence of 1,3,7-trimethylxanthin on the circadian rhythm of aqueous humor secretion in two age-, race- and sex-matched groups of healthy volunteers. In ten males and ten females (mean age 27 years), aqueous humor secretion was measured over 24 h at: 0800, 0900, 1000-1400, 1500, 1600-2000, 2100, 2200-0200, 0300, and 0400 hours. Flow was calculated using the Yablonsky protocol of Fluorotron Master II. In group I all volunteers received about 800 mg trimethylxanthin in the form of caffeinated coffee between 2200 and 2300 hours. In group II volunteers went to sleep at 2300 hours. Sleep was only interrupted for measurements. During the daytime the mean aqueous humor flow was the same in both groups (0800 to 2200 hours) (Student's t-test): Group I (n = 10) RA 2.27 +/- 0.70 microliters/min LA 2.25 +/- 0.74 microliters/min Group II (n = 10) RA 2.23 +/- 0.73 microliters/min LA 2.06 +/- 0.64 microliters/min During the night the mean aqueous humor flow decreased in both groups (0200 to 0400 hours): Group I: RA 1.99 +/- 0.74 microliters/min delta flow = -12% LA 1.93 +/- 0.75 microliters/min Group II: RA 0.97 +/- 0.50 microliters/min delta flow = -56% LA 0.97 +/- 0.48 microliters/min The difference between groups was statistically significant (P = 0.01, t-test for unpaired samples). There was no significant change in mean aqueous humor flow between the daytime vs night in group I (P < 0.5).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1486262", "title": "[Inner nuclear layer of the retina in eyes with secondary angle-block glaucoma].", "content": "Glaucomatous changes have been known to occur in the inner retinal layer all over the fundus and in the deep retinal layer and retinal pigment epithelium close at the optic disc border. This study was conducted to address the question as to whether the middle retinal layers are altered by the glaucomatous process. The study included histological slides of 23 eyes enucleated due to painful secondary traumatic angle-closure glaucoma and 14 nonglaucomatous eyes removed because of a malignant choroidal melanoma. We evaluated the cell count and thickness of the inner nuclear layer via histomorphometry. The inner nuclear layer contained significantly fewer cells and was thinner (P < 0.05) in the glaucoma group compared to the control group. Since this study contains eyes with possible secondary changes due to the initial trauma, further investigations on eyes with primary open-angle glaucoma are necessary to confirm the results. This could be important for psychophysical testing in glaucoma."}
{"id": "PMID:1486263", "title": "[Visual acuity perimetry. Detection of glaucomatous visual field defects].", "content": "50 eyes of 50 patients with different types of glaucoma (27 eyes with POAG, 14 eyes with glaucoma due to pseudoexfoliation, 8 eyes with chronic narrow-angle glaucoma, 1 eye with normal-tension glaucoma) were examined with light-sense perimetry (Humphrey-Field-Analyzer, program 30-2) and resolution perimetry according to Fris\u00e9n [2-7]. As the field area tested by Fris\u00e9n's ring perimeter is smaller than that of the HFA, the comparison was restricted to the area of the ring perimeter, so that 50 out of 77 test locations of the HFA were included. In addition to a quantitative comparison with statistical criteria based on age-corrected normal values, a subjective qualitative assessment was established. The quantitative comparison of all hemifields showed good agreement in 61% of eyes, the ring perimeter indicating moderately and markedly increased numbers of defects in 13% and 4% of eyes and the HFA in 18% and 4% of eyes, respectively. Qualitative comparison of the entire fields revealed good agreement in 46% of eyes, with moderately and markedly more defects in 18% and 10% for the ring perimeter and 12% and 14% for the HFA, respectively. The average time needed for examination was 6.0 +/- 1.1 min for the ring perimeter and 17.2 +/- 2.7 min for the HFA. The Global Deviation of the ring perimeter correlates linearly with the Mean Deviation of the HFA (r = 0.4824, P < 0.001)."}
{"id": "PMID:1486264", "title": "[White-noise field campimetry before and after artificial increase of intraocular pressure. Possible applications in diagnosis and evaluation of glaucoma].", "content": "A total of 173 eyes (visual field defect stages O-V) of 99 glaucoma patients were investigated by means of conventional threshold-oriented suprathreshold automated test point perimetry using the T\u00fcbingen Automatic Perimeter (TAP) and by means of white-noise-field campimetry (flickering random dot pattern) using the T\u00fcbingen Electronic Campimeter (TEC). Most eyes were affected by primary open-angle glaucoma (119) or low tension glaucoma (35). The concordance between the two methods was good in 65 eyes (37.6%). Sufficient in 32 (18.5%) eyes, poor in 32 cases (18.5%) and inadequate in 44 eyes (25.4%). Among the last group of 44 eyes, 32 perceived a scotoma in the noise field (NF) but did not show any pathologic defect in conventional automated test point perimetry: the opposite constellation was found in only 12 eyes. In most cases, scotoma in the NF showed a change in both brightness and motion (noise) perception. No clear relationship between the type of glaucoma and a certain constellation of the aforementioned NF specifications could be found. Complete lack of noise perception in the scotoma occurred more frequently in advanced glaucoma (stage > or = IV). In 110 eyes of 63 of the glaucoma patients, white-noise-field campimetry was carried out during artificial IOP elevation achieved by suction-cup oculopression: during steplike increases of the negative pressure in the suction-cup up to maximum of 375 mmHg the following stages could be seen (the percentage of eyes that perceived each phenomena over the negative pressure range is shown in brackets): change in NF perception compared with initial findings (96.4%); impairment of central noise-field perception (78.2%); concentric constriction of NF (61.8%); complete breakdown of noise (field) perception (42.7%). A further, quantitative classification of these eyes was possible by evaluation of the negative pressure in the suction-cup that led to any one of these NF phenomena. The results demonstrate the usefulness of white-noise-field campimetry as a very fast screening method for detecting glaucomatous visual field defects. It can also be performed as a pressure tolerance test and thus be used to classify glaucomatous risk stages."}
{"id": "PMID:1486265", "title": "[2 years self-tonometry. Acceptance and results].", "content": "For more than 2 years we have been trying out a microprocessor-controlled self-tonometer to determine its clinical usefulness. Most of the measurements were taken with two instruments (A and B). In vitro calibration series on human donor corneas gave good results over the whole pressure range. In a patient series both instruments were compared with the established hand-held applanation tonometer put out by Draeger (HAT). Each self-tonometer was applied three times, followed by a controlling measurement with the HAT. The correlation coefficient between instrument A and HAT was 0.85 with a standard deviation of +/- 1.9126 mmHg. Instrument B showed a better correlation (r = 0.904), the standard deviation was similar to tonometer A (SD = +/- 1.8598 mmHg). Most of the values obtained by the self-tonometers-about 50%-deviated from the corresponding HAT values by +/- 1 mmHg. The new measurement principle was accepted by 75% of all patients. Improvements in the details are planned in order to simplify tonometer handling and increase the accuracy and precision of the measurements."}
{"id": "PMID:1486266", "title": "[Surgical correction of astigmatism after perforating keratoplasty].", "content": "Microsurgical control of astigmatism after perforating keratoplasty has widely remained an unsolved problem in spite of many sophisticated suggestions and inventions. The frequent irregularity in the recipient cornea and poor predictability with respect to wound healing are the major obstacles. If spectacles or contact lenses cannot provide useful vision, postoperative surgical correction is needed. Ablative or thermal laser techniques have not been sufficiently tried for such cases to be justified, and one may hesitate anyway to apply destructive methods in transplants. We therefore still use T-incisions and wedge resections, which are said to be rather imprecise. Only 3 out of more than 700 keratoplasties performed in our clinic from 1987 through July 1991 required such procedures. Two more cases were referred by surgeons outside the hospital. All five surgical corrections resulted in a good longterm effect with considerable improvement of vision. Thus, as long as alternative methods for surgical correction of postkeratoplasty astigmatism have not proved to be superior, we should continue to practice these \"old\" methods, which, indeed, are not bad if properly applied."}
{"id": "PMID:1486267", "title": "[Corneal opacity after photorefractive keratectomy with an excimer laser. Cause, objective measurement and functional consequences].", "content": "A marginal loss of corneal transparency or 'haze' is a phenomenon commonly experienced after photorefractive keratectomy using excimer lasers (193 nm). The putative causes of this phenomenon are the presence in the surgical site of (1) activated keratocytes, (2) vacuoles and (3) newly synthesized collagen. A CCD camera device was employed in order to measure the corneal transparency. Both scattered and reflected light in the slit image of patients' corneas was measured using polarizing filters and image analysis software. We observed an increase in reflected and scattered light until the second postoperative month, followed by a subsequent decline. However, the combined signal generated by reflected and scattered light showed a second increase at 4 months postoperatively, whereas the signal generated by scattered light alone stayed at lower levels. These objective measures of changes in corneal transparency were correlated with changes in visual performance using psychophysical tests measuring visual acuity at different contrast levels (100%, 20% and 5%). In all patients we observed a good correlation between the signal generated by scattered light alone and the reduction in the 5% contrast visual acuity performance. These disturbances in low contrast visual performance were only significant during the first 3-4 months postoperatively, and thereafter most patients returned to their preoperative value. Eighteen percent of our patients discontinued topical steroids postoperatively. No difference in corneal transparency was observed."}
{"id": "PMID:1486268", "title": "[Analysis of photo-ablation products of excimer and erbium:YAG laser treated human corneas. Combined gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy].", "content": "The photoablation products from human cadaver corneas treated with an excimer laser (192 nm) or an erbium: YAG laser (2.94 microns) were qualitatively analyzed using a combined gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC/MS) system. GC/MS is the most sensitive analyzing system in use today for molecules with a relative molecular mass of 40 to 400. More than 20 different types of molecules were detected; most of them were identified as alkanes. Comparison of the two types of laser showed larger fragments and fewer different types of molecules after excimer laser treatment than after erbium: YAG photoablation. We postulate that the smaller molecules after erbium: YAG treatment indicate a greater heat during photoablation than with excimer laser treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1486269", "title": "[Effect of postmortem duration on endothelial cell density in short-term culture with McCarey-Kaufman medium. An experimental study with Swine corneas].", "content": "It is recommended by the Eye Bank Association of American that the post-mortem time of donor tissue stored in intermediate storage should not exceed 6 h. In an experimental study we investigated the impact of post-mortem time on the storage of corneas kept in McCarey-Kaufman medium. Eyeballs of freshly slaughtered pigs were kept in moist chamber storage at 4 degrees C for 0, 6, 12, 24, and 48 h. Subsequently, corneal-scleral rims were dissected and stored in MK-Medium for 2 days at 4 degrees C. The corneas were stored in organ culture for another 2 days at 31 degrees C in MEM medium containing 10% fetal calf serum. A control group consisted of corneas that had been stored in organ culture for 2 days. Morphometric analysis revealed no significant changes in endothelial cell density compared to control corneas after up to 24 h of moist chamber storage prior to storage in MK medium. A significant decrease in endothelial cell density could only be detected in corneas that had been kept in moist chamber storage for 48 h before MK medium storage. We conclude that the recommendation that only donor corneas with short post-mortem times be used may exclude large amounts of potentially feasible tissue for penetrating keratoplasty."}
{"id": "PMID:1486270", "title": "[Keratoplasty with stored tissue. Initial results of a prospective study].", "content": "The first results of a prospective study on 50 patients who were followed up 2, 4, 6, and 12 months after keratoplasty are reported. The patients received a human cornea transplant, which had been cultured in a modified MEM medium for up to 28 days. We observed that the loss of epithelium during organ culture leads to delayed regeneration after keratoplasty. This is especially important for patients who have had this problem almost before transplantation. The slower increase of visual acuity after keratoplasty with organ-cultured material is due to increased folding of Descemet's membrane. Nevertheless the best vision was usually reached within 6 to 12 months. We saw seven immune reactions by which five transplants were lost. A comparatively low rejection rate was observed especially in the group of high-risk patients (27.2%). Organ culture may therefore have some additional positive effects for these patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1486271", "title": "[Freeze preservation of swine corneas with combinations of intra- and extracellular cryoprotective agents].", "content": "Clinically employed methods of corneal cryopreservation usually use the intracellular cryoprotectant dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO). However, it has been demonstrated that extracellular cryoprotectants such as chondroitin sulfate (ChS) also display effective cryoprotection. The purpose of our study was to investigate the effect of combinations of intra- and extracellular cryoprotectants in corneal cryopreservation. Porcine corneas were cryopreserved in a cryopreservation medium consisting of MEM-medium containing 20% fetal calf serum and 2% chondroitin sulfate. The medium was varied by the addition of 2%, 4% and 8% DMSO. Sixty corneas were cryopreserved at -196 degrees C and thawed at 37 degrees C in a water bath. Morphometric evaluation was not performed directly after thawing but after a 24-h storage period in organ culture. Cryopreservation in medium without DMSO revealed the best results concerning endothelial cell density (2581 cells/mm2). Addition of 2% or 4% DMSO revealed no significant changes in endothelial cell density. Addition of 8% DMSO, however, resulted in a significant decrease (1312 +/- 319 cells/mm2) combined with a significantly higher amount of necrotic areas in the central corneal surface. We conclude that combining intra- and extracellular cryoprotectants does not enhance endothelial cell density after corneal cryopreservation. Higher concentrations of DMSO added to the cryopreservation medium appear to have a negative impact on endothelial cell viability."}
{"id": "PMID:1486272", "title": "[2 years experiences with Tenon-plasty].", "content": "Tenon plasty proved useful in eye burns, especially in cases involving corneoscleral ulceration. This surgical procedure was carried out in 24 severely burned eyes of 21 patients. A total of 75 Tenon flaps were prepared, each of them covering one quadrant of the anterior eye segment. In 13 cases the burns were fresh, showing necrotic and ischemic areas in the sclera. In seven eyes an extended corneoscleral ulceration had developed and was covered with Tenon plasty. In four cases, when highly inflamed tissue was removed from the limbus the proximal conjunctiva retracted and exposed large areas of the sclera. Again, Tenon plasty was carried out. In all cases, the damage was so extensive that no conjunctiva was available to form flaps for plastic repair. Besides, the extensive ischemia would not allow free transplants. The duration of postoperative observation after Tenon plasty ranged from 6 to 42 months. In 14 of 24 eyes the denuded corneal stroma was covered with an artificial epithelium. In 11 cases keratoplasty was performed. The conjunctival epithelium regenerated in 10 eyes within 10 days, in another 10 eyes within 20 days, and in 4 eyes within 50 days. In all cases, the corneoscleral ulceration healed. Although some symblephara formed, and in a number of cases the cornea became more turbid and vascularized, Tenon plasty was very helpful in shortening the period of intensive inpatient treatment and provided a sound foundation for further reconstructive surgery."}
{"id": "PMID:1486273", "title": "[Holographic analysis of displacement of the bovine cornea after disruption of intact structures].", "content": "Displacement of the surface of the cornea of bovine eyes after disruption of intact structures was investigated by means of holographic interferometry. Double-T-incisions of different depths were made with a diamond knife. Starting at about 80% of the incision depth there is a change in the central holographic interference fringe pattern. These effects can be clearly demonstrated by means of double-exposure holographic interferometry and real-time holographic interferometry. The stability of an existing corneal scar was analyzed by double-exposure holographic interferometry. The region of the scar showed a higher density of holographic interference fringes compared with the non-affected corneal areas, indicating a higher degree of elasticity. All eyes were investigated at an intraocular pressure of 1340 Pa (about 10 mmHg) and an intraocular pressure change of 10 Pa and 20 Pa. Further potential ophthalmic applications of holographic interferometry are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1486274", "title": "[Computerized videokeratoscopy. Indications for postoperative suture removal].", "content": "Twenty-three patients who had a high degree of postoperative astigmatism (3 D) after extracapsular cataract extraction were examined in a prospective study with a computerized videokeratoscope. Sutures were removed within the first 3 months postoperatively, and an examination with the videokeratoscope was performed at the same time. In addition, corneal power was measured with a keratometer for comparison. A comparative map demonstrating the change in corneal shape can be obtained by simple subtraction of the pre- and postoperative keratographs (color-coded topographical maps). Immediately after suture removal the corneal curvature was flattened in the steepest meridian (3 mm and 5 mm zone), resulting in an average net change in cylindrical refraction of -1.3 (+/- 1.7)D. The steepest meridian moved slightly in a counterclockwise direction (-5.79 +/- 29.4 degrees). The topographical analysis of all cases showed that suture removal along the steepest meridian reduced astigmatism by flattening the steepest meridian and steepening the flattest meridian. As the peripheral cornea becomes steeper, the central cornea flattens in a meridian. Morphologically, three different patterns were found. In 52% the reduction in astigmatism was \"symmetric\", in 21% it was \"round\", and in 26% it was \"irregular\". As a result of the study, a topographical model of the cornea will be given, showing the average net change in diopters power at various locations on the surface of the cornea. These results cannot be described by the use of ordinary keratometers."}
{"id": "PMID:1486275", "title": "Purification of liver aldehyde dehydrogenase by p-hydroxyacetophenone-sepharose affinity matrix and the coelution of chloramphenicol acetyl transferase from the same matrix with recombinantly expressed aldehyde dehydrogenase.", "content": "p-Hydroxyacetophenone was coupled to epoxy-activated Sepharose 6B to generate an affinity chromatographic matrix to purify aldehyde dehydrogenase. Purified beef liver mitochondrial aldehyde dehydrogenase specifically bound to the support and could be eluted with p-hydroxyacetophenone. A post-ammonium sulfate (30-55%) fraction of bovine liver was applied to the affinity gel column and aldehyde dehydrogenase was effectively purified, although not to complete homogeneity, indicating the potential selectivity of the matrix. Both beef liver cytosolic and mitochondrial aldehyde dehydrogenase bound to the column. A post-Cibacron blue Sepharose Cl-6B affinity-fractionated liver mitochondrial aldehyde dehydrogenase was purified to complete homogeneity by p-hydroxyacetophenone-Sepharose, thus eliminating the need for the isoelectric focusing step often employed. p-Hydroxyacetophenone was found to be a competitive inhibitor against propionaldehyde and noncompetitive against NAD. Escherichia coli lysates of recombinantly expressed aldehyde dehydrogenase were purified from E. coli lysates with one major 25-kDa protein contaminant also binding to the column, as detected by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis. The 25-kDa contaminant was found to be chloramphenicol acetyl transferase from sequence analysis and binding studies."}
{"id": "PMID:1486276", "title": "Purification of erythrocyte protein 4.1 by selective interaction with inositol hexaphosphate.", "content": "Protein 4.1 is a multifunctional structural protein occupying a strategic position in the erythrocyte membrane. It is present in the erythrocyte membrane skeleton and in many nonerythroid cells. This report describes a novel method for purifying this protein based on its selective interaction with inositol hexaphosphate dimagnesium tetrapotassium salt. This interaction was discovered in the course of chromatography of high-salt extract of inside-out membrane vesicles on Procion orange MX-2R-Sepharose. The new procedure is simple and selective and produces protein 4.1 with better yield than that obtained with a previously published procedure. The purified protein 4.1 has the same immunoreactivity and the same alpha-chymotryptic digest profile as protein 4.1 purified by published methods and is fully functional in enhancing the interaction between F-actin and spectrin dimers."}
{"id": "PMID:1486277", "title": "Expression, purification, and characterization of inactive human coagulation factor Xa (Asn322Ala419).", "content": "We have expressed in Chinese hamster ovary cells a catalytically inactive form of human factor Xa (factor rXai). A recombinant precursor of human factor Xa was inactivated by two point mutations in the serine protease catalytic triad, Asp322Asn and Ser419Ala. A two-step purification to homogeneity of the secreted material involved immunoaffinity followed by heparin-agarose chromatography. Two forms were identified; a fully processed dimer (70%) and a partially processed monomer (30%). Limited N-terminal amino acid sequencing of factor rXai detected the predicted residues and gamma-carboxyglutamic acid content was 90% of human plasma control. Although devoid of measurable proteolytic activity, factor rXai competitively inhibited plasma factor Xa assembly into functional prothrombinase complexes (Ki = 3 x 10(-10) M). Factor rXai also inhibited plasma clotting in a dose-dependent manner. The possible use of recombinant catalytically inactive proteins as a general approach for pharmacological regulation of human diseases is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1486280", "title": "Insights into the physician's role in mammography utilization among older women.", "content": "Women who receive routine medical care and those who see obstetrician-gynecologists are more likely to get mammograms. However, fewer women see these physicians as they grow older. Results indicate that, as a group, older women see a different mixture of physicians, and the drop in mammography referrals due to obstetrician-gynecologist office visit decline is not replaced by compensating referral patterns from other physician groups. All physicians should recommend mammograms to all of their older female patients; opportunities for doing so exist if they broaden their view of when such recommendations are appropriate. It is particularly important for nongynecologists to remember that their older patients may no longer see a gynecologist and will not receive a mammography recommendation from anyone else."}
{"id": "PMID:1486287", "title": "Malaria and the red cell membrane.", "content": "Malarial parasites are primarily parasites of red cells and during infection ingest most of the haemoglobin within these cells, leaving the membrane as the only vestige of the original host cell. The red cell membrane thus plays a key role at all stages of infection with malarial parasites, and is modified in many ways during parasitisation, so that at least functionally it has little resemblance to the membrane from which it was originally derived. The highly specific and ordered process of parasite invasion of red cells is regulated at least in part by the uninfected red cell membrane. The red cell sialoglycoproteins or glycophorins of this membrane have been shown to play an important role in invasion by Plasmodium falciparum, the species of most importance to man because of it's high morbidity and mortality. Structurally, dynamic changes occur within the membrane during parasitisation, and a number of parasite proteins have been found to be associated within it, but changes on the surface of the infected cell have been more difficult to demonstrate. The membrane of the infected cell is important in the many metabolic processes of the parasite, as well as the critical cell-cell interactions that occur when cells containing mature parasites bind to endothelial cells (cytoadherence), bind to uninfected cells (rosetting), or interact with macrophages and other leucocytes. The recognition molecules on the red cell membrane involved in invasion, cytoadherence and rosetting appear to be quite distinct. Structural and functional changes have also been shown to occur in the membranes of uninfected red cells, both in infected patients, and in the presence of parasites in vitro. Interactions of the parasite P. falciparum with the red cell membrane hold the key to our understanding of the pathogenesis of severe falciparum infection in man."}
{"id": "PMID:1486288", "title": "Treatment of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia: present issues and future prospects.", "content": "Modern treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) achieves long term survival in two thirds of children, many of whom are truly cured. Recent improvements have occurred as a result of progressive intensification of treatment, particularly during the first 6 months from diagnosis. This article reviews the means of identifying children for whom standard therapy is not appropriate, and the aspects of standard therapy requiring further refinement, in particular central nervous system (CNS) directed treatment and continuing (maintenance) therapy, a concept unique to ALL. Modern methods for identification of minimal residual disease afford the hope that it may become possible to identify both children who have received sufficient treatment and, conversely, those at subsequent risk of relapse. Selection of patients for alternative therapy, for example marrow transplantation in first remission is difficult and this area needs further study. Treatment for the one third of children who relapse remains unsatisfactory and when successful is only achieved with significant morbidity. Most long-term survivors of childhood leukaemia are well and problem-free but a significant number have problems with learning, concentration, growth and development; the risk of second neoplasms remains unclear. Recent years have seen undeniable progress in the treatment of ALL but there is a continuing need to develop effective forms of treatment which have less potential for damaging late effects."}
{"id": "PMID:1486289", "title": "Erythroleukemia: a review of 15 cases meeting 1985 FAB criteria and survey of the literature.", "content": "Erythroleukemia (EL) is a rare form of myelogenous leukemia the classification and definition of which has evolved over the course of its 80-year descriptive history. In 1976 the French American British (FAB) Cooperative Group included EL within the classification system of acute myelogenous leukemias as AML-M6, and agreed on a quantitative standard to be used in the diagnosis of this disorder. The standards were revised in 1985 to the form in use today. We selected a series of 15 cases from our records which specifically fit the FAB criteria for AML-M6. Extensive direct comparison between our series and the old literature is not practical because of the changes which have occurred in classification and definition of the disease. Overall we found a rough correlation between the clinical and laboratory data shown in the old literature on EL and data from our cases. These cases underscore characteristic laboratory features which correspond to what is now defined as AML-M6: these patients present with pancytopenia, frequent peripheral blood nRBCs and no, or few, peripheral blood blasts. In addition, we note the presence of a hybrid myeloid-erythroid blast in the bone marrow in this disease and suggest that this may be characteristic of this type of AML. Old literature on EL has generally shown it to be a disease of the elderly, yet we found a subset of younger patients whose clinical outcome was significantly better than that of the older patients. Finally, EL has historically been viewed as a disease in which patients progress from a prodrome through erythroleukemia to other acute myeloid leukemia (AML) subtypes. Consistent with this idea, half of our 15 patients had been previously diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome or received chemotherapy. On the other hand only one of the 15 patients converted to another type of AML during his course."}
{"id": "PMID:1486290", "title": "Intensive chemotherapy in myelodysplastic syndromes.", "content": "Patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) who have more than 10% blasts in their bone marrow have a very short survival. Treatment has not improved for these patients for the past 10 years and supportive care alone is still the gold standard. Intensive chemotherapy for poor prognosis MDS has been little tried, but complete remission rates are higher in such studies than in patients with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) supervening on the MDS. Although these groups may not be comparable, and neither group is representative of the majority of patients with the MDS who are generally older, a case can be made for a randomised prospective study comparing intensive chemotherapy and supportive care alone in poor prognosis MDS. For patients with the myelodysplastic syndrome intensive chemotherapy may carry special risks. The involvement of the whole marrow in the neoplastic clone, and the likelihood of anthracycline resistance are two such hazards which may need to be circumvented."}
{"id": "PMID:1486291", "title": "Classification of large granular lymphocyte (LGL) and NK-associated (NKa) disorders.", "content": "Literature trends indicate an increasing awareness regarding the frequency, nature and clinical associations of abnormal and persistent expansions of lymphocytes with cytoplasmic granulation. These particular cells, which represent a minor normal lymphoid subpopulation and are widely referred to as large granular lymphocytes (LGL), generally (but not invariably) express monoclonal antibody-defined membrane NK-associated (NKa) determinants and appear to functionally correspond to those populations involved in cellular cytotoxicity. Increased proportions or absolute numbers of blood lymphocytes with LGL morphology and/or NKa+ phenotypes are associated with a diverse spectrum of clinical (haematological and non-haematological) disorders and may be broadly viewed as secondary (acute and chronic reactive) or primary in nature. Both primary and secondary LGL/NKa+ expansions may be persistent in type and the clinical distinction between the two may be difficult. A number of investigators have proposed schemes for the classification of these disorders but, because of their diversity, abnormal LGL/NKa+ expansions often defy rigid compartmentalisation. This communication examines the general basis of these classifications and illustrates their limitations by reviewing the data for 97 patients recorded in the largest (Yorkshire Leukaemia Group) survey to date of persistent LGL/NKa+ expansions."}
{"id": "PMID:1486292", "title": "Conditioning regimens for allogeneic bone marrow transplantation.", "content": "Conditioning regimens for transplantation are important in determining transplant outcome. This review focuses on transplantation in aplastic anemia and leukemia using marrow from HLA-identical siblings. Results of conditioning with newer regimens such as busulfan plus cyclophosphamide and etoposide plus total body irradiation are reviewed and compared to results achieved with cyclophosphamide and total body irradiation. The potential for improved results using recent innovations such as dose adjustment of busulfan, agents which may decrease transplant-related toxicity, and directed radiation are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1486300", "title": "Genetically determined factors as predictors of radiological change in patients with early symmetrical arthritis.", "content": "To determine whether genetic factors associated with established rheumatoid arthritis could, in combination with rheumatoid factor, predict the development of radiological erosions in patients with early symmetrical (rheumatoid-like) arthritis. Prospective study. Teaching hospital, early arthritis clinic. Forty nine patients with symmetrical polyarthritis attending the early arthritis clinic. Conserved sequence of DR beta third allelic hypervariable region, sulphoxidation capacity, rheumatoid factor, and development of radiologically determined bone erosions. None of the 49 patients had radiological erosions at presentation but 25 developed these by four years. Patients with the conserved class II major histocompatibility complex (third allelic hypervariable of DR beta 1) genes associated with rheumatoid arthritis had a relative risk for the development of erosions of 1.9 (95% confidence interval 0.8 to 4.5). For poor sulphoxidation the risk was 2.5 (1.1 to 5.6) and for the presence of rheumatoid factor 1.8 (0.9 to 3.7). Of the 33 patients who had two or three of these risk factors, 24 developed erosions, with a relative risk of 11.6 (1.7 to 78.5) compared with only one of the 16 individuals with no or one risk factor. This preliminary study shows that by using these stable markers it is possible to make clinically useful predictions of outcome in patients with early symmetrical inflammatory arthritis."}
{"id": "PMID:1486301", "title": "Community clinics for leg ulcers and impact on healing.", "content": "To evaluate the effectiveness of community clinics for leg ulcers. All patients with leg ulceration were invited to community clinics that offered treatment developed in a hospital research clinic. Patients without serious arterial disease (Doppler ankle/brachial index > 0.8) were treated with a high compression bandage of four layers. Six community clinics held in health centres in Riverside District Health Authority supported by the Charing Cross vascular surgical service. All patients referred to the community services with leg ulceration, irrespective of cause and duration of ulceration. Time to complete healing by the life table method. 550 ulcerated legs were seen in 475 patients of mean (SD) age 73.8 (11.9) years. There were 477 venous ulcers of median size 4.2 cm2 (range 0.1-117 cm2), 128 being larger than 10 cm2. These ulcers had been present for a median of three months (range one week to 63 years) with 150 present for over one year. Four layer bandaging in the community clinics achieved complete healing in 318 (69%) venous ulcers by 12 weeks and 375 (83%) by 24 weeks. There were 56 patients with an ankle/brachial arterial pressure index < 0.8, indicating arterial disease. The 50 patients with pressure index < 0.8 > 0.5 were treated with reduced compression, and 24 (56%) healed by 12 weeks and 31 (75%) by 24 weeks. The figures for overall healing for all leg ulcers were 351/550 (67%) at 12 weeks and 417/550 (81%) at 24 weeks, compared with only 11/51 (22%) at 12 weeks before the community clinics were set up. Community clinics for venous ulcers offer an effective means of achieving healing in most patients with leg ulcers."}
{"id": "PMID:1486302", "title": "Serum antioxidant vitamins and risk of cataract.", "content": "To investigate serum concentrations of alpha tocopherol, beta carotene, retinol, and selenium for their prediction of end stage cataract. A case-control study, nested within a cohort study, based on the linkage of records of subjects aged 40-83 from a health survey with those from the national Finnish hospital discharge register. 47 patients admitted to ophthalmological wards for senile cataract over 15 years and two controls per patient individually matched for sex, age, and municipality. Concentration of serum micronutrients, development of cataract according to whether operation was performed. Low serum concentrations of antioxidant vitamins predicted the development of senile cataract, the odds ratio between the lowest third and the two higher thirds of the distribution of serum concentrations of alpha tocopherol and beta carotene being 1.9 (95% confidence interval 0.9 to 4.1) and 1.7 (0.8 to 3.8), respectively. Patients with both alpha tocopherol and beta carotene concentrations in the lowest third had an odds ratio of 2.6 (1.0 to 6.8) of cataract compared with subjects in the top two thirds. The associations were strengthened by adjustment for potential confounding factors such as occupation, smoking, blood pressure, serum cholesterol concentration, body mass index, and diabetes. No association was found between the serum concentrations of selenium, retinol, and retinol binding protein and the risk of cataract. Low serum concentrations of the antioxidant vitamins alpha tocopherol and beta carotene are risk factors for end stage senile cataract. Controlled trials of the role of antioxidant vitamins in cataract prevention are therefore warranted."}
{"id": "PMID:1486303", "title": "Prevalence of asthma and allergic disorders among children in united Germany: a descriptive comparison.", "content": "To compare the prevalence of asthma and allergic disorders among children in Munich, western Germany, and Leipzig, eastern Germany, where environmental exposure, particularly air concentrations of sulphur dioxide and particulate matter, and living conditions have differed over the past 45 years. Prevalence surveys among school-children aged 9-11 years in Leipzig and Munich. Self completion of written questionnaire by the children's parents and lung function measurements. 1051 children in Leipzig and 5030 in Munich. Primary schools. Reported lifetime prevalence of asthma and allergic disorders, and bronchial hyperresponsiveness assessed by cold air inhalation challenge. The lifetime prevalence of asthma diagnosed by a doctor was 7.3% (72) in Leipzig and 9.3% (435) in Munich; prevalence of wheezing were 20% (191) and 17% (786) respectively. The prevalence of diagnosed bronchitis was higher in Leipzig than Munich (30.9% (303) v 15.9% (739); p < 0.01). A significant drop in forced expiratory volume (> 9%) after cold air challenge was measured in 6.4% (57) of children in Leipzig and in 7.7% (345) of those in Munich. Hay fever (2.4% (24) v 8.6% (410); p < 0.01) and typical symptoms of rhinitis (16.6% (171) v 19.7% (961); p < 0.05) were reported less often in Leipzig than in Munich. No significant differences were seen in the lifetime prevalence of asthma, wheezing, and bronchial hyperresponsiveness between children in Leipzig and Munich. The lifetime prevalence of bronchitis was higher in Leipzig than in Munich. The lower prevalence rates of allergic disorders in Leipzig could point toward aetiological factors that are associated with Western lifestyle and living conditions."}
{"id": "PMID:1486305", "title": "Poor growth in school entrants as an index of organic disease: the Wessex growth study.", "content": "To establish whether poor height or height velocity, assessed during the year of school entry, might identify children with previously undiagnosed organic disease. Observation of a total population and their case controls. Community base. All 14,346 children in two health districts entering school during two consecutive years were screened for height by school nurses, and those whose height lay below the 3rd centile according to Tanner and Whitehouse standards (n = 180) were identified. After excluding 32 with known organic disease, five from ethnic minorities, and three who refused to take part, the remaining 140 short normal children were matched with 140 age and sex matched controls of average height (10th-90th centile) and their height velocities over 12 months measured. Height, height velocity, previously diagnosed organic disease, and organic disease diagnosed as a result of blood tests and specialist examination. Twenty five of the 180 short children (14%) were already known to have chronic organic disease which could explain their poor growth. Blood tests and specialist examination revealed a further seven with organic disease, which was acquired rather than congenital in three, and a second cause of short stature in one with known organic disease. These eight conditions had been missed at the school entry medical examination. The shorter the child, the more likely an underlying organic disorder, with seven of the 12 children whose heights were more than 3 standard deviations below the mean having some organic disease. Height velocity measured over 12 months, however, did not distinguish short normal children from those with disease or from their matched controls. Height, but not height velocity, is a useful index for identifying unrecognised organic disease at school entry. The shorter the stature the greater the prevalence of organic disease. The frequency of newly diagnosed remediable disease in this study (1 in 3-4000) is similar to that of neonatal hypothyroidism, which is routinely screened for. Routine investigation of all very short school entrants is recommended."}
{"id": "PMID:1486308", "title": "Job share a consultant post.", "content": "Job sharing offers advantages to both employer and employee but it is still uncommon in medicine. Based on the experiences of two psychiatrists sharing a consultant post this article describes some of the problems in obtaining a job share. The most difficult part can be getting an interview, and once a post has been obtained the terms and conditions of service may have to be modified to suit job sharing. Getting on well with your job sharing partner and good communication will not only help overcome the obstacles but ensure that the sharing is successful."}
{"id": "PMID:1486310", "title": "Community care in London: the prospects.", "content": "Elderly and disabled people have been led to expect great improvements in the quality of community care after April 1993. The choice to live safely at home is to be offered as an alternative to residential care. The financial and organisational relationships are all intended to support this in practice. The Tomlinson recommendations will create instability for providers, and much new and overdue investment in primary and community services is needed if the community care reforms are to work. There are, however, other obstacles looming which pose an even greater threat to the smooth transition after April 1993. The formula by which government money for implementation will be distributed discriminates against London. The sheer complexity of the organisational transformation has also been underestimated; the machinery of government both locally and centrally is ill equipped to maintain the precedence of the consumer. There are examples of good practice in London boroughs, but the dangers of Londoners ending up with the worst of all worlds are great."}
{"id": "PMID:1486312", "title": "Principles of antibody therapy.", "content": "The success of monoclonal antibodies in clinical practice is dependent on good design. Finding a suitable target is the most important part as other properties of the antibody can be altered by genetic engineering. Antibodies that target lymphocyte antigens offer less toxic immunosuppressive treatment than currently available drugs and the first monoclonal antibody approved for human use is an immunosuppressive agent for treating rejection of renal transplants. Human trails of monoclonal antibodies to treat septic shock have been done and antibodies are also being developed to target common pathogens such as herpes simplex virus. Although monoclonal antibodies against cancer have been much heralded, their success has been limited by the poor access to the inside of tumours. Treatment of blood cancers has been more successful and a human antibody against B cell malignancies is being clinically tested. As knowledge about natural immune responses and antibody engineering increases many more monoclonals are likely to feature in clinical practice."}
{"id": "PMID:1486330", "title": "Localized retinal morphology and differential light sensitivity in diabetic retinopathy. Methodology and clinical results.", "content": "The thesis presents a technique designed to allow a comparison of retinal function as assessed by computerized perimetry with retinal morphology as seen on photographs of the ocular fundus, including results from the practical application of this technique in the study of diabetic retinopathy. The basis of the technique is an optical algorithm that allows angular distances in the visual field to be transformed to match linear distances on fundus photographs and fluorescein angiograms. The visual field data is superimposed onto the corresponding retinal morphology on the photograph on the basis of two points of reference. The fixation point in the visual field is superimposed onto the foveola on the photograph of the ocular fundus, and the blind spot in the visual field is superimposed onto the optic disc on the photograph. In the practical application of this technique for the study of diabetic retinopathy, visual field scotomata were found corresponding to areas displaying signs of retinal vascular impairment in the form of vascular occlusion, while no relation was found between visual field scotomata and breakdown of the blood-retina barrier as studied on fluorescein angiograms. Furthermore, visual field scotomata were found to correspond to areas peripheral from retinal neovascularizations, a finding supporting the hypothesis that the neovascularizations develop because of stimulation from vasogenic factors released from ischaemic and hypoxic retinal tissue. Visual field scotomata were also found in relation to retinal cotton wool spots. These scotomata were localized, and not accurately extended, which could be expected if the retinal nerve fiber layer had been damaged. Finally, some visual field scotomata could not be related to any visible funduscopic or angiographical morphology. It is concluded that pathological changes in the inner retinal vascular supply may lead to impairment of visual function in diabetic retinopathy, but that also other mechanisms not manifested in a morphologically visible way, are involved. A further investigation of the pathophysiology leading to visual impairment in diabetes mellitus should focus on these unknown factors. A possible approach could be the development of new techniques for studying pathophysiological mechanisms in specific retinal layers, and especially the layers supplied by the external vascular supply to the retina from the choroidal circulation."}
{"id": "PMID:1486331", "title": "Structure and expression of the human insulin-like growth factor genes.", "content": "The human insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) are important regulators of growth, which exert their functions via endocrine, paracrine and autocrine mechanisms of action. Structural analysis of the genes coding for IGF-I and -II has revealed that they have a complex exon-intron structure and possess multiple promoters. The expression of the IGF genes is regulated at the levels of transcription, RNA processing and translation. This review summarizes our current knowledge of the structure and expression of these genes."}
{"id": "PMID:1486334", "title": "Effects of insulin-like growth factor I or human growth hormone in fasted rats.", "content": "To study the effect of insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) treatment on growth and metabolism in fasted rats and compare it with the effect of human growth hormone (hGH), we infused 120 micrograms/ml IGF-I continuously or injected 200 micrograms hGH twice a day in fasted rats. After a 3 1/2-day administration of IGF-I in fasted rats, the body weights, kidney, spleen and adrenal gland weights were greater than those for untreated fasted rats (control). The body weights and the organ weights in hGH treated rats did not differ from those in control rats. Serum IGF-I levels in control, hGH treated and IGF-I treated rats were 64.0 +/- 6.1, 107.5 +/- 6.9 and 129.8 +/- 6.3 ng/ml, respectively, which were significantly different from each other. Blood urea nitrogen (BUN) levels were 13.9 +/- 1.1 ng/ml in IGF-I treated rats, which were significantly lower than those of control rats. Human GH treatment did not change BUN but affected nonesterified fatty acid (NEFA) and triglyceride. In IGF-I treated rats three-day urinary excretion of nitrogen and creatine were 163.5 +/- 14.6 mg and 9.53 +/- 1.53 mg, which were significantly less than those in control rats. These data indicate that IGF-I infusion inhibits body weight loss and catabolism in fasted rats and might be a useful therapy in catabolic conditions."}
{"id": "PMID:1486353", "title": "Noise levels from toys and recreational articles for children and teenagers.", "content": "This study examined the noise level emitted by toys and recreational articles used by children and teenagers. The results indicate that many of the items tested emit sufficiently intense noise to be a source of noise induced hearing loss in school-age children. While the baby toys provided noise exposure within the limits of national regulations, they are most intense in a frequency range that corresponds to the resonance frequency of the external auditory canal of very young children. Hobby motors emit noise that may require protection depending upon the length of use. Fire-crackers and cap guns emit impulse noises that exceed even conservative standards for noise exposure."}
{"id": "PMID:1486354", "title": "Observations on the ABR I-V interval in a clinical sample of elderly patients.", "content": "ABR I-V interval in elderly patients, analysed by multiple regression analysis, was found to be dependent on hearing threshold slope and sex, while the contribution of age and hearing loss was not significant. Since these results partly disagree with other reports which demonstrate that I-V interval is significantly related to age and hearing threshold, caution is suggested in inferring general conclusions on age effects, if data are drawn from clinical samples."}
{"id": "PMID:1486355", "title": "The effect of temperature on the performance of audiometric mechanical coupler systems.", "content": "Measurements of mechanical coupler performance have been made over the temperature range 13 degrees C to 33 degrees C to investigate the change of force sensitivity level and mechanical impedance level with temperature for frequencies in the range 125 Hz to 5000 Hz. In addition, the temperature dependence of the voltage output of the mechanical coupler system has been measured for a coupler driven by a Radioear type B-71 bone vibrator, to investigate the net effect of these changes on an audiometer calibration. Very clear dependence on temperature has been found for all three parameters at some frequencies. In particular, coefficients approaching 0.6 dB/degrees C have been found for the rate of change of force sensitivity level at higher frequencies, and when driven by a bone vibrator coefficients around 0.5 dB/degrees C have been measured for the voltage output, again at the higher frequencies. This strong dependence of the performance of the mechanical coupler on temperature has implications for all those working in audiometric calibration, and especially for those involved in providing calibrations of audiometers in situ, where the mechanical coupler is transported from site to site and may well be exposed to extremes of temperature during transportation."}
{"id": "PMID:1486356", "title": "Somatic and psychological factors contributing to handicap in people with vertigo.", "content": "Questionnaires assessing symptoms, disability and handicap, predisposition to anxiety, and current anxiety and depression were completed by 127 people attending neuro-otology clinics with a major complaint of vertigo or dysequilibrium. Definite signs of vestibular dysfunction (spontaneous or positional nystagmus, or canal paresis) were found in 56% of the sample, but the presence or absence of abnormal vestibular test results was unrelated to diagnosis, reported symptoms, handicap and psychological status. Two-thirds of employed respondents admitted to occupational difficulties, and more than one in seven had left work because of vertigo. Although the number of people in the sample with a predisposition to anxiety was not unusually high, over a third of the sample had abnormally elevated levels of current anxiety. Multiple regression analyses indicated that disability was determined mainly by physical factors (vertigo severity and duration, age and sex). Handicap was influenced by a mixture of somatic and psychological variables, including the severity of autonomic symptoms. Anxiety and depression were only indirectly related to the severity and duration of the vertigo, insofar as this contributed to handicap. The partial dissociation between these different aspects of patient well-being suggests a need for separate evaluation and differing management of problems at each level of functioning."}
{"id": "PMID:1486357", "title": "An evaluation of commercial water irrigation systems used for caloric testing.", "content": "The post-1982 Grant Caloric Test Apparatus, and the Atmos Variotherm were evaluated and compared to BS5724 Part 1 (1989). Quality of construction is satisfactory, but design features may result in failure of tests for which this type of equipment should conform; namely splash, liquid leakage and spillage. For the Variotherm the proximity of the water piping to the electrical parts could result in wetting of the electrical units in the event of a leakage. The large vents in the Grant tanks allow easy access of water to electrical parts in the event of splashing. Both sets of equipment fail BS5724 Part 1 (1989) with respect to labelling. The Grant irrigation nozzle is well designed, but the Variotherm nozzles are not so, as they can accidentally pass down the external auditory meatus causing meatal wall or tympanic membrane damage. Both sets of equipment passed on electrical safety test for Class I Type B equipment. Cut-outs are fitted to prevent heating in the absence of water or over-heating of the water. The 44 degrees C Grant tank cut out after 20 s in the absence of water and at 49 degrees C as the water temperature rose above the operating temperature. The Variotherm heater did not operate in the absence of a water supply. The Variotherm thermal cut-out was not assessed. The force of the water at recommended flow rates using the Variotherm 'standard' metal nozzle was considered to pose a potential hazard of tympanic membrane perforation, and has subsequently been withdrawn by the supplier. The plastic nozzle minimized any such risk. The Variotherm is easier to use due to the well-designed trigger handle for controlling water delivery. Both sets of equipment performed at the correct temperature to within +/- 0.5 degrees C and achieved a flow rate of 250 ml in 30 s."}
{"id": "PMID:1486358", "title": "Quantification of hearing disability for medicolegal purposes based on self-rating.", "content": "Current practice for medicolegal assessment of individuals entails the use of an impairment measure obtained from average hearing threshold levels as a surrogate for hearing disability, and conversion of the surrogate to disability via a formula. Several different formulae are in use, but none is based explicitly on experimental data. To address this lack of empirical foundation in the assessment process, numerical self-ratings of hearing ability by 2058 subjects with a wide range of hearing threshold levels who had taken part in the National Study of Hearing in the UK were analysed to examine their relation to average hearing threshold level. The relation between self-rated hearing disability (the complement of self-rated hearing ability) and hearing threshold level was found to be sigmoid in form, and could be closely modelled by a modified Gompertz function. Functions for the median, upper quartile and lower quartile disability ratings with hearing threshold level are presented in graphical, parametric and tabular form. The median function gives a quantitative foundation for medicolegal assessments."}
{"id": "PMID:1486359", "title": "Apportionment of noise-induced hearing disability and its prognosis in a medicolegal context: a modelling study.", "content": "Apportionment of liability for noise-induced hearing loss is required in medicolegal work when two or more separate instances of noise exposure have occurred. In general there are insufficient audiometric records to determine how much hearing loss was caused by each noise exposure, and hence there is insufficient information on which to base apportionment of liability. Apportionment must then be based on a theoretical understanding of the way in which hearing loss is related to patterns of noise exposure and how the increased hearing threshold levels lead to greater disability. A model is developed which combines existing models of the relationship of hearing impairment to noise exposure and age, and the relationship of hearing disability to impairment. The model is evaluated for a wide range of notional patterns of noise exposure, leading to a simple equation which predicts the relative attribution of disability to previous noise exposures sufficiently accurately for the purposes of apportionment. The model also shows that disability due to noise exposure generally increases slightly with increasing age even after noise exposure has ceased. Thus the difference in disability between a person exposed to noise and a noise-free control of the same age and sex can be expected to increase somewhat as the subject and control grow older. However, the magnitude of this effect, often termed prognosis, is shown to be small and can be assumed to be zero in practice."}
{"id": "PMID:1486361", "title": "Motion sickness and perception: a reappraisal of the sensory conflict approach.", "content": "This review examines the role of activity and perceptual learning in motion sickness by means of a survey of the two kinds of recent research relevant to this topic. The first is a body of literature concerned not with motion sickness as such, but with perception of orientation and self-motion under the conditions of 'sensory conflict' which are thought to provoke motion sickness. The second consists of investigations into the prediction and prevention of motion sickness itself. A major weakness is identified in the methodologies employed in both types of research: namely, a neglect of the way in which responses to unusual and disorienting environments, whether nauseogenic or not, may be affected by the activities, skills and strategies of the perceiver. New directions are outlined for future research into immediate reactions and longer-term adaptation to such environments."}
{"id": "PMID:1486362", "title": "Effects of mood manipulation and anxiety on performance of an emotional Stroop task.", "content": "In Study 1 subjects high and low in trait anxiety were asked to identify the colour of anxiety-related, anxiety-matched neutral, happiness-related and happiness-matched neutral words. There were two types of stimulus presentation: blocked trials, where stimuli were blocked with respect to their valence, and mixed trials, where stimuli were mixed with respect to their valence. Subjects high in trait anxiety took longer to identify the colour of anxiety-related compared to matched neutral words for blocked-trial presentation only. In Study 2 subjects were exposed to either a positive or a negative mood-manipulation followed by a mixed-trial Stroop task. The mood manipulation procedure was successful in producing predicted changes in self-reported state anxiety. Analyses showed that high-trait-anxiety subjects exhibited interference effects consistent with the induced mood. No such effects were observed for the low-trait-anxiety subjects."}
{"id": "PMID:1486363", "title": "Spatial ability in subgroups of left- and right-handers.", "content": "Two tests of spatial ability, mental paper folding given to 459 14-15-year-olds representative of the secondary school population, and recall of the Rey figure given to 428 undergraduates, found significant relationships between ability and hand preference when preferences were classified in subgroups of left- and right-handers (Annett, 1970a). In 14-15-year-olds and in female undergraduates there was a W-shaped relation between hand preference and spatial ability. The highest scores were in the centre for right-handers with strong sinistral tendencies. Male undergraduates showed a linear trend, with spatial ability highest in strong left-handers and declining from left to right across levels of hand preference. When spatial test scores were considered in relation to differences between the hands in skill a decline of ability with increasing dextrality was found in right-handers and in left-handers. In terms of the right shift theory (Annett, 1972, 1985), the evidence suggests that there are costs for spatial ability associated with the presence of the rs+ gene, even in single dose (rs+ - genotypes), and that those who lack the gene (rs- - genotypes) have advantages for spatial ability (Annett, 1991 c)."}
{"id": "PMID:1486364", "title": "Differences in vividness ratings of perceived and imagined patterns.", "content": "The present research focuses on the different subjective experiences evoked by perceived and imagined matrices of letters of the alphabet. In three experiments adult subjects were asked to rate the vividness of a letter included in a matrix of letters which varied due to manipulations in colour, rotation and movement. Subjects were asked to observe (perceptual modality), draw and observe (drawing modality), retrieve (memory modality) or imagine (imagery modality) the matrices. For some manipulations of the critical letter (in particular, 45 degrees inclination and high contrast colour), the perceptual modality produced comparatively higher vividness ratings than the other two modalities. The perceptual effect of inclination was also duplicated with the memory modality group. It is argued that different visual processes, either immediate and pre-attentive, or sequential and attentive, may be operating under voluntary control. Although visual imagery varies in some ways from immediate visual perception, the similarities found, between the drawing and imagery modalities, on the one hand, and the perceptual and memory modalities, on the other hand, suggest that they share some common underlying processes."}
{"id": "PMID:1486366", "title": "Chest radiography in the management of breast cancer.", "content": "This study was undertaken to assess the utility of chest radiography (CXR) in the management of patients with breast cancer and to devise a suitable imaging policy for such patients. A retrospective analysis was performed of the case notes and the CXRs of a series of 141 patients presenting to this hospital in 1980 with a diagnosis of early breast cancer. Data retrieved covered the entire clinical course to date and included the number of CXRs performed for a clinical reason and the number performed as \"routine\". Correlation of the result of every CXR requested to subsequent therapeutic decision-making throughout the complete clinical course of each patient was undertaken and the proportion of CXRs initiating a management change, or performed for a clinical reason, out of the total requested was assessed. A total of 1161 CXRs were performed on the 141 patients studied. Of these, only 174 (15%) were undertaken for a direct clinical reason and 987 (85%) were undertaken as part of \"routine\" follow-up procedures and had no impact on patient management. Four \"routine\" CXRs (< 0.4%) demonstrated previously undiagnosed pulmonary metastases, in patients with no other history of metastatic disease. Thus, routine chest radiography is not a cost-effective method of monitoring asymptomatic patients with breast cancer for metastasis. It is recommended that outside staging procedures for clinical trials, the CXR is used only to address a clinical problem relating specifically to the thorax. It is anticipated that the cessation of all other chest radiography in patients being followed up for breast cancer at this institution will have significant budgetary implications."}
{"id": "PMID:1486367", "title": "The dependence of the scattered radiation dose to personnel on technique factors in diagnostic radiology.", "content": "The measurement and prediction of scattered radiation dose to staff in diagnostic radiology is particularly important, owing to the increased use and complexity of interventional radiology. The air kerma-area product and scattered radiation dose in the vicinity of the patient couch, for both overcouch and undercouch X-ray tube geometries, were simultaneously monitored. The scattered radiation distribution at the couchside was deduced at a range of tube potentials for both overcouch and undercouch X-ray tube geometries. The variation of scattered radiation with field size on both geometries was investigated, as well as the variation with focus-table distance on an overcouch tube geometry. It was discovered that the scattered radiation dose at a point correlated with the air kerma-area product and the result may be used for radiation protection purposes. A method of predicting the scattered radiation dose at a given position is described."}
{"id": "PMID:1486368", "title": "Improved image quality for dense breasts in mammography.", "content": "Within the UK breast scanning age range of 50-65 years, about 15% of breasts show a dense structure that is underexposed in conventional mammography. This gives rise to a severe reduction in contrast. Methods of improving this contrast by variation of exposure factors are explored, using a Dupont phantom that has a simulated dense breast structure. Results are assessed by considering measured contrast from a Perspex stepwedge, and by obtaining relative scores, on a scale of 1-10, from 15 radiologists involved in mammography. It is concluded from both these methods that approximately doubling the mAs at the normal kV is preferable to increasing the kV by more than a small amount. A modified mammographic technique on these lines could be valuable in selected cases where a previous conventional mammogram was available, i.e. assessment stage or repeat screening in a screening programme, or symptomatic patients. Practical problems in choosing exposure factors and the magnitude and implications of the increased dose are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1486369", "title": "A standardized multifield irradiation technique for breast tumours using asymmetrical collimators and beam angulation.", "content": "Combined angulation and asymmetrical collimator matching techniques are used for field alignment in breast irradiation. A local regional irradiation technique has been developed that allows a uniform dose distribution to the entire target volume. The localization is characterized by simple measurement of a few patient co-ordinates. The equipment settings to produce a theoretical exact field alignment are calculated by a special computer program. These settings guide the simulation. We have designed the method such that the technique is standardized for all patients receiving breast and lymph node irradiation. This allows an easy, accurate and fast patient throughput at the simulator and accelerators."}
{"id": "PMID:1486370", "title": "The labelling index in carcinoma of the uterine cervix: its correlation with tumour sterilization.", "content": "The pre-treatment labelling index (LI) was measured in 72 patients with carcinoma of the cervix. It was not correlated with patient age, stage of the disease or histological grade. 46 patients underwent hysterectomy after intracavitary irradiation with or without external radiotherapy. The mean LI in patients with tumour sterilization or microscopic residue was significantly higher than in patients with gross disease. These results suggest that tumours with low LI may be difficult to sterilize with conventional therapeutic measures, or that doomed cells may require several weeks to be eliminated in tumours with low LI."}
{"id": "PMID:1486378", "title": "Percutaneous removal of retained intrahepatic stones with a pre-shaped angulated catheter: review of 96 patients.", "content": "Intrahepatic biliary stone disease is prevalent in East Asia and there is a high frequency of retained intrahepatic stones after surgical treatment. Percutaneous removal of retained intrahepatic stones with a pre-shaped angulated catheter and a Dormier basket was attempted in a group of 96 patients who had a T-tube. Seventy-six had multiple intrahepatic stones, confined to one hepatic lobe in 52 patients. Stones were exclusively intrahepatic in 68 cases. Biliary strictures were present in 92 cases (95.8%). A combination of techniques was used including pre-shaped angulated catheters, irrigation suction, balloon dilatation of strictures, crushing of large stones and extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy. Retained stones were completely removed in 48 cases, and incompletely removed in 22 cases. The overall success rate was 72.9%. There were only minor complications. No mortality or significant morbidity requiring hospitalization occurred. Angular deformity, stricture of bile ducts and impacted stones were the most frequent factors responsible for failure or incomplete removal of retained stones. Fluoroscopically guided percutaneous interventional procedures with a pre-shaped angulated catheter are useful complementary procedures to surgery for patients with intrahepatic stones. The major benefits of an individually angulated catheter are safety and easy access to small peripheral bile ducts."}
{"id": "PMID:1486383", "title": "Surgical management of renal carcinoma with extensive involvement of the vena cava and right atrium.", "content": "Between 1988 and 1990, 8 patients with a renal tumour extending into the vena cava and with supradiaphragmatic extension were treated by an operative technique involving extracorporeal circulation and deep hypothermic circulatory arrest. In 4 patients the thrombus extended into the right atrium. Six patients appeared to have a renal carcinoma. Intra-operatively one patient's tumour proved to be a metastasis of a squamous cell carcinoma of the lung and another patient was found post-operatively to have a leiomyosarcoma of the vena cava. Two of these 6 patients died from metastases 6 weeks and 8 months post-operatively. Four patients are symptom-free, although 3 of them have liver or lung metastases 10, 20 and 37 months post-operatively. One has no evidence of disease 18 months post-operatively. The use of extracorporeal circulation and deep hypothermic circulatory arrest provides optimal surgical exposure and gives the patients a considerable complaint-free interval post-operatively. How often cure is also achieved is as yet unclear."}
{"id": "PMID:1486384", "title": "Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy of ureteric stones with the Modulith SL 20.", "content": "A series of 138 patients with ureteric calculi was treated by in situ extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) during the clinical introduction of the Modulith SL 20. This machine represents a newly developed lithotriptor with an electromagnetic cylinder as shock wave source and a dual localisation system consisting of in-line ultrasound and an integrated fluoroscope C-arm. During the first 2 months, 12 patients (phase 1) were treated under ultrasound localisation alone; during the next 5 months, 37 patients (phase 2) were treated using dual imaging modalities with reduced peak pressure (max. 18 kV = 800 bar); during the final 7 months, 89 patients (phase 3) were treated under ultrasonic and fluoroscopic localisation combined with an increased maximal shock wave pressure (20 kV = 1024 bar). The introduction of fluoroscopic targeting (phases 2 and 3) resulted in satisfactory localisation of calculi in the mid-ureter, previously limited by use of only coaxial ultrasound. The extension of stone localisation to the whole length of the ureter was associated with a marked decrease in treatment time, reflecting the easy handling of the dual localisation system. The rise in generator voltage (phase 3) improved the disintegration rate from 81% (phase 2) to 85%, whereas the number of impulses remained unchanged. However, the rate of auxiliary procedures following ESWL (adjuvant and curative) was reduced from 33% (phase 2) to 24.5%. Thus the Modulith SL 20 in its final design enables in situ ESWL to be the treatment of choice for all ureteric calculi, rendering special positioning techniques or multiple treatment unnecessary."}
{"id": "PMID:1486385", "title": "Extracorporeal lithotripsy of ureteric calculi using the Dornier HM-3 lithotriptor.", "content": "Over a 5-year period (November 1984-November 1989), we treated 356 patients with ureteric calculi; 170 were treated by extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) on a Dornier HM-3 lithotriptor. The calculi (n = 176) were uniformly distributed along the length of the ureter: 44 were just below the pelviureteric junction, 59 were lumbo-iliac, 42 were in the upper bony pelvis and 32 in the lower bony pelvis. The mean diameter of the upper ureteric calculi was 10 mm and for the others it was 8 mm. Thirty-four patients with acute obstructive pyelonephritis required pre-ESWL drainage of the urine. X-ray localisation required intravenous urography during lithotripsy in 52 cases (30%). On plain X-ray the following day 170 stones (96%) were judged to have disintegrated. The 6 patients whose stones were not fragmented received further treatment (ureterotomy (4) and ureteroscopy (2)). Five patients required additional treatment because of pain or fever (catheterisation (3) and ureterotomy (2)) and 2 patients had a second lithotripsy owing to insufficient fragmentation. Four patients were lost to follow-up. In 153 patients (90%) the fragments were eliminated completely, 146 in the first month and the remainder before the sixth month. No serious sequelae were observed. In addition to the 5 patients who required supplementary treatment. 11 patients with pain or fever needed medical treatment. We recommend first intention in situ ESWL for all ureteric calculi."}
{"id": "PMID:1486386", "title": "Assessment of the use of bladder washouts/instillations in patients with long-term indwelling catheters.", "content": "A randomised cross-over study of 3 bladder washout treatments--saline, Suby G and Solution R--was conducted on 25 elderly females with long-term catheters in order to examine crystal formation and catheter encrustation. With 2 exceptions, all patients produced crystals; only 14 completed the study. While a significant reduction in struvite crystals was found in the returned acidic washout fluid, there was no significant reduction of crystals in the neutral (saline) washout following any of the 3-week periods of treatment. Uric acid crystals appeared with Suby G and Solution R and these solutions were associated with higher red cell deposits in the urine. There was no significant difference in catheter encrustation between the various washouts."}
{"id": "PMID:1486387", "title": "Morphological effects of photodynamic therapy on rabbit bladder using Photofrin II and Photosan intravesically and intravenously.", "content": "Photodynamic therapy (PDT) has proved effective against superficial papillary bladder tumours and focal and diffuse carcinoma in situ. Effective topical administration of the sensitiser would be a welcome improvement. The morphological effects of PDT on the normal bladder were examined in 13 rabbits when 2 photosensitisers (Photofrin II and Photosan III) were applied intravesically (5 mg/kg for 1 h) and compared with intravenous administration (3 or 5 mg/kg). Four animals served as controls without a sensitiser. Intravesical red light (630 nm) from an argon dye laser was used to activate the photosensitiser, using light doses of 12 or 24 J/cm2. The animals were sacrificed either 1 or 5 to 7 days after the laser treatment. Intravenous dosage induced bladder wall oedema/haemorrhage and total necrosis of the epithelium. There was no difference between the effects of the 2 sensitisers. Intravesical application induced superficial epithelial necrosis. The control animals treated with laser light alone showed slight superficial injury to the cell layer."}
{"id": "PMID:1486388", "title": "The value of nuclear area as a prognostic factor in T1 papillary transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder.", "content": "In a series of 131 T1 papillary transitional cell carcinomas of the bladder, the nuclear areas of 100 nuclei (50 from the external papillary zone and 50 from the internal papillary zone) were measured. An attempt was made to correlate retrospectively the value of the mean nuclear area with histological grade and with survival. A higher value was obtained for the mean nuclear area of the internal papillary zone than for that of the external papillary zone. A better survival rate was found after 10 years' follow-up for those tumours whose mean nuclear area in the internal papillary zone was < or = 28 microns2, which suggests that it is in this zone that the nuclear area should be measured. A correlation was observed between the increase in the mean nuclear area value and higher histological grade."}
{"id": "PMID:1486389", "title": "Prognostic correlation of morphometric values with survival in invasive transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder.", "content": "A morphometric study was made of 95 invasive bladder tumours, differentiating 34 papillary and 61 solid carcinomas. In the invasive papillary tumours, the deeper the zone of the tumour measured, the higher the value of the mean nuclear area. A higher histological grade was also seen to correspond to a higher mean nuclear area value except for Grade IV tumours, whose nuclear area was no larger than that for Grade III tumours. This led us to separate Grade IV tumours from transitional cell carcinomas and classify them as undifferentiated. A better prognosis was found for those tumours whose mean nuclear area was < or = 30 microns2 in category T2. For T3 and T4A tumours no conclusive results were obtained in this respect."}
{"id": "PMID:1486390", "title": "Clinical information system that enhances the use of resources in endoscopic prostatic procedures.", "content": "In this study we evaluated, by means of an automated management system, the identification of subgroups of patients within certain operative categories whose predictable length of stay was compatible with treatment on a 5-day ward. This was achieved by using a computer directed analysis of urological workload on prospectively collected clinical data. Graphical presentation of the results was achieved by a technique known as the patient-bed dissociation curve. Patients with bladder outflow obstruction treated by transurethral prostatic resection (701) and bladder neck incision (113) were selected from a total of 7,162 hospital admissions. The main outcome measures were length of stay and complication rates for the 2 procedures. The results demonstrated that a group of patients about to undergo transurethral resection could be selected by age and source which would indicate an 18% greater probability of discharge within 5 days. These patients were easily identifiable in advance and would be suitable for treatment on a 5-day ward. It was concluded that computer-held clinical data were easily accessible to the surgeon. The process of detailed analysis need not take time. With properly directed studies the information retrieved could be used to effect change. The patient-bed dissociation curve may prove a valuable tool in examining and comparing discharge patterns in any groups of patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1486391", "title": "Phase II study of epirubicin in advanced hormone-resistant prostatic carcinoma.", "content": "Twenty-nine patients with metastatic prostate cancer that had progressed following orchiectomy were treated with intravenous epirubicin 90 mg/m2 every 28 days. Their median age was 71 years (range 49-78) and the median Zubrod scale (WHO score) was 1. Two patients had soft tissue lesions, 20 had bone metastases and 7 had both. Tumour response was assessed according to the National Prostatic Cancer Project criteria. Of 29 patients, 11 (38%) achieved a partial remission. The median duration of response was 6 months and the median survival time of all patients was 9 months (range 2-27). It seemed that treatment with epirubicin was not associated with an increase in survival. Toxicity was moderate and consisted of alopecia and mild nausea/vomiting. There was no significant haematological toxicity and no clinical cardiotoxicity. It was concluded that epirubicin was active in hormone-resistant metastatic prostate cancer in approximately 33% of the patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1486392", "title": "The treatment of Peyronie's disease with tamoxifen.", "content": "This is a preliminary study of the treatment of 36 patients with Peyronie's disease who received tamoxifen 20 mg twice daily for 3 months. An improvement occurred in 16 of 20 patients with penile pain, in 11 of 31 patients with an erectile deformity and 12 of 35 patients had a plaque shrinkage of at least 1 cm. Some improvement occurred in 6 of the 8 patients with a histologically confirmed inflammatory infiltrate of the plaque but not in any of the 4 patients without an infiltrate. The inflammatory infiltrate was found in patients in whom the duration of the disease was less than 4 months."}
{"id": "PMID:1486393", "title": "A new vacuum device as alternative treatment for impotence.", "content": "Vacuum erection devices are an acceptable alternative for the management of erectile dysfunction. The safety of such devices has been questioned because of their effects on penile blood flow. We report the use of Doppler ultrasonography to assess arterial flow and its value in ensuring long-term safety of a new external vacuum device. Sixteen patients were studied. At 3 months it was possible to confirm the efficacy and safety of the method and model in 14 patients, 12 of whom had a significant improvement in their sexual function. By 10 months, only 6 were continuing to use the device. Doppler sonography appears to be an effective technique for assessing penile blood flow during restriction from a vacuum device. The new vacuum device provides a satisfactory short-term alternative to other more invasive forms of therapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1486394", "title": "Instillation of silver nitrate in the treatment of chyluria.", "content": "A series of 62 patients with chyluria received instillations of 1% silver nitrate in the renal pelvis over an 8-year period; 51 patients responded well but 11 showed no response to treatment. Follow-up ranged from 2 to 7 years. The treatment was found to be safe, effective and minimally invasive."}
{"id": "PMID:1486395", "title": "Continent cutaneous diversions in children: experience with the Mitrofanoff procedure.", "content": "Continent cutaneous diversions with a urinary reservoir emptied by clean intermittent self-catheterisation (CISC) using a non-refluxing conduit--the Mitrofanoff principle--were carried out in 10 children. Their age range was 3.9 to 17.1 years (average 12.2). The underlying diagnoses were ectopia vesicae (7), myelodysplasia (2) and a cervical cord injury secondary to birth trauma (1). The indications were incontinence secondary to poor bladder neck resistance in 8 children and an inaccessible urethral orifice in 2. The catheterising conduits used were the appendix in 9 and a vascularised gastric tube in 1. Eight children are bone-dry with CISC. Another child needed a reoperation following dehiscence of her bladder neck closure. The other child has an intact bladder neck and urethra and occasionally leaks overnight. Mitrofanoff diversions are a reliable means of continence with CISC. This means of urinary diversion can be permanent or temporary in children who cannot or will not catheterise urethrally. Elective appendicectomy in children with potential urinary incontinence or complicated urogenital anomalies is not recommended."}
{"id": "PMID:1486396", "title": "Epispadias surgery--Belgrade experience.", "content": "From 1987 to 1991, 46 patients underwent surgical treatment for epispadias. Of these, 14 had isolated epispadias and 22 had epispadias within the exstrophy/epispadias complex. The patients ranged in age from 6 months to 20 years. To correct the genital aspect of the anomaly the basic principles of Ransley's technique were used. In addition, the island flap technique was used for the most severe, so-called \"cripple\" form. In patients with exstrophy/epispadias complex, only elongation of the penis was performed during primary reconstruction, while the correction of epispadias, using the above techniques, was performed in the second-stage operation. Complications occurred in 6 patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1486397", "title": "Bladder exstrophy and anterior pelvic osteotomy.", "content": "Between August 1988 and December 1991, 36 children with bladder exstrophy underwent surgery for primary bladder reconstruction. Each child was either untreated or had already been treated unsuccessfully. The operative technique involved bilateral osteotomy of the superior ramus of the pubic bone. In infants the cartilaginous ischiopubic junction, acting as an articulation, allowed symphyseal approximation, while in older children this was achieved by fracture of the inferior ramus of the pubic bone. The bladder was either closed or, in most cases, the exstrophic bladder plate was inserted deep into the pelvis, allowing subsequent epithelialisation of the bladder and further formation and growth. Follow-up up for 3.5 years showed bladder capacities of 40 to 150 ml. Some patients underwent an additional augmentation enterocystoplasty. Primary bladder reconstruction remained uncompromised in 7 patients who developed moderate (and 1 complete) rediastasis of the pubic bones. All exstrophic bladders are reconstructible, particularly in older children."}
{"id": "PMID:1486398", "title": "Results of surgical treatment in children with bladder exstrophy.", "content": "A series of 42 children (30 boys and 12 girls) underwent surgery for bladder exstrophy between 1972 and 1989. Primary bladder closure was performed in 11 patients and was successful in 6. Four of these children are about 2 years old and so it is not yet possible to assess their continence. Ureterosigmoidostomy was performed in 35 children, one of whom was converted to cutaneous ureterostomy. Follow-up ranges from 2 to 20 years (average 9 years 3 months) and 50% of the patients are symptom-free. The most frequent problems were acidosis and urinary tract dilatation. Other complications, such as hypokalaemia and pyelonephritis, were seldom seen. Although ureterosigmoidostomy has some disadvantages, our patients have adapted well and lead a normal life."}
{"id": "PMID:1486415", "title": "Prosthetic vascular graft infection.", "content": "The aetiology, diagnosis and management of prosthetic vascular graft infection are reviewed. The importance of contamination at the time of surgery as the crucial aetiological factor is highlighted. Staphylococcus epidermidis is the causative organism in over 50 per cent of cases and the reasons for this are explored. Sound surgical technique, use of prophylactic antibiotics and the avoidance of a groin incision are emphasized as the most important factors in prevention of graft infection. Difficulties of diagnosis are highlighted and the diagnostic role of various imaging methods is assessed. Graft excision with extra-anatomic revascularization is presented as the conventional surgical solution, while the roles of less radical surgical solutions and non-operative management are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1486416", "title": "Metastasectomy.", "content": "The literature on metastasectomy abounds in anecdote and retrospective studies of non-randomized patients. In this paper, the published evidence concerning the efficacy of metastasectomy in the lung, liver, brain, gastrointestinal tract and omentum is reviewed to formulate practical recommendations for patient selection and treatment. At some sites metastasectomy can be recommended with little hesitation for more widespread application, but surgery for liver metastases should still be regarded with some reservation."}
{"id": "PMID:1486417", "title": "Mechanical properties of the aneurysmal aorta.", "content": "The mechanical properties of the abdominal aorta were investigated non-invasively in 30 patients with aortic aneurysm and 11 with peripheral arterial disease. The distensibility of the aorta was measured using M-mode ultrasonography, permitting non-invasive assessment of the pressure--strain elastic modulus or aortic stiffness, Ep. The median Ep value increased from 4.0 N/cm2 in control subjects in their third decade of life (n = 10) to 10.4 N/cm2 in middle age (n = 11) to 14.0 N/cm2 in the elderly (n = 13). In the presence of a normal diameter, peripheral arterial disease with aortic atherosclerosis had little effect on aortic stiffness, median Ep being 16.0 N/cm2. Aneurysmal dilatation was associated with a significant increase in aortic stiffness, median Ep being 31.3 N/cm2 (P < 0.001). For aortas of normal diameter, Ep was at all ages dependent on mean arterial pressure. In patients with aortic aneurysms there was no clear relationship between Ep and mean arterial pressure or aortic diameter. Of the patients studied, 15 underwent aortic reconstruction; increasing aortic stiffness (log Ep) was associated with a decreased medial elastin content of the aortic biopsy (r = -0.63, P < 0.02). This study demonstrates the marked stiffness or inelasticity of dilated or aneurysmal vessels, part of which is attributable to the loss of elastin."}
{"id": "PMID:1486418", "title": "Long-term reduction of intimal hyperplasia by the selective alpha-1 adrenergic antagonist doxazosin.", "content": "Studies have shown that alpha 1-adrenergic blockade reduces intimal hyperplasia in the rabbit aorta. In this study a selective alpha 1-adrenergic antagonist, doxazosin, has been used to examine whether this effect is persistent and dose dependent. Forty-eight New Zealand White rabbits underwent endothelial denudation of the abdominal aorta using a Fogarty balloon catheter. Test rabbits were given low-dose (2 mg) or high-dose (8 mg) doxazosin daily and all animals killed at either 1 or 12 weeks after the procedure. The aortas were harvested after fixation in situ with 4 per cent glutaraldehyde and neointimal hyperplasia was measured, using an x-y digitizer, as the percentage reduction in luminal cross-sectional area. At 1 week after surgery, rabbits receiving the low dose had a median area reduction of 7.7 per cent and those receiving the high dose a reduction of 8.2 per cent; both had significantly less intimal hyperplasia than control rabbits, which had a median area reduction of 14.8 per cent (P < 0.01). However, at 12 weeks, when compared with the 32.6 per cent reduction in the control group, only those rabbits receiving high-dose doxazosin had significantly less intimal hyperplasia, with a reduction of 5.5 per cent (P < 0.001). It is concluded that selective alpha 1-adrenergic blockade significantly reduces neointimal hyperplasia, that this effect is dose dependent, and that it persists for at least 3 months."}
{"id": "PMID:1486420", "title": "Effect of free radical scavenging on skeletal muscle blood flow during postischaemic reperfusion.", "content": "After 6-h tourniquet ischaemia of one hindlimb in male Sprague-Dawley rats, gastrocnemius muscle blood flow was measured following 10, 120 and 240 min of reperfusion using radiolabelled microspheres. A perfusion index was calculated (experimental limb: contralateral limb) for each of these times. Comparison of perfusion indices in ten control animals (6 h ischaemia, 4 h reperfusion) with similar measurements in ten normal rats with no ischaemia and in ten ischaemic animals with the tourniquet in situ demonstrated low median (interquartile range (i.q.r.)) reflow after 10 min (control 0.12 (0.02-0.43), ischaemia 0.04 (0.00-0.07), normal 1.05 (0.68-1.18); control versus ischaemia, P not significant; control versus normal, P < 0.01). Relative reperfusion occurred at 120 min (control 0.48 (0.11-0.70), ischaemia 0.02 (0.01-0.07), normal 0.97 (0.79-1.13); control versus ischaemia, P < 0.05; control versus normal, P < 0.05) and reperfusion injury after 240 min of revascularization, with muscle blood flow being little different from that in the ischaemic group (control 0.05 (0.01-0.38), ischaemia 0.03 (0.00-0.07), normal 1.01 (0.73-1.16); control versus ischaemia, P not significant; control versus normal, P < 0.01). Two groups of 12 rats were given either intravenous superoxide dismutase and catalase or dimethylthiourea 30 min before tourniquet release, continuing throughout the period of reperfusion. Superoxide dismutase and catalase reversed low reflow, producing a median (i.q.r.) perfusion index of 0.94 (0.54-1.12) (P < 0.01 versus control, P not significant versus normal), but had no effect on relative reperfusion (0.66 (0.42-1.01), P not significant versus control) or on reperfusion injury (0.27 (0.01-0.35), P not significant versus control). In contrast, dimethylthiourea had no effect on perfusion at either 10 min (0.10 (0.03-0.15), P not significant versus control) or 240 min (0.04 (0.00-0.11), P not significant versus control), but abolished the phase of relative reperfusion at 120 min (0.04 (0.02-0.21), P < 0.01 versus control). These results indicate that, although superoxide radicals are harmful during postischaemic reperfusion, hydroxyl radicals may be beneficial."}
{"id": "PMID:1486421", "title": "Comparison of POSSUM with APACHE II for prediction of outcome from a surgical high-dependency unit.", "content": "POSSUM and APACHE II scores from 117 consecutive admissions to a high-dependency unit after major surgery were correlated with 30-day morbidity and mortality rates. Thirteen patients (11 per cent) died and 59 (50 per cent) developed a postoperative complication. Receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis showed POSSUM to have good predictive value for mortality (area under curve 0.75) and morbidity (area under curve 0.82). APACHE II scores had a significantly inferior predictive value for mortality (area under curve 0.54) (P < 0.002). POSSUM was superior to APACHE II in prediction of mortality in patients admitted to a high-dependency unit after general surgery. Prediction of postoperative complications by POSSUM is accurate and may be useful for audit."}
{"id": "PMID:1486423", "title": "Autopsy analysis in surgical patients: a basis for clinical audit.", "content": "An autopsy study was performed to quantify diagnostic fallibility in clinical surgery. Autopsy results in 312 surgical patients were compared with clinical findings. The primary clinical diagnosis was correct in 93 per cent of patients; complications had been correctly diagnosed in 60 per cent and error in treatment was found in 16 per cent. Error in treatment had an adverse impact on the course of disease in 11 per cent of patients. Infective complications such as abdominal sepsis and bronchopneumonia were encountered most often. Sensitivity was low for the clinical diagnosis of pulmonary embolism, bronchopneumonia, myocardial infarction and terminal haemorrhage. Statistical analysis showed that sudden unexpected death is the most obvious condition in which a high yield is expected from a post-mortem examination. Autopsy remains a valuable means of quality control in clinical surgery and could be a basis for surgical audit."}
{"id": "PMID:1486424", "title": "Circadian variation in unexpected postoperative death.", "content": "Unexpected deaths still occur following major surgical procedures. The cause is often unknown but may be cardiac or thromboembolic in nature. Postoperative ischaemia, infarction and sudden cardiac death may be triggered by episodic or constant arterial hypoxaemia, which increases during the night. This study examined the circadian variation of sudden unexpected death following abdominal surgery between 1985 and 1989 inclusive. Deaths were divided into those occurring during the day (08.00-16.00 hours), evening (16.00-24.00 hours) and night (24.00-08.00 hours). Twenty-three deaths were considered to have been totally unexpected. Of 16 such patients undergoing autopsy, pulmonary embolism was the cause of death in five. In the remaining 11 patients, death occurred at night in eight (P < 0.005). Five of the seven patients without an autopsy died at night (P < 0.04); overall, 13 of 18 unexpected deaths occurred at night-time. These results suggest a need for further studies of sleep- and respiration-related effects on postoperative nocturnal cardiac function. The efficacy of monitoring during this apparent high-risk period should be evaluated."}
{"id": "PMID:1486425", "title": "Traumatic amputation by explosive blast: pattern of injury in survivors.", "content": "Explosive blast causes a pattern of injury including primary blast lung, secondary fragment injury and traumatic amputation of limbs. Major traumatic amputation is rare in survivors of bomb blast but common in those who die. The mechanism of such injury has not been previously determined, but must be established if protective measures are to be developed for members of the armed forces. The nature of 41 traumatic amputations in 29 servicemen who survived to reach medical care after blast injury was investigated to determine the anatomical level of amputation and the pattern of soft tissue damage. Joints were an infrequent site of amputation and the tibial tuberosity was a particularly frequent site of lower-limb severance. Comparison of the pattern of injury was made with that seen in ejecting fast-jet pilots, who frequently suffer major flailing injury; there appears to be a substantially different injury distribution. The accepted mechanism of traumatic amputation, avulsion by the dynamic overpressure, is challenged; it is suggested that the shockwave resulting from an explosion is capable of causing at least bone disruption in a limb."}
{"id": "PMID:1486426", "title": "Management of Gulf War casualties.", "content": "During the Gulf War 84 patients underwent surgery in the Jubail Armed Forces Hospital, Saudi Arabia. The median time to evacuate casualties to hospital was 8 h 40 min. Fragments caused 88 per cent of injuries; 11 per cent were caused by bullets. Multiple lesions were encountered in 70 per cent of patients. The extremities (76 per cent) were the most frequently injured site, the lower limbs more so than the upper. Soft tissue injuries prevailed (59 per cent)."}
{"id": "PMID:1486427", "title": "Tumour oestrogen receptor content allows selection of elderly patients with breast cancer for conservative tamoxifen treatment.", "content": "Immunocytochemical analysis was used to determine tumour oestrogen receptor (ER) content in elderly patients with primary operable breast cancer. Only those ER positive were selected for conservative treatment with tamoxifen alone. Initial response was compared with that of historical controls not selected according to ER status. Early progressive disease was markedly reduced at 6 months, from 30 per cent in the unselected control group to 2 per cent in the study group (P < 0.001). Immunocytochemical analysis is useful for the initial selection of elderly patients with breast cancer who may be treated with tamoxifen alone."}
{"id": "PMID:1486428", "title": "Indications for primary tamoxifen therapy in elderly women with breast cancer.", "content": "A group of 66 elderly women with primary breast cancer were treated with tamoxifen and followed for a minimum of 2 years. Of these, 32 whose disease remained controlled for the 2-year period were considered to have had a 'worthwhile' response, 27 in whom disease progressed were considered to have had an unsatisfactory result and seven opted for alternative treatment. By Union Internacional Contra la Cancrum (UICC) criteria, 14 women had a complete response, 20 a partial response, in five disease remained static and in 20 it progressed without response. Prediction of outcome after assessment according to UICC criteria at 3 and 6 months was unsatisfactory (19 and 34 of 59 correctly predicted respectively). Analysis of multiple tumour measurements over 12 weeks was no better (33 of 59 correctly predicted). Immunocytochemical assay of fine-needle aspirates for oestrogen receptor (ER) provided a better predictor (38 of 47 correct) and the difference in survival between patients with and without ER activity was significant (P < 0.001). Conventional assessments of response at 3 and 6 months are unsatisfactory for judging the long-term benefit to the patient. ER status is the best predictor of response and outcome."}
{"id": "PMID:1486430", "title": "Autotransplantation of splenic tissue in an isolated segment of small intestine.", "content": "The ability of splenic tissue to regenerate when implanted in an isolated segment of small intestine with intact circulation was studied in six pigs. After total splenectomy, 10 per cent of the weight of the spleen was implanted in a 10-15-cm long isolated segment of small intestine with an intact vascular supply. Bowel continuity was established by end-to-end anastomosis. Before implantation, the mucosal layer was completely removed from the isolated segment of the small intestine. The animals were killed 6 months later and the isolated segment of small bowel containing the splenic tissue identified. Most of the implanted splenic tissue was recovered in the isolated segment of small intestine; the weight ranged from 43 to 120 (mean 80) per cent of that of the implanted tissue. An isolated segment of small intestine with an intact circulation produces a higher index of regeneration than other previously reported sites."}
{"id": "PMID:1486431", "title": "Prospective study in adults of splenic preservation after traumatic rupture.", "content": "Seventy-five adults with splenic injury were evaluated prospectively over 45 months to examine the possibility of splenic preservation. Haemodynamically unstable patients underwent surgery with the intent of splenic preservation. Stable patients received non-operative treatment regardless of the grade of splenic injury determined by ultrasonography and computed tomography. Thirty-seven patients required splenectomy and in 38 the organ was preserved (20 operative preservation, 18 non-operative treatment). Of 22 patients initially receiving non-operative treatment, there were four secondary haemorrhages after 7, 7, 10 and 13 days making surgery necessary. Three of these patients underwent splenectomy and in one the spleen was preserved by partial resection. After splenectomy four patients required reoperation because of rebleeding or for evacuation of a haematoma. Patients who had undergone splenectomy had a significantly increased infection rate (P < 0.005) compared with those in whom the spleen was preserved, even when patients were matched with respect to multiple trauma using the Injury Severity Score (P < 0.01)."}
{"id": "PMID:1486433", "title": "Ascaris-induced acute pancreatitis.", "content": "The incidence, clinical disease and outcome of acute pancreatitis caused by ascariasis in an endemic area of Kashmir, India, was studied prospectively. Ascariasis was an aetiological factor in 59 of 256 patients (23.0 per cent) with acute pancreatitis. Worms had invaded the bile duct in 51 patients, the pancreatic duct in four and both ducts in four. Pancreatitis was mild in 46 patients and severe in 13. Associated pyogenic cholangitis was present in eight. Acute complications occurred in 11 patients. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) was performed in all cases within 72 h of admission and delineated ascarides in the duodenum invading the ampullary orifice (44 patients), in the bile duct (55) and in the pancreatic duct (eight). At ERCP, worms were extracted from the ampullary orifice and removed via the mouth of 33 patients with intractable epigastric pain, leading to rapid relief of symptoms. The eight patients with pyogenic cholangitis underwent endoscopic nasobiliary drainage to decompress the bile ducts; worms were extracted from the bile duct of three of these patients using a Dormia basket. A total of 56 patients recovered from acute illness with a combination of conservative and endoscopic treatment; the other three required emergency surgery. At a mean(s.d.) follow-up of 19(7) months, ten patients showed symptomatic worm reinvasion of the biliary tree. The overall mortality rate was 3 per cent."}
{"id": "PMID:1486434", "title": "Endoscopic management of postoperative bile leaks.", "content": "Thirty-two patients aged 15-89 years developed postoperative bile leakage. Twenty-eight had undergone cholecystectomy, with choledocholithotomy in 11, and four had had miscellaneous operations. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) was performed 2-75 days after operation and revealed leakage from the cystic duct stump in 19 cases, from a T tube track in five, from the gallbladder and liver abscess cavity in two and from the major bile ducts in six. Major bile duct lesions were not generally amenable to endoscopic treatment, but the remaining 26 patients were treated successfully with internal stenting (22) or endoscopic sphincterotomy (four); bile secretion in all cases stopped within 1 week. One patient with cholangitis after an ERCP procedure was managed by antibiotics; no other complication occurred and there were no deaths related to the procedure. ERCP procedures are well tolerated in the postoperative period and may be performed under sedation. ERCP is the method of choice for dealing with bile leakage and ERCP procedures are effective for the most common causes of postoperative bile leakage; complications are rare."}
{"id": "PMID:1486435", "title": "Role of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography in the investigation of pain after cholecystectomy.", "content": "Patients who continue to have or who develop abdominal pain after apparently successful cholecystectomy pose diagnostic difficulties. This study reports 384 such patients, investigated by endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). There were 146 patients with abdominal pain alone with no previous history of common bile duct (CBD) exploration, of whom only 17 (11.6 per cent) had CBD stones on ERCP. Bile duct calculi were present in 76 of 140 patients (54.3 per cent) with abnormal biochemical findings (raised alkaline phosphatase and/or amylase level) and in 34 of 57 (60 per cent) with an abnormality detected on ultrasonography or intravenous cholangiography. A combination of biochemical and radiological abnormalities was present in 37 patients and was associated with CBD stones in 28 (76 per cent). Patients who had undergone CBD exploration represented a special group, of whom the majority (75 per cent) had common duct stones at ERCP even in the absence of biochemical and radiological abnormalities. ERCP is a useful investigation in patients with persistent postcholecystectomy symptoms. Other features in addition to pain or a history of CBD exploration may be relevant to the decision to perform ERCP in the investigation of these patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1486436", "title": "Common bile duct diameter and complications of endoscopic sphincterotomy.", "content": "To assess the relationship between distal common bile duct (CBD) diameter and the incidence of an immediate complication following endoscopic sphincterotomy (ES), all patients undergoing ES between January 1986 and October 1990 were studied. The overall risk of an immediate complication following ES in 655 patients was 5.6 per cent (37 patients). Patients with calculi were at greater risk if the distal CBD was dilated (P < 0.001); the complication in those with stones was most likely to be haemorrhage (81 per cent). The relative risk of a complication increased ten times if the distal bile duct diameter was > 0.8 cm. Patients with stricture of the distal CBD did not have a significantly greater risk of complication than those with stones (9.7 versus 4.9 per cent). There was no significant difference between the mean distal CBD diameter of those with stricture and controls (0.61 versus 0.44 cm)."}
{"id": "PMID:1486439", "title": "Liver trauma: a 10-year experience.", "content": "The management of 73 patients with liver trauma (58 male, 15 female; mean age 30 (range 6-68) years) presenting from January 1980 to August 1990 is reviewed. There were 29 cases of penetrating injury and 44 of blunt trauma. Seven patients were successfully managed without operation (five with blunt injury) and were discharged after a mean hospital stay of 8 days. Fifty-one cases were classified as simple injuries (grade I or II) and were managed by suture (with or without drainage) or required no intervention, with three deaths. Fifteen cases were classified as complex injuries (grade III or IV) and underwent one or more of the following: perihepatic packing, resectional debridement, hemihepatectomy and hepatotomy with direct suture ligation. Six of these patients died from uncontrolled haemorrhage. The continued use of suture for simple injuries and of resectional debridement and/or packing for complex injuries is supported. Judicious clinical assessment and radiological monitoring may reduce the number of unnecessary laparotomies."}
{"id": "PMID:1486440", "title": "Abdominal inflammatory myofibroblastic tumours in children.", "content": "Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumours (inflammatory pseudotumours) occurring at intra-abdominal sites in children have rarely been described. This paper reports three patients with this tumour, two of whom presented with fever, anaemia and an abdominal mass, the third with chronic duodenal obstruction. All had experienced significant weight loss. At operation, each had a large fibrous tumour (7-18 cm in diameter) originating from the transverse mesocolon, small bowel mesentery and duodenum respectively. Intraoperative frozen section histological examination in one patient was misinterpreted as a sarcoma. All the lesions were judged to have been completely excised, but one was ruptured during operation and the patient subsequently developed recurrent tumour nodules. Abdominal inflammatory myofibroblastic tumours are rare. They may be suspected before operation but their clinical, radiological and pathological features may be confused with those of malignancy. Complete excision is necessary to avoid local recurrence."}
{"id": "PMID:1486441", "title": "Serum tumour necrosis factor alpha and insulin resistance in gastrointestinal cancer.", "content": "Cancer cachexia may be mediated by endogenous peptides such as tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha). Insulin resistance occurs in these patients, and is also seen experimentally with TNF-alpha administration. In this study, insulin sensitivity and energy metabolism were measured in 11 patients with gastrointestinal cancer and ten controls, using the euglycaemic glucose clamp and indirect calorimetry. Patients with cancer were significantly more insulin resistant than controls (P < 0.01) and in such patients insulin resistance correlated with serum TNF-alpha level (rs = 0.74, P < 0.01). Fasting insulin levels also correlated inversely with insulin sensitivity (rs = -0.62, P = 0.003). These results suggest a possible association between endogenous TNF-alpha production and insulin resistance in patients with gastrointestinal cancer."}
{"id": "PMID:1486444", "title": "Psychological screening for non-specific abdominal pain.", "content": "Non-specific abdominal pain (NSAP) may have a detectable psychological component that could be used to predict outcome. To test this hypothesis, 131 patients aged 14-40 years admitted with acute abdominal pain were assessed using the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) and Hospital Anxiety and Depression (HAD) scale, and a structured interview. Of 61 patients with NSAP, more had a psychosocial problem identified by the admitting registrar (P < 0.01) and marginally more had high questionnaire scores. The risk of having NSAP was high if an abnormality on interview accompanied high questionnaire scores (relative risk 1.93 (95 per cent confidence interval (c.i.) 1.35-2.77)) or if prodromal pain had lasted > 7 days (relative risk 2.13 (95 per cent c.i. 1.55-2.92)). After 2 years, patients with continuing pain had higher HAD and Spielberger Anxiety Trait scores (both P < 0.02); NSAP was associated with persisting pain (relative risk 2.22 (95 per cent c.i. 1.10-4.48)). Psychosocial factors are implicated in NSAP and in chronic pain, but the sensitivity and specificity of questionnaire assessment are too low to be useful in diagnosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1486445", "title": "Intraoperative colonoscopy in patients with colorectal cancer.", "content": "Sixty-seven patients underwent intraoperative colonoscopy during elective surgery for colorectal cancer. Complete examination of the colon was achieved in 65 patients (97 per cent), albeit with insertion through a colotomy in three (4 per cent). A synchronous carcinoma was found in six patients (9 per cent), which necessitated a change of planned surgical procedure. Synchronous polyps were detected and removed in 24 patients (36 per cent); two had polyps with carcinoma in situ. The mean age of patients with synchronous carcinoma was significantly higher than that of those without (74.1 versus 61.2 years, P = 0.02). Intraoperative colonoscopy took a mean of 15 min surgical time and only two minor complications (serosal lacerations) were encountered. In patients with colorectal cancer, intraoperative colonoscopy allows complete assessment of the colon and identifies synchronous lesions."}
{"id": "PMID:1486446", "title": "Anovaginal and rectovaginal fistula in patients with Crohn's disease.", "content": "Between 1971 and 1991, details of 67 women with perianal Crohn's disease were recorded prospectively using the Cardiff classification. Two groups were identified according to the presence (n = 29) or absence (n = 38) of anorectal Crohn's fistula involving the vagina. Patients in both groups were of a similar age and had had Crohn's disease for a similar period before diagnosis of perianal involvement. The incidence of associated perianal lesions, superficial ulcers, cavitating ulcers, other fistulas and strictures was not significantly different between the two groups. A greater proportion of patients with anorectal-vaginal fistulation (n = 15) had distal intestinal Crohn's disease (rectal or contiguous colorectal) compared with women with no vaginal fistulation (n = 14). A range of therapies was used to manage women with perianal Crohn's disease, from local surgery to a defunctioning stoma and/or proctectomy. Only 13 of 38 women with perianal Crohn's disease but no vaginal fistula required a defunctioning stoma or proctectomy, whereas 18 of 29 with anorectal-vaginal fistulation underwent these procedures (P < 0.05). A vaginal fistula has a considerable adverse effect on the outcome of perianal Crohn's disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1486447", "title": "Manual dilatation of the anus.", "content": "A group of 100 consecutive patients undergoing manual dilatation of the anus between 1980 and 1983 were reviewed retrospectively by examining the clinical presentation, diagnosis, treatment and outcome. Anal fissure was diagnosed in 46 patients, 22 had either first- or second-degree haemorrhoids, and stenosis of the anal canal was identified in seven. Manual dilatation of the anus was performed on 25 patients in the absence of a diagnosis. Dilatation failed to treat 26 anal fissures successfully. Where it was employed alone in ten cases of haemorrhoids and seven of anal stenosis, manual dilatation failed to cure seven and five patients respectively. Of the patients with no diagnosis, 23 were relieved of their symptoms following dilatation. Episodes of incontinence occurred in 27 patients, 21 of whom were female. There should be a reduced role for manual anal dilatation in the treatment of common anorectal disorders."}
{"id": "PMID:1486453", "title": "Interactions between oligodendrocytes and microglia. A major role for complement and tumour necrosis factor in oligodendrocyte adherence and killing.", "content": "Interactions between rat microglia and oligodendrocytes were examined in vitro in order to characterize the stages of adherence, phagocytosis and cytotoxicity against oligodendrocytes by microglia. Under resting conditions, microglia showed minimal contact with oligodendrocytes and exhibited surface staining of myelin basic protein and myelin debris only; they were not cytotoxic for oligodendrocytes and did not produce tumour necrosis factor (TNF). On activation with either gamma-interferon or lipopolysaccharide and interferon, these cells increased surface binding for myelin basic protein, showed greater contact with living oligodendrocytes and produced TNF in both secreted and cell surface bound forms. Secreted TNF was capable of killing oligodendrocytes but the cell surface bound form did this more efficiently. In the presence of complement, activated microglia showed significant phagocytosis of myelin basic protein which was not obvious in the unactivated cells. These results suggest that activated microglia in the presence of complement are sufficient to kill and phagocytose the oligodendrocyte-myelin complex in vitro."}
{"id": "PMID:1486454", "title": "Transient cellular expression of gamma-interferon in myelin-induced and T-cell line-mediated experimental autoimmune neuritis.", "content": "This study reports the cellular localization of gamma-interferon (gamma-IFN) in nerve roots during the course of experimental autoimmune neuritis induced either by active immunization (EAN) or adoptive transfer of P2-specific T-cells (AT-EAN). One micrometre thick cryosections of ventral roots of EAN and AT-EAN animals were labelled with the monoclonal antibodies DB-1 and DB-12 recognizing different epitopes of rat gamma-IFN. In EAN numerous gamma-IFN-positive cells were present before overt clinical signs and demyelination (days 11-13 after immunization). Concomitantly, raised gamma-IFN levels were measured in the serum of these animals. However, systemically increased gamma-IFN serum levels were not specific for a neuritogenic T-cell response. At subsequent stages when many axons were demyelinated (day 16 and later) gamma-IFN-positive cells had disappeared and gamma-IFN serum levels returned to normal value. gamma-Interferon positive cells could be identified as W3/13 positive T-cells and polymorphonuclear leukocytes. Additionally, a considerable number of ED1-positive macrophages showed gamma-IFN immunoreactivity. The majority of macrophages and all Schwann cells were gamma-IFN negative. Similar results were obtained in AT-EAN 4 d and 6 d following cell transfer. After nerve transection no gamma-IFN-positive cells were found in the distal stumps. The localization of gamma-IFN in nerve roots indicates an important role of this lymphokine in acute immune-mediated demyelination. gamma-Interferon most likely locally affects macrophage functions such as migration, major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II antigen (Ia) expression, and production of cytotoxic molecules in nerves, and thereby contributes to myelin damage."}
{"id": "PMID:1486455", "title": "Autosomal dominant pure cerebellar ataxia. Neurological and genetic study.", "content": "A family with late-onset autosomal dominant pure cerebellar ataxia was studied both neurologically and genetically. Neuroimaging and electrophysiological results were in agreement with the clinical evidence showing involvement of the cerebellar system only, even many years after onset. No atrophy of inferior olives was observed by magnetic resonance imaging, while cerebellar atrophy was extremely marked. A very slow disease progression was observed in all patients. The disease can be differentiated from autosomal dominant olivo-ponto-cerebellar atrophies, and in particular from spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 mapping on chromosome 6p, which shows an early multisystemic involvement and a more rapid progression toward inability. A genetic study of the family with the 6p DNA marker D6S89 closely linked to the spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 locus was performed. Results showed significant exclusion of a linkage between the disease and the marker within a distance of 8.5% recombination, indicating that genetic heterogeneity underlies phenotypic differences."}
{"id": "PMID:1486456", "title": "Occipital lobe epilepsy: electroclinical manifestations, electrocorticography, cortical stimulation and outcome in 42 patients treated between 1930 and 1991. Surgery of occipital lobe epilepsy.", "content": "Our study documents the clinical and electrographic findings in 42 patients with medically refractory occipital lobe epilepsy, who underwent surgery at the Montreal Neurological Institute between 1930 and 1991, and the evolving manner in which those patients were studied by successive generations of investigators. In more than two-thirds of the patients the clinical manifestations indicated the occipital onset of the seizures. Seventy-three percent experienced visual aurae, of which elementary hallucinations were the most common and 12 also had ictal blindness. Other occipital manifestations included: contralateral eye deviation, blinking, a sensation of eye movement and nystagmoid eye movements. Intra-operative cortical stimulation elicited a habitual aura in 37% of 29 patients. Lateralizing clinical features were seen in almost two-thirds of patients: contralateral head deviation occurred in half, 59% had visual field defects contralateral to the epileptogenic area and 64% had abnormal imaging studies ipsilateral to the side of surgery. More than one-third of patients exhibited more than one seizure type, suggesting ictal spread to temporal or frontal lobe: 50% had typical temporal lobe automatisms, and 38% exhibited focal motor seizure activity. Surface electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings showed posterior temporal-occipital epileptiform discharges in 46% of patients. Only 18% had electronegative spiking limited to 01 or 02. Large epileptogenic areas were often found on intracranial recording with depth electrodes and on electrocorticography. Pre-excision electrocorticography spiking was restricted to the occipital lobe in only 13 out of 34 patients. More often spiking also involved the posterior temporal and posterior parietal regions. Twenty-three patients underwent only occipital resections; five had only temporal resections, so as to preserve the visual fields, and the remaining 14 patients had extensive resections, which included the posterior temporal or posterior parietal regions. A follow-up period of 1 to 46 yrs (mean 17 yrs) was available for 37 patients. Forty-six percent became seizure free and 21% had a significant reduction in seizure frequency. A better outcome was observed in those patients in whom there was no post-resection electrocorticographic or surface EEG epileptiform discharge, or who exhibited an occipital lobe lesion."}
{"id": "PMID:1486457", "title": "Different effects of dopaminergic and anticholinergic therapies on cognitive and motor function in Parkinson's disease. A follow-up study of untreated patients.", "content": "The cognitive performance of a group of 82 newly diagnosed patients with Parkinson's disease who had never been treated was reassessed approximately 4 mths after randomization to one of three monotherapies (levodopa, bromocriptine or anticholinergic drugs). Dopaminergic and anticholinergic treatments both led to improvement in motor control but their effects upon cognitive performance dissociated. Anticholinergic drugs produced impairment in processes underlying the immediate registration of information whilst dopaminergic therapy produced improvement on a task dependent on working memory and cognitive sequencing. Other cognitive measures showed no change on treatment. The deficits that were affected by cholinergic and dopaminergic modulation are those that were most compromised in the early, untreated state in Parkinson's disease. The data support the notion that cognitive impairment in Parkinson's disease is multifactorial in origin: short-term memory processes are served by both dopaminergic and cholinergic subcortico-frontal systems but much of the cognitive impairment of Parkinson's disease is independent of this subcortical neurochemical pathology and may be due to early neuronal dysfunction within the cerebral cortex."}
{"id": "PMID:1486458", "title": "Fronto-striatal cognitive deficits at different stages of Parkinson's disease.", "content": "Groups of patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease, either medicated or unmedicated, were compared with matched groups of normal controls on a computerized battery previously shown to be sensitive to frontal lobe dysfunction, including tests of planning, spatial working memory and attentional set-shifting. In a series of problems based on the 'Tower of London' test, medicated patients with Parkinson's disease were shown to be impaired in the amount of time spent thinking about (planning) the solution to each problem. Additionally, an impairment in terms of the accuracy of the solution produced on this test was only evident in those patients with more severe clinical symptoms and was accompanied by deficits in an associated test of spatial short-term memory. Medicated patients with both mild and severe clinical symptoms were also impaired on a related test of spatial working memory. In contrast, a group of patients who were unmedicated and 'early in the course' of the disease were unimpaired in all three of these tests. However, all three Parkinson's disease groups were impaired in the test of attentional set-shifting ability, although unimpaired in a test of pattern recognition which is insensitive to frontal lobe damage. These data are compared with those previously published from a group of young neurosurgical patients with localized excisions of the frontal lobes and are discussed in terms of the specific nature of the cognitive deficit at different stages of Parkinson's disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1486459", "title": "The anatomy of phonological and semantic processing in normal subjects.", "content": "We assessed brain activation of nine normal right-handed volunteers in a positron emission tomography study designed to differentiate the functional anatomy of the two major components of auditory comprehension of language, namely phonological versus lexico-semantic processing. The activation paradigm included three tasks. In the reference task, subjects were asked to detect rising pitch within a series of pure tones. In the phonological task, they had to monitor the sequential phonemic organization of non-words. In the lexico-semantic task, they monitored concrete nouns according to semantic criteria. We found highly significant and different patterns of activation. Phonological processing was associated with activation in the left superior temporal gyrus (mainly Wernicke's area) and, to a lesser extent, in Broca's area and in the right superior temporal regions. Lexico-semantic processing was associated with activity in the left middle and inferior temporal gyri, the left inferior parietal region and the left superior prefrontal region, in addition to the superior temporal regions. A comparison of the pattern of activation obtained with the lexico-semantic task to that obtained with the phonological task was made in order to account for the contribution of lower stage components to semantic processing. No difference in activation was found in Broca's area and superior temporal areas which suggests that these areas are activated by the phonological component of both tasks, but activation was noted in the temporal, parietal and frontal multi-modal association areas. These constitute parts of a large network that represent the specific anatomic substrate of the lexico-semantic processing of language."}
{"id": "PMID:1486460", "title": "The cortical localization of the lexicons. Positron emission tomography evidence.", "content": "Positron emission tomography was used to investigate changes in regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in neurologically normal subjects during word reading and word repetition. The blood flow in these conditions was compared with control conditions where subjects were presented with stimuli of comparable auditory and visual complexity to real words and said the same word on presentation of each stimulus. The control condition for word repetition (hearing spoken words presented backwards) resulted in bilateral activation of the superior temporal gyrus. Word repetition caused a significant increase in rCBF over this control condition in the left superior and middle temporal gyri. The control condition for word reading (seeing stimuli written in 'false fonts', i.e. non-existent letter-like forms) resulted in significant changes in rCBF bilaterally in the striate and extrastriate cortex. Word reading caused a significant increase in blood flow relative to this control in the posterior part of the left middle temporal gyrus. The implications of these results are discussed, and it is argued that they are consistent with localization of a lexicon for spoken word recognition in the middle part of the left superior and middle temporal gyri, and a lexicon for written word recognition in the posterior part of the left middle temporal gyrus."}
{"id": "PMID:1486461", "title": "Semantic dementia. Progressive fluent aphasia with temporal lobe atrophy.", "content": "We report five patients with a stereotyped clinical syndrome characterized by fluent dysphasia with severe anomia, reduced vocabulary and prominent impairment of single-word comprehension, progressing to a stage of virtually complete dissolution of the semantic components of language. A marked reduction in the ability to generate exemplars from restricted semantic categories (e.g. animals, vehicles, etc.) was a consistent and early feature. Tests of semantic memory demonstrated a radically impoverished knowledge about a range of living and man-made items. In contrast, phonology and grammar of spoken language were largely preserved, as was comprehension of complex syntactic commands. Reading showed a pattern of surface dyslexia. Autobiographical and day-to-day (episodic) memory were relatively retained. Non-verbal memory, perceptual and visuospatial abilities were also strikingly preserved. In some cases, behavioural and personality changes may supervene; one patient developed features of the Kluver-Bucy Syndrome. Radiological investigations have shown marked focal temporal atrophy in all five patients, and functional imaging by single positron emission tomography and positron emission tomography (one case) have implicated the dominant temporal lobe in all five. In the older literature, such cases would have been subsumed under the rubric of Pick's disease. Others have been included in series with progressive aphasia. We propose the term semantic dementia, first coined by Snowden et al. (1989), to designate this clinical syndrome."}
{"id": "PMID:1486462", "title": "The topography of callosal reading pathways. A case-control analysis.", "content": "Lesion topography and reading ability were analysed in 17 patients with dominant posterior cerebral artery territory infarction. Patients with dominant posterior cerebral artery infarction in whom reading was unaffected served as an anatomical control group. Normal readers had lesions in the medial and ventral occipital lobe, sparing dorsal white matter pathways and the ventral temporal lobe. Global and permanent alexia occurred only with additional injury to the splenium, forceps major or white matter above the occipital horn of the lateral ventricle. These data suggest that callosal pathways mediating reading lie above the occipital horn and have little connection with the ventromedial occipital region. Patients with 'spelling dyslexia' had large lesions of the ventral temporal lobe involving cortical regions believed to participate in later stages of visual processing. These findings provide a framework for the prediction of dyslexia type and severity based on lesion topography."}
{"id": "PMID:1486463", "title": "Amnesia following a discrete basal forebrain lesion.", "content": "Destructive lesions of the basal forebrain are associated with memory impairment in both humans and experimental animals. The basal forebrain is thought to contribute to memory function by providing cholinergic innervation to critical memory structures such as the hippocampus and amygdala. In previously reported clinical cases of basal forebrain amnesia, multiple neuroanatomical regions have been damaged, preventing identification of the minimal critical lesion necessary to produce an amnestic syndrome. We describe a patient who developed persistent, global anterograde and retrograde amnesia following resection of a low-grade glioma. Post-surgical magnetic resonance imaging studies revealed a small discrete lesion, centred in the right diagonal band of Broca, that included the preoptic area, the anterior hypothalamus, the lamina terminalis and the paraterminal gyrus. The septal nuclei and the cell bodies of the nucleus basalis of Meynert appeared to have been spared, as were other structures in the medial temporal lobe and diencephalon. Our case provides critical support for the independent contribution of the basal forebrain, in particular the diagonal band nuclei, in memory function. We propose that our patient's amnesia resulted from disconnection of pathways between the diagonal band nuclei and the hippocampal region, depriving the hippocampus of cholinergic innervation."}
{"id": "PMID:1486464", "title": "Impairments of movement initiation and execution in unilateral neglect. Directional hypokinesia and bradykinesia.", "content": "Patients with unilateral neglect may exhibit slowness in the initiation of contralesionally directed movements in peripersonal space (directional hypokinesia). The present study used a sequential movement task to characterize any such impairment in a group of 24 patients with right hemisphere lesions, 18 of whom had left neglect. A further five patients with left hemisphere lesions, one of whom had right neglect, were also tested. We measured movement initiation and execution times for leftward and rightward movements in either hemispace and across the body midline. Most left neglect patients, particularly those with lesions involving posterior cortex, showed directional hypokinesia. Left neglect patients with anterior and/or subcortical lesions also showed directional bradykinesia, i.e. a slowing in the execution phase of contralesionally directed movements. This impairment occurred regardless of the spatial location of the apparatus and was exacerbated as patients moved closer to their neglected side. The patient with right neglect showed directional hypokinesia but not directional bradykinesia. Right hemisphere and left hemisphere lesion patients without neglect performed in a manner comparable to controls, who did not exhibit directional hypokinesia or directional bradykinesia. These results suggest that directional hypokinesia is associated with both left hemisphere and right hemisphere damage, but only in the context of unilateral neglect. Moreover, the site of hemispheric lesion may determine the temporal characteristics of movement impairments in neglect. Damage to posterior cortex produces deficits in detecting contralesional targets and initiating movements toward them, while damage to anterior or subcortical structures may disrupt the internal representation of an intended trajectory."}
{"id": "PMID:1486465", "title": "Stimulus-sensitive myoclonus in akinetic-rigid syndromes.", "content": "The cutaneous reflexes of upper limb muscles were studied in five patients with Parkinson's disease and 10 patients with stimulus-sensitive myoclonus associated with akinetic-rigid syndromes. The middle finger was stimulated with ring electrodes and rectified electromyographs were averaged from seven upper limb muscles and orbicularis oculi. Responses from subjects with Parkinson's disease without stimulus-sensitive myoclonus were similar to those of normal subjects. The responses from patients with stimulus-sensitive myoclonus associated with Parkinson's disease or multiple system atrophy had the normal pattern except that a long latency facilitation, which is present in normal subjects and known as E2, was greatly exaggerated. Patients with stimulus-sensitive myoclonus associated with cortical-basal ganglionic degeneration had a completely different pattern of responses. There was synchronous activation of all recorded upper limb muscles with latencies substantially shorter than those of the long latency facilitation (E2) in normal subjects. Cutaneous reflex testing may therefore be useful in the differentiation of akinetic-rigid syndromes."}
{"id": "PMID:1486466", "title": "Progressive bulbar paralysis of childhood. A reappraisal of Fazio-Londe disease.", "content": "Fazio-Londe disease is a label sometimes applied to a degenerative disease of the motor neurons characterized by progressive bulbar paralysis in children. It is very rare with only 22 case reports describing 24 children including four sibling pairs. In two reports mothers and sons were affected. The neuropathology is described in only four cases. Previous authors have recognized that the condition is very heterogeneous. The clinical features of five children with this type of progressive bulbar paralysis, diagnosed at this hospital between 1969 and 1989, are reviewed, and in two cases neuropathological findings are detailed. Based on this experience, suggested criteria for diagnosis include clinical features of a pure motor neuronopathy affecting the bulbar nuclei, exclusion of other causes of progressive bulbar paralysis and positive support for the diagnosis from electromyography and/or pathological examination. A review of the literature, combined with the present series, suggests that there are at least three distinct subtypes: a very rare autosomal dominant form (as described by Fazio) and two variants with probable autosomal recessive inheritance either with early onset of respiratory symptoms and rapid progression to death or later onset, less prominent respiratory symptoms and protracted clinical course. There is strong concordance for each clinical pattern within families."}
{"id": "PMID:1486467", "title": "Acquired monocular elevation paresis. An asymmetric upgaze palsy.", "content": "Five patients with acquired monocular elevation paresis were investigated using direct current electroculography. With recovery, upward saccade velocities significantly increased in both eyes in all patients. The gain of upward-following eye movements significantly increased in the paretic eye of all patients and in the opposite eye of four patients. These findings are interpreted in terms of an asymmetric upgaze palsy which clinically presented as monocular elevation paresis in the more severely affected eye. A brainstem lesion contralateral to monocular elevation paresis was suggested in four patients by contralateral Horner's syndrome and contralateral abduction paresis, each in one patient, and contralateral ptosis in two patients. In only one patient, computerized tomography and magnetic resonance imaging substantiated a contralateral meso-diencephalic lesion."}
{"id": "PMID:1486468", "title": "The mysterious relocation of the bundle of T\u00fcrck.", "content": "The name bundle of T\u00fcrck has become synonymous with the temporopontine tract. As details concerning this pathway have been confusing and incomplete we reviewed the papers of Ludwig T\u00fcrck (1810-1868) to determine what in fact he originally described. T\u00fcrck's pioneering degeneration studies provided great detail concerning the corticospinal tracts. Charcot recognized his contributions and used the eponym 'bundle of T\u00fcrck' to denote the anterior corticospinal tract. T\u00fcrck did not observe projections from the temporal lobe to the basis pontis, nor did he describe a temporopontine tract located at the most lateral aspect of the cerebral peduncle. The papers of Meynert, Flechsig and others reveal the origins of the current incorrect use of the eponym."}
{"id": "PMID:1486469", "title": "The relationship between electrophysiological findings, upper limb growth and histological features of median and ulnar nerves in man.", "content": "In 19 median and 10 ulnar nerves of 28 healthy young volunteers, the maximum orthodromic sensory conduction velocity was studied along one or two fingers (the third and/or the fifth), the palm, and the forearm. In five 20 to 32-yr-old males and in a newborn male, post-mortem samples of either the median or the ulnar nerve were obtained from the finger (either the third or the fifth), the palm, the wrist and the forearm in order to study the size distribution of external fibre and axon diameters, and the fibre internodal length. In 2374 infants, children and adolescents, the height, length of both the third and the fifth finger, length of the palm, and length of the forearm were measured. The results showed (i) a significantly slower conduction velocity along the fingers; (ii) a significantly shorter internodal length without remarkable fibre diameter changes in the same nerve segments; (iii) a significantly smaller elongation of these body parts; (iv) a significant correlation between these data. In conclusion, internodal length seems to play an important role in governing conduction velocity of myelinated peripheral nerve fibres."}
{"id": "PMID:1486470", "title": "Stimulation of corticospinal pathways at the level of the pyramidal decussation in neurological disorders.", "content": "A newly developed technique of brainstem stimulation was applied in 14 normal subjects and 23 patients with various neurological disorders. The electromyographic (EMG) responses of limb muscles following cortical, brainstem and cervical stimulation were recorded. The cortical-brainstem conduction time and brainstem-cervical conduction time were then calculated from the difference in latency between the two sites of stimulation. From the regression lines of the relationship between the normal conduction times in the first dorsal interosseous muscle and the length of the descending tracts, the site of activation by brainstem stimulation was estimated to lie near the cervical-medullary junction. The most distal lesion causing prolongation of cortical-brainstem conduction time was a small cerebral infarction in the lower pons. Herniation of the third cervical spinal disc was the most rostral lesion resulting in delayed brainstem-cervical conduction time and normal cortical-brainstem conduction time. These observations suggest that activation occurs at the level of the cervical-medullary junction where the pyramidal decussation lies. The conduction velocities of the activated tracts estimated from the regression lines for normal individuals were 57-92 m/s. In patients with supratentorial lesions, the threshold for brainstem stimulation was abnormally high. The abnormal findings in this test were correlated significantly with the clinical pyramidal signs. This suggests that the EMG responses elicited by brainstem stimulation are mediated mainly by the corticospinal tract. We conclude that the brainstem stimulation technique would be clinically useful for localization of lesions in the corticospinal tract; the primary lesion can be localized whether above or below the pyramidal decussation."}
{"id": "PMID:1486471", "title": "Progressive impairment of Schwann cell proliferation in vitro in murine globoid cell leukodystrophy (twitcher).", "content": "In an attempt to elucidate possible functional derangement in Schwann cells in globoid cell leukodystrophy (GLD), we investigated the proliferative capacity in vitro of Schwann cells from the twitcher (twi/twi), a murine model of human GLD, with thymidine autoradiography and cell counts. Regardless of genotype, Schwann cell numbers increased faster and initial thymidine incorporation was higher in suckling than in adult mice. Compared with cells from heterozygous (+/twi) or normal (+/+) mice, however, proliferative capacity of Schwann cells from twi/twi was depressed in both sucklings and adults. Reflecting in vivo activation secondary to demyelination, the number of labeled Schwann cells was transiently higher during the first 24 h in adult twi/twi cultures but the rate of proliferation declined thereafter and remained low during an 8 day period in culture. Our study demonstrates that proliferative capacity of twi/twi Schwann cells was impaired in vitro, possibly as a consequence of metabolic perturbation by a deficiency of galactosylceramidase."}
{"id": "PMID:1486472", "title": "Potent gp120-like neurotoxic activity in the cerebrospinal fluid of HIV-infected individuals is blocked by peptide T.", "content": "The envelope protein of the human immunodeficiency virus (gp120) causes neuronal death in developing murine hippocampal cultures or rat retinal ganglion cells. In HIV-infected individuals, gp120 released from HIV-infected macrophages or other cells in the brain has been proposed as the etiology for the pathophysiology of AIDS central nervous system (CNS) disease by diffusing to act at a distance to cause damage and/or death to neighboring neurons. In this study, 28 cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples from HIV-infected individuals (79% were WR stage 1 and 2) and neurological disease controls were tested, blind to the investigator, for the presence of in vitro neuronal killing activity. Neurotoxic activity was detected with peak effects at a 1:10(5) dilution in CSF from 9/18 HIV-infected individuals and 1/10 neurological disease controls. Thus half of CSF from early stages of HIV disease are characterized by the presence of neurotoxic activity which is not present in control CSF (Fischers exact test, P < 0.05). The neuronal toxicity by patient CSF could be prevented by peptide T (1 nM). A monoclonal antibody to mouse CD4, RL.172, also attenuated or prevented CSF-induced neuronal killing in all four CSF samples tested. In addition, an antiserum to peptide T previously shown to bind gp120 and neutralize both infectively and direct gp120 neurotoxicity, neutralized the CSF factor. gp120, or a modified small fragment, is suggested to be the responsible toxic molecular entity. These results may be relevant to the pathophysiology of HIV-related CNS disease and the mechanism by which peptide T causes improvements."}
{"id": "PMID:1486473", "title": "A cholinergic input to the substantia nigra pars compacta increases striatal dopamine metabolism measured by in vivo voltammetry.", "content": "3,4-Dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) and ascorbic acid (AA) were measured by differential pulse voltammetry in the neostriatum of anesthetized rats. Physostigmine (2.3 nmol) applied into the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc), increased DOPAC concentration in the ipsilateral neostriatum, but did not modify AA levels. The largest increase of striatal DOPAC (37 +/- 8% above basal) was observed when physostigmine was applied at less than 0.5 mm from SNc, and decreased with increasing distance of the injection site from the pars compacta region. Chemical stimulation of the pedunculopontine tegmental nucleus (PPN) with kainic acid (2.3 nmol) increased both DOPAC and AA concentration in the ipsilateral neostriatum. Pretreatment with the muscarinic antagonist scopolamine (5 mg/kg, i.p.) inhibited the increase of striatal DOPAC from 20 to 70 min after kainic acid injection into the PPN, whereas the increase of AA was reduced from 90 to 160 min. By contrast, the nicotinic antagonist mecamylamine (4 mg/kg, i.p.) did not inhibit neither DOPAC nor AA increase elicited by the chemical stimulation of PPN. These results support the existence of cholinergic neurotransmission within the SNc that increases the firing rate of nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons, enhancing dopamine turnover in neostriatum without changes in AA release. They also suggest that the PPN could be the origin of cholinergic afferents to the SNc that modulate the activity of dopaminergic neurons, through activation of muscarinic cholinergic receptors. Finally, the activation of a multisynaptic loop involving a cholinergic pathway which modulates the activity of the glutamatergic corticostriatal neurons is postulated to explain the increase of AA in neostriatum observed after PPN stimulation."}
{"id": "PMID:1486474", "title": "Comparative effects of electroconvulsive shock and haloperidol on in vivo tyrosine hydroxylation and tetrahydrobiopterin in the brain of rats with 6-hydroxydopamine lesions.", "content": "We have evaluated the effects of electroconvulsive shock (ECS) and haloperidol treatment on the in vivo tyrosine hydroxylation rate and the tetrahydrobiopterin levels in the nigrostriatal system of 6-OHDA-lesioned rats. The rate of DOPA accumulation was significantly decreased by 96% in the ipsilateral striatum and by 50% in substantia nigra of the 6-OHDA-lesioned rats compared to the control activity of contralateral non-lesioned striatum and substantia nigra. The loss of total biopterin was found to be 75% and 50% in the ipsilateral striatum and substantia nigra, respectively. Following administration of haloperidol, the rate of DOPA accumulation increased significantly in the striatum and substantia nigra on the lesioned side compared to that in the vehicle treatment group. Application of ECS also significantly increased the rate of DOPA accumulation in the ipsilateral striatum and substantia nigra compared to that obtained in the non-shocked rats. The biopterin levels in the nigrostriatal system of 6-OHDA-lesioned were elevated significantly in the striatum after haloperidol treatment; in contrast the biopterin levels were unchanged in response to ECS. Our results show that both haloperidol and ECS significantly enhanced the rate of in vivo tyrosine hydroxylation in the striatum and substantia nigra of rats with greater than 90% lesions. These results suggest that the nigrostriatal system, although up-regulated following 6-OHDA lesions, still maintains the potential for further up-regulation of dopaminergic function in response to haloperidol and ECS treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1486475", "title": "Anatomical and electrotonic coupling in developing genioglossal motoneurons of the rat.", "content": "Dye-, tracer- and electrotonic coupling were studied independently in genioglossal (GG) motoneurons using intracellular recordings in in vitro brainstem slices from rats postnatal ages 1-30 days. The subpopulation of GG motoneurons were retrogradely labeled after an injection of dextran-rhodamine into the posterior tongue. Dye-coupling was studied with Lucifer yellow injected into 55 motoneurons and tracer-coupling with neurobiotin injected into 89 presumptive GG motoneurons. Of the motoneurons injected with Lucifer yellow, only 6 of 41 cells (16.2%) exhibited dye-coupling; all occurred in animals less than 9 days old. In all but one instance, dye-coupling was restricted to only one other cell. No evidence of dye-coupling was found in the 14 cells injected in animals older than 8 days. Tracer-coupling (neurobiotin) was demonstrated in 12 of 30 cells (40%) from animals 1-2 days old and in 6 of 21 cells (28.6%) from animals 3-8 days old. Of the remaining 38 cells from animals 10 days of age and older, only one cell was found to be tracer-coupled. Cells injected with neurobiotin were coupled to an average of two other cells. Electrotonic coupling, as demonstrated with a short latency depolarization (SLD) in response to stimulation of hypoglossal axons, was found in developing GG motoneurons. These SLDs were revealed in 17 of 40 GG motoneurons (42.5%) examined in 1-8-day-old animals. There were no SLDs recorded in the 10 cells examined from animals of 10 days and older. The significance of coupling relative to patency of the newborn upper airways is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1486476", "title": "A peptidergic circuit for reproductive behavior.", "content": "A projection from the medial amygdaloid nucleus to the hippocampus and septum probably uses vasopressin as a transmitter. The nucleus synthesizes vasopressin and activation of the nucleus has a hippocampal effect that is completely blocked by a vasopressin antagonist. The afferent and efferent projections of this peptidergic nucleus suggest a possible role for the system in sexual behavior. Stimulation of the nucleus inhibits the output of the hippocampus in both genders and reorganizes behavior for a period of 15-20 min. In males, the effect of peptidergic activation is to produce a behavior that resembles the post-ejaculatory interval in coitus. This state is characterized by an EEG that resembles slow-wave sleep and by ultrasonic vocalizations at a characteristic frequency of 22 kHz. Castration in either gender causes depletion of the peptide from the target fields and eliminates the peptidergic signal in the hippocampus after about 15 weeks. The effects of castration in males can be reversed by testosterone replacement. The fluctuation of estrogen levels in rat plasma during the estrus cycle happens too quickly to impact the peptidergic system, and thus there is no significant change in the strength of the peptidergic signal among the proestrus, estrus, metestrus and diestrus stages. This fact permits study of the physiology of the system without concern for stage of estrus but does not permit conclusions regarding its function in females."}
{"id": "PMID:1486477", "title": "Fiber composition of the human corpus callosum.", "content": "The densities of fibers of different sizes were calculated in ten regions of the corpus callosum of twenty human brains (ten females, ten males). Light microscopic examination revealed a consistent pattern of regional differentiation of fiber types in the corpus callosum. Thin fibers are most dense in the anterior corpus callosum (genu), and decrease in density posteriorly towards the posterior midbody, where they reach a minimum. Towards the posterior corpus callosum (splenium), the density of thin fibers increases again, but in the posterior pole of the callosum the density decreases locally. Large-diameter fibers show a pattern complementary to that of thin fibers, having a peak of density in the posterior midbody and a local increase of density in the posterior pole of the corpus callosum. Across subjects, the overall density of callosal fibers had no significant correlation with callosal area and an increased callosal area indicated an increased total number of fibers crossing through. Considering different fiber sizes, this was only true for small diameter fibers, whose large majority is believed to interconnect association cortex. No sex differences in fiber composition of the corpus callosum were found."}
{"id": "PMID:1486478", "title": "Individual differences in brain asymmetries and fiber composition in the human corpus callosum.", "content": "There have been several recent reports concerning individual differences in the gross morphometry of the human corpus callosum. However, no studies exist on individual differences in the fiber composition of the corpus callosum. Here we report for the first time the relation of fiber composition in specific callosal segments (as seen in light microscopy) to anatomical asymmetries in language-gifted cortex, as a function of sex. We found a significant negative correlation between Sylvian fissure asymmetries and the total numbers of fibers in the isthmus of males, and in the anterior splenium of females. In addition, a population of relatively large fibers (between 1 micron and 3 microns in diameter) in the isthmus showed a strong negative correlation with perisylvian asymmetries only in males. These findings suggest a sex-dependent, pathway-specific decrease in interhemispheric connectivity with increasing lateralization."}
{"id": "PMID:1486479", "title": "Factors regulating the magnitude of long-term potentiation induced by theta pattern stimulation.", "content": "Electrical stimulation patterned after the hippocampal theta rhythm produces a robust and stable long-term potentiation (LTP) effect. Pharmacological manipulations were used in the present studies in an effort to relate characteristics of the responses occurring during theta stimulation to the magnitude of potentiation which follows it. Comparisons were made using five or ten bursts of stimulation which respectively induce sub-maximal or near maximal degrees of LTP. DPCPX, a drug that increases release by blocking adenosine A1 receptors, was used to enhance the depolarization produced by individual theta bursts. This resulted in a marked increase in the amount of stable LTP induced by five theta bursts but did not affect that resulting from ten bursts. This finding suggested that depolarization occurring during a burst response influences per burst potentiation but not the ceiling on maximum LTP. Aniracetam, a nootropic drug that enhances responses via an action on glutamate (AMPA) receptors, was used to test this conclusion. Like DPCPX, aniracetam increased the size of the burst response and enhanced the degree of LTP caused by five but not ten theta bursts. Forskolin, an activator of adenylate cyclase, was used to test the effects of blocking the hyperpolarization normally present between theta bursts on the induction of LTP. The drug augmented the degree of LTP resulting from five theta bursts and, in contrast to DPCPX and aniracetam, nearly doubled that obtained with ten bursts. Thus the drug affected both per burst potentiation and the ceiling on LTP. These results are discussed in terms of an hypothesis in which the magnitude of NMDA receptor mediated currents affects the degree of potentiation produced by individual theta bursts while the duration of the currents is related to the limit on the maximum LTP induced by a series of bursts. The possible implications of the findings for learning are also considered."}
{"id": "PMID:1486480", "title": "Blockade of NMDA receptor-mediated mobilization of intracellular Ca2+ prevents neurotoxicity.", "content": "NMDA receptor activation leads to elevated Ca2+ in cultured rat cortical and retinal ganglion cell neurons. If excessive, this Ca2+ response is associated with delayed neurotoxicity. We used dantrolene and ionomycin to test if the Ca2+ response to NMDA was due to mobilization of intracellular Ca2+ stores rather than merely to Ca2+ influx. In the presence of EGTA, ionomycin resulted in release and subsequent depletion of intracellular Ca2+ stores. Henceforth, despite normal extracellular Ca2+, NMDA elicited only about half of its former Ca2+ response. Similarly, when dantrolene was used to block Ca2+ release from intracellular stores, we observed > 50% smaller NMDA-evoked Ca2+ responses. These results quite surprisingly indicate that at least half the Ca2+ response to NMDA is due to release of intracellular Ca2+, a process triggered by influx of extracellular Ca2+. Dantrolene also protected neurons from NMDA receptor-mediated neurotoxicity. Release of intracellular Ca2+ may therefore be a necessary step in the cascade leading to neuronal damage induced by excessive NMDA receptor stimulation and may be amenable to pharmacological intervention."}
{"id": "PMID:1486481", "title": "Cerebrovascular nerve fibers immunoreactive for tryptophan-5-hydroxylase in the rat: distribution, putative origin and comparison with sympathetic noradrenergic nerves.", "content": "The distribution of serotonergic nerves in major basal and isolated small pial arteries (diameter > or = 50 microns) was investigated immunohistochemically using an antibody directed against tryptophan-5-hydroxylase (TPOH), the rate-limiting enzyme in the synthesis of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT or serotonin), and compared to that of the noradrenergic system labeled for the selective noradrenaline (NA) synthesizing enzyme, dopamine-beta-hydroxylase (DBH). In addition, the possible peripheral and/or central origins of the cerebrovascular serotonergic (TPOH-positive) nerve fibers were examined. Strongly labeled TPOH-immunoreactive (TPOH-I) fiber bundles were observed in major basal arteries and gave rise to small varicose fibers organized in a meshwork pattern. The highest density of TPOH-I fibers was found in the middle cerebral artery followed by the anterior cerebral and the anterior communicating arteries, with a moderate to low density in the internal carotid and the vertebro-basilar trunk. Of the isolated pial arteries, only the larger ones (diameter > 75 microns) were significantly endowed with TPOH-I varicose fibers. However, free floating TPOH-I nerves were observed coursing through the pia-arachnoid membranes and reaching small pial vessels. In contrast, DBH-I nerve fibers were fine and were visualized primarily as numerous varicosities distributed in a circumferential manner around the vessel wall. A very high density of DBH-I varicosities was seen in the rostral part of the circle of Willis, with the internal carotid being the most richly supplied followed by the anterior cerebral and the anterior communicating arteries; comparatively, the middle cerebral artery was moderately innervated. The differences in distribution pattern and density between TPOH-I and DBH-I cerebrovascular fibers clearly suggest that these two innervation systems are not exactly superimposable. Superior cervical ganglionectomy caused an almost complete disappearance of TPOH-I nerves in all vascular segments, with some residual fibers in selected vessels. Lesion of the central serotonergic component with the neurotoxin 5,7-dihydroxytryptamine had virtually no effect on the TPOH-I fibers in the major basal and isolated pial arteries. These results strongly suggest that the serotonergic innervation of major cerebral as well as pial arteries has a prominent peripheral origin closely related to the sympathetic system. Processing of superior cervical ganglion slices for TPOH immunocytochemistry, however, failed to unequivocally detect TPOH-I neurons."}
{"id": "PMID:1486482", "title": "A new type of Ca2+ channel blocker, NC-1100, inhibits the low- and high-threshold Ca2+ currents in the rat CNS neurons.", "content": "The effect of a new type of organic Ca2+ channel blocker, NC-1100 [(+/-)-1-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-diphenylmethylpiperazinyl)etha nol dihydrochloride], on both low- and high-threshold Ca2+ currents was studied in the whole-cell mode of the pyramidal neurons freshly dissociated from rat hippocampal CA1 region under voltage-clamp condition. The NC-1100 reversibly reduced the high-threshold Ca2+ current (HVA ICa) in a concentration-dependent manner without affecting the current-voltage relationship. The values of half-inhibition (IC50) were 1.3 x 10(-5) and 9.1 x 10(-6) M in external solution containing 10 and 2.5 mM Ca2+, respectively. The NC-1100 also decreased the low-threshold Ca2+ current (LVA ICa) in a concentration-dependent manner. The inhibitory potency was augmented by increasing the stimulation frequency and/or decreasing the extracellular Ca2+ concentration to a physiological range (2.5 mM). The IC50 value decreased to 7.7 x 10(-7) M in external solution containing 2.5 mM Ca2+ at a stimulation frequency of 1 Hz. The NC-1100 delayed the reactivation of LVA Ca2+ channel and enhanced voltage-dependently the steady-state inactivation, suggesting that this drug bound not only the resting LVA Ca2+ channel but also the inactivated one."}
{"id": "PMID:1486483", "title": "Ca(2+)-binding proteins in rat synaptic fractions surveyed by the 45Ca2+ overlay method.", "content": "Ca(2+)-binding proteins in the synaptic and subsynaptic fractions (P2, synaptosome, synaptic plasma membrane, and postsynaptic density [PSD]-enriched fractions) and soluble fraction of rat brain were surveyed by a 45Ca2+ overlay method. The PSD-enriched fraction from cerebral cortex contained two major Ca(2+)-binding proteins (55,000 M(r) and 19,000 M(r)) and a distinct group (in 140,000 M(r) region), and two minor ones (66,000 M(r) and 16,000 M(r)); and the fraction from cerebellum contained two (55,000 M(r) and 19,000 M(r)). The proteins with 55,000 M(r) and 19,000 M(r) were identified as tubulin and calmodulin, respectively, and present in all the fractions investigated. The Ca(2+)-binding proteins of 140,000 M(r) region were found only in the PSD-enriched fraction isolated from cerebral cortex: neither the PSD-enriched fraction isolated from cerebellum nor other subcellular fractions prepared from cerebral cortex and cerebellum contained the proteins. The 140,000 M(r) Ca(2+)-binding proteins were the substrates for the Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II associated with PSD, and no change in the Ca(2+)-binding was detected by the 45Ca2+ overlay method after phosphorylation of the proteins by the protein kinase. The 16,000 M(r) Ca(2+)-binding protein might be the beta-subunit of calcineurin. Calretinin and calbindin-D28k were also detected as Ca(2+)-binding proteins in the soluble fractions of both cerebral cortex and cerebellum."}
{"id": "PMID:1486484", "title": "Spinal dopaminergic system of the rat: light and electron microscopic study using an antiserum against dopamine, with particular emphasis on synaptic incidence.", "content": "The mapping of the spinal dopaminergic innervation has been performed in the adult rat using an anti-dopamine antiserum. Immunoreactive fibers were detected with the light microscope in the dorsal horn (mainly in laminae III-IV), in the intermediolateral cell column (IML), in the peri-ependymal region and in the ventral horn. The ultrastructural analysis of dopaminergic innervation showed mainly axodendritic contacts and fewer axosomatic ones. In the ventral horn and the IML, the pattern of dopaminergic innervation exhibited a majority of classical synapses. In the dorsal horn, dopaminergic innervation was partly non-synaptic (at cervical level), whereas numerous axodendritic synapses were observed at thoraco-lumbar level. Previous studies described the non-synaptic organization of serotonergic and noradrenergic projections in the dorsal horn. It is thus hypothesized that the monoaminergic systems, involved in pain modulation within the dorsal horn, act partly through volume transmission. In contrast, these systems would modulate the motor and autonomic functions through classical synapses."}
{"id": "PMID:1486485", "title": "Brain vasculature and mitochondrial responses to ischemia in gerbils. I. Basic anatomical patterns and biochemical correlates.", "content": "A unique blood supply to the brain, the 'Circle of Willis' (COW), exists in all mammals except for the Mongolian gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus). This system is capable of compensating for a decrease in blood supply in one of the four arteries, which may occur during pathological conditions. The posterior connection between the basilar artery and the carotid artery system have been found to be missing in most gerbils. Furthermore, in some of the animals, the anterior communication was not complete, thus leading to partial ischemia following unilateral carotid artery occlusion. Due to those peculiar characteristics, the Mongolian gerbil today has become a widespread animal model for cerebral ischemia studies. M. unguiculatus has been used in most of the studies while the level of ischemia has been evaluated by the development of neurological symptoms created by the occlusion of the carotid arteries. In the present study we investigated the vasculature structure of the commonly used gerbil, M. unguiculatus (MU-TF) and compared it to the vasculature of the Israeli gerbil, Meriones tristrami as well as to that of the Albino rat. We determined the correlation between the anatomical pattern and the biochemical responses during partial or complete ischemia and anoxia by monitoring the oxidation-reduction state of the intramitochondrial NADH using an in vivo surface fluorescence technique. The corrected fluorescence signal was found to be inversely correlated with oxygen availability and could thus be used as an indicator for the level of ischemia developed after carotid artery occlusion. This is the first time that the brain vasculature of two lines of M. tristrami (MT-HU, MT-BD) has been investigated.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1486486", "title": "Brain vasculature and mitochondrial responses to ischemia in gerbils. II. Strain differences and statistical evaluation.", "content": "The correlation between the anatomy of brain vasculature and the metabolic responses to ischemia was studied in two strains of the Mongolian gerbil as compared to the albino rat. Gerbils belonging to the Meriones unguiculatus obtained from Tumblebrook Farms and from the NY Institute for Basic Research were compared to two lines of the Meriones tristrami obtained from two different breeders in Israel. In all groups of gerbils and in the albino rats, a significant correlation was found between the anatomical patterns of the Circle of Willis and the metabolic responses to ischemia as evaluated by NADH redox state measurements, namely, that with a complete anterior anatomical Circle of Willis the metabolic response to unilateral occlusion was minimal. In the anterior part of the Circle of Willis the various groups of gerbils exhibited the entire range of ischemia levels, from 0-100%, depending upon the anatomical structure of the arteries. In M. tristrami, the anterior communications between the two hemispheres were very well developed as compared to the various degrees of connection found in the different individuals of M. unguiculatus. This anatomical pattern corresponds well to the metabolic response recorded under unilateral and bilateral occlusion. The best connection in the posterior part, was found in M. tristrami. This was less frequent (10-20% of the gerbils) in M. unguiculatus. A clear correlation was found between the size of the posterior communicating artery and the changes in NADH redox state measured during bilateral carotid artery ligation. The variation between gerbils of the same litter was significantly smaller than that of the general population of the same strain.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1486487", "title": "The relation between light-induced discharge in the suprachiasmatic nucleus and phase shifts of hamster circadian rhythms.", "content": "The role of neurophysiological activation of suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) cells in phase shifting the circadian pacemaker of the hamster was investigated in a combined behavioural and electrophysiological study. An electrophysiological study examined the relation between the pattern of light presentation and the induced discharge rate in the SCN. Behavioural experiments examined the relation between the pattern of light presentation and the magnitude of phase shift induced. The combination of these results provides an indirect assay of the relations between induced neural discharge in the SCN and phase shifts of the circadian activity rhythm. The data indicate that the magnitude of phase shifts is monotonically, but not linearly, related to photically induced changes in discharge rate."}
{"id": "PMID:1486488", "title": "Effects of nerve growth factor and basic fibroblast growth factor on survival of cultured septal cholinergic neurons from adult rats.", "content": "We have established a primary culture technique for neuronal cells from rat basal forebrain from postnatal day 58 (P58) to study the effects of neurotrophic factors on the neurons. The survival of acetylcholinesterase (AChE)-positive neurons of 2-week-old rat septum has already been reported to be strongly supported by nerve growth factor (NGF) in culture. In this culture study of neurons from adult rat brains, the survival of AChE-positive neurons from P58 rat septum was slightly improved by NGF, although low affinity NGF receptor expression was also observed on cultured P58 rat septum neurons as well as on those from 2-week-old rats. The addition of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) improved the survival of AChE-positive neurons cultured from P58 rat septum, but did not promote the survival of neurons from P12 rat septum. These results suggest that NGF changes to a maintenance factor in adult rat brain from a survival factor in postnatal 2-week-old rats. The survival of cholinergic neurons in culture of adult rat septum might be supported by factor(s) other than NGF, such as bFGF."}
{"id": "PMID:1486489", "title": "Characterization of the release of Met-enkephalin from isolated nerve terminals: release kinetics and cation-dependence.", "content": "The release of the neuropeptide Met-enkephalin (Met-ENK) from isolated nerve terminals (synaptosomes) of the rat forebrain was characterized with respect to the subcellular distribution, the release upon addition of various stimulatory agents, the release kinetics, the cation-dependence of release and the relationship between Met-ENK release and elevations of the intraterminal free Ca(2+)-concentration ([Ca]i). A highly specific radioimmunoassay was developed for determination of Met-ENK (H-Tyr-Gly-Gly-Phe-Met-OH). Truncated and elongated forms of Met-ENK, Leu-enkephalin, beta-endorphin and dynorphin displayed negligible cross-reactivity. Met-ENK-like immunoreactivity (Met-ENK-LI) is enriched in the purified synaptosomal fraction of rat forebrain homogenates and is released in a strictly Ca(2+)-dependent manner upon chemical depolarization or stimulation with the Ca2+ ionophore, ionomycin. A correlation exists between the release of Met-ENK-LI and the elevations of [Ca]i. Barium ions are able to replace Ca2+ in triggering Met-ENK-LI release. The release of Met-ENK-LI is initiated within 20 s after depolarization and is terminated after 3-5 min, although depolarization and [Ca]i elevation are maintained. At this time, > 90% of the initial Met-ENK-LI is still present inside the synaptosomes. Repolarization and renewed stimulation again evokes Ca(2+)-dependent release of this retained Met-ENK-LI. It is concluded that Met-ENK release from isolated nerve terminals is exocytotic, and that exocytosis is terminated by a regulatory mechanism in synaptosomes after 3-5 min of depolarization, a process which can be reversed by repolarization.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1486490", "title": "The effects of aging on muscarinic receptor/G-protein coupling in the rat hippocampus and striatum.", "content": "In the striatum and hippocampus, there is a loss of sensitivity to muscarinic agonists with age which has been traced to events early in the signal transduction pathway. Our laboratory has therefore focussed on investigations at this level. The current experiments investigate the effects of age on G-protein/receptor interactions by using competitive binding assays to measure the ability of GppNHp to decrease the proportion of receptors bound to G-proteins in the absence and the presence of added Mg2+. L-[3H]Quinuclidinyl benzilate was used as a nonselective ligand and [3H]pirenzepine as an M1 selective ligand. We find that: (1) muscarinic receptors and G-proteins in the striatum appear to become loosely coupled with age, with no change in Mg2+ sensitivity. (2) M1-receptor/G-protein complexes in the hippocampus display increased sensitivity to the presence of Mg2+ with age, with those from old but not young tissue requiring added Mg2+ in order to uncouple. This effect, however, may not be M1 specific."}
{"id": "PMID:1486491", "title": "Perinatal cocaine exposure and functional brainstem development in the rat.", "content": "Rat pups exposed to cocaine via maternal intromission throughout gestation and lactation displayed significantly prolonged auditory brainstem response component latencies and interwave intervals. Longitudinal analysis revealed that this effect was most pronounced on the 22nd postnatal day. Increasing the rate of stimulation further impaired neurosensory transmission in the caudal auditory pathway. These results indicate that both axonal and synaptic events may be affected to some degree and the timing (age) of optimum cocaine influence suggests that delayed myelination may be involved. The corresponding retardation in general development of the cocaine exposed pups further implicates maternal, fetal and postnatal utilization of nutritional resources as the basis for this outcome."}
{"id": "PMID:1486492", "title": "Differential patterns of arborization of striatal and subthalamic fibers in the two pallidal segments in primates.", "content": "Double-anterograde tract-tracing experiments in the squirrel monkey (Saimiri sciureus) reveal that fibers from the striatum and the subthalamic nucleus converge onto the same neurons in both the external (GPe) and internal (GPi) segments of the globus pallidus. However, these two pallidal afferents arborize according to a different pattern in GPe and GPi. Whereas the striatal fibers closely entwined the distal dendrites of pallidal neurons in a similar fashion in both pallidal segments, the subthalamic fibers display a tight pericellular arrangement that is much more obvious in GPi than in GPe. This perisomatic arborization is similar to the pericellular contacts made by the GPe fibers terminating on GPi neurons. Such a resemblance suggests that these two types of afferents exert an opposite effect upon the cell body and proximal dendrites of GPi neurons. It also raises the possibility for striatal neurons to influence the same GPi neuron by acting directly on its distal dendrites and indirectly on its cell body via a relay in GPe."}
{"id": "PMID:1486493", "title": "The uremic guanidino compound guanidinosuccinic acid induces behavioral convulsions and concomitant epileptiform electrocorticographic discharges in mice.", "content": "As yet, the in vivo epileptogenic properties of guanidinosuccinic acid (GSA) remained highly conjectural, still requiring the demonstration of GSA-induced behavioral convulsions accompanied by epileptiform electrographic discharges. Therefore, Swiss mice were injected intraperitoneally (i.p.) with increasing doses of GSA. Full-blown clonic or clonic-tonic convulsions appeared in a dose-dependent manner, with a median latency of about 25 min. CD50 (convulsive dose of the drug in 50% of the animals), the LD50 (lethal dose in 50%), and their 95% confidence limits for GSA suspensions in i.p. administration were 363 (287-458) mg/kg and 579 (445-756) mg/kg, respectively. In addition, four-channel electrocorticographic (ECoG) recordings were made in freely moving mice following the injection of 700 mg/kg (CD97). Epileptiform ECoG discharges coincided with the behavioral manifestation of the GSA-induced convulsions starting with initial decrease in amplitude, occasional spike-waves (10-20 min after injection), eventually leading to sustained spiking and spike-wave activity (30-50 min after injection). Clonic convulsions induced by a CD97 dose of GSA were only moderately attenuated by high doses of i.p. phenobarbital (20, 40 and 80 mg/kg), while tonic extension and lethal effects were dose-dependently blocked. A dose of 1000 mg/kg (CD97 for tonic extension) induced tonic extension in 100% of the animals, following treatment with 20 mg/kg of phenytoin none of the animals displayed tonic extension, and following 10 mg/kg only 30% of the animals displayed tonic extension, while the occurrence of clonic convulsions was not significantly attenuated."}
{"id": "PMID:1486494", "title": "Striatal subregions are differentially vulnerable to the neurotoxic effects of methamphetamine.", "content": "Methamphetamine (m-AMPH) or saline was repeatedly administered to rats. One week later, the caudate-putamen of the m-AMPH-treated rats revealed a decrease in both [3H]mazindol-labeled dopamine uptake sites and tissue dopamine content. Moreover, the resulting pattern of decline in these measures was regionally heterogeneous. The ventral caudate-putamen displayed the greatest decrease in both [3H]mazindol binding and dopamine content while the neighboring nucleus accumbens and the dorsal caudate-putamen remained relatively intact. These results indicate a regional difference in the susceptibility of striatal dopaminergic terminals to the neurotoxic effects of methamphetamine."}
{"id": "PMID:1486495", "title": "Is the vasoactive intestinal peptide-like immunoreactivity in the rat pineal gland present in fibers originating in the superior cervical ganglion?", "content": "Serotonin N-acetyltransferase is regulated in the rat pineal gland by the gland's innervation from the superior cervical ganglion. Norepinephrine has been viewed as the sole transmitter involved in this trans-synaptic regulation; however, a possible role for vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) has recently emerged. VIP-like immunoreactivity was extracted from rat pineal glands and shown to co-elute on reverse-phase liquid chromatography with authentic VIP. The level of VIP-like immunoreactivity in the gland was unaffected by prior sympathetic denervation, though its level of neuropeptide Y-like immunoreactivity decreased by 85%. The results indicate that VIP and norepinephrine are not colocalized in sympathetic neurons in the pineal gland and raise questions as to the physiological role of VIP in regulation of pineal function in vivo."}
{"id": "PMID:1486496", "title": "The locus coeruleus and memory: a study of chronic alcoholics with and without the memory impairment of Korsakoff's psychosis.", "content": "The loss of noradrenergic locus coeruleus neurons has been identified as the possible critical lesion inducing amnesia in alcoholic patients with the Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome. The present study aims to test this hypothesis by quantifying the number of pigmented locus coeruleus neurons in 4 alcoholics with the Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, 5 alcoholics with Wernicke's encephalopathy alone but no amnesia, and 1 alcoholic and 5 age-matched controls with no neurological disorders. Apart from an increased vascularity in the locus coeruleus of alcoholics, no significant differences in the number, morphology or distribution of pigmented locus coeruleus neurons was noted between any of the groups analysed. There was a significant correlation between the number of locus coeruleus neurons and brain weight. These data demonstrate that neither alcohol neurotoxicity nor thiamine deficiency result in a reduction in the number of pigmented cells in the locus coeruleus and refute the hypothesis that locus coeruleus cell loss is critical for the amnesia in the Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome."}
{"id": "PMID:1486497", "title": "Circadian and developmental regulation of Oct-2 gene expression in the suprachiasmatic nuclei.", "content": "Oct-2 is a transcriptional activating factor that is expressed in the suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN), the site of a biological clock. We examined in rats whether Oct-2 gene expression is regulated by the circadian pacemaker or by light using quantitative in situ hybridization. The ontogeny of Oct-2 gene expression in the SCN was also studied. Oct-2 mRNA levels remained constant throughout the circadian cycle. In contrast to c-fos mRNA levels which are acutely induced by acute light exposure at night, Oct-2 mRNA levels were not increased by light exposure at night. At gestational day 18, the first age the SCN are anatomically distinct, a prominent Oct-2 hybridization signal was present in the SCN. Our results suggest that Oct-2 is constitutively expressed in the SCN and is present from the time the SCN are discernible as discrete nuclei in fetal brain."}
{"id": "PMID:1486498", "title": "Stress-induced sensitization to amphetamine and morphine psychomotor effects depend on stress-induced corticosterone secretion.", "content": "Repeated exposure to stressful situations has been shown to increase individual reactivity to addictive drugs. However, the biological factors involved in such stress-induced changes are largely unknown. In this study, we investigated the role of corticosterone in the effects of restraint stress on the response to psychostimulants and opioids. The effects of repeated stress on amphetamine- and morphine-induced locomotor activity were compared in: (i) animals with an intact hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis; (ii) animals in which stress-induced corticosterone secretion was blocked by adrenalectomy, but who received exogenous corticosterone from a subcutaneous implant. The implanted pellets (50 mg) slowly release corticosterone producing a stable plasma level within the normal physiological range over a period of 20 days. Restraint stress increased the locomotor response to both amphetamine (1.5 mg/kg i.p.) and morphine (2 mg/kg s.c.) in animals with an intact HPA axis, but not in animals in which stress-induced corticosterone secretion was suppressed. These results suggest that corticosterone secretion may be one of the mechanisms by which repeated stress amplifies behavioral responses to amphetamine and morphine. Since an enhanced locomotor reactivity to addictive drugs has been found to be frequently associated with an enhanced vulnerability to drug self-administration, these findings point to a role for glucocorticoids in the susceptibility to drug abuse."}
{"id": "PMID:1486499", "title": "Effects of peripheral nerve injuries and tissue inflammation on the levels of neuropeptide Y-like immunoreactivity in rat primary afferent neurons.", "content": "Changes in neuropeptide Y-like immunoreactivity (NPYir) in the rat L4 and L5 spinal cord and dorsal root ganglia (DRG) were examined after different sciatic nerve injuries (transection, loose ligation, and crush) and a localized, painful inflammation of the hind paw. Inflammation had no effect on NPYir. All the nerve injuries produced comparable increases in NPYir in ipsilateral laminae III-V axons and varicosities, and induction of NPYir in many DRG cells. Most NPYir DRG cells were medium to large (mean diameters: 40-45 microns); less than 2% of the cells had diameters of 25 microns or less. We conclude that the nerve injury-evoked increase in NPYir occurs mostly in the somata and intraspinal arbors of low-threshold mechanoreceptors; very few, if any, C-fiber afferents are involved. Nerve injury, rather than a painful condition, appears to be the stimulus for the induction of NPYir synthesis."}
{"id": "PMID:1486500", "title": "Continuous amphetamine and cocaine have similar neurotoxic effects in lateral habenular nucleus and fasciculus retroflexus.", "content": "Both amphetamine and cocaine lead to an intake pattern in chronic addicts in which the drug is taken repeatedly over prolonged periods. While continuously administered amphetamines, designed to mimic this intake pattern, have a neurotoxic effect on caudate dopamine terminals, several studies have failed to find similar effects following continuous cocaine. In this study, these findings in striatum were replicated in rats using silver staining for degenerating neurons. But it was further found that either amphetamine or cocaine given continuously over a 3- to 5-day period induce a highly specific pattern of axonal degeneration extending from the lateral habenular nucleus along the fasciculus retroflexus towards the ventral tegmentum. This finding supports a rich literature on the involvement of these same pathways in the actions of dopamine agonists, reward mechanisms, and the integration of limbic, extrapyramidal, and midbrain centers."}
{"id": "PMID:1486501", "title": "Rolling mouse Nagoya as a mutant animal model of basal ganglia dysfunction: determination of absolute rates of local cerebral glucose utilization.", "content": "In order to elucidate the neuronal mechanism of the motor disturbances of the Rolling mouse Nagoya (rolling), a neurological mutant mouse (genotype rol/rol) showing frequent lurching and falling over on walking, we determined absolute rates of local cerebral glucose utilization (LCGU) with the [14C]deoxyglucose method. The rates were compared with those of heterozygote (+/rol) with normal behavior, and of normal mice (+/+) of the same strain (C3Hf/Nga). Rolling showed marked and significant increases in LCGU in the structures of the basal ganglia such as the globus pallidus, entopeduncular nucleus, substantia nigra pars compacta and pars reticulata, and subthalamic nucleus, confirming our previous finding with semiquantitative LCGU determination. Additional significant but much less marked increases in LCGU of rolling were found in some structures of the brainstem and limbic system, such as the pedunculopontine nucleus, red nucleus, ventral tegmental area, lateral habenula, and CA1 and CA3 of the hippocampus. Although rolling has been regarded as an animal model of cerebellar ataxia, rolling showed no alterations of LCGU in the cerebellum. The heterozygote showed intermediate increases in LCGU between rolling and normal mice in the basal ganglia structures such as the globus pallidus, substantia nigra pars reticulata and subthalamic nucleus. Our findings indicate that rolling has a definite, genetically determined dysfunction of the basal ganglia. The primary site of the basal ganglia dysfunction might probably be in the striatum, involving both the neostriatum and limbic striatum, and resulting in secondary dysfunction in their target structures."}
{"id": "PMID:1486502", "title": "Histochemical study of the lumbar colonic nerve supply to the internal anal sphincter and its physiological role in dogs.", "content": "The sympathetic innervation of the internal and sphincter (IAS) and its physiological role in maintaining sphincter tone were histochemically and mechanically studied in dogs anesthetized with pentobarbital sodium. Numerous catecholamine-fluorescent nerve fibers with varicosities were identified in the IAS of normal dogs. Such fibers were markedly reduced at one week and one month after resection of the hypogastric nerves (HGNs) or the lumbar colonic nerve (LCN), and disappeared after combined HGN and LCN resection. IAS tone decreased to 37.2% of baseline at 1 h after LCN resection and to 69.9% after HGN resection. It returned to the preoperative level at one week and one month after resection. The restored IAS tone was decreased again by acute transection of the previously intact HGNs or LCN. Combined LCN and HGN resection also caused a marked reduction of IAS tone (36.9%) at 1 h after the procedure, and was then restored to the preoperative level with time. The restored tone was not decreased by phentolamine administration. These findings confirmed that both the LCN and the HGN innervate the IAS and play a physiological role in the development of resting tone. The restoration of IAS tone after denervation may be due to intrinsic myogenic properties of the sphincter."}
{"id": "PMID:1486503", "title": "Intra-amygdaloid infusions of clonidine retard kindling.", "content": "It has been reported previously that systemic administration of clonidine, an agonist of alpha-2 noradrenergic receptors, significantly retards amygdaloid kindling by delaying the emergence from partial seizure. We examined the effect of either systemic administration (i.p.) or intra-amygdaloid infusions of clonidine on the kindling of seizures with electrical stimulation of the amygdala. Rats received either low-frequency stimulation of the amygdala, to induce rapid kindling, or conventional high-frequency stimulation. Clonidine and electrical stimulation were administered once every 48 h. We observed a significant retardation of kindling in rats receiving i.p. injections of clonidine (0.1 mg/kg) or infusions of clonidine in concentrations of 10(-7)-10(-4) M, regardless of the stimulation frequency. The prophylactic effect was due to a delay in the progression out of partial seizure. The effect was specific to the amygdala/pyriform region, because infusions of clonidine dorsal to the amygdala were without effect. Intra-amygdaloid clonidine had little effect on established generalized seizures, suggesting that it was producing a genuine prophylactic effect against kindling. We conclude that the subpopulation of alpha-2 adrenoceptors in the amygdala/pyriform region contributes to the antiepileptogenic effect observed after systemic administration of clonidine."}
{"id": "PMID:1486504", "title": "Rostral ventrolateral medullary neurons projecting to locus coeruleus have cardiorespiratory inputs.", "content": "This study was designed to characterize some of the properties of the rostral ventrolateral medullary (RVLM) cells with axonal projection to the locus coeruleus (LC) in urethane anesthetized, vagotomized, paralyzed and artificially respirated rats. The vast majority of RVLM units antidromically (AD) activated from LC (RVLM-LC units) were silent and unresponsive to peripheral chemoreceptor stimulation or nociceptive stimulation. Twenty seven spontaneously active RVLM-LC neurons, AD activated from LC with currents below 30 microA (17 +/- 2 microA) were analyzed. AD mapping (n = 18) indicated that the lowest threshold for AD activation occurred within the LC itself. Axonal branching within or close to LC was suggested by the presence of sudden jumps in AD latency. Maximal AD latencies ranged from 7 to 37 ms. Most spontaneously active RVLM-LC neurons displayed marked central respiratory modulation characterized by either a post-inspiratory or an inspiratory pattern. The majority of the tested neurons were affected (excited or inhibited) by brief peripheral chemoreceptor stimulation (N2 inhalation). Most cells were inhibited by raising arterial pressure but none exhibited any detectable pulse synchrony. Reticulospinal sympathetic premotor neurons of RVLM were not found to project to LC (sample of 9) and very few RVLM cells with on-off respiratory discharges appeared to project to LC (2 out of 110). This study suggests that much of the information conveyed by the RVLM to LC could be of a mixed cardiorespiratory nature."}
{"id": "PMID:1486505", "title": "Autoradiographic identification and characterization of sigma receptors in guinea pig brain using [3H]1(cyclopropylmethyl)-4-(2'-(4''-fluorophenyl)-2'-oxoethyl) piperidine ([3H]DuP 734), a novel sigma receptor ligand.", "content": "The psychotomimetic effects of certain cycloalkyls and benzomorphans that interact with sigma receptors has led to the hypothesis that these sites may be important in the etiology of schizophrenia. DuP 734 [1-(cyclopropylmethyl)-4-(2'-(4''-fluoro-phenyl)-2'-oxoethyl) piperidine HBr] is a novel sigma receptor ligand. The receptor binding specificity and neuroanatomical distribution of [3H]DuP 734-labeled sigma receptors in guinea pig brain were examined using quantitative autoradiography. [3H]DuP 734 binding (10 microM haloperidol displaceable) to slide-mounted sections of guinea pig brain was saturable and of high affinity (Ki = 3.9 nM). Competition studies, under conditions identical to those used to visualize the receptor, yielded the following rank order of potency: DuP 734 > haloperidol > (+)-pentazocine > (-)-butaclamol > DTG > (+)-SKF 10,047 > (+)-3-PPP > (-)-pentazocine > (+)-butaclamol > U50,488H > (-)-SKF 10,047 > cinanserin > PCP >> MK801, sulpiride. High densities of [3H]DuP 734 binding sites displaceable by haloperidol were present in the limbic system, in particular the dorsal and ventral bands of Broca as well as the ventral pallidum. Within the hippocampus, the pyramidal layers were sparsely labeled, while higher densities of binding sites were evident in the dentate gyrus. The frontal cortex, the mammillary complex of the hypothalamus, the central gray and red nucleus of the midbrain, the pontine reticular nucleus, the Purkinje cell layer of the cerebellum and dorsal and ventral horns, as well as the central gray matter of the spinal cord, all showed enrichments of [3H]DuP 734 binding sites. Lower levels of binding were present in the other regions of the cerebral cortex including parietal, pyriform, occipital, cingulate cortex, as well as the basal ganglia, and negligible specific binding was present in the white matter tracts. The kinetic and pharmacological characteristics and distribution of [3H]DuP 734 binding sites in brain are similar to those previously reported for sigma receptors."}
{"id": "PMID:1486506", "title": "Electron microscopic investigation of the cerebral cortex after cerebral ischemia and reperfusion in the gerbil.", "content": "Prompt dendritic damage has been observed in the hippocampus of the gerbil brain after transient cerebral ischemia. In the present study, we studied the frontoparietal cortex of the gerbil brain electron microscopically after brief bilateral carotid occlusion to assess the vulnerability of dendritic processes. After ischemia for 5 min, there was swelling of the periphery of dendrites accompanied by swelling of mitochondria, cytoplasmic vacuolation and disintegration of microtubules in layer I, which spread to layer III after ischemia for 20 min. After reperfusion for 3-24 h following ischemia for 20 min, swelling in the periphery of dendrites and of mitochondria inside receded but vacuole formation and disintegration of microtubules propagated proximally. In neuronal perikarya, polyribosomal disaggregation was observed after ischemia for 20 min and persisted thereafter, while fragmentation of rough endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and microvacuolation occurred after reperfusion for 3 h. Electron-dense clumping of neuronal perikarya was observed after reperfusion for 6 h particularly in layers III and Vb, which increased in number for up to 72 h. The observed progressive damage in dendrites may be common to neurons vulnerable to cerebral ischemia and may significantly contribute to development of delayed neuronal death."}
{"id": "PMID:1486507", "title": "Central sites mediating reproductive responses to melatonin in juvenile male Siberian hamsters.", "content": "Juvenile male Siberian hamsters received infusions of varying doses of melatonin (MEL), or saline vehicle, via microdialysis probes implanted in brain regions which have previously been shown to contain MEL receptors. Daily infusions were 10 h in length and occurred during exposure to constant light on days 22-34 of age. All animals were sacrificed on day 35 and paired testis weights recorded prior to preparation of the brain tissue for histological evaluation of the infusion site. Some animals were also blood-sampled prior to sacrifice for determination of circulating levels of prolactin (PRL). Saline infusions did not have a significant effect upon gonadal maturation, regardless of the infusion site, when compared with unoperated control animals reared under similar photoperiod conditions. In contrast, animals which received infusions of 75 pg MEL into the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus, or nucleus reuniens regions, showed a marked inhibition of gonadal growth. Infusions of this dose of MEL into various other neural regions (e.g. lateral hypothalamus, ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus, paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus) did not result in decreased testis weights at the time of sacrifice. Daily administration of 20 pg MEL inhibited gonadal maturation and resulted in decreased circulating PRL levels only when infused into the SCN region. For animals receiving the 7.5 pg dose, infusions into the midline thalamic nuclei were not successful in inhibiting testis growth, and infusions in the SCN region had only a marginal effect.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1486508", "title": "Children's eyewitness memory: effects of participation and forensic context.", "content": "We examined effects of participation and forensic context on 4-year-old children's testimony. Children in \"participant\" and \"police\" conditions actively participated in games with a \"babysitter\"; each child in the \"observer\" condition watched a videotape of a child and the babysitter playing. Eleven days later, children were individually questioned about the event. Before the interview began, children in the police condition talked to a police officer who said the babysitter might have done something bad. Comparison of participant- and observer-condition performance indicated that participation increased free-recall accuracy concerning actions that took place and lowered suggestibility. Comparison of participant- and police-condition performance indicated that forensic context led to increased error in free recall and additional comments to misleading questions. However, forensic context also resulted in higher accuracy on an age-identification task and did not affect children's accuracy in answering abuse-related questions."}
{"id": "PMID:1486510", "title": "Predictors of legal intervention in child maltreatment cases.", "content": "Using information extracted from child protective services and criminal court records, this research examines the extent and nature of dependency and criminal filings in 833 substantiated intrafamilial child abuse and neglect cases reported in Denver (CO), Los Angeles (CA), and Newcastle (DE) Counties in 1985-1986. Techniques of chi-square and discriminant analyses were used to identify factors associated with dependency and criminal filings. Results indicate that legal intervention is rare: Dependency filings and prosecutions occur in just 21% and 4% of the sample, respectively, although treatment plan development and out-of-home placement of the child occur in approximately 75% and 50% of the sample, respectively. Eighty percent of cases with criminal filings proceed to trial or plea bargaining, with 92% resulting in conviction. Bivariate analyses indicate cases involving abandonment, sexual abuse, frequent maltreatment, and severe maltreatment are most likely to result in an initial dependency filing, while cases involving sexual abuse, severe maltreatment, a nonparent perpetrator, an ethnic minority perpetrator, a female victim, and a victim aged 7-12 years are most likely to result in a criminal filing. The multivariate analyses show the primary predictor of both dependency and criminal filings is whether the case involved sexual abuse. This finding reflects the widespread public and professional attention child sexual abuse has received in recent years."}
{"id": "PMID:1486509", "title": "Children of torture victims: reactions and coping.", "content": "The aim of this study was to describe mental reactions and coping strategies among children of torture victims. The study comprised 11 children from 5 exiled families with at least one of the parents having been subjected to torture. Investigation methods applied were qualitative interviews in three different settings and two projective tests. The children were anxious, depressive, and regressive. Moreover, they presented psychosomatic symptoms, sleep disorders, and family and school problems. The children's ways of dealing with their experiences were divided into four main coping strategies: (a) isolation and withdrawal, (b) mental flight, (c) eagerness to acclimatize, and (d) strength of will and fighting. A lack of flexibility in the children's development of coping strategies was mainly explained by the strength of challenges in the families' overall situation before and after escape and exilation. A lack of openness about imprisonment and torture seemed to be an essential way of parental coping. The observation methods chosen all proved to be applicable and informative. Moreover, the qualitative interview showed to be the crucial method."}
{"id": "PMID:1486511", "title": "The prevalence and context of family violence against children in Finland.", "content": "The prevalence and context of violence against children in their families was surveyed as part of a study on the sexual abuse of children. A random sample of 409 comprehensive school classes with approximately 9,000 15-year-olds was asked to anonymously fill out questionnaires. The majority filled out the questionnaires in the privacy of the school nurse's office, the rest in their classrooms. Of the selected classes, 88.8% participated in the survey, and the response rate of the students in those classes was 96%. Mild violence (slapping, pushing, etc.) was reported by 72% of the respondents, and severe violence (hitting with a fist, kicking, use of weapons) was reported by 8%. Violence was committed by the parents sometime before the children reached age 14. Incidents of violence during the year preceding the survey were reported by 19% and 5%, mild and severe, respectively. Mild violence was committed slightly more often by mothers than fathers. Severe violence was perpetrated more frequently by fathers. Girls reported mild abuse more often than boys. Severe violence was experienced equally often by both sexes. Children living with single mothers reported less-than-average mild violence, but more frequent severe violence. The highest incidence of severe violence was found among youth living in families with a stepfather. Unemployment in a family tended to increase both mild and severe violence. Violence was reported least often by children living in farming families or Swedish speaking families (which make up about 6% of Finnish population). Overall the frequency of violence toward children in Finland is significantly lower than in the U.S. Comparison to Sweden seems to show an identical level of child abuse, although different study methods make comparisons difficult."}
{"id": "PMID:1486512", "title": "Early indicators of pathological dissociation in sexually abused children.", "content": "Although reported cases of adult multiple personality disorder (MPD) are increasing, confirmation of MPD and related dissociative disorders in children remains rare. Since MPD can cause severe impairment and psychological distress, and is thought to originate in childhood, early recognition of pathological dissociation and predictors of MPD is critical. Sexual abuse in childhood has similarly been under-reported until recently, and is highly associated with the development of dissociative disorders. This paper reviews factors in the professional neglect of these syndromes as well as recent diagnostic developments in childhood dissociative disorders. The identification of subtle dissociative symptomatology in children is illustrated and two case examples are presented."}
{"id": "PMID:1486513", "title": "Gardnerella vaginalis infection and sexual contact in female children.", "content": "Gardnerella vaginalis (GV) infection has been reported as being acquired via sexual contact in adults and as an indicator of sexual contact in female children (DeJong, 1985). The purpose of this study was to determine if GV infection was more commonly found in 191 female children who gave a history of sexual contact and/or were infected with Neisseria gonorrhoeae (GC) or Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) (Group 1), compared with 144 female children evaluated for possible sexual abuse and found to have no such history or infection with GC or CT (Group 2), or 31 female children (friends of the authors) without such a history or GC or CT infection (Group 3). Vaginal GV was found in 5.3% of Group 1, 4.9% of Group 2 and 6.4% of Group 3 (p > .05). Also, vaginal GV infection was not related to the type of sexual contact or race, but did increase with age in white female children. Because vaginal GV infection is not more commonly found in children with a history of sexual contact than those without such a history, the finding of GV in a vaginal culture in an individual case would not be a reliable marker of sexual contact. Routine culturing for GV is not recommended as part of a sexual abuse workup."}
{"id": "PMID:1486520", "title": "The pattern of sugar consumption in social class groups of young adolescents in Northern Ireland.", "content": "The pattern of sugar consumption in a sample of 350 11-12-year-old adolescents was examined. Their knowledge of the sugar content of a range of common foodstuffs was also investigated. There were only small differences between the social class groups in mealtime sugar consumption. The frequency of total food and drink was significantly higher in the low social class groups and this was mainly explained by significantly higher between meal consumption of solid food which contained sugar. The level of knowledge of the sugar content of foods was significantly higher in the higher social class groups. Fifty-two per cent of the questions were answered correctly, with a range of 9-91 per cent for individual foodstuffs."}
{"id": "PMID:1486515", "title": "Sexual abuse prevention education for young children: a comparison of teachers and parents as instructors.", "content": "The purpose of this study was to compare teachers and parents as instructors of a personal safety program. One hundred seventy-two Head Start preschoolers were randomly assigned to a personal safety program taught by their teachers, parents, both teachers and parents, or to a general safety control program. Following program participation, children taught the personal safety program by their teachers, parents, or both, demonstrated greater knowledge about sexual abuse and higher levels of personal safety skills compared with those in the control group. Gains in knowledge and skills were maintained at the 5-month follow up. Children taught by their parents showed greater improvements in recognizing inappropriate-touch requests and in their personal safety skills compared with children taught by their teachers, and children who received the program both at home and school were better able to recognize appropriate-touch requests and to demonstrate higher levels of personal safety skills compared with children taught only at school. The emotional costs associated with participating in the program were minimal, and both parents and children rated the program positively. The advantages of home-based instruction for young children are discussed and suggestions for future research are offered."}
{"id": "PMID:1486514", "title": "Self-reported childhood and adolescent sexual abuse among adult homosexual bisexual men.", "content": "From May 1989 through April 1990, 1,001 adult homosexual and bisexual men attending sexually transmitted disease clinics were interviewed regarding potentially abusive sexual contacts during childhood and adolescence. Thirty-seven percent of participants reported they had been encouraged or forced to have sexual contact before age 19 with an older or more powerful partner; 94% occurred with men. Median age of the participant at first contact was 10; median age difference between partners was 11 years. Fifty-one percent involved use of force; 33% involved anal sex. Black and Hispanic men were more likely than white men to report such sexual contact. Using developmentally-based criteria to define sexual abuse, 93% of participants reporting sexual contact with an older or more powerful partner were classified as sexually abused. Our data suggest the risk of sexual abuse may be high among some male youth and increased attention should be devoted to prevention as well as early identification and treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1486516", "title": "Grooming the victim: an analysis of a perpetrator's seduction letter.", "content": "The authors review the current literature on the sexual victimization of adolescent males with attention given to victim characteristics and victim selection factors and strategies. Following this review, a letter written by a middle-aged man to entice a teenage boy into sexual activity is presented and analyzed. The strategy used by the letter-writer is to refute the usual reservations a teenage boy might have about engaging in sexual activity with a man. The approach used in the letter and the ensuing analysis are generalizable to teenage boys experiencing similar encounters and highlight the sophisticated seduction and grooming strategies used to sexually victimize adolescent males."}
{"id": "PMID:1486521", "title": "The possibility of school milk as a vehicle for fluoride: epidemiological, organisational and legal considerations.", "content": "The aim of this study was to investigate the epidemiological, organisational and legal considerations of using school milk as a vehicle for fluoride. The background to the work was the need to develop alternative methods of fluoride supplementation for high risk groups living in areas where water fluoridation is unlikely. St Helens in Merseyside was chosen as the study area, where 23 per cent of 4-year-old children were identified as having a high caries experience (dmft > or = 4). It was found that 65 per cent of 3 and 4-year-old children attend local authority educational facilities, where milk is provided on a daily basis for children aged 2 to 7 years. This group included 62 per cent of the 4-year-old group with high caries experience. The legal aspects of adding fluoride to milk were found to be complex but it was concluded that there may be considerable potential for using school milk as a vehicle for fluoride, and a large-scale study is now planned."}
{"id": "PMID:1486522", "title": "An exploratory study of barriers to promoting oral hygiene through carers of elderly people.", "content": "This paper outlines the main findings of an exploratory study into carers' attitudes towards looking after the oral hygiene needs of their elderly patients and relatives. The data were collected using eight group discussions covering a cross-section of carers and carer settings throughout central Scotland. A range of barriers to improving levels of care was identified. The paper concluded that to make positive progress, a comprehensive oral hygiene programme is required to break down these barriers. It is believed that a strong educational policy based upon carers' needs should form the main impetus of such a programme."}
{"id": "PMID:1486523", "title": "Prevalence of dental caries and enamel defects in the primary dentition of Antiguan pre-school children aged 3-4 years including an assessment of their habits.", "content": "In 1989 a national survey was carried out on children aged 3 to 4 years attending nursery schools, to investigate the prevalence of caries experience, nursing bottle caries and enamel defects in the primary dentition, and these children's dentally related habits. In the first part of the study, examination of 482 Antiguan children showed that the dmft and dmfs values were 0.80 and 1.26 respectively, and that 77 per cent of the children were caries free; 4.6 per cent of children had nursing bottle caries; and enamel defects occurred in 24 per cent of children. No significant difference was found in oral health between urban and rural samples. In the second part, which was an interview survey, habits such as thumb sucking (13 per cent), not brushing their teeth (3 per cent), and swallowing fluoride toothpaste (13 per cent) were found among 369 children. In the third (a questionnaire) survey, a response rate of 63 per cent was obtained. Significantly more of the children with nursing bottle caries (78.6 per cent) had the habit of sleeping with a feeding bottle than occurred in caries free children (25.6 per cent), but there was no difference in the infant feeding pattern. The children with enamel defects were breast fed for a shorter period and had an earlier introduction to bottle feeding, compared with children without enamel defects. In the final part of the survey, an assessment of snack eating habits at school, a 58 per cent response rate was achieved. The majority of children often brought healthier snacks, together with daily sugar-rich drinks. Significantly more caries free children brought sugary snacks less frequently than children with caries experience."}
{"id": "PMID:1486517", "title": "Child abuse in India: an empirical report on perceptions.", "content": "A small but growing body of literature has begun to provide an understanding of child abuse in India. However, there is a dearth of empirical evidence to support general observations. Because it is believed that child abuse in India has not received adequate attention primarily because of a general lack of sensitivity to the issue, this study sought to assess perceptions of child abuse by Indian nationals. Comparisons between social workers, other human service professionals, and those not involved in human services fields revealed that there was negligible variation in perceptions of the severity of different forms of abuse. Cross-cultural comparisons with a U.S. study indicated some differences in perceptions. Implications of the findings are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1486524", "title": "The effect of school dental screening on dental attendance. The results of a randomised controlled trial.", "content": "The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of a school dental screening in encouraging school children aged 4 to 6 years to visit a dentist. One thousand five hundred and sixty-two children attending the 13 primary schools in Wallasey. Merseyside, were examined by a single trained examiner; those with urgent treatment needs or evidence of recent treatment were excluded. The remaining 528 children with signs of dental caries were entered into the study. Children within each school were stratified by age, sex and number of carious teeth and then allocated at random to test and control groups. Parents of children in the test group were advised by letter that their child would benefit from a more detailed clinical examination. A reply slip was attached to the letter and non-responders were carefully followed up. The control group received no such interventions. After 4 months, data on dental visits by both test and control group children were extracted from clinical records. Attendance data were obtained for 262 children (97 per cent) in the test group and 243 children (94 per cent) in the control group. Seventy-three per cent of the test group and 42 per cent of the control group visited the dentist over the review period; the difference of 31 per cent favour of the test group was statistically significant. Attendances at both general dental practitioners and community dental clinics were increased. The effect of the screening procedure was seen particularly in areas of lower socio-economic status.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1486525", "title": "Evaluation of the World Health Organisation pathfinder methodology for oral health surveys in industrialised countries.", "content": "The aim of this study was to carry out a survey using the pathfinder methodology developed by the World Health Organisation for international surveys and to compare the results (DMFT, DT, MT, FT) with those obtained from a national survey in France. The statistically significant difference observed between the results of the DMFT and DT indices obtained by using the two methods does not affect the classification of France at the 'moderate' level on the World Health Organisation scale for caries prevalence at the age of 12 years. The observed DMFT difference is an argument in favour of using the World Health Organisation pathfinder methodology, as it provides a satisfactory degree of precision on the oral health status of a population for planning purposes."}
{"id": "PMID:1486526", "title": "The differentiation of sealant restorations from preventive fissure sealants, in subjects with clear sealants.", "content": "The aim of this study was to assess whether preventive fissure sealants could be differentiated from sealant restorations. The problem of being unable to differentiate between these two tooth states has implications for practitioners and epidemiologists (Davies, 1990). One hundred and seventeen permanent molar teeth, all sealed with a clear sealant, were examined under two types of conditions. These were the Daray 'Versatile light'; mirror, wet teeth, and the Daray 'Operating light 2'; mirror, dry teeth. The subjects' records were subsequently consulted to provide the validating criteria. The results suggest that in a dental hospital environment, when a clear sealant material is in place, it is possible to differentiate between preventive fissure sealants and sealant restorations. It would seem, however, that the 'sealant-alone' variety of sealant restoration was the one most often mistaken for a preventive fissure sealant. The different examination conditions did not markedly affect the examiners' ability to differentiate between the two tooth stage."}
{"id": "PMID:1486527", "title": "The effectiveness of the yellow card warning system for paediatric cardiology patients.", "content": "Questionnaires were completed by the parents of 100 children with cardiac problems attending the regional paediatric cardiology clinic in Yorkshire. The parents' possession and knowledge regarding the use of a yellow card (warning parents and dentists of the need for antibiotic cover before certain dental treatment) was assessed. Only 57 per cent of parents reported that they had received a yellow card."}
{"id": "PMID:1486528", "title": "Postgraduate prosthetic training within the community dental service.", "content": "There is a need for clinical prosthetics training for community dentists. This was apparent when a postgraduate course, which dealt with prosthetic care of elderly people, was organised for dentists working in the community dental service. Over 100 community dentists applied for 40 places. At the outset they were asked to complete a questionnaire which addressed their professional career together with their current prosthetic experience. The majority of participants were employed at dental officer level; 18 per cent were at senior dental officer level. Many of the dentists worked in districts where one or more community dentists provided all the prosthetic treatment within the community dental service. The majority of districts receive their prosthetic patients as a result of referrals from a variety of sources. Only eight dentists saw the majority of their patients at domiciliary visits; many did not see any patients in this manner. The course participants considered that their greatest clinical weakness in prosthetic skills was in the production of copy dentures and in denture design. Many of the dentists who attended the course did not provide a prosthetic service but most of them said that they anticipated that the necessity for this would increase in the future."}
{"id": "PMID:1486532", "title": "Factors confounding genetic linkage between atopy and chromosome 11q.", "content": "The results of testing for linkage between atopy and the chromosome 11 marker D11S97 is shown for all the 723 subjects genotyped by us up to January 1992. Lod score estimations were confounded by the high population prevalence of atopy, maternal inheritance of atopy at the 11q locus, genetic heterogeneity, and excess of atopy in families not ascertained through a single proband. Affected sib-pair analysis shows evidence for linkage which is not dependent on the definition of atopy or model specification. We suggest that presentation of sib-pair data will be suitable for meta-analysis of the different studies of genetic linkage and atopy."}
{"id": "PMID:1486535", "title": "Lack of linkage between atopy and locus 11q13.", "content": "Atopy as defined in terms of IgE responsiveness was reported to be controlled by a single gene in British families, and this concept was further supported by a significant linkage between atopy and restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) detected by a DNA probe specific to chromosome 11q13. To confirm this observation in a Japanese population, segregation and linkage analyses were done in four large families. Although segregation patterns of atopy were in agreement with the pattern of autosomal dominant inheritance, there was no significant linkage between atopy and locus 11q13. Alterations in the definitions of atopy did not affect the results. These findings suggested the presence of heterogeneity in genetic elements of atopy, even though atopy may be determined mainly by a single dominant gene."}
{"id": "PMID:1486536", "title": "Genetic analysis of atopy in three large kindreds: no evidence of linkage to D11S97.", "content": "Both genetic and environmental influences have been implicated in the pathogenesis of atopic disease. A recent report suggested that a major gene providing susceptibility to atopy was transmitted in a pattern consistent with autosomal dominant inheritance and evidence was presented that places the disease locus near the D11S97 marker on human chromosome 11q. In this report, we present three large, highly characterized pedigrees in which atopy is transmitted in a pattern consistent with autosomal dominant inheritance. Genotypes at the D11S97 and HLA loci were evaluated using both lod score and sib pair methods of analysis. In these pedigrees, we reject close moderate linkage (up to 10 cM) of atopy with both D11S97 and HLA."}
{"id": "PMID:1486537", "title": "Atopy and bronchial hyperresponsiveness: exclusion of linkage to markers on chromosomes 11q and 6p.", "content": "Previous studies have reported a familial predisposition for the development of atopy, bronchial hyperresponsiveness and clinical asthma, and therefore have suggested the presence of a heritable component to these disorders. The specific contributions of genetic and environmental factors in the pathogenesis of allergic disease and asthma have not been determined although Cookson et al. [1] have postulated linkage between atopy and chromosome 11q. We have studied 20 families (two and three generations) ascertained through a proband identified as having asthma (90% were also allergic) during the period of time between 1962 and 1970. Of those who were originally skin test positive, 82% remained positive. All probands whose pulmonary function allowed retesting (FEV1 > 1.2 l) remained hyperresponsive to histamine. The children of these probands are now in the same age range as their parents when they were originally evaluated; 66% are atopic using criteria described by Cookson et al. (one or more positive skin tests > or = 2 mm, an elevated total serum IgE or a positive specific IgE) and 22% demonstrate bronchial hyperresponsiveness (PC20 FEV1) to histamine. Using the highly polymorphic marker INT2 (which maps 2 cM from p lambda MS.5 l on chromosome 11q) and atopy, we obtained a lod score of -2.00 at a recombination fraction of 0.12. In addition, because many studies have suggested an association between atopy and certain HLA antigens, we investigated the possibility of linkage between atopy and bronchial hyperresponsiveness and D6S105, a polymorphic marker on chromosome 6p, located 7 cM from HLA-DR. For this marker and atopy, we observed a lod score of -2.00 with a recombination fraction of 0.07.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1486538", "title": "Genetic 'risk' for atopy is associated with delayed postnatal maturation of T-cell competence.", "content": "Recent in vitro studies suggest that IgE production in adults is co-ordinately regulated by negative signals from gamma IFN-producing CD4+ T-helper-1 (TH-1) and positive signals from IL-4 producing (TH-2) T-cells. Additionally, seroepidemiological evidence has pinpointed infancy as the period of maximum lifetime risk for T-cell sensitization to ubiquitous environmental antigens. The present study sought to elucidate the relationship between these observations, by examination of CD4+ T-cell function in normal children and those genetically at 'high risk' for atopy, spanning the age range (up to 4 years) in which IgE responses to environmental allergens is typically manifest. Immunocompetent T-cell precursor frequencies (determined by cloning at limiting dilution) were markedly reduced in 'high risk' children relative to normals (0.53 +/- 0.29 vs 0.26 +/- 0.19; P = 0.0025). Consistent with reports from other laboratories employing bulk T-cell culture techniques, the gamma IFN producing capacity of CD4+ T-cell clones from both groups of children were markedly reduced relative to adults, and was lowest in the high risk group (P < 0.02). IL-4 production by CD4+ T-cell clones from the normal children was within the adult range, but again was significantly lower in the high risk group (P < 0.00005). This indicates that initial immune responses to environmental allergens in early childhood occur against a background of maturational 'deficiency' in CD4+ T-cell function, and suggests the possibility that variations in the rate of postnatal maturation of T-cell competence may be a contributing factor in the development of differing patterns of immunological responsiveness to environmental allergens."}
{"id": "PMID:1486539", "title": "Regulation of IgE production in pre-sensitized animals: in vivo elimination of alveolar macrophages preferentially increases IgE responses to inhaled allergen.", "content": "Intratracheal inoculation of dichloromethylene diphosphonate encapsulated in liposomes leads to the rapid accumulation of this drug in alveolar macrophage (AM) phagolysosomes, and the death of the majority of these cells over the ensuing 24-48 hr. The technique is highly selective for phagocytes and has no detectable side-effects on other cells in the lung. The present experiments demonstrate that following AM depletion, pre-sensitized animals respond to aerosol challenge via secondary serum IgE (but not IgG) responses, and the accumulation of large numbers of allergen-specific and non-specific antibody forming cells in respiratory tract regional lymph nodes and in lung and airway tissues; the latter comprise both IgE and IgG plasma cells, which were detected in the approximate ratio of 2.5:1. Moreover, aerosol challenged AM-depleted animals develop large mononuclear cell infiltrates in the lung and airways, which includes a substantial CD4+ T-cell component. These results suggest a major role for AM in regulating the magnitude of secondary IgE responses to inhaled allergen."}
{"id": "PMID:1486542", "title": "Congenital high flow coronary cameral fistula in an 81-year-old woman: management problems.", "content": "An 81-year-old woman presenting with severe congestive heart failure was found to have a congenital right coronary fistula draining into the superior vena cava. The diagnosis was suspected on transthoracic two-dimensional echo-Doppler study and confirmed with coronary angiography. Transesophageal echocardiography and magnetic resonance imaging were nondiagnostic. An attempt to close the fistula with transcatheter embolization using a detachable latex balloon was unsuccessful because of the very large size of the fistula. Follow-up showed a favorable outcome with medical therapy. Despite the advent of more recent diagnostic and therapeutic techniques, management of such large fistulae remains unresolved."}
{"id": "PMID:1486543", "title": "Regression growth evaluation statin study (REGRESS): study design and baseline characteristics in 600 patients. The REGRESS Research Group.", "content": "To assess the effects of lipid lowering, using a hydroxymethyl glutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitor (pravastatin) in symptomatic men with coronary artery disease. To assess follow-up intervention modes and baseline cardiovascular risk factors in men after routine diagnostic coronary arteriography which showed a significant stenosis (at least 50%) in a major segment. Baseline characteristics are stated in a multicentre, prospective, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial entitled 'regression growth evaluation statin study' (REGRESS). Seven university hospitals and four referral hospitals in The Netherlands. The baseline characteristics are given for the initial 600 patients who entered the REGRESS trial. All patients were 'normocholesterolemic' and suffered from symptomatic coronary artery disease. Initial follow-up treatment was analyzed after coronary arteriography, in accordance with standardized clinical practice (angioplasty, bypass grafting or medical management only). In contrast to routine procedures, 44% of the patient population was found in the medical management only stratum, whereas 32% was found in the coronary bypass graft and 24% in the percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty stratum. No major coronary cardiovascular risk factor could explain the decision to perform a certain follow-up intervention. Overall patients showed a low serum high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol level. A higher New York Heart Association classification for anginal complaints tended to favour a more aggressive follow-up approach. The total REGRESS population showed relatively low HDL cholesterol blood levels compared with the general Dutch population. The rationale to perform a specific follow-up intervention by the treating cardiologist is unclear. Severity of anginal complaints may lead to a more active intervention procedure."}
{"id": "PMID:1486544", "title": "Functional capacity of patients with atrial fibrillation and controlled heart rate before and after cardioversion.", "content": "To measure exercise duration (which frequently is diminished by atrial fibrillation) and to compare the gain in exercise duration achieved by heart rate control with the gain after cardioversion. Eighteen patients (10 with structural heart condition and eight with lone atrial fibrillation) did the treadmill exercise stress test using the Bruce protocol. Resting supine heart rate was lowered below 100 beats/min by verapamil (initial exercise stress test). An exercise stress test was then repeated as often as needed to achieve 'heart rate control' (less than 130 beats/min at the end of a 3 min walk at 10 degrees elevation and 2.74 km/h speed). This heart rate control was obtained by gradual increases in verapamil dose. Subsequently, the patients were converted to normal sinus rhythm chemically (seven patients) or electrically (11 patients) and an exercise stress test was repeated. At cardioversion, patients were on antiarrhythmic therapy and verapamil was discontinued in most. All patients had left atrial size measured by echocardiogram before and after cardioversion, and all were followed for four months. Upon achieving controlled heart rate, exercise duration increased in 16 patients (average gain was 164 s). After cardioversion to normal sinus rhythm, exercise duration further increased in 13 cases with an average additional gain of 90 s. The total increase in exercise duration after cardioversion was 254 s. Post cardioversion, all patients with lone atrial fibrillation improved. A decline in exercise performance occurred in four patients with fixed cardiac output. Average gain in exercise duration was independent of drugs used. Left atrial size remained increased post cardioversion (50.4 mm before and 52 mm after). During four months of follow-up, only eight patients could continue on the same medication given for cardioversion. Three patients did not maintain normal sinus rhythm. Conversion to normal sinus rhythm in patients with atrial fibrillation is associated with improved exercise tolerance except in cases with fixed cardiac output. Restoration of mechanical atrial function appears to be responsible for improved exercise performance following cardioversion."}
{"id": "PMID:1486545", "title": "The internal logic of the Canadian Cardiovascular Society scale for grading angina pectoris: a first appraisal.", "content": "To assess the internal logic (content validity) of the Canadian Cardiovascular Society (CCS) scale for grading angina pectoris. Forty-one consenting patients with stable angina of at least two months duration, admitted to a tertiary centre for coronary angiography. Patients completed a supervised questionnaire with closed-ended questions. Key questions included: usual numbers of blocks walked on the level or flights of stairs climbed before onset of chest pain; frequency with which chest pain occurred at the usual threshold distance; presence of rest pain; and influence of modifiers suggested for class II of the scale such as walking uphill and into the wind. Agreement of four questionnaire-defined 'stair-climbing grades' and 'walking grades' was statistically significant (P < 0.001) but only 37% better than expected by chance alone (weighted kappa). Frequency of angina at a patient's self-defined exercise threshold varied; only 22 of 41 patients (54%) had symptoms always or often. Higher classes of angina were more likely to be associated with frequent symptoms at threshold, eg, class I/II, six of 23 versus class III/IV, 16 of 17; 2P = 0.00002). Pain at rest was reported as 'definitely' present by 23 of 41 patients, and was similar in incidence across angina classes. All suggested modifiers reduced distances walked in a significant majority of patients (P values uniformly < 0.01) except for walking in the first few hours after awakening. However, the proportions of subjects for whom these factors were relevant were statistically similar for all angina grades, rather than for class II patients alone. These findings suggest that internal inconsistencies in the CCS scale are identifiable with simple validity checks. Further research appears warranted to improve this popular and useful clinical tool."}
{"id": "PMID:1486546", "title": "Analysis of responses to big endothelin in the hindquarters vascular bed of the cat.", "content": "To investigate vascular responses to the endothelin-1 (ET-1) precursor, human big endothelin 1-38 (big ET), in the peripheral vascular bed of the cat. These studies were designed to investigate the hypothesis that bit ET is converted to an active peptide with properties similar to ET-1. Hindquarters vascular bed of the cat under conditions of controlled bloodflow; changes in perfusion pressure reflect changes in vascular resistance. Fifty-four adult mongrel cats. Big ET, ET-1, the peptidases chymotrypsin, pepsin and cathepsin-D, and the metalloprotease inhibitor phosphoramidon. Intra-arterial injections of big ET induced a slow-developing and sustained increase in hindquarters perfusion pressure which could be blocked by phosphoramidon. ET-1 (0.3 nmol), administered as a slow infusion over a 10-min period, produced a slowly developing increase in hindquarters perfusion pressure in a manner similar to that observed in response to injection of big ET. A bolus injection of ET-1 produced a biphasic response characterized by a transient decrease in pressure followed by an increase which was significantly greater in magnitude and more rapid in onset than the pressor response to big ET (0.3 nmol). After incubation of big ET with chymotrypsin, pepsin and cathepsin-D (each 5% weight/weight) for 30 mins at 37 degrees C, injection of activated big ET produced a biphasic response characteristic of the response to ET-1 with an initial transient decrease in pressure followed by a secondary increase in hindquarters perfusion pressure. Big ET produces a phosphoramidon-sensitive pressor response which is similar to that produced by an infusion of ET-1. These data suggest that chymotrypsin, pepsin and cathepsin-D can convert big ET to an active peptide which elicits a biphasic response similar to that produced by ET-1."}
{"id": "PMID:1486547", "title": "Phenomenon of the adaptive stabilization of structures and protection of the heart.", "content": "To study the role of heat shock proteins in the mechanism of adaptive stabilization of structures. Double-blind randomized trial. Wistar male rats weighting between 250 and 300 g. Adaptation to restraint stress. Animals were heparinized and anesthetized with nembutal. Experiments on isolated heart included ischemia, reperfusion, adrenergic damage and heat shock. Biochemical investigations studied calcium transport from sarcoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria, and cytofluorimetrical analysis of DNA using the O'Farrell method. In reperfusion, the contraction amplitude of the hearts from adapted animals was 8.8 times higher than control. This acceleration of the contractile function recovery was due to a more rapid disappearance of the contracture. The duration of ventricular tachycardia and fibrillation was 246 +/- 16 s in control and 119 +/- 12 s in adaptation (P < 0.001). The creatine kinase release was 719 +/- 34 mU/min/g wet weight in control and 302 +/- 120 mU/min/g wet weight in adaptation (P < 0.05). In adaptation, the heat shock-induced contraction amplitude was 2.4 times higher than control and the enzyme yield was practically absent. Adaptation reduced the duration of atrioventricular blockade from 385 to 233 s per group and decreased the number of extrasystoles by 6.5 times. The calcium leakage from intracellular stores during storage proceeded slower in adaptation than in control. During storage of mitochondria at 4 degrees C, oxygen consumption fell much slower in adaptation than in control. As a result, the capacity of mitochondria (isolated from hearts of adapted animals stored for two days) to consume oxygen was 50% higher than in controls; in controls, almost one-half of nuclei were already damaged at one-chain DNA concentration of 50 micrograms/mL, while this phenomenon was 5.5 times less pronounced in adaptation. Adaptation resulted in the accumulation of five polypeptides (molecular weight 72 kDa and pl from 6.3 to 5.7). The mechanism providing adaptive increase of the heart resistance is apparent both at the central level and at the level of heart cells, and is accompanied by accumulation of inducible polypeptides."}
{"id": "PMID:1486548", "title": "Protective effect of probucol on ischemia-reperfusion arrhythmias in the rat heart.", "content": "To evaluate the efficacy of probucol on ischemia-reperfusion injury in the isolated working rat heart. Twelve male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into two groups: one was fed normal chow (group C) and the other was fed chow containing 1% probucol for four weeks (group P). Samples of heart organ and blood were then taken under anesthesia. Isolated hearts were perfused in a working heart model. After 5 mins of perfusion in aerobic conditions, global ischemia was induced for 15 mins, the hearts were then reperfused. Aortic and coronary flow, cardiac function and electrocardiogram were monitored throughout the experiment, including a 20 min period of reperfusion. Serum lipids and lipid peroxide were also measured in each rat. Rats in group P (probucol-treated) had significantly lower levels of serum cholesterol, triglyceride and phospholipid than those in group C (controls). Serum lipid peroxide was also significantly lower in group P than in group C rats (P < 0.05). The incidence of ventricular arrhythmias in the ischemia and reperfusion stages was lower in group P than in group C (P < 0.001) and the increase in coronary flow during the reperfusion stage was greater in isolated hearts of group P rats than in those of group C (P < 0.05). Probucol may have a protective effect on myocardium with respect to ischemia-reperfusion arrhythmia in the isolated rat heart, presumably due to an antioxidative effect."}
{"id": "PMID:1486549", "title": "Effect of exogenous hydrogen peroxide on myocardial function and structure in isolated rat heart.", "content": "A time- and dose-dependent effect of exogenous hydrogen peroxide was determined on myocardial function, structure, high energy phosphate and lipid peroxidation in the isolated perfused rat heart. Hydrogen peroxide induced a dose-dependent decrease in cardiac function whereas 200 microM hydrogen peroxide reduced +dP/dt to 50% of control value after 10 mins. The effect of 300 microM hydrogen peroxide was more severe after 15 mins; changes observed with this dose were reversible within 10 mins of perfusion, becoming irreversible after 15 mins. Lipid peroxidation and severe morphological damage were observed after 10 mins of perfusion with 300 microM hydrogen peroxide. When 16 mEq potassium ions were added in the perfusion buffer during hydrogen peroxide perfusion, the degree of tissue damage and loss of ATP were attenuated. However, lipid peroxidation was not inhibited by high potassium ions. When 0.25 microM N,N'-diphenyl-1,4-phenylenediamine, a potent antioxidant, was added to the perfusate, lipid peroxidation was totally inhibited and the degree of tissue damage was decreased. However, depletion of tissue ATP and functional deterioration were not influenced. These results suggest that hydrogen peroxide-mediated ATP loss was independent of lipid peroxidation."}
{"id": "PMID:1486550", "title": "Object identification in context: the visual processing of natural scenes.", "content": "When we view a natural visual scene, we seem able to determine effortlessly the scene's semantic category, constituent objects, and spatial relations. How do we accomplish this visual-cognitive feat? The commonly held explanation is known as the schema hypothesis, according to which a visual scene is rapidly identified as a member of a semantic category, and predictions generated from the scene category are then used to aid subsequent object identification. In this paper I will first outline and offer a critique of the evidence that has been taken to support the schema hypothesis. I will then offer an alternative framework for understanding scene processing, which I will call the local-processing hypothesis. This hypothesis assumes a modular, informationally-encapsulated architecture, and explicitly includes the role of covert visual attention in scene processing."}
{"id": "PMID:1486551", "title": "Eye movements and scene perception.", "content": "Research on eye movements and scene perception is reviewed. Following an initial discussion of some basic facts about eye movements and perception, the following topics are discussed: (I) the span of effective vision during scene perception, (2) the role of eye movements in scene perception, (3) integration of information across saccades, (4) scene context, object identification and eye movements, and (5) the control of eye movements. The relationship of eye movements during reading to eye movements during scene perception is considered. A preliminary model of eye movement control in scene perception is described and directions for future research are suggested."}
{"id": "PMID:1486552", "title": "Parallel pattern processing and visual agnosia.", "content": "A series of visual search experiments are reported examining pattern processing in a visual agnosic patient. We examined search for targets defined by: (I) the combination of their features relative to homogeneous distractors; (2) the combination of their features relative to heterogeneous distractors; and (3) a single feature difference relative to the distractors (their orientation). Normal subjects demonstrate evidence of spatially parallel search when combined-feature targets are detected against homogeneous distractors, and when targets are defined by a salient feature difference. There are non-linear effects of the number of distractors present, and absent responses can be as fast as present. In contrast, search times for combined-feature targets amongst heterogeneous distractors increase linearly with display size, with the slope for absent responses about twice that for present. The contrast between search for combined-feature targets amongst homogeneous and heterogeneous distractors can be attributed to the effects of grouping between distractors and between distractors and targets (Duncan & Humphreys, 1989, 1992; Humphreys & Muller, in press). Grouping between homogeneous distractors facilitates search. An agnosic patient, HJA, showed normal search functions for single-feature targets and for combined-feature targets amongst heterogeneous distractors. However, he was impaired at search for combined-feature targets amongst homogeneous distractors. This suggests that HJA is selectively impaired at grouping conjunctions of form features. The relations between HJA's agnosia and his problem in the parallel grouping of form conjunctions are discussed, as are the implications of the work for understanding normal vision."}
{"id": "PMID:1486553", "title": "Lesioning a connectionist model of visual search: selective effects on distractor grouping.", "content": "A connectionist model of visual search is presented, in which search is determined by patterns of grouping between distractors and between the target and the distractors. Grouping is based on conjunctive relations between simple form elements (corners, line-end terminators), and uses principles of similarity and spatial proximity. In its normal, 'unlesioned' state, the model simulates the search data generated by human subjects when they search for simple form conjunctions amongst either homogeneous or heterogeneous distractors (Humphreys & Muller, in press). In this paper, the performance of the model is examined after the model is subject to various types of 'lesion'. 'Lesioning' is produced either by increasing the internal noise on the activation functions governing the interactions between processing units, or by eliminating processing units from different loci in the model. Increasing the internal noise within the model, or lesioning units within 'high-level' processing stages, can generate the selective effects on search found in a detailed single case study of an agnosic patient (Humphreys, Riddoch, Quinlan, Price & Donnelly, this volume): Namely, there is selective disruption of search for a form conjunction amongst homogeneous distractors relative to search for the same target amongst heterogeneous distractors. This selective effect can be attributed to the 'lesion' disrupting grouping between distractors, which normally facilitates search with homogeneous distractors. The simulations demonstrate that (1) search processes can be disrupted by adding internal noise to search functions, (2) that there can be selective effects on grouping processes, and (3) that these selective effects can be associated with different types of lesion to different stages in the model. The implications of the simulations for understanding visual processing impairments in agnosia are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1486554", "title": "Solving the \"real\" mysteries of visual perception: the world as an outside memory.", "content": "Visual science is currently a highly active domain, with much progress being made in fields such as colour vision, stereo vision, perception of brightness and contrast, visual illusions, etc. But the \"real\" mystery of visual perception remains comparatively unfathomed, or at least relegated to philosophical status: Why it is that we can see so well with what is apparently such a badly constructed visual apparatus? In this paper I will discuss several defects of vision and the classical theories of how they are overcome. I will criticize these theories and suggest an alternative approach, in which the outside world is considered as a kind of external memory store which can be accessed instantaneously by casting one's eyes (or one's attention) to some location. The feeling of the presence and extreme richness of the visual world is, under this view, a kind of illusion, created by the immediate availability of the information in this external store."}
{"id": "PMID:1486555", "title": "Local and global contextual constraints on the identification of objects in scenes.", "content": "Objects likely to appear in a given real-world scene are frequently found to be easier to recognize. Two different sources of contextual information have been proposed as the basis for this effect: global scene background and individual companion objects. The present paper examines the relative importance of these two elements in explaining the context-sensitivity of object identification in full scenes. Specific sequences of object fixations were elicited during free scene exploration, while fixation times on designated target objects were recorded as a measure of ease of target identification. Episodic consistency between the target, the global scene background, and the object fixated just prior to the target (the prime), were manipulated orthogonally. Target fixation times were examined for effects of prime and background. Analyses show effects of both factors, which are modulated by the chronology and spatial extent of scene exploration. The results are discussed in terms of their implications for a model of visual object recognition in the context of real-world scenes."}
{"id": "PMID:1486556", "title": "Translocation t(12;22)(q13;q13) is a nonrandom rearrangement in clear cell sarcoma.", "content": "Cytogenetic analyses of tumor cells from a case of clear cell sarcoma revealed a translocation between chromosomes 12 and 22 that was similar to the rearrangement described recently in three other cases. It is suggested that the translocation may be important in the pathogenesis of this rare tumor."}
{"id": "PMID:1486557", "title": "Significance of both numerical and structural chromosomal abnormalities in clear cell sarcoma.", "content": "We analyzed cytogenetically two cases of clear cell sarcoma. The t(12;22)(q13;q13) hypothesized to be characteristic of clear cell sarcoma was detected in one of the two cases. Although this translocation was not observed in the other case; trisomy of chromosome 22 was, as were other numerical abnormalities. This latter observation has also been described in other reported studies of clear cell sarcoma. These findings confirm the nonrandomness of t(12;22)(q13;q13) in clear cell sarcoma, but also suggest that in its absence other abnormalities of chromosome 22 are significant. Trisomy 8, noted in both cases we report, as well as in previous studies, also appears to play an important role in clear cell sarcoma."}
{"id": "PMID:1486558", "title": "t(12;22)(q13;q13) and trisomy 8 are nonrandom aberrations in clear-cell sarcoma.", "content": "We report a case of clear-cell sarcoma with a t(12;22)(q13;q13) and multiple copies of chromosome 8 in addition to other abnormalities. An identical or similar translocation has previously been reported in this type of tumor, suggesting that the t(12;22) is a primary cytogenetic change in the pathogenesis of a subset of clear-cell sarcomas. In addition, the presence of extra copies of chromosome 8, commonly noted in our case and others, suggests that it represents a nonrandom secondary change in these tumors."}
{"id": "PMID:1486559", "title": "Chromosome abnormalities in liposarcomas.", "content": "We performed a cytogenetic study of short-term cultures from fresh surgical specimens obtained from four patients with liposarcoma. Myxoid liposarcomas (cases 1-3) were associated with a specific translocation between chromosomes 12 and 16. Trisomy 8, a nonrandom secondary aberration in myxoid liposarcoma, was observed in the third case as the only additional change. Round cell liposarcoma (case 4) showed complex chromosomal aberrations affecting chromosomes 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 13, 14, 17, 19, and 22. Neither band 12q13 nor 16p11 was visibly rearranged. Three subgroups of liposarcomas are proposed. The first group is characterized by t(12;16)(q13;p11), the second group by ring chromosomes, telomeric associations, and giant markers, and the last by complex numerical and structural aberrations."}
{"id": "PMID:1486560", "title": "Preferential chromosome 11q and/or 17q aberrations in short-term cultures of metastatic melanoma in resections from human brain.", "content": "Thirteen specimens of metastatic malignant melanoma resected from eight patients undergoing craniotomy were analyzed cytogenetically from short-term cultures. All patients had chromosome 1 aberrations, as did three of four patients with metastases only to extracranial sites. Both groups had variable involvement of chromosomes 3, 6, 7, and 8. Only those with brain metastases had 11q and/or 17q involvement in six of eight patients. In reported cases of nonbrain metastases, when chromosome 11 was involved, the short arm was usually deleted or replaced through translocation; on the contrary, in reports on patients with brain metastases, the long arm of chromosome 11 was deleted at q23 or was the recipient of a translocation at q23, and/or 17q was present as an isochromosome. These aberrations were similar to those found in the patients with brain metastases in this report. Two patients undergoing brain resections did not show 11q or 17q aberrations, one near diploid with t(10;19) and the other near hexaploid with few structural rearrangements. The neural cell adhesion molecule gene is located near 11q23, and the neural growth factor receptor is located near 17q21-q22. The relevance of these genes to brain metastases in melanoma is under investigation."}
{"id": "PMID:1486561", "title": "Cytogenetic study of a pineocytoma.", "content": "The cytogenetic findings based on G-banding in a pineocytoma detected in a 29-year-old woman are reported. The chromosomal study showed numerical alterations involving chromosomes X, 5, 8, 11, 14, and 22, structural alterations of chromosomes 1, 3, 12, and 22, as well as various markers. Tumors of the pineal region are infrequent, and this is the first report of a pineocytoma studied cytogenetically."}
{"id": "PMID:1486562", "title": "Cytogenetic abnormalities in a squamous cell carcinoma of the penis.", "content": "Cytogenetic findings in a squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the penis in a 60-year-old patient was observed for the first time. The stemline karyotype of the tumor was 46,XY,del(2) (q33q36),der(4)t(4;?)(p16;?),der(5;15)(q10;q10),der(8)t(8;?13)(p21 ;?),-13,- 13,-15,+3mar."}
{"id": "PMID:1486563", "title": "Deletion (7)(p11p15) in a patient with Philadelphia-positive chronic myelogenous leukemia.", "content": "We report a case of chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) with a Philadelphia (Ph) chromosome. During the transformation phase of the disease, a del(7)(p11p15) and a +Ph were identified as additional chromosomal anomalies. We believe that loss of the segment 7p11-->p15 may play an important role in the progression of the disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1486564", "title": "Fluorescence in situ hybridization to determine engraftment status after murine bone marrow transplant.", "content": "The mouse Y-specific DNA sequence pY2 was used as a probe for fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) to evaluate murine hematopoietic tissues after sex-mismatched bone marrow transplant (BMT). The pY2 probe was localized to the long arm of the Y chromosome on BM metaphases. Hybridization of pY2 in FISH of interphase cells from BM, spleen, and thymus after BMT was compared with Southern blot analysis; both methods gave comparable results. Only FISH was able to analyze post-BMT peripheral blood (PB) samples successfully, and provides a useful method for following engraftment status in the mouse on an ongoing basis."}
{"id": "PMID:1486565", "title": "Specific chromosomal defects associated with ultraviolet radiation-induced cutaneous tumors in Monodelphis domestica (Marsupialia, mammalia).", "content": "Cytogenetic analysis of eight ultraviolet radiation (UVR)-induced cutaneous tumors and one spontaneously transformed fibroblast cell line of Monodelphis domestica showed that two of the tumor cell lines were of murine origin and that the remaining six marsupial tumor cell lines had hyperdiploid stemline numbers ranging from 21 to 31. Each tumor cell line showed structural and numerical abnormalities. The single transformed fibroblast cell line also showed a hyperdiploid chromosome number with structural and numerical defects. All M. domestica tumor cell lines and the fibroblast line showed a common structural abnormality: deletion of the short arm (p) of a chromosome 1. In some cell lines, the short arm of chromosome 1 was replaced by a translocation with the X chromosome. We suggest, based on the Giemsa-banding homology of chromosome 1p in M. domestica and human chromosome 6q involved in melanomas, that marsupial chromosome 1p may harbor tumor suppressor gene(s) that are associated with UVR-induced cutaneous tumors."}
{"id": "PMID:1486566", "title": "Supernumerary ring marker chromosome as a secondary rearrangement in a parapharyngeal lipoma with t(10;12)(q25;q15) as the primary karyotypic abnormality.", "content": "Cytogenetic analysis of a large parapharyngeal lipoma, a rare tumor at this site, showed the karyotype 46,XY,t(10;12)(q25;q15)/47,XY,t(10;12)(q25;q15),+r. The primary abnormality must have been t(10;12), whereas the +r developed secondarily as an additional aberration. Although a similar translocation between chromosomes 10 and 12 has not been described previously, that the tumor had a rearrangement of the 12q13-15 region, the most frequently involved genomic region in lipogenic tumors, indicates that the tumorigenetic mechanisms are identical in parapharyngeal lipomas and lipomas of other locations. Supernumerary ring markers are not usually detected in lipomas with 12q rearrangements but are common in atypical lipomas and well-differentiated liposarcomas. The parapharyngeal lipoma we describe recurred after initial resection, and we hypothesize that the more aggressive tumor phenotype thus demonstrated may be causally related to the clonal evolution it had undergone."}
{"id": "PMID:1486567", "title": "A lineage-specific t(1;14)(q21;q32) as an early event in development of B-cell clonal expansion.", "content": "We report a patient in whom a cell line of 47,XY,+X,t(1;14)(q21;q32) constitution was found in a lymph node excised from the neck. Histologic examination and immunophenotyping both in situ and by flow cytometry failed to confirm a diagnosis of B-cell lymphoma, but Southern analysis indicated the presence of B-cell clonal expansion. These observations support the concept that primary chromosomal abnormalities occur in clonal expansions in the very earliest stages of tumorigenesis."}
{"id": "PMID:1486568", "title": "Karyotypic analysis of gastric carcinoma cell lines carrying an amplified c-met oncogene.", "content": "MKN 45 is a poorly differentiated gastric carcinoma cell line from which the subclone GTL 16 was obtained. Both lines carry an amplification unit derived from chromosome 7 sequences and containing an activated c-met oncogene. Karyotypic analysis showed that GTL 16 derived from a subclone of MKN 45 after endoreduplication. Several clonal abnormalities are evident in both lines; some are frequently observed in gastrointestinal tumors (loss of 17p and monosomy 18). Other consistent anomalies include 6q-, t(8;10) and t(5;8), and inv(16). A marker chromosome (M1), which was previously shown to contain the c-met amplification unit, is constantly duplicated in all GTL 16 metaphases; in contrast, most unidentified markers are retained in only a single copy in GTL 16 cells. These data are in agreement with the hypothesis that the c-met oncogene activation in these gastric cancer cell lines might be related to a gene dosage effect."}
{"id": "PMID:1486569", "title": "Disappearance of a highly unusual clone, 46,XY,del(7)(p12),t(9;22)(q34;q11) in chronic myeloid leukemia after treatment with recombinant interferon and cytosine arabinoside.", "content": "A patient with the typical features of the stable phase of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) displayed two karyotypically related subclones. In addition to the t(9;22), cells from one clone contained a deletion of the short arm of chromosome 7, del(7)(p12), [46,XY,del(7)(p12),t(9;22)(q34;q11)]; the other contained only the standard translocation [46,XY,t(9;22)(q34;q11)]. Cells with a deletion of the short arm of chromosome 7 at band p12 as the only additional abnormality have not been observed previously in CML. Conventional chemotherapy with hydroxyurea and then with recombinant interferon-alpha (rIFN-alpha) did not reduce the population of either subclone. However, after treatment with a combination of rIFN-alpha and low-dose cytosine arabinoside (LoDac) continuously infused subcutaneously (s.c.), cells from the clone with the deleted chromosome 7 disappeared and normal metaphases were demonstrable."}
{"id": "PMID:1486570", "title": "Translocations (17;20) in colorectal adenocarcinomas.", "content": "We describe new recurrent chromosome translocations (17;20) observed in 3 of 19 colorectal tumors. Two of them were identical: der(20)t(17;20)(q21;p12), resulting in the loss of 17(pter-->q21) and the third was a dicentric dic(17;20)(p11;p12). A similar dicentric was described previously in one tumor [1], but we report der(20)t(17;20)(q21;p12) for the first time."}
{"id": "PMID:1486571", "title": "Confirmation of centromeric fusion in 7p/1q translocation associated with myelodysplastic syndrome.", "content": "Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) using chromosome 1- and chromosome 7-specific centromeric alpha-satellite probes was performed on the bone marrow (BM) cells of a patient with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) who had been treated for lymphoma and whose BM karyotype was initially considered to be 46,XY,-7,+der(1)t(1;7)(p11;p11). FISH results suggested the presence of both chromosome 1 and chromosome 7 centromeres in the rearranged chromosome. Thus, the correct karyotype should be written as 46,XY,-7,+der(1;7)(q10;p10)."}
{"id": "PMID:1486573", "title": "[The angiographic evaluation of elastic recoil after coronary angioplasty].", "content": "Coronary angioplasty is an effective recanalization technique, but is plagued by a high restenosis rate. One of the major effects of balloon dilatation is the stretching of the vessel wall and the subsequent elastic recoil. Although a well known phenomenon, few data have been published on the evaluation of elastic recoil after coronary angioplasty. The purpose of this study was to quantify the acute and short-term elastic recoil after coronary dilatation. Thirty-six patients underwent coronary angioplasty. A digital end-diastolic acquisition of the coronary artery was performed before, immediately after, at 15 min and at 20 hours after dilatation. Elastic recoil was defined as the difference between the diameter of the inflated balloon and the diameter of the vessel after dilatation. It was quantified by a semi-automatic computer-assisted program. Our data show a high elastic recoil immediately after dilatation, equal to 27.9% (p < 0.0001), which continues for the next 20 hours to a final value of 34.1%. No difference was found in the amount of elastic recoil depending on the coronary artery involved, length, severity and eccentricity of the stenosis, time and pressure used during balloon inflation. Elastic recoil was more pronounced (p = 0.002) using balloons with a balloon diameter/vessel diameter ratio > 1."}
{"id": "PMID:1486574", "title": "[The clinical and prognostic significance of symptomatic and silent ischemia on the exercise test in patients with a prior myocardial infarct].", "content": "The aim of the study was to assess clinical/prognostic significance of exercise-induced ischemia in patients with healed myocardial infarction. From May 1988 to January 1991, 777 consecutive patients underwent a symptom-limited (Bruce protocol) treadmill test at least 1 year after myocardial infarction. Clinical and ergometric data were entered in a prospective way in our data base. The exercise-test was positive in 231 out of 777 patients and 2 different subgroups were retrospectively identified depending on criteria of interruption: 156 patients with painless exercise-ST depression; 75 patients with painful exercise-ST depression. The main results (mean +/- SD) were analyzed with Student t test and chi 2 test. Patients with silent ischemia had longer exercise duration (547 +/- 153 s versus 395 +/- 173 s; p < 0.001) and higher double product (22.98 +/- 0.5 versus 19.71 +/- 0.4; p < 0.001) than symptomatic patients. Ischemic threshold was lower (double product: 17.98 +/- 0.4 versus 21.22 +/- 0.4; p < 0.001 with onset of ST depression at 297 +/- 148 s versus 448 +/- 147 s; p < 0.001) and time to ST normalization was longer (368 +/- 155 s versus 234 +/- 212 s; p < 0.001) in patients with painful ischemia. Patients with angina and ST depression had significantly higher prevalence of downsloping ST depression in the recovery phase (68% versus 37%; p < 0.001) and a higher prevalence of treadmill exercise score indicating high risk (49% versus 3.2%; p < 0.001). The 2 groups when compared with 99 patients with negative test post-AMI were significantly different.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1486575", "title": "[The effect of nifedipine on arterial pressure and exercise tolerance in hypertensive patients].", "content": "The aim of this research was to assess whether the antihypertensive therapy with nifedipine, a dihydropyridine calcium-antagonist, is able to control hypertension not only at rest but also during exercise. So, 20 male hypertensive patients, mean age 48 years, were evaluated by symptom limited bicycle exercise (10 W/min) before and after 6 and 12 months of therapy with nifedipine in a slow releasing form (40-60 mg/day). Exercise tolerance significantly increased after 12 months of antihypertensive therapy with nifedipine (from 146 +/- 5 to 153 +/- 4 W, p < 0.05). Systolic and diastolic blood pressure decreased after 6 and 12 months both at rest (from 160 +/- 6/109 +/- 9 mmHg to 132 +/- 3/91 +/- 3 and 135 +/- 4/93 +/- 1 mmHg, respectively, both p < 0.001) and during exercise (at end exercise: from 238 +/- 7/121 +/- 5 mmHg to 216 +/- 6/106 +/- 3 and 213 +/- 6/107 +/- 3 mmHg, respectively, both p < 0.001). No significant changes in heart rate were observed during antihypertensive therapy both at rest and during exercise test. In conclusion, long-term antihypertensive therapy with nifedipine was effective in the control of hypertension both at rest and during physical stress. Moreover, an improvement in effort tolerance was observed in hypertensive patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1486576", "title": "Integrated ultrasound evaluation of dissecting aneurysm of the aorta by the combined use of transesophageal echocardiography and intravascular ultrasound.", "content": "In order to obtain complete ultrasound imaging of the entire aorta, transesophageal echocardiography and intravascular ultrasound were performed on 3 patients with acute (2 cases) or chronic (1 case) aortic dissection. In each case the integrated use of transesophageal echocardiography and intravascular ultrasound provided an accurate evaluation of the dissection and of its anatomic extension."}
{"id": "PMID:1486577", "title": "[Postendocarditis aneurysm of the right sinus of Valsalva: its echographic diagnosis with preoperative angiographic confirmation].", "content": "The sinus of Valsalva aneurysm is a rare complication of bacterial endocarditis in infancy and childhood. This report describes a young man with congenital aortic stenosis and bacterial endocarditis caused by Salmonella typhi. Bacterial endocarditis in this young man was complicated by the development of an aneurysm of the right sinus of Valsalva and a severe aortic regurgitation. Two-dimensional and Doppler echocardiography proved useful for the initial diagnosis and serial follow-up of this unusual disorder. However, an angiographic examination has been necessary for the surgical correction in order to understand the relationship between the aneurysm and the coronary arteries."}
{"id": "PMID:1486578", "title": "[The effect of vasoactive factors on the growth of of coronary endothelial cells].", "content": "The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of adenosine and bradykinin on endothelial cell growth at capillary level. DNA synthesis was measured in subconfluent capillary endothelial cells obtained from coronary venules (CVEC) after exposure to adenosine or bradykinin. Our results indicate that adenosine and bradykinin induced a dose-dependent proliferation of CVEC. Maximal effect was observed at the dose 100 microM concentration for adenosine and 0.1 microM concentration for bradykinin."}
{"id": "PMID:1486579", "title": "[The evaluation of the end-ejection pressure-length relation as an index of regional contractility].", "content": "Although end-systolic pressure-length relationship (ESPLR) is now widely used as a regional substitute for the end-systolic pressure-volume relationship, there are some reservations about its use as an index of systolic performance. This study aimed at assessing whether by using end-ejection (zero aortic flow) as a definition of end-systole, ESPLR can be used to characterize myocardial performance independent of load, and if the choice of the region where to implant the sonomicrometers is critical. Ten anaesthetized dogs (16 +/- 2 kg) were instrumented with a left ventricular (LV) pressure micromanometer and an aortic flow probe. Sonomicrometers were implanted in the apical (L1) and the mid-ventricular (L2) regions of the anterior LV wall, and in the basal region of the lateral wall (L3). End-systolic pressure-length relationships were obtained during acute preload reduction induced by the inflation of a vena caval balloon. This evaluation was repeated after increasing end-diastolic pressure to 14-18 mmHg (delta PL), after increasing systolic pressure by 15 (delta P-I) and 25 mmHg (delta P-II) with graded descending aorta occlusion, and during dobutamine infusions at 2.5 (Db 2.5) and 5 micrograms/kg/min (Db5). End-systolic pressure-length relationships (r > 0.97; pressure range: 70-100 mmHg) were characterized by their slopes (Ees), the extrapolated intercept at zero pressure (L0) and the values of segment length at a pressure of 75 (L75) and 100 mmHg (L100). In all the myocardial regions studied by sonomicrometry, the increments in preload and afterload did not significantly shift ESPLR.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1486580", "title": "[A mathematical model of the vascular architecture and of the distribution of resistances in the coronary tree].", "content": "The architecture and resistance distribution of the coronary arteriolar tree downstream 100 mu diameter vessels are still largely unknown, due to technical difficulties in direct visualization. In this study we propose a mathematical model of the architecture and the single vessel resistance distribution of terminal arteriolar vasculature in the beating dog heart, based on the analysis of embolization-induced changes of total coronary resistance. Coronary embolization was performed by injecting several boluses of 15 mu (6 cases) and 25 mu (6 cases) plastic microspheres into the maximally vasodilated (adenosine infusion) left circumflex artery of the open chest dog. The relation between the number of plastic beads progressively injected to embolize 15 mu and 25 mu vessels and the resulting increase in total coronary resistance (occlusion function) was obtained in each experiment. If we consider a binary symmetric vascular tree with i) equal resistance for vessels of the same branching order and ii) optimal ratio between resistance of parent and daughter vessels at all branching sites, the simulation of embolization in such a system shows that the occlusion function of the terminal vessels N in the linear portion between 0 and N/2 occluded vessels has a slope S' which is 5.6 times lower than the slope S\" between N/2 and 3/4 N occluded vessels and 3.6 times lower than the S' of the occlusion function of the preterminal vessels. The occlusion function in our experiments has a ratio S\"/S' close to that predicted by the model and a ratio between the S' of the 25 mu and that of 15 mu experiments equal to 4.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1486581", "title": "[Acidosis is associated with an intracellular accumulation of Ca2+. Its role in the modulation of myocardial contractility].", "content": "Myocardial acidosis, as during ischemia, profoundly modifies excitation-contraction mechanisms. The decreased myofilament sensitivity to Ca2+ reduces contractility regardless of an intracellular accumulation of Ca2+. To determine the source for this increase in Ca2+ we evaluated the effect of acidosis on diastolic [Ca2+] and mitochondrial [Ca2+]. We used single cardiac cells loaded with the fluorescent probes, indo-1 for Ca2+ and SNARF-1 for pH. Acidosis increases [Ca2+] both in cytosol and mitochondria. The cytosolic accumulation depends, most likely, on an active release from mitochondria. A competition among Ca2+ and H+ ions may, instead, explains the increase in mitochondrial [Ca2+]."}
{"id": "PMID:1486582", "title": "[Myocardial protection in hypothermia depends on the modulation of intracellular Ca2+ homeostasis].", "content": "The effect of a mild hypothermia (30 degrees C) on sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca2+ content and release has been evaluated in single cardiac cells loaded with the fluorescent indicator, indo-1. SR Ca2+ content, assessed by rapid caffeine application, is more pronounced at 30 than at 37 degrees C. However, hypothermia reduces the occurrence of spontaneous SR Ca2+ oscillations. In fact, following electrical stimulation, the time to onset of first SR Ca2+ oscillation was increased and their frequency reduced. Since spontaneous SR Ca2+ releases are implicated on the genesis of certain forms of ventricular arrhythmias, the protection provided by a mild hypothermia may be dependent on the modulation of intracellular Ca2+ homeostasis."}
{"id": "PMID:1486583", "title": "Effect of supranormal coronary blood flow on energy metabolism and systolic function of porcine left ventricle.", "content": "The goal was to determine if supranormal coronary blood flow increases myocardial oxygen consumption, high energy phosphate levels, and systolic function in the in situ autoperfused heart. Thirteen anaesthetised open chest pigs with an intact, autoperfused coronary circulation, weight 30-40 kg, were studied. Measurements were made under basal conditions and during regional hyperperfusion of the anterior left ventricle produced by intracoronary infusion of adenosine (mean dose 3.3 mumol.min-1). Doppler coronary blood flow velocity in the anterior descending coronary artery, arterial and anterior interventricular venous blood oxygen content, high energy phosphates (by transmurally localised 31P NMR), and myocardial wall thickening (by sonomicrometry) were measured. With adenosine, coronary flow was increased to 355(SEM 59)% of control. Supranormal coronary flow produced no significant changes in anterior left ventricular oxygen consumption [99(12)% of control]. 31P NMR spectroscopy revealed no significant changes in the peak intensities of phosphocreatine or ATP in either the subendocardium or subepicardium (90-97% of control). Systolic anterior left ventricular wall thickening also did not change [107(13)% of control]. Supranormal coronary flow does not augment myocardial oxygen consumption, high energy phosphates, or systolic function in the in situ autoperfused heart. Myocardial oxygen delivery does not limit oxidative metabolism under normal conditions."}
{"id": "PMID:1486586", "title": "Regulation of tissue noradrenaline in the rat myocardial infarction model of chronic heart failure.", "content": "The aim was to evaluate mechanisms regulating tissue noradrenaline in congestive heart failure. Tissue noradrenaline was measured in the conscious post myocardial infarction rat model of congestive heart failure and in sham operated rats (1) under control conditions, (2) 6 h after inhibition of tyrosine hydroxylase by the intraperitoneal administration of alpha-methyl-para-tyrosine (AMPT) (100 mg.kg-1 every 2 h), (3) 6 h after AMPT with desipramine pretreatment (0.3 mg.kg-1), and (4) following exhaustive exercise after AMPT. Tissue noradrenaline was extracted with perchloric acid and measured by high performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection. In control animals without drug, tissue noradrenaline concentration was lower in the following tissues in the rats with myocardial infarction compared with the sham operated group: left and right ventricles, spleen, soleus and white gastrocnemius muscles, kidney cortex, and tail artery. After AMPT, tissue noradrenaline concentration in the sham operated group was significantly lower than control; in the myocardial infarction group the fall in noradrenaline was only significant in the kidney, and group differences were no longer present. In the sham operated animals, coadministration of desipramine with AMPT attenuated the fall in tissue noradrenaline caused by AMPT in the heart and spleen. With exercise to exhaustion, cardiac noradrenaline was lower in rats with myocardial infarction than in sham operated rats, but higher in the soleus muscle. These data suggest that tissue noradrenaline depletion in congestive heart failure is not isolated to the heart, and it occurs despite activation of mechanisms that might be operating to conserve neuronal noradrenaline. One mechanism may be reduced organ blood flow to retard diffusion of noradrenaline into the circulation. If this increases interstitial noradrenaline concentration, it would facilitate prejunctional alpha 2 receptor restraint on noradrenaline release. Metabolic coronary vasodilatation during exercise reverses this process, and makes the heart most susceptible to noradrenaline depletion in congestive heart failure."}
{"id": "PMID:1486587", "title": "Effect of intravenous adenosine on human atrial and ventricular repolarisation.", "content": "The aim was to assess the effects of therapeutic doses of intravenous adenosine on human atrial and ventricular repolarisation. The effects of 6 mg and 12 mg bolus doses of adenosine on the atrial and ventricular monophasic action potentials were studied using the contact catheter technique in 19 patients undergoing routine diagnostic electrophysiology studies. The effect on atrial repolarisation was studied before and after beta blockade in a subgroup of patients. The duration of the monophasic action potential to 90% repolarisation (MAPD90) was measured in all cases. After 6 mg of adenosine the atrial MAPD90 shortened from 227(SD 29) ms to 188(25) ms (p < 0.005); after 12 mg it shortened from 221(31) ms to 168(32) ms (p < 0.001). The maximum shortening was unaltered by propranolol 0.15 mg.kg-1. The ventricular MAPD90 showed no significant change after 12 mg, at 240(32) ms v 234(33) ms. Therapeutic doses of adenosine shorten the atrial but not the ventricular monophasic action potential duration. The effect is dose dependent and not abolished by beta blockade."}
{"id": "PMID:1486588", "title": "Stimulus-response curves for hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction in piglets.", "content": "The aim was to characterise stimulus-response curves for hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction and to observe the effects of drugs reputed to enhance it: aspirin (a cyclo-oxygenase inhibitor), and doxapram (a peripheral chemoreceptor agonist). Mean pulmonary artery pressure (Ppa) versus fraction of inspired O2 (FIO2) relationships were studied in 18 intact anaesthetised piglets, before and after the intravenous administration, in random order, of either physiological saline, 1 g aspirin, or 20 mg.kg-1 doxapram. Cardiac output (Q) was kept constant, to avoid passive Q dependent changes in Ppa. A progressive decrease in FIO2 from 100% to 12% was associated with an average increase in Ppa from 19 to 38 mm Hg (p < 0.001). When FIO2 was further decreased to 8%, Ppa decreased to 32 mm Hg (p < 0.01). This stimulus-response curve was unaffected by saline, but displaced in a non-PO2-dependent manner to higher Ppa by doxapram and by aspirin. The pulmonary vascular response to inspiratory hypoxia in intact anaesthetised piglets is biphasic, with a maximum at an FIO2 of 12%. Neither aspirin nor doxapram affect the shape of this stimulus-response curve, and in particular do not prevent low FIO2 associated inhibition of hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction."}
{"id": "PMID:1486589", "title": "Reperfusion arrhythmias after chronic regional denervation of the ischaemic myocardium in pigs.", "content": "The aim was to assess the effects of chronic regional denervation of the ischaemic myocardium on reperfusion arrhythmias in a model with sparse coronary collateral circulation. Baseline ventricular refractoriness and epicardial activation times were measured together with reperfusion arrhythmias after 15 min (I-15') or 30 min (I-30') of left anterior descending coronary artery occlusion in 38 barbiturate anaesthetised open chest pigs. Twenty pigs (11 in I-15' and nine in I-30') had a chronic (two week) denervation of the left anteroseptal region, whereas 18 pigs (10 in I-15' and eight in I-30') were sham operated (non-denervated) controls. Denervation was induced by pericoronary application of phenol and verified by absence of adrenergic histofluorescence. As compared with controls, denervated pigs showed: (1) longer activation times: 20.3 (SD 5.2) ms v 16.5 (4.6) ms, p < 0.001; (2) slightly longer refractory periods: 348(28) ms v 334(27) ms; (3) a tendency to lower postreperfusion ectopic activity: ectopic beats divided by time free of ventricular tachycardia: 0.13(0.19) v 0.34(0.40) in I-15', and 0.21(0.24) v 0.39(0.44) in I-30'; (4) slower ventricular tachycardia in I-30': 140(29) beats.min-1 v 185(29) beats.min-1, p < 0.009; and (5) comparable incidence of postreperfusion ventricular fibrillation: 4/11 pigs v 2/10 in I-15', and 5/9 v 4/8 in I-30'. Selective chronic denervation of the ischaemic myocardium was unable to protect against malignant reperfusion arrhythmias in hearts with human-like coronary collaterals. This was confirmed at two ischaemic periods known to produce progressive catecholamine accumulation and increased adrenoceptor density in the ischaemic myocardium."}
{"id": "PMID:1486590", "title": "Intracoronary administration of saralasin: effects on cardiac arrhythmias induced by ischaemia and reperfusion in the anaesthetised dog.", "content": "The aim was to study (1) the effects of intracoronary saralasin, an angiotensin II receptor antagonist, on ischaemia induced and reperfusion induced regional cardiac noradrenaline release and ventricular arrhythmias; and (2) the implication of angiotensin II in coronary constriction during myocardial ischaemia. Eighteen adult mongrel dogs, weight 22.6(SD 1.1) kg, anaesthetised with sodium pentobarbitone, were used for the study. The left anterior descending coronary artery was ligated for 60 min and then reperfused for 30 min. Saralasin (60 micrograms.kg-1, n = 9) or its vehicle (Ringer lactate, n = 9) was injected into the artery at the beginning of the occlusion period. Two epicardial veins, one running parallel to the left anterior descending coronary artery and the other parallel to the circumflex coronary artery, were cannulated for the measurement of their respective blood flows and of noradrenaline, lactate, and creatine kinase release. Saralasin decreased the incidence of ventricular fibrillation during coronary occlusion (from 44% in the vehicle treated group to 0% in the saralasin treated group, p = 0.0412). This effect was accompanied by significant vasodilatation in both epicardial veins during myocardial ischaemia. Neither the increases in noradrenaline, lactate, and creatine kinase release nor the incidence and duration of the ventricular arrhythmias following reperfusion were modified by the administration of saralasin. Intracoronary saralasin in the early phase of myocardial ischaemia increases the epicardial venous blood flow significantly, suggesting that angiotensin II is implicated in coronary constriction during ischaemia. This haemodynamic effect is accompanied by a significant decrease in the incidence of ventricular fibrillation. However, the renin-angiotensin system does not appear to be implicated in the reperfusion induced noradrenaline release nor in the incidence of the ventricular arrhythmias."}
{"id": "PMID:1486591", "title": "An unsaturated fat diet prevents the increased angiotensin II vascular responses in renal artery stenosis.", "content": "The aim was to characterise angiotensin II constrictor responses in two kidney, one clip (2K1C) renal hypertensive rats fed a diet with a high unsaturated fatty acid content. Two diets with the same total fat (37% by energy; 17% by weight) but different unsaturated fat contents were fed to rats for a three month period. Thirty four Sprague Dawley rats were used per diet group. After one month on the diets, a group of 19 rats in each diet group was operated upon to induce 2K1C hypertension. A separate group of 15 rats within each diet group received sham operations. Systolic blood pressure was measured weekly from prior to surgery to the end of the three month feeding period. At three months, angiotensin II constrictor responses were evaluated in the isolated kidney vascular preparation and in intact anaesthetised rats fed the different diets. Phenylephrine constrictor responses were also evaluated in intact anaesthetised rats in order to exclude structural vascular changes accounting for differences in angiotensin II constrictor responses. The diet high in unsaturated fats prevented the development of hypertension in 2K1C rats [systolic pressure 134(7) mm Hg at eight weeks] compared to their own preoperative blood pressures [124(3) mm Hg], and to the 2K1C rats fed the control diet [163(7) mm Hg at eight weeks]. The diet high in unsaturated fats did not alter blood pressures in sham operated rats. In isolated perfused kidneys and in anaesthetised 2K1C rats fed the control diet, angiotensin II caused a greater vascular response compared to the sham operated groups. The unsaturated fat diet prevented this effect. No differences were found in blood pressure responses to phenylephrine. These data suggest that the antihypertensive effect of a high unsaturated fat diet may in part be due to a depressed responsiveness of vascular smooth muscle to endogenous angiotensin II. The effect is likely to be due to modulation of angiotensin II vascular responses by local vascular changes that cannot be accounted for by structural vascular differences."}
{"id": "PMID:1486592", "title": "Mechanical restitution of isolated human ventricular myocardium subjected to in vivo pressure and volume overload.", "content": "The aim was to make a comparison of the mechanical and electrical refractory properties of isolated strips of human ventricular myocardium obtained from patients with either left ventricular pressure overload, volume overload, or normal left ventricular function. Strips of ventricular myocardium were obtained at the time of cardiac surgery from 17 patients with aortic stenosis, representing pressure overload, 14 patients with aortic regurgitation, representing volume overload, and nine patients with mitral stenosis, representing normal left ventricular function. Muscle strips were mounted isometrically in a tissue bath, superfused with physiological saline at 37 degrees C, and stimulated at 1 Hz. Mechanical restitution curves were constructed from the isometric twitch tension obtained from extrastimuli during a special stimulus protocol. Transmembrane action potentials were recorded using glass microelectrodes and restitution of the upstroke velocity of action potentials studied in the presence of high external potassium concentration. The aortic stenosis group was older and had higher left ventricular systolic pressures and thicker left ventricular walls than the other groups. Electrocardiographic evidence of left ventricular hypertrophy was present in both the aortic stenosis and aortic regurgitation groups. Peak tension, time to peak tension, and the maximum rates of rise and fall of tension were not significantly different between groups. The time constant of the initial rapid recovery phase of mechanical restitution (tau 1) was prolonged in the aortic stenosis group, at 603(SEM 80) ms v 367(53) ms in the aortic regurgitation group (p < 0.005), and 259(70) ms in the mitral stenosis group (p < 0.005). There was a positive correlation between tau 1 and left ventricular wall thickness (p < 0.05). Neither \"normal\" nor \"slow\" (in the presence of raised external potassium) transmembrane action potentials differed in the groups studied. The mean time constant of recovery of \"slow\" action potential dV/dtmax was slower in the aortic stenosis group, but this difference was not significant. These data are consistent with the hypothesis that the rate of recovery of calcium release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum is slowed in myocardial hypertrophy due to pressure overload in man and provides a possible explanation of the occurrence of mechanical alternans in such patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1486593", "title": "Ischaemic preconditioning limits infarct size in the rat heart.", "content": "One of the mechanisms by which ischaemic preconditioning is thought to protect against later prolonged ischaemia is via a reduction in ATP utilisation during ischaemia. The ATP \"wastage\" that occurs during ischaemia is thought to be due to mitochondrial ATPase activity, which may be prevented in ischaemic preconditioning by the binding of a specific inhibitor protein. As the rat is known to have less inhibitor protein than other species, this study was designed to determine whether the rat heart could be ischaemically preconditioned. Rats were anaesthetised with pentobarbitone, the chest opened and the hearts ischaemically preconditioned with a 5 min occlusion of the left main coronary artery followed by 10 min reperfusion. The hearts were then subjected to a 45 min occlusion followed by 3 h reperfusion. Control hearts were treated identically but without ischaemic preconditioning. Infarct size was measured using triphenyl tetrazolium and expressed as a percentage of the region at risk, measured with fluorescent particles. Infarct size as a percent of the risk area in the ischaemically preconditioned group (n = 8) was 31.4(SEM 6.1)%, versus 61.0(4.8)% in control hearts (n = 8) (p < 0.005). These results show that rat hearts can be ischaemically preconditioned and suggest that the protective mechanism involved in this phenomenon is not mediated through the endogenous inhibition of mitochondrial ATPase. An overall reduction in mitochondrial ATP \"wastage\" may not be the sole mechanism in the protection seen in ischaemic preconditioning."}
{"id": "PMID:1486594", "title": "Effect of left ventricular systolic pressure increase on ventricular arrhythmogenicity in old canine myocardial infarction.", "content": "The aim was to examine the effect of an increase in left ventricular systolic pressure (LVSP) on ventricular arrhythmogenicity in old canine myocardial infarction. Fourteen mongrel dogs of either sex weighing 11 to 15 kg were used. Studies were performed 28 d after creation of myocardial infarction by ligation of the anterior descending coronary artery. Electrical induction of ventricular arrhythmia and determinations of effective refractory period (ERP) and local intraventricular conduction delay (LIVCD) were performed using the extrastimulus technique with a cycle length of 300 ms in the normal and infarcted zones of the left ventricle. Heterogeneity of ERP (delta ERP) was determined as a difference between the longest and shortest ERP values in each site. LVSP was raised by constriction of the ascending aorta in a stepwise fashion (control, level A, level B). Incidence of electrically induced ventricular arrhythmia was increased from 28.6% at control level of LVSP [130.7(SEM 7.3) mm Hg] to 42.9% at level A [190.9(6.0) mm Hg] and to 64.3% (p < 0.05) at level B [243.3(4.0) mm Hg]. delta ERP and LIVCD were greater in the infarct zone than in the normal zone at each level of LVSP (p < 0.001). delta ERP in the infarct zone increased from 18.9(4.3) ms at control level of LVSP to 20.7(6.8) ms at level A, and to 27.1(8.1) ms at level B (p < 0.001). LIVCD in the infarct zone also increased from 22.9(6.2) ms at control level of LVSP to 26.8(4.9) ms at level A (p < 0.001), and to 36.1(6.0) ms at level B (p < 0.001). delta ERP and LIVCD in the normal zone were only slightly raised by increasing the LVSP. delta ERP and LIVCD in the infarct zone were closely correlated with incidence of electrically induced ventricular arrhythmia. Increasing the LVSP enhances ventricular arrhythmogenicity and pre-existing electrophysiologic abnormalities of the heart in the presence of old myocardial infarction. Thus a rise in LVSP from any cause in the old myocardial infarction can be a trigger of life threatening ventricular arrhythmias."}
{"id": "PMID:1486595", "title": "Histological and angiographic effects of a pulsed holmium:YAG laser in normal and atherosclerotic human coronary arteries and aorta.", "content": "The aims were (1) To determine the histological and angiographic effects of holmium:YAG laser energy delivered through clinical multifibre laser catheters on fresh cadaveric coronary arteries; and (2) to relate the placement of optical fibres in the catheter to patterns of tissue ablation in cadaveric aorta. Eight fresh cadaveric hearts and segments of aorta were used. Hearts were mounted on a new pressure perfusion device. The laser catheter was delivered over a guidewire in the lumen until it met an area of resistance. The coronary artery lumen was perfused at approximately 100 mm Hg mean pressure. These arterial areas were identified on angiography, marked, and then exposed to laser energy in the range 600-3000 mJ.mm-2. Normal and atherosclerotic areas of fresh cadaveric aortic strips were exposed to increasing laser energies using either constant or increasing fluence. Coronary arteries were pressure perfused with formalin for 18-24 h at 100 mm Hg mean pressure, and aortic strips were immersed in 5% formalin. Light and scanning electron microscopy studies were carried out. There were no perforations or dissections by angiography in the fresh coronary arteries. One of 15 normal coronary artery segments and 10 of 16 of the pressure perfused, fixed, atherosclerotic coronary artery segments showed thermal changes associated with atherosclerotic plaque ablation. In aortic tissue, thermal effects extended 0 to 0.6 mm lateral to the ablated crater. Acoustic effects were seen only in the aortic strips after ablation at fluences > 1000 mJ.mm-2. The \"dead spaces\" around the optical fibres in the catheter resulted in significant amounts of coagulated tissue fragments remaining in the crater. Holmium:YAG laser energy delivered through multifibre catheters ablated atherosclerotic tissue in coronary arteries with minimal damage to the normal walls. The cadaveric coronary artery perfusion apparatus is useful for assessing catheter delivery and mobility and the effects of laser energy on the coaxially orientated normal and atherosclerotic coronary arterial wall."}
{"id": "PMID:1486596", "title": "Proliferative and functional stages of rat ameloblast differentiation as revealed by combined immunocytochemistry against enamel matrix proteins and bromodeoxyuridine.", "content": "A double-staining immunocytochemical technique was used for the simultaneous detection, at the light- and electron-microscopical level, of proliferating bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU)-labelled cells and enamel protein (EP)-producing cells in the inner enamel epithelium (IEE) of rat tooth germ. BrdU-positive cells were found in the region of the IEE close to the cervical loop and never displayed EP-like immunoreactivity. BrdU-immunoreactivity was confined to the nucleus of replicating cells. In contrast, epithelial cells displaying EP-like immunoreactivity were found in the region of the forming dental cusp and were consistently BrdU-negative. EP-like immunoreactivity was detectable in the cytoplasmic compartments involved in the exocrine secretion pathway and in the extra-cellular matrix close to EP-immunoreactive cells. These data support the view that withdrawal from the cell cycle in the IEE is a temporal prerequisite for acquiring the functional competence of secreting EP. Moreover, cycling cells and secretory cells in the IEE constitute two separate compartments that are spatially defined, and that exhibit clear-cut staining patterns with respect to BrdU- and EP-immunoreactivity, respectively. We thus propose that BrdU-incorporation and EP-production may be used as specific markers of the differentiation of the IIE cells in studies of the possible role of growth factors, their receptors and oncoproteins in this tissue."}
{"id": "PMID:1486597", "title": "Colocalization of neuropeptide Y (NPY)-like and FMRFamide-like immunoreactivities in the brain of the Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar).", "content": "The colocalization of the peptides neuropeptide Y (NPY) and Phe-Met-Arg-Phe-NH2 (FMRFamide) in the brain of the Atlantic salmon was investigated with double immunofluorescence labeling and peroxidase-antiperoxidase immunocytochemical techniques. Colocalization of NPY-like and FMRF amide-like immunoreactivities was observed in neuronal cell bodies and fibers in four brain regions: in the lateral and commissural nuclei of the area ventralis telencephali, in the nucleus ventromedialis thalami, in the laminar nucleus of the mesencephalic tegmentum, and in a group of small neurons situated among the large catecholaminergic neurons in the isthmal region of the brainstem. All cell bodies in these nuclei were immunoreactive to both NPY and FMRF. We consistently observed larger numbers of FMRF-immunoreactive than NPY-immunoreactive fibers. In the nucleus ventromedialis thalami NPY- and FMRFamide-like immunoreactivities were colocalized in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)-contacting neurons. NPY-immunoreactive, but not FMRF-immunoreactive, neurons were found in the stratum periventriculare of the optic tectum, and at the ventral border of the nucleus habenularis (adjacent to the nucleus dorsolateralis thalami). Neurons belonging to the nucleus of the nervus terminalis were FMRF-immunoreactive but not NPY-immunoreactive. The differential labeling indicates, as do our cross-absorption experiments, that the NPY and FMRFamide antisera recognize different epitopes. Thus, it is probable that NPY-like and FMRF amide-like substances occur in the same neurons in some brain regions."}
{"id": "PMID:1486598", "title": "FMRFamide-like immunoreactivity in the brain of the Pacific hagfish, Eptatretus stouti (Myxinoidea).", "content": "The distribution of FMRFamide-like immunoreactivity was investigated in the brain of a myxinoid, the Pacific hagfish, Eptatretus stouti, by means of immunocytochemistry. In the forebrain, labelled cell bodies occurred in the infundibular nucleus of the hypothalamus and some closely adjacent nuclei. Labelled fibers formed a diffuse network in the forebrain, but there was no evidence for the presence of intracerebral ganglionic cells of the terminal nerve or a central projection of the terminal nerve. In the hindbrain, a group of labelled cells was found in the trigeminal sensory nucleus. A distinct terminal arborization occurred in the ventrally adjacent nucleus A of Kusunoki and around the nuclei of the branchial motor column. These findings suggest that FMRFamide may play a role in the central control of branchiomotor activity."}
{"id": "PMID:1486599", "title": "Extra-Golgi pathway of an acrosomal antigen during spermiogenesis in the rat.", "content": "A monoclonal antibody (MC41) was produced that specifically recognizes a sperm acrosomal antigen of approximately 165,000 dalton in the rat. Rat testis was examined using a pre-embedding immunoperoxidase technique to reveal the pathway of the MC41 antigen to the acrosome during spermiogenesis. The MC41 immunoreaction appeared in several organelles of spermatids in a stage-specific manner: (1) in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) throughout spermiogenesis, (2) in the outer acrosomal membrane from steps 9 to 19, (3) as a weak immunoreaction in the vesicular structures in the acrosomal matrix from steps 11 to 17, and (4) as a strong immunoreaction in the acrosomal matrix especially at the terminal step of spermiogenesis (step 19). However, no immunoreaction was observed in the Golgi region throughout spermiogenesis. These results suggest that the pathway of the MC41 antigen leads firstly from the ER to the outer acrosomal membrane and secondly to the acrosomal matrix. This pathway does not involve the Golgi apparatus and is referred to as the \"extra-Golgi pathway\"."}
{"id": "PMID:1486600", "title": "Characterization of the antigen recognized by a monoclonal antibody MN9: unique transport pathway to the equatorial segment of sperm head during spermiogenesis.", "content": "MN9, a monoclonal antibody raised against mouse spermatozoa, specifically recognizes the equatorial segment of sperm head in several mammalian species, including humans. Colloidal gold-immuno-electron microscopy of mouse spermatozoa has shown that the antigen is localized in the space between the outer and inner acrosome membranes and on the acrosome membranes at the equatorial segment. Immunoblotting after electrophoresis of spermatozoa from the cauda epididymidis has identified two immunoreactive bands: 38 kDa and 48 kDa in mouse, and 48 kDa in rat. During spermiogenesis in rat, this antigen is transported to the equatorial segment via a unique pathway, first appearing in some cisternae of the endoplasmic reticulum and in the Golgi apparatus of spermatids at around step 3. The antigen can further be found on the vesicles at the trans-side of the Golgi apparatus, in the matrix of the head cap, and on the head cap membrane in step-4 to step-7 spermatids. The antigen appears to be concentrated at the equatorial segment during late spermiogenesis. Neither the (pro-)acrosomic granule nor the surrounding membrane are required in this pathway. This pathway can be termed the 'Golgi-head cap tract'."}
{"id": "PMID:1486601", "title": "Distribution of intraventricularly injected horseradish peroxidase in cerebrospinal fluid compartments of the rat spinal cord.", "content": "The circulation of the cerebrospinal fluid along the central canal and its access to the parenchyma of the spinal cord of the rat have been analyzed by injection of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) into the lateral ventricle. Peroxidase was found throughout the central canal 13 min after injection, suggesting a rapid circulation of cerebrospinal fluid along the central canal of the rat spinal cord. It was cleared from the central canal within 2 h, in contrast with the situation in the brain tissue, where it remained in the periventricular areas for 4 h. In the central canal, HRP bound to Reissner's fiber and the luminal surface of the ependymal cells; it penetrated through the intercellular space of the ependymal lining, reached the subependymal neuropil, the basement membrane of local capillaries, and appeared in the lumen of endothelial pinocytotic vesicles. Furthermore, it accumulated in the labyrinths of the basement membrane contacting the basolateral aspect of the ependymal cells. In ependymocytes, HRP was found in single pinocytotic vesicles. The blood vessels supplying the spinal cord were classified into two types. Type-A vessels penetrated the spinal cord laterally and dorsally and displayed the tracer along their external wall as far as the gray matter. Type-B vessels intruded into the spinal cord from the medial ventral sulcus and occupied the anterior commissure of the gray matter, approaching the central canal. They represented the only vessels marked by HRP along their course through the gray matter. HRP spread from the wall of type-B vessels, labeling the labyrinths, the intercellular space of the ependymal lining, and the lumen of the central canal. This suggests a communication between the central canal and the outer cerebrospinal fluid space, at the level of the medial ventral sulcus, via the intercellular spaces, the perivascular basement membrane and its labyrinthine extensions."}
{"id": "PMID:1486602", "title": "Ca2+-ATPase in mucous and oxyntico-peptic cells of the fowl proventriculus.", "content": "Calcium adenosine triphosphatase (Ca(2+)-ATPase) was localized by means of histo-and ultracytochemistry in the secretory cells of the proventriculus of the domestic fowl. The mucous cells exhibited plasmalemmal-associated enzyme activity on the external aspect of the basolateral cell membrane. Intracellularly, the luminal aspect of Golgi-membranes and of secretory vesicle membranes reacted positively for Ca(2+)-ATPase activity, as did the apical cytosol and the matrix of lysosomes. Oxyntico-peptic cells were characterized by apical and apico-lateral plasmalemmal activity and by an organelle-associated distributional pattern similar to that in the mucous cells. In addition, Ca(2+)-ATPase was associated either with the matrix of mitochondria or with tubuli of the rough-surfaced endoplasmic reticulum. The results are discussed with respect to messenger and effector functions of calcium in the process of proventricular mucus secretion. In addition, Ca(2+)-ATPase distributional patterns in the oxyntico-peptic cell are related to the unique structure and function of these cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1486603", "title": "Localization of calcium in murine epidermis following disruption and repair of the permeability barrier.", "content": "Perturbation of the cutaneous permeability barrier results in rapid secretion of epidermal lamellar bodies, and synthesis and secretion of new lamellar bodies leading to barrier repair. Since external Ca2+ significantly impedes the repair response, we applied ion capture cytochemistry to localize Ca2+ in murine epidermis following barrier disruption. In controls, the numbers of Ca2+ precipitates in the basal layer were small, increasing suprabasally and reaching the highest density in the stratum granulosum. Barrier disruption with acetone produced an immediate, marked decrease in Ca2+ in the stratum granulosum, accompanied by secretion of lamellar bodies. Loss of this pattern of Ca2+ distribution was associated with the appearance of large Ca2+ aggregates within the intercellular spaces of the stratum corneum. The Ca(2+)-containing precipitates progressively reappeared in parallel with barrier recovery over 24 h. Disruption of the barrier with tape stripping also resulted in loss of Ca2+ from the nucleated layers of the epidermis, but small foci persisted where the stratum corneum was not removed; in these sites the Ca2+ distribution did not change and accelerated secretion of lamellar bodies was not observed. Following acetone-induced barrier disruption and immersion in isoosmolar sucrose, the epidermal Ca2+ gradient did not return, and both lamellar body secretion and barrier recovery occurred. However, with immersion in isoosmolar sucrose plus Ca2+, the epidermal Ca2+ reservoir was replenished, and both secretion of lamellar bodies and barrier recovery were impeded. These results demonstrate that barrier disruption results in loss of the epidermal Ca2+ reservoir, which may be the signal that initiates lamellar body secretion leading to barrier repair."}
{"id": "PMID:1486604", "title": "Appearance and endocytic activity of epithelial cells from human efferent ducts in primary monolayer culture.", "content": "The culture of epithelial cells lining human efferent ducts, obtained from prostatic carcinoma patients, is described. Ciliated cells were observed to beat for at least one month on plastic. On previous filters low cuboidal cells characterized the monolayers. Cells comprising monolayers over the filter were 5 to 9 microns in height whereas taller cells were found over the original fragments (14 microns). Some non-ciliated cells contained dark and light vacuoles, others were found to lack them. Both non-ciliated and ciliated cells maintained tight junctional complexes restricting the paracellular movement of horseradish peroxidase. Both types of cultured cells exhibited fluid-phase and adsorptive endocytosis from both apical and basal surfaces. It is reported for the first time that the monolayers form high resistance barriers (150 omega.cm2) that prevent the apical medium from draining to the basal compartment over 24 h."}
{"id": "PMID:1486605", "title": "Structure and protein composition of sites of papillary muscle attachment to chordae tendineae in avian hearts.", "content": "Most cardiac myocytes transmit force across fasciae adherentes, specialized sites of cell-cell adhesion. However, some cardiac myocytes in papillary muscle terminate on collagenous connective tissue in the chordae tendineae. These papillary myotendinous junctions (MTJs) are specialized for force transmission from myocytes to extracellular matrix. In the present study, we compared structural molecules at papillary MTJs to those at fasciae adherentes and skeletal MTJs. By using indirect immunofluorescence, we found that papillary MTJs more closely resemble skeletal MTJs in their molecular composition in that they are enriched in talin, vinculin, integrin, and fibronectin. Zeugmatin and alpha-actinin, both components of fasciae adherentes, are absent from papillary MTJs. Although papillary MTJs and skeletal MTJs display strong similarities in structural protein composition, ultrastructural organization of the two junctions is different. Papillary MTJs display little folding of the junctional membrane and, according to morphological criteria, more closely resemble sites of thin filament-membrane association in smooth muscle than skeletal MTJs. Thus, papillary MTJs display a combination of structural characteristics described previously in skeletal and smooth muscles but exhibit few structural features observed previously in cardiac fasciae adherentes."}
{"id": "PMID:1486606", "title": "Immunohistochemical localisation of natriuretic peptides in the brains and hearts of the spiny dogfish Squalus acanthias and the Atlantic hagfish Myxine glutinosa.", "content": "The avidin-biotin peroxidase technique was used to determine the distribution of natriuretic peptides in the hearts and brains of the dogfish Squalus acanthias and the Atlantic hagfish Myxine glutinosa. Three antisera were used: one raised against porcine brain natriuretic peptide which cross-reacts with atrial natriuretic and C-type natriuretic peptides (termed natriuretic peptide-like immunoreactivity); the second raised against porcine brain natriuretic peptide which cross-reacts with C-type natriuretic peptide, but not with atrial natriuretic peptide (termed porcine brain natriuretic peptide-like immunoreactivity); and the third raised against rat atrial natriuretic peptide (termed rat atrial natriuretic peptide-like immunoreactivity). Only natriuretic peptide-like immunoreactivity was observed in the heart of S. acanthias which was most likely due to the antiserum cross-reacting with C-type natriuretic peptide. No immunoreactivity was found in the M. glutinosa heart. In the brain of S. acanthias, natriuretic peptide-like immunoreactive fibres were located in many areas of the telencephalon, diencephalon, mesencephalon, rhombencephalon, and spinal cord. Extensive immunoreactivity was observed in the hypothalamo-hypophyseal tract and the neurointermediate lobe of the hypophysis. Natriuretic peptide-like immunoreactive perikarya were found in ventromedial regions of the telencephalon and in the nucleus preopticus. Most perikarya had short, thick processes which extended toward the ventricle. Another group of perikarya was observed in the rhombencephalon. Porcine brain natriuretic peptide-like immunoreactive fibres were observed in the telencephalon, diencephalon, mesencephalon, and rhombencephalon, but perikarya were only present in the preoptic area. In the M. glutinosa brain, natriuretic peptide-like immunoreactive fibres were present in all regions. Immunoreactive perikarya were observed in the pallium, primordium hippocampi, pars ventralis thalami, pars dorsalis thalami, nucleus diffusus hypothalami, nucleus profundus, nucleus tuberculi posterioris, and nucleus ventralis tegmenti. Porcine brain natriuretic peptide-like immunoreactive perikarya and fibres had a similar, but less abundant distribution than natriuretic peptide-like immunoreactive structures. Although the chemical structures of natriuretic peptides in the brains of dogfish and hagfish are unknown, these observations show that a component of the natriuretic peptide complement is similar to porcine brain natriuretic peptide or porcine C-type natriuretic peptide. The presence of natriuretic peptides in the brain suggest they could be important neuromodulators and/or neurotransmitters. Furthermore, there appears to be divergence in the structural forms of natriuretic peptides in the hearts and brains of dogfish and hagfish."}
{"id": "PMID:1486607", "title": "Surface cap modifications in cold-treated Drosophila melanogaster embryos.", "content": "When early Drosophila embryos were allowed to develop at 0 degree C, several abnormalities in the surface cap organization were observed. Scanning electron microscopy showed that exposure to cold mainly lead to the deformation of the cortical caps and to their partial fusion with adjacent caps. The process of cellularization was presumably affected and large uncellularized areas were observed. Rhodamine-phalloidin staining showed that cap deformation was closely related to the altered microfilament distribution, which was presumably responsible for the failure of large syncytial areas to cellularize. During the process of cellularization, F-actin localization did not depend on the microtubules forming the baskets around the elongating nuclei, but was related to the subpopulation of microtubules radiating from the centrosomes toward the plasma membrane. Only these microtubules seemed to be affected by cold treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1486608", "title": "Uveoscleral permeability to intracamerally infused ferritin in eyes of rabbits and monkeys.", "content": "The permeability of the uveoscleral outflow pathway from the anterior ocular chamber was examined in rabbit and monkey eyes using anionic ferritin as a tracer. Ferritin, infused intracamerally, had ready access to the choroidal interstitium, and the degree of penetration was generally correlated with the time and pressure relationships during infusion. In both species, there were accumulations of tracer in intercellular spaces at the lamina fusca, but tracer was also present in the sclera. Thus, in contrast to the situation in the eyes of hamsters, the uveoscleral outflow pathway in the eyes of rabbits and monkeys includes the choroidal connective tissue and allows passage of relatively large molecular weight substances."}
{"id": "PMID:1486609", "title": "Immuno-electron-microscopic localization of basic fibroblast growth factor in the dystrophic mdx mouse masseter muscle.", "content": "The localization of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF)-like immunoreactivity in the masseter muscle of dystrophic mdx mice on postnatal day 28 was investigated by immunoblot analysis and electron microscopy. Crude homogenate of the masseter muscle, when subjected to immunoblotting with a bFGF antiserum, exhibited a main band with the same molecular weight (18 kDa) as bovine bFGF. By electron microscopy, bFGF immunoreactivity was detected in small regenerating myocytes; the smaller cells were the premature myocytes, the most intense staining was the immunoreactivity within the cytoplasm. Putative precursors of the muscle cells with a few myofilaments, which were most intensely labeled with anti-bFGF, contacted each other and possibly developed into multinucleated myocytes through cell fusion. Mature myocytes with densely packed myofilaments and peripherally located nuclei did not exhibit bFGF immunoreactivity; they formed myoneural junctions with motor nerve endings immunoreactive for bFGF. Early differentiating myocytes with intense bFGF-like immunoreactivity did not make contact with immunoreactive nerve terminals. Degenerating large myocytes with a limited number of distorted and/or disrupted myofilaments exhibited electron-dense deposits in the cristae of mitochondria; these deposits were not abolished by immunoadsorption control experiments. Thus, the cell-size-dependent decrease in bFGF immunoreactivity in regenerating but not in degenerating myocytes provides a morphological basis for an autoregulatory role of bFGF in muscle regeneration. This study suggests that neuronal bFGF is not involved in initial muscle regeneration in the dystrophic mdx mouse."}
{"id": "PMID:1486610", "title": "Expression of mRNA of parathyroid hormone-related peptide in fetal bones of the rat.", "content": "Previous studies have indicated that 19-day-old fetal long bones of the rat contain an adenylyl cyclase-stimulating activity antigenically related to parathyroid hormone-related peptide. To ascertain its origin, Northern blotting and in situ hybridization histochemistry were performed. Results demonstrate that mRNA of parathyroid hormone-related peptide is present in RNA extracted from fetal long bones of the rat and that cells responsible for its production are localized in the periosteum. These cells are not mature osteoblasts because they do not synthesize mRNA of osteocalcin. Thus the present study shows that parathyroid hormone-related peptide could be produced locally, at least in part, in the skeleton of fetal rats."}
{"id": "PMID:1486611", "title": "Immunocytochemical identification of some regulatory peptides (gastrin, gastrin-releasing peptide, neurotensin and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide) in the Harderian gland of the green frog, Rana esculenta.", "content": "The presence and distribution of gastrin-, gastrin-releasing peptide-, neurotensin- and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide-like immunoreactivity in the Harderian gland of Rana esculenta were studied at different times of the annual cycle. Gastrin-releasing peptide, neurotensin and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide-like substances were found either in the glandular cells, or in the nerve fibers surrounding the glandular acini. Gastrin-like immunoreactivity was confined to the glandular cells. The immunoreactivity varied during the annual cycle, with the greatest concentration being noted during the recovery phase of glandular secretory activity."}
{"id": "PMID:1486612", "title": "Progress in the control of schistosomiasis in Zimbabwe since 1984.", "content": "Schistosomiasis remains the second most important parasitic disease in Zimbabwe. In terms of its combined morbidity and prevalence, schistosomiasis is thought to be the most important helminth infection of man. Since 1984, a number of control programmes have commenced around the country and a national control programme aimed at reducing morbidity is being implemented. The strategy adopted in Zimbabwe is a community based approach integrated in the primary health care system."}
{"id": "PMID:1486613", "title": "Norplant in Zimbabwe: preliminary report.", "content": "During an ongoing study of a pre-introduction trial of Norplant in Zimbabwe, 197 women had the subdermal implant of six capsules containing levonorgestrel inserted between June and December 1991, at Parirenyatwa, Harare Hospital and Spilhaus. Acceptability and efficacy were high and no significant side effects had been observed. Three implants were removed due to local infection. Our initial experience indicates that the Norplant continuation rate is much higher than for any other reversible method of contraception and it is highly acceptable as a long term contraceptive."}
{"id": "PMID:1486614", "title": "The effects of cluster sampling in an African urban setting.", "content": "Cluster sampling was popularised by the sampling procedure promoted by the WHO/UNICEF for the evaluation of the expanded programme of immunisation (EPI). Without a clear understanding of the limitations of the sampling strategy used, this sampling strategy has been extended to other types of surveys. This article shows how to approach the assessment of cluster sampling techniques scientifically by calculating design effects (DEFFs) and rates of homogeneity (roh) and illustrates this scientific assessment with three case studies from Alexandra in South Africa. We report on the DEFFs and rohs for variables studied in these surveys. The DEFF for all the variables relating to housing tended to exceed two and was as high as 6.99 for the variable new development. The variables relating to health service utilisation and health practices, namely immunisation status, nutrition status, presence of Road to Health Cards (RTDCs), breast-feeding and knowledge of diarrhoea and oral rehydration all had a DEFF close to one. The variables relating to contraception use, literacy and schooling had DEFFs close to one and a half. For a few variables the DEFFs were below one and the rates of homogeneity less than zero. The highest values of roh were for environment factors (all above 0.1433). Rohs for factors related to utilization of PHC services were mostly between 0.0200 and 0.0499. No single class of factors seemed to be related to very low values of roh. These results are then discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1486615", "title": "The use of drug level measurements in adult patients receiving theophylline, anti-epileptic drugs and amikacin.", "content": "This prospective study was conducted to determine how frequently measurement of drug levels was used in the management of adult patients receiving theophylline, phenytoin, phenobarbitone, carbamazepine or aminoglycosides in a large hospital. Fifty consecutive outpatients with asthma and 40 with epilepsy were interviewed and their records reviewed to determine which drugs had been prescribed and whether a level of the appropriate drug had been measured in the previous six months. Also, the records of 40 in-patients who were currently receiving amikacin were studied to determine whether serum levels had been measured at any stage during therapy with this drug. Serum theophylline levels were measured in only four (eight pc) patients who were taking this drug and were below the target range in two patients. Serum levels had been measured in 21 (52.5 pc) of 40 patients who were receiving 45 anti-epileptic drugs and were within the target in only nine. Serum amikacin levels were measured in 15 (37.5 pc) patients; blood had been taken for both peak and trough levels in 10 patients and found to exceed the target range in two patients. This study revealed that measurement of serum concentrations of theophylline, anti-epileptic drugs and amikacin was underutilised in the management of adult patients receiving these drugs at this hospital."}
{"id": "PMID:1486616", "title": "Early natural history of untreated Perthes' disease.", "content": "Thirty patients with Legg-Calve'-Perthes' Disease (LCPD) presenting in Gwynedd, North Wales over a ten year period were reviewed with the aim of determining retrospectively the short-term clinical and anatomical outcome of the untreated condition. They were all allowed unrestricted activity irrespective of their radiological appearances. The mode of presentation, activity levels, analgesic requirements and physical signs during the active phase and at the final review were assessed. The clinical end-result assessment was based on a modification of the Harris hip assessment system. The radiological end-result was based on the Stulberg-End-Result Classification. The clinical results were satisfactory, with only 3.3 pc poor results; 23.3 pc fair and 73.3 pc good. The radiological results were 10 pc poor; 30 fair and 60 pc good. It is concluded that the short-term outcome of untreated LCPD is satisfactory in the majority of patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1486617", "title": "Incidence of hypo-parathyroidism following thyroidectomy in a prospective study of 108 consecutive African patients.", "content": "In a prospective study of 108 consecutive African patients in the University of Benin Teaching Hospital undergoing thyroidectomy over the period 1986-1990, one patient had overt hypoparathyroidism while six others presented with the latent form, giving an overall incidence of 6.5 pc. Hypoparathyroidism was associated with large adherent goitres involving extensive dissection. Routine post-operative serum calcium is advocated so as not to miss latent hypoparathyroidism. Identification of the parathyroids with preservation of the blood supply should be carefully observed so as to minimise the incidence of hypoparathyroidism."}
{"id": "PMID:1486618", "title": "Ultrasonography as an adjunct to hydrotubation in the management of female infertility.", "content": "Thirty one female patients who were being investigated for infertility had hydrotubation with ultrasound monitoring (sonosalpingography) in addition to the standard tubal patency tests of hysterosalpingography (HSG) and dye test at laparoscopy. Compared to the standard tests, sonosalpingography (SSG) had a sensitivity of 90 to 100 pc and a specificity of 95 pc in detecting bilateral tubal occlusion. In the detection of side-specific patency of the tubes, SSG had a sensitivity of 94 pc and 89 pc when compared with HSG and laparoscopy respectively. The corresponding specificity values were 83 pc and 85 pc. Hydrotubation enhanced the ability of ultrasonography to detect such uterine abnormalities as uterine synechae, intrauterine septa and submucous fibroids. It was concluded that sonosalpingography is a sensitive and relatively safe screening method for assessing tubal patency in infertile women. It also provides valuable information about the uterine wall and uterine cavity."}
{"id": "PMID:1486619", "title": "Seizures associated with chloroquine therapy.", "content": "Three cases of tonic-clonic seizures following therapeutic doses of chloroquine for malaria are presented. A casual relationship between seizures and chloroquine therapy is suggested. There have been no previous reports of this adverse effect of chloroquine therapy in patients normally resident in a holoendemic area for malaria."}
{"id": "PMID:1486623", "title": "[Phacoemulsification. The method of choice in cataract surgery].", "content": "Complications and problems in the first 300 patients operated on by phacoemulsification technique are described. In the first 100 cases the procedure began with the creation of the corneoscleral incision and the anterior capsule was opened in a \"can opener\" fashion. In the second group of 200 patients we preferred the scleral incision, and the anterior capsule was opened mainly by capsulorhexis. The phacoemulsification was predominantly performed in the capsular bag or in the iris plane. The wound was closed with interrupted sutures. The most common and the most serious complication as well in the first 100 cases was posterior capsule rupture (11%). Then the percentage of this most common complication was diminished significantly with increasing experience of the surgeon (2.5% in 200 cases). The same problems which the authors had in their first operations appeared again, though in a smaller amount as soon as they started to work with phacoemulsification as a method of choice of cataract surgery."}
{"id": "PMID:1486624", "title": "[Results of 52 operations for traumatic cataracts].", "content": "The authors are presenting the results of the traumatic cataract surgery in 52 patients (45 male, 7 female). The cataract was caused in 7 cases by blunt trauma, in 43 cases by penetrating trauma (in 16 cases with intraocular foreign body). The mean age of patients was 29 years, ranging from 4 to 73 years. In 2 cases was indicated the intracapsular extraction for the subluxation of the lens, in 2 eyes the discision was done and in 2 eyes the primary evacuation. In all other cases the extracapsular extraction was performed (19 with IOL implantation). Before the operation the visual acuity was 0.1 and worse in 90.4%, 0.16-0.33 in 7.7% and 0.5 and better in 1.9% of the patients. The visual acuity at the time of the last follow-up visit (3 months to 3.5 years after the operation-average 15.6 months) was 0.1 and worse in 16.7% of cases, 0.16-0.33 in 19% and 0.5 and better in 64.3%. The visual acuity 0.5 and better was in 85.7% of patients with IOL implantation. The most serious complication was the hypotony of the eye (in 3 cases) followed by the atrophy of the eye (1 eye was enucleated). Although we could expect more complications of the surgery of traumatic cataract it is possible to gain good visual acuity results. The IOL implantation is indicated in cases where it is not excluded by the condition of the eye."}
{"id": "PMID:1486625", "title": "[Cataract operations and implantation of intraocular lenses in children and adolescents].", "content": "The authors are presenting the results of 60 cataract operations performed in 54 patients younger then 18 years. Traumatic cataract was operated in 33 patient (29 boys, 4 girls), congenital cataract in 19 eyes and complicated cataract in 8 eyes. The visual acuity 0.5 and better was gained in 40% of the eyes in which it was possible to find out the visual acuity. This visual acuity was achieved in 50% of 19 patients with IOL implantation (the youngest was 4 years old). The visual acuity was 0.5 and better in 75% of 12 patients regularly wearing contact lens. The worse results were in patients with congenital cataract-just one eye from 10, in which the visual acuity was possible to evaluate, had the visual acuity 0.5. In one case it was necessary to replace the luxated posterior chamber IOL. The IOL implantation in children, especially in those with traumatic cataract, is becoming more frequent."}
{"id": "PMID:1486626", "title": "[Diabetic retinopathy in children and adolescents under 18 years of age].", "content": "We found ophthalmoscopically microaneurysms in 22 patients from 189 diabetics (11.6%). The youngest patients with microaneurysms were two 11-years-old girls with 3 and 5 years lasting disease. The chance of retinopathy was growing with the duration of the diabetes. By fluorescein angiography we discovered retinopathy in 52 patients out of 126 diabetics (41.3%). The retinopathy was more often found among girls. Just in one case we found the early stage of preproliferative retinopathy. The retinopathy was more often found in diabetics with higher levels of glyconated hemoglobin. The extent of foveolar avascular zone is decreasing with the longer course of the diabetes. We recorded lower occurrence of diabetic retinopathy in patients treated at the Ist Department of Pediatrics in Bratislava. In the group evaluated in the years 1986-89 the occurrence of the diabetic retinopathy diagnosed ophthalmoscopically was lower than in the group of 1981-84."}
{"id": "PMID:1486627", "title": "[The clinical picture of Fuch's heterochromic cyclitis].", "content": "The authors are presenting their experience with the diagnosis and treatment of Fuchs' heterochromic cyclitis. They followed-up 13 patients with this disease for 0.5-3 years. Most often the patients were sent to the clinic with the diagnosis of recurrent anterior uveitis not responding to the treatment with corticosteroids and mydriatics. Patients underwent numerous investigations including neurological, internal and rheumatological examinations. Antibodies against EBV, HSV and CMV were detected. The examination of humoral immunity and HLA was done. The authors describe the ophthalmological findings, the course of the disease and the treatment. They did not find any correlation in the laboratory investigations and the course of the disease, the diagnosis is based on the clinical picture. They point out the advantage of the small incision in the extracapsular extraction of cataract in these patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1486628", "title": "[Charlin's syndrome--nasociliary nerve neuralgia].", "content": "The history, etiopathogenetical factors, clinical symptomatology, differential diagnosis and therapy of neuralgia nervi nasociliaris--Charlin's syndrome are described. The authors give an account of an 18-years-old male patient."}
{"id": "PMID:1486629", "title": "[Levobunolol HCl--a beta-blocker produced by the firm Allergan].", "content": "Vistagan is a new beta-blocker produced by Allergan that is used for treatment of glaucoma. The results of a clinical trial with 18 patients with open-angle glaucoma, previously treated with Timoptol, are presented. Vistagan was as effective as Timoptol in reducing the intraocular pressure and was better tolerated by patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1486630", "title": "[Use of hypnosis in certain forms of childhood strabismus].", "content": "The authors describe the case of a mentally very labile boy suffering from strabism. When he was excited, the deviation of the affected eye increased, diplopia, nausea and headache developed. Hypnosis was applied and the condition improved after 12 sessions. His behaviour changed and progress in school improved. The authors draw attention to new therapeutic possibilities of some forms of strabism in mentally labile children by application of hypnosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1486633", "title": "[Contrast sensitivity and vision].", "content": "From results of the contrast sensitivity test (n = 65, r = 0.834) it is possible to estimate visual acuity with considerable provedes, however, in addition also information on vision at low contrast conditions and on vision of large objects. It may therefore be expected that in future the two-dimensional visuogram will replace in clinical practice the commonly used test used for assessment of visual acuity."}
{"id": "PMID:1486634", "title": "[The argon laser in the prevention of retinal detachment].", "content": "In a group of 57 eyes in 51 patients the authors analyze seven years' experience with the use of an argon laser in the prophylaxis of detachment of the retina. The advantages of the argon laser were most marked in traumatic ruptures of the retina and in peripheral vitreoretinal degenerations. In eyes with not closed ruptures after episcleral filling argon laser coagulation proved successful in 77%."}
{"id": "PMID:1486635", "title": "[An intraorbital foreign body with fulminant phlegmon].", "content": "The authors describe the case of an intraorbital foreign body of plant origin. An extensive phlegmon in the orbit caused by the foreign body led in the end to enucleation. The authors discuss diagnostic possibilities for detection and localization of foreign bodies in the orbit, focused in particular on CT."}
{"id": "PMID:1486636", "title": "[Prognostically important features of uveal melanoma in histopathologic examinations].", "content": "The prognostic value of various morphological features of the uveal melanoma (i.e. histological type, maximal distance and shape of the tumour, the extension of the tumour, it's site in various parts of the uvea and the mitotic activity and pleomorphism within the tumour) is described. The description and evaluation is based mainly on the histopathologic examination of enucleated globe. The possibilities of the clinical examination or using of specialized methods are mentioned."}
{"id": "PMID:1486637", "title": "[Overview of the clinical use of the specular reflex in intraocular lenses].", "content": "On both surfaces of the intraocular lens, due to its physical properties, an intense and homogenous reflex develops suitable for retrograde illumination of the cornea, anterior chamber, the remainder of the lenticular capsule, for examination of amorphous, cellular and fibrinous membranes on the surface of the intraocular lens and visualization of defects of the intraocular lens. Based on experience from specular routine microscopic examinations the author considers that visualization of defects of the Descemet's membrane is most useful as well as of precipitates on the endothelium in opaque structures of the cornea, evaluation of the immunological reaction on the surface of the intraocular lens as a picture of the dynamics of the reaction and biocompatibility of the material of the intraocular lens, detection of defects which occur during manufacture and manipulation in the operation theatre in vivo and defects during YAG-laser therapy with possible subsequent adjustment of the intensity and focusing."}
{"id": "PMID:1486638", "title": "[Significance of immunologic reactions on the surface of intraocular lenses].", "content": "The authors summarize their experience assembled during specular examinations of immunological processes on the surface of the intraocular lens. They describe the incidence of significant components of the immunological reaction--of \"large cells\", \"fibroblast-like cells\", round elements, fibrous and acellular membranes on the surface of the intraocular lens. The \"large cells\" are considered the most important components of the reaction from the clinical aspects. Their incidence depends most frequently on a change in the position of the intraocular lens and non-adherence to therapy in the early postoperative stage. The authors present findings assembled in patients with late changes of the position and formation of synechiae and subluxation, most probably traumatic, and occur in patients who did not respect local corticoid treatment in the early postoperative period. A similar character of the specular finding indicates uniformity of the non-specific reaction which is potentiated by interference with the haemotoocular barrier for various reasons."}
{"id": "PMID:1486639", "title": "[Personal experience in the treatment of proliferative diabetic retinopathy using an argon laser].", "content": "The authors evaluate a group of 44 eyes treated by panretinal photocoagulation by means of an argon laser on account of proliferative diabetic retinopathy. Complete regression of neovascularizations was achieved in 64%, partial regression in 23%, treatment failed in 13%. The resulting visual acuity of 6/12 or better was achieved in 57%, at least stabilization of visual acuity was achieved in 80%, the mean follow-up period being 2.3 years. The results of treatment with an argon laser was analyzed also separately for proliferative diabetic retinopathies of different grades. The authors confirm that advanced stages of proliferative diabetic retinopathy respond more poorly to panphotocoagulation and explain this by an assumed certain grade of autonomy in very advanced proliferative diabetic retinopathy. Therapeutic failure was observed only in a group of eyes with very advanced proliferative retinopathy. The authors also confirm the observation, that if a positive response to laser therapy develops within 3-6 weeks, this is a favourable prognostic sign. In neovascularizations of the retina they observed a more favourable response to panphotocoagulation than in neovascularizations on the disc of the optic nerve."}
{"id": "PMID:1486645", "title": "Risk factors contributing to acute diarrhoeal disease in children below five years.", "content": "Data regarding factors contributing to acute diarrhoea in children under five years in urban populations in Sri Lanka is meagre. Studies of diarrhoeal disease have been limited mainly to descriptive epidemiological investigations. A case control study on 200 families in the Galle Municipality was undertaken to identify some of the social, behavioural and environmental factors contributing to childhood diarrhoea. Twelve variables were studied by logistic regression, and the following variables were identified as conferring a significant risk of causing diarrhoeal disease in children below five years in an urban setting in Sri Lanka; (1) unavailability of pipe-borne water in the house (2) lack of water-seal latrine in the household (3) low level of mother's education and her lack of awareness regarding infectious nature and mode of spread of diarrhoea (4) not disposing of children's faeces in a latrine (5) improper disposal of garbage."}
{"id": "PMID:1486646", "title": "Effects of transcutaneous needle stimulation on the immune response in rabbits.", "content": "Studies in the field of neuroimmunomodulation have shown that endorphins such as methionine-encephalin may have an immunomodulatory role. This study was undertaken to test whether transcutaneous needle stimulation, which is known to release such peptides from the central neurones, has an effect on immune response in rabbits. Twelve healthy rabbits, in three similar subgroups, were exposed to pathogenic Escherichia coli and their immune response was studied under different experimental conditions. Our results show that needle stimulation causes a reversal of stress induced suppression of antibody production. Further studies are necessary to evaluate any therapeutic uses these observations may have in humans."}
{"id": "PMID:1486647", "title": "The General Hospital Colombo Rehabilitation Project.", "content": "The General Hospital Colombo (GHC) Rehabilitation Project was to be implemented in 6 phases in about 25 years. The proposed funding was a grant of 100% from Finland for technical assistance and training, and 85% for investments. The development objective was to reinforce the status of the hospital as the apex of the medical care system. In Phase I (1985-1990) an 8 storeyed accident and orthopaedic services building with modern facilities has been commissioned. A water tower and a 'septic' operating theatre have been built. Infection control and maintenance organizations have been started. Phase I cost Rs.960 million. In the Bridging Phase, the existing six storeyed building is being renovated. Phase II has been drastically curtailed. It will concentrate on infrastructure development such as water supply, kitchen, stores and transport, and the construction of four new medical wards. The project will end in 1993."}
{"id": "PMID:1486648", "title": "Mycobacterium ulcerans infection; is the \"Bairnsdale ulcer\" also a Ceylonese disease?", "content": "Mycobacterium ulcerans infection produces progressive skin ulceration in man and other mammalia. The disease was first described in 1984 in patients from the Bairnsdale district in Australia, but was known in Africa well before this time. It has since been reported from many, mostly tropical countries in Africa, central and south America, and south-east Asia. The infection characteristically occurs in closely defined areas which are related to river or lacustrian systems draining tropical or warm temperate rain forest. Like the flora to which it relates, the mycobacterium shows a Gondwanian distribution which is evidence of its great antiquity. There is evidence that cases of the infection have occurred on the Indian subcontinent. Infection if it does occur would support the theory that the mycobacterial infection is related to tropical or warm temperate rain forest plant species with a Gondwanian distribution."}
{"id": "PMID:1486650", "title": "Survey of blood donors in Sri Lanka, 1985.", "content": "Of 26,932 blood donors at the Central Blood Bank and at three mobile units that covered most parts of the Island during 1985, 81.4% were men and 18.6% women. The age range acceptable for blood donations is 18 to 55 years. The largest number of donors in both sexes were in the 21 to 30 year age group, with the next common group being 31 to 40 years for men and 18 to 20 years for women."}
{"id": "PMID:1486651", "title": "A near fatal case of corrosive burns from decomposed chloral hydrate administration.", "content": "A case of corrosive burns to the face and upper airway from administration of chloral hydrate is presented. Events leading to the accident and dispensing of the drug are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1486654", "title": "Efficient preparation of steroidal 5,7-dienes of high purity.", "content": "Protected forms of dehydroepiandrosterone, delta 5 cholenic acid, (25R)-26-hydroxycholesterol and diosgenin were converted to the corresponding delta 5,7 dienes by successive treatment with 1,3-dibromo-5,5-dimethylhydantoin (dibromantin), tetrabutylammonium bromide and tetrabutylammonium fluoride. The crude products, which contained the delta 5,7 species contaminated by minor amounts of the delta 5 and delta 4,6 steroids, were purified by silica gel-AgNO3 chromatography to give the following steroids in approximately 99% purity and at least 50% yield: 3 beta-acetoxyandrosta-5,7-dien-17-one, methyl 3 beta-acetoxychola-5,7-dien-24-oate, (25R)-3 beta,26-diacetoxycholesta-5,7-diene and (25R)-3 beta-acetoxyspirosta-5,7-diene. Analogous treatment of acetate derivatives of pregnenolone and stigmasterol gave 3 beta-acetoxypregna-5,7-dien-20-one and 3 beta-acetoxystigmasta-5,7,22-triene in approximately 50% yield but of lower purity. Full 1H and 13C NMR assignments are given for seven delta 5,7 steroid acetates and the corresponding delta 5 starting materials. Coupling constants for rings A, B and C of delta 5,7 steroids are presented and stereochemical assignments have been made for the following 1H NMR signals: the C-11 protons of delta 5,7 steroids, the C-16 protons of sterols and bile acids, the C-22 and C-23 protons of bile acid esters and the C-28 protons of stigmasterol derivatives."}
{"id": "PMID:1486655", "title": "Monolayer properties of archaeol and caldarchaeol polar lipids of a methanogenic archaebacterium, Methanospirillum hungatei, at the air/water interface.", "content": "Monolayer studies at the air/water interface were carried out on the major tetraether (caldarchaeol-) derived phosphoglycolipid, Glcp-alpha(1-2)-Galf-beta(1-1)-caldarchaeol-phosphoglycerol (PGC-I), the major diether (archaeol-) derived glycolipid, Glcp-alpha(1-2)-Galf-beta(1-1)-archaeol (DGA-I), the major archaeol-derived phospholipids, phosphatidyl-N,N dimethylaminopentanetetrol (PPDAA) and phosphatidyl-N,N,N-trimethylaminopentanetetrol (PPTAA) and the minor caldarchaeol-derived glycolipid, Glcp-alpha(1-2)-Galf-beta(1-1)-caldarchaeol (DGC-I) isolated from the methanogenic archaebacterium, Methanospirillum hungatei. The compression isotherms obtained showed that the two tetraether lipids had molecular surface areas about twice those of the diether lipids at all surface pressures, suggesting that both polar headgroups of the tetraether lipids are anchored into the aqueous subphase, even at the collapse pressure pi c. A U-shaped hydrocarbon chain conformation thus appears to be preferred for the tetraether lipids at the air/water interface, rather than an extended chain arrangement. The compression isotherms of the two tetraether lipids PGC-I and DGC-I were very similar at pH 0, both molecules being uncharged, but at pH 5.6 or 8, PGC-I films were much more expanded than the neutral DGC-I, due to ionization of the phosphate group in PGC-I and the resulting charge-charge repulsion. Monolayers of the zwitterionic diether phospholipids PPDAA and PPTAA were much less compressible than the glycosylated lipids, PGC-I, DGC-I and DGA-I, because the latter lipids contain the more compressible diglycosyl headgroup, oriented in horizontal conformation at low surface pressures, compared to the lower compressibility of the zwitterionic headgroup in the vertical conformation, particularly at pH 0 and 5.6.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1486656", "title": "High pressure FTIR study of interaction of melittin with dimyristoylphosphatidyl glycerol bilayers.", "content": "Infrared spectra of hydrated dimyristoylphosphatidyl glycerol (DMPG) and of aqueous dispersions of melittin and DMPG at peptide:lipid molar ratios of 1:10 and 1:4 were recorded as a function of pressure from atmospheric to 22 kbar. Spectral features corresponding to vibrations of the amide linkages in melittin and to various functional groups in DMPG (carbonyl, methlylene, phosphate) were monitored in order to investigate the structure and dynamics of melittin:DMPG dispersions. Melittin was found to cause conformational and orientational disordering of the acyl chains in DMPG bilayers. The magnitude of these disorders was higher for higher concentration of melittin in DMPG. The higher concentration of melittin was also found to disrupt the DMPG bilayers through interactions with the lipid head groups. Such disruption may be related to some of the biological properties of melittin."}
{"id": "PMID:1486657", "title": "Dextran sulfate-dependent fusion of liposomes containing cationic stearylamine.", "content": "The incorporation of the positively charged stearylamine into phosphatidylcholine liposomes was studied by measuring electrophoretic mobilities. Up to a molar ratio SA/PC = 0.5 an increase of the positive zeta potential can be observed. Addition of the negatively charged macromolecule dextran sulfate leads to a change of the sign of the surface potential of the PC/SA liposomes indicating binding of the macromolecule to the surface. This process is accompanied by an increase in turbidity, which is dependent on the molecular weight of the dextran sulfate and the SA concentration (measured by turbidimetry). Using the NBD/Rh and Pyr-PC fluorescence assays the fusion of SA containing liposomes was investigated. A strong influence of the SA content and molecular weight of dextran sulfate on the fusion extent was observed. The fusion extent is proportional to the SA content in the PC membrane and the molecular weight of dextran sulfate. PC/SA/PE liposomes exhibit a higher fusion extent after addition of dextran sulfate compared to PC/SA liposomes indicating that PE additionally destabilizes the bilayer. Freeze-fracture electron microscopy reveals that the reaction products are large complexes composed of multilamellar stacks of tightly packed, straight membranes and aggregated vesicles. The tight packing of the membranes in the stacks (and the narrow contact of the aggregated vesicles) indicates a strong adherence of opposite membrane surfaces induced by dextran sulfate."}
{"id": "PMID:1486658", "title": "Inhibitions of the autoxidation of linoleic acid by flavonoids in micelles.", "content": "The activities of five flavonoids as chain-breaking antioxidants have been studied for the autoxidation of linoleic acid in cetyl trimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) micelles at 37 degrees C. Flavonols such as quercetin, rutin and morin exhibited antioxidant activities, while two flavanones, naringin and hesperidin, did not suppress the oxidation appreciably. The ratio of rate constants for inhibition and propagation kinh/kp and stoichiometric factor n were determined."}
{"id": "PMID:1486659", "title": "Molecular weight determination of methyl esters of mycolic acids using thermospray mass spectrometry.", "content": "Methyl esters of normal fatty acids, corynomycolate and corynomycolenate were used as model compounds for thermospray mass spectrometric procedures for molecular weight determination of the related nocardial mycolic acids. By using ammonium acetate at the positive ion generator, in both cases, a family of ions was produced. The following members were found and corresponded to the adducts: (1) M + H; M + NH4 and M + H + NH4 for methyl esters of normal fatty acids, whereas M + H, M + 2H and M + H + NH4 were the adducts most frequently observed with methyl corynomycolates. The methyl esters of C40-C48 mycolic acids from Rhodococcus rhodochrous exhibited prominent peaks corresponding to adducts M + H + NH4 whereas those corresponding to M + 2H showed slightly lower intensities. The structure M + H had no significant representatives with this subclass of mycolic acids. A similar pattern was observed with methyl esters of C50-C54 mycolic acids from Nocardia asteroides GUH-2. Ion peaks C50-C54 representing adducts M + 2H and M + H + NH4 prevailed in the mass spectrum. In this case, the intensities of peaks corresponding to M + 2H were slightly higher than those of the M + H + NH4. Essentially three main species of nocardomycolic acids were detected: (1) monounsaturated C50:1, C52:1 and C54:1; (2) diunsaturated C50:2, C52:2 and C54:2 and (3) triunsaturated C52:3 and C54:3 mycolic acids. The most abundant mycolic acid was C52:2 followed in decreasing abundance by C52:1, C54:2, C50:2, C52:3 and C54:3 mycolic acids."}
{"id": "PMID:1486660", "title": "Effect of alcohol chain length on tubule formation in 1,2-bis(10,12-tricosadiynoyl)-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine.", "content": "Aqueous dispersions of 1,2-bis(10,12-tricosadiynoyl)-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine, on cooling below the chain melting temperature, form hollow cylindrical structures known as 'tubules'. We have studied the formation of tubules in methanol/water, ethanol/water and n-propanol/water. For each alcohol, there is a defined window of alcohol/water ratios in which the lipid precipitates with the tubule morphology. As the chain length of alcohol is increased, the window shifts towards lower alcohol fraction. Light scattering studies show that at very low lipid concentrations the tubules self-assemble directly from the isotropic phase where as for lipid concentrations greater than 4 mg/ml an intermediate L alpha phase is observed. These results indicate that the mechanism of tubule formation may be dependent on lipid concentration."}
{"id": "PMID:1486661", "title": "Effect of ionic strength on the transfer of 1-pyrenemethyl-3 beta-hydroxy-22,23-bisnor-5-cholenate between bilayer vesicles containing phosphatidylserine.", "content": "The influence of ionic strength or the concentration of K+ ([K+]) of the aqueous phase on the spontaneous transfer of cholesterol between negatively charged bilayer vesicles composed of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) and dipalmitoylphosphatidylserine (DPPS) (1:1, mole:mole) was studied using a pyrene-labelled cholesterol analogue, 1-pyrenemethyl-3 beta-hydroxy-22,23-bisnor-5-cholenate (PMC), as the probe. The decrease in PMC excimer fluorescence was best fitted to a bi-exponential function. Increasing [K+] from 0.1 M to 0.3 M had little effect on the shorter half-time (1.4 +/- 0.2 min) but increased the longer half-time from 16.3 +/- 1.9 min to 26.7 +/- 2.1 min. Fluorescence quenching and titration of an interface-located fluorophore, 1-anilinonaphthalene-8-sulfonic acid (ANS) revealed an increase in interfacial hydrophobicity upon increasing in ionic strength. The physical state of the acyl chains was not affected by ionic strength as indicated by a constant PMC excimer:monomer fluorescence intensity ratio. However, an increase in enthalpy change of the lipid phase transition from 15.7 kJ/mol ([K+] = 0.1 M) to 21.3 kJ/mol ([K+] = 0.3 M), together with a slight increase in the transition temperature, implies that interactions between adjacent molecules in the charged lipid bilayer vesicles became stronger at higher ionic strength. Our results suggest that the van der Waals attraction between PMC and phospholipid molecules could be affected by conformation changes in the charged head group region brought about by changes of ionic strength in the aqueous phase, with consequent effects on the desorption of cholesterol from the bilayer surface."}
{"id": "PMID:1486662", "title": "Inhibitors of sterol synthesis. Chemical syntheses and spectral properties of 26-oxygenated derivatives of 3 beta-hydroxy-5 alpha-cholest-8(14)-en-15-one and their effects on 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase activity in CHO-K1 cells.", "content": "26-Oxygenated derivatives of delta 8(14)-15-ketosterols have been synthesized from (25R)-3 beta,26-diacetoxy-5 alpha-cholest-8(14)-en-15-one (IX) as part of a program to prepare potential metabolites and analogs of 3 beta-hydroxy-5 alpha-cholest-8(14)-en-15-one (I), a potent regulator of cholesterol metabolism. Partial hydrolysis of IX gave a mixture, from which the 3 beta,26-diol II and the 26-acetate (XI) and 3 beta-acetate (X) monoesters were isolated. Mitsunobu reaction of XI followed by hydrolysis gave (25R)-3 alpha,26-dihydroxy-5 alpha-cholest-8(14)-en-15-one (VI). Oxidation of XI with pyridinium chlorochromate followed by hydrolysis of the acetate gave (25R)-26-hydroxy-5 alpha-cholest-8(14)-ene-3,15-dione (VII). Oxidation of X with Jones reagent followed by hydrolysis of the acetate gave (25R)-3 beta-hydroxy-15-keto-5 alpha-cholest-8(14)-en-26-oic acid (IVa). Jones oxidation of II gave (25R)-3,15-diketo-5 alpha-cholest-8(14)-en-26-oic acid (VII). 1H and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance assignments and analyses of mass spectral fragmentation data are presented for each of the new compounds and their derivatives. The 3,15-diketone VII was found to be highly active in lowering the levels of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase activity in CHO-K1 cells, with a potency comparable to that of I. In contrast, 3 alpha,26-diol VI was less potent than I or VII. The two carboxylic acid analogs IVa and VIII were considerably less potent than VI in lowering the levels of HMG-CoA reductase activity."}
{"id": "PMID:1486663", "title": "Structure and functions of a dimeric form of surfactant protein SP-C: a Fourier transform infrared and surfactometry study.", "content": "Surfactant proteins SP-B (M(r) = 8700, reduced) and SP-C (M(r) = 3000-6000, major form, non-reduced) interact with surfactant phospholipids to enhance their surface active properties. In the present study, we describe the structural and functional characteristics of a novel dimeric form of bovine SP-C (M(r) = 9000, non-reduced), which is identified as [SP-C]2. Dimeric SP-C exhibits surface tension-lowering properties differing from those of monomeric SP-C and enhances the surface properties of bovine SP-B/phospholipid mixtures. Chemical analysis indicated that [SP-C]2 was not acylated at the cysteinyl residues. Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) was utilized to determine the secondary structures of [SP-C]2 in DPPC films. Relative percentages of alpha-helical, beta-sheet, beta-turn and random coil structures were calculated by peak fit analysis of the amide I band of the FT-IR spectra indicating that, in contrast to the helical structure of monomeric SP-C, [SP-C]2 exhibits almost exclusively beta-sheet structure. In addition, only 10% of the amide (backbone) hydrogens exchanged with deuterium of D2O, indicating that the remaining 90% of amide hydrogens were not accessible to D2O due to strong hydrogen bonding or their location in a hydrophobic environment. Dimerization of SP-C effects a major change in secondary structure, a factor which may play a role in the interaction of SP-C with phospholipids in pulmonary surfactant."}
{"id": "PMID:1486664", "title": "Can non-pharmacological interventions reduce doses of drugs needed for the treatment of hypertension? World Hypertension League.", "content": "This article describes the impact of non-pharmacological interventions--salt restriction, weight control, alcohol consumption, exercise, and potassium supplementation--on the effects of drug treatment of hypertension, and their potential to reduce the patient's drug requirements. Although consensus on all aspects of such interventions has not yet been reached, the evidence that these approaches may reduce the need for drugs is considered satisfactory."}
{"id": "PMID:1486665", "title": "Use of monoclonal antibodies for rapid diagnosis of respiratory viruses: memorandum from a WHO meeting.", "content": "A monoclonal antibody diagnostic kit (using immunofluorescence) to detect directly viral antigens of respiratory syncytial virus, influenza virus A, influenza virus B, parainfluenza viruses (types 1, 2, and 3), and adenovirus has been developed by WHO. During 1990 and 1991 a total of 16 laboratories in different parts of the world were invited to test the kit in clinical use. This Memorandum summarizes the results obtained as well as the discussions and recommendations made by participants at a WHO Consultation on Global Surveillance of Respiratory Viruses, held in Geneva on 25-27 March 1992."}
{"id": "PMID:1486666", "title": "The magnitude of the global problem of diarrhoeal disease: a ten-year update.", "content": "In order to update global estimates of diarrhoeal morbidity and mortality in developing countries, we carried out a review of articles published from 1980 to the present and calculated median estimates for the incidence of diarrhoea and diarrhoeal mortality among under-5-year-olds. The incidence of diarrhoea obtained (2.6 episodes per child per year) was virtually the same as that estimated by Snyder & Merson in 1982, while the global mortality estimate was lower (3.3 million deaths per year; range, 1.5-5.1 million). The mortality estimate is based on a small number of active surveillance and prospective studies, and thus associated with a large degree of uncertainty, reflecting the weakness of the global database. However, many surveys reporting reductions in mortality in several locations are consistent with a decreased estimate for mortality. More accurate execution of WHO survey methods, including population-based sampling in representative locations, and repeat surveys every 5 years, are needed to monitor the progress of diarrhoeal disease control programmes and trends in diarrhoeal morbidity and mortality over time."}
{"id": "PMID:1486667", "title": "The causal model approach to nutritional problems: an effective tool for research and action at the local level.", "content": "Reported are the results of a case study from Kirotshe rural health district, Northern Kivu, Zaire, where a workshop on the causal model approach to nutrition was organized in 1987. The model has since been used in the field for research design, training of health professionals, nutrition intervention, and community development. The rationale behind this approach is reviewed, the experience accumulated from Kirotshe district is described, and the ways in which the causal model contributes to comprehensive health and nutrition care are discussed. The broad range of possible policy implications of this approach underlines its usefulness for future action."}
{"id": "PMID:1486668", "title": "[Nutritional status of 0-to-59-month-old children in urban and rural areas of Cameroon].", "content": "The nutritional status of preschool-age children (0-59 months) in the Littoral Province of Cameroon was studied in a representative sample of the population of this age group in rural and urban areas, with a total of 2011 children. The nutritional indicators weight-for-height, weight-for-age, and height-for-age were compared with reference data from the United States National Center for Health Statistics. A high prevalence of stunting (15.2% in urban and 21.8% in rural areas, P < 0.0008) was found among the children. The prevalence of wasting was 4.0% in urban and 6.5% in rural areas (P < 0.03). In all age groups, rural children were shorter than urban children with no significant difference between the sexes. The increase in the prevalence of acute malnutrition (8.4%) since the last nutritional survey in 1978 (0.7%), which is probably due to a deterioration in the economic situation in recent years, indicates that urgent measures should be taken to improve the nutritional situation of these children, especially in the villages. The findings of the study could serve as baseline data for the evaluation of the effectiveness of future nutrition programmes."}
{"id": "PMID:1486669", "title": "Tolerance of young infants to a single, large dose of vitamin A: a randomized community trial in Nepal.", "content": "A randomized, double-masked trial was carried out in rural Nepal to investigate the incidence and severity of acute side-effects among neonates ( < 1 month of age) and infants aged 1-6 months who received a large, oral dose of vitamin A (15,000 retinol equivalents (RE) (50,000 IU) and 30,000 RE (100,000 IU), respectively) or placebo (75 RE (250 IU) and 150 RE (500 IU), respectively) in oil. Infants (vitamin A group, n = 1461; controls, n = 1379) were assessed for vomiting, loose stools, fever, and irritability during the 24 hours before and after dosing. Fontanelles were palpated 24 hours after dosing. Neonates exhibited no excess risk of adverse side-effects after receiving 15,000 RE. Compared with controls the older infants who ingested 30,000 RE had a 1.6% excess rate of vomiting (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.2-3.0%) and a 0.5% excess rate (95% CI: -0.1 to 1.1%) in the occurrence of bulging fontanelles. There were no other significant differences in the older infants. The controlled, periodic distribution of a single 15,000 RE dose of vitamin A therefore confers no apparent acute risk to young infants; a 30,000 RE dose is associated with a minimum risk of transient, acute side-effects."}
{"id": "PMID:1486670", "title": "Measles in a west African nomadic community.", "content": "A serological survey was conducted among Tuareg nomads to determine their level of immunity to measles. More than half (57.9%) of the children under 10 years of age did not have detectable antibodies to measles, suggesting that transmission of the disease is low in this mobile population. Mothers' reports of their children's history of measles were accurate (positive predictive value 93.9% for under-5-year-olds). Nomads are a reservoir of susceptible individuals who require immunization strategies adapted to their particular life-styles. These can be implemented at relatively low cost."}
{"id": "PMID:1486671", "title": "Diagnosis of measles by clinical case definition in dengue-endemic areas: implications for measles surveillance and control.", "content": "In many countries, measles surveillance relies heavily on the use of a standard clinical case definition; however, the clinical signs and symptoms of measles are similar to those of dengue. For example, during 1985, in Puerto Rico, 22 (23%) of 94 cases of illnesses with rashes that met the measles clinical case definition were serologically confirmed as measles, but 32 (34%) others were serologically confirmed as dengue. Retrospective analysis at the San Juan Laboratories of the Centers for Disease Control showed also that at least 28% of all laboratory-confirmed cases of dengue in Puerto Rico in 1985 met the measles clinical case definition. If the true measles vaccine efficacy (VE) is assumed to be 90%, the occurrence of laboratory-confirmed dengue cases that meet the measles clinical case definition results in a reduction of the apparent measles VE to only 64% (a 29% relative reduction from the true VE). The results of the study demonstrate the importance of a laboratory-based surveillance system in measles control or elimination efforts in dengue-endemic areas."}
{"id": "PMID:1486672", "title": "An alternative approach to confirming anti-HIV reactivity: a multi-country collaborative study.", "content": "The confirmation of positive screening assay reactions for antibodies to human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (anti-HIV-1) by Western blot is expensive and often gives indeterminate results. We therefore carried out a collaborative study to investigate the confirmation of screening assay reactions using a second screening assay. For this purpose, seven laboratories prospectively tested sequential specimens, using at least one additional screening assay, until about 50 confirmed anti-HIV-1-positive specimens had been identified in each test centre. The reactions of 16 assays were analysed in pairs (assay A and assay B), using assay B on specimens reactive in assay A: A+/B+ reactions were considered positive and A-, negative anti-HIV results. These outcomes were compared with those obtained using confirmatory Western blot. In all, 7950 specimens were tested, and 359 were reported as positive by the laboratories. Within the test centres, eight screening assay pairings gave rise to no false-positive or false-negative results, and these combinations were at least as accurate as a single screening assay followed by Western blot. From 6.3% to 8.3% of the Western blot results were indeterminate. The number of specimens examined was too small to justify recommending for general use named pairs of screening assays; the choice of these would, in any case, depend on local conditions. However, individual laboratory managers may wish to investigate the large potential savings to be made by confirming HIV infection using a second screening assay on initially reactive specimens. If the more sensitive screening assay is used first, the sensitivity of this approach may be improved by further investigation of specimens that react as A+B-."}
{"id": "PMID:1486673", "title": "Cost-benefit analysis of a nationwide inoculation programme against viral hepatitis B in an area of intermediate endemicity.", "content": "The large decrease in the cost of vaccines against hepatitis virus B prompts a re-examination of nationwide vaccination campaign strategies. The present study estimates the costs and benefits that would result from a viral hepatitis B prevention programme (with no prior screening) targeted at all under-16-year-olds in Israel in 1990 and only neonates in the period 1991-2034. Israel is situated in an area of intermediate endemicity, where the majority of HBsAg carriers are anti-HBe positive. Such a policy would reduce the number of cases of viral hepatitis B in the vaccinated cohort from 654,000 to 270,000 over the period 1990-2059, yielding a benefit-to-cost ratio of 1.88: 1 for the health services only. Inclusion also of the indirect benefits of reduced work absences and mortality would increase the benefit-to-cost ratio to 2.77:1. Even when the benefits arising from the reduction in hepatocellular carcinoma and liver transplants were excluded, the benefit-to-cost ratio for the health services alone would still be 1.41:1. The adoption of such a nationwide inoculation policy appears therefore to be not only medically but also economically justifiable."}
{"id": "PMID:1486674", "title": "Long-term efficacy of single-dose mass treatment with diethylcarbamazine citrate against diurnally subperiodic Wuchereria bancrofti: eight years' experience in Samoa.", "content": "A single-dose of diethylcarbamazine citrate (DEC, 6 mg per kg body weight) was administered in three mass treatment campaigns to > 80% of the estimated total Samoan population (160,000) in 1982, 1983, and 1986. The effect of the drug was evaluated before and after each campaign by conducting four blood surveys covering 9600 to 13,700 people from 26-34 villages on each occasion. The drug reduced the prevalence of Wuchereria bancrofti microfilariae from 5.6% to 2.5% (a 55% reduction), while the transmission potential (the estimated mosquito infection rate if everyone is equally exposed to mosquito bites) dropped from 2.18 to 0.67 (a 70% reduction). The total number of microfilariae in the Samoan population is estimated to have been reduced by 80%. A spaced, single-dose treatment with DEC at a 1-2-year interval therefore seems to be an effective control measure against diurnally subperiodic W. bancrofti."}
{"id": "PMID:1486675", "title": "Comparison of combinations of parenteral artemisinin derivatives plus oral mefloquine with intravenous quinine plus oral tetracycline for treating cerebral malaria.", "content": "A total of 141 cases of strictly defined cerebral malaria were studied in a controlled trial of three regimens: (1) intramuscular artemether plus oral mefloquine, (2) intravenous artesunate plus oral mefloquine, and (3) intravenous quinine (with or without an initial loading dose) plus oral tetracycline. The overall mortalities in each group were 14%, 8.3% and 34.3% respectively. The average parasite clearance time was 27.30 +/- 19.62 hours in regimen 1, 41.84 +/- 17.55 hours in regimen 2, and 47.30 +/- 21.95 hours in regimen 3. No recrudescence was observed in regimens 1 and 2, but 12.1% recrudesced in the third."}
{"id": "PMID:1486676", "title": "Prevalence of oral submucous fibrosis in the high natural radiation belt of Kerala, south India.", "content": "Oral submucous fibrosis (OSMF) is a crippling disorder which is confined almost exclusively to the Indian subcontinent. Despite its association with a significantly increased risk of cancer, the etiology is still not clear. An epidemiological assessment showed 0.4% prevalence for OSMF in Kerala, South India, which is among the highest recorded. Recently the National Tumour Registry in Trivandrum reported the highest recorded site-specific incidence rate for oral cancer (ICD 140-145) in this area. The coastal belt of the Trivandrum and Quilon districts of Kerala has a very high natural radioactivity (over 1500 mR (387 microC) per year); about 500 mR (129 microC) per year is considered to be the maximum permissible dose for populations in general. An epidemiological survey in this area and in a comparable population (without exposure to high background radiation) as a control showed that the percentage prevalence of OSMF in the study area was 0.27 and in the control area 0.32. It appears highly improbable that the OSMF in the study area was induced by high background radiation."}
{"id": "PMID:1486677", "title": "Measurement and utilization of healthy life expectancy: conceptual issues.", "content": "The periodic calculation of healthy life expectancies permits the evaluation of the impact of new health policies at a given moment, as well as the assessment of trends under changing health conditions. In spite of their apparent simplicity, the results obtained will have to be interpreted by experts. Useful reference values can be provided by international comparisons. However, several choices remain to be made, such as (i) the types of morbidity and disability data to be associated with mortality data; (ii) the multiple indicators available; (iii) the type of observations to be recorded, i.e., \"abilities\" or \"performances\"; (iv) whether or not the recovery of lost functions should be considered; (v) the mode of computation, i.e., life expectancy before the first morbid event or global healthy life expectancy; and (vi) the determination of thresholds based on either relative or absolute criteria."}
{"id": "PMID:1486678", "title": "A new quantitative assay for glycosaminoglycans.", "content": "A direct dye-binding technique has been developed to measure total glycosaminoglycans in urine. Fifty or 100 microliters of urine was mixed with a solution of Azure A (10 mg/l) and Azure B (10 mg/l) and the resulting decrease in absorbance at 610 nm was measured. The standard curve with chondroitin sulfate C was linear from 1 to 20 micrograms/assay. The normal value for total urinary glycosaminoglycans in adults was 1.8 +/- 0.6 g/mol creatinine. Other normal values were age-dependent. The assay is inexpensive, simple, precise, sensitive and suitable for screening for the mucopolysaccharidoses in pediatric patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1486679", "title": "Adaptation of transferrin protein and glycan synthesis.", "content": "We report the patterns of variability in transferrin structure in pregnancy, iron deficiency anemia, women using oral contraceptives, nonanaemic rheumatoid arthritis, iron deficient rheumatoid arthritis and anemia of the chronic diseases. Changes in microheterogeneity were assessed by crossed immuno isoelectric focusing of serum transferrin. Intra-individual variation in the control group was minimal. Equally, inter-individual variation in controls and groups with established stable disease was very limited. In pregnancy an increase in transferrin concentration was accompanied by redirection of glycan synthesis to the highly sialylated and highly branched glycans, an effect also shown in women using oral contraceptives. Iron deficiency anemia was accompanied by increased protein core synthesis without the large shifts in the microheterogeneity pattern as seen in pregnancy at similar transferrin concentration. In contrast to this, rheumatoid arthritis was accompanied by decreased protein synthesis while the microheterogeneity pattern shifted significantly towards the highly branched glycans. Interpreted in the respective pathophysiological contexts results show that: (1) N-linked glycosylation of transferrin is a strictly controlled process, both in the physiological states and in disease. (2) Microheterogeneity is determined independently from transferrin protein synthetic rate. (3) Provisionally observed changes in the glycosylation can modulate the biological activity of the glycoprotein and as a result redirect internal iron fluxes. This proposition can be applied to altered iron metabolism in both pregnancy, oral contraceptives and rheumatoid arthritis. Changes are not operative in iron deficiency because qualitatively iron metabolism is not altered in this state."}
{"id": "PMID:1486680", "title": "Measurement of glycated albumin by the nitroblue tetrazolium colorimetric method.", "content": "A method has been developed for the measurement of glycated albumin (albumin-fructosamine) by the nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT) colorimetric method. In this method, polyethylene glycol was added to the serum and then the mixture was centrifuged to separate globulin proteins from albumin proteins. This made it possible to measure the glycated albumin in the supernatant by the NBT colorimetric method, without the interference of globulin proteins. This measurement method correlated with the measurement of glycated albumin using boronate affinity chromatography with an r value of 0.942 (P < 0.001). Our method using polyethylene glycol permits easy measurement of albumin fructosamine and is therefore useful as an index of diabetic control and for diabetic screening."}
{"id": "PMID:1486681", "title": "Effects of methylprednisolone and uremia on renal and intestinal calbindin-D in the rat.", "content": "The effects of glucocorticoids on renal and intestinal calcium binding protein (calbindin-D28K and calbindin-D9K) were examined in normal and uremic rats. Chronic uremic rats and normal controls were treated with either methylprednisolone (MP) 1.3 mg/kg/d or isotonic saline given as a continuous intraperitoneal infusion for 1 week before sacrifice. Renal calbindin-D28K was measured by rocket immunoelectrophoresis and intestinal calbindin-D9K was measured by an enzyme-linked immunoadsorbent assay. Methylprednisolone treatment of chronic uremic rats increased plasma phosphate levels (P < 0.05), but plasma calcium and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 were unchanged in all groups. MP treatment did not affect the renal calbindin-D28K in either normal or uremic rats. In normal rats, MP treatment reduced intestinal calbindin-D9K by 28% when compared to placebo (P < 0.05). In contrast, chronic uremia increased renal calbindin-D28K by 51% and 38% (P < 0.001) in placebo and MP treated uremic rats, respectively, while intestinal calbindin-D9K was unchanged. Thus, MP treatment and chronic uremia induced different changes in renal and intestinal calbindin-D of the rat suggesting that different mechanisms are involved in the regulation of these vitamin D dependent proteins."}
{"id": "PMID:1486689", "title": "Parathyroid hormone-related protein: a possible endocrine function in lactation.", "content": "Parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP), initially discovered as the factor responsible for the syndrome of humoral hypercalcaemia of malignancy, has also been found to be expressed in placenta, in pregnant uterus, in the fetus at many locations, and in the lactating mammary gland. This study sought to establish whether PTHrP reaches the maternal circulation when it is expressed in mammary tissue during lactation or in the maternal reproductive tract during gestation. Blood samples were collected from 53 subjects: 18 pregnant women in all stages of gestation, 19 lactating mothers and 16 non-lactating post-partum controls. PTHrP was measured using a specific and validated radioimmunoassay. Parathyroid hormone was measured by two-site immunoradiometric assay. Total calcium was measured by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Circulating levels of PTHrP were readily detectable in 12 of 19 nursing mothers (range 2.7-7.8 pmol/l) but in none of the mothers who were bottle feeding. PTHrP was also detected in one of 18 pregnant subjects. Parathyroid hormone concentrations were lower in lactating mothers (2.3 +/- 1.0 pmol/l), than in non-lactating mothers (3.5 +/- 1.2 pmol/l) (P < 0.01). PTHrP reaches the maternal circulation during lactation in amounts which could produce a systemic effect."}
{"id": "PMID:1486690", "title": "Circulating lipids and minor abnormalities of thyroid function.", "content": "We determined the effect of subclinical hyperthyroidism (defined as low circulating TSH with normal serum free T4) and subclinical hypothyroidism (raised serum TSH with normal free T4) on fasting levels of blood lipids. Prospective study of lipid concentrations in patients identified as having abnormal TSH. Patients were identified in a population screening study of those over 60 years, with persistently low TSH with normal free T4 (n = 27) or high TSH but normal free T4 (n = 57). Patients were matched to controls with normal serum TSH by age, sex and body mass index. Serum TSH, free T4, free T3, total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. Serum free T4 measurements were significantly higher in those with subclinical hyperthyroidism than in their controls (P < 0.001) and lower in those with subclinical hypothyroidism than in matched controls (P < 0.001). Measurement of fasting lipids in patients and controls revealed a marked (12.2%) reduction in serum total cholesterol in subclinical hyperthyroidism (P < 0.01); no significant difference in fasting lipids between patients with subclinical hypothyroidism and controls was observed. Differences in free T4 between those with low or high TSH and controls with normal TSH suggest that abnormalities of TSH directly reflect thyroid hormone excess and deficiency. A reduction in cholesterol in those with subclinical hyperthyroidism suggests a direct influence of thyroid hormone excess on lipid metabolism in these patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1486691", "title": "Thyroid function and thyroid autoimmunity independently modulate serum concentration of soluble interleukin 2 (IL-2) receptor (sIL-2R) in thyroid diseases.", "content": "The serum concentration of soluble interleukin-2 receptor (sIL-2R) is a marker of T-lymphocyte activation. Increased circulating sIL-2R has been reported in untreated Graves' disease. This finding has been interpreted as the consequence of the autoimmune activation, but recent data suggest that sIL-2R is directly correlated to thyroid state. The aim of this study was to elucidate the respective roles of autoimmunity and thyroid function in modulating serum sIL-2R. sIL-2R was evaluated in 20 normal euthyroid subjects and in a large series of patients with autoimmune and non-autoimmune thyroid disorders in different functional state. sIL-2R was assayed by a solid-phase monoclonal antibody assisted ELISA method. Serum sIL-2R in normals was 461 +/- 186 U/ml (mean +/- SD). Increased sIL-2R was found in 61 hyperthyroid patients with Graves' disease (1610 +/- 962 U/ml, P < 0.0001) and in 23 with toxic adenoma (1121 +/- 598 U/ml, P < 0.0001). Restoration of euthyroidism lowered to normal sIL-2R in both groups. Serum sIL-2R was higher in euthyroid Graves' disease patients with active than in those with non-active ophthalmopathy. Decreased serum sIL-2R (228 +/- 93 U/ml, P < 0.0001) was found in 30 patients hypothyroid after total thyroidectomy. Highly variable circulating sIL-2R (range 100-1456 U/ml, mean +/- SD: 379 +/- 301 U/ml) was found in 49 patients with hypothyroid Hashimoto's thyroiditis (P = NS vs normals; P < 0.02 vs post-thyroidectomy hypothyroid patients). Treatment with L-thyroxine increased sIL-2R in all thyroidectomized and in the majority of Hashimoto's thyroiditis patients. In individual Hashimoto's thyroiditis patients (mostly with increased serum sIL-2R), L-thyroxine caused a decrease of circulating sIL-2R, sIL-2R was normal in 29 patients with euthyroid Hashimoto's thyroiditis. Both in Graves' disease and in Hashimoto's thyroiditis, no correlation was found between sIL-2R and anti-thyroglobulin, anti-thyroid peroxidase and anti-thyrotrophin-receptor autoantibodies. Highly significant positive correlation between serum thyroid hormones and sIL-2R was found in all study groups. In thyroid disorders thyroid hormones are the main regulator of serum sIL-2R concentration. The contribution of autoimmune activation may be detected only in some patients with autoimmune hypothyroidism, while in Graves' disease the role of the immune system is masked by the hyperthyroid state."}
{"id": "PMID:1486692", "title": "Failure to find an association of blood group P1 with thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy.", "content": "Genetic factors have been proposed to account for the development of ophthalmopathy in a proportion of patients with Graves' disease. The aim of this study was to confirm the previously reported association between blood group P1 and thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy. A prospective study of sequential Caucasian patients. We studied 169 patients with Graves' disease, 84 of whom had grade 3, 4 or 6 ophthalmopathy and 85 had no eye signs. Blood group P1 was measured by a standard serological technique. The frequency of the P1 blood group was 74.1% in the patients without eye signs and 77.4% in those with ophthalmopathy (chi 2 = 0.25, P > 0.1). By Woolf's method there was no significant difference in the test for heterogeneity of estimates between the present and the previously reported series of Graves' patients. Combining the results (n = 279), the pooled relative risk for ophthalmopathy with blood group P1 did not differ significantly from 1.0 (chi 2 = 2.33, P > 0.1). The presence of blood group P1 in patients with Graves' disease does not appear to be associated with an increased risk of developing thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy."}
{"id": "PMID:1486693", "title": "Body composition and bone mass in post-menopausal women.", "content": "We aimed to assess total body composition and to study the interrelationships between fat and lean tissue mass with total and regional bone mass in healthy British post-menopausal women. Total body composition and regional bone mass were measured in 97 healthy post-menopausal women recruited from the general community. The mean age was 57.9 years, range 49-65. Total body composition (fat, lean tissue and bone mineral) and regional bone density in the lumbar spine and femur were measured by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry on a Lunar DPX. Significant negative correlations with age were found for total body bone mineral density (r = -0.200, P = 0.049), and lumbar spine bone mineral density (r = -0.28, P = 0.006); the calculated rate of bone loss from these two sites was 0.33 and 0.7% per annum respectively. Fat tissue mass showed a positive correlation with age (r = 0.22, P = 0.03). High correlations were observed between total body and regional bone mineral density (r = 0.755-0.829, P < 0.001). After adjustment for age and lean mass, statistically significant correlations were seen between fat tissue mass and all bone mass measurements (P < 0.01-0.001), the strongest correlations being found for total body bone mineral content and density (r = 0.477 and 0.488 respectively). Lean tissue mass showed a strong correlation with total body bone mineral content (r = 0.580, P < 0.001), after adjustment for age and fat mass; it was less strongly correlated with other bone mass measurements than fat mass, showing only weak correlations with total body, trochanteric and lumbar spine bone mineral density (r = 0.228-0.246, P < 0.05). Age-adjusted body weight showed stronger correlations with total and regional bone mass than did either body mass index or height. Both fat and lean tissue mass are related to total and regional bone mass in post-menopausal women, the relationship being strongest for fat mass. Body weight shows stronger correlations with bone mass than either height or body mass index. In view of the direction and magnitude of changes in fat, lean tissue and bone mineral after the menopause, adiposity and muscularity are more likely to be determinants of peak bone mass than of the rate of post-menopausal bone loss."}
{"id": "PMID:1486694", "title": "Correlation between ovarian steroids and lipid fractions in relation to age in premenopausal women.", "content": "We evaluated the effect of sex steroids on the lipid fractions (cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL-C, HLD-C and subfractions HDL2-C and HDL3-C) and on the apolipoproteins (A-1 and B) in relation to age in women. Twenty-eight normally cycling women belonging to three age groups (20-29, n = 11; 30-39, n = 10; 40-49, n = 7) had blood samples taken daily during one cycle. Serum lipid fractions, apolipoproteins (Apo) and ovarian steroids were measured daily during the menstrual cycle. Diet and exercise were also evaluated. Each age group had comparable profiles for daily serum concentrations of oestradiol, progesterone and testosterone. There were no significant variations of the lipid fractions or of the ApoA-I and ApoB during the menstrual cycle in each group. Using regression analysis, modifications of cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL-C and ApoB were partially but significantly correlated with age. These changes occurred in spite of similar serum concentrations of oestradiol, progesterone and testosterone in the three groups. Lipid fractions were also affected by the increase of body mass index with age, especially HDL-C and HDL2C. However, there were no differences in lipid and energy intake or in energy expenditure during physical leisure activities. These results indicate that physiological fluctuations of ovarian steroids have no effects on lipids and Apo in normally cycling women of increasing age. In this study, the age related changes in the lipid fractions were partially correlated with body mass index but not with energy intake or exercise."}
{"id": "PMID:1486695", "title": "The significance of a single serum LH measurement in women with cycle disturbances: discrepancies between immunoreactive and bioactive hormone estimates.", "content": "We evaluated the significance of single serum LH estimates (as assessed by radiometric assay (IRMA) and Leydig cell in-vitro bioassay (BIO)) for the diagnosis of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) in women with infertility and cycle abnormalities. Hormonal and clinical comparisons between subgroups were made based on classification according to (a) rigid clinical and endocrine (excluding LH) characteristics of PCOS, (b) elevated IRMA-LH concentrations, (c) BIO-LH levels. In addition, androgen modulation of LH biopotency was studied in these patients. Ninety-nine women presenting at our infertility Unit with oligo/amenorrhoea. Of the total study group, 35 women were diagnosed positive as PCOS and 42 showed elevated IRMA-LH levels. Only 51% (n = 18) of PCOS patients showed elevated IRMA-LH levels, and in PCOS significantly higher levels of BIO-LH, androstenedione, oestrone, and BIO/IRMA-LH ratios were found as compared to non-PCOS patients. In the group with elevated IRMA-LH only 43% (n = 18) of subjects were diagnosed as PCOS, and no difference in BIO/IRMA-LH ratios was found. With increasing BIO-LH levels the probability of PCOS rises sharply (P < 0.001), whereas this probability is of only marginal significance (P < 0.06) for IRMA-LH. In the total study group a correlation is observed between serum testosterone (T) levels and IRMA-LH (r = 0.47), and BIO-LH (r = 0.51) concentrations. This correlation is absent comparing serum T and BIO/IRMA-LH ratios (r = 0.15). Results presented in this study indicate that (1) women with infertility and oligo/amenorrhoea classified based on signs of PCOS or IRMA-LH levels, exhibit different clinical and endocrine characteristics, (2) only 51% of PCOS women exhibit elevated IRMA-LH concentrations, and only 43% of women with elevated IRMA-LH were diagnosed as PCOS, (3) IRMA-LH levels are a poor predictor of PCOS, whereas the predictive value of BIO-LH is better, (4) elevated BIO/IRMA-LH ratios in PCOS are dependent on alterations in BIO-LH, rather than IRMA-LH concentrations, and (5) no correlation was observed between serum T levels and BIO/IRMA-LH ratios."}
{"id": "PMID:1486696", "title": "Comparison of measures of body composition in a trial of low dose growth hormone replacement therapy.", "content": "We assessed the effects of the administration of low dose growth hormone in growth hormone deficient adults on body composition and physical performance. We compared the validity of different measures of body composition in GH treated adults. An uncontrolled longitudinal study of eight patients with GH deficiency who were treated with 4 units of biosynthetic growth hormone (Norditropin), three times a week. Subjects were studied for 8 weeks. Eight patients with acquired growth hormone deficiency as defined by < 5 mU/l GH following standard provocative investigations in whom other hormone replacement was optimized. IGF-I was measured on day 1 and after 4 and 8 weeks of treatment with recombinant human growth hormone. Body composition was estimated by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry, bioelectrical impedance, skinfold anthropometry, total body potassium measurement and by computerized tomography of a representative cross-sectional area of thigh on day 1 and following 8 weeks of treatment. Exercise capacity was measured on an electromechanical bicycle and palmar grip strength was measured using a Jamar dynamometer on day 1 and after 8 weeks. IGF-I increased significantly. Exercise capacity and maximum heart rate achieved on the electromechanical bicycle increased significantly. Grip strength did not change. There was a significant increase in fat-free mass and a decline in fat mass as shown by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry and bioelectrical impedance. However, this was not confirmed by other methods. No side-effects were noted. This study shows that a low dose of biosynthetic growth hormone can elevate IGF-I levels and have a pronounced physical impact in the growth hormone deficient adult without the side-effects seen at higher dosage schedules. Over a 2 month period the increase in fat-free mass may be due to an increase in total body water; however, the decline in fat mass is a genuine effect."}
{"id": "PMID:1486697", "title": "Painful thyroid gland: an atypical presentation of Graves' disease.", "content": "An adolescent with Graves' disease presented with acute painful swelling of the thyroid gland and overlying erythema simulating acute suppurative or subacute thyroiditis. She had an elevated radioactive iodine uptake, thyroid stimulating antibodies, thyrotrophin binding inhibiting immunoglobulins, and a normal sedimentation rate and leucocyte count. The course of the thyrotoxicosis and painful thyroid was protracted, and the pain and tenderness of the thyroid recurred on two subsequent relapses."}
{"id": "PMID:1486698", "title": "A new polymorphism in exon 11 of the LDL receptor gene in healthy people and in familial hypercholesterolemia subjects.", "content": "We have screened exon 11 of the low density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) gene from familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) heterozygotes for point mutations by using analysis of single strand conformation polymorphisms (SSCP). A variant pattern was observed in three out of 39 subjects. By DNA sequencing, this variant pattern was found to be due to a C-->T transition at nucleotide 1617 that affects the third base of codon 518. A PCR method was developed to screen FH heterozygotes and normal subjects for this mutation. The gene frequencies in FH heterozygotes and normal subjects were 4% and 4.5%, respectively. Thus, the mutation cannot be in linkage disequilibrium with a mutation that causes FH. Rather, the mutation may be a useful genetic marker at the LDLR locus. Haplotype analysis at the LDLR locus in two FH families where the proband possessed the mutation revealed that the mutation was on two different haplotypes. This finding is consistent with the mutation occurring at a mutational hot spot."}
{"id": "PMID:1486699", "title": "Deletion of 15q12 in Angelman syndrome: report of 3 new cases.", "content": "Deletion of 15q12 has been reported in patients with Angelman syndrome (AS). We report chromosome studies showing del(15q12) in three new cases, diagnosed as having AS. We were also able to determine, through heteromorphism studies, that the origin of the deleted chromosome in all three probands is maternal. This is a consistent finding in previously reported cases of AS."}
{"id": "PMID:1486700", "title": "Fertility in myotonic dystrophy in Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean: a historical perspective.", "content": "Myotonic dystrophy (MD) is an autosomal dominant disorder that has a high prevalence in Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean. A case-control study, based on a population register, of 373 MD patients who married in this region between 1855 and 1971 was conducted to determine whether their fertility was affected by the disorder. Six demographic parameters, that is the number of children, the age at marriage, the ages at the time of birth of the first and the last child, the interval between the marriage and the birth of the first child, and the interval between consecutive births, were analyzed. The mean number of children born to MD and control individuals was not different (P > 0.05). However, MD males had more children than MD females although they have started delaying their marriage since 1921. Fertility fell significantly in both the MD and control groups during the period of observation. This change reflects the decline in fertility of French Canadians in general during this period, but mainly after 1940."}
{"id": "PMID:1486701", "title": "The Dyggve-Melchior-Clausen syndrome in Indian siblings.", "content": "The clinical and radiographic features of a brother and sister with the Dyggve-Melchior-Clausen syndrome are presented. These features differentiate this syndrome from other bone dysplasias causing short trunk dwarfism. In addition to the vertebral, pelvic and proximal limb defects typical of this syndrome, both these patients have more severe distal limb involvement than has been described previously. Their parents are first cousins and have four other unaffected children, which supports an autosomal recessive mode of inheritance for this syndrome. The ancestors of this kindred emigrated to South Africa from India in the 19th century."}
{"id": "PMID:1486702", "title": "De novo interstitial deletion 16(q12.1q13) of paternal origin in a 10-year-old boy.", "content": "A 10-year-old boy with a de novo del(16)(q12.1q13) and many features of the deletion 16q phenotype is described. The deletion occurred in a paternal chromosome as demonstrated by DNA studies with polymorphic (AC)n microsatellite repeat markers. Comparison with published cases suggests that deletion of either of two regions (q13 and q22.1) on the long arm of chromosome 16 is associated with an apparently identical phenotype. No parental imprinting of this region was demonstrated."}
{"id": "PMID:1486703", "title": "Deletion delta F508 and clinical expression of cystic fibrosis-related liver disease.", "content": "A study of liver function in 108 adult cystic fibrosis patients showed that 20 had established liver disease, and that these had significantly better pulmonary function than the subgroup without liver disease. The relative risk of liver disease for homozygotes vs heterozygotes was 2:1 in our series. Four of the liver patients had a sibling with CF, but three of the sibships were discordant for liver disease. Environmental or genetic factors other than the deletion Delta F508 may influence the development of cystic fibrosis-related liver disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1486704", "title": "Is the prevalence of atopic dermatitis increasing?", "content": "Several studies have suggested that the prevalence of atopic dermatitis has increased over the last three decades, and similar trends have been reported with asthma and hay fever. However, in common with other 'allergic' disease, the definition and measurement of atopic dermatitis in populations has been fraught with problems and has led to difficulties in separating any real changes in disease prevalence from secular changes in diagnosis. In this article, the evidence surrounding the claims of an increased prevalence of atopic dermatitis is examined, and possible reasons for such a change are suggested."}
{"id": "PMID:1486705", "title": "Once-weekly oral doses of fluconazole 150 mg in the treatment of tinea corporis/cruris and cutaneous candidiasis.", "content": "Ninety-five adult out-patients with tinea corporis and/or tinea cruris participated in a multicentre open non-comparative study investigating the safety and efficacy of 1-4 once-weekly doses of oral fluconazole 150 mg. Trichophyton rubrum was isolated most frequently (67 of 86 mycologically evaluable patients). A mean of 2.6 doses of fluconazole was administered; patients infected with Candida albicans or Epidermophyton floccosum required an average of 2 doses compared to 3-4 doses in patients infected with other organisms. Clinical cure was obtained in 85 of 92 (92%) patients at the last post-treatment evaluation, with the remaining seven patients being substantially improved. At long-term follow-up, 28-30 days after the last dose, 80 of 91 (88%) patients were assessed as clinically cured, three (3%) patients were improved and eight (9%) patients failed. Among the long-term clinical failures, there was one diagnosis of tinea corporis (3% failure rate) and seven diagnoses of tinea cruris (12% failure rate). Mycological evidence of infection occurred in only 1 of 86 patients assessed at the last post-treatment follow-up. Mycological relapse occurred in nine (11%) patients at long-term follow-up; one patient was infected with Trichophyton mentagrophytes and eight patients were infected with T. rubrum. Relapse occurred in 2 of 29 (7%) patients with tinea corporis and eight of 57 (14%) patients with tinea cruris (one patient who relapsed had both tinea corporis and cruris). There was no correlation between the number of doses received and the mycological response or relapse rates at long-term follow-up.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1486706", "title": "Once-weekly oral doses of fluconazole 150 mg in the treatment of tinea pedis.", "content": "Seventy adult out-patients with tinea pedis participated in a multicentre open non-comparative study of the safety and efficacy of once-weekly doses of oral fluconazole 150 mg. A mean of 3 doses of fluconazole was administered; patients infected with Candida required an average of 2 doses compared to 3-4 doses in patients infected with other organisms. Clinical cure was obtained in 45 of 61 (74%) evaluable patients at the last post-treatment evaluation, with 15 patients being substantially improved and one patient failing clinically. At long-term follow-up, 28-30 days after the last dose was administered, 46 of 60 (77%) patients were clinically cured, 13 (22%) patients were improved and one patient failed. Trichophyton rubrum was isolated most frequently (47 of 60 mycologically evaluable patients). Mycological evidence of infection was eradicated from 52 of 60 (87%) patients post-treatment. At the long-term follow-up, infection was eradicated from 46 of 59 (78%) patients, persisted in five (8%) patients and relapsed in eight (14%) patients, six of whom were infected with T. rubrum and two of whom were infected with both T. rubrum and Candida. The number of doses received did not correlate with either the mycological response or relapse rates at long-term follow-up. The subgroup of 16 patients with infection of the sole of the foot, which is often considered to be more difficult to eradicate, responded similarly. Only 5 of 70 (7%) fluconazole-treated patients reported adverse effects, which were mild to moderate in severity, transient and did not result in discontinuation of therapy.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1486707", "title": "An epidemiological profile of in-patient workload in dermatology.", "content": "Trends in admission rates, patterns of readmission, lengths of stay and clinical caseload for in-patient dermatology from 1976 to 1985 are described using data from the Oxford record-linkage study. Age-specific admission rates were considerably higher in people aged 50 years and over than in younger people. Admission rates declined over time in most age-sex groups below the age of 70 years, but increased over time for the over 70s. In dermatology, unlike most other specialties, the length of patients' stay did not decrease substantially over the 10 years. In-patient workload consisted predominantly of leg ulcers, psoriasis, and eczema. This did not change appreciably over time. New out-patients at dermatology clinics rose by 41% from 1976 to 1985, and all out-patient visits rose by 20% during the 10-year period. Because the profile of in-patient workload changed relatively little over time, we speculate that the impact of innovations in dermatological practice has been much greater in the ambulatory setting than in the management of those patients requiring prolonged in-patient care. Future routine measures of workload in dermatology should include demographic and clinical data on out-patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1486708", "title": "The anchoring strengths of various chest hair root types.", "content": "The force required to epilate single chest hairs was measured electronically during a slow (0.09 m/s) machine-driven extraction. Telogen hairs showed a mean anchoring strength of 70 g (s.d. = 16). Anagen hairs, with variable amounts of surrounding root sheaths, had a mean of 71 g (s.d. = 10) whereas bare anagen hairs had a mean of 66 g (s.d. = 13). The catagen phase had a mean of 62 g (s.d. = 8). It is highly likely that the anchoring mechanisms of anagen and telogen roots are as different physiologically as these roots are different anatomically yet both are sufficiently strong to resist the ordinary tractions and pullings to which hair is subject."}
{"id": "PMID:1486709", "title": "Cholesterol embolism to the skin.", "content": "The clinical features of a patient with cholesterol embolism are presented. Histopathological examination showed the typical clefts of cholesterol in the skin and renal vessels. We believe this entity is under-reported in the dermatological literature."}
{"id": "PMID:1486710", "title": "Role of sulphydryl-containing agents in the management of venous (varicose) ulceration. A new approach.", "content": "This randomized double-blind controlled study examined whether sulphydryl-containing agents influence the healing of venous ulceration occurring for the first time on the medial side of the leg. Graduated compression bandaging, which exerted a mean ankle pressure of 40.6 +/- 0.4 mmHg, and a mean below-knee pressure of 17.1 +/- 0.2 mmHg, healed 70% of ulcers within 12 weeks (n = 46). The addition of the sulphydryl-containing agents DL-cysteine (n = 46) or DL-methionine-methyl sulphonium chloride (n = 45) to the compression bandaging (daily application of the powder for 7 days, followed by once weekly applications until the end of the study 3 months later) significantly (P < 0.01) stimulated healing of venous ulceration relative to control values when studied 4, 8 and 12 weeks after commencing treatment. After 3 months of treatment, both sulphydryl-containing compounds healed 93% of the ulcers. The results show that sulphydryls stimulate healing of venous ulceration."}
{"id": "PMID:1486711", "title": "Diagnosis of lichen planus pemphigoides in the absence of bullae on normal-appearing skin.", "content": "A case of lichen planus pemphigoides is described in which bullae and erosions affected the areas of lichen planus only. The diagnosis was confirmed by the finding of linear C3 and IgG deposition in the basement membrane zone (BMZ) of perilesional skin. Indirect immunofluorescence revealed circulating IgG anti-BMZ antibodies and a lamina lucida split was demonstrated by electron microscopy. This case challenges the clinical dogma that the occurrence of bullae on normal-appearing skin is essential for the diagnosis of lichen planus pemphigoides."}
{"id": "PMID:1486712", "title": "Pyoderma gangrenosum--response to topical nitrogen mustard.", "content": "We report a 69-year-old caucasian male patient with long-standing pyoderma gangrenosum; the lesions preceded the appearance of an IgA monoclonal gammopathy by 2 years. A number of systemic treatments, including high dose steroids and immunosuppressive agents, were poorly tolerated and resulted in serious side-effects. The skin and haematological conditions, however, were kept under control for 2 years with regular plasmapheresis. Pyoderma gangrenosum recurred as vascular access became exhausted but new lesions healed completely with topical application of 20% nitrogen mustard."}
{"id": "PMID:1486713", "title": "Bilateral external chalazia presenting as granulomas of the lower eyelids.", "content": "A 2-year-old oriental boy with bilateral symmetrical external chalazia is described. The diagnosis of this very unusual clinical picture became apparent only after histological examination and consultation with an eyelid specialist."}
{"id": "PMID:1486714", "title": "Pemphigoid gestationis--response to chemical oophorectomy with goserelin.", "content": "A 46-year-old caucasian female presented in January 1991 with a 17-year history of severe pemphigoid gestationis. She had been on systemic steroids for 10 years since her last pregnancy in 1981 and required doses of 20-80 mg prednisolone daily to control her disease. A chemical oophorectomy was induced using a new luteinizing hormone releasing hormone (LHRH) analogue known as goserelin. A complete remission occurred within 6 months of initiating this treatment and the systemic steroids were discontinued."}
{"id": "PMID:1486715", "title": "Sarcoidosis presenting with a granulomatous reaction confined to red tattoos.", "content": "A patient with sarcoidosis who presented with a granulomatous tattoo reaction is described. Although tattoo granulomata usually represent a local hypersensitivity reaction to tattoo pigments, they can be a manifestation of systemic sarcoidosis. In this case the lesions were confined to the red areas of tattoos suggesting that tattoo sarcoid may be more than just an example of the Koebner response."}
{"id": "PMID:1486716", "title": "Widespread dermatophytosis due to Microsporum (Trichophyton) gallinae in a patient with AIDS--a case report from Spain.", "content": "We report the case of a 25-year-old, HIV-positive patient (group IV, A, C2 clinical stage) with a widespread dermatophyte infection. He was a male gypsy with a known history of intravenous drug abuse. After an episode of cerebral toxoplasmosis for which he was treated with systemic steroids (because of cerebral oedema) he developed, over 16 days, a remarkably extensive ringworm of the trunk due to an unusual zoophilic dermatophyte, Microsporum (Trichophyton) gallinae. Human infection with this dermatophyte species is unusual: there are as few as seven proven reported cases, all of whom had localized lesions. This is the first widespread and severe case reported in man and also the first reported from Spain."}
{"id": "PMID:1486717", "title": "Unilateral subungual hyperkeratosis following a cerebrovascular incident in a patient with psoriasis.", "content": "The prevalence of nail abnormalities in psoriasis is reported to be between 50 and 90% of affected adults. These include pitting, nail discoloration, onycholysis and subungual hyperkeratosis. Although nail changes may be associated with neurological disease, there are no previous reports of psoriatic nail changes following cerebrovascular events. We report the first case to our knowledge of unilateral subungual hyperkeratosis in a psoriatic patient which developed following a cerebrovascular event."}
{"id": "PMID:1486718", "title": "Toxic epidermal necrolysis localized to an area of lymphoedema.", "content": "We present a man who, on two occasions, developed toxic epidermal necrolysis initially localized to an area of lymphoedema. To our knowledge, lymphoedema as a site of prediliction has not previously been reported."}
{"id": "PMID:1486719", "title": "Acquired tufted angioma associated with pregnancy.", "content": "Acquired tufted angioma is a distinctive condition that is different from other types of acquired vascular proliferation. Despite the progressive spread of these angiomas, they appear to be benign, and malignant change has not been encountered. We describe a case of recurrent acquired tufted angioma associated with pregnancy, an association which has not been previously recorded."}
{"id": "PMID:1486720", "title": "Pyoderma faciale in a patient with Crohn's disease.", "content": "We wish to report the progress of a patient with pyoderma faciale and Crohn's disease. The patient is interesting in that on two occasions the relapse in her skin condition coincided with the introduction of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Therapy with isotretinoin was effective and well tolerated."}
{"id": "PMID:1486721", "title": "Distal phalangeal metastasis of a chondrosarcoma presenting initially as bilateral onycholysis.", "content": "Onycholysis is the detachment of a nail plate from its distolateral attachments. There are numerous aetiologies: congenital, traumatic, microbial, toxic, dermatological, systemic and benign or malignant tumours. We report a case with onycholysis of the ring-fingers of both hands whose symmetrical and bilateral characteristics temporarily confused the diagnosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1486725", "title": "Accuracy and analysis of ambulatory blood pressure monitoring data.", "content": "Two devices used to record blood pressure, the ambulatory blood pressure monitoring recorder and standard stethoscope and mercury column, were tested for accuracy against the direct intra-arterial blood pressure of patients at rest and during exercise. Recorders were found to be as accurate as mercury column measurement in patients at rest. A number of assessment techniques of ambulatory data are reviewed, including: calculation of mean or median pressures, assessment of blood pressure load, and integration of the area under the blood pressure curve over time. These have been applied during the daytime and nighttime hours. Blood pressure load and area under the blood pressure curve, using different threshold criteria for nighttime and daytime, are recommended because of their potentially closer relation to target-organ disease of hypertension than are office blood pressure readings."}
{"id": "PMID:1486726", "title": "Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring: a new window to decision-making in hypertension.", "content": "Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring is more physiologically valid and more reliable than office or clinic blood pressure measurement, since it provides a realtime quantitative record of the 24-h diurnal blood pressure cycle rather than a random snapshot. Its chief clinical value is the provision of accurate baselines and in making possible the individualization of patient care. It can correctly characterize episodic elevations of blood pressure and detect true as opposed to borderline hypertension. Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring may be a better predictor of target-organ damage than office blood pressure measurements."}
{"id": "PMID:1486727", "title": "Future uses of ambulatory blood pressure monitoring: implications for therapy.", "content": "Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring can play a significant role in evaluating the effects of treatment on the circadian cardiovascular pattern of patients with ischemic heart disease and/or congestive heart disease. In ischemic heart disease, drug therapy should be designed to reduce heart rate and blood pressure throughout the 24-hour cycle, including the early morning surge. Beta-blocking agents appear to accomplish these reductions. In congestive heart failure, some patients maintain their circadian variation while others do not, leaving them without the normal period of cardiac rest during the nighttime hours. Therapy should be designed to reduce this cardiac overload, and vasodilating agents appear to accomplish this. Ambulatory monitoring is especially useful in monitoring the effectiveness of drug interventions throughout the 24-hour cycle."}
{"id": "PMID:1486728", "title": "Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring: an historical perspective.", "content": "Since blood pressure was first measured more than 250 years ago, it has been assumed to be a fluctuating phenomenon, but always it has been determined by static measurements in the physician's office. In the 1940s, self-measurement at home was attempted, and two decades later the first ambulatory blood pressure recording devices were developed. These have since been improved, made more convenient, rendered automatic, and are now available for 24-h measurement during a patient's normal day. It is now increasingly recognized that such measurement is more physiologically valid and more accurate in diagnosing hypertension than clinic measurement. In addition, such monitoring may have special utility in assessing response to treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1486729", "title": "The role of ambulatory blood pressure monitoring in research.", "content": "Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring has a significant research role. It documents normal daily blood pressure variations and provides data regarding the relationship between essential hypertension and the circadian cycle. It permits comparisons between normotensive and hypertensive individuals, racial groups, males and females, differing age groups, and various clinical categories. It may be a better predictor of hypertension-associated end-organ changes than clinic or office measurement. It allows quantitative analysis of the high blood pressure load over time. Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring can distinguish between borderline and true hypertension, can evaluate episodic hypertension, and can assess the effectiveness of antihypertensive drug therapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1486734", "title": "High resolution computed tomography in systemic sclerosis. Real diagnostic utilities in the assessment of pulmonary involvement and comparison with other modalities of lung investigation.", "content": "The real utility of high resolution computed tomography (HRCT) for early detection of lung involvement was investigated in eighteen patients affected with systemic sclerosis (SSc). The results obtained from HRCT have been compared with traditional (chest radiographs, pulmonary function tests (PFT)) and nontraditional (ventilation and perfusion scintiscan) modalities of lung investigation. A significant statistical correlation (p < 0.001) between HRCT scans and chest radiographs was observed. Moreover, HRCT was more sensitive in the detection of early pulmonary interstitial involvement and more accurate in the assessment of interstitial fibrosis in cases with severe lung involvement. A statistical correlation (P < 0.001) between HRCT and the modalities of investigation of alveolo-capillary membrane--as PFT and ventilation scintiscan--was also observed. These results indicate that in SSc HRCT may be a useful technique for assessing early pulmonary involvement and for complementing other methodologies of investigation of lung function."}
{"id": "PMID:1486735", "title": "Metacarpal bone mass in systemic lupus erythematosus.", "content": "We report the prevalence of metacarpal cortical thinning in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Fifty-eight ambulant female patients attending a lupus clinic (mean age 32.4 years), were found to have significant thinning of metacarpal cortices (p < 0.05) when compared with 63 normal females (mean age 34.1 years). However, metacarpal bone mass was within the normal range. Measurements were made at 6 metacarpals of the 2 hands using a computer-aided technique (digitized radiogrammetry). Femoral cortical width and Singh index at the left femur, as well as the vertebral index at L3 were also recorded. The trabecular indices were in the range of normality, but the SLE group had more patients in the immediately pre-osteopenic range. Metacarpal bone loss was not related to disease duration or corticosteroid therapy. The prevalence of osteopenia in SLE is probably underestimated and the pathogenesis is likely to be multifactorial."}
{"id": "PMID:1486736", "title": "Systemic sclerosis in the elderly.", "content": "In our study, the characteristics of 114 patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) are discussed with emphasis on the subgroup of cases whose onset of disease occurred above the age of 60 years. Seven out of the 9 cases showed symptoms of diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis with an extensive skin involvement, and 5 of these cases died within 2 years following the onset of SSc. Seven of the 9 cases showed a rapid disease course with symptoms of cardiac, pulmonary and/or renal involvement, while no secondary Sj\u00f6gren's syndrome, subcutaneous calcinosis and myositis were demonstrated among these patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1486737", "title": "Radiographic osteoarthritis in the elderly. A cohort comparison and a longitudinal study of the \"70-year old people in G\u00f6teborg\".", "content": "The prevalence of radiographic osteoarthritis in hand and knee joints was studied in representative subsamples of the 75 and 79 year old population of G\u00f6teborg, Sweden. A comparison between two cohorts of 79-year-olds, revealed no significant difference between them. A longitudinal study within one of these cohorts including those aged between 75 and 79 showed a modest but not statistically significant progression of osteoarthritis in hand and knee joints. The results suggest a reduced progression of osteoarthritis after 75 years of age."}
{"id": "PMID:1486738", "title": "Prevention of post-menopausal bone loss with 1 alpha-hydroxy vitamin D3. A three-year prospective study.", "content": "An open and controlled prospective study was used to assess the preventive efficiency of 1 alpha-hydroxy vitamin D3 (1 alpha (OH) Vit. D3) on post-menopausal vertebral bone loss. Of the 36 patients included in the study, 25 completed two years of treatment with 1 microgram/day of 1 alpha (OH) Vit. D3 and 500 mg of calcium. The vertebral bone mineral density measured by dual photon absorptiometry did not vary in the treated group, whereas it decreased significantly in the control group at the end of the 2 years. At two years, withdrawal of treatment led to a significant bone loss, whereas bone mass remained stable in a subgroup of patients who underwent a third year of treatment with 1 alpha (OH) Vit. D3. Overall, tolerance was satisfactory. However, urinary calcium increased significantly during treatment and one third of the patients developed hypercalciuria > or = 7.5 mmoles/24 h. No variation in either serum calcium or creatinine levels was noted. These results indicate that 1 alpha (OH) Vit. D3 could be useful in preventing post-menopausal bone loss provided it was complemented by regular monitoring of urinary calcium excretion."}
{"id": "PMID:1486739", "title": "Renal excretion of urate by hyperuricaemic-hyperlipidemic patients.", "content": "We studied the renal urate excretory function in two groups of hyperuricaemic male patients composed of individuals with associated hyperlipidemia and hyperuricaemic-normolipidemic individuals, respectively. Both the hyperlipidemia and the hyperuricaemia were primary inasmuch as none of the patients studied was obese or had an above-normal alcohol intake or blood hypertension. The results obtained show that hyperuricaemic-hyperlipidemic patients have higher serum levels of uric acid and poorer urate excretion as reflected in smaller clearance and fractioned excretion of the metabolite than hyperuricaemic-normolipidemic patients. This, in turn, suggests the occurrence of differences in the extent of the urate handling anomalies between the two groups of patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1486740", "title": "Serum N terminal procollagen III fragment: a predictive marker of joint destruction in rheumatoid arthritis?", "content": "The level of the N terminal fragment of procollagen III (P3NP) levels of 100 consecutive patients affected by rheumatoid arthritis (RA) were evaluated in comparison with disease activity markers (erythrocytes sedimentation rate, C reactive protein), immunological status (rheumatoid factors, immune complexes) and joint destruction (assessed according to the Steinbrocker index). P3NP levels showed no significant relationship either to disease activity or to immunological status; however, a strong association was fond between X-ray grade and P3NP values. A two-year retrospective study of 32 patients belonging to the original 100 patient population allowed us to assign a predictive value for joint destruction to the P3NP level in the early stage of the disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1486741", "title": "Is pelvic bone mineral content assessed through dual energy X-ray absorptiometry an appropriate anatomical area for bone mass estimation in women?", "content": "Bibliographic references seem very controversial regarding the most appropriate anatomical area for bone mass estimation. Since some overlapping in the different bone mass measurements among normal and osteoporotic females has been observed, we have studied the bone mineral content of the pelvic bone through DEXA, and have correlated it with the total body bone mineral content, a highly discriminating measure, in order to observe whether pelvic bone mineral may be a useful measure in bone mass assessment. Pelvic and total body bone mineral values did not decrease until menopause in 104 normal premenopausal females aged 20 to 49 years. On the other hand, these values decreased in normal postmenopausal women (n = 44) aged 50 to 65 years (p < 0.001), with a 16% pelvic bone mineral content and an 11% total body bone mineral content decrease. Osteoporotic females (n = 30), showed lower values for both levels than normal postmenopausal ones (p < 0.001), with a 54% pelvic and a 24% total decrease. A 15% overlap was observed when pelvic values between normal postmenopausal and osteoporotic females were compared. The greater percentage decrease in pelvic BMC compared to total body bone mineral content and the lower overlap observed suggest that the pelvis may be an ideal anatomical area for bone mass evaluations."}
{"id": "PMID:1486742", "title": "The pattern of rheumatic disorders seen amongst patients attending urban and rural clinics in west Africa.", "content": "There is a growing interest in the study of the pattern of rheumatic disorders in Africa. This has led to our studying the pattern of rheumatic disorders seen among patients attending both urban and rural clinics in West Africa. A wide spectrum of rheumatic diseases was observed among those attending both clinics. Osteoarthritis and soft tissue lesions were most commonly seen while inflammatory joint disease and connective tissue disorders were less commonly observed. We consider that these observations have significant rheumatological health care implications for West Africa and may provide useful aetiopathogenic clues."}
{"id": "PMID:1486743", "title": "Adult onset Still's disease: clinical features and course.", "content": "Fifteen patients with adult onset Still's disease are described, all diagnosed according to recognized criteria. Mean delay in reaching a firm diagnosis was 16 months. Besides the typical clinical picture, there was a high frequency of pruriginous rash, one instance of overlapping polymyositis and recurrent systemic manifestations in most cases. Chronic polyarticular involvement predominated, with radiological progression particularly in wrist, proximal interphalangeal and hip joints. However, functional prognosis at the end of a mean 4.8-year course was satisfactory, as also the response to treatment mainly with steroid drugs and, on occasion, with remitting agents to alleviate arthritis."}
{"id": "PMID:1486744", "title": "The diagnostic value of salivary fluid levels of beta 2-microglobulin, lysozyme and lactoferrin for primary Sj\u00f6gren's syndrome.", "content": "In search of a simple non-invasive diagnostic test for primary Sj\u00f6gren's syndrome (SS) the concentration of beta 2-microglobulin (beta 2-m), lysozyme (LZM) and lactoferrin (Lf) was measured in stimulated parotid saliva of 39 patients with primary SS, 42 patients suspected of the syndrome in whom the diagnosis could be excluded (NON-SS) and in 41 normal control individuals. Salivary fluid levels of beta 2-m, LZM and Lf exceeding the mean + 2 x standard deviation of healthy control values were found in respectively 58%, 23%, and 26% of the primary SS patients and in 7%, 11% and 0% of the NON-SS patients. The results of this study indicate that due to the low sensitivity the tests are not suitable as a screening procedure for patients suspected of having primary SS. However, measurement of beta 2-m in stimulated parotid saliva may be used as an adjunctive diagnostic test for primary SS."}
{"id": "PMID:1486745", "title": "Is hyperlipidaemia a contributing factor to algodystrophy (reflex sympathetic dystrophy)?", "content": "To appreciate hyperlipidaemia as a contributing factor to reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD), we have evaluated basal lipidic values (cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, triglycerides, apolipoproteins A1, B) and frequency of hypertriglyceridaemia (Turpin's diagnosis criteria) in 75 cases of RSD and in 75 paired controls. No difference exists in both groups with regard to frequency of hypertriglyceridaemia or basal lipidic values. These values seem independent of age, sex, duration of localization or etiology (traumatic or nontraumatic) of RSD. Hyperlipidaemia does not seem a contributing factor to RSD."}
{"id": "PMID:1486746", "title": "Lumbar and cervical stenosis. Frequency of the association, role of the ankylosing hyperostosis.", "content": "The authors report a study of 47 patients admitted for cervical myelopathy (N = 17) or symptomatic lumbar spinal stenosis (N = 30). Nine patients had clinical evidence of coexisting cervical myelopathy and lumbar spinal stenosis. Ten out of the 17 patients having cervical myelopathy had lumbar spinal stenosis as evidenced by sagittal tomography and/or computerized tomography. Nine out of the 30 patients admitted for symptomatic lumbar spinal stenosis had coexisting cervical canal stenosis as evidenced by sagittal tomography. Thirteen out of these 19 patients with both cervical and lumbar canal stenosis had also ankylosing spinal hyperostosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1486747", "title": "Prognostic significance of nailfold capillary microscopy in patients with Raynaud's phenomenon and scleroderma-pattern abnormalities. A six-year follow-up study.", "content": "The aim of this study was to assess the prognostic significance of scleroderma capillary pattern (SD-pattern) in patients with Raynaud's phenomenon. Thirty patients with a capillaroscopy examination suggestive of scleroderma (megacapillaries and/or avascularity) but without clinical criteria of scleroderma (ARA criteria) were reevaluated 6 years after the initial clinical and capillaroscopy examinations. SD-pattern abnormalities were classified according to a semiquantitative method. Eight out of the 28 evaluated patients (28%) developed a scleroderma spectrum disorder (SDS). The presence of avascularity and/or a mean of more than two megacapillaries digit greatly enhanced the percentage of evolution toward SDS (70%/88% respectively). Most of the patients with few enlarged capillaries and no capillary rarefaction at entry had primary acrocyanosis (11/15). None of them developed SDS. The microangiopathy disappeared during the follow-up period in most of these patients (14/15). These results confirm the prognostic value of SD-pattern capillary abnormalities for SDS. Primary acrocyanosis, a benign clinical entity should be considered in presence of few megacapillaries and without capillary rarefaction."}
{"id": "PMID:1486748", "title": "Treatment of rheumatoid arthritis with anti CD4 monoclonal antibody. Open study of 25 patients with the B-F5 clone.", "content": "Twenty-five defined severe RA patients (pts) (17 F, 8 M) were treated in an open study with a CD4 murine monoclonal antibody (Mab) (B-F5 clone, IgG1). Mab's daily dose was 10 mg (1 pt), 15 mg (2 pts), 20 mg (17 pts), 30 mg (4 pts) and 50 mg (1 pt) for 10 days. Tolerance was fair. Clinical improvement occurred during treatment period or within the first month in all but 2 patients, irrespective of Mab dosage. Improvement duration was variable (1 to 12 months), half of the patients still show signs of improvement at month 4. Biological parameters (CRP) improved parallel to the clinical. At day 180, 25% of the patients showed a reduction of 50% or more of the initial CRP values. There is no modification of RF titers, renal and hepatic parameters. Sequential evaluation showed a decrease of B, TCD3, CD4, CD8 lymphocytes and monocytes two hours after Mab infusion and return to baseline in 20 hours. Xenogenic immunization occurred in 6 patients without influence upon clinical response. These modifications are moderate and transient and do not account for the more prolonged effect in some cases, nor do they offer any prediction of further clinical response."}
{"id": "PMID:1486749", "title": "Human parvovirus B19 and rheumatoid arthritis.", "content": "Human parvovirus B19 infections have been linked with the development of a short-lived symmetrical polyarthritis and, rarely, a more persistent arthritis. We prospectively looked for serological evidence of recent B19 infection in 25 early synovitis patients presenting within 12 weeks of symptom onset and compared them with 21 controls seen over the same time period. None of the control patients had evidence of recent B19 infection while 3 of the early synovitis patients had raised IgM anti-B19 antibody levels. Two had a transient arthritis and 1 developed persistent seropositive rheumatoid arthritis."}
{"id": "PMID:1486750", "title": "Evaluation of the involvement of axial entheses and sacroiliac joints in relation to diagnosis: comparison among diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostostis (DISH), osteoarthrosis and ankylosing spondylitis.", "content": "Since diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH) is frequently difficult to differentiate radiologically from the axial involvement of ankylosing spondylitis and osteoarthrosis, some features of these 3 different diseases were compared. The predominantly horizontal nature of the enthesiophyte in DISH and its right preponderance in the thoracic region were demonstrated. This right preponderance was due to the presence of the thoracic aorta located in the left thoracic side. A midthoracic notch was described in DISH which seemed to be confined to noninflammatory conditions, but was not found in ankylosing spondylitis. The importance of sacroiliac computerized tomography to differentiate sacroiliac joint abnormalities associated with DISH from the sacroiliitis of spondylarthropathies was stressed."}
{"id": "PMID:1486751", "title": "Adolescent osteoporosis disclosing familial osteopenia.", "content": "The observations of familial juvenile osteoporosis, presumably of genetic origin are exceptional. The authors report the observation of a 16-year old adolescent suffering from osteoporosis, confirmed by histomorphometry and decrease in bone density (lumbar vertebrae 0.79 g/cm2 and femoral neck 0.88 g/cm2: LUNAR DPX). We prescribed fluorine and calcium therapy. Lumbar bone density increases by 11% and bone density of the thighbone neck by 7.6%. We cannot rule out growth as a factor in the changes observed, given that the propositus is only 16. A densitometric investigation performed in 4 of his 12 brothers shows a decrease in the lumbar bone mineral content (from 61 to 94% expressed as Z score). A genotypic origin seems to be conceivable, especially since no other cause could be considered (endocrinal, alimentary...). On the other hand, there is no argument in favour of osteogenesis imperfecta disease. The bone densitometry is a useful diagnostic means to detect familial forms of osteoporosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1486752", "title": "Joint manifestations of Fabry's disease.", "content": "We describe 2 patients with Fabry's disease with disabling crises of burning pain in hands and feet. These crises were accompanied by fever and an elevation of the erythrocyte sedimentation which often led to erroneous diagnosis of other rheumatic conditions. Fabry's disease should be considered on the different diagnoses of intermittent rheumatic syndromes."}
{"id": "PMID:1486753", "title": "Needle biopsy of joints--its contribution to the diagnosis of ochronotic arthropathy (alcaptonuria).", "content": "The authors present the case history of a 48-year-old man with ochronosis. They discuss the possibilities of articular needle biopsy in the diagnosis of this disease. The histology of the synovial membrane may help establish the diagnosis of ochronotic arthropathy."}
{"id": "PMID:1486754", "title": "Bilateral pneumothorax and mediastinal emphysema in systemic lupus erythematosus.", "content": "The association of pneumothorax and mediastinal emphysema in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) has not been described extensively in the literature. We describe a 36 year-old man with SLE, complicated by bilateral pneumothorax, mediastinal emphysema and pneumoperitoneum. Despite the treatment received, he died of respiratory failure."}
{"id": "PMID:1486755", "title": "Rheumatoid arthritis associated with ankylosing spondylitis defined by scintigraphic and CT abnormalities.", "content": "Rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis were detected in the same patient after a long period of observation of the disease. X-ray studies demonstrated the characteristic rheumatoid arthritis changes in peripheral joints. By contrast, few X-ray changes of ankylosing spondylitis were detected, during follow-up. Diagnostic approach through scintigraphic studies disclosed a symmetric uptake of the radionuclide in sacroiliac joints, and computed tomography revealed bilateral ankylosis. The combination of these tests was useful to define the presence of axial disease. This patient was both HLA B27 and DR4 positive. Rheumatoid arthritis occurred before ankylosing spondylitis, that interestingly was defined as a late onset disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1486762", "title": "Characteristics associated with legal status change among psychiatric patients.", "content": "Typically research on civil commitment has simply compared voluntary and involuntary psychiatric patients and has ignored the process of legal status change. The present study examined patient characteristics associated with legal status change during different points of patients' hospital stays. Results indicated that patients with greater improvement, patients with more severe diagnoses, and non-minority patients were more likely to transition to voluntary status, but only when these transitions occurred early in the hospitalization. Later in the hospitalization, the presence of living arrangements involving family and friends was associated with higher rates of transition to voluntary status."}
{"id": "PMID:1486763", "title": "Suicide in a community based case management service.", "content": "Over a 9 year period, 532 people with a long term mental illness received the services of a community based case management program. Of the 532 clients, 13 committed suicide (2%). This group was compared to a control group matched for age, sex and length of stay in the program. No differences were found with regard to most socio-demographic and clinical variables investigated. However, statistically significant differences were found with regard to chronicity and number of post-admittance hospitalizations. Difficulties in establishing a working relationship were noted more often for clients who committed suicide. Some of the implications for case management programs are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1486764", "title": "Needs assessment for persons with severe mental illness: what services are needed for successful community living?", "content": "The development and implementation of effective community support systems are goals of many public mental health authorities who are attempting to shift the focus and dollars for mental health services from inpatient to community care. This article presents the results of a survey which asked 90 community mental health agency case managers to assess the community support and residential needs of over 1400 of their clients. Medication monitoring and therapy were rated high priority needs. Psychosocial treatment, day and vocational activities also ranked high. Survey responses regarding residential services indicated a need for more supported and supervised options."}
{"id": "PMID:1486765", "title": "Validity of case manager reports of clients' functioning in the community: independent living, income, employment, family contact, and problem behaviors.", "content": "Validity of case manager reports of client functioning in the community was assessed by examining the correspondence between case manager reports and client reports of several widely-used indicators of client well-being, including independent living, income, employment, family contact, and problem behaviors. Effects of how well case managers knew their clients and of using telephone interviews vs. self-administered questionnaires to gather case manager data were also investigated. Data were gathered from 6 case managers and 55 of their seriously mentally ill clients in a rural Wisconsin Community Support Program. Indicators of independent living and employment displayed reasonably good agreement and support the use of case manager reports in research. Indicators of income and problem behaviors produced lower levels of client-case manager agreement at least in part because client reports proved an inadequate criterion for these measures."}
{"id": "PMID:1486766", "title": "Family violence: contemporary research findings and practice issues.", "content": "The purpose of this paper is to describe recent empirical research findings about family violence, and to explore selected social work treatment issues in the light of these findings. The last two decades has seen a proliferation of research about family violence. Most of the early research used small clinical samples and so generalizing findings to other groups has been difficult. However, the recent research has examined a number of important psychosocial correlates of family violence using more methodologically sound methods. As a result, we now know quite a bit about how and why family violence occurs. Also, within the last decade a number of studies have explicated the kinds of treatments and approaches that are most effective in dealing with abusive people. This paper summarizes these treatment strategies."}
{"id": "PMID:1486767", "title": "Attitudes of African American adults toward treatment in cases of rape.", "content": "The attitudes of 155 African American adults toward the need for treatment in cases of rape were assessed. The relationship of these attitudes to sex, age, income, educational level, knowledge of the effects of rape, the influence of rape circumstances on attitudes, and expectations regarding interactions with treatment facilities and agencies were assessed. The results indicated that the ability to recognize rape in a variety of situations, perception of victim responsibility for the rape, and a knowledge of the short term reactions associated with rape had the greatest impact on respondents' attitudes toward seeking treatment. Participants generally endorsed the need for counselling following a rape and expressed positive attitudes regarding treatment outcomes."}
{"id": "PMID:1486768", "title": "Group treatment assignment for outpatients with schizophrenia: integrating recent clinical and research findings.", "content": "Many mental health clinics rely heavily on group treatment in the outpatient care of individuals with schizophrenia. Groups are used because they economize clinician time and provide social interaction for isolated patients. Empirical evidence suggests that groups, combined with medication, are at least as effective as other common treatments. Many group formats and techniques have been used. Choices are often based on pragmatism or inclination, rather than theory or experiment. The authors review recent findings from research on the neurobiology of schizophrenia, its natural history, and the impact of psychosocial factors in its course and treatment. From these findings, they elaborate research based principles for outpatient group therapy in schizophrenia. They describe three distinct formats for group treatment, and delineate the scope of use for each. Finally, they propose guidelines for assignment of patients to appropriate group treatments."}
{"id": "PMID:1486769", "title": "One-year clinical experience with FlexiGard.", "content": "In 1988, a clinical study with a new copper-containing IUD, the FlexiGard, was initiated at the Family Planning Center of the UMSD, Debrecen, Hungary. The aim of this trial was to measure the overall performance of the device with special attention to its frameless design and anchoring system. In one year (from May 1988 through May 1989), 344 FlexiGard devices were inserted in parous women during the first seven days of their menstrual cycle. This report summarizes the one-year results. By the end of the 12 -month follow-up period, 3484 woman-months of use (WMU) were accumulated. The number of women who completed the one-year follow-up period was 264. During this period, 33 cases were terminated for different reasons. The net continuation rate is 89.7 at the end of the first year of use. The device was well retained by the uterus (cumulative expulsion rate 1.5 at 12 months). The cumulative removal rate for bleeding/pain is 4.4 at 12 months and the cumulative pregnancy rate 0.6 at 12 months. The results confirm those of previously conducted multicenter studies with the device. This new generation intrauterine copper contraceptive (ICC) is well tolerated, which is attributed to its design characteristics. Besides, the device is highly effective, and its insertion is easy and safe. Removal of the ICC is equally easily accomplished."}
{"id": "PMID:1486770", "title": "A multicenter efficacy and safety study of an oral contraceptive containing 150 micrograms desogestrel and 30 micrograms ethinyl estradiol.", "content": "The study reported herein is the primary efficacy and safety study conducted to support U.S. registration of an oral contraceptive containing 150 micrograms desogestrel and 30 micrograms ethinyl estradiol. A large multicenter study enrolled 1,221 women at 50 centers in the United Kingdom. A total of 11,656 cycles of exposure was accumulated, corresponding to approximately 879 women-years of use. Contraceptive efficacy was high; no subject conceived as a result of method failure. The product was generally well tolerated with excellent cycle control, causing fewer than 2% of the subjects to discontinue because of bleeding irregularities. The study medication demonstrated no adverse effects on cervical cytology, blood pressure, body weight or laboratory variables, while pre-existing benign breast disease generally improved. The study did not identify any medication-related adverse experiences. This study confirmed that the monophasic oral contraceptive with 150 micrograms desogestrel and 30 micrograms ethinylestradiol is a safe and effective oral contraceptive with excellent cycle control and patient acceptability."}
{"id": "PMID:1486771", "title": "The influence of a low-dose combined oral contraceptive on menstrual blood loss and iron status.", "content": "The influence of a low-dose combined oral contraceptive (ethinyl estradiol 30 micrograms + desogestrel 0.15 mg) on menstrual blood loss (MBL) was evaluated in 20 healthy, young women. MBL prior to commencing oral contraception was 60.2 +/- 5.6 ml (range 22-116 ml), and decreased (p < 0.001) to 36.5 +/- 5.2 ml (range 7-80 ml) and 33.7 +/- 4.1 ml (range 5-70 ml) after 3 and 6 months' oral contraceptive medication, respectively. The reduction in MBL during oral contraception was most apparent during the first two days of menstruation. Five women had an MBL > 80 ml prior to commencing oral contraceptive medication. In all of these women, MBL during the 6th menstrual period after commencing oral contraception was < 80 ml. All the women included in this study had a normal blood hemoglobin concentration, hematocrit and erythrocyte indices and there were no significant changes in these variables during the course of the study. Serum ferritin concentration prior to commencing oral contraception was 44.2 +/- 9.0 micrograms/l and was largely unchanged after 6 months' oral contraception (39.7 +/- 6.3 micrograms/l). On admission to the study, two women had a serum ferritin < 10 micrograms/l, indicative of low iron stores. Both these women had an MBL > 80 ml at the baseline assessment. Serum ferritin concentration increased during oral contraceptive medication in both women (from 8.5 micrograms/l to 12.0 micrograms/l and from 5.4 micrograms/l to 6.8 micrograms/l, respectively). The duration of menstruation (p < 0.01) and the number of women suffering from dysmenorrhea (p < 0.05) was reduced during oral contraception."}
{"id": "PMID:1486772", "title": "Clinical and metabolic effects of a triphasic pill containing gestodene.", "content": "The clinical and metabolic effects of a low-dose triphasic oral contraceptive containing gestodene were investigated in 42 healthy women during 6 months of treatment. No pregnancies and no severe side effects occurred during the study. The pill exerted good cycle control and the incidence of irregular bleeding was very low. As for the coagulatory system, there was an increase in prothrombin activity and in fibrinopeptide A plasma levels, and a decrease in activated partial thromboplastin time. Antithrombin III activity, fibrinogen concentration and platelets count did not change during pill intake. No significant modifications in plasma total-cholesterol, low density lipoprotein-cholesterol or in the subfraction high density lipoprotein2-cholesterol (HDL2-CH) were observed. Serum triglycerides, HDL-CH and HDL3-CH levels were significantly higher at the end of treatment. The pill did not alter fasting insulin and glucose levels or their response to an oral glucose tolerance test. These minimal effects on metabolism, combined with its high efficacy and acceptability, may suggest that this triphasic formulation with gestodene seems to be a safe and reliable contraceptive agent."}
{"id": "PMID:1486773", "title": "Oral contraceptives and pregnancy in relation to peptic ulcer.", "content": "There is evidence in the scientific literature that peptic ulceration occurs less frequently during pregnancy than at other times. This encouraged us to examine the pattern of hospitalisation for peptic ulcer in the Oxford-Family Planning Association contraceptive study. In total, 175 women in the study had been hospitalised for peptic ulcer; 105 had duodenal disease, 55 had gastric disease and 22 had disease of unspecified site (some had disease at more than one location). Hospitalisation for peptic ulcer increased with age, parity and cigarette smoking. In addition, hospitalisation was at a low rate during pregnancy and was not seen at all during the 12 months following delivery. There was no relationship between hospitalisation for peptic ulcer and total duration of oral contraceptive use. Likewise, there was no significant relationship with recency of oral contraceptive use, but the lowest rate of hospitalisation was in current users of the pill."}
{"id": "PMID:1486774", "title": "Use of a monophasic, low-dose oral contraceptive in relation to mental functioning.", "content": "The objective of the study was to evaluate the effect of Minulet, a new low-dose oral contraceptive on mood in two groups and to compare the effect with a control group of women not taking oral contraceptives (OC). The women participating were between 16 and 45 years of age. They completed the Amsterdam Mood Questionnaire (AMQ) and the Sickness Impact Profile (SIP) three times. They were filled in before treatment started, after taking Minulet for one month and then again after three months. The questionnaires were filled in by a group of 200 women who had not taken OC before (starters), and by a second group of 370 women who were already taking OC (switchers). A group of 140 women who did not use any OC during the study served as a control group. These women also filled in the same questionnaires, both at the start, and after one and three months. As far as the AMQ was concerned, the switchers appeared in the initial measurement to have significantly higher scores (that is to say, a worse mood) for \"tiredness\", \"depression\", \"moodiness\", \"anxiety\" and \"anger\", than those of the starters and the control group. Moreover, the switchers had reduced scores (that is to say, an improved mood) on the AMQ-scales during their use of Minulet compared to their initial use of oral contraceptives. The scores of the starters and the control group on the AMQ-scales remained unchanged on all three measurements. It can be concluded from this that these groups felt as well as they did before.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1486775", "title": "Influence of oral contraceptives on integrated secretion of gonadotropins.", "content": "The mechanism of action of various oral contraceptives has not yet been satisfactorily resolved, as to how gonadotropins affect ovarian function. Alterations of the pulsatile release of LH might be a common denominator. As methodological difficulties for the evaluation of LH pulse pattern with low basal levels exist, we elected to determine the area under the curve (AUC) for LH and FSH for 6 hours before and during treatment with oral contraceptives. LH and FSH were determined every 15 min for 6 hours on day 4 and day 20 of a control cycle and a treatment cycle in 22 women with ovulatory cycles. They received either a combined preparation containing 150 micrograms desogestrel and 30 micrograms ethinyl estradiol, a sequential preparation containing 50 micrograms of ethinyl estradiol and 125 g of desogestrel or only 125 micrograms desogestrel. There was no difference between the sum of LH pulses on day 4 and day 20 of the control cycle. The AUC for FSH was lower on day 20. When the combined preparation was taken, FSH was suppressed on day 4, and FSH and LH on day 20 of treatment. The degree of suppression was even more pronounced when the sequential OC was taken. Ethinyl estradiol alone was as effective as the combination with desogestrel. Desogestrel alone inhibited ovulation without affecting serum LH and FSH in a comparable manner, suggesting a direct effect on the ovary. The determination of the AUC seems to be a sensitive tool for the evaluation of OC-induced changes in gonadotropin output."}
{"id": "PMID:1486776", "title": "Microbiological studies in mid-trimester abortion with Emcredil versus normal saline.", "content": "In 40 mid-trimester abortion seekers, in whom abortion was induced by extra-amniotic normal saline or Emcredil, microbiological studies were carried out before induction and at 24 hours. It was observed that there was no difference in the isolation of organisms from vagina and cervix of these subjects between 0 hours and 24 hours. Thus, this study shows that leaving the catheter in the extra-amniotic space until it is expelled spontaneously does not increase the risk of ascending infection. At the same time, leaving the catheter in-situ until it is expelled spontaneously reduces the induction-abortion interval appreciably."}
{"id": "PMID:1486777", "title": "Evaluation of four different contraceptive vaginal rings: steroid serum levels, luteal activity, bleeding control and lipid profiles.", "content": "Four different models of contraceptive vaginal rings were tested during three cycles for luteal activity, bleeding control, plasma lipoproteins and serum levels of the contraceptive steroids. Two progestins, levonorgestrel acetate (LNGA) and ST 1435, alone or in combination with ethynyl-estradiol (EE) were tested. The rings released 100 ug/day of the progestins and 30 ug/day of EE. Luteal activity was detected among users of the progestin-only rings: 4 of 8 cycles with ST 1435 and 2 of 10 with LNGA. Only one of the 18 cycles studied with the two combined rings showed luteal activity, but the measurement of contraceptive steroid in plasma suggested that this subject delayed reinsertion of the ring for about one week in that particular cycle. Breakthrough bleeding was observed in 12 of 30 cycles of use of the progestin-only rings, and in only 2 of 27 cycles with the combined models. No significant changes in total cholesterol or its HDL-fraction were observed. However, the only reduction observed in HDL-cholesterol was among users of the LNGA-only ring. It is concluded that the two combined CVR models offer good possibilities of high effectiveness and bleeding control and merit further development."}
{"id": "PMID:1486778", "title": "Determination of carcinogenic potency of alkytoxynol-741 (AP-741) by rat peritoneal cell cultures.", "content": "The carcinogenic potency of AP-741 was tested in rats using the Nashed method of rat peritoneal cell short-term carcinogenic test. N-methyl-N-nitro-N'-nitrosoguanidian (MNNG) was used as positive control; saline and nonoxynol-9 (NP-9) were used as negative control. Two doses of AP-741 (4 mg/kg and 40 mg/kg equivalent to 4 and 40 times human doses) were tested. The result showed that no colonies of more than 9 cells were seen in the saline and NP-9 groups, and the two dose groups of AP-741. However, 12 +/- 8.3 colonies (9-29 cell/colony) and 4.5 +/- 4.2 colonies (30-300 cell/colony) were seen in the MNNG group. According to the Nashed criterion, we can say MNNG has potential carcinogenesis, while AP-741 does not have any potential carcinogenesis and its use as a vaginal contraceptive drug is safe."}
{"id": "PMID:1486779", "title": "High-performance computing, high-speed networks, and configurable computing environments: progress toward fully distributed computing.", "content": "The next several years will see the maturing of a collection of technologies that will enable fully and transparently distributed computing environments. Networks will be used to configure independent computing, storage, and I/O elements into \"virtual systems\" that are optimal for solving a particular problem. This environment will make the most powerful computing systems those that are logically assembled from network-based components and will also make those systems available to a widespread audience. Anticipating that the necessary technology and communications infrastructure will be available in the next 3 to 5 years, we are developing and demonstrating prototype applications that test and exercise the currently available elements of this configurable environment. The Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory (LBL) Information and Computing Sciences and Research Medicine Divisions have collaborated with the Pittsburgh Supercomputer Center to demonstrate one distributed application that illuminates the issues and potential of using networks to configure virtual systems. This application allows the interactive visualization of large three-dimensional (3D) scalar fields (voxel data sets) by using a network-based configuration of heterogeneous supercomputers and workstations. The specific test case is visualization of 3D magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data. The virtual system architecture consists of a Connection Machine-2 (CM-2) that performs surface reconstruction from the voxel data, a Cray Y-MP that renders the resulting geometric data into an image, and a workstation that provides the display of the image and the user interface for specifying the parameters for the geometry generation and 3D viewing. These three elements are configured into a virtual system by using several different network technologies. This paper reviews the current status of the software, hardware, and communications technologies that are needed to enable this configurable environment. These interdependent technologies include: (1) user interface and application program construction methodologies, (2) the interprocess communication (IPC) mechanisms used to connect the software modules of the application, (3) the network protocols and interface hardware used by the IPC for communicating between modules running on separate and independent computing system elements, (4) the telecommunications infrastructure that provides the low-level data transfer functions for the networks that connect the geographically distributed elements used by the application, and (5) the nature of the functional elements that will be connected to form virtual systems."}
{"id": "PMID:1486780", "title": "Visualization of bioelectric phenomena.", "content": "Biomedical investigators are currently able to acquire and analyze physiological and anatomical data from three-dimensional structures in the body. Often, multiple kinds of data can be recorded simultaneously. The usefulness of this information, either for exploratory viewing or for presentation to others, is limited by the lack of techniques to display it in intuitive, accessible formats. Unfortunately, the complexity of scientific visualization techniques and the inflexibility of commercial packages deter investigators from using sophisticated visualization methods that could provide them added insight into the mechanisms of the phenomena under study. Also, the sheer volume of such data is a problem. High-performance computing resources are often required for storage and processing, in addition to visualization. This chapter describes a novel, language-based interface that allows scientists with basic programming skills to classify and render multivariate volumetric data with a modest investment in software training. The interface facilitates data exploration by enabling experimentation with various algorithms to compute opacity and color from volumetric data. The value of the system is demonstrated using data from cardiac mapping studies, in which multiple electrodes are placed in an on the heart to measure the cardiac electrical activity intrinsic to the heart and its response to external stimulation."}
{"id": "PMID:1486781", "title": "Impact of massively parallel computation on protein structure determination.", "content": "For the past two decades, an important paradigm in protein chemistry has been the assertion that a biologically active protein is at thermodynamic equilibrium and therefore adopts its minimum free energy structure. Although some evidence now suggests that not all proteins conform to this notion, it is true often enough to remain an important guiding principle in structure determination, whether by direct computation or by the computationally assisted approaches of diffraction and resonance. Among the difficulties in predicting structure from sequence are the lack of a useful potential function incorporating the influence of solvent and the inability to sample the phase space efficiently or even to determine whether a free energy minimum is, in fact, the global minimum. These problems are general. Although they are greatly mitigated by experimental information, they become increasingly severe as empirical constraints are reduced. We review the difficulties involved in the general problem of protein structure prediction and discuss the impact of increased computer power in the context of new approaches to solvation and parallel algorithm design. A general focus of our discussion is the need to understand the theoretical basis for effective theories and to accommodate in numerical methods the interplay of different temporal and spatial scales."}
{"id": "PMID:1486782", "title": "High-performance computing in radiation cancer treatment.", "content": "In 1989 a consortium of the Radiation Oncology and Computer Science Departments at the University of North Carolina, BellSouth Corporation, GTE, and the MCNC was formed in response to the high-speed network initiative proposed by the National Science Foundation and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. One of the purposes of this effort has been to demonstrate that applications exist that require gigabit per second networks. Our consortium, known as VISTAnet, proposed to use real-time radiation therapy treatment planning as the application that would require the use of a gigabit network. The plan was to develop a system that could rapidly calculate and display a three-dimensional radiation dose distribution for any configuration of radiation beams. The gigabit network would be used to tie the dose calculations done with the Cray Y-MP at the Research Triangle to the graphics engine at the Department of Computer Science (Pixel-Planes 5) and the medical workstation at Radiation Oncology. The system would then provide the radiation physician with the capability of considering hundreds of potential treatment plans, instead of the usual two or three, with the goal of arriving at a highly optimized plan within a few minutes."}
{"id": "PMID:1486783", "title": "An anatomical heart model with applications to myocardial activation and ventricular mechanics.", "content": "A three-dimensional finite element model of the mechanical and electrical behavior of the heart is being developed in a collaboration among Auckland University, New Zealand; the University of California at San Diego, U.S.; and McGill University, Canada. The equations of continuum mechanics from the theory of finite deformation elasticity are formulated in a prolate spheroidal coordinate system and solved using a combination of Galerkin and collocation techniques. The finite element basis functions used for the dependent and independent variables range from linear Lagrange to cubic Hermite, depending on the degree of spatial variation and continuity required for each variable. Orthotropic constitutive equations derived from biaxial testing of myocardial sheets are defined with respect to the microstructural axes of the tissue at the Gaussian quadrature points of the model. In particular, we define the muscle fiber orientation and the newly identified myocardial sheet axis orientation throughout the myocardium using finite element fields with nodal parameters fitted by least-squares to comprehensive measurements of these variables. Electrical activation of the model is achieved by solving the FitzHugh-Nagumo equations with collocation at fixed material points of the anatomical finite element model. Electrical propagation relies on an orthotropic conductivity tensor defined with respect to the local material axes. The mechanical constitutive laws for the Galerkin continuum mechanics model are (1) an orthotropic \"pole-zero\" law for the passive mechanical properties of myocardium and (2) a Wiener cascade model of the active mechanical properties of the muscle fibers. This chapter concentrates on two aspects of the model: first, grid generation, including both the generation of nodal coordinates for the finite element mesh and the generation of orthotropic material axes at each computational point, and, second, the formulation of constitutive laws suitable for numerically intensive finite element computations. Extensions to this model and applications to the mechanical and electrical function of the heart are described in Chapter 16 by McCulloch and co-workers."}
{"id": "PMID:1486784", "title": "Large-scale finite element analysis of the beating heart.", "content": "The regional mechanics of the beating heart are directly related to factors such as ventricular pumping performance, coronary blood flow, myocardial energetics and oxygen consumption, vulnerability to ischemia and injury, hypertrophy and remodeling, and arrhythmogenesis. Important characteristics include: the complex three-dimensional geometry and fibrous architecture; the nonlinear, nonhomogeneous, anisotropic material properties of the myocardium; the hierarchical collagen connective tissue matrix; the time- and history-dependent active tension development of the cardiac muscle cells; and the three-dimensional anisotropic patterns of cardiac impulse propagation. To model these features realistically requires large-scale computational analysis with sophisticated numerical methods. As described in the chapter by Dr. Hunter and colleagues, an accurate three-dimensional finite element model has been developed to describe the geometry, fiber architecture, and extracellular matrix structure of the heart. The model is based on extensive anatomical measurements in the left and right ventricles (LV and RV) of the canine heart. In this chapter, we illustrate some new approaches to the special problems of large-scale finite element modeling in biomechanics using examples from the analysis of stress and electrical activation in the heart. Prospects for further progress--particularly in coupled problems such as cardiac electromechanics--are examined in light of new developments in high-performance computing."}
{"id": "PMID:1486785", "title": "Cardiac fluid dynamics.", "content": "The heart is modeled as a system of elastic and/or contractile fibers immersed in a viscous incompressible fluid. Simulated heart walls and valves are constructed by arranging the fibers according to an idealized version of the actual distribution of muscle fibers in the heart walls and collagen fibers in the valve leaflets. Then the combined motion of the fluid-fiber system is predicted through the numerical solution of its coupled equations of motion. Fluid equations are solved by a finite difference method on a fixed, regular computational lattice. Fiber points move freely through this lattice without being constrained to lie at the lattice intersections. Communication between fibers and fluid involves interpolation of the fluid velocity to the fiber points and the spreading of the fiber forces to the computational lattice of the fluid. Both of these operations make use of a smoothed approximation to the Dirac delta function. The entire method is suitable for implementation on vector, parallel, or parallel-vector hardware. Applications include the investigation of normal cardiac function, the simulation of disease processes affecting the mechanical function of the heart or its valves, and the computer-assisted design of prosthetic cardiac valves."}
{"id": "PMID:1486786", "title": "Bone remodeling around total hip implants.", "content": "This chapter reviews the research in the computer simulation of bone remodeling caused by hip implants and also attempts to give nonmedical personnel a basic introduction to total hip arthroplasty and implant-induced bone resorption. First, a short discussion of the hip arthroplasty procedure and the results of follow-up studies are presented to motivate the study of hip prostheses. Current implant materials and technologies and future trends in implant design are reviewed. A description of what are believed to be the mechanisms of bone resorption due to femoral implantation is presented. Different mathematical theories of bone remodeling and their application to the problem of implant analysis are presented, and recent advances in the finite element modeling of bone resorption and implant micromotion are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1486789", "title": "Nonpustular palmoplantar psoriasis.", "content": "Nonpustular palmoplantar psoriasis can be disabling in causing painful fissuring and scaling. Preventive measures in avoiding friction and irritants can reduce the morbidity of this variant. Lubricants, anthralin, and corticosteroids form the mainstay of therapy in mild and moderate psoriasis of the palms and soles. Topical PUVA therapy and use of cytotoxic agents should be reserved for refractory cases."}
{"id": "PMID:1486790", "title": "Symptomatic zinc deficiency in a one-year-old child precipitated by changing from formula to cow's milk.", "content": "The case of a one-year-old girl with symptomatic zinc deficiency is presented. She had been misdiagnosed as having impetigo and/or candidiasis and had been treated with topical antifungal agents and both oral and topical antibiotic agents without success during the four months before she presented. Zinc replacement led to rapid improvement. Her nutritional history suggests that weaning from formula to cow's milk precipitated her eruption. The clinical findings, differential diagnosis, and treatment of zinc deficiency are reviewed."}
{"id": "PMID:1486791", "title": "Psoriasiform eruption from intramuscular botulinum A toxin.", "content": "Botulinum A toxin is used intramuscularly in the treatment of spastic neuromuscular disorders, strabismus, and laryngeal dystonia. The toxin has recently been reported as being useful for the cosmetic removal of glabellar furrows. The clinical effect of the toxin lasts four months or longer. Systemic side effects are rare and usually transient. We report the case of a psoriasiform eruption temporally related to the injection of botulinum A toxin into the medial rectus muscle to treat an ocular motility disorder. To our knowledge, this is the first case of a psoriasiform dermatitis caused by this agent."}
{"id": "PMID:1486792", "title": "Large erythematous patch as the presenting manifestation of meningococcemia.", "content": "Meningococcemia commonly presents with a petechial rash and a transient macular or papular rash is sometimes present. This report describes a patient with meningococcemia who presented with an atypical erythematous patch over the right hemithorax, petechial rash, and a normal platelet count. The patient was treated with broad-spectrum antibiotics and his condition rapidly improved. He was discharged showing complete resolution of his rash with no neurologic sequelae."}
{"id": "PMID:1486793", "title": "Cutaneous blastomycosis.", "content": "We report on a patient with cutaneous blastomycosis and no evidence of systemic involvement. This diagnosis was made on the basis of clinical findings and confirmed by histologic examination and results of culture. The primary lesion in blastomycosis is almost always pulmonary. However, occasionally, as in our patient, the pulmonic focus resolves spontaneously before the patient presents. Disseminated lesions occur most often in the skin, followed by bone, genitourinary tract, and central nervous system. Our patient had an excellent response to ketoconazole without adverse effects."}
{"id": "PMID:1486794", "title": "Specificity of insulin binding by plasma and nuclear membrane receptors in Tetrahymena: similarities and dissimilarities at the two levels.", "content": "The plasma membrane and nuclear envelope of Tetrahymena are equally able to bind insulin both specifically and otherwise. Primary interaction with exogenous insulin (imprinting) accounted for an increase in the specificity of binding which became even more pronounced in the distant offspring generations of the imprinted cells. Virgin Tetrahymena cells not imprinted with insulin showed a greater specificity of insulin binding at the nuclear than at the plasma membrane level. This difference became equalized under the influence of imprinting with exogenous insulin which increased the specificity of binding at the plasma membrane level."}
{"id": "PMID:1486795", "title": "Influence of chromosome condensation and preparative chromosome methods on chromatid volume.", "content": "Human metaphase chromosomes 1 and 2 were examined by electron microscopy. Volumetric determinations were calculated on non-treated isolated chromosomes and spread metaphases treated with ammoniacal silver carbonate (ASC). Chromatid volume increased from early-metaphase to late-metaphase and this increase was statistically significant. A similar relationship was found when chromosomes with differentially condensed sister chromatids were studied. The more condensed chromatid volume was greater than its less condensed sister chromatid. ASC treatment produced structural changes in chromosomes which caused an increase of volume in relation to the isolated chromosomes."}
{"id": "PMID:1486796", "title": "The preservation of mitochondrial functions in extracellular environments.", "content": "Mitochondria are labile objects when isolated from mammalian organs and may undergo rapid changes (aging) in vitro. This work attempts to examine conditions which retard such changes. Isolated rat heart mitochondria were incubated for 180 min in the presence of various substances whose properties might influence the aging process as expressed by changes in oxygen consumption rates. It was found that retardation was greatest with substances which potentially influence reactions involving fatty acids. This effect is discussed in terms of various mechanisms of mitochondrial aging."}
{"id": "PMID:1486797", "title": "Cytological aberrations in maize populations exhibiting unusual recombinational behaviour.", "content": "Earlier studies identified higher recombinational activity and increased somatic instability at various loci in the F1 and F2 progeny of particular stocks of a maize inbred line, A188. Hypothesizing that this may reflect a genome-wide perturbation of chromosome structure which would be detectable cytologically, aberrant meiotic behaviour in these stocks was investigated. Microsporocytes from a population of F2 plants derived from these stocks displayed the following aberrations: varying frequencies of metaphase and anaphase laggards, 'stickiness' at anaphase I resulting in chromosome bridges from pole to pole, acentric fragments and a spontaneous translocation of the NOR on chromosome 6. The frequencies of metaphase I and anaphase I abnormalities in these stocks were higher to a statistically significant extent than in control F2 populations, suggesting that these aberrations may be related to the unusual genetic behaviour of these stocks."}
{"id": "PMID:1486798", "title": "Palmitate oxidation by in vivo and in vitro grown Mycobacterium lepraemurium.", "content": "Oxidation of palmitate by Mycobacterium lepraemurium isolated from C3H mice lepromata (in vivo) and also grown on Ogawa egg-yolk medium (in vitro) was investigated. Palmitate was found to be oxidized, after a lag period of about 8 h, by both the in vivo and in vitro grown bacilli. Cell-free extracts prepared from in vivo and in vitro grown cells catalysed an active oxidation of palmitate after a lag period of 3-4 h. The amount of ATP increased, with the increase in time during oxidation of palmitate by the cell-free extracts. The generation of ATP was strongly inhibited by the inhibitors rotenone, antimycin A and cyanide as well as by the uncouplers 2,4-dinitrophenol and 2,6-dibromophenol. These results indicated that oxidation of palmitate by the in vivo and in vitro grown M. lepraemurium is mediated through the respiratory chain using oxygen as the terminal electron acceptor."}
{"id": "PMID:1486799", "title": "Protein phosphorylation and the regulation of basal body microtubule organizing centres in Tetrahymena.", "content": "Previous work suggests that changes in the phosphorylation state of some centrosomal proteins regulate centrosomal activity. The hypothesis that changes in the phosphorylation state of one or more basal body microtubule organizing centre (MTOC) components regulate its ability to nucleate cilia assembly in Tetrahymena thermophila was tested. The MPM-2 antibody, which recognizes phosphorylated epitopes in MTOCs in a variety of organisms, was used to probe immunoblots of cytoskeletal frameworks prepared from starved Tetrahymena, from starved deciliated Tetrahymena, and from a starved deciliated mutant Tetrahymena which failed to initiate ciliogenesis following deciliation. The MPM-2 antibody recognized an identical array of proteins in all blots. These results suggest that, unlike centrosomes, basal body MTOC activity is not regulated by changes in the phosphorylation state of component proteins."}
{"id": "PMID:1486800", "title": "Characterization of yeast artificial chromosomes containing interleukin genes on human chromosome 5.", "content": "To understand better the organization and linkage of the interleukin genes, IL4 and IL5, we prepared long-range restriction maps of five yeast artificial chromosomes (YACs) containing IL5. We determined that IL4 and IL5 are within 100-170 kb, and that the regions surrounding these genes contain several GC-rich areas. Fluorescence in situ chromosomal analysis demonstrated that three of the five YAC clones contain non-contiguous genomic sequences originating from multiple human chromosomes."}
{"id": "PMID:1486801", "title": "The gene for leukocyte antigen-related tyrosine phosphatase (LAR) is localized to human chromosome 1p32, a region frequently deleted in tumors of neuroectodermal origin.", "content": "In situ hybridization was employed to localize a cDNA probe from the human protein tyrosine phosphatase gene LAR to human metaphase chromosomes. LAR, a putative tumor suppressor gene, has been localized to 1p32, a chromosomal region that is frequently found deleted in human neuroblastoma and pheochromocytoma."}
{"id": "PMID:1486802", "title": "The gene for receptor-like protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTPRB) is assigned to chromosome 12q15-->q21.", "content": "Using a cDNA probe, the gene encoding the human receptor-like protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTPRB) was localized by an in situ hybridization to chromosome 12q15----q21."}
{"id": "PMID:1486803", "title": "The human gene for oxytocin-neurophysin I (OXT) is physically mapped to chromosome 20p13 by in situ hybridization.", "content": "Two posterior pituitary hormones oxytocin and arginine-vasopressin control the important activities of water excretion, parturition and lactation. Both these hormones are synthesized as inactive precursors in the hypothalamus along with their carrier proteins neurophysin I and neurophysin II respectively and are activated upon transport to posterior pituitary. Human genes for both oxytocin-neurophysin I (OXT) and arginine-vasopressin-neurophysin II (ARVP) are cloned and found to be linked on chromosome 20 separated by approximately 12 kb of intergenic sequences. Though OXT is not yet associated with any disease, ARVP is linked to the autosomal dominant disease neurohypophyseal diabetes insipidus (AD-NDI). We have mapped regionally the OXT locus to chromosome 20p13 by both radioactive (ISH) and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH)."}
{"id": "PMID:1486804", "title": "Chromosomal location of the human transketolase gene.", "content": "The gene encoding the human transketolase enzyme (TKT) was localized by fluorescence in situ hybridization to normal and FRA3B human chromosomes. Southern blot analysis of a series of human x mouse and human x hamster hybrid cell lines confirmed this localisation. TKT maps to 3p14 and distal to FRA3B, localizing TKT to 3p14.3."}
{"id": "PMID:1486805", "title": "Comparative gene mapping in the species Muntiacus muntjac.", "content": "An extreme case of chromosomal evolution is presented by the two muntjac species Muntiacus muntjac (Indian muntjac, 2n = 6 [females], 7 [males]) and M. reevesi (Chinese muntjac, 2n = 46). Despite disparate karyotypes, these phenotypically similar species produce viable hybrid offspring, indicating a high degree of DNA-level conservation and genetic relatedness. As a first step toward development of a comparative gene map, several Indian muntjac homologs of known human type I anchor loci were mapped. Using flow-sorted, chromosome-specific Southern hybridization techniques, homologs of the protein kinase C beta polypeptide (PRKCB1) and the DNA repair genes ERCC2 and XRCC1 have been assigned to Indian muntjac chromosome 2. The male-specific ZFY gene was presumptively mapped to Indian muntjac chromosome Y2. Ultimate generation of a comparative physical map of both Indian and Chinese muntjac chromosomes will prove invaluable in the study of mammalian karyotype evolution."}
{"id": "PMID:1486806", "title": "Location of the mouse complement factor H gene (cfh) by FISH analysis and replication R-banding.", "content": "A technique for replication R- and G-banding of mouse lymphocyte chromosomes was developed, and the replication R-banding pattern was analyzed. Optimal banding patterns were obtained with thymidine- and BrdU-treatment of lymphocytes in the same cell cycle. This produced replication R-band patterns that were the complete reverse of the G-band patterns on all chromosomes. Replication R-banding methods can be used in conjunction with nonisotopic, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) to localize cloned probes to specific chromosomal bands on mouse chromosomes. with these methods the mouse complement factor H gene (cfh) was localized to the terminal portion of the F region of Chromosome 1. Q-banding patterns were also obtained by the replication R-banding method and may be useful for rapid identification of each chromosome."}
{"id": "PMID:1486807", "title": "Chromosomal localization of the ovine beta-casein gene by non-isotopic in situ hybridization and R-banding.", "content": "The ovine beta-casein gene (CNS2) has been mapped to a specific chromosome band using nonradioactive in situ hybridization and simultaneous fluorescent R-banding. The probe pTZ-E4 was a fragment of the ovine beta-casein gene inserted in the plasmid pTZ18R and labeled with biotin-11-dUTP. It hybridized to band q32 of ovine chromosome 4. The discrepancy between this result and the previous localization of this gene on cattle chromosome 6 may be explained by the very great similarity of the banding patterns of ovine and bovine chromosomes 4 and 6."}
{"id": "PMID:1486808", "title": "Fertility of male and female mice heterozygous for the reciprocal translocation T(7;17)3BKM.", "content": "The present paper describes the fertility of male and female mice heterozygous for the reciprocal translocation T(7;17)3BKM. This translocation was induced by gamma rays in the spermatozoa of an irradiated parent. It is characterized by \"asymmetrical\" localization of the breakpoints, distally in Chromosome 7 (7F5) and proximally in Chromosome 17 (17B1). The data presented here relate only those matings in which, for both partners, heterozygosity or normality could be confirmed cytogenetically. The results indicate that both male and female translocation heterozygotes are fertile, their mean litter size being reduced to about 50% of that of normal littermates. This leads to the conclusion that the multivalents mainly undergo either alternate or adjacent-1 2:2 segregation. No viable tertiary trisomics were observed among the progeny of the translocation carriers. Analysis of the frequency of the different types of multivalents in diakinesis-metaphase I spermatocytes showed a significant predominance of chain-type figures (CIV and CIII+I), with chains of four elements (CIV) being more frequent than other configurations. This demonstrates that the small marker chromosome remains attached by one of its segments to the tetravalent."}
{"id": "PMID:1486809", "title": "Case reports on psychosomatic eye disorders.", "content": "Symptoms of headache, floaters, blurred vision, eye strain may be respectable outward manifestations of secret fears or failure to adjust to life events. The work in this hospital of Mr W.S. Inman, ophthalmologist and psychoanalyst, has largely been forgotten. I will present case histories to show that the approach 'Let's have a chat about your problem' can reveal deep underlying tensions. The description of these by the patient, for the first time, to a neutral listener is usually curative. It takes longer than a detachment operation and can be more difficult than cataract surgery but the end result is a very grateful patient whose symptoms have been cured--by talking. We can easily dismiss these patients with 'Your problem is not ocular'. By spending time listening and being unafraid of their muddled lives, their confused sexuality and inadequate personal relationships, we can reach a wider range of patients to help, as Inman taught our predecessors. I find it rewarding."}
{"id": "PMID:1486810", "title": "Pigment-containing cells in extraocular tissues of the primate.", "content": "In the present study pigment-containing (PC) cells, localized in extraocular tissues of man and the cynomolgus monkey, were investigated to establish their localization, nature and relationships with the autonomic nervous system. In the orbit of man as well as the cynomolgus monkey three localizations of PC cells were detected: (1) Tenon's capsule along the ciliary arteries at the level of the entrance of the arteries into the eyeball, (2) Tenon's capsule along the ciliary nerves at the level of the entrance into the eyeball, and (3) the sclera around the ciliary arteries and nerves. Moreover in the orbit of the cynomolgus monkey PC cells were found along and around the accessory lateral rectus muscle. Histological, histochemical and electron microscopical studies led to the conclusions that PC cells are similar in nature to melanocytes and do not have neuronal properties. In contrast to the melanocytes in the anterior segment of the eye in both man and monkey, melanocytes in the extraocular tissues are not innervated either adrenergically or cholinergically."}
{"id": "PMID:1486811", "title": "Magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography in the detection and localization of intraocular foreign bodies.", "content": "In this experimental study, various foreign bodies were inserted into fresh bovine eyes, in different localizations. Twenty-one magnetic and non-magnetic foreign bodies, dimensions of which varied from 1.5 x 1.5 x 2 mm to 3.5 x 6 x 7 mm, were tried to detect by computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanning. In addition, further dissections were applied to check the ocular damage attributable to movement of the foreign bodies. Ferromagnetic foreign bodies have been shown to move in the eye and the risk of torsional forces being applied to the ferromagnetic foreign body seemed to cause intraocular complications during MRI scanning. All of the foreign bodies that were implanted in bovine eyes were recognized on CT scanning, except intraocular lenses. As a general rule, metallic foreign bodies produced beam-hardening artifacts, but these artifacts did not cause any problem in detecting the localizations of foreign bodies."}
{"id": "PMID:1486812", "title": "Long-term follow-up of central serous retinopathy in 150 patients.", "content": "To study the evolution of the retinal pigment epithelial lesions in the central serous retinopathy, the authors studied 150 patients with ages between 20 and 49 years at the first examination, during periods varying between 6 months and 14 years. It was found a greater incidence of the disease in the males (83.3%); bilaterality in 23.3%; only one point of leakage in 62.7%; 3 different types of diffusion (inkblot 71.4%; mushroom 23.8%; with serous pigment epithelial detachment 4.9%). The final visual acuity was < 20/40 in a quarter of the cases and the frequency of the recurrences was 30%. The laser treatment did not influence the recurrences. In 50 patients with a follow-up superior to 3 years, 8 (16%) developed lesions similar to those described as diffuse retinal pigment epitheliopathy with visual field defects and subnormal EOG. Actuarial calculus suggests that 50% of the patients may get the most severe and extensive form of the disease after 12 years of evolution. The results allow to conclude that the diffuse retinal pigment epitheliopathy is only the terminal state of the most severe cases of central serous retinopathy."}
{"id": "PMID:1486813", "title": "Serum levels of antioxidants and age-related macular degeneration.", "content": "A number of reports have suggested that oxidative damage in the retina may contribute to the pathogenesis of Age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The present study was designed to investigate the hypothesis that serum levels of the antioxidants, Vitamin E and selenium are related to the pathogenesis of AMD. Fasting bloods were obtained from 80 patients with AMD and 86 controls. Assays for serum levels of Vitamin E, selenium, cholesterol and triglycerides were performed. Assessment of patients and controls was based upon eye examination, fundus photography and medical history. No significant difference was found in serum levels of Vitamin E between subjects and controls, however, there was a borderline association between AMD and both serum selenium levels and current smoking status. The results suggest that if oxidative damage is a factor in the pathogenesis of AMD, it is not reflected in serum levels of Vitamin E; further studies are required to clarify the possible relationship between serum selenium levels, smoking and AMD."}
{"id": "PMID:1486815", "title": "Cocaine and development: mechanisms of fetal toxicity and neonatal consequences of prenatal cocaine exposure.", "content": "As cocaine use during pregnancy has become increasingly recognized, there also has been increased concern about the toxic and teratogenic properties of cocaine on the fetus. A significant literature exists describing the adverse fetal and neonatal outcomes associated with in utero cocaine exposure. However, specific causality by cocaine on outcome in the human is difficult to ascertain because of multiple confounding variables associated with substance abuse including social factors and polydrug use as well as difficulty in confirming timing, dose and frequency of cocaine exposure. Most literature suggests that prenatal cocaine exposure is associated with developmental risk to the fetus. What is currently unknown is the extent of risk, the additive and/or synergistic factors contributing to cocaine's toxicity and the reversibility of the injury. In this paper we review the pharmacologic properties of cocaine as related to a model of mechanisms for developmental injury secondary to cocaine exposure and the published literature on the adverse fetal and neonatal outcomes associated with cocaine use during pregnancy. Specific attention has been focused on the structural, neurobehavioral and respiratory control teratogenesis."}
{"id": "PMID:1486816", "title": "Effect of the maternity ward system on the lactation success of low-income urban Mexican women.", "content": "We compared the lactation performance of 165 healthy mothers who planned to breastfeed and gave birth by vaginal delivery, without complications to a healthy infant in either a nursery (NUR) (n = 58) or a rooming-in hospital where formula supplementation was not allowed. In the rooming-in hospital, women were randomly assigned to a group that received breastfeeding guidance during the hospital stay (RIBFG) (n = 53) or to a control group (RI) (n = 54). Women were interviewed in the hospital and at 8, 70 and 135 days post-partum (pp). The groups were similar in socio-economic, demographic, anthropometric, previous breastfeeding experience and prenatal care variables. Non-parametric survival analyses adjusting for potential confounding factors show that breastfeeding guidance had a positive impact (P < or = 0.05) on breastfeeding duration among primiparous women who delivered in the rooming-in hospital. Among primiparae, the RI and RIBFG groups had higher (P < or = 0.05) full breastfeeding rates than the NUR group in the short term. In the longer term, only the difference between the RIBFG and the NUR group remained statistically significant. The maternity ward system did not have a statistically significant effect on the lactation performance of multiparae."}
{"id": "PMID:1486817", "title": "Feeding preterm infants a formula containing C20 and C22 fatty acids simulates plasma phospholipid fatty acid composition of infants fed human milk.", "content": "Thirty-four premature infants weighing less than 1500 grams at birth were fed preterm formula (formula), preterm infant formula manufactured to contain a balance of C20 and C22 omega 6 and omega 3 fatty acids within the range characteristic of human milk (LCPE-formula) or their mothers' expressed breast milk (EBM). Blood samples were obtained during the first week of life and after 28 days of feeding to determine the effect of feeding C20 and C22 omega 6 and omega 3 fatty acids on plasma lipids. Fatty acid analyses of red blood cell phospholipids indicated few differences between dietary treatment and age. Fatty acid content of plasma cholesterol esters indicated a high plasma cholesterol linoleate level for infants fed formula and a reduced content of C20 and C22 omega 6 and omega 3 fatty acids. For infants fed the modified formula (LCPE-formula) the levels of 20:4 omega 6, 20:5 omega 3 and 22:6 omega 3 were higher than observed for the formula group and similar to those observed for infants fed EBM. By the fifth week of life, feeding the modified formula resulted in plasma phospholipid levels of C20 and C22 omega 6 and omega 3 fatty acids similar to levels of C20 and C22 omega 6 and omega 3 fatty acids found in infants fed EBM and significantly higher than levels characteristic of infants fed formula. It is concluded that infants fed LCPE-formula illustrate an overall balance between C20 and C22 omega 6 to omega 3 fatty acids in the plasma similar to that characteristic of infants fed human milk."}
{"id": "PMID:1486818", "title": "Recovery of tracheal epithelium following high frequency ventilation at low inspired humidity.", "content": "We used scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and light microscopy (LM) to study the recovery of tracheal epithelium in newborn lambs damaged by high frequency flow interrupted ventilation (HFFIV) at low inspired humidity (30%). Newborn lambs were mechanically ventilated for 6 h, allowed to recover and subsequently killed at 2, 7 or 14 days. The recovery of the trachea above and below the tip of the endotracheal tube (ETT) was studied at these time periods and compared to a control non-intubated group and a group killed immediately after 6 h of ventilation. Above and below the ETT, SEM and LM revealed deciliation to be greatest 2 days after ventilation. The damaged tracheal mucosa had converted to non-ciliated epidermoid squamous metaplastic cells. Recovery was not complete by 14 days, although the squamous cells had already differentiated into goblet and ciliated columnar epithelial cells. No difference was seen in the rate of recovery of the tracheal mucosa above or below the tip of the ETT."}
{"id": "PMID:1486819", "title": "How should parents be informed about major procedures? An exploratory trial in the neonatal period.", "content": "The current doctrine of informed consent in medical practice may require the provision of more information than is understandable or desired by some parents. We conducted an exploratory trial comparing: (1) detailed risk/benefit disclosure provided both verbally and in writing and (2) flexible disclosure consisting of a brief verbal description supplemented with detailed verbal and written disclosure if desired by the mother. Information about mechanical ventilation was presented to 26 mothers of newborns at risk for respiratory failure. Of the 13 mothers in the flexible disclosure group, seven (54%) desired only brief verbal disclosure. Despite poor recall of information, most mothers were satisfied with the information provided. There was no evidence that the detailed disclosure group had greater maternal satisfaction or less maternal anxiety. Flexible disclosure as evaluated in this study had no important disadvantages relative to detailed disclosure. Methods of providing information to better meet the wants and needs of parents deserve further study."}
{"id": "PMID:1486821", "title": "[Control of isometric muscle contraction in muscle hypotonia of central origin: EMG mapping analysis].", "content": "Electromyographic and mechanographic investigations in patients with muscular hypotonia, which is, for instance, a side-effect after stereotactic treatment of tremor syndromes, permit the presumption that in this sensomotor open-loop situation the decreased muscular resistance to stretching during isometric contraction (initial stiffness) is caused by changes of muscular innervation pattern. Probably, the innervation pattern during tonic activity is changed by a shift of a more tonic motoneurone behaviour to motoneurone activities with predominantly phasic characteristics. In 17 controls and 4 patients with muscular hypotonia caused by stereotactic lesions of VIM area (treatment of tremor syndromes) the EMG of right and left side forearm flexors (especially the activity of the M. biceps brachii) was investigated by a sophisticated, topographically oriented 16-channel-surface-EMG-technique (\"EMG-Mapping\") during slight isometric contraction. EMG-Maps of forearm flexors (especially of M. biceps brachii) in patients with centrally evoked muscular hypotonia demonstrate that in these open-loop conditions the motor control is changed. For this the reason could be a shift of the activated motor units from a predominantly static to a more phasic functional behaviour. The latest results on muscular activation processes in cats support this presumption."}
{"id": "PMID:1486822", "title": "[Jaw opening reflex: a new electrophysiologic method for objective assessment of trigeminal sensory disorders. I. Method and normal values].", "content": "Retrospective analysis of trigeminal nerve evoked potentials in 40 consecutive patients, most of them with traumatic nerve lesions, showed that in 12 cases no trigeminal nerve SEP were obtainable, and 11 of the remaining 28 patients had normal trigeminal nerve SEP. Therefore the jaw-opening reflex was investigated as a potential tool for electrophysiologic analysis of facial sensory disturbances. The jaw-opening reflex was investigated in 60 healthy subjects (31 female, 29 male) aged 23-82 years. It was elicited by electrical 0.1 ms square wave pulses delivered to the lower and upper lips and to the infraorbital region on either side at a rate below 1 per 5s. The EMG responses were recorded from the bilateral masseter and temporalis muscles at a moderate voluntary activation. Under these conditions, the jaw-opening reflex reveals itself as two inhibitory pauses of the ongoing EMG on both sides, the onset latency of the first EMG-suppression being 10-15 ms, and of the second 35-50 ms. Particular attention was paid to the stimulus strength at threshold (TR) to evoke the jaw-opening reflex. We found that the jaw-opening reflex was constantly evoked by weak stimuli applied to the 2nd and 3rd trigeminal branches. Bilateral reflex responses with unilateral stimulation were a regular finding. The reflex responses increase with increasing stimulus strength (Fig. 1). Moderate to forcible activation of the jaw closing muscles is a prerequisite for optimum recordings of the jaw-opening reflex (Fig. 2).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1486823", "title": "[Clinical application of quantitative evaluation of horizontal pursuit movements of the eye].", "content": "Horizontal smooth pursuit eye movements were quantitatively evaluated in forty patients with various neurological diseases (chronic alcoholism, acusticusneurinom and multiple sclerosis) as well as in twenty-four healthy subjects. Different frequency sinusoidal targets with an amplitude of 20 degrees were used. The quantitative analysis was possible after calculating the pursuit value as the difference between the saccadic part and the maximal amplitude of the recorded eye movement. Maximal and minimal P-values of 0.5, 0.7 and 0.9 Hz were chosen in the discriminant analyses. It is suggested that these parameters are very helpful in distinguishing between the groups of patients and the group of subjects."}
{"id": "PMID:1486824", "title": "[Neurophysiologic monitoring in neurosurgical vascular operations: specific technical requirements and their conversion].", "content": "Several authors have presented evidence for a strict relation between regional cerebral blood flow and EEG. Therefore the EEG can serve as an adequate physiological parameter when monitoring cerebral function in the operating room. However, to exploit the inherent information as far as possible, both multichannel EEG and somatosensory evoked potentials should be recorded simultaneously. In the present article we describe a monitoring system which is capable to handle this task under the conditions of an operating room. In the first step some numerically simple algorithms are applied to detect gross artifacts. In the subsequent processing stage an analysis procedure is performed which is robust with respect to the remaining more subtile artifacts. In addition the raw signals are continually displayed on a monitor to allow for a visual evaluation of the EEG. The results of a trend analysis procedure are presented on the same graphical display by means of a compact topographical scheme. The system has been running under routine conditions for approximately two years now."}
{"id": "PMID:1486825", "title": "[Topography of early cortical median nerve somatosensory evoked potentials: results for routine use of the method].", "content": "The results from a topographic analysis of the early median nerve SEPs allowed to design a method for recording and analysing the SEPs in the routine laboratory. The detailed analysis of the topography of 50 normal subjects revealed: 1. An inter- and intraindividual variability of the location of the maximal amplitudes, 2. A significantly longer latency of the cortical potentials after left side stimulation, 3. A significantly higher amplitude of N20 after left side stimulation and 4. A significantly higher amplitude of the later potentials P25 and N30 after right side stimulation. It was shown that a 4-channel recording from the neck at C7 with a Fz-reference as well as from stimulus contralateral F3, CP3 and P3 or F4, CP4 and P4 with an stimulus contralateral earlobe reference provides all necessary parameters in comparison to an 20-channel recording. The definition of normal values has to take into account these results. Absolute maximum values were taken instead of the standard deviation because all amplitude values were proven to be not distributed normally. In 7 out of 30 MCA-stroke patients pathological SEP amplitudes were obtained using the 4-channel montage, whereas the 1-channel recording from CP3 and CP4 with a Fz-reference revealed normal amplitudes."}
{"id": "PMID:1486826", "title": "[Quality of day time sleep in the multiple sleep latency tests in patients with narcolepsy, obstructive sleep apnea and psychogenic hypersomnia].", "content": "The multiple sleep latency test (MSLT) has proved to be a useful diagnostical tool for patients complaining of excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS). The intention of the present study was to investigate the structure of MSLT naps and in particular sleep spindle and k-complex density in three different groups of EDS patients. MSLT was performed at 8 a.m., 10 a.m. 12 a.m., 2. p.m. and 4 p.m.. Each recording lasted 20 minutes and was not stopped even if sleep occurred before 20 min. Sleep was scored visually. Spindle and k-complex density was determined per minute of S2 sleep. Statistical analysis used ANOVA. Each of the three groups consisted of 15 patients. Diagnosis of narcolepsy, sleep apnea, of EDS due to a psychiatric disorder has been confirmed subsequently. There were 5 female and 10 male narcoleptics (mean age: 43.9 +/- 10.9 years), 2 female and 13 male obstructive sleep apnea patients (mean age: 53.9 +/- 10.9 years) and 7 female and 8 male patients complaining of EDS, in whom a psychiatric disorder was diagnosed (mean age: 38.8 +/- 13.8 years). Narcoleptics sent more than half of the recording time of 100 min asleep (52.9%). Apnea patients slept 41.3% and psychogenic EDS patients 22.7%. The proportion of sleep stages 1 and 2 in narcoleptics (S2/S1 = 1:1) was clearly different from the other two (apnea patients: S2/S1 = 4:1; psychogenic EDS patients: S2/S1 = 3:1). 18.5% of the naps contained stage REM and during the afternoon naps 0.9% of S3 in the narcoleptics. Neither REM nor S3 was observed in the others.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1486827", "title": "[Periodic discharges of sleep spindles with placebo and zopiclone].", "content": "According to our experiences (parietal) sleep spindles often show a periodical appearance. Successive sleep spindles in series have a distance of about four seconds. In 95% the duration of such series of sleep spindles is not longer than 40 s, so that there appears no more than ten successive periodical sleep spindles. In the present study ten subjects aged between 57 and 77 years were given Placebo and 7.5 mg Zopiclone. Under the effect of verum we found a doubling of sleep spindle series. However, the distance between the periodical spindles and the length of the spindle series remained unchanged. The variance in the ability to generate sleep spindle series was very high across subjects. One subject for example produced only one sleep spindle series in the Placebo-night (three under verum) and another subject on the other hand 95 (under verum 130). The results of the present study well corresponding to the results of a former investigation comparing Placebo, Pentobarbital, Methaqualon, Carbromal, Flunitrazepam, Triazolam and Lormetazepam."}
{"id": "PMID:1486828", "title": "[Computer-assisted analysis of the electroencephalogram with a theta ground rhythm variant].", "content": "From 8 men and 12 women with a slow posterior rhythm on the one hand and from 7 male and 5 female healthy volunteers with a regular alpha-EEG on the other closed-eye-EEGs were registered at 8:00 a.m., 12:00 noon, 4:00 p.m., and 8:00 p.m. and recorded on tape for computer processing. Simultaneously each time the body temperature was measured. In 11 of the 20 patients the slow posterior rhythm shows a right-sided accentuation, in 6 a left-sided. Besides the activity of all frequency-bands favours occipital and occipital-central the right hemisphere. The control group shows only an insignificant right-sided accentuation of alpha-power and alpha-peak-power. The alpha-peak-frequency of the 20 patients is slower than in the controls, the body temperature on the contrary is higher. The physiological circadian shift of the alpha-peak-frequency and of the body temperature does not come up to a similar extent as in the controls. Striking slight is the circadian shift of the frequency of the slow posterior rhythm. Furthermore the day-time related shifts of the alpha-power and of the beta-power take other courses than in the controls. And the maxima of the alpha-power and of the alpha-peak-power are mostly located parietal instead of occipital. All in all the slow posterior rhythm seems to be connected with far-reaching peculiarities of the cerebral function."}
{"id": "PMID:1486829", "title": "The relationship between mind, brain, and seizures.", "content": "The medical model of epilepsy suggests that seizures arise at random or in response to precise physiological events. Little weight is given to the part that ongoing brain activity may play in either precipitating or inhibiting seizures. In the focal epilepsies, the presence of damaged neurons that fire in the epileptic mode continuously and are called pacemaker cells has been demonstrated in both animal models and human epilepsy. If these pacemaker cells are firing all the time, why then do seizures arise only spasmodically? Behavior can be thought of as changes in the excitation and inhibition of populations of neurons. Therefore, it is likely that these excitatory and inhibitory waves will either increase or decrease the likelihood of seizures arising. The conditioning of the neurons to fire in volleys in a biofeedback paradigm, the conditioning of seizures in a classic Pavlovian sense, and the occurrence of seizures in response to behavioral changes has been shown in animal models of epilepsy and in humans. There is now evidence that children can both inhibit and generate their own seizures spontaneously. Many adult patients have behavioral strategies that they use either to inhibit or to stop the spreading seizures. In patients who have difficulties in coping with the stresses in their life, the voluntary generation of seizures may come to form a response to difficult situations. Thus, any complete epilepsy program must consider the patient, the behavior, and the relationship between seizures and behavior."}
{"id": "PMID:1486830", "title": "Cognitive correlates of interictal discharges.", "content": "Interictal discharges can occur silently without apparent simultaneous clinical manifestations. Nevertheless, formal testing during electroencephalographic (EEG) recording may demonstrate transitory cognitive impairment (TCI). The probability of demonstrating TCI is related to the nature of the test employed and the type of epileptiform discharge. Difficult tasks are more useful to detect TCI, and working memory and language tests may be particularly sensitive. Generalized 3-Hz spike-wave bursts lasting at least 3 s are most likely to produce demonstrable TCI, but they can also be found during briefer and even focal discharges. The latter exhibit some specificity: left-sided focal spiking more frequently produces errors in verbal tasks, whereas right-sided discharges are more often accompanied by impairment in handling nonverbal material. TCI may adversely affect the patient's psychosocial functioning in daily life, as has been shown by some studies pointing out an impairment of educational skill in epileptic children and of driving performance in motorists. Our study on benign childhood epilepsy with Rolandic spikes also detected TCI in the majority of the patients. Nevertheless, it is not possible to claim that everyone with subclinical EEG discharges has TCI that adversely affects their psychosocial functioning. It may be possible to treat TCI by antiepileptic drugs."}
{"id": "PMID:1486831", "title": "Everyday memory failures in people with epilepsy.", "content": "In a series of studies, we have explored the nature of memory problems experienced by people with epilepsy. By means of a questionnaire, the first study surveyed everyday memory failures experienced by 742 people with epilepsy. Findings revealed a high level of failures that were associated with later age of onset of seizures and raised levels of anxiety and depression. A second smaller prospective study confirmed these findings and suggested that patients with epilepsy had underestimated the frequency of memory complaints when assessed retrospectively. The third study investigated the relationship between self-reported memory failures and neuropsychological test performance. A measure of verbal recall was the best predictor of reported memory failures. Again, older age of onset and mood were found to be pertinent variables in relation to memory complaints."}
{"id": "PMID:1486832", "title": "Epileptic amnesic syndrome.", "content": "Thirteen patients with \"epileptic amnesic syndrome\" (EAS) presented with adult-senile onset of a severe memory complaint that started before or at the same time as seizures. All were diagnosed as temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). The seizures were stereotyped, with only short loss of contact and oral automatisms, and because they were not obvious or disturbing, they remained underdiagnosed for a long time. Nine cases also presented attacks of transient anteroretrograde amnesia after the seizures--called \"epileptic amnesic attacks\" (EAA)--during which the patients were able to perform complex actions. EAA are similar to the attacks of transient global amnesia (TGA) but are more frequent, shorter, accompanied by clear-cut clinical and electroencephalographic epileptic manifestations, and respond favorably to antiepileptic therapy. Neuropsychological investigation ruled out global mental deterioration, showing only selective memory impairment in a few long-term tasks and dissociation between formal findings and the relevant memory complaint. These cases have uniform anamnestic, clinical, and neuropsychological characteristics and represent a particular clinical expression of TLE, namely EAS. We suggest that an epileptic origin be entertained in patients presenting repeated amnesic attacks resembling TGA or who complain of persistent memory disturbance, after more common etiologies have been excluded."}
{"id": "PMID:1486833", "title": "Problems in the assessment of cognitive effects of antiepileptic drugs.", "content": "The major problems in the study of the cognitive effects of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) are explored. These problems include subject selection factors, statistical difficulties, matters pertaining to choice of cognitive tests, and the impacts of seizures on performance. A tendency is noted for these contaminating factors to result in attributing to AEDs adverse changes that might more accurately be related to other causes. Although all of these active central nervous system medications likely have some adverse cognitive effects, at least at high levels, the magnitude of these effects may have been exaggerated in the past. This is confirmed by more recent and better-controlled investigations."}
{"id": "PMID:1486834", "title": "Antiepileptic drugs and their psychotropic effects.", "content": "Antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) are still the main treatment for epilepsy. The first drugs such as the bromides, phenobarbital (PB), and related barbituates were all found to be anticonvulsant by chance. They also all carried to some extent the disadvantages of slowing thinking and motor behavior. Bromides are now seldom used and (PB) is only used when other drugs fail, although it is an important drug in the third world because of its low cost. Carbamazepine (CBZ), valproate (VPA), and phenytoin (PHT) are the current first-line AEDs. All of these drugs vary in the extent of their effect on mood. These drugs have also all been used in the treatment of psychiatric disorders. CBZ has been used mainly as a mood normalizer and has had some success in treating hypermanic episodes. VPA has been used successfully in the treatment of cyclical psychoses, whereas PHT, although it had a vogue in the 1940s for the treatment of psychosis, is little used as a psychological treatment now."}
{"id": "PMID:1486835", "title": "Antiepileptic drugs and memory.", "content": "Assessing the effects of medication on cognitive functions including memory is fraught with methodological problems. This article illustrates the range of approaches that have been employed. Medication effects have been more readily demonstrated in patients with intractable epilepsy, in whom drug dosages are higher and the risk of polytherapy is greater. Newly diagnosed cases and individuals treated with monotherapy show fewer effects. Evaluation of memory functions in most studies has been very limited, and where effects have been recorded these may well be secondary to changes in attentional level or mental processing speed."}
{"id": "PMID:1486836", "title": "Cognitive effects of antiepileptic drug discontinuation.", "content": "We studied the cognitive effects of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs), by investigating epileptic patients who were seizure-free for a long time and who were undergoing fixed monotherapy. Ninety patients [27 with phenobarbital (PB), 18 with carbamazepine (CBZ), 16 with phenytoin (PHT), and 29 with valproate (VPA)] were examined by a neuropsychological battery exploring intelligence, vigilance, attention, memory, and visuomotor performances at full AED dose (T1) and compared to 28 normal volunteers. We also evaluated the effects of AED discontinuation by retesting patients 3 months after reduction at half drug dose (T2) and 3 months (T3) and 1 year (T4) after complete discontinuation. Our findings showed that patients receiving CBZ did not differ from controls at any time of examination. Patients receiving PB had significant differences only at T1 (visuomotor performance and immediate spatial memory). Patients receiving VPA showed differences in attention, visuomotor performance, verbal span and sensory discrimination tasks at T1, in visuomotor performance at T2 and in spatial span at T3, whereas no differences were detected at T4. Patients receiving PHT had a difference in intelligence and visuomotor performance at T1, in intelligence at T2, and no differences at T3 or T4. This study model is useful for investigating the cognitive effects of AED because it allows selection of a uniform sample, eliminating variables such as type, frequency, and gravity of seizures that complicate this kind of study."}
{"id": "PMID:1486837", "title": "Interictal cognitive aspects of epilepsy.", "content": "Common methodological problems in the assessment of interictal cognitive deficits in epilepsy include limitations in neuropsychological tests selected and subject sampling problems. Neuropsychological functioning is related to a series of seizure history variables with an emphasis on those seizure factors showing the closest relationships. However, even these relationships are limited in scope, and it has been noted that no study has used multivariate procedures to demonstrate maximal relationships with measures of mental abilities. This technique was applied to data on 487 cases, and slightly stronger relationships were produced. However, this still did not account for the vast majority of the variance in cognitive tests. Conclusions concerning neuropsychological functioning in epilepsy require careful attention to sampling problems and other factors, and seizure history variables have only limited relationships with cognitive functioning, even when they are combined in an optimal fashion."}
{"id": "PMID:1486838", "title": "Molecular genetic analysis of the cytochrome P450-debrisoquine hydroxylase locus and association with cancer susceptibility.", "content": "The cytochrome P450-dependent monooxygenases play a central role in the metabolism of chemical carcinogens. The action of these enzymes can lead to either carcinogen detoxication or activation. Differences in P450 expression in animal models give rise to large differences in susceptibility to chemical carcinogens, so genetic polymorphisms in P450 expression may be expected to be an important factor in individual human susceptibility to cancer. Of particular interest is the genetic polymorphism at the cytochrome P450-debrisoquine/sparteine hydroxylase locus (CYP2D6). Although this is a minor liver P450, its polymorphic expression is associated with the abnormal metabolism of at least 30 therapeutic drugs, including beta-blockers and tricyclic antidepressants. Conflicting reports have been made on the association of this polymorphism with cancer susceptibility. This disagreement may be attributable to limitations of the phenotyping assay used to identify affected individuals (poor metabolizers, PMs). In order to clarify these anomalies, we have developed a simple DNA-based assay with which we can identify the majority of PMs. The assay is centered around the primary gene defect responsible for the polymorphism, a G to A transition at the junction of intron 3/exon 4 which results in a frame-shift in the resultant mRNA. The frequency of this mutation is 70-80% in PMs. We have studied the frequency of mutated alleles in a control population and in a wide range of cancer patients. No association between this polymorphism and lung cancer susceptibility was observed; however, in other populations of cancer patients some very interesting shifts were found in the proportion of PMs and heterozygotes from that in the normal population."}
{"id": "PMID:1486839", "title": "Genetic monitoring of human polymorphic cancer susceptibility genes by polymerase chain reaction: application to glutathione transferase mu.", "content": "Several genes involved in the metabolism of carcinogens have been found to be polymorphic in human populations and are associated with increased risk of cancer at some sites. This study focuses on the polymorphic enzyme glutathione transferase mu (GT mu). Smokers with low lymphocyte GT mu activity are at an approximately 2-fold higher risk for lung cancer and an approximately 3-fold higher risk for stomach and colon adenocarcinomas. Recent cloning and sequencing of the GST1 gene has allowed the development of convenient genotyping methods based on restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLP) or the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The GST1 polymorphism has been shown to be a deletion of the gene locus. To detect the presence or absence of the gene we amplified exons 4-5 and/or exons 6-7 of the GST1 gene by PCR. PCR amplification produced bands of 215-bp or 273-bp from individuals with one or two copies of the GST1 allele and no band if the individual was homozygously deleted (0/0). In the exon 6-7 PCR, we co-amplified a 268-bp portion of the beta-globin gene as an internal reference standard for quantitative analysis of product yield. This allowed homozygote individuals (+/+) to be distinguished from heterozygotes (+/0). We have compared the GST1 genotype to lymphocyte GT mu activity measured on trans-stilbene oxide (TSO) in the lymphocytes of 45 individuals. Low GT mu activity (< 67 pmole/min/10(7) cells) was strongly associated (24/24) with the GST1 0/0 genotype. With the exception of one individual, activities greater than 67 pmole/min/10(7) were associated with the presence of the GST1 allele (20/21). Individuals with the highest GT-TSO activity were found to be homozygous for GST1. (+/+), while heterozygotes (+/0) generally had lower activity, suggesting a gene dosage effect in lymphocytes.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1486841", "title": "DNA adducts and related biomarkers in populations exposed to environmental carcinogens.", "content": "Prevention of environmentally related cancer will be enhanced by the availability of sensitive early warning systems and by improvements in quantitative assessment of human risks. Accordingly, we have carried out a series of molecular epidemiologic studies aimed at validating a panel of biologic markers, including carcinogen-DNA and -protein adducts, sister chromatid exchange, micronucleus formation, DNA strand breaks, and DNA repair capacity. Results from three such studies illustrate the usefulness of these biomarkers in elucidating low-dose-response relationships, correlations between biomarkers, and the range of variation in biomarkers between individuals exposed to similar concentrations of carcinogens. Low-level workplace or ambient exposures to styrene, ethylene oxide, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) were associated with significant increases in both molecular dose of carcinogens (adducts) and various markers of preclinical effects. Correlations between biomarkers varied by exposure. For example, in the styrene study, sister chromatid exchange frequency was not correlated with any of the markers, in contrast to the studies of ethylene oxide and PAH. Significant molecular effects were observed not only in occupationally exposed people but also in residents of an area in Poland characterized by high levels of air pollution. For example, the mean PAH-DNA level in exposed residents (winter sample) was 30.4 adducts per 10(8) nucleotides. This level was significantly higher than that of adducts seen in summer samples from the same area (4.2/10(8), or in winter samples from residents of a rural area (11.01/10(8). Significant seasonal variation in PAH-DNA adduct formation in this group was consistent with recorded fluctuations in air pollution levels. Striking interindividual variation was observed in all three exposed populations."}
{"id": "PMID:1486842", "title": "Application of biomarkers to risk assessment.", "content": "Due to difficulties in conducting epidemiological studies, most estimates of cancer risk are based on data from animal bioassays. Extrapolation of cancer risk estimates in animals to humans requires an assumption of equal potency across species based on the average daily dose. The purpose of this paper is to examine the ability to predict tumor incidence across species from DNA adduct concentrations resulting from exposure to carcinogens. A 100-fold range of structurally diverse adduct concentrations corresponding to the same tumor incidence raises questions about quantitative predictability across chemical classes and across species. Differences in adduct structure, mutagenic efficiency, adduct repair rates, and cellular proliferation could account for some of the differences. For specific carcinogen-DNA adducts, the steady-state levels associated with a 50% tumor incidence appear to vary over a narrower range. An equal incidence of liver tumors was obtained at equal concentrations of aflatoxin B1-DNA adducts for rats and trout. A 2- to 3-fold range of 4-aminobiphenyl-DNA adduct concentrations between mice and dogs appears to be associated with nearly equal bladder tumor incidence, on the basis of limited data. In humans, a 5-fold higher concentration of a 4-aminobiphenyl-DNA adduct in bladders of smokers than of nonsmokers is compatible with the relative risk of bladder cancer due to smoking. DNA adduct concentrations certainly can be used to improve quantification of chemical exposures for epidemiological studies. Although promising, more data are needed to judge the usefulness of DNA adduct concentrations to predict cancer incidence across species."}
{"id": "PMID:1486840", "title": "Role of proto-oncogene activation in carcinogenesis.", "content": "The accumulation of genetic damage in the forms of activated proto-oncogenes and inactivated tumor-suppressor genes is the driving force in the evolution of a normal cell to a malignant cell. For example, both the activation of ras oncogenes and the inactivation of several suppressor genes, including p53, have been observed in the development of human colon and lung tumors. Point mutations in key codons can activate ras proto-oncogenes and inactivate the p53 suppressor gene. Thus, several critical genes for tumorigenesis are potential targets for carcinogens and radiation that can induce point mutations at low doses. The ras proto-oncogenes are targets for many genotoxic carcinogens. Activation of the ras gene is an early event--probably the \"initiating\" step--in the development of many chemical-induced rodent tumors. ras Oncogenes are observed in more human tumors and at a higher frequency than any other oncogene, and activation of the proto-oncogene may occur at various stages of the carcinogenic process. Numerous proto-oncogenes other than the ras genes have been shown to be activated in human tumors and to a lesser extent in rodent tumors. Mechanisms that induce aberrant expression of proto-oncogenes are gene amplification and chromosomal translocation or gene rearrangement. Amplification of proto-oncogenes and possibly gene overexpression during the absence of gene amplification occur in the development of many human tumors. For a specific tumor type, amplification of any one proto-oncogene may occur at a low frequency, but the frequency of tumors in which at least one proto-oncogene is amplified can be much higher. Proto-oncogene amplification is usually associated with late stages of tumor progression; however, amplified HER2/neu has been observed in early clinical stages of mammary neoplasia. Activation of proto-oncogenes by chromosomal translocation has been detected at a high frequency in several hematopoietic tumors. Non-ras genes have been detected by DNA transfection assays in both human and rodent tumors. For example, ret and trk genes were found to be activated by gene rearrangements in human papillary thyroid carcinomas. Several potentially new types of oncogenes have also been detected by DNA transfection assays. The etiology of the genetic alterations observed in most human tumors is unclear at present. Examples of ras gene activation and those documented for mutations in the p53 gene demonstrate that exogenous conditions can induce oncogenic mutants of normal genes. The genetic alterations observed in most human tumors are probably generated by both spontaneous events and exogenous conditions."}
{"id": "PMID:1486843", "title": "Biomarkers in epidemiology: scientific issues and ethical implications.", "content": "The current generation of biologic markers have three characteristics that differentiate them from previous ones. These include the ability to detect xenobiotics at concentrations at the cellular and molecular level, to detect earlier biologic changes presumptive of disease or disease risk, and to identify a detailed continuum of events between an exposure and resultant disease. If biomarkers are to enhance cancer epidemiology, they must be valid, reliable, and practical. When these characteristics have not been previously demonstrated, pilot studies should be conducted prior to the primary study. Interdisciplinary communication and collaboration is required so that useful markers are selected and that collection and handling, assay, and interpretation are appropriate. The status of many biomarkers is that they have been developed in the laboratory but lack validation for field use. Validation of a marker for use in a population requires attention to issues of background prevalence, sample size, natural history, persistence, variability, confounding factors, and predictive value. Additionally, practical features such as subject preparation, access to specimens, specimen storage aspects, and costs must be clarified. Ultimately, the use of biologic markers in epidemiologic studies will depend on how well the markers increase ability to reduce misclassification, provide for better interpretation of exposure-disease associations, and increase opportunities for prevention. Validation studies and general research using biomarkers also have clinical, ethical, and legal implications. These range from communicating uncertainty about the meaning of a marker to the kinds of societal response that result when groups or individuals are identified as having an \"abnormal\" marker frequency."}
{"id": "PMID:1486844", "title": "Biomarkers in occupational cancer epidemiology: considerations in study design.", "content": "Epidemiologic studies of occupational groups have been central to the identification of human carcinogens. The incorporation of a biochemical component into occupational studies of cancer can expand the possibilities for identifying human carcinogens and for understanding the disease process. Two epidemiologic studies of occupation and cancer which include evaluation of biomarkers are described. The association of acetylator phenotype with bladder cancer risk was studied in benzidine-exposed workers. The association of benzene-related leukopenia with leukemia is being studied in benzene-exposed workers. These investigations illustrate issues in the use of biomarkers in epidemiologic studies of cancer risk. Such studies require the identification and characterization of the population at risk. Disease susceptibility factors are amenable for inclusion in these studies and can be statistically modeled as exposure-effect modifiers. Biomarkers of exposure are mainly of importance in short-term longitudinal and cross-sectional studies of exposure and intermediate outcomes and for validation of other data sources. Several sources of error can affect the results of molecular epidemiologic studies. Aside from minimizing laboratory error, consideration must be given in the design and execution of these studies to potential problems in subject selection and field collection of biologic samples and other relevant data."}
{"id": "PMID:1486846", "title": "Molecular epidemiology in cancer risk assessment and prevention: recent progress and avenues for future research.", "content": "Molecular epidemiology is increasingly being applied in studies of cancer risks derived from exposure to environmental carcinogens of both endogenous and exogenous origins. Analytical methods have been developed that are capable of detecting and quantifying levels of covalent adducts of several important classes of carcinogens with cellular DNA and blood proteins. Methods of sufficient sensitivity and specificity to detect ambient levels of exposure are in current use. These are being used in studies related to tobacco use (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, aromatic amines, tobacco-specific nitrosamines); dietary exposures (aflatoxins, N-nitrosamines, heterocyclic amines); medicinal exposures (cisplatin, alkylating agents, 8-methoxypsoralen, ultraviolet photoproducts); occupational exposures (aromatic amines, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, oxides of ethylene and styrene, and vinyl chloride); and oxidative damage (8-hydroxyguanine, thymine glycol). Methodologic improvements together with their expanded use in feasibility studies continue to produce results that support the validity of this approach for detecting and quantifying exposure to carcinogens. Genetic markers are also being used to detect early biological responses in efforts to link carcinogen exposure to initiating events in the carcinogenesis process. These include, in addition to traditional cytogenetic markers (e.g., chromosomal aberrations, sister chromatid exchange, micronuclei), other alterations in chromosomal structure such as restriction fragment length polymorphisms, loss of heterozygosity, and translocation markers. Specific genetic changes have recently been identified as critical molecular events in the initiation and development of many cancers. Important among these are activation of oncogenes, especially those of the ras family, and inactivation of tumor-suppressor genes (e.g., p53 and Rb) by point mutations and/or chromosomal deletions and other structural changes. Although some of these changes are known to occur in chemically induced tumors of experimental animals, the possible role of chemical carcinogens in the induction of genetic abnormalities in human cancers has yet to be determined. Continuing investigations employing the methods of molecular epidemiology promise to provide further evidence concerning these relationships. Future investigations employing newly developed molecular biological methods, in particular those based on polymerase chain reaction amplification of DNA, to identify alterations in DNA and chromosomal structure, combined with methods for characterizing exposure to carcinogens and early effects, have great potential for further elucidating the role of genotoxic agents in the etiology of human cancers and also for the development of strategies for their prevention."}
{"id": "PMID:1486847", "title": "Detection of ras gene mutations in human lung cancer: comparison of two screening assays based on the polymerase chain reaction.", "content": "We studied the prevalence of point mutations in ras oncogenes (K-ras and N-ras) in DNA from white blood cells and tumor tissue from 36 untreated patients with non-small-cell lung cancer, all of whom were smokers or ex-smokers. We observed somatic K-ras mutations in one-third of the lung carcinomas studied but no N-ras mutation. K-ras codon 12 mutations were found more frequently in adenocarcinomas than in the other histopathological subtypes studied. More than 60% (10/16) of the lung adenocarcinomas had a codon 12 mutation, most of which were G to T transversions. No mutations was found in white blood cell DNA. Two polymerase chain reaction screening methods, oligonucleotide hybridization and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE), were used to detect the mutations. The oligonucleotide method appears to be more sensitive than DGGE, but DGGE proved to be a reliable nonradioactive method for rapid screening of point mutations in genes relevant to carcinogenesis."}
{"id": "PMID:1486848", "title": "Aberrant crypt foci and microadenoma as markers for colon cancer.", "content": "Foci of aberrant crypts similar to those seen in experimental animals exposed to colon carcinogens have been identified and quantified on the mucosal surface of fixed resections of human colon after methylene blue staining. Many of the foci in humans showed dysplasia on histologic examination and were considered to be microadenoma (MA). These lesions may be precursors for adenomatous polyps and colorectal cancer. Rats and mice initiated with azoxymethane, then fed diets containing sucrose or casein heated at 180 degrees C to stimulate normal cooking conditions, had three to five times more large MA after 100 days than controls. Thus, cooked sugar and protein contain promoters of the growth of colonic MA. 5-Hydroxymethylfuraldehyde was identified as a promoter in cooked sugar."}
{"id": "PMID:1486849", "title": "Use of breath hydrogen and methane as markers of colonic fermentation in epidemiologic studies: circadian patterns of excretion.", "content": "Fermentation in the large bowel has been postulated to play a protective role against colon cancer. Hydrogen and methane are end products of this fermentation process and are absorbed into the bloodstream and excreted via expired air in the breath. Breath levels of hydrogen and, to a lesser extent, methane correlate strongly with colonic fermentation and may serve as useful biomarkers for this process. In a preliminary study to assess the usefulness of these two markers in epidemiologic studies, we followed the hourly excretion of the two gases in expired alveolar air for 48 hr in 20 healthy subjects, using a Quintron gas chromatograph equipped with a solid-state detector specific for reducing gases. All subjects excreted hydrogen, but 71% did not excrete methane. Possible atmospheric contamination of the samples was corrected for on the basis of breath carbon dioxide levels. A clear circadian pattern of excretion was observed for breath hydrogen, with a decrease during the early morning followed by a progressive increase during the rest of the day. Methane excretion was constant throughout the day. This study shows that four samples collected at convenient times (0600, 1300, 1800, and 2200 hr) are optimal to characterize individuals by their breath excretions of hydrogen and methane during a 24-hr period."}
{"id": "PMID:1486850", "title": "Role of lime in the generation of reactive oxygen species from betel-quid ingredients.", "content": "The role of lime in the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), i.e., O2-., H2O2, and OH., from betel-quid components (extracts of areca nut and catechu) was investigated in vitro using a chemiluminescence technique and an assay for oxidative DNA damage involving analysis of 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine. Of the various areca-nut extracts, the catechin fraction, at alkaline pH, was shown to be the most active producer of ROS. The free Ca(OH)2 content and pH of lime samples (a component of betel quid and chewing tobacco) were highly correlated with the generation of ROS from areca-nut extract in vitro and with oxidative base damage to DNA in vitro. While Fe2+ had an enhancing effect on ROS formation, Mg2+ had a marked inhibitory effect. The cytogenetic effects of ROS generated in vivo were measured in Syrian golden hamsters in which the cheek pouch had been painted with lime and an areca-nut extract or catechu, singly or in combination. The frequency of micronucleated cells was increased only in animals that had received both the areca-nut extract and lime. The frequency of micronucleated cells in exfoliated oral mucosal cells from Indian chewers of betel quid with tobacco containing lime or of tobacco with lime was significantly higher than in a control (no habit) group. These studies demonstrate that addition of lime to betel quid constituents generates ROS, which induce cytogenetic damage in hamster cheek pouch and may contribute to the cytogenetic damage observed in the oral cavity of betel-quid chewers. These results implicate ROS in clastogenesis and probably in the etiology of oral cancer."}
{"id": "PMID:1486851", "title": "Cross-sectional study with multiple measurements of biological markers for assessing stomach cancer risks at the population level.", "content": "A cross-sectional study to determine correlations between measurable biologic markers and mortality from stomach cancer was performed in various areas of Japan. Blood and urine were collected from randomly selected 40- to 49-year-old men and their spouses in four areas with different rates of mortality from stomach cancer. The samples were analyzed for levels of the micronutrients vitamins A, C, and E, beta-carotene, and lycopene in plasma and for levels of NaCl, nitrate, and N-nitrosamino acids (N-nitrosoproline, N-nitrosothioproline [NTPRO] and N-nitrosomethylthioproline [NMTPRO]) in 24-hr urine. A significant, strong correlation was found between the amount of salt excreted in urine and stomach cancer mortality in both men and women. Although the amounts of nitrate and of the three N-nitrosamino acids in 24-hr urine were not correlated with stomach cancer rates, the low excretion levels of NTPRO and NMTPRO in the lowest risk area for stomach cancer were noteworthy, regardless of the high level of nitrate excretion in the same area. This suggests a lesser degree of endogenous nitrosation in the body. No protective effect of micronutrients was observed in this correlation study; there was, however, a negative correlation between plasma lycopene level and stomach cancer mortality. Salt intake was thus confirmed to play an important role in the development of stomach cancer and is likely to be a rate-regulating factor in Japanese populations. N-Nitrosamino acids and lycopene may also be related to stomach cancer mortality."}
{"id": "PMID:1486852", "title": "Determination of point mutational spectra of benzo[a]pyrene-diol epoxide in human cells.", "content": "The primary goal of our research consists of developing means sufficiently sensitive to allow assessment of human exposure to environmental carcinogens. We describe here a new approach for analyzing point mutational spectra and a test for its validity and precision using cultured human cells exposed to high doses of environmental carcinogens. The approach in its present form includes a) treatment of independent large cultures of human cells with a carcinogen, b) selection of mutant cells en masse by 6-thioguanine resistance, c) amplification of sequences of interest directly from 6TGR cells using high-fidelity polymerase chain reaction, and d) separation of mutant sequences from nonmutant sequences using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis. We report use of this protocol to observe induced mutational spectra in exon 3 of the hprt gene in cultured human cells by benzo[a]pyrene-diol epoxide (BPDE), an active form of the widely distributed environmental carcinogen benzo[a]pyrene. BPDE induced predominantly G to T transversions within this target sequence. The variation of the frequency of the mutations among independent cultures is consistent with the interpretation that each of them corresponds to a hotspot."}
{"id": "PMID:1486853", "title": "Nongenotoxic carcinogens: an extension of the perspective provided by Perera.", "content": "Perera recently discussed the very real problems that accompany any attempt to classify rodent carcinogens into two groups--genotoxic or nongenotoxic. Not the least of these problems is that no agreed definition of these two terms exist. Nonetheless, the current carcinogen databases, for example, that of the U.S. National Toxicology Program (NTP), clearly comprise two broad groups of carcinogens--DNA reactive, mutagenic and multiply carcinogenic chemicals, and others. The others appear to be nonreactive to DNA, are inactive in the primary mutagenicity assays, and usually elicit highly selective carcinogenic responses in animals. These two classes of carcinogen are illustrated by examples taken from the NTP database and are discussed within the possible context of the latter group not being active in humans or, if they are, only when a threshold dose has been exceeded, chronically."}
{"id": "PMID:1486854", "title": "Development of source testing, analytical, and mutagenicity bioassay procedures for evaluating emissions from municipal and hospital waste combustors.", "content": "Incineration is currently being used for disposal of about 10% of the solid waste generated in the United States, and this percentage will likely increase as land disposal declines. Siting new incinerators, however, is often controversial because of concerns related to the possibility of adverse health effects and environmental contamination from long-term exposure to stack emissions. Specific concerns relate to the adequacies of a) stack emission testing protocols, b) existing regulations, and c) compliance monitoring and enforcement of regulations. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency laboratories are cooperatively conducting research aimed at developing new testing equipment and procedures that will allow a more comprehensive assessment of the complex mixture of organics that is present in stack emissions. These efforts are directed specifically toward developing source testing equipment and procedures, analytical procedures, and bioassay procedures. The objectives of this study were to field test two types of high-volume source dilution samplers, collect stack samples for use in developing analytical and mutagenicity bioassay procedures, and determine mutagenicity of organics associated with emission particles from two municipal waste combustors and a hospital waste combustor. Data are presented for particle concentrations and emission rates, extractable organic concentrations and emission rates, and Salmonella (Ames) mutagenic potency and emission rates. The mutagenic emission rates and emission factors are compared to other incinerators and combustion sources."}
{"id": "PMID:1486855", "title": "EPA priorities for biologic markers research in environmental health.", "content": "Recent advances in molecular and cellular biology allow for measurement of biologic events or substances that may provide markers of exposure, effect, or susceptibility in humans. The application of these new and emerging techniques to environmental health offers the possibility of significantly reducing the uncertainties that traditionally hamper risk assessments. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) health research program emphasizes the validation of appropriate biologic markers and their application to high-priority Agency issues. The rationale for EPA's biomarker research program is presented, and future research directions are discussed. Exposure biomarkers will receive most of the research emphasis in the near term, particularly body burden indicators of exposure to high-priority chemicals, such as benzene, ozone, selected heavy metals, and organophosphate pesticides. Research on effects biomarkers will attempt to validate the relationship between the observed biological effects and adverse health consequences in humans, especially for cancer, pulmonary toxicity, immunotoxicity, and reproductive/developmental toxicity."}
{"id": "PMID:1486856", "title": "The findings of the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry Medical Waste Tracking Act report.", "content": "The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) report \"The Public Health Implications of Medical Waste: A Report to Congress\" has been finalized and submitted to Congress. The report is a comprehensive review of all available data and information on the subject. Based on the data developed in the report, ATSDR concludes that the general public is not likely to be adversely affected by medical waste generated in the traditional health setting. However, the increase of in-home health care and other sources of nonregulated medical waste (e.g., intravenous drug users) provides opportunities for the general public to contact medical waste. In addition, ATSDR concludes that public health concerns exist for selected occupations involved with medical waste. These populations include janitorial and laundry workers, nurses, emergency medical personnel, and refuse workers. The ATSDR report also defines what material should be managed as medical waste and identifies research needs related to medical waste."}
{"id": "PMID:1486857", "title": "Determinants of serum zinc in a random population sample of four Belgian towns with different degrees of environmental exposure to cadmium.", "content": "This report investigated the distribution of serum zinc and the factors determining serum zinc concentration in a large random population sample. The 1977 participants (959 men and 1018 women), 20-80 years old, constituted a stratified random sample of the population of four Belgian districts, representing two areas with low and two with high environmental exposure to cadmium. For each exposure level, a rural and an urban area were selected. The serum concentration of zinc, frequently used as an index for zinc status in human subjects, was higher in men (13.1 mumole/L, range 6.5-23.0 mumole/L) than in women (12.6 mumole/L, range 6.3-23.2 mumole/L). In men, 20% of the variance of serum zinc was explained by age (linear and squared term, R = 0.29), diurnal variation (r = 0.29), and total cholesterol (r = 0.16). After adjustment for these covariates, a negative relationship was observed between serum zinc and both blood (r = -0.10) and urinary cadmium (r = -0.14). In women, 11% of the variance could be explained by age (linear and squared term, R = 0.15), diurnal variation in serum zinc (r = 0.27), creatinine clearance (r = -0.11), log gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase (r = 0.08), cholesterol (r = 0.07), contraceptive pill intake (r = -0.07), and log serum ferritin (r = 0.06). Before and after adjustment for significant covariates, serum zinc was, on average, lowest in the two districts where the body burden of cadmium, as assessed by urinary cadmium excretion, was highest. These results were not altered when subjects exposed to heavy metals at work were excluded from analysis."}
{"id": "PMID:1486858", "title": "Toxicity of vesicant agents scheduled for destruction by the Chemical Stockpile Disposal Program.", "content": "The vesicant agents of the unitary chemical munitions stockpile include various formulations of sulfur mustard [bis-(2-chloroethyl) sulfide; agents H, HD, and HT] and small quantities of the organic arsenical Lewisite [dichloro(2-chlorovinyl) arsine; agent L]. These agents can be dispersed in liquid, aerosol, or vapor form and are capable of producing severe chemical burns upon direct contact with tissue. Moist tissues such as the eyes, respiratory tract, and axillary areas are particularly affected. Available data summarizing acute dose response in humans and laboratory animals are summarized. Vesicant agents are also capable of generating delayed effects such as chronic bronchitis, carcinogenesis, or keratitis/keratopathy of the eye under appropriate conditions of exposure and dose. These effects may not become manifest until years following exposure. Risk analysis derived from carcinogenesis data indicates that sulfur mustard possesses a carcinogenic potency similar to that of benzo[a]pyrene. Because mustard agents are alkylating compounds, they destroy individual cells by reaction with cellular proteins, enzymes, RNA, and DNA. Once begun, tissue reaction is irreversible. Mustard agents are mutagenic; data for cellular and laboratory animal assays are presented. Reproductive effects have not been demonstrated in the offspring of laboratory rats. Acute Lewisite exposure has been implicated in cases of Bowen's disease, an intraepidermal squamous cell carcinoma. Lewisite is not known to generate reproductive or teratogenic effects."}
{"id": "PMID:1486859", "title": "The third United States-Japan meeting on the Toxicological Characterization of Environmental Chemicals.", "content": "This report summarizes the discussion of the Third U.S.-Japan Meeting on the Toxicological Characterization of Environmental Chemicals held under the auspices of the U.S.-Japan cooperative in research and development in science and technology. Recent data on the interrelationships between toxicity, cell proliferation, and carcinogenicity are presented."}
{"id": "PMID:1486860", "title": "Perinatal and multigenerational effect of carcinogens: possible contribution to determination of cancer susceptibility.", "content": "Perinatal exposure to carcinogens may contribute to the determination of susceptibility to cancer in two situations: a) exposure in utero of embryonal or fetal somatic cells to carcinogens, and b) prezygotic exposure of the germ cells of one or both parents to carcinogens. Epidemiological as well as experimental studies demonstrate that exposure to carcinogens in utero increases the occurrence of cancer postnatally. Studies with experimental animals suggest that prezygotic exposure of germ cells to carcinogens can result in an increased incidence of cancer not only in immediate but also in subsequent generations. Although several studies suggest a transgeneration effect of carcinogens in human populations, the evidence cannot yet be considered conclusive. In particular, while some hypotheses can be advanced, the mechanism(s) by which increased susceptibility or predisposition to cancer may be transmitted via the germ cells has not yet been clarified. In conjunction with exposure both in utero and prezygotically, it is important to consider postnatal exposure to possible tumor-promoting agents. Results from experimental animals suggest that oncogenes can be activated transplacentally, and human studies indicate that tumor-suppressor gene inactivation may be involved in the transgenerational effect of carcinogens."}
{"id": "PMID:1486861", "title": "Intragenomic repair heterogeneity of DNA damage.", "content": "The mutagenic and carcinogenic consequences of unrepaired DNA damage depend upon its precise location with respect to the relevant genomic sites. Therefore, it is important to learn the fine structure of DNA damage, in particular, proto-oncogenes, tumor-suppressor genes, and other DNA sequences implicated in tumorigenesis. Both the introduction and the repair of many types of DNA lesions are heterogeneous with respect to chromatin structure and/or gene activity. For example, cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers are removed more efficiently from the transcribed than the nontranscribed strand of the dhfr gene in Chinese hamster ovary cells. In contrast, preferential strand repair of alkali-labile sites is not found at this locus. In mouse 3T3 cells, dimers are more efficiently removed from an expressed proto-oncogene than from a silent one. Persistent damage in nontranscribed domains may account for genomic instability in those regions, particularly during cell proliferation as lesions are encountered by replication forks. The preferential repair of certain lesions in the transcribed strands of active genes results in a bias toward mutagenesis owing to persistent lesions in the nontranscribed strands. Risk assessment in environmental genetic toxicology requires assays that determine effective levels of DNA damage of producing malignancy. The existence of nonrandom repair in the mammalian genome casts doubt on the reliability of overall indicators of carcinogen-DNA binding and lesion repair for such determinations. Tissue-specific and cell-specific differences in the coordinate regulation of gene expression and DNA repair may account for corresponding differences in the carcinogenic response to particular environmental agents."}
{"id": "PMID:1486863", "title": "Cisplatin-DNA damage and repair in peripheral blood leukocytes in vivo and in vitro.", "content": "We have extended our studies on the relationship between cisplatin/carboplatin-induced DNA damage in readily accessible tissue(s) and clinical response to therapy. Such an approach may assist in the study of cancer drug resistance and in establishing parameters for assessing human populations for sensitivity to DNA damaging agents in the environment. Platinum-DNA adduct levels were measured by atomic absorbance spectrometry. DNA repair capacity was assessed in human T-lymphocytes by the ability to repair cisplatin lesions in cellular DNA or in transfected plasmid DNA. In a \"blinded\" study of 21 patients receiving combination cisplatin/carboplatin drug therapy, there was a direct relationship between DNA damage in leukocytes and disease response (summary two-sided p = 0.00011). The cohort of patients had 15 different tumor types, suggesting that blood tissue and tumor tissue of an individual may process platinum-DNA damage similarly regardless of the tissue of origin of the tumor. In leukocytes in vivo, persistence and accumulation were prominent features of the cisplatin-DNA adduct profile. Functional DNA repair capacity has been studied in eight human leukocyte cell lines in vitro (three, T-cells; three, B-cells; one, monocytic; one, promyelocytic), using a host cell reactivation assay with cisplatin-damaged pRSVcat. In the three T cell lines studied, host cell reactivation efficiency was directly related to the cells' abilities to repair cisplatin-damaged cellular DNA (correlation coefficient = 0.993).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1486862", "title": "Multiple genetic alterations in human carcinogenesis.", "content": "Cancer development in man appeared to be a multistage process as suggested by epidemiological studies on commonly occurring gastric, colon, and breast cancers and also on human retrovirus-related leukemia, and by the finding by physicians and surgeons of precancerous lesions for many types of neoplasias. In the last 10 years it has become evident that human cancers have multiple genetic alterations caused by point mutations, recombinations, amplifications, and/or deletions. The genes affected include both oncogenes and tumor-suppressor genes and genes that accelerate cell proliferation and metastasis. Cancers with more malignant properties and poorer prognosis are generally associated with larger numbers of genetic alterations. These multiple genetic alterations are considered to be a direct reflection of the multiple steps involved in carcinogenesis. The multiple genetic alterations are caused by multiple environmental carcinogenic substances or factors, each of which usually exists only at minute concentrations and does not exert any major impact alone except under particular occupational, iatrogenic, and locally geographic conditions. The fact that carcinogenesis is a multistep process involving multiple genetic alterations clearly needs to be taken into consideration in assessing the risks of environmental carcinogenic substances or factors. The increasing incidence of multiple primary cancers is also most easily understood from the viewpoint of multiple steps in carcinogenesis. Possible multiple approaches to cancer prevention should therefore be considered in relation to multistep carcinogenesis and multiple carcinogenic factors."}
{"id": "PMID:1486864", "title": "Relationship of H-ras-1, L-myc, and p53 polymorphisms with lung cancer risk and prognosis.", "content": "Proto-oncogenes (H-ras-1 and L-myc) and tumor-suppressor gene (p53) loci have been implicated in lung carcinogenesis. DNA restriction fragment length polymorphisms at these gene loci are being evaluated in a case-control study as markers predictive of risk for cancer or of prognosis when cancer is present. The cases and controls had a cigarette-smoking history of 40 or more pack years or other abnormalities in pulmonary function tests, their ages were closely matched (64 years for cases and 61 years for controls) and the ratio of Caucasians to African Americans was close to unity (cases, 0.95:1.00, controls, 1.00:0.88). The H-ras-1 gene contains an insertion deletion polymorphism. Inheritance of rare H-ras-1 alleles, defined by MspI digestion, confers a relative risk for lung cancer of 2.0 (95% confidence interval, 0.5-7.3) for Caucasians and 3.2 (0.9-11.6) for African Americans (74 cases, 67 controls). The L-myc gene sequence has a restriction site (EcoR1) polymorphism between the second and third exons. Inheritance of restriction site-present alleles was reported to confer poor prognosis (presence of lymph node metastases) in Japanese lung cancer patients. This hypothesis was tested in both case-control study subjects (56 cases, 55 controls) and additional surgical cases (40), but no evidence was found to support the hypothesis in the U.S. population. The p53 gene is a tumor-suppressor gene that can encode either a proline or an arginine in the 72nd residue. No associations was found between the minor allele (proline) and diagnosis of lung cancer (76 cases, 68 controls).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1486865", "title": "Polymorphisms for aromatic amine metabolism in humans: relevance for human carcinogenesis.", "content": "The metabolic pathways associated with carcinogenic aromatic amines in humans provide an excellent example of polymorphisms that appear to be relevant to human carcinogenesis. In this regard, the N-acetylation of arylamines and the O-acetylation of their N-hydroxy metabolites are catalyzed preferentially by a genetically polymorphic acetyltransferase, high activity of which has been correlated with decreased risk for urinary bladder cancer and increased susceptibility to colorectal cancer. Cytochrome P450IA2, the principal liver enzyme involved in aromatic amine N-oxidation, exhibits a wide interindividual variation that appears trimodal in several populations and is clearly inducible by cigarette smoking and probably other host factors as well. UDP-Glucuronosyltransferases, which catalyze the N-glucuronidation of N-hydroxyarylamines and are likely to be responsible for their transport to the colon, show widely varied but unimodal distributions in humans. In contrast, human liver sulfotransferase activity for N-hydroxyarylamines, which would be expected to decrease their transport through the circulation, is catalyzed by a polymorphic enzyme(s) that is expressed at higher levels in blacks, as compared to whites, and could contribute to their relatively lower incidence of urinary bladder cancer. Peroxidative activation of aromatic amines can also occur, especially from prostaglandin H synthase in the urinary bladder and myeloperoxidase in the lungs of cigarette smokers, and both show considerable individual variability, apparently due to the extent of tissue inflammation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1486866", "title": "Elucidation of catalytic specificities of human cytochrome P450 and glutathione S-transferase enzymes and relevance to molecular epidemiology.", "content": "A number of different approaches have been used to determine the catalytic selectivity of individual human enzymes toward procarcinogens. Studies with cytochrome P450 (P450) enzymes and glutathione S-transferases are summarized here, and recent work with pyrrolizidine alkaloids, aflatoxins, 4,4'-methylenebis(2-chloroaniline), and ethyl carbamate is discussed. In some cases a single enzyme can catalyze both activation and detoxication reactions of a chemical. The purification and characterization of human lung P4501A1 and the development of a noninvasive assay for human P4502E1 are also described."}
{"id": "PMID:1486867", "title": "Human cytochromes P450: evolution and cDNA-directed expression.", "content": "As the first step in the process of carcinogenesis, most chemical carcinogens require metabolic activation by cytochromes P450 for conversion to highly reactive electrophiles that bind covalently to DNA. Studies in rodents suggest that low or high levels of expression of a single P450 can determine susceptibility or resistance to chemically induced cancer. Although rodent systems have been used to explore the molecular basis of chemical carcinogenesis and to identify chemicals capable of damaging genes and causing cancer, it has been understood that marked species differences exist in the expression, regulation, and catalytic activities of different P450s. Thus, large efforts are underway to study the catalytic activities of human P450s directly by expression of their cDNAs in cultured cells. Two systems are being used: a) transient high-level P450 production in HepG2 cells for analysis of catalytic activities, and b) stable expression in human B-lymphoblastoid cells to study promutagen and procarcinogen activation. These studies define the relative contributions of individual P450 forms to the activation of various chemical carcinogens. The B-lymphoblastoid cDNA expression system can also be used to determine whether a chemical will be hazardous or toxic to humans. The most intriguing aspects of P450s are the occurrence of human genetic polymorphisms in P450 expression, which could be a risk factor for chemical carcinogenesis. The best-studied P450 genetic polymorphism is the debrisoquine/sparteine polymorphism which is due to mutant CYP2D6 alleles. Four mutant alleles have been characterized that account for most of the defective CYP2D6 genes in Caucasians. These can be detected by polymerase chain reaction assays.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1486868", "title": "The human glutathione S-transferase supergene family, its polymorphism, and its effects on susceptibility to lung cancer.", "content": "Cytosolic glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) are a supergene family of dimeric enzymes capable of detoxifying a number of carcinogenic electrophiles. Of the numerous components of tobacco smoke, the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons appear to be the principal compounds that yield substrates for these enzymes, GSTM1-1 being effective with those PAH derivatives so far studied; however, the gene locus for GSTM1 is polymorphic, containing two well-characterized expressing genes and a null allele. Use of cDNA for GSTM1-1 or appropriate fragments of genomic clones as probes in Southern blots indicated that the null allele is due to the absence of GSTM1. In preliminary experiments, described here, with lung tissue from smokers, levels of 32P-postlabeled nuclease P1-enhanced DNA adducts were inversely correlated with levels of antigen cross-reacting with antibody to GSTM1-1, suggesting that initiation depends on the expression of GSTM1-1. Since similar quantities of DNA adducts and GSTM1-1 activity have been shown to occur in bronchial and peripheral lung, however, the development of malignancy, which is usually in the bronchial region, presumably depends on additional factors that bring about promotion and progression, which are not necessarily affected by GSTM1 expression. Two epidemiological studies have been carried out in which a possible correlation between the absence of GSTM1 and lung cancer incidence is considered. In the first, involving a U.S. population sample, smokers with and without lung cancer were phenotyped, and a highly significant correlation between the absence of GSTM1-1 activity and adenocarcinoma of the lung was observed.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1486869", "title": "Interindividual variation in carcinogen metabolism and bladder cancer risk.", "content": "Epidemiological studies indicate that subjects of the genetically based slow acetylator phenotype may be at higher risk for bladder cancer than fast acetylators, particularly when they are exposed to carcinogenic arylamines: N-acetylation is a detoxification step in the metabolism of some arylamines. We describe two collaborative studies on tobacco smoking, in which markers of internal dose (arylamine-hemoglobin adducts) and markers of genetically-based metabolic polymorphism have been coupled. In the first investigation, we found that hemoglobin adducts formed by mononuclear arylamines have high reciprocal correlation coefficients, as do adducts from binuclear arylamines. This tendency of adducts with structurally similar arylamines to correlate reciprocally explains a large proportion of the residual variance seen after controlling for smoking habits (number and type of cigarettes). In the second study, the concentration of 4-amino-biphenyl-hemoglobin adducts varied according to three independent determinants: number of cigarettes, type of tobacco (air or flue cured), and acetylator phenotype (slow and fast). The dose-response relationship between the amount of tobacco smoked and level of 4-aminobiphenyl-hemoglobin adducts in the slow acetylators (with an immediate steep increase of the adducts) was different from that in the fast acetylators (with a more regular increase). These findings from \"molecular epidemiology\" may contribute to an understanding of the role of metabolic polymorphism in human carcinogenesis."}
{"id": "PMID:1486875", "title": "The somatotropic axis in puberty.", "content": "Sex steroids markedly affect GH pulsatility by altering GH pulse amplitude without affecting GH pulse frequency. The type of sex steroid (testosterone or estrogen) appears to determine the timing of the pubertal growth spurt although both steroids appear to influence the amount of GH released from the pituitary. GH levels also affect gonadal secretion of sex steroids. The effects of the two are synergistic, but there is a real therapeutic dilemma of what to increase and when in children who are deficient in either GH or gonadotrophin secretion. Augmented GH pulsatility, particularly during the day, may alter markedly the interpretation of standard endocrine tests. Finally, the insulin resistance arising from an increased circulating concentration of GH may have important implications for the management of insulin-dependent diabetes during puberty."}
{"id": "PMID:1486876", "title": "Clinical pathophysiology of the somatotropic (GH) axis in adults.", "content": "In summary, GH secretion and, to a lesser extent, GH metabolic clearance, are subject to regulation in health and disease. Nutritional, body compositional, metabolic, and age-related and sex-steroid related mechanisms as well as adrenal glucocorticoids, thyroid hormones, and renal and hepatic function all govern pulsatile GH release in adults. Moreover, tissue resistance to GH action may occur as an inborn (Laron dwarf) or acquired (fasting, diabetes mellitus, chronic renal failure) defect and modulate the function of the somatotropic axis. Finally, GH action is controlled by the local synthesis of IGFs and their binding proteins in target tissues."}
{"id": "PMID:1486877", "title": "Long-term endurance training alters the hypothalamic-pituitary axes for gonadotropins and growth hormone.", "content": "In a prospective fashion we have studied the impact of chronic exercise of two intensities on the hypothalamic-pituitary-end organ axes for gonadotropins and GH in gynecologically mature, previously sedentary women. Physiologic alterations are evident in both axes with a doubling of 24-hour mean serum GH concentrations at 1 year and smaller, transient changes in pulsatile LH release during the first four menstrual cycles. The latter period of physiologic adaptation should be studied more intensively with more frequent exercise evaluation. Perhaps more significant \"adaptation to stress\" would be quantitated. We also emphasize that gynecologically less mature women were not studied and only the early follicular phase was evaluated. Adaptive changes of greater magnitude (including amenorrhea) might have been produced if a different group of women, a markedly different training regimen, or a different phase of the menstrual cycle were studied. Finally, whether or not they participate in physical training, younger amenorrheic women are at increased risk for diminished lumbar spine bone mineral content and skeletal fractures."}
{"id": "PMID:1486878", "title": "Regulation and dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. The corticotropin-releasing hormone perspective.", "content": "This article is an up-to-date review of the impact that the discovery of corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) has had on basic science and clinical medicine. It discusses hypothalamic CRH, placental CRH, immune CRH, and hypothalamic and immune CRH. Clinical studies in normal and disease states and synthesis and future directions also are presented."}
{"id": "PMID:1486879", "title": "Syndrome of inappropriate antidiuresis.", "content": "Since it was first recognized 35 years ago, the syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone (SIADH) secretion has become the most commonly recognized cause of hyponatremia among hospitalized patients. The syndrome is caused by excessive intake of fluids when urinary dilution is impaired by physiologically inappropriate secretion or administration of vasopressin or other antidiuretic hormones. Inappropriate secretion of the hormone may be ectopic by a malignancy or ectopic and can ensure from any of three different types of osmoregulatory defects. Rarely, there is no demonstrable defect in the osmoregulation of vasopressin. The excessive fluid intake may be due to inappropriate thirst but often is iatrogenic. The syndrome occurs in association with many diseases, particularly of the lungs and brain, and can also be caused by drugs or surgery. Its principal symptoms are neurologic and due to the associated hypo-osmolality of body fluids. Diagnosis requires exclusion of certain other hormonal or hemodynamic disorders that can also increase vasopressin or impair urinary dilution. Therapy differs depending on the severity and duration of the hyponatremia but is always based on cautiously raising plasma sodium by fluid restriction, infusion of hypertonic saline, or administration of drugs that block the antidiuretic effect of vasopressin."}
{"id": "PMID:1486880", "title": "Pathologic hyperprolactinemia.", "content": "Unlike other pituitary hormones, PRL is under tonic inhibition by the hypothalamus by way of the PRL inhibitory factor, dopamine. GAP and GABA may also be inhibitory. PRL-releasing factors include TRH and VIP and possibly others. Circulating PRL is predominantly monomeric, although some patients with hyperprolactinemia appear to have increased quantities of the less biologically active polymeric forms. PRL is secreted episodically, with an increase in the amplitude of the secretory pulses with sleep. A transitory increase also occurs in response to the protein component of meals. Basal PRL levels increase in response to the hormonal milieu of pregnancy, and suckling postpartum triggers PRL release. Pathologic increases of PRL owing to hypothalamic dysregulation occur with a variety of medications, including the neuroleptics, metoclopramide, antidepressants, methyldopa, reserpine and verapamil, abuse of opiates and cocaine, renal insufficiency, cirrhosis, hypothyroidism, adrenal insufficiency, neurogenic stimulation, and idiopathically. Hyperprolactinemia also may occur from structural lesions of the stalk and hypothalamus, which cause disinhibition with or without maintenance of PRF activity, ectopic neoplasm production, and, most commonly, from prolactinomas. Diagnostic testing consists of routine chemistry and thyroid testing and imaging with MRI or CT. Dopamine agonists are the treatment of choice of prolactinomas of all sizes. Transsphenoidal surgery is an alternative for the patient who does not respond to medical therapy or who wishes definitive tumor removal, realizing that long-term cure is achieved in only 50% to 60% of patients with microadenomas and a much lower number in those with macroadenomas. Radiotherapy is reserved for patients who do respond to either medical or surgical treatment. Patients wishing to become pregnant usually are treated with bromocriptine, although prepregnancy surgical debulking may be advisable for those with large macroadenomas to reduce problems with tumor enlargement."}
{"id": "PMID:1486881", "title": "Central hypothyroidism.", "content": "Central hypothyroidism is an uncommon condition characterized by insufficient thyroid gland stimulation by TSH, owing to hypothalamic and/or pituitary dysfunction. It is rarely isolated but more often occurs in conjunction with deficiencies of other pituitary hormones, as well as with neurologic symptoms and signs owing to hypothalamic/pituitary lesions. The diagnosis rests on documentation of clinical and biochemical hypothyroidism with an inappropriately low or nonelevated serum TSH level. Recent studies suggest that the temporal pattern of TSH secretion, as well as TSH structure, is altered in central hypothyroidism, providing a mechanism for the induction of the hypothyroid state in this condition."}
{"id": "PMID:1486882", "title": "Neuroendocrinology of aging in the male and female.", "content": "Many changes in the neuroendocrine axis occur with healthy normal aging in humans. Women cease ovarian follicle maturation and menstrual cycles entering the estrogen-deficient state termed menopause. Although not without risk, estrogen and progesterone replacement in postmenopausal women has been shown to ameliorate the complications of lowered estradiol concentrations, such as hot flushes and osteoporsis, while improving the risk of cardiovascular complications. Aging men have lowered serum free and total testosterone concentrations and may experience a less well defined symptom complex termed andropause. Both signs and symptoms of thyroid disease and interpretation of thyroid function tests are difficult in aging humans. Specifically, TSH secretion is diminished in aging so that suppressed serum TSH concentrations are indicative of but not specific for hyperthyroidism. Cortisol secretion is not altered in aging, although serum concentrations of DHEA-S are lower. Prolactin concentrations are increased in both men and women, with the increase being more pronounced in men. The clinical significance of this increase has not yet been determined. Finally, elderly humans are more likely to develop difficulties with fluid and electrolyte balance. Although some alterations in AVP secretion have been shown in the elderly, plasma concentrations are similar in young and elderly subjects. Other mechanisms, such as decreased glomerular filtration rate and a decreased sensitivity of the thirst mechanism in response to hypertonicity, may be important contributors to fluid and electrolyte imbalances."}
{"id": "PMID:1486884", "title": "Two-year survey of the incidence of Lyme borreliosis and tick-borne encephalitis in a high-risk population in Sweden.", "content": "A survey was made over a two-year period (September 1987 to August 1989) of a population living in an area endemic for Lyme borreliosis and tick-borne encephalitis in Sweden. For each patient a blood sample was collected and a questionnaire completed annually. All sera were tested for an antibody response to Borrelia burgdorferi in an EIA using sonicated antigen and for an antibody response to the tick-borne encephalitis virus using an EIA and a haemagglutination inhibition test. Antibodies to Borrelia burgdorferi and tick-borne encephalitis virus were detected in 89 (25.7%) and 40 (11.6%) respectively of 346 samples collected in August 1987. In the first year of the study 14 of 303 subjects (4.6%) developed Lyme borreliosis and in the second year 9 of 277 subjects (3.2%). A significant increase in the antibody titre for Borrelia burgdorferi was seen in 14 of 303 (4.6%) subjects in the first year and 8 of 277 (2.9%) subjects in the second year. An earlier episode of Lyme borreliosis or an elevated antibody titre did not seem to protect against reinfection. One case of tick-borne encephalitis was seen each year. Seroconversion for tick-borne encephalitis virus was found in 3 of 258 (1.2%) subjects in the first year and 5 of 211 (2.4%) in the second year, excluding subjects who had undergone successful immunisation or had earlier been hospitalised for tick-borne encephalitis. The study thus demonstrated a high yearly incidence of tick-borne infections in a population at risk."}
{"id": "PMID:1486883", "title": "Chlamydial infections of the heart.", "content": "Chlamydiae are common human pathogens, causing a broad spectrum of infectious diseases. Chlamydial infections involving the heart have been described in numerous previous reports. These organisms are documented to cause endocarditis, myocarditis and pericarditis. Furthermore, Chlamydia pneumoniae, the recently discovered respiratory pathogen, has also been implicated in coronary artery disease. For the first time the literature on involvement of the heart in chlamydial infections is reviewed. Information on the discovery of Chlamydia species is also included and the problem of the species determination of Chlamydia in interpretation of the older literature is mentioned."}
{"id": "PMID:1486885", "title": "A case of disseminated Mycobacterium marinum infection in an immunocompetent patient.", "content": "An unusual case of Mycobacterium marinum cutaneous infection is described. As a result of marked delay in the diagnosis, extensive local inflammation and destructive osteomyelitis occurred together with cutaneous dissemination in an immunocompetent host. Pathologic fractures in the infected bone necessitated amputation of the involved digit. The most striking feature of this case was the development of multiple widespread cutaneous lesions for several months following amputation of the infected digit and initiation of appropriate antimicrobial therapy. These new cutaneous lesions may reflect local immune and inflammatory reactions to previously disseminated microorganisms."}
{"id": "PMID:1486886", "title": "Evaluation of the Septi-Chek AFB system in the recovery of mycobacteria.", "content": "The performance of the Septi-Chek AFB System (Roche) in the isolation of mycobacteria was compared to that of culture on Lowenstein-Jensen (LJ) medium and the Bactec radiometric system. The Septi-Chek AFB system detected a significantly higher number of positive specimens (62/66 versus 47/66 for Bactec and 39/56 for LJ medium) and was more often the only medium in which an isolate was recovered. The average time for detection of isolates was very similar for the Septi-Chek AFB and Bactec systems which were both significantly faster than LJ medium in the majority of isolates."}
{"id": "PMID:1486887", "title": "Variability of surface-exposed antigens of different strains of Moraxella catarrhalis.", "content": "For serological diagnosis of infection with Moraxella (Branhamella) catarrhalis it is important to determine if there is variability of antigenic properties among different strains. Cross-reactions of nine strains were investigated by an immunofluorescence test using sera from immunized rabbits. All titres but one were 1:256 or higher, the highest being 1:4096. Thus a high degree of antigenic similarity was demonstrated among different strains of Moraxella catarrhalis. However, the homologous titres of six sera were 2 to 16 times higher than the titres for other strains indicating strain variations in antigenic properties of some surface components. There was no correlation between lipopolysaccharide type and titre in the immunofluorescence test."}
{"id": "PMID:1486888", "title": "Killing kinetics of five orally administered antibiotics at clinically achievable concentrations against Moraxella catarrhalis.", "content": "Time-kill kinetic studies were used to measure the bactericidal activity of amoxicillin/clavulanic acid (in a new form for pediatric use), cefaclor, cefuroxime, cefixime and erythromycin against 30 beta-lactamase producing Moraxella catarrhalis strains. Antibiotics were tested at the mean maximum serum concentration observed after administration of a standard dose and at 0.5 x Cmax, 0.33 x Cmax and 0.25 x Cmax. A 2 log10 reduction in colony counts was obtained with the Cmax of amoxicillin/clavulanic acid and cefixime after 5 h of incubation. After 24 h of incubation a decrease of 3 and 4 log was observed with cefixime and amoxicillin/clavulanic acid respectively. At 0.5 x Cmax and 0.33 x Cmax, bactericidal activity was obtained only with amoxicillin/clavulanic acid."}
{"id": "PMID:1486889", "title": "Error rates in cefoperazone and cefoperazone-sulbactam disk tests with Enterobacteriaceae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.", "content": "In a collaborative study involving five medical centers, 6% of 2,440 consecutive isolates of Enterobacteriaceae were resistant to cefoperazone; resistance to cefoperazone was reduced to < 1% by the addition of sulbactam. Susceptibility to cefoperazone and cefoperazone-sulbactam was accurately predicted by disk diffusion tests. Resistance to cefoperazone, however, was not as reliably detected by disk tests and results of dilution tests were not always consistent. The prevalence of resistance to cefoperazone and/or the ability to detect resistance had a significant influence on very major error rates for individual laboratories."}
{"id": "PMID:1486890", "title": "A simple medium for the primary isolation of Haemophilus ducreyi.", "content": "Two simple, inexpensive media containing gonococcal agar-base, supplemented with 5% Fildes' extract and either chocolated or unchocolated horse blood (GC-FHBC or GC-FHB) were compared with the standard gonococcal agar-based (GC-HgS) and Mueller-Hinton agar-based media (MH-HB) normally used for primary isolation of Haemophilus ducreyi from presumptive chancroid lesions. Overall, Haemophilus ducreyi was recovered from 162 of 178 (91%) samples from primary chancroid lesions. As a single isolation medium GC-HgS proved the most sensitive with an isolation rate of 80% followed by GC-FHB (75%), MH-HB and GC-FHC (both 71%). Use of a combination of GC-HgS and MH-HB resulted in isolation of Haemophilus ducreyi in 160 of 178 cases (90%). Since GC-FHB is approximately one-quarter the cost of the combination and half the cost of GC-HgS or MH-HB alone, this medium could prove suitable for diagnostic purposes in developing countries where chancroid is endemic."}
{"id": "PMID:1486891", "title": "Impaired detection of faecal verocytotoxin in the presence of Clostridium difficile cytotoxin in patients with haemolytic uraemic syndrome.", "content": "Three cases of haemolytic uraemic syndrome associated with infection with verocytotoxin producing Escherichia coli are described. The concomitant presence of Clostridium difficile cytotoxin in the patients' stool impaired the detection of free faecal verocytotoxin. Stool specimens containing Clostridium difficile cytotoxin should thus be considered negative for verocytotoxin only after neutralisation of the Clostridium difficile cytotoxin with antitoxin."}
{"id": "PMID:1486892", "title": "Use of western blot to analyze the reactivity of sera from patients with Mediterranean spotted fever.", "content": "The reactivity of antigenic components of Rickettsia conorii with sequentially obtained sera from 20 adult Spanish patients with Mediterranean spotted fever was analyzed by Western blot. The major rickettsial antigens reacting with the serum samples corresponded to molecular weights of 135 and 115 kDa. These antigens constantly exhibited higher staining intensity than the other antigens, and reacted with 100% and 86.7%, respectively, of acute sera and with 100% of convalescent phase samples. Rickettsial lipopolysaccharide antigens reacted with 94.7% of sera collected in the fourth and fifth week after onset of symptoms. Other major antigens reactive in the blots had molecular sizes of 160, 100, 90 and 60 kDa, and a relatively frequent humoral immune response was also seen to antigens of 80, 73 and 55 kDa."}
{"id": "PMID:1486893", "title": "Comparative activity of the topical quinolone OPC-7251 against bacteria associated with acne vulgaris.", "content": "The antibacterial activity of the topical quinolone OPC-7251 against bacteria commonly found in acne vulgaris was tested in vitro by an agar dilution method. The MIC50 was 0.25 mg/l for Propionibacterium acnes, 0.125 mg/l for Propionibacterium granulosum, 0.03 mg/l for Staphylococcus aureus and 0.06 mg/l for coagulase-negative staphylococci. Compared with seven other antibiotics tested (ciprofloxacin, penicillin, erythromycin, tetracycline, clindamycin, fusidic acid and gentamicin), OPC-7251 had potent activity against both propionibacteria and staphylococci and the lowest incidence of resistant strains."}
{"id": "PMID:1486894", "title": "Comparative in vitro activity of Ro 40-6890, Ro 41-3399, and other antimicrobial agents against anaerobic bacteria.", "content": "The in vitro activity of the ester Ro 41-3399 and its free active acid Ro 40-6890 was tested against 189 strains of anaerobic bacteria in comparison to other oral cephalosporins and to antimicrobial agents established in the treatment of anaerobic infections. Prevotella, Porphyromonas, Peptostreptococcus, Fusobacterium and Clostridium spp. were susceptible to Ro 40-6890, with few exceptions. Due to its lack of activity against the major pathogens of the Bacteriodes fragilis group, Ro 40-6890 does not promise to be of major use in the treatment of infections caused by anaerobes."}
{"id": "PMID:1486899", "title": "Clinical pharmacology of loop diuretics in health and disease.", "content": "There are differences in metabolism and excretion of the loop diuretics which extrapolate to differences in pharmacokinetic behaviour in different disease states. For example, furosemide is eliminated in equal portions by renal and non-renal routes; the non-renal route involves primarily glucuronidation. Both renal and non-renal pathways are impaired during renal insufficiency, such that the elimination half-life is prolonged considerably in this disease state. In contrast, there seems to be little change in disposition in patients with liver disease. Bumetanide and torasemide have non-renal elimination pathways via the hepatic cytochrome system. In patients with renal insufficiency these non-renal pathways of elimination are left intact so that there is little prolongation of half-life in such patients. In contrast, in patients with liver disease or with congestive hepatopathy, there is impairment in non-renal elimination so that relatively more drug appears in the urine. With all loop diuretics, response is governed by the amount of drug appearing in the urine. By assessing the relationship between urinary excretion rates of the diuretic and sodium excretion rate, a maximal response which amounts to a fractional excretion of sodium of approximately 20% can be defined. Thus it is possible to define a maximal dose as the amount of drug necessary to attain a fractional excretion of sodium of 20%. Studies in different disease states using escalating doses can thereby use this relationship to define a dose above which little is to be gained in terms of therapeutic efficacy.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1486900", "title": "Effects of diuretics on renal excretory function.", "content": "From a clinicopharmacological standpoint, the urinary excretory potency of diuretics should be assessed comparatively, on the basis of placebo-controlled changes in 24 h natriuresis, following single oral doses administered to healthy adult subjects who are in steady-state habitual external sodium balance. The potency of 30 diuretic formulations has been evaluated. Two formulations of loop diuretics (muzolimine 20 mg and torasemide 2.5 mg) are non-diuretic. The majority of the other formulations of loop diuretics studied (e.g. furosemide 40 mg and torasemide 5 and 10 mg) are comparatively less potent than most of the common formulations of early distal tubular diuretics studied (e.g. hydrochlorothiazide 25 and 50 mg, xipamide 10, 20 and 40 mg). Hydrochlorothiazide 25 mg and furosemide 80 mg have similar potencies. The presence of a rebound in natriuresis between 6 and 24 h after administration of loop diuretics make the majority of the common formulations of these drugs less potent than most common formulations of thiazide-type diuretics."}
{"id": "PMID:1486901", "title": "Comparative mechanisms of action of diuretic drugs in hypertension.", "content": "This review concerns the modes of action of thiazides, loop- and potassium-sparing diuretics, with particular emphasis on their antihypertensive activity. Thiazide diuretics inhibit an enzyme in the basolateral cell membrane in the distal tubule, thus bringing about an impaired absorption and enhanced excretion of both Na+ and Cl- ions. The loss of Na+ ions is countered by the exchange from Na+ against K+, hence causing a loss of K+ ions. The renal excretion of Ca++ ions is impaired, that of Mg++ ions enhanced. Loop diuretics inhibit a carrier mechanism that enhances the inward transport into the tubular cells of Na+, K+ and Cl- ions as well as water. This process, which occurs in the thick ascending limb of Henle's loop, enhances the urinary excretions of these ions together with water and Ca++ and Mg++ ions. Potassium-sparing diuretics comprise two different categories. Triamterene and amiloride inhibit a local transport mechanism in the distal tubular cells which allows the influx of Na+ and its exchange against K+ or H+ ions. Concomitantly, the excretion of Na+, but not that of K+, ions is enhanced. Aldosterone antagonists inhibit the renal effects of aldosterone at the receptor level and impair the reabsorption of Na+ ions and water and their exchange against K+ ions. Despite detailed knowledge of the renal mode of action of the diuretics, the mechanism whereby they exert their antihypertensive activity is still uncertain. The initial reduction in plasma volume is accompanied by reduction in cardiac output and increased systemic vascular resistance. Continued treatment leads to a return to normal in cardiac output and a reduction in systemic vascular resistance.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1486902", "title": "Modulation of electrolyte excretion by potassium retaining diuretics.", "content": "Triamterene and amiloride belong to the potassium retaining diuretics of the cycloamidine type. These agents exert natriuretic as well as antikaliuretic effects. After administration of high doses an additional magnesium-sparing property also becomes evident. Whereas amiloride is only metabolized to a minor extent, triamterene is rapidly bio-transformed to the phase-I metabolite, hydroxytriamterene, and the phase-II metabolite, hydroxytriamterene sulphuric acid ester. This acidic phase-II metabolite is still diuretically active, but its electrolyte excretion profile is different from the parent compound: although the natriuretic properties are not altered, the potassium retention is very weak. Further studies in rats with cycloamidine derivatives of the triamterene type containing neutral, acidic or basic side chains at the phenyl moiety as well as with basic pteridine derivatives, revealed further evidence that the natriuretic, antikaliuretic and antimagnesiuretic effects can be influenced almost independently by structural variations of the parent drug. Thus, it was possible to obtain compounds predominantly increasing sodium excretion without affecting potassium or magnesium excretion. On the other hand, substances could be developed with mainly antikaliuretic effects, or compounds, which enhanced sodium and reduced magnesium excretion and did not interfere with the potassium elimination. Based on these findings, it can be concluded that distal tubular transport of sodium, potassium and magnesium may be influenced independently from each other. These renal effects of triamterene and its derivatives seem to be independent of their antiarrhythmic actions, as suggested by recent studies."}
{"id": "PMID:1486903", "title": "Potency of vascular risk factors as the basis for antihypertensive therapy.", "content": "Hypertension is a powerful predisposing risk factor for cardiovascular disease at all ages and in both sexes. Epidemiological assessment indicates the largest risk ratios for stroke and congestive heart failure (CHF), but coronary heart disease (CHD) is the most common and most lethal sequela of hypertension. Examination of the risk of cardiovascular sequelae in the hypertensive population indicates that this is not uniform and varies over a 10-fold range, depending on the associated risk factors. Systolic pressure merits greater consideration than the diastole pressure because isolated systolic hypertension is a powerful cardiovascular risk at all ages. Furthermore, recent trials have indicated the benefit of therapy for systolic-based hypertension in the elderly, even using a diuretic, for coronary disease as well as stroke. Persons with hypertension have a high prevalence of associated cardiovascular risk factors, including elevated cholesterol, reduced HDL-C, diabetes, left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), and obesity. About 9% under the age of 65 years have an associated overt cardiovascular disease; above age 65 about 30% are so afflicted. Each of these risk factors can double the risk associated with hypertension. Because they are so common, a large fraction of the disease sequelae of hypertension is attributable to these associated risk factors. The high risk of coronary disease in hypertensive patients is concentrated in those with a high total/HDL-cholesterol ratio, impaired glucose tolerance, high fibrinogen, ECG abnormalities, and cigarette smokers. Stroke risk in hypertensive persons is concentrated in those with cardiovascular disease, diabetes, atrial fibrillation, LVH and cigarette smoking.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1486904", "title": "Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring and antihypertensive treatment.", "content": "This paper outlines the advantages of ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) in the evaluation of the efficacy of antihypertensive drugs. The main advantage is that ABPM allows the antihypertensive effect of a drug or drug regimen to be determined in daily life conditions and to uncover whether the treatment employed is associated with untoward hypotensive episodes. Furthermore, ABPM facilitates the design of studies on antihypertensive drug efficacy because the 24 h mean blood pressure is devoid of a placebo effect and its reproducibility is much greater than office blood pressure. This has permitted demonstration of the efficacy of several antihypertensive drug regimens, including diuretic studies, based on relatively small numbers of subjects. A further advantage of ABPM is that it allows drug treatment efficacy to be evaluated in relation to blood pressure variability, another possible determinant of the organ damage related to hypertension."}
{"id": "PMID:1486905", "title": "Diuretics and arteriolar resistance and arterial compliance in human hypertension.", "content": "Differences exist between short- and long-term haemodynamic effects of diuretics. In the short term, plasma volume depletion is accompanied by increased peripheral vascular resistance and decreased cardiac output. In the long term cardiac output returns toward normal, peripheral resistance falls to below pretreatment values and blood volume remains lower than before therapy. This long-term decrease in volume may contribute to the chronic antihypertensive effects of diuretics. Many studies have reported that arterial compliance is increased after antihypertensive drug administration. However, it is important to known whether such action is a primary pharmacological effect or mediated by the reduction in blood pressure. Two different methods using pulse wave velocity measurements have been applied to determine the pressure-dependence of compliance before and after thiazide administration. In the first method, blood pressure was controlled as a variable by changing transmural pressure of the forearm encased in a rigid plastic tube. In the other method arterial compliance in the brachial artery was evaluated using a simple non-linear arterial model. Both methods demonstrated that the decrease in blood pressure with thiazide therapy was associated with increased arterial compliance. However, by measuring arterial compliance at the same pressure, its isobaric values were found to be unchanged. The implication is that the increase in compliance of the peripheral artery observed with diuretics is due to the decline in blood pressure rather than to a change in the intrinsic properties of the arterial wall."}
{"id": "PMID:1486906", "title": "Mechanisms of diuretic effects on carbohydrate tolerance, insulin sensitivity and lipid levels.", "content": "Diuretics have long been recognized to increase the concentration of some atherogenic plasma lipids and to reduce insulin sensitivity and adversely influence carbohydrate tolerance, but the mechanisms responsible have not been conclusively established. Early studies reporting diabetes in diuretic-treated patients implicated potassium loss as responsible. More recent observations have extended this suggestion by also demonstrating a role for the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system. In addition, direct effects of antihypertensive agents on insulin sensitivity have been demonstrated; both hormonal and haemodynamic factors have been implicated. Diuretic-induced lipid changes have also been consistently observed, but the mechanisms for these findings are much less clear. A link between the carbohydrate and insulin alterations and those of lipids has been suggested. Plasma catecholamine concentration may also be increased by diuretics and it is possible that this may also influence lipid metabolism. While the mechanisms of these metabolic effects of diuretics are not yet clearly established, useful clues based on dose relationships and susceptible populations can be discerned. Observations from combination drug therapies also provide additional information regarding potential mechanisms. The availability of new drug therapies associated with few metabolic changes further suggest that effective diuretic therapy need not always be associated with significant adverse metabolic changes."}
{"id": "PMID:1486907", "title": "Effect of diuretic therapy on hypertensive left ventricular hypertrophy.", "content": "Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) has been identified as a major independent risk factor for cardiovascular morbidity in patients with essential hypertension. It is also established that antihypertensive drug therapy is associated with regression of LVH in many patients. However, it is unclear whether all antihypertensive agents are equally effective in regressing LVH and whether this process is drug-specific or primarily related to blood pressure control. There is no universal agreement on the influence of diuretics on LVH in hypertension. Several major trials have shown consistent reversal of electrocardiographic manifestations of LVH during diuretic-based therapy. The results of studies employing echocardiographic measurements have been more variable; however, most echocardiographic studies have been flawed by lack of controls or blinding, short duration of follow-up, small sample size, inclusion of patients without LVH, and lack of consideration of previous or concomitant therapy. This review provides a critical examination of the available data on both sides of the question."}
{"id": "PMID:1486908", "title": "Effect of diuretics on the plasma lipid profile.", "content": "Hypertension, dyslipidaemia, glucose intolerance (associated with insulin resistance and compensatory hyperinsulinaemia) and other abnormalities are complementary coronary risk factors which often occur in association. A familial trait for essential hypertension seems to coexist commonly with defects in carbohydrate and lipoprotein metabolism which can be detected before the appearance of hypertension. Diabetes mellitus as well as obesity promotes the development of hypertension and dyslipidaemia. Moreover, certain drugs used for antihypertensive therapy can further modify lipoprotein and glucose metabolism. Thiazides in high dosage and loop-diuretics can increase serum low-density-lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and/or very-LDL-C and the total C/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) ratio, while HDL-C is largely unchanged; triglycerides (Tg) are also often elevated. Premenopausal women may be protected from this side effect. Whether diuretic-induced dyslipidaemia is dose-dependent and low thiazide doses (i.e. hydrochlorothiazide < or = 12.5 mg daily) are less active, awaits clarification. The diuretic-antihypertensive agent, indapamide, given at a dose of 2.5 mg.day-1, seems to exert no relevant effect on serum lipoprotein or glucose metabolism. The potassium-sparing diuretic, spironolactone, also may be largely neutral with regard to lipids. Moreover, potassium sparing diuretics may possibly counteract, at least in part, a dyslipidaemic influence of potassium-loosing diuretics in medium dose. Drug-induced dyslipidaemia, as well as glucose intolerance, represent potentially adverse influences. In the hypertensive population, effective blood pressure control with traditional drug therapy based on thiazide-type diuretics in high dosage led to a distinct decrease in cerebrovascular morbidity and mortality, but a lesser decrease in coronary events.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1486909", "title": "Diabetes, impaired glucose tolerance and insulin resistance with diuretics.", "content": "There is a definite relation of diuretic treatment to impaired glucose tolerance and biochemical diabetes, and a probable relation to insulin resistance. The effect of diuretics on glucose tolerance is dose-related. Spironolactone does not impair glucose tolerance even at high dosage, but apparent differences between other diuretics may well be due to comparison at doses which are not equivalent. Diuretic-induced changes in carbohydrate metabolism are not conclusively related to altered potassium homeostasis, and impaired glucose tolerance occurs when relatively low doses of thiazide are combined with potassium-sparing agents. The effect of diuretics on glucose tolerance is largely and possibly wholly reversible. These disturbances of carbohydrate homeostasis have been detected by detailed biochemical testing, and their clinical importance is uncertain. In established diabetes, diuretics have a rapid and substantial adverse effect on metabolic control. In non-diabetic subjects diuretics may rarely cause or trigger a serious hyperosmolar non-ketotic diabetic syndrome. This apart, it is not known whether the metabolic changes cause clinical diabetes or lead to microvascular complications in the long-term. It is now established that biochemical diabetes, glucose intolerance and insulin resistance probably do not increase the risk of coronary heart disease in treated hypertensive patients. Diuretics should be avoided in patients with diabetes, otherwise they remain an excellent choice for first-line antihypertensive therapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1486910", "title": "Diuretics and cardiovascular risk factors.", "content": "Thiazide diuretics are efficacious, either as monotherapy or in combination with other antihypertensive drugs. They reduce blood pressure in a high percentage of hypertensive patients with minimal subjective side effects. There is increasing evidence that the use of diuretics, singly or in combination, will reduce morbidity and mortality associated with essential hypertension in both young and elderly subjects. Although diuretics may induce some changes in the plasma lipid profile, serum uric acid concentration and glucose metabolism, there is little evidence that these changes are of clinical significance. The increase in serum cholesterol concentration has rarely persisted in any trial beyond the first year of treatment. The incidence of diabetes mellitus in diuretic treated subjects is only about 1%, even when large doses are used. Gout may be precipitated in susceptible subjects, but is uncommon. For these reasons, diuretics should remain a preferred first-step drug of choice in the management of hypertension."}
{"id": "PMID:1486911", "title": "Diuretics, arrhythmias and silent myocardial ischaemia in hypertensive patients.", "content": "Patients with high blood pressure have an increased risk of sudden death compared to the normotensive population. In the highest quintile of patients with systolic blood pressure above 155 mmHg, the risk of sudden death is 3.2 greater than those in the lowest quintile. Ventricular premature contractions without known coronary artery disease also increase the risk of sudden death. Other known risk factors in this regard are age, smoking, obesity and left ventricular hypertrophy. Hypertensive patients have an increased prevalence of ventricular arrhythmias which is most pronounced in those with left ventricular hypertrophy. However, a causal relationship between ventricular arrhythmias and sudden death is uncertain. Existing data do not allow any firm conclusion as to the effects of antihypertensive treatment on such arrhythmias or on the risk of sudden death. Silent ischaemia is not uncommon in patients with hypertension but, so far, no consistent relation with coronary artery disease, left ventricular hypertrophy or neurohormonal abnormalities has been demonstrated. Silent ischaemia is an independent predictor for the development of cardiac events in patients with hypertension and may be a predictor for sudden death in these patients. Ninety-two percent of patients with ventricular tachycardia (VT) and silent myocardial ischaemia can be expected to develop morbid cardiac events compared with only 37% of those who have neither VT or silent ischaemia. At present, there is no information on the influence of diuretics on silent ischaemia in hypertensive patients. It can be concluded that both ventricular arrhythmias and silent ischaemia are important and independent risk factors for cardiac events in hypertensive patients.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1486913", "title": "Diuretics in hypertension: clinical experiences.", "content": "Diuretics have long been used in the treatment of hypertension and are outstandingly efficacious when used either alone or in combination with other antihypertensive compounds. Blood pressure is controlled with diuretics alone in over 50% of patients and in over 80% in combination with other drugs. Thiazide diuretics were used singly and in combination in the early VA Co-operative studies that demonstrated decrease in cardiovascular morbidity with blood pressure control. Subsequent studies have confirmed these early findings and clearly demonstrated that the thiazide diuretics are as effective in lowering blood pressure as other currently available antihypertensive compounds. Diuretics, like all other antihypertensives, have side effects, of which the most important ones are hypokalaemia, alterations of the plasma lipid profile, hyperuricaemia and glucose intolerance. Diuretic-induced hypokalaemia may be hazardous in the presence of digitalis, but does not appear to have any inherent propensity to induce life-threatening arrhythmias. Diuretics remain amongst first-line drugs in the treatment of high blood pressure due to their efficacy, especially in blacks and the elderly, the potentiation of the antihypertensive efficacy of other compounds, their low side effect profile and their low cost."}
{"id": "PMID:1486912", "title": "Comparative efficacy of diuretics: benefit versus risk: results of clinical trials.", "content": "Although several large trials have been conducted with the aim of establishing the need for, and the best approach to, the treatment of hypertension, none have specifically addressed the question of the best use of diuretics. Analysing the trials to obtain specific answers about diuretics is therefore difficult, and particularly so because of differences in trial design and in the medications used. Comparisons between active treatment and no therapy have tended to show that active treatment is associated with a significant reduction in the incidence of strokes and a small reduction in myocardial infarction and death. Comparisons of treatment strategies, as opposed to comparisons of particular drugs, are hard to interpret and some conclusions that have been drawn about a harmful effect of diuretics are probably misleading. Trials comparing diuretics and beta-blockers suggest that these types of drug have similar effects on clinical events although the most recently published study suggests that diuretics are more effective than beta-blockers in preventing myocardial infarction. Therefore, it seems that what matters is blood pressure reduction, not the means by which this is achieved. The biochemical effects of diuretics are probably not important, but only one trial has investigated the use of a low dose of diuretics."}
{"id": "PMID:1486914", "title": "Adverse reactions to diuretics.", "content": "Diuretics can result in various undesired biochemical changes, such as impotence, skin rashes, nausea, dizziness and lethargy as well as subjective side effects. The side effects are mostly predictable, their effects depending on both the circulatory blood volume and on the transport of water and solute in the renal tubules. Two of the commonest side effects are mild hypovolaemia, when any diuretic is used, and mild hypokalaemia when the non-potassium-sparing diuretics, such as thiazides and frusemide are used. Its occurrence is dose dependent and can be corrected by potassium supplements, but potassium-retaining diuretics, which also correct the often associated fall in serum magnesium, are preferable. Many reports link hypokalaemia with cardiac arrhythmias, but some dispute this association in the absence of the concomitant use of digoxin. Hyponatraemia rarely occurs, but can be life threatening. Calcium excretion is markedly reduced, but unlike other electrolyte disturbances from diuretics, this may be valuable: some suggest diuretics have an anti-osteoporotic action. Diuretics increase glucose and insulin resistance and should be used sparingly in diabetics. They rarely cause a non-ketotic hyperosmolar coma. Urate is raised, but clinical gout is not common. Cholesterol elevation has been reported in some studies, but long-term studies indicate that lipid changes are minor. Other rare side effects are not predictable from their pharmacological actions and these include the occurrence of skin rashes, thrombocytopenia, pancreatitis and interstitial nephritis; and ototoxicity from frusemide."}
{"id": "PMID:1486916", "title": "Tropisetron, a new 5-HT3 receptor antagonist, in the prevention of irradiation-induced nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea.", "content": "Tropisetron, a 5-HT3 receptor antagonist, was evaluated as antiemetic prophylaxis during postoperative abdominal irradiation of ovarian carcinoma patients. Twenty consecutive women with Stages I-III (FIGO) epithelial ovarian carcinomas were included. At the start of radiotherapy all patients were clinically tumor-free. Twelve women received irradiation on whole-abdominal fields, 1.0 Gy per fraction, during 6 weeks. Eight women were irradiated on the lower abdomino-pelvic fields, 1.7 Gy per fraction, during 5 weeks. Efficacy and adverse events were recorded by the patients in diary-form booklets using visual analog scales (VAS). All patients completed the treatment series and none was lost to follow-up. Nausea, generally mild (mean 20 mm VAS) and of short duration, increased from start (30%) to end of radiotherapy (54%). Episodes of vomiting were few in number and occurred in less than 10% of the cases. Diarrhoea was common towards the end of the radiotherapy courses, especially when the dose per fraction was 1.7 Gy and the need for extra antidiarrhoeal medication (loperamide) increased from 38% at the start to 100% at the end. The mean weight loss was only 1.2 kg during 5-6 weeks. The overall ratings for quality of life were excellent or good in 75-85% of the cases. The efficacy of tropisetron was rated excellent or good in 80% of the cases and the tolerability likewise in 85% in the overall evaluation of the drug made by the investigator. Tropisetron therefore seems to be a promising and well-tolerated drug in conjunction with extended radiotherapy on the whole- or lower-abdominal fields.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1486917", "title": "Benign granular cell tumor mimicking carcinoma of the breast. Report of a case.", "content": "A case of granular cell tumor of the breast in a 59 year-old woman is presented. Clinical evaluation suggested carcinoma with infiltration of the skin. The granular cell tumor was diagnosed on frozen section and the lesion was treated by wide local excision including the overlying skin. Granular cell tumors of the breast, which are usually benign, may closely mimic breast carcinoma, both clinically and on frozen section. The possibility of granular cell tumor of the breast with its potential for a false-positive diagnosis on frozen section supports a two-step procedure for the treatment of breast cancer, especially in young women, to prevent inappropriate radical surgery."}
{"id": "PMID:1486918", "title": "Influence of metastases on the prognosis of adenocarcinoma of uterine cervix.", "content": "95 cases of adenocarcinoma of the uterine cervix were analysed for the influence of metastasis on the prognosis. When there was penetration of cervical stroma, < 10 mm or > 10 mm, spread of the tumour to the uterine corpus, metastasis in the ovaries and no detection of metastasis in patients the differences in survival rates were not statistically significant. Local spread of adenocarcinoma to the uterine corpus, penetration of cervical stroma > 10 mm and metastasis to ovaries may not adversely influence the patients survival."}
{"id": "PMID:1486919", "title": "Serum values of CA72.4 in patients with gastrointestinal system tumors comparison with CEA and CA 19.9.", "content": "Serum CA 72.4 levels of patients with malignant gastrointestinal disorders (n = 77) were determined in parallel with the CEA and CA 19.9 levels. The values related to healthy individuals were 1.7 U/ml, with a median of 1.7 U/ml, whereas an average of 12.1 U/l (median 2 U/ml) was measured in malignancy. Among all three markers CEA showed the highest positive rate while the values for CA 19.9 and CA 72.4 were lower. Although positive rates among the healthy group were observed with CEA and CA 19.9, no false positives were found with CA 72.4. Elevated CA 72.4 levels were found in 17.6% of patients with gastric carcinoma and 56.3% with colorectal carcinoma. All markers showed significant sensitivity for the malignant state when used alone. However, the regression analysis revealed that only the combination of CA 72.4 and CEA may contribute significantly to the diagnostic potential. Our results indicate that complementation of CEA with CA 72.4 can significantly increase the sensitivity in the serodiagnosis of gastrointestinal system cancers. Combination of positive information from these two sources is likely to lead to a more accurate diagnosis and may therefore improve the efficiency of the follow-up and therapeutic response."}
{"id": "PMID:1486920", "title": "Hysteroscopy as an elective tool in abnormal uterine bleeding in perimenopausal women.", "content": "Abnormal Uterine Bleeding is a very frequent pathology particularly in perimenopausal age (> or = 45 years). The Authors report the experience of the 2nd Department of Ob/Gyn. of Rome University \"La Sapienza\" from January 1985 up to September 1991. The hysteroscopic evaluation of 789 patients in perimenopausal age is reviewed. The Authors analyze in detail the main cause of metrorrhagia describing the hysteroscopic aspect and relative incidence. Finally, some considerations concerning the great usefulness that a simple and accurate diagnostic investigation such as hysteroscopy represents in a routine diagnostic procedure, are reported."}
{"id": "PMID:1486921", "title": "Squamous cell carcinoma antigen in cervical cancer.", "content": "Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) antigen was described as being associated with malignant disease of the uterine cervix, and was determined by a radioimmunoassay technique. We studied squamous cell carcinoma serum levels in 72 patients from our gynecological clinic. Forty-three were diagnosed as having gynecological malignancies, and 29 as having benign diseases. The malignant disease group included 35 carcinomas of the uterine cervix, 7 endometrial cancers, and 3 vulvar cancers. Gynecological cancers were classified according to the FIGO system. We also determined SCC levels among 69 healthy subjects. Results showed that 97.1% of healthy subjects were below the cut-off point, 2.5 micrograms/l. Patients with benign gynecological diseases had increased SCC levels in 5.9% of cases. Among gynecological cancers, 56% of 23 cases of cervical cancer and one of three vulvar cancer, all of them in the active phase, had increased levels. The nine squamous carcinomas of the cervix with no evidence of disease, as well as seven endometrial adenocarcinomas with active disease were negative. Thirty-three percent of 12 cervical cancers in Stages I and II were high levels, compared to 81% of 11 advanced stages; none of the 2 early stage carcinoma of the vulva, but 1 advanced stage were increased. SCC is clinically applicable to monitor size and tumor volume of carcinomas of the uterine cervix derived from squamous epithelium."}
{"id": "PMID:1486922", "title": "Surgical management of intestinal complications of radiotherapy for gynecological malignancies.", "content": "Sixty patients treated for gynecological malignancies with radiation therapy and operated upon because of late intestinal complications of the treatment were studied. Among patients irradiated for cervical carcinoma an incidence of 3.2% of operated intestinal lesions was encountered. Fifty-nine per cent of the women had a history of previous pelvic inflammatory disease on pelvic surgery. The most common symptoms leading to surgery were mechanical subileus/ileus, pain and fistulas. The majority of patients (53%) were operated upon within 2 years after irradiation, but an interval up to 20 years was recorded. 50% were operated upon within 2 years after irradiation, but an interval up to 20 years was recorded. 50% were reoperated during follow-up. Intestinal resections (38%) and by-passes (15%) were the most frequent surgical procedures at first operation. 57% of the patients were operated upon due to acute conditions and 31% were due to chronic problems, 12% due to tumour suspicion. An operation mortality rate of 5% was found. No obvious correlation could be seen between accumulated irradiation dose and severity of complications. The results of surgical intervention and complications are analysed and different strategies in handling these patients discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1486923", "title": "Proposal for an organic future in gynecologic oncology all over the world.", "content": "This is a proposal for an educational program and training all over the world, with the basic requirements for the objective. The author reviews the qualifications for becoming a Gynecologic Oncology (G.O.) specialist. To define what a G.O. specialist is, the aptitudes, abilities and the time for the training. To get a good learning, elementary facilities are furnished at an appropriate Institution. Ways of control at National level and problems and difficulties that may issue from starting the program are pointed out."}
{"id": "PMID:1486924", "title": "Variations of lymphocyte sub-populations in vulvar condylomata during therapy with beta-interferon.", "content": "Several experiences induced us to consider genital HPV infection as an expression of a local immunodeficiency. The aim of our study was to research the effect of immunotherapy on the lymphocyte subpopulations and Langerhans cells in vulvar condyloma. Twenty women with persistent vulvar condylomata, treated with 2,000,000 IU/die of beta-interferon for 15 days, were submitted to vulvar biopsy before and 2-5 months after medical treatment. The frozen sections obtained were assayed with the following monoclonal antibodies: OKT 4 (T helper lymphocytes), OKT 8 (T suppressor lymphocytes), OKB 7 (B lymphocytes) and S-100 protein (Langerhans cells). Using a morphometric evaluation, the average number of both intraepithelial and stromal lymphocyte subsets and of the intraepithelial Langerhans cells was assessed. In all the biopsies preceeding the medical treatment we found a low number of T helper lymphocytes both in the epithelium and stroma, with inversion of T4/T8 lymphocyte ratio and rare presence of Langerhans cells. In patients with a good therapeutic response (50-100% of condyloma reduction) we observed an increase in intraepithelial T4 lymphocytes and a decrease in both intraepithelial and stromal T8 lymphocytes. In cases with persistent disease after therapy, the histological pattern was similar to that observed in the first biopsy, with the exception of a significant increase in the average number of Langerhans cells. Our data correlate the clinical response to the immunotherapy with the histology of lymphocyte subsets in the vulvar condylomata. The increase in Langerhans cells observed in patients with negative response may be interpreted with a probable inability of these cells to promote the immune reaction."}
{"id": "PMID:1486925", "title": "The quality of the Pap smear.", "content": "Three methods of cervical Pap smear have been studied: the classical spatula, the combination of spatula and cytobrush, and the Cervex-Brush. Thirty-two percent of the spatula smears did not provide endocervical cylinder cells. Significantly better results can be achieved by performing the smear with a combination of spatula and cytobrush (11% without cylinder cells), or with Cervex-Brush (15% without cylinder cells). Cervical smears using a spatula alone are therefore discouraged."}
{"id": "PMID:1486926", "title": "Postnatal width changes in the internal structures of the human mandible: a longitudinal three-dimensional cephalometric study using implants.", "content": "This paper presents case-specific quantitative evidence of the systematic lateral displacement of metallic implants in the mandibles of treated and untreated human subjects between the ages of 8.5 and 15.5 years. This evidence appears to be consistent with the inference of small, but systematic increases in distance between the internal structures of the two sides of the osseous mandible during growth. Such a conclusion, however, is inconsistent with traditional beliefs that the internal structures of the mandibular symphysis fuse at the midline during the first post-natal year and remain dimensionally constant thereafter. We recently published evidence of statistically significant transverse displacement of metallic implants in the mandibular body region for 12 of 28 subjects for whom longitudinal data were available. Of the twelve subjects for whom statistically significant changes were observed, widening occurred in eleven cases and narrowing in one. Matching data are now available on concurrent ramus changes for 22 of the same 28 subjects, including 11 of the 12 for whom statistically significant width changes had previously been noted in the body region. In eight of these 11 subjects, statistically significant widening in the ramus region was also observed. No subject had statistically significant widening in the ramus region without also having statistically significant widening in the body region. No subject had statistically significant trans-ramus narrowing."}
{"id": "PMID:1486927", "title": "Long-term effect of rapid maxillary expansion studied in one patient with the aid of metallic implants and roentgen stereometry.", "content": "The articulatory displacement of maxillary bones during and after rapid maxillary expansion (RME) was studied with metallic implants and roentgen stereometry (RSA) for 3653 days in a girl aged 12 at start of treatment. She had a narrow upper dental arch with anterior crowding and a normal incisor relationship, and a normal sagittal molar relationship with bilateral cross-bite. Three implants were inserted in each maxillary bone and they remained stable in the bones during the 10-year observation period. In the 3-D analysis of the articulatory displacement, the left maxillary bone was studied in relation to the right bone in three periods: RME (23 days), retention (108 days) and follow-up (3522 days). Extensive relapse of rotations as well as translations was found and the long-term effect of RME was limited. In our opinion the relapse was caused mainly by the resistance to deformation from circum-maxillary sutures and surrounding soft tissue matrix, and inadequate bone formation in the involved sutures. As is generally known in clinical oral orthopaedics, changes obtained by short-term simple mechanical interference with a complex biological system tend to reverse spontaneously. Thus, the rationale for RME treatment may be seriously questioned."}
{"id": "PMID:1486928", "title": "A TEM analysis of tissue channels in normal and orthodontically tensioned rat molar periodontal ligament.", "content": "This investigation tested the hypotheses that (1) tissue channels (TC) exist in normal periodontal ligament (PDL) between the cervical and apical zones, and (2) orthodontic tooth tension alters their number and distribution within this region. A continuous 1.0 N tension was applied to the maxillary first molar for 30 minutes and ionic tracer precipitate used to analyse TC in unstained TEM sections. In normal PDL, the mean number of tissue channels (MNTC) was 0.10 +/- 0.01/micron 2 in the 0-2-microns PDL zone extending from the vessel wall, 0.09 +/- 0.02/micron 2 in the 2-4-microns zone, and 0.06 +/- 0.02/micron 2 in the 4-6 microns zone. Differences were not statistically significant. Extrusion increased the MNTC to 0.28 +/- 0.01/micron 2, 0.20 +/- 0.02/micron 2, and 0.16 +/- 0.02/micron 2, in the 0-2-, 2-4- and 4-6-microns zones, respectively (P < 0.001). For normal PDL in the tooth, middle and bone circumferential thirds the TC distribution were even. In the tensioned PDL, TC in the circumferential tooth third (0.20 +/- 0.02/micron 2), middle third (0.19 +/- 0.01/micron 2), and bone third (0.23 +/- 0.02/micron 2) increased significantly (P < 0.001) from normal ligament. The total increase in experimental MNTC was associated mainly with the post-capillary-sized venules, venous capillaries, and arterial capillaries. With progression from the cervical to apical regions the MNTC in control PDL failed to significantly fit a quadratic regression pattern. By contrast, tensioned PDL showed a marked regression pattern (P < 0.001) indicating a reduction in MNTC with vertical depth.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1486930", "title": "Periodontal conditions around tipped and upright molars in adults. An intra-individual retrospective study.", "content": "In 69 individuals from a randomized epidemiological material comprising 450 adults, an intra-individual comparison of the periodontal condition of 73 mesially tipped molars (30 degrees or more to a line perpendicular to the occlusal plane) and contralateral upright molars was made. The alveolar bone level mesially and distally of each tooth was registered in periapical radiographs. The occurrence of plaque, gingivitis and probeable pocket depths of 4 mm or more mesially and distally of each tooth was registered. No significant differences between tipped and upright molars could be found, regardless of the variable tested. The clinical implications of the findings are discussed from an orthodontic as well as a periodontal and prosthetic point of view."}
{"id": "PMID:1486931", "title": "The analysis of profiles using curvature analysis.", "content": "The difficulties of localizing landmarks using standardized lateral skull radiographs has been acknowledged. A method is described for producing an objective way of identifying landmarks on the facial profile leading to a useful segmentation and quantitative description of the contours and features of the face. The method uses scale space filtering techniques and curvature analysis, first employed in pattern recognition. The method has been used on two groups: a random sample of twelve-year-old females and a sample of 10 patients with a normal facial morphology who had cephalometric X-rays taken at 5, 9, 13, 16, and 20 years. It demonstrated that the shape of each of the curves is similar in the first group except in the mouth region. The growth study produced meaningful data on the growth of the face."}
{"id": "PMID:1486932", "title": "On the prediction of dentist-evaluated patient compliance in orthodontics.", "content": "The aim of the present study was to determine to what degree social and psychological patient variables can predict orthodontic co-operation evaluated by dentists 3 and 6 months after the beginning of treatment. The subjects were 94 patients from seven orthodontic practices. They received a questionnaire with four subscales: impulsiveness, dominance, anxiety, and orthodontic attitudes. Compliance was assessed by an 11-item instrument based on the studies of Slakter et al. (1980). None of the social indices could predict co-operation, but the psychological scales for orthodontic attitudes, impulsiveness and dominance showed a significant relationship to later co-operation. The combination of all psychological variables (regression equation) could explain co-operation 3 months later to 12.1 per cent and to 16.8 per cent 6 months later. The implications for psychological guidance in orthodontics and future research are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1486934", "title": "The ranking of facial attractiveness.", "content": "A method of assessing facial attractiveness is described in which facial photographs were ranked by adults in order from the most to the least attractive. The rankings of a group of normal 10-year-old children were compared to those given to a group of similarly aged patients with repaired clefts. Most previous methods have grouped patients into categories, but this tends to obscure individual differences in facial attractiveness: patients with small differences in appearance are generally placed in the same group. In the ranking technique described in this paper these individual differences were not obscured. Those individuals with repaired clefts were consistently judged as being less attractive than those in the normal group. It is suggested that this method could be further developed to assess the cosmetic benefit produced by treatment of facial deformity."}
{"id": "PMID:1486935", "title": "The effect of treatment of skeletal open bite with two types of bite-blocks.", "content": "The treatment of anterior skeletal open bite was studied in two groups of children. The children of one group wore a removable spring-loaded bite-block in the lower jaw for one year. The bite-block exerted an intrusive force on the upper and lower posterior teeth. The children of the other group were treated for 3 months with bite-blocks with repelling magnets. These bite-blocks were cemented on the posterior teeth of both jaws. The effects of treatment were monitored by measurement of the bite-force (group with spring bite-blocks only), by electromyographic recording of the activity of the temporal and masseter muscles, and by X-ray cephalometry. Recordings were made before, during, and at the end of the treatment, and at a follow-up observation. The bite-force increased during the first months of treatment, but was then unchanged. The activity of the masseter muscle during maximal bite also increased in the first part of the period of treatment with a spring bite-block. In the group treated with magnetic bite-blocks, there was an increase in the resting activity of the masseter muscle and in the chewing activity of the anterior temporal muscle. The effects of the treatment on bite and facial morphology were less marked in the group with spring bite-blocks than in the group with magnetic bite-blocks, with an average improvement of the overbite of 1.3 mm with the spring bite-block therapy. In the group with magnetic bite-blocks, the average improvement in overbite was 3 mm. This was thought to be due to anterior rotation of the mandible and increased eruption of the incisors. The mandibular rotation was a result of intrusion of the upper and lower posterior teeth and possibly also increased mandibular growth. A follow-up of the cases treated with magnetic bite-blocks revealed a tendency for the beneficial effects of the treatment to relapse which possibly could be counteracted by a long phase of active retention."}
{"id": "PMID:1486936", "title": "Studies on the solubilization of the water-insoluble fraction from human lens and cataract.", "content": "Studies were carried out comparing the ability of urea extraction and sonication to solubilize the water-insoluble (WI) protein fraction from human lens tissue. Sonication and urea extraction were able to solubilize greater than 80% of the insoluble protein whether whole lenses or lens nuclei were used. This was true for normal lens and +1 cataracts; however, only 60% solubilization was obtained with the WI fraction from more advanced cataracts. Equal aliquots of a WI fraction from both pooled normal and pooled cataract lens nuclei were solubilized with and without reducing agents. The addition of dithiothreitol (DTT) had no significant effect on solubilization of the normal lens WI fraction. DTT did increase the protein solubilized from the cataract WI fraction by 30% with urea extraction; however, no increase was seen with sonication. When sodium borohydride was used as the reducing agent, essentially the same results were obtained. The solubilized protein populations were identical by SDS-PAGE and amino acid analysis. The addition of reducing agents had no effect on the amino acid content of the solubilized proteins with the single exception of lysine. This amino acid was markedly decreased in the proteins extracted in the presence of 40 mM sodium borohydride, but not with DTT. These data suggest that the borohydride not only increased the amount of protein solubilized, but likely also stabilized glycated lysine residues during the acid hydrolysis. Therefore, sonication readily provides a soluble preparation of the WI proteins from normal and cataract lens nuclei without the need for denaturing agents, however, disulfide-linked and lysine modified crystallins were best solubilized with urea."}
{"id": "PMID:1486937", "title": "Thrombin stimulates inositol phosphate formation, intracellular calcium fluxes and DNA synthesis in cultured fetal human non-pigmented ciliary epithelial cells.", "content": "Thrombin at concentrations as low as 20 pM (0.002 U ml-1) was found to stimulate inositol phosphate levels in cultured human non-pigmented ciliary epithelial cells. Several other proteases, including trypsin and plasmin, had little or no effect, of several protease inhibitors tested, only those with specificity for thrombin blocked the effect. Studies with active site-blocked thrombin suggested that the esterolytic active site of thrombin is required for inositol phosphate stimulation, while gamma-thrombin, which has reduced binding affinity to fibrinogen also showed reduced effectiveness in stimulating inositol phosphates. In the presence of 10 mM LiCl, thrombin stimulated inositol monophosphate, inositol bisphosphate and inositol trisphosphate formation, with a prolonged rise of the first and transient early rises in the latter two species. Thrombin also elevated intracellular Ca2+ levels as measured with the fluorescent calcium probe, indo-1-AM. This elevation could be blocked by prior addition to cells of the thrombin inhibitor, hirudin, and was dependent upon extracellular Ca2+ for the maintenance of an elevated level in the presence of thrombin. Incorporation of thymidine into DNA in confluent cultures was also stimulated by thrombin, with a four-fold increase in incorporation at 35 hr in thrombin-treated cells compared to controls. The half-maximal concentration for this process was 0.25 U ml-1. Pretreatment with 100 ng ml-1 pertussis toxin greatly reduced the thrombin effect, which is consistent with a role for a G-protein in stimulation of DNA synthesis by thrombin."}
{"id": "PMID:1486938", "title": "Ca2+/Na+ exchanger and Na+,K+ 2Cl- cotransporter in lens fiber plasma membrane vesicles.", "content": "When the Ca(2+)-sensitive fluorescent probe, Fura-2, or the Na(+)-sensitive probe, SBFI, in their cell permeable forms or the Cl(-)-specific probe, SPQ, were incubated with plasma membrane vesicles prepared from dogfish and bovine lenses fibers, there was a selective accumulation of the ion-specific probes within the vesicles. The SBFI and Fura-2 fluorescent excitation ratios of 340 nm to 380 nm (em: 505 nm) in the presence of an outwardly-directed Na+ gradient across the vesicles membrane, indicate that the influx of Ca2+ is increased by 152.5% and 147.4% for dogfish and bovine vesicles, respectively. The Na+ influx into the vesicles is also enhanced by 154.1% for dogfish and 149.1% for bovine lens when an outwardly-directed Ca2+ was present. This stimulation is not affected when either 50 microM valinomycin, or 50 mM K+ is present. The activity of this bidirectional Ca2+/Na+ exchanger could be inhibited by 100 microM bepridil or 200 microM La3+. The entrance behaviour of Cl- as monitored by the SPQ fluorescent signal indicates that, the Cl- influx is Na(+)-dependent. The Cl- influx is stimulated 152.8% and 187.6% for dogfish and bovine lens, respectively, when an inwardly-directed Na+ gradient is present, and is further enhanced when a K+ gradient is also present. The stoichiometry of Na+ to Cl- entering the vesicles was 1:2. This Na+,K+ 2Cl- cotransporter is not affected by 20 microM valinomycin or 50 mM K+. However, the transporter is completely inhibited by 50 microM furosemide.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1486939", "title": "Ultrastructural changes of the retina and the retinal pigment epithelium in Briard dogs with hereditary congenital night blindness and partial day blindness.", "content": "The offspring of two Briard dogs (brother and sister) with congenital, clinically stationary night blindness showed an aggravation of the disease with severe impairment of day vision in addition to night blindness. This ultrastructural study was performed on four such second generation puppies at the age of 4 months. The neuroretina and retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) from four locations were studied: the central area (immediately temporal to the optic disc); the centre of the tapetal area; the upper periphery (border of tapetal area); and the lower periphery (non-tapetal area). The RPE showed large inclusions, seemingly lipid in nature, mainly in the central and tapetal areas of the retina. Small, membrane bound, electron-dense inclusions were scattered in the RPE cytoplasm in all areas examined. The small inclusions were found to be less numerous in normal than in affected dogs and may be lysosomal in nature. Forty to fifty percent of the rod outer segments in the tapetal area showed disorientation of the disc membranes, whereas the corresponding figures were 20-40% in the central and lower peripheral areas and 6-25% in the upper peripheral area. No structural abnormalities were found in the rod inner segments or synaptic bodies. The cones were better preserved. The inner retina appeared normal. These electron microscopic findings seem to correspond to a previously published electrophysiologic evaluation, indicating a defective and delayed rod function (virtually no scotopic a- and b-waves), a better preserved cone function (photopic flicker responses present, although reduced) and impaired RPE activity (a prominent, slow negative potential of long latency at the site of the c-wave). It appears that these Briard dogs, showing structural changes of the rod outer segments in addition to pigment epithelial inclusions, mainly located in the posterior pole, comprise a pigment epitheliopathy and retinopathy morphologically different from other hereditary canine retinopathies that have been described earlier in the literature and different from animal models of congenital night blindness."}
{"id": "PMID:1486940", "title": "Experimental autoimmune posterior uveitis accompanied by epitheloid cell accumulations (EAPU). A new type of experimental ocular disease induced by immunization with PEP-65, a pigment epithelial polypeptide preparation.", "content": "Purified retinal pigment epithelial cells of bovine eyes have been fractionated by a series of buffer and detergent extractions. The electropherogram of the buffer-insoluble, Triton X-100-soluble fraction (RPE-TS) exhibits a major polypeptide band of M(r) 65 kDa and a variety of minor components. Electrophoretically purified 65 kDa-band protein (PEP-65) is immunologically unrelated to the known uveitogenic photoreceptor proteins, to other neural retina proteins, and to PEP-X, the RPE-melanin-bound uveitogenic antigen. An immunocytochemical study of eye tissues suggests that it is exclusively located in the RPE. Immunization of Lewis rats with PEP-65 or affinity-purified RPE-TS induces a new type of ocular disease: experimental autoimmune posterior uveitis accompanied by epitheloid cell accumulations (monocytes) adjacent to the RPE (EAPU). The disease starts 9 days after immunization, provided that pertussis toxin is used as co-adjuvant. The first clinical signs are transient flare and cells in the anterior chamber. Choroiditis develops, and epitheloid cells accumulate focally along one or both sides of the Bruch's membrane-RPE layer. Such foci resemble, in some respects, D\u00e1len-Fuchs nodules which occur in human sympathetic ophthalmia. Areas of inflammation are frequently localized in the chorioretinal periphery adjacent to the pars plana. Vitreous cell infiltration is the most prominent clinical feature of EAPU. During at least 2 months, extending chorioretinal areas containing epitheloid cell collections remain while the adjacent photoreceptor cells sometimes disappear without being invaded by these cells. Retinal vasculitis is seldomly observed and pinealitis is absent. EAPU has the latter feature in common with PEP-X-induced experimental autoimmune anterior uveitis (EAAU). The two diseases differ from the various photoreceptor antigen-induced forms of EAU where pinealitis and inflammation of the neural retina are prominent features. However, just as in EAU and EAAU, EAPU can be adoptively transferred, and is inhibited by cyclosporin treatment suggesting T-cell dependency."}
{"id": "PMID:1486941", "title": "Photomembrane turnover in frog retina: light intensity and spectral correlates.", "content": "Light regulates membrane turnover in vertebrate rod photoreceptor cells. Rods shed membrane-filled tips immediately after light onset, with light inhibiting the dark priming phase but initiating the light induction phase. This study examines the intensities and wavelengths of light that control these two shedding requirements, and demonstrates unexpected situations where red or dim lights are simultaneously dark to the dark priming mechanism and light to the light induction process. Since shedding takes place immediately following darkness we asked if dim or red light could substitute for true darkness and dark prime the retinas: our results confirm this. White light, less than 0.7 microE m m-2 sec-1 (0.15 W m2 or 40 lx), allows dark priming, and even 15 microE m-2 sec-1 of red fluorescent light dark primes as effectively as true darkness. Conversely, bright white light and wavelengths from 480 to 560 nm inhibit dark priming, implying that dark priming inhibition is a photopic mechanism transduced by photopigment in the 502-cone. We also asked if dim or red light could induce shedding, substituting for the bright light usually employed: again, the results confirm thus. White light as dim as 0.15 microE m-2 sec-1 induces shedding and red light is an effective light trigger. This light induction is initiated at all wavelengths tested (420-640 nm), with a maximum effect between 540 and 600 nm. Finally, we find that retinas shed continuously in red or dim white light. These lights substitute both for the darkness necessary for dark priming and for the light of light induction, extending shedding from the 20 min dark-light transition period to hours or days. We also find that the dim, red light of natural dawn is as effective a shedding stimulus as the sudden onset of bright laboratory light."}
{"id": "PMID:1486942", "title": "Potassium currents from isolated frog lens epithelial cells.", "content": "Using the perforated patch version of whole-cell recording, we have measured currents from isolated frog lens epithelial cells. Three types of currents were seen. A time-independent outwardly rectifying potassium current was identified that sets the resting voltage. This potassium current differs significantly from any of the potassium currents recorded with the whole-cell technique in mammalian lens epithelial cells. In addition to the potassium current, the two other currents present were both outwardly rectifying: one was time-independent while the other showed distinct activation."}
{"id": "PMID:1486943", "title": "Protein-thiol mixed disulfides in human lens.", "content": "Protein-thiol mixed disulfide formation has been implicated as a possible mechanism for the protein-protein aggregation in cataractogenesis. Previously we have found that two species of thiols are bound to proteins: GSH (PSSG) and cysteine (PSSC). In this study we found these molecules are ubiquitous in animal lenses with the highest levels in human, dog and rat, and lowest in monkey. However, the relative amount of PSSG to PSSC is quite different in each animal species. The ratio of PSSG/PSSC was 1/10 in rat lens, 4/1 in human and dog lenses and 2/1 in monkey lens. We also studied the effect of aging on the protein-thiol mixed disulfide levels in human donor lenses between 3 months and 88 years. Lens GSH levels were inversely related to age, similar to earlier reports, but PSSC levels increased linearly with age. PSSG levels showed a triphasic pattern with an initial sharp and linear increase from a low content in infants to a highest level at age 20; fell back about 50% to a new steady state level that was maintained for four more decades; finally, above 60 years, the levels in some lenses were two to three-fold higher while some lenses remained at the same low value. PSSC in human lens appeared to concentrate in the nuclear region and in the water insoluble proteins while PSSG was more evenly distributed. Besides the aging effect on the protein-thiol mixed disulfides, oxidative stress also potentiated protein modification in the human lens.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1486944", "title": "C57BL/6J-vit/vit mouse model of retinal degeneration: light microscopic analysis and evaluation of rhodopsin levels.", "content": "The C57BL/6J-vit/vit mouse is a newly described model of retinal degeneration in which photoreceptor cells die over the course of a year and the retinal pigment epithelium is unevenly pigmented. The present study utilized histological and biochemical techniques to assess the progression of the retinal degeneration in the vit/vit mouse ages 2 weeks to 8 months. Results of systematic morphometric evaluation indicated that the inner nuclear and plexiform layers of the retina are similar in thickness to age-matched C57BL/6J controls, but the outer plexiform layer is significantly thinner by 4 months. Rows of photoreceptor cells are lost at a rate of about one per month beginning at 2 months of age. By 8 months, the photoreceptor cell nuclei have diminished to only two to three rows. Inner segments of the vit/vit retina are similar in length to controls. Outer segments separate from the RPE during the first 2 months, they seem to be elongated at 2-3 months, but become severely disrupted past 4 months. Beginning at about 5 months, numerous darkly-staining cells resembling photoreceptor cell nuclei are observed in the area of the inner and outer segments and the subretinal space. Spectrophotometric analysis of rhodopsin indicated similar levels in vit/vit and controls at 6 weeks but a 50% reduction by 22 weeks. At 46 weeks, the level of rhodopsin in the mutant animal was less than 0.1 nmol per retina. The loss of rhodopsin in the vit/vit retinas correlated strongly with the decreasing number of rows of photoreceptor cells.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1486945", "title": "Quantitative analysis of neurons and glial cells in the rat somatosensory cortex, with special reference to GABAergic neurons and parvalbumin-containing neurons.", "content": "The number of neuronal and glial cells in the rat somatosensory cortex (barrel area) has been estimated by a stereological method, the disector, using pairs of toluidine blue-stained, plastic-embedded 0.5-microns-thick sections, 1.5 microns distant from each other. Chemical properties of those disector-counted cells were further analyzed by postembedding immunocytochemical methods on adjacent semithin sections. Thus we were able to analyze quantitatively number, distribution, and proportion of five cell types: (1) gamma-aminobutyric acid-(GABA)-negative neurons; (2) GABA-like immunoreactive (GABA-LIR) neurons; (3) a specific calcium-binding protein parvalbumin-immunoreactive (PV-IR) neurons, a subpopulation of GABA-LIR neurons; (4) S-100 beta-LIR glial cells (astrocytes); and (5) S-100 beta-negative glial cells (oligodendrocytes and microglia). The densities of total cells, glial cells, and neurons in the rat somatosensory cortex were 85.4 +/- 10(3)/mm3, 30.5 x 10(3)/mm3, and 54.9 x 10(3)/mm3, respectively. Of all neurons 25% and 14% were GABA-LIR and PV-IR, respectively; all PV-IR neurons are GABA-LIR, and thus about 54% of GABA-LIR neurons are PV-positive. The number of total cells under a unit surface area of 1 mm2 through the thickness of the somatosensory cortex was 171.6 x 10(3); the number of neurons and glial cells were 110.2 x 10(3) and 61.4 x 10(3), respectively. There were 27.7 x 10(3) GABA-LIR neurons and 15.0 x 10(3) and 12.7 x 10(3) PV-IR neurons and PV-negative GABA-LIR neurons, respectively. The laminar distribution of each group of cells shows prominent differences, indicating that the cellular composition was different from layer to layer. The density of GABA-LIR neurons was highest in layer IV. The numerical density of PV-IR neurons was 2-4 times higher in layer IV than in layers II/III, V, and VI, whereas that of PV-negative GABA-LIR neurons was almost constant throughout the layers."}
{"id": "PMID:1486946", "title": "Functional topography of cat primary auditory cortex: representation of tone intensity.", "content": "The neuronal response to tones as a function of intensity was topographically studied with multiple-unit recordings in the primary auditory cortex (AI) of barbiturate-anesthetized cats. The spatial distribution of the characteristics of rate/level functions was determined in each of three intensely studied cases and their relationship to the distribution of spectral parameters (sharpness of tuning and responses to broadband transients) in the same animals was determined. The growth of the high-intensity portion of rate/level functions was estimated by linear regression. Locations with monotonically growing high-intensity portions were spatially segregated from locations with nonmonotonic rate/level functions. Two noncontiguous areas with a high degree of nonmonotonicity were observed. One was located at the dorsoventral center of AI, and a second in the dorsal third of AI. The more ventral aggregate of high nonmonotonicity coincided with the region of sharp frequency tuning. The stimulus levels that produced the highest firing rate (strongest response level, SRL) at any sampled location ranged from 10 to 80 dB sound pressure level (SPL). Several spatial aggregates with either high or low SRLs were observed in AI. The region of sharpest tuning was always associated with a region of low SRLs. The response threshold to contralateral tones at the characteristic frequency (CF) ranged from -10 dB SPL to 85 dB SPL with the majority between 0 and 40 dB SPL. The spatial distribution of response thresholds indicated several segregated areas containing clusters with either higher or lower response thresholds. The correlation of response threshold with integrated bandwidth and transient responses was only weak. Low- and high-intensity tones of the same frequency are represented at different locations in AI as judged by the amount of evoked neuronal activity and are largely independent of the frequency organization. The spatial distribution of locations with high monotonicity and low strongest response levels were aligned with the organization of the integrated excitatory bandwidth and covaried with the response strength to broadband stimuli."}
{"id": "PMID:1486947", "title": "Nystagmus induced by electrical stimulation of the vestibular and prepositus hypoglossi nuclei in the monkey: evidence for site of induction of velocity storage.", "content": "Electrical stimulation of the vestibular nuclei (VN) and prepositus hypoglossi nuclei (PPH) of alert cynomolgus monkeys evoked nystagmus and eye deviation while they were in darkness. At some sites in VN, nystagmus and after-nystagmus were induced with characteristics suggesting that velocity storage had been excited. We analyzed these responses and compared them to the slow component of optokinetic nystagmus (OKN) and to optokinetic after-nystagmus (OKAN). We then recorded unit activity in VN and determined which types of nystagmus would be evoked from the sites of recording. Nystagmus and eye deviations were also elicited by electrical stimulation of PPH, and we characterized the responses where unit activity was recorded in PPH. Horizontal slow phase velocity of the VN \"storage\" responses was contralateral to the side of stimulation. The rising time constants and peak steady-state velocities were similar to those of OKN, and the falling time constants of the after-nystagmus and of OKAN were approximately equal. Both the induced after-nystagmus and OKAN were habituated by stimulation of the VN. When horizontal after-nystagmus was evoked with animals on their sides, it developed yaw and pitch components that tended to shift the vector of the slow phase velocity toward the spatial vertical. Similar \"cross-coupling\" occurs for horizontal OKAN or for vestibular post-rotatory nystagmus elicited in tilted positions. Thus, the storage component of nystagmus induced by VN stimulation had the same characteristics as the slow component of OKN and the VOR. Positive stimulus sites for inducing nystagmus with typical storage components were located in rostral portions of VN. They lay in caudal ventral superior vestibular nucleus (SVN), dorsal portions of central medial vestibular nucleus (MVN) caudal to the abducens nuclei and in adjacent lateral vestibular nucleus (LVN). More complex stimulus responses, but with contralateral after-nystagmus, were induced from surrounding regions of ventral MVN and LVN, rostral descending vestibular nucleus and the marginal zone between MVN and PPH. Vestibular-only (VO), vestibular plus saccade (VPS) and tonic vestibular pause (TVP) units were identified by extracellular recording. Stimulation near type I lateral and vertical canal-related VO units elicited typical \"storage\" responses with after-nystagmus in 23 of 29 tracks (79%). Stimulus responses were more complex from the region of neurons with oculomotor-related signals, i.e., TVP or VPS cells, although after-nystagmus was also elicited from these sites. Effects of vestibular nerve and nucleus stimulation were compared.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1486948", "title": "Motor cortical activity in a memorized delay task.", "content": "Two rhesus monkeys were trained to move a handle on a two-dimensional (2D) working surface in directions specified by a light at the plane. They first captured with the handle a light on the center of the plane and then moved the handle in the direction indicated by a peripheral light (cue signal). The signal to move (go signal) was given by turning off the center light. The following tasks were used: (a) In the non-delay task the peripheral light was turned on at the same time as the center light went off. (b) In the memorized delay task the peripheral light stayed on for 300 ms and the center light was turned off 450-750 ms later. Finally, (c) in the non-memorized delay task the peripheral light stayed on continuously whereas the center light went off 750-1050 ms after the peripheral light came on. Recordings in the arm area of the motor cortex (N = 171 cells) showed changes in single cell activity in all tasks. In both delay tasks, the neuronal population vector calculated every 20 ms after the onset of the peripheral light pointed in the direction of the upcoming movement, which was instructed by the cue light. Moreover, the strength of the population signal showed an initial peak shortly after the cue onset in both the memorized and non-memorized delay tasks but it maintained a higher level during the memorized delay period, as compared to the non-memorized task.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1486949", "title": "Striatal neuronal activity during the initiation and execution of hand movements made in response to visual and vibratory cues.", "content": "Recordings were obtained from 146 neurons in the neostriatum of rhesus monkeys while they performed wrist movements in response to visual and vibratory cues. Of these, 75 putamena nd 29 caudate neurons exhibited changes in firing rate that were temporally related to the onset of the wrist movements and that began prior to movement onset. This premovement activity (PMA) usually was directionally specific, in that the magnitude or direction of change in firing rates was different during flexion trials as compared to trials involving wrist extension. PMA onset usually preceded movement onset by more than 100 ms and in most instances preceded the average onset of task-related changes in electromyographic (EMG) activity in muscles of the wrist and forelimb. For most neurons, the changes in neuronal activity that began prior to movement were maintained during movement execution. However, approximately one-third of the neurons that exhibited PMA changed their firing rate in the opposite direction, relative to their PMA and to their baseline rate of activity, once the movement began. Several other neurons either exhibited PMA only or they altered their discharge rates during movement execution but did not exhibit PMA. These observations suggest that, despite the close temporal relationship between the onset of PMA and the onset of wrist movement, the neuronal mechanisms mediating the PMA may differ from those that occur during movement execution. The PMA onset of neostriatal neurons occurred earlier in visually cued than in vibratory cued trials. These differences were statistically significant only for flexion trials, however, in which movements were made against a load and in the same direction as the palmar vibratory stimulus. For trials involving wrist extension, PMA onsets for visually cued as compared with vibratory cued trials were not statistically different. These findings contrast with data obtained previously from somatosensory cortical neurons during performance of the same behavioral task. On average, PMA in the putamen began earlier, relative to movement onset, than it did in the somatosensory cortex. Moreover, in the somatosensory cortex, PMA onset occurred earlier in vibratory cued than in visually cued trials, irrespective of movement direction (Nelson 1988; Nelson and Douglas 1989). For putamen neurons, but not for caudate or cortical neurons, the onset of PMA also occurred significantly earlier during extension trials than flexion trials, irrespective of the modality of the \"go-cue\".(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1486950", "title": "Head movement propensity.", "content": "In studies of human eye-head coordinated saccadic gaze shifts, different laboratories have found greatly different magnitudes of head movements for a given amplitude of gaze shift (head movement gain). The present study was conducted to examine why, and to quantify volitional head movements. Fixation/target lights were located at 20 degrees and 40 degrees on either side of a central light. There were two tasks or modes. In the non-aligned mode, gaze fixation (first light) was followed by a gaze step to the target (second light) accurately and quickly. In the head-aligned mode, the head was aligned within 3 degrees of the first fixation light (i.e., initial starting position) before the step sequence began. In both non-aligned and head-aligned modes, subject instructions pertaining to the second target light concerned only gaze; there was no requisite head position. The head movement propensity of nine subjects was ranked according to the mean gain (head/target amplitude) of two 40 degree jumps (0-40 degrees and -20 to +20 degrees) in the non-aligned mode. This ranking method clearly identified extreme head-movers and non-movers. The moderate movers were further characterized by three additional criteria, derived by comparing the gains in different jumps, which varied in starting position and amplitude. First, when the two 40 degree jumps were compared, typically the gain of non-movers was less in the symmetric jump (-20 to +20 degrees) with the gain of the head-movers was greater in the symmetric jump. Second, in the head-aligned mode the gain of non-movers progressively increased when the starting position was progressively moved eccentrically, whereas the gain of head-movers increased only slightly, if at all. Third, when the gains of two symmetric (40 degrees and 80 degrees) jumps were compared, the head-movers consistently had opposite trends from non-movers. These three comparative criteria and the initial criterion together define head movement propensity. To explain the above observations, three effects are proposed. First, a \"midline-attraction\" effect causes resistance to movement away from the midline in non-movers and an increase in movement amplitude if the jump starts eccentrically. Second, a \"resetting\" effect occurs when the eccentricity of the jump is varied; the stopping position is reset closer to the target. Third, an \"awareness/arousal\" effect increases the gain in the head-aligned mode due to the intrinsic nature of the alignment procedure.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1486951", "title": "Metabolic brain pattern of sustained auditory discrimination.", "content": "Positron emission tomography of [18F]-2-fluorodeoxyglucose was used to assess the functional brain activity of normal subjects while performing auditory discrimination (CPT), while receiving an identical set of tones as in CPT, but with the instructions that they were background noise, or while at rest. The present study: (1) confirms earlier findings of an association between the functional activity of the right midprefrontal cortex and the performance of auditory discrimination, (2) localizes this increase in right prefrontal cortex activity to the middle prefrontal gyrus; and (3) provides a framework of specific testable hypotheses for the evaluation of the importance of certain limbic and paralimbic areas in the biological determination of sustained attention to be addressed in future studies. The framework accounts for the now confirmed finding that the middle cingulate has lower metabolic activity in CPT than at rest, and new findings of alterations in temporal lobe processing of tones in response to attention."}
{"id": "PMID:1486952", "title": "Feedforward postural stabilization in a distal bimanual unloading task.", "content": "The aim of the present study was to investigate postural adjustments and positional stability in a bimanual unloading task, involving essentially the index finger, in order to test whether proactive adjustments are also observed in distal body segments. A second goal of the study was to evaluate the concept of a central command that would be responsible for coupling movement and posture. The positional disturbance of the right load-bearing index finger of healthy human subjects was studied under two types of manipulations: passive, i.e., imposed, unloading and active unloading, by the subject's left index finger. It was found that, in such a distal task, positional stabilization of the load-bearing finger was much better (by a factor of 6) in the active situation than the passive situation. This improvement was greater than previously reported for a proximal task. An electromyogram (EMG) analysis of the mostly implicated dorsal interosseous muscles revealed a typical unloading reflex in the passive situation (reactive mode) and a suppression of EMG before unloading onset in the active situation (proactive mode). Averaged records showed an almost perfect synchronization between the EMG suppression in the load-bearing interosseous muscle and the onset of the EMG burst of the unloading index finger. A trial-by-trial analysis, however, revealed a considerable scatter in intervals of the two EMG events, with a tendency of the activity burst in the left finger to occur slightly before the suppression of EMG in the load-bearing muscle. No positive correlation was found between the precision of synchronization (intervals near zero time) and the accuracy of performance, i.e., positional stability of the unloaded finger. Although the trial-by-trial variability was large, it is suggested that at least some of this variability is caused by a nonsteady state of motoneuronal excitability. In view of the low-pass property of the muscle, the observed variability in synchronization may be sufficiently precise to maintain the hypothesis of a central temporal coupling of the events in the two hands through a common command. However, the lack of a correlation between the degree of synchronization and the performance in stability argues rather in favor of separate commands to the two hands that select the parameters in the spatial domain. Finally, an intermanual EMG or torque analysis is proposed that might be useful in assessing the accuracy in goal achievement, i.e., the maintenance of a stable finger position in spite of the \"internal\" perturbation."}
{"id": "PMID:1486953", "title": "Translational head movements of pigeons in response to a rotating pattern: characteristics and tool to analyse mechanisms underlying detection of rotational and translational optical flow.", "content": "Pigeons freely standing in the centre of a two-dimensionally textured cylinder not only rotate but also laterally translate their head in response to the pattern sinusoidally oscillating or unidirectionally rotating around their vertical axis. The translational head movement dominates the response at high oscillation frequencies, whereas in a unidirectionally rotating drum head translation declines at about the same rate as the rotational response increases. It is suggested that this is a consequence of charging the 'velocity storage' in the vestibulo-ocular system. Similar to the rotational head movement (opto-collic reflex), the translational head movement is elicited via a wide-field motion sensitive system. The underlying mechanism can be described as vector integration of movement vectors tangential to the pattern rotation. Stimulation of the frontal visual field elicits largest translational responses while rotational responses can be elicited equally well from any azimuthal position of a moving pattern. Experiments where most of the pattern is occluded by a screen and the pigeon is allowed to view the stimulus through one or two windows demonstrate a short-range inhibition and long-range excitation between movement detectors that feed into the rotational system. Furthermore, the results obtained from such types of experiments suggest that the rotational system inhibits the translational system. These mechanisms may help the pigeon to decompose image flow into its translational and rotational components. Because of their translational response to a rotational stimulus, it is concluded, however, that pigeons either generally cannot perfectly perform the task or they need further visual information, like differential image motion, that was not available to them in the paradigms."}
{"id": "PMID:1486954", "title": "Reticulospinal and reticuloreticular pathways for activating the lumbar back muscles in the rat.", "content": "These experiments tested hypotheses about the logic of reticulospinal and reticuloreticular controls over deep back muscles by examining descending efferent and contralateral projections of the sites within the medullary reticular formation (MRF) that evoke EMG responses in lumbar axial muscles upon electrical stimulation. In the first series of experiments, retrograde tracers were deposited at gigantocellular reticular nucleus (Gi) sites that excited the back muscles and in the contralateral lumbar spinal cord. The medullary reticular formation contralateral to the Gi stimulation/deposition site was examined for the presence of single- and double-labeled cells from these injections. Tracer depositions into Gi produced labeled cells in the contralateral Gi and Parvocellular reticular nucleus (PCRt) whereas the lumbar injections retrogradely labeled cells only in the ventral MRF, indicating that separate populations of medullary reticular cells project to the opposite MRF and the lumbar cord. In the second series of experiments the precise relationships between the location of neurons retrogradely labeled from lumbar spinal cord depositions of the retrograde trace, Fluoro-Gold (FG) and effective stimulation tracks through the MRF were examined. The results indicate that the Gi sites that are most effective for activation of the back muscles are dorsal to the location of retrogradely labeled lumbar reticulospinal cells. To verify that cell bodies and not fibers of passage were stimulated, crystals of the excitatory amino acid agonist, N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) were deposited at effective stimulation sites in the Gi. NMDA decreased the ability of electrical stimulation to activate back muscles at 5 min postdeposition, indicating a local interaction of NMDA with cell bodies at the stimulation site. In the third series of experiments, electrical thresholds for EMG activation along a track through the MRF were compared to cells retrogradely labeled from FG deposited into the cervical spinal cord. In some experiments, Fast Blue was also deposited into the contralateral lumbar cord. Neurons at low threshold points on the electrode track were labeled following cervical depositions, indicating a direct projection to the cervical spinal cord. The lumbar depositions, again, labeled cells in MRF areas that were ventral to the locations of effective stimulation sites, primarily on the opposite side of the medulla. In addition, the lumbar depositions back-filled cells in the same cervical segments to which the Gi neurons project. These results suggest that one efferent projection from effective stimulation sites for back muscle activation is onto propriospinal neurons in the cervical cord, which in turn project to lumbar cord levels.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1486955", "title": "Spinothalamic and propriospinal neurones in the upper cervical cord of the rat: terminations of primary afferent fibres on soma and primary dendrites.", "content": "Experiments were performed on rats to determine whether primary afferents from the upper cervical region terminate directly on spinothalamic and propriospinal neurones. The central terminations of primary afferents from the upper cervical region were identified by diffusely filling their axons with horseradish peroxidase. Spinothalamic neurones or propriospinal neurones were identified in the same experimental animals by using retrograde transport of wheat germ agglutinin conjugated to horseradish peroxidase. Approximately 3-11% of spinothalamic cells in laminae 4-6 of spinal segments C2-4 received apparent synaptic contacts from primary afferents on the soma or primary dendrites. Approximately 18-36% of propriospinal neurones with axons descending to lower thoracic or lumbar levels received apparent synaptic contacts on the soma or primary dendrites. These data provide anatomical evidence that spinothalamic and long propriospinal neurones in the upper cervical cord are excited directly by primary afferents. The data also help to clarify the neural circuitry underlying somatic sensation and reflex movements evoked by neck receptors."}
{"id": "PMID:1486956", "title": "Kindling is associated with the formation of novel mossy fibre synapses in the CA3 region.", "content": "A Golgi and electron microscopy study of the hippocampal CA3 region was performed on control and kindled Wistar rats. The observations provide evidence that, in epileptic rats, mossy fibres sprout and establish novel synapses with the basilar dendrites of CA3 pyramidal neurons. These newly-developed synapses showed the typical features of mossy synapses observed in the stratum lucidum, including the appearance of complex giant spines. The morphological changes reported here may represent a histopathological substrate for the epilepsy in the absence of overt signs of a hippocampal lesion."}
{"id": "PMID:1486957", "title": "Decreasing the cortical response to monocular deprivation need not decrease cell shrinkage in cat lateral geniculate nucleus.", "content": "Monocular deprivation (MD) of young kittens decreases the response of visual cortex cells to the deprived eye. In addition, it causes cell shrinkage in the layers of the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) innervated by the deprived eye. To determine whether the shrinkage of LGN cells is dependent upon changes in the response of cortical cells, we compared LGN cell shrinkage in three groups of MD animals. Two were controls; the third received lesions of fibers bringing norepinephrine and acetylcholine to the visual cortex. This procedure greatly attenuated the effect of MD on the visual cortex. The amount of LGN cell shrinkage did not differ among the three groups. We conclude that LGN shrinkage after MD does not require a dramatic loss of cortical cell responses to the deprived eye."}
{"id": "PMID:1486958", "title": "Responses from outside classical receptive fields of dorsal lateral geniculate cells in rabbits.", "content": "The effects of stimuli at locations remote from classic receptive fields (CRF) of lateral geniculate cells were examined in rabbits. In anesthetized rabbits, small targets positioned well outside the CRF either facilitated or decreased responses evoked by a stimulus positioned within the most active area of the CRF in 51% of the cells tested, in spite of the fact that when presented in isolation the remote target failed to modify the spontaneous activity of the recorded cell. Late components of the discharge pattern evoked by the central stimulus were mostly influenced by the peripheral target. Focal or ectopic areas surrounding the CRF are thus identified. These areas were not a direct extension of the CRF, since the normal evoked response was unchanged when the remote stimulus moved closer to the CRF. Cells whose CRF were centrally located reacted with an augmented response in the presence of the additional stimulus, whereas units whose CRF was more eccentric exhibited a weaker response when the peripheral target was introduced in the visual field. We also investigated whether superior colliculus afferents to the lateral geniculate nucleus could be associated with these ectopic areas (EA). Depressing superior colliculus activity produced two types of results: (a) often the late component of the response pattern was modified; and (b) the influence of the remote stimulus disappeared with collicular blockade in 80% of tested neurons. These results provide evidence that the CRF of geniculate cells may be surrounded by satellite zones, which modify the responses to the central target when invaded by circumscribed stimuli.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1486962", "title": "Pulmonary gas exchange response following allergen challenge in patients with allergic asthma.", "content": "Pulmonary gas exchange was studied in 8 patients with allergic asthma before and after allergen challenge. Ventilation-perfusion relationships were assessed by the multiple inert gas elimination technique and forced expiratory flow by conventional spirometry. Measurements were made before, 7-8 minutes, and 0.5, 2.5 and 5 hours after challenge. During baseline conditions all patients showed normal forced expiratory flow (FEV1 3.9 +/- 0.77 (SD) l) and gas exchange expressed as the dispersion of pulmonary blood flow, log SDQ (0.35 +/- 0.08), (one of the common descriptors of ventilation-perfusion (VA/Q) inequality). Immediately after challenge there were significant decreases in FEV1 (to 2.3 +/- 0.75 l) and arterial PO2 (from 13.1 +/- 0.9 to 9.5 +/- 1.2 kPa). The developed ventilation-perfusion inequalities were similar to those found in other asthma studies, i.e. mainly a broad (log SDQ increased to 0.73 +/- 0.30) and sometimes bimodal distribution of the perfusion. Thirty minutes after challenge FEV1 significantly improved to 3.2 +/- 1.18 l while log SDQ remained high (0.71 +/- 0.32). Two and a half hours after challenge log SDQ was reduced and almost normalized to 0.38 +/- 0.07. Five patients developed a late phase reaction with decreasing flow rates after 5 hours. Three of these patients also showed increased log SDQ. There was no clear relationship between gas exchange mismatch and reduced forced expiratory flow. The results support the hypothesis that reduced expiratory flow and gas exchange impairment are caused by different pathophysiological mechanisms."}
{"id": "PMID:1486963", "title": "Protective effect of loop diuretics, piretanide and frusemide, against sodium metabisulphite-induced bronchoconstriction in asthma.", "content": "We determined whether the loop diuretic, piretanide, had a similar inhibitory action against sodium metabisulphite (MBS)-induced bronchoconstriction in asthmatic subjects as frusemide and, if so, its duration of action. In the first study, we compared the effect of inhaled placebo, piretanide (24 mg), or frusemide (40 mg), on the provocative concentration of MBS needed to cause a 20% fall in baseline forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) (PC20MBS) in 12 mild asthmatic subjects before, immediately after, and at 1.5, 3, 6, and 24 h, after inhalation. Both piretanide and frusemide induced a significant diuresis lasting at least 24 h. Frusemide caused a mean 3.8 fold (95% confidence interval: 2.3-6.3 fold), piretanide a 2.5 fold (1.8-3.4 fold) and placebo a 1.7 fold (1.5-1.9 fold) increase in PC20MBS. The effects of frusemide and piretanide were significantly greater than that of placebo. At later time points, tachyphylaxis to the bronchoconstrictor effects of MBS was observed during the placebo limb. In the second study, we measured PC20MBS at 90 min after inhalation of either placebo, piretanide (24 mg), or frusemide (40 mg). No significant difference in PC20MBS was observed. We conclude that piretanide in addition to frusemide significantly inhibits MBS-induced bronchoconstriction and that this action is short-lived over less than 90 min. Frusemide was more potent in inhibiting MBS-induced bronchoconstriction despite causing a smaller diuretic effect than piretanide. The basic mechanism of action of the loop diuretics in the airways remains unclear."}
{"id": "PMID:1486964", "title": "The effect of amiloride on the airway response to metabisulphite in asthma: a negative report.", "content": "Frusemide, a loop diuretic, has been shown to potently inhibit several indirect bronchoconstrictor challenges in asthma. The mechanism by which nebulized frusemide protects against indirect bronchoconstrictor stimuli in asthma is not known. One mechanism could be related to inhibition of sodium transport. If this is the case, then amiloride, another inhibitor of sodium transport, should also protect against indirect bronchoconstrictor challenges. Ten subjects with mild asthma were administered either 10(-2) M amiloride or placebo, by nebulizer, in a double-blind crossover fashion. After each inhalation, forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) was recorded at 10 min intervals for 30 min, after which a metabisulphite challenge was performed. No significant difference in the response to metabisulphite was seen between placebo and amiloride treatment. The mean difference in provocative dose of metabisulphite producing a 20% fall in FEV1 (PD20) between placebo and amiloride was 1.015 doubling doses, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) -0.201 to 2.231, (p = 0.09). This result does not support the hypothesis that frusemide is acting to protect against bronchoconstrictor challenges in asthma by an effect on sodium transport."}
{"id": "PMID:1486965", "title": "Salmeterol versus slow-release theophylline combined with ketotifen in nocturnal asthma: a multicentre trial. French Multicentre Study Group.", "content": "We wished to assess the efficacy of inhaled salmeterol (SML; 50 micrograms b.i.d.) compared to a combination of slow-release theophylline and ketotifen p.o. (TK; T 300 mg+K 1 mg b.i.d.) for the treatment of nocturnal asthma. Ninety six patients with nocturnal asthma, (forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) 60-90% of predicted value, reversibility > or = 15%, at least two nocturnal awakenings per week) were eligible for a multicentre, double-blind, double-dummy cross-over study (14-day run-in, two successive 28-day treatment periods). Efficacy was assessed as success/failure, success being defined as the complete disappearance of nocturnal symptoms/awakening during the last week of each treatment period. There was a statistically significant difference between SML and TK for this criterion: 46% and 39% success with SML during periods I (first 28-day period) and II (following the cross-over), compared to only 15% and 26% with TK, respectively (p < 0.01). SML was also significantly better for the other criteria (lung function, rescue salbutamol intake during day and night). Side-effects were five times less frequent in SML-treated patients (p < 0.004). Efficacy and tolerance of SML were obviously far better than those of TK in patients with nocturnal asthma."}
{"id": "PMID:1486966", "title": "Modulation by theophylline and enprofylline of the excitatory non-cholinergic transmission in guinea-pig bronchi.", "content": "The mechanism of action of xanthines in asthma remains controversial. Since sensory innervation may play a role in the pathogenesis of asthma, we investigated whether xanthines were capable of reducing the contractile response of the bronchi to nerve stimulation. In guinea-pig bronchi in vitro, electrical field stimulation (EFS: 40 V, 16 Hz, 0.2 ms during 10 s) induces a rapid cholinergic contraction followed by a long-lasting contraction due to a local release of neuropeptides from C-fibre endings. We measured isometric neuronally-mediated contractions of bronchial smooth muscle and studied the effects of increasing concentrations of two xanthine derivatives, theophylline, an antagonist of adenosine receptors, and enprofylline, which has no effect on adenosine receptors. Both enprofylline (1-50 microM) and theophylline (10-100 microM) inhibited, in a concentration-dependent manner, the peptidergic contraction, an effect which was more marked with enprofylline than theophylline (EC50 = 9.6 +/- 0.7 microM and 62.0 +/- 4.7 microM, respectively). Conversely, the cholinergic response was unaffected. Contractions induced by exogenous substance P (0.03-3 microM) were also unaffected by theophylline and enprofylline at the above mentioned EC50s. Our results suggest that concentrations of theophylline, similar to those used therapeutically, reduce the release of sensory neuropeptides from C-fibre endings. This effect is unrelated to adenosine receptor blockade, since enprofylline had a similar inhibitory effect."}
{"id": "PMID:1486967", "title": "Effects of inspiratory resistance, inhaled beta-agonists and histamine on canine tracheal blood flow.", "content": "Tracheobronchial blood flow is potentially important in asthma as it could either influence the clearance of mediators from the airways, thus affecting the duration and severity of bronchospasm, or enhance oedema formation with a resultant increase in airflow obstruction. In anaesthetized dogs, spontaneously breathing via a tracheostomy, we investigated the effects of three interventions which are relevant to acute asthma attacks and could potentially influence blood flow and its distribution to the mucosa and remaining tissues of the trachea: 1) increased negative intrathoracic pressure swings (-25 +/- 1 cmH2O) induced by an inspiratory resistance; 2) variable inhaled doses of a beta-adrenoceptor-agonist (terbutaline); and 3) aerosolized histamine sufficient to produce a threefold increase in pulmonary resistance. Microspheres labelled with different radioisotopes were used to measure blood flow. Resistive breathing did not influence tracheobronchial blood flow. Following a large dose of terbutaline, mucosal blood flow (Qmb) increased by 50%. After inhaled histamine, Qmb reached 265% of the baseline value. We conclude that, whereas increased negative pressure swings do not influence tracheobronchial blood flow or its distribution, inhalation of aerosolized terbutaline, corresponding to a conventionally nebulized dose, increases mucosal blood flow. Our results also confirm that inhaled histamine, in a dose sufficient to produce moderate bronchoconstriction, increases tracheal mucosal blood flow in the area of deposition."}
{"id": "PMID:1486968", "title": "Gas exchange during simulated airway secretion in the anaesthetized rabbit.", "content": "We wished to study the effect of airways secretion on gas exchange. Peripheral airway secretion was simulated in 9 rabbits by the continuous inhalation of nebulized isotonic saline, at a droplet size of about 3 microns. Intrapulmonary deposition of saline in the peripheral airways (83% in airways smaller than 0.5 mm) did not alter total inspiratory resistance (mean 5.4 kPa.l-1.s), but led to a decrease in compliance of the total respiratory system from 45.9 to 21.8 ml.kPa-1 after one hour of nebulization. Arterial oxygen tension decreased from 17.8 kPa to 12.1 and 6.9 kPa after 5 and 60 min of nebulization, respectively. PaCO2 was unaffected after 5 min (4.5 kPa) but increased to 7.0 kPa after 60 min of nebulization. Ventilation-perfusion relationships (VA/Q) showed a significant increase in perfusion of areas with low VA/Q ratios (from 0.7 to 6.3% of cardiac output) and in shunt (from 1.4 to 4.3%) after 5 min of nebulization. At the end of the experiment shunt was increased markedly to 29.7% of cardiac output whereas perfusion of low VA/Q regions remained at the same level (7.3%). The results from this animal model indicate that all gas exchange abnormalities known to occur in asthma can be reproduced without measurably increasing the resistance of the respiratory system."}
{"id": "PMID:1486969", "title": "Protective effect of pulmonary surfactant on elastase-induced emphysema in mice.", "content": "The aim of this study was to obtain some evidence of a protective role for pulmonary surfactant in the pathogenesis of emphysema. Firstly, we developed a quick and easy method to treat mice with a series of intratracheal instillations. Subsequently, three groups of mice were treated as follows: two groups received intratracheal instillations with pancreatic elastase (1.8 mg.kg-1 BW) followed after 3, 48 and 96 h in one group (El/Surf group) by intratracheal administration of surfactant (100 mg phospholipid.kg-1 BW), and in the other group by instillations with saline (El/s group). The third group of control mice was treated with saline followed by three doses of surfactant (s/Surf group). After eight weeks, the mice were killed and emphysema was measured by calculating the mean linear intercepts (Lm) of airspaces. The Lm values in the different groups were statistically tested for differences by the Mann-Whitney test. Instillation of pancreatic elastase (El/s group) resulted in an evenly distributed increase in Lm compared with the control group. Administration of surfactant in elastase-treated mice (El/Surf group) resulted in a statistically significant inhibition of airspace enlargement. Although the Lm in the El/Surf group was still higher than in the control group, analysis of histograms of Lm values per field of examination revealed that the Lm distribution in the former group was similar to that of the s/Surf group. The El/s group, on the contrary, showed the presence of many fields with enlarged air spaces. Repeated instillations with saline and/or surfactant had no effect on the Lm.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1486970", "title": "Clara cell protein in serum and bronchoalveolar lavage.", "content": "The 10 kDa Clara cell protein was measured in serum and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) from 39 healthy subjects (14 smokers, 25 nonsmokers) and from 41 patients with respiratory disease (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), sarcoidosis, lung cancer). Clara cell protein appears as one of the most abundant respiratory tract derived proteins, with values averaging 7% of the total protein content of lung lavages from healthy nonsmokers. A significant reduction of Clara cell protein was found in BAL from smokers and patients with COPD or lung cancer. The same pattern of change was found in the concentrations of Clara cell protein in serum. Pulmonary sarcoidosis did not affect absolute values of Clara cell protein in lung lavages but was associated with elevated levels in serum. Changes in lung lavage Clara cell protein differed from that of albumin, beta 2-microglobulin or the secretory component, since the latter were unaffected by smoking or COPD but increased in sarcoidosis and lung cancer. These results indicate that Clara cell protein in BAL or serum might serve as a sensitive indicator of nonciliated bronchial cell dysfunction."}
{"id": "PMID:1486971", "title": "Nasal and paranasal disease in adult cystic fibrosis patients.", "content": "Children with cystic fibrosis frequently have nasal polyps and sinusitis. This study addresses (para-) nasal disease in 39 adult cystic fibrosis patients. Fifteen patients (39%) had recently had serious nasal symptoms and 26% sinusitis. Seventeen (44%) had nasal polyposis. Almost all sinus radiographs taken showed opacification, which was unrelated to symptoms. Polypectomies and antral irrigations were usually ineffective, whilst more extensive surgery generally gave better results. It is concluded that a substantial number of adult cystic fibrosis patients frequently have upper airway symptoms. Sinus radiographs have little or no diagnostic value. Treatment of (para-) nasal disease in cystic fibrosis patients can be difficult; a guideline for treatment is suggested, calling for simple interventions coupled with intranasal steroids and nasal irrigation in early disease and for endoscopic to radical sinus surgery in recurrent advanced disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1486972", "title": "Outcome of respiratory distress syndrome at 28 days: a prospective longitudinal study.", "content": "Fifty eight newborn infants with respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) were prospectively studied, in order to determine clinical variables prognostic of poor outcome at 28 days. Twenty six infants survived without bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), 13 had Type 1 BPD, 4 had Type 2 BPD and 15 infants died before 28 days. Survivors without BPD had higher birthweights and gestational ages. Among the other infants, severity of initial lung disease was the best discriminator between outcome groups: Type 1 BPD infants had the best lungs at onset, and the nonsurvivors had the worst lungs. Stepwise multiple logistic regression identified gestational age and the ventilatory index number 1 (VI1) (= respirator frequency x maximal inspiratory pressure) at day 3 as the most useful variables to predict \"poor outcome\" (nonsurvival or Type 2 BPD). Ninety five percent of the infants were correctly classified using a cut-off probability of 0.5. We conclude that RDS outcome at 28 days is determined at a very early stage and that poor outcome can be predicted with reasonable accuracy at three days of age."}
{"id": "PMID:1486973", "title": "Nosocomial pneumonia in critically ill comatose patients: need for a differential therapeutic approach.", "content": "The purpose of this prospective clinical study was to determine the incidence, bacteriology and outcome of lower respiratory tract infections developed among 208 consecutive, critically ill comatose patients, hospitalized in a university hospital, medical-surgical intensive care unit, over a three year period. Nosocomial pneumonia developed in 53 (25%) patients after a mean of 8.1 days (range 3-31 days). Furthermore, there were five superinfections, raising the mean incidence to 28%. One patient developed secondary bacteraemia, and another two had septic shock. Fifteen (28%) patients from the pneumonia group died, and six of these deaths were considered to be directly related to nosocomial pneumonia. Identification of the causative agent, using the protected specimen brush technique, was possible in 42 episodes; in 10 (24%) of these cases more than one microorganism was isolated. Gram-positive cocci represented 53% of isolates, and Staphylococcus aureus accounted for 78% of all Gram-positive cocci, being the most frequent microorganism in this population. In conclusion, nosocomial pneumonia is a common complication of critically ill comatose patients. Its characteristic aetiological spectrum in this population should affect antibiotic prescription. Consequently, we suggest including antimicrobial drugs which are active against S. aureus in the empirical regimen until aetiological diagnosis is established."}
{"id": "PMID:1486974", "title": "European Respiratory Society study on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (EUROSCOP): hypothesis and design.", "content": "Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a common disease in industrialised countries and responsible for a considerable morbidity and mortality. Cigarette smoking is the most important aetiological factor. The EUROSCOP trial aims at investigating the hypothesis that airway inflammation plays an important pathogenic role in the development of chronic obstructive airway disease in smokers. In cigarette smokers with poorly reversible airflow obstruction, the effect over 3 yrs of an inhaled glucocorticosteroid, budesonide 400 micrograms b.i.d., on the decline of lung function, measured as postbronchodilator forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), will be compared with that of placebo. The trial has been designed to detect a difference in yearly decline of at least 30 ml.year-1. The study is a parallel group, randomised, double-blind, multicentre study. Patients will be recruited from 47 centres in 12 countries in Europe. It will start with a run-in consisting of two 3 month periods. During the first 3 months, the patients will be offered a smoking cessation programme. All patients who have not stopped smoking during this period will enter the second half of the run-in where compliance with the dosage regimen will be tested. After these two periods, patients will be randomised to receive either inhaled budesonide, 400 micrograms b.i.d., or placebo for a period of 3 yrs."}
{"id": "PMID:1486975", "title": "Lung allograft transplantation: indications, preoperative assessment and postoperative management.", "content": "In spite of a shortage of available donors, an increasing number of heart-lung transplantations have been performed within the last decade. This procedure, first limited to patients with pulmonary vascular disease, has been successfully extended to patients with end stage lung disease, including cystic fibrosis. More recently, single lung, double-lung and bilateral single lung transplantation have become other therapeutic options. Better selection of patients and donors as well as improvements in surgical techniques and immunosuppression regimens have contributed to the reduction in the high perioperative mortality experienced in the early stages. Moreover, the introduction of daily spirometry and transbronchial lung biopsies have permitted early and reliable diagnosis of opportunistic infection and rejection. The most serious late complication of lung transplantation is obliterative bronchiolitis and further research is urgently required to improve diagnosis and management of this condition."}
{"id": "PMID:1486976", "title": "Calibration of aerosol output from the Mefar dosimeter: implications for epidemiological studies.", "content": "Standardized methods for the measurement of airway responsiveness may use the Mefar MB3 inhalation dosimeter to generate standard doses of methacholine aerosol. The manufacturer provides calibrated output data for every nebulizer, so that a standard output may be achieved by varying nebulization time. This output is, however, measured by weight loss (WL), which may over-estimate true aerosol output (AO) because of concomitant evaporation. We have used a chemical (fluoride) tracer method to measure AO directly from two batches of Mefar nebulizers (batch 1 n = 5, batch 2 n = 10) and compared results with manufacturer's quoted WL. Mean AO from batch 1 was 10.56 mg.s-1 (range 9.50-11.63, SD = 0.92 mg.s-1), and mean AO from batch 2 was 5.66 mg.s-1 (range 4.92-6.58, SD = 0.57 mg.s-1), implying that AO varied little within, but substantially between, the two nebulizer batches. Manufacturer's quoted WL does not reflect this near two fold difference: mean WL batch 1 = 14.0 mg.s-1 (range 13-15 mg.s-1); mean WL batch 2 = 11.1 mg.s-1 (range 11-12 mg.s-1). The median aerosol fractions (AO/WL) for batches 1 and 2 were 76% (range 65-83%) and 50% (range 43-60%), respectively. Similar results were obtained with our own measurement of weight loss. This implies that if the median nebulizers of batches 1 and 2 were calibrated (as recommended) by the manufacture's WL to deliver a presumed 100 micrograms methacholine dose, the actual doses delivered would be 76 micrograms and 50 micrograms, the range for all 15 nebulizers being 43-83 micrograms.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1486977", "title": "Pulmonary alveolar microlithiasis and lymphocytic interstitial pneumonitis in a ten year old girl.", "content": "Pulmonary alveolar microlithiasis (PAM) is a rare lung disease, characterized by progressive formation of intra-alveolar calculi in response to an unknown stimulus. We report an unusual presentation of PAM in a 10 year old girl with clinically significant interstitial lung disease and histological evidence of both PAM and lymphocytic interstitial pneumonitis. A rapid improvement of pulmonary function and exercise tolerance was seen in response to glucosteroid therapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1486978", "title": "Tumour-like presentation of pulmonary sarcoidosis.", "content": "We report a case of pulmonary sarcoidosis, which initially presented as a left apical infiltrate. The later course mimicked a pulmonary neoplasm, with left upper lobe atelectasis secondary to bronchial stenosis, resulting from both endobronchial sarcoidosis and extrinsic compression by enlarged lymph nodes. Extrinsic pressure from sarcoid nodes on the left main pulmonary artery and recurrent laryngeal nerve, also caused a reduction in pulmonary parenchymal perfusion and left vocal cord paresis."}
{"id": "PMID:1486979", "title": "Systemic to pulmonary vascular malformation.", "content": "A case is reported of life-threatening haemoptysis as a result of an anomalous communication between a bronchial artery and pulmonary vein, demonstrated by angiography. The patient recovered following bilobectomy of the right lower and middle lobes. When a systemic artery is involved in an arteriovenous malformation of the lung, haemodynamics are different compared with those present in malformations fed by the pulmonary artery. This implicates other clinical features, options for surgical intervention and prognosis. In reviewing the literature, a relationship with Rendu-Osler-Weber disease is absent in these specific malformations."}
{"id": "PMID:1487062", "title": "Molecular basis for red cell membrane viscoelastic properties.", "content": "An unusual combination of membrane properties allows the red cell to undergo extensive deformation without cell fragmentation, enabling it to effectively perform its function of oxygen delivery during its long life span in the circulation. These material properties are the consequence of a composite structure in which a plasma membrane envelope made up of amphiphilic surfactant molecules is anchored to a network of skeletal proteins through tethering sites (transmembrane proteins) in the bilayer. Explosive growth in our understanding of the primary structure of the various red cell membrane proteins, definition of specific mutations in various red phenotypes, and detailed biophysical characterization of membrane properties of normal and mutant red cells has enabled development of models of molecular and structural basis for red cell properties."}
{"id": "PMID:1487080", "title": "Oral capture and grasping of an artificial nipple by rat fetuses.", "content": "Although born blind and deaf, newborn rats exhibit a remarkable capacity to recognize and gain access to the nipples of the lactating mother. However, it is well-known that full-term rat neonates will not attach to an artificial nipple. In the present study, an artificial nipple fashioned from soft vinyl was presented to rat fetuses from E17-E21 of gestation. Fetuses showed side-to-side head movements that resulted in oral capture of the nipple on E18 and exhibited a direct nipple-grasping response from E19 through term. Frame-by-frame analysis of videotape records of E21 rat fetuses revealed that tactile contact with the artificial nipple elicited mouthing, licking directed at the nipple, forelimb treadling, and grasping of the nipple. Fetuses also exhibited components of aversive behavior, including facial wiping and head turning, that appeared to terminate oral contact with the nipple. Morphine pretreatment reduced the expression of aversive responses and promoted licking and grasping of the artificial nipple. In addition to documenting the prenatal ontogeny of this important neonatal behavior, these findings imply a role for endogenous opioids in the newborn rat's first suckling episode."}
{"id": "PMID:1487081", "title": "Response of bonnet macaque dyads to an acute foraging task under different motivational conditions.", "content": "To explore behavioral patterns in bonnet macaque mother-infant dyads under environmental challenge, the motivation of infants to contact their mothers during a 1-hr foraging period was manipulated in two ways. First, sessions were given in which the infants were separated from their mothers for 3 hr prior to the foraging period. Second, sessions were given in which the infants were allowed access to food prior to the foraging period, thereby presumably reducing their motivation to separate from mother to seek food for themselves during the foraging period. Neither manipulation resulted in heightened conflict within the dyads. Separation of the infants prior to the foraging period did result, in general, in mothers forfeiting foraging task engagement to attend to their infants. The extent to which a mother exhibited this pattern correlated with her level of foraging effectiveness."}
{"id": "PMID:1487082", "title": "Long-Evans and Sprague-Dawley rats differ in their spatial navigation performance during ontogeny and at maturity.", "content": "The Morris maze has become a popular method for the assessment of spatial navigation. However, its use to study the development of spatial abilities has been limited to pigmented rats. Thus, the aim of the present study was to compare albino Sprague-Dawley and pigmented Long-Evans rats using this test during postnatal Days 20 through 27, and Day 90. It was found that Long-Evans rats showed significantly shorter escape latencies and swim distances than the Sprague-Dawley rats on Days 20-25 but not on Days 26-27. However, when tested at Day 90, the Long-Evans rats again showed more rapid location of the escape platform and shorter swim distances than the Sprague-Dawley rats. Probe trial analysis (platform removed) indicated that Long-Evans rats were generally more accurate in their localization of the former platform location than Sprague-Dawley rats. In a second experiment in which 21-day-old rats of both strains were tested in a proximal-cue version of the maze, the question of whether this performance difference might have related to visuo-perceptual differences was considered. Since no dissimilarity in performance was observed, a spatial-learning difference between the two strains would seem best able to explain the preceding data."}
{"id": "PMID:1487083", "title": "Ultrasonic vocalization and body temperature maintenance in infant voles of three species (Rodentia: Arvicolidae).", "content": "Infant voles thermoregulate poorly and produce ultrasonic vocalizations when cooled. Vocalizing and the ability to maintain body temperature in isolated pups cold-challenged at 5 degrees C or 22 degrees C were studied in nestling Clethrionomys glareolus, Microtus agrestis, and Arvicola terrestris. The tendency to vocalize varied with age, since pups vocalized more in their 2nd week than in their 1st or 3rd weeks. Rate of vocalizing was correlated with sound pressure level of vocalizations. Their was no apparent relation between vocalizing rate and deep body temperature. M. agrestis pups vocalized most and A. terrestris pups least, and all three species vocalized more at the lower temperature. Maximal vocalizing occurred in mid aged M. agrestis (at 5 degrees C) with mean of 1291 vocalizations/20 min and mean SPL of 80 dB (decibels re: 20 microN/m2). It is suggested that the vocalizing response is an adaptation related to risk from hypothermia in infant voles."}
{"id": "PMID:1487084", "title": "The ontogeny of phencyclidine-induced wall climbing and locomotor activity.", "content": "Wall climbing behavior is an age-specific behavior that is elicited during postnatal Days 7 through 17 by various stimuli that include heat, odors, shock, and the catecholaminergic agonists apomorphine, amphetamine, and clonidine. In a previous study, a significant amount of wall climbing behavior was observed during ataxia and activity testing following phencyclidine (PCP) administration in Day 19 but not Day 40 rat pups. The present study describes the ontogeny of PCP-induced wall climbing behavior and locomotor activity. Frequency and duration of wall climbing bouts and locomotor activity were recorded on Days 5, 12, 19, 26, 33, or 40 following PCP treatment. On Day 12, all doses of PCP induced significant amounts of wall climbing behavior. A similar pattern of results was observed on Day 5 although these effects were not statistically significant. After Day 12, PCP-induced wall climbing behavior declined precipitously. PCP increased locomotor activity at all ages tested with maximum activities observed on Day 19. These results demonstrate that PCP-elicited wall climbing behavior follows an ontogenetic profile similar to that previously reported for other stimuli and that there are robust ontogenetic differences in the locomotor response to PCP."}
{"id": "PMID:1487085", "title": "Behavioral and physiological response of juvenile sooty mangabeys to reunion with their mothers following a year's absence.", "content": "The return of 6 juvenile mangabey monkeys to their social group following an absence of a year resulted in increased basal cortisol secretion for both the offspring and the mothers and in significant decrements in the absolute number of lymphocyte subsets for the offspring. Six 9-month-old sooty mangabeys were removed from their socially housed mothers, subsequently peer housed, and returned to the maternal social group 1 year later. Offspring showed a significant increase in cortisol levels 24 hr following reunion (48 +/- 6%) and this difference persisted through 1 month, while the mothers showed a significant increase only at the 24-hr sample point (18 +/- 3%). Moreover, the offspring, but not the mothers, showed a significant decrease in lymphocyte subsets which were evident through the 1-month sample point. Behavioral data revealed a significant positive correlation between the percent of total scan samples offspring were with their mothers (proximity, contact, huddle) the day of return and the offspring's percent change from baseline in total T cells 24 hr later, r = 0.84. All mother-offspring pairs with the exception of one exhibited frequent affiliative behaviors toward one another by 6 days following the return. These data demonstrate that the reunion of juvenile mangabeys with their mothers after a year's absence is an acute stressor for the mothers and a relatively longer term stressor for the offspring, and that behavioral interactions which characterize the return of individual subjects to the natal group can predict acute physiological responses."}
{"id": "PMID:1487088", "title": "A comparison of round-window and transtympanic promontory electric stimulation in cochlear implant candidates.", "content": "We compared within-subjects electrical thresholds and dynamic ranges obtained with direct round-window and transtympanic promontory stimulation carried out preoperatively in 12 patients who were candidates for a cochlear implant. Square waves with frequencies of 50, 100, 200, and 400 Hz were delivered in a 50% duty cycle to both sites in each patient. With the exception of threshold at 50 Hz (promontory thresholds were lower than round-window thresholds), there were no statistically significant differences for either thresholds or dynamic ranges between the two sites of stimulation. There was a general trend for round-window thresholds to be lower and dynamic ranges larger, especially for the higher frequencies of stimulation. Mean threshold slopes for the two sites of stimulation were nearly identical."}
{"id": "PMID:1487089", "title": "The effects of stimulus frequency and recording site on the amplitude and latency of multichannel cortical auditory evoked potential (CAEP) component N1.", "content": "Magnetoencephalographic (MEG) applications in auditory evoked field (AEF) recordings have demonstrated that both tonotopicity and amplitopicity exist in the auditory cortex. The present study was conducted to determine whether previously reported characteristics of the AEF could be identified in multichannel cortical auditory evoked potential N1e (e.g., the electrical correlate of the magnetically recorded N1m) component recordings. Multichannel auditory evoked potentials from 11 young normal adults were collected after monaural tone burst stimuli of 250, 1000, and 4000 Hz. Results demonstrated that N1e amplitudes after stimulation at 250 Hz were significantly larger than those obtained after stimulation at 1000 or 4000 Hz. These frequency-specific differences existed for latency as well. Responses obtained after stimulation at 250 Hz were, on the average, 13 msec longer than those obtained after stimulation at 1000 or 4000 Hz. Also, contralateral latencies were significantly shorter than ipsilateral latencies. Although the significant frequency-specific amplitude results support the findings of previous investigators, the frequency-related latency differences have not been described. An explanation of these differences may exist in the spatial differences in the reception areas for low- and high-frequency tones in the primary auditory cortex."}
{"id": "PMID:1487090", "title": "Detectability of transient and sinusoidal otoacoustic emissions.", "content": "An analysis is presented of the detectability of the two types of otoacoustic emissions being considered for use in clinical tests of hearing. It is estimated that, for equal emission levels and equal probability of error, measurement of distortion-product emissions can be made at least 30 times faster than transient-evoked emissions using current techniques."}
{"id": "PMID:1487091", "title": "Telephone usage in the hearing-impaired population.", "content": "The purpose of this project was to determine if the hearing-impaired population reports satisfaction with their ability to converse over the telephone in both aided and unaided situations. For this study, we surveyed 104 hearing-impaired persons using a 43 item questionnaire that investigates problems that hearing-impaired people encounter when using the telephone. The questionnaire also probes the solutions that hearing-impaired people use for overcoming these problems. Of the 91 respondents who wear hearing aids, 55% use their aids while operating the telephone. However, 70% of these respondents reported that coupling the hearing aid to the telephone is problematic. Use of a telephone amplifier was reported by 73% of the sampled population. The majority of the subjects, 75%, indicated an interest in improvements in telephone communications for hearing-impaired people."}
{"id": "PMID:1487092", "title": "Patient experiences with multiband full dynamic range compression.", "content": "This investigation compared performance for 18 experienced hearing aid patients with a multiband full dynamic range compression hearing device and their previously worn linear or automatic gain control hearing aids. Performance was evaluated using a variety of clinical tests. These included functional gain and dynamic range measurements, speech recognition, and real ear measurements. Patients rated their performance with the multiband compression device and their previously worn aids on a rating scale pertaining to a variety of real life listening situations. Statistical analysis of data derived from test results shows significantly improved performance on all measures using the multiband compression aid over their conventional aids. Patients rated their performance higher with the compression instrument than with the conventional aids. Differences in performance on clinical tests and subjective patient responses appear to be related to the different signal processing schemes used in the two groups of devices."}
{"id": "PMID:1487093", "title": "A comparison of sound quality judgments for monaural and binaural hearing aid processed stimuli.", "content": "Fifteen adults with bilaterally symmetrical mild and/or moderate sensorineural hearing loss completed a paired-comparison task designed to elicit sound quality preference judgments for monaural/binaural hearing aid processed signals. Three stimuli (speech-in-quiet, speech-in-noise, and music) were recorded separately in three listening environments (audiometric test booth, living room, and a music/lecture hall) through hearing aids placed on a Knowles Electronics Manikin for Acoustics Research. Judgments were made on eight separate sound quality dimensions (brightness, clarity, fullness, loudness, nearness, overall impression, smoothness, and spaciousness) for each of the three stimuli in three listening environments. Results revealed a distinct binaural preference for all eight sound quality dimensions independent of listening environment. Binaural preferences were strongest for overall impression, fullness, and spaciousness. Stimulus type effect was significant only for fullness and spaciousness, where binaural preferences were strongest for speech-in-quiet. After binaural preference data were obtained, subjects ranked each sound quality dimension with respect to its importance for binaural listening relative to monaural. Clarity was ranked highest in importance and brightness was ranked least important. The key to demonstration of improved binaural hearing aid sound quality may be the use of a paired-comparison format."}
{"id": "PMID:1487094", "title": "The effects of limiting the number of Nucleus 22 cochlear implant electrodes programmed on speech perception.", "content": "The purpose of this double-blind study was to evaluate systematically the effects of varying programmed electrodes on speech perception. The performance of five subjects implanted with the Nucleus 22-electrode cochlear implant was compared on the Four-Choice Spondee test, the Central Institute for the Deaf Sentence test, and Speech Tracking across the following conditions: (1) five most apical electrodes eliminated from the subject's MAP (stimulus parameters); (2) five most basal electrodes eliminated from subject's MAP; (3) the middle five electrodes eliminated from subject's MAP; and (4) subject's current MAP. Statistically significant differences were found for the Four-Choice Spondee test and both the auditory-only and auditory-plus-lipreading Speech Tracking measures. Three subjects demonstrated poorer performance on all test measures when the five electrodes from the apical portion of the array were not programmed. Two subjects performed equally well, regardless of MAP condition. Group means for all test measures present a trend of consistently poorer performance when the -5 Apex MAPs were utilized. A subjective rating scale was consistent with the perceptual tests, with all subjects best liking their current MAP and least liking the -5 Apex MAP. Results suggest that for some subjects, a fixed place code may control their ability to use spectral information for speech discrimination. For these subjects, first formant information (F1) traditionally coded on the most apical electrodes could not be utilized as effectively when coded on the adjacent middle electrodes."}
{"id": "PMID:1487095", "title": "Evaluation of a dual-channel full dynamic range compression system for people with sensorineural hearing loss.", "content": "This article describes an evaluation of an in the ear hearing aid, which applies fast-acting full dynamic range compression independently in two frequency bands. This can compensate for the loudness recruitment typically associated with sensorineural hearing loss. The crossover frequency between the two bands and the gain and compression ratio in each band are programmable to suit the individual patient. Twenty subjects with moderate sensorineural hearing loss were tested in a counterbalanced order using the aid programmed as a linear amplifier (condition L) and as a two-band compressor (condition C). All subjects were fitted binaurally. Subjects were also tested without hearing aids (condition U) and using the hearing aids that they normally wore (condition Own). Speech intelligibility was measured in quiet at three sound levels (50, 65, and 80 dB SPL), and speech reception thresholds (SRTs) in 12-talker babble were measured under monaurally and binaurally aided conditions, with the speech and babble both coincident and spatially separated. In condition C, speech intelligibility in quiet was high at all sound levels. Speech intelligibility at the two lower levels decreased in condition L, and decreased still further in conditions Own and U. Condition C gave, on average, better speech intelligibility in babble (lower SRTs) than conditions L, Own, or U. The advantage of condition C over condition L varied across subjects and was correlated with the dynamic range for tones at high frequencies; small dynamic ranges were associated with greater benefit from compression. A significant advantage for binaural aiding was found both when the speech and noise were spatially separated and when they were coincident. The binaural advantage was similar for the C and L conditions, indicating that the independent compression at the two ears did not adversely affect the use of binaural cues. Questionnaires on the subjects' experiences with the aids in everyday life indicated that they generally preferred condition C over condition L."}
{"id": "PMID:1487096", "title": "The effects of intervention strategy on self-perception of hearing handicap.", "content": "The purpose of this study was to determine whether participation in a counseling-based aural rehabilitation program would result in greater reduction of self-perceived hearing handicap than hearing aid use alone. Thirty-one postlingually hearing-impaired adults were placed into three groups after audiological evaluation. The first group received hearing aids and participated in a counseling-based aural rehabilitation (AR) program. The second group received hearing aids only. The third group received neither hearing aids nor counseling-based AR. The Hearing Handicap Inventory for the Elderly was administered to all subjects before audiological evaluation and again to all subjects 2 mo after receipt of hearing aids for the experimental groups. For both experimental groups, self-perception of hearing handicap was significantly reduced as a function of intervention when measured on any of the three Hearing Handicap Inventory for the Elderly scales, whereas there was no change in self-perception of hearing handicap for the control group on any scale. In addition, there was weak but significant evidence that participating in the counseling-based AR program in addition to hearing aid use resulted in a greater reduction of self-perceived hearing handicap than did hearing aid use alone."}
{"id": "PMID:1487097", "title": "High-frequency threshold measurements using insert earphones.", "content": "Several recent studies have reported large intersubject variability of high-frequency thresholds measured with circumaural earphones. In the present study, high-frequency thresholds of 10 subjects were measured with circumaural (Sennheiser HD-250) and insert (Etymotic ER-1) earphones at 10, 12, 14, and 16 kHz. Overall results show significantly smaller variability of the threshold data obtained with insert earphones than with circumaural earphones. The above data indicate that insert earphones may be more suitable for high-frequency testing than circumaural earphones."}
{"id": "PMID:1487099", "title": "Occurrence of auditory evoked field (AEF) N1M and P2M components in a sample of normal subjects.", "content": "A great deal of information about the characteristics of components N1m and P2m of the auditory evoked cortical fields (AEFs) has accumulated since the late 1970s. However, a number of fundamental issues have not been addressed. For instance, some previous investigators have suggested that P2m is present consistently in normals, whereas others suggest that when present, P2m is small in amplitude. Preliminary observations in this laboratory suggested that P2m is not observed consistently in normal subjects. Therefore, the specific aim of this investigation was to estimate the frequency of occurrence of the contralaterally recorded N1m and P2m after stimulation of right and left ears in normal subjects. Results demonstrated N1m to be present in all circumstances. Consistent with our preliminary observations, P2m was often absent, and moreso after stimulation of the left ear."}
{"id": "PMID:1487100", "title": "Signal to noise constraints on maximum length sequence auditory brain stem responses.", "content": "In conventional auditory brain stem response (ABR) testing, the stimulus rate must be low enough that the responses do not overlap. By using stimulus patterns derived from the pseudorandom binary series known as maximum length sequences (MLSs), it is possible to stimulate at mean rates of hundreds of clicks per second, and extract the responses. It has been suggested that this could reduce test time appreciably, but there is reason to believe that the MLS ABR is intrinsically noisier than conventional averaging. To test this premise, 10 ears were tested with conventional ABR procedures and with MLS ABRs having 2, 4, and 8 times as many stimuli per second as the conventional condition. Noise levels in control runs were in agreement with predictions. With a 40 dB nHL stimulus, wave V amplitude decreased in the MLS ABRs to the extent that none of the MLS conditions was as efficient as the conventional ABR. Any assessment of the value of MLS ABRs in reducing test time must take into consideration the higher noise levels inherent in this procedure."}
{"id": "PMID:1487101", "title": "The effects of stimulus rate on detectability of the auditory brain stem response in infants.", "content": "This study was undertaken to determine the feasibility of using a fast stimulus rate for auditory brain stem response (ABR) hearing screening in infants. Eighty-four neonates and infants with postconceptional ages (PCA) from 30 to 78 weeks with clear ABRs to click rate of 40/sec at 30 dB HL were retested at 90/sec. Ninety-two percent of infants with PCA > 42 weeks had a clearly identifiable ABR at the 90/sec rate. In contrast, 71% of the infants with PCA between 37 and 42 weeks, and only 50% of the infants with PCA < 37 weeks, had clearly identifiable ABRs at 90/sec. Thus, a 90/sec stimulus rate was not practical on infants < 43 weeks PCA. Accordingly, ABR detectability was assessed to 40 dB clicks at 70/sec compared to the 40/sec rate on 20 infants between 33 and 42 weeks PCA. ABRs were detectable on 85% of this group, which suggests that these parameters may be more reasonable, but further data are needed. ABR measures for hearing screening on infants > 42 weeks and children can be satisfactorily performed at stimulus rates up to 90/sec; however, infants who fail the screening when using a fast stimulus rate should have a repeated measurement at a slower rate to rule out a false positive result."}
{"id": "PMID:1487102", "title": "Evaluation of two clinical versions of the articulation index.", "content": "The present study evaluated the predictive accuracy of two clinical versions of the articulation index (AI). AI calculations were made and word recognition scores obtained for normal-hearing young adults and elderly hearing-impaired listeners in quiet and in a noise background. The impaired listeners were also evaluated for both aided and unaided listening conditions, with the aided AI values adjusted by the measured real ear insertion gain for each listener. Results revealed that the two clinical AI procedures yielded virtually identical values, and both were accurate predictors of speech recognition performance for unaided conditions. Aided speech recognition performance was predicted less accurately by both methods, especially when a noise background was present. On the other hand, within a given listener, both AI methods were valid indicators of the relative performance across listening conditions."}
{"id": "PMID:1487103", "title": "Measures of tinnitus: step size, matches to imagined tones, and masking patterns.", "content": "Measures of the pitch (0.2% step) and loudness (2 dB step) of tinnitus were obtained using a forced-choice double-staircase procedure. In the first experiment, for seven subjects with tinnitus, the difference limen of pitch and loudness matches made to tinnitus within a single block of trials was not significantly different from that of the same measurements made to comparable external stimuli. In the second experiment, subjects matched the pitch of real and imagined tones. For 3 of 7 subjects with tinnitus and for 2 of 14 normal-hearing subjects, the difference limens were nearly equal. In the first experiment, therefore, three of the subjects with tinnitus might have matched to an imagined tone and not to their tinnitus. In the third experiment, thresholds of tones near the presumed tinnitus frequency were measured. Thresholds were approximately equal in the presence of the tinnitus. However, in the presence of a masking tone at the presumed tinnitus frequency and level, thresholds were unequal. Thus, tinnitus did not behave as a tonal masker."}
{"id": "PMID:1487104", "title": "Test/retest reliability of distortion-product and transiently evoked otoacoustic emissions.", "content": "Otoacoustic emissions can be used to study cochlear function in an objective and noninvasive manner. These features of emitted responses have stimulated a great deal of investigation into the utility of evoked emissions as clinical tests of hearing. One practical and essential aspect of any clinical measure is the consistency of its result upon repeated testing of the same individual (i.e., its test/retest reliability). The goal of the present work was to conduct a systematic study of the test/retest reliability of the two evoked emission types, the transiently evoked and the distortion-product otoacoustic emissions, that have the greatest promise of becoming clinically useful. Toward this end, the short- and long-term reliabilities of these two response measures were examined in 12 normally hearing adults. The results of these experiments showed that the consistency of both measures of evoked otoacoustic emissions was generally excellent."}
{"id": "PMID:1487105", "title": "Distortion-product otoacoustic emissions in human newborns and adults.", "content": "Cubic distortion-product otoacoustic emissions (DPEs) may have clinical and research applications. We reliably recorded DPEs at some frequencies in all of the normal-hearing human adults and newborns tested. Adult and newborn DPEs were of comparable amplitude, with the exception that a prominent dip between 1 and 3 kHz in the adult data was less evident in the newborn data. DPE amplitude was a linear function of the intensity of the eliciting primary stimuli. The slopes of the linear input-output functions increased with increasing frequency. Except at the highest frequencies assessed, adult input-output functions were steeper than newborn input-output functions."}
{"id": "PMID:1487106", "title": "Towards the validation of aural acoustic immittance measures for diagnosis of middle ear effusion in children.", "content": "Acoustic admittance testing was done on the ears of two groups of children. The first group was comprised of children undergoing myringotomy and tube surgery for treatment of chronic or recurrent otitis media, and the second group was comprised of hospital outpatients who were unscreened with respect to a history of middle ear disease and who were more representative of children in the general population. The admittance measures were then analyzed with respect to middle ear status (effusion versus no effusion) as determined by the surgeon (surgery group) and by validated otoscopy (outpatient group). Based on the data from the surgery group, the best admittance criteria for the identification of middle ear effusion were determined and then tested with respect to the data from subjects in the outpatient group. Sensitivity and specificity of several different criteria were similar. The role of prevalence of disease and the value of admittance measures such as gradient and acoustic reflex are discussed in the context of diagnostic testing in clinical or research protocols as well as in the context of immittance screening programs."}
{"id": "PMID:1487107", "title": "Attenuation values for a supra-aural earphone for children and insert earphone for children and adults.", "content": "Earphone attenuation values were determined for 17 children (6-14 years old) using supra-aural (TDH-49P/Model 51 cushion) and insert earphones (E-A-Rtone 3A) terminated by an E-A-Rlink 3A (for normal size ear canals) or E-A-Rlink 3B (for small size ear canals) foam eartips, and for 10 adults having small ear canals using insert earphones and E-A-Rlink 3B foam eartips. The test signals were 1/3-octave bands of noise presented in a diffuse sound field (re: ANSI S12.6-1984). The supra-aural earphone attenuation values for the children were slightly higher (more attenuation) or similar to reported adult values, and always lower (less attenuation) compared with insert earphone/E-A-Rlink 3A (IE/3A) or 3B (IE/3B) values for both children and adults. The IE/3B attenuation values were similar between the children and adults and provided slightly more attenuation than the IE/3A. Overall, the results indicated that the ANSI S3.1-1991 maximum permissible ambient noise levels allowed in a test room for ears covered testing with a supra-aural earphone, which were determined using adult values, are appropriate for testing children. Future revisions of ANSI S3.1-1991 may include maximum permissible ambient noise levels for testing with insert earphones. The IE/3A and IE/3B attenuation values could be used for that purpose. In the meantime, because more attenuation was provided by the IE/3A and IE/3B, they can be used for testing both children and adults in higher ambient noise levels than specified in ANSI S3.1-1991."}
{"id": "PMID:1487108", "title": "A look at ear canal changes with jaw motion.", "content": "Two procedures were used with one subject to examine changes in the ear canal with jaw motion. Silicone ear impressions were examined to measure the effect of jaw position. Magnetic resonance imaging was used to define the three-dimensional structure of the canal and visualize key underlying tissue. Results showed that inexpensive impressions can detail changes in the cartilaginous region of the canal. Approximately a 25% change in this subject's ear canal with different jaw positions was observed in the anterior/posterior plane with essentially no change in the superior/inferior plane. This is likely related to asymmetric stress from action of the mandibular condyle on neighboring cartilaginous tissue. Solutions to jaw motion-induced feedback problems are suggested."}
{"id": "PMID:1487109", "title": "Molecular interactions of anaesthetics with biological membranes.", "content": "1. There is not yet a consensus as to which of the neuronal membranes, which molecular component of any particular membrane or what specific function of the membrane is critical for general anaesthesia. 2. However, when considering anaesthetic effects on different synapses, with neurotransmitter receptors, ion channels etc., the unifying central concept is action at a membrane level. 3. This paper will review the general evidence for this unifying hypothesis, and consider the apparent exceptions and limitations. 4. The membrane hypothesis is usually stated in the form of the Meyer and Overton \"rule\" relating anaesthetic potency to hydrophobic solubility. 5. The relationship applies to inhaled anaesthetics with potencies over a 100,000-fold range and has been described as one of the most powerful correlations in biology. 6. Finding additional compounds that confirm this correlation is not likely to elucidate further the anaesthetic mode of action, and concentrating on the apparent exceptions to the hypothesis may prove to be a better approach. 7. The apparent exceptions to the membrane hypothesis include some of the physiological and convulsant gases as well as higher members of a homologous series of hydrophobic compounds above the so-called \"cut-off\" effect. 8. The apparent limitations include two of the most widely used clinical agents--enflurane and isoflurane. 9. This paper will include some new data characterizing the anaesthetic site of action using a diverse group of anaesthetics (including some of the exceptions already mentioned). 10. The evidence is against an earlier hypothesis that there is a bimodal distribution of the molecular sites."}
{"id": "PMID:1487110", "title": "The pharmacology of vesamicol: an inhibitor of the vesicular acetylcholine transporter.", "content": "1. Vesamicol (2-[4-phenylpiperidino] cyclohexanol) inhibits the transport of acetylcholine into synaptic vesicles in cholinergic nerve terminals. 2. Recent pharmacological studies of the effects of vesamicol on skeletal neuromuscular transmission have revealed a pattern of activity for the compound consistent with the neurochemical observation of the mechanism of action of the compound. 3. Pharmacological manipulation of vesicular acetylcholine transport has been used to investigate the recycling and mobilization of synaptic vesicles within cholinergic nerve terminals. 4. In addition to its effects on vesicular acetylcholine transport, vesamicol also possesses some sodium channel and alpha-adrenoceptor blocking activity. 5. Vesamicol clearly represents a unique tool for investigating presynaptic mechanisms in cholinergic nerve terminals."}
{"id": "PMID:1487111", "title": "Dopamine: a stress modulator in the brain and gut.", "content": "1. Central dopamine (DA) exhibits large and rapid responses to stress challenge, particularly in the mesolimbic DA tract and, to a lesser degree, in the mesocortical tract. 2. Over the last few years, there has emerged an increasing role for peripheral DA, especially gastrointestinal DA, as a modulator of gastroduodenal injury consequent to stress exposure. 3. Evidence has accumulated which strongly supports a role for DA as an endogenous gastroprotective element and it appears that the dopaminergic \"brain-gut axis\" is a critical determinant of gastroduodenal mucosal integrity in the stress-challenged gut."}
{"id": "PMID:1487112", "title": "Significance of gamma-hydroxybutyric acid in the brain.", "content": "1. Administration of the endogenous compound gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB) can induce a sleep-like state in experimental animals and, indeed, it has been used as a general anaesthetic in clinical medicine. 2. Although GHB appears to be a CNS depressant, there is evidence it possesses epileptiform activity resembling petit mal epilepsy. In the brain GHB is evidently derived from GABA, the final step being catalyzed by succinic semialdehyde reductase, a cytosolic NADP(+)-dependent enzyme. 3. Two different oxidoreductases, GHB dehydrogenase and hydroxyacid-ketoacid dehydrogenase, acting independently, are responsible for the reverse reaction when GHB is being metabolically inactivated. 4. Brain contains a Na(+)-dependent GHB uptake system which exhibits two components, one with a Km of 46 microM and the other with a Km of 325 microM. GHB also binds to receptor sites in brain homogenates and exhibits two distinct affinities. One binding site displays a Kd of 95 nM whereas the second site has a Kd of 16 microM. Binding to both sites is inhibited in the presence of NCS-382, a GHB receptor antagonist. 5. GHB might play a role as a neurotransmitter, particularly being involved in influencing dopamine release in the substantia nigra."}
{"id": "PMID:1487113", "title": "FAST and SLOW ipsilateral and contralateral spinal reflexes in the neonate rat are modulated by 5-HT.", "content": "1. Three ipsilateral (MSR, PSR, IPSI SLOW) and two contralateral segmental reflexes (CON FAST, CON SLOW) were recorded from L4 or L5 ventral roots of the neonate rat spinal cord in vitro. MSR, PSR and CON FAST were evoked from lower threshold afferents; more intense stimulation evoked IPSI SLOW and CON SLOW. 2. Kainate/AMPA receptors were involved in mediation of MSR, PSR, CON FAST, IPSI SLOW and CON SLOW and NMDA receptors in mediation of CON FAST, IPSI SLOW and CON SLOW. 3. All five reflexes were depressed by 5-HT (IC50 1.2-7.9 microM; order of sensitivity, CON SLOW > CON FAST = IPSI SLOW > MSR = PSR); and by 5-CT (IC50 1.9-8.8 nM; order of sensitivity, MSR > IPSI SLOW = CON FAST = CON SLOW > PSR). alpha-Me-5-HT also depressed all five reflexes. 4. Dipropyl-5-CT selectively depressed MSR and CON SLOW (IC50 90-170 nM) but was less potent than 5-CT. 8-OH-DPAT selectively depressed MSR (IC50 1.1 microM), IPSI SLOW and CON SLOW (IC50 5.7-7.6 microM), while methylsergide depressed only MSR (IC50 26 nM). 5. Phenyl biguanide and m-chlorophenyl biguanide (5-HT3 receptor agonists) had no significant effects on any reflex. 6. It is concluded that a 5-HT1-like receptor mediates depression of the MSR. A different receptor or a mixed population of receptors, but not 5-HT3 receptors, mediate inhibition of PSR, CON FAST, IPSI SLOW and CON SLOW."}
{"id": "PMID:1487114", "title": "Evidence that the inhibition of ATP release from sympathetic nerves by adenosine is a physiological mechanism.", "content": "1. Perfusion with the P1-purinoceptor agonist adenosine (1-500 microM) greatly reduced the stimulation-induced release of ATP and the initial contractile phase of the response of the guinea pig vas deferens to field stimulation. 2. The inhibitory effects of adenosine (100 microM) were readily antagonised by the P1-purinoceptor antagonist, 8-phenyltheophylline (10 microM). 3. Dipyridamole (10 microM), inhibited the stimulation-evoked release of ATP from the guinea pig vas deferens and reduced the initial component of contraction. 4. These results support the view that adenosine, resulting from ectoenzymatic breakdown of ATP released as a cotransmitter from sympathetic nerve terminals, acts as a physiological prejunctional regulator of transmitter release."}
{"id": "PMID:1487115", "title": "Influences of changes in calcium concentration and verapamil on the cardiac depressant effect of ethanol in cat papillary muscle.", "content": "1. In isolated cat heart papillary muscle electrically driven at a constant rate the depressant effects of increasing concentrations of ethanol on peak tension developed (PTD) was studied in Ringer-Locke solution with different calcium concentrations and with the addition of verapamil. 2. Ethanol induced a concentration dependent decrease in PTD that was significantly greater for each concentration of ethanol in hypocalcic medium (1.1 mM) than in normocalcic medium (2.2 mM). 3. In normocalcic (2.2 mM) medium, verapamil (5.1 x 10(-4) mM) plus ethanol (48.6 and 97.2 mM) produced a decrease in PTD to values significantly greater than those obtained by the addition of ethanol and verapamil alone. Therefore a potentiation of the effects of ethanol by verapamil was observed when both drugs act simultaneously. 4. In hypercalcic medium (4.4 mM), verapamil plus ethanol (48.6 and 97.2 mM) produced a slight decrease in PTD that was significantly less than that observed in normocalcic and hypocalcic mediums. 5. In hypocalcic medium (1.1 mM) verapamil plus ethanol (48.6 and 97.2 mM) produced a decrease in PTD that was of the same relative magnitude (%) as that observed in normocalcic medium. However no potentiation of the combined effects of verapamil plus ethanol was observed in hypocalcic medium."}
{"id": "PMID:1487116", "title": "Pharmacological characterization of a new purinergic receptor site in rabbit aorta.", "content": "1. The pharmacological properties of a vasodilating purine-activated receptor that is not a P1 or P2-purinoceptor were investigated. 2. In rabbit isolated thoracic aorta precontracted with noradrenaline, ATP induced a 50% relaxation at 0.25 mM (EC 50%); in the absence of endothelium, EC 50% was 2.5 mM. 3. Adenosine induced a relaxation that was not different in both the presence and absence of endothelium, being EC 50% 0.48 and 0.37 mM, respectively. 4. The potent and selective P2y-purinoceptor agonist 2-methylthio-ATP (0.03-10 microM) induced a relaxation only in the presence of endothelium. 5. In de-endothelialized aorta, 8-phenyltheophilline (8-PT: P1 antagonist) and 3,7-dimethyl-1-propargylxanthine (DMPX: A2 antagonist) did not antagonize ATP- and adenosine-induced relaxation. 6. The present data support the presence of a new site of action for purines in rabbit isolated thoracic aorta. 7. A P3 subtype of purinoceptor, that may be identified in the hypothesized \"nucleotide\" receptor, is proposed."}
{"id": "PMID:1487117", "title": "Autoradiographic analysis of dopamine D1 receptors in the gerbil brain following transient cerebral ischemia.", "content": "1. We studied the postischemic time-course of dopamine D1 receptors in selectively vulnerable areas in the gerbil using receptor autoradiography. 2. [3H]SCH 23390 was used to label dopamine D1 receptors and transient cerebral ischemia was induced for 10 min. 3. [3H]SCH 23390 binding showed no significant alteration in selectively vulnerable areas at an early stage (1-24 hr) of recirculation. Thereafter, [3H]SCH 23390 binding showed a significant reduction in most selectively vulnerable areas 48 hr or 7 days of recirculation. The ventromedial striatum and dentate gyrus which were resistant to ischemia also exhibited a significant reduction in [3H]SCH 23390 binding. 4. Especially, marked reduction was noted in the dorsolateral striatum. However, this reduction in the dorsolateral striatum was not seen early in the recirculation prior to morphological neuronal damage. 5. The result suggests that transient cerebral ischemia can cause a severe reduction in dopamine D1 receptors in most selectively vulnerable areas. Furthermore, they suggest that dopamine D1 transmission is not always responsible for the evolution of ischemic brain damage. 6. These findings are discussed in relation to the mechanism of ischemic brain damage."}
{"id": "PMID:1487118", "title": "Effects of S-11701 on accumulation, release and metabolism of norepinephrine in isolated canine saphenous veins.", "content": "1. The effects S-11701 ([morpholinyl-2)-methoxy]-8-tetrahydro-1,2,3,4 quinoline) on accumulation, overflow and metabolism of [3H]norepinephrine were investigated in isolated canine saphenous veins. 2. Saphenous veins were incubated with [3H]norepinephrine in the absence or the presence of S-11701; the drug caused a concentration-dependent inhibition of the tissue content of [3H]norepinephrine and its metabolites, except for 3-methoxy-4-hydroxymandelic acid (VMA). 3. In helical strips of canine saphenous veins previously incubated with [3H]norepinephrine and then suspended for isometric tension recording and measurement of the overflow of labelled transmitter and its metabolites, S-11701 (30 microM) significantly increased the spontaneous efflux of total 3H; this effect was almost exclusively due to an augmentation of the efflux of [3H]DOPEG. 4. During electrical stimulation (9 V, 1 Hz), S-11701 at 1 microM slightly increased the overflow of extraneuronal norepinephrine metabolites without affecting the contractile response. At the higher concentration (30 microM) the compound increased the contractive response and the overflow of 3H; the latter was due mainly to an increase in [3H]DOPEG and, to a lesser extent, in [3H]norepinephrine. 5. DMI (1 microM) did not interfere with the effects of S-11701 on DOPEG efflux. 6. These experiments indicate that in the canine saphenous vein, S-11701 causes a concentration-dependent inhibition of neuronal accumulation of [3H]norepinephrine. At higher concentrations, S-11701 enters the adrenergic nerve terminals independently of the neuronal amine carrier and displaces [3H]norepinephrine from its storage sites."}
{"id": "PMID:1487119", "title": "The potentiating effect of KC-404 on prostacyclin-induced vasodilation in isolated human cerebral artery.", "content": "1. KC-404 (10(-9)-10(-6) g/ml) produced concentration-dependent relaxations in human middle cerebral arteries contracted with prostaglandin F2 alpha. 2. KC-404 (10(-8) and 10(-7) g/ml) has the ability to significantly potentiate prostaglandin I2-induced relaxations in human middle cerebral arteries. 3. KC-404, at least in low concentrations, may elicit human cerebral vasodilation predominantly by potentiating relaxant responses to prostaglandin I2 produced spontaneously in vascular wall. 4. KC-404 is expected to increase cerebral blood flow at least by dilation of major cerebral arteries, and this agent may be beneficial for the treatment of cerebrovascular disorders."}
{"id": "PMID:1487120", "title": "Microtubular tau protein after cocaine in cultured SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma.", "content": "1. SH-SY5Y, a human neuroblastoma cell line, was used as a tissue culture model to examine the hypothesis that cocaine may affect the metabolism of tau protein which stabilizes microtubules and promotes microtubule assembly. 2. Cocaine hydrochloride (10(-9)-10(-3) M) caused dose-dependent reductions in cell number, with 10(-3) M causing 28% reduction after 48 hr. 3. This drug also decreased tau protein (50 Kd) in the cytoplasmic (supernatant) as well as the membrane (pellet) fraction after 48-hr treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1487121", "title": "Effect of the length of degenerating phrenic nerve fibres on the anaphylactic contraction of the diaphragm.", "content": "1. The effect of denervation on the anaphylactic contraction of the diaphragm from actively sensitized guinea pig has been studied. 2. The section of the phrenic nerve took place at cervical and thoracic levels. The sensitization of the animal took place several days before sectioning, simultaneously with denervation and after denervation. 3. The anaphylactic contractions were observed from the fourth day after thoracic denervation, and from the sixth day when denervation was in the cervical region. 4. The hypersensitivity to ACh in the denervated diaphragmatic muscle was present 24 hr after sectioning the phrenic nerve and reached its maximum 3-4 days after. 5. These results support the idea that denervation caused some changes in the membrane of the skeletal muscle fibres to allow the fixation of antibodies. These denervation changes are dependent on the length of the peripheral nerve left to degenerate. Anaphylactic contractions appeared earlier in those animals where phrenic nerve sections were closer to the diaphragmatic muscle."}
{"id": "PMID:1487122", "title": "Do central mechanisms participate in the thermoregulatory activity of prazosin?", "content": "1. Prazosin (PRA) was used in febrile (LPS; 1 mcg/kg; i.v.) and normothermic rabbits at ambient temperatures (Ta) of 5, 19 and 28 degrees C. This drug was given i.v. in the form of an infusion at a rate of 0.75 mg/kg/3 hr. 2. In normothermic animals, PRA produced significant hypothermia mainly at Ta of 5 and 19 degrees C. In a cold environment, the hypothermic effect of PRA was associated with inhibition of metabolic rate and evaporative heat loss. 3. Infusion of this drug significantly prevented the LPS-induced fever in all experimental conditions. In the cold environment, a drop in body temperature was correlated with an inhibition of metabolic rate; in the thermoneutral environment, antipyresis was associated with an increase in heat dissipation from the ear-skin area; in the hot environment, the correlation between antipyresis and mechanisms of heat dissipation was much less clear. 4. The possible action of PRA on the effector part of the central thermoregulatory system is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1487123", "title": "Involvement of swimming-induced acute stress in the sensitivity of rat vs deferens to norepinephrine.", "content": "1. The effects of swimming-induced stress on rat sensitivity to norepinephrine were studied. 2. Through microscopic analysis of the stomach from swimming stressed rats significant ulceration was observed, confirming that the stress situation was really present. 3. Sensitivity to norepinephrine either in the presence or in the absence of cocaine and propranolol in acutely swimming stressed rats was not altered significantly. 4. Bilateral adrenalectomy was performed in rats 2 days before swimming and acute stress resulted in a supersensitivity to norepinephrine, indicating that adrenal glands may, at least, partially mediate the sensitivity to this drug in vasa deferentia isolated from these animals."}
{"id": "PMID:1487124", "title": "Effects of morphine on isolated right atria of the rat.", "content": "1. The present study describes the effects of morphine in the absence or presence of naloxone or atropine in the isolated right atria of the rat. 2. Morphine significantly decreased the auricular chronotropism. 3. The maximal effect was 10 +/- 1.0%. 4. Similar results were obtained in reserpinized animals (13 +/- 0.2% maximum). 5. Naloxone (5 x 10(-7) or 5 x 10(-6) M) did not change the inhibitory effects induced by morphine. 6. The maximal effect obtained with morphine in the presence of atropine (5 x 10(-7) M) was 9 +/- 0.1% similar to that obtained with morphine alone. 7. These results suggest that opioid or vagal mechanisms may not be involved in the cardiac inhibitory effects induced by morphine."}
{"id": "PMID:1487125", "title": "Effect of urethane on hydralazine-induced tachycardia in rats.", "content": "1. In conscious normotensive rats, hydralazine (5-10 mg kg-1 p.o.) produced a dose-related fall in systolic blood pressure, accompanied by a pronounced increase in heart rate. 2. The tachycardia induced by hydralazine (10 mg kg-1 p.o.) in conscious normotensive rats was strongly inhibited after anaesthesia with urethane (1.26 g kg-1 i.p.). 3. In anaesthetized normotensive rats, hydralazine (1 mg kg-1 i.v.) caused a fall in mean blood pressure, accompanied by irregular effects on the heart rate that consisted in a combination of initial tachycardia followed by bradycardia. 4. In pithed rats, hydralazine (1 mg kg-1 i.v.) did not affect mean arterial blood pressure but produced a significant decrease in heart rate. 5. In rat isolated atria, hydralazine (2 mM) produced a positive inotropic/negative chronotropic effect. 6. These results suggest that urethane inhibits the cardiovascular reflex that causes the tachycardia induced by hydralazine in conscious normotensive rats. For this reason, in anaesthetized normotensive rats appear the direct effect of the drug on the heart."}
{"id": "PMID:1487126", "title": "Superoxide dismutase and allopurinol prevent the pressor effects of angiotensin II and histamine in the guinea-pig isolated perfused lung exposed to hypoxia.", "content": "1. In the guinea-pig isolated perfused lung exposed to hypoxia by infusing N2-gassed Krebs solution, angiotensin II and histamine produced a reduced vasoconstrictor response when compared with the responses obtained in nonhypoxic lung. 2. These reduced vasoconstrictor responses were prevented by prior addition of superoxide dismutase or allopurinol to the medium. 3. These results were taken as evidence for the initiation of the cascade free radical formation in the guinea-pig lung during hypoxia and the primary role of the released intracellular xanthine oxidase. 4. Possible mechanisms of the reduced responses to angiotensin II and histamine and tissue protective activities of allopurinol and superoxide dismutase are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1487127", "title": "Vasoconstrictive effects of angiotensin I and II in cat femoral arteries. Role of endothelium.", "content": "1. AI and AII induced concentration-dependent contractions in cat femoral artery segments, the potency of AII being greater than that of AI. 2. The antagonist of AII receptors, saralasin (1 and 10 nM), inhibited the AI and AII responses. 3. Indomethacin (10 microM) and endothelium removal increased the responses to AII, whereas those induced by AI were barely affected. 4. The response induced by AI was reduced by captopril (200 microM). 5. These data suggest: (1) the contractions induced by AII are mediated by AII receptors and endothelial products derived from cyclooxygenase, (2) the response to AI is, in part, produced by its conversion into AII."}
{"id": "PMID:1487128", "title": "Ammonium ion increases the tone of rat portal vein.", "content": "1. The effect of ammonium ion on vascular tone was investigated using the portal vein isolated from rat. 2. Ammonium chloride at 10-90 mM induced a contractile response. 3. Spontaneous twitch contraction of portal strips was augmented by ammonium chloride at 10-60 mM. 4. Ammonium chloride-induced contraction was abolished in calcium-free solution or in the presence of 1 microM nifedipine. 5. Methylamine (60 mM) also induced a contractile response and augmented the spontaneous twitch contraction in rat portal vein. 6. After withdrawal of ammonium chloride or methylamine from the organ bath solution, the spontaneous twitch contraction was strongly inhibited. 7. These results suggest that ammonium compounds increase vascular tone by causing influx of extracellular calcium through the voltage-dependent calcium channel and intracellular alkalinization is involved in this process."}
{"id": "PMID:1487129", "title": "Studies on the possible role of pharmacokinetics in the development of tolerance to morphine in the rat.", "content": "1. The possible role of pharmacokinetics of morphine in the development of tolerance to the analgesic and hyperthermic effects of morphine was studied in the rat. 2. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were made tolerant to morphine by implanting 6 morphine pellets each containing 75 mg of morphine base for 7 days. The assessment of the degree of tolerance to morphine and pharmacokinetic parameters were done 72 hr after pellet removal. 3. Tolerance developed to both the analgesic and hyperthermic effects of morphine as evidenced by decreased responses to morphine in morphine pellet implanted rats compared with placebo pellet implanted rats. 4. The pharmacokinetic parameters, AUC0-->infinity, Cmax, t1/2, k, MRT, Vss and Clt were determined after injecting 5 and 10 mg/kg doses of morphine intravenously to placebo and morphine pellet implanted rats and using a highly sensitive and specific RIA method to quantitate serum levels of morphine. For a 5 mg/kg dose of morphine, the AUC0-->infinity and t1/2 in morphine pellet implanted rats were significantly higher than in placebo pellet implanted rats, but the k value was lower. The other pharmacokinetic parameters for morphine in the two treatment groups did not differ. For 10 mg/kg dose, the only change was an increase in the MRT in morphine tolerant rats when compared to nontolerant rats. 5. The results establish that the development of tolerance to the analgesic and hyperthermic effects of morphine is not related to pharmacokinetics of morphine in serum but may be related to modification of receptor systems in the central nervous system."}
{"id": "PMID:1487130", "title": "Evaluation of the actions of general anaesthetics in the human brain.", "content": "1. General anaesthesia is a state of analgesia and impaired cognitive function that results from the depressant effects of anaesthetics. 2. Graded increases in anaesthetic concentration cause a progressive impairment of cognitive function, the extremes of which are commonly described as \"light\" and \"deep\" anaesthesia. 3. Surgical stimulation produces activation in the EEG and may arouse a patient from a deeper to a lighter state of cognitive function. 4. It may be very difficult, particularly in patients with neuromuscular blockade, to identify a change in state which results in conscious awareness. 5. A range of methods has been used for evaluating depth of anaesthesia. 6. The evidence reviewed in this paper suggests that the median frequency in the EEG and the auditory evoked potential appear to be the best techniques for monitoring the graded effects of anaesthetics on the brain. 7. The median frequency, which is 10 Hz in conscious subjects, should be kept below 5 Hz during anaesthesia to ensure that there is no response to verbal command. 8. The auditory evoked potential measures the resulting effects of anaesthetic depression and surgical stimulation which is \"depth of anaesthesia\". 9. However it is not yet certain whether a particular feature e.g. Nb latency, or a collection of features between 20 and 80 msec gives the most reliable index of conscious awareness."}
{"id": "PMID:1487131", "title": "Spinal cord effects of drugs used in anaesthesia.", "content": "1. Measurement of nociceptive thresholds at two skin sites in rats with chronic intrathecal catheters has allowed study of drug actions demonstrated to be at spinal level. 2. Using this preparation we have demonstrated segmental antinociceptive effects following intrathecal administration of agonists selective for benzodiazepine receptors, mu, kappa and delta opioid receptors, 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) receptors and alpha adrenoceptors. 3. Such effects were dose related and were suppressed by appropriate selective antagonists. 4. Antagonist dose-response curves have been constructed for suppression of antinociceptive effects of various agonists. This has revealed complex interactions between spinal systems; for example midazolam produces its actions by activating an opioid system involving delta receptors."}
{"id": "PMID:1487132", "title": "Cellular and synaptic actions of general anaesthetics.", "content": "1. This paper briefly reviews mechanisms by which such widely-used volatile anaesthetics as halothane and isoflurane suppress neural function in the brain. 2. In general, anaesthetics tend to depress neuronal firing and excitatory synaptic transmission, and potentiate synaptic inhibition. 3. According to recent evidence, a particular important action of anaesthetics is to inactivate a variety of both voltage-dependent and agonist-triggered Ca-currents. 4. Activation of K outward currents and Na inward currents probably occurs only with higher doses of anaesthetics. 5. How anaesthetics interfere with Ca-channels remains largely a matter of speculation--though some evidence favours a Ca-mediated action, following Ca2+ release from internal stores, that may account also for potentiation of IPSPs by prolonging the opening of GABA-activated Cl- channels. 6. Whatever its precise underlying mechanism, a suppression of Ca-influx into pre-synaptic terminals could well account for the depression of excitatory synaptic transmission."}
{"id": "PMID:1487133", "title": "The action of anaesthetics on stimulus-secretion coupling and synaptic activity.", "content": "1. Anaesthetics are known to depress excitatory synaptic transmission and the mechanism of this inhibition has been investigated using bovine adrenal chromaffin cells as an experimental model. 2. These cells are homologous with post-ganglionic sympathetic neurons and have well characterized receptor and secretory mechanisms. They are amenable both to the direct measurement of evoked secretion with its associated ion fluxes, and to electrophysiological investigation using the patch clamp technique. 3. These approaches have been used to study the influence of anaesthetics on pre- and post-synaptic mechanisms involved in stimulus-secretion coupling. 4. A variety of agents inhibited secretion evoked by direct depolarization, and this was shown to be due to a reduction in calcium influx. 5. Direct inhibition of voltage-gated calcium currents was confirmed by whole-cell patch clamp measurements. 6. In addition, anaesthetics powerfully modulated nicotinic receptor mediated events: carbachol-evoked secretion was more sensitive to anaesthetics than that stimulated by high potassium. 7. The mechanism of anaesthetic action on the nAChR was examined in more detail with patch-clamp experiments. 8. These showed that anaesthetics reduced the probability of channels being in the open state, largely as a result of reduction in mean channel open time. 9. The data are discussed in relation to excitatory synaptic transmission."}
{"id": "PMID:1487134", "title": "Differential effects of general anaesthetics on identified molluscan neurones in situ and in culture.", "content": "1. The only unifying principle of general anaesthesia is that general anaesthetics interact with membrane components and no single cellular mechanism appears to explain their widespread effects in the central nervous system. 2. The gastropod mollusc, Lymnaea stagnalis, provides an excellent model system for studies on general anaesthetics because it has large, uniquely identifiable nerve cells. Several of these cells are interneurones with identified neurotransmitters and monosynaptic connections to other cells. 3. Recent work on Lymnaea neurones suggests that calcium currents are depressed by volatile general anaesthetics applied in the clinical range, whilst evidence from other preparations indicates that there is a rise in intracellular calcium concentration following application of these substances. 4. Identified Lymnaea neurones have different responses to applied anaesthetics, irrespective of the anaesthetic used. Following application of halothane, barbiturates and several other anaesthetic agents, some cells gradually become quiescent after a short period, whilst in others a series of paroxysmal depolarizing shifts occur prior to quiescence. 5. Cultured neurones of Lymnaea, Helisoma and related species retain their characteristic action potential types and neurotransmitter identity. Their responses to anaesthetics are similar to those in the intact brain. They may also form synapses in culture. Thus, they are a useful tool for studying the cellular and subcellular actions of general anaesthetics."}
{"id": "PMID:1487135", "title": "The action of anaesthetics and high pressure on neuronal discharge patterns.", "content": "1. The membrane actions of both anaesthetics and high pressure have been studied in rat hippocampal slices in experiments where either field potential (orthodromic or antidromic) responses from the CA1 region are recorded or intracellular measurements in CA1 neurones are made. 2. It is clear that anaesthetics have multiple post-synaptic actions in CA1 pyramidal neurones. For example, the amplitude of antidromic field potential responses are depressed (e.g. 2.5% enflurane) or increased (20 mM ketamine) or recruitment of a second population spike occurs (2.5% halothane). 3. In separate intracellular experiments anaesthetics have been shown to hyperpolarize [e.g. inhalations (2.5%), or methohexitone, 50-100 microM), or depolarize (ketamine, > or = 20 microM), CA1 pyramidal neurones decreasing or increasing respectively the responses to weak depolarizing synaptic input, or direct stimulation. 4. In the case of some anaesthetics (inhalation agents or ketamine), the accommodation of action potential discharge is also decreased, this being accompanied by a reduction in the amplitude of the associated slow after hyperpolarization (AHP). Consequently many neurones fire repetitively in response to long lasting, strong depolarizing inputs. Sub-classes of K+ channel such as the M (channel closed by muscarinic agonists) and the SK (Ca(2+)-dependent K+ channel of small conductance) type are currently believed to control the accommodation of spike discharge and the AHP. Consistent with this idea is the finding that in voltage-clamp experiments enflurane decreased reversibly the M current. 5. Methohexitone (50 microM) does not block the accommodation of action potential discharge but interestingly induces a long lasting depolarization and action potential bursting. 6. In comparison, high pressure (51-101 ATA) can induce a second population spike in antidromic field potential recordings, indicative also of a post-synaptic action. 7. There is no apparent change in the resting membrane potential or input resistance of CA1 neurones at high pressure, however 51 or 101 ATA produced a reduction in the accommodation of action potential discharge and the associated AHP leading to repetitive discharge in response to strong (0.7 nA) depolarizing currents. 8. In a few neurones spontaneous depolarizations and action potential discharge also occurred during compression between 51-101 ATA. 9. Our working hypothesis is that certain subclasses of neuronal K+ channel represent interesting targets for both anaesthetic and high pressure action."}
{"id": "PMID:1487136", "title": "Molecular basis of a unique African variant (A-IV 5) of human apolipoprotein A-IV and its significance in lipid metabolism.", "content": "Human apolipoprotein A-IV (apoA-IV) exhibits a genetically determined structural polymorphism amenable to analysis by isoelectric focusing and immunoblotting techniques. We have determined the allele frequency and molecular basis of a unique ApoA-IV*5 allele which is widely distributed among blacks but is absent in other populations. The frequency of the ApoA-IV*5 allele in blacks (N = 308) was estimated to be 3.2%. In comparison to the common ApoA-IV*1 allele, analysis of coding and non-coding sequences of the ApoA-IV*5 allele revealed an in-frame insertion of 12 nucleotides near the carboxyl terminal region of the mature protein. The insertion involves an exact duplication of the second of the four repeats and codes for 4 amino acids glutamic acid (GAA), glutamine (CAG), glutamine (CAG), and glutamine (CAG) and is responsible for the charge shift of the the apoA-IV 5 isoform slightly toward the anode as compared to the wild type apoA-IV 1 isoform on the isoelectric focusing gel. This in-frame insertion occurs in a region which is highly conserved among rat, mouse, and humans. In addition to the 12 nucleotide insertion, the four individuals sequenced for the ApoA-IV*5 allele also revealed a same-sense mutation by replacing G to T at the third position of codon 316. Our preliminary data suggest that this unique black allele marker may be of potentially significance in studies of human lipid metabolism and in microevolution."}
{"id": "PMID:1487137", "title": "Segregation analysis of height-adjusted weight with generation- and age-dependent effects: the Nancy Family Study.", "content": "A segregation analysis using a regressive model with generation- and age-dependent effects was applied to familial data of height-adjusted weight to investigate the major gene hypothesis. The sample included 629 nuclear families with 2,534 members volunteering for a free health check-up in the Preventive Medicine Center of Vandoeuvre-l\u00e8s-Nancy, France. The familial correlations were 0.094 +/- 0.040 between spouses, 0.198 +/- 0.023 between parent and offspring, and 0.327 +/- 0.034 between siblings. The variability of the trait was higher in parents than in offspring. The most parsimonious genetic model indicated a codominant major effect increasing with age in childhood, then stabilizing in adulthood. The same data were analyzed using the classical mixed model, assuming equality of variances between parents and offspring, no resemblance between spouses, similar parent-offspring and sib-sib correlations, and identical effects in parents and offspring. This analysis indicated a recessive solution. In both analyses, mendelian transmission was rejected. However, the mixture of two distributions in the recessive model, instead of three in the codominant one, was less constraining with respect to the test of transmission probabilities, and the rejection of mendelian transmission was due to a single family in the recessive case, instead of several families in the codominant one. This could possibly explain why previous studies, all using the mixed model, found evidence for a recessive major gene. Although the major gene hypothesis cannot be definitely ruled out from our results, the mechanism appears more complex than the effect of one single gene."}
{"id": "PMID:1487138", "title": "Longitudinal study of the association between ABO phenotype and total serum cholesterol level in a Japanese cohort.", "content": "The relationship between ABO blood phenotype and total serum cholesterol (TC) level was examined in a Japanese population to determine whether an elevated TC level is associated with phenotype A, as has been demonstrated in many West European populations. Such studies in nonwhite populations are scarce, and findings generally failed to demonstrate the relationship. Inconsistent results from cross-sectional studies of various racial groups with widely varying ages raised an age effect as a possible explanatory factor. It was also suggested that the ABO-TC association may not be apparent in populations with low fat intake or low mean cholesterol level. These hypotheses are addressed by examining long-term TC data collected serially from the unexposed controls of the atomic bomb survivors in Hiroshima and Nagasaki who were participants of the Adult Health Study program at the Atomic Bomb Casualty Commission-Radiation Effects Research Foundation between 1958 and 1986. The statistical method of growth curve analysis, through the mixed effect model of Laird and Ware [1982], was used to model age-dependent changes in cholesterol levels within individuals. The effects of the ABO polymorphism in modifying the resultant growth curve are examined. We demonstrate that TC levels are elevated on average by about 4 mg/dl in phenotype A compared to non-A in the Japanese (P < 0.00001), and that this relationship is maintained from early to late adulthood, independent of sex, body mass index, cohort status, or city of residence. Thus, phenotype A individuals may be more predisposed to cardiovascular disease through one of its major risk factors. This is the first study of the ABO-cholesterol association in the Japanese, and the first based on a cohort with longitudinally collected TC data."}
{"id": "PMID:1487139", "title": "Numerical comparisons of two formulations of the logistic regressive models with the mixed model in segregation analysis of discrete traits.", "content": "Segregation analysis of discrete traits can be conducted by the classical mixed model and the recently introduced regressive models. The mixed model assumes an underlying liability to the disease, to which a major gene, a multifactorial component, and random environment contribute independently. Affected persons have a liability exceeding a threshold. The regressive logistic models assume that the logarithm of the odds of being affected is a linear function of major genotype effects, the phenotypes of older relatives, and other covariates. A formulation of the regressive models, based on an underlying liability model, has been recently proposed. The regression coefficients on antecedents are expressed in terms of the relevant familial correlations and a one-to-one correspondence with the parameters of the mixed model can thus be established. Computer simulations are conducted to evaluate the fit of the two formulations of the regressive models to the mixed model on nuclear families. The two forms of the class D regressive model provide a good fit to a generated mixed model, in terms of both hypothesis testing and parameter estimation. The simpler class A regressive model, which assumes that the outcomes of children depend solely on the outcomes of parents, is not robust against a sib-sib correlation exceeding that specified by the model, emphasizing testing class A against class D. The studies reported here show that if the true state of nature is that described by the mixed model, then a regressive model will do just as well. Moreover, the regressive models, allowing for more patterns of family dependence, provide a flexible framework to understand gene-environment interactions in complex diseases."}
{"id": "PMID:1487140", "title": "Large-scale methylation patterns in the nuclear genomes of plants.", "content": "Methylation was investigated in compositional fractions of nuclear DNA preparations (50-100 kb in size) from five plants (onion, maize, rye, pea and tobacco), and was found to increase from GC-poor to GC-rich fractions. This methylation gradient showed different patterns in different plants and appears, therefore, to represent a novel, characteristic genome feature which concerns the noncoding, intergenic sequences that make up the bulk of the plant genomes investigated and mainly consist of repetitive sequences. The structural and functional implications of these results are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1487141", "title": "Structure of the gene encoding potato cytosolic pyruvate kinase.", "content": "The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has been used to generate a series of overlapping genomic clones representing 43 bp of 5' untranslated sequence, 63 bp of 3' untranslated sequence and the entire coding sequence of the gene encoding potato cytosolic pyruvate kinase (PKc). This portion of the gene is approximately 4.5 kb in length and is interrupted by three introns, one of which is present in the 5' untranslated region. Southern blot analysis indicates that PKc is encoded by a small gene family, and sequence data from a number of PCR-derived genomic clones indicate that there are as many as six PKc genes. Sequence differences between the PCR-generated genomic clones and a PKc cDNA clone are discussed with respect to the fidelity of Taq polymerase. An alignment of intron placement in the potato PKc gene with intron placement in PK genes from other sources indicates that two of the potato introns correspond to intron positions in other species."}
{"id": "PMID:1487142", "title": "High-level production of active HIV-1 protease in Escherichia coli.", "content": "High levels of active HIV-1 protease (PR) were produced in Escherichia coli, amounting to 8-10% of total cell protein. High production levels were achieved by altering the following parameters: (1) codon preference of the coding region, (2) A+T-richness at the 5' end of the coding region, and (3) promoter. To circumvent the toxicity of HIV-1 PR in E. coli, the gene was expressed as a fusion protein with two different proteolytic autocleavage sequences. In both the cases, the fusion protein could be cleaved in vivo to give an active molecule with the native sequence at the N terminus."}
{"id": "PMID:1487143", "title": "A position- and orientation-dependent element in the first intron is required for expression of the mouse hprt gene in embryonic stem cells.", "content": "The gene (hprt) coding for mouse HPRT (hypoxanthine phosphoribosyltransferase) is transcribed from a promoter lacking CAAT and TATAA boxes. It is expressed ubiquitously, albeit at different levels, in all tissues and cultured cells. During investigations to characterise hprt transcription control elements required in embryonic stem (ES) cells and to develop compact hprt minigenes for gene-targeting strategies, we discovered a requirement for intron-1 sequences for expression in ES cells. The essential intron-1 element, which is 420 bp long, is located 230 bp downstream from the transcription start point and is shown to increase transcription from the hprt promoter in a position- and orientation-dependent manner. We propose that this element is an integral downstream part of the hprt promoter."}
{"id": "PMID:1487144", "title": "Membrane mu poly(A) signal and 3' flanking sequences function as a transcription terminator for immunoglobulin-encoding genes.", "content": "Developmentally regulated mechanisms involving alternative RNA splicing and/or polyadenylation, as well as transcription termination, are implicated in controlling the levels of secreted mu (mu s), membrane mu (mu m) and delta immunoglobulin (Ig) heavy chain mRNAs during B cell differentiation (mu gene encodes the mu heavy chain). Using expression vectors constructed with genomic DNA segments composed of the mu m polyadenylation signal region, we analyzed poly(A) site utilization and termination of transcription in stably transfected myeloma cells and in murine fibroblast L cells. We found that the gene segment containing the mu m poly(A) signals, along with 536 bp of downstream flanking sequence, acted as a transcription terminator in both myeloma cells and L cell fibroblasts. Neither a 141-bp DNA fragment (which directed efficient polyadenylation at the mu m site), nor the 536-bp flanking nucleotide sequence alone, were sufficient to obtain a similar regulation. This shows that the mu m poly(A) region plays a central role in controlling developmentally regulated transcription termination by blocking downstream delta gene expression. Because this gene segment exhibited the same RNA processing and termination activities in fibroblasts, it appears that these processes are not tissue-specific."}
{"id": "PMID:1487145", "title": "The cDNA sequence, expression pattern and protein characteristics of mouse protein kinase C-zeta.", "content": "A 2199-bp complementary DNA (cDNA) that encodes protein kinase C-zeta (PKC-zeta) has been isolated from mouse brain by a combination of reverse transcription and primer extension. The predicted PKC-zeta protein consists of 592 amino acids which are 99% identical to those of rat PKC-zeta. Northern blots that were probed with this cDNA revealed abundant 2200-nucleotide (nt) and 4200-nt PKC-zeta mRNAs in mouse brain in roughly equal amounts. PKC-zeta mRNA was also abundant in normal lung, kidney, and testes, and in several hemopoietic tumor lines. In all other mouse tissues and cell lines that were examined, at least faint levels of PKC-zeta mRNAs could also be detected. In tissues other than brain, the amount of PKC-zeta mRNA was less, and the smaller species generally predominated. Furthermore, in these tissues, both PKC-zeta mRNAs appear to be approximately 200 nt longer than the two mRNAs found in the brain. When the cDNA is expressed in insect cells via a baculovirus expression vector, a 75-kDa protein is synthesized which, unlike other PKC isoforms, does not bind phorbol ester, even at very high concentrations."}
{"id": "PMID:1487146", "title": "A novel procedure for quantitative polymerase chain reaction by coamplification of competitive templates.", "content": "A method is described for the absolute quantification by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of nucleic acids present in low abundance. The method entails the addition to the sample of competitor DNA molecules that share the same sequence as the amplified target (including primer recognition sites), except for a 20-bp insertion in the middle, which allows easy resolution by gel electrophoresis (competitive PCR). Among the advantages of competitive PCR is that any predictable or unpredictable variable that affects amplification has the same effect on both target and competitor species and that the final ratio of amplified products reflects exactly the initial rate of targets, rendering the reaction independent of the number of amplification cycles. An easy and reliable method for the construction and quantification of competitive templates obtained as recombinant PCR products was developed. The technique was used for the absolute quantification of human genomic DNA with primers from a single copy, subtelomeric region of chromosome 19."}
{"id": "PMID:1487147", "title": "Compositional mapping of the human dystrophin-encoding gene.", "content": "The genomes of warm-blooded vertebrates are mosaics of long DNA segments (> 300 kb, on the average), the isochores, homogeneous in GC levels, which belong to a small number of compositional families. In the present work, the human dystrophin-encoding gene, spanning more than 2.3 Mb in Giemsa band Xp21 (on the short arm of the X chromosome), was analyzed in its isochore organization by hybridizing cDNA probes, corresponding to eight contiguous segments of the coding sequence, on compositional fractions from human DNA. Five DNA regions of uniform (+/- 0.5%) GC content, separated by compositional discontinuities of about 2% GC, were found, so providing the first high-resolution compositional map obtained for a human genome locus and the first direct estimate of isochore size (360 kb to more than 770 kb, in the locus under consideration). One of the isochores contains 71% and another one 21% of deletion breakpoints found in patients suffering from Duchenne's and Becker's muscular dystrophies."}
{"id": "PMID:1487148", "title": "Identification of two silencers flanking an AP-1 enhancer in the vimentin promoter.", "content": "We have studied the 5' upstream sequences required for the transcriptional regulation of the hamster gene encoding the intermediate filament protein, vimentin. Although vimentin is regarded as the intermediate filament protein of mesothelial tissue, it is also produced in most cultured cells. The human mammary carcinoma cell line, MCF-7, belongs to the exceptions. It contains no vimentin, and the complete upstream promoter region is inactive in this particular cell line. By using transient transfection of chimeric constructs into MCF-7 and HeLa cells, and subsequent chloramphenicol acetyltransferase assays, we were able to show the presence of two negative control regions flanking a double AP-1 enhancer element. Our data indicate that these elements exert their effect irrespective of orientation and position, suggesting that they are silencers. In vitro footprinting assays, gel mobility assays and Southwestern (protein-DNA) blotting revealed the presence of trans-acting factors interacting with both silencer elements. The silencing effect was particularly pronounced in MCF-7 cells, although DNA-binding proteins are present in HeLa cells as well."}
{"id": "PMID:1487149", "title": "Sequence and in vitro translational analysis of a 1629-nucleotide ORF in Autographa californica nuclear polyhedrosis virus strain E2.", "content": "The complete nucleotide (nt) sequence of an open reading frame (ORF) (map unit 5.1 to 3.8) from Autographa californica nuclear polyhedrosis virus strain E2 (AcMNPV-E2) has been determined. This 1629-nt ORF has a coding potential for a 61-kDa Pro-rich protein. However, in vitro translation of the 1629-nt ORF and sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) revealed a 78-kDa protein product. The discrepancy between the M(r) predicted by the nt sequence and that obtained from the in vitro translational analysis is due to the high Pro content of this protein. The high Pro content causes anomalous migration of this protein during SDS-PAGE."}
{"id": "PMID:1487150", "title": "Production and secretion of a bifunctional staphylococcal protein A::antiphytochrome single-chain Fv fusion protein in Escherichia coli.", "content": "A bifunctional molecule was genetically engineered which contained the secretory signal and four Fc-binding domains of Staphylococcus aureus protein A (FcA), fused to a single-chain Fv (scFv) derived from an immunoglobulin (Ig) G1 mouse monoclonal antibody (AS32) directed against the plant regulatory photoreceptor protein, phytochrome. The FcA::AS32scFv sequence was encoded in a single synthetic gene and expressed as a 60-kDa periplasmic protein in Escherichia coli. The bifunctionality of the fusion protein was established by its ability to bind to both IgG-agarose and phytochrome-sepharose. Growth of cultures, producing the FcA::AS32scFv, at 37 degrees C, resulted in a decrease in the periplasmic accumulation of the fusion protein, and an increased accumulation of an assumed degradation product which retained Fc-binding activity. Growth of cultures at lower temperatures favoured the accumulation of undegraded fusion protein. The recombinant fusion protein could be purified to homogeneity by a simple, rapid chromatography procedure."}
{"id": "PMID:1487151", "title": "Mouse microtubule-associated protein 4 (MAP4) transcript diversity generated by alternative polyadenylation.", "content": "Mouse microtubule-associated protein 4 (MAP4) is a protein that co-locates with microtubules in vivo. It is encoded by a single-copy gene that expresses multiple transcripts in most cell types [West et al., J. Biol. Chem. 266 (1991) 21886-21896]. This report describes the identification of two distinct 3'-untranslated regions (UTR) for MAP4 transcripts. The 3'-UTRs of the transcripts are identical up to the site of polyadenylation of the shorter mRNA. The longer transcript contains an additional 775 nucleotides after the first polyadenylation site. Both poly(A) tails follow the canonical polyadenylation site motif, AAUAAA. These data show that two different UTRs arise as a result of alternative polyadenylation site usage. Northern blots of RNA from different tissues probed with coding sequence show hybridization to the common 5.5- and 6.5-kb transcripts, whereas blots probed with sequence unique to the longer 3'-UTR show hybridization only to the 6.5-kb band. Both transcripts are found within the same cell type. In addition, muscle contains additional transcripts of 8 and 9 kb, of which only the 9-kb transcript hybridizes to the longer 3'-UTR probe."}
{"id": "PMID:1487152", "title": "Production of methionyl-minus ovine growth hormone in Escherichia coli and one-step purification.", "content": "The overproduction of ovine growth hormone (oGH) in Escherichia coli is described, achieved in part by alteration of the codon usage for nine of the first 15 amino acids (aa) of the mature hormone. Recombinant oGH (re-oGH), representing 12% of the total cellular protein, was isolated from inclusion bodies by solubilisation using the cationic surfactant cetyltrimethylammonium chloride (CTAC). The hormone was refolded and subsequently purified to greater than 95% homogeneity in a single step using preparative reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography. The aa sequence analysis revealed that the N-terminus of the E. coli-derived polypeptide was identical to that of pituitary-derived oGH, and re-oGH displayed potent somatotropic activity in vivo."}
{"id": "PMID:1487153", "title": "A pseudogene for human glutathione peroxidase.", "content": "Glutathione peroxidases (GPx) serve a bioprotective function in the reduction of peroxides to less toxic substances. Both cellular and secreted forms of the protein have been reported, as well a number of distinct cDNA sequences. Previous efforts have described three distinct loci on human chromosomes 3, 21 and X which hybridize to a GPX cDNA and these authors have speculated that only the chromosome 3 locus encodes a functional GPX gene. This conclusion was based on mapping studies showing a precise deletion of intron sequences in the GPX loci on chromosomes 21 and X despite strong conservation among these sequences in both the coding and 3'-untranslated regions. To pursue this issue, we have isolated the chromosome 21 GPX locus by molecular cloning and determined its nucleotide sequence. Consistent with the expectations of McBride et al. [Biofactors 4 (1988) 285-292], the sequence does reveal a highly conserved processed pseudogene. It is suggested that a retrotransposed copy of the GPX gene integrated into chromosome 21 and may have maintained activity prior to the accumulation of inactivating mutations."}
{"id": "PMID:1487154", "title": "Cloning of a cDNA encoding the Tcp-1 (t complex polypeptide 1) homologue of Arabidopsis thaliana.", "content": "We isolated a plant homologue of Tcp-1 (t complex polypeptide 1) cDNA from Arabidopsis thaliana. It encodes a 545-amino acid (aa) protein, which has extensive aa and nucleotide sequence homology to the corresponding proteins of mouse, yeast, fruit fly and archaebacteria."}
{"id": "PMID:1487155", "title": "Analysis of a cDNA from the neurologically active locus shaking-B (Passover) of Drosophila melanogaster.", "content": "We have isolated and sequenced a cDNA from the shaking-B locus of Drosophila melanogaster. The cDNA contains an open reading frame with extensive homology to another D. melanogaster gene, l(1)ogre. This suggests the existence of a new family of proteins required for the development and maintenance of the D. melanogaster nervous system."}
{"id": "PMID:1487156", "title": "Characterization of the gene encoding human pituitary-specific transcription factor, Pit-1.", "content": "Pit-1 is a pituitary-specific transcription factor that binds to and transactivates promoters of growth hormone- and prolactin-encoding genes. A chromosomal gene related to human Pit-1 isolated from human gene libraries was over 14 kb long and split into six exons. All of the splice donor and acceptor sites conformed to the GT/AG rule. The gene was mapped to human chromosome region 3p11."}
{"id": "PMID:1487159", "title": "Oesophageal motor function before and after healing of oesophagitis.", "content": "Forty three patients with reflux oesophagitis were studied to investigate the effect of healing on oesophageal function. All patients underwent oesophageal manometry and transit studies before and after complete healing of oesophagitis. Oesophagitis was treated with omeprazole 40 mg/day for a median duration of 12 weeks. Twenty three patients also had an acid clearance test before and after healing. Thirty eight of the 43 patients had 24 hour oesophageal pH monitoring before treatment and this was repeated after healing (while on omeprazole) in 31 of them. Thirty four volunteers served as controls. All volunteers underwent manometry, 33 had oesophageal transit studies, and 23 had acid clearance test. Patients had significantly reduced lower oesophageal sphincter pressures and distal and middle oesophageal amplitudes, longer durations of contraction, and slower velocity of propagation than the controls (16.5 v 22.5 mm Hg; 52 v 92 mm Hg; 46 v 79 mm Hg; 3.1 v 2.7 seconds; and 3.3 v 4.1 cm/second respectively with the corresponding p values = 0.017; 0.0001; 0.0001; 0.017; and 0.006). Patients had significantly longer transit times (9 v 7 and 17 v 11 seconds: p = 0.027 and 0.002 for erect and supine postures respectively). They also had longer acid clearance times (350 v 288 and 536 v 405 seconds: p = 0.044 and 0.016 for sitting and supine postures respectively). There was no significant change in any of the indices of oesophageal function after healing of oesophagitis (lower oesophageal sphincter pressure = 16.5 v 20; distal amplitude = 52 v 60; middle amplitude = 46 v 49; duration of contraction = 3.1 v 3.1; velocity = 3.3 v 3.3; erect transit time = 9 v 9; supine transit time = 17 v 24; acid clearance test (sitting) = 350 v 371; acid clearance test (supine) = 536 v 645). These results indicate that oesophageal motor dysfunction in reflux oesophagitis is a primary phenomenon."}
{"id": "PMID:1487160", "title": "Helicobacter pylori: a risk and severity factor of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug induced gastropathy.", "content": "This prospective study aimed to determine the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection in relation to the occurrence and severity of NSAIDs induced gastropathy. A total of 111 patients were studied-66 were taking NSAIDs and 45 were control patients. All patients underwent endoscopy during which antral biopsy specimens were taken to determine H pylori status (Gram and Giemsa staining, urease test, and cultures). The NSAID group comprised: group I, patients without mucosal damage (n = 28); group II, patients with gastropathy (n = 26); and group III, patients with bleeding associated with NSAID induced gastropathy (n = 12). Control patients had neither dyspeptic symptoms nor endoscopic lesions. There were no differences in age, sex ratio, or presence of H pylori (26% v 24%) between the NSAID and the control groups. Among patients taking NSAIDs, H pylori infection was more frequently (p < 0.02) diagnosed in those who presented with gastropathy (groups II and III: 37%) than in those without lesions (group I: 11%). The frequency of H pylori infection increased significantly with the severity of gastropathy (group I = 11%; group II = 31%; group III = 50%; p < 0.03). H pylori infection was associated with chronic active gastritis (group I = 21%; group II = 35%; group III = 67%; p < 0.05). These data suggest that H pylori may be a risk factor of NSAID induced gastropathy."}
{"id": "PMID:1487161", "title": "Role of ammonia in the pathogenesis of the gastritis, hypergastrinaemia, and hyperpepsinogenaemia I caused by Helicobacter pylori infection.", "content": "Studies were performed in patients with and without renal failure to investigate the role of bacterial ammonia production in the pathogenesis of the mucosal abnormalities caused by Helicobacter pylori. The high rate of H pylori ammonia production in uraemic patients should accentuate any ammonia induced effects. The median (range) gastric juice ammonium concentration in the H pylori positive patients with renal failure was 19 mmol/l (II-43) compared with 5 mmol/l (1-11) in the H pylori positive patients without renal failure (p < 0.005). In the H pylori negative patients the values were 3 mmol/l (0.5-11) and 0.7 mmol/l (0.1-1.4) respectively in the patients with and without renal failure (p < 0.01). Despite the much higher ammonia production in the H pylori positive uraemic patients, the nature and severity of their gastritis was the same as that in the H pylori positive non-uraemic patients. The median (range) fasting serum gastrin concentration was raised in the uraemic patients compared with the non-uraemic patients but was similar in the uraemic patients with (95 pmol/l (52-333)) or without (114 pmol/l (47-533)) H pylori infection. The median (range) serum pepsinogen I concentration was also high in the uraemic compared with the non-uraemic patients and was significantly higher in uraemic patients with H pylori (352 ng/ml, range 280-653) than in those without H pylori infection (165 ng/ml, range 86-337) (p < 0.01). These findings indicate that the gastritis and hypergastrinaemia associated with H pylori infection are not the result of mucosal damage induced by the organism's ammonia production."}
{"id": "PMID:1487162", "title": "Concentrations of metals in gastric juice in health and peptic ulcer disease.", "content": "The concentrations of essential metal cations in gastric juice, collected at endoscopy from 17 normal patients and 11 with peptic ulcer disease, were determined by inductively coupled plasma emission spectrometry. Mean fasting levels in normal gastric juice were as follows: sodium 47.7 mM, potassium 14.6 mM, calcium 0.8 mM, magnesium 0.36 mM, zinc 13 microM, and copper 1.2 microM: these did not differ significantly in health or disease. Because samples were contaminated with iron, the concentration of this metal was only estimated (ca 3.5 microM in normal subjects), and this secretion could represent a significant proportion of the daily loss of endogenous iron. The pH of gastric juice predicted the concentrations of magnesium and calcium, but not copper or zinc, in the juice. It is concluded that previously reported values for trace metals in gastric juice have been incorrect and that the very low amounts secreted in the gastric juice will not interfere with the absorption of other trace metals from the diet. In contrast, the concentrations of macroelements in gastric juice may be sufficient to stimulate the absorption of trace metals from the gut."}
{"id": "PMID:1487163", "title": "Low grade B cell mucosa associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma of the stomach: clinical and endoscopic features, treatment, and outcome.", "content": "A retrospective study of the clinical and endoscopic features of low grade gastric lymphomas of mucosa associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) in 16 patients together with treatment and outcome was undertaken. Immunohistochemical studies of fresh tissue easily distinguished MALT lymphoma from benign reactive lymphoid hyperplasia (pseudolymphoma) and showed that tumour cells had the characteristic phenotype indicative of their origin from MALT. Persistent epigastric pain was the main presenting complaint, and was often associated with acute bleeding, anaemia, or weight loss. Eight patients had a past history of recurrent peptic ulcers or gastritis. The endoscopic appearance suggested malignancy in only half the cases and was compatible with gastritis or a benign peptic ulcer in the remainder. There was extragastric involvement of other mucosal sites in eight patients (mainly the lung, but also the parotid gland and small bowel), but rarely was bone marrow and never the spleen or peripheral lymph nodes affected. Conservative treatment with long term cyclophosphamide was effective in both stage I and stage IV disease, and all the patients are alive after a median follow up of 4.5 years. These findings confirm that low grade gastric MALT lymphomas are usually indolent tumours with non-specific endoscopic aspects and show that dissemination to other mucosal sites was more frequent than previously reported. Monochemotherapy could be an effective alternative treatment to surgery."}
{"id": "PMID:1487164", "title": "Endomysial antibody: is it the best screening test for coeliac disease?", "content": "The sensitivities and specificities of the IgA and IgG antigliadin antibody and the IgA antireticulin antibody have been compared with the recently described endomysial antibody directed against the basement membrane of smooth muscle in monkey oesophagus. One hundred and seventeen patients with adult coeliac disease (21 untreated), 84 patients with inflammatory bowel disease, systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis (comprising the disease control group), 47 normal controls and a miscellaneous group of 29 patients, who were selected because of a positive reticulin staining pattern, were investigated. These results were correlated with the degree of abnormality of the intestinal mucosa in patients with adult coeliac disease. Endomysial antibodies were found in all patients with untreated coeliac disease and subtotal villous atrophy and in 47% of patients on a non-strict gluten free diet. One patient on a strict gluten free diet was positive and had partial villous atrophy while all patients in disease control groups were negative. Results were variable with the antireticulin and antigliadin antibodies. Sensitivity and correlation with subtotal villous atrophy in the untreated patients was 100%. It is concluded that the endomysial antibody is superior to other current antibody tests and should be used in preference for the diagnosis of coeliac disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1487165", "title": "Differentiation status of rat enterocytes after intestinal adaptation to jejunoileal bypass.", "content": "The differentiation status of epithelial cells in intestinal adaptation remains unclear. To determine whether enterocytes reach optimum maturity following adaptation after 85% shortening of the rat gut by jejunoileal bypass surgery, activities of two brush border enzymatic markers of differentiation, alkaline phosphatase and sucrase, were examined in subpopulations of epithelial cells isolated sequentially from the villus/crypt axis of normal (sham operated) and hyperplastic mucosa. In jejunal villi, adaptational hyperplasia was associated with an increase in total epithelial alkaline phosphatase, but not total sucrase, activity; alkaline phosphatase activity increased most obviously in cells at the 11-50% position (from the tip) on villi. In hyperplastic ileal villi, total alkaline phosphatase activity fell, although sucrase activity did not change significantly. Specific activity (per mg protein) of sucrase on jejunal villus epithelium was reduced by the adaptational changes to bypass; alkaline phosphatase specific activity remained unchanged. In the ileum, despite adaptational changes to bypass, there was no increase in the normally low specific activities of sucrase and alkaline phosphatase. Bypass surgery did not change the major site of expression of either enzyme on jejunal or ileal villi. In conclusion, enzymatic markers of functional differentiation are not all equally affected by adaptational hyperplasia. Hypertrophy of villi and increased cell proliferation seen in jejunum remaining exposed to luminal contents resulted in an increase in the alkaline phosphatase but not the sucrase content. This is not, therefore, the result of a simple immaturity of villus cells. Morphological adaptation in the ileum, however, is not accompanied by adaptation of brush border enzyme markers of differentiation, confirming a functional immaturity of these cells. Strategies for increasing the expression of these markers may have clinical value."}
{"id": "PMID:1487166", "title": "Use of coculture of colonic mucosal biopsies to investigate the release of eicosanoids by inflamed and uninflamed mucosa from patients with inflammatory bowel disease.", "content": "Eicosanoid production was measured in cultured biopsies of colonic mucosa from control patients, with the irritable bowel syndrome, and from patients with proctosigmoiditis and with colonic Crohn's disease. Cultured inflamed colonic mucosa from patients with proctosigmoiditis and Crohn's disease produced more prostaglandin E2 and leukotrienes C4 than control tissues. In addition, eicosanoid production by macroscopically uninflamed or 'quiescent' mucosa from the right colon was examined in patients with proctosigmoiditis and between skip lesions in Crohn's disease patients. In the proctosigmoiditis group quiescent mucosa produced eicosanoids in similar quantities to control tissue. Coculture of quiescent plus inflamed tissue however, generated a marked increase in eicosanoid output in 12 of 20 of the patients and this was similar to the quantity obtained from two pieces of inflamed tissue. In the Crohn's disease group, quiescent mucosa produced more eicosanoids than control mucosa but production was markedly stimulated by coculture with inflamed mucosa in all patients. These findings suggest that in some patients with proctosigmoiditis and in all patients with Crohn's disease quiescent mucosa appears to be sensitised. A small but significant increase in the macrophage population may be partly responsible but it is likely that these and other cells are primed to release eicosanoids, and may be induced to do so by soluble mediators produced by actively inflamed tissue."}
{"id": "PMID:1487167", "title": "Water and solute absorption from a new hypotonic oral rehydration solution: evaluation in human and animal perfusion models.", "content": "Controversy continues regarding the optimal composition of glucose electrolyte oral rehydration solutions for the treatment of acute diarrhoea. Four perfusion models (normal human jejunum, normal rat small intestine, cholera toxin treated secreting rat small intestine and rotavirus infected rat small intestine) have been developed and used to compare the efficacy of a hypotonic oral rehydration solution with standard United Kingdom British National formulary and developing world oral rehydration solutions (WHO). Despite obvious physiological and pathophysiological differences between these models there was general congruence in the water and solute absorption profiles of the different oral rehydration solutions. Hypotonic oral rehydration solution promoted significantly greater water absorption than other oral rehydration solutions in all rat models (p < 0.001) but apparently increased water absorption failed to achieve significance in human jejunum. British National Formulary-oral rehydration solution was unable to reverse net water secretion in both rotavirus and cholera toxin models. Net sodium absorption from hypotonic and WHO-oral rehydration solutions was significantly greater than from the low sodium British National Formulary-oral rehydration solutions (p < 0.001) except in the rotavirus model when absorption was similar to hypotonic-oral rehydration solutions. These findings show that there is agreement in the apparent efficacy of oral rehydration solutions in these animal and human perfusion models, and that improved water absorption with adequate sodium absorption may be achieved by reducing oral rehydration solution osmolality."}
{"id": "PMID:1487168", "title": "Collagen synthesis in fibroblasts from human colon: regulatory aspects and differences with skin fibroblasts.", "content": "The purpose of this study was to examine regulation of collagen synthesis in human colon fibroblasts and compare the results from colon fibroblasts with those obtained in fibroblasts from human skin. The effects of interleukin-1 beta, tumour necrosis factor alpha, interferon gamma, transforming growth factor-beta, dexamethasone, and the calcium ionophore A23187 were investigated. All compounds were tested both in the absence and in the presence of fetal calf serum in the culture medium. The process of collagen synthesis in fibroblasts from colon and skin appears to be affected differently by these regulatory compounds. The most pronounced differences were that the relative collagen synthesis increased in dermal fibroblasts and decreased in colon fibroblasts upon addition of serum. In the presence of serum, interleukin-1 beta inhibited collagen synthesis in skin fibroblasts but not in colon fibroblasts. Dexamethasone suppressed the relative collagen synthesis in skin fibroblasts but not in colon fibroblasts. Transforming growth factor-beta stimulated the collagen synthesis in dermal fibroblasts in the presence of serum, but inhibited the process in colon fibroblasts. Because fibroblasts are the primary sources of collagen needed during wound repair, these results may offer (part of) the explanation why wounds in skin and intestine appear to behave differently under certain conditions."}
{"id": "PMID:1487169", "title": "Non-invasive diagnosis of portal vein occlusion by radionuclide angiography.", "content": "The accuracy of non-invasive radionuclide angiography in detecting portal vein occlusion was assessed in 61 patients--10 with portal vein occlusion confirmed by conventional portography, 25 with chronic liver disease and a patent portal vein (mild = 12, severe = 13), and 26 with normal liver function, who served as controls. The median percentage portal venous flow for the portal vein occlusion group was 8% (range 1-30) (consistent with negligible flow) compared with 78% (52-87) for control subjects (p < 0.005) and 68% (61-80) and 49% (23-59) respectively for patients with mild and severe liver disease (p < 0.001 and p < 0.005). At a portal venous inflow of < 20%, the procedure had a specificity of 100% and sensitivity of 90% in diagnosing portal vein occlusion. Non-invasive radionuclide angiography provides a safe and accurate screening method for evaluating portal vein patency or occlusion in the investigation of portal hypertension or before liver transplantation."}
{"id": "PMID:1487170", "title": "A prospective controlled study comparing brush and bile exfoliative cytology for diagnosing bile duct strictures.", "content": "Imaging of biliary strictures may suggest malignancy but cytology can provide a tissue diagnosis. The aim of this study is to compare the diagnostic value of brush cytology and bile cytology. Thirty two patients (20 males, 12 females, median age 66 years, range 31-84) with biliary strictures at endoscopic retrograde cholangio pancreatography (24) or percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography (8) had bile cytology and brush cytology. Brushings were taken using a modified Geenan cytology brush (6 Fr gauge, Wilson Cook) passed alongside a guide wire placed through the stricture. Bile was aspirated after insertion of an internal/external catheter or an endoprosthesis. Bile and brushings were examined by one experienced cytologist (AD) and was reported as positive or negative for malignant cells. Twenty nine patients had malignant strictures. Sixteen were confirmed by histology and 13 had malignancy suggested by clinical follow up. Three patients had resection of histologically benign strictures. The overall sensitivity of brush cytology (17 of 29 positive, 59%) was significantly greater than bile cytology (seven of 29 positive, 24%) (p < 0.01) as was the diagnostic accuracy (63 v 31%, p < 0.01). None of the patients had positive bile cytology with negative brush cytology. There were no procedure related complications and the average sampling time once the guide wire had been inserted was less than five minutes. It is concluded that brush cytology is more sensitive than bile cytology and with the technique described is safe and rapid."}
{"id": "PMID:1487174", "title": "Effects of nifedipine on placental blood flow, placental weight and fetal weight in normotensive and spontaneously hypertensive rats.", "content": "The effect of nifedipine on placental blood flow was investigated in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and compared with that in normotensive Wistar Kyoto rats (WKY) by means of the clearance of hydrogen gas generated by electrolysis. The placental blood flow of nifedipine-treated WKY (5, 10 and 25 mg/kg) was significantly (p < 0.05) reduced compared with that of WKY control. On the other hand, the placental blood flow of nifedipine-treated SHR did not change compared with that of SHR control. These data suggest that nifedipine has different effects on placental blood flow in SHR and WKY."}
{"id": "PMID:1487175", "title": "Osteocalcin 24-hour profiles during normal pregnancy.", "content": "The interpretation of previous data on osteocalcin during pregnancy has been complicated by the fact that serum levels, at least in nonpregnant women, display a significant circadian variation. In the present study, serum concentrations of osteocalcin were recorded for 24 h in 12 individual women. In 4 nonpregnant women, there were striking diurnal fluctuations during the sampling period, with values ranging from 0.5 to 4.0 ng/ml. One woman who was investigated in the 11th week of pregnancy showed similar fluctuations in osteocalcin concentrations whereas in the 15th and 17th week values were much lower with minor fluctuations. In 4 women investigated during late pregnancy (weeks 34-38), osteocalcin serum levels were extremely low (range 0.2-0.4 ng/ml), often below the detection limit of the assay, and there was no diurnal variation. Also, in 1 lactating woman, osteocalcin serum levels were low (0.3-0.8 ng/ml) and stable. Low osteocalcin values during pregnancy may indicate a reduced bone turnover possibly mediated via an altered estrogen and growth hormone secretion."}
{"id": "PMID:1487176", "title": "Salpingitis isthmica nodosa in infertility and ectopic pregnancy.", "content": "Excised tubal segments from 94 infertile women with tubal obstruction, with a mean infertility duration of 5.3 years, and 40 women with ectopic tubal pregnancy were studied histopathologically to evaluate the association with salpingitis isthmica nodosa (SIN). The mean age of the 94 infertile women with tubal obstruction was 24.5 years. Hysterosalpingographies and laparoscopy were performed on all of them. Only the women with ectopic pregnancies we performed salpingectomy on were included in the present study. The incidence of SIN in women with tubal obstruction was 7.4%, in women with ectopic tubal pregnancy 10%, and in the control group the incidence was 0.2%. In 60% of the cases, SIN was present in both of the tubes. Based on this study, we conclude that SIN is significantly associated with infertility and ectopic tubal pregnancy."}
{"id": "PMID:1487177", "title": "Comparison of first trimester serum estradiol levels in aborters versus nonaborters during maintenance of normal progesterone levels.", "content": "This study was designed to measure the average serum estradiol (E2) levels in the first trimester for women whose serum progesterone (P) levels were carefully maintained at normal levels by the use of exogenous P, and to compare the mean serum E2 levels in women who aborted with those in women who did not. The study group consisted of 94 pregnant women supported with exogenous natural P therapy from the luteal phase through the first trimester. Beginning at week 5, and continuing through the first trimester, the mean serum E2 levels for nonaborters were significantly higher than those for aborters."}
{"id": "PMID:1487178", "title": "Hemolysis in hypertensive disorders of pregnancy.", "content": "The hemolysis markers LDH, haptoglobin, bilirubin (serum, urine), urobilinogen (urine), fragmentocytes and free hemoglobin were compared in 166 patients with various degrees of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and 179 nonhypertensive pregnant controls in a weekly screening program. Early recognition of hemolysis was limited to a period of 1 week before the actual delivery date. In the diagnostic sensitivity, haptoglobin and to a lesser degree unspecific LDH were clearly superior to the other hemolysis parameters. A decreasing platelet count also has to be taken as an indicator of impending hemolysis. Subclinical hemolysis was associated with poorer fetomaternal outcome. With the aid of haptoglobin, LDH and thrombocytes, an incipient HELLP syndrome could be recognized 1-2 days before the complete clinical picture became apparent."}
{"id": "PMID:1487179", "title": "Obstetrical risk factors and pregnancy outcome in rural Mozambique. A prospective study.", "content": "A study of 373 pregnant women in two rural areas of Mozambique indicates that 38% of pregnant women are classified as having high risk factors according to the antenatal card. A postpartum follow-up of 200 women showed that data were available for 85% of the enrolled women. The 10 women (7%) that had suffered perinatal deaths did not have an overrepresentation of high risk factors according to the card. Neither of the 2 women suffering maternal deaths had had any risk criteria according to the card. More efficient risk criteria will presumably be the outcome of further research for an improved antenatal card."}
{"id": "PMID:1487180", "title": "Effect of LHRH and its analogues on the progesterone secretion of human granulosa cells in vitro.", "content": "Progesterone secretion of cultured human granulosa cells treated with LHRH or its analogues was measured. Granulosa cells were also stimulated with LH, FSH, cAMP or forskolin. No differences could be observed in the progesterone basal secretion of cultures treated with or without LHRH or its analogues and after the various stimulations. It was concluded that the clinical experience that the sensitivity of ovaries for gonadotropins after LHRH desensitization is decreased could not be explained with the peripheral effects of LHRH on the granulosa cells. From the data obtained, the lack of LHRH receptors in the ovaries are suggested in humans."}
{"id": "PMID:1487181", "title": "Morphological characteristics of spontaneous endometriosis in the baboon (Papio anubis and Papio cynocephalus).", "content": "The histopathology of spontaneous endometriosis was studied on 20 pelvic implants biopsied at laparoscopy in 15 healthy baboons. Endometriosis was confirmed by histopathology in 10 of these animals (66%). Typical (n = 3) and subtle (n = 13) endometriotic lesions were confirmed by histopathology in 100 and 61%, respectively. Suspected disease-bearing lesions (n = 4) were confirmed in 50%. Implants could be classified as active (n = 5), inactive (n = 3), atrophic (n = 2) or stromal endometriosis (n = 3). The histological findings for typical and subtle implants were similar to those reported in humans."}
{"id": "PMID:1487182", "title": "Effects of chlorhexidine gluconate douche on normal vaginal flora.", "content": "The effects of a 0.5% aqueous chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) douche on the normal vaginal flora of twenty healthy nonpregnant volunteers were investigated. The douche was applied in a premeasured 180-ml quantity daily for 7 consecutive days. Specimens for aerobic and anaerobic culture of the vaginal flora were obtained on 3 occasions from each volunteer, once before and twice after CHG use. The culture results were analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively. A blood sample was also collected within 24 h of the last CHG application to determine serum CHG concentration. Lactobacillus spp., Gardnerella vaginalis and Staphylococcus epidermidis were the most prevalent aerobic bacteria at all phases of the study and Bacteroides spp. were the most prevalent anaerobes. The composition of the normal flora was essentially the same 30 days after the last dose as the pretreatment flora. Small amounts of CHG were detected in the serum of all but one subject. No untoward effects on the participants were observed. Candida albicans counts were slightly higher, but prevalence was not significantly increased at the end of the study."}
{"id": "PMID:1487183", "title": "Endogenous estrogen levels in postmenopausal women with severe urogenital atrophy.", "content": "In order to be able to evaluate the systemic influence of exogenous estrogen therapy in different conditions, it is important to have knowledge of the endogenous estrogen levels. The present study was undertaken to assess the basic levels and possible fluctuations of endogenous estrogen in postmenopausal women with urogenital estrogen deficiency. Plasma concentration levels of unconjugated estrone and estradiol were measured at regular intervals during 24 h in 5 postmenopausal women without estrogen treatment. All women had very low levels of estradiol. No diurnal fluctuation was found. Estrone levels were not measurable with a sensitive RIA technique."}
{"id": "PMID:1487184", "title": "Combined use of progesterone challenge test and endometrium thickness evaluated by transvaginal ultrasonography in the preventive management of postmenopausal women.", "content": "Endometrial thickness was evaluated in apparently normal postmenopausal women by transvaginal ultrasonography and the results were compared with the response to the progesterone challenge test (PCT). A positive correlation between amount of withdrawal bleeding after PCT and endometrial thickness was found, also demonstrated by the significative correlation between bleeding length and endometrial thickness. Among women referring withdrawal bleeding, 100 and 22% of cases classified as overt flow and spotting, respectively, were characterized by pathologic histological findings. The combined use of these two procedures is suggested as an effective screening mean in the preventive endometrial management of apparently normal postmenopausal women to select candidates for diagnostic invasive procedures."}
{"id": "PMID:1487185", "title": "Doppler ultrasound studies in pelvic inflammatory disease.", "content": "Ten women with tubo-ovarian abscess caused by pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) were investigated by transvaginal Doppler ultrasound during the acute and healing phases of the infection. The pulsatility index (PI) of the uterine arteries was measured and compared with the values obtained from 19 healthy women. Each control patient was investigated three times during a single menstrual cycle. In PID patients, the PI values were significantly lower than in controls in the same phase of the menstrual cycle. When C-reactive protein was > 50, the PI values were lowest and reverted to normal values when the infection subsided. In a case of chronic infection, the PI did not rise to normal despite normal infection parameters. Doppler ultrasound seems to offer a new method of assessing PID."}
{"id": "PMID:1487186", "title": "Early diagnosis of proximal femoral deficiency.", "content": "A case of proximal femoral deficiency in a fetus, associated with ventriculomegaly and oligohydramnios is described. Vaginal ultrasonographic diagnosis was made in the 14th week of gestation in a 37-year-old asthmatic woman. Ultrasonic follow-up until termination of pregnancy in the 20th week of gestation was performed. The importance of early diagnosis and the possible roles of oligohydramnios and antiasthmatic medications are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1487187", "title": "[Plate osteosynthesis of the radius. Own implant and technique].", "content": "In 1989 and 1990, 46 acute distal radius fractures with die-punch compression cavities underwent open reduction and internal fixation using a new compression plate and surgical technique. In 34 of these patients, functional and radiological results after plate removal were studied. Surgical exposure was palmar or dorsal, or combined palmar with a supplementary dorsal incision, depending on the location of the compression cavity and the extent of fracture dislocation. A cortico-cancellous graft from the iliac crest was fitted into the compression cavity, thus supporting the reduced joint surface against the radius shaft. Superior maintenance of the reduction was achieved using cortico-cancellous instead of simple cancellous graft. A new titanius radius reconstruction plate was used for internal fixation. This two-fold support of the fracture allowed for earlier wrist mobilization."}
{"id": "PMID:1487188", "title": "[Step-plasty for therapy of chronic subcutaneous ruptures of extensor tendons of finger end joints].", "content": "A new method for secondary operative treatment of subcutaneous ruptures of the extensor tendons in the DIP-joint region is described. A step-cut incision is performed in the area of the regenerative tissue and the adjacent original tendon. The sutures in the longitudinal incision line compensate the tension and give better anchoring. First results show a tendency to an improved relationship between pre- and postoperative extension lag compared to other methods. Also, the method is an improvement from the aesthetical point of view and in operative practicability."}
{"id": "PMID:1487189", "title": "[The importance of arthroscopy for hand surgery today].", "content": "Wrist arthroscopy is a new approach to the diagnosis and treatment of chronic wrist pain and pathology, that could not be achieved by conventional diagnostic instruments. The arthroscopy allows detailed assessment to articular surfaces, chronic synovitis, triangular fibro-cartilage tears, lesions of the intercarpal and palmar ligaments, and intraarticular fractures of the radius. The technique is very demanding and should be performed only by experienced surgeons. The dorsal portals are located with relation to the six extensor compartments. Because of the limited space of the wrist joint, an arthroscope with an outermost diameter of 2.5 mm or less is necessary with a high-sensitivity, light-weight microchip video-camera and special mini-instrument. With this equipment, surgery can be performed within the radio-carpal- and midcarpal joint. Only few in Germany are experienced in wrist arthroscopy; looking to the USA, this technique has already shown its great potential."}
{"id": "PMID:1487190", "title": "[Microsurgical and histological observations in schwannoma of peripheral nerves].", "content": "From 1986 to 1991, eight patients with benign schwannomas (neurilemomas) of peripheral nerves underwent tumor resection. In six of eight cases, microsurgical dissection revealed one or several nerve fascicles \"disappearing\" in the center of the schwannoma. Therefore, these fascicles had to be removed along with the tumor. This observation contradicts the current opinion that enucleation of benign schwannomas is usually straightforward and possible without fascicular damage. Interestingly, the resection of fascicles did not create additional neurological deficits. For functional reasons, partial nerve grafts bridging the resulting fascicular defects were considered appropriate in two cases. Tumors of peripheral nerves should be treated by surgeons familiar with microsurgical operative techniques."}
{"id": "PMID:1487191", "title": "[A realistic practice model for learning microneural surgery without experiments on live animals].", "content": "The increasing importance of microneurosurgery in hand and plastic surgery makes it necessary for surgeons to familiarize themselves with these techniques. In most training programs, anesthetized rats have been used to learn basic microneurosurgical techniques. Ethical considerations, the costs involved, and the legislation concerning experiments with live animals permit extensive training in microneurosurgery in only a few medical centers. This paper relates our experience with an alternative training program not involving live animals. Instead, we chose the legs of slaughtered pigs. Mono-, oligo-, and poly-fascicular nerves, structurally similar to the configurations found in human extremities, can be found in pig legs. Neurolysis, primary nerve sutures, and nerve transplantations can be practiced."}
{"id": "PMID:1487192", "title": "[Choice of thrombin concentration of common fibrin glue systems for nerve anastomosis].", "content": "Although fibrin glue has been used in several areas of surgery with increasing success, it has not become fully established in nerve coaptation. Initially, significant advantages were expected, however, as the fibrin clot dissolved prematurely, gapping occurred and antifibrinolytic substances had to be added to the glue. Following this procedure, fibrosis occurred frequently. This remains a problem. Therefore, the dosage dependent fibrosis-inducing effect of thrombin was investigated in an animal experimental study. Thrombin demonstrates a fibrosis-promoting effect and we therefore recommend 1-1.5 NIH thrombin/ml glue, as lower concentrations increase the clotting time."}
{"id": "PMID:1487193", "title": "[Measuring microcirculation after replantation and revascularization].", "content": "Eighty-four patients were evaluated following replantation or revascularization. Extremity function in daily and professional life was altogether satisfactory. Microcirculation investigations in eight patients included thermography, laser-doppler-flowmetry and photoplethysmography. The rewarming period and postocclusive hyperemia after standardized cooling of the upper extremity were determined. In areas of hypesthesia, the rewarming period was clearly delayed. In addition, reactive hyperemia after occlusion of circulation was significantly reduced."}
{"id": "PMID:1487194", "title": "[Laser in surgery of vascular anastomoses].", "content": "The disadvantages of present-day microvascular suturing techniques include suture-induced foreign-body granulomas, stenoses and aneurysms. In comparison, argon laser-assisted anastomoses show a more favorable histomorphology and a low rate of stenoses and aneurysms. Laser-assisted anastomoses pass through the same familiar healing phases seen in common wound-healing."}
{"id": "PMID:1487195", "title": "[Chorionic villi sampling: choice of transcervical or transabdominal routes preferable to use of transcervical route exclusively].", "content": "Between November 1985 and June 1990 we performed 400 first trimester chorionic villi samplings (CVS). In the first 107 cases only transcervical CVS was performed, regardless of placental location. Later, 163 transcervical and 130 transabdominal CVS were performed, depending on placental location. Anterior and fundal placentas were approached transabdominally and posterior placentas transcervically. Multiple pregnancies were excluded. Successful results were obtained in 394 out of 400 cases. There were 5 failures in the first set of cases and 1 in the second (p < 0.05). In 14 cases (3.5%) fetuses with normal karyotypes were spontaneously aborted, 5 of these in the first period (4.7%) and 9 (3.1%) in the second. The spontaneous abortions in the second period followed transabdominal CVS in 4 cases out of 130 (3.1%) and the transcervical route in 5 cases out of 163 (3.105%). The average attempts per case in the first period was 1.44 (SD 0.66) while in the second it was 1.17 (SD 0.44, p < 0.0001) for the transcervical route and 1.06 (SD 0.2, p < 0.002) for the transabdominal route. In our experience choosing between transabdominal and transcervical CVS according to placental location is preferable to the sole use of transcervical CVS in terms of lower failure rate and fewer attempts per case. Proficiency in both techniques is mandatory for optimal results."}
{"id": "PMID:1487196", "title": "[Limulus amebocyte lysate assay for diagnosing intraamniotic infection].", "content": "The value of the Limulus amebocyte lysate assay (LAL) in the diagnosis of intraamniotic infection was determined in amniotic fluid from transabdominal amniocenteses in 51 women in preterm labor with intact membranes. The prevalence of positive amniotic fluid cultures was 21.5% (11/51) in detecting intraamniotic infection. The LAL was positive in 19.6% (10/51), its sensitivity 81.8% (9/11), specificity 97.5% (39/40), positive predictive value 90.0% (9/10), and negative predictive value 95.1% (39/41). Similarly, in detecting women who would fail tocolysis and deliver prematurely, its sensitivity was 27.6% (8/29), specificity 90.9% (20/22), positive predictive value 80% (8/10), and negative predictive value 48.8% (20/41). We conclude that LAL is a simple, rapid and sensitive test for detecting intraamniotic infection in women in preterm labor."}
{"id": "PMID:1487197", "title": "[Laparoscopic hysterectomy].", "content": "Abdominal hysterectomy is one of the most common major operations in gynecology. However, it is associated with considerable morbidity and relatively slow recovery. We describe a laparoscopic procedure for removal of the uterus, with or without the adnexa, in women in whom abdominal hysterectomy would otherwise be indicated. Laparoscopy is performed with the 3-puncture technic and an additional incision for the electrocoagulation instrument. The infundibulopelvic and round ligaments are dissected and divided if oophorectomy is to be done. If not, the broad ligament lateral to the uterine body is similarly treated and finally the dissections are extended to the uterine vessels and the uterosacral and upper parts of the transverse cervical ligaments. Surgery is completed vaginally after deflation of the abdomen, as in vaginal hysterectomy. Laparoscopy is repeated when the vagina has been closed, to ensure hemostasis. We have successfully performed laparoscopic hysterectomy, with or without salpingo-oophorectomy, in 7 women, aged 39-57. The procedure lasted 90-160 minutes and postoperative discomfort was minimal. All patients returned to normal activity within 4 weeks and were delighted with the outcome as well as with the cosmetic results. This technique offers an attractive alternative to conventional approaches and has significant advantages. Nevertheless, further studies are necessary to evaluate the true efficacy of the procedure."}
{"id": "PMID:1487198", "title": "[Remission of acute promyelocytic leukemia after all-trans-retinoic acid].", "content": "This is the first report in Israel of the successful treatment of acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL; M3) with an active metabolite of vitamin A. In a 42-year-old woman with APL all-trans-retinoic acid (ATRA; tretinoin), 45 mg/m2/day was given per os for 90 days. APL is associated with a distinct cytogenetic abnormality: translocation of a portion of the long arm chromosome 17 onto the long arm chromosome 15t (15; 17) with a breakpoint on chromosome 17 in the region of the retinoic acid receptor-alpha (RAR-alpha), playing a crucial role in the leukemogenesis of APL. In man, the drug induces myeloid and mainly promyelocytic leukemic cells to differentiate, without the development of bone marrow hypoplasia. In our patient it caused complete remission and the disappearance of intravascular disseminated coagulation. The only side-effects were a transient macular rash, gastrointestinal symptoms and mild hypertriglyceridemia. Other principal adverse effects reported in the literature are relatively not very serious and consist of dryness of the skin, occasional headaches and intracranial hypertension, nasal congestion, lymphadenopathy, respiratory distress with infiltrates in the lung, bone pain and increased hepatic aminotransferase. A hyperleukocytosis syndrome seems to be more problematic. ATRA appears to be superior to conventional chemotherapeutic regimens. It is safe and highly effective in inducing clinical, morphologic and karyotypic remission with a marked decrease in the expression of the abnormal RAR-message in APL. There is a possible molecular link between the pathogenesis and treatment of this severe and often fatal coagulopathic disease. This therapy of course does not eradicate the leukemic clone, and consolidation chemotherapy or bone marrow transplantation is necessary.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1487199", "title": "[Free-flap reconstruction of the head and neck].", "content": "Free-flap microvascular surgery of the head and neck is now an accepted reconstructive technique. Optimal reconstruction of both function and form are achieved in selected patients by this method. We describe our experience with free-flap reconstruction of head and neck defects in 13 patients. In 5 oncologic patients reconstruction was immediate, while in 8 other oncologic and trauma patients it was delayed. The free rectus abdominis myocutaneous flap was used most often. 3 flaps required revision, but only 1 failed."}
{"id": "PMID:1487200", "title": "[Treatment of Pipkin's fracture of the femoral head].", "content": "We present 3 cases with Pipkin's fracture of the femoral head, a rare and complicated fracture. 2 were operated on and did well. The third, not operated on, has severe symptoms and most probably will require extensive reconstructive surgery."}
{"id": "PMID:1487201", "title": "[Management of fractures of the face].", "content": "During 1985-1989, 371 patients with fractures of the lower two thirds of the facial skeleton were treated. Mean age was 31.2 years and there was a male prevalence of 78%. An equal distribution was found between fractures of the middle and lower third of the face. Our clinical experience has shown that it is preferable to start treatment as early as possible, using an open approach for reduction of fractures and rigid methods of fixation. Rigid internal fixation enables the patient to keep his jaws functional postoperatively and prevents the need for maxillomandibular fixation for 6 weeks. 6-month follow-up showed a low incidence of bone infection (1.5%), although most fractures were exposed to contaminated spaces. The major complication of treatment was impaired sensation of the lips and infraorbital regions (23%). In a follow-up of up to 1 year, the occurrence of this complication decreased to 7%."}
{"id": "PMID:1487202", "title": "[Aortopulmonary fistula due to failed graft for aortic aneurysm].", "content": "Hemoptysis originating from an aortobronchial fistula is uncommon. This fistulous connection between the aorta and the lung usually results from a preexisting thoracic-aortic aneurysm, and is uniformly fatal when left untreated. However, with early diagnosis the survival rate exceeds 80%. The case of an aortobronchial fistula in a young alcoholic, 2 years after aortic aneurysmectomy, is presented. He was admitted with symptoms suggesting upper gastrointestinal bleeding, allegedly related to alcohol abuse. He died of a sudden, massive hemoptysis 5 days after admission. An aortobronchial fistula was found on autopsy. To diagnose aortobronchial fistula, a high index of suspicion is necessary. It should be considered in patients with hemoptysis after repair of a thoracic aneurysm."}
{"id": "PMID:1487203", "title": "[Acute systemic side-effects of topical timolol for glaucoma].", "content": "Topically-administered ophthalmic medication may reach clinically significant serum concentrations, as evidenced by the variety of systemic side effects reported. These drugs may interact with other drugs administered orally and intravenously, increasing the frequency and severity of their side-effects. We report 4 patients examined in the emergency room because of various systemic manifestations, in whom the symptoms could be attributed either to antiglaucomatous eye drops, or to interaction between these eye drops and systemic medication. Considering the high incidence of glaucoma (0.5-2%), physicians should be aware of the systemic side-effects of antiglaucomatous eye drops and of possible interaction between such treatment and systemic medications."}
{"id": "PMID:1487215", "title": "[The functional treatment of deep bite--the results of a long-term study].", "content": "The amount of overbite reduction and the stability of the results three to 14.5 years post-retention were analysed in a follow-up study of 60 patients who had been treated with functional appliances. To establish therapeutic and posttherapeutic changes in dento-facial relationships, plaster casts and lateral cephalograms were evaluated at the beginning, at the end of treatment and at the follow-up examination. Posttherapeutic deepening of the overbite (> 0.8 mm) was found in 54.2% of the cases, while overbite reduction remained stable in 39%. A number of skeletal and dental factors were found to be involved in overbite reduction and posttreatment deepening. In this connection, changes in the ML-NSL angle, the ML-NL angle and the gonion angle were found to be just as important as the therapeutic and posttherapeutic changes in anterior and posterior facial height and changes in the skeletal pattern. It is emphasized that strict application of retention is of the greatest importance to minimize vertical relapse."}
{"id": "PMID:1487216", "title": "[The determinants of wear behavior in treatment with removable orthodontic appliances].", "content": "The interplay of significant determinants of patient appliance wear is discussed in terms of a conceptual model reflecting the current state of research in orthodontic compliance. Appliance wear is determined by treatment-related factors such as regimen and perceived comfort, as well as by external factors such as patient personality and parental attitudes. Patient attitudes are the critical link between these influences. In the focus of this article are the patient's experiences and perceptions of treatment and the way they are affected by appliance and prescribed wear. Furthermore, possible measures to enhance compliance are highlighted."}
{"id": "PMID:1487217", "title": "[A contribution to the controversial discussion on a preoperative orthodontic treatment for infants with unilateral cheilognathopalatoschisis].", "content": "A longitudinal study of 39 casts of pre-operative orthodontically treated unilateral cleft lip and palate children from birth to palate operation was carried out with a special coordinate measuring technique to quantify changes in the maxilla. A significant reduction in width of the alveolar cleft was found. The anterior alveolar arch width remained constant, while the posterior region slightly increased. These results seem to justify treatment with the infant appliance. After measuring casts from 39 preoperatively treated and casts from 62 untreated patients prior to lip operation, a comparison of the mathematical average values between the two groups revealed few differences. This can be explained by referring to the original morphological findings and the different measurements during the preoperative orthodontic treatment, which lead to different changes in segment position prior to lip operation. In a cross section examination this difference could not be found. A sub-classification of the subject matter in primary and secondary clefts revealed that between both types clear differences in the resulting parameters can be observed. This leaves the question, whether the width of the cleft palate is caused by tissue deficiency or by an embedded tongue. Furthermore, how will the orthodontic appliance therapy influence the growth? A greater dislocation of the segments in secondary clefts may be expected in cases where the rest position of the tongue appears caudal. Improved measuring methods to record cleft morphology and more emphasis on the study of soft tissue reactions may help to understand the differing results after preoperative or orthodontic treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1487218", "title": "[Sonography--a diagnostic tool for the dynamic functional analysis of the tongue].", "content": "The possibility of using ultrasonography to analyse tongue function in the orthodontic setting was investigated in a pilot study involving ten dental students and ten adult, former patients with cleft, lip, jaw and palate. The ultrasonograms were videotaped and the contour of the tongue at rest and during swallowing was analysed in an extremely slow-motion playback mode. Ultrasonography was capable of clearly showing differences in tongue function between both groups. Ultrasonography may therefore be considered a useful technique for visualisation of individual tongue movements. In orthodontics, ultrasonography could be extremely helpful for the long-term documentation of myofunctional treatment, craniofacial anomalies, or in epidemiological research. Standard conditions for investigation and analysis of results still have to be elaborated."}
{"id": "PMID:1487219", "title": "[Transverse expansion with plate appliances--their intermolar stability and significance for gingival recession].", "content": "This study was undertaken to investigate if transversal expansion with removable plates is a predisposing factor in the occurrence for buccal recessions in the molar region. In order to clarify a possible causal relationship, it is important to know to what extent the therapeutic expansion remains stable, 58 former patients, ages ten to 15, were studied following transversal expansion and non-extraction therapy with removable appliances. Intermolar expansion and stability, clinical crown length, and the incidence of buccal recessions on the incisors and six-year molars were evaluated. The study revealed that with relatively good intermolar stability (relapse between 13% and 14%), when compared with an untreated control group and with the data contained in the literature, recessions do not increasingly occur."}
{"id": "PMID:1487220", "title": "[The development of the deciduous dentition under the influence of differently shaped pacifiers].", "content": "Intending to perform a prospective study after the birth of their children 312 mothers were asked for co-operation and a newly developed preventively shaped pacifier was given them (free of charge) for use. Two years later it was possible to join 202 children and morphologically investigate their primary dentition. On the base of the real behaviour in the meantime the subjects formed five groups: children without sucking habits, finger suckers, user of cherry-shaped pacifiers, so-called health pacifiers and test pacifiers. The findings show specific significant differences. Especially cherry-shaped pacifiers but also medically recommended pacifiers can badly influence the development of the deciduous dentition. However, the harmful results can be minimized by a special preventive shape."}
{"id": "PMID:1487222", "title": "[Complications of and after hysterectomy. Retrospective study of 5,676 patients--guidelines for preoperative patient education].", "content": "Over the last three decades, litigation resulting from gynecological operations has risen considerably. This is attributed to no small extent to inadequate preoperative information of the patient by the physician. The medical histories of 5,676 patients submitted to hysterectomy were evaluated retrospectively and all intraoperative and postoperative complications analyzed. In order to be able to give the patient comprehensive information, the physician must be familiar with the nature and incidence of possible complications, on the basis not only of his own personal experience, but also of the data provided by extensive case material. Forensic disputes can be reduced only by ensuring that the patient is fully informed and thus that her agreement to the operation is legally binding."}
{"id": "PMID:1487223", "title": "[Migraine and tension headache. New procedures for objective differentiation].", "content": "Presentation of a new questionnaire for headache analysis that supplements a computer-aided scheme for the diagnosis of headaches. The classification scheme of the International Headache Society (IHS) represents an instrument for the classification and identification of headaches that makes use of phenomenological criteria. On this basis, a computer program was developed that permits clearly differentiated analysis of various common types of headache. Both primary forms of headaches and clinically relevant secondary forms are taken into account. Since many--although not all--doctor's offices are equipped with personal computers, a questionnaire has now been developed with the aid of which the two major primary forms of headache, migraine and tension headache, can be distinguished. On average, the patient takes only five minutes to complete the questionnaire. Evaluation is performed simply, with the aid of an evaluation sheet. Types of headache other than those described cannot be excluded on the basis of the questionnaire."}
{"id": "PMID:1487226", "title": "[Different effects of fibrates on the lipoprotein profile. Comparison of the effectiveness of gemfibrozil and bezafibrate in various types of hyperlipoproteinemia].", "content": "To compare the efficacy and tolerability of Gemfibrozil and Bezafibrate in patients with hyperlipoproteinemia, types IIa, IIb and IV. In an open, randomized parallel study, the tolerability and efficacy of Gemfibrozil (G) and Bezafibrate (B) were investigated over a period of 12 weeks in 178 hyperlipidemic (HLP) patients first submitted to an 8-week \"wash-out\" (diet only) phase. In HLP type IIa patients, LDL cholesterol was lowered (G: -13%, B: -10%). In HLP type IIb, a decrease in triglyceride (TG) levels (G: -41%, B: -31%), an increase in HDL-cholesterol (G: +19%, B: +5%), and a decrease in the total cholesterol/HDL cholesterol ratio (G: -32%, B: -9%) predominated. Patients with type IV HLP responded to both fibrates with an appreciable reduction in TG levels (G: -45%, B: -42%). The effects of the preparations differed significantly with respect to the elevation of HDL cholesterol and a decrease in the total cholesterol/HDL cholesterol ratio in HLP type IIb patients. The respective lipid baseline concentration appeared to be of importance for the sense and extent of the changes induced."}
{"id": "PMID:1487227", "title": "Study on the effect of oral administration of carbocysteine on ventilatory parameters in the SO2 inhalation model of bronchitis in the rat.", "content": "In order to study the physiological correlates of the beneficial action of carbocisteine (S-carboxy-methyl-cysteine), we have measured the changes occurring in ventilatory parameters in rats made bronchitic by prolonged exposure (2 weeks) to air containing sulfur dioxide (SO2). In animals treated with distilled water (1 ml/100 g/day), statistically significant (P < 0.05) changes in respiratory frequency (-20%) and tidal volume (+31%) were found. As a result of these opposing changes, the ventilation/min was stable. Moreover, the compliance was decreased (33%, P < 0.05) and the resistance was greatly enhanced (+ 99%, P < 0.05). The concomitant administration of carbocisteine (500 mg/kg po/day) with SO2 inhalation significantly (P < 0.05) prevented the development of resistance without effecting significant changes in the other parameters except for a slight improvement in ventilation/min. In conclusion, this improved respiratory resistance in the bronchitic carbocisteine-treated animals tallies with a decrease in mucus retention associated with the return to normal of rheological characteristics of the secreted mucus."}
{"id": "PMID:1487228", "title": "Rolipram inhibits PAF-induced airway microvascular leakage in guinea-pig: a comparison with milrinone and theophylline.", "content": "The effects of 3 phosphodiesterase (PDE) inhibitors, rolipram (PDE IV), milrinone (PDE III) and theophylline (non-selective) on PAF (50 ng kg-1; iv)-induced airway vascular leakage have been evaluated in guinea-pigs. Rolipram (3-300 micrograms kg-1; iv) reduced the increase in permeability induced by PAF at all airway levels whereas milrinone (10-1000 micrograms kg-1; iv) and theophylline (30 mg kg-1; iv) were without effects. The anti-leakage activity of rolipram may be of therapeutic value in asthma."}
{"id": "PMID:1487229", "title": "Tolerance and pharmacokinetics of propacetamol, a paracetamol formulation for intravenous use.", "content": "In 12 healthy volunteers, paracetamol pharmacokinetics were compared following administration of 1 g propacetamol HCl given intravenously over a 15-min period and 500 mg paracetamol given orally. Mean +/- SD total AUC (microgram/ml.h) following the iv formulation was significantly (P < 0.01) greater than following oral paracetamol (25.53 +/- 4.27 vs 21.04 +/- 4.49) corresponding to a mean oral bioavailability of paracetamol of 82.2 +/- 9.4%. Between 1 and 2 h after administration, paracetamol plasma concentrations became very similar following both formulations. In another study, 2 g propacetamol HCl was given both as a 15-min infusion and as a 2-min bolus injection to six healthy volunteers. Contrary to mild to moderate local discomfort experienced during the 2-min bolus injection, the 15-min infusion was well tolerated without any complaints reported."}
{"id": "PMID:1487230", "title": "Quality of life assessment in therapeutic trials: rationale for and presentation of a more appropriate instrument.", "content": "In therapeutic trials, quality of life studies are usually based on a health model which results in a restrictive view. Therefore, it is important to clearly define the concept of the quality of life, since ambiguous concepts can alter the results. The key to this problem is the clear distinction between the two components of the quality of life, ie subjective and objective. This latter component is the only one considered in the current medical approach. The use of the subjective quality of life introduces a number of methodological problems not found when the objective quality of life is assessed, and thus requires a specific model which can be derived from the model of life goals used by sociologists. This model is presented here and illustrated with some results obtained with a new questionnaire, the Subjective Quality of Life Profile (SQLP) questionnaire. We suggest that both subjective and objective quality of life studies should be considered in order to emphasize the humanistic approach to therapeutic indications."}
{"id": "PMID:1487231", "title": "A review of the molecular basis of hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase (HPRT) deficiency.", "content": "Hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase (HPRT, EC 2.4.2.8) is a purine salvage enzyme that catalyses the conversion of hypoxanthine and guanine to their respective mononucleotides. Partial deficiency of this enzyme can result in the overproduction of uric acid leading to a severe form of gout, whilst a virtual absence of HPRT activity causes the Lesch-Nyhan syndrome which is characterised by hyperuricaemia, mental retardation, choreoathetosis and compulsive self-mutilation. The HPRT-encoding gene is located on the X chromosome in the region q26-q27 and consists of nine exons and eight introns totalling 57 kb. This gene is transcribed to produce an mRNA of 1.6 kb, which contains a protein encoding region of 654 nucleotides. With the advent of increasingly refined techniques of molecular biology, it has been possible to study the HPRT gene of individuals with a deficiency in HPRT activity to determine the genetic basis of the enzyme deficiency. Many different mutations throughout the coding region have been described, but in the absence of precise information on the three-dimensional structure of the HPRT protein, it remains difficult to determine any consistent correlation between the structure and function of the enzyme."}
{"id": "PMID:1487232", "title": "DNA analyses of XX and XX-hypospadiac males.", "content": "Fourteen 46,XX \"males\" were analyzed by Southern blot hybridization with seventeen different Y chromosome-derived DNA probes and by the polymerase chain reaction for an additional two sites on the short arm of Y. Eight 46,XX males possessed various segments of the short arm of the Y chromosome, including the sex determining region. The detected segments ranged from the two most distal loci to nearly the entire length of the short arm, viz., 10 out of 11 loci. None of the eight patients had hypospadia. Five out of the six remaining cases had hypospadia and no Y sequence was detected, suggesting the presence of a causative difference between hypospadiac and non-hypospadiac groups."}
{"id": "PMID:1487233", "title": "The gene encoding human transmembrane secretory component (locus PIGR) is linked to D1S58 on chromosome 1.", "content": "The human transmembrane secretory component (SC or poly-Ig receptor, PIGR) is expressed basolaterally on glandular epithelial cells and is responsible for the external translocation of polymeric IgA and IgM. SC is hence a key molecule in antibody protection of mucosal surfaces. The human SC gene (locus PIGR) is located on chromosome 1 (1q31-q41). Here we present the first genetic linkage study of PIGR versus syntenic markers, including D1S58 and F13B, which have been previously regionalized to 1q31-q32 and 1q31-q32.1, respectively. We found that PIGR is closely linked to D1S58 (lods + 5.06 at theta max = 0.06, without sex difference). PIGR versus F13B showed + 1.46 at theta max = 0.25 for both sexes combined. A recombination of 0.06 between F13B and D1S58 (lods + 2.24) was in contrast to a previously published study giving theta max = 0.22 (lods + 3.9), the combined lods being 5.6 at theta max = 0.20. The progeny of a triply heterozygotic female indicated that PIGR is the flanking locus, therefore suggesting a cen-F13B-D1S58-PIGR-qter gene sequence on human chromosome 1. Only negative lod scores to RH, C8@, and PGM1 on 1p, and FY on proximal 1q, were found. Current combined Norwegian allele frequencies were estimated for PIGR to be A1 = 0.63, A2 = 0.37 (370 chromosomes), and for D1S58 to be A1 = 0.44, A2 = 0.56 (218 chromosomes)."}
{"id": "PMID:1487234", "title": "Further evidence of a duplication in 17p11.2 in families with recurrence of HMSN Ia (Charcot-Marie-Tooth neuropathy type Ia).", "content": "Five Italian families with recurrence of cases of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (type Ia) were analysed using three closely linked DNA probes that detect polymorphisms in the region 17p11.2. The probe pVAW409R3 detected the presence of a duplication in all the affected subjects, but not in the subjects with normal electromyographic (EMG) findings. This observation confirms previous data indicating the association of the duplication with the disease, suggesting that, at least in populations of European origin, the duplication might be the molecular feature diagnostic of the pathological trait."}
{"id": "PMID:1487235", "title": "Preparation of a rat brain histidine decarboxylase (HDC) cDNA probe by PCR and assignment of the human HDC gene to chromosome 15.", "content": "The formation of histamine from its precursor histidine is catalyzed by histidine decarboxylase (HDC), a pyridoxal phosphate (PLP)-dependent decarboxylase. The knowledge of sequence similarities between various rodent HDCs permitted us to prepare a rat brain HDC cDNA probe. After reverse transcription of rat brain polyA + mRNA, the HDC cDNA obtained was amplified by the polymerase chain reaction using two specific primers. The resulting 1019-bp DNA was cloned in the p-MAL vector. Its sequence corresponds to the published data on rat fetal liver HDC. This 1019-bp rat probe detected two BamHI sequences in man; these were assigned to chromosome 15 by somatic hybrid cell analysis. According to the well-known homology between human chromosome 15 and mouse chromosome 2, the result obtained is in agreement with the published localization of HDC on mouse chromosome 2. The mapping of the human HDC gene on chromosome 15 is an original contribution to the chromosomal assignment of related PLP-dependent decarboxylases."}
{"id": "PMID:1487236", "title": "Absence of Turner stigmata in a 46,XYp-female.", "content": "A 46,XY female patient with streak gonads and a large deletion of Yp is described. The deletion included the Y chromosomal genes SRY, ZFY, and RPS4Y. The patient did not display any Turner stigmata, such as webbing of the neck, cardiac or other abnormalities. The findings argue against an important role of RPS4Y in the prevention of Turner stigmata in males and are consistent with a role of SRY in testis differentiation in humans."}
{"id": "PMID:1487237", "title": "Generation and characterization of radiation reduced cell hybrids and isolation of probes from the proximal short arm of the human X chromosome.", "content": "Employing a modified Goss-Harris irradiation fusion protocol, we have generated a panel of somatic cell hybrids containing various overlapping fragments of the Xcen-Xp11.4 interval. This region of the human X chromosome is known to carry genes for several hereditary eye diseases including retinitis pigmentosa (RP2), congenital stationary night blindness (CSNB-1) and Norrie disease. These hybrid cell lines were employed to isolate 17 new DNA probes by making use of the Alu polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method and subsequent cloning of the PCR products in a plasmid vector. With these probes, we have characterized two previously described microdeletions spanning the Norrie locus; these deletions have enabled us to subdivide the Xp11.4-p11.3 region into three defined intervals."}
{"id": "PMID:1487238", "title": "A homozygous missense arginine to histidine substitution at position 482 of the beta-galactosidase in an Italian infantile GM1-gangliosidosis patient.", "content": "We have studied, by the polymerase chain reaction, the beta-galactosidase cDNA from several Italian patients with infantile GM1-gangliosidosis. One homozygote for a previously undiscovered G > A mutation at position 1479, causing an arginine to histidine change, was detected. The same mutation, in heterozygosis, was identified in 6 unrelated patients, but not in 100 normal chromosomes."}
{"id": "PMID:1487239", "title": "Tissue segregation of a heteroplasmic mtDNA mutation in MERRF (myoclonic epilepsy with ragged red fibers) encephalomyopathy.", "content": "The distribution of the causal 8344A-->G mtDNA mutation has been examined in six tissues of a patient with myoclonic epilepsy with ragged red fibers (MERRF), to study the developmental genetics of this type of mitochondrial disorder, and to determine the pathophysiological importance of the mtDNA heteroplasmy generally observed in such patients. Heteroplasmy of the mtDNA was observed in all six tissues (cerebellum, cerebrum, pancreas, liver, muscle, and heart) suggesting that, whereas the mtDNA mutation is relatively new, the mutated population must have existed before the formation of the three primary embryonic layers. The tissue distribution reveals significant variations in the ratio between the mutated and the normal mtDNA species, indicating the randomness of mtDNA segregation during developmental cell division and differentiation events. The result suggests the existence of tissue-specific nuclear factor(s) that determines the expression of the 8344A-->G mutation in various tissues; in MERRF syndrome, expression is mainly in the central nervous system."}
{"id": "PMID:1487240", "title": "Deletions in exon 5 of the human rhodopsin gene causing a shift in the reading frame and autosomal dominant retinitis pigmentosa.", "content": "By screening patients with autosomal dominant retinitis pigmentosa for mutations in the rhodopsin gene, two deletions (8 bp and 1 bp) have been identified in exon 5; these deletions cause a shift in the reading frame. The predicted proteins should be radically altered with translation continuing past the normal stop signal and resulting in a rhodopsin molecule that is, respectively, 1 and 10 amino acids longer. The clinical phenotype of the patients is described and is compared with that associated with other mutations in the same region of the gene."}
{"id": "PMID:1487241", "title": "Molecular analysis of type I-A (tyrosinase negative) oculocutaneous albinism.", "content": "Type I oculocutaneous albinism (OCA) is caused by the reduction in or absence of activity of tyrosinase in melanocytes in skin, hair, and the eyes, the result of mutations of the tyrosinase gene. To date, a total of 22 unique mutations in the coding region of tyrosinase have been described in the literature. In this report we present 5 additional mutations of the tyrosinase gene associated with type I-A OCA in four individuals, including 2 missense, 1 frameshift and 2 nonsense mutations, and review the relevant literature on all published mutations. Analysis of the distribution of all identified missense mutations (n = 17) shows that most cluster in three areas of the gene and involve amino acids conserved between humans and the mouse. Two clusters involve the copper A and copper B binding sites and may disrupt the metal ion-protein interaction necessary for enzyme function. The third cluster in exon I could represent a functional domain important in enzyme function such as the tyrosine or the dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA) binding site of the enzyme. Small deletions or insertions resulting in frameshift mutations and nonsense mutations are distributed throughout the coding region and do not appear to cluster."}
{"id": "PMID:1487242", "title": "Identification of CpG islands around the DXS178 locus in the region of the X-linked agammaglobulinaemia gene locus in Xq22.", "content": "The X-linked agammaglobulinaemia (XLA) gene locus has previously been mapped to Xq22. Genetic linkage analysis has shown tight linkage between the disease and the DXS178 locus and that DXS3 and DXS94 are the closet proximal and distal flanking markers, respectively, separated by a genetic distance of 10-12 cM. We attempted to construct a physical map of Xq22 using pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and rare-cutting restriction enzymes in order to obtain a finite physical value for the distance between DXS3 and DXS94. However, these attempts were hampered by the large number of rare-cutting restriction enzyme sites around the DXS178 locus, indicative of the presence of CpG rich regions of DNA. We were able to construct a physical map of the sites close to DXS178 that suggests the presence of at least three, and perhaps as many as five, CpG islands. These are arranged on either side of DXS178, extending over about 550kb of genomic DNA. Each of these regions must be considered as being associated with a potential \"candidate\" gene sequence for the XLA gene and we have initiated a chromosome walk from DXS178 to the nearest of these islands."}
{"id": "PMID:1487243", "title": "A critical analysis of data presented in eight studies favouring X-linkage of bipolar illness with special emphasis on formal genetic aspects.", "content": "High lod scores were obtained in several X-linkage studies of bipolar illness under the assumption that a subgroup of manic depression follows an X-linked dominant mode of inheritance. We have previously shown that the segregation patterns do not substantiate this assumption. We now statistically address the lack of evidence for X-linked inheritance by sex-dependently analyzing segregation ratios and clinical data presented in eight positive X-linkage studies. Accordingly, affected males have significantly fewer offspring, a lower mean age and a higher bipolar to unipolar ratio than affected females. There are two possible explanations for these findings: either the X-linked subgroup of bipolar illness has unique features that have not been accounted for clinically, or (more probably) the pedigree structures could also (and might be more likely to) result from ascertaining kindreds following autosomal or multifactorial inheritance only, with exclusion of kindreds encompassing male to male transmission."}
{"id": "PMID:1487244", "title": "Rapid identification of mutations in the glucocerebrosidase gene of Gaucher disease patients by analysis of single-strand conformation polymorphisms.", "content": "To detect mutations in the glucocerebrosidase gene in Gaucher disease patients, we used the recently described technique of single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) analysis in combination with selective amplification. We analyzed exon 8, 9, 10 and 11 of the glucocerebrosidase gene; these exons were sequentially amplified using the selectively amplified products as templates. We found variant SSCP patterns corresponding to the presence or absence of the 6433C mutation, which was detected by NciI digestion analysis, in exon 10. Furthermore, we detected four variant SSCP patterns in exon 8, 10 and 11. Sequencing analysis consistently revealed four single-base substitutions in the corresponding exons, three novel missense mutations (5409A, 6375G and 6682T) and one silent polymorphism (6594A). These mutations were found only in one patient; therefore, these findings have confirmed the marked genetic heterogeneity of Gaucher disease. SSCP analysis in combination with selective amplification is a rapid and sensitive procedure for the screening of the mutations in the glucocerebrosidase gene of patients with Gaucher disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1487245", "title": "Characterization and mapping of the 5' portion of von Willebrand factor pseudogene.", "content": "A genomic fragment containing the 5' boundary of the von Willebrand factor pseudogene was cloned, partially sequenced and used for in situ hybridization experiments on metaphase spreads from a Philadelphia chromosome (Ph1)-positive chronic myelogenous leukemia patient. Data obtained indicate that the von Willebrand factor pseudogenic region is centromeric to the breakpoint cluster region on 22q11.2. This probe could be used for the study of deletions in the DiGeorge syndrome."}
{"id": "PMID:1487246", "title": "The gene for bone morphogenetic protein 2A (BMP2A) is localized to human chromosome 20p12 by radioactive and nonradioactive in situ hybridization.", "content": "Bone morphogenetic protein 2A (BMP2A), a member of the decapentaplegic-Vg-related family, belongs to the transforming growth factor beta superfamily and has a striking sequence similarity to the decapentaplegic locus in Drosophila melanogaster, a major determinant of pattern specification during embryogenesis. BMP2A is thought to be involved in cartilage and bone formation during embryogenesis, but may have additional functions in morphogenesis as implied by its expression in various organs and embryonic tissues of mice. Human BMP2A, assigned to chromosome 20 by the use of human-Chinese hamster ovary cell hybrids, is considered to be a reasonable candidate gene for the autosomal dominant disease of fibrodysplasia (myositis) ossificans progressiva. We have confirmed the localization of BMP2A to chromosome 20 and regionally assigned the locus to 20p12 by radioactive and nonradioactive in situ hybridization."}
{"id": "PMID:1487247", "title": "A single-base change at a splice acceptor site in the ornithine aminotransferase gene causes abnormal RNA splicing in gyrate atrophy.", "content": "Gyrate atrophy (GA) is an autosomal recessive eye disease involving a progressive loss of vision due to chorioretinal degeneration in which the mitochondrial matrix enzyme ornithine aminotransferase (OAT) is defective. Two sisters with GA are described in this study in whom an A-to-G substitution at the 3' splice acceptor site of intron 4 in one allele of the OAT gene results in a truncated OAT mRNA devoid of exon 5 sequence. The mutation in the other allele was identified to be a mis-sense mutation at codon 318 by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis and direct sequencing of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-amplified DNA. Thus, these GA patients are compound heterozygotes with respect to mutations in the OAT gene that result in inactivation of OAT."}
{"id": "PMID:1487248", "title": "Mutations in the conserved domain of SRY are uncommon in XY gonadal dysgenesis.", "content": "In order to evaluate the role of SRY in the determination of the testis, we sequenced the conserved domain of the SRY gene in 8 patients with 46,XY gonadal dysgenesis and 3 patients with related disorders, and compared our data with those obtained in 6 other similar studies. In our study, a 609-bp fragment of SRY was amplified by the polymerase chain reaction and the internal conserved motif was sequenced. SRY sequences did not differ from those in normal males in any of our patients. Overall, 5 de novo mutations have been identified among 56 patients with sporadic XY gonadal dysgenesis (8.9%), and 2 de novo mutations have been identified among 18 patients with related conditions (11%). The unexpectedly low frequency of mutations within the SRY conserved domain in these patients could be caused by undetected Y-linked mutations outside the conserved domain in regions that control transcription during development (e.g., promoter/enhancer regions) or to downstream mutations in other sex-determining genes that need not map to the Y."}
{"id": "PMID:1487249", "title": "Point mutation in the steroid-binding domain of the androgen receptor gene in a family with complete androgen insensitivity syndrome (CAIS).", "content": "An exonic single nucleotide substitution in the human androgen receptor gene (hAR) could be detected in an Italian family with two children affected by complete androgen insensitivity syndrome (CAIS), also called testicular feminization. This mutation leads to a guanine to adenine transition in exon 5, changing the sense of the codon from methionine (ATG) to valine (GTG). As this mutation abolishes a NcoI restriction site, a rapid test for the mutation can be performed by digestion of the polymerase chain reaction products with this enzyme. Previous results of indirect gene diagnosis in this family could be confirmed by this method."}
{"id": "PMID:1487250", "title": "Molecular diagnosis of the Prader-Willi and Angelman syndromes by detection of parent-of-origin specific DNA methylation in 15q11-13.", "content": "The Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) and the Angelman syndrome (AS) are distinct genetic disorders that are caused by a deletion of chromosome region 15q11-13 or by uniparental disomy for chromosome 15. Whereas PWS results from the absence of a paternal copy of 15q11-13, the absence of a maternal copy of 15q11-13 leads to AS. We have found that an MspI/HpaII restriction site at the D15S63 locus in 15q11-13 is methylated on the maternally derived chromosome, but unmethylated on the paternally derived chromosome. Based on this difference, we have devised a rapid diagnostic test for patients suspected of having PWS and AS."}
{"id": "PMID:1487251", "title": "The potassium channel gene HK1 maps to human chromosome 11p14.1, close to the FSHB gene.", "content": "Transiently activating (A-type) potassium (K) channels are important regulators of action potential and action potential firing frequencies. HK1 designates the first human cDNA that is highly homologous to the rat RCK4 cDNA that codes for an A-type K-channel. The HK1 channel is expressed in heart. By somatic cell hybrid analysis, the HK1 gene has been assigned to human chromosome 11p13-p14, the WAGR deletion region (Wilms tumor, aniridia, genito-urinary abnormalities and mental retardation). Subsequent pulsed field gel (PFG) analysis and comparison with the well-established PFG map of this region localized the gene to 11p14,200-600 kb telomeric to the FSHB gene."}
{"id": "PMID:1487252", "title": "Investigation of the polymorphic ScaI site by a PCR-based assay at the human atrial natriuretic peptides (hANP) gene locus.", "content": "The ScaI polymorphic site within the stop codon of the human atrial natriuretic peptides (hANP) gene was investigated in Mauritian Indian, black African and French Caucasian populations. A distinct distribution pattern is observed in these three populations."}
{"id": "PMID:1487254", "title": "Decreasing incidence of PID in Amsterdam.", "content": "To study the incidence of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) in Amsterdam in the period 1983-1990. Patients diagnosed with PID based on a clinical definition were reported weekly by 30 general practices who covered 11% of the Amsterdam population. Annual age specific incidences were calculated using the number of women in the participating practices as the denominator. The PID incidence was approximately 50 per 10,000 women through 1986, and then started to decrease in 1987 to reach 24 per 10,000 in 1990. The decreasing trend since 1987 was seen in the age-groups 20-24, 25-34 and 35-44 years, but not among teenagers. The moment of decline coincided with extensive attention given in the Dutch media to the risk of heterosexual transmission of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). It is plausible that the declining incidence of PID was influenced by a change of heterosexual behaviour under the threat of AIDS."}
{"id": "PMID:1487255", "title": "The dominance of a multiresistant strain of Neisseria gonorrhoeae among prostitutes and STD patients in The Gambia.", "content": "To study the epidemiology of antibiotic resistant strains of Neisseria gonorrhoeae from sexually transmitted disease clinics in The Gambia. One hundred and sixty five strains of N gonorrhoeae were tested for their antibiotic susceptibility, auxotype, serotype, and plasmid content. Of the total population 84 (51%) were non-penicillinase producing (nonPPNG) and 81 (49%) penicillinase-producing N gonorrhoeae (PPNG). There were 16 serovars, five auxotypes and 33 auxotype/serovar (A/S) classes in the total population and the nonPPNG. Among PPNG only five serovars, two auxotypes and nine A/S classes were found. One A/S class predominated, NR/IB-7 (86 isolates), of which 66 (77%) were PPNG and the remainder were chromosomally-mediated resistant N gonorrhoeae (CMRNG). These strains also showed reduced susceptibility to ciprofloxacin, ceftriaxone and tetracycline and were evenly distributed among patient groups. We have identified a relatively homogeneous gonococcal population with a core group of isolates exhibiting high levels of antibiotic resistance."}
{"id": "PMID:1487256", "title": "The value of urine specimens in screening for male urethritis and its microbial aetiologies in Tanzania.", "content": "To evaluate the first void urine (FVU) specimen in screening for urethritis and its microbial aetiologies in a male African population in which urinary schistosomiasis is also prevalent. Two hundred and forty eight males aged 15-54 years provided FVU specimens: 55 patients from a clinic for sexually transmitted diseases (STD), 151 patients from a medical outpatient clinic and 42 villagers from an area of high endemicity for S haematobium. Specimens were tested for leucocyte esterase (LE) using a dipstick (Nephur-Test+Leuco, Boehringer-Mannheim France SA). Ova of S haematobium were sought in terminal urine samples from all subjects. For all STD patients, and all medical outpatients with a positive LE test, urine and urethral swabs were tested for Chlamydia trachomatis antigen, and urethral swabs were tested for Neisseria gonorrhoeae by gram stain and isolation. The prevalence of LE positivity was 38/41 in STD patients with urethral signs or symptoms (93%), 5/14 among other STD patients (36%), 21/151 among medical outpatients (15%) and 13/42 among villagers (31%). As a screening test for urethral infection (detection of gonorrhoea or chlamydia and/or > or = 5 polymorphs per high power field on gram stain) the LE test had a sensitivity of 94% and a specificity of 53% among STD patients. Of 24 STD patients with gonococcal or chlamydial infection, 23 had a positive LE test (96%). Among general medical outpatients, 12 of 22 with a positive LE test had either conventionally defined urethritis or gonococcal or chlamydial infection, giving a positive predictive value of 55% for the LE test in this group. Of 18 subjects in all groups with urinary schistosomiasis nine had a positive LE test (50%), although three of these also had gonorrhoea. Chlamydial antigen was detected in the FVU specimen of all six subjects in whom it was detected in a urethral swab, and in an additional three subjects in the outpatient group. The FVU, which is an easily collected and non-invasive specimen, can provide valuable information on the prevalence of urethritis and on its microbial aetiology among the general male population in African countries."}
{"id": "PMID:1487257", "title": "Trends in reported cases of donovanosis in Durban, South Africa.", "content": "To investigate recent trends in reported cases of donovanosis (granuloma inguinale) in Durban, South Africa. The annual reports of the Medical Officer of Health for Durban 1958-1988 were reviewed to identify cases of donovanosis, genital ulcer disease (GUD) and new patients with sexually transmitted diseases (STD). A rapid staining technique for the detection of Donovan bodies was introduced in 1988. City Health STD Clinic, King Edward VIII Hospital, Durban. An initial peak was identified in men 1969-1974. A second peak was recorded in 1988 when reported cases of donovanosis (313) were the highest since records commenced. Both peaks were unrelated to either increases in the numbers of new attenders with STD or patients with GUD. The recent increase in donovanosis in Durban may reflect either a new epidemic or under-reporting of a disease previously diagnosed on clinical grounds. Improved control of donovanosis, a condition sometimes causing extensive GUD, and which has been implicated in HIV-1 transmission in local men, should be targeted in HIV control programmes."}
{"id": "PMID:1487258", "title": "Unique patterns of bereavement in HIV: implications for counselling.", "content": "The aim of this study was to examine the nature and extent of bereavement problems in HIV + ve clients and the counselling input required. Ninety individuals referred consecutively for counselling by the medical teams after HIV diagnoses were included in the study. Specific bereavement data was gathered by each counsellor according to schedule and semi-structured interviews for all 90 subjects. These data were analysed in conjunction with medical referral letters. HIV positive clients attending for treatment at an inner London Hospital. The subjects were 91% males and 9% females, mean age 33.82 years (SD 7.2, range 15 to 50 years, mode 28). 44.8% were diagnosed as HIV + ve (asymptomatic), 42.5% had an AIDS diagnosis and the remainder were coded as AIDS Related Complex or unclear. The subjects were monitored for the presence or absence of bereavement issues, the nature and extent of the reactions and counselling input. The occurrence of single and multiple bereavements was monitored, as were the relationship to the index patient and the health status of the bereaved. Bereavement was mentioned in 28.2% of referrals from medical practitioners yet 43.1% of the patients had been bereaved and used bereavement counselling. 43% spontaneously commenced the session with bereavement issues. They had lost 348 people (average of 12.9 deaths per person reporting). These were overwhelmingly due to AIDS with only 12 (5.6%) not HIV related. 65% linked the bereavement to their own death. Emotional reaction seemed to be independent of the relationship with the deceased but linked with the diagnosis status of the bereaved. The emotional consequences of a loss can be severe and long term. The advent of AIDS/HIV has revealed a wave of deaths in a population unused to facing traumatic loss to this extent. There are particular features surrounding AIDS and HIV infection which may differ dramatically from other sorts of loss and challenge previously held notions of bereavement such as the age of the clients, the fact that bereavements are often multiple the illness state of the bereaved person, the taboo surrounding AIDS which often presents barriers to wider social support and the catalogue of losses which any individual has to face. The frequency and high rate of bereavement, often not noted by referrers, suggests similarity with disaster literature in terms of counselling demand."}
{"id": "PMID:1487259", "title": "Social care services for patients with HIV at a London teaching hospital; an evaluation.", "content": "To investigate outpatients' use of, and satisfaction with social care services in an HIV unit. Survey of patients with HIV infection using self administered questionnaire. Outpatient HIV clinics at the Royal Free Hospital, London, March-April 1991. Patients' social circumstances, use or intended use of social care services and satisfaction with social care services. The greatest demand was for counselling about coping with HIV (38% of respondents), available medical treatment (24%), counselling for the HIV test (33%), psychological support for emotional (24%) or relationship problems (16%), advice about housing (24%) and financial matters (20%). In general, the use of social care services by men and women was similar. Twice as many men, however, sought help with payment of domestic bills, compared with women. Women were more likely to seek advice about financial benefits, obtaining sterile injecting equipment and discuss sleep and relationship problems. Thirty eight percent of patients were unemployed. Overall, 84% thought the service was good or excellent. Although less than 40% of patients currently used any one service, 60% thought they would use these services in the future. The greatest demand for social care services was for coping with HIV, housing and financial matters, and HIV test counselling. More than half the patients stated that they would probably need social care services in future."}
{"id": "PMID:1487260", "title": "A women-only clinic for HIV, genitourinary medicine and substance misuse.", "content": "To evaluate a multidisciplinary women-only clinic (WOC) providing HIV testing, HIV follow-up, genitourinary screening and a substance misuse service. The clinic is designed to attract women who are at risk of acquiring sexually transmitted infections, including HIV, yet are not using existing medical services. A questionnaire survey and review of the case notes of women attending the WOC during the first seven months (April to October 1991) and comparison with a mixed-sex, daytime genitourinary clinic (John Hunter Clinic), and a HIV out-patients clinic (Kobler Centre) all within St Stephen's Clinic. One hundred and twenty-nine women attended the WOC over the seven month period and 113 completed a questionnaire. The main reasons for attendance included a preference to be seen by a female doctor and staff, the presence of female patients in the waiting area, and the greater convenience of an evening clinic. In the absence of the WOC over half the patients (56%) indicated that they would not have attended a genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinic. The WOC attracted significantly more new patients than in the JHC (31.5% vs 15% p < 0.001). One hundred and four women (81%) were screened for genitourinary infection. Compared with the JHC there were significantly more cases of genital warts (33.9% vs 16.1% p < 0.001) and candidosis (41.5% vs 22.3% p < 0.001). A greater number of HIV tests were also performed (19% vs 9% p < 0.01). Sixteen (12.4%) women were HIV positive. Their attendance record at both first appointment (88% vs 64% p < 0.05) and subsequent follow-up appointments (81% vs 43% p < 0.05) was significantly higher than a comparable group of women seen by the same doctor (FB) in the Kobler Centre. The women also saw the health adviser more frequently. Although the number of injecting drug users was small (eight), all women currently injecting drugs entered a detoxification programme. The WOC has become an established and popular service at St Stephen's. Women not previously using medical services are attending. The multidisciplinary nature of the clinic encourages a wider use of medical and paramedical services. Attendance record for HIV positive women has improved significantly. Whether these factors will lead to improved standards of sexual health will require a longer period of audit. Seventy-nine per cent of women indicated they would use a family planning service if available. An integrated family planning clinic was introduced after the audit period."}
{"id": "PMID:1487261", "title": "Auditing AIDS reporting. Experience from a central London district 1982-1991.", "content": "To evaluate completeness of reporting of cases of AIDS to the Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre (CDSC) between 1982-1991. Southside of the Bloomsbury and Islington District Health Authority. Reconciliation exercise with CDSC of cases reported with those known to have received treatment in the district from 1982 to March 1990. Case note review of unreported cases and follow-up at March 1991. Delayed and non-reporting of cases. Cumulatively 13% (46/351) of patients whose initial AIDS illness was diagnosed in the District remained unreported by March 1991. Non-reporting increased from 9% (2/23) of cases diagnosed prior to 1985 to 28% (26/92) of cases diagnosed between 1989 and 1990. After September 1987 the proportion of patients with a diagnosis of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia or Kaposi's sarcoma was significantly higher in the reported group than in the non-reported group: 78% (124/158) v 51% (24/49) p < 0.001. Nine of 19 (47%) cases of AIDS transferring their care into the district had not been reported by their previous District Health Authority. Within the district non-reporting of cases of AIDS has risen over time as the numbers of patients treated has increased. The physician must be aware of the full AIDS case definition for surveillance purposes and the implications of non-reporting for the allocation of special \"ring-fenced\" resources for AIDS care. Adequate investment in information and reporting systems would seem essential."}
{"id": "PMID:1487262", "title": "Determinants of sexual habits in Italian females.", "content": "To identify characteristics of women reporting multiple sexual partners and early age at first intercourse in Italy. Information on 1139 control women (median age 54 years) interviewed as part of a case-control study of cervical neoplasia conducted in the greater Milan area, Northern Italy were analysed using stratified analysis and multiple logistic regression. Overall, 81% of the study sample reported no more than one sexual partner, 10% two and 9% three or more. The proportion reporting multiple sexual partners tended to be higher among younger and more educated women (4% vs 19% of women with respectively less than 7 and 12 or more years of education reported three or more partners). Ever smokers reported a higher number of sexual partners than never smokers. The proportion of nulliparae reporting three or more sexual partners was higher than that of parous women. These findings were confirmed after taking into account in a multivariate analysis the role of potential confounding factors. Furthermore similar findings emerged from an analysis restricted to women aged 40 years or less. Always considering number of sexual partners, no relationship emerged with marital status, spontaneous or induced abortions, lifetime number of reported Pap smears and contraceptive habits. With reference to age at first intercourse, 25% of the study population reported their first intercourse at age 18 or before, 34% between 19 and 22 years, and 41% at age 23 or later. Younger women (that is, more recent cohorts) more frequently reported earlier age at first intercourse and the proportion of never married women reporting early intercourse was higher (51% vs 22% of never married vs married women). No relationship emerged between education, smoking habits, parity, history of spontaneous or induced abortions, number of Pap smears, contraceptive habits, and age at first intercourse. This study documents conservative sexual habits in Northern Italian females (at least on the basis of self reporting) but indicates that any educational compaigns towards safe sex should be focused towards younger women, particularly smokers, unmarried and nulliparae."}
{"id": "PMID:1487263", "title": "Mechanical urethritis and ascendent genitourinary infections due to sexual stimulation of the urethra by inserted foreign bodies.", "content": "The cases of 23 men with mechanical urethritis due to insertion of foreign bodies into the urethra are presented. Seven patients had upper urinary tract infections and one died with gangrene of the genitalia and septicaemia."}
{"id": "PMID:1487265", "title": "Staghorn calculus presenting as sterile pyuria.", "content": "Urinary tract calculi are relatively common and usually symptomatic. We describe a patient who had several very unusual features with regard to his urinary tract calculus disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1487273", "title": "A physiologic regurgitant cardiac valve phantom for magnetic resonance imaging or color Doppler ultrasound study.", "content": "Noninvasive imaging has proven successful in the evaluation of valvular heart disease; primarily with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and color Doppler ultrasound (CFM). However, the relationship between the morphology of regurgitant flow in MRI and CFM, as a function of hemodynamic parameters (chamber pressure difference, lesion size, compliance, etc.) is not understood. The goals for this work were: 1) to develop a computer-controlled regurgitant cardiac valve phantom, compatible with artifact-free CFM and MR imaging, 2) to create regurgitant lesions in the phantom which appear similar to those detected clinically, 3) to produce and measure physiologic pressure differences between chambers, compliances, and regurgitant fractions as seen in mild, moderate, and severe regurgitation. Mean chamber pressure differences ranged from 43-142 mmHg over the range of diseases simulated. Similarly, regurgitant flow rates ranged from approximately 0.54-18.6 L/min. Compliance values ranged from 0.83 to 21.95 cc/mmHg. No coherent or incoherent artifacts were observed in MRI or CFM images. Images show a high degree of similarity to regurgitant lesions detected with each modality, confirming that all design goals were met. The system should allow extensive comparative analysis of Doppler ultrasound and MRI flow jets under a wide range of controllable hemodynamic conditions in future experiments."}
{"id": "PMID:1487274", "title": "A flexible blood flow phantom capable of independently producing constant and pulsatile flow with a predictable spatial flow profile for ultrasound flow measurement validations.", "content": "The validation of the ultrasound time-domain correlation method of measuring blood flow has required the development of a flexible blood flow phantom capable of generating predictable flow profiles under a wide variety of conditions. The purpose of the phantom is to generate flow with well-known flow properties and not to mimic actual in vivo vessels. This paper describes a flow phantom which can independently generate both constant and pulsatile flow over a wide range of flow rates with a spatially fully developed laminar flow profile. It incorporates a computer-controlled pulsatile pump, which can produce different temporal pulsatile waveforms. The flow phantom also supports multiple vessels, different vessel sizes, as well as different attenuating media. The fluid most commonly used in the phantom is Sephadex mixed with water, and the probability density function of ultrasound reflected from Sephadex is experimentally determined and compared with that of blood. Examples of different constant and pulsatile flow experiments using the phantom are presented."}
{"id": "PMID:1487275", "title": "Comparison of impedance at the microelectrode-saline and microelectrode-culture medium interface.", "content": "The impedance characteristics of gold-plated indium-tin-oxide microelectrodes immersed in culture medium (MEM) are described and compared with the impedance characteristics observed when those microelectrodes are immersed in isotonic saline. For microelectrode areas of approximately 100 microns2, applied voltage levels of 5, 50, and 100 mV, and for frequencies of from 100 Hz to 10 kHz the resistance, capacitance, capacitive reactance, and total impedance are given as a function of frequency both in culture medium and in saline. The results, which hold for current densities ranging from 0.45 to 700 pA/microns2, are compared. Also given are the alpha and K values determining the frequency characteristics of the interface resistance and capacitance in medium and in saline."}
{"id": "PMID:1487276", "title": "The electrode system in impedance-based ventilation measurement.", "content": "In this paper, we determined which electrode types, sizes, and locations were best suited for impedance-based ventilation measurement. Optimal electrodes provide high signal-to-(motion) artifact ratio (SAR) and reliability by meeting the following criteria: 1) low baseline impedance, 2) high adhesion, 3) good physical stability, 4) large effective area, 5) thin with high flexibility. We compared 14 electrodes from two main groups: adhesive-gel and conductive rubber electrodes. Adhesive-gel electrodes are easy to apply, make good body contact, and do not slip during the course of an experiment. We found that higher SAR's are obtained when electrode area is increased by connecting several small electrodes together rather than by using a single electrode with a larger area. The peak SAR is achieved when two electrode arrays (area = 70 cm2) are centered at the 8th intercostal spaces on opposite midaxillary lines. To determine the optimal electrode locations, we placed 32 electrodes on the trunk and recorded impedance between 171 electrode combinations on ten normal adult subjects. Based on these data, we conclude that the SAR's are highest when one electrode is placed on the midpoint between the left and right second intercostal spaces on the sternum and the other electrode is placed in the opposite position on the back."}
{"id": "PMID:1487277", "title": "Pseudorandom signals to estimate apparent transfer and coherence functions of nonlinear systems: applications to respiratory mechanics.", "content": "There is an increasing need in physiology to estimate nonparametric linear transfer functions from data originating from biological systems which are invariably nonlinear. For pseudorandom (PRN) input stimuli, we derive general expressions for the apparent transfer (Z) and coherence (gamma 2) functions of nonlinear systems that can be represented by a Volterra series. It is shown that in the case of PRN signals in which the frequency components are integer multiples of other components the estimates of Z are seriously biased due to harmonic distortion and crosstalk among frequency components of the input. When the PRN signal includes components that are not integer multiples of other components harmonic distortion is avoided, but not necessarily cross talk. Here the estimates of Z remain poor without a noticeable influence on gamma 2. To avoid the problems associated with harmonic distortions and minimize the influence of crosstalk, a family of pseudorandom signals is proposed which are especially suited for the estimation of Z and gamma 2 in mechanical measurements of physiological systems at low frequencies. The components in the signals cannot be reproduced as linear combinations of two or more frequency components of the input. In a second-order system, this completely eliminates the bias, while in higher-order, but not strongly nonlinear systems, the interactions among the components are reduced to a level that the response can be considered as if it was measured with independent sine waves of an equivalent amplitude. It is also shown that the values of gamma 2 are not appropriate to assess linearity of the system. The theory is supported by simulation results and experimental examples brought from the field of respiratory mechanics by comparing the input impedance of the respiratory system of a dog measured with various PRN signals."}
{"id": "PMID:1487278", "title": "Chaotic activity during iron-induced \"epileptiform\" discharge in rat hippocampal slices.", "content": "Low-dimensional chaotic dynamics have been suggested in the rat hippocampal slice during iron-induced epileptiform activity. The dimensionality of this chaotic activity has been found to be similar in slices bathed in the same ionic extracellular medium. Some slices also displayed a drop in dimensionality prior to the onset of seizure-like activity. We suggest that techniques of nonlinear dynamical analysis are a useful reverse-engineering tool for studying the in vitro brain slice. We further conclude that neuronal circuits capable of displaying chaotic activity could exist at the level of the in vitro brain slice."}
{"id": "PMID:1487279", "title": "The spatial integration effect of surface electrode detecting myoelectric signal.", "content": "The spectral properties of surface electrodes used for myoelectric signal detection were investigated using both a theoretical and an experimental approach. On the basis of the theoretical model, the single surface electrode was found to act as a low pass filter depending on the electrode diameter (d) and the fiber conduction velocities (CV). Several dips in the power spectrum were also predicted for varying frequencies depending on d and CV. The mathematical expression of the surface electrode filter was highly consistent with previously demonstrated properties of the single fiber power spectrum. An experimental comparison between myoelectric signals from the vastus lateralis muscle recorded using two electrode pairs with different diameters confirmed this low pass filter effect. However, the dip phenomenon was not observed from experimental data. The practical consequences of the electrode filter effect are discussed with respect to the interpretation of changes in surface myoelectric signal spectrum, particularly when a shift toward the high frequencies is observed."}
{"id": "PMID:1487280", "title": "Field distributions in the rat tibia with and without a porous implant during electrical stimulation: a parametric modeling.", "content": "Expeditious post-operative ingrowth of bone is necessary for clinically successful fixation of porous joint prostheses. Electrical or electromagnetic fields to stimulate bone growth into porous implants have been used; however, they produced nonconvincing data. This was partially attributable to the lack of quantification of the localized electric fields produced in the pores of the implants. Therefore, this study set out: i) to quantify the local electric field values induced into the surface pores of nonconducting implants by \"capacitive\" coupling and to determine the magnitude of the macroscopically applied capacitively coupled electrical currents to induce specific electric field amplitudes in the pores, ii) to identify the important dielectric properties of the implant-tissue interface, and iii) to create the basis for successfully applying electrical fields in an animal model to stimulate bone ingrowth. A finite element method was used to calculate the electric field gradients and current densities present in a rat tibia modeled with a porous intramedullary implant when capacitively stimulated. Results indicated that while the current density in the pores are reduced in comparison to the region just outside the pore by about one order of magnitude, a significant current density still exists in the pore region. Furthermore, the presence of the implant increases the current densities in the trabecular bone while decreasing these values in the cortical bone. Replacing the trabecular bone in the pore by saline increases the current density in the pore by three-fold, but decreases the voltage gradient by a similar factor."}
{"id": "PMID:1487281", "title": "Body surface Laplacian ECG mapping.", "content": "A new noninvasive approach has been developed to resolve spatially distributed cardiac electrical activity by measuring the surface Laplacian of the body surface potential. Computer simulations demonstrate the ability of the Laplacian map compared with the potential map to image spatially distributed dipole sources embedded in a semi-infinite volume conductor. Body surface Laplacian mapping has been implemented in human subjects utilizing dry bipolar Laplacian electrodes and compared with potential maps obtained using the central terminal of each bipolar Laplacian electrode. The body surface Laplacian ECG distribution was found to provide better spatial resolution than the body surface potential distribution. The body surface Laplacian map appears to resolve depolarization and repolarization of different regions of the heart. Further improvements of the body surface Laplacian mapping may permit noninvasive mapping of spatially distributed intracardiac events."}
{"id": "PMID:1487282", "title": "A comparison of measured and calculated intracavitary potentials for electrical stimuli in the exposed dog heart.", "content": "The objective of this paper is to test the feasibility of using a multielectrode, intracavitary probe to solve a forward problem in which measured intracavitary potentials are compared to those calculated from subendocardial potentials and left ventricular (LV) cavity geometry. Intracavitary potentials and subendocardial potentials are measured simultaneously during electrical pacing stimuli from the LV apex, LV anterior base, LV posterior base, and right ventricular (RV) outflow tract of three exposed dog hearts. The LV cavity geometry is measured from postmortem magnetic resonance microscopy images of fixed hearts. Boundary integrals are approximated using a boundary element method and solved for intracavitary potentials. Correlation coefficients for LV apical pacing episodes are 0.989 +/- 0.002 while those for nonapical pacing episodes are 0.873 +/- 0.092. These results indicate that for electrical pacing from the apex, intracavitary stimulus potentials can be calculated with a high degree of accuracy. For nonapical pacing locations, the accuracy decreases since the calculations are more sensitive to errors in measuring probe position and LV cavity geometry near the septum. These results show that accurate geometric measurements of the intracavitary probe position and subendocardial surface are the primary concerns in solving future forward and inverse problems using an intracavitary probe."}
{"id": "PMID:1487283", "title": "The activating function for magnetic stimulation derived from a three-dimensional volume conductor model.", "content": "A three-dimensional volume conductor model of magnetic stimulation is proposed that relates transmembrane potential of an axon to the induced electric field in a uniform volume conductor. This model validates assumptions used to derive a one-dimensional cable model of magnetic stimulation (Roth & Basser, IEEE Trans. Biomed. Eng., vol. 37, pp. 588-597, 1990) of unmyelinated axons. The three-dimensional volume conductor model reduces to this one-dimensional cable equation forced by the activating function, -delta EzA/delta z."}
{"id": "PMID:1487284", "title": "Identification of time-varying biological systems from ensemble data.", "content": "The theory underlying a new method for the identification of time-varying systems is described. The method uses singular value decomposition to obtain least-squares estimates of time-varying impulse response functions from an ensemble of input-output realizations. No a priori assumptions regarding the system structure or form of the time-variation are required and there are few restrictions on the input signal. Simulation studies, using a model of time-varying joint dynamics, show that the method can track rapid changes in system dynamics accurately and is robust in the presence of output noise. An application of the method is demonstrated by using it to track dynamic ankle stiffness during a rapid, voluntary, isometric contraction. During the transient phase of the contraction, low-frequency ankle stiffness gain decreased in a manner which could not be described with the second-order model of joint dynamics often used under stationary conditions."}
{"id": "PMID:1487285", "title": "Interactive image-guided neurosurgery.", "content": "Interactive image-guided (IIG) surgery involves the synchronal display of the tip of a surgical device on preoperative scans. This display allows the surgeon to locate the present surgical position relative to the final site of surgical interest. We have developed a technique for IIG surgery device based on a six-degree-of-freedom articulated arm. Design accuracy for the arm is less than 0.1 mm and the present implementation has a submillimetric accuracy. The display can show the surgical position on any tomographic image set with simultaneous display on up to three image sets. Laboratory results and clinical applications are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1487286", "title": "A model study of electric field interactions between cardiac myocytes.", "content": "The transmission of excitation via electric field coupling was studied in a model comprising two myocytes abutted end-to-end and placed in an unbounded volume conductor. Each myocyte was modeled as a small cylinder of membrane (10 microns in diameter and 100 microns in length) capped at both ends. A Beeler-Reuter model modified for the Na+ current dynamics served to simulate the membrane ionic current. There was no resistive coupling between the myocytes and the intercellular junction consisted of closely apposed pre- and post-junctional membranes, separated by a uniform cleft distance. The membrane current crossing the prejunctional membrane during the action potential upstroke tends to flow out of the cleft, but it is partly prevented from doing so by the shunt resistance constituted by the cleft volume conductor. The prejunctional upstroke gives rise to a pulse of positive potential within the cleft which induces a small capacitive current across the post-junctional membrane to yield a small positive change in the intracellular potential in the post-junctional cell. The net result is an hyperpolarization of the post-junctional cleft membrane and a slight depolarization of the rest of the cell membrane since the extracellular potential outside of the cell is zero. The magnitude of this depolarization is quite small for a flat junctional membrane and it can be increased by membrane folding and interdigitation, so as to increase the junctional membrane area by a factor of 10 or more. Even then the post-junctional depolarization does not reach threshold when the extracellular potential around the post-junctional cell is effectively zero. Threshold depolarization occurs in the presence of a large decrease of post-junctional load, by increasing the junctional membrane capacitance and/or decreasing the volume of the post-junctional cell. Assuming that the normal resistive coupling between two cardiac myocytes is 1-4 M omega, our model study indicates that electric field coupling would then be about two orders of magnitude smaller. However, substantial enhancement of the efficacy of electric field transmission was observed in the case of cells with substantial junctional membrane folding."}
{"id": "PMID:1487287", "title": "Modeling the effects of electric fields on nerve fibers: determination of excitation thresholds.", "content": "We have developed a method to predict excitation of axons based on the response of passive models. An expression describing the transmembrane potential induced in passive models to an applied electric field is presented. Two terms were found to drive the polarization of each node. The first was a source term described by the activating function at the node, and the other was an ohmic term resulting from redistribution of current from sources at other nodes. A total equivalent driving function including both terms was then defined. We found that the total equivalent driving function can be used to provide accurate predictions of excitation thresholds for any applied field. The method requires only knowledge of the intracellular strength-duration relationship of the axon, the passive step response of the axon to an intracellular current, and the values of the extracellular potentials. Excitation thresholds for any given applied field can then be calculated using a simple algebraic expression. This method eliminates the errors associated with use of the activating function alone, and greatly reduces the computation required to determine fiber response to applied extracellular fields."}
{"id": "PMID:1487288", "title": "A three-dimensional iterative scheme for an electromagnetic inductive applicator.", "content": "An efficient iterative method for solving quasi-static electromagnetic field problems is presented. The electromagnetic field is generated by an inductive applicator and is represented as a superposition of two constituents, viz. a primary field in absence of the tissue configuration and a secondary field generated by the presence of the tissue. Then, for the secondary field a quasi-static approximation is employed. In the quasi-static field equations a relaxation function is introduced, such that the resulting equations can be solved iteratively. For a realistic three-dimensional model of a human hand numerical results are presented."}
{"id": "PMID:1487289", "title": "Reduced-order modeling for hyperthermia control.", "content": "This paper analyzes the feasibility of using reduced-order modeling techniques in the design of multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO) hyperthermia temperature controllers. State space thermal models are created based upon a finite difference expansion of the bioheat transfer equation model of a scanned focused ultrasound system (SFUS). These thermal state space models are reduced using the balanced realization technique, and an order reduction criterion is tabulated. Results show that a drastic reduction in model dimension can be achieved using the balanced realization. The reduced-order model is then used to design a reduced-order optimal servomechanism controller for a two-scan input, two thermocouple output tissue model. In addition, a full-order optimal servomechanism controller is designed for comparison and validation purposes. These two controllers are applied to a variety of perturbed tissue thermal models to test the robust nature of the reduced-order controller. A comparison of the two controllers validates the use of open-loop balanced reduced-order models in the design of MIMO hyperthermia controllers."}
{"id": "PMID:1487290", "title": "Ambulatory oxygen uptake measurement system.", "content": "An apparatus for monitoring prolonged measurement of oxygen uptake without discomfort has been developed. The system is based on the open flow-through principle. The subject wears a hood through which air is drawn by an exhaust blower. Oxygen concentration is kept constant by a servo-controlled blower, so that flow rate is essentially proportional to oxygen uptake. The flow rate of the main stream is measured by a time-of-flight flowmeter located in the exhaust hose. Oxygen concentration is measured by a limiting-current oxygen sensor. The signals representing flow rate and oxygen concentration are digitized and stored in a memory. All of the equipment is assembled in a small package (wt = 3 kg) which the subject carries on his back. The memory chip is removed from the portable device after each experiment. Data are transferred from the memory to a microcomputer and then an oxygen uptake trend is estimated. Response of the system to a step input is about 30 s. Compared with a commercially available oxygen monitoring system (Magna 88, P. K. Morgan Ltd., Rainham, UK), the maximum difference was 0.15 L/min within an oxygen uptake range of 0.25-2.3 L/min. Thus, the measurements made with our portable device agree with the results obtained using the conventional method."}
{"id": "PMID:1487291", "title": "A microfluorometer for measuring diffusion of fluorophores across the cornea.", "content": "A microscope has been modified to a confocal spatially scanning fluorometer so that the concentration profile of a fluorophore across an isolated cornea can be measured. A slit of light is focused through one half of the objective to excite fluorescence. A confocal slit is placed at the image-plane of the microscope to collect the fluorescent light from the tissue which passes through the other half of the objective. The fluorescent light falls on to the cathode of a photomultiplier whose output is amplified by a lock-in amplifier. Scanning across the cornea is achieved by a stepper motor coupled to the fine focus of the microscope. The performance of the instrument has been assessed by studying the transport of fluorescein, carboxyfluorescein, and rhodamine B through intact rabbit corneas. A depth resolution of about 10 microns has been achieved with a 40x objective. This resolution is sufficient to determine concentration gradients in the epithelium as well as the stroma and to partially resolve the endothelium. The potential errors in the technique, resulting from limited resolution, light scattering and absorption, quenching of fluorescence, and binding of the fluorophores, are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1487292", "title": "A three-dimensional architecture for a parallel processing photosensing array.", "content": "A three-dimensional architecture for a photosensing array has been developed. This silicon based architecture consists of a 10 x 10 array of photosensors with 80 microns diameter, through chip interconnects to the back side of a 500 microns thick silicon wafer. Each photosensor consists of a 300 x 300 microns pn-junction photodiode. The following processes were used to create this photosensing architecture: 1) thermomigration of aluminum pads through an n-type silicon wafer; 2) creation of pn-junction photosensors on one side of the wafer; and 3) creation of aluminum pad ohmic contacts to the thermomigrated, through chip interconnects and the substrate on the back side of the wafer. The electrical and optical characteristics of the three-dimensional architecture indicates that it should be well suited as a photosensing framework around which a \"silicon retina\" could be built."}
{"id": "PMID:1487293", "title": "Electric and dielectric properties of wet human cortical bone as a function of frequency.", "content": "In this paper, the electrical and dielectric properties of wet human cortical bone from a distal tibia were examined as a function of frequency and direction. The resistance and capacitance of the cortical bone specimens were measured at near 100% relative humidity. The measurements were made in all three orthogonal directions at discrete frequencies ranging from 120 Hz to 10 MHz using an LCR meter. At a frequency of 100 kHz, the mean resistivity and specific capacitance for the ten cortical bone specimens were 1.55 k omega-cm and 33.81 pF/cm in the axial direction, 15.79 k omega-cm and 9.98 pF/cm in the circumferential direction, and 21.5 k omega-cm and 9.83 pF/cm in the radial direction. All electrical and dielectric properties except the resistivity and the specific impedance were highly frequency dependent for the frequency range tested. However, the resistivity and specific impedance were relatively less frequency dependent. All electrical and dielectric properties were also transversely isotropic in nature, the values for the axial direction being different from the values obtained for the two transverse directions."}
{"id": "PMID:1487294", "title": "Feature-based detection of the K-complex wave in the human electroencephalogram using neural networks.", "content": "The main difficulties in reliable automated detection of the K-complex wave in EEG are its close similarity to other waves and the lack of specific characterization criteria. We present a feature-based detection approach using neural networks that provides good agreement with visual K-complex recognition: a sensitivity of 90% is obtained with about 8% false positives. The respective contribution of the features and that of the neural network is demonstrated by comparing the results to those obtained with i) raw EEG data presented to neural networks, and ii) features presented to Fisher's linear discriminant."}
{"id": "PMID:1487295", "title": "Impedance bacteriometry: medium and interface contributions during bacterial growth.", "content": "We measured impedance in a cell containing culture broth inoculated with E. coli, before and during bacterial growth. The electrode interface impedance components (Ri, Xi) and the culture medium component Rm were separated by making use of the Warburg's model frequency dependent properties. Measurements were carried out at different frequencies (from 18 Hz to 18 kHz) with a constant current impedance bridge as growth proceeded. It was found that: Growth curves for Ri and Xi showed a similar temporal pattern within the frequency range of 18-100 Hz. Dispersion was not observed in Rm, meaning that the same growth response was obtained within the 18-18,000 Hz range. At low frequency, the resistive and capacitive reactive components, or Rb and Xb, respectively, were directly measured, where Rb = (2.Ri + Rm) and Xb = 2.Xi and, at high frequency (above 5 kHz), Rm was obtained (for Zi is negligible). Thus, Ri was easily discriminated from Rm by simple arithmetic: Ri = [Rb (low f) - Rb (high f)]/2. In four experiments, the maximum spread of Xi, Ri, and Rm was smaller than 5%, indicating good repeatability. There is potential new information in dissecting out the growth curve in three separate component curves."}
{"id": "PMID:1487296", "title": "Evaluation of three template matching algorithms for registering images of the eye.", "content": "The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the ability of three similarity measures to register a template in a sequence of near-infrared eye images. Three measures are evaluated: the normalized correlation coefficient (rho), the sum of absolute valued differences (SAVD), and a relatively new technique based on a sign change criterion, called the stochastic sign change criterion (SSC). Performance is measured in terms of the method's ability to track the pupil center derived from fitting a general 2-D ellipse to the pupil contour. Experiments using static eye images indicate that rho is not a reliable similarity measure. Conversely, both SAVD and SSC show enough potential to merit an investigation into their performance in tracking dynamic eye movements. It is anticipated that SAVD and SSC can accommodate a range of eye movements spanning at least 60 degrees horizontally and 40 degrees vertically."}
{"id": "PMID:1487297", "title": "Correlation dimension of optokinetic nystagmus as evidence of chaos in the oculomotor system.", "content": "The correlation dimension of optokinetic nystagmus (OKN) eye movements from a normal human subject was computed. Results indicate a value of about 2.8, indicating the possibility of chaotic dynamics in OKN. This was found to differ from the dimension of an artificial OKN signal with the same second-order statistics."}
{"id": "PMID:1487299", "title": "Proliferation of Nb2 lymphoma cells in vitro in response to interleukin-7.", "content": "An attempt was made to investigate the proliferative effect of interleukin-7 (IL-7) on a rat Nb2 T-cell lymphoma line. It was demonstrated that both human and mouse IL-7 stimulated these cells to proliferate in a dose dependent fashion in culture medium containing 10% horse serum. The maximum activities of mIL-7 and hIL-7 were observed at 100 and 1000 units/ml with their half-maximal response of 10 and 50 units/ml, respectively. In a totally serum-free culture condition, mIL-7 produced a similar cellular proliferation, whereas hIL-7 was much less effective. The effectiveness of IL-7 on Nb2 cells was completely abolished by antibody to IL-7, but not by antibody to IL-2. Therefore, Nb2 cells may serve as a simple, convenient and sensitive assay for monitoring the biological activity of IL-7 in vitro. In addition, these cells are also useful for studying the lymphopoiesis of T-cell lineage regulated by IL-7."}
{"id": "PMID:1487305", "title": "Increased production of interleukin-1 and tumor necrosis factor by human monocytes treated in vitro with cisplatin or other biological response modifiers.", "content": "Supernatants collected from cisplatin, lipopolysaccharide (LPS), muramyl dipeptide (MDP) or interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) treated human monocytes enhance the thymocyte proliferation by a submitogenic concentration of concanavalin A. Also supernatants collected from cisplatin or IFN-gamma treated monocytes demonstrated enhanced cytotoxicity against actinomycin-D treated L 929 cells, suggesting that cisplatin or rIFN-gamma treated monocytes release tumor necrosis factor (TNF) into the culture medium. The supernatant collected from untreated monocytes showed only little IL-1 and TNF activity."}
{"id": "PMID:1487301", "title": "Detection of interleukin 2 receptors on murine lymphocytes using fluorescent interleukin 2.", "content": "Murine interleukin 2 receptors found on freshly isolated and on in vitro activated lymphocytes were identified using a fluorescent interleukin 2 (IL2F). Three percent of freshly isolated small thymocytes bound the IL2F; these cells appeared to be dual CD4 and CD8 positive cells. Ten percent of the larger thymocytes also bound the IL2F; phenotypically, these cells were more heterogenous in their CD4/CD8 composition than the small IL2F+ thymocytes. Freshly isolated splenocytes bound more IL2F than did the thymocytes. Twenty-four percent of the small splenocytes were IL2F+ and they were mostly B220+ cells. Half of the larger splenocytes were IL2 receptor positive and these cells consisted of B and T cells. Using mitogen stimulated splenocytes, three times as many LPS stimulated B220+ blasts bound the fluorescent IL2 than freshly isolated large B220+ cells; this level of IL2F binding was maintained for four days. Of the Con A blasts, more CD8+ cells (30%) bound IL2F than did CD4+ blasts (19%); these cells maintained this level of IL2F binding for only three days. The IL2F binding could be completely inhibited by excess unlabeled IL2 and could be inhibited by 92% using a monoclonal antibody directed against the IL2 binding region of the IL2 alpha receptor, indicating that IL2F can bind to both IL2 alpha and IL2 beta receptors."}
{"id": "PMID:1487300", "title": "Probing molecular changes induced in DNA by reactive oxygen species with monoclonal antibodies.", "content": "Antibodies reactive with native double stranded DNA are characteristic of the chronic inflammatory disease systemic lupus erythematosus. Native DNA is however, a poor immunogen and the mechanism of anti-DNA antibody production is incompletely understood. Modification of DNA can increase its immunogenicity and in inflammatory disease states reactive oxygen species produced from phagocytic cells have been shown to thus modify DNA. In this study, monoclonal antibodies produced spontaneously by two mice strains with lupus-like disease were used in a competition ELISA to monitor changes to DNA induced by reactive oxygen species. Different procedures for reactive oxygen species generation were found to cause distinct and characteristic changes to DNA involving modifications of base residues, the sugar-phosphate backbone and the gross conformational structure of double-stranded DNA. In view of this, it may be possible to use these antibodies further to probe DNA and infer the source and nature of the reactive oxygen species it has been exposed to, particularly in vivo."}
{"id": "PMID:1487306", "title": "Soluble interleukin-2 receptors in recurrent miscarriage and the effect of leukocyte immunotherapy.", "content": "The relationship between soluble interleukin-2 receptors (IL-2R) and pregnancy outcome was investigated in women with a history of miscarriage, some of whom were treated with partner-specific leukocyte immunotherapy. IL-2R were significantly elevated in patients with a poor obstetric history possessing cardiolipin antibodies, and higher levels were also found in recurrent aborters without cardiolipin antibodies who had particularly bad histories. Furthermore, values obtained during early pregnancy were lower in patients who subsequently had successful pregnancies than in those who aborted again. Eight out of 35 patients immunised with their partners' lymphocytes, but none of 16 patients immunised with their own cells, showed a marked decrease in IL-2R levels a month later. It is possible that the minority who respond to immunotherapy with a marked drop in IL-2R may be the same minority who may derive benefit from this treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1487302", "title": "Rapid quality evaluation of hybridomas using ELISPOT and cell-ELISA techniques.", "content": "We have used the ELISPOT assay in combination with ELISA procedures for rapid evaluation of properties of three different murine hybridoma cell lines, 104-I, -B and -G, secreting IgG1 kappa monoclonal antibodies against a 104-mer synthetic peptide from the C-terminal part of HIV-1 p24. By conventional ELISA we obtained data suggesting that the three monoclonal antibodies had different affinities. By cell-ELISA we found that the IgG1 kappa secretion rate varied between cells (4,000 to 14,000 antibody molecules/cell/min), and ELISPOT showed that only 4-5% of 104-I cells gave antigen-specific spots, indicating a cell population with diverse properties. We recommend that the ELISPOT and cell-ELISA techniques should be used routinely to supplement conventional ELISA procedures for rapid evaluation of hybridoma properties."}
{"id": "PMID:1487307", "title": "Low number of antibody producing cells in patients with sickle cell anemia.", "content": "B cell function is impaired in patients with sickle cell anemia. Although the number of surface IgM positive cells was similar in sickle cell patients and controls, in vitro spontaneous IgM, and PWM stimulated IgA, IgM, and IgG synthesis was significantly lower in the patients than in controls. The number of PWM induced and antigen specific immunoglobulin producing cells after immunization with Pneumovax, containing 21 serotypes of Streptococcus pneumoniae, was about 100-fold lower in the patients as compared with controls. Finally, the ability of the patients' peripheral blood mononuclear cells to proliferate in response to mitogens (PWM, SAC, PHA) was diminished. Because of the observed impairments in both nonspecific and antigen specific immunoglobulin synthesis and cell proliferation assays in the patients, we determined serum concentrations of IL-4 and IL-6, two cytokines associated with antibody production. IL-4 concentrations appeared low in sickle cell patients, and correlated with that of serum IgM. We hypothesize that B cell maturation in sickle cell patients is arrested at an IL-4 dependent stage."}
{"id": "PMID:1487303", "title": "Analyses of the primary in vitro responsiveness of non-immune porcine peripheral blood mononuclear cells with reference to immunization by African swine fever virus antigen and treatment with leucine methyl ester.", "content": "Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from non-immune pigs were immunized in vitro using African swine fever (ASF) virus antigen with concomitant mitogenic stimulations known to have varying effects on B and T lymphocyte activity. None of these conditions, including those previously reported as being successful for the in vitro immunization of non-immune porcine PBMC with ASF virus antigen, supported the induction of specific antibody. Due to the reports on in vitro immunization of human PBMC, attempts were made to control suppressor cell activity in the porcine PBMC from non-immune pigs through L-leucine methyl ester (Leu-OMe) treatment. Upon immunization of the Leu-OMe treated PBMC with ASF virus antigen, concomitant with mitogen or cytokine stimulations, no specific antibody production was detected. Nevertheless, aspecific porcine immunoglobulin secretion was observed. Further analysis of the PBMC responsiveness demonstrated that 2.5 mM Leu-OMe (the dose recommended for use with human PBMC) suppressed mitogen-induced porcine lymphocyte proliferation, but in the absence of any detectable cytotoxicity. In fact, both anti-ASF virus antigen specific immunization and stimulation with \"T-lymphocyte\" mitogens were suppressed, whereas pokeweed mitogen stimulation of B lymphocyte aspecific immunoglobulin secretion was unaffected. Consequently, it was not possible to immunize in vitro non-immune porcine PBMC with ASF virus antigen as had been previously reported, nor was it possible to transfer the technology successfully used with non-immune human PBMC to the in vitro stimulation/immunization of non-immune porcine PBMC. The furtherance of this work will require greater insight into the immunobiological parameters and dynamics of the stimulation of non-immune porcine peripheral blood leukocytes, which are not as simple as previously reported, nor the same as identified with human PBMC."}
{"id": "PMID:1487308", "title": "Rapid immunoassays for the measurement of immunoglobulin G subclass concentration in immunoglobulin preparations and human serum.", "content": "Enzyme immunoassays (EIA) capable of determining total IgG1, IgG2, IgG3 and IgG4 subclass concentrations in human serum preparations have been developed. Subclass-specific monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are bound to polyacrylamide bead-conjugated anti-mouse immunoglobulin antibodies. Bound immunoglobulins are detected with a peroxidase-conjugated anti-IgG antibody or a biotin-conjugated anti-IgG antibody followed by peroxidase streptavidin. The standard curves were found to be linear in the regions 16.0-2.0 micrograms/ml for IgG1, 4.0-0.5 micrograms/ml for IgG2, 0.4-0.06 micrograms/ml for IgG3 and 0.25-0.05 micrograms/ml for IgG4. Coefficient of variation (CV) values range from 0.32-7.32% for IgG1, 0.66-4.85% for IgG2, 1.62-6.85% for IgG3 and 0.05-6.47% for IgG4 standard curves. The inter-assay variability for the control human serum samples was 9.6% for IgG1, 6.7% for IgG2, 9.5% for IgG3 and 6.8% for IgG4."}
{"id": "PMID:1487309", "title": "Locally superantigen-activated peritoneal cytolytic T lymphocytes belong to the CD8+ CD45RC- subset and lyse MHC class II+ tumor cells.", "content": "Bacterial encoded superantigens (SA) are capable of activating and targeting cytolytic human and mouse T lymphocytes (CTL) to lyse major histocompatibility complex class II positive (MHC class II+) target cells. In this study both in vitro and in vivo activated rat CTL were directed against MHC II+ tumor targets by bacterial encoded SA. Polyclonal in vitro activation of rat peripheral blood T lymphocytes generated CTL capable of killing MHC class II+ human BSM cells coated by staphylococcal enterotoxin (SE) -A, -E, -D, and TSST-1 but not by SEB or SEC1-3. Allo selective peritoneal CTL generated by intraperitoneal stimulation with allogeneic spleen cells were directed against BSM cells by SEA, -D, and -E but not by SEB, SEC1-3 or TSST-1. Based on the above observations, and in order to locally activate CTL, SEA was chosen for in vivo priming of rats by intraperitoneal inoculation of the toxin. SEA injection generated highly cytolytic CTL, and maximum cytolytic responses were seen at 50-250 micrograms SEA per animal with a peak in response 48-72 hours after injection of the toxin. The cytolytic activity of peritoneal SEA reactive effector cells was confined to the TCR alpha beta+ CD4- CD8+ CD45RC- cell population. MHC class II- colon carcinoma cells were insensitive to lysis by SEA reactive CTL but colon carcinoma cells induced to express MHC class II by interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) treatment were efficiently lysed in the presence of SEA. Comparison of rat and human MHC II+ colon carcinomas revealed a peak in sensitivity to lysis at 10-100 ng SEA/ml for both tumor targets. These findings suggest that superantigens can be used in local immunotherapy of peritoneal tumors such as ovarian and colorectal carcinomatosis, with inducible or constitutive expression of MHC class II."}
{"id": "PMID:1487304", "title": "In vitro antigen-specific IgE response is refractory to suppression by interferon-gamma.", "content": "Although interferon (IFN)-gamma has been shown to be involved in the down-regulation of polyclonal IgE response in murine B cells that were activated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and interleukin 4 (IL4), effects of IFN-gamma on antigen-specific IgE responses have not been fully investigated. We have developed the following culture systems for inducing antigen-specific IgE responses in murine lymphocytes, and examined the effects of IFN-gamma on the following responses in vitro. (1) Anti-trinitrophenyl (TNP) IgE response induced by the stimulation with TNP-keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH) of BALB/c spleen cells that had been primed in vivo with the same antigen. (2) Anti-TNP IgE response induced by the coculture of unprimed C3H B cells with conalbumin (CA)-specific helper T cell clone, D10.G4.1, in the presence of TNP-CA. The former anti-TNP IgE response was not suppressed, and the latter suppressed only partially (less than 30%) by the addition of 100-200 U/ml IFN-gamma. In contrast, polyclonal IgE response in murine B cells that were stimulated by LPS and IL4 was abolished by 10 U/ml IFN-gamma. These results indicate that IgE production from antigen-stimulated B cells, in contrast to those activated polyclonally, are refractory to direct suppression by IFN-gamma."}
{"id": "PMID:1487310", "title": "Selective enhancement of interleukin 1 beta production in myelomonocytic cell lines by insulin and its related cytokines.", "content": "The production of interleukin 1 (IL-1) by lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated myelomonocytic cell lines ML-1, THP-1 and PL-21 was significantly enhanced by the addition of insulin, insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I or IGF-II into the cell cultures. The IL-1 activity in the supernatants from cell cultures stimulated with LPS and insulin was completely neutralized by anti-IL-1 beta antibody. Anti-IL-1 alpha antibody had no inhibitory effect. Insulin itself did not stimulate IL-1 beta production directly, but increased it in the mitogen activated cells. However, insulin had no enhancing effect on the production of IL-1 alpha by human T cell lymphotropic virus-I (HTLV-I)-infected T cell lines or on IL-2 production by mitogen-stimulated leukemia T cell lines. Thus, insulin and its related cytokines are shown here as other molecules selectively modulating the production of IL-1 beta in myelomonocytic cell lines."}
{"id": "PMID:1487311", "title": "Augmentation of monocyte-mediated cytocidal activity by a low dose tumour necrosis factor measured by the kinetic colorimetric microplate assay.", "content": "This paper describes a simple kinetic colorimetric assay for the quantitation of human peripheral blood monocyte-mediated cytotoxic activity against tumour cells. Isolated effector monocytes were cultured overnight with an increasing number of target cells in 96-well microplates. Cytotoxic activity of monocytes was determined by modified nitroblue tetrazolium (MTT) dye assay using standard ELISA reader offering possible automation. The test was performed with three different effector/target cell ratios using a fixed number of monocytes. This allowed the expression of cytotoxic activity of monocytes in cytotoxic activity units. The assay was found to be a simple method to demonstrate that low doses of TNF (1 U/ml) enhanced monocyte-mediated cytotoxicity."}
{"id": "PMID:1487312", "title": "Brief treatment with rapamycin in vivo increases responsiveness to alloantigens measured by the mixed lymphocyte response.", "content": "Rapamycin (RPM) is a macrolide fermentation product that prolongs rodent allograft survival more potently and effectively than cyclosporin A (CsA) and FK506. Experiments in vitro have shown that RPM inhibits lymphoproliferation by mechanisms of action that are different from other immunosuppressants. Much less is known, however, about the effects of RPM on immune cells in vivo compared to other immunosuppressive drugs. Others have shown that in vivo treatment with CsA suppresses the responsiveness of cells in the mixed lymphocyte response (MLR). Therefore, to investigate the effects of RPM in vivo, rats were treated with RPM and their lymphoid cells used as responder cells in the MLR. We confirmed that the proliferation of cells in the MLR was decreased after treatment with CsA in vivo. In contrast, treatment with RPM in vivo greatly increased the proliferative response to alloantigen in the MLR. These findings show that the effects of RPM and CsA on immune cells in vivo differ. Perhaps the cells proliferating in the MLR after in vivo RPM treatment play a role in the regulation of the immune system that enables this immunosuppressant to prolong allograft survival so effectively in rodents."}
{"id": "PMID:1487313", "title": "Mechanism of enhanced phagocytic response in protein a treated rat macrophages.", "content": "Protein A of S. aureus Cowan I has been shown to stimulate macrophage mediated phagocytosis. The present study was undertaken to understand the mechanism involved in the enhancement of phagocytosis of peritoneal macrophages by protein A. The lucigenin and luminol-dependent chemiluminescence (CL) of rat peritoneal macrophages, after incubation with various concentrations of protein A, flow-cytometric studies using DCFH-DA as a fluorescent compound and phagocytosis of sheep red blood cells (SRBCs) by rat peritoneal macrophages were studied. A significant increase in lucigenin dependent CL due to formation of superoxide anions (O2-.) and in luminol dependent CL due to formation of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) was observed in protein A treated macrophages. A significant increase in intracellular hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) was also observed along with an increase in phagocytosis of SRBCs by protein A treated macrophages. The present findings indicate that protein A helps to increase phagocytosis and triggers respiratory burst of macrophages. Thus, both increased phagocytic response and respiratory burst of macrophages in protein A treated animals may be contributing to the antitumor property of protein A reported earlier."}
{"id": "PMID:1487314", "title": "Suppression of interleukin 4 production from type 2 helper T cell clone by antisense oligodeoxynucleotide.", "content": "Type 2 helper T cell (Th2) clone has been reported to secrete interleukin (IL) 4 and IL5 in response to the specific antigen presented by syngeneic antigen-presenting cells. In the present report, we synthesized phosphorothioate analogue of an antisense oligodeoxynucleotide complementary to nucleotide 17-36 of IL4 mRNA (S-oligo), and tested its ability to inhibit IL4 production from a Th2 clone, D10.G4.1. (D10). D10 cells were cultured with mitomycin C-treated C3H spleen cells in the presence of 100 micrograms/ml conalbumin for 48-72 h. Secreted IL4 and IL5 were assayed biologically using HT2 cells and dextran sulfate-stimulated murine B cells, respectively. When 5-10 micrograms/ml S-oligo was added to the culture, IL4 production from D10 was suppressed by 70-90%. The same concentrations of S-oligo inhibited neither the antigen-induced proliferation of D10 nor the secretion of IL5 from the Th2 clone. These results suggest that this S-oligo is useful for inhibiting the production of IL4 preferentially without affecting other functions of Th2 cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1487315", "title": "Pneumocystis carinii induction of tumor necrosis factor-alpha by alveolar macrophages: modulation by pentamidine isethionate.", "content": "Pneumocystis carinii, and the inflammatory response it provokes, together contribute to irreversible lung damage in immunocompromised patients. P. carinii cysts were found to be capable of inducing tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF) release from alveolar macrophages in a concentration-dependent manner. At physiologically achievable concentrations, pentamidine isethionate (pentamidine) substantially reduces such production. Pretreatment of alveolar macrophages (AM phi) with interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) synergizes with P. carinii to produce increased levels of TNF, a condition which pentamidine was also able to antagonize. Pentamidine treatment did not interfere with the phagocytic ability of AM phi. Considering clinical reduction of TNF could lessen P. carinii pneumonia (PCP) induced inflammation, the efficacy of pentamidine in the treatment of PCP may be partially associated with its ability to inhibit the release of inflammatory mediators such as TNF."}
{"id": "PMID:1487318", "title": "\"NK-like\" T cytotoxicity against B lymphocytes in a hypogammaglobulinemic patient.", "content": "Physiologically, cells with NK activity appear to exert a negative control on immunoglobulin production. The clinical association of large granular lymphocyte (LGL) proliferation with hypogammaglobulinemia suggests that these functional NK cells could also be involved in pathological situations. We studied in vitro lymphocyte functions in a patient presenting LGL proliferation associated with hypogammaglobulinemia. The CD3+ CD8+ CD57+ CD16- phenotype lymphocytes expressed a high NK type cytotoxicity towards K562 targets, suggesting that they may be considered as \"NK-like\" T cells. We cultured the patient peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) with control subject PBMC and with PBMC from two other subjects with B chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL) of the CD20+ CD21- CD10- phenotype. Patient PBMC exhibited a lytic activity on control PBMC and on the B lymphocytes of one of the two B- CLL but only in the presence of PWM. This activity was not exerted by the culture supernatant and required a cell-to-cell contact. We suggest that the hypogammaglobulinemia observed in this patient may be related to a cytotoxic effect exerted on B lymphocytes by a CD3+ CD8+ CD57+ CD16- LGL proliferation."}
{"id": "PMID:1487319", "title": "The effect of BCG on thoracic duct lymphocytes.", "content": "Adoptive immunotherapy is becoming increasingly more important in the management of advanced malignancies. This report describes the results of immunomodulation therapy with BCG in the Dunning tumor. In addition it describes new techniques in the harvesting of lymphocytes. Thoracic duct lymphocytes from 34 rats were evaluated for the effect of the presence of the Dunning R-3327 AT-3 tumor as well as for the response to bacillus Calmette Guerin (BCG). Both tumor and BCG resulted in significant changes in the helper/suppressor T cell ratios."}
{"id": "PMID:1487320", "title": "Humoral immune response to the antigen administered as an immune complex.", "content": "Antigen (HSA) bound in immune complexes at equivalence with syngeneic anti-HSA antibodies elicit much stronger humoral immune response then soluble HSA. On the other hand, administration of immune complexes formed with xenogeneic (rabbit) anti-HSA antibodies suppressed humoral immune response against HSA, but not against rabbit IgG in mice. We suggest that immunization with antigen bound in immune complex might represent a powerful tool in enhancing humoral immune responses."}
{"id": "PMID:1487321", "title": "Complement-dependent cytotoxicity for negative selection at the mRNA level.", "content": "Complement-Dependent Cytotoxicity (CDC) is a common technique used for isolating and characterizing cell populations. However, the molecular events resulting from CDC-mediated cell injury remain obscure. In order to use CDC as a selection procedure for studies at the RNA level, we examined if CDC is associated with rapid degradation of RNAs from target cells without affecting the stability and viability of RNAs of non-target cells. Using a model of anti-CD3-mediated CDC, we show that T cell-specific RNAs were absent immediately after CDC. However, ribosomal RNAs and mRNAs from non-targeted cells (non-T cells) were not affected by CDC. Our results indicate that CDC is associated with rapid degradation of only target cell RNAs, validating CDC as a method for cell isolation without interfering with further studies at the RNA level."}
{"id": "PMID:1487322", "title": "Polymorphism of age-related changes in the antibody response to the hapten phosphorylcholine.", "content": "Aging is accompanied by changes in the immune system that occur at different levels and at different periods of time. We have studied age-related changes in isotype and idiotype of the antibody response to hapten phosphorylcholine (PC) in C57BL/6, and A mice and in the congenic MRL/Mp(-)+/+ and MRL/Mp-1pr/1pr strains. Three groups, representing young, middle and old age were immunized with PC-keyhole limpet hemocyanin. Total anti-PC antibody and the contribution of each isotype and of the T15 idiotype were assessed in the initial and late response. Some features of the antibody-response were similar in all the strains tested, e.g. the largest quantity of anti-PC antibody is formed in middle age and IgM is dominant in the initial response. However, remarkable differences occur in the isotype and idiotype predominance. Particularly, congenic MRL/Mp strains, prone to autoimmune disease, express the T15 idiotype only at low levels, even though IgM, which normally expresses this idiotype, is produced in large amounts. Furthermore, the late (memory) response of the MRL/Mp strains is dominated by IgG2b rather than IgG1, which is the predominant isotype in mice of long-lived strains. We conclude from these results that the number of T helper cells, involved in isotype regulation decreases with age and that there is a genetic variation, i.e., polymorphism in the ability to express T15-idiotype producing subtypes."}
{"id": "PMID:1487323", "title": "The effect of hydrophilicity-hydrophobicity and solubility on the immunogenicity of some natural and synthetic polymers.", "content": "The general effects of solubility and hydrophobicity-hydrophilicity on the immunogenicity of synthetic and natural polymers are presented. The degree of hydrophobicity or hydrophilicity was determined from contact angle measurements. The surface tension components, obtained from the contact angles, were then correlated with the degree of immunogenicity for each substance. The results indicate that highly hydrophobic and highly hydrophilic polymers are not immunogenic. Moderate hydrophobicity as well as moderate hydrophilicity, and solubility in water favor immunogenicity (provided the molecular mass be at least 10,000 Da). For example, the solubilization of zein (a hydrophobic insoluble maize protein) prior to immunization causes zein to become immunogenic."}
{"id": "PMID:1487324", "title": "Pokeweed mitogen induces p55 interleukin-2 receptor expression on human monocytes and its effect on interleukin-2 activated monocyte cytotoxicity.", "content": "Activation of human peripheral blood monocytes by pokeweed mitogen (PWM) results in the expression of interleukin 2 receptor(IL-2R) p55 chains, which are absent on resting monocytes. By dual-fluorescence flow cytometry, we found PWM induced detectable numbers of IL-2R+ cell which were further identified as LeuM3+ monocytes (22.91% of the LeuM3+ cells were IL-2R+ within 24h, and 32.17% in 48h). In addition, LPS can also induce IL-2R on 15.39% of LeuM3+ cells. On the contrary, other mitogens such as PHA or Con A, and cytokines as IFN-gamma, IL-2, M-CSF, TNF-alpha and IL-1 beta showed no influence on the IL-2R expression on monocytes. It was also noticed that PWM itself had no direct effect on HLA-DR antigen expression on LeuM3+ cells. The addition of IL-2 to PWM-pretreated IL-2R positive monocytes significantly augmented their tumoricidal activity. Thus monocytes when activated underwent a series of phenotypic and functional changes including the expression of IL-2R which may provide an important immunoregulatory pathway."}
{"id": "PMID:1487325", "title": "Specificity analysis of antibodies formed in rabbits to a mannosyl trisaccharide: similarity with lectin binding activity. Para-aminophenyl O-alpha-D-mannopyranosyl-(1-->2)-alpha-D-mannopyranosyl- (1-->6)-alpha-D-mannopyranoside linked to bovine serum albumin as an antigen.", "content": "The para-aminophenyl derivative of Man alpha 1-->2Man alpha 1-->6Man alpha 1-->was coupled via a diazotization reaction to bovine serum albumin, and the resulting glycoconjugate was used to immunize two rabbits. The resultant antisera were tested for reactivity with a number of related mono, di- and trisaccharides to determine the immunodominant portion of this trisaccharide. Two populations of antibody resulted, one of which required the reducing end mannose, and could react with either an N-acetylglucosamine or a mannose as the penultimate sugar. The other population reacted with the Man alpha 1-->2Man alpha 1-->6Man alpha 1-->. The aglycone moiety and its configurations play an important role in determining the specificity of antibodies to this synthetic antigen. The similarity of this reactivity to the reactivity of mannose binding lectins is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1487326", "title": "trans,trans-Muconic acid, a reliable biological indicator for the detection of individual benzene exposure down to the ppm level.", "content": "trans,trans-Muconic acid (2,4-hexadienedioic acid) (t,t-MA) is a minor benzene metabolite which can be used as a biological indicator for benzene exposure. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the limits of use of t,t-MA for detection and quantification of occupational exposures to benzene, particularly on an individual scale, phenol being used as the metabolite of reference. A simple and sensitive method previously described by the authors was carried out to analyse t,t-MA in 105 end-of-shift urinary samples from 23 workers exposed to benzene used as an extraction solvent for \"concretes\" recovery in the perfume industry. Good correlations were found between atmospheric benzene and both metabolites (uncorrected or corrected for creatinine) or between the metabolites themselves, with correlation coefficients from 0.81 to 0.91 (P < 0.0001). Correlation- coefficients were not improved after correction for creatinine. The overall individual benzene exposure range, median, and arithmetic mean were respectively 0.1-75, 4.5, and 9.0 ppm with corresponding t,t-MA excretion of 0.1-47.9, 5.2 and 8.9 mg/l (uncorrected) and phenol excretion of 1.4-298, 30.9, and 42.2 mg/l (uncorrected). In the control group (145 determinations for t,t-MA and 76 for phenol from 79 individuals) the range, median, and arithmetic mean were respectively < 0.04-0.66, 0.08, and 0.13 mg/l (uncorrected t,t-MA) and 1.5-42.0, 9.85 and 11.3 mg/l (uncorrected phenol). t,t-MA was far more specific than phenol and could be easily and practically used to estimate with a given probability the upper or lower corresponding benzene concentrations down to around the ppm level.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1487327", "title": "A cross-sectional study on the brainstem auditory evoked potential among workers exposed to carbon disulfide.", "content": "In order to clarify the chronic effect of carbon disulfide (CS2) on the central nervous system (CNS), the brainstem auditory evoked potential (BAEP) was measured in spinning workers exposed to CS2 in a viscose rayon manufacturing factory and unexposed workers in Japan. Workers exposed to CS2 were divided into three groups according to length of exposure: current spinning workers with an exposure duration of more than 240 months (L group, n = 34), current spinning workers with an exposure duration of 24-84 months (S group, n = 25), and former spinning workers with an exposure duration of more than 120 months (R group, n = 16). Unexposed controls were selected from workers in a nylon filament factory using the same criteria (N group; n = 40). BAEP records were analyzed based on the latencies of three main components (I, III, V) and interpeak latencies (I-III IPL, III-V IPL, I-V IPL). Latencies of component V, III-V IPL, and I-V IPL in the L group were significantly greater (P < 0.01, P < 0.05, P < 0.05, respectively). The significantly, higher III-V IPL in the L group suggested that in humans, chronic exposure to CS2 involves the auditory ascending tract in the brainstem. Recovery from this neurotoxic effect is apparently possible, as the BAEP parameters in the R group were not significantly higher than those of the N group despite the long previous CS2 exposure of the R group."}
{"id": "PMID:1487328", "title": "Urinary excretion of 3,4-dimethylhippuric acid in workers exposed to 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene.", "content": "The urinary excretion of 3,4-dimethylhippuric acid (34DMHA), a 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene (124TMB) metabolite, was investigated in workers exposed to 124TMB vapor. The time-weighted average of exposure to 124TMB was determined with a diffusive sampler. For biological monitoring of exposure, urine samples were collected from individual workers and analyzed for metabolites by high-pressure liquid chromatography. The concentration of urinary 34DMHA had a positive correlation with the level of exposure to 124TMB (r = 0.72). The data suggest that 34DMHA is one of the useful indicators for biological monitoring of 124TMB exposure."}
{"id": "PMID:1487329", "title": "Formic acid excretion in comparison with methanol excretion in urine of workers occupationally exposed to methanol.", "content": "A semiautomated head-space gas chromatographic (GC) method was developed for measuring formic acid in urine. The method consists of heating 1 ml urine sample in a 20-ml air-tight vial in the presence of 1 ml sulfuric acid and 2 ml ethanol at 60 degrees C for 30 min for ethyl esterification and air-liquid equilibrium, followed by automatic injection of 1 ml head-space air into a flame ionization detector GC. The detection limit was 1 mg/l for formic acid. The method was applied to measure formic acid in the shift-end urine samples from 88 workers exposed to methanol at 66.6 ppm (as geometric mean) and in urine samples from 149 nonexposed controls. Methanol concentrations were also determined. Regression analysis showed that urinary formic acid concentrations, as observed or corrected for either creatinine concentration or specific gravity of urine (1.016), correlated significantly with time-weighted average intensities of exposure to methanol vapor. Men excreted significantly more formic acid than women. Comparison with methanol excretion suggested, however, that urinary formic acid is less sensitive than urinary methanol as an indicator of methanol vapor exposure, primarily because the background level for formic acid (26 mg/l as arithmetic mean, or 23 mg/l as geometric mean) is more than ten times higher than the level for methanol (1.9 mg/l as arithmetic mean, or 1.7 mg/l as geometric mean). After theoretical methanol exposure at infinite concentration, the urinary formic acid/methanol ratio should be about 0.4."}
{"id": "PMID:1487330", "title": "Erythrocyte antioxidant system and serum ceruloplasmin levels in welders.", "content": "The erythrocyte antioxidant system (superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, reduced glutathione) and serum ceruloplasmin were studied in workers chronically exposed to welding fumes and gases, which are thought to be oxidant pollutants. Fifty-four healthy men using two electric arc welding processes (manual metal arc on stainless steel and mild steel, and metal inert gas on mild steel) were studied. The possible effects of cigarette smoking were also considered. The erythrocyte antioxidant system was in the normal range for all welders. Serum ceruloplasmin was significantly enhanced only in smoking welders and higher in manual metal arc than in metal inert gas welders, suggesting that the increase is related to the severity of the oxidant threat, which is more stressful for the workers using the manual metal arc technique because of the presence of stainless steel particles in the fumes. Although cigarette smoking alone did not increase serum ceruloplasmin levels, it affected the response to oxidant stress in welders."}
{"id": "PMID:1487331", "title": "Serum fluoride as an indicator of occupational hydrofluoric acid exposure.", "content": "To define the relationship between ionic fluoride concentration in the serum of workers and the amount of hydrofluoric acid (HF) in the work environment, pre-and postshift serum and urine samples of 142 HF workers and 270 unexposed workers were examined. The maximum and minimum concentrations of HF in the air in each workshop varied from the mean by less than 30%. The preexposure levels of serum and urinary fluoride in HF workers were higher (P < 0.001) than the control values. This suggests that fluoride excretion from the body continues for at least 12h. The postshift serum and urinary fluoride concentrations of these workers were significantly higher (P < 0.001) than the preshift concentrations. A good correlation (r = 0.64) was obtained between postshift serum fluoride and postshift urine fluoride. There was a linear relationship between mean serum fluoride concentration and HF concentration in the workshop. A mean fluoride concentration of 82.3 micrograms/l with a lower fiducial limit (95%, P = 0.05) of 57.9 micrograms/l was estimated to correspond to an atmospheric HF concentration of 3 ppm. This is the maximum allowable environmental concentration recommended by the Japanese Association of Industrial Health, and it is also the threshold limit value suggested by the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists. The results demonstrate that exposure to HF can be monitored by determining the serum fluoride concentration."}
{"id": "PMID:1487332", "title": "Symptoms of construction workers exposed to whole body vibration and local vibration.", "content": "To study the effects of construction machinery operation on subjective symptoms, a questionnaire survey was carried out among construction machinery operators by a self-reporting method. Subjects were 184 power shovel operators, 127 bulldozer operators, 44 forklift operators as operator groups, and 44 office workers as a control. Their ages were in a range of 30-49 years. The questionnaire contained 20 symptoms referring to fatigue, digestive problems, and upper or lower limbs or back problems. The prevalence rate and symptom characteristics were examined. The dominant symptoms of the operator groups were stiff shoulder, low back pain, and stomach symptoms. The prevalence rate of low back pain was significantly different between forklift operators and controls. No significant differences were found in the symptoms of upper limbs and fingers between operator groups and controls. The prevalence of Raynaud's phenomenon was 0.5%-2.3% in the operator groups and 2.3% in the control group."}
{"id": "PMID:1487333", "title": "Neurotoxicity of solvent mixtures in spray painters. I. Study design, workplace exposure, and questionnaire.", "content": "A multidisciplinary cross-sectional study was carried out in 105 spray painters with long-term solvent exposure (10-44 years) and in 58 control subjects not exposed to solvents. By means of air monitoring the solvent concentrations in the ambient air during spray painting were determined using charcoal and silicagel tubes with pumps and passive samplers. In general, the air concentrations of the individual compounds did not exceed the current limit values (MAK values). Aromatic hydrocarbons like toluene, xylene, ethylbenzene, trimethylbenzene, aliphatic hydrocarbons (e.g., heptane) and acetates (ethylacetate, butylacetate) were determined to be important components of paint solvents. However, in unfavorable work conditions the \"exposure index\" could exceed the permissible limits two or three times. To assess the body solvent load at the time of examination, biological monitoring (BM) was performed. The main finding was that there was no evidence of neurotoxicologically relevant solvent exposure. Only in the case of methyl hippuric acid in urine spot samples did the spray painters show a higher mean value (80 mg/l) than control subjects (below 20 mg/l), indicating recent xylene exposure. Elevated urinary chromium concentrations (maximum value 29 micrograms/l) were found in 28 spray painters as a result of using zinc chromate-containing wash primers without taking protective measures. To assess the degree of past solvent exposure a special questionnaire was used. This included variables like duration and amount of solvent exposure, the presence of a technical ventilation system, health complaints during painting, etc. Additionally, three \"solvent exposure indices'' (SEI) were calculated and used for evaluation of \"dose-effect relationships.''(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1487335", "title": "Human inhalation pharmacokinetics of chlorodifluoromethane (HCFC22).", "content": "Two groups of three male volunteers were exposed to atmospheric concentrations of either 327 or 1833 mg m-3 chlorodifluoromethane (HCFC22) for 4 h. Blood, urine and expired air samples were taken during and after the exposure period and analysed for HCFC22. Urine samples were also analysed for fluoride ion. During the exposure period, blood concentrations of HCFC22 approached a plateau, and the average peak blood concentrations of 0.25 and 1.36 micrograms cm-3 were proportional to dose. HCFC22 concentrations in expired air were similar to the exposure concentration during the exposure period. The ratio between venous blood and breath concentrations of HCFC22 towards the end of the exposure period was on average 0.77, which is consistent with in vitro estimates of the partition coefficient. In the post-exposure period, three phases for the elimination of HCFC22 were identified, with estimated half-lives of 0.005, 0.2 and 2.6h. HCFC22 was detected in urine samples taken in the post-exposure period, and the rate of decline was consistent with the terminal rate of elimination estimated from blood and breath measurements. On average 2.1% of the inhaled HCFC22 was recovered in breath within 26 h of exposure. This is consistent with the low solubility in blood and fat. Minimal changes in fluoride ion concentrations in urine following exposure indicate that HCFC22 is unlikely to be metabolised to a significant extent. Following inhalational exposure HCFC22 is poorly absorbed and is rapidly eliminated from the body. Possible biological monitoring strategies could be based on measurements of HCFC22 in urine or breath samples collected after the end of an exposure period."}
{"id": "PMID:1487336", "title": "Anaerobic and aerobic power in arms and legs of elite senior wrestlers.", "content": "The purpose of this study was to characterize anaerobic power and aerobic power (power at peak oxygen uptake, or peak VO2) of elite senior (post-collegiate) wrestlers. Subjects (n = 14) from the U.S. national senior freestyle and Greco Roman wrestling teams were evaluated at separate tests using cycle ergometry for peak VO2 of the arms, peak VO2 of the legs, arm anaerobic peak power, and leg anaerobic peak power. Power output at peak VO2 was recorded for each test and compared to the anaerobic power of the appropriate body segment. The results (mean +/- SD) showed that wrestlers produced 2.3 +/- 0.4 W.kg body weight-1 at arm peak VO2 (43.7 +/- 4.6 ml.kg body weight-1. min-1), 4.2 +/- 0.5 W.kg body weight-1 at leg peak VO2 (50.9 +/- 5.1 ml.kg body weight-1.min-1), arm PP of 7.7 +/- 1.0 W.kg body weight-1, and leg PP of 10.5 +/- 1.7 W.kg body weight-1. Comparing power output during anaerobic and aerobic tests, the subjects performed at 3.4 +/- 0.6 times their peak oxygen uptake during arm anaerobic ergometry, whereas leg anaerobic peak power was 2.7 +/- 0.4 times the power at peak oxygen uptake for the legs (p < 0.05 for difference between ratios). relative to aerobic power, elite senior wrestlers may produce power anaerobically in the upper body at significantly higher levels than in the lower body."}
{"id": "PMID:1487334", "title": "Neurotoxicity of solvent mixtures in spray painters. II. Neurologic, psychiatric, psychological, and neuroradiologic findings.", "content": "A multidisciplinary cross-sectional study was performed to examine the chronic neurotoxicity of organic solvents. Participating in the study were 105 persons employed as spray painters and having long-term solvent exposure (10-44 years) and a control group consisting of 58 construction workers, electricians, and plumbers without occupational contact to solvents. Samples were matched for age, preexposure intelligence level, occupation, and socioeconomic status. After controlling for potentially non occupational confounding factors (neuropsychiatric diseases, metabolic disorders, high blood pressure, alcohol intake) 83 spray painters and 42 controls were entered finally into the study. The evaluation included work history, self-rating questionnaire, neurologic investigation, psychiatric analysis using the Present State Examination (PSE), psychological testing, and computerized axial tomography (CAT) of the brain. Physical and neurologic examinations demonstrated no case of overt disorders of the central or peripheral nervous system. An important result of the psychiatric analysis was that the syndromes \"special features of depression\" and \"loss of interest and concentration\" occurred significantly more frequently among spray painters than among controls. Further analyses demonstrated an association with chronic exposure over 30 years and repeated acute neurotoxic effects during solvent exposures. Neither psychological nor performance tests demonstrated any statistically significant differences in the performance sets after adjustment according to premorbid intelligence level; this finding supports the presumption of only a low grade of mental dysfunction. Correlation analyses indicated a relationship between subjective health complaints and long-term solvent exposure; however, the effect of age cannot be completely ruled out.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1487337", "title": "A comparison of the blood lactate and plasma catecholamine thresholds in untrained male subjects.", "content": "The relationships between the plasma epinephrine threshold (TE), the norepinephrine threshold (TNE), and the blood lactate threshold (Tlact) were examined during incremental cycling in 10 untrained male subjects. When oxygen uptake (VO2) measured at each threshold was expressed as a percent of VO2max, the thresholds occurred at 40.8 +/- 2.4%, 45.5 +/- 3.0%, and 46.6 +/- 3.0% for Tlact, TE, and TNE, respectively. The average VO2 and power output values obtained at the lactate and epinephrine thresholds were not found to be significantly different (p < 0.10). However, Tlact and TE occurred simultaneously in six subjects, whereas TE occurred at a higher work stage than Tlact in the other four subjects. The mean VO2 and power output values determined at TNE were found to be significantly greater than the values obtained at Tlact (p < 0.05). These two thresholds occurred together in four subjects, while TNE was observed to occur at a higher work stage than Tlact in the other six subjects. None of the differences between TE and TNE were significantly different. Although plasma norepinephrine concentrations were much greater than those for epinephrine at a given power output, the two catecholamine thresholds occurred simultaneously in seven subjects. The results are not consistent with the hypothesis that the increase in plasma catecholamine levels during incremental exercise is the sole determinant of the lactate threshold. It is also possible that a decrease in muscle pH, due to increased lactic acid, stimulated a reflex increase in sympathetic outflow and a subsequent rise in catecholamine levels."}
{"id": "PMID:1487338", "title": "Reliability of the rating of perceived exertion at ventilatory threshold in children.", "content": "The purpose of this study was to examine the reliability of the rating of perceived exertion (RPE), using the Borg 6-20 scale, at ventilatory threshold (VT) in children. Thirty children (19 male, 11 female) with a mean +/- SD age of 10.4 +/- 1.1 yrs performed two graded exercise tests for the assessment of VT and VO2max. RPE was recorded throughout each exercise test. There were no significant (p > 0.05) differences between the mean VO2max (50.9 +/- 6.0 vs 51.0 +/- 5.7 ml.kg-1.min-1; r = 0.95) or the mean VO2 at VT (36.2 +/- 4.4 vs 36.7 +/- 4.5 ml.kg-1.min-1; r = 0.87) between trials. The mean RPE at VT during trial 1 (12.4 +/- 2.7) was significantly higher than during trial 2 (11.4 +/- 3.3; p < 0.05). The test-retest reliability correlation for the RPE at VT was r = 0.78. The lower RPE in the second trial may have been due to a greater comfort and familiarity with the testing procedures. The reliability analysis indicates that the RPE at VT within a given child is fairly consistent from trial to trial. However, large inter-individual variability in the RPE at VT (range = 6 to 19) was noted and was not related to variations in the onset of VT. This raises some concern over the use of a given RPE value or range of RPE values in the regulation of exercise intensity for this age group. The test-retest reliability of VT and VO2max in this age group is similar to previous reports."}
{"id": "PMID:1487339", "title": "Effect of short-term training cessation on performance measures in distance runners.", "content": "This study examined if measures associated with distance running performance were affected by short-term (14 d) training cessation in 12 distance runners. VO2max decreased by approximately 3 ml.kg-1.min-1 (mean +/- SE, 61.6 +/- 2.0 vs 58.7 +/- 1.8 ml.kg-1.min-1, p < 0.05) with training cessation. Time to exhaustion (TTE) during the incremental VO2max test decreased by 1.2 min (13.0 +/- 0.5 vs 11.8 +/- 0.5 min, p < 0.001) and maximal heart rate increased (p < 0.001) by 9 beats per minute (BPM). No changes in running economy (75 and 90% VO2max) were evident, although submaximal heart rate increased by 11 BPM (p < 0.001) at both running speeds. Other evidence for detraining were decreases in estimated resting plasma volume (-5.1 +/- 1.9%) and muscle citrate synthase activity (-25.3 +/- 2.6%, p < 0.05). Muscular atrophy (muscle fiber cross-sectional area) was not evident. TTE and submaximal heart rate exhibited relatively large percent changes (-9 and +6%, respectively) compared to VO2max (-4%). These findings indicate that the reduction in VO2max with short-term training cessation is relatively small. TTE and submaximal heart rate may be easily measured, yet more sensitive indicators of decrements in distance running performance."}
{"id": "PMID:1487340", "title": "The effect of exercise training on salivary immunoglobulin A and cortisol responses to maximal exercise.", "content": "The salivary immunoglobulin A (s-IgA) and cortisol responses to maximal exercise were examined in 24 adult males (X +/- SD; 22.1 +/- 3.0 yrs) before and after 10 weeks of run training. The subjects performed an incremental treadmill test to exhaustion and were randomly assigned to one of three groups: control (CON; n = 5), low intensity training (LO; n = 8), or high intensity training (HI; n = 11). Following the ten weeks of training, the subjects performed a second maximal treadmill test. Saliva samples were collected before, as well as immediately and 1 hr following each of the maximal treadmill tests and were analyzed for s-IgA and salivary cortisol. Maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max) increased significantly (p < 0.05) in the LO and HI groups but remained unchanged in the CON group. The s-IgA levels decreased significantly (p < 0.05) immediately post-exercise but returned to pre-exercise levels by one hour recovery. In addition, s-IgA and cortisol levels were not significantly (p > 0.05) correlated at any of the sampling times. These findings indicated that the s-IgA response to maximal exercise was unaffected by moderate (70% of VO2 max) to heavy (86% of VO2max) training (designed to develop cardiorespiratory fitness in healthy non-athletic adults) and independent of salivary cortisol."}
{"id": "PMID:1487341", "title": "Gastric emptying of carbohydrate--medium chain triglyceride suspensions at rest.", "content": "Nine male volunteers participated in 4 gastric emptying (GE) tests of liquid equicaloric mixtures of CHO (maltodextrins) and MCT of the following composition (% CHO-% MCT): Drink (Dr) 1:70%-30%, Dr2: 80%-20%, Dr3: 90%-10%, Dr4: 100%-0%. GE was measured at rest for 90 min according to the modified double sampling technique. GE rate, expressed as t1/2 (SEM), was 23 (2.3), 24 (1.6), 27 (2.2) and 36 (2.9) min, respectively, from drink 1 to drink 4. Statistical analysis showed that all MCT containing drinks emptied faster than the 100% CHO drink. Two mechanisms may explain this observation: 1) the CHO content and osmolality increases from Dr 1 to Dr 4 (both are regulators of GE); 2) MCT may not inhibit GE as common fat does, due to a better water solubility and absorption in the small intestine, resulting in a decreased duodenal-gastric feedback."}
{"id": "PMID:1487342", "title": "Food-dependent exercise-induced anaphylaxis: report of two cases.", "content": "Exercise-induced anaphylaxis (EIAn) is a rare condition characterized by giant urticaria, angioedema and acute gastrointestinal symptoms that develops on exertion. In the most severe forms it may be associated with acute cardiorespiratory symptoms (laringeal stridor, wheezing), profound hypotension or syncope. In some individuals, EIAn characteristically occurs after a meal suggesting that the anaphylactic reaction is provoked by both exercise and ingestion of a foodstuff to which the patient has become sensitized. Two representative cases of severe food-dependent EIAn are described, which emphasize the need of performing a careful allergological evaluation in sportsmen with unexplained cardiovascular and/or respiratory symptoms during effort, especially when associated with other allergic manifestations and/or occurring in the post-prandial period."}
{"id": "PMID:1487343", "title": "Influence of calf muscle contractions on blood flow parameters measured in the arteria femoralis.", "content": "Ten healthy male subjects performed single (< 1 s), sustained and intermittent plantarflexions (up to 40 s) of one foot in sitting exercise position. Two different absolute forces were applied, which, in terms of maximal voluntary contraction, ranged between 5%-10% and 25%-30%. Blood velocity was continuously recorded in the proximal arteria femoralis by means of the Doppler technique. Heart rate (HR) and mean blood pressure (BP) were simultaneously determined using standard ECG and the FINAPRES method. Despite the distance between the proximal arteria femoralis and the exercising muscle the Doppler data showed: effects of single contractions on the individual Doppler data, the influence of consecutive contractions, variation with exercise intensity and differences between sustained and intermittent contractions. In all exercise tests there was an immediate significant increase in blood velocity at the onset of exercise. The major part (range 52%-73%) of the response to the 40 s tests was seen during the first 6 s. It was followed by a second phase of adjustment which depended on the type of exercise and exercise intensity. The single plantarflexion provoked increases in blood velocity for about 20 s. A comparison of HR and BP tracings with the Doppler data demonstrated the importance of local mechanical factors for the perfusion of the exercising muscle. The early adjustment of muscle perfusion were not correlated to the systemic blood pressure and, therefore, appeared to be related to muscle pump effects. The subsequent flow values were influenced by passive vessel compression and changes in local vasomotor tone.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1487344", "title": "Soundmyogram analysis during sustained maximal voluntary contraction in sprinters and long distance runners.", "content": "The aim of this study was to describe the influence of the different fiber type composition of the vastus lateralis muscle on the soundmyogram (SMG) time and frequency domain characteristics. The SMG was recorded from the vastus lateralis belly during exhausting maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) of the leg extensors in 7 sprinters (SPR) and 7 long distance runners (LDR). Seven sedentary males (SED) were investigated in the same experimental conditions. In the SPR the effort time was shorter and the MVC was greater while the SMG root mean square and the SMG frequency content, at the onset of contraction, were higher than in the SED and LDR, respectively. Throughout exertion the SMG RMS showed clear reduction for SPR and SED only and the SMG power spectra presented a compression towards the lower frequencies. The reported phenomena were less pronounced in the LDR than in SPR and SED. These results can be explained when the differences in the % of fast twitch fibers area, belonging to stronger and more fatiguing F motor units, in the three groups of subjects are considered and suggest that SMG characteristics reflect the muscle fiber typing."}
{"id": "PMID:1487345", "title": "Left ventricular filling behaviour in ultra endurance and amateur athletes: a stress Doppler-echo study.", "content": "To evaluate the impact of different training levels on left ventricular (LV) filling dynamics, Doppler mitral flow was derived in 25 amateur endurance-trained athletes (amateurs) aged 31 +/- 9 years, with a personal marathon record > 200 min, and in 26 ultra endurance athletes (top athletes) aged 32 +/- 8 years, with a personal marathon record < 170 min, during bicycle exercise in supine position. In particular atrial filling fraction as the relative share of atrial contribution to LV filling was measured. During exercise (150 watt) atrial filling fraction increased significantly more in amateurs from 25% to 34% compared to top athletes from 25% to 29% (p < 0.001). Two min post exercise atrial filling fraction already reached baseline values in top athletes (25%), while it remained significantly elevated in amateurs compared to baseline values (29%, p < 0.001). Only ten min post exercise atrial filling fraction showed baseline values in amateurs (26%). Rate pressure product was not significantly different at all levels of exercise. Thus, while atrial filling fraction rose in both study groups during exercise, it returned earlier to baseline values in top athletes than in amateurs. This indicates a better cardiac adaptation to physical stress and a better diastolic performance during exercise in endurance athletes with a higher training level."}
{"id": "PMID:1487346", "title": "Is range of motion of the hip and ankle joint related to running injuries? A case control study.", "content": "This study concerns a case-control study on the relation between range of motion (ROM) of the hip and ankle joints and running injuries. Sixteen male runners who had sustained a medically treated running injury during the year prior to the ROM measurements were matched for weekly running distance and age with sixteen male runners who had not sustained such an injury. All subjects were fit at the time of measurement. ROM was measured by standardized goniometry after a warm-up on a cycle-ergometer. Within non-injured subjects all goniometric measurements showed no significant (p > 0.05) differences between the left and right side of the body. Within injured subjects all goniometric measurements showed no significant (p > 0.05) differences between the injured and non-injured side of the body. Runners who had sustained a running injury showed a significant (p > 0.001) more restricted ROM of the hip joints (average ROM value 59.4 degrees +/- 8.0 degrees) in comparison to runners who had no been injured during the same period (average value ROM 68.1 degrees +/- 5.2 degrees). No such differences (p > 0.05) were found with regard to ankle ROM (average ROM value injured 12.8 degrees +/- 3.4 degrees and average ROM value non injured 14.0 degrees +/- 2.7 degrees). These findings suggest that ROM can be characterized as a more or less stable anthropometric trait.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1487347", "title": "Mechanical ankle stabilisation due to the use of orthotic devices and peroneal muscle strength. An experimental investigation.", "content": "The mechanical stabilising effect of different orthotic devices and artificially applied muscular strength to the peroneal muscles is tested in cadaveric ankle joints and in vivo. Both orthotic devices as well as muscular strengths of 150 N applied to the peroneal muscles can produce a significant reduction in mechanical ankle instability. However, none of these methods alone can stabilise the ankle joint in such way to completely normalise the talar tilt and anterior drawer sign that is found in stable ankle joints. In contrast to that, clinical results in the treatment of sprained ankles with the application of an orthosis, additional muscular strengthening is the best treatment to achieve a sufficient mechanical ankle stability during the period of ligament healing. Additional factors influencing the mechanical ankle stability are supposed."}
{"id": "PMID:1487348", "title": "The significance of diagnostic imaging in acute and chronic brain damage in boxing. A prospective study in amateur boxing using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).", "content": "The significance and possible extent of structural damage to the central nervous system (CNS) due to boxing are investigated. Bleeding, especially microhematomas, is considered to be one probable cause of the chronic encephalopathy in boxers. In a prospective study, 13 amateur boxers were investigated with the help of MRI several times before and after their fights. The MRI investigations were accompanied by neurologic examinations before and after the fights. Among the 13 boxes, 5 demonstrated focal neurological signs following the fights, without evidence of small hematoma or other structural alterations. The number of head punches did not correlate with the occurrence of neurologic signs. These results indicate that up to now imaging methods cannot clarify the development of chronic encephalopathy."}
{"id": "PMID:1487349", "title": "Job roles of assistive technology service providers in the United States.", "content": "The purpose of this study was to identify empirically the roles of assistive technology service providers in the United States. Via factor analysis, the following six job roles were identified: (a) Device Selection and Maintenance Activities, (b) Environmental Modification Activities, (c) Dissemination of Information on Assistive Technology Activities, (d) Evaluation of Suitability of Assistive Device Activities, (e) Administration Activities, and (f) Product Development Activities. The identified roles can provide a potential guide for the development of education or training curricula for assistive technology service providers. Those job role categories can be considered to be required areas of knowledge in a curriculum for assistive technology specialists. The identified roles can also be utilized to help define the profession of assistive technology. That definition could help guide the development of eligibility criterion and examination content for a credentialing programme for qualified assistive technology service providers in the future. A clear description of the job of assistive technology service providers can help administrators create needed positions within service delivery organizations such as state department of rehabilitation services and a rehabilitation hospital. The results could be valuable to the administrators responsible for setting job role criteria for assistive technology service providers. Such criteria are necessary for making effective hiring and employee evaluation decisions. In addition, the results can provide other professionals who utilize assistive technology services with an accurate picture of the services available from assistive technology service providers. When professionals on a rehabilitation team know what to expect of each other, clients are better served. Thus a better understanding of the roles of assistive technology service providers can contribute to better utilization of their services by a multidisciplinary team. This would in turn increase the chances of assistive technology services being offered to clients. Replication of the present study is encouraged to verify the obtained results. A future study should also focus on examining the roles of assistive technology service providers by directly observing their daily work activities. The task inventory used in the present study (ATTI) might be utilized to help guide such observations."}
{"id": "PMID:1487359", "title": "Tibia development in turkeys and chickens as affected by early-age feed restriction.", "content": "Tibia development was studied by histomorphometry in male chickens and turkeys fed ad libitum throughout the growing period, or subjected to an early-age (1-week) severe feed restriction for 6 and 14 days, respectively. In turkeys, the rates of longitudinal bone growth and epiphyseal width growth, both dependent on the activity of chondrocytes, proceeded rapidly and reached maxima at early ages of 24 and 11 days, respectively. Moreover, longitudinal bone growth and the growth of epiphyseal width were reduced during early-age feed restriction, in both chickens and turkeys. On the other hand, the rate of growth of metaphyseal width, determined by activity of bone cells such as osteoclasts and osteoblasts, reached in turkeys a maximum at the relatively late age of 70 days, and was not influenced by feed restriction. Rhythmic variation characterized the temporal behavior of the height of the hypertrophic and non-hypertrophic zones of the growth plate, the trabecular width, and the osteoclasts number at the subchondral region. Rhythmicity appeared similar in both ad libitum-fed and early-age feed-restricted birds of both species. The height of the non-hypertrophic epiphyseal cartilage appeared not to change, whereas the hypertrophic zone decreased with age and early-age feed restriction, demonstrating the importance of cartilage cell hypertrophy as a main determinant of longitudinal bone growth. Sexual maturation was accompanied by the disappearance of both hypertrophic and non-hypertrophic zones of the epiphyseal growth plate and the end of bone elongation. Trabecular width at the end of bone elongation. Trabecular width at the subchondral region increased while osteoclast number decreased with age, reflecting the net increase in bone mass, but were not affected significantly by early age feed restriction. Compensatory growth of the early-age feed-restricted birds, resulted in the complete recovery of affected bone variables within a few weeks of resumed ad libitum feed intake."}
{"id": "PMID:1487360", "title": "Embryonic oxygen consumption and organ growth in the wedge-tailed shearwater.", "content": "Embryonic oxygen consumption and organ growth were measured in the Wedge-tailed Shearwater (Puffinus pacificus), a tropical seabird characterized by slow embryonic growth and a prolonged pipping process prior to hatching. In most organs, growth in unpipped eggs could be represented by a linear regression of organ mass on whole-embryo mass. However, the slopes of the regression lines varied considerably between organs. The slope was steepest for the stomach and lowest in the heart and lungs. Oxygen consumption also increased linearly with embryo mass up to 25g in unpipped eggs, until just prior to pipping. In pipped eggs, however, there was a considerable increase in oxygen consumption, and acceleration of growth in some organs (eg. liver, intestine) while in others (eg. stomach, pectoral muscles, eyeballs) growth rates diminished. Comparison with the reported growth of other species revealed a number of similarities between the embryos of the semi-precocial shearwater and the precocial domestic fowl, together with several differences between the shearwater and the altricial pigeon embryo."}
{"id": "PMID:1487361", "title": "Expression of phosphatidylinositol-dependent phospholipase C sensitive Qa-2 antigen is increased on peripheral blood lymphocytes of aging mice.", "content": "Qa-2 antigen, a nonclassical MHC antigen, is one of a group of cell surface antigens that may be anchored to the cell surface by a glycophosphatidylinositol (GPI) linkage rather than, as is the case with the classical MHC antigens, K, D, and L, by a transmembrane linkage. Recent studies have shown that T cells may be activated through the cross-linking of GPI anchored Qa-2 antigens by anti-Qa-2 antiserum. The Qa-2 antigens involved in signal transduction in activated T cells are sensitive to lipolytic cleavage by phosphatidylinositol-dependent-phospholipase C (PI-PLC). Since T cell function is known to decline with age, a study was undertaken to determine whether the relative amount of lipase sensitive Qa-2 antigen changes with age. Ficoll- Hypaque purified peripheral blood lymphocytes were obtained from C57BL/6 and A strain mice from 6-30 months of age. The cells were incubated with or without phosphatidylinositol- dependent-phospholipase C followed by incubation with anti-Qa-2 monoclonal antibodies and a fluorescein labeled second antibody. Analysis on a FACScan flow cytometer demonstrated that the A strain mice had a single population of Qa-2 positive lymphocytes which increased in lipase sensitivity with age. The C57BL/6 strain mice of all ages had two populations of Qa-2 positive cells, one staining with high fluorescence intensity (high antigen density) and the other with low fluorescence intensity (low antigen density). The proportion of cells found in the high density peak increased markedly with age, suggesting on overall increase in Qa-2 expression. In young animals, only the high density peak was sensitive to PI-PLC treatment. In older animals, the cells originally appearing in the high density population shifted to the low density population after treatment with PI-PLC, suggesting that there must be both lipase sensitive and lipase insensitive forms of Qa-2 present on lymphocytes in these aging C57BL/6 mice. Overall, these data suggest that the proportion of lymphocytes expressing lipase sensitive Qa-2 is increased on lymphocytes of old mice. Since a role for lipase sensitive GPI-linked Qa-2-antigen has recently been postulated in T cell activation, it is possible that the increased lipase sensitive Qa-2 antigen may play a role in age-related changes in T cell function."}
{"id": "PMID:1487362", "title": "Growth analysis by the first, second, and third derivatives of the Richards function.", "content": "The Richards function serves as a tool for growth (W) analysis by means of absolute growth rate (AGR), i.e. dW/dt, and relative growth rate (RGR), i.e. d(loge W)/dt. More information may be gained using the second derivative d2W/dt2, and the third derivative d3W/dt3 of the Richards function to determine the times when the second derivative time curve achieves a maximum, minimum, and zero. The latter separates growth acceleration and retardation. Exponential growth occurs as long as (RGR)2 is less than the relative acceleration rate added to a tolerance value. This period of growth does not extend to the point of maximum acceleration of the growth curve. The points of maximum and minimum acceleration are at equal time distances from the point of inflection. A straight line phase of growth is approximated between the times when d2W/dt2 is maximum and minimum. Thus, a mathematical model for the analysis of aging changes is presented. Methodology described here should be applicable to any biological system or subsystem. As an application, derivatives of the Richards function are used to provide information on potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) tuber kinetics."}
{"id": "PMID:1487363", "title": "A mathematical analysis of human embryonic and fetal growth data.", "content": "There is no set of growth data from a single source for the human embryo/fetus which spans the full range of pregnancy. For mathematical and statistical analysis of the full gestational period, it was necessary to pool data from several sources. Three growth equations, which have been reported in the literature for various purposes, were tested and compared for possible use as a tool to describe the growth of the human embryo/fetus. Parameters were estimated using statistical procedures on the pooled data for the Verhulst logistic equation, a polynomial equation, and the Gompertz equation. The polynomial and Gompertz equations provided the best fit for the growth of the normal human embryo/fetus over the broadest range of 25 to 300 days, and especially in the critical period of development (gestational days 40 to 70). The relative rate of growth of the embryo/fetus was about 15% per day on the 25th day and declined progressively thereafter; the absolute rate of growth was the greatest at about the 240th day."}
{"id": "PMID:1487364", "title": "Ontogenetic allometry of ossified fetal limb bones.", "content": "The skeletal components of fetal limbs change in both size and shape throughout gestation. Relative growth of different bones, as well as differences between homologous bones of the upper and lower limbs, are not well known for all stages of fetal development. This study used human fetal skeletal material (N = 57) ranging in age from 19 to 40 weeks gestation, and in body mass from 290g to 4650g. Measurements of maximal length and minimal width were taken from the six major long bones: femur, tibia, fibula, humerus, radius, and ulna. These data were log transformed, and growth rates determined from least squares regression of bone length or bone width on body mass and on crown-to-rump length. The results indicated that growth rates are equivalent among bones within a limb, whereas homologous bones in the upper and lower limb grew at different rates. In general, the upper limb bones display negative allometry and the lower limb bones display isometric growth in relation to body mass and crown-to-rump length. Further, there was no difference between growth rates of length and width relative to body mass. The negative slopes of upper-to-lower limb bones in relation to mass confirm the conclusion that lower limb bones grow faster than the upper limb bones from 19 weeks gestation to birth. These results, together with results from similar studies of other periods of fetal development, provide a unified picture of the prenatal growth in human skeletal limbs."}
{"id": "PMID:1487365", "title": "A review of techniques for quantifying sexual size dimorphism.", "content": "Previous studies of sexual size dimorphism (SSD) use a variety of size dimorphism indices (SDI's) to quantify SSD. We propose that a useful SDI should meet four criteria as follows; 1) it should be properly scaled, 2) it should have high intuitive value, 3) it should produce values with one sign, (positive) when sex A is larger than sex B, and the opposite sign when sex B is larger, and 4) it should produce values that are symmetric around a central value, preferably zero. Many previously published SDI's do not meet any of these criteria, and none meet more than three. We present an alternative SDI based on the mean size of the larger sex divided by the mean size of the smaller sex with the result arbitrarily defined as positive (minus one) when females are larger and negative (plus one) in the converse case. Careful selection of a primary size variable is crucial to meaningful interpretation of sexual size differences."}
{"id": "PMID:1487368", "title": "Comparison of excretory/secretory and circulating antigens of Toxoplasma gondii by enzyme immunoassay and immunoblotting.", "content": "Toxoplasma gondii trophozoites (RH strain) were cultured in embryonic fibroblasts in order to study the kinetics of production of excretory/secretory antigens, and the results were compared to the production of circulating antigens in an in vivo mouse model. By capture-ELISA, excretory/secretory antigens were first detected on the fourth day of culture whereas circulating antigens were first detected 1 day after infection. Similar concentrations of antigens were detected in both models as evidenced by comparable absorbance values. By immunoblotting, the excretory/secretory antigens were also detected later compared to circulating antigens (day 4 vs day 1). Seven major polypeptides were detected in both antigen preparations, six of them having the same molecular mass (110, 75, 48, 30, 24 and 22 kDa)."}
{"id": "PMID:1487369", "title": "Ultrastructure and histochemistry of the digestive tract of juvenile Paramphistomum epiclitum (Paramphistomidae: Digenea) during migration in Indian ruminants.", "content": "The digestive tract of juvenile Paramphistomum epiclitum consists of a foregut with a highly muscular terminal pharynx and an oesophagus, which leads to a pair of unbranched and blind-ending intestinal caeca. A syncytium lining the foregut is continuous with the external tegument and displays similar sensory papillae and secretory bodies (T1 and T2). A third type of secretory body (T3) is confined to the oesophageal cytons of newly excysted juveniles and is first evident in the syncytium by day 14 of migration. An epithelium lining the caeca is composed of a single layer of morphologically uniform cells whose apical surface is amplified by microvilli. Dense secretions synthesized in the caecal epithelium of mature cercariae are released during migration by a mechanism resembling modified apocrine discharge. The caecal epithelium of migrating juveniles undergoes a 10-fold increase in surface amplification (irrespective of growth) during its transition from a primarily secretory tissue to one apparently specialized for absorption."}
{"id": "PMID:1487370", "title": "Ultrastructure and histochemistry of the protonephridial system of juvenile Paramphistomum epiclitum and Fischoederius elongatus (Paramphistomidae: Digenea) during migration in Indian ruminants.", "content": "The protonephridial system of juvenile Paramphistomum epiclitum and Fischoederius elongatus consists of a bilaterally symmetrical arrangement of primary, secondary and tertiary ducts which connect individual flame cells with a simple common bladder. Primary and secondary ducts are formed from columns of adjoining cells which provide an epithelial lining, whose luminal surface is elaborated with either short tubercles or lamellae. Groups of cilia project from the luminal surface at frequent intervals along secondary ducts. By contrast, the tertiary ducts and bladder are lined with a nucleated syncytium which ends at a junctional complex formed with the terminal canal. The latter is continuous with the tegumental syncytium and opens at a nephridiopore on the postero-dorsal surface. Tertiary ducts of mature cercariae contain concretions which are voided by migrating juveniles in whose tertiary ducts lipids are progressively accumulated. Evidence for the role of protonephridia in excretion and possibly in osmoregulation and ionic balance is currently examined."}
{"id": "PMID:1487371", "title": "Ultrastructure and histochemistry of the lymph system and parenchyma of juvenile paramphistomes (Paramphistomidae: Digenea) during migration in Indian ruminants.", "content": "The lymph system of juvenile Paramphistomum epiclitum and Fischoederius elongatus consists of a single pair of longitudinal primary vessels from which sub-dividing branches extend laterally to associate with most major tissues and organs. The system originates shortly after excystation in the definitive host and is fully developed in day 14 juveniles. Lymph vessels are syncytial and membrane limited, with a matrix which contains autophagic-like inclusions, clusters of SER and free nuclei. Similar organelles are evident in the matrix of parenchyma and specialized cells juxta-posing the pharynx (JP cells). These tissues are intimately associated and perhaps functionally integrated. Parenchyma represents a major site for carbohydrate storage and turnover, whilst the lymph appears to perform a similar role for proteins. The JP cells of juveniles display prolific autophagic-like activity only during migration, which coincides with the depletion of carbohydrate reserves in parenchyma. Key mitochondrial enzymes were histochemically demonstrated in the lymph despite the apparent absence of mitochondria from this system in post-day 14 juveniles. Succinate dehydrogenase activity was cytolocalized in mitochondria, whilst attempts to perform a similar localization of this enzyme in lymph were unsuccessful. The possibility of non-enzymatic interference in the histochemical demonstration of dehydrogenase is examined."}
{"id": "PMID:1487372", "title": "Application of a simple culture of Plasmodium berghei for assessment of antiparasitic activity.", "content": "Mouse erythrocytes infected with Plasmodium berghei were incubated for a short period in microplate wells. The parasites changed morphologically from the immature ring form to mature schizonts, and free merozoites were released. However, reinvasion of the erythrocytes appeared not to be possible in this system. This intraerythrocytic one-step growth of the parasite could be determined quantitatively by counting incorporation of 3H-hypoxanthine. The incorporation was markedly decreased by addition of certain antiparasitic agents to the culture. The sensitivity of this growth inhibition test was comparable to or higher than the mouse protection test. The results suggested the practical utility of this simple assay in screening antimalarial activity."}
{"id": "PMID:1487373", "title": "Cross-reactivity between Necator americanus and Schistosoma mansoni in mice.", "content": "Poly-parasitism is common in endemic communities and reactivity of sera from hookworm-infected patients against schistosomular antigens has been reported. Protective cross-immunity between N. americanus and S. mansoni was investigated in NIH and BALB/c mice. Protective resistance to homologous challenge with both parasites was confirmed in this model, however, functional immunity to heterologous challenge was not demonstrated. Sera from animals which had received homologous challenge with N. americanus and from hookworm-infected mice, which had previously been exposed to radiation-attenuated S. mansoni, exhibited an enhanced IgGAM response to infective stage N. americanus somatic antigens. The implications of these results with respect to serodiagnosis are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1487374", "title": "Towards a suitable antigen for diagnosis of Gnathostoma spinigerum infection.", "content": "Advanced third-stage larvae of G. spinigerum were obtained from two separate sources, namely from cysts in the livers of naturally infected eels (L3E) and from experimentally infected mice (L3M). Morphology of the L3E was studied microscopically. The larvae were homogenized in distilled water, 1% Triton X-100 or 1% sodium deoxycholate containing protease inhibitors. Protein compositions of the three crude extracts were compared, on the same weight basis, by sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and Coomassie brilliant blue staining while their antigenicities were studied by Western blot analysis using serum of a patient with parasitologically confirmed gnathostomiasis. Distilled water was found to be the best extraction solution in solubilizing proteins especially the diagnostic antigen, namely the 24,000 (24 kDa) mol. wt component from the larvae. The L3E and L3M contained relatively equal amounts of the 24 kDa antigen. This diagnostic component was anatomically located in the body fluid, oesophagus and intestine of the larva."}
{"id": "PMID:1487375", "title": "Mannitol metabolism in Eimeria tenella.", "content": "Unsporulated oocysts of Eimeria tenella contain large quantities of carbohydrates, namely amylopectin, mannitol and glucose. Analysis of carbohydrate content of sporulating oocysts revealed that mannitol content increased markedly during early stages of sporogony (first 4-6h) but slowly diminished during the next 40h of sporulation. Accumulation of mannitol was accompanied by a rapid decrease in amylopectin and free glucose, suggesting that mannitol might be synthesized from glucose released from amylopectin. Mannitol was also detected in sporozoite and merozoite extracts. All four mannitol cycle enzymes were detected in oocysts. Sporozoites excysted in vitro had lower activities of all four enzymes. Mannitol-1-phosphatase and mannitol dehydrogenase activity was also detected in merozoites obtained from the second stage schizonts. Sporozoites incubated with 14C-glucose accumulated radioactively labelled precursor continuously for over 12h and some of the 14C-glucose was converted into 14C-mannitol. These results indicate that mannitol plays an important role in the metabolism and development of the intracellular stages of the parasite."}
{"id": "PMID:1487376", "title": "Millardia meltada, a new host for Acanthocheilonema viteae and a simple technique for separation of microfilariae from peripheral blood.", "content": "Millardia meltada were infected with Acanthocheilonema viteae and examined for their susceptibility. The morbidity of infected M. meltada was low compared with that of jirds. On day 47 post-infection (p.i.), 13 of 14 M. meltada developed microfilaremia. Male M. meltada then showed gradually increasing microfilaremia with a peak level of 7000 per 30 microliters blood at week 20 p.i., which was much higher than that (3000) of male jirds. In contrast, microfilarial densities of female M. meltada were markedly low with a peak level of 200 during weeks 10-12 p.i. A simple centrifugation technique with Lympholyte-M was devised for microfilarial separation from the peripheral blood of infected M. meltada and yielded approximately 17 x 10(5) viable microfilariae from 1 ml of blood. This method also makes it possible to collect microfilariae from the same individuals repeatedly. M. meltada, coupled with this microfilarial separation technique, serves as a useful animal model for microfilarial studies of A. viteae."}
{"id": "PMID:1487377", "title": "The sheep antibody response to repeated infection with Lucilia cuprina.", "content": "The specific serum antibody responses of sheep exposed to 10 consecutive infections of L. cuprina have been analysed by enzyme-linked immuno-sorbent assay and immunoblotting using monoclonal antibodies specific for sheep immunoglobulin isotypes. Recognition of a number of larval excretory-secretory products by IgM antibodies appeared to be non-specific. IgG1 was the major antibody class stimulated by the infection protocol and marked increases in antibody to specific excretory-secretory antigens were observed. Three molecules of 35, 30 and 25 kDa were particularly recognized although the extent of recognition of these molecules varied considerably between individual sheep serum. A pooled serum composed of sera collected after five to seven infections significantly inhibited larval growth in in vitro cultures when compared to a sera pool consisting of sera collected both prior to infection and after infections 1 and 2. The degree of inhibition was greater when serum with high specific antibody titre was used."}
{"id": "PMID:1487378", "title": "Hypersensitivity responses and repeated infections with Lucilia cuprina, the sheep blowfly.", "content": "Sheep repeatedly infected with L. cuprina at 2- but not 4-week intervals developed partial resistance to infection after five infections, as measured by larval recovery. However, resistance did not persist for more than three infections. Skin weal responses were measured after injection of larval products simultaneously with each infection. The only correlation between weal size and larval recoveries occurred at infection 1 and indicated a relationship between skin sensitivity and innate rather than acquired resistance. The results suggest that resistance to L. cuprina can develop after repeated infections but that it is short lived and requires frequent larval exposure. A role for hypersensitivity responses was not confirmed by the weal responses but was suggested by the size of wound developed per larva recovered."}
{"id": "PMID:1487379", "title": "A new simplified assay for larval migration inhibition.", "content": "A simple method is described for the in vitro detection of substances that impair the motility of third-stage larvae of gastro-intestinal nematodes. The test is based on the ability of larvae to freely migrate through selected mesh sizes of nylon sieves and the reduced ability of larvae to migrate after preincubation with, and in the presence of, substances that inhibit or reduce larval motility."}
{"id": "PMID:1487380", "title": "Cloning and partial nucleotide sequence of Schistosoma japonicum paramyosin: a potential vaccine candidate against schistosomiasis.", "content": "Paramyosin from the blood fluke, Schistosoma mansoni, has shown promise as a vaccine candidate for schistosomiasis mansoni. Here we report the cloning and partial nucleotide sequence of a cDNA encoding paramyosin from the related human parasite, Schistosoma japonicum. Affinity purified antibodies to this clone recognized a S. japonicum antigen of molecular weight 97 kDa, equivalent to the reported size of S. mansoni paramyosin. Alignment of the cDNA sequence with that of S. mansoni paramyosin revealed 90% identity. Comparison of the predicted amino acid sequences revealed 95% identity. Although these two parasites differ in many characteristics, the substantial homology demonstrated here between S. mansoni and S. japonicum paramyosin could have important implications for the development of a S. japonicum vaccine."}
{"id": "PMID:1487381", "title": "Detection of pathogenic Entamoeba histolytica DNA in liver abscess fluid by polymerase chain reaction.", "content": "A sensitive method for detection of pathogenic Entamoeba histolytica DNA in drained fluids from liver abscess patients, using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), has been developed. The PCR employs oligonucleotide primers specific for the gene encoding the 30 kDa molecule of pathogenic E. histolytica. Liver abscess fluids (19 samples), from 14 patients with a presumptive amebic liver abscess, were examined microscopically and by the PCR method. Only two of the 19 samples were positive microscopically, whereas all 19 samples tested positive by PCR. This technique can be used to confirm the diagnosis of amebic liver abscess."}
{"id": "PMID:1487382", "title": "Response to 35% CO2 in patients with chest pain and angiographically normal coronary arteries.", "content": "Several interview studies have suggested that panic disorder (PD) exists in patients with angiographically normal coronary arteries (NCA). Interview studies require corroboration by other studies in order to validate them. The purpose of this study is to test whether response to the inhalation of 35% CO2 reliably discriminates between PD and non-panic disorder patients in this population. Three groups were studied: six with NCA and PD, five with NCA and no PD, and ten in the control group. All subjects breathed room air, then 35% CO2 in a single-blind fashion. Each completed the Acute Panic Inventory (API) before and during the procedure. The NCA-panic group scored significantly higher than the other two groups on the Acute Panic Inventory from baseline to post-inhalation. Despite several methodological limitations including a relatively small number people in each cells, 35% CO2 was shown to trigger more intense responses in panic patients, thus helping to validate the interview findings."}
{"id": "PMID:1487383", "title": "On the validity of an Augmented Structured Interview for measuring subcomponents of the Type A behavior pattern.", "content": "This study was designed to provide validity data for the Augmented Structured Interview (ASI), which has been developed to measure subcomponents (as opposed to the global) Type A behavior pattern (TABP). Eighty subjects from a large private southwestern medical center were administered a self-report measure of the TABP (the Jenkins Activity Survey--JAS) and the ASI. Forty of the subjects were being treated for post-infarction coronary heart disease (CHD). The remaining forty subjects did not possess documented CHD. The obtained ratings for all the six ASI-measured Type A subcomponents were significantly higher for the CHD than for the non-CHD group. A discriminant functions analysis revealed that the ASI was superior to the JAS in correctly classifying CHD and non-CHD subjects. These outcomes are interpreted as providing initial support for the validity of the ASI."}
{"id": "PMID:1487384", "title": "Psychologic distress during the menopausal years in women attending a menopause clinic.", "content": "This study measures psychologic distress in women attending a menopause clinic to determine if significant differences exist between peri-menopausal and menopausal women. Consecutive women attending a university hospital menopause clinic were administered the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) and a study questionnaire to determine menopausal symptoms, menstrual cycle status, and use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT). The BSI results were compared between menopausal and perimenopausal women, and to a normative sample of middle-aged women who were nonpatients. Two hundred and fifty-nine menopause clinic women completed the questionnaire: 113 perimenopausal and 146 menopausal women. There was significantly greater psychologic distress on the BSI among perimenopausal as compared to menopausal women on the global severity index, and each of the anxiety, hostility, somatization, depression, paranoid, and psychoticism subscales. Perimenopausal women met BSI caseness severity criteria significantly more often than did menopausal women on the global severity index, and on the subscales for depression, anxiety, and psychoticism. On the BSI, menopausal women showed results similar to those of a normative sample of nonpatient middle-aged women. Perimenopausal women attending menopause clinics have significantly higher levels of psychologic distress meeting case severity criteria on the BSI. Further research is warranted to define the subgroups of perimenopausal women who are at increased risk, in the hopes of developing effective interventions."}
{"id": "PMID:1487385", "title": "Underdiagnosis of depression in patients with coronary artery disease: the role of nonspecific symptoms.", "content": "To determine whether the underdiagnosis of major depression (MD) in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) may be explained by low specificity and mild severity of depressive symptoms in affected patients. The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) was used to assess depression symptoms in thirty-one patients with both CAD and MD, and eighty-three patients with CAD but without MD. Only ten (48%) of the symptoms were significantly more common in the MD than in the non-MD group, and nine symptoms were present in at least 20 percent of both groups. Of these nine nonspecific symptoms, only one (insomnia) was more severe in the MD patients than in the non-MD group (p < .006). When all twenty-one symptoms were rank ordered by frequency, the most common symptoms in the MD group were also the most common in the non-MD group (r = .91, p < .001). The symptoms of major depression were found to be relatively mild and nonspecific in patients with CAD. This may help to explain why depression is underdiagnosed in cardiac patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1487386", "title": "Ictal and psychiatric aspects of suicide in epileptic patients.", "content": "To evaluate the ictal and psychiatric aspects underlying the high risk of suicide among epileptic patients. We surveyed the records of 1611 epileptic patients seen in a neurology clinic during an eight-year period, found four who died by suicide, and characterized their ictal and psychiatric features. All four epileptic patients had partial complex seizures and temporal lobe foci. Two had an associated paranoid schizophrenia with suicidal ideation, and good or improving seizure control at the time of their deaths. Another patient killed himself during a brief psychotic episode associated with increasing epileptiform discharges. The fourth patient had ictal depression and committed suicide during a flurry of partial complex seizures. These findings suggest that the high suicide rate among epileptic patients has a greater association with psychotic behaviors and psychic auras than with major depression or the psychosocial burden of being epileptic. We further review other reported risk factors for suicide in epilepsy."}
{"id": "PMID:1487387", "title": "A retrospective study on the perceived need for and actual use of psychiatric consultations in older medical patients.", "content": "The authors examined the (under) utilization of the psychiatric consultation service for patients aged sixty to seventy-five who were hospitalized for medical reasons, and explored whether one could retrospectively document and identify a greater need for psychological support than the one reflected in the number of actual consultations requested. Three questions were addressed: 1) the psychiatric consultation rate; 2) the frequency of unrecognized medical, psychiatric, and psychosocial complicating factors; and 3) whether the distribution of these factors differed by gender. Records of 203 consecutively-admitted elderly patients hospitalized on medical wards were reviewed by two experienced general hospital psychiatrists for any indication of medical, psychiatric, and psychosocial risk factors. The frequency of actual psychiatric consultations was also recorded. Three or more risk factors were noted in the records of 36 percent of all patients. Consultation was sought for only 3 percent. Gender differences in type and distribution of risk factors were identified. Indicators and profiles that define probable need for psychiatric consultation were identified and briefly discussed. More well-designed, prospective studies testing these indicators and profiles are needed."}
{"id": "PMID:1487388", "title": "Hypochondriacal concerns and attitudes toward illness in males and females.", "content": "To review the published studies on the sex distribution of hypochondriasis, and to examine sex differences in hypochondriacal concerns and in attitudes toward illness. The Illness Attitude Scales, Factors 2 and 3 of the Whiteley Index and the Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90) were administered to fifty randomly-selected female family practice patients ages eighteen to sixty-five, and to male patients matched by age in decades. From a pool of 130 consecutive nonpsychotic psychiatric outpatients, fifty females and fifty males were matched with the family practice patients. Although females rated themselves as more depressed than males in both groups, there were no significant differences between the sexes in hypochondriacal fears and beliefs. Psychiatric male patients reported the most adverse effects of bodily symptoms on work and leisure. There were no other significant differences between the sexes in any of the other attitudes toward illness or symptoms. Hypochondriacal concerns were more common in the psychiatric patients than in the family practice patients of both sexes. The review of published studies on the sex distribution of hypochondriasis suggests that disease phobia is more common in females, except for the cardiophobic syndrome, which is more common in males. The other reported differences are inconsistent and appear to be caused by referral biases, varying diagnostic criteria, and cultural factors. In our study, we found no substantial differences between males and females in hypochondriacal concerns and attitudes toward illness."}
{"id": "PMID:1487389", "title": "Pheochromocytoma presenting as exacerbation of post traumatic stress disorder symptomology.", "content": "The following case report and discussion is intended to increase awareness of the difficulties in diagnosing pheochromocytoma when a primary psychiatric diagnosis is first suspected. The case of a middle-aged combat veteran who was admitted with agitation and flashbacks is presented. Episodes of hypertension were initially believed to be related to agitation or alcohol withdrawal. When the hypertensive episodes persisted, further evaluation revealed a pheochromocytoma. In three years' follow-up since removal of the tumor, the patient has shown considerable improvement in the symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Pheochromocytoma should be considered in patients with psychiatric disorders if a pattern of hypertensive episodes persists or worsens. The case highlights the importance of medical evaluation in patients presenting with psychiatric complaints."}
{"id": "PMID:1487390", "title": "Neurosarcoidosis presenting as schizophreniform disorder.", "content": "A patient whose clinical presentation met criteria for schizophreniform disorder was ultimately found to have neurosarcoidosis, and the psychiatric symptoms responded to steroid treatment. The ongoing search for organic etiology was prompted by the presence of cognitive decline, perseveration and rare bizarre automatisms. This is virtually the first reported association between schizophreniform disorder and sarcoidosis. We reviewed the literature on neurologic involvement and psychiatric manifestations in sarcoidosis as well as the concurrence between organicity and schizophrenic psychosis. The importance of attending to all elements of the mental status examination in a patient with complex atypical findings is underscored."}
{"id": "PMID:1487391", "title": "Factitious apraxia.", "content": "A case is described in which a patient had pseudoneurological symptoms that were present only upon direct observation or when the patient was in clinical test situations. The differential diagnosis of apraxia is discussed as well as clinical suggestions for evaluating patients with suspected factitious apraxia."}
{"id": "PMID:1487392", "title": "Resolution of depressive symptoms in medical inpatients after discharge.", "content": "Most studies to date demonstrate a high prevalence of depressive symptoms and depressive disorders in general medical inpatients. In order to determine whether these symptoms represent a self limited epiphenomenon of medical illness or evidence of psychiatric comorbidity, assessment of the natural history of such symptoms in this population is necessary. In this study we focused on resolution versus persistence of depressive symptoms in hospitalized medical patients following medical, but not psychiatric, treatment. Every second admission to the acute care medical ward of a VA teaching hospital was assessed for inclusion in the study. Fifty-seven were screened, fifty participated initially, forty-two remained in the study for the one-week post-discharge follow-up, and thirty-three remained at the one-month follow-up. Depressive symptomatology was measured with the Beck Depression Inventory at each time point. Subjects whose scores at follow-ups were above threshold were considered to have persistent symptoms and those whose scores fell below threshold were considered to have resolved. No patients were treated with antidepressants prior to or during the study. With a conventionally accepted threshold score (14) on the BDI as representing clinically significant depression, roughly half of those patients identified as depressed at the time of admission were nondepressed at both follow-ups. The BDI predicted persistence of depression with a sensitivity of .64 and specificity of .74 at one week and .71 and .73 at one month. Raising the threshold score to 20 raised the sensitivity to 1.00 and the specificity to .95 at one week and 1.00 and .93 at one month. Depressive symptoms seen in acutely-ill medical patients can be expected to resolve without potentially-hazardous antidepressant treatment in a significant number of patients. Persistence of depressive symptoms may be better predicted by raising the threshold on commonly used self-report scales."}
{"id": "PMID:1487393", "title": "Chest pain in generalized anxiety disorder.", "content": "The objectives of the current study were to evaluate the prevalence of chest pain and related medical utilization in patients with generalized anxiety disorder and to investigate the possible relationship between the occurrence of chest pain in these patients and the episodes of excessive worry which characterize this disorder. The presence of a history of chest pain in patients with generalized anxiety disorder was investigated in an outpatient psychiatric sample using a structured interview which also assessed related medical utilization and the relationship of chest pain to panic attacks and episodes of excessive worry. Of fifty sequentially evaluated patients meeting DSM-III R criteria for G.A.D., twenty-four (48%) reported a history of chest pain. Seven of these patients also had a history of panic attacks, however, four of the seven reported that their pain occurred independently of their panic attacks. Sixteen patients with G.A.D. reported that their chest pain episodes were associated with episodes of excess worry. Eleven had sought medical evaluation for their pain. Patients with chest pain and normal coronary arteries are frequently found to have panic disorder. The pattern of utilization of medical care was comparable in this sample of patients with G.A.D. and a group of patients with panic disorder recruited in a similar manner. These results suggest that in addition to panic disorder, G.A.D. may also be a common diagnosis in chest pain patients with no demonstrable coronary disease. Future studies of coronary artery disease negative patients with chest pain should include assessments for the presence of G.A.D. Our results also suggest that chest pain may be a common symptom in G.A.D. The possibility that chest pain should be included in the diagnostic criteria for this disorder should be the subject of further investigation."}
{"id": "PMID:1487397", "title": "Southwest Oncology Group standard response criteria, endpoint definitions and toxicity criteria.", "content": "The Southwest Oncology Group, in cooperation with the National Cancer Institute and the other major cooperative oncology groups, has participated in the development of new toxicity criteria for reporting the results of cancer clinical trials. The new criteria (NCI Common Toxicity Criteria) respond to a recognized need to: (1) report toxicities consistently among cooperative groups, particularly for shared 'intergroup' clinical trials; (2) strive for comparability in toxicity reporting among clinical trials; and (3) recognize new toxicities accompanying new classes of anticancer treatment modalities. The Southwest Oncology Group has extended the toxicity criteria, incorporating additional new criteria for biological agents, radiation therapy, surgery, and hormonal agents. In addition, endpoint definitions and response criteria are discussed. These have been developed in response to previous uncertainties in clinical trials objectives, to limitations in the resolution of imaging methods, and to demands for greater rigor in response and endpoint definitions. Toxicity criteria, endpoint definitions, and response criteria are tabulated."}
{"id": "PMID:1487398", "title": "Comparative in vitro myelotoxicity of FCE 24517, a distamycin derivative, to human, canine and murine hematopoietic progenitor cells.", "content": "FCE 24517, a derivative of distamycin A, exhibits an unusual antitumor profile in experimental models. As part of its preclinical development, we evaluated the in vitro myelotoxicity of FCE 24517 to human, canine and murine hematopoietic cells. Marrow cells were exposed to the agent (2.7 x 10(-5) - 2.7 nM) for 4 h and then assayed in capillary (human) or Petri dish (canine, murine) clonal cultures. FCE 24517 inhibited myeloid (CFU-gm), erythroid (BFU-e, CFU-e) and megakaryocytic (CFU-meg) colony formation in a concentration-dependent manner. The progenitor cells were generally similar in their response to FCE 24517 within a species. Comparing the different progenitor cell response to FCE 24517, canine CFU-gm and CFU-e were 26- to 221-fold more sensitive to this drug's toxic effects than their human and murine counterparts. This was demonstrated by extremely low IC70 values for the canine CFU-gm (0.001 nM) and CFU-e (0.007 nM). Murine progenitors displayed 1.3- to 10.9-times higher IC70 values than human CFU-gm, BFU-e and CFU-e following 4 hr exposure to FCE 24517. The data demonstrated that a mouse model may better predict human in vitro myelotoxicity to FCE 24517 than beagle dogs."}
{"id": "PMID:1487399", "title": "Binding of a new vinca alkaloid derivative, S12363, to human plasma proteins and platelets. Usefulness of an erythrocyte partitioning technique.", "content": "The interactions of S12363 with human plasma proteins have been investigated in vitro by an erythrocyte partitioning technique that allows a quantitative estimation of the plasma and erythrocytes binding. S12363 was 85-95% plasma-bound and 97-98% blood-bound. The main binding protein in plasma was alpha-acid glycoprotein, with a binding constant of 0.6 x 10(6) M-1, accounting for 70% of total S12363 in plasma. Owing to extensive binding to platelets (40-50% of total blood amount), S12363 was mainly distributed in the non plasma blood compartment, with blood-to-plasma concentrations ratio of 1.2-1.4. These results indicate that, in vivo, the fraction of blood S12363 available for tissue diffusion, i.e., the free drug fraction in blood, should depend on both alpha 1-acid glycoprotein concentration in plasma and blood platelet count."}
{"id": "PMID:1487400", "title": "Lack of effects of recombinant human interleukin-4 on in vitro colony formation of freshly explanted human tumor cells.", "content": "Interleukin-4 is a highly pleiotropic T-cell derived lymphokine that has been reported to stimulate a host cell-mediated antitumor response. Recombinant human interleukin-4 (rhuIL-4) is currently undergoing clinical phase I trials. We have studied the growth modulating effects of rhuIL-4 on a variety of freshly explanted human tumor specimens using an in vitro soft agar cloning system. Final concentrations of 0.1 to 10 ng/ml were used in continuous incubation experiments. Of 147 specimens, 73 (50%) were evaluable for the determination of tumor growth modulating activity. The most common tumor types recruited included breast, non-small cell lung, ovarian cancer and melanoma. Stimulation of tumor colony forming units (colony formation > or = 1.5 x controls) was observed in 0/73 tumors. Similarly, only 1/73 (1.3%) specimens (a non-small cell lung cancer) had a significant decrease in tumor colony forming units (colony formation < or = 0.5 x controls) at 1 ng/ml. We conclude that rhuIL-4 is not a direct modulator of tumor colony formation in vitro. However, antitumor effects could perhaps be achieved in vivo via the immune-modulating effects of Interleukin-4."}
{"id": "PMID:1487401", "title": "Phase I evaluation of 773U82-HCl in a two-hour infusion repeated daily for three days.", "content": "One of a novel series of compounds (AMAPS or arylmethylaminopropanediols), 773U82-HCl has shown significant antitumor activity in in vitro and in in vivo tumor systems, but has less animal CNS toxicity than the lead compound in the same series (crisnatol). This study was designed to evaluate the pharmacokinetics, qualitative and quantitative toxicities of 773U82-HCl and to determine the recommended phase II dose (MTD) of 773U82-HCl given as a short infusion daily for 3 days every 3 weeks. Twenty-nine patients with refractory malignancies received 79 courses over 9 dose levels during this study. Doses ranged from 50 to 1060 mg/m2/d x 3 days. Due to the possibility of local hemolysis with concentrations > 1.5 mg/ml, drug was administered in solutions containing < or = 1.5 mg/ml. Because large volumes were needed at the higher dose levels, the infusion duration was increased from 2 hours to 4 hours. Mild to moderate nausea, vomiting, fatigue, dizziness and headaches were observed. Myelosuppression was the dose limiting toxicity. The recommended phase II dose and schedule was determined to be 800 mg/m2/d x 3d every 3 weeks. 773U82-HCl plasma concentration-time data were analyzed using a two-compartment pharmacokinetic model. The t1/2 beta averaged 6 hours and the total body clearance was 75.9 L/hr/m2. The volume of distribution (Vdss) was large, averaging 470 L/m2."}
{"id": "PMID:1487402", "title": "Clinical pharmacology studies of oltipraz--a potential chemopreventive agent.", "content": "Pharmacological studies on Oltipraz [4-methyl-5(pyrazinyl-2)-1-2-dithiole-3-thione)] were conducted with normal healthy subjects using various doses and schedules. Administration of single doses (1, 2 and 3 mg/kg) resulted in detectable drug levels in the serum (mean peak serum concentrations 16, 61 and 205 ng, respectively) and urine. The t1/2 was short (4.4, 4.1 and 5.3 hours respectively) and no steady state was achieved after multiple daily doses for 12 days. Introduction of a loading dose during the first day produced a steady state when 1.5 and 2.0 mg/kg/day were used. Daily administration of Oltipraz sustained the steady state with insignificant variations. Consumption of a high fat diet increased the serum and urine concentrations of Oltipraz (30-60%) compared to the low fat diet. Two subjects experienced flatulence during the administration of the drug. One subject developed numbness and pain in the thumbs with occurrence of small purplish-black spots resembling those observed in subacute endocarditis. These changes disappeared 10 days after discontinuation of the drug. No changes in peripheral blood counts, biochemical profile or thyroid function tests were observed after four weeks of Oltipraz. Further studies with a larger number of healthy subjects are needed for clarification of the safety and biological efficacy of small doses of Oltipraz during chronic administration."}
{"id": "PMID:1487403", "title": "Phase II trial of intravenous hexamethylmelamine in patients with advanced ovarian cancer.", "content": "A Phase II trial of an intravenous preparation of Hexamethylmelamine was performed in ovarian cancer. Patients who had received prior Platinum based chemotherapy and had measurable disease were eligible. Among 15 evaluable patients, there were no objective responses. Two patients did show clinical and laboratory evidence of improvement. Toxicity was predominantly nausea and vomiting with minimal other toxicity. This intravenous form of Hexamethylmelamine has not shown meaningful activity in ovarian cancer patients who have failed prior platinum treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1487404", "title": "Phase II study of a combination of elliptinium and vinblastine in metastatic breast cancer.", "content": "Thirty nine patients with metastatic breast cancer, all previously treated with chemotherapy including anthracycline, were given Elliptinium acetate (80 mg/m2/day) and a continuous infusion of Vinblastine (2 mg/m2/day) for 3 consecutive days every 4 weeks. Twenty nine patients had measurable metastatic disease. Nine (31%) achieved a partial response. No complete response was observed. Median duration of response was 6 months. The response rate was dependent on the number of metastatic sites and independent of the number of previous chemotherapy regimes. Side effects were dry mouth (27 patients), vomiting (9), neutropenia (3 patients with grade IV, 2 with grade III), muscle cramps (5) and thrombosis (3). Xerostomia and vomiting contributed to weight loss and fatigue (8 patients). We conclude that Elliptinium-Vinblastine combination has moderate activity as second line treatment in metastatic breast cancer. This combination causes xerostomia and fatigue with moderate myelosuppression."}
{"id": "PMID:1487405", "title": "A phase II trial of CI-921 in advanced malignancies.", "content": "CI-921, (9-[[2-methoxy-4-[(methylsulfonyl)amino]phenyl]amino]- N,5-dimethyl-4-acridinecarboxamide 2-hydroxyethanesulfonate (1:1)), an anilinoacridine derivative with activity in experimental solid tumors was studied in a multicenter phase II trial in patients with solid tumors. Eligible tumor types included cancers of the breast, stomach, pancreas, nonsmall cell lung, small cell lung, colon, head and neck area, and melanoma. Prestudy requirements included an ECOG performance status of < or = 2, no CNS metastases, and measurable disease. CI-921 was administered intravenously over 1-2 hours on days 1, 8, and 15 of a 35-day course at an initial dose of 270 mg/M2, with modification in subsequent courses based upon tolerance. Principal toxicities included leukopenia, marked phlebitis, and mild nausea and vomiting. One hundred fifty patients were entered of whom 132 were evaluable for response. There was one complete and one partial response among 19 patients with breast cancer, and two partial responses, one each among 14 head and neck and 36 nonsmall cell lung cancer patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1487406", "title": "Phase II trial of edatrexate in patients with advanced pancreatic adenocarcinoma.", "content": "We conducted a phase II evaluation of edatrexate in 17 previously untreated patients with advanced adenocarcinoma of the pancreas; 14 patients had at least one month of therapy. The initial dose was 80 mg/m2iv. Treatment was administered weekly for 5 weeks, then every other week. Toxicity was generally mild. The median WBC nadir was 5.4 (range 0.6-7.4) x 10(3)/microliters, and the median platelet nadir was 164.0 (range 62.0-341.0) x 10(3)/microliters. One patient died with sepsis and gastrointestinal bleeding associated with pancytopenia. Five patients had a mild rash. Nausea occurred in 6 patients, including 3 who had vomiting. In addition, 11 patients complained of vague malaise which seemed to begin within 24-48 hours after administration of edatrexate, and lasted for 2 to 3 days, resolving within 6 days of drug administration. Median survival was 85 days. Although 5 patients had stable disease, including one with relief of pain, no major responses were seen, excluding, with 95% confidence, a response rate in excess of 20%."}
{"id": "PMID:1487407", "title": "Phase II trial of pirarubicin in the treatment of advanced bladder cancer.", "content": "Doxorubicin is one of the standard drugs in the chemotherapy of advanced urothelial tumors. Pirarubicin, a new anthracycline, turned out to be equally active and less toxic than its parent compound in preclinical studies. Twenty one patients with either metastatic or inoperable locally advanced bladder carcinoma were treated with intravenous infusion of pirarubicin: 25 mg/m2/day for 3 days every 4 weeks in the first 15 patients and 20 mg/m2/day for 3 days every 3 weeks in the others. Fifteen patients were not pretreated and 6 received prior chemotherapy (5 patients with doxorubicin containing regimen). Twenty patients were evaluable for response; there were 2 partial response, 8 stable disease and 10 progressive disease. All pretreated patients progressed. Hematological toxicity was moderate, however there was one toxic death with grade 4 neutropenia which occurred in a heavily pretreated patient receiving a dose of 25 mg/m2/day for 3 days. There was no clinical cardiac toxicity. Single agent Pirarubicin displays an objective response rate of 10% (95% of CI 0 to 23%) which reaches 14% (95% CI 0 to 29%) when non pretreated patients are analyzed separately. This rate is in the range of doxorubicin activity."}
{"id": "PMID:1487408", "title": "Phase II study of gemcitabine in advanced colorectal adenocarcinoma.", "content": "A phase II trial of gemcitabine (difluorodeoxycytidine) was conducted in 14 patients with advanced colorectal adenocarcinoma. Gemcitabine was administered intravenously over 30 minutes at weekly intervals for 3 consecutive weeks each month. The starting dose was 800 mg/m2, with dose escalation as tolerated. No complete or partial response were observed. Ten patients experienced progressive disease while on therapy. Toxic effects were primarily hematologic in nature. Grade 3 toxicities included leukopenia (one patient at 1000 mg/m2), granulocytopenia (two patients at 800 mg/m2), anemia (two patients at 800 mg/m2), and myalgia (one patient at 800 mg/m2). No grade 4 toxic effects or treatment-associated deaths were observed. Gemcitabine, at the doses and schedule used in this study, did not demonstrate activity against advanced colorectal adenocarcinoma."}
{"id": "PMID:1487409", "title": "An extended phase II trial of ifosfamide plus mesna in malignant mesothelioma.", "content": "Forty three patients with histologically confirmed malignant mesothelioma were entered onto an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group phase II study of ifosfamide given with mesna. Eligibility criteria included adequate performance status, hemogram and renal functions. Ifosfamide was given at 1.5 g/m2 in 200 ml of normal saline over 30 minutes by intravenous infusion on days 1 to 5 of each 21 day cycle. Mesna was given at 300 mg/m2 on each day of ifosfamide at 0, 4 and 8 hours. Two patients were cancelled and one patient was ineligible. The most common toxicity was haematologic. More than 50% of the patients had at least one episode of severe or life threatening toxicity and 2 patients had lethal toxicity (1 renal and 1 pulmonary oedema attributed to treatment), and an additional 4 patients died while on study (2 of cardiac and 2 of cerebral vascular disease not considered directly related to treatment). Of the 40 eligible patients one was unevaluable for response, and one patient had a partial response lasting 6.3 months. Twenty four patients had a no change status with a median duration of 5 months. The median time to treatment failure for all eligible patients was 2.5 months. The median overall survival time (from registration) for all eligible patients was 6.9 months. In multi variable models, factors that predicted for a statistically significant poorer survival were age > or = 62, stage > or = 3, performance status poorer than 0 to 1 and prior surgery (i.e.: more than biopsy).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1487411", "title": "Phase II trial of merbarone in soft tissue sarcoma. A Southwest Oncology Group study.", "content": "Thirty-seven patients with advanced soft tissue sarcoma were treated with merbarone utilizing a daily intravenous schedule for five days. Only one partial response was observed in the thirty-three evaluable patients. The major toxicities were renal, with elevation of creatinine and/or proteinuria, and gastrointestinal, with mild to moderate nausea and vomiting. Merbarone in this dose and schedule has minimal activity in soft tissue sarcoma."}
{"id": "PMID:1487412", "title": "Maintenance therapy with interferon alfa 2b in patients with diffuse large cell lymphoma.", "content": "Forty-eight consecutive patients with diffuse large cell lymphoma (DLCL) in complete remission (CR) after conventional chemotherapy were enrolled in a prospective clinical trial. The maintenance therapy was a random either nothing or interferon alfa 2b (IFN) 5.0 MU three times a week for one year. The median duration of CR in the patients treated with IFN has not been reached. After five years 60% of patients remain in CR compared to the control group who had a median CR of 40 months (p < 0.001). Actuarial five-years survival in the IFN treated patients was 88% compared to 42% in the control group (p < 0.001). Maintenance therapy with IFN has been beneficial in patients with DLCL with improvement of duration of CR and survival without the excessive toxicity of most common third generation regimen chemotherapy. We felt that IFN could be explored in most controlled clinical trials in patients with DLCL in CR after conventional chemotherapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1487414", "title": "Coronary atherectomy: report of the first experience in Hawaii.", "content": "Since Andreas Gruentzig first introduced percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) in 1977, the ability to revascularize occluded coronary vessels with a catheter has enjoyed an explosive and unimaginable growth. As the equipment and operator experience improved, the possibilities appeared boundless. However, balloon angioplasty is hampered by a significant restenosis rate in the dilated vessel (approximately 30%), which is higher in selected locations (up to 60% in the proximal left anterior descending artery), even in the best of hands. This fundamental limitation may in part be due to the actual nature of the technique itself--stretching the vessel and fissuring the plaque causing remodeling without removal. The uneven, exposed vessel surface post-plaque rupture may contribute to activation of the hemostatic system, with acute thrombosis and release of various platelet and endothelial-derived growth factors, leading to long-term tissue proliferation and restenosis. Atherectomy, the mechanical removal of plaque from the vessel wall, appears to be an answer. This process actually debulks the culprit tissue and leaves behind a smoother, presumably less thrombogenic surface. We wish to report our first experience with a specific form of this technique in 4 consecutive patients, with a brief discussion of its promises and limitations."}
{"id": "PMID:1487415", "title": "Neonatal survival during a 2,500-mile flight.", "content": "Neonatal respiratory failure, no matter what the cause, may not always respond to standard mechanical ventilation techniques. Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation has emerged over the last 15 years as an adjunct to the treatment of these babies with a greater than 80% survival nationwide. Limited resources and personnel costs can be prohibitive, forcing regionalization of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) centers. Geographic distance from a center should not limit its potential application, however. Familiarity with the technique, early application of the modality and the availability of medical air transport, allows for referral and transfer of neonates over great distances with excellent results and outcomes. We present a case of respiratory failure in a neonate transported 2,500 miles for ECMO therapy with an excellent outcome and a rapid return home."}
{"id": "PMID:1487417", "title": "Sickle and thalassemic erythroid progenitor cells are different from normal.", "content": "Blood erythroid progenitors (BFU-E) from patients with sickle and thalassemic syndromes were compared with those from normal individuals. The day of maximal colony formation in methyl cellulose was slightly later in the cultures from the patients with hemoglobinopathies than in the normal cultures. The number of colonies/100,000 mononuclear cells was similar in all cultures on day 13, but was higher in the hemoglobinopathy cultures on the day of maximal growth. The number of BFU-E/mL of blood was significantly higher than normal at all times in both sickle cell anemia and thalassemia. The proportional synthesis of gamma globin was twice normal in all sickle cultures, and 4 times normal in those from beta+-thalassemia. Hemin and interleukin-3 increased the numbers of erythroid colonies in all cultures, but did not consistently alter the globin synthesis patterns. Each progenitor population has a unique pattern in terms of time course, number of BFU-E, and level of gamma globin synthesis. These features indicate distinct types of BFU-E, or differences in accessory cells, or both, which distinguish blood-borne erythropoiesis in normals and those with hemoglobinopathies."}
{"id": "PMID:1487418", "title": "Clinical, hematological, and molecular features in Sicilians with sickle cell disease.", "content": "We report the clinical, hematological, and molecular findings observed in 32 Sicilian patients with sickle cell disease. None of our patients received regular blood transfusions and careful infectious disease prophylaxis was carried out for all. Haplotyping of beta S chromosomes was performed in all patients; all were homozygous for haplotype #19 (Benin). Gene mapping excluded the presence of an alpha-thalassemia in 13 of our patients; none of the relatives showed any evidence of the presence of alpha-thalassemia. Hb F levels were 11.8 +/- 5.9% with G gamma representing 39.6 +/- 3.6% of total gamma chain. Hb F levels were higher in females than in males (12.5 +/- 5.9% versus 9.7 +/- 6.5%) but the difference was not statistically significant. All patients, regardless of age and sex, were anemic with normal mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration, high mean corpuscular volume and mean corpuscular hemoglobin, and mild reticulocytosis. Analysis of clinical manifestations suggests that our patients have a disease of moderate severity."}
{"id": "PMID:1487419", "title": "Hb Q-Thailand [alpha 74(EF3)Asp-->His]: gene organization, molecular structure, and DNA diagnosis.", "content": "Hb Q-Thailand [alpha 74(EF3)Asp-->His] is often found in Thailand, China, and other Southeast Asian countries. The alpha-Q-Thailand gene is strongly linked to an alpha gene deletion and has important implications in the identification and diagnosis of hemoglobinopathies and thalassemias. The alpha-Q-Thailand mutation was previously mapped to the alpha 1 gene in a study of Chinese patients. In this paper, a Thai patient with Hb Q-Thailand/Hb H disease and his mother were studied at the DNA level, and the gene organization of Hb Q-Thailand in the Thai patient was found to be the same as that of Chinese patients (i.e. the Hb Q-Thailand gene is located on the alpha 1 gene of chromosome #16, while the -4.2 kb or leftward deletion involves the alpha 2 gene). Also, the GAC-->CAC mutation proposed at codon 74, has been confirmed by DNA sequencing and a simple and accurate method for diagnosis of the Hb Q-Thailand variant has been developed based on restriction enzyme analysis. Since the GAC-->CAC mutation generates new cutting sites for both restriction enzymes Apa LI and Hgi AI, polymerase chain reaction amplification of a specific region around codon 74, followed by digestion with these enzymes and agarose gel electrophoresis of the digested products, permits rapid and accurate identification of Hb Q-Thailand."}
{"id": "PMID:1487420", "title": "Hb Graz or alpha 2 beta 2(2)(NA2)His-->Leu; a new beta chain variant observed in four families from southern Austria.", "content": "Two abnormal hemoglobins were accidentally detected by cation exchange high performance liquid chromatography with the Diamat system of Bio-Rad Laboratories; the variants eluted together with the fast-moving Hb A1c. Structural analysis of isolated beta chains and sequence analysis of amplified DNA identified a new variant, i.e. Hb Graz that has a His-->Leu replacement at position 2 of the beta chain, in four healthy, apparently unrelated, adults. The second variant was identical to Hb Sherwood Forest or alpha 2 beta 2(104)(G6)Arg-->Thr; it is believed that this may be the second observation of this abnormal hemoglobin."}
{"id": "PMID:1487421", "title": "Normal delta-globin gene sequences in Sardinian nondeletional delta beta-thalassemia.", "content": "In order to clarify the reasons for the reduced Hb A2 levels in Sardinian delta beta-thalassemia, we characterized, both by cloning and sequence analysis and by direct sequencing of amplified DNA, the delta-globin gene from an individual of Sardinian descent who is a compound heterozygote for the beta zero-thalassemia codon 39 (C-->T) nonsense mutation and the Sardinian delta beta-thalassemia [codon 39(C-->T)/-196(C-->T)A gamma]. The analysis of the delta-globin gene from the delta beta-thalassemia chromosome revealed an entirely normal sequence. The defective function of the delta-globin gene in this determinant is thus likely related to a suppressive effect of the in cis nondeletional high persistence of fetal hemoglobin mutation of the A gamma gene, probably resulting from an increased capability of the relative promoter to interact with the locus control region."}
{"id": "PMID:1487426", "title": "Hemoglobinopathies in Yugoslavia: an update.", "content": "This paper summarizes information on the epidemiology and molecular basis of hemoglobinopathies in Yugoslavia. Over the past 25 years, population surveys of more than 28,000 school children from all over the country, except Slovenia, have shown that the average incidence of beta-thalassemia (beta-thal) trait is 1.2%, ranging from 2.9% in the south (Macedonia) to 0.8% in the northwest (Croatia). The frequency of delta beta-thal is 0.2%, while the frequency of the Swiss type of hereditary persistence of fetal hemoglobin (HPFH) is 0.4%. Screening of 6,400 newborns has shown that the frequency of alpha-thal trait is 1.6%. The molecular basis of the different forms of beta-thal among Yugoslavians has been almost completely defined. Over 250 beta-thal chromosomes have been studied, and in over 90% the molecular defect was determined. Eighteen different beta-thal mutations have been detected, three of which (IVS-I-110, G-->A; IVS-I-6, T-->C; IVS-I-1, G-->A) account for more than 70% of all beta-thal chromosomes. Four new mutations [-87 (C-->A); IVS-II-850 (G-->C); initiation codon mutation T-->C; poly A (AATAAA-->AATGAA)] and one new deletion (1605 bp) have been characterized. Molecular analyses of DNA from over 30 unrelated cases with delta beta-thal have shown that this condition is mainly caused by a 13 kb deletion (Sicilian type); in one family a deletion of > 18 to 23 kb (Macedonian type), and in another family a deletion of 148 kb (Yugoslavian type of epsilon gamma delta beta-thal) of the globin gene complex was discovered. Limited studies of alpha-thal in Yugoslavia have shown the following types of molecular defects: approximately 20.5 kb deletion, approximately 17.5 kb deletion, -3.7 kb deletion, 5 nucleotide (nt) deletion, and Hb Icaria. The incidence of abnormal hemoglobins (Hbs) in Yugoslavia is 0.3%. Five different alpha chain variants among 21 families, 15 different beta chain variants among 53 families, one delta chain variant in one family, one variant with a deleted residue in one family, and two types of Hb Lepore among 122 families, have been observed."}
{"id": "PMID:1487427", "title": "Mitotic and salivary gland chromosome analyses in the Musca domestica L. (house fly) (Diptera: Muscidae).", "content": "The mitotic chromosomes in Musca domestica consist of five pairs of autosomes and an X, Y sex chromosome pair. They respond to C-banding with procentric bands on all autosomes and deep staining over most of the X and Y chromosomes. Polytene chromosomes were previously found in several larval and pupal tissue of Musca domestica. Polytene chromosome reference maps of the two sexual and the five autosomal chromosomes of Musca domestica from salivary gland cells are shown. Characteristic features of each chromosome are described identifying areas that are difficult to analyse."}
{"id": "PMID:1487428", "title": "Natural selection on body size in Tribolium: possible genetic constraints on adaptive evolution.", "content": "To determine whether genetic constraints on adaptive evolution were operating in a laboratory population of a flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum, we first estimated the direct selection acting on each of several body size traits. Strong selection in males for an increase in pupal weight and a decrease in the ratio of adult to pupal weight occurred. In addition, a non-significant trend for a decrease in adult width was found. No significant selection on females was detected, although there were trends toward an increase in pupal weight and a decrease in adult width. These estimates were then combined with estimates of the genetic variances and covariances of the traits to predict the multivariate response to selection, that is, the evolutionary change in the traits across one generation. These projections showed only a small predicted change in male pupal weight in spite of the strong selection on pupal weight, and a relatively large predicted increase in width in spite of the possible negative direct selection on this trait. Both of these results were due in part to the positive genetic covariance between pupal weight and width, and they therefore suggest the possibility of genetic constraints on adaptive evolution of these traits."}
{"id": "PMID:1487429", "title": "Localization of collagen X in human fetal and juvenile articular cartilage and bone.", "content": "The tissue localization was analysed of collagen X during human fetal and juvenile articular cartilage-bone metamorphosis. This unique collagen type was found in the hypertrophic cartilage zone peri- and extracellularly and in cartilage residues within bone trabeculae. In addition, occasionally a slight intracellular staining reaction was found in prehypertrophic proliferating chondrocytes and in chondrocytes surrounding vascular channels. A slight staining was also seen in the zone of periosteal ossification and occasionally at the transition zone of the perichondrium to resting cartilage. Our data provide evidence that the appearance of collagen X is mainly associated with cartilage hypertrophy, analogous to the reported tissue distribution of this collagen type in animals. In addition, we observed an increased and often \"spotty\" distribution of collagen X with increasing cartilage \"degeneration\" associated with the closure of the growth plate. In basal hypertrophic cartilage areas, a co-distribution of collagens II and X was found with very little and \"spotty\" collagen III. In juvenile cartilage areas around single hypertrophic chondrocytes, co-localization of collagens X and I was also detected."}
{"id": "PMID:1487430", "title": "Phenotypic changes in germ cells during gonadal development of the common carp (Cyprinus carpio). An immunohistochemical study with anti-carp spermatogonia monoclonal antibodies.", "content": "A procedure is described in which large early spermatogonia were isolated from carp testes and purified from an initial 4-5% recovery up to 60-70% using equilibrium density centrifugation on a continuous Percoll gradient. Mice were immunized with the spermatogonia via the intrasplenic route. Six hybridoma cultures, producing monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) reacting selectively with germ cells, were selected and further analysed. Reactivity with five of these MAbs was observed on primordial germ cells (PGCs) in the developing indifferent gonads at the onset of proliferation, i.e. the age of 7 weeks. One MAb, encoded WCG6, appeared to define a new surface marker on PGCs being gradually expressed on the surface membrane between the age of 2 and 4 weeks, concomitantly with an increase in size of these mitotically silent cells. The reactivity of germ cells with five of the MAbs disappeared completely (WCG 7, 12, 15, 21) or nearly completely (WCG 6) during spermatogenesis, providing a striking difference from patterns obtained with MAbs raised previously against carp spermatozoa. Differences between male and female germ cells were not observed with the WCG-MAbs during gonad development, indicating that a common set of surface antigens is shared between germ cells of both sexes up to and including spermatogonia and oogonia."}
{"id": "PMID:1487431", "title": "Immunoelectron microscopic study of proteoglycans in rat epiphyseal growth plate cartilage after fixation with ruthenium hexamine trichloride (RHT).", "content": "The localization of proteoglycans in rat epiphyseal growth plate cartilage was investigated immunoelectron microscopically by the post-embedding method, using mouse monoclonal antibody (2-B-6) which specifically recognizes 4-sulphated chondroitin or dermatan sulphate after digestion of proteoglycans with chondroitinase ABC. Fixation with ruthenium hexamine trichloride (RHT) and embedding in LR White served to preserve chondrocytes in the expanded state and matrix proteoglycans were observed as a reticular network of filaments. Immunoelectron microscopy revealed gold labelling of the secondary antibodies for the demonstration of proteoglycans on these filamentous structures and in elements of the Golgi apparatus. Filaments associated with matrix vesicles were also labelled. After fixation in the presence of RHT, it was clearly demonstrated that cartilage matrix proteoglycans are retained approximately in their original spatial distribution and their antigenicity is well preserved."}
{"id": "PMID:1487432", "title": "A comparison of tooth structure in Neanderthals and early Homo sapiens sapiens: a radiographic study.", "content": "Tooth components of 1st and 2nd erupted permanent molars were measured from standardised radiographs of Homo sapiens sapiens and Homo sapiens neanderthalensis. Enamel height was greater in Homo sapiens sapiens but pulp height and width and the height of the enamel to floor of the pulp chamber were greater in Homo sapiens neanderthalensis. Dentine height, crown width and enamel width showed similar results in the two groups. Unerupted first molars were measured to analyse the influence of function on tooth components and the results obtained were always within the range measured for the erupted teeth. Discriminant analysis between groups, using tooth components, showed accuracy of 93% for identification of Homo sapiens sapiens and 94% for identification of Homo sapiens neanderthalensis. The results support the hypothesis of a distinct evolutionary line for the Neanderthals."}
{"id": "PMID:1487433", "title": "Neurotropic influence of the distal stump of transected peripheral nerve on axonal regeneration: absence of topographic specificity in adult nerve.", "content": "Observations have been made on the growth of regenerating axons from transected rat sciatic nerve through Y-shaped silicone tubes. When the distal stump of the nerve was sutured into 1 distal limb of the tube and a fat pad into the other, a clear preference for the axons to regenerate towards the distal stump was found. In other experiments regenerating axons from the peroneal or tibial divisions of the sciatic nerve were given the choice of growing towards either the peroneal or tibial nerves, each being inserted into 1 of the 2 distal limbs of the Y-tube. No significant preference of the proximal stump to regenerate towards its appropriate distal stump was detected. A neurotropic influence of the distal stump on the nerve has therefore been confirmed, but topographic specificity of regeneration at the level of the nerve trunk has not been established."}
{"id": "PMID:1487434", "title": "The morphology and innervation of facial vibrissae in the tammar wallaby, Macropus eugenii.", "content": "The morphology of the vibrissal follicles on the mystacial pad of the tammar wallaby is similar to that seen in other species except that the follicles lack a ringwulst or ring sinus. Instead, the mesenchymal sheath is thickened around the central region of the hair shaft. The follicle is innervated by both deep and superficial vibrissal nerves. The deep nerve enters as 4-11 fascicles which can be in close proximity or widely distributed around the hair. C1 follicles received more myelinated nerve fibres (252 +/- 31) than the smaller C4 follicles (174 +/- 43). The deep vibrissal nerve supplies the thickened mesenchymal sheath, the narrow 'waist' region above and the majority of endings in the inner conical body (ICB), while the superficial nerves provide a sparse innervation to the ICB and rete ridge. Receptors present in the follicle were of 4 types: (1) Merkel cells, especially numerous in the outer root sheath of the 'waist' region and occasionally in the ICB and rete ridge; (2) and (3) lanceolate and lamellated endings parallel to the hair shaft in both the mesenchymal thickening and the 'waist' region where they were particularly dense; (4) free nerve endings in the mesenchymal thickening, 'waist' region and ICB. No corpuscular, bulbous or Ruffini endings were seen. The innervation of the intervibrissal fur was similar to that described in other species."}
{"id": "PMID:1487435", "title": "Comparative morphology of the mandibulodental complex in wild and domestic canids.", "content": "The relationships between mandibular and dental measurements were investigated in a sample of 60 adult domestic dogs, 17 black-backed jackals Canis mesomelas, 18 side-striped jackals C. adustus and 16 Cape foxes Vulpes chama. Standard mesiodistal and buccolingual tooth measurements, together with 8 mandibular measurements (intercondylar distance, intercarnassial breadth, mandibular length, arch length, condylar height, canine-condylar length, mandibular width, mandibular height) were scaled allometrically to total skull length. Despite wide differences in diet and sexual dimorphism between the 3 wild canid species, larger canids were found to be scaled up versions of smaller canids. While males showed a highly concordant patterning when compared with domestic dogs of equivalent size, females showed a remarkably mosaic pattern. Relative to skull size, the only teeth that appear to be larger than those of equivalently sized domestic dogs were the second molars. It is suggested that those theories of sexual dimorphism and functional integration which apply to skeletodental dimensions in primates may not be applicable to canids."}
{"id": "PMID:1487436", "title": "Distribution of subchondral bone density and cartilage thickness in the human patella.", "content": "Subchondral bone density (by means of CT osteoabsorptiometry), and cartilage thickness (directly measured on photocopies of frozen sections), were examined in 30 human patellae, with an age range from 47 to 90 y. A surface demonstration of the distribution was prepared, and representative pictures produced by summation with a computer. Subchondral bone-density maxima were found in the proximal part of the lateral facet, and the density pattern interpreted as the expression of the long-term distribution of stress in the joint. It is reasonable to assume that cartilage thickness, of which two-thirds of the maximum values occupy a lateral position, is also dependent on the local stress. The 2 distributions show correlation coefficients > 0.5 in approximately a third of the cases we examined. Displacement of the higher values of cartilage thickness relative to the subchondral density maxima is attributed to incongruence in the medial part of the joint."}
{"id": "PMID:1487437", "title": "Distribution of enkephalin-like immunoreactivity in the central nervous system of the rainbow trout: an immunocytochemical study.", "content": "The distribution of enkephalin-like immunoreactive (ELI) cell bodies and fibres in the brain of the teleost Salmo gairdneri L. was demonstrated with the indirect peroxidase-antiperoxidase immunocytochemical technique using a highly specific antiserum. In the telencephalon, ELI cell bodies were located in the area ventralis. In the diencephalon, they were found in the nucleus ventromedialis of the thalamus, nucleus lateralis tuberis, nucleus recessus lateralis, and nucleus recessus posterioris. In the mesencephalic tegmentum, ELI cell bodies were found in the nucleus of the rostral mesencephalic tegmentum, and in a group of neurons which was located dorsal to the nucleus of the rostral mesencephalic tegmentum. In the medial torus semicircularis, small numbers of immunoreactive cell bodies were found. In the cerebellum, numerous cell bodies were observed in the granule cell layer and at the border between the granular and molecular layer. ELI cell bodies were also seen in the nucleus tegmenti dorsalis lateralis and nucleus fasciculi solitarii. ELI fibres were widely distributed in the rainbow trout brain. The highest density of immunoreactive fibres was found in the area ventralis telencephali, the mesencephalic tegmentum, the stratum opticum of the optic tectum, the central gray of the brainstem, the caudal part of the fasciculi solitarii and the dorsal horn of the spinal cord. In the stratum fibrosum et griseum superficiale, stratum griseum centrale and stratum album centrale of the optic tectum, a moderate number of immunoreactive fibres was observed. In the olfactory bulb only a few immunoreactive fibres were present. No effect in the labelling was found after colchicine injections. These results provide the first complete mapping of the ELI in a fish brain. It is clear that enkephalins show a similar distribution pattern in Salmo gairdneri to that in other vertebrates; however, the number of ELI cell bodies in the fish brain is smaller than in land vertebrates. The distribution of enkephalins in specific hypothalamic nuclei, visual areas, and in the brainstem of the rainbow trout brain, suggests that these peptides are involved in the modulation of neuroendocrine and as well in visual and somatosensory functions."}
{"id": "PMID:1487438", "title": "The relationship between capillarisation and fibre types during compensatory hypertrophy of the plantaris muscle in the rat.", "content": "Compensatory hypertrophy of the plantaris muscle was obtained by denervation of its synergists. This hypertrophy is characterised by a 32% increase in muscle mass. The muscle consists of type I and IIa (oxidative), and IIb (glycolytic) fibres. Fibres of all types were enlarged in hypertrophied muscles and the proportion of type I fibres was increased. We investigated the capillarisation after hypertrophy as related to fibre type. In order to obtain this information a new technique was used, capable of estimating not only the traditional overall capillary density (CD) but also an index of heterogeneity in capillary spacing (LogSD), the 'local capillary to fibre ratio' (LCFR), obtained separately for each muscle fibre type, and finally a capillary density for each respective fibre type, the 'capillary fibre density' (CFD). It was found in both control and hypertrophied muscles that CD was higher in the deep (few IIb fibres) than in the superficial part of the muscle (considerable number of IIb fibres). The LogSD was lower, indicating less heterogeneity, in the deep than in the superficial part of the muscle. The LCFR and CFD of each fibre type was greater in the deep than in the superficial region of both control and hypertrophied muscles. Furthermore the CFD and LCFR were larger in type I and IIa fibres than in IIb fibres in each region of control and hypertrophied muscles. In hypertrophied muscles the CD was not significantly different from that of control muscles. However, LCFR of all fibre types was increased significantly in hypertrophied muscles as compared with controls, demonstrating capillary proliferation. The decreased CFD of type I and IIa fibres in the deep region of hypertrophied muscles as compared with controls suggests that here the capillary proliferation lags behind the increase in muscle mass. Endurance training had no significant effects for any region in any of the indices that were used."}
{"id": "PMID:1487439", "title": "The harderian gland of desert rodents: a histological and ultrastructural study.", "content": "This study describes the structure of the harderian gland in desert rodents: 3 Gerbillidae species (Gerbillus gerbillus, Meriones crassus, Psammomys obesus) and 1 Ctenodactylidae species (Ctenodactylus vali). In all these species the gland consists of tubules lined by a single layer of epithelial cells and possesses myoepithelial cells within their basal laminae. The gland contains porphyrin which is stored as solid intraluminal deposits. The glandular epithelium presents a single cell type (type I) in Psammomys obesus, 2 cell types (I and II) in Ctenodactylus vali and 3 (I, II and III) in Gerbillus gerbillus and Meriones crassus. The type I and II cells are columnar. They are characterised by many lipid vacuoles and a well developed vesicle-like structure of smooth endoplasmic reticulum. In Gerbillus gerbillus and Meriones crassus the type I cells can be distinguished from type II cells by cytoplasmic clefts approximately 1 micron in length. In Ctenodactylus vali type I cells are characterised by cytoplasmic rod-shaped crystalloid structures approximately 0.5 microns in length which are frequently observed in the mitochondrial matrix. These structures are also present in the sole cell type of Psammomys obesus. Most of the secretory lipid vacuoles of the type I cell contain an electron-dense material, possibly porphyrin, which presents different appearances according to species: it is lamellar in Gerbillus gerbillus, trilamellar in Meriones crassus, and amorphous in Psammomys obesus and Ctenodactylus vali. Secretory lipid vacuoles are released primarily by exocytosis, but holocrine and apocrine secretion is also observed. The type III cells are pyramidal. This cell type is characterised by the presence of an extraordinarily well developed granular endoplasmic reticulum, organised in concentric lamellae in Gerbillus gerbillus, and very numerous mitochondria. Epithelial cells are frequently binucleate. The single excretory duct contains both mucous and serous cells. Mast cells, plasma cells, macrophages, fenestrated capillaries and unmyelinated nerve endings with clear or dense-cored vesicles are present in the connective tissue. Melanocytes are very numerous in the interstices of the Gerbillidae harderian gland. The gland is surrounded by a collagenous capsule and an outer layer of endothelial cells derived from the orbital venous sinus."}
{"id": "PMID:1487440", "title": "Distribution of 125iodine-labelled mouse immunoglobulin G injected intravenously in pregnant mice.", "content": "Mouse immunoglobulin G (IgG) was iodinated with 125iodine (I) and injected intravenously into pregnant mice in order to examine whether mouse granulated metrial gland (GMG) cells are able to take up IgG in vivo. The mice were injected intravenously on days 8, 12 or 16 of pregnancy and killed either 5 min, 2 h or 24 h after injection. Implantation sites and spleen, thymus, liver and para-aortic lymph nodes were fixed and autoradiographs of sectioned (1 micron) material prepared to examine the distribution of labelled IgG. In general, at all stages of pregnancy and time intervals examined after injection of the 125I IgG, radioactivity was detected at higher levels in blood vessels than in tissue spaces of the same regions. No evidence for the uptake of radioactive IgG by normal GMG cells in the decidua basalis, metrial gland or in the maternal blood spaces of the labyrinthine placenta was found. The only GMG cells which had accumulations of silver grains showed signs of pyknosis. The uptake of IgG by stromal cells in close proximity to GMG cells and the distribution of radioactivity in the extravascular tissues showed that the intravenously injected 125I IgG was available to the GMG cells. Accumulations of silver grains were a prominent feature of the regions immediately adjacent to most GMG cells in the placental labyrinth and some were clearly associated with degenerate layer 1 trophoblast cells. The radioactivity detected in degenerate GMG cells and degenerate layer 1 trophoblast cells may be the result of nonspecific uptake as a consequence of the cells' death."}
{"id": "PMID:1487441", "title": "Fibre size and type adaptations to spinal isolation and cyclical passive stretch in cat hindlimb.", "content": "Impulse activity is known to have a strong influence in determining the characteristics that distinguish skeletal muscle fibres into types. The control of muscle proteins by the neural systems that innervate the muscles, however, is not complete (Edgerton et al. 1985, 1990). The purpose of the present study, therefore, was to determine the effects of inactivity for 6 months on the size and fibre type composition of selected cat hindlimb muscles. Inactivity was produced by isolating the lumbar region of the spinal cord, i.e. transecting the cord at T12-T13 and again at L7-.S1 and then performing a bilateral dorsal rhizotomy between the transection sites (SI). In each SI cat, one hindlimb was passively manipulated for 30 min per day through a range of motion at the ankle mimicking a step cycle. SI resulted in an atrophic response in most muscles, with predominantly slow extensors showing the largest effect. In general, the predominant fibre type, which also had the largest mean size, in each muscle atrophied the most. The mean fibre size of all fibre types were similar after SI, suggesting that there may be a minimal size for inactive intact fibres. In comparison with control animals, all muscles in the SI cats had a higher proportion of fast fibres. Further, the relative contribution of the slow fibres to the total cross-sectional area of the muscle was decreased following SI. Some slow fibres in each muscle, however, were resistant to change. These data demonstrate the extent to which size and myosin type of mammalian muscle fibres are independent of activation characteristics."}
{"id": "PMID:1487442", "title": "The inheritance of vertebral shape in the mouse. I. A study using Fourier analysis to examine patterns of inheritance in the morphology of cervical and upper thoracic vertebrae.", "content": "The shapes of cervical and upper thoracic vertebrae from large samples of 2 inbred strains of mice and their F1 offspring were examined using Fourier analysis to investigate in detail the distributions and magnitudes of differences in vertebral shape between different strains of mice, the relationships between parents and offspring and any differences in the inheritance of vertebral shape between successive vertebral levels. Consistent with the findings of an earlier study there was evidence for considerable differences between vertebral levels in the degree to which offspring resemble one or other parent. The results demonstrate that the inheritance of vertebral morphology conforms to a model in which F1s between inbred strains form a triangular relationship with their parents. Furthermore, this relationship varies between vertebral levels. The significance of these findings is considered in relation to the understanding of the mechanisms of character inheritance and evolution and some new directions for research into vertebral column morphogenesis are proposed."}
{"id": "PMID:1487443", "title": "The human anterior cruciate ligament: histological and ultrastructural observations.", "content": "In transverse and longitudinal paraffin-embedded sections, the human anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is made up of wavy bundles of collagen fibres arrayed in various directions, the majority around the axis of the ligament with a few running parallel to it. The fascicles making up the larger bundles are also characterised by this undulating appearance. In thin sections 2 types of collagen fibrils are observed: small (with a single diameter peak at 45 nm) and large (3 peaks at 35, 50 and 75 nm respectively), organised into distinct areas made up of either large or small bundles of fibrils. The numerous fibroblasts that are present appear elongated in the direction of the bundles with branches and short cytoplasmic processes. The elastic system is made up of both elastic and oxytalan fibres. The varied orientation of the bundles in the ACL, the complex ultrastructural organisation and the abundant elastic system make it very different from other ligaments and tendons, providing a structure able to withstand the multiaxial stresses and varying tensile strains imposed upon it."}
{"id": "PMID:1487444", "title": "Postcranial morphological features of homozygous tetraploid mouse embryos.", "content": "The postcranial morphological features of 22 homozygous tetraploid mouse embryos were studied. The latter were produced by electrofusion of blastomeres at the 2-cell stage in vitro, and were transferred to appropriate recipients that were autopsied on d 12-16 of gestation. Seven embryos were isolated on d 15 or d 16 of gestation and were developmentally equivalent to control diploid embryos of 13-14.5 d p.c. In each of these embryos, their sex could be determined from the histological analysis of their gonads. A further 15 embryos were isolated on d 12-14 of gestation and most were developmentally equivalent to controls of between 11-11.5 and 12-12.5 d p.c. The sex of these embryos could not be determined from the analysis of their gonads, as these were all at the 'indifferent' stage. Twelve of the 22 embryos had a normal postcranial axial morphology, while 10 had an abnormal postcranial axial morphology associated with an enormous omphalocele which contained most of the abdominal viscera and often, particularly in the more advanced specimens, the heart as well. In each of the 7 developmentally most advanced embryos studied, a major congenital abnormality involving at least one organ system was present, but none of these was believed to be life-threatening. The most interesting finding was that 3 of these embryos had abnormalities of the aortic arch arterial system; in 2 embryos the arch of the aorta was retro-oesophageal and retrotracheal, while a 3rd embryo had transposition of the great vessels associated with a right-sided descending aorta. In a 4th embryo, an aneurysmal dilatation of the posterior cardinal vein was present, and this was associated with the anomalous persistence of the left subcardinal/supracardinal venous system. These abnormalities represent a degree of mirror imaging of the normal vascular arrangement. Analysis of the gonads revealed that all of the embryos with vascular abnormalities in this group were male (XXYY), and no vascular abnormalities were present in the females (XXXX). The histological features of the viscera were normal. In 5 of the 15 developmentally less advanced embryos, the distal part of the bulbus cordis region of the heart was displaced medially, and consequently the outflow tract was located on the left part of the pericardial cavity rather than on the right where it is normally found. This may represent an early stage in the differentiation of the aortic arch arterial vascular anomalies indicated above. In 2 additional embryos, abnormally located (i.e. retro-oesophageal) innominate vessels were present.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1487445", "title": "Enhanced horseradish peroxidase uptake in the electrically stimulated cochlea of the guinea pig.", "content": "Stimulation with alternating current at the round window causes an accelerated uptake of extracellular HRP by endocytotic vesicles in inner hair cells at the base of the stimulated cochlea, near the site of the electrode, but does not noticeably affect uptake into outer hair cells. After unilateral electrical stimulation, efferent endings on outer hair cells at the cochlear base show increased vesicular and endosomal labelling in both the ipsilateral and contralateral ears. It is concluded that round-window electrical stimulation increases afferent synaptic activity in inner hair cells near the electrode site, and also increases synaptic activity in OHC efferent endings, not only of the ipsilateral cochlea but also of the corresponding region of the contralateral cochlea. Rapid diffuse cytoplasmic labelling of inner and outer hair cells also occurs sporadically in both stimulated and unstimulated cochleae. However, in efferent terminals, diffuse labelling is restricted to stimulated animals, and occurs bilaterally, in corresponding basal regions of the cochlea."}
{"id": "PMID:1487446", "title": "Tissue reactions induced by hydrocolloid wound dressings.", "content": "Porcine full-thickness excisional wounds were treated with 4 different hydrocolloid (HCD) dressings--DuoDERM (ConvaTec/E. R. Squibb), Intrasite HCD (Smith and Nephew Medical), Tegasorb (3M) and Replicare (Smith and Nephew Medical). Animals were killed at 4, 10, 21 and 90 d post-wound, excision sites were fixed in formalin and processed for histological analysis. Granulomatous lesions were observed following treatment with each of the 4 HCD dressings. Such lesions developed between 4 and 10 d post-wound, exhibiting little evidence of resolution at 90 d post-wound. Of the 4 dressings examined, DuoDERM and Intrasite HCD precipitated the most severe reaction, each treatment resulting in granulomata with a distinct and different morphology. Treatment with DuoDERM resulted in granulomata characterised by a random distribution of dendritic cells, epithelioid cells, multinucleated giant cells, lymphocytes and plasma cells. In contrast, treatment with Intrasite HCD resulted in highly organised granulomata, consisting of a central focus of epithelioid cells surrounded by a peripheral cuff of macrophages, lymphocytes and plasma cells. This experimental study highlights chronic inflammatory lesions that may, if reflected in the clinical environment, question the efficacy and indication of HCD dressings in the treatment of wounds having a number of different aetiologies."}
{"id": "PMID:1487450", "title": "[The progress of National Leprosarium].", "content": "Leprosy Prevention Law was proclaimed in 1907 in Japan. According to the regulation, Leprosy Control Policy has got under way by the Government. In 1909, five leprosaria were established in the leprosy endemic areas by local government to admit vagrant leprosy patients who were estimated as one thousand and two hundred. The vagabonds had many troubles, especially, they often escaped from leprosaria. Dr. Kensuke Mitsuda who was one of the directors of leprosaria suggested the Government to establish the National Leprosarium in small island to admit them. In 1930, the Government had Ten-year Program to eradicate leprosy and decided to set up ten thousand beds in existing leprosaria and newly-established National Leprosarium. The plan has been almost completed by the construction of five National Leprosaria by 1940. The number of in-patients was 9,125, including 4,389 in five national institutions. In 1941, five local leprosaria were transferred their superintendence to the Central Government, after then, in 1943 and 1944, two National Leprosaria were established. The total number of National Leprosarium in Japan came to thirteen in 1945."}
{"id": "PMID:1487451", "title": "[Biwasaki Leprosarium--a century of dedication].", "content": "Biwasaki Leprosarium, or Biwasaki Tairo Hospital, was established by Father Jean Marie Corre, a French Priest, in 1898. He was born in Brittany France, 1850. After being ordained to the priesthood, he came to Nagasaki, Kyushu, in 1876. He was just twenty six years old. He was greatly moved at the sight of the Hansenites and other sick people around the Honmyoji Temple in Kumamoto, Kyushu, which is one of the well-known temples in Japan. They were making a bare living by the charitable contributions of the pilgrims who visited the Temple, in those days. Fr. Corre moved from Nagasaki to Kumamoto. First, he built a church in Tetori, Kumamoto, and rented a house near the Honmyoji and began to look after the needs of the Hansenites. In 1896, he bought a large lot at Biwasaki in the Shimasaki area, Kumamoto, where is not far from Honmyoji. He remodeled some houses into the so-called sanatorium and started to accommodate those suffering from Hansen's disease. At the outset, he had the cooperation of nuns and church workers to look after the patients' needs. Furthermore, Fr. Corre appealed to Rome for the help and/or support in 1898 in order to expand this kind of project, and five nuns were dispatched in the following year from the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary in Rome. And since then the sisters have devoted themselves assiduously and faithfully to help the Hansenites as far as possible and they are still doing this. However, in 1963, a fire broke out from one of toilets and made a clear sweep of the whole building.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1487452", "title": "[Bacteriology of Mycobacterium leprae: from the gene technological viewpoint].", "content": "Recent studies on molecular biology of the mycobacterial gene, especially, of the M. leprae gene were reviewed. The properties of 65KDa, alpha-antigen, 36KDa and other proteins were focused."}
{"id": "PMID:1487453", "title": "[Monokine production by mouse peritoneal macrophages after phagocytosis of mycobacteria].", "content": "It is well known that monokines, IL-1 (Interleukin-1) and TNF (Tumor Necrosis Factor), are produced by macrophages after stimulated with various agents. These cytokines are involved in various aspects of the inflammatory process and immunological response in addition to their original activities to proliferate T lymphocytes and causing tumor necrosis, respectively. Recently, there have been reported that IL-1 and TNF also play an important role in mycobacterial infections such as granuloma formation. In the present study, IL-1 and TNF productions were observed by mouse peritoneal exudate and resident macrophages after incubation with heat-killed M. lepraemurium and M. avium in vitro. The production was enhanced by phagocytosis of these mycobacteria in a dose dependent manner, and the time course of the production was maximum within 24 hr after phagocytosis of these mycobacteria. It was also shown of morphological changes and enhanced glucose consumption in media by these macrophages. Above results suggest that phagocytosis of mycobacteria by macrophages leads to monokine production, which would not only causes well known immunological reactions but also makes characteristic phenomena to be observed in mycobacterial infections."}
{"id": "PMID:1487454", "title": "[Patients with calcinosis cutis in National Leprosarium Matsuoka Hoyo-En].", "content": "As of the year 1991 there were 358 leprosy patients in National Leprosarium Matsuoka Hoyo-En, including 223 patients (62.3%) who had received the injections of chaulmoogra oil before. Calcinosis cutis caused probably from the injections was noted on 73 patients (32.7%): 67 lepromatous and 6 tuberculosis cases. It has never been reported before that the T type patient suffering from calcinosis cutis was observed in the cases of the chaulmoogra oil injection in Japan. The detectable positions of calcinosis cutis were mostly at the injected sites, that is, outside the right brachium followed by bilateral-branchia and crura. In the group of patients with calcinosis cutis, the anti-PGL antibody was negative for the most part. Urinalyses, peripheral blood figure analyses, histopathological tissue examinations of calcium deposition, X-ray diffraction patterns, differential thermal and gravitational analyses, and chemical analyses were performed on all patients with this disease. Further, as the result of this study six patients with calcinosis cutis caused by sulpyrine was also found. The major component of the deposit by the drug was calcium phosphate. These calcinosis cutis were considered to be of trophopathic calcinosis based on the disorder of subcutaneous tissue due to the injections of respective drugs: chaulmoogra oil and sulpyrine."}
{"id": "PMID:1487455", "title": "Effects of propafenone on function and metabolism in the ischemic working rat heart.", "content": "We examined the effects of propafenone, a new anti-dysrhythmic agent, on myocardial function and metabolism in ischemic working rat heart preparations. In the treated hearts, propafenone, 0.3 micrograms/ml and 3 micrograms/ml, were added to Krebs-Henseleit bicarbonate buffer perfusate throughout the experiments. Whole heart ischemia was induced through a one-way aortic valve for 15 min followed by 'reperfusion for 30 min. After induction of ischemia, the cardiac output, peak aortic systolic pressure, left ventricular dP/dtmax, and myocardial ATP concentration were greater in the treated hearts than in the untreated ones. All hearts in the untreated group developed ventricular fibrillation (Vf) at the beginning of the reperfusion period. On the other hand, no treated hearts had Vf at any time during the experiment. However, propafenone, 3 micrograms/ml, evoked a negative inotropic effect before and after ischemia. These results indicate that propafenone may contribute to early recovery from ischemia in myocardial function and metabolism, although it has a negative inotropic action."}
{"id": "PMID:1487456", "title": "Mechanical and energetic changes in short-term volume and pressure overload of rabbit heart.", "content": "The mechanical and energetic consequences of a short-term volume overload (STVOL) hypertrophy and short-term pressure overload (STPOL) hypertrophy have been investigated in rabbits and compared with short-term sham-operated controls (STSOC). Hypertrophy was induced either by creating an aortocaval shunt (volume overload) or by banding the pulmonary artery (pressure overload). Suitable papillary muscles were excised from the hearts 8-10 days after the surgical procedure. At 27 degrees C and a stimulus frequency of 1.0 Hz, peak stress development of the STVOL preparations was significantly reduced from the control group, whereas no significant difference in peak stress development was evident between the STPOL and STSOC groups. Surprisingly, the STPOL preparations displayed pulsus alternans after only 8-10 days of inducing the overload. At steady-state conditions, the isometric 10%-90% rise times, the 90%-10% relaxation times, and the 1/2-widths were not significantly different between the treated and control groups. In isotonically contracting muscles working against a range of afterloads, the enthalpy (energy) and work output of the STVOL and STPOL preparations were depressed compared to the STSOC preparations; the differences were statistically significant for the STVOL group. Due to the parallel change in work and enthalpy, the mechanical efficiency was unaltered. A force-length-area (FLA) analysis, analogue of the pressure-volume-area (PVA) analysis, was applied to the isotonic data of this study. The isotonic enthalpy at the various load levels was plotted against the measured FLA and the data were fitted by linear regression. It was evident that the FLA correlated closely with the energy used. The STVOL and STPOL mean total energy:FLA regression lines lay parallel to but were below the STSOC line, signifying a drop in the activation heat, although this reduction did not achieve statistical significance. It is concluded that significant mechanical and energetic changes are evident after a short-term volume overload although earlier work has shown that these differences are absent at the later, compensated stage of hypertrophy. Changes associated with the pressure overload model suggest a disturbance in calcium regulation: this effect is also seen in long-term pressure overload."}
{"id": "PMID:1487457", "title": "Investigation of the dependence of human middle cerebral artery contractile activity on the presence of an atherosclerotic patch.", "content": "In some cases, human middle cerebral artery segments reacted to vasoconstrictor stimuli, including noradrenaline, KCL, prostaglandin F2 alpha, and activated platelets and neutrophils, by showing abnormally long-term contraction. All the segments were atherosclerotic, the atherosclerotic patch constricting the lumen to 30%-50%. Vasodilator concentrations that remove the ordinary contraction of vessels, only slightly limited the abnormal spastic reaction. A positive interaction between nifedipine and prostacyclin was revealed, and their combined use had a more marked anti-spasmatic effect than when these agents were used separately."}
{"id": "PMID:1487458", "title": "A case of pediatric cardiomyopathy with severely restrictive physiology.", "content": "A rare case of a 6-year-old male with idiopathic familial cardiomyopathy manifesting severely restrictive physiology is reported. The patient showed congestive heart failure with dilatation of both atria with a normal ventricular cavity. A square-root configuration was revealed in the ventricular pressure tracings. His elder brother had died of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy at the age of 3 years. Endomyocardial biopsy disclosed marked disorganization of muscle bundles with hypertrophy of the myocytes and interstitial fibrosis. The patient died suddenly during hospitalization. Autopsy revealed diffuse hypertrophy of both the ventricular walls and the ventricular septum with extensive myocardial disorganization and interstitial fibrosis. These advanced myopathic changes in the myocardium may have been related to the restrictive physiology in this case."}
{"id": "PMID:1487459", "title": "Extensive arterial calcification of unknown etiology in a 29-year-old male.", "content": "A 29-year-old male with generalized arterial calcification is presented. The roentgenogram showed extensive calcification bilaterally in the facial, brachial, renal, external iliac, femoral, and popliteal arteries. There was also calcification around the joints of the fingers, toes, elbows, and shoulders. The uniformity of arterial calcification in the radiograph differentiated this lesion from M\u00f6nckeberg's arteriosclerosis. The serum concentration levels of calcium, phosphorus, alkaline phosphatase, and calcium regulatory hormones were normal. The patient did not have diabetes mellitus, renal disease, or connective tissue disease, thus the etiology of the calcification was not identified. However, a bone scintigram showed that the uptake of 99 mTc-methylene diphosphate was significantly increased in the calcified arteries. Therefore, increased metabolic activity was associated with the derangement leading to arterial calcification."}
{"id": "PMID:1487460", "title": "[Imaging of aortic dissection: a retrospective study of 27 patients].", "content": "Aortic dissection can be a life threatening condition which requires an early diagnosis. As initial signs and symptoms may be nonspecific and confusing, reliable imaging techniques are requested for immediate and accurate diagnosis. This retrospective study of 27 patients with proven aortic dissection assesses the relative value of angiography, CT, and MR imaging. Contribution of these imaging modalities is discussed and illustrated. Aortic dissection was correctly identified by angiography and CT respectively in 100% and 83% of the cases. MRI was diagnostic in all six examined cases. Both angiography and CT proved to be reliable imaging modalities; in addition, they can be easily performed in the critically ill patient. We consider MRI useful in the evaluation of suspected dissection in stable patients and follow-up of medical or surgical therapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1487461", "title": "[Follow- up of a pleural malignant mesothelioma].", "content": "A case of malignant pleural mesothelioma is presented. The initial pleural abnormalities were radiologically rather non-specific and were wrongly interpreted anatomo-pathologically as pleural metastases. Chemotherapy however resulted in an exceptional survival of more than 10 years. CT scan showed the extensive pleural damage. The histologic, symptomatologic and radiologic features of this rare tumor are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1487462", "title": "Congenital arterial anomaly in the middle ear presenting as a glomus tumor.", "content": "A case of congenital agenesis of the cervical internal carotid artery with rerouting via the inferior tympanic artery and the embryonic hyoid artery to the horizontal internal carotid artery is presented. At otoscopy the anomaly simulated a glomus tumor. CT scan, by demonstration of the absence of the vertical portion of the carotid canal, the enlargement of the inferior tympanic canaliculus, and the soft tissue mass within the middle ear in continuity with the horizontal internal carotid artery, diagnosed the anomaly very accurately."}
{"id": "PMID:1487463", "title": "Intraarticular osteoid osteoma of the elbow.", "content": "The case of a man who developed osteoid osteoma of the elbow is presented. Intraarticular osteoid osteoma of the elbow is a rare lesion presenting both diagnostic and therapeutic problems. The radiologic features of intraarticular osteoid osteoma include osteosclerosis (usually a dominant feature at initial imaging and typically enveloping the nidus), joint effusion and periosteal reaction that can involve the bone in which the osteoid osteoma arises and the adjacent bones. Awareness of these features facilitates correct diagnosis, thereby enabling timely and appropriate treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1487464", "title": "[Superselective cerebral embolization of an arteriovenous malformation in the temporal lobe following partial neurosurgical resection].", "content": "We report a case of cerebral embolization of an arteriovenous malformation in the temporal lobe after partial neurosurgical resection. The lesion consisted of two compartments of which only the lateral part with combined large hematoma was resected. The medial compartment was treated by superselective embolization using a microcatheter and polyvinyl alcohol particles. Because of his psychiatric condition, general anaesthesia was used in this young male."}
{"id": "PMID:1487465", "title": "Obstruction of unusual origin in a small preterm baby-girl.", "content": "Intussusception is a rare cause of obstruction in the neonate. The authors report the case of a preterm babygirl operated at D8 for total rupture of the distal ileum proximal to intussusception. They suggest that the great prematurity might be responsible for this lesion similar to small bowel atresia secondary to antenatal intussusception."}
{"id": "PMID:1487466", "title": "Pulmonary lymphangiomyomatosis.", "content": "We report a case of pulmonary lymphangiomyomatosis in a young female. CT--and especially high resolution CT--is more specific and sensitive than chest radiography in showing the lung abnormalities. Pathognomonic CT findings are the presence of thin walled cystic air spaces spread throughout the lung parenchyma without nodules and without regional predominance and mostly surrounded by normal parenchyma. The superposition of the multiple thin walls of the cysts is responsible for the reticular interstitial pattern observed at chest radiography."}
{"id": "PMID:1487467", "title": "Pictorial essay: right aortic arch.", "content": "Right aortic arch is a rare congenital anomaly. It can be either an isolated finding or it can be part of a double aortic arch. This article discusses the radiographic appearance of this congenital anomaly on conventional chest X-ray, angiography, CT, and MRI."}
{"id": "PMID:1487468", "title": "CT imaging of soft tissue pathology of the ankle. A pictorial essay.", "content": "Despite the increasing importance of MR imaging, CT investigation remains a very useful and frequently applied method in the study of ankle pathology. In a short pictorial essay, the contribution of this technique to the diagnosis of soft tissue pathology of the ankle is discussed and illustrated."}
{"id": "PMID:1487471", "title": "Paroxetine versus placebo: a double-blind comparison in depressed patients.", "content": "Paroxetine is a potent and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI). The present study assessed the efficacy and tolerability of paroxetine against placebo in depressed outpatients. A double-blind, parallel-group study was undertaken in four stand-alone centers. Patients aged 18-65 years, meeting DSM-III criteria for major depression, and having a Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D) score > or = 18 on the first 17 items of the HAM-D-21 were randomized to paroxetine or placebo for 6 weeks of treatment. Efficacy outcome variables included the HAM-D, the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale, the Clinical Global Impressions Scale (CGI), and the Covi Anxiety Scale. Tolerability was assessed by asking a non-leading question. Routine laboratory safety and vital sign data from all four centers were pooled. The primary analysis used the intention-to-treat sample and for efficacy variables the last-observation-carried-forward data set was employed. Statistical methods included one-way analysis of variance for parametric and Fisher exact test for nonparametric variables. Significant differences (p < or = .05) were found between paroxetine and placebo on the HAM-D and CGI by Week 2 and on all efficacy outcome variables by Week 4. Improvement on the HAM-D sleep factor occurred 2 weeks prior to that seen on the retardation factor. Similar results were obtained when an adequate treatment group (therapy for > or = 28 days) was considered. A full clinical response (CGI-severity of illness score 1 or 2) was seen in over 40% of subjects. Adverse events were more common for paroxetine compared with placebo (p < or = .01). Somnolence was twice more common than nervousness. Dropout due to adverse events was similar between therapies. Paroxetine had no clinically significant effect on laboratory safety data or vital signs. Paroxetine was an effective, well tolerated, and safe antidepressant. Side effects were typical of the SSRI class of drugs. Symptoms indicative of a nonalerting profile were more common than those associated with alerting effects."}
{"id": "PMID:1487472", "title": "Emergence of obsessive compulsive symptoms during treatment with clozapine.", "content": "Clozapine differs from other currently available antipsychotics in its prominent serotonin blockade. We explore the relationship between clozapine and obsessive compulsive symptoms, which have been linked to deficient serotonin. We reviewed our experience in treating 49 chronic schizophrenic patients with clozapine. Five patients were identified who experienced either de novo obsessive compulsive symptoms or exacerbation of preexistent symptoms. Clinical details are provided for each case. Clozapine may produce or unmask obsessive compulsive symptoms. This may reflect a variation on the normal course of clinical improvement, or may more specifically result from clozapine's atypical pattern of CNS receptor antagonism. Further attention to this issue is warranted."}
{"id": "PMID:1487473", "title": "Bupropion in the treatment of bipolar disorders: the same old story?", "content": "The treatment of bipolar disorders with mood stabilizing agents is complicated by breakthrough episodes of depression. Currently there are no consistently safe and effective medications for these episodes. The authors address the use of bupropion for this purpose. Bupropion was added to the treatment regimens of 3 male and 8 female patients who had bipolar disorders as diagnosed by DSM-III-R criteria and were depressed and nonresponsive to current treatment. Ten of the 11 had previously cycled into manic episodes when treated with either a tricyclic antidepressant, fluoxetine, or phenelzine. Seven of the 11 patients had moderate-to-marked improvement after 6 weeks of treatment. A moderate-to-marked improvement continued in 4 of the 11 patients after a mean of 12 months of treatment (range, 0-20 months), justifying the continuation of bupropion. Baseline Global Assessment of Functioning scores, history of previous response to other antidepressants, treatment refractoriness, comorbid diagnoses, bipolar subtype, family history, cycle length, and demographics did not discriminate between bupropion responders and nonresponders. However, 6 of the 11 patients experienced manic or hypomanic episodes that necessitated discontinuation of bupropion. Five of the 6 patients who had manic episodes had been stabilized on lithium and carbamazepine or valproate prior to the addition of bupropion. These findings, based on consecutive cases, suggest that bupropion may pose the same risks as other antidepressants in precipitating manic episodes in depressed bipolar patients. The authors conclude that caution should be exercised when using bupropion in the treatment of bipolar disorders."}
{"id": "PMID:1487474", "title": "Efficacy and side effects of methylphenidate for poststroke depression.", "content": "Depression after stroke impedes the rehabilitation process and causes additional suffering to patient and family. Few studies have systematically examined pharmacologic treatments of poststroke depression. In the present paper, the use of the stimulant methylphenidate is studied in a depressed, elderly stroke population. Ten subjects (mean age = 73.2 years) meeting DSM-III-R criteria for major depression were followed-up during a 3-week efficacy and side effect trial involving methylphenidate. Subjects were selected from rehabilitation patients referred for psychiatric consultation. A total of 80% (8 of 10) of the subjects showed either a full or partial response as measured by Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression scores. The incidence of problematic side effects was low, and no subjects had to be discontinued from the study. Results of this methylphenidate trial for poststroke depression in elderly patients suggest that it is a safe and effective treatment for poststroke depression. Future studies are called for in which methylphenidate is compared with placebo controls and antidepressant medication."}
{"id": "PMID:1487477", "title": "Trends in the pharmacologic treatment of insomnia.", "content": "Data from the National Disease and Therapeutic Index for the time period 1987-1991 (IMS, America) were examined for recent trends in the pharmacologic treatment of insomnia. All medications given with the desired action of promoting sleep or sedation at night were categorized as benzodiazepine hypnotics, benzodiazepine nonhypnotics, antidepressants, or other. From 1987 to 1991, the following trends were found: (1) overall pharmacologic treatment for insomnia decreased by approximately 10%, (2) use of benzodiazepine hypnotics fell about 30% during this time period, (3) use of antidepressants for insomnia increased by 100%, and (4) the noted changes were somewhat stronger for institutionalized patients than for ambulatory patients. These changes in the pharmacologic treatment of insomnia may be related to widespread media attention and are not supported by scientific data."}
{"id": "PMID:1487478", "title": "New epidemiologic findings about insomnia and its treatment.", "content": "This paper examines several clinical concerns about the shorter half-life benzodiazepine hypnotics from an epidemiologic perspective. It draws on data from (1) 1979 and 1990 comprehensive probability-based U.S. national household surveys of the medical use of psychotherapeutic medications; (2) a 1990 four-city community-based volunteer call-in survey of the beneficial and adverse effects of hypnotics; and (3) an analogous random-digit dialing telephone survey in the general population. The issues addressed are abuse liability, rebound, depersonalization/derealization, paranoid feelings, accidents/injuries, and the unexamined consequences of the target illness in assessments of benefit-risk. In populations representative of everyday outpatient practice, we found that (1) the abuse liability of benzodiazepine hypnotics with shorter and longer elimination half-lives was generally low and comparable; (2) prevalence rates for rebound were low and not differential for flurazepam, temazepam, triazolam, and OTC sleeping pills; (3) reports of a single or an occasional experience involving depersonalization/derealization or paranoid feelings were fairly frequent in normals, in insomnia patients prior to treatment, and in persons with untreated insomnia; (4) treatment-emergent rates of occurrence for these same symptoms were low and not drug-specific; (5) past-year prevalence rates for serious accidents/injuries were much higher for chronic untreated insomnia than for normal controls and most groups treated with psychotherapeutic medications. A high proportion of past-year users of hypnotics were satisfied with their medication and would take it again."}
{"id": "PMID:1487479", "title": "Clinical distinctions between long-acting and short-acting benzodiazepines.", "content": "After their clinical introduction in the 1960s, the benzodiazepines rapidly became the most widely prescribed sedative/hypnotics because of their many advantages over barbiturates and other older agents. Along with this popularity came controversy, which has continued to this day. The most recent form this has taken has been the concern that the short-acting benzodiazepines may have a predisposition to induce certain forms of clinical complications. The author reviews the historical framework in which this controversy arose. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, it became increasingly clear that long-acting agents were associated with daytime sedation as well as cognitive and psychomotor impairment, particularly in the elderly. The short-acting benzodiazepines, which greatly reduced the frequency of these types of effects, rapidly became the most widely prescribed agents. A growing body of data indicates that the short-acting hypnotics are less likely to be associated with falls and hip fractures in the elderly and also have less respiratory depressant qualities, compared with the older long-acting agents. The short-acting compounds may also be more efficacious in inducing sleep during the first night of administration. In contrast, the long-acting agents may be more desirable in those cases in which daytime sedation is desired and may be associated with a delayed and milder withdrawal sleep disturbance. With the short-acting agents, however, sleep disturbance upon drug cessation is dose dependent and may be greatly reduced by tapering the dose."}
{"id": "PMID:1487480", "title": "Diagnosis and treatment of insomnia and risks associated with lack of treatment.", "content": "Despite the fact that the prevalence rate for insomnia in the United States is high (35.2%), the number of patients with this condition do not represent a large percentage of patients evaluated and treated in sleep disorders clinics. On the other hand, the great majority of patients with insomnia do not seek treatment for their condition from their physicians. Several hypotheses have been created to explain this phenomenon: (1) lack of training for physicians in the area of sleep disorders, (2) pessimism in relation to treatment outcome shared by patients and physicians, and (3) time constraints and other reasons on the part of the physicians. Insomniacs, however, deserve accurate diagnosis and effective treatments for their condition. Insomnia is often the result of multiple factors converging rather than one single cause. For academic purposes, however, different disorders in difficulties with initiation and maintenance of sleep are discussed. Among them, adjustment sleep disorder, obstructive sleep apnea, periodic limb movements in sleep, circadian abnormalities, and psychiatric disturbances. Emphasis is placed on the treatment of each, along with the treatment of the other factors that are commonly found in patients with insomnia: poor sleep hygiene, use of medications that disrupt sleep, performance anxiety, deficient exposure to entrainers of circadian rhythms, diet, and exercise. A comprehensive treatment that includes a multifactorial approach is the ideal way to treat patients with insomnia. Research that will enhance our knowledge of the biological substrate of insomnia will provide clinicians with additional tools to improve the outcome of their treatments of patients with insomnia."}
{"id": "PMID:1487481", "title": "The proper use of sleeping pills in the primary care setting.", "content": "Insomnia is a highly prevalent problem occurring in about 35% of the adult population. The complaint can be divided into temporary insomnia and persistent insomnia. A 1983 NIMH/OMAR Consensus Development Conference on drugs and insomnia issued guidelines for the use of sleep-promoting medications. There was a consensus that hypnotic medication is indicated for the treatment of temporary insomnia. Temporary insomnia, in response to external circumstances, is real and can have very serious consequences. This paper reviews the proper use of sleeping pills in the primary care setting in the context of current controversy involving benzodiazepines in general and benzodiazepine hypnotics in particular. It is concluded if the physician feels a patient's temporary insomnia warrants symptomatic relief with medication, it is appropriate to prescribe use of the lowest effective dose of a benzodiazepine hypnotic for several nights. Depending on the circumstances, the physician can specify either a short-acting or a long-acting hypnotic. The patient should be firmly instructed to call the clinic or office the next day to report results."}
{"id": "PMID:1487483", "title": "Disinhibition, amnestic reactions, and other adverse reactions secondary to triazolam: a review of the literature.", "content": "In the past 18 months, there has been considerable controversy regarding the benzodiazepine triazolam (Halcion). To review data supporting or not supporting the assertion that treatment with triazolam results in adverse reactions more frequently than with other benzodiazepines, the author used computerized literature searches (MEDLINE, English language articles from 1975 to the present) to identify reports of behavioral disinhibition, amnesia, delirium, rebound insomnia, and withdrawal reactions on benzodiazepines. Studies of disinhibitory reactions during benzodiazepine treatment do not substantiate the argument that they are more prevalent with triazolam than with other benzodiazepines. The behavioral disinhibition reactions during treatment with benzodiazepines are associated with higher dosages and pretreatment level of hostility. Anterograde amnesia occurs with many benzodiazepines, but usually without changes in a person's normal activities and behaviors. The reports of anterograde amnesia during benzodiazepine treatment describe people performing rather complex tasks during which outside observers could not detect any unusual behaviors. The prevalence of delirium during treatment with triazolam and other benzodiazepines is unclear, but delirium is more frequent at higher dosages and in the elderly. Controlled studies regarding the adverse effects of triazolam on sleep are lacking. The author concludes that despite the considerable adverse publicity in the lay press, there is little scientific evidence that triazolam is associated with disinhibitory or other adverse reactions at a greater frequency than other benzodiazepines."}
{"id": "PMID:1487484", "title": "The pharmacist's role in the recognition and management of insomnia.", "content": "Pharmacists, in collaboration with physicians, are in a unique position to assist the many patients who complain of disturbed sleep and/or impaired daytime functioning. The aim of this article are to familiarize physicians with the role that is and can be played by the pharmacist and to reinforce for practicing pharmacists their multifaceted approach to the insomniac patient. Suggestions are made for pharmacist involvement in patient evaluation, education, and monitoring, and for other possible roles of the pharmacist in dealing with the insomniac patient and the appropriate use of hypnotics."}
{"id": "PMID:1487485", "title": "The Drosophila ncd microtubule motor protein is spindle-associated in meiotic and mitotic cells.", "content": "The nonclaret disjunctional (ncd) protein is required for normal chromosome distribution in oocytes and early embryos. Mutants of ncd cause frequent nondisjunction and loss of chromosomes, suggesting a role for the protein in spindle function or chromosome movement in meiosis and early mitosis. The ncd protein contains a region of predicted sequence similarity to the microtubule motor protein, kinesin. In vitro motility assays have demonstrated that ncd is a motor that unexpectedly moves toward the minus ends of microtubules, opposite to the direction of kinesin movement. Using antibodies directed against nonconserved regions of the protein, we have localized the ncd motor protein to the meiotic and early mitotic spindle, and to spindles in a mitotically dividing cultured cell line. Its presence in the spindle of meiotic and mitotic cells implies a role for the protein as a spindle motor. The motor may play an essential role in establishing spindle bipolarity in meiosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1487486", "title": "The pebble gene is required for cytokinesis in Drosophila.", "content": "Cytokinesis is developmentally controlled during Drosophila embryogenesis. It is omitted during the initial nuclear division cycles. The nuclei of the resulting syncytium are then cellularized at a defined stage, and cytokinesis starts in somatic cells with mitosis 14. However, cytokinesis never occurs in somatic cells of embryos homozygous or transheterozygous for mutations in the pebble gene. Interestingly, the process of cellularization, which involves steps mechanistically similar to cytokinesis, is not affected. Moreover, all the nuclear aspects of mitosis (nuclear envelope breakdown, chromosome condensation, spindle assembly and function) proceed normally in pebble mutant embryos, indicating that pebble is specifically required for the coordination of mitotic spindle and contractile ring functions. The pebble phenotype is also observed, but only with very low penetrance, during the early divisions of the germ line progenitors (the pole cells). alpha-Amanitin injection experiments indicate that these early pole cell divisions, the first cell divisions during embryogenesis, do not require zygotic gene expression. These divisions might therefore rely on maternally contributed pebble function. The maternal contribution from heterozygous mothers might be insufficient in rare cases for all the pole cell divisions."}
{"id": "PMID:1487487", "title": "Kinetochore formation and behaviour following premature chromosome condensation.", "content": "The potential for interphase centromeres to support kinetochore formation following premature chromosome condensation (PCC) has been investigated. We show that the centromere remains competent to initiate kinetochore formation throughout the cell cycle. PCC-kinetochores display a typical trilaminar morphology, associate with microtubules and show movement towards the centrosome. Indirect immunofluorescence studies illustrate that the centromere/kinetochore region of prematurely condensed chromosomes associates with proteins that are normally found within this region in both a cell cycle-dependent and an independent manner."}
{"id": "PMID:1487488", "title": "Characterization and immunolocalization of RNA polymerase I transcription factor UBF with anti-NOR serum in protozoa, higher plant and vertebrate cells.", "content": "We have used anti-NOR serum from a patient with rheumatoid arthritis, to study its reactivity on different phylogenetically separated species such as protozoa, higher plants, birds and mammals. The biochemical characteristics of the antigens detected after applying mono- and two-dimensional electrophoresis and electrophoretic transfers confirm that they correspond to the rRNA polymerase I transcription factor UBF. We have demonstrated the different molecular sizes, depending on the cell complexity, but the same neutral isoelectric points in whole cell extracts of the different species. We have also demonstrated an immunolocalization of this transcription factor to the fibrillar component in all the species studied. These results suggest a high conservation of UBF throughout evolution and the possibility of using this anti-NOR serum as a tool for the study of the structure, nucleolar organization and functional roles of the different nucleolar components."}
{"id": "PMID:1487489", "title": "Dolichol delays G1-arrest for one cell cycle in human fibroblasts subjected to depletion of serum or mevalonate.", "content": "It is well-established that some product(s) or metabolite(s) of mevalonate is (are) critical for growth of mammalian cells. In the search for this (these) compound(s) it seems meaningful to distinguish between compounds needed for cell cycle progression in proliferating cells and compounds needed for growth activation of arrested cells. By using time-lapse video recording we have studied the possible regulatory role of cholesterol, dolichol and mevalonate in the cell cycle of human diploid fibroblasts (HDF). HDF, which are serum-dependent, were rapidly growth-arrested in the first part of G1 upon removal of serum factors. They also responded to mevinolin (an HMG CoA reductase inhibitor) by a similar G1-block, indicating that a mevalonate-derived product is involved in the G1-located cell cycle control of HDF. Interestingly, dolichol counteracted the G1-block caused by both types of treatment. Hence, the early G1-cells could traverse the remainder of the cell cycle and divide despite depletion of serum or mevalonate. We also demonstrated that addition of dolichol resulted in a significant decrease in the rate of protein degradation. This protein stabilizing effect may constitute the mechanism by which dolichol delays the G1-arrest of HDF."}
{"id": "PMID:1487490", "title": "Very low cadmium concentrations stimulate DNA synthesis and cell growth.", "content": "Uptake of cadmium into cultured cells and its effects on cell growth and DNA synthesis are measured over a range of Cd concentrations of seven orders of magnitude. Cd uptake is found to be proportional to the external Cd concentration and to incubation time over a very broad range of concentrations. At least 200 mmol cadmium per kg dry weight of cells can be accumulated in this way, leading to exhaustion of the major intracellular Cd binding sites before cell death. On the other hand, very low cadmium concentrations down to 100 pM stimulate cell growth and DNA synthesis significantly. Stimulation is found in all three mammalian cell types examined: namely L6J1, a rat permanent myoblast cell line, LLC-PK1 porcine renal epithelial cells, and a primary rat chondrocyte culture. Cd acts as a cofactor with serum in L6J1 cultures, but is stimulatory only in serum-free cultures of chondrocytes. Stimulation occurs at Cd concentrations too low to result in a measurable induction of metallothionein. This might implicate the action of response amplifiers in the chain of events leading to Cd-stimulated DNA replication and cell growth."}
{"id": "PMID:1487491", "title": "Cell phenotype, binding affinity and promoter structure modulate transactivation by HNF1 and LAP.", "content": "To evaluate the importance of the transcription factors known to bind to the albumin promoter as well as the parameters involved in their activity, we have used cotransfections with an albumin promoter-cat plasmid combined with expression vectors driving the expression of cDNAs coding for liver-enriched factors known to interact with this promoter. We describe the characteristics of a set of clones of hepatic origin: well differentiated, partial variants or pleiotropic dedifferentiated variants. These lines have been characterized for the accumulation of RNAs corresponding to each of the albumin promoter-binding factors. Only HNF1, and to a lesser extent C/EBP, show differences depending upon the differentiation state of the cells. Overexpression of exogenous HNF1 in these cells reveals that this factor is able to transactivate the albumin promoter only in variant cells where the endogenous protein is limiting. By contrast, if the HNF1-binding site is of weak affinity, overexpression of exogenous HNF1 stimulates the albumin promoter even in the HNF1-rich differentiated cells. Overexpression of exogenous LAP strongly transactivates an artificial promoter containing one LAP-binding site, but surprisingly in all the cell lines, it has little effect upon the albumin promoter. These results demonstrate that the transactivation potential of a given transcription factor depends on the degree of differentiation of the recipient cells, on the promoter structure, and on the affinity of the binding site for this factor."}
{"id": "PMID:1487492", "title": "Chondrons from articular cartilage. V. Immunohistochemical evaluation of type VI collagen organisation in isolated chondrons by light, confocal and electron microscopy.", "content": "The pericellular microenvironment around articular cartilage chondrocytes must play a key role in regulating the interaction between the cell and its extracellular matrix. The potential contribution of type VI collagen to this interaction was investigated in this study using isolated canine tibial chondrons embedded in agarose monolayers. The immunohistochemical distribution of an anti-type VI collagen antibody was assessed in these preparations using fluorescence, peroxidase and gold particle probes in combination with light, confocal and transmission electron microscopy. Light and confocal microscopy both showed type VI collagen concentrated in the pericellular capsule and matrix around the chondrocyte with reduced staining in the tail region and the interconnecting segments between adjacent chondrons. Minimal staining was recorded in the territorial and interterritorial matrices. At higher resolution, type VI collagen appeared both as microfibrils and as amorphous deposits that accumulated at the junction of intersecting capsular fibres and microfibrils. Electron microscopy also showed type VI collagen anchored to the chondrocyte membrane at the articular pole of the pericellular capsule and tethered to the radial collagen network through the tail at the basal pole of the capsule. We suggest that type VI collagen plays a dual role in the maintenance of chondron integrity. First, it could bind to the radial collagen network and stabilise the collagens, proteoglycans and glycoproteins of the pericellular microenvironment. Secondly, specific cell surface receptors exist, which could mediate the interaction between the chondrocyte and type VI collagen, providing firm anchorage and signalling potentials between the pericellular matrix and the cell nucleus. In this way type VI collagen could provide a close functional interrelationship between the chondrocyte, its pericellular microenvironment and the load bearing extracellular matrix of adult articular cartilage."}
{"id": "PMID:1487493", "title": "Human articular surface chondrocytes initiate alkaline phosphatase and type X collagen synthesis in suspension culture.", "content": "The type X collagen is a short chain collagen associated with calcific cartilage and/or the expression of the hypertrophic chondrocyte phenotype. In articular cartilage, type X collagen is restricted to the basal zone of calcified cartilage adjacent to the subchondral bone. However, during pathological change such as in osteoarthritis, the synthesis of type X collagen becomes more widespread but never extends to the articular surface. Using immunocytochemistry and fluorography of newly synthesised collagens, we report that surface articular chondrocytes (which occupy the uppermost 10-15% of the tissue depth) from normal human cartilage initiate de novo synthesis of both type X collagen and alkaline phosphatase when maintained in suspension culture."}
{"id": "PMID:1487494", "title": "Recycling pathways of glucosylceramide in BHK cells: distinct involvement of early and late endosomes.", "content": "Recycling pathways of the sphingolipid glucosylceramide were studied by employing a fluorescent analog of glucosylceramide, 6(-)[N-(7-nitro-2,1,3-benzoxadiazol-4-yl)amino]hexanoylglucosyl sphingosine (C6-NBD-glucosylceramide). Direct recycling of the glycolipid from early endosomes to the plasma membrane occurs, as could be shown after treating the cells with the microtubule-disrupting agent nocodazole, which causes inhibition of the glycolipid's trafficking from peripheral early endosomes to centrally located late endosomes. When the microtubuli are intact, at least part of the glucosylceramide is transported from early to late endosomes together with ricin. Interestingly, also N-(lissamine rhodamine B sulfonyl)phosphatidylethanolamine (N-Rh-PE), a membrane marker of the fluid-phase endocytic pathway, is transported to this endosomal compartment. However, in contrast to both ricin and N-Rh-PE, the glucosylceramide can escape from this organelle and recycle to the plasma membrane. Monensin and brefeldin A have little effect on this recycling pathway, which would exclude extensive involvement of early Golgi compartments in recycling. Hence, the small fraction of the glycolipid that colocalizes with transferrin (Tf) in the Golgi area might directly recycle via the trans-Golgi network. When the intracellular pH was lowered to 5.5, recycling was drastically reduced, in accordance with the impeding effect of low intracellular pH on vesicular transport during endocytosis and in the biosynthetic pathway. Our results thus demonstrate the existence of at least two recycling pathways for glucosylceramide and indicate the relevance of early endosomes in recycling of both proteins and lipids."}
{"id": "PMID:1487495", "title": "Effects of the expression of mammalian annexins in yeast secretory mutants.", "content": "The hypothesis that calcium-dependent membrane-binding proteins of the annexin family can influence intracellular membrane trafficking was tested by expressing five mammalian annexins in wild-type yeast cells (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) and in 13 yeast secretory (sec) mutants. Expression of human synexin (annexin VII) inhibited the growth of sec2, sec4 and sec15 mutants at a semi-permissive temperature. These three sec mutants are defective in the final step in the secretory pathway, the process of exocytosis. The inhibition of growth correlated with reduced viability and increased accumulation of internal invertase in these mutants when expressing synexin. Bovine endonexin (annexin IV) partially suppressed the growth defect of a sec2 mutant incubated at a semi-permissive temperature. Human synexin, human lipocortin (annexin I), and murine p68 (annexin VI) reduced the lag time associated with adaptation of sec2 mutants to galactose-containing medium. These interactions suggest that the annexins may influence specific steps in membrane trafficking associated with cell growth, secretion and plasma membrane remodelling."}
{"id": "PMID:1487496", "title": "Intracellular trafficking and the parasitophorous vacuole of Leishmania mexicana-infected macrophages.", "content": "The continued success of Leishmania as an intramacrophage parasite is dependent on its ability to survive within an acidic intracellular compartment, resist degradation by lysosomal hydrolases, exploit the host cell as a source of nutrients, and avoid the macrophage's antigen-presenting capabilities. All these requirements are dependent on the properties of the parasitophorous vacuole in which Leishmania resides. This study shows that the vacuole possesses membrane proteins characteristic of a lysosome, and has MHC class II molecules. The trafficking of a variety of endocytic markers supports this finding. However, a temporal study up to 14 days post-infection indicates that, as it matures, the vacuole gains mannose 6-phosphate receptor, and becomes more accessible to endocytosed ligand, suggesting that the vacuole has functionally translocated from a lysosomal to late endosomal compartment. Endocytosed material was detected in the flagellar pocket and inside the amastigote, demonstrating parasite uptake of intra-vacuolar material. Careful analysis of amastigotes suggests that they avoid antigen presentation by their host cell by limiting the release of potential antigens. These findings significantly extend our understanding of the mechanisms employed by Leishmania to ensure its survival in the macrophage."}
{"id": "PMID:1487497", "title": "Contact stimulation of cell migration.", "content": "Mass migrations of dense cell populations occur periodically during embryonic development. It is known that extracellular matrices, through which the cells migrate, facilitate locomotion. However, this does not explain how cells, such as neural crest, can migrate as a dense cohort of cells in essentially continuous contact with one another. We report here that unique behavioral characteristics of the migrating cells may contribute to cohesive migration. We used time-lapse video microscopy to analyze the migration of quail neural crest cells and of two crest derivatives, human melanoma cells and melanocytes. These cells migrated poorly, if at all, when isolated, but could be stimulated up to 200-fold to travel following contact with migrating cells. This phenomenon, which we have termed \"contact-stimulated migration,\" appeared to activate and sustain migration of the mass of cells. Cells that became dissociated from the others ceased directional migration, thereby limiting aberrant cell dispersion. Fibroblasts were minimally responsive to this novel phenomenon, which may be crucial for major, mass cell migrations."}
{"id": "PMID:1487498", "title": "Altering the cellular mechanical force balance results in integrated changes in cell, cytoskeletal and nuclear shape.", "content": "Studies were carried out with capillary endothelial cells cultured on fibronectin (FN)-coated dishes in order to analyze the mechanism of cell and nuclear shape control by extracellular matrix (ECM). To examine the role of the cytoskeleton in shape determination independent of changes in transmembrane osmotic pressure, membranes of adherent cells were permeabilized with saponin (25 micrograms/ml) using a buffer that maintains the functional integrity of contractile microfilaments. Real-time videomicroscopic studies revealed that addition of 250 microM ATP resulted in time-dependent retraction and rounding of permeabilized cells and nuclei in a manner similar to that observed in intact living cells following detachment using trypsin-EDTA. Computerized image analysis confirmed that permeabilized cells remained essentially rigid in the absence of ATP and that retraction was stimulated in a dose-dependent manner as the concentration of ATP was raised from 10 to 250 microM. Maximal rounding occurred by 30 min with projected cell and nuclear areas being reduced by 69 and 41%, respectively. ATP-induced rounding was also accompanied by a redistribution of microfilaments resulting in formation of a dense net of F-actin surrounding retracted nuclei. Importantly, ATP-stimulated changes in cell, cytoskeletal, and nuclear form were prevented in permeabilized cells using a synthetic myosin peptide (IRICRKG) that has been previously shown to inhibit actomyosin filament sliding in muscle. In contrast, both the rate and extent of cell and nuclear rounding were increased in permeabilized cells exposed to ATP when the soluble FN peptide, GRGDSP, was used to dislodge immobilized FN from cell surface integrin receptors.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1487499", "title": "Cadherin-mediated adhesion in pancreatic islet cells is modulated by a cell surface N-acetylgalactosaminylphosphotransferase.", "content": "Rat pancreatic islet cells and RINm5F cells, an islet derived cell line, have at their cell surface an N-acetylgalactosaminylphosphotransferase (GalNAcPTase) similar to that found at the surface of chick neural retina cells and at the rat neuromuscular junction. On islet cells and RINm5F cells the GalNAcPTase is stably associated with cadherin cell-cell adhesion molecules. The effect of antibodies directed against the GalNAcPTase on homophilic, cadherin mediated adhesion was analyzed by measuring their effect on adhesion of islet and RINm5F cells to an immobilized anti-cadherin antibody. In this experimental paradigm anti-GalNAcPtase antibodies completely inhibit cadherin mediated adhesion. Furthermore, cadherin and GalNAcPTase co-distribute in islet and non-islet tissue. We conclude that pancreatic islet cell-cell adhesion is cadherin mediated and under the control of a tightly associated, cell surface GalNAcPTase."}
{"id": "PMID:1487500", "title": "Expression of naked plasmids by cultured myotubes and entry of plasmids into T tubules and caveolae of mammalian skeletal muscle.", "content": "Plasmid DNA or artificial mRNA injected intramuscularly into skeletal muscle via a 27 g needle expressed transgenes at relatively efficient levels in skeletal myofibers and cardiac cells. In the present study, several approaches were used to determine the mechanism of cellular uptake. After exposure of naked plasmid DNA, primary rat muscle cells in vitro expressed transgenes to a much greater extent than other types of immortalized or primary cells. In vivo light microscope studies showed that intramuscularly injected plasmid DNA was distributed throughout the muscle and was able to diffuse through the extracellular matrix, cross the external lamina, and enter myofibers. Electron microscope studies showed that colloidal gold conjugated to plasmid DNA traversed the external lamina and entered T tubules and caveolae, while gold complexed with polylysine, polyethylene glycol or polyglutamate primarily remained outside of the myofibers. The results indicate that it is highly unlikely that the plasmid DNA enters the myofiber simply by the needle grossly disrupting the sarcolemma. In addition, transient membrane disruptions do not appear to be responsible for the uptake of DNA. Furthermore, no evidence for endocytosis could be found. The possible uptake of plasmid DNA by some type of cell membrane transporter, in particular via potocytosis, is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1487503", "title": "N-cadherin and N-CAM in myoblast fusion: compared localisation and effect of blockade by peptides and antibodies.", "content": "The expression and distribution of two cell adhesion molecules, N-cadherin and N-CAM, at the surface of cultured leg muscle cells from 11-day-old chicken embryos were studied and compared. N-cadherin, which was expressed by fusing myoblasts, was down-regulated on old myotubes while N-CAM was still present. Both molecules, as viewed by confocal microscopy, appeared to have coaccumulated at the areas of contact between fusing myoblasts. However, immunogold electron microscopy did not reveal significant colocalization of N-cadherin and N-CAM, and their segregation after antibody-induced patching suggested the absence of direct interactions between N-cadherin and N-CAM. The role of the Ca2+ dependent cell adhesion molecule N-cadherin in myogenesis was investigated. Myoblast fusion was inhibited (1) with a synthetic peptide containing the H-A-V sequence and (2) with a monoclonal anti-N-cadherin antibody, demonstrating that N-cadherin-mediated cell adhesion is required for myoblast fusion. Under the same conditions no effect of anti-N-CAM antibodies was observed. Taken together these observations suggest that N-cadherin, acting independently from N-CAM, is a major cell adhesion molecule involved in embryonic myoblast fusion in vitro."}
{"id": "PMID:1487504", "title": "Molecular characterization of the secondary constriction region (qh) of human chromosome 9 with pericentric inversion.", "content": "Pericentric inversion of the secondary constriction region (qh) of human chromosome 9 is a frequent occurrence. This structural alteration is regarded as a normal familial variant, termed heteromorphism, and is inherited in a Mendelian fashion without any apparent phenotypic consequences. We characterized the qh region of chromosome 9 from five individuals using a series of molecular cytogenetic techniques. Four out of the five individuals have an additional area composed of alphoid DNA sequences on the inverted chromosome 9 while one case was found to have an apparently intact alphoid DNA sequence. Although the direct function(s) of alphoid DNA sequences remain unclear, the centromeric breakage involving these sequences in inverted chromosome 9 raises a series of questions pertaining to the monocentric, dicentric and pseudodicentric nature of pericentric inversions. Nevertheless, these findings have prompted us to suggest that the structural organization of alphoid DNA sequences of the centromeric region of chromosome 9 are apparently \"breakage prone\" and may be associated with a higher incidence of pericentric inversions. Furthermore, the hierarchical organization of various satellite DNA families (alpha-satellite, beta-satellite and satellite III) within the primary and secondary constriction regions of chromosomes 9 are elucidated here."}
{"id": "PMID:1487505", "title": "Characterization of the human involucrin promoter using a transient beta-galactosidase assay.", "content": "Involucrin, a component of the cornified cell envelope, is expressed specifically in differentiating keratinocytes of stratified squamous epithelia. To explore the regulation of involucrin expression, 3.7 kb of upstream sequences of the human involucrin gene was cloned into a plasmid containing a beta-galactosidase reporter gene and transfected into early passage keratinocytes and a variety of human cell types. The full-length construct gave maximal and tissue-specific expression. Deletion analysis showed that sequences between 900 and 2500 bp upstream of the transcriptional start site and the intron located between the transcriptional and translational start sites were required for maximal expression. Further analysis of the intron indicated that its effects on expression were independent of it being present in nascent RNA and suggested that sequences within the intron have regulatory activity. These results suggest that the involucrin intron operates in vivo to regulate expression in the epidermis."}
{"id": "PMID:1487506", "title": "Increased microtubule stability and alpha tubulin acetylation in cells transfected with microtubule-associated proteins MAP1B, MAP2 or tau.", "content": "We previously transfected MAP2, tau and MAP1B cDNA into fibroblasts and have studied the effect of expression of these microtubule-associated proteins on microtubule organization. In this study, we examined some additional characteristics of microtubule bundles and arrays formed in fibroblasts transfected with these microtubule-associated proteins. It was found that microtubule bundles formed in MAP2c- or tau-transfected cells were stabilized against microtubule depolymerizing reagents and were enriched in acetylated alpha tubulin. When mouse MAP1B cDNA was expressed following transfection into COS cells, MAP1B was localized along microtubule arrays, but no extensive reorganization of microtubules such as bundle formation was observed, in agreement with our previous finding using HeLa and 3T3 cells. However, stabilization of microtubules was indicated: (a) microtubules in MAP1B-transfected cells were stabilized against a microtubule depolymerizing reagent, although stabilization was less efficient than that seen in MAP2c- or tau-transfected cells, and (b) microtubules in MAP1B-transfected cells were enriched in acetylated alpha tubulin. These results suggest that neuronal microtubule-associated proteins introduced into fibroblasts by cDNA transfection stabilize microtubules and affect the state of post-translational modification of tubulin."}
{"id": "PMID:1487507", "title": "Brain microtubule-associated proteins modulate microtubule dynamic instability in vitro. Real-time observations using video microscopy.", "content": "We used video assays to study the dynamic instability behavior of individual microtubules assembled in vitro with purified tau, purified MAP2 or a preparation of unfractionated heat-stable MAPs. Axoneme-nucleated microtubules were assembled from pure tubulin at concentrations between 4 and 9 microM in the presence of MAPs, and observed by video-differential interference contrast microscopy. Microtubules co-assembled with each MAP preparation exhibited the elongation and rapid shortening phases and the abrupt transitions (catastrophe and rescue) characteristic of dynamic instability. Each MAP preparation increased the microtubule elongation rate above that for purified tubulin alone by decreasing the tubulin subunit dissociation rate during elongation. The brain MAPs used in this study reduced the rate of microtubule rapid shortening, but allowed significant loss of polymer during the shortening phase. Purified tau and MAP2 decreased the frequency of catastrophe and increased the frequency of rescue, while the heat-stable MAPs suppressed catastrophe at all but the lowest tubulin concentrations. Thus, each of these MAPs modulates, but does not abolish, dynamic instability behavior of microtubules. We propose a model to explain how MAP2 and tau bind to the microtubule lattice at sites along protofilaments so that the MAPs promote polymerization, but do not significantly block the mechanism of rapid shortening inherent in the tubulin lattice. Rapid shortening, when it occurs, proceeds primarily by the dissociation of short fragments of protofilaments, which contain the bound MAPs."}
{"id": "PMID:1487508", "title": "Dynein from serotonin-activated cilia and flagella: extraction characteristics and distinct sites for cAMP-dependent protein phosphorylation.", "content": "Serotonin, an activator of adenylate cyclase, stimulates motility in molluscan gill cilia and sperm flagella. To determine and compare potential targets of cAMP action, dynein was prepared from the lateral gill.cilia and sperm flagella of the mussel Mytilus edulis and the clam Spisula solidissima. In the flagella of both species, high-salt extraction removes about half of the ATPase activity, half of the alpha and beta heavy chains, and the outer arms. The dynein from both species sediments at 18-20 S, contains two or three intermediate chains, and three light chains. High-salt plus detergent removes most of the remaining dynein ATPase, alpha and beta heavy chains, and inner arms, also yielding a stable 18-20 S particle. In gill cilia of both species, high-salt extraction removes only 12-18% of the ATPase, up to 1/3 of the alpha heavy chains, an equivalent amount of beta heavy chain, and a subset of the outer arms. The dynein sediments at 18-20 S and, in Spisula, the heavy, intermediate, and light chains precisely co-sediment. High-salt plus detergent removes another 1/3 of the alpha heavy chains, an equivalent amount of beta heavy chain, and the remaining outer arms. The ATPase sediments mainly as a 13-14 S form showing considerable dissociation of co-sedimenting intermediate and light chains. The inner arms and at least half of the ciliary dynein ATPase activity remain unextractable, corresponding in mass mainly to an apparent beta heavy chain that is vanadate-cleavable. Cyclic AMP-dependent, calcium-independent phosphorylation takes place on specific dynein light chains in cilia but on only the dynein alpha heavy chain in flagella. Pre-activation of the flagella prevents subsequent addition of labeled phosphate. Phosphorylation has no effect on the steady-state ATPase properties. The single phosphate added to the flagellar alpha chain is located within the LUV1 vanadate photocleavage fragment. Considering the probable locus of the light chains and the site of the alpha heavy chain phosphorylation, both beyond the active site and toward the base of the molecule, these distinct phosphorylations may regulate dynein action by modulating arm flexibility or interaction."}
{"id": "PMID:1487509", "title": "Adsorption behaviour of lipase from Staphylococcus carnosus on a hydrophobic adsorbent.", "content": "The adsorption of proteins on a solid surface with a subsequent desorption is a well known final purification step in downstream processing. Here the adsorption behaviour of a microbial lipase on the hydrophobic Fractogel TSK butyl 650 in a crude fermentation supernatant is investigated. The measured equilibrium curves differ from fermentation to fermentation by up to +/- 65%. The adsorption capacity increases with decreasing particle diameter of the adsorbent and is influenced by the method of contacting the supernatant with the adsorbent. The rate of desorption depends largely on the adsorption conditions, which is an indication of different orientations of the adsorbed enzyme."}
{"id": "PMID:1487510", "title": "Study of protein-ligand binding effects by direct chromatographic on-column injection.", "content": "The direct zonal on-column injection method was applied to a high-performance liquid chromatographic study of pollutant-protein binding interactions in solution. The protein and the protein-ligand complex are excluded on the basis of the size from the diol support, and the free ligand penetrates into the pores and is more retained. The pattern of the ligand elution profile depends on the protein-ligand dissociation constant. This effect was quantitatively analysed by developing a numerical simulation algorithm in which the column is divided into slices of given thickness. The column length, flow-rate and shape of the injection signal are given as input parameters. A global dispersion coefficient accounts for peak broadening. A rapid equilibrium is assumed with the hypothesis that a monovalent ligand interacts with a single binding site on the protein. The interaction of bovine serum albumin with pentachlorophenol was studied, and an apparent dissociation constant for the protein-ligand complex was determined by fitting the theoretical profile to the experimental one. The effect of the acetonitrile content in the solvent was studied. An important decrease of the dissociation constant is observed that affects the chromatographic elution pattern."}
{"id": "PMID:1487511", "title": "Preparative anion-exchange chromatography of soybean trypsin inhibitor: the alternative of column-overload methods.", "content": "The objective of preparative separation is to purify the largest amount of material in the shortest time and at a minimum cost, i.e. to maximize throughout. One of the techniques for increasing throughput is to overload the column while maintaining purity and cycle time at the same level. This principle is applied in sample displacement mode chromatography, in which the column is overloaded with sample mixture until it is completely saturated. Soybean trypsin inhibitor was purified from a crude protein extract by this technique using an analytical anion-exchange column with small particle size (20 microns). The comparison of these results, using the criterion of throughput, with those derived from a conventional scale-up, using a 40-microns preparative column, led to the conclusion that the overloaded 20 microns column gave a higher throughput than the 40-microns column."}
{"id": "PMID:1487512", "title": "Fast separation of macrophages by retention on cross-linked amylose and release by enzymatic amylolysis of the chromatographic material.", "content": "Macrophages from mice peritoneal exudate were isolated on basis of specific adherence on epichlorohydrin cross-linked amylose (CLA), a chromatographic gel presenting a high susceptibility to advanced amylolysis with alpha-amylase. The cell suspension, containing predominantly macrophages and lymphocytes, was applied onto the column and incubated for 30 min at 37 degrees C for the adherence of macrophages. After this interval the non-adherent cells were eluted with buffered medium and the CLA support was incubated in the column with an alpha-amylase-buffered solution liquefying the matrix and releasing, in situ, the adherent cell population containing 90% macrophages with a viability higher than 90%."}
{"id": "PMID:1487513", "title": "Quantitative separation of Trichoderma lipid classes on a bonded phase column.", "content": "Bond Elut aminopropyl columns were used to purify the different lipid classes of Trichoderma harzianum and Trichoderma viride. This methodology permitted good separation of the fungal lipid classes in less time than traditional techniques. The incorporation of [1 (14)C]linoleic acid into neutral lipids, free fatty acids and phospholipids was quantified for both strains. The fatty acid profile of the different lipid classes of these fungal strains was determined as a function of culture time."}
{"id": "PMID:1487514", "title": "Compared stability of Sepharose-based immunoadsorbents prepared by various activation methods.", "content": "During the use of chromatographic supports for the purification of proteins or the selective removal of substances by immunoaffinity, leakage of the antibodies immobilized on the matrix is systematically observed. When the cleansing of blood plasma by extracorporeal circulation is concerned, it is of prime importance that the immunoadsorbents exhibit an extensive chemical stability over the whole range of experimental conditions. To study and minimize this leakage, a matrix, Sepharose CL-4B, was activated by various chemical reagents and coupled to goat anti-apolipoprotein B polyclonal antibodies. Immunoadsorbents thus prepared were compared with those obtained earlier by cyanogen bromide activation. It turns out that divinyl sulphone- and tresyl chloride-activated supports lead to similar results in terms of coupling yield and adsorption capacity, but to a significant reduction in released antibodies."}
{"id": "PMID:1487515", "title": "Rational design of purification processes for recombinant proteins.", "content": "This paper discusses the elements important for rational design of purification processes for recombinant proteins. Main issues involved in selection of operations and process design are reviewed with particular emphasis on the challenges posed by recombinant proteins. This includes thermodynamic characterization of target protein and main contaminants, use of correlations and of expert knowledge for the development of an expert system for optimization and design (selection) of separation and purification (chromatographic) processes. The main deficiency in accurate information for rational process selection is in that required for high-resolution chromatographic processes. The authors show that a database with detailed information on properties of the main contaminants present in the fermentation streams of usual recombinant protein sources can be integrated to an expert system with an open architecture. This will allow more precise selection of unit operations for the design of protein purification processes."}
{"id": "PMID:1487516", "title": "Immunoaffinity chromatography in biorecovery: an application of recombinant DNA technology to generic adsorption processes.", "content": "The constant region of human kappa light chain (Ck) was linked to Escherichia coli beta-galactosidase, using standard molecular cloning techniques. The binding of Ck-beta-galactosidase fusions to a number of different murine monoclonal antibodies, specific for Ck, was improved by the insertion of spacers between Ck and beta-galactosidase: a cleavable linker was then introduced. Over-expressed Ck-beta-galactosidase fusion protein was purified using monoclonal antibodies immobilised on Sepharose 4B. Elution conditions were found that maintained beta-galactosidase activity so purified enzyme could be released on breaking the cleavable linker. A number of practical problems associated with maintaining stable fusion proteins and immunoaffinity column performance were identified."}
{"id": "PMID:1487517", "title": "Detection of fungal carbohydrate antigens by high-performance immunoaffinity chromatography using a protein A column with covalently linked immunoglobulin G.", "content": "Fungal carbohydrate antigens were analysed by high-performance immunoaffinity chromatography (HPIAC) with immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies raised against extracellular polysaccharides of Mucor racemosus. The protein A-IgG complex was covalently bound with dimethyl pimelimidate, which enabled the use of strong acidic buffers to release the tightly bound antigens from the column. Prior to pulsed-amperometric detection, an anion-micromembrane suppressor was used to raise the pH of the effluent to above 12 without dilution. The HPIAC system provides a sophisticated method for the rapid and sensitive detection of antigenic oligomeric carbohydrates in biological samples and is proposed as an alternative to quantitative enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay techniques."}
{"id": "PMID:1487518", "title": "Purification of glycogen phosphorylase isozymes by metal-affinity chromatography.", "content": "Mammalian phosphorylase isozymes from muscle, brain and liver were expressed in Escherichia coli and purified from the crude bacterial cell extracts in one step using a copper-loaded, metal-affinity matrix. Good chromatographic behavior, enzyme activity and protein stability were maintained by judicious choice of pH and buffer which contained 250 mM sodium chloride and 25 mM beta-glycerophosphate at pH 7.0. Small amounts of beta-mercaptoethanol and EDTA in the buffers further stabilized the enzymes, but stripped some of the metal from the column which, nonetheless, retained good chromatographic characteristics. Owing to the presence of multiple surface histidine residues in the phosphorylase dimers, good enzyme purities (90-98%) and recoveries (>90%) were routinely obtained from crude bacterial lysates after two passes through the copper column. Of the various metal ions which were investigated, Cu2+ gave the best chromatographic results. Imidazole gradients at constant pH were used to selectively desorb the phosphorylase from the metal column whose capacity for phosphorylase binding in the presence of bacterial proteins exceeded 30 mg enzyme per milliliter of matrix."}
{"id": "PMID:1487519", "title": "Purification of S-oxynitrilase from Sorghum bicolor by immobilized metal ion affinity chromatography on different carrier materials.", "content": "The purification of the hydroxynitrile lyase (EC 4.1.2.11, S-oxynitrilase) from Sorghum bicolor is compared using different strategies. A new procedure is presented, which exploits the affinity of S-oxynitrilase towards metal ions as a key step in purification. The metal ions are immobilized by chelators on different carrier materials, e.g. Sepharose beads, microporous membranes or poly(ethylene glycol). A systematic examination demonstrates the excellent potential of immobilized metal affinity chromatography as a preparative separation method."}
{"id": "PMID:1487520", "title": "Purification of biologically active human plasma transthyretin by dye-affinity chromatography: studies on dye leakage and possibility of heat treatment for virus inactivation.", "content": "The application of a purification procedure for the industrial preparation from human plasma of a therapeutic protein may be hindered by several safety concerns. The dye leaching from Remazol Yellow GGL-Sepharose used for the affinity chromatography of human plasma transthyretin was quantitatively studied by a sensitive competitive enzyme immunoassay. The possibility of including a heat treatment step for virus inactivation in the purification process while preserving the biochemical and functional characteristics of the protein is also reported."}
{"id": "PMID:1487521", "title": "Modified on-column interface for coupled high-performance liquid chromatography-gas chromatography and its application to the determination of levamisole in milk.", "content": "A modified on-column interface is reported for the coupling of high-performance liquid chromatography with gas chromatography, incorporating an adapted, commercially available multidimensional gas chromatography switching system. Novel features include cryogenic analyte focusing, total solvent exclusion from the analytical column and independent carrier gas supplies to the analytical GC column and uncoated pre-column. The instrumentation was used for the determination of the veterinary anthelmintic drug levamisole in milk with analyte detection by both flame ionisation and nitrogen-phosphorus detectors. Detection limits for the assay were 2.2 micrograms l-1 and 0.4 micrograms l-1 by flame ionisation and nitrogen-phosphorus detectors, respectively. The assay was applied to a survey of fourteen milk samples from different dairy outlets."}
{"id": "PMID:1487522", "title": "O-(2,3,4,5,6-pentafluorophenyl)methylhydroxylamine hydrochloride: a versatile reagent for the determination of carbonyl-containing compounds.", "content": "A review on the use of O-(2,3,4,5,6-pentafluorophenyl)methylhydroxylamine hydrochloride (PFBHA) for the determination of carbonyl-containing compounds is presented. PFBHA has been used in the determination of such diverse compounds as thromboxane B2, prostaglandins, amygdalin and a variety of other aldehydes, ketones and acids. PFBHA has been used for the determination of these compounds found in water, blood, urine, air and even clothing. The review covers literature referenced in Chemical Abstracts from 1975, when PFBHA was first synthesized, through March 1992."}
{"id": "PMID:1487523", "title": "Characterization of the influence of displacing salts on retention in gradient elution ion-exchange chromatography of proteins and peptides.", "content": "It has been shown earlier that the choice of displacing salt has a large effect on the retention in ion-exchange chromatography of proteins and peptides. The influence of different displacing salts cannot be predicted or quantitatively explained, owing to the current lack of an adequate theoretical framework. In this work a general characterization is made by using a considerable number of proteins and peptides and all displacing salts found feasible. Principal component analysis is used to interpret the large amount of data that is generated. The results of the analysis indicate that most of the retention variations are due to non-specific effects and can be explained by changes in the apparent gradient slope, i.e., the increase in elution strength per unit volume, and the elution strength of the starting buffer. This differs from the interpretation given earlier, where the selectivity changes were attributed to specific effects of the salts. However, as it is impossible to test all existing proteins and peptides, specific effects are still possible, but they might be less common than previously considered."}
{"id": "PMID:1487524", "title": "Immobilized metal ion affinity chromatography of synthetic peptides. Binding via the alpha-amino group.", "content": "Peptides synthesized by the solid-phase method can be efficiently purified in a single immobilized metal affinity chromatography step based on interaction with the alpha-amino group if, after coupling of each amino acid residue, unreacted amino groups are irreversibly blocked by acetylation and if no strongly metal-binding amino acids (His, Trp, Cys) are present in the sequence. A difference in basicity for alpha- and epsilon-amino functions of ca. 2 pH units is sufficiently large to allow selective binding of peptides to immobilized metal ions via the unprotonated alpha-amino group. The binding is pH-dependent: on Cu(2+)- and Ni(2+)-loaded supports most peptides are maximally retarded at pH values around 7.5 and 8.5, respectively. The decreased binding strength at lower pH values is due to protonation of the alpha-amino function, whereas the reduced affinity at higher pH is caused by metal ion transfer from the matrix to the peptide. The metal ion is captured in a multidentate chelate where, in addition to the alpha-amino group, up to three adjacent deprotonated amide nitrogens are coordinated to the metal. If the pH is raised further, additional metal ions may be bound in biuret-like structures. Immobilized Ni2+, owing to its higher selectivity and affinity, is the preferred chromatographic support if slightly basic conditions can be tolerated."}
{"id": "PMID:1487525", "title": "Purification, subunit structure and inhibitor profile of cathepsin A.", "content": "Cathepsin A (EC 3.4.16.1), a lysosomal carboxypeptidase, has been purified 1374-fold from pig kidney. Purification steps included concanavalin A-Sepharose and phenyl-Sepharose chromatography and chromatofocusing. The specific activity (16.9 U/mg) of the purified enzyme was significantly higher than previously reported values. The enzyme preparation appeared homogeneous when analyzed by non-denaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and was free of detectable protease contamination. The molecular mass (M(r) = 97,000), isoelectric point (5.0), and sensitivity to inhibitors were consistent with reported properties of cathepsin A. However, the previously reported three-peptide chain structure was not observed. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence or absence of 2-mercaptoethanol demonstrated that the enzyme is composed of two M(r) 47,000 subunits, each of which dissociate in the presence of 2-mercaptoethanol into two polypeptide chains of 19,000 and 31,000."}
{"id": "PMID:1487526", "title": "Purification and determination of the binding site of lactate dehydrogenase from chicken breast muscle on immobilized ferric ions.", "content": "Lactate dehydrogenase from chicken breast muscle was purified to homogeneity in one step by immobilized metal ion affinity chromatography. The purified enzyme was used to localize the binding site to immobilized Fe(III) ions. After cyanogen bromide degradation and digestion with trypsin, small enzyme fragments capable of binding to immobilized Fe(III) ions were obtained. It is proposed that several histidyl groups are involved in the binding."}
{"id": "PMID:1487527", "title": "Supercritical fluid chromatography of Fusarium mycotoxins.", "content": "Capillary- and packed-column supercritical fluid chromatography has been used for the separation of Fusarium mycotoxins of various structure types such as the trichothecenes including deoxynivalenol and its acetylated derivatives and T-2 toxin, as well as butenolide, culmorin, sambucinol and zearalenone. The effect of modifier concentration and column temperature and pressure was also studied. Retention indices based on alkylphenones were determined for these mycotoxins on two of the capillary columns employed."}
{"id": "PMID:1487528", "title": "Determination of propionate in bread using capillary zone electrophoresis.", "content": "A method for the determination of propionate in bread is described. The propionate was extracted from the bread with a repeated extraction procedure and measured using capillary zone electrophoresis in the indirect UV mode applying a background electrolyte of 0.005 M Tris adjusted at pH 4.6 by adding benzoic acid. Using laboratory-baked bread containing known amounts of sodium propionate, recoveries of ca. 95% could be established, validating the method."}
{"id": "PMID:1487529", "title": "Determination of oxytetracycline in marine shellfish (Crassostrea gigas, Ruditapes philippinarum and Scrobicularia plana) by high-performance liquid chromatography using solid-phase extraction.", "content": "A reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic method was developed to detect oxytetracycline (OTC) in three species of marine shellfish (Crassostrea gigas, Ruditapes philippinarum and Scrobicularia plana). Shellfish tissues were analysed after solid-phase extraction by using a mobile phase containing acetonitrile and 0.02 M orthophosphoric acid solution. The linearity and precision of the method were checked over the concentration range 0.100-1.500 micrograms/g. The limits of detection and determination of OTC were 0.040 and 0.100 microgram/g, respectively. The recovery of OTC from spiked shellfish tissues was 79.8%. The OTC concentration in oyster (Crassostrea gigas) spiked at 0.500 microgram/g and stored at -20 degrees C was stable for 6 weeks. The method was applied to a 21-day experimental study performed with oysters."}
{"id": "PMID:1487530", "title": "\"Paralogs\", sorbent families for protein separations.", "content": "Novel peptide-based (paralog) sorbents are evaluated with respect to performance, reproducibility and reusability in a 96-well test plate screening format, and to utility in protein separations. The results demonstrate that this approach to constructing sorbents provides a new and generally applicable set of tools for separating proteins."}
{"id": "PMID:1487531", "title": "Determination of fatty acids in fish oil dietary supplements by capillary chromatography with laser-induced fluorescence detection.", "content": "The 4-bromomethyl-7-methoxycoumarin derivatives of 14 saturated and unsaturated fatty acids, including the omega-3 fatty acids, were separated by reversed-phase liquid chromatography and detected by laser-induced fluorescence. Baseline resolution was obtained by using a high-efficiency packed capillary column with 240,000 theoretical plates, together with a systematic optimization of the mobile phase composition. The retention indices of the fatty acid derivatives correlated well with a predictive empirical model, showing accuracy better than 0.46% relative error and reproducibility better than +/- 0.1% relative standard deviation. The physiologically important fatty acids with 12-22 carbon atoms and 0-6 double bonds were determined at the femtomole level in fish oil dietary supplements by using this methodology."}
{"id": "PMID:1487532", "title": "The autistic label and its potentially detrimental effect on the child's treatment.", "content": "This study asks whether adults teach a child labeled \"autistic\" differently from a child labeled \"normal\". Twenty undergraduate college students served as student-teachers. Results showed that the student-teachers gave significantly more praise and reward marbles for incorrect responses, as well as significantly less verbal correction, when the child was labeled \"autistic\". The inference is that such treatment could make it more difficult for the autistic child to acquire new skills."}
{"id": "PMID:1487533", "title": "A methodological critique of the current status of eye movement desensitization (EMD).", "content": "Eye Movement Desensitization (EMD) has been recently advocated as a rapid treatment for the elimination of traumatic memories responsible for the maintenance of a number of anxiety disorders and their clinical correlates. Despite a limited conceptual framework, EMD has attracted considerable interest among clinicians and researchers. The popularity and interest generated by EMD will likely result in wide usage. We present a methodological critique of it with reference to assessment, treatment outcome, and treatment process. We also provide guidelines for judging the methodological adequacy of research on EMD and suggest intensive research to assess effectiveness, treatment components, and comparisons with other procedures."}
{"id": "PMID:1487534", "title": "Eye movement desensitization: a critique of the evidence.", "content": "The scientific evidence supporting the efficacy of eye movement desensitization (EMD), a novel intervention for traumatic memories and related conditions, is reviewed. The sparse research conducted in this area has serious methodological flaws, precluding definite conclusions regarding the effectiveness of the procedure. Clinicians are cautioned against uncritically accepting the clinical efficacy of EMD."}
{"id": "PMID:1487535", "title": "A meta-analysis of treatments for panic disorder with agoraphobia: imipramine, alprazolam, and in vivo exposure.", "content": "The most common pharmacological treatments for panic disorder with agoraphobia (PDA) include the use of imipramine and alprazolam while the most common behavior therapy is the use of graded in vivo exposure. Several studies have found these treatments to be superior to placebo in the treatment of PDA, but it has not been clear if there are differences among these three treatments. It has also not been clear for what aspects of PDA each treatment is the most effective. The purpose of this study was to conduct a meta-analysis of the results of relevant treatment outcome studies on a number of dependent variables (e.g., panic attack severity, dysphoria, avoidance behavior). Few studies satisfied the minimum criteria for inclusion and the final data pool consisted of 34 treatment studies. Imipramine was found to be generally ineffective for most variables. Alprazolam was significantly effective for panic and anxiety variables in PDA, while exposure was significantly effective for phobia variables. Exposure had the most consistently strong effect sizes."}
{"id": "PMID:1487536", "title": "Booster sessions and long-term effects of behavioral family therapy on adolescent substance use and school performance.", "content": "This study investigated the long-term impact on adolescent substance use and academic failure of 6 months of booster sessions following the termination of behavioral family therapy. Subjects were four 14-16-year-old white and Hispanic males and females whose parents or teachers had referred them for 5-12 months of behavioral family therapy. The first subject received no booster sessions; after the typical decrease in substance use and academic problems at the end of treatment, his problems recurred and subsequently worsened during follow-up. The other three subjects responded similarly to behavioral family therapy, but this was followed by 6 months of booster sessions, leading to a second decrease in substance use and academic problems. Improvement was maintained throughout follow-up. These results suggest that booster sessions can prevent the recurrences of adolescent problem behavior that often follow treatment termination."}
{"id": "PMID:1487537", "title": "Treatment integrity of relaxation training for tension headaches.", "content": "Treatment integrity procedures, generally lacking in previous research, were employed for evaluation of relaxation training for tension headaches. Treatment integrity is the extent to which the therapist implements the relaxation procedure as described, and the degree to which the patients comply with the therapist's instructions. Objective compliance with the home practice of relaxation training was assessed using a microcomputer-based method which required the patient to squeeze a hand control when instructed to tense a muscle. A single-case replication design with three tension headache patients was used. The dependent variables were taken from patients' self-reported daily headache data. Results indicate that: (a) the therapist accurately adhered to the relaxation training protocol; (b) headache frequency decreased in all patients from baseline to 1-year follow-up (improvements ranged from 72.7% to 98.2%); and (c) improvement was greater with higher compliance."}
{"id": "PMID:1487538", "title": "Somatic symptoms in social phobia: a treatment method based on rational emotive therapy and paradoxical interventions.", "content": "Social phobia is often accompanied by somatic symptoms such as trembling, blushing, and sweating. In cases where these symptoms are predominant and, rather than the social situation, represent the feared stimulus, their unpredictable occurrence may reduce the effectiveness of an otherwise successful treatment, such as exposure in vivo. In this study, a paradoxical treatment approach, combined with rational emotive therapy, is employed with three social phobic patients with fears of blushing, trembling, and sweating, respectively. Results indicate that a paradoxical treatment may be an effective strategy in reducing somatic symptoms in social phobia."}
{"id": "PMID:1487539", "title": "Development and validation of a behavioral observation measure for the syndrome of psychosis, intermittent hyponatremia, and polydipsia.", "content": "A behavioral observation scale (Virginia Polydipsia Scale; VPS) for monitoring drinking patterns was developed and its reliability tested during 25 hours of tandem ratings among six patients with the syndrome of psychosis, intermittent hyponatremia, and polydipsia (PIPS). These ratings were compared to those collected from a control group of six psychiatric inpatients who were similarly observed for 25 hours. The scale was subsequently used to assess day-long drinking in a single PIPS patient. Results demonstrated that the VPS can be reliably administered by trained raters and that it clearly differentiates the drinking patterns of PIPS patients from controls. In addition, our findings highlight associations among drinking behaviors, psychiatric functioning and low serum sodium concentration. On balance, these results support using observational measures of drinking behaviors in future studies of PIPS patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1487540", "title": "An alternative biofeedback-based behavior modification treatment for a case of chronic constipation.", "content": "A 31-year old female with chronic constipation was referred for treatment of a paradoxical contraction of the external anal sphincter (EAS) muscle during straining to defecate. The patient was dependent on laxative use and the digital removal of feces. The present program emphasized biofeedback training of the EAS utilizing the inexpensive, noninvasive procedure of disposable surface electrodes placed on the anal verge. Outcome of treatment resulted in an 89% decrease in laxatives used, complete termination of the digital removal of feces, and a notable decrease in EAS tension. The patient was able to maintain these gains at an 8 month follow-up."}
{"id": "PMID:1487541", "title": "Behavioral analysis and treatment of reflexive vomiting associated with visceral sensations: a case study of interoceptive conditioning?", "content": "Behavior analytic methods are applied to the conceptualization and treatment of a complex case of interoceptive classical conditioning. The subject exhibited a gagging and vomiting response to bladder and/or similar visceral sensations. A two-factor learning model of the problem led to a successful exposure and response prevention intervention, which was based on single-case experimental methodology. We discuss the possible relevance of this case in the context of the growing attention to interoceptive conditioning in behavioral problems, and comment upon the importance of behavior analytic principles and procedures to the behavioral clinician."}
{"id": "PMID:1487543", "title": "Opiate antagonists and eating behavior in humans: a review.", "content": "Animal studies have demonstrated a robust role for the endogenous opioid system in the control of food intake. In humans, selective opioid antagonists such as naloxone, naltrexone, and nalmefene have been shown in some studies to reduce total food intake by up to 30% and to alter food preferences in short-term experimental trials in normal-weight subjects, as well as in obese and bulimic patients. The value of naloxone and naltrexone in the long-term treatment of eating disordered patients, however, must be considered very limited. The published treatment studies do not justify the routine use of naloxone and naltrexone in patients with Prader-Willi syndrome, obesity, bulimia nervosa, or anorexia nervosa because of their unprofitable risk/benefit ratios, although further work, particularly focused on some of the newer antagonists, should be undertaken."}
{"id": "PMID:1487545", "title": "Pharmacotherapy and pharmacodynamics in the management of bacterial infection.", "content": "Minimum inhibitory concentration testing is the most common standard used to evaluate antibacterial activity of antimicrobials against specific pathogens. The consideration of pharmacodynamic factors in conjunction with these tests can improve the management of bacterial infections. Further, the incorporation of MIC values into pharmacodynamic ratios may provide clinically useful tools for selecting optimal antibiotic selection, determining proper dosing strategies, and predicting therapeutic outcomes. Physiologic consequences of infection and antibiotic treatment, such as endotoxin release and initiation of the septic cascade, also must be considered when choosing appropriate anti-infective therapy. The introduction of adjuvant immunotherapy, along with improvement, validation, and implementation of pharmacodynamic predictors of antibiotic efficacy, undoubtedly will provide the medical community with an effective arsenal to further reduce the morbidity and mortality rates associated with bacterial infections."}
{"id": "PMID:1487546", "title": "Effects of meals and meal composition on the bioavailability of fenretinide.", "content": "The effects of meals and meal composition on the bioavailability of fenretinide, N-(4-hydroxyphenyl) retinamide, a synthetic retinoid undergoing clinical trials, were examined in two separate studies using an open, randomized, crossover design. In the first study, 13 healthy male volunteers received 300-mg doses of fenretinide (1) while fasting and (2) after a high-fat breakfast. In a subsequent study, 15 subjects received 300 mg fenretinide after each of three different test meals (high-fat, high-protein, and high-carbohydrate) separated by a 1-week washout period. Plasma specimens obtained over a 72-hour period after each treatment were assayed by high-pressure liquid chromatography to characterize the effects of a meal and meal composition on the bioavailability of fenretinide. Results from the initial study demonstrated a significant increase in the bioavailability of fenretinide after a high-fat meal. In the follow-up study, the bioavailability of fenretinide, as assessed by total area under the plasma concentration curve, was three times greater after the high-fat meal than after the high-carbohydrate meal. This supported the findings of the first study. Although to a lesser extent, the high-protein meal also produced a greater area under the curve than the high-carbohydrate meal. These combined findings demonstrate that the bioavailability of fenretinide is markedly influenced not only by administration with meals but also by the specific composition of such meals."}
{"id": "PMID:1487547", "title": "The influence of diltiazem versus cimetidine on propranolol metabolism.", "content": "The present study was undertaken to examine whether the inhibitory effect of diltiazem on the metabolism of propranolol differs from that of cimetidine. Six healthy male volunteers received a single oral dose of 20 mg propranolol with pretreatment with placebo, 60 mg diltiazem, or 400 mg cimetidine three times daily for 4 days. Diltiazem and cimetidine increased the area under the concentration (AUC) of propranolol and its glucuronide. Cimetidine also increased the urinary excretion of propranolol glucuronide. There were no significant differences in the AUC of 4-hydroxypropranolol (4OHPPL) and its conjugates or the urinary excretion of conjugated 4OHPPL. Diltiazem increased the AUC of naphthoxylactic acid (NLA) and the urinary excretion to NLA. After cimetidine pretreatment, there was the trend toward a decrease in the partial metabolic clearance to 4OHPPL and a significant decrease in that of NLA. These results suggest that diltiazem and cimetidine inhibit the oxidation pathways of propranolol in different manners. Cimetidine might inhibit both oxidative pathways to 4OHPPL and NLA, whereas diltiazem might not inhibit the pathway to NLA."}
{"id": "PMID:1487548", "title": "Pharmacokinetics of sotalol enantiomers in humans.", "content": "The chiral beta-blocker, sotalol (STL), is marketed as a racemic mixture. Although both STL enantiomers have equal Class III antiarrhythmic activity, beta-blocking activity has been ascribed mainly to the R-enantiomer. The pharmacokinetics of STL enantiomers were studied in young (mean age 32 +/- 3 years), healthy male volunteers after oral administration of 160 mg. Subsequent plasma and urine samples were collected over 24 hours, and STL enantiomer concentrations were determined using a stereospecific high-performance liquid chromatography assay. There were no significant differences between pharmacokinetic parameters of enantiomers. The area under the time-concentration curves (mean +/- standard deviation [SD]) were 6.95 +/- 0.85 and 6.76 +/- 1.2 (mg/L)hour for S- and R-STL, respectively. Maximal plasma concentrations of S- and R-STL were 615 +/- 167 and 619 +/- 164 ng/mL, respectively, which were obtained on average, 3.13 +/- 0.60 hours after dosing. The mean residence time (mean +/- SD) was 13.2 +/- 1.2 and 12.9 +/- 1.8 hours for S- and R-STL, respectively. Respective renal clearance values for S- and R-STL were 8.98 +/- 1.5 and 9.46 +/- 2.3 L/hour, and were approximately 1.5 times greater than creatinine clearance. Renal clearance constituted approximately 76% of the oral clearance. Although stereoselective disposition of STL was absent after racemate administration, these results should not be extrapolated to patients with significantly altered physiology, or to the pharmacokinetics of S-STL after administration of pure-S-STL."}
{"id": "PMID:1487549", "title": "The effect of food or sucralfate on the bioavailability of S(+) and R(-) enantiomers of ibuprofen.", "content": "This randomized, multiple cross-over pharmacokinetic study was undertaken to determine if food or sucralfate alter the bioavailability of the active S(+) enantiomer of ibuprofen. Eleven healthy adult male volunteers were given three single 600-mg doses of ibuprofen (separated by 1 week) administered either in a fasting state, after a standardized breakfast, or with sucralfate 1 g. The main outcome measures were area under the concentration (AUC), maximum peak plasma concentration (Cmax), and time to reach peak concentration (tmax) for total, S(+), and R(-) enantiomer serum ibuprofen levels, drawn up to 10 hours after dosing. The AUC for R(-) ibuprofen was significantly lower than S(+) ibuprofen in all three treatment groups. The treatments had no different effects on AUC for S(+), R(+), or total ibuprofen. There was no difference in the ratio of S(+):R(-) enantiomers across different treatment groups, but the intersubject variability was significant (P < .05). The S(+) ibuprofen Cmax was greater than the R(-) ibuprofen Cmax for all treatment groups (P < .05). Sucralfate reduced the peak concentration of both S(+) and R(-) enantiomers when compared with fasting (P < .05). There was a slight but nonsignificant increase in the mean time to achieve peak concentration of both S(+) and R(-) enantiomers. Neither food nor sucralfate has a significant effect on ibuprofen enantiomer pharmacokinetics, but interindividual variability contributes significantly to the variability of enantiomer bioavailability."}
{"id": "PMID:1487550", "title": "The effect of antacid and ranitidine on droxicam pharmacokinetics.", "content": "Droxicam is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug that is a pro-drug of piroxicam. The influence of concomitant administration of antacid or ranitidine on droxicam pharmacokinetics has been investigated. On three separate phases, 15 healthy volunteers received a single oral 20-mg dose of droxicam either alone, with antacid (400 mg aluminum hydroxide + 400 mg magnesium hydroxide, three times/day), or with ranitidine (300 mg, two times/day) for 6 days. Piroxicam, the active substance from droxicam, was quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography. The pharmacokinetic parameters for droxicam given alone were: maximum peak plasma concentration (Cmax) = 1.53 +/- .21 micrograms/mL (mean +/- SD), time to peak concentration (Tmax) = 7.5 +/- 2.1 hr, t1/2a = 1.38 +/- .82 hour, t1/2el = 53.3 +/- 11.9 hr, Cl/F = 2.98 +/- .71 mL/min, volume of distribution (Vd/F) = 13.2 +/- 1.8 L and area under the curve (AUC) = 117.6 +/- 26.8 micrograms/hour/mL. The subject effect was significant for all the pharmacokinetic parameters except for the absorption half-life (P < .05). Concomitant antacid or ranitidine administration had no significant effect on any of the droxicam pharmacokinetic parameters. The results of this study suggest that antacid or ranitidine do not significantly alter the oral absorption or pharmacokinetic disposition of single-dose droxicam."}
{"id": "PMID:1487551", "title": "Comparative effects of verapamil and volume overload on atrial natriuretic factors and the renin-angiotensin aldosterone-vasopressin system.", "content": "The authors compared the effects of verapamil (120 mg three times daily for 3 days) with those of acute volume expansion with normal saline on the plasma levels of atrial natriuretic factors (ANF), renin (PRA), angiotensin II (AII), aldosterone (ALD), and arginine-vasopressin (AVP) in healthy subjects. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of crossover design was employed, where each individual received two acute volume overloads 1 week apart, one during placebo and the other during treatment with verapamil. Verapamil reduced blood pressure (BP) and increased the plasma levels of ANF, PRA, AII, ALD, and AVP. Strong positive correlations were observed between PRA, AII, ALD, and AVP, but not with ANF. Acute volume expansion (1500 mL saline in 15 minutes, in supine legs-up position) similarly to verapamil increased ANF levels; however, opposite to verapamil, it reduced PRA-AII-ALD, did not modify AVP levels, and increased BP. The mechanisms of these changes are discussed. In verapamil-treated subjects, volume expansion produced an additional increase in ANF and inhibited the PRA-AII-ALD axis, suggesting that in young healthy individuals, verapamil does not interfere with the reflex compensatory hormonal mechanisms activated under circumstances of acute volume-salt overload, with rapid expansion of the central vascular compartment. Our study indicates that verapamil and volume expansion represent two different stimuli for ANF secretion associated with opposite changes in the PRA-AII-ALD axis. In addition, verapamil can be used as a tool to study and understand the simultaneous increases in ANF and in PRA, AII, and AVP, characteristics of congestive heart failure."}
{"id": "PMID:1487552", "title": "Pyrazinoylguanidine: antihypertensive, hypocholesterolemic, and renin effects.", "content": "In a single-blind, placebo-controlled study of 12 subjects diagnosed as having mild to moderate hypertension and hypercholesterolemia, pyrazinoylguanidine (PZG) in a dose of 600 mg twice daily for 4 weeks reduced systolic blood pressure and heart rate. Pyrazinoylguanidine also reduced diastolic pressures, but to a lesser extent. Pyrazinoylguanidine reduced total serum cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL). Regression analysis indicated a dose-dependent reduction of both total cholesterol and LDL by PZG, i.e., the higher the presenting serum concentration, the greater the reduction by PZG. The extent of the reductions produced by PZG in elevated cholesterols and LDLs was highly correlated (r = .949). Normal high-density lipoprotein levels were unchanged by PZG. Pyrazinoylguanidine increased 24-hour urine volume and urinary excretion of sodium. Serum Na+, K+, or Cl- concentrations were unaltered. Means for plasma aldosterone and renin activities tended to decrease, but these trends did not attain statistical significance. Pyrazinoylguanidine was well tolerated. An activity profile that includes antihypertensive effects as well as reduction in hypercholesterolemia without major impact on serum renin or electrolyte balance makes PZG an attractive candidate for the management of hypertension."}
{"id": "PMID:1487553", "title": "A study in normal human volunteers to compare the rate and extent of levothyroxine absorption from Synthroid and Levoxine.", "content": "Numerous branded and generic formulations of levothyroxine (LT4) sodium tablets are currently available. Results from previous studies attempting to examine the comparative bioavailability of these formulations are difficult to interpret because of subject heterogeneity, single time-point blood sampling, varying degrees of hypothyroidism, and other factors. This study was devised to compare the rate and extent of absorption of LT4 from different LT4 sodium tablet formulations, in a simple model using a single-dose two-way single-blind, randomized cross-over design in 30 normal, healthy, nonpregnant, female subjects. This design controlled for many factors that limited previous LT4 bioavailability studies. Subjects were given a single 600 micrograms dose of LT4 as either Synthroid (Boots Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Lincolnshire, IL) tablets (formulation A) or Levoxine tablets (Daniels Pharmaceuticals, St. Petersburg, FL; formulation B). Measurements of baseline-corrected total T4 serum concentrations determined at multiple time points demonstrated statistically significant differences between the two formulations at the 1.00, 3.00, 5.00, and 18.00 hour sampling times. Statistically significant differences for area under the curve (AUC) (0 to 48 hours) (formulation A, 159.9 +/- 9.4 micrograms-hour/dL; formulation B, 193.4 +/- 10.1 micrograms-hour/dL) and maximum peak plasma concentration (Cmax) (formulation A, 5.91 +/- .34; formulation B, 7.12 +/- .32) also were demonstrated. Furthermore, the ratio of the baseline-corrected total T4 concentrations (B/A x 100) were 120.9% for AUC and 120.5% for Cmax. These data demonstrate that the administration of Synthroid and Levoxine result in a significantly different rate and extent of absorption of LT4, and therefore these two formulations cannot be considered bioequivalent.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1487554", "title": "Bioavailability studies of drugs with nonlinear pharmacokinetics: I. Tracer dose AUC varies directly with serum concentration.", "content": "The authors show that for a drug cleared by one enzyme the area under the serum concentration-time curve from time 0 to infinity (AUC0-INF) of a test dose can be expressed as AUC0-INF = TD x F x (Km + C)/Vmax where TD is test dose size, F is fraction absorbed, C is drug serum concentration at the time of the study, and Km and Vmax are the Michaelis constant and maximum velocity of the enzyme. This equation predicts the AUC0-INF produced by a given tracer dose of drug will vary directly with C in drugs with nonlinear pharmacokinetic properties (i.e., drugs whose value for C approaches or exceeds Km) if C is held constant by administration of tracer and maintenance doses of drug. The AUC0-INF produced by intravenous tracer doses of 150 mg of 13C15N2-sodium phenytoin was determined in 15 subjects at 30 different values of C. AUC0-INF showed a high degree of direct linear correlation with C (AUC0-INF (ug x hr/mL) = 35.4 + 8.1 x C (ug/mL), r = 0.885, P < .0001). Consequences of this observation for relative bioavailability studies of drugs with nonlinear pharmacokinetic properties are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1487556", "title": "Single-dose antibiotic therapy: what has the past taught us?", "content": "The proper dosage schedule of antibiotics has generally been determined empirically, due to the difficulty of clinical trials. Initially, the dosage was chosen to allow high sustained levels greater than MIC in the blood. Antibiotics (beta lactams, tetracyclins, macrolides) were given at high doses three to six times daily, whatever their kinetic properties. The data obtained by Eagle3 with beta lactams in animal models of streptococcal and treponemal infections outlined the importance of interval between doses on the in vivo efficacy. They also showed that increasing the dose of penicillin had a positive effect on the bactericidal activity only through the persistence of effective levels (greater than MIC) at the site of infection. Further illustrations were given through experimental and clinical studies with beta lactams or other compounds on different types of infections: LRTIs, UTIs, meningitis, and endocarditis. The importance of both dynamic (i.e., pattern of bactericidal effect) and kinetic (elimination half-life) parameters was thus further identified. Information on toxicity with some compounds with a narrow therapeutic index, such as aminoglycosides, indicated that increasing the dose to enhance efficacy had some limitations. This led to numerous studies on the relations between concentration and toxicity, stating that nephro- or ototoxicity were not directly related to peak level in serum. Experimental studies showed that OD administration of aminoglycosides was both more efficient and less toxic than the multiple-dose regimen of the same daily amount. Economic considerations progressively justified attempts to both reduce the dose and the work load related to multiple administrations.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1487557", "title": "Can fluoroquinolones be considered once-daily therapy?", "content": "Fluoroquinolone antimicrobial agents inhibit most Enterobacteriaceae at extremely low concentrations, less than or equal to 0.5 microgram/mL. The half-lives of the agents range from 4 to 18 hours. Most of the available fluoroquinolones can be administered once daily to treat urinary tract and diarrheal infections. Newer agents with long half-lives that inhibit gram positive organisms at lower concentrations than the older fluoroquinolones, less than or equal to 1 microgram/mL, and have a long post-antibiotic effect have the potential to be used once daily as treatment of respiratory, skin-structure and selected bone infections as well. Careful clinical studies are needed to establish the efficacy of once daily use of fluoroquinolones, to determine that clinical efficacy is equivalent to multiple doses, and that once-daily dosing does not select more resistant bacteria. Single-dose therapy with quinolones would be an improvement in cost and patient compliance."}
{"id": "PMID:1487558", "title": "What preclinical data are needed to justify once-daily therapy?", "content": "Before applying in clinical practice once-daily dosing of antimicrobials, one must take into consideration several factors that may influence the pharmacodynamic interaction between antimicrobials and microbes at the site of infection. The ideal agent should demonstrate rapid concentration-dependent killing activity and a post-antibiotic effect that could allow for a clinically significant delay with levels below the minimal inhibitory concentration before regrowth of the microorganism. The pharmacokinetic properties of the antibiotic should allow for a good therapeutic ratio (concentration/MIC) at the site of infection. To evaluate the importance of dosage schedule on outcome, investigators have to use animal models where peak levels, half-life, area under the curve, time above MIC in interstitial fluid or infected tissues, and other pharmacodynamic properties can be evaluated simultaneously. The pharmacodynamics of several antibiotics administered at different dosing interval is compared using an animal model of infected fibrin clots. In this model, once-daily therapy resulted in better killing than other modes of administration. Aminoglycosides and quinolones may be better suited for once-daily therapy than beta-lactams unless these latter agents have a long half-life."}
{"id": "PMID:1487559", "title": "Cost effectiveness of once-daily oral antimicrobial therapy.", "content": "Once daily dosing of oral antimicrobials achieves significantly better patient compliance than three or four times daily dosing, and limited data suggest that this is associated with greater efficacy. Comparison of once daily and twice daily dosing is less consistent, and most studies show only marginally better compliance with once daily dosing versus twice daily dosing. Detection of urinary antimicrobial activity provides a simple method for checking compliance with oral antimicrobials and deserves wider study. Counts of residual tablets have been shown to overestimate compliance. Intravenous formulations are always more expensive than equivalent oral formulations, and preparation and administration of intravenous drugs adds significant additional costs. Moreover, intravenous regimens are complex, and a number of studies have shown that serious errors occur in both preparation and administration of intravenous drugs. There is increasing evidence that serious infections can be adequately treated with oral drugs, and the excellent bioavailability of quinolones makes them particularly attractive for these indications. Clinicians require a method for checking absorption by patients with severe infection, and the Serum Bactericidal Test may provide a practical method for monitoring a wide variety of drugs."}
{"id": "PMID:1487561", "title": "Introduction of a composite parameter to the pharmacokinetics of venlafaxine and its active O-desmethyl metabolite.", "content": "Venlafaxine is a structurally novel, nontricyclic compound that is being evaluated for the treatment of various depressive disorders. A randomized three-period crossover study was conducted to obtain pharmacokinetic and dose proportionality data on the drug and its active metabolite, O-desmethylvenlafaxine. Eighteen healthy young men received single doses of venlafaxine 25, 75, and 150 mg followed by 3 days of administration every 8 hours (q8h). Steady-state elimination half-life was 3 to 4 hours for venlafaxine and 10 hours for O-desmethylvenlafaxine; both were independent of dose. Venlafaxine had a high oral-dose clearance, ranging from 0.58 to 2.63 L/hr/kg across doses with the lowest mean clearance, 0.98 L/hr/kg, at the highest dose. The apparent clearance of O-desmethylvenlafaxine was lower than venlafaxine, ranging from 0.21 to 0.66 L/hr/kg, and the lowest mean clearance, 0.33 L/hr/kg, occurred at the lowest dose. The area under the metabolite curve was two to three times greater than that for venlafaxine. Each compound had linear dose proportionality up to 75 mg q8h. A composite parameter incorporating venlafaxine plus O-desmethylvenlafaxine was introduced (i.e., AUC [area under the curve] + activity factor.AUCm), which extended linearity to 150 mg q8h. In summary, venlafaxine is a high-clearance drug that forms a metabolite with almost equal activity and demonstrates linear dose-proportionality."}
{"id": "PMID:1487562", "title": "Pharmacokinetic interactions of cefprozil with food, propantheline, metoclopramide, and probenecid in healthy volunteers.", "content": "Cefprozil, a new oral cephalosporin antibiotic, is composed of cis and trans isomers in an approximate 90:10 ratio. The objectives of this study were: (1) to assess the effects of alterations in gastrointestinal motility by metoclopramide and propantheline on the pharmacokinetics of cis and trans isomers of cefprozil, and to compare them with the effects of food on the pharmacokinetics of cefprozil; (2) to assess the effects of inhibition of renal tubular secretion by probenecid on the pharmacokinetics of cefprozil isomers. In this four-way crossover study, 15 healthy male volunteers received a 1000-mg dose of cefprozil after fasting, pretreatment with metoclopramide or propantheline, after breakfast, or after probenecid in an incomplete, balanced block design. There was a 1-week washout period between each treatment. Blood and urine samples collected over a 24-hour period were assayed for the cis and trans isomers. The concentrations of the trans isomers were generally 1/10 of the cis isomer. The means and variances of the pharmacokinetic parameters of the cis and trans isomers of cefprozil were similar in fasting subjects and were affected in a parallel manner by food, metoclopramide, propantheline, and probenecid. The pharmacokinetics of the cis isomer under the fasting condition were as follows: maximum peak plasma concentration (Cmax), 14.0 +/- 2.7 micrograms/mL; median time to reach Cmax (tmax), 1.5 (range, 1.0-3.5) hours; half-life (t1/2), 1.24 +/- 0.27 hours; area under the concentration (AUC0-infinity), 47.3 +/- 7.7 micrograms.hour/mL; mean residence time after oral administration (MRTpo), 2.9 +/- 0.4 hours; CLR, 219 +/- 60 mL/minute; and Xu% (percent cumulative urinary excretion in 0-24 hours), 68.1 +/- 12.5.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1487563", "title": "Language samples using three story elicitation tasks and maturation effects.", "content": "The spoken language skills of 20 elementary students with verified learning disabilities were explored using a story format and discourse analysis procedure. The purpose was to compare the performance of LD students on three types of story tasks (story generation from a picture, story generation from memory, and story generation based on a game) over a one-year period. Results indicated statistically significant main effects for approximately half (9/17) of the discourse variables by task and one main effect for time. Overall, stories from memory were longer and characterized by more as well as different types of errors than were stories from pictures or stories based on games. Implications for use of stories and type of story collection task in language sampling are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1487569", "title": "Lectin-binding profiles for normal skin appendages and their tumors.", "content": "A histochemical investigation of lectin-binding sites was carried out on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded sections of 60 skin appendage tumors and adjacent normal skin appendages, using four different biotinylated lectins, peanut agglutinin (PNA), Dolichos biflorus agglutinin (DBA), soybean agglutinin (SBA), and Ulex europaeus agglutinin-1 (UEA-1), and avidin-biotin-horseradish peroxidase labeling. In the secretory segments of eccrine sweat glands, the superficial dark cells showed strong cytoplasmic staining with UEA-1, whereas DBA and SBA strongly stained the plasma membranes of basal clear cells. The acinar cells of apocrine sweat glands revealed sporadic apical membrane staining with all four lectins. In some cases, the luminal membranes of sweat gland ducts showed apical membranous staining with all four lectins. In the hair follicles, the inner root sheath was positive for all four lectins, and the outer root sheath was stained by PNA. The sebaceous ducts, as well as the outer root sheath at the level of sebaceous duct insertion, were also labeled by all four lectins. Sebaceous lobules showed cytoplasmic and membrane staining of mature sebocytes with PNA and SBA. Although sweat gland tumors revealed differences in lectin binding when compared to their corresponding normal tissues, the lectin-binding pattern of pilosebaceous tumors was analogous to the pilosebaceous apparatus."}
{"id": "PMID:1487570", "title": "Distant cutaneous metastasis of pleural malignant mesothelioma.", "content": "We report a facial tumor that was proven to be a metastatic mesothelioma. The diagnosis was not established pre-mortem. The patient died shortly after the facial biopsy, and an autopsy revealed a large pleural-based mass which had the gross appearance typical of a mesothelioma. Electron microscopic examination of tissue from the pleural tumor was diagnostic for mesothelioma. The patient had extensive visceral metastatic disease. Inclusion of this entity in the differential diagnosis of certain cutaneous tumors is important, in part because this lesion may be confused with angiosarcoma, particularly when it occurs in the skin of the face or head in older patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1487565", "title": "Acoustic patterns of an adolescent with multiple articulation errors.", "content": "This is a case study on an adolescent who demonstrated multiple articulation errors. In particular, an acoustic analysis was performed on the same features as those investigated by Kent and Forner (1980) in children with normal articulation and by Glasson (1984) in speech- and language-disordered children. The results of the analysis were compared to the data obtained by Kent and Forner and Glasson. Our subject demonstrated longer phrase durations and more variability than any of the groups with whom he was compared. In addition, he displayed an interaction between syntactic and articulatory performance."}
{"id": "PMID:1487564", "title": "A fluent language disorder following antepartum left-hemisphere brain injury.", "content": "This article describes the development of language in a left-handed girl with a left middle cerebral artery infarction. Seven language samples of parent-child interaction, obtained when she was between 36 and 60 months of age, were transcribed and analyzed using the Child Language Data Exchange System. At 36 months of age, only 42 (20%) of the child's 214 utterances contained words; the other 80% were composed of jargon or interactional markers such as \"uh-huh\" and \"uhn-uhn.\" Jargon incorporated familiar intonational contours and prosodic features to convey emotional states and communicative functions. Between 36 and 45 months of age, her jargon became differentiated into increasing approximations of English sentences. Simultaneously, her use of words and word combinations increased. By 54 months of age, no jargon was heard. The pattern of development observed in this child can be described as a transient jargon or fluent aphasia. It may have resulted from initial reliance on an uninjured right hemisphere. However, given the similarity between this pattern and the expressive or gestalt style of learning seen in some normal children, the pattern may also be related to other variables including characteristics of the parental input."}
{"id": "PMID:1487571", "title": "Transient bullous dermolysis of the newborn. Retention of anchoring fibril- and basal lamina-like structures in keratinocytes and evidence of collagenolysis.", "content": "In a freshly induced blister from transient bullous dermolysis of the newborn, we found in epidermal basal cells structures similar to anchoring fibrils and lamina densa, often in combination. In the upper dermis, collagenolysis and phagocytosis of degenerated collagen fragments were observed. It is concluded that the stellate inclusions previously reported in this disease are prematurely assembled anchoring fibrils and lamina densa. A disturbance of delivery mechanism of precursor materials for anchoring fibrils and lamina densa may cause the deficiency of these structures which are essential for the integrity of dermo-epidermal adhesion. The presence of many normal anchoring fibrils and lamina densa in perilesional skin and their prompt degeneration after rupture of the inclusions previously led us to conclude that lytic enzymes are involved in the formation of blisters in this disease. The new finding of collagen phagocytosis in the lesional dermis seemed to support this contention."}
{"id": "PMID:1487566", "title": "Another look at semantic relational categories and language impairment.", "content": "Earlier comparative studies of language-impaired and normal children involved semantic-relational analyses of broad categories (e.g., action, locative action, and so on) in which utterance types were not differentiated. In this study, locative action utterances were differentiated by the types of locative words used singly and in combination. The types of utterances used by a language-impaired child were tracked between 1 year 6 months and 3 years and compared with those of three age- and MLU-matched normal children. The results suggested that differences in the semantic properties of language-impaired and normal children's utterances may go undetected unless a fine-grained analysis is performed on the types of expressions used within a global relational category. The potential value of extending semantic-relational analyses by exploring word use in syntactic contexts is addressed."}
{"id": "PMID:1487567", "title": "Two alternative program models for serving speech-disordered preschoolers: a second year follow-up.", "content": "This study investigates the appropriate roles of parents and speech-language pathologists in early intervention by longitudinally comparing the costs and effects of two programs for speech-disordered preschoolers: a home parent training program and a clinic-based, low parent involvement program. Results from follow-up testing one year after the intervention ended corroborated the results immediately following intervention. Specifically, the home parent training group performed at least as well as the clinic-based group on measures of speech and language functioning as well as on a measure of general development. On one variable measuring personal/social skills and one measuring adaptive behavior, the home parent training group performed significantly better than the other group. Results of the cost analysis indicated that, excluding the value of parent time, there was no meaningful difference in program costs. The implications of this study are that parents can be given significant responsibilities in early intervention and that program administrators have the viable option of training parents to provide the primary early intervention services. Findings support the need for therapists to be trained to work with parents as well as with the child."}
{"id": "PMID:1487574", "title": "HIV and AIDS among adolescents in the United States: increasing risk in the 1990s.", "content": "Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are growing problems among U.S. adolescents. By examining recent data on AIDS surveillance and HIV seroprevalence, surveys on teenagers' knowledge, beliefs, and behaviors related to HIV/AIDS, key treatment issues, and barriers to prevention, this manuscript reviews the problem and proposes possible ways of combating it. African American youth have the highest rates of AIDS and white youth the lowest. However, the largest number of AIDS cases overall has been recorded in white males, reflecting relatively high case rates in boys with hemophilia and in young male homosexuals. Predominant HIV risk factors for adolescents are unprotected sex and/or sharing injection drug equipment with an infected partner. Relatively high rates of HIV infection in adolescent females may indicate their greater physiological vulnerability than adult females to sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Data from HIV seroprevalence studies suggest a substantially increased heterosexual epidemic in the 1990s, especially in large east coast cities and southeastern rural areas where drug use and/or STDs are highly prevalent. More comprehensive prevention and treatment services are needed to prevent ongoing expansion of HIV infection and AIDS in the adolescent age group."}
{"id": "PMID:1487575", "title": "Sexuality and AIDS: attitudes and behaviors of adolescents in east and west Berlin.", "content": "The study which was conducted in 1990 in Berlin, Germany, compares two samples of 542 adolescents from West Berlin and 340 from East Berlin. The present investigation shows that the general trend toward sexual liberality among adolescents is continuing and that necessary processes of adolescent sexual development appear not to be influenced by the threat of AIDS. Though the level of knowledge about the threat of AIDS is, on the whole, satisfactory, this does not in itself guarantee determined and consistent AIDS-preventive behavior. Fewer than one-third of sexually-active adolescents, and even fewer than one-fourth of those in the most sexually-active group, can be described as consistent users of condoms. The attitudes of adolescents in regard to contraceptive characteristics only partly suggest a preference for condoms. When adolescents are asked directly about condoms, they additionally emphasize their effect of reducing feeling and pleasure. Adolescents with experience of sexual intercourse rate condoms more negatively than do those without such experience. However, AIDS-education efforts can make use of the fact that consistent condom-users expressed clearly more positive attitudes to condoms than did others. Although the comparison between East and West Berlin adolescents yielded differences in certain details, these differences are not of significance to AIDS-education programs which seek to increase AIDS-preventive behavior."}
{"id": "PMID:1487576", "title": "The AIDS awareness and sexual behaviour of young people in the South-west of England.", "content": "A programme of surveys was undertaken in collaboration with District Health Authorities to assess the AIDS awareness and sexual behaviour of young people, in order to help the development and implementation of HIV/AIDS risk-reduction strategies. Given that the patterns of findings were strongly replicated in the different districts, the data is presented in terms of a combined data set comprising 2955 respondents aged 16-24. The surveys indicate fairly reasonable levels of knowledge about HIV/AIDS but very low personally perceived vulnerability to infection. The sexual culture is one of fairly early ages of first intercourse, moderate levels of partner change and low (one third) levels of condom use. The findings are discussed in terms of their implications for HIV/AIDS risk-reduction strategies."}
{"id": "PMID:1487577", "title": "The social context of adolescent sexuality: safe sex implications.", "content": "This study was an examination of the sexual worlds of 153 adolescents aged 15 to 18 years through the content analysis of interviews on the topics of love, romance, relationships between the sexes, sexual values and sexual behaviors. The aim was to develop more detailed descriptions of the dimension of adolescent sexuality and relate these dimensions to sexual risk, that is, the tendency to engage in unprotected intercourse, an activity which increases vulnerability to AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases. To this end, seven themes were isolated from the interview scripts, these being permissiveness, double standards, belief about sexual control (the Id Factor), romance, regrets about permissiveness, sexual aggression, and questioning. Measures of four of these themes were constructed, and sex and sub-group differences explored, as were the relationships between themes and sexual risk. The implications of different \"pathways\" to sexual risk-taking were discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1487578", "title": "Self-control and ego identity development as predictors of unprotected sex in late adolescent males.", "content": "Male college students completed an anonymous self-report questionnaire assessing HIV-related knowledge, attitudes, moral development, personality factors and behaviors. Bivariate analyses were used to identify factors associated with high-risk sexual intercourse. Significant demographic psychosocial and behavioral predictors were entered into a logistic regression analysis to evaluate the independent influence of each predictor on unprotected sexual intercourse. Behavioral factors were the most powerful predictors of unprotected sexual intercourse. Adolescents reporting multiple sex partners, drinking and picking-up sex partners were significantly more likely to engage in sex without condoms. Examining psychosocial factors alone, it was found that adolescents who had low scores for ego-development (goal-directedness) and self-control were significantly more likely to engage in sex without condoms. Identification of two personality constructs as underlying predictors of high-risk behavior, while potentially important for the development of effective HIV prevention programs, needs corroboration to further define the interrelationships between these factors and other psychosocial constructs."}
{"id": "PMID:1487579", "title": "Sex education: more is not enough.", "content": "Increasing demands for sex education have been associated with a plethora of recommendations, regulations and resources with resulting variability of content, strategy, quality and outcome. While numerous studies confirm that the health behaviour of teenagers is not altered by the teaching of facts alone, other data suggest that appreciation of personal risk and learned assertiveness skills are associated with changes in population behaviours. Peer led teaching is a powerful and probably essential component of school health and sex education. Evaluated interventions with agreed purpose and acceptable methodologies are essential if there is to be any real expectation of health benefit from sex education."}
{"id": "PMID:1487580", "title": "Adolescent coping behavior when confronted with a friend with AIDS.", "content": "The coping strategies employed by adolescents (n = 871) when presented with a hypothetical situation of a friend with AIDS were examined. Adolescents reported a wide range of imagined responses that were generally adaptive. Girls more than boys and distressed students more than nondistressed students were likely to endorse adaptive coping items. Comparison of the students with a separate sample (n = 472) that responded to a hypothetical situation of a suicidal peer revealed more distress in girls for the AIDS problem and more distress in boys for the suicide problem, contrary to expectations. Adolescents were more distressed and endorsed a wider variety of coping strategies in response to the AIDS scenario than to the suicide problem. Implications for care of adolescents dealing with these significant issues are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1487581", "title": "The basics of decision analysis.", "content": "Historically, decision analysis (DA) arose from economics, psychology, and statistics. Medical and dental applications have developed over the past two decades. While decision psychology explores how people make their decisions, the DA process involves construction of a model and development of insights into the strengths and uncertainties about recommendations derived from analysis of model outputs. Uncertainties are represented as probabilities and values are assigned to desirable or adverse outcomes according to preferences expressed by the decision maker. The model unifies probabilities and values by calculation of the expected value for each decision choice. The decision maker can improve his or her insight into uncertainties in the model by conducting sensitivity analyses, and can take action based on this improved insight. The DA process is illustrated using the decision to take or skip influenza vaccination. People's decision making behavior for this problem has also been analyzed using methods from decision psychology. Distinctions between clinical DA and cost-effectiveness analysis are given, as are caveats about especially complicated subtopics in decision analysis for medical problems. In closing, opportunities for further study of decision analysis are presented."}
{"id": "PMID:1487582", "title": "Psychology and decision making: modelling health behavior with multiattribute utility theory.", "content": "The success of much of dental practice is linked to patient behavior. Understanding the issues that influence patients' decisions when they choose to not follow preventive or therapeutic dental recommendations is instrumental to improving adherence, and ultimately, to improving dental health outcomes. Multiattribute Utility Theory (MAU) provides a methodology for systematically exploring these issues. It is based on a well-established body of knowledge in the psychological literature, and currently represents a state-of-the-art model for predicting behavior and delineating potentially modifiable behavioral determinants. Two examples are presented to illustrate how MAU can be used in clinical settings. In the first example, MAU is used to identify key reasons why nearly 70 percent high-risk patients did not obtain flu shots, a behavioral problem comparable to many confronted in dentistry. MAU correctly predicted the vaccination behavior of 82 percent of patients, and an intervention based on MAU findings nearly doubled vaccination rates. The second example used MAU to identify physician behaviors that influenced patients' satisfaction with an ambulatory care visit. MAU findings from this study identified specific behaviors in a provider's style that if modified may improve patient satisfaction. These MAU applications also emphasize the importance of soliciting the patient's perspective in clinical interactions since some of the most important determinants of patient behavior are not represented in traditional clinical decision models."}
{"id": "PMID:1487583", "title": "Legal considerations in clinical decision making.", "content": "Decision analysis has wide application across disciplines. The purpose of engaging in formal analysis is to enhance the understanding and description of problems, aiding the decision maker to be more explicit and more comprehensive in the search for a preferred course of action. Legal considerations arise out of clinical decisions. The legal implications are illustrated with actual applicable issues arising out of current dental litigations."}
{"id": "PMID:1487584", "title": "Decision analysis in restorative dentistry.", "content": "Standardization of clinical decisions in restorative dentistry should be based on the tenets of the Hippocratic Oath. Although there is wide variability in preventive and operative treatment decisions, some of these decisions may lead along parallel courses to similar, clinically ethical outcomes. However, what parameters must be considered in judging the relative magnitude of positive and negative outcomes? This paper proposes several decision-making strategies for selecting optimum treatment plans for preventive and restorative situations. The caries-risk level of patients must first be identified in a systematic way and then it must be coupled with treatment options that are consistent with the potential future caries increment. A decision-tree approach and/or the treatment-index concept can then be applied to specific clinical conditions and preventive-restorative options to derive an \"expected value\" for each possible outcome."}
{"id": "PMID:1487585", "title": "Clinical decision making for temporomandibular disorders.", "content": "Temporomandibular Disorders (TMD) encompass a number of clinical problems that involve the masticatory musculature, the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), or both. In any given patient, there exists the possibility of several overlapping TM disorders, an orofacial pain condition mimicking a TMD, or a concomitant TMD and non-TMD disorder. Since differential diagnosis involves the determination of which diseases or disorders a patient is suffering from by systematically contrasting the clinical characteristics, differentiation from among multiple possible conditions complicates the diagnostic process, which often must be approached with a certain degree of uncertainty. In addition, the therapeutic decisions that emanate from the diagnostic process have their own predictive uncertainties. These uncertainties can be ameliorated by coupling available clinical research data with structured clinical problem solving methods during the diagnostic-therapeutic decision making process. It is within this context that this article includes a discussion of the rationale for why the clinician should use decision making methods for TMD, a review of previous attempts at developing decision models for TMD, a discussion of the diagnosis of TMD with particular emphasis on the reliability and validity of their diagnostic criteria, a summary of the efficacy of therapeutic modalities and their application to treatment decisions, a sample decision tree analysis of a TM disorder, and some general recommendations for dental education."}
{"id": "PMID:1487586", "title": "Decision making in radiographic imaging.", "content": "In 1987, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services issued guidelines for prescription of dental radiographic examinations, and although these recommendations have been reprinted in several widely circulated publications, it seems that the adoption of these guidelines is far from common, even among U.S. dental schools. The recommended criteria are founded on the existing knowledge of prevalence and progression of the most common dental diseases and on the fact that occult diseases within the jaws are uncommon. There are, however, other factors that may influence the decision on the time and extent of a radiographic examination, which may lead to deviations from the suggested guidelines. These factors include: education, peer influence, patient's preference, legal considerations, the dentist's field of interest or specialty, the training of the staff, and practice routine. The diagnostic interpretation of radiographs is far from a completely objective process, even if it is a question as simple as the presence and/or extent of a carious lesion. Numerous studies have shown a large variation among observers, both with regard to the occurrence and extent of carious lesions, in bite-wing radiographs. Caries diagnosis is only one example of many situations where significant observer variation is found. The more complex the diagnostic task, the more variation can be expected. The effect of observer variation on treatment decisions regarding carious lesions is used as an example of the problems encountered daily in the dental practice."}
{"id": "PMID:1487587", "title": "Decision analysis for periodontal therapy.", "content": "Current decision-making approaches in clinical medicine and dentistry are based on principles developed when diagnostic and therapeutic options were few. The rapid pace of new technology development and the role of third-party payment systems are increasingly requiring that health-care providers and patients confront very complex decisions. These decisions typically involve significant uncertainty (e.g., How will a specific patient respond to each possible treatment?) and difficult tradeoffs (e.g., How much are patients willing to pay in money, time, and treatment effectiveness to avoid pain and discomfort?). This paper discusses high-quality decision-making. High-quality diagnostic and therapeutic decisions result from a well-developed decision basis that represents the alternatives, information, and preferences pertaining to the decision at hand. An effective decision basis is framed to address patients' and clinicians' key concerns. The resulting recommendation for action is based on an understanding of what factors are most sensitive in determining the best course of action. Moreover, the value of additional information-gathering efforts (e.g., further diagnosis) can be measured before the information is obtained to determine whether it is worth more than it costs. The paper illustrates the need for better decision-making methods with a sample patient case, discusses key decision analysis principles and methods, identifies specific areas where periodontal decision-making can be improved by decision analysis, and presents a periodontal decision analysis case. It then discusses how intelligent decision system technology can make decision analysis widely available in a clinical setting and concludes by exploring how a future dental office might use this technology on a routine basis."}
{"id": "PMID:1487588", "title": "Dental implants and decision making.", "content": "Treatment choice and effectiveness in prosthodontics has largely depended on educated anecdote and asseveration. Still, this approach has to a very large extent enabled dentists to enrich the quality of their patients' lives. However, the trade-off between the need for prosthetic intervention per se and the biologic price inherent in certain therapeutic endeavors has demanded strict concerns regarding clinical decision making and treatment outcomes. The technique of implant prosthodontics is certainly one that has focussed such concerns, particularly since the concept of osseointegration was introduced to North American dentists at the 1982 Toronto Conference. Clinical research and opinion in this area have elicited both clinical euphoria and polarization vis-a-vis newer possibilities for resolving the predicaments of partial or complete edentulism. The past decade has witnessed clinical trials, as well as highly relevant exemplary reports, on the application of the osseointegration technique. It is now necessary to compare the merits of implant prosthodontics to traditional therapies, and to determine those criteria which comprise optimal functional and aesthetic restoration, with minimal risk of morbidity, along with cost concerns. This paper seeks to provide a systematic and rational basis for the identification of such criteria."}
{"id": "PMID:1487589", "title": "The family relations, peer relations, and criminal activities of Caucasian and Hispanic-American gang members.", "content": "Juvenile gang members present serious problems to society, yet few empirical studies have examined their criminal activity, family relations, and peer relations in comparison with other highly antisocial youths. In a 2 (Gang Membership) x 2 (Ethnicity: Hispanic-American vs. Caucasian) design, 131 incarcerated male juvenile offenders were administered a battery assessing criminal activity, family relations, and peer relations. Results demonstrated (a) higher rates of criminal behavior (i.e., general delinquency, index offenses, school delinquency) among gang members than among offenders who did not belong to gangs, (b) higher rates of general delinquency and home delinquency among Caucasian offenders than among Hispanic-American offenders, and (c) greater aggression and less social maturity in the peer relations of gang members than in the peer relations of offenders who did not belong to gangs. In addition, gang membership mediated sociocultural differences in hard drug use. Findings are integrated with the extant literature."}
{"id": "PMID:1487590", "title": "Aggression in boys with attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder: methylphenidate effects on naturalistically observed aggression, response to provocation, and social information processing.", "content": "High and low-aggressive boys with attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) were compared and the effects of methylphenidate were examined on measures from three domains of aggression: (1) directly observed verbal and nonverbal aggressive behaviors exhibited in the context of a day treatment program, (2) aggressive responding when provoked during a laboratory task, and (3) social information processing patterns exhibited on tasks designed to tap the putative cognitive components of aggression. The high-aggressive (HA) and low-aggressive (LA) subgroups differed significantly on observational measures of aggression and on the laboratory provocation task, but the HA group showed more deviant cognitions on only one of the numerous measures of social information processing. Regarding medication effects on the direct observation measures, methylphenidate decreased aggression for both subgroups. On the laboratory provocation task, methylphenidate had only minimal effects. Significant drug effects were obtained on only two recall social information processing measures."}
{"id": "PMID:1487591", "title": "Mothers' attributions and expectancies regarding their conduct-disordered children.", "content": "As an extension of Patterson's family coercion model, we hypothesized that parental attributions about the causes of child misbehavior and parental expectancies concerning the effectiveness of parenting techniques are involved in the establishment and maintenance of coercive exchanges. Mothers of 40 conduct-disordered children and 40 matched control children completed questionnaires measuring their attributions regarding the causes of their children's misbehavior and their expectations concerning the general and personal effectiveness of parenting techniques. Results supported the hypotheses: parents of conduct-disordered children were more likely to regard their children's misbehavior as intentional and to attribute it to stable, global causes beyond the parents' control. They also were less likely to see their own parenting as effective. We speculate that these parents hold cognitive stances of blame and helplessness that contribute to aversive parent behavior as well as to parent withdrawal in the face of escalating child aggressiveness."}
{"id": "PMID:1487592", "title": "Attention deficit disorder and age of onset of problem behaviors.", "content": "In the course of a prospective longitudinal study, we examined age of onset of behavior problems in a group of boys and girls identified with attention deficit disorder (ADD) at age 11. Onset occurred during the preschool years, by the first year of schooling, or by the end of the second year of school. Onset was strongly related to informant source at age 11, pattern of comorbidity of disorder at age 11, and developmental language, perceptual motor, and IQ measures. Onset by the first year of schooling was particularly related to poor reading skills. By age 15, nearly three-quarters of those with onset of problems before age 6 had one or more DSM-III disorders."}
{"id": "PMID:1487593", "title": "Parenting stress among families of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.", "content": "Prior research has shown that parenting stress levels can be quite high among families of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This study investigated the degree to which such stress was related not only to the child's ADHD, but also to various other child, parent, and family-environment circumstances. Multimethod assessments were conducted on 104 clinic-referred children with ADHD. Data collected from these subjects were entered into hierarchical multiple-regression analyses, utilizing the Parenting Stress Index as the criterion. The results showed that the child and parent characteristics accounted for a substantial portion of the variance in overall parenting stress. The child's oppositional-defiant behavior and maternal psychopathology were especially potent predictors. The severity of the child's ADHD, the child's health status, and maternal health status also emerged as significant predictors. These findings are discussed in terms of their impact upon the clinical management of children with ADHD."}
{"id": "PMID:1487594", "title": "Negative cognitive errors and positive illusions for negative divorce events: predictors of children's psychological adjustment.", "content": "This study examined the relations among negative cognitive errors regarding hypothetical negative divorce events, positive illusions about those same events, actual divorce events, and psychological adjustment in 38 8- to 12-year-old children whose parents had divorced within the previous 2 years. Children's scores on a scale of negative cognitive errors (catastrophizing, overgeneralizing, and personalizing) correlated significantly with self-reported symptoms of anxiety and self-esteem, and with maternal reports of behavior problems. Children's scores on a scale measuring positive illusions (high self-regard, illusion of personal control, and optimism for the future) correlated significantly with less self-reported aggression. Both appraisal types accounted for variance in some measures of symptomatology beyond that explained by actual events. There was no significant association between children's negative cognitive errors and positive illusions. The implications of these results for theories of negative cognitive errors and of positive illusions, as well as for future research, are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1487595", "title": "The effects of a positive behavioral context on the social impact of aggressive behavior.", "content": "The hypothesis is experimentally examined that a positive behavioral repertoire can ameliorate the negative social impact of aggressive behavior. Sixty-six fourth- through sixth-grade girls viewed and rated a series of videotaped interactions between two female confederates. The proportion of positive to aggressive behavior viewed by each subject was manipulated across six experimental conditions by varying the number of positive behaviors exhibited by one of the confederates (target) while the number of aggressive behaviors displayed by her remained constant (i.e., 0%, 20%, 43%, 60%, 80%, and 100% positive). Each subject provided sociometric ratings of the target and selected trait descriptors that best described her from a checklist. The results indicated that positive behavior exhibited in high rates (80% or more, compared to aggressive behavior) offset the negative effects of aggression on both sociometric ratings and positive and negative descriptors."}
{"id": "PMID:1487596", "title": "Social stimulation and joint attention in young autistic children.", "content": "The present study was designed to examine the effects of social stimulation on the joint attention behavior of 20 autistic children under 6 years of age, 20 receptive language-matched Down syndrome children, and 20 receptive language matched-normally-developing infants. Children's social and non-social engagement states were measured during two experimental play sessions and during free play with parent. For all groups, joint attention was increased when adult play behavior closely followed and was contingent on the behavior of the children; however, the autistic children were significantly less responsive to the experimental manipulation than control subjects. In contrast, the autistic children were no less responsive in terms of other forms of social engagement. Results are interpreted as supporting a model of joint attention deficits in autism that involves factors inherent to the disorder in transaction with social context."}
{"id": "PMID:1487597", "title": "Do childhood anxiety measures measure anxiety?", "content": "The Fear Survey Schedule for Children-Revised (FSSC-R), Revised-Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale (RCMAS), and the Modified State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children (STAIC-M) are three widely used self-report measures of childhood anxiety. While previous studies have established the reliability of these measures, their validity in discriminating anxious from non-anxious youngsters remains to be established. The present study examines the discriminant validity of the three measures by comparing clinic referred samples of boys with an anxiety disorder (n = 105) or ADHD (n = 59) with a community sample of never-psychiatrically-ill boys (n = 49). Results indicated that the two patient groups differed significantly from the never-psychiatrically-ill group on the RCMAS and STAIC-M, but the anxious and ADHD groups did not differ from each other. None of the three groups differed on the FSSC-R. The implications of these findings for the assessment of childhood anxiety disorders are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1487598", "title": "Contextual factors in vigilance testing of children with ADHD.", "content": "The effect of contextual factors on continuous performance testing was examined by administering a vigilance task to 51 children with ADHD under conditions of examiner presence and absence at different times (i.e., beginning and middle) of an assessment battery. The results showed that the ability to differentiate target stimuli from distractors (d-prime) was related to examiner presence vs. absence, and that response bias (beta), a measure of the subject's carefulness in responding to stimuli, was associated with the time of task administration. The decline in d-prime under conditions of examiner absence was shown to be related more to level of aggression as opposed to level of inattention. Children with ADHD having relatively high levels of aggression demonstrated a significant decline in d-prime scores under conditions of examiner absence, but those with relatively low levels of aggression did not. The results demonstrated the importance of contextual factors on vigilance task performance and suggested a differential impact of contextual variables on children who are inattentive vs. aggressive."}
{"id": "PMID:1487599", "title": "Six-year stability of parent-reported problem behavior in an epidemiological sample.", "content": "An epidemiological sample of 936 Dutch children originally aged 4-11 years was assessed at 2-year intervals over a 6-year period. Parents completed the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) on all four occasions. Stability coefficients computed for eight CBCL syndromes, Internalizing and Externalizing dimensions, and total problems revealed considerable long-term stability. There was no significant difference in the 6-year stability of internalizing vs. externalizing scores. This finding was at odds with reports of considerably lower stability of internalizing behavior, and was consistent with findings suggesting that the stability of internalizing problems should not be underestimated. The magnitude and specificity of the long-term stability of internalizing and externalizing scores lends support to the validity of these behavioral dimensions as tapped by the CBCL. No significant sex or age differences in the stability of problem behaviors were found."}
{"id": "PMID:1487602", "title": "Gut-derived substances in activation of hepatic macrophages after partial hepatectomy in rats.", "content": "When liver perfusion with nitro blue tetrazolium and phorbol myristate acetate was performed in rats 24 h after two-thirds liver resection, there were marked deposits of formazan converted from nitro blue tetrazolium in hepatic macrophages throughout the liver, indicating macrophage activity. The extent of the deposits was significantly reduced when perfusion was performed following oral administration of polymyxin B sulfate, a non-absorbable bacteriocidal agent against gram-negative bacilli which can also bind endotoxin lipopolysaccharides. Polymyxin B sulfate administration also attenuated the derangements of SGPT and the histological liver injury provoked by endotoxin administration after partial hepatectomy. These results suggests that gut-derived substances sensitive to polymyxin B sulfate may contribute to activation of hepatic macrophages after partial hepatectomy in rats."}
{"id": "PMID:1487603", "title": "Long-term follow-up of non-A, non-B (type C) post-transfusion hepatitis.", "content": "One hundred and thirty-five patients who developed non-A, non-B post-transfusion hepatitis mostly after cardiac surgery, were followed for a mean (+/- S.D.) of 90 +/- 41 months (range: 13-180) to evaluate clinical and histological outcome. Thirty-one cases resolved within 12 months, while 104 (77%) progressed to chronicity. Twenty-one of 65 (32%) biopsied patients developed cirrhosis at the end of the follow-up, and one further progressed to hepatocellular carcinoma. One patient had a complete histological remission (1%). The remaining cases had chronic active (37%), chronic persistent (27%) or chronic lobular hepatitis (3%). About half of the cases with cirrhosis developed portal hypertension, and three of these died due to esophageal varices hemorrhage, one due to liver failure, and one due to hepatocellular carcinoma. Out of 26 patients with the initial histologic diagnosis of chronic hepatitis that were rebiopsied during follow-up, 13 (50%) progressed to cirrhosis. These patients were significantly older than patients who did not develop cirrhosis (mean age 57 and 45 years respectively; p < 0.01). During acute hepatitis anti-HCV was positive in all but one of the 114 patients tested. Percentages were similar for patients who recovered (95%) and those who developed chronic hepatitis (100%). However, during follow-up, 71% of the 1st generation and 21% of the 2nd generation ELISA test patients with acute resolved hepatitis became anti-HCV negative, while the same figures in chronic cases were only 8.5% (p < 0.0001) and 1.4% (p = 0.012). This suggests a correlation between anti-HCV antibody activity, hepatitis C virus replication, and the development of chronic liver disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1487604", "title": "Monitoring of serum markers for fibrosis during CCl4-induced liver damage. Effects of anti-fibrotic agents.", "content": "Liver fibrosis was induced in rats by repeated peritoneal injections of carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) over a period of 2-11 weeks. Serum procollagen III peptide (SPIIINP), prolidase (SP) and alanine aminotransferase (SALT) levels were monitored during the period of induction. The extent of fibrosis was semi-quantitatively estimated after collagen staining, and the anti-fibrotic effects of 16,16-dimethyl prostaglandin E2 (DMPGE2), colchicine, and zinc sulphate were studied. SPIIINP and SP were increased the first 2 weeks after CCl4 administration and peaked at 6 weeks. Alterations in SPIIINP and SP correlated well to the semi-quantitative histological score of liver sections during the first 6 weeks, and SP was positively related to SPIIINP throughout the whole induction period. DMPGE2 decreased SPIIINP, SP and SALT significantly in addition to a markedly decreased formation of liver collagens. Colchicine had a similar but less dramatic effect, whereas zinc sulphate only reduced SPIIINP without influencing liver damage. In conclusion SPIIINP seems to be a valuable indicator of liver fibrogenesis, and SP may play a limited role in indicating accelerated collagen metabolism in the liver. DMPGE2 obviously inhibited the production of collagens induced by CCl4. Colchicine also had an apparent effect on liver fibrosis, whereas zinc sulphate merely seemed to postpone it."}
{"id": "PMID:1487605", "title": "A prospective study of alcoholic liver disease and mortality.", "content": "We report the 10-year survival of 510 patients with a histological diagnosis of alcoholic liver disease. Eight centres in Scotland and North England contributed to this study. Information was available on 92% of the initial cohort. Age was important, with each decade increasing mortality by 55%. A highly significant interaction between sex and histology was observed with a marked survival benefit for males with non-cirrhotic alcoholic liver disease, while in cirrhotic subjects the pattern was reversed. Patients with decompensated liver disease had a relative increase in mortality in excess of 86% while the increase in mortality for alcoholic hepatitis, 'active' cirrhosis and 'inactive' cirrhosis were 52%, 57% and 91% relative to fatty liver. Alcohol intake at the time of diagnosis did not influence outcome. This study emphasises yet again the increased mortality rate of individuals abusing alcohol compared with the general population."}
{"id": "PMID:1487606", "title": "Value of measurement of mean portal flow velocity by Doppler flowmetry in the diagnosis of portal hypertension.", "content": "To establish the sensitivity and specificity of the mean portal flow velocity in the diagnosis of portal hypertension, a population of 304 consecutive cirrhotic patients, in whom 246 abdominal Doppler examinations were performed, was prospectively analysed between June 1988 and December 1990. To avoid equipment-related variability only examinations performed using the same equipment were considered. Further inclusion criteria were the absence of portal vein thrombosis or reversed flow in the portal vessels and the absence of spontaneous, ultrasonographically detectable, portosystemic shunts. The parameter evaluated was mean portal flow velocity calculated directly from the Doppler trace by specific, operator-independent, software. 123 patients satisfied the inclusion criteria. As a control group 60 healthy age- and sex-matched subjects were examined. Mean portal flow velocity was significantly lower in cirrhotic patients than healthy subjects (13.0 +/- 3.2 cm/s vs. 19.6 +/- 2.6 cm/s; p < 0.001). There was also a decrease in mean portal flow velocity in cirrhotics in each Child-Pugh category (13.8 +/- 2.8 cm/s in Child-Pugh A class; 12.1 +/- 3.5 cm/s in Child-Pugh B class and 11.0 +/- 2.4 cm/s in Child-Pugh C class) with a statistically significant difference between each Child-Pugh category and healthy subjects (p < 0.001), between Child-Pugh A and B (p < 0.01) and between Child-Pugh A and C (p < 0.005). The sensitivity and specificity of mean portal flow velocity in the detection of portal hypertension was then analyzed with the receiver operating characteristic curve.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1487607", "title": "Characteristics of oleate binding to liver plasma membranes and its uptake by isolated hepatocytes.", "content": "To clarify mechanisms of hepatic free fatty acid uptake, [3H]oleate uptake by isolated rat hepatocytes was studied, using solutions of 150 microM bovine serum albumin at oleate:albumin molar ratios of 0.033-6.7:1. Oleate partitioning between liver plasma membranes and albumin was also studied, and used to ascertain the membrane binding function for oleate. The experimental uptake curve was complex, but could be resolved by computer fitting into a sum of two components, one a saturable and the second a linear function of the unbound oleate concentration. The saturable component comprises > 90% of total oleate uptake when the oleate:albumin molar ratio is < 2.5, but < 50% when this ratio is > 5. Membrane binding also consisted of a sum of a saturable and a linear component. By comparison of the computer-fitted uptake and binding functions, separate rate constants for the transfer into the cell of the saturably and non-saturably bound oleate were estimated to be 0.7 s-1 and 0.05 s-1, respectively. The former is compatible with a specific, protein-mediated process. It is 15-times greater than the corresponding rate constant for transfer of non-saturably bound oleate into the cell, which in turn is similar to reported rates of non-specific 'flip-flop' of fatty acids across lipid bilayers. The observed kinetics are not consistent with models in which uptake occurs principally from the albumin-bound pool of oleate, or solely from the oleate which has partitioned passively into the lipid bilayer of the plasma membrane."}
{"id": "PMID:1487609", "title": "Responsiveness to synthetic parathyroid hormone in the portal vein of portal hypertensive rats.", "content": "In addition to its hypotensive action, the parathyroid hormone also decreases portal pressure in portal hypertensive rats. The purpose of this study was to characterize the vascular effects of the parathyroid hormone on the portal vein of portal vein-stenosed rats. When intravenously infused at the rate of 1.62 x 10(-11) mol/kg per min, the parathyroid hormone lowered portal pressure (15.1 +/- 0.7 vs. 14.0 +/- 0.8 mmHg) without affecting systemic blood pressure. With the portal vein isolated, the parathyroid hormone shifted the dose-response curves of KCl and acetylcholine to the right. However, the vasodilator effect of the parathyroid hormone was significantly less in portal hypertensive rats (EC50 of KCl increased 129.2% and acetylcholine 199.3%), compared to sham-operated rats (EC50 of KCl increased 158.7% and acetylcholine 270.2%). Similar results were found for the vasodilator action of verapamil (10(-9)-10(-6) M). On the other hand, the vasodilator effect of forskolin was similar for both groups. These results suggest that decreased responsiveness to the parathyroid hormone may be associated with calcium utilization by vascular smooth muscles."}
{"id": "PMID:1487608", "title": "A randomized controlled trial comparing octreotide and vasopressin in the control of acute esophageal variceal bleeding.", "content": "This randomized controlled trial was conducted to compare the efficacy of intravenous infusion of octreotide (a synthetic long-acting somatostatin analogue) with vasopressin in 48 cirrhotic patients with endoscopically proven bleeding esophageal varices. Twenty-four patients received a continuous infusion of octreotide 25 micrograms/h for 24 h after an initial bolus of 100 micrograms and another 24 patients received a continuous infusion of vasopressin 0.4 U/min for 24 h. Bleeding was initially controlled after 6 h of drug infusion in 88% (21/24) and 54% (13/24) of the patients treated with octreotide and vasopressin respectively (p = 0.03). Complete control of bleeding after 24 h of drug infusion was achieved in 15 (63%) patients receiving octreotide and in 11 (46%) patients receiving vasopressin (p > 0.05). Side effects during drug infusion such as headache, chest pain and abdominal pain were significantly lower in the octreotide group (3/24) than in the vasopressin group (11/24). Serum gastrin and insulin levels fell significantly following octreotide infusion, but plasma glucose levels remained unchanged. Mortality related to bleeding esophageal varices was no different between the two groups. This report showed that octreotide infusion was more effective and had fewer side effects than vasopressin in initial controlling of acute esophageal variceal bleeding until an elective endoscopic sclerotherapy could be performed."}
{"id": "PMID:1487610", "title": "Alpha-tocopherol deficiency fails to aggravate toxic liver injury but liver injury causes alpha-tocopherol retention.", "content": "The possible aggravation of liver injury by impaired cellular antioxidant function was investigated. A vitamin E-deficient diet (0.5 mg/kg alpha-tocopherol; control 100 mg/kg) significantly reduced rat liver alpha-tocopherol concentrations after 4 weeks (1.8 +/- 1.7 micrograms/g; control 34.4 +/- 2.4 micrograms/g, p < 0.001). The effects of copper loading (Cu, 3 g/kg diet); galactosamine (GalN, 0.85 g/kg i.p.); or carbon tetrachloride (CCl4, 10 mmol/kg i.p.) were examined. Serum aspartate transaminase activity was elevated slightly by vitamin E deficiency but not by hepatic copper accumulation. In vitamin E-replete (E+) and vitamin E-deficient (E-) rats, GalN or CCl4 caused a large and comparable elevation in serum AST and OCT activity. This effect on AST was markedly reduced by copper loading in vitamin E replete (E+) rats, but in E(-) rats copper had significantly less protective effect. Copper also diminished the OCT response to GalN in E+, though not E-, rats. A significant rise in total hepatic alpha-tocopherol content followed administration of GalN or CCl4 in both normocupric and copper-laden E(-) rats. Thus alpha-tocopherol deficiency (a) was not hepatotoxic per se; (b) failed to potentiate the toxicity of copper, GalN or CCL4; but (c) partially abolished the protection by copper against toxin-induced liver injury. Retention of hepatic alpha-tocopherol after liver damage may partly explain low serum vitamin E levels seen in clinical liver disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1487611", "title": "Distal spleno-renal shunt versus endoscopic sclerotherapy in the prevention of variceal rebleeding. A meta-analysis of 4 randomized clinical trials.", "content": "Meta-analysis was used to evaluate 4 clinical trials comparing distal spleno-renal shunt (DSRS) with endoscopic sclerotherapy (EVS) in the prevention of variceal rebleeding: the interval between bleeding and therapy ranges from < 14 days to > 100 days. A questionnaire was sent to each author of the published trials concerning methods, definitions and results of the trials in order to obtain more detailed and up-to-date information. The selected end-points for the meta-analysis were: rebleeding, mortality and chronic encephalopathy. Analysis of the results in the questionnaires was made using the method proposed by Collins. The pooled relative risk (i.e. the combined Odds ratio of each trial as an estimate of overall efficacy) of rebleeding was statistically reduced by DSRS (0.16; 95% confidence interval 0.10-0.27). Despite this, the overall risk of death following DSRS was only marginally decreased (0.78; 95% confidence interval 0.47-1.29); the lack of homogeneity in the results does not permit any significant conclusions on this end-point. However, in non-alcoholic patients, the decrease in risk of death was greater, and this without heterogeneity, following DSRS than EVS (0.59; 95% confidence interval 0.23-1.50). The overall risk of chronic encephalopathy was slightly increased after DSRS (1.86; 95% confidence interval 0.90-3.86). In conclusion, DSRS significantly reduced the risk of rebleeding compared to EVS without increasing the risk of chronic hepatic encephalopathy. However, DSRS did not significantly affect the overall death risk. Only in non-alcoholic disease did it seem to show an advantage over EVS."}
{"id": "PMID:1487612", "title": "Metallothionein concentration in the liver of patients with Wilson's disease, primary biliary cirrhosis, and liver metastasis of colorectal cancer.", "content": "In patients with primary biliary cirrhosis and Wilson's disease liver copper concentrations become elevated during the evolution of the disorder. The accumulated copper is thought to be detoxified by metallothionein, a protein which binds copper and zinc. In liver metastasis of colorectal cancer, copper and zinc concentrations are usually decreased compared to normal liver tissue, but little is known about the concomitant metallothionein levels. In the present study metallothionein concentrations were determined in archival liver samples from patients with primary biliary cirrhosis and Wilson's disease, and in both normal and malignancy-containing liver samples from patients with metastasis from a colorectal adenocarcinoma. Twenty-seven control liver samples contained 3.98 +/- 1.55 mg metallothionein/g protein. From the 21 liver samples of patients with primary biliary cirrhosis, which had a mean metallothionein concentration of 6.06 +/- 5.03 mg/g protein, 6 were above the highest control level. Liver metallothionein concentrations for the 8 patients with Wilson's disease were significantly elevated (10.98 +/- 6.93 mg/g protein, p < 0.005 vs. controls and p < 0.05 vs. primary biliary cirrhosis). In the 11 liver metastases from colorectal adenocarcinomas metallothionein concentrations (1.17 +/- 0.90 mg/g protein) were significantly (p < 0.005) lower than surrounding normal liver tissue (4.25 +/- 1.75 mg/g protein). We conclude that in primary biliary cirrhosis and Wilson's disease increased liver metallothionein concentrations may detoxify the accumulated copper. Furthermore, liver metastasis of colorectal cancer contains less metallothionein than the surrounding normal liver tissue."}
{"id": "PMID:1487613", "title": "Persistent iron overload 4 years after inadvertent transplantation of a haemochromatotic liver in a patient with primary biliary cirrhosis.", "content": "An iron-loaded liver from a 20-year-old man with occult haemochromatosis was inadvertently transplanted into a 64-year-old lady with primary biliary cirrhosis. Increased hepatic iron storage was observed in biopsy specimens undertaken at 18, 30 and 36 months after transplantation. Serum iron levels and transferrin iron saturation increased and remained elevated 4 years after surgery. Ferritin levels were also consistently increased. Iron absorption test, performed at 4 years after transplant, was increased at 38%. Our data suggest that an intrahepatic defect in haemochromatosis cannot be excluded, and casts some doubt on the assertion that a precirrhotic haemochromatotic liver can be transplanted without sequelae."}
{"id": "PMID:1487614", "title": "Ursodeoxycholate has no beneficial effect on liver function or histology in biliary cirrhosis in the rat.", "content": "In different cholestatic conditions, the beneficial effects of the tertiary bile acid, ursodeoxycholate, have been described. It is unclear, however, whether ursodeoxycholate also affects the functional and structural alterations induced by chronic biliary obstruction. Therefore, we studied the effect of ursodeoxycholate (100 mg/kg/day) on microsomal function as assessed in vivo by the aminopyrine breath test, on portal hypertension and on the structural composition of the liver in rats with chronic (3-week) biliary obstruction. Hepatic composition was assessed stereologically. Ursodeoxycholate had no effect on any of the parameters measured. We conclude that this form of treatment does not affect advanced liver disease due to common bile duct obstruction. This finding supports one of the proposed mechanisms of action of ursodeoxycholate, namely that it interferes with the ileal absorption of more toxic endogenous bile salts."}
{"id": "PMID:1487615", "title": "Liver damage in Italian patients with hereditary hemochromatosis is highly influenced by hepatitis B and C virus infection.", "content": "We evaluated the prevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in 78 Italian patients with hereditary hemochromatosis as well as the relation between HCV antibody (anti-HCV) status, hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and liver histology. None of the patients had been transfused or ever consumed more than 60 g of alcohol per day. Eighteen showed histological signs of chronic hepatitis, active cirrhosis was present in 12, chronic active hepatitis in 4 and chronic persistent hepatitis in 2. Liver fibrosis or cirrhosis without inflammatory activity was observed in 31 subjects, whereas liver histology was normal except for iron overload in 18. The prevalence of HBsAg in the whole series was 5% and of anti-HCV was 20.5%. The prevalence of HBsAg and anti-HCV was significantly higher in the chronic hepatitis group than in the fibrosis/cirrhosis (p = 0.01) and the normal groups (p < 0.01). Fourteen of 18 hereditary hemochromatosis patients with chronic hepatitis were HBsAg (4) or anti-HCV (10) positive and all the latter subgroup had HCV-RNA in their serum as shown by the polymerase chain reaction. Although most of the patients with associated chronic hepatitis had cirrhosis, their serum ferritin levels and amount of mobilizable iron were significantly lower than those of the fibrosis/cirrhosis group (p < 0.01). This indicates that hepatitis viral infection acts synergistically with iron in accelerating the development of liver damage."}
{"id": "PMID:1487616", "title": "Tumor necrosis factor-alpha in liver transplantation and resection. No evidence for a key role in ischemia-reperfusion injury.", "content": "Experimental studies have shown that liver ischemia-reperfusion induces Kupffer cell activation and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF alpha) release. The aim of this work was to determine whether severe hepatic ischemia and subsequent reperfusion triggers TNF alpha release in man. Serum TNF alpha was measured before and 3, 10, 30, 60, 120 min after revascularization and postoperatively at day 1 and 2 in 11 patients with orthotopic liver transplantation (group 1) and 4 patients with liver resection with vascular occlusion (group 2). In group 1, TNF alpha levels decreased during the first few minutes of reperfusion, then increased slightly to peak at 120 min (40 +/- 13 pg/ml). Primary non-function occurred in 1 patient in whom low peroperative levels of TNF alpha levels were measured. In group 2, no significant changes in TNF alpha levels were observed. These data, in a small number of patients: (a) show that hepatic ischemia-reperfusion does not result in major TNF alpha production; (b) do not support a primary pathogenic role for TNF alpha in damage after ischemia-reperfusion in humans."}
{"id": "PMID:1487621", "title": "The effects of paroxetine, alone and in combination with alcohol on psychomotor performance and cognitive function in the elderly.", "content": "Fifteen healthy male volunteers aged over 60 years received acute and repeated doses of paroxetine 20 mg or placebo, and acute doses of lorazepam 1 mg (as a positive internal control) with or without alcohol (0.6 g/kg of body weight) administered openly in a double blind balanced crossover study in which each subject acted as his own control. Psychomotor performance and cognitive function were assessed using a test battery which included critical flicker fusion, choice reaction time, compensatory tracking, Stroop and memory scanning tests. Subjective ratings of mood and sleep were recorded using line analogue rating scales. The pattern of results indicated that paroxetine had little or no effect on most of the test variables, and in some instances (critical flicker fusion thresholds) improved information processing ability. This was in marked contrast to the lorazepam verum which produced sedation and disruption of performance. Paroxetine had a slight antagonistic effect on alcohol induced sedation whereas impairment of performance with lorazepam was potentiated by co-administration of alcohol. The low behavioural toxicity of paroxetine in elderly volunteers has important implications for the pharmacotherapy of depression."}
{"id": "PMID:1487622", "title": "Comparison of light treatment with citalopram in winter depression: a longitudinal single case study.", "content": "A woman with seasonal affective disorder (SAD) remitted within a week in each of six separate trials of light therapy. She remitted within 2 weeks of initiating citalopram treatment. Light treatment in the morning advanced and improved sleep, whereas citalopram delayed sleep and induced intermittent awakenings. These opposite patterns suggest that sleep deprivation or sleep shifts were not crucial for eliciting therapeutic response. Light and citalopram both selectively reduced intake of sweet carbohydrate parallel with improvement, implicating CNS serotonergic mechanisms in the interaction of mood and food in winter."}
{"id": "PMID:1487623", "title": "Positive and negative symptoms, depression and social disability in chronic schizophrenia: a comparative trial of bromperidol and fluphenazine decanoates.", "content": "A 1 year double-blind trial of bromperidol decanoate and fluphenazine decanoate was conducted in the maintenance treatment of 47 outpatients with schizophrenia. Six patients relapsed on bromperidol decanoate and none on fluphenazine decanoate, a difference which is statistically significant. No significant differences in positive and negative symptoms, nor depression measures were found between treatment groups when comparisons were made for change in score from entry to last visit. However, patients on fluphenazine decanoate achieved significantly better changes on social disability (Morningside scale) compared to those on bromperidol decanoate. The incidence of extrapyramidal side-effects was similar in both groups, and no statistically significant differences emerged in body weight change between treatments."}
{"id": "PMID:1487624", "title": "Comparative study of the psychomotor and antistress effects of ritanserin, alprazolam and diazepam in healthy subjects: some trait anxiety-independent responses.", "content": "The new potential anxiolytic ritanserin was studied in a double-blind manner vs. alprazolam, diazepam and placebo in 23 healthy subjects. The subjects belonged either to a high anxiety level group or a low anxiety level group, in order to study the effect of the anxiety level on the pharmacodynamic responses. The assessments included cognitive function (memory tests), psychomotor performance [Critical Flicker Fusion (CFF), Choice Reaction Time (CRT)], subjective ratings of alertness and overnight sleep and stress paradigm. Ritanserin (10 mg), alprazolam (0.75 mg), diazepam (10 mg) and placebo were given as single oral doses following a latin square design. Groups were well contrasted on the Cattell anxiety scale and were not overlapping. On no psychometric variable have there been any interactions between the anxiety level and the drug factor. At baseline an anxiety-related difference between the two groups was observed: lower CFF value in the high anxiety group (-1.4 Hz). Both benzodiazepines impaired psychomotor assessment and memory function and increased sleepiness. Ritanserin decreased CFF values without significantly affecting CRT on which nevertheless a trend to impairment was observed. Memory tests, and subjective ratings of alertness were unaffected by ritanserin. A trend to an antistress effect was observed on electrodermogram after ritanserin. Both benzodiazepines decreased central nervous system arousal and memory while ritanserin was inactive except on CFF. Recent data support the hypothesis that 5-HT2 blockers decrease pupil diameter which is a well known covariate of flicker frequency."}
{"id": "PMID:1487625", "title": "Changes in platelet aggregatory responses to collagen and 5-hydroxytryptamine in depressed, schizophrenic and manic patients.", "content": "The changes in the aggregatory response of platelet rich plasma obtained from a group of depressed, schizophrenic and manic patients fulfilling the DSM-III-R criteria were compared with age and sex matched control subjects. The 5-hydroxytryptamine induced aggregatory responses were significantly decreased in the depressed and schizophrenic patients during the active phase of their illness but returned to normal following clinical recovery. The collagen induced aggregatory responses were decreased in the schizophrenic and manic patients and remained decreased despite clinical recovery. No changes were found in the aggregatory responses to adenosine diphosphate, noradrenaline or adrenaline. The results of this study suggest that changes in the polyunsaturated fatty acid composition of the platelet membrane (collagen effect) and the 5-hydroxytryptamine type 2 receptor (5-HT effect) may occur in these major psychiatric disorders."}
{"id": "PMID:1487626", "title": "The calcium channel antagonist nifedipine causes confusion when used to treat opiate withdrawal in morphine-dependent patients.", "content": "Several animal studies have suggested that calcium channel antagonists may be clinically effective in the treatment of opiate withdrawal. In this study we aimed to examine whether the alpha 2-adrenoceptor agonist clonidine and the calcium channel antagonist nifedipine were equally effective in attenuating the naltrexone-precipitated opiate withdrawal syndrome. We planned to study 16 morphine-dependent in-patients in a double-blind trial. However, the study had to be abandoned after only four patients were entered into it because the first two patients treated with nifedipine became severely confused following naltrexone. The mechanism underlying the development of delirium in these two patients is uncertain, but might possibly relate to a large unopposed release of noradrenaline within the central nervous system. These findings suggest that the calcium channel antagonist nifedipine is not effective in the clinical treatment of opiate withdrawal. Whether other calcium channel antagonists also cause confusion when used in this clinical condition is uncertain at present, but in any future studies investigating their efficacy considerable care is required in their use."}
{"id": "PMID:1487627", "title": "Paroxetine in the treatment of melancholia and severe depression.", "content": "Meta-analyses of the worldwide paroxetine database assessed the efficacy of this compound in the treatment of both DSM-III defined melancholia and hospitalised patients with severe depression (HAMD > or = 25). The analysis for melancholia included 178 paroxetine treated patients and 66 patients treated with placebo. Paroxetine was significantly superior to placebo in the treatment of melancholia and a clear dose-response relationship was established. The meta-analysis for severely depressed hospitalised patients included 109 paroxetine treated patients and 107 patients treated with a tricyclic/tetracyclic control. Paroxetine and active controls showed comparable efficacy in the treatment of severely depressed hospitalised patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1487628", "title": "Diagnosis and clinical use of bromperidol in HIV-related psychoses in a sample of seropositive patients with brain damage.", "content": "We evaluated in an open trial the safety and effectiveness of a high-potency neuroleptic (bromperidol) for the treatment of AIDS-related organic mental syndromes. Eleven (nine men and two women) seropositive patients with psychotic features were included; six were intravenous drug users (IVDU) and five were not IVDU (NON-IVDU). On the basis of the achievement of a CGI score of 1 or 2 (much improved or very much improved) at the fourth week, nine patients were considered responders, one was a partial responder and one was a non-responder. From a clinical point of view, \"positive\" psychotic symptoms had a significant remission, while the \"negative\" ones seemed to be less sensitive or insensitive to bromperidol treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1487629", "title": "[Through-bougie esophageal prosthesis intubation--a method and its evaluation].", "content": "A new method was developed for nonsurgical peroral positioning of an esophageal prosthesis by using bougie under X-ray control in 1983. I referred to it as \"through-bougie esophageal prosthesis intubation\". The external diameter of a bougie is equal to the internal diameter of an esophageal prosthesis, so intubation can be performed safely and smoothly. This method was carried out in 44 cases (40 cases of cancerous stenosis, and 4 cases of cicatrical stenosis), and insertion of an esophageal prosthesis was possible in all cases. The improvement rate of peroral feeding was 88.6%. This new method is useful for the patients, who have dysphasia due to inoperable stenosis of the upper gastrointestinal tract."}
{"id": "PMID:1487630", "title": "[Morbidity and mortality of coronary artery bypass surgery in patients 75 years of age or older].", "content": "A consecutive series of 30 patients 75 years of age and older who underwent isolated coronary artery bypass graftings during a 6 year period (from 1985 to 1990) was analyzed. This group was compared with a consecutive series of 512 patients under the age of 75 who underwent the same procedure during the same period. The elderly patients had a higher incidence of unstable angina pectoris, left main or triple vessel disease and depression of ejection fraction. There were no deaths in the hospital or within 30 days of operation (0%), but postoperative complication occurred in 26 cases (86.7%) in the elderly patients. Mean postoperative hospital stay was longer in the elderly patients than the younger ones (21.7 +/- 8.7 days, 18.9 +/- 5.9 days, respectively). The factors frequently noted in the elderly cases with major complications were emergency or urgent operation, history of congestive heart failure and diabetes. The factors associated with prolonged postoperative hospital stay in elderly cases were octogenarians, intraoperative blood transfusion, wound complications, perioperative myocardial infarction, pulmonary failure and low cardiac output state. It is concluded that CABG can be performed safely even in elderly patients by the proper postoperative management, in spite of having increased postoperative complications and resulting in a prolonged postoperative hospital stay."}
{"id": "PMID:1487631", "title": "[The effects of potassium concentration in reperfusion solution upon myocardial protection].", "content": "The effects of potassium in reperfusion solution (RS) and the influence of sodium on this effect were studied. Experimental time course was as followed: 20 min working perfusion, 3 min cardioplegic infusion with St. Thomas Cardioplegic Solution followed by global ischemia for 33 or 35 min at 37.5 degrees C, 15 min early Langendorff reperfusion with several different potassium concentration modified with Krebs Henseleit Bicarbonate Buffer (KHBB) containing 145 mM and 110 mM sodium and 5 min late reperfusion with KHBB, followed by 20 min working perfusion. Potassium in RS possessed bell shaped dose response nature with optimal concentration of 10 mM in the condition of 145 mM sodium but 6 m in the condition of 110 mM in terms of percent recovery of aortic flow. Although higher potassium reperfusion produced less Creatine Kinase leakage."}
{"id": "PMID:1487632", "title": "[Clinical use of the multi-purpose circuit with a soft reservoir built in inflow side in replacement of the descending thoracic aorta].", "content": "The temporary bypass circuit under centrifugal pumping is generally applied for the assisted circulation of the operation for the aneurysm of descending aorta. The estimation of the bypass flow to the abdominal viscera, however, sometimes showed inadequate when excessive bleeding happened during operation. In order to keep constant flow to the lower body, we developed a new circuit, that has soft reservoir built in inflow side of the bypass line. In 8 subjects using this circuit, we studied the usefulness of the circuit and the choice of bypass route based on changes in the hemodynamics during bypass and operative complications in relation to bypass technique. During bypass, perfusion pressure to the lower body was 70-110 mmHg and flow was maintained at more than 21/min even if massive hemorrhage occurred. Comparing arterial bypass with LV bypass, the diastolic pressure in the upper limb was significantly depressed in arterial bypass with reading of 40-50 mmHg. Furthermore, in one case of arterial bypass involving the ascending aorta, false aneurysm is found in the site of cannulation. The rectal temperature dropped with the lapse of time from 35.5 +/- 0.8 degrees C to 33.5 +/- 0.4 degrees c in 120 min. These results indicate that multi-purpose circuit is capable of promptly supplying the circulating volume and is excellent means of providing adequate circulation to the lower body even if massive hemorrhage occurred. And LV bypass should be selected first, because arterial bypass has the hazard of depressing the diastolic pressure in the upper limb and involving complications associated with the insertion of cannula.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1487633", "title": "[Open-heart surgery without donor-blood transfusion--a clinical study].", "content": "Since October 1987, 80 patients underwent open-heart surgery without donor-blood transfusion. 50 (Group I) out of these 80 cases were selected to be paired with 50 patients (Group II) who underwent open-heart surgery with homologous blood transfusion in the same period. Twelve cases (Group III) underwent open-heart surgery without homologous blood transfusion but were transfused after surgery. To decrease the homologous blood requirements, ultra-filtration system as well as conservation and autotransfusion of autologous blood was employed. Peripheral blood count, blood chemistry for liver and renal function were analyzed and compared among these three groups. Although hematocrit of Group I was lower than that of Group II until the third postoperative day, there was no difference after the seventh postoperative day. The platelet count was more in Group I than in Group II or III on the first and the seventh postoperative day. The level of lactate dehydrogenase was higher in Group II than in Group I. Total bilirubin was more elevated in Group II than in Group I on the first and the fourteenth postoperative day. Direct bilirubin was also higher in Group II than in Group I till fourteenth postoperative day. Five cases in Group II fulfilled the criteria of the serum hepatitis. Blood urea nitrogen and creatinine were less in Group I than in Group II. The duration of the intra-tracheal intubation was shorter in Group I than in Group II or III. There was no difference in postoperative dosage or duration of catecholamines among three groups.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1487634", "title": "[Myocardial structure and left ventricular function in aortic valvular diseases].", "content": "In this study 13 patients with aortic stenosis (AS) and 19 patients with aortic regurgitation (AR) were analyzed to investigate the correlation between myocardial structure and left ventricular (LV) function. LV end-diastolic dimension (Dd), LV end-systolic dimension (Ds), LV Mass Index (LVMI), FS, mVcf and the normalized rate of change of LV dimensions during systole and diastole (-V/Dd, +V/Dd) were assessed using M-mode echocardiography before and after aortic valve replacement. The myocardial structures were investigated from the biopsied specimen in the operation using both light and electron microscopes. Then muscle fiber diameter (Diameter), the degree of interstitial fibrosis (%Fibrosis) and the myocyte volume fraction (%MF, %MT, %SA) were quantitatively evaluated by using a computerized system. And semi-quantitative analysis was made with electron microscopic score (EM-score). The results were as follows. 1. AS group: Left ventricular myocardial degeneration was mild. Significant positive correlationships were found between preoperative LVMI and Diameter (p < 0.01), and between the former and the volume fraction of the myofibrils (%MF) (p < 0.05). And significant positive correlationship was seen between Diameter and %MF (p < 0.05). However, no significant correlationship was seen between preoperative LVMI and %Fibrosis. Both LV systolic and diastolic function (-V/Dd, +V/Dd) showed significantly negative correlationship to LVMI preoperatively (p < 0.01, p < 0.05) and postoperatively (p < 0.05, p < 0.05). And in the patients with preoperative LVMI larger than 300 g/m2 and Diameter larger than 30 microns, +V/Dd was irreversible postoperatively. 2. AR group: EM-score in AR was significantly higher than that in AS (p < 0.05). Preoperative LVMI showed significantly positive correlationship to %Fibrosis (p < 0.01). And postoperative LVMI showed significantly positive correlationship to fibrous content (p < 0.01). Both LV systolic and diastolic function -V/Dd, +V/Dd) showed significantly negative correlationship to LVMI preoperatively (p < 0.05, p < 0.01) and postoperatively (p < 0.01, p < 0.01). And in the patients with preoperative LVMI larger than 300 g/m2 and %Fibrosis larger than 16%, both -V/Dd and +V/Dd were irreversible postoperatively. The above mentioned results indicated that preoperative LVMI and the morphologic parameters were useful to predict the reversibility of the postoperative LV function in both AS and AR."}
{"id": "PMID:1487635", "title": "[Aortic valve replacement with fresh or cryopreserved aortic allograft--initial experience in Japan].", "content": "Aortic allograft valves were harvested from non-infected (bacterial or viral) cadavers within 24 hours of death with a family consent, and were sterilized by 4 degrees C antibiotic solution for 48 hours. Then, the allograft was preserved in the 4 degrees C nutrient medium (fresh; TC-199, calf serum and HEPES buffer) or in liquid nitrogen (-196 degrees C) after freezing to -80 degrees C by a programmed freezer. 10% dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) was used for cryopreservation. Following germ-free confirmation, aortic allograft valves were implanted in 5 patients having aortic regurgitation with good results. Three fresh and two cryopreserved allograft valves were used. Although the follow-up term is very short (maximum 1 year) at the present time, the valve function is quite satisfactory, confirmed by cardiac catheterization and echocardiography. This is the first report in Japan with regard to cryopreservation of allograft valves and clinical use of fresh or cryopreserved valves. We believe that realization and progress of allograft preservation by cryo-technique and establishment of the tissue bank are important for the development of cardiovascular surgery in Japan."}
{"id": "PMID:1487636", "title": "[Metabolism of Ca2+ in myocytes and peroxidation products in ischemia-reperfusion injury under extracorporeal circulation].", "content": "The metabolism of calcium ion (Ca2+) in myocytes in ischemia-reperfusion injury under extracorporeal circulation (ECC) was studied by cytochemistry and electron microscopy. Ten mongrel dogs were under ECC with aortic cross-clamping for 120 minutes. A cold GIK crystalloid cardioplegic solution was infused via the aortic root intermittently during ischemia, and the myocardial temperature was maintained at 5-10 degrees C with ice slush. The morphological changes of Ca(2+)-ATPase activity in myocytes were estimated using the \"lead citrate method\". The activities of mitochondria, which had been temporarily decreased just before reperfusion, increased immediately after reperfusion and decreased again 60 minutes later. Electromicroscopy revealed swelling of mitochondria and laceration of myofibrils as well as intracellular edema 60 minutes after reperfusion. Immediately after reperfusion and 60 minutes later, creatine phosphokinase iso-enzyme (CK-MB) release in coronary sinus blood was significantly (p < 0.01) greater than that before the start of ECC. Anaerobic metabolism immediately after reperfusion was more active than that before aortic cross-clamping, as demonstrated by changes in excess lactate (delta XL) and redox potential (delta Eh) of lactate and pyruvate (delta XL, p < 0.05; delta Eh, p < 0.01). Thus, in ischemia-reperfusion injury, alterations of Ca(2+)-ATPase activity of mitochondria reflect the functional and morphological viability of the myocardium. Immediately and 60 minutes after reperfusion, the level of thiobarbituric acid was significantly (p < 0.01) higher and the level of alpha-tocopherol was significantly (p < 0.01) less than respective levels before the start of ECC.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1487637", "title": "[A case of chondrosarcoma originating from the left third rib].", "content": "Chondrosarcoma of rib origin is rare in Japan. A 51-year-old man came to our hospital with chest pain and coin lesion in the left superior part of the chest X-ray film. It was suspected to be the posterior mediastinal tumor based on CT and MRI. Operation was done to remove the tumor and the histological diagnosis was chondrosarcoma. The tumor measured 2.5 x 2.6 x 2.2 cm arising from the posterior portion of the left third rib. Combined resection of descending aortic adventitia was done. The patient is doing well without symptoms of recurrence 15 months after operation."}
{"id": "PMID:1487638", "title": "[Nonfunctioning paraganglioma of the posterior mediastinum].", "content": "A 23-year-old man, complaining of a discomfort in the chest, saw a physician nearby and was pointed out chest abnormal shadow in chest X-ray. He was admitted to our hospital for surgery. As a result of a close check-up at this department, a giant tumor extending from above the right diaphragm to the posterior mediastinum was found. Physical findings in the preoperative examination and general examinations showed no abnormality. The operation was performed and was diagnosed as paraganglioma. This tumor is abundant in blood vessels. Thus, preoperative angiography and securing of the field of operation in treating the blood vessels were considered indispensable for the safety of operation."}
{"id": "PMID:1487639", "title": "[A ruptured thoracic aortic aneurysm with 4 cm diameter].", "content": "The size of a thoracic aortic aneurysm (TAA) is an important factor of the operative indication. We experienced a ruptured TAA the diameter of which was only 4 cm. A 71 years old man was admitted due to the severe back pain under the shocked condition. We diagnosed him a ruptured TAA by CT scan. Because he had no progressive anemia and the hemodynamics was very stable, we followed him conservatively. Two months later, the operation was performed. We resected the aneurysm and inserted an aortic prosthetic graft. From the operative findings, the aneurysm was certified as a true aneurysm, and the maximal diameter was only 4 cm. First choice for the treatment of ruptured TAA is the emergent operation. But when the hemodynamics is extremely stable and the anemia does not progress at all, a conservative therapy can be selected. Even if the aneurysm is very small, the control of hypertension is quite important."}
{"id": "PMID:1487640", "title": "[Two cases of the brachiocephalic artery avulsion due to blunt chest trauma].", "content": "Two young adult patients with brachiocephalic avulsion due to blunt trauma are reported. Both of them were brought to the emergency room of St. Marianna University Hospital with the blunt chest trauma and lung contusion due to the traffic accident. A widening of the superior mediastinum and mediastinal hematoma surrounding the major branches of the aortic arch were demonstrated on chest roentgenogram and contrast enhanced CT scan, however, these evidences were not valuable for the diagnosis. Aortogram revealed an aneurysmal dilatation at the origin of the brachiocephalic artery in the first case and at its distal portion in the second case. Emergency operation was performed under the simple cross clamp of the brachiocephalic artery without any adjunct means. In the first case, 10 mm knitted Dacron graft was interposed between the ascending aorta and distal segment of the brachiocephalic artery. In the second case, the brachiocephalic artery was replaced with 10 mm knitted Dacron graft. The postoperative course was uneventful and no neurological deficit was noted in these cases."}
{"id": "PMID:1487641", "title": "[A case of pulmonary leiomyosarcoma followed up for five years].", "content": "A 70-year-old woman with leiomyosarcoma, followed up for 5 years as tuberculoma, is described. The tumor, in the left lower lobe, had enlarged from 1.5 x 1.5 cm to 3.4 x 3.4 cm in 5 years, and doubling time was calculated to be 540 days. Another tumor (1.8 x 1.8 cm) was also recognized in the right lower lobe at the later time. Since not only a benign tumor but metastatic disease was suspected, thoracotomy was performed, and the intraoperative pathologic diagnosis was leiomyosarcoma. However, only partial lung resection was performed because of the low growth rate of the tumor, the patient's advanced age, limited lymphatic metastasis and favorable prognosis with only partial resection. DNA analysis of the tumor based on flow cytometry showed a diploid pattern, and this was thought to account for the long doubling time of the tumor. The postoperative course was satisfactory without any signs of recurrence at the operation site."}
{"id": "PMID:1487642", "title": "[A successful surgical treatment of postinfarction posterior ventricular septal defect through a right ventricular approach].", "content": "A 72-year-old man with acute postinfarction ventricular septal defect located posteriorly underwent successful operation through a right ventricular approach. Following cardiac catheterization revealed posterior ventricular septal defect with 82% left to right shunt ratio and coronary angiography showed three vessel disease, emergency operation was performed. The defect was exposed through anterior right ventriculotomy and closed by a teflon patch sutured right side of the interventricular septum, with added bypass grafting to left anterior descending artery. Postoperative course was uneventful and postoperative cardiac catheterization showed no residual shunt with patent bypass graft. He was discharged from our hospital about 2 months after operation."}
{"id": "PMID:1487643", "title": "[Two separate surgical repairs of post-infarction blowout rupture of the left ventricular free wall and subsequently developed subepicardial aneurysm].", "content": "A 69-year-old female patient with acute myocardial infarction was admitted to our hospital. After i.v. administration of the rt-PA, echocardiography disclosed pericardial effusion to which pericardial drainage was performed first through subxiphoid incision. Immediately after the drainage, electromechanical dissociation emerged and emergency thoracotomy was performed. There was a small blowout rupture of the left ventricular free wall that was successfully repaired using single suture buttressed with Dacron felt without cardiopulmonary bypass support. On the 38th day after the surgery, cineangiography disclosed ventricular aneurysm, to which aneurysmectomy was performed under the cardiopulmonary bypass and her post operative progress was uneventful. Histological study of the resected specimen revealed so called subepicardial aneurysm. Although blowout rupture of the left ventricular free wall used to be lethal, there might be a chance of life saving even without cardiopulmonary bypass support, if the left thoracotomy could be done as quickly as possible."}
{"id": "PMID:1487644", "title": "[A case report of tetralogy of Fallot associated with total occlusion of the right coronary artery and complicated with infective endocarditis].", "content": "A 31-year-old male with tetralogy of Fallot (TF) and total occlusion of the right coronary orifice complicated with infective endocarditis successfully underwent total repair of TF and coronary artery bypass graft (CABG). The patient had severely suffered from symptoms including breathlessness, palpitation (SVT) and chest pain. The coronary arteriography revealed occlusion of the right coronary orifice. The preoperative course was further complicated by endocarditis with vegetation of the aortic valve that did not respond to antibiotics. Concomitant surgical procedures consisting of TF repair, CABG to the right coronary artery with saphenous vein graft and vegetectomy of the aortic valve were carried out. The postoperative course was uneventful though he underwent cholecystectomy for symptomatic gall stones after TF repair. The patient is now in NYHA class II."}
{"id": "PMID:1487645", "title": "[Surgical repair of discrete subaortic stenosis complicated with prosthetic valve endocarditis--a case report].", "content": "A 46-year-old man was referred to our hospital because of prosthetic valve regurgitation. Eight years previously he had undergone aortic valve replacement because of aortic regurgitation due to infective endocarditis. At reoperation, we found prosthetic valve endocarditis and discrete subaortic stenosis. The obstructing fibrous tissue was resected and the aortic valve was replaced. Because discrete subaortic stenosis is usually located just below the aortic valve, the aortic valve cusps are liable to become thickened by the jet through the discrete stenosis and thus are vulnerable to infective endocarditis. It is pointed out that care must be taken not to overlook discrete subaortic stenosis in the presence of other associated cardiac disorders."}
{"id": "PMID:1487646", "title": "[Resection of a mediastinal teratoma that perforated the lung and combined with aspergilloma in the tumor cyst].", "content": "We hereby report a rare case of a mature type teratoma that perforated the lung and combined with aspergilloma in the tumor cyst. The patient was a 48-year-old female, who complained of coughing and sputum. The chest roentogenography and chest CT suggested aspergilloma. The patient was operated upon. From the intraoperative and pathological findings, a mature type mediastinal teratoma was found to have perforated the bronchus and lung, and combined with aspergilloma in the cyst of the tumor. The tumor was resected, the drainage bronchus was closed. The mediastinal teratoma and aspergilloma have not recurred for two years and four months since the operation."}
{"id": "PMID:1487647", "title": "[A case of Saber-sheath type tracheo-bronchomalacia].", "content": "A case of Saber-sheath type tracheo-bronchomalacia complicating bronchial asthma was treated by external fixation of Marlex mesh, and good results were obtained. The patient was a 43-year-old male who had been treated for bronchial asthma for over nearly 20 years. Since 4 years ago, dyspnea and a feeling of obstruction of the larynx developed and gradually aggravated. He lost consciousness twice and was hospitalized on an emergency basis. Pulmonary function tests performed during remission of asthma attacks revealed an obstructive disorder: FEV1.0% was 30.5% and peak flow was 4.11 L/sec. Bronchoscopy and tracheo-bronchography revealed Saber-sheath type tracheo-bronchomalacia in the trachea and the right main bronchus. The severity of the obstruction was, in terms of Johnson's classification, II. for the trachea and I. for the right main bronchus. In accordance with the method reported by Hanawa and Ikeda, external fixation was applied to the trachea and the right main bronchus; that is, Marlex mesh was applied around to the trachea and the right main bronchus, and additional Lyodura was applied over the Marlex mesh. The postoperative course was satisfactory. Both FEV1.0% and the peak flow improved, and constriction of the trachea and the right main bronchus at the time of coughing was also reduced."}
{"id": "PMID:1487648", "title": "[A case of congenital esophago-bronchial fistula communicated between esophageal diverticulum and left main bronchus in the adult--a review of 47 cases in the Japanese literature].", "content": "We experienced a successful repair of congenital esophago-bronchial fistula communicated between esophageal diverticulum and left main bronchus in adult case. The patient was a 60-year-old female. She had much wet cough on taking meals since 10 years ago. At the mass screening, a esophago-bronchial fistula was detected by upper GI series. Barium esophagography revealed a fistula between esophageal diverticulum and left main bronchus. The resection of diverticulum and fistula were undergone. In the operation, there exited no adhesion or inflammation around the fistula, therefore it was easy to isorate from the surrounding tissues. This case was categorized as Brainbridge type I esophago-bronchial fistula communicated to left main bronchus. Forty-six cases of congenital esophago-bronchial fistula with diverticulum were reported in Japan, but no cases which communicated with left main bronchus were reported. Then it is assumed that this is the first case in Japan."}
{"id": "PMID:1487649", "title": "[Apico-aortic conduit repair for the subaortic stenosis in the long-term period after correction of Taussig-Bing malformation].", "content": "Apico-abdominal-aortic bypass operation was successfully performed for the left ventricular outflow tract obstruction 17 years after correction of Tausig-Bing malformation. At the age of 14 months old, a 18-year-old patient underwent total correction of Taussig-Bing malformation according to Kawashima's intraventricular re-routing. The right ventricular hemodynamics were normal throughout, however, systolic ejection murmur due to aortic stenosis appeared 3 years after repair. Seventeen years postoperatively, marked aortic valve and subaortic obstruction was detected corresponding with the internal conduit made from the duplicated autopericardial baffle. A composite graft containing 23A-SJM valve was interposed between the left ventricular apex and infrarenal abdominal aorta. After the bypass operation, thickness of the posterior wall of the left ventricle and interventricular septum was significantly reduced and symptoms were remarkably improved. The present paper is concerned with the subaortic stenosis after repair of Taussig-Bing malformation and technique of apico-aortic bypass operation."}
{"id": "PMID:1487650", "title": "[An adult case of anomalous origin of the left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery with the coronary artery-bronchial artery anastomosis].", "content": "A case was 33 years old man who had complained chest pain during exercise. He was diagnosed anomalous origin of the left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery by coronary angiography. At operation, left main coronary artery originated from the posterior wall of the pulmonary artery. Numerous retrograde flow was seen through left coronary artery during aortic cross clamping. The left coronary ostium was closed, because sufficient extracardial anastomosis to coronary artery should be thought. The post operative course was uneventful and the patient is asymptomatic. The selective bronchial artery angiography was performed and it demonstrated collaterals between the bronchial artery and the left circumflex artery. The Thallium scintigraphy had showed ischemia of antrolateral wall of the left ventricle before operation, but postoperatively there was no ischemic redistribution."}
{"id": "PMID:1487651", "title": "[Accessory tricuspid valve--a report of two cases].", "content": "Accessory tricuspid valve is a rare cardiac anomaly. We describe two cases with accessory tricuspid valve. Case 1: A 7-year-old boy underwent repair of tetralogy of Fallot. Under deep hypothermic cardiopulmonary bypass, right ventricle was opened. An accessory tricuspid leaflet was noted to the right side of the VSD attaching to the infundibular septum from medial papillary muscle as a chordal origin. After excision of the accessory tricuspid leaflet, the VSD was closed with a Dacron patch followed by relieve of the right ventricular outflow obstruction and pulmonary valvotomy. Case 2: A 8-year-old boy had Rastelli operation to correct transposition of the great arteries. An accessory leaflet originated from the medial papillary muscle and was floating like a parachute in the way between VSD and aorta. There was no additional apparatus in the pathway between the VSD and aorta after excision of the accessory tricuspid leaflet. Intraventricular tunnel was created with a Dacron patch. Extracardiac conduit between the right ventricle and the distal pulmonary artery was constructed using a valved pericardial roll."}
{"id": "PMID:1487652", "title": "The role of interleukin 2 in the development of autoimmune thyroiditis.", "content": "Interleukin 2 (IL-2) is a lymphokine that may disrupt immunological self-tolerance. While being incapable of interfering with intrathymic or peripheral clonal deletion, IL-2 may overcome functional antigen unresponsiveness in anergic T lymphocytes. Anergy of T helper cells of the inflammatory phenotype implies selective silencing of the transcription of the IL-2 gene and thus precludes autocrine IL-2/IL-2 receptor (IL-2R) mediated growth, as well as delivery of help to other T cells or B lymphocytes. Thus, IL-2 serves as a servomodulator regulating post-deletional self-tolerance. IL-2-producing and IL-2-receptive cells are present in a variety of autoimmune lesions, including spontaneous autoimmune thyroiditis developing in the Obese strain (OS) of chickens, in Hashimoto's struma lymphomatosa, and in Graves' disease. Whereas the OS is characterized by a hyperinducibility of the IL-2/IL-2R system that predisposes to the development of severe thyroid infiltration, the state of the IL-2/IL-R system in circulating lymphocytes of patients developing thyroid autoimmunity, or at risk of doing so, remains to be defined. The most frequent autoimmune side-effect of IL-2 treatment concerns the thyroid gland. IL-2 induces a lymphoid thyroiditis leading to primary hypothyroidism, especially in those patients that have pre-treatment antithyroid autoantibodies. The hypothesis is extrapolated that IL-2 induces autoimmune disease in those patients that bear undeleted thyroid-specific T cells, and in which the lack of manifest thyroiditis relies upon peripheral, post-deletional tolerance."}
{"id": "PMID:1487656", "title": "Draffin and his rods.", "content": "Draffin's rods or bipods are now a well-known, internationally accepted ENT instrument. Before their invention in 1951, the attendant anaesthetist or nurse was obliged to support the mouthgag during tonsillectomy. Research into the life of their originator, David Alexander Draffin, reveals that in addition to his evident design skills, he was a surgeon of courage, wit and great charm."}
{"id": "PMID:1487657", "title": "Spontaneous healing of traumatic tympanic membrane perforations in man: a century of experience.", "content": "Widespread controversy exists concerning the treatment of traumatic tympanic membrane perforations. To elucidate the issue, a reference value for the rate of spontaneous tympanic membrane closure in man, to which the healing rates following different techniques of early surgical repair should be compared, was established on the basis of a review of more than 500 texts covering a century's literature on the traumatically perforated tympanic membrane. The spontaneous healing rate appeared to be close to 80 (78.7 per cent) in 760 evaluable cases of traumatic tympanic membrane perforations of all sorts diagnosed within 14 days post injury. A relative, causal-related variation of spontaneous healing could be demonstrated, and a pathogenetic classification of direct traumatic tympanic membrane perforations into ruptures induced by air-pressure changes, heat or corrosives, solids, and water pressures, is of proved clinical value and may have medico-legal validity. There is an obvious need for clinically controlled studies on the spontaneous healing of all kinds of traumatic perforations of the tympanic membrane in humans, and important elements in the design of future studies are advocated."}
{"id": "PMID:1487658", "title": "Clinical and bacteriological profile of the ear in otogenic tetanus: a case control study.", "content": "Twenty two patients presented with otogenic tetanus. Seventeen patients had acute histories with only a single episode of otitis media with otorrhoea. Fifteen patients had unilateral central perforations, five had bilateral central perforations and two had no perforations but had acutely congested tympanic membranes which were bulging suggesting the presence of purulent fluid behind them. All patients with perforations had a purulent pulsatile discharge. A coexisting aerobic infection was seen in 85 per cent of the cultures and 59 per cent of these were due to staphylococcus aureus (versus 25 per cent in the controls). Only one patient had received partial immunization. Tetanus resulting from otitis media is not an indication for surgery."}
{"id": "PMID:1487659", "title": "The otological status of patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma after megavoltage radiotherapy.", "content": "A middle ear effusion is a common complication of nasopharyngeal carcinoma both before and after radiotherapy. An effusion was found in 38 per cent of patients before radiotherapy and 9 per cent developed an effusion after the start of radiotherapy. Surgical treatment by myringotomy with or without grommet insertion was associated with a high incidence of otorrhoea (26 per cent) which was often refractory to treatment. In view of the frequency of this complication and the fact that a middle ear effusion may not be of concern to an adult patient with nasopharyngeal carcinoma, a 'wait and see' policy may be appropriate in the management of a middle ear effusion in these patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1487660", "title": "The midfacial degloving approach to sinonasal disease.", "content": "The midfacial degloving approach was first described by Casson et al. in 1974 but despite a number of papers in the American literature advocating its use, it has not gained popularity in Europe. The advantages and application of the technique are presented in 36 patients, ranging from 7-78 years of age. The approach is ideally suited for extensive benign lesions in the nasal cavity, ethmoid and sphenoid sinuses and enables access to the nasopharynx and infratemporal fossa whilst avoiding an external incision. These lesions have included angiofibroma (13 cases), inverted papilloma (five cases), a variety of cysts (three cases) and six miscellaneous cases of benign pathology. Malignant lesions which have not breached the anterior cranial fossa may also be removed, up to and including bilateral maxillectomy (nine cases) and this can be combined with orbital clearance. The approach may be repeated if necessary and is associated with few significant complications though vestibular stenosis, oro-antral fistula, nasolacrimal damage and upward rotation of the nasal tip may occur. Strategies to avoid these problems can be undertaken and long-term cosmetic results are excellent."}
{"id": "PMID:1487661", "title": "Carcinoma of the maxillary antrum treated by pre-operative radiotherapy or radical radiotherapy alone.", "content": "The results of pre-operative radical radiotherapy and subsequent maxillary resection are reported in 54 consecutive patients with carcinoma of the maxillary antrum treated at The Royal London Hospital from 1965 to 1989. The actuarial two and five year survivals were 50.3 per cent and 38.5 per cent respectively. Patients with adenocarcinomas fared better when compared with squamous and undifferentiated carcinomas (log rank p = < 0.01). Undifferentiated carcinoma and involved regional lymph nodes were both very poor prognostic factors. In those patients who were either unfit for or refused maxillary resection, radical radiotherapy alone was still an effective treatment, with only a slight disadvantage in terms of local control and survival."}
{"id": "PMID:1487662", "title": "A comparative study of calcium sodium alginate (Kaltostat) and bismuth tribromophenate (Xeroform) packing in the management of epistaxis.", "content": "A prospective study was undertaken to compare the efficacy of calcium sodium alginate fibre (Kaltostat) to petrolatum gauze impregnated with bismuth tribromophenate (Xeroform) for the control of epistaxes that require hospital admission. Forty patients presenting with severe epistaxis requring hospital admission were treated with either Kaltostat or Xeroform nasal packs. Allocation to either treatment group was made randomly. The composition of each group in terms of age, sex distribution, aetiology of epistaxis and severity of bleed was not significantly different. There was no significant difference in the efficacy or patient acceptability of either therapeutic agent. It is concluded that calcium sodium alginate fibre should be considered as an acceptable alternative to traditional gauze packing."}
{"id": "PMID:1487663", "title": "Acute epiglottitis--25 years experience with nasotracheal intubation, current management policy and future trends.", "content": "During a 25-year period 168 adults and 111 children in Copenhagen County were treated for acute epiglottitis. Four patients, two children and two adults died, of these the two children and one adult had a cardiac arrest on arriving at the hospital. Most children were treated by nasotracheal intubation while only some adults required nasotracheal intubation in order to secure the airway. Our data indicate that intubation of adults with epiglottitis is technically more difficult than in children. The fibrelaryngoscope, a new diagnostic tool, is advocated, and was in this study used to establish the diagnosis in 12 unclear cases of acute epiglottitis. The incidence of acute epiglottitis in children was calculated at 3.2/100,000 with a minor annual variation. As vaccination against Haemophilus influenzae type b becomes more common, the incidence will probably be markedly reduced, maybe even eradicated in children, but in adults the same reduction cannot be expected as the causative agent in this group is less frequently Haemophilus influenzae type b."}
{"id": "PMID:1487664", "title": "Fistulae in the inner canthus associated with ethmoiditis.", "content": "A case of fistulae in the inner canthus arising from the ethmoidal air cell sinuses is presented. This type of complication is very rare, and to the best of our knowledge no similar case has been reported in the literature. Clinical findings, imaging, pathology and treatment are presented and discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1487665", "title": "Nasopharyngeal tuberculosis.", "content": "Isolated nasopharyngeal tuberculosis is a rare disease with very few cases having been reported in recent years. We report a case presenting in the United Kingdom with unilateral otalgia and otorrhoea."}
{"id": "PMID:1487666", "title": "A rare congenital intranasal polyp: mesenchymal chondrosarcoma of the nasal region.", "content": "A mesenchymal chondrosarcoma of the nasal region in a neonate is described. Problems of histological interpretation and management are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1487667", "title": "Nasal polyps in identical twins.", "content": "Nasal polyps are multifactorial in aetiology but are associated with respiratory diseases, particularly late onset asthma. Several members of a family may be affected with nasal polyps but there is little evidence for a genetic basis for this. Some evidence to support a genetic predisposition comes from the development of polyps in identical twins."}
{"id": "PMID:1487668", "title": "Cavernous haemangioma of the temporal bone.", "content": "Cavernous haemangioma of the temporal bone is a rare lesion and nearly always of limited extent. A case of a large and rapidly progressive temporal bone haemangioma in a child is presented. Negative angiography led to biopsy at which profuse and troublesome haemorrhage was encountered. Subsequent Red Blood Cell labelled scan demonstrated blood pooling in the lesion. The combination of positive RBC labelled scan and negative angiography can only occur in lesions in which blood pooling takes place, enabling biopsy with its hazards to be avoided. The tumour was resected using a skull base, infratemporal approach. Morbidity was minimal. There was no evidence of recurrence at a 15 month follow-up."}
{"id": "PMID:1487669", "title": "Early marked arytenoid calcification in a case of suspected foreign body.", "content": "A case of early marked calcification of the arytenoid cartilages is presented in a patient with a suspected pharyngeal foreign body. The calcification on X-ray had the appearance of the expected foreign body. Calcification of the arytenoid cartilages is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1487670", "title": "Pharyngolaryngeal migration: a delayed complication of an impacted bullet in the neck.", "content": "We present a case of a patient who sustained a bullet wound to the mouth and face resulting in impaction of the foreign body in the neck. This was initially managed conservatively until migration into the supralaryngeal area occurred. This resulted in airway obstruction, dysphagia, and dysphonia necessitating resuscitation and per-operative intrapharyngeal removal. Bullet wounds are uncommon in this country and experience with these cases is lacking. This paper discusses the various management options and the mechanism of how the bullet became lodged in the tissues of the neck."}
{"id": "PMID:1487671", "title": "Diffuse tuberculous parotitis.", "content": "Parenchymatous parotid tuberculosis diffusely affecting the entire gland is very rare. We present a case, associated with a primary pulmonary focus, that was confirmed after positive identification of alcohol and acid-fast bacilli in gastric washings. Both sites of infection resolved with quadruple anti-tuberculous chemotherapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1487672", "title": "Osteomyelitis of the cervical spine following laryngectomy.", "content": "Only one case of osteomyelitis of the cervical spine following laryngectomy for carcinoma of the larynx has been reported in the literature to date. We report an unusual case of osteomyelitis of the cervical spine following treatment of laryngeal carcinoma by radiotherapy (RT) and subsequent laryngectomy and discuss the relevant literature."}
{"id": "PMID:1487673", "title": "Foetal warfarin syndrome--a complex airway problem. Case report and review of the literature.", "content": "Premature cartilaginous calcification and nasal hypoplasia following first trimester exposure to warfarin are known as the Foetal Warfarin Syndrome (FWS). There are over 40 cases reported in the literature, many of which describe breathing and feeding difficulties in the first few months of life. We report a case where a child had had difficulties breathing and feeding in the first months of life. These had been attributed to nasal hypoplasia. After proper ENT assessment the child benefitted from adenoidectomy. ENT surgeons should be aware of the syndrome as more women of child bearing age are taking warfarin following cardiac surgery and treatment of thromboembolic disease. ENT surgeons may be asked to review these children who often present with airway and feeding problems which have been attributed to nasal hypoplasia."}
{"id": "PMID:1487674", "title": "A case of Merkel-cell carcinoma metastatic to the tonsil.", "content": "Metastatic tumours are rare in the tonsil. We describe a 69-year-old male patient who had previously undergone a resection of a Merkel-cell tumour of the left forearm and subsequently presented with a left tonsillar tumour. Biopsy revealed a metastatic Merkel-cell carcinoma. Our patient is the first described case of Merkel-cell carcinoma metastasizing to the tonsil. The clinical and histopathological picture of this rare tumour is presented, along with a review of literature."}
{"id": "PMID:1487675", "title": "A destructive false aneurysm of the maxillary sinus.", "content": "A false aneurysm of the internal maxillary artery presented with clinical and radiological features suggestive of a malignant tumour of the maxillary sinus. This case illustrates a complication of antral lavage and an unusual clinical, radiological and pathological entity."}
{"id": "PMID:1487676", "title": "Analysis of dynamic and stationary pattern formation in the cell cortex.", "content": "We study a sol-gel mechanochemical model for cellular cytoplasm. Using conservation equations and a force balance equation, we derive equations for the sol-gel dynamics. Regular perturbation analysis suggests the growth of patterns which may be either dynamic or stationary, depending on parameter values. Nonlinear analysis, which indicates that these patterns remain bounded, is confirmed by numerically solving the mechanochemical equations. We use these analytical and numerical results to model two different biological problems: the dynamic formation of filopodia in nerve growth cones, and the growth of microvilli in epithelial cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1487677", "title": "A modeled time-varying density function for the incubation period of AIDS.", "content": "Building on the Weibull distribution, we develop a modeled time-varying density function of the incubation time between exposure to HIV infection and full-blown AIDS. This approach leads to a series of cohort-specific density functions that take into account the increasing impact of new therapies such as zidovudine (AZT). The resulting modeled density functions are studied in detail, particularly with regard to their modes and medians. The mode is sensitive to changes in the period incubation time distribution, with even a possibility of a bimodal distribution for certain combinations of the parameters that determine the rate at which the period median incubation time changes. An important substantive result is that when a period median incubation period slowly increases to some leveling off value, say m(xc), then it is surprisingly early on that cohorts of infected individuals have a median incubation period very close to that ultimate value m(xc)."}
{"id": "PMID:1487678", "title": "Gestational diabetes mellitus.", "content": "The prevalence of gestational diabetes mellitus by screening 25,997 pregnant women in Rajavithi Hospital during a two-year-period was 2.02 per cent. Of the 312 gestational diabetes patients available for the study, their mean age was 29 years. Risk factors included a BMI before pregnancy of more than 26 (26.5%), family history of diabetes mellitus (23.1%), history of abortion (14.4%), and history of fetal death in utero (3.2%). Macrosomia, congenital anomalies and cesarean delivery were found significantly more common in gestational diabetic patients compared to normal pregnancy."}
{"id": "PMID:1487679", "title": "The course of clinical COPD in Thailand.", "content": "Spirometry and outcome of 96 cases who were clinically diagnosed as having COPD were studied. Ninety-two cases had significant airway obstruction. Of these 92 cases, initial bronchodilator responses were evaluated in 73 cases. Twenty-six cases were responders (CRAO), while 47 cases were nonresponders (COPD). The average median survival of the whole group was 4 years and 5-year survival was 30 per cent. The annual change in FEV1 in both COPD and CRAO group were fluctuating, with a tendency to decrease in the former and increase in the latter. Spirometric parameters were found to be different between the survivors and nonsurvivors, these included initial PFEV1, PFVC, PFEF 25-75 per cent and postbronchodilator FEV1 and FEF 25-75 per cent. Inspite of the differences, an initial response to bronchodilator could not predict a better outcome for CRAO as compared to COPD. It was concluded that most clinical COPD who had progressive symptoms had significant airway obstruction and shorter survival. Due to fluctuating FEV1 during the course, the initial spirometry and degree of bronchodilator response were not accurate enough to predict subsequent outcome. Long-term follow-up on spirometry and response to bronchodilator should be individually evaluated."}
{"id": "PMID:1487680", "title": "Long term efficacy of hepatitis B immunoprophylaxis in neonates at risk: using different vaccine and schedule.", "content": "Passive and active immunization for the prevention of hepatitis B virus (HBV) transmission in neonates born to HBeAg positive carrier mothers was studied using different kinds and dosages of combined hepatitis B immunoglobulin (HBIG) and hepatitis B vaccine. The long term efficacy of these various immunoprophylaxis programmes was evaluated up to 3 years of age. Eight groups of neonates, 20 in each group, received HBIG either the usual dose of 100 IU intramuscularly or intravenously or increased dose to 200 IU, combined with different kinds of hepatitis B vaccine either in full dose or half dose given in different schedules of 0, 1, 2 or 0, 1, 6 months, in some groups also received a booster dose at 12 months. After follow-up for 3 years, there were no statistical significant differences of the results between these 8 different immunoprophylaxis programmes, either in the rate of seroconversion or the protective efficacy as well as the antibody response (anti-HBs titer). The seroconversion rates after 3 years of age in all 8 groups were in the range of 63.6 to 92.9 per cent. The protective efficacy rates at 3 years of age were in the range of 69.7 to 100 per cent.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1487681", "title": "Operative treatment of plantar fasciitis.", "content": "Ten patients undergoing 12 fasciotomy by stripping the plantar fascia and superficial plantar muscles from the calcaneus have been reviewed for an average of 24.9 months after the operation. All patients failed to respond to conservative treatment by anti-inflammatory medication, heel pads and local steroid injections for a duration of 6 months to 3 years (average 15 months). There were 7 females and 3 males. Their work was of a light nature and none of them were professional athletes. The results indicated 91.6 per cent excellent, 8.4 per cent good and no failure. Complete pain relief at rest and walking was obtained in 11 of 12 for an average of 11.75 months (from 8 months to 18 months) after surgery. There was only 1 of 12 who had mild pain at walking that did not impair activity. All patients could return to their jobs about 4-6 weeks after surgery. Bloodless operation (under tourniquet control) was performed under general anaesthesia."}
{"id": "PMID:1487682", "title": "The study of discriminant values of dyspeptic symptoms for identifying the etiology of dyspepsia.", "content": "This prospective study aims to determine whether specific symptoms or group of symptoms could positively discriminate the etiology of patients who present with dyspepsia. Two hundred and eight patients were studied and 111, 55, 35 patients were classified as non-ulcer dyspepsia, peptic ulcer disease and hepatobiliary disease, respectively. All patients completed a structured history questionnaire by personal interview and completed investigation with complete blood count, stool examination, liver function test, HBsAg, HBsAb, ultrasonography of the abdomen and endoscopy. Variable of interest and variables of statistical significance by univariate analysis were put into discriminant function of logistic model for discrimination. The results suggest that anorexia and no periodicity of epigastric pain significantly discriminated non-ulcer dyspepsia from peptic ulcer disease and hepatobiliary disease, pain occurring before a meal or when the patient was hungry and nocturnal epigastric pain significantly discriminated peptic ulcer disease from hepatobiliary disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1487683", "title": "Isolation of Campylobacters from the canals of Bangkok metropolitan area.", "content": "The 100 ml of canal water samples of 36 canals in Bangkok Metropolitan Area were examined in three periods starting from July-September 1988, November 1988-January 1989 and February-April 1989. Each time the 52 water samples were checked. Of 156 water samples, 116 strains of Campylobacter species were isolated. They were 63.79 per cent (74 strains) of C. cryaerophila and 36.21 per cent (42 strains) of C. cryaerophila-like organisms. The differentiation was determined by urease activity test. C. cryaerophila was isolated from 44.23 per cent (23 strains), 51.19 per cent (27 strains) and 46.15 per cent (24 strains) and also C. cryaerophila-like organism from 28.85 per cent (15 strains), 19.23 per cent (10 strains) and 32.69 per cent (17 strains) of the 52 samples during each period respectively. Since C. cryaerophila and C. cryaerophila-like are aerotolerant Campylobacter, they grow well in aerobic conditions at 25 degrees-36 degrees C. On the contrary, thermophilic Campylobacter such as C. jejuni, C. coli and C. laridis require atmosphere containing 5 per cent O2, 10 per cent CO2, 85 per cent N2 and temperature at 36 degrees-42 degrees C, so the environment in the canals is unfavorable for their growth. The etiological role of C. cryaerophila in pathogenesis in humans is still unknown, and requires furthers study. This study shows that canals can be an important source of these two Campylobacter species that might be potential pathogens in the future."}
{"id": "PMID:1487684", "title": "Malignant pericardial tumor in childhood: a case report diagnosed by cross-sectional echocardiogram and magnetic resonance imaging.", "content": "Since primary malignant pericardial tumors are seldomly found in children, we reported a case with massive pericardial effusion. Pericardial tumor was diagnosed by cross-sectional echocardiogram. The extent of the tumor was well demonstrated by magnetic resonance imaging. The tumor was removed successfully and proved to be low grade fibrosarcoma. Modern technics can be very helpful in the diagnosis of pericardial tumor."}
{"id": "PMID:1487685", "title": "X-linked recessive bulbospinal neuronopathy.", "content": "The first case of X-linked recessive bulbospinal neuronopathy in a Thai family is described. Clinical features of this entity were discussed. Although two members of this family had classical features of X-linked recessive bulbospinal neuronopathy, there were some differences in distribution of weakness among the affected members. This variation among the members of the affected family was firstly described. The clinical features of this disease especially the associated gynecomastia and essential tremors are distinctive and it is possible to diagnose it even in a sporadic case. Although, the prominent feature of the disease is atrophy and fasciculation of muscles, this entity is not a pure anterior horn cell disorder and should be better classified as a multisystem disorder due to multiple organ involvement."}
{"id": "PMID:1487686", "title": "Ciliogenesis in the human oviduct epithelium during the normal menstrual cycle.", "content": "Ciliogenesis has been investigated in the human oviduct epithelium during the normal menstrual cycle. Both centriolar and acentriolar pathways were involved in the replication of basal bodies. The centriolar pathway, in which procentrioles generate with the aid of preexisting diplosomes, played a minor role in the human oviduct. In the acentriolar pathway, fibrous granules were the first structure which appeared in the course of ciliogenesis and they initially occurred in association with the Golgi apparatus or free ribosomes. Subsequently deuterosomes arose in the aggregates of fibrous granules or apart from fibrous granules, and then microtubules-containing procentrioles originated around deuterosomes. Newly formed centrioles migrated to the apical cytoplasm with accompanying deuterosomes, and ciliary shafts extended first at the periphery of the luminal surface of ciliogenic cells. Deuterosomes as well as fibrous granules were considered to be related to the rootlet formation. Replicaion of basal bodies and protrusion of ciliary shafts mostly occurred during the proliferative phase of the menstrual cycle; however, a small number of fibrous granules indicating the ciliogenesis were still observed in some ciliated cells during the secretory phase. Ciliogenic cells in early stages of ciliogenesis contained secretory granules-like vesicles in the apical cytoplasm, suggesting that the ciliated cells are differentiated from secretory cells in the late secretory phase on demand."}
{"id": "PMID:1487687", "title": "Freeze-substitution and X-ray microprobe analysis of amine-storage organelles of rat platelets after treatment with reserpine.", "content": "Freeze-substitution was successfully used to determine the elemental composition of the amine storage organelles of rat platelets after treatment with reserpine. Conventional electron microscopy of platelets fixed with glutaraldehyde and OsO4 revealed many empty vesicles indicating the liberation of 5-hydroxytryptamine from the amine storage organelles. However, the organelles were totally filled with an osmiophilic material in platelets freeze-substituted with OsO4-acetone. Freeze-substitution of platelets with pure acetone without OsO4 revealed also the presence of an electron-opaque material in the organelles. The emission spectra of X-ray generated by the spot analysis of the organelles exhibited Na-K alpha, Mg-K alpha, P-K alpha, K-K alpha, and Ca-K alpha. A semi-quantitative comparison of elemental concentrations in the amine storage organelles between reserpine-dosed rats and normal intact controls showed that K was significantly higher in controls, while the content of other elements was similar."}
{"id": "PMID:1487688", "title": "A method for simultaneously revealing both the cytoskeleton and membranous cell organelles for scanning electron microscopy, and its application to rat tissues.", "content": "Perfusion with a dilute saponin solution before perfusion and immersion fixation with 0.5% glutaraldehyde and 0.5% formaldehyde, followed by routine processing for high-resolution scanning electron microscopy, allows a variety of cytoskeletal elements to be well preserved. Membranous organelles are also clearly seen, allowing the three-dimensional relationships of membranes and filaments within the cell to be directly observed. In particular, in the rat intermediate filaments were seen to terminate on smooth endoplasmic reticulum and nuclear envelopes of intestinal epithelia, and to form networks between mitochondria and rough endoplasmic reticulum in podocytes of renal glomeruli."}
{"id": "PMID:1487689", "title": "Neural cell adhesion molecule of taste buds.", "content": "The distribution of the neural cell adhesion molecule (N-CAM) in the taste buds of adult and developing mice was studied by use of an immunocytochemical technique. In adult mice, nerve fibers and some elongated taste bud cells reacted with anti-N-CAM antibody. Immunoelectron microscopic observation showed that only type-III (gustatory) cells, which have afferent synaptic contacts with the nerves, were N-CAM positive in the taste buds. At day 0 after birth, taste buds of the developing mice first appeared in the circumvallate papillae, and N-CAM positive cells, which corresponded to type-III cells having afferent synapses, were found. This result suggests that N-CAM is involved in formation of the synaptic contacts between type-III cells and nerves in the taste buds."}
{"id": "PMID:1487690", "title": "Application of the environmental SEM in human dentin bleached with hydrogen peroxide in vitro.", "content": "The environmental SEM (E-SEM) can be used unfixed biological samples under a low vacuum and wet condition. In this study, the fractured dentin of unfixed human teeth was treated with a 30% hydrogen peroxide solution (H2O2) for the examination of tooth-bleaching prior to the E-SEM and a conventional SEM. The peritubular matrix (PM) always showed a few cracks along the long axis of a dentinal tubule, and the ends of fine fibrils rose to the smoothly changed surface of the intertubular matrix (IM). The E-SEM with non-fixation and the conventional SEM following fixation indicated that the hydrogen peroxide solution easily permeated the PM and dissolved the non-fibrillar substance including the cracks of the PM by the constriction. In the IM, the solution may partially dissolve the organic parts within mineralized fibrils as well as non-fibrillar substance between the fibrils, although these remnants might precipitate again there."}
{"id": "PMID:1487691", "title": "High resolution electron microscopy in the dentino-enamel junction.", "content": "The direct crystal connection at the dentino-enamel junction was investigated using high resolution electron microscope. High resolution electron microscopy revealed that lattice fringes of dentine crystals entered into and directly contacted with those of enamel crystals. In such junction, intricate and irregular tilt boundaries were located in fusion levels. Dentine crystals were closely joined at the outermost dentine surface where fusions occurred. At the fusion level, dislocation appeared to form tilt boundaries. The tilt boundaries at the fusion levels in dentine crystals had more regular curvature than those at the dentino-enamel junction. These findings suggest that growth of dentine crystals brings direct connection with enamel crystals. Furthermore, it is suspected that dentino-enamel junction is weak in mechanical and/or chemical attacks."}
{"id": "PMID:1487692", "title": "Backscattered electron imaging by scanning electron microscopy of regenerating peripheral nerve axons immunostained with antineurofilament antibody.", "content": "To demonstrate three-dimensional architecture of regenerating axons growing through basal lamina tubes in cryoinjured nerve graft, backscattered electron (BSE) imaging in a scanning electron microscope (SEM) was used to visualize immunostained axons. Regenerating axons immunostained with an antibody against the 200 kD neurofilament protein (RT97) were clearly visualized in BSE images as bright components pursuing an irregular, often spiral course within the basal lamina tubes, and commonly branching within the tubes. The morphology of these structures corresponded closely to that of putative regenerating axons in SEM preparations following application of the potassium hydroxide-collagenase digestion method. The present approach, however, is a considerable improvement on the latter, providing three-dimensional information together with the identification of regenerating axons."}
{"id": "PMID:1487694", "title": "Testosterone-induced suppression of self-healing Plasmodium chabaudi malaria: an effect not mediated by androgen receptors?", "content": "This study investigates whether androgen receptors (AR) mediate the suppressive effect of testosterone on self-healing Plasmodium chabaudi malaria. Our data show the following. (1) Female and castrated male mice of the inbred strain C57BL/10 self-heal and survive infections when challenged with 10(6) P. chabaudi-parasitized erythrocytes. However, self-healing is prevented when circulating testosterone levels are high as in intact males or in females and castrated males pretreated with 0.9 mg testosterone twice a week for 3 weeks. (2) The lethal outcome of P. chabaudi in intact males is not affected by different doses of AR blockers such as cyproterone acetate, cyproterone, flutamide and nilutamide when applied at least 3 weeks before infection and during infection. Also, these AR blockers do not impair the testosterone-induced lethal outcome of infections in testosterone-treated females and castrated males. (3) Tfm mice possessing mutant non-functional ARs and normal 'male' testosterone levels succumb to infection with P. chabaudi. However, the corresponding wild-type mice possessing functioning ARs are able to resist P. chabaudi infections at low circulating testosterone levels. (4) In contrast to testosterone, testosterone metabolites such as 5 alpha-dihydrotestosterone, 5 beta-dihydrotestosterone, androsterone and 1-dehydrotestosterone cannot suppress self-healing in castrated male B10 mice. Our data suggest that testosterone suppresses the development of protective immunity against P. chabaudi malaria, and that this immunosuppressive effect of testosterone is not primarily mediated by the classical AR response."}
{"id": "PMID:1487695", "title": "Noradrenergic peripheral denervation of the female rat accelerates the positive feedback mechanisms resulting in pubertal ovulation, and blocks the modifications induced by administration of testosterone propionate at birth.", "content": "The noradrenergic innervation of the ovary of prepubertal rats causes an inhibitory response of the follicles to gonadotrophins, leading to ovulation. We investigated the possibility that noradrenergic peripheral denervation at birth, produced by treatment with guanethidine, modifies the positive feedback effects of gonadotrophins and oestradiol in prepubertal rats, and also the possibility that peripheral denervation can modify the anovulatory syndrome induced by androgenization at birth. Noradrenergic peripheral denervated rats of 18 days of age treated with pregnant mare serum gonadotrophin (PMSG) ovulated 96 h later, while normal animals did not ovulate (4/9 vs 0/12, P < 0.05) and the number of ova shed was lower than in rats which ovulated spontaneously at first vaginal oestrus (3.5 +/- 0.6 vs 8.3 +/- 0.4 (S.E.M.), P < 0.01). Oestradiol benzoate (10 micrograms) did not induce ovulation in either normal or denervated animals (0/11 and 0/11). The anovulatory syndrome induced by the administration of testosterone propionate (75 micrograms) at birth was partially blocked by noradrenergic peripheral denervation (4/7 ovulated vs 0/10). The results suggest that some neural information arising from the ovary modulates, in an inhibitory way, the stimulatory feedback mechanisms required to induce ovulation. Partial inhibition of the anovulatory syndrome resulting from androgenization caused by peripheral noradrenergic denervation suggests that noradrenergic neural information sent by the ovary to the hypothalamus results in a decreased concentration of noradrenaline in the hypothalamus and in the aromatization of androgens to oestrogens."}
{"id": "PMID:1487696", "title": "Oestradiol increases the extracellular levels of amine metabolites in the ewe hypothalamus during anoestrus: a microdialysis study.", "content": "Giving a subcutaneous oestradiol implant during anoestrus to ovariectomized ewes inhibits pulsatile LH secretion. This effect results from an increased negative feedback of oestradiol and depends on the synthesis of biogenic amines, mainly from the mediobasal hypothalamus. In the present study, we examined the effect of oestradiol on the extracellular levels of amines and their metabolites. Eight ewes were sampled by microdialysis from the lateral retrochiasmatic area, including the dopaminergic A15 nucleus, during inhibition of LH secretion by long days. Two dialysis sessions were carried out on each ewe; one after a 10-day oestradiol treatment and the other one after 10 days without oestradiol treatment. Half of the ewes were first oestradiol-treated then untreated, the other half received the treatment in the reverse order. Oestradiol caused a decline in pulsatile LH secretion without affecting the secretion of prolactin. This steroid also led to a significant increase in the levels of amine metabolites: 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid, homovanillic acid and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid in the extracellular medium. These results demonstrate the effect of oestradiol on aminergic activity as related to changes in hormonal secretions during long days (16 h of light per 24 h). Thus our data support the hypothesis that amines inhibit gonadotrophic secretion during anoestrus in the ewe and suggest that there is an activation of the aminergic neurones from the retrochiasmatic area in this regulatory mechanism."}
{"id": "PMID:1487697", "title": "Plasma atrial natriuretic peptide in vasopressin deficiency: the effects of acute water deprivation in rats.", "content": "Plasma concentrations of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and other renally active hormones were measured in Long-Evans (LE) rats and vasopressin-deficient Brattleboro rats with diabetes insipidus (DI) in conditions of water repletion and deprivation, and in DI rats following chronic vasopressin replacement. In water-replete rats, vasopressin deficiency was associated with elevated circulating ANP and angiotensin II (AII) concentrations, while plasma adrenal steroid concentrations were depressed by comparison with LE rats. These differences were fully reversed after 7 days of vasopressin replacement in DI rats to restore normal water turnover. Water deprivation for 4 h had little effect on plasma tonicity or hormone profile in LE rats. In contrast, however, the unreplaced fluid loss during 4-h water deprivation in the DI rat was associated with a marked increase in plasma tonicity evident within 30 min. Plasma ANP concentrations fell substantially to levels below those in LE rats, coincident with a rise in adrenal steroid levels and independent of any clear change in AII. These changes in circulating ANP concentration were directly correlated with changes in plasma Na+ concentration, osmolality and tissue water content in the DI rats, underlining the importance of body fluid status in modulating the secretion of ANP. These data clearly show that plasma ANP concentration is increased in vasopressin deficiency, but emphasize the sensitivity of circulating hormone levels in vasopressin-deficient animals to acute changes in the state of hydration, underscoring the complex and labile interaction between body fluid and hormonal factors involved in the control of ANP secretion."}
{"id": "PMID:1487698", "title": "Prepubertal reduction of the ovarian follicle population by combined LH-releasing hormone antagonist treatment and unilateral ovariectomy influences follicle characteristics but not the ovulation rate at first oestrus.", "content": "The effect on first ovulation of the massive reduction of the total pool of ovarian follicles during the infantile and late juvenile period was studied in rats. Treatment with an LH-releasing hormone antagonist (LHRH-A) during infancy (5 mg/kg body weight on days 6, 9, 12 and 15 of life) was combined with unilateral ovariectomy performed on either day 15 (early ULO) or 2-5 days before the expected day of first ovulation (late ULO). Rats were killed on the day of first or second oestrus, when blood was collected and the (remaining) ovaries were prepared for differential counting of follicles and corpora lutea. In addition, blood was sampled 8 h after ULO and the ovaries studied histologically in the group of rats which were unilaterally ovariectomized 2-5 days before first ovulation. The time of first ovulation was not influenced by treatment with LHRH-A, early or late ULO, or a combination of LHRH-A treatment and ULO. Ovulation rate after LHRH-A treatment was decreased, but was still within the normal range in intact rats and in early ULO rats compared with saline-treated controls. Serum FSH concentrations 8 h after ULO performed 2-5 days before first ovulation were similar in saline- and LHRH-A-treated rats (845 +/- 59 and 801 +/- 99 (S.E.M.) micrograms/l respectively) and had increased compared with intact controls (216 +/- 15 micrograms/l). Treatment with LHRH-A resulted in a reduction of more than 50% in healthy and atretic follicles, and late ULO reduced the number of healthy follicles even further.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1487699", "title": "Growth hormone (GH)-binding protein in normal and GH-deficient dwarf rats.", "content": "There are GH-binding proteins (GHBPs) present in the blood of many species, and these correspond to the extracellular GH-binding domain of the GH receptor. In the rat, GHBP arises by alternative splicing of the GH receptor mRNA, but little is known of the physiological role of circulating GHBP, or its relationship with episodic GH secretion. We have developed a sensitive radioimmunoassay based on recombinant GHBP, and have measured rat GHBP levels in small samples of plasma from normal and GH-deficient dwarf rats. In normal adult rats, GHBP levels were two- to threefold higher in females than in males (16.6 +/- 0.8 vs 6.4 +/- 0.4 micrograms/l, P < 0.001), but this sex difference was not seen in dwarf rats. A continuous infusion of human GH in dwarf males raised plasma GHBP to 23.5 +/- 3.5 micrograms/l compared with 6.7 +/- 0.5 micrograms/l in sham-infused animals, whereas suppression of GH by continuous infusion of a long-acting somatostatin analogue in female dwarf rats had no effect on GHBP. In anaesthetized rats, large changes in plasma GH caused by i.v. administration of rat GH, somatostatin or GH-releasing factor did not affect GHBP acutely. Both GH and GHBP were also measured in serial blood samples from conscious normal and dwarf rats. A sexually dimorphic GH secretory pattern was observed in both strains. Males showed peaks and troughs of GH every 3 h varying over a 100-fold range, whereas females exhibited more continuous GH secretion. Despite the large fluctuations in endogenous GH, GHBP levels remained relatively constant in individual normal or dwarf males, as well as in females of both strains, and there was no significant correlation between GH and GHBP either in individual rats or as a group. Our results suggest that GHBP is GH-dependent in the longer term, and that the higher GHBP levels in female rats require their continuous GH secretory pattern. However, plasma GHBP levels remain stable and are not affected by acute changes in endogenous or exogenous GH."}
{"id": "PMID:1487700", "title": "Expression of the growth hormone receptor gene in chicken pituitary glands.", "content": "Although GH has no direct effect on GH release from chicken pituitary glands, GH receptor mRNA similar to that in the rabbit liver was identified by Northern blot analysis in extracts of adult chicken pituitaries. Complementary (c) DNA, reverse transcribed from chicken pituitary RNA, was amplified by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in the presence of 3'- and 5'-oligonucleotide primers coding for the extracellular domain of the chicken liver GH receptor and was found to contain an electrophoretically separable fragment of 500 bp, identical in size to that in chicken liver. Digestion of this pituitary cDNA with NcoI produced expected moities of 350 and 150 bp. Amplification of chicken pituitary cDNA in the presence of oligonucleotide primers for the intracellular sequence of the chicken liver GH receptor produced an electrophoretically separable fragment of approximately 800 bp, similar to that in chicken liver. This fragment was cut into expected moieties of 530 and 275 bp after digestion with EcoRI. These PCR fragments were identified in extracts of the pituitary caudal lobe, in which somatotrophs are confined and account for the majority of endocrine cell types, and in the cephalic lobe, in which somatotrophs are lacking. Translation of the GH receptor mRNA in the pituitary gland was indicated by the qualitative demonstration of radiolabelled GH-binding sites in plasma membrane preparations, in pituitary cytosol and in nuclear membranes. These results provide evidence for the expression and translation of the GH receptor gene in pituitary tissue, in which GH receptors appear to be widely distributed within cells and in different cell types. GH may therefore have paracrine, autocrine or intracrine effects on pituitary function."}
{"id": "PMID:1487701", "title": "Site-dependent effects of experimental hypo- and hyperthyroidism on resident macrophages in extraocular muscles of rats: a quantitative immunohistochemical study.", "content": "It has been suggested that the effects of dysthyroidism on resident immunocompetent cells of the extraocular muscles may play a role in the pathogenesis of Graves' ophthalmopathy. The distribution of such cells was therefore studied in extraocular muscles of rats that were made hyper- or hypothyroid by the oral administration of thyroxine or propylthiouracil respectively. Skeletal muscles were studied for comparison. The cell distributions were analysed in cryostat cross-sections subjected to a two-step immunoperoxidase method using well-characterized monoclonal antibodies against T cells, B cells, macrophages and MHC class II antigens. The extraocular muscles of control (euthyroid) rats contained numerous macrophages, fewer MHC-II positive cells and T cells and no B cells. Differences in the distribution of immunocompetent cells were found in control rats, between skeletal and extraocular muscles as well as within the various recti eye muscles. This particular tissue distribution resembles that previously reported for human extraocular and skeletal muscles. Quantitative analysis showed that experimental dysthyroidism only affected cell populations in the extraocular muscles. Significant effects on the number of macrophages were observed in the inferior rectus muscle of both hypo- and hyperthyroid rats, this was most pronounced in the orbital layer of the muscles. Both hyper- and hypothyroidism appear to affect local cell distributions in a tissue-specific manner. The presently observed site-dependent effects of dysthyroidism on local immunocompetent cell populations may have relevance for the differential involvement of muscular tissues in Graves' ophthalmopathy."}
{"id": "PMID:1487702", "title": "Paradoxical hypertrophy and plasticity of the testis in rats recovering from early thyroid deficiency: a growth study including effects of age and duration of hypothyroidism.", "content": "The effects of various durations of postnatal hypothyroidism followed by recovery were studied on testicular growth in Long-Evans and Sprague-Dawley rats from birth to 7 months. Hypothyroidism was induced by adding propylthiouracil (PTU) in drinking water (0.1%, w/v). Recovery was induced by withdrawal of PTU. Testicular growth was reduced in rat pups by 20, 65 and 90% at days 10, 25 and 50. Upon withdrawal of PTU at weaning (25 days), testicular growth resumed and became compensatory; catch-up growth occurred by day 65. Paradoxically, testicular growth progressively increased, surpassing the control weights by 40, 50 and 100% at days 75, 90 and 210. Maximal testicular growth rate in the recovery group was 35% higher, occurred 2 weeks later and lasted 2 weeks longer than controls. Testes of rats subjected to prolonged postnatal hypothyroidism (60 or 120 days) also showed recovery and hypertrophy, amounting to nearly twice the normal maximal growth levels, after at least 6 months of recovery. Body weights of recovering rats remained always significantly below those of controls. When the suckling pups were exposed to short, week-long regimes of PTU treatment, only rats treated during the early postnatal weeks (days 1-8 or 9-16) had enlarged testes; PTU treatment during the late suckling period (days 17-24) or later had no effects. Total duration of hypothyroidism in the suckling period was positively correlated with testicular enlargement. The results indicate that hypothyroidism early in life is stimulatory to testicular growth, resulting in a paradoxical twofold increase in final testicular size which occurs even if hypothyroidism is prolonged. These effects occur similarly in different strains of rat with differing sized testes. It is suggested that there is a sensitive period for this effect, i.e. during the first 2 weeks after birth. The marked plasticity of testicular growth as shown by its recovery and hypertrophy, even after long periods of hypothyroid retardation, is unique in the body and may be a useful model for studying hormonal factors regulating testicular growth and for animal breeding and research into infertility."}
{"id": "PMID:1487703", "title": "Age-related discrepancies between serum and pituitary gonadotrophin, and pituitary gonadotrophin subunit mRNA responses to castration and testosterone replacement in male rats.", "content": "The responses of gonadotrophin gene expression, pituitary content and serum levels to castration alone and castration plus testosterone replacement (silicone elastomer implants) were compared in male rats at 10, 30, 60 and 90 days of age. Sham-operated animals served as controls. In addition, 30-day-old castrated rats were treated with dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and diethylstilboestrol (DES). When killed 7 days after castration, the increases in serum LH (six- to eightfold; P < 0.01) and FSH (two- to fourfold; P < 0.01) were similar at all ages studied. Likewise, testosterone reversed the effects of castration in a largely similar fashion at all ages. In contrast, great age-related differences were observed in the responses of gonadotrophin subunit mRNAs to the treatments. Castration increased the common alpha subunit mRNA two- to fourfold on days 10 and 30 (P < 0.01), sixfold on day 60 (P < 0.01), but not at all on day 90. Testosterone reversed the increases at all ages, but the levels were below those of controls only at 90 days (P < 0.01). The highest increases (sixfold; P < 0.01) of LH-beta mRNA were seen on days 10 and 60, the others being two- to threefold higher (P < 0.05-0.01). Testosterone reversed this effect at 60 days and suppressed LH-beta mRNA to below the control levels at other ages (P < 0.01). Castration had no effect on FSH-beta subunit mRNA at 30 and 90 days but a four- to fivefold increase was seen on days 10 and 60 (P < 0.01).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1487704", "title": "Effects of FSH on Leydig cell morphology and function in the hypogonadal mouse.", "content": "The hypogonadal (hpg) mouse has a congenital deficiency in gonadotrophin-releasing hormone and the gonads consequently lack exposure to endogenous gonadotrophins during development. To determine the effect of FSH on Leydig cell function in these animals adult hpg mice were injected twice daily with FSH (2 micrograms injections) or LH (40 ng injections, the presumed LH contamination of FSH used). Following FSH treatment there was a clear stimulation of the seminiferous epithelium and in animals injected with FSH plus [3H]thymidine, the incorporation of label was largely confined to the germ cells with no apparent uptake by the Sertoli cells. In FSH-treated testes the Leydig cells contained numerous large lipid droplets, similar to the unstimulated hpg testis. There was no evidence of the interstitial hyperplasia which is observed following injection of high doses of LH (2 micrograms twice daily). There was no change in basal androgen content of the testis in vivo following FSH treatment but injection of a maximal dose of human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG), 1 h before death, markedly increased testicular androgen content only in the FSH-treated group. Testicular androgen production in vitro was significantly increased following FSH treatment both under basal conditions (FSH-treated, 17.4 pmol/testis; control, 1.46 pmol/testis) and during stimulation by hCG (FSH-treated, 940 pmol/testis; control, 81 pmol/testis). Associated with the increased androgen production following FSH treatment there were significant increases in the activities of three steroidogenic enzymes; cholesterol side-chain cleavage (186-fold increase over control), 17 alpha-hydroxylase (103-fold increase) and 17-ketosteroid reductase (177-fold increase).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1487705", "title": "Expansion of plasma volume by intragastric isotonic saline inhibits supraoptic neurones in rats.", "content": "To determine whether an increase in plasma volume might directly influence supraoptic neurones, single cell extracellular recordings were made from magnocellular neurones of the supraoptic nucleus in urethane-anaesthetized rats as plasma volume was expanded by intragastric injection of isotonic saline. Continuous ratemeter records taken before, during and after intragastric injections of 10 ml isotonic saline showed that the firing rate of putative vasopressin cells was reduced by 2.21 spikes/s (P < 0.02; n = 9; paired t-test) after 50 min. Putative oxytocin cells, after an initial increase in firing rate which lasted approximately 30 min, showed a decrease of 0.98 spikes/s (P < 0.02; n = 6; paired t-test). A population of 93 control cells of both types had a median firing rate of 4.69 spikes/s, a comparable group of 65 cells recorded 1 h after intragastric injection had a median firing rate of 3.15 spikes/s and another group of 68 cells recorded 1 h after a second injection had a median firing rate of 2.5 spikes/s. These differences were significant (P < 0.04 and P < 0.01; Mann-Whitney U test). The haematocrit of plasma samples taken from five similarly anaesthetized control animals was 49.7%. One hour after one intragastric injection the value was significantly (P < 0.02; paired t-test) reduced to 46.7% and 1 h after a second injection it was further reduced to 42.1% (P < 0.01).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1487706", "title": "Pituitary-dependent hyperadrenocorticism in a family of Dandie Dinmont terriers.", "content": "Adrenocortical function studies were performed in seven Dandie Dinmont terriers with pituitary-dependent hyperadrenocorticism. The ability of dexamethasone at a dose rate of 0.1 mg/kg body weight to suppress cortisol secretion was only moderate in four out of the six dogs tested. Concentrations of alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone in plasma were highly increased. Responses to stimulation with corticotrophin-releasing hormone and the dopamine-antagonist haloperidol, examined in three animals, were moderate or absent. These results indicate that adrenocortical stimulation, i.e. hyperadrenocorticotrophism, was caused by pituitary lesions which were functioning autonomously. In six of the seven animals there was a very close familial relationship and the coefficients of relationship and the coefficients of inbreeding were significantly higher than in a representative control population. It was concluded that these seven related terriers with hyperadrenocorticotrophism had the biochemical characteristics of de-novo neoplasms of proopiomelanocortin-producing cells, and there was evidence for a genetic involvement in tumorigenesis."}
{"id": "PMID:1487707", "title": "Transforming growth factor-beta is a potent inhibitor of basal and stimulated relaxin release by porcine luteal cells maintained in monolayer culture.", "content": "The effect of transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) on relaxin release by porcine large luteal cells (LLC) was examined by use of a reverse haemolytic plaque assay. In this assay, mixed luteal cells were co-cultured in monolayers with protein A-coupled sheep erythrocytes. In the presence of complement and porcine relaxin antiserum, a zone of haemolysis (a plaque) developed around relaxin-releasing LLCs. The rate of plaque development in time-course experiments and the average size of plaque areas were used to monitor the rate of relaxin release and cumulative amounts of hormone respectively. Monolayers were bathed in medium containing TGF-beta alone, or in the co-presence of a stimulatory secretagogue (prostaglandin E2; PGE2). Exposure of luteal cell-containing monolayers to TGF-beta (1 ng/1-100 micrograms/1) elicited a dose-related inhibition in the rate of basal relaxin release. Minimal and maximal concentrations were approximately 10 ng/1 and 10 micrograms/1 respectively. Treatment with 1 microgram TGF-beta/1 reduced the cumulative amount of relaxin released to 63 +/- 6% of control values (mean +/- S.D., P < 0.05, n = 6; averaged over the whole course of the experimental incubation). Exposure of monolayers treated with TGF-beta to the relaxin-stimulatory secretagogue PGE2 (0.1 mumol) resulted in a significant (P < 0.05) increase in the amount of relaxin released by TGF-beta-suppressed LLCs, and restored rates of hormone release to control levels. This is evidence that TGF-beta and PGE2 interact antagonistically in the modulation of relaxin. The effect of TGF-beta was strictly time-dependent.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1487708", "title": "Catecholamines released from local adrenergic axon terminals are possibly involved in fine tuning of steroid secretion from zona glomerulosa cells: functional and morphological evidence.", "content": "The effect of supramaximal electric field stimulation on [3H]noradrenaline (NA) release and hormone production by rat adrenal capsule-glomerulosa preparations was studied using a microvolume perfusion system. A substantial proportion (about 20%) of nerve endings (varicosities) were observed close to zona glomerulosa cells, and about half of them appeared to be catecholaminergic, as judged by the chromaffin reaction of the synaptic vesicles studied at electron microscopic level. In tissue, preloaded with [3H]NA, the release of NA in response to electrical stimulation was frequency-dependent. Reserpinization, calcium removal or inhibition of Na+ influx by tetrodotoxin completely blocked NA release by field stimulation, indicating that the release resulted from axonal activity and is of vesicular origin. Neither the alpha 2-adrenoceptor agonist xylazine nor the muscarine-receptor agonist oxotremorine affected the stimulation-evoked release of [3H]NA, suggesting that, in contrast with other neurones present in the central nervous system or in the peripheral autonomic nervous system but like those in the median eminence, these axon terminals contained few presynaptic modulatory receptors. The NA (10.20 +/- 1.79 (S.E.M.) micrograms/g, n = 9), adrenaline (24.38 +/- 5.50 micrograms/g, n = 9) and dopamine (0.35 +/- 0.09 micrograms/g, n = 6) contents of the preparations were high, as determined by high-performance liquid chromatography. Our observations that the release and content of NA is high, and that a substantial proportion of catecholaminergic axon terminals lie in close proximity to zona glomerulosa cells (median value of the distance 300 nm) or to smooth muscle cells of the vessels, suggest that NA released from local adrenergic neurones without being presynaptically modulated may play an important role in fine-tuning both steroid production and/or blood flow through the gland, itself a powerful modulator of the adrenocortical response. This local modulating effect of NA may be especially significant when sympathetic activity is enhanced."}
{"id": "PMID:1487709", "title": "Distribution and properties of endo-oligopeptidases A and B in the human neuroendocrine system.", "content": "The thiol activated endo-oligopeptidases A and B were studied in the soluble fraction of human hypothalamus and various endocrine glands. For the identification, characterization and purification of the enzymes, Z-Gly-Pro-NH-Np and bradykinin were used as substrates. Endo-oligopeptidase B showed a molecular mass ranging from 55.5 to 65.5 kDa and isoelectric point from 4.7 to 4.95. Its activity in tissues was highest in the testis, with intermediate levels in the thyroid, neurohypophysis, adenohypophysis and hypothalamus and the lowest activity in the pineal gland. Endo-oligopeptidase A, 467-fold purified by immunoaffinity chromatography, exhibited a molecular mass of 65.5 kDa in the adenohypophysis but 58.5 kDa in other tissues. The isoelectric point ranged from 5.22 to 5.50. High endo-oligopeptidase A activity was observed in the adenohypophysis, testis and hypothalamus with lesser activity in the neurohypophysis and thyroid and the lowest in the pineal gland. Endo-oligopeptidase A cleaved the bonds Phe-Ser of bradykinin, Met-Arg of BAM-12P and Arg-Arg of neurotensin as described for rabbit brain and heart and bovine brain enzymes. This work shows that endo-oligopeptidase A also hydrolysed the bonds Tyr-Gly of LH-releasing hormone, Pro-Phe of angiotensin I and Tyr-Ile of angiotensin II."}
{"id": "PMID:1487710", "title": "Immunohistochemical localization of 17 alpha-hydroxylase/C17-20 lyase and aromatase cytochrome P-450 in the human ovary during the menstrual cycle.", "content": "Immunohistochemical localization of 17 alpha-hydroxylase/C17-20 lyase (P-450(17 alpha,lyase)) and aromatase cytochrome P-450 (P-450arom) in normal human ovaries during the menstrual cycle was studied using specific polyclonal antibodies which were raised against corresponding enzymes. In the follicular phase of matured follicles, P-450(17 alpha,lyase) was localized in theca interna cells and P-450arom in granulosa cells. P-450(17 alpha,lyase) was expressed in theca interna cells before P-450arom was expressed in granulosa cells. The corpus luteum showed immunoreactivity to both enzymes and, after menstruation, immunoreactivity decreased gradually until it could not be detected in the corpus albicans. In corpus luteum graviditatis the immunoreactivity continued to be expressed strongly. In some atretic follicles, P-450(17 alpha,lyase) and/or P-450arom continued to be expressed. In the stromal layer, P-450(17 alpha,lyase was detected in secondary interstitial cells, which originated from the theca interna of atretic follicles, and P-450arom was detected in hilar cells. Immunoreactivity to both enzymes was also detected in oocytes of developing follicles. These results are consistent with the two cell theory in the human ovary. They also suggest that androgens and oestrogens are produced not only by follicles and corpora lutea but also by stroma and oocytes."}
{"id": "PMID:1487711", "title": "Retention of normal ovarian function after hysterectomy.", "content": "What are the long-term effects of hysterectomy on the ovaries of normal women? Ninety-three women aged 29-44 years (median, 38 years) who had undergone hysterectomy for benign reasons 0.3-9.1 years prior to investigation, contributed urine samples twice weekly for a period of 53-149 days (median 102 days) for pregnanediol analysis. The interval between successive pregnanediol peaks and their increment over baseline were measured. The median peak interval was 27.3 days, and 93.3% of all intervals were of 21- to 35-days duration. Of the 337 peaks observed, 96.7% met the criteria previously used to define an ovulatory cycle. These are similar to the figures reported for menstruant women of comparable age. ANOVA showed no significant effect of age or time since hysterectomy on either the interval between peaks or peak increment (P > 0.10 in all cases). The evidence suggests that the ovaries of women who have no uterus behave like those of intact women."}
{"id": "PMID:1487712", "title": "Neural regulation of pupariation in tsetse larvae.", "content": "A neural mechanism coordinates pupariation behavior and tanning in the tsetse larva. At parturition, the mature larva has already received sufficient ecdysteroid to commit the epidermal cells to metamorphosis but, before sclerotization and tanning of the cuticle can begin, the larva must first select a pupariation site and then proceed through a stereotypic sequence of pupariation behavior that culminates in the formation of a smooth, ovoid puparium. Both pupariation behavior and tanning are inhibited by the central nervous system (CNS) during the wandering phase. This central inhibition is maintained by sensory input originating in the extreme posterior region of the body. At the transition from wandering to pupariation, the posterior signal that induces inhibition of pupariation behavior is removed and the larva begins the contractions associated with pupariation, but the CNS inhibition of tanning persists. At this point, separation of the body into two halves by ligation or nerve transection prevents tanning of the anterior half (containing the CNS), whereas the denervated integument of the posterior half tans completely. Transection of nerves to the midline of the body produces larvae with a tanning pattern that ends abruptly along a sagittal plane, implying that the central control of this process is uncoupled between the left and right regions of the CNS. A few minutes later, when the final shape of the puparium is completed, the CNS inhibition is lifted and the tanning process begins. At this time, separation of the body into two halves by ligation or nerve transection has no inhibitory effects on either part. Exogenous ecdysteroids fail to release the CNS inhibition, and hemolymph containing the pupariation factors from Sarcophaga bullata have no accelerating effects on tsetse pupariation. These results imply that regulation of metamorphosis in the insect integument is not the exclusive domain of blood-borne hormones."}
{"id": "PMID:1487713", "title": "Reversal of interleg coupling in backward locomotion implies a prime role of the direction of locomotion.", "content": "Conventional descriptions of interleg coupling relate to anatomical definitions such as fore- or hindlegs, right or left legs (i.e. the body is the frame of reference). This convention is obvious for forward walking, where forelegs (in anatomical terms) are also the leading legs (in terms of direction). In backward locomotion, however, the leading legs in terms of direction are the hindlegs in terms of anatomy. What effects do the anatomy and direction of movement have on the sequence of stepping? Our observations on the locomotion of mole rats in a transparent acrylic tunnel revealed that, as in nature, mole rats moved both forwards and backwards. They typically employed a diagonal sequence of steps in forward walking, whereas in backward walking they typically employed a lateral sequence. However, when stepping was described with movement direction as the frame of reference, both forward and backward walking were made up of the same sequence of steps. The same invariant trend was recorded during backward galloping, but to a lesser extent than during walking. We suggest that the backward sequence is simply a reversal of the forward sequence: a hindleg during backward locomotion acts like a foreleg in forward locomotion, while a foreleg acts like a hindleg in forward locomotion. Interleg coupling therefore remains invariant in relation to the direction of locomotion."}
{"id": "PMID:1487714", "title": "Apneic oxygen uptake in the torpid bat, Eptesicus fuscus.", "content": "Like many mammalian heterotherms, the big brown bat, Eptesicus fuscus, breathes intermittently during torpor. By exploiting this bat's preference to roost in crevices, we could separately measure O2 uptake during ventilatory bouts and apneic periods using a flow-through metabolic chamber with a small dead space volume and short time constant. Oxygen uptake was measured during apneas ranging from 10 to 150 min duration at body temperatures of 20, 10 and 5 degrees C. The fraction of total O2 uptake acquired during apnea was 0.26 +/- 0.03 (9), 0.54 +/- 0.10 (5) and 0.35 +/- 0.04 (3) for body temperatures of 20, 10 and 5 degrees C, respectively. Cardiogenic pulsations during apnea visible on plethysmographic pressure traces and theoretical calculations of airway and cutaneous diffusion potentials support the notion that apneic O2 uptake occurs down an open airway by both diffusion and bulk convection."}
{"id": "PMID:1487715", "title": "Isolation of a neuropeptide from locust corpus cardiacum which influences ileal transport.", "content": "1. Schistocerca gregaria ion-transport peptide (Scg-ITP) was isolated from aqueous extracts of the corpus cardiacum by a four-step procedure, utilizing reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography for separation and stimulation of a Cl(-)-dependent short-circuit current (Isc) across locust ilea as the bioassay. 2. Scg-ITP has an unblocked N terminus and an apparent relative molecular mass of 7700. Thirty-one residues (of an estimated 65) were identified by sequence analysis. 3. Scg-ITP is structurally related to a crustacean family of neuropeptides which includes the crustacean hyperglycaemic hormones from the shore crab Carcinus maenas and the crayfish Orconectes limosus and moult-inhibiting hormone and vitellogenesis-inhibiting hormone from the lobster Homarus americanus. 4. Scg-ITP has no sequence homology with neuroparsins (Nps). Nps are the only other neuropeptides isolated to date that might regulate reabsorption in an insect hindgut (rectum)."}
{"id": "PMID:1487718", "title": "Ultrasonic vocalizations of flying bats monitored by radiotelemetry.", "content": "Ultrasonic vocalizations of flying bats were effectively monitored with radiotelemetry. We describe a device light enough to be carried by an 11 g bat for periods of up to 1 h. It transmitted signals adequate for fine frequency analysis within a range of approximately 3 m. Telemetry permitted the recording of constant-frequency pulses free from flight-induced Doppler shifts and without time delays. The difference in frequency between telemetered signals and the same signals detected by a remote microphone was used to calculate velocity and Doppler shifts. Pulse emission behavior of Pteronotus parnellii in flight was compared with simulated flight on a pendulum. The data showed significant differences in echo bandwidths, constant-frequency pulse durations and interpulse intervals. In flight, pulses and interpulse intervals tended to be shorter and bats maintained echo frequencies within a significantly narrower band. Phases of echolocation that characterized the approach to a target were clearly evident in flight, but not during pendulum swings. Differences in pulse durations and interpulse intervals may be correlated with the integration of wingbeat, respiration and vocalization. The absence of wing motion in simulated flight changes this integration."}
{"id": "PMID:1487720", "title": "Pathogenic activities of live cells and extracellular products of the fish pathogen Pasteurella piscicida.", "content": "The pathobiological activities in vivo and in vitro of live cells and extracellular products (ECP) of eleven Pasteurella piscicida strains of different origin were examined. Infectivity trials showed that P. piscicida did not possess strict host specificity since the majority of the isolates were virulent for gilthead seabream, rainbow trout and turbot, with LD50 values ranging between 10(3) and 10(6) live cells. However, none of the strains tested were pathogenic for mice (LD50 > 10(8) cells)). In addition, the ECP were strongly toxic for fish (LD50 ranging from 1.0 to 4.6 micrograms protein per g fish), which clearly demonstrates their important role in the pathogenesis of pasteurellosis. All the ECP samples were cytotoxic for fish and homoiothermic cell lines, possessed notable phospholipase activity and displayed haemolytic activity for sheep, salmon and turbot erythrocytes (but not for trout erythrocytes). However, the production of proteolytic enzymes differed among the P. piscicida strains. Although no strain displayed elastase activity, five isolates (the Japanese and Italian strains) hydrolysed casein and gelatin. All these biological activities in vivo and in vitro were lost after heat treatment (100 degrees C for 10 min). The general enzymic patterns of both live cells and ECP evaluated by the API-ZYM system also revealed some variation among the P. piscicida isolates. Generally, whole cells showed a wider range of enzymic activities than ECP. The results presented here are important for the selection of strains in the development of effective polyvalent pasteurellosis vaccines containing both whole cells and ECP."}
{"id": "PMID:1487721", "title": "Secondary fatty alcohols of Mycobacterium xenopi.", "content": "Secondary alcohols of Mycobacterium xenopi were studied by gas chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Mycobacterial cells were hydrolysed and the liberated alcohols separated by extraction and analysed both underivatized and as trimethylsilyl, methyl ether- and pentafluorobenzoyl derivatives. Seven straight-chain secondary alcohols containing from 18 to 24 carbon atoms and two branched-chain secondary alcohols with 21 and 23 carbon atoms were present in all of the studied strains."}
{"id": "PMID:1487722", "title": "Succinylated lipid A is a potent and specific inhibitor of endotoxin mitogenicity.", "content": "Chemically modified lipopolysaccharides of Salmonella abortus-equi were tested for mitogenicity on mouse spleen cells as well as antagonism of the mitogenicity of intact lipopolysaccharide (LPS). All the lipopolysaccharide preparations deacylated by different alkaline treatments suffered a drastic loss of mitogenicity. The mitogenic activity of lipid A was also lost when succinic residues were introduced on hydroxyl groups. Partially deacylated alkaline-treated preparations (but not completely deacylated preparations) inhibited the activation of splenic B-cells by LPS. They were found to be toxic to spleen cells, however, and to suppress not only the mitogenicity of LPS but that of concanavalin A as well. This inhibitory action was not exhibited when all of the fatty acid was eliminated. Succinylated lipid A, on the other hand, was not toxic to the cells and inhibited the B-cell mitogenicity of lipopolysaccharide (but not the T-cell mitogenicity of concanavalin A). Chemical analysis revealed that about 4.6 mol of succinic acid had been introduced into lipid A by succinylation, and that the fatty acid and phosphate composition was unchanged by this treatment. Macrophages do not seem to participate in this inhibition. Inhibition was observed when succinylated lipid A was added either at the same time or after lipid A mitogen, but optimal inhibition was expressed when it was added to the culture 3 h before LPS. Inhibition was not affected by washing the cells before adding LPS. Inhibition increased as the ratio of suppressor to mitogen increased, suggesting that the succinylated lipid A competes with intact LPS."}
{"id": "PMID:1487723", "title": "Glycine betaine transport by Staphylococcus aureus: evidence for two transport systems and for their possible roles in osmoregulation.", "content": "The transport of glycine betaine by Staphylococcus aureus was investigated. Two transport systems were found that could be differentiated on the basis of their affinity for glycine betaine and their activation by osmotic pressure. The high-affinity system was relatively independent of osmotic pressure and exhibited a Km of approximately 3 microM. This system was not inhibited by proline, for which a separate high-affinity transport system has been recently discovered. The low-affinity system was activated approximately 35-fold by an increase in osmotic pressure and exhibited a Km of approximately 130 microM for glycine betaine. This system is partially inhibited by excess proline and may be identical to the low-affinity system recently described for proline. Both glycine betaine transport systems are Na(+)-dependent."}
{"id": "PMID:1487724", "title": "Structural studies of an emulsion-stabilizing exopolysaccharide produced by an adhesive, hydrophobic Rhodococcus strain.", "content": "The primary structure of an emulsion-stabilizing exopolysaccharide from the adhesive, hydrophobic Rhodococcus strain No. 33 was elucidated by NMR spectroscopy, methylation analyses, periodate oxidation and oligosaccharide analyses. The polysaccharide PS-33 consisted of rhamnose, galactose, glucose and glucuronic acid in molar ratios of 2:1:1:1. The main chain contained 3-substituted alpha-D-glucuronic acid linked to the 3-position at alpha-L-rhamnose, in addition to 3-substituted residues of beta-D-galactose and alpha-D-glucose. The alpha-L-rhamnose of the side chain was linked to position 4 of the galactose. In addition, the polysaccharide was O-acetylated, corresponding to one acetyl group per repeating unit. From the results two structural possibilities could be suggested. As the polysaccharide carries hydrophobic groups (methyl of rhamnose/O-acetyl), it is very likely that these are of general significance for the emulsifying activity of polysaccharides. It also seems to be possible that this polysaccharide is at least partially responsible for the hydrophobic cell surface properties of the Rhodococcus strain No. 33 and it may be involved in hydrophobic interactions when adhering to hydrophobic interfaces."}
{"id": "PMID:1487725", "title": "Regulation of the secretion of Rhizopus oligosporus extracellular carboxyl proteinase.", "content": "Secretion of the extracellular Rhizopus carboxyl proteinase (EC 3.4.23.6) by Rhizopus oligosporus is repressed in the presence of low-molecular-mass sources of nitrogen, sulphur and carbon. Proteinase is secreted when the medium is deficient in any one of these three nutrients. In the case of nitrogen metabolite repression, control is at the level of transcription. Induction of proteinase secretion by exogenous protein does not occur in any of the media examined."}
{"id": "PMID:1487726", "title": "Analysis of transcription and translation of glycolytic enzymes in glucose-limited continuous cultures of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.", "content": "mRNA steady-state levels and activities of enzymes of intermediary carbon metabolism (hexokinase, phosphoglucoisomerase, phosphofructokinase, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, phosphoglucomutase) and glucose-regulated enzymes (pyruvate decarboxylase, pyruvate dehydrogenase, invertase, alcohol dehydrogenase) were determined in glucose-limited continuous cultures of an industrial strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae at different dilution rates (D) ranging from 0.05 to 0.315 h-1. The activity of most enzymes measured remained constant over this range except for alcohol dehydrogenase I/II which decreased proportionally with increasing dilution rate. A decrease in phosphoglucomutase activity occurred with increasing dilution rate but reached a minimum at D 0.2 h-1 and from thereon remained constant. A decrease in pyruvate decarboxylase activity and a slight decrease in phosphoglucoisomerase activity was observed. At D 0.29/0.315 h-1, at the onset of the Crabtree effect, most glycolytic enzymes remained constant except for pyruvate decarboxylase and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase which increased at D 0.315 h-1 and alcohol dehydrogenase I/II which decreased. The ADHI/II and PDC1 mRNA levels obtained at the different dilution rates were in accordance with the activity measurements. The mRNA level of HXK1 decreased with increasing dilution rates, whereas the transcription of HXK2 increased. Pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDA1) and PGI1 mRNA fluctuated but no significant change could be detected. These results indicate that there is no transcriptional or translational regulation of glycolytic flux between D 0.05 h-1 and 0.315 h-1 except at the branch point between oxidative and fermentative metabolism (pyruvate decarboxylase/pyruvate dehydrogenase) at D 0.315 h-1. Surprisingly regulation of the Crabtree effect does not seem to involve transcriptional regulation of PDA1.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1487727", "title": "A developmental mutation (npfL1) resulting in cell death in Physarum polycephalum.", "content": "In Physarum, microscopic uninucleate amoebae develop into macroscopic multinucleate plasmodia. In the mutant strain, RA614, plasmodium development is blocked. RA614 carries a recessive mutation (npfL1) in a gene that functions in sexual as well as apogamic development. In npfL+ apogamic development, binucleate cells arise from uninucleate cells by mitosis without cytokinesis at the end of an extended cell cycle. In npfL1 cultures, apogamic development became abnormal at the end of the extended cell cycle. The cells developed a characteristic rounded, vacuolated appearance, nuclear fusion and vigorous cytoplasmic motion occurred, and the cells eventually died. Nuclei were not visible by phase-contrast microscopy in most of the abnormally developing cells, but fluorescence microscopy after DAPI staining revealed intensely staining, condensed nuclei without nucleoli. Studies of tubulin organization during npfL1 development indicated a high frequency of abnormal mitotic spindles and, in some interphase cells, abnormally thick microtubules. Some of these features were observed at low frequency in the parental npfL+ strain and may represent a pathway of cell death, resembling apoptosis, that may be triggered in more than one way. Nuclear fusion occurred during interphase and mitosis in npfL1 cells, and multipolar spindles were also observed. None of these features were observed in npfL+ cells, suggesting that a specific effect of the npfL1 mutation may be an incomplete alteration of nuclear structure from the amoebal to the plasmodial state."}
{"id": "PMID:1487728", "title": "Structure and function of the spoIIIJ gene of Bacillus subtilis: a vegetatively expressed gene that is essential for sigma G activity at an intermediate stage of sporulation.", "content": "The spo-87 mutation is one of two sporulation mutations originally used to define the spo0J locus of Bacillus subtilis. We now show that it blocks sporulation after completion of prespore engulfment (stage III). Surprisingly, the operon is expressed vegetatively, probably from a sigma A-dependent promoter, and its expression is shut down at the transcriptional level at about the onset of sporulation. DNA sequencing reveals that the locus defined by spo-87, which we now designate spoIIIJ, consists of a bicistronic operon. However, only the first gene is essential for sporulation; the function of the second cistron is cryptic. The predicted SpoIIIJ product has an M(r) of 29,409. It probably forms a lipoprotein and is rich in basic and hydrophobic amino acids. Mutations in spoIIIJ abolish the transcription of prespore-specific genes transcribed by the sigma G form of RNA polymerase but not transcription of the spoIIIG gene encoding sigma G. The SpoIIIJ product could be involved in a signal transduction pathway coupling gene expression in the prespore to events in the mother cell, or it could be necessary for essential metabolic interactions between the two cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1487729", "title": "The use of bacterial luciferase for monitoring the environmental regulation of expression of genes encoding virulence factors in Listeria monocytogenes.", "content": "A promoter probe vector, which utilized the lux AB genes from Vibrio fischeri as reporters of gene expression, was constructed for use in Listeria monocytogenes. Using this system gene expression can be monitored non-destructively and in real-time, simply by measuring cellular bioluminescence. Derivatives of the promoter probe were constructed that contained the cloned promoters from the hlyA and plcA genes of L. monocytogenes. The activity of these promoters was dependent on the transcriptional activator PrfA. Accordingly, in a strain containing an intact copy of the prfA gene, expression from both the hlyA and plcA promoters was 25-45-fold higher than in prfA mutants. Heat shock was identified as an environmental signal which induced expression of hlyA and plcA. Conversely, oxidative stress had no effect upon the expression of the virulence factors. In addition, the composition of the growth media was found to have a dramatic effect upon the expression of hlyA and plcA, suggesting the presence of an unidentified signal which may regulate induction of expression of virulence genes in L. monocytogenes."}
{"id": "PMID:1487730", "title": "Identification of an outer-membrane haemoglobin-binding protein in Neisseria meningitidis.", "content": "Although Neisseria meningitidis can use haemoglobin as an iron source in vitro, the mechanism of haemoglobin-iron uptake is unknown. Using a biotinylated human haemoglobin probe in a solid-phase dot-binding assay, haemoglobin-binding activity was detected in total membranes derived from meningococci grown under iron-limited but not iron-sufficient conditions. In competition binding experiments, bovine and human haemoglobin could abrogate binding. In contrast, no binding inhibition was seen with ferric nitrate, protoporphyrin IX, and iron-loaded human transferrin. The ability of both haemin and catalase, a nonhaemoglobin haem-containing compound, to inhibit binding competitively suggested that the ligand recognized by the binding protein is the haem moiety. Scatchard plot analysis revealed a heterogeneous receptor population. Limited proteolysis with proteinase K abolished binding activity, suggesting a haemoglobin-protein interaction. Detection of activity in a whole-cell binding assay demonstrated that this haemin-binding protein was surface exposed. In a limited survey of meningococcal strains, the presence of haemoglobin-binding activity in all isolates indicated that expression of this binding protein is not serogroup specific."}
{"id": "PMID:1487731", "title": "Adhesion to porcine squamous epithelium of saccharide and protein moieties of Lactobacillus fermentum strain 104-S.", "content": "The mechanism by which Lactobacillus fermentum strain 104-S adheres to porcine squamous epithelium was investigated by studying the adsorption to epithelial cells, and control surfaces, of radioactively labelled material released from the bacterial cells by water extraction. The released material was fractionated by gel filtration and the adsorption of pronase-sensitive and -resistant material in the various fractions to porcine gastric tissue and the control surfaces of polystyrene and immobilized bovine serum albumin (BSA) was determined. The fraction with affinity for the epithelium was characterized by enzymic degradation, periodate oxidation, lipid extraction, and protein and carbohydrate analyses. The adsorption pattern of radioactively labelled crude released material mimicked the adhesion of whole labelled cells to polystyrene and to gastric squamous tissue pieces. On fractionation, the pattern of adsorption to polystyrene and BSA was different from that obtained for the tissue pieces. Considerably less labelled pronase-stable material bound to surfaces of polystyrene and BSA, as compared with the tissue, suggesting that the pronase-resistant component has a tissue-specific affinity. After pronase treatment of the fraction of M(r) about 20,000 (20 K) containing labelled components with affinity for the epithelium, only saccharides were detected. Radioactivity was lost after hydrolysis with HCl, and therefore this pronase-resistant labelled component must be a saccharide. It is concluded that protein moieties in the extract have an affinity for several surfaces, including polystyrene, and that saccharide moieties have a specific affinity for the gastric squamous epithelium."}
{"id": "PMID:1487732", "title": "Purification and characterization of a surface lectin from the nematode-trapping fungus Arthrobotrys oligospora.", "content": "Several studies have indicated that the capture of nematodes by the nematophagous fungus Arthrobotrys oligospora is mediated by a lectin on the fungal surface. One of the major surface proteins of this fungus showed haemagglutinating activity and was isolated by affinity chromatography using a mucin Sepharose column. Biochemical analysis showed that the protein was a dimeric glycoprotein with a molecular mass of 36 kDa and an isoelectric point of pH 6.5, and contained no sulphur amino acids. The protein was N-terminally blocked; four internal peptides were sequenced, and showed no significant similarity to sequences in the Swiss-Prot or PIR databases. The haemagglutinating activity of the isolated protein was not inhibited by any of the mono- or disaccharides tested, but it was inhibited by the glycoproteins fetuin and mucin. The haemagglutinating activity changed after incubating the protein in buffers of different pH, with maximal activity at pH 11.0 and no activity at pH 2.8. The lectin was tested for different enzymic activities but none were detected. Analysis of the haemagglutinating activity in various cell fractions indicated that the protein was associated with extracellular polymer layers and with the cell wall of the fungus. About the same amount of the haemagglutinating protein was recovered from samples of vegetative mycelium and of mycelium containing nematode-trapping cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1487733", "title": "The periplasmic flagella of Serpulina (Treponema) hyodysenteriae are composed of two sheath proteins and three core proteins.", "content": "The major components of the periplasmic flagella of the spirochaete Serpulina (Treponema) hyodysenteriae strain C5 were purified and characterized. We demonstrate that the periplasmic flagella are composed of five major proteins (molecular masses 44, 37, 35, 34 and 32 kDa) and present their location, N-terminal amino acid sequence and immunological relationship. The 44 kDa and the 35 kDa protein are on the sheath of the periplasmic flagellum, whereas the 37, 34 and 32 kDa protein reside in the periplasmic flagellar core. The two sheath flagellar proteins are immunologically related but have different N-terminal amino acid sequences. The N-terminus of the 44 kDa protein shows homology with the sheath flagellins of other spirochaetes, but the 35 kDa protein does not. The three core proteins are immunologically cross-reactive and their N-terminal amino acid sequences are almost, but not completely, identical, indicating that the core proteins are encoded by three distinct genes. The core proteins show extensive N-terminal sequence similarities and an immunological relationship with periplasmic flagellar core proteins of other spirochaetes."}
{"id": "PMID:1487734", "title": "Physico-chemical and structural properties of the surfaces of Peptostreptococcus micros and Streptococcus mitis as compared to those of mutans streptococci, Streptococcus sanguis and Streptococcus salivarius.", "content": "The surface properties of nine Streptococcus mitis and four Peptostreptococcus micros strains from the oral cavity were examined and compared with a large group of oral streptococci. Zeta potential and contact angle measurements were employed to determine physico-chemical cell surface properties. In addition, elemental surface concentration ratios were obtained via X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and surface structures were examined with transmission electron microscopy. The S. mitis and P. micros strains were found to have higher isoelectric points, higher hydrophobicities and higher N/C surface concentration ratios than some other oral streptococci. The combined data suggest that both species possess large amounts of surface protein. All the S. mitis strains displayed abundant surface fibrils in negative staining, but the P. micros strains were devoid of surface appendages indicating that surface protein is present in different forms in the two species. The surfaces of S. mitis and P. micros type strains differed significantly from the other strains examined."}
{"id": "PMID:1487735", "title": "Purification and amino acid sequence of sakacin A, a bacteriocin from Lactobacillus sake Lb706.", "content": "Sakacin A, a bacteriocin produced by Lactobacillus sake Lb706 and which inhibits the growth of Listeria monocytogenes, was purified to homogeneity by ammonium sulphate precipitation and ion-exchange, hydrophobic-interaction and reversed-phase chromatography. The complete amino acid sequence of sakacin A was determined by Edman degradation. The bacteriocin consisted of 41 amino acid residues and had a calculated M(r) of 4308.7, which is in good agreement with the value determined by mass spectrometry. The structural gene encoding sakacin A (sakA) was cloned and sequenced. The gene encoded a primary translation product of 59 amino acid residues which was cleaved between amino acids 18 and 19 to yield the active sakacin A. Sakacin A shared some sequence similarities with other bacteriocins."}
{"id": "PMID:1487736", "title": "A new colicin that adsorbs to outer-membrane protein Tsx but is dependent on the tonB instead of the tolQ membrane transport system.", "content": "A new colicin, Col5, was synthesized by an Escherichia coli isolate of human origin from the ECOR Collection. It was unique because it adsorbed to the outer-membrane protein Tsx, but used the tonB rather than the tolQ membrane transport system, which is employed by the only other Tsx-specific colicin, ColK. Col5 was encoded by a 5.2 kb plasmid, p5. It was inducible by mitomycin C, and strains harbouring p5 exhibited quasi-lysis. The bactericidal protein had an M(r) of 56,000."}
{"id": "PMID:1487737", "title": "Characterization and purification of mesentericin Y105, an anti-Listeria bacteriocin from Leuconostoc mesenteroides.", "content": "A Leuconostoc mesenteroides ssp. mesenteroides was isolated from goat's milk on the basis of its ability to inhibit the growth of Listeria monocytogenes. The antimicrobial effect was due to the presence in the culture medium of a compound, named mesentericin Y105, excreted by the Leuconostoc mesenteroides Y105. The compound displayed known features of bacteriocins from lactic acid bacteria. It appeared as a proteinaceous molecule exhibiting a narrow inhibitory spectrum limited to genus Listeria. The apparent relative molecular mass, as indicated by activity detection after SDS-PAGE, was 2.5-3.0 kDa. The bacteriocin was purified to homogeneity by a simple three-step procedure: a crude supernatant obtained from an early-stationary-phase culture in a defined medium was subjected to affinity chromatography on a blue agarose column, followed by ultrafiltration through a 5 kDa cut-off membrane, and finally by reverse-phase HPLC on a C4 column. Microsequencing of the pure bacteriocin and of tryptic fragments showed that mesentericin Y105 is a 36 amino acid polypeptide whose primary structure is close to that of leucocin A-UAL 187, which contains an extra residue at the C-terminus and displays only two differences in the overlapping sequence. However, unlike leucocin A-UAL 187, mesentericin Y105 displayed a bactericidal mode of action."}
{"id": "PMID:1487740", "title": "History of developmental neuroethology: early contributions from ethology.", "content": "Ethology has its roots in the natural history of animal behavior. Questions of causation and function have historically been complementary, and each has rested upon a prior appreciation of the behavior of animals in nature. It is thus difficult to place a single time or place where ethology was born. Early evolutionary interests hinted at developmental constraints that continue to guide much research. It has only been relatively recently, however, that the explicit analysis of neural mechanisms in behavior has received the attention it deserves in developmental analyses. A mature developmental neuroethology will require a synthesis of the broad insights of ethology with refined neurobiological technique. Fundamental, however, is the primary focus upon behavior as it normally occurs."}
{"id": "PMID:1487741", "title": "Pathways in the emergence of developmental neuroethology: antecedents to current views of neurobehavioral ontogeny.", "content": "The historical forces that have contributed to our current views of neurobehavioral development (and thus to the fields of developmental psychobiology and neuroethology) are many and varied. Although similar statements might be made about almost any field of science, it is in particular true of this field, which represents a kind of mongrel discipline derived from at least three major sources (psychology, embryology, and neuroscience) and several more minor ones (including developmental psychology and psychiatry, psychoanalysis, education, zoology, ethology, and sociology). Although I attempt to demonstrate here how each of these sources may have influenced the emergence of a unified field of developmental psychobiology or developmental neuroethology, because the present article represents the first attempt of which I am aware to trace the history of these fields I am certain that there is considerable room for improvement, correction, and revision of the views expressed here. Accordingly, I consider this inaugural effort a kind of reconnaissance intended to trace a necessarily imperfect historic path for others to follow and improve upon. In the final analysis, I will be satisfied if this article only serves to underscore two related points: first is the value derived from historical studies of contemporary issues in development, and the second concerns the extent to which our current ideas and concepts about neurobehavioral development, ideas often considered new and contemporary, were already well known to those who came before us. The first point underscores the arguments expressed in the Introduction that the present must always be reconciled with the past, for the past is never entirely past. The second point returns full circle to an important thought expressed in the opening quotation to this article, namely, that even though our historic predecessors lacked much of the empirical facts available to us they were nonetheless able to attain a surprisingly deep understanding of neurobehavioral ontogeny."}
{"id": "PMID:1487742", "title": "Developmental neuroethology of insect metamorphosis.", "content": "During metamorphosis, the insect nervous system must change to accomodate alterations in body form and behavior. Studies primarily on moths have shown that these changes involve the death of some larval neurons, the conservation and remodeling of others, and the maturation of new, adult-specific cells. The motor and sensory sides of the adult CNS vary in this regard with the former being constructed primarily from remodeled larval components, whereas the latter arises primarily from new neurons. Neuronal remodeling has received considerable attention. Larval-specific dendritic fields are pruned back during the larval-pupal transition, followed by the sprouting of adult-specific dendrites. Simple reflexes have been used to correlate these neuronal changes with the acquisition or loss of particular behaviors. The loss of the proleg retraction reflex is associated with the regression of the dendritic arbors of the proleg motoneurons. By contrast, expansion of axon arbors of the gin-trap afferents is necessary, but not sufficient, for the assembly of the gin-trap reflex in the pupal stage. The stretch receptor reflex provides a third example in which a new dendritic field in the adult form of a neuron is associated with new adult-specific connections. Interestingly, these connections are masked by persisting larval contacts until the emergence of the adult moth. For the metamorphosis of more complex behavioral circuits, some, such as that for flight behavior, seem to be assembled de novo, whereas others, like that for adult ecdysis behavior, show conservation of some circuit elements from the larval stage but with the superposition of some adult-specific components."}
{"id": "PMID:1487743", "title": "Claw asymmetry in lobsters: case study in developmental neuroethology.", "content": "An enduring debate in the study of development is the relative contribution of genetic and epigenetic factors in the genesis of an organism, that is, the nature vs. nurture debate. The behavior of the paired claws in the lobster offers promising material for pursuing this debate because of the way they develop. The paired claws and their closer muscles are initially symmetrical; both are slender in appearance and have a mixture of fast and slow fibers in their closer muscles. During a critical period of development, they become determined into a major (crusher) and minor (cutter) claw and during subsequent development acquire their final form and behavior: The crusher becomes a stout, molar-toothed claw capable of closing only slowly because its closer muscle has 100% slow fibers while the cutter becomes a slender, incisor-toothed claw capable of closing rapidly because its closer muscle has 90% fast fibers. Our initial hypothesis was that the more active claw became the crusher and its less active counterpart the cutter. Presumably, nerve activity would influence muscle transformation, which in turn would influence the exoskeleton to which they attach and hence claw morphology. Curtailing nerve activity to the claw prevented crusher development, while reflex activation of a claw promoted its development; both results support the notion that nerve activity directly regulates claw form and function. This is not, however, the case, for when both claws were reflexly exercised neither formed a crusher, signifying rather that bilateral differences in predominantly mechanoreceptive input to the paired claws somehow lateralized the claw ganglion [central nervous system (CNS)] into a crusher and cutter side. The side experiencing the greater activity becomes the crusher side while the contralateral side becomes the cutter and is also inhibited from ever becoming a crusher. This initial lateralization in the CNS is expressed, via as yet unknown pathways, at the periphery in claw morphology, muscle composition, and behavior. The critical period defines a time when the CNS is susceptible to being lateralized into a crusher and cutter side. Such lateralization is dependent upon experience of the environment in the form of mechanoreceptive input. In the absence of such experience, the CNS is not lateralized and paired cutter claws develop. Thus, while the critical period for crusher determination is genetically determined the actual trigger is influenced by experience."}
{"id": "PMID:1487744", "title": "Development of the jamming avoidance response and its morphological correlates in the gymnotiform electric fish, Eigenmannia.", "content": "The electric fish, Eigenmannia, will smoothly shift the frequency of its electric organ discharge away from an interfering electric signal. This shift in frequency is called the jamming avoidance response (JAR). In this article, we analyze the behavioral development of the JAR and the anatomical development of structures critical for the performance of the JAR. The JAR first appears when juvenile Eigenmannia are approximately 1 month old, at a total length of 13-18 mm. We have found that the establishment of much of the sensory periphery and of central connections precedes the onset of the JAR. We describe three aspects of the behavioral development of the JAR: (a) the onset and development of the behavior is closely correlated with size, not age; (b) the magnitude (in Hz) of the JAR increases with size until the juveniles display values within the adult range (10-20 Hz) at a total length of 25-30 mm; and (3) the JAR does not require prior experience or exposure to electrical signals. Raised in total electrical isolation from the egg stage, animals tested at a total length of 25 mm performed a correct JAR when first exposed to the stimulus. We examine the development of anatomical areas important for the performance of the JAR: the peripheral electrosensory system (mechano- and electroreceptors and peripheral nerves); and central electrosensory pathways and nuclei [the electrosensory lateral line lobe (ELL), the lateral lemniscus, the torus semicircularis, and the pace-maker nucleus]. The first recognizable structures in the developing electrosensory system are the peripheral neurites of the anterior lateral line nerve. The afferent nerves are established by day 2, which is prior to the formation of receptors in the epidermis. Thus, the neurites wait for their targets. This sequence of events suggests that receptor formation may be induced by innervation of primordial cells within the epidermis. Mechanoreceptors are first formed between day 3 and 4, while electroreceptors are first formed on day 7. Electroreceptor multiplication is observed for the first time at an age of 25 days and correlates with the onset of the JAR. The somata of the anterior lateral line nerve ganglion project afferents out to peripheral electroreceptors and also send axons centrally into the ELL. The first electroreceptive axons invade the ELL by day 6, and presumably a rough somatotopic organization and segmentation within the ELL may arise as early as day 7. Axonal projections from the ELL to the torus develop after day 18.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1487745", "title": "Development of anuran locomotion: ethological and neurophysiological considerations.", "content": "There are dramatic quantitative and qualitative differences in the locomotor behavior of larval and juvenile frogs. Larvae (tadpoles) are primarily herbivourous and rely heavily on locomotion via undulations to acquire food and avoid predation. After metamorphosis, juvenile frogs adopt a carnivorous lifestyle and capture prey and avoid predators by remaining motionless in a place of concealment. When they must move, frogs locomote by means of ballistic hops or by more conventional walking. However, locomotion of both tadpoles and frogs can be considered of two fundamental functional types: (a) startle and escape; and (b) sustained locomotion. Neural mechanisms underlying startle responses and sustained locomotion in larvae and juveniles are described and possible ontogenetic relationships those behaviors are proposed. The role of different parts of the nervous system in the ontogeny of locomotion, as well as nonneuronal factors, are described. Results show that the transition from tadpole-like behavior to frog-like behavior is not a simple function of maturation of central locomotor controls. Rather, it results from a complex interaction of central nervous system maturation, morphological change, and a change in habitat preference. Examples of similar multidimensional control of behavioral ontogeny in other species are described, and it is argued that to understand the ontogeny of behavior, one must investigate contributions made at all levels, from the neuronal to the environmental."}
{"id": "PMID:1487746", "title": "Neuroethological approaches to the study of motor development in chicks: achievements and challenges.", "content": "Chicks and chick embryos provide a useful model system for the study of issues related to the development of motor behaviors. EMG and kinematic analyses of leg movements have been used to provide new data on the organization of embryonic motility. These data suggest that the circuitry needed to produce a basic, coordinated motor pattern is available early in development. This circuitry then appears to be retained throughout life. Evidence from analysis of EMG patterns and leg deafferentation studies suggest that the output of this basic circuit can be modulated by sensory input to produce the motor patterns of later behaviors, such as hatching and walking. If the same circuitry is present throughout life, then mechanisms for initiation and termination of particular behaviors must be available to ensure that specific behaviors are turned on and off at appropriate times. For example, hatching can be turned on by a specific sensory signal: proprioceptive signals from the bent neck. In addition to reviewing current research on the development of chick motor behaviors, methodological considerations and suggestions for future research are presented."}
{"id": "PMID:1487747", "title": "Developmental plasticity in neural circuits controlling birdsong: sexual differentiation and the neural basis of learning.", "content": "In many species of passerine songbirds, males learn their song during defined periods of life. Female song is often reduced or absent, as are the brain regions controlling song. Sexual differences in the brain arise because of the action of sex steroids, which trigger the formation of some neural pathways (especially the pathway from the higher vocal center to the robust nucleus) and prevent the atrophy of others in males. These neural changes occur during periods of developmental song learning and can recur during periods of learning in adult birds. The process of learning is correlated with major increases or decreases in the numbers of neurons in specific neuronal populations, suggesting that the formation or loss of specific neural pathways regulates the ability to learn. Species differences in sexual differentiation and learning allow informative cross-species comparisons of neural structure and behavior."}
{"id": "PMID:1487748", "title": "Emergence of pattern in the development of mammalian movement sequences.", "content": "The manner in which behavior is patterned in space and over time represents a fundamental problem in both ethology and neuroscience. Prior to the analysis of mechanism it is important to be sensitive to issues involved in the provision of descriptive taxonomies. Often alternative modes of description lead to different perspectives and research strategies. In both the development of behavioral patterns and their expression a major question is how underlying organizational systems become self-organizing through the process of mutual interactions. It is clear that simple static dichotomies in both behavioral and developmental science must be replaced by more sophisticated models that emphasize the dynamics of pattern formation and control. Some of these perspectives are illustrated from our ongoing research on rodent movement patterns."}
{"id": "PMID:1487749", "title": "Neuroethology of olfactory preference development.", "content": "Young mammals come to approach the odor of their mother, a response that facilitates their survival during early life. Young rats induce a cascade of events in their mother to induce the emission of her odor. The pups increase circulating prolactin levels, which increases food intake and the emission of large quantities of cecotrophe containing the maternal odor. This odor is synthesized by the action of cecal microorganisms and changes with maternal diet. The diet-dependence of the odor requires the pups to acquire their attraction to the odor postnatally. The acquisition of this preference occurs when an odor is paired with the tactile stimulation that pups receive during maternal care. The action of the tactile stimulation appears to be mediated by noradrenaline. The development of this type of olfactory attraction is accompanied by changes in the regions of the olfactory bulb that are responsive to the attractive odor. Metabolic, anatomical, and neurophysiological changes in response to the attractive odor emerge in such regions of the bulb after early olfactory preference training."}
{"id": "PMID:1487750", "title": "Fundamental motor patterns of the mammalian fetus.", "content": "Techniques that permit direct observation of fetuses in vivo recently have expanded our understanding of prenatal behavioral development in mammals. Although fetal motor activity seems to lack the dynamic, goal-directed character of postnatal behavior, the dimensions that define behavioral organization after birth are applicable to the movements expressed by fetuses. Fetal activity exhibits temporal, sequential, and spatial organization that emerges between the inception of movement and term. Fetal rodents, for example, exhibit coordinated motor patterns antecedent to postnatal righting, locomotion, suckling, maternal-infant communication and grooming behavior, while other action patterns appear to be functional adaptations to the intrauterine niche. Fetuses also are behaviorally responsive to sensory stimulation and changes in environmental conditions in utero. Expression of these behavioral properties emphasizes continuity between prenatal and postnatal life while implying an adaptive role for behavior before birth."}
{"id": "PMID:1487752", "title": "Mechanical trauma as a risk factor in classic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: lack of epidemiologic evidence.", "content": "We have examined the relationship between mechanical injuries and the subsequent development of classic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) through a critical review of the literature. Only prospective evaluation of a large cohort of trauma victims can provide an unbiased answer to this controversy. However, such an evaluation would be prohibitively expensive, and the results would not be available in our lifetime. The results of retrospective case-control studies are conflicting in part because of biases in the selection of patients and controls, poor definition of the nature and extent of the trauma and its chronological relationship to the onset of ALS, and a non-uniform approach to the collection of antecedent information. More rigorously designed studies show no association of ALS to antecedent trauma. The existing data thus do not suggest that mechanical trauma is a risk factor for ALS. Future case-control studies should conform to a standardized methodology. The critical analysis presented here of the research on the purported connection between mechanical injury and ALS may serve as a model for the evaluation of the role of trauma in other chronic diseases. Application of these methodological principles may bring increased scientific rigor to assessing the frequently litigated question of what constitutes a true trauma sequela."}
{"id": "PMID:1487753", "title": "Neuronal thread protein over-expression in brains with Alzheimer's disease lesions.", "content": "Neuronal thread protein (NTP) is a recently characterized molecule that is over-expressed in brains with Alzheimer's disease (AD) lesions. The present study encompasses a detailed analysis of NTP expression in AD compared with other neurodegenerative diseases and aged controls. Using a specific monoclonal antibody, NTP immunoreactivity was evaluated in 309 paraffin-embedded sections from 8 different regions of the frontal, parietal, and temporal lobes of 73 brains with AD, AD + Down's syndrome (DN), AD + Parkinson's disease (PD), PD dementia (PDD), aged controls, and disease controls with Huntington's disease, multi-infarct dementia, or schizophrenia. In 250 adjacent blocks of snap-frozen unfixed tissue the concentration of NTP (ng/mg of protein) was measured using a 3-site forward sandwich monoclonal antibody based immunoradiometric assay (M-IRMA). Immunohistochemical studies demonstrated that brains with AD, AD + PD, and AD + DN contained significantly higher densities of NTP immunoreactive neurons and more frequent immunostaining of neuropil and white matter fibers compared with PDD and aged controls (both P < 0.001) which had few or no AD lesions. In addition, the overall mean concentrations of NTP in AD, AD + PD, and AD + DN were significantly higher than in PDD and aged controls (P < 0.005). Greater degrees of NTP immunoreactivity and higher concentrations of the protein in cerebral tissue were significantly correlated with AD diagnosis and abundant neurofibrillary tangles (P < 0.005). The findings suggest that NTP over-expression may serve as a marker for the type of neuronal degeneration that occurs in AD."}
{"id": "PMID:1487754", "title": "Effects of dimethylthiourea on ischemic brain damage in hyperglycemic rats.", "content": "Hyperglycemia is known to worsen the outcome of transient global or forebrain ischemia. The aggravating effect is believed to be mediated by the additional formation of lactate- and of H+. Recent evidence suggests that reactive oxygen species contribute to the damage after brain ischemia. Since acidosis accelerates free radical damage in vitro, we decided to explore if ischemic damage in hyperglycemic subjects is ameliorated by dimethylthiourea (DMTU), an established free radical scavenger. In one series of hyperglycemic rats, we studied whether preischemic administration of DMTU alters the clinical outcome, notably the incidence and frequency of seizures. In two different series, the effect of DMTU on tissue damage was assessed by light microscopy after 15 h of recovery. Longer periods could not be studied since seizures developed. In the first of these series the animals were anesthetized with isoflurane, and in the second with halothane. The latter anesthesia largely suppressed the \"early\" postischemic seizures, i.e. those occurring after 1-4 h. Dimethylthiourea treatment altered the clinical outcome after ischemia. Thus, the \"late\" postischemic seizures appeared milder and occurred significantly later than in untreated animals. The fatal outcome was also delayed since treated animals died after 35.5 +/- 8.2 h (mean +/- SD) of recirculation, as compared to 19.8 +/- 3.6 h of recirculation in control animals. However, all DMTU-treated (and control) animals died. In the first morphological series (isoflurane anesthesia) the histopathological analysis was complicated by the occurrence of prefixation seizures; such seizures were recognized in 4/16 animals. When these 4 animals were excluded from the analysis (2 treated and 2 control animals), DMTU pretreatment did not ameliorate the damage, except in the substantia nigra pars reticulata (P < 0.05). In the second series, comprising animals anesthetized with halothane, only one animal out of 16 had \"early\" seizures, and none showed \"late\" seizures before death. Among these animals DMTU treatment significantly ameliorated damage to caudoputamen and cingulate cortex (P < 0.01). We conclude that treatment with the free radical scavenger DMTU partly ameliorates ischemic brain damage associated with excessive acidosis, and marginally delays the development of post-ischemic seizures. However, the effects were moderate and could, at least in part, have been caused by nonspecific effects of DMTU. Furthermore, all DMTU-treated animals died. The results thus give little support to the notion that the aggravating effects of acidosis is due to enhancement of free radical production."}
{"id": "PMID:1487755", "title": "MRI, brain iron and experimental Parkinson's disease.", "content": "Abnormal levels of brain iron have been reported in parkinsonism, which is characterized principally by degeneration of dopaminergic (DA) nigrostriatal neurons. There are conflicting reports, however, of both increased and decreased iron in parkinsonism. An animal model of parkinsonism was used to clarify the contribution of the loss of nigrostriatal DAergic neurons to abnormal iron accumulations. In rats with 6-hydroxydopamine induced unilateral DA depletion, brain iron deposition and its day-to-day stability was studied in vivo using T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans taken on 4 consecutive days beginning 1-2 months post-surgery and post-mortem by Perls'-DAB histochemical stain. Unilateral DA depletion (parkinsonism model) produced large day-to-day fluctuations in T2 relaxation time in the striatum. The T2 relaxation time in Sham control rats was relatively minor. The uptake and transport of iron by intrinsic cells of the striatum may vary, and this variability may have been exaggerated by the destruction of DAergic nigrostriatal neurons, which are known to modulate the activity of the intrinsic cells. Inconsistent reports of increased or decreased iron in parkinsonism may reflect, in part, single time-point measures of widely fluctuating iron."}
{"id": "PMID:1487756", "title": "Electrophysiologic study of HIV-1 + patients without signs of peripheral neuropathy.", "content": "HIV-1 seropositive patients have a high frequency of nervous system diseases, and asymptomatic abnormalities are frequently detected. We studied 124 neurologically asymptomatic HIV-1 seropositive subjects and 23 normal control subjects by nerve conduction studies. No alterations were detectable in the asymptomatic stages of infection (CDC groups II and III), while subclinical peripheral nervous system (PNS) impairment was detected in symptomatic HIV-1 stages (CDC group IV). Specifically, in CDC group IV we observed a reduction in the motor conduction velocity of the deep peroneal nerve and the median nerve, and a similar reduction of the sensory conduction velocity of the sural nerve. There were no differences of the amplitude and area of the muscular response or of the sensory nerve action potential. As our patients did not present clinical or laboratory evidence for a toxic-dismetabolic etiology, our data indicate a progressive myelin damage more directly related to HIV-1 infection. This subclinical finding may have importance for the progression of the disease in the PNS."}
{"id": "PMID:1487757", "title": "Nonvacuolar myopathy in a large family with both late adult onset distal myopathy and severe proximal muscular dystrophy.", "content": "Late adult onset distal myopathies usually show vacuolar degeneration as a characteristic feature in muscle pathology. In this study vacuolar degeneration was not present in 12 patients with late adult onset distal myopathy. All patients were members of a large kindred, with 26 patients showing this new form of distal leg myopathy. Additionally, a severely disabling proximal muscular dystrophy appeared in eight other members of the large consanguineous kindred. Muscle biopsies were obtained from clinically affected muscles, and from clinically unaffected muscles in patients with distal myopathy. For comparison specimens from various muscles of patients with severe proximal dystrophy were also studied. Histopathological changes correlating to muscular dystrophy were extensive in all muscles studied in patients with proximal dystrophy, and in tibial anterior muscles in patients with distal myopathy. Mild myopathic changes, mainly increased internal nuclei in muscle fibers, were detected in clinically unaffected muscles in the distal myopathy. The spectrum of findings is compatible with the hypothesis of previous clinical and genetic studies, indicating that the severe proximal dystrophy could be a homozygous manifestation of the dominantly inherited gene of the distal tibial muscle dystrophy."}
{"id": "PMID:1487758", "title": "Correlation between clinical and molecular features in two MELAS families.", "content": "We describe the clinical, morphological, biochemical presentation in two MELAS families, and correlate it with the distribution and proportion of mitochondrial DNA carrying the A to G transition at nt 3243. Family A was characterized by late onset MELAS in two members, CPEO in one, and mild CNS involvement in another. 20-61% of mtDNA of affected and unaffected individuals was mutated in muscle, 2-18% in blood. There was no obvious correlation between clinical picture and proportion of mutated mtDNA. In family B full MELAS syndrome appeared only in the third generation, but the mutation was also detected in muscle of asymptomatic individuals of the first and second generation. The proportion of mutated mtDNA in blood, and to a lesser extent in muscle, correlated with the severity of the clinical presentation. The MELAS mutation is consistently detected in all asymptomatic maternal relatives of MELAS patients. We conclude that different clinical presentations of mitochondrial encephalomyopathy may coexist in the same family, and correlation between clinical severity and molecular abnormality is not always recognizable. Presence of the MELAS mutation in muscle and blood is a necessary but not sufficient condition for the expression of the typical MELAS phenotype."}
{"id": "PMID:1487759", "title": "Should all patients with atrial fibrillation be screened with echocardiography?", "content": "To address a patient care problem suggested by a quality assurance study: Should physicians of patients with atrial fibrillation who have not had echocardiography performed be encouraged to obtain echocardiograms in order to discover heretofore undetected mitral stenosis, which could be treated with anticoagulation, in order to avert strokes? Decision analysis using a Markov-chain technique and quality-adjusted life expectancy. Outpatient clinics. Patients aged 40-80 years with chronic atrial fibrillation. The following strategies were studied: 1) obtain echocardiograms for all patients and anticoagulate those with mitral stenosis; 2) anticoagulate patients with classic auscultatory sounds of mitral stenosis and obtain echocardiograms for patients with other murmurs; if an echocardiogram reveals mitral stenosis, anticoagulate; 3) anticoagulate all patients with murmurs; 4) anticoagulate all patients; 5) observe all patients (natural history). The base analysis, using data available in the literature and on site, indicated that though performing echocardiography on all patients with atrial fibrillation gave the best quality-adjusted life expectancy, the differences among the five strategies studied were small. In addition, sensitivity analysis revealed that the decision was sensitive to many of the variables used in the analysis, especially the efficacy and the risks of anticoagulation. A recommendation that cardiac ultrasonography be done for all patients with atrial fibrillation in order to detect clinically unrecognized mitral stenosis cannot be made."}
{"id": "PMID:1487760", "title": "Detection of pyuria and bacteriuria in symptomatic ambulatory women.", "content": "To compare the abilities of two methods for rapid detection of pyuria and three methods of urinalysis to predict significant bacteriuria in symptomatic ambulatory women. Prospective simultaneous comparison of the results of dipstick urinalysis, standard microscopic urinalysis, and hemocytometric cell counting and Gram staining with the results of a standard urine culture. Two outpatient ambulatory care facilities serving predominantly minority and uninsured individuals. Nonpregnant women presenting with symptoms of urinary tract infection without symptoms of vaginal infection. 105 women with symptoms were evaluated. The sensitivities of the dipstick urinalysis and the microscopic urinalysis in predicting pyuria as defined by hemocytometry were 0.76 and 0.77, respectively, and their specificities were 0.94 and 0.97, respectively. The sensitivities and specificities of the three methods of urinalysis in predicting greater than or equal to 10(4) colony-forming units (CFU)/mm3 in a urine culture were 0.88 and 0.70 for the leukocyte esterase-nitrite dipstick urinalysis, 0.98 and 0.68 for the standard microscopic urinalysis, and 1.00 and 0.49 for the Gram staining and hemocytometric cell counting. The standard urinalysis was the most accurate single method to predict significant bacteriuria in symptomatic ambulatory women. Sequencing the dipstick urinalysis with the standard urinalysis may be a cost-effective approach to evaluating these patients in clinical practice."}
{"id": "PMID:1487761", "title": "Laboratory diagnosis of iron-deficiency anemia: an overview.", "content": "To determine the diagnostic values of laboratory tests used in the diagnosis of iron-deficiency anemia, the authors conducted a systematic overview of the relevant literature. Computerized searches of the MEDLINE database yielded 1,179 potentially relevant citations. Fifty-five studies included the results of laboratory tests and histologic examination of the bone marrow for at least 50% of an identifiable patient group. In these 55 studies, quality was assessed and descriptive information concerning the study populations, the tests conducted, and the results was extracted, all in duplicate. Serum ferritin radioimmunoassay was by far the most powerful test, with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.95. Test properties differed for populations of patients with inflammatory, liver, or neoplastic disease and patients without these conditions. Likelihood ratio lines, which allow precise interpretation of results across the entire range of ferritin concentration values, were constructed for the individual populations. Serum ferritin radioimmunoassay is an extremely powerful test for the diagnosis of iron-deficiency anemia and, appropriately interpreted, can be applied to the complete range of patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1487762", "title": "Use of health services before the diagnosis of melanoma: implications for early detection and screening.", "content": "To determine whether persons with melanoma were integrated into the health care system prior to diagnosis. Population-based survey by mailed questionnaire. 216 persons with malignant melanoma diagnosed in Massachusetts in 1986. Of the 216 cases, 87% stated that they had regular physicians, 63% had seen those physicians in the year prior to diagnosis, but only 20% had regular dermatologists. Overall, only 24% had examined their own skin prior to diagnosis and 20% reported physician skin examinations. Persons diagnosed with melanoma reported extensive contact with regular physicians in the year prior to diagnosis. However, most of these persons neither received skin examinations nor examined their own skin during that time. While additional study is necessary to confirm these findings, the authors suggest that physicians caring for patients at risk for melanoma integrate melanoma screening into routine care."}
{"id": "PMID:1487763", "title": "Technetium bone scanning in the diagnosis of osteomyelitis: a meta-analysis of test performance. Diagnostic Technology Assessment Consortium.", "content": "To determine the diagnostic performance of technetium bone scanning in the setting of possible osteomyelitis in the foot of a patient who has diabetes or other vasculopathy. Meta-analysis. Data identification and study selection: To be eligible for inclusion, a report must have used intravenous technetium-99m methylene diphosphonate or a similar agent in humans over the age of 16 years, must have addressed possible osteomyelitis of the lower extremity with ulcer or soft-tissue inflammation in the setting of diabetes, neuropathy, or vasculopathy, and must have allowed the generation of a two-by-two table. A structured search of the MEDLARS database found 296 possibly eligible reports; ten met all the inclusion criteria. The reported sensitivity and specificity of each report were converted to their logistic transforms and a straight line was fitted by weighted least-squares regression. The line was then back-transformed to yield a summary receiver operating characteristic curve. The false-positive rate of the bone scan is at best in the range of 10 to 20%. This occurs at sensitivities between 70 and 80%. The studies with increased sensitivity also reported sizable increases in the false-positive rate ranging from 20 to over 90%. Even small increases in sensitivity have necessitated large sacrifices in specificity. Seven of the ten studies reported specificities under 70%. Published data defining the effectiveness of technetium bone scanning for the diagnosis of osteomyelitis in the impaired foot indicate relatively poor performance. In many clinical situations, the specificity of the bone scan will not be high enough to confirm the diagnosis of osteomyelitis."}
{"id": "PMID:1487764", "title": "The influence of patient smoking status on therapeutic decisions.", "content": "To assess the effect of patient smoking status on internists' inclinations to recommend certain types of therapy for conditions that are and conditions that are not related to smoking. Five hundred ninety-eight internists identified systematically from the Directory of Medical Specialists (first entry on each page of text) were asked to complete a questionnaire about how their treatment decisions for five therapies differed as a function of patient smoking status. The responses of the 320 internists who completed and returned the questionnaire showed that smoking status had little effect on physicians' inclinations to recommend herniorrhaphy, hemodialysis, or bronchodilator therapy. However, physicians were considerably less inclined to recommend coronary artery bypass grafting or peripheral arterial surgery to patients who smoked. Reduced efficacy and greater risk of therapy were the most frequent reasons given for the observed decrease. Reduced entitlement by smokers to complex therapies for smoking-related diseases and the withholding of therapy as a bargaining tool to induce smokers to quit were also cited as reasons. Some internists believe they are less likely to recommend complex therapies for smoking-related diseases to patients who continue to smoke. Some of this decrease may be attributable to the notion that smokers are less entitled to complex therapies or that withholding therapies is a permissible way to influence patients to adopt more healthful lifestyles. Whether these physician attitudes reflect actual practice is yet to be shown."}
{"id": "PMID:1487765", "title": "The relationship of presenting physical complaints to depressive symptoms in primary care patients.", "content": "To assess the relationship of specific patient chief physical complaints to underlying depressive symptoms in primary care practice. A cross-sectional study that was part of a larger prevalence study of depression in primary care. A general medical primary care practice in a teaching medical center in rural New England. 1,042 consecutive outpatients screened for depression with the Hopkins Symptom Checklist 49-item depression scale and for whom physicians filled out a form recording both specific chief complaints and two aspects of complaint presentation style, clarity and amplification. None. Complaints that discriminated between depressed and non-depressed patients (at the p = 0.05 level) were sleep disturbance (PPV 61%), fatigue (PPV 60%), multiple (3+) complaints (PPV 56%), nonspecific musculoskeletal complaints (PPV 43%), back pain (PPV 39%), shortness of breath (PPV 39%), amplified complaints (PPV 39%), and vaguely stated complaints (PPV 37%). Depressed patients are common in primary care practice and important to recognize. Certain specific complaints and complaint presentation styles are associated with underlying depressive symptoms."}
{"id": "PMID:1487767", "title": "Community hospital experience with recombinant tissue plasminogen activator in acute myocardial infarction.", "content": "Clinical features, outcomes, and hospital charges of 51 consecutive patients who had had acute myocardial infarction (MI) and who had received intravenous tissue plasminogen activator (TPA) at a community teaching hospital were reviewed retrospectively. The overall mortality rate was 22%, including four patients (8%) who had died of hemorrhagic complications, three of whom (6%) had had intracerebral hemorrhages. Despite similar mean ages and lengths of hospital stay, TPA patients had had significantly higher total hospital charges and ancillary charges than had had concurrent MI patients who had not received TPA (p less than 0.0001). In a community hospital setting, older patients may be at higher risk for intracranial hemorrhage when treated with TPA, especially in the presence of other risk factors."}
{"id": "PMID:1487766", "title": "The inter-rater reliability and internal consistency of a clinical evaluation exercise.", "content": "To assess the internal consistency and inter-rater reliability of a clinical evaluation exercise (CEX) format that was designed to be easily utilized, but sufficiently detailed, to achieve uniform recording of the observed examination. A comparison of 128 CEXs conducted for 32 internal medicine interns by full-time faculty. This paper reports alpha coefficients as measures of internal consistency and several measures of inter-rater reliability. A university internal medicine program. Observations were conducted at the end of the internship year. Participants were 32 interns and observers were 12 full-time faculty in the department of medicine. The entire intern group was chosen in order to optimize the spectrum of abilities represented. Patients used for the study were recruited by the chief resident from the inpatient medical service based on their ability and willingness to participate. Each intern was observed twice and there were two examiners during each CEX. The examiners were given a standardized preparation and used a format developed over five years of previous pilot studies. The format appeared to have excellent internal consistency; alpha coefficients ranged from 0.79 to 0.99. However, multiple methods of determining inter-rater reliability yielded similar results; intraclass correlations ranged from 0.23 to 0.50 and generalizability coefficients from a low of 0.00 for the overall rating of the CEX to a high of 0.61 for the physical examination section. Transforming scores to eliminate rater effects and dichotomizing results into pass-fail did not appear to enhance the reliability results. Although the CEX is a valuable didactic tool, its psychometric properties preclude reliable assessment of clinical skills as a one-time observation."}
{"id": "PMID:1487786", "title": "Three years later: grief, view of life, and personal crisis after death of a family member.", "content": "In an initial study, 19 persons were interviewed during the first year after the sudden death of a family member. Seventeen were interviewed again three years after their bereavement. Participants were divided into four groups, representing patterns of crisis behavior: boundless, spontaneous, emerging, and suppressed grief. Characteristics of the four groups were still discernible after three years. Those with spontaneous and emerging grief grew to cope in similar ways. In the initial study, a close correlation had been found between personality, view of life, and response to crisis, respectively, an observation that still held true after three years. No specific doctrine or belief system could be linked to the coping process, but a connection did exist between view of life, as expressed through basic attitudes, and the grieving process."}
{"id": "PMID:1487787", "title": "Lacrima mortis: the last tear.", "content": "A tear, usually at the moment of death, has been observed in 14% of dying patients. No associated factors have been established and the cause of the \"last tear\" is not known."}
{"id": "PMID:1487783", "title": "Moving toward continuous quality improvement.", "content": "Consumers are looking for better quality health care for their dollar. Nursing is challenged with providing excellent care in an age of shrinking resources. After years of chart audits and quality assurance, a new and broader focus is emerging. Continuous quality improvement is the latest theme in the ever-changing area of quality. It seeks to improve care through improving the processes used in delivering the care. A smooth transition from quality assurance to continuous quality improvement is possible through a complete understanding of both concepts, a willingness to work with others in the organization, and the ability to focus on process rather than on people."}
{"id": "PMID:1487788", "title": "Trends in hospital utilization in AIDS care 1987-1991: implications for palliative care.", "content": "St. Paul's Hospital, Vancouver has the largest Canadian experience of the care of persons with HIV/AIDS. This article reviews St. Paul's experience during the period 1987-1991, with particular emphasis on issues in palliative AIDS care. These issues include the implications of prolonged palliative care at home, precipitous readmissions to hospital for terminal care, and long-stay terminal admissions. Aspects of treatment and social factors which have an impact on palliative AIDS care are also identified. The implications for program development in both community and institutional settings are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1487790", "title": "Persons with cancer speak out: reflections on an important trend in Canadian health care.", "content": "In this paper I have described some of the recent developments in the growth of a patient/survivor movement in Canada. Arguments for the value of increased patient participation include providing a needed balance to the traditional medical perspective, addressing patient needs free from other vested interests, providing insights available only to cancer survivors, and facilitating empowerment. A number of current and potential difficulties related to increasing cancer survivor involvement have been raised, ranging from deliberate opposition from health administrators to disapproval from professionals of survivors' emotional expression to patient unwillingness. The greatest challenge is to move beyond token patient representation to substantive participation."}
{"id": "PMID:1487785", "title": "Risk management strategies.", "content": "Risk management is defined in the Intravenous Nursing Standards of Practice as a \"process that centers on identification, analysis, treatment and evaluation of renal and potential hazards.\" Just what type of risk do these hazards pose and what types of \"real and potential hazards\" are there? The first question is the easiest to answer."}
{"id": "PMID:1487792", "title": "Nursing care planning for terminally ill cancer patients receiving home care.", "content": "Nursing home care for terminally ill cancer patients was organized according to nursing care plans that were based on diagnoses as recommended by the North American Nursing Diagnosis Association (NANDA). This study was carried out among a sample of 40 patients receiving home health care for a period of 1 to 19 weeks. More than 697 nursing diagnoses were identified in the study. The most frequently recorded nursing diagnoses were anxiety, constipation, and diminished food intake. Fifteen of the 40 patients in the study were able to complete a weekly self-report of their symptoms. The patients' own descriptions of their symptoms were then compared with their symptoms as identified by nursing staff. There was a congruence in 63% of reported instances. Although nurses' assessments were not always in agreement with the symptoms reported by the patients, agreement was more frequently found with somatic symptoms than with psychological ones. One conclusion is that nursing plans should incorporate multidimensional methods for assessing patients' real needs."}
{"id": "PMID:1487782", "title": "Implantable ports: everything you always wanted to know.", "content": "During the last decade, tremendous usage of intravascular drugs and fluids has increased the need for reliable venous access. Implantable ports have become a reliable access device that can be used to administer fluids, medications, and blood products, and to obtain blood samples. A variety of implantable ports is used clinically that varies in reservoir size, profile, portal body material, and the chemical composition of the catheter. While the implanted port needs little or no care by the patient, the nurse must be able to use this device safely, recognizing and intervening appropriately if they occur. In this article, types of implantable ports available on the market, nursing management of significant complications, and nursing responsibilities for care are reviewed."}
{"id": "PMID:1487793", "title": "Benchmarking: a tool for excellence in palliative care.", "content": "Quietly and without fanfare, total quality management (TQM) is being implemented in a branch of health care where quality of care has particular impact on the patient's comfort and well-being. Some palliative care providers, dedicated to improving the quality of life for the dying, have fulfilled all the criteria to be contenders for prestigious quality honors like the Baldrige Award in the United States and the Canada Award for Excellence. Their secret is simple: the patient defines quality, and the palliative care team acts on that definition. Benchmarking, a TQM tool, allows institutions and organizations to benefit from sharing their best processes, and keeps the TQM continuous improvement cycle on track."}
{"id": "PMID:1487784", "title": "Antibiotic lock technique.", "content": "Central venous catheters deliver life-prolonging medications to Group IVC AIDS patients. Unfortunately, the access device frequently provides a foci for debilitating infections. A Group IVC AIDS patient experienced repeated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis colonization and infection of his central venous access device. An antibiotic lock technique was created using a flush solution of vancomycin 1 mg/ml with 100 unit heparin/ml. The patient locked his catheter with 2.0 ml every evening for a period of 5 days. Repeat catheter and peripheral culturing occurred 72 hours after the 5-day period. After using the antibiotic lock technique, the patient maintained his catheter without further infection for an additional 2 months. This new approach may represent improved therapy and prevent the hazards of catheter exchange and systemic antibiotic therapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1487800", "title": "Primary care providers' perceptions of care.", "content": "The Regional Palliative Care Unit in Ottawa conducted a retrospective study to determine how satisfied patients and families were with the service the Unit offers. Forty-five primary care providers, bereaved from 6 to 12 months, completed the 64-item semistructured telephone interview in a mean time of 20 minutes. The 59 closed-ended questions rated satisfaction levels concerning various aspects of the palliative care service on a 5-point Likert scale. Five open-ended questions elicited family priorities and suggestions for improvement. The major finding was that care was perceived to be highly satisfactory. Unexpected outcomes of the study were the identification by family members of the criteria for a \"good death\" and families' perceptions that the Unit offers the best quality of life and death even for those patients who resist admission to the hospice setting."}
{"id": "PMID:1487801", "title": "Clinical utility of the TEMAS with nonminority children.", "content": "The Tell Me a Story (TEMAS) Test is a thematic apperception technique composed of 23 chromatic pictures, depicting either minority or nonminority characters interacting in primarily urban and familial settings, and is scored for perceptual and cognitive style, affective state, and personality functioning. Previous research has supported the reliability and validity of the ethnic minority version of the TEMAS test for Hispanic and Black children and adolescents. In this study, we investigated the validity of the nonminority version by discriminating public school (n = 49) and outpatient (n = 36) samples of White examinees from inner city, low to lower middle socioeconomic status, largely female-headed households. Results indicate that TEMAS profiles significantly discriminated between the normal functioning and clinical groups (p < .001), with 86% classification accuracy. The results, which provide some support for the general clinical utility of the TEMAS technique, are discussed in terms of the need to develop and validate unbiased projective techniques for both ethnic minority and nonminority children."}
{"id": "PMID:1487802", "title": "Meta-interpretive reliability of computer-based test interpretations: the Karson Clinical Report.", "content": "Meta-interpretive reliability is a new method to evaluate the accuracy with which personality trait scores are communicated via interpretive statements in a computer-based test interpretation (CBTI). The prototypic experimental design is based on a two-way repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA); the two effects are personality traits and randomly chosen CBTI protocols. In this application, 101 psychologists read four examples of the Karson Clinical Report (KCR, Karson & O'Dell, 1975) and estimated the original trait scores from the Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire (16PF; Cattell, Eber, & Tatsuoka, 1970) on which the KCR is based. Estimated trait score variance was significantly related to the Trait x Protocol interaction and the main effects for personality trait and differences among protocols (omega 2 = .55). The total effect size corresponded to a multiple correlation of .74, suggesting that the KCR had acceptable meta-interpretive reliability. The protocol effect denoted a context effect created by the juxtaposition of several interpretive statements. Additional analyses showed that individual differences among raters contributed to less than 1% of the estimated standard ten (sten) score variance. Meta-interpretive reliability is proposed as an index of the upper limit of validity for CBTIs."}
{"id": "PMID:1487803", "title": "Separation-individuation, family functioning, and psychological adjustment in college students: a construct validity study of the Separation-Individuation Test of Adolescence.", "content": "We evaluated the construct validity of the Separation-Individuation Test of Adolescence (SITA; Levine, Green, & Millon, 1986). Based on a review of the theoretical literature on separation-individuation issues during late adolescence, predictions were made as to how SITA scores would correlate with aspects of family functioning and psychological adjustment. The SITA and a battery of self-report family and adjustment measures were administered to 454 college students (272 females and 182 males; 74% White, 16% African American, and 10% Asian American or Hispanic). Correlational analyses offered partial support for the construct validity of the SITA. Cluster analyses revealed four distinct groups of subjects (anxious deniers, healthy separators, peaceful detachers, and succorance seekers), each with its own coherent set of scores on the SITA and instruments measuring family relations and positive and negative psychological adjustment. Criticisms concerning the labels and composition of the SITA scales are also discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1487804", "title": "The derivation of gender-role scales GM and GF for MMPI-2 and their relationship to Scale 5 (Mf).", "content": "Separate scales for masculine and feminine gender roles (GM and GF, respectively) were developed for the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2) based on the item endorsements of men and women in the restandardization sample. Each scale reflects the pattern of answers of a majority of the members of the respective sexes. There are no items in common between the two scales, and they correlate -.10 with each other for both men and women. Distributional, temporal stability, and internal consistency characteristics were analyzed, as well as their item overlap and correlations with the basic profile scales. These separate unipolar scales were contrasted with Scale 5 (the Masculinity-Femininity scale, Mf), the traditional measure of these constructs in the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI). The conjoint use of GM and GF to form gender-role groups is recommended to supplement and clarify the ambiguity of midlevel scores on Scale 5."}
{"id": "PMID:1487805", "title": "Personality inventory responses of males with medically intractable seizures.", "content": "The psychosocial adjustment of 50 male patients to intractable seizures was assessed by comparing their responses to a combined version of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) and the California Psychological Inventory (CPI) to the responses of 50 medical, psychiatric, or nonclinical controls who denied seizures. The two groups were significantly different (p < .01) on one MMPI and 10 CPI scales. Significant (p < .01) between-group differences were also reflected in 29 of the 704 personality inventory items. Those items were rationally clustered according to content into six conceptually identifiable subscales; 30 additional items with similar content that were significant at the .05 level were added to those subscales. Comparison of subscale scores of an additional 30 seizure and 30 nonseizure subjects using analysis of variance revealed F values that reached statistical significance (p < .05) in four cases and approached significance (p = .07) in another. Applying coefficients derived from discriminant analysis of the first samples correctly classified 99% of the original patients and 85% of the validation subjects. Results reveal a logical, understandable, and largely adaptive response to intractable seizures and offer little support for the concept of a dysfunctional or pathological interictal personality style."}
{"id": "PMID:1487806", "title": "Personality characteristics of substance abusers: an MCMI cluster typology of recreational drug users treated in a therapeutic community and its relationship to length of stay and outcome.", "content": "The purpose of this investigation was to define homogeneous personality subtypes among substance abusers treated in a long-term, inpatient, drug-free therapeutic community and to determine how the resulting typology was related to length of stay and treatment outcome. A hierarchical agglomerative cluster analysis was performed on the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory (MCMI) scale scores of 235 admissions to a therapeutic community. Five cluster types emerged, which were similar to typologies found in studies with alcoholic inpatients. A concordant solution evolved when a different clustering algorithm was used with the same sample and when clustering was done with a different group of substance abusers. As hypothesized, clusters of patients with average MCMI elevations that indicated avoidant, schizoid, and antisocial qualities tended to stay in treatment fewer days and relapsed earlier during the 1-year follow-up. The implications for substance abuse treatment are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1487807", "title": "Development of the Multi-Trait Personality Inventory (MTPI): comparison among four Chinese populations.", "content": "Anemic approach was adopted to develop a culture-specific instrument for the assessment of Chinese personality. The Multi-Trial Personality Inventory (MTPI) was administered to 1,673 men and 944 women in four major Chinese populations. It was found that Chinese in mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and the United States possess some common traits deeply rooted in the Chinese culture characterized by Confucian thoughts (e.g., self-discipline and moderation) and some additional traits nurtured by their respective environments. Consequently, findings of this study lent support to the hypothesis that, in spite of superficial discontinuities, there are basic continuities in the personality traits of mainland and overseas Chinese. The cross-cultural differences in personality were examined from a political-social perspective and also explained with a cultural-ecological model. In the development of the MTPI, a new methodology that relies on forming factor-consistent clusters was employed to deal successfully with the problem of complex factor space."}
{"id": "PMID:1487808", "title": "Utility of the SCL-90-R with depressed and conduct-disordered adolescent inpatients.", "content": "We assessed the diagnostic utility of the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R) in a sample of adolescent inpatients. In Part 1 (n = 79), convergent and discriminant validity were demonstrated for SCL-90-R scales measuring depression and paranoid ideation. Canonical correlation showed that SCL-90-R scales tapped two dimensions of adolescent psychopathology, a primary dimension of dysphoria and a secondary dimension of anger and mistrust. In Part 2 (n = 50), adolescents diagnosed as having major depression showed significant elevations on scales measuring depression, anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive features. Although several scales had high diagnostic specificity for major depression and conduct disorder, sensitivity was low."}
{"id": "PMID:1487809", "title": "Effects of laboratory-induced controllable and uncontrollable stress on Rorschach variables m and Y.", "content": "The research literature regarding stress and the Rorschach has frequently produced contradictory results. A possible explanation for the lack of consensus may be that past research has failed to consider the nature of the stressor. A potentially important dimension is whether the stressor is perceived as controllable or uncontrollable, particularly because these two types of stressors invoke distinctive sets of biobehavioral reactions. We examined the effects of experimentally induced uncontrollable and controllable stress on m and Y Rorschach responses. Uncontrollable laboratory stress was associated with an increase in both m and Y variants, whereas controllable laboratory stress was associated with an increase only in m. Potential implications and directions for future research are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1487810", "title": "Rorschach object relations of adolescents who committed homicide.", "content": "We investigated the object relations of adolescents who committed homicide. A clinical sample of 55 adolescents who committed homicide did not differ from a comparison group of nonviolent delinquents on Rorschach measures of object differentiation, mutuality of autonomy, and aggressive content. However, the subgroup of adolescents who committed homicides in the context of another crime (e.g., robbery or burglary) did manifest significantly lower object relations (poorer object differentiation and more victim responses) than the subgroup of adolescents whose homicides were committed in the context of an interpersonal conflict or dispute with the victim. These findings support the need for differentiated classification of violent individuals as urged by Megargee (1970) over 20 years ago."}
{"id": "PMID:1487811", "title": "Assessment of shame and guilt and their relationships to psychopathology.", "content": "Two studies are reported. First, we tested the previously validated Personal Feelings Questionnaire-2 (PFQ2; Harder & Zalma, 1990) shame and guilt measure and the Adapted Shame and Guilt Scale (ASGS; Hoblitzelle, 1982) Shame subscale against the newly introduced Self-Conscious Affect and Attribution Inventory (SCAAI; Tangney, 1990) for shame and guilt dispositions. Fifty-nine college undergraduates completed randomly ordered personality inventories reflecting constructs theoretically relevant to the presence of shame and guilt proneness. Correlations between the affect measures and personality variables showed evidence of validity for all shame scales. The PFQ2 Guilt subscale also demonstrated construct validity when partialled for shame, but the SCAAI did not. Second, we tested hypotheses regarding the relative importance of shame and guilt to various symptom types (Symptom Checklist-90-Revised; Derogatis, 1983) using 71 college undergraduates. Both emotions were approximately equally related to all major symptom clusters, but there was some evidence for differential patterns of relative importance for shame and guilt to different symptoms."}
{"id": "PMID:1487812", "title": "Selective responsiveness of chronically ill children to assessments of depression.", "content": "Many investigators have noted that depression is a common symptom among pediatric cancer patients. However, prevalence rates vary widely across studies. This variation in prevalence rates may be due, in part, to selective reporting of patients based on measures used and environmental cues. In this study, we evaluated 50 chronically ill pediatric patients (19 cancer and 31 diabetic patients) for their use of selective reporting of depression. Factors in the 2 x 2 design were Intervention (disclosure videotape and cartoon videotape) and Examiner (familiar examiner and unfamiliar examiner). In the Intervention manipulation, subjects were shown either a videotape prompting the child that self-disclosure was appropriate or a tape of a cartoon (control condition). In the Examiner manipulation, subjects were administered the experimental measures by either a familiar (parent) or unfamiliar (research assistant) examiner. Dependent variables were the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI; Kovacs, 1981), the Depression scale of the Roberts Apperception Test for Children (RATC; McArthur & Roberts, 1982), and a depression measure taken from the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL; Achenbach & Edelbrock, 1983). As hypothesized, the Examiner x Intervention interaction revealed that children who did not view the disclosure videotape and who were tested by an unfamiliar examiner gave significantly lower self-reports of depression on the CDI than children in the other conditions. However, parent and child projective reports of depression did not vary as a function of experimental condition. The results are interpreted as selective responding on the part of pediatric patients. Limitations of assessing internal psychological states in children are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1487815", "title": "Mitotically unstable polyploids in the yeast Pichia guilliermondii.", "content": "Attempts to obtain triploids or tetraploids of P. guilliermondii by sexual hybridization led to mitotically stable hybrids. However, their DNA content per cell was not higher than in diploids. The results of random spore analysis demonstrate that these hybrids were in fact aneuploids which obviously suffered drastic chromosome losses immediately after mating. This phenomenon could have been caused either by aneuploidy already present in the parental strains or it might have been due to a general inability of P. guilliermondii to maintain a polyploid genome."}
{"id": "PMID:1487816", "title": "Electrically induced protoplast fusion for ergosterol-producing yeast strain improvement.", "content": "Electrofusion was employed for hybrid construction in ergosterol-producing yeast strains. Some fusion products proved to be hybrid with respect to ergosterol content and to remain stable over several generations."}
{"id": "PMID:1487817", "title": "Neighbour restoration: a possible explanation for some \"broken\" survival curves of UV-irradiated Escherichia coli K12 cells.", "content": "Survival curves for UV irradiation of five non-filamenting strains of E. coli K12 decrease exponentially at moderate levels of radiation but are broken at high levels of radiation. That is, it appears a change in the slope of survival curves, featuring a tail. As this phenomenon was observed with strains bearing uvrA and recA mutations it must be independent of the products of these genes. Experiments with isolated surviving colonies and synchronized cultures eliminated genetic and phenotypic heterogeneity as reasons for the tails in the survival curves. UV survival increased 10- to 15-fold when UV-irradiated cells were plated either with cells unable to grow in the plating medium or with bacterial cell-free extracts. We suggest that factors related to the high cell densities used to obtain survival curves at high radiation levels (neighbour restoration) could be responsible for the survival increases, generating the tailed survival curves."}
{"id": "PMID:1487818", "title": "Immunoelectronmicroscopic study of the nucleoid structure of hydrogen bacteria.", "content": "Electron microscopical studies of the nucleoid structure of hydrogen bacteria using ultrahin sections and spread DNA from bacterial cell lysates revealed a different DNA packaging in the cell. A compact state of the major part of DNA at all growth stages and stability of nucleosome-like structures were shown. The use of antibodies to HU protein of E. coli labelled by protein A-colloidal gold demonstrated the immunological relationship between HU protein of E. coli and histone-like proteins of Alcaligenes eutrophus and their possible role in the nucleosome-like DNA packaging in procariotic genome."}
{"id": "PMID:1487819", "title": "Selective isolation of fluorescent and nonfluorescent Pseudomonas species from Sohag Governorate (Upper Egypt).", "content": "Three hundred and fourty nine isolates belonging to ten different species of Pseudomonas were isolated and identified from soil and water samples on four selective isolation media: Modified Trypticase soy agar (TSA), ACC-agar containing ampicillin-chloramphenicol-cycloheximide, Nitrate plus organic acid agar and Tryptophan substrate agar. The fluorescent species were P. putida (21.2% of the total Pseudomonas species), P. fluorescens (15.8%), P. aeruginosa (9.7%) and P. aureobaciens (2.6%), while the nonfluorescent species were P. stutzeri (12.4%), P. alcaligenes (11.2%), P. pseudoalcaligenes (9.5%), P. mendocina (8.3%), P. lemoignei (5.7%) and P. ruhlandii (3.4%). Modified TSA and ACC media were efficient for the isolation of both fluorescent and nonfluorescent species, whereas Nitrate and Tryptophan media were more selective for the isolation of nonfluorescent species. The optimum temperature for the isolation of different species ranged between 20 degrees and 37 degrees C."}
{"id": "PMID:1487820", "title": "Some ecological and physiological studies on bacteria isolated from salt-affected soils of Egypt.", "content": "Members of Bacillaceae, Rhizobiaceae, actinomycetes and others were isolated from cultivated and non-cultivated saline soils. The high population of bacteria and actinomycetes were almost coincided with the relatively high levels of organic matter whatever the degree of soil salinity. Bacillus stearothermophilus and B. subtilis were more frequently isolated than other Bacillus species. Most of Rhizobium isolates were salt tolerant being able to grow in media containing 3% and 6% NaCl. The abilities of different bacterial isolates to attack citrus pectin, soluble and insoluble forms of cellulose were also tested."}
{"id": "PMID:1487821", "title": "Coagulation autolysis in microorganisms and its relation to coagulase production.", "content": "The phenomenon of coagulation autolysis was observed in two model microorganisms, i.e., a bacterial culture and an imperfect fungus. It was characterized by impairment of the cell membranes, followed by condensation and dehydration of the cytoplasm and long-term preservation of the cells in the form of coagulated cytoplasm. In this respect, it was similar to coagulation necrosis of human tissues. The autolysis in the microorganisms was accompanied by increase of their coagulase activity, the substrate specificity of the enzyme rather broad. The coagulase activity of the microorganisms was detected during the culture period between the lag-phase and the exponential growth phase, i.e., the phase of their active growth. It served as a signal to induce biosynthesis of peptidohydrolase and cleavage of proteins. We believe that the phenomenon of coagulation autolysis in these microorganisms is rather typical and can be considered as an adaptative reaction, inducing a cascade of events from synthesis of coagulase to overproduction of peptidohydrolases with proteolytic activity."}
{"id": "PMID:1487822", "title": "Ampicillin tolerance of Legionella pneumophila for counter-selection of transconjugants in heterospecific matings with Escherichia coli donors.", "content": "Legionella pneumophila, the causative agent of Legionnaires' disease is sensitive to ampicillin. However, the slowly growing bacteria are not killed even by high doses of this antibiotic. This natural tolerance was used for counter-selection of trans-conjugants in heterospecific matings with Escherichia coli as donor. This approach is useful for gentic manipulations in Legionella, as it avoids the use of antibiotic-resistant variants, which have to be tested for full virulence before use."}
{"id": "PMID:1487823", "title": "The molecular clock ticks regularly in muroid rodents and hamsters.", "content": "Extensive DNA sequence data are used to compare the rates of nucleotide substitution in the mouse, rat, and hamster lineages. A relative rate test using hamster sequences as references shows that the rates of synonymous and nonsynonymous substitution in the mouse and rat lineages are nearly equal and a test using human sequences as references shows that the rates in the mouse, rat, and hamster lineages are also nearly equal. Under the assumptions that the guinea pig lineage and the myomorph (mouse, rat, and hamster) lineage diverged 70-100 million years (Myr) ago and that the rate of nucleotide substitution has been constant in all these lineages since their divergence, the date of the mouse-rat split is estimated to be between 20 and 29 Myr ago, which is considerably older than the date (approximately 12 Myr) suggested by available rodent fossils and considerably younger than the date (approximately 35 Myr) suggested by Wilson and colleagues. The murid-hamster split is estimated to be 1.6 times older than the mouse-rat split."}
{"id": "PMID:1487824", "title": "Conservation of the mammalian RNA polymerase II largest-subunit C-terminal domain.", "content": "We have isolated and sequenced a portion of the gene encoding the carboxy-terminal domain (CTD) of the largest subunit of RNA polymerase II from three mammals. These mammalian sequences include one rodent and two primate CTDs. Comparisons of the new sequences to mouse and Chinese hamster show a high degree of conservation among the mammalian CTDs. Due to synonymous codon usage, the nucleotide differences between hamster, rat, ape, and human result in no amino acid changes. The amino acid sequence for the mouse CTD appears to have one different amino acid when compared to the other four sequences. Therefore, except for the one variation in mouse, all of the known mammalian CTDs have identical amino acid sequences. This is in marked contrast to the situation among more divergent species. The present study suggests that there is a strong evolutionary pressure to maintain the primary structure of the mammalian CTD."}
{"id": "PMID:1487825", "title": "Evolution of the threonine-glycine repeat region of the period gene in the melanogaster species subgroup of Drosophila.", "content": "The Threonine-Glycine (Thr-Gly) region of the period gene (per) in Drosophila was compared in the eight species of the D. melanogaster subgroup. This region can be divided into a diverged variable-length segment which is flanked by more conserved sequences. The number of amino acids encoded in the variable-length region ranges from 40 in D. teissieri to 69 in D. mauritiana. This is similar to the range found within natural populations of D. melanogaster. It was possible to derive a Thr-Gly \"allele\" of one species from that of another by invoking hypothetical Thr-Gly intermediates. A phylogeny based on the more conserved flanking sequences was produced. The results highlighted some of the problems which are encountered when highly polymorphic genes are used to infer phylogenies of closely related species."}
{"id": "PMID:1487826", "title": "Molecular phylogeny of some polychaete annelids: an initial approach to the Atlantic-Mediterranean speciation problem.", "content": "The polychaete Eupolymnia nebulosa (family Terebellidae) displays two alternative modes of reproduction. In the Mediterranean, larvae are brooded in a mucous mass while in the Atlantic and English Channel, larvae follow a plank-tonic development. This paper attempts to discern whether this difference is expressed at the population, infraspecies, or species level. Specimens of E. nebulosa and representatives of a number of control species were sampled from Atlantic/English Channel and Mediterranean locations. Genetic sequencing of the Large-subunit ribosomal RNA 5' end of six representative species allowed one to infer the relative position of E. nebulosa within the Terebellidae and the position of the latter within the animal kingdom. The relative genetic distances calculated between the different species were also used to approach the speciation problem raised by the differences between the Mediterranean and Atlantic/English Channel population of E. nebulosa. The genetic distance between Mediterranean and Atlantic populations of both E. nebulosa and Lanice conchilega are of the same order, suggesting that differences between the populations of E. nebulosa are infraspecific."}
{"id": "PMID:1487827", "title": "The role of anticodon bases and the discriminator nucleotide in the recognition of some E. coli tRNAs by their aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases.", "content": "The T7 polymerase transcription system was used for in vitro synthesis of unmodified versions of the E. coli tRNA mutants that insert asparagine, cysteine, glycine, histidine, and serine. These tRNAs were used to qualitatively explore the role of some anticodon bases and the discriminator nucleotide in the recognition of tRNA by aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases. Coupled with data from earlier studies, these new results essentially complete a survey of all E. coli tRNAs with respect to the involvement of anticodon bases and the discriminator nucleotide in tRNA recognition. It is found that in the vast majority of tRNAs both of these elements are significant components of tRNA identity. This is not universally true, however. Anticodon sequences are unimportant in tRNA(Ser), tRNA(Leu), and tRNA(Ala) while the discriminator base is inconsequential in tRNA(Ser) and tRNA(Thr). The significance of these results for origin-of-life studies is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1487828", "title": "The specificity of yolk protein uptake in cyclorrhaphan diptera is conserved through evolution.", "content": "Yolk proteins are transported from the hemolymph into the oocytes of insects during vitellogenesis by receptor-mediated endocytosis. Since other hemolymph proteins, both native and foreign, are not accumulated in the oocyte, the process of uptake is selective for yolk proteins. Peptide domains within the yolk proteins must therefore be involved in receptor recognition. With the long-term aim of identifying these domains and to open the possibility of understanding the molecular basis of receptor-mediated endocytosis of yolk proteins, we began investigating how well this mechanism has been conserved in evolution. We studied the uptake of yolk proteins from 13 different Drosophila species and five other dipteran species, namely, Calliphora erythrocephala, Sarcophaga argyrostoma, Musca domestica, Lucilia servicata, and Protophormia terrae-novae, into the ovaries of Drosophila melanogaster and Drosophila funebris. The results from these experiments showed that in all cases the foreign yolk proteins were taken up by the host ovaries, indicating that the mechanism and peptide domains of the yolk proteins involved in recognition of the receptor have been well conserved in dipteran evolution."}
{"id": "PMID:1487829", "title": "Genetic distance and species formation in evolving populations.", "content": "We compare the behavior of the genetic distance between individuals in evolving populations for three stochastic models. In the first model reproduction is asexual and the distribution of genetic distances reflects the genealogical tree of the population. This distribution fluctuates greatly in time, even for very large populations. In the second model reproduction is sexual with random mating allowed between any pair of individuals. In this case, the population becomes homogeneous and the genetic distance between pairs of individuals has small fluctuations which vanish in the limit of an infinitely large population. In the third model reproduction is still sexual but instead of random mating, mating only occurs between individuals which are genetically similar to each other. In that case, the population splits spontaneously into species which are in reproductive isolation from one another and one observes a steady state with a continual appearance and extinction of species in the population. We discuss this model in relation to the biological theory of speciation and isolating mechanisms. We also point out similarities between these three models of evolving populations and the theory of disordered systems in physics."}
{"id": "PMID:1487831", "title": "Temporal effects of inhaled histamine and methacholine aerosols on the pulmonary mechanics of thoroughbred horses.", "content": "This paper presents a method for on-line determination of pulmonary mechanics in standing, non-sedated horses during and following inhalation of aerosolized drug solutions. This method was used to evaluate the temporal effects of inhaled histamine and methacholine aerosols on pulmonary mechanics in 18 Thoroughbred horses. The following were concluded from this study. The extremely large between-breath variation, for all variables used to evaluate pulmonary mechanics in the horse, limits the usefulness of these variables for modeling the non-specific pulmonary responses to inhaled stimulants on a breath-by-breath basis. Following the implementation of averaging techniques to control the variation of these response variables, respiratory rate appears to be affected most predictably by inhalation of non-specific bronchoconstrictors. In the 18 subjects studied, the response of respiratory rate to inhaled histamine and methacholine aerosols was well described by a complex function consisting of exponential treatment and post-treatment phases in 10 and six of the subjects, respectively. Large intra-individual variation of the non-specific response to these stimulants in repeated studies of some subjects, suggests that differences in responses on a particular day may be due to inter-day variations in minute ventilation or baseline airway caliber."}
{"id": "PMID:1487832", "title": "Fever and acute phase response induced in dwarf goats by endotoxin and bovine and human recombinant tumour necrosis factor alpha.", "content": "Tumour necrosis factor (TNF), a polypeptide produced by mononuclear phagocytes, has been implicated as an important mediator of inflammatory processes and of clinical manifestations in acute infectious diseases. To study further the potential role of TNF in infectious diseases, recombinant Escherichia coli (E. coli) derived human (r.HuTNF-alpha) and bovine TNF (r.BoTNF-alpha) were intravenously (i.v.) administered in dwarf goats. Rectal temperature, heart rate, rumen motility, plasma zinc and iron concentrations, and certain other blood biochemical and haematological values were studied and compared with the changes seen after E. coli endotoxin (LPS) was administered (dose: 0.1 microgram/kg i.v.). Following a single injection of 4 micrograms/kg of r.BoTNF-alpha, shivering and biphasic febrile response were observed, accompanied by tachycardia, inhibition of rumen contractions, drop in plasma zinc and iron concentrations, lymphopenia, and neutropenia followed by neutrophilia. The i.v. administration of a single injection of 4 micrograms/kg r.HuTNF-alpha induced shivering and biphasic febrile responses, accompanied by anorexia and a similar drop in plasma trace metal concentrations when compared with r.BoTNF-alpha-treated goats. The TNF-alpha-induced symptoms were essentially the same as those that occurred after LPS administration. However, the time of onset of these changes after the injection of TNF-alpha was significantly shorter than after LPS. Moreover, the r.BoTNF-alpha induced a longer lasting neutrophilic leucopenia, less neutrophilia, and a more persistent lymphopenia than after LPS injection. Neither r.BoTNF-alpha nor LPS caused severe haemo-concentration. Furthermore, no cross-tolerance between r.BoTNF-alpha and LPS could be demonstrated. We conclude that both r.BoTNF-alpha and r.HuTNF-alpha induce many of the physiologic, haematologic and metabolic changes that characterize the acute phase response to LPS. The overlapping biological activities of r.BoTNF-alpha, r.HuTNF-alpha and LPS in dwarf goats may indicate that both recombinant tumour necrosis factors have some homology with caprine TNF-alpha."}
{"id": "PMID:1487833", "title": "Pharmacokinetics and preliminary observations of behavioral changes following administration of midazolam to dogs.", "content": "The pharmacokinetics of midazolam were investigated following intravenous and intramuscular administration of 0.5 mg of midazolam hydrochloride/kg of body weight to five healthy mixed-breed dogs. One dog also received the same dose of midazolam by oral and rectal routes. The disposition of midazolam following intravenous administration was characterized by very rapid and relatively extensive distribution followed by rapid elimination. Mean (+/- SD) apparent volume of distribution was 3.0 +/- 0.9 l/kg, mean elimination half-life was 77 +/- 18 min, and clearance was 27 +/- 3 ml/kg/min. Following intramuscular administration, absorption was rapid and complete. A mean peak midazolam concentration of 549 +/- 121 ng/ml was reached within 15 min, and systemic availability was over 90% in each dog. Oral administration to one dog resulted in peak midazolam concentrations within 10 min and a systemic availability of 69%. Rectal administration to the same dog yielded very low systemic availability. Midazolam was extensively bound to canine plasma proteins, with the unbound fraction representing less than 4% of the total plasma midazolam concentration. Plasma samples were also assayed for the presence of the major metabolites, 1-OH and 4-OH midazolam. Neither metabolite were detected, probably as a result of rapid elimination of these compounds by hepatic glucuronidation. Behavioral responses to administration of midazolam included initial signs of profound weakness, ataxia and transient agitation followed by a period of quiesence. A normal behavior pattern returned within 2 h of midazolam administration."}
{"id": "PMID:1487834", "title": "Vancomycin kinetics in plasma and synovial fluid following intravenous administration in horses.", "content": "Vancomycin hydrochloride was infused intravenously (i.v.) over a 30-min period in five horses at doses of 6.6, 11.0 and 15.4 mg/kg. Vancomycin concentration in plasma and synovial fluid samples was measured using a polarization immunoassay. A pharmacokinetic model was developed to accommodate the special features of the present study. The data were described by a two compartment open model with synovial fluid as an additional compartment in exchange with plasma. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bacterial concentration (MBC) were measured for Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus sp. using isolates from hospital patients. Based on the pharmacokinetic model and MIC/MBC data, a practical therapeutic protocol for vancomycin administration was established at doses of 4.3-7.5 mg/kg given as a 1-h infusion every 8 h."}
{"id": "PMID:1487835", "title": "Evaluation of antibiotics for racing pigeons (Columba livia var. domestica) available in The Netherlands.", "content": "Antibiotics and chemotherapeutics marketed for use in racing pigeons (Columba livia var. domestica) were evaluated by comparing the dosages and indications given by the manufacturers with the data obtained by pharmacokinetic, bacteriological and efficacy studies. This comparison showed that only three of the recommended dosages and indications of the 60 formulations marketed in The Netherlands are scientifically sound and in accordance with the literature. It is to be expected that the majority of the antimicrobials for pigeons will not satisfy the requirements for final registration as a pigeon therapeutic under the Dutch Veterinary Medicines Act of 1985. Several factors affecting drug availability are discussed, such as the different routes of administration and the influence of food. The public health aspects of the consumption of medicated pigeons is also discussed. Although there is no legislation with regard to this subject, a recommended withdrawal time of 10 days for the majority of the antimicrobials seems advisable."}
{"id": "PMID:1487836", "title": "Beta-endorphin-induced inhibition of rumen contractions in sheep. The effect of hypothalamic de-efferentiation.", "content": "In conscious sheep, beta-endorphin (1 and 2 micrograms/kg) administered into the third cerebral ventricle caused psychomotor excitability and a significant inhibition of the frequency of rumen contractions. The amplitude of the first rumen contractions, following immediately after the end of endorphin infusion, and the average amplitude of primary rumen contractions were also inhibited. De-efferentiation at the level of the hypothalamus prevented both the inhibitory effect of beta-endorphin on the frequency of rumen contractions and the drug-induced psychomotor excitability. However, de-efferentiation did not prevent beta-endorphin-induced inhibition of the mean amplitude of rumen contractions. The character of pathohistological changes induced by de-efferentiation showed descending degenerative changes of the nerve tracts connecting the hypothalamus with the pons and the medulla oblongata. These results, together with previously published evidence, do suggest that de-efferentiation at the level of the hypothalamus causes degeneration of inhibitory descending opioid-noradrenergic pathways connecting the hypothalamus with the gastric centres in the medulla oblongata."}
{"id": "PMID:1487837", "title": "Distribution studies of theophylline: microdialysis in rat and horse and whole body autoradiography in rat.", "content": "After intravenous administration of theophylline, microdialysis has been used for studying the non protein bound theophylline concentration in blood and in lung tissue in the rat as well as in two horses. The distribution pattern of 14C-theophylline in the rat was also investigated. When the distribution of theophylline was completed the time course of free drug in the interstitial fluid in lung tissue was in good agreement with the total concentration-time profile in plasma in both species. In the rat the free concentration of theophylline in the lung was slightly lower than the free concentration in the blood from 40 to 300 min. The in vivo protein binding in blood was 48.8 +/- 6.2% in the rats (n = 9) and 8-25% in the horses (n = 2). The whole body autoradiography study in rat showed that the concentration of radioactivity in the lung followed the blood concentration very closely up to 24 h after injection. The effect of theophylline in the lung can be assumed to be related to the plasma concentration of theophylline, since the concentration-time profile in plasma reflects the time course in the lung."}
{"id": "PMID:1487838", "title": "Evaluation of anthelmintics, antiprotozoal drugs and ectoparasiticides for racing pigeons (Columba livia var. domestica) available in The Netherlands.", "content": "Anthelmintics, antiprotozoal drugs and ectoparasiticides specially marketed for use in racing pigeons (Columba livia var. domestica) were evaluated by comparing dosages and indications given by the producers with data obtained from efficacy studies or empirical data. Of a total of 63 products, 59% were in accordance with the literature. Fifty-nine percent of the dosages and indications of anthelmintics were in accordance with scientifically obtained data, while for trichomonacides, coccidiostats and ectoparasiticides the figures were 47%, 59% and 100% respectively. Public health aspects of the consumption of medicated pigeons are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1487839", "title": "In vitro nitroimidazole resistance of Trichomonas gallinae and successful therapy with an increased dosage of ronidazole in racing pigeons (Columba livia domestica).", "content": "Six out of eight different Trichomonas gallinae strains isolated from racing pigeons proved to be resistant to the nitroimidazole drugs ronidazole, carnidazole and metronidazole. The minimal cytocidal concentration of ronidazole was determined in in vitro experiments. Moreover, a therapeutic dose for ronidazole was determined for the control of trichomoniasis in pigeons from which the resistant T. gallinae strains were isolated. It was a 5-fold increase of the recommended ronidazole dosage which eliminated the infection in affected pigeons."}
{"id": "PMID:1487840", "title": "Effect of dietary nitrogen intake on gentamicin disposition in sheep.", "content": "The effect on gentamicin pharmacokinetics of a diet high (HP) (120 g/day) or low (LP) (25 g/day) in digestible proteins was studied in sheep. Gentamicin sulphate (4 mg/kg) and inulin (40 mg/kg) were administered by the intravenous route to six ewes of local Moroccan breed. The serum gentamicin concentrations were consistently higher in ewes that received a LP diet. Clearance was 0.93 +/- 0.13 ml/mm/kg in the LP group and 1.64 +/- 0.40 ml/mm/kg in the HP group. The volume of distribution at steady state (Vss) was lower in the LP group (11% of body weight) than in the HP group (21.8% of body weight). These diet-linked variations in pharmacokinetic parameters were also obtained in the disposition of inulin following the intravenous administration of a single dose. This suggests that the protein content of the diet modifies the distribution of body water and kidney function. The therapeutic, toxicological and hygienic implications of these modifications are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1487841", "title": "Effect of water deprivation on absorption (oral, intramuscular) and disposition of ampicillin in sheep.", "content": "The effects of a 72 h water deprivation on the absorption--intramuscular (i.m.) and oral and disposition of ampicillin, inulin and para-aminohippuric acid (PAH) were investigated in six sheep. After intravenous (i.v.) administration of ampicillin sodium (10 mg/kg), the water deprivation decreased slightly the initial volume of distribution (0.082 +/- 0.033 vs. 0.055 +/- 0.030 l/kg) but not the steady state volume of distribution. The plasma clearance was significantly decreased (6.21 +/- 1.94 vs. 3.90 +/- 1.92 ml/min/kg) and the mean residence time (MRT) was increased from 22.25 +/- 4.91 to 33.36 +/- 8.16 min. After i.m. administration of ampicillin sodium (20 mg/kg), ampicillin concentrations were systematically higher after a 3-day period of water deprivation than during the control period but the muscular absorption rate was not modified. After oral administration of ampicillin trihydrate (1 g in toto) plasma concentrations were much lower and more persistent than after an i.m. administration and the systemic availability remained low whatever the hydration status. Influences of water deprivation on ampicillin disposition were linked to adaptation of renal function as assessed by inulin and PAH clearances. The therapeutic relevance of the results are discussed for a better definition of dosage regimens for sheep reared in arid environments."}
{"id": "PMID:1487842", "title": "Quantification of percutaneous absorption of metronidazole and levamisole in the fire-bellied toad (Bombina orientalis).", "content": "Spot-on application has proved to be an effective way to reach therapeutic doses of metronidazole and levamisole in fire-bellied toads. The percutaneous absorption of metronidazole and levamisole was quantified, using an aqueous solution of 1.008 mg/ml of metronidazole and an aqueous solution of 3.767 mg/ml of levamisole. High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) analysis of the percutaneous absorption revealed that of the amount applied, 75% of metronidazole and 90% of levamisole was absorbed. This resulted during 3 days of application in dosages of 23 mg/kg BW of metronidazole and 94 mg/kg BW of levamisole. Of the absorbed substances, 48% of metronidazole and 9% of levamisole were excreted in urine and faeces as unmetabolised substances."}
{"id": "PMID:1487843", "title": "The sequence of panic symptoms.", "content": "For phenomenological elucidation of panic attacks, 26 patients with panic attacks were requested to name the panic symptoms in order of their occurrence and specify the patterns of their abatement. Panic symptoms were found to be classifiable into three categories: early symptoms consisting of dizziness or faintness, palpitations, and sweating; intermediate symptoms dyspnea, nausea or abdominal distress, flush or chills, chest pain or discomfort, shaking, and choking; late symptoms paresthesias, fear of dying, and fear of going crazy. Panic symptoms disappeared in 61.6% irrespective of the sequence of their occurrence. Twenty-one patients were interviewed about the experience of nocturnal panic attacks, and 23.8% experienced them. These findings suggest that fear is caused by sudden physical abnormality triggered by some biological factors."}
{"id": "PMID:1487844", "title": "Differences between two questionnaires for assessment of typus melancholicus, Zerssen's F-list and Kasahara's scale: the validity and relationship to DSM-III-R personality disorders.", "content": "We examined the validity in various settings of two questionnaires for assessment of Typus melancholicus, F-list and Kasahara's scale, and characterological differences between the questionnaires, based on data in 69 patients with unipolar depression and 386 normal controls without a history of depression. The questionnaires were performed on both groups. In addition, a diagnosis of DSM-III-R personality disorders was done for the patient group. Our results demonstrated that Kasahara's scale has much more stable validity in various settings for distinction between personalities of the two groups, and that high scorers in Kasahara's scale have more obsessionality and less personality instability than those in F-list. Such differences between the questionnaires suggested that a direct international comparison of premorbid personality of unipolar depressive patients is needed."}
{"id": "PMID:1487845", "title": "The meaning of basic symptoms for the genesis of the schizophrenic nuclear syndrome.", "content": "In the Bonn Transition Sequences study, the development of the Schneiderian first rank symptoms in their exact chronological order was studied from the first symptomatological precursors up to the complete forms of the respective psychotic final phenomena. At their onset, subjective experiences of preexisting disorders of perception, thinking, speech and memory, of cognitive control of action and of proprioception were found. These four groups of initial deficiencies developed via certain intermediate phenomena into first rank symptoms. The analysis of these transition sequences revealed three phases with different generating factors each. Altogether, the results showed that and how the gap between the deficiency findings of the biologically oriented research in schizophrenia and the diagnostically relevant changes in experience can be bridged."}
{"id": "PMID:1487846", "title": "Relevance of ethology to psychiatry.", "content": "The interactions between ethology and psychiatry were reviewed. The ethological methods have provided more objective and theory-free observation techniques than the traditional psychiatric methods. The evolution-based ethological viewpoints afford some fundamentally new and more comprehensive approaches in understanding psychiatric conditions. The ethological theory has many concepts in common with various other schools of psychiatry, and thus is expected to act as a bridge to integrate them to lead to a more comprehensive psychiatric theory system. Ethology has not explored its potential in therapy, but may be useful, especially in terms of prevention and social psychiatry."}
{"id": "PMID:1487847", "title": "Three-year follow-up studies on heart rate variability in nursing home residents.", "content": "The coefficient of variation of the R-R interval (CV value) of nursing home residents was investigated twice during a three-year period. The initial CV value of the deceased during the period was significantly lower than that of the survivors. Among the survivors, residents without chronic cerebrovascular disease mainly showed a decrease in their CV values during the period."}
{"id": "PMID:1487848", "title": "A study of common carotid arterial blood flow volume of nursing home residents.", "content": "Ninety-seven nursing home residents were divided into 2 groups according to whether they had had an episode of stroke or not. Each group was classified into 3 subgroups: prolonged bed rest, walking with aids or walking by themselves. They were investigated for both the carotid blood flow volume and the modified Stockton geriatric rating scale (SGRS). In chronic stroke residents, the total blood flow volume of prolonged bed rest residents was lower than that who can walk by themselves. In residents without stroke, the total blood flow volume of prolonged bed rest residents was lower than the other 2 subgroups. The total blood flow volume was significantly correlated with the scores of 3 factors of the modified SGRS."}
{"id": "PMID:1487849", "title": "Left hypofrontality correlates with blunted affect in schizophrenia.", "content": "Regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) during the resting state was measured using the 133Xe inhalation technique in 39 patients diagnosed as having schizophrenic disorder according to the DSM-III criteria and 30 age- and sex-matched healthy volunteers. All the patients were receiving neuroleptic medication. The bilateral hemispheric mean flow values in the schizophrenic patients decreased significantly and the relative flow distribution reduced significantly only in the left frontal region compared to the controls. The lower the left frontal blood flow in schizophrenics, the more pronounced were the negative symptoms including blunted affect, avolition-apathy and inattention. These results suggest that the negative symptoms in schizophrenics are related to left frontal lobe dysfunction."}
{"id": "PMID:1487850", "title": "Age-related changes in occipital alpha rhythm of adults with Down syndrome.", "content": "A power spectral analysis was performed on occipital EEGs recorded from 36 Down Syndrome (DS) subjects aged 15 to 54 and compared with two control groups; 47 healthy volunteers (Control) and 42 mentally retarded people without DS (MR). The frequencies of occipital alpha rhythms of DS showed a significant inverse correlation with chronological age, while Control and MR did not. The average frequencies of DS were significantly low even in the youngest age-group in comparison with those of Control, and also decreased in the age-groups of 35 and older compared with MR. It was considered that a slowing of alpha rhythm was a manifestation of premature aging that occurred in the underdeveloped brains of DS."}
{"id": "PMID:1487851", "title": "Auditory brain stem response (ABR) in anorexia nervosa.", "content": "Auditory brain stem responses were recorded in 20 patients with anorexia nervosa and 10 normal control subjects. Twenty patients were studied during two phases of illness, 1) anorexia nervosa group with under weight (U-AN group), and 2) anorexia nervosa group with recovered normal weight (N-AN group). Absolute latencies, interwave latencies, absolute amplitudes, and amplitude ratios were investigated. A nonsignificant difference was found among these groups as far as the latencies were concerned. Both the patients in the U-AN group and those in the N-AN group had significantly smaller amplitude ratios (III/I, IV.V/I) and absolute amplitude (V) than did the control subjects. Furthermore, a nonsignificant difference was found between the U-AN group and the N-AN group. It suggests that some dysfunction might exist in the region of the brain stem."}
{"id": "PMID:1487852", "title": "A long-term observation on a case of epilepsy with occipital continuous spikes.", "content": "We have reported a 38-year-old female who did not show clinical seizures during continuous spikes in the left occipital area over a period of 18 years. As to the neurological findings, visual disturbance, optic nerve atrophy and right hemianopsia were almost always present. The low density area distributing from the left occipital area to the left temporal one on the CT revealed to be porencephaly. From the clinical findings obtained in this case, the lesion responsible for the occipital continuous spikes could be ascribed to be functional abnormality of the visual pathway connecting the left lateral geniculate body with the left occipital cortex."}
{"id": "PMID:1487853", "title": "Multivariate analyses of CT findings in typical schizophrenia and atypical psychosis.", "content": "In order to investigate the brain morphological differences between typical schizophrenia and atypical psychosis, the brain CTs of 41 patients with typical schizophrenia, 27 patients with atypical psychosis (ATP), and 20 controls were examined. The schizophrenics had larger values for 9 CT indices, i.e., interhemispheric fissure (IHF) index, VBR, 2 lateral ventricles (L-V) and 3rd ventricle (III-V) indices, and 4 sylvian fissure (SF) indices, while the values of ATP patients for 3 SF indices were greater than for the controls. Moreover, the schizophrenics had greater III-V and L-V indices than the ATP patients. The correlation matrix of CT indices indicates that the III-V index correlated well with the other CT indices, whereas the VBR, IHF and right SF indices did not. Therefore, it was speculated that there might be 3 subgroups, each of which has a main focus of alteration in the above-mentioned regions. Therefore, all the cases were divided by means of a cluster analysis into 5 groups. Group I, which contained mainly normal controls, and Group II, which consisted mainly of atypical psychosis patients, had no abnormal CT findings. Group III, which comprised mainly ATP patients and paranoid type schizophrenics, had right SF enlargement. Group IV, which showed significant IHF enlargement, and the residue group, which had larger VBR and significant left SF enlargement, consisted mostly of schizophrenics. Thus, our results suggest that the classification by CT data corresponds on the whole to our clinical diagnosis, according to which schizophrenic psychosis is divided into typical schizophrenia and atypical psychosis, and that each of the two psychosis groups may be further classified into distinct subgroups."}
{"id": "PMID:1487854", "title": "Immunoglobulin kappa/lambda ratios in migraine and tension-type headache.", "content": "The possibility of immunological mechanisms causing headaches has been proposed in the past. To investigate the immunological system activation in patients with chronic headaches, we evaluated the kappa/lambda ratios of immunoglobulins in 40 patients with migraine and 49 patients with tension-type headache. Nineteen healthy volunteers composed the control group. The serum kappa and lambda levels of immunoglobulins were determined by using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) techniques. The kappa/lambda ratios of IgG in the patients with tension-type headache were significantly higher than those in the controls. The kappa/lambda ratios of IgA and IgM in the patients with headaches were higher than those in the controls, but they were not statistically significant. The total concentrations of IgG, IgA and IgM were significantly higher in the patients with migraine. In the patients with tension-type headache, the total concentrations of IgG and IgA were significantly higher than those in the controls. The high levels of kappa/lambda ratios of IgG in the patients with tension-type headache and the increase in the total concentrations of immunoglobulins in the patients with migraine and tension-type headache, observed in this study, suggest that the humoral immunological system activation might exist, and it might be related to the etiology of tension-type headache and migraine."}
{"id": "PMID:1487855", "title": "Periodic leg movements in sleep with restless legs syndrome: effect of clonazepam treatment.", "content": "Fifteen patients with restless legs syndrome underwent whole-night polysomnographic recordings before and during clonazepam treatment. The treatment with 0.5 to 1.5 mg clonazepam improved subjective complaints of all the 15 patients. All the patients presented periodic leg movements on the polysomnograms before the treatment. The clonazepam treatment significantly decreased the total numbers of leg movements and the numbers of leg movements per hour without affecting the mean intermovement interval."}
{"id": "PMID:1487856", "title": "An autopsied case of interferon encephalopathy.", "content": "A 78-year-old male with renal carcinoma was treated with a high dose infusion of interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) for eight months. The patient had evidence of organic brain syndrome such as dysfunction of memory, slowing of behavior, and development of mental confusion that appeared eight months after the treatment. MRI at the time of mental confusion revealed diffuse white matter lesions. Neuropathologic findings were compatible to Binswanger's disease and Senile Dementia of Alzheimer Type (SDAT), Preexisting neurologic abnormalities including intracerebral arteriosclerosis and cerebral atrophy may increase susceptibility to unacceptably severe IFN neurotoxicity."}
{"id": "PMID:1487857", "title": "An autopsied case of dentatorubropallidoluysian atrophy with atypical pathological features.", "content": "This is a report of an autopsied case of dentatorubropallidoluysian atrophy (DRPLA) with atypical neuropathological findings. The patients was a 31-year-old female. Her clinical symptoms were epileptic seizures, cerebellar ataxia, choreoathetosis and dementia. A neuropathological examination revealed the fibrillary gliosis in various areas of the CNS and severe degeneration in the cerebellar cortex and nucleus fasciculi dorsalis in addition to a marked degeneration of the dentatorubropallidoluysian systems. The present case is diagnosed neuropathologically as DRPLA associated with the findings of chronic diphenylhydantoin intoxication and epileptic brain damage."}
{"id": "PMID:1487858", "title": "Antiepileptic effects of MK-801, a noncompetitive NMDA-receptor antagonist, in the low-frequency kindling model of epilepsy.", "content": "We assessed the acute effect of MK-801 (0.05-0.7 mg/kg), a noncompetitive NMDA-receptor antagonist, on hippocampus-kindled seizures induced with low-frequency (2 Hz) electrical stimulations. MK-801 dose-dependently increased the seizure threshold (PNT, the number of stimulating pulses required for the triggering of epileptic after discharge), whereas most of the previous studies which assessed the effect of MK-801 on kindled seizures could not detect the elevation of seizure threshold by MK-801. In addition MK-801 decreased the severity of induced seizures at low doses at which previous studies could not detect the antiepileptic effect of MK-801, suggesting that the low-frequency kindling technique might be a more sensitive and reliable model of epilepsy than the conventional high-frequency kindling technique."}
{"id": "PMID:1487861", "title": "[Pneumonectomy for destroyed lung or chronic tuberculous empyema].", "content": "Fourteen patients underwent pneumonectomy for destroyed lung or tuberculous empyema at the Shimada Municipal Hospital from September 1980 to December 1985. Mean age was 61 and ten patients were males. Cough and sputum (in 12 cases) and hemosputum or hemoptysis (in 8 cases) were common complaints. Three patients had complications in the immediate postoperative period: hemorrhagic shock, pulmonary embolism and contralateral pneumothorax. They were treated conservatively. The postoperative course was uneventful in the other patients and all complaints were reduced or disappeared. And lung function improved in 3 cases with chronic empyema compressing the mediastinum. In conclusion, pneumonectomy is one of the radical operation for destroyed lung or chronic tuberculous empyema with low pulmonary function and complaints. And the critical level are 40% of %VC and 25% of FEV1.0/pr. %VC in preoperative pulmonary function."}
{"id": "PMID:1487862", "title": "[Influence of bronchoscopic examinations on the statistics of tuberculosis incidence].", "content": "The frequency of the modes of bacteriological examinations other than direct sputum smear were observed for a total of 955 \"smear-positive\" pulmonary tuberculosis cases which were notified at 7 health centres in the Metropolitan and suburban areas during 1986-1990. Of them 21 cases (2.2%) were examined for the specimens obtained by bronchofiberscopic procedures, and in 4 cases (0.4%) gastric juice was taken. The proportion of the non-sputum positivity as seen above was higher in females than in males, but it was uniform across all age group. Non-cavitary cases showed higher proportion of the non-sputum positivity than cavitary cases. There was wide variation in the frequency of these aggressive modes of examination among health centres, probably indicating the difference in the extent to which hospitals are interested in these modes of examination in each health center area. In addition to the above observed cases, there were 60 cases with direct smear positive finding of mycobacteria other than tuberculosis (MOTT). They account for 5.9% of all of 1,015 new notifications of AFB-smear positive cases. It is possible that these non-sputum \"smear positive\" cases, as well as the MOTT-smear positive cases may be underestimated in our study, because of the notification form not necessarily requesting to enter the type of bacteriological examinations. They may contribute to the recent upward trend of incidence rate of smear positive tuberculosis in Japan to a considerable extent.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1487863", "title": "[Ultrasonographic findings of abdominal tuberculous lymphadenitis].", "content": "Five patients with abdominal tuberculous lymphadenitis were studied by ultrasound. The final diagnosis of tuberculosis was based on open biopsy in 2 patients, neck lymph node biopsy in 1, needle biopsy under ultrasound control in 2. Low-echoic and iso-echoic abdominal lymph nodes were seen in all patients and a mixed echoic lymph node was found in one of them. Enlarged, round or oval, lymph nodes were conglomeratically observed along the common hepatic artery, in the hepatoduodenal ligament and along the abdominal aorta. The size of the lymph node was found to be 20-70 mm. In one case, compression of the portal trunk and the common bile duct due to a large lymph node was observed, and arterioportography showed hepatopetal collateral veins. In the other case, multiple mass lesions in the liver and the spleen were observed. In the 4 patients who were observed by ultrasound at 2 months after anti-tuberculosis therapy, enlarged lymph nodes decreased and 3 of them changed from low-echo to iso-echo in the echo pattern. Of the 4 patients who were followed for more than 4 months, lymph nodes disappeared in 2 at 4 months and in one at 12 months. The remaining patient showed residual nodes which decreased in half at 8 months. Ultrasound is now used commonly in the examination of the abdomen, and there are cases of abdominal lymph nodes swelling due to varied diseases. In this study, there were no characteristic ultrasonographic findings in abdominal tuberculous lymphadenitis. So, it is difficult to diagnose the cause of abdominal lymph node swelling by only ultrasound.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1487864", "title": "[A case of pulmonary tuberculosis associated with severe respiratory failure, DIC and intractable bilateral pneumothoraces].", "content": "We had a sixty-five year old male patient who suddenly complained of dyspnea and fever with pulmonary tuberculosis, severe respiratory failure, disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) and intractable bilateral pneumothoraces. From the first hospital day severe hypoxemia which did not respond to conventional oxygen therapy developed with a diffuse ill-defined reticulo-nodular shadow in the plain chest x-ray film. On the 2nd hospital day mechanical ventilation with 2cmH2O PEEP was introduced. Antituberculous agents as well as corticosteroids were started suspecting acute interstitial pneumonia with pulmonary tuberculosis and adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Medication was followed by the treatment of Gabexate mesilate and heparin against DIC on laboratory data. Though clinical findings and pulmonary infiltrate on chest x-ray film transiently improved, right pneumothorax occurred suddenly on the 6th day followed with left pneumothorax on the 36th day. Tube drainage of both pleural spaces and repeated instillation of thrombin-rich oxycel cotton via bronchofiberscope failed to stop air leakage. He ultimately expired on 49th hospital day. At postmortem lung had multiple bilateral bulla several of which ruptured to the pleural site and caseating necrotic area containing bacilli positively stained with Ziehl-Nielsen stain in the bilateral upper lobe. No typical caseating necrotic lesion, however, was found in the other lung tissue. Therefore, it seemed to show a chronic phase of diffuse alveolar damage (DAD)."}
{"id": "PMID:1487865", "title": "[A case of severe juvenile pulmonary tuberculosis associated with malnutrition in special reference to nutritional assessment].", "content": "We reported a case who had suffered from severe pulmonary tuberculosis in association with severe malnutrition. A 19-year-old man was admitted complaining of high fever, productive cough and body weight loss. Before admission, he worked as a cook for long hours a day and had meals irregularly. On admission, he was cachexic. Coarse crackles were auscultated on the both lung field, and the liver was enlarged. Chest X-ray revealed multiple ringed and mottled shadows mainly in bilateral upper and middle lung field. Laboratory examination revealed inflammatory reaction defined by an increase of white blood cells, accelerated erythrocyte sedimentation rate and positive CRP, impairment of liver function and cell-mediated immunity, hypoxemia and restrictive lung dysfunction. Ziehl-Neelsen stain of sputum showed a large number of acid fast bacilli. The assessment of his nutritional status showed decrease in anthropometric measurements, visceral proteins and the Fischer ratio, which suggested that he was in the status of protein-calorie malnutrition in association with amino acid imbalance. He was treated with nutritional therapy in addition to antituberculous drugs, which improved his clinical symptoms, laboratory data and nutritional assessment. These results suggested the importance of nutritional assessment and nutritional therapy based on it."}
{"id": "PMID:1487866", "title": "[In vitro susceptibilities of Mycobacterium avium and Mycobacterium intracellulare to new macrolides, new quinolones, and antituberculous drugs on Dubos agar medium].", "content": "Mycobacterium avium and M. intracellulare were isolated from the sputum of patients infected with atypical mycobacteria using 1% Ogawa medium and identified by the DNA probe test. Then the MICs of various kinds of drugs against these mycobacterial species were determined on Dubos agar medium, and the drug susceptibilities were also determined on 1% Ogawa medium in parallel. The drugs tested were new macrolides, such as clarithromycin (CAM) and roxithromycin (RXM), new quinolones, such as ofloxacin (OFLX) and ciprofloxacin (CPFX), and antituberculous drugs, such as isoniazid (INH), rifampicin (PFP), streptomycin (SM), and ethambutol (EB). The MICs of the drugs tested, especially those of CAM, OFLX, and RFP, when determined on Dubos agar medium, were generally lower against M. intracellulare than against M. avium. The susceptibilities of the mycobacterial isolates tested to RFP and SM determined on Dubos agar medium were markedly different from those determined on 1% Ogawa medium. Such discrepancies may be accounted for by absorption of these drugs to the egg medium and instability of RFP in the egg medium. Overall, our results indicate that the new macrolides and new quinolones are effective against atypical mycobacteria."}
{"id": "PMID:1487868", "title": "[Vasodilators and the catecholamine content of the blood plasma in patients with the moderate form of hypertension].", "content": "Vasodilators (verapamil, nifedipine, and prazosin) versus hypothiazide and clofelin were studied for their effects on resting and exercise blood levels of catecholamines in 58 patients with moderate arterial hypertension. Clofelin decreased norepinephrine levels, whereas hypothiazide increased it at rest and during exercise test. The most marked effect on norepinephrine levels was produced by nifedipine, then prazosin, particularly in patients with initially enhanced total peripheral vascular resistance. Verapamil failed to substantially affect norepinephrine levels. Due to the fact that the elevated levels of norepinephrine may have a negative action, it is suggested that antiadrenergic agents should be supplemented to a long-term therapy with nifedipine or prazosin."}
{"id": "PMID:1487869", "title": "[Membrane permeability in combined arterial hypertension and pathology of the digestive organs (based on epidemiological study data)].", "content": "An epidemiological study of arterial hypertension and digestive diseases revealed 27% patients with concurrent abnormalities. It was shown that determination of membranous lesions by the rate of red blood cell Na-Li contratransport may be useful in the diagnosis of syntropy."}
{"id": "PMID:1487871", "title": "[The effect of quinidine monotherapy and combined therapy with digoxin on the central hemodynamics in patients with heart rhythm disorders].", "content": "The study was undertaken to examine 84 patients mainly with coronary heart disease and various cardiac arrhythmias. Quinidine monotherapy was found to normalize heart rate depending on its baseline values: it reduced heart rate in tachycardias and increased it in bradycardia. In patients with severe myocardial damage, especially in hypertension, quinidine decreased cardiac index, whereas total peripheral resistance increased. With quinidine, systolic pressure, stroke and cardiac indices showed a more decrease, whereas diastolic pressure and total peripheral resistance displayed a more increase in the standing position. Supplement of digoxin corrected negative quinidine-induced hemodynamic changes and orthostatic failures."}
{"id": "PMID:1487873", "title": "[The function of the left heart in blockade of the left bundle of His].", "content": "A complex Doppler echocardiographic study was performed in 134 patients with complete block of the left bundle branch, its anterior branch or with concurrence of these two types of intraventricular conduction disturbance. The authors identified 5 types of paradoxical ventricular septal motion, which were related to the specific features of intraventricular asynchronism and ventricular electric systole. Type I shows the greatest decrease in left ventricular contractility, left atrial overload and phasic destruction of left ventricular systole, which reflects the processes of depolarization and repolarization propagation in the myocardium. Type IV is characterized by the lowest number of hemodynamic abnormalities. Cardiac hemodynamics is also related to the type of intraventricular block, being the least changed in isolated anterior left bundle-branch and the most changed in concurrent anterior branch and entire left bundle-branch block."}
{"id": "PMID:1487874", "title": "[The effect of anaprilin on the reaction of the sympathetic-adrenal system to graded physical loading in healthy subjects and patients with ischemic heart disease].", "content": "The specific features of responses of the sympathoadrenal system during its activation by graded exercise (E), including that along with anaprilin induced blockade of beta-adrenoceptors, were determined from the urinary excretion of norepinephrine, epinephrine, dopamine, and dioxyphenylalanine in 54 healthy males and 22 patients with postinfarction cardiosclerosis concurrent with Functional Class I-II angina pectoris on effort. E caused hyperreactivity of the sympathoadrenal system, as appeared as significantly greater increases in the levels of catecholamines and their precursors in the patients than in the healthy persons. A single anaprilin dose of 40 mg abolished the responsiveness to exercise and improved its tolerance. The revealed features of sympathoadrenal responsiveness to exercise with and without anaprilin suggest that the patients with coronary heart disease have sympathoadrenal dysfunction, which shows one of the possible mechanisms responsible for the cardioprotective effect of beta-adrenoblockers in this disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1487875", "title": "[The triglyceride content in the high-density lipoproteins of patients with ischemic heart disease].", "content": "The sera and high density lipoprotein (HDL) fraction obtained from donors and patients with coronary heart disease, Functional Class II exercise-induced angina or postinfarction cardiosclerosis were studied for levels of triglycerides (TG) and cholesterol (C) and calculated for percentage of HDL cholesterol of total serum cholesterol, C/TG and HDL C/HDL TG ratios. A TG-enriched HDL fraction was detected, which had an unusual structure. Calculation of the percentage of HDL C of serum total cholesterol levels much more revealed lower concentrations of HDL C."}
{"id": "PMID:1487876", "title": "[A comparative evaluation of the importance of transesophageal electrical stimulation of the left atrium and of bicycle ergometry in the diagnosis of ischemic heart disease in patients with arterial hypertension].", "content": "To make a comparative assessment of transesophageal left atrial pacing (TLAP) and bicycle ergometry (BE) in the diagnosis of coronary heart disease (CHD) in patients with arterial hypertension (AH) of different origin, the authors examined 56 patients. The patients underwent TLAP and selective coronary angiography, of them 39 patients had BE testing. No significant differences were found in their specificity (73 and 78%) and sensitivity (92 and 81%) between TLAP and BE, respectively. The maximum heart rate in CHD patients with AH was significantly higher (130 +/- 6 per min) during TLAP than that in BE (112 +/- 5 per min, p > 0.05), ischemic changes occurring at the same value of double product despite the mode of myocardial ischemia induction in these functional tests (240 +/- 10 and 236 +/- 12 arbitrary units, respectively; p < 0.05). The mean systolic blood pressure was higher in TLAP and in BE (210 +/- 10 and 185 +/- 8 mm Hg). This follows that TLAP and BE finding are comparable and no profound changes occur in TLAP, hence it can be recommended for wide application in the diagnosis of CHD in AH patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1487877", "title": "[The effect of verapamil on the course of stenocardia of effort, on the blood serum lipid level and on the basic indices of carbohydrate metabolism during the long-term use of the preparation].", "content": "The therapeutical efficiency of verapamil given for 3 months was studied in 36 patients with stable exercise-induced angina by multistep gradually increasing bicycle ergometry exercise test. The effects of the agent on serum lipid levels were evaluated in 30 cases. The therapeutical effect was achieved in 24 patients; verapamil caused a pronounced increase in physical working capacity just during the acute drug test in all cases and showing growing effects within a month of treatment. No increase in therapeutical effects was observed in 12 cases in whom a rise in exercise time was insignificant during the acute drug test. Verapamil produced no noticeable effect on fasting serum glucose and insulin levels after glucose tolerance test in 19 healthy individuals and 11 patients with lower carbohydrate tolerance. Thirteen patients with primary hypercholesterolemia had decreased levels of total cholesterol due to low density lipoprotein cholesterol."}
{"id": "PMID:1487878", "title": "[The effect of transvenous laser therapy on lipid peroxidation function in patients with ischemic heart disease].", "content": "The papers deals with changes in the levels of lipid peroxidation products in patients with stable angina of effort, which occurred with intravenous helium-neon blood irradiation. The therapy was highly effective in patients with lower functional classes and persons with normal circulation, resulting in a reduction in lipid peroxidation intensity. Predictors are recommended to determine the efficiency and expediency of laser therapy in patients with coronary heart disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1487880", "title": "[Changes in hypophyseal-thyroid system function and in the level of atrial natriuretic factor and cyclic nucleotides in the blood of patients with ischemic heart disease exposed to ultrasonic irradiation of the precordial area].", "content": "Radiation of the precordial region with ultrasound at 880 kHz, 0.4 W/cm2 for 12 minutes was examined for its impact on blood levels of thyrotropin, tri-iodothyronine, thyroxine, atrial natriuretic factor, cyclic nucleotides (cAMP and cHMP) in 70 patients with Functional Classes II-III exercise-induced angina. The radiation was found to lead to elevated plasma levels of atrial natriuretic factor, cHMP and inhibited plasma cAMP in patients with coronary heart disease as compared to the control group."}
{"id": "PMID:1487881", "title": "[The treatment of hypertension by adaptation to high-altitude hypoxia].", "content": "Ethnically close male populations aged 30-59 years who reside in high mountains (2800-3600 m above the sea level) and in low lands (800-900 m above the sea level) of the Tien Shan and the Pamirs were screened. The incidence of essential hypertension was found to be significantly lower (4.2%) among the highlanders than in the lowlanders (15.4%). In highlanders, hypertension is characterized by a high concurrence with high-altitude arterial hypertension and right ventricular hypertrophy. Daily urinary aldosterone excretion is substantially lower in residents of high mountains and natriuresis is higher than that in those from low-lands. Sixty-eight patients with mild hypertension took daily treatment as pressure chamber uplifting (3200 m above the sea level; pO2 112 mm Hg) for 15 days and 45 patients with moderate hypertension were treated with medium-land (1600 m; pO2 134 mm Hg) adaptation for 24 days. Pressure chamber hypoxic training and medium-land adaptation in 69% of patients with mild hypertension and 64.4% with moderate hypertension without signs of target organ lesions produced steady antihypertensive effects, a steady-state (for a 1.5-year follow-up) decrease in cardiac mechanical work, peripheral vascular resistance, arterial impedance, and an improvement of physical fitness. It was proposed to use hypoxic (pressure chamber and high-altitude) training for the treatment of early hypertensive disease and its secondary prevention."}
{"id": "PMID:1487882", "title": "[The radionuclide diagnosis of dilated cardiomyopathy: a new approach to assessing myocardial perfusion function by 201Tl scintigraphic data at rest and during the performance of the dipyridamole test].", "content": "A method for quantitative determination of the percentage of left ventricular myocardial 201Tl isotope uptake at rest and during dipyridamole test was first used in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy and coronary heart disease complicated by circulatory insufficiency or chronic myocarditis. This method makes it possible to judge the level of myocardial blood flow and perfusion reserve in these diseases. The most common differences were found between patients with coronary heart disease and those with chronic myocarditis. The patients with chronic myocarditis exhibited the greatest sizes of perfusion defects, highest values of 201Tl uptake at rest and a lower myocardial perfusion reserve during dipyridamole test. In response to exercise, most patients with chronic myocarditis had diminished perfusion defects, whereas those with coronary heart disease displayed increased defects. The myocardial perfusion was varied in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy. Some patients had a scintigraphic pattern close to that in patients with chronic myocarditis and others had a pattern identical to that in patients with coronary heart disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1487883", "title": "[The possibility of determining the functional status of the hypertrophied myocardium in multiple valvular defects of the heart].", "content": "A comprehensive angiocardiographic study with computer-aided data processing were performed in 46 patients (mean age 34.2 years) with multivalvular diseases. Thirty two patients were diagnosed as having mitral and aortic defect, 14 had mitral, aortic and tricuspid defect. Three-valve disease, unlike two-valve disease, showed a \"paradoxical\" improvement in some parameters, such as end-diastolic volume, end-systolic volume, myocardial mass, ventricular performance rates. An analysis of circular intramyocardial tension, coronary sinus blood oxygen extraction and saturation indicated that myocardial function was less intensive in three-valve disease, suggesting the compensatory pattern of tricuspid valve involvement. However, this \"compensation\" results in a further decrease in cardiac output and cannot be regarded as a genuine compensation. In multivalvular disease, the integral intramyocardial tension and its ratio to coronary sinus blood oxygen saturation may serve as the only diagnostic criterion for myocardial dysfunction and a predictor in determining the outcome of surgical intervention."}
{"id": "PMID:1487884", "title": "[The importance of the noninvasive scintigraphic assessment of pulmonary arterial pressure in persons who have had an acute myocardial infarct].", "content": "Twenty-two patients with a history of acute myocardial infarction underwent pulmonary perfusion scintigraphy at rest and during bicycle exercise testing. 99mTc-labelled human albumin microspheres were used. The perfusion ratio in the upper and lower pulmonary regions (U/L ratio) was calculated from scintigraphic findings. There was a close correlation between mean pulmonary blood pressure and U/L ratio (r = 0.95). It was established that the absence of microcirculatory bed reserve scintigraphically revealed in the lesser circulation in patients with prior myocardial infarction may be considered to be a negative predicator."}
{"id": "PMID:1487885", "title": "[A comparison of the efficacy of nitrogranulong and other prolonged-action nitrates by using paired bicycle ergometry in patients with stenocardia].", "content": "The efficacy of single doses of nitrogranulong, 5.2 mg, trinitrolong, 2 mg, nitrong 6.5 mg, and placebo was evaluated in 10 males aged 46-62 years who had Functional Classes II-III angina on effort. For this, paired bicycle ergometry was employed. In patients in whom nitrogranulong, 5.2 mg, turned out to be ineffective, the effective dose was evaluated as 10.4 mg. The effect of a drug was evaluated from an increase in exercise duration before the occurrence of a moderate anginal attack and/or 1 mm or more ST-segment depression in bicycle ergometry performed when the maximum effect of the single dose was expected than that in bicycle ergometry performed before achieving the same criteria for exercise discontinuation on the same day before the drug use (delta T threshold). The single dose of a drug was considered to be beneficial at delta T threshold > or = 120 sec (individual effects). Trinitrolong in a dose of 2 mg turned out be the most effective: there was the most mean value of delta T threshold and the individual effect was seen in 100% of the patients. According to the accepted criterion, nitrogranulong, 5.2 mg, and nitrong, 6.5 mg, were effective in 20%. Nitrogranulong, 10.4 mg, was beneficial in more 40% of patients; in all the first and the second doses of the drug were beneficial in 60%."}
{"id": "PMID:1487886", "title": "[The prognosis and prevention of syncopal states and sudden death in patients with a complete atrioventricular block in disorders of permanent cardiac electrostimulation].", "content": "A total of 105 patients with implantable pacemakers were examined. Whether the pacemaker disconnection test can be used to predict syncopes in failure of permanent cardiac pacing was studied. The spontaneous ventricular activity was evaluated in 62 patients with acquired complete atrioventricular block (CAVB) and in 43 patients with artificial CAVB. The patients with varying pacemaker dependence were grouped. It was ascertained that 7% of patients with artificial CAVB and 19% of those with acquired CAVB were dependent on pacemakers. In possible failure of stimulation or in reimplantation of a pacemaker on its disconnection, 93% of patients with artificial CAVB and 81% with acquired CAVB could develop their own cardiac rhythm. Lowering the frequency of pacing enabled the duration of asystole to be decreased. The usage of isadrin was demonstrated to enhance spontaneous ventricular activity."}
{"id": "PMID:1487887", "title": "[The results of conducting a program for the supplementary education of medical workers in the problems of preventing and treating arterial hypertension (a population study)].", "content": "A programme on supplementary health education of medical staff from city polyclinics in the prevention and treatment of arterial hypertension was launched in one of the Moscow districts for 3 years. Another district was used as a comparison subject. Representative samples of residents aged 35-64 years from the two districts were screened before and after implementation of the programme. The WHO International MONICA programme was used to evaluate the efficiency of the programme proposed by the authors. The intervention district showed an improvement of hypertensives' awareness of the disease and a double increase in the number of patients with a high compliance. In the comparison district, these parameters remained unchanged. According to the criteria developed in the MONICA programme, there was a downward tendency in the incidence of myocardial infarction and stroke and these diseases-related deaths in the intervention district, whereas this was not observed in the district under comparison."}
{"id": "PMID:1487888", "title": "Hyperkalemia: mechanisms, etiology, and treatment.", "content": "Hyperkalemia may follow failure of glomerular filtration or tubular secretion of potassium. Tubular secretory failure may be secondary to deficient aldosterone or tubular insensitivity to this hormone. In either case glomerular insufficiency magnifies the problem. Increased potassium intake alone is a rare cause of increased serum potassium. The well recognized sequential treatment of hyperkalemia is reviewed. Most important is the establishment of the cause of hyperkalemia as these emergency measures are being taken. A history of drug intake, establishment of the acid-base status of the patient and the presence of underlying disease must be ascertained. The management of hyperkalemia remains an intriguing challenge in the office and hospital practice of medicine."}
{"id": "PMID:1487889", "title": "Immobilization hypercalcemia in an adult patient with pancreatitis and sepsis: case report.", "content": "We describe an adult patient who developed persistent hypercalcemia while bedridden for more than three months with pancreatitis and sepsis. On the basis of hypercalciuria, suppressed serum intact PTH, suppressed serum 1,25-dihydroxy vitamin D3 and no clinical evidence of malignancy, the diagnosis of immobilization hypercalcemia was established His hypercalcemia improved during treatment with saline, calcitonin and/or etidronate. With active mobilization and weight-bearing exercises, serum calcium finally normalized. We discuss clinical and laboratory features as well as current modalities of treatment of this rare form of hypercalcemia in adults."}
{"id": "PMID:1487893", "title": "Cardiac mechanics in the stage-16 chick embryo.", "content": "A theoretical model is presented for the tubular heart of the stage-16 chick embryo (2.3 days of a 21-day incubation period). The model is a thick-walled, pseudoelastic cylindrical shell composed of three isotropic layers: the endocardium, the cardiac jelly, and the myocardium. The analysis is based on a shell theory that accounts for large deformation, material nonlinearity, residual strain, and muscle activation, with material properties inferred from available experimental data. We also measured epicardial strains from recorded motions of microspheres on the primitive right ventricles of stage-16 white Leghorn chick embryos. Relative to end diastole, peak axial and circumferential Lagrange strains occurred near end systole and had similar values. The magnitudes of these strains varied along the longitudinal axis of the heart (-0.16 +/- 0.08), being larger near the ends of the primitive right ventricle and smaller near midventricle. The in-plane shear strain was less than 0.05. Comparison of theoretical and experimental strains during the cardiac cycle shows generally good agreement. In addition, the model gives strong stress concentrations in the myocardial layer at end systole."}
{"id": "PMID:1487894", "title": "Running on an incline.", "content": "Seven male subjects ran at 3.0 m/s on a motorized treadmill including a force platform under the tread. The subjects ran at each of five treadmill inclinations: +0.17, +0.077, 0, -0.077, and -0.17 radians. The position of the subjects' legs were read from cin\u00e9 films (100 frames/s). Results of the film and force plate analysis generally corroborated the \"hanging triangle\" hypothesis, which postulates that the angle between the leg and the vertical upon foot strike does not change as the treadmill is tipped up or down. A mathematical model of running, in which the leg is represented as a nonlinear spring, made satisfactory predictions of the way many parameters of running change with the treadmill angle, including the length of the leg at touchdown and liftoff and the peak leg force in the middle of a step. The peak leg force reaches a maximum at a treadmill angle near -0.12 radians, close to the downhill angle where other authors have found a minimum in the rate of oxygen consumption."}
{"id": "PMID:1487895", "title": "Testing of a biomechanical model of the lumbar muscle force distribution using quasi-static loading exercises.", "content": "The study of lumbar muscle force distribution in response to externally applied loads is based on the introduction of biomechanical models of the lumbar region. The evaluation of such models requires the execution of loading exercises while monitoring the EMG activity of certain lumbar muscles. This work uses muscle activity maps as the major design tool of such exercises, provided that the subject is constrained to an upright erect posture. The maps describe the predicted muscle force for a given combination of externally applied bending moments. A series of shoulder adduction exercises were designed and the EMG signals of eight lumbar muscles were measured while subjects performed the exercises. The results show good agreement between the model predictions and the EMG measurements, especially when the load and the muscle were contralateral to one another."}
{"id": "PMID:1487896", "title": "A parameter optimization approach for the optimal control of large-scale musculoskeletal systems.", "content": "This paper describes a computational method for solving optimal control problems involving large-scale, nonlinear, dynamical systems. Central to the approach is the idea that any optimal control problem can be converted into a standard nonlinear programming problem by parameterizing each control history using a set of nodal points, which then become the variables in the resulting parameter optimization problem. A key feature of the method is that it dispenses with the need to solve the two-point, boundary-value problem derived from the necessary conditions of optimal control theory. Gradient-based methods for solving such problems do not always converge due to computational errors introduced by the highly nonlinear characteristics of the costate variables. Instead, by converting the optimal control problem into a parameter optimization problem, any number of well-developed and proven nonlinear programming algorithms can be used to compute the near-optimal control trajectories. The utility of the parameter optimization approach for solving general optimal control problems for human movement is demonstrated by applying it to a detailed optimal control model for maximum-height human jumping. The validity of the near-optimal control solution is established by comparing it to a solution of the two-point, boundary-value problem derived on the basis of a bang-bang optimal control algorithm. Quantitative comparisons between model and experiment further show that the parameter optimization solution reproduces the major features of a maximum-height, countermovement jump (i.e., trajectories of body-segmental displacements, vertical and fore-aft ground reaction forces, displacement, velocity, and acceleration of the whole-body center of mass, pattern of lower-extremity muscular activity, jump height, and total ground contact time)."}
{"id": "PMID:1487897", "title": "A constitutive theory for biomembranes: application to epicardial mechanics.", "content": "We present a new theoretically motivated experimental approach for identifying the functional form of a constitutive relation for any nonlinear, anisotropic pseudoelastic biological membrane. The utility of this approach is illustrated by identifying, from biaxial data, a new constitutive relation for excised ventricular epicardium. Values of the associated material parameters are calculated and compared for right and left ventricular specimens. Based on our findings, we suggest that there are no significant differences in the biomechanical behavior of epicardium excised from the right and left ventricular free walls of canine hearts."}
{"id": "PMID:1487898", "title": "An analytical study of cryosurgery in the lung.", "content": "The process of freezing in healthy lung tissue and in tumors in the lung during cryosurgery was modeled using one-dimensional close form techniques and finite difference techniques to determine the temperature profiles and the propagation of the freezing interface in the tissue. A thermal phenomenon was observed during freezing of lung tumors embedded in healthy tissue, (a) the freezing interface suddenly accelerates at the transition between the tumor and the healthy lung, (b) the frozen tumor temperature drops to low values once the freezing interface moves into the healthy lung, and (c) the outer boundary temperature has a point of sharp inflection corresponding to the time at which the tumor is completely frozen."}
{"id": "PMID:1487899", "title": "The effects of large blood vessels on temperature distributions during simulated hyperthermia.", "content": "Several three-dimensional vascular models have been developed to study the effects of adding equations for large blood vessels to the traditional bioheat transfer equation of Pennes when simulating tissue temperature distributions. These vascular models include \"transiting\" vessels, \"supplying\" arteries, and \"draining\" veins, for all of which the mean temperature of the blood in the vessels is calculated along their lengths. For the supplying arteries this spatially variable temperature is then used as the arterial temperature in the bioheat transfer equation. The different vascular models produce significantly different locations for both the maximum tumor and the maximum normal tissue temperatures for a given power deposition pattern. However, all of the vascular models predict essentially the same cold regions in the same locations in tumors: one set at the tumors' corners and another around the inlets of the large blood vessels to the tumor. Several different power deposition patterns have been simulated in an attempt to eliminate these cold regions; uniform power in the tumor, annular power in the tumor, preheating of the blood in the vessels while they are traversing the normal tissue, and an \"optimal\" power pattern which combines the best features of the above approaches. Although the calculations indicate that optimal power deposition patterns (which improve the temperature distributions) exist for all of the vascular models, none of the heating patterns studied eliminated all of the cold regions. Vasodilation in the normal tissue is also simulated to see its effects on the temperature fields.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1487900", "title": "Estimation of organ transport function: model-free deconvolution by recursive quadratic programming optimization.", "content": "A model-free deconvolution method is proposed for evaluating the frequency distribution function of organ transit times. The deconvolution is treated as a nonlinear constrained optimization problem and it is solved by using a modified constrained variable metric approach. The only constraint implemented in the solution is that all the discrete transport function values are not allowed to become negative. The method is tested on model mathematical systems of known analytical transport functions. The tests are performed on systems that included noise in both the input and output functions. The criteria of successful deconvolution are the reconvolution error and, most importantly, the deviation of the computed transport function from the known analytical one. The proposed method is then applied, as a pilot experiment, to biological data obtained from an isolated, perfused rabbit lung preparation contained within a plethysmograph. The results indicate that this type of deconvolution produces stable estimates which faithfully follow the analytical function while negating the need to assume either any functional form for the behavior of the transport function or any educated initial guess of its values."}
{"id": "PMID:1487901", "title": "Numerical simulation for the propagation of nonlinear pulsatile waves in arteries.", "content": "The behavior of nonlinear pulsatile flow of incompressible blood contained in an elastic tube is examined. The theory takes into account the nonlinear convective terms of the Navier-Stokes equations. The motion of the arterial wall is characterized by a set of linearized differential equations. The region bounded by the flexible arterial wall is mapped into a fixed area in which numerical discretization takes place. The finite element method (Galerkin weighted residual approach) is used for the solution of this nonlinear system. The results obtained are pressure distribution, velocity profile, flow rate and wall displacements along the elastic tube (20 cm long)."}
{"id": "PMID:1487902", "title": "Numerical simulation of steady flow in a two-dimensional total artificial heart model.", "content": "In this paper, a numerical simulation of steady laminar and turbulent flow in a two-dimensional model for the total artificial heart is presented. A trileaflet polyurethane valve was simulated at the outflow orifice while the inflow orifice had a trileaflet or a flap valve. The finite analytic numerical method was employed to obtain solutions to the governing equations in the Cartesian coordinates. The closure for turbulence model was achieved by employing the k-epsilon-E model. The SIMPLER algorithm was used to solve the problem in primitive variables. The numerical solutions of the simulated model show that regions of relative stasis and trapped vortices were smaller within the ventricular chamber with the flap valve at the inflow orifice than that with the trileaflet valve. The predicted Reynolds stresses distal to the inflow valve within the ventricular chamber were also found to be smaller with the flap valve than with the trileaflet valve. These results also suggest a correlation between high turbulent stresses and the presence of thrombus in the vicinity of the valves in the total artificial hearts. The computed velocity vectors and turbulent stresses were comparable with previously reported in vitro measurements in artificial heart chambers. Analysis of the numerical solutions suggests that geometries similar to the flap valve (or a tilting disk valve) results in a better flow dynamics within the total artificial heart chamber compared to a trileaflet valve."}
{"id": "PMID:1487903", "title": "Flow studies in canine artery bifurcations using a numerical simulation method.", "content": "Three-dimensional flows through canine femoral bifurcation models were predicted under physiological flow conditions by solving numerically the time-dependent three-dimensional Navier-stokes equations. In the calculations, two models were assumed for the blood, those of (a) a Newtonian fluid, and (b) a non-Newtonian fluid obeying the power law. The blood vessel wall was assumed to be rigid this being the only approximation to the prediction model. The numerical procedure utilized a finite volume approach on a finite element mesh to discretize the equations, and the code used (ASTEC) incorporated the SIMPLE velocity-pressure algorithm in performing the calculations. The predicted velocity profiles were in good qualitative agreement with the in vivo measurements recently obtained by Jones et al. The non-Newtonian effects on the bifurcation flow field were also investigated, and no great differences in velocity profiles were observed. This indicated that the non-Newtonian characteristics of the blood might not be an important factor in determining the general flow patterns for these bifurcations, but could have local significance. Current work involves modeling wall distensibility in an empirically valid manner. Predictions accommodating these will permit a true quantitative comparison with experiment."}
{"id": "PMID:1487904", "title": "Non-Newtonian flow patterns associated with an arterial stenosis.", "content": "A non-Newtonian constitutive equation for blood has been introduced in this paper. Using this equation, blood flow attributes such as velocity profiles, flowrate, pressure gradient, and wall shear stress in both straight and stenotic (constricted) tubes have been examined. Results showed that compared with Newtonian flow at the same flowrate, the non-Newtonian normally features larger pressure gradient, higher wall shear stress, and different velocity profile, especially in stenotic tube. In addition, the non-Newtonian stenotic flow appears to be more stable than Newtonian flow."}
{"id": "PMID:1487905", "title": "Wall shear stress estimates in coronary artery constrictions.", "content": "Wall shear stress estimates from laminar boundary layer theory were found to agree fairly well with the magnitude of shear stress levels along coronary artery constrictions obtained from solutions of the Navier Stokes equations for both steady and pulsatile flow. The relatively simple method can be used for in vivo estimates of wall shear stress in constrictions by using a vessel shape function determined from a coronary angiogram, along with a knowledge of the flow rate."}
{"id": "PMID:1487906", "title": "Measurement of steady-flow instability and turbulence levels in Dacron vascular grafts.", "content": "Fluid dynamic properties of Dacron vascular grafts were studied under controlled steady-flow conditions over a Reynolds number range of 800 to 4500. Knitted and woven grafts having nominal diameters of 6 mm and 10 mm were studied. Thermal anemometry was used to measure centerline velocity at the downstream end of the graft; pressure drop across the graft was also measured. Transition from laminar flow to turbulent flow was observed, and turbulence intensity and turbulent stresses (Reynolds normal stresses) were measured in the turbulent regime. Knitted grafts were found to have greater pressure drop than the woven grafts, and one sample was found to have a critical Reynolds number (Rc) of less than one-half the value of Rc for a smooth-walled tube."}
{"id": "PMID:1487907", "title": "On the subclavian steal syndrome in vitro studies.", "content": "An elastic model of the arterial system has been used in which a specially designed pumping unit simulated the heart action. Physiological pressures and normal geometry, size, and flow distribution together with the normal cardiac output and use of prosthetic heart valves are the features of the system. Atherosclerosis was simulated by introducing blockages of known cross-section at specific sites of predilection. It has been shown that, for some specific occlusion magnitude in the left or right subclavian, or in the brachycephalic arteries, the stagnant no blood flow condition will appear in the left vertebral, or the right vertebral, or right common carotid, or the right internal carotid arteries. For larger occlusions the blood flow in these arteries reverses its direction, i.e., the \"steal syndrome\" appears. It is shown that besides the known single steal syndrome there exists also a double steal syndrome, i.e., blood reverses its flow direction simultaneously in two arteries, both on the right side of the arterial system. This blood is taken from the circle of Willis, which at the same time is significantly supplemented by the increased blood flow through the other arteries leading into the circle of Willis."}
{"id": "PMID:1487908", "title": "In vivo measurement of leukocyte viscosity during capillary plugging.", "content": "Leukocyte plugging of capillaries in vivo was measured in rat spinotrapezius muscle. The plug durations, leukocyte and capillary dimensions, and arteriolar pressure at the plug sites were applied to the mechanical model of Needham and Hochmuth (1990) to estimate the leukocyte viscosities. The viscosity distribution of 389 cells was lognormal with a median value of 232 Poise. 3.1 percent of the cells were apparently activated and displayed viscosities greater than 3000 Poise. The median viscosity suggests that inactivated leukocytes have a minimal effect on blood flow, but that leukocyte activation may result in significant increases in microvascular flow resistance."}
{"id": "PMID:1487909", "title": "The bleed off perfusion term in the Weinbaum-Jiji bioheat equation.", "content": "The microvascular organization and thermal equilibration of the primary and secondary arteries and veins that comprise the bleed off circulation to the muscle fibers from the parent countercurrent supply artery and veins are analyzed. The blood perfusion heat source term in the tissue energy equation is shown to be related to this vascular organization and to undergo a fundamental change in behavior as one proceeds from the more peripheral tissue, where the perfusion term is proportional to the Ta--Tv difference in the parent supply vessels, to the deeper tissue layers where the bleed off vessels themselves form a branching countercurrent system for each muscle tissue cylinder and the venous return temperature can vary between the local tissue temperature and Ta. The consequences of this change in behavior are examined for the Weinbaum-Jiji bioheat equation and a modified expression for the effective conductivity of perfused tissue is derived for countercurrent bleed off exchange."}
{"id": "PMID:1487910", "title": "The variation of isometric energy rates with muscle length: a distribution-moment model analysis.", "content": "The Distribution-Moment Model of skeletal muscle, which has been enhanced recently to make possible the calculation of chemical energy release (E) and heat production (H) rates [1], is applied to isometric muscle. Under steady-state isometric conditions the model predicts a simple relation between the energy rates and the muscle length, namely (E/Emax) = (H/Hmax) = [1 + B alpha(symbol see text)]/[1 + B], where (symbol see text) is the ratio of muscle length to the \"optimal\" length at which maximal isometric tension is produced, and alpha (symbol see text) is a function numerically equal to the ratio of the tetanic isometric force to its maximum value. The single dimensionless constant in this relation, B, can be calculated from model parameters characterizing muscle dynamics at the optimum length, and has a value near unity for frog sartorius at 0 degrees C. The predicted behavior is shown to agree reasonably well with experimental measurements of heat production and phosphocreatine (PCr) hydrolysis. The model relates the isometric energy rates to PCr hydrolysis in (1) cross-bridge interactions, and (2) calcium pumping into the sarcoplasmic reticulum."}
{"id": "PMID:1487911", "title": "Motion of a doublet of two cylinders in contact in a narrow channel flow.", "content": "The motion of two rigid circular cylinders in contact immersed in an incompressible Newtonian fluid in a channel is examined numerically in the zero Reynolds number limit, for various values of the cylinder radius/channel width ratio. Analyses of the time courses of the lateral position and the orientation of the doublet showed that, depending on the initial condition and the doublet/channel size ratio, the doublet exhibit one of the three types of motion: a continuous rotation in the same direction during a period, and a rotation changing its direction at every half period with a large or a small variation of the orientation."}
{"id": "PMID:1487912", "title": "A model for estimating corneal stiffness using an indenter.", "content": "A finite element model that simulates indentation of the cornea was generated to examine the feasibility of using indentation data to determine mechanical properties. A layered model which included geometric nonlinearities was necessary to characterize the indentation process. Results indicate that a secant modulus could be determined by measuring indenter force and contact area."}
{"id": "PMID:1487913", "title": "Effect of electrical stimulation superimposed with isokinetic contractions.", "content": "Previous studies have considered the effects of the superimposition of electrical stimulation (ES) upon maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) under isometric conditions. This investigation considered these effects using isokinetic muscle action. Eleven males, non athletes, volunteered for the experiment. Isokinetic torque for extension of the right knee was measured by means of a Cybex 340 using two speeds of movement, 12 degrees/s and 30 degrees/s. Torque was measured at 5 degrees increments (from 100 degrees flexion to full extension) under conditions of MVC alone and MVC+ES. Stimulation was provided by means of a bi-phasic, symmetrical, square wave with a pulse width of 600 mu. Frequency of stimulation was either 30 Hz or 80 Hz. It was found that the pattern of torque production was unaffected by the application of ES. Peak torque values at both speeds were significantly lower when ES was applied at both frequencies compared to MVC alone. This inhibitory effect was found to extend throughout the middle range of movement. This tended to be more pronounced with the 80 Hz frequency. In general these findings were in agreement with those reported previously for isometric conditions. Possible explanations for these results include the inability of ES to recruit more motor units than MVC alone; the limitations of the subjects to tolerate a current of a sufficiently high intensity to elicit a stronger contraction, possibly due to lack of familiarization with these forms of muscle action; and the characteristics, especially pulse width, of the stimulating current."}
{"id": "PMID:1487914", "title": "Neuromuscular responses in male and female athletes to two successive strength training sessions in one day.", "content": "Acute neuromuscular responses to two successive strength training sessions performed in the same day were investigated in nine male (MSA) and ten female (FSA) strength athletes. The loads for the leg extensor muscles varied between 70 and 80% of one repetition maximum (IRM) during the morning session (I) (from 10.00 to 11.00 hours) and between 70 and 100% of IRM during the afternoon session (II) (from 16.00 to 17.00 hours). Significant decreases occurred in maximal isometric strength both in MSA from 3855 +/- 791 to 3744 +/- 882 N (p < 0.05) and in FSA from 2493 +/- 553 to 2371 +/- 523 N (p < 0.05) during session I, while only slight (ns) changes took place in the maximal neural activation (IEMG) of the exercised muscles. During session II a great decrease of 8.5 +/- 6.3% (p < 0.01) took place in maximal strength (from 3911 +/- 786 to 3556 +/- 590 N) accompanied by a shift (worsening) in the average force-time curve in MSA, while only a slight change of 2.7 +/- 6.5% (ns) occurred in maximal strength (from 2462 +/- 529 to 2398 +/- 453 N) in FSA. The individual changes in the maximum averaged IEMG of the exercised muscle during session II were correlated (p < 0.05) to the individual changes in maximal strength. The present results suggest that high but submaximal loading of the neuromuscular system may result in an acute decrease in maximal strength of the exercised muscles taking place rather similarly both in males and females.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1487915", "title": "The effects of treadmill running on the isometric fatigue of the handgrip muscles.", "content": "Twelve male subjects, ages 18-32, performed low, moderate, and high intensity systemic treadmill exercise to examine its effect on isometric strength and fatigue of the handgrip muscles. Baseline handgrip values were recorded, as well as maximal oxygen uptake and ventilatory threshold (VT), to determine the intensity for each of the three exercise conditions. Task A involved a 10-min treadmill run at 20% below VT, task B was given at VT, and task C was 20% above VT. Immediately following the endurance treadmill run the subjects were given a 2-min isometric contraction at maximum intensity. Heart rate and blood pressure were also measured. No significant differences were found between control measures and the strength and endurance variables. Rates of fatigue were similar for all conditions, and heart rate and blood pressure remained elevated during the handgrip fatigue task. It is concluded that isometric strength and endurance of non-involved muscles are not affected by prior endurance exercise."}
{"id": "PMID:1487916", "title": "Fitness characteristics of competitors in a six day sailboard marathon.", "content": "The purpose of this study was to profile the fitness characteristics of competitors in a 6 day sailboard marathon and assess the aerobic demands encountered. Twenty one male sailboarders were assessed for body composition, horizontal shoulder adduction and abduction strength as well as grip strength. Body composition was assessed by skinfold measurement and strength measured by dynamometer. A subgroup of 5 subjects were assessed for VO2 max by indirect calorimetry using a treadmill protocol. Functional capacity was determined as the quotient of VO2 max and the VO2 at rest and the aerobic conditioning threshold estimated. The corresponding threshold heart rate was determined. During each days racing, heart rate was continuously monitored from 2 different members of the subgroup. In the total group body fat was 19.1 +/- 5.1%, grip strength was 502.3 +/- 61.8 N and horizontal shoulder adduction and abduction strength was 449.3 +/- 121.6 N and 437 +/- 94.2 N respectively. In the subgroup, VO2 max was 49.6 +/- 3.7 ml/kg/min, functional capacity was 8.8 +/- 0.9 METS and threshold heart rate occurred between 155 +/- 5.2 and 161 +/- 4.6 beats/min. Heart rate response during sailing was typically in the 120-150 beats/min range. The results indicated that sailboarding does not promote high levels of aerobic fitness."}
{"id": "PMID:1487917", "title": "Physiological response to water aerobics.", "content": "Heart rate (HR) and oxygen uptake (VO2) measured during water aerobics (WA) were compared to maximal values obtained during an incremental treadmill test to assess the energy demand and potential cardiorespiratory (CR) training effects of WA. Sixteen college-age females served as subjects (mean +/- SD = 20.4 +/- 1.6 years). WA elicited a mean HR of 162 b.min-1 and a mean VO2 of 18.4 ml.kg-1.min-1 which represented 74% of HR reserve, 82% of maximal HR, and 48% of VO2 max. Average caloric expenditure was 5.7 kcal.min-1. HR values for WA were consistent with guidelines established by the American College of Sports Medicine for developing and maintaining CR fitness in healthy adults. However, the VO2 fell just below the recommended minimum threshold level. It was concluded that WA may provide an attractive alternative to traditional modes of exercise for improving CR fitness, however, HR measures may overestimate the metabolic intensity of the exercise."}
{"id": "PMID:1487918", "title": "Evaluation of anaerobic performance capacity by the isokinetic Ariel computerized exercise system-reliability and validity.", "content": "The present study examines the reproducibility and validity of computerized muscle strength and endurance evaluation protocols using the Ariel Computerized Exercise System (ACE). Since the ACE has only recently become commercially available, there are no published normative data for various exercises, nor are the measurements' accuracy and validity for the various exercise protocols documented. Twenty males (17 to 30 years old) performed a set of isokinetic maximal leg and arm exercises on the ACE Multi Function Unit twice on 2 separate days. Test-retest correlation coefficient ranged from 0.44 (bench press) to 0.91 (bench pull and leg extension flexion). Thirty additional male subjects (16 to 31 years old) performed, on 2 separate days, the Wingate Anaerobic Test (WAnT) (leg), and various force and endurance leg exercises (squat) on the ACE. Correlation coefficients of the various performance indices between the 2 test systems ranged from -0.02 to 0.23. The results obtained on the ACE indicate moderate to high reproducibility and low concurrent validity with WAnT."}
{"id": "PMID:1487919", "title": "A comparison of the perceived and the ECG measured heart rate during cycle ergometer, treadmill and stairmill exercise before and after perceived heart rate training.", "content": "The ability to perceive exercise heart rate before and after training was tested in six young male university students, perceptions of heart rate being compared with ECG monitored heart rates during cycle ergometry, treadmill running and stairmill climbing. Between initial and final tests, subjects undertook 13 weeks of running training (2 h/day, 3-4 days/week), and during this period they compared their perceptions of heart rate with values observed on watch-type wrist-mounted pulse monitors. Individual initial perceptions showed only a moderate correlation with ECG values. This correspondence was improved as perceptions were compared with measured heart rates over the course of training, significantly so for the mode of exercise most similar to that adopted in the training sessions (treadmill running at a heart rate of 140 beats/min). The final accuracy of perceptions at a heart rate of 140 beats/min (error 8-9 beats/min during treadmill running) compared favourably with the accuracy of either pulse counting or the traditional rating of perceived exertion as commonly observed in the exercising public. This suggests that there may be an application for perceived heart rates in regulating the intensity of prescribed exercise."}
{"id": "PMID:1487920", "title": "A height-adjusted step test for predicting maximal oxygen consumption in males.", "content": "A suitable testing device that is generally favored for estimating maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max) under field conditions or in environments where testing equipment is limited is the step test. Recently a mathematical model was reported to standardize the height of stepping for individuals of various heights. The purpose of this study was to validate this model in males. Thirty-three men aged 18 to 47 (x = 28) performed each of three rate-specific step tests and a Bruce treadmill test. Direct measurements of VO2max obtained from the treadmill test were correlated with a 15 second recovery heart rates after three different step tests were performed at stepping frequencies of 22, 26 and 30 ascents/minute. The correlation coefficients for prediction of VO2max from the recovery heart rate and directly measured oxygen consumption were 0.77 at 22 and 0.81 at 26 and 30 ascents/minute. Each relationship was statistically significant at the p < 0.01 level. It can be concluded that the single-stage height adjusted step test provides an effective predictor of VO2max in males and can be used when more complex methods of clinical testing are unavailable or not feasible."}
{"id": "PMID:1487921", "title": "Physiologic comparison and validation of Stairobic stepping with bench stepping.", "content": "To compare the oxygen cost of submaximal exercise on the Stairobic stepping (SS) machine with bench stepping (BS), 12 healthy men and women (mean age 23 years) underwent six different five minute exercise bouts that were randomly assigned. Tests were conducted using standard open circuit calorimetry. SS at 40 and 60 st/min was equal to BS at 20 st/min and SS at 80 st/min was equal to BS at 30 st/min for VE and RER. VO2 was equal at 20 st/min (BS) and 60 st/min (SS), and 30 st/min (BS) and 80 st/min (SS). Stairobic MET (SM) displayed values over-estimated actual MET (AM) values at the two lowest SS rates and under-estimated the AM value at the highest SS rate. Forty-eight observations of the MET response of SS were conducted and analyzed (BMDP2R) in a forward stepping solution. The multiple regression equation calculated for AM was: AM = -0.567 + -0.012 (WT) + 0.063 (rate) + 0.612 (SM) with an adjusted R2 of 0.82 and a SEE of 0.90. The physiologic cost of BS was approximately equal to SS at two to three times the BS rate of stepping."}
{"id": "PMID:1487922", "title": "Cardiovascular responses to Valsalva maneuver in physically trained and untrained normal subjects.", "content": "To elucidate whether the Valsalva maneuver (VM) can distinguish different degrees of normal ventricular function and parasympathetic tone, we studied 10 physically untrained and 18 trained normal individuals who regularly performed isotonic exercises. Both groups were submitted to an exercise stress test. An electrocardiogram and an M-mode echocardiogram were recorded before and during VM. The arterial pressure, heart rate and ventricular function responses to the maneuver were evaluated. The end diastolic volume, ejection fraction, circumferential fiber shortening and left ventricular posterior wall thickness were greater at rest in the trained group than in the untrained one. In both groups, during the straining phase of the VM the volumes and end systolic stress decreased and the systolic function indexes increased, but the changes were more pronounced in the trained subjects. In spite of these differences, the arterial pressure and heart rate responses were similar in both groups. It can thus be concluded that only changes in ventricular function distinguish physically trained vs untrained subjects during VM."}
{"id": "PMID:1487923", "title": "The effects of a six-week, low-intensity Nautilus circuit training program on resting blood pressure in females.", "content": "Twenty-six healthy, untrained females were studied to determine the effects of a low-intensity Nautilus circuit training program on resting systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Thirteen subjects who were in good health with no personal history or family history of cardiovascular disease participated in a six-week training program on the Nautilus circuit (14 exercises) and trained at 30% of maximum. Measurements in blood pressure were made before, during (three times per week) and after the study. Another group of 13 females served as controls. An attempt was made to determine if strength increase (due to circuit training) would have an affect on reducing resting systolic and diastolic blood pressure. The following changes occurred in the treatment group: (1) resting systolic blood pressure dropped significantly (from 113 to 99 mmHg) after training and (2) diastolic blood pressure dropped significantly from (70.9 to 62.0 mmHg) after training. However, there were no differences in these decreases between the exercise and control groups. The investigators concluded that low-intensity, resistive training should not increase blood pressure in white, healthy females, ages 18 to 28 years."}
{"id": "PMID:1487924", "title": "Skinfolds and body composition of sports participants.", "content": "Body composition of 1815 North-Italian young sports participants in relation to sex, age, sport and level of performance was investigated. About thickness and anatomical distribution of subcutaneous fat females showed skinfolds thicker than males. Significant differences were observed in skinfold thicknesses means of different sport-groups. Subscapular and forearm skinfolds were the best discriminant variables for males and females respectively. Body density was estimated according to Katch and McArdle (1973) and Durnin and Womersley (1974) equations. Males showed higher body density and lower fat percentage values than females. The lowest value of body density and the highest fat percentage were in male martial art competitors and in females practising skating and athletics. The highest values of body density and the lowest of fat percentage were in males practising athletics and rowing and in female martial art competitors. Highest and lowest values of fat-free mass were in games players and in soccer players and gymnasts respectively. \"High aptitude\" subjects showed higher fat-free mass values than \"middle aptitude\" group, besides a tendency towards higher body density values and lower fat percentage than \"middle aptitude\" group. With aging body density decreased whereas fat percentage and fat-free mass increased."}
{"id": "PMID:1487925", "title": "Erythrocyte metabolism in exercise. A comparative study in anaemized rats.", "content": "The influence of young red cells induced by anaemization on physical performance had been studied in rats. The anemic rats with immature red cells, higher levels of ATP, glutamate-oxalacetate transaminase (GOT) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) showed an elevated lactate and ammonia concentration at the first week of training. The blood analysis also showed that the rise in 2,3-DPG concentration can be related with the increase of glycolytic activity during exercise in both groups, anemic and non anemics rats."}
{"id": "PMID:1487926", "title": "Vehicle injuries to joggers. Case report and review.", "content": "A medico-legal case is presented where a jogger was struck by a car while crossing an intersection and later sought major damages in a civil court. This incident is reviewed in the context of overall information on injury to joggers by vehicles, and the possibility (raised by the defendant's counsel) that the euphoria generated by prolonged exercise may have created a sense of \"invincibility\" that predisposed the jogger to reckless actions. The defendants argued that the young man concerned was taking an amount of exercise that could have led to a jogging addiction and alteration of consciousness in a susceptible individual, and a history of alcohol, drug and video addiction was advanced as evidence that he may indeed have been a susceptible person. During the actual incident, the jogger recognised that the driver of the vehicle had not seen him, but nevertheless he proceeded to enter a crosswalk that had already been 75% traversed by the car, leaving himself only 0.6 metres of space, a half of the lane width normally required by a runner. A calculation of the relative velocities of the car and the jogger suggests that the latter must have veered 1-2 metres onto the main highway in order to pass in front of the care and be hit from the side. The behaviour of the jogger was plainly reckless, but more information is needed on the relative incidence of traffic injuries in joggers and walkers, on the prevalence of jogging addiction, and on diagnostic criteria for this condition before the accident could be categorically attributed to a jogging-related euphoria."}
{"id": "PMID:1487927", "title": "Sixty-three years of competitive sport activity. Case study.", "content": "A very rare case of a 79-year-old long-distance runner with competitive sport experience of more than sixty-three years is being evaluated. His health status is excellent and no indication of chronic disease is evident. Data from his evaluation have shown that, morphologically and functionally, he is closer to elite runners almost 50 years younger, than other master runners of about the same age. His body fatness, VO2max, his best reaction time and his highest recent speed of movement are: 10%, 40.6 ml/kg/min-1, 196 ms, and 15.73 km/h-1, respectively. Although his muscular strength and joint flexibility are satisfactory for his age, they are much lower in comparison to elite runners. The conclusion drawn is that his almost lifelong competitive athletic activity is at the root of his superb morphological and neuromotor responsiveness, his excellent cardiovascular and respiratory systems and his ideal biochemical profile."}
{"id": "PMID:1487928", "title": "Biocompatibility and ingrowth of Trevira prostheses following replacement of the cruciate ligaments.", "content": "Five of 97 cruciate ligament prostheses (5.15 per cent) implanted for an average of 3 years (8-53 months) in 70 patients with acute chronic cruciate ligament instability were removed due to failure after a mean of 9 (3-15) months. Investigation of the explanted polyethylene terephthalate (PET)-grafts by scanning electron and light microscopy showed not bony but fibrous tissue ingrowth in all parts of the prostheses. The extent of local host response in the interface region differed with the intensity of mechanical strain at the three parts of the prostheses (intra-articular, bone tunnel, cortical). Inflammatory cells and foreign body giant cells were abundant close to the rupture sites at the intra-articular entries of the bone tunnels and scarce at the intra-articular part of the prostheses and at the cortical anchoring. Evaluation of the reasons for early prostheses failure indicates that (1) non-ideal placement of bone tunnels and (2) inadequate strain were responsible for reoccurring instability and rupture after prosthetic cruciate ligament replacement."}
{"id": "PMID:1487929", "title": "Selective laser-induced inactivation of proteins (SLIP) by labelling with chromophores.", "content": "Coupling a fluorochrome (e.g. fluorescein-isothiocyanate, FITC) to a molecule can enhance specific laser light absorption, thus leading to alteration or even destruction of the molecule itself. Therefore antibodies were labelled with FITC (absorption maximum 480 nm) and irradiated with laser light (488 nm) under various conditions. Inactivation of antibodies could only be achieved at the absorption maximum of FITC (as measured by direct and indirect immunofluorescence). Positive linear correlation exists between the amount of destruction and both exposure time and energy. Similar destructive effects were obtained when FITC-labelled peroxidase was irradiated. In these cases, enzyme activities measured by absorption photometry also showed a positive correlation to the total amount of energy transferred. Non-labelled proteins were not affected by irradiation. So we conclude that labelling of proteins with fluorochromes provides a highly specific means of selection of target molecules to be destroyed or inactivated. The method is based upon the laws of linear optics and is different from photodynamic or photochemical actions. The destructions observed are most likely caused by thermally induced changes of the molecules' tertiary structure."}
{"id": "PMID:1487930", "title": "Opportunities for the cellular approach in biomedical engineering.", "content": "This review is a commentary on recent, altered perspectives about biomedical engineering and its role in medicine. It is argued that, rather than being a peripheral specialty, medical engineering and engineering principles in general have a direct application to biochemical medicine and cell biology. A brief description is given of the cell as a compartmentalised reactor system, and the ways in which it is possible to replace lost or aberrant cell function. Specific topics are then covered to illustrate the general thesis. These are: polymers for cell mimicry, cell-surface interactions, biomolecule transport, cell transport phenomena, cell signalling, harnessing of cells for therapy and microbial interactions. These disparate subject areas have a common thread of interest for the biomedical engineer, and are presented here in a way which highlights key points of relevance for engineering. Though necessarily brief, the various descriptions in this review provide a film indication that a rigorous approach to the assessment, modelling and use of cells along sound engineering lines is vital for the future. It is concluded that, without this approach, our understanding of cell biology will remain semiquantitative and semiempirical."}
{"id": "PMID:1487932", "title": "Cellular interactions with NIR EM energy.", "content": "The electrical and electrochemical nature of cellular components, structure and function makes it important for the possible influences by externally applied electromagnetic fields to be studied thoroughly. This is an important aspect of cellular engineering. Thermal and non-thermal influences of EM, electric and magnetic fields on biological tissues are under investigation by several groups, to improve both diagnostic and therapeutic techniques. Within the EM spectrum there is an interesting band in the infra-red, from about 700 nm to 1000 nm, where absorption by enzymes within the intracellular respiratory chain can take place. This absorption phenomenon is now used as the basis for quantitative analysis of enzyme dynamics, both in vitro and in vivo, but implications for both therapeutic and potentially damaging influences on cellular behaviour and viability also need to be considered."}
{"id": "PMID:1487931", "title": "Modified cell proliferation due to electrical currents.", "content": "In view of the evidence that electrical currents may enhance healing of chronic wounds and retard tumour growth it is suggested that these currents normalise cell proliferation. Additional support to this contention is given by two reports: one on healing of pressure sores in man and one on tumour growth retardation in mice. The effect of an ionic environment on the cell cycle is analysed. Finally a hypothesis attempting to explain the normalising effect of electrical currents on cell proliferation is proposed. It is known that non-dividing cells, e.g. mature neurons, have high transmembrane potential (TMP) whereas fast-dividing cells, e.g. cancerous cells, have low TMP. When a cell is exposed to an electrical field, one side of the cell becomes hyperpolarised while the opposite side is depolarised. Assuming a nonlinear relationship between TMP and the transmembrane ionic currents, it can be shown that in non-dividing cells their high TMP is lowered; whereas in cells with a high division rate, their low TMP is raised due to cell exposure to the external electrical field. These alterations in transmembrane potential could contribute to the normalisation of abnormal cell proliferation."}
{"id": "PMID:1487933", "title": "Making real neural nets: design criteria.", "content": "Neural nets may be assembled with living nerve cells in vitro to test theories about neural processing and the ways in which patterns develop in the nervous system, and to test ideas about plasticity and learning in processing systems. This may benefit the design of computer systems and prosthetic devices. Extracting information from such nets can be achieved by means of intracellular and extracellular electrodes and fluorescent dyes. Patterning of cells may be achieved using microfabrication techniques, and extracellular electrodes can be combined within the patterned substrate."}
{"id": "PMID:1487934", "title": "Dendritic processing: using microstructures to solve a hitherto intractable neurobiological problem.", "content": "In vivo, intracellular recordings of mammalian brain stem motoneurones, followed by peroxidase staining and tridimensional reconstruction, suggest that the shape of the dendritic tree plays an important role in the processing of neural information. To test this hypothesis attempts were made to guide, in culture, the growth of neuritic branches of neurones dissociated from the hypoglossal nucleus of rat brain stem. This was performed using topographical and adhesive microstructures which were designed to control the shape of the neuritic tree. Guidance of the neuritic processes can be observed with small grooves engraved on quartz and plastic substrates, and simple shapes with few processes and bifurcations on each neurite could be obtained using adhesive microstructures. These procedures, which allow the shape of a neurone to be controlled, are very promising in the study, by means of classical electrophysiological methods as well as optical recordings, of the involvement of dendritic architecture in the processing of neural information."}
{"id": "PMID:1487935", "title": "Migration of the true pacemaker within the sinoatrial cell aggregate in man.", "content": "The functional anatomy of the sinoatrial node (SAN) in man is first reviewed, together with its possible anatomical substructure. The true group pacemaker (PM) shift under autonomic drive is then related to a continuous competition between the intrinsic auto-firing period hierarchy and the autonomic topological susceptibility hierarchy. Accordingly, the PM 'skip' to both lower and higher periods following an abrupt and consistent acetylcholine (ACh) release at the SAN periphery, and the PM 'slip' towards a relocation of the next period, as a possible response to a slower and smaller ACh release, are considered. The PM 'skip' and 'slip' as boundaries of the true PM excursion within the SAN during the respiratory cycle, and their statistical properties, are then examined. Under current heart rate control menus in normals, the PM skip appears to follow central influence, whereas the conservative or slipping PMs suggest peripheral control. Finally, interpretation of the PM skip as a salutary sign of functional reserve is proposed, and a method of alleviating the PM skip which confounds electrophysiological testing of the SAN function in patients is devised."}
{"id": "PMID:1487936", "title": "Tissue engineering in the USA.", "content": "Tissue engineering is the application of the principles and methods of engineering and the life sciences towards the development of biological substitutes to restore, maintain or improve functions. It is an area which is emerging in importance worldwide. In the USA it has been actively fostered by the National Science Foundation, both through research grants and the sponsorship of a series of workshops starting in 1988. This brief review of activities in the USA focuses on cell culture technology as a foundation for tissue engineering and then discusses examples of applications. These include artificial skin and the use of encapsulated cells in the development of bioartificial organs. Also discussed is the reconstitution of a blood vessel in culture, both for use in basic research and for implantation as an artificial blood vessel in bypass surgery. In conclusion, other potential applications are mentioned as well as generic areas of technology for future development."}
{"id": "PMID:1487937", "title": "Cardiac stimulator for the study of refractory period control using current pulses of programmable duration and shape.", "content": "A programmable current stimulator has been developed that allows unipolar current pulses of complex shape, long duration and high current to be generated. The stimulator conforms to the safety requirements for devices connected directly to the heart. It incorporates additional safety features to prevent unintended current being delivered, even under fault conditions. The stimulator has been used to investigate the effects of long duration current pulses on the refractory period of cardiac tissue. The flexibility of the device suggests that it may well have uses in other fields of electrophysiology."}
{"id": "PMID:1487938", "title": "Heart rate variability as an index of autonomic imbalance in patients with recent myocardial infarction.", "content": "Autonomic nervous activities are estimated in three groups of patients: Group A consists of patients who had experienced myocardial infarction (MI) within 2-6 weeks before the tests; Group B consists of patients who had MI more than one year previously; Group C consists of matched controls, free of cardiac disease. Autonomic activity is estimated using postural effects on heart rate variability (HRV): a sympathetic activity index is defined as HRV power within a low frequency band (0.04-0.12 Hz) in the tilt position and a parasympathetic activity index is defined as HRV power in a high frequency band (0.18-0.28 Hz) in the supine position. Results show that, relative to controls, Group A patients have reduced parasympathetic activity index (5 + 3 against 13 + 8, normalised units; p < 0.05) and an increased ratio of sympathetic to parasympathetic activity (17 + 17 against 4 + 2; p < 0.05). Group B is not significantly different from Group A or C. The period of 2-6 weeks post-MI thus appears to be characterised by depressed parasympathetic nervous activity which can be measured using HRV analysis."}
{"id": "PMID:1487939", "title": "Active response of a one-dimensional cardiac model with gap junctions to extracellular stimulation.", "content": "To study the response of cardiac tissue to electrical stimulation, a one-dimensional model of cardiac tissue has been developed using linear core-conductor theory and the DiFrancesco-Noble model of Purkinje tissue. The cable lies in a restricted extracellular medium and includes a representation of the junctional resistances known to interconnect cardiac cells. Two electrode geometries are considered: (a) a semi-infinite cable with a monopolar electrode at the end of the cable and (b) a terminated cable with one electrode at each end of the cable. In a series of simulations, stimuli of varying magnitude and polarity are applied at three different times during the plateau of the action potential. The results at the stimulus site show that the action potential duration may either decrease or increase in response to the stimulus, depending on the polarity and application time of the stimulus. The spatial behaviour of the cable in response to the stimulus indicates that sites greater than 200 cells from the stimulating electrode are not affected by the stimulus."}
{"id": "PMID:1487940", "title": "Use of surface potential spectral characteristics for solving the inverse problem in electroneurography.", "content": "The changes in the power spectra of single-fibre extracellular action potentials (SFEAPs) generated in an infinite anisotropic frequency-dependent volume conductor, which occurred as a result of alterations in the propagation velocity v and duration T(in) of the intracellular action potential (IAP) were analytically determined. Effects of the temporal and spatial dispersions of almost synchronously activated fibres on the power spectrum of compound extracellular potentials (CEPs) were analysed for different shapes and sizes of the activated fibres' territory. It was found that, as a result of desynchronisation in the fibres' activation, dips existed in the CEP power spectra and that the frequencies of the dips depended on the degree of desynchronisation but did not depend on the velocity. It was shown that the hypothetical power spectrum of compound IAP was sensitive to the variations in the desynchronisation in the fibres' activation and in the risetime and duration of IAP even at a great fibre electrode distance typical for surface recordings."}
{"id": "PMID:1487941", "title": "Improved procedure of complex demodulation and an application to frequency analysis of sleep spindles in EEG.", "content": "Complex demodulation is a local version of harmonic analysis that enables the amplitude and phase of particular frequency components of a time series to be described as functions of time. The paper presents a computational procedure involving complex demodulation with interpolation of data in the frequency domain. A computational procedure comprising repeated use of complex demodulation is also presented. This is used to estimate the optimum choice of the demodulating frequency which considerably influences the measurement of the instantaneous amplitude and phase of the underlying process. The usefulness of this procedure is verified by computer simulation. An example of applying this procedure to the estimation of the centre and the instantaneous frequencies of sleep spindles in the EEG (electroencephalogram) is presented. By using the procedure developed here, several partially overlapping sleep spindles are detected and correctly separated. The paper also presents an approach to separating and analysing transient time series (such as overlapping sleep spindles) by using an accurate frequency processing technique."}
{"id": "PMID:1487942", "title": "Finite-element analysis of arterial anastomoses with vein, Dacron and PTFE grafts.", "content": "A finite-element simulation of an end-to-end artery/graft anastomosis has been presented in this study to evaluate the distribution of compliance and stresses in the vicinity of the anastomosis due to any mismatch in compliance characteristics. The arterial wall was assumed to be made of linear isotropic elastic material in this simplified model and a static analysis was performed with a mean arterial pressure loading of the artery-graft model. Anastomoses to vein grafts and both Dacron and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) grafts were studied. The results suggested the presence of a hypercompliant zone on the arterial side and a region of high tensile stresses in the wall on the graft side of the anastomosis. The presence of a hypercompliant zone has been reported from previous in vivo studies. The hypercompliance was larger with Dacron and PTFE grafts compared with that with the vein graft. However, larger tensile stresses were present in the wall of the vein graft compared with the synthetic grafts. The analysis further showed that increasing the diameter of the graft compared with the host artery to increase flow through the implant will result in a significant increase in the hypercompliance on the arterial side. Such simulation studies may prove valuable in studying the effects of compliance mismatch and suggest ways to improve the design of small diameter vascular grafts."}
{"id": "PMID:1487943", "title": "Interface load analysis for computer-aided design of below-knee prosthetic sockets.", "content": "A finite-element analysis is made for the compression of soft tissues of the residual lower limb contained in a prosthetic socket. The analysis is relevant to static loading during stance in a patellar-tendon-bearing, below-knee design of socket. Values of Young's modulus are obtained experimentally for use in the model. One of the main objectives is to study the sensitivity of the loading to these values and also to other assumed conditions. Using direct pressure at the limb/socket interface and vertical stiffness as indicators, changes in material properties, socket alignment and socket rectification are investigated; assumptions about the frictional characteristic at the interface are seen to be critical in determination of load distribution. This type of analysis may provide the next stage of refinement for computer-aided socket design systems."}
{"id": "PMID:1487944", "title": "Spatial localisation of NMR signals and electrical scanning of sensitive regions by the magnetic focusing method.", "content": "The spatial localisation of NMR signals by the magnetic focusing method is examined and a method for electrical scanning of a spatially localised region is proposed. The small amount of signal from points of the star taper in static field focusing can almost be neglected, and the spatial localisation of the signal corresponds to the shape of a prolate spheroid in the centre region of the star-shaped focusing field. Electrical scanning of the focused region can be achieved at any position in the magnet system by superimposing linear field gradients on the focused field in the scanning direction. These are the inherent limitations of the static magnetic field focusing method. The embodiment of the scanning movement of the focused field is also confirmed."}
{"id": "PMID:1487945", "title": "Electric field induced in a spherical volume conductor from arbitrary coils: application to magnetic stimulation and MEG.", "content": "A mathematical method is presented that allows fast and simple computation of the electric field and current density induced inside a homogeneous spherical volume conductor by current flowing in a coil. The total electric field inside the sphere is computed entirely from a set of line integrals performed along the coil current path. Coils of any closed shape are easily accommodated by the method. The technique can be applied to magnetic brain stimulation and to magnetoencephalography. For magnetic brain stimulation, the total electric field anywhere inside the head can be easily computed for any coil shape and placement. The reciprocity theorem may be applied so that the electric field represents the lead field of a magnetometer. The finite coil area and gradiometer loop spacing can be precisely accounted for without any surface integration by using this method. The theory shows that the steady-state, radially oriented induced electric field is zero everywhere inside the sphere for ramping coil current and highly attenuated for sinusoidal coil current. This allows the model to be extended to concentric spheres which have different electrical properties."}
{"id": "PMID:1487948", "title": "Prolonged retention of doubly labeled phosphatidylcholine in human plasma and erythrocytes after oral administration.", "content": "The plasma kinetics of a preparation of dilinoleoyl phosphatidylcholine (DLPC) specifically labeled with 3H in the choline moiety and with 14C in the 2-fatty acid (FA) were evaluated in six healthy volunteers after oral administration. Retention of both isotopes in plasma exceeded expectations, with a half-life in the elimination phase of 172.2 h for 3H and 69.7 h for 14C. Up to 60 d after administration, there were still significant levels of radioactivity present in plasma. The relative stability of the [14C]FA label was demonstrated by the retention for more than 12 h of an isotope ratio close to that of the compound administered. The 14C label of DLPC remained in position-2, as assessed by cleavage of plasma phospholipids with phospholipase A2. The [3H]choline label showed an early incorporation into high density lipoproteins and subsequently into low density lipoproteins (LDL); conversely, the 14C radioactivity was rapidly incorporated into triacylglycerols that were mainly associated with very low density lipoproteins. Radioactivity measurements revealed that both isotopes remained the longest time in LDL. In red blood cell (RBC) lipids, [3H]choline radioactivity accumulated over time, with a plateau after 48 h, whereas FA radioactivity accumulated more rapidly and was followed by a progressive decay. Analysis of the isotope ratio in these cells suggested an early incorporation of lyso products followed by rapid transfer of FA from plasma. The RBC maintained considerable radioactivity for a prolonged time, thus acting as a possible reservoir for the DLPC administered.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1487949", "title": "Reduction in triacylglycerol levels by fish oil correlates with free fatty acid levels in ad libitum fed rats.", "content": "Rats were fed (for 2 or 6 wk) purified diets containing lard (LD) or menhaden oil (MO) at two levels of dietary fat, i.e., at 11.5 and 20.8% of energy in the low fat (LF) and the medium fat (MF) diets, respectively. Following the diet period, rats were sacrificed after either an overnight fast or after uninterrupted ad libitum feeding. The studies were designed to investigate the dependence of our previously reported effects of MO, i.e. the reduction of plasma free fatty acid (FFA) levels and accumulation of hepatic triacylglycerols, on the dietary fat concentration and the nutritional state of the animal at the time of sacrifice. Reductions in plasma triacylglycerol and cholesterol levels in MO-fed relative to LD-fed rats were observed under all conditions. FFA levels were consistently reduced by MO-feeding at both dietary fat concentrations, but only when blood was sampled from ad libitum fed rats. Under these conditions there was a significant positive relationship between plasma FFA and triacylglycerol concentrations. Reduction in plasma FFA levels may be an additional mechanism associated with the triacylglycerol-lowering effect of fish oil (FO). The LF and MF MO diets caused a rise in plasma glucose levels with no significant change in insulin concentration, indicating that the reduction of FFA by MO was not related to changes in insulin concentration or insulin sensitivity. The MO diets had no effect on skeletal muscle or epididymal adipose tissue lipoprotein lipase activity, demonstrating that catabolism of triacylglycerol-rich lipoproteins contributes little, if any, to the MO-dependent reductions of plasma triacylglycerol and FFA.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1487950", "title": "Nonessential fatty acids in formula fat blends influence essential fatty acid metabolism and composition in plasma and organ lipid classes in piglets.", "content": "The n-6 and n-3 fatty acid status of developing organs is the cumulative result of the diet lipid composition and many complex events of lipid metabolism. Little information is available, however, on the potential effects of the saturated fatty acid chain length (8:0-16:0) or oleic acid (18:1) content of the diet on the subsequent metabolism of the essential fatty acids 18:2n-6 and 18:3n-3 and their elongated/desaturated products. The effects of feeding piglets formulas with fat blends containing either coconut oil (12:0 + 14:0) or medium chain triglycerides (MCT, 8:0 + 10:0) but similar levels of 18:1, 18:2n-6 and 18:3n-3, or MCT with high or low 18:1 but constant 18:2n-6 and 18:3n-3 on the fatty acid composition of plasma, liver and kidney triglycerides, phospholipids and cholesteryl esters, and of brain total lipid, were studied. Diet-induced changes in the fatty acid composition of lipid classes were generally similar for plasma, liver and kidney. Dietary 18:1 content was reflected in tissue lipids and was inversely associated with levels of 18:2n-6. Lower percentage of 18:2n-6, however, was not associated with lower levels of its elongated/desaturated product 20:4n-6 but was associated with higher levels of 22:6n-3. Feeding coconut oil vs. MCT resulted in lower 18:1 levels in all lipids, and higher percentages of 20:4n-6 in tissue phospholipid. Increasing the dietary n-6/n-3 ratio from 5 to 8 significantly increased tissue percentage of 18:2n-6 and decreased phospholipid 22:6n-3.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1487951", "title": "Headspace gas chromatography to determine human low density lipoprotein oxidation.", "content": "We previously described a rapid headspace gas chromatographic method for the determination of hexanal, an important decomposition product of n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) peroxidation in rat liver samples and human red blood cell membranes. This method was applied to the measurement of Cu2+ catalyzed-oxidation of freshly prepared human low density lipoproteins (LDL) from 10 healthy adult volunteers. A twofold variation in oxidative susceptibility was found by this assay for hexanal and other volatiles. Hexanal values correlated significantly (P < 0.05) with total polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA), 18:2 and n-6 PUFA contents of LDL; but poorly with 20:4 and with vitamin E. Therefore, in addition to alpha-tocopherol, other endogenous antioxidants and factors may contribute to LDL's resistance to oxidation. This simple, rapid and sensitive method for oxidative susceptibility provides a useful component in the analysis of the prooxidant/antioxidant status of biological samples. The method is used routinely in our laboratories to determine specific peroxidation products of n-6 and n-3 PUFA."}
{"id": "PMID:1487952", "title": "Fluorescence assay of glucosylceramide glucosidase using NBD-cerebroside.", "content": "A sensitive fluorometric assay for glucocerebroside beta-glucosidase [Dinur, T., Grabowski, G.A., Desnick, R.J., and Gatt, S. (1984) Anal. Biochem. 136, 223-234] has been reexamined. It was found that the lipids containing the NBD moiety (12-[N-methyl-N-(7-nitrobenz-2-oxa-1,3-diazol-4-yl)] used for standardization of the assay are light-sensitive and that the yield of fluorescent light is very sensitive to the composition of the solvent used in the fluorometric measurement. Some protection against fading could be obtained by adding a free-radical trapping agent, SlowFade. The fading of the free NBD-acid, when used for standardization, could be prevented by adding ethanol to the solvent, but this reduced the fluorescence yield. It is recommended that some of the fluorescent substrate be enzymatically hydrolyzed completely to NBD-ceramide, which can be utilized as the standard without the need to add ethanol. A warning about enzyme reaction rate stability with time is given, with a suggestion for ensuring constancy of activity."}
{"id": "PMID:1487953", "title": "Heterogeneity of molecular weight and apolipoproteins in low density lipoproteins of healthy human males.", "content": "The molecular weights of five low density lipoprotein (LDL) subfractions from four normal healthy males were determined by analytic ultracentrifuge sedimentation equilibria. Protein content of each subfraction was determined by elemental CHN analysis, and weights of apoprotein peptides were calculated. Molecular weights in subfractions of increasing density were 2.92 +/- 0.26, 2.94 +/- 0.12, 2.68 +/- 0.09, 2.68 +/- 0.28 and 2.23 +/- 0.22 million Da, and protein weight percentages were 21.05, 21.04, 22.05, 23.10 and 29.10, in subfractions 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, respectively. Total mean apoprotein weights for respective subfractions were 614 +/- 53, 621 +/- 45, 588 +/- 9, 637 +/- 83 and 645 +/- 62 KDa. In addition to a single apoprotein B-100 (apo B-100) peptide with a mean carbohydrate content of 7.1% and a molecular weight of 550 KDa per LDL particle, there may be one or more apoprotein E peptides of 34 KDa and/or apoprotein C-III of 9 KDa. In addition, subfractions 4 and 5 may contain 3-7% apolipoprotein (a). There is considerable heterogeneity among LDL subfractions as well as within the same fraction from different individuals. This heterogeneity may relate to differences in origin, metabolism and/or atherogenicity as a result of their content of apoproteins other than apo B-100."}
{"id": "PMID:1487954", "title": "Effects of a platelet-activating factor antagonist, CV-6209, on gastric mucosal lesions induced by ischemia-reperfusion.", "content": "Recent research was shown that oxygen-derived free radicals are involved in the pathogenesis of various diseases, including ischemia-reperfusion injury. We have also reported that oxygen-derived free radicals and lipid peroxidation may play an important role in gastric mucosal injury induced by ischemia-reperfusion. The hypoxanthine-xanthine oxidase system and neutrophils are considered important sources of oxygen-derived free radicals in this process. In recent years, it also has been shown that serum platelet-activating factor (PAF) levels increased during ischemia-reperfusion, and that induction of superoxide generation by neutrophils is one of the important biological effects of PAF. In the present study, we examined the effect of CV-6209, a specific PAF receptor antagonist, on gastric mucosal injury induced by ischemia-reperfusion, to shed some light on the possible involvement of PAF in such lesions. CV-6209 significantly attenuated the gastric mucosal injury induced by ischemia-reperfusion, and inhibited both an increase of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances and a decrease of alpha-tocopherol in gastric mucosa after ischemia-reperfusion. However, CV-6209 had no effect on gastric mucosal blood flow during ischemia-reperfusion. These results suggest that endogenous PAF may play an important role in gastric mucosal injury induced by ischemia-reperfusion, and that CV-6209 exerts its beneficial effect mainly by inhibiting neutrophil superoxide production induced by PAF."}
{"id": "PMID:1487955", "title": "The existence of a soluble plasmalogenase in guinea pig tissues.", "content": "The distribution of plasmalogenase for the hydrolysis of 1-alkenyl-2-acyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine (plasmenylethanolamine) in the subcellular fractions of guinea pig tissues was examined. Plasmalogenase activity was found in high abundance in the cytosolic fractions of the brain and the heart. Assessment of microsomal marker enzyme activities in the cytosolic fraction revealed that plasmalogenase activity in the cytosol was not due to microsomal contaminations. The characteristics of the cytosolic plasmalogenase were very similar to the microsomal enzyme with respect to the pH profile of the reaction, the presence of divalent cations and Km values for plasmenylethanolamine. However, the cytosolic enzyme was slightly less stable at 55 degrees C than the microsomal enzyme. Cytosolic enzyme activity was eluted as a broad peak in Sepharose 6B chromatography with an average molecular weight of 250,000. Our results demonstrate that most of brain plasmalogenase activity is soluble which makes the brain cytosol an excellent source to initiate the purification of this enzyme."}
{"id": "PMID:1487956", "title": "Production of the Criegee ozonide during the ozonation of 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine liposomes.", "content": "It is likely that Criegee ozonides are formed in small amounts in the lungs of animals breathing ozone-containing air. This makes these compounds potential candidates to act as secondary toxins which relay the toxic effects of ozone deeper into lung tissue than ozone itself could penetrate. Therefore, we have determined the yields of Criegee ozonides from unsaturated lipids in liposomal systems as a model of the types of yields of Criegee ozonides that might be expected both in the lung lining fluid layer and in biological membranes. Ozonation of 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine liposomes produced both cis- and trans-Criegee ozonides. These ozonides have been isolated by solid phase extraction and high-performance liquid chromatography of the ozonized lipid, and the products have been identified by two-dimensional 1H nuclear magnetic resonance. The combined yield of the cis- and trans-Criegee ozonides is 10.7 +/- 2.8% (avg. +/- SD, n = 7) with small unilamellar liposomes and 10.6 +/- 2.7% (n = 3) with large multilamellar liposomes. We had previously reported (Chem. Res. Toxicol. 5, 505-511, 1992) that ozonation of methyl oleate in sodium dodecylsulfate micelles also produces an 11% yield of the Criegee ozonides. Thus, ozonation in a variety of models gives about 11% of the Criegee ozonide, suggesting that these products also would be formed in small but significant amounts in the lungs of animals breathing polluted air. Further research on the pharmacokinetics and possible toxicity of the Criegee ozonides of fatty acids is suggested."}
{"id": "PMID:1487957", "title": "Kinetics of photoperoxidation of arachidonic acid: molecular mechanisms and effects of antioxidants.", "content": "The kinetics of photoperoxidation of [1-14C]arachidonic acid (20:4n-6) at 1.32 mM was studied either with the unsaturated fatty acid alone or in the presence of 10 microM of antioxidants and/or inhibitors of eicosanoid metabolism. The photosensitizer used was meso-tetraphenylporphine. The time-course of the reactions was followed by ultraviolet spectral analysis, thiobarbituric acid reactivity and high-performance liquid chromatographic analysis of aliquots sampled every 15 min during the 4 h of irradiation. The kinetics of photoperoxidation of 20:4n-6 can be divided into three main successive steps: (i) monohydroperoxidation, characterized by the appearance of conjugated diene patterns and monohydroperoxidized 20:4n-6; (ii) secondary oxidation characterized by polyoxygenated products such as dihydroperoxidized 20:4n-6 possessing conjugated triene patterns; and (iii) the disappearance of conjugated patterns and the oxidative cleavage of the products of the two first steps into aldehydic molecules reacting with thiobarbituric acid. During the first 90 min of irradiation, the mechanism of monohydroperoxidation (step one) is purely or predominantly type II photoperoxidation involving only singlet oxygen. This step was inhibited by beta-carotene and by BW755C (3-amino-1-[3-trifluoromethylphenyl]2-pyrazoline). In contrast, the reactions involved in the second and third steps were predominantly type I photoperoxidation involving radical mechanisms. These latter steps were inhibited by beta-carotene, BW755C, vitamin E and probucol. Indomethacin and 5,8,11,14-eicosatetraynoic acid did not alter 20:4n-6 photoperoxidation. This in vitro model of lipid photoperoxidation allows the screening of antioxidants in accordance with their singlet oxygen quenching and/or free radical scavenging properties."}
{"id": "PMID:1487958", "title": "Eicosapentaenoic acid at hypotriglyceridemic dose enhances the hepatic antioxidant defense in mice.", "content": "The effect of oral administration of purified (95%) eicosapentaenoic acid on serum lipids, hepatic peroxisomal enzymes, antioxidant enzymes and lipid peroxidation was compared with that of palmitic acid fed mice and corresponding controls. After 10 d, a dose of 1000 mg eicosapentaenoic acid per day/kg body weight lowered serum triglycerides by 45%, while no significant change in serum cholesterol level was noted in comparison to palmitic acid fed mice and controls. Hepatic acyl-CoA oxidase and catalase activities increased by 50% and 30%, respectively, in the eicosapentaenoic acid fed group. In addition, the hepatic reduced glutathione content and the activities of glutathione transferase, glutathione peroxidase and glutathione reductase, increased significantly during eicosapentaenoic acid treatment. The levels of hepatic lipid peroxides were lower after eicosapentaenoic acid feeding, while no significant change was noted in the palmitic acid fed mice when compared to the controls. Taken together, the present data demonstrate for the first time that at hypolipidemic doses eicosapentaenoic acid feeding i) enhances the hepatic antioxidant defense, and ii) does not cause a significant differential induction of the two peroxisomal enzymes, acyl-CoA oxidase and catalase, as was noted after administration of hypolipidemic peroxisome proliferating compounds, such as clofibrate in rodents."}
{"id": "PMID:1487959", "title": "Zinc deficiency in the rat alters the lipid composition of the erythrocyte membrane Triton shell.", "content": "The effect of dietary zinc deficiency on the lipid composition of the erythrocyte membrane Triton shell was determined. Weanling male Wistar rats were fed an egg white-based diet containing < 1.0 mg Zn/kg diet ad libitum. Control rats were either pair-fed or ad libitum-fed the basal diet supplemented with 100 mg Zn/kg diet. A Zn refed group was fed the -Zn diet until day 18 and then pair-fed the +Zn diet until day 21. Dietary Zn deficiency caused an increased cholesterol/phospholipid ratio in Triton shells compared to those from pair-fed controls. Zn deficiency caused a decreased double bond index of fatty acids in phosphatidylinositol (PI) and phosphatidylcholine (PC); there was a decreased proportion of 18:2n-6 and 22:4n-6 in PC and 20:4n-6 in PI as compared to that found in pair-fed controls. All glycerophospholipids that were retained in the shell had a lower double bond index and increased content of 16:0 and/or 18:0 relative to the phospholipid in the intact membrane."}
{"id": "PMID:1487960", "title": "Lipid composition of subcellular membranes from larvae and prepupae of Drosophila melanogaster.", "content": "Subcellular membranes were analyzed for their lipid composition and protein content at two developmental points representing the third instar wandering larvae and prepupal stages of Drosophila. At both stages, phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) and phosphatidylcholine (PC) were the major constituents with phosphatidylinositol (PI), phosphatidylserine (PS), diphosphatidylglycerol (DPG) and phosphatidic acid (PA) being relatively minor components. In total homogenates and in the nuclear-enriched fraction there was no significant difference in the phospholipid composition of the wandering larvae and prepupae. In mitochondria only a significant increase in the minor component PS was observed in the prepupae. In lysosomal membranes on the other hand, the relative abundance of the major components PE and PC increased in the prepupae although the molar ratios of the two lipids remained almost constant. The fatty acid composition of the phospholipids remained virtually unchanged in all of the fractions examined, including the lysosomes, and there was no evidence of lipid peroxidation. With regard to cellular degeneration and the involvement of lysosomes, we conclude that mechanisms other than gross modification of the lipid and/or lipid/protein ratio of their membranes are involved in the liberation of the acid phosphatase contents."}
{"id": "PMID:1487961", "title": "Free fatty acids inducing mouse lethal toxicity in lipid extracts of Engraulis japonica, the Japanese anchovy.", "content": "Mouse lethal toxicity was detected in the ether extract of Engraulis japonica (anchovy). The mouse toxicity of extracts was more potent from viscera than from other organs. Okadaic acid (C44H68O13) and dinophysistoxin (C45H70O13), lipophilic toxins derived from phytoplankton, which are usually considered to be the diarrhetic shellfish toxins, were not detected in the ether extract of ancovy. There occurred, however, two prominent peaks in high-performance liquid chromatography, which were identified as free eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). The mouse toxicity observed correlated with the intensity of these two peaks. Toxicity was reduced considerably by pretreatment with Na2CO3. By quantitating EPA toxicity, it was concluded that the toxicity was not due to EPA only but also to DHA. The results indicate that substances in Japanese anchovy associated with mouse lethal toxicity include free polyunsaturated fatty acids, mainly EPA and DHA."}
{"id": "PMID:1487962", "title": "Palmitic acid enhances cholesterol gallstone incidence in Sasco hamsters fed cholesterol enriched diets.", "content": "In an established hamster model of cholesterol cholelithiasis, a semipurified lithogenic diet containing 4% butterfat and 0.3% cholesterol leads to the production of cholesterol gallstones in only 50-60% of animals after a 6-wk feeding period. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether gallstone incidence could be increased while feeding a nutritionally adequate diet of moderate cholesterol content. The semipurified lithogenic diet was modified as follows: (i) substitution of 1.2% palmitic acid for 4% butterfat, and (ii) varying the amount of dietary cholesterol from 0.0 to 0.3% with either butterfat or palmitic acid as the lipid component of the diet. Substitution of palmitic acid for butterfat produced a significantly higher incidence of cholesterol gallstones (94% vs. 53%). Palmitic acid also raised the incidence of gallstones when added to the 0.1% and 0.2% cholesterol diets as compared to butterfat: 0% vs. 44% and 50% vs. 81%, respectively. Gallstone incidence increased from 0% to nearly 100% when the cholesterol content of the palmitic acid diets was raised from 0.0% to 0.3%, indicating a dose response effect with respect to dietary cholesterol. Hamsters fed cholesterol-free diets did not form gallstones. Increased dietary cholesterol led to increased liver weight associated with a significant increase in liver cholesterol concentration. However, the palmitic acid groups had significantly lower liver cholesterol values than the corresponding butterfat groups. Serum and biliary cholesterol concentrations increased with increasing dietary cholesterol intake, but there were no differences between the butterfat and palmitic acid groups.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1487963", "title": "Studies on the transfer of tocopherol between lipoproteins.", "content": "The net transfer of labeled alpha-tocopherol from donor to acceptor lipoproteins at physiological concentrations was investigated. Labeled lipoproteins were isolated i) following in vitro addition of [3,4-3H] all rac-alpha-tocopherol to plasma, or ii) from plasma obtained 12-16 h after ingestion by normal subjects of an oral dose (100 mg each) of 2R,4'R,8'R-alpha-[5,7-(C2H3)2]tocopheryl acetate and 2S,4'R,'R-alpha-[5-C2H3]tocopheryl acetate. A constant amount (on a protein basis) of labeled lipoprotein was incubated with an increasing amount of unlabeled acceptor lipoprotein for 2 h at 37 degrees C. No discrimination between stereoisomers of alpha-tocopherol was detected. Labeled VLDL and labeled LDL (very low and low density lipoproteins, respectively) tended to retain their labeled tocopherol. Labeled high density lipoproteins (HDL) readily transferred the labeled tocopherol to VLDL (> 60% transferred), while the transfer to LDL was dependent upon the ratio of labeled HDL/LDL with a lower net transfer at higher ratios. This dependency of the distribution of tocopherol upon the ratio of HDL/LDL was also observed in vivo. The tocopherol/mg HDL protein was measured in 11 subjects with varying HDL levels. As the % HDL in the plasma increased from 14 to 50%, the tocopherol/HDL protein also increased (r2 = 0.37, P < 0.05)."}
{"id": "PMID:1487964", "title": "Myogenic differentiation of the muscle clonal cell line BC3H-1 is accompanied by changes in its lipid composition.", "content": "Phospholipid and neutral lipid composition was studied in the course of myogenic differentiation of the clonal cell line BC3H-1. Total phospholipid content increased during differentiation, predominantly in the major classes of choline and ethanolamine glycerophospholipids. The contents of other lipids, such as triacylglycerols, diminished more than 50% during this period. The content and distribution of fatty acids also underwent marked differentiation-dependent changes. The polyunsaturated (tetrapenta- and hexaenoic) fatty acid species of several phospholipid classes diminished during differentiation, especially those in choline, serine and inositol glycerophospholipids. Most noticeable were the changes in phosphatidylserine; long-chain fatty acids having 20 to 22 carbon atoms and 4 to 6 double bonds decreased from about 30 to about 10 mol%. Although increased levels of saturation in other phospholipid fatty acyl chains appear to accompany the myogenic changes of BC3H-1 cells, some unsaturated fatty acids, such as oleic acid (18:1), increased by as much as 80% during the same period, suggesting the activation of a delta 9 desaturase. Sphingomyelin contained only saturated and monoenoic fatty acids and exhibited a four- to five-fold decrease in its content of monoenoic acyl groups. Diacylglycerols became enriched in arachidonate and docosahexaenoate. The amount of cholesterol and its esters increased slightly during differentiation of BC3H-1 cells. The data show that several metabolic pathways change during myogenic differentiation of the BC3H-1 clonal cell line, particularly de novo biosynthetic pathways, elongation/desaturation reactions, and acyl chain turnover.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1487965", "title": "Occurrence of long and very long polyenoic fatty acids of the n-9 series in rat spermatozoa.", "content": "Dietary deficiency of essential fatty acids of the n-3 and n-6 series is known to promote a compensatory increase in polyenoic fatty acids of the n-9 series in the lipids of mammalian tissues. In the present study long-chain n-9 polyenes were found to be normal components of the epididymis and especially of sperm isolated from that tissue, in healthy, well-fed, fertile rats maintained on essential fatty acid-sufficient diets. The n-9 polyenes occurred in large concentrations in the choline glycerophospholipids (CGP), the major phospholipid class of spermatozoa in epididymal cauda, and were highly concentrated in plasmenylcholine, the major subclass of CGP. The uncommon polyene 22:4n-9 was found in the highest proportion, followed in order of relative abundance by 22:3n-9, 20:3n-9 and 24:4n-9. These polyenes were probably derived from oleate (18:1n-9) in much the same way as long-chain polyenes of the n-6 and n-3 series are derived from linoleate (18:2n-6) and linolenate (18:3n-3), respectively."}
{"id": "PMID:1487966", "title": "Isolation and characterization of novel 2-hydroxy fatty acids from the phospholipids of the sponge Smenospongia aurea.", "content": "The Caribbean sponge Smenospongia aurea revealed the presence of six novel branched alpha-hydroxy fatty acids: 2-hydroxy-17-methyloctadecanoic acid, 2-hydroxy-21-methyldocosanoic acid, 2-hydroxy-22-methyltricosanoic acid, and 2-hydroxy-22-methyltetracosanoic acid, 2-hydroxy-24-methylpentacosanoic acid, and 2-hydroxy-23-methylpentacosanoic acid. These novel alpha-hydroxy fatty acids were associated with phosphatidylethanolamine. The sponges Aplysina lacunosa and Aplysina fistularis also contained considerable amounts of alpha-hydroxy fatty acids, the very long-chain 5,9,23-tricontatrienoic acid (30:3), and phytanic acid. The sterol composition of the three sponges was also studied. It indicated that A. lacunosa and A. fistularis contained large amounts of aplysterol and verongulasterol, while S. aurea did not show any of these sterols. The results are discussed in terms of the taxonomy of the species."}
{"id": "PMID:1487967", "title": "Cell membranes and multilamellar vesicles: influence of pH on solvent induced damage.", "content": "Pigment leakage from sheep and horse erythrocytes and from red beet tissue induced by non-polar solvents was determined as a function of pH. The results were compared to disruption of multilamellar vesicles (MLV) composed of phospholipids with equimolar cholesterol under identical conditions of solvent exposure and pH. Solvent access to cholesterol was used to measure vesicle disruption. MLV were made from 1,2-dioleoyl phosphatidylethanolamine, sphingomyelin (SP) and various phosphatidylcholines to simulate the major lipid components of membranes. Pigment leakage from erythrocytes caused by petroleum hydrocarbon (b.p. 60-80 degrees C) was maximal at pH 2-4 and at pH 10, but minimal at pH 6.8; alcohols caused less pigment leakage than petroleum hydrocarbon. Beta-cyanin leakage from beet tissue induced by petroleum hydrocarbon was maximal at pH 2, with very little leakage at pH 4, 6.6 and pH 10. Alcohols caused minimal damage to beet tissue above pH 2. Cholesterol removal by petroleum hydrocarbon from MLV of mixed lipid composition was maximal at pH 2-4, reduced at pH 6.8 and minimal at pH 10. Lipid mixtures in which fatty acyl side chains of one phospholipid were of a different length than the other lost more sterol than mixtures in which the acyl side chains were of identical chain length. MLV with more than 25% SP lost more sterol than those with less or no SP. Results show that in mixtures of phospholipids, SP exposes the hydrocarbon phase of a bilayer to solvent extraction, a property that was also observed in native membranes.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1487968", "title": "Evaluation of an oleic acid water-in-oil-in-water-type multiple emulsion as potential drug carrier via the enteral route.", "content": "A water-in-oil-in-water (W/O/W) emulsion composed of oleic acid was used as a carrier of carboxyfluorescein (CF) via the enteral route, as a model for future drug transport. The absorption of CF in the small intestine of rats given the emulsion (W/O/W group) was compared with the absorption in a group administered CF alone (CF group), and a group administered a mixed micelle of oleic acid and a surface-active agent in CF solution (MM group). Higher amounts of CF were absorbed in the W/O/W and MM groups than in the CF group. At 120 min, the amount of CF remaining in the intestinal tract was smaller in the MM group than in the W/O/W group. In the early period, CF excretion into bile was higher in the MM group than in the W/O/W group, but from 120 to 360 min, CF excretion in the W/O/W group was higher than in the MM group (non-specific). The blood CF level was significantly higher at 240 and 360 min in the W/O/W group than in the other two groups. The highest concentration in lymph was found in the W/O/W group. The W/O/W emulsion was considered superior to the micelles because it maintained a higher blood level of CF over long periods and transferred it to the lymph. This suggests that the W/O/W emulsion is applicable as a drug carrier via the enteral route."}
{"id": "PMID:1487969", "title": "Omega-3 fatty acid and cholesterol content of newly hatched chicks from alpha-linolenic acid enriched eggs.", "content": "Egg yolk was enriched with alpha-linolenic acid (18:3n-3) by feeding laying hens diets containing flax, canola or soybean seeds. Fertilized eggs were incubated and the fatty acid composition of whole body, liver, plasma, brain and the cholesterol content of plasma and liver tissue of the hatched chicks were studied. Eggs enriched with 18:2n-6 fatty acids by feeding hens diets containing sunflower seeds were used as the controls. Feeding flax enriched (P < 0.05) egg yolk and the developing progeny with 18:3n-3, 20:5n-3, 22:5n-3 and 22:6n-3. Feeding sunflower seeds resulted in an increase (P < 0.05) of 18:2n-6, 20:4n-6, 22:4n-6 and 22:5n-6. The predominant polyunsaturated fatty acid of the brain was docosahexaenoic acid (22:6n-3) which was higher (P < 0.05) in the flax and canola fed group. The cholesterol content of the liver tissue was lower (P < 0.05) in chicks hatched from hens fed flax seeds. This study indicates that 18:3n-3 and 18:2n-6 in the maternal diet are potent modulators of long-chain polyunsaturated n-3 or n-6 fatty acid and of cholesterol content in the developing progeny."}
{"id": "PMID:1487970", "title": "Effect of dietary linoleic acid content on the distribution of triacylglycerol molecular species in rat adipose tissue.", "content": "The present study examined the effect of varying dietary linoleate intake (0.01, 0.24, 2.4, 24, 80 or 160 g/kg diet) for 24 weeks on the distribution of triacylglycerol (TG) molecular species in rat epididymal adipose tissue. Adipose TG fractions were purified by thin-layer chromatography and separated into different molecular species by reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. The identification of TG species was based on fatty acid composition, retention time and the theoretical carbon number. When the dietary 18:2n-6 content was equal to or less than 24 g/kg, no significant amounts of n-6 fatty acids (mainly 18:2n-6) were observed in adipose tissue TG despite the fact that the levels of 20:4n-6 in liver phospholipids increased significantly. There were 12 major molecular species in adipose tissue when the dietary 18:2n-6 content was less than 2.4 g/kg. When the dietary 18:2n-6 content reached 24 g/kg, an additional six TG species containing one, two or three molecules of 18:2n-6 were observed. The levels of TG molecules containing two or three 18:2n-6 residues were further increased when the diet contained very large amounts of linoleic acid (160 g/kg). Conversely, those TG species containing only one 18:2n-6 residue became less abundant. It is suggested that the accumulation of these linoleate-rich TG molecular species in adipose tissue, particularly di- and trilinoleoyl containing TG, is the result of an adequate or an excessive intake of linoleic acid."}
{"id": "PMID:1487971", "title": "Site-specific differences in the fatty acid composition of human adipose tissue.", "content": "The fatty acid composition of triacylglycerols from fifteen distinct adipose depots taken from each of seven adult male human subjects was compared. Oleic, palmitic, linoleic, stearic, myristic, palmitoleic and vaccenic acids accounted for more than 90% of the triacylglycerol fatty acids in all sites from all subjects; a number of other fatty acids were also identified and quantified. There were large differences in the average fatty acid composition between individual subjects. There were no site-specific differences in the proportions of myristic (3.8-4.7% of triacylglycerol fatty acids), palmitic (23-29%), linoleic (6.7-9.8%) or vaccenic (4.1-4.7%) acids or in the proportions of any of the less abundant fatty acids. There were some significant site-specific differences in the proportions of palmitoleic, oleic and stearic acids. The calf depot contained more palmitoleic acid (6.41 +/- 1.09%) than the trapezius (3.12 +/- 0.55%), perirenal (3.59 +/- 0.50%) and mesenteric (3.70 +/- 0.43%) depots, more oleic acid (42.13 +/- 1.27%) than the trapezius (36.03 +/- 2.18%), perirenal (36.50 +/- 1.56%) and breast (37.13 +/- 1.55%) depots and less stearic acid (5.18 +/- 0.89%) than the trapezius (8.57 +/- 0.97%), perirenal (8.49 +/- 0.75%), mesenteric (7.87 +/- 0.42%), breast (8.02 +/- 0.75%) and clavicular (8.34 +/- 0.78%) depots. The buttock depot contained less stearic acid (6.06 +/- 0.65%) than the perirenal, mesenteric and clavicular depots, while the anterior thigh depot contained less stearic acid (6.07 +/- 0.70%) than the perirenal depot. These findings indicate that, while most human adipose depots differ little in fatty acid composition, some sites, in particular the calf, perirenal, trapezius and mesenteric depots, have site-specific properties."}
{"id": "PMID:1487972", "title": "Inhibition of phenytoin bioactivation and teratogenicity by dietary n-3 fatty acids in mice.", "content": "Evidence suggests that the teratogenicity of the anticonvulsant drug phenytoin (DPH) can result from its bioactivation via embryonic prostaglandin synthase and/or maternal cytochromes P450. This study examined whether DPH bioactivation and teratogenicity could be reduced by dietary n-3 fatty acids. Female CD-1 mice were fed diets containing 2 wt% safflower oil and 10 wt% of either hydrogenated coconut oil, safflower oil, or a cod liver oil/linseed oil mixture (CLO/LO) for three weeks prior to impregnation and throughout gestation. DPH (55 or 65 mg/kg) was administered via intraperitoneal injections to pregnant mice at 0900 on gestational days 12 and 13, and on day 19 fetuses were given teratologic assessments. A similar dietary study evaluated in vivo covalent binding of radiolabeled DPH administered on day 12, and dams were killed 24 h later. A reduction in DPH-induced cleft palates and a decrease in DPH covalent binding to embryonic protein was observed in the CLO/LO group. Feeding CLO/LO enhanced incorporation of n-3 fatty acids into embryos and inhibited embryonic prostaglandin synthase activity. No differences in maternal hepatic cytochromes P450 activities were observed among dietary treatments. These data indicate that dietary n-3 fatty acids could reduce DPH teratogenicity via inhibition of embryonic prostaglandin synthase bioactivation of DPH."}
{"id": "PMID:1487973", "title": "Plasma lipids and fatty acids in urbanized Bushmen, Hereros and Kavangos of southern Africa (Namibia).", "content": "Thirty-nine urbanized ethnic Namibian people comprising 21 Bushmen (semi-urbanized), 7 Hereros and 11 Kavangos were assessed for plasma lipids and fatty acid (FA) composition. Total cholesterol and triacylglycerol concentrations were measured by enzymatic methods, and neutral lipid FA composition by gas-liquid chromatography. The results demonstrated that while total cholesterol concentrations were not significantly different, significant differences in triacylglycerol concentrations (P < 0.05) were seen between Bushmen and Kavangos. By comparing Bushmen with Hereros and Kavangos, significant differences between Bushmen and Kavangos were also observed in plasma triacylglycerol FA compositions, particularly 16:0 (32.73% vs. 25.05%), 16:1n-7 (7.00% vs. 5.06%), 18:2n-6 (9.30% vs. 22.25%) and 20:3n-6 (0.12% vs. 0.48%), while Kavangos had higher 20:4n-6 levels than Hereros (1.44% vs. 2.00%). In plasma cholesteryl esters, Bushmen were significantly different from Kavangos in 16:1n-7 (8.85% vs. 4.93%), 18:1n-9 (32.06% vs. 23.07%) and 20:4n-6 (6.91% vs. 10.00%). Significant differences were also observed between Bushmen and Hereros in 18:0 (1.08% vs. 1.29%) and 18:2n-6 (35.68% vs. 45.50%). The FA of Namibian groups were also compared with South African reference groups comprising urbanized whites and Xhosas and rural Vendas. The differences in blood lipid values can be explained primarily by excessive alcohol consumption. These results suggest that semi-urbanized Bushmen have changed their diets under urbanized conditions which may increase their risk of coronary heart disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1487974", "title": "Toxoplasmosis and laboratory workers: a case-control assessment of risk.", "content": "The health risks to staff employed in a toxoplasma reference unit were studied. Sixteen laboratory staff exposed to Toxoplasma gondii and age/sex-matched controls from the general population and a routine microbiology laboratory were assessed. Multiple assays were performed to establish the presence of toxoplasma infection, and laboratory workers were questioned regarding environmental and work-related exposure to the parasite. Details of all of environmental exposure to toxoplasma between the two groups of laboratory personnel, and seroprevalence rates were comparable in all three groups. Three laboratory accidents were recorded, a rate of one per 9300 hours exposure. One case of presumed work-related infection was identified, but significant illness was not observed. Given adequate training, strict adherence to conventional laboratory protocols and medical supervision, laboratory accidents are infrequent and work-associated toxoplasma infection is uncommon. The risks associated with occupational exposure to T. gondii have been over-estimated and we conclude that this organism does not represent a significant health hazard to laboratory technicians."}
{"id": "PMID:1487975", "title": "Fundamentals of the polymerase chain reaction: a future in clinical diagnostics?", "content": "The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is an example of a technique that is having a profound impact on both fundamental and applied clinical science research. The availability of PCR-based diagnostic kits for the detection of polymorphisms within the HLA-DQA1 locus portends a technology that will undoubtedly become part of the clinical laboratory's diagnostic arsenal, and will extend and/or refine laboratory-based diagnosis in many areas. With current research effort directed to increase our knowledge of the overall structure of the human genome, and the identification of disease-associated genes and sequences, we can anticipate correspondingly rapid advances in its applications. This paper briefly reviews the basic facets of the PCR, which suggest it will fulfill such a role in future clinical diagnosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1487976", "title": "Gel techniques in blood group serology.", "content": "Serological investigation involves the interpretation of haemagglutination reactions, conventionally obtained in liquid phase systems. Gel centrifugation techniques utilise buffered dextran gels which separate red cells from their suspension media during a centrifugation phase, negative reactions resulting in the formation of a pellet of cells whereas agglutinations are trapped on top of, or throughout, the gel. The gels may be neutral or impregnated with specific reagents such as antihuman globulin, or antisera for phenotyping red cells. Gel systems have been found to be more sensitive than conventional serological techniques, particularly for the detection and identification of clinically significant antibodies. The elimination of the wash phase in the antiglobulin test, and the stability of the completed tests, provide greater reliability of results and enhance standardisation and control of laboratory procedures."}
{"id": "PMID:1487977", "title": "Measurement of faecal ammonia.", "content": "A modified end-point enzymatic method for the measurement of ammonia in stool water is presented. A protein precipitation step was included in order to inactivate urease and faecal enzymes, which oxidise NADH. The modified method is reliable, with acceptable precision and accuracy, and is linear up to a concentration of 1.5 mmol/l."}
{"id": "PMID:1487978", "title": "Factor VIIIc inhibitors: an automated assay.", "content": "A semi-automated assay for factor VIIIc inhibitors is described which is easy to perform, suitable for processing infectious risk samples, allows for the measurement of human and porcine inhibitors and may be used for kinetic studies of factor VIIIc inhibitors."}
{"id": "PMID:1487979", "title": "Haemoglobin A2 measurement using high performance liquid chromatography.", "content": "Haemoglobin A2 levels were assessed using a modular high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) system with a protocol designed for the measurement of haemoglobin A1C. There was good correlation (r = 0.96; P < 0.001) between this technique and the International Committee for Standardisation in Haematology (ICSH) recommended method of microchromatography. The range of haemoglobin A2 was found to be 2.3-3.2% in apparently normal individuals, and 4.0-6.7% in those with beta-thalassaemia trait. The HPLC system produced reliable results quickly for haemoglobin A2 with no alteration to the protocol used for measuring haemoglobin A1C."}
{"id": "PMID:1487980", "title": "von Willebrand factor antigen: a radial immunodiffusion method evaluated and compared with an ELISA method.", "content": "A new commercial kit method for the quantification of von Willebrand factor antigen (vWFAg) by radial immunodiffusion was compared to an established ELISA technique. Major discrepancies were found between the two methods. The radial immunodiffusion method had poorer intra- and inter-assay coefficients of variation than the ELISA method, although there was adequate inter-method agreement when 100 plasma samples from controls and patients were compared. However, there was a great difference in values obtained for vWFAg in the reference sample supplied with the commercial kit and that obtained directly from the National Institute for Biological Standards and Controls. There were also differences in levels of significance when vWFAg was measured by the two techniques in different clinical groups, and standard deviations were larger when the kit method was used. It is suggested that on scientific and economic grounds, the commercial radial immunodiffusion kit does not offer a competitive advantage over the ELISA method."}
{"id": "PMID:1487981", "title": "Legionella pneumophila species identification using a commercial latex agglutination kit: a potential cross-reaction problem with serogroup 12.", "content": "Seventy-nine strains of legionella spp. and 13 non-legionella isolates were tested using a commercial latex agglutination kit. Cross-reactions were observed for all strains of Legionella pneumophila serogroup 12 examined between latex particles coated with rabbit antibodies raised against L. pneumophila serogroup 1 and those coated with rabbit antibodies to serogroups 2-14. Strains of L. pneumophila serogroup 1 did not cross-react with latex particles directed against L. pneumophila serogroups 2-14. This suggests that L. pneumophila serogroup 12 shares common surface antigens with L. pneumophila serogroup 1, and that conversely serogroup 1 isolates do not share major surface antigen determinants with serogroups 2-14. All other isolates tested gave expected results."}
{"id": "PMID:1487984", "title": "Counts of viable tubercle bacilli in sputum related to smear and culture gradings.", "content": "Pairs of sputum specimens obtained pre-treatment from 166 smear-positive patients with pulmonary tuberculosis were examined by direct smear, culture on L\u00f6wenstein-Jensen medium after decontamination by the Petroff method, and by quantitative colony counting on selective 7H11 medium after digestion with dithiothreitol. The selective medium counts ranged from no growth to 8.3 log10 cfu/ml with the largest numbers in the range 3.5-7.0 log10 cfu/ml. Although there was overlap in counts between specimens with negative and positive direct smears, a specimen with a count of 4.0 log10 cfu/ml or more was likely to have a positive smear while a negative smear was likely if the count was lower. This demarcation value should be increased to 4.5 log10 cfu/ml to account for under-estimation in the selective medium counts. The corresponding demarcation estimate for LJ cultures was 80 colonies. In distinguishing between patients in the bacterial contents of their sputum, the selective medium counts were better than the gradings of either LJ cultures or direct smears."}
{"id": "PMID:1487999", "title": "Use of two-stage incubations to define sequential intermediates in endoplasmic reticulum to Golgi transport.", "content": "Identification of the temporal requirement for components through the use of two-stage incubations is valuable in dissecting the overall transport reaction into steps relevant to vesicle fission and those related to vesicle fusion. In the context of semiintact mammalian cells in which a functional vesicle intermediate has not been detected, components playing a role in targeting are presently difficult to identify. However, the two-stage incubations are particularly powerful when either the donor or acceptor compartments can be manipulated independently, as is the case for intra-Golgi transport using enriched Golgi fractions or in the case of ER-to-Golgi transport in perforated yeast, in which a vesicle intermediate can be physically isolated."}
{"id": "PMID:1488000", "title": "Use of sec mutants to define intermediates in protein transport from endoplasmic reticulum.", "content": "In this chapter we have discussed the methodology used to identify and characterize three intermediates in protein transport from the ER that represent stages of transport vesicle budding, targeting, and fusion. The intermediates are obtained using a variety of transport inhibitors: low-temperature incubations, addition of chemicals, or inactivation of Sec protein function using temperature-sensitive mutants or specific antibodies. In all cases, the transport block imposed by the inhibitor is reversible, permitting assessment of the requirements for transport from each intermediate stage. Based on the differential requirements for Sec protein function, as well as the distinct kinetics and efficiency of transport from each intermediate, we demonstrate that each transport intermediate is functionally distinct."}
{"id": "PMID:1488018", "title": "Microbial contamination of ambient air by ultrasonic humidifier and preventive measures.", "content": "The microbially contaminated ultrasonic humidifier (UH) causes humidifier fever. The number of airborne viable bacteria was determined when the UH was operating, and other methods to humidify the air of hospital wards were also examined. A UH contaminated with 10(5) bacteria ml(-1), a level common in hospitals, increased the bacterial count in the air from 860 m(-3) to 88,000 m(-3) at a distance of 3 m from the humidifier. Thus UH in hospitals may contaminate the air and be a potential hazard to patients. Contamination was slight when a washable and disinfectable ultrasonic nebulizer was used with disinfection at 24 h intervals. In tracheostomy patients requiring a high degree of air humidification, ultrasonic nebulizers which are readily washed and disinfected are recommended."}
{"id": "PMID:1488019", "title": "Involvement of cellular division cycle in the susceptibility of Escherichia coli to cold- and osmotic-shock.", "content": "Susceptibility of Escherichia coli to cold-shock, osmotic-shock and cold-osmotic-shock has been evaluated throughout the cellular division cycle for a variety of generation time. Two periods of sensitisation were detected. The first of these was towards cold-shock which occurred 60 min prior to cell division and might correspond to initiation of DNA replication. The second period of sensitisation was towards both cold-, osmotic- and cold-osmotic-shock and occurred immediately prior to and during cell division. Patterns and extents of sensitisation towards each of these three stresses during the second period were suggestive of a common sensitising event associated with constriction of the cell and separation."}
{"id": "PMID:1488020", "title": "Evaluation of the genotoxic spectrum of cisplatin for Candida albicans.", "content": "The platinum co-ordination complex cisplatin [cis-diamminedichloroplatinum (II)] is a highly effective anticancer drug whose activity derives from its ability to form adducts crosslinking neighbouring purine bases in DNA. Under in vitro conditions, cisplatin induced cellular inactivation, forward and reverse mutations, reciprocal and nonreciprocal mitotic recombinations and phenotypic switching in the opportunistically pathogenic yeast Candida albicans. Mutant and recombinant yields were higher with post-treatment growth at 25 degrees C rather than 37 degrees C: the reverse was true for cell death or phenotypic switches. These responses comport with prior evidence that, generally, the higher recovery temperature discourages DNA repair processes in C. albicans. Thiosulphate, an agent used therapeutically to reduce nephrotoxic side effects of cisplatin in humans, greatly decreased both the lethality and recombinagenicity of cisplatin for C. albicans. Implications of these observations for possible genetic destabilization of C. albicans populations born naturally by cancer patients undergoing treatments with cisplatin are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1488021", "title": "Ecology and distribution of toxigenic Vibrio cholerae in aquatic environments of a temperate region.", "content": "The occurrence of a human pathogen, Vibrio cholerae, in aquatic environments and the distribution of toxigenic strains were studied for 2 years. The pathogen was isolated from freshwater, brackish and marine environments. V. cholerae non-01 was frequently recovered but the 01 serogroup was not detected. Of the 57 environmental strains tested, eight (12%) were found to be potentially toxigenic. A number of atypical V. cholerae 01 strains were found which showed higher virulence potentials than the serogroup non-01 strains. A significant correlation of the incidence of the pathogen was noted with water temperature in freshwater environments. In marine environments, a reciprocal correlation of the V. cholerae count and salinity was observed. The present study describes the ecology of V. cholerae in aquatic environments of a temperate region and notes that the occurrence of potentially virulent strains could be of public health significance."}
{"id": "PMID:1488022", "title": "Mycoplasmas in the plaque and saliva of children.", "content": "Plaque and saliva samples from 60 children were screened for the presence of mycoplasmas. Each child provided a sample of stimulated saliva and one of plaque from the buccal surface of the most posterior tooth in the upper right quadrant. Mycoplasmas were cultured from 93% of the saliva samples and from 50% of the plaque samples. At the time of sampling, gingivitis was assessed at the site adjacent to that from which the plaque was taken. Mycoplasmas were found significantly more often in plaque from sites in which the adjacent gingivae exhibited inflammation than from sites in which no inflammation was detectable. The proportion of mycoplasmas in plaque from samples adjacent to inflamed gingivae was significantly greater than that in plaque from sites which were clinically healthy. A similar pattern was detected in the corresponding saliva samples. The finding of a greater incidence, together with increased levels, of mycoplasmas in plaque samples from sites with gingivitis may suggest a role for these organisms in this condition."}
{"id": "PMID:1488023", "title": "Identification of formyl Met-Leu-Phe in culture filtrates of Helicobacter pylori.", "content": "Helicobacter pylori synthesizes and secretes a substance which co-chromatographs and is antigenically cross-reactive with the bacterial chemotactic peptide fMet-Leu-Phe. Using reverse phase and affinity chromatography this substance has now been purified. Carboxypeptidase Y microsequencing has verified that this material is fMet-Leu-Phe. The infiltration of polymorphonuclear leucocytes to sites of H. pylori infection may be a response to mucosal permeation of soluble, diffusable bioreactive substances such as fMet-Leu-Phe."}
{"id": "PMID:1488024", "title": "An American anesthesia training program in East Africa.", "content": "A unique 5-year program designed to improve the quality and availability of anesthesia care in developing nations has been initiated in East Africa. Based upon North American anesthesiologists serving as volunteer teachers, the program emphasizes teaching to the exclusion of taking over anesthesia care. The teaching is practical and relevant to the clinical practice of anesthesia in developing countries. The volunteers teachers serve, one at a time, 12 months of the year for several years in two pre-existing structured East African anesthesia training programs, thereby providing the advantages of consistent, reliable teaching assistance for a period of years to programs of demonstrable interest and experience in anesthesia training."}
{"id": "PMID:1488032", "title": "Premature decline in Morris water maze performance of aging micrencephalic rats.", "content": "The rat with methylazoxymethanol-induced micrencephaly is a useful animal model of congenital brain defects and associated cognitive impairment. Born with profound morphological and neurochemical alterations in the forebrain, it shows impaired ability to learn mazes. In order to determine how an animal with such a developmentally damaged brain would function in old age, Long-Evans rats 6, 15, and 24 months of age were tested for their ability to learn to locate a hidden platform in the Morris water maze. The performance of micrencephalic rats of all ages was impaired on acquisition, retention, and transfer trials. Moreover, the magnitude of their acquisition deficit increased with age. It remains to be determined whether the premature decline of the micrencephalic rat in learning the task simply reflects a greater impact on an already compromised brain by neuron loss characteristic of aging brains or whether the prenatal insult alters some basic processes resulting in premature aging."}
{"id": "PMID:1488031", "title": "Deficits in development of central cholinergic pathways caused by fetal nicotine exposure: differential effects on choline acetyltransferase activity and [3H]hemicholinium-3 binding.", "content": "Nicotine has been hypothesized to induce neurobehavioral teratology by mimicking prematurely the natural developmental signals ordinarily communicated by the ontogeny of cholinergic synaptic transmission. In the current study, the effects of fetal nicotine exposure (2 mg/kg/day or 6 mg/kg/day) on development of central cholinergic pathways were examined in striatum and hippocampus of animals exposed from gestational days 4 through 20, using maternal infusions with osmotic minipumps. Brain region weights and choline acetyltransferase activity, an enzymatic marker for development of cholinergic nerve terminals, were within normal limits in the nicotine-exposed animals. However, development of [3H]hemicholinium-3 binding which labels the presynaptic high affinity cholinergic transporter, was deficient in both striatum and hippocampus. Abnormalities occurred during two distinct phases; in the early neonatal period, when [3H]hemicholinium-3 binding sites are transiently overexpressed, and during or after the period of rapid synaptogenesis, when binding in controls is rising consequent to the increase in nerve impulse activity. These data thus indicate that fetal nicotine exposure, even at doses that do not cause overt signs of maternal/fetal/neonatal toxicity or growth impairment, influences both specific gene expression of cholinergic nerve terminal markers, as well as indices of neuronal function. Comparison of regional selectivity at the two dose levels indicated greater sensitivity of the striatum, a region with a prenatal peak of neuronal mitosis, as compared to hippocampus, where mitosis peaks postnatally; the regional differences are consistent with vulnerability to nicotine during a critical phase of cell development."}
{"id": "PMID:1488033", "title": "The effect of prenatal alcohol exposure on attention in the rat.", "content": "The effect of prenatal exposure to alcohol on the development of basal heart rate and on the elicitation and habituation of the heart rate orienting response was examined in three experiments with rats. In all experiments, Etoh dams consumed large, daily amounts of alcohol and their weight gain during pregnancy was less than that of ad lib or pairfed dams. In addition, Etoh-exposed pups weighed less and grew more slowly than their ad lib or pairfed counterparts. Although prenatal exposure to alcohol had a significant effect on the ontogeny of basal heart rate, there was no effect on the magnitude of the heart-rate response to a novel olfactory stimulus or on habituation of the heart-rate response to that stimulus. Implications of the present findings for models of alcohol-induced attention deficits are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1488034", "title": "Maternal psychotropic medication and neonatal behavior.", "content": "A sample of 29 psychiatrically ill women and a non-ill comparison group were recruited during pregnancy. Twelve of the ill mothers were receiving antipsychotic and anti-anxiety medication during the final trimester of pregnancy. The behavior of their infants was assessed at 3 and 14 days of age using the Brazelton Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale. Compared to infants of non-ill mothers and infants of ill nonmedicated mothers, infants whose mothers received antipsychotic drugs--particularly those in the phenothiazine family--showed a stable pattern of poor neonatal motor functioning that included tremulousness, hypertonicity, and poor motor maturity. It was speculated that this behavior was symptomatic of a neonatal abstinence or withdrawal syndrome."}
{"id": "PMID:1488039", "title": "EEG monitoring of carotid endarterectomy with routine patch-graft angioplasty: an experience in a large series.", "content": "Four hundred and thirty-nine carotid endarterectomies (CEAs) with routine use of patchgraft angioplasty were performed in 375 patients; the indwelling shunt was used only in patients showing clamp-related EEG abnormalities. Five patients showed EEG abnormalities just after head positioning, which reversed after removal of head hyperextension; three cases suffered EEG flattening due to severe bradycardia or cardiac arrest before carotid clamping, which promptly reversed after treatment. Clamp-related EEG abnormalities appeared in 106 operations (24.2%) and all reversed after the insertion of the indwelling shunt; patients with occlusion of the contralateral internal carotid artery showed a 68.8% rate of EEG clamp-related changes. The short term follow-up (one month after the operation) showed six minor strokes with complete recovery (1.37%), one intraoperative stroke (0.23%), three delayed major strokes (0.69%) and three neurological deaths (0.69%). The long-term follow-up over an average of 42 months showed a 3.7% rate of relevant neurological complications (ie permanent deficits + death) and a 3.16% rate significant restenosis or occlusion of the operated carotid artery. Our results show that the routine use of EEG monitoring and patch-graft angioplasty allow to perform CEAs with a very high degree of safety, improving the clinical course of the disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1488040", "title": "[Continuous localized EEG discharge during sleep in children without neuropsychological problems].", "content": "After having reported continuous localized EEG discharge during slow sleep (CLEDS) in six children with congenital encephalopathy, we observed a similar EEG picture in six children free from both neuropsychological and neuroradiological defects. They suffered from partial idiopathic epilepsy; five presented a familial disposition towards febrile seizures. Continuous paroxysmal activity during sleep was observed from 4.8 yrs to 4.11 yrs (mean age: 4.9 yrs). Spontaneous remission of CLEDS was observed in three cases after 2-25 months, but one or more relapses occurred in two cases, and five children are still suffering from CLEDS. Seizures were controlled by drugs in all cases. Deterioration of intelligence level, although not severe, was observed in one case, after 24 months of CLEDS."}
{"id": "PMID:1488036", "title": "A fostering study of the effects of prenatal cocaine exposure: I. Maternal behaviors.", "content": "The effect of rearing condition and prenatal exposure to cocaine on maternal behaviors was examined. Sprague-Dawley dams were given SC injections of 40 mg/kg/3cc cocaine HCl (C40) or saline (LC) daily from gestational days 8-20. Maternal behavior was assessed in treated dams rearing their biological pups (LC/LC; C40/C40), treated dams rearing untreated pups (LC/FOS; C40/FOS), and foster dams rearing treated pups (FOS/LC; FOS/C40). All dams were monitored for home cage behavior (time eating, drinking, and with pups) for 2 h during both the light and dark cycle on postnatal day 4 (P4), pup retrieval on P5-P9, and maternal aggression to a female intruder (latency to the first attack, number of attacks, boxing, pins, intruder time spent submissive and motionless) on P10. No differences were observed in nest behavior or in tests of pup retrieval among the six groups. Dams rearing their biological litter (LC/LC and C40/C40) were significantly quicker to initiate the first attack when compared to all other groups. This increased aggression was maintained throughout the test session in the C40/C40 dams who made significantly more intruder attacks than all other groups, with the intruder spending significantly more time in a submissive posture (lying on back). In contrast, LC/LC dams did not exhibit an increased number of attacks during the test, apparently responding to an increased freezing in their intruders with a reduction in aggressive behavior. Taken together these findings suggest that prior cocaine exposure results in alterations in maternal aggression that is evident when these dams rear their own pups."}
{"id": "PMID:1488041", "title": "[REM-sleep behavior disorder and olivo-ponto-cerebellar atrophy: a case report].", "content": "The authors report the observation of REM-sleep behavior disorder in a patient also suffering from an olivo-ponto-cerebellar atrophy. They discuss the place of this sleep disorder among the parasomnias, its pathophysiological basis and its features similar to those of the somnambulism. Only a polysomnography study can help to make the diagnosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1488042", "title": "[Idiopathic peripheral facial paralysis. Prognostic value of the combined study of the blink reflex with stimulation of the facial nerve. 91 cases].", "content": "The blink reflex and stimulodetection of the facial nerve was studied during the first ten days, the 30th and 60th day and at the end of the sixth month in 91 patients with Bell's palsy. In patients with present R1 during the first ten days, there was a remarkable tendency towards a satisfactory recovery without complications. On the contrary using this single test, it is impossible to determine with 100% accuracy, which Bell's palsy will have an unsatisfactory recovery with severe dysfunction. The blink reflex seems to be a useful test for predicting the prognosis in an early stage of the paralysis. The association of the blink reflex and stimulodetection of the facial nerve allows to evaluate the risk of sequelae by the means of different electrophysiological patterns."}
{"id": "PMID:1488037", "title": "A fostering study of the effects of prenatal cocaine exposure: II. Offspring behavioral measures.", "content": "The impact of rearing condition was assessed in Sprague-Dawley dams given 40 mg/kg cocaine (C40) or saline (LC control) subcutaneously (SC) from gestational days 8-20 and their offspring. Treated pups reared by their biological dams (LC/LC; C40/C40), treated pups reared by surrogate dams (FOS/LC; FOS/C40), and foster pups raised by treated dams (LC/FOS; C40/FOS) were examined. On postnatal day 7 (P7), pups received either 0 (unpaired) 2, 3, or 4 pairings of an odor and footshock and were tested for their aversion to this odor. Foster and LC pups, regardless of rearing condition, exhibited significant odor aversions following either 2, 3, or 4 training trials. In contrast, C40 pups reared by surrogate dams required 4 trials to acquire the aversion, and C40 pups reared by their own dams did not exhibit conditioning even after 4 trials. At P17, no differences were seen among the groups in the aversion formed to an auditory or an olfactory stimulus that was paired with footshock. At P60, shock-elicited aggression among pairs of siblings was examined. Regardless of prenatal exposure condition, offspring reared by dams given cocaine showed a decreased latency to the first aggressive contact, an effect that was evident without any alteration in shock sensitivity. Together these data suggest that being reared by a dam previously exposed to cocaine has an impact on offspring behavioral function apart from the effects of prenatal cocaine exposure per se. The implications of the data regarding the cognitive performance of pups exposed prenatally to cocaine are also discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1488035", "title": "The effects of prenatal tobacco and marijuana use on offspring growth from birth through 3 years of age.", "content": "This is a prospective study of prenatal substance use. Women were interviewed during their fourth and seventh months of pregnancy, at delivery, and at 8, 18, and 36 months postpartum. At birth, there were 763 liveborn, singleton offspring in the sample. At each phase, the offspring were examined and measured for growth. Data are presented on the relationship between tobacco and marijuana use and the size of the offspring at birth, 8, 18, and 36 months of age. At birth, there was a significant inverse relationship between tobacco use and weight, length, and head circumference. At 8 months of age, only length continued to be associated with prenatal tobacco exposure. By 18 months of age, there was no relationship between prenatal tobacco exposure and size of the offspring. Prenatal marijuana exposure was only associated with decreased length at birth. Neither tobacco nor marijuana use predicted gestational age or morphological abnormalities."}
{"id": "PMID:1488043", "title": "Sympathetic skin response in hemispheric lesions.", "content": "We recorded the sympathetic skin response (SSR) from electrical nerve stimulation in 16 patients with cerebrovascular accident (CVA). Location and nature of the lesion were documented by computerized tomography (CT). Median (pre-rolandic and parietal) somatosensory evoked potentials (SEP) were also recorded. SSR was absent bilaterally in eight hemiplegics after stimulation of the plegic side and present bilaterally after stimulation of the normal side in the first weeks after CVA. Parietal and pre-rolandic SEPs were absent in the affected hemispheres. SSR was present bilaterally after stimulation of each side in the remaining CVA cases with reduced amplitude SEPs. Absence of the electrically evoked SSR in hemispheric lesions may be due to involvement of central afferent pathways or temporary suppression of suprasegmental excitatory influences."}
{"id": "PMID:1488038", "title": "Effects of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin on behavior of monkeys in peer groups.", "content": "Adult female rhesus monkeys were fed diets containing 0, 5, or 25 ppt 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) for approximately 4 years. They were bred to unexposed males during TCDD exposure (Experiment 1) and again after TCDD exposure ended (Experiment 2). Offspring from both experiments were weaned at 4 months and socialized for 1.5 h/day in groups of four monkeys each beginning at approximately 8 months of age. Each social group contained both control and TCDD-exposed monkeys. In Experiment 2, the offspring were later placed in new social groups containing only monkeys from the same TCDD exposure condition. The TCDD-exposed offspring born concurrent with maternal TCDD exposure (Experiment 1) initiated more rough-tumble play, retreated less during play bouts, and were less often displaced from preferred positions in the playroom. They also engaged in more self-directed behaviors. The behavior of offspring born after maternal TCDD exposure ended (Experiment 2) was not altered when they were socialized with control monkeys. However, some behavioral changes did emerge when they were placed in social groups containing only TCDD-exposed monkeys."}
{"id": "PMID:1488044", "title": "Acylation of 1-palmitoyl-sn-glycerophosphocholine by chick brain microsomes is unaffected by fatty acid binding protein.", "content": "Rates of incorporation of exogenously supplied fatty acids into 1-palmitoyl-sn-glycerophosphocholine were measured using the microsomal fraction from brains of 14-15 day old chick embryos. The substrate preferences for reacylation were: 18: 2(n-6) = 20: 4(n-6) > or = 20: 5(n-3) = 18: 3(n-3) > or = 18: 1(n-9) > or  = 22: 6(n-3) > or = 18: 0. The normalized rate with 18: 0 was significantly lower than all other rates except for 22: 6(n-3), and the acylation rate with 22: 6(n-3) was significantly lower than with 18: 2(n-6) and 20: 5(n-3). With the addition of fatty acid binding protein partially purified from brain cytosol, a decrease (not significant) in the rate of incorporation was observed; the substrate preference was unchanged. In the presence of FABP, normalized rates with 18: 2(n-6) were significantly higher than with 18: 0, 18: 1(n-9), or 22: 6(n-3); rates with 20: 4(n-6) were significantly higher than those with 22: 6(n-3). Preliminary data on the acylation of 1-palmitoyl-sn-glycerophosphoethanolamine showed lower rates of incorporation than for the choline analogue and no clear substrate preference, but a similar lack of effect of fatty acid binding protein. These results do not support the proposed function of fatty acid binding protein in the establishment of a phospholipid composition rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids. The results are consistent, however, with the role of the reacylation reaction in the continual turnover of particular substrates [18: 2(n-6) and 20: 4(n-6)] used to generate second messengers."}
{"id": "PMID:1488045", "title": "Metabolism in rat and affinity chromatographic purification of bone sialoprotein secreted by metabolically labelled rat osteoblastic cells (UMR-106).", "content": "An osteoblastic, established cell line UMR-106 was shown to synthesize high levels of the bone-specific, bone sialoprotein (BSP). BSP could be radiolabelled to high specific activity by adding 3H-glucosamine and 35S-sulfate to the UMR-106 cultures and was isolated to high purity using ion-exchange and affinity chromatography on immobilized serotonin. The radiolabelled BSP, partially purified by ion-exchange chromatography, was injected intravenously into a rat in order to study its tissue distribution and urinary clearance. About 43% of the total recovered radioactivity was excreted in the urine within 75 h and the remainder was widely distributed, with the liver, kidney, heart and pelt showing the highest concentrations. The use of established cell lines for the synthesis of radiolabelled glycoconjugates, in conjunction with rapid purification on affinity matrix, provides a useful approach for studying the metabolism of glycoconjugates in whole animals."}
{"id": "PMID:1488046", "title": "Albumen gland of the snail Achatina fulica is the site for synthesis of AchatininH, a sialic acid binding lectin.", "content": "A sialic acid binding lectin, AchatininH was purified from the hemolymph of Achatina fulica snail. To identify the site of synthesis of AchatininH, in vitro incubation studies in presence of labelled amino acid precursor were performed. Different organs from the snail were sliced and incubated in methionine-deficient Eagle's minimum essential medium containing [35S]-methionine at 25 degrees C for 5 h. After termination of incubation, tissues were homogenized, centrifuged and the de novo synthesized protein was immunoprecipitated with specific AchatininH antibody, followed by protein-A. The precipitated antigen-antibody complex was analysed by SDS-PAGE. Data obtained from native gel electrophoresis and SDS-PAGE radioautographic analysis indicates that AchatininH is synthesized in the albumen gland."}
{"id": "PMID:1488047", "title": "Revisiting the action of bovine ribonuclease A and pancreatic-type ribonucleases on double-stranded RNA.", "content": "Single-strand-preferring ribonucleases of the pancreatic type, structurally and/or catalytically similar to bovine RNase A but endowed with a higher protein basicity, are able to degrade double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) or DNA:RNA hybrids under standard assay conditions (0.15 M NaCl, 0.015 M sodium citrate, pH 7), where RNase A is inactive. This enzyme too, however, becomes quite active if assay conditions are slightly modified or its basicity is increased (polyspermine-RNase). In the attempt to review these facts, we have analyzed and discussed the role that in the process have the secondary structure of dsRNA as well as other variables whose influence has come to light in addition to that of the basicity of the enzyme protein, i.e., the ionic strength, the presence of carbohydrates on the RNase molecule, and the structure (monomeric or dimeric) of the enzyme. A possible mechanism by which dsRNAs are attacked by pancreatic-type RNases has been proposed."}
{"id": "PMID:1488048", "title": "Characterization of bone protein components with polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis: effects of zinc and hormones in tissue culture.", "content": "An attempt was made to clarify the molecular characterization of zinc-induced bone protein synthesis in tissue culture. Calvaria were removed from weanling rat (3-week-old male) and cultured for periods up to 48 hr in Dulbecco's Modified Eagle Medium (high Glucose, 4500 mg/dl) supplemented with antibiotics and bovine serum albumin. When calvaria cultured in the presence of 10(-5) to 10(-4) M zinc were pulsed with [3H] leucine, zinc caused a significant increase in the incorporation of [3H] leucine into the acid-insoluble residues of bone tissue. The soluble fraction obtained from cultured bone was analyzed with SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). The major components in the fraction obtained from control bone were 68 killo-dalton (kDa) and 45 kDa proteins. These components were clearly increased by the presence of zinc (10(-4) M). The effect of zinc was completely abolished by the coexistence of 10(-6) M cycloheximide. Meanwhile, 10(-9) M estrogen or 10(-8) M insulin, which can stimulate bone formation, did not enhance the effect of zinc to increase bone 68 and 45 kDa proteins. The present findings suggest that zinc increases many bone protein components, especially 68 and 45 kDa proteins."}
{"id": "PMID:1488049", "title": "Effect of outlet obstruction on pyruvate metabolism of the rabbit urinary bladder.", "content": "Bladder function is dependent upon cellular metabolism of substrates and the adequate generation of high-energy phosphate compounds. Partial outlet obstruction induces a marked decrease in bladder function which is associated with a significant decrease in the oxidative metabolism of glucose. The current investigation was designed to determine whether the time course of the decrease in mitochondrial oxidation in the hypertrophied urinary bladder is similar to the time course of the contractile dysfunction observed. In these studies we determined: 1) the rate of 14C-pyruvate metabolism to 14CO2 in control and obstructed tissue (1, 3, 5 and 7 days), and 2) the mitochondrial enzymatic activities of malate dehydrogenase and citrate synthase. The results can be summarized as follows: 1) The rate of pyruvate metabolism decreases by over 50% within one day following partial outlet obstruction, and remains at this level for the seven day period of study. 2) Kinetic analysis demonstrates that the change in enzymatic activity is related to a decrease in Vmax; the Kd for pyruvate is similar for control and after all time periods of obstruction. 3) The enzymatic activity of malate dehydrogenase and citrate synthase is reduced by over 50% within one day following partial obstruction, and remains at this level throughout the 7 day study period. These metabolic results correlate in time and duration with the decreased ability of the bladder to empty following partial outlet obstruction."}
{"id": "PMID:1488050", "title": "The antineoplastic agent estramustine and the derivative estramustine-phosphate inhibit secretion of interleukin-3 in leukemic cells. Possible roles of MAPs.", "content": "The antineoplastic drug estramustine is an adduct of estradiol and nor-nitrogen mustard. It has been shown that this drug interferes with microtubule assembly, an effect mediated by estramustine interaction with microtubule-associated proteins (MAPs). In the present report we demonstrate that estramustine and the phosphorylated derivative of the drug, estramustine-phosphate, inhibit the secretion of interleukin-3 by WEHI-3B cells. These studies also show that the estramustine derivative specifically interacts with a MAPs component found in these cells, which exhibited characteristics ressembling those of tau protein isoforms. Western blots using a unique monoclonal antibody MTB6.22 that recognizes microtubule-binding domains on MAPs, indicated that this WEHI protein factor contained the antigenic determinant that are functionally significant for microtubule assembly. ELISA assays using this antibody, also showed a decrease in the levels of the immunoreactive protein in WEHI cells after treatment with EMP. Interestingly, it has been recently described that the action of estramustine-phosphate is mediated by a direct interaction with MAP-binding sites on the microtubule surface, which are recognized by the site-specific monoclonal antibody. These findings together with immuno-precipitation experiments using anti-interleukin-3 antibodies and the inhibitory effect of the estramustine derivative on WEHI secretion process suggest that this anti-mitotic agent may block IL-3 secretion by a mechanism involving its interaction with a 'tau-like' MAPs component present in these cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1488051", "title": "Effects of exercise training and diabetes on cardiac myosin heavy chain composition.", "content": "This study determined whether the beneficial effects of exercise training on the diabetic heart previously observed are associated with alterations in ventricular myosin heavy chain (MHC) isoform composition. Diabetes was induced in rats by i.v. streptozotocin. Trained rats were run on a treadmill for 60 min/day, 27 m/min, 10% grade. After 10 wks, ventricular MHC isoenzyme protein composition was analyzed for MHC composition using gel electrophoresis. alpha-MHC and beta-MHC mRNA were determined by Northern and slot blot hybridization techniques. Both protein and mRNA analyses indicated that sedentary control rats exhibited a predominance of alpha-MHC. Sedentary diabetics exhibited a shift to beta-MHC. Exercise trained diabetic rats showed a predominance of beta-MHC. The results indicate that treadmill exercise training of diabetic rat does not prevent the diabetes-induced shift in MHC composition towards the beta-MHC isoform, thus it is unlikely that the beneficial effects of exercise training on the diabetic heart, previously shown, are due to a normalization of the myosin isoform composition."}
{"id": "PMID:1488053", "title": "Characterization of a novel microsomal glutathione S-transferase produced by Aspergillus ochraceus TS.", "content": "Purification and characterization of microsomal glutathione S-transferase produced by Aspergillus ochraceus TS are reported. The isozymes are located in microsomes and were active against 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene, ethacrynic acid, 1,2-dichloro-4-nitrobenzene, trans-4-phenyl-3-buten-2-one,p-nitrobenzyl chloride and bromosulphophthalein. They were inhibited by N-ethylmaleimide and bromosulphophthalein. The GST isozymes produced by Aspergillus ochraceus TS are indistinguishable in respect of their molecular mass both in native and denatured state. The subunit of the purified protein had an apparent M(r) of 11 kDa while molecular mass of the native protein is around 56 kDa. The substrate specificity and pI values of the isozymes were different. The GSTs produced by Aspergillus ochraceus TS fairly share functional properties with mammalian cytosolic isozymes."}
{"id": "PMID:1488052", "title": "The nucleotide metabolism in lactate perfused hearts under ischaemic and reperfused conditions.", "content": "It was examined whether lactate influences postischaemic hemodynamic recovery as a function of the duration of ischaemia and whether changes in high-energy phosphate metabolism under ischaemic and reperfused conditions could be held responsible for impairment of cardiac function. To this end, isolated working rat hearts were perfused with either glucose (11 mM), glucose (11 mM) plus lactate (5 mM) or glucose (11 mM) plus pyruvate (5 mM). The extent of ischaemic injury was varied by changing the intervals of ischaemia, i.e. 15, 30 and 45 min. Perfusion by lactate evoked marked depression of functional recovery after 30 min of ischaemia. Perfusion by pyruvate resulted in marked decline of cardiac function after 45 min of ischaemia, while in glucose perfused hearts hemodynamic performance was still recovered to some extent after 45 min of ischaemia. Hence, lactate accelerates postischaemic hemodynamic impairment compared to glucose and pyruvate. The marked decline in functional recovery of the lactate perfused hearts cannot be ascribed to the extent of degradation of high-energy phosphates during ischaemia as compared to glucose and pyruvate perfused hearts. Glycolytic ATP formation (evaluated by the rate of lactate production) can neither be responsible for loss of cardiac function in the lactate perfused hearts. Moreover, failure of reenergization during reperfusion, the amount of nucleosides and oxypurines lost or the level of high-energy phosphates at the end of reperfusion cannot explain lactate-induced impairment. Alternatively, the accumulation of endogenous lactate may have contributed to ischaemic damage in the lactate perfused hearts after 30 min of ischaemia as it was higher in the lactate than in the glucose or pyruvate perfused hearts. It cannot be excluded that possible beneficial effects of the elevated glycolytic ATP formation during 15 to 30 min of ischaemia in the lactate perfused hearts are counterbalanced by the detrimental effects of lactate accumulation."}
{"id": "PMID:1488054", "title": "High affinity DNA-microtubule interactions: evidence for a conserved DNA-MAP interaction involving unusual high CsCl density repetitious DNA families.", "content": "We have examined high affinity interactions of chick brain microtubule proteins with 35S labelled tracer DNAs from chick, mouse and D. melanogaster under equilibrium conditions by the nitrocellulose filter binding technique. Ternary reaction mixtures of the above two components and a third component, an excess of unlabelled competitor DNA from either E. coli., mouse, D. melanogaster or chick, were used to measure small fractions of DNA in each case (1-4%) bound to microtubule protein under high stringency- large competitor DNA concentration and 0.5 M NaCl. As seen in part previously (Marx, K.A. and Denial, T. (1985) in The Molecular Basis of Cancer, 172B, 65-75 (Rein, ed), A. Liss, N.Y.) the measured order of competitor DNA strengths was identical for all three tracer DNAs. That is: chick > mouse > D. melanogaster > E. coli competitor DNA. Since the homologous interaction, chick competitor DNA with chick brain microtubule protein, is always the strongest interaction measured, we interpret this as evidence for a conserved protein-DNA sequence interaction. 35S chick DNA tracer sequences, isolated from nitrocellulose filters following the stringent binding in the presence of 0.9 mM-1 E. coli. competitor DNA, was used in driven reassociation reactions with total chick driver DNA. This fraction was found to be significantly enriched in repetitive chick DNA sequences. Since we have observed a similar phenomenon in mouse, we then compared the stringent binding mouse sequences and showed that the bulk of these sequences did not cross-hybridize with total chick DNA. Finally, all three 35S tracer DNAs binding to nitrocellulose were isolated and sedimented to equilibrium on CsCl density gradients. The CsCl density distributions from all three DNAs showed significant (100-fold) enrichment in classical satellite DNAs as well as higher enrichment in two very unusual high CsCl density families of DNA (1.720-1.740 g/cm3; 1.750-1.765 g/cm3). These families are never observed as distinct bands in total DNA CsCl gradients, nor could we isolate them in purified tubulin control binding experiments. This apparently general phenomena may be identifying some of the sequence families involved in the high affinity microtubule interaction, which appears to be conserved in evolution."}
{"id": "PMID:1488055", "title": "Purification of a soluble casein kinase II from Dictyostelium discoideum lacking the beta subunit: regulation during proliferation and differentiation.", "content": "A type II casein kinase has been purified from the soluble fraction of Dictyostelium discoideum vegetative cells. The enzyme has been purified 370 fold and behaves catalytically as casein kinase type II, in the sense that it utilizes GTP as well as ATP as phosphoryl donors, it is inhibited by low heparin concentrations and phosphorylates a specific peptide for CK II. It is a tetramer of 38 kDa-subunits with catalytic activity and ability to autophosphorylate in vitro. The comparison of this activity with the nuclear enzyme previously purified from the same organism indicates that both have the same molecular structure. Both enzymes have antigenic determinants in common with casein kinase II from bovine thymus, suggesting a high degree of conservation during evolution. Studies on the activity of this enzyme during early differentiation, and in the transition from quiescence to proliferation shows an increase in specific activity suggesting a crucial role for the enzyme in this organism."}
{"id": "PMID:1488056", "title": "The accumulation and metabolism of glycosphingolipids in primary kidney cell cultures from beige mice.", "content": "In the normal C57BL/6J male mouse a specific subset of the kidney glycosphingolipids which is associated with multilamellar bodies of lysosomal origin and represents about 10% of the total kidney glycolipids, is excreted into the urine each day. This excretion is blocked and glycosphingolipids accumulate in the kidney of bgJ/bgJ mutants of this strain. To examine this process in vitro, glycosphingolipid metabolism and excretion were studied in beige mouse kidney cell cultures. Primary kidney cell cultures from male C57BL/6J control and bgJ/bgJ beige mutants were grown in D-valine medium and glycosphingolipids labeled with [3H]palmitate. As we have shown previously, the giant lysosomes of altered morphology were maintained in cultures of the beige kidney cells. Beige-J and control cells synthesized the same types of glycosphingolipids, but the mutant cells had quantitatively higher levels of these compounds than control cells, as determined by high performance liquid chromatography. Beige-J cells incorporated more [3H]palmitate into glycosphingholipids than control cells on a cpm/mg protein basis and the specific activity (cpm/pmole glycosphingolipid) was lower in beige cells. Medium from beige-J cells accumulated more glycosphingolipids than that from control cells in a 24 h period. The glycosphingolipids released into the medium as determined by HPLC were primarily non-lysosomal types and both control and mutant cells retained the glycosphingolipids associated with lysosomal multilamellar bodies excreted in vivo. The elevated levels of lysosomal glycosphingolipids and the dysmorphic lysosomes in primary cultures of beige cells, then, are not caused by a mutant block in secretion of lysosomes."}
{"id": "PMID:1488057", "title": "Fatty acid utilization by young Wistar rats fed a cafeteria diet.", "content": "The content and accretion of fatty acids in 30, 45 and 60-day old Wistar rats fed either reference chow or a cafeteria diet has been studied, together with their actual fatty acid intake during that period. Diet had a small overall effect on the pattern of deposition of fatty acids, but the deposition of fat was much higher in cafeteria rats. The fat-rich cafeteria diet allowed the direct incorporation of most fatty acids into lipid storage, whilst chow-feeding activated lipogenesis and the deposition of a shorter chain and more saturated type of fatty acids. During the second month of the rat's life, the elongation pathway as well as delta 9-desaturase became functional, thus helping to shape the pattern of fatty acids actually accrued. The 60-day rats showed a relative impairment in the operation of delta 5-desaturase, since their lipids had a higher C20:4/C20:3 ratio than those of the diet ingested. Cafeteria-diet feeding minimized this effect since the large supply of dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids made the operation of the elongation-desaturase pathways practically unnecessary."}
{"id": "PMID:1488058", "title": "Quantitation and structures of oligosaccharide chains in human trachea mucin glycoproteins.", "content": "Human respiratory mucin glycoproteins from patients with cystic fibrosis were purified and oligosaccharide chains were released by treatment with alkaline borohydride. A neutral oligosaccharide alditol fraction was isolated from mucin obtained from a patient with A blood group determinant by chromatography on DEAE-cellulose and individual oligosaccharide chains were then isolated by gel filtration on BioGel P-6 columns and high performance liquid chromatography with gradient and isocratic solvent systems. The structures of the purified oligosaccharides were determined by methylation analysis, sequential glycosidase digestion and 'H-NMR spectroscopy. The amount of each chain was determined by compositional analysis. A wide array of discrete branched oligosaccharide structures that contain from 3 to 22 sugar residues were found. Many of the oligosaccharides are related and appear to be precursors of larger chains. The predominant branched oligosaccharides which accumulate contain terminal blood group H (Fuc alpha 2Ga1 beta 4) or blood group A (Fuc alpha 2(Ga1NAc alpha 3) (Ga1 beta 4) determinants which stop further branching and chain elongation. The elongation of oligosaccharide chains in respiratory mucins occurs on the beta 3-linked G1cNAc at branch points, whereas the beta 6-linked G1cNAc residue ultimately forms short side chains with a Fuc alpha 2(Ga1NAc alpha 3) Ga1 beta 4 G1cNAc beta 6 structure in individuals with A blood group determinant. The results obtained in the current studies further suggest that even higher molecular weight oligosaccharide chains with analogous branched structures are present in some human respiratory mucin glycoproteins. Increasing numbers of the repeating sequence shown in the oligosaccharide below is present in the higher molecular weight chains. [formula: see text] This data in conjunction with our earlier observations on the extensive branching of these oligosaccharide chains helps to define and explain the enormous range of oligosaccharide structures found in human and swine respiratory mucin glycoproteins. Comparison of the relative concentrations of each oligosaccharide chain suggest that these oligosaccharides represent variations of a common branched core structure which may be terminated by the addition of alpha 2-linked fucose to the beta 3/4 linked galactose residue at each branch point. These chains accumulate and are found in the highest concentrations in these respiratory mucins."}
{"id": "PMID:1488059", "title": "Effects of regression of cardiac hypertrophy on myocardial contractility and ventricular myosin isoenzymes.", "content": "The effects of regression of cardiac hypertrophy on myocardial contractility and ventricular myosin isoenzymes were investigated in rats with renovascular hypertension. Six-week-old male Wistar rats were made hypertensive by constriction of one renal artery with a silver clip. Regression of cardiac hypertrophy was induced following the lowering of blood pressure by nephrectomy on the affected side 5-6 weeks after constriction of the renal artery and was maintained for 5-6 weeks. In contrast, myocardial hypertrophy was induced by 10-11 weeks of the hypertensive state. Isometric developed tension of isolated left ventricular papillary muscles was measured, while they were being perfused with Tyrode solution. Left ventricular myosin isoenzymes were separated by pyrophosphate gel electrophoresis. The ventricular to body weight ratio of the nephrectomized group was significantly lower than that of the hypertensive group, although it was greater than that of age-matched normal control rats. There were no significant differences in the isometric developed tension among three groups, the nephrectomized, hypertensive, and normal control rats. However, dT/dtmax tended to decrease in the hypertensive rats and recovered to normal in the nephrectomized rats. The left ventricular myosin isoenzyme pattern was shifted toward VM-3 in hypertensive rats and was shifted back toward VM-1 again in nephrectomized rats."}
{"id": "PMID:1488060", "title": "AAEM Minimonograph #13: H reflexes and F waves: physiology and clinical indications.", "content": "Motoneurons can be activated both reflexly and antidromically following electrical stimulation of peripheral nerves. These H reflexes and F waves are clinically useful responses which interface at the level of the peripheral nerves and the spinal cord. Because these responses are commonly employed in the electrodiagnostic evaluation of patients, an understanding of their physiology and clinical applications is important. These are reviewed. Reasoning from the physiology, both the value and limitations of H-reflex and F-wave studies are considered for disorders of peripheral nerves, roots, and the central nervous system. Theoretical concepts about the physiology and pathophysiology of the nervous system based on H-reflex and F-wave data are also discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1488061", "title": "Surface EMG in the recording of fasciculations.", "content": "The usefulness of multichannel surface recording of fasciculations was evaluated by a retrospective study of 116 patients with various neurological disorders. Eight channels of a conventional electroencephalograph were used with plate electrode recordings from the upper arms and legs. Wide-spread fasciculations (defined as five or more of the eight muscle groups) were recorded in 48 of 54 patients with motor neuron disease, spinal muscular atrophy or postpolio syndrome, but noted on routine clinical examination at presentation in only 6. Eleven of 23 patients with peripheral neuropathy or myelopathy had fasciculations in five or more leads compared to one clinically, and 3 of 39 with other neurological diseases had fasciculations electrically but in only one were they clinically observed. The method is a noninvasive and sensitive adjunct to clinical examination for detecting fasciculations. Its diagnostic value is limited by the relatively high incidence of fasciculations in neuropathies and myelopathies. However, this study suggests that \"false negatives\" are rare and that the diagnosis of motor neuron disease should be reconsidered when less than five leads shows fasciculations."}
{"id": "PMID:1488062", "title": "Lumbrical and interossei recording in carpal tunnel syndrome.", "content": "Median motor studies are commonly \"normal\" in mild carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). This reflects either the sparing of motor compared to sensory fibers, or the inability of conventional studies to detect an abnormality. A novel approach to demonstrate early motor fiber involvement in CTS is the placement of the same active electrode lateral to the third metacarpal, allowing recording from the second lumbrical or the deeper interossei, when stimulating the median or ulnar nerves at the wrist, respectively. We compared the difference between these latencies in 51 normal control hands to 107 consecutive patient hands referred with symptoms and signs suggestive of CTS, who were subsequently proven to have electrophysiologic CTS by standard nerve conduction criteria. A prolonged lumbrical-interossei latency difference (> 0.4 ms) was found to be a sensitive indicator of CTS in all patient groups. It was also helpful in patients with coexistent polyneuropathy, where localization at the wrist was otherwise difficult."}
{"id": "PMID:1488063", "title": "An experimental model of mitochondrial myopathy: germanium-induced myopathy and coenzyme Q10 administration.", "content": "In skeletal muscles from rats treated with germanium for 23 weeks, there were numerous ragged-red fibers and cytochrome-c oxidase (COX)-deficient fibers. Biochemically, germanium reduced the enzyme activities in the mitochondrial respiratory chain. Rotenone-sensitive NADH-cytochrome-c reductase as well as COX activities were markedly reduced, while succinate-cytochrome-c reductase was less severely, but significantly, affected. The histopathological findings in these muscles were similar to those seen in patients with mitochondrial encephalomyopathy, suggesting that germanium-induced myopathy may be a useful experimental model. Coenzyme Q10 administration appeared to be ineffective in preventing this experimental myopathy."}
{"id": "PMID:1488064", "title": "Lower motor neuron dysfunction in patients with multiple sclerosis.", "content": "A patient in whom multiple sclerosis (MS) was ultimately diagnosed presented with a lower motor neuron syndrome involving 1 hand, with EMG evidence of denervation. Twelve other patients were subsequently identified with definite MS and asymmetric hand atrophy. These patients were studied clinically and electrophysiologically. Evidence of chronic and ongoing denervation was noted in the hands of 12 of the 13 patients; in only 3 patients could the EMG abnormalities be accounted for by peripheral nerve lesions. Thus, lesions resulting in lower motor neuron damage may occur in the central nervous system in MS patients. We suggest that demyelination in the region of the ventral root exit zone may account for these findings."}
{"id": "PMID:1488065", "title": "Flavivirus induces MHC antigen on human myoblasts: a model of autoimmune myositis?", "content": "Infection of human embryonic myoblasts by West Nile virus (WNV), a flavivirus, caused significant upregulation of class I and II MHC expression as determined by flow cytometry. After 48 hours at a multiplicity of infection of 5 pfu/cell, a sixfold increase in MHC class I expression was induced from initially low levels of expression. In contrast, MHC class II was induced de novo to five times the control fluorescence level. At least 70% of the cells were infected as determined using fluorescence microscopy and anti-WNV antibody labeling. Myoblasts were > 90% pure as shown by anti--Leu-19 labeling. MHC class I (but not class II) was increased threefold after exposure to virus-inactivated supernatant from 48-hour--infected cells, indicating the presence of factor(s) contributing to the MHC class I increase. These findings may be important in establishing a link between viral infection of human cells and induction of inflammatory autoimmune disease. We discuss the possibility of using WNV as an in vivo model."}
{"id": "PMID:1488066", "title": "The pterygoid reflex in man and its clinical application.", "content": "A technique for eliciting and recording the stretch reflex (R) of the medial pterygoid muscle (Pter) is described. The latency was 6.9 +/- 0.43 ms in 23 healthy volunteers (mean age 23.7 years) showing a side-to-side difference of 0.29 +/- 0.21 ms. The PterR latencies were little shorter and side-to-side differences little greater than of the masseter reflex. Observations in 5 selected patients with small brainstem lesions suggest that the neurons of the PterR afferents form a cluster within the caudal portion of the trigeminal mesencephalic nucleus. Testing the masseter and pterygoid reflexes provides a more precise localization of small ponto-mesencephalic lesions."}
{"id": "PMID:1488067", "title": "Axonal swellings in human intramuscular nerves.", "content": "The presence, morphology, distribution, and abundance of axonal swellings in intramuscular nerves were evaluated. Axonal swellings were present in intramuscular nerves in 42% of 127 muscle biopsies from patients with a variety of conditions. The incidence was highest in muscle from patients with peripheral neuropathy, but swellings were present in muscle from patients with motor neuron disease, primary muscle diseases, and some individuals without clinical or histological evidence of neuromuscular disease. The greatest number of swellings in intramuscular nerves was in muscle from patients with chronic inflammatory demyelinating neuropathy. Swellings were spherical or elliptical, 4-20 microns in diameter, 5-30 microns in length, and composed of neurofilaments. Swellings were present only in myelinated axons of intramuscular nerves, proximal to nodes of Ranvier or in internodal regions. Swellings were not associated with axonal degeneration. They were probably not transported. The formation or accumulation of swellings may reflect altered axonal dynamics common to a number of disease processes."}
{"id": "PMID:1488068", "title": "Loss and renewal of thick myofilaments in glucocorticoid-treated rat soleus after denervation and reinnervation.", "content": "Denervation of rat soleus muscle and simultaneous administration of high doses of corticosteroids for 7 days caused marked muscle fiber atrophy and selective loss of thick myofilaments from many muscle fibers by light and electron microscopy. Myosin heavy chain/actin ratios were greatly reduced on polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Nerve crush instead of cut permitted reinnervation after 2 weeks and demonstrated the reversibility of the muscle changes within a week after reinnervation. There was formation of new thick filaments and their reintegration into myofibrils without further breakdown, although large areas of Z-disc streaming appeared. The mechanism of A-band breakdown remains obscure, but it presumably starts with limited proteolysis and continues with disaggregation of myosin molecules. This is consistent with our observation that the muscle fibers retain a relatively good reactivity to antibodies against myosin heavy chain 1 week after denervation and corticosteroid administration. A syndrome recalling these experiments is seen in severely asthmatic patients receiving corticosteroids and pharmacologically paralyzed for mechanical respiration."}
{"id": "PMID:1488078", "title": "The right time? Chronopharmacology--a new science.", "content": "There is convincing scientific work to indicate that more attention should be given to the timing of drug administration. Most prescribers are currently more concerned with \"what\" to prescribe rather than \"when\" to prescribe it. Chronotherapeutics certainly holds promise for the creation of the most favourable conditions for drug effects and safety and may therefore represent an important method of improving the treatment of many diseases. The goal of chronotherapeutics is to optimise the therapeutic effect and control or reduce the adverse effects without altering the functioning of the drug in the body."}
{"id": "PMID:1488081", "title": "[Tourette syndrome].", "content": "Tourette Syndrome is not as rare as many health professionals may think. On the contrary it is very common, especially among the Afrikaans population. It is possibly the most common inherited condition. Tourette Syndrome is a neurological variation characterized by \"tics\" or mannerisms, which can also be combined with one or all of the following: frontal lobe involvement particularly the limbic system; learning problems; anxiety; obsessive-compulsive behaviour; sexual deviations. Most authorities regard TS as a dominant inherited condition although Comings describes it as semi-dominant--semi-recessive."}
{"id": "PMID:1488085", "title": "Immunohistochemical, ultrastructural and immunoelectron microscopic studies of spinal cord neurofibrillary tangles in progressive supranuclear palsy.", "content": "Immunohistochemical, ultrastructural and immunoelectron microscopic studies of spinal cord neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) in progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) were performed. The spinal cord NFTs reacted with antibodies to tau protein (tau-2), ubiquitin and Alzheimer neurofibrillary tangles (ANTs, Ab 39). Ultrastructurally, the NFTs consisted of bundles of straight fibrils. In longitudinal sections, the individual NFT fibrils appeared as straight fibrils with a diameter of approximately 15 nm. In cross sections, circular structures approximately 15 nm in diameter were seen, and some had a central density. Electron microscopic examination of specimens stained with the antibodies and by the modified Bielschowsky method revealed the products of the tau, ubiquitin and ANTs immunoreactions and silver deposits on the NFT fibrils. This is the first demonstration of the ultrastructure of spinal cord NFTs in PSP."}
{"id": "PMID:1488086", "title": "Allocortical involvement in Huntington's disease.", "content": "Seven brains of individuals who had suffered from Huntington's disease and seven control brains were examined. Preparations stained for Nissl material and lipofuscin pigment revealed a characteristic layer-specific loss of nerve cells in two allocortical areas, the entorhinal region and the subiculum. The most severe changes occurred in the entorhinal layer Pri-gamma while layer Pre-alpha, layer Pre-gamma and the subiculum showed less severe alterations."}
{"id": "PMID:1488087", "title": "An immunohistochemical study of mononuclear cells in meningiomas.", "content": "A consecutive series of 34 meningiomas were re-examined as to subtype and presence of nuclear atypia, mitotic figures, areas of high cellularity and necrosis. Meningioma cells were epithelial membrane antigen (EMA) positive in 31 out of the 34 tumours. The presence of mononuclear cells and macrophages was assessed by immunohistochemistry using the monoclonal antibodies L26 (CD20, B cell marker), DF-T1 (CD43, T cell marker), KP1 (CD68, macrophage marker) and MAC387 (monocytes). L26 positive B cells were observed infrequently. CD43 positive mononuclear cells were infiltrating the parenchyma as individual cells and as groups of cells in 29 (87% of the tumours). CD68 positive macrophages were seen in 19 (59% of the tumours), as scattered single cells or groups of cells. There was a statistically significant association between the number of CD68 positive cells (necrotic areas excluded) and microscopic features of aggressiveness, i.e. high cellularity as well as the combination of nuclear atypia and frequent mitotic figures. MAC387 stained only a few cells; the immunopositive cells were present mainly within and around vessels. Meningioma cells displayed a diffuse immunopositivity for L26 (CD20) in 29 out of 34 meningiomas, but did not stain with macrophage markers. Mast cells were found in 9 out of 32 tumours; when present they were significantly more prevalent in the syncytial subtype. Thus, mononuclear cell infiltrates in meningiomas are mainly composed of T cells and macrophages, indicating an immune system surveillance and response to the tumour cells. The functional and prognostic significance of the presence of CD68 positive cells, macrophages, deserve further study in the search for more reliable histological criteria to predict recurrence and biological aggressiveness in meningiomas."}
{"id": "PMID:1488088", "title": "Methyl bromide intoxication and acute energy deprivation syndromes.", "content": "The case reported in this issue of symmetrical brain stem damage associated with exposure to methylbromide has affinities with a number of analogous syndromes associated with tissue energy deprivation. Attention is drawn to topographical and metabolic similarities and differences in these conditions, and suggestions are made for possible ways of mitigating the damage in future cases that may also be of value in Wernicke and Leigh's diseases."}
{"id": "PMID:1488089", "title": "Case report: neuropathology of methyl bromide intoxication.", "content": "The neuropathological findings in a man and his dog both of whom died after acute exposure to methyl bromide are presented. The dog had cerebral oedema, most marked in the depths of cortical sulci. The man survived 30 days after the initial illness and his brain contained well-defined symmetrical lesions in the mammillary bodies and inferior colliculi. He also had a peripheral neuropathy and lymphocytic thyroiditis. The pathology in the central nervous system has features resembling Wernicke's encephalopathology; the mechanism by which methyl bromide may produce such lesions is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1488090", "title": "The effects of pre-natal exposure to methylazoxymethanol acetate on microglia.", "content": "The effects of exposure to a cytotoxic agent, methylazoxymethanol acetate (MAM Ac), on the distribution, density and quantitative morphology of microglia in the rat forebrain have been examined with the aid of a peroxidase-conjugated lectin derived from Griffonia simplicifolia. Following exposure to MAM Ac (25 mg/kg maternal body weight) on embryonic day 13 (E13), round microglia were concentrated around the areas of induced cell death at the outer margins of the ventricular germinal zone, particularly in the striatopallidal angle and dorsal thalamus. By E19, there were no detectable differences in microglia distribution between experimental and control animals. The increase in number of microglial cells in the neocortex and caudatoputamen on exposure to MAM Ac lasted for only 4 to 6 days. Subsequently, the number of microglia dropped below control values in both regions. The density of microglia in these areas was similar in control and experimental animals from 6 days after exposure. The proportion of microglia relative to all other cells was also similar at post-natal day 17 (P17) in both experimental and control animals. These results suggest that the distribution and final size of the microglial population is determined by the microenvironment and not by the extent of cell death which may have acted as the initial stimulus to microglial invasion."}
{"id": "PMID:1488091", "title": "The use of azathioprine to ameliorate post-treatment encephalopathy associated with African trypanosomiasis.", "content": "The treatment of human African sleeping sickness is complicated by a post-treatment meningoencephalitis that may be fatal. Using a mouse model this study assesses the use of the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, azathioprine, in the management of this post-treatment reaction. Female NIH mice treated with the trypanocidal compound diminazene aceturate (40 mg/kg), 28 days after infection, developed a similar post-treatment reaction to that seen in humans. Administration of azathioprine (100 mg/kg) for 5 days before and 5 days after trypanocidal chemotherapy abrogated the pathology in the central nervous system although this returned approximately 15 days after cessation of azathioprine. Activated astrocytes associated with the later stages of the infection did not appear to be affected by the use of azathioprine."}
{"id": "PMID:1488092", "title": "Effect of ether stress on growth hormone during development in the neonatal rat.", "content": "Stress in adult rats causes an inhibition of growth hormone (GH) secretion which might be mediated by corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF). The response of neonates to stress differs from that observed in adults, including changes in GH secretion that are independent of CRF. The present study examines the effects of ether exposure, a stress known to elicit CRF release, on serum GH in the neonatal period. Preliminary experiments indicated that ether elicits increases in serum adrenocorticotropic hormone and corticosterone, and that the latter response is blocked by pretreatment with dexamethasone. Corticosterone was measured as an indicator of hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis stimulation for subsequent studies. Rat pups of 5, 8, 10, 15, 18 or 30 days were divided into three groups. Baseline animals were taken for decapitation directly from the mother. Ether animals were exposed to ether fumes for 1 min, returned to the mother after a brief recovery period, and killed 30 min later. Handled control animals were removed from the mother briefly, returned, and similarly killed at 30 min. Blood was assayed for GH and corticosterone. Handling itself stimulated both GH and corticosterone on postnatal days 10 and 15 and suppressed GH and corticosterone on days 5 and 30. Ether significantly lowered GH and increased corticosterone when compared to this handling control from day 8 to 18, but values in ether-treated animals were different from baseline animals only at 5 and 30 days of age. These results indicate that ether stress produces a mild decrease in GH by day 5 postnatally and throughout the neonatal period which is only apparent in relation to 'handled' controls.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1488093", "title": "Growth hormone pulsatility and the endocrine milieu during sexual maturation in male and female rats.", "content": "Although a sexually dimorphic pattern of rat growth hormone (rGH) secretion is well recognized in adult rats, episodic rGH release has been incompletely characterized in younger rats. In the present study, 28 to 113-day-old rats received jugular catheters and were housed in chambers designed for stress-free blood sampling. Three to seven days after surgery, 300 microliters of blood was withdrawn every 10 min between 16.00 and 22.00 h. Pulsatile rGH secretion before 33 days of age was similar in males and females. Low baseline rGH secretion was interspersed with infrequent, low amplitude pulses. In early puberty, between 33 and 40 days of age, rGH pulse amplitudes increased more than tenfold in both sexes. The duration of rGH pulses was significantly greater at this time in males versus females, a pattern that continued though adulthood. By late puberty, between 41 and 54 days of age, rGH pulse amplitudes similarly increased twofold in both sexes. Baseline rGH secretion increased at this time in both sexes, with females having a higher baseline compared to males. Only in adult rats over 54 days of age, was the typical pattern of low basal rGH secretion, combined with high amplitude, low frequency rGH pulses in males versus females evident. A sex difference in body weight, i.e. males weighing more than females, became evident after day 33 of age. This sex difference was preceded by an increase in testosterone in males versus females at all ages examined.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1488094", "title": "Effect of the duration of streptozotocin-induced diabetes on turnover of central biogenic amines in mice.", "content": "The relationship between central catecholaminergic and serotonergic neurons and the development of streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice was examined over periods of 3, 14, 50 and 100 days. The accumulation of 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA) and 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) were measured after central decarboxylase activity was inhibited by m-hydroxybenzylhydrazine (NSD-1015). Results indicated that DOPA accumulation in the hypothalamus was not altered during the entire time course of the experiment. On the other hand, DOPA accumulation in the striatum was decreased in 50- and 100-day diabetic mice. The DOPA levels in the pons medulla were not increased until the mice had been diabetic for 100 days. The accumulation of 5-HTP was decreased in the hypothalamus of 14-day diabetic mice and was also present at 50 and 100 days, that in the striatum and pons medulla was not decreased until the mice had been diabetic for 50 days and persisted to 100 days in the striatum. These data showed that both DOPA and 5-HTP accumulation in the striatum and pons medulla were changed only in long-term diabetic mice and suggested that changes in catecholamine and serotonin turn-over rates are not generalized, but restricted only to some particular brain regions and time courses."}
{"id": "PMID:1488095", "title": "Regulation of corticotropin-releasing factor mRNA in neuroendocrine and autonomic neurons by osmotic stimulation and volume loading.", "content": "Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) has been reported to be expressed in oxytocin-containing magnocellular neurosecretory neurons of the paraventricular (PVN) and supraoptic (SON) nuclei, and in Barrington's nucleus, a pontine micturition center. Each of these cell groups is known to play a role in fluid and electrolyte homeostasis. To gain a better understanding of the role of CRF in this context, the effects of osmotic stimulation and volume loading on CRF mRNA levels in the PVN, SON and Barrington's nucleus were examined using in situ hybridization histochemistry with an 35S-labeled cRNA probe. Adult male rats received either normal tap water (control), or hypertonic (2%) saline (HS) for up to 3 days. In a second experiment, normal saline was infused through a jugular vein cannula at 6 ml/h for 3 days; control rats were cannulated but received no infusion. Relative levels of CRF mRNA were compared by estimating both the number of positively hybridized cells and the density of silver grains in emulsion-dipped autoradiograms. HS treatment resulted in marked increases in CRF mRNA in the magnocellular neurosecretory system. All recognized oxytocinergic cell clusters, i.e., the anterior, medial and posterior magnocellural subdivisions of the PVN, the dorsal aspect of the SON, and components of the accessory magnocellular system, displayed this effect. By contrast, HS treatment resulted in significant decreases in CRF mRNA levels in the parvocellular (hypophysiotropic) division of the PVN and in Barrington's nucleus. By contrast, volume loading, which failed to affect plasma osmolality, significantly increased CRF mRNA levels in Barrington's nucleus.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1488096", "title": "Hypothalamic GnRH pulse generator activity during the estradiol-induced LH surge in ovariectomized goats.", "content": "Electrophysiological manifestation of the hypothalamic GnRH pulse generator activity was examined during the LH surge induced by estradiol in ovariectomized goats. The characteristic increases in the frequency of multiple unit activity (MUA volley) associated with the pulsatile secretion of LH were recorded using electrodes implanted bilaterally in the medial basal hypothalamus. Estradiol was infused for 16 h at the rate of 3 micrograms/h, to induce an LH surge 10.0-11.5 h later. Regular recurrence of MUA volley was observed throughout the experimental period including the LH surge, but the interval between the MUA volleys became longer (p < 0.01) after the onset of the LH surge as compared with the pretreatment control period (32.9 +/- 2.1 vs. 60.0 +/- 5.1 min). These results suggest that an increased frequency of LH pulses is not a prerequisite for the LH surge in ovariectomized goats given estradiol, and imply that the positive feedback effects of estradiol on LH secretion appear to be exerted through a neuronal mechanism that is intrinsically different from the GnRH pulse generator."}
{"id": "PMID:1488097", "title": "Effect of [4Cl-D-Phe6,Leu17]VIP on the inhibition of pulsatile LH release by VIP and related peptides in the ovariectomized rat.", "content": "Pulsatile LH secretion in the ovariectomized (OVX) rat is inhibited by intracerebroventricular (icv) infusion of vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP). VIP, rat growth hormone-releasing hormone (rGRH) and secretin with and without an antagonist to VIP, [4Cl-D-Phe6,Leu17]VIP (VIPA), were infused icv into OVX rats. Both VIP and rGRH at an infusion rate of 3.5 nmol/h lowered mean LH concentrations and pulse frequency without affecting pulse amplitude, and these effects were blocked by concurrent infusion of VIPA (10.5 nmol/h). Secretin also inhibited pulsatile LH secretion, but was only fully effective at the higher infusion rate of 7 nmol/h. This effect of secretin was also blocked by concurrent infusion of 10.5 nmol/h of VIPA. These results suggest that all three of these peptide hormones inhibit pulsatile LH secretion by an interaction with VIP receptors."}
{"id": "PMID:1488098", "title": "A comparative study of the effects of neonatal androgenization and estrogenization on vasoactive intestinal peptide levels in the anterior pituitary and the hypothalamus of adult female rats.", "content": "We compared the effects of neonatal androgenization (NA) and estrogenization (NE) on vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) levels in the anterior pituitary (AP) and the hypothalamus and on prolactin (PRL) secretion in adult female rats. Twenty-four hours after birth, a total of seven groups were treated as follows. Three NA groups received a single subcutaneous injection of 10, 100, or 1,000 micrograms of testosterone, respectively. Similarly, three NE groups received 1, 10, or 100 micrograms of 17 beta-estradiol, respectively. The remaining one group was injected with oil vehicle only, and served as controls. At 8 weeks of age, animals were sacrificed by rapid decapitation. NA (1,000 micrograms) and NE (100 micrograms) resulted in a similar degree of hyperprolactinemia and hyperestrogenemia, but this effect ratio between NA and NE (about 1:10) was not true with the lower doses, indicating a qualitative difference in the effects of the two treatments. This is in agreement with our previous study. VIP content determined in the suprachiasmatic nucleus, the paraventricular nucleus and the median eminence did not significantly correlate with plasma PRL. In contrast, there were significant correlations among AP VIP, plasma PRL and estradiol. These results suggest the possibility that the NA- and NE-induced hyperprolactinemia may be mediated, at least in part, by a paracrine and/or autocrine effect of the increased AP VIP on the lactotroph which may probably be mediated by hyperestrogenemia. However, the possibility was also suggested that the observed changes in AP VIP were related more to NA and NE's imprinting effects on the developing brain than to the PRL secretion.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1488099", "title": "Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for rat and human luteinizing hormone.", "content": "A sensitive and specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) suitable for measuring rat and human luteinizing hormone (LH) is described. The LH-ELISA used anti-bLH beta subunit monoclonal antibody-coated plates, an antiserum against rLH or hLH and an antibody against rabbit IgG labelled with peroxidase. Using rLH-RP-3 or hLH WHO IRP 68/40 as standard diluted in assay buffer, the LH-ELISA had a sensitivity of 50 pg/ml and 0.78 mIU/ml, respectively. The LH-ELISA allowed accurate determination of LH in buffer, cell culture media, anterior pituitary extracts and sera and was highly specific for rat and human LH. The use of this ELISA offers improvements in convenience, economy, sensitivity and safety over comparable radioimmunoassay procedures."}
{"id": "PMID:1488100", "title": "Hypoglycemic 'stress' and gonadotropin-releasing hormone pulse generator activity in the rhesus monkey: role of the ovary.", "content": "Observations of long standing have suggested that the 'stress' of chair restraint inhibits the GnRH pulse generator in normal female monkeys while this phenomenon is rarely observed in ovariectomized animals. The role of the ovary in the response of the GnRH pulse generator to the stress of insulin hypoglycemia was investigated in both intact and ovariectomized rhesus monkeys. Following an overnight fast the animals, previously habituated to restraint, were placed in primate chairs and GnRH pulse generator activity monitored electrophysiologically. Insulin-induced reductions in mean blood glucose concentrations of 10-40% of control values interrupted pulse generator activity in intact monkeys but were without effect in ovariectomized animals. With larger reductions in blood glucose, pulse generator activity was interrupted in both groups but the inhibition was twice as long in intact than in ovariectomized animals. The reduced responsiveness of ovariectomized animals to insulin hypoglycemia was significantly reversed by estradiol replacement. Naloxone administration did not prevent the hypoglycemia-induced inhibition of pulse generator activity in either intact or ovariectomized rhesus monkeys. It is concluded that hypoglycemic 'stress' inhibits the GnRH pulse generator by a nonopioidergic mechanism and that ovarian products, most probably estradiol, exacerbate this effect."}
{"id": "PMID:1488101", "title": "Alteration of endotoxin fever and release of arginine vasopressin by dehydration in the guinea pig.", "content": "Arginine vasopressin (AVP), synthesized in hypothalamic neurons, is transported in axons either to the pituitary for release into the circulation or to different brain areas. In our previous experiments we documented central antipyretic AVP pathways from the hypothalamus to the ventrolateral septal area in the limbic system. In the present study we investigated if osmotic stimulation is able to activate peripheral and central release of AVP concurrently and if the antipyretic pathways are influenced by this kind of stimulation. In dehydrated animals (24 h water deprivation) the arterial blood plasma level of AVP doubled causing antidiuretic effects. Also the concentration of AVP in push-pull perfusates of the limbic septal area was significantly higher in dehydrated (5.6 pg AVP/ml perfusate) than in control animals (2.6 pg AVP/ml perfusate). The febrile response to bacterial endotoxin was reduced by 50% in dehydrated guinea pigs compared to controls, statistically significant between 30 and 180 min after pyrogen application. A microinfusion of AVP antiserum into the limbic septal area enhanced the fever reaction of dehydrated guinea pigs compared to the effects of a microinfused preimmune serum, in this case statistically significant between 180 and 360 min after application. From these data we assume a simultaneous activation of peripheral and central release of AVP with antidiuretic and antipyretic effects by dehydration."}
{"id": "PMID:1488102", "title": "Differential regulation of the nocturnal and diurnal prolactin surges in pregnant rats revealed by dopamine receptor antagonism.", "content": "We have explored temporal changes in the magnitude of dopamine (DA) interaction (DA tone) at the anterior pituitary lactotrophs related to both the nocturnal and diurnal prolactin (PRL) surges on day 8 of pregnancy, by utilizing a competitive DA D2 antagonist, domperidone (DOM). After withdrawal of blood from pregnant rats on day 7 in order to demonstrate the presence of a PRL surge, experimental rats received DOM (100 micrograms/kg i.v. or i.a.) at various times on day 8. Blood samples were taken immediately before and following injection of DOM at 5, 15, 30 and 60 min. The peak PRL response to DOM occurred 15 min after injection. Comparisons were made between circulating PRL levels immediately prior to and at several times following DOM administration for the various times of the day, and represented as incremental increases in PRL following DOM. During times on day 8 when PRL levels were normally low (24:00, 06:00, 12:00 and 16:00 h), pregnant rats exhibited a substantial PRL response to DOM. However, during the nocturnal PRL surge (02:00, 04:00 h) the peak PRL response to DOM was significantly lower. In sharp contrast, the PRL response to DOM administered during the diurnal PRL surge (18:00 h) was significantly higher than all other times of the day tested. In a dose-response study in which 10, 100 and 1,000 micrograms/kg DOM was administered at the two critical times when the response to DOM differed greatly, 02:00 and 18:00 h, there was a significantly reduced PRL response to DOM at 02:00 h compared to 18:00 h.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1488103", "title": "Mechanisms of norepinephrine mediated corticotropin-releasing factor-41 release from cultured fetal hypothalamic cells.", "content": "Catecholamines have been shown to activate hypothalamic corticotropin-releasing factor-41 (CRF) synthesis and release. In order to study the mechanisms involved, fetal hypothalamic cells were cultured and CRF release was measured by radioimmunoassay. Norepinephrine (NE) induced CRF release in a dose-dependent manner. Further studies were performed with a protein kinase C inhibitor, H-7(1-(5-isoquinolinesulfonyl)-2-methylpiperazine) and a protein kinase A inhibitor, IP-20. NE-stimulated CRF release was reduced by H-7 (5 and 50 microM) in a dose-dependent fashion, while 5 microM IP-20 resulted in a small but significant inhibition. Pretreatment of the cells for 15 h with 20 and 200 nM 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate, which down-regulates protein kinase C activity, blocked the release of CRF in response to NE (1 microM), further supporting protein kinase C as a mediator for NE-activated CRF release. Pretreatment with 50 and 500 ng/ml pertussis toxin (15 h) resulted in a dose-dependent inhibition of NE-activated CRF release. Both dexamethasone and aldosterone at the concentrations of 1 microM reduced NE-induced CRF release. These results suggest that CRF can be released from hypothalamic neurons in response to NE through both protein kinase C- and protein kinase A-dependent mechanisms, and that pertussis toxin-sensitive G-proteins are also involved in this response. Furthermore, glucocorticoids and mineralocorticoids can reduce NE-activated CRF release from cultured hypothalamic cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1488104", "title": "Differential startle amplitude and corticosterone response in rats.", "content": "Different rat strains exhibit large differences in hypothalamic pituitary-adrenal activity that have been used to determine the role of the neuroendocrine system in susceptibility to autoimmune disease. To further characterize potential behavioral correlates of these differences, the amplitude of the acoustic (ASR) and tactile (TSR) startle response and the corticosterone response to acoustic startle stimuli were compared between two histocompatible strains, Lewis (LEW/N) and Fischer (F344/N) rats, as well as outbred Harlan Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. Startle stimuli elicited larger ASR and TSR in LEW/N rats than in F344/N rats, with SD rats exhibiting an intermediate response. The ASR habituated at a similar rate in LEW/N and F344 rats, while the ASR did not habituate in SD rats. After handling and placement in the startle chambers, the three strains did not differ in control levels of corticosterone. In contrast, exposure to acoustic startle stimuli increased corticosterone 5-fold in F344/N rats and 2-fold in SD rats, but had no effect on corticosterone in LEW/N rats. These findings suggested an inverse relationship between the amplitude of the ASR and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal activation across strains. This relationship was further supported by a high negative correlation between corticosterone level and ASR amplitude within the F344/N group."}
{"id": "PMID:1488105", "title": "The presence, characterisation and synthesis of neuromedin B in the human pituitary gland.", "content": "Neuromedin B is a 10-amino-acid mammalian peptide of the bombesin family. We have used a specific radioimmunoassay and Northern blot hybridisation to investigate the possible synthesis of neuromedin-B-like immunoreactivity in the human pituitary gland. The concentration of immunoreactive neuromedin B in whole human pituitary was 15.2 +/- 4.2 pmol/g wet weight in males and 12.8 +/- 2.7 pmol/g wet weight in females (mean +/- SEM, n = 10). In pituitary tumour extracts, neuromedin B immunoreactivity was 9.1 +/- 1.7 pmol/g wet weight (mean +/- SEM, n = 14) in inactive tumours, 18.4 +/- 6.9 pmol/g wet weight (mean +/- SEM, n = 4) in somatotrophs and 10.4 +/- 2.7 pmol/g wet weight (mean +/- SEM, n = 2) in prolactinomas, with no apparent significant difference between the groups. Gel permeation chromatography of pituitary extracts revealed two immunoreactive peaks, the major one of which corresponded in position to that of neuromedin B-32 and a later minor peak to the position of the neuromedin B-10 standard. On fast protein liquid chromatography, neuromedin-B-like immunoreactivity again eluted in two peaks, a minor peak corresponding to the synthetic neuromedin B standard, and a major more hydrophobic peak which was the big neuromedin B form. Northern blot analysis of poly(A)+RNA from human pituitaries revealed the presence of a hybridising band of between 750 and 850 base pairs. These results suggest that neuromedin B is synthesised in the human pituitary gland where it may be of importance in the regulation of pituitary function. Furthermore, the adenomatous condition is not associated with abnormal levels of this peptide."}
{"id": "PMID:1488106", "title": "Sinoaortic denervation does not increase cardiovascular/endocrine responses to stress.", "content": "Sinoaortic baroreceptor denervation is reported to produce exaggerated centrally derived cardiovascular and endocrine responses. We examined the effect of sinoaortic denervation (SAD) on the cardiovascular and endocrine responses to two acute stressors, footshock and immobilization, in male Sprague-Dawley rats. Parameters measured were mean arterial pressure (MAP), heart rate (HR) and plasma levels of oxytocin (OT) and vasopressin (VP). Baseline MAP was elevated in the SAD group (approximately 25 mm Hg) and footshock stress increased arterial pressure equivalently in both groups. This stress caused tachycardia and increased plasma OT, with a tendency for the SAD group to show blunted responses. Immobilization increased HR but caused no change in MAP and no significant difference between the groups. This form of stress also increased plasma OT, and again the SAD group showed a diminished response. Plasma VP was not significantly altered by either stressor. The results of these studies indicate that SAD does not uniformly increase the cardiovascular and endocrine responses to all stressors or centrally derived stimuli. These results also suggest that the lack of an increase in plasma VP is not related to baroreceptor-mediated inhibition of secretion under stressful conditions."}
{"id": "PMID:1488107", "title": "Corticotropin-releasing factor induces differential behavioral and cardiovascular effects after intracerebroventricular and lateral hypothalamic/perifornical injections in rats.", "content": "The contribution of the lateral hypothalamic/perifornical (LH/PFx) area in mediating central effects of corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) on cardiovascular and behavioral activity was assessed by monitoring blood pressure, heart rate and behavioral responses for a 45-min period after injections of various doses of CRF into the LH/PFx region or the lateral cerebral ventricle (intracerebroventricular, i.c.v.) in conscious, unrestrained rats in a familiar environment. After LH/PFx injection, CRF (3 and 30 ng) dose-dependently induced behavioral activation, predominantly consisting of grooming, eating and locomotor activity. Concomitantly, dose-related increases in mean arterial pressure (delta MAP) and heart rate (delta HR) were observed. Increases in MAP and HR following injection of 3 ng CRF were associated with the paroxysmal occurrence of behavioral activation and as such superimposed on CRF-induced elevation of baseline MAP and HR. Thirty nanograms CRF given i.c.v. produced grooming behavior similar to that observed after the same dose injected into the LH/PFx region, but failed to induce significant changes in cardiovascular concomitants. Rats receiving 100 ng CRF i.c.v., showed a significant increase in behavioral activity, respective to rats treated with 30 ng CRF in the LH/PFx, the tachycardiac responses, however, being similar in these groups. Both doses of CRF i.c.v. failed to induce significant delta MAP. The effects of CRF on cardiovascular and behavioral activity were more marked when the peptide was injected into the caudal part of the LH than those measured after administration into the rostral LH. Similarly, injections of CRF around or dorsal to the fornix (PFx) were more effective than those located ventrally to it. This site specificity of CRF-evoked responses was reflected in differential time response relations of the various effects. In summary, when i.c.v. is the route of administration, a higher dose of CRF is required to induce autonomic and behavioral responses similar to those elicited by CRF injected into the LH/PFx. The cardiovascular and behavioral effects of LH/PFx-CRF indicate that this region may be an important site for central CRF to produce stress-related autonomic and behavioral responses. In addition, the CRF-induced effects, both in magnitude and onset, show site specificity, the caudal LH and perifornical area being more responsive to the peptide than the rostral LH and the area ventral to the Fx. As CRF-evoked behavioral activation does not necessarily coincide with changes in MAP and HR, our data suggest a dissociation of the peptide's central actions to influence behavioral and autonomic responses."}
{"id": "PMID:1488108", "title": "Immunocytochemical identification of oestrogen receptors in preoptic neurones containing calcitonin gene-related peptide in the male and female rat.", "content": "Using single- and double-labelling immunocytochemistry with antibodies specific for the oestrogen receptor and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), we have demonstrated oestrogen receptor immunoreactivity in the sexually dimorphic CGRP-immunoreactive (IR) population of the medial preoptic area (MPOA). In the short-term gonadectomised female approximately 80% of preoptic CGRP-IR neurones were immunoreactive for the oestrogen receptor. In short-term gonadectomised males, a small population of CGRP-IR cells was visualised in the MPOA only after colchicine treatment. Approximately 30% of CGRP-IR cells in the male were oestrogen receptor-IR, accounting for 2% of the total population of cells containing oestrogen receptors in this area. In the colchicine-treated female, it is estimated that 10-15% of preoptic oestrogen receptor-IR cells contain CGRP. These results indicate that CGRP is synthesised by preoptic neurones with oestrogen receptors. Furthermore, the identification of oestrogen receptors in the sexually dimorphic CGRP population suggests that these neurones may be directly linked with gonadal steroid-dependent, sex-specific functioning of the MPOA."}
{"id": "PMID:1488109", "title": "Cholinergic nucleus basalis neurons display the capacity for rhythmic bursting activity mediated by low-threshold calcium spikes.", "content": "Acetylcholine has long been known to play an important role in the cortical activation that accompanies the states of wakefulness and paradoxical sleep (for review, see Refs 17, 21) when this neurotransmitter is released from the cerebral cortex at the highest rates. The major supply of acetylcholine to the cerebral cortex arises from the cholinergic neurons of Meynert's Basal-ganglion or nucleus basalis of the forebrain. Lying in the substantia innominata within the major ascending pathway from the brain stem reticular formation, magnocellular basalis neurons project upon the cerebral cortex as the important ventral, extrathalamic relay of the ascending reticular activating system. Although the cholinergic basalis nucleus neurons have been shown to be important for cortical activation, the precise manner in which they influence cortical activity has not as yet been elucidated, in part because the cholinergic cells of this nucleus have not been identified in electrophysiological studies. Using intracellular recording in guinea-pig brain slices, we were able to record and fill with biocytin nucleus basalis neurons which were subsequently revealed by immunohistochemical staining to be choline acetyltransferase-positive and thus cholinergic. The cholinergic cells displayed rhythmic bursting activity mediated by a low-threshold calcium spike in vitro, which would endow them with a capacity for phasic (in addition to tonic) firing in vivo. By virtue of these different modes, cholinergic basalis neurons may accordingly deter or facilitate the cortical response to sensory input and may furthermore modulate the major frequencies of cortical activity across the different states of the sleep-waking cycle."}
{"id": "PMID:1488110", "title": "Unilateral hindpaw inflammation produces a bilateral increase in NADPH-diaphorase histochemical staining in the rat lumbar spinal cord.", "content": "Tissue injury results in several changes in spinal cord neurons that contribute to hyperalgesia arising from the injured tissue. In models of unilateral hindpaw inflammation, changes in the neurochemistry and electrophysiology of dorsal horn neurons ipsilateral, and to a much lesser extent contralateral, to the inflamed paw have been reported. For example, the excitability of dorsal horn neurons increases, receptive field size increases, and the content of various proteins and neuropeptides in the dorsal horn (e.g. FOS, dynorphin, enkephalin) are affected following peripheral inflammatory insult. These changes are typically interpreted on the basis of their relevance to nociception."}
{"id": "PMID:1488112", "title": "Molecular cloning of rat trkC and distribution of cells expressing messenger RNAs for members of the trk family in the rat central nervous system.", "content": "Tyrosine protein kinases trk, trkB and trkC are signal-transducing receptors for the neurotrophins nerve growth factor, brain-derived nerve growth factor, neurotrophin-3 and neurotrophin-4. Here we report on the isolation of cDNA fragments encoding a part of rat trk and trkB proteins, respectively, and characterization of a full-length cDNA clone encoding rat trkC. Cells expressing mRNAs for the different members of the trk family were identified in the rat central nervous system by in situ hybridization using oligonucleotide probes designed from the isolated cDNA sequences and complementary to mRNA sequences coding for the extracellular region of the receptors. The expression of trk mRNA was found to be restricted to neurons of the basal forebrain, caudate-putamen with features of cholinergic cells and to magnocellular neurons of several brainstem nuclei. In contrast, cells expressing trkB and trkC mRNAs were widely distributed in the brain. Areas expressing high levels of trkB or trkC mRNAs included olfactory formations, neocortex, hippocampus, thalamic and hypothalamic nuclei, brainstem nuclei, cerebellum and spinal cord motoneurons. A similar distribution for trkB and trkC mRNAs was shown in most areas but each probe specific for these mRNAs also provided distinct labeling patterns in different subregions, layers and cells. Comparison between our data and previous analyses of cells expressing mRNAs for neurotrophins and the low-affinity nerve growth factor receptor suggests that different modes of action and different combinations of receptors mediate biological responses to neurotrophins in the adult rat brain."}
{"id": "PMID:1488113", "title": "Input from the frontal cortex and the parafascicular nucleus to cholinergic interneurons in the dorsal striatum of the rat.", "content": "Evidence derived from many experimental approaches indicates that cholinergic neurons in the dorsal striatum (caudate-putamen) are responsive to excitatory amino acids. Furthermore, evidence from physiological experiments indicate that the excitatory input is derived from the cortex and/or the thalamus. The object of the present experiment was to anatomically test whether cholinergic neurons receive cortical and/or thalamic input in the dorsal striatum using a combined anteograde tracing and immunocytochemical approach at both the light- and electron-microscopic levels. Rats received injections of the anterograde tracers Phaseolus vulgaris-leucoagglutinin or biocytin at multiple sites in the frontal cortex or parafascicular nucleus of the thalamus. Sections of the striatum were stained to reveal the anterogradely transported markers and then immunostained to reveal choline acetyltransferase immunoreactivity. The striata of these animals contained dense networks of anterogradely labelled fibres that were dispersed throughout the neuropil and interspersed with the choline acetyltransferase-immunoreactive (i.e. cholinergic) perikarya and dendrites. The anterogradely labelled fibres were often closely apposed to the choline acetyltransferase-immunoreactive neurons. Examination of electron-microscopic sections failed to demonstrate cortical terminals in synaptic contact with the cholinergic neurons even when choline acetyltransferase-immunoreactive structures were examined that had first been identified in the light microscope as having cortical terminals closely apposed to them. In these cases it was often observed that the cortical terminal, although apposed to the membrane of the labelled neurone, made synaptic contact with an unlabelled spine that was in the vicinity. In contrast to the cortical input, analysis of material that was double-stained to reveal thalamostriatal terminals and choline acetyltransferase-immunoreactive structures, revealed that the thalamostriatal terminals were often in asymmetrical synaptic contact with the perikarya and dendrites of cholinergic neurons. It is concluded that the cholinergic neurons of the dorsal striatum, like those of the ventral striatum or nucleus accumbens [Meredith and Wouterlood (1990) J. comp. Neurol. 296, 204-221] receive very little or no input from the cortex but are under a prominent synaptic control by the thalamostriatal system. Those pharmacological effects of excitatory amino acids on the cholinergic systems of the striatum are therefore presumably related to the thalamostriatal and not the corticostriatal system."}
{"id": "PMID:1488114", "title": "Neuronal firing in the nucleus accumbens is associated with the level of cortical arousal.", "content": "Because of evidence that the nucleus accumbens mediates the activating effects of many drugs, this study examined the hypothesis that the firing rates of individual nucleus accumbens neurons are positively correlated with spontaneous changes in behavioral arousal that occur during the sleep-wake cycle. The present report examined the firing patterns of 80 neurons in the nucleus accumbens of unanesthetized, unrestrained rats during various electrographically determined levels of arousal. Synaptic responses to stimulation of hippocampal and pallidal nucleus accumbens afferents indicated that the present sample of neurons was similar to a large population of nucleus accumbens neurons previously recorded in anesthetized rats. Confirming the participation of the nucleus accumbens in behavioral arousal, the firing rates of nucleus accumbens neurons were greatest during wakefulness and rapid eye movement sleep and lowest during non-rapid eye movement sleep. Furthermore, the induction of halothane anesthesia decreased behavioral and electrocorticographic arousal concurrent with a suppression of the spontaneous nucleus accumbens unit discharge. These data support the hypothesis that the firing of nucleus accumbens neurons is closely related to arousal."}
{"id": "PMID:1488115", "title": "The initial stages of neural regeneration are dependent upon intracellular calcium levels.", "content": "The earliest events of neuronal regeneration require resealing of the neurite's membrane after injury and the subsequent formation of a new growth cone. We have investigated these activities in vitro employing the large identified neurons of the snail Helisoma. Regeneration was elicited by transection of neurite processes and assessed by studying the formation of new growth cones from the proximal neurite stumps. Under normal conditions new growth cones formed rapidly in 100% of the preparations. This formation appeared to follow, however, a large rise in intracellular calcium and did not start until after the cells homeostatic machinery had re-established near baseline calcium levels. To test the hypothesis that elevated intracellular calcium levels delayed or inhibited growth cone formation, transections were performed after experimentally increasing intracellular calcium concentrations to different levels by either depolarization or by calcium ionophores. Under these conditions, regeneration was significantly retarded in a fashion dependent upon the intracellular calcium concentration. Another change in the extracellular milieu, namely lowering of the extracellular calcium concentration, also significantly retarded growth cone formation. Under these conditions neurons appeared unable to reseal their cut ends and eventually died. Taken together, these studies demonstrate the importance of both the extracellular and intracellular milieu at times immediately following neurite transection in determining whether or not the earliest stages of neuronal regeneration will occur."}
{"id": "PMID:1488116", "title": "The development of neuropeptide Y-immunoreactive neurons in a model of pure cortical culture.", "content": "The development of neuropeptide Y-immunoreactive neurons in the rat brain cerebral cortex was studied in a model of a pure cortical culture. In this model, development of neurons devoid of any afferents from other brain structures could be observed. Since mutual interactions between neuropeptide Y and catecholamines have been postulated, such a pure cortical culture offers a possibility of studying the development of neuropeptide Y neurons devoid of any brainstem monoaminergic afferents. A tissue dissected from 16-day-old rat fetuses and cultivated in a dissociated culture for 14 days was examined immunohistochemically for the presence of neuropeptide Y-immunoreactive neurons. Three main types of neuropeptide Y-immunoreactive neurons were found: unipolar, bipolar and multipolar. Cell processes and terminal varicose fibres were also observed. The results obtained indicate that neuropeptide Y-immunoreactive neurons and fibres may develop in a pure culture of the rat cerebral cortex without the influence of any other structures."}
{"id": "PMID:1488117", "title": "Vascularization of fetal neocortical grafts implanted in brain infarcts in spontaneously hypertensive rats.", "content": "The vascularization of neural grafts in ischemic brain was studied in spontaneously hypertensive rats grafted with a suspension of fetal neocortical tissue into the infarcted area five to six days after ligation of the middle cerebral artery. The brain vasculature was examined by scanning electron microscopy of corrosion vascular casts and the cortical microvasculature was stereologically quantified in light microscopy three months after the occlusion. Patent anastomoses were present between the middle cerebral artery distal to occlusion and the proximal part, as well as to the anterior and posterior cerebral arteries, in both grafted and non-grafted rats. A vascular plexus covering the infarct cavities and the grafts contained leptomeningeal vessels intermingled with a thin capillary network which is not normally found on the brain surface. The graft vessels were derived from this vascular plexus. The regular pattern of arterioles and venules penetrating from the cortical surface in normal neocortex was absent in the grafts but the capillary morphology was similar in both types of tissue. The grafts had a lower capillary density than normal tissue and lacked the laminar distribution of capillaries characteristic of normal neocortex. The results demonstrate the plasticity of the vascular system where remodeling of the vascular tree after an ischemic insult provides suitable conditions for the vascularization of neocortical grafts."}
{"id": "PMID:1488118", "title": "6-Hydroxydopamine lesions of the nigrostriatal pathway alter the expression of glutamate decarboxylase messenger RNA in rat globus pallidus projection neurons.", "content": "In situ hybridization was used to study the effect of 6-hydroxydopamine-induced damage to the midbrain dopaminergic neurons on the level of glutamate decarboxylase mRNA in globus pallidus neurons in the rat. Some animals received an injection of Fluoro-gold in the entopeduncular nucleus or the substantia nigra prior to the 6-hydroxydopamine lesion in order to identify glutamic acid decarboxylase mRNA levels in pallidal neurons that project to one of these targets. Analysis was carried out on a sample of all pallidal neurons as well as neurons that were identified as projection neurons in control and lesioned groups. The loss of the dopamine-containing neurons in the substantia nigra resulted in significant increases in the percentage of globus pallidus neurons that expressed glutamate decarboxylase mRNA and in the amount of glutamate decarboxylase mRNA per globus pallidus neuron. These increases were noted in a sample of all pallidal neurons, as well as pallidal neurons that were identified as projecting to either the entopeduncular nucleus or the substantia nigra. In control animals, glutamate decarboxylase mRNA was clearly identified in globus pallidus neurons projecting to the entopeduncular nucleus, indicating that this recently reported projection is at least partially GABAergic. The results of this study indicate that substantia nigra dopaminergic neurons regulate globus pallidus neurons in the rat, and that removal of the dopaminergic input to the corpus striatum results in a significant increase in the amount of glutamate decarboxylase mRNA in pallidal neurons. The decreased firing rate of pallidal neurons that is seen following the loss of dopamine input appears to be accompanied by an increase in the level of glutamate decarboxylase mRNA in these neurons."}
{"id": "PMID:1488119", "title": "Parvalbumin immunoreactivity: a reliable marker for the effects of monocular deprivation in the rat visual cortex.", "content": "In mammals, monocular deprivation performed during the early stages of postnatal development (critical period) dramatically affects the functional organization of the visual cortex. Since the early work of Hubel and Wiesel, the effects of monocular deprivation are accounted for by the fibers driven by the two eyes competing for the control of cortical territories. In cat and monkey striking structural changes accompany the functional effects of monocular deprivation. Also, in the rat, monocular deprivation causes functional alteration at the level of visual cortex; no structural correlates of these effects, however, have so far been described. Parvalbumin is a calcium binding protein that in the neocortex colocalizes with a subpopulation of GABAergic neurons. Here we report that in the rat monocular deprivation results in a dramatic reduction of parvalbumin-like immunoreactivity in the visual cortex contralateral to the deprived eye. This effect is due to competitive phenomena and not to visual deprivation itself, it is restricted to the binocular portion of the visual cortex and neither binocular deprivation, nor dark rearing can induce it. We conclude that parvalbumin-like immunoreactivity is a useful immunohistochemical marker for the effects of monocular deprivation in the rat visual cortex."}
{"id": "PMID:1488120", "title": "Potentiation of electroencephalographic spindles by ibotenate microinjections into nucleus reticularis thalami of cats.", "content": "It is well known that the electroencephalogram of the cat in the early stages of slow wave sleep is mainly characterized by rhythmic wave activity at 7-14 Hz, termed spindles, which recur periodically with a slow rhythm of 0.1-0.2 Hz. From early stimulation, decortication and transection studies (see Ref. 14), spindle oscillations were thought to originate in the thalamus. The search for the anatomical substrate of thalamic spindling, however, moved from medial (intralaminar nuclei) to lateral thalamic nuclei, and recently focused on the extreme shell-shaped collection of GABA-ergic cells, the nucleus reticularis thalami. This proposition was based on its structural, hodological, and physiological aspects. There is accumulating evidence that the nucleus reticularis may act as a conditional pacemaker, synchronizing the activity of cortically projecting thalamic neurons. The introduction of glutamate analogues with excitotoxic properties such as ibotenic acid provided the opportunity of studying the immediate effects of chemical excitation of this nucleus on synchronized electroencephalographic activity. We found that, in cats, spindle density was dramatically increased following infusion of ibotenic acid into the rostral pole of the nucleus, supporting the role of this sector in spindle-related rhythmicity."}
{"id": "PMID:1488121", "title": "Identification of a critical period for motor development in neonatal rats.", "content": "Manipulation of the developing nervous system has provided valuable insights into nervous system function. One important concept to arise from this type of study has been the identification of specific \"critical periods\" for the development of various functions. A critical period has been most clearly shown for the visual system where monocular eye closure for a few weeks led to functionally significant changes in visually guided behaviors and the connectivity of the visual cortex. Critical periods have also been defined for other sensory systems. Although studies of the effect of manipulating sensory systems during development are sometimes difficult to interpret (e.g. Ref. 7), this difficulty is compounded in the case of the motor system. Problems arise because manipulations of the postnatal motor system are difficult to implement and usually require invasive procedures such as tenotomy, neurotomy, and nerve crush (for review, see Ref. 17). We have approached the problem of manipulating the motor environment by adapting a paradigm widely used to study the experimental effects of simulated weightlessness in adult rats: namely, tail suspension. This method has several advantages for manipulating the motor system: (i) because it is noninvasive, it is less discomforting than neurotomy, tenotomy or nerve crush; (ii) it does not immobilize the animals, they move about the cage and extend and flex their hindlimbs; and (iii) it specifically examines the importance of load-bearing on the development of antigravity muscles and their neuronal circuits.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1488122", "title": "Evidence for involvement of nitric oxide in the regulation of hypothalamic portal blood flow.", "content": "Vasoactive intestinal polypeptide and peptide histidine isoleucine, two peptides with a common precursor and with strong vasodilatory actions, have been suggested to be involved in control of blood flow through the hypothalamic portal blood vessels, in this way regulating the amounts of releasing and inhibitory factors reaching the anterior pituitary. Using the indirect immunofluorescence technique, we now show that this system also contains the enzyme nitric oxide synthase, as well as acetylcholinesterase. It is therefore likely that the control of blood flow through the portal vessels is mediated via relaxation of smooth muscle cells with a high myogenic tone by neuronal release of four vasodilatory compounds, acetylcholine, vasoactive intestinal polypeptide, peptidine histidine isoleucine, and nitric oxide, i.e. a classic neurotransmitter, two neuropeptides and a gas."}
{"id": "PMID:1488123", "title": "Localization of heparan sulfate glycosaminoglycan and proteoglycan core protein in aged brain and Alzheimer's disease.", "content": "Two monoclonal antibodies, one which recognizes a glycosaminoglycan epitope present in heparan sulfate glycosaminoglycan and another which recognizes the core protein of a basement membrane heparan sulfate proteoglycan, were used to study the distribution and localization of these components in Alzheimer's disease and control brain. The cytoplasm of neurons, and occasional neurofibrillary tangles, senile plaques and astrocytes were immunopositive for the heparan sulfate glycosaminoglycan antibody in control brains. In Alzheimer's tissue, however, the number and intensity of these elements was more extensive than in control brains. In addition, within the Alzheimer's brains studied, the nuclei of select neurons and a small number of microglia were also immunopositive for heparan sulfate glycosaminoglycan in contrast to controls, where nuclei and neuroglia were immuno-negative. Some senile plaques in Alzheimer's tissue also contained strong heparan sulfate glycosaminoglycan-positive neurites which were not seen in controls. In Alzheimer's tissue, double labeling for heparan sulfate glycosaminoglycans and the beta-amyloid protein in adjacent sections revealed that, in general, heparan sulfate glycosaminoglycan- and beta-amyloid protein-immunopositive plaques were co-localized. Occasionally, however, beta-amyloid-positive plaques were seen without heparan sulfate glycosaminoglycan immunoreactivity and vice versa. Heparan sulfate glycosaminoglycan immunoreactivity and Tau immunoreactivity co-localized in many neurofibrillary tangles; however a small number of heparan sulfate glycosaminoglycan-positive neurofibrillary tangles did not co-localize with Tau-positive neurofibrillary tangles. In contrast, the heparan sulfate proteoglycan antibody immunostained only the walls of blood vessels and a few senile plaques in Alzheimer's brains and primarily blood vessels in control brains. Heparan sulfate glycosaminoglycan immunostaining was present within neurons, glia, neurofibrillary tangles and senile plaques in Alzheimer's tissue. These results suggest that heparan sulfate-like molecules play an important role in the pathogenesis of the characteristic lesions of Alzheimer's disease and could serve as a marker reflecting early pathological changes."}
{"id": "PMID:1488124", "title": "Studies of activated microglial cells and macrophages using Alzheimer's disease cerebrospinal fluid in adult rats with experimentally induced lesions.", "content": "Previous investigations have shown that cerebrospinal fluid from Alzheimer's disease patients contains antibodies that recognize the amoeboid microglia--a nascent and active form of microglia in the developing rat brain [McRae et al. (1991) Neuroscience 41, 739-752]. The present study extended this to show that the same cerebrospinal fluid from Alzheimer's disease patients also labeled the activated microglia and macrophages induced experimentally in adult central nervous system. Thus, in the spinal cord, activated microglia were elicited following the destruction of the motor neurons by the toxic lectin, Ricinus communis agglutinin, injected into the sciatic nerve. The activated microglia which were closely associated with the soma of the degenerating neurons were intensely immunostained with the cerebrospinal fluid from Alzheimer's disease patients. The labeling pattern was comparable to some known monoclonal antibodies including OX-42, OX-18 and OX-6 that mark microglia. The microglia cells on the contralateral normal side remained unstained. In the cerebrum, activated microglia and neural macrophages were induced following an epidural application of the excitotoxin, kainic acid or cryolesion. Immunoelectron microscopy of these cells showed that the immunoreactivity was localized at the plasma membrane and its derivatives suggesting that these are the sites where the antigens are associated. The results obtained in this investigation suggest that these experimental models may be a means to gain further insight to antigens recognized by antibodies in the cerebrospinal fluid of Alzheimer's disease patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1488125", "title": "7 beta-hydroxycholesterol and 7 beta-hydroxycholesteryl-3-esters reduce the extent of reactive gliosis caused by an electrolytic lesion in rat brain.", "content": "Electrolytic lesions performed in brain cortex of six-day-old or adult rats resulted in the appearance of many reactive astrocytes around the injury site after a postoperative delay of eight days. They were revealed by immunohistochemistry using antibodies against glial fibrillary acidic protein. Injection of tritiated thymidine 24 h prior to autopsy indicated that, in neonates, 50% of the reactive astrocytes were proliferating. Infusion of 2 microliters of liposome suspension made of phosphatidylcholine and a monosialoganglioside, in the injury site, immediately after the electrolytic lesion did not modify the extent of the reactive gliosis. Liposomes containing 3 nmol of either 7 beta-hydroxycholesterol, 7 beta-hydroxycholesteryl-3-stearate or 7 beta-hydroxycholesteryl-3-oleate reduced by about 50% the intensity of the reactive gliosis in the frontal cortex of six-day-old rats and by 40% the number of dividing astrocytes. In the adult rat cortex the intensity of the glial reaction was also decreased by 30% by 15 nmol 7 beta-hydroxycholesteryl-3-oleate. Further investigations demonstrated that it is the 7 beta-hydroxy function which is needed for the biological activity of these oxysterols. These findings, which demonstrate anti-proliferative and anti-inflammatory properties of 7 beta-hydroxycholesterol on astrocytes, facilitate the future investigation of the influence of reactive gliosis on functional recovery following brain injury. This anti-proliferative property could also be used in other kinds of pathologies involving glial cell proliferation, such as glioblastomas."}
{"id": "PMID:1488126", "title": "Calretinin and calbindin-D28k in rat brain: patterns of partial co-localization.", "content": "Calretinin and calbindin-D28k are homologous calcium-binding proteins, each present in a variety of neurons in the brain. Their distributions in the rat brain have been compared at the cellular level to determine whether they tend to occur in the same or in different cells, and to determine whether calbindin-positive cells show any common features once crossreaction with calretinin has been eliminated. The results show great heterogeneity. Most cells which contain one of the proteins do not contain the other, but many cells do contain both; even in the ventral cochlear nucleus, where there is abundant calretinin and most calbindin-like immunoreactivity is due to crossreaction, a few cells contain both proteins. In the substantia nigra and ventral tegmental area, many cells are double-positive but some only contain one or the other protein. Only the triangular septal nucleus is uniformly positive for both proteins. Cells which look like local-circuit neurons in many forebrain areas (cortex, hippocampus, olfactory bulb, anterior olfactory nucleus) are exclusively positive for either calretinin or calbindin, in spite of their similar morphology. In the more heterogeneous parts of the brain (including hypothalamus central gray and substantia gelatinosa), there are mixtures of calretinin-positive, calbindin-positive, and double-positive cells. In comparison with previous data on the chick, some aspects of the distributions are conserved, but double-positive cells are more frequent in the rat. The degree of heterogeneity observed, even within comparatively well-defined neuronal populations, makes it difficult to infer in what neuronal properties these proteins could be involved."}
{"id": "PMID:1488127", "title": "Regional expression of c-fos antigen in the basal forebrain following intraventricular infusions of angiotensin and its modulation by drinking either water or saline.", "content": "The expression of c-fos protein was examined in the basal forebrains of male rats 60 min following intracerebroventricular infusions of 250 pmol angiotensin II. Levels of corticosterone and vasopressin were also measured at the same time point. In animals not allowed access to water after infusion, angiotensin II induced intense c-fos expression in a band of neurons extending throughout the anterior region of the third ventricle region, including the organum vasculosum of the lamina terminalis, the median preoptic nucleus (nucleus medianus) and the subfornical organ. There were also high levels of expression in the hypothalamic supraoptic nucleus and the paraventricular nucleus, particularly its lateral (magnocellular) region, though other, parvicellular areas were also affected. No other area of the hypothalamus was altered. There was increased c-fos expression in the central nucleus of the amygdala and the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis. Allowing rats to drink during the 60-min survival period modified this pattern of response. c-fos was markedly reduced in the supraoptic nucleus and the paraventricular nucleus but not in the other areas examined, including the anterior region of the third ventricle and the amygdala. When water was withheld for 15 min, but then allowed, rats drank the same total volume but c-fos expression was no longer inhibited in either the supraoptic nucleus or paraventricular nucleus. When rats were given 0.9% saline to drink, they ingested about three times as much as water, but angiotensin II-induced c-fos expression was similar to that in rats denied access to water. The pattern was similar following access to 1.8% saline, though levels in the organum vasculosum of the lamina terminalis were reduced. There was a marked correlation between the number of c-fos-positive neurons in the supraoptic nucleus or paraventricular nucleus and plasma levels of corticosterone 60 min after infusion, but not with arginine-vasopressin levels. These experiments show that angiotensin II induces highly localized expression of c-fos in areas known to be concerned with the dipsogenic and endocrine actions of this peptide, and that this pattern is selectively altered by allowing the animal to drink solutions of different tonicity. Immediate-early gene expression is a novel and valuable method of determining the neural response to peptides at the cellular level."}
{"id": "PMID:1488128", "title": "Cortical transynaptic activation of tyrosine kinase receptor trkB messenger RNA expression in rat hippocampus.", "content": "The trkB gene encodes a tyrosine kinase receptor which is an essential component of the high-affinity cell surface receptor for the neurotrophin brain-derived neurotrophic factor. In this report we have used quantitative in situ hybridization to study the expression of trkB messenger RNA in the rat hippocampus following stimulation of afferents in the entorhinal cortex. A bilateral three-fold increase of trkB messenger RNA levels in the hippocampus was seen 4 h after quisqualate injection into the left entorhinal cortex. The increase was confined to the granule layer of the dentate gyrus. A small increase, however, was also seen bilaterally in the pyramidal cell layer. The increases in all hippocampal areas were completely prevented by pretreatment of the animals with systemic injection of diazepam but not with scopolamine. We suggest that glutamate release from cortical afferents to the hippocampus has the capacity to increase neuronal expression of trkB messenger RNA within the hippocampus. The results from the present study extend the interpretation of our previous evidence of cortical transynaptic activation of brain-derived neurotrophic factor messenger RNA and indicate the presence of a concomitant activation of trkB messenger RNA expression in the hippocampus."}
{"id": "PMID:1488129", "title": "Distribution of thyrotropin-releasing hormone receptor messenger RNA in the rat brain: an in situ hybridization study.", "content": "Based on the recent cloning of the mouse thyrotropin-releasing hormone receptor, oligonucleotide probes complementary to the DNA sequence were constructed and used for in situ hybridization studies on the rat brain. Thyrotropin-releasing hormone receptor messenger RNA was found in many areas of the brain, mostly showing high degree of overlap with the distribution thyrotropin-releasing hormone binding sites as previously revealed in autoradiographic studies. Thus, a strong signal was observed in the accessory olfactory bulb, the perirhinal sulcus, the ventral aspects of the hippocampal formation, some amygdaloid nuclei, the diagonal band nucleus, parts of nucleus accumbens, the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, dorsomedial, lateral and perifornical hypothalamic regions, the septohippocampal nucleus, parts of the vestibular complex, as well as many bulbar motoneurons including the facial, dorsal vagal, ambiguus and hypoglossal nuclei, the superficial layer of the spinal trigeminal nucleus, and motoneurons and dorsal horn neurons in the spinal cord. Cells within one and the same nucleus expressed varying levels of thyrotropin releasing hormone receptor messenger RNA suggesting marked differences in rate of receptor synthesis. Most of these areas receive an input by thyrotropin-releasing hormone-positive nerve endings. Taken together these results suggest that thyrotropin-releasing hormone receptors are mostly localized in the vicinity of the cell bodies which express thyrotropin-releasing hormone receptor messenger RNA and mediate the wide range of actions that have been recorded after administration of exogenous thyrotropin-releasing hormone."}
{"id": "PMID:1488130", "title": "Role of GABA in the extraocular motor nuclei of the cat: a postembedding immunocytochemical study.", "content": "The GABAergic innervation of the extraocular motor nuclei in the cat was evaluated using postembedding immunocytochemical techniques. The characterization of GABA-immunoreactive terminals in the oculomotor nucleus was carried out at the light and electron microscopic levels. GABA-immunopositive puncta suggestive of boutons were abundant in semithin sections throughout the oculomotor nucleus, and were found in close apposition to somata and dendrites. Ultrathin sections revealed an extensive and dense distribution of GABA-immunoreactive synaptic endings that established contacts with the perikarya and proximal dendrites of motoneurons and were also abundant in the surrounding neuropil. GABAergic boutons were characterized by the presence of numerous mitochondria, pleiomorphic vesicles and multiple small symmetrical synaptic contacts. The trochlear nucleus exhibited the highest density of GABAergic terminations. In contrast, scarce GABA immunostaining was associated with the motoneurons and internuclear neurons of the abducens nucleus. In order to further elucidate the role of this neurotransmitter in the oculomotor system, retrograde tracing of horseradish peroxidase was used in combination with the GABA immunostaining. First, medial rectus motoneurons were identified following horseradish peroxidase injection into the corresponding muscle. This was carried out because of the peculiar afferent organization of medial rectus motoneurons that contrasts with the remaining extraocular motoneurons, especially their lack of direct vestibular inhibition. Semithin sections of the oculomotor nucleus containing retrogradely labeled medial rectus motoneurons and immunostained for GABA revealed numerous immunoreactive puncta in close apposition to horseradish peroxidase-labeled somata and in the surrounding neuropil. At the ultrastructural level, GABAergic terminals established synaptic contacts with the somata and proximal dendrites of medial rectus motoneurons. Their features and density were similar to those found in the remaining motoneuronal subgroups of the oculomotor nucleus. Second, oculomotor internuclear neurons were identified following the injection of horseradish peroxidase into the abducens nucleus to determine whether they could give rise to GABAergic terminations in the abducens nucleus. About 20% of the oculomotor internuclear neurons were doubly labeled by retrograde horseradish peroxidase and GABA immunostaining. A high percentage (80%) of the oculomotor internuclear neurons projecting to the abducens nucleus showed immunonegative perikarya. It was concluded that the oculomotor internuclear pathway to the abducens nucleus comprises both GABAergic and non-GABAergic neurons and, at least in part, the GABA input to the abducens nucleus originates from this source. It is suggested that this pathway might carry excitatory and inhibitory influences on abducens neurons arising bilaterally."}
{"id": "PMID:1488131", "title": "Influences from different areas of the cerebral cortex on preoptic neurons: morphological and electrophysiological data.", "content": "Spatial organization of neurons in the prefrontal and cingulate cortex, cortex of the piriform lobe and the hippocampus which project axons to the preoptic region, has been studied in cats using horseradish peroxidase tracing. Cortical areas were selected taking into consideration their phylogenetical distinctions. The prefrontal cortex was found to send a major portion of fibres to the preoptic region, while the density of units forming such connections was maximal in the cingulate cortex. Field potentials and neuronal reactions of the medial and lateral divisions of the preoptic region and the adjacent hypothalamic zones were studied in ketamine-anaesthetized cats. The most pronounced field potentials were recorded in the preoptic region upon stimulation of the cortex of the piriform lobe and cingulate cortex. There was a close correlation between the responses of single neurons and components of the field potentials. The majority of neurons responding to cortical stimuli were located mainly in the lateral preoptic region, where the larger amount of primary excitatory reactions were recorded. The medial preoptic region contained a smaller number of responsive neurons prevailingly generating the primary inhibitory reactions. For the lateral preoptic region the inhibition/excitation ratio was 0.6:1 at all cortical stimulations, but for the medial region it was 5.8:1. In the preoptic division adjoining the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, the primary inhibitory reactions considerably prevailed over the primary excitatory; on the other hand, in the supraoptic nucleus the primary excitatory reactions prevailed weakly (ratios of 4.9:1 and 0.7:1, respectively). The preoptic region was found to be a zone of wide convergence of cortical inputs to single cells, where three-quarters of neurons responded to the stimulation of two, three or even four cortical areas."}
{"id": "PMID:1488132", "title": "[False chordae tendineae].", "content": "False tendons (FT) are fibrous or fibromuscular structures which cross the ventricular cavity with no connections with valvular leaflets. They were considered for a long time as normal structures but now cardiologists are interested because of the possible association with the so-called innocent murmur, and even more so for the role they can have in eliciting ventricular arrhythmias. Some Authors believe that arrhythmias can arise from the false tendons because they contain not only fibrous tissue but also muscular and conduction tissue. Arrhythmias can be triggered either by stretching of the Purkinje fibers or by distortion of the ventricular wall, where false tendons arise. At the same time they can act as reentry circuits due to their non-homogeneous structure. Due to the fact that false tendons may arise anywhere from the ventricular cavity, they have been classified according either to anatomic or echocardiographic criteria: the latter being more complex and difficult than the former for the difficulty in locating the attachment areas. In our echocardiographic laboratory we simply distinguish two types of false tendons: type I which parallel the interventricular septum or bridges from the postero-basal portion of the septum to the posterior left ventricular wall; type II which crosses the ventricular cavity more distally, towards the apex. In the anatomic studies the prevalence of the FT is rather homogeneous, ranging from 46 to 54.9%, while it is extremely variable in the echocardiographic studies, ranging from 0.2 to 71%. This is possibly due not only to the examiner's skills, or the equipment's quality but also to the population studied. Among the patients referred to our cardiac paediatric unit we have found false tendons in 80 (29.3%) out of 273 children without cardiac disease, age ranging from i day to 13 yrs. Males were affected twice more than females, 63.7% vs 36.3%.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1488133", "title": "[A critical review of the stable changes in ventricular repolarization in ischemic cardiopathy. A correlation with the angiographic findings].", "content": "Unknown is the significance of the abnormalities of repolarization observed at rest in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) demonstrated by coronary angiography, except for ischemic episodes, myocardial infarction, left ventricular hypertrophy, electrolyte changes or pharmacological interactions. The chronic T wave inversion and ST segment depression are usually considered as an alteration due to ischemia (\"chronic myocardial ischemia\"); this definition is, in our opinion, erroneous, because myocardial ischemia is an acute episode caused by a sudden lack of balance between demand and availability of myocardial oxygen, corresponding to transient electrocardiographic alterations. Thus, the definition of \"chronic myocardial ischemia\" referred to stable abnormalities of repolarization is incorrect, because a \"chronic\" lack of balance between MVO2 and O2 availability would produce necessarily irreversible myocardial damage (necrosis). To contribute to the comprehension of the stable ECG changes at rest, we have selected a group of patients with CAD demonstrated by coronary angiography, presenting stable T wave alterations and ST depression at rest. We have studied the main and regional left ventricular function through radionuclide angiocardiography (ACS). Comparing the abnormalities of repolarization (ECG) on the one hand with angio, EFR and VER on the other, we have obtained different positive correlations, according to the functional parameters considered (EFR and VER). In our study, the lowest positive correlation has been noticed comparing ECG versus angio, VER and EFR (37.5%), while the highest correlation was obtained when ECG was considered versus angio and VER (56.25%). Evaluating ECG versus angio and EFR we have obtained a positive correlation equal to 43.75%. So we have deduced that VER is the functional parameter that better relates to angio and ECG.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1488134", "title": "[Cerebrovascular insufficiency: diagnostic technics compared].", "content": "The ability of angiodynography (or Color Flow Imaging) to achieve accuracy in image resolution of thin details of venous as well as arterial vessels has made continuous wave Doppler and frequency analysis Doppler almost obsolete techniques. Some controversies exist about the effectiveness of color flow imaging versus duplex scanner imaging, but recent progress in ultrasound imaging technology seems to overcome the problem. Angiodynography can effectively substitute X-ray angiography in some specific instances and is able to limit the use of invasive techniques to cases in which surgical procedures are really foreseeable. The non-invasiveness of angiodynography makes it useful to follow-up the asymptomatic lesions, particularly those of the carotid artery, as well as operated patients. Moreover, people for whom contrast angiography is contraindicated can be operated safely on the bases of angiodynography alone. This paper reports the results of one-year activity of Ultrasound Vascular Laboratory with 1982 patients: 923 (48.7%) had their epiaortic arterial vessels examined, with 180 (19.5%) follow-up controls, 297 (39.9%) negative explorations, 234 (31.5%) hemodynamically not significant lesions, 135 (18.2%) subjects affected with moderate (50-70% stenosis) and non ulcerated carotid stenosis, and 77 (10.4%) patients with ulcerated plaques or > 70% stenosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1488135", "title": "[Surgery of the carotid: the morphology of plaque and the clinical correlations].", "content": "A consecutive series of 256 patients operated on of carotid endarterectomy for cerebrovascular atherosclerotic disease from January 1987 through December 1990 is presented. The following parameters were considered: clinical presentation, morphology of the carotid atherosclerotic plaque and topographic distribution of other concomitant atherosclerotic lesions of epiaortic arteries. 422 carotid lesions and 154 lesions of other epiaortic vessels were investigated by means of echo and color flow imaging, digital subtraction angiography and macroscopic observation of the specimen: 143 plaques proved grossly ulcerated. Unilateral lesions were 90 (35.2%) while bilateral disease was present in 166 cases (64.8%): 38.8% of subjects out of the first group and 30.2% out of the second were asymptomatic. Anterior and posterior neurological symptoms were equally distributed among both the 116 (69.8%) symptomatic subjects harboring bilateral lesions and the 55 (61.1%) symptomatic subjects with unilateral lesion (anterior 78.4% and posterior 21.6% for bilateral and 78.2% and 21.8% respectively for unilateral lesions). According to the degree of stenosis, the lesions were divided into three main groups: < 50%; 50-70%; > 70%. As the degree of stenosis increased, the incidence of focal symptoms increased too; moreover, the presence of ulceration of the stenosing plaque carried an increase in the incidence of focal symptoms within each group: respectively from 7.8% to 30% (< 50%), from 18.6% to 53.8% (50-70%), from 27.7% to 55.6% (> 70%). This study supports the relationship of morphological characteristics of the stenosing atherosclerotic plaques of the internal carotid artery to neurological symptomatology.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1488136", "title": "[Intraoperative microbiological monitoring in abdominal aortic aneurysms in elective surgery. A review of the literature and the authors' personal experience].", "content": "Thirty-one patients, ranging in age from 57 to 78 years (mean 66), with the exclusion of cases with doubtful possible results, underwent abdominal aortic aneurysmectomy for asymptomatic AAA and had cultures from the aneurysmal wall and endovascular thrombus to identify possible microbiological source of future graft infection; 5 (16%) of 31 cultures yielded bacterial growth and the most common organism isolated was staphylococcus epidermidis. During an average follow-up of 15.4 months no graft infection was noted in patients with positive or negative aortic cultured. A literature review stresses the same disparity between positive cultures obtained at the aneurysmectomy and subsequent low graft-infection rate. It is concluded that the aneurysm wall itself does not represent an important source of early or late graft infection and it's suggested that the bacterial presence both in the wall and thrombus could be explained by an exogenous contamination at the operation time."}
{"id": "PMID:1488137", "title": "[Isolated aneurysms of the internal iliac artery. A clinical contribution].", "content": "Five patients with isolated aneurysms of the internal iliac artery were identified and submitted to surgical procedure. Two patients were operated on in election, three in emergency with aneurysmatic rupture. The natural course of this pathology is one of progressive expansion and rupture. This lesion is often asymptomatic, but sometimes we found associated, compression symptoms of genito-urinary, intestinal tract and venous and neurological structures. Echography, CT scan and angiography are the most common and useful diagnostic procedure. Endoaneurysmectomy with proximal and distal suture of the stumps is the appropriate treatment in the majority of the cases."}
{"id": "PMID:1488138", "title": "[The predictiveness of the duplex scan method in monitoring a venous femoro-distal bypass].", "content": "The medium-term failure of femoro-distal revascularization using venous bypass is often preceded by the onset of intrinsic intraprosthetic lesions which, if not diagnosed, may develop and cause thrombosis in the venous prosthesis. The authors report their experience relating to the monitoring of these bypass operations using an echo-Doppler test which was found to be a sensitive and reliable method. In their opinion, frequent instrumental control may significantly reduce the number of occlusions in the venous prosthesis if a rapid surgical therapeutic approach is adopted towards those intraluminal lesions considered to represent a risk."}
{"id": "PMID:1488140", "title": "[Thrombosis of the right atrial appendage. The two-dimensional echocardiographic aspect and the autopsy finding].", "content": "We report the case of an 80-year-old man affected by hypertensive cardiomyopathy and already admitted to our Division for recurrent episodes of heart failure. He was eventually hospitalized for septic shock secondary to disseminated pneumonia with concomitant left pleural effusion. At 2D-echo examination, a highly echo-reflectant mass was detected in the retrocardiac space. As the patient died notwithstanding the intensive pharmacological care, an autoptic procedure was performed which showed a massive thrombosis of the right atrial appendage. We discuss the 2D-echo imaging and advance a pathogenetic hypothesis after a review of the current literature."}
{"id": "PMID:1488141", "title": "[Nontraumatic dissection of the left extracranial internal carotid artery. A clinical case].", "content": "The authors report a case of non traumatic dissection of the left extracranial internal carotid artery. Their main topics deal with the clinical-diagnostic aspects and the therapeutic approaches adopted, compared with the specific literature's most recent data. In addition they have discussed--some--investigations aimed at the best follow-up of those diseases."}
{"id": "PMID:1488142", "title": "[Transplantation of the left lung in a 2-month-old piglet. The Study Group for Lung Transplantation].", "content": "Experimental surgery in animals remains an irreplaceable model for the clinical application of a new technique. We performed a single lung allotransplantation in young pigs. The pigs were organized into groups: 1) 6 to assess the surgical anatomy; 2) 10 to receive left transplantation; 3) 3 to study the pathophysiology of the transplanted lung. The preliminary results demonstrated that the surgical model is useful."}
{"id": "PMID:1488143", "title": "[Fetal microsurgery. The past and present of a frontier of surgery].", "content": "The concept that the fetus may be a patient is very recent. Modern ultrasonography can detect fetal abnormalities early in utero, and lead to prenatal correction of such malformations. At present three anatomic defects can benefit from fetal surgery: diaphragmatic hernia, urethral obstructions and obstructive hydrocephalus. The feasibility of fetal surgery has been proved both experimentally and clinically. Microsurgery can be of great help in this type of surgery. At this stage, fetal surgery should be pursued only in very qualified centers."}
{"id": "PMID:1488144", "title": "[The role and problems of the surgical approach in adrenal incidentalomas].", "content": "The authors report a series of 5 incidentalomas: 4 nonfunctioning adrenocortical adenomas and 1 nonfunctioning pheochromocytoma. They emphasise the importance of US, CT, MRN, and scintigraphy in differential diagnosis compared to laboratory tests. In addition, they affirm that a correct oncological approach necessarily involves radical surgery and rule out the possibility of adopting a \"wait and see\" policy based on relative factors such as tumour size, function and the patient's age. The authors suggest using a posterior or anterior access route depending on the nature and size of the incidentaloma and recommend reserving the lateral incision for special cases."}
{"id": "PMID:1488145", "title": "[Rare metastases].", "content": "The paper reports a number of cases of uncommon metastasis confirmed by histological tests in surgical biopsies; following a brief discussion of the literature on this topic and in particular on the basis of an earlier study by one of the authors, the paper affirms that metastasis is related to general and local biological factors, that the diffusion of neoplastic cells is an early and generalised phenomenon opposed by organic defence mechanisms, and that the concept of uncommon metastasis should be revised, without resorting to fixed anatomical references, according to a general \"impregnation\" of tumour cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1488146", "title": "[Aneurysm of the subrenal aorta. Comments on 25 cases seen].", "content": "The authors report their experience in the diagnosis and treatment of subrenal aortic aneurysms. The incidence of the abdominal aortic aneurysms, in aged population, is increasing, linked, in 95% of cases, to atherosclerotic disease. The diagnosis is essentially clinical with help of various examination techniques, that provide an accurate preoperative morphological assessment, like direct X-ray of the abdomen, echography, angio computerized axial tomography and arteriography. The moment for operating aneurysms of the subrenal aorta is discussed. The rate of operative deaths following elective replacement of abdominal aortic aneurysms is less than 4% and it increase to 40-80% in emergency replacement for rupture. Rupture remains a catastrophic life-threatening complication for cardiovascular, respiratory and renal failure, in spite of improved surgical techniques and postoperative intensive care."}
{"id": "PMID:1488147", "title": "[Early escharectomy in children: the indications and limits in the severely burned patient. A preliminary report].", "content": "A trial was carried out to assess the benefit of early eschar excision in order to improve the survival rate in severely burnt children. The study included two groups of patients treated using different methods. The mortality rate, amount of blood lost and length of hospital stay were evaluated for each group. Preliminary results seem to confirm the effectiveness of this technique provided that some conditions are met, namely the quantity of necrotic tissue removed and the amount of blood lost during the entire hospital stay."}
{"id": "PMID:1488148", "title": "[The incidence of tumors of the oral cavity and salivary glands in cervical adenopathies. Case contributions].", "content": "The paper report 592 non-selected cases of cervical adenopathies treated using both simple biopsy and more radical surgery. The predominant sites were right (29.7%) and left (25.2%) laterocervical. Histological tests showed that in 206 cases (34.8%) the pathology was benign and/or aspecific, whereas in 386 cases (65.2%) the presence of metastatic or systemic cancer was identified. Within the scope of metastatic adenopathies, tumors of the oral cavity or salivary glands, if taken together, account for the highest percentage of incidence: 14.2%. For this reason, the presence of cervical adenopathies must be given priority in the search for possible primary lesions affecting all the anatomical structures forming the oral cavity and the adjacent salivary glands."}
{"id": "PMID:1488149", "title": "[Choledochocele: a rare cause of chronic pancreatitis of the head of the pancreas].", "content": "The authors critically review the literature in order to ascertain the current state of knowledge regarding the anatomopathological, clinical and therapeutic characteristics of choledochocele, or cystic dilation of the terminal portion of the biliary tract. In particular, the Authors examine the etiopathogenetic aspects to explain how the presence of a choledochocele may lead to the onset of chronic pancreatitis. A clinical case which was recently brought to their attention is examined in detail. It concerns a 27-year-old patient in whom the presence of a large choledochocele had led to the onset of severe cephalopancreatitis which resisted all forms of treatment. In the case in question, ERCP played a decisive role in the diagnosis of the choledochocele, whereas ultrasonography, CT and selective arteriography were useful above all in relation to pancreatitis. In the case described ultraradical surgery, namely duodenocephalopancreatectomy, allowed the severe pancreatopathy and its etiological cause (choledochocele) to be efficaciously treated, confirming that this type of surgery currently plays an important role in the treatment of chronic pancreatitis."}
{"id": "PMID:1488150", "title": "[Gastric leiomyoblastoma. A case report].", "content": "The authors report a case of gastric leiomyoblastoma, a rare benign neoplasm that can sometimes undergo a malignant course. The main clinical an pathological issues are reviewed, in order to offer guidance as to the best suited surgical approach."}
{"id": "PMID:1488152", "title": "[Compression of the sigmoid of gynecological origin].", "content": "The authors report a case of extrinsic stenosis of the sigmoid colon due to inflammation of the uterus and adjoining parts. Attention is drawn to the possibility that the radiological images of this condition may be similar to neoplastic diseases."}
{"id": "PMID:1488153", "title": "[Ganglioneuroma of the adrenal gland associated with a contralateral renal carcinoma].", "content": "A case of ganglioneuroma of the adrenal gland associated with contralateral renal cell carcinoma is presented. Both the lesions underwent surgical therapy: of left adrenalectomy and right nephrectomy. The benign nature of the ganglioneuroma and the low staging (T2) of the renal neoplasm explain the positive exitus of the treatment: the patient is alive and free from disease after five years from the operation."}
{"id": "PMID:1488154", "title": "[A clinical and anatomical-histological contribution to the study of lipofibrocalcareous myopathy. Mattioli-Foggia and Raso disease].", "content": "The paper reports the clinical and histological biopsy data of a patient suffering from lipo-fibro-calcareous myopathy (Mattioli-Foggia and Raso's disease). It affirms that this pathology may be attributed to the group of phacomatosis and that in this instance this is a case of neurovascular phacomatosis (neuroblastodermosis)."}
{"id": "PMID:1488155", "title": "Did Columbus also open the exploration of the modern diet?", "content": "On the 500th anniversary of Columbus's voyage of discovery, one aspect that merits particular attention is its influence on food and nutrition worldwide. Columbus found an unexpected wealth in food resources rather than the gold he sought. The sailors came from a continent where famine was well known and had subsisted for two months on a typical seamen's diet of preserved foods, primarily hardtack and salt pork. They made landfall in green and fertile islands. The foods that constituted the core of the diet of the Americas before 1492--from maize to potatoes, beans to tomatoes, to numerous other fruits and vegetables--became the true patrimony that the inhabitants of the New World bequeathed to humanity. These foods, new to the Old World, provided the basis for the exchange and evolution of networks of food production and consumption which, with many trials and errors and with no preestablished plan, characterize modern nutrition. The diet of Mediterranean countries, now universally recommended for nutritional health, is high in several foods, tomatoes and beans in particular, that originated in the New World."}
{"id": "PMID:1488156", "title": "Nutrition in acute pulmonary disease.", "content": "Acutely stressed patients with chronic pulmonary disease have a particular need for accurate nutritional assessment and appropriate nutritional therapy. Loss of skeletal muscle, often extensive, can be paralleled by dramatic alterations in cellular function; inadvertent provision of excessive calories or of individual substrates may produce more harm than benefit. In the absence of a single \"gold standard\" for nutritional assessment and monitoring, no single value should take precedence over the entire clinical picture, which should be thoughtfully assessed and reassessed, with both the patient's nutritional needs and the consequences of their provision kept in mind. In the future, assessments of the impact of nutritional intervention will probably rely more heavily on functional tests of specific organs and of the immune system. Intervention will be based not only on provision of calories, individual substrates, vitamins, and minerals, but also on control of the inflammatory response in order that the nutrients may be properly utilized."}
{"id": "PMID:1488157", "title": "New insights into placental iron transport.", "content": "The transport of iron from mother to fetus presents a number of challenges, none more perplexing than determining how the flow can be unidirectional, yet avoid mixing the mother's serum proteins with the fetal system. Studies with cultured cell lines suggest a possible mechanism by which this may be achieved."}
{"id": "PMID:1488158", "title": "Glutamine: a conditionally essential nutrient or another nutritional puzzle.", "content": "Malnutrition and infection are common among patients receiving bone marrow transplant. A recent randomized, double-blind study was conducted to determine whether the addition of glutamine to standard total parenteral nutrition solutions would improve nitrogen retention and reduce hospital morbidity in a group of 45 bone marrow transplant patients. The results showed improved nitrogen balance and reduced incidence of clinical infection in the glutamine-supplemented patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1488160", "title": "Maximizing peak bone mass: calcium supplementation increases bone mineral density in children.", "content": "Attaining peak skeletal bone mass during childhood may reduce the incidence of osteoporosis in later life. A recent study in six- to 14-year-old identical twins showed that calcium supplementation increased bone mineral density. The effects of supplementation were especially pronounced in prepubertal children."}
{"id": "PMID:1488200", "title": "Access to health care in rural western New York State.", "content": "Persons living in rural counties often have limited access to health care. From a random sample, 1,332 households in six rural western New York counties were interviewed by telephone to identify what health care facilities are used when seeking professional health care what factors affect the preference for a health care facility and whether individuals perceive a shortage of health services in their communities. Seventy-nine percent of rural western New York individuals surveyed visited a physician between June 1988 and January 1990. The majority (83%) of individuals visited their regular health care source, which in most cases (81%) was a physician's private office. Factors related to a preference for some other health care source for the last visit included having traveled 20 or more miles to the visit (p < 0.01) and lack of overall satisfaction with the last visit (p < 0.001). Factors that varied by county of residency and were significantly associated with satisfaction included the type of health source used (p < 0.001), and the distance traveled to the last health care visit (p < 0.01). The majority of the respondents did not perceive a shortage of health care services in their communities probably because they have a lower expectation of health care accessibility."}
{"id": "PMID:1488201", "title": "Health and economic impact of cigarette smoking in New York State, 1987-1989.", "content": "This study provides estimates of deaths attributable to smoking, years of potential life lost (YPLL), and economic costs for each of New York's 57 counties and New York City for the period 1987 to 1989. Results show that in New York State, cigarette smoking was responsible for an average of 30,359 deaths, 409,129 YPLL, and nearly $4 billion in economic costs annually. Overall, smoking-attributable deaths comprised 17.7% of all deaths, or more than the combined total from accidents, AIDS, homicide, and suicide. Findings demonstrate the enormous health and economic burden caused by tobacco use and reinforce the need for policies that discourage smoking, such as increased cigarette taxes, limited smoking in public places, enforcement of youth tobacco access laws, and funding for tobacco education programs."}
{"id": "PMID:1488204", "title": "Medical futility. Committee on Bioethical Issues of the Medical Society of the State of New York.", "content": "The term futile is used in many different ways. It is therefore difficult to decide whether a procedure or treatment such as CPR or hemodialysis or blood transfusion would be futile in a given case. The AMA's guidelines on the appropriate use of DNR orders state that DNR decisions should be made openly. Institutions should have policies and physicians should elicit the patient's preferences about CPR. For physicians, the question is no longer whether we should discuss DNR orders with our patients; instead, the issue is how to do so with compassion and caring. Physicians should share with patients their judgment about what medicine can and cannot do. Then physicians must \"make decisions about when to withhold or limit resuscitation openly\" in honest and trusting conversation between doctor and patient. Often CPR is an exercise in futility. The medical profession should be vested with the authority to make futility decisions if they are the product of open discussion and shared deliberation between physician and patient, family, or surrogate. Rationing, triage, and medical futility in relation to AIDS patients require careful deliberation and consideration. What was considered medically futile five years ago for an AIDS patient may be appropriate care nowadays. The need for appropriate use or non-use of life-sustaining therapy for the elderly, the terminally ill, patients with AIDS and other incurable illnesses is evident to patients, health care providers, policy makers, and the public. CPR should only be administered if it is expected to confer lasting benefit to the patient. However, if 10% of elderly patients benefit from CPR in the case of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, how can one consider this procedure futile? Although communication between physician and patient about difficult treatment limitation decisions has markedly improved in recent years, it remains a problem, largely because open dialogue with patients and families about futility is a demanding emotional and intellectual task. The medical profession is charged with setting standards for the proper implementation of judgments regarding futility.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1488213", "title": "Nutrient intake and weight/height of Saudi patients at King Faisal Specialist Hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.", "content": "Nutrition surveys in the past showed some mild and moderate degrees of malnutrition in young children below 10 years of age. Deficiency diseases like anaemia were also reported. This survey is part of a large study of 1005 patients and sitters to see the relationship of diet and disease. Seven hundred and fourteen patients were subsampled and became the subject of this report to find out if the nutritional status of the children surveyed 10 to 15 years ago had any major change. It also presented some new information about nutritional status of older groups up to 96 years of age. It was found that weight for height and height for age of children up 14 years (except the girls GT 10-LE 14 years) could now compare with the US NCHS standard. The adolescent girls' (up to age 18) weight for height were statistically lower than the standard. Later in life, with some influences from the other female members of the household, and because of their limited activity, the women's weights were even higher than the standard. The adolescent males' weights were within standard, but the adult males' from age 18 were statistically lower than NCHS. Height for age from age 14 years for all were statistically lower than standard and was attributed to poor nutritional states in the past. Energy intakes of the adult males and iron intakes of the infants below one year of age were significantly lower than standard. Low energy intakes of the adult males confirm low weight for height performance. The same problem with iron of milk-fed infants of 10 to 15 years ago was still encountered. This shows that some traditional practice of infant feeding still persists despite the improvement in the quality of life and standard of living of the Saudis due to the economic upheaval created by oil. This survey emphasizes the importance of follow-up reports to see the changes in the people's state of health after a period of transition from economic dependence to affluence."}
{"id": "PMID:1488214", "title": "A speculative discussion of some problems arising from the use of ammonium nitrate fertiliser on acid soil.", "content": "Some personal farming experiences are described, and attention is drawn to four anomalies associated with the use of ammonium nitrate. These can be explained if the changes that took place in the formulation of fertilisers around 1960 have led to acidic soils becoming depleted in calcium, and if crops growing in high nitrogen conditions take up their nitrogen as ammonium. It is concluded that the fertiliser recommendations that have been formulated at Rothamsted are unsuitable for use upon acidic soils in wetter parts of the UK because they result in the soil becoming excessively anaerobic so that the balance of nutrients becomes unsuitable for optimal plant and animal growth."}
{"id": "PMID:1488219", "title": "Retinoblastoma in the first year of life.", "content": "Children diagnosed with retinoblastoma in the first year of life present with differences in laterality, stage, signs, symptoms, and respond differently to treatments when compared to older children. Of those children diagnosed in the first year of life (between 1958 and 1983 inclusive), 280 were bilateral and 121 were unilateral, the most common stage of diagnosis (for unilateral and bilateral) was Group V, and children were affected equally by sex. Children examined in the first three months of life were more often seen because of a positive family history of retinoblastoma, rather than leukocoria. Children who were treated in the first year of life frequently develop second nonocular tumors because they harbor the germinal mutation and receive radiation."}
{"id": "PMID:1488220", "title": "Mucolipidosis type IV. Presentation of a mild variant.", "content": "The authors report a 16-year-old girl with mucolipidosis type IV. She was referred because of deteriorating vision over the past three years. Corneal clouding with the appearance of cornea verticillata and retinal dystrophy were the main ophthalmological findings. Except for clumsiness no psychomotor retardation was present. Ultrastructural analysis of a conjunctival biopsy and cultured fibroblasts suggested a diagnosis of mucolipidosis type IV which was confirmed by biochemical studies. This patient represents the mildest described presentation of mucolipidosis type IV."}
{"id": "PMID:1488221", "title": "A Japanese pedigree of autosomal dominant congenital stationary night blindness with variable expressivity.", "content": "Three cases in three successive generations of one family with autosomal dominant congenital stationary night blindness are presented. Case 1, the proband, and Case 3, his grandfather had the same electroretinographic responses: nonrecordable scotopic electroretinogram (ERG), normal but slightly diminished flicker ERG, and negative-shaped single bright-flash ERG. Their dark adaptation curves were monophasic with no rod segment. However, Case 2, the proband's father, showed different ERG findings; a moderately diminished scotopic ERG, a normal flicker ERG, and a biphasic dark adaptation curve with an elevated final rod threshold. The authors believe that these differences reflect variations in the expressivity of a single gene mutation with the lowest expressivity being seen in Case 2."}
{"id": "PMID:1488222", "title": "Mitochondrial DNA analysis in Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy.", "content": "A mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutation at nucleotide 11778 has been reported as the genetic defect associated with Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON), but some pedigrees failed to reveal this mutation. The authors present the genetic analysis of a large Italian LHON family with three probands and 16 asymptomatic maternal relatives. The 11778 mtDNA mutation was present in this family and absent in 52 Italian healthy controls, confirming the association between this genetic defect and LHON. In addition, they found a variable proportion of mutated and wild-type mtDNA (heteroplasmy) in every maternally related family member, including the probands. Different patterns of heteroplasmy were present in the pedigree and lower levels of wild-type mtDNA seemed to correlate with the disease status. Moreover, the authors evaluated the mitotic segregation of mt genomes in blood, hair and urinary tract epithelia of the three patients and they found a similar level of heteroplasmy in these tissues."}
{"id": "PMID:1488223", "title": "A retrospective study of registered retinitis pigmentosa patients in The Netherlands.", "content": "A retrospective study was performed of patients with retinitis pigmentosa (RP) registered at the Department of Ophthalmogenetics of the Netherlands Ophthalmic Research Institute. The aim was to establish the relative frequencies of the genetic modes and to attempt a clinical subclassification. Of the 575 RP patients, 10.4% were X-linked, 22.4% autosomal dominant, 30.1% autosomal recessive, and 37.1% simplex cases. Clinical classification was inconclusive, and consequently correlation of phenotype to genotype impossible in most cases. One exception was the occurrence of a tapetal reflex, which seemed to differentiate between RP2 and RP3. Gene defects have not been detected so far in Dutch families with either autosomal dominant or autosomal recessive RP. In the future, simplex cases will have to be classified according to their genetic defects. It is probable that results of DNA studies may prove a better basis for classification of RP than clinical data."}
{"id": "PMID:1488224", "title": "Temporomandibular joint dysfunction. Connective tissue variations in skin biopsy and mitral valve function.", "content": "Ten women with temporomandibular joint dysfunction and general joint hypermobility (score, 4 to 8) and 10 symptom-free female volunteers without systemic laxity (score, 0 to 2) were selected for the study. A biopsy of connective tissue from arm skin found that the total collagen concentrations were lower and the proteoglycan values were higher in the hypermobile TMJ patients than in the control subjects. The mitral region of the heart was inspected by echocardiography. Eight patients and four controls had slightly abnormal echocardiographic findings. Two patients fulfilled the criteria for mitral valve prolapse. The patients had significantly more musculoskeletal complaints than did the controls. The study suggests an association between joint hypermobility, abnormal skin connective tissue composition, mitral valve malfunction, and musculoskeletal disorders in young women with TMJ dysfunction, especially internal derangement."}
{"id": "PMID:1488225", "title": "Use of auricular cartilage in the repair of orbital floor defects.", "content": "Various materials have been used to repair orbital defects. This article advocates the use of autogenous conchal cartilage, especially in the repair of large posttraumatic defects, where contour, biocompatibility, and strength are most important. The technique for harvesting the cartilage is reviewed, and a case demonstrating its successful use is reported."}
{"id": "PMID:1488226", "title": "Technical modification of the sagittal split mandibular ramus osteotomy.", "content": "The sagittal split mandibular ramus osteotomy is a versatile surgical option for the correction of mandibular prognathism, retrognathism, and asymmetry. At the same time, it enables the use of internal rigid fixation. However, surgical complications including injury to the inferior dental neurovascular bundle and unfavorable fracture can occur. A technical modification and a concept in instrumentation is suggested with the view of minimizing such complications."}
{"id": "PMID:1488227", "title": "Changes in masseter inhibitory reflex responses in patients with diffuse sclerosing osteomyelitis of the mandible.", "content": "Masticatory inhibitory mechanisms were studied in 10 patients treated for diffuse sclerosing osteomyelitis of the mandible. Their masseter inhibitory reflex responses were provoked electrically by mental nerve stimulation during maximal clenching of the teeth. The masseter inhibitory reflex was normal in two patients and significantly abnormal in eight patients. The two patients with a normal masseter inhibitory reflex were free of complaints, whereas, of the eight patients with an abnormal masseter inhibitory reflex, two were free of complaints and six had moderate to severe symptoms. In three patients, spasms and involuntary bursts of electromyographic activity were found. The abnormal masseter inhibitory reflex consisted of a loss of early and late components in four patients or a loss of the late component with a normal early one in four patients. These findings seem to support the hypothesis that diffuse sclerosing osteomyelitis of the mandible is a chronic tendoperiostitis caused by muscle overuse. It is suggested that this overuse is caused by central hyperexcitability of trigeminal motoneurons."}
{"id": "PMID:1488228", "title": "Oral myiasis caused by sarcophagidae in an extraction wound.", "content": "Oral myiasis (infestation by the larvae of Diptera flies) has only rarely been reported in the English-language literature. This article records a case of wound myiasis caused by flies of the family Sarcophagidae that affected a tooth-extraction site, and was a painful complication of the extraction."}
{"id": "PMID:1488229", "title": "The value of panoramic radiographic examination in patients with leukemia before medical management.", "content": "Panoramic radiographs were completed for patients with leukemia before the start of medical management. The radiographs were taken as part of the patient admission evaluation. Patients were examined and followed throughout the course of their medical management. Panoramic radiographs did not identify pathologic conditions that were not identified clinically or that required management during medical therapy. The radiograph evaluation was of value in correlation with clinical findings and was required before dental treatment. It is concluded that panoramic radiograph evaluation of patients with leukemia is not indicated as part of their routine evaluation and should not be used to screen patients for occult pathosis. The use of these radiographs should be based on history and examination findings."}
{"id": "PMID:1488230", "title": "Salivary hypofunction in patients with familial amyloidotic polyneuropathy.", "content": "Patients who suffer from familial amyloidotic polyneuropathy frequently complain of mouth dryness and an increased need for dental treatment. The aim of the present investigation was to study saliva secretion rate and composition and other factors related to the risk of dental caries in patients with familial amyloidotic polyneuropathy. Thirty patients with familial amyloidotic polyneuropathy volunteered for the study and were compared with a matched control group. Samples of unstimulated and stimulated whole saliva were collected in a standardized manner. The secretion rates were calculated, and the concentrations of electrolytes, glycoprotein markers, and proteins with antibacterial properties were analyzed. Dental caries and variables related to the risk of dental caries were also scored. The results show that familial amyloidotic polyneuropathy patients frequently have a decreased rate of saliva secretion and that the degree of salivary hypofunction is positively correlated to the progress of familial amyloidotic polyneuropathy. Forty-three percent of the familial amyloidotic polyneuropathy patients in this study had no detectable secretion of unstimulated saliva. A low secretion rate of stimulated saliva (< 0.7 ml/min) was found in 33% of the patients. The concentrations of salivary protein, amylase, lysozyme, salivary peroxidase, secretory IgA, hexosamines, sialic acid, fucose, phosphate, potassium, and the degree of protein glycosylation were higher in the familial amyloidotic polyneuropathy patients than in the control patients. We conclude that patients with familial amyloidotic polyneuropathy have a reduced saliva secretion and are subsequently at risk for increased development of dental caries."}
{"id": "PMID:1488231", "title": "Effect of epidermal growth factor on ulcerative mucositis in hamsters that receive cancer chemotherapy.", "content": "Ulcerative mucositis is a common, bothersome, and dose-limiting complication of cancer chemotherapy. It has been hypothesized that mucosal susceptibility to the degenerative effects of stomatotoxic drugs is related to the renewal rate of the buccal epithelium. This study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of epidermal growth factor, a molecule known to stimulate epidermal cell division, on the course, frequency, and healing of ulcerative mucositis in an animal model. Golden Syrian hamsters were subjected to a standard mucositis-induction protocol with 5-fluorouracil. Osmotic pumps were implanted into a space between the retractor muscle and the platysma cervicale muscle, and delivered epidermal growth factor or placebo at a constant rate for 7 or 14 days. Epidermal growth factor increased oral mucosal breakdown in the face of antineoplastic therapy. The course and extent of mucositis was influenced by the timing of epidermal growth factor pump placement relative to the initiation of stomatotoxic therapy. These results support the hypothesis that the epithelial basal cell rate is one of the key elements in determining mucosal sensitivity to cancer chemotherapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1488232", "title": "Williams syndrome. Report of a case.", "content": "Williams syndrome is a rare anomaly consisting of idiopathic hypercalcemia that is normally accompanied by aortic stenosis, moderate mental retardation, and a characteristic elfin face. Because persons with this syndrome have severe dental abnormalities, it is in the dental or orthodontic clinic that the disease can eventually be detected. A unique case of this type is reported."}
{"id": "PMID:1488233", "title": "Clear cell odontogenic carcinoma. A case report with massive invasion of neighboring organs and lymph node metastasis.", "content": "Clear cell odontogenic carcinoma is a rare and unusual tumor that occurs in the jaws. This tumor is generally considered to be of a low grade of malignancy. We describe a patient with a huge clear cell odontogenic carcinoma that originated in the mandible and exhibited massive invasion into the adjacent tissues and metastases to the submandibular lymph nodes. The ultrastructural and immunohistochemical details are described."}
{"id": "PMID:1488234", "title": "Ameloblastoma arising in calcifying odontogenic cyst. Report of a case.", "content": "An unusual case of an ameloblastoma with adenoid-cribriform features arising in calcifying odontogenic cyst is reported. A possible relationship between this peculiar variant of calcifying odontogenic cyst and a conventional ameloblastoma is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1488235", "title": "Pigmented purpuric stomatitis.", "content": "The pigmented purpuric dermatoses are a group of disorders in which there is chronic capillaritis, with pigmented purpuric lesions predominantly on the lower limbs. We report a case with chronic oral lesions that had histologic features most in keeping with the purpuric lichenoid dermatitis of Gougerot and Blum syndrome."}
{"id": "PMID:1488236", "title": "Adenomatosis of minor salivary glands. Report of a case.", "content": "An account is given of a patient who had multiple canalicular adenomas in the upper lip and adjacent oral mucosa. A few months after these had been excised, several more tumors of the same type developed. Microscopic examination also revealed numerous tiny foci of adenomatous proliferation within otherwise normal salivary gland lobules. We suggest that this phenomenon represents a field neoplastic change although it appears to be benign."}
{"id": "PMID:1488237", "title": "Tissue changes in immature dog teeth autotransplanted to surgically prepared sockets.", "content": "Tissue reactions in teeth autotransplanted to surgically prepared sockets were investigated by means of microangiographic, enzyme histochemical, and histologic methods. The experimental material consisted of 28 immature teeth in six mongrel dogs. In each tooth, approximately three fourths of the root was formed at the time of transplantation. Ten days after transplantation, a vascularized, well-stained connective tissue was observed in the apical area of the pulp. An ingrowing tissue had reached the pulp horn in all teeth 90 days after surgery. Odontoblasts were not found in any of the transplanted teeth. External root resorption was seen in all teeth but repair usually occurred approximately parallel to the ingrowth of new tissue into the pulp cavity. In a few teeth, however, advanced inflammatory root resorption was observed in cracks in the cervical area. When compared with the results of a previous study, the ingrowth of tissue occurred at a considerably slower rate than in teeth autotransplanted to natural sockets."}
{"id": "PMID:1488238", "title": "Radiographic \"working length\" revisited.", "content": "The desired \"working length\" for the biomechanical preparation and resultant obturation of the root canal system is one of the most important phases of endodontics. Traditionally, radiographs are used to confirm working length of the root length and to evaluate the subsequent obturation of the root canal system. This study attempts to determine if radiographs are an accurate method of root length determination in a period when electronic apex locators are proposed as their replacement. Eight-seven vital and 24 nonvital teeth were accessed and files placed to and the radiographic working length before the file and teeth were extracted for sectioning. Results showed that the radiographic distance of the file from the apical vertex was 0.7 mm shorter than the actual file position. This discrepancy can lead the clinician to try to get closer to the radiographic apex, when in reality the end of the file is closer to the vertex than is suspected. The average distance short of the vertex as established by Kuttler should be increased to lie between 1.5 and 2.0 mm from the apical vertex to prevent overfilling the root canal."}
{"id": "PMID:1488239", "title": "Magnetic resonance evaluation after temporomandibular joint diskectomy.", "content": "The aim of this study was to investigate the value of magnetic resonance imaging after diskectomy of the temporomandibular joint. Magnetic resonance images were obtained before and 12 months after unilateral diskectomy without disk replacement. Magnetic resonance findings at follow-up were correlated to residual pain. At the follow-up, 20 of 28 patients were free of pain in the joint that had been surgically treated, four patients had mild pain, and four patients had significant residual pain. The magnetic resonance images at follow-up showed that the joint space was filled with soft tissue after diskectomy. In patients without pain at follow-up, this soft tissue had a magnetic resonance signal that was equal or higher than that of the muscles. In the four patients with significant residual pain and in one patient with mild residual pain, the soft tissue in the joint space between the condyle and glenoid fossa had a magnetic resonance signal intensity that was lower than the muscle. On the basis of findings in a previous study, the areas of low signal intensity were interpreted as fibrous adhesions. The study suggests that areas of low signal intensity in the joint space appear to be associated with residual pain and that magnetic resonance imaging could be a valuable tool for assessment of the temporomandibular joint after diskectomy."}
{"id": "PMID:1488240", "title": "Direct digital extraoral radiography of the head and neck with a solid-state linear x-ray detector.", "content": "A narrow fan beam of x-rays intercepted by a linear array detector was used to acquire transmission data for a radiographic phantom moved across the beam. The digital data were displayed as images representing a variety of extraoral views of the head and neck. Projections investigated include the straight lateral view, two frontal projections, and a half-axial projection. The digital images appear to provide adequate contrast and resolution for common diagnostic tasks. In addition, the use of a scanning linear detector reduces the amount of scatter, which increases contrast relative to images made with an area detector. The system appears to provide a versatile and convenient means for the acquisition of extraoral views relevant to dental practice while it eliminates the logistical difficulties and errors associated with film processing."}
{"id": "PMID:1488241", "title": "Sens-A-Ray. A new system for direct digital intraoral radiography.", "content": "A new system for direct digital intraoral radiography, Sens-A-Ray, is presented. This system is based on a detector with a charge-coupled device that was designed especially for direct exposure to x-ray radiation. The system also includes interface electronics and an IBM AT-compatible personal computer with a digital I/O with frame memory, a super VGA graphics board, a high-resolution monitor, and software for the exposure, capture, storage, and enhancement of images. An external optical mass storage device is used for permanent storage of images in digital format. A video printer may be used to create hard copies. The system produces radiographic images at a significantly lower exposure than required for E-speed intraoral film. Applications of the system are exemplified, and its basic properties are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1488242", "title": "Digital subtraction radiography after stannous fluoride treatment for occlusal caries diagnosis.", "content": "The material in this study consisted of 38 fully erupted, extracted third molars without clinical cavitation in the occlusal surface. A radiograph was made of each tooth before and after 5, 10, and 20 minutes of stannous fluoride treatment. The radiographs were digitized and subtraction performed between the images obtained after stannous fluoride treatment and the pretreatment image. Two observers assessed the stannous fluoride treated radiographic and the subtraction images on a monitor: 0 = no change, 1 = intensity increase (white area interpreted as a carious lesion) in dentinoenamel area. Caries was assessed on conventional film radiographs made before treatment: 0 = no caries in dentin, 1 = caries in dentin. The presence of caries in dentin was validated histologically. Sensitivity for intensity increase as a sign of caries was overall higher for the subtraction images based on 20-minute treatment than for the radiographic images (0.025 > p > 0.01) but not significantly higher than for the conventional radiographs. However, neither observer gave false-positive scorings in the subtraction images, whereas observer 1 had five false-positive scorings on the conventional films. Observer 2 had none. The subtraction method did not provide a higher sensitivity for dentinal occlusal caries than conventional film radiography, but the intensity increase could be trusted more than the traditional radiolucency as a sign of a dentinal lesion."}
{"id": "PMID:1488243", "title": "Evoked otoacoustic emission: behaviour under the forward masking paradigm.", "content": "The behaviour of evoked otoacoustic emission (EOAE) has been studied in normally hearing adults under the conventional forward masking paradigm. The clicks and tone pips served as signals, and the noise bursts were used as maskers. At noise burst levels, defined as psychoacoustic masking thresholds of signals (postmasking threshold), attenuation of EOAEs was just noticeable but did not occur in all records. The EOAEs were not completely eliminated even at noise levels exceeding the post-masking threshold by 30 dB. Central or neural and peripheral or receptor mechanisms are suggested to be the constituents of the masking phenomenon. The receptor mechanism effectively joins the neural one at masker levels, well exceeding the thresholds of psychoacoustic masking. The increase in masker duration and decrease in interval between masker and signal seem to accentuate the neural mechanism. As a result, the difference between masker levels, leading to psychoacoustic masking of the signal and having marked attenuating effects upon the EOAEs, respectively, is increased."}
{"id": "PMID:1488244", "title": "Development of the endolymphatic sac in chick embryos, with reference to the degradation of otoconia.", "content": "The endolymphatic sac of chick embryos (from embryonic day 7 to 1-day-old chicks) was studied light- and electron-microscopically. At stage 30-31 (embryonic day 7-7.5), the epithelial cells of the endolymphatic sac were cuboidal to columnar in shape. Microvilli were relatively well developed. The intercellular space was wide. In the endolymphatic space of the endolymphatic sac, varying shapes and sizes of otoconia-like bodies were often observed. Intracytoplasmic phagosomes containing these bodies were rarely found. After stage 37 (embryonic day 11), otoconia-like bodies in the endolymphatic sac decreased in number and size. They were almost the same as the otoconia in the macular organs, ultrastructurally. These findings indicate that the endolymphatic sac of the chick embryos may possess the function of otoconial degradation and removal of calcium from otoconia."}
{"id": "PMID:1488245", "title": "Cell membrane polarity of the epithelial cells in the endolymphatic sac of the guinea pig.", "content": "The epithelial cells of the endolymphatic sac (ES) were studied in order to characterize their glycocalyx composition. Colloidal thorium and cationized ferritin were used as electron-dense markers to visualize the glycocalyx as well as the basement membrane. In addition, enzymatic digestions were performed to identify the reactive components of the glycocalyx responsible for colloidal thorium labeling. The results indicate that the glycocalyx of the ES epithelial lining is very rich in sialic acid. Furthermore, a marked polarity in glycocalyx reactivity is present between the apical and basolateral membranes, whereas difference in glycocalyx reactivity between the light and the dark cells are not obvious. We speculate that the specific composition and the apparent polarity of the ES epithelial cell glycocalyx are of importance to the equilibrium of electrolytes in the ES lumen."}
{"id": "PMID:1488246", "title": "Sudden sensorineural hearing loss induced by experimental iron deficiency in rats.", "content": "The relation between iron deficiency (ID) and sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSHL) was evaluated in the growing rats of three different experimental groups. Fourteen rats of 132 (10.61%) that were raised on a basic ID diet showed SSHL in varied extent, from moderate to profound. By contrast, none of 128 standard control and 126 anemic control rats that were fed with the final iron-supplemented diet showed any degree of SSHL. The main cochlear correlates of SSHL in ID rats were synchronous abnormalities of the iron-containing enzymatic activity in the whole cochlea, a significant reduction of spiral ganglion cells and a rapid involvement of stereocilia of the outer and inner hair cells. The results suggest that ID can play a major role in the pathogenesis of SSHL."}
{"id": "PMID:1488247", "title": "Diagnosis of the ossicular chain in the middle ear by high-resolution CT.", "content": "This study was conducted to assess the usefulness and limitations of high-resolution CT for diagnosing the ossicular chain in the middle ear. The CT images in this study were obtained in as much detail as possible and 2 direction images. Preoperative CT findings of the ossicular chain were compared with operative findings in 26 patients with ossicular defects. Preoperative detection of the complete defect of the malleus head and the body and long process of the incus by high-resolution CT was possible in all cases, while detection of the defect of the manubrium of the malleus and superstructure of the stapes could be made in 33.3 and 60%, respectively. The defect of the incudostapedial joint (1 case) and partial defect of the stapes crus (2 cases) could not be diagnosed correctly by preoperative estimation."}
{"id": "PMID:1488248", "title": "Stapedial reflex in Parkinson's disease.", "content": "In 27 patients with Parkinson's disease (PD), stapedial reflexes were measured using impedance audiometry and compared with those of 11 age-matched control subjects. The reflex threshold of PD patients was lower than that of control subjects. A prolongation of contraction time (C50) and relaxation time (D50) was revealed. Between patients with and without L-dopa, there was no significant difference for any reflex parameter. But, the D50 of patients without anticholinergic drugs was longer than that of patients with anticholinergic drugs. The authors could not find any relationship between the severity of PD and the reflex parameters. The authors assume that the prolongation of reflex parameters might be attributed to the hyperactivity of the indirect pathways of the stapedial reflex."}
{"id": "PMID:1488249", "title": "Infrared laser tissue ablation: holmium:YAG laser surgery.", "content": "The in vivo tissue ablation characteristics of a pulsed holmium:YAG laser (lambda = 1,980 nm) were studied. The laser energy was coupled onto nylon fibers 400 and 600 microns in core diameter. Laser incisions were made on white rats at different sites of the tongue and of the mucous membranes of the oral cavity. Power settings of 500 and 1,000 mJ/2.5-ms pulse at 5 pulses/s were used and the tissue responses examined by light microscopy. Wound healing was studied over a 6-week period. The results of this study are promising for future application of the holmium:YAG laser in otorhinolaryngology."}
{"id": "PMID:1488250", "title": "Quantitative DNA measurements in malignant and benign lesions of the upper aerodigestive tract.", "content": "Thirty-six patients underwent biopsy of clinically suspicious lesions of the mucosa of the upper aerodigestive tract. The biopsy material was evaluated histologically and cytologic smears out of the same lesion underwent quantitative DNA analysis using a numerical index derived from the single cell DNA content. In 30 patients, histologically diagnosed squamous cell cancer was confirmed by DNA analysis with the malignancy grade correlating with the morphologic differentiation of the tumor. Six lesions were histologically benign: i.e. dysplasia (n = 3), hyperplasia (n = 2) and chronic inflammation (n = 1). DNA analysis confirmed the benign nature in 4 cases, but in 2 cases of dysplasia, a diagnosis of malignancy was made. From these results, there appears to be an excellent correlation between DNA analysis and the histologic diagnosis of malignancy. It remains to be proven if this technique of DNA analysis will prove to be a more accurate determinant of malignant potential in premalignant conditions and a method to determine aggressiveness of behavior. An added advantage is that this technique can be performed on cytologic smears, without the need for incisional biopsy."}
{"id": "PMID:1488251", "title": "Indispensability of mediastinoscopy in intrathoracic tuberculosis.", "content": "An analysis of 33 patients with histologically confirmed intrathoracic tuberculous lymphadenopathy was made. Tuberculosis could have been diagnosed without mediastinoscopy only in 3 patients: 2 had positive bronchial cultures and 1 simultaneous cervical lymph node tuberculosis. Bacteriological confirmation is conclusive, but seldom possible. Mediastinoscopy provides the best method to obtain tissue samples, and consequently, it is still necessary in the diagnosis of intrathoracic tuberculous lymphadenitis."}
{"id": "PMID:1488252", "title": "Labyrinthine anomalies with normal cochlear function.", "content": "Three cases of labyrinthine anomaly confirmed by polytomography and CT scan are reported. They showed similar dysplasia of the bony labyrinth: dilation and fusion of the lateral semicircular canal (SCC) and of the vestibule with a normally shaped cochlea and other SCCs. One side was involved in 2 cases and both sides in 1 case. The 1st case showed normal hearing levels with markedly reduced response to caloric stimulation in the affected ear. The 2nd case showed conductive hearing loss due to cholesteatoma with normal bone conduction hearing levels and normal caloric response. The 3rd case showed bilateral conductive hearing loss of unknown cause. The classification of labyrinthine anomalies and labyrinthine functions is discussed. Labyrinthine anomaly detected by CT scan and polytomography can be present in patients with normal cochlear and/or vestibular function."}
{"id": "PMID:1488253", "title": "Penetrating wounds of the ear with oval window fistulas. Reports of 2 cases.", "content": "In 2 patients with penetrating wounds of the ear lesions involved the tympanic membrane and the ossicular chain. The long process of the incus was lying on the fallopian canal and the stapes was deeply depressed into the vestibule. In spite of a large oval window fistula, cochleovestibular signs were minimal. The fistula was sealed with adipose tissue and the stapes replaced by a Teflon-platinum piston prosthesis. The incus was repositioned and supported by a fat graft placed between the fallopian canal and the long process. This original technique of reconstructing the ossicular chain gave satisfactory functional results in both patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1488254", "title": "Study on the mechanism of an experimental immunological intrahepatic cholestasis model.", "content": "Tuberculin-sensitized guinea pigs were intravenously injected with heat-killed Propionibacterium acnes followed by an intravenous injection of purified protein derivatives 7 day later, resulting in the induction of intrahepatic cholestasis. Using this experimental model, the following results were obtained: (1) Both uptake and release of bile acid were inhibited in the hepatocytes prepared from the cholestasis guinea pigs. (2) The results of the erythritol clearance method indicated that the decrease in bile flow observed in the cholestasis guinea pigs was mostly attributable to the reduced bile excretion from the canaliculi. (3) The decrease in the formation of bile acid independent bile flow was the cause of the decrease in bile flow observed in the cholestasis guinea pigs. (4) There was no change in the permeability of the interhepatocellular tight junction in the cholestasis guinea pigs."}
{"id": "PMID:1488255", "title": "Effects of metallothionein on mutagenicity and oxidation of quercetin.", "content": "The effects of four types of Zn/Cd-metallothioneins on the mutagenicity of quercetin in Salmonella typhimurium TA98 were studied. The four types of Zn/Cd-metallothionein used in this experiment were metallothionein I, metallothionein I/II and metallothionein II from rabbit liver and metallothionein I/II from horse kidney. All four of the metallothioneins enhanced the mutagenicity of quercetin. Metallothionein II from rabbit liver, in which Zn content was the highest of the four metallothioneins, enhanced the mutagenicity of quercetin most effectively. Metallothioneins as well as Zn/Cu-SOD prevented quercetin oxidation under aerobic conditions. The action of these metallothioneins, which enhances the mutagenicity of quercetin, was fairly proportional to the activity which prevents quercetin from being oxidized. Reduced glutathione did not enhance the mutagenicity of quercetin although it did inhibit the quercetin oxidation. These results suggest that metallothioneins have superoxide (O2-) scavenging ability and act as \"SOD-like\" proteins in vivo. A simple and reliable system to detect biological substances which have antioxidant activity for the superoxide (O2-) was devised."}
{"id": "PMID:1488256", "title": "Clinical evaluation of interventional radiology for renal cell carcinoma in 100 patients.", "content": "One hundred of 160 patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC) were treated by interventional radiology (IVR) in the period from 1978 to 1989. The number and kind of interventions done each year were classified retrospectively. More than half of the patients underwent therapeutic arterial embolization or intraarterial infusion of anticancer drugs during the first half of the period. More recently, about half of the patients have had nephrectomies without IVR. One patient with advanced RCC by IVR 18 times lived 8 years and three months after diagnosis, but that was exceptionally long. IVR has been more effective against hepatocellular carcinoma than RCC, for several reasons."}
{"id": "PMID:1488257", "title": "Serum immunoglobulin and complement C3 levels in workers exposed to lead.", "content": "Serum immunoglobulin and complement C3 levels were measured in workers exposed to lead at a secondary lead refinery and a solder factory. In the first survey, significant correlations were found between blood lead and IgA with a correlation coefficient of 0.296, and between blood lead and IgE with a correlation coefficient of 0.314. No other significant correlations were found among the indicators of lead exposure and humoral immunity. In the second survey, no significant correlations were found between blood lead and IgG and IgA. A significantly higher number of subjects with IgE of more than 400 IU/ml was found in the group with blood lead of more than 60 micrograms/100 g."}
{"id": "PMID:1488258", "title": "A spigelian hernia in an infant.", "content": "The case of a two-month old Japanese girl with a left side Spigelian hernia that developed during the course of recovery from the surgical treatment of a meningomyelocele and ventriculo-peritoneal shunting (V-P shunting) is reported on. At this time, to our knowledge, 20 cases involving infants and children have been reported on in world-wide medical literature. Of these cases, 4 cases were caused by trauma, 1 by abdominal surgery, and the others had no evident causes. Our patient had a meningomyelocele, and underwent a V-P shunting. However, a cause and effect relationship between the Spigelian hernia and the treatment of the meningomyelocele followed by V-P shunting is inconceivable. We doubt any relationship between the preceding neurosurgery and the development of the hernia. This is the first case of infantile Spigelian hernia reported on in Japan."}
{"id": "PMID:1488259", "title": "Treatment of scaphoid fractures with carpal instability.", "content": "Since 1981, I treated 81 scaphoid fractures: 14 wrists (group A) with acute unstable fracture, 37 (B) with ununited fracture accompanied by dorsiflexed intercalated segment instability (DISI), and 30 (C) with ununited fracture without DISI. The methods and results were evaluated retrospectively. Bone union occurred in 100% of group A wrists, 92% of group B, and 90% of group C. By a modification of Cooney's clinical scoring chart, mean scores were 91 in group A, 84 in group B, and 87 in group C. In 43% of group A, a scapholunate gap remained after surgery. Of 21 wrists in group B treated by bone graft and screw fixation, union was not achieved in one; in another 13, the R-L angle was corrected to within 10 degrees of the unaffected side. In group C, DISI did not develop if bone union occurred. There was correlation between shortness of the scaphoid and DISI remaining. The clinical scores of wrists with and without DISI were not different, except for patients who did hard manual labor, in half of whom the score was poor when DISI remained. Cineradiography of ununited fractures was done before and after surgery. For three wrists in group B, plain X-ray films showed that DISI improved, but cineradiography showed that DISI was present; even without static DISI, there may be dynamic DISI. Treatment of acute unstable fractures of the scaphoid by reduction and internal fixation generally gave satisfactory results. Perhaps when ligament injury may have caused instability, ligament repair or reconstruction is needed. For ununited fractures with DISI, correction of the DISI was needed as well as bone union. If union occurred with the scaphoid shorter than normal, DISI was present, so restoration of the length of the scaphoid during surgery is mandatory."}
{"id": "PMID:1488260", "title": "Sensitivity to relative and absolute motion.", "content": "The threshold of sensitivity to movement could be governed by mechanisms that are sensitive either to change in spatial position, or directly to the movement itself. The use of spatially complex patterns (random-dot patterns) has been suggested to eliminate the former strategy allowing examination of the movement detecting mechanisms in isolation. By means of such a technique, thresholds for directional judgements were determined for patterns which underwent either a simple displacement or a shearing displacement. Thresholds for shearing motion were found to be around one half of those for simple motion, suggesting that relative, rather than absolute, motion governs performance for small displacements. This contrasts with previous experiments which showed that absolute motion governs performance for much larger displacements."}
{"id": "PMID:1488261", "title": "Motion over the retina and the motion aftereffect.", "content": "The motion aftereffect (MAE) was measured with retinally moving vertical gratings positioned above and below (flanking) a retinally stationary central grating (experiments 1 and 2). Motion over the retina was produced by leftward motion of the flanking gratings relative to the stationary eyes, and by rightward eye or head movements tracking the moving (but retinally stationary) central grating relative to the stationary (but retinally moving) surround gratings. In experiment 1 the motion occurred within a fixed boundary on the screen, and oppositely directed MAEs were produced in the central and flanking gratings with static fixation; but with eye or head tracking MAEs were reported only in the central grating. In experiment 2 motion over the retina was equated for the static and tracking conditions by moving blocks of grating without any dynamic occlusion and disclosure at the boundaries. Both conditions yielded equivalent leftward MAEs of the central grating in the same direction as the prior flanking motion, ie an MAE was consistently produced in the region that had remained retinally stationary. No MAE was recorded in the flanking gratings, even though they moved over the retina during adaptation. When just two gratings were presented, MAEs were produced in both, but in opposite directions (experiments 3 and 4). It is concluded that the MAE is a consequence of adapting signals for the relative motion between elements of a display."}
{"id": "PMID:1488262", "title": "Higher-order factors influencing the perception of sliding and coherence of a plaid.", "content": "The effect of several new stimulus parameters on the perception of a moving plaid pattern (the sum of two sine-wave gratings) were tested. It was found that: (i) the degree of perceived sliding is strongly influenced by the aperture configuration through which the plaid is viewed; (ii) the chromaticity of the sinusoidal components affects coherence in that more sliding is observed when the plaid components differ in hue, and there is less sliding when they are of the same hue; (iii) equiluminant plaids made of components equal in color almost never show any sliding; and (iv) sliding increases with viewing time. The coherence-sliding percept must therefore be influenced by color, by global interactions, and by adaptation or learning effects, thus suggesting a higher-level influence. These results are most easily modelled by separating the decision to carry out recombination from the process of recombination."}
{"id": "PMID:1488263", "title": "The Poggendorff illusion and apparent interparallel extents.", "content": "An explanation of the Poggendorff misalignment effect in terms of apparent contraction of interparallel extent resulting from the M\u00fcller-Lyer illusion was tested in three experiments. Three of the eight stimulus figures had oblique transversals outside the parallels in the usual way, three had them inside, and two were controls consisting of the transversals only. M\u00fcller-Lyer forms were differently delineated between the parallels for the inside-transversal and outside-transversal figures, and were not delineated in the control figures. In the first experiment apparent misalignment occurred in four of the six parallel-line figures and in neither of the controls. In the second experiment oblique extent between the parallels was underestimated in six of the eight figures and right-angle extent was overestimated in all of them. The results of the third experiment showed that right-angle (horizontal) extent between the parallels without transversals is estimated without significant error. The data from the three experiments do not support the interparallel-extent explanation of apparent misalignment. Instead, the results are interpreted in terms of independent perceptual compromises, one involving alignment of the transversals and the other the distance between them."}
{"id": "PMID:1488264", "title": "The reversed M\u00fcller-Lyer illusion and figure-ground organization theory.", "content": "When the shaft is shortened and reaches neither of the vertices of the two pairs of wings, a reversed M\u00fcller-Lyer illusion is observed: a shaft between inward-pointing wings appears to be longer than a shaft between the outward-pointing wings. In this paper it is examined whether this illusion can be explained in terms of figure-ground organization. A circle was used as the focal area, instead of a shaft or a pair of dots, so that the figure-ground character could be seen more definitely in this focal area. The apparent size of the focal circle was measured under different conditions with three variables (enclosure, wings direction, and depth). The focal circle appeared to be largest in the condition where the circle should appear most readily as a hole, ie in the single, wings-in, space condition. The circle appeared to be smallest in the condition where the circle should appear most readily as a disc, ie in the separate, wings-out, object condition. This is consistent with an explanation of the usual, as well as the reversed, M\u00fcller-Lyer illusion in terms of figure-ground organization theory."}
{"id": "PMID:1488265", "title": "Amodal completion versus induced inhomogeneities in the organization of illusory figures.", "content": "An analysis is presented of a phenomenological model of illusory contours. The model is based on amodal completion as the primary factor giving rise to the illusory figure. In the experiment, conducted by the method of paired comparisons, the same parameter was manipulated in two series of equivalent configurations. The first series yielded examples of amodal completion, the second examples of illusory figures. Three groups of subjects evaluated the magnitude of completion, the brightness contrast of the illusory figure, and the contour clarity of the illusory figure. A control experiment was conducted, which demonstrated that in these configurations amodal completion and amodal continuation behave in the same way. Line displacement did not influence the brightness or the contour clarity of the illusory figures, though it influenced the magnitude of amodal completion. These results are in agreement with the energetic model developed by Sambin."}
{"id": "PMID:1488266", "title": "An exploratory study of syncretic experience: eidetics, synaesthesia and absorption.", "content": "Synaesthesia and eidetic imagery are both syncretic experiences entailing a dedifferentiation of perceptual qualities. In this paper the correlation between synaesthesia and eidetic imagery is explored. Ten subjects selected for possible eidetic and/or synaesthetic ability were tested in a battery of tasks that tap structural and typographic eidetic imagery, and colour-hearing and colour-mood synaesthesia. It was found that both structural and typographic eidetic imagery were correlated with measures of synaesthesia, indicating a relationship between the two phenomena."}
{"id": "PMID:1488267", "title": "Changes in infants' ability to switch visual attention in the first three months of life.", "content": "The abilities of 1-month-old and 3-month-old infants to shift their gaze from a central target to a peripheral target were compared in four experiments. In experiment 1 targets matched in mean luminance to the background were presented to infants in the periphery at varying levels of contrast. The contrast thresholds for target detection were found to be significantly different for 1-month-olds compared with 3-month-olds. With targets set close to these contrast thresholds, correct refixations and the latency for shifting attention were examined in experiment 2. Two conditions were used: a peripheral target was presented against a homogeneous background (noncompetition); and in the second condition, the patterned target appeared at one of two lighter peripheral windows set against a darker background (competition). Although there was no difference between the two age groups in the latency for shifting visual attention, 1-month-olds were found to make more directional errors in the competition condition. The competition effect of two potential targets on latencies was examined in experiment 3. In the competition condition, two identical peripheral patterned targets were presented to the infants. The 3-month-olds refixated more quickly to one of the double targets in the competition condition than to a single peripheral target, whereas 1-month-olds were slowed down by a double target display. Finally, in experiment 4 the ability of the infants to process and disengage from a central stimulus and to refixate towards a similar peripheral target was examined. This type of competition disrupted both the direction of the first eye movement and the latency to shift attention in both age groups. However, the effect was significantly greater for the 1-month-olds. Taken together, the results of these experiments demonstrate the greater disruption of fixation-shift behaviour in 1-month-olds compared with 3-month-olds when competing visual stimuli are used. This developmental change is explained in terms of maturation of executive cortical orienting systems over the first months of life."}
{"id": "PMID:1488268", "title": "Haptic dominance in form perception: vision versus proprioception.", "content": "An experiment placed vision and touch in conflict by the use of a mirror placed perpendicular to a letter display. The mirror induced a discrepancy in direction and form. Subjects touched the embossed tangible letters p, q, b, d, W, and M, while looking at them in a mirror, and were asked to identify the letters. The upright mirror produced a vertical inversion of the letters, and visual inversion of the direction of finger movement. Thus, subjects touched the letter p, but saw themselves touching the letter b in the mirror. There were large individual differences in reliance on the senses. The majority of the subjects depended on touch, and only one showed visual dominance. Others showed a compromise between the senses. The results were consistent with an attentional explanation of intersensory dominance."}
{"id": "PMID:1488269", "title": "Perceiving tongue position.", "content": "Two experiments on perceiving the tongue position were conducted in which naive human subjects pointed to gingival targets, or to extensions of their fingertip, with their tongue. The aim in experiment 1 was to inquire about the existence and accuracy of the perception of the horizontal position of the tongue inside and outside the mouth, and whether kinesthetic elements other than the skin might contribute to perceiving tongue position. Vertical positioning and the calibration of the sensory map that can be presumed to underlie position sense in the tongue were examined in experiment 2. It was found that position sense is equally good in the presence and absence of anesthesia of the mucosa, suggesting that the muscles, tendons, and corollary discharge contribute to position sense in the tongue. Perception of the tongue position both inside and outside the mouth is accurate, with the error in tongue positioning being about 2 degrees. Feedback improved naive subjects' accuracy very little."}
{"id": "PMID:1488270", "title": "Finding locations in the environment: the map as mediator.", "content": "When an observer (O) uses a map (M) whose orientation does not correspond to the orientation of the environment (E) in which performance occurs, substantial errors occur: these are called map alignment effects. Much of the prior research on map/environment (M/E) alignment has involved maps of simple paths, although alignment effects have also been demonstrated for you-are-here (YAH) maps. A study is reported in which simple YAH maps were used to test the hypothesis that errors with misaligned maps would fall into categories predictable from the application of inappropriate cognitive operations to the misaligned maps, as demonstrated earlier by Rossano and Warren. Further, performance under conditions of M/E misalignment was compared with performance under map/observer (M/O) misalignment, the situation in which the map is sideways or upside-down with respect to the observer. The major hypothesis was supported: predictable errors occurred under conditions of M/E misalignment. Errors under conditions of M/O misalignment were significantly smaller. Furthermore, when given the choice of using M/E or M/O alignment, each at the expense of the other, the overwhelming choice was to retain M/E rather than M/O alignment. This pattern of results occurred even when environmental features were represented by words rather than by lines and shapes on the map. The results underscore the robustness of map alignment effects."}
{"id": "PMID:1488271", "title": "Characterization of acetylcholine- and endothelin-induced calcium entry in cultured human ciliary muscle cells.", "content": "We characterized the effects of acetylcholine and endothelin on cultured human ciliary muscle cells, using the calcium-sensitive dye fura-2 to measure intracellular calcium and intracellular microelectrodes to measure the membrane potential. Both agonists, endothelin and acetylcholine, had a typical biphasic effect on the intracellular calcium concentration. Calcium peaked initially, because of its release from intracellular stores, and then reached a plateau, owing to entry of extracellular calcium. Endothelin-induced calcium entry was almost completely blocked by addition of extracellular La3+ (50 mumol/l) and Ni2+ (1 mmol/l). Acetylcholine-induced calcium entry was likewise almost completely abolished by La3+ and Ni2+. Both endothelin and acetylcholine led to an initial transient hyperpolarization with a subsequent depolarization. The hyperpolarization of the membrane potential had a time course similar to the initial calcium peak, while the depolarization occurred parallel to the calcium plateau. The depolarization induced by both agonists was reduced in the presence of La3+ and Ni2+. Verapamil (10 mumol/l) had no effect on either the calcium entry or the depolarization. Acetylcholine did not induce a [Ca2+]i peak when it was applied during the endothelin-induced [Ca2+]i plateau and vice versa. The [Ca2+]i plateau was not higher with concomitant than with single application of acetylcholine or endothelin. Thus, calcium entry and membrane depolarization induced by acetylcholine and endothelin seem to be mediated by a common La(3+)- and Ni(2+)-sensitive but verapamil-insensitive mechanism."}
{"id": "PMID:1488272", "title": "The effect of arachidonic acid on the M current of NG108-15 neuroblastoma x glioma hybrid cells.", "content": "The M current, IM, a voltage-dependent non-inactivating K+ current, was recorded in NG108-15 neuroblastoma x glioma hybrid cells, using the whole-cell mode of the patch-clamp technique. We studied the effect of arachidonic acid, other fatty acids and inhibitors of the arachidonic acid metabolism. In relatively high concentrations (25-50 microM) arachidonic acid first increased and later decreased the current, Ih, which holds the membrane potential at -30 mV and mainly flows through open M channels. It shifted the midpoint potential, Vo, of the relation between M conductance, gM, and membrane potential, V, to more negative values and decreased the maximum conductance gM and the time constant tau M. In smaller concentrations (5-10 microM) arachidonic acid merely decreased Ih and gM with little effect on Vo and tau M. Eicosatetraynoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid acted similarly to arachidonic acid whereas stearic acid had no effect. Of the three enzyme inhibitors studied, nordihydroguaiaretic acid acted similarly to arachidonic acid. i.e. caused a biphasic change in Ih. Indomethacin and quinacrine caused, respectively, a pure increase and a pure decrease of Ih and gM. Possible explanations are build-up of internally produced arachidonic acid, depletion of eicosanoid products or an inhibitory effect unrelated to arachidonic acid metabolism."}
{"id": "PMID:1488273", "title": "Evidence against brain stem cooling by face fanning in severely hyperthermic humans.", "content": "To achieve a hyperthermic state 11 subjects exercised at 35 degrees C air temperature in a water-impermeable outfit, until their oesophageal temperature (Tes) exceeded 39 degrees C. Changes of brain stem temperature were assessed by the interspike intervals of auditory evoked potentials, which depend on brain stem temperature. These were recorded at rest before exercise (condition A), after exercise during a period when heat loss from the face was prevented by covering the head with a plastic hood (condition B), and again during face fanning (condition C). An increase in Tes from 37.14 +/- 0.25 degrees C to 39.05 +/- 0.15 degrees C (A to B) produced a significant reduction in interspike intervals, indicating an increase in brain stem temperature. Changing from conditions B to C, Tes and interspike intervals remained constant, indicating no change of brain stem temperature in spite of face fanning. Thus, even in severely heat stressed humans face fanning is not able to lower brain stem temperature significantly below that of the rest of the body core."}
{"id": "PMID:1488274", "title": "Evaluation of mag-fura-5, the new fluorescent indicator for free magnesium measurements.", "content": "The new fluorescent indicator, mag-fura-5, was evaluated for its ability to measure accurately physiological changes in cytosolic free magnesium. The apparent dissociation constants (Kd) of the fluorochrome for Mg2+, Mg2+/EGTA and Ca2+/EGTA solutions were 14.7 mM, 15.4 mM, and 1.8 mM respectively. The calculated difference in the fluorescence ratios and in the resulting pMg between the standards with low-Ca2+ or low H+ backgrounds and the corresponding samples with approximately physiological levels were not significant. In contrast, the changes due to an increased Ca2+ or H+ content were statistically significant, with mean pMg differences of 0.10 +/- 0.09 (P < 0.02) and 0.33 +/- 0.26 (P < 0.01) respectively. Repetitive measurements on 3 consecutive days yielded comparable data with differences not exceeding 4%. Because of the good reproducibility, it is suggested that the new fluorescent probe may be suitable for free cytosolic magnesium determinations in isolated cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1488275", "title": "Nucleotide diphosphates activate the ATP-sensitive potassium channel in mouse skeletal muscle.", "content": "Patch-clamp techniques were used to study the effects of internal nucleotide diphosphates on the KATP channel in mouse skeletal muscle. In inside-out patches, application of GDP (100 microM) and ADP (100 microM) reversibly increased the channel activity. In the presence of internal Mg2+ (1 mM), low concentrations of ADP (< 300 microM) enhanced channel activity and high concentrations of ADP (> 300 microM) limited channel opening while GDP activated the channel at all concentrations tested. In the absence of internal Mg2+, ADP decreased channel activity at all concentrations tested while GDP had no noticeable effect at submillimolar concentrations and inhibited channel activity at millimolar concentrations. GDP [beta S] (100 microM), which behaved as a weak GDP agonist in the presence of Mg2+, stimulated ADP-evoked activation whereas it inhibited GDP-evoked activation. The K+ channel opener pinacidil was found to activate the KATP channel but only in the presence of internal GDP, ADP and GDP [beta S]. The results are discussed in terms of the existence of multiple nucleotide binding sites, in charge of the regulation of the KATP channel."}
{"id": "PMID:1488276", "title": "Modulation of rat olfactory bulb mitochondrial function by atrial natriuretic peptide.", "content": "Atrial Natriuretic Peptide (ANP) and receptors for ANP are widely distributed in many tissues and cell types in vertebrates. ANP has been shown to be internalized into the cytoplasm in several cell types and thus it raises the possibility that it may act on intracellular receptors. Displacement experiments of [125I]-ANP binding to rat olfactory bulb mitochondrial fraction demonstrated the presence of high affinity (Kd < 10(-9)M) binding sites (Bmax, 112 fmol/mg protein) in this preparation. The addition of ANP (10(-8) M) to this mitochondrial preparation resulted in a 25% increase in TPP+ accumulation, signifying a striking hyperpolarization of the mitochondrial membrane. In contrast ANP did not increase TPP+ uptake to liver mitochondrial preparations. This direct effect of ANP on Olfactory bulb mitochondrial membrane potential may underly the known effects of this hormone on steroidogenesis."}
{"id": "PMID:1488277", "title": "Progressive predominance of 'skeletal' versus 'cardiac' types of excitation-contraction coupling during in vitro skeletal myogenesis.", "content": "Simultaneous recordings, in the presence or absence of cadmium, of current and contraction of skeletal muscle cells in primary culture (myoballs) showed that the relative part of contraction depending on calcium current progressively decreases with the age of cells whereas the cadmium-insensitive component becomes predominant. The coexistence of \"cardiac\" and \"skeletal\" excitation-contraction coupling mechanisms in developing muscle and its developmental regulation are consistent with recent molecular data showing the expression, in newborn animals, of an abbreviated isoform of the alpha 1 subunit of the DHP-receptor of muscle cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1488278", "title": "Effect of rabbit duodenal mRNA on phosphate transport in Xenopus laevis oocytes: dependence on 1,25-dihydroxy-vitamin-D3.", "content": "Expression of Na(+)-dependent transport of phosphate (Pi) was analysed in Xenopus laevis oocytes after injection of poly(A)-rich RNA isolated from the duodenal mucosa of rabbits with increased levels of 1,25-(OH)2-VitD3 (injection of vitamin D3 or low-Pi diet) or from control animals. In parallel, the effect of elevated levels of vitamin D3 was studied in isolated duodenal brush-border membrane vesicles. In brush-border membrane vesicles, the rate of Na(+)-Pi cotransport was found to be doubled after 1,25-(OH)2-VitD3 injections while Na(+)-D-glucose cotransport (measured as a control) was not altered. In X. laevis oocytes, Na(+)-dependent Pi uptake was increased after injection of poly(A)-rich RNA isolated from duodenal mucosa of animals with increased levels of 1,25-(OH)2-VitD3 but not after injection of poly(A)-rich RNA isolated from control animals; between the two groups of mRNA no difference in the expression of the Na(+)-D-glucose transport system was observed. Sucrose density gradient fractionation suggests that mRNA species related to the increased Na(+)-dependent Pi uptake are of average chain lengths between 2 x 10(3) and 3 x 10(3) bases (2-3 kb). It is concluded that in duodenal enterocytes 1,25-(OH)2-VitD3 increases the content of mRNA species of 2-3 kb that might be involved either directly in Na-Pi cotransport or at least in controlling its activity."}
{"id": "PMID:1488279", "title": "Divalent cations activate small- (SK) and large-conductance (BK) channels in mouse neuroblastoma cells: selective activation of SK channels by cadmium.", "content": "Effects of Cd2+, Co2+, Fe2+ and Mg2+ (1 microM and 100 microM) and Pb2+ (1 microM and 90 microM) on single-channel properties of the small-conductance (SK) and large-conductance (BK) Ca(2+)-activated K+ channels were investigated in inside-out patches of N1E-115 mouse neuroblastoma cells. Cd2+, Co2+ and Pb2+, but not Fe2+ and Mg2+, cause SK channel opening. The potency of the metals in enhancing the SK channel-open probability follows the sequence Cd2+ approximately Pb2+ > Ca2+ > Co2+ >> Mg2+, Fe2+. The four metals that cause SK channel opening are equipotent in enhancing the opening frequency of SK channels. The BK channel is activated by Pb2+ and Co2+, whereas Cd2+, Fe2+ and Mg2+ are ineffective. The potency of the metals in enhancing BK channel-open probability, open time and opening frequency follows the sequence Pb2+ > Ca2+ > Co2+ >> Cd2+, Mg2+, Fe2+. The results show that SK channels are much more sensitive to Cd2+ than BK channels and indicate that Cd2+ is a selective agonist of SK channels. It is concluded that the various metal ions bind to the same regulatory site(s) at which Ca2+ activates the SK and BK channels under physiological conditions. The different potency sequences of metal ions with respect to BK and SK channel activation indicate that the regulatory sites of these Ca(2+)-activated K+ channels have distinct chemical and physical properties."}
{"id": "PMID:1488280", "title": "Ca2+ dependence of small Ca(2+)-activated K+ channels in cultured N1E-115 mouse neuroblastoma cells.", "content": "Single-channel properties of Ca(2+)-activated K+ channels have been investigated in excised membrane patches of N1E-115 mouse neuroblastoma cells under asymmetric K+ concentrations at 0 mV. The SK channels are blocked by 3 nM external apamin, are unaffected by 20 mM external tetraethylammonium (TEA) and have a single-channel conductance of 5.4 pS. The half-maximum open probability and opening frequency of SK channels are observed at 1 microM internal Ca2+. Concentration/effect curves of these parameters are very steep with exponential slope factors between 7 and 13. Open-time distributions demonstrate the existence of at least two open states. The mean short open time increases with [Ca2+]i, whereas the mean long open time is independent of [Ca2+]i. At low [Ca2+]i the short-lived open state predominates. At saturating [Ca2+]i the number of long-lived openings is more enhanced than the number of short-lived openings and both open states occur equally frequently. The opening frequency as well as the open times of SK channels are independent of the membrane potential in the range of -16 to +40 mV. The results indicate that activation of K+ current through SK channels is mainly determined by the Ca(2+)-dependent single-channel opening frequency. BK channels in N1E-115 cells are insensitive to 100 nM external apamin, are sensitive to external TEA in the millimolar range and have a single-channel conductance of 98 pS. Half-maximum open probability and opening frequency of the BK channel are observed at 7.5-21 microM internal Ca2+. The slope factors of concentration/effect curves range between 1.7 and 2.9. As the BK channel open time is markedly enhanced at raised [Ca2+]i, the Ca2+ dependence of the current through BK channels is determined by the single-channel opening frequency as well as the open time. SK as well as BK channels appear to be clustered and interact in a negative cooperative manner in multiple channel patches. The differences in Ca2+ dependence suggest that BK channels are activated by a local high [Ca2+]i associated with Ca2+ influx, whereas SK channels may be activated by Ca2+ released from internal stores as well."}
{"id": "PMID:1488281", "title": "Effect of increased distal sodium delivery on organic osmolytes and cell electrolytes in the renal outer medulla.", "content": "Sodium absorption in distal tubule segments was stimulated by increasing the distal delivery via infusion of hypertonic saline. In these animals, and in control rats, electrolyte concentrations in thick ascending limb cells, light and dark cells of the collecting duct in the outer and inner stripe of the outer medulla and in cells of the proximal straight tubule (outer stripe only) were studied. The measurements were performed by electron microprobe analysis of freeze-dried cryosections of the outer medulla. In addition, organic osmolytes (glycerophosphorylcholine, betaine and myo-inositol) were measured by high performance liquid chromatography in cortex and outer medulla. Augmented delivery of sodium chloride to the distal tubule was associated with increased sodium concentrations of thick ascending limb cells both in the outer and inner stripe and of medullary collecting duct light and dark cells in the outer stripe. While the sum of organic osmolyte concentrations was 28% higher in the outer medulla of the salt-loaded animals compared with controls, this value was unchanged in the renal cortex. These findings indicate that the primary event underlying stimulation of sodium absorption along the thick ascending limb during increased distal sodium delivery is enhanced entry of sodium across the apical cell membrane. This would be expected to lead to higher cell sodium concentrations and stimulation of basolateral active Na-K-exchange. The enhanced transport activity of outer medullary tubules may be associated with increased interstitial tonicities and intracellular retention of organic osmolytes."}
{"id": "PMID:1488282", "title": "Effects of endurance training at high altitude on diaphragm muscle properties.", "content": "The biochemical, histochemical, and structural changes induced by endurance training and long-term exposure to high altitude were studied in the diaphragm muscle of rats exposed to simulated altitude (HA: n = 16; Pb = 62 kPa, 463 Torr; 4000 m) and compared to animals maintained at sea-level (SL: n = 16). Half of the animals in each group were trained (T) by swimming for 12 weeks, the other half were kept sedentary (S). Except for a small decrease in type I fibres in the HA-S group (-7%, P < 0.05), in favour of type IIab and type IIb fibres, neither high-altitude exposure nor endurance training had an overall affect on fibre type distribution. The mean fibre cross-sectional area was found to be unaffected by altitude and/or chronic exercise. Capillary density was shown to be increased by both high-altitude exposure (P < 0.02) and training (P < 0.001), whereas capillary growth, estimated by the capillary/fibre ratio, was unaffected in both cases. Following endurance training, a modest increase in citrate synthase was shown to occur to the same extent in the HA-T and SL-T groups (+15% and +16% respectively, NS). Hexokinase increased following training (P < 0.05) and high-altitude exposure (P < 0.001). In normoxic and hypoxic animals, endurance training enhanced the ratio of the heart-specific lactate dehydrogenase isozyme LDH1 to total LDH activity (+59%, P < 0.01; +92%, P < 0.05 respectively). It may be hypothesized that the increased glucose phosphorylation capacity observed in diaphragm muscle contributes to the reduction of glycogen utilization during exercise."}
{"id": "PMID:1488283", "title": "Subcellular gradients of intracellular free calcium concentration in isolated lacrimal acinar cells.", "content": "The spatial distribution of intracellular free calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i) was measured in small clusters of isolated rat lacrimal acinar cells by imaging the fluorescence of the Ca(2+)-sensitive dye fura-2. In the absence of extracellular Ca2+, stimulation with acetylcholine (ACh) caused an increase in [Ca2+]i, due to release of intracellular Ca2+ stores, which was maximal at the luminal pole of the cell. In contrast, the organellar Ca(2+)-ATPase inhibitor 2,5-di(tert-butyl)-hydroquinone caused an increase in [Ca2+]i, which was most marked in the basolateral region of the cell. When the cells were stimulated with ACh in a medium containing Ca2+, the gradients of [Ca2+]i (with [Ca2+]i most elevated at the luminal pole) were maintained for the duration of agonist stimulation. The possible implications of these results concerning the location and identity of intracellular Ca2+ stores, and the location of the sites that underlie agonist-stimulated Ca2+ influx, are considered. In particular, it seems likely that intracellular inositol-1,4,5-trisphosphate (InsP3) binding sites may be concentrated in the luminal region of the cell. It is not clear, however, whether this implies that there is a distinct luminally located InsP3-sensitive organelle."}
{"id": "PMID:1488284", "title": "Microelectrode determination of oxyntic cell pH in intact frog gastric mucosa. Effect of histamine.", "content": "Intracellular pH (pHi) of acid-secreting cells was measured in intact gastric fundus mucosa of Rana esculenta with double-barrelled pH microelectrodes. Tissues were mounted, serosal side up, between two half chambers and individual cells were impaled after microsurgical removal of the serosal muscle layer. Transepithelial potential difference (Vt) and resistance (Rt) as well as serosal cell membrane potential (Vs) and pHi were continuously recorded at rest (0.1 mmol/l cimetidine) or during stimulation (0.5 mmol/l histamine). During chamber perfusion with HCO3-/CO2-buffered Ringer solution of pHo = 7.36, Vt and Rt were -21.7, SD +/- 6.0 mV and 229 +/- 83 omega cm2 (n = 17) while Vs and pHi averaged -57.3 +/- 6.9 mV and 7.4 +/- 0.11 (n = 25). The latter value is considerably more alkaline than all recent pHi measurements obtained with microspectrofluorometric techniques on isolated cells, glands or intact tissue. The difference may in part be explained by use of HCO3(-)-free solutions in most of the previous studies because we observed that such solutions decrease pHi to 6.89 +/- 0.18 (n = 4). Again, in contrast to recent literature, application of histamine in HCO3-/CO2-buffered solution led to further transient alkalinization by 0.12 +/- 0.05 pH unit (n = 8). Since in accidental punctures of the gastric gland lumen we noticed that H+ secretion only began approximately 5 min after histamine application, we conclude that the histamine-induced initial alkalinization does not reflect stimulation of the H+/K+ ATPase pump.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1488285", "title": "Identification of an ATP-sensitive K+ channel in rat cultured cortical neurons.", "content": "To determine whether membranes of mammalian central neurons contain an ATP-sensitive K+ (KATP) channel similar to that present in pancreatic beta cells, the patch-clamp technique was applied to cultured neurons prepared from the neonatal rat cerebral cortex and hippocampus. In whole-cell experiments with hippocampal neurons, extracellular application of 0.5 mM diazoxide (a KATP channel activator) elicited a hyperpolarization concomitant with an increase in membrane conductance, whereas application of 0.5 mM tolbutamide (a KATP channel blocker) induced a depolarization with a decrease in conductance. Similar results were obtained with cortical neurons. In outside-out patch experiments with cortical neurons, a K+ channel sensitive to these drugs was found. The channel was completely blocked by 0.5 mM tolbutamide and activated by 0.5 mM diazoxide. The single-channel conductance was 65 pS under symmetrical 145 mM K+ conditions and 24 pS in a physiological K+ gradient. In inside-out patch experiments, this channel was demonstrated to be inhibited by an application of 0.2-1 mM ATP to the cytoplasmic surface of the patch membrane. These results indicate that the membranes of rat cortical neurons contain a KATP channel that is quite similar to that found in pancreatic beta cells. It is also suggested that the same or a similar K+ channel may exist in membranes of hippocampal neurons."}
{"id": "PMID:1488286", "title": "Modulation of desynchronized sleep through microinjection of alpha 1-adrenergic agonists and antagonists in the dorsal pontine tegmentum of the cat.", "content": "Noradrenaline is involved in the regulation of the sleep/waking cycle by acting through various receptor types. In previous studies we investigated the role of beta- and alpha 2-adrenergic receptors through local microinjections of various drugs into the dorsal pontine tegmentum (DPT) of the cat. This region is known to be crucially involved in desynchronized sleep execution. In this study we examined the role of alpha 1-adrenergic receptors. The alpha 1-agonist methoxamine and the alpha 1-antagonist prazosin were injected into the DPT of freely moving, unanaesthetized cats. We found that methoxamine notably reduced desynchronized sleep, and that this effect was both dose-dependent and site-specific. These effects were prevented by the subsequent injection of prazosin. On the other hand, the injection into the DPT of prazosin alone produced scarce or inconsistent effects on the sleep/waking cycle."}
{"id": "PMID:1488287", "title": "Sodium-activated potassium current in sensory neurons: a comparison of cell-attached and cell-free single-channel activities.", "content": "Single-channel currents from Na(+)-dependent K+ channels (KNa) were recorded from cell-attached and inside-out membrane patches of cultured avian trigeminal ganglion neurons by means of the patch-clamp technique. Single-channel properties, such as the high elementary conductance and the occurrence of sub-conductance levels, were unchanged after the patches had been excised from the cells, indicating that they are not under the control of soluble cytoplasmic factors. In cell-attached recordings at the cell resting potential the degree of KNa activity, measured as the probability of the channel being open, Po, was low in most cases (around 0.01) and similar to that observed in the inside-out configuration when the bath solution contained concentrations of Na+ around 30 mM and of K+ close to the physiological intracellular levels. However, in some cell-attached patches Po was high (around 0.2) and comparable to the values measured in cell-free recordings with high Na+ concentrations in the bath (100 mM). The excision of a high-activity patch in the presence of 30 mM Na+ resulted in a fall of Po in about 20 s, which is consistent with the wash-out of a soluble cytoplasmic molecule. After the excision, all KNa displayed a similar Na+ sensitivity, irrespective of the degree of activation observed in the cell-attached mode. In inside-out patches the Po values observed in the presence of either low or high concentrations of Na+ in bath solutions were not modified by internal Ca2+ (0.8-8.5 microM).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1488288", "title": "[MR imaging of degenerative lumbar disc disease emphasizing on signal intensity changes in vertebral body].", "content": "Magnetic resonance imaging was performed in 400 patients with degenerative disc disease. Signal changes and their sites in the vertebral body were classified and referred to narrowing of the intervertebral disc space. MR findings were compared with those of plain roentgenograms of the lumbar spine. Signal changes in the vertebral body were noted in 83 cases (102 vertebral bodies). Low-intensity abnormality on both T1- and T2-weighted images (WI) was the most common finding, and was most frequently seen at the end plate and/or the angle. These changes were correlated with narrowing of the disc space and osteosclerosis on the plain roentgenogram of the lumbar spine. Signal changes occasionally occurred in the inner region of the vertebral body, and these lesions tended to show a high-intensity abnormality on T1-WI. We conclude that signal changes in degenerative disc disease are not specific, but are sometimes difficult to distinguish from the signal changes in other conditions such as spinal tumor or bone marrow disorder."}
{"id": "PMID:1488289", "title": "[Diagnostic imaging of polysplenia syndrome in the adult].", "content": "Polysplenia syndrome is a congenital disorder of situs that is characterized by the presence of multiple spleens and a variable combination of thoracic and visceral anomalies. We present three adult cases of polysplenia syndrome with emphasis on the diagnostic imaging findings. Computed tomography could best determine the exact location and shape of the anomalous organs. The visceral anomalies observed in our patients included multiple spleens, interruption of the inferior vena cava (IVC), azygos or hemiazygos continuation, left-sided IVC, symmetrical liver, anomalous fissure of the liver, anomalous lobe of the liver, median location of the gallbladder, short pancreas, inverted stomach, gallbladder and pancreas, and intestinal malrotation."}
{"id": "PMID:1488290", "title": "[Semidiscoid lateral meniscus].", "content": "We propose a new entity known as \"semidiscoid lateral meniscus\" of the knee. The diagnostic criteria for semidiscoid lateral meniscus is the appearance on a thin-sliced axial 3-D image of a crescent-shaped meniscus whose transverse width is within 11.6 mm to 14.3 mm on the coronal image. These numerical values were calculated by discriminant analysis. A retrospective review of MR examinations of the knees revealed 15 patients (15 knees) with this entity. These patients were our subjects. Of these 15 patients, complicated lateral meniscal tears were seen in only three cases. Nine knees were free from complications, and five were asymptomatic. Six patients were examined with MR on the contralateral side, and discoid lateral menisci were revealed in all cases. Thus semidiscoid lateral meniscus shows a cross-relationship with discoid menisci."}
{"id": "PMID:1488291", "title": "[Abnormal chest shadow on CT in immunosuppressed patients].", "content": "An abnormal chest shadow was observed on CT scans in 25 cases of 23 immunosuppressed patients. Pulmonary disease was pathologically confirmed to be pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PC pneumonia) in four patients, cytomegalovirus pneumonia (CMV pneumonia) in one, bacterial pneumonia in seven, fungal infection in three, miliary tuberculosis in one, leukemic infiltration in two, lymphangitis carcinomatosa in three, drug-induced pneumonitis in three, and ARDS in one. In almost all patients, especially those with infectious diseases such as PC pneumonia, CMV pneumonia, and bacterial pneumonia, the abnormal shadow was wide and visible in the bilateral lung fields. We presumed that such findings as lobular shadow, centrilobular shadow, and mosaic pattern reflected the extension of disease via the respiratory tract, and that those findings are typical of infectious diseases. Because such findings as abnormal linear shadow and swelling of a broncho-vascular bundle were very frequently recognized in patients with lymphangitis carcinomatosa and frequently recognized in those with drug-induced pneumonitis, these diseases may be distinguished from other diseases. An area of slightly increased density was frequently recognized in patients with PC pneumonia, bacterial pneumonia, and drug-induced pneumonitis. Such lesions were pathologically confirmed to be located in the interstitium and/or alveolus. CT was extremely useful in comprehending the character and extension of particular diseases among various diseases. As the number of patients studied was small, the utility of CT in immunosuppressed patients requires further investigation in a larger number of patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1488292", "title": "[MR imaging of pericallosal lipomas].", "content": "Eight cases of pericallosal lipomas were studied by MR imaging at 1.5 Tesla. All were located around the splenium of the corpus callosum, and were classified as the curvilinear type. Corpus callosal abnormalities were detected in the six of these eight cases, and included two cases of short corpus callosum and four of thin splenium. The larger lipomas tended to have greater abnormalities of the corpus callosum. T1-weighted sagittal images were the most useful pulse sequences for diagnosing pericallosal lipomas and corpus callosal abnormalities. On review of the literature we found that the curvilinear type of pericallosal lipoma is more frequently observed by MR imaging than the tubulonodular type."}
{"id": "PMID:1488293", "title": "[MR imaging evaluation of plica synoviallis mediopatellaris of the knee joint].", "content": "To evaluate the diagnostic ability of MR imaging for plica synoviallis mediopatellaris (PSM), we retrospectively reviewed the MR imaging findings of patellofemoral space in 20 knee joints of 11 patients. In all 20 knee joints, arthroscopy and MR imaging were available. MR imaging was performed with a 1.5 Tesla Magnetom (Siemens) using a round surface coil. Pulse sequences were SE (TR 600 ms/TE 26 ms), SE (TR 200 ms/TE 26, 70 ms) and FLASH (TR 450 ms/TE 15 ms/FA 90 degrees). In six of the 20 knees with PSM proved by arthroscopy, a low intensity band was shown above the medial condyle of the femur on both T1- and T2-weighted MR images, and on FLASH images this band was shown as intermediate intensity. In the other 14 knees with no PSM observed by arthroscopy, the low intensity band was not shown on MR imaging. In all 20 knees, a similar low intensity band was shown about 1 cm cranial to the medial condyle of the femur. This should not be diagnosed as PSM. The low intensity band seen on T1- and T2-weighted MR images and its anatomical relation to the medial condyle are important in diagnosing PSM."}
{"id": "PMID:1488294", "title": "[CT of intestinal injuries following blunt trauma].", "content": "We retrospectively reviewed 53 CT scans in 42 patients with surgically proven intestinal injury following blunt abdominal trauma. Free air and localized low density fluid were specific signs of intestinal injury. Free peritoneal fluid without a known source, thickened bowel wall, and thickened mesentery were non-specific ones. Specific and non-specific findings were demonstrated in six (22%) and 23 (85%) of 27 CT scans performed within four hours following trauma, and 19 (73%) and 26 (100%) of 26 CT scans performed after four hours, respectively. CT is useful for the diagnosis of blunt intestinal injuries, but early diagnosis is difficult because of the lack of specific signs."}
{"id": "PMID:1488295", "title": "[Expandable metallic stent therapy for SVC syndrome--effects on local venous pressure, vascular diameter, symptoms, and these correlations].", "content": "To evaluate the efficacy of Z-stent therapy for SVC syndrome, we studied changes in the pressure, the diameter of stenotic lumen and the symptoms in the cases of SVC syndrome with higher pressure than 30 cmH2O at distal to the stenosis. The symptoms were classified and graded to be scored up. Immediately after the Z-stent placement into the stenotic lesions, the venous pressure distal to the stenosis decreased from 36.0 +/- 3.4 cmH2O to 12.0 +/- 12.0 cmH2O (p < 0.001), the diameter of stenotic lumen increased from 3.3 +/- 3.4 mm to 14.0 +/- 3.4 mm (p < 0.01). According to the remarkable symptomatic improvements the averaged score decreased from 6.7 to 1.3 (p < 0.01). The pressure, the diameter and the symptom scores were highly correlated each other (magnitude of gamma not equal to 0.9). Among two cases with the right atrial pressure increase by 2 cmH2O after the placement one suffered transient cardiac in compensation due to overload by reperfusion. Conclusively, the Z-stent therapy was very effective on the SVC syndrome in reducing abnormally elevated venous pressure due to the stenosis, and relieving the symptoms, while the pressure monitor was necessary."}
{"id": "PMID:1488296", "title": "[The effectiveness of radiotherapy for Merkel cell carcinoma].", "content": "Merkel cell carcinoma is a high-grade malignant tumor of the skin that tends to extend locally and metastasize to regional lymph nodes. Surgical resection is the treatment of choice, and the effectiveness of radiotherapy for this disease has not yet been established. We report two cases of biopsy-proven Merkel cell carcinoma effectively treated with radiotherapy. Histopathological examination of the resected specimens after radiotherapy of 50 Gy and 38 Gy, respectively, using 6 approximately 15 MeV electrons showed no malignant cells in either case. No evidence of recurrence or metastasis has been noted in 11 to 21 months after radiotherapy. To our knowledge, no case of Merkel cell carcinoma in which complete cure was obtained by radiotherapy alone has been reported previously. It is considered that preoperative radiotherapy would contribute to the management of this locally invasive but radiosensitive tumor."}
{"id": "PMID:1488297", "title": "[Biological effects of static gradient magnetic field on cultured mammalian cells and combined effects with 60Co gamma-rays].", "content": "The biological effects of a static gradient magnetic field and its combined effects with ionizing radiation on FM3A cultured cells were investigated. The magnetic strength of the center of the field was 5.8 x 10(-2) T esla, the mean gradient of the magnetic filed was 0.6 T esla/m. The magnetic field influenced cell cycle. The relative amount of cultured cells in G1 phase decreased for eight hours after exposure. The growth rate of the cells was slowed by about 5%. Following exposure to the magnetic field, the survival rate of cells decreased to about 20% less than that of the non-exposed control. The combined effect of 60Co irradiation with exposure to the magnetic field showed a greater effect than a simple additive one. The combined effect was influenced by the interval between 60Co irradiation and exposure to the magnetic field. The biological effects of the magnetic field may be related to age-dependent cellular damage in the cell cycle, blockage of cell progression in the cell cycle, and increased repair from radiation damage."}
{"id": "PMID:1488298", "title": "[Hormone therapy using tamoxifen in unresectable carcinoma of the pancreas--preliminary study].", "content": "In 1981 Greenway and co-authors reported the existence of estrogen receptor in tumor tissue of the pancreas. We have tried hormone therapy using tamoxifen in 4 of 11 patients with unresectable carcinoma of the pancreas in whom expandable metallic stents were inserted for the palliation of obstructive jaundice. The mean survival period in these 4 patients was 235 days, and 2 of them had a remarkably long survival of 321 and 463 days respectively. On the other hand, the mean survival was 128 days in 7 control patients. We therefore evaluated this new therapy with tamoxifen as effective in patients with unresectable carcinoma of the pancreas."}
{"id": "PMID:1488299", "title": "[Experimental study of indirect lymphography with iodinated starch].", "content": "Opacification of lymph nodes on CT was attempted by means of indirect lymphography with iodinated starch (IS). Sixty percent solutions of two different molecular weights of IS were prepared (5,000 mol wt and 70,000 mol wt in average). After subcutaneous injection of IS solutions to the pedal area of dogs, CT scans were performed to evaluate opacification of the popliteal lymph nodes. The lymph nodes began to be opacified from 10 min after the injection of each solution. The high molecular weight IS showed higher attenuation and longer duration of opacification than did the low molecular weight IS. Homogeneity of opacification was better with latter. The optimum molecular weight for this purpose is considered to be between 5,000 and 70,000 mol wt."}
{"id": "PMID:1488300", "title": "[Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic stent shunt (TIPSS) with use of R\u00f6sch-Uchida transjugular liver access set--evaluation by CT and its clinical application].", "content": "Appropriateness of the R\u00f6sch-Uchida transjugular liver access set designed for TIPSS procedure was confirmed, especially about the catheter angle and effective length of the 20 G puncture needle, by CT analysis on three dimensional vascular anatomy of the liver. Clinically, TIPSS using the set was successfully made for two patients, connecting superior right hepatic vein with right portal vein in one patient and middle hepatic vein with left portal vein in another patient with hypoplastic right portal vein. Prior to TIPSS procedure, verification of vascular anatomy on CT images is the key to success of TIPSS in safe."}
{"id": "PMID:1488301", "title": "[Fatty acids: their biochemical and functional classification].", "content": "Fatty acids (FA) constitute the main component of phospholipids, triglycerides and cholesterol esters. FA are acidic, monocarboxylic linear chains of variable length: short-chain FA (2-4 carbon atoms), medium-chain FA (6-12 carbon atoms), long-chain FA (14-18 carbon atoms), very long-chain FA (derived from parental 18-carbon molecules). They can be further subdivided into saturated (no double bond), monounsaturated (one double bond) and polyunsaturated (two or more double bonds). They are all involved in energetic, metabolic and structural activities. Short-chain FA act as growth factors; medium chain FA are readily available as energy source; saturated long-chain FA constitute a source of energy but may be implicated in the development of the atherosclerotic process; unsaturated long-chain FA include oleic acid and the essential fatty acids (linoleate and linolenate), and are all implicated in fundamental metabolic processes; very-long chain FA are the most characteristic molecules in biologic membranes. From recent works it is clearly established that the physiological role of FA depends on the chain length, and that the very-long chain molecules could determine the quality of human development. A functional classification of FA today must be based not only on the rate of unsaturation, but also (and most importantly) on the chain length."}
{"id": "PMID:1488302", "title": "[Fatty acid metabolism and requirements in childhood].", "content": "The metabolism of fatty acids (FA) has a profound impact on the development of the human being. In fact, the lipidic composition of membranes may be modulated by the relative concentrations of available FA. During the last months of the fetal life, an increasing concentration of polyunsaturated very long-chain (VLC) FA is observed from the umbilical cord to the liver and the central nervous system, where they contribute to the qualitative development of the nervous membranes. Therefore, the preterm baby is at particular risk of polyunsaturated VLCFA deficiency. Among polyunsaturated VLCFA, 20:4 n-6 and 22:6 n-3 carry on fundamental roles respectively for cellular growth and visual development. The accretion of VLCFA in the human body is intense also in the term infant during the first months of life. In the period of exclusive milk-feeding fat represents 50% of the daily caloric intake, and the ketonic bodies, resulting from the incremented beta-oxidation of FA, are readily utilized as source of energy by the developing brain. Weaning is now object of study to precise both metabolic needs and dietary intakes of FA families. Recent surveys have revealed that in this period the intakes of linoleic and linolenic acid are at the lower limits of the recommended levels. No upper limit for saturated FA is advisable for the first two years of life.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1488303", "title": "[Fatty acids in prevention and therapy in pediatrics].", "content": "Fatty acids (FA) are involved in both physiologic and pathologic biochemical pathways. Saturated FA (mainly 12-C and 14-C) are implicated in the development of hypercholesterolemia and early atherogenesis. On the contrary, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated FA (mainly 18:2 n-6 and n-3 very long-chain FA) have been claimed to have hypocholesterolemic and protective effects. In particular, oleic acid (18:1 n-9) seems to lower only the atherogenic fraction of circulating cholesterol (the low-density lipoproteins), leaving immodified the level of the protective fraction (the high-density lipoproteins). Polyunsaturated very long-chain FA have been recently studied for the prevention and therapy of atopic and cutaneous disorders, with conflicting results. In this respect, the 20:4 n-6 acts as proinflammatory agent, while the n-3 very long-chain FA could act as modulators of the immuno-allergic and inflammatory reactions. However, attention must be paid to the high peroxidative potential of the more unsaturated FA. Very recently, VLCFA have been considered for the therapy of some inherited disorders of metabolism. Monounsaturated very long-chain FA have been used in the treatment of x-linked adrenoleukodystrophy. A dietetic deficiency of polyunsaturated very long-chain FA has been observed in treated phenylketonuric children. Some inborn errors of metabolism could represent an useful model for better understanding the biochemistry of FA."}
{"id": "PMID:1488304", "title": "[Dietary sources of fatty acids in childhood].", "content": "The first oral supply of fatty acids (FA) is provided by human milk. It contains a large variety of FA, perfectly adequate to the newborn's metabolic needs. Saturated and monounsaturated chains derive from the local mammary gland synthesis, while polyunsaturated very long-chains come from the hydrolysis of circulating lipoproteins and are more dependent on the maternal dietary habits. Trans FA have been shown in human milk too. The fat content of human milk progressively increases during the breast-feeding period; it varies during the day and from feed to feed. Infant formulas contain a very narrow range of FA. No commercially available formula contains the very long-chain polyunsaturated FA. Formulas for pre-term babies enriched with these molecules have been recently studied. The role of medium-chain FA in the early diet of the pre-term infant must still be defined. With weaning, green leafy vegetables become a balanced source of essential FA, while animal foods (both meat and fish) supply not only saturated but also polyunsaturated very long-chain FA. Analogously, vegetal oils are a fundamental source of monounsaturated and essential FA, animal fats (butter, lard) are a rich source of saturated fats and fish oils contain a mixture of n-3 polyunsaturated very long-chain FA. Correct dietary habits for children should provide a rich variety of foods, to reach a balanced supply of all the families of FA. Oleic acid should represent the main FA in the diet.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1488305", "title": "[The diagnostic approach to and clinical study of 23 children with an obstructive sleep apnea syndrome].", "content": "23 children, aging from 3 to 13 years, affected by chronic upper airway obstruction, were studied. The clinical suspicion was \"obstructive sleep apnea\" (O.S.A.). In this study was found a significantly different frequency, in O.S.A. group, if compared with controls, of the following symptoms: nocturnal snoring (100%), mouth breathing when awake (69%), and during sleep (91%), abnormal restless movements (69%), behavioral disturbances (60%). Clinical evaluation revealed: pectus excavatum (82%), enlarged tonsils and adenoids (82%), failure to thrive (39%). Chest index was 0.72 +/- 0.07 significantly higher (p < 0.001) than controls. The authors also carried out in all patients and controls pCO2 venous blood determination during sleep, to screen subjects with high risk of cardiopulmonary dysfunction. Data obtained showed that threshold value of pCO2 was 45.6 mmHg."}
{"id": "PMID:1488306", "title": "[The micro-ESR with the capillary tube inclined to 45 degrees in the \"sepsis screen\" of neonatal infection due to beta-hemolytic B-group Streptococcus].", "content": "The authors describe the advantages of a new method to determinate the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (micro-ESR) during neonatal GBS infections. They utilize a capillary tube placed at a 45 degrees angle and have the results of this test only after 15 minutes. The micro-ESR is proposed as a simple and quick method of sepsis screen in term and preterm newborns."}
{"id": "PMID:1488307", "title": "[Treatment with low-dose methotrexate in intractable juvenile chronic arthritis].", "content": "14 patients suffering from Juvenile Chronic Arthritis unresponsive to NSAIDS were enrolled in this open study. There were two patients with a systemic form, nine patients with polyarticular form. All patients received methotrexate administered orally in one or two divided doses; the dose was 0.3-0.5 mg/kg/week. Clinical improvement occurred in most of the cases; remission was achieved in 5 out of 9 polyarticular form, in one out of the two systemic form and in two out of the three pauciarticular form. All patients showed a significant improvement in the clinical parameters except one with a pauciarticular form (duration of morning stiffness, number of swollen joints and number of painful joints). The effects on laboratory indexes were a decrease in ESR and CRP in about 50% of the cases, an increase up to the normal value of hemoglobin in about 30% of the cases. Two patients experienced a transient gastrointestinal discomfort and 3 had a mild elevation of serum aminotransferase levels which were restored after a reduction of the drug. In conclusion our data confirm that methotrexate at low dosage is more effective than other second-line agents and has fewer side effects. In our opinion methotrexate can today be considered the first choice for Juvenile Chronic Arthritis unresponsive to NSAIDS."}
{"id": "PMID:1488308", "title": "[The correlation between the genotype and the clinical expression of cystic fibrosis].", "content": "The authors report a phenotype-genotype correlation in a population of patients from center and south Italy affected by cystic fibrosis (CF). Thirteen (21%) of patients with pancreatic insufficiency (PI) were homozygous for delta F508, seventeen (27%) were delta F508 heterozygous with an associated unknown allele. Two other described mutations (N1303K, G542X) were also found in a heterozygote status and associated with a severe clinical expression of disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1488309", "title": "[IgA-class antigliadin antibodies in the screening and follow-up of celiac disease patients].", "content": "IgA antigliadin antibodies (IgA-AGA) have been determined with an enzyme immunoassay in 2.141 pediatric patients. High levels of IgA were found in 98% of 53 celiac patients (1st biopsy), in 81% of 16 celiac patients after gluten challenge, while high levels of these antibodies were not found in 200 patients on gluten-free diet. Moreover high levels of IgA-AGA were found in 29% of 48 patients with normal jejunal biopsy and in 4% of 1.824 patients with gastrointestinal problems other than celiac disease. Our results confirm the data report in literature about the sensibility and the specificity of the IgA-AGA dosage as a screening test for celiac disease, but the possibility of false pathological and false normal values confirms the intestinal biopsy, as the main procedure for the diagnosis of celiac disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1488310", "title": "[Bone density in swimmers].", "content": "Bone mineral density of the non-dominant forearm was measured by single-photon absorptiometry at a proximal site (PBMD) and at a more distal site (DBMC) in 9 competitive male swimmers, aged 18 to 23 years, who had been training for 12 +/- 2 years, 10.3 +/- 5.6 hours a week. The results were compared with 25 age-matched controls. PBMD was m +/- SD 0.57 +/- 0.02 g/cm2 in the swimmers and 0.57 +/- 0.05 g/cm2 in the controls. DBMD was 0.45 +/- 0.02 g/cm2 in the swimmers and 0.45 +/- 0.03 g/cm2 in the controls. No difference was found between the two groups. We can therefore conclude that swimming, in absence of gravity, didn't provide our athletes with an effective mechanical load capable to increase bone density of the forearm."}
{"id": "PMID:1488311", "title": "[Asthma due to Dermatophagoides in children. Peroral desensitization].", "content": "At present current knowledges on OIT are controversial. We studied the effectiveness and the possible immunological mechanisms of this therapy. We followed a group of 56 children affected by allergic asthma due to Dermatophagoides during their treatment with OIT. Many clinical parameters were investigated and also immunoallergological and spirometric values in a subgroup. We observed a particularly satisfying clinical and respiratory improvement, while immunoallergological parameters did not suffer significant changes."}
{"id": "PMID:1488312", "title": "[Antireflux plastic repair of the cologastric anastomosis in a female patient operated on by retrosternal esophagocoloplasty].", "content": "Esophageal atresia without fistula is a rather uncommon malformation (about 8% of all esophageal atresias); its surgical correction is sometimes difficult because of the long gap between the two pouches. When a delayed anastomosis cannot be performed, it is necessary to perform a colon interposition. In one patient operated with retrosternal esophageal-colon-plasty a second operation was needed to correct a symptomatic reflux causing dysphasia and severe aspiration pneumonia. The distal end of the colon was tapered around a chest tube; then a submucosal gastric tunnel was prepared, and the tapered colon was pulled through it and anastomosed to the gastric lumen. The child showed no evidence of gastrocolic reflux in the three years following the operation and is today healthy. Radiologic and scintigraphic examinations, performed ten months after the operation, showed the good canalization of the interposed colon and the continence of the antireflux anastomosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1488313", "title": "[Multiple sclerosis in childhood: a report of 2 clinical cases].", "content": "Multiple sclerosis is a rare finding in pediatric age. The onset of the disease may be in adolescence or pre-adolescence. It is important that pediatricians know the diagnostic criteria and clinical course of multiple sclerosis in childhood. We describe the case reports of two children, a 11- and a 14-years-old girls and review the literature of the last 5 years on multiple sclerosis in childhood."}
{"id": "PMID:1488320", "title": "[Superoxide dismutase activity of erythrocytes and their osmotic fragility].", "content": "Blood samples were obtained from 15 diabetic patients (type I) and 10 healthy subjects. Erythrocyte superoxide dismutase activity, Heinz bodies and osmotic fragility were determined. Our results suggest that decreased activity of erythrocyte SOD predisposes to denaturation of haemoglobin (Heinz bodies) and haemolysis (increased osmotic fragility)."}
{"id": "PMID:1488314", "title": "[Chickenpox and Sch\u00f6nlein-Henoch purpura: a report of a case with nephropathy].", "content": "Authors describe a child affected by chickenpox, Sch\u00f6nlein-Henoch purpura and nephropathy. The ecchymotic lesions were diffused in buttocks and legs and they were associated with vesicular haemorrhagic injury in the back of hands and in pavilions of the ears. They suggest that varicella-zoster virus can play a \"trigger\" role in etiopathogenesis of Sch\u00f6nlein-Henoch purpura and that this syndrome worsens the renal failure. Steroids don't improve the renal disease in the acute phase but they seem to reduce the relapses."}
{"id": "PMID:1488315", "title": "[Accessory Mahaim atrioventricular pathways as the probable cause of sudden death in an infant].", "content": "A 26-day-old infant dying suddenly and diagnosed as sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Conduction system abnormalities were found, consisting of accessory atrioventricular (AV) pathways of Mahaim type, which can be regarded as arrhythmogenic in nature."}
{"id": "PMID:1488321", "title": "[Effects of furosemide, propranolol and nifedipine on urinary excretion of Tamm-Horsfall protein in patients with arterial hypertension].", "content": "In 65 hypertensive patients the influence of 10 day treatment with furosemide (24 subjects), nifedipine (21 subjects) and propranolol (20 subjects) respectively on urinary Tamm-Horsfall protein (U-THP), sodium and potassium excretion, 24 hour urinary volume and blood pressure was determined. In 23 control subjects the above mentioned parameters were assessed only under basal conditions. In hypertensive patients urinary THP excretion was not different from controls. In all examined groups a significant positive correlation was found between urine volume and urinary THP excretion under basal conditions. Such a correlation was absent after nifedipine or propranolol therapy respectively, but still existed after furosemide administration. No correlation was found between urinary THP and Na and K excretion respectively. In contrast to nifedipine and propranolol, a 10 day treatment with furosemide caused a significant increase in U-THP. Urinary THP excretion in hypertensive patients did not differ from U-THP in healthy subjects. In contrast to propranolol and nifedipine, treatment with furosemide caused an increase in THP urinary excretion."}
{"id": "PMID:1488322", "title": "[Urinary excretion of Tamm-Horsfall protein by patients with acute renal failure].", "content": "Urinary excretion of Tamm-Horsfall protein (THP), sodium and potassium was assessed in 12 patients 5, 8, 11, 14, 17, and 22 days after the onset of acute renal failure (ARF) and in 23 control subjects. In patients with ARF at the oliguric phase urinary excretion was significantly reduced but significantly increased (when compared with controls) at the onset of the polyuric phase. In contrast to healthy subjects in patients with ARF no significant correlation was found between urine volume and urinary excretion of THP. Normalization of THP excretion was noticed prior to normalization of serum creatinine level. Results obtained in this study prove absence of the physiological relationship between urinary excretion of THP and urine volume in patients with ARF."}
{"id": "PMID:1488316", "title": "[Crohn's disease: comments on a case].", "content": "Crohn's disease, regarded, up to a short while ago, a rare illness, with a higher rate of incidence, after the second ten years of life, in the last years underwent an increase in its frequency, mostly in the earliest years. In accordance with these observations, the Authors considered an interesting solution to quote a case of Crohn's disease, which had been watched by them, over a patient of tender age."}
{"id": "PMID:1488323", "title": "[Platelet aggregation during the recombinant human erythropoietin (rHuEPO) treatment of patients with uremia].", "content": "Patients with uraemia have a defect haemostasis caused by severe anaemia and disturbances of platelet/vessel wall interactions. Recombinant human erythropoietin (rHuEPO) treatment not only corrects anaemia, but also shortens the bleeding time. There are few reports dealing with changes of haemostasis during the first month of rHuEPO treatment. We studied platelet function after 1, 2, 4, 8, and 12 weeks of rHuEPO treatment. Erythropoietin was given to 19 dialysed patients with chronic uraemia in a dose of 2000 u subcutaneously 3 times a week. Bleeding time showed a significant fall as early as after the first week of rHuEPO treatment (p < 0.05). After the first month the bleeding time became normal in most of the patients. A significant rise in ristocetin-induced platelet aggregation was observed from the first week of therapy. It showed a strong correlation with the shortening of the bleeding time. Collagen-induced aggregation followed the same pattern but the changes were not striking. There was not significant difference in platelet adhesion, platelet aggregation in the whole blood and those induced by ADP and arachidonic acid. Platelet serotonin concentration was also showed to increase during rHuEPO therapy. We conclude that rHuEPO improves haemostasis by influencing platelet aggregation possibly involving a serotoninergic mechanism but on the other hand may increase a tendency to thrombosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1488324", "title": "[Effect of long-term hemodialysis on luliberin-induced lutropin secretion in patients with chronic renal failure].", "content": "The purpose of the work was to answer the question whether time of haemodialysis treatment affects the secretion of lutropin (LH) in patients with chronic renal failure. The study was carried out in 41 men with chronic renal failure and 15 healthy controls. There were three groups of hemodialyzed patients. The first one comprised 17 patients dialyzed up to 50 months, the second one 14 patients treated during 51-100 months and the third one 10 patients hemodialyzed for more than 100 months. In all these subjects the test of stimulation with luliberin (LH-RH) was done. Significantly higher serum levels of LH were found in patients as compared to controls. No significant alterations in LH levels were observed in the groups of patients. After administration of LH-RH the reactivity of LH secretion was significantly lower in patients dialyzed longer than 50 months then in men dialyzed shorter and in controls. These facts suggest an influence of long-term dialysis treatment on the secretion of LH in men with chronic renal failure."}
{"id": "PMID:1488318", "title": "[A case of congenital chloridorrhea: the diagnostic contribution of pre- and postnatal echography].", "content": "The authors describe a case of \"congenital chloride diarrhea\" in a preterm female infant with a profound chronic diarrhea beginning at birth. The disease lies in a defect of active intestinal Cl- transport which results in a large loss of the electrolytes and water. To prevent a reduced growth and the renal involvement an adequate replacement therapy is necessary."}
{"id": "PMID:1488319", "title": "[A neonatal ovarian cyst associated with transient endocrine anomalies].", "content": "The authors present a case of enormous neonatal ovarian cyst associated with ipoglicemia, ipotiroidism and ipocalcemia. This baby presents also stenosis of the pulmonary artery and congenital dysplasia of the hip. The case is interesting because this type of association is unusual and has not been described before."}
{"id": "PMID:1488326", "title": "[Long-term clinical observations of chronic active hepatitis HBsAg (+)].", "content": "This paper presents results of 3-18 year clinical observation of 48 patients with chronic active hepatitis HBsAg (+). 40 patients had suffered viral hepatitis for a period from 6 months to 3 years (avg. 1.5 year) before chronic active hepatitis manifested. Cirrhosis hepatis was a consequence of chronic active hepatitis in 52.1%, chronic active hepatitis in 45.8%, and chronic persistence in 2.1% of cases, during observation period. The average transition time from chronic active hepatitis to cirrhosis was 3 years. 48% of cirrhosis hepatis occurred within 2 years starting from recognition of chronic active hepatitis and 80% within 5 years. Most cases of cirrhosis were recorded if patients had been treated with penicillamine and prednisone (80% of cases), then with azathioprine and prednisone (48% of cases), while the least with ++non-immunosuppressive therapy (penicillamine, isoprinosine or \"+hepatic protectors\")."}
{"id": "PMID:1488330", "title": "[QT/QS2 index in patients with arterial hypertension, mitral valve prolapse and hyperthyroidism].", "content": "QT/QS2 ratio has been assessed in 26 patients with both borderline and mild hypertension and mitral valve prolapse syndrome (19 patients), and hyperthyroidism (16 patients) in comparison with method control groups. The following polycardiographic parameters have been analyzed: QT, QTp, QS2, QT/QS2, and QTp/QS2. Higher values of QT/QS2 ratio have been noted in patients with mitral valve prolapse syndrome and hyperthyroidism than that in the control group. There has been no difference in patients with mild hypertension while the values of the analyzed parameter have been significantly lower in patients with borderline hypertension. QT has been longer than QS2 (QT)QS2 1/in 9 (56%) patients with hyperthyroidism. A positive correlation between QT/QS2 ratio and ++thyroxine levels have been noted in these patients. QT values have been higher than QS2 values only in 1 patient with mild hypertension. It seems that QT/QS2 value has limited value as an indirect index of the adrenergic activity in the dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system."}
{"id": "PMID:1488331", "title": "[Insulin and C-peptide levels in patients with idiopathic arterial hypertension].", "content": "Insulinemia in patients with essential hypertension and normal glucose tolerance was assessed. The study involved 25 patients divided into subgroups according body weight and 9 of control subjects. It was found, that hyperinsulinemia seen in hypertensive patients seems to be associated with obesity. Moreover, hyperinsulinemia does not depend primarily on hypersecretion of insulin but may reflect resistance to insulin and ab normal metabolism in the liver."}
{"id": "PMID:1488332", "title": "[Occurrence of arterial hypertension in hospitalized children aged 3 days to 4 years].", "content": "Totally 510 measures of blood pressure were performed with sphygmo-oscillographic, ultrasound, and auscultation techniques. Sphygmo-oscillography was used for all measurements whereas ultrasound failed in 2.9% and auscultation in 48.2% of cases. Arterial hypertension was diagnosed in 24 children, i.e 11%."}
{"id": "PMID:1488334", "title": "[Sodium outflow rate through lymphocyte cell membranes, serum levels of sodium, potassium, aldosterone, total catecholamines, 6-keto- PGF2alpha and plasma renin activity in patients with primary arterial hypertension treated with captopril].", "content": "Sodium ions outflow rate through lymphocyte membranes, serum sodium, potassium, aldosterone, total catecholamines and 6-keto-PGE alpha levels, and plasma renin activity were studied in patients with mild hypertension associated with low and hugh plasma renin activity treated with captopril in a single dose of 12.3 mg and after the treatment with daily doses of 12.5 mg and 25 mg for 3 days. It was found, that captopril in hypertensive patients with high plasma renin activity decreases both systolic and diastolic blood pressure, decelerates heart rate, and decreases serum total catecholamines and plasma renin activity. Sodium ions outflow rate and serum sodium, potassium, aldosterone, and 6-keto-PGE alpha remain unchanged. Captopril in hypertensive patients with low plasma renin activity. The remaining parameters are unchanged. Moreover, it was noted that serum 6-keto-PGE alpha levels are lower in hypertensive patients with low plasma renin activity."}
{"id": "PMID:1488333", "title": "[Difficulties in the diagnosis of pheochromocytoma in children].", "content": "Pheochromocytoma was the cause of arterial hypertension observed in 0.9% of children treated in 1982-1989. Out of clinical features the most characteristic was sustained hypertension often complicated by the accelerated phase of malignant hypertension and encephalopathy. Sustained tachycardia was also found in all patients. Increased urinary excretion of catecholamines and its metabolites confirmed the diagnosis in all cases. The most sensitive and specific methods for tumor diagnosis were ultrasonography and computer tomography of the adrenals while scintigraphy with meta-iodobenzylguanidine+ labelled with iodine-131 radioisotope gave a high percentage of false negative results."}
{"id": "PMID:1488335", "title": "[Effectiveness of trimetazidine in patients with hypertension and the symptoms of coronary disease].", "content": "The investigations were aimed at the objective evaluating of trimetazidine efficacy in the treatment of 30 patients with arterial hypertension and ischemic heart disease carried out in non-invasive manner. It was found that trimetazidine complies with several requirements for the effective drug administered to the patients with hypertension associated with ischemic heart disease as it: (a) reduces peripheral resistance and exerts favourable effect on the walls tonus of larger arteries; (b) lowers specifically post-exercise arterial pressure and improves resting arterial pressure; (c) reduces demand for oxygen; (d) is safe, and well tolerated by 83% of the treated patients in daily dose of 60 mg."}
{"id": "PMID:1488337", "title": "[Hypertension in pregnancy with special reference to its treatment].", "content": "Definition and classification of the arterial hypertension in pregnancy are discussed. An emphasis is on the problems of differential diagnosis between pre-eclampsia and other forms of hypertension. Use of hypotensive drugs in pregnant patients with particular reference to emergencies is also discussed. The treatment of pregnant women with hypertension is still a problem which require close co-operation of both an obstetrician and internist. Follow-up after labour is GP duty to find out if the patient remains hypertensive. If so, etiology of the disease should be again searched."}
{"id": "PMID:1488345", "title": "[Abdominal resection of rectal cancer].", "content": "Preservation of anal sphincters in the surgical treatment of rectal cancer is often controversial as far as an extent of surgery, incidence of complications and an increase in mortality rate in perioperative period are concerned. The study was aimed at results of the retrospective analysis of patients, who undergone abdominal excision of the rectum for malignant tumours. Totally 136 patients were operated. Perioperative mortality rate was 5.14%. Totally 26.4% of patients survived for at least 5 years, including 80% of patients operated in A stage of cancer, according to Duke, and 43.3% of patients with tumour in B stage. An emphasis is on the necessity to leave a 2-centimeter margin of healthy tissues around the tumour, provided, that the result of intraoperative histological examination was negative. Such a margin is sufficient for anastomosis. Low anastomoses do not produce early complications and recurrences."}
{"id": "PMID:1488346", "title": "[Results and prognosis after highly selective vagotomy in the light of the mathematical theory of approximate sets].", "content": "Information system for 122 patients with peptic ulcer, who underwent highly selective vagotomy within 5 and 13 years earlier has been analysed with the use of technique based on the approximate sets theory. Cause-effect relationship between data describing the analysed patients before surgery and remote result of therapy (expressed in a 4-score Visick's scale) have been sought. Using a technique of the approximate sets, information system has been described from 11 to 5 significant and necessary preoperative data most closely related with the result of therapy. Models of the typical representatives of results classes have been constructed with the use of a/m data. Then, a decision algorithm has been made. Such an algorithm represents cause-effect relationship between significant data and the result of treatment. Models and decision algorithm for the favourable results of the treatment (I and II class in Visick's scale) constituted a base for the verification of indications to the highly selective vagotomy and construction of data base for computer-assisted system of the treatment of peptic ulcers with the highly selective vagotomy."}
{"id": "PMID:1488347", "title": "[Imipenem in the treatment of patients with severe surgical infection].", "content": "The clinical efficacy and safety of intravenously administered imipenem/cilastatin in the treatment of 45 patients with severe bacterial septicemia due to intra-abdominal abscesses, respiratory and urinary tract as well as skin, soft tissue and bone infections was studied in the prospective and open trial. The in vitro antimicrobial activity of imipenem has been assessed on the basis of 909 bacterial strains isolated from patients treated and non-treated with imipenem/cilastatin. Among them were 526 Gram-negative, 370 Gram-positive aerobic bacteria and 13 Gram-negative anaerobic bacteria (Bacteroides sp.). Pathogen susceptibility to imipenem was determined with a disc-diffusion technique using Merck, Sharp Dohme sensitive discs containing 10 mcg of imipenem. Highly sensitive to imipenem were 96.8% of Gram-negative 82.7% of Gram-positive aerobic bacteria and 100% of Bacteroides sp. All patients, in whom evident foci of infection e.g. intra-abdominal abscesses were discovered, were operated on. The dosage of imipenem/cilastatin ranged from 1.5 to 2.0 g/24 h. Clinical cure and bacteriological elimination was achieved in 39 (86.7%) of patients while 6 (13.3%) showed marked clinical improvement. Before and during therapy, aerobic and anaerobic cultures were taken from accessible sites. All specimens were worked up using conventional bacteriological techniques. Before during and after therapy, samples for hematology, biochemistry and urinanalysis were obtained. Adverse clinical effects were noted in 2 (4.4%) patients. One had nausea and vomiting which were probably related to rapid infusion and disappeared after increasing the administration time, and one had transient diarrhea. In conclusion, imipenem/cilastatin was a well tolerated and effective drug in the treatment of life-threatening surgical infections."}
{"id": "PMID:1488356", "title": "[Diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome].", "content": "Symptoms and signs in 12 patients with severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) syndrome have been presented. The most common symptoms were snoring , increased motor activity during sleep and excessive daytime somnolence. The factors predisposing to OSA syndrome were obesity and anatomic abnormalities of the upper airway structure. In some cases the signs of OSA syndrome included hypertension, right heart failure, chronic alveolar hypoventilation and polycythemia. Polysomnography showed sleep fragmentation and the prevalence of light sleep stages. Obstructive sleep apneas repeated 73 +/- 23 times per hour of sleep. The mean apnea duration was 19 +/- 8 s. The mean arterial oxygen saturation during apnea was 72 +/- 14%."}
{"id": "PMID:1488357", "title": "[Plasma antithrombin III activity in patients with pulmonary thromboembolism].", "content": "A decreased plasma antithrombin III activity has been noted in 12 out of 20 patients. In 2 patients it was most probably congenital defect, whereas in the remaining 10 patients--acquired. The observed disorders in the activity of antithrombin III with particular reference to anticoagulant therapy have been discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1488359", "title": "[Effect of misoprostol, a synthetic equivalent of prostaglandin E1, on bronchodilation in bronchial spasm].", "content": "A effect of a single dose 400 micrograms misoprostol (Cytotec-Searle) on a degree of the bronchospasm relief has been investigated in 8 patients, and the results have been compared with those produced by aminophylline i.v. infusion in the rate of 500 mg/hour. Prior to and 10, 20, 30, 60, 90, 120, 150 and 180 minutes after administration of both drugs, the following parameters of pulmonary ventilation have been determined: VC, VC%, FEV1, FEV1%, MVV, and MEFR. The results have shown that misoprostol given in a single oral dose of 400 micrograms to patients with bronchospasm has the bronchodilating activity which is statistically significant. However, this activity is rather weak and significantly lower than that of intravenous aminophylline infusion."}
{"id": "PMID:1488360", "title": "[IgE-containing immune complexes in bronchial asthma].", "content": "Level of circulating immunological complexes and their immunoglobulin content have been determined in 36 asthmatic patients, including 15 patients with atopic asthma and 21 patients with infectious asthma. A technique of staphylococcal protein A binding has shown, that the level of the circulating immunological complexes is increased in patients with infectious bronchial asthma. An amount of IgE in these complexes has been increased in both atopic and infectious bronchial asthma. However, a level of IgE-containing immunological complexes has been higher in the atopic asthma, then that in infectious form of the disease. An increased IgA content in the immunological complexes has been noted in the infectious asthma."}
{"id": "PMID:1488362", "title": "[Occurrence of early and late asthmatic reaction after provocation with antigen and the status of pulmonary ventilation in patients with hay fever after the pollination season].", "content": "Pulmonary ventilation and asthmatic reaction under laboratory conditions have been investigated in 23 patients with allergic rhinitis hypersensitive to grass pollen. Pulmonary ventilation has been assessed with the aid of VCin, FVC, FEV1, FEV1/VCin, PEF, MEF50, and MTT. Asthmatic reaction has been produced by an inhalation of allergens mixture with dose-response technique. An early reaction has been diagnosed, when FEV1 decreased by at least 20% or MEF50 by 30% within 10 minutes, and late reaction when the same parameters decreased after 6 or 24 hours. An early asthmatic reaction has been noted in 2 patients (8.7%), late--in 4 patients (17.4%), and double (both early and late) reaction in 2 patients (8.7%). Pulmonary ventilation has been normal in all examined patients, except two of them with peripheral airways obstruction (MEF50 less than 70% of the normal value). Results suggest, that asthmatic reaction may be provoked in the laboratory in patients with pollinosis and normal pulmonary ventilation after pollen season. Such a reaction may also be expected during a natural exposition to pollens."}
{"id": "PMID:1488363", "title": "[Evaluation of selected personality factors in patients with bronchial asthma].", "content": "Psychological factors an important role in the development and clinical course of the bronchial asthma. Therefore, an effect of the selected personality features on the course of the bronchial asthma have been studied. The study included 91 asthmatic patients and 30 persons of the control group. Three psychological tests have been used: Wiskad-MMPI. Cattell's Self-Cognition Chart, and Eysenck's Personality Inventory translated by Chojnowski. The study has shown, that asthmatic patients are characterized by the high level of anxiety and marked emotional imbalance, especially female patients. Emotions are suppressed and neglected by the asthmatic patients. These attitude should be considered in psychotherapy of such patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1488364", "title": "[Results of surgical treatment of mediastinal neoplasms].", "content": "The results of radical and partial surgical treatment of 146 patients with mediastinal tumors have been assessed. All patients were operated at the Specialistic Hospital in Zakopane from the 1st January, 1967 to the 31st December, 1989. Hundred twenty one patients (82.9%) suffered from malignancy and 25 (17.1%) from non-malignant mediastinal tumors. Mortality rate was 2.0%. Late results have been expressed in terms of survival period, and they have been as follows: 44.4% of patients survived 20 years after surgery, 36.5% of patients survived 15 years, 42.9% of patients--10 years, and 56.1% of patients survived 5 years. More than 50% of operated patients resumed their previous work."}
{"id": "PMID:1488371", "title": "Nutrition in dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa.", "content": "In dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (EB), a combination of diminished food intake and increased nutritional requirements commonly leads to malnourishment. Adequate nutrition in these patients could provide many benefits, including improved growth, accelerated healing, decreased susceptibility to infection, and enhanced well-being. We assessed nutrition status of children with dystrophic EB, and evaluated the benefits of nutritional advice in those who were considered malnourished. The majority of patients had inadequate intakes of a wide spectrum of nutrients, including those who appeared to be relatively mildly affected. We were unable to secure persisting substantial improvements in dietary intake despite thorough counseling. Adequate nutrition in patients with dystrophic EB depends on active nutritional support starting from birth. The need for more invasive techniques of nourishment, such as nasogastric and gastrostomy feeding, may have to be considered earlier than is currently the case."}
{"id": "PMID:1488366", "title": "[Hazards of antitubercular treatment--case report].", "content": "A case of the female caucasian patient with constricting tuberculous pericarditis is presented. The patient has been treated with tuberculostatics, which produced severe to ic liver damage, and ultimately the death. A risk of liver damage increases with patients' age and the jaundice onset in the period shorter than two months after the start of therapy. Prognosis is poor in case of HBs carrier state, alcohol abuse, therapy with benzodiazepines, and oral contraceptives. A moderate increase in transaminases activity does not require a cessation of the drugs but a reduction of the administered doses is necessary, especially in patients over 35 years of age. Patients of the height risk group require a careful selection of antitubercular+ agents. Patients with suspected chronic liver disease should be carefully examined, together with liver biopsy, before tuberculostatics are given."}
{"id": "PMID:1488372", "title": "Behavioral adjustment and self-concept of young children with hemangiomas.", "content": "This study was conducted to determine the behavioral responses and self-concepts of young children with self-limited but transiently disfiguring capillary hemangiomas involving the head and neck. Nineteen children with hemangiomas, age 3 to 5 years, and their parents were compared with an age-matched control group without lesions. Responses to a parental checklist, informal interview, and self-concept test showed few differences between young children with hemangiomas and those without this neoplasm."}
{"id": "PMID:1488373", "title": "Blister beetle dermatosis in Hawaii caused by Thelyphassa apicata (Fairmaire).", "content": "Members of the family Oedemeridae are known as false blister beetles. Although they have a worldwide distribution, oedemerid blister beetle dermatosis has been described only in the Pacific basin and the Caribbean. We report a case of the disorder in the Hawaiian Islands caused by Thelyphassa apicata (Fairmaire). To our knowledge this is the first case report described in that locale, and the first caused by this species."}
{"id": "PMID:1488374", "title": "Painful, plaque-like, pitted keratolysis occurring in childhood.", "content": "Pitted keratolysis is a superficial infection of the soles of the feet that is almost always asymptomatic. A painful variant of this disorder was reported to occur in adult males during military service. We report painful, plaque-like, pitted keratolysis in two children. Treatment with topical erythromycin was curative."}
{"id": "PMID:1488369", "title": "[Effect of environmental factors on the defense system of the respiratory tract].", "content": "Respiratory system due to its enormous surface is particularly prone to be penetrated by various exogenous factors. Therefore, this system is equipped with numerous local, specific and unspecific, cellular and humoral immunological mechanisms. This system includes: BALT (bronchial ++adeno-lymphatic tissue) producing secretory immunoglobulins, ciliary system, mucus which provides an extracellular surface for immunoglobulins, lysozyne, interferon, lactoferrin, and complement system activities. Moreover, alveolar macrophages, surfactant, neuropeptides, and inflammatory processes constitute other components of the whole defense system. A complex interactions increasing its efficiency take place between particular components. Unfavourable environmental factors attack this system in several ways. The most important are: recurrent bacterial and viral respiratory infections, air pollution, tobacco smoke, and unfavourable climate and microclimate."}
{"id": "PMID:1488375", "title": "Clinical, histologic, and ultrastructural findings in two cases of infantile systemic hyalinosis.", "content": "Two unrelated infants had stiff skin and painful joint contractures in the first few months of life. Other features included gingival hyperplasia, small papules on the face and trunk, perianal nodules, and bloody diarrhea. Hyaline material was evident in the papillary dermis and gut mucosa in both patients. Ultrastructural examination revealed a distinctive fibrillogranular appearance. These infants have the same clinical, histologic, and ultrastructural features as four infants we reported previously with infantile systemic hyalinosis. One of the patients described here demonstrated some features that overlap with those of juvenile hyaline fibromatosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1488370", "title": "[Normal values of peak expiratory flow in children from an environment with high degree of atmospheric air pollution].", "content": "Peak expiratory flow (PEF) has been measured with Vitalograph (in liters per minute) in 2,512 school-children aged between 7 and 15 years in Upper Silesian Industrial Region. Five hundred eighty one children from Zarki near Czestochowa served as a control group. The results have been analysed statistically. Determined PEF values for children from the Upper Silesian Industrial Region are considered as a biological reference values for assessment of PEF in both health and disease. PEF values calculated for children from Zarki were higher than those in the examined group, except the value for a 14-year old children."}
{"id": "PMID:1488376", "title": "Cutaneous mucinosis in a child with systemic lupus erythematosus.", "content": "Cutaneous mucinosis is rarely associated with systemic lupus erythematosus. A 13-year-old girl had a two-month history of numerous cutaneous mucinous papules and the new onset of systemic lupus erythematosus. The differential diagnosis and pathogenesis of this variant of cutaneous mucinosis are discussed. This is the first report of a child with this unusual entity."}
{"id": "PMID:1488377", "title": "Lipoid proteinosis: case report.", "content": "A 20-month-old Kuwaiti girl had manifestations of lipoid proteinosis, a rare autosomal recessive disorder seen more commonly in Caucasians. This condition is diagnosed based on clinical, histopathologic, and ultrastructural criteria. Its biochemical and genetic aspects are still poorly understood."}
{"id": "PMID:1488378", "title": "Acquired zinc deficiency in association with anorexia nervosa: case report and review of the literature.", "content": "Zinc deficiency, whether a result of an acquired or inherited abnormality of zinc metabolism, is associated with characteristic cutaneous findings. The inherited variety is known as acrodermatitis enteropathica. We present a case of zinc deficiency secondary to starvation induced by anorexia nervosa. Since the cutaneous stigmata of zinc deficiency and anorexia nervosa can initially be subtle and occasionally overlap, we believe that screening zinc levels in patients with anorexia nervosa with prominent cutaneous findings should be considered."}
{"id": "PMID:1488379", "title": "Neurothekeoma in a 15-year-old boy: case report.", "content": "A 15-year-old boy experienced a rapidly enlarging nodule on his left nose. Histologic findings and immunoperoxidase stains were consistent with the diagnosis of neurothekeoma. The patient was treated with local excision local excision without evidence of recurrence."}
{"id": "PMID:1488380", "title": "Halo dermatitis in children.", "content": "Halo dermatitis is a pruritic, eczematous eruption on pigmented nevi and halo nevi in young adults. It may be mistaken for nummular eczema, psoriasis, or fungal skin infection. Awareness of halo dermatitis will possibly reveal more cases in children, which have been reported only rarely."}
{"id": "PMID:1488381", "title": "Ultraviolet light burn: a cutaneous complication of visible light phototherapy of neonatal jaundice.", "content": "Visible light phototherapy is an easily administered and effective treatment for neonatal indirect hyperbilirubinemia. Reported cutaneous side effects include transient rashes and the uncommon bronze baby syndrome. A more hazardous side effect is ultraviolet burn. Two premature infants developed phototherapy-induced erythema, one associated with a second-degree burn, after exposure to fluorescent daylight bulbs inadvertently used without Plexiglass shields, thus allowing prolonged ultraviolet A (UVA) exposure. Premature infants, especially during the first two weeks of life, may be significantly susceptible to UVA-induced erythema. Plexiglass shields should always be in place during visible light phototherapy, and nursery staff should be made aware of their purpose."}
{"id": "PMID:1488382", "title": "Congenital miliaria crystallina: case report and literature review.", "content": "Generalized congenital miliaria crystallina occurred in a black newborn boy. Although miliaria crystallina occurring in infancy and beyond is well established, congenital occurrence is very rare. The pathogenesis of the disorder is not well understood. We discuss some hypotheses of pathogenesis in the context of our patient, as well as a differential diagnosis and a comparison with a previously reported case. Miliaria crystallina should be considered in the differential diagnosis of vesiculobullous eruptions in newborns."}
{"id": "PMID:1488383", "title": "Sweet syndrome in a neonate with aseptic meningitis.", "content": "A 7-week-old infant with antecedent otitis media, upper respiratory infection, and aseptic meningitis was diagnosed as having Sweet syndrome. Although this disease usually affects adults, it has been reported in 17 children. This is the youngest reported patient with the disorder to date, and the first in whom the syndrome was associated with aseptic meningitis."}
{"id": "PMID:1488384", "title": "Aplasia cutis congenita, cleft palate, epidermolysis bullosa, and ectrodactyly: a new syndrome?", "content": "Aplasia cutis congenita (ACC) is a skin disorder in which localized or widespread areas of skin are absent at birth. It has been associated with numerous anomalies and recognizable syndromes. We report a newborn infant with ACC of the scalp, multiple facial abnormalities including cleft palate but not cleft lip, hypoplasia of the distal phalanges of the hands, ectrodactyly of the feet, and epidermolysis bullosa of the extremities and lower trunk. Although this patient had some features that overlapped with ectrodactyly-ectodermal dysplasia-clefting syndrome, the absence of cleft lip and presence of additional skin abnormalities made that diagnosis unlikely. This could represent a newly recognized syndrome of numerous malformations in which ACC is associated with a constellation of previously undescribed structural anomalies."}
{"id": "PMID:1488385", "title": "Isotretinoin for acne in Apert syndrome.", "content": "Apert syndrome is a congenital disorder consisting primarily of deformities of the skull, hands, and feet. These individuals are also prone to severe acne, particularly involving the upper arms and forearms. Conventional therapy is often ineffective. We report the successful use of isotretinoin for acne in a patient with Apert syndrome."}
{"id": "PMID:1488393", "title": "Instrumentation of a high-shear mixer: evaluation and comparison of a new capacitive sensor, a watt meter, and a strain-gage torque sensor for wet granulation monitoring.", "content": "A high-shear mixer was instrumented with a new capacitive sensor, a watt meter, and a strain-gage torque sensor. The output from the capacitive sensor was split into two channels, which monitor both resistive and capacitive changes during the granulation process. The outputs of the devices were related to properties of the wet granulation. The percentage moisture content related linearly to the amplitude channel response. Yield values provided a rheological property to relate with power consumption and torque measurement. Power consumption and torque furnished a similar map of the granulation process. The amplitude channel of the capacitive sensor appears to be more clearly differentiated between binder levels in hydrous lactose-HPMC granulations than either power consumption or torque measurement, based on particle size distributions."}
{"id": "PMID:1488394", "title": "Lymphatic targeting of polymeric nanoparticles after intraperitoneal administration in rats.", "content": "Following intraperitoneal administration, the lymphatic targeting of polyacrylic nanoparticles has been evaluated in thoracic duct cannulated rats. The dosage forms administered consisted of carbon-14 polyhexylcyanoacrylate nanoparticles (PHCA) and polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) nanoparticles. The carbon-14 concentrations were much higher in the excreted thoracic lymph than in the blood for both types of particles. The most dramatic results were found in the mediastinal nodes since the carbon-14 concentrations of rats receiving PHCA and PMMA nanoparticles by the ip route were 70- to more than 2000-fold higher than in the corresponding nodes of animals treated by the intravenous route. This potential lymphatic targeting could prove valuable in cancerology to treat tumors that metastasize in the peritoneal cavity or via lymphatic pathways such as colon carcinomas."}
{"id": "PMID:1488395", "title": "Hydrogels for site-specific drug delivery to the colon: in vitro and in vivo degradation.", "content": "Novel hydrogels based on N,N-dimethylacrylamide, N-t-butylacrylamide, and acrylic acid cross-linked with azoaromatic compounds of varying length and electron density of the azo bond were synthesized. The cross-links are degradable by microbial azoreductases present predominantly in the colon, and the gels appear to be suitable for colon-specific drug delivery. The degradability in vitro and in vivo was found to be related to the degree of swelling of the gels. The higher the degree of swelling, the higher the degradability. However, structural and electronic factors were also shown to influence reduction of azo bonds."}
{"id": "PMID:1488396", "title": "The influence of liquid crystalline phases on drug percutaneous absorption. I. Development of a vehicle.", "content": "A phase diagram approach has been used to formulate topically applied vehicles containing liquid crystalline phases. The current paper describes the construction of a major portion of the polyoxyethylene(20)cetyl ether:dodecanol:water phase diagram. Known mixtures of the three components were equilibrated and centrifuged to separate the resultant conjugate phases. These were identified and analyzed quantitatively to determine phase boundaries in relevant portions of the phase diagram. Two isotropic liquid phases, several two- and three-phase regions, a solid surfactant phase, and at least three distinct liquid crystalline phases were identified. The determination of tie lines was undertaken in a two-phase region containing an aqueous isotropic micellar solution and a liquid crystalline gel. This information will be used to prepare a number of vehicles of known phase composition and concentration for a systematic evaluation of the effect of liquid crystalline phases on transdermal drug delivery."}
{"id": "PMID:1488397", "title": "The influence of liquid crystalline phases on drug percutaneous absorption. II. Permeation studies through excised human skin.", "content": "The influence of liquid crystalline (LC) phases on the percutaneous absorption of a model compound (ploxicromil; PXC) was studied with the use of the phase diagram for the surfactant, oil, and water comprising the vehicles. Two separate sets of vehicles, representing two different tie lines lying in the L1 + LC phase region, were prepared in which the concentration of LC was varied over the range 0 to 100% along each tie line. In vitro permeation studies of PXC from these systems were conducted using excised human skin and the flux values determined as a function of the percentage LC present in the vehicles. In virtually all cases, the flux reached a peak at 5-10% LC and then decreased significantly as the fraction of LC present increased further. The pattern of behavior observed is discussed in terms of current theories describing membrane-controlled and vehicle-controlled diffusion, none of which adequately model the results obtained."}
{"id": "PMID:1488398", "title": "Mixed micelles as proliposomes for the solubilization of teniposide.", "content": "The aqueous solubility of teniposide in detergent and phospholipid mixed micelles was investigated as functions of the detergents and lipids composing the mixed micelles, the molar ratio of detergent to phospholipid, and the total lipid concentration of the system. The polarity, the charge of the phospholipid, and its saturation affected the solubilization potential of the micelles. Physical chemical factors such as the pH, ionic strength, and temperature of the dispersion medium also altered the solubilization capacity of the system. The results are explained by the changes occurring in the critical micelle concentration and packing arrangements of the aggregates. The desired solubility of teniposide can be achieved by adjusting the studied parameters to the optimum values. Teniposide-containing mixed micelles were spontaneously converted to drug-containing vesicles upon aqueous dilution; therefore, the precipitation of the drug was totally eliminated. In conclusion, mixed micelles as proliposomes can be a suitable drug carrier system for insoluble compounds such as teniposide."}
{"id": "PMID:1488399", "title": "Determination of association constants in cyclodextrin/drug complexation using the Scatchard plot: application to beta-cyclodextrin-anilinonaphthalenesulfonates.", "content": "The appropriate Scatchard equation was developed for a system involving the formation of 1:1 and 1:2 substrate:cyclodextrin complexes. Simulation of this system was performed under the most common experimental conditions encountered in this type of study. The use of the equation allows for nonlinear least-squares estimation of the association constants. The interaction of the model compounds 1-anilino-8-naphthalenesulfonate (1,8-ANS) and 2(p-toluidinyl)-6-naphthalenesulfonate (2,6-TNS) with beta-cyclodextrin (beta-CD) was used to evaluate the theoretical model. Binding experiments were performed using either potentiometric titration or fluorimetric detection. The experimental data for 1,8-ANS/beta-CD fit well to the 1:1 binding model, with an association constant of 87 +/- 1 M-1. The association constants of the 1:1 and 1:2 2,6-TNS/beta-CD complexes utilizing direct potentiometry were 3737 +/- 6 and 149 +/- 2 M-1. It is shown that fluorimetry can give biased estimates for the association constants of the complexation 2,6-TNS/beta-CD, since the assumption of an equivalent quantum yield of bound species is not valid."}
{"id": "PMID:1488400", "title": "Percutaneous absorption enhancement of leuprolide.", "content": "Chemical enhancers and vehicles were tested for their ability to improve the percutaneous absorption of leuprolide, a nonapeptide (luteinizing hormone releasing hormone analogue; MW 1209.4). In vitro permeabilities in nude mouse, snake, and cadaver skin were evaluated in either Franz diffusion cells or a Bronaugh flow-through system using an HPLC assay. Skin irritation caused by the formulations was evaluated in the rabbit. The chemical enhancer systems investigated strongly enhanced skin penetration of leuprolide. Maximum permeability enhancement of leuprolide acetate can be achieved with a nonirritating formulation containing ethanol, menthol, camphor, methyl salicylate, urea, and hydrogel. The in vitro permeability in nude mouse skin was 10 or 100 times higher than that obtained in cadaver skin, depending on the type of enhancer that was used in the formulation. Snake skin was at least 10 times less permeable than cadaver skin in this study. However, the effects of chemical enhancers on skin permeability were highly dependent on the skin model. Further, the in vitro permeability of leuprolide in the base form was 10 times higher than in the acetate form with the enhancers."}
{"id": "PMID:1488401", "title": "Permeability characteristics of various intestinal regions of rabbit, dog, and monkey.", "content": "The in vitro permeability of a series of both hydrophilic and lipophilic compounds, as defined by the octanol/water partition coefficient, was measured in four segments of rabbit, monkey, and dog intestine using a side-by-side diffusion cell. A linear relationship was established for tissue resistance to hydrophilic compound diffusion in jejunum and colon among rabbit, monkey, and dog. The results suggest that rabbit jejunum is twice as permeable as monkey and dog jejunum. The colonic tissues of monkey, rabbit, and dog demonstrate similar permeabilities. Measuring the permeabilities of different tissues with compounds of similar physicochemical properties allows comparison of tissue restriction to transport. Thus, in vitro permeability measurements may be used to investigate physiological differences of various intestinal tissue segments that influence tissue permeability. Investigating the permeability of different intestinal segments from various species could allow the identification of an appropriate in vitro intestinal permeability model that will lead to the prediction of intestinal absorption in humans, eliminating the need for extensive and often misleading in vivo animal testing."}
{"id": "PMID:1488402", "title": "Influence of permanent cannulation of the jugular vein on pharmacokinetics of amoxycillin and antipyrine in the rat.", "content": "The effect of chronic cannulation of the rat jugular vein on the pharmacokinetics of amoxycillin and antipyrine administered by the i.v. and oral routes has been evaluated. Animals that received the i.v. dose of amoxycillin on the eighth day after jugular vein cannulation showed decreased clearance (4.0 +/- 0.3 ml/min) and steady-state volume of distribution (105 +/- 8 ml) compared to animals that received the i.v. dose on the fourth day (5.5 +/- 1.1 ml/min and 155 +/- 17 ml, respectively). Rats first dosed by the i.v. route showed an oral bioavailability of 54 +/- 12%, whereas for those first dosed by the oral route the calculated bioavailability was 31 +/- 6%. Antipyrine was administered to rats by the i.v. and oral routes on the first and fourth days after jugular vein cannulation. Animals intravenously dosed on the fourth day showed a decreased clearance (1.9 +/- 0.3 ml/min) compared to rats intravenously dosed on the 1st day (2.7 +/- 0.6 ml/min). Antipyrine bioavailability was larger in animals first dosed by the i.v. route than in animals first dosed by the oral route (173 +/- 43 and 74 +/- 15%, respectively). These results argue against the use of crossover studies in rats with permanently implanted cannulas since kinetic changes induced by cannulation can be larger than previously proposed."}
{"id": "PMID:1488403", "title": "Validation of different microdialysis methods for the determination of unbound steady-state concentrations of theophylline in blood and brain tissue.", "content": "Three microdialysis methods, the \"tritium\" method, the \"point-of-no-net-flux\" method, and a method using the low perfusion rate of 0.1 microliter/min, were compared with respect to their ability to generate estimates of unbound steady-state concentrations (Cu(ss)) of the antiasthmatic drug theophylline in blood and brain tissue in anesthetized rats. Concomitantly, the influence of the perfusion flow rate on the estimated extracellular Cu(ss) obtained with the point-of-no-net-flux method was investigated. Theophylline was administered as a rapid intravenous bolus dose followed by constant intravenous infusion. Changes in perfusion flow rate from 2.0 to 0.75 microliter/min and, finally, to 0.25 microliter/min, using the point-of-no-net-flux method, had no significant effect on the estimated Cu(ss) of theophylline in blood and striatum. This observation, particularly in the case of brain tissue, is not consistent with the theory that the process of dialysis drains a significant amount of substance from the immediate vicinity of the dialysis probe. Similar estimates of Cu(ss) in blood as well as in brain tissue were obtained with all three methods. Their accuracy in estimating Cu(ss) in blood was further strengthened by observations of unbound fractions similar to those reported in the literature. Furthermore, all three methods gave striatum/blood ratios at steady state of approximately 0.5, indicating that there is active transport of theophylline from brain tissue. It is concluded that the tritium method, when validated, can be used to study the time course of unbound drug concentrations in blood and tissues."}
{"id": "PMID:1488404", "title": "Decreased systemic clearance of diltiazem with increased hepatic metabolism in rats with uranyl nitrate-induced acute renal failure.", "content": "The effect of uranyl nitrate (UN)-induced acute renal failure (ARF) on the pharmacokinetics of diltiazem (DTZ) was examined in rats through in vitro and in vivo studies. In vitro homogenate studies demonstrated that DTZ was metabolized to deacetyl diltiazem (DAD) predominantly in the liver. Metabolism in the small intestine, kidney, or blood pool was negligible compared with that in the liver. UN-induced ARF (UN-ARF) increased the in vitro hepatic clearance (CLvit) of DTZ 1.4-fold. In vivo pharmacokinetic studies following intravenous (iv) and portal venous (pv) administration revealed that UN-ARF increased the intrinsic clearance (CLi) of DTZ from 243.0 to 414.5 ml/min/kg but decreased its total plasma clearance (CLt) from 90.3 to 64.3 ml/min/kg. The increase in CLi was consistent with the increase in CLvit of the liver. The in vitro plasma free fraction of DTZ (fp) was decreased from 0.25 to 0.14 by UN-ARF, but the in vitro blood/plasma partition of DTZ (Rb) remained constant at unity. From the CLi and fp changes, the plasma intrinsic clearance for unbound DTZ (CLi') was calculated to be increased 2.7-fold, from 1104.5 to 2960.7 ml/min/kg, by UN-ARF. The fp decrease was also reflected in the steady-state distribution volume (Vdss) of DTZ, which was decreased significantly from 3595.5 to 2528.3 ml/kg. The absolute bioavailability of pv DTZ (Fpv) was decreased by UN-ARF from 37.5 to 15.5% but was still much higher than the reported oral bioavailability (6%), indicating poor absorption of DTZ from the GI tract. From the calculation based on a well-stirred pharmacokinetic model, DTZ was found to increase the hepatic blood flow (HBF) of the control rats more than twofold at doses of 3 mg/kg (iv) or 10 mg/kg (pv), possibly due to the vasodilating effect of DTZ. However, the effect of DTZ on HBF was not present in the UN-ARF rats. It is not clear at present whether this could be attributed to vasoconstricting effects of UN-ARF or blockade of the vasodilating effect of DTZ."}
{"id": "PMID:1488405", "title": "The bioinequivalence of carbamazepine tablets with a history of clinical failures.", "content": "The bioavailability of three lots of a generic 200-mg carbamazepine tablet, which had been withdrawn from the market, was compared to the bioavailability of one lot of the innovator product in 24 healthy volunteers. Fifty-three lots of the generic product had been recalled by the manufacturer because of concerns over reports of clinical failures for several of the lots. The three generic lots tested in this study exhibited a wide range of bioavailability, as well as large differences in the in vitro dissolution rates. The mean maximum carbamazepine plasma concentrations for two of the generic lots were only 61-74% that of the innovator product, while the third lot was 142% of the innovator. The mean areas under the plasma concentration-time curve for the three generic lots ranged from 60 to 113% that of the innovator product. The results clearly indicate a significant difference in the rate and extent of absorption of the generic products compared to the innovator, as well as among the generic lots. A good relationship was found between the in vivo parameters and the in vitro dissolution results for the four dosage forms."}
{"id": "PMID:1488406", "title": "Factors determining the intrinsic lymphatic partition rate of epitiostanol and mepitiostane.", "content": "Substitution of the steroid epitiostanol (EP) at position 17 with methoxycyclopentane yields the extremely liophilic mepitiostane (MP) with preferential partitioning into the lymph. Most of the MP in the lymph was associated with the core lipids of chylomicrons and very low-density lipoproteins (VLDL), as was also the case for EP. However, the dialysis velocity of EP and MP from lymph to plasma differed greatly; EP, but not MP, was transferred from the lymph to the plasma. This difference was attributed to differences in their unbound fraction in the lymph. Lymphatic transfer and the logP value of several tested steroids correlated well. Therefore, the oral EP prodrug, MP, partitioned into the lymph because of its superlipophilicity and resultant retention in the core lipids of chylomicrons and VLDL."}
{"id": "PMID:1488407", "title": "The effect of valproate on the metabolism of phenobarbital in the rat.", "content": "Valproate has been shown to interact with all major antiepileptic drugs. The interaction with phenobarbital is the most clinically significant. The mechanism of the interaction was evaluated in the in vivo rat and in vitro liver perfusion system. Phenobarbital and parahydroxyphenobarbital (PbOH) were administered with and without valproate treatment. In vivo, after administration of PbOH, valproate caused a significant inhibition of both the renal clearance of unchanged PbOH (40%) and the formation clearance (ClF) of its glucuronide conjugate (44%). When coadministered with phenobarbital, valproate caused a significant decrease in the total plasma clearance of phenobarbital (95.4 +/- 29.0 to 65.8 +/- 20.2 ml/hr/kg), with no apparent effect on the phenobarbital renal clearance or the ClF of PbOH. Valproate did cause a significant inhibition (50%) of formation of a minor metabolite, metahydroxyphenobarbital. The largest effect of valproate appears to be on unknown pathways of phenobarbital elimination. In the isolated perfused rat liver, the ClF of PbOH and its glucuronide conjugate were determined. Valproate caused a small (10%) but significant decrease in the ClF of PbOH. As seen in vivo, the most significant effect of valproate was on the ClF of the PbOH glucuronide (66% decrease). In conclusion, inhibition of PbOH formation by valproate cannot account entirely for the increased plasma concentrations of phenobarbital that occur when valproate is added to therapy. A complete understanding of the mechanism will require a complete accounting of the phenobarbital dose in rat or in humans."}
{"id": "PMID:1488408", "title": "Influence of age and gender on the plasma profiles of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitory activity following multiple doses of lovastatin and simvastatin.", "content": "The effects of age and of gender on the plasma profiles of HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors following separate once-a-day dosage regimens (17 days) of lovastatin (80 mg/day) and simvastatin (40 mg/day) were studied in hypercholesterolemic patients. In general, plasma concentrations of active and total HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors were higher in elderly individuals (age, 70 to 78 years) and in females for both drugs. However, the Tmax of these inhibitors was not significantly affected by either age or gender. Following the last dose of lovastatin, the mean steady-stage plasma concentrations of total and active HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors were 30-60% higher in the elderly than in young individuals (age, 19 to 30 years). Also, the mean plasma concentrations were 20-50% higher in female than in male patients. Similarly, following the last dose of simvastatin, the mean plasma concentrations of HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors were 40-60% higher in the elderly than in young patients and were 20-50% higher in female than in male patients. These age- and gender-related differences do not appear to be large enough to warrant modification of dosage regimens, because plasma concentrations of these inhibitors are not necessarily indicative of efficacy and the therapeutic windows for lovastatin and simvastatin are broad."}
{"id": "PMID:1488409", "title": "Use of analytically defined estimates of aerosol respirable fraction to predict lung deposition patterns.", "content": "Analytical estimates of the respirable fractions on inhaled pharmaceutical aerosols are obtained by inertial sampling techniques. The respirable fraction may be defined as that portion of the particle size distribution less than a designated diameter. The diameter size below which particles were considered respirable in these studies was 6.4 microns. In clinical practice, a variety of particle size distributions may be related to a single respirable fraction. Herein, three respirable fractions were each defined by six particle size distributions. The deposition patterns of aerosols exhibiting these particle size characteristics were examined in a mathematical model. The analytically defined respirable fractions were compared with predicted lung deposition values. Under clearly defined breathing conditions, there is a correlation between the nominal respirable fraction and deposition. However, it was concluded that the variations which occur in breathing parameters within patient populations may not allow a single analytically derived respirable fraction to be appropriate for all individual subjects."}
{"id": "PMID:1488410", "title": "A high-performance liquid chromatographic method for the quantitative enantioselective analysis of mefloquine stereoisomers.", "content": "A rapid quantitative, enantioselective HPLC method for the analysis of the four stereoisomers, (+) and (-) erythro and (+) and (-) threo forms, of mefloquine has been developed using a Chiralpak Ad analytical column containing amylose tris-3,5-dimethylphenyl carbonate coated on silica gel and hexane/ethanol/diethylamine (96:4:0.1, v/v%) as the mobile phase. This method made it possible to quantitate small amounts of threo form in the presence of the erythro form of mefloquine, the form which is used as the active ingredient in commercial mefloquine tablets. Tablets from three sources were studied to estimate their optical purity, and it was found that tablets from one source contain 0.27 w/w% of the (-)-threo and 0.25 w/w% of the (+)-threo form, tablets from the second source contain 0.056 and 0.042 w/w% (-)- and (+)-threo, respectively, and tablets from the third source contain 0.052 w/w% (+)-threo, with the remainder erythro."}
{"id": "PMID:1488411", "title": "Mapping the ligand binding pocket of the human muscarinic cholinergic receptor Hm1: contribution of tyrosine-82.", "content": "The ligand binding pocket of many G protein-coupled receptors is thought to be located within the core formed by their seven transmembrane domains (TMDs). Previous results suggested that muscarinic antagonists bind to a pocket located toward the extracellular region of the TMDs, primarily at TMDs 2, 3, 6, and 7. Tyrosine-82 (Y82) is located in TMD2 only one helical turn from the presumed membrane surface of Hm1, whereas a phenylalanine (F124) is found in the equivalent position of the closely related Hm3. In order to determine the contribution of Y82 to Hm1 ligand binding and selectivity versus Hm3, we constructed the point mutation Y82 F of Hm1 and measured binding affinities of various ligands, with 3H-N-methylscopolamine (3H-NMS) as the tracer. The Hm1 wild-type receptor and the Y82F mutant were transfected into human embryonic kidney U293 cells. Whereas the affinities of NMS, carbachol, and atropine were either unchanged (carbachol) or enhanced by less than twofold (atropine and NMS), the affinity of the Hm1-selective pirenzepine was reduced threefold by the Y82F mutation. These changes parallel affinity differences of Hm1 and Hm3, indicating that the Y82 F mutation affects the binding pocket and that Y82 contributes to the binding selectivity among closely related muscarinic receptors."}
{"id": "PMID:1488413", "title": "Drug delivery via ion exchange across a micromembrane.", "content": "The exchange of pharmaceutically significant amounts of dopamine across a micromembrane is reported, establishing the practical basis for such a drug delivery system. Drug release was accomplished with a commercially available device initially intended for use as a postcolumn reactor in ion chromatography. Release of other ionic drugs (e.g., methyldopate and piperacillin) was also achieved but with a lesser efficiency than was dopamine, presumably because of a size effect. The effect of releasing ion identification and concentration, the flow rate of the delivery solution and concentration of drug in the device reservoir on the drug release efficiency was examined. Under optimal conditions the efficiency approaches 80%, and 1 mg of drug is released/ml of delivery solution. Alternatively, operating conditions can be changed so that magnitude of release is optimized but absolute efficiency is sacrificed. Under such conditions the magnitude of dopamine release approaches 2 mg/ml but exchange efficiency is approximately 25%."}
{"id": "PMID:1488412", "title": "Effects of diethyl phthalate and other plasticizers on laurate hydroxylation in rat liver microsomes.", "content": "Diethyl phthalate (DEP) is used in pharmaceutical coatings, cosmetics, and plastic films to wrap foods. There is a health concern associated with the exposure to certain phthalate esters because they belong to a class of compounds referred to as peroxisome proliferators which have been shown to increase the incidence of liver tumors when administered to rats. In this study, we have compared DEP to four other commonly used plasticizers, 2-diethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP), dibutyl phthalate (DBP), 2-diethylhezyl adipate (DEHA), and acetyltributyl citrate (ATBC), for their ability to induce the cytochrome P450-mediated fatty acid omega-hydroxylation system, which is one of the initial cellular responses when animals are treated with peroxisome proliferators. The administration of DEHP, DBP, and DEHA to rats increased the specific activity of laurate 12-hydroxylase from 2.8 +/- 1.1 in control rats to 30.3 +/- 11.6, 14.5 +/- 4.1, and 9.7 +/- 1.9 nmol 12-hydroxylaurate formed/min/nmol P450, respectively. In contrast, laurate 12-hydroxylase activity in DEP- and ATBC-treated rats were 4.4 +/- 1.2 and 4.4 +/- 1.0 nmol 12-hydroxylaurate formed/min/nmol P450, respectively. In addition, whereas DEHP increased peroxisomal palmitoyl-CoA oxidation 6-fold, DEP increased this activity only 1.3-fold. Two protein bands, at 51 and 52 kDa, were found to increase 6- to 12-fold in microsomes of DEHP-, DBP-, and DEHA-treated rats, but these bands were increased only 2-fold in DEP- or ATBC-treated rats."}
{"id": "PMID:1488414", "title": "Viscoelastic properties of polyacrylic acid gels in mixed solvents.", "content": "The objective of this study is to investigate the viscoelastic properties of Carbopol 934P polymeric systems in a variety of mixtures of pharmaceutical solvents. Carbopol 934P neutralized with a 1:1 equivalent ratio of triethanolamine was dissolved in various binary or ternary solvent mixtures consisting of propylene glycol, glycerol formal, and water. Dynamic moduli G' and G'', complex viscosities, eta' and eta'', and loss tangent, tan delta, were examined over a frequency range of 10(-3) to 10 Hz using an oscillatory viscoelastic rheometer at 30 degrees C. The results indicated that for 0.5-1.5 wt% neutralized Carbopol in ternary mixtures, G' and G'' increased by 3-4 orders of magnitude and the phase angle decreased from 80 to 25 degrees when the water content in the solvent mixture increased from 10 to 80 wt%. These studies also indicated that the addition of water to nonaqueous Carbopol 934P polymer systems transforms them from low-viscosity solutions to gels with significant elastic behavior involving physical interaction and entanglement of polymer segments with solvents."}
{"id": "PMID:1488415", "title": "Formulation and optimization of a modified microporous cellulose acetate latex coating for osmotic pumps.", "content": "A cellulose acetate (CA) latex was modified for use as a microporous coating for osmotic devices. Potassium chloride core tablets were coated with a CA latex formulation containing a plasticizer (triacetin) and a pore-forming agent (urea). To promote the coalescence of the cellulose acetate latex beads into a film on the surface of the tablet, it was necessary to cure the coated tablets, hereafter referred to as devices, at elevated temperatures. The objectives were to determine the effect of four formulation variables (plasticizer level, pore former level, cure time, and cure temperature) on the in vitro KCl release rate and coat burst strength using a full 2(4) factorial experimental design. Burst strength was measured as the number of grams force a depleted device could support before bursting. The results indicated that urea content was the most important variable, followed by triacetin content and cure time. Cure temperature did not influence the results. Response surfaces generated with the experimental values were used to predict a formulation which would have both a high release rate and a high burst strength. This formulation was prepared and tested both in vitro and in vivo in dogs. The in vitro release rate and burst strength results agreed with those predicted by the model. The in vitro and in vivo release rates were not statistically significantly different as determined by ALQ analysis."}
{"id": "PMID:1488416", "title": "Chemoprevention of chemically induced skin tumor development by diallyl sulfide and diallyl disulfide.", "content": "Garlic and onion oil have been shown to inhibit chemically induced skin tumor development in mice. In the present study, the effects of diallyl sulfide and diallyl disulfide, oil-soluble constituents of garlic and onion, on 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene-induced and 12,O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate-promoted skin tumor formation were examined in SENCAR mice. Topical application of diallyl sulfide or diallyl disulfide significantly inhibited skin papilloma formation from the ninth week of promotion and significantly increased the rate of survival in the murine model. Our findings support earlier evidence that these naturally occurring compounds may be useful for the chemoprevention of certain types of tumors."}
{"id": "PMID:1488420", "title": "[Treatment of polycythemia vera with hydroxyurea or pipobroman. Efficacy and toxicity analysed from a protocol of 96 patients under 65 years of age. Le Groupe d'Etude des Polyglobulies].", "content": "Between 1980 and 1991, 96 patients with documented polycythemia vera were treated by hydroxyurea or pipobroman, according to a protocol including randomization, and maintenance therapy. Complete remission was induced in all cases. Two cases treated with hydroxy-urea had a very severe granulothrombocytopenia during the initial phase. Maintenance was generally satisfactory on pipobroman, but the platelet count often remained high (400 to 900.10(9)/l) on low-dosage hydroxy-urea, with a risk of vascular events. Progressive resistance to these drugs was observed in 5 cases. Digestive and cutaneous troubles were more frequent on pipobroman maintenance, sometimes enough to legitimate a therapeutic change. It may be concluded that such a treatment is less easy to use and to follow than is currently accepted. In the present series (397/years/patients follow-up, median 5-3 years), only one leukemia and one cancer were observed, which however only demonstrates the absence of any carcinogenic risk at short- but not at long-term."}
{"id": "PMID:1488421", "title": "[Schnitzler's syndrome. A new case].", "content": "A new case of Schnitzler's syndrome is reported in a 72-year old man hospitalized for severe deterioration of his general condition associated with recurrent ancient urticaria. Paraclinical examinations, which showed inflammatory syndrome, bone condensation and IgM monoclonal gammapathy, led to the diagnosis of Schnitzler's syndrome, first described in 1972. Twenty-two cases have now been published, characterized by vasculitic urticaria, osteosclerosis and IgM macroglobulinaemia. There is also severe inflammatory syndrome and the other immunological examinations are normal. Recent studies suggest the possibility of uncontrolled activity of interleukin-1 alpha. The condition is chronic and usually benign, but the fear of malignant transformation in the long term makes the therapeutic choice difficult."}
{"id": "PMID:1488422", "title": "[Familial amyloidosis].", "content": "Familial amyloidosis is characterized by its great clinical and genetic heterogeneity. The most frequent form is amyloidotic neuropathy which may be due to deposits of several amyloid proteins, such as transthyretin, apolipoprotein A1 and gelsolin. Other varieties include predominant lesions of another organ, such as kidney, heart, eye or skin. In most of these lesions, a punctual mutation affects the amyloid protein itself. In other varieties, the amyloid protein is not affected by mutation and, rarely, unknown. The advances achieved in our understanding of transthyretin deposition should improve our knowledge of amyloidosis in general."}
{"id": "PMID:1488428", "title": "[Characteristics of tuberculosis among children (data from a specialized hospital].", "content": "The results of analysis of 3076 case histories of patients who were studied in a specialized hospital of Leningrad in the period of 1984-1989 made it possible to give the present-day characteristic of tuberculosis infection in children aged up to 14 years. Study was conducted according to the accepted scheme and comprised analysis of a general composition of patients, clinical diagnosis structure, specific features of the different forms of tuberculosis, registration of complications, age, sex and territory factors and results of other investigations. Special emphasis was given to the characteristic of a group of children suffering from tuberculosis. The findings obtained give evidence on the unfavourable changes in the structure of clinical diagnosis of tuberculosis in children during the last five years."}
{"id": "PMID:1488429", "title": "[Current principles of diagnosis of cavitary formations in the lungs].", "content": "Tuberculosis, cancer or abscessed pneumonia were diagnosed in 141 (84%) of the 168 patients who had solitary cavities in the lungs in the absence of M. tuberculosis or cancer cells isolation. The most informative diagnostic signs in these cases are provided by sex, age, special features of the onset and course of the disease in the period between diagnosis establishment and patients' hospitalization, data obtained when fluorograms taken from archives were compared with the X-ray picture at the moment of disease detection as well as by the results of serological reactions such as tuberculous antigen detection and Mantoux test, and blood level fibrinogen determination. On the second stage of examination the supplementary signs were obtained in bronchoscopy, cytologic examination of the bronchial contents after prescription of irritating inhalations and prednisolone test and immunologic study. Correct diagnosis can be established in 99% of the cases in the presence of simultaneously five and more significant signs."}
{"id": "PMID:1488430", "title": "[Diagnosis of liver diseases in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis].", "content": "The paper deals with the results of detection of liver diseases in 868 patients who underwent examination at the department of pulmonary tuberculosis surgery of the St. Petersburg research institute of phthisiopulmonology. The rate of carriage of hepatitis B surface antigen was 11.05%, while Al/At activity was increased in 30.41% of the cases. Signs of chronic liver disease were diagnosed in 84 patients. Morphological examination verified the diagnosis of chronic hepatitis in 53% of the cases, including 44% of virus etiology; in the rest of patients medicamentous and alcoholic forms were found. Specific liver affections were detected in 16% of the patients, dystrophic and cirrhotic changes in 25%, mainly of medicamentous and alcoholic etiology; in 8% the cause of liver affection remained +non-established."}
{"id": "PMID:1488431", "title": "[Problem of differential diagnosis of tuberculosis of peripheral lymph nodes and malignant neoplasms].", "content": "A total of 386 patients admitted with the diagnosis of tuberculous lymphadenitis were subjected to a differential diagnosis of tuberculosis of peripheral lymph nodes and malignant tumours. A histological examination of the removed lymph nodes demonstrated malignant tumours in 22 (5.7%) patients. Difficulties encountered in differentiating between tuberculous lymphadenitis and malignant tumours are due to changes in the clinical course of the process which are manifested in the enlargement of one or several nodes in 80% of patients in the absence of intoxication, which is also typical of primary malignant tumours of the lymph nodes. Histological and bacteriological studies of the removed nodes proved to be more informative for the differential diagnosis of tuberculous lymphadenitis and malignant tumours."}
{"id": "PMID:1488432", "title": "[Diagnosis and treatment of pleural lesions in sarcoidosis of the respiratory organs].", "content": "Among the 2775 respiratory sarcoidosis patients who were examined over the last ten years 278 (10%) had pleural affections: thickening of interlobular pleura and pleural deposits (98.2%), exudative pleurisy (1.1%) and spontaneous pneumothorax (0.7%). The most common pleural affection was found in sarcoidosis of stages II and III (16.8 and 70.8%, respectively). The clinical manifestations in all forms of this pathology had poor symptoms. Complex therapy proved to be highly effective. It included use of corticosteroids, antioxidants and immunomodulators; massive exudative pleurisy was managed by pleural puncture and removal of exudate."}
{"id": "PMID:1488433", "title": "[Magnetic resonance tomography in the diagnosis of tuberculous spondylitis in children].", "content": "The experience of using magnetic++-resonance tomography to diagnose tuberculous spondylitis in 15 children admitted to a hospital for surgical treatment is described. The method proved to be highly effective for evaluating the condition of the spine and spinal medulla and for establishment of early diagnosis of the attendant neurotrophic changes in healthy vertebrae. The examination findings serve to determine the volume of surgical intervention, character of postoperative restorative management and allow the prognosis of treatment outcome. In this respect, magnetic++-resonance tomography is a valuable supplementary diagnostic method."}
{"id": "PMID:1488434", "title": "[Hemostatic changes in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis in the postoperative period in relation to the volume of surgical blood loss].", "content": "Hemocoagulation changes were studied in 71 pulmonary tuberculosis patients in the postoperative period. Red blood parameters and graphic coagulogram were determined. A moderate hypercoagulation syndrome was found in patients with operative blood loss of 500 g in the early and immediate postoperative period. With a rise in the operative blood loss volume and hemodilution degree changes appeared indicating a tendency to hypocoagulation shifts. In patients having moderate blood loss (501-1500 g) the hypocoagulation syndrome was associated with dilution coagulopathy. In larger blood loss (over 1500 g) the hypocoagulation syndrome was aggravated both by hemodilution coagulopathy and the expenditure of blood coagulation factors with the increase in fibrinolytic blood activity. These cases require therapy aimed at the prevention and management of arising hemocoagulation disorders."}
{"id": "PMID:1488435", "title": "[Central and peripheral hemodynamics in patients with tuberculous spondylitis and spinal cord disorders].", "content": "The results of study of central and peripheral hemodynamics in 79 tuberculosis spondylitis patients are presented. The rate and degree of central and peripheral hemodynamic disorders were dependent on the presence and severity of cerebrospinal disturbances. It is recommended that the body's integral rheography, rheovasography and thermovision be used as a diagnostic means for early detection of cardiovascular disorders as well as the determination of their manifestation degree and control of treatment effectiveness."}
{"id": "PMID:1488436", "title": "[Stage-by-stage pneumonectomy in pleural empyema].", "content": "Staged pneumonectomy tactics in complication of the main lung affection by pleural empyema was described. Surgery was based on an open treatment of empyema cavity before and after the principal surgical stage--pneumonectomy, which was completed by closed treatment using the method of early pleural cavity filling with curative solutions. Use of staged surgical treatment tactics makes it possible to prevent serious postoperative complications such as empyema recurrence and bronchial fistulas. Full clinical effect was achieved in 11 of the 56 operations of staged pneumonectomy in the presence of empyema."}
{"id": "PMID:1488437", "title": "[Atelectasis after segmental resection of the lungs in patients with tuberculosis].", "content": "Study of 219 tuberculosis patients who underwent segmental resections showed that the rate of atelectasis development constituted 16.4%. In the right-sided operations atelectases developed 3 times more frequently than those in the left-sided ones (27.5 and 7.5%, respectively) and were mainly segmental (atelectasis of the anterior segment after excision of the ++apico-posterior segment), while in the left-sided intervention they were total in the majority of patients. The character of atelectasis in the right- and left-sided operations was determined by specific features of bronchial structure of the right and left lungs. As a result of therapeutic measures all total atelectases were relieved within 3-5 days, while segmental atelectases persisted for a long time; in 6 patients they still remained by the time of discharge."}
{"id": "PMID:1488439", "title": "[Medico-social aspects of epidemiology of tuberculosis in the Extreme North].", "content": "Tuberculosis is still of top priority in health care of the not numerous peoples of the Extreme North and will preserve its importance as a prevalent infection for the nearest ten years. All aborigines must be included in high-risk groups of tuberculosis and the system of its control should be based on a state status, which supposes the immediate solution of socio-economic and medico-biological problems. It is advisable to organize the interdepartmental committee for tuberculosis at the Association of northern peoples and envisage additional assignments, including foreign currency, to be spent on research work, fluorographic++ technology, diagnostic means and equipment and medicaments. Under conditions of a new economic mechanism and market economy assignments aimed at anti-tuberculosis aid should include donations brought by the leading industrial branches; separate enterprises and state structures."}
{"id": "PMID:1488441", "title": "[Determining dehydrogenase activity as a method of accelerated indication of the viability of Mycobacterium tuberculosis].", "content": "A comparative effectiveness of mycobacterial dehydrogenase activity (DHA) determination was studied with the help of the following stains: methylene blue, malachite green and tetrazole derivative--triphenyl tetrazole chloride (TTC). Best result were obtained with TTC tests which allowed a reliable registration of M. tuberculosis culture viability. On the basis of indication of M. tuberculosis viability by DHA, accelerated techniques were developed to determine mycobacterial drug resistance to the main antituberculous preparations and blood bacteriostatic activity. These techniques are available for practical laboratories, economical and safe in work."}
{"id": "PMID:1488442", "title": "[Status of the peroxidation-anti-oxidation system in patients with sarcoidosis of the respiratory organs].", "content": "Parameters of lipid peroxidation (LPO) and of the antioxidant system (AOS) were analysed according to the level of diene conjugates (DC) and blood serum antiradical activity (ARA), respectively. Study included 115 patients with active respiratory sarcoidosis. The DC level was found to be significantly increased in 89-97% ot the examined patients. At the same time, the ARA changes had a differently directed pattern. The DC/ARA coefficient was estimated which was also increased in most patients providing evidence on the peroxide-antioxidant system imbalance in active sarcoidosis patients. It was found that the parameters were dependent on the process duration. They were studied in dynamics against the background of combined therapy in 2-4-6 months and in the remote periods (1-2 years). Dynamic changes in the biochemical parameters had the unidirectional pattern with manifestation of the clinical and X-ray process dynamics. There was a significant difference in the rate and degree of changes in the LPO-AOS parameters depending on the activity degree of sarcoidosis process and treatment effectiveness. It is believed that the antioxidant therapy is necessary in all sarcoidosis forms at the early stages of treatment and that its duration should be no less than 4 months in the acute process while the protracted course requires a longer period of time."}
{"id": "PMID:1488443", "title": "[Characteristics of immunity in patients with destructive pulmonary tuberculosis].", "content": "Parameters of systemic immunity, activity of cation proteins of neutrophilic granulocytes and individual blood serum proteins were studied in two groups of patients: with newly diagnosed (83) and chronic destructive pulmonary tuberculosis (105). Four levels of T-lymphocytes were established per their absolute content in 1 ul of the peripheral blood, which had different interconnection with cell response intensity to mitogenic PHA stimulation and the values of the lysosomal cation++ test in both groups of patients. Indications for the prescription of immune active preparations based upon the T-cell level and, when necessary, supplemented by information related to the values of BTR with PHA and BTR with PPD were developed for both groups of patients independently of hereditary consolidated serum proteins."}
{"id": "PMID:1488444", "title": "[Immunologic status of patients with pulmonary tuberculosis and pneumonia].", "content": "A combined immunologic examination included 67 patients with concurrent lung pathology (tuberculosis with pneumonia), 64 with tuberculosis and 71 with pneumonia. The relation of the immune status to the pattern of the process was demonstrated proceeding from the findings. Pneumonia in the abatement phase had no influence on the immunologic parameters of a tuberculosis patient. Acute pneumonia combined with tuberculosis was marked by suppressed T-lymphocyte functional and specific activity, increased counts of T-suppressors and the presence of antituberculous antibodies. It was found that the newly developed diagnostic tables can be used effectively for differentiating the combined pathology from the uncomplicated tuberculosis and pneumonia."}
{"id": "PMID:1488445", "title": "[Effect of plasmapheresis on the course of experimental tuberculosis and the tolerance of chemotherapy by patients with renal tuberculosis].", "content": "A plasmapheresis (PA) model was developed to be used in chronic rabbit experiments. Test results obtained in 96 generalized tuberculosis animals demonstrated a more benign tuberculosis process in animals subjected to plasmapheresis, which was confirmed by parameters of the coefficients of mass and indices of animals' organ affecting, findings of the cation-lysosomal test and peptide molecules content in the peripheral blood. Rabbit studies involving registration of bromsulphalein half-life, hepatic blood flow and relative parenchymatous clearing showed that the isoniazide and rifampicin action significantly decreased under the PA influence. Studies in a hospital accommodating 90 patients with different renal tuberculosis forms and poor tuberculostatic tolerance showed that PA promoted restoration of tolerance to specific preparations and renal function improvement. PA was found to be practicable and safe method which relieves side effects of antituberculous preparations and contributes to tuberculosis treatment efficiency."}
{"id": "PMID:1488448", "title": "[Characteristics of prevention of tuberculosis in the conditions of low prevalence of tuberculous infection].", "content": "Immunologic screening was used for examining children of five St. Petersburg regions (4155 subjects) and workers of two industrial enterprises (7700 subjects). Tuberculosis infection level in children living together with subjects of groups I, II, Va, Vb and VII dispensary record and tuberculin sensitivity in adults were determined. New risk groups of tuberculosis development have been suggested which include children from the families of subjects with residual changes of past respiratory tuberculosis with a high risk of its reactivation and adults having hyperergic tuberculin sensitivity. BCG revaccination postponement in adults aged 27-30 years is valid in conditions of low tuberculosis prevalence."}
{"id": "PMID:1488450", "title": "[Optimal methods for the detection of tuberculosis in not easily accessible regions of the Extreme North by bacteriological screening].", "content": "The results of bacteriological study of 2210 residents of the Extreme North are presented. The author's complex many factorial system of bacteriological screening is discussed, whose use will enable one to raise the detection parameter of bacilli excretors up to 2.93% in the preliminary detected population groups."}
{"id": "PMID:1488451", "title": "[Biotransformation of aza-3-chalcol in the rat: isolation and structural analysis of seven metabolites].", "content": "The azachalcol 3-phenyl-1-(3-pyridinyl)prop-2-en-1-ol S-1 has been used to investigate the metabolic profile in rat. Seven metabolites and the unchanged substance were isolated from urine. The biotransformation products were extracted and purified by chromatography (LC, CTLC, HPLC) and identified by comparison with some synthetic reference compounds or by spectroscopic analysis (UV, IR, 1H, 13C NMR and MS). A scheme of potential metabolic pathway is proposed. It appears that three specific targets of the parent molecule are extensively oxidized. Thus the aromatic heterocycle yields three N-oxides (M-4, M-5, M-7). The deshydrogenation of the secondary alcoholic group to the ketone is also observed (M-2). Finally, the ethylenic double bond is a favored site for hydroxylation (M-7, M-8) as well as reduction (M-3, M-4, M-6)."}
{"id": "PMID:1488452", "title": "In vitro and in vivo evaluation of macrofilaricidal activity of GABA and 1,3-dipalmitoyl-2-(4-aminobutyryl)glycerol HCl: a diglyceride prodrug.", "content": "A new therapeutic target has been identified from the filaria Molinema dessetae: the gabaergic system. gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) itself showed antifilarial effect in vitro and a macrofilaricidal action in vivo at high dose by intraperitoneal route (10(-2) M). Nevertheless, no action was observed by oral route. The study we report here consists to obtain an antifilarial effect by oral route using a diglyceride prodrug. Such a strategy is based on the triglycerides metabolism. A diglyceride prodrug of gamma-aminobutyric acid has been synthesized and its filaricidal activity compared with that of GABA, in vitro on adults of Molinema dessetae and in vivo on Molinema dessetae infected Proechimys oris. In vitro, GABA at 2.5 x 10(-3) M induced a temporary paralysis and the ester drug at the same concentration was fully active on adults. In vivo, no significant activity was observed by oral administration of a daily dose of GABA (10(-2) M). A five day course of GABA at 10(-2) M via the intraperitoneal route induced a significant reduction of male and female worms. We did not find any activity of the prodrug in vivo, either by the oral route (10(-2) M) or after an intraperitoneal administration (10(-3) M). The interest of GABA and GABA derivatives as potential filaricidal drugs was discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1488453", "title": "Sulphydryl-containing agents: a new approach to the problem of refractory peptic ulceration.", "content": "Refractory peptic ulceration is the term applied to those gastric and duodenal ulcers which remain unhealed despite active treatment for at least 3 months. Sulphydryl-containing agents stimulate the formation of gastrointestinal mucus, bind the oxygen-derived free radicals that mediate tissue damage and play an important role in protein synthesis. This is the first report which suggests that these agents stimulate the healing of refractory gastric and duodenal ulceration without any adverse events."}
{"id": "PMID:1488454", "title": "Pharmacodynamics and kinetics of loss of tolerance and physical dependence on morphine induced by pellet implantation in the rat.", "content": "The decay characteristics of tolerance and physical dependence on morphine induced by a pellet implantation procedure were determined in male Sprague-Dawley rats. Rats were implanted subcutaneously with 6 morphine pellets during a 7-day period. The pellets were removed, and at various times thereafter tolerance to the analgesic and hyperthermic effects of morphine was measured by determining the response in rats implanted with morphine and placebo pellets. Similarly, the physical dependence was assessed by monitoring withdrawal signs following an injection of naloxone. A high degree of tolerance developed to the analgesic and hyperthermic effects of morphine. Similarly, a high degree of physical dependence also developed as evidenced by a high incidence of jumping response, teeth chattering and production of fecal boli induced by injections of naloxone. In addition, loss of body weight and body temperature also occurred. The analgesic and hyperthermic response to morphine recovered very gradually. There was no significant difference in the analgesic and hyperthermic responses to morphine on day 4 after the pellet removal in rats implanted with morphine and placebo pellets. The decay of tolerance was linear with time for the analgesic effect (r = 0.98) and for the hyperthermic effect (r = 0.93). The change in symptoms of physical dependence on morphine with time depended on the specific symptom monitored. The average number of jumps and teeth chattering decreased with time in a linear fashion with r values of 0.98 and 0.99, respectively. However, the number of fecal boli and wet dog shakes increased linearly with time (r = 0.97). The recovery of loss of body weight was also linear with time. Thus, it is clear that fecal boli and wet dog shakes, which increase in number as the dependence decays, are signs of a low degree of dependence. The results suggest that different central or peripheral mechanisms may be operating in different withdrawal symptoms. These studies may prove to be useful when studying the mechanisms involved in the induction and reversibility of tolerance and dependence processes, and in long-term effects of opiates at a time when the tolerance and physical dependence is no longer evident."}
{"id": "PMID:1488455", "title": "Effects of nonsteroidal antiestrogens in the in vitro rat uterus.", "content": "We have studied the effect of nonsteroidal antiestrogens on rat uterine contractions induced by oxytocin (8 nmol/l), methacholine (10 mumol/l), prostaglandin F2 alpha (1 mumol/l), KCl (60 mmol/l) and CaCl2 (6 mmol/l). In a concentration-dependent way, the antiestrogens tamoxifen, clomiphene, nafoxidine and ethamoxytriphetol inhibited the amplitude and frequency of the oxytocin-induced contractions and the contraction produced by CaCl2. At a concentration of 30 mumol/l the four drugs inhibited the contractions induced by methacholine and prostaglandin F2 alpha. They also relaxed the tonic contraction to KCl in a concentration-dependent way. This action was partially counteracted by CaCl2 (0.1-10 mmol/l). Bay k 8644 (0.3 nmol/l to 3 mumol/l) only partially reversed the inhibition by ethamoxytriphetol (0.1 mmol/l) of CaCl2 (6 mmol/l)-induced contractions. The steroidal antiestrogen, ICI 164,384, which lacks agonist activity, had an inhibitory effect (44 +/- 4%, n = 7) on KCl-induced contractions only at a concentration of 0.1 mmol/l. However, the quaternary analogue of tamoxifen (tamoxifen ethyl bromide) produced 86 +/- 3% relaxation of the KCl-induced contracture (IC50 1.52 +/- 0.1 mumol/l, n = 10) and this effect was counteracted by addition of CaCl2. Taken together the results indicate that the inhibitory effects of nonsteroidal antiestrogens on rat uterine contractions could be mediated by an action to block Ca2+ entry through an agonist action on extracellular estrogen receptors."}
{"id": "PMID:1488456", "title": "Articulatory phonology: an overview.", "content": "An overview of the basic ideas of articulatory phonology is presented, along with selected examples of phonological patterning for which the approach seems to provide a particularly insightful account. In articulatory phonology, the basic units of phonological contrast are gestures, which are also abstract characterizations of articulatory events, each with an intrinsic time or duration. Utterances are modeled as organized patterns (constellations) of gestures, in which gestural units may overlap in time. The phonological structures defined in this way provide a set of articulatorily based natural classes. Moreover, the patterns of overlapping organization can be used to specify important aspects of the phonological structure of particular languages, and to account, in a coherent and general way, for a variety of different types of phonological variation. Such variation includes allophonic variation and fluent speech alternations, as well as 'coarticulation' and speech errors. Finally, it is suggested that the gestural approach clarifies our understanding of phonological development, by positing that prelinguistic units of action are harnessed into (gestural) phonological structures through differentiation and coordination."}
{"id": "PMID:1488457", "title": "Mobile community treatment in inner city and suburban Sydney.", "content": "Intensive and assertive community based treatment was provided to 27 inner city and 45 suburban severely and chronically mentally ill patients in Sydney. The teams use assertive outreach methods to address the needs of these most difficult to treat patients who have only sporadically complied with outpatient treatment and who frequently required hospitalisation. The staff-patient ratio at 1:10 on both teams is much higher than in the conventional mental health centres. Preliminary outcomes indicate that the number of hospital bed days of the suburban patients dropped by 67%, that stability in accommodation for inner city patients increased, and that functioning improved significantly for patients treated by both teams."}
{"id": "PMID:1488458", "title": "Adult lifetime prevalence of firesetting behaviors in a state hospital population.", "content": "Hospital records of all patients under age 65 years old on the census of Worcester State Hospital (WSH) on October 25, 1988 (n = 279) were reviewed for indications of firesetting behaviors during the individuals' adult lifetime. The prevalence of firesetting behaviors was found to be 27.2%. The prevalence of firesetting episodes, a subset of firesetting behaviors, was found to be 17.6%. A stepwise discriminant function analysis was used to determine whether any factors significantly differentiated the members of the firesetting behavior group from the remainder of the population. This analysis revealed that the number of WSH admissions, the number of admissions to other inpatient facilities, and a history of injurious behavior to self are significant positive predictors of membership in the firesetting behaviors group. The results of the WSH analysis are very similar to those found at Northampton State Hospital in 1983. These high prevalence rates have implication for treatment, education, record keeping, and liability."}
{"id": "PMID:1488459", "title": "Who repeats? A follow-up study of state hospital patients' firesetting behavior.", "content": "The authors report on a population of psychiatric patients who were studied over a 6.75 year period to determine the occurrences of firesetting behavior noted in their psychiatric inpatient records. Two groups of 50 patients each were drawn from an earlier study and were matched by sex, age, and diagnoses. One group of patients had prior firesetting behavior; the other did not. Firesetting behavior was found not only in patients originally identified as having previously engaged in this behavior, but also in those with no documented history of this act prior to the period of the study. Patients having firesetting behavior in their past psychiatric record set more actual fires. Total number of episodes of firesetting behavior, however, was not significantly different between the two groups. Results are discussed in terms of the communicative function of firesetting and the dilemma of clinical prediction."}
{"id": "PMID:1488460", "title": "Family management of schizophrenia: a comparison of behavioral and supportive family treatment.", "content": "This paper reports a comparison of behavioral and supportive family treatment for family management of schizophrenia. The family project applied two psycho-educational approaches to a highly \"treatment resistant\" population of young adults afflicted with chronic mental illness. The study compares and contrasts the effects of behavioral and supportive family management programs on clinical outcomes. Clinical improvements were associated with both family interventions. Discussion is provided on the relevance of this work to the growing body of evidence concerning the efficacy of psychoeducational family intervention for the management of schizophrenia."}
{"id": "PMID:1488461", "title": "HIV prevention among psychiatric inpatients: a pilot risk reduction study.", "content": "An HIV prevention program was piloted on an acute inpatient admission ward. Patients who volunteered to participate had significantly higher rates of histories of substance use than non-participants, suggesting that patients participated based on rational concerns about past HIV risk behavior. The program consisted of 75 minute sessions once a week for seven weeks and was co-led by an HIV counselor and the ward's social worker. Each session focused on a specific topic and included a short presentation of informational material, viewing of an educational videotape, a discussion, and role play and other educational games. In spite of a wide range in functioning among the participants, discussion was lively and participation was good. The pilot program demonstrates that chronic mentally ill patients can engage in, and benefit from, risk reduction programs and that frank and explicit discussion of sexual issues is well tolerated. Recommendations for improvement in the program are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1488462", "title": "Long-term hospital treatment: a 25-year study.", "content": "Findings from a 25-year study of admissions to a single long-term private psychiatric inpatient facility document a sharp decline in average age and an increase in concurrent diagnoses of substance abuse and personality disorders. In this case, long-term private inpatient care has survived the significant changes in mental health policy and funding practices of the past quarter century, but has shifted its focus from a more general psychiatric caseload to the seriously disturbed adolescent or young adult patient. There are numerous factors which determine every aspect of hospital treatment. Though some are easily determined, many are dimly defined and difficult to measure. At present, their effect on patient progress is obscure. These factors, discussed in some detail, may be internal and peculiar to an institution itself. A dialogue is initiated for the insight it furnishes about the changes that have occurred in hospital treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1488463", "title": "The insanity verdict, the psychopath, and post-acquittal confinement.", "content": "Automatic post-acquittal confinement, an almost inevitable concomitant of a verdict of not guilty or not responsible by reason of insanity has for many acquittees been nothing more than punishment in disguise. Replacement of the insanity defense by statutes that provide for expert witness testimony to show that the defendant lacked the state of mind required as an element of the offense charged, has been found by two state supreme courts to be in accord with constitutional requirements. Procedures can be implemented, with due regard for public safety, so that all offenders, mentally disordered or otherwise, may be dealt with in an ethical, effective and humane manner. The 1992 decision of the Supreme Court of the United States in the case of Foucha v. Louisiana, holding that the Constitution does not permit the continued confinement of a still dangerous, but no longer mentally ill, insanity acquittee, makes it all the more necessary that the insanity defense be abolished and that an offender's mental illness be considered primarily in the context of mitigation, disposition and sentencing, rather than exculpation."}
{"id": "PMID:1488464", "title": "The hypomanic personality of Wilkins Micawber: a Dickensian case study.", "content": "The concept of hypomanic personality has historically been viewed with ambivalence. However, by replacing cyclothymic personality with cyclothymic disorder, DSM III doomed this entity into oblivion. The author examines the Dickensian portrayal of Mr. Micawber in light of existing descriptions of hypomanic personality in order to justify its inclusion in future psychiatric classifications."}
{"id": "PMID:1488465", "title": "Assessment of therapeutic relationship of community-agency workers.", "content": "This article reports on the ratings of the personal and professional characteristics of community-based workers for children and adolescents who had recently been released from a psychiatric inpatient service. The child/adolescent's family members/caregivers and the community workers both responded to the same items of a questionnaire. Families/caregivers rated the community workers with whom they were the most and the least satisfied. Community workers rated themselves in relation to these study children and/or their families. Findings indicate that both family members/caregivers and the community workers themselves saw community workers performing relatively well in the areas of providing information and offering support to families. Likewise, both assessed the service providers as having the greatest deficits in the area of teaching skills for child/adolescent home management. Suggestions for meeting the needs of the families and for ensuring that a system of care for child/adolescents is child-centered and family-focused are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1488466", "title": "The development of de-institutionalization in Europe.", "content": "In this article movements from institutional to community care for psychiatric patients in various European countries are discussed. Programs considering the welfare of afflicted persons, diminution of psychopathology and improvements of functioning, as well as the costs of deinstitutionalization are reviewed. The review first deals with the prevention of admissions prior to referral to inpatient facilities, looking at the role of general practitioners and ambulatory services in preventing admissions. Secondly, alternatives for hospital care are considered. Thirdly, consideration is given to the possibilities of shortening the time patients stay in hospitals. Next, experiences in discharging long stay patients to alternatives for continued care in psychiatric hospitals are reported. Finally, the advantages are shown of integrating all regional mental health services under one administration. Selected national policies are described as well as the success of present programs are discussed. With few exceptions only European studies are reported."}
{"id": "PMID:1488467", "title": "The closing of a state hospital: what is the quality of patients' lives one year post-release?", "content": "The closing of a state psychiatric facility afforded an opportunity to assess the quality of life of a cohort of patients who were released. Patients were interviewed a month after release and again a year later. Patients spent about half their time in mental health programs, but few were engaged in community activities or in employment. Cohort members mainly turned to mental health workers and case managers for support and problem resolution, as they had limited supports to turn to otherwise. Patients desired assistance in such areas as money management. In a number of areas of daily living, cohort members desired assistance a year after discharge, more so than upon release. Despite this, a year after release patients appeared to be quite positive toward themselves and their quality of life."}
{"id": "PMID:1488468", "title": "Quantitative electroencephalographic effects of caffeine in panic disorder.", "content": "It has been demonstrated that patients with panic disorder are more sensitive than normal control subjects to the anxiogenic effects of caffeine. The underlying physiologic basis for this difference is unclear. We examined the electroencephalographic (EEG) activity of seven patients with panic disorder and seven normal control subjects during the randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled administration of oral caffeine (7 mg/kg). EEG data were collected on-line from 28 electrodes; artifact-free epochs were selected manually for off-line Fourier transformation. Caffeine was associated with a significant increase in peak occipital alpha frequency and significant decreases in occipital alpha amplitude, central beta amplitude, and central theta amplitude. Despite the observation that caffeine increased anxiety more in the patients with panic disorder than in the normal control subjects, the two groups did not differ in their EEG responses to caffeine."}
{"id": "PMID:1488469", "title": "Increased right caudate nucleus size in obsessive-compulsive disorder: detection with magnetic resonance imaging.", "content": "Magnetic resonance images were used to measure the volume of the head of the caudate nucleus in 20 patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder and 16 normal control subjects. The obsessive-compulsive patients showed a significant increase in the volume of the right side of the head of the caudate nucleus compared with that of control subjects. This finding was not correlated with demographic, psychopathological, or clinical characteristics."}
{"id": "PMID:1488470", "title": "MRI in psychiatry: 731 cases.", "content": "The frequency of brain pathology found in the 731 patients who underwent MRI scans in the present study was higher than expected on the basis of reports in the literature (Owens et al., 1980). This underlines the value of a simple MRI examination as an effective diagnostic complement in the investigation of patients with psychiatric symptoms that may have an underlying organic basis."}
{"id": "PMID:1488471", "title": "Artifact processing in topographic mapping of electroencephalographic activity in neuropsychopharmacology.", "content": "Mapping of the electroencephalogram (EEG) has been found to be a valuable method in clinical neuropsychopharmacology. It is evident that careful treatment of artifacts is of utmost importance for EEG data processing, as artifacts that contaminate the EEG data can lead to spurious results. The artifact-processing method described in this article splits signal analysis into a preprocessing step, yielding individual electro-oculographic (EOG) regression factors for EOG minimization, and into a processing step, yielding target variables. The combination of avoiding, minimizing, and identifying artifacts, as well as visual checking of face validity, will help remove artifactual effects from the EEG."}
{"id": "PMID:1488472", "title": "Noise, noise sensitivity and psychiatric disorder: epidemiological and psychophysiological studies.", "content": "Noise, a prototypical environmental stressor, has clear health effects in causing hearing loss but other health effects are less evident. Noise exposure may lead to minor emotional symptoms but the evidence of elevated levels of aircraft noise leading to psychiatric hospital admissions and psychiatric disorder in the community is contradictory. Despite this there are well documented associations between noise exposure and changes in performance, sleep disturbance and emotional reactions such as annoyance. Moreover, annoyance is associated with both environmental noise level and psychological and physical symptoms, psychiatric disorder and use of health services. It seems likely that existing psychiatric disorder contributes to high levels of annoyance. However, there is also the possibility that tendency to annoyance may be a risk factor for psychiatric morbidity. Although noise level explains a significant proportion of the variance in annoyance, the other major factor, confirmed in many studies, is subjective sensitivity to noise. Noise sensitivity is also related to psychiatric disorder. The evidence for noise sensitivity being a risk factor for psychiatric disorder would be greater if it were a stable personality characteristic, and preceded psychiatric morbidity. The stability of noise sensitivity and whether it is merely secondary to psychiatric disorder or is a risk factor for psychiatric disorder as well as annoyance is examined in two studies in this monograph: a six-year follow-up of a group of highly noise sensitive and low noise sensitive women; and a longitudinal study of depressed patients and matched control subjects examining changes in noise sensitivity with recovery from depression. A further dimension of noise effects concerns the impact of noise on the autonomic nervous system. Most physiological responses to noise habituate rapidly but in some people physiological responses persist. It is not clear whether this sub-sample is also subjectively sensitive to noise and whether failure to habituate to environmental noise may also represent a biological indicator of vulnerability to psychiatric disorder. In these studies noise sensitivity was found to be moderately stable and associated with current psychiatric disorder and a disposition to negative affectivity. Noise sensitivity levels did fall with recovery from depression but still remained high, suggesting an underlying high level of noise sensitivity. Noise sensitivity was related to higher tonic skin conductance and heart rate and greater defence/startle responses during noise exposure in the laboratory. Noise sensitive people attend more to noises, discriminate more between noises, find noises more threatening and out of their control, and react to, and adapt to noises more slowly than less noise sensitive people.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1488473", "title": "Dimensions of neurosis.", "content": "Factor analyses of the General Health Questionnaire have attempted to interpret the factors as measuring anxiety, depression and social functioning. Data from two large community surveys were used to conduct an unrotated principal components analysis of the 30-item General Health Questionnaire. A general factor, indicating overall severity of psychiatric disorder, accounted for around 30% of the variance. The next most important factor, accounting for about 8% of the variance, was bipolar with the positive ('less than usual') items of the General Health Questionnaire having positive coefficients and the negative ('more than usual') items having negative coefficients. It is suggested that the concepts of positive and negative mental health derive empirical support from the results and may prove to be a useful classification of dimensions of mental health in the community."}
{"id": "PMID:1488474", "title": "Social networks and support in long-term psychiatric patients.", "content": "This paper describes quantitative and qualitative aspects of social support in a sample of 40 long-term schizophrenic day patients attending a rehabilitation unit. The influence of symptomatology and experience of life stressors on network and support characteristics was also investigated. The primary networks of these patients were found to be small, comprising on average 7 members, of whom only 3 were seen regularly. Despite this, subjects rated their perceived support as adequate. The secondary networks were of the order of 32. It emerged that greater prevalence of negative symptoms was significantly associated with lower ideal levels of support and this group of patients was significantly less likely to seek support in the event of a life stressor. This may be a protective mechanism to insulate the person from the effects of stressful relationships but at the same time means that they are isolated from potential supports. The clinical implications are discussed in terms of offering optimum support for this marginalized group."}
{"id": "PMID:1488475", "title": "Can we measure need in the homeless mentally ill? Using the MRC Needs for Care Assessment in hostels for the homeless.", "content": "Hostels for the homeless contain many who are disabled by chronic mental illness but have little access to rehabilitation services. One approach to solving this problem might be to measure the needs of hostel residents in a standardized way and use this information as a basis for planning interventions. This study attempted to use the MRC Needs for Care Assessment Schedule to measure the needs of 46 mentally ill residents of Oxford hostels. It aimed to determine if a standardized assessment could be used in these difficult settings and if the needs it identified could form a useful basis for planning future interventions. Although it was possible to use the schedule, and although the pattern of need identified appeared broadly to reflect conditions in the hostels, it was not felt that the information produced was of sufficient quality to assist in planning services. The authors postulate that underlying this deficiency is the failure of the schedule to take sufficient account of the views of staff and residents."}
{"id": "PMID:1488476", "title": "A longitudinal psychopathological schedule.", "content": "A schedule is described for rating the symptoms of mental illness over a period of time which includes several episodes. The reliability was measured in a study involving six raters. The sources of information required were studied, in 20 patients, by comparing an interview with the patient, a similar interview with an informant and an analysis of the case records. A synopsis of interview and record data are necessary to obtain adequate information about longitudinal psychopathology and 'lifetime' diagnosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1488477", "title": "Depression and reduced natural killer cytotoxicity: a longitudinal study of depressed patients and control subjects.", "content": "Cross-sectional studies have demonstrated that natural killer (NK) cell activity is reduced in depression. To extend these observations and examine further the association between severity of depressive symptoms and values of NK activity, this study used a longitudinal case-control design and assessed NK cytotoxicity at intake and at follow-up 6 months after discharge from the hospital in depressed patients and control subjects. From acute hospitalization to follow-up, depression scores significantly (P < 0.01) decreased following treatment in the depressed patients but did not change in the control subjects. NK activity significantly (P < 0.05) increased from intake to follow-up in the depressives while lytic activity did not change in the controls. At intake NK activity was significantly (P < 0.01) reduced in the depressed patients as compared to values in the controls, while at follow-up cytotoxicity was similar between the two groups. These longitudinal data suggest that a reduction of NK cytotoxicity is temporally associated with the state of acute depression."}
{"id": "PMID:1488478", "title": "Neopterin measurement provides evidence of altered cell-mediated immunity in patients with depression, but not with schizophrenia.", "content": "Neopterin is a validated marker of the activation of cell-mediated immunity in a variety of disease states. We measured neopterin and creatinine concentrations in the plasma and urine of 22 schizophrenic and 26 depressed patients admitted acutely to hospital, and compared results with those in a large group of normal controls. Neopterin/creatinine ratios were normal in the schizophrenic patients, but significantly elevated in the plasma of depressed patients. In each diagnostic group, the use of psychotropic drugs before admission had no effect on the neopterin ratios observed. Our findings indicate altered cell-mediated immunity in depression."}
{"id": "PMID:1488479", "title": "Growth hormone response to clonidine in male patients with panic disorder untreated by antidepressants.", "content": "We report a non-significantly higher growth hormone (GH) response to intravenous clonidine administration (150 micrograms) in 10 male patients with panic disorder who had never received antidepressant therapy than in 10 matched controls. These results are consistent with data suggesting a normal or increased adrenergic receptor sensitivity in panic disorder patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1488483", "title": "A bulimic ruminator? The case of Dr Samuel Johnson.", "content": "Utilizing a wide range of eighteenth- and nineteenth-century biographical sources, the eating pathology of Dr Samuel Johnson is illustrated and examined. His presenting symptoms are considered in the light of modern criteria for eating disorders and current research on bulimia nervosa and rumination disorder."}
{"id": "PMID:1488484", "title": "Pterin metabolism in depression: an extension of the amine hypothesis and possible marker of response to ECT.", "content": "Urinary excretion of neopterins and biopterins was measured in 23 patients with severe depression before and after receiving electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) and 26 healthy control subjects. Patients with psychotic depression and those responding to ECT had neopterin:biopterin (N:B) ratio significantly higher than controls before commencing ECT and positive therapeutic response was associated with reduction of N:B ratio towards control values. As a raised N:B ratio implies failure to convert neopterin to biopterin it is possible that reduced availability of tetrahydrobiopterin, the essential cofactor for the formation of noradrenaline, serotonin and dopamine, may exert rate limiting control over the synthesis of monoamines implicated in the pathogenesis of depressive disorders. The N:B ratio may be a marker for certain depressive subtypes and response to ECT."}
{"id": "PMID:1488485", "title": "Clinical and neuropathological correlates of depression in Alzheimer's disease.", "content": "Depressive symptoms have been reported in patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease (AD). Recent evidence suggests that a noradrenergic deficit originating from neuronal degeneration in brainstem nuclei may represent an organic correlate of these disturbances. We examined the neuropathological changes in the locus coeruleus (LC), substantia nigra (SN), basal nucleus of Meynert and cortex of 52 patients (12 male, 40 female, mean age 83.2 +/- 6.4 years) with pathologically verified AD. Fourteen patients (1 male, 13 female) showed signs of depression. The majority of these patients suffered from severe physical disability or sensory impairment and developed persistent delusions, but had less cognitive impairment. Neuronal counts in the LC were significantly lower than in the 38 patients without depression (36.9 +/- 14.0; 51.4 +/- 28.0 neuromelanin-pigmented cells per section per nucleus; F = 3.4, df = 1, 50, P = 0.04). Neuron counts were higher in the basal nucleus of Meynert in depressed AD patients and there were no differences of the neuron numbers in the SN. Depression (main effect; F = 4.5, P = 0.04) contributed significantly to the variance of neuronal counts in the LC, even when covarying for gender, age of onset, cognitive impairment and cortical Alzheimer pathology. The observed disproportionate loss of noradrenergic and cholinergic neurons in the LC and basal nucleus of Meynert may represent an important organic substrate of depression in AD."}
{"id": "PMID:1488486", "title": "A cancellation test: its reliability in assessing attentional deficits in Alzheimer's disease.", "content": "The aim of the study is to provide (i) a standardized procedure for a Cancellation Test of Digits, designed to assess in the visual modality selective attention deficits in patients with Alzheimer's disease, and (ii) a detailed analysis of how patients cope with it. Age-, education-, and sex-adjusted normative scores earned by 352 healthy controls are set forth, as well as data yielded by the Digit Cancellation Test in 74 Alzheimer patients, in 26 patients with a CT-assessed frontal lobe lesion and in a group of 24 healthy subjects urged to perform the task with a shortened time-constraint. Findings include discriminant power of Alzheimer patients versus healthy controls, sensitivity to cognitive evolution of the dementing process and analysis of errors. Attention data failed to supply psychometric support for the posterior-to-anterior algorithm of progressive cortical encroachment of Alzheimer's disease suggested by PET-findings. Emphasis is put on methodological aspects of neuropsychological research on Alzheimer patients and on the analysis of processing components of the tests employed. Results are discussed in the light of the relationships between psychometric assessments and related functions, and underlying neuronal degeneration."}
{"id": "PMID:1488487", "title": "Estimating pre-morbid intellectual ability in the Alcoholic Korsakoff syndrome.", "content": "The National Adult Reading Test (NART) is widely used in clinical and research settings to estimate pre-morbid intellectual levels. The validity of the NART in estimating premorbid ability in Alcoholic Korsakoff Syndrome (AKS) is examined in the present study. Twenty AKS subjects were compared with 40 healthy controls. The validity of the NART as a pre-morbid measure in AKS was examined using four methods. AKS subjects made more NART errors than controls, had lower NART predicted IQ than demographically predicted IQ, made more NART errors than predicted by demographic variables and demonstrated NART performance which correlated with degree of memory impairment. It is concluded that NART performance is detrimentally affected by the AKS and that estimating pre-morbid intellectual level in Korsakoff's psychosis using the NART may be invalid. Furthermore, it is postulated that the impaired ability to pronounce correctly irregular words in AKS may reflect a failure in cognitive 'error checking' which may represent a consequence of frontal lobe dysfunction."}
{"id": "PMID:1488488", "title": "Sub-syndromes of tardive dyskinesia and some clinical correlates.", "content": "Syndromes of dyskinetic movements in subjects (N = 70) with chronic schizophrenia were investigated, using principal components analysis of AIMS ratings. Consonant with previous research, three discrete groupings were found, namely dyskinetic movements of lips-jaw-tongue, limb-truncal and facial movements. These were then related to demographic, psychological and movement disorder variables. The limb-truncal, but neither the lips-jaw-tongue nor facial movements components, were associated with negative symptoms and cognitive impairment."}
{"id": "PMID:1488489", "title": "A population survey of ischaemic heart disease and minor psychiatric disorder in men.", "content": "Associations between ischaemic heart disease and psychiatric morbidity in hospital recruited samples may be confounded by differential referral of patients with co-morbidity. Associations of angina, past history of myocardial infarction, blood pressure, and electrocardiographic evidence of ischaemia with psychiatric disorder can best be examined in community samples as reported here in 2204 middle-aged men from the Caerphilly Collaborative Study. There was a strong association between past history of myocardial infarction, non-specific chest pain, Angina Grade II and psychiatric disorder measured by the 30-item General Health Questionnaire. Electrocardiographic evidence of ischaemia alone was not significantly associated with psychiatric disorder. It is suggested that non-specific chest pain is a symptom of psychiatric disorder; conversely in severe angina psychiatric disorder is secondary to the pain, restricted activity and threat to life which angina implies."}
{"id": "PMID:1488490", "title": "Bulimia nervosa: a 5-year follow-up study.", "content": "Fifty patients with bulimia nervosa were followed up for a minimum length of 5 years. Standardized interviews, observer-rated instruments and self-rated questionnaires were employed both at entry and at completion of the follow-up period. After tracing, the positive response rate was 72%; one patient had died. At the time of follow-up 31% of those traced had made a complete recovery and 25% still fulfilled diagnostic criteria for bulimia nervosa. Judged on behavioural symptoms 47.2% of responders had a 'good' outcome. Good outcome was associated with fewer social problems, higher social class, and a significant improvement in eating attitudes at follow-up. All outcome groups reported a reduction of interference by symptoms in other areas of life, and an improvement in mood state. No factors, including those described in previous studies, were identified which predicted outcome."}
{"id": "PMID:1488491", "title": "A quantitative study of body-related attitudes in patients with anorexia and bulimia nervosa.", "content": "The Ben-Tovim Walker Body Attitudes Questionnaire (BAQ) is a psychometrically sound self-report instrument for assessing women's attitudes towards their own bodies. The BAQ responses of a large sample of patients with eating disorders (ED) diagnosed in accordance with DSM-III-R criteria were compared with those from a normative population and from diverse groups of psychiatrically and physically ill patients. The ED group was distinct, and showed extreme responses in the area of weight and shape concerns. But a better discrimination between the ED and other populations was achieved using subscales that related to 'body disparagement' (an intense loathing of the body) and 'attractiveness', rather than to weight and shape concerns. ED patients may have a more pervasive disturbance in body-related attitudes than is currently widely accepted. Patients with anorexia and bulimia nervosa showed very similar attitudes despite the symptomatic differences between the groups."}
{"id": "PMID:1488492", "title": "The outcome of childhood conduct disorder: implications for defining adult personality disorder and conduct disorder.", "content": "The effect of conduct disorder on adult social functioning in the areas of work, sexual/love relationships, social relationships and criminality was studied in a sample of young adults who spent much of their childhoods in group-cottage children's homes and an inner-city comparison group. Most subjects with conduct disorder had pervasive (but not necessarily severe) social difficulties compared to peers without conduct disorder. Less than half of this group met DSM-III adult criteria for antisocial personality disorder and just over half were given a diagnosis of personality disorder on interviewer clinical ratings. A latent class model that used both the retrospective and contemporaneous indicators of conduct disorder confirmed the very high continuity with adult social difficulties. Current diagnoses did not adequately describe this group and conduct disorder appeared to be an almost necessary condition for multiple social disability in adults in these samples."}
{"id": "PMID:1488493", "title": "The Gulf War and its impact on burnout and well-being of working civilians.", "content": "Burnout signifies the chronic depletion of coping resources following prolonged exposure to emotionally charged demands. It is manifested by symptoms of emotional, physical and cognitive exhaustion, and is usually studied in relation to occupational stressors. We hypothesized that the major life crisis engendered by missile attacks would give rise to burnout or exacerbate preexisting burnout symptoms. We also hypothesized that individuals suffering from prewar burnout would appraise the war as being more threatening and would be more vulnerable to upper respiratory infections (URI). Wartime and pre-war (baseline) levels of burnout and related symptomatology (cognitive weariness, listlessness, tension and somatic complaints) were compared among 162 Israeli civilians who carried on with their employment duties throughout the Gulf War. We found that the war impacted primarily on younger individuals (age < 45). All the pre-war levels of the above measures increased significantly (except for a marginal increase in tension). The impact of the war was mediated by threat appraisal, as indicated by worry and apprehension. Worry was positively associated with pre-war burnout, and negatively with age and education. Pre-war burnout was associated positively with wartime URIs. It was concluded that the war accelerated the depletion of coping resources and that burnout may be affected by factors other than occupational stress."}
{"id": "PMID:1488494", "title": "Mental health in the oil industry: a comparative study of onshore and offshore employees.", "content": "Few empirical studies have examined the mental health of workers on North Sea oil and gas installations, and it is unclear from the available literature whether offshore employees show impaired mental health relative to their onshore counterparts. The present study was intended to clarify this issue by direct comparison of the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) scores of onshore and offshore personnel engaged in similar work. As compared with published data, only the onshore group showed low GHQ-12 scores, although both groups were low in neuroticism. Analysis of GHQ subscale scores demonstrated that anxiety was significantly higher among offshore workers than among those working onshore, but there were no significant differences in somatic symptoms or social dysfunction. Regression analyses showed that this result was not affected by control for age, job level, and neuroticism, although there was a significant interaction between job level and neuroticism in predicting anxiety. The nature of the offshore environment, and the factors which may play a causal role in elevated anxiety among offshore workers, are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1488496", "title": "Body image disorders.", "content": "The concepts of disorders of body image are reviewed from three aspects: sociocultural, neurological and psychiatric disorders. Particular attention is paid to the construct of body dysmorphic disorder as defined in the DSM III-R and the separation of this from somatic delusional disorder. The recognition of associated psychopathology will frequently lead to successful treatment before too much time is spent on fruitless attempts at treatment of the presenting complaint."}
{"id": "PMID:1488497", "title": "Psychodermatology: an overview.", "content": "As the skin is an organ that has a primary function in tactile receptivity and reacts directly upon emotional stimuli, dermatological practice involves a psychosomatic dimension. It is, however, the high visibility of dermatoses and their easy accessibility which make the skin a direct target for behavioural problems. Furthermore, self-destructive tendencies and hypochondriacal features often express themselves through dermatological symptoms: dermatitis artefacta and skin hypochondriasis are among the specific psychocutaneous disorders discussed here. In view of the clinical interface between dermatology and psychiatry, general guidelines are formulated and specific aspects of psychotherapy, behavioural treatment and psychotropic drug treatment are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1488498", "title": "Psychosomatic disorders related to gynecology.", "content": "In this paper current issues on four psychosomatic disorders related to gynecology will be reviewed. The history, nosological problems and psychoneuroendocrine correlates of psychogenic amenorrhea have been summarized taking into account the important role of psychological factors in inducing loss of menses. Definition and diagnostic problems in assessing menstrually related disorders (formerly premenstrual syndrome) have been reviewed, looking at this syndrome as a disorder of adaptation to the cyclical changes of neuroendocrine functions. The impact of stress on fertility and, on the other hand, the effects of infertility on psychological well-being have been pointed out trying to ascertain the pathways involved in these mutual relationships. Finally, the issue of mood changes at menopause and the effects of steroid replacement on affective state have been discussed. As a whole, these evidences indicate the importance of a close cooperation between gynecologist and psychiatrist in the management of gynecological disorders."}
{"id": "PMID:1488499", "title": "Physical illnesses underlying psychiatric symptoms.", "content": "The authors reviewed 21 studies dealing with the rate of diagnosed and undiagnosed physical illnesses in the psychiatric patient population. These studies performed by different authors in variable clinical settings with diverse methodology in different locations over a period of 45 years yielded a close concordance. Approximately half of the patients (50.1%) suffered from significant physical illnesses, of these 58.2% were previously undiagnosed. A substantial portion of the physical illnesses (27.1%) produced symptoms showing direct relation to the psychopathology of the patient. These numbers are quite close to those found by authors in earlier research."}
{"id": "PMID:1488500", "title": "Compliance.", "content": "Compliance is an ancient topic subjected to intense recent scrutiny as a result of scientific and social changes which focus on lifestyle adjustment to chronic illness and emphasize increasing patient involvement in self-care. Difficulties in definition, measurement and research design as well as the complexity of the problems contribute to conflicting findings and a lack of consensus about determinants of compliance. Five conceptual models have been studied but only a few positive and negative factors have been consistently identified, perhaps because outcome is often influenced by subtle attitudes, beliefs and quality of life considerations. Management involves both education and a variety of interventions that range from simple single strategies to complex multimodal approaches in which the patient's role may vary from being a passive participant of professional supervision to complete autonomy and self-care."}
{"id": "PMID:1488501", "title": "Review of the use of pattern analysis to differentiate true drug and placebo responses.", "content": "Placebo response in patients assigned active drug is a troubling source of variance in antidepressant studies. This paper summarizes a series of studies utilizing pattern analysis to distinguish between placebo and true drug responses. Analysis of the persistence, speed, and timing of onset of patients' improvement during antidepressant therapy reveals distinct patterns of response which are likely to be attributable to placebo and true drug effects. While true drug effects seem to be characterized by a 2-week delay in onset followed by persistent improvement, placebo effects seem to be characterized by abrupt, transient improvement. Gradual responses on placebo may be due to spontaneous remission. The heuristic and clinical implications of pattern analysis are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1488502", "title": "Factor structure of a Spanish version of the Toronto Alexithymia Scale.", "content": "A Spanish adaptation of the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS) was factor-analyzed and its factor solution compared with the Canadian version of this test. A principal factor analysis was performed, revealing four factors of alexithymia. These factors are quite similar to those found through factor analysis of the TAS for the Canadian sample. A discussion of the factor structure is presented."}
{"id": "PMID:1488503", "title": "Denial and the discrepancy between heart rate and reported negative affect: a study of convergent and discriminant validity.", "content": "This study examined the convergent and divergent validity of heart-rate (HR)-based response discrepancy scores as measures of denial. After standardizing measures of stressor-related anxiety, hostility, and HR, response discrepancy scores were calculated by subtracting each measure of negative affect from the HR value. Analyses revealed the response discrepancy scores to correlate positively with measures of denial, negatively with a measure of trait anger, and to not correlate with measures of the nondefensive need for approval and the positive trait of curiosity. These findings support the construct validity of response discrepancy scores as markers of denial."}
{"id": "PMID:1488504", "title": "Measurement of psychological and heart rate reactivity to stress in the real world.", "content": "The purpose of the present investigation was to develop and test an innovative methodology to assess stress reactivity in the real world. A portable microcomputer was programmed to administer two questionnaires eight times per day for 3 days in the field. Heart rate was measured simultaneously using a reliable and valid ambulatory monitor (Sport Tester PE-3000). Data were analyzed in terms of stress versus no stress, based on subjects' perceptions of the 24 events. It was found that heart rate was significantly higher in the stress condition and that physical stressors contributed significantly to heart rate variability, as did cigarette smoking. Three emotional responses were evident when subjects were stressed: anxiety, hostility and depression; the former two emotions also contributed to heart rate variability. The heart rate data were compared to a number of other studies conducted in the field and found to be strikingly similar. It was concluded that the new technologies currently available allow for the measurement of stress reactivity in the field."}
{"id": "PMID:1488505", "title": "[Psychological and somatic factors in the disease course of Crohn disease].", "content": "Crohn's Disease is a severe chronic illness. It is only a little known about which factors determine its course. In this study we investigate 3 somatic (firstly diagnosed vs. repeated inflammation, Crohn's Disease Activity (CDAI), anatomic localization) and 6 psychic (coping-patterns) factors in relation to the duration of the acute inflammatory phase. The sample consists of 90 patients from internistic clinical departments. Under a nomothetic perspective we apply a survival analysis and supplement this by a comparison of two single cases. The results support the thesis, that the course of Crohn's Disease is multifactorially determined. The somatic as well as the psychic (coping) factors allow an at least modest prediction. But there is a marked tendency that an \"active-problemorientated\", a \"not-trivializing\" coping and a well established compliance are the more promising predictors."}
{"id": "PMID:1488506", "title": "[Psychological and psychotherapeutic aspects of grief].", "content": "Psychological theories on the significance and the process of mourning are discussed, and an approach to the psychotherapy of pathological grief is described. Bereavement behaviour refers to the total response pattern, psychological and physiological, displayed by an individual following the loss of a significant object, usually a loved person. Various theories on the nature and course of bereavement are reviewed. The following psychological aspects associated with bereavement are discussed in more detail: Shock, denial, searching, depression, guilt, aggression, anxiety, jealousy and reintegration. Specific conditions that might lead to pathological mourning are pointed out. At last, an implosive therapy approach to pathological mourning is described, which is based on the prolonged exposure to the painful stimuli until extinction of the severe emotional response occurs (\"flooding\"). The procedure is illustrated by examples from actual therapies."}
{"id": "PMID:1488507", "title": "[Grief, depression and anxiety after spontaneous abortion--a study of systematic evaluation and factors of influence].", "content": "Recent studies demonstrate profound and long-lasting adverse psychological and family sequelae of a spontaneous abortion. However, decisive issues of quality, course and determinants cannot be answered sufficiently due to shortcomings of research (e.g. lack of representative samples and adequate measures, reliance on cross-sectional study designs). Grief reactions and their determinants are differentiated in relation to depressiveness and anxiety in 86 patients from a longitudinal study, employing the Perinatal Grief Scale (Thoedter et al. 1988) and standardized symptom checklists. For the majority of the women, around the 10th week of gestation, the embryo is psychologically represented in fantasies, dreams and concrete arrangements in reality. Immediately after the abortion, these women react with painful feelings of \"active grief\" and \"despair\". Additional stresses in the pregnancy and lack of social support predict \"self-reproachful coping\". Women with recurrent abortions who have no children show depressive reactions. Retrospectively, these also present more anxiety and depressive moods during pregnancy. Results support reliability and validity of the grief scale. Implications for counselling and psychotherapy of women after a spontaneous abortion are discussed with respect to these risk constellations."}
{"id": "PMID:1488508", "title": "[Complementarity and Gestalt circle--Viktor von Weizs\u00e4cker and the importance of a general theory of illness].", "content": "Two developments have led to the elaboration of a complementarity theory in modern natural science--the Copenhagen interpretation of quantum mechanics and Viktor von Weizs\u00e4ckers introduction of the subject into biology. The revolutionary implications of these developments are discernible in modern literature. The author seeks to show that a paradigm shift in positivistic clinical medicine is necessitated by the history and theory of science."}
{"id": "PMID:1488509", "title": "[History of psychosomatic medicine in Heidelberg. V. v. Weizs\u00e4cker and A. Mitscherlich as clinic founders].", "content": "The History of Psychosomatics in Heidelberg: The history of the Mitscherlich psychosomatic clinic and the older Weizsacker ward at the Krehl clinic has been retold with the help of new archive discoveries, it seems to be necessary and also possible to advance the deidealization of these Father figures which, in Mitscherlich's case, has hardly begun. The problem here is to avoid getting involved in the difference which the descendants of these founding fathers nurtured, to the disadvantage of all involved. Reconciliation of this matter includes both resolving the past and severing any identification with the alleged heroes. Even though now smaller, they appear even friendlier."}
{"id": "PMID:1488510", "title": "Histochemical and cytochemical localization of blood group antigens.", "content": "The oligosaccharide structures of blood group antigens are not the primary gene products; they are constructed in a stepwise manner by adding particular sugar to precursor oligosaccharides via several glycosyltransferases coded for by different blood group genes (Watkins 1966, 1978, 1980). Consequently, final profiles of antigens expressed in each cell type are influenced by many different factors such as the intrinsic composition of glycosyltransferase species which are defined by the genotype of the individuals, relative activity or amount of these enzymes (repression, derepression or induction of the enzymes), competition between enzymes with overlapping substrate specificity, the organization of the enzymes in membranes, utilizability of precursors and specific substrate sugars, and the activity level of degradating enzymes. Changes in the antigen profiles during maturation, differentiation and malignant transformation are thought to be intimately related to the variability of these factors. Although great importance attaches to histo- and cytochemical information on the distribution and levels of glycosyltransferases and messenger RNA corresponding to the relevant enzyme, detailed and precise localization of the blood group antigens and their variants is the base line for analyzing these complex factors. On the basis of individual genotype and histochemical findings about the antigen distribution and the interrelationship between cells and cellular components producing different antigenic structures (cellular and subcellular mosaicism), we can deduce precursor oligosaccharide levels as well as the status of gene activation and its primary product, glycosyltransferases. Thus, these findings are a prerequisite for further analysis at the molecular genetic level. As emphasized in this article, lectin staining or immunostaining methods with MAbs combined with glycosidase digestion procedures are powerful tools for in situ analysis of carbohydrate structures in histochemical systems. Although in some cases valuable results have been obtained by applying the technique, our knowledge concerning the distribution of complex carbohydrate structures is still far from satisfactory. Along with well defined MAbs and lectins, the key to developing our methods further is successful introduction of glycosidases, in particular, endoglycosidases since these reagents are indispensable for analyzing the inner core structures and glycoconjugate species of the blood group antigens. Application of these techniques at the ultrastructural level is an alluring possibility, even though many difficulties must be overcome. Although their functional roles have not yet been determined, a diverse array of macromolecules is known to be decorated with blood group-related antigens.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1488512", "title": "[Domiciliary geriatric care: 20 months' experience].", "content": "Geriatric home care (GHC) can help elderly patients by providing comprehensive health care and avoiding prolonged hospital admissions. In this article we discuss our experience in this field. METHODS. From February 1990 to October 1991, 171 elderly patients have been followed periodically at their homes by our GHC team, formed by two geriatricians, a nurse, a social worker, an occupational therapist and a driver. RESULTS. Our patients were very old (81.3 +/- 77 years), had multiple medical problems and high levels of disability (48.6% had a katz ADL index worse than E). The frequency of hospital admissions was high (50% of the patients) but the total number of days in hospital was low (16.1 +/- 18.6 days for a 211.7 +/- 162.3 days of follow-up). Total mortality was 33.9%; 56.9% of them happened at home. CONCLUSIONS. Geriatric home care units can reduce long hospital stays of severely disabled or terminally ill elderly patients, and can provide adequate health care to this group at patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1488513", "title": "[Drug use pattern in an ambulatory geriatric population].", "content": "To provide an update of drug utilization patterns of 500 ambulatory subjects over 60 years of age. Subjects were asked about their prescribed and nonprescribed medications an a detailed questionnaire was fulfilled. The case records and prescription sheets, when available, were examined. Drug histories were obtained on 313 women and 187 men. the mean age was 71 years (range 60-96). Of these participants 1.8% were taking no medications. The average number of drugs used was 4.8 (range from 0-16) nevertheless, the mean number of pharmacological active ingredients was much higher (7.3). The mean number of nonprescribed medications was 0.11, the majority with only an active ingredient. 87% had been used for longer than three months, and were taken daily (84%). The most commonly prescribed medications in this population were paracetamol, digoxin, hydrochlorothiazide, amiloride, nifedipine and captopril. The elderly are, in fact, receiving an increasing number of medications with a narrow therapeutic index and chronically."}
{"id": "PMID:1488514", "title": "[Effect of acarbose on glycemia and pancreatic hormone secretion induced by usual meals in Spain].", "content": "Acarbose is a pseudotetrasaccharide of bacterial origin which, in a competitive and reversible way, inhibits intestinal alphaglycosidase. Following such mechanism of action, carbohydrates are not split to monosaccharides and, therefore, cannot be absorbed as easily as in normal conditions. Controlled clinical trials have shown the therapeutic usefulness of Acarbose in the treatment of mon-insulin dependent as well as insulin dependent Diabetes, specially in reducing postprandial hyperglycemia and glycosylated hemoglobin levels. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of Acarbose when it is used in a diet with a time-schedule and calorie distribution typical of a Spanish environment. A cross-over simple-blind study design was followed, in which 8 healthy volunteers, with ages between 23 and 29 years, took at 8:30 a.m. a 530 Kcal breakfast (18% of the daily total), at 13:30 p.m. a 1.400 Kcal lunch (40%), and at 21:00 p.m. a 1.070 Kcal dinner (36%). Before each of the meals 100 mg of Acarbose (or placebo, following a randomized distribution) were administered, and blood samples were drawn-10, 0, 30, 60, 90, 120, 150 and 180 minutes, in which glucose levels, insulin, pancreatic polypeptide and glucagon were determined. When Acarbose was administered statistically significant differences in glycemia and insulin postprandial figures were observed. It is concluded that when Acarbose is administered at a 100 mg dose (t.i.d.) together with a diet with a typically spanish calorie distribution and time-schedule, it produces a significant lowering in the postprandial glucose and insulin raises.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1488515", "title": "[Hypersensitivity syndrome caused by allopurinol: report of 2 cases and review of the literature].", "content": "A severe adverse drug effect secondary to allopurinol ingestion has been described, characterized by fever, eosinophilia, cutaneous rash, hepatic lesion and renal failure, with a high mortality (21-26%) and unknown ethiopathogenicity. In many cases patients had a previous disorder on their renal function (53%) and more than half received allopurinol due to asymptomatic hyperuricemia. We present two new cases and review other 18 patients diagnosed in the last nine years, analyzing the ethiopathogenicity, epidemiological, clinical, therapeutical and preventive aspects."}
{"id": "PMID:1488516", "title": "[Werner's syndrome. Report of a new case].", "content": "Werner syndrome or adult progeria is a very rare disease transmitted in a recessive autosomic way. It is characterized by a pathologic and premature aging in all organs and systems, which begins generally between 1st and 3rd decades of life. We discuss a new case with a very visible expression both clinical as well as analytical, highlighting the characteristic chromosomic study."}
{"id": "PMID:1488517", "title": "[Nodular regenerative hepatic hyperplasia associated with primary biliary cirrhosis].", "content": "An Hepatic Regenerative Nodular Hyperplasia (RNH) linked to a stage I Primary Biliary Cirrhosis (PBC) is presented. The scientific literature backing such association in reviewed. The pathogenic relationship between the two lesions and the role of RNH in the onset of portal hypertension in the initial stages of PBC is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1488518", "title": "[Extraintestinal manifestations of chronic inflammatory intestinal disease].", "content": "Intestinal Inflammatory Chronic Disease includes a series of pathological entities of unknown etiology, basically characterized by inflammatory lesions in the digestive tube. Importance of this disease, which frequency has grown in the last few years, lies in the fact that not only affects the intestine but also other organs, originating systemic manifestations which, occasionally, modify the evolution and therapy of these patients. Because of this fact, we try, in this work, to provide a general overview of the extra-intestinal pathology associated with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis."}
{"id": "PMID:1488533", "title": "[Delay in childhood tuberculosis detection as a negative factor in the anti-tuberculosis struggle].", "content": "Childhood morbidity due to tuberculosis infection in Spain is not diminishing at the expected rate in relation with available knowledge and facilities. An important factor is the delay in diagnosis, which evaluation constitutes the objective of this publication. Said delay is due to several causes, patient does not consult on time (mean value between onset of symptoms and consult is 34.3 days), or physician does not think in tuberculosis as first diagnosis, which meant an added mean delay of 7.6 days more. These delays mean an important detriment for the patient, and one of the objectives in the anti-tuberculosis struggle is to shorten delays through information to the lay public and health professionals on the highly important current issue of tuberculosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1488534", "title": "[HIV antibodies in a hospital emergency unit. Detection through a system of pooled batches].", "content": "In order to determine the frequency of HIV seropositivity of sera from patients attending our hospital emergency department (ED) we used a HIV screening system based on the use of pooled sera. To determine the reliability of this marker we collect all ED serum samples during two different intervals of a week. From 577 sera analyzed by this method we detected 1.38% of HIV positive samples (95% confidence interval from 0.43% to 2.33%) with 74% benefit on reactives. We did not find significative differences between the rates of HIV seropositivity in the two period of analyzing (1.6% in October 1990 vs 1.2% in February 1991). The consistency of this method for anonymous HIV testing could be applied to a large number of samples from cohorts of expected low HIV prevalence rates and indirectly using this marker to control the spreading of HIV in a given population."}
{"id": "PMID:1488535", "title": "[Acute-phase reactants in sepsis].", "content": "In 71 patients with fever and bacteremia without complications, a prospective study of acute-phase reactants is done. Raises in haptoglobin, ceruloplasmin, alpha-1-antitrypsin, protein C, beta-2-microglobulin, IgA and ferritin serum levels, together with leucocytosis and GSR, were very significant when diagnosis was done. Fibronectin, sideremia and transferrin were lowered. After 3 and 6 days of treatment haptoglobins, alpha-1-antitrypsin, protein C, ferritin, leucocytosis and GSR are lowered, while immunoglobulins, sideremia, transferrin and fibronectin raised, the latter until normalization. Fibronectin as well as changes in iron metabolism were very reliable parameters of inflammation and favorable evolution."}
{"id": "PMID:1488536", "title": "[Meningeal infiltration in multiple myeloma. Study of a new case and literature review].", "content": "A patient with lambda light-chains Bence-Jones multiple myeloma (MM) showed a meningeal myelomatosis during a relapse of his illness. Meningeal infiltration was showed through the detection of plasmatic cells in cerebro spinal fluid, identified morphologic and immunophenotypically, together with hyperproteinemia constituted exclusively by lambda light-chains. Treatment was given, intrathecal (methotrexate and cytosine arabinoside) and systemic (vincristine, adriamycin and dexamethasone) chemotherapy, with disappearance of meningeal infiltration. However the patient died, after three months evolution of MM, tough. Literature on this topic is reviewed."}
{"id": "PMID:1488537", "title": "[Primary empty sella turcica: clinical, radiological and hormonal evaluation].", "content": "A retrospective study of 33 patients diagnosed of primary empty sella turcica has been done. Main clinical feature was cephalea, which was present in 51.1% of cases. Diagnosis was done based in Neuroradiologic studies (CAT, Cisternography, Pneumocisternography, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance) finding sellar size being significantly smaller in cases studied after 1980. After Hypophyseal function study, 19 patients did not show any endocrinological disorders, in the other 14 (42.4%), hyperprolactinemia was the most frequent finding (7 patients, 23.3%). 17.8% of cases showed a lowered response of Growth Hormone to insulinic Hypoglycemia. In two cases Panhypopituitarism was found and in case Insipidus diabetes was diagnosed."}
{"id": "PMID:1488538", "title": "[User's arguments in the use of a hospital emergency unit].", "content": "300 cases admitted in a hospital Emergency Unit are studied, corresponding to two weeks of June 1989, with the aim to know user's characteristics and pathology shown. Through a survey addressed to the patient, or person accompanying him/her, it is intended to know the reasons which motivated the election of this type of service. Predominant pathology is the one which groups lesions and adverse effects (52%) and are younger age groups the ones who consult more frequently. Most part of patient (80%) show up with no previous inform or document and 89% of admitted patients were sent to their homes. Geographical proximity explains in most cases the election of the Emergency Unit. Reasons vary according to age, diagnostic and different circumstances. For example during morning hours, and among patients who attend based on their initiative, \"familiarity\" is the most important reason to adopt the decision to attend Emergency Unit."}
{"id": "PMID:1488539", "title": "[The kidney in mechanical ventilation].", "content": "The negative effect of artificial ventilation with positive pressure on renal function, expresses itself as a decrease of water and sodium excretion, being directly related with the raise of intrathoracic pressure. Factors participating in this process are: lowering in cardiac output, arousal of sympathic nervous system, increase in vasopressin action, activation of renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system and decrease of atrial natriuretic peptide release. This disorder of hydromineral metabolism produces: Impairment of hemodynamic equilibrium, favors the increase of hypoxia and renal failure. The effects of mechanical ventilation on renal function can be attenuated with the adoption of the following measures: a) techniques (use of low levels of PEEP and early disconnection of respirator); b) therapeutic (dopamine 2-3 mcg/kg/min, rational use of diuretics and fluids); y c) monitoring of renal function and hydro-mineral equilibrium."}
{"id": "PMID:1488550", "title": "The level of supercoiling affects the regulation of DNA replication in Escherichia coli.", "content": "The chromosome of Escherichia coli is negatively supercoiled. This favours processes that unwind the two DNA strands, such as DNA replication. In this paper, we have investigated the effect of changed levels of overall chromosomal supercoiling on the initiation of DNA replication. Specifically, we have used flow cytometry to reveal effects on the synchrony of initiations of DNA replication in single cells. An increase in the level of supercoiling moderately reduced initiation synchrony. In contrast, decreased supercoiling led to pronounced asynchrony. We have excluded the possibility that this asynchrony is caused by changes in the level of the Dam methyltransferase or the DnaA protein. We suggest that the global level of supercoiling influences the topology of oriC and thereby the sequence of events leading to initiation of DNA replication in E. coli."}
{"id": "PMID:1488551", "title": "Functional analysis of the pertussis toxin promoter.", "content": "The expression of the pertussis toxin ptx operon is positively regulated in cis by a promoter region of about 170 base pairs and in trans by the bvg locus, which codes for the transcriptional activator protein BvgA. The promoter contains two direct repeats which are essential for its activity. When the position of these direct repeats relative to the transcription start point was changed, the activity of the promoter was strongly impaired. The repeated sequences therefore do not represent enhancer-like elements similar to those which have been identified in other positively regulated promoters; instead, the integrity of the whole promoter region seems to be an important feature of ptx regulation. A transcription interference assay was carried out to analyze in vivo binding of regulatory proteins to the ptx promoter. The results suggest that the direct repeats are the recognition sequence of a protein, which binds to them only under conditions in which the promoter is activated. In vitro DNA binding experiments with BvgA protein purified from an overproducing Escherichia coli strain were performed. However, no binding of BvgA to the ptx promoter was observed under conditions where binding of BvgA to the fha and bvg promoters occurred. This suggests that factors in addition to the bvg system are involved in the regulation of the Bordetella virulence regulon."}
{"id": "PMID:1488552", "title": "Further characterization of the histidine gene cluster of Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2): nucleotide sequence and transcriptional analysis of hisD.", "content": "We have further characterized the genomic region of Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2) that contains genes involved in the biosynthesis of histidine. A 2,357-base pair fragment contained in plasmid pSCH3328 that complemented hisD mutations has been sequenced. Computer analysis revealed an open reading frame that encodes a protein with significant homology to the Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhimurium and Mycobacterium smegmatis hisD product, Saccharomyces cerevisiae HIS4C, and Neurospora crassa his3 gene products. Two other contiguous open reading frames oriented divergently with respect to hisD did not show significant similarity with any of the his genes or to other sequences included in the gene bank. S1 nuclease mapping and primer extension experiments indicate that the transcription initiation site of the his-specific mRNA coincides with the GUG translation initiation codon of the hisD cistron."}
{"id": "PMID:1488553", "title": "Membrane phospholipid composition in Saccharomyces uvarum cells grown in the presence of subinhibitory doses of amphotericin B and desertomycin.", "content": "In Saccharomyces uvarum cultures, subinhibitory doses of amphotericin B and desertomycin induced alterations in the plasma membrane phospholipid composition. Amphotericin B increased the lipid content in the plasma membrane. It showed a pronounced effect on fatty acyl constituents by raising the amounts of mono- and polyunsaturated derivatives in phospholipids. On the other hand, desertomycin had no apparent effect on fatty acid synthesis but altered the relative composition of phospholipids in the membrane. Phosphatidyl choline and phosphatidyl ethanolamine contents decreased, while their precursors, phosphatidyl serine and phosphatidic acid, increased. On the other hand, the rates of phosphatidyl inositol were not significantly affected by the action of either antifungal agent."}
{"id": "PMID:1488554", "title": "Molecular typing of Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Wien by rRNA gene restriction patterns.", "content": "Analysis of digested DNA from 40 Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Wien isolates revealed five different rRNA gene restriction patterns for HindIII (H1 to H5) and five for PstI (P1 to P5). The isolates had been selected on the basis of the year of isolation, the geographic origin and the antibiotic resistance pattern and were distinguished as follows: a) 13 pre-epidemic isolates from different French towns in 1958-69 and from Senegal in 1968; b) 7 epidemic isolates from Algiers in 1969; c) 20 post-epidemic isolates from different French and Italian towns in 1970-90. Three different rRNA patterns (H1P1, H3P3 and H4P4) were observed among the pre-epidemic isolates. Conversely, the epidemic isolates, which were characterized by the previously described large antibiotic resistance patterns and by the presence of 1.3 and 80-109 MDa plasmids, belonged to the same H1P1 ribotype. All but two post-epidemic isolates were of the H1P1 ribotype. The determination of rRNA gene restriction patterns together with the plasmid content proved to be useful for a better characterization of the serovar Wien endemic and epidemic isolates."}
{"id": "PMID:1488555", "title": "The origin of His+ revertants of Salmonella typhimurium obtained on selective medium.", "content": "The spontaneous reversion to His+ of the Salmonella typhimurium alleles hisD3052 and hisG46 was investigated. In fluctuation tests, the expected \"jackpot\" distribution of His+ revertants was not observed. The experimental distributions were close to Poisson distribution. The redistribution test showed no significant differences in the His+ colony counts between spread and unspread plates. An attempt at indirect selection of His+ revertants in fluid medium failed. It was also shown that the mean number of His+ reversion events and the mean number of revertants per plate were similar. At the same time, kanamycin-resistant mutants had jackpot distribution. Selection for His+ revertants (histidine starvation) did not increase mutation to Kanr."}
{"id": "PMID:1488556", "title": "Isolation and characterization of isoniazid-resistant mutants of Mycobacterium smegmatis and M. aurum.", "content": "INH-resistant mutants of Mycobacterium aurum and M. smegmatis were isolated and characterized in an attempt to provide fresh insight into the activity of isoniazid (INH), a key antibiotic in the treatment of tuberculosis. In both cases, high levels of resistance were accompanied by slower growth rate, by loss of peroxidase and reduced catalase activities, although mycolic acid production was unaffected. A gene homologous to the katG gene of M. tuberculosis, encoding peroxidase-catalase, was detected in wild-type and INH-resistant strains and it appears that INH resistance may stem from the loss of its product."}
{"id": "PMID:1488557", "title": "An improved method for quantitative culture of Malassezia furfur.", "content": "Quantitative culture of Malassezia furfur from clinically healthy skin in 25 individuals was performed with two different methods using contact plates. The best results were obtained when a glucose peptone yeast extract medium, with the addition of milk, Tween-60, glycerol and glycerol monostearate was used. Different techniques for incubation and the reproducibility of this method were evaluated. Incubation can be done in a plastic bag at 32 or 37 degrees C. This new method is simple, the colonies are easy to identify and the counts are high and reliable."}
{"id": "PMID:1488558", "title": "Immunological and clinical effect of long-term oral treatment with RU 41740 in patients with chronic bronchitis: double-blind trial long-term versus standard dose regimen.", "content": "The immunological and clinical effects of two oral treatment schedules of RU 41740 (standard for 3 months vs. long-term for 6 months) were assessed in 40 patients with chronic bronchitis by a controlled, double-blind, randomized trial. Both treatments significantly improved phagocytosis index of both neutrophils and monocytes, and the phagocytosis frequency and the candidacidal activity of neutrophils, showing the maximum stimulation at the end of the third course of treatment. Both treatment schedules reduced the number and the duration of infectious exacerbations of chronic bronchitis with respect to those observed in the corresponding period of the previous year. However, no significant difference between standard and long-term treatment with RU 41740 was found with respect to the immunological and clinical effect and tolerability."}
{"id": "PMID:1488559", "title": "Respiratory impedance measurements in a dose-response study of isocapnic hyperventilation with cold air.", "content": "Spirometry and impedance of the respiratory system were compared after increasing rates of isocapnic cold air hyperventilation (IHCA) in 10 asthmatics and 11 healthy nonsmokers. In the control group IHCA at 60% of indirect maximum breathing capacity (IMBC) resulted in a significant, equal increase in resistance at lower and higher frequencies, suggesting central airway constriction. In the asthmatics negative frequency dependence of resistance and a significant increase in resonant frequency and decrease in the reactance at 8 Hz were found at 40 and 60% IMBC. These changes suggest an increase in the resistance of the peripheral airways. The frequency dependence of resistance and resonant frequency were found to be the most sensitive measures to differentiate between normals and asthmatics. It is concluded that impedance measurements provide a suited method to assess the response in cold air provocation tests."}
{"id": "PMID:1488560", "title": "Enhanced chemiluminescence with decreased antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity of human alveolar neutrophil in patients with adult respiratory distress syndrome.", "content": "In order to elucidate the intrinsic defects of inflammatory cells in adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), 10 ARDS patients, 6 non-ARDS respiratory failure patients and 30 healthy controls were included in this study. The peripheral blood neutrophils (PBNs) were isolated from heparinized venous blood. Human alveolar neutrophils (HANs) were taken during bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL). Chemiluminescence was then measured with a luminometer (LKB Wallac) and antibody dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) was assayed using a Cr51 cytotoxic assay. The bacterial killing test utilized heparinized PBNs and Staphylococcus aureus. The results showed that the chemiluminescence of PBNs and HANs was higher in ARDS patients than in the normal control group (p < 0.05). However, ADCC levels in the PBNs and HANs of ARDS patients were much lower than in normal subjects (p < 0.01). The bacterial killing ability of PBNs was also impaired in ARDS patients, compared with either the normal control subjects or non-ARDS respiratory failure patients. In conclusion, chemiluminescence is increased in both PBNs and HANs of ARDS patients, which could partly explain the pathogenesis of acute lung injury. Furthermore, the suppression of ADCC in both PBNs and HANs as well as the impaired bacterial killing of PBNs may explain the impaired bacterial defenses and the consequent increase in pulmonary infection among ARDS patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1488561", "title": "Preventive effects of inhaled formoterol and salbutamol on histamine-induced bronchoconstriction--a placebo-controlled study.", "content": "The preventive effects of inhaled formoterol (a new beta 2-agonist) and salbutamol aerosols on histamine-induced bronchoconstriction were studied in 12 patients with mild or moderate asthma in a placebo-controlled, double-blind study. Three hours after the administration of 12 micrograms formoterol, 200 micrograms salbutamol (doses with equal bronchodilator effects) or placebo via aerosol, histamine challenge was undertaken, using a dosimetric jet nebulizer with controlled tidal breathing. The noncumulative dose of histamine diphosphate aerosol provoking a 15% fall in FEV1 (PD15) was calculated. The PD15 after inhalation of 12 micrograms formoterol was significantly higher than that after 200 micrograms salbutamol (median values 640 and 310 micrograms, respectively; p < 0.01). For both treatments, the PD15 was significantly higher than that after placebo (median 185 micrograms). The results indicate that the preventive effect against histamine-induced bronchoconstriction at 3 h after drug is significantly better with formoterol than with salbutamol when using inhaled doses with an equal acute bronchodilator effect."}
{"id": "PMID:1488562", "title": "Comparison of histamine and acetylcholine for use in bronchial challenge testing in atopic and nonatopic subjects with chronic airways obstruction: a review of 180 cases.", "content": "A retrospective study was performed to evaluate the diagnostic yield for bronchial hyperresponsiveness from histamine and acetylcholine challenge tests. The records of 180 cases from the last 10 years were analysed. They were selected because their hyperresponsiveness to inhaled histamine or acetylcholine was equal or less than 32 mg.ml-1. Increasing doses of histamine and acetylcholine were given up to a maximum of 32 mg.ml-1 according to the method of de Vries et al. [3]. The challenges were accomplished on two separate days. The provocative dose of agonist causing a 20% fall in FEV1 (PC20) was noted. The interrelationships between smoking history, objective markers of allergy, patient's complaints, histamine and acetylcholine responsiveness were examined. Separate statistical analyses are presented for atopic and nonatopic subjects with chronic airways obstruction. More subjects had a measurable PC20 with acetylcholine than with histamine (43 vs. 16 subjects, p < 0.0001). Using the chi 2 test, the relationship between PC20 histamine and PC20 acetylcholine was similar in smokers and nonsmokers, and in atopics and nonatopics. It is concluded that for an equal molar basis, acetylcholine evokes a higher frequency of bronchus obstruction than histamine in patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1488563", "title": "Effect of order on the performance of maximal inspiratory and expiratory pressures.", "content": "We studied the effect of order in the performance of maximal respiratory pressures (PImax and PEmax). For this purpose 20 healthy subjects (male/female: 1/1) were studied. PImax and PEmax were obtained on 2 different days at the same hours (9 and 12 a.m.). The test order was random. On the first day, the entire manoeuvre was performed twice, changing the order in the second determination. On the second day, we repeated the same exercises with reversed order. There were no differences between values for PImax and PEmax when we altered the order of manoeuvres on various days."}
{"id": "PMID:1488564", "title": "Treatment and developmental therapeutics in aspergillosis. 1. Amphotericin B and its derivatives.", "content": "In recent years, the frequency of infections caused by Aspergillus sp. has been on the rise. Immunocompromised patients are especially vulnerable to such infections. The polyene antibiotic amphotericin B is currently considered to be therapeutically the most effective drug against Aspergillus-induced infections. In the present review, the clinical efficacy of amphotericin B, its toxicities and various routes of applications, are discussed. Different combinations of amphotericin B with other drugs have also been reviewed, along with the anti-Aspergillus activity of various other antibiotics and some ester derivatives of amphotericin B."}
{"id": "PMID:1488565", "title": "Treatment and developmental therapeutics in aspergillosis. 2. Azoles and other antifungal drugs.", "content": "The present article surveys the anti-Aspergillus activity of various azole derivatives as well as a number of miscellaneous other antifungal agents. The drawbacks of sodium (potassium) iodide therapy in the management of pulmonary aspergilloma are discussed along with current efforts at treatment of allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis and Aspergillus-induced otomycosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1488566", "title": "Primary pulmonary Hodgkin's disease.", "content": "26 months after the onset of alcohol-induced pain, a diagnosis of primary pulmonary Hodgkin's (PPHD) disease could be made in a 34-year-old woman. Standard radiology of the thorax remains normal up to 18 months after the onset of symptoms. A short review of the literature concerning PPHD is given."}
{"id": "PMID:1488567", "title": "Effect of posture on arterial oxygenation in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.", "content": "We studied 117 patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) to evaluate (1) the frequency and magnitude of postural changes in resting arterial oxygenation and (2) the relationship of these changes to other measures of pulmonary function and exercise arterial blood gases. Compared to the supine measurement, room air PaO2 measured while standing increased more than 3 mm Hg in 28 patients (group 1), did not change (+/- 3 mm Hg) in 57 patients (group 2), and decreased more than 3 mm Hg in 32 patients (group 3) (range = 31 mm Hg increase to 20 mm Hg decrease). Patients in group 1 had significantly less severe disease than patients in the other two groups. There were no significant pulmonary function differences between groups 2 and 3. Supine PaO2 was similar for all groups, suggesting that standing PaO2 accounted for the postural change in PaO2. Because of unpredictable postural changes in PaO2 in patients with COPD, we believe that body position should be noted for arterial blood gas measurements and should be kept constant for valid comparison of serial measurements. These findings may also be important for other diffuse lung diseases."}
{"id": "PMID:1488568", "title": "Therapeutic equivalence of a fenoterol/ipratropium bromide combination (Berodual) inhaled as a dry powder and by metered dose inhaler in chronic obstructive airway disease.", "content": "A randomized double-blind cross-over study was performed to compare the bronchodilator effects of a fenoterol/ipratropium bromide combination (Berodual) when inhaled as a dry powder and by metered dose inhaler (MDI) in an equal doses (fenoterol 100 micrograms + ipratropium bromide 40 micrograms). Thirty-eight patients (29 male, 9 female, mean age 53 years) with reversible chronic obstructive airway disease were studied on 2 separate days by employing the double-dummy technique. The effects of the two modes of administration of the fixed combination were followed by pulmonary function tests [forced expiratory volume (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC)] from 15 min up to 6 h after administration. In addition, the pulse rate was recorded just before each pulmonary function test. The FEV1 and FVC time-response curves showed that the dry powder had an overall efficacy profile similar to MDI. Both formulations produced clinically significant improvements in FEV1 in approximately 10 min. Peak effects occurred in 1 h while at 6 h after test drug inhalation there was still an increase in FEV1 of 14%. No safety problems were observed after the use of the test drugs and no clinically significant changes in pulse rate were found. It is concluded that the dry powder of the fenoterol/ipratropium bromide combination provided effective bronchodilation of similar degree and duration to that achieved with the MDI. It would appear, therefore, to be a valuable alternative to MDI."}
{"id": "PMID:1488569", "title": "Cardiorespiratory function in surgically treated thoracic scoliosis with respect to degree and apex of scoliotic curve.", "content": "We studied the relationship of deterioration of cardiorespiratory function with respect to degree and localisation of apex of spinal curvature. The study comprised 33 patients (27 females and 6 males) aged 15 (11-21) years, surgically treated for an average scoliotic angle of 72 degrees (55-129 degrees, after Cobb) which was postoperatively reduced to 32.6 degrees (13-74 degrees). The static and dynamic cardiorespiratory function parameters were tested (pre-operatively and 24 months after surgery) by spirometry and plethysmography, arterial blood gas analysis, and the exercise tolerance test. In terms of the site and apex of the thoracic curve as determined by spine X-ray, patients were divided into two groups: upper thoracic scoliosis with the apex between T5 and T8 and lower thoracic scoliosis with the apex between T9 and T11. Only upper thoracic scoliosis with Cobb angle of more than 70 degrees correlated (r = -1) with restrictive ventilation disorder (vital capacity 68%) and latent hypoxaemia (uptake O2 ml/kg/min 63%) demonstrated during the exercise tolerance test (p > 0.05). The results of the test have demonstrated that surgically obtained 54% correction of the scoliotic curve improves pulmonary function (p < 0.05). However, the improvement does not match the degree of achieved scoliotic curve correction, what means that even in surgically treated high-angled thoracic scoliosis exists an increased risk of morbidity and mortality."}
{"id": "PMID:1488570", "title": "Modification of histamine- and methacholine-induced bronchoconstriction by calcium antagonist gallopamil in asthmatics.", "content": "We studied the comparative modification of histamine- and methacholine-induced bronchoconstriction by a calcium antagonist, gallopamil, in 8 subjects with bronchial asthma. Dose-response curves to aerosolized methacholine or histamine were performed, without and following pretreatment with inhaled gallopamil (10 mg), on 6 different experiment days to determine the cumulative provocative dose (PD50) of each agonist in breath units which caused a 50% decrease in specific airway conductance (SGaw). Baseline values of SGaw were similar on different experiment days and gallopamil had no significant effect on SGaw. PD50 values for histamine on control and placebo days were 6.8 +/- 2.8 and 5.2 +/- 2.8 breath units (mean +/- SE), respectively. Pretreatment with gallopamil increased histamine PD50 to 19.8 +/- 7.5 breath units, which was significantly greater than on control and placebo days (p < 0.01). PD50 values for methacholine on control and placebo days were 9.5 +/- 5.6 and 8.8 +/- 5.8 breath units, respectively. Gallopamil pretreatment had no significant effect on methacholine-induced bronchoconstriction; methacholine PD50 increased to 13.4 +/- 5.5 breath units (p = NS). The mean dose ratio (ratio of PD50 for the agonist in the presence and absence of gallopamil) for histamine was 6.9, which was 3.7-fold higher than the dose ratio of 1.9 methacholine in the same subjects. These data suggest that gallopamil causes greater inhibition of histamine- versus methacholine-induced bronchoconstriction. This suggests that calcium influx in airway smooth muscle through voltage-dependent channels primarily occurs in response to histamine and not to methacholine."}
{"id": "PMID:1488571", "title": "Varicella pneumonia in adults. A review of pulmonary manifestations, risk factors and treatment.", "content": "Pneumonia is a rare but serious and occasionally fatal complication of varicella. Two cases of varicella pneumonia were successfully treated with acyclovir in our department. We reviewed the pulmonary manifestations of varicella, the risk factors and the effect of acyclovir on varicella pneumonia on immunocompetent adults. Early, aggressive therapy with acyclovir seems to abort the catastrophic consequences of varicella pneumonia, while oral acyclovir chemoprophylaxis is probably beneficial in high-risk populations with chickenpox."}
{"id": "PMID:1488572", "title": "Squamous cell carcinoma of unknown origin in middle mediastinum.", "content": "We report a rare case of squamous cell carcinoma located in the middle mediastinum as a solitary mass. Histologically, lymphatic tissues remained together with nests of squamous cell carcinoma which were occupying the greater part of the mass. Examinations of the whole body failed to detect a primary site of the squamous cell carcinoma. It is considered that the carcinoma cells reflect metastasis from a primary-unknown carcinoma (most likely TO lung squamous cell carcinoma) or that they originated from benign epithelial inclusions in a mediastinal lymph node."}
{"id": "PMID:1488573", "title": "Benign metastasizing leiomyoma. A case report and review of the literature.", "content": "This is a case report of an asymptomatic, 65-year-old white female who was evaluated for multiple pulmonary nodules. This patient's presentation, clinical course and pathologic specimens are consistent with benign metastasizing leiomyoma. A review of this rare disorder is included in this report with emphasis on past cases, clinical overview and treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1488574", "title": "Gigant carcinosarcoma.", "content": "We present a case with gigantic carcinosarcoma (the largest described to date, diameter of 20.5 cm), located in the right upper lobe, in which the discordance between the brief clinical course with limited symptoms and its large size were remarkable. Preoperative diagnosis by bronchial biopsy, as used to be the case in this malignancy, was incorrect (epidermoid), and the define histological characterization was made by thoracotomy. The controversy about pathology, diagnosis and treatment of the carcinosarcoma is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1488575", "title": "[Genetic influence on energy requirements. I. Development of an experimental model].", "content": "In attempting to explore the mechanisms of interaction of genetic and environmental factors that affect the quantitative requirements of energy by man, the convenience of an animal model was considered and searched for. The idea was to start with male and female Wistar rats and through inbreeding segregate the highly effective users of energy from the poor users. The efficiency of dietary energy utilization was measured by the index of conversion (IC) defined as the dietary intake necessary to increase 1 g of body weight in a 32-day period, from day 21st to day 52nd of extrauterine life. The median value of the IC for all animals included in each experiment was the cut-off point to classify each individual as a good or a poor energy user. The first generation had three males and five females with a median IC = 2.90 and a range from 2.54 to 3.25. The proportion of males below the median was 3/3 while the proportion of females was 2/5. The difference in proportions was striking and led immediately to the consideration of a sex-link hypothesis, and to test it the, IC of 91 Wistar rats randomly selected at birth was obtained. The median value of the series was 2.99 with a range from 2.24 to 3.95. The proportion of male rats with values below the median was 33/38 while the corresponding proportion for females rats was 13/53. In other words, while nine of every ten male animals were good users of energy, only two out of ten females fell into this category.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1488577", "title": "[Postprandial lipemia in subjects with primary hypoalphalipoproteinemia and hypoalphalipoproteinemia associated with diabetes].", "content": "The postprandial (PP) elevations in triglyceride rich lipoproteins (TRL) are potentially atherogenic. We compared PP lipemia in non insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) with hypoalphalipoproteinemia (HA) and patients with primary HA. Eight males in each group, mean age +/- SD 54 +/- 10 years, were studied for 12 hours after the ingestion of a fat load (65 g of fat/square meter of body surface). Plasma glucose, triglycerides (TG) and cholesterol (C) in plasma and in the different lipoprotein fractions were measured. The PP triglyceridemia was significantly greater in NIDDM patients with HA and correlated with the fasting TG concentrations. The curve pattern of the lipemia (% delta) was otherwise similar in the patients with secondary or primary HA; only the triglyceridemia persisted for a longer period of time in the latter but was otherwise similar to that of the NIDDM patients with lower basal triglyceride values. Patients with primary HA may have a disturbed metabolism of triglyceride rich lipoproteins which have a delayed depuration during the postprandium. Basal HDL-C in patients with HA cannot predict the PP triglyceridemia."}
{"id": "PMID:1488576", "title": "[Prevalence of diabetes and glucose intolerance in a urban population at a low economic level].", "content": "In this report we present the results of an epidemiologic survey performed in a low income urban neighborhood. The study was designed to investigate the prevalence of type II diabetes mellitus (DM) and impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) in this socioeconomic stratum. The study was done using the standard procedure for the oral glucose tolerance test (OGT) and the recommended diagnostic criteria for defining DM and IGT according to the World Health Organization. A neighborhood corresponding to a census tract was selected and defined by a map. The 39 blocks encompassed in the neighborhood were identified and randomized using the statistical package Systat. According to the randomization, a complete household enumeration was performed. All the residents and the family relationships were identified. The individuals that were between 35-64 years of age and were not pregnant, were considered eligible and were interviewed at home and invited to have a physical examination with an OGT. The number of inhabitants in the study was 4411 of whom 931 were eligible: 452 (48.5%) men, 479 (51.5%) women. The response rate for the home interview was 91.7%; for the physical examination with the OGT it was 69.8%. The crude rate prevalence of DM for men was 10.6%, and for women it was 14.8%. The crude rate prevalence of IGT for men was 12.8% and 12.3% for women. These results show that susceptibility to DM and IGT is high in our population and are among the highest in the world."}
{"id": "PMID:1488579", "title": "Role of angiotensin II in the antinatriuresis that follows acute volume depletion.", "content": "The aim of this study was to examine the contribution of the renin angiotensin system to the antinatriuresis that follows acute volume depletion. Four groups of six dogs each were studied. The first group was exposed to saline expansion (8% body weight) (SE). The second group was exposed to acute volume depletion (2% body weight) followed in one hour by saline expansion (AVD). The third and fourth groups were similar but in dogs treated with high doses of captopril (SE + C and AVD + C). Dogs were anesthetized with phenobarbital. Control measurements were made for 30 minutes before and 60 minutes during saline expansion. Glomerular filtration rate (inulin), renal blood flow (para-aminohippuric acid) and mean arterial pressure were similar in the four groups during the experiment. The increase in fractional sodium excretion from the control period to the end of saline expansion was in the SE group from 0.6 +/- 0.2 to 6.4 +/- 1% and in the SE + C group from 1.1 +/- 0.3 to 8.5 +/- 1.3%. In contrast, in the AVD group it only rose from 0.8 +/- 0.2 to 3.5 +/- 0.7% and in the AVD + C group from 1.3 +/- 0.4 to 4.1 +/- 0.6%. Therefore, the increment in sodium excretion during saline expansion was significantly lower in dogs exposed to acute volume depletion, independent of the treatment with captopril. The blunted natriuresis cannot be explained by differences in GFR, RBF or MAP. These results suggest that renin angiotensin system is not the responsible agent of the sodium retention that follows acute volume depletion."}
{"id": "PMID:1488578", "title": "[9 cases of encephalitis in an epidemic outbreak of exanthematous diseases].", "content": "We report here nine cases of encephalitis secondary to exanthematous diseases diagnosed from March to June 1990 at the University Hospital in Monterrey, Mexico. Two of the cases were secondary to measles, three to rubella, and four to varicella. One patient with varicella died, and the histopathological study showed findings compatible with viral encephalitis. The sex distribution was four males and five females with ages ranging from two to fourteen years. The most common clinical manifestations were hemiparesia, intracranial hypertension, meningism and altered consciousness. The CSF examination showed lymphocytic pleocytosis (mean = 295 cells), increased protein levels (mean = 118 mg/dL) and a normal glucose value in eight cases. These findings and the presence of an exanthematous disease suggested viral invasion of the CNS. Magnetic resonance imaging showed high intensity signal areas mainly in the frontal and temporal lobes. In this paper we compare the relative incidence of encephalitis secondary to exanthematous diseases in our geographical area during the last four years."}
{"id": "PMID:1488581", "title": "[Diagnostic performance of immunologic tests in amebic liver abscess using receiver operating characteristic curves].", "content": "Objectives. 1) To identify the tests of immunological diagnosis with a high diagnostic efficiency in amebic liver abscess. 2) To determine the ideal cutoff point for such tests. 3) To identify the influence degree of the antigen used over the test efficiency. Design. Comparative survey. Study units. Analysis of 24 articles identified in the medical literature about tests of immunological diagnosis in amebic liver abscess. Measurements. Starting from the articles, operating characteristics curves (ROC) were established derived from the test application to patients with amebic liver abscess. Results. A great variability in the diagnostic efficiency was identified between the various tests, even when the analysis was focused on the investigations of a specific test. It was not possible to conclude which test had a major degree of efficiency due to such variability. The cutoff level considered as relevant was higher than the one traditionally used for indirect hemagglutination and it had concordance with the one presently accepted for the fluorescence antibodies test. By maintaining steady the spectrum of the study patients and the type of test, variability among the tests persisted. This was due to the use of different antigens. Conclusions. A great variation in the diagnostic efficiency of the analyzed tests was identified. The variation source was the type of test, the antigen used and probably the illness spectrum."}
{"id": "PMID:1488580", "title": "[Gasometric values reported in healthy subjects from the Mexican population: review and analysis].", "content": "We do not know the normal relationship between altitude and PaCO2 in Mexico. We collected and analyzed the reports of reference values for gasometry in Mexico City (2240 m above sea level and a mean barometric pressure of 585 Torr) and other places in the country. The reports include arterial, capillary and expired gases in children and adults, with measurements done in resting and exercising subjects, breathing room air and 100% oxygen. In Mexico City we found 18 studies in normal subjects reporting a mean PaCO2 ranging from 25.5 to 38.4 Torr. Averaging arterial studies from children and adults, adjusting for the number of subjects studied, and discarding data with mean pH below 7.37 or above 7.43 (suggesting non steady state), 10 studies with a total of 581 subjects have the following average values (Torr, means and SD): PaCO2 = 31.1 +/- 2.6, PaO2 = 67.7 +/- 2.6, calculated PAO2 and P(A-a)O2 73.6 +/- 3.3 y 6.1 +/- 3.7 respectively. The PaCO2 found was much lower than that reported for native Peruvians in the Andes who have a mean PaCO2 of 37.8 Torr at an altitude of 2390 m, and a mean PaCO2 of 33.0 Torr only at 4860 m above the sea level. On the other hand, the average values in Mexico are similar to those found in North Americans who have a mean PACO2 of 33.1 Torr at 2131 m of altitude, a mean PACO2 of 30.7 at 2371 m and a mean PaCO2 of 31 Torr at 2238 m. Normal values for gasometry in Mexico are scarce and some of the existing ones are erroneous probably due to lack of adequate calibrations and to poor quality control. Values of PaCO2 in Mexico are more similar to those found in the USA than to those found in Peruvian natives."}
{"id": "PMID:1488582", "title": "[Bone marrow transplantation in Mexico. Report of the 1st successful case in acute myeloblastic leukemia. Grupo de Trasplante Medular Oseo del INNSZ].", "content": "The first case of allogeneic bone marrow transplantation in acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) done in Mexico is reported. The patient was a 26 year old Mexican woman who in October 1987 was diagnosed of having AML of the M2 subtype. After three cycles of the TADOP regimen (6-thioguanine, cytosine-arabinoside, doxorubicin, vincristine & prednisone), the patient entered complete remission. Unfortunately, after a seven month period of remission she suffered a relapse which was refractory to a new chemotherapy cycle. On 9/14/88 an allogeneic BMT from her HLA identical brother was performed. The conditioning regimen consisted of busulfan and cyclophosphamide. Prophylaxis for GVHD consisted of cyclosporine and methylprednisolone. The posttransplantation course was satisfactory, reaching > 500 neutrophils x 10(9)/L on day 14 and > 50,000 platelets x 10(9)/L without support on day 23 posttransplant. The patient developed fever of unknown etiology, which was satisfactorily resolved with ceftazidime, vancomycin and metronidazole. She also presented a grade II oral and esophageal mucositis. As a late complication, on day 90 posttransplant, she developed a bilateral pneumonia which was resolved with sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim administration. Up to the time of this report (40 months posttransplant) the patient is completely asymptomatic, is under no immunosuppression, and shows no evidence of graft versus host disease or recurrent leukemia."}
{"id": "PMID:1488600", "title": "Soluble elastins, their preparation and characterization.", "content": "We followed amino acid composition, sugar content, immunological reactivity and thermal coacervation of elastin-derived peptides in order to show whether the preparation procedure influenced the properties. Insoluble elastin was prepared by alkaline hydrolysis (N-elastin) or cyanogen bromide cleavage (C-elastin) of bovine ligamentum nuchae. The insoluble elastins were solubilized in oxalic acid, phosphoric acid or trifluoroacetic acid. The differences in properties were found in the case of trifluoroacetic hydrolysis only in comparison with soluble elastin-derived peptides prepared by oxalic or phosphoric acids hydrolysis. Trifluoroacetic acid probably breaks down the structure markedly including the antigenic determinants, which results in a low reactivity with antibodies. The ability of these peptides to form coacervates is also decreased."}
{"id": "PMID:1488601", "title": "Superoxide dismutase activity in radioresistant tissues of irradiated rabbits.", "content": "The activities of Cu, Zn-containing superoxide dismutase were studied in radioresistant tissues (liver, brain, erythrocytes) of whole-body irradiated rabbits with 6.0 Gy and 24.0 Gy with local shielding. No significant changes were observed after irradiation with 6.0 Gy. Both the changes in Cu, Zn-SOD activity and the protein concentrations were more pronounced after exposure to 24.0 Gy with local shielding of the head and abdominal region. The dose on the shielded regions was about 6.0 Gy. Local shielding of rabbits irradiated with a lethal dose 24.0 Gy influenced positively the survival of animals. However, the decrease in SOD activity on 60th day after irradiation seems to be unfavourable for further survival of rabbits, if we accept that SOD content in tissue is maintained at a rather constant level."}
{"id": "PMID:1488602", "title": "Activity of superoxide dismutase isoenzymes in the bone marrow of irradiated rabbits.", "content": "The activities of total, Cu,Zn- and Mn-containing superoxide dismutase were studied in the bone marrow of whole-body irradiated rabbits with 6.0 Gy or 24.0 Gy with local shielding. Irradiation with 6.0 Gy depressed the activities of total and Cu,Zn-SOD on the 8th and 15th days, whereas the activity of Mn-SOD did not change. The exposure to 24.0 Gy with local shielding of head and abdominal region decreased Cu,Zn-SOD activity on the 4th and 60th days after irradiation, Mn-SOD activity was lower nearly at all time intervals investigated. The exposure to 24.0 Gy with shielding of whole body without head region increased markedly Cu,Zn-SOD activity, whereas Mn-SOD activity was diminished on the 8th and 15th days after irradiation in comparison with control group. Mn-SOD activity (U per 10(6) of bone marrow cells) was increased at early time intervals, the changes were not so striking after irradiation of rabbits with 24.0 Gy with shielding of whole body without head region."}
{"id": "PMID:1488603", "title": "Changes of acetylcholinesterase activity in hepatectomized rats following soman poisoning.", "content": "Acetylcholinesterase activity in the blood, pontomedullar area, basal ganglia of the brain and diaphragm following sublethal soman poisoning (i. m., 31 micrograms/kg) was studied in four groups of rats (n = 6) pretreated as follows: intact, hepatectomized (65 % of resection), sham-operated and narcotized animals. Soman was administered 12 hours following hepatectomy, narcosis or sham-operation, respectively. Except hepatectomized rats, all animals in the groups survived: in hepatectomized rats, 2 animals died. Acetylcholinesterase activity was decreased in each group. The differences among enzyme activities in these groups were not statistically significant for the blood. The highest and significant (p < 0.01) decrease of this activity in the brain parts and diaphragm following hepatectomy was demonstrated. The results indicate that undiminished liver functional capacity is an important factor influencing soman toxicity."}
{"id": "PMID:1488604", "title": "Liver and brain DNA contents in acute soman intoxication.", "content": "Contents of DNA in the liver and brain parts (cerebellum, pons, hemispheres) of the rat following acute intoxication with soman (i. m., 32 micrograms/kg) were studied. Statistically significant increase of DNA concentrations in the liver and decrease in the hemispheres 1 and 3 hours after the intoxication was demonstrated; in other brain parts studied, no changes were detected. The blood acetylcholinesterase activity was diminished 1 hour after the injection of soman and it was statistically significant 3 days following poisoning. In rats pretreated with atropinee (i. m., 200 mg/kg) and intoxicated with higher dose of soman (i. m., 50 micrograms/kg), specific activity of incorporation of radiolabelled thymidine into DNA was significantly decreased in the liver only. The results suggested that soman except cholinergic effects also influenced metabolism of nucleic acids."}
{"id": "PMID:1488605", "title": "Enhancement of hypoxia radioprotection and decrease of hypoxia toxicity caused by adenosine monophosphate.", "content": "It was shown in experiments on mice that the radioprotective effects of adenosine monophosphate (AMP) or of a combination of Mg aspartate and AMP join with those induced by hypobaric hypoxia. The hypotensive effects of these drugs lead probably to hypoxia in radiosensitive tissues which acts additively with hypoxia elicited by way of respiration. Furthermore, Mg aspartate and AMP decrease the toxicity of high degrees of hypobaric hypoxia. These effects can be explained by the ability of adenosine liberated from AMP and of magnesium to increase brain and heart blood perfusion and/or to mitigate excessive sympathetic activity. The pharmacological effects of AMP and Mg aspartate are thus not only radioprotective but also energy preserving and protecting vitally important organs against hypoxia toxicity. These effects may be of favourable importance in hypoxic radiotherapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1488606", "title": "Urinary excretion of some metabolites of tryptophan in malignant diseases.", "content": "The urinary excretion of four tryptophan metabolites, namely indolylacryloylglycine, indolylacetic, 5-hydroxyindolylacetic and 3-hydroxyanthranilic acids, was studied in two control groups, in children suffering from acute leukemia, hepatic and brain tumours and in adults with bladder cancer. Compared with controls, a significantly lower excretion of IAcrGly was observed in all patient groups with the exception of that with hepatic tumours. Hematological malignancies were further accompanied by low excretion of indolylacetic acid, and bladder cancers by a lower 5-hydroxyindolylacetic acid level. We found no correlation of the metabolites tested in individuals of any patient group. In controls, however, indolylacryloylglycine and indolylacetic acid did correlate."}
{"id": "PMID:1488607", "title": "Comparing laboratory and portable tone-burst auditory brain-stem-response (ABR) systems for monitoring high-frequency (> or = 8 kHz) auditory function.", "content": "High-frequency (8-20 kHz) hearing sensitivity is of special interest because of its early warning potential for ototoxicity. Many ill patients, however, are unable to respond behaviorally to auditory test procedures. To objectively monitor high-frequency auditory function in these patients, laboratory instrumentation to evoke the auditory brain-stem response (ABR) with high-frequency (8-14 kHz) tone-burst stimuli was developed and documented. To provide evaluation at bedside, a portable high-frequency tone-burst generator was developed to elicit the ABR. Combined with a portable signal averager, this system was validated by comparison with the laboratory system. Thirty-five normal-hearing subjects were used to compare ABRs to high-frequency tone bursts from each system. Analysis of responses to tone bursts revealed no significant mean latency differences, and no significant intersession reliability differences between systems. These results confirm that the portable system is comparable to the laboratory system in obtaining reliable high-frequency tone-burst responses."}
{"id": "PMID:1488608", "title": "A new approach for recording distortion product oto-acoustic emissions.", "content": "A system for recording of distortion product oto-acoustic emissions (DPOEs) utilizing a linear time-averaging technique is described. The main advantage of the system is the ability to obtain a high signal-to-noise ratio of the recordings. DPOEs have proven to yield important frequency-specific information on the behaviour of the outer hair cells in the human inner ear. DPOEs at nine audiometric frequencies, elicited at a stimulus intensity of 75 dB SPL were recorded from a group of 14 normal-hearing subjects in an attempt to establish normative data. An example of the relationship between the configuration of the conventional audiogram and DPOEs for a patient with a noise-induced hearing loss is presented to demonstrate the diagnostic value of the method."}
{"id": "PMID:1488609", "title": "Defining the relationship between cochlear hearing loss and acoustic reflex thresholds.", "content": "In this study several methods of defining the relationship between the magnitude of cochlear hearing loss and the acoustic reflex threshold (ART) levels were examined, with a view to defining the appropriate upper limits of ART that would ease clinical applicability and reduce the false positive rate. The 90th percentile, two standard deviations (SD) from the mean, the regression method and an empirical method based on the scatter plots of the ART at each activator frequency were all applied to the results of 99 patients with cochlear and/or peripheral vestibular pathology. The upper limits of ART defined on the basis of the scatter plots provided the most appropriate upper limits for different ranges of hearing loss, with relatively few false positives. A clinical criterion based on the ART levels at adjacent frequencies is proposed, which further reduces the false positive rate and could also prove effective in the differential diagnosis of cochlear from retro-cochlear lesions."}
{"id": "PMID:1488610", "title": "Sound perception induced by extracranial magnetic stimulation in deaf patients.", "content": "Two profoundly hard-of-hearing and deaf patients were examined by non-invasive extracranial magnetic stimulation (EMS) in an effort to determine whether EMS could evoke auditory sensations. The patients were fitted with standard earplugs and were stimulated at the auricle, the mastoid and the temporal lobe area. The threshold of auditory sensation (TAS) was determined at each stimulus position and found to be approximately 20-40% of the maximum EMS level (2.0 Tesla). The TAS was generally lowest in mastoid stimulation, but was variable, and dependent on the angle and position of the stimulating coil relative to the skull. Middle-ear muscle reflex (MEMR) tests performed by EMS of the auricle, mastoid and temporal lobe area contralateral to the probe ear were negative. It was concluded that EMS of the auditory system, particularly the mastoid area, can evoke auditory sensations in cochlea-deaf ears, and that this technique deserves further study as a non-invasive procedure for evaluating potential cochlear implant patients in conjunction with electrostimulation."}
{"id": "PMID:1488611", "title": "Acupuncture for tinnitus management.", "content": "Fifty-six patients with continuous and severe tinnitus as their major complaint were treated with traditional Chinese acupuncture. After a pre-treatment period with baseline evaluation of tinnitus, 10 treatments were given during a period of 20 days, followed by a post-treatment period in order to obtain indications of prolonged treatment effects. Assessments were made using visual analogue scales (VAS) and a verbal retrospective rating scale. Three patients reported improvement which lasted for at least 10 days after the last treatment, indicating a possible long-term effect in some cases. Twenty-one percent of the patients reported transient intensity reductions lasting for hours/days. Estimated 'substantial' improvement rate by VAS, consistent for all three parameters involved (intensity, annoyance, awareness), was 20%, while the corresponding deterioration rate was 25%. Statistical analysis of the whole group did not show any significant general treatment effects. Interactions between treatment evaluations by verbal rating and VAS are discussed as well as interactions with psychological components."}
{"id": "PMID:1488612", "title": "Recognition of telegraphy signs at different listening levels and frequencies.", "content": "The recognition of telegraphy masked by noise at 40 and 80 signs/min telegraphy speed was studied in 10 normal-hearing subjects at different sound pressure levels (25-85 dB SPL in steps of 5 dB) as well as at different test frequencies (2000, 1000, 800, 630, 500 and 250 Hz). The ability to recognize the signs varied with varying SPL. Recognition for most of the subjects was best at an SPL close to 70 dB. All subjects improved their recognition as the frequency was lowered to 500 Hz, some even at 250 Hz. These facts should be taken into consideration when training telegraphy operators as well as in the construction of radio receivers to permit listening at low frequencies. Furthermore, the critical ratio was calculated at the different test frequencies."}
{"id": "PMID:1488613", "title": "Speech perception in noise with BICROS hearing aids.", "content": "The speech perception in noise abilities of 14 asymmetrically hearing-impaired subjects who had been fitted with Bilateral Contralateral routing of Signal (BICROS) hearing aids was evaluated. Speech tests were administered with subjects wearing both conventional monaural amplification and their own BICROS aids. Test procedures involved the use of sentence lists from the Speech Perception in Noise (SPIN) test and the Synthetic Sentence Identification (SSI) test, presented in a background of recorded four-talker babble. The performance of the subjects was found to be significantly better with the BICROS aids than with monaural amplification alone."}
{"id": "PMID:1488614", "title": "Psychoacoustical performance in children.", "content": "In order to contribute to knowledge of the elementary auditory functions in infancy, a group of normally hearing children below the age of four years was examined using advanced tests for cochlear (remote masking, brief-tone audiometry, critical ratio) and central auditory functions (masking-level difference). The results showed that both cochlear and central auditory functions were almost the same in three-year-olds as they were in adults, if not better. This behavior is similar to that recorded with electrophysiological methods and leads to the conclusion that at age three years the auditory system has completed its neurofunctional maturation and it is therefore completely efficient in its elementary psychosensorial functions."}
{"id": "PMID:1488615", "title": "Genetic influences on susceptibility of the auditory system to aging and environmental factors.", "content": "Auditory susceptibility to aging and environmental factors (noise and toluene) was investigated in two genotypes of mice, CBA/Ca (showing a moderate hearing loss with onset late in life) and C57BL/6J (undergoing spontaneous auditory degeneration with onset during young adulthood). Both strains of mice were often used together as a model of human age-related hearing loss, with a primary decline in auditory high-frequency sensitivity. Auditory function was analysed by recording auditory brainstem response (ABR). Morphological alterations of mouse cochleae were studied by light, transmission and scanning electron microscopy. The age-related elevation of ABR thresholds was more precipitous and the individual variability was larger in C57BL mice than that in CBA mice. Degeneration patterns of the organ of Corti were different between the two strains. In the old CBA-mouse cochlea, giant stereocilia on the inner hair cells (IHCs) and elevated pillar heads were evident. Some normal-looking outer hair cells (OHCs) still remained. In C57BL mice, however, early loss of OHCs and extensively damaged stereocilia constituted the primary lesions of the organ of Corti. After exposure to a 2-7 kHz steady noise of 120 dB SPL for 5 min at the age of 1, 2, 3, 6, or 12 (only for CBA) months, compound and permanent threshold shifts (CTS and PTS) at middle frequencies (8-12.5 kHz) reduced with age in CBA mice but remained in C57BL mice. C57BL mice were more severely affected by noise than the age-matched CBA mice. The amount of recovery from CTS to PTS was, however, independent of age and strain. Pathological changes of the organ of Corti were correlated with noise-induced PTS. Possibilities for prediction of susceptible individuals were tested. At 6 months of age, there was only 2% risk of classifying C57BL mice as CBA mice by pre-exposure thresholds at the high frequency (31.5 kHz), but about 40% risk by CTS at the middle frequency (12.5 kHz), or vice versa. With increasing age, the progress of the interaction between noise trauma and aging had two phases for both strains of mice. First an additivity and then, at total threshold shifts of 30-50 dB, a blocking-like interaction were observed. The rate of progression in post-noise hearing loss did not exceed the spontaneous rate of age-related degeneration. The difference between exposed and non-exposed groups decreased with advancing age for both strains of mice.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1488616", "title": "Elevated urinary beta-hexosaminidase in patients with stroke.", "content": "Urinary beta-hexosaminidase is a sensitive indicator of renal damage. The urinary excretion of this enzyme was measured in 31 patients with ischaemic stroke in the acute phase and in 126 patients 21-43 weeks after their stroke. Both immediately and after 21-43 weeks the patients showed a similar and a significantly increased level of urinary beta-hexosaminidase. This indicates the presence of renal injury in the stroke patients, which in turn might reflect a generalized vascular disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1488617", "title": "Quantitative assessment of urinary protein and enzyme excretion--a diagnostic programme for the detection of renal involvement in type I diabetes mellitus.", "content": "In an effort to establish a reliable programme for the clinical monitoring of renal involvement in patients with type-I diabetes mellitus, we quantified the urinary excretion of immunoglobulin G (IgG), transferrin (Tf), albumin (Alb), alpha 1-microglobulin (alpha 1MG), N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase (NAG), and total protein in 130 dipstick negative children and young adults with type-I diabetes. Eighty-five sex- and age-matched healthy persons served as a control group for the definition of the upper reference limits (95th centiles; micrograms min-1 1.73 m2): transferrin 1.4; albumin 16.6; total protein 27.1; NAG: 2.0 mU min-1 1.73 m2. Sex-related differences were detected for IgG (men: 3.8; women: 1.7) and alpha 1 MG (men: 6.0; women: 4.0 micrograms min-1 1.73 m2). The urinary excretion of IgG, Tf, alpha 1MG, NAG, and total protein was significantly higher in subjects with diabetes when compared to healthy controls (p < 0.01). Furthermore, 20 patients (15%) showed an elevated excretion of tubular markers (alpha 1MG and NAG), and 3 patients (2%) of at least two glomerular markers (Alb and/or Tf and/or IgG). Additionally, 18 individuals (14%) presented a mixed excretion pattern of both tubular and glomerular markers. These data suggest that the quantitation of both glomerular and tubular proteinuria provides a sensitive and cost-effective instrument for the non-invasive screening for renal involvement in patients with diabetes mellitus."}
{"id": "PMID:1488618", "title": "Abnormal plasma noradrenaline response and exercise induced albuminuria in type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus.", "content": "Submaximal exercise provokes an abnormal elevation in albuminuria in type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus. Plasma catecholamines might be involved in this phenomenon by a renal vasoconstrictive effect. Twelve healthy subjects (Controls: albuminuria < 10 micrograms min-1), 13 normoalbuminuric type 1 diabetic patients (DNormo: albuminuria < 10 micrograms min-1) and 13 microalbuminuric type 1 diabetic patients (DMicro: albuminuria 10-200 micrograms min-1) performed a fixed bicycle workload (600 kpm for 20 min+urine collection 40 min post exercise). None of the patients suffered from autonomic neuropathy or hypertension. Fractional albumin clearance (FalbCl) rose in DNormo (p = 0.02) and DMicro (p = 0.01) but not in the Controls (p = 0.40). Basal plasma adrenaline and noradrenaline were not different in the three groups. The increments in noradrenaline were more pronounced in DNormo and DMicro than in Control (Controls < DNormo, p < 0.05; Controls < DMicro, p < 0.01). The changes in FalbCl were significantly correlated with the changes in noradrenaline (all subjects r = 0.65, p < 0.001). The increments in adrenaline were not different in the diabetic groups compared to the controls, and were not related to the changes in FalbCl. Multiple regression analysis showed that changes in plasma noradrenaline (p < 0.002) and in mean arterial pressure (p < 0.005) independently contributed to the changes in FalbCl (multiple r = 0.73). It is concluded that the exercise-induced plasma noradrenaline response is increased in normo- and microalbuminuric type-1 diabetic patients. Noradrenaline appears to contribute in the exercise-induced changes in renal protein handling, possibly by its effect on renal haemodynamics."}
{"id": "PMID:1488619", "title": "Microcalorimetric studies on uraemic plasma.", "content": "The heat production by human plasma in healthy and uraemic subjects has been measured by direct isothermal microcalorimetry. The plasma from uraemic subjects displayed an increased heat production compared to that of normal plasma. The heat production by plasma from healthy subjects, but not by that from uraemic patients, was both proportional to the amount of thiol groups in the plasma and also to the oxidation of the thiol groups. The oxygen consumption of uraemic plasma was proportional to the heat production. The heat production by samples from uraemic patients was significantly correlated to the plasma concentration of creatinine, whereas no such correlation was found between the concentration of urea and heat production of such samples."}
{"id": "PMID:1488620", "title": "Prostanoids and thromboxane production by renal brush border membrane.", "content": "It has been estimated that proximal tubule are responsible for about 7.5% of total kidney prostaglandin PGE2 production. In the present report we investigated the production of prostanoids and thromboxane by rabbit renal proximal tubule brush border membrane. PGF2 alpha was the major endogenous prostaglandin produced under basal condition. The addition of exogenous arachidonic acid increased only PGE2 production. No PGE2 production was found when vesicles were incubated with indomethacin or at 4 degrees C, suggesting the involvement of the PGH2 synthase and PGE2 isomerase enzymes. Addition of angiotensin II at 10(-6) and 10(-9) mol l-1 did not affect the endogenous PGE2 production by brush border membrane. Thus, results of our study demonstrates that the renal proximal tubule brush border membrane has the capacity to produce prostanoids and thromboxane."}
{"id": "PMID:1488621", "title": "Renal haemodynamics and tubular sodium handling following volume expansion with sodium chloride (NaCl) and glucose in healthy humans.", "content": "Renal haemodynamics estimated using inulin- and para-aminohippuric acid-(PAH) clearances and segmental tubular handling of sodium as estimated using lithium clearance where studied in fourteen healthy men. Volume expansion was induced by a 2 h (25 ml kg-1) infusion of 0.9% sodium chloride (NaCl) load. Eight of the 14 subjects were rechallenged with a 2 h infusion of 5% glucose (25 ml kg-1). In addition, ten healthy subjects were investigated with inulin and PAH-clearances during water diuresis. When NaCl was infused glomerular filtration rate (GFR) decreased from 115 to 103 ml min-1 (p < 0.002) and fractional sodium excretion increased by 85%. The fall in GFR could be due to tubuloglomerular feedback as a result of inhibition of proximal tubular sodium reabsorption. The fall in GFR raises doubt about the usefulness of NaCl as an inert control infusion in metabolic studies. During glucose infusion blood glucose rose from 4.3 to 10.9 mmol l-1 with no significant change in GFR, but fractional sodium excretion was reduced by almost 40%. The etiology of the acute antinatriuretic effect of volume expansion with glucose infusion in healthy humans is not known but a blunted decrease in plasma renin activity and erythrocyte volume fraction in conjunction with a failure to mobilize renal dopamine and an increase in plasma levels of antinatriuretic factors such as insulin and norepinephrine are all factors that may contribute to the antinatriuretic effect of a glucose infusion."}
{"id": "PMID:1488622", "title": "Semi-quantitative measurement of myoglobinuria in trauma patients with a latex-agglutination test (Rapi-Tex).", "content": "A semi-quantitative test (Rapi-Tex) for myoglobinuria was tested in trauma patients. All test results were evaluated blindly. Test specimens were obtained from 20 patients consecutively admitted with severe multiple trauma (Injury Severity Score: 29; range 26-41). The myoglobin concentration was measured semi-quantitatively by Rapi-Tex of three independent observers and quantitatively by enzyme-immuno-assay (EIA). Undiluted as well as 1:2, 1:6, 1:11, and 1:22 diluted samples were used. Test readings were done after 3 min and 5 min, respectively. The Rapi-Tex test classified the myoglobin concentrations correctly in 92.8% of the readings after 3 min and in 87.5% (mean, range: 85.5-91.6%) of the readings after 5 min. Rapi-Tex enables immediate bedside diagnosis of myoglobinuria in trauma patients. The test should be performed on both undiluted and 1:6 diluted urine samples with test reading after 5 min."}
{"id": "PMID:1488623", "title": "Contents of apolipoprotein A-I, A-II and B of the human serum fractions for high-density and low-density lipoproteins prepared by common precipitation methods.", "content": "Two common precipitation methods for the determination of HDL-cholesterol in human serum were used, dextran sulphate/MgCl2 and phosphowolframate/MgCl2. They yield supernatants which contained almost all of the apoA-I and apoA-II lipoproteins but no lipoprotein apoB. The correlations between chol-HDL and apoA-I were about the same with these methods (r = 0.79 and 0.80). The correlation between the precipitation methods and ultracentrifugal analysis for chol-HDL was highly significant (r = > 0.95). Correspondingly, two common precipitation methods for the determination of LDL-cholesterol in human serum, buffered heparin, and polyvinyl sulphate procedures, produced sediments, which contained the major proportion of the apoB and only small amounts of apoA-I and apoA-II. However, yields of only 69.0-80.2% were obtained for apoB from the sediments and of 85.8-89.4% from supernatants calculated as the difference from chylomicron free serum. This difference might be due to alterations of the molecular structure of apoB by the precipitation reagents. Comparison of the results with the precipitation methods to those using the Friedewald formula showed excellent agreements (r = > 0.91). Very comparable results were also obtained in the case of marked hypertriglyceridaemia provided that the serum samples were briefly centrifuged before analysis of chol, chol-HDL, and triglyceride values for the formula of chol-LDL. The precipitation methods for chol-LDL showed very good agreement with the values obtained by ultracentrifugal analysis (r = > 0.93). There were no remarkable differences in the correlation of apoB and chol-LDL values measured by different methods (r = 0.85). According to the present results it was found that highly significant correlations existed between chol/chol-HDL or chol-LDL/chol-HDL and apoB/apoA-I ratios (p < 0.001). It is quite evident that apoB and apoA-I values could be used to replace chol-LDL and chol-HDL values when the risk for the cardiovascular diseases is to be assessed."}
{"id": "PMID:1488624", "title": "Blood glycated haemoglobin, serum fructosamine, serum glycated albumin and serum glycated total protein as measures of glycaemia in diabetes mellitus.", "content": "Blood glycated haemoglobin (HbAlc), serum fructosamine (FA), serum glycated albumin (GA), and serum glycated total protein (GTP) were determined in 61 subjects (19 pregnant women with gestational diabetes, 24 pregnant women with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus [IDDM] and 18 nonpregnant subjects with IDDM). FA, GA, and GTP correlated with HbAlc similarly (r = 0.791, 0.816, and 0.794, respectively, p < 0.001). In a subgroup of 22 subjects data on blood glucose home monitoring was recorded and used for calculating mean blood glucose as an index of average glycaemia preceding sampling of the glycation products. Mean blood glucose levels preceding sampling of HbAlc by 2 months and FA, GA, or GTP by three weeks correlated significantly with HbAlc (r = 0.668, p < 0.001) and GA (r = 0.441, p < 0.05) whereas no significant correlation was found between mean blood glucose and FA (r = 0.003) or GTP (r = 0.252). In conclusion, such methods which measure specifically the non-enzymatic glycation of a single species of protein (i.e. FPLC for HbAlc and affinity chromatography for GA) are to be preferred for assessing glycaemia."}
{"id": "PMID:1488625", "title": "Selective increase in the urinary excretion of protein 1 (Clara cell protein) and other low molecular weight proteins during normal pregnancy.", "content": "The effect of normal pregnancy on the tubular transport of proteins has been studied by measuring four low molecular weight (Mr) proteins in the urine of pregnant women: protein 1 (a recently discovered urinary protein identical to Clara cell protein), beta 2-microglobulin, retinol-binding protein and alpha 1-microglobulin. The urinary excretion of albumin and beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase was also determined. One hundred and fourteen women with uncomplicated pregnancy were examined: 22 in the first trimester, 42 in the second and 50 in the third trimester. They were compared to 40 age-matched non-pregnant women. The urinary excretion of the four low Mr proteins was significantly increased during the second and third trimester of pregnancy. During the last trimester, the mean relative increases in the urinary excretion of these proteins ranged from 2.8 to 15.6 and prevalences of elevated values from 25 to 46%. This rise in low Mr urinary protein excretion was particularly important in some pregnant women, representing (e.g. for protein 1) more than a 100-fold increase above normal. The urinary excretion of beta-N-acetyl-D-glucosaminidase was also increased during pregnancy but the albuminuria remained stable. These changes in low Mr urinary proteins were reversible after delivery and most likely resulted from a transient decrease in the reabsorptive capacity of the proximal tubule associated with an increase of the filtered load. However, some women excreted high amounts of protein 1 which could not be accounted for by a decreased tubular reabsorption and which might originate from a secretion by the urogenital tract."}
{"id": "PMID:1488626", "title": "Comparison of near-infrared light spectroscopy, bioelectrical impedance and tritiated water techniques for the measurement of fat-free mass in humans.", "content": "Fat-free mass (FFM) was measured with three different methods: near-infrared spectroscopy, bioelectrical impedance and tritiated water technique, in 76 (39 females/37 males) subjects (age 47 +/- 2 [SEM] years, BMI 26.8 +/- 0.6 kg m-2). From bioelectrical impedance measurements FFM was calculated with manufacturers formula and a formula developed by Deurenberg et al [1]. FFM estimated from tritiated water technique (51.9 +/- 1.1 kg) was significantly lower than measured with near-infrared spectroscopy (57.4 +/- 1.4 kg; p < 0.001) and bioelectrical impedance calculated with manufacturers formula (59.6 +/- 1.5 kg; p < 0.001), but did not differ from the estimation made according to Deurenberg (52.1 +/- 1.2 kg). All the methods were highly intercorrelated, although the correlation coefficients were lower in the obese than lean subjects. Obesity seems to influence the bioimpedance method more than the near-infrared spectroscopy method. The results demonstrate that the near-infrared spectroscopy and the bioelectrical impedance method are simple and reproducible techniques to estimate fat-free mass in normal weight man. Both measurements are based partly on the anthropometric measurements. However, it is necessary to use an adjusted formula to obtain reliable measures of fat-free mass with the bioimpedance method in obese subjects."}
{"id": "PMID:1488627", "title": "Macrolides and the immune system.", "content": "Macrolides achieve much greater in vivo and clinical efficacy than might be expected from standard in vitro testing. There is accumulating evidence to suggest that macrolides act synergistically with the host immune system. In contrast to beta-lactams, macrolides have increased activity in serum. Phagocytes are a key component of the host immune system against intracellular pathogens. Antibiotics can alter bacterial susceptibility to both uptake and intracellular phagocytic killing. Macrolides appear to enhance phagocyte killing of bacteria whereas beta-lactams have a limited or negative effect. Both macrolides and quinolones achieve high intraphagocytic concentrations that are associated with intracellular antibacterial activity. Azithromycin, which is chemically related to the macrolides, achieves particularly high intracellular levels within phagocytes which may be associated with enhanced synergistic activity."}
{"id": "PMID:1488628", "title": "Future trends in antibiotic therapy.", "content": "The 1990s will probably see fewer new antibiotics being registered than occurred during the 1970s and 1980s. The main reason for this is the excessive costs involved in the development of a new chemical entity. It is probable that more fluoroquinolones will be introduced and some of them will have improved antibacterial activities compared to current derivatives. Another class of antibiotics likely to develop during the next decade is the macrolides, with the emergence of drugs like azithromycin. Among the beta-lactams, new carbapenems and extended spectrum cephalosporins will be developed to meet the problems of increasing numbers of enterobacteria producing class I beta-lactamases, as well as the new broad-spectrum TEM enzymes. These resistance mechanisms against beta-lactams are also likely to give rise to a new era for beta-lactamase inhibitors. A field which presently looks less promising is that of drugs which are active against methicillin-resistant staphylococci; teicoplanin and daptomycin seem to have only minor advantages over vancomycin. Other developments that can be expected are those facilitating the administration of antibiotics, especially once-daily injectable antibiotics for intensive home care."}
{"id": "PMID:1488629", "title": "Antibiotic prescribing practices and patient compliance in the community.", "content": "Appropriate prescribing of antibiotics should take into account the most likely causal pathogens and severity of the illness. Few laboratory diagnostic aids in community medicine have been available to the clinician. The development of databases on the epidemiology of infectious diseases defining the most probable causal organisms and their sensitivity patterns, and recently developed bedside diagnostics, will provide a level of diagnostic certainty to community medicine. In addition, it should be recognized that the prescribing habits of a community physician are, to some extent perhaps, influenced by patient expectation and belief systems within the medical profession. Patient compliance with antibiotic regimens is poor in the community and this problem has become increasingly relevant as more patients are discharged early from hospital while still on medication. Non-compliance with medication is associated with the negative interaction of four factors: 1. the patient, 2. the physician, 3. the severity of the disease, and 4. therapy (frequency and duration). Careful counselling of the patient by the physician and educational information about therapy are some of the methods successfully employed to improve compliance. Decreasing the frequency and duration of dosing have also improved compliance. The added convenience of new short-course, once-daily therapies such as with azithromycin are expected to improve patient compliance and overall clinical outcome."}
{"id": "PMID:1488630", "title": "[Computer tomography of the brain in children. II].", "content": "The second part of the study \"Computerized tomography of the brain in children\" is a continuation of the first one published in Supplement for the Collection of Scientific Works by Charles University's Medical Faculty in Hradec Kr\u00e1lov\u00e9 from 1990. The former is issued from analyzing 1283 pathological CT findings investigated in newborns and children up to 15 years of age. The present study is concerned with not only the precise diagnosis of the lesion site but also with the type diagnosis and observation of further development of either affected or operated on children brain. When investigating ventriculomegalies, altogether with critical approach to the CT possibilities in diagnosing various types of hydrocephaluses and atrophies, which have been the most frequent pathological findings in this set, the authors also proceeded by monitoring reparative capacities of the brain tissue or post-surgery drainage complications. The problems of children CT investigation are similar to those in adults as far as the brain abscesses, empyemas and non-bacterial encephalities are concerned. A possibility of repeated examinations is of importance in selecting therapeutical approaches and observing their effect. A considerable amount of viral inflammations and the toxoplasmosis appear to be specific for children's age with yet intrauterine course of several of them. They result in severs cerebral damage, hydrocephalus and atrophy with frequent both periventricular and parenchyma calcifications. The acute meningitis did not show unambiguously positive CT findings, though they are frequent to result in mainly the obstructive or hyporesorptive types of hydrocephalus as well as atrophic changes. Only the 8 per cent of post-inflammatory intracranial patients showed normal time-delayed CT finding. From neurocutaneous syndromes, those most frequently occurring were cerebral manifestations of tuberous sclerosis. Apart from periventricular calcifications within the hamartomatous node, the three patients showed large pseudotumorous formations responsible of the deformity of lateral ventricles. In the frame of neurofibromatosis, the authors diagnosed the stenosis of aqueducts, conditioned with adjacent gliosis, and the dysplasia of the base of medial cranial fossa which caused the temporal lobe to prolapse into the fossa subtemporalis and the orbit. The exceptional finding in this set of patients was that of angioreticuloma within the ponto-cerebellar angle in a 10 year-old boy. According to literature, this type of hamartoma does not occur in children of prepubertal age. In 37 children of our set, the extra- or intraparenchymal cavities were diagnosed. Those most frequently occurring were arachnoidal cysts at the pole of temporal lobe as well as porencephalic intraparenchymal cysts.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1488631", "title": "[Visual evoked potentials. Their use in ophthalmology and other specialties].", "content": "The technique of investigating evoked visual potentials (EVP) is resumed within the context of electrophysiological methods as applied in optic neuritis. Several typical courses of the disease are case-reported in this account. In conclusion, authors recommend further on EVP implications due to its objectivity, non-invasiveness and time-sparing with a possible automated evaluation."}
{"id": "PMID:1488632", "title": "[Coronary endarterectomy in the surgical treatment of ischemic heart disease (review)].", "content": "The problems are overviewed with performing revascularization of the coronary bed when in diffuse affliction. The unique way how to revascularize a progressive atherosclerotic disorder of the coronary bed consists in elimination of a degenerated portion of the coronary vessel which is endarterectomy (EAE). This method is specially important in ischemic myocardium supplied with so disordered coronary. The EAE of the coronaries is of routine use with some extended working sites. However, they are not rare to take this method with some objections. These are due to a higher risk in performing surgery and scepticism upon the long term patency of the endarterectomized artery. Because of a polymorph character of atherosclerotic process, one should hardly mention some randomized studies able to prove both inconvenience and advantages of the method. Nevertheless, the large sets are known to exist at present which document the benefit of the EAE method from the scope of both immediate and long term results. This method is only efficient under the condition of a perfect technical skill as well as peculiar and total EAE completion. Besides the known \"gas EAE\" and \"manual EAE\" techniques, the authors present a new EAE approach developed by their own using the solution which is injected under tension into the separation layer. The EAE method appeared to be valuable on multiple cardio-surgical centres when correctly indicated and performed including the instantaneous recognition and correction of imminent complications. The authors' experience is in accord with the above conditions."}
{"id": "PMID:1488633", "title": "Evaluation of long-term functional status in first-ever stroke patients in a defined population.", "content": "Medical, social and ADL variables were registered within 48 hours of stroke onset and 6 and 12 months later in 346 first-ever stroke patients. One year after stroke onset 27% of the patients were dead. 78% of the surviving patients were living in their own homes, 10.6% in old people's homes with no medical facilities and 9.5% in nursing homes. A health index was used for ADL evaluation and the quality of life was estimated according to Nottingham Health Profile (NHP). 16% of the patients had domestic social service assistance before stroke onset. The help given by relatives and friends far exceeded that given by the society before as well as after stroke onset. Right hemispheric stroke patients had a worse outcome than left-sided with respect to ADL and life satisfaction."}
{"id": "PMID:1488634", "title": "Psychosocial assessment after traumatic brain injury.", "content": "Psychosocial outcome has been difficult to define, but nevertheless widely reported. More recent studies have demonstrated not only that the long term emotional costs of head injury are enormous for survivor and family members, but the functional consequences in terms of changes in family life, recreational and vocational activities, are great and prolonged. These consequences have more recently become the focus of rehabilitation, with studies demonstrating dramatic improvements in many aspects of productive living, and consequent lifetime cost savings of an enormous amount. The psychosocial deficits matter, they can be the focus of treatment, and the treatment can be successful and cost effective."}
{"id": "PMID:1488635", "title": "Traumatic brain injury crisis intervention and family therapy--management and outcome. Brain Injury Treatment and Research Group.", "content": "This article presents a model for crisis intervention and family therapy after traumatic brain injury. Our program, firmly rooted in object-relations theory and transactional analysis, included patients and family members (significant others) living within 100 miles from the University Hospital of Ume\u00e5. The effects of the interventions were gauged at one and two years after the trauma are presented in terms of agreement/disagreement between the patient and the significant other concerning inter- and intrapersonal relationships as well as through a short case presentation. As a conclusion of our study a point is made to expand the scope of intervention to include also other segments of the social network of the patient."}
{"id": "PMID:1488637", "title": "Late psychosocial outcome in severe traumatic brain injury. Preliminary results of a third follow-up study after 20 years.", "content": "More than 20 years after severe head injury the preliminary results of the present study indicate that the very late psychosocial outcome differed much in the individual subjects. The most decisive negative factors were severely disturbed behaviour and lack of insight. Improvement many years after injury was, however, possible. During the years the relationship between parent(s) and severely head injured sons often became strained. After the first posttraumatic year or two the patient with severe behavioural deficits must be helped to adopt some other type of living."}
{"id": "PMID:1488638", "title": "Subacute brain injury rehabilitation: a program description and a study of staff program evaluation.", "content": "The concept of continuity of care is introduced and briefly discussed. Three aspects of subacute rehabilitation of patients with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) are discussed: the need for differentiated treatment programs, for team integration and emphasis on environmental or milieu factors to accomplish treatment success. The so called Wing Team Model at the TBI Unit at Sunnaas Rehabilitation Hospital is described. In our program the patients are divided in three groups: the North Wing Program, for slow to recover patients, the East Wing program for patients with severe sequelae after TBI and the South Wing Program for ambulatory patients mainly with cognitive sequelae. A questionnaire study of how staff members evaluate certain aspects of the program is presented. The study indicates that the staff members have in general a positive attitude towards the treatment model, but they wish an improved team coordination of the individual programs."}
{"id": "PMID:1488639", "title": "Outpatient management and outcome in relation to work in traumatic brain injury patients.", "content": "This paper reports on a holistic psychosocial rehabilitation program for post-acute brain-injury patients. Methods and rationale are described and follow-up data are reported on a group of patients with regard to return to employment or educational programs. The results generally give grounds for optimism concerning the effectiveness of psychosocial rehabilitation."}
{"id": "PMID:1488640", "title": "Preliminary findings in a study of age, linguistic evolution and quality of life in recovery from aphasia.", "content": "Age has been reported as both a decisive and weak variable in recovery from aphasia. A middle aged group of aphasic subjects (50-64) are compared with an older group (65-80) on linguistic task performance, functional communication and quality of life measures administered at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months post stroke. Preliminary findings do not suggest any age based recovery discrepancies for middle aged versus older aphasic subjects on these measures in the first post stroke year. An hierarchical pattern of severity across aphasia type emerged, with fluent aphasic subjects being the least and global aphasia subjects the most impaired both at the beginning and end of the first post stroke year. There appear to be differences in the schedule of improvement on different measures, which remain to be confirmed in the final analysis of the data."}
{"id": "PMID:1488641", "title": "Assessment of aphasia in relation to communication and cognitive impairments among stroke patients.", "content": "Methods for assessing language impairments differ from those needed for communication problems. The article presents results from three previously published studies by the author and co-workers. It is concluded that information about the impairment and training in compensation should be offered the spouse as well as speech therapy to the patient in order to improve reduced communication due to aphasia. Measures of neuropsychological impairments, communication skills and awareness of deficits should be included as well as tests of linguistic competency if a comprehensive aphasia assessment is sought. The methods described are shown to validly differentiate between aphasic subtypes and neuropsychological syndromes."}
{"id": "PMID:1488642", "title": "Aphasia and its relation to language and thinking. Finding alternative ways for communication.", "content": "A pictorial computerized communication aid for aphasic patients, PicBox, (12) has been developed by a group in Sweden. During the technical and clinical work with the PicBox program we have had the reason and possibility to reflect on the relation between aphasia, language and thinking. From linguistic and neuropsychological research it has been claimed that in aphasia there is often a general cognitive impairment. Preliminary results from three patients' use of PicBox show that aphasic disturbances can, to some extent, be compensated for by pictorial communication, thus indicating an underlying cognitive competence. There are, however, also data indicating a deeper disturbance leading to an inability to fully use alternatives for spoken or written language."}
{"id": "PMID:1488643", "title": "Assessment of stroke.", "content": "Assessment involves firstly identification that a problem exists, and secondly quantification. It is needed for both routine purposes and research. The research purposes--assessment tool--should be valid, reliable, repeatable and sensitive. It is also important that the assessment should be comprehensive--not missing out essential elements. In clinical practice, the use of Check-list may be helpful. In research, formal assessment procedures are required. The precise assessment tools to be used will depend very much on the research question being asked."}
{"id": "PMID:1488644", "title": "Evaluating outcome in stroke rehabilitation (quality control and clinical audit).", "content": "Audit may require information on case-mix, the resources available, the processes undertaken and the outcome. The most important are the first and last. Measures of case-mix relate to severity and prognosis. Measures of outcome relate to disability. Good measures exist. The difficulties are to agree on measures, to collect data routinely and reliably, and to act on the results."}
{"id": "PMID:1488645", "title": "Evaluating young children's cognitive capacities through computer versus hand drawings.", "content": "Young normal and handicapped children, aged 3 to 6 years, were taught to draw a scene of a house, garden and a sky with a computer drawing program that uses icons and is operated by a mouse. The drawings were rated by a team of experts on a 7-category scale. The children's computer- and hand-produced drawings were compared with one another and with results on cognitive, visual and fine motor tests. The computer drawing program made it possible for the children to accurately draw closed shapes, to get instant feedback on the adequacy of the drawing, and to make corrections with ease. It was hypothesized that these features would compensate for the young children's limitations in such cognitive skills, as memory, concentration, planning and accomplishment, as well as their weak motor skills. In addition, it was hypothesized that traditional cognitive ratings of hand drawings may underestimate young children's intellectual ability, because drawing by hand demands motor skills and memory, concentration and planning skills that are more developed than that actually shown by young children. To test the latter hypothesis, the children completed a training program in using a computer to make drawings. The results show that cognitive processes such as planning, analysis and synthesis can be investigated by means of a computer drawing program in a way not possible using traditional pencil and paper drawings. It can be said that the method used here made it possible to measure cognitive abilities \"under the floor\" of what is ordinarily possible by means of traditionally hand drawings."}
{"id": "PMID:1488646", "title": "Irrelevant speech and serial recall: implications for theories of attention and working memory.", "content": "Irrelevant speech markedly impairs serial recall of visually presented lists, even though the person is asked to ignore the speech. In this, the first major review of the phenomenon, we conclude that (i) the effect occurs in memory rather than at encoding; (ii) within memory, the disruption occurs as a result of a confluence of information at the phonological rather than at the articulatory stage of coding; (iii) speech does not have privileged access to memory, since its disruptive effects may be attenuated by habituation; and (iv) disruption occurs as a result of the changing state of the auditory channel, not as had previously been thought the phonological similarity of visual and auditory streams, and is particularly sensitive to pitch changes in both speech and non-speech stimuli. These conclusions are discussed in the light of two complementary theoretical constructs: a cascading filter system responsible for the access of speech to memory and a system of coding within memory sensitive to changing state of the stream responsible for disruption of serial order. Recommendations are made also for empirical work to refine these constructs."}
{"id": "PMID:1488647", "title": "Linear versus normalized T scores as standardized neuropsychological test scores.", "content": "In this paper we present and discuss standardized T score systems for neuropsychological test data. Both linear and normalized T scores were calculated for 141 normal subjects and a group of 141 patients with diffuse or focal brain damage. Many standard neuropsychological tests have skewed raw score and linear T score distributions, and we argue that normalized T scores have practical advantages because they permit simple descriptions of both patient groups and individual test score distributions. We also argue that skewness can be partially explained by ceiling effects and other test construction artefacts and that skewed raw score distributions do not necessarily reflect skewed distributions of the underlying mental abilities. Consequently, use of normalized T scores seems appropriate in many research and clinical contexts."}
{"id": "PMID:1488648", "title": "Hemispheric asymmetry effects in children studied by dichotic listening and visual half-field testing.", "content": "Dichotic listening (DL) and visual half-field (VHF) testing were used to study hemisphere asymmetry in a developmental perspective. Five-, 8-, and 11-year-old children were presented lists of fused words using a DL technique in Experiment 1, and 8- and 11-year-old children were presented pictures of common objects using a VHF technique in Experiment 2. In both experiments, measures of identification, free recall, and recognition of the words/pictures were employed. The results revealed effects of ear input (right-ear advantage) and half-field presentation (right visual half-field advantage) for all age groups, although the magnitude of this lateralization effect differed between the three memory measures. The results are discussed in relation to developmental aspects of language laterality, and in relation to the clinical utility of non-invasive lateralization techniques."}
{"id": "PMID:1488649", "title": "On sensation, perception and thought: a reply to R\u00f6nnberg.", "content": "A traditional partition of cognitive phenomena into sensation, perception and thought is reintroduced in response to recent arguments (R\u00f6nnberg, 1990) for conditions that must be met in order to distinguish between perception and cognition. The suggested division seems grossly compatible with R\u00f6nnberg's basic aim and receives support from several different lines of inquiry, including single cell recordings in the brain, neuropsychology, computational studies of vision and experimental psychology."}
{"id": "PMID:1488650", "title": "What is the optimal dose and duration of treatment with etoposide? I. Maximum tolerated duration of daily treatment with 50, 75, and 100 mg of oral etoposide.", "content": "Because etoposide is a cell-cycle phase-specific drug, its degree of cytotoxicity likely relies on duration of cell exposure to a specific concentration. We investigated the maximum tolerated duration of oral etoposide treatment at doses of 100, 75, and 50 mg/d in previously treated patients with biopsy-proven, advanced cancer. \"Maximum tolerated\" was defined as tumor progression or hematologic toxicity (World Health Organization [WHO] grade > or = 2). The maximum tolerated duration in 19 patients given 100 mg/d was > or = 21 days, since this was the predetermined cutoff point; 3 patients discontinued etoposide because of early tumor progression, and 6 others had developed leukopenia or thrombocytopenia (WHO grade > 2) by day 21. The maximum tolerated duration in 13 patients given 75 mg/d was a median of 11 weeks (range, 2 to 19); 6 patients developed tumor progression and 6 others leukopenia (WHO grade > or = 2) requiring discontinuation of treatment. Ten patients given 50 mg/d tolerated therapy for a median of 13 weeks (range, 3 to 26 weeks); treatment was halted in seven patients because of tumor progression, two because of leukopenia (WHO grade > or = 2), and one because of stomatitis. The data from this study and others suggest that above a certain minimal plasma level, etoposide induces concentration-dependent cumulative toxicity. What remains to be determined is the minimal plasma level per tumor type. It will also be interesting to see whether myelopoiesis, thrombocytopoiesis, and erythropoiesis have differential sensitivity to etoposide, since thrombocytopenia did not occur using daily etoposide doses of 50 and 75 mg, whereas at the same doses 10 of 23 patients required erythrocyte transfusion."}
{"id": "PMID:1488651", "title": "Chronic etoposide schedules in the treatment of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.", "content": "The importance of schedule in the cytotoxic efficacy of etoposide is supported by an increasing amount of clinical data. We studied the efficacy of oral etoposide (50 mg/m2/d x 21 repeated every 28 to 35 days) in the treatment of refractory lymphoma. Twenty-five patients were treated; all had received previous chemotherapy and were considered incurable. Fifteen patients (60%) had partial responses, including five of nine patients who had received previous intravenous etoposide. Median response duration was 8 months in patients with low-grade lymphoma and 3 months in those with intermediate- or high-grade lymphoma. Two patients responded to chronic oral etoposide immediately after disease progression with intravenous etoposide-containing regimens, demonstrating the improved efficacy of the chronic schedule. Single-agent oral etoposide, administered at 50 mg/m2/d for 21 days, provides an effective and convenient treatment option for patients with indolent lymphoma. Incorporation of this schedule into combination regimens for aggressive lymphoma is currently under investigation. In addition, we are exploring schedule modifications that may further decrease toxicity while maintaining efficacy."}
{"id": "PMID:1488652", "title": "Exploring the use of chronic low-dose oral etoposide in ovarian cancer: is there a role for this \"new drug\" in the management of platinum-refractory disease?", "content": "Despite showing high objective response rates (70% to 80%) to cisplatin- or carboplatin-based chemotherapy, most patients with ovarian cancer ultimately die of complications of their disease. Etoposide, given either as a single agent or in combination with the organoplatinum compounds, has produced disappointingly low response rates in the salvage setting. Based on recent data that suggest chronic administration of oral etoposide is superior to single daily dosing every 3 to 4 weeks, and the failure of previous trials to evaluate etoposide's activity in cisplatin-resistant malignancies, we have begun a phase II trial of chronic, low-dose oral etoposide in patients with clinically defined, platinum-resistant ovarian cancer. Thus far, 11 patients have been entered into the study. Neutropenia, the most prevalent toxicity, has precluded several patients from receiving the full 20-day course of 50 mg/d. No responses to treatment have been observed in nine evaluable patients. The study continues to accrue patients. The final results of this study and other trials should help determine the efficacy of chronic low-dose oral etoposide administration in patients with ovarian cancer."}
{"id": "PMID:1488653", "title": "Evaluation of oral etoposide in patients with metastatic gastric carcinoma: a preliminary report.", "content": "In an ongoing trial of oral etoposide in patients with advanced, measurable, previously untreated gastric carcinoma, 18 patients have been registered. The starting dose is 50 mg/m2/d given for 21 days, followed by a rest period of 7 days. Courses are repeated every 28 days. Among 16 evaluable patients, it is too early for response evaluation in two patients and three others have achieved a partial response. Responses have occurred in liver, lymph node, and lung metastases. Tolerance to therapy has been acceptable, with mild granulocytopenia being the most prominent toxicity. The study continues to accrue patients. Our preliminary data suggest that oral etoposide is active against gastric carcinoma. Future studies combining oral etoposide with other active agents would be of interest."}
{"id": "PMID:1488654", "title": "Etoposide in the treatment of hormone-refractory advanced carcinoma of the prostate.", "content": "The leading cause of cancer in males in the United States, prostate cancer accounts for 22% of all new cancers, with 132,000 new cases projected to be diagnosed in 1992. While localized prostate cancer can be cured, up to two thirds of patients present with advanced disease. Androgen deprivation remains the mainstay of treatment for advanced prostate carcinoma. Recurrent disease, however, is invariably refractory to further hormone manipulations. The development of hormone-resistant tumor cells may be explained either by a multi-clones theory, by mutation of previously sensitive tumor cell clones, or, most likely, by both mechanisms. Thus, vigorous efforts are needed to develop nonendocrine treatment approaches. Such efforts have been complicated by the difficulty of assessing therapeutic response in patients with prostate cancer, because the typical metastatic bone lesions seen in these patients are difficult to measure accurately and patients seldom have disease in the lung, lymph nodes, or soft tissue. A variety of single chemotherapeutic agents have been tested against recurrent disease, with widely divergent response rates achieved. Trials of chemohormonal therapy have likewise proved disappointing to date. Preliminary results from an ongoing trial of oral etoposide in patients with recurrent prostate cancer are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1488655", "title": "Reimbursement for oral anticancer drugs.", "content": "Current policies regarding reimbursement for oral anticancer drugs are discussed. Several legislative options that might expand such coverage are reviewed."}
{"id": "PMID:1488656", "title": "Etoposide: seeking the best dose and schedule.", "content": "Etoposide is an important antineoplastic drug. Despite the use of several combination chemotherapy regimens that include etoposide, the best dose and schedule for etoposide remains unknown. The schedule dependency for small cell lung cancer is now known, and it is likely the same for other sensitive neoplasms (ie, lymphoma, germ cell tumors). Recent data suggest that even a more extended schedule of administration (ie, 14 to 21 days) may be more effective than the standard 3- to 5-day schedule. Several studies have assessed plasma levels in reference to dose, schedule, and tumor responsiveness. Preliminary data suggest that high peak levels (ie, > 5 to 10 micrograms/mL) are associated with more severe myelosuppression than lower peak plasma levels (ie, 1 to 3 micrograms/mL). Response rates and survival in small cell lung cancer patients given low daily doses for 14 to 21 days are comparable with results achieved with standard doses given for 3 to 5 days. Preliminary data from several studies suggest that administering low doses for a prolonged schedule is a superior method of etoposide administration. Other studies including randomized comparisons are necessary to confirm these observations."}
{"id": "PMID:1488657", "title": "What is the optimal dose and duration of treatment with etoposide? II. Comparative pharmacokinetic study of three schedules: 1 x 100 mg, 2 x 50 mg, and 4 x 25 mg of oral etoposide daily for 21 days.", "content": "The large interpatient and intrapatient pharmacokinetic variability of oral etoposide is well known. We investigated whether dose fractionation would result in less variability. Fifteen patients (five in each etoposide schedule) were given either 100 mg once daily, 50 mg twice daily, or 25 mg four times daily for 21 days. On days 1, 8, and 15 blood samples were collected during 24 hours to measure plasma etoposide levels. Hematologic toxicity was determined by weekly leukocyte and platelet counts and expressed as the relative decrease in these parameters. Once-daily administration of etoposide 100 mg correlated with a significantly higher peak concentration than was observed with the other two schedules. The mean area under the concentration versus time curve (AUC) and mean time with a plasma etoposide concentration above 1 microgram/mL were similar with the three schedules. Peak plasma concentrations, AUCs, and times with plasma concentration above 1 micrograms/mL correlated significantly with the relative decrease in leukocyte but not platelet counts. Large interpatient and intrapatient variability of pharmacokinetic parameters was observed with all three schedules. These data do not support fractionating a daily 100-mg etoposide dose. Moreover, it does not appear useful to adjust oral etoposide doses based on pharmacokinetic data obtained once during a prolonged treatment period. Finally, adjusting oral etoposide doses based on hematologic toxicity seems advisable to decrease the interpatient variability of etoposide's pharmacokinetics."}
{"id": "PMID:1488662", "title": "Clotest (rapid urease test) in the diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori infection.", "content": "Over a period of 3 months, 85 patients who underwent gastroscopy had antral biopsy taken for Clotest, histology and/or culture for Helicobacter pylori (HP). The sensitivity and specificity of Clotest were found to be 77% and 96% respectively with negative predictive value of 63% and positive predictive value of 98%. Ninety-two percent of the positive Clotests were positive within 20 minutes, thus giving rapid result. Therefore, Clotest is a rapid, sensitive and highly specific test for HP infection. A high correlation between HP infection and chronic gastritis was noted and the prevalence of HP infection in patients with duodenal ulcer (90%) was higher than that of gastric ulcer (64%) or non-ulcer group (65%)."}
{"id": "PMID:1488663", "title": "Evaluation of therapies in the treatment of Helicobacter pylori associated non-ulcer dyspepsia.", "content": "This randomised double blind placebo controlled study evaluated the effectiveness of colloidal bismuth subcitrate (CBS), ampicillin and their combination in the treatment of Helicobacter Pylori in non-ulcer dyspepsia (NUD) and assessed if elimination of this organism is associated with improvement of gastritis and the symptoms. Forty-eight NUD patients with H. pylori and histologic gastritis were randomly allocated to one of the three regimens for 28 days. Symptoms were assessed before and after treatment. Forty-three patients completed the trial. Repeat endoscopy within 48 hours of completing treatment showed suppression of H. pylori in 6 of 7 patients (85.7%) on combined therapy and one of 8 patients (12.5%) on CBS therapy (p = 0.0205). There was no suppression of the bacteria in patients treated with ampicillin. Repeat endoscopy performed 2 weeks after completing treatment showed suppression of H. pylori in 3 of 7 patients (42.9%) on combined therapy and none in the other two groups. Patients on combined therapy who had suppression of H. pylori, 48 hours or 2 weeks after completing treatment were noted to have historical improvement of their gastritis (p = 0.0001 and p = 0.05 respectively). This was also associated with improvement of symptoms in these patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1488664", "title": "Evoked response study among Malaysian multiple sclerosis patients.", "content": "A study of visual evoked potential (VEP), brainstem evoked potential (BAEP) and median nerve somatosensory evoked potential (SSEP) in 26 Malaysian patients with clinically definite Multiple Sclerosis (MS). This study showed an overall high rate of abnormality, with 85% of patients for VEP, 31% for BAEP and 65% for median nerve SSEP. The rate of abnormality was particularly high for patients who were symptomatic, reaching 100% of patients for VEP, 50% of patients in BAEP, 83% of nerves for median nerve SSEP. The rate of abnormality among those who were asymptomatic was lower, varying from 32% of eyes in VEP, 27% of patients in BAEP and 31% of nerves in median nerve SSEP. Three out of 10 patients with optic spinal form of MS have abnormal BAEP. These show the usefulness of the evoked potential studies in confirming the clinical lesions as well as demonstrating subclinical involvement. The rate of abnormal evoked responses for the asymptomatic patients in this study is generally lower than that published elsewhere."}
{"id": "PMID:1488665", "title": "A computerised out-patient medical records programme based on the Summary Time-Oriented Record (STOR) System.", "content": "Advances in microcomputer hardware and software technology have made computerised outpatient medical records practical. We have developed a programme based on the Summary Time-Oriented Record (STOR) system which complements existing paper-based record keeping. The elements of the Problem Oriented Medical Record (POMR) System are displayed in two windows within one screen, namely, the SOAP (Subjective information, Objective information, Assessments and Plans) elements in the Reason For Encounter (RFE) window and the problem list with outcomes in the Problem List (PL) window. Context sensitive child windows display details of plans of management in the RFE window and clinical notes in the PL window. The benefits of such innovations to clinical decision making and practice based research and its medico-legal implications are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1488666", "title": "The prevalence of isolated unconjugated hyperbilirubinaemia (Gilbert's syndrome) in subjects attending a health screening programme in Singapore.", "content": "We retrospectively studied the prevalence of hyperbilirubinaemia in 1,296 consecutive subjects attending a hospital health screening programme over an eighteen-month period. Sixty-four subjects (5%) had elevated bilirubin levels. Forty-one subjects (3.2%) had isolated unconjugated hyperbilirubinaemia. These subjects probably had Gilbert's syndrome. Recognition of this common benign condition is important to avoid unnecessary investigations."}
{"id": "PMID:1488667", "title": "Choices and preferences in asthma management.", "content": "We conducted a questionnaire survey of the management of asthma among doctors in Singapore to determine the trend and range of prescribing habits. Standardised questionnaires were sent to 3,153 medical practitioners registered with the Singapore Medical Council. The overall response rate was 25.3% (797 out of 3,153 doctors). The data were grouped and analysed according to one of 4 respondent-defined groups: (1) non-specialist general practitioners (NS-GP); (2) non-specialists (house officers, medical officers and specialist-in-training) who worked in MOH hospitals (NSMOH); (3) chest specialists; (4) non-respiratory specialists. Patients tended to underestimate the severity of their disease. Inhaled or nebulised beta-agonist was the treatment of choice for acute severe asthma in adults and children for all 4 groups of respondents. In the maintenance treatment for chronic asthma, inhaled and oral beta-agonists and oral theophylline were the mainstay of treatment for adults and children. Nocturnal asthma was similarly treated. The use of inhaled steroids was variably conservative and was reserved for situations where bronchodilators proved inadequate."}
{"id": "PMID:1488668", "title": "Resuscitation of the small baby--is there a limit?", "content": "Innovations in perinatal care in the last decade, in particular delivery room resuscitations and advanced technologies have probably contributed greatly to improved survival of the small newborns. As a result, progressively smaller and less mature infants are being resuscitated; but some survive with severe neurodevelopmental handicap. There should be guidelines about the lower limits of viability below which no resuscitation should be done. It is the view of many that resuscitation of critically ill small babies should be initiated at birth. Further management will be decided depending on the baby's progress and response. Clinicians have to look into the question of withdrawal of life support in small babies who survive with impairment and chronic illnesses."}
{"id": "PMID:1488669", "title": "Streptococcal pharyngitis in a primary care clinic.", "content": "A study to determine the sensitivity and specificity of the Directogen Group A Streptococcal Test was carried out in a primary care clinic in University Hospital, Kuala Lumpur. The study also looked at the prevalence of streptococcal pharyngitis in the clinic. We found that the rapid test has a sensitivity of 90.9% and a specificity of 90.7%. Viral pharyngitis is the commonest form (63%) of pharyngitis followed by Group A Beta haemolytic streptococcal pharyngitis (14.2%). The presence of exudates, tonsillar enlargement and the presence of tender cervical lymph nodes have a significantly higher association with streptococcal pharyngitis."}
{"id": "PMID:1488670", "title": "Inguinal bubo: problems in diagnosis.", "content": "Two of the four patients with tropical venereal diseases underwent incision and drainage of the inguinal bubo resulting in discharging sinus before they were referred to the Skin Clinic. Clinical diagnosis was made in all four but could not be confirmed. With appropriate therapy resolution was achieved without complications. The difficulties in arriving at and establishing the diagnosis are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1488671", "title": "Sphenoid mucocele: detection and surgery by intranasal endoscopy.", "content": "Sphenoid sinus mucoceles are uncommon and difficult to diagnose clinically owing to the inaccessibility of the sphenoid sinus to clinical examination. A case of infected sphenoid mucocele in which the patient complained of chronic sore throat and in which routine intranasal endoscopy contributed significantly to the diagnosis is presented. The pathology of mucocele and endoscopic sinus surgery as the treatment for sphenoid sinus mucocele is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1488672", "title": "Ranitidine and sodium citrate as prophylaxis against acid aspiration syndrome in obstetric patients undergoing caesarean section.", "content": "The efficacy of a single oral dose of 0.3M of sodium citrate alone as a prophylaxis against acid aspiration syndrome in obstetric patients undergoing LSCS (elective and emergency) was compared with that of intravenous ranitidine. One group of patients was given 30 ml of 0.3M sodium citrate orally just before the induction of anaesthesia while the other group was given 50mg of ranitidine intravenously together with the 30ml of 0.3M sodium citrate. This was done for both the elective and the emergency groups of patients. There was no significant difference in the mean pH of the gastric aspirate obtained from those given sodium citrate alone and those given sodium citrate and ranitidine in either the elective or the emergency group. However, in the emergency group, those who were given sodium citrate alone tend to have a larger volume of gastric aspiration when compared with those given ranitidine together with the sodium citrate. There were significantly more patients with gastric aspirates of more than 25ml in the emergency group to which sodium citrate alone was given. It would appear that supplementing an intravenous dose of ranitidine with the oral dose of sodium citrate is useful in emergency LSCS as a prophylaxis against acid aspiration syndrome."}
{"id": "PMID:1488673", "title": "Comminuted intra-articular fracture of the distal radius--results of early open reduction and internal fixation.", "content": "Comminuted intra-articular fracture of the distal radius remains a challenging problem. This article reviews the results of 15 consecutive cases which were treated with open reduction and internal fixation with T-plate after failing to achieve articular congruency with closed reduction. The follow-up ranges from 20 months to 28 months. In thirteen cases, articular congruency was restored. However, 4 of these 13 cases later lost some of the articular congruency. This suggests the need for supplementary bone grafting. Reduction of the extra-articular portion of distal radius was generally well maintained. There was an average of 2.4 mm loss in styloid height, an increase of 1.2 mm in ulnar variance and loss of 12.5 degrees of volar tilt. Seven patients (46%) were completely pain-free, with the remaining 8 patients (53%) experiencing mild pain associated with forceful activities involving the wrist. All patients achieved a functional range of motion. Grip strength averaged 81% of the uninjured side. Of the 12 patients who were engaged in active employment, 10 returned to their previous job within 4 months of injury (average 8.5 weeks). The only complication in this series was the development of reflex sympathetic dystrophy in a 68-year-old housewife. We recommend open reduction and internal fixation if closed reduction fails to achieve articular congruency in comminuted distal radius fractures."}
{"id": "PMID:1488674", "title": "Submucous resection for deviated nasal septum: a critical appraisal.", "content": "Submucous resection (SMR) for the deviated nasal septum had been criticised to have a higher complication rate and less patient satisfaction than septoplasty. Seventy-five patients who underwent SMR were studied and followed up at 6 months to 56 months post-operatively. The rates of short and long term complications were relatively low: septal haematoma 1.3%, nasal infection 1.3%, epistaxis 2.6%, external nasal deformity 9.3% and septal perforation 2.7%. While most patients achieved short term relief of nasal obstruction (93.4%), about 30% had persistent/recurrent nasal obstruction on long term follow-up. Similar rates had been quoted for the operation of septoplasty. We postulated that this was due to unfavourable airflow patterns as a result of minor residual septal deviation. Some patients had associated pre-operative symptoms of snoring (57.3%), headache (48.0%), rhinorrhoea (38.7%), sneezing (30.7%), hyposmia (30.7%) and epistaxis (21.3%). Frequencies of cure/improvement of these symptoms after SMR were 34.9%, 33.3%, 24.1%, 30.4%, 60.9% and 43.8% respectively. The overall post-operative long term (average 23.5 months) satisfaction rate was almost 70%. SMR, being relatively easy to perform, and having similar complication and patient satisfaction rates as septoplasty, should be retained in the surgical armamentarium for the deviated nasal septum."}
{"id": "PMID:1488675", "title": "Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty in acute cardiogenic shock: an overview of the current strategy with a case illustration.", "content": "Cardiogenic shock from severe left ventricular dysfunction remains the most common cause of death in patients with acute myocardial infarction despite the advent of inotropic agents and intra-aortic balloon support. Lytic agents have not convincingly reduced mortality when administered in a shock scenario. Recently, observational studies have demonstrated survival benefit when mechanical revascularisation, particularly balloon angioplasty, is performed early in such patients. In this article, we report a case of an extensive anterior myocardial infarction with cardiogenic shock who underwent successful acute balloon angioplasty and prolonged intracoronary thrombolysis and use it to illustrate the current evolving interventional approach in the treatment of such a complex clinical syndrome."}
{"id": "PMID:1488676", "title": "The mental diseases hospital, Singapore (the first 100 years)--a short history (Part III).", "content": "This article (in four parts) traces the history of the first four Mental Hospitals built in Singapore, which were occupied in 1840, 1861, 1887 and 1928. The management of the patients is described; also their lives and deaths. Mention is also made of the doctors and others who looked after them."}
{"id": "PMID:1488677", "title": "Treatment strategies in rheumatoid arthritis.", "content": "Intervention therapies in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are directed at the immune dysregulation and chronic inflammatory events in the joint. An ideal therapeutic program would rapidly control inflammation, prevent joint damage and preserve function. The various strategies of treatment involve the use of disease-modifying anti-rheumatic agents (DMARDs) either singly or in combination. Gold salts, penicillamine, sulphasalazine, methotrexate and hydroxychloroquine are used when NSAIDs fail to control inflammation. RA not only decreases the functional disability but the life-span of patients. The traditional pyramid strategy which uses single DMARDs consecutively has been found to be inadequate and slow in suppressing joint inflammation. Hence the race to find treatment regimes and strategies that will favourably alter the outcome of RA patients. Both the \"step-down bridge\" approach and saw-tooth strategy have been advocated in the attempt to break the progression of joint disease. None of the known regimes can be said to be most beneficial and least toxic."}
{"id": "PMID:1488678", "title": "Helping patients to think better: cognitive therapy for individuals and couples.", "content": "A system of psychotherapy called cognitive therapy, emphasising that mood disorders are affected by distortions in thinking about self, the future and the world, has been found useful in the treatment of diverse neurotic disorders. Helping the patient restructure his thinking by examining such distortions and correcting them would be a vital process in the prevention or recovery of mood disturbances. Applications of cognitive therapy in depression, panic disorder, hypochondriasis and marital distress are described in this article."}
{"id": "PMID:1488679", "title": "Treatment of neurotic disorders.", "content": "Neurotic disorders are commonly encountered in psychiatric outpatient clinics. Treatment of the commoner conditions like the anxiety states, depressive, obsessive-compulsive, hypochondrical and phobic neuroses will be described. This includes general supportive measures, pharmacological, cognitive, behavioural and psychodynamic approaches."}
{"id": "PMID:1488681", "title": "An unusual injury to the mediastinum--case report.", "content": "A six-year-old boy sustained an accidental penetrating missile injury to his chest. Imaging studies revealed a metallic foreign body lodged between the pulmonary infundibulum and the right atrium of the heart. No cardiovascular compromise was produced. Surgical exploration was not required. The foreign body remained stable and non-migratory over a 16-month follow-up period."}
{"id": "PMID:1488683", "title": "Renal angiomyolipoma--a case report.", "content": "Renal angiomyolipoma is a benign tumour of the kidney which is often mistaken for a renal cell carcinoma resulting in an unnecessary nephrectomy. It can be diagnosed preoperatively and managed conservatively without surgery. Large symptomatic renal angiomyolipomas can often be treated by renal-sparing surgery. We report a case of a large renal angiomyolipoma diagnosed preoperatively and excised completely with preservation of the kidney."}
{"id": "PMID:1488684", "title": "The prevalence of schizophrenia in relatives of schizophrenic patients.", "content": "This study examines the prevalence of schizophrenia in 871 first-degree relatives of schizophrenic probands (N = 121) and 658 first-degree relatives of age-matched controls. The controls (N = 126) were medical inpatients referred for psychiatric opinion in a general hospital. Diagnoses in the probands fulfilled the ICD criteria for schizophrenic psychoses. Information on the relatives were obtained from enquiry of the family history and the hospital case records. The prevalence of schizophrenia in first-degree relatives of schizophrenic probands was 22 times that of the medical controls (6.8% versus 0.3%) (p < 0.05). The result supports the observation that schizophrenia is a familial disorder."}
{"id": "PMID:1488688", "title": "Clinical trials of mefloquine with tetracycline.", "content": "A comparative trial of the combination of mefloquine or MSP with tetracycline was carried out in fifty-one adult Thai male patients with acute falciparum malaria. The patients were randomized to receive either the combination of tetracycline (250 mg qid for 7 days) with mefloquine 4 tablets (1,000 mg) or with MSP 4 tablets (one tablet contains 250 mg mefloquine, 500 mg sulfadoxine and 25 mg pyrimethamine). Fifty patients had a complete 28-day follow-up period. Both regimens produced similar efficacy with no difference in adverse effects. In the mefloquine plus tetracycline group, the cure rate was 72% (18/25). One patient had an RIII response, the others showed initial response to the treatment with FCT and PCT of 40.7 +/- 27.4 and 76.2 +/- 34.2 hours (mean +/- SD) respectively. However, 6 patients developed recrudescence between days 17 and 29 (RI), 3 of these had vomiting. In the MSP plus tetracycline group, the cure rate was 76% (19/25). The means (+/- SD) of FCT and PCT were 44.7 +/- 38.0 and 80.6 +/- 25.0 hours, respectively. Six patients had recrudescence between days 17 and 31 (RI), 2 of these had vomiting. Although the addition of tetracycline improved the cure rate of mefloquine when compared with standard dose of mefloquine alone (3 tablets), these combinations seem to be useful in areas where alternative drugs are not available."}
{"id": "PMID:1488689", "title": "Malariometric survey in Keoudom District, Laos: sensitivity of Plasmodium falciparum to anti-malarials and automedication with chloroquine.", "content": "A malariometric survey was conducted in the Keoudom District, in the northern part of Vientiane Province, Laos, where an artificial dam-lake on the Nam River is located. The parasite rate of the whole cohort representing 1,105 subjects was 2.44% with the predominance of Plasmodium vivax (70%), while P. falciparum represented 30% with the average parasite density index 3. The low spleen rate (2.3%) characterized the study area as a hypoendemic zone. IFAT antibodies were examined in 419 subjects. The seropositivity of 195 persons < 15 years was 13.7% while in > 15 year old subjects seropositivity was 61.6% with a low GMRT in both groups (140:148). Automedication with aminoquinoline was assayed by urinary analysis in 125 outpatients. Of these, 36 (28.8%) were positive, 89 (71.2%) negative. The frequency of positive blood films for P. falciparum was higher in subjects with aminoquinoline in the urine (36.1%) than in those without (10.1%). Chloroquine sensitivity assay of 15 strains of P. falciparum displayed resistance in 39.3%."}
{"id": "PMID:1488690", "title": "Decrease of malaria morbidity with community participation in central Java.", "content": "Malaria is still a problem in Java-Bali, although the Malaria Eradication Program started in the 1950's. In the First National Five Year Development Plan it was changed to the Malaria Control Program with the aim to reduce the morbidity and mortality rates through surveillance and spraying interventions using the primary health care approach. In 1984 in Central Java there were malaria areas with an average annual parasite incidence (API) between 1 and 7.5 promille covering about six million population, nearly one third of the population of Central Java. In this study an intervention alternative was carried out with weekly chloroquine prophylaxis to children below 10 years of age in 3 malaria areas of central Java, namely the villages Bedono Kluwung and Kalikutes in Purworejo Regency and Pablengan in Karang Anyar Regency. Health education about malaria with a learning module was conducted by key persons as an element of community participation. The activities of the key persons increased the ongoing surveillance. After one and a half years intervention (July 1985-February 1987) the spleen rates, parasite rates and fever cases dropped to nearly zero in the three study villages. From the results of this study it was recommended that in a malaria risk area with an API of more than 1 promille, intervention with collective chloroquine protection to children below 10 years of age could reduce the API to 1 promille or less. This intervention should be carried out if there is an increase of cases in the area to prevent small outbreaks.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1488691", "title": "Behavior of people with respect to malaria in endemic areas with different levels of malaria transmission.", "content": "The present survey was carried out in two villages of the same malaria endemicity but different levels of transmission in Lamae District, Chumphon Province, southern Thailand with the aim to study whether behavior of people to malaria was similar or not. The total populations in low (village 11) and high (village 13) transmission areas were surveyed twice during low (February 1990) and high (June 1990) transmission periods. All subjects were interviewed by trained interviewers using a structured interview form. Among 410 and 614 people in villages 11 and 13, respectively, it was revealed that during the low transmission period behavior related to chemoprophylaxis and use of bed nets was similar in both villages, whereas risk behavior of night work was significantly higher in village 11 than village 13. This was likely due to their different principal occupations: farming of rubber plantation in village 11 and of coffee plantation in village 13. Concerning pattern of seeking malaria treatment, the malaria clinic and the district hospital were the common places attended by people in both villages. During the second survey in high transmission period, a cohort of 277 in village 11 and 430 in village 13 were available for follow up to study changes in their behavior between low and high transmission seasons. There were significant decrements related to night work and significant increments related to bed net use in both villages."}
{"id": "PMID:1488692", "title": "Molecular cloning of Plasmodium falciparum blood stage antigens and application of the recombinant proteins in serodiagnosis.", "content": "A Plasmodium falciparum genomic DNA library was established in the expression vector lambda gt11, cloned in Escherichia coli. The library was screened with human hyperimmune sera by in situ hybridization. Twenty clones expressing P. falciparum sequences as polypeptides fused to beta-galactosidase were identified. One, CD3A/9025/60, reacted with all immune sera and expressed polypeptides that were larger than beta-galactosidase as well as reacting with antibodies to beta-galactosidase and to P. falciparum. When the fusion proteins were used as target antigens to diagnose malaria antibodies, a result was obtained which correlated well with indirect fluorescence assay."}
{"id": "PMID:1488693", "title": "Practical uses of acridine orange fluorescence microscopy of centrifuged blood (QBC Malaria Test) and the QBCII Hematology System in patients attending malaria clinics in Thailand.", "content": "We evaluated the detection of malaria parasites using acridine orange fluorescence microscopy of centrifuged blood (AOFM/CB or \"QBC Malaria Test\") at two government malaria clinics in rural Thailand. In a subgroup of the patients, a QBC Hematology System for the determination of complete blood counts was also utilized. A Giemsa-stained thick smear (GTS) reading of 100 (1,000x) microscopic fields was used as standard. The AOFM/CB sensitivities were 97% overall and 95% for P. falciparum (Pf). Sensitivity was lower for P. vivax (Pv) (76%). Pv sensitivity depended largely on ameboid form density. A threshold for AOFM/CB to consistently detect Pv ameboid forms was estimated to be 10/100 WBC (700/microliters blood). AOFM/CB was capable of detecting Pf gametocytes and schizonts more frequently than GTS. The total Pf rings per microliter blood estimated from GTS was highly correlated with the number of Pf rings per Paralens microscopic field (PMF) suggesting that AOFM/CB could be used quantitatively. From a technical standpoint, the rural tropical settings of Thailand in this study were not an obstacle to the use of QBC Hematology. The system was found to be useful in conjunction with AOFM/CB. However, in patients heavily infected with Pf gametocytes of Pv ameboid forms, their total WBC and lymphocyte counts needed to be appropriately corrected. Overall, AOFM/CB appears to be a promising tool for field diagnosis of malaria if it is affordable to developing countries."}
{"id": "PMID:1488694", "title": "Control study of oral rehydration solution (ORS)/ORS + dioctahedral smectite in hospitalized Thai infants with acute secretory diarrhea.", "content": "Dioctahedral smectite, a non systemic antidiarrheal agent, is mucoprotective and absorbs enterotoxins and rotavirus as demonstrated in animal models. Smectite has been successfully used in various countries in children and adults with acute diarrhea. This study was to assess the efficiency of smectite associated with rehydration in infants with acute secretory diarrhea. Sixty-two hospitalized Thai infants, aged 1-24 months, with acute secretory diarrhea were randomly divided into 2 groups receiving (1) oral rehydration solution (ORS) (30 cases), (2) ORS and Smectite (3.6 g/day) (32 cases). Both groups were comparable for age, weight, nutritional status and duration of symptoms before treatment. All 62 infants received lactose free formula and chicken rice soup as the standard diet. Stool frequency, weight change and duration of diarrhea were recorded. The mean duration of diarrhea was 84.7 +/- 48.5 hours in group 1, and 43.3 +/- 25.1 hours in group 2 (p = 0.005). The number of infants with diarrhea was significantly lower in group 2 on Day 1 (p < 0.01) and Day 3 (p = 0.001); furthermore 27% of infants in group 1 and 3% in group 2 had still diarrhea on Day 5. The stool frequency and weight changes were not statistically different in the two groups. No major side effects were observed except two cases of vomiting and hardened stools. It is concluded that (1) Smectite shortens the course of acute secretory diarrhea in Thai infants; (2) smectite may reduce the occurrence of prolonged diarrhea; furthermore (3) in our study dioctahedral smectite was found to be safe in children aged 1 to 24 months."}
{"id": "PMID:1488695", "title": "Assessment of the effectiveness of oral rehydration therapy against severe diarrheal dehydration.", "content": "A hospital based case-control study for assessing the effectiveness of oral rehydration therapy (ORT) preparation against severe dehydration due to diarrhea was conducted at the Infectious Diseases Hospital, Jakarta, Indonesia. A total of 202 children aged 24 months or less who attending the hospital were suffering from acute watery diarrhea were recruited in the study. Those who were severely dehydrated as assessed by WHO criteria were accounted as cases; those who were non-severely dehydrated were accounted as controls. There were 59 cases and 143 controls. A questionnaire was used to interview all study subjects' mothers about ORT usage and various risk factors. Mothers who used ORT were asked to show how they prepared either oral rehydration solution (ORS) or sugar salt solution (SSS). Effectiveness of ORT against severe diarrheal dehydration was based on the formula for assessment of vaccine efficacy by using the odds ratio (OR). With the use of the logistic regression method, an adjusted OR was obtained after controlling various confounders. The effectiveness of ORT against severe diarrheal dehydration was 72.1% for proper ORT preparation and was decreased to 63.2% when ORT was improperly prepared."}
{"id": "PMID:1488696", "title": "Rice-powder salt solution in the treatment of acute diarrhea in young children.", "content": "Dehydration is the most common cause of death in diarrheal patients. Early oral rehydration therapy (ORT) can prevent or reverse dehydration from diarrhea in almost almost all cases. Shortages of oral rehydration salt (ORS) packets in certain areas remain a major problem of the Diarrheal Diseases Control Program of Thailand. To find an effective solution that can be prepared locally, a randomized trial of oral rehydration solutions was conducted. A rice-powder salt solution containing rice-power 30 g/l and salt 3.5 g/l (RPSS) was evaluated in a group (n = 23) of infants and young children aged between 4 months and 5 years with mild or moderate dehydration from acute watery diarrhea, and the results were compared with those who received WHO recommended glucose electrolyte solution (WHO-ORS) (n = 21), and glycine supplemented WHO-ORS (G-ORS) (n = 20). The efficacies of WHO ORS and G-ORS were found to be similar. The RPSS was found to be more effective than WHO-ORS and G-ORS as shown by a significantly lower stool frequency, lower rate of stool output, a significantly shorter duration of diarrhea, and a smaller intake of rehydration fluid. Promotion of the effective rice-salt solution could increase early implementation of ORT in many rural communities."}
{"id": "PMID:1488697", "title": "Intestinal capillariasis: a cause of chronic diarrhea and hypoalbuminemia.", "content": "Seventeen cases of intestinal capillariasis in Srinagarind Hospital, Khon Kaen University, Thailand were reviewed. The mean age was 40.41 years with a range from 21 to 69 years. Most cases had intermittent or continuous voluminous watery diarrhea for one month to three years with hypoalbuminemia. Borborygmi, vague abdominal pain, weight loss and pedal edema were significant associated symptoms. Fecal examination was the most useful for diagnosis by finding the Capillaria philippinensis ova in all cases. Mebendazole 400 mg per day for 20 to 28 days is the treatment of choice. Usually, relapse and death are unusual, inadequate treatment is a major factor."}
{"id": "PMID:1488699", "title": "An intervention model for breast feeding in Maharat Nakhon Ratchasima Hospital.", "content": "To promote breast feeding and/or prevent further decline of adverse infant feeding practices, we developed an integrated comprehensive breast feeding promotion program, and implemented it in Maharat Nakhon Ratchasima Hospital in 1987. The program provided sound knowledge and attitudes toward breast feeding to all mothers at the Antenatal Care Unit, delivery room, the Postnatal Care Unit, and the Outpatient Department. The program activities included early bonding, assistance with initiation of breast feeding, rooming-in, provision of a breast feeding corner in the special care unit, collecting breast milk for sick babies, a lactation clinic and home visits. The impact of the program was evaluated in 1992. Altogether 1,428 mothers were interviewed using structured questionnaires. The results were highly encouraging. A majority of the mothers were of low socioeconomic status, 60 percent of them worked outside the home, and 40 percent were housewives. Compared with baseline data reported in 1986, breast feeding in infants aged 0 to one month increased from 85 to 90 percent, and the practice in the nine- to 12-month old group increased from 39 to 47 percent. However, the acute drop of the practice from 90 percent at birth to 50 percent at the one- to two-month old stage observed was similar in the two studies. The main reasons given by mothers for prematurely stopping breast feeding were the mothers' working outside the home (46%), and insufficient milk (23%). Provision of breast feeding education, along with improved maternal nutrition, extension of maternity leave, and availability of nurseries at the work place, may sustain a longer period of breast feeding."}
{"id": "PMID:1488700", "title": "Detection of filarial antigen using antibodies raised against Wuchereria bancrofti microfilarial SDS soluble antigen.", "content": "Polyclonal antibodies raised in mouse ascitic fluid against Wuchereria bancrofti microfilarial antigens (Wb Mf SDS S Ag) were studied for their diagnostic use in bancroftian filariasis using a dip stick, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. In sandwich ELISA, 100% of microfilaremic sera (30 out of 30) 53% of acute filarial sera (7/13), 40% of subacute filarial sera (6 out of 15), 13% of chronic filarial sera (2/15) and 20% of endemic area normal sera (3/15) showed the presence of filarial antigen. Determination of filarial antigen titer in microfilaremic sera showed an apparent positive correlation between microfilarial density and antigen titer. The antibody raised against Wb Mf SDS S Ag was found to be cross reactive with phosphorylcholine epitopes. The filarial antigen detected by anti Wb Mf SDS S Ag antibodies in sandwich ELISA is possibly associated with the active stage (microfilaremia) of infection."}
{"id": "PMID:1488701", "title": "Determination of insecticide susceptibility in Culex quinquefasciatus Say adults by rapid enzyme microassays.", "content": "Rapid enzyme microassays for the detection of resistance due to organophosphate and carbamate in individual field-collected strains of Culex quinquefasciatus adults were conducted. These tests allowed accurate differentiation by eye, on the basis of color changes of susceptible and resistant individuals. Two separate tests were conducted for the biochemical assays. In the insensitive acetylcholinesterase (AChE) test, acetylthiocholine iodide (ACTH) and 5,5-dithiobis-(2-nitrobenzoic acid) (DTNB) were used as substrate and coupling agent respectively. The resulting yellow chromophore indicated AChE activity. Test results showed that the color intensity decreased as increasing concentrations of propoxur were added, thereby confirming the susceptibility of the enzyme to inhibitor. Assay of non-specific esterase however, indicated elevated levels which were correlated with degree of malathion resistance. Electrophoretic data revealed the presence of 2 esterase bands in all strains. It was concluded that such a pattern was not contributory to malathion resistance in adults."}
{"id": "PMID:1488702", "title": "Evaluation of EMD vaporizers and bioallethrin vaporizing mats against mosquito vectors.", "content": "Different Electric-Mat-Device (EMD) vaporizers and bioallethrin impregnated mats were evaluated for the knockdown and mortality in the adults of Culex quinquefasciatus, Anopheles stephensi and Aedes aegypti. Percentage knockdown of 80-100 was recorded throughout the test period of 11 hours. However, the percentage mortality observed was not appreciable in all types of EMD vaporizers. Device \"A\" was found to be effective only against Ae. aegypti. Devices \"C\" and \"D\" showed moderate effects against An. stephensi and Ae. aegypti. Only device \"B\" was found to give appreciable mortality in all three vector mosquito species compared to other devices which may be attributed to the uniform release rate (2 mg/hour) of bioallethrin."}
{"id": "PMID:1488703", "title": "Anopheline mosquitos of northwest coastal Malaysia.", "content": "Collections of adult anopheline mosquitos were made from a cow-baited trap in nine coastal villages located along nearly 160km of northwest peninsular Malaysia. Two collections, separated by 1.5 to 6 months, were made at each site. Nearly 6,000 anophelines of 19 species were collected. The dominant species were Anopheles peditaeniatus. An. sinensis, An. subpictus and An. lesteri paraliae. Small numbers of the malaria vectors An. maculatus (at one site) and An. campestris (at four sites) were collected, but no An. sundaicus were recorded."}
{"id": "PMID:1488704", "title": "Identification of bloodmeals of phlebotomine sandflies using the agarose gel diffusion method.", "content": "The source of blood meal of wild caught Phlebotomid sandflies collected in areas around Pondicherry was identified using an agarose gel diffusion method. A total of 497 blood samples obtained from freshly engorged Phlebotomid sandflies were tested. Of these 66.8% were positive to human antisera, 29.2% to bovine antisera and the remaining 4.0% to avain antisera. The human blood indices of P. papatasi and P. argentipes were 0.91 and 0.04, respectively."}
{"id": "PMID:1488706", "title": "Seroprevalence of Toxocara canis antibodies among Orang Asli (aborigines) in Peninsular Malaysia.", "content": "An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay using excretory-secretory antigens of the second stage larvae maintained in vitro was used to determine the seroprevalence of Toxocara antibodies in Orang Asli (aborigines) of Peninsular Malaysia. The mean + 3 SD optical density of 30 healthy subjects was used as the cut-off point. Overall prevalence was found to be 31.9%. No significant relationship was found between positive rates with sex and age groups, though children between 0 to 9 years recorded the highest positive rates. Eosinophil counts were found to be closely related to the proportion of positivity to toxocaral infection and mean optical densities. There was some degree of cross-reaction with Trichuris trichuria positive sera."}
{"id": "PMID:1488707", "title": "Risk factors for severe measles.", "content": "A retrospective study on measles was carried out in 522 children admitted to the Department of Pediatrics, Sumber Waras Hospital, Jakarta during the period of January 1982-December 1986. Most of the subjects (91.1%) came from lower socio-economic levels, living in unfavorable environmental conditions in crowded housing. The predominant age group was 2-5 years; complications were observed in 82.6% and mortality in 10.3%. The most common complications and cause of deaths were bronchopneumonia (94.4%), encephalopathy (88.9%) and diarrhea (25.9%) or combinations thereof. The outcome of measles infections is determined by the presence of malnutrition and complications which is influenced by the nutritional intake, exposure, susceptibility and constitution of the patients. The household characteristics (socio-economic, socio-cultural and health facilities available) influence the above mentioned interactions through intermediate variables of nutrition (feeding pattern, food supplements), constitution, age) and treatment. Research and intervention on measles can be designed and planned based on this model of interactions."}
{"id": "PMID:1488708", "title": "Hantaanvirus among urban rats from a slum area in Bangkok.", "content": "A total of 106 rodents sera from slum Wat Phai Ton and slum Klong Toey were examined by immunofluorescent antibody assay during May to August 1990. The positive sera were further tested by plaque reduction neutralization test with the prototype hantaanvirus and the rat-associated hantaan like virus. Isolation attempts were also performed from their tissues. Antibody-positive rats were found in both slum areas, 32.7% in slum Wat Phai Ton and 5.6% in slum Klong Toey. Rattus norvegicus was the major species found positive. Positive plaque reduction neutralization results indicated that the infecting virus was antigenically similar to the strain of rat-associated hantaanvirus. The presence of low titer antibodies (IFA titer 32 to 128) may be an obstacle to isolation of associated virus using tissue culture."}
{"id": "PMID:1488709", "title": "Intracranial complications of chronic suppurative otitis media.", "content": "Twenty-nine patients with chronic suppurative otitis media with intracranial complications are reviewed. The complications occurred predominantly in young patients with a mean age of 17 years. The most common complication was brain abscess (n = 20). The others were meningitis (n = 3), subdural abscess (n = 3), perisinus abscess (n = 2) and otitic intracranial hypertension (n = 1). The common pathogens were Gram-negative bacilli, especially Proteus and anaerobic organisms, respectively. The mortality rate was 7%."}
{"id": "PMID:1488710", "title": "Clinical evaluation of fleroxacin in the treatment of bone and joint infections.", "content": "The objective of this open label, non-comparative study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of fleroxacin 400mg administered orally once daily to patients with acute osteomyelitis and/or acute septic arthritis. Nineteen patients (10 males and 9 females) were evaluable for the analysis of clinical efficacy and safety. Of these, 7 (36.8%) had osteomyelitis and 12 (63.2%) had septic arthritis. Bacteriological cures were reported in 6 of 7 patients (85.7%) with osteomyelitis and in 8 of 11 patients (72.7%) with septic arthritis. The median duration of treatment for the clinical cures in osteomyelitis and septic arthritis were 29.5 days and 46 days respectively. The eradication rate for the most common pathogens, Salmonella enteritidis and Staphylococcus aureus were 77.7% and 80.0%, respectively. The clinical response was cure in 4 of 7 patients (57.1%) evaluable for osteomyelitis, and in 9 of 12 patients (75.0%) evaluable for septic arthritis at the three-month follow-up after treatment. Adverse reactions were minimal. It is concluded that fleroxacin appears to be an effective and safe in the treatment of acute osteomyelitis and acute septic arthritis."}
{"id": "PMID:1488711", "title": "Characteristics of Pasteurella multocida isolated from humans, swine and poultry in Thailand.", "content": "Pasteurella multocida is a pathogen of animals and humans. Most of the patients have been associated with animals but many cases had not contacted them. The failure to diagnose P. multocida infections is mostly due to misidentification on gram stained smears and inadequate laboratory identification techniques. In order to compile detailed characteristics of the organism we studied the physical and biochemical properties of 70 isolates of P. multocida - 17 human, 23 swine and 30 poultry. All isolates produced catalase, oxydase, indol, nitrate reduction and ornithine decarboxylase. They failed to produce urease, gelatinase, methyl red, acetoin and could not grow on MacConkey agar, SS-agar, in nutrient broth with 0% or 6% NaCl. With respect to fermentable sugars, all isolates consistantly produced acid from glucose, mannitol and mannose. None of the cultures fermented lactose, maltose and dulcitol. Marked variations in the patterns of fermentation of arabinose and xylose were found. The characteristics tested are important to facilitate identification of P. multocida but could not be used to differentiate the host of the bacterium."}
{"id": "PMID:1488724", "title": "Smoking cessation interventions by family physicians in Texas.", "content": "A survey of 1,292 family physicians in Texas indicates that most of them (99%) ask patients about their smoking behavior. Fewer physicians, however, participate in further activities recommended by the National Cancer Institute: arranging follow-up visits, providing self-help materials, prescribing nicotine gum, engaging patients in discussion, referring patients to a program for smoking cessation, and involving other office personnel in counseling. Almost 80% of the respondents cited such obstacles to their involvement in counseling/advising patients as patient attitudes or patient preferences for smoking. The survey was conducted to acquire baseline data on the involvement of family physicians in Texas in counseling their patients who smoke and the obstacles they meet in their efforts."}
{"id": "PMID:1488725", "title": "Dicyclomine for medical management of persistent anal fissure with associated spasm of the internal sphincter.", "content": "The case of a 43-year-old woman with persistent anal fissure responsive to dicyclomine is described. Associated spasm of the internal sphincter had precluded fissure healing. The spasm of the internal sphincter relaxed within 24 hours of dicyclomine administration and subsequently allowed healing. Surgery was avoided."}
{"id": "PMID:1488730", "title": "[Family stress for parents of girls with precocious puberty].", "content": "This study addresses whether precocious puberty influences the child-rearing practices of parents. Three patients groups, girls with idiopathic precocious puberty, with premature thelarche and with premature pubarche were studied. These groups were compared with each other, and with reference groups of 'normal' school children and children referred for asthma or referred for behavioural problems. The results showed that the parents of the total group of patients did not experience more family stress and did not appraise their child-rearing situation as being more problematic than that of parents of normal school children, and they had significantly fewer problems than the parents of children referred for asthma of for behavioural problems. Within the group results suggested that parents of girls with premature pubarche experienced more family stress than those of the two other groups. Parents reported specific physical and educational concerns about their daughters. Therefore we recommend that specific attention should be given through a programme of relevant information."}
{"id": "PMID:1488731", "title": "[Parents' experiences in a pediatric intensive care unit].", "content": "In this paper an account is given of a research on how parents experience and react to their child's treatment in the Intensive Care Unit of the Academic Medical Centre of Amsterdam. The purpose of this research was to gain insight into how this period influenced parents and to make an inventory of the problems parents were being confronted with. Parents play a fundamental role in supporting their child which is not easy on an ICU because of the unknown and frightening environment. One of the reasons why this kind of study has been done into a descriptive/exploring style is because such research is practically new in the Netherlands. The main results will be described and some recommendations will be made how to improve the quality of the guidance of the parents on an ICU."}
{"id": "PMID:1488732", "title": "[Behavior characteristics of 10-year-old ex-neonatal intensive care patients].", "content": "Subject of study was the analysis of behavioral characteristics of 51 10-year-old ex-NICU patients at home and at school. Parental assessment of child behavior proved not to differ from the normative data. Teachers however reported more problematic behaviors, particularly with regard to the introverted behavior in boys. On the basis of these findings one can conclude that the prognosis for this patient group is better than expected. A plea is made for future research to focus on factors that will facilitate a more favorable behavior development."}
{"id": "PMID:1488733", "title": "[Care for brothers and sisters of crib death children. Evaluation of a support project as an alternative to home monitoring].", "content": "A pilot-study was carried out on support measures chosen by 40 families having a subsequent child after their experience with a cot-death infant. Cardio-respiratory monitors were used in one group and weighing scales in the other. General support measures given to both groups included the keeping of symptom charts and weekly visits by health-nurses. Parents who used a home-monitor relied upon the medical-technical approach of the problem, while parents using scales were mainly given confidence by the personal attention of the health-nurse. Monitor-parents more often called the paediatrician for advice than parents using weighing-scales. Especially parents who used weighing-scales commented on the great value of the symptom diary and the weekly home-visit of the health-nurse."}
{"id": "PMID:1488734", "title": "[Pneumothorax in premature neonates with hyaline membrane disease: risk factors and consequences].", "content": "Analysis of risk factors and consequences of a pneumothorax in ventilated preterm neonates with hyaline membrane disease (HMD). In 88 neonates with HMD (gestational age 29.7 +/- 2.5 weeks, birth weight 1370 +/- 510 gram) clinical parameters as grade of HMD, ventilator settings, the administration of sedative and/or paralysing drugs, and the occurrence of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) had been studied retrospectively to assess possible risk factors for a pneumothorax. The effects of a pneumothorax on neuromotor development and the occurrence of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) were also studied. Newborns with signs of infection were excluded. A pneumothorax occurred in 25 of the 88 (28%) ventilated infants with HMD. The other 63 newborns formed the control group. The grade of HMD was similar for both groups. The ventilator settings (max. frequency, max. inspiratory pressure and max. inspiratory time) before the occurrence of a pneumothorax or up to the third day of life were not significantly different between the groups. Interstitial emphysema occurred more often in the pneumothorax group (32% re 2%, P < 0.01). Eleven of the 25 (44%) with a pneumothorax died compared to 8 of the 63 (13%) infants without a pneumothorax (p < 0.05). Neuro-development differed not significantly between both groups. BPD was seen more frequently after pneumothorax than in the control group 79% re 47% (p < 0.05, Chi2-test). A pneumothorax results in an increased mortality and incidence of BPD. Interstitial emphysema occurred more often in the pneumothorax group. None of the other variables studies could be assigned as a risk factor for a pneumothorax."}
{"id": "PMID:1488735", "title": "[Carrier detection in cystic fibrosis. Various illustrative examples].", "content": "Until 1989 carrier detection in families with cystic fibrosis (CF) took place by means of linkage analysis with polymorphic DNA markers. This is an indirect method to demonstrate carriership. For linkage analysis it is often essential that there is patient material available. Since the identification of the CF gene, direct DNA analysis of the most frequent CF mutations is possible. This allows direct demonstration of carriership by means of DNA analysis in the majority of cases, without the necessity always to investigate family members. Carriership detection of persons not related to CF patients, for example partners of CF carriers, is with this method also possible. In cases where none of the frequent CF mutations can be found, linkage analysis may still prove helpful. In this article we demonstrate some clinical examples of carrier investigation."}
{"id": "PMID:1488736", "title": "[Gaucher's disease in childhood: presentation and treatment].", "content": "M. Gaucher is a lysosomal storage disorder. Patients present with hepatosplenomegaly or with complaints of the bones. Clinically 3 subtypes can be distinguished; the 'adult' type I is most frequent found. On the basis of 10 case histories the presentation in childhood is reported. Only recently treatment with enzyme replacement therapy became available. The possibilities for the treatment of M. Gaucher are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1488738", "title": "[Nutrition pumps in pediatrics: a comparative study].", "content": "Home enteral nutrition as the sole or as an additional way of feeding children is becoming increasingly popular. It can be used in the form of bolus-feeding, or as drip-feeding, either continuous (24 hours) or semicontinuous (nightly). For the latter method usually a feeding pump is used. In the Netherlands several feeding pumps are available, which were tested in this report. These feeding pumps (Compat, Enteroport, Flexiflo Companion, Flocare 500, Frenta Mat, Frenta-System II, Kangaroo 324, Nutromat P\u00e4d S, Nutromat S) were investigated for accuracy, available rate-settings, adequate alarming at interruption of the drip feeding, weight and ease of operation. All pumps were tested stationary, and suitable pumps weighing less than 1000 grams were subsequently tested ambulatory. The nine tested pumps were all fairly easy to operate. Three pumps were not suitable for pediatric use, either because the infusion rate was more than 30% out of range (Flexiflo Companion) or because of inadequate rate settings (Nutromat S and Frentasystem II; respectively 20 and 25 ml/hour minimally). Accuracy for the other pumps was always within 10% of the set rate. One pump, the Enteroport, has a rate setting which is suboptimal for pediatric use. In addition this pump does not alarm when the drip feeding is interrupted. The other pumps (Compat, Frenta Mat, Kangaroo 324, Flocare 500, and Nutramat P\u00e4d S) are all suitable for pediatric use, both with respect to the rate settings as to the adequate alarming when the drip feeding is interrupted. The Flocare 500 and the Nutromat P\u00e4d S, in addition to the Enteroport, have a weight below 1000 grams.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1488739", "title": "Efficiency of grain production and latent image fading in F-18 micro-autoradiography.", "content": "In 18F micro-autoradiography using a frozen section method, the grain production was measured relative to the exposure time and radioactivity. The grain production increased until 6-hr exposure, but 7-hr or longer exposure induced a characteristic of latent image fading. However, the ratios of the efficiency of grain production between two different 18F-radioactivities (11.9 and 2.3 mBq/100 microns2) were constant over experimental exposure times, thus indicating that quantitative analysis by grain counting is preserved."}
{"id": "PMID:1488740", "title": "An endocrinological study of persistent pubertal macromastia.", "content": "We performed an endocrinological study on three males with persistent pubertal macromastia. The blood testosterone (T) level in these patients was either elevated or at the upper normal limit, estrone (E1) and estradiol (E2) levels were high, and T/E1 and T/E2 ratios were decreased. Persistence of low T/E1 and T/E2 ratios was thought to be the cause of the macromastia. Results of therapy using drugs (cyproterone acetate, tamoxifen citrate, danazol, and clomiphene citrate) were unsatisfactory. Persistent pubertal macromastia is an extreme condition of physiological pubertal gynecomastia, a transient phenomenon in more than half of pubertal males. It is a pathological condition characterized by a great degree of breast enlargement and abnormal endocrinological findings, and its clinical course and treatment are different from those of physiological pubertal gynecomastia."}
{"id": "PMID:1488741", "title": "Is there any effect of volcanic eruptions of Mount Sakurajima on canine lungs exposed naturally?--Morphometric analysis of intrapulmonary particulate deposit amount and histopathological investigations.", "content": "In order to see whether any effect of inhalation of volcanic ash and gases from Mt. Sakurajima on canine lungs is observed or not, we examined the amount of intrapulmonary particulate deposits (IPD) and histopathological changes. Twenty-five abandoned or stray dogs (group A) in the areas affected enormously by volcanic ash and gases were examined in comparison with 13 abandoned or stray dogs (group B) in the area scarcely influenced. The amount of IPD was measured by using an image analyzer combined with a microscope. Age-associated increase of IPD values was noted, but mean IPD values were not different between groups A and B. Incidence of goblet cell hyperplasia was not different between the two groups. In none of the cases examined, squamous metaplasia of respiratory epithelia, pulmonary fibrosis, silicotic nodules, emphysematous change, or histopathological findings, which are indicative of bronchial asthma, were observed. In conclusion, obvious effect of volcanic eruption on canine lungs was not observed through both the measurement of IPD value and the histopathological evaluation."}
{"id": "PMID:1488742", "title": "Experimental tracheal allotransplantation using omentopexy: histological process of rejection reaction without immunosuppression.", "content": "A large defect in the thoracic trachea was produced by resecting 10 rings of tracheal cartilage in each of 11 adult mongrel dogs. An allograft of the five tracheal rings was interposed in this site via end-to-end anastomosis and then wrapped with the pedicled omental flap. These animals received no immunosuppressive therapy. The pseudostratified tracheal epithelia were remained and the graft revascularization through the omental pedicle proved to be established within about one week after surgery without immunosuppression. Marked mononuclear cell infiltration was observed beneath the epithelia and around the capillaries in the subepithelial layer over one week after surgery, which was followed by phagocytosis of the tracheal cartilages by macrophages. After the completion of rejection reaction, inflammation finally induced scarring or necrosis of the tracheal allograft, resulting in asphyxia or perforation. Only one animal survived 71 days after surgery without graft trouble. However, even in this animal, weak rejection reaction was observed microscopically and the structure of the graft was not that of the normal trachea. We think these results suggest that allotransplantation of trachea induces rejection, and therefore, that the use of immunosuppressants is necessary."}
{"id": "PMID:1488743", "title": "Cytologic assessment of peroperative pleural effusion and prognosis in lung cancer patients who underwent resection.", "content": "Twenty-five of 108 lung cancer patients who underwent resection had cytologically positive pleural effusions. The rate at which cancer cells were detected was not related to the amount of the effusion. Almost one third of patients with cancer cells in effusion were alive at the end of the third postoperative year, provided that the pleura itself was free of metastasis at the time of operation. Correlation of the cytologically positive rate of pleural effusion (Y) with the degree of pleural metastasis (X1), the degree of pleural involvement (X2), or the degree of nodal involvement (X3) was analyzed using the Hayashi's quantification method type I. The multiple correlation coefficient was 0.843. Partial correlation coefficients of X1, X2, and X3 were 0.733, 0.446, and 0.653, respectively. Pleural metastasis had the strongest effect on the cytologically positive rate of pleural effusion."}
{"id": "PMID:1488744", "title": "Lung cancer in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.", "content": "We investigated lung cancer in 99 patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Lung cancer was found in 31 (31.3%) of 99 patients with IPF. Most (87.9%) tumors, including squamous cell carcinoma, were observed in the peripheral region of the lung, whereas the distribution of histologic types of cancers was similar to that seen in ordinary lung cancer. Peripheral tumors were frequently seen in the lower lobe, where fibrotic shadow was prominent. However, the severity of fibrosis was not related with the prevalence or histologic type of lung cancer. Two-thirds of IPF patients having a smoking history of over 40 years developed lung cancer. When compared with nonsmoking IPF control subjects, the relative risk of smoking in IPF patients was 3.5, identical with that reported for smokers in the general population. We suggest that smoking in patients with IPF is an additive risk factor for the development of lung cancer. We also speculate that the high prevalence of peripheral squamous cell carcinoma might be associated with cigarette smoking."}
{"id": "PMID:1488745", "title": "Tissue distribution of 125I-labeled fetal thyroid hormone in nude mice xenografted with Ewing sarcoma.", "content": "Biodistribution of fetal thyroid hormone (RT3) was studied in nude mice with Ewing's sarcoma xenografts. At 30 min and 1, 2, 4, 8, and 12 hr after injection, blood, tumor and normal organs were measured to determine the amount of radioactivity per gram of tissue. The amount of radioactivity in the blood of tumor-bearing mice decreased sharply from 7.64% of injected dose per gram of tissue (% ID/g) at 30 min after inoculation to 0.45%/ID/g at 12 hr. The % of injected dose per gram for 125I-labeled RT3 in the tumor reached 1.92 at 1 hr after injection and decreased to 0.22 at 12 hr. The radiolocalization indices for tumor to other organs at 12 hr ranged from 1.35 to 4.43. This study suggests increased localization of RT3 in the Ewing's sarcoma as compared to other tissues in the nude mouse."}
{"id": "PMID:1488746", "title": "Mutations of p53 gene in human colorectal tumor in Japan: molecular epidemiological aspects.", "content": "Effects of environmental carcinogens on DNA can be detected, because, while each carcinogenic agent is inherently different, its corresponding \"fingerprint\" is unique to a specific mutation pattern. The p53 tumor suppressor gene is of particular interest because the relationship between environmental factors and genetic alterations of carcinogenesis can be investigated. In this report, we compared the mutation patterns of the p53 gene in human colorectal tumors from Japanese patients with those from US patients. The results show different rates of transversion and transition among these two populations, which suggests a difference between Japan and the US in the etiological factors underlying colorectal tumorigenesis."}
{"id": "PMID:1488747", "title": "Quantitative investigations of placental terminal villi in maternal diabetes mellitus by scanning and transmission electron microscopy.", "content": "The structure of the terminal villi was observed in placentae from non-diabetic mothers and mothers with diabetes mellitus using scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The metabolic condition of maternal diabetes was tightly controlled. In the diabetic group, the diameter of the terminal villi was significantly smaller than in the control group. The ramification pattern of villi, classified into hypo-, moderate- and hyper-ramifications, was shown to be mostly moderate in the non-diabetics whereas most of the diabetic placentae had either hypo- or hyper-ramifications. Mothers with a longer duration of diabetes and complicated with retinopathy tended to have hypo-ramification; in these mothers, the weight of the neonates was significantly less than normal. Moreover, in the diabetic placentae, syncytial knots were found more frequently, the percentage of vasculo-syncytial membranes tended to be lower, and the trophoblastic basement membrane was significantly thicker than in the control. These abnormalities in the diabetic placentae were independent of the methods of delivery; they seem to be related with fetal growth retardation and poor neonatal outcome, which are commonly seen in diabetic pregnancy."}
{"id": "PMID:1488748", "title": "Photocontact dermatitis due to piroxicam: photopatch testing.", "content": "I report a case of photocontact dermatitis due to piroxicam gel, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug. A 62-year-old man developed pruritic eczematous lesions after applying the gel for 2 days. The patient reacted positively to photopatch testing with ultraviolet A and piroxicam (1% and 0.1% in petrolatum). In addition, the patient had positive patch tests to thimerosal, thiosalicylate, and in vitro-irradiated solution of piroxicam plus human serum albumin, but the tests with the mercurial compounds were negative. These results support the close relationship between sensitivity to thiosalicylate component of thimerosal and photosensitivity to piroxicam, as indicated recently."}
{"id": "PMID:1488749", "title": "Effects of long-term running on lymphocyte subpopulations.", "content": "Thirteen healthy members (11 males and 2 females; mean age 19.8 years) of an athletic club underwent a long-term exercise program (five 8-km runnings per week for 40 weeks) as regular training for their club. The circulating lymphocyte number, T lymphocyte percentage, and OKT4/OKT8 ratio did not change through the 40-week training period. However, suppressor/inducer (Leu3a+Leu8+) and suppressor T cells (Leu2a+Leu15+) significantly increased. In contrast, helper (Leu3a+Leu8-) and cytotoxic T cells (Leu2a+Leu15-) significantly decreased. On the other hand, there was no change in three males (mean age 18.7 years) without the long-term exercise program. These results suggest that long-term running may induce some change in lymphocyte subpopulations."}
{"id": "PMID:1488750", "title": "Relation between fetal blood gas levels and the outcome of babies in severe preeclampsia.", "content": "The purpose of this study is to ascertain that fetal blood gas values obtained by cordocentesis could be a clinical standard to decide whether or not we should terminate pregnancy and switch to exutero salvage for avoiding hypoxic damage. Fetal blood sampling was performed 38 times in 36 cases of severe preeclampsia. The relation between fetal blood gas values and the prognosis of the baby was statistically examined. Six of 36 fetuses of severe preeclampsia died prenatally or postnatally. There were significant differences in delta-values (difference from the normal mean value in each gestational week) of pO2, pCO2, and pH between survivors and non-survivors. delta pO2 value is most reliable to predict fetal prognosis. Since conventional fetal evaluation methods such as fetal heart rate monitoring are unreliable in the early gestational period, fetal gas evaluation is preferable to decide further intervention."}
{"id": "PMID:1488751", "title": "Insulin releasing action of N-terminal peptides of glucagon in dogs.", "content": "The relationship between the molecular structure and insulin releasing action of glucagon remains unknown. In order to investigate the direct action of N-terminal peptides of glucagon, glucagon (1-14), and glucagon (1-21) were studied using an in situ local circulation of the canine pancreas. These glucagon fragments as well as glucagon (1-29) were infused into the superior pancreaticoduodenal artery in a dose of 400 pmol for 10 min during the glucose or arginine infusion, and plasma insulin and glucagon in the superior pancreaticoduodenal vein were determined by radioimmunoassay. During the glucose infusion, glucagon (1-14) elicited a slight increase in plasma insulin, whereas glucagon (1-21) and (1-29) revealed significant changes in plasma insulin. In these experiments plasma glucagon did not change significantly following the administration of glucagon (1-14) or (1-21). During the arginine infusion all of the glucagon fragments studied enhanced insulin secretion markedly, whereas glucagon secretion was not affected. Furthermore, graded doses of glucagon (1-14) (50, 150, and 400 pmol) elicited an increase in plasma insulin in a dose-related manner. It is concluded from the present study that the N-terminal peptides of glucagon stimulate insulin release especially during the arginine infusion."}
{"id": "PMID:1488752", "title": "Anti-LFA-1 antibody treatment of a patient with steroid-resistant severe graft-versus-host disease.", "content": "For treatment of steroid-resistant severe graft-versus-host disease, a murine monoclonal antibody (25.3) against the alpha chain (CD11a) of the lymphocyte function-associated antigen 1 (LFA-1) was infused into a patient with posthepatitic aplastic anemia who had undergone allogeneic bone marrow transplantation. The monoclonal antibody infusion was well tolerated and resulted in appreciable improvement in symptoms of gastrointestinal illness such as diarrhea and abdominal pain, suggesting that this antibody may be useful for controlling severe acute graft-versus-host disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1488753", "title": "Effects of brief physical exercise on the concentrations of immunoreactive superoxide dismutase isoenzymes in human plasma.", "content": "Effects of cycle ergometer exercise (approximately 75% VO2max for 15 min) on the concentrations of immunoreactive Mn- and CuZn-superoxide dismutases (SOD) in plasma were studied on 10 male students. During the experimental period, Mn-SOD concentration did not vary substantially. On the other hand, CuZn-SOD concentration decreased markedly at 15 min and 24 hr after the exercise; that is, CuZn-SOD appeared to differ virtually from Mn-SOD in recovery pattern."}
{"id": "PMID:1488754", "title": "Combination of conventional and endotoxin-specific limulus tests for measurement of polysaccharides in sera of rabbits with experimental systemic candidiasis.", "content": "Factor G, the coagulation enzyme from limulus amebocytes, is activated by (1-->3)-beta-D-glucan but not by endotoxin. The endotoxin-specific limulus test, which is devoid of factor G, reacts only with endotoxin. However, the conventional limulus test which includes factors G and C, reacts with not only endotoxin but also with (1-->3)-beta-D-glucan. In this study, the culture supernatant of Candida albicans in RPMI medium activated the conventional limulus test, but not the endotoxin-specific limulus test. All five rabbits inoculated intravenously with Candida albicans (1.0 x 10(7) CFU/rabbit) showed increased levels of reactivity with the conventional limulus test, whereas no elevation in the levels of the endotoxin-specific limulus test was observed in the sera of any infected rabbits. Only one serum sample from rabbit No. 5 on day 8 showed a positive Cand-tectest. The difference in the titers of the two limulus tests was suggestive of a diagnosis of Candida infection."}
{"id": "PMID:1488755", "title": "Recovery of impaired motor function of the upper extremity after stroke.", "content": "Manual function score (MFS) of 174 hemiparetic stroke patients was examined every week for 8 weeks after starting the occupational therapy with programs based on MFS recovery profile, and the relation between the time since stroke onset (x) and MFS (y) was approximated by a hyperbolic function, y = A - B/x. The patients were classified into two groups, 125 cases (71.8%) with statistically significant fit of the function (fit group) and 49 without fit (non-fit). Using demographic and neurological variables of each patient, characteristics of the patients with regular recovery were analyzed. The results indicated that the gain of MFS during 8 weeks of the therapy was large in the fit group compared to the non-fit, and the regular recovery could be mostly expected in rather young patients, those with early start of the therapy, and those without ataxia, mental deterioration, and cortical lesions."}
{"id": "PMID:1488756", "title": "Postremission therapy without prednisolone improves survival in adults with acute leukemia.", "content": "This prospective randomized clinical trial was to clarify whether postremission therapy without prednisolone (PSL) was more effective than therapy with PSL in improving the 5-year survival of adults with acute leukemia. Thirty consecutive adult patients with newly achieved complete remission were randomized to receive postremission therapy either with or without PSL between September 1985 and September 1988. The patients ranged from 16 to 57 years in age. Patients treated without PSL had a significantly better 5-year survival rate than those receiving PSL according to Kaplan-Meier analysis (53.5% vs 15.3%, p < 0.05). In the group treated without PSL, eight out of 15 patients were alive at 72 months, and seven patients maintained their first complete remission at 72 months. Among patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) who were treated without PSL the median duration of remission was 24 months, and the survival rate at 72 months was 50.0%. On the other hand, the median survival was only 13 months for the 5 patients with ALL treated with PSL. Thus, it is desirable that adults with acute leukemia are treated by postremission therapy without PSL."}
{"id": "PMID:1488757", "title": "Analytical examination of oxidized free and esterified 7-ketocholesterol and related oxysterols in human plasma incubated with copper.", "content": "Oxygenated derivatives of cholesterol (oxysterols) have been demonstrated to possess a wide variety of biological properties and evaluated for their abilities to inhibit cholesterol biosynthesis. We investigated a method to analyze copper-catalyzed oxidation products of human plasma cholesterol. Free and esterified oxysterols produced were mainly 7-ketocholesterol, and small amounts of 7 beta-hydroxycholesterol and 5, 6 alpha-epoxy-cholesterol were also identified. Quantitatively, the sterol nucleus of ester was less susceptible to oxidation than that of the free form. This finding suggested that the cholesterol nucleus of ester form was more resistant against oxidative stress than free form. Additionally we demonstrated that the addition of probucol, a powerful antioxidant used clinically to lower blood cholesterol, inhibited this copper-catalyzed oxidation of cholesterol."}
{"id": "PMID:1488758", "title": "Simulation of the profile of water, NaCl, and urea transport in the countercurrent multiplication system between thin ascending limb and inner medullary collecting duct.", "content": "We simulated the profiles of water, NaCl, and urea transport in the countercurrent multiplication system between thin ascending limb (TAL) and inner medullary collecting duct (IMCD) by a mathematical model consisting of three compartments (TAL, IMCD, and CNW [capillary network]), using phenomenological coefficients for hamsters. They are separated by two membranes with distinct permeability properties. The primary driving force which generates \"single effect\" has a lower reflection coefficient for urea than for NaCl in IMCD. The difference in urea and NaCl concentrations between CNW and IMCD provides an effective osmotic driving force which is favorable for water absorption from IMCD without physicochemical osmotic gradient. The entry of water in the CNW reduces the concentration in CNW and generates the concentration gradients which are favorable for these solutes to diffuse out of TAL. Thus, the fluid in IMCD is concentrated and that in TAL is diluted. The results of simulation showed that the concentration gradients were generated along the medullary axis, resulting in excretion of hypertonic urine. In addition, we examined effects of changes in phenomenological coefficients of IMCD on this concentrating system. Decreases in permeability and in reflection coefficient for urea and increase in hydraulic conductivity increased the osmotic gradients along each compartment."}
{"id": "PMID:1488759", "title": "Coarse to fine hair conversion induced by zinc in C57/6J mice.", "content": "The cytotoxic effects of excessive zinc is well documented but its effect on cytodifferentiation appears relatively unknown. We show here that chronic administration (25 days) of zinc chloride in C57/6J mice (11 to 56 micrograms/g body weight, 5 times per week), which was lower than the in vitro cytotoxic level, caused a loss of long coarse hairs, which were replaced by short fine (vello) hairs. Histological architecture of the skin appeared normal except for the confinement of hair follicles to the dermis without any extension into the hypodermis."}
{"id": "PMID:1488760", "title": "Structural and functional properties of snake venom prothrombin activators.", "content": "In this review we have summarized the current knowledge about the prothrombin activating principles present in the venom of a large number of different snake species. It appears that snake venom prothrombin activators can be classified into four different groups based on their structural properties and on their functional properties in prothrombin activation. Group I activators efficiently convert prothrombin into meizothrombin and their activity is not influenced by the non-enzymatic cofactors of the prothrombinase complex (CaCl2, factor Va and phospholipid). Group II and III activators can cleave both peptide bonds in prothrombin necessary to convert prothrombin into thrombin. The prothrombin-converting activity of Group II activators is strongly stimulated by phospholipids and factor Va in the presence of CaCl2, whereas the activity of group III activators is only stimulated by CaCl2 and phospholipid. Group IV consists of snake venom proteases which do not convert prothrombin into enzymatically active products but cleave peptide bonds in prothrombin, resulting in the formation of inactive precursor forms of thrombin."}
{"id": "PMID:1488761", "title": "Occurrence of tetrodotoxin-binding high molecular weight substances in the body fluid of shore crab (Hemigrapsus sanguineus).", "content": "The shore crab (Hemigrapsus sanguineus) is highly resistant to tetrodotoxin (TTX) although it contains no detectable amount of TTX (less than 5 MU/g, where 1 MU is defined as the amount of TTX killing a 20 g mouse in 30 min). Its body fluid was examined for neutralizing effects against the lethal activity of TTX. When the mixture of the body fluid and TTX was injected i.p. into mice, the lethal activity of TTX was significantly reduced; 1 ml of the body fluid was evaluated to neutralize 3.6-4.0 MU of TTX. Higher neutralizing activity (7.2-12.5 MU/ml of the body fluid) was exhibited by i.v. administration of the body fluid into mice before or after i.p. challenge of TTX. The lethal effect of paralytic shellfish poisons was not counteracted by the body fluid. Analysis by gel filtration on Sepharose 6B revealed that the body fluid contained TTX-binding high mol. wt substances (> 2,000,000) responsible for the neutralizing activity of the body fluid against TTX, which accounts for the high resistibility of the crab to TTX. When the crude toxin extracted from the liver of puffer (Takifugu niphobles) was mixed with the body fluid and chromatographed on Sepharose 6B, almost pure TTX was obtained from the fractions containing the TTX-binding high mol. wt substances, suggesting that the TTX-binding high mol. wt substances could be useful in purification of TTX from biological samples."}
{"id": "PMID:1488762", "title": "Toxin composition of resting cysts of Alexandrium tamarense (Dinophyceae).", "content": "Paralytic shellfish toxin composition in the resting cysts of the dinoflagellate Alexandrium tamarense was investigated by means of high performance liquid chromatography. A comparison was made between cysts collected from ship ballast tank sediments, natural population of motile vegetative cells collected from the area where ballast water was taken, as well as cultured vegetative cells established from the cysts and the natural plankton bloom. Total toxin concentration of the cysts (595 fmole/cell) was six-fold higher than that of the natural population of vegetative cells. They contained the same ten toxic components but in different relative abundances. The higher proportion of 11-alpha-hydroxysulfate epimers in the cysts suggests that the biosynthesis of toxins is halted at an early stage in cyst formation."}
{"id": "PMID:1488763", "title": "An assessment of potential chemoprotectant activity against ricin toxicity by mechanism based glycosidase inhibitors in macrophage J744A.1 cell cultures.", "content": "The abilities of potential chemoprotectants to inhibit cytotoxicity of ricin have been determined in vitro, using the macrophage cell line J744A.1. Six compounds were tested: alpha- and beta-galactopyranosylamine; N-bromoacetyl-alpha-D-galactopyranosylamine; N-bromoacetyl-beta-D-galactopyranosylamine; N-bromoacetylglucopyranosylamine; and N-bromoacetylmannopyranosylamine. Of the six compounds which were tested, only N-bromoacetyl-alpha-D-galactopyranosylamine and N-bromoacetyl-beta-D-galactopyranosylamine exhibited significant activity against ricin toxicity, as indicated by the release of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST). The alpha-isomer provided greater protection against ricin toxicity and also exhibited less inherent cytotoxicity in the absence of ricin, as compared to the beta-isomer. Neither the alpha- and beta-galactopyranosylamines nor the glucose and mannose analogs were promising as potential chemoprotectants."}
{"id": "PMID:1488764", "title": "Inhibition of norepinephrine secretion from digitonin permeabilized PC12 cells by botulinum type D toxin.", "content": "Botulinum type D neurotoxin inhibited Ca(2+)-evoked norepinephrine secretion in digitonin permeabilized PC12 cells. Inhibition by the toxin required prior incubation with dithiothreitol (DTT). The inhibition was dependent on both concentration and incubation times of the toxin, and was affected by Ca2+ concentration. With less than 0.7 microM Ca2+ almost complete inhibition was observed; however, above 0.7 microM, Ca2+ stimulated additional norepinephrine release in a dose-dependent manner."}
{"id": "PMID:1488765", "title": "Pyrularia thionin increases arachidonate liberation and prolactin and growth hormone release from anterior pituitary cells.", "content": "Pyrularia thionin is a 47 amino acid peptide isolated from the nuts of Pyrularia pubera. This peptide does not have intrinsic phospholipase A2 activity, but it increases the liberation of arachidonate from several tissues. Exposure of anterior pituitary cells to this toxin increases the liberation of arachidonate, increases the cellular levels of lysophospholipids, and decreases cellular phospholipids. Thus, phospholipase A2 is involved in the liberation of arachidonate stimulated by this peptide. Because this toxin also increases stearate liberation from the pituitary cells, either diacylglycerol lipase, phospholipase A1 or lysophospholipase may be directly or indirectly activated by this toxin. In addition to increasing fatty acid liberation, Pyrularia thionin increases the release of prolactin and growth hormone from anterior pituitary cells over the identical concentration ranges that this toxin liberates the fatty acids. Pyrularia thionin increased arachidonate liberation and prolactin release from perifused pituitary cells within 2 min, and following withdrawal of the toxin, arachidonate liberation and prolactin release returned to near basal levels within 6 min. Dopamine, a physiological inhibitor of prolactin release that closes calcium channels, decreased prolactin release stimulated by Pyrularia thionin. However, dopamine had no effect on the arachidonate liberation stimulated by this peptide. Similarly, D-600, an organic calcium channel blocker, decreased the prolactin and growth hormone release stimulated by the toxin without affecting the toxin-stimulated arachidonate liberation. Therefore, Pyrularia thionin increases arachidonate liberation through the rapid activation of phospholipase A2 by a mechanism that is not dependent on calcium uptake via D-600-inhibitable calcium channels. In contrast, the prolactin and growth hormone release stimulated by this toxin requires calcium uptake via D-600 inhibitable calcium channels."}
{"id": "PMID:1488766", "title": "Analysis of Acanthurus triostegus for marine toxins by the stick enzyme immunoassay and mouse bioassay.", "content": "The herbivorous convict tang or surgeon fish, Acanthurus triostegus, collected at different locations in the Hawaiian islands, was analyzed for toxicity using a mouse bioassay and a stick enzyme immunoassay (S-EIA) developed to detect ciguatoxin and closely related polyethers. Results of the S-EIA test indicated that about 94% of the samples gave negative readings, while 6% of the fish were positive and thus considered toxic. Fish samples from each location were pooled and the flesh and viscera were successively extracted with hexane, methanol, and water and tested in a mouse bioassay. About one-third of the methanol soluble fractions killed mice within 20 min, 70% killed within 4 hr, and 85% killed within 48 hr. About 40% of the hexane-soluble fractions killed mice within 24 hr and 55% killed within 48 hr. The water-soluble extracts of the flesh and viscera of fish taken from three locations showed relatively high toxicity. Common symptoms for all fractions included convulsions and jumping (especially just prior to death), respiratory distress, hind leg to complete paralysis, loss of body tone, and tremors. Analysis of the data suggests that in the flesh and viscera of A. triostegus there are at least three different nervous system-type toxins, most of which did not appear to react to the S-EIA test."}
{"id": "PMID:1488767", "title": "Effect of oral Saccharomyces boulardii treatment on the activity of Clostridium difficile toxins in mouse digestive tract.", "content": "Human antibiotic-associated diarrhoea and pseudomembranous colitis are partly due to toxin production by Clostridium difficile. It is now well documented that Saccharomyces boulardii protects against C. difficile induced diseases. In an attempt to understand better the mechanism of this protective effect, the action of S. boulardii on a crude toxin preparation was studied in vitro and in vivo. The results showed that the yeast had no effect on the toxins in vitro but was able to protect mice inoculated with these toxins. Furthermore, the observation by scanning electron microscopy that the mucosa of S. boulardii protected mice was not damaged suggest that the yeast mainly acts on the intestinal mucosa."}
{"id": "PMID:1488768", "title": "Neutralization of different activities of venoms from nine species of Bothrops snakes by Bothrops jararaca antivenom.", "content": "Antivenoms are the usual treatment in cases of systemic envenoming by Bothrops snakes. However, the neutralization of each venom component by the antivenom is not well established. Bothrops jararaca antivenom, produced in rabbits, recognizes the venoms of nine different Bothrops species with high ELISA antibody titres. Western blot analysis showed that almost all antigens present on both homologous and heterologous venoms are recognized. Neutralization tests were performed using whole antivenom or its IgG fraction. The antivenom was able to neutralize the haemorrhagic, coagulant and necrotizing activities of the heterologous venoms in the same antivenom/venom proportion as for the homologous venom. Myotoxic activity was only partially neutralized. Neutralization of the proteolytic activity of heterologous venoms required higher amounts of antivenom than for the homologous venom. Phospholipase and oedema-inducing activities were completely neutralized only in the homologous system."}
{"id": "PMID:1488769", "title": "Toxic activities of venoms from nine Bothrops species and their correlation with lethality and necrosis.", "content": "The comparison of seven toxic activities contained in venoms from nine different species of Bothrops and the correlation of each activity with lethality and necrosis was the subject of this study. The haemorrhagic, coagulant, necrotizing, myotoxic, proteolytic and phospholipase activities were not equally distributed among the venoms studied except for the oedema-inducing activity which was almost equally distributed among them. The correlation coefficient was estimated for each activity in relation to lethality and necrosis induced by the venom. Lethality was significantly related to haemorrhagic and oedema-inducing activities, whereas the necrotizing activity showed significant correlation with phospholipase and coagulant activities. Proteolytic activity presented a significant inverse correlation with lethality."}
{"id": "PMID:1488770", "title": "The use of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the quantitation of Calloselasma rhodostoma (Malayan pit viper) venom and venom antibodies.", "content": "The specificity and sensitivity of an indirect and two (an 'ordinary' and a 'rapid') double sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) procedures for the quantitation of Calloselasma rhodostoma (Malayan pit viper) venom were examined. The three assays were equally sensitive and the accuracy of the assays was not substantially affected by individual variation in the venom composition. The specificity of the assays was examined against 26 venoms from snakes of the families Viperidae and Elapidae. While the double sandwich ELISA procedures were sufficiently specific to be used in the clinical immunodiagnosis of C. rhodostoma bite in Malaysia, the indirect ELISA procedure exhibited extensive cross-reactivity with other Malaysian pit viper venoms. Attempts were made to improve the specificity of the indirect ELISA procedure for the quantitation of C. rhodostoma venom. A 'low ELISA cross-reactivity' venom fraction (termed VF52) was isolated from C. rhodostoma venom by repeated Sephadex G-100 gel filtration chromatography. The indirect ELISA procedure using antibodies to VF52 as immunoreagent showed an improvement in specificity. The use of the indirect ELISA procedure for the detection of C. rhodostoma antibodies was also examined and the results show that the assay was sufficiently specific to be used for retrospective diagnosis of C. rhodostoma bite in Malaysia, in particular when VF52 was used as the coating antigen."}
{"id": "PMID:1488771", "title": "Detection of new 7-O-acyl derivatives of diarrhetic shellfish poisoning toxins by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry.", "content": "A novel method for the detection of acylated diarrhetic shellfish poisoning toxins is reported. Direct determination of these compounds is possible using high performance liquid chromatography coupled with ion-spray mass spectrometry. An extract, purified from the digestive glands of toxic mussels (Mytilus edulis) contaminated with okadaic acid, dinophysistoxin-1, and a recently reported analog, dinophysistoxin-2, was also shown to contain small amounts of dinophysistoxin-3, a mixture of 7-O-acyl ester derivatives of dinophysistoxin-1. In addition, acyl ester derivatives of okadaic acid and dinophysistoxin-2 were also detected by direct LC-MS analysis and confirmed by analysis of their hydrolysis products. This is the first report of the detection of other naturally occurring 7-O-acyl esters similar to dinophysistoxin-3."}
{"id": "PMID:1488772", "title": "Active and passive immunization for tetrodotoxin in mice.", "content": "This study describes the possibility of active and passive immunization for tetrodotoxin (TTX) poisoning. TTX was conjugated to keyhole limpet hemocyanin and this conjugate was used as an immunogen in rabbits and mice. Mice immunized with the conjugate were protected from a lethal dose of TTX. Passive protection experiments demonstrated that immunoglobulin from rabbit antiserum exhibited a dose-related therapeutic activity in mice after challenge with TTX."}
{"id": "PMID:1488774", "title": "Ethanol toxicity and oxidative stress.", "content": "The mechanisms underlying the toxicity of ethanol have been the subject of much study, but are not well understood. Unlike many selective pharmacological agents, ethanol clearly has several major loci of action. One deleterious factor in ethanol metabolism is the potential for generation of excess amounts of free radicals. The extent to which this activity accounts for the overall toxicity of ethanol is unknown. This review outlines the enzymic steps that have the capacity to generate reactive oxygen species. These steps are likely to differ in acute and extended exposures to ethanol. Acetaldehyde catabolism also has the likelihood of contributing to ethanol-related oxidative stress. The review focuses on the ethanol-induced production of excess amounts of pro-oxidant reactive species in both the liver and the central nervous system. The potential of various stages of ethanol catabolism to involve generation of free radicals is described."}
{"id": "PMID:1488775", "title": "Effect of chronic exposure to NO2 in the developing ferret lung.", "content": "The effect of chronic exposure to low (0.5 ppm) and high (10 ppm) concentrations of NO2 on the development of the ferret lung was studied in animals exposed 4 h/day, 5 days/week from age 6 weeks through 20 weeks. Morphometric analysis showed significant changes in alveolar dimensions at both concentrations, compared to air-exposed controls. Thickened alveolar walls, increased cellularity and collagen deposition, increased lung size and the appearance of lesions indicative of oxidant damage indicate that even low concentrations of this gas during lung development may have adverse consequences for adult lung function."}
{"id": "PMID:1488776", "title": "The effect of cyclophosphamide administration on the kidney of the rat.", "content": "In studies primarily designed to evaluate the effectiveness of chitosan as a treatment for cyclophosphamide-induced hemorrhagic cystitis in the rat, renal papillary necrosis and pyelonephritis were observed. Cyclophosphamide alone produced relatively mild renal changes. The combination of cyclophosphamide and intravesical instillation of acetic acid induced renal papillary necrosis (38 to 83% incidence) along with pyelonephritis, hydroureter and hydronephrosis. Chitosan, instilled in place of acetic acid, partially inhibited the induction of renal papillary necrosis. It appears that the presence of vesico-ureteral reflux with or without associated hydroureter and hydronephrosis is a prerequisite for cyclophosphamide-induced renal damage."}
{"id": "PMID:1488777", "title": "Independence and additivity of cultured hepatocyte killing by Ca2+ overload and ATP depletion.", "content": "In two competing models of toxic cell death, hepatocyte killing by chemical hypoxia (CN/IAA) is attributed to ATP depletion and killing by A23187 is attributed to Ca(2+)-induced damage. The independence of these models can be questioned because CN/IAA elevates Ca2+ before killing 1c1c7 hepatoma cells and because the ATP source fructose prevents hepatocyte killing by Br-A23187. In the present studies, cultured mouse hepatocytes were exposed to CN/IAA, A23187, or treatments in combination. A23187 produced toxicity proportional to Ca(2+)-activated DNA fragmentation. CN/IAA caused comparable toxicity but no fragmentation of DNA. Treatments in combination were more toxic than either treatment alone. Aurintricarboxylic acid, a Ca(2+)-endonuclease inhibitor, decreased DNA fragmentation and the toxicity of A23187 and combination treatment without affecting CN/IAA toxicity. ATP plus oligomycin decreased CN/IAA and combination treatment toxicity but not that of A23187. These findings indicate that cultured mouse hepatocytes are killed through mechanisms that are independent and additive in their toxicities."}
{"id": "PMID:1488778", "title": "Inhibition of interleukin-2-stimulated enhancement of human natural killer (NK) cell activity by carbaryl, an anticholinesterase insecticide.", "content": "The potency of the anticholinesterase (antiCHE) insecticides as serine hydrolase inhibitors, and evidence for serine hydrolase activity in interleukin-2 (IL2) signalling suggest that the natural killer (NK) cell may be a target for dysregulation by antiCHE insecticides. NK cells are large granular lymphocytes (LGL) that respond to IL2 by proliferating and increasing their cytolytic efficiency. In the present study, we assessed the effects of carbaryl (CA, an antiCHE insecticide) and alpha-naphthol (NA, the major metabolite of CA) on both target cell killing per se and IL2 enhancement of target cell killing by human NK cells. Human LGL, collected from the peripheral blood of normal donors, were cultured for 4 days with human recombinant IL2 (HRIL2), then assayed by a 51Chromium (51Cr) release assay for lytic activity against human K562 cells. When added at the beginning of the culture period, CA inhibited enhancement of cytolytic efficiency in a concentration-dependent manner; at concentrations (0.5 and 5.0 microM) compatible with no cholinergic toxicity. Reduction of the effector/target cell (E/T) ratio in the 51Cr release assay markedly enhanced the observed inhibition by CA. In one experiment, inhibition increased from 6% to 20%, 17% to 35%, and 53% to 73% at 0.5, 5.0, and 50 microM CA, respectively, when E/T was reduced from 10:1 to 2.5:1. This result is consistent with reduced cytolytic efficiency of individual NK cells exposed to CA. NA had no effect at 0.5 or 5.0 microM but caused some inhibition at 50 microM. Neither CA nor NA produced LGL death. When CA or NA was added directly to the 51Cr release assay, inhibition was not observed. The mechanism of inhibition of IL2-stimulated enhancement of target cell killing is not yet known, however, the results are consistent with impairment of IL2 signalling, by CA."}
{"id": "PMID:1488779", "title": "In vitro effects of 'designer' amphetamines on human peripheral blood mononuclear leukocytes proliferation and on natural killer cell activity.", "content": "Human peripheral blood mononuclear leukocytes (PBML) proliferation was measured in the presence or absence of amphetamines. Proliferation in response to T-cell mitogen PHA was suppressed from 22 to 34% by d- and dl-amphetamine, respectively, contrarily to 1-form which did not affect proliferation of PHA-stimulated PBML. The 'designer' amphetamines appeared to be more potent inhibitors of PBML proliferation induced by both PHA and PWM stimulation than those of the racemic and isomeric forms of amphetamine. A wide variation was seen in the suppressive actions of the 'designer' amphetamines, and the mean percentages of suppression varied from 12 to 45% compared with the control values. 4-Propoxy-amphetamine (4-PA) was found to be the most active among the 'designer' drugs. In vitro effects of d-, 1- and dl-amphetamine were also studied on natural killer (NK) cell activity. A marked increase in the NK cell activity was observed only in the presence of very low concentrations (10(-12) to 10(-10) M) of dl-amphetamine, however, the activity of the NK cell remained within the control limits in the presence of d- or 1-forms. The findings suggest that the abuse of amphetamines, especially the 'designer' drugs, may adversely affect the activity of immunoregulatory cells and might lead to a compromised immune system in amphetamine abusers."}
{"id": "PMID:1488780", "title": "No increase in carcinogen-DNA adducts in the lungs of monkeys exposed chronically to marijuana smoke.", "content": "Rhesus monkeys exposed to marijuana smoke either 7 or 2 days/weeks (HI and LO groups, respectively), or ethanol-extracted marijuana smoke for 7 days/week (EM) or sham treatment (SH) for 1 year were sacrificed 7 months following the last exposure. Pulmonary levels of carcinogen-DNA adducts were determined. Although mean or median adduct levels were not statistically different, 15 of 22 adduct measures were highest in the EM group and lowest 12 of 22 times in the SH group. The levels of aromatic carcinogen-DNA adducts seem no higher in the lungs of animals exposed to marijuana smoke than in untreated animals. Ethanol-extracted marijuana may have effects greater than marijuana itself."}
{"id": "PMID:1488781", "title": "Urinalysis vs. blood analysis, as a tool for biological monitoring of solvent exposure.", "content": "Blood and urine samples were collected at the end of an 8-h workshift from 30 male workers exposed to a mixture of n-hexane, ethyl acetate and toluene (each being about 2 ppm as geometric means) and also from 20 nonexposed male workers. Blood samples were analyzed for n-hexane and toluene, and urine samples were analyzed for n-hexane, toluene, 2,5-hexanedione (both with and without hydrolysis) and hippuric acid. Based on the correlation between biological exposure indicators and solvent concentrations in air, sensitivity as an exposure indicator was compared between solvents in blood and solvents or metabolites in urine in terms of the lowest solvent concentration at which the exposed subjects can be statistically separated from the nonexposed. Both n-hexane and toluene in blood were sensitive enough to detect the exposure at 6.1 ppm and 1.4 ppm, respectively. n-Hexane exposure below 2 ppm was detectable also by urinalysis for 2,5-hexadione without hydrolysis. Urinary hippuric acid, however, failed to detect low toluene exposure under the conditions studied. Of additional interest is the fact that toluene in urine correlated significantly with toluene in air, which apparently deserves further study for confirmation."}
{"id": "PMID:1488782", "title": "Delta 5-3 beta-hydroxysteroid acyl transferase activity in the rat brain.", "content": "Pregnenolone and dehydroepiandrosterone accumulate in brain as sulfate and fatty acid esters and unconjugated steroids. The steroid fatty acid ester-synthesizing activity was investigated in rat brain microsomes. Endogenous fatty acids in the microsomal fraction were used for the esterification of steroids. The enzyme system had a pH optimum of 4.5 in acetate buffer with [3H]dehydroepiandrosterone as substrate. The apparent Km was 9.2 +/- 3.1 x 10(-5) M and Vmax was 18.6 +/- 3.4 nmol/h/mg protein (mean +/- SEM). The inhibition constants of pregnenolone and testosterone were 123 and 64 microM, respectively. Results were compatible with a competitive type of inhibition. A high level of synthetic activity was found in the brain of 1- to 3-week-old male rats, which rapidly decreased with aging. Saponification of purified [3H]pregnenolone esters yielded pregnenolone and a mixture of palmitate, oleate, linoleate, stearate, and myristate as the predominant fatty acids. Contrasting with the high rates of esterification of several radioactive delta 5-3 beta-hydroxysteroids or 17 beta-hydroxysteroids, no fatty acid esters of either cholesterol, epitestosterone (with a hydroxyl group at position C-17 alpha), or corticosterone (with hydroxyl groups at C-21 and C-11 beta) were formed in the same incubation conditions."}
{"id": "PMID:1488783", "title": "A direct radioimmunoassay for 5 alpha-androstane-3 alpha,17 beta-diol 17-glucuronide.", "content": "Synthesis of the 11 alpha-hemiglutaryl derivative of 5 alpha-androstane-3 alpha,17 beta-diol 17-glucuronide (androstane-diol-17G) starting from androsta-4,9(11)-diene-3,17-dione through a 10-step sequence and the preparation of its bovine serum albumin conjugate is described. By using this conjugate, antiserum was raised in rabbits which proved to be very specific for androstanediol-17G. A direct radioimmunoassay using a double antibody procedure is described for the measurement of androstanediol-17G from plasma without prior chromatography."}
{"id": "PMID:1488784", "title": "Nonsteroidal estrogens bearing acyl azide functions: potential electrophilic and photoaffinity labeling agents for the estrogen receptor.", "content": "In an effort to develop novel affinity labeling agents for the estrogen receptor, we have synthesized two nonsteroidal ligands, a 1-aroyl-2-aryl tetralin system (1) and a 2-aryl-3-aroylbenzo[b]thiophene system (2). These agents, patterned after the Lilly antiestrogens trioxifene and LY 117018, respectively, embody acyl azide functions as part of a benzoyl chromophore. The acyl azide group has weak acylating activity, suitable for electrophilic affinity labeling, but this function is also photoreactive and, in its particular embodiment within these ligands, it could provide an efficient photochemical route to the highly reactive singlet acyl nitrene. The tetralin system (1) was prepared in nine steps from 6-methoxy-1-tetralone, and the benzothiophene system (2) was prepared in four steps from a known substituted benzo[b]thiophene precursor. In competitive binding assays, both compounds show reasonable binding affinity for the rat and lamb uterine estrogen receptor: estradiol = 100%, 1 = 3%, and 2 = 12%. When assayed by indirect receptor consumption assays, both compounds appear to have substantial capacity for irreversible binding (electrophilic reaction) with the receptor. This reactivity, which suggests that acylation of the receptor has occurred, is photoreversible. The nature of this ligand-receptor interaction is being investigated further."}
{"id": "PMID:1488785", "title": "Synthesis of the sulfates derived from 5 alpha-cholestane-3 beta,6 alpha-diol.", "content": "Three new steroid sulfates--3 beta-hydroxy-5 alpha-cholestan-6 alpha-yl sulfate, 6 alpha-hydroxy-5 alpha-cholestan-3 beta-yl sulfate, and 5 alpha-cholestan-3 beta,6 alpha-diyl disulfate--were synthesized. For the syntheses of the key intermediates, 3 beta-hydroxy-5 alpha-cholestan-6 alpha-yl acetate and 6 alpha-hydroxy-5 alpha-cholestan-3 beta-yl acetate, selective protection of hydroxy groups in 5 alpha-cholestane-3 beta,6 alpha-diol was necessary. This problem was solved by using a combination of acetyl, tetrahydropyranyl, and methoxymethyl protective groups, which represents a new approach leading to these hydroxy acetates. Sulfated derivatives of 5 alpha-cholestane-3 beta,6 alpha-diol are present in marine invertebrates and were synthesized for the purposes of biologic testing."}
{"id": "PMID:1488786", "title": "Studies on nuclear binding of dehydroepiandrosterone in hepatocytes.", "content": "Experiments were conducted to determine if dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) specifically binds to liver nuclei or interferes in the binding of other steroid hormones. Hepatocytes were isolated from obese, female Zucker rats that were treated with and without 0.6% DHEA in their diets for 2 weeks. The hepatocytes were incubated with either [3H]DHEA, [3H]estrone, or [3H]corticosterone. The nuclei isolated from the incubated cells from either control or DHEA-treated rats had no binding with [3H]DHEA, but had the expected binding with [3H]estrone and [3H]corticosterone. Furthermore, increasing concentrations of cold, unlabeled DHEA in the incubation media with [3H]estrone or [3H]corticosterone failed to have any effect on the binding of either of these steroid hormones to the nuclei. These results suggest that DHEA treatment does not exert its effects on cellular metabolism through a receptor-mediated mechanism like other steroid hormones or by interfering in the expression of steroid hormones such as estrone and corticosterone."}
{"id": "PMID:1488787", "title": "Tyrosinase-like activity and estradiol binding in rat uterine nuclear extracts.", "content": "Nuclear extracts from the uteri of estradiol-implanted rats contain a tyrosinase-like enzyme that has three activities: monophenolase or cresolase, diphenolase or catecholase, and estrogen binding. When [3H]estradiol was used as a substrate, 3H2O was released from the A ring in the presence of copper and ascorbic acid. The optimal concentrations of these cofactors for the cresolase activity were established. The cresolase activity was lost on attempts at further purification. Estradiol binding was observed in conjunction with the enzymatic activity and was dependent on the presence of ascorbic acid and copper. The most potent inhibitors of 3H2O release from [3H]estradiol were those with a dihydroxyphenol moiety. The reaction was also sensitive to sulfhydryl reagents. These features of the enzyme are distinctive from other oxidases capable of attacking the aromatic ring of estrogens."}
{"id": "PMID:1488788", "title": "A Durkheimian analysis of youth suicide: Canada, 1971 and 1981.", "content": "Durkheim hypothesized that suicide varies inversely with the extent of social integration in family, religious, political, and economic life. In this study I examine the relationship between three of these sources of social integration on young Canadians' (aged 15-29) suicide rate for 1971 and 1981: family integration (as measured by divorce), religious integration (as measured by the percent of the population reporting no religious affiliation), and economic anomie (unemployment). The findings of this research provide confirmation for the hypothesis that religious detachment among the young is associated with increased proneness to commit suicide. The effect of family dissolution was positive and significant for both young men and women in 1981 but not in 1971, giving partial confirmation for the family integration explanation of suicide. These results pertaining to unemployment are not consistent with the American-based literature that calls for a significant and positive impact on the odds of self-destruction."}
{"id": "PMID:1488789", "title": "A reliability investigation of the eight clinical scales of the Suicide Opinion Questionnaire.", "content": "The Suicide Opinion Questionnaire (SOQ) has been employed in a variety of settings as a measure of attitudes toward suicidal behavior. However there has been a lack of consensus across these studies with regard to the underlying factor structure of the measure. In addition there has been little empirical information reported in the literature regarding the scale's reliability. This article presents a psychometric investigation of the 8-factor clinical model of the SOQ as representing the most appropriate interpretive model for the SOQ. Factor-analytic and internal consistency reliability results failed to support the hypothesized 8-factor model. An alternative factor scheme and suggestions for future research on the SOQ are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1488790", "title": "Development of the College Student Reasons for Living Inventory.", "content": "Two studies were carried out in an effort to develop and evaluate an instrument designed to assess suicidal risk in college students. Study 1 describes the development of the College Student Reasons for Living Inventory (CSRLI), an instrument that measures the extent to which college students place importance on various reasons for living even when contemplating suicide. The impetus for the current study was provided by Linehan et al., who in 1983 developed the Reasons for Living Inventory for use with adults. In the current study college students generated a series of 84 \"reasons for living\" items, which were reduced through factor analysis to a final inventory of 46 items. Six factors were extracted as follows: Survival and Coping Beliefs, College and Future-Related Concerns, Moral Objections, Responsibility to Friends and Family, Fear of Suicide, and Fear of Social Disapproval. Five of these factors reflect the same basic themes contained in the Linehan et al. (1983) study. The sixth factor (College and Future-Related Concerns) appears to be unique to college students. Linehan et al.'s Child-Related Concerns factor expectedly did not appear in this college sample. In Study 2 initial evaluation of the CSRLI was carried out through the use of correlational, confirmatory factor, and discriminant analyses. Results indicate that the CSRLI holds promise as an instrument to predict suicidal risk among college students."}
{"id": "PMID:1488791", "title": "Outpatient standards of care and the suicidal patient.", "content": "This article is a review of the legal and clinical literature on standards of care for nonhospitalized adult suicidal patients. The authors discuss effective assessment, management and treatment procedures that balance the need for high-quality care by a reasonable and prudent practitioner with the requirements of court-determined and statutory standards. Through a review of malpractice claims data and through an examination of the clinical literature we detail the essential guidelines for sound assessment, intervention, and management procedures. The authors specifically discuss common failure situations in outpatient care (e.g., problems in pharmacotherapy, the decision to hospitalize, inappropriate and dual relationships, the assessment of imminence and lethality, and so on). Details regarding practical considerations in developing an outpatient standard of care are provided, as are suggestions that such a standard of care must include an ongoing assessment of the therapeutic alliance."}
{"id": "PMID:1488792", "title": "Schizophrenia--a high-risk factor for suicide: clues to risk reduction.", "content": "Suicide is the chief cause of premature death among schizophrenic persons. The lifetime incidence of suicide for patients with schizophrenia is 10% to 13% compared to a general population estimate of about 1%, and is quite close to that observed among those with major affective disorder. The magnitude of increased risk for suicide among schizophrenics peaks before middle age and declines thereafter, although schizophrenic persons tend to be at increased risk throughout the life span. Among psychiatric patients, schizophrenics are overrepresented among suicides, and often schizophrenics constitute the majority of inpatient suicides. It is important in evaluating suicide risk among schizophrenic persons to assess depression and suicidal ideation especially during index admission and during acute phases of the illness. It is noteworthy that schizophrenic persons often commit suicide as the overall level of psychopathology decreases during a nonpsychotic phase. Research has yielded salient risk factors for suicide in schizophrenic persons and \"types\" of especially vulnerable patients, even though statistical prediction of individual suicides has not proven effective."}
{"id": "PMID:1488793", "title": "Youth suicides unknown to psychiatric care providers.", "content": "Less than 50% of young suicides have consulted psychiatric care providers. Thus the population not found within the psychiatric care sector is described in this paper. Fifty-eight consecutive suicides among adolescents and young adults, studied by psychological autopsies, were classified according to presence or absence of previous psychiatric care. Fifteen of the sixteen subjects without previous care were males, six of these were diagnosed as having an adjustment disorder related to a recent event. Unemployment was less common (p < 0.01), the suicidal processes were shorter (p < 0.001), and previous parasuicide was less frequent (p < 0.001) among nonpatients. Evaluation in accordance with DSM-III-R criteria showed fewer substance abuse disorders (p < 0.01). Open suicidal communication prior to the suicide was less frequent but active methods were used by this population as often as by subjects known to care providers."}
{"id": "PMID:1488796", "title": "Primary sclerosing cholangitis in chronic ulcerative colitis: report of cases in Arabs and review.", "content": "Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), a chronic cholestatic liver disease, is increasingly recognized in association with chronic ulcerative colitis (CUC). Two cases of PSC were diagnosed among 78 Arab patients (2.7%) with CUC followed up at Riyadh Central Hospital. Detailed case reports of the patients and review of PSC are presented, in order to draw attention to a hitherto under-diagnosed condition. This is the first report of PSC among Arabs."}
{"id": "PMID:1488797", "title": "HBV--status in professional blood donors in north India.", "content": "Present study demonstrates the efficacy and significance of routine screening assays used for HBsAg testing in donor blood in different blood banks of Delhi city. Blood from professional donors already screened in blood banks were cross checked using micro-ELISA technique developed at All India Institute of Medical Sciences and the results were compared. HBsAg carrier rate in these professional donors was found to be 11.7% by micro ELISA as against only 6% reported in blood banks using RPHA and latex agglutination assays. Thus, assays used in blood banks were found to be missing nearly 50% HBsAg positive cases as compared to micro-ELISA. A small group of professional donors was also screened for anti-HBs and results explained in comparison of normal values."}
{"id": "PMID:1488798", "title": "Wuchereria bancrofti induced pancreatitis.", "content": "A case of pancreatitis of filarial origin is reported for the first time. The patient presented with chronic pancreatic pain. Laparotomy revealed an inflammed pancreas and fine needle aspiration cytology confirmed pancreatitis. Imprint of a peripancreatic lymphnode revealed a microfilaria. He was successfully treated with Diethyl Carbamazine."}
{"id": "PMID:1488805", "title": "[The functional characteristics of the inhibitory mediator systems in the brain synaptosomes of PP vitamin-deficient rats].", "content": "A decrease of the NAD and serotonin level in the brain of rats with PP hypovitaminosis is shown. NAD in concentration of 10(-6) M in vitro exerts a less pronounced inhibiting influence on the neuronal uptake of [14C]serotonin and [14C]GABA by brain synaptosomes of rats with PP hypovitaminosis. GABA content under such conditions increases as compared with the control and correlates with changes in the [14C]GABA uptake system."}
{"id": "PMID:1488807", "title": "[The carbohydrate components of corn prolamins].", "content": "This work was aimed to study the patterns of zein glycosylation. Zein proteins included 1-3% of sugars. The affinity of different lectins, such as concanavalin A (Con A), Lens culinaris lectin (LCL) and lectins of Arachis hypogaea (PNA), of Triticum vulgaris (WGA), of Dolichos biflorus (DBA), of Glycin max (SBA), of Lotus tetragonolobus (LTA), of Laburnum anagiroides (LAL), of Ricinus communis (RCA), of Phaseolus vulgaris (PHA) was used to analyze the glycosylation sites. All selected lectins interacted with zein proteins. It may serve a basis for determination of mannose, galactose, fucose and aminosugars. Some lectins were bound only by prolamines of some inbred lines, while others were connected with all lines."}
{"id": "PMID:1488808", "title": "[The composition and physicochemical properties of the blood lipoproteins in rats exposed to external gamma irradiation].", "content": "Content of lipids, character of chemiluminescence of blood plasma and certain classes of lipoproteins have been studied. Geometrical parameters, nature and quantity of charged groups of lipoprotein particles accessible for titration have been determined 1 and 30 days after a single external gamma irradiation of rats in a dose of 3 Gy. The used irradiation dose exerts an expressed hyperlipidemic effect retained for one month after irradiation. The disturbances in the spectrum of blood lipids and lipoproteins are of hyper-beta and hyper-prebeta lipoproteinemia character. Considerable disturbances of physicochemical properties of different classes of lipoproteins have been detected. They are exhibited in changes of the pattern of free-radical processes, state of the charge of surface ionogenic groups and geometrical parameters of lipoprotein particles. Changes registered by the methods of potentiometric titration and correlation spectroscopy are most expressed in lipoproteins of very low density and those of low density."}
{"id": "PMID:1488803", "title": "[The relation between oxidative processes and the glycogen content in the heart and liver of rabbits with chronic ischemic heart disease].", "content": "While laboratory experimental model of coronary heart disease (according to Frol'kis et al.) is developed, activity of succinate dehydrogenase, alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase, Na+, Ka(+)- and Mg2+ ATPase decreases, but activity of lactate dehydrogenase and concentrations of lactic and pyruvic acids in the heart tissue increase. At the same time concentration of glycogene increases more than twice. As far as we can see there is an evidence of a decrease of glycogene utilization due to change in levels of regulatory processes. Despite a decrease of ATP synthesis by the inhibition of tricarboxylic acid cycle the ATP:ADP relation reduces to ATP, as emphatic inhibition of ATPase in the heart tissues takes place in development of the model of the coronary heart disease. The relation between ATP and ADP is considered as a regulator of glycogene utilization. In the liver tissue activity of succinate dehydrogenase, alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase, Na+, K(+)- and Mg2+ ATPase falls, while concentrations of lactic acid grow. No accumulation of glycogen is observed. It is obvious that there are controversial metabolic processes. Experimental data are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1488804", "title": "[The characteristics of nitrogen metabolism in the tissues of rabbits with ammonium toxicosis].", "content": "Disturbances of nitrogen metabolism under acute ammonium toxicosis have been studied in tissues of rabbit. A sharp increase of the ammonium content in the blood and tissues of the liver and kidneys is accompanied by an increase in the glutamine and glutamate level in all tissues. The level of urea nitrogen in the blood of rabbits increases. The activity of phosphate-independent and phosphate-activated glutaminase also increases in tissues of the liver and kidneys, while arginase activity decreases as compared with the control, which is connected with fall of the ATP level under hyperammonemia. A nomograph method of representation of the redox state has been used."}
{"id": "PMID:1488806", "title": "[The effect of hypoxic hypoxia on the physicochemical and functional properties of hemoglobin in rats].", "content": "The effect of intermittent altitude chamber hypoxia is established to cause an increase in solvability of laboratory rat hemoglobin. Results of immunochemical and fluorescent analysis of the samples of hemoglobin and its component are presented and discussed. They prove that changes in solvability of hemoglobin are determined by the conformational reconstructions of the respiration protein as a result of formation of the complexes with internally erythrocytic metabolites."}
{"id": "PMID:1488811", "title": "[The identification of the sites of tRNA(Ser)(GCU) interaction in bovine liver with homologous aminoacyl-tRNA-synthetase by the chemical modification method].", "content": "Interaction of the bovine liver tRNA(GCUSer) having a long variable loop, with the cognate aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase has been studied by alkylation with ethylnitrosourea. It was shown that seryl-tRNA synthetase protects 3'-phosphates of nucleotides 12, 13 in D-stem and 45-47-, 47 G.-, 47 H-variable stem of tRNA(GCUreS) from alkylation. An anticodon loop of tRNA(GCUSer) did not interact with seryl-tRNA synthetase."}
{"id": "PMID:1488812", "title": "[The effect of taurine on the activity of transport ATPases and of energy metabolism enzymes in different tissues of rats with acute hypoxic hypoxia].", "content": "The membrane activity of Na+, K(+)-ATPase, Mg2+, Ca(2+)-ATPase, mitochondrial NAD-isocitrate dehydrogenase, mitochondrial and cytosolic L-glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase was determined in the liver and brain of Wistar rats under acute hypoxic hypoxia against the background of preventive taurine administration. It was shown that preliminary taurine treatment prevented a decrease of hypoxia in activity of Na+. K(+)-ATPase and mitochondrial calcium-dependent enzymes, mostly in the liver. Changes in the intracellular calcium content and biomembrane structure have been discussed as the mechanisms of the taurine effect on the enzymes' activity."}
{"id": "PMID:1488809", "title": "[Arachidonic acid metabolism and vitamin E].", "content": "Basing on data from literature vitamin E is considered for its possible effect on the exchange of arachidonic acid. It is supposed that vitamin E controls metabolism intensity of arachidonic acid by changing activity of phospholipase A2, cyclooxygenase and lipoxygenase."}
{"id": "PMID:1488814", "title": "[The role of peroxidation processes and antioxidant protection in nitrite-induced hypoxia and its correction with vitamins].", "content": "Different doses of sodium nitrite were studied for their action in acute and chronic experiments on rats. Nitrite (NaNO2) hypoxia in rats was simulated to show how the methemoglobin (MtHb) level in blood depends on NaNO2 doses and the method of introduction. Lethal and sublethal doses of NaNO2 (50% of MtHb and more) promoted a decrease of lipid peroxidation (LP) in the liver microsomes, while the average and easy level of hypoxia activated it. Introduction of NaNO2 has led to dose-dependent activation of superoxide dismutase (SOD) in the liver, blood and heart tissues as well as to disturbances in the DNA structure. An average level (40 mg NaNO2 per kg of rat weight daily during one month) of chronic nitrite hypoxia has led to the same changes of metabolism as acute one. Vitamin E normalized LP, but not the MtHb level."}
{"id": "PMID:1488823", "title": "[Effect of physical exercise on aortic blood flow in patients with primary arterial hypertension].", "content": "In 40 patients (30 men and 10 women) aged to 21 to 48 years (mean 42 years) with essential hypertension stage II, according to WHO classification, blood flow was recorder in the ascending aorta by Doppler echocardiography. The investigation was done in erect position, at rest, and during 30 seconds of each phase of exercise on moving track. The control group comprised 20 healthy males aged 23-45 years (mean 38 years). In essential hypertension the values of the heart rate (T), maximal (MAX-V) and mean (ME-V) flow velocity, and systolic volume index (SVI) were significantly higher at rest than in controls. In the 3rd minute of exercise the values of heart rate (T), mean flow acceleration (ACC) and minute volume index (COI) were significantly higher in the patients than in controls. At the peak exercise MAX-V, ME-V and COI were significantly lower than in controls. On the other hand, in the 5th minute after the exercise the values of all the analysed blood flow parametres in the aorta were significantly higher in the patients. After the exercise the fall of the integral flow (INTG) and SVI greater in controls than in patients, while the rise of the mean flow acceleration (ACC) was higher in hypertension than in health."}
{"id": "PMID:1488824", "title": "[Evolution of diastolic polycardiographic indicators in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy].", "content": "In a group 26 patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy the values of certain polycardiographic and haemodynamic indices and their changes in the prolongation of the time of isovolumetric relaxation (IVRT) was noted in 23 patients (88%), with increased value of the percent of the a wave participation of the apexcardiogram (%a) in 24 patients (92%). In the obstructive type the corrected time of left ventricular ejection was significantly prolonged (p < 0.01) in relation to the non-obstructive type. No difference was observed in the values of these parameters depending on the functional class. A weak but significant correlation was demonstrated between the %a and the end-diastolic left ventricular pressure (r = 0.579, p < 0.01). The IVRT value showed an increasing tendency in this prospective study, particularly in patients with progression of clinical symptoms."}
{"id": "PMID:1488817", "title": "[Protein synthesis in the organs and tissues of frogs with local exposure to low temperatures].", "content": "Intensity of synthesis of total proteins and spectrum of synthesized proteins has been studied in various organs and tissues of sharp-faced frogs during local profound cooling of one of its limbs. It was shown that the effect of low temperatures on a certain part of a body of a poikilothermic animal has induced both a response of the whole organism and a much more acute response of the cooled tissues. The organism responded by a fall of the whole body temperature and a decrease in the activity of synthesis of total proteins of the viscera. Local cooling of a part of the frog body has induced a more significant decrease in the protein synthesis intensity in the cooled tissues alteration in the spectrum of synthesized proteins and appearance of specific proteins."}
{"id": "PMID:1488813", "title": "[The effect of antibodies against Ca2(+)-ATPase and its hydrophobic fragment on the activity of this enzyme and on the passive transport of Ca2(+)].", "content": "It is shown that both Ca(2+)-ATPase and its hydrophobic fragment are immunogenic factors. A region between hydrophobic and hydrophilic parts of Ca(2+)-ATP-ase is immunogenic. These antibodies clearly inhibit inflow and outflow of Ca2+ through a hydrophobic fragment reconstructed into liposomes and do not influence Ca(2+)-ATPase activity."}
{"id": "PMID:1488815", "title": "[The effect of low concentrations of sodium nitrites and nitrates on respiration and oxidative phosphorylation in rat liver mitochondria].", "content": "Nitrite incubation in mitochondria and nitrate intoxication of rats have been studied for their effect on aerobic energetic processes in the liver. Sodium nitrite in concentration of 2 mg/l causes an inhibition of ADP-stimulated respiration and provides uncoupling processes of oxidative phosphorylation and respiration in mitochondria, when adding succinate as a substrate. Low doses of nitrate in vivo promote oxygen economization in mitochondria. Intoxication of rats with nitrate in a dose of 50 mg/l for 30 days induces a decrease of the respiration rate after ADP-phosphorylation and an increase of the coefficient of oxidative phosphorylation efficiency (ADP/O). Intraperitoneal administration of adrenalin in a dose of 25 micrograms/100 g to rats after 30-day nitrate intoxication in a concentration of 10 mg/l induces no typical increase of ADP-stimulated respiration and rate of oxidative phosphorylation and succinate oxidation."}
{"id": "PMID:1488825", "title": "[Diurnal fluctuations of arterial blood pressure and heart rate in patients with atrial fibrillation].", "content": "In patients with atrial fibrillation and in patients with sinus rhythm aged below and over 40 years 24-hour automatic measurement of systolic and diastolic arterial blood pressure was carried out. The systolic and diastolic arterial blood pressure in atrial fibrillation was higher than in patients with sinus rhythm, both during daily activities and during night rest. The heart rate in those below 40 years showed greater diurnal fluctuations than in atrial fibrillation and patients aged over 40 years. Moreover, circadian systolic and diastolic blood pressure recordings were lower in night hours, similarly as heart rate values an all the studied groups, and only in the group of atrial fibrillation the differences between the parameters recorded during the night and in daytime were not so evident as in the groups with sinus rhythm."}
{"id": "PMID:1488820", "title": "[Thiochrome inhibition of alcohol dehydrogenase].", "content": "It is shown that thiochrome inhibits alcohol dehydrogenase. Thiochrome is able to be bound with alcohol dehydrogenase more quickly than other thiamine metabolites. This process is specific and has common features with the process of NAD binding by this enzyme. The inhibition of alcohol dehydrogenase by thiochrome is concurrent to NAD. The constant of alcohol dehydrogenase inhibition by thiochrome is 3.9 x 10(-5) M."}
{"id": "PMID:1488826", "title": "[Repeat surgery of the biliary tract].", "content": "On the ground of 67 secondary operations on the bile ducts carried out in 64 patients in the years 1976-1988 the causes, the types of the operations, the frequency and character of complications and the postoperative morality were analysed. A more detailed analysis carried out in patients with high surgical risk, taking into account the advanced age of the patients, coexistence of mechanical icterus, choledochal calculi and opening of the bile ducts. These factors were compared to those present in the whole group of similar cases treated surgically in the analysed time period. The authors stress the importance of modern diagnostic methods which make possible limitation of the number of secondary operations after interventions on bile ducts."}
{"id": "PMID:1488816", "title": "[The effect of malonate on lipid biosynthesis in the liver].", "content": "Malonate regulates the liver metabolism and promotes stimulation of the fatty acids synthesis and pyruvate oxidation inhibition. The latter is particularly significant in regulation of aerobic processes and responsible for antihypoxic action of malonate."}
{"id": "PMID:1488819", "title": "[The effect of nitroxyl radicals and sodium nitrite on the methemoglobin content of the blood and on the enzymatic activity of erythrocyte antioxidant protection].", "content": "Preliminary introduction of nitroxyl radicals to mice decreases methaemoglobin-forming effect of sodium nitrite and diminishes the content of total SH-groups and restored glutathione as well as the activity of glutathione reductase and total activity of dehydrogenases of the pentosophosphate path of erythrocytes. High level of lipids peroxidation in case of sodium nitrite intoxication remains unchanged under preliminary administration of nitroxyl radicals as well. Activity of the key enzymes of antioxidant protection of erythrocytes, superoxide dismutase and catalase, is not recovered with sodium nitrite intoxication in presence of nitroxyl radicals."}
{"id": "PMID:1488827", "title": "[Evaluation of the results of the treatment of crural trophic ulcers].", "content": "The results of treatment of varicose crural ulcers are reported in a group of 85 patients. Cure was achieved in 75 cases. The social and economic aspects of this problem are stressed."}
{"id": "PMID:1488828", "title": "[Injuries of the cervical vertebrae with pathological changes caused by the degenerative process].", "content": "The problems related to injuries of the cervical spine with advances degenerative changes are discussed. The most frequent causes of these injuries were falls from height and traffic accidents. In the whole group of 185 patients most were aged over 50 years, and the lower part of the cervical spine was injured most frequently, with the extension mechanism being the usual force in the injury. Nearly half the cases (45%) had complete paralysis including the most severe form of partial injury."}
{"id": "PMID:1488821", "title": "[The kinetics of the inactivation of the soybean trypsin inhibitor by heat processing].", "content": "The investigations of kinetics of the thermal degradation of the antinutritious substances in the soya beans were carried out. The mathematical analysis of the obtained experimental data helped to determine the kinetic constants D and Z necessary to calculate the time of heat treatment to obtain the minimal value of the inhibitor at any temperature level."}
{"id": "PMID:1488818", "title": "[A comparative analysis of the proteins from a cell culture and from field plants of the ecdysteroid producer Serratula coronata L].", "content": "Differences in the composition and amount of proteins synthesized in the cell culture and leaves of field plants Serratula coronata have been shown. They proceed from differences in intensity of synthesis of secondary metabolites, ecdysteroids, whose content in the cell culture is considerably lower."}
{"id": "PMID:1488822", "title": "[The subcellular localization of carboxypeptidase N in the substantia grisea of the cat brain].", "content": "The activity of carboxypeptidase H in the cat grey matter is established to be connected with microsomes. A possibility to involve carboxypeptidase H to the processing of neuropeptide predecessors in the encephalon is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1488831", "title": "[Myasthenia gravis in newborn infants--pathological mechanism, clinical symptomatology and therapeutic procedures].", "content": "Modern views on the pathological mechanism, clinical symptoms and therapeutic management of neonatal myasthenia gravis are reviewed on the basis of literature reports and own experiences. Particular attention is given to intensive medical care in this condition."}
{"id": "PMID:1488833", "title": "[Neoplastic cavities of the lungs in cancer of the pancreas].", "content": "A 51-year-old females patient is reported in whom during pancreatic cancer massive oligosymptomatic and rapidly progressing breakdown of the pulmonary tissue of both apices of the lungs appeared. The cause was the presence of very numerous minute metastases of pancreatic cancer."}
{"id": "PMID:1488834", "title": "[Gastric necrosis caused by incarceration in hiatal hernia].", "content": "The described case illustrates the diagnostic difficulties in incarceration of abdominal organs in diaphragmatic hiatus hernia. The absence of characteristic symptoms and sudden deterioration of the general condition are causes of delay in surgical intervention leading, sometimes, to extensive necrosis of organs. The reported patient had extensive necrosis of gastric wall due to its incarceration in diaphragmatic hiatus hernia."}
{"id": "PMID:1488836", "title": "[Free radicals in parasitic invasion].", "content": "Highly reactive oxygen species potentially represent a powerful effector mechanism against parasites. They are produced during normal cellular metabolism, especially by activated phagocytes. As can be seen from many studies protozoan and helminth parasites appear to have one or more anti-oxidant enzymes able to scavenge or quench the reactive free-radicals, and there is strong evidence that such enzymes may play crucial role in protecting against host response. Presented there review illustrates that methods to block anti-oxidant protection of parasites may be new field in the search for improved ways to inhibit parasitic survival."}
{"id": "PMID:1488837", "title": "[Comparison of thymidylate synthase properties isolated from the rat tapeworm, hymenolepis diminuta, with properties of enzyme isolated from the host in regenerating rat liver].", "content": "Thymidylate synthases (TS) from the tapeworm, Hymenolepis diminuta, and regenerating rat liver have been purified by means of affinity chromatography on immobilized 10-formyl-5,8-dideazafolate and concentrated on immobilized p-aminophenyl-5-fluoro-2'-deoxyuridine monophosphate. Molecular weights of native TS from the tapeworm and regenerating rat liver were 62 kD and 81.5 kD, respectively, and molecular weights of the monomers were 34.4 kD and 34.9 kD, respectively, pointing to dimeric structures of both enzymes. The dependence of TS activity on temperature (Arrhenius plot) was biphasic for the parasite enzyme, with lower activation energy above 32 degrees C, and monophasic for the host enzyme. 2'-deoxyuridine-5'-monophosphate (dUMP) analogues, 5-fluoro-2'-deoxyuridine-5'-monophosphate (5-FdUMP), 2-tio-5-FdUMP,N4-hydroxy-2'-deoxycytidine-5'-monophosphate (N4-hydroxy-dCMP) and N4-hydroxy-5-FdCMP, were competitive with respect to dUMP, slow-binding inhibitors of TS from both sources, with K1 values in 10(-6)-10(-9) M range. 5-FdUMP was distinctly stronger inhibitor of the host than the tapeworm TS, whereas N4-hydroksy-5-FdCMP inhibited stronger the parasite enzyme. Interaction of 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate (CH2H4PteGlu) analogue, 10-propargyl-5,8-dideazafolate (pddPteGlu), and its di- and triglutamates with both enzymes were studied. Inhibition of the parasite and host enzymes by pddPteGlu was of mixed-type with respect to CH2H4PteGlu, with K1 values in 10(-8) M range. Introduction of additional glutamate residues changed inhibition type to noncompetitive with respect to Ch2H4PteGlu and lowered K1 values (pddPteGlu3 < pddPteGlu2 < pddPteGlu1).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1488839", "title": "[The effect of Ascaris lumbricoides suis and its trypsin inhibitor on the chick embryo].", "content": "It has been found that tegument homogenate of Ascaris lumbricoides suis and also trypsin inhibitor isolated from it induce the Leghorn chick embryos mortality when injected into their yolk sac on 4th, 8th or 13th day of incubation. The trypsin inhibitor is one of important components of Ascaris homogenate causing mortality. There is linear interrelationship between the logarithm of dose of homogenate or trypsin inhibitor and the mortality of chickens in %. A significant decrease of mean mass of chicks injected with Ascaris homogenate or trypsin inhibitor in comparison with control groups was observed. There was more frequent occurrence of developmental abnormalities and pathological changes in groups of hatched chicks which received Ascaris homogenate or inhibitor."}
{"id": "PMID:1488840", "title": "[Morphologic features, with particular regard to surface ultrastructure, of Docophoroides brevis (Docophoroididae, Mallophaga)].", "content": "Bodies of nymphs and adults of Docophoroides brevis (Docophoroididae), parasite of Diomedea exulans, were studied under light and scanning microscopes. Developmental features of nymphs corresponded with similar features of other Philopteroidea. In adults type and distribution of sensillae were similar to other Ischnocera. Structures pointing to parasite's adaptation to holding itself on host's feathers, were distinguished. They were, besides characteristic claws, the mouth apparatus, groups of hooked processes on tibiae of the II and III pairs of legs, and sculpture of roundish fields on the sides of abdomen sternites. In the shape of male's genital apparatus, protruding to the outside of terminal sclerite, structures helping both partners to contact during copulation were discerned."}
{"id": "PMID:1488841", "title": "[Immunobiology of Cryptosporidium sp].", "content": "Immunological aspects of cryptosporidiosis: its immunopathology, antigenicity, perspectives of treatment and diagnosis are reviewed. In particular pathology of this disease in immunodeficient (as a result of AIDS or suppressive drugs chemotherapy) patients is presented."}
{"id": "PMID:1488842", "title": "[Clinical applications and importance of selected, modern results of hearing research].", "content": "Inner ear physiology has largely contributed to clinical progress in otolaryngology within the last decade. The cell biological knowledge of basic properties of outer hair cells and their motility in particular helped to explain the unique sharp frequency dispersion in the cochlea and other mechanisms of hearing. Further important aspects with a clinical impact have been e.g. the description of the cellular mechanism in aminoglycoside ototoxicity, a pathophysiological concept of M\u00e9ni\u00e8re's disease and the application of otoacoustic emissions in audiological testing of infants."}
{"id": "PMID:1488843", "title": "[Drug therapy of sensorineural hearing loss--critical remarks].", "content": "Recent placebo-controlled clinical double-blind trials failed to confirm any beneficial effects of rheological and vasodilative drugs or hemodilution in treatment of inner ear diseases. Furthermore, experimental studies have recently shown that cochlear blood flow was only temporarily improved during infusion of blood flow promoting drugs and cochlear oxygenation was deterioated with most of these drugs. Therefore treatment of basic or accompanying diseases is currently the only effective therapy and prophylaxis and general practitioners as well as internal and neurological specialists should be involved in therapeutical approach of inner ear disorders."}
{"id": "PMID:1488844", "title": "[Modern hearing aid treatment].", "content": "Sufficiently good hearing is the most important prerequisite for speech communications between human beings and is crucial for the quality of human life. For this reason, provision of hearing aid is a priority task of the ENT-physician in all cases of hearing impairement which are unimproveable. The following principles must be observed: when it is necessary to provide a hearing aid, this should be done as early as possible, even in monauricular hearing loss. In binauricular hearing loss, hearing aids should be provided for both ears whenever possible and always with the objective of \"optimal\" care. The organization of hearing aid provision, which has proved very effective in Germany, is explained. Basic types of modern hearing aids are described and a review is given on the technical possibilities of modern hearing aids in solving problems relating to disturbances of hearing."}
{"id": "PMID:1488846", "title": "[Tympanoplasty].", "content": "The first goal of tympanoplasty as treatment for chronic otitis media is to obtain a clean, disease-free ear, the second one hearing improvement. Prerequisite for success is the sufficient functioning of the inner ear as well as of the Eustachian tube. Therefore, patients very often have to undergo adjuvant treatment such as adenotomy, rhino-surgery and surgery of the paranasal sinuses. Microsurgery of the ear has become very refined. Thus even after removal of extensive inflammation it is now possible to rebuild the middle ear using various proved as well as newly developed biomaterials. Often a two-stage procedure is advisable for cholesteatoma surgery. In this disease meticulous postoperative care and longterm follow-ups are very important."}
{"id": "PMID:1488847", "title": "[Otosclerosis--diagnosis and therapy].", "content": "Otosclerosis (synonym: otospongiosis) is a focal or diffuse spongifying disease of the bony labyrinth. So far pathogenesis is unknown, some recent investigations assume a paramyxovirus infection. But there are no doubts about hereditary and genetic factors, females are twice often affected as males with a maximum incidence between 20 and 40 years. If the disease invades the oval window niche it causes fixation of the stapes with conducting hearing loss. In some cases otospongiosis is associated with and presumably causes cochlear degeneration alone with sensoneurale hearing impairment of varying degree. The surgical technique is now well developed and the operative treatment enables in over 90% a closure of the air-bone gap by using stapes pistons. The medical therapy in cases of sensoneural hearing loss with sodium fluoride is still controversially discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1488848", "title": "[Diagnosis and therapy of infectious otitis externa. An overview for the non-ENT physician].", "content": "Knowledge of the different clinical manifestations of inflammation caused by specific infectious agents of the external ear canal and the auricle makes a successful empirical therapy possible. Initial therapy should always consist of local treatment modalities including repeated cleansing of the aural canal and insertion of a cotton wick carrying local medication. Major advancement of systemic therapy of bacterial external otitis has been obtained by the availability of the new Gyrase-inhibitors (Fluoroquinolones). These antibiotic drugs possess--given orally--strong activity against the entire spectrum of etiologic bacteria and are effective in the difficult to treat malignant external otitis. In systemic therapy of Zoster oticus the antiviral substance Aciclovir can improve otalgia and auricular eruptions. Early Aciclovir treatment is advised in cases of Ramsay Hunt Syndrome to minimize permanent nerve damage."}
{"id": "PMID:1488849", "title": "[Acute otitis media. Current therapeutic and clinical aspects].", "content": "Otitis media acuta is defined as an acute inflammation of the pneumatic spaces of the temporal bone, that means the middle ear including the mucous membranes of the mastoid cells and of the Eustachian tube; it is caused mainly by bacteria, rarely by viruses. When treated properly by antibiotics, otitis media acuta heals in the rule within two to three weeks completely. If more than three episodes of otitis media occur within one year, the disease is called recurrent otitis media. Secretory otitis media (mucoserotympanon) may be proceeded by an otitis media acuta, but it can also develop without any fore-going disease. If the inflammation of the middle ear is quite symptomless, it is called an occult otitis media or an occult mastoiditis; the causes are often insufficient antibiotic therapies. In these cases an operative treatment (paracentesis, mastoidectomy, antrotomy, adenoidectomy, ventilating tubes) may be necessary. If the defense of the mucous membranes respectively of the whole body is weak or the antibiotic treatment insufficient, there may develop some other sequelae like chronic otitis media, atelectasis, otitis media chronica adhesive, tympanosclerosis, with or without development of cholesteatoma. The typical clinical symptoms, possible complications and the recommended antibiotic and physical treatment are referred."}
{"id": "PMID:1488853", "title": "Acardius in a triplet pregnancy: cytogenetic and morphological profile.", "content": "We describe a rare case of acardius in a triplet pregnancy terminated by Caesarean Section at 32 weeks gestation. Morphological and chromosomal abnormalities of the fetus as well as structural abnormalities of the placenta are presented. Cytogenetic analysis and examination of the single disc triplet placenta provide evidence for the two major theories of pathogenesis of acardius, the twin reversed arterial perfusion (TRAP) sequence and the genetic theory, which we believe are not necessarily mutually exclusive."}
{"id": "PMID:1488854", "title": "The current status of Weinberg's differential rule.", "content": "A reanalysis of the data presented in a recent large twin study suggests that opposite-sexed (OS) pairs may be not as exhaustively tested as same-sexed (SS) pairs on genetic markers. This is contrary to an assumption I made in estimating that there are about 8 SS dizygotic pairs to every 7 OS pairs (thus impugning Weinberg's differential rule). If this assumption is false also in regard to the samples I discussed, then that estimate is unsound and Weinberg's rule is unscathed by empirical data. However, regardless of such considerations, there are strong theoretical reasons for questioning the status of Weinberg's rule. It is based on two assumptions, namely that p (the probability that a dizygotic twin zygote is male) is equal and independent for all dizygotic twin zygotes. Data are adduced here to suggest that both assumptions are false. The upshot is that, at present, without testing, we cannot know, of any given population, whether the rule holds or not. Otherwise, though Weinberg's rule may be useful (like Hellin's law) as a rule-of-thumb, it cannot be assumed as a basis for serious scientific argument."}
{"id": "PMID:1488855", "title": "How frequent is heteropaternal superfecundation?", "content": "A newly discovered case of heteropaternal superfecundation (HS) is reported. Three HS cases were found in a parentage test database of 39,000 records. The frequency of HS among dizygotic twins whose parents were involved in paternity suits is 2.4%. Although the study population appears similar to the general population with respect to twinning data, inferences about the frequency of HS in other populations should be drawn with caution."}
{"id": "PMID:1488856", "title": "Delayed interval delivery of two remaining fetuses in quintuplet pregnancy after embryo reduction: report and review of the literature.", "content": "A case report is presented with a prolonged interval between delivery of 25 days. A quintuplet pregnancy resulted from hormonal stimulation of ovulation. Two fetuses remained after an embryo reduction was performed at 11 weeks gestation. At 22.5 weeks gestation the first twin (310 g) was delivered after spontaneous rupture of membranes. Using tocolytic agents, the second twin (710 g) was born at 26 weeks of gestation. This case is discussed and a review of the literature is given."}
{"id": "PMID:1488857", "title": "Intrauterine death in multiple gestation.", "content": "Intrauterine death of one fetus in a multiple gestation is associated with significant morbidity and mortality in the surviving infant. This study is a retrospective review of 38 twin and 3 triplet gestations involving the intrauterine death of at least one fetus. The obstetrical history, placental pathology, autopsy findings, and neonatal history of the surviving infant are reviewed. Three cases involved the recent stillbirth of both twins, the remaining cases involved a surviving infant. In one case, neonatal death of a surviving twin occurred on day 19. In two sets of triplets, two stillbirths occurred, in the third case two infants were liveborn. The incidence of preterm delivery was 34%, which decreased to 18% if fetal cotwin death had occurred before 20 weeks gestation. Cesarean section was the method of delivery in 16 cases. There was an excess of velamentous cord insertions, which was most pronounced in the stillborn twin. Monochorionic placentation was found in 72%, also an excess. Neurological damage was known to have occurred in 19 of the 39 surviving infants. Fifteen of these 19 (79%) were associated with monochorionic placentation. The neurologically damaged twin infants, when compared to the normal infants, had the cotwin die later in gestation (31 vs 16.5 weeks), had a shorter duration between the death of the cotwin and delivery (2.5 vs 21 weeks), and delivered earlier in gestation (36.5 vs 39.5 weeks). The probable cause of neurological damage, in our opinion, was either exsanguination into the dead twin fetus, or disseminated intravascular coagulation which occurred in at least 13 cases. The incidence of antepartum death in a multiple gestation, and the potential for neurological damage is probably higher than previously thought. A review of the literature is presented and the clinical implications of this phenomenon are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1488858", "title": "Childhood behavior problems: a comparison of twin and non-twin samples.", "content": "This study compares standardized measures of childhood behavior problems in a community-based twin sample with those for normative samples from the general population. Maternal parent ratings on the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) for 1824 twins were compared with the CBCL normative sample. The results indicated that twins showed small but consistently higher levels of problem behaviors. These elevations were significant for older children on both internalizing and externalizing behaviors; for younger children the elevations were significant for externalizing but not internalizing behaviors."}
{"id": "PMID:1488859", "title": "Similarity in general cognitive ability, creativity, and cognitive style in a sample of adolescent Russian twins.", "content": "Data on five tests of general and specific cognitive abilities, cognitive styles, and creativity, obtained from members of 60 identical and 63 fraternal Russian adolescent twin pairs, are presented. All tests are adaptations of standardized instruments widely used outside of the Soviet Union. Identical and fraternal twin correlations for general cognitive ability yielded a lower estimate of heritability (0.29) than generally found in other countries worldwide (0.52) although the twin correlations themselves are fairly comparable to figures from other countries and cultures--0.83 and 0.69 for Russian identical and fraternal twin pairs, respectively, vs 0.86 and 0.60 for non-Russian identical, and fraternal twin pairs. Twin correlations for other cognitive-related abilities assessed were also comparable to correlations obtained outside the Soviet Union with the exception of creativity which yielded higher within-pair resemblance than reported in previous twin studies."}
{"id": "PMID:1488860", "title": "Twinning and the r/K reproductive strategy: a critique of Rushton's theory.", "content": "The theory of r selection, favoring population growth, as opposed to K selection, favoring more efficient utilization of resources, has in recent years been applied by Rushton to contrast human ethnic groups in terms of their r/K reproductive strategies, suggesting the existence of a continuum from r groups, producing many offspring but providing little parental care, to K groups, producing few offspring but providing much parental care. Rushton's theory, which is largely based on ethnic differences in twinning rates, is here critically examined. It is pointed out that twinning rate differences are not necessarily genetic in origin since various environmental factors clearly play a role, and also that twinning, as a mode of reproduction, is not necessarily an r strategy, considering the high prenatal and perinatal selection to which it has been, and still is, associated. Moreover, Rushton misinterprets a number of relevant aspects related to the biology of twinning. The claim that ethnic differences in twinning rates provide evidence for an r/K typology in human populations with respect to reproductive strategies does not appear to be warranted."}
{"id": "PMID:1488861", "title": "[Cytochemical properties of peripheral blood neutrophils in patients with hyperthyroidism].", "content": "In the cytoenzymatic investigations of peripheral blood neutrophils in patients with hyperthyroidism there was found the increase of acid phosphatase activity, beta-glucuronidase, leucine aminopeptidase, and catalase moreover there was found the decrease of the activity of alkaline phosphatase. After a two-week treatment with thiamazole (methimazole++) 50 mg in 24-hour dose there was observed the decrease of acid phosphatase activity in neutrophils. During incubation of plasma containing leucocytes, from healthy persons, with L-thyroxine there was observed the increase of the activity for acid phosphatase and beta-glucuronidase. In patients with hyperthyroidism there appear many changes of enzymic equipment of neutrophils which are concerned with lysosomal and connected with cell membrane enzymes. The results of cytochemical investigations after application of thiamazole and no difference, with exception of catalase, between patients with Graves-Basedow disease and with toxic goitre and the results of investigations in vitro with L-thyroxin point out, that there is the possibility of connection between the observed changes in the range of enzymic equipment of neutrophils and the hormonal state of the investigated group of patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1488862", "title": "[Clinical trial of mannose treatment of hemolytic anemia caused by congenital deficiency of erythrocyte glucosephosphate isomerase].", "content": "A therapeutic trial with mannose given intravenously as a 5% solution during 7 consecutive days (daily doses 12.5 g, 25 g and 50 g) was performed in a GPI deficient girl with nonspherocytic hemolytic anemia. The aim of the trial was to substitute glucose--the main red cells metabolic substrate--with mannose, since the glucose metabolism, due to the GPI deficiency, was significantly decreased. An initial good effect of treatment was disturbed with viral infection. No complications due to treatment with mannose were observed."}
{"id": "PMID:1488864", "title": "[Cardiotoxicity of antineoplastic drugs].", "content": "Anticancer drugs, especially anthracyclines, may induce adverse cardiac effects which can be life-threatening in some patients. In this article we discuss the mechanisms and the types of cardiotoxicity and its prevention, with special attention paid to the role of monitoring of the cardiovascular system during chemotherapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1488865", "title": "[Comparison of clinical usefulness of immunophenotyping of leukemia using the immunofluorescence and immunoenzyme APAAP methods].", "content": "The clinical utility of the indirect immunofluorescence (IF) and the alkaline phosphatase-anti-alkaline phosphatase (APAAP) techniques was compared in 103 newly diagnosed acute leukaemia patients immunophenotyped using a panel of 19 monoclonal antibodies (MoAb). In spite of slight variations in the percentages of cells reacting with particular MoAbs when comparing the two methods we found no discrepancies in the final classification of each case. In ANLL (n = 73) the best correlation between the two methods was found for CDw65 which is a good screening marker, and for CD15 having a prognostic significance. In ALL (n = 30) the best correlation was observed for CD19 and CD10, both of great diagnostic importance. The following antigens present both in membrane and in cytoplasm displayed higher positivity with the APAAP than in IF HLA-Dr, CD71 and CD11b in ANLL, CD22 and HLA-Dr in nonT-ALL and CD3 in T-ALL. The important advantages of the APAAP technique are: 1) its use with routinely performed bone marrow or peripheral blood films, which can be stored before staining, 2) the possibility of correlating morphology with immunological characterization and documentation of the results."}
{"id": "PMID:1488866", "title": "[Anemia and recurrences in acute lymphoblastic leukemia in children after the treatment and the frequency of the erythroblasts with micronuclei].", "content": "A retrospective analysis of the relation of relapses and anaemias to the frequency of micronucleated erythroblasts in bone marrow smear in 140 children with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia after BFM and Memphis schemes of therapy was carried out. The anaemias correlated with the frequency of micronucleated erythroblasts in statistically significant manner. Correlation concerning relapses, was not shown. The frequency of micronucleated erythroblasts in children treated by BFM scheme is lower than by Memphis scheme. This suggests smaller genotoxicity of BFM scheme therapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1488867", "title": "[Molecular biology of chronic myeloid leukemia].", "content": "Chromosome Philadelphia (Ph) which originated from translocation 9;22 is an aberration connected with chronic myelogenous leukaemia (CML) and with part of the cases of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL). The analysis on the molecular level has shown that the rearrangement of ABL and BCR genes is the most important consequence of this translocation. The new hybrid gene translates the protein p210, which shows tyrosine phosphokinase activity. This protein could play an important role in the pathogenesis of CML. The investigations of BCR/ABL rearrangement on molecular level are an important tool for differential diagnosis of lymphoblastic crisis of CML and ALL and also are very valuable in detection of residual Ph positive cells in cytogenetic conversion of CML."}
{"id": "PMID:1488869", "title": "[Treatment of blast crisis of chronic myeloid leukemia].", "content": "Up-date of chemotherapy in the accelerated and blastic phases of CGL has been done. Cytostatic therapy, even very intensive, remains ineffective in the eradication of pathological cellular clones as well as interferons therapy. The unique chance of being cured for a small cohort of patients with accelerated or blastic disease is allogeneic bone marrow transplantation. An effective treatment of these phases of CGL remains to be solved in the future."}
{"id": "PMID:1488870", "title": "[Use of interferon in the treatment of chronic myeloproliferative disorders].", "content": "Clinical trials have shown that interferon (IFN) have myelosuppressive effects that can help reduce the uncontrolled clonal growth of hematopoietic cells in myeloproliferative disease. There are at least four diseases that are considered to be myeloproliferative disorders: chronic myelogenous leukemia, myelofibrosis polycythemia vera and idiopathic thrombocythemia. Recombinant IFN alpha has shown promise in inducing haematological and cytogenetic remission in some patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia. The exact role of IFN in prolonging the life of CML patients, however, remains to be determined in larger studies of longer duration. Preliminary evidence suggests that in myelofibrosis it may be more efficacious in the cellular than in fibrotic or osteosclerotic phase. IFN alpha has been reported to be of value in controlling excess platelet production in chronic myelogenous leukemia and idiopathic thrombocythemia as well as in reducing of red cell mas in polycythemia vera."}
{"id": "PMID:1488871", "title": "[Bone marrow transplantation in chronic myeloid leukemia].", "content": "Bone marrow transplantation (BMT) is at present the only curative therapy for chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). The outcome of this therapy is much better if marrow transplantation from HLA-matched siblings is performed within 1 year of diagnosis, in young patients and in the chronic phase of the disease. BMT from HLA-matched unrelated donors expands the application of this therapy among CML patients with no available identical siblings. Autologous bone marrow transplantation is presently considered in patients unresponsive to interferon therapy or with high risk of blastic transformation."}
{"id": "PMID:1488872", "title": "[Allogeneic bone marrow transplantation in myeloid leukemia: chemical conditioning, clinical course and results].", "content": "10 patients between the ages of 5 and 40 yrs with myeloid leukemia (4 acute, 6 chronic) in early (5 cases) or intermediate stage of the disease were given Cyclophosphamide and Busulfan (6 cases) or Cyclophosphamide, Busulfan and VP-16 (4 cases with CML) and bone marrow transplants from HLA-matched donors (in 9 cases from siblings and in one case from HLA phenotypically matched father). There was one transplant related death and 3 relapses in CML cases. In cases which relapsed GvHD was not observed. Altogether acute GvH and chronic GvHD was seen in 2 and 4 cases, respectively. All grafted cases with AML survive in continuous remission lasting more than 2 years (median 30.5 month)."}
{"id": "PMID:1488873", "title": "[Chromosome aberrations in chronic myeloid leukemia].", "content": "Chromosome Philadelphia is a cytogenetic marker of chronic myeloid leukemia. It results from a translocation t(9;22) or other, more complex, translocations. Before the onset of blastic crisis, secondary aberrations occur, the most often--trisomy 8, isochromosome 17q and extra Ph chromosome. Their presence has a prognostic significance. Particular aberrations may occur in association with determined haematological and clinical features."}
{"id": "PMID:1488874", "title": "Oscillatory potentials, retinopathy, and long-term glucose control in insulin-dependent diabetes.", "content": "The main objective of the study was to assess effects of long-term lowering of glucosylated hemoglobin (HbA1%) on neurosensory function in insulin-dependent diabetes. Individual (OP-1, OP-2, OP-3) and summed (OP-sum) amplitudes of oscillatory potentials (OPs) of electroretinography were recorded at study start and 7-years later in 45 patients (the Oslo study). As an overall 7-year change, amplitudes of OP-2, OP-3 and OP-sum were reduced (p < 0.0001-0.01), retinopathy worsened (p = 0.005), intraocular pressure decreased (p < 0.001), systolic blood pressure increased (p < 0.0002), and glycemic control improved from HbA1 of 11.2 +/- 2.2% at study start to a 7-year cumulative mean of 9.5 +/- 1.5% (p < 0.0001). Multiple regression analysis did not identify any independent relations between change in OP-1, OP-2, OP-3, OP-sum and change in glycemic control or background variables, including change in age and duration of diabetes. However, cross-sectional observations at 7 years showed negative correlations between all OPs and age (p < 0.0001-0.003), and between OP-3 and duration (p = 0.003) and counts of microaneurysms (p = 0.02). The data suggest that various clinical background variables may influence individual and summed amplitudes of OPs differently. Reduced neurosensory retinal function (OPs) seemed to appear after 7-years, independently of vascular defects of retinopathy and long-term improvement in glucose control."}
{"id": "PMID:1488875", "title": "A new hereditary syndrome with a bleeding tendency, extreme miosis, spasms, dyslexia, thrombocytopathia etc. Pupillometric, evaporimetric, and ophthalmological observations.", "content": "A recently described familiar syndrome consists of the following components: A bleeding tendency with thrombocytopathia, miosis, muscular weakness and spasms, ichthyosis, asplenia, dyslexia, and headache. Four definite and 2 probable patients have been identified in 4 generations. In the present study, the pupillary behaviour was scrutinized in two 'definite' cases with the infrared, binocular pupillometer. The forehead sweating pattern was also investigated with an Evaporimeter. The basal pupillary widths were: 1.25-1.75 mm. Only minor responses were noted upon topical stimulation with an indirectly acting pupillodilating agent (OH-amphetamine). A directly acting sympathicomimetic drug (phenylephrine) exerted a more marked influence on the pupil, indicating a relative supersensitivity. The evaporimetric pattern in the forehead seemed to be within reference limits, at variance with what is the case in Horner's syndrome. Further findings were: the orbit seemed to be smaller than normal; a bilateral VI. cranial nerve palsy was identified, and a marked upward gaze palsy coexisted with pupils with Argyll Robertson's traits. There is no readily acceptable explanation for the ocular abnormalities. The disorder underlying the pupillary abnormality may possibly be located in the upper mesencephalon."}
{"id": "PMID:1488876", "title": "Neurological problems presenting to an ophthalmic casualty department.", "content": "All patients presenting with neurological problems to an eye hospital casualty department over one year were prospectively studied. A total of 119 patients were identified. The most frequent diagnoses were retrobulbar neuritis (34; 28.5%), sixth cranial nerve palsy (22; 18.5%), third cranial nerve palsy (15; 12.6%) and Adie's tonic pupil (11; 9%). Cranial nerve palsies were most commonly due to diabetes or hypertension (16; 43.2%). Only one intracranial aneurysm was found. Symptoms included blurred vision (52; 43.7%), binocular diplopia (51; 42.8%), and eye pain (27; 22.7%). Fifty patients (42.0%) were referred by a general medical practitioner. Twenty-two (18.5%) were admitted to hospital. Forty-nine skull X-rays were requested and all were normal. Twenty-nine chest X-rays were requested. One (3.4%) showed an abnormality (carcinoma of the bronchus). Neurological patients present to ophthalmic casualty departments because of ophthalmic symptoms. Ophthalmic casualty officers are able to make working diagnoses and to direct patients appropriately. The use of investigations in the casualty department, however, is unlikely to be productive."}
{"id": "PMID:1488877", "title": "An aetiological profile of optic atrophy.", "content": "484 cases of optic atrophy were studied for the distribution pattern and significance of various etiological factors in different age groups of both sexes. Bilateral optic atrophy was found to be two and a half times as common as unilateral optic atrophy. Intracranial neoplasm (29.5%) was the most frequent known cause of bilateral optic atrophy in either sex and the most common tumor was chromophobe adenoma (48% of intracranial tumors) with highest incidence over 20 years of age. Craniopharyngioma was the most frequent tumor responsible for bilateral optic atrophy before 20 years of age. Intracranial glioma also emerged as an important cause of bilateral optic atrophy. Head injury due to road accidents and periocular trauma were the most common causes of unilateral optic atrophy in males, whereas no definite factor could be elucidated in unilateral optic atrophy in females. Vascular factors were the usual cause of optic atrophy after 40 years of age, highlighting the significance of thorough systemic evaluation."}
{"id": "PMID:1488878", "title": "Epikeratophakia for keratoconus in mentally retarded patients. The use of fresh, free-hand made lamellar grafts.", "content": "Epikeratophakia for keratoconus was done in 11 mentally retarded patients, using fresh, free-hand made lamellar grafts. The mean follow-up period was 31.5 months. The grafts remained clear and well adapted in 7 cases (63.6%). Necrosis of the lower part of the graft occurred in 3 eyes (27.3%), and was probably caused by persisting epithelial defects. Only one of these grafts had to be removed. Despite concurrent eye diseases, such as cataract and possible amblyopia, an improved overall visual function was reported in 5 of the 11 patients (45.5%). No vision-threatening complications related to the epikeratophakia surgery was found."}
{"id": "PMID:1488879", "title": "Visual results after RK.", "content": "The series of radial keratotomy (RK) in 79 myope eyes in 60 patients was studied to evaluate improvement of uncorrected visual acuity. The main aim with radial keratotomy was to help patients see better without glasses or contact lenses. Myopia ranged from -1.0 D to -9.0 D. Forty-two eyes (53%) achieved uncorrected visual acuity (VA) of 1.0 or better and 73 eyes (92%) better than 0.5. The follow-up period ranged from 3 months to 3.5 years. Postoperatively the most common complication was undercorrection. The risk for progressive myopia made surgeons cautious not to overcorrect patients and to leave them slightly myopic."}
{"id": "PMID:1488880", "title": "Short-term effects of proparacaine on human corneal thickness.", "content": ".5% proparacaine HCl is commonly used for topical anaesthesia in ultrasound pachometry prior to refractive surgery. This drug is known to alter corneal epithelial adhesion. Does 0.5% proparacaine result in an alteration in corneal thickness due to changes in the corneal epithelium? Corneal thickness was measured by optical pachometry at 30 sec intervals for 15 min under 3 experimental conditions; 1) 2 drops of artificial tears, 2) 1 drop of 0.5% proparacaine, 3) 2 drops of 0.5% proparacaine. Baseline measurements were recorded before each trial. No significant differences were found between the mean corneal thicknesses measured in the baseline, 2 drops of artificial tears and 1 drop of 0.5% proparacaine conditions. The mean corneal thickness in the 2 drops of 0.5% proparacaine condition was significantly greater than those measured in the other conditions. In particular the measured corneal thickness was significantly different from the baseline measurements 1 to 2 min after instillation of the 2 drops of 0.5% proparacaine. Exponential modelling of the corneal edema recovery function demonstrated that recovery to baseline corneal thickness occurred 7 to 8 min following the instillation of 2 drops of 0.5% proparacaine. The data of this study suggest that only 1 drop of 0.5% proparacaine should be used for topical anaesthesia prior to ultrasound pachometry. This recommendation may minimize the possibility of measuring artifactually large corneal thickness estimates, and thus reduce the possibility of corneal microperforation during refractive surgery."}
{"id": "PMID:1488881", "title": "Acquired dacryocystitis: microbiology and conservative therapy.", "content": "The dacryocystitis in adults is mainly caused by postsaccal stenosis of the lacrimal ducts. The banking up of the lacrimal fluid leads to an accumulation of germs and following infection. This report describes the clinical and microbiological findings in a large consecutive series of patients that presented at the outpatient clinic of the 2nd Department of Ophthalmology of the University of Vienna with the signs of acute, chronic recurrent or chronic infections of the lacrimal system between 1983 and the end of 1990. Within the bacterial genus Staphylococci (S. aureus, S. epidermidis and S. saprophyticus) were the most frequently isolated organisms (74 cultures = 50% out of samples with positive cultures). It was quite interesting that a significant number of gram-negative rods (37 = 25.5%) could be isolated. Of these microorganisms Escherichia coli was most frequently growing on special media (17 cases = 11.7%) when cultures were obtained from acute inflamed lacrimal sacs of patients who suffered from chronic recurrent infections. Conservative therapy of purulent dacryocystitis constitutes the last possible preparation for a necessary surgical intervention and therefore the authors want to point out the importance of microbiological examinations so as to optimize antibiotic therapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1488882", "title": "Gentamicin, norfloxacin and lysozyme concentration in human tears: in vivo and in vitro study.", "content": "Hen's egg lysozyme (HEL) activity was measured in vitro with gentamicin and norfloxacin by a turbidimetric technique. Gentamicin at the concentration of 10(-3) M inhibited HEL activity by 39%, while 10(-3) M norfloxacin did not affect HEL activity. However, an in vivo study in healthy persons did not show any significant statistical difference in tear lysozyme activity when 0.3% gentamicin or 0.3% norfloxacin were topically applied."}
{"id": "PMID:1488883", "title": "Sampling methods for tear stix tests.", "content": "Four different methods for transferring conjunctival fluid to stix test pads were studied. One hundred and twenty eyes from 120 cataract-extracted patients (35 in the operated eye 0-5 days post-operatively and 85 in the contralateral eye) were included in the study. Transfer of fluid by a glass rod from the lateral part of the inferior fornix was demonstrated to be the most suitable method, showing the highest sensitivity to leucocyte-esterase (83%, N = 120, p < 0.05) and with a specificity equal to that of the other methods tested (cotton, spongostan, Schirmer paper strip). The glass rod method is suitable for detecting blood, nitrite, albumin, pH, and glucose, and is a both quick and unintrusive procedure. All four transferring methods may, however, cause an increased desquamation of epithelial cells and an increased amount of mucus."}
{"id": "PMID:1488884", "title": "The effect of varying wavelength on subconjunctival scleral laser suture lysis in rabbits.", "content": "We studied laser suture lysis of subconjunctival scleral sutures in a rabbit eye using selected wavelengths from a dye and diode laser to determine which wavelength caused the least conjunctival damage. We found an oval shaped area of coagulation necrosis surrounding the suture track in the conjunctival substantia propria measuring in depth 61.0 mu for 488 + 514 nm (blue-green), 105.7 mu for 514 nm (green), 148.3 mu for 630 nm (red), and 29.0 mu with 780 + 830 nm (infrared) wavelengths. No observable damage was noted with 585 nm (yellow) or 610 nm (orange) wavelengths. The energy intensity required for suture lysis was similar across each wavelength studied. No damage was observed in the sclera or conjunctival epithelium. These findings suggest that using the yellow or orange wavelength, when performing laser suture lysis clinically, potentially may limit conjunctival damage."}
{"id": "PMID:1488885", "title": "Dependence of ocular protrusion, asymmetry of protrusion and lateral interobital width on age.", "content": "Ocular protrusion and lateral interorbital width were measured in 462 patients; 187 females and 275 males ranging in age from 9 to 92 years. The object of this study was to determine if ocular protrusion, asymmetry of protrusion and lateral interorbital width was dependent upon age. There was a significant reduction in ocular protrusion and lateral interorbital width with increasing age in both females and males. There was a strong correlation between ocular protrusion and lateral interorbital width. Asymmetry of ocular protrusion did not develop with age. These findings may help in the longitudinal assessment of patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1488886", "title": "Long-term results of anterior chamber tube shunt to an encircling band in the treatment of refractory glaucomas.", "content": "We performed the anterior chamber tube shunt to an encircling band procedure in 34 patients (36 eyes) with refractory glaucoma, and evaluated the long-term outcome. The preoperative mean intraocular pressure (IOP) was 36.8 +/- 9.6 mmHg, the postoperative mean IOP was 21.6 +/- 13.6 mmHg, a statistically significant (p < 0.01) reduction of IOP following this procedure. The final postoperative IOP was under 21 mmHg in 23 (63.9%) of the 36 eyes. The success rate of IOP control 36 months after the operation without any elevation of post-operative IOP was 30.3% (life-table method). Complications of this procedure included flattening of the anterior chamber (61.1%), damage to the corneal endothelium (25%), hyphema (25%), and a transient IOP elevation (25%). As filtering surgery with 5-fluorouracil is more effective and simple to perform, we conclude that the anterior chamber tube shunt to an encircling band procedure should be reserved for those with refractory glaucoma who have had multiple surgical interventions."}
{"id": "PMID:1488887", "title": "Radiotherapy of malignant melanoma of the uvea with I-125 seeds.", "content": "Nineteen patients with malignant uveal melanomas were treated with I-125 applicators. There were 10 males and 9 females with a median age of 61 years (range 42-76). The tumour was located in the choroid in 12 eyes and in the choroid and ciliary body in 7 eyes. The size of the tumours was 7-18 mm in maximal basal diameter (median 12), 5-16 mm in minimal basal diameter (median 10), and 5.5-15 mm in thickness (median 8.5). The volume of the tumours was 123-1890 mm3 (median 540). All tumours were classified as large (T3). For the irradiation, a computer program, which calculates three-dimensional dose distribution of I-125 seeds in gold plaques, was developed. By modifying the seed positions, activity and the orientation, patients can be treated individually. Iodine-125 emits low energy photons, ideal for intraocular tumour therapy and tissue. Extra-ocular tissue located behind the applicator can be completely shielded by a 0.5 mm gold layer. The dose at the apex of the tumour ranged from 30 to 120 Gy (median 93). The treatment time ranged from 44 to 600 h (median 235). Preliminary results are good. After a median follow-up of 6 months, the tumour growth has been arrested in all eyes and in 10 eyes the tumour has decreased in size."}
{"id": "PMID:1488888", "title": "The association between HLA B5 and ocular involvement in Beh\u00e7et's disease in southern Turkey.", "content": "HLA B5 plays an important role in the aetiology of Beh\u00e7et's disease. The frequency of HLA B5 differs between racial groups and geographical regions. Ocular involvement, which could lead to serious complications, is a very important feature of Beh\u00e7et's disease. Various racial groups having different genetic properties live in the Cukurova region, located in southern Turkey. To investigate the role of HLA B5 in Beh\u00e7et's disease in Cukurova region, HLA B5 antigens were investigated by lymphocytotoxicity assay in 65 patients and 200 healthy controls. A significantly higher frequency was found in the patient group. Neither ocular involvement, nor the type of uveitis showed any correlation with HLA B5, but it was found that patients presenting with frequent ocular attacks had significantly higher HLA B5 positivity than the patients with rare attacks. This observation suggests that HLA B5 would be a negative factor in visual prognosis in Beh\u00e7et's disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1488889", "title": "A comparative study of total protein, total and lipid associated serum sialic acid levels in patients with Beh\u00e7et's disease and control groups.", "content": "The current investigation was designed to determine the total serum sialic acid (TSA), lipid associated sialic acid (LASA), total protein (TP), and TSA/TP values for 16 patients with active form of Beh\u00e7et's disease, 12 patients with other uveitis types (pathologic controls) and 22 normal individuals. Data analysis indicated significant differences in mean TSA, LASA and TSA/TP values in patients with Beh\u00e7et's disease (95.6 +/- 15.3 mg/dl, 29.8 +/- 7.4 mg/dl and 12.9 +/- 2.1 mg/g, respectively) and in pathologic controls (75.8 +/- 8.1 mg/dl, 26.6 +/- 0.3 mg/dl and 10.0 +/- 0.9 mg/g, respectively) when compared to normal controls (59.5 +/- 7.5 mg/dl, 19.2 +/- 3.2 mg/dl and 8.2 +/- 0.9 mg/g, respectively) (p < 0.01). No significant difference was observed in mean LASA values in patients with Beh\u00e7et's disease when compared to pathologic controls (p > 0.05). No significant difference was observed in mean TP values in patients with Beh\u00e7et's disease (7.4 +/- 0.7 g/dl), normal controls (7.3 +/- 0.4 g/dl) and pathologic controls (7.5 +/- 0.6 g/dl) (p > 0.05). A statistically significant difference was observed between the patients with Beh\u00e7et's disease and pathologic controls with respect to TSA, TSA/TP values (p < 0.01). The results indicated that TSA and TSA/TP is most useful for differentiating Beh\u00e7et's disease from other forms of uveitis."}
{"id": "PMID:1488890", "title": "Aggressive toxoplasma retinitis.", "content": "Toxoplasma infection is a common cause of infectious uveitis. It usually produces a characteristic fundal appearance, with evidence of previous inflammation. However, it may occur in an atypical and aggressive form. Steroids administered to salvage vision may then worsen the clinical course. Retinal biopsy may be diagnostic in cases where doubt exists. We illustrate these points with two cases."}
{"id": "PMID:1488891", "title": "Giant cell arteritis and visual loss. A 3-year retrospective hospital investigation in a Danish county.", "content": "An ophthalmic status is given for 95 consecutive patients referred from other departments of the Central County Hospital 1986-88 due to suspected giant cell arteritis. Eventually, the diagnosis was confirmed in 51/95 (18 had positive biopsy of the temporal artery; in 33 it was on clinical grounds). Nine of the 51 had significant visual loss, in one even as bilateral blindness. Generalized malignancies were found in 2 of the 44 with diagnosis other than giant cell arteritis. Retrospectively, in the same 3-year period a total of 263 cases of giant cell arteritis were registered in the somatic hospitals of the county (population 340,000). One further case with visual loss became known from requests to the primary health sector ophthalmologists. Between 3-4% were thus known to have significant visual loss, a result mainly in keeping with other Nordic clinical studies. Probably, the low figures of visual impairment are related to high diagnostic rates of giant cell arteritis, and to early treatment. Our hospital-based data of giant cell arteritis gave a calculated annual incidence of 1 per 1000 of those older than 50 years in the county, or 27/100,000 including all ages. The true county incidence would be even higher had it been possible to find and include the additional cases of giant cell arteritis who were diagnosed and treated in the primary health sector only."}
{"id": "PMID:1488892", "title": "Fibrillopathy in a pseudophakic eye. Production of fibrils by remnants of the lens capsule.", "content": "The ultrastructure of the lens capsule remnants in an eye with known fibrillopathy (pseudoexfoliation/exfoliation syndrome) subjected to an extracapsular cataract extraction (ECCE) and lens implantation 11 months earlier was examined. Lens epithelial changes typical in lenses with fibrillopathy were observed. The well-known fibrils radiated from pits in the lens epithelial cells, forming a deep layer in the lens capsule and the Busacca bushes on the capsule surface. It thus appears that the production of fibrillar material from lens epithelium may continue after ECCE and implantation of an intraocular lens. A possible connection between intracellular and extracellular fibrils was noticed."}
{"id": "PMID:1488893", "title": "Changes in the soluble protein of the human vitreous in vitreoretinal disease.", "content": "Samples of the vitreous were analysed in order to identify changes of soluble proteins in vitreo-retinal disease. The soluble proteins of the vitreous were separated on an anion exchange column (Mono-Q). The degree of neutral proteolytic activity in vitreous body was also measured. The vitreous from cataract cases without vitreoretinal disease was characterized by its low content of soluble proteins equivalent to about 1% of that of serum. Albumin and transferrin were the major identified components and their concentrations were approximately 0.85 and 0.03 g/l, respectively. In cases with vitreoretinal disease the vitreous showed changes of total soluble protein and the appearance of additional protein peaks. In patients with PVR the albumin concentration in the vitreous was found to be three times higher as compared to the control group consisting of patients with cataract. Neutral proteolytic activity in the vitreous was relatively low in both normal and pathological vitreous."}
{"id": "PMID:1488894", "title": "Is retinopathy in pancreatitis caused by leukocyte emboli?", "content": "The theory of granulocyte embolization in the retinal arterioles in acute pancreatitis cannot account for several aspects of the ophthalmic complication. Therefore we studied retinal circulation by fluorescein angiography, light and transmission electron microscopy following the first six hours of acute experimental necrotizing pancreatitis. The studied period was characterized by high serum lipase and amylase concentrations, hypocalcemia, necrosis of the pancreatic tissue and preceded the development of hypovolemic shock. Ophthalmoscopy and fluorescein angiography revealed no pathologic alterations and no granulocyte aggregation was found. Our results suggest that granulocyte aggregation induced by pancreatic enzymes is not the reason for the ophthalmic circulatory disturbances in acute pancreatitis."}
{"id": "PMID:1488895", "title": "Quantification of the ocular response to treatment in posterior uveitis.", "content": "Twenty patients with posterior uveitis were studied by anterior segment fluorophotometry to determine whether there was a relationship between the degree of breakdown of the blood-aqueous barrier and the clinical recovery of posterior uveitis. In individual eyes the degree of breakdown and recovery of the blood-aqueous barrier (as measured by changes in the anterior chamber fluorescein concentration) followed the resolution and relapse of disease making it possible to quantify the ocular response to treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1488896", "title": "Retinal involvement in Wucheria bancrofti filariasis.", "content": "We report the first case of inflammation of the retinal pigment epithelium and retinal vasculities presumably caused by microfilaria of Wucheria bancrofti and discuss its possible pathogenesis. Therapy with diethyl carbamazine citrate resulted in rapid resolution of the inflammation."}
{"id": "PMID:1488897", "title": "The incidence of complications associated with retrobulbar injection of anaesthetic for ophthalmic surgery.", "content": "A retrospective study of the incidence of complications associated with the use of retrobulbar injections was carried out on a sample of 1083 consecutive patients. The overall incidence of retrobulbar haemorrhage (1.3%) compared favourably with previous reports, but was found to be related to the experience of the surgeon. None of the more serious ocular complications of retrobulbar injection occurred in this sample. The relative safety of this technique is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1488898", "title": "Role of trace elements in senile cataract.", "content": "The contents of copper, zinc and protein were determined in cortex and nucleus sections of cortical and nuclear cataracts. The results show that copper and zinc content increased in both types of cataracts, although more in the cortex than nucleus sections of the cataractous lenses."}
{"id": "PMID:1488899", "title": "Enterococcal endophthalmitis following cataract extraction, treated with ampicillin intravitreally.", "content": "A case of Enterococcal endophthalmitis developed following an extracapsular cataract extraction. The infection was successfully treated with intravenous and intravitreal ampicillin, but a secondary glaucoma led to a later enucleation. We report a case of postoperative endophthalmitis with an unusual etiology, which did not respond to common treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1488900", "title": "Traumatic globe luxation.", "content": "A case of globe luxation which followed a relatively slight trauma is presented. The luxation was accompanied by laceration of the conjunctiva in this case. After achieving reposition in the emergency room, the patient underwent a surgical exploration of extraocular muscles and conjunctival fornices where many eyelashes were removed. The clinical features and management of globe luxation is discussed, importance of surgical exploration is emphasized."}
{"id": "PMID:1488901", "title": "Multicentre evaluation of the temporal bones obtained from a patient with suspected Meni\u00e8re's disease.", "content": "A multicentre study of the inner ears of an 88-year-old patient with vertiginous spells and severe hearing loss in the left ear was performed, employing regular and block surface preparations, light and electron microscopy with qualitative and quantitative evaluation of the cochlear and vestibular nerves. There was severe hydrops of the left cochlea and saccule. Reissner's membrane extended into the vestibule and herniated into the perilymphatic space of the non-ampullated end of the horizontal canal. Furthermore, the short canal connecting the posterior ampulla with the utricle had a small, exceedingly thin balloon-like expansion. Only slight hydrops limited to the cochlea was found in the right ear. Sensorineural degeneration was much more pronounced in the left cochlea than in the right. The number of cochlear and vestibular nerve fibres was greatly reduced in the left ear where more fibres with degenerative changes were present. In both specimens the number of myelinated nerve fibres in osseous spiral lamina was smaller than that in the cochlear nerve in the internal auditory canal. Changes occurred in the endolymphatic sacs but were considered non-specific. In this case severe, apparently progressive hydrops and sensorineural degeneration, characteristic of Meni\u00e8re's disease, were associated with atypical onset of clinical symptoms at a late age."}
{"id": "PMID:1488902", "title": "[A drug ahead of its time: the success story of selegiline].", "content": "The racemic form of Selegiline was investigated in clinics a short time after its discovery in the sixties. However its fate seemed to be sealed by the so-called \"cheese effect\" associated with the applications of other MAO inhibitors. In the seventies the (-) enantiomer, called Selegiline was investigated again in European Clinics, and was finally introduced into therapy as an adjuvant of L-Dopa treatment for Parkinsonism. In the eighties its launch to the market of the USA was influenced by events known as the \"MPTP Story\" and the \"Orphan Drug Act\". Further clinical investigations of Selegiline are expected to clarify the real therapeutic value of Selegiline."}
{"id": "PMID:1488903", "title": "[Synthesis of selegiline, its potential impurities and metabolites].", "content": "Selegiline is prepared in a three-step synthesis starting from phenylacetone and methylamine. Its possible impurities may be the (+)-isomer and compounds formed in side reactions. The syntheses of selegiline's metabolites are also described."}
{"id": "PMID:1488904", "title": "[Survey of the analysis of selegiline].", "content": "The characteristics of the selegiline active substance, identification tests, purity tests and the determinations of the active substance content are summarized in the paper. Fast, simple, selective reverse phase HPLC method is used for purity tests and active substance determinations. The validation of the determination of the active substance and the purity test is presented. The solvent residues were determined in vapour phase by the headspace method. A potentiometric acidi-alkalimetric titration, carried out in nonaqueous solution with the application of a titriprocessor is applied as an assay. A thermoanalytical method developed for the purity determinations is also published in this issue by Lad\u00e1nyi et al."}
{"id": "PMID:1488905", "title": "[NMR spectroscopy of selegiline and related compounds].", "content": "In the course of the 1H NMR investigation of Selegiline and compounds related to it, the 3J coupling constants of the protons of the alpha and the beta carbon of the beta-phenyl-ethylamine moiety were determined. The rotameric population around the single bond of the alpha and beta carbons were calculated from these values. It is discussed how substituents at the alpha-carbon atom, at the nitrogen atom and on the phenyl ring as well as the solvent influence the conformational equilibria. The optical purity of the samples were determined using chiral europium shift reagents, however different reagents have to be used for primary, secondary and tertiary amine derivatives. The coordination process between p-F-amphetamine and Eu(tcf)3 was studied in detail, the formation constant of the complex and the bound shifts were determined."}
{"id": "PMID:1488906", "title": "[Study of selegiline and related compounds with x-ray diffraction].", "content": "Selegiline and its parent compounds were studied by X-ray diffraction. It was established that the racemates of primary and secondary amines (p-fluoro-amphetamine, methamphetamine, p-fluoro-methamphetamine) hydrochloride do not form racemic compounds but crystalline as conglomerates, at the same time tertiary amines like selegiline and p-fluoro-selegiline hydrochlorides do. The crystalline structure of five enantiomeric hydrochlorides were determined, the CPhe-C-C-N torsion angle is anti-periplanar in all cases but in p-fluoro-amphetamine where it is gauche."}
{"id": "PMID:1488907", "title": "[Thermoanalytic determination of the enantiomeric purity of selegiline].", "content": "The thermal behaviour of Selegiline (a chiral, non racemic pharmaceutical used in the therapy of Parkinson disease) was studied by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) for determining the enantiomeric purity (e.p.) of the bulk substance. It has been found, that (i) the binary phase diagram (melting point phase diagram) of the R/S enantiomer mixtures is characteristic to that of the true racemic compounds; (ii) the melting behaviour of the R/S binary mixtures follows the thermodynamic laws (i.e. the Schr\u00f6der-Van Laar and the Prigogine-Defay equations); (iii) the e.p. of the highly purified bulk substance can be expressed as \"DSC purity\" (this latter is obtained from the Van't Hoff equation) and the microcalorimetric method as above gives good reproducibility; (iv) due to the minor impurities (other than the S(-) enantiomer) the obtained e.p. (expressed as DSC purity) can be higher but not lower than the actual e.p. of the investigated substance."}
{"id": "PMID:1488908", "title": "[Pharmacology of selegiline (recent considerations)].", "content": "The nigrostriatal system, where dopaminergic neuron activity dominates, plays and important role in control of motoric and psychic functions. Selegiline with its neurochemical activity ie. MAO-B enzyme and dopamine uptake inhibition is able to restore or improve the deteriorated function of that system. Selegiline can hinder the uptake of tyramine into the peripheral sympathetic nerve endings, so cheese effect, which is a characteristic and dangerous side effect induced by MAO-A inhibitors, does not occur. Selegiline can potentiate the learning activity of PEA in rats, these effect may be connected with increased dopamine turnover in the striatum. In pathological conditions dopamine can be replaced by L-dopa, so it has a fundamental role in the improvement of dopaminergic functions. According to neurochemical activity selegiline takes a prominent role in the extension and improvement of L-dopa therapy. The neuroprotective effect of selegiline is multiple, with the inhibition of MAO-B it can stop the production of neurotoxin MPP+ (arising from MPTP) and its uptake into the nerve endings respectively. In chronic treatment with Selegiline SOD activity increases in rats, as a consequence the level of free oxygen radicals and toxic metabolites can be diminished. Chronic treatment with selegiline does not influence the activity of young animals, but improves sexual activity and learning capacity and enlarges life expectancy of old rats. These experiments verified its positive activity on the nigrostriatal system and give a good chance for geriatric usage. In longtime treatments dependency was not stated."}
{"id": "PMID:1488909", "title": "[Pharmacokinetics and metabolism of selegiline].", "content": "As it has been shown is animal experiments, selegiline administered orally is absorbed rapidly. The compound penetrates the blood-brain barrier and the concentration of selegiline and/or its metabolites is high in the brain. Selegiline is eliminated primarily by renal excretion (73%) and 14% of the dose is eliminated with faeces. The main metabolic pathway is N-dealkylation. N-demethyl-selegiline, amphetamine and methamphetamine are the main metabolites. p-Hydroxylated derivatives of amphetamine and methamphetamine could also be identified in rat urine. (-)-Selegiline gives rise to (-) metabolites and does not undergo racemization. Selegiline is bound to macromolecules extensively. The metabolites have lower affinity to plasma proteins than the parent drug do. Selegiline and its metabolites do not accumulate in the organism not even during prolonged administration."}
{"id": "PMID:1488910", "title": "[Positron emission tomography of C-11-labelled selegiline].", "content": "The combination of C-11-labelled Selegiline with PET gives the possibility of a non-invasive method for the determination of the distribution, activity and turnover of MAO-B enzyme and all the enzyme-related changes in the brain as well as for the early detection of Parkinson's disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1488911", "title": "[\"Widening horizons\" in the clinical application of selegiline].", "content": "The first paper on the beneficial effect of selegiline in the treatment of Parkinson's disease was published 17 years ago. In the first ten years several clinical studies were conducted world-wide to prove its efficacy as an adjuvant to the basic 1-dopa therapy. Although the design, duration and number of treated patients were different, the overall results were mainly uniform. The patients treated with 1-dopa selegiline combination showed marked improvement in disability, increasing duration of 1-dopa effect and marked lessening of dose-related fluctuations were seen, compared to those treated with 1-dopa alone. It became also generally evident that selegiline allows a 10-30% decrease in 1-dopa dose. The investigations in which selegiline has been used as monotherapy have been triggered by some purely clinical experience and by the discovery of pathobiochemical mechanisms of MPTP toxicity which causes fairly similar clinical picture to Parkinson's disease and can be successfully prevented by selegiline. The newly diagnosed parkinsonian patients treated with selegiline alone showed marked improvement in their clinical state. Beside the actual clinical effect on disability, selegiline slowed down the progression of Parkinson's disease. The latter fact has been proven in the largest clinical trial ever done with selegiline (DATATOP). Selegiline monotherapy can delay the need for 1-dopa substitution by around one year or longer. Based on the continuously growing clinical experiences it became widely accepted that selegiline is the drug of choice as initial treatment for newly diagnosed parkinsonian patients.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1488912", "title": "[Radioreceptor assay for determination of the anti-progestogen, RU-486 and its active metabolites in the blood].", "content": "RU-486 is an antiprogesterone 19-norsteroid with high binding affinity for the progesterone receptor. It can be used with success for termination of early human pregnancy. Since the metabolites of RU-486 are often biologically active, their concentrations in blood can also have clinical significance. We have developed a rapid sensitive radio receptor assay for determination of RU-486 and its active metabolites. Human myometrium progesterone receptor was used as binding protein. The assay is based on the competitive replacement of 3H-ORG-2058 by the active molecular fraction of RU-486 present in the serum. The analytical parameters of this assay are the followings: intraassay percent of coefficient of variation (CV%) is ranged between 7.6 and 10.4%. The interassay CV% was from 7.1 to 16.3. The sensitivity of the receptor assay was 8.7 pmol/tube and the acceptable range was between 10 and 120 pmol/tube. The recovery ranged between 95 and 122% (r = 0.983). These parameters are suitable for the requirement of radioligand binding techniques based on the immunoassays."}
{"id": "PMID:1488913", "title": "[Evolution of the Hungarian oral contraceptives].", "content": "Author gives a review of the development of Hungarian oral contraceptives from the beginning to the present status. He describes the three main historical phases that means the high-dose combined pills, the low-dose compositions and the most modern two- and three-phasic preparations. Besides, he mentions the monohormonal mini-pills and the so-called postcoital pill, too. He refers to the fact that the Hungarian pharmaceutical research followed truly the international development in oral contraception, too."}
{"id": "PMID:1488914", "title": "[Comparative evaluation of the effect of mono-, bi- and three-phase oral contraceptive tablets on the endometrium].", "content": "It was established that the applied new pill has no atrophic effect onto the endometrium. Therefore it has better characteristics than other oral contraceptives (excepting Anteovin). Ovidon e.g. causes endometrial atrophy (concerning glands and stroma as well), when it is used for several years. We can expect the triphasis pill not to results any endometrial atrophy or hyperprolactinaemia not even in long term use. High progesterone levels detected in serum during pill administration refer to this fact."}
{"id": "PMID:1488915", "title": "[Formulation and in vitro investigation of antibacterial vaginal suppositories. Part 1. Considerations in selecting the vehicle. Methods and results of the physical examination].", "content": "Vaginal suppositories frequently used in gynaecological therapy were studied. Several antibacterial pharmacons are used for the topical treatment of vaginitis of various origins. However, the choice of the vaginal suppository base was often considered to be of minor importance for a long time. In view of the fact that the liberation of the given active substance and the subsequent therapeutic effect may be improved or inhibited by the vehicle, their aim was to find the optimal suppository base for vaginal suppositories containing sulphadimidine, chloramphenicol and gentamicin-sulphate by means of in vitro experiments. On the basis of breaking hardness, disintegration time and spreading properties the French Suppocire NA product, and compositions of macrogols with lower molecular weight proved to be the best lipophilic and hydrophilic bases respectively."}
{"id": "PMID:1488916", "title": "[Formulation and in vitro investigation of antibacterial vaginal suppositories. Part 2. In vitro membrane diffusion and microbiologic studies].", "content": "After the physical parameters had been determined, the in vitro drug liberation from vaginal suppositories containing 100 mg of antibacterial agent (sulphadimine, chloramphenicol, gentamicin-sulphate) was studied by membrane diffusion and microbiological methods. Among the vehicles available in Hungary the hydrophylic Massa macrogoli was found to be the best for this purpose. Among the lipophilic bases the in vitro drug liberation of the French Suppocire NA product was significantly better (p < 0.05) compared to the other lipophilic bases. This vehicle is recommended by the authors for the topical treatment of vaginitis, as these suppositories have the further advantage that they can easily be produced on a magistral, galenical or industrial scale as well. In the first part of the publication the formulation and some important physical parameters of lipophilic and hydrophilic antibacterial suppositories for vaginal use were described. In the present paper the drug liberation ability of the compositions with proper physical parameters was studied. The published results were obtained from measurements performed 1 week after formulation."}
{"id": "PMID:1488917", "title": "Kinetic methods for the determination of atenolol in pharmaceutical preparations.", "content": "The fixed concentration and the fixed time methods were used for quantitative determination of atenolol employing 0.0515 M ammonium meta vanadate as an oxidant in 2.5 M sulphuric acid at 84 degrees C. The two methods are based on reaction rate measurements following the absorbance of vanadium (IV) species produced, spectrophotometrically at 750 nm. The applicability of the methods was tested by assaying atenolol in drug formulations and comparing the results obtained statistically with the BP method."}
{"id": "PMID:1488918", "title": "[Cytochrome P-450: structure, function, induction and practical significance].", "content": "The liver contains a series of microsomal hemoproteins, called cytochromes P-450 which are mixed-function oxygenases involved in the metabolic oxygenation of diverse xenobiotic chemicals (drugs, pesticides, etc.). This enzyme system converts lipophilic foreign compounds into more water soluble products, thereby facilitating their elimination from the body. In general, cytochrome P-450-catalyzed oxidation results in detoxification, however the cytochromes P-450 can also convert certain xenobiotics to more toxic or carcinogenic products. Many of the individual isoenzyme forms of cytochrome P-450 are inducible by a wide variety of chemicals. After induction the concentration of total cytochrome P-450 in liver microsomes and the activity of different cytochrome P-450 forms increase. Elevated levels of cytochrome P-450 are the result of multiple mechanisms. Increased transcription of P-450 genes is a major mechanism of cytochrome P-450 induction. Higher levels of specific mRNAs are detectable soon after treatment with either \"phenobarbital-like\" or polycyclic aromatic compounds. Although increased transcription plays some role in the induction of cytochromes P-450 by other inducers like pregnenolone-16 alpha-carbonitrile (PCN)/glucocorticoids and \"ethanol-type\" compounds, post-transcriptional events are also very important. Cytochrome P-450 induction can be achieved by message stabilization and enhanced transport of mRNA from the nucleus to the cytoplasm that also increase the specific mRNA levels at the site of protein synthesis. Elevated cytochrome P-450 levels may also result from protein stabilization. Stabilization of cytochrome P-450 protein and/or mRNA are the main processes of induction by PCN/glucocorticoids and ethanol-type inducers. Although these mechanisms exist, they do not seem to be important in the induction by \"phenobarbital-like\" and \"3-methylcholanthrene-like\" inducers. The fact that induction is produced by a large variety of xenobiotics and is mediated by multiple mechanisms suggests that cytochrome P-450 system can provide increased protection for organisms in potentially hostile chemical environment. Since cytochrome P-450 induction is a characteristic response to chemicals for various living organisms ranging from microorganisms to man, it seems to be an adaptive mechanism for organisms to increase the chance for survival."}
{"id": "PMID:1488920", "title": "[Superficial carcinoma of the bladder. The pT1 G3 tumor: progression, recurrence, and survival. Treatment].", "content": "Surface vesical cancer continues to be a problem awaiting to be solved and with an alarmingly increasing incidence. The present report examines the inclusion criteria for the different categories as related to the accepted systems (NMT, Jwet-Marshall) and outlines the significance of the lamina propria invasion in the prognosis of patients with surface tumours. Also, it explores the various reported systems to define histological degree attending to morphological criteria. A review of prognostic factors with an emphasis on the relevance of the presence of in situ carcinoma associated to vesical tumour is included. There is an specific study of pT1 G3 tumours behaviour as related to progression, tendency to recurrence and survival; review of the different therapy approaches; and presentation of our personal experience based on the review of 448 tumours, which were compared to the results reported by the other national (Algaba, Vicente Rodr\u00edguez) and international (Heney, Soloway, Cooper, Kakizoe, etc.), authors."}
{"id": "PMID:1488921", "title": "[Scrotal suspension with hypogastric suture. Hemostatic technique in intrascrotal surgery].", "content": "Appearance of haemorrhages and bruises after surgery of scrotal bags contents is one of the most frequent complications in Urology. Presentation of results obtained in a prospective study carried out on 86 patients who had underwent surgery due to intrascrotal disease. In all of them and regardless of the approach used (inguinal or scrotal), suspension of bags to hypogastrium using suture traction was performed by Oesterling technique in combination to Joseph and O'Boyle's technique. Drainage was not used in any case. The article explains the characteristics of undergoing pathologies' surgical indications, describing both the technique used and the results obtained. It concludes by stating this is a useful method to prevent routine complications in scrotal surgery."}
{"id": "PMID:1488922", "title": "[Renal transplantation: results].", "content": "Between June 1986 and December 1991, 125 kidneys were transplanted in our hospital. Survival results of patients per annum was 94%, 90% of which represent grafts. Regarding the complications occurred in our series the most frequent ones were medical followed by surgical [urological (4%), vascular (2.4%) and others derived from the surgical procedure (20%)]. It was necessary to perform 5 transplantectomies."}
{"id": "PMID:1488923", "title": "[Prostatic melanosis].", "content": "Melanin presence in the prostate can be accurately localized in epithelial cells (nevus) or in the stroma (prostatic melanosis). This article describes a new case and compiles all recorded cases as well as the theories concerning their origin."}
{"id": "PMID:1488924", "title": "[Clinico-pathologic study of renal cell carcinoma].", "content": "Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is an uncommon tumour with high mortality mainly due to late diagnosis. The various morphological variables and the clinico-pathological stage, however, induce highly different evolutions. Awareness of these characteristics would be a significant part of deciding the most appropriate therapy for each case. The pathological anatomy of 130 renal cell carcinomas obtained through nephrectomy was reviewed. A follow-up of at least 5 years was done in 121 patients. Also, a survival study related to the various clinical and pathological parameters was carried out. A significantly lower survival rate was observed for solid tumours with spindle or giant cells and nuclear degrees superior to 2, over 10 mitosis in 10 fields and staging higher than II. A significant correlation was also found between number of mitosis and staging, presence of metastatic disease, survival interval, degree of tumoral necrosis, histological type, cell type and nuclear grade. Our results indicate that staging, histological type, cell type, microscopic vascular infiltration, nuclear grade and number of mitosis can be highly predictive of the evolution and prognosis of RCC patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1488925", "title": "[The nuclear roundness factor as a parameter in the anatomoclinical correlation of prostatic carcinoma].", "content": "This paper correlates the nuclear roundness factor to clinical stage, patient's age and acid phosphatase level at the time of diagnosis in a group of 48 patients with prostate carcinoma and a minimal follow-up of 5 years. It has been demonstrated that, from an anatomo-clinical point of view, the nuclear roundness factor is a good indicator because it presents increasing values as the clinical stage of tumoral extension worsens, and in those stages where the number of patients was relatively high the average of deaths was always higher than that of survivors. On the other hand, a direct correlation to total acid phosphatase, and an inverse correlation to age at the time of diagnosis was shown in patients with changes in these values."}
{"id": "PMID:1488926", "title": "[Diagnostic and therapeutic aspects of vesico-colonic fistulae. Review of our experience].", "content": "Analysis of 10 fistulae in 9 patients, all male. The etiology was diverse although there was a predominance of colovesical diverticulitis. Mictional urinary symptomatology was most frequent. In one case symptoms had been first referred 10 months earlier, while the others ranged between 24 hours and 15 days. Cystography was the radiological procedure which diagnosed more cases whereas cystoscopy was the endoscopic procedure which provides more data. Seven fistulae were treated surgically, in 5 instances with curative and 2 with palliative purposes. Three cases were subsidiary to surgery. 44.4% of patients died within one month from diagnosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1488927", "title": "[Cystic cystitis in childhood].", "content": "Cystic cystitis is a benign entity highly uncommon throughout childhood and which, from a clinical and radiological point of view, can simulate an intravesical malignant neoplasia (rhabdomyosarcoma); thus an accurate differential diagnosis is required, a biopsy of the lesions being necessary to confirm their nature. The paper presents 2 patients with cystic cystitis discussing the condition's etiology, pathogenesis, signs and symptoms as well as its evolution."}
{"id": "PMID:1488928", "title": "[Retroperitoneal ganglioneuroma: an infrequent tumor].", "content": "Presentation of 2 cases of retroperitoneal ganglioneuroma (paravertebral and adrenal, respectively), accidentally diagnosed during ultrasound study. In none of these 2 cases diagnosis by thin-needle puncture-aspiration was possible, therefore, surgical exeresis of the lesion was performed. When diagnosis is made prior to surgery, management can be conservative with close follow-up, unless neuroblastoma is identified or there is other disease-derived pathologies present."}
{"id": "PMID:1488929", "title": "[Vesico-uterine fistula: report of 2 new cases].", "content": "Presentation of two new cases of vesico-uterine fistulae secondary to cesarean operation. In one case our route for surgical approach is explained as a novelty; also, the time-frame within which it was performed, one month, since it is usual to recommend a minimum of three months. In the second case an in-dwelling vesical catheter was sufficient to achieve closure. The article also reviews the existing literature on the different aspects: signs, symptoms and therapy, of this infrequent pathology."}
{"id": "PMID:1488930", "title": "[Nephrogenic adenoma of the bladder].", "content": "Presentation of one case of vesical nephrogenic adenoma diagnosed as an accidental histological finding following TUR of vesical tumour. This case if considered of interest due to the rarity of the lesion (some 300 cases reported) and the limited number of quotations in the Spanish literature."}
{"id": "PMID:1488932", "title": "Affective correlates of alcohol and cocaine use.", "content": "The affective correlates of alcohol and cocaine use were investigated in two studies. In the first, alcoholics (n = 50) and cocaine addicts (n = 40) were administered factor scales from the Inventory of Drinking Situations as well as the General Temperament Survey. Substance use in negative affect states was reported more often by alcoholics than by cocaine addicts, even when age and race differences were statistically controlled. Alcoholics also reported higher levels of negative temperament, and substance use in negative affect states was correlated with negative temperament across groups. In a study using subjects dependent on both drugs (n = 21), alcohol was more likely to be used in negative affect situations than was cocaine. Thus, the affective correlates of substance use are associated with both individual differences and drug-specific effects. Possible reasons for the differential association of alcohol with negative affect are proposed."}
{"id": "PMID:1488933", "title": "Alcohol, personality traits, and high risk driving: a comparison of young, drinking driver groups.", "content": "Four types of drinking driver groups were compared with each other and also with two nondrinking driver groups on sensation seeking, social responsibility, and hostility. Groups were also compared on traffic violations, accidents, alcohol consumption, frequency of driving after drinking, frequency of driving impaired, and perception of driving risk taking after drinking. Drivers under the influence apprehended in conjunction with an accident or moving violation had significantly greater alcohol consumption, frequency of driving after drinking, frequency of driving impaired, traffic violations, accidents, and self rating of risk taking after drinking in comparison with other groups."}
{"id": "PMID:1488934", "title": "Factors associated with nonparticipation among registrants for a self-help, community-based smoking cessation intervention.", "content": "Smokers (n = 96) who registered for but did not participate in a televised smoking cessation intervention based on the American Lung Association's self-help manual, Freedom From Smoking in 20 Days, were compared with participants (n = 1,035). Nonparticipants were more likely to be male, employed, and have a higher annual household income. At preintervention, nonparticipants expressed weaker desire to quit smoking, less confidence in their ability to quit, and less determination to quit. At post-program, 92% of nonparticipants smoked, but 93% planned to quit someday, with 82% planning to quit within the next 12 months. Additionally, nonparticipants were asked about their impressions of the manual, reasons for not reading the manual, and reasons for not watching the televised segments. Nonparticipants expressed positive initial impressions of the manual and mentioned time demands and conflicts with other commitments most often as reasons for not reading the manual and not watching the televised segments. Besides motivating smokers to try to quit, smoking cessation programs should help smokers to prepare to act. Also, nonparticipants are good candidates for recycling into subsequent programs."}
{"id": "PMID:1488935", "title": "Comparisons of retrospective and current reports of alcoholics and their spouses on drinking behavior.", "content": "This study examined the correspondence between reports of alcoholic husbands and their wives on multiple dimensions of alcohol consumption and drinking-related events. Retrospective reports as well as prospective diaries (90 day period) were obtained from both spouses on husbands' behaviors, and correspondence was assessed at group and individual levels. Although there was some variability in agreement between individual husband-wife pairs, overall results indicated that husband-wife correspondence was robust not only for global measures, but also for more specific dimensions of day-to-day consumption. Findings were discussed in terms of issues that affect the validity of alcoholics' reports."}
{"id": "PMID:1488941", "title": "Salmonella outbreak among railway and airline passengers.", "content": "A widespread outbreak by Salmonella infantis, infecting a total of 226 people, occurred in Finland at the beginning of August 1986. Of those infected, 107 were railway passengers, 91 were airline passengers and 28 were employed in a food processing establishment. The outbreak among the railway passengers was caused by egg sandwiches, the airline passengers were infected by a meal served on board and the catering employees by the breakfast served in the establishment. The outbreak was caused by food prepared in the establishment's kitchen. The employees' breakfasts had probably been contaminated by an employee who was a symptom-free Salmonella infantis carrier, and a number of the employees subsequently became infected, leading to widespread contamination of the food prepared in the establishment. The spread of the outbreak was further influenced by a heatwave at the time and by shortcomings in the cold storage facilities. The kitchen's hygiene supervision and the quality control of its output were reorganized after the outbreak."}
{"id": "PMID:1488936", "title": "Smokers' reactions to interpersonal interaction and presentation of smoking cues.", "content": "This study examined smokers' reactions to smoking cues and interpersonal interaction. Fifty-six smokers were assigned at random to the six cells of a factorial design which varied the level of interpersonal interaction (role play with a confederate vs. confederate absent) and the level of exposure to smoking cues (no cues vs. visual cues vs. visual plus olfactory cues). Measures of reactivity included changes from resting baseline on blood pressure, heart rate, self-reported smoking urge, and a measure of ad lib smoking behavior obtained after exposure to the experimental procedures. Results showed that blood pressure responses increased significantly from baseline only during the role play situation where the confederate manipulated an unlit cigarette or smoked a cigarette in view of the subjects. Although not significant, heart rate changes paralleled blood pressure changes, but urge ratings showed a different pattern of response to the manipulations. The latency to smoking a cigarette after the experimental manipulations was unaffected by the cues. The results suggest that modelling of smoking by others and exposure to some kinds of smoking cues may increase cardiovascular activation."}
{"id": "PMID:1488937", "title": "Effects of alcohol consumption on the prevention and alleviation of stress-reactions.", "content": "Alcohol's Stress-Response-Dampening (SRD) effect has been the subject of much research, but little has been done to examine the effects of drinking alcohol after experiencing a stressor (Stress-Response-Recovery; SRR). In this study, 65 male and 65 female moderate or heavy drinking undergraduates were randomly assigned (with equal numbers of each sex per group) to 1 of 13 groups. Six experimental conditions were used to compare alcohol's SRD and SRR effects with two doses (moderate: .75 ml/kg; low: .33 ml/kg) and a placebo, and seven control conditions were used to measure the effects of the stressor (uncontrollable aversive noise) and the alcohol doses alone on the dependent measures. The major dependent variable was escape learning in a human shuttle box. In the SRD conditions, subjects who drank a moderate dose of alcohol learned to escape faster than those drinking the low dose or placebo. However, in the SRR conditions, subjects in the placebo group did not show escape learning deficits, in contrast to the impaired performance of subjects in the two alcohol groups. These results suggest a complex alcohol-stress relationship in which timing, dose, and expectations about alcohol lead to differential SRD and SRR effects."}
{"id": "PMID:1488942", "title": "Hormonal interrelationships in postpartum suckled dairy cows.", "content": "Three cross-bred cows calved in March and April and were followed until day 62 after parturition. Each animal was suckled by 2 calves ad libitum. All calves were removed from the cows on day 55 after parturition. Blood was collected 3 times per day from the jugular vein by venipuncture. On 4 occasions after parturition--i.e. days 7-8, 21-22, 35-36 and 49-50, the cows were bled through a jugular venous catheter every 30 min during the 24 h. The plasma samples were analyzed for the content of 15-keto-13,14-dihydro-PGF2 alpha (main PGF2 alpha metabolite), LH, prolactin, cortisol and progesterone by radioimmunoassay methods. The concentration of PGF2 alpha increased from 280 to 730 pmol/l within the last 4 days before parturition. The highest geometric mean was 3106 pmol/l on the day of parturition. Thereafter a steady decrease of PGF2 alpha metabolite concentration was seen until day 21 when it reached plateau at 148 pmol/l. In all cows plasma LH concentrations increased significantly (P < 0.05) from about 1.6 micrograms/l on days 7-8 to 2.4 micrograms/l on days 21-22 post partum. The frequency of LH pulses showed no tendency to increase as the postpartum period progressed and averaged 6.5 pulses/24 h. Mean plasma LH concentrations increased from 2.1 micrograms/l 2 days before weaning to 3.2 micrograms/l 2 days after weaning (P < 0.05). LH peaks occurred less frequently in association with prolactin and cortisol peaks than in their absence. A partial positive correlation between PGF2 alpha metabolite and cortisol (r = 0.30) was found on days 7-8 post partum. Correlation between prolactin and cortisol on days 7-8 and 21-22 post partum was also positive (r = 0.20 and r = 0.27, respectively). There was a negative correlation between LH and cortisol on days 7-8 (r = -0.27) and days 49-50 (r = -0.21) post partum. The first and short progesterone increase observed after weaning was terminated in conjunction with PGF2 alpha metabolite peaks."}
{"id": "PMID:1488938", "title": "2.5 years follow-up of weight and Body Mass Index values in the Weight Control for Life! program: a descriptive analysis.", "content": "This descriptive study monitored weight, Body Mass Index, and percent excess weight changes in 60 clients, (44 women, 16 men) at about 1 year and 2.5 years following participation in the Weight Control for Life! program. The program integrates the habit reversal treatment model with contingency management and operant reinforcement principles; nutrition education; physical activity; stress management; cognitive-restructuring; relapse prevention; social support; intensive, on-going maintenance; self-monitoring; and the use of a medically supervised very-low-calorie diet or low-calorie-diet. Clients' pretreatment and posttreatment weights averaged 104.28 kg (229.42 lb) and 79.89 kg (175.76 lb), respectively, representing a 68% reduction in excess body weight at the end of the weight loss phase of the program. Mean weight loss at about 1 year and 2.5 years post weight loss was 19.28 kg (42.42 lb) and 13.09 kg (28.80 lb), indicating subjects maintained 75% and 52% of their weight losses at these two time periods. Men lost more weight and maintained better losses than women. Overall, there was a 41% reduction in excess body weight at the end of 2.5 years."}
{"id": "PMID:1488943", "title": "Germ cell weakness as a cause of testicular hypoplasia in bulls.", "content": "Sporadic cases of testicular hypoplasia were earlier found in bulls of the Swedish Red and White breed. An accumulation of cases have occurred since 1970 in sons of 2 outstanding progenytested bull sires, 2 F and 27 U, which had a common father, 545 B. The history and clinical examination of affected bulls varied. Some had azoospermia and very small testes at a young age, while others could be normal in all respect when they were young but had a short reproductive life and had to be culled at about 3 years of age. Most of the affected bulls were between these 2 extremes. The histologic examination showed principally different degrees of testicular degeneration. There were always some germ cells left in all affected seminiferous tubules indicating that there was not a lack of germ cells causing the hypoplasia. Germ cell weakness is obviously a hereditary condition. The sires 545 B, 2 F and 27 U had a relatively low fertility. In their pedigree were several bulls known to have had a low fertility. No sons of 2 F and only a few sons of 27 U were used for A.I. services and at present only few cases of testicular hypoplasia are seen."}
{"id": "PMID:1488939", "title": "A psychophysical task to quantify smoking cessation-induced irritability: the reactive irritability scale (RIS).", "content": "A psychophysical rating scale using magnitude estimation was developed as a tool to quantify irritability as one index of drug withdrawal. The scale measures reactive irritability by using environmental sounds as probes. Three studies are described in which target and reference stimuli are selected, tested for reliability, and presented to cigarette smokers abstaining from smoking, cigarette smokers who are not abstaining, and nonsmokers. This reactive irritability scale (RIS) was found to have test/re-test reliability and content validity. The RIS significantly differentiated abstaining smokers from nonsmokers and from smokers allowed to smoke, whereas the commonly used self-report measures of irritability failed to distinguish the two groups of smokers. By measuring irritability as a type of reactivity rather than as a static attribute, a different type of irritability is measured than that which is assessed by self-report questionnaires. The RIS should be used in the study of withdrawal from nicotine and other drugs of abuse."}
{"id": "PMID:1488940", "title": "Bulimia nervosa: occurrence with psychoactive substance use disorders.", "content": "The prevalence of bulimic symptomatology was determined in the female population of a state-funded chemical dependency treatment unit. Sixty women, 39 Caucasian and 21 Native American, all diagnosed with a psychoactive substance use disorder, were evaluated using both the Bulit-R and the eating disorder section of the Structured Clinical Interview for the DSM III-R to diagnose bulimia nervosa. The prevalence of bulimia was calculated to be 12% of the total subject group. Additionally, 3 anorectics were identified, resulting in a 17% rate of diagnosable eating disorders in the total group. Percentages of occurrence in the Caucasian group alone were 15% for bulimia and 23% for the combined eating disorders."}
{"id": "PMID:1488944", "title": "A study of the development of endotoxin-induced inflammation in the bovine teat.", "content": "Endotoxin-induced local inflammation was studied by frequent samplings in a bovine teat cistern model, which provides a unique possibility for in vivo studies of reactions in the teat without interference from the mammary gland. A rapid inflammatory response of rather short duration was elicited after endotoxin administration. An initial increase in the concentrations of bovine serum albumin and N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase, indicating a disturbance in the epithelial integrity, was observed between 1 and 1.5 h post infusion (p.i.). Approximately 0.5 h later, the first influx of leukocytes, mainly neutrophils, appeared. The neutrophils tended to enter the teat cistern in several peaks occurring between 2.5 and 5 h p.i. The sampling procedure decreased the accumulation of cells by approximately 40%, which was probably due to the removal of inflammatory mediators at an early stage. The parallel use of 2 teats instead of 1 had no major influence on the inflammatory process. This teat cistern model and the experimental procedure used should be suitable for further studies of the development of local inflammation."}
{"id": "PMID:1488945", "title": "Transfer of lactic acid bacterial strains from the feed to the sow, the environment, and the piglets.", "content": "The spread of lactic acid bacterial strains to the environment and to newborn piglets was investigated after feeding of such strains to sows. Rifampicin resistant bacterial strains were fed to sows, 10(10) c.f.u. per day, during the period from 1 week before expected farrowing until 1 week after farrowing. Fecal samples from the sows and samples of litter were collected for bacteriological examination together with swabs from the pens, the skin of the sows, and from the rectum of the piglets. The test strains were only excreted in relatively low amounts in the feces of the sows, approximately 10(3)-10(6) c.f.u. per gram. They were not able to displace the normal lactic acid bacterial flora in the sows nor were they transmitted to the intestinal tract of the piglets to any significant extent. After the last administration the test strains disappeared from both feces, skin, and environment, indicating that no permanent colonization had taken place, although considerable differences in duration of persistence were noticed between test strains."}
{"id": "PMID:1488946", "title": "Development of immunity to Ostertagia ostertagi (Trichostrongylidae: Nematoda) in pastured young cattle.", "content": "This experiment comprised 3 groups of calves, (+P2), (-P2) and (-P1), which all started their first grazing season as parasite-free calves. The (+P2)- and (-P2)-group grazed 2 seasons. In the first season the (-P2)-group of calves was grazing a pasture with no detectable trichostrongyles and treated with anthelmintics every second week. The untreated (+P2)-group grazed an Ostertagia ostertagi contaminated pasture. During the second grazing season these 2 original groups grazed together with a new group of first-year grazing calves (-P1) on paddocks infected with O. ostertagi. Parasitological analyses showed that (+P2)-group had negligible egg excretions in the second year in comparison with (-P2) and (-P1). This indicated, that the egg output may be regulated through acquired immunity. The difference in egg excretions was not reflected in the serum pepsinogen levels, which were only slightly elevated for all groups in the second year. Post mortem examination at the end of the experiment showed that only the (-P1)-group harboured relatively high numbers of worms in the abomasa at that time. Antibodies of 3 immunoglobulin classes were investigated: IgA, IgG1 and IgG2. The IgA and IgG1 responses correlated with the presence of developing and adult worms in the abomasa and they remained elevated in the (+P2)-group throughout the experiment, perhaps indicating an involvement of these antibodies in a protective immune response. In the (-P2)-group the IgA and IgG1 showed fast and sharp rises during the second season that most likely were age-related and as such a result of maturation of the immune system. The role of IgG2 is unclear as the IgG2 response was weak in all groups of calves and difficult to relate to the parasitological data."}
{"id": "PMID:1488947", "title": "A one-piece ocular drainage implant for glaucoma surgery: a preliminary report.", "content": "A one-piece silicone filtration implant for glaucoma surgery was evaluated in 18 normotensive rabbits. During the follow-up period of 60 days the function of the implant and the effect of the implant on intraocular pressure (IOP) and local reaction in operated eyes were examined. Mean IOP in operated eyes during the whole follow-up period stayed in a level that was statistically significantly (p < 0.001) lower than the preoperative starting value. Despite of a slight inflammatory reaction in the immediate postoperative period the implants were well tolerated. No marked foreign body reaction were noted around the implants in histological sections. In 3 eyes the implants had to be removed due to complications caused by surgical technique."}
{"id": "PMID:1488948", "title": "Oestrogens and milk fever--is there a link?", "content": "The trial involved 42 cows with clinical milk fever. Thirteen heifers and 32 cows without symptoms served as controls. Calcium, oestradiol and oestrone concentrations in serum were determined in blood samples taken within 6 h before or after parturition. Serum oestradiol and serum calcium concentrations correlated negatively. There was no association between oestrone and calcium concentrations. The results suggest that oestradiol plays a role in the aetiology of milk fever."}
{"id": "PMID:1488949", "title": "Impact of incubator type on the yield of in vitro produced bovine blastocysts.", "content": "Because of suboptimal in vitro production of bovine blastocysts a new incubator model (Mini) was tested against the traditional (Heraeus). The difference between their properties seemed only to be the volume of the incubator space. No difference was noted between the CO2 or the temperature, but the data clearly showed a highly significant increase of the blastocyst rates, 6% versus 51% in the Heraeus and the Mini incubator, respectively, calculated as blastocysts per cleaved embryos. It was concluded that the incubator type or model may be a very important part of the in vitro production of bovine embryos, although we were not able to pin point specific causes for this difference."}
{"id": "PMID:1488950", "title": "Oviduct epithelial cell co-culture of early porcine embryos.", "content": "One- to 16-cell porcine embryos were cultured in either Whittens medium supplemented with bovine serum albumin and fetal calf serum (WM) or in the same medium with porcine oviduct epithelial cell co-culture (WM-Poec). All stages of embryos cultured in WM-POEC had higher cell counts after 144-168 h of development than did embryos in WM. There was however, no significant difference in blastocyst formation rate of embryos cultured in WM-POEC over those cultured in WM. A high proportion of the embryos entering culture at the 1-2-cell were able to pass the 4-cell block stage in both WM and WM-POEC, 81% and 77%, respectively. In both media, most of the 1-2-cell embryos arrested their development at the compacted morula stage and failed to blastulate while embryos initiating culture at the 4- and 8-16-cell embryos formed blastocysts in culture at a rate of 80-90%."}
{"id": "PMID:1488951", "title": "The fox (Vulpes vulpes) as a reservoir for canine angiostrongylosis in Denmark. Field survey and experimental infections.", "content": "Until recently, Angiostrongylus vasorum was not considered to be an endogenous Danish parasite, since demonstration of this worm had been confined to necropsy findings in 2 dogs, both of which had visited France. During the last 2 years, however, clinical cases have been diagnosed among a considerable number of Danish dogs, none of which had ever been outside Denmark. All these cases have occurred north of Copenhagen, where an endemic focus seems to exist. In this field survey A. vasorum was found for the first time in wild Danish red foxes. Furthermore, experimental infections showed that the parasite can be transferred between foxes and dogs. Consequently, the wild fox population must be considered a potential reservoir for transfer of A. vasorum to domestic dogs."}
{"id": "PMID:1488952", "title": "Blastomere content of cultured/frozen bovine demiembryos.", "content": "The purpose of the study was to evaluate whether a period of co-culture with bovine oviduct epithelial cells (BOEC) could improve the tolerance of bisected bovine embryos to freezing and thawing. Day 6 embryos were bisected and the resulting demiembryos were stained with Hoechst 33342 and cell counts were made by counting intact blastomere nuclei. Of these, 11 were stained as freshly manufactured demiembryos, 25 after co-culture for 24 h with BOEC and 37 stained after 24 h co-culture and freezing and thawing. The staining revealed, that there was no significant difference in cell count of demiembryos that were stained immediately after bisection, compared to those, that were co-cultured for a 24 h period. Also, the co-cultured/frozen/thawed demiembryos had a significant decrease in cell numbers compared to the non-frozen demiembryos. We conclude, that a 24 h period of co-culture with BOEC does not result in appreciable cellular proliferation in demiembryos and therefore instead of improving the survival of frozen/thawed demiembryos by giving them opportunity to multiply their cell number and thus make them more resistant to cell damage, rather compromised the viability of cryopreserved demiembryos."}
{"id": "PMID:1488953", "title": "Factors affecting the incidence of necrotic enteritis, caecal carriage of Clostridium perfringens and bird performance in broiler chicks.", "content": "Two trials were conducted to study the effects of a competitive exclusion (CE) product BROILACT and the anticoccidial narasin on the incidence of necrotic enteritis (NE), the numbers of Clostridium perfringens (CP) in the caeca of broiler chicks and the performance of the birds. In trial 1 the effects of type of protein and partial replacement of a narasin containing diet with whole wheat were also studied. All groups of chicks were studied up to the point of slaughter at 43 days of age and after evisceration in a processing plant to determine slaughter yield. In trial 1, statistically significant results included the following: CE-treatment reduced total mortality, and incidence of NE, on diet containing animal but not vegetable protein. Caecal carriage of CP was also reduced, while slaughter yield increased. Narasin reduced caecal carriage of CP and increased both growth rate and slaughter yield in both trials. Whole wheat replacement improved feed conversion but reduced bird growth rate. In trial 2, both CE-treatment and narasin influenced feed intake, CE-treatment significantly only at days 22 and 44. Narasin improved feed conversion until 5 weeks of age and CE-treatment did so until 22 days of age. In both trials, there was also an interaction effect indicating that CE-treatment increased slaughter yield for birds that were not fed narasin."}
{"id": "PMID:1488954", "title": "Bovine uterine, cervical and ovarian androgen receptor concentrations. Correlation with estrogen and progesterone receptor concentrations.", "content": "Bovine cytosol androgen receptor (ARC) concentrations were examined simultaneously in various regions of the uterus and in ovarian tissues of cows, and were related to cytosol estrogen (ERC) and progesterone receptor (PRC) concentrations and circulating steroid levels. ERC concentrations were 3-7-fold and PRC concentrations 13-29-fold those of ARC in bovine endometrial and myometrial tissues. When serum progesterone levels were low, both endometrial and myometrial ARC, endometrial ERC, and endometrial and myometrial PRC concentrations were higher (p < 0.05) than those observed during higher progesterone concentrations. Because serum 5 alpha-dihydrotestosterone (5 alpha-DHT) concentrations were higher during the luteal phase, it is possible that ARC was down-regulated by this natural ligand at this phase of the cycle. There were no differences between uterine horns in endometrial or myometrial ARC concentrations. Bovine cervical and ovarian stromal tissue also contained ARC, and the concentrations were about the same as in the endometrium and the myometrium. The relative binding affinities (RBAs) of some steroid hormones towards ARC in vitro were: the synthetic compound R1881 (146%), 5 alpha-dihydrotestosterone (100%), testosterone (75%) while estradiol-17 beta, progesterone and dexamethasone had lower RBAs (2, < 1, < 1% respectively). Cytosol androgen receptor concentrations correlated significantly with cytosol progesterone (PRC) and estrogen receptor (ERC) concentrations, both in the endometrium and myometrium. These data show that androgens, such as 5 alpha-DHT, may participate the endocrine regulation of bovine reproductive tissues."}
{"id": "PMID:1488957", "title": "Skin color and mortality.", "content": "The relation of skin color and mortality from all causes, coronary heart disease, and all cardiovascular diseases was explored in 787 black men and women of the Charleston Heart Study Cohort. Associations were studied by examining rates of mortality during the period 1960-1990 by tertiles of skin color, as measured by reflectometer. Across the tertiles of reflectance there were no significant differences in mortality rates, except for sex differences. Proportional hazard regression analyses were used to investigate the relation between skin color, as a continuous variable, and time to death. Covariates for regression analyses were age, sex, skin color, the interaction of skin color and sex, education, blood pressure, serum total cholesterol, cigarette smoking, body mass index, and history of diabetes. Across the random sample of black men and women there was no significant relation between skin color and time to death, except for lighter skin color and all-cause mortality (p = 0.03). Our study results provided no evidence of a long-term effect of darker skin color, as measured by skin reflectance of light, on mortality from all types of cardiovascular disease, coronary disease, or all causes."}
{"id": "PMID:1488958", "title": "Trends in the incidence of and mortality from coronary heart disease in Finland, 1983-1988.", "content": "Trends in the incidence of and mortality from coronary heart disease during the period 1983-1988 were assessed in the population aged 35-64 years in three areas of Finland. The official mortality statistics and the FINMONICA (Finnish portion of the World Health Organization MONICA (Monitoring of Trends and Determinants in Cardiovascular Disease) project) Acute Myocardial Infarction Register were used as data sources. They both showed that coronary heart disease mortality declined steeply in Finnish men and women. This marked decline in coronary heart disease mortality was associated with a decline in the number of out-of-hospital coronary deaths. The changes in the incidence of acute myocardial infarction in men did not parallel the changes in mortality. No decline in incidence was seen in women in any of the study areas. These results suggest that the routine mortality statistics alone may give an overly favorable picture of coronary heart disease trends. Data on incidence are necessary to assess the need for the treatment and prevention of coronary heart disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1488959", "title": "The relation between multiple births and maternal risk of breast cancer.", "content": "Data from two case-control studies conducted in New York State during 1982-1986 were used to examine the relation between multiple births and the maternal risk of breast cancer. The cases were 2,561 women between 20 and 79 years of age with a diagnosis of primary breast cancer. Controls (n = 2,616) were selected from driver's license files and matched to cases by year of birth and county of residence. The odds ratio for any multiple birth was 0.94 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.56-1.56) in women less than 55 years of age and 0.95 (95% CI 0.62-1.46) in women aged 55-79 years. A previous study had shown a multiple last birth to be protective against breast cancer in women less than 55 years of age (odds ratio (OR) = 0.60, 95% CI 0.43-0.85). A decreased risk of breast cancer was also observed for this age group in the present study, but the magnitude of the effect was not as strong and the confidence interval included unity (OR = 0.85, 95% CI 0.43-1.68). A logistic model that controlled for age at first pregnancy, number of live births, age, and county of residence increased the odds ratio to 0.97 for a multiple last birth. The current study does not support an association between multiple births and maternal risk of breast cancer."}
{"id": "PMID:1488960", "title": "Twin membership and breast cancer risk.", "content": "Pregnancy estrogens are substantially elevated in twin pregnancies and are likely to be more so in the case of dizygotic twins. If levels of pregnancy estrogens were positively related to breast cancer risk in the offspring, female twin members would be expected to be at slightly higher risk. Data from an international case-control study were utilized to assess this hypothesis. The analysis was based on 870 cases with breast cancer and 2,641 hospital controls from two sites: Glamorgan, Wales (1965-1967), and Boston, Massachusetts (1965-1966). Seventeen cases were members of twin pairs, and 8 of them had a twin brother; 33 controls were members of twin pairs and 14 had a twin brother. Among all women, the odds ratios for breast cancer were as follows: for twins with brothers, 1.54 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.64-3.71); for twins with sisters, 1.30 (95% CI 0.58-2.92); and for all twins, 1.40 (95% CI 0.77-2.55). The odds ratios were higher among premenopausal women. These findings are not conclusive, but they are compatible with the hypothesis that pregnancy estrogens may affect the risk of breast cancer in the offspring."}
{"id": "PMID:1488961", "title": "Markers of health status in an HTLV-I-positive cohort.", "content": "The health effects of chronic human T-cell lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) infection were examined in a cohort of Japanese men who had emigrated from Okinawa, Japan, and had been participants in a prospective study in Hawaii since 1965. In the present follow-up study carried out in 1987-1988, various health indicators were measured in the subjects, whose mean age was 72.5 years. Participation rates were lower in the HTLV-I seropositives than in the seronegatives (46.7% vs. 76.0%) in the > or = 75-year age group. Lack of participation was significantly correlated with a high HTLV-I antibody titer. Among the participants, seropositive subjects were significantly more likely than the seronegatives to have lymphocytopenia (32.7% vs. 17.7%) and mild anemia (25.5% vs. 14.1%) after adjustment for age and socioeconomic status. The seropositives also had a higher frequency of acupuncture therapy (age-adjusted odds ratios were 2.1 and 4.2 for 1-5 treatments and > or = 6 treatments, respectively). Proportions of subjects who had been hospitalized at least twice were higher among the seropositives in the oldest age groups, 70-74 years and > or = 75 years, but not in those aged 65-69 years. Although specific disease conditions were not identified in this study, hematologic data, treatment histories, and the correlation between participation status and HTLV-I antibody titers suggest that chronic HTLV-I infection may be associated with as yet undefined adverse health effects, particularly in older age groups."}
{"id": "PMID:1488962", "title": "Risk factors for Lyme disease in a small rural community in northern California.", "content": "A 1-year prospective study of risk factors for seropositivity to and contraction of Lyme disease among members of a small rural community (population, approximately 150) was conducted in northwestern California in 1988-1989. The initial rate of seropositivity for Borrelia burgdorferi for 119 current or former residents ranged from 15 to 20% among three laboratories, with statistically significant interlaboratory agreement. Questionnaires were completed by 93 current residents at entry and 80 residents a year later to evaluate the association of serologic status with 20 categorical and 47 continuous variables. Seropositive subjects had resided in the study area about 2 years longer, were bitten by unspecified biting flies more often, and were less likely to have engaged in hiking than seronegative subjects. One of 59 seronegative subjects seroconverted a year later (annual incidence = 1.7%). The cumulative frequency of seropositivity for Lyme disease in the study population was > or = 24%. Of 83 subjects examined physically, 13 were diagnosed as having definite and 18 as having probable Lyme disease. The seropositivity rate was significantly higher (38.7%) among individuals with definite/probable Lyme disease than in asymptomatic subjects (13.5%). Subjects who were seronegative or free of Lyme disease reported nearly as many tick bites as subjects who were seropositive or had a diagnosis of the disease. Age, time spent outdoors in the fall multiplied by a clothing index, and woodcutting were significantly associated with Lyme disease in logistic regression analyses."}
{"id": "PMID:1488963", "title": "Incubation period, severity of disease, and infecting dose: evidence from a Salmonella outbreak.", "content": "The associations between infecting dose, incubation period, and the severity of disease were examined in a large outbreak of Salmonella typhimurium which occurred at a medical conference in Wales in 1986. Persons who had eaten two or more pieces of the chicken vehicle had, on average, shorter geometric mean incubation periods than those who had only eaten one piece: 16.6 hours (95% confidence interval (CI) 13.5-20.5) compared with 20.7 hours (95% CI 19.0-22.6) (t = 1.97, p < 0.05). Incubation period was negatively correlated with the maximum frequency of diarrheal stools (r = -0.46, 95% CI -0.56 to -0.33), the maximum temperature reached (r = -0.34, 95% CI -0.50 to -0.16), the duration of symptoms (r = -0.41, 95% CI -0.53 to -0.26), and the amount of time taken off from work (r = -0.54, 95% CI -0.65 to -0.41). Those with shorter incubation periods were more likely to have been hospitalized. There was no association between chicken consumption and any of the measures of severity. The authors discuss the evidence that incubation period is inversely related to dose, the use of incubation period as a marker for dose, and the role that individual differences in susceptibility play in determining both the incubation period and the outcome."}
{"id": "PMID:1488964", "title": "Black-white differences in fracture rates.", "content": "To compare the incidence of all nonvertebral fractures between elderly blacks and whites, the authors conducted a retrospective cohort study among Tennessee Medicaid enrollees aged 65 years or more from 1987 through 1989. A previously validated computer algorithm identified 6,802 persons of black or white race with 7,645 new nonvertebral fractures. The incidence of all nonvertebral fractures in blacks was only half of that in whites. This finding persisted after the authors controlled for sex, age, and nursing home residence (relative risk = 0.4, 95% confidence interval 0.4-0.5). Rates were consistently lower among blacks within subgroups defined by these factors and for each of the 13 different fracture sites examined. The magnitude of the difference between blacks and whites in rates of all fractures combined and most site-specific fractures is similar to that previously reported for hip fractures. These consistent racial differences suggest a common underlying factor(s)."}
{"id": "PMID:1488965", "title": "Time and cost analysis of a computer-assisted telephone interview system to collect dietary recalls.", "content": "This study, conducted in 1991, examined the time requirements and costs of obtaining 24-hour dietary recalls via telephone interviews using the University of Minnesota's microcomputer Nutrient Data System to conduct the interviews and compute the nutrient composition of the diets. The subjects were 156 hypercholesterolemic children (aged 4-10 years) and 102 hypercholesterolemic adults (aged 21-65 years), who were participating in ongoing cholesterol education programs. A total of 391 recalls were completed with the children and 278 with the adults. For each completed interview, 3.5 and 2.8 attempts were required, respectively. Evenings were the most productive time for completing interviews. All tasks associated with completing the interviews (attempts to call, interviews per se, and postinterview procedures) required an average of 39.7 and 35.5 minutes per completed interview with the children and adults, respectively. About half of these total times were actually devoted to conducting the interview. The costs per completed interview were $9.22 for the children versus $6.99 for the adults. This difference reflects the greater number of attempts required to reach the children, the longer duration of their interviews, and the higher intrastate toll rates for calls to them as compared with the interstate rates for calls to the adults."}
{"id": "PMID:1488966", "title": "Random digit dialing: the potential effect on sample characteristics of the conversion of nonresidential telephone numbers.", "content": "This study examined the changes over time in the residential status of telephone numbers and the characteristics of households with telephone numbers that changed from nonresidential to residential. The authors determined the status in 1987 of all phone numbers (n = 9,107) that had been found to be nonresidential in six case-control studies conducted between 1979 and 1986 in Washington State. A telephone interview to obtain information on household characteristics was completed for 1,333 of the 1,901 phone numbers that had become residential by 1987. The interviews revealed that households with phone numbers that had previously been nonresidential differed from the general population with respect to household income, the age of household members, and the education of the head of the household. Data for the same area showed that the proportion of all phone numbers that were residential changed differentially according to the prefix (which roughly defines geographic area) during a 12-month period between 1987 and 1988, with some prefixes showing increases in residential phone numbers of more than 20%, while other prefixes decreased or stayed the same over the same period. We conclude that methods of random digit dialing that use two-stage designs or exclude previously dialed numbers may result in biased sampling unless changes over time are considered."}
{"id": "PMID:1488967", "title": "Correction of logistic regression relative risk estimates and confidence intervals for random within-person measurement error.", "content": "Frequently, covariates used in a logistic regression are measured with error. The authors previously described the correction of logistic regression relative risk estimates for measurement error in one or more covariates when a \"gold standard\" is available for exposure assessment. For some exposures (e.g., serum cholesterol), no gold standard exists, and one must assess measurement error via a reproducibility substudy. In this paper, the authors present measurement error methods for logistic regression when there is error (possibly correlated) in one or more covariates and one has data from both a main study and a reproducibility substudy. Confidence intervals from this procedure reflect error in parameter estimates from both studies. These methods are applied to the Framingham Heart Study, where the 10-year incidence of coronary heart disease is related to several coronary risk factors among 1,731 men disease-free at examination 4. Reproducibility data are obtained from the subgroup of 1,346 men seen at examinations 2 and 3. Estimated odds ratios comparing extreme quintiles for risk factors with substantial error were increased after correction for measurement error (serum cholesterol, 2.2 vs. 2.9; serum glucose, 1.3 vs. 1.5; systolic blood pressure, 2.8 vs. 3.8), but were generally decreased or unchanged for risk factors with little or no error (body mass index, 1.6 vs. 1.6; age 65-69 years vs. 35-44 years, 4.3 vs. 3.8; smoking, 1.7 vs. 1.7)."}
{"id": "PMID:1488972", "title": "Cystic kidney dysplasia and polydactyly in 3 sibs with Bardet-Biedl syndrome.", "content": "Two infants with cystic kidney dysplasia and polydactyly were born to consanguineous parents. One infant died at age 2 months, and the other is currently 3.5 years old. A third pregnancy was terminated following ultrasonographic visualization of large echo-dense fetal kidneys and polydactyly. Although none had apparent brain anomalies, they were considered to represent the Meckel syndrome. Extinguished responses on electroretinography in our 3.5-year-old patient has led to the diagnosis of Bardet-Biedl syndrome. This observation offers an opportunity to revisit the Bardet-Biedl syndrome and provides further evidence that structural renal abnormalities are characteristic of the syndrome. We wish to alert the clinician to the diagnosis of Bardet-Biedl syndrome in patients with infantile cystic kidney dysplasia."}
{"id": "PMID:1488973", "title": "Postaxial acrofacial dysostosis: report on two patients.", "content": "We report on 2 patients with the postaxial acrofacial dysostosis (AFD) syndrome. One patient was an isolated case; the other had an equally affected brother previously described [Richieri-Costa and Guion-Almeida, 1989]. Recurrence in sibs suggests autosomal recessive inheritance."}
{"id": "PMID:1488974", "title": "Amniotic band sequence: Streeter's hypothesis reexamined.", "content": "Recently published reports of 54 subjects with the amniotic band syndrome (ABS) were reviewed, paying particular attention to internal anomalies. Evidence from the internal anomalies suggests that in most cases reviewed, damage occurred in a definable time period, probably prior to 26 days postconception and before the establishment of effective embryonic circulation. Most defects are explicable in terms of interference with neuropore closure, malmigration of cephalic neural crest tissue, and damage to the mesonephros consistent with local interference of the graded expression of organizational genes resulting in a local defect in the organization of the embryo."}
{"id": "PMID:1488975", "title": "Portohepatic shunt in a Down syndrome patient with an interchange trisomy 47,XY,-2,+der(2),+der(21)t(2;21)(p13;q22.1)mat.", "content": "A rare vascular portohepatic anomaly was identified in a Down syndrome patient with a 47,XY,-2,+der(2),+der(21)t(2;21)(p13;q22.1) mat chromosomal complement. This vascular defect involves a direct communication between the right portal vein and the inferior vena cava (IVC). We discuss the possibility that this vascular defect is a rare manifestation in Down syndrome. Alternatively, the existence of these 2 rare events in the same patient raises the possibility that they are causally related."}
{"id": "PMID:1488976", "title": "Rambam-Hasharon syndrome of psychomotor retardation, short stature, defective neutrophil motility, and Bombay phenotype.", "content": "We describe 2 Arab patients, both offspring of unrelated consanguineous matings, with unusual facial appearance, severe mental retardation, microcephaly, cortical atrophy, seizures, hypotonia, dwarfism, and recurrent infections with neutrophilia. Neutrophil motility was markedly decreased but the opsonophagocytic activity was normal. Both patients lack the red blood cell (RBC) H antigen and manifest the Bombay (hh) phenotype. Familial endocardial fibroelastosis and familial tetralogy of Fallot segregated independently in one family. The occurrence of the same syndrome in 2 unrelated families suggests that the various aspects of the disorder are the pleiotropic effects of a single mutation. Homozygosity-by-descent for a deletion involving contiguous genes may explain the findings in this syndrome. Alternatively, a mutation which involves an ubiquitous GDP fucose donor rather than the enzyme (alpha 2-L-fucosyltransferase) or its substrate (glcNAc) may account for the pleiotropic manifestations in this syndrome."}
{"id": "PMID:1488977", "title": "Sling left pulmonary artery, bridging bronchus, and associated anomalies.", "content": "Sling left pulmonary artery (SLPA) is often associated with tracheobronchial abnormalities, including bridging bronchus (BB). We report on 3 patients with SLPA: One patient had a narrow trachea, absent right upper lobe and right main bronchus, and BB. The second patient had a long and narrow trachea, with normal segmentation of bronchial tree, abnormal cerebral gyri, and minor facial abnormalities. The third patient, with a normal trachea and main bronchi with BB, had imperforate anus, hemivertebrae, and atrial septal defect (VATER association). Patients with SLPA, those with BB, or those with both SLPA and BB as well as multiple congenital anomalies represent a spectrum of anomalies."}
{"id": "PMID:1488979", "title": "Asymmetry quantification utilizing hand radiographs.", "content": "Asymmetry can be either directional or fluctuating. Detection of abnormal amounts of asymmetry has important implications for clinical diagnosis, but measurement of subtle levels is very difficult. We describe a method and normative values for asymmetry quantification using hand radiographs."}
{"id": "PMID:1488980", "title": "Application of the Health Belief Model in a study on parents' intentions to utilize prenatal diagnosis of cleft lip and/or palate.", "content": "Parents of children with cleft lip and/or palate (42 women and 35 men) participated in a study on intentions to use prenatal diagnosis of cleft by ultrasound in subsequent pregnancies. Based on the Health Belief Model (HBM) [Rosenstock, 1974], parents' cognitions on 4 factors were measured by questionnaires: \"susceptibility\" and \"severity perceptions,\" \"benefits\" and \"barriers\" evaluations. Most parents perceived the defect as severe. Over-estimation of recurrence risks was predominant even among parents who had received genetic counseling. Results showed that most parents intend to utilize prenatal diagnosis but do not intend to abort an affected fetus. Subjects' reported reasons represented 3 thematic categories: cognitive (the need to know), emotional, and behavioral. Parents' intentions to diagnose and to terminate were related to the factors predicted by the HBM model. Regression analyses indicated that 38% of the variance in intentions to diagnose and 56% of the variance in intentions to terminate could be explained by the studied variables. The best predictor of both intentions was the perceived benefits of the diagnosis. Implications of these findings for genetic counseling are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1488981", "title": "Acrometageria: a spectrum of \"premature aging\" syndromes.", "content": "A child with manifestations of acrogeria and metageria, two \"premature aging\" syndromes, is presented. Because of his indistinct phenotype and because the question has been previously raised as to whether these conditions are separate, we propose the designation of acrometageria to describe this phenotypic continuum. As there is much in common clinically between acrometageria and the syndrome of type III procollagen deficiency (Ehlers-Danlos type IV), it might be presumed that a similar pathogenesis for acrometageria exists. This possibility has been tested previously, without demonstrating specific quantitative or qualitative deficits, but with some indirect evidence that collagen metabolism is deranged in these patients. One such crude indicator is the elevation of urinary hyaluronic acid levels, demonstrated in our patient and also observed in the phenotypically distinct Werner and Hutchinson-Gilford premature aging syndromes. On one hand, it could be argued that this supports the concept that premature aging syndromes exist as a biological continuum. On the other hand, it is equally valid to argue that syndromes of premature aging are so described merely because they include recognizable changes of normal aging and that the demonstration of an underlying mutation in a collagen gene, for example, invalidates their study as models of accelerated normal aging."}
{"id": "PMID:1488982", "title": "Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) of a whole-arm translocation involving chromosomes 18 and 20 with alpha-satellite DNA probes: detection of a centromeric DNA break?", "content": "Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) with alpha-satellite DNA probes was used to study whole-arm chromosome translocation products in a family in which the propositus was shown to have a monosomy 18p/trisomy 20p imbalance. By this approach, we show that the chromosome 18 alpha-satellite DNA block is split into 2 smaller units, whereas the chromosome 20 breakpoint is not included within the alpha-satellite DNA region. We found no evidence to suggest that this split alpha-satellite DNA region has reduced or impaired the function of the centromere or that it contributed to the phenotype of the propositus. The FISH technique critically demonstrated the involvement of a whole-arm translocation in this case and provided accurate identification of breakpoints, which was not possible with standard banding techniques."}
{"id": "PMID:1488983", "title": "Innovative approach to genetic counseling services for the deaf population.", "content": "Genetic service providers have stressed the importance of genetic counseling that is nondirective and specific to the personal needs of consultants. Successful genetic counseling for deaf persons often requires special provisions for complex family histories, syndromic conditions, and diversity in communication methods and cultural orientation. The Gallaudet University Genetic Services Center (GSC) was established in 1984 to provide genetic education and counseling services to the deaf community. The GSC staff developed and implemented a standardized system of data collection (family and medical history), clinical evaluation by consultant clinical geneticists, and counseling in sign language. In addition to clinical services, an in-depth educational program for professionals and consumers was developed and carried out. During a 6-year period, over 220 educational presentations were made and 659 deaf persons were seen for genetic evaluation and counseling. Most of these persons were self-referred. Sign language was the preferred means of communication of more than 90% of these individuals. A genetic cause of deafness was diagnosed in over 50% of the deaf consultants and was confirmed by segregation analysis, which had results similar to those reported for other studies of students in schools for the deaf. Special materials and strategies were developed in order to provide genetic services that were sensitive to the cultural and linguistic differences of the deaf population. These included written and visual materials that contained culturally neutral terminology and training of all staff members in sign language and the culture of the deaf."}
{"id": "PMID:1488984", "title": "Tracheoesophageal fistula, gastrointestinal abnormalities, hypospadias, and prenatal growth deficiency.", "content": "We studied 2 sibs, born to consanguineous parents, who presented with an MCA pattern which includes low birthweight, tracheoesophageal fistula, duodenal atresia, extrahepatic biliary atresia, hypoplastic pancreas, and hypospadias. This constellation of congenital anomalies appears to be a previously unreported autosomal recessive syndrome. A computerized search of the data files of the Spanish Collaborative Study of Congenital Malformations (ECEMC) identified 3 other unrelated infants with intestinal atresias, hypospadias, and low birth weight. These cases may represent a milder expression of the same syndrome."}
{"id": "PMID:1488985", "title": "Clinical phenotype and molecular analysis of a three-generation family with an interstitial deletion of the short arm of chromosome 5.", "content": "We report on a 3-generation family with an interstitial deletion of the short arm of chromosome 5. Varied manifestations were found among the affected individuals including microcephaly, hypertonia, and micrognathia; mental retardation was common to all affected individuals. High resolution chromosome analysis was interpreted as del(5) (pter- > p14.3::p13.3- > qter). Molecular comparison of the deletion in this family with individuals with other 5p deletions suggests that the clinical findings are due specifically to the chromosomal material deleted from 5p13."}
{"id": "PMID:1488986", "title": "Triply discordant triplets: probability, management options, and risks.", "content": "The spontaneous occurrence of triplets is rare. With increased utilization of \"assisted reproductive technologies,\" multifetal gestations have become more common. The empiric fetal risk for major malformation is approximately 3%. In a triplet pregnancy each fetus independently carries this risk so that the probability of having at least one malformed fetus is approximately 9%. It is much less likely to have 2 or 3 simultaneously but discordantly malformed fetuses in a multizygotic triplet gestation (.09% and .0027% risk, respectively). We report on the first case, to our knowledge, of an ovulation-stimulated triplet pregnancy complicated by 3-way discordance for major malformations diagnosed in the late second trimester by ultrasound. Fetus A was affected by congenital diaphragmatic hernia and trisomy 21; fetus B had encephalocele, a midline facial defect, and a cleft palate; and fetus C had evidence of unilateral claw hand but an otherwise normal fetal survey. At 19 weeks of gestation, fetus A was found to have spontaneously died, and a selective termination of triplet B was performed. We conclude: (1) the finding of a single major malformation in one fetus should lead to extensive search for malformations in all members of the pregnancy, and (2) the simultaneous occurrence of major malformations in more than one member of a multifetal gestation is a circumstance under which multiple selective termination deserves consideration. In this article we discuss important issues and caveats in the performance of selective termination for abnormal members of multifetal gestations."}
{"id": "PMID:1488987", "title": "Prognosis of prenatally diagnosed children with sex chromosome aneuploidy.", "content": "Sex chromosome aneuploidy (SCA) occurs in about 1/250 amniocenteses, and the significance of the long-term prognosis of fetuses with SCA is of concern to prospective parents and health care providers. Longitudinal studies in an unselected group of newborn infants with SCA diagnosed postnatally have refuted allegations of mental retardation but have documented an increased risk for developmental problems. Of the 530 phone consultations with parents faced with a prenatal diagnosis of SCA, 68% continued the pregnancy. Twenty of the oldest subsequently born children (now 7-14 years old) were available for follow-up. In this small sample and age group, the propositi are progressing developmentally at a rate comparable to their sibs and are doing better at school and in peer relations than the SCA group diagnosed postnatally. Only 2 have documented IQs as low as 90. The documented IQs of the remainder, none of whom are sex chromosome mosaics, are all over 110. The parent population in this prenatally diagnosed group is unique and different from that of the postnatally diagnosed group in that over 85% of them are college graduates, often professionals, and upper socioeconomic individuals. The developmental competence of this SCA sample may be attributable to the supportive environment provided by these families, all of whom made a conscious decision to continue the pregnancy."}
{"id": "PMID:1488988", "title": "Case of ovarian dysgenesis and dilated cardiomyopathy supports existence of Malouf syndrome.", "content": "We describe an 18-year-old girl with ovarian dysgenesis, dilated cardiomyopathy, mild mental retardation, broad nasal base, blepharoptosis, and minor skeletal abnormalities. This unusual association of manifestations was first reported by Malouf et al. [1985]. Our patient, although a sporadic case, supports the existence of Malouf syndrome."}
{"id": "PMID:1488989", "title": "Ectodermal dysplasia, lipoatrophy, diabetes mellitus, and amastia: a second case of the AREDYLD syndrome.", "content": "A 19-year-old female with ectodermal dysplasia, lipoatrophy, diabetes mellitus, and amastia is described. This complex of symptoms is very similar to that of a case published by Pinheiro et al [1983] under the acronym of AREDYLD syndrome."}
{"id": "PMID:1488990", "title": "Additional dystrophin fragment in Becker muscular dystrophy may result from proteolytic cleavage at deletion junctions.", "content": "Becker muscular dystrophy is usually caused by intragenic dystrophin gene deletions that result in production of an internally deleted protein. Previous studies have detected what appears to be a unique dystrophin degradation product that appears only in muscle biopsies from patients with Becker muscular dystrophy. This dystrophin fragment is always seen in addition to the \"full-size\" dystrophin of the expected size for a given gene deletion. It is only found in biopsies from patients with mutations in the deletion-prone region encompassing exons 45-53, but it does not appear to correlate with any observable phenotype at the clinical level. By correlating the size and locations of dystrophin gene deletions with the size of this degradation product, together with use of region-specific dystrophin antisera, we find that proteolytic cleavage may occur at the deletion breakpoints, perhaps due to alterations of the secondary and/or tertiary structures of the protein. This cleavage results in loss of the carboxy-terminal domains that are thought to be important for interactions between dystrophin and other membrane-bound proteins."}
{"id": "PMID:1488997", "title": "Glomerular disease and human immunodeficiency virus infection in Brazil.", "content": "Clinically overt glomerular disease was detected in 6 (1.1%) of 543 patients with HIV infection followed at a Brazilian National Referral Center for AIDS. In 4 cases, glomerulosclerosis was present (focal and segmental in 3, diffuse and global in 1) and rapid progression to terminal renal failure was observed 1-10 months after clinical presentation. The other 2 patients died with normal renal function, and autopsy studies suggested the diagnosis of minimal change disease. Clinically overt glomerular disease was significantly more common among Black patients, whether all the cases with glomerulopathy (p < 0.001) or just the cases with glomerular sclerosis were considered (p = 0.011). Autopsy study of renal fragments from patients without clinical evidence of glomerular disease was additionally performed and revealed the presence of focal and segmental glomerulosclerosis in 3 cases (7.5%). We concluded that a glomerulopathy with clinicopathological features which match the definition of HIV nephropathy can be found among Brazilian patients with HIV infection. Accordingly to what has been described in American series, Brazilian Black patients seem to be at increased risk of the development of that nephropathy."}
{"id": "PMID:1488998", "title": "Comparison of subcutaneous and intravenous recombinant human erythropoietin for anemia in hemodialysis patients with significant comorbid disease.", "content": "While recombinant human erythropoietin (rHuEPO) is an effective therapy for anemia in renal failure, most published studies concern benefits in relatively healthy hemodialysis patients. The present study compares intravenous and subcutaneous administration of rHuEPO in an unselected group of 128 hemodialysis patients who were randomized to receive rHuEPO in an initial dose of 150 U/kg/week in three divided doses by subcutaneous or intravenous injection. Following a 4-week placebo run-in period, patients received rHuEPO until their hemoglobin was stable between 105 and 125 g/l for 4 weeks and then followed for a further 24 weeks. Eighty-three patients completed the study, 45 in the subcutaneous and 38 in the intravenous group. There was no difference in mean hemoglobin at any stage between subcutaneous and intravenous patients. Mean rHuEPO dose at the time of stabilization was significantly lower in the subcutaneous group compared to the intravenous (205.9 +/- 135.4 vs. 274.1 +/- 142.4 U/kg/week; p = 0.019), mean time to hemoglobin target was 9.9 +/- 4.5 weeks for the subcutaneous group and 11.9 +/- 4.9 weeks for the intravenous group (p = 0.037). Time to stabilization was 14.9 +/- 4.7 weeks for the subcutaneous compared to 17.3 +/- 3.9 weeks for the intravenous group (p = 0.006). Diabetic patients had higher dose requirements for rHuEPO at all time points and required a longer time to reach stabilization than nondiabetics (18.6 +/- 4.6 vs. 15.6 +/- 4.3 weeks; p = 0.016). Quality of life estimated by a disease-specific Kidney Disease Questionnaire improved significantly during rHuEPO therapy in both groups. There was no significant change in dialysis prescription throughout the study.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1488999", "title": "Long-term suppression of secondary hyperparathyroidism by intravenous 1 alpha-hydroxyvitamin D3 in patients on chronic hemodialysis.", "content": "The effect of intravenous 1 alpha-hydroxyvitamin D3 [1 alpha(OH)D3] on circulating levels of intact parathyroid hormone (PTH 1-84) and COOH-terminal immunoreactive PTH(PTH 53-84) was examined in 13 patients on chronic hemodialysis. Thirteen patients were treated for 300 days (10 months), 9 patients for 520 days (14 months) and 6 patients for 720 days (2 years) with increasing doses of 1 alpha(OH)D3 intravenously under careful control of plasma Ca2+. Blood samples were obtained 1 week before start of treatment and then at every 2nd week. None of the patients had previously been treated with oral vitamin D metabolites. Intact PTH levels were maximally suppressed after 27-33 weeks of treatment by approximately 73%. At the end of the study periods, PTH 1-84 was still suppressed by 78 +/- 4.3% after 300 days, 78 +/- 8.8% after 520 days and 85 +/- 6.5% after 720 days. Plasma Ca2+ was kept within normal levels, but showed an initial increase from 1.14 +/- 0.03 to 1.27 +/- 0.15 mmol/l, and an adjustment of the doses of 1 alpha(OH)D3 was necessary. The present investigation demonstrated (1) that intravenous administration of the 1-hydroxylated vitamin D metabolite 1 alpha(OH)D3 induced a significant decrease in circulating levels of biologically active intact PTH, and (2) that it was possible to maintain the marked suppression of PTH secretion by intravenous treatment of 1 alpha (OH)D3 for up to 2 years. Hypercalcemia could be avoided by careful monitoring of plasma Ca2+ and adjustment of the doses of 1 alpha(OH)D3."}
{"id": "PMID:1489000", "title": "Improvement in prognosis of patients with acute renal failure over a period of 15 years: an analysis of 710 cases in a dialysis center.", "content": "In order to evaluate the changes in causes and outcome of acute renal failure (ARF) during the years 1975-1989, 710 patients treated in our dialysis center were analyzed. We compared the etiology, the severity and catabolic state of ARF, the techniques of renal replacement therapy, which were employed and the ages and mortality rates of these patients, who received dialysis therapy during the years 1975-79 (n = 227), 1980-84 (n = 240) and 1985-89 (n = 243). The number of postoperative, posttraumatic and non-traumatic cases of ARF was approximately the same in all three 5-year periods, only the frequency of postrenal failure decreased from 7% in the years 1975-79 to 3% in the years 1985-89. The incidence of sepsis as a major cause of ARF and the most important risk factor was comparably high in the surgical and medical patients during all of the periods, but it increased in the traumatic patients from 7% in the years 1975-79 to 28% during the last 5-year period. The prevalence of respiratory failure and jaundice as additional organ failures, the severity of ARF (oligonanuric-nonoliguric) and the metabolic state were not different in the three patient groups. The magnitude of rise in serum creatinine before the start of renal replacement therapy was significant lower in the last 5-year period in comparison to the years 1975-79 (p < 0.05). Hemodialysis was the treatment in choice of 98 and 93% of the cases during the first two periods, respectively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1489001", "title": "Microalbuminuria fractional clearance and early renal permselectivity changes in essential hypertension.", "content": "In order to verify if, in essential hypertension (EH), the microalbuminuria (AER) increase could be due to hemodynamic modifications or to glomerular structural changes, in 15 essential hypertensives (EHs) with 24-hour AER > 16 micrograms/min and in 15 EHs with 24-hour AER < or = 16 micrograms/min, the day- and nighttime behavior of creatinine clearance (Ccr), as well as AER clearance (AER-C) and fractional clearance (AER-FC), and behavior of blood pressure (BP) was evaluated. Patients with 24-hour AER > 16 micrograms/min showed significantly higher values of 24-hour and daytime Ccr than the other group of EHs, while during the night period, there were no significant differences between the two groups. On the contrary, AER and both AER-C and AER-FC resulted markedly and significantly higher in the EHs with 24-hour AER > 16 micrograms/min not only in the 24-hour evaluation, but also during the nighttime study, notwithstanding the significant decrease in BP and in Ccr observed during the night. These data, in the absence of correlations between BP and AER-FC seem to demonstrate the existence in EHs with 24-hour AER > 16 micrograms/min of an altered glomerular permselectivity, due to changes of the glomerular membrane."}
{"id": "PMID:1489002", "title": "Deposition and removal of cutaneous beta 2-microglobulin.", "content": "These studies were designed to track the cutaneous deposition of beta 2-microglobulin (beta 2M) in patients on chronic hemodialysis, patients with chronic renal insufficiency and patients with successful renal transplants. Immunoperoxidase staining of skin biopsies from dialysis patients demonstrated significantly increased amounts of beta 2M compared to controls (p < 0.01). There was a strong positive correlation between the skin beta 2M content and the years of dialysis treatment. Renal transplant recipients had decreased skin content of beta 2M compared to hemodialysis patients. There was no difference in the skin beta 2M content in patients with chronic renal insufficiency not on hemodialysis and controls. No dialysis patient had amyloid in the skin by Congo red stain. We conclude that beta 2M accumulates in the skin of patients on chronic hemodialysis. This beta 2M is not in the form of amyloid. Successful renal transplantation allows for the removal of beta 2M from the skin indicating that beta 2M not in the form of amyloid can be mobilized from tissue sites."}
{"id": "PMID:1489003", "title": "Unsuspected morbid hypermagnesemia in elderly patients.", "content": "This study was designed to determine the incidence, etiology and consequences of severe hypermagnesemia. We retrospectively reviewed all hospital admissions over a 5-year period from 1984 to 1989 and identified 8 cases of severe hypermagnesemia (serum Mg > or = 6.0 mg/dl) due to magnesium ingestion. All but 1 patient were elderly (mean age 70 +/- 6 years). The etiology when identified was due to magnesium-containing cathartics (n = 3) or antacids (n = 3). The total amount of magnesium ingested was not excessive, but bowel disorders that may have enhanced absorption (such as active ulcer disease, gastritis, colitis, perforated viscus, massive gastric dilatation) were present in 7 of the 8 patients. Unexpectedly, only 1 had preexisting renal failure. Renal function was found to be normal in 1, only mildly to moderately impaired in 5 (creatinine < 3.6 mg/dl) and severely impaired in 2 (creatinine 7.6, 15.7 mg/dl). Clinical sequelae of hypermagnesemia were hypotension (n = 7), bradycardia (n = 2), respiratory depression (n = 3), EKG abnormalities (n = 6), depressed mental status (n = 5). Hypocalcemia (range 5.7-7.4 mg/dl) more severe than could be attributed to either hypoalbuminemia or acute renal failure was present in 7. A low anion gap (range-2 to 9) was present in 5. Most striking was the fact that despite clinical sequelae, the hypermagnesemia was unsuspected in 6 of the 8 cases. Hypermagnesemia can occur without severe renal insufficiency in association with bowel disease, particularly in elderly individuals, and may be a clinically unrecognized cause of cardiovascular dysfunction, hypocalcemia and neurologic or respiratory depression."}
{"id": "PMID:1489004", "title": "Aggressive ophthalmological management in diabetic end-stage renal disease: a study of 31 consecutively referred patients.", "content": "We prospectively followed the course of eye disease in patients with diabetic end-stage nephropathy from the time of initial referral by the renal unit. A total of 31 patients (62 eyes)--9 of whom had functioning renal transplants and 22 of whom were on maintenance dialysis--were consecutively evaluated for 6-24 months (mean follow-up of 18 months). Visual acuity and diabetic retinopathy stabilized or improved in all 18 eyes of the transplant patients and in 41 of 44 (93%) eyes of the dialysis patients. When first evaluated, economically useful vision (20/200 or better) was present in 11 of 18 (61%) eyes in the transplant group and in 25 of 44 (57%) eyes in the dialysis group. At the most recent evaluation, economically useful vision was present in 13 of 18 eyes (72%) in the transplant group versus 28 of 44 eyes (64%) in the dialysis group. Ambulatory vision (counting fingers or better) was present in 15 of 18 eyes (83%) in the transplant group versus 37 of 44 eyes (84%) in the dialysis group."}
{"id": "PMID:1489005", "title": "Acute and long-term effects of therapy with high-dose furosemide in chronic hemodialysis patients.", "content": "The effects of daily administration of 250-2,000 mg furosemide (F) were studied in patients on hemodialysis who still had residual renal function. In a short study, 10 patients (endogenous creatinine clearance 0.6-5.3 ml/min/1.73 m2) used 1,000 mg F twice daily during 7 days, and in a long-term study 13 patients (endogenous creatinine clearance 0.7-6.8 ml/min/1.73 m2) were treated during 1 year with 250-1,000 mg F orally each day. In the short study, we observed an increase in the 24-hour volume excretion with a median of 109% (p < 0.005). Urinary sodium excretion increased 210%, chloride 346% and potassium 65% when compared with the control period. In the long-term study, a marked initial rise in diuresis and electrolyte excretion was found. However, during a 1-year follow-up, a gradual decrease in response with time was found caused by progression of renal disease. There were no signs of ototoxicity. Side effects were bollous dermatosis on the limbs after exposure to sunlight during the summer (3 patients). We conclude that high-dose F is effective in patients on hemodialysis with residual urinary production. However, in the long term, the diuretic effects diminish because of progression of the underlying renal disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1489006", "title": "Blood lactate is reduced following successful treatment of anaemia in haemodialysis patients with recombinant human erythropoietin both at rest and after maximal exertion.", "content": "The effect of increasing haemoglobin by erythropoietin therapy on exercise capacity was investigated in 11 regular haemodialysis patients, previously transfusion dependent. Exercise work load increased from a median of 100 W (95% confidence limit, 25-135) to 120 (45-180; p < 0.05) following erythropoietin, and the duration of the exercise test from 13 (3.5-20) to 15.5 min (4-22; p < 0.05). Resting blood lactate concentration decreased from 0.8 (0.6-1.6) to 0.3 mmol/l (0.3-0.4), p < 0.05, following treatment with erythropoietin, as did blood lactate concentration at maximal exertion from 2.0 (1.0-4.1) to 1.8 mmol/l (0.5-2.8; p < 0.05). In association with the increase in haemoglobin from a median of 6 (5.1-6.8) to 11.1 g/dl (11-11.9) following erythropoietin therapy, patients were able to achieve greater exercise capacity both in terms of maximum work load and duration of exercise in association with a reduced resting arterial lactate and a similar exercise-induced lactate production. This suggests that treatment had improved muscle function in terms of lactate production and/or utilisation. This was probably due to the increase in tissue oxygen delivery, as there was an increase in the median arterial oxygen content from 79 (65-85) to 150 ml O2 (144-157) following erythropoietin treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1489009", "title": "Serratia marcescens cellulitis in a patient on hemodialysis.", "content": "Serratia marcescens is an infrequent cause of cellulitis with only 5 reported cases. Four of the 5 patients were immunocompromised. Additionally, the cellulitis usually occurred at a site contiguous with a wound. We report a case of S. marcescens cellulitis in a patient with end-stage renal disease on chronic hemodialysis. The initial presentation was a soft tissue infection that progressed to septic shock. Ultimately, the patient responded to antibiotics and surgical debridement of infected tissue. This case serves as a reminder to consider infections due to gram-negative bacilli as a cause of cellulitis in immuno-compromised patients regardless of the presentation."}
{"id": "PMID:1489010", "title": "Profound persistent eosinophilia in a patient with spontaneous renal atheroembolic disease.", "content": "We describe an elderly women who died of renal failure secondary to spontaneous renal atheroembolic disease. The sole clinical clue to this diagnosis was a profound eosinophilia up to 19,100/mm3 and a relative eosinophil count of 80%. Renal atheroembolic disease should be a prominent consideration in any patient with both renal insufficiency and peripheral eosinophilia."}
{"id": "PMID:1489011", "title": "Renal failure in temporal arteritis.", "content": "We report a case of biopsy-proven temporal arteritis and polymyalgia rheumatica with improved clinical symptoms with steroid treatment but with subsequent renal failure while on steroids. Kidney biopsy showed focal segmental necrotizing glomerulonephritis with crescents and small-vessel vasculitis. Treatment with methylprednisolone and cyclophosphamide achieved normalization of renal function. We emphasize the importance of kidney biopsy because of its therapeutic implications. The previous literature concerning renal disease in temporal arteritis is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1489012", "title": "Does regressed posttransplantation Kaposi's sarcoma recur following reintroduction of immunosuppression?", "content": "We report a patient who developed generalized Kaposi's sarcoma (extensive skin and stomach lesions) 24 months after renal transplantation whilst on cyclosporin (CyA) and prednisolone. Kaposi's sarcoma disappeared completely upon withdrawal of CyA. The patient remained with a well-functioning graft and free of Kaposi's sarcoma for 36 months on prednisolone alone. CyA was reintroduced following an episode of acute rejection. Within 8 weeks, Kaposi's sarcoma reappeared on the skin at the same sites as the previously healed lesions. They completely disappeared again upon withdrawal of CyA. Azathioprine was then introduced and Kaposi's sarcoma lesions reappeared 6 months later."}
{"id": "PMID:1489013", "title": "Nephrotic-range proteinuria in a patient with high renin hypertension: effect of treatment with an ACE-inhibitor.", "content": "A 65-year-old man presented proteinuria in the nephrotic range that occurs in the setting of high renin hypertension. Proteinuria persisted after normalizing blood pressure by nifedipine. In contrast, treatment with an ACE-inhibitor (enalapril) resulted in the prompt resolution of the proteinuria. Interestingly, proteinuria relapsed after removing the ACE-inhibition. These observations suggest a causal relation between the overactivity of the renin-angiotensin system in this patient and his proteinuria."}
{"id": "PMID:1489016", "title": "Direct interpretation of dreams: typology.", "content": "The dream typology assorts dreams into three major categories: dreams whose origin is endogenous, exogenous, or relational. Dreams of the first type arise from somatic needs, feelings, and states that accompany organismic adjustments to system requirements. Dreams of the second type are initiated by kinetic and dispositional tendencies toward engagement and exploration of the outer world. And dreams of the third type derive from interpersonal dispositions to interaction and relationship with other people. Within each category, dreams may occur at different levels of complexity. The dream typology permits the integration of psychoanalytic observations about the dreams from a variety of perspectives within a common framework. Freud's view that a dream is a wish fulfillment finds its primary niche in endogenous need, wish fulfillment, and convenience dreams. Kohut's observations about self-state dreams and inner regulation (1971, 1977) are accommodated to the middle range of endogenous dreams, and Jung's individuation dreams (1930) occupy the advanced range. Similarly, Bonime's interpersonal approach to dream interpretation (1962) is encompassed by relational dreams of the middle level. In addition, types and modes of dreams that are only infrequently encountered in clinical psychoanalysis are accommodated. The dream typology suggests that different psychoanalytic theories are like the position papers that might have derived from the fabled committee of learned blind who were commissioned to determine the appearance of an elephant. Each individual got a hold on some part, but could not see the whole; so for each, the part became the whole. The psychoanalytic theorist is in exactly an analogous position because, in fact, he is blind to the extent of the unconscious and is constrained to what he can infer. What he can infer depends on cohort, client population, and how he calibrates his observations. The result has been procrustean interpretation, dissention, and a remarkable stasis in the psychoanalytic theory of the unconscious. The theory of the unconscious that arises from the method of direct interpretation reflects a differentiated inner world with variegated landscapes of images and frameworks. The derivatives of the unconscious are determined by complex decision rules, symbol systems, and syntax. Images and dreams possess a primary autonomy from the conscious mind and arise through the configural mind, which serves the construction and synthesis of experience and knowledge. The derivatives emerge out of common human nature conjoined with concrete human experience. For this reason, dreams and images appear universal.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1489018", "title": "Voice of a hidden minority: identification and countertransference in the cross-cultural working alliance.", "content": "This paper has expanded the psychoanalytical definition of the working alliance to include the influence of culture. The cross-cultural working alliance is a therapeutic dyad that incorporates a psychotherapist and a patient of dissimilar backgrounds. Each participant enters the alliance with cultural introjects--values, attitudes, and ways of behaving that stem from ethnocultural roots. These introjects influence the intrapsychic world, shape the conscious worldview, and the perception of life experience. The influence of cultural predispositions on the psychopathologies of the patients was prominent in two case examples: a black West Indian male and a Korean-American male. The therapist also brought cultural predispositions to her work. A constructive countertransference phenomenon occurred in the working alliance that had a direct connection to its cross-cultural nature. This phenomenon is called associative identification--the conscious identification of therapist with the ego experience of patient. With the use of the associative identification, the therapist uncovered parallel memories that promoted theoretical understanding and informed therapeutic technique. Just as anthropologists claim that cultures share universal institutional patterns, it is proposed that universal cultural conflicts may also be observed in the cross-cultural working alliance. The analyst and patients in this study had two culture-conflicts in common: the longing to be seen, and the pull for disidentification. It is concluded that associative identification enriched the reparative quality of treatment, and encouraged the integration of isolated, split-off parts of the self."}
{"id": "PMID:1489022", "title": "The relationship of blood lactate concentrations, oxygen delivery and oxygen consumption in septic shock and the adult respiratory distress syndrome.", "content": "Tissue hypoxia is thought to be pivotal to the development of multiple organ failure, but cannot be measured directly in clinical practice. We assessed the relationship between initial arterial blood lactate concentrations and the presence of the phenomenon of delivery-dependent oxygen consumption, both of which may indicate tissue hypoxia. Twenty-three critically ill patients with septic shock and adult respiratory distress syndrome were studied prospectively and allocated to one of two groups according to blood lactate concentrations. In group 1, blood lactate concentration was less than the level widely accepted as significant (2 mmol.l-1); in group 2, the concentration exceeded 2 mmol.l-1. In both groups, resuscitation with colloid, blood and vasoactive drugs resulted in significant increases in oxygen delivery; in group 1 (n = 13), mean (SEM) oxygen delivery increased from 484 (36) to 730 (44) ml.min-1.m-2 (p < 0.005) and in group 2 (n = 10) from 550 (54) to 780 (54) ml.min-1.m-2 (p < 0.05). In neither group was there a significant change in oxygen consumption. However, there were individuals in both groups who exhibited pathological delivery dependence. This suggests that the absence of hyperlactataemia does not preclude delivery dependence of oxygen consumption with the attendant potential for tissue hypoxia."}
{"id": "PMID:1489023", "title": "Cardiovascular effects of forces applied during laryngoscopy. The importance of tracheal intubation.", "content": "The relationship between the forces applied during laryngoscopy and cardiovascular changes were studied in patients undergoing laryngoscopy with or without intubation. This enabled us to differentiate between the cardiovascular effects of laryngoscopy and the effects of tracheal intubation. The forces applied during laryngoscopy were only weakly related to the cardiovascular changes, whereas tracheal intubation had a major influence. The many difficulties encountered in interpreting results from these studies are discussed. It is concluded that tracheal intubation causes more cardiovascular changes than laryngoscopy in routine uncomplicated procedures."}
{"id": "PMID:1489024", "title": "Cardiovascular effects of fibreoptic oral intubation. A comparison of a total intravenous and a balanced volatile technique.", "content": "The cardiovascular response to fiberoptic oral intubation under total intravenous anaesthesia with propofol or a balanced volatile technique with thiopentone/enflurane was compared in 50 patients of physical status ASA 1 and 2 who were scheduled for elective ear, nose and throat surgery. Patients were randomly assigned to receive propofol or enflurane. There was no significant difference between the two anaesthetic techniques in haemodynamic profile either before, during or after fibreoptic intubation (the study design was adequate to detect a 20% difference with > 90% statistical power), in incidence of postoperative sore throat or in time taken for intubation. In no patient did the oxygen saturation decrease to below 95% or the CO2 tension exceed 5.8 kPa."}
{"id": "PMID:1489025", "title": "Patient-controlled epidural analgesia following post-traumatic pelvic reconstruction. A comparison with continuous epidural analgesia.", "content": "A randomised, single-blinded study was conducted to compare patient-controlled epidural analgesia with continuous infusion epidural analgesia for the treatment of pain following post-traumatic pelvic reconstruction. The patient-controlled group (n = 11) received a background infusion of 4 ml.h-1 of bupivacaine 0.125% with fentanyl 1 microgram.ml-1, and 3-6 ml bolus doses, self administered, as required (with a 15 min lockout interval). The continuous infusion group (n = 12) received a continuous infusion of the same solution through an identical apparatus, but with the demand button deactivated. This was started at 10 ml.h-1 and adjusted by the anaesthetist, as required, up to a maximum of 25 ml.h-1. Pain scores, side effects, and the volumes of drug infused were recorded over the first 3 postoperative days. One patient from each group was withdrawn because of catheter-related problems. Pain scores were similar and the incidence of nausea and pruritus was low in both groups. There was no recorded instance of respiratory depression or hypotension and there was no significant difference between the groups in the volumes of drug solution received. Patient satisfaction was equally very good in both groups. Patient-controlled epidural analgesia is an effective means of providing pain relief after post-traumatic pelvic reconstruction, but did not significantly reduce analgesic requirements in comparison with continuous infusion epidural analgesia."}
{"id": "PMID:1489026", "title": "Continuous extradural infusion of lignocaine 0.75% vs bupivacaine 0.125% in primiparae: quality of analgesia and influence on labour.", "content": "We studied 86 primiparous women with uncomplicated pregnancy and labour requesting extradural analgesia in labour. All the women were over 36 weeks of gestation with a cephalic-presenting singleton fetus. The women were allocated randomly to two groups: group A, who received an extradural infusion of lignocaine 0.75%, after an initial dose of 10 ml of lignocaine 1.5%, and group B, who received an infusion of bupivacaine 0.125% after an initial dose of 10 ml of bupivacaine 0.25%. All the women had their labour actively managed. Assessment of analgesia during labour and delivery, and the requirements for additional top-ups were noted, as were mode of delivery, requirement for oxytocic augmentation and incidence of fetal distress. Maternal and umbilical cord plasma concentrations of lignocaine were measured at delivery in 12 women receiving extradural lignocaine. There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups in terms of the mode of delivery, incidence of fetal distress, fetal heart rate abnormalities, or Apgar scores of the babies. Women in the bupivacaine group had a significantly better quality of analgesia during both the first and second stages of labour (p = 0.0005) and required fewer top-ups than those in the lignocaine group. However, the requirement for oxytocin augmentation during the first and second stages of labour was significantly less in the lignocaine group (p = 0.004). Similarly, the duration of the second stage was shorter compared with the bupivacaine group. In spite of high plasma concentrations of lignocaine, no side effects were noted in either mothers or babies."}
{"id": "PMID:1489027", "title": "An assessment of an alternative method of internal jugular vein catheterisation.", "content": "This study assessed a tried, but previously unpublished, method of internal jugular vein cannulation in 50 patients scheduled for elective cardiac surgery. The method involves using two landmarks: the larynx (thyroid and cricoid cartilages) together with the carotid artery (if it is palpable). The cricoid and thyroid cartilages were readily identifiable in 48 (96%) patients. The carotid artery was palpable in 45 (90%) patients, although some difficulty in palpation was recorded in 24 (48%) patients. There was a 98% success rate of venous cannulation. In 90% of cases the 21 gauge seeker needle entered the vein on the first or second attempt, and in 82% of cases the subsequent 18 gauge introducing needle entered the vein on the first attempt."}
{"id": "PMID:1489028", "title": "The caudal boundary of the thoracic paravertebral space. A study in human cadavers.", "content": "The caudal limit of the thoracic paravertebral space was examined in 13 human cadavers. The origin of the psoas major muscle was found to completely seal off the paravertebral space below the level of the 12th thoracic vertebra. The possibility of caudal spread of a thoracic paravertebral block below this level through the paravertebral space would appear unlikely."}
{"id": "PMID:1489029", "title": "Phantom limb pain during labour.", "content": "We report the occurrence of severe phantom limb pain during labour. The patient, a 27-year-old, had had an above knee amputation performed 6 years earlier following a road traffic accident but had no previous history of phantom limb phenomena. However, during early labour, she complained of a severe phantom limb pain in her amputated leg; a continuous epidural block relieved her of the sensation and pain. The sensation did not return following delivery."}
{"id": "PMID:1489030", "title": "Ventricular fibrillation after accidental injection of bupivacaine into the pericardium.", "content": "A postoperative cardiac surgical patient developed ventricular fibrillation immediately after accidental pericardial injection of bupivacaine at room temperature. The possible causes, which include systemic toxicity, local vasoconstriction with myocardial ischaemia, local toxic effect of bupivacaine or local hypothermia, are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1489031", "title": "Are electrocardiogram changes the first sign of impending peri-operative pneumothorax?", "content": "A patient in the right lateral position underwent left nephrectomy, after which he was placed supine for insertion of an arteriovenous fistula. All haemodynamic and respiratory values, including peak inspiratory pressure, were within normal limits and unchanged from baseline measurements. However, following the position change we noted that the amplitude of the electrocardiogram complexes were dramatically reduced. Our differential diagnosis included the possibility of a pneumothorax, which was subsequently confirmed by both physical examination and chest X ray. A chest drain was planned to be inserted at the end of the surgery, but 25 min after the electrocardiogram changes were noted, the patient's vital signs suddenly deteriorated. Emergency treatment for pneumothorax was instituted with good effect. The diagnostic use of the electrocardiogram and the treatment of this intra-operative pneumothorax are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1489032", "title": "Anaesthesia for thoracoscopic pleurectomy and ligation of bullae.", "content": "A patient is described who, despite severe pre-operative respiratory disability, had her persistent pneumothorax successfully managed by thoracoscopic pleurectomy. The technique causes considerably less pain and interference with respiratory function postoperatively than does conventional thoracotomy. Potential anaesthetic problems arise because of the necessity of insufflating carbon dioxide at pressures of up to 1 kPa to maintain a pneumothorax during surgery."}
{"id": "PMID:1489033", "title": "Transoesophageal echocardiography during removal of a caval filter in a patient at high risk of massive pulmonary thromboembolism.", "content": "A new type of vena caval filter was to be removed from a woman who had a high risk of massive pulmonary thromboembolism because of extensive thrombus in the iliac vein incorporating the filter. The removal was performed under general anaesthesia in the cardiac operating theatre using transoesophageal echocardiography to monitor the right heart and the pulmonary artery during the critical phase of removal. The manoeuvre succeeded with only insignificant embolisation occurring, and that was identified by transoesophageal echocardiography."}
{"id": "PMID:1489034", "title": "The use of a checklist for anaesthetic machines.", "content": "The use of the Association of Anaesthetists of Great Britain and Ireland checklist for anaesthetic machines, based on an oxygen analyser, was surveyed over a 5-week period in a teaching hospital. Fifty-five completed checklists were analysed; no problems developed during anaesthesia which were missed by the checklist. The mean time taken to complete the checklist for one machine was 8.9 min with a range of 5 to 19 min; for two consecutive machines it was 18.25 min with a range of 10 to 30 min. The most frequent faults detected were the poor reliability of some oxygen analysers, absent ventilator disconnection alarms, and absent oxygen supply failure alarms on some older machines. Faults were found in 60% of the machines checked; 18% of these were deemed to be serious."}
{"id": "PMID:1489035", "title": "A comparison of the performance of two types of infusion device.", "content": "The delivery performance of two types of infusion pump, the IVAC 711 series syringe driver and the IVAC 531 series drop-counter, was examined by measuring the output of 16 pumps. We found that despite careful attention to the setting up of all apparatus, the IVAC 711 series syringe drivers had a significant lag phase before output matched the set rate, and that this lag phase was more pronounced at low rates of infusion. This was not the case with the IVAC 531 series which delivered the set rate from the outset. We suggest, that when the timing and rate of an infusion of drug is important from the outset and when these types of pump are being used, that either the syringe driver pump is primed by a brief period of high rate infusion vented by a three-way tap or that a drop-counter pump is used."}
{"id": "PMID:1489036", "title": "An evaluation of the behaviour of children undergoing dental extraction under general anaesthesia.", "content": "The cooperation of a random sample of 190 children with an average age of 5 years (range 1-17 years), presenting with a dental emergency requiring tooth extraction under general anaesthesia, was evaluated using the Frankl Behaviour Scale. The results showed that 60% of the children cooperated in the operating theatre. Furthermore, removal of only one or two teeth per patient accounted for 40% of the cases. This survey has identified a group of child dental patients who might benefit from conscious sedation and local anaesthetic techniques."}
{"id": "PMID:1489037", "title": "Diclofenac for analgesia after caesarean section.", "content": "The analgesic efficacy of a single intramuscular dose of 75 mg diclofenac given after elective Caesarean section was studied in 50 women in a double-blind randomised manner using a patient-controlled analgesia system. The mean 18 h papavaretum consumption of the placebo group was significantly greater (91.4 mg compared to 61.4 mg). Subjective experience of pain and observed sedation were significantly greater in the control group up to 6 h after operation."}
{"id": "PMID:1489038", "title": "The effect of paracetamol or diclofenac administered before operation on postoperative pain and behaviour after adenoidectomy in small children.", "content": "We compared the effects of rectally administered diclofenac (12.5 mg) with paracetamol (125 mg) on pre- and postoperative behaviour and the need for supplementary analgesia in 44 children scheduled for adenoidectomy (with or without myringotomy). The study drugs were given in combination with diazepam (0.5 mg.kg-1) about 20 min before the children were taken to the operating theatre. On arrival there, the children who had received diclofenac were significantly quieter (< 0.05), easier to handle (p < 0.01) and cried less (p < 0.05) than those in the paracetamol group. During recovery, children in the diclofenac group needed fewer supplementary doses of intravenous pethidine than those receiving paracetamol (p < 0.001). There were no obvious differences between the groups in intra-operative bleeding (as estimated by the surgeon), or in measured blood loss. No postoperative complications became evident. The pre-operative rectal administration of diclofenac for pain relief after adenotomy is safe and effective."}
{"id": "PMID:1489039", "title": "EMLA for postoperative analgesia for day case circumcision in children. A comparison with dorsal nerve of penis block.", "content": "A randomised study was designed to evaluate and compare the analgesic efficacy of EMLA with dorsal nerve of penis block, in children undergoing day case circumcision. The mean (SD) duration of analgesia for EMLA and dorsal nerve block were 0.5 (0.1) h and 6.4 (1.2) h respectively (p < 0.001). It is concluded that EMLA is not as effective as dorsal nerve of penis block with regard to postoperative analgesia. No adverse effects were observed."}
{"id": "PMID:1489040", "title": "A study into the incidence of methaemoglobinaemia after 'three-in-one' block with prilocaine.", "content": "A 34-year-old female patient developed methaemoglobinaemia following a femoral nerve block using prilocaine. The concentrations of methaemoglobin in the blood of the next eight patients receiving this block were assayed, and found to be significantly increased above baseline concentrations, but very significantly less than the concentration in the patient with symptomatic methaemoglobinaemia. Pulse oximetry was of value in making the diagnosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1489041", "title": "Administration of vancomycin during cardiopulmonary bypass.", "content": "Vancomycin was given during cardiopulmonary bypass to 12 anaesthetised patients undergoing open heart surgery. Injection of vancomycin 1 g within 60 s via the venous inlet of the oxygenator resulted in a moderate and transient decrease of mean arterial pressure. This minimal reaction may be attributed to dilution of vancomycin by the extracorporeal circuit volume, to the bypassing of the lungs which are a major site of storage of vasoactive substances, or to the maintenance of adequate perfusion flow during cardiopulmonary bypass. The results suggest that the haemodynamic adverse reactions to vancomycin, given as antibiotic prophylaxis, may be decreased by its administration after initiation of cardiopulmonary bypass."}
{"id": "PMID:1489042", "title": "Intermittent positive pressure ventilation through a laryngeal mask airway. Is a nasogastric tube useful?", "content": "A nasogastric tube was used to aspirate air insufflated into the stomach during intermittent positive pressure ventilation through a laryngeal mask airway and a tracheal tube. No difference was found in the amount aspirated between patients with a tracheal tube, a laryngeal mask airway with the nasogastric tube closed or a laryngeal mask airway with the nasogastric tube open, when the nasogastric tube was aspirated at 15 min intervals for the first hour of anaesthesia."}
{"id": "PMID:1489043", "title": "Postoperative oxygenation in the elderly following general or local anaesthesia for ophthalmic surgery.", "content": "Peripheral oxygen saturation was recorded on the pre-operative night (between 2400 and 0600 h), the immediate postoperative period (first 60 min) and the first postoperative night (2400 to 0600 h) in 18 elderly patients aged 70 years or over presenting for elective ophthalmic surgery. Nine patients had surgery performed under general anaesthesia employing muscle relaxants and controlled ventilation and nine under local anaesthesia using a peribulbar block. The median (interquartile range) percentage of time during which the patients had an oxygen saturation of less than 90% was 0 (0-0.2) and 0.04 (0-0.4) on the pre-operative night, 0.7 (0-1.4) and 0.3 (0-1.2) in the immediate postoperative period, and 0.05 (0-0.16) and 0 (0-0.3) on the postoperative night in the general and local anaesthesia patients respectively. There were no significant differences between general and local anaesthesia in respect of these data and the overall incidence of significant desaturation was low. The present study could not demonstrate any adverse effect of general anaesthesia on oxygen saturation in patients undergoing minimally invasive surgery."}
{"id": "PMID:1489072", "title": "[The concentration of atrial natriuretic peptides (ANP). ANP in different sections of the circulation during atrial volume load with and without anesthesia].", "content": "We studied the effect of a volume load induced by a 45 degrees Trendelenburg position on atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) secretion in awake and anaesthetized patients with coronary artery disease undergoing aortocoronary bypass surgery. ANP was measured in different parts of the circulation before and after induction of high dose fentanyl anaesthesia at fixed times prior to and after extracorporeal circulation. METHOD. In eight patients with coronary artery disease (NYHA classification II-III), who received neither diuretic nor positive inotropic therapy, ANP was measured in the various parts of the circulation: in a peripheral vein, a radial artery, in the pulmonary artery and in the coronary sinus. The measurements were made in the supine and 45 degrees Trendelenburg position. Measurements of mean arterial pressure (MAP), central venous pressure (RAP), pulmonary arterial pressure (PAP), pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP), cardiac index (CI) and heart rate (HR) were taken simultaneously. The measurements were taken in the awake patient, during steady-state high-dose fentanyl anaesthesia with 50% O2 in N2O and after extracorporeal circulation. RESULTS. Compared to measurements in a control group, ANP levels were significantly higher in all parts of the circulation in patients with coronary artery disease, although clinical symptoms of heart failure were absent. After extracorporeal circulation, significantly higher levels of ANP were found at all measurement sites; however the concentration gradient of ANP between coronary sinus and arterial or venous blood was reduced. In awake and anaesthetized patients a change in body position, causing a significant increase in filling pressures, did not produce an increase in ANP levels at all measurement sites. The induction of high-dose fentanyl anaesthesia did not have an influence on plasmatic ANP levels. CONCLUSION. The results of this study lead to the following conclusions: 1. ANP levels in patients with CAD are increased, even if clinical heart failure symptoms are absent. 2. ANP is secreted in the coronary vessels. Following dilution in the atrial blood, it is metabolized to inactive compounds in the periphery. 3. Basic ANP levels are not changed by high-dose fentanyl anaesthesia. Marked increases of the filling pressures do not correlate with atrial ANP levels either before or after induction of anaesthesia. 4. After extracorporeal circulation ANP levels are significantly increased in all parts of the circulation. The concentration gradient between coronary sinus blood, on the one hand, and arterial and venous blood on the other hand is reduced. This phenomenon is probably caused by an alteration in the metabolism of ANP during hypothermic extracorporeal circulation."}
{"id": "PMID:1489073", "title": "[Hemodynamics of coronary surgery patients following magnesium aspartate infusion].", "content": "Hypertension is a common phenomenon in patients undergoing aortocoronary bypass grafting. This hypertension increases myocardial oxygen consumption and can be prevented by application of vasodilators. A possible cause is activation of the renin angiotensin system. Magnesium is a potent vasodilator and has a beneficial effect after myocardial ischaemia. The study was performed to analyse the influence of magnesium infusion on the haemodynamic status and plasma renin activity in patients undergoing aortocoronary bypass grafting. METHODS. Eighteen patients (NYHA classification II-III) undergoing bypass surgery were divided into two groups, a magnesium and a control group. The magnesium group (n = 9) received 0.8 mEq/kg per h magnesium aspartate as an infusion for 15 min while still awake. After induction of anaesthesia, the magnesium infusion was reduced to 0.2 mEq/kg per h and stopped after aortic cannulation was completed. Plasma magnesium levels and concentrations within erythrocytes were measured. Anaesthesia was induced by flunitrazepam (0.01 mg/kg), fentanyl (0.005 mg/kg) and pancuronium (0.1 mg/kg). After intubation, patients were normoventilated with N2O/O2 = 1:1 and isoflurane (0.5-1.0 vol%). Additional doses of fentanyl (0.0025 mg/kg) were injected before the incision and before sternotomy. Mean arterial pressure, heart rate, cardiac index, total peripheral resistance, pulmonary vascular resistance, mean pulmonary arterial pressure, pulmonary capillary wedge pressure, left ventricular stroke work index, right ventricular stroke work index, intrapulmonary shunt and plasma renin activity were evaluated at five predefined points: (1) prior to magnesium infusion; (2) after magnesium infusion; (3) 10 min following induction of anaesthesia under steady-state conditions; (4) after sternotomy; (5) after aortic cannulation. RESULTS. Concerning the haemodynamic parameters (MAP, RAP, PAP, PCWP) no significant difference between the two groups could be demonstrated. In the control group peripheral resistance (TPR) was higher following sternotomy and aortic cannulation than in the magnesium group. Magnesium prevented decrease of the cardiac index (CI) under steady-state conditions, during sternotomy and following aortic cannulation. Left and right ventricular stroke work indexes (LVSWI and RVSWI) were higher in the magnesium group. Plasma renin levels were not significantly different between the two groups. CONCLUSION. Patients undergoing cardiac surgery benefit from magnesium administration in the pre-bypass phase. Due to its vasodilating effect, magnesium lowers the output impedance of the left ventricle and improves cardiac pumping function. It opposes detrimental cardiovascular responses to sternotomy and following aortic cannulation. Also of importance is the advantageous effect of magnesium on cardiac arrest elicited by cardioplegia and for reactivation of the ischaemic myocardium."}
{"id": "PMID:1489074", "title": "[Interactions between lithium/rubidium and six muscle relaxants. A study on the rat phrenic nerve-hemidiaphragm preparation].", "content": "The cumulative concentration-response curves for alcuronium, metocurine, d-tubocurarine, suxamethonium, pancuronium and vecuronium alone or in combination with lithium or rubidium were measured using indirectly evoked twitch tension in the isolated rat phrenic nerve-hemidiaphragm preparation. In the experiments with lithium and rubidium, 10% and 2% of the sodium ions (118 mmol/l) of Krebs solution were replaced by lithium (11.8 mmol/l = 0.082 g/l) or rubidium (2.36 mmol/l = 0.202 g/l) ions, respectively. At these concentrations, neither lithium nor rubidium alone affected twitch tension. Lithium led to a statistically significant enhancement of the myoneural blocking effects of suxamethonium, pancuronium and vecuronium, but not of the other myoneural blocking drugs. Rubidium behaved similarly to lithium, except that enhancement of the effect of vecuronium was not statistically significant. At higher concentrations, lithium and rubidium alone depressed twitch tension in a dose-dependent manner. Neither myoneural blocking drugs nor lithium and rubidium affected the directly evoked twitch tension. It is concluded that myoneural blocking drugs, especially the newer ones, should be used with caution in patients receiving lithium or other alkali metal therapy as it is not known what interactions may arise."}
{"id": "PMID:1489075", "title": "[Pediatric surgery. A comparison of spinal anesthesia and general anesthesia].", "content": "Forty patients aged 2 to 5 years who were admitted for paediatric operations were randomly assigned to have either spinal or general anaesthesia. Spinal anaesthesia was achieved with isobaric bupivacaine 0.5% at a dose of 0.5 mg/kg. General anaesthesia was induced with thiopentone 2-5 mg/kg and continued with low-dose fentanyl (1-2 micrograms/kg, oxygen/nitrous oxide/isoflurane (30/70/0.1-0.5%), vecuronium normoventilating the patients. The time spent in the operation room was shorter in the spinal anaesthesia group because the children were awake and could immediately be transferred. The haemodynamic pattern and respiratory function were stable during spinal anaesthesia. After general anaesthesia, respiratory function deteriorated as indicated by arterial desaturation (< 90%), which was detected in 11 of the 20 patients after general anaesthesia. Vomiting (2), sore throat (4) and micturition difficulties (2) were the adverse events associated with general anaesthesia. Three patients were restless after spinal anaesthesia. It can be concluded that spinal anaesthesia is a suitable anaesthetic technique for paediatric surgery."}
{"id": "PMID:1489076", "title": "[The reuse of 29-gauge spinal needles following combined spinal-epidural anesthesia].", "content": "The technique of combined spinal epidural anaesthesia (CSE) combines the versatility of spinal with the variability of epidural anaesthesia. Spinal application of the local anaesthetic achieves a fast response, reliable sensorial and motor block at a low dose with little toxicity. The epidural catheter allows for the duration of surgical anaesthesia to be extended and provides analgesia for the postoperative period. As the incidence of post dural puncture headache (PDPH) is inversely related to the size of the spinal needle, PDPH rarely or never occurs when 29 gauge needles are used. In 1775 parturients receiving spinal anaesthesia for caesarean section, Dittmann et al. [4] reported an incidence of PDPH of 1.37% with 29 gauge needles. The 29 gauge needle produced by Becton-Dickinson is the one now most frequently used for this technique. It is recommended that these needles be reused after resterilization. The objective of this study was to examine how clean 29 gauge spinal needles really are after resterilization. MATERIALS AND METHODS. Fifteen needles (29 gauge; Becton-Dickinson) were routinely used for combined spinal epidural anaesthesia. After identification of the epidural space at the L3-4 spinal segment with the 18 gauge Tuohy needle, the 29 gauge needle was advanced through the Tuohy needle. Immediately after use the needles were cleaned, rinsed with 20 ml distilled water, dried with pressurized air and subsequently resterilized in gas. Preparation of the used needles was in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations (\"wash, rinse, dry, sterilize before initial and each subsequent use\") and with generally accepted principles [6]. Two needles were additionally cleaned in an ultrasonic bath for 15 min. The needles were examined using a scanning electron microscope. After this analyses, eight needles were sterilized again and then taken for hygienic examination. They were incubated with trypticase soy broth and checked for bacterial growth. RESULTS. Scanning electron microscopy (ScEM) showed organic impurities on all needles. These impurities were equally distributed among all needles. Even the two cleaned in the ultrasonic bath were not free of organic particles. However, no material defects or damage could be seen. Hygienic evaluation proved sterility as no bacterial growth could be detected. CONCLUSION. Owing to the possibility of medico-legal consequences, which sometimes occur a long time after anaesthesia has been given, we think it is unwise to reuse such needles. We hope that disposable and cheap 29 gauge needles will soon become available."}
{"id": "PMID:1489077", "title": "[Fiberoptic determination of the position of the laryngeal mask].", "content": "The laryngeal mask airway (LMA) provides a patent airway when placed 'blindly' into the hypopharynx. At the laryngeal side it is supposed to form a seal surrounding the laryngeal inlet with the epiglottis lying outside the mask aperture. This study is designed to assess the prelaryngeal position of the mask by the fibreoptic technique. METHODS. After approval by the local ethical committee and informed consent, 100 adult patients (ASA groups I and II) undergoing general anaesthesia for extracorporal stroke wave lithotripsy (ESWL, Lithotripter HM 3, Dornier) of the kidney were studied. Anaesthesia was induced with propofol (1.5-2.5 mg.kg-1) and fentanyl (1-1.5 micrograms.kg-1) and maintained with isoflurane and N2O (65% in O2) as clinically indicated. The LMA was left in situ until the patients opened their mouth on command. Monitoring consisted of an ECG (SMV 104-D, Dornier), a pulse oximeter (Nellcor 200, Draeger), and a non-invasive blood pressure monitor (BP 103 N, Hoyer). Clinical assessment of airway patency and fibreoptic laryngoscopy (BF Typ 10, Olympus)--immediately and 20 min following the insertion of the LMA--were performed by two observers. RESULTS. The insertion of the LMA was successful on the first attempt in 89 patients while 5% required two, 4% three and 2% four attempts. 'Blindly' inserted without neuromuscular blockade the LMA provided a clinically sufficient airway in all patients. A central position of the LMA was assessed in only 59% of the cases. In 4 patients the mask was riding on the vocal folds. Positioned at the posterior larynx the cuff produced a compression of the laryngeal orifice when insufflated. Oblique insertion of the LMA or oblique head position during insertion produced a misplacement of the LMA. In 5 cases the LMA followed lateral movements of the head without losing its central position. In 87% the epiglottis was within the lumen of the LMA. Secretions inside the mask lumen or at the anatomic structures were seen in 36%. During manual ventilation with high inspiratory pressure (> 25 cm H2O) the oesophagus opened in 10 cases. CONCLUSIONS. Previous studies have suggested that the LMA takes a 'perfect' position at the laryngeal side when a clinically patent airway is recognized. In contrast, our results demonstrated that a central position of the LMA is achieved in only 59% of the cases. Our results indicate that epiglottic downfolding or left/right side or anterior/posterior misplacement are common but generally provide a satisfactory patent airway. This is consistent with fibreoptic findings in children and radiological observations in adults. The LMA is an essential enrichment to conventional airway management. It provides a better seal than the face mask, especially in bearded or in old patients where the facial contours are often not suited to the mask. Ideal indications seem to be elective operations of intermediate duration (1-2 h). The LMA does not protect against aspiration. For patients who are at risk of regurgitation of gastric contents, use of the LMA is absolutely contraindicated. Relative contraindications are local pathology of the pharynx and situations with low pulmonary compliance and/or high airway resistance (massive obesity, asthma, etc.), especially during controlled ventilation. Further studies are necessary to establish definite indications for the application of the LMA."}
{"id": "PMID:1489078", "title": "[A study of the parameters of the delivered tidal volume. Ventilation on a lung model using the CICERO anesthetic ventilator].", "content": "In many anaesthesia ventilators in common use, the tidal volume delivered is different from the tidal volume preset on the respirator. Tidal volume delivered by mechanical ventilation during anaesthesia may be influenced by fresh gas flow (FGF), the respiratory rate (RR) or the inspiratory: expiratory ratio (I:E). This may cause inadequate hypo- or hyperventilation in small children, especially in newborns and neonates. Using small tidal volumes from 20 to 100 ml preset on the respirator, we investigated in a lung model the tidal volumes delivered by the anaesthesia ventilator CICERO (Dr\u00e4ger, FRG) with variations of FGF, RR and I:E. MATERIAL AND METHODS. The anaesthesia ventilator CICERO (software version 4.16) was equipped with the low-compliance tubes of the \"Ulmer Kinder-Set\" (R\u00fcsch Co.) and the regular CO2 canister (1500 ml) of the machine. The circuit was connected to a lung model consisting of a glass clyinder filled with copper wool with a compliance of 3.3 ml/mbar. To create a pressure-volume correlation of the entire system, i.e. the lung model, the anaesthesia circuit and the ventilator, calibrated glass syringes were used and the pressure increase in the test lung was measured. This pressure-volume correlation was linear. The pressure increase in the lung model caused by the tidal volume during ventilation therefore reflected the actual tidal volume delivered. The study was performed with small tidal volumes from 20 to 100 ml that could be adjusted exactly on the ventilator. Delivered tidal volumes were studied by varying the FGF from 1 to 6 l/min and the RR from 20 to 60/min (with I:E = 1:1.5) and by varying the RR from 20 to 60/min and the I:E from 2:1 to 1:3 (with FGF = 21/min). RESULTS. By varying FGF, RR and I:E no changes in delivered tidal volumes were noted. In all settings of the ventilator studied, the delivered tidal volume was similar to the desired tidal volume preset on the ventilator. The highest deviation from the delivered tidal volume to the tidal volume preset was 17.5% with a tidal volume of 20 ml. In preset tidal volumes 30-100 ml this deviation was lower than 10%. An intermittent \"auto-PEEP\" up to 5 mbar was noted during high respiratory rates (50 and 60/min) combined with an I:E at 2:1 and 1:1 or with a FGF at 4 or 6 l/min. The compliance of the ventilator equipped with the circuit was 4.2 ml/mbar. CONCLUSION. The findings in this study prove that with tidal volumes ranging from 20 to 100 ml the actual tidal volume delivered by the anaesthesia ventilator CICERO is equivalent to the tidal volume set on the machine regardless of the variation of FGF, RR and I:E. These findings are mainly based on two circumstances. Firstly, fresh gas flow is fed into a reservoir and not added to the volume delivered by the bellow during inspiration as in many other respirators. Secondly, the CICERO works with a compliance correction function integrated into the machine. Computed compressible volume from the circuit and the ventilator is added to the tidal volume preset on the ventilator; therefore, the volume delivered by the bellow consists of the volume set on the ventilator plus the compressible volume. With these characteristics the anaesthesia ventilator CICERO meets important requirements for a ventilator in paediatric anaesthesia. However, for final assessment further clinical studies are required."}
{"id": "PMID:1489080", "title": "[Analgesia and sedation in intensive care patients].", "content": "Analgesia and sedation with the associated reduction of undesired vegetative reactions are important components in the therapeutic regimen of intensive care patients. None of the sedative drugs available can fulfil every one of the criteria expected of an \"ideal\" sedative. Four commonly used drug combinations have been established as standards: 1. opioid and neuroleptic, 2. opioid and benzodiazepine, 3. ketamine and benzodiazepine, and 4. opioid and propofol. In everyday use one must take not only the specific side-effects of a drug into consideration but also its pharmacokinetic properties. These are often markedly altered in critically ill patients who have impaired functions of vital organs. The pharmacokinetics of a drug is affected by disturbed renal or hepatic function, interactions with other drugs, altered protein binding and the induction or inhibition of metabolic enzymes. The best method of drug administration is by motor-driven pump, with which large fluctuations of the dosage can be avoided. Constant ratios of drug combinations are not recommended, since the pharmacokinetics of each drug is affected to a different degree in the critically ill patient. Withdrawal symptoms, can occur for example after prolonged administration of benzodiazepines, can often be avoided by slowly reducing the dose or by switching to a short-acting substance. In some patients (e.g. those with a history of alcohol abuse) a massive increase of the drug dose is not indicated when the effect is not adequate. Instead, an entirely different substance should be employed and the administration of less frequently used drugs should be considered. Despite detailed knowledge of the altered pharmacokinetics in critically ill patients, the drugs should be dosed as dictated by the situation, true to the anaesthesiologists' adage: \"Dosage according to effect!\""}
{"id": "PMID:1489081", "title": "A preparation and purification of [1-14C]acetylcarnitine.", "content": "[1-14C]Acetylcarnitine was prepared from [1-14C]acetate and L-carnitine using acetyl-CoA synthetase and carnitine acetyltransferase. The product was purified by ion-exchange and thin-layer chromatography. Conversion of [1-14C]acetate to [1-14C]acetylcarnitine was better than 90% and overall recovery of the pure product was greater that 80%."}
{"id": "PMID:1489082", "title": "Temperature-dependent aggregation of pH-sensitive phosphatidyl ethanolamine-oleic acid-cholesterol liposomes as measured by fluorescent spectroscopy.", "content": "pH-sensitive liposomes made of phosphatidyl ethanolamine-oleic acid-cholesterol (4:2:4 molar ratio) at neutral pH values aggregate at approximately 40 degrees C. The aggregation is accompanied by liposome destabilization and by the release of intraliposomal fluorescent marker (calcein). Both aggregation and calcein leakage start at the temperature corresponding to the lipid phase transition into hexagonal phase. In the system studied the phase transition temperature interval is within 45 to 55 degrees C as estimated with the use of the fluorescent probe 1,6-diphenylhexatriene. The presence of cell cultivation medium RPMI 1640 decreases liposome aggregation temperature. The addition of 10% serum to the system decreases the temperature at which the aggregation proceeds still further. The conclusion that serum-free media should be used for cell experiments involving pH-sensitive liposomes is made."}
{"id": "PMID:1489083", "title": "Microsequence analysis of electroblotted proteins. I. Comparison of electroblotting recoveries using different types of PVDF membranes.", "content": "The most effective protein purification method of low picomole amounts for sequence analysis involves polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis followed by electroblotting to polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF) membranes. Since a critical factor in this procedure is the protein recovery at the blotting step, different types of PVDF membranes were systematically evaluated for their ability to bind proteins during electrotransfer. Differences in electroblotting recoveries occurred between types of PVDF membranes for some proteins. Some variability persisted even when optimized electroblotting procedures were used which reduce the sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) concentration in the gel and improve protein-PVDF binding. The membranes which were evaluated could be grouped as either \"high retention\" membranes (ProBlott, Trans-Blot, and Immobilon-PSQ) or \"low retention\" membranes (Immobilon-P and Westran). The high retention membranes showed higher protein recoveries under most conditions tested, especially for small proteins or peptides. These high retention membranes were also less sensitive to the exact electroblotting conditions, especially those factors which affect the amount of SDS present during either electrotransfer or direct adsorption from protein solutions. High retention PVDF membranes are therefore preferred in most cases for optimal protein or peptide recovery prior to direct sequence analysis. In contrast, low retention membranes are preferred for procedures where subsequent extraction of the proteins from the membranes is required. Even under identical conditions, substantial protein-to-protein variation for both adsorption and subsequent extraction is routinely observed for both groups of membranes, indicating that the nature of protein-PVDF interactions is more complex than simple hydrophobic interactions."}
{"id": "PMID:1489084", "title": "Cycled DNA immunoprecipitation procedure to enrich the target sequences for DNA binding proteins with the fold purification monitored.", "content": "Using centromere DNA binding protein (CENP-B) expressed as a fusion to beta-galactosidase in Escherichia coli, we established a cycled DNA immunoprecipitation procedure for enriching CENP-B binding sequences and monitoring the enrichment process. Degenerated synthetic oligonucleotides for an authentic CENP-B binding sequence, inserted into a pUC-derived vector, were incubated with the crude CENP-B extract. DNA-protein complexes formed in vitro were immunologically precipitated utilizing the beta-galactosidase moiety as a tagged antigen. The effectiveness of repeating cycles of immunoprecipitation was demonstrated by the color selection method designed for pUC-derived plasmids, after introducing the precipitated plasmids into Escherichia coli. After three cycles of DNA immunoprecipitation, only a few kinds of sequences constituted the majority. By repeating two more cycles, the most predominant sequence was finally enriched until homogeneous, indicating the enrichment of the binding sequences in a hierarchical order. Further application to human genomic DNA showed that two EcoRI DNA fragments, 0.49 and 0.78 kb in size, were exclusively identified. This procedure can be applied to the systematic analysis of binding sequences for any other DNA binding proteins without production of any specific antibodies or further purification."}
{"id": "PMID:1489085", "title": "The determination of epsilon-amino groups in soluble and poorly soluble proteinaceous materials by a spectrophotometric method using trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid.", "content": "A procedure using 2,4,6-trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid (TNBS) for the determination of epsilon-amino groups in soluble and poorly soluble proteinaceous materials is presented. The major modification from previous procedures is an extended TNBS reaction time to allow a stoichiometric reaction with amino groups. In addition, autoclave hydrolysis is used to assure sample dissolution for spectrophotometric measurements. The assay accuracy was evaluated by determining epsilon-amino groups of insulin and bovine albumin. The determinations differed from literature values by < or = 3.3%. The epsilon-amino group content of Type B gelatin was found to be 33.0 mol/gelatin molecule of 1000 residues and is in agreement with similar source gelatins and collagen. The coefficient of variation for determinations on all three materials was < or = 5.3%. The assay should be applicable to a broad range of proteinaceous materials."}
{"id": "PMID:1489086", "title": "Fluorometric quantitation of adenosine concentration in small samples of extracellular fluid.", "content": "Adenosine is a naturally occurring nucleoside which regulates many physiological processes by interacting with adenosine-specific receptors. Knowledge of the extracellular adenosine concentration at the site of adenosine receptors on target cells is required for an understanding of mechanisms involving the action of the nucleoside. Samples of extracellular fluid which reside in close proximity to the surface of target cells are frequently small in volume. This report describes improvements in accuracy and reliability of a fluorometric assay designed for determining the concentration of adenosine in microliter samples of extracellular fluids. The utility of the assay is demonstrated by determining adenosine concentrations in interstitial and coronary effluent samples from normoxic perfused rat hearts. The assay also clearly detects changes in the interstitial and coronary effluent adenosine levels produced by isoproterenol stimulation or hypoxia. Thus, this assay is useful for determining the adenosine concentration in microliter samples of extracellular fluid and should facilitate investigations dealing with the functions of adenosine."}
{"id": "PMID:1489087", "title": "Application of an immune-tolerizing procedure to generate monoclonal antibodies specific to an alternate protein isoform of bovine growth hormone.", "content": "An immune-tolerizing protocol was employed to generate monoclonal antibodies to a variant protein isoform of bovine growth hormone arising from alternative pre-mRNA processing. Variant bovine growth hormone used for immunization was obtained by expression in bacteria and electroelution of the protein from preparative sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gels. Balb/c mice were first immunized with wild-type bovine growth hormone in the presence of the cytotoxic drug cyclophosphamide, thereby tolerizing the mouse to common epitopes shared among the two proteins. Subsequently, the mice were immunized with variant bovine growth hormone to produce antibodies specific to variant epitopes. Comparisons of fusions resulting from standard and tolerizing immunization protocols resulted in a significantly enhanced production of variant bovine growth hormone-specific antibodies as a result of the immunotolerizing protocol. The specificity of the antibodies to the variant growth hormone was substantiated by differential enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and Western blot. Nearly all hybridomas positive for variant growth hormone were negative for wild-type growth hormone. Finally, the antibodies were used to demonstrate intracytoplasmic staining of COS I cells transiently transfected with a variant growth hormone-producing plasmid. Given the power of the polymerase chain reaction to conveniently clone alternatively processed mRNA species, followed by expression in bacteria to provide antigen, the immunotolerizing protocol provides a convenient general method for producing antibodies specific to desired protein isoforms."}
{"id": "PMID:1489088", "title": "Application of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy to studies of aqueous protein solutions.", "content": "Modern protein Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy has proven to be a versatile and sensitive technique, applicable to many aspects of protein characterization. The major practical drawback for the FT-IR spectroscopy of proteins is the large absorbance band of water, which overlaps the amide I resonances. D2O is often substituted for H2O in infrared experiments. Removal of water from protein samples can be complicated and tedious and potentially lead to denaturation, aggregation, or sample loss. Solvent removal by dialysis is difficult for suspensions and sols. A new method called the D2O dilution technique (Ddt) is described which simplifies the sample preparation step and improves the solvent subtraction. The effect of the D2O concentration on the IR spectrum of aqueous solutions of several model proteins was studied. Dilution of aqueous samples with D2O yields good quality spectra. The Ddt has been evaluated for quantitative analysis using standard proteins and its applicability to solutions and suspensions of a genetically engineered malaria antigen is demonstrated. Use of resolution-enhancement techniques with spectra in mixed solvents has also been investigated."}
{"id": "PMID:1489089", "title": "Synthesis of poly(ADP-ribose)-agarose beads: an affinity resin for studying (ADP-ribose)n-protein interactions.", "content": "Polymers of ADP-ribose bind chromatosomal histones in solution and may play a role in chromatin accessibility in vivo. We have enzymatically synthesized a poly(ADP-ribose) affinity resin to further characterize binding of nuclear proteins to ADP-ribose polymers. NAD+- and (ADP-ribose)-derivatized agarose beads were recognized as polymer acceptors by the nuclear enzyme poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase. This polymerase elongated the existing ligands by successive addition of exogenously available ADP-ribose residues to form polymers covalently linked to the agarose beads. Poly(ADP-ribose) formation on the beads was dependent on incubation time and the mode of ligand attachment to the agarose. The resulting poly(ADP-ribose)-derivatized agarose beads possessed polymers which closely resembled those modifying the ADP-ribose polymerase by the automodification reaction. Fractionation of rat liver nuclear lysate over the poly(ADP-ribose) resin revealed a strong affinity of H1 for ADP-ribose polymers, thereby supporting a role for poly(ADP-ribose) in chromatin functions. Poly(ADP-ribose)-agarose beads are extremely stable and will be useful not only for affinity studies, but also for mechanistic studies involving polymer elongation and catabolism."}
{"id": "PMID:1489090", "title": "A quantitative assay for fragmented DNA in apoptotic cells.", "content": "Cleavage of cellular chromatin at internucleosomal sites is a characteristic change of DNA integrity in cells undergoing apoptosis. We have developed an assay for quantitation of internucleosomal DNA fragmentation in apoptotic cells. This technique involves purification of cellular DNA, dephosphorylation of the DNA ends, labeling of DNA with 32P at the 5'-end, gel electrophoresis through agarose, and quantitation of the radioactivity in DNA bands. This assay, which is about 1000- to 2000-fold more sensitive than visualization of DNA bands by ethidium staining, allows the detection of DNA fragments at picogram levels. A method for quantitatively determining the number of fragmented DNA strands is also described. Application of this new assay to evaluate the time course of internucleosomal DNA fragmentation was demonstrated in apoptotic cells induced by an anticancer nucleoside analogue."}
{"id": "PMID:1489091", "title": "Automated analysis of the pyridinium crosslinks of collagen in tissue and urine using solid-phase extraction and reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography.", "content": "A fully automated method for assaying the collagen crosslinking amino acids, pyridinoline and deoxypyridinoline, in human urine samples or tissue hydrolysates is described. Samples were processed using a Gilson ASPEC system with solid-phase extraction of the crosslinks on columns containing 100 mg of microgranular cellulose. Introduction of an additional solvent step during sample preparation allowed direct analysis by reversed-phase HPLC and elimination of the drying step used previously in a manual method. Use of a synthetic pyridinoline derivative as internal standard enabled accurate quantification of the crosslinks by correcting for recoveries through the whole assay. Samples were analyzed in sequential mode with a total assay time of 30 min. The automated assay showed close correlation with the manual method for both free and total crosslink determinations in human urine (r > 0.97). Reproducibility was improved, as seen from replicate analyses of human urine (CV < 3% for automated pyridinoline measurement compared with 8-12% previously observed for the manual method). Crosslink excretion is the most useful marker of collagen degradation in metabolic bone diseases and arthritic disorders. The automated assay which has been developed is rapid, convenient, and reliable and will greatly facilitate the monitoring of urinary collagen crosslinks and their tissue levels in clinical investigations."}
{"id": "PMID:1489092", "title": "Carbohydrate analysis of water-soluble uronic acid-containing polysaccharides with high-performance anion-exchange chromatography using methanolysis combined with TFA hydrolysis is superior to four other methods.", "content": "Sulfuric acid hydrolysis according to the Saeman procedure, TFA hydrolysis, and methanolysis combined with TFA hydrolysis were compared for the hydrolysis of water-soluble uronic acid-containing polysaccharides originating from fungi, plants, and animals. The constituent sugar residues released were subsequently analyzed by either conventional GLC analysis of alditol acetates or high-performance anion-exchange chromatography with pulsed-amperometric detection. It was shown that TFA hydrolysis alone is not sufficient for complete hydrolysis. Sulfuric acid hydrolysis of these polysaccharides resulted in low recoveries of 6-deoxy-sugar residues. Best results were obtained by methanolysis combined with TFA hydrolysis. Methanolysis with 2 M HCl prior to TFA hydrolysis resulted in complete liberation of monosaccharides from pectic material and from most fungal and animal polysaccharides tested. Any incomplete hydrolysis could be assessed easily by HPAEC, by the detection of characteristic oligomeric products, which is difficult using alternative methods currently in use. Methanolysis followed by TFA hydrolysis of 20 micrograms water-soluble uronic acid containing polysaccharides and subsequent analysis of the liberated sugar residues by HPAEC allowed us to determine the carbohydrate composition of these polysaccharides rapidly and accurately in one assay without the need for derivatization."}
{"id": "PMID:1489093", "title": "Fluorimetric DNA assay for cell growth estimation.", "content": "A growth assay using the fluorescent dye Hoechst 33258 has been developed which allows sensitive and rapid analysis of the DNA content of a variety of cell types including keratinocytes and mucus-secreting cells, and which requires a minimum of liquid handling. The assay can detect as few as 500 diploid human cells, and is compatible with the simultaneous detection of [3H]thymidine incorporation in the same cultures."}
{"id": "PMID:1489094", "title": "Microsequence analysis of electroblotted proteins. II. Comparison of sequence performance on different types of PVDF membranes.", "content": "The influence of different types of polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF) membranes on gas phase sequence performance has been evaluated. These PVDF membranes have been classified as either high retention (Trans-Blot and ProBlott) or low retention membranes (Immobilon-P) based on their ability to bind proteins during electroblotting from gels. Initial yields, repetitive yields, and extraction efficiency of the anilinothiazolinone amino acid derivatives have been compared for several standard proteins that have been either electroblotted or loaded onto PVDF membranes by direct adsorption. These results show that the major differences in initial sequence yields between membranes arise from differences in the amount of protein actually transferred to the membrane rather than sequencer-related factors. In contrast to several previous observations from other laboratories, more tightly bound proteins do not sequence with lower initial yields and initial yields are not affected by the ratio of surface area to protein. The stronger binding on high retention PVDF membranes does not adversely affect recoveries of difficult to extract, or very hydrophobic, amino acid derivatives. Several amino acids, especially tryptophan, are actually recovered in dramatically higher yield on high retention membranes compared with either Immobilon or glass filters. At the same time, the protein and peptide binding properties of high retention membranes will frequently improve the repetitive yield by minimizing sample extraction during the sequencer cycle. Stronger protein binding together with improved electroblotting yields offer substantially improved sequence performance when high retention PVDF membranes are used."}
{"id": "PMID:1489095", "title": "Quantitative immunoassay of human deoxycytidine kinase in malignant cells.", "content": "Deoxycytidine kinase (dCK) is necessary for the activity of several nucleosides used for the chemotherapy of cancer and AIDS. However, the measurement of dCK catalytic activity in crude cell extracts may be imprecise, due to the presence of phosphatases and nucleotidases that degrade the enzyme products. We describe a simple immunoassay for dCK that can measure accurately as little as 5 ng enzyme protein in crude tissue extracts. The assay enabled us to show (i) that mutant cells deficient in dCK activity lack immunoreactive dCK protein, (ii) that dCK catalytic activity and immunoreactivity correlate closely in human tumors, and (iii) that immunoreactive dCK is particularly high in lymphocytes and lymphoid malignancies, although certain solid tumors may also contain the enzyme. The immunoassay of dCK could prove useful in the selection and monitoring of patients who are being treated with nucleosides that are activated by this enzyme."}
{"id": "PMID:1489096", "title": "Purification of cloned and genomic DNA by guanidine thiocyanate/isobutyl alcohol fractionation.", "content": "We have developed a rapid and efficient method to purify cloned or high molecular weight eukaryotic DNA from cell lysates using guanidine thiocyanate and isobutyl alcohol. This simple two-step extraction procedure utilizes isobutyl alcohol to fractionate DNA away from cell lysates containing guanidine thiocyanate, yielding a relatively large quantity of pure DNA. The yield of DNA is approximately twice that obtained by the organic extraction method. DNA purified with this chaotropic-based protocol is suitable for a variety of applications including restriction analysis, double-stranded sequencing, PCR, subcloning, and transcription."}
{"id": "PMID:1489097", "title": "Multiple nucleic acid labeling and rainbow detection.", "content": "A method which allows discrete nucleic acid sequences to be detected with differently colored hybridization signals on the same blot involving only a single hybridization step is described. Nucleic acid probes labeled with digoxigenin, fluorescein, or biotin are hybridized simultaneously to immobilized target nucleic acids. Differential colorimetric detection is carried out in consecutive alkaline phosphatase-based immunoassays with one of three 3-hydroxy-2-naphthoic acid anilide phosphate/diazonium salt combinations as substrate. Each label is visualized by a different color precipitate (green, red, and blue) directly on the membrane. We demonstrate the use of this method in multicolor plasmid mapping, detection of different genomic sequences on a single Southern blot, discrimination of transcription levels in a Northern blot, and colony screening. Advantages and limitations of the method, as well as further applications, are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1489098", "title": "Characterization of immune complex components by dot blot analysis.", "content": "A method is described for the characterization of immune complex components by dot blot analysis. After isolation by chromatographic techniques and precipitation with polyethylene glycol, immune complexes were dissociated in 0.1 M phosphate (pH 2) and bound to a nitrocellulose membrane in a dot blot unit. Biotinylated probes were then used to identify the following immune complex components: specific antigens, biologically active antibodies, antibody isotypes, antibody subclasses, antibody idiotypes, and rheumatoid factors. This nonradioactive procedure takes less than 2 h to perform and has been used to analyze immune complexes isolated from sera (rabbit and human) and synovial fluid (human)."}
{"id": "PMID:1489099", "title": "Effect of subunit interactions on enzymatic activity of glutathione S-transferases: a radiation inactivation study.", "content": "The glutathione S-transferases are a family of dimeric enzymes. Three isozymes from the alpha family, termed YaYa, YaYc, and YcYc, and three from the mu family, termed Yb1Yb1, Yb1Yb2, and Yb2Yb2, were purified from rat liver. Binding studies were performed by equilibrium dialysis using a radiolabeled product, S(-)[14C](dinitrophenyl)glutathione. Each isozyme contained two independent binding sites which had equal affinity for the ligand. The presence of two independent active sites per enzyme dimer suggests that each subunit contains a complete active site. This conclusion was examined further using radiation inactivation which also allowed for assessment of the importance of subunit interactions in catalytic activity. The activity target size of YaYa (47 kDa) was significantly larger than the protein monomer target size (31 kDa); similarly the activity target size of YaYc was that of the dimer (54 kDa). In contrast, the activity target sizes of Yb1Yb1 and Yb2Yb2 were the same, being 35 and 29 kDa, respectively, and the protein monomer target size of Yb1Yb1 also was similar, being 32 kDa. These data indicate that interactions between subunits are critical for the maintenance of enzymatic activity of alpha class enzymes whereas each subunit of the two mu class proteins is capable of independent catalytic activity."}
{"id": "PMID:1489100", "title": "Determination of radioligand specific activity using competition binding assays.", "content": "Radioligand binding assays are routinely utilized in laboratories throughout the world to study receptors and their related binding sites, carrier proteins, and enzymes. To accurately estimate equilibrium binding parameters, such as the equilibrium dissociation constant (Kd) and maximal number of binding sites (Bmax), the investigator must know the correct value of the specific activity of the radioligand. If the specific activity is overestimated the Kd and Bmax values will be underestimated, while underestimation of the specific activity results in an overestimation of the Kd and Bmax. The present communication describes a simple and rapid method for determining the specific activity of a radioligand using homologous competition binding assays. Performing the competition assays at two or more different concentrations of the radioligand allows the specific activity to be determined from the IC50 values without the need of analytical methods to quantify minute amounts of the radioligand. In addition to providing the specific activity, use of this method estimates the Kd for the radioligand. This method was utilized to determine the specific activity and Kd for two blockers of the dopamine uptake carrier, [3H]GBR-12935 and [3H]-CFT, which share a common binding site in the striatum."}
{"id": "PMID:1489101", "title": "A fast and versatile method for extraction and quantitation of long-chain acyl-CoA esters from tissue: content of individual long-chain acyl-CoA esters in various tissues from fed rat.", "content": "A method for the extraction of acyl-CoA esters from tissue, and their subsequent analysis by HPLC is described. The lipids are removed by a two-phase extraction in a chloroform/methanol/water system. The long-chain acyl-CoA esters are extracted using methanol and a high salt concentration (2 M ammonium acetate). Reextraction of the dry residue after evaporation of extraction solvent results in low overall recoveries (20%). By adding 1 mg/ml acyl-CoA-binding protein to the extraction solvent the overall recovery was increased to 55%. The method is easy and fast to perform and is thereby suitable for analysis of a large number of samples. The advantages of the method over previously published methods are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1489102", "title": "The use of a spectrophotometric assay to study the interaction of S-adenosylmethionine synthetase with methionine analogues.", "content": "We have developed a continuous spectrophotometric assay for S-adenosylmethionine synthetase and, using this assay, have examined the interaction of five potential inhibitors with the E. coli enzyme. S-Vinylhomocysteine and S-allylhomocysteine were found to be substrates, while S-(methanethio)cysteine and S-(methanethio)homocysteine were found to be competitive inhibitors. S-Cyanohomocysteine is neither a substrate nor an inhibitor."}
{"id": "PMID:1489103", "title": "Regeneration of functional hemoglobin from iron(III) hemoglobin by reduction with hydrogen and a heterogeneous catalyst.", "content": "Functional hemoglobin was regenerated from partially autoxidized hemoglobin by reduction with molecular hydrogen in the presence of a heterogeneous catalyst consisting of elemental platinum embedded in an electroactive polymer. The visible spectrum of the regenerated hemoglobin was identical to that of native iron(II) hemoglobin. The regenerated hemoglobin displayed highly cooperative oxygen-binding characteristics. P50 values for oxidized-regenerated hemoglobin samples were not different from native hemoglobin. The Hill coefficients for regenerated hemoglobin were slightly lower than the controls, possibly because of small amounts of irreversibly oxidized hemoglobin arising during the initial autoxidation. The advantages of the reduction system include: (1) the heterogeneous catalyst avoids the problem of protein adsorption onto bare platinum, (2) catalyst and reducing agent are easily removed from the protein, and (3) the by-product H+ is buffered easily."}
{"id": "PMID:1489104", "title": "A temperature-controlled, anaerobic cell for direct electrochemical studies.", "content": "The construction and operation of a cell for temperature-controlled, direct electrochemical studies of oxygen-sensitive materials are described. The borosilicate cell contains a pyrolytic graphite working electrode, a Ag/AgCl reference electrode, and a platinum counter electrode, all of which can be readily interchanged with other types of electrodes. It is surrounded by a water jacket constructed of steel and Lexan, which can easily maintain temperatures between 4 degrees C and at least 90 degrees C. The entire cell was designed to minimize the number, complexity, and expense of components, as well as minimize required sample volume (250 microliters) and sources of oxygen leakage. As examples of the cell's utility, the redox properties of two common organic redox dyes, methyl viologen and thionin, were determined by differential pulse voltammetry at temperatures from 30 to 90 degrees C."}
{"id": "PMID:1489105", "title": "[The microvascularization of the penis of the steer (Bos taurus)].", "content": "The blood supply and the microvascularization of the bovine penis (Bos taurus) were demonstrated using the scanning electron microscope. The Corpus cavernosum penis of the bull consists of a surprisingly well-developed mesh of small to intermediate vessels. The architecture of the cavernous body is largely determined by trabeculae of connective tissue, the extent of which varies between penis segments. The Corpus cavernosum is arranged primarily as a ring around the trabeculae of connective tissue. Chambers of large bore are found in the central portions of the Corpus cavernosum penis, whereas a relatively fine vascular network predominates in the periphery. Vessels in the cavernous body of the urethra, on the other hand, show strictly parallel orientation to the urethra, which they surround like a sleeve. They also stand in close association with vessels in the outer layer of the Tunica albuginea. The vascular systems of the Corpus cavernosum penis and the Corpus spongiosum penis are not connected with one another. The vascular architecture of the Glans penis is characterized by the inclusion of well-developed vascular arcades at regular intervals. These course through a connective tissue matrix rich in glycoproteins and stretch to just under the skin of the penis, where they are intimately associated with a subpapillary network of arteries and veins. The venous legs of the vascular arcades are supplied by this network of veins. The Glans penis of the bull is considered to represent a specialization of the penile integument."}
{"id": "PMID:1489106", "title": "[Prenatal development of the horse ovary].", "content": "To answer the many open questions concerning the development of the horse's ovary, first the prenatal development was investigated. It resulted that follicles derive from the germinal epithelium and its cords, whereas the Leydig cells and the rete blastema originate from the mesonephros. In the second third of pregnancy the Leydig cells undergo an enormous proliferation, in the last third they degenerate. However this degeneration is not connected with the postnatal development of the ovulation groove."}
{"id": "PMID:1489107", "title": "[Comparative histological study of the reproductive system of the female llama (Lama guanicoe glama). I. Ovary].", "content": "In the present study a cytological, histological and morphometrical comparison between the ovaries of the llama, the cow and the sheep is presented, at two phases of the ovarian cycle. There were found differences in the amount of primordial and primary follicles, the size of secondary follicles and follicular cells, and type and distribution of the connective tissue inside the stroma of the ovary. It would be necessary to study the fine structure of the ovary and the so-called \"embryological remnants\", for its permanent appearance in most (50%) of the ovaries."}
{"id": "PMID:1489108", "title": "[The development of the yolk sac in ruminants (sheep and cattle)].", "content": "Yolk sac development was investigated in 69 ovine and 10 bovine embryos from the blastocyst stage to the 7th week of gestation. Light and electron microscopical findings are reported. The yolk sac in sheep and cattle is composed of an enlarged sac-like portion lying below the embryo and two ends which follow the elongated course of the trophoblast. In sheep, an open connection exists between the intestines and the yolk sac up to a crown-rump length (CRL) of 9 mm. It is closed by 12 mm CRL. The wall of the yolk sac is especially well vascularized in the enlarged, sac-like portion. Primary erythropoiesis occurs within the blood capillaries. In the blastocyst, the yolk sac entoderm is made up of elongated, flat cells. It becomes cuboidal in the 3 mm embryo (ovine) and later columnar. The up to 20 microns tall cells stain darkly and contain numerous light-colored vesicles. At 4.5 mm CRL light cells appear between the dark ones. Both cells are rich in rough endoplasmic reticulum (rER). The increased staining of the darker cells is due to an osmophilic cytoplasm and numerous, often parallel lamella of rER. The rER of the light cells is enlarged to irregularly-shaped cisternae, which nearly fill the entire cytoplasm and give them a rounded appearance. The dark cells contain polygonal nuclei, whereas those in the light cells are round with one or two nucleoli. The oval mitochondria have only a few peripheral cristae. Golgi fields are not very common. Cells of the entoderm are connected to one another over zonulae occludentes. They possess microvilli on the luminal surface and are supported by a basement membrane. From 5 mm CRL onwards (ovine), the yolk sac entoderm folds itself between the capillaries, thereby becoming stratified. The intercellular space between the cells expands as projections between neighboring cells interlock. Canaliculi arise between adjacent epithelia. The wall of the yolk sac thickens as a result of this infolding and the densely packed capillaries. Infoldings are especially predominant in the sac-like portion of the yolk sac, and only suggested in the ends. Involution of the yolk sac begins in the peripheral end segments and proceeds centripetally. Numerous glycogen particles appear in the yolk sac entoderm cells of the ovine fetus at a CRL of 36 mm, and by a CRL of 42 mm, the sac-like portion has also begun to show signs of degeneration. Mesenchyme is very sparse within the wall of the yolk sac throughout the entire period of development.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1489109", "title": "[The segmental organization and horny structure of the claw of the dog].", "content": "This study classifies the segments of the dog claw and presents a new conception to define crown and wall segments that deviates from the common statements in literature. The perioplic segment extends along the internal surface of the claw fold (vallum). The crown segment lies in the unguicular groove, and there in a semicircular zone. In the crown segment there is development of horn tubuli, but these lose their tubular structure before they have reached the top of the claw. The wall segment, adjacent distally, comprises a dorsal ridge, and lateral surfaces proximally and distally which are all marked by superficial lamellar-shaped surface configurations. The sole segment shows desquamative soft horn and is situated between the free margin of the wall segment palmar/plantar to the unguicular process. The new conception of homology of dog claw distinguishes between main and secondary criteria. The main criterion is the epidermal and dermal configuration. Secondary criteria are the typical horn products (for example perioplic horn) and dimension, shape and topography of segments. The sterile/fertile-bed theory, which was believed to be the determining factor for the classification of the dog claw, is neither the proper method to define the individual segments nor to judge the rate of cornification."}
{"id": "PMID:1489110", "title": "[Ultrastructure of the luteal cells of female cattle].", "content": "An ultrastructural study to the corpus luteum (CL) from 263 non pregnant female cattle slaughtered in slaughter-houses of Le\u00f3n (Spain) was done. The luteal cells are classified in five types, noted with roman numbers. We made a comparison between these cells and the cells described in the literature. We believe that luteal cells have a development from type I to V, the first type is the principal inside the developing CL. The types II and III are in the mature CL, and the two last types are in the degenerating CL. It will be the same cell in different stages of development. We did not find characteristic structures to differentiate luteal cells originating from the granulosa or the theca."}
{"id": "PMID:1489111", "title": "Studies on the parietal region of the cervid skull. II. The parietooccipital region in the skull of the fallow deer (Dama dama L.).", "content": "In contrast to the situation in roe deer (Kierdorf and Kierdorf, in press) and other cervid species, an os interparietale was missing in the fallow deer cranium. Absence of this skull element in Dama dama is regarded as an apomorphic character state. The area covered by the interparietals in Capreolus was occupied by the parietals in Dama. This condition (loss of interparietals, enlargement of parietals) is in accord with a trend seen in vertebrate evolution, that is, progressive reduction in the number of skull elements concomitant with enlargement of the remaining bones. Synostosis of the parietals in Dama started a few days post partum and was completed at about 7 to 8 months of age. In males, obliteration of the sutura parietooccipitalis commenced in adult life, whereas in females only closure of the central region of this suture was occasionally observed."}
{"id": "PMID:1489113", "title": "Drug-resistant tuberculosis in an urban population including patients at risk for human immunodeficiency virus infection.", "content": "In the past 5 yr, an increased incidence of tuberculosis has been noted in the United States. Simultaneously, the population infected with human immunodeficiency virus-type I (HIV-I) and the number of cases of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) have increased. Selected areas of the United States have also reported increases in the frequency of drug-resistant isolates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Because our institution serves a population in which tuberculosis, AIDS, and drug resistant isolates of M. tuberculosis are frequently encountered, we sought to better define interrelationships among these factors by retrospectively reviewing the demographic, clinical, bacteriologic, and radiologic data for all adult patients in whom M. tuberculosis was isolated from a culture of respiratory-tract secretions during a 1-year period (June 1, 1988 to May 31, 1989). Two hundred forty-six patients were thus identified; 66.5% were U.S. born blacks, and 62.6% were 17 to 40 yr of age. Risk factors for HIV infection were present in 106 patients. The overall resistance rate (one or more drugs) = 30.9%, with primary resistance = 22.6% (35 of 155) and secondary resistance = 49.2% (29 of 59). In addition, 12 resistant isolates were found in 32 patients whose prior treatment status was indeterminate. Of the resistant isolates, 56.6% (43 of 76) were multiply resistant. Isoniazid resistance was noted in 90.7% (69 of 76) and rifampin resistance was noted in 50% (38 of 76) of the resistant isolates. No significant differences in the overall frequency of resistance were noted in patients at risk for HIV infection compared with those without these risks.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1489114", "title": "Pneumonia following closed head injury.", "content": "Pneumonia is common among patients with artificial airways in place. Most prior studies of such pneumonia involve a heterogeneous group of patients, usually with major medical or surgical illnesses. We studied the incidence of pneumonia in a group of patients with isolated closed head injury (CHI) in an effort to determine the pattern of the problem in the absence of other injuries and to determine whether the pattern of development of pneumonia in these patients was comparable to that in more heterogeneous groups of mechanically ventilated patients. We studied 109 initially comatose patients with isolated CHI who were ventilated 24 h or more. The mean age was 30.3 +/- 20.2 yr, 72% were male, and the admission Glasgow coma score was 4.9T +/- 1.4. Overall, 45 patients (41%) developed pneumonia, with the majority (29/45) occurring during the first 3 days of hospitalization. No patient developed pneumonia after the first week despite the fact that many were still ventilated, others remained intubated, and yet others were extubated but comatose. Patients who developed pneumonia experienced a longer ICU stay (10.5 +/- 5.4 days versus 7.2 +/- 4.3 days, p = 0.001) and hospital stay (34.8 +/- 27.6 versus 22.5 +/- 20.2 days, p = 0.01).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1489115", "title": "A comparative study of the effects of almitrine bismesylate and lateral position during unilateral bacterial pneumonia with severe hypoxemia.", "content": "The management of patients with unilateral pneumonia and severe hypoxemia often represents a therapeutic challenge. Mechanical ventilation with the diseased lung uppermost may improve gas exchange, but it is not devoid of adverse effects. No hemodynamic measurements have been reported in patients ventilated in this manner; therefore, whether or not the improvement in PaO2 is counterbalanced by hemodynamic deterioration remains unknown. Almitrine bismesylate is a drug that seems able to improve gas exchange in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or the adult respiratory distress syndrome. The increase in PaO2 after its administration has been attributed to an improvement in ventilation-perfusion relationships. Its use has never been reported during unilateral pneumonia with severe hypoxemia. We therefore compared its effects with those of lateral position in eight consecutive mechanically ventilated patients with unilateral pneumonia. Blood gas and hemodynamic measurements were performed both at maintenance FIO2 and at an FIO2 of 1.0. Almitrine (1 mg/kg over 1 h) had no effect on PaO2 under either FIO2 condition. Cardiac output remained unchanged, but mean pulmonary artery pressure increased from 22.5 +/- 1.2 to 26.5 +/- 1.3 mm Hg (p < 0.02). By contrast, lateral position had striking effects on PaO2, which increased from 100 +/- 14 mm Hg in supine position to 156 +/- 23 mm Hg (p < 0.01) when the abnormal lung was placed uppermost at maintenance FIO2 and from 207 +/- 21 (supine) to 300 +/- 28 mm Hg (lateral) (p < 0.01) at FIO2 1.0.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1489116", "title": "Prone position alters the effect of volume overload on regional pleural pressures and improves hypoxemia in pigs in vivo.", "content": "Oxygenation improves in patients with adult respiratory distress syndrome and in animals with oleic acid-induced lung injury when they are turned from the supine to the prone position. Dependent and nondependent pleural pressures (Ppl) were measured in six pigs ventilated in the supine and prone positions before and after volume infusion (VI). Before VI the mean +/- SEM AaPO2 difference was 26 +/- 8 mm Hg when the animals were supine and 10 +/- 2 mm Hg when they were prone (p > 0.05). After VI the AaPO2 was 64 +/- 6 mm Hg when the animals were supine (p < 0.05) and 43 +/- 7 mm Hg when they were prone (p < 0.05). VI increased the Ppl gradient from 0.53 +/- 0.1 to 0.71 +/- 0.1 cm H2O/cm when the animals were supine (p < 0.05) and from 0.17 +/- 0.1 to 0.27 +/- 0.1 cm H2O/cm when they were prone (p < 0.05). Dependent Ppl at FRC was much less positive when the animals were prone versus supine (0.9 +/- 0.3 versus 3.0 +/- 0.5 cm H2O, p < 0.05), suggesting that the airways in these dependent regions would narrow and/or close and that ventilation to these regions would diminish as a result of VI."}
{"id": "PMID:1489117", "title": "Pulmonary vascular pressure-flow characteristics. Effects of dopamine before and after pulmonary embolism.", "content": "We compared the general hemodynamic effects of dopamine and dobutamine in dogs with acute pulmonary hypertension complicated by a decrease in cardiac output (CO). The pulmonary hypertension was induced by injection of autologous blood clot. Emboli markedly increased mean pulmonary artery pressure (Ppa) and decreased CO (both p < 0.001). Both dopamine and dobutamine increased CO 50% (p < 0.05) and decreased pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) (p < 0.05), calculated as (PAP - left ventricular end diastolic pressure)/CO. Mean PVR (mm Hg/L/min) decreased from 16.1 to 12.4 with dopamine and from 16. to 11.9 with dobutamine, both p < 0.05. Ventricular filling pressures were not affected. In another 12 dogs we investigated the effects of both drugs on pulmonary pressure-flow (P-Q) characteristics. P-Q characteristics were determined in dogs with normal Ppa values and in those with embolic pulmonary hypertension. The slope of the P-Q relationship defines the incremental vascular resistance and the extrapolated pressure intercept, the effective vascular outflow pressure. All P-Q relationships were described well by a linear equation. Despite significant systemic effects in both groups and despite a decrease in PVR with both drugs in embolized dogs, neither drug significantly affected pulmonary P-Q characteristics. The discrepancy between PVR and incremental resistance is explained by an incorrect assumption in PVR that the left ventricular filling pressure is the effective vascular outflow pressure. We conclude that both before and after the induction of pulmonary hypertension, both dopamine and dobutamine improve CO without affecting pulmonary vascular tone."}
{"id": "PMID:1489118", "title": "Interaction between effects of hypoxia and hypercapnia on altering left ventricular relaxation and chamber stiffness in dogs.", "content": "Left ventricular (LV) isovolumic relaxation and chamber stiffness were examined in dogs to see how hypoxemia and hypercapnia occurring during an acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive lung disease could directly affect diastolic performance. Measurements were obtained during baseline (arterial PO2 approximately 200 mm Hg; PCO2 approximately 35 mm Hg; pH approximately 7.35), hypoxia (PO2 approximately 35 mm Hg; PCO2 approximately 35 mm Hg; pH approximately 7.35), and hypoxia-hypercapnia (PO2 approximately 35 mm Hg; PCO2 approximately 60 mm Hg; pH approximately 7.15) in an open-chest, open-pericardium preparation. Changes in LV diastolic performance during hypoxic and hypercapnic interventions were contrasted with those caused by ventricular interdependence in which pulmonary artery occlusion was used to produce a right to left ventricular septal shift. Subendocardial ultrasonic crystal transducers were placed along the three orthogonal axes of the left ventricle to measure dimensions by sonomicrometry. Along each axis, LV end-diastolic dimension-pressure relations were constructed in the various conditions; the slope of this relationship, obtained over a linear portion of the curve, was used as an index of diastolic dimensional distensibility (DD). The results showed that during hypoxia, DD appeared decreased along the three axes, with a reduction in filling primarily along the anterior-posterior and apex-base axes. The addition of hypercapnia to hypoxia completely abolished the hypoxic effect. On the other hand, during pulmonary artery occlusion, LV DD were not changed along the latter two dimensions. We conclude that during respiratory failure, LV diastolic performance may be directly affected by arterial blood gas tensions, which by altering the interaction between the contractile filaments modulate LV filling."}
{"id": "PMID:1489119", "title": "Cardiovascular effects of periodic occlusions of the upper airways in dogs.", "content": "Hypoxemia and decreased intrathoracic pressure have been postulated as contributing causes of cardiovascular morbidity in obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS). Because of the difficulty of manipulating experimental conditions in humans, we developed an anesthetized closed-chest dog model, simulating the periodic airway occlusions of OSAS by periodic occlusions of the endotracheal tube (PUO). Using a periodicity of 60 s occluded, followed by 60 s ventilation for five to seven cycles, we measured heart rate (HR), cardiac output (CO), arterial pressure (Pa); left ventricular (LV) end-diastolic and end-systolic transmural pressure; dp/dt of LV pressure; left anterior descending (LAD) coronary blood flow (CBF), and regional myocardial contractility and intramyocardial pH. Four experimental conditions were studied: room air (RA) breathing (PO2 = 40); 100% O2 breathing (O2), and RA and O2 breathing with critical LAD stenosis (CS). Under all conditions PUO produced decreases in CO (10 to 30%) and proportional decreases in Pa. HR decreased, and in all but RA conditions stroke volume was unchanged. During the obstructed phase, indices of LV preload decreased. Indices of LV afterload also decreased except for LAD-perfused myocardium under RACS conditions. This latter was shown to be associated with regional ischemia (decreased regional pH and shortening). Regional ischemia was also demonstrated in two of nine dogs even under O2CS conditions. Among our major conclusions: (1) decreased Pa during PUO is due to decreased CO; (2) LV afterload does not increase during PUO; (3) with limited coronary flow reserve (CS), PUO can lead to myocardial ischemia. This is mostly but not solely due to hypoxia."}
{"id": "PMID:1489120", "title": "Effect of hyperoxia on the arousal response to airway occlusion during sleep in normal subjects.", "content": "The effect of hyperoxia on the arousal response to airway occlusion during non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep was studied in six normal male subjects with a mean age (+/- SD) of 23.5 +/- 8.7 yr by testing the response to the occlusion of a face mask covering the nose and mouth. Occlusion trials while the subjects breathed room air (room air condition) were alternated with trials in which subjects breathed a mixture of room air and oxygen adjusted to maintain a sleeping baseline arterial oxygen saturation of 98% (hyperoxic condition). The time to arousal (mean +/- SEM) was significantly longer during oxygen administration (4.1 +/- 4.5 versus 28.9 +/- 4.6 s; p < 0.002). The maximal deflections in airway pressure were measured at a supraglottic location during airway occlusion to reflect the degree of inspiratory effort. The maximal airway suction pressure preceding arousal did not differ between the room air (27.4 +/- 5.4 cm H2O) and hyperoxic conditions (26.6 +/- 5.9 cm H2O). Conversely, the rate of increase in inspiratory effort (maximal pressure) during occlusion was decreased by oxygen administration. We conclude that hyperoxia prolongs the time to arousal after airway occlusion by decreasing the rate of increase in the magnitude of inspiratory efforts, but it does not change the arousal threshold."}
{"id": "PMID:1489121", "title": "Fast-CT evaluation of the effect of lung volume on upper airway size and function in normal men.", "content": "The present study was performed to evaluate the regional changes in pharyngeal cross-sectional area (CSA) that occur with changes in lung volume in normal men. Fast-CT and genioglossal electromyogram (EMGgg) were used to study upper airway (UA) size and dilator muscle activity at TLC, lung volume at end-tidal inspiration (VTei), FRC, and residual volume (RV) in 30 men with a mean age of 46 +/- 3 yr and no significant sleep-disordered breathing, mean AHI = 4 +/- 1 per hour. Compared with values at FRC, minimum CSA (Amin) increased 154 +/- 31% at TLC (p = 0.0001), 19 +/- 10% at VTei (p = 0.03), and there was a trend toward a decrease of 31 +/- 12% at RV (p = 0.07). Similar but smaller changes were observed in mean CSA (Amean), with an increase of 69 +/- 14% at TLC (p = 0.0001), 8 +/- 5% at VTei (p = 0.01), and a decrease of 17 +/- 7% at RV (p = 0.01). Both the velopharyngeal (VP) and orohypopharyngeal (OHP) segments of the UA increased in size with increasing lung volume. Both Amin and Amean of the OHP segment at TLC were larger (55 +/- 19 and 38 +/- 14%, respectively) than the respective measurements in the VP segment. EMGgg activity doubled from 12 +/- 1 microV at FRC to 25 +/- 1 microV at TLC (p = 0.006). There was no change in EMGgg with tidal ventilation or with exhalation to RV. Changes in CSA directly paralleled changes in lung volume in this group of normal awake nonobese men.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1489122", "title": "Local application of atropine attenuates the upper airway reaction to cold, dry air.", "content": "In some individuals, inhalation of cold, dry air (CDA) provokes symptoms of rhinitis, accompanied by an increase in the levels of inflammatory mediators and markers of plasma leakage of recovered nasal lavages. Because rhinorrhea is a major component of this reaction and because nasal glands are heavily innervated by the parasympathetic system, we assessed the effect of atropine on the nasal reaction to CDA. Using a double-blind, randomized, crossover design, we administered a total dose of 0.5 mg of atropine or placebo intranasally to 18 volunteers before provocation with CDA. The reaction was monitored with symptom scores and by measuring the concentrations of histamine, N-alpha-p-tosyl-L-arginine methyl ester (TAME)-esterase activity and albumin, as well as the osmolality of lavage fluids before and after the provocation. Atropine significantly reduced rhinorrhea, the levels of histamine, and TAME-esterase activity as well as the osmolality of recovered lavage fluids, but had no effect on nasal congestion or albumin. Even with atropine, however, rhinorrhea and TAME-esterase activity were still significantly increased over the prechallenge baseline. Our results demonstrate that atropine-sensitive parasympathetic efferent pathways contribute to the CDA-induced rhinitis. We speculate that (1) the glandular and the vascular events of the upper airway reaction to dry air have different pathophysiologic mechanisms; (2) a significant component of TAME-esterase activity in lavage fluids may be of glandular origin; and (3) in addition to parasympathetic nerve activation, other mechanisms are involved in the upper airway reaction to dry air. The mechanism(s) leading to the reduction of histamine is unknown."}
{"id": "PMID:1489123", "title": "Capsaicin-induced cough in humans.", "content": "We have evaluated the properties of capsaicin as a selective cough-inducing agent in healthy human subjects. Despite frequent coughing, the subjects could inhale repeated breaths of capsaicin aerosol during 60 s without difficulty. Cough started immediately on inhalation and was most intense during the first 30 s. Cough always disappeared promptly when the capsaicin inhalation was terminated. The cough response was well reproducible and concentration-dependent up to 10 microM; at higher concentrations there was a distinct plateau of the cough response. Specific airway conductance was not changed 3 min after 50 microM capsaicin. Capsaicin (> or = 10 microM) had a burning taste, but there were no visual signs of pharyngitis or laryngitis. Citric acid (nebulized solutions 0.125 to 32%) had a choking effect and could be administered only as single breaths. There was no correlation between the cough response to citric acid and to capsaicin. Inhaled lidocaine (20 and 80 mg from nebulized solutions) caused a dose-dependent inhibition of capsaicin-induced cough. Lidocaine suppressed citric acid-induced cough as effectively as capsaicin-induced cough. In conclusion, we have characterized capsaicin-induced cough and demonstrated that it can be a useful tool in the study of cough reactivity and for evaluation of antitussive agents in humans. Capsaicin may be complementary to citric acid and may offer experimental advantages over this traditional tussive stimulus."}
{"id": "PMID:1489124", "title": "Inflammatory response to acute inhalation of endotoxin in asthmatic patients.", "content": "Inhalation of 20 micrograms endotoxins (from the membrane of Gram-negative bacteria) has been reported to induce a bronchial obstructive response in asthmatic subjects. The aim of the present study was to evaluate in asthmatic patients the possibility of an inflammatory response to inhaled endotoxins. Eight patients with mild asthma were submitted to bronchial challenge tests, in a single-blind trial, on Day 1 with control solution and on Day 7 with 20 micrograms endotoxin of Escherichia coli (026:B6). Local inflammatory response was indirectly evaluated by the degree of bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BHR) expressed as PD20 FEV1 histamine (the dose of histamine inducing a 20% decrease in FEV1) at 0, 6, 24, and 48 h and 7 days. Systemic inflammation was investigated by sequential blood determinations of total (and differential) white cells, complement anaphylatoxin C5a, interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), and C-reactive protein (CRP). A significant (p < 0.01) bronchial obstructive response was demonstrable 45 min after lipopolysaccharide (LPS) inhalation, lasting 5 h. Comparing the level of BHR after control inhalation, a significant (p < 0.05) increase in BHR was shown 6 h after LPS, partially normalized at 24 and 48 h. A short peak in TNF-alpha at 60 min (p < 0.05) and an increase in total white blood cells (p < 0.01) and neutrophil polymorphonuclear neutrophils at 360 min (p < 0.05) and of CRP at 24 and 48 h (p < 0.05 and p < 0.01) were significant. The other blood parameters did not change significantly.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1489125", "title": "Bronchodilation with a potent and selective leukotriene D4 (LTD4) receptor antagonist (MK-571) in patients with asthma.", "content": "The sulfidopeptide leukotrienes LTC4, LTD4, and LTE4 can cause airway smooth muscle contraction and have been implicated in the pathophysiology of asthma. MK-571 is a selective, potent LTD4 receptor antagonist that could attenuate airway obstruction in asthma by inhibiting the actions of sulfidopeptides at the LTD4 receptor site. The objectives of this study were to investigate the potential for MK-571 to cause bronchodilation in asthma patients with existing airway obstruction and to evaluate its effect on the bronchodilation response to an inhaled beta 2-agonist (albuterol). Twelve male patients (ages 19 to 42 yr) with asthma (baseline FEV1 50 to 80% predicted) participated in this placebo-controlled, randomized, two-period, cross-over study. On separate treatment days, each patient received either MK-571 or placebo intravenously for 6 h; inhaled albuterol was administered at the fifth and sixth hour of MK-571/placebo treatment to achieve maximal bronchodilation on that study day. Spirometry (forced expiratory volume in 1 s, FEV1) was monitored at intervals throughout each study period. MK-571 caused clinically significant bronchodilation; the increase in FEV1 above baseline, 20 min after the start of the MK-571 infusion, was 22 +/- 3.9% compared with 1.3 +/- 2.3% for placebo (mean +/- SE, p < 0.01). This degree of bronchodilation was maintained throughout the MK-571 infusion. In addition, bronchodilation from inhaled albuterol appeared additive with MK-571. Finally, baseline airway obstruction correlated with the degree of bronchodilation achieved with MK-571 (r = -0.73; p = 0.007).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1489126", "title": "Effect of inhaled furosemide and torasemide on bronchial response to ultrasonically nebulized distilled water in asthmatic subjects.", "content": "Inhaled furosemide has been shown to reduce the bronchoconstriction induced by several indirect stimuli, including ultrasonically nebulized distilled water (UNDW). Because the protective effect could be due to the inhibition of the Na(+)-2Cl(-)-K+ cotransport system of bronchial epithelium, we have compared the protective effect of inhaled furosemide with that of inhaled torasemide, a new and more potent loop diuretic, on UNDW-induced bronchoconstriction in a group of 12 asthmatic subjects. UNDW challenge was performed by constructing a stimulus-response curve with five increasing volume outputs of distilled water (from 0.5 to 5.2 ml/min) and the bronchial response expressed as the provocative output causing a 20% fall in FEV1 (PO20UNDW). On different days, each subject inhaled an equal dose (28 mg) of furosemide and torasemide in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study 5 min prior to an UNDW challenge. Furosemide and torasemide had no significant effect on resting lung function. The geometric mean value of PO20UNDW measured after placebo was 1.73 ml/min. This was significantly lower than that recorded after furosemide (4.25 ml/min; p < 0.025), but not after torasemide (3.05 ml/min; p = 0.07). Inhaled furosemide totally blocked bronchial response to UNDW in five subjects. In two of five subjects the response was also blocked by inhaled torasemide. A remarkable increase in diuresis was noted only after torasemide in most subjects. We conclude that inhaled furosemide has a better protective effect than does inhaled torasemide against UNDW-induced bronchoconstriction. However, the protective effect of furosemide is variable, with some asthmatic patients showing no change in bronchial response to UNDW.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1489127", "title": "Antigen-induced acute and late-phase responses in primates.", "content": "We have examined the proinflammatory cell influx as well as the levels of eosinophil and neutrophil-derived granule proteins in BAL fluid obtained from monkeys undergoing acute and late-phase (dual) or single acute bronchoconstriction following antigen inhalation. Prior to antigen inhalation, there was a significantly higher number (and percentage) of eosinophils in BAL fluid from dual responder monkeys as compared with single responders. The late-phase response (LPR) (6 to 8 h postantigen) was associated with a decrease in the number of BAL eosinophils and an increase in the levels of BAL fluid EPO that returned to baseline levels by 24 h postantigen inhalation. In contrast, the number of BAL neutrophils prior to antigen inhalation were low. Concurrent with the LPR, the number of BAL neutrophils and the concentration of EPO in BAL fluid were significantly increased above that occurring in single responders. Chronic treatment (7 days) with dexamethasone significantly reduced the number of BAL eosinophils and the BAL levels of EPO prior to antigen inhalation in dual responder (LPR) monkeys and significantly blocked the dual response and both the associated neutrophil influx into the airways and an increase in BAL fluid EPO during the LPR. We conclude that, in this primate model, eosinophil activation and a large influx of neutrophils into the airways is associated with the occurrence of the antigen-induced late-phase airway obstructive response."}
{"id": "PMID:1489128", "title": "Delivery of a nebulized aerosol to a lung model during mechanical ventilation. Effect of ventilator settings and nebulizer type, position, and volume of fill.", "content": "Several factors may affect the delivery of a nebulized aerosol to the lung through an endotracheal tube during mechanical ventilation. To study these factors in vitro, a model representing ventilation of an adult patient was constructed by linking a Servo 900C ventilator to a standard humidified circuit and an endotracheal (ET) tube positioned within a pipe representing the trachea. This was connected via a filter to a lung simulator. Nebulizers filled with 99mTc human serum albumin were positioned in the circuit, and the delivery of nebulized aerosol through the ET tube into the filter was measured using a gamma camera. With the use of an inspiratory phase-activated System 22 Acorn jet nebulizer, typical adult ventilator settings, and a 3-ml nebulizer solution volume, 5.4% of the nebulizer dose reached beyond the end of the ET tube. This was increased by increasing the inspiratory time, reducing the respiratory rate or respiratory minute volume, and by repositioning the nebulizer on the inspiratory limb of the Y-piece and was reduced by slowing the driving gas flow to the nebulizer. Under the same conditions, delivery was 3.1 and 4.4% using the Samsonic and Fisoneb ultrasonic nebulizers, respectively. Increasing the fill volume and the addition of an aerosol storage chamber increased delivery with all three nebulizers. These experiments suggest some simple ways of improving aerosol delivery during mechanical ventilation, including increasing the volume of nebulizer fill, repositioning the nebulizer in the ventilator circuit, adding an aerosol storage chamber, and adjusting ventilator settings to maximize delivery."}
{"id": "PMID:1489129", "title": "Aerosolized beclomethasone in chronic bronchitis. Improved pulmonary function and diminished airway inflammation.", "content": "Chronic bronchitis is associated with airways obstruction and inflammation. In order to determine whether aerosolized beclomethasone can modulate airway inflammation and diminish airway obstruction, subjects with chronic bronchitis performed spirometry and underwent bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) before and after receiving 6 wk of therapy (five puffs four times a day) with either aerosolized beclomethasone (n = 20) or placebo (n = 10) in a double-blinded, randomized fashion. All subjects received aerosolized albuterol before each use of the study medications. Before BAL, the airways were visually assessed for the appearance of inflammation and assigned a score, the bronchitis index. BAL was performed by instilling five 20-ml aliquots of saline into each of three sites and pooling and separately analyzing the returns from the first aliquots to yield a \"bronchial sample.\" The bronchial lavages were repeated in an additional three sites to increase the volume of fluid available for analysis. The fluid was prepared for cytologic examination by cytocentrifugation. Albumin (as a measure of epithelium permeability) and lactoferrin and lysozyme (as measures of serous cell activity) were measured in unconcentrated BAL fluid by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and concentrations in epithelial lining fluid were estimated using urea as an internal marker for dilution. After treatment, the beclomethasone group, but not the placebo group, showed improvement in FVC (p = 0.02), FEV1 (p = 0.002), and 25 to 75% forced expiratory flow (p = 0.006). Associated with the improvement in spirometry, the bronchitis index fell (13.5 +/- 1.0 versus 10.75 +/- 1.1, p = 0.02) in the beclomethasone-treated group, but not the placebo-treated group.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1489130", "title": "Perception of airway obstruction in a random population sample. Relationship to airway hyperresponsiveness in the absence of respiratory symptoms.", "content": "Subjects with asymptomatic airway hyperresponsiveness in epidemiologic studies may have variable airway obstruction that is not perceived as dyspnea. We tested the hypothesis that such subjects are less likely to report an increase in dyspnea during histamine-induced bronchoconstriction than symptomatic hyperresponders. A random population sample of 412 middle-aged subjects was studied. Before and after a standardized histamine challenge test, subjects recorded Borg scores for dyspnea: any increase in Borg score was considered significant. More than 80% of hyperresponsive subjects (PC10 histamine < or = 16 mg/ml) had no symptoms. The presence of prechallenge dyspnea was related to increased airways responsiveness and current smoking. An increase in Borg score was associated with younger age, more severe airway responsiveness, atopy, and female sex. The level of and increase in the Borg score were not significantly related to level and change in airway caliber (FEV1). In hyperresponsive subjects (PC10 < or = 16 mg/ml), subjects who reported dyspnea, wheeze, or asthma were more likely to show an increase in Borg score during histamine provocation than asymptomatic subjects (adjusted odds ratio 4.01, 95% confidence interval 1.01 to 16.00, p = 0.049), after adjustment for age, sex, smoking habits, FEV1, and atopy. This suggests that asymptomatic hyperresponders may have variable airway obstruction that is not recognized as breathlessness."}
{"id": "PMID:1489131", "title": "The interaction between immunoglobulin E and smoking in airflow obstruction in the elderly.", "content": "Airflow obstruction and serum immunoglobulin E (IgE) were assessed in 250 men and women 65 to 91 yr of age who had been selected from a larger general population sample according to reported respiratory symptoms. After allowance for age and sex, serum IgE and smoking interacted synergistically as risk factors for airflow obstruction such that on average an IgE > or = 81 IU/ml in current smokers was associated with a FEV1/FVC ratio 14.4 percentage points (95% CI, 8.8 to 19.9) less than in lifelong nonsmokers with an IgE < or = 10 IU/ml. This synergistic interaction was apparent in subjects who showed no evidence of airway lability (i.e., no hyperresponsiveness to inhaled methacholine or, if bronchial hyperresponsiveness could not be tested, no clear improvement in airflow obstruction after inhalation of salbutamol). The findings suggest that the role of IgE in the pathogenesis of airflow obstruction is not confined to asthmatics."}
{"id": "PMID:1489132", "title": "Changes in interleukin-1 and tumor necrosis factor production by peripheral blood monocytes after specific bronchoprovocation test in occupational asthma.", "content": "The pathogenetic mechanisms of occupational asthma (OA) due to low-molecular-weight compounds have been poorly defined, and further studies are required to clarify the role of immunologic mechanisms in OA. Until now cellular mechanisms have been less investigated than humoral ones. We have evaluated interleukin-1 (IL-1) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) production by peripheral blood monocytes (PBM), and peripheral T-cell subpopulations in 22 subjects with possible OA before and after specific bronchoprovocation test (SBPT). After SBPT, three subjects had an immediate reaction, seven a late reaction, and two a dual reaction. Ten subjects had no asthmatic reaction to SBPT. Spontaneous release of IL-1 from PBM did not change significantly after SBPT. TNF activity was increased 48 h after SBPT in immediate reactions and 72 h after SBPT in late-dual reactions. These results suggest that exposure to occupational agents may induce activation of PBM with increased spontaneous release of cytokines, such as TNF."}
{"id": "PMID:1489133", "title": "Exposure-response relationships between occupational exposures and chronic respiratory illness: a community-based study.", "content": "Data from a random sample of 3,606 adults 40 to 69 yr of age residing in Beijing, China, were analyzed to investigate the association of reported occupational exposures to dusts and gases/fumes with the prevalence of chronic respiratory symptoms and level of pulmonary function. The prevalence of occupational dust exposure was 32%, and gas or fume exposure, 19%. After we adjusted for age, sex, area of residence, smoking status, coal stove heating, and education, an increased prevalence of chronic phlegm and breathlessness was significantly related to both types of exposures. Chronic cough was significantly related only to dust exposure, and persistent wheeze only to fume exposure. The global estimates of the relative odds of the four symptoms were 1.30 (95% CI [confidence interval] 1.09 to 1.48) and 1.27 (95% CI 1.09 to 1.48), respectively, for dusts and for gases/fumes. These two occupational exposures are associated with chronic respiratory symptoms independent of smoking, gender, and each other. There was an increasing prevalence of each symptom with increasing dust and fume exposure, represented by the index of cumulative exposure duration and exposure intensity. Linear trends for increased prevalence of chronic bronchitis and breathlessness were significant for both exposures, while the linear trend for wheeze was only significant for gases/fumes. Among subjects who did not report using coal stove heating, dust exposure was a significant predictor for FEV1, FEV1/FVC, FEF25-75, and peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR). There was also a significant decrease for FEV1 and FVC with increase of gas/fume exposure levels. Both current and former smokers appeared to be more susceptible to the effect of dusts than the never smokers.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1489134", "title": "A multicenter registry of patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome. Physiology and outcome.", "content": "In a multicenter registry conducted over 2 yr of patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), we enrolled 153 patients and collected data daily for 7 consecutive days and weekly thereafter until death or hospital discharge. The purposes of the registry were (1) to determine whether a more liberal definition of ARDS (PaO2/FIO2 < or = 250; bilateral pulmonary infiltrates within 7 days) than those commonly used would result in enrollment of patients earlier in their clinical course, and (2) to study the clinical course of the syndrome in survivors and nonsurvivors. The mortality rate was 54% and it was significantly greater in older versus younger patients (75% versus 37%) and in septic versus nonseptic patients (60% versus 43%). We found that the definition of ARDS used for the registry resulted in enrollment of patients 1 to 7 days earlier than was the case when other published definitions of ARDS were applied to the patient population. Fewer than 2% of the patients failed to meet one of the nonregistry definitions of ARDS within 7 days. The mortality rate was independent of the definition used to identify ARDS patients. Our results suggest that a more liberal definition of ARDS than those commonly used can result in identification of the same population of patients earlier in their clinical course."}
{"id": "PMID:1489135", "title": "Elevated levels of NAP-1/interleukin-8 are present in the airspaces of patients with the adult respiratory distress syndrome and are associated with increased mortality.", "content": "The adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is characterized by increased neutrophils within the airspaces of the lungs. In order to determine if neutrophil activating protein (NAP)-1/interleukin-8 (NAP-1/IL-8) could be an important cause of neutrophil influx and activation in ARDS, we examined fluid, which was either directly aspirated or lavaged with saline from the lungs of patients with ARDS. NAP-1/IL-8 was present in significantly higher concentrations in the fluids of patients with ARDS compared with control subjects. There was a significant correlation between the percentage of neutrophils in the lavage fluids and the NAP-1/IL-8 concentration (r2 = 0.74). Furthermore, the NAP-1/IL-8 concentration of the pulmonary edema fluid was equivalent to the optimal concentration required to induce neutrophil chemotaxis in vitro. Although not all of the chemotactic activity of the edema fluid was removed by an anti-NAP-1/IL-8 affinity column, the data established that NAP-1/IL-8 is an important neutrophil chemotaxin in the airspaces of patients with ARDS. In addition, those patients with very high concentrations of NAP-1/IL-8 in their bronchoalveolar lavage fluids had a higher mortality rate than those patients with lower concentrations of NAP-1/IL-8. The correlation between NAP-1/IL-8 concentration and mortality is not paralleled by total protein concentration and mortality."}
{"id": "PMID:1489136", "title": "Airway inflammation predicts diffuse alveolar hemorrhage during bone marrow transplantation in patients with Hodgkin disease.", "content": "We determined risk factors present in patients with Hodgkin disease that predicted the development of diffuse alveolar hemorrhage syndrome (DAH) during autologous bone marrow transplantation (BMT). One hundred twenty-three patients with Hodgkin disease prospectively underwent bronchoscopy with bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) before receiving BMT. The bronchitis index (BI) of the airways and bronchial and alveolar cell counts and differentials were determined in all patients and compared with 20 normal nonsmoking volunteers. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine factors that predicted for the development of DAH. Visual evidence of bronchial injury was observed regardless of smoking history (BI = 7.8 +/- 0.5 for BMT versus 2.3 +/- 0.5 for volunteers, p = 0.001). BMT patients who developed DAH (n = 14) had significantly greater numbers of bronchial neutrophils and eosinophils compared with DAH-negative (n = 109) patients (bronchial polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN), 33 +/- 7% versus 14 +/- 2%, p = 0.006; bronchial eosinophils, 0.9 +/- 0.3% versus 0.4% +/- 0.07%, p = 0.02). Logistic regression analysis revealed that the presence of bronchial PMN > 20% or bronchial eosinophils > zero% were predictive of DAH (p = 0.005 and 0.05, respectively). When both predictors were positive, the rate of DAH was 10 times greater than when both predictors were negative (43% versus 4% DAH occurrence). Survival was also significantly reduced when these predictors were positive. This study demonstrates that bronchial inflammation is present with or without intraluminal inflammatory cells in the majority of patients with Hodgkin disease before BMT. The subgroup of these patients with increased bronchial inflammatory cells are at greatly increased risk for development of DAH and death."}
{"id": "PMID:1489137", "title": "The origin of water and urea sampled at bronchoalveolar lavage in asthmatic and control subjects.", "content": "Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) urea has been advocated as a denominator that might allow for the dilution of the pulmonary epithelial lining fluid sampled at BAL, and so provide a meaningful method of expressing BAL data. We investigated the origin of water and urea sampled at BAL in five asthmatic and five control subjects using radiolabeled urea injected intravenously 5 min before BAL. Labeled BAL urea was found to be fully equilibrated with that in the bloodstream. A strong relationship was found between influx of radiolabeled water and radiolabeled urea from blood to BAL fluid, suggesting that urea sampled at BAL may be derived predominantly from an acute movement from the bloodstream into the BAL aspirate. We conclude that urea is an inappropriate denominator for the expression of BAL results, and that the fluid and solute dynamics that occur during BAL are both complex and variable."}
{"id": "PMID:1489138", "title": "Bronchoalveolar lavage cellularity. The distribution in normal volunteers.", "content": "Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) is used to obtain inflammatory cells from the lung. For clinical research, parametric statistics are frequently used to compare cells present in BAL of patients with lung disease with cells present in BAL of normal subjects. To determine if these populations can be compared in this manner we performed BAL on 111 never-smoking, normal volunteers and determined: (1) the mean, median, standard deviation, and range of the cells in BAL; (2) whether the data are normally distributed and satisfy the criteria for use of parametric statistical analysis. The BAL cellularity was expressed as a percentage of total cells, cells per milliliter return, and total cells per lavage. Regardless of the means of expression, no measure of BAL cellularity (total cells, macrophages, lymphocytes, neutrophils, or eosinophils) conformed to the normal (bell-shaped) distribution when tested for goodness of fit with the G statistic (all p < 0.001). The lack of fit to the normal distribution was not substantially altered by either the method of expressing the data (i.e., cells per milliliter, total cells, or percent of cells) or log transformation of the data. The poor fit in all cases resulted from clumping of the data about the mean and large tails. The percent of cells were, therefore, tested for goodness of fit to the Poisson distribution, a distribution of discrete variables. The neutrophil and eosinophil percentages resulted in an excellent fit to the Poisson distribution, but macrophage and lymphocyte percentages did not.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1489139", "title": "Distribution of lung cell numbers and volumes between alveolar and nonalveolar tissue.", "content": "Although total cell number has been determined for the alveolar region of the lungs of many species, it has not been calculated for the nonalveolar lung tissues. The oriented structure of airways and vessels makes the numerical assessment of cells in nonalveolar tissues difficult. This has led many investigators to use the number of cells in the alveolar region as a direct estimate of total lung cell number. To determine the number of cells in the nonalveolar lung tissues, the lungs of eight rats weighing 230 to 380 g were inflation-fixed and embedded in araldite, and 1.5-microns serial sections of the entire left lobe were cut and stained with methylene blue for light microscopy. The sections were then uniformly point-counted using computer-controlled distances between the fields to determine the fraction of points falling on air, blood, cellular tissue, and noncellular tissue for both the alveolar and the nonalveolar regions. The total volume of cell nuclei in each compartment was determined, and the total number of cells was calculated by dividing the total nuclear volume by the mean cell nuclear volume. It was found that 87% of the lung volume was alveolar, of which 6% was tissue and contained 725 x 10(6) cells. The nonalveolar region constituted 13% of the lung volume, of which 23% was tissue and contained 250 x 10(6) cells. The average rat lung therefore contains 975,000,000 cells, of which 74% was in alveolar tissues and 26% in nonalveolar tissues. On the basis of assays of isolated lung cells, there is an average of 7 pg DNA/cell.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1489140", "title": "Covalently linking a peptidyl carbamate elastase inhibitor to a hydrophilic polymer increases its effectiveness in preventing emphysema and secretory cell metaplasia in the hamster.", "content": "A peptidyl carbamate, p-nitrophenyl N-(succinyl-L-alanyl-L-alanyl-L-prolyl-methyl)-N-isopropylcarbamate++ + (PCI) was tested for its ability to inhibit the elastolytic activity of human neutrophil elastase (HNE) and to prevent HNE-induced emphysema and secretory cell metaplasia in the hamster. In vitro, 50% of the elastolytic activity of 10 micrograms of HNE was inhibited by 0.9 micrograms of PCI, a molar ratio of PCI to HNE of 4.5. Bronchoalveolar lavage of hamsters receiving PCI intratracheally showed a rapid decrease in HNE inhibitory activity (4 min for 50% decrease), suggesting rapid clearance, binding, or inactivation of the PCI. Instillation of 300 micrograms of HNE combined with 100, 500, or 3,000 micrograms PCI, a 16-, 83-, and 503-fold molar excess of PCI, respectively (molar ratios of 17, 84, and 504), suppressed HNE-induced lung hemorrhage, but it did not moderate HNE-induced emphysema despite the large molar excess of inhibitor. When PCI was covalently bound to a linear hydrophilic polymer of alpha,beta-poly[N(2-hydroxyethyl)-D,L-aspartamide], producing a polymer-bound carbamate inhibitor (PPCI) of HNE, the time for a 50% decrease of PPCI functional activity from the hamster lung lavage was 421 min. Instillation of 100 micrograms of PPCI 1 h before instillation of 300 micrograms HNE resulted in significant amelioration of emphysema; 900 micrograms of PPCI was required to obtain amelioration of bronchial secretory cell metaplasia. The larger dose of PPCI also provided significant amelioration of emphysema when the interval between PPCI and HNE administration was 8 h.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1489141", "title": "Monocyte inflammatory mediators impair in vitro hamster diaphragm contractility.", "content": "Sepsis has been shown to impair ventilatory muscle function. To determine whether this can be attributed to direct effects of inflammatory mediators on muscle fibers, we carried out in vitro studies on hamster costal diaphragm. Baseline measurements included supramaximal peak twitch (Pt) and tetanic tension (Po), twitch half relaxation time (1/2RT) and time-to-peak tension (TTP), and force frequency response (15 to 80 Hz). Fatigability was evaluated using 60-Hz stimulations at a duty cycle of 0.4 until tension fell to 50% of baseline. Preparations were then incubated in one of the following for 60 min: (1) Krebs solution (n = 5), (2) nonstimulated monocyte supernatant (n = 5), or (3) lipopolysaccharide-stimulated monocyte supernatant (n = 5). Baseline Pt, Po, 1/2RT, TTP, force frequency response, and fatigue profile were similar between groups. After incubation there was a significant fall in Pt (mean +/- SD, 538 +/- 65 to 288 +/- 13 g/cm2, p < 0.05) and Po (1,268 +/- 132 to 921 +/- 64 g/cm2, p < 0.05) in the LPS group, with no change in the other groups. There was no change in TTP; however, 1/2RT was lower in the LPS-stimulated group after incubation (p < 0.05). There was a rightward shift in the force frequency response for the LPS-stimulated group (p < 0.05). When normalizing for initial Po, there was no significant change in the time to fatigue for any of the three groups. This study demonstrated that monocyte secretory products impair diaphragmatic contractility in vitro by a direct effect on muscle fibers.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1489142", "title": "Inspiratory muscle weakness and dyspnea in chronic heart failure.", "content": "Dyspnea is a common, disabling symptom in chronic heart failure, yet the underlying mechanisms remain unknown. The respiratory muscle pump is composed of skeletal muscles whose strength directly influences the pump's performance. Respiratory muscle weakness is important in the dyspnea experienced by some patients with pulmonary disease; however, the role of the respiratory muscle pump in the dyspnea of chronic heart failure has not previously been examined. To assess respiratory muscle strength and its relation to dyspnea during daily activity, we measured maximum inspiratory and expiratory mouth pressures as indices of respiratory muscle strength and the baseline dyspnea index in nine stable, chronic cardiac pump failure patients who had no evidence of primary lung disease, and in nine age- and sex-matched healthy control subjects. The chronic heart failure patients, when compared with their matched control subjects, had reduced inspiratory and expiratory muscle strength, and both inspiratory and expiratory muscle strength were significantly correlated with dyspnea during daily activity (r2 = 0.80, p = 0.001 and r2 = 0.45, p = 0.05, respectively). Inspiratory muscle strength accounted for all of the variance in dyspnea that was correlated with respiratory muscle strength when the relative contributions of inspiratory and expiratory muscle strength were examined. There was no correlation between lung volumes or spirometry and dyspnea in the heart failure patients. These findings indicate that patients with stable chronic heart failure have inspiratory and expiratory muscle weakness and further suggest that the respiratory muscle pump significantly contributes to the dyspnea during the activities of daily living."}
{"id": "PMID:1489143", "title": "Study of bronchus-associated lymphoid tissue in patients with diffuse panbronchiolitis.", "content": "Bronchus-associated lymphoid tissue (BALT) is thought to affect local immunologic defense mechanisms. Studies of BALT, however, have mainly been focused on animals, and information detailing the BALT structure and functions in humans is scanty. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to clarify BALT morphology and immunologic findings in patients with diffuse panbronchiolitis (DPB) and compare them with BALT findings in animals. Thus, in 17 patients diagnosed with DPB, open-lung biopsy specimens were reviewed, and lymphoid follicles with a lymphoepithelium that was determined as BALT were identified in 12 patients. BALT was found mostly at bifurcations from nonrespiratory bronchioles to respiratory bronchioles. This lymphoepithelium was devoid of cilia and was diffusely infiltrated with CD4-positive (helper/inducer) T cells. The majority of T cells were confined to the parafollicular area with a predominance of helper T cells. Also, a few high endothelial venules were recognized in the parafollicular area. Further, in a follicular area situated in the center of the BALT, a number of sigM-positive cells were found to be heavily distributed, suggesting that this follicular area has the characteristics of a B cell zone equivalent to a germinal center of the peripheral lymph nodes. These observations are comparable with BALT findings in animals and suggest that BALT is at least partially related to the local immune response."}
{"id": "PMID:1489144", "title": "Hypersensitivity pneumonitis in athymic nude mice. Additional evidence of T cell dependency.", "content": "We previously demonstrated that C57 Black/6 mice develop lung lesions similar to human hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP) by repeated transnasal administration of Thermoactinomyces vulgaris (Tv) antigen. To elucidate the role of T cells in the development of this disease, Tv antigen (90 micrograms/day) was transnasally administered to athymic nude C57 Black/nu/nu (nu) mice and their littermates (+/nu) three times a week for 3 wk. The nude mice developed minimal lung lesions, whereas their thymus-intact littermates (+/nu) showed changes equivalent to those in C57 Black/6. Changes in local inflammatory cell responses were evaluated by bronchoalveolar lavage, and increases in the numbers of lymphocytes and macrophages were significantly less severe in the nude mice than in the +/nu mice. Interestingly, the increase in polymorphonuclear leukocytes 6 h after the last antigen inoculation was equivalently seen in both groups. When spleen-derived T cells (more than 95% Thy-1.2+) from the sensitized +/nu mice were adoptively transferred to nude mice, the HP-like lesions in the recipients were found after Tv antigen challenge. These results suggest that Thy-1.2+ T cell-mediated immunity was necessary for the development of HP in this murine model."}
{"id": "PMID:1489145", "title": "Pulmonary complications in lymphoma patients treated with high-dose therapy autologous bone marrow transplantation.", "content": "To define the incidence and spectrum of pulmonary complications following autologous bone marrow transplantation (BMT), we retrospectively reviewed the course of 77 consecutive patients with Hodgkin's disease (HD) and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) who failed conventional therapy and underwent autologous BMT. Forty-five percent of the 77 patients developed respiratory complications with a mortality from pulmonary causes of 26%. A total of 38 episodes of respiratory compromise occurred in 35 patients. Infections accounted for 15 episodes (39%) and included bacterial (16%), Aspergillus (8%) cytomegalovirus (8%), Herpes simplex (3%), and other (5%) pneumonias. The spectrum of infections was similar to that reported following allogeneic BMT, but cytomegalovirus pneumonia was not as frequent a problem in those with autologous transplant. Mortality from pulmonary infections was 33%. Noninfectious disorders accounted for 23 episodes (61%) and included recurrent HD (18%), radiation/drug toxicity (16%), and acute respiratory failure thought secondary to pulmonary alveolar hemorrhage (26%). This latter entity developed acutely within 2 wk following BMT and was associated with use of thoracic radiation for treatment of malignant disease in the chest just prior to BMT (p < 0.05). It was not associated with the age of the patient or presence of thrombocytopenia, coagulopathy, renal insufficiency or neutropenia (p NS). Mortality from noninfectious causes was 65%, but in those with pulmonary hemorrhage it was 100%. In conclusion, pulmonary complications are a major source of morbidity and mortality in patients with HD and NHL undergoing autologous BMT.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1489146", "title": "Disordered pathways of fibrin turnover in lung lavage of premature infants with respiratory distress syndrome.", "content": "Premature infants who have self-limited respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) rapidly improve, whereas infants with a complicated respiratory course are more likely to develop bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), a chronic lung disorder that is the result of prolonged lung injury and impaired healing. The balance of competing activities of coagulation and fibrinolysis may contribute to the premature lung's response to acute injury and determine, in part, whether there is early resolution or protracted alveolar inflammation. To determine the relative activities of the coagulation and fibrinolytic pathways in neonatal lung injury, procoagulant (PC) and plasminogen activator (PA) activities were measured in undiluted cell-free lung lavage samples obtained serially over the first 28 days of life from 11 infants with self-limited RDS, 11 infants with evolving BPD, and 5 mechanically ventilated control infants without lung disease. Lung lavage from all three groups contained readily detectable procoagulant activity due mainly to the tissue factor-Factor VII complex. Plasminogen activator activity was relatively high in control lavage samples but depressed on the first day of life in the two groups of infants with lung disease: median, 0.3814 IU/ml (control); 0.0541 IU/ml (RDS); and 0.0454 IU/ml (BPD), p < 0.05 in each case compared with control. Two infants with severe lung disease had no detectable plasminogen activator activity in lung lavage on the first day of life. Depressed fibrinolytic activity correlated with severity of lung disease assessed radiographically and by pulmonary function measurements. Plasminogen activator activity was due to both tissue plasminogen activator and urokinase.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1489147", "title": "Identification of T lymphocytes, macrophages, and activated eosinophils in the bronchial mucosa in intrinsic asthma. Relationship to symptoms and bronchial responsiveness.", "content": "Using immunohistochemistry and a panel of monoclonal antibodies, we have compared T-lymphocyte, eosinophil, macrophage, and neutrophil infiltration in bronchial biopsies from 10 intrinsic (nonallergic) asthmatics (IA) and seven extrinsic (allergic) asthmatic (EA), with similar degrees of disease severity. The results were compared with 12 normal healthy nonatopic controls (NC). All subjects were nonsmokers and were not taking oral or inhaled corticosteroids. An intense mononuclear cell infiltrate was identified in IA with an increase in the number of CD45+ cells (total leukocytes), CD3+ and CD4+ lymphocytes, and CD68+ macrophages (p < 0.03, p < 0.01, p < 0.03, and p < 0.03, respectively), compared with NC. Increases were also found in CD4+ (p < 0.05) and CD68+ (p < 0.05) cell numbers between IA and EA. IL-2 receptor-bearing cells (CD25+) and the number of total (MBP+) and actively secreting (EG2+) eosinophils, were also increased in IA compared with NC (p < 0.01, p < 0.01, and p < 0.01, respectively). Similar increases in EG2+ eosinophils and CD25+ (IL-2 receptor-positive) cells were observed in EA (p < 0.01 and p < 0.02, respectively). No differences were detected in the three groups for the number of elastase-positive cells (neutrophils). EG2+ numbers in IA correlated with the Aas asthma symptoms score (r = 0.65, p < 0.05), whereas EG2+ cell numbers in all asthmatics (IA + EA) correlated with airway methacholine responsiveness (r = -0.55, p < 0.03) and with the Aas asthma symptom score (r = 0.54, p < 0.03).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1489148", "title": "Airway inflammation and occurrence of delayed bronchoconstriction in exercise-induced asthma.", "content": "We studied nine asthmatic patients with a history of exercise-induced asthma (EIA) in order to investigate whether inflammatory changes in the airways occur after exercise and are eventually associated with the development of a late-phase asthmatic response. On two separate study days, bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL), bronchial lavage (BL), and bronchial biopsy (BB) were performed 3 h after an exercise or a methacholine (MCh) challenge. On two other separate occasions, FEV1 was monitored for 12 h after identical exercise and MCh challenges not followed by BAL, BL, and BB. We found a greater percentage of eosinophils in BAL after exercise versus MCh challenge (p < 0.05). In five patients, BAL eosinophils after exercise were > or = 2% of total inflammatory and immunoeffector cells. In three of these patients an FEV1 fall > 20% of control was recorded 5 to 12 h after exercise. However, two of these patients had 2% or more eosinophils in BAL and similar late falls of FEV1 after MCh challenge. The percentage of degranulating mast cells in BB was higher (p < 0.05) after EIA than after MCh, but no significant differences were found in BL histamine and leukotrienes. We conclude that (1) exercise may enhance mast cell degranulation and eosinophilic inflammation of the airways, and (2) a delayed bronchoconstriction after exercise is not specific to EIA but is more likely the result of fluctuations in lung function associated with airway inflammation."}
{"id": "PMID:1489149", "title": "Bilateral bronchial anomaly. A pathogenetic factor in spontaneous pneumothorax.", "content": "Flexible fiberoptic bronchoscopy (FFB) was performed in 26 never-smokers with healed spontaneous pneumothorax (SP) with the aim of detecting and localizing any bronchial obstruction, including congenital anomaly. In a case-control study these patients were compared with a consecutive, randomly sampled, control group of 41 patients who were undergoing FFB for respiratory symptoms but who had not had a SP. In both groups the endobronchial anatomy with respect to such anomalies, which could be classified as disproportionate bronchial anatomy, an accessory bronchus, and/or a missing bronchus, was compared with normal anatomy. All except one of the 26 patients with SP but only four of the 41 control patients without SP had such bronchial anomalies bilaterally. This corresponds to an odds ratio of 231 (95% confidence interval, 24 to 880; p < 0.001). The significantly higher frequency of bilateral bronchial anomalies in never-smokers with SP suggests that a virtual prerequisite for the occurrence of SP has been found. However causal links between the probably congenital bronchial anomalies and SP have not yet been identified."}
{"id": "PMID:1489150", "title": "Aerosolized lidocaine reduces dose of topical anesthetic for bronchoscopy.", "content": "Conventional aerosol techniques were used to determine if inhalation of lidocaine can supplement topical anesthesia applied during bronchoscopy. Aerosols of either saline or lidocaine (50 mg at either 2 or 4% concentrations) were generated by jet nebulizer and administered with or without intermittent positive-pressure breathing. Patients (n = 38) after aerosol inhalation were administered 2% lidocaine (atomized and instilled) for suppression of the gag reflex, control of cough, and airway anesthesia. For five of the patients, prior to bronchoscopy, additional studies with radioaerosols and scintillation scans were accomplished with the same aerosol methodology to demonstrate lung distribution of deposited aerosol. For five patients who received 2% lidocaine aerosol prior to bronchoscopy, the subsequent topical dose of anesthetic required for the procedure was 186 +/- 34 (SEM) mg lidocaine. Nine patients in a control group received saline aerosol and required significantly more anesthetic, i.e., 308 +/- 26 mg; procedures were completed on average within 50 min. The largest difference was in the amount delivered to the upper airway (naris, pharynx, epiglottis, and larynx), i.e., 144 +/- 26 mg for saline control versus 48 +/- 16 mg for lidocaine aerosol protocol. Airways distal to the cords required less anesthesia also, on average, 77 mg for the saline control versus 46 mg for the lidocaine aerosol protocol (p < 0.05). Topical anesthetic dosage data were replicated in 12 additional patients studied by a different bronchoscopist. No additional benefit was afforded by premedication with 4% lidocaine aerosol rather than the 2% aerosol (n = 12). We conclude that aerosol modalities can supplement topical anesthesia during bronchoscopy, primarily by reducing the dose required to anesthetize the upper airway."}
{"id": "PMID:1489151", "title": "Polymicrobial bacterial pericarditis after transbronchial needle aspiration. Case report with an investigation on the risk of bacterial contamination during fiberoptic bronchoscopy.", "content": "A 63-yr-old man developed pericardial effusion with tamponade after transbronchial needle aspiration (TBNA) of a subcarinal mass. A diagnosis of polymicrobial bacterial pericarditis was made when pericardiocentesis revealed purulent fluid that grew a mixed culture of anaerobes and aerobes, organisms that constitute part of the normal upper respiratory tract flora. To examine the possibility that contamination of the transbronchial needle (TBN) could lead to purulent pericarditis by inoculation of bacteria into the mediastinum, quantitative cultures of the TBN content were performed in seven consecutive patients. Abundant growth of multiple anaerobic and aerobic organisms was demonstrated in all seven cultures. We conclude that subcarinal TBNA is another potential cause of purulent pericarditis. This results from upper respiratory tract contamination of the open distal end of the TBN as it passes through the suction channel of the bronchoscope."}
{"id": "PMID:1489152", "title": "Severe hypoxemia-associated intrapulmonary shunt in a patient with chronic liver disease: improvement after medical treatment.", "content": "A 20-yr-old woman with chronic liver disease and angioimmunoblastic lymphadenopathy presented with marked hypoxemia caused by intrapulmonary shunt. Her respiratory tract showed her to be free of angioimmunoblastic lymphadenopathy manifestations. After 12 months of treatment with cyclophosphamide and corticosteroid, the immunologic disease disappeared. Unexpectedly, hypoxia-associated intrapulmonary shunt was no longer present either. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of dramatic improvement, with medical therapy, of severe hypoxemia related to noncirrhotic liver disease. However, the mechanism by which this treatment caused the regression of intrapulmonary shunt is unknown."}
{"id": "PMID:1489153", "title": "NHLBI workshop summary. Research needs and opportunities related to respiratory health of women.", "content": "To summarize, the overwhelming conclusion of the participants was that relatively little is known about respiratory health and disease in women. Much work will be required to obtain even the most basic information upon which hypotheses for future research can be developed and to determine whether pulmonary biology differs between men and women and between women of various ages. The many recommendations and suggestions generated at the workshop should serve to underscore the unique opportunities for research in the field of respiratory health of women."}
{"id": "PMID:1489159", "title": "Measurement of sialic acid in serum and urine: clinical applications and limitations.", "content": "Many recent studies have examined the sialic acid content of serum or urine in various pathological states. We have briefly reviewed the substances which contribute to the observed total sialic acid concentration, and given an overview of assay methods used. Three major areas of clinical interest in sialic acid metabolism are discussed. Serum total sialic acid, 'lipid-bound' and 'protein bound' sialic acid have all been proposed as tumour markers; but the usefulness of any of these tests is severely limited by changes due to accompanying inflammatory processes. Serum total sialic acid is not a valuable simple marker of an acute phase response. Urinary free and bound sialic acid measurements should be included in screening protocols for inherited disorders of lysosomal metabolism. Current developments in research and potential applications within the clinical biochemistry laboratory are briefly discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1489160", "title": "Enzyme activities of the mitochondrial energy generating system in skeletal muscle tissue of preterm and fullterm neonates.", "content": "Quadriceps muscle specimens from autopsy of 28 neonates (gestational age 25-42 weeks) were investigated to determine pyruvate and malate oxidation rates and several enzymes of the mitochondrial oxidative process. In general, the levels of all mitochondrial parameters measured, including carnitine levels, were lower in the neonates who died within the first week of life than those in the control group (age > 5 years). Pyruvate and malate oxidation rates (P < 0.05), activities of pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (P < 0.10) and succinate: cytochrome c oxidoreductase (P < 0.05) increased significantly with gestational age. Pyruvate oxidation rates (P < 0.05) as well as activities of citrate synthase (P < 0.05) and NADH:Q1 oxidoreductase (P < 0.05) were significantly lower in the group of very preterm infants at an age of 1-7 days compared with very preterm infants at an age between 3-8 weeks. We conclude from our study that special reference values are necessary for a correct biochemical diagnosis of mitochondrial encephalomyopathies in the neonatal period. Differences between preterm and fullterm children of the same age (1 week) indicate a maturational process in human muscle tissue during gestation. Comparison of two different age groups within the very preterm neonates point to a postnatal maturation of the mitochondrial energy metabolism, at least in preterm neonates."}
{"id": "PMID:1489161", "title": "Urinary dopamine excretion in chronic renal disease.", "content": "We have measured unconjugated urinary dopamine and investigated its relationship to glomerular filtration rate in two groups of 22 patients with chronic renal failure matched for age and sex, one group with primary glomerular disease, the other with tubulo-interstitial disease. Urine dopamine excretion was similar in both glomerular and tubulo-interstitial disease groups, and correlated significantly with creatinine clearance. Although urinary protein excretion was significantly higher in glomerular disease, urinary sodium excretion, fractional sodium excretion, urine flow rate and free water clearance were similar in both groups and did not correlate with dopamine excretion. These results suggest that in patients with chronic renal disease, urinary dopamine excretion is mainly under the influence of the glomerular filtration rate, irrespective of the underlying pathology, and therefore interpretation of urinary dopamine excretion requires a knowledge of the patients' renal function."}
{"id": "PMID:1489162", "title": "Protein measurement of particulate and solubilized ovine liver membranes.", "content": "Protein concentration measurements are critical in biochemical work with cellular membranes, including the determination of cell surface receptor concentration in human malignant tissues obtained at surgery or after biopsy. In this study we compared the results of protein concentration measurements in ovine liver cellular membranes using either particulate preparations or membranes solubilized with four different detergents. In all cases protein was determined by two different indirect methods (Lowry's Folin phenol method and Bradford's Coomassie Brilliant Blue dye binding method) and compared to the direct biuret method. Our results indicate that the direct biuret method gives the highest protein concentrations followed by the method of Lowry. Maximal concentrations (approaching those obtained by the direct biuret method) were obtained after membrane solubilization with Triton X-100 (3-5%). It is suggested that either the direct biuret method (whenever protein concentrations permit it) or the method of Lowry after solubilization of membranes with Triton X-100 (3-5%) should be used preferentially for the determination of membrane protein samples."}
{"id": "PMID:1489163", "title": "Improved flow cytometric method for HLA-B27 typing.", "content": "HLA-B27 is a cell marker of clinical interest because of its high association with certain diseases. The HLA-B27 antigen was detected on lymphocytes using a monoclonal antibody in an indirect immuno-fluorescence assay using a fluorescence flow cytometer. The considerable crossreaction of the monoclonal antibody with the HLA-B7 antigen was effectively suppressed by masking it by means of human anti-HLA-B7 antiserum. The flow cytometric method was evaluated by comparing the results with those obtained by the standard lymphocytotoxicity test and showed complete agreement in 107 selected patient samples."}
{"id": "PMID:1489165", "title": "Glycine absorption from irrigation fluid during endoscopic resection of rectal tumours.", "content": "A significant rise in plasma glycine concentration was observed in nine elderly patients undergoing endoscopic transanal resection of rectal tumours using glycine solution for irrigation. Despite the obvious absorption of glycine, plasma sodium concentration and osmolality were not significantly altered, except in a patient whose rectal wall was perforated. In this case plasma sodium and osmolality fell, and the patient developed hyperammonaemia. Potentially adverse metabolic consequences may occur when there are surgical complications, but in the absence of such problems the absorption of glycine appears to cause little effect."}
{"id": "PMID:1489168", "title": "[Encrusted pyelo-ureteritis].", "content": "The authors report a case of right encrusted pyelo-ureteritis with no other sites, either in the bladder or on the other side. They discuss possible theories of pathogenesis of the encrusted plaques, and question how far corynebacterium, group D2, could be concerned in the genesis of such lesions."}
{"id": "PMID:1489169", "title": "[Isolated retrovesical and retroperitoneal hydatid cysts. 5 case reports].", "content": "In the light of five cases of isolated retrovesical and retroperitoneal hydatid cysts, the characteristics of these rare locations are reviewed and the hypotheses of pathogenesis are discussed. An abdominal or abdomino-pelvic mass is the most frequent sign. Ultrasonography and computed tomography are valuable in the diagnosis of these lesions. Partial cysto-pericystectomy via an extraperitoneal approach is the treatment of choice for these hydatid cysts."}
{"id": "PMID:1489170", "title": "[Calcified necrosing cystitis].", "content": "Calcified necrotising cystitis is an urological curiosity, the authors report two cases. With subsidence of the acute process, regeneration and fibrosis take place, with contracture of the bladder and reduction of its capacity. Augmentation ileocystoplasty was performed with success in one case. The clinical and therapeutic aspects of this rare disease are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1489171", "title": "[Traumatic rupture of the corpus cavernosum. 25 case reports and literature review].", "content": "On the basis of a series of twenty-five cases of traumatic rupture of the corpus cavernosum and a review of literature, the characteristics of this rare affection are reviewed. This injury typically occurs in young adults. The most frequent mechanism is rough manipulation of the erect penis. Urethral injury is associated in 10 per cent of patients. The characteristic history and physical findings usually yield the diagnosis. The preferred form of management is early surgical repair of the tunical defect, by distal circumferential incision. Post-operative complications are rare (8 per cent). The treatment of associated urethral injuries and late complications resulting from untreated rupture is reviewed."}
{"id": "PMID:1489172", "title": "[A case report of epididymo-testicular bilharziasis in a child].", "content": "The disease was revealed by a tumor of the left testis. Ultrasound showed an enlargement of testis and epididymis with some hypoechogenic areas resembling epididymo-orchitis or tumor. The location of bilharzial lesions in the testis is very rare. The main sign of urogenital bilharziosis, hematuria, was present. Orchidectomy is the treatment of choice when the testis is destroyed and only histological study is able to confirm the nature of testicular mass."}
{"id": "PMID:1489174", "title": "[Evolution and treatment of 8 patients with Fournier's perineal-scrotal gangrene].", "content": "The authors present eight cases of Fournier's gangrene treated from 1987 to 1989 (3 years). There was no discernable cause for 5 patients (62.5%). Immediate aggressive surgical debridement of all necrotic tissue was performed. Intravenous antibiotics and resuscitation fluid and hyperbaric oxygenation were also administered to all patients. Skin grafting was performed for 4 patients (40%), 3 weeks after surgical debridement. One patient died (12.5%) and 2 subsequently developed an urethral stricture. Etiology, treatment and outcome of Fournier's gangrene are discussed and the results of the study are compared to other studies. This disease is still serious, its pathogenesis is not completely elucidated, but when immediate adequate treatment is performed, the outcome is generally favourable."}
{"id": "PMID:1489178", "title": "In vitro activity of RU 29246, the active compound of the cephalosporin prodrug ester HR 916.", "content": "The in vitro activity of RU 29246 was compared with those of other agents against 536 recent clinical isolates. The MICs of RU 29246 for 90% of members of the family Enterobacteriaceae tested (MIC90s) were less than 2 micrograms/ml except those for Morganella spp. (16 micrograms/ml) and Proteus spp. (8 micrograms/ml). RU 29246 was active against Staphylococcus aureus (MIC90, < or = 8 micrograms/ml) and against Staphylococcus saprophyticus and coagulase-negative staphylococci (MIC90s, < or = 2 micrograms/ml). Streptococci and Neisseria gonorrhoeae were highly susceptible to RU 29246, and the activity of the agent against isolates of Streptococcus pneumoniae (MIC90, < or = 0.5 micrograms/ml), Haemophilus influenzae (MIC90, < or = 2 micrograms/ml), and Moraxella catarrhalis (MIC90, < or = 2 micrograms/ml) was comparable to those of the other cephalosporins tested. RU 29246 was insusceptible to hydrolysis by the common plasmid-mediated beta-lactamases (TEM-1 and SHV-1). However, hydrolysis by the new extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (TEM-3, TEM-5, and TEM-9) was detected. Results of the study suggested that RU 29246 should be investigated clinically for use in the treatment of a wide range of infections."}
{"id": "PMID:1489179", "title": "Amelioration of zidovudine-induced fetal toxicity in pregnant mice.", "content": "The effects of zidovudine (AZT) on the fetus were investigated in pregnant mice by using parameters such as the number of fetuses, fetal size, and the fetal hepatic cell clonogenic assay. AZT caused dose-dependent toxicity to the fetus upon administration via drinking water to pregnant mice from days 1 to 13 of gestation. At the 0.5-mg/ml dose level, AZT caused a decrease in the number of fetuses to 12 from an average of 16.5 in control animals, and the fetal size (crown-rump length) was reduced from 10.5 to 8.5 mm. The CFU of the erythroid progenitor cell colonies derived from the fetal hepatic cells were decreased to 38% of that of the control, and the hematocrit dropped to 33.5 +/- 1.7 from a control value of 42.6 +/- 2.5. Concomitant administration of erythropoietin, vitamin E, or interleukin-3 to the AZT-treated pregnant mice caused a significant reversal in the AZT-induced toxicity to the fetus and to the mother's bone marrow. The success of therapeutic intervention was demonstrated by (i) restoration of the number of fetuses to the level of untreated controls, (ii) an increase in the size of fetuses to normal values, and (iii) an increase in hematocrit to > 40. The results suggest that AZT is toxic to the fetus in a dose-dependent manner and that treatment with erythropoietin, vitamin E, or interleukin-3 can ameliorate the AZT-induced fetal toxicity."}
{"id": "PMID:1489180", "title": "Comparison of the antibacterial efficacies of ampicillin and ciprofloxacin against experimental infections with Listeria monocytogenes in hydrocortisone-treated mice.", "content": "The efficacies of ciprofloxacin and ampicillin against Listeria monocytogenes in an immunosuppressed mouse model of listeriosis were compared. Immunosuppression was achieved by administration of 2.5 mg of hydrocortisone acetate daily. Both ciprofloxacin and ampicillin were effective in reducing the number of viable L. monocytogenes cells in the liver and spleen. After treatment with 100 mg of ampicillin per kg of body weight every 6 h for 3 days, virtually no L. monocytogenes could be recovered from the livers and spleens of the mice. In contrast, after treatment with 100 mg of ciprofloxacin per kg every 6 h for 3 days, a geometric mean of 5 x 10(4) CFU of L. monocytogenes was recovered from the spleens and 1 x 10(5) CFU was recovered from the livers of the mice. Results of the study show that the antibacterial efficacy of ampicillin is far superior to that of ciprofloxacin in our animal model of listeriosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1489181", "title": "Simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) infection of infant rhesus macaques as a model to test antiretroviral drug prophylaxis and therapy: oral 3'-azido-3'-deoxythymidine prevents SIV infection.", "content": "The prophylactic and therapeutic properties of 3'-azido-3'-deoxythymidine (AZT) against simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) infection were tested in four 3-month-old rhesus macaques. The infant monkeys were inoculated intravenously with a low dose (1 to 10 100% animal infectious doses) of uncloned SIVmac. The monkeys were treated orally with 50 mg of AZT per kg of body weight every 8 h; two animals were started on treatment 2 h prior to virus inoculation, and two animals were started on treatment 6 weeks later. All four animals were treated for a period of 6 to 10 weeks. Outward signs of AZT toxicity were absent, but a mild macrocytic anemia occurred soon after therapy was started and resolved shortly after it was discontinued. The two infants that were begun on AZT treatment 2 h prior to virus inoculation never became infected, as demonstrated by the inability to detect cell-free or cell-associated virus in the blood, proviral DNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells, or anti-SIV antibodies. AZT administration over a 10-week period had no detectable effect on the course of disease in the two animals that were begun on treatment after the infection had been established. In addition to demonstrating the prophylactic effect of AZT against low-dose SIV exposure, the study demonstrated the ease with which infant rhesus macaques can be used for antiretroviral drug testing."}
{"id": "PMID:1489182", "title": "In vitro activities of fleroxacin against clinical isolates of Legionella spp., its pharmacokinetics in guinea pigs, and use to treat guinea pigs with L. pneumophila pneumonia.", "content": "The activities of fleroxacin against 22 clinical Legionella isolates were determined by agar and broth microdilution susceptibility testing. The fleroxacin MIC required to inhibit 90% of strains tested on buffered charcoal yeast extract agar medium supplemented with 0.1% alpha-ketoglutarate was 0.64 micrograms/ml and was 0.04 microgram/ml when testing was done with buffered yeast extract broth supplemented with 0.1% alpha-ketoglutarate. Fleroxacin (0.25 microgram/ml) reduced the bacterial counts of two L. pneumophila strains grown in guinea pig alveolar macrophages by 1 log10 CFU/ml, but regrowth occurred over a 3-day period; fleroxacin was significantly more active than erythromycin in this assay. Single-dose (10 mg/kg of body weight given intraperitoneally) pharmacokinetic studies performed in guinea pigs with L. pneumophila pneumonia revealed peak levels in plasma and lungs to be 3.3 micrograms/ml and 3.5 micrograms/g, respectively, at 0.5 h and 0.8 microgram/ml and 0.8 microgram/g, respectively, at 1 h. The half-life of the terminal phase of elimination from plasma and lung was approximately 2 h. All 17 infected guinea pigs treated with fleroxacin (10 mg/kg/day) for 2 days survived for 14 days post-antimicrobial therapy, as did all 16 guinea pigs treated with the same dose of fleroxacin for 5 days. Only 1 of 16 animals treated with saline survived. The animals treated with fleroxacin for 2 days lost more weight and had higher temperatures than those treated with the antibiotic for 5 days. Fleroxacin is effective against L. pneumophila in vitro and in a guinea pig model of Legionnaires' disease. Fleroxacin should be evaluated as a treatment for human Legionnaires' disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1489183", "title": "Stability of antimycobacterial drugs in susceptibility testing.", "content": "Aqueous solutions of 0.02% isoniazid, 0.2% streptomycin, 0.2% para-aminosalicylate, and 0.5% ethambutol and ethylene glycol solutions of 0.5% ethionamide stored at 3 to 7 degrees C remained stable for 1 year, as did aqueous solutions of 0.05% ethionamide hydrochloride, 0.05% kanamycin, 0.05% viomycin, and 0.1% capreomycin stored at -20 degrees C. The ethambutol and capreomycin solutions were tested by microbiologic methods; the other solutions were tested by both spectrophotometric and microbiologic methods. Prepared susceptibility testing media made with cycloserine, rifampin, and the above solutions incorporated into Middlebrook 7H10 medium showed acceptable stability when stored at 3 to 7 degrees C for 1 month. During incubation of the test medium at 37 degrees C, approximately half of the activity of isoniazid, ethionamide, ethambutol, cycloserine, and rifampin was lost after periods ranging from 2 to 4 days for ethambutol to 2 weeks for rifampin."}
{"id": "PMID:1489184", "title": "Optimal aminoglycoside dosing regimen for penicillin-tobramycin synergism in experimental Streptococcus adjacens endocarditis.", "content": "The combination of penicillin and aminoglycoside is the recommended therapy for endocarditis caused by nutritionally variant streptococci (NVS). However, the optimal aminoglycoside dosing regimen remains controversial. We compared the efficacies of four regimens of tobramycin alone or combined with procaine penicillin in the therapy of rabbits with endocarditis caused by Streptococcus adjacens, a new species of NVS. Animals were injected intramuscularly for 4 days with procaine penicillin (150,000 U/kg of body weight twice daily) or tobramycin at a low dose (3 mg/kg every 24 h) or a high dose (12 mg/kg every 24 h) either once or three times daily (t.i.d.) alone or in combination with procaine penicillin. Additional groups of animals were treated with the combination regimens for a shorter period of time (2 days) in order to demonstrate a possible difference in the rapidity of efficacy between the regimens. The MICs and MBCs were 0.015 and 1 micrograms/ml and 8 and 16 micrograms/ml for penicillin and tobramycin, respectively. The mean peak tobramycin levels in plasma were 2.4 +/- 1.3 (1 mg/kg t.i.d.), 5.4 +/- 3.7 (4 mg/kg t.i.d.), and 25 +/- 9.3 (12 mg/kg once daily). The mean penicillin levels in serum were always above the MIC. In vitro kill curves plotted at the time that peak concentrations were reached in plasma showed a concentration-dependent killing effect of tobramycin alone but not in combination with penicillin. In vivo, low-dose tobramycin was significantly less effective than the high dose. Results for the combinations of the different dosing regimens of tobramycin with procaine penicillin were not significantly different. Our results suggest that (i) against susceptible strains of streptococci, aminoglycoside alone exhibits a concentration-dependent killing effect both in vitro and in vivo; (ii) against NVS strains, combinations of penicillin and high- or low-dose tobramycin are equally effective; and (iii) aminoglycoside given once daily or at a low dose t.i.d. with penicillin could be a cost-effective alternative with reduced toxic risk for patients with NVS endocarditis when the bacteria are susceptible to the killing activities of both compounds."}
{"id": "PMID:1489185", "title": "Penetration of zidovudine and 3'-fluoro-3'-deoxythymidine into the brain, muscle tissue, and veins in cynomolgus monkeys: relation to antiviral action.", "content": "Cynomolgus monkeys had microdialysis probes implanted under ketamine anesthesia into peripheral veins, thigh muscles, and the brain in order to sample the extracellular fluid for the concentrations of unbound nucleoside analogs. A dose of 25 mg of zidovudine or 3'-fluoro-3'-deoxythymidine (FLT) per kg was administered subcutaneously to each of three animals. Relatively high antiviral concentrations of FLT and zidovudine were present in peripheral tissues and in the brain. It was found that the concentration of zidovudine in the brain was approximately one-third of that in muscle and veins; the same relation was observed for FLT. The in vivo unbound concentrations of both drugs in the brain, muscle, and venous blood exceeded those reported to inhibit human immunodeficiency virus replication in vitro. In addition, in a correlative study we found that the appearance of p24 antigen in sera of monkeys infected with simian immunodeficiency virus was significantly delayed by both compounds (15 mg/kg three times daily for 9 days after infection). Thus, we have shown that the extracellular concentrations of unbound FLT and zidovudine in the brain and peripheral tissues attained with in vivo antiviral doses exceed in vitro antiviral concentrations."}
{"id": "PMID:1489186", "title": "Comparison of the antibacterial effects of cefepime and ceftazidime against Escherichia coli in vitro and in vivo.", "content": "The efficacies of cefepime and ceftazidime in an experimental Escherichia coli infection in granulocytopenic mice were related to their in vitro activities and their pharmacokinetic profiles. Cefepime had a higher intrinsic activity in vitro than ceftazidime, and it had a different pharmacokinetic profile, resulting in higher peak concentrations in plasma and a longer elimination half-life. To predict the antibacterial efficacy in vivo on the basis of in vitro activity and pharmacokinetics, we applied a mathematical model in which the in vitro effect is expressed as the difference in growth rate between control cultures and cultures grown in the presence of the antibiotic (ER), whereas the in vivo effect is given by the difference in the number of CFU between controls and antibiotic-treated animals (EN). The integral of ER over time, called ERt, was calculated by using in vivo concentrations. A significant linear relationship was found between EN and ERt for different doses at various times up to 4 h after administration, although the slope of this relationship was slightly but significantly less for cefepime (0.44) than for ceftazidime (0.59)."}
{"id": "PMID:1489187", "title": "Pharmacokinetics of clarithromycin, a new macrolide, after single ascending oral doses.", "content": "The pharmacokinetics and safety of single ascending doses of clarithromycin (6-0-methylerythromycin A) were assessed in a placebo-controlled, double-blind, randomized trial with 39 healthy male volunteers. Subjects were randomized to receive single doses of either placebo or 100, 200, 400, 600, 800, or 1,200 mg of clarithromycin. Blood and urine collections were performed over the 24 h following administration of the test preparation. Biological specimens were analyzed for clarithromycin and 14(R)-hydroxyclarithromycin content by a high-performance liquid chromatographic technique. The pharmacokinetics of clarithromycin appeared to be dose dependent, with terminal disposition half-life ranging from 2.3 to 6.0 h and mean +/- standard deviation area under the concentration-versus-time curve from time 0 to infinity for plasma ranging from 1.67 +/- 0.48 to 3.72 +/- 1.26 mg/liter.h per 100-mg dose over the 100- to 1,200-mg dose range. Similar dose dependency was noted in the pharmacokinetics of the 14(R)-hydroxy metabolite. Mean urinary excretion of clarithromycin and its 14(R)-hydroxy metabolite ranged from 11.5 to 17.5% and 5.3 to 8.8% of the administered dose, respectively. Urinary excretion data and plasma metabolite/parent compound concentration ratio data suggested that capacity-limited formation of the active metabolite may account, at least in part, for the nonlinear pharmacokinetics of clarithromycin. No substantive dose-related trend was observed for the renal clearance of either compound. There were no clinically significant drug-related alterations in laboratory and nonlaboratory safety parameters. In addition, there was no significant difference between placebo and clarithromycin recipients in the incidence or severity of adverse events. Clarithromycin appears to be safe and well tolerated."}
{"id": "PMID:1489188", "title": "Activity of clarithromycin alone or in combination with other drugs for treatment of murine toxoplasmosis.", "content": "The activity of the macrolide antibiotic clarithromycin was examined alone or in combination with other drugs for the treatment of acute or chronic infections with Toxoplasma gondii in mice. A dose of 300 mg of clarithromycin per kg per day administered alone for 10 days, beginning 24 hours after infection, protected 10 to 30% of mice infected with lethal inocula of tachyzoites or tissue cysts of different strains of T. gondii, including some strains isolated from patients with both AIDS and toxoplasmosis. Although clarithromycin was protective, a wide variation in its activity against different strains was observed. Survival of infected mice was increased significantly by treatment with clarithromycin in combination with pyrimethamine or with sulfadiazine. Treatment of chronically infected mice with clarithromycin at 300 mg/kg/day administered alone for 8 weeks resulted in significant reduction in the numbers of T. gondii cysts in their brains. The combination of clarithromycin and minocycline resulted in an activity against T. gondii cysts that was significantly greater than the activity of clarithromycin or minocycline administered alone. These results indicate a role for clarithromycin in the treatment of human toxoplasmosis, particularly when this antibiotic is used in combination with other drugs with activity against T. gondii."}
{"id": "PMID:1489189", "title": "Modification of cefixime bioavailability by nifedipine in humans: involvement of the dipeptide carrier system.", "content": "We studied the action of nifedipine on the bioavailability of cefixime, a molecule absorbed via the gut wall dipeptide carrier system in the rat, and on the bioavailability of D-xylose, which is absorbed via a pH (and Na(+)-)-dependent transporter. Each compound was administered alone or in combination with 20 mg of nifedipine to eight healthy male volunteers. Nifedipine significantly increased the absorption rate of cefixime (20.7 +/- 4.3 versus 16 +/- 3.5 mg/h in the absence of nifedipine). The absolute bioavailability of cefixime alone was 31% +/- 6% compared with 53% +/- 1% (P < 0.01) in the presence of nifedipine. The observed peak concentrations in serum were significantly different (2.5 +/- 0.3 mg/liter without nifedipine and 3.7 +/- 1.1 mg/liter with nifedipine; P < 0.02). In contrast, nifedipine induced no significant differences in the pharmacokinetic profile of xylose following oral administration. We conclude that (i) cefixime is absorbed in humans by an apparently active process which can be enhanced by a calcium channel blocker, in this case, nifedipine; and (ii) nifedipine does not modify the activity of the pentose transporter."}
{"id": "PMID:1489190", "title": "Intracellular zidovudine (ZDV) and ZDV phosphates as measured by a validated combined high-pressure liquid chromatography-radioimmunoassay procedure.", "content": "In vitro studies of zidovudine (ZDV) phosphorylation may not accurately reflect the in vivo dose-response relationship, which is crucial to determining the relationship between ZDV exposure, efficacy, and toxicity. However, measurement of ZDV phosphorylated anabolites in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from ZDV-treated human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients would be extremely useful in the more appropriate utilization of ZDV in the treatment of HIV infection. We developed a specific and sensitive combined high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC)-radioimmunoassay (RIA) procedure for the determination of ZDV, ZDV-monophosphate, ZDV-diphosphate, and ZDV-triphosphate in PBMCs taken from ZDV-treated HIV-infected patients. ZDV and its anabolites were extracted from washed, Ficoll-Paque-isolated PBMCs and then separated by HPLC using a strong anion-exchange column. The anabolites were then hydrolyzed to ZDV with acid phosphatase. ZDV was then measured by using a modified commercially available RIA protocol. Our method was validated by measuring [3H]ZDV anabolites generated in Molt-4 cells radioisotopically and simultaneously by the combined HPLC-RIA procedure. The ZDV determinations correlated well (r2 = 0.97) over the range of 0.037 to 5.2 pmol (10 to 1,400 pg) per assay tube. Furthermore, we defined the stability of ZDV anabolites during ficoll isolation and the recovery after extraction and cleanup. We then measured intracellular parent ZDV and its phosphorylated anabolites in PBMCs from six ZDV-treated HIV-infected patients (PBMCs were taken 2 h after a 300-mg oral dose). The mean concentrations ( +/- standard deviations) of parent and of mono-, di-, and triphosphates were 0.15 +/- 0.08, 1.4 +/-, 0.082 +/- 0.02, and 0.081 +/- 0.03 pmol/10(6) PBMC, respectively (one pmol/10(6) PBMC represents a concentration of approximately 1 microm). Concurrent serum ZDV concentrations were between 1.3 and 7.1 microm. This method should provide a useful tool for evaluating in vivo pharmacokinetics of ZDV anabolites in PBMCs and possibly other cell types, even at the low doses of ZDV currently administered therapeutically."}
{"id": "PMID:1489191", "title": "Pharmacokinetics of a clarithromycin suspension in infants and children.", "content": "The single- and multiple-dose pharmacokinetics of clarithromycin and its 14-(R)-hydroxylated metabolite in infants and children were studied after oral administration under fasting and nonfasting conditions. Drug absorption appeared to be rapid following a brief delay in its onset; the mean peak concentrations in plasma (Cmax) for clarithromycin were reached within about 3 h under both conditions. The mean Cmax for the parent drug were 3.59 and 4.58 micrograms/ml in single-dose fasting and nonfasting patients, and the respective Cmax for the metabolite were 1.19 and 1.26 micrograms/ml. Data indicate good absorption and no significant effects by food. There was no unusual accumulation in the area under the concentration-time curve and Cmax in the multiple-dose group."}
{"id": "PMID:1489192", "title": "Comparative pharmacokinetics of SCE-2787 and related antibiotics in experimental animals.", "content": "The pharmacokinetic properties of SCE-2787 administered intravenously at a dose of 20 mg/kg of body weight were studied with mice, rats, rabbits, dogs, and monkeys and were compared with those of ceftazidime, cefpirome, and cefclidin in mice and dogs. The area under the concentration-time curve for plasma after intravenous administration was the largest in monkeys, followed by those in dogs, rabbits, rats, and mice, in that order. The elimination half-life ranged from 0.2 to 0.3 h in mice and rats to 0.7 to 1.3 h in rabbits, dogs, and monkeys. In young dogs, the concentrations of SCE-2787 in plasma were somewhat lower than those in the mature dogs. SCE-2787 was distributed well to the tissues, and the highest concentration was found in the kidneys in all species tested; the distribution to the lungs, liver, and spleen was also good, but the concentrations in these tissues were lower than those in the plasma. The pharmacokinetic parameters and urinary excretion of SCE-2787 in mice and dogs were similar to those of ceftazidime, cefpirome, and cefclidin. The maximum concentrations in the cerebrospinal fluid of rats and rabbits were 0.8 and 1.3 micrograms/ml, and the relative percentages of the area under the concentration-time curve of SCE-2787 in the cerebrospinal fluid to that in the plasma were 4.6 and 6.4%, respectively. SCE-2787 was excreted mainly in the urine; the recovery rate ranged from 74% (rats) to 90% (dogs) of the dose. The biliary excretion of SCE-2787, however, was low, amounting to about 1.4% for mice and rats and less than 0.5% for rabbits and dogs. In rats, there was no accumulation in the tissues and no delay in urinary excretion upon multiple intravenous administration of 20 mg of SCE-2787 per kg once daily for 7 days. No active metabolites were found in the plasma or urine of animals given SCE-2787. The binding of SCE-2787 to serum protein in mice, rats, dogs, monkeys, and humans was less than 11% and similar to that of cefclidin."}
{"id": "PMID:1489193", "title": "Penetration of ofloxacin into heart valves, myocardium, mediastinal fat, and sternal bone marrow in humans.", "content": "Ofloxacin penetration into heart tissue (valve and myocardium), mediastinal fat, and sternal bone marrow was the object of a prospective nonrandomized study. Thirty-six patients undergoing mitral and/or aortic valve replacement were included. Patients were divided into two groups of 18 patients each. Group 1 patients were administered a single 400-mg intravenous dose of ofloxacin over a 30-min period upon anesthesia (n = 6) or at 1 h (n = 6) or 6 h (n = 6) prior to surgery. Group 2 patients received a 200-mg oral dose of ofloxacin every 12 h during the 48 h preceding surgery. In this group, the final dose of ofloxacin was administered 3 h (n = 9) or 8 h (n = 9) before anesthesia. Plasma and tissue ofloxacin concentrations were assayed by high-pressure liquid chromatography. In group 1 patients, the peak level in plasma was 15.9 +/- 2.5 micrograms/ml. Peak ofloxacin levels in tissue were reached by hour 1 and were 8.89 +/- 2.16 micrograms/g in myocardium and 5 +/- 0.75 micrograms/g in heart valves. A significant decrease in ofloxacin levels in heart valve tissue and sternal bone marrow was observed after hour 3. Nevertheless, ofloxacin myocardial, heart valve, and sternal bone marrow levels remained higher than the MICs for the usually susceptible pathogens for at least 3 h. In group 2 patients, myocardial levels were long lasting (6.46 +/- 1.92 micrograms/g [4 to 8 h] and 5.92 +/- 0.95 micrograms/g [8 to 12 h]) and remained higher than those observed in the other tissues over the entire study period. A progressive but insignificant decrease in ofloxacin heart valve levels was observed (from 2.46 +/- 0.40 micrograms/g [4 to 8 h] to 1.57 +/- 0.22 micrograms/g [8 to 12 h]). In both groups, concentration in mediastinal fat were lower and tended to decrease with time. These were 1.83 +/- 0.61 micrograms/g with the first hour and 0.85 +/- 0.43 micrograms/g between hours 8 and 12 in group 1 and 1.74 +/- 0.52 micrograms/g between hours 4 and 8 and 0.67 +/- 0.11 micrograms/g between hours 8 and 12 in group 2. In conclusion, satisfactory diffusion of ofloxacin into heart tissue seems to favor use of the drug in the treatment of bacterial endocarditis due to susceptible pathogens. Furthermore, the progressively decreasing concentrations observed in heart valve and sternal bone marrow and the poor levels achieved in mediastinal fat suggest the need for renewing injection 3 h following initial infusion if the drug is used as an antibiotic prophylactic agent during cardiovascular surgery."}
{"id": "PMID:1489194", "title": "Transport of pefloxacin across the bacterial cytoplasmic membrane in quinolone-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus.", "content": "Binding to phospholipids, uptake by simple diffusion, and an energy-dependent, carrier-mediated efflux are thought to characterize interactions between fluoroquinolones and bacterial cytoplasmic membranes. Here, we have found that an endogenous active efflux is unlikely in quinolone-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus. The protonophore, carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone (CCCP), increased pefloxacin uptake in different membrane systems under conditions which excluded carrier-mediated transport, i.e., in bacterial cells at 4 degrees C and in protein-free phosphatidylglycerol liposomes. When plotted as a function of outer pH, the CCCP effect, both in S. aureus cells and in phosphatidylglycerol liposomes, correlated with pefloxacin labeling of everted S. aureus membrane vesicles, with all three profiles showing maximal effect at an acidic pH. So the CCCP effect may result not from inhibition of the proton motive force, as previously thought, but rather from acidification of the intramembrane space by the protonophore, leading to enhanced binding of the positive pefloxacin species to the inner leaflet of the bilayer. Moreover, antistaphylococcal potency and uptake profiles of pefloxacin in S. aureus and phosphatidylglycerol liposomes, assayed as a function of outer pH, peaked at a neutral pH. These observations suggest that zwitterionic and positive quinolone species are responsible for diffusion through and binding to the cytoplasmic membrane, respectively."}
{"id": "PMID:1489195", "title": "Increased oral bioavailability of ciprofloxacin in cystic fibrosis patients.", "content": "The altered pharmacokinetic properties of, e.g., aminoglycosides in cystic fibrosis patients have to be considered when pulmonary exacerbations are treated. Since reported data on ciprofloxacin, a fluorinated quinolone, are conflicting, we compared intravenous and oral administration in cystic fibrosis patients when treating them for mild symptoms of pulmonary infection. All of the patients were colonized with Pseudomonas species. Ciprofloxacin was administered orally (15 mg/kg of body weight) or intravenously (6 mg/kg) twice a day for at least 10 days during separate treatment periods. Five healthy volunteers received single intravenous and oral doses. Pharmacokinetic evaluations were performed at first dose and at steady state. The results showed that cystic fibrosis patients have increased oral bioavailability of ciprofloxacin (80% in cystic fibrosis patients versus 57% in volunteers) and increased total clearance (688 ml/min in CF patients versus 528 ml/min in volunteers). Our data indicate that the pharmacokinetic properties of ciprofloxacin are altered in cystic fibrosis patients with mild symptoms of pulmonary exacerbations and that the changes most probably are due to cystic fibrosis per se or to the impact of chronic infection."}
{"id": "PMID:1489196", "title": "Effects of aggregation and solvent on the toxicity of amphotericin B to human erythrocytes.", "content": "In aqueous suspensions of amphotericin B (AmB), a polyene antibiotic and antifungal agent, three forms of AmB coexist: monomers, water-soluble oligomers, and non-water-soluble aggregates. The toxicity of the water-soluble self-associated form of AmB compared with that of the non-water-soluble self-associated form was tested by measuring induction of K+ leakage from human erythrocytes, using different suspensions containing the antibiotic and phosphate-buffered saline. These suspensions were obtained from various stock solutions of the antibiotic in dimethyl formamide or dimethyl sulfoxide. Their circular dichroism spectra around 340 nm, indicative of the degree of AmB self-association, were strongly dependent on the concentration of organic solvent in the suspensions. The nonsoluble self-associated form was separated from the water-soluble form by centrifugation. The nonsoluble form was favored by a high concentration of AmB of the stock solution. The kinetics of AmB-induced K+ leakage from human erythrocytes also appeared to be strongly dependent on the AmB concentration of the stock solution being much weaker with concentrated stock solutions. It was concluded that the only form of AmB toxic to human erythrocytes is the water-soluble self-associated form (in contrast with fungal cells on which the monomeric form is also active). This result may be important in the design of new less toxic AmB derivatives and in the understanding of the mechanism of action of liposomal AmB."}
{"id": "PMID:1489197", "title": "Topical treatment with butenafine significantly lowers relapse rate in an interdigital tinea pedis model in guinea pigs.", "content": "Butenafine is a novel antifungal agent of the class of benzylamines. The incidence of relapse after topical treatment with butenafine or bifonazole was investigated in a guinea pig interdigital tinea pedis model. One percent butenafine or bifonazole cream was applied on the infected site of animals for 20 consecutive days starting on day 10 postinfection. On day 30 posttreatment, relapse of the infection occurred in 11 of the 12 feet treated with bifonazole but in only 3 of the 12 feet treated with butenafine. The lower relapse rate after butenafine treatment might be attributable to its potent fungicidal activity and long retention time in the skin."}
{"id": "PMID:1489198", "title": "Influence of high-level gentamicin resistance and beta-hemolysis on susceptibility of enterococci to the bactericidal activities of ampicillin and vancomycin.", "content": "The bactericidal activities of ampicillin and vancomycin against 40 recent isolates of Enterococcus faecalis were examined by kill-kinetic studies at concentrations of 4 x the MIC and 20 micrograms/ml. Greater killing was seen with ampicillin (3.57 +/- 0.87 and 2.50 +/- 1.09 log10 CFU/ml, respectively; mean +/- standard deviation) than with vancomycin (1.23 +/- 0.65 and 1.05 +/- 0.57 log10 CFU/ml, respectively). Highly gentamicin-resistant strains showed a tendency toward reduced susceptibility to killing; beta-hemolytic strains were more susceptible than nonhemolytic strains when exposed to ampicillin at 20 micrograms/ml. Within each group, individual isolates demonstrated great variability in susceptibility to killing by the drugs."}
{"id": "PMID:1489199", "title": "Increasing resistance of enterococci to ciprofloxacin.", "content": "We determined that resistance to ciprofloxacin has emerged in enterococci over the last 5 years in our hospital, mainly in strains demonstrating the phenotype of high-level gentamicin resistance. All high-level-gentamicin-resistant isolates from 1985 and 1986 were susceptible, whereas 24% of isolates from 1989 and 1990 were resistant to ciprofloxacin. Plasmid and genomic DNA typing showed at least six unique strains exhibiting resistance, but one type accounted for 80% of recent resistant isolates, suggesting a role for cross infection in the emergence of resistance."}
{"id": "PMID:1489200", "title": "Aminoglycoside-modifying enzymes in clinical isolates harboring extended-spectrum beta-lactamases.", "content": "The aminoglycoside-modifying enzymes present in the first 120 clinical isolates harboring extended-spectrum beta-lactamases isolated in Spain were studied. Most of these isolates (84%) were gentamicin resistant. The enzymes most frequently associated and cotransferred with SHV-2 or TEM-type beta-lactamases were AAC(3)V, APH(3\"), and APH(3')I."}
{"id": "PMID:1489201", "title": "Penetration of vancomycin in uninfected sternal bone.", "content": "Concentrations of vancomycin in sternal bones of 10 patients undergoing cardiac surgery were studied at steady state, 48 h after starting intravenous prophylaxis. A sample of sternal bone was taken before (group I) or after (group II) cardiopulmonary bypass. The mean vancomycin concentrations in sternal bones were not significantly different between the groups and were 9.3 +/- 3.0 micrograms/g. The concentrations of vancomycin in sternal bones were always above the MICs for staphylococci, streptococci, and enterococci."}
{"id": "PMID:1489202", "title": "Risk of ventricular dysrhythmias during 1-hour infusions of amphotericin B in patients with preserved renal function.", "content": "In order to assess the safety of 1-h infusions of amphotericin B (AMB), we prospectively monitored 213 1-h infusions of AMB (dose range, 0.27 to 0.89 mg/kg of body weight) in 27 patients with creatinine clearances of > 25 ml/min. Holter monitor tracings during 1-h infusions were compared with those during a 4-h baseline period of monitoring. There were no ventricular dysrhythmias during 1-h infusions of AMB that were not present during baseline monitoring. Nausea and/or rigors were noted for 32 (15%) infusions in six (22%) patients. No patient exhibited a temperature rise of > 1 degree C. We conclude that, in doses of up to 0.9 mg/kg, AMB does not appear to induce asymptomatic ventricular dysrhythmias when administered over 1 h to patients with creatinine clearances of > 25 ml/min."}
{"id": "PMID:1489203", "title": "Comparative sequence analysis of the catB gene from Clostridium butyricum.", "content": "Sequence analysis of the Clostridium butyricum chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) gene, catB, showed that it encoded a CAT monomer of 219 amino acids with a molecular weight of 26,114. Comparison of the deduced amino acid sequence of the CATB monomer to those of sixteen other CATs showed that it was most closely related to the CATQ monomer from Clostridium perfringens."}
{"id": "PMID:1489204", "title": "Iontophoresis generates an antimicrobial effect that remains after iontophoresis ceases.", "content": "Iontophoresis required chlorine-containing compounds in the medium for effective microbial population reduction and killing. After iontophoresis ceased, the antimicrobial effect generated by iontophoresis remained but slowly decreased. Antimicrobial effects of iontophoresis may be related to the generation of short-lived chlorine-containing compounds."}
{"id": "PMID:1489205", "title": "Duration of the protective effect of polyaspartic acid on experimental gentamicin nephrotoxicity.", "content": "It is known that daily polyaspartic acid (PAA) protects the kidney from gentamicin nephrotoxicity in a standardized rat model despite marked cortical accumulation of the aminoglycoside. The present experiments address the duration of PAA protection. When administered every other day, PAA provided functional and histologic protection against gentamicin-induced toxicity. A stepwise reduction in nephroprotection occurred as the dosage interval was prolonged."}
{"id": "PMID:1489206", "title": "In vitro activity of Ro 23-9424 against clinical isolates of Legionella species.", "content": "Agar and broth microdilution MICs of Ro 23-9424 that inhibited 90% of 22 Legionella clinical isolates tested were 0.64 and 0.08 micrograms/ml, respectively; respective erythromycin values were 1.0 and 0.12 micrograms/ml. Ro 23-9424 (1 microgram/ml) was slightly more active than the same erythromycin concentration in a macrophage system, for both Legionella pneumophila strains studied."}
{"id": "PMID:1489207", "title": "Occurrence of the nfxB type mutation in clinical isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa.", "content": "Seven spontaneous norfloxacin (NFLX)-resistant mutants obtained in vitro from 20 NFLX-susceptible clinical isolates and 3 NFLX-resistant clinical isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa were transformed with the pNF111 plasmid, whose BamHI fragment is responsible for conferring susceptibility to NFLX, by complementing the nfxB mutation. The resulting patterns of MICs of NFLX, beta-lactams, aminoglycosides, and chloramphenicol and the observed increased accumulation of NFLX were consistent with the occurrence of the nfxB type mutation in these clinical isolates."}
{"id": "PMID:1489209", "title": "Development of a scale to measure the trait of food neophobia in humans.", "content": "Using standard test construction techniques, we developed a paper and pencil measure of the trait of food neophobia, which was defined as a reluctance to eat and/or avoidance of novel foods. The resulting 10-item test was found to have satisfactory test-retest reliability and internal consistency. Three behavioral validation studies demonstrated that test scores predicted behavior in laboratory food selection situations. Scores on the measure were found to be correlated with trait anxiety, age, the Experience Seeking subscale of the Sensation Seeking Scale, general neophobia, and general familiarity and experience with unusual foods. Scores were not related to gender or to finickiness."}
{"id": "PMID:1489208", "title": "Molecular basis of the efficacy of cefaclor against Haemophilus influenzae.", "content": "Cefaclor sustained its inhibitory activity against a beta-lactamase-producing strain of Haemophilus influenzae. Although a relatively high permeability coefficient was calculated for ampicillin compared with that calculated for cefaclor, the resulting periplasmic concentration of cefaclor was 5.7 times that of ampicillin. The efficacy of cefaclor may be due to its higher beta-lactamase resistance, which allows it to achieve a greater periplasmic concentration and adequate binding to crucial penicillin-binding proteins."}
{"id": "PMID:1489210", "title": "Selection of a diet by growing pigs given choices between foods differing in contents of protein and rapeseed meal.", "content": "The objective of the experiment was to test whether the rules that appear to underlie diet selection by pigs given choices between two foods of different crude protein (CP) content, persist when a rapeseed meal with possible goitrogenic effects is included in one or both foods. Forty-four pigs were given access to one food, or to two foods as a choice, from 12-30 kg liveweight. The foods were the combinations of two levels of CP (140 and 300 g CP/kg food) and two levels of inclusion (0 and 180 g/kg food) of a rapeseed meal, which resulted in foods L, H, LR, HR; in addition the equal parts mixture of foods L and H was also made (food M). The treatments were: access to a pair of foods as a choice, pairs LH, LR, H, LHR and LRHR (n = 6 per treatment) or access to a single food L, LR, M, H and HR (n = 4 per treatment). The inclusion of the rapeseed meal did not significantly affect the rates of food intake and liveweight gain of the pigs given access to one food. Pigs given a choice between a rapeseed-based food and another one (pairs LRH and LHR), showed a significant preference for the food without it. The rejection of the foods with rapeseed meal was such that it overpowered the physiological need of the pig to select a diet that would meet its CP requirement. When the two foods differed only in CP content (pairs LH and LRHR) pigs were able to select a diet whose composition changed systematically as they grew, and supported rapid growth. The diet selection of the choice-fed pigs is consistent with the idea that pigs, given a choice between a potentially harmful food and a non-harmful one, will favour the latter irrespective of its nutritional properties, only if it is assumed that the inclusion of rapeseed meal had a detrimental effect on the single fed pigs, which could not be seen in their performance as measured by the rates of food intake and liveweight gain."}
{"id": "PMID:1489211", "title": "Garlic: a sensory pleasure or a social nuisance?", "content": "A total of 100 female and male shoppers in Helsinki were interviewed to evaluate beliefs, attitudes and norms concerning the consumption of garlic. In a subsequent postal questionnaire, the annoyance related to the smell of garlic, compared with other social odors, was also measured. The most frequent beliefs about garlic pertained to its good taste, unpleasant smell, and healthiness. Users and non-users showed distinctly different belief patterns. Sweat and alcohol were considered the most annoying social odors, and garlic and perfume/aftershave the least so. The Fishbein-Ajzen model, in which individual beliefs and their evaluations as well as subjective norms were used as predictors, explained 35-36% of the variation of the reported consumption and intention to use garlic. The predictive power of the model rose to 56-62% when past behavior was included as a third independent variable. Although the predictive power of attitudes was greater than that of subjective norms, the latter were also significant predictors. Thus, use of garlic is a somewhat unusual form of food-related behavior in that it is controlled by both attitudes and normative factors."}
{"id": "PMID:1489212", "title": "The relationship between changes in body weight and changes in psychosocial functioning.", "content": "Previous studies have indicated that obesity is related to a variety of psychosocial problems. Unfortunately, the literature on the relationship between weight status and psychosocial functioning has primarily utilized clinical samples and cross-sectional designs. The current study prospectively explored the relationship between weight gain and changes in psychosocial functioning. Subjects were 195 women and 204 men recruited as part of a larger longitudinal study of cardiovascular risk factors, who attended assessment sessions once per year for 2 consecutive years. Psychosocial functioning was assessed using the Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS), the Family Environment Scale (FES) and the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Scale 3rd Edition (FACES-III). Subjects were categorized based on their weight status at each year so the effect of a change in weight status on changes in psychosocial functioning could be evaluated. Multivariate measures indicated no changes in psychosocial functioning as a result of change in weight status over a 1-year period for either men or women. It appears that shifts in body weight, at least in a sample of subjects with generally good levels of psychological functioning, are not associated with changes in the measured levels of psychosocial functioning."}
{"id": "PMID:1489215", "title": "Estimation of possible impact of non-caloric fat and carbohydrate substitutes on macronutrient intake in the human.", "content": "This paper addresses the expected impact of use of macronutrient substitutes by individuals without strong motivation to control macronutrient or energy intake when such modified foods serve as replacements of foods normally ingested rather than as \"add-ons\". A basic premise of the paper is that individuals are likely to replace a substantial part of the energy equivalent of the original substitution. It further assumes that the macronutrient composition of the additional foods consumed will reflect normal food selection behaviours. The paper derives a description of the expected selection behaviour from examination of the within subject variance in energy and macronutrient intake of 29 subjects followed for 365 consecutive days (the Beltsville One Year Dietary Intake Study). Patterns observed in these subjects were validated through examination of associations between macronutrient intake and energy intake in 600 women, each of whom contributed 6 days of dietary data (USDA CSFII-85). As presently proposed the model suggests that the use of non-caloric fat replacements, by subjects without strong motivation to control fat or energy intake, can be expected to result in a net decrease (less than original substitution) in fat intake and net increases in carbohydrate and protein intakes. Conversely, use of carbohydrate replacements in core foods can be expected to result in net increases in fat and protein intakes and a partial decrease in carbohydrate intake. The magnitude of these net changes is seen to be a function of the extent of replacement of energy."}
{"id": "PMID:1489219", "title": "Do maternal and intrauterine factors influence blood pressure in childhood?", "content": "It has been proposed that maternal health and nutrition may be important in the development of adult cardiovascular risk, and that blood pressure may be an important intermediate step in this process. To examine the relevance of this hypothesis in contemporary British children, the relationships of several maternal factors to blood pressure were studied in 3360 children of European origin aged 5-7 years. Maternal age, height, and body mass index were all positively related to blood pressure in childhood but these relationships were abolished once the child's body build was taken into account. Maternal social class, educational attainment, and history of smoking in pregnancy showed no relationship with blood pressure in childhood. Parity showed an inverse association with blood pressure, but this appeared to be due to an association between total sibship size and blood pressure, suggesting a postnatal rather than a prenatal origin. Blood pressure was higher in children whose mothers had a history of high blood pressure but this association was no stronger than that for paternal history. Both birth weight and gestational age were inversely related to blood pressure at 5-7 years. The association between birth weight and blood pressure was attenuated by standardisation for gestational age, and the relationships between birth weight and blood pressure were similar in preterm and full term infants. No specific association between blood pressure and the maternal factors studied have been observed in this population. Hypotheses relating maternal factors to cardiovascular risk need to specify the timing and nature of their effects more precisely. Although the relationship between birth weight and blood pressure is not fully understood, it appears to reflect size at birth rather than fetal growth rate."}
{"id": "PMID:1489220", "title": "Management and outcome of severe head injuries in the Trent region 1985-90.", "content": "In a five year period, 39 children (29 boys, 10 girls) aged 2 months to 13 years (mean 7.8 years) were studied who had suffered a major head injury (29 road traffic accidents, six falls, and four non-accidental injury). The injury had been assessed clinically and by cranial computed tomography or cranial ultrasound (in a single baby of 2 months). Initial Glasgow coma scores for all subjects ranged from 3-11 (mean 5.5), intact survivors 5-11 (7.4), minor handicap 4-11 (6.1), major handicap 3-6 (4.3), fatalities 3-6 (4.1). All were treated with sedation, paralysis, hyperventilation (arterial carbon dioxide tension 3.0-3.5 kPa), intracranial pressure monitoring and moderate body surface hypothermia to 32 degrees C. Nine children died and 30 survived (nine intact, 13 minor disability, and eight major disability). The worst cerebral perfusion pressure was over 40 mm Hg in all but one survivor, and less than 40 mm Hg in seven of nine fatalities. Severe hypocapnia both in the first 24 hours and overall was correlated with poor outcomes (dead or major disability), as were bilateral contusions or diffuse axonal injury."}
{"id": "PMID:1489221", "title": "Long term effects of periconceptional multivitamin supplements for prevention of neural tube defects: a seven to 10 year follow up.", "content": "Periconceptional supplementation with Pregnavite Forte F was offered to women who presented consecutively to the Oxford genetic counselling service in the early 1980s who had previously had one or more pregnancies complicated by a neural tube defect. The first 100 children born alive to these women are the subject of this study. Birth weight, gestation, and congenital abnormalities were recorded. At age 2-5 years all 96 children remaining in the United Kingdom were assessed clinically and developmentally and behavioural information was obtained by questionnaire. At age 7-10 years, follow up of 91 children by telephone and postal questionnaire yielded further information about growth, general health, vision, hearing, and educational and behavioural status. Entry criteria excluded single mothers but the social class distribution of the sample was otherwise representative of the Oxfordshire population. There were no recurrences of neural tube defects. One child had radiological evidence of spina bifida occulta affecting only the fifth lumbar vertebra. One had an autosomal recessive disorder. Eight had random minor congenital anomalies. Birth weight for gestational age was significantly greater than for the local population and at age 7-10 years the girls were considerably taller than expected. Health, auditory, visual, and developmental status were no different from the general population. None of the children had special educational needs. None showed a major behaviour disorder but worries, fussiness, and fearfulness were highly significantly over represented."}
{"id": "PMID:1489222", "title": "A randomised trial of low dose folic acid to prevent neural tube defects. The Irish Vitamin Study Group.", "content": "A randomised trial was initiated in Ireland in 1981 to determine if periconceptional supplementation with either folic acid alone or a multivitamin preparation alone could reduce the recurrence risk of neural tube defects (NTDs) in women with a previously affected pregnancy from 5.0% to 1.0% or less. The trial was concluded before the initial target number of study subjects was reached and without a clear treatment effect being observed. A total of 354 women were randomised to receive one of three treatments: folic acid, multivitamins without folic acid, and folic acid plus multivitamins. At the end of the trial 257 women had had a first trial pregnancy outcome (261 infants/fetuses) where the presence or absence of NTDs was ascertainable. There was one NTD recurrence in the 89 infants/fetuses of women in the multivitamin group and no recurrence in the 172 infants/fetuses of women in the folic acid groups, a non-significant difference. Otherwise eligible women who were pregnant when first contacted constituted a non-randomised control group; there were three recurrences among the 103 infants in this group. The difference in the recurrence rate between the folic acid groups and the non-randomised controls was statistically significant but we have reservations about the validity of this comparison. Although our findings do not provide clear evidence of a protective effect of folic acid supplementation they are consistent with those of the Medical Research Council (MRC) trial which demonstrated the efficacy of folic acid in preventing recurrence of NTDs and they raise the possibility that folic acid may be protective at a much lower dosage than that used in the MRC trial."}
{"id": "PMID:1489224", "title": "Bronchial responsiveness and lung function in infants with lower respiratory tract illness over the first six months of life.", "content": "The aim of this study was to determine whether increased bronchial responsiveness to histamine is associated with lower respiratory tract illness (one or more episodes of wheeze or cough, or both) in infancy. Fifty four normal newborn infants who had at least one atopic parent were recruited. At a median age of 6.5 months, 45 infants, 23 with a history of lower respiratory tract illness, and 22 without, underwent pulmonary function testing during a symptom free period. The maximum flow at functional residual capacity (VmaxFRC) was calculated from partial forced expiratory flow volume curves using the squeeze technique. Bronchial responsiveness to increasing doses of histamine was assessed by determining the provoking concentration which caused a 30% decrease in VmaxFRC (PC30). The length adjusted VmaxFRC was lower for symptomatic infants before the challenge (median 125 ml/s; 95% confidence intervals (CI) 85 to 164 ml/s) compared with control infants (median 215 ml/s; 95% CI 159 to 298 ml/s). There was no significant difference in PC30 between symptomatic infants (median 10.3 g/l; 95% CI 2.8 to 23.8 g/l) and control infants (median 16.5 g/l; 95% CI 2.4 to 27.9 g/l). Bronchial responsiveness to histamine can be shown in most infants early in life and is independent of lower respiratory tract symptoms including wheezing."}
{"id": "PMID:1489223", "title": "Immunohistochemical features of the portal tract mononuclear cell infiltrate in chronic aggressive hepatitis.", "content": "The portal tract mononuclear cell infiltrate has been characterised in 28 liver biopsy samples showing features of chronic aggressive hepatitis from 12 patients with autoimmune chronic active hepatitis, 12 with primary sclerosing cholangitis, and four with other chronic liver diseases (two with alpha 1-antitrypsin deficiency, one with Wilson's disease, and one with chronic hepatitis B infection). In all patients liver disease had started in childhood. The mononuclear cell infiltrate was investigated by a two step immunoperoxidase technique using monoclonal antibodies to: total, alpha/beta T cell receptor positive, helper/inducer, suppressor/cytotoxic T lymphocytes; B lymphocytes; killer/natural killer cells; monocyte/macrophages; and to the activation markers HLA-DR antigens, interleukin 2 receptor (IL-2R), transferrin receptor, and 4F2Ag. In all samples the infiltrate consisted of mainly alpha/beta T cell receptor T lymphocytes. Although T helper/inducer cells predominated in patients with autoimmune chronic active hepatitis, T suppressor/cytotoxic lymphocytes were preponderant in patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis and the other chronic liver diseases. Killer/natural killer cells accounted for up to 25% of the mononuclear cell infiltrate in patients with autoimmune chronic active hepatitis, being rare or absent in the other diseases. Monocytes/macrophages were always found, but they were more numerous in primary sclerosing cholangitis than in the other chronic liver diseases. B lymphocytes were rare or absent in all subjects. Activated mononuclear cells were present in all subjects, but although in patients with autoimmune chronic active hepatitis and primary sclerosing cholangitis most cells of the infiltrate expressed HLA-DR antigens and up to 75% IL-2R, in other forms of chronic liver diseases HLA-DR positive cells were less common and IL-2R positive cells ere rare or absent. These results show that the cells responsible for the histological characteristics of chronic aggressive hepatitis vary in their functional phenotype and state of activation according to the type of underlying liver disorder, confirming the involvement of different pathogenetic mechanisms."}
{"id": "PMID:1489225", "title": "Association of perinatal events, epilepsy, and central nervous system trauma with juvenile delinquency.", "content": "The association of perinatal events, childhood epilepsy, and central nervous system trauma with juvenile delinquency was studied prospectively in a geographically defined population of 5966 males in northern Finland. Those who had obtained a criminal record up to the age of 22 years, totalling 355, or 6.0%, were defined as delinquents. The incidence of delinquency was not increased in males with a birth weight less than 2500 g or greater than 4000 g, preterm births < 37 weeks' gestation, or those with perinatal brain damage or having epileptic seizures before 14 years of age. The incidence was increased by 6.8% in the group of males with birth weights less than 3500 g, but not significantly increased after standardisation for a number of social and demographic background variables. The incidence was increased by 10.3% among the males who had had a central nervous system trauma by the age of 14 years, however, and this factor remained significant when social and demographic factors were standardised by regression analysis, with an odds ratio of 1.9 for all males with a criminal record and an odds ratio of 3.15 for those who had committed a violent crime. Previous central nervous system trauma may be a cause of delinquency, or another possibility is that the type of behaviour pursued by males who are likely to commit a violent crime will expose them more often to accidents which can result in central nervous system trauma."}
{"id": "PMID:1489226", "title": "Teachers' perceptions of epilepsy.", "content": "A questionnaire survey undertaken among 142 schoolteachers in North Staffordshire revealed most of the respondents did not feel confident when teaching children who had epilepsy and a minority considered their knowledge of the subject to be adequate. Only four teachers had received recent specific instruction on childhood epilepsy and the majority requested training on epilepsy and other medical conditions. Despite this lack of confidence and specific training, the respondents demonstrated good general knowledge of epilepsy and adequate awareness of the difficulties encountered by epileptic schoolchildren. If optimal care is to be achieved for children with epilepsy, then teachers must feel confident with this subject. School health services have a clear role in ensuring that teachers have sufficient knowledge of childhood epilepsy, that they have adequate support, and that communication between teachers, parents, and paediatricians is encouraged."}
{"id": "PMID:1489227", "title": "Growth hormone deficiency during puberty reduces adult bone mineral density.", "content": "Bone mineral density (BMD) was evaluated by dual energy x ray absorptiometry in 60 adults (33 males, 27 females; aged 50, range 23-76 years) who were growth hormone deficient from various causes for 10.4 (1-31) years. Adult patients who had acquired growth hormone deficiency before completion of puberty had significantly reduced mean (SEM) BMD compared with age matched healthy controls at the lumbar spine: 0.87 (0.09) v 1.20 (0.03) g/cm2, femoral neck: 0.81 (0.06) v 1.08 (0.04) g/cm2, and Ward's triangle: 0.68 (0.07) v 1.04 (0.05) g/cm2. These values were also reduced compared with those of patients who had received human growth hormone during puberty. Untreated growth hormone deficiency when present during puberty results in reduced adult bone density."}
{"id": "PMID:1489228", "title": "Hazards of parenteral treatment: do particles count?", "content": "After prolonged parenteral nutrition a 12 month old infant died with pulmonary hypertension and granulomatous pulmonary arteritis. A review of necropsy findings in 41 infants who had been fed parenterally showed that two of these also had pulmonary artery granulomata, while none of 32 control patients who died from sudden infant death syndrome had similar findings. Particulate contaminants have been implicated in the pathogenesis of such lesions and these were quantified in amino acid/dextrose solutions and fat emulsions using automated particle counting and optical microscope counting respectively. Parenteral feed infusions compounded for a 3000 g infant according to standard nutritional regimens were found to include approximately 37,000 particles between 2 and 100 microns in size in one day's feed, of which 80% were derived from the fat emulsion. In-line end filtration of intravenous infusions may reduce the risk of particle associated complications. A suitable particle filter is required for use with lipid."}
{"id": "PMID:1489229", "title": "Thrombolysis with low dose tissue plasminogen activator.", "content": "Two cases of vena caval thrombosis in infants were successfully treated with low dose (0.01-0.05 mg/kg/hour) local infusions of tissue plasminogen activator after conventional anticoagulant treatment had been unsuccessful. This approach is useful for clots associated with indwelling intravascular catheters, and a low dose infusion of tissue plasminogen activator as a regional application is recommended to achieve clot lysis with minimal systemic effects."}
{"id": "PMID:1489230", "title": "Recovery of protein from urine specimens collected in cotton wool.", "content": "Cotton wool balls have been used to aid the collection of urine from infants. Concentrations of two urinary proteins, albumin and retinol binding protein, decreased by 40 and 80% respectively within 15 minutes of contact with the cotton wool. Cotton wool balls should not be used when investigating proteinuria."}
{"id": "PMID:1489233", "title": "The ethics of cardiopulmonary resuscitation. I. Background to decision making.", "content": "Futile cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) may prevent humane care of the dying child and deprive parents of the opportunity to express their love, grief, and dedication at a critical moment, while appropriate and successful CPR may restore intact their child. Attempted resuscitation of corpses or children with terminal illness indicates inadequate knowledge, discrimination, and decision making. CPR is a medical procedure applicable to certain medical problems; weighing up the risks and benefits in each individual case is a medical function that is constrained by the law and must take full note of patient and family preferences, but cannot be governed by them and should not be over-ruled by laws based on complex but different cases. Time limits on occasions may curtail the full process of consultation and decision making. Applications of skills and resources in the right time and place requires understanding of the medical logistics and study of the potential for good outcome."}
{"id": "PMID:1489234", "title": "The ethics of cardiopulmonary resuscitation. II. Medical logistics and the potential for good response.", "content": "Mismatches between provision of paediatric cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and potential to benefit are examined. Deficiencies are most likely to occur in peripheral maternity units but futile CPR is more common in emergency departments where the child is unknown. Decision making in individual cases is best retained by the medical profession for the sake of the child and family. American style intervention by the legislature is likely to dissipate scarce resources and perhaps harm infants not capable of benefiting."}
{"id": "PMID:1489236", "title": "Factitious illness: recognition and management.", "content": "An analysis of Munchausen syndrome by proxy is proposed, which involves a categorisation of parental behaviour in terms of desire to consult and ability to distinguish the child's needs from parents' own needs. The Munchausen syndrome by proxy case is proposed as one extreme of a much broader and commoner group for which the term factitious illness is used. An outline of assessment and investigation is given, applicable to all degrees of factitious illness, together with a model of collaboration between paediatrician and child psychiatrist. The role of the child psychiatrist is described. Collaboration results in a broader analysis of the situation which facilitates understanding and points the way to appropriate intervention."}
{"id": "PMID:1489240", "title": "Pelvic inflammatory disease: a clinical syndrome with social causes.", "content": "Prevalence of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) reflects community and individual risk factors. Cultural and behavioural factors influence community prevalence of sexually transmitted disease (STD), illegal abortion, puerperal sepsis and contraceptive usage--all of which influence risk of PID. The relative importance of these factors will vary by region. Individual risk factors for the ascent of a lower genital tract infection are still poorly understood but are thought to be behavioural and immunological. Prevention of PID must be undertaken at several levels. At primary level, it requires a reduction in community risk. At secondary level, individual risk can be modified by ensuring diagnosis and treatment of STD before damage of the upper genital tract occurs. More attention to cultural factors should increase the potential for prevention at both levels."}
{"id": "PMID:1489241", "title": "Raising awareness about reproductive morbidity.", "content": "Lack of awareness of the extent and effect of reproductive morbidity on the health and quality of life of women in developing countries is evident at national, community and individual levels. Raising awareness at national level requires population-based, epidemiological information which must be validated. At community level, public opinion mediates women's actions when they are sick and fear of social consequences provides a barrier to treatment. Individually, women find it difficult to talk about sexual reproductive health and its management. Methodologies currently being developed for raising awareness at all levels are described."}
{"id": "PMID:1489242", "title": "Gender-planned health services.", "content": "Gender-planned health services are planned on the basis that women and men play different roles in society and have different medical needs. The feminist movement has provided a broad charter of rights for women, reflecting women's needs, but these have yet to be translated into operational programmes. National programmes for women would allow co-ordination of broad-based programmes to improve women's health and social position. To change social norms discriminating against women will require changing male attitudes. Health programmes for males have received little attention, except from family planning organizations, although in most countries, males have a high rate of accidents, infections and parasitic disease. Controlled studies are required to evaluate the benefits of gender-planned health services."}
{"id": "PMID:1489243", "title": "Prevention of PID: a challenge for the health service.", "content": "The control of sexually transmitted diseases (STD) will reduce the prevalence of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). In most developing countries, treatment services are limited, coverage of the infected female population is inadequate and women seeking treatment are likely to be mismanaged. Family planning clinics do not usually provide routine screening for non-pregnant women. Screening only at family planning clinics would result in failure to treat some high-risk individuals, especially unmarried adolescents. The use of simplified protocols in the community has been recommended, but these may underestimate the problems of contact tracing, provide no systematic screening and induce passivity in the patient. For pregnant women, STD control has targetted syphilis, which does not cause PID. An integrated service for the management of reproductive health is required, and the development of women's clinics is suggested, using well-trained nurses and affordable technologies."}
{"id": "PMID:1489247", "title": "Responses of visual single cells in the superior colliculus of the albino rat to bright bars.", "content": "We studied the responses of 57 visual cells of the superior colliculus of the albino rat to bright sweeping and stationary flashing bright bars to determine the properties of their receptive fields. We observed that 9% (8% in superficial and 11% in deep layers) of the studied cells presented orientation preference and 16% showed direction selectivity (13% in superficial and 22% in deep layers). According to their responses to a flashed bright bar they were classified in OFF-type (19%) and ON-OFF-type (81%). No ON-type cells were found. All cells were driven by the contralateral eye, and only in three cases was single cell activation from the ipsilateral eye possible. Twenty-one per cent (22% in superficial and 18% in deep layers) showed end-stopping when they were tested with bright bars of several lengths."}
{"id": "PMID:1489248", "title": "Cholinergic microstimulation of the peribrachial nucleus in the cat. I. Immediate and prolonged increases in ponto-geniculo-occipital waves.", "content": "The cholinergic agonist carbachol was injected into the pontine Pb area where PGO bursting cells have been recorded. When microinjections were localized to the ventrolateral aspect of the caudal Pb nucleus near aggregates of ChAT immunolabeled cholinergic neurons, carbachol produced an immediate onset of state-independent PGO waves in the ipsilateral LGB. These state-independent PGO waves persisted for 3-4 days. After the first 24 hrs PGO wave activity increasingly became associated with REM sleep and with REM transitional SP sleep as both of these PGO-related states increased in amount to 3-4 times baseline levels. The increase in amount of PGO-related states peaked on days 2-4 following one carbachol injection and persisted for 10-12 days. These results suggest a two stage process: stage one, PGO enhancement, is the direct consequence of the membrane activation of cholinoceptive PGO burst neurons by carbachol; stage two, REM enhancement, is the consequence of metabolic activation of endogenous cholinergic neurons. This experimental preparation is a useful model for the study of the electrophysiology and functional significance of PGO wave and REM sleep generation."}
{"id": "PMID:1489244", "title": "[Cytotoxicity of ferric chloride used as an adjuvant of organic acid precipitation].", "content": "The objective of this study was the amelioration of the organic acid precipitation technique currently used as a secondary stage for viruses concentration using ferric chloride (FeCl3) as an adjuvant. To carry out this work successfully, we have studied the cytotoxicity effect of FeCl3 towards cell lines usually used for the investigation of enteric viruses. Two kinds of african green monkey kidney cells, MA104 and BGM, were used as a cellular model. The results showed that optimum concentration of FeCl3 for either BGM or MA104 cell survival and organic acid precipitation varies from 0.5 to 1 mM. The cytotoxicity test used in this work was simple, easy to realize and gives an appreciable information about the cytotoxicity dose of a given biological and chemical product."}
{"id": "PMID:1489249", "title": "Cholinergic microstimulation of the peribrachial nucleus in the cat. II. Delayed and prolonged increases in REM sleep.", "content": "The hypothesis that REM sleep is cholinergically mediated is supported by the identification of a cholinoceptive trigger zone in the FTG. Since this trigger zone is devoid of cholinergic neurons, the aim of the present study was to test the hypothesis that a cholinergic drive for REM sleep may come from the cholinergic cells of the PBL region. Chronically implanted freely moving cats with electrodes for sleep and PGO wave recordings were used. Guide tubes were implanted for carbachol microinjections (4 micrograms/250 nl) in the PBL and FTG. All microinjections were delivered in close vicinity of ChAT+ cholinergic cells in the PBL region. Results showed that a single unilateral carbachol microinjection into the PBL induced sustained (24 hr) state-independent ipsilateral PGO wave activity. This PGO wave activity was followed by a prolonged enhancement of REM sleep lasting for more than six days. We also observed that REM enhancement was followed by a delayed but marked enhancement of S sleep episodes with PGO waves (SP), which are normally brief transitions from S to REM sleep. Our findings strongly support the hypothesis that cholinergic drive for REM sleep comes from the lateral pontine tegmentum and we suggest that the PBL region plays a major role in both PGO wave generation and long-term regulation of REM sleep induction."}
{"id": "PMID:1489250", "title": "The dependence of the twitch course of medial gastrocnemius muscle of the rat and its motor units on stretching of the muscle.", "content": "The relationship between the force of a single twitch of the medial gastrocnemius muscle of the rat and contraction and half-relaxation times, on one hand, and the load of the muscle on the other, was studied. Twitches of the whole muscle and its individual motor units were induced. The optimal load, at which the majority of motor units reached the greatest twitch force, was 10 G. Mean optimal loads for twitches of different types of motor units were very similar. Slow motor units reached a slightly greater twitch force at greater loads (12.5 G) than at 10 G. However, the optimal load for the twitch of the whole muscle was much greater. It was 47 G on the average. The contraction and half-relaxation times of motor units, as well as of the whole muscle, became longer as the force stretching the muscle increased. Half-relaxation time changed more rapidly than contraction time. Both parameters were undergoing the greatest changes in slow motor units."}
{"id": "PMID:1489251", "title": "Effects of sleep deprivation on fos-like immunoreactivity in the rat brain.", "content": "The molecular mechanisms involved in sleep regulation and function are largely unknown, and our understanding of the localization of such mechanisms within specific brain structures is still incomplete. In this work, we explored the consequences of sleep deprivation by the immunocytochemical mapping of the induction of the protein product of the immediate early gene c-fos in the brain of sleep-deprived rats. The expression of Fos protein is an indicator of neuronal activity. In addition, since immediate early genes can function as \"third messengers\" and regulate the transcription of a number of target genes, their induction could be directly relevant to the homeostasis and functions of sleep. The present results show that, as a result of 24 hours of manual sleep deprivation, Fos-like immunoreactive cells are found in specific brain areas. These areas include the medial preoptic area of the hypothalamus, the nucleus accumbens, the lateral septum, several regions of the dorsal pontine tegmentum (central gray, dorsal raphe, locus coeruleus, pedunculopontine and laterodorsal tegmental nuclei, parabrachial nuclei) and an area medial to the parabigeminal nucleus at the ponto-mesencephalic junction. Some of these areas had already been implicated in slow-wave sleep and desynchronized sleep regulation."}
{"id": "PMID:1489252", "title": "Synthesis and inhibitory activities against enkephalin degrading aminopeptidase of H-Trp(Nps)-Lys-OMe analogues bearing chelating groups.", "content": "With the aim of increasing the inhibitory potency of the analgesic dipeptide H-Trp(Nps)-Lys-OMe against enkephalin-degrading aminopeptidases, the following derivatives bearing chelating groups at the N-terminus have been synthesized: Ac-Trp(Nps)-Lys-OMe (3), HS(CH2)nCO-Trp(Nps)-Lys-OMe [n = 1 (4), n = 2 (5)], MeOCO(CH2)n-Trp(Nps)-Lys-OMe [n = 1 (6), n = 2 (7)] and analogues in which the N alpha-amino group has been replaced by a methoxycarbonyl group (8) and a bidentate hydroxamate function (9), respectively. The inhibitory activities of all these compounds and the S-protected derivatives EtNHCOS(CH2)nCO-Trp(Nps)-Lys-OMe [n = 1 (16), n = (17)] against the mentioned enzyme, isolated from rat striatum, are compared with those of the parent dipeptide 2 and bestatin. All the new derivatives showed, in general, inhibitory potencies of the same order of magnitude as compound 2."}
{"id": "PMID:1489253", "title": "Preparation and diuretic properties of novel amiloride analogues.", "content": "Fifteen novel amiloride analogues were synthesized and their diuretic properties compared to amiloride and triamterene in white wistar rats. Whereas none of the 6-substituted derivatives exhibited significant natriuretic and antikaliuretic effects, five of the compounds modified in the 2-position were found equal or better than standards. The results are discussed with respect to chemical structure and physiochemical properties."}
{"id": "PMID:1489254", "title": "Synthesis of some guanylhydrazones and imidazolinylhydrazones as thromboxane-synthase and platelet aggregation inhibitors.", "content": "The imidazolinylhydrazones of (3-pyridinyloxy)-acetaldehyde and of 6-[3-(2-formyl-pyridinyl)oxy]hexanoic acid were synthesized as cyclic analogues of the corresponding guanylhydrazones which were found to be selective inhibitors of human thromboxane-synthase. The benzene isosters were also prepared in order to define the importance of the ring nitrogen for the activity. Moreover, the guanyl- and imidazolinyl-hydrazones of two 6-[(3-pyridinyl)oxy]hexanoic acids showing in the 2 position an alkyl chain with an alpha, beta-unsaturated ketonic function were prepared. Imidazolinylhydrazones 7 and 18 are selective inhibitors of thromboxane-synthase, while the two guanylhydrazones 14 and 15 which do not affect prostanoid biosynthesis seemed to be antagonists at the thromboxane receptor."}
{"id": "PMID:1489255", "title": "[Thiophene as a structural element of physiologically active substances. 20. Thiophene analogs of the leukotriene D4 antagonist Ro 23-3544].", "content": "The synthesis of 6-Acetyl-7-[[5-(5-acetyl-4-hydroxy-3-propyl-2-thienyl- oxy)pentyl]oxy]-3,4-dihydro-2H-1-benzopyran-2-carboxylic acid (1), a thiophene analogue of the leukotriene antagonist Ro 23-3544, is described. Compound 1 shows almost no effect on leukotriene D4 induced broncho-constriction on anesthesized guinea pigs."}
{"id": "PMID:1489256", "title": "[The lecture in the system of teaching pathology].", "content": "The material of lectures on pathology in 75 higher medical schools of the country is analyzed. The types of lectures, their optimal planning are indicated. Recommendations to enhance their efficiency taking into consideration the motivation of their learning are given. Optimal form for the lecture is considered a problem lecture."}
{"id": "PMID:1489257", "title": "[Practical games--one of the forms of independent student work].", "content": "The games imitating a clinical pathology conference and a session of the therapeutical-control commission are an efficient method of student learning during the biopsy-sectional course. They favour activation of perception, form clinico-anatomical thinking, facilitate the learning of the diagnosis concept and the role of physicians of various profile (therapeutist, surgeon, pathologist, gynecologist, etc.)."}
{"id": "PMID:1489259", "title": "[Methodologic approaches to creating an automated test on pathology].", "content": "The designers of the topical computer test on pathological anatomy based it on the test method of the control of student knowledge. First, computer standard topical tests covering all the sections of the program are developed. The stages of each test development involve working out of various tasks, the test trial and statistical processing of the test results. The statistical analysis permits assessment of individual and group student knowledge, of quality of the test itself as well as correction of the test drawbacks. Finally, the appropriate tests form a bank of computer knowledge control after putting them in as a special computer program."}
{"id": "PMID:1489261", "title": "[Organization and methods of teaching a course on biopsy and dissection].", "content": "This course is to be organized during the last year of the Institute, the student group should have at least 18 lectures lasting for not more than 2-3 hours. The course should be integrated with other medical disciplines and chairs. The teaching of hospital pathology should be based on unified modern concepts of diagnosis, clinico-anatomical correlations, student independent work, etc."}
{"id": "PMID:1489262", "title": "[Experience in teaching a course on biopsy and dissection].", "content": "Basic aspects of the biopsy-sectional course are listed: knowledge of the structure, tasks, juridical status of the pathology service; clinico-anatomical analysis during necropsy; principles of the pathology diagnosis and clinico-anatomical epicrisis; visual presentation of the biopsy and operation material, including urgent biopsies; participation of students in the city clinico-anatomical conferences; lectures about medical deontology and physician errors."}
{"id": "PMID:1489263", "title": "[Analysis of training pathologists on the basis of an educational-research-practicum complex].", "content": "The experience of the work of the educational-research-practical association (chair of pathology-pathologo-anatomical bureau) is analyzed. It is believed that organization of such complexes aimed at integration of educational, scientific and practical activity is one of the most effective ways of reorganization of the system of higher medical education and health service. Working within the complex permits a rapid improvement in the quality of education, effectiveness of scientific work and practical activity in pathological anatomy. A conclusion is made that one of the priorities of reorganization of the system of health care is realization of the principle of centralized management and technical supply of these complexes."}
{"id": "PMID:1489264", "title": "[Teaching pathology in European countries].", "content": "Similarities and differences of pathology teaching in various European universities are described concerning mainly the number of academic hours assigned to different sections of pathology. General problems in the organization of higher, including medical, education are discussed. Rules and statuses of the European universities are considered in the light of the forthcoming reforms in Russian universities."}
{"id": "PMID:1489265", "title": "[Current tasks of institutional pathology departments in training physicians in the system of postgraduate education].", "content": "The difficulties in the postgraduate training of pathologists are analyzed and the leading role of the pathology chairs of the institutes for postgraduate medical training is outlined. Measures for retaining and improving the existing system for the training of pathologists are discussed. The importance of the physician's attestation in their qualification categories, and other possibilities in improving the postgraduate pathologist training are considered."}
{"id": "PMID:1489266", "title": "[Postgraduate training of pathologists].", "content": "Specialization of institutions engaged in training of pathologists is a key condition of skilled specialists turn out. Medical colleges should be responsible for training hospital and junior physicians. Institutes for postgraduate medical education must ensure updating of the practicing pathologists knowledge and prepare them for getting special degrees and diplomas including \"European Pathologist\". The system of continuous training of pathologists should rest on fundamental legal base which should be warranted by the Russian Federation Ministry of Public Health."}
{"id": "PMID:1489267", "title": "[An attempt to analyze lethal outcomes].", "content": "The results of the analysis of 2675 autopsy protocols for 1987-1990 in the Moscow City Pathology Centre and 18246 cases of surgery of patients with urgent abdominal pathology in the Ostroumov's Hospital N 33 for 1980-1989 (with 870 lethal issues) are presented. Over 62% of the total are patients over 75 years of age. The advanced age, the presence of multiple diseases (polypathies) considerably influenced the course, diagnosis, therapy and issues of diseases, particularly in the urgent surgical pathology. This is considered particularly in the urgent surgical pathology. This is considered in details on the example of the gallbladder stones. The frequency of different variants of ischemic cardiac disease, vascular brain damage, malignant tumours, respiratory diseases, diseases of the digestive and urinary tract is presented. Clinical diagnosis in cases of death at home is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1489268", "title": "[Primary retroperitoneal adenocarcinoma].", "content": "A rare case is reported of retroperitoneal papillary adenocarcinoma in a 25-year-old female. Two recurrences were observed after surgical and radiation treatment. The tumour became inoperable after the second recurrence. The duration of the disease was somewhat more than 5 years. The attention is drawn to the difficulty of differential diagnosis with a metastasis. The young age and histological structure allow one to regard the tumour disembryogenetic and originating from the embryonal germs of urinary-genital organs or from the intestinal tube."}
{"id": "PMID:1489269", "title": "[Teaching of pathology in medical education].", "content": "The representatives from 90 departments of pathological anatomy at medical colleges participated in the 3d National Education and Methodology Conference held in December of 1991. The conference discussed the problems of teaching students and postgraduate specialists pathologic anatomy. The conference approved recommendations on further improvement of the system of clinical pathologists training. The International Association of Pathologic Anatomy Teachers has been established. The principal task of the association is coordination of the efforts in advancing the skill of the teachers and development of new guidelines, text books, etc."}
{"id": "PMID:1489270", "title": "[Basic principles in the integration of pathology with medico-biologic disciplines].", "content": "Five principles should be used for the student knowledge integration at chairs of medico-biological profile and pathology: 1) wide professional orientation, 2) justified sequence of teaching, 3) teaching synchronization, 4) feedback mechanism, 5) reasonable sufficiency of the material. This may become realistic if the teachers of the highest qualification are employed and if health care officials pay due attention to the student teaching."}
{"id": "PMID:1489271", "title": "[Pathology of acute radiation sickness induced by relatively proportional combined radiation damage].", "content": "Materials are presented on six cases of fatal acute radiation disease consequent to relatively proportional beta- and gamma-irradiation after accident in the nuclear submarine. The comparison is performed of this material with the data published on the radiation sequelae of the Chernobyl nuclear catastrophe."}
{"id": "PMID:1489272", "title": "[Comparative study of the changes in structural parameters of collagen fibers during natural aging and pneumosclerosis formation].", "content": "Changes in diameter of the collagen fibers and their number in fascicles of the rat lung in the process of natural ageing and formation of radiation-induced pneumo-sclerosis were studied electron microscopically. The decrease of the fibril thickness and the increase of their number in fascicles progressed during the postirradiation period and reached the values absent in the control animals."}
{"id": "PMID:1489273", "title": "[Morphohistochemical characteristics of heart myocardiocytes under profound donor hypothermia].", "content": "Hearts of 52 pups were studied histochemically and electron-microscopically at various stages of total-body hypothermia. The dependence of the myocardiocyte metabolic alterations on the factors acting in the myocardium during different stages of hypothermia and during subsequent warming is shown. The vitality of the cooled heart is largely determined by retaining not only of its function, but by its anatomo-physiological links with the organism. The method of the profound hypothermia of the donor organism is, according to the authors, one of the ways to sustain the donor heart vitality before transplantation."}
{"id": "PMID:1489274", "title": "[Inhibition of tumor induction by methylnitrosourea in resected urinary bladder].", "content": "In the present experiments the dependence of tumour induction upon the different phases of the cell cycle in the proliferating urinary bladder was examined. For stimulation of urothelial proliferation, a one-third resection of the bladder was performed in female Wistar rats. To synchronize the proliferating urothelial cells, hydroxyurea was given. The direct-acting urothelial carcinogen N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU) was administered as a single intravesical dose during different cell cycle phases. The incidence of urothelial bladder tumors was 32.6% in the controls. By comparison, the tumour incidences were 18.9, 9.3, 21.7, 26.3, 25.0 and 30.0%, respectively, when MNU was instilled during the late Gi-, early and late S-, G2+M-, and early and late postmitotic phase. The results obtained from a total of 283 rats clearly document a cell cycle specific inhibition of tumour development in the proliferating urinary bladder particularly when the carcinogen was administered during the early S-phase. MNU has also been shown to produce mesenchymal tumours in the bladder (overall incidence: 4.9%) as well as urothelial tumours in the renal pelvis (3.2%) and ureters (1.4%)."}
{"id": "PMID:1489277", "title": "[Transplantation of embryonal brain tissue].", "content": "Analysis of the experimental results on the embryonal nervous tissue transplantation into the various parts of the nervous system of animals and man is made in the review. Transplants in many experiments survive and differentiate even in transplantation between different species. Main problem is isolation of specific groups of donor cells, ensuring their survival and differentiation into a given direction in the host brain. The most favourable results are anticipated in the xenotransplantation when the donor cells are those of neural germs of insects and amphibia."}
{"id": "PMID:1489278", "title": "[Problem of the relationship of probable and real ecologic pathology].", "content": "Ecology plays more and more important role as an etiological factor of human diseases: congenital defects, tumours, immunodyzergies, hematopoietic and endocrine disorders. Two directions should be taken into consideration in establishing the role of ecology in human disease: pathology itself and ecogenic factor. The first one consists of the complex \"populations at risk-pattern of mortality-ecogenic diseases, the second direction is \"geography of potentially ecogenic diseases-correlation with geography of environmental pollution-eco-etiological factor\". The analysis of death causes may form an alternative to generalized ecomedical analysis having a low informative value. Additional problem of ecological pathology is an ecogenically induced weakness, premorbid and latent states."}
{"id": "PMID:1489279", "title": "Stria vascularis in M\u00e9ni\u00e8re's disease: a quantitative histopathological study.", "content": "To investigate the role of pathology of the stria vascularis in M\u00e9ni\u00e8re's disease, the vascularity and the cross-sectional area of the stria vascularis in a midmodiolar section of the cochlea were examined by histological observation and a computer-aided planimetric, respectively, in eight temporal bones from individuals with M\u00e9ni\u00e8re's disease and eight age-matched normal temporal bones. The number of vessels in the stria vascularis was significantly smaller in most of the cochlear turns in ears with M\u00e9ni\u00e8re's disease than in control ears, and the cross-sectional area of the stria vascularis in the same sections was significantly smaller in all the cochlear turns in ears with M\u00e9ni\u00e8re's disease than in controls. Furthermore, vascularity correlated significantly with the cross-sectional area of the stria vascularis in all the temporal bones examined. From these results it appears that poor vascularity of the stria vascularis is closely related to strial atrophy, and that these pathological findings might be important factors in the pathophysiology of M\u00e9ni\u00e8re's disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1489280", "title": "Recording eye movement during stepping in place with a CCD (charge-coupled device) imagesensor.", "content": "A new system for recording eye movements using a charge-coupled device (CCD) imagesensor in a video camera, in which less than 0.5 degree of horizontal and vertical eye movements can be recorded, was applied in 7 subjects. Eye movements were recorded while they stepped in place. We observed 5 normal subjects, a patient with horizontal and vertical oscillopsia during walking, and one with a chronic limp. In the normal adults, the amplitude of vertical eye movement was less than 0.5 degree, and the horizontal eye movement was less than 2 degrees. The mean amplitude of horizontal and vertical eye movements in the subject who limped was larger than that of normal subjects. The patient who complained of vertical oscillopsia during walking showed the largest amplitude of vertical eye movement among any subject tested. The vertical oscillopsia in the patient was due to the largest amplitude of vertical eye movement. This system for recording eye movements will be useful in analyzing the mechanism of gaze fixation during walking."}
{"id": "PMID:1489281", "title": "Academic success of integrated hearing-impaired pupils who had enrolled in the early written-oral language program.", "content": "Data on academic success were analyzed for 37 hearing-impaired pupils who had been trained by the Written-Oral Language Method before school age. Seventy-one percent of pupils whose average hearing level was less than 89 dB and 77% of pupils whose hearing was 90 to 120 dB succeeded academically. Degree of hearing impairment, speech intelligibility, and gender were not important to their success. Linguistic competence evaluated just before enrollment in a normal educational setting at 6 years of age was the only factor significant to their academic success. However, we propose that the investigation of other factors, IQ and age at the start of preschool training program, must be analyzed in more detail in the future."}
{"id": "PMID:1489282", "title": "Evaluation of the Pharmacia CAP System, a new test for allergic diagnosis (cedar pollinosis).", "content": "For the diagnosis of allergic rhinitis we measured the specific IgE and the total serum IgE in the blood. Although we had measured them by the conventional Phadebas RAST and the Pharmacia IgE RIA before, we now adopted the new Pharmacia CAP System (CAP RAST FEIA and CAP IgE FEIA). To compare these methods, we measured the specific IgE to the cedar pollen and total serum IgE in the same blood of 224 hospital staff at the regular physical examination. As a result the new Pharmacia CAP System proved to be simpler, safer, faster, easier, more specific, and more sensitive than the Phadebas RAST and the Pharmacia IgE RIA. And also these methods correlated well with each other."}
{"id": "PMID:1489283", "title": "Electron microscopic observation of killer cells induced by mixed culture of lymphocytes with autologous cancer cells and further culture with recombinant interleukin-2.", "content": "Peripheral blood lymphocytes obtained from 2 patients with hypopharyngeal cancer were cultured with mitomycin C treated autologous tumor cells (autologous MLTC) for 10 days and further cultured with recombinant interleukin 2 (rIL-2). In one case 10-day MLTC induced increase of CD25-positive lymphocyte count, indicating that IL-2 receptors were expressed dominantly by the autologous tumor stimulation, and further culture with rIL-2 differentiated killing activity against autologous tumor cells. In the other case, however, MLTC alone induced killing activity against autologous tumor cells, indicating that the tumor cells from this patient might possess stimulatory activity sufficient to induce mature killer cells. Electron microscopic observation of the morphological features of lymphocytes cultured for 10 days revealed mostly small lymphocytes with low incidence of cytoplasmic granules. Further culture with rIL-2, however, induced slightly larger lymphocytes with well-developed microvilli, and cytoplasmic granules were found in many of the cells. Lymphokine activated killer (LAK) cells induced by culture of lymphocytes with rIL-2 alone were much larger and had long microvilli and abundant cytoplasmic granules, and were apparently morphologically different from the killer cells initiated by MLTC. The small lymphocytes induced by autologous MLTC alone might be autologous tumor specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) and/or CTL precursors. Further culture with rIL-2 induced maturation of the CTL. However, the nature of the cytoplasmic granules remains obscure."}
{"id": "PMID:1489284", "title": "Tuberculoma of the nasopharynx.", "content": "A 67-year-old female patient with tuberculosis of the nasopharynx is reported. The diagnosis was confirmed on histological and bacteriological examination of a biopsy from her postnasal space. There was no evidence of any other active foci of tuberculosis but she had had a right nephrectomy 45 years previously for renal tuberculosis. A review of the literature on nasopharyngeal tuberculosis shows this to be a very rare disease in the absence of active pulmonary involvement."}
{"id": "PMID:1489285", "title": "Migration of fishbone following penetration of the cervical esophagus presenting as a thyroid mass.", "content": "Fishbones are among the commonest foreign bodies lodged in the cervical esophagus. A small percentage of them will penetrate the esophageal wall and will be found either intra- or extraluminally. Migration of esophageal foreign bodies to the thyroid gland, and presentation as a mass, is extremely rare. We present such a case and review the relevant literature."}
{"id": "PMID:1489287", "title": "Immediate and long-term results of percutaneous balloon aortic valvuloplasty: a report of 33 procedures.", "content": "The purpose of this study was to evaluate the immediate and long-term clinical and haemodynamic effects of Percutaneous Balloon Aortic Valvuloplasty (PBAV). Thirty-three procedures were performed in 27 patients, 11 males and 16 females with a mean age of 72 years. The peak to peak systolic gradient across the aortic valve decreased by 52%, from 67 +/- 24 mmHg to 31 +/- 15 mmHg (p < 0.0001) and the aortic valve area increased by 35%, from 0.48 +/- 0.16 to 0.67 +/- 0.21 cm2 (p < 0.001) after PBAV. There were no procedural deaths. Minor complications occurred in seven patients. Eighty-one per cent of patients (27 procedures) showed immediate symptomatic improvement, five remained symptomatic and one died in hospital before discharge. In a mean follow-up of 17 +/- 12 months (range six to 38 months), eight patients died due to congestive cardiac failure, six underwent repeat PBAV, three died due to noncardiac causes and three had recurrent symptoms controlled on medical therapy. Event free survival at 15 months was 43%. In conclusion PBAV produces a satisfactory immediate clinical and haemodynamic result, however, considering the high rate of symptom recurrence, this procedure has a beneficial role only in short-term palliation of severely symptomatic patients who are unable to undergo aortic valve replacement."}
{"id": "PMID:1489288", "title": "Autoantibodies to neutrophil cytoplasmic (ANCA) and endothelial cell surface antigens (AECA) in chronic inflammatory bowel disease.", "content": "Sera from 103 patients with chronic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) were tested prospectively for antibodies against neutrophil cytoplasmic antigens (anti-neutrophil cytoplasm antibodies, ANCA) and endothelial cell surface antigens (anti-endothelial cell antibodies, AECA) by indirect immunofluorescence (IIF) and assays based on whole fixed neutrophils, purified neutrophil enzyme substrates and human umbilical vein endothelial cells. Using IIF, ANCA were found in 26 IBD sera (25%) and in none of 51 controls. Twenty-two positive sera (85%) were from patients with ulcerative colitis (UC). The pattern of distribution of immunofluorescence was always perinuclear (P-ANCA). A majority of UC patients positive for these autoantibodies (68%) had active colitis, but none had evidence of vasculitis. Using a whole neutrophil ELISA, binding was demonstrable in 73% of UC sera compared to 27% of Crohn's (CD) sera and only 4% of controls. Unlike vasculitis sera, UC sera with P-ANCA did not bind strongly to myeloperoxidase (MPO). Forty-five per cent of IBD sera tested positive for IgG AECA in an endothelial cell ELISA, compared to seven of 51 (14%) controls. Binding correlated with both active and extensive colitis. A type of P-ANCA, in most cases distinct from MPO-specific P-ANCA observed in vasculitis, is detected in a significant proportion of patients with UC, but rarely Crohn's colitis and therefore may be of differential diagnostic value. IgG AECA are also frequent in CIBD sera but are less disease specific than ANCA."}
{"id": "PMID:1489289", "title": "A comparison of peripheral blood stem cell mobilisation after chemotherapy with cyclophosphamide as a single agent in doses of 4 g/m2 or 7 g/m2 in patients with advanced cancer.", "content": "We used cyclophosphamide at a dose of 7 g/m2 in patients with advanced cancer and compared the efficacy of this treatment to generate peripheral blood stem cells (PBSC) with the previously reported regimen of cyclophosphamide 4 g/m2 in a similar group of patients. None of these patients received haemopoietic growth factors. Twenty-two patients received 7 g/m2 and 37 received 4 g/m2. PBSC were collected by apheresis after the leukocyte count recovered to 1.0 x 10(9)/L. The yield of colony forming unit-granulocyte macrophage (CFU-GM) was higher for the 7 g/m2 group with a median of 35 x 10(4)/kg versus 15 x 10(4)/kg body weight (BW) (p < 0.05) and higher mononuclear cell yield with medians of 4.2 x 10(8)/kg compared with 3.1 x 10(8)/kg BW (p < 0.001). The percentage of patients achieving the minimum safe level of > 15 x 10(4) CFU-GM/kg BW was higher in the 7 g/m2 cyclophosphamide group (82%) than the 4 g/m2 cyclophosphamide group (51%). The duration of significant neutropaenia was a median of 11 compared with nine days (p < 0.004) and all patients receiving 7 g/m2 required admission to hospital and intravenous antibiotic therapy compared with 44% in the 4 g/m2 group. There was one death during the period of neutropaenia after cyclophosphamide in each group. Nineteen per cent of patients required platelet transfusions after cyclophosphamide 7 g/m2 compared with 18% after 4 g/m2. We conclude that the 7 g/m2 cyclophosphamide gives a higher yield of haemopoietic progenitor cells than the 4 g/m2 but at increased clinical toxicity."}
{"id": "PMID:1489291", "title": "New approaches to the management of poor prognosis non-seminomatous germ cell tumours.", "content": "While most patients with disseminated non-seminomatous germ cell tumours (NSGCT) are cured by treatment with cisplatinum-based chemotherapy, a subset die from refractory or relapsing disease. Poor prognostic factors at diagnosis include bulky disease, visceral involvement, high serum marker levels and an inadequate rate of fall in these markers in response to treatment. There are a number of approaches to poorer risk patients. One is to use conventional induction chemotherapy followed by second-line salvage regimens in those who fail induction. Results with this approach have been disappointing. A second approach is to use more intensive induction regimens, in some cases with growth factor support; whether these are superior to standard treatment has yet to be established by randomised studies. A third approach, based on the chemotherapy-dose responsiveness of NSGCT, consists of the administration of very high dose chemotherapy followed by haematological rescue with autologous marrow to patients failing initial therapy. Review of autograft studies suggest that durable remissions can be obtained in most patients with responsive disease, but not if the disease is chemotherapy-refractory. A new approach may be elective early autografting in patients identified at diagnosis to have very poor prognosis disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1489290", "title": "The role of dipyridamole in addition to low dose aspirin in the prevention of occlusion of coronary artery bypass grafts.", "content": "One hundred and one subjects were randomised to receive either aspirin 100 mg or aspirin 100 mg + dipyridamole 300 mg daily before undergoing coronary bypass surgery. The drugs were commenced at least 36 hours before operation and patients were followed for one year. There were three perioperative deaths and 37 withdrawals, of which 14 were drug related (aspirin four, aspirin + dipyridamole ten). Cineangiocardiograms at nine weeks and one year showed vein graft patency rates of 93% and 87% for subjects treated with aspirin alone; and 90% and 89% in those who received aspirin+dipyridamole. During the follow-up period 14% of 232 coronary lesions in the aspirin treated group advanced by more than two grades compared with 15% of 315 lesions in the aspirin+dipyridamole group. The study did not establish superiority of one regimen over another in terms of graft patency or progress of lesions in native vessels. However, low dose aspirin was better tolerated than combination therapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1489293", "title": "The structured interview as a tool for predicting premature withdrawal from medical school.", "content": "A 1:1 matched case-control study was carried out to assess whether comments written about a candidate during a semi-structured interview can identify students likely to withdraw from a medical course better than global numerical scores. Fifty-nine students who withdrew from the undergraduate medical course at the University of Newcastle prior to completion were matched for sex, year and mode of entry into the course, prior academic qualifications and age at entry, with 59 students who had not discontinued or been excluded from the course. No significant differences were found between the numerical scores allocated for personal attributes to students who later withdrew from the course and those who continued. However, students who withdrew had statistically significantly more negative comments made about them at interview with respect to their supportive and encouraging behaviour (p = 0.04) and their motivation to become doctors (p = 0.05). Although no other comparisons reached statistical significance, students who withdrew consistently received more negative comments and fewer positive comments than their continuing peers. A stepwise logistic regression procedure identified the number of negative comments made by interviewers about a candidate on their supportive and encouraging behaviour as the only statistically significant predictor of later withdrawal (odds ratio 1.65 95% confidence interval 1.01-2.70)."}
{"id": "PMID:1489304", "title": "The Australian and New Zealand Cardiothoracic Organ Transplant Registry: first report 1984-1992.", "content": "This initial report of the Australian and New Zealand Cardiothoracic Organ Transplant Registry summarises the results of all cardiothoracic transplants performed between February 1984 and April 1992. A total of 549 first cardiothoracic transplant procedures and six cardiac retransplant operations were performed in five transplant units throughout Australia and New Zealand. There were 466 orthotopic cardiac transplants and one heterotopic transplant with overall survival 86% at one year and 80% at five years. Two of six patients who underwent cardiac retransplantation are alive. Fifty-three heart-lung transplants were performed with 72% one year and 42% five year survival. Twenty-nine single lung transplant procedures were undertaken, with actuarial survival 72% at 12 months. Factors influencing waiting period and post-transplant survival for each type of procedure are detailed. The relative lack of donors compared with recipient demand has produced increased waiting times for every type of cardiothoracic organ transplant."}
{"id": "PMID:1489308", "title": "[Homicide simulating electrocution suicide by spinal anesthesia].", "content": "A married woman was found dead with indications of suicide by electricity (household-voltage). On coroner's inquest (typical electric lesions at the wrist) and the result of police investigation, there was no indication of third party involvement. The cadaver war firstly released to burial, but on account of indication of conflicts between the married couple, a forensic autopsy was arranged. The most important pathological finding was a fresh puncture between L3/L4. On toxicological investigation, toxic concentrations of the local anaesthetic prilocaine were found in liquor and organs. Cause of death was central respiratory- and circulatory depression. The husband, an anaesthesist, blamed he was assisting the suicide of his wife at her request. He was found guilty by reasons of manslaughter but not for murder."}
{"id": "PMID:1489309", "title": "[Discrepant results with immunohistochemical detection TDx/ADx?].", "content": "In the last 2 years we had some problems to confirm the thin-layer results (amphetamines, opiates, benzodiazepines, barbiturates and cocaine) with the immunoassay system TDx/ADx. Between January 1989 and December 1990 we did 883 screenings in urine samples (pre- and postmortal) and had 157 discrepancies (20%). In regard of the high level of discrepancies, we had to test the compatibility of TDx and ADx, their detection limits and compared the results with a second method, thin-layer chromatography. Determining the correlation coefficients to prove our results statistically, we found that both systems, TDx and ADx, work reproducible."}
{"id": "PMID:1489310", "title": "[Significance of drug determination in pilocarpine sweat for detection of past drug abuse].", "content": "The presence of cocaine, morphine and methadone in sweat samples obtained after stimulation of the eccrine sweat glands, from drugs users after six drugs-free days, was investigated. The stimulation of the sweat elimination was proved using pilocarpine-iontophoresis every hour for 7 hours. The drugs concentrations were determined by radioimmunoassay. Consequently, the values measured represent the sum of the drug and its metabolites. Measurable levels of cocaine, morphine and methadone were obtained after the third stimulation of the glands."}
{"id": "PMID:1489311", "title": "[Detection of bromine uptake in cadavers from seawater].", "content": "Pieces of animal and human lungs were placed in seawater. The fluids pressed of it produced in X-ray fluorescence analysis bromine concentrations, which exceeded the physiological level. These experiments created the supposition to interpret correctly relevant findings in the victims of flight accidents."}
{"id": "PMID:1489312", "title": "[Matrix effects from the thanatochemical viewpoint].", "content": "The predominating hydrophilic physiological body constituents are not interfering severely during the toxicological analysis for organic poisons in biological matrices, whereas coextracted lipids are usually well distinguishable from xenobiotics. But interfering substances increase strongly with autolysis, and some of them behave like toxicologically relevant compounds to be detected by the respective analytical methods. Attempts are reaching from the STAS' isolation procedure through the ptomaines to our chromatographical epoche, to phenomenologically compensate the matrix effects--increasing in the course of putrefaction--by the determination and generalisation of according analytical signals. The paper outlines on the background of Systematic Toxicological Analysis how far a systematic thanatochemical concept should be considered more closely for the futural more effective analytical elimination of such matrix effects."}
{"id": "PMID:1489313", "title": "[Multifactorial studies of 154 fatalities of psychotropic drug poisoning].", "content": "The documents of 154 drug victims dissected in the Centre of Legal Medicine of the University of Frankfurt am Main in 1987 and 1988 were examined by computer. The average age i.e. was 26 years, the share of women 23 per cent. In 47 per cent the main cause of death was an overdoses of heroin and in 48 per cent heroin was the first drug that was taken. 58 per cent of the drug victims came from totally intact families."}
{"id": "PMID:1489314", "title": "[Strangulation fatalities in childhood].", "content": "The 12,000 obductions at the Institute for Forensic Medicine of the University of Hamburg from 1981 to 1990 included 30 cases of strangulation in children up to the age of 14 years (16 females, 14 males). 7 of these cases had been accidents (during infancy), 18 children had been murdered (all age groups), 4 children (elder ones) had committed suicide. In one case it could not be decided whether the reason of death had been suicide or an accident. Summarized data concerning epidemiological, phenomenological and morphological aspects are presented. Two case histories give some hints to special aspects of accidental strangulation and homicide among children."}
{"id": "PMID:1489315", "title": "[Sudden death after consumption of chloral hydrate].", "content": "Two cases of fatal chloral hydrate poisoning are reported. The young men were prisoners in jails of Vorarlberg. During their captivity the doctor prescribed them 4 g chloral hydrate per day because of insomnia. They accumulated some doses and consumed it all together. Causes of death were brain swelling with premature craniostenosis in one case and vomiting with aspiration of stomach content in the other. Morphological and toxicological findings are presented and juridical consequences are turned out."}
{"id": "PMID:1489316", "title": "[Quantitative measurements of hemagglutination using ultrasound scattering].", "content": "A new method of quantitative measurement of the strength and the progress of hemagglutination is being reported. A rapid investigation of antibody titres and receptor strength is possible."}
{"id": "PMID:1489317", "title": "[Blood group determination of a single hair].", "content": "Using the mixed cell agglutination reaction (MCAR) in a modification by Ishiyama and Okada (MCAR on adhesive tape) we examined single rootless hairs collected from 65 men, women and children (aged 6 months to 80 years). Correct results gave 57 probes (87%). False-positive and false-negative results mainly occurred at non-secretor donors. The modified method is quickly done, reproducible and does not alter the hair."}
{"id": "PMID:1489318", "title": "[The independence of the forensic physician as an expert witness].", "content": "Forensic physicians are often called upon by the courts and the public prosecutor's office to give expert opinions and carry out post-mortem examinations, e.g. to determine blood groups or cause of death. The expert is simply aiding the court within the framework of its function of hearing evidence. The court, after considering the evidence, must determine whether an allegation is true or false. Since, for example, the determination of cause of death demands qualified specialized knowledge and a high sense of responsibility, the expert should be both scientifically and personally autonomous in order to preclude wherever possible any conflict of interest. The not-too-distant past has demonstrated that justice, even here, can often be miscarried. This is why the autonomy of the expert is of prime importance. The readjustment to section 87, para. 2, clause 2, StPO may represent an infringement of the principle of autonomy, for in addition to calling on forensic physicians or the heads of forensic or pathology institutes to perform autopsies, as required before the 1975 amendment, these heads are now permitted to delegate their assignments to doctors in their own institutes. In compliance with the decisive trial commentary Loewe-Rosenberg, it should be pointed out that the presence of two pathologists is required by the law, one of whom must be a forensic physician or head of a forensic or pathology institute, and that the court presumes that the participation of delegated doctors will be the exception to the rule.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1489319", "title": "[Acute fatal hemorrhage in craniocerebral trauma?].", "content": "At necropsy of fatal cases due to craniocerebral trauma it is highly recommended that the intraosseous course of the internal carotid arteries are dissected, as detected injuries of these vessels may allow improved conclusions concerning the course of death. Suitable preparation techniques are presented. On the basis of the anatomical and physiological situation as well as pathophysiological considerations the acute lethal outcome of traumatic rupture of the intraosseous part of these arteries is not to be interpreted as death by hemorrhagic/hypovolemic shock but rather as lethal cerebral hypoxia subsequent to a rapidly developing insufficiency of the brain circulation."}
{"id": "PMID:1489320", "title": "[Detection of ischemic myocardial damage].", "content": "Cases of cardiac death (myocardial infarction, coronary artery thrombosis, coronary artery sclerosis) were investigated with histochemical and immunohistochemical methods. Histochemical staining methods (HE, LFB, CAB) were used, with immunohistochemical methods were detected the proteins Desmin, Myoglobin, Fibrinogen and Complement C5b-9. Macroscopically visible myocardial infarctions were detected with both methods clearly. The damage pattern was associated to the type of destruction. At myocardial infarction the changes were focal at the other groups more disseminated."}
{"id": "PMID:1489321", "title": "[Rectal temperature-time of death nomogram: dependence of corrective factors of body weight in significant thermal insulating conditions].", "content": "98 test coolings were made under various cooling conditions (moving air, two types of both clothing and covering) on dummies of real masses of 1, 3.3, 9.9, 24.5 and 33.4 kg resp. which cool under standard conditions (unclothed, uncovered, still air) like human bodies of 14, 33, 41, 83 and 104 kg resp. The results provide evidence on a nonlinear dependence of corrective factors of body weight upon the body weight. The dynamics of the dependence increases with the thickness of thermic isolation. Transferred to the use of the nomogram method on bodies, cooling conditions requiring corrective factors known by experience between 0.75 (moving air) and 1.3 (rather thin clothing/covering) can be used as in the past independent on the body weight. Only in higher corrective factors for thicker clothing/covering according to experience the dependence of corrective factors on the body weight must be taken into account in bodies of a very high or low body weight. Beside a simplified table a formula for computing is also given for that purpose."}
{"id": "PMID:1489322", "title": "[Contact neck gunshot wound without weapon--suicide or homicide?].", "content": "To support police in reenacting criminal acts is one of the most important functions of forensic investigation. This case report deals with the discovery of the corpse of a 42-year old man at the bank of the river Inn. First of all the man was supposed to be drowned, but the autopsy showed a gunshot wound of the neck and a shot-through of the brain-stem. Intensive search for the weapon by the police and by divers was unsuccessful and therefore suspicion of homicide arose. The reconstruction of the act at the site of discovery of the corpse led to the discovery of the weapon and the case became clear to be a suicide."}
{"id": "PMID:1489323", "title": "[Ectotoxin-forming pyogenic Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) as a cause of toxic shock syndrome (TSS) in man].", "content": "Basing considerations on an extremely carefully examined case of toxic shock syndrome (TSS), an analysis of this phenomenon is presented from the clinical and forensic points of view. TSS is often associated with the term \"tampon disease\" but in the meantime it has turned out that it may also arise as a non-menstrual disorder, caused by local infections, for example after surgical interventions. The inevitable symptoms include: fever, exanthema, desquamation on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet as well as hypotension. The clinical symptoms would initially suggest a septic process, however bacteriological investigations (blood cultures) normally produce negative results. At the source, however, ectotoxin-producing staphylococci (S. aureus) are found. The present case which is described in detail involves a 17-year old woman who had contracted a crucial ligament injury at the knee of the right leg when playing football. She died a few days after the operation, her death being accompanied by high fever. In smears from the area of the operation it was possible to identify staphylococci (S. aureus) which by phagetyping determination were classified as belonging to lysogroup type II/71 and which produced ectotoxin B. It was not possible to culture bacteria from blood from the corpse. Criminal proceedings for involuntary manslaughter were in the end dismissed although the accused resident physician was sentenced to pay 30,000 DM damages to the parents of the young woman. He also had to pay the costs of the civil action incidental to the criminal proceedings.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1489324", "title": "[Liver and splenic ruptures as a complication of heart pressure massage].", "content": "Injuries of the abdominal organs, especially liver and spleen, which were caused by resuscitative measures, can occasionally raise problems if an expert opinion on death is obtained particularly with regard to previous traumatization and if the question arises whether the trauma could have been avoided or not. These questions will be discussed from different points of view by means of ten cases. Even when lege-artis-cardiac massage is made, the above mentioned complications cannot always be avoided. In none of the ten cases the trauma caused by resuscitative measures was the cause of concomitant cause of fatal outcome."}
{"id": "PMID:1489325", "title": "[Unexpected fatalities in childhood caused by acute epiglottitis].", "content": "Report on two deaths from a natural internal cause in children beyond the first year of life. The children (a two-year and a three-year old boy), who seemed completely healthy, sudden suffered from acute inflammation of the upper respiratory tract with dyspnea, inspiratory stridor, fever, dysphagia, and flow of saliva. The disease took a fulminant course and the children died within a few hours showing symptoms of intense dyspnea and cyanosis. The above symptoms and progress were typical of acute epiglottitis. Autopsy revealed an intense inflammation and tumescence of the epiglottis in both cases. The diagnosis of epiglottitis was confirmed histologically and bacteriologically (Haemophilus influenzae)."}
{"id": "PMID:1489326", "title": "[Injuries caused by automobile safety glass].", "content": "The report initially discuss the properties and application of tempered glass (TG) and laminated glass (LG) in motor vehicles. Although the trunk and extremities are injured these injuries are seldom life threatening. In contrast, head or neck injuries present a greater threat to life. Especially serious are TG injuries resulting in blindness. The resultant vehicle damage can appear not only as isolated glass cracking, which occurs regularly accompanying injuries without loss of consciousness, but as deformation of the vehicle interior adjacent to the windscreen. In the cases where more solid structures are impacted fatal injuries are possible. This report presents detail both of some real accident investigations and of 9 simulated oblique collisions using 9 post mortem human subjects (PMHS's). In these 9 simulations the head impacted during the primary impact phase against side windows constructed from TG. A modified tempered glass construction (two plates sandwiching a 3 mm air layer) was also tested. Impact angles were 35 to 45 degrees. The severity of facial laceration was dependent on collision severity, type of glass and glass damage resulting from head impact. Minor or severe cutting injuries of the face were caused. Only through the investigation of real accidents and accident simulations can occupant safety be improved."}
{"id": "PMID:1489327", "title": "[Body packing as a fatal risk--results of a questionnaire survey in Western Europe].", "content": "A questionnaire was sent to 138 institutes of Forensic Medicine in 18 countries of Western Europe to obtain information concerning bodypackers, who had died between 1980 and 1990. The total number of dead was 17 (4 own cases). 8 cases were reported from the Federal Republic of Germany, 4 from Italy, 2 from Great Britain and 1 from Austria, Spain and Norway each. In 15 cases some circumstances were told. Most of the bodypackers had transported heroin (10), in 2 cases cocaine and amphetamine were found and in 1 case marihuana inside of stomach and bowel. The related risk seems to be low in comparison to police authorities presuming that about 80% of drug-couriers move the stuff inside their body to and fro."}
{"id": "PMID:1489328", "title": "[Pilot study of dose dependence in glucuronidation of morphine to morphine-3- and morphine-5-glucuronide].", "content": "In the capacity of an initial study both, the half-lives of morphine and its metabolites morphine-3-glucuronide and morphine-6-glucuronide as well as the ratio of concentrations in the development of time using two different dosages were determined and shown by comparison. A bolus of 10 mg (10 micrograms) tritium-marked morphine was administered intravenously. Subsequently the half-lives of morphine, morphine-3-glucuronide and morphine-6-glucuronide in serum, saliva and urine were determined. To achieve this, morphine and its glucuronides were separated via HPLC and then quantified by measuring the radioactivity. In addition to the short half-lives of morphine and morphine-glucuronides long half-lives were found in the range of 12.6 to 20 hours in serum and urine. There was no positive evidence for glucuronides in saliva. In urine the morphine/glucuronide ratio showed a linear resp. exponential development dependent of dose."}
{"id": "PMID:1489330", "title": "[The value of breath alcohol determination in street traffic].", "content": "436 cases were collected, in which both breath alcohol (AAK) as well as blood ethanol levels (BAK) were determined. We studied the correlation between AAK and BAK. Furthermore, the duration between event, breath alcohol analysis and the consecutive blood sampling was investigated."}
{"id": "PMID:1489331", "title": "[Spectrometry for determining hematoma duration in vivo].", "content": "Spectroreflectometric measurements in the range of 430 to 700 nm were carried out in order to check this new method with regard to its application to determine time of haematomas in living humans. For this purpose 52 cases with artificial superficial skin haematomas and 40 patients with pure \"monocle-haematomas\" were investigated. Wavelengths of 560 and 580 nm indicate the best results. There are significant differences in cases with \"monocle-haematomas\" if the age difference of the haematomas is more than two days."}
{"id": "PMID:1489332", "title": "[Postmortem endoscopic diagnosis].", "content": "The use of endoscopical methods augments the macroscopical diagnosis in autopsies. Cavities and sinuses which are hardly accessible may be inspected and photographically documented as well without damage of the anatomical context. In terms of forensic autopsies the endoscopical technique is mostly recommended for the inspection of the fundus of the eye, the external auditory meatus up to the tympanic membrane, the naso- and laryngopharynx. Pathological and traumatical changes can be valued at once in situ. Forensic evidence of postmortal endoscopical findings is exemplified."}
{"id": "PMID:1489333", "title": "[Fatal pleasure trip--the \"covered wagon catastrophe\"].", "content": "17 rentiers from Hamburg took part in a trip with a covered wagon in the Siegerland. In a rugged field-path a screw in the bottom of the wagon, which was deficiently reconstructed, got loose. One of the benches tipped down so that the passengers who sat there fell backwards on the path and were covered by the rack, the lattice and the tilt. 6 persons in the age from 76 to 85 years died in the scene of accident. 3 others sustained contusions. The autopsy of the victims showed no signs of external violence, especially fractures of bones and no internal injuries. There were only found asphyctic petechial bleedings in the conjunctiva, partly in the mucous membrane of the mouth, in the facial region and the body. The internal findings corresponded to the age. The cause of death was an external, mechanical hindering of respiration because of the chest compression by the heavy wreckage."}
{"id": "PMID:1489334", "title": "[Mass disasters in former East Germany--a forensic medicine retrospect].", "content": "The authors report the analysis of mass disasters, which had been dealt with by forensic experts, on the territory of the former GDR. The report comes on the initiative of the Society of Forensic Medicine and with the support of regional institutes. For the period 1960 to 1989, 20 events with 738 casualties were registered. The number of victims was particularly high in aviation and rail disasters as well as in the Zwickau mine disaster. The Forensic Institute of the Humboldt-University in Berlin was engaged in the investigation of the three airplane crashes on Berlin territory and near Berlin (K\u00f6nigs-Wusterhausen 1972, Berlin-Bohnsdorf 1986 and Berlin-Sch\u00f6nefeld 1989) as well as of the railway disaster near Lebus in 1977. As a result of the analysis, the experience gained in three decades regarding the planning, organization and realization of the identification of victims is dealt with in more detail. It emphasizes the significance of close cooperation with dentists and criminalists. Because of ethical, legal and criminalistic reasons the aim should always be a complete examination (including autopsy) of the victims as well as their identification."}
{"id": "PMID:1489335", "title": "[Disasters in former East Germany--experiences and problems of the Leipzig \"Identification\" Task Group].", "content": "Mass-disasters with high numbers of victims are a real challenge to the specialists. The role of forensic experts is generally emphasized. The missions of the Leipzig Taskgroup for identification and the experience gained during them confirm, that special training necessary staff members is. Compared with the general signs of identity, like clothing, jewelry and accessories, scars etc., the marks of ears and observations of forensic odonto-stomatology provide good chances for identification. For forensic odonto-stomatology, we developed computer programs."}
{"id": "PMID:1489336", "title": "[Salvaging a mass grave from 1945--Lieberose Labor Camp of the Sachsenhausen concentration camp].", "content": "It is reported about a recovering a common grave of 577 skeletons from 1945. Investigations of the age of the victims, the cause of death etc. were carried out. There were gunshot fractures at 541 skeletons. In 93.7% out of all cases there were gunshot fractures of the skull and the cervical vertebra. Difficulties arose from root interpretations in addition to intertwinings owing to the location of the skeletons. Indications to belonging to nationality of the victims are discussed by means the results from AB0-analysis and denture works."}
{"id": "PMID:1489337", "title": "[The external ear--a marker in identification].", "content": "The ear, well known anatomically in earlier investigations was only measured. We looked for 144 newborns and children (sex, age, morphology). We studied carefully and first of all systematically size, form and condition of the auricula. The form is genetically determined. Babies have a relative big ear between 9 and 15 months of age (accelerated?). In early time (20 century) this development only seen by children 3 years old. Eight specific characters changes with age (months). Outcome are proofed on 732 pupils. In forensic medicine a scientist should know this results before expertise of identification by mass disasters or unknown children."}
{"id": "PMID:1489338", "title": "[DNA of cadaver organs: comparison of two methods of extraction].", "content": "Genomic DNA was isolated from tissue specimen by two different methods. The rapid extraction according to Higuchi provided increased product yield of DNA in a better quality than the extraction with phenol/chloroform. Comparing the organ tissues according to quantity and quality of DNA it was found that best yield was recovered from brain tissue followed by lung and liver. DNA stability is directly influenced by postmortal age and age of the bodies."}
{"id": "PMID:1489339", "title": "[Puncture of central veins in homicide cases].", "content": "Puncture of a major cervical veins for insertion of a central venous catheter is a standard-method in resuscitation performed in emergency conditions. Even extensive lesion-marks due to punction are customarily seen by medico-legal practitioners, but in detail they may cause difficulties in differential diagnosis, when lesion marks caused by acts of violence directed straight against the neck are to be differentiated. Especially in the primary phase of inquiry about crimes of homicide these injuries due to punction are forensically important. Therefore frequency and methods of resuscitation efforts were evaluated in 453 crimes of homicide, committed in G\u00f6ttingen and Berlin (subjects given by the Free University). Findings of the present study were that resuscitation measures were taken merely to a rate of 25%, and in proceeding a central venous catheter was not obligatorily inserted, moreover proceeding being regionally different. In Berlin a central venous catheter was inserted in 17 cases out of 77 resuscitated homicidal injuries, the rate being 24 cases out of 36 cases in G\u00f6ttingen. In altogether 8 crimes of homicide committed by immediate attacks against the neck, a cervical vena was punctured, findings later being extensive effusions of blood marked around the tapped spot. The different ways to perform resuscitation may justify to point also at the forensic interest to discover the facts together with complete diagnosis in cases of crimes of homicide. That is why it may be vindicated to try to find out a proceeding, which does not lessen the effectiveness of resuscitative manoeuvres, yet by means of which forensical concerns are taken into consideration, too.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1489340", "title": "[False positive radiographic findings in expert assessment of whiplash trauma of the cervical spine].", "content": "It is reported about a possible misdiagnosis after whiplash injuries. Calcifications of the nuchal ligament have been interpreted as fractures. The inappropriate radiological diagnosis has been corrected within the criminal procedure. Prolonged complaints as possible consequences of information about the false positive radiological diagnosis to the patient are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1489341", "title": "[Reliability of the Alco-Screen dip strips in evaluation of blood alcohol concentration for clinical or forensic studies].", "content": "We tested the accuracy of Alco-Screen dipsticks in comparison to the values of blood alcohol. The dipstick test is based on the reaction of alcohol-dehydrogenase, developing a green to blue color. Saliva as well as urine and liquor are easy to obtain at autopsies. We did not get any false-negative results. Interpretation of the change of color turned out to be a problem, because the tip appeared often to be inhomogenous. The dipstick could be used at autopsies and for emergency units, if a quick, semiquantitative result is required."}
{"id": "PMID:1489342", "title": "[Medical and technical aspects of weapon effects on man. Part 5--Common weapons].", "content": "\"Weapons at hand\" are tools of everyday life, which can be used as instruments for fighting. The investigation offers a survey concerning instruments, which were actually used for conflicting bodily injuries (cases selected from 1029 expertises) or for killing (cases selected from 474 autopsies). The findings are complemented by non-medical publications about self-defence. In the Austrian legal system the use of \"weapons at hand\" is interpreted like weapons in the technical sense."}
{"id": "PMID:1489343", "title": "[Use of \"fuzzy logic\" and fractal geometry in forensic medicine].", "content": "New developments of scientific basic research may be of theoretical as well as of practical significance for forensic medicine. This will be demonstrated for two examples: fuzzy logic and fractal geometry."}
{"id": "PMID:1489344", "title": "[Death caused by hypoglycemia after starvation--pathophysiology versus morphology].", "content": "We describe a 19-year-old mentally retarded man who after severe starvation (criminally induced by his parents) presented with hypoglycemic coma and eventually experienced death. Biochemical findings and pathophysiology of starvation are discussed. The cause of death was hypoglycemia in combination with terminal infection. The importance of structural-functional conclusions and considerations for determination of the manner and cause of death is demonstrated."}
{"id": "PMID:1489345", "title": "[Effect of environmental temperature on the course of spontaneous postmortem pupillary changes (studies of the rabbit eye)].", "content": "The diameter of the pupils was measured in the bodies of rabbits under different ambient temperatures (2-4 degrees C, 10-12 degrees C, 18-20 degrees C, 28-30 degrees C). It was found that the pupils changed in three phases: Initial miosis, which set in within minutes after death, was followed by a mydriatic phase, which lasted several hours and was approximately synchronous with the post-mortem rigidity of the skeletal muscles. In the third phase the pupils slowly contracted in the course of several days. The higher the ambient temperature, the more marked was the dilatation of the pupils in the second phase. In contrast to this the reaction of the pupils was characterized by less pronounced changes in size and a longer duration of secondary mydriasis, when temperatures were low."}
{"id": "PMID:1489346", "title": "[Epidemiology of fatalities in Alpine skiing--(1987-1990)].", "content": "At the Institute of Forensic Medicine, University Innsbruck, 78 cases of fatal accidents and of sudden death were examined which occurred during alpine skiing between 1987 und 1990. An increase of fatal accidents during skiing was observed in the past few years. This fact is related to the rising utilization of summer skiing areas. In about three quarters of the cases death as consequence of an accident was observed. One quarter died a sudden death. In this group myocardial infarction is dominant, which is an indication of an enhanced load of the cardiovascular system during skiing in higher altitudes. In the group with fatal accidents cranio-cerebral traumas including medulla injuries are dominant."}
{"id": "PMID:1489347", "title": "[Forensic medicine aspects of death caused by hypothermia in high altitude].", "content": "Macro- and micromorphological findings in cases of death from hypothermia are very questionable and unreliable diagnostical signs. We investigated 42 cases of death from hypothermia that occurred in mountain-ranges between 1974 and 1990. All cases showed erosions of the gastric mucosa (\"Wischnewsky-spots\"), in one case only we found bleedings in the ileopsoas muscles. In most cases hypothermia was based on natural disease or intoxication. Nine alcoholized persons showed a mean alcohol concentration in the blood of 1.07% and in accordance to a relatively long agonal period the alcohol concentration in urine was considerably higher."}
{"id": "PMID:1489348", "title": "[Suspected SIDS diagnosis--van Praagh I truncus communis as a nonfatal incidental finding].", "content": "Autopsy of a baby suspicious to SIDS. Most interesting postmortem finding was a congenital malformation of the great vessels, a truncus arteriosus communis typus van Praagh A I. That one is very rare with a clinically frequency of only 1.7%. The malformation was not cause of death and was statistically survived for 2 months. The baby died of aspiration resultant from an incarcerated inguinal hernia."}
{"id": "PMID:1489349", "title": "[Agonal dog bite injuries].", "content": "A 57-year-old woman, who was unconscious due to apoplectic cerebral haemorrhage, was injured on the right thigh by dog bites while still alive. In addition to a soft-tissue defect of 10 x 9 x 3 cm (gnawing effect) there were numerous small single lesions in the form of slit-shaped skin cuts. The area around the wounds was discoloured by haematomata. The bite wounds were caused by the mongrel dogs living in the same household (2 parent animals and 6 puppies). The pattern of the injuries corresponded well to the anatomy of a dog's set of teeth."}
{"id": "PMID:1489350", "title": "[Complete severance of the trunk in a pedestrian-automobile collision].", "content": "A 70-year-old pedestrian was hit by a passenger car, when she crossed a road outside built-up areas; at the time of the collision the car drove at a speed of about 100 km/h and did not brake. In this lateral accident the trunk of the pedestrian was completely severed near the upper brim of the pelvis. The upper part of the body was flown into the interior of the car through the windscreen; the lower half of the body was found between the place of collision and the place, where the car came to a standstill. The body was not severed at the front edge of the roof, but in the region of the front edge of the engine hood. The abdominal skin and the inguinal region were marked by numerous transverse distension tears; these were indirect injuries of the collision caused by tensile strain due to inertia."}
{"id": "PMID:1489351", "title": "[Comparative studies of bullet entrance holes in trunk and extremity bones of predominantly spongious structure].", "content": "The size relation between the bullet calibre and the minimum diameter of the entrance hole in extracranial bones of predominantly spongy structure was systematically investigated. Test shots (cartridges .22 lr, 7.65 mm Brown. and 9 mm Parabellum) on bone specimens covered with soft tissue (coxal end of the femoral bone, ala ossis ilii, corpus sterni) showed the following results: The entrance holes in bone produced by solid-lead projectiles of calibre .22 showed a tendency towards larger diameters compared with the bullet (deviations at the proximal femur up to about 20%); full-jacketed bullets of calibre 7.65 mm and 9 mm mostly produced entrance holes which were smaller than the cross-section of the projectile (deviations at the sternum and os ilium up to about 12%). For perpendicular hits it was possible within one test-firing region to assign the minimum diameters of entry to one of the three calibres without any overlapping in the borderline area. The measurement results classified according to calibre and area of entry are indicated in diagrams."}
{"id": "PMID:1489352", "title": "[Discovery of human bones at the Pr\u00e4gratkees (Tyrol) 1953 and 1990].", "content": "At the Pr\u00e4gratkees (Granatspitz, Tyrol) human bones, pieces of equipment and garment were found at the same site in 1953 and 1990. According to the forensic investigations, the bones were attached to a 37 year-old mountain climber, who has been missed since 1936. Because of the fact that between both discoveries an interval of 37 years elapsed, it is doubtful whether the bones are from one person. The forensic conclusion, that the bones are attached to one person could be supported by the glaciological situation of this glacier."}
{"id": "PMID:1489353", "title": "[Alcohol intoxicated bicyclists in D\u00fcsseldorf 1986-1990].", "content": "Although traffic participation of bicycle riders is steadily increasing only few investigations concerning \"riding while intoxicated\" are available. This study examines the blood sample records of all blood samples submitted to the Duesseldorfer Institute of Forensic Medicine for blood alcohol analysis from 1986 to 1990 with respect to the participation of bicycle riders. As to the most important epidemiologic data: The proportion of samples from bicyclists increased from 2.6% in 1986 to 4.8% in 1990. Women account for 6.5%. 36.8% are younger than 30 years. Most bicycle riders were apprehended during the months of summer, on the days of the weekend and in the hours around midnight. 67.3% displayed a BAC above the legal limit for bicycle riders of 1.7 g/l. In comparison only 34.5% were judged highly drunken on medical examination. Regarding the group with a BAC above 2.5 g/l expected to be highly intoxicated 37.7% only appeared slightly or moderately impaired rising the suspicion of high alcohol tolerance."}
{"id": "PMID:1489354", "title": "[Alcohol drinking behavior in a sample of students].", "content": "In 1988 we interviewed approximately a quarter (n = 395) of the female students enrolled at Ulm/D. University in order to get knowledge of their alcohol-drinking habits. There was no selection of whom we asked. The results encourage us to the conclusion that we might have got a representative survey. Of the students inquired about 11% lived abstinently, less than 2% consumed alcohol daily, most of all took alcohol repeatedly per month. The predominant part of the students questioned, stated an intake of less than 40 g alcohol per day. The average quantity of alcohol consumed per month was smaller than with a group of female students interviewed in Spain as well as with a group of young women comparable in age in Northern Germany."}
{"id": "PMID:1489355", "title": "[Acute and chronic effect of alcohol--a long-term problem in forensic medicine autopsies].", "content": "Influence of the acute and chronic alcohol influence in connection with the sudden unexpected death is very high. Between 1986 and 1990 in 949 death cases out of 2402 autopsies carried out in the Institute for Forensic Medicine in Essen the death could be related either to chronic alcohol abuses or to an acute alcoholisation. The influence of alcohol in the various kinds of death is described."}
{"id": "PMID:1489356", "title": "[Effect of ethanol on plasma amino acid concentration in man].", "content": "Human blood plasma amino acids and urea levels after repeated ethanol administration were investigated. Under ethanol an increase of several amino acids and urea levels were observed."}
{"id": "PMID:1489357", "title": "[Toxic alcohol dysmyelopoiesis--bone marrow histology studies of a forensic medicine autopsy sample].", "content": "Histological evaluation of bone marrow in 30 autopsy cases with a history of chronic alcohol consumption revealed characteristic changes concerning the medullary iron distribution and, first and foremost, the erythropoiesis, which was found to be macroblastic. These autoptic findings reflected the pattern of alcoholic dyshematopoiesis resulting from a toxic effect of alcohol on the bone marrow, well-known from biopsies and aspirates of alcohol-dependent patients and combined with hemochromatosis-associated plasma cell iron in the marrow and elevation of median corpuscular volume of erythrocytes in the peripheral blood. Therefore, this stereotyped morphological findings in the bone marrow of autopsy cases extend the well-known scope of alcohol-induced pathological organ changes."}
{"id": "PMID:1489358", "title": "[Bolus death and drowning--expression of central nervous system dysregulation?].", "content": "According to the author's own investigations and to findings reported in the literature, almost all bolus deaths and highly numerous accidental deaths by drowning occur to adults and adolescents under the impact of alcohol. An attempt was made to elucidate the mechanism by which alcohol actually play its role in bolus or drowning death. These two causes of death have in common complete or partial obstruction of respiratory tract. Yet, safety against that life-threatening condition were devised by evolution very early in phylogenesis (respiratory block, cough reflex, circulatory centralisation). They are reflex-triggered for immediate effect and take that effect through the vegetative nervous system. These findings have been secured by animal experiments. However, on account of considerable interference of alcohol with vegetative activity, via action on transmitter metabolism (transmitter synthesis, storage, release, rebonding and bonding by means of products of alcohol metabolism), symptoms of extreme vagotomia may develop, such as bradycardia with circulatory centralisation and apnoea of alcohol-related irreversibility, finally resulting in cardiac arrest. The \"reflex-related\" process of bolus death has often been described, with reference being regulatory made to individuals staying in water and drowning without any self-rescue attempt."}
{"id": "PMID:1489359", "title": "[A screening method for rapid detection of barbiturates in serum using tandem mass spectrometry].", "content": "A mass spectrometric screening method for the detection of barbiturates in serum will be presented. Fragmentation of barbiturates under EI conditions leads to a loss of HNCO. Therefore, \"neutral loss scans\" of 43 u allow the indication of possibly existing representatives of this class of compounds. Identification can be achieved by \"daughter\" or \"parent ion scans\". Thus, 10 micrograms/ml apro-, pento- and phenobarbital could be detected in serum."}
{"id": "PMID:1489360", "title": "How strictly do dialysis patients want their advance directives followed?", "content": "The Cruzan case and the Patient Self-Determination Act will encourage patients to specify in advance which life-sustaining treatments they would want if they become mentally incompetent. However, strictly following such advance directives may not always be in a patient's best interests. We sought to determine whether patients differ in how strictly they want advance directives followed. Interview study. Seven outpatient chronic dialysis centers. One hundred fifty mentally competent dialysis patients. Using a structured questionnaire, we asked the subjects whether they would want dialysis continued or stopped if they developed advanced Alzheimer's disease. We then asked how much leeway their physician and surrogate should have to override that advance directive if overriding were in their best interests. Subjects granting leeway were also asked what factors should be considered in making decisions for them. Subjects varied greatly in how much leeway they would give surrogates to override their advance directives: \"no leeway\" (39%), \"a little leeway\" (19%), \"a lot of leeway\" (11%), and \"complete leeway\" (31%). Subjects also varied in how much they wanted various factors considered in making decisions, such as pain or suffering, quality of life, possibility of a new treatment, indignity caused by continued treatment, financial impact of treatment on family members, and religious beliefs. Strictly following all advance directives may not truly reflect patients' preferences. To improve advance directives, we recommend that physicians explicitly ask patients how strictly they want their advance directives followed and what factors they want considered in making decisions."}
{"id": "PMID:1489363", "title": "Rotator cuff disease: assessment with MR arthrography versus standard MR imaging in 36 patients with arthroscopic confirmation.", "content": "Standard proton-density- and T2-weighted magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and MR arthrography were used to depict rotator cuff disease in 36 shoulders in 36 patients; the findings were compared with arthroscopic findings in every patient. In 19 rotator cuffs normal at arthroscopy, MR arthrography revealed no tear in 16 patients, a partial tear in one patient, and a full-thickness tear in two patients. Standard proton-density- and T2-weighted images were normal in 15 of these patients and revealed a partial tear in two patients and a full-thickness tear in two patients. In 13 partial tears found at arthroscopy, MR arthrography showed a partial tear in six patients, no tear in five patients, and a full-thickness tear in two patients; standard MR imaging revealed a partial tear in one patient, no tear in 10 patients, and a full-thickness tear in two patients. All four full-thickness tears proved with arthroscopy were correctly diagnosed with both MR imaging methods. The main advantage of MR arthrography was better depiction of partial tears in the articular surface."}
{"id": "PMID:1489364", "title": "A human immunodeficiency virus-resistant airway for cardiopulmonary resuscitation.", "content": "Due to fear of transmitted disease, mouth-to-mouth cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is now rare, even though early CPR is associated with a fivefold to 30-fold increase in survival. The authors have devised a one-piece silicone mask (Kiss of Life [KOL], Brunswick Biomedical Technologies, Inc, Warehom, MA) with a one-way valve and circular recess to form a no-contact lip seal, enabling mouth-to-mouth CPR to be given. The ventilatory volume during mannequin CPR using the KOL mask was 0.75 +/- 0.235 L. This volume was significantly (P less than .05) greater than that generated by alternate widely used airways (range, 0.195 +/- 0.147 to 0.617 +/- 0.208 L). To assess mask performance in vivo, the authors measured exhaled volumes in 10 apneic anesthetized patients under three conditions: with the KOL mask, a standard anesthetic mask and bag, and an anesthetic mask with an endotracheal tube. The results were: anesthetic mask and tube, 1.5 L (range, 1.2 to 1.7 L); KOL mask, 1.1 L (range, 1.0 to 1.3 L); anesthetic mask alone, 0.7 L (range, 0.5 to 0.8 L). To test permeability, we exposed two KOL masks to a high titer of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1 soup (10(6) culture infection doses/mL) for 10 and eight masks for 60 minutes, respectively, and cultured swabs of the interior of the valve for 1 month. There was no growth in any culture. These data suggest that the KOL mask has excellent ventilating characteristics, is practical (pocket-portable, disposable), experimentally impermeable to HIV-1, and inexpensive.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1489366", "title": "Evaluation of the Alvarado score in acute appendicitis.", "content": "Use of the Alvarado scoring system was assessed prospectively in a consecutive series of 215 patients with suspected appendicitis over a 12 month period at the University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff. In comparison the high negative appendicectomy rate during the year prior to the study was reduced considerably with the scoring system without increasing morbidity or mortality."}
{"id": "PMID:1489367", "title": "Esophageal perforation: a continuing challenge.", "content": "Perforation of the esophagus remains a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge. Currently, the most common cause of perforation is instrumentation of the esophagus, and the incidence of esophageal perforations has increased as the use of endoscopic procedures has become more frequent. Diagnosis depends on a high degree of suspicion and recognition of clinical features, and is confirmed by contrast esophagography or endoscopy. Outcome after esophageal perforation is dependent on the cause and location of the injury, the presence of underlying esophageal disease, and the interval between injury and initiation of treatment. Reinforced primary repair of the perforation is the most frequently employed and preferable approach to the surgical management of esophageal perforations. Nonoperative management consisting of antibiotics and parenteral nutrition is particularly successful for limited esophageal injuries meeting proper selection criteria."}
{"id": "PMID:1489368", "title": "Prediction of the spread of repeated spinal anaesthesia with bupivacaine.", "content": "We have studied in 56 patients the predictability of spread of repeated spinal anaesthesia in the same patient on the basis of a previous block. With plain 0.5% bupivacaine, prediction of the second block was accurate. A significantly higher or lower spread of analgesia than in the previous block was achieved when plain 0.5% bupivacaine was administered using a modified technique--sitting position or lower interspace, respectively. When hyperbaric 0.5% bupivacaine was injected instead of plain solution for the second block using a similar technique, no baricity-related correlation was found between the first and second blocks. Change in technique did not reduce interindividual variation in the spread of analgesia. We conclude that individual anatomical properties may play a more important role than, for example, baricity in subarachnoid distribution of a local anaesthetic solution."}
{"id": "PMID:1489374", "title": "The Roux stasis syndrome. Treatment by pacing and prevention by use of an 'uncut' Roux limb.", "content": "Ectopic pacemakers in the Roux limb are associated with delayed gastric emptying after Roux gastrectomy. The aim herein was to suppress the ectopic pacemakers by electrical pacing or to prevent them by maintaining enteric myoneural continuity with an \"uncut\" Roux limb, and so improve the delayed emptying. Among eight dogs with truncal vagotomy and Roux hemigastrectomy, four dogs had a pacing electrode applied to the proximal end of the Roux limb. The other four dogs had a gastrojejunostomy to an uncut Roux limb. In them, the afferent jejunal limb was occluded by staples but not divided, and a diverting jejuno-jejunostomy was performed. Roux pacing and the uncut Roux operation abolished ectopic pacemakers in the Roux limb and speeded the slow gastric emptying present in unpaced control tests. At autopsy, however, dehiscences were found in the staple line in the dogs with the uncut Roux procedures. In conclusion, electrical pacing and the uncut Roux limb show promise as techniques to prevent ectopic jejunal pacemakers and gastric stasis after Roux gastrectomy. Both must be improved before they can be used in patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1489375", "title": "Thrombosis in antithrombin-III-deficient persons. Report of a large kindred and literature review.", "content": "To estimate the prevalence of objectively proven thrombotic complications in antithrombin-III-deficient persons. Cross-sectional study and a critical review of the literature. The prevalence of thrombosis in antithrombin III-deficient and -nondeficient family members of a large kindred was estimated by history, review of diagnostic tests, and examination for venous reflux by Doppler ultrasonography, as an indicator of previous venous thrombosis. A MEDLINE search and literature review of the published English- and French-language literature from 1966 to 1990 that described antithrombin-III-deficient families was done, and the following information was obtained: the prevalence of thrombosis in deficient and nondeficient family members, the presence or absence of risk factors for thrombosis (surgery, pregnancy, the postpartum state, use of oral contraceptives, immobilization, metastatic cancer, major trauma) at the time of the thrombotic event, and age of onset of the first episode of thrombosis. The validity of the studies was assessed according to predetermined criteria. Sixty-seven research subjects were evaluated. Six of 31 (19.4%) antithrombin-III-deficient subjects compared with none of 36 (0%) nondeficient subjects had had one or more thrombotic events. The initial episode in five of six subjects had occurred in association with risk factors for thrombosis. The literature search indicated that the pooled prevalence of symptomatic venous thrombosis among the deficient subjects was 51%, but objective testing was done in only 17% of these subjects at the time of presentation. Based on the data from this antithrombin-III-deficient kindred, lifelong anticoagulant prophylaxis does not appear to be warranted in asymptomatic carriers, and prophylaxis could be limited to periods of high risk for thrombosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1489379", "title": "Papillary cystic neoplasm of the pancreas: presentation and natural history in two cases.", "content": "Two young women, one white and one Chinese, with the rare but increasingly recognised papillary and cystic neoplasm of the pancreas are reported. The initial symptom in both was non-specific abdominal pain which, after investigation, was found to be caused by a pancreatic tumour. One patient did not come to surgery until five years after the initial diagnosis when she developed jaundice. In the five year interval between diagnosis and the development of jaundice computed tomography showed no change in the size (20 cm) of the pancreatic mass. Histology after resection, however, showed signs of lymphatic invasion. Cystic neoplasm of the pancreas can thus be regarded as an indolent, very slow growing tumour with potential for local invasion and hence metastatic spread."}
{"id": "PMID:1489380", "title": "Bending and fracture of the femoral component in cemented total hip replacement.", "content": "A computer method was used to make 41 measurements on the geometry of insertion of the femoral component in 200 Charnley total hip replacements. Surgery had been performed at least 12 years before, giving results which were classified as: success (90); fracture (56); or loose (54), according to rigid selection criteria. Fracture was associated with heavier patients in which there was poor proximal fixation of the femoral component but adequate distal fixation. Stems with a medial disposition proximally were more common in the fracture group than in the successful or loose groups. Sequential measurements of bending and subsequent fracture were made on the follow-up radiographs of 24 of the 200 cases (6 fracture and 18 successful). These measurements allowed bending to be detected at an earlier stage than by simple inspection of the radiographs."}
{"id": "PMID:1489383", "title": "Interferon alfa-2a therapy for life-threatening hemangiomas of infancy.", "content": "Most hemangiomas are small, harmless birthmarks that appear soon after birth, proliferate for 8 to 18 months, and then slowly regress over the next 5 to 8 years, leaving normal or slightly blemished skin. In rare cases, hemangiomas can endanger vital structures, with a mortality of up to 60 percent. About a third of these life-threatening hemangiomas respond to treatment with corticosteroids, but for the others there is no safe and effective treatment. We evaluated the effects of daily subcutaneous injections of interferon alfa-2a (up to 3 million units per square meter of body-surface area) in 20 neonates and infants with life-threatening or vision-threatening hemangiomas that failed to respond to corticosteroid therapy. In 18 of the 20 patients the hemangiomas regressed by 50 percent or more after an average of 7.8 months of treatment (range, 2 to 13). One infant died of refractory proliferation of a lesion and consumptive coagulopathy. The condition of three other patients who had large hemangiomas associated with consumptive coagulopathies that were unresponsive to conventional therapies stabilized after seven days of treatment with interferon alfa-2a alone. Transient side effects of treatment with interferon alfa-2a included fever, neutropenia (one patient), and skin necrosis (one patient). No long-term toxicity has been observed after a mean follow-up of 16 months. Interferon alfa-2a appears to induce the early regression of life-threatening corticosteroid-resistant hemangiomas of infancy."}
{"id": "PMID:1489384", "title": "Preoperative laboratory assessment of hemostasis for orthognathic surgery.", "content": "Platelet count, prothrombin time, and activated partial thromboplastin time provide a baseline to evaluate patients with known coagulopathy, as well as present an opportunity to diagnose disease in previously symptom free patients. Current hematologic management of patients with Von Willebrand's disease uses heated Factor VIII that allows patients to undergo orthognathic surgery without significant risk of disease transmission from banked blood products."}
{"id": "PMID:1489385", "title": "Historical changes in serum PCB and DDT levels in an environmentally-exposed cohort.", "content": "A previously characterized cohort of 115 Great Lakes fisheaters and 95 non-fisheating controls was re-examined in 1989 to evaluate changes that had occurred in serum PCB and DDT levels since the 1982 study. Substantial and significant decreases in mean serum DDT levels had occurred in both fisheaters (25.8 ppb vs 15.6 ppb) and controls (9.6 ppb vs 6.8 ppb) over this time period. In contrast, only a slight decrease in serum PCB levels was observed, and in fisheaters only. No association between individual changes in serum PCB or DDT levels and self-reported changes in Great Lakes fish consumption was observed. The findings from this longitudinal examination of serum PCB and DDT levels confirm earlier cross-sectional surveys of western populations, and demonstrate that the prohibition of DDT has been successful in reducing the level of DDT contamination in human populations."}
{"id": "PMID:1489388", "title": "Occurrence of ophthalmopathy after treatment for Graves' hyperthyroidism. The Thyroid Study Group.", "content": "Ophthalmopathy caused by Graves' disease may first appear or worsen during or after treatment for hyperthyroidism. It is not known, however, whether choosing to treat hyperthyroidism with antithyroid drugs, iodine-131, or surgery affects the development or aggravation of Graves' ophthalmopathy. We studied 168 patients with hyperthyroidism caused by Graves' disease, stratified into two age groups--20 to 34 years (54 patients, group 1) and 35 to 55 years (114 patients, group 2). The patients in group 1 were randomly assigned to treatment with methimazole for 18 months or subtotal thyroidectomy, and those in group 2 to either of these two treatments or to iodine-131 therapy. All the patients received thyroxine to avert hypothyroidism, except those treated with iodine-131, who received thyroxine only if hypothyroidism developed. The duration of follow-up was at least 24 months. Twenty-two patients (13 percent) had infiltrative Graves' ophthalmopathy at randomization. During follow-up, ophthalmopathy developed for the first time in 22 patients (13 percent) and worsened in 8 patients (5 percent). The frequency of the development or worsening of ophthalmopathy was similar among the patients in group 1 (medical therapy, 4 of 27 patients [15 percent]; and surgery, 3 of 27 patients [11 percent]). In group 2, ophthalmopathy developed or worsened in 4 of the 38 patients (10 percent) treated medically, 6 of the 37 patients (16 percent) treated surgically, and 13 of the 39 patients (33 percent) given iodine-131 (P = 0.02 for the comparison between the iodine-131 subgroup and the others combined). The risk of the development or worsening of ophthalmopathy increased as pretreatment serum triiodothyronine concentrations increased. As compared with other forms of antithyroid therapy, iodine-131 is more likely to be followed by the development or exacerbation of Graves' ophthalmopathy."}
{"id": "PMID:1489397", "title": "Effective audit: reporting to the National Confidential Enquiry into Perioperative Deaths.", "content": "To investigate the effectiveness of computer based and manual district and unit information systems for identifying hospital deaths eligible for reporting to the National Confidential Enquiry into Perioperative Deaths (NCEPOD). Prospective six to 10 week study of hospital (death register, immediate coding of medical records) and district information systems followed by six month assessment after modification to entry of data. Acute units within Lewisham and North Southwark Health District. All 290 patients dying in hospital during the six weeks, for whom the medical records were obtainable in 231. Sensitivity and specificity of the information systems in ascertaining eligible surgical deaths (patients dying in hospital who had during 30 days previously had a surgical procedure while under the care of a consultant in a surgical specialty) tested against validated list of screened medical records. Of 231 medical records, 30 (12 from Lewisham, 18 from North Southwark) met the national inquiry's criteria. The computer based systems of both units detected less than 60% of eligible deaths (sensitivity 53%, specificity 83%); the death register detected about 60% (sensitivity 61%, specificity 89%); manual systems detected all eligible deaths. Subsequent modification to ensure immediate coding of records into the computerised systems during follow up failed to show any improvement. Routine hospital information systems may miss up to half the deaths eligible for NCEPOD."}
{"id": "PMID:1489400", "title": "Expression of the junD proto-oncogene in the rat spinal cord and skin following noxious cutaneous ultraviolet irradiation.", "content": "Noxious peripheral stimulation induces the expression of various proto-oncogenes in rat spinal neurons. However, proto-oncogene expression seems to differ depending on the mode of the stimulus. Here, we report that noxious cutaneous ultraviolet (UV) irradiation results in a nearly 8-fold increase in junD mRNA levels in the rat lumbar spinal cord. RNA slot-blotting and hybridization techniques revealed a transcriptional activation of the junD proto-oncogene after 6 h, but not 1 h following UV exposure. These results suggest that low-frequency ongoing afferent impulse discharge is reflected by an accumulation in junD transcripts."}
{"id": "PMID:1489404", "title": "Computer-assisted tracking simulation (CATS).", "content": "The tracking technique involves a sender reading consecutive segments from a story and a receiver attempting to repeat each segment verbatim. The reliability and validity of the tracking procedure have been criticized based upon uncontrolled variables such as sender, receiver, and text characteristics. To address these problems, a computer-assisted interactive tracking simulation (CATS) system has been developed in which story segments are presented to the receiver via a video laser disc system and repair strategies are implemented through a computer program."}
{"id": "PMID:1489475", "title": "Back injuries among nursing personnel: the relationship of personal characteristics, risk factors, and nursing practices.", "content": "Reducing the total number of work related back injuries among nurses is important, but reducing those injuries that are severe enough to result in lost time and/or disability is critical. Results of this study indicate that female nurses in the early phases of assignment on long term care units are at greatest risk for back injury, but risk factors that relate significantly to the severity of the injury are tour of duty (evening) and weight of the nurse (200 + pounds). Recommendations suggested by this study include: evaluation of lifting techniques and practices; orientation whenever assignments are changed; accurate assessment of nurse, client, and situation; and the regular use of an assessment tool which incorporates all of these factors."}
{"id": "PMID:1489476", "title": "Hepatitis B vaccination: a survey of health care workers' knowledge and acceptance.", "content": "The purpose of this survey was to determine methods to improve compliance and knowledge related to Hepatitis B vaccination. A self administered questionnaire was distributed to employees of a large metropolitan hospital. The survey asked for information about the health care workers' acceptance of Hepatitis B vaccination and knowledge of appropriate follow up after a significant blood exposure occurs. According to the results, 45% of employees at risk for contracting HBV have not received the vaccination. Findings related to the methods of follow up used by employees after a blood exposure indicate a lack of knowledge about HBV. The results of this survey support the need for further education about the risk of occupationally acquired HBV."}
{"id": "PMID:1489477", "title": "Role function and job satisfaction: a study of nurse graduates of educational resource center programs employed by the health care industry.", "content": "This study analyzed the roles, functions, and job satisfaction of 65 master's prepared occupational health nurses employed within the health care industry to compare nurses who function as internal consultants with those who function as external consultants. The only significant difference between groups was that external consultants were more involved in marketing and management functions, whereas internal consultants were more involved in direct care. The study hypothesis that occupational health nurses performing more management functions would report greater job satisfaction was not supported by the data. Study findings did support a theoretical model by Hardy, revealing that greater role certainty and more role adapting behaviors were significantly associated with job satisfaction."}
{"id": "PMID:1489478", "title": "General nursing and occupational health nursing: a comparison of scientific progress.", "content": "Education, research, theory development, and scientific knowledge development are indices that can be used to measure scientific progress. The progress of occupational health nursing science has followed the progress of general nursing science by a period of 20 years. A critical mass of doctorally prepared occupational health nurses is necessary for the scientific development of the profession. Federal funding of doctoral programs in occupational health is needed to increase these numbers. Occupational health nursing has established research priorities. Acting on these priorities will help develop scientifically based nursing practice."}
{"id": "PMID:1489479", "title": "Occupational health nursing: a theoretical model.", "content": "Predictability must exist in occupational health nursing theory, as it does in other theory. Occupational health nursing can be examined within a simple, dynamic model, from which theory can be developed. Predictions of output can be derived from knowledge of input. Occupational health nursing is a vital component of the occupational health and safety team, the members of which collaborate to provide occupational health services to the aggregate of workers in the workplace. Delivery of occupational health services to workers is provided within a dynamic environment which can be analyzed as both internal and external. The elements of these environments determine the composition and characteristics of the occupational health services."}
{"id": "PMID:1489480", "title": "Designing a respirator fit testing program.", "content": "The requirements for adequate respiratory protection for the employees of this agency vary. Therefore, accurate, updated job descriptions are a critical piece of information. Although the agency has made an effort to establish a respiratory protection program, a number of limitations exist when compared to the program components defined in ANSI, NIOSH, and OSHA guidance documents. In response to a request from the agency, the nurse consultant evaluated the existing respiratory protection program and made specific recommendations for improvement. At this time, the agency has signed a formal agreement with the Division of Federal Occupational Health to request continued assistance with \"overhauling\" their program. Top management has begun assigning responsibilities for the program to specific individuals, and a centralized database is being set up. The agency has implemented two new DFOH developed forms to improve the testing process, and the nurse consultant has revised the educational/training session to more adequately meet the needs of the work force. The Agency and DFOH are collaborating on reassessment of employees to correctly assign them to appropriate respiratory risk categories. This will, in turn, affect the medical monitoring needs as well as the educational needs of each individual."}
{"id": "PMID:1489482", "title": "Suppression of development of diabetes in NOD mice by lactate dehydrogenase virus infection.", "content": "It has been reported that lactate dehydrogenase virus (LDV) selectively infects a subpopulation of macrophages, thereby affecting the immune system. We studied the effects of LDV infection on the development of diabetes in non-obese diabetic (NOD) mice. Five-week-old female NOD mice were infected with LDV (10(8) ID50/mouse) and observed until 23 weeks of age. None of the 21-LDV-infected mice developed diabetes, whereas 10/14 (71.4%) uninfected mice did. Although the subpopulations of T cells and the percentage of Mac1-positive cells in the NOD murine spleen and the number of harvested peritoneal macrophages were unaffected by LDV infection, the proportions of Ia-positive peritoneal macrophages were significantly decreased in LDV-infected compared with uninfected mice (1.1 +/- 0.2%, 6.5 +/- 2.9%; P < 0.01). In LDV-infected NOD mice, insulitis of the same grade as that seen in uninfected NOD mice was observed. In another experiment, 3, 5, 10 or 16-week-old female NOD mice were infected with LDV. None of the mice infected with LDV at 3, 5 or 10 weeks of age developed diabetes and only one of six infected at 16 weeks of age did. These findings indicate that LDV infection suppresses the development of diabetes in female NOD mice by reducing the capacity of Ia-positive macrophages, and suggest that the development of human type 1 diabetes may be suppressed by certain viral infections."}
{"id": "PMID:1489483", "title": "Bacterial agents protect against autoimmune disease. I. Mice pre-exposed to Bordetella pertussis or Mycobacterium tuberculosis are highly refractory to induction of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis.", "content": "Infectious agents have often been implicated in the etiology of autoimmune diseases. Here we show that bacteria may also play a role in resistance to autoimmune diseases. SJL/J and (SJL/J x BALB/c)F1 mice are genetically susceptible to induction of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), a murine model for human demyelinating autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis. We studied the effect of several bacteria on the development of EAE and found that exposure of SJL/J or (SJL/J x BALB/c)F1 mice to Mycobacterium tuberculosis or Bordetella pertussis consistently rendered mice highly refractory to subsequent induction of the disease. Other bacteria such as Escherichia coli, Shigella and Staphylococcus aureus were found to be less effective, or were protective only if specific immunization procedures were used. Furthermore, M. tuberculosis and B. pertussis were protective irrespective of the route of administration and minute amounts (as low as 0.5 micrograms) of M. tuberculosis were sufficient to protect EAE-susceptible mice against induction of the disease. Interestingly, these bacteria, which are commonly used to promote development of EAE, conferred the highest degree of protection against the disease. The M. tuberculosis-induced protection was found to be associated with active suppression mechanisms mediated by T lymphocytes capable of transferring protection to naive syngeneic mice. These findings indicate that certain bacteria may protect against the development of autoimmune diseases. These results also suggest the potential use for still-unidentified bacterial agents in the manipulation of certain autoimmune diseases."}
{"id": "PMID:1489484", "title": "T-lymphocyte reactivity to the recombinant mycobacterial 65- and 70-kDa heat shock proteins in multiple sclerosis.", "content": "Owing to their conservation and immunogenicity, heat shock proteins (hsps) represent a class of potential autoantigens. Moreover, they could be targets for gamma delta T lymphocytes, which are prominent in various immune disorders. We studied the T cell proliferative primary responses to recombinant M. bovis 65 kDa hsp (hsp65) and M. tuberculosis 70 kDa hsp (hsp70) in 31 patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), 19 patients with other neurological diseases (OND) and 19 healthy individuals. Positive responses to hsp70, but not to hsp65 were significantly more frequent in patients with MS than in patients with OND or in healthy individuals. In order to verify and refine these results and to characterize the hsp reactive T lymphocytes, we screened 147 PPD-specific long-term T cell lines (76 from 10 patients with MS and 71 from 12 healthy donors) for their proliferative response to hsp65 and hsp70. hsp70-reactive T lines were significantly more common in patients with MS than in healthy controls. The number of T lines responding to hsp65 increased in the MS group only slightly. In 19 T lymphocyte lines from patients with MS and healthy donors, a cytofluorometric analysis was performed with special attention paid to distinct T cell receptor gamma delta determinants. With one exception, in each line the population of gamma delta T cells remained a minority. We conclude that an increased T cell response to mycobacterial hsp70 may be present in patients with multiple sclerosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1489485", "title": "Enhancement of S-antigen and its mRNA in the irides of uveitic patients.", "content": "S-antigen (S-Ag) and its mRNA were analysed by immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization in 32 iridectomy specimens from 29 uveitic patients and 10 non-uveitic patients. S-Ag was detected in one iris and its mRNA was detected in 12 uveitic patients. Neither S-Ag nor its mRNA was found in the controls (P < 0.003). Ten of the 12 patients who had detectable S-Ag mRNA, while only four of the 17 patients who did not, had received corticosteroids for more than 3 years (P = 0.006). We also demonstrated S-Ag and its mRNA in bovine iris by immunoprecipitation and polymerase chain reaction. These results indicate that S-Ag and its mRNA accumulate in the irides of some uveitic patients. This accumulation may be the result of local immunoregulatory factors and an effect of corticosteroid treatment, and may modulate ocular inflammation."}
{"id": "PMID:1489486", "title": "Limiting dilution analysis of autoreactive T cells in patients affected by hydatid disease.", "content": "We evaluated the peripheral autoreactive response in patients with Echinococcus granulosus compared with healthy individuals. A limiting dilution analysis (LDA) was performed to estimate frequency of auto-reactive T cells and to detect the complex mechanism that often underlies the autoreactive response. Different LDA curves were seen in healthy controls and patients. The control group provided a straight line passing through the origin ('single hit' kinetics), indicating that only peripheral autoreactive T cells are limiting. On the other hand, autoreactive T cell titration in hydatid patients did not follow 'single hit' kinetics, suggesting that two or more cell types are titrated. More interestingly, we observed a very high frequency of autoreactive T cells in hydatid patients (1/1,000 to 1/2,500) compared with healthy controls (1/5,000 to 1/35,000). These data suggest that chronic infection may provide adequate stimuli for the induction of autoimmune disorders and increase in autoreactive T cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1489487", "title": "A 64 kDa antigen/glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) in fetal pig pro-islets: co-precipitation with a 38 kDa protein and recognition by T cells in humans at risk for insulin-dependent diabetes.", "content": "The development of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) is associated with circulating antibodies to a pancreatic islet protein of MW 64,000 (64 kDa), reported to be glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD). To investigate the antigenic properties of the 64 kDa antigen/GAD in IDDM we employed fetal pig pro-islets, a convenient source of islet antigens and an alternative to adult human islets for transplantation. Pro-islets contained a 64 kDa protein precipitated by antibodies in the sera of 9/14 (64%) at-risk IDDM, 12/33 (36%) recent-onset IDDM and 4/12 (33%) established IDDM patients and in 1/18 (5%) healthy control subjects. In addition, a 38 kDa protein was co-precipitated with the 64 kDa protein by 6/14 (43%) at-risk IDDM, 5/33 (12%) recent-onset IDDM, 1/12 (8%) established IDDM patient sera and 1/18 (5%) control subject serum. Both 64 kDa and 38 kDa antigens were specific to pro-islets; neither was detected in fetal pig thyrocytes, hepatocytes or splenocytes. The majority of the 64 kDa protein was co-precipitated with GAD enzymatic activity from pro-islets by either IDDM sera or a sheep anti-GAD serum. Previously, we showed that peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from over half the subjects defined as being at risk for IDDM proliferate in response to fetal pig pro-islets. Proliferative responses of PBMC from pre-diabetic subjects to a crude extract of pro-islets were therefore measured before and after depletion of GAD by adsorption of the extract against GAD-1 monoclonal antibody. In 5/10 at-risk subjects, T cell stimulation indices were greater than the control mean + 2 SD and decreased in four by > 50% after depletion of GAD. In summary, a 64 kDa protein with the properties of GAD is present in fetal pig pro-islets and is recognized by both antibodies and T cells in a significant proportion of subjects at risk for early IDDM. Some subjects with anti-64 kDa antibodies also have antibodies that co-precipitate a 38 kDa pro-islet protein. Prospective studies of T cell reactivity in at-risk IDDM subjects are required to delineate the role of GAD and other candidate autoantigens in the initiation and progression of beta cell destruction."}
{"id": "PMID:1489488", "title": "Characterization of human-human hybridoma monoclonal anti-Ro(SS-A) autoantibodies derived from normal tonsil lymphoid cells.", "content": "Human-human hybridomas obtained from the separate fusion of tonsillar lymphoid cells from three different normal individuals to the lymphoblastoid cell line GM 4672 were screened by ELISA for the presence of autoantibody to Ro(SS-A). Those anti-Ro(SS-A) reactive hybridomas were then cloned by limiting dilution. Nineteen monoclonal IgM anti-Ro(SS-A) antibodies were obtained, which showed specificity to Ro(SS-A) by ELISA and Western blotting (60 kDa). Some of these monoclonal anti-Ro(SS-A) antibodies showed reactivity to DNA (2/19), cardiolipin (9/19), Sm/RNP (15/19) by ELISA, and to IgG (12/19) and La(SS-B) (19/19) by ELISA and Western blotting. None showed reactivity to the unrelated proteins casein and BSA, nor to RNA. Inhibition studies revealed that the binding to Ro(SS-A) of both IgM hybridoma monoclonal and SLE serum polyclonal IgM anti-Ro(SS-A) antibodies was inhibited with Ro(SS-A), La(SS-B) and Sm/RNP but not with IgG, DNA, RNA and BSA. These data indicate that (1) normal humans have the genetic potential to express antibodies to Ro(SS-A) and (2) the normally derived monoclonal and SLE serum IgM anti-Ro(SS-A) antibodies share similar antigen binding properties and therefore may possibly originate from a common pool of precursor B cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1489489", "title": "Phospholipid specificity and requirement of beta 2-glycoprotein-I for reactivity of antibodies from patients with primary antiphospholipid syndrome.", "content": "Some disease manifestations are associated with serum antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in what has been termed antiphospholipid syndrome (aPLS). There are patients with aPLS who do not have SLE or any other illness who have been grouped under the term primary antiphospholipid syndrome (PAPS). However, patients with diverse infections, notably syphilis, may have aPL but do not develop the associated clinical manifestations. This has been attributed, at least in part, to the immunochemical features of their aPL, including the requirement for beta 2-glycoprotein-I (beta 2GP-I) for binding of aPL to phospholipids, but these have not been studied in sera from patients with PAPS. By ELISA we studied 95 sera from 17 patients with PAPS and 100 sera from clinically normal individuals for IgG and IgM antibodies to the main anionic and zwitterionic phospholipids and their related compounds, phosphatidic acid (PA) and synthetic phosphorylcholine (PRC). beta 2GP-I was present, either in newborn calf serum (NBCS) or purified, to block wells and to dilute samples, or was substituted by 0.3% gelatin. Inhibition studies with phospholipid micelles were used to confirm reactivities with the corresponding phospholipids. All 17 patients had IgG and 11 had IgM antibodies to cardiolipin. Antibodies to anionic phospholipids were primarily IgG whereas those to zwitterionic phospholipids were mainly, and often exclusively, IgM. We found a statistically significant difference in the mean levels of antibodies to all anionic phospholipids except aPTS, and to the haptene PA (P < 0.001) between patients and controls. The difference between levels of IgM antibodies to zwitterionic phospholipids was statistically significant with sphingomyelin (P < 0.001) and the haptene (P < 0.001). Levels of most IgG and most IgM aPL correlated significantly among them. The pattern and titers of reactivity are variable between patients, but stable within each patient. Requirement of beta 2GP-I for this reactivity was not an all-or-nothing phenomenon in individual sera. In general, as in lupus sera, antibodies to anionic phospholipids require that this cofactor be present coating the ELISA plates, whereas those to zwitterionic phospholipids do not. It would appear that patients with PAPS have polyclonal mixtures of antibodies that react with various phospholipids and have different requirements for beta 2GP-I for such reactivity."}
{"id": "PMID:1489490", "title": "Surface expression of heat shock protein 90 by blood mononuclear cells from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.", "content": "Previous studies have indicated that blood mononuclear cells from 15-20% of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) carry elevated levels of hsp90, a heat shock protein associated with steroid receptors in cells. We analysed surface expression of hsp90 on mononuclear cells (lymphocytes and monocytes) from patients with SLE by monoclonal antibody AC88 and flow cytometry. Whilst all blood mononuclear cells have intracellular hsp90, a significant proportion of patients with SLE expressed hsp90 on lymphocyte and monocyte surfaces. This was significantly higher on SLE lymphocytes than in laboratory controls and was positively correlated with disease activity. Comparison of total hsp90 with surface hsp90 in the same SLE patients' blood mononuclear samples indicated a correlation with a subgroup of patients. There was no correlation with expression of surface hsp90 by lymphocytes and activation markers. Patients with Sj\u00f6gren's syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, dermatomyositis and scleroderma were studied as disease controls and increased levels of shsp90 were detected in only three of the 53 patients studied. It is concluded that surface hsp90 expression is a feature of about 20% of patients with SLE and is correlated with high disease activity. The exposure of this hsp on the surface of some lymphocytes suggests that it is a candidate autoantigen in SLE."}
{"id": "PMID:1489491", "title": "The effect of tolbutamide on burn hypermetabolism.", "content": "The effect of tolbutamide on improving burn hypermetabolism was studied prospectively in 31 burn adults with total body surface area burned > 40 per cent and 18 burned rabbits immediately after burn injury to postburn day 10. The results showed that burn hypermetabolism could be reduced using tolbutamide, which may be the result of the correction of relative insulin insufficiency, tissue insulin resistance and improving glucose utilization."}
{"id": "PMID:1489492", "title": "Bacterial flora of burn wounds in Lagos, Nigeria: a prospective study.", "content": "A prospective study of burn wound sepsis was carried out on 31 consecutive patients with fresh burns. Wound swab cultures were assessed at weekly intervals for 5 weeks. The study revealed that while 96.7 per cent of burn wounds were sterile on admission, bacterial colonization reached 80.6 per cent within the first week after admission. Although the Gram-negative organisms, as a group, were more predominant, Staph. aureus (38.2 per cent) was the most prevalent organism in the first week. It was however surpassed by Pseud. aeruginosa from the second week onwards. Anaerobes were conspicuous by their absence. Similarly, beta-haemolytic streptococcus was not isolated from any patient. Proteus mirabilis was unusually preponderant, forming 19.4 per cent of all isolates. The antibiotic sensitivity pattern showed resistance of most of the organisms to ampicillin. Only 15 per cent of staphylococci were sensitive to cloxacillin. Most of the organisms cultured (93.5 per cent) were sensitive to ceftazidime."}
{"id": "PMID:1489493", "title": "Roles of thromboxane and prostacyclin in the pathogenesis of acute respiratory failure in burn patients combined with inhalation injury.", "content": "Forty-one severely burned patients were divided into inhalation injury and non-inhalation injury groups. It was found that in the inhalation injury group, TXB2 level and TXB2/6-keto-PGF1 alpha ratio in both plasma and lung tissues were significantly elevated, circulatory platelet aggregate ratio markedly decreased, and blood viscosity greatly increased. Histopathologically, congestion, oedema, haemorrhage and thrombosis were observed in lung tissues taken from patients succumbing to respiratory failure. The changes in TXB2 and TXB2/6 keto-PGF1 alpha ratio accorded with the clinical course of the development of respiratory failure in burn patients with inhalation injury. It is proposed that the imbalance of TXA2/PGI2 plays an important role in the pathogenesis of respiratory failure in severely burnt patients complicated with inhalation injury."}
{"id": "PMID:1489494", "title": "Effect of cerium nitrate-silver sulphadiazine on deep dermal burns: a histological hypothesis.", "content": "Although there are excellent clinical results from using cerium nitrate plus silver sulphadiazine in the treatment of deep dermal burns in our burn centre, its mechanism of action remains unexplained. We set up a prospective study to establish a hypothesis which could explain the formation of the typical leathery crust. Burns treated with cerium nitrate plus silver sulphadiazine and silver sulphadiazine alone were compared histologically and metallurgically. Application of cerium nitrate plus silver sulphadiazine on deep dermal burns caused superficial connective tissue calcification with few deep dermal changes. Cerium penetration was low and silver was never detected intradermally. The precipitation of cerium and pyrophosphate destroys the calcification inhibitory function of the latter, creates multiple calcification nuclei and leads to superficial dermal calcification. No calcium was detectable in biopsies from silver sulphadiazine-treated wounds. No major toxicological side-effects were seen during this study. The clinical results were favourable, as have been reported previously."}
{"id": "PMID:1489495", "title": "Effect of heta-starch colloidal solutions on reticuloendothelial phagocytic system (RES) function in burned and infected rats.", "content": "The biodistribution of the plasma expander colloidal solution, heta-starch (HES), has been examined in rats, subjected to thermal injury or sepsis. The ability of these solutions to alter RES phagocytic function of [99mTc]-sulphur colloid ([99mTc]SC) uptake in vivo has been examined. The biodistribution of radiolabelled HES has been determined in normal rats. The HES colloidal solution has no deleterious effect upon RES function in vivo in the thermally injured animals or the septic animals as compared to sham controls. In addition, the HES colloidal solution seemed to be distributed primarily within the liver, spleen and kidney, with a small amount residing in the lung. Thermal injury did not increase the uptake of this material by the lung. These results suggest that the use of HES in thermally injured and septic individuals has no deleterious effects on RES function, nor does it accumulate in the lungs, and hence, should be advocated for use in these situations."}
{"id": "PMID:1489496", "title": "Burn wound healing: James Ellsworth Laing memorial essay for 1991.", "content": "This essay has concentrated on the basic processes, clinical techniques involved in burn wound healing and how the two relate to each other. The achievement of early, sound, durable burn wound healing is one of the fundamental aims of burn care in order to minimize subsequent morbidity and mortality. It must be remembered that all patients with burns are individuals. There is no standard way to treat a burn and treatment must be tailored to suit the needs and requirements of both the patient and the burn wound. Burn wound healing is not the specific domain of any one specialist. It requires input from all disciplines and can be best achieved by the burn team approach."}
{"id": "PMID:1489497", "title": "Cytotoxicity evaluation of antiseptics and antibiotics on cultured human fibroblasts and keratinocytes.", "content": "Infection is the greatest problem in burn patients and topical antimicrobial agents must be chosen with great care, especially when cultured skin is grafted. We examined the cytotoxic effect of six antiseptics and six antibiotics commonly used on cultured human fibroblasts and keratinocytes. Cultured cells were exposed for 15 min to Hibitane (chlorhexidine), Biseptine (chlorhexidine+benzalkonium chloride+benzylic alcohol), Benzalkonium Chloride, Yellow Betadine (polyvidone-iodine+nonoxinol), Betadine Scrub (polyvidone-iodine+quaternary ammonium) and Green Betadine (polyvidone-iodine) and viability was determined using the MTT test. At therapeutic concentrations all the antiseptics are cytotoxic for fibroblasts and keratinocytes. Additionally the cells were exposed for 48 h to vancomycin, colistin, amikacin, imipeneme, pefloxaxin, piperacillin and cell viability was determined using the MTT test. The concentrations of antibiotics corresponding to the plasma peak obtained after therapeutic application were not cytotoxic to the tested cells. The CD50 was much higher than the MIC (from 125 to 875 times for keratinocytes and from 1400 to 5900 times for fibroblasts). These data suggest that commonly applied antiseptics must not be used before grafting cultured skin grafts. After grafting any infection can be controlled with topical applications of appropriate antibiotics."}
{"id": "PMID:1489498", "title": "Are plasma endotoxin levels related to burn size and prognosis?", "content": "Plasma endotoxin concentrations were determined in 42 patients with burns covering more than 20 per cent of the body surface area, using the endotoxin-specific Endospecy assay and treatment of plasma by a new method developed by ourselves. The normal endotoxin level was 9.8 pg/ml or less. In the early period after injury when no infection was present, very few patients had an endotoxin level above 9.8 pg/ml and endotoxin levels did not correlate with the area of the burns or with prognosis. However, later in the clinical course, endotoxin levels were correlated significantly with the burned area and with the prognosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1489499", "title": "A quantitative assessment of blood loss in burn wound excision and grafting.", "content": "A prospective study was performed that allowed a quantitative estimation of blood loss in excision and grafting of adult burn injuries. The average value for blood loss was 9.2 per cent of the patient's estimated blood volume or 387 ml per 1 per cent burn excised and grafted. There was no exponential increase in blood loss as the percentage excised and grafted increased apart from proportionality and there was no statistical difference between males and females for burns excised and grafted days 1-14 after injury or greater than 14 days after injury. It was therefore concluded that a useful working figure is 400 ml whole blood or 10 per cent of patient blood volume is lost per 1 per cent full thickness burn excised and grafted for an adult. These values do not apply to the very young, the very old and those patients who have bleeding disorders, and when using various methods to limit blood loss. This figure allows adequate cross-matched whole blood to be available preoperatively."}
{"id": "PMID:1489500", "title": "Porcine dermal collagen as a wound dressing for skin donor sites and deep partial skin thickness burns.", "content": "Collagen was extracted by pepsin digestion from porcine skin, and collagen membrane was prepared by salt precipitation. The porcine collagen membrane was evaluated as a burn wound dressing in deep partial skin thickness burn wounds in rats. Burn wounds, 4 x 4 cm, were inflicted by exposure of skin to 75 degrees C for 15 s followed by de-epithelialization. Wound healing was assessed by planimetry of epithelialization on day 10 after injury. Open wounds exhibited 24 per cent of wound area re-epithelialized. Collagen membrane dressing significantly improved the healing to 69 per cent of wound area (P < 0.0001). In a completely separate experiment, the porcine collagen membrane was applied as a wound dressing to the donor sites of burn patients, and its effect on wound healing was compared with that of a petroleum jelly gauze dressing. The donor sites covered with petroleum jelly gauze had re-epithelialized by an average of 14.5 days (ranging from 13 to 16 days) after wounding. The wounds dressed with collagen membrane demonstrated a significant increase in the healing rate. Complete re-epithelialization was observed by 10.3 days (ranging from 10 to 12 days) after wounding (P < 0.0001)."}
{"id": "PMID:1489501", "title": "Electrical burns in Kuwait: a review and analysis of 64 cases.", "content": "Sixty-four patients with electrical burns were admitted to the Department of Plastic Surgery, Ibn Sina Hospital, Kuwait during the past 6 years. There were 1202 admissions during this period, the incidence of electrical burns being 5.3 per cent. Sixty-nine per cent of the patients sustained injury from direct contact with live electrical wire, the remaining 31 per cent sustained flash burns. The incidence of low voltage injury was much higher as compared to high voltage. Forty-four per cent of these injuries were not work related. Less than 10 per cent of the body surface area was involved in about 80 per cent of the patients. A total of 65 operations was carried out in 39 patients. Twenty of these patients had repeated debridements until the wound was ready for coverage. All 64 patients survived."}
{"id": "PMID:1489502", "title": "Updated evaluation of the activity of antibiotics in a burn centre.", "content": "The results of microbiological tests performed in a burns unit between January 1989 and December 1990 have been analysed. Burn wound swabs and biopsies, blood cultures, central venous and urinary catheters, bronchial aspirates, pharyngeal swabs and faecal cultures for a total of 7950 examinations were considered. Staph. aureus was the most frequently isolated bacterium, followed by Staph. epidermidis, Pseud. aeruginosa and E. coli. The antibiograms have shown a low efficacy rate of cephalosporins, even of the latest generation, while with Gram-positive isolates the highest rates of activity were recorded by vancomycin and teicoplanin (100 per cent sensitivity). The situation seems better with Gram-negative organisms since they appear to be sensitive to a larger number of antimicrobial agents."}
{"id": "PMID:1489503", "title": "Reconstruction of postburn breast deformities.", "content": "Postburn breast deformity is a sequela of severe scar contraction of the burned chest. During the past 3 years, 24 female patients with such deformities required reconstruction, the surgery was performed in our department. These patients, the types of the deformities and the techniques used for reconstruction have been reviewed. For mild deformities (10 patients) reconstructions with skin grafts and local skin flaps were found to be satisfactory. For deformities which affected the mammary development (14 patients), mammary prostheses directly or under the soft tissue obtained by skin expansion or musculocutaneous flaps were used. In three of our patients, reduction mammaplasty or mastopexy was needed to symmetrize the breasts."}
{"id": "PMID:1489504", "title": "Reconstruction of exposed sternum following electrical burns using a superior transverse rectus abdominis musculocutaneous flap.", "content": "An unusual case of a patient with electrical burns with exposed sternum was reconstructed using a superior transverse rectus abdominis flap (also known as 'epigastric rectus flap'). The clinical rarity of the condition and the innovation of the reconstructive method is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1489507", "title": "Toxicology of quinone-thioethers.", "content": "Cytotoxicity associated with exposure to quinones has generally been attributed to either redox cycling, and the subsequent development of \"oxidative stress,\" and/or to their interaction with cellular nucleophiles, such as protein and non-protein sulfhydryls. Glutathione (GSH) is the major non-protein sulfhydryl present in cells, and conjugation of potentially toxic electrophiles with GSH is usually associated with detoxication and excretion. However, this review discusses the biological (re)activity of quinone-thioethers. For example, quinone-thioethers are (1) capable of redox cycling (2) substrates for, and inhibitors of, a variety of enzymes (3) methemoglobinemic (4) potent nephrotoxicants (5) DNA reactive and (6) may contribute to quinone-mediated carcinogenicity and neurotoxicity. The ubiquitous nature of quinones, and the high intracellular concentrations of GSH, ensures that cells and tissues will be exposed to quinone-thioethers. The toxicological importance of quinone-thioethers in quinone-mediated toxicities therefore deserves further attention."}
{"id": "PMID:1489508", "title": "Mercapturic acids, protein adducts, and DNA adducts as biomarkers of electrophilic chemicals.", "content": "The possibilities and limitations of using mercapturic acids and protein and DNA adducts for the assessment of internal and effective doses of electrophilic chemicals are reviewed. Electrophilic chemicals may be considered as potential mutagens and/or carcinogens. Mercapturic acids and protein and DNA adducts are considered as selective biomarkers because they reflect the chemical structure of the parent compounds or the reactive electrophilic metabolites formed during biotransformation. In general, mercapturic acids are used for the assessment of recent exposure, whereas protein and DNA adducts are used for the assessment of semichronic or chronic exposure. 2-Hydroxyethyl mercapturic acid has been shown to be the urinary excretion product of five different reactive electrophilic intermediates. Classification of these electrophiles according to their acid-base properties might provide a tool to predict their preference to conjugate with either glutathione and proteins or with DNA. Constant relationships appear to exist in the cases of 1,2-dibromoethane and ethylene oxide between urinary mercapturic acid excretion and DNA and protein adduct concentrations. This suggests that mercapturic acids in some cases may also play a role as a biomarker of effective dose. It is concluded that simultaneous determination of mercapturic acids, protein and DNA adducts, and other metabolites can greatly increase our knowledge of the specific roles these biomarkers play in internal and effective dose assessment. If the relationship between exposure and effect is known, similar to protein and DNA adducts, mercapturic acids might also be helpful in (individual) health risk assessment."}
{"id": "PMID:1489509", "title": "Mechanisms and pathology of monocrotaline pulmonary toxicity.", "content": "Monocrotaline (MCT) is an 11-membered macrocyclic pyrrolizidine alkaloid (PA) that causes a pulmonary vascular syndrome in rats characterized by proliferative pulmonary vasculitis, pulmonary hypertension, and cor pulmonale. Current hypotheses of the pathogenesis of MCT-induced pneumotoxicity suggest that MCT is activated to a reactive metabolite(s) in the liver and is then transported by red blood cells (RBCs) to the lung, where it initiates endothelial injury. While several lines of evidence support the requirement of hepatic metabolism for pneumotoxicity, the mechanism and relative importance of RBC transport remain undetermined. The endothelial injury does not appear to be acute cell death but rather a delayed functional alteration that leads to disease of the pulmonary arterial walls by unknown mechanisms. The selectivity of MCT for the lung, as opposed to that of other primarily hepatotoxic PAs, appears likely to be a consequence of the differences in hepatic metabolism and blood kinetics of MCT. A likely candidate for a reactive metabolite of MCT is the dehydrogenation product monocrotaline pyrrole (MCTP). Secondary or phase II metabolism of MCT through glutathione (GSH) conjugation has been characterized recently and appears to represent a detoxification pathway. The role of inflammation in the progression of MCT-induced pulmonary vascular disease is uncertain. Both perivascular inflammation and platelet activation have been proposed as processes contributing to the response of the vascular media. This review presents the experimental evidence supporting these hypotheses and outlines additional questions that arise from them."}
{"id": "PMID:1489510", "title": "Aquatic insects and trace metals: bioavailability, bioaccumulation, and toxicity.", "content": "The uptake of metals from food and water sources by insects is thought to be additive. For a given metal, the proportions taken up from water and food will depend both on the bioavailable concentration of the metal associated with each source and the mechanism and rate by which the metal enters the insect. Attempts to correlate insect trace metal concentrations with the trophic level of insects should be made with a knowledge of the feeding relationships of the individual taxa concerned. Pathways for the uptake of essential metals, such as copper and zinc, exist at the cellular level, and other nonessential metals, such as cadmium, also appear to enter via these routes. Within cells, trace metals can be bound to proteins or stored in granules. The internal distribution of metals among body tissues is very heterogeneous, and distribution patterns tend to be both metal and taxon specific. Trace metals associated with insects can be both bound on the surface of their chitinous exoskeleton and incorporated into body tissues. The quantities of trace meals accumulated by an individual reflect the net balance between the rate of metal influx from both dissolved and particulate sources and the rate of metal efflux from the organism. The toxicity of metals has been demonstrated at all levels of biological organization: cell, tissue, individual, population, and community. Much of the literature pertaining to the toxic effects of metals on aquatic insects is based on laboratory observations and, as such, it is difficult to extrapolate the data to insects in nature. The few experimental studies in nature suggest that trace metal contaminants can affect both the distribution and the abundance of aquatic insects. Insects have a largely unexploited potential as biomonitors of metal contamination in nature. A better understanding of the physicochemical and biological mechanisms mediating trace metal bioavailability and exchange will facilitate the development of general predictive models relating trace metal concentrations in insects to those in their environment. Such models will facilitate the use of insects as contaminant biomonitors."}
{"id": "PMID:1489511", "title": "Determination of mercapturic acid excretions in exposure control to toxicants.", "content": "Toxicants can be converted in vivo by a variety of biotransformation reactions into substances that are more, equally, or less noxious than the parent compound. Although conjugation with glutathione is a process that usually results in less harmful products, these products might subsequently form new metabolites that exert more toxicity than the parent compound. These conjugation reactions are catalyzed by several classes of glutathione-S-transferase isoenzymes and thus result in the urinary or biliary excretion of N-acetyl-L-cysteine-S-conjugates (mercapturic acids). Inasmuch as GSH-S-transferase activity varies among different tissues, urinary excretion of mercapturic acids might reflect tissue-specific toxicity. Urinary mercapturic acids are biomarkers of internal and, in some cases, effective dose. The utility of these markers is, however, limited to times shortly after exposure. Studies on possible human deficiencies in some GSH-S-transferases might help us better understand interindividual variations in susceptibility to different toxicants and thus the differences in the pathway of mercapturic acid excretion pattern."}
{"id": "PMID:1489512", "title": "Validity and reliability of the Pressure Sore Status Tool.", "content": "There is not yet a universal system for describing the status of pressure sores. The purpose of this study was to assess the validity and reliability of an instrument developed by the researchers for evaluation of pressure sores, the Pressure Sore Status Tool (PSST). This study was part of a larger study, which included development of a theoretical model for creation of items for the PSST. A nine-member expert judge panel established content validity of items on the instrument. Data were analyzed using a content of validity index (average index for tool = .91) and judges' comments were used to modify two items on the PSST. Two Enterostomal Therapy (ET) nurses independently used the revised tool to rate 20 pressure sores on ten adult medical-surgical patients, at two observation times. Interrater reliability was established at r = .91 for first observation and r = .92 for the second observation (p < .001). Intrarater reliability was r = .99 for rater one and r = .96 for rater two (p < .001). Future research will focus on refinement and further reliability testing of the instrument."}
{"id": "PMID:1489513", "title": "The treatment of osteomyelitis underlying pressure ulcers.", "content": "Osteomyelitis is recognized as an often intractable hindrance to healing in the deep pressure ulcer. The mainstays of treatment of this disease have traditionally been surgical debridement followed by muscle flap revascularization, supplemented by antibiotic coverage. Hyperbaric oxygenation has also been shown to be effective in healing refractory osteomyelitis when used as an adjunct to surgical and medical therapy. This review defines the disease, and presents a current literature review and discussion of its treatment, including adequacy of debridement, options for wound closure, appropriate antimicrobial strategy, and the role of hyperbaric oxygenation. A short review of investigational modalities is also included."}
{"id": "PMID:1489514", "title": "Assessing and enhancing reliability.", "content": "When choosing a tool or instrument to gather data, the clinician must consider many factors including the validity, reliability, sensitivity, and specificity of the measuring device. While all of these factors are important measurement issues, this article focuses on assessment and enhancement of reliability."}
{"id": "PMID:1489515", "title": "A tool to document the competence of clinicians to prevent and manage pressure ulcers.", "content": "As one way to meet the standards of quality patient care, a new tool was developed to document the clinical competence of healthcare providers in preventing and managing care for patients with pressure ulcers. The \"Clinical Competency Tool for Documentation of Pressure Ulcer Prevention and Management\" is described as well as suggestions for incorporating its use in the education of healthcare providers."}
{"id": "PMID:1489516", "title": "Pain control after surgery: a patient's guide, Agency for Health Care Policy and Research.", "content": "What is pain? Pain is an uncomfortable feeling that tells you something may be wrong in your body. Pain is your body's way of sending a warning to your brain. Your spinal cord and nerves provide the pathway for messages to travel to and from your brain and the other parts of your body. Receptor nerve cells in and beneath your skin sense heat, cold, light, touch, pressure, and pain. You have thousands of these receptor cells, most sense pain and the fewest sense cold. When there is an injury to your body--in this case surgery--these tiny cells send messages along nerves into your spinal cord and then up to your brain. Pain medicine blocks these messages or reduces their effect on your brain. Sometimes pain may be just a nuisance, like a mild headache. At other times, such as after an operation, pain that doesn't go away--even after you take pain medicine--may be a signal that there is a problem. After your operation, your nurses and doctors will ask you about your pain because they want you to be comfortable, but also because they want to know if something is wrong. Be sure to tell your doctors and nurses when you have pain."}
{"id": "PMID:1489518", "title": "Clinical and biochemical aspects of carnitine deficiency and insufficiency: transport defects and inborn errors of beta-oxidation.", "content": "Carnitine is required for entry of long chain fatty acids into mitochondria where beta-oxidation occurs. Primary carnitine deficiency, due to a generic defect in cellular carnitine transport, exists in myopathic and systemic forms. Secondary carnitine deficiency may be due to multiplicity of inherited abnormalities, including deficiencies in carnitine palmitoyl-transferase acyl-CoA dehydrogenases, electron transfer flavoprotein, and 3-ketoacyl-CoA-thiolase. The clinical features, diagnosis, and treatment of these conditions are described."}
{"id": "PMID:1489519", "title": "Lipoprotein lipase: recent contributions from molecular biology.", "content": "Lipoprotein lipase (LPL) is a glycoprotein enzyme that is produced in several cells and tissues. LPL belongs to a large lipase gene family that includes, among others, hepatic lipase and pancreatic lipase. After secretion, LPL becomes anchored on the luminal surface of the capillary endothelial cells. There it hydrolyzes triglycerides in triglyceride-rich lipoproteins, generating free fatty acids that can serve either as a direct energy source or can be stored. Through this action LPL plays a pivotal role both in energy and in lipoprotein metabolism. LPL production is regulated in a tissue-specific fashion by developmental, hormonal, and nutritional factors. The recent availability of the regulatory sequences of the LPL gene will greatly facilitate these regulatory studies in the future. In man, several mutations resulting in familial LPL deficiency have been delineated at a molecular level. The study of these mutations is not only very beneficial from a clinical point of view but also contributes in a major way to our understanding of the structure-function relationship of LPL and other lipases. In this review major attention is given to molecular studies relating to the regulation of LPL production, to the defects underlying LPL deficiency, and to structure-function relationship of the lipases."}
{"id": "PMID:1489520", "title": "Oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes: new biochemical tests.", "content": "Oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes are genes involved in cell proliferation and differentiation. They play a crucial role in the initiation and progression of cancer. Some of these genes are found to be altered in human cancers, i.e., mutated, amplified, deleted, translocated, or abnormally regulated. Recently, the protein products of the genes have been purified, and antibodies against them have been developed. Studies of oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes at the DNA, mRNA, or protein level may reveal new ways for diagnosis, monitoring, prognosis, and treatment of cancer. In this article, the area of oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes is reviewed, with emphasis on clinical applications and biochemical testing. Although most of the currently known genetic markers are not sufficiently specific or sensitive, it is anticipated that the discovery of newer markers and the application of new analytical techniques may help in devising biochemical testing suitable for screening and early diagnosis of malignant diseases."}
{"id": "PMID:1489521", "title": "The role of neopterin as a monitor of cellular immune activation in transplantation, inflammatory, infectious, and malignant diseases.", "content": "The accumulated knowledge about the organization and function of the human immune system contributes to a better understanding of the pathogenesis of most diverse disorders and is opening new avenues for therapeutic regimens. To gain further insight into the complex interactions within the components of the immune system, it has become increasingly necessary to develop rapid and simple methods to monitor the status of the immune system in patients. The determination of neopterin concentrations in human body fluids allows to investigate sensitively the cell-mediated immune status to be investigated with considerable sensitivity. In recent years it was shown that production and release of neopterin is inducible in human monocytes/macrophages by interferon gamma. Increased neopterin levels indicate endogenous formation of gamma interferon, and monitoring of neopterin levels therefore permits the activation status of the cell-mediated immune system to be examined. Neopterin concentrations in serum and in urine increase in parallel to the clinical course of infections with viruses, intracellular bacteria, and parasites. In patients with human immunodeficiency virus infection neopterin concentration in serum and urine is a significant predictor of disease progression, the statistical power being similar to CD4+ T-cell numbers. In patients with autoimmune disorders, neopterin levels correlate with the extent and the activity of the disease. Neopterin concentrations are also sensitive indicators of immunological complications in allograft recipients. In certain malignant diseases neopterin concentrations correlate with the stage of the disease and bear prognostic information. Results of neopterin measurements agree with the important role that the cellular immune system plays in these disorders."}
{"id": "PMID:1489522", "title": "Experimental podophyllotoxin (bajiaolian) poisoning: I. Effects on the nervous system.", "content": "Bajiaolian, one of the species in the Mayapple family (Podophyllum pelatum), has been widely used as a traditional Chinese herbal medicine for the remedies of snake bites, general weakness, poisons, condyloma accuminata, lymphadenopathy, and certain tumors in China. In Western medicine, Podophyllum was first used medically as a laxative in the early 19th century. Since 1940, the resin of podophyllum has also been used topically for various skin lesions, such as warts and condyloma. Human poisonings have been reported. An animal model was established to investigate the neurotoxic effects of Bajiaolian. Podophyllotoxin, the major active ingredient in Podophyllum, was injected (ip) to young adult male rats at doses of 0, 5, 10, or 15 mg.kg-1 b.w.. The animals were sacrificed 72 h after injection. Neuronal changes were readily observable in animals treated with 10 or 15 mg.kg-1 of the toxin. Edematous changes of the anterior horn motoneurons were observed in the spinal cord. No neuronal necrosis was found. The type of neuronal swelling is believed to be only a transient change and would probably subside with time if no further assaults occur. More serious and perhaps longer term of changes were found in the dorsal ganglion neurons and the nerve fibers (axons) in the central and peripheral nervous system. Severe depletion of the Nissl substance (RNA/polyribosomes) was observed in the dorsal root ganglion neurons. Alterations in these sensory neurons would give rise to and correlate with the sensory disturbances experienced by the patients. Bodian staining also revealed a dose-related increase in the coarseness (thickness) of the nerve fibers (axons) in the cerebellum, cerebral cortex, brainstem, and spinal cord. This is the first scientific study showing the neurotoxicity of Bajiaolian, a commonly used Chinese herbal medicine. Toxicities on other organ systems by this drug certainly exist. Caution should be exercised in the dispensing and usage of this medicine."}
{"id": "PMID:1489523", "title": "Experimental podophyllotoxin (bajiaolian) poisoning: II. Effects on the liver, intestine, kidney, pancreas and testis.", "content": "Young male rats were orally intubated with podophyllotoxin: Group I, control animals, orally fed with vehicle only; Group II, fed with an initial dose of 5 mg.kg-1 b.w., followed by a daily dose of 1.67 mg.kg-1 b.w. for 7d. Group III, fed with an initial dose of 15 mg.kg-1 b.w., followed by a daily dose of 5 mg.kg-1 b.w. for 7d. All animals were sacrificed 72 h after the last dosing. Histopathological examination revealed dose-related fatty change of the liver, atrophy and degenerative changes of the intestinal epithelial linings and testicular seminiferous tubules. Depletion of the pancreatic acinar cell granules was also apparent in the Group III animals. No pathology, however, was observed in the kidneys. The present study demonstrated for the first time degenerative changes in the liver, intestine, testis, and pancreas of animals ingested podophyllotoxin. These pathological changes correlate well with the clinical signs/symptoms of abnormal liver function, abdominal pain and diarrhea, and reduced serum amylase in humans poisoned by podophyllum. Inhibition of protein synthesis and mitosis (disruption of microtubules) are believed to be the underlying mechanisms of these changes observed in the animals intoxicated by podophyllotoxin."}
{"id": "PMID:1489524", "title": "Study of the relationship between the hepatotoxicity and free radical induced by 1,1,2-trichloroethane and 1,1,1-trichloroethane in rat.", "content": "The hepatotoxicity and the relationship between the hepatotoxicity and free radical induced by 1,1,2-trichloroethane (1,1,2-TCE) and 1,1,1-trichloroethane (1,1,1-TCE) were studied by whole animals test and the isolated perfused rat liver test. Enzymatic parameters measured during the test included the assay of levels of glutamic pyruvic transaminase (GPT), sorbital dehydrogenase (SDH) and glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH). The observation of the pathologic changes of the liver by the light microscope and the measurement of the relative total free radical concentration in the liver were also made. The results showed that 1,1,2-TCE caused definite pathologic changes of rat liver. It led to much higher values for GPT, SDH and GDH both in serum and perfusate than 1,1,1-TCE did (P < 0.01). The concentration of perfusate K+ caused by 1,1,2-TCE was higher than that by 1,1,1-TCE (P < 0.01). The value of the relative total free radical concentration induced by 1,1,2-TCE was also greater than that by 1,1,1-TCE (P < 0.05). The results suggested that the hepatotoxicity of 1,1,2-TCE was stronger than that of 1,1,1-TCE. The free radical concentration was increased proportionally to the increase of the hepatotoxicity of 1,1,2-TCE and 1,1,1-TCE. It appeared that free radical may play an important role in the mechanism of the hepatic injury induced by 1,1,2-TCE."}
{"id": "PMID:1489525", "title": "Effect of an environmental contaminant, diisopropyl methylphosphonate, on the blood pressure of the mallard.", "content": "During a toxicological test using diisopropyl methylphosphonate (DIMP) on mallards, an anaesthesia-like response was noted after oral dosing. In order to further elucidate these effects, arterial blood pressures were determined both pre- and post-dosing on adult male and female mallards by cannulation of the left carotid artery. A significant decrease in systolic, diastolic, and mean blood pressure was noted after the oral administration of DIMP. There was no significant difference in response between males and females. During the first 30 min after dosing, systolic pressure fell from an average of 158 mmHg, to 94 mmHg, diastolic decreased from 127 mmHg to 63 mmHg, and mean blood pressure dropped from 138 mmHg to 75 mmHg. However, there was no significant effect on pulse pressure, heart rate, or respiratory rate. These results are compared to physiological data cited in the literature for various CNS-acting drugs on mallards."}
{"id": "PMID:1489526", "title": "Dermal toxicity of paraphenylenediamine.", "content": "The guinea pigs were dermally exposed to paraphenylenediamine (PPD) and in presence of an oxidising agent hydrogen peroxide for 15 and 30 d to assess their effects on some enzymes, lipid peroxidation and histamine contents in the skin. The activities of acid and alkaline phosphatases, beta-glucuronidase, gamma glutamyl transpeptidase, histidase and tyrosinase were enhanced after application of either PPD or PPD plus hydrogen peroxide. The lipid peroxidation and histamine contents also showed marked elevation following exposure to the chemicals."}
{"id": "PMID:1489527", "title": "Acute toxic effects of mercuric chloride on the mucocytes of the epithelial lining of the accessory respiratory organ and skin of the air breathing catfish Heteropneustes fossilis (Bloch).", "content": "Acute toxicity of 0.3 ppm mercuric chloride on the mucocytes of the branchial diverticulum and skin of Heteropneustes fossilis results in cyclic increases followed by decreases in the density, area occupancy and volume at different intervals of exposure. The alterations in the two tissues do not follow the same path perhaps due to different modes of action of the mercury salt: The skin comes under direct contact effects, while the branchial diverticulum may be affected by hormonal imbalance caused by a stress effect."}
{"id": "PMID:1489528", "title": "Potential use of luminol-dependent chemiluminescence for estimation of free radicals produced in hepatic microsomes and reconstituted cytochrome P-450 systems.", "content": "The evaluation of luminol-dependent chemiluminescence (CL) for determination of free radicals generated during the oxidative reactions of microsomal enzymes in microsomes and reconstituted systems has been studied. The results indicated that the CL not only depended on NADPH induction but also on intact cytochrome P-450 enzymes. The light emission signal was strongly scavenged by SOD with inhibition rate of 93%. A concentration of 24 mumol.L-1 cadmium acetate and 2.5 mumol.L-1 mercuric chloride also inhibited the signal significantly as compared with the control. The study of CL in detecting free radicals formed by biotransformation of 44 xenobiotics suggested that some of the compounds known as free radicals producing agents by bioactivation increased the light emission in cytochrome P-450 enzyme system, such as carbon tetrachloride, chloroform, tetrachloroethylene etc., the others forming toxic metabolites by biotransformation induced the CL in some cases, such as carbon disulfide, benzene, methyldursban, methylparathion etc. or decreased the light emission, such as parathion, aniline and polychlorinated byphenyls etc., and still others whose toxic effects have no relationship with their biotransformation had no influence or an inhibitory effect on the CL, such as aminopyrine, TOCP, and acrylamide. CL in the cytochrome P-450 enzyme system remained unchanged during the biotransformation of carcinogens such as diethylnitrosamine, dipropylnitrosamine and benzo(a)pyrene as compared with the control. However, 3-methylcholanthrene and dimethylnitrosamine had an enhancing effect on the CL, while 2-acetylaminofluorene and 2-aminoanthracene showed an inhibition to the signals."}
{"id": "PMID:1489529", "title": "Effect of low benzene exposure on neurobehavioral function, AChE in blood and brain and bone marrow picture in mice.", "content": "The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of low level benzene exposure on neurobehavioral functions, AChE in blood and brain, bone marrow picture in Kunming mice. Forty adult Kunming male mice were divided into 4 groups. They were exposed to 12.52, 3.13, 0.78 and 0 ppm benzene for 2 h.d-1 for 30 d. Central nervous system (CNS) function was inhibited by 12.52 ppm and excited by 0.78 ppm benzene exposure, but irregularly affected by 3.13 ppm. AChE in blood and brain was decreased in 12.52, 3.13 ppm group. The weight of liver to body weight ratios in 12.52 ppm group was higher than those of control group significantly. Bone marrow picture revealed inhibited proliferation of white and red cell systems, especially in 12.52 ppm group, consisting of decrease of percentage of myeloblast, premyelocytes, myelocytes, erythroblasts and megakaryocytes, especially in 12.52 ppm group."}
{"id": "PMID:1489530", "title": "Time dependent tissue distribution of 203Hg in the white rat and Anabas testudineus, a freshwater teleost.", "content": "The distribution of mercury, an environmentally important toxicant, has been evaluated in a time dependent manner in different tissues of white rat and a freshwater teleost, Anabas testudineus. Sampling was performed at 15 min, 2, 6 and 48 h post injection (im) of 203Hg mercuric nitrate. Radioactivity of the 5% tissue homogenate, serum and bile was measured in a Gamma Counter. The rate of 203Hg accumulation is higher in fish immediately after administration which, however, is more or less of equal rate in the later period of observation in both the experimental animals. Partitioning of 203Hg occurs in a species specific manner with higher levels recorded in the brain and gonad of white rat. Spleen, liver and kidney, however, are the major tissues to accumulate mercury in both the species. The present study highlights that kidney is the target site of mercury retention with a higher kidney/liver ratio of mercury."}
{"id": "PMID:1489531", "title": "Effects of tetrandrine on lung-lipid contents of rats with experimental silicosis.", "content": "The wet weight, lipid contents and the percentages of PL components of lung tissues, SAM and AM of normal, Silicotic and TT treated rats were analysed. It was indicated that the wet weight, lipid contents of lung tissues, SAM and AM of Silicotic rats all were increased, and with the lapse of experimental period. In lung tissues the percentages of PC, PG and PI accounted for the total PL were increased and PS, S were decreased in comparison with those of normal rats. The PL percentages in SAM of Silicotic rats were not significantly different from those of normal rats. The wet weight, lipid contents of lung tissues, SAM and AM, percentages of PL components in lung tissues of TT treated rats were higher than that of normal rats and lower than that of silicotic rats. The percentages of PC, USPC accounted for the total PL in SAM of TT treated rats were lower while PI, PS,S were higher than that of normal and Silicotic rats. The other percentages of PL components were not significantly different from that of normal and silicotic rats."}
{"id": "PMID:1489532", "title": "Regeneration of respiratory epithelia in the rat after free grafting.", "content": "Following free grafting of septal mucosa from the rat to the rectus abdominis muscle, the mucosal membrane was found to degenerate into a flat squamous epithelium with loss of the majority of differentiated epithelial cells. Both the goblet cells and ciliated cells regenerated from stem cells, which appear in large numbers 2 days after transplantation. Microvilli were found initially on the surfaces of developing ciliated cells and were replaced 21 days post-grafting by cilia. The number of goblet cells during regeneration at first exceeded that of the ciliated cells, but decreased with the passage of time. After 4 months there were more ciliated cells, with the respiratory epithelium now appearing no different than the initially transplanted nasal mucosa."}
{"id": "PMID:1489533", "title": "Yearly chest radiography in the early detection of lung cancer following laryngeal cancer.", "content": "In a retrospective study of 556 patients (505 men, 51 women) with laryngeal cancer the incidence and prognosis of lung malignancies was studied in patients who were examined yearly by chest radiography. In 69 patients (12.4%) a lung malignancy was diagnosed, with 28 having a histologically confirmed second primary malignancy. All of these 69 patients were men. The incidence of radiologically detected lung malignancies, both second primary and metastatic cancer, is higher and more prolonged following supraglottic carcinoma than following glottic carcinoma. In 47 patients (68%) without symptoms, the lung malignancy was detected by routine annual chest radiography. The survival rate in patients with lung cancer detected by the yearly radiography was significantly higher than in patients diagnosed after symptoms (median survival 10 and 4 months, respectively). However, taking into account the lead time between early radiologic diagnosis and the time a tumor would have been diagnosed following symptoms, the observed survival benefit of yearly radiography was much lower, or even nil."}
{"id": "PMID:1489534", "title": "An epidemiological approach to the etiology of middle ear disease in The Netherlands.", "content": "The etiology of middle ear disease in Nijmegen, The Netherlands was studied on the basis of a data set collected in a prospective epidemiological study on otitis media with effusion (OME) in a cohort of 1439 preschool children. A factor analysis was used to evaluate two hypotheses: (1) that OME, acute otitis media (AOM), common cold and tonsillitis are manifestations of the same pathological entity, and (2) that a group of children can be distinguished who develop these conditions more frequently than average. The results only partly supported these hypotheses. The correlation between OME, AOM, common cold and tonsillitis was lower than expected from a review of the literature. Common cold appeared to be the ubiquitous ENT disease in childhood and, depending on the child's predisposition, could be accompanied by OME, AOM or tonsillitis. The course of middle ear and upper airway disease showed a gradual scale from \"healthy\" to \"ill\" with most of the children suffering from these conditions at an average frequency."}
{"id": "PMID:1489535", "title": "Pneumococcal antigens and serum antibody responses in experimentally induced sinusitis.", "content": "Maxillary sinusitis was induced in New Zealand White rabbits with Streptococcus pneumoniae serotype 3 and the serum antibody response was recorded by enzyme immunoassay. Activity of the three major immunoglobulin classes, viz. IgG, IgA and IgM, against the type-specific capsular polysaccharide, the cell wall C-polysaccharide as well as its subunit phosphorylcholine was analyzed. A pronounced increase in immunoglobulins reactive to the specific capsular antigen was observed throughout the study period, with the rise being particularly noticeable during the first 2 weeks. An increase in anti-C-polysaccharide antibodies was also evident, but no reaction to phosphorylcholine could be detected. Although the histological findings at 3 and 4 weeks varied in spite of similar serum antibody responses, a correlation appeared to exist between a more rapidly increasing anti-capsular IgG production and the prevalence of a purulent sinus secretion."}
{"id": "PMID:1489536", "title": "Langerhans cells in human middle ear cholesteatomas.", "content": "Langerhans cells have been found in cholesteatomas for many years. It is believed that they are immunocompetent cells and have the same role in cell-mediated immunologic mechanisms in cholesteatoma as well as in skin. This study used the transmission electron microscope to observe the cellular characteristics of Langerhans cells and the apposition phenomenon of Langerhans cells with lymphocyte-like cells in human middle ear cholesteatomatous tissue. These findings are evidence for cell-mediated immune responses in middle ear cholesteatomas. In vitro Langerhans cells conditioned medium prepared from Lewis rat skin was used to show its effects on protein synthesis and the differentiation of basal cells. Since the cellular behaviour of basal cells is important in the development and pathogenesis of cholesteatoma, the present study shows that Langerhans cells may have some role in the clinical formation of a cholesteatoma. Since cells extracted from rat skin may have a different response from that of cells from human middle ear cholesteatoma, further investigations are necessary to compare the biological effects of both tissues."}
{"id": "PMID:1489537", "title": "Cholesteatoma in children. An Egyptian overview.", "content": "There is a long-lasting debate concerning cholesteatoma in children. This retrospective epidemiological study includes 81 ears harboring cholesteatoma and treated surgically. All patients were Egyptian and were treated at Alazhar University Hospital, Cairo. Among this group 37 ears belonged to patients younger than 18 years old. To clarify comparison with adult patients, a system of classification based on certain anatomical criteria is proposed. Statistical analysis proved that cholesteatoma in children treated at Alazhar University Hospital differs significantly in two main aspects: it is associated with more pathological changes and is associated with higher morbidity. Additionally, patients younger than 12 years are at high risk for complications. A subgroup of adolescents with cholesteatoma is marginal and has disease representing the characteristics of both adults and younger children."}
{"id": "PMID:1489538", "title": "Differences between sheep excreting sodium predominantly in their urine or in their faeces: the effect of changes in sodium intake.", "content": "Sheep receiving a total of about 31 mmol day-1 (0.5 mmol kg-1) of sodium were classified according to the predominant route of sodium excretion; urinary (U) or faecal (F). U sheep had a greater water turnover than F sheep; their intake was 41% higher and they produced 133% more urine but there was little difference in faecal water loss. Most faecal sodium was readily exchangeable with water in both groups. When sodium intake was reduced by 80% (to 6 mmol day-1; 0.1 mmol kg-1), the reduction in total sodium excretion was equally effective in F sheep and U sheep after 48 h and after 2 weeks the overall losses of sodium were smaller in F sheep. On sodium intakes close to requirement (0.1 mmol kg-1 or less) the majority of the sheep excreted most of their sodium in faeces and did so on intakes up to 0.5 mmol kg-1 day-1. Excess dietary sodium is mainly excreted renally. When sodium intake is increased abruptly (by 20 mmol day-1, 0.3 mmol kg-1), total sodium excretion only increases gradually but after about 3 days it 'overshoots' as in humans."}
{"id": "PMID:1489539", "title": "Effect of intraduodenal HCl and soybean extract on pancreatic juice secretion during atropinization and cold vagal blockade in calves.", "content": "In order to elucidate the mechanisms by which intraduodenal hydrochloric acid (HCl) and soybean extract influence exocrine pancreatic secretion in the young ruminant, we conducted experiments repeatedly on six conscious calves with and without blockade of the extrinsic and intrinsic neural pathways. In the absence of blockade, each of the two stimuli increased the juice volume, the HCl effect being far stronger than that of soybean extract. Intrinsic cholinergic blockade by atropinization blocked the stimulatory work of soybean extract on pancreatic secretion and on HCl-stimulated protein but had a weak effect on the amount of juice evoked by HCl. Temporary vagal blockade by chilling virtually abolished the excitatory effects of both soybean extract and HCl. With or without blockade, duodenal HCl resulted in a noteworthy increase in plasmal secretin and a slight increase in cholecystokinin (CCK). With alimentary proteins, acidification of the duodenum was responsible for both the composition and secretion of pancreatic juice in young calves, generally via neural pathways. Atropine-sensitive nerves of the pancreas totally regulate the intestinal phase of pancreatic juice secretion allied with intraduodenal protein, whereas HCl-dependent excitation of the exocrine pancreas takes place partly via atropine-resistant nerves. However, as hardly any pancreatic juice was secreted independently of the vagi, the vagi are deemed to govern all the postprandial regulatory mechanisms of the exocrine pancreas in the young calf."}
{"id": "PMID:1489540", "title": "An analysis of the action of an analogue of almitrine bismesylate in the rat model of hypoxic lung disease.", "content": "Chronically hypoxic (CH) and normoxic control rats were used to assess the action of S9581, a water-soluble analogue of almitrine bismesylate. S9581 increased ventilation (Ve) by 34% in control and 20% in CH rats. During acute hypoxia Ve was raised and S9581 caused a further increase of 20% in both groups. Low doses of S9581 and almitrine enhanced the hypoxic ventilatory response in CH rats while high doses depressed it in both groups. Effects of S9581 on the pulmonary circulation were assessed in the isolated perfused lung of rats. As with almitrine a complex relationship of dose-dependent vasoconstriction and dilatation was revealed. In low doses, S9581 enhanced the hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstrictor response to 2% O2 whilst this was attenuated by high doses in both control and CH rats. S9581 seemed to act like almitrine bismesylate on both the ventilation (peripheral chemoreceptor) and the pulmonary circulation. For studying almitrine-like activity the water solubility of S9581 provides considerable advantages for the researcher."}
{"id": "PMID:1489541", "title": "Polyol pathway-mediated changes in cardiac muscle contractile properties: studies in streptozotocin-diabetic and galactose-fed rats.", "content": "Contractile properties of left ventricular papillary muscles and atria from streptozotocin-diabetic and from non-diabetic rats fed a 40% galactose diet were measured in vitro. There was a characteristic slowing of twitch responses for both tissues and both treatments (P < 0.05). Time to peak contraction was prolonged by 18-33% and maximum rate of contraction was reduced by 10-17%. Relaxation was also affected, with a 13-37% increase in half-relaxation time and a 7-25% reduction in the maximum rate of relaxation. There were treatment differences between papillary muscles and left atrium, diabetes having a more marked effect on the former, whereas galactosaemia caused more pronounced changes in the latter. The resting beat rate of the right atrium was 22% reduced in diabetic and galactosaemic rats (P < 0.01). When maximally stimulated with isoprenaline, beat rate did not rise to the level of stimulated controls (P < 0.01). Papillary muscle speed-related contractile properties also showed a reduced response to isoprenaline in diabetic and galactosaemic groups compared to normal controls. The greatest deficit was found for maximum rate of relaxation where responsiveness was 41 and 34% less for diabetic and galactosaemic groups respectively (P < 0.01). Polyol pathway metabolites in diabetic ventricles were increased 8-fold. In galactosaemic rats galactitol accumulation led to a 530-fold increase in polyols. The data suggest that polyol pathway activity may be an important factor in the aetiology of contractile and chronotropic changes in diabetic and galactosaemic cardiomyopathy."}
{"id": "PMID:1489542", "title": "Avoidance of endotoxin-induced inflammation during studies of albumin clearance from caprine joints.", "content": "Intra-articular injection of radiolabelled, commercial goat serum albumin (GSA) produces acute arthritis in caprine joints. This inflammation distorts clearance values and vitiates studies of normal lymphatic function. Endotoxin, routinely found in commercial albumin preparations, appears to cause this local reaction. We describe a simple method for the preparation of low-endotoxin, radioiodinated serum albumin from aseptically collected serum. We have used this technique to prepare GSA for use as a tracer molecule in clearance studies of synovial joint lymphatic function. The isolated protein exhibits antigenic and chemical characteristics indistinguishable from those of commercial GSA but contains at least 1000-fold less endotoxin. In contrast to commercial GSA preparations, this albumin does not produce local inflammation when injected into synovial joints and is cleared from caprine joints in the normal monoexponential manner. Low levels of endotoxin seriously distort studies of articular albumin kinetics and may induce comparable artifacts when commercial protein preparations are used to study other physiological systems."}
{"id": "PMID:1489543", "title": "The effects of Na(+)-K(+)-Cl- co-transport and Cl(-)-HCO3-exchange blockade on the membrane potential and intracellular chloride levels of rat arterial smooth muscle, in vitro.", "content": "Membrane potential and intracellular chloride levels have been measured simultaneously in vascular smooth muscle from the femoral artery of the rat, in vitro, using double-barrelled chloride-sensitive microelectrodes. These values are compared in the presence and absence of bicarbonate, and inhibitors of Cl(-)-HCO3- exchange and Na(+)-K(+)-Cl- co-transport. Both DIDS and bumetanide caused a hyperpolarization of membrane potential (Em) and a fall in [Cl-]i, in the presence of extracellular HCO3-. The effects of bumetanide were reversible, but those of DIDS were not. The effect of both agents were additive. The results demonstrate that both Cl(-)-HCO3- exchange and Na(+)-K(+)-Cl- co-transport accumulate intracellular chloride in this preparation, and it is suggested that this may allow the modulation of membrane potential (and hence excitability) of smooth muscle."}
{"id": "PMID:1489544", "title": "Influence of extracellular bicarbonate on the short-circuit current and intracellular free calcium of human cultured sweat duct cells.", "content": "Transepithelial short-circuit current (Iscc) and intracellular free Ca2+ (Ca2+i) was studied in monolayers of cultured human sweat duct cells (CSDCs) in the presence or absence of HCO3- (and CO2) in the bathing solutions. Addition of HCO3- (and CO2) increased the control Iscc by more than 50%. The effect of HCO3- (and CO2) on Iscc was confined to the serosal bath. The HCO3- (and CO2) effect was also studied during stimulation with the cholinergic agonist methacholine (MCh), which in CSDC induces a complex response consisting of an initial Iscc and Ca2+i spike, which is independent of extracellular Ca2+, followed by regular Iscc and Ca2+i oscillations, which are absent during Ca(2+)-free bathing conditions. The sustained Iscc and Ca2+i oscillations, but not the initial Iscc and Ca2+i spike were abolished by the removal of extracellular HCO3- (and CO2). It is concluded that the Ca2+ influx and the Iscc in CSDCs are critically influenced by the presence of extracellular HCO3- (and CO2) in the bathing solutions."}
{"id": "PMID:1489545", "title": "Effect of stage of lactation and milk accumulation on mammary cell differentiation in lactating bats.", "content": "Mammary cell differentiation was measured in lactating pipistrelle bats (Pipistrellus pipistrellus) by assay of key enzyme activities, and by determination of protein and lactose synthesis rates in short-term tissue cultures. By these criteria, mammary cell differentiation did not change significantly with stage of lactation, but depended on the extent to which the gland was filled with milk. Key enzyme activities and in vitro synthesis rates were significantly higher in glands suckled immediately before tissue collection, compared with contralateral glands that were engorged with milk. This indicates that mammary cell differentiation in the lactating bat is regulated locally within each gland by a mechanism sensitive to milk accumulation, to the extent that, unlike other species, this obscures any underlying effect of stage of lactation."}
{"id": "PMID:1489546", "title": "Rapid stimulatory effect of bradykinin on glucose transport across the brush-border and basolateral membranes of rat jejunal enterocytes.", "content": "Bradykinin has been shown to stimulate sugar uptake by intact intestine, but the cellular locus of this action is unknown. In this study on rat we show that bradykinin (10(-7) M) stimulates both sodium-dependent glucose uptake at the brush-border membrane and carrier-mediated movement across the basolateral membrane of upper villus enterocytes. These results suggest a role for bradykinin in the local control of glucose transport though the mechanisms underlying these effects have still to be elucidated."}
{"id": "PMID:1489547", "title": "Transcellular openings through microvascular walls in acutely inflamed frog mesentery.", "content": "Openings in the endothelium of frog mesenteric microvessels associated with acute inflammation following mild thermal injury have been examined by reconstruction from serial ultrathin sections. While all the openings lay close to the intercellular junctions only a minority (seven out of thirty-eight) were continuous with the intercellular clefts. The majority of gaps or openings (thirty-one out of thirty-eight) were transcellular and passed through the peripheral cytoplasm of one endothelial cell, separated from the intercellular cleft by a cellular process which was usually less than 2 microns wide."}
{"id": "PMID:1489548", "title": "Evidence for a possible role of 5-hydroxytryptamine in the genesis of fatigue in man: administration of paroxetine, a 5-HT re-uptake inhibitor, reduces the capacity to perform prolonged exercise.", "content": "Seven healthy subjects exercised to exhaustion on a bicycle ergometer at a power output corresponding to 70% of maximum oxygen uptake after administration of either a placebo or 20 mg of paroxetine, a serotonin re-uptake inhibitor. Exercise time after paroxetine (median 94 min; range 84-127 min) was less (P < 0.05) than after placebo (median 116 min; range 86-133 min). The metabolic and cardiorespiratory responses to exercise were the same in both trials. This result supports the suggestion that there is a central component to fatigue which is mediated by the activity of serotoninergic neurones."}
{"id": "PMID:1489549", "title": "Voltage-sensitive elevation of cytosolic [Ca2+] in guinea-pig cardiac myocytes elicited by calcitonin gene-related peptide.", "content": "We have studied the effect of the 37-amino acid cardioactive peptide, calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) on cytosolic [Ca2+] in guinea-pig ventricular myocytes following depolarization. Cytosolic [Ca2+] was measured in single myocytes using fura-2. The application of 20 mM K+ led to a transient rise of cytosolic [Ca2+] followed by an exponential decline. The subsequent application of 2 nM CGRP resulted in a marked increase in cytosolic [Ca2+]. In contrast, no such response was obtained without prior depolarization. The results suggest a basis for the cardiotropic effects of CGRP through an influence on cytosolic [Ca2+]."}
{"id": "PMID:1489550", "title": "Confocal analysis of fluorescent bead uptake by mouse Peyer's patch follicle-associated M cells.", "content": "Latex beads coated with secretory immunoglobulin (IgA) instilled into mouse intestinal loops are taken up by M cells present in Peyer's patch follicle-associated epithelial tissue. Bead adsorption and uptake is greater at the edge compared with the apex of follicle domes. Coating beads with bovine serum albumin (BSA) causes a fourfold reduction in adsorption and a twentyfold reduction in uptake. Results demonstrate selectivity between adsorption and uptake and between the ability of different proteins to facilitate uptake."}
{"id": "PMID:1489551", "title": "Conserved, extended MHC haplotypes.", "content": "Extended major histocompatibility complex (MHC) haplotypes are fixed conserved regions of the short arm of the sixth human chromosome defined by their HLA-B, complotype (BF, C2, C4A, C4B), HLA-DR alleles. The regions of conservation may extend further. At least a third of normal MHC haplotypes in Caucasians are extended, and they are largely responsible for previously observed linkage disequilibrium in the region. They are relatively population-specific. Their presence has major implications for tissue transplantation, and particularly for the identification of unrelated donor-recipient pairs, since matching for extended haplotypes probably optimizes engraftment in individuals who have them. Even for those who do not, extended haplotypes provide the means for identifying likely MLR-I-negative donor-recipients, and for identifying the genes involved in this function. Extended haplotypes provide most of the markers for HLA-associated autoimmune diseases; like the MHCs of inbred and inbred recombinant strains of mice, they have aided in the analysis of the contribution of specific genes in this region to disease susceptibility and immune functions, particularly the antibody response. Finally, extended haplotypes must be taken into account when considering population genetic questions and when using HLA markers to identify individuals in forensic applications."}
{"id": "PMID:1489552", "title": "Blood antiphospholipid antibody levels are influenced by age, sex and HLA-B8,DR3 phenotype.", "content": "Antiphospholipid antibodies (APA) are known to be associated with a number of seemingly heterogeneous pathological conditions that are part of the antiphospholipid syndrome, formerly called anticardiolipin syndrome. Recent studies on the mechanism of action of these autoantibodies suggest that we are dealing with a new autoimmune syndrome which may occur either in a primary form or in the context of other autoimmune diseases, mainly systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Moreover, increased levels of APA have been found in elderly subjects, who are known to display increased frequency of autoimmune phenomena. It is well known that many autoimmune diseases, including SLE, are associated with HLA antigens, particularly with HLA-B8,DR3 phenotype. In our study, APA serum levels were analyzed in 26 old subjects and in 56 young ones. The results demonstrate that HLA-B8,DR3-positive young females display significantly higher levels of APA than HLA-B8,DR3-negative ones. Interestingly, the same is true for elderly subjects on the whole with respect to young individuals. These data are consistent with previous findings demonstrating that HLA-B8,DR3-positive subjects (mainly female) as well as old subjects display (also in the absence of any clinical manifestation), multiple immune dysfunctions that may underlie the predisposition to autoimmunity."}
{"id": "PMID:1489553", "title": "Identification of the recombination site within the steroid 21-hydroxylase gene (CYP21) of the HLA-B47,DR7 haplotype.", "content": "The HLA haplotype A3-Cw6-B47-C4A91-BQ0-DR7 is associated with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH), since it only carries the dysfunctional steroid 21-hydroxylase A pseudogene as well as the 5' adjacent complement C4A gene. The recombination site leading to the deletion of the complement C4B and steroid 21-hydroxylase B genes in this haplotype was studied by determining the 21-hydroxylase genomic DNA sequence in comparison to the standard CYP21A- and CYP21B-specific sequences. A 200-bp region between exons 7 and 8 was identified as a possible recombination site. Thus the deleted area comprises the 3' end of the CYP21A pseudogene, the entire C4B gene and the 5' end of the CYP21B gene. The findings were confirmed by PCR amplification of a 1.8-kb fragment of the CYP21 gene. This PCR system is specific for CYP21A/B recombinant genes and may be used for screening among CAH patients carrying this type of deletion."}
{"id": "PMID:1489554", "title": "Diverse biological parameters in clinically healthy sheep from a flock with scrapie: variations, and correlations with OLA antigens.", "content": "A comparison was made in the blood levels of various cell types and biochemical substances and in lymphocyte antigens between 107 healthy sheep from a flock contaminated with scrapie (HC sheep) and 93 sheep from a noncontaminated flock (NC sheep), which served as a control population. Significant differences between the two groups of sheep were found in some of the levels, as had previously been found with lymphocyte antigens. The HC sheep, which included genetically resistant animals, could be distinguished from the NC sheep by their lower levels of various white cells, a noticeable decrease in urea, a moderate decrease in Mg2+ and Mn2+ ions, beta- and gamma-globulins, serotonin and vitamin B12, a strong increase in uric acid and a moderate increase in K+, Cl-, HCO3-, Zn2+, and Al3+ ions, as well as in total lipids and in the albumin to globulin ratio. In this HC population, the only enzyme with an increased level was aldolase; the levels of the other 7 enzymes measured were lowered. The observed modifications were considered to be signs of latent disturbances in the leukocyte system and in hepatic and renal functions, in spite of apparent resistance. Eleven lymphocyte antigens were studied. These antigens are not independent of the blood levels of the various substances measured, but are often correlated in a statistically significant manner with some of them. In the HC sheep, the lymphocyte antigens correlated with the modified levels in the blood were different from those in the control population.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1489556", "title": "Pediatric brain tumors.", "content": "The central nervous system is the second most common location for neoplasms in the pediatric age group. In this article, the characteristic imaging findings of the various supratentorial and infratentorial brain tumors are described."}
{"id": "PMID:1489555", "title": "T-cell receptors of man and mouse studied with antibodies against synthetic peptides.", "content": "We used polyclonal rabbit antibodies directed against synthetic peptides predicted from the gene sequence of the human T-cell receptor (TCR) beta-chain YT35 to study the antigen receptor on human helper T-cell leukemia lines and on normal mouse thymocytes. Antibodies were raised to peptides corresponding to joining segment (J beta) and to a conserved stretch of sequence around the first cysteine in the constant region (C beta). These peptides were selected on the basis of homology with corresponding segments of immunoglobulin light chains. The specificity of the antibodies was established using synthetic overlapping peptides that modelled the complete TCR beta-chain. Western blot analysis was performed against detergent lysates of T cells. Both of the antibodies reacted strongly with 2-3 polypeptides in the mass range 40-45 kDa in mouse and human cells. Clearance experiments using monoclonal antibodies against murine TCR alpha- and beta-chains and against human TCR beta-chain and immunoprecipitations with monoclonal antibody to the murine T3 complex established that these components represented the alpha/beta heterodimer. An additional component around 31 kDa was detected by anti-J beta antibodies in murine thymus extracts. The use of the affinity-purified antipeptide antibody in two-dimensional Western blot analyses allows the clear discrimination between the characteristic individual receptors of monoclonal neoplastic T cells and the polydisperse patterns representative of heterogeneous normal populations. Antigenic cross-reactions between T-cell receptor beta-chains of man and mouse observed with monoclonal antibodies and rabbit antisera to peptides are consistent with the homology in gene sequence between the two species."}
{"id": "PMID:1489557", "title": "Primary brain tumors in adults.", "content": "Adult primary brain tumors comprise a diverse group of neoplasms that vary in their behavior depending on such factors as cell of origin, site of occurrence, morphology, and pattern of spread. Although the incidence of primary brain tumors is increasing in frequency, the prognosis of patients with these neoplasms has improved considerably due to recent advances in microsurgery, radiation treatment, and chemotherapy. Central to the efficacy of these techniques, however, is the ability of the radiologist to diagnose and interpret the growth pattern of these tumors. This article describes various types of primary intracranial neoplasms found in the adult, with emphasis on imaging characteristics and their importance in neuro-oncologic evaluation and management."}
{"id": "PMID:1489558", "title": "MRI of cranial metastasis.", "content": "Recent advances in surgical techniques and new innovations in radiation treatment and chemotherapy have made the detection and characterization of intracranial metastasis increasingly important in the management of the cancer patient. This article reviews the more common sources of metastasis, their appearance, and more unusual types of involvement such as hemorrhage and spread to the leptomeninges and bony calvarium."}
{"id": "PMID:1489560", "title": "The relationship between evaluative research and audit.", "content": "Evaluative research and audit are distinct activities with different goals. However, they are interrelated in four ways: research provides a basis for defining good-quality care for audit purposes; audit can provide high-quality data for nonexperimental evaluative research; research into the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of audit is needed to establish the value of different interventions; and, in common with other research areas, evaluative research needs to be audited to ensure high-quality work is performed. Recognition of the unique and interrelated roles of research and audit will be of benefit to both endeavours."}
{"id": "PMID:1489561", "title": "Cost-benefit analysis of the introduction of mass vaccination against hepatitis B in Italy.", "content": "The aim of the study was to evaluate the costs and benefits of introducing mass vaccination against hepatitis B in Italy, given the announcement of compulsory vaccination of all newborn babies from 1991. Benefits were calculated by summarizing the clinical course of hepatitis B in Italy and projecting its incidence rates to the next 30 years using Brown's exponential smoothing technique. Incidence rates were then applied to the survivors of a cohort of newborns in 1992, and the total number of cases avoidable through vaccination was derived. Direct and indirect marginal costs were estimated for these cases. The marginal costs of the vaccination campaign were estimated. Cost and benefits were compared for 99 years following the introduction of the vaccination, using an 8 per cent discount rate and a sensitivity analysis. Despite difficulties in data gathering, susceptibility to discounting and estimating costs, results show an unfavourable cost-benefit ratio which is influenced by a declining incidence of the disease. Vaccination of high-risk groups is probably more efficient."}
{"id": "PMID:1489562", "title": "An asbestos hazard in North Devon.", "content": "In March 1990, following the careless removal of asbestos-based ceiling tiles in a leisure centre in North Devon, delay in action by the local authority meant that the risk to staff and members of the public was ignored for four months. The Director of Public Health was then approached to tackle the problem of providing advice to both leisure centre staff and the public in order to deal with the concern that had arisen as a result of the delay. There was a public statement, a report to the local authority, and a 'hotline' for members of the public. Leisure centre staff members were individually interviewed by a doctor using a specially designed occupational health questionnaire and followed up as appropriate. Twenty-one chest X-rays were taken on the advice of the local chest physician. Although the level of exposure was small, and there was no significant threat to health, the incident caused major public concern, was an embarrassment to the local authority, and involved the Health and Safety Executive and considerable input from the Department of Public Health Medicine. Most importantly for a small district, it was a major public relations exercise for Public Health Medicine. This paper examines the appropriateness and effectiveness of intervention by Public Health Medicine in a situation where the risks were known to be very low but public anxiety, fuelled by compensation possibilities, was very high."}
{"id": "PMID:1489563", "title": "A methodology for collecting outcome measures for common hospital conditions.", "content": "An eight-month prospective analysis of routinely collected hospital data with 24-week follow-up of mortality and morbidity was carried out at two district general hospitals in Somerset Health District, to test the feasibility of collecting useful and valid outcome measures for two common hospital conditions, strokes and fractured hips. Data were collected on 163 consecutive admissions with a primary diagnosis of stroke (83 cases) or fractured hip (80 cases). At 24 weeks, 38 patients with stroke had died (mortality ratio 46 per cent, 95 per cent C.I. = 35.3-56.7 per cent) and 11 with fractured hip had died (mortality ratio 14 per cent, 95 per cent C.I. = 6.4-21.6 per cent). Seven patients (four with fractured hip and three with stroke) died after 24 weeks and before responding to the NHP questionnaire. One stroke patient could not be traced. Nottingham Health Profiles were received from 106 patients (41 with stroke and 65 with fractured hip). Both groups of patients had problems with physical mobility and lack of energy. Patients with fractured hips were more likely to complain of pain. It is concluded that the methods used to collect outcome measures in this study are widely applicable to other conditions, but the interpretation and comparability of the results require the collection of similar data elsewhere."}
{"id": "PMID:1489565", "title": "Policy and practice--an audit of neonatal BCG immunization in Avon.", "content": "Two surveys were carried out to audit the Avon Neonatal BCG Immunization Policy. The aim of the audit was to determine whether children with indications for neonatal BCG immunization had received the vaccine before attendance at routine six-week postnatal examination. In the first survey, 15 of 359 (4.2 per cent) infants were identified as eligible for BCG, of whom only two (13.3 per cent) had received it. These findings were discussed with the medical and nursing staff involved in the care of the infants in Avon, and action was taken to improve compliance with the policy. The survey was then repeated to complete the loop of the audit cycle and to observe whether the action taken had the desired effect. Forty of 644 (6.2 per cent) infants were identified as being eligible for BCG immunization in the repeat survey, of whom 32 (80 per cent) had received it. There was a statistically significant difference in results between the first and the second survey (p < 0.0001). It is concluded that completion of the audit cycle can markedly improve clinical practice."}
{"id": "PMID:1489566", "title": "Consultants' views of a district's services.", "content": "A postal questionnaire survey of consultants in the Bath Health District was conducted to establish a means for individual consultants to express their views about the provision of health services in the district, so that by working together a new relationship between the District Health Authority (DHA) as purchaser and the clinicians as providers of services could commence. A response rate of 84 per cent was achieved. The survey sought views on clinical and management issues to be used in the development of service agreements (contracts) and views on topics identified by general practitioners (GPs) as areas in need of improvement. Detail is given of results relating to out-patient services, issues of communication and the continuing role of community hospitals. Most consultants sanctioned the appropriateness of referrals by GPs to out-patient services but they identified some out-patient referrals as inappropriate. This justifies a further review of the out-patient services to be purchased by the DHA. Consultants were in agreement that there was scope for review of out-patient follow-ups. They agreed with GPs that discharge summaries could be provided within 24 hours of patient discharge to improve communication with GPs and that consultants should be available by pager to be contacted by GPs, but disagreed with GPs about the feasibility of giving patients on waiting lists a firm admission date at the time of going on the waiting lists. The majority of consultants were in favour of continuing support for community hospitals. They identified overall social value of community hospitals and greater clinical value of out-patient services than in-patient services in community hospitals.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1489567", "title": "Doctors' understanding of the specialty of Public Health Medicine: a survey of general practitioners and junior hospital doctors.", "content": "The Acheson report recommended that the new name for Community Medicine should be Public Health Medicine and that a new group of doctors with responsibility for communicable disease control be established. Three years after the report, general practitioners and junior hospital doctors in one health district were surveyed regarding their understanding of the specialty. This study identified some confusion about the titles and functions of doctors in Public Health Medicine. It is important to understand this problem and make efforts to rectify it."}
{"id": "PMID:1489568", "title": "The relative effects of sex and deprivation on the risk of early death.", "content": "Socio-economic factors and sex are both known to have a pronounced bearing on the risk of early death. To determine the relative effects of these factors in our Health Board, an analysis was carried out of all deaths under the age of 70 registered in Tayside during 1989 and 1990, by age, years of life lost, diagnosis and postcode sector/deprivation category. A yearly average of 14,520 years of life up to the age of 70 were lost by males compared with 8248 by females. When cancers of the breast and sex organs were excluded, just over a quarter (28 per cent) of the difference was due to the higher death rate in males resulting from injuries and poisoning and another quarter to ischaemic heart disease (23 per cent), with infant deaths in third place (17 per cent). Deprivation category analysis showed that deaths and years of lost life from ischaemic heart disease and injuries and poisoning in males in the most deprived areas were approximately one-third higher than in the most affluent. At the same time, the death rate in males from these causes in each area, from the most affluent to the most deprived, was approximately two and a half to three times as high as in females, as were lost years of life.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1489573", "title": "In vitro infection of human macrophages by human T-cell leukemia/lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I).", "content": "HTLV-I is associated with a neurological syndrome designated Tropical Spastic Paraparesis/HTLV-I associated myelopathy (TSP/HAM). To determine whether HTLV-I can replicate in human primary macrophages and thus contribute to HTLV-I dissemination in the nervous system, elutriated human macrophages were infected cell-free with the HTLV-ICR and HTLV-IBOU isolates from patients with adult T-cell leukemia and TSP/HAM, respectively. Viral production was monitored by measuring the viral p24 gag antigen in the cell culture supernatant, by electron microscopy (EM) and by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) on viral DNA and RNA. The HTLV-I p24 gag antigen was detected 21 days after infection with either isolate, and the presence of mature viral particles was demonstrated by electron microscopy one month after infection. Viral sequences were amplified by PCR analysis of the infected macrophages' DNA. Spliced mRNAs for the p40tax and p27rex proteins, as well as the p12I, and p30II proteins encoded by the pX region were readily identified by reverse transcriptase PCR. Altogether, these data indicate that HTLV-I replication occurs in vitro in primary human macrophages. Whether macrophage infection occurs also in vivo and is a crucial step in the induction of the neurological manifestations observed in TSP/HAM remains an open question."}
{"id": "PMID:1489574", "title": "Coexistence of human T-lymphotropic virus types I and II among the Wayuu Indians from the Guajira Region of Colombia.", "content": "High prevalences of human T-lymphotropic virus type II (HTLV-II) infection have been found recently among certain Amerindian groups in North, Central, and South America. To determine if the Amerindians of Colombia are similarly affected, 523 sera, collected between 1987 and 1990 from nine culturally distinct Indian groups from widely separated regions, were tested for IgG antibodies against HTLV-I/II using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and Western blot. In addition, 243 sera from five non-Indian (black) and mixed-Indian (mestizo) populations were studied. Of the 766 individuals tested, 44 were ELISA positive, but of these, only four were Western blot positive. Three of the individuals confirmed positive by Western blot were infected with HTLV-II and one was infected with HTLV-I, as determined by differential ELISA. All four seropositive individuals belonged to a group of 62 Wayuu Indians, giving overall HTLV-I and HTLV-II seroprevalences of 1.6% and 4.8%, respectively. The coexistence of HTLV-I and HTLV-II in this Amerindian group provides an opportunity to study the factors governing transmission of these retroviruses."}
{"id": "PMID:1489575", "title": "Evaluation of enzyme immunoassay using a recombinant envelope protein expressed in insect cells for serological confirmation of HTLV-I infection.", "content": "A recombinant human T-lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) envelope protein expressed in insect cells using a recombinant baculovirus was employed as the antigen in an enzyme immunoassay (renvEIA). Peripheral blood samples were obtained from asymptomatic carriers or healthy individuals. Plasma was tested for HTLV-I antibody by renvEIA, particle agglutination, and Western immunoblot (WB), and lymphocyte DNA was tested for HTLV-I proviral DNA amplification by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Of 61 people aged 9 months or older, 23 were positive (gag+, env+) and 19 others were in the \"indeterminate\" category (gag+, env-) when their WB results were interpreted according to the WHO-proposed criteria. Thirty-seven cases, including all of the WB+ cases and 14 of 19 WB indeterminate cases, were positive by renvEIA. In 34 of 37 renvEIA-positive cases, the presence of long terminal repeat (LTR) and tax/rex region of HTLV-I proviral DNA was detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and following Southern blot hybridization. Thus, renvEIA would be a useful supplemental assay to confirm the presence of HTLV-I antibody in HTLV-I asymptomatic carriers."}
{"id": "PMID:1489576", "title": "Association of mycoplasma with HIV-1 and HTLV-I in human T lymphocytes.", "content": "Recent findings from a number of investigators suggest associations between mycoplasma and HIV or AIDS. We used a quantitative morphometric technique to analyze electron micrographs of human T lymphocytes that were infected with both mycoplasma and/or HIV-1. We observed that lymphocytes which were associated with HIV-1 were much more likely to be associated with mycoplasma than cells that were not (p < .001). Similarly, cells with associated HTLV-I were more likely to be associated with mycoplasma than cells which were not associated with mycoplasma (p < .0001). In addition, mycoplasma and virus were observed in the same region in 90% of cases. These observations suggest that adherence of mycoplasma to lymphocytes that are chronically infected with human retrovirus may trigger viral release."}
{"id": "PMID:1489577", "title": "Genetic variants of HIV-1 in Thailand.", "content": "Serosurveys conducted prior to 1988 indicated a very low level of HIV-1 infection in Thailand, even among high-risk groups. The Ministry of Health has reported a dramatic increase in HIV-1 infection during the last three years. The geographic and demographic distribution of the epidemic is broad, involving multiple provinces and risk groups. Foci of higher incidence and prevalence have been noted in the urban center of Bangkok and in the northern provinces of Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai. Here we report the results of genetic characterization of 16 HIV-1 isolates from Thailand using a combination of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) typing and DNA sequencing. The complete sequence of gp160 (env) of five isolates, partial env sequence of six additional isolates, and the gag gene of two isolates were determined. Two highly distinct HIV-1 variants were found. One variant resembled those prevalent in North America and Europe; five of the isolates were of this type. The remaining eleven isolates were very similar to one another and represented a variant unlike any previously described. Phylogenetic tree analysis of complete env and gag genes placed the two variants on widely separated branches. Protein sequence comparisons indicate both general and specific features that distinguish the Northern Thailand variant both from the Bangkok variant and from virtually all previously sequenced HIV-1 isolates. A simple PCR test for distinguishing the two variants has been developed for use in epidemiologic surveys."}
{"id": "PMID:1489578", "title": "Characterization of the specificity of the human antibody response to the V3 neutralization domain of HIV-1.", "content": "The major neutralization domain of HIV-1, contained in the third variable region (V3) of the external envelope, is highly variable at positions flanking a conserved glycine-proline-glycine sequence. We investigated the relation between V3 sequences of HIV-1 variants circulating in a host and that host's antibody specificity. Multiple V3 sequences were obtained directly, via PCR and subsequent cloning, from serum RNA or cellular DNA from 26 individuals (from 12 around seroconversion). Then, specificity of sera from these individuals to a panel of V3 peptides was determined. The specificity (best recognized peptide) of the early antibody response accurately reflected the virus population circulating around seroconversion in 12/12 individuals and 4/4 HIV-1-infected chimpanzees. A change in serum specificity at later stages of infection was rare: five years after seroconversion, only 3 of 46 individuals had a specificity that differed completely from that in the first year. However, the V3 domain of the virus does change over time, as evidenced by the poor correlation between V3 sequences obtained late in infection and V3 antibody reactivity at the same time point. Thus, in contrast to the accurate antibody response to HIV-1 variants early after infection, generally a specific response to variants emerging at later stages seemed to be absent or of low level. Instead, the early response appeared to be preserved. Finally, we made use of the observed accurate reflection to analyze the variation for the V3 domain of HIV-1 in the Netherlands by probing specificities of early sera from 129 Dutch seroconverting individuals. Specific reactivity to RKSIHIGPGRAFYTTG was found in 36%, to RKSINIGPGRAFYTTG in 12% and to RKSIPIGPGRAFYTTG in 18% of these Dutch sera."}
{"id": "PMID:1489579", "title": "Reactivities of HIV-1 gag-derived peptides with antibodies of HIV-1-infected and uninfected humans.", "content": "A group of 41 peptides, each 24 amino acids long and overlapping with each other by 12 residues spanning the total gag open reading frame (orf) of HIV-1 (HTLV-IIIBH 10 isolate) were synthesized using Fmoc chemistry. The purified compounds were used in ELISA assays and tested for antibody reactivities in sera of human HIV-1-infected and noninfected individuals. Sera of HIV- humans showed reactivity against four defined regions, two in p17, one in p24, and one in p15. The values of these reactivities were elevated especially in serum samples of HIV- individuals showing cross-reaction with gag proteins on Western blot. Amino acid sequence comparison of HIV-1 gag proteins with those of human endogenous retroviruses (ERV K10, ERV 3) revealed significant similarities predominantly in the domains showing elevated antibody cross-reactions. The majority of sera from HIV-1+ individuals showed strong reactivities to the cross-reactive regions and to various other peptide sequences, a sequential epitope recognized by all HIV-1+ sera could, however, not be identified. The results suggest that human individuals may have immune reactions to endogenous retroviral protein sequences, which are enhanced by infections with HIV-1. Specific antibodies to HIV-1 gag proteins are probably mainly directed to tertiary structure defined epitopes formed by particle formation of the p24 monomers to the nucleocapsid."}
{"id": "PMID:1489580", "title": "Anti-CD4 antibodies are associated with HIV-1 seroconversion and may be detectable before anti-HIV-1 antibodies. The Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study.", "content": "We examined the sera from 14 HIV-1 seroconverters for the presence of autoantibodies against CD4. Anti-CD4 antibodies were detected in the serum of 11 of 13 HIV-1-infected persons at the time of HIV-1 seroconversion. In 6 of 14 persons from whom a serum was obtained prior to HIV-1 seroconversion, anti-CD4 antibodies were found 90 to 540 days before antibodies to HIV-1 were detectable. In comparison, anti-CD4 antibodies were present in only 7 serum samples from 62 HIV-1 seronegative individuals, including 50 from a seronegative homosexual male cohort. These results suggest that anti-CD4 antibodies are generated in response to early HIV-1 infection and possibly could be used as a marker for HIV-1 infection in some infected persons who are seronegative for HIV-1."}
{"id": "PMID:1489581", "title": "A CD4-derived peptide carrier blocks acute HIV-1 infection in vitro and binds to gp120 in the presence of Walter-Reed stage 1-6 HIV+ sera.", "content": "A peptide containing amino acid residues 41-84 of the CD4 molecule was synthesized and coupled through a thioether bond to human serum albumin. This conjugate bound to gp120 with an affinity that was half that of CD4 and blocked the HIV infection in vitro with an efficacy tenfold lower than that of CD4. More importantly, the CD4 peptide-human serum albumin conjugate could bind to gp120 in the presence of HIV+ sera from 18 Walter Reed stage 1-6 patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1489584", "title": "Identification and validation of a new nursing diagnosis: sick role conflict.", "content": "The purpose of this research is to assess the presence, etiology, and effects of sick role conflict experienced by hospitalized patients. Data from 99 hospitalized adult subjects were analyzed using a path analysis design. Patients were interviewed at the bedside using a structured interview tool developed by the researchers. It was found that subjects who occupied multiple roles, who were not adequately prepared for hospitalization, and who had an acute rather than chronic illness were prone to experience sick role conflict when hospitalized. Those subjects experiencing sick role conflict did not fully assume the sick role as defined by Parsons (1966). As a consequence of incomplete sick role assumption, an increased incidence of human responses such as guilt, powerlessness, anxiety, decreased self-esteem, depression, appetite change, and insomnia were reported. The researchers urge nurses to assume responsibility for diagnosing and treating sick role conflict, a human response to hospitalization commonly seen among patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1489587", "title": "Concept analysis of fear.", "content": "The nursing diagnosis fear is clarified through the technique of concept analysis. Uses of the concept of fear in prominent theories of human behavior and in nursing are reviewed. Five critical attributes occurring in all cases of fear are identified--a model case, a related case, a contrary case, and an illegitimate case are presented. Antecedents to fear are derived. Consequences of fear are discussed and are related to nursing interventions. Empirical referents that demonstrate occurrence of the concept of fear are determined, classified, and related to critical attributes. This concept analysis provides an essential conceptual base for instrument development and clinical research on fear."}
{"id": "PMID:1489586", "title": "Metacognitive skills in diagnostic reasoning: making the implicit explicit.", "content": "The metacognitive skills of monitoring, analyzing, predicting, planning, evaluating, regulating, and revising frame the nursing process and support clinical reasoning. Nurse educators who encourage metacognitive skill acquisition are likely to accelerate student comprehension, understanding, and mastery of nursing diagnosis, nursing process, and clinical reasoning. The models presented in this article have implications for teaching and learning clinical/diagnostic reasoning."}
{"id": "PMID:1489630", "title": "The use of quantitative scintigraphy in the measurement of portal-systemic shunting in rats.", "content": "Portal-systemic shunting was studied in 54 portal hypertensive rats both in vivo and in vitro using radioactive microspheres. The animals underwent partial portal vein ligation around needles of varying diameter to produce a wide range of shunting. Two to four weeks later, quantitative lung-liver scintigraphic and whole body images were obtained in vivo following ileocolic vein injection with 99mTc-MAA. After sacrifice, the lung and liver activities were determined by the gamma camera, a dose calibrator, and a well counter. Portal-systemic shunting ranged from 0.1-97.6%. When shunting was compared in vivo and in vitro, an excellent correlation was found (r = 0.99, p < 0.001). A subgroup of 24 animals had consecutive injections of 99mTc-MAA and 51Cr-labeled 15 microns microspheres, which, although different in size, yielded similar results (r = 0.89, p < 0.001). We conclude that in small laboratory animals a wide range of shunting can be measured accurately in vivo by quantitative scintigraphy."}
{"id": "PMID:1489631", "title": "Myocardial oxidative metabolism in normal subjects in fasting, glucose loading and dobutamine infusion states.", "content": "Experimental studies indicated the clearance rate constant of 11C-acetate as an index of regional myocardial oxygen consumption. To assess the response of the clearance rate from the left ventricular (LV) myocardium to the change in plasma substrate levels and to the increase in the cardiac work load in normal subjects, a total of 18 dynamic positron emission tomographic studies were performed at rest in the fasting state (control) (n = 7), after oral glucose administration (n = 4), and during dobutamine infusion (n = 7) in 7 normal volunteers. The clearance rate constant (Kmono) was similar in the control (0.065 +/- 0.017 min-1) and glucose loading states (0.059 +/- 0.008 min-1), whereas a significant increase in Kmono was observed during dobutamine infusion (0.106 +/- 0.018 min-1) (p < 0.01) in relation to the increase in the pressure-rate product with a correlation coefficient of 0.873 (p < 0.01). When the LV myocardium was divided into 6 segments, there were no significant differences among the segments in Kmono values in any condition. These normal responses should be valuable for assessing oxidative metabolic reserve and regional changes in oxidative metabolism in patients with coronary artery disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1489632", "title": "Favorable biodistribution of 99mTc-ECD for brain SPECT comparing with 123I-IMP using alternative body scan.", "content": "In order to evaluate the lung and brain uptake of 99mTc ethyl cysteinate dimer (99mTc-ECD) and N-isopropyl-p-[123I]-iodoamphetamine (123I-IMP), alternative body scans were carried out in 15 cases of cerebrovascular disease. The biodistribution of 99mTc-ECD was 5.5 +/- 0.7%, 3.8 +/- 0.7% in the brain; 13.1 +/- 3.7%, 2.2 +/- 1.2%, in the lung at 15 min and at 4 hours, respectively, whereas that of 123I-IMP was 3.9 +/- 1.4%, 5.0 +/- 1.0% in the brain; 32.2 +/- 7.6%, 12.7 +/- 3.3%, in the lung at 15 min and at 4 hours, respectively. 99mTc-ECD accumulated in comparatively high amounts in the brain but remained low in the lung in the early image compared to 123I-IMP. However there was a high inverse correlation between brain and lung uptake of 123I-IMP (r = -0.82), but not of 99mTc-ECD (r = -0.18). We concluded that 99mTc-ECD had a better biodistribution in terms of low lung accumulation than 123I-IMP in brain SPECT."}
{"id": "PMID:1489634", "title": "Regional cerebral glucose metabolism in patients with Parkinson's disease with or without dementia.", "content": "By means of positron emission tomography, the cerebral glucose metabolism in 5 patients with Parkinson's disease with dementia was compared with that in 9 patients without dementia, and that in 5 normal volunteers. The metabolic rates for glucose were measured by placing one hundred regions of interest. In the demented patients, cerebral glucose metabolism was diffusely decreased compared with that of the non-demented patients and the normal controls. The most significant decrease in glucose metabolism was observed in the angular gyrus (49.7% of the normal controls). The glucose metabolism in the cingulate, pre- and postcentral, occipital and subcortical regions was relatively spared (62.1 to 85.5% of the normal controls). In the patients without dementia, the glucose metabolism in each region was not significantly different from that in the normal controls. These results suggest that diffuse glucose hypometabolism in the cerebral cortex may correlate with that of patients with Parkinson's disease with dementia."}
{"id": "PMID:1489633", "title": "Ga-67 citrate scan in vascular graft infection.", "content": "The clinical utility of the Ga-67 scan has been studied in 9 patients with clinical suspicion of vascular graft infection. Eleven grafts were analyzed: 4 aortobifemoral, 2 iliofemoral, 3 femoropopliteal, 1 axillofemoral, and 1 axillobifemoral. The Ga-67 scan was positive in 8 grafts with bacteriological proof of infection and negative in 3 grafts in which infection was ruled out by clinical follow-up. A Ga-67 scan also demonstrated the spread of infection to the thigh in two patients and to the pelvis in another two patients. In 4 patients CT was performed. The CT findings included graft thrombosis, perigraft fluid collection and thickened graft wall. No discrepancies were found between the CT scan and Ga-67 scan. In three patients a control Ga-67 scan was carried out after specific antibiotic and surgical treatment. Two of these showed increased Ga-67 uptake and spreading of infection along the graft; in the other patient, a Ga-67 scan revealed normalization after resolution of an abdominal abscess. In conclusion, the Ga-67 scan proved useful in the diagnosis of vascular graft infection, the definition of location of the extent of the disease and in the evaluation of the efficiency of treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1489635", "title": "Single photon emission computed tomography using 201Tl chloride in pulmonary nodules: comparison with 67Ga citrate and 99mTc-labeled hexamethylpropyleneamine-oxime.", "content": "A single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) with 201Tl chloride (Tl-201) was carried out prospectively in 50 patients with pulmonary nodules and its diagnostic value was compared with those of 67Ga citrate (Ga-67) and 99mTc-labeled hexamethylpropyleneamine-oxime (Tc-99m-HMPAO). Tl-201 SPECT provided 88% (early)-91% (delayed) sensitivity, 85% (early and delayed) specificity and 87% (early)-89% (delayed) accuracy. The sensitivity of the Tl-201 planar image was 56 (early)-62% (delayed), which was significantly lower than that of SPECT. Delayed SPECT images at 2 hour postinjection were more preferable to disclose the malignant pulmonary nodule than early SPECT images at 15 minutes postinjection. The application of SPECT with Ga-67 failed to improve the sensitivity of planar imaging for malignant pulmonary nodules. Tc-99m-HMPAO was concentrated in 62% of 13 patients with malignant pulmonary nodules, which was slightly higher than Ga-67 in 54% of 28 patients. In an analysis of the histologic types of lung cancer, the sensitivity of Tl-201 was not significantly different in all types. On the other hand, Ga-67 was positive only in 25% of 12 patients with adenocarcinoma. A combination of SPECT and Tl-201 is the best choice among routine scintigraphic techniques for depicting malignant pulmonary nodules. The Tl-201 SPECT image may play a complementary role in the characterization of pulmonary nodules which are revealed on a plain radiograph and computed tomography."}
{"id": "PMID:1489636", "title": "Increase in serum cardiac myosin light chain I associated with elective percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty in patients with ischemic heart disease.", "content": "Changes in serum myosin light chain I (MLCI) due to elective percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) were studied after PTCA (0, 8 and 48 hours) in 57 patients with old myocardial infarction (MI group) and 20 patients with angina pectoris (AP group). The AP group showed no increase after PTCA. In contrast, in the MI group there were 16 patients in whom MLCI at 48 hours was increased by 1.0 ng/ml or more (MI1 group) and another group of 41 patients who showed no increase in MLCI (MI2 group). The MI1 group had a significantly higher incidence of (1) non-Q wave myocardial infarction (62.5% vs. 17.1%, p < 0.01), (2) 99% stenosis of a coronary artery (50.0% vs. 12.2%, p < 0.01), and (3) redistribution in a hypoperfusion area found in the delayed image of resting thallium-201 (201Tl) myocardial scintigraphy (85.7% vs. 15.8%, p < 0.01). The left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was significantly improved in the MI1 group, 3 to 4 months later (from 0.49 +/- 0.12 to 0.58 +/- 0.11, p < 0.01), in contrast to the patient of MI2 group who did not show any improvement. The AP group was not considered to have a bulk of myocardium impaired enough to show a release of MLCI due to PTCA-associated transient coronary occlusion. In the MI1 group, however, MLCI was probably released from the chronically under-perfused, but still salvageable, portion of the myocardium. This is consistent with the improvement in LVEF observed 3 to 4 months after the relief of severe coronary stenosis.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1489637", "title": "Brain perfusion abnormalities in a thinner and amphetamine abuser detected by I-123 IMP scintigraphy.", "content": "MR images and three dimensional surface images (3-D images) using N-isopropyl-p-[I-123] iodoamphetamine (I-123 IMP) were obtained in a patient who acknowledged using thinner and amphetamine. While MR images could not find any definite abnormality, 3-D images with I-123 IMP demonstrated multifocal defects. 3-D images with I-123 IMP might be able to detect an early abnormality in brain perfusion in a drug abuser."}
{"id": "PMID:1489638", "title": "Functional imaging and localization of electromagnetic brain activity.", "content": "Functional imaging of electric brain activity requires specific models to transform the signals recorded at the surface of the human head into an image. Two categories of model are available: single-time-point and spatio-temporal methods. The instantaneous methods rely only on the few voltage differences measured at one sampling point. To create a spatial image from this limited information, they require strict assumptions that rarely conform with the underlying physiology. Spatio-temporal models create two kinds of images: first, a spatial image of discrete equivalent multiple dipoles or regional sources, and second, an image of source current waveforms that reflect the temporal dynamics of the brain activity in circumscribed areas. The accuracy of the spatial image is model dependent and limited, but it can be validated from the spatio-temporal data by the \"regional source imaging\" technique, introduced here. The source waveforms are linear combinations of the scalp waveforms, and thus, specific derivations which image local brain activities at a macroscopic level. Brain source imaging of somatosensory evoked potentials revealed temporally overlapping activities from the brainstem, thalamus and from multiple sources in the region of the contralateral somatosensory projection areas."}
{"id": "PMID:1489639", "title": "Positron emission tomography.", "content": "Positron emission tomography (PET) allows for the absolute measurement of regional tissue physiological, biochemical and pharmacological processes. This ability is a consequence of the nature of positron emission and the type of tracers which can be labelled with positron emitting radionuclides. The spatial resolution of state of the art scanners is in the order of 4 mm full width at half maximum (FWHM). However, due to statistical limitations, in practice normally a resolution of 7 to 8 mm FWHM is used. For the same reason, although there is no limit to the temporal resolution, studies usually require many seconds to several minutes to obtain a good signal to noise ratio. If a slow kinetic process is followed, studies can be extended to several hours in order to characterise the entire physiological process. A major advantage of PET is its flexibility. Several parameters (e.g., blood flow, oxygen consumption, glucose consumption, receptor density, etc.) can be measured in the same setting. Different aspects of a certain pathology can, therefore, be studied in the same patient."}
{"id": "PMID:1489640", "title": "Functional imaging of the brain using single photon emission computerized tomography (SPECT).", "content": "The use of tracers is an important technique available for studying cerebral function. Changes in 'signal' are large, but as a result of its photon limited nature, the measurement of this signal is limited: spatially, temporally and in terms of accuracy. The most commonly used single photon (SPECT) system (as apposed to positron) is that with a rotating gamma camera, although multi-headed devices and special purpose rings are now also commonly available. The problems of obtaining good functional information are however identical. Firstly the devices need to be optimised in terms of resolution and sensitivity. Secondly several sources of error, notably those associated with scatter, attenuation and limited spatial resolution, need to be corrected, with the aim of obtaining quantitative estimates of radioactivity concentration. Finally such quantitative estimates need to be converted into meaningful estimates of physiological variables by use of an appropriate model. The general aim of many SPECT measurements is to estimate blood flow for example using Tc-99m labelled HMPAO as a tracer. Good results have been obtained in many clinical conditions: stroke, dementia, tumour and epilepsy, for example. Many other tracers are also available, for example to measure density of receptor sites. The use of SPECT in conjunction with other techniques after image registration is suggested as being an essential tool in extracting maximal clinical information."}
{"id": "PMID:1489641", "title": "Nuclear magnetic resonance and the brain.", "content": "The first successful demonstrations of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) in bulk matter were reported in 1946 (Bloch, Hansen and Packard 1946; Purcell, Torrey and Pound 1946). Since then NMR has become a widespread technique for investigating matter of all kinds. In the 1970's NMR was applied to living systems, including man, in 2 distinct approaches. One application was in the production of images (Lauterbur 1973), called Magnetic Resonance Imaging or MRI, and the other in the production of NMR spectra (Moon and Richards 1973; Hoult et al. 1974), called Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy or MRS. By appropriate manipulation of the NMR signal an NMR image may be generated. This can be a 2D image of a single slice, or a set of 2D images of parallel slices, or a 3D image. 2D images may be obtained directly in any orientation, axial, coronal, sagittal. The method uses no ionizing radiation and is inherently safe. It is non-invasive, although paramagnetic solutions may be injected intravenously to improve contrast. MRI images observed in normal clinical practice are maps of the NMR signals from water and fat in the tissues; they depend on proton density, but also significantly on the relaxation times T1 and T2. Images can be provided of flow (MR angiography) and diffusion (free, restricted or anisotropic). Images are typically 512 x 512 pixels with spatial resolution of about 0.5 mm. The images can be correlated with anatomical structures and indeed MRI is a primary source of such structures with localization precision of 0.5 mm as in CT.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1489642", "title": "Integrated presentation of multimodal brain images.", "content": "This article discusses the fusion of brain images from multiple modalities as well as the presentation of the integrated image information. The paper has three parts. First, individual brain imaging modalities are compared as regards clinical appreciation, invasiveness, dimensionality, spatial resolution, temporal resolution, and cost. Next, methods to combine multiple images are briefly surveyed and collated by characteristics as accuracy, patient-friendliness, reproducibility, labour-extensiveness, feasibility of retrospective matching, and general applicability. Finally, techniques to display multimodal image information are outlined and examples of the various options for integrated presentation are shown."}
{"id": "PMID:1489643", "title": "Geometry driven multimodality matching of brain images.", "content": "Clinical diagnosis, as well as therapy planning and evaluation, are increasingly supported by multimodal images. There are many instances desiring integration of the information obtained by various imaging devices. This paper describes a new approach to match images of different modalities. Differential operators are used in combination with Gaussian blurring to extract geometric features from the images that correspond to similar structures. The resulting 'feature' images may be used with existing matching techniques that minimize the distance between the features in the images to be matched. Our first application of this new approach concerns matching of MRI and CT brain images. The so-called L upsilon upsilon operator produces a ridge-like feature image from which in CT and MRI the center curve of the cranium is easily extracted. First results of this operator's performance in matching tasks are shown. Another promising operator is the 'umbilicity' operator, which is presented in combination with SPECT images."}
{"id": "PMID:1489644", "title": "Attenuation of dipoles modelled from SEP due to a lacunar infarct or altered stimulus rate.", "content": "In normal subjects and patients with sensory, sensorimotor or motor deficit, due to a unilateral infarct affecting the thalamocortical radiation, SEPs to median nerve stimulation were analyzed by a spatiotemporal dipole model which describes an evoked potential by a limited number of stationary dipoles with time varying amplitudes. In the normal subjects the SEPs were explained by one dipole in the brainstem and two dipoles in the cortical hand area contralateral to stimulation, all with different time courses. Increasing the stimulus rate to 6.2 Hz yielded a reduction of the moment of both cortical dipoles but hardly affected brainstem dipole moment. In the five patients with sensory or sensorimotor deficit the strength of one or both cortical dipoles was reduced on the side of the lesion. In the patients with pure motor deficit cortical dipole activity was normal. The brainstem dipole was preserved in all patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1489645", "title": "Spatial integration of multimodal brain images in cerebral infarction.", "content": "Different structural as well as functional imaging techniques are becoming increasingly important in the investigation of patients suffering from an ischemic stroke. Available imaging procedures usually provide complementary data, but the images can not easily be compared due to differences in patient positioning, angulation, and slice thickness. We studied the value of spatial integration of images from different modalities in a patient with an ischemic stroke and used skin markers to integrate the obtained information. Computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), 99mTcHMPAO-single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (MRSI) were performed in a patient, presenting with a right sided hemiparesis caused by an ischemic stroke. Combination of MRI with CT demonstrated that the infarction visible on CT and MRI corresponded in size and volume. Furthermore, structural and functional images could readily be integrated, thus allowing us to obtain accurate information in this stroke patient. Different imaging modalities provide complementary information in the acute phase of cerebral infarction and multimodality matching can be of great value for improvement of our understanding of the pathophysiology and course of ischemic stroke."}
{"id": "PMID:1489646", "title": "Temporal evolution of focal cerebral ischemia in the rat assessed by T2-weighted and diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging.", "content": "The present study was undertaken to characterize the formation of ischemic brain edema using diffusion-weighted and T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging in a rat model of focal ischemia. The extent of edema formation was measured from multislice diffusion-weighted and T2-weighted spin-echo images acquired at various times after ischemia. The spin-spin relaxation time (T2) and the apparent diffusion coefficient in normal and ischemic tissue were also determined. The results show that on the diffusion-weighted images the lesion was clearly visible at 30 minutes after ischemia, while on the T2-weighted images it became increasingly evident after 2-3 hours. On both types of images the hyperintense area increased in size over the first 48 hours. After 1 week the hyperintensity on the diffusion-weighted images rapidly disappeared and evolved as a hypointense lesion in the chronic phase. These results confirm the high sensitivity of diffusion-weighted MRI for the detection of early ischemia. The temporal course of the edema observed on T2W-images is in agreement with the reported increase of total water content occurring in this model. The increase of the lesion observed on the diffusion-weighted images during the first 2 days points to an aggravation of cytotoxic edema that parallels the changes in free water shown by the T2-weighted images. It is shown that the highly elevated T2's of the infarcted area several days after ischemia can substantially contaminate the diffusion-weighted images."}
{"id": "PMID:1489647", "title": "Topography of occipital EEG-reduction upon visual stimulation.", "content": "Visual stimuli were designed to drive a high proportion of the neurons in restricted parts of the human visual cortex. These stimuli were used to examine changes in the ongoing EEG during visual stimulation. The topographic organization of these changes was studied. It was found that the EEG from those parts of the cortex that are exposed to the stimulus is strongly reduced in amplitude. This stimulus dependency is indicative that cortical processing results itself in a reduction of the ongoing EEG, presumably due to desynchronization of neurons. The method shows that ongoing EEG can be used for functional mapping of cortical areas and is therefore valuable in situations where stimulus locked activity can not be measured."}
{"id": "PMID:1489648", "title": "Individual somatotopy of primary sensorimotor cortex revealed by intermodal matching of MEG, PET, and MRI.", "content": "A method for comparing estimated magnetoencephalographic (MEG) dipole localizations with regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) activation areas is presented. This approach utilizes individual intermodal matching of MEG data, of rCBF measurements with [15O]-butanol and positron emission tomography (PET), and of anatomical information obtained from magnetic resonance (MR) images. The MEG data and the rCBF measurements were recorded in a healthy subject during right-sided simple voluntary movements of the foot, thumb, index finger, and mouth. High resolution 3D-FLASH MR images of the brain consisting of 128 contiguous sagittal slices of 1.17-mm thickness were used. MEG/MR integration was performed by superimposing the 3D head coordinate system constructed during the MEG measurement onto the MR image data using identical anatomical landmarks as references. PET/MR integration was achieved by a phantom-validated iterative front-to-back-projection algorithm resulting in one integrated MEG/PET/MR image. The estimated dipole locations followed the somatotopic organisation of the task-specific rCBF increases as evident from PET, although they did not match point-to-point. Our results demonstrate that intermodal matching of MEG, PET and MR data provides a tool for relating estimated neuromagnetic field locations to task-specific rCBF changes in individual subjects. Our method offers the perspective of refined dipole modelling."}
{"id": "PMID:1489649", "title": "Effect of the signal-to-noise ratio on the quality of linear estimation reconstructions of distributed current sources.", "content": "Currently, linear estimation reconstruction is the only feasible method for extracting information about spatially distributed current sources from measurements of neural magnetic fields. We present the results of a systematic study of the effect of the signal-to-noise ratio on the imaging quality of one such algorithm in over-as well as undetermined circumstances. In particular, we will discuss the necessary trade-off between the contradictory goals of a minimum norm of the reconstructed current density distribution and of a minimal deviation of the reconstructed fields from the measured fields. As an example, we show the reconstruction of a simple arrangement of two nearly parallel dipoles in two different depths inside a spherical volume conductor, discussing the differences between the computer simulation without noise and simulation with a realistic noise level."}
{"id": "PMID:1489650", "title": "Confidence limits for the parameter estimation in the dipole localization method on the basis of spatial correlation of background EEG.", "content": "A new residual function in the inverse problem of equivalent dipole localization methods is proposed which is based on the spatial correlation of the background EEG. This residual has the advantage that it allows the calculation of confidence limits for dipole model parameters. The method was applied to VEP data, and it was studied how the localization precision depends on the recording time of the EEG. It was found that the tangential position of an equivalent dipole can be located at 99% confidence in a region of the order 7 x 7mm for a head radius of 10cm, while the 99% confidence interval of the depth estimate is approximately 1cm, with a recording time of 20 minutes. It was also observed that an EEG recording time of more than 10-15 minutes is needed to obtain stable localization precision estimates."}
{"id": "PMID:1489652", "title": "Optical imaging of architecture and function in the living brain sheds new light on cortical mechanisms underlying visual perception.", "content": "Long standing questions related to brain mechanisms underlying perception can finally be resolved by direct visualization of the architecture and function of mammalian cortex. This advance has been accomplished with the aid of two optical imaging techniques with which one can literally see how the brain functions. The upbringing of this technology required a multi-disciplinary approach integrating brain research with organic chemistry, spectroscopy, biophysics, computer sciences, optics and image processing. Beyond the technological ramifications, recent research shed new light on cortical mechanisms underlying sensory perception. Clinical applications of this technology for precise mapping of the cortical surface of patients during neurosurgery have begun. Below is a brief summary of our own research and a description of the technical specifications of the two optical imaging techniques. Like every technique, optical imaging also suffers from severe limitations. Here we mostly emphasize some of its advantages relative to all alternative imaging techniques currently in use. The limitations are critically discussed in our recent reviews. For a series of other reviews, see Cohen (1989)."}
{"id": "PMID:1489653", "title": "Temperature topography of the brain cortex: thermoencephaloscopy.", "content": "Thermoencephaloscopy (TES) - a new method of functional imaging of the cerebral cortex by its infrared radiation was advanced and developed since 1984. Improved thermovision and image processing techniques allow 2D, contact-free, dynamic and non-invasive recording of background and evoked cortical activity through an unopened skull. Activated (heated) and deactivated (cooled) zones of the cerebral cortex are revealed. The temporal resolution of TES is 40 msec (25 maps/sec), the spatial resolution is up to 70 x 70 microns/pixel. The diameter of the smallest recordable active region of the cortex is 200-300 microns. The minimal time needed for a session used for averaging of 4-9 responses varied from 40 sec up to 18 min. TES allows to detect the position, size and sequence of operation of precisely located specific cortical zones, and to measure their dynamics before, during and after sensory and direct cortical stimulation, motor acts and conditioning (associative learning). TES-effects were recorded in rats, rabbits, cats, monkeys and humans. Waves were found spreading over the cortex with a speed of up to 30 mm/sec along trajectories specific for the sensory modality and the site of stimulation. Some pathological processes in the brain are detectable by TES: experimental tumours and epileptic foci. There are many sources for local heating: neural activity, local metabolism of units, local cerebral blood flow and thermoconductivity in the activated zones of the cortex. Thermoencephaloscopy is a dynamic, non-invasive, contact-free method with a relatively high temporal and spatial resolution and sensitivity. It can be a useful tool in basic neuroscience and medicine."}
{"id": "PMID:1489654", "title": "Electrical impedance tomography (EIT) of brain function.", "content": "Electrical impedance tomography (EIT) is a recently developed technique which enables the internal impedance of an object to be imaged non-invasively. Images are at present reconstructed from measurements made at 51 kHz with a ring of sixteen electrodes placed around the subject. A minimum data set is acquired in 40 msec, and an image can be reconstructed in about 5 sec. The technique is rapid, safe, portable and inexpensive, and so is ideal for non-invasive continuous imaging at the bedside. It cannot be used at present to image changes in the brain with scalp electrodes, as the relative resistance of the skull is too great. It should be possible to use it in the near future with a ring of subdural electrodes to produce images of brain regions undergoing anoxic depolarization in conditions such as epilepsy or stroke. It may be possible to use it in the future to image impedance changes related either to blood flow or depolarization during functional activity. Images of depolarization could be produced with a temporal resolution of milliseconds and would form a substantial advance in neuroscience methodology."}
{"id": "PMID:1489655", "title": "Magnetoencephalography: a tool for functional brain imaging.", "content": "At present, one of the most promising windows to the functional organization of the human brain is magnetoencephalography (MEG). By mapping the magnetic field distribution outside the head the sites of neural events can be located with an accuracy of a few millimeters and the temporal evolution of the activation can be traced with a millisecond resolution. This paper reviews some forward field calculation approaches suitable for the interpretation of the brain's electromagnetic signals. Inverse modelling with multiple dipoles is described in detail. An example of the analysis of the somatosensory evoked-responses illustrates the potential of multiple signal classification (MUSIC) algorithm in finding optimal dipole positions."}
{"id": "PMID:1489657", "title": "Fibroblastic regulation of osteoblast function by prostaglandins.", "content": "The effects of osteogenic inhibitory factors secreted by human periodontal ligament fibroblasts were studied in rat bone marrow stromal cell cultures. Serum-free conditioned medium from cultures of fibroblasts strongly depressed formation of mineralized tissue by bone marrow cell cultures. The inhibitory activity was reduced by treatment of fibroblast cultures with indomethacin or by pretreatment of conditioned medium with specific antibodies to prostaglandins (PGs) E2 and F2 alpha. Passage of conditioned medium over octadecyl columns enriched PGs four-fold and significantly increased inhibitory activity. Inhibition of mineralization was replicated by treatment of bone-cell cultures with PGs B2, D2, E2, F2 alpha and I2 at concentrations of 350 ng/ml to 350 pg/ml. All combinations of these agents were inhibitory but PGE2 and PGF2 alpha exhibited the greatest inhibition at low concentrations (350 pg/ml). These experiments indicate that fibroblasts secrete PGs which can inhibit bone formation, and this may be one mechanism whereby fibroblasts can modulate osteogenesis at the interfaces of soft and mineralizing connective tissues."}
{"id": "PMID:1489658", "title": "Analysis of the glucose transporter content of islet cell lines: implications for glucose-stimulated insulin release.", "content": "Glucose transport across the plasma membrane of mammalian cells is mediated by a family of homologous proteins. Each glucose transporter isoform has a specific tissue distribution which relates to that tissue's demand for glucose. The beta-cells of pancreatic islets are known to express a distinct glucose transporter isoform, termed GLUT 2, which has a high Km for glucose. In this study, we examined the glucose transporter content of normal rat islets and three beta cell lines, beta-TC, HIT and RIN cells. We show that at the protein level, GLUT 2 is the only detectable transporter isoform in normal islets, and that all three cell lines also express detectable GLUT 2. In contrast, all three cell lines expressed high levels of GLUT 1, but this isoform was not detected in normal islets. Neither the native islets nor any of the cell lines expressed GLUT 3. The insulin-responsive glucose transporter GLUT 4 was detected at very low levels in beta-TC cells; to our knowledge, this is the only non-muscle or adipose cell line which expresses this isoform. We propose that the elevated level of GLUT 1 expression, together with a reduced expression of the high Km transporter GLUT 2, may account for the characteristic aberrant patterns of glucose-stimulated insulin release in cell lines derived from beta-cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1489659", "title": "Serum and growth factors stimulate ribosomal RNA processing in Syrian hamster embryo cells: divergence of this signalling pathway from immediate-early gene expression.", "content": "Growth factor stimulation of cells results in multiple intracellular biochemical changes including increases in calcium levels, phosphatidylinositol turnover, protein phosphorylation, immediate-early gene transcription and intracellular pH alterations. We report here that serum and growth factor stimulation of Syrian hamster embryo (SHE)-derived cell lines increases the ribosomal RNA (rRNA) processing rates. In addition, in several transformed SHE cell lines, the immediate-early response of fos/actin transcription could be separated from the immediate-early rRNA processing response. These results indicate that in these cell lines a mutation(s) which uncouples these responses has occurred. This is the first report describing (i) rRNA processing as an immediate-early effect following growth factor stimulation and (ii) the identification of a mutation(s) which can uncouple two immediate-early signalling responses."}
{"id": "PMID:1489660", "title": "Ins(1,4,5)P3 induces Ca2+ release from brain microsomes loaded either by the Ca2+ ATPase or by the Na+/Ca2+ exchanger.", "content": "In this study we investigated the release of Ca2+ in brain microsomes after Ca2+ loading by the Ca(2+)-ATPase or by the Na+/Ca2+ exchanger. The results show that in microsomes loaded with Ca2+ by the Ca(2+)-ATPase, Ins(1,4,5)P3 (5 microM) released 21 +/- 2% of the total Ca2+ accumulated, and that in the microsomes loaded with Ca2+ by the Na+/Ca2+ exchanger, Ins(1,4,5)P3 released 28 +/- 3% of the total Ca2+ accumulated. These results suggest that receptors of Ins(1,4,5)P3 may be co-localized with the Na+/Ca2+ exchanger in the endoplasmic reticulum membrane or that there are Ins(1,4,5)P3 receptors in the plasma membrane where the Na+/Ca2+ exchanger is normally present, or both. We also found that Ins(1,4,5)P3 inhibited the Ca(2+)-ATPase by 33.7%, but that it had no significant effect on the Na+/Ca2+ exchanger."}
{"id": "PMID:1489661", "title": "A negative resistance region underlies the triggering property of membrane potential in human T-lymphocytes.", "content": "Steady-state current-voltage relationships (SSCVRs) of the plasma membrane of human T-lymphocytes were studied at the physiological temperature of 37 degrees C by using the whole-cell patch-clamp technique. SSCVRs displayed a characteristic N-like shape with a negative resistance region (NRR) in a voltage range of -45 to -35 mV. The majority of cells assayed revealed SSCVR patterns crossing the V-axis at three points (in mV): V1 = -55 to -45, V2 = -40 to -35, V3 = -30 to -10. SSCVRs of T-cells activated by phytohaemagglutinin (48-96 h) also displayed NRR, but crossed the V-axis at one point only (V1 = -55 to -60 mV). It implies the possibility of two stable levels of membrane potential (V1 and V3) for the resting T-cells, but only one (V1) for activated T-cells. These data thus account for the triggering property of T-cell membrane potential previously reported. The NRR can be explained on the basis of the Hodgkin-Huxley type n4j model of K+ channel kinetics. According to the model the possibility for a membrane to have one or two stable levels of membrane potential depends on the ratio of selective K+ conductance to non-selective leaky conductance (Gk/G(leak)). The steady-state level of K+ conductance in resting T-lymphocytes proved to be sensitive to Ca2+. Buffering Ca2+ ions from either external or internal solution resulted in an appreciable increase in K+ conductance. The possibility for membrane potential to have two stable levels of membrane potential in connection with the Ca2+ dependence of K+ conductance was supposed to be important for Ca(2+)-signalling during T-cell activation."}
{"id": "PMID:1489662", "title": "Activation of phospholipase C by different effectors in rat placental cells.", "content": "The present communication documents the accumulation of inositol phosphates in rat placental cells by fluoride as well as by vanadate. These findings suggest the existence of the phosphoinositide pathway and its modulation by a G-protein. A concomitant action of fluoride on phosphoinositide breakdown was also observed. As is often the case in intact cells from different organs, protein kinase C exerts a feedback regulatory control on this signalling system. Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) also stimulated the accumulation of inositol phosphates in cultured cells but no effect could be detected in freshly isolated cells. Therefore, the phosphoinositide pathway seems to be involved in the mechanism of action of GnRH in rat placental cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1489663", "title": "G-protein-coupled A1 adenosine receptors in coated vesicles of mammalian brain: characterization by radioligand binding and photoaffinity labelling.", "content": "A1 adenosine receptors in coated vesicles have been characterized by radioligand binding and photoaffinity labelling. Saturation experiments with the antagonist 8-cyclopentyl-1,3-[3H]dipropyl-xanthine ([3H]DPCPX) gave a Kd value of 0.7 nM and a Bmax value of 82 +/- 13 fmol/mg protein. For the highly A1-selective agonist 2-chloro-N6-[3H]cyclopentyladenosine ([3H]CCPA) a Kd value of 1.7 nM and a Bmax value of 72 +/- 29 fmol/mg protein was estimated. Competition of agonists for [3H]DPCPX binding gave a pharmacological profile with R-N6-phenylisopropyladenosine (R-PIA) > CCPA > S-PIA > 5'-N-ethylcarboxamidoadenosine (NECA), which is identical to brain membranes. The competition curves were best fitted according to a two-site model, suggesting the existence of two affinity states. GTP shifted the competition curve for CCPA to the right and only one affinity state similar to the low affinity state in the absence of GTP was detected. The photoreactive agonist 2-azido-N6-125I-p-hydroxyphenylisopropyladenosine ([125I]AHPIA) specifically labelled a single protein with an apparent molecular weight of 35,000 in coated vesicles, which is identical to A1 receptors labelled in brain membranes. Therefore, coated vesicles contain A1 adenosine receptors with similar binding characteristics as membrane-bound receptors, including GTP-sensitive high-affinity agonist binding. Photoaffinity labelling data suggest that A1 receptors in these vesicles are not a processed receptor form. These results confirm that A1 receptors in coated vesicles are coupled to a G-protein, and it appears that the A1 receptor systems in coated vesicles and in plasma membranes are identical."}
{"id": "PMID:1489664", "title": "'Cross-talk' between phospholipase C and adenylyl cyclase involves regulation of G-protein levels in GH3 rat pituitary cells.", "content": "We have investigated the possibility that adenylyl cyclase (AC) activity and membrane protein levels of the alpha-subunits of the stimulatory and inhibitory G-proteins of AC (Gs alpha and G(i)-2 alpha) in cultured prolactin-producing rat pituitary adenoma cells (GH3 cells) are modulated by phospholipase C (PLC)-generated second messengers. Pretreatment of cells (6-48 h) with ionomycin (1 microM) or 1-oleoyl-2-acetylglycerol (OAG; 1 microM) showed that ionomycin regulated Gs alpha levels in a time-dependent, biphasic manner; a two-fold increase followed a 40% initial reduction, while OAG lowered Gs alpha levels by more than 50% at all time-points. G(i)-2 alpha levels remained unchanged by both pretreatments. OAG, but not ionomycin, increased basal AC activity without increasing enzyme protein levels. Alterations in AC responsiveness to peptide hormones (e.g. thyroliberin and vasoactive intestinal peptide) correlated to membrane Gs protein alpha-subunit content. These results demonstrate the involvement of G-protein translation regulation as one mechanism of 'cross-talk' between the PLC- and AC-dependent signalling pathways."}
{"id": "PMID:1489665", "title": "Characterization of endogenous substrates for novel-type protein kinase C as well as conventional-type protein kinase C in primary cultured mouse epidermal cells.", "content": "In primary cultured mouse epidermal cells, phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA), which activates protein kinase C (PKC), induced changes in the phosphorylation levels of 10 proteins, termed KP-1 to -10, in two-dimensional PAGE. Seven of these proteins were phosphorylated and three were dephosphorylated. Similar changes were induced by other PKC activators, but not by inactive phorbol ester. Among these substrate proteins, phosphorylation of three proteins, i.e. KP-1 (pI 4.7/23,000 M(r)), KP-2 (pI 4.7/20,700 M(r)) and KP-10 (pI 4.7/25,500 M(r)) was markedly enhanced by PMA and inhibited by a potent PKC inhibitor staurosporine. In vitro phosphorylation studies and phosphoamino acid analysis, using these proteins as substrate and PKC preparations obtained from epidermal cell lysate, revealed that KP-1 and -2 were directly phosphorylated by Ca(2+)-, phospholipid-dependent protein kinase (conventional-type PKC; cPKC), but not by Ca(2+)-independent, phospholipid-dependent protein kinase (novel-type PKC; nPKC). On the other hand, KP-10 was mainly phosphorylated by nPKC in intact epidermal cells. These results indicate that cPKC and nPKC in epidermal cells have different substrate specificity for endogenous proteins and may induce different signal transduction."}
{"id": "PMID:1489667", "title": "Activation of solubilized G-proteins by muscarinic acetylcholine receptors.", "content": "Binding of GTP and its analogue, guanosine 5'-O-[gamma-thio]triphosphate (GTP[S]) to G-proteins, and release of GTP[S] from G-proteins are stimulated by muscarinic acetylcholine (mACh) receptors in intact cardiac membranes. Upon solubilization of receptors and G-proteins by membrane extraction with the detergent, 3-[(cholamidopropyl)dimethylammonio]-1-propanesulphonate, followed by sucrose density gradient centrifugation, agonist-liganded mACh receptors stimulated binding of GTP[S] and hydrolysis of GTP by G-proteins with similar requirements as in intact membranes. One soluble agonist-activated mACh receptor induced binding of GTP[S] to several (about seven) soluble G-proteins. In contrast to intact membranes, however, agonist activation of mACh receptors did not induce release of GTP[S] from solubilized G-proteins. The data presented indicate that mACh receptors can interact with and efficiently activate G-proteins even in solution, whereas the possible interaction of receptors with GTP[S]-liganded G-proteins observed in intact membranes is lost upon solubilization of these components."}
{"id": "PMID:1489666", "title": "Activation of phospholipase D by endothelin-1 and other pharmacological agents in rabbit iris sphincter smooth muscle.", "content": "The stimulation of phospholipase D (PLD) activity by endothelin-1 (ET1) was investigated in rabbit iris sphincter prelabelled with [3H]myristic acid. In the presence of 0.5% ethanol, ET1 caused a time- and dose-dependent increase in the production of [3H]phosphatidylethanol ([3H]PEt). Within 30 s the peptide increased PEt formation by 30% and after 5 min increased it by 140%. The EC50 value for ET1-stimulated PEt formation was found to be 30 nM. This value is appreciably lower than the EC50 we previously obtained for ET1-induced inositol trisphosphate production (45 nM), but considerably higher than that for arachidonic acid release (1 nM). PEt formation was significantly stimulated by prostaglandin F20, phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate (PDBu), chloroform, A23187 and A1F4-, but it was not affected by carbachol or the platelet-activating factor. PDBu-stimulated PEt formation was blocked by staurosporine and it was not potentiated by A23187. Staurosporine had no effect on ET1-stimulated PEt formation. Our data indicate that ET1 stimulation of PLD occurs independently of protein kinase C activation, phospholipase C activation and intracellular Ca2+ mobilization, and phospholipase A2 activation. In this tissue the ET1 receptor is probably coupled to the three phospholipases through several G-proteins, and this appears to be species and receptor type specific."}
{"id": "PMID:1489668", "title": "A gating 31P NMR method triggered by pulses for cardiac pacing.", "content": "A new gating NMR technique triggered by pulses for the cardiac pacing of isolated, perfused rat heart is described. This technique is suitable for obtaining spectra at the same positions over the cardiac cycle with the same RF pulse repetition time and with constant heart rate. Accordingly, each recovered magnetization level at these positions during the cycle can be kept constant. It also allows a qualitative analysis of the myocardial energy level during the cycle under the condition of the same or different cardiac workload (rate pressure product, HR x LVP). This method was used to observe cyclical changes in the concentration of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), phosphocreatine (PCr), P(i), and in pH during the cardiac cycle, and confirmed that the levels of ATP and PCr showed reversible decreases, and P(i) showed an antiphasic increase at the peak systole. On the other hand, no significant changes in pH were noted during the cardiac cycle. This pacing-gated technique is an improvement over other gated NMR techniques triggered by the blood pressure or by ECG traces."}
{"id": "PMID:1489669", "title": "Absolute quantification of 31P liver metabolites in rat using an external reference and a surface spoiling magnetic field gradient.", "content": "A simple method for measuring absolute concentrations of 31P metabolites in rat liver using an external reference is described. It neutralizes systematic errors due to conductive losses by calibration of the matching capacitor and selects liver signals via an electrically driven, surface spoiling magnetic field gradient. The technique avoids the chemical shift problems associated with linear field gradient localization methods at 4.7 T and allows combination with the double standard method for absolute metabolite concentration determination. Application of the method to the in vivo measurement of the absolute concentrations of ATP and P(i) in eight rat livers yields results that are in good agreement with literature values. Absolute phosphomonoester concentrations were also obtained, but no literature data were available."}
{"id": "PMID:1489675", "title": "First principles of fast spin echo.", "content": "Fast spin echo (FSE), a variant of the rapid acquisition with refocused echoes pulse sequence, is now being widely considered as an alternative to conventional spin echo for proton density and T2-weighted imaging. Although the medical experience with this sequence is relatively limited, relevant aspects of the technique have been well understood in the context of spectroscopic applications for many years. This article attempts to portray the subject in an appropriate historical context. Such a viewpoint promotes a deeper understanding of the artifacts, determinants of contrast, and future evolution of FSE. Hopefully, this may not only be of benefit in the design of optimal clinical imaging protocols for current state of the art but may also be of use in fashioning the criteria by which new developments in this field may be judged."}
{"id": "PMID:1489676", "title": "Magnetic resonance evaluation of stroke.", "content": "Stroke is not a specific disease but is, instead, a symptom complex reflecting destruction of brain tissue by cerebrovascular disease. Several different specific diseases are included in the \"stroke\" category, including intra- and extracerebral hemorrhage as well as ischemic infarction. These different types of stroke have major differences regarding etiology, management, and prognosis. The goal of stroke imaging is to diagnose the type of stroke at clinical presentation, allowing prompt and appropriate management. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), magnetic resonance angiography (MRA), and magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) provide powerful noninvasive means to evaluate the pathologic and metabolic changes that occur in acute stroke. These techniques allow the early detection of stroke and greatly increase the ability to determine the etiology of the stroke. One or more of these methods will surely become a standard means of evaluating acute stroke. The information provided, combined with new stroke therapies, should result in improved patient outcome."}
{"id": "PMID:1489671", "title": "An assessment of 31P MRS as a method of measuring pH in rat tumours.", "content": "The contribution of extracellular components to the measurement of pHMRS of a variety of rat tumours (nitrosomethyl urea induced mammary tumours, GH3 prolactinomas, Hepatoma 9618a, UA hepatomas and Walker sarcomas) has been assessed. Acid extractable P(i) was between 2.6 and 12.5 mumol/G wet wt depending on tumour type, and of this 53 +/- 4.8% (mean +/- SEM) was MRS-visible. The P(i) content of tumour exudate was 2-3 mM, of interstitial fluid (sampled from a micropore chamber incorporated within a tumour) 1.7 mM, and of blood plasma 1.95 mM. The mean extracellular volumes of the tumours, measured by distribution of 3H2O and [14C]inulin, were 49-55% depending on tumour type and were at least twice that found in normal liver. Calculations suggested that for most tumours with an extracellular volume not exceeding 55%, at least 65% of the P(i)(MRS) signal was derived from intracellular P(i), and thus that pH(MRS) is a measure of pHi. For each tumour type, pHMRS was measured both in 'pulse-acquire' mode at 1.9 T which may include signals from surrounding tissue, and in localized mode at 4.7 T where the signal came uniquely from tumour tissue. The steady state pHMRS was either neutral or on the alkaline side of neutrality (pH range 7.04-7.37). Raised lactate content and decreased buffering capacity (compared to normal tissues) accompanied these neutral to alkaline pH values.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1489673", "title": "Chemical exchange in tissue extracts revisited: bicarbonate and deuterium isotope effects on 31P resonances of phosphoethanolamine and phosphocreatine.", "content": "It is not sufficiently appreciated that chemical exchange can markedly affect the appearance of 31P tissue extract NMR spectra. In addition to the commonly recognized 31P chemical shift effects of divalent metal cation (e.g. Mg2+) binding upon ATP resonances, multiple resonances for phosphoethanolamine (PE) and phosphocreatine (PCr) are observed under certain conditions of pH, temperature, and D2O and bicarbonate concentrations. In the presence of bicarbonate ion (commonly used to neutralize acidic extractions) carbamate formation causes a second 31P resonance for PE to appear. This effect has been described previously for 13C and 1H amino acid resonances in tissue extracts [Sherry et al. J. Magn. Reson. 89, 391-398 (1990)]. The observation of a splitting of the PCr 31P resonance in aqueous solutions containing D2O has been recently ascribed to proton scalar coupling but was described earlier in an underappreciated report [Kupriyanov et al. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Comm. 114, 1117-1125 (1983)] as due to a deuterium isotope effect. These effects, carbamate formation and deuterium isotope shift, are verified herein to cause marked shifts in PE and PCr 31P resonances. The dependence upon experimental parameters is explored."}
{"id": "PMID:1489672", "title": "Comparison of pH measurements made using 31P NMR and a fibreoptic pH meter.", "content": "The objective of this study was to compare pH measurements made in biological samples using 31P NMR (pHNMR) with those made with a novel, dye-based fibreoptic pH measurement system (pHF), which is compatible with use in electromagnetic fields without field perturbation. Using protein-free model solutions, pHNMR was calibrated against pHF, giving a correlation coefficient of 0.969 and a mean difference (+/- SD) between pHNMR and pHF of 0.037 +/- 0.054 over the pH range 6.8-7.7. Further calibration of pHNMR with pHF was carried out for human red blood lysates and then pHNMR was compared with pHF for whole, packed red blood cells over the pH range 7.0-7.8. Values for pHNMR, the intracellular pH, were consistently lower than for pHF, the extracellular pH, by a mean (+/- SD) of 0.15 +/- 0.02 units. A close correlation of extracellular pHNMR with pHF was demonstrated for a blood sample exhibiting two P(i) peaks, over the pH range 7.03-7.71. We conclude that concurrent use of NMR and the fibreoptic pH meter provides a reliable method of simultaneous measurement of intracellular and extracellular pH in biological systems."}
{"id": "PMID:1489670", "title": "A new high sensitivity 19F probe for labeling cysteine groups of proteins.", "content": "A novel iodoacetamide label 4-perfluoro-tert-butyl-phenyliodoacetamide (PFP) containing nine fluorine atoms in equivalent positions has been synthesized. It provides a homogeneous 19F NMR resonance line which can be detected with high sensitivity when coupled to proteins. As an example, the sulfhydryl groups of actin have been labeled with PFP; < 100 nmol of this medium sized protein (corresponding to 2.5 mL of a 40 microM solution) can be detected easily in a single scan at 470 MHz."}
{"id": "PMID:1489683", "title": "Learning disabilities: community nutrition.", "content": "Nutrition for people with learning disabilities living in the community is an aspect of care that should not be taken for granted. From clients who live virtually independently to those living in fully staffed homes, there is much to be gained from a thorough assessment of their eating patterns. This article reviews the most common nutritional problems such clients face and discusses ways of overcoming them."}
{"id": "PMID:1489682", "title": "A nurse practitioner rheumatology clinic.", "content": "The author describes the background to the establishment of nurse practitioner clinics at Leeds General Infirmary, which combine the skills of nurses with medical input to provide care for rheumatology patients. The model used is based on patient knowledge, and the author stresses that one of the primary functions of the nurse practitioner is that of educator. She also highlights the importance of research within the nurse practitioner role and concludes that nurses can deliver high quality care from nurse-led rheumatology clinics."}
{"id": "PMID:1489703", "title": "Occupational health. Manual handling: proposed regulations.", "content": "Injuries associated with manual handling operations account for most workplace injuries reported to the Health and Safety Executive and local authorities. In the health care services, they account for almost 50 per cent of all injuries reported under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RlDDOR) of 1985 (1). This article examines how proposed legislation may be applied to make the industry safer, drawing on work being carried out by some health authorities and organisations such as the Back Pain Association and WING (The Work-Injured Nurses Group of the Royal College of Nursing). The author draws on EC directives, and on consultative documents on the proposed regulations issued by the Health and Safety Executive (2), as well as draft guidance issued by the Working Party of the Health and Safety Commission's Health Services Advisory Committee (1)."}
{"id": "PMID:1489713", "title": "The influence of pigmentation and illumination on the perception of erythema.", "content": "The visual assessment of erythema induced by ultraviolet radiation (UVR) involves a comparison of the irradiated site with surrounding nonirradiated skin. By viewing the skin through plastic filters of varying shades of brown to simulate different degrees of pigmentation and under either incandescent or fluorescent lighting, we were able to examine the influence of pigmentation and illumination on the perception of erythema. Illuminating the skin with either light source at the same illuminance did not affect the determination of the minimal erythema dose (MED). Likewise, the range of pigmentation that may occur in Caucasian skin had little or no effect on the perception of the MED compared with white, untanned skin. However, when the skin was viewed through dark brown filters that approximate the absorbance of Negro skin, erythema was only perceived at sites that had been irradiated with more than about twice the MED."}
{"id": "PMID:1489714", "title": "A comparison of the ultraviolet B-induced erythemal response of back and buttock skin.", "content": "Thirty-six subjects (dermatology patients and normal volunteers) were phototested on back and buttock skin to determine their erythemal response to a geometrically increasing series of doses of ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation. The minimal erythema doses (MED) were recorded at 24 h post-irradiation and dose-response curves were constructed. A significant difference in MED was found between the 2 sites, with a higher value for buttock skin (median 38 mJ/cm2) than for the back (median 25 mJ/cm2). The slopes of response for the 2 sites were, however, found to be comparable, and there was no correlation between the slope of dose response and sun-reactive skin type at either site. Buttock skin, representing the constitutional skin colour, may provide a useful site for phototesting, especially in otherwise tanned individuals, providing that full dose-response curves are analysed."}
{"id": "PMID:1489715", "title": "The effect of topical L-selenomethionine on minimal erythema dose of ultraviolet irradiation in humans.", "content": "The purpose of this study was to determine whether topical L-selenomethionine reduces the degree of acute damage to the skin (i.e., sunburn) induced by ultraviolet (UV) irradiation in humans. Eight women volunteers were treated for 2 weeks first with lotion vehicle then with topical L-selenomethionine for two weeks at each of three concentrations (0.002%, 0.02%, and 0.05%). At the end of each 2-week treatment period, the minimal erythema dose (MED) of UV irradiation was measured using a Multiport Solar Ultraviolet Simulator. It was found that topical L-selenomethionine was effective in protecting against acute UV damage to the skin. A response curve demonstrated that increasing concentrations of topical L-selenomethionine gave increasing MED, with a plateau of maximal protection attained at a concentration between 0.02% and 0.05%. Although previous studies in rats and mice demonstrated percutaneous absorption of selenium after application of L-selenomethionine, in the concentrations used here, the topical L-selenomethionine did not result in increased levels of selenium in the blood plasma of the patients tested."}
{"id": "PMID:1489716", "title": "In vitro kinetics of 8-methoxypsoralen penetration into human lymphoid cells.", "content": "Extracorporeal photochemotherapy (ECPC) requires ex vivo UVA irradiation of blood lymphocytes during the time of the theoretical peak 8-methoxsalen (8-MOP) concentration. The aims of this study were to determine the mechanism of cellular uptake of 8-MOP, its possible saturation and the time needed to reach maximal concentration (Tmax) in lymphoid cells. 8-MOP was measured by liquid chromatography in the supernatant of lymphoid cell suspensions incubated with a known amount of 8-MOP. The kinetics of cellular uptake were determined and showed that equilibrium had already been reached after 2 min and remained constant for at least 60 min. The uptake was independent of temperature (4, 25 and 37 degrees C) and was proportional to the 8-MOP concentration in the supernatant. This indicated that 8-MOP penetrated into lymphoid cells by passive diffusion, rather than by active transport or facilitated diffusion, and was thus a non-saturable process. In addition, intracellular metabolism was negligible. These findings demonstrated that the plasma and lymphocytic Tmax were reached simultaneously and statistical analysis showed them to be significantly correlated, thereby validating the standard ECPC protocol for drug ingestion and lymphocyte irradiation."}
{"id": "PMID:1489718", "title": "Demonstration of olaquindox phototoxicity in vitro.", "content": "Olaquindox is an oral anti-bacterial agent used as an additive to animal food. It is known to cause photosensitization in pig breeders, probably due to a photoallergic mechanism. Also, olaquindox was found to be phototoxic in animal experiments. We have evaluated the phototoxic properties of olaquindox in vitro with a photohemolysis test using different light sources. Irradiation with a source rich in ultraviolet A (UVA) and, to a lesser degree, with a lamp emitting mainly visible light induced photohemolysis, which depended on the concentration of olaquindox and the radiation dose. Exposure to radiation rich in UVB caused no olaquindox-dependent hemolysis. The absorption spectrum of olaquindox changed prominently after irradiation, indicating photodegradation of the compound."}
{"id": "PMID:1489719", "title": "Colorimetric assessment of the effects of azelaic acid on light-induced skin pigmentation.", "content": "A 20% azelaic acid (AZA) cream is currently used as a therapeutic agent in the treatment of acne vulgaris. Therefore, this product is intended to be applied on frequently or continuously sun-exposed skin. In certain disorders of hyperpigmentation, AZA has been reported to have a depigmenting effect as well, while showing no significant activity on normal skin. It has been suggested that AZA selectively inhibits hyperactive or malignant melanocytes. Knowing that light-stimulated melanocytes are in a state of hyperactivity, it seemed worthwhile to investigate AZA activity on light-induced skin pigmentation. This study aimed to assess the activity of 20% AZA cream on light-induced skin pigmentation in 10 subjects. There were 5 test zones, all located on the middle of the back: 2 were treated with AZA cream, 2 others with the vehicle and 1 was left untreated. Each product was applied twice daily, 5 days a week, for 4 weeks on one zone, and for 5 weeks on the other. In the middle of the fourth week, the tested zones were exposed to ultraviolet B (UVB) + UVA + visible light, with a total of 3 times the minimal erythema dose distributed progressively over 3 consecutive days. Seven and 10 days after the last irradiation, the induced photopigmentation was assessed by colorimetric and visual means. Compared with its vehicle, the AZA cream had neither a depigmenting effect nor a preventive effect on the light-acquired skin pigmentation. Moreover, interrupting or continuing the AZA treatment after skin irradiation had no influence on the resulting pigmentation."}
{"id": "PMID:1489720", "title": "Trend analysis of solar ultraviolet exposure of the Austrian population caused by holiday patterns since 1969.", "content": "Over the last few decades, a steady increase in the incidence of skin cancer has been observed. Solar ultraviolet (UV) exposure is undoubtedly one of the primary causes, and of these, holiday patterns are an intrinsic component. To assess solar UV exposure for this trend analysis, changes in holiday patterns were investigated. For Austrians, a preponderance of holidays are spent at the Mediterranean Sea. These holidays represent not only a potentially high UV exposure because of location but also because sun-intensive activities are preferred. The analysis shows an increase in solar UV exposure from all holidays of 1.6% per year. About 22% of the population spends holidays at the Mediterranean Sea, and UV exposure of the total population from these holidays has increased annually by about 3.3%. Because of the latency period, it is not possible to draw conclusions from the increase in UV exposure and the temporal trends in skin cancer. A longer time series would be necessary to do this. A direct comparison of data from other countries reporting increases in skin cancer does not seem appropriate, as levels of UV exposure vary greatly and such factors as genetic susceptibility are involved."}
{"id": "PMID:1489721", "title": "Photosensitivity induced by quinidine sulfate: experimental reproduction of skin lesions.", "content": "A case of quinidine sulfate-induced photodermatitis is reported. The photosensitive reaction to quinidine sulfate was reproducible in the photopatch test and after oral intake plus ultraviolet A (UVA) irradiation. Eczematous dermatitis was provoked after intradermal injection of in vitro UVA-irradiated quinidine sulfate only in the presence of patient's serum. The clinical picture and histology suggest an allergic reaction. The photobinding of quinidine sulfate to a potential carrier protein in skin or serum seems to be of crucial importance for this type of photodermatitis. Quinidine sulfate is frequently used as an antiarrhythmic drug. Its potential as a photosensitizer should always be considered."}
{"id": "PMID:1489722", "title": "Comparison of the antipsoriatic efficacy of heliotherapy and ultraviolet B: a cross-over study.", "content": "Ten psoriasis patients who underwent a 4-week heliotherapy period in the Canary Islands were treated with ultraviolet B (UVB) phototherapy at relapse, 2-24 months later. In both settings, psoriasis improvement was monitored using a psoriasis severity index (PSI), and UV exposure was recorded with polysulphone films. In the 8 patients that could be evaluated, a median healing rate of 94% was recorded in the heliotherapy period, with a median cumulative UV dose of 46 erythemal units (EU). In the UVB phototherapy, a median improvement rate of 86% was found after a median cumulative UV dose of 112 EU. It is concluded that, on an erythemal UV dose basis, heliotherapy was more effective than UVB phototherapy in treating psoriasis."}
{"id": "PMID:1489723", "title": "Enoxacin-induced photosensitivity: study of two cases.", "content": "Enoxacin is a second-generation quinolone derivative recently introduced in Spain. Its activity comes through the inhibition of bacterial DNA-gyrase and it has a good antibacterial capacity against a broad spectrum of gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. It is presumed to be less toxic than the rest of the quinolones and its use is increasing, specially to treat infections of the urogenital tract. Cases of photosensitivity to enoxacin have been very rarely reported. We describe 2 patients with photosensitivity reactions due to this drug."}
{"id": "PMID:1489724", "title": "The mouse Enhancer trap locus 1 (Etl-1): a novel mammalian gene related to Drosophila and yeast transcriptional regulator genes.", "content": "A novel mouse gene, Enhancer trap locus 1 (Etl-1), was identified in close proximity to a lacZ enhancer trap integration in the mouse genome showing a specific beta-galactosidase staining pattern during development. In situ analysis revealed a widespread but not ubiquitous expression of Etl-1 throughout development with particularly high levels in the central nervous system and epithelial cells. The amino acid sequence of the Etl-1 protein deduced from the cDNA shows strong similarity, over a stretch of 500 amino acids, to the Drosophila brahma protein involved in the regulation of homeotic genes and to the yeast transcriptional activator protein SNF2/SWI2 as well as to the RAD54 protein and the recently described helicase-related yeast proteins STH1 and MOT1. Etl-1 is the first mammalian member of this group of proteins that are implicated in gene regulation and/or influencing chromatin structure. The homology to the regulatory proteins SNF2/SWI2 and brahma and the expression pattern during embryogenesis suggest that Etl-1 protein might be involved in gene regulating pathways during mouse development."}
{"id": "PMID:1489725", "title": "Transient and recurrent expression of the Egr-1 gene in epithelial and mesenchymal cells during tooth morphogenesis suggests involvement in tissue interactions and in determination of cell fate.", "content": "We have analyzed the expression of early growth response gene (Egr-1) by mRNA in situ hybridization during mouse embryonic tooth development and in experimental recombinations of dental epithelium and mesenchyme. Egr-1 was transiently and recurrently expressed both in epithelial and mesenchymal cells starting from day 13 of gestation and up to 4 days after birth. The expression correlated with developmental transition points of dental mesenchymal and epithelial cells suggesting a role for Egr-1 in sequential determination and differentiation of cells. In recombination cultures of early dental epithelium and mesenchyme Egr-1 RNA was localized at the epithelial-mesenchymal interface in mesenchymal cells, and in two cases also in epithelial cells. These data indicate that Egr-1 expression may be regulated by epithelial-mesenchymal interactions when they are specific enough to initiate differentiation. We have also analyzed by in situ hybridization whether Wilms' tumour-1 gene (wt-1) is expressed in the developing tooth as it was proposed on the bases of in vitro studies that it may inhibit Egr-1 expression. No wt-1 expression was detected at any stage of tooth development showing that wt-1 is not obligatory for regulation of Egr-1 expression."}
{"id": "PMID:1489726", "title": "Nuclear transport and phosphorylation of the RNA binding Xenopus zinc finger protein XFG 5-1.", "content": "XFG 5-1 is a Kr\u00fcppel-type Xenopus zinc finger protein with specific RNA homopolymer binding activity in vitro. In the oocyte, the protein is distributed between nucleus and cytoplasm; the nuclear fraction, not the cytoplasm, contains phosphorylated isoform(s) of XFG 5-1. In vitro phosphorylation by use of oocyte/egg extracts or purified casein kinase II is specific to the amino-terminal portion of the protein. The carboxy-terminal zinc finger domain contains a signal sufficient for nuclear transport. Overexpression of either full length XFG 5-1 or of the carboxy-terminal portion alone, which maintains RNA binding and nuclear import activities, was achieved in Xenopus embryos by mRNA injection. This treatment did not result in impaired regulation of development, suggesting that XFG 5-1 functions in a way distinct from the mode of action exemplified in the Drosophila zinc finger protein Kr\u00fcppel."}
{"id": "PMID:1489727", "title": "Characterization, specificity, and IgV gene usage of anti-lymphocyte monoclonal antibodies from perinatal mice.", "content": "Previous studies have shown that CD5+ B cells predominate during development of the immune system and frequently secrete self-reactive antibodies, some of which appear to influence the development of the adult B cell repertoire. In addition, we now show that a high frequency of perinatally derived antibodies react with lymphocytes. Hybridomas derived from perinatal liver and splenic B cells and from spleens of adult BALB/c and C57BL/6 mice were screened by immunofluorescence on thymocytes. Anti-lymphocyte antibodies, all of the IgM isotype, were detected at a high frequency from perinatal fusions, but none were obtained from adult mice. These anti-lymphocyte mAbs were heterogeneous because they stained different subsets of peripheral T and B lymphocytes. Although the antigens recognized by these mAbs were heterogeneous with respect to their sensitivity to a variety of enzymes, 13 of the 19 mAbs recognized epitopes which were modulated by phosphatidylinositol-phospholipase C treatment. Inhibition experiments suggested that six of these 13 mAbs shared the same molecular specificity, and that they recognized the same T cell subset (62% of CD4+ and 98% of CD8+ cells). Furthermore, three of these mAbs immunoprecipitated the same 100 kDa protein from thymocytes (70 kDa in reducing conditions). The related molecular specificity of some anti-lymphocyte mAbs was also reflected by their restricted V gene usage. Three of the five mAbs specific for the 100 kDa protein used very similar or identical germline SM7 VH genes. In addition to using the same germline D and JH genes, they also exhibited identical VH-D-JH joins, despite originating from distinct fusions. Analysis of light chains also showed some restriction by preferential use of germline V kappa 4 and J kappa 5 genes. Together, these results suggest that the restricted antibody repertoire characteristic of mouse fetal and neonatal B cells is also reflected in the production of anti-lymphocyte antibodies. These B cells appear consistently in early development, use germline V genes, and express a characteristic VH-D-JH join."}
{"id": "PMID:1489728", "title": "Patterns of responsiveness of T cell lines and thymocytes reveal waves of specific activity in the post-natal murine thymus.", "content": "Antibody binding of CD3, CD4, or CD8 molecules can induce cytoplasmic calcium mobilization in T lymphocytes, usually interpreted as indicating signal transduction. Using such assays, in a CD4+ CD8+ thymocyte line and its single positive progeny we have identified characteristic patterns of responsiveness that are reproducible in vivo in a subpopulation of newborn 'double positive' thymocytes but virtually absent in adult thymuses. In particular, these cells appear to be high responders to the binding of anti-CD3 F(ab)'2 fragments. We have followed the presence of such highly responsive thymocytes in the perinatal period and the first 15 days of life. Intriguingly, these cells populate the newborn thymus in three distinct waves. Such patterns of responsiveness may define early 'selectable' thymocytes."}
{"id": "PMID:1489729", "title": "Polyreactive IgM antibodies generated from autoimmune mice and selected for histone-binding activity.", "content": "A panel of histone-reactive IgM mAbs was obtained from mice belonging to various spontaneously autoimmune strains. Most of these antibodies were polyreactive, i.e. they showed binding to other cationic antigens (poly-L-lysine, lysozyme, cytochrome c) or to cytoskeletal proteins (actin, myosin, vimentin). The variable regions of these antibodies were encoded by V genes and gene segments belonging to various families. Their H chain third hypervariable regions were unusual in that the D segments were read in all three possible reading frames in contrast to most conventional antibodies and other polyreactive antibodies obtained from normal mice."}
{"id": "PMID:1489730", "title": "Reconstitution of the intermediate-affinity interleukin-2 receptor by cell fusion.", "content": "Although IL-2 receptor beta chain (IL-2R beta) expressed in various lymphoid cell lines binds IL-2 with an intermediate affinity, IL-2R beta expressed in fibroblasts is unable to bind IL-2, suggesting that IL-2R beta is on its own not sufficient for generating the intermediate-affinity receptor and that lymphoid-specific regulatory control may be operated to allow IL-2R beta to bind IL-2. In the present study, we observed that human IL-2R beta expressed in a mouse myeloma X63-Ag8.653 (X63) by cDNA transfection did not bind IL-2, while the same IL-2R beta expressed in an IL-6-dependent mouse B cell hybridoma F12-28, which was obtained by cell fusion between X63 and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced lymphoblasts, bound IL-2 with the intermediate affinity. Interestingly, when the human IL-2R beta cDNA-transfected X63 clone, which by itself manifests no IL-2 binding, was fused with LPS-induced lymphoblasts, the resultant hybridomas manifested intermediate-affinity IL-2 binding. The IL-2 binding was specifically inhibited by addition of antihuman IL-2R beta mAb (Mik-beta 1) but not by mAb against mouse IL-2R subunits, indicating that human IL-2R beta was responsible for the IL-2 binding, i.e. non-functional human IL-2R beta in X63 was converted to competent IL-2R beta by complementation with a mouse spleen cell-derived factor(s) through the cell fusion. Cross-linking experiments with [125I]IL-2 revealed the presence of a 61 kDa protein other than IL-2R beta in cells expressing the intermediate-affinity IL-2R.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1489731", "title": "The appearance and role of gamma delta T cells in the peritoneal cavity and liver during primary infection with Listeria monocytogenes in rats.", "content": "We have previously reported that gamma delta T cells play important roles in protection during the early stage of infection with Listeria monocytogenes in mice. To generalize the protective roles of gamma delta T cells in listerial infection to different species, we examined the appearance of gamma delta T cells during infection with L. monocytogenes in Fisher F344 rats. The numbers of bacteria in the peritoneal cavity and liver increased to a maximum level on day 3 and then decreased to an undetectable level by day 10 after an intraperitoneal infection with a sublethal dose (1 x 10(8)) of viable L. monocytogenes in rats. CD3+ alpha beta- T cells in the peritoneal cavity and liver began to increase on day 3, reached a maximum level on day 6, and thereafter decreased gradually by day 10 after infection. Northern blot analysis confirmed that the CD3+ alpha beta- T cells expressed TCR delta and gamma gene messages. In vivo treatment with anti-TCR alpha beta mAb, which suppressed most of the alpha beta T cells in the periphery and impaired resistance during the late stage of listerial infection, did not affect the host defense by day 6 after infection. A significantly increased number of gamma delta T cells was detected in the peritoneal cavity of the TCR alpha beta-suppressed rats on day 6 after infection. These results suggest that the early appearing gamma delta T cells may contribute to the host defense at a relatively early stage during listeriosis in rats."}
{"id": "PMID:1489732", "title": "T cell activation and thymic tolerance induction require different adhesion intensities of the CD8 co-receptor.", "content": "Activation of mature lymphocytes requires in addition to the TCR contact with the corresponding antigen the binding of the CD8 or CD4 co-receptors to MHC class I or class II proteins respectively. To investigate the contribution of the CD8-class I interaction to the elimination of autoreactive T cells during negative selection in the thymus we generated two types of transgenic mice. One set expressed a modified Kb molecule which contained a human HLA-A2 alpha 3 domain, thereby missing the binding residues for the murine CD8 molecules. The second set of mice expressed an anti-Kb specific TCR. Both lines were crossed and in the resulting double transgenic mice the development of Kb-reactive T cells was followed with an anti-clonotypic antibody. Surprisingly, efficient clonal deletion in the thymus was still observed, although the reduced CD8-class I adhesion abrogated effector functions in vivo and in vitro. These results imply that even T cells with intermediate affinity for self are negatively selected in the thymus despite the fact that they are not able to react against self antigens in the periphery. Thus a safety window is created which decreases the risk of autoaggression."}
{"id": "PMID:1489733", "title": "Delineation of chicken thymocytes by CD3-TCR complex, CD4 and CD8 antigen expression reveals phylogenically conserved and novel thymocyte subsets.", "content": "To further define the relationship between thymocyte subsets and their developmental sequence, multi-parameter flow cytometry was used to determine the distribution of the CD3-TCR complex and the accessory molecules CD4 and CD8 on chicken thymocytes. As in mammals, adult thymocytes could be subdivided into CD3-, CD3lo, and CD3hi staining populations. CD4 and CD8 distribution on such populations revealed the presence of CD3-CD4+CD8- and CD3-CD4-CD8+ thymocytes, putative precursors to CD4+CD8+ cells, detectable in the adult and at high frequency during ontogeny. Of particular interest was the existence of CD3lo expression on CD4+CD8- and CD4-CD8+, and in some instances, on CD4-CD8- thymocytes. Such phenotypes are not easily detectable in the mammalian thymus but were readily observed in both adult and embryonic chicken thymus from 16 days of embryogenesis. Further analysis of the TCR lineage of these CD3lo cells revealed that they were essentially all of the alpha beta TCR type. Mature CD3hi thymocytes were found within the CD4+CD8+ and CD4+CD8- and CD4-CD8+ subsets. Both alpha beta and gamma delta TCR lineage thymocytes were detected within all CD4- and CD8-defined subsets, thus identifying novel thymocyte subsets in the chicken thymus, namely alpha beta TCR+CD4-CD8- and gamma delta TCR+ CD4+CD8- cells. Hence, this analysis of chicken thymocytes, while confirming the phylogenically conserved nature of the thymus, has revealed novel T cell subsets, providing further insight into the complexity of mainstream thymocyte maturation pathways."}
{"id": "PMID:1489734", "title": "T cell-specific protein-DNA interactions occurring at the CD4 locus: identification of possible transcriptional control elements of the murine CD4 gene.", "content": "The cis-acting transcriptional control elements of the murine CD4 gene were investigated within 75 kb of chromatin associated with the CD4 locus. DNase I hypersensitive (DH) sites were identified in several T and non-T cell lines, and in freshly isolated thymocytes. A total of 22 DH sites were found, seven of which are present only in T cells expressing CD4 or CD8. The T cell-specific DH sites are located in four regions: (i) 5' of the first exon of CD4, (ii) in the first intron, (iii) near the second and third exons, and (iv) 3' of the CD4 gene. Some of these sites inversely correlate to the CD4 expression at defined stages of T cell development, suggesting a role for these sites in repression of this gene. The T cell-specific DH sites were subcloned and analyzed for protein-DNA interactions using the electrophoretic mobility shift assay. All T cell-specific DH sites analyzed appear to be a consequence of T cell-specific protein-DNA interactions. We have also identified the nuclear matrix attachment regions (MARs) and repetitive elements associated with the CD4 gene. Two nuclear MARs, separated by a region of highly repetitive DNA, are located 5' of the gene. Another region of highly repetitive DNA exists within the third intron. We discuss the implications of our results for the developmental regulation of CD4 expression."}
{"id": "PMID:1489735", "title": "Positive selection of V beta 2+ CD8+ T cells.", "content": "T cells bearing V beta 4, V beta 6, V beta 10, V beta 14, and V beta 17a are positively selected by MHC class I and/or class II molecules with poorly elucidated mechanisms. In this paper levels of V beta 2+ CD4+ and V beta 2+ CD8+ T cells from 33 inbred, five F1 hybrid, and 48 [(C58 x DBA/2)F1 x DBA/2] backcross mice have been examined. The results show that (i) V beta 2+ CD8+ T cells are positively selected by MHC class I H-2k molecules, (ii) this positive selection might be mediated by a non-H-2 ligand(s) in association with the Kk molecule, and (iii) inbred strains of mice, so far examined, do not have endogenous superantigens for deletion of V beta 2+ T cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1489738", "title": "Treatment of spinal deformity in myelomeningocele: a retrospective study in four hospitals.", "content": "Correction of spinal deformities in patients with myelomeningoceles (mmc) is notoriously complicated. To identify the deformity, frequency, gravity and complications of treatment a retrospective study was carried out on 61 patients from four hospitals. 45 patients had neurological defect above L3 and were wheelchair-bound. The indications for surgery were progressive disturbance in sitting balance, pain and pressure sores. Two types of spinal deformity were identified; scoliosis (often thoraco-lumbar or double major curves) and kyphosis (usually angular and lumbar). The mean age at operation was 12 years 8 months (2y 6m-19y 7m). Several operative procedures were used; posterior, anterior and circumferential fusion, and resection of the kyphosis. 52 solid fusions were achieved with variable correction at the cost of many complications such as excessive blood loss (2), post-operative pressure sores (15), failure of instrumentation (15), deep infection (11), and death following a CSF leak (1). 4 patients died from unrelated causes. Only 16 patients had no complications. The type and severity of scoliosis and kyphosis, operative technique, results and complications were correlated to identify the risks and define the optimal surgical technique for each type of spinal deformity in mmc."}
{"id": "PMID:1489740", "title": "Growth and the tethered cord syndrome.", "content": "We investigated the role of growth in relation to the tethered cord syndrome. By investigation of the growth curve in relation to the operation date we could not establish a period of increased growth preceding the operation date. Thus the operation date was not related to periods of increased length growth. Overstretching with microtraumata of the myelum may be a more important factor."}
{"id": "PMID:1489742", "title": "Factors affecting the school placement of children with spina bifida.", "content": "Integrating children with disabilities into mainstream schools has been an active policy in Britain since the 1981 Education Act. 26 children with spina bifida, 13 of whom were educated in mainstream schools, and 13 in special schools were assessed to clarify the relative importance of the following factors 1) IQ, 2) Mobility, 3) Hand function, 4) Bladder and bowel function, and 5) Behaviour. A marked difference was found between those attending mainstream and special schools. 11/13 of the former attained scores within the normal range as compared to only 2/13 of the latter. Neither mobility nor hand function alone were found to influence school placement and a marked correlation was found between the two. Whilst those educated in special schools had more marked problems, all children functioned poorly compared with the norms for able-bodied peers. Neither bladder nor bowel incontinence hindered attendance at mainstream school, but faecal soiling was considered the more serious problem. The frequency of behavioural problems showed a similar distribution amongst the two groups. Comments from parents highlighted their reservations about both special and mainstream schooling which indicates the policy for integration needs considerably more commitment from Government and Education Authorities in order to succeed."}
{"id": "PMID:1489760", "title": "Delayed amnesia and disorientation after electroconvulsive treatment.", "content": "Memory-related effects of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) are known to appear immediately after the treatment. The case of a 39-year-old woman who underwent a course of ECT because of a recurrent major depressive disorder is described. After a symptom-free period of 48 hours, transient amnesia developed. Her condition appeared to be associated with the electroconvulsive therapy, thereby raising questions about its pathogenicity and management."}
{"id": "PMID:1489761", "title": "The addition of intravenous caffeine during an amobarbital interview.", "content": "Although the amobarbital interview is an effective means of temporarily relieving catatonic mutism, some catatonic patients simply fall asleep during an amobarbital interview. We are examining the feasibility of administering intravenous caffeine benzoate during an amobarbital interview to prevent patients from falling asleep. This paper describes an open trial of the administration of 500 mg caffeine benzoate during amobarbital interviews with ten patients. The procedure was well tolerated, but further studies are needed to determine whether or not caffeine is an advantage over amobarbital alone."}
{"id": "PMID:1489762", "title": "[Frontal lobe hypoactivity in schizophrenia: change in perspective].", "content": "Many attempts to isolate a dysfunctional site in the brain of schizophrenic patients have converged in a neuropathological conception of the disease based on frontal lobe hypoactivity. Recent data from studies using cytoarchitectony, computerized tomographic scans, cerebral regional blood flow, smooth pursuit eye movements and neuropsychological assessments are discussed. Current data on the hypofrontality hypothesis in schizophrenia seem to suggest an associationist rather than a localisationist perspective of the disorder."}
{"id": "PMID:1489763", "title": "Age, alcoholism and depression are associated with low levels of urinary melatonin.", "content": "Two normal control populations, separated by 8,000 miles and 24 degrees of latitude, had similar six-month mean values for overnight urinary melatonin concentrations. These values were significantly higher than six-month values for depressed subjects and abstinent alcoholic subjects, while the means for the two clinical populations were similar. Age and urinary melatonin concentration in the control and clinical populations were inversely related, but the slopes of the linear regression equations were ten times steeper for the control populations than for the clinical populations. Differences in age and sex distributions accounted for some of the differences in values between controls and the clinical populations, although controls still differed from the clinical populations, even after sex and age were factored out. The disparate slopes for age and melatonin concentrations may contribute to some of the conflicting findings of studies comparing populations of different ages. The total melatonin content in the samples from alcoholic subjects, but not the depressed subjects, was lower than that for controls. The difference in the urinary melatonin concentration between the controls and the two patient groups was not accounted for by difference in duration of urine collection period, hours of sleep or body weight."}
{"id": "PMID:1489765", "title": "Psychological factors, immunologic activation, and disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis.", "content": "The purpose of this study was to use structural equation modeling techniques to examine potential interrelationships among psychological factors, immunologic activation, and disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The subjects were 80 male patients with a diagnosis of classic or definite RA. Measures included the Beck Depression Inventory, the Arthritis Helplessness Index, and the Arthritis Impact Measurement Scales (AIMS) pain score. Joint counts and immunophenotypic analyses of peripheral blood lymphocytes also were collected. Path analysis showed that percentage of HLA-DR+ cells in the peripheral blood and helplessness were related to join count. In addition, joint count had an effect upon depression. Depression had an effect upon pain, but there was no reciprocal effect of pain upon depression. This study describes a preliminary path model of interrelationships among psychological factors, immunologic activation, and disease activity in RA."}
{"id": "PMID:1489766", "title": "One-year evaluation of cognitive-behavioral intervention in osteoarthritis.", "content": "We compared a cognitive-behavior modification and a traditional education intervention for adults with osteoarthritis (OA). Forty OA patients were randomly assigned to one of two groups: cognitive-behavior modification or didactic lectures. During ten weekly sessions, the cognitive-behavior group learned methods for coping with pain and the disabilities associated with OA. The traditional education group experienced a series of lectures from health care professionals. Prior to the interventions and following 2, 6, and 12 months, patients in both groups were evaluated with a general Quality of Well-being (QWB) scale, the Arthritis Impact Measurement Scales (AIMS), the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and other measures. Although there were some differences between the two groups at 2-month follow-up, by the end of 1 year, physical and psychological functioning did not differ significantly between the two groups. In comparison to baseline, both groups demonstrated initial changes on QWB, depression, and the pain component of the AIMS. Improvements in depression remained through the 1-year follow-up. Multiple regression analysis demonstrated that the mobility and physical activity aspects of the AIMS were significant long-term predictors of outcome (1 year) for general quality-of-life measures. One-year outcomes for depression were significantly predicted from scores on social support and mobility measures from the AIMS. We conclude that cognitive-behavior modification and education produce similar effects on long-term physical and psychological functioning in OA patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1489767", "title": "Cardiovascular functional disorder in primary fibromyalgia: a noninvasive study in 17 young men.", "content": "Cardiovascular functional stability was studied in 17 young men (20-year-old conscripts) with the symptoms of primary fibromyalgia (PF). They were compared to 20 medical students of the same age. The subjects underwent an orthostatic test, deep breathing test, Valsalva maneuver, and a handgrip test. They were evaluated by an autoanamnestic questionnaire on vegetative symptoms and laboratory tests on blood chemistry. The heart rate of the PF group after 8 min of active standing was 32 +/- 15 beats/min greater than at supine rest. The corresponding figure for the controls was 23 +/- 7 beats/min (p = 0.001). Twelve conscripts with PF (71%) presented sympathicotonic cardiovascular reaction on the orthostatic test (p < 0.001). Four of these sympathicotonic conscripts and two other conscripts (total 35%) had an abnormal high index of dystonic symptoms (p = 0.01). The results suggest that young men with symptoms of PF have not only cardiovascular dystonic symptoms but also increased sympathetic nervous reactivity of the cardiovascular system."}
{"id": "PMID:1489768", "title": "A comparison of pain perceptions in women with fibromyalgia and rheumatoid arthritis: relationship to depression and pain extent.", "content": "Two studies were conducted to characterize the pain of fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS); to compare it to rheumatoid arthritis (RA) pain; and to examine the relationships between depression, pain extent, and pain description. Two methods of administering the McGill Pain Questionnaire (MPQ) were used. When the MPQ was administered in the standard manner, FMS pain could not be distinguished from RA pain. When participants were allowed to select as many words from an adapted MPQ as they wished, significant differences in word choice emerged. Depression and pain extent were major predictors of group differences in the evaluation of pain. However, depression scores contributed only 50% of the explanation for the differences in pain extent, with group membership contributing the other 50%. These findings suggest that the character and extent of pain in FMS are at least partially due to peripheral sensory components and not simply centrally controlled pain amplification secondary to depression."}
{"id": "PMID:1489769", "title": "Randomized, controlled trial of compression gloves in rheumatoid arthritis.", "content": "A randomized, controlled trial was conducted to determine efficacy of the Isotoner and the Futuro compression gloves in 39 patients with hand synovitis secondary to rheumatoid arthritis. After 7 days of nighttime treatment, both brands of gloves were found to decrease subjective symptoms of pain and stiffness (p < 0.05). In addition, swelling of the proximal interphalangeal joints decreased, while range of motion, rate of finger motion, and grip strength all increased (p < 0.05). Compression gloves should be used with caution in patients with bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, because 12 of 13 such patients experienced worsening of their symptoms following one nighttime wearing of compression gloves. While both gloves were found to be efficacious in improving the signs and symptoms of hand synovitis, neither glove was found to be superior to the other. Patient preferences related to glove composition and fit may ultimately determine which glove to prescribe."}
{"id": "PMID:1489771", "title": "[Detection of HBV-DNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of anti-HIV-positive patients and its relation to other serological markers of HBV].", "content": "HBV infection has been investigated in 47 anti-human HIV positive patients in relation to a similar group of 33 anti-HIV negative patients. Serological HBV markers were found in 87% of anti-HIV positive patients. The difference in markers of viral replication (HBeAg, HBV-DNA) was not statistically significant between the two groups. It has been suggested that HBV infection of peripheral blood mononuclear cells could be a cofactor implicated in the development of immunodeficiency due to HIV. For this reason we have investigated the presence of HBV-DNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells by in situ hybridization. Although its detection was more frequent in anti-HIV positive patients than in anti-HIV negative ones (p < 0.05), it was not related to clinical state of immunodeficiency. With regard to serological HBV markers, HBV-DNA was detected in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from antiHBc w/o antiHBs patients. This fact means the virus may persist in this cells after recovery and suggest they could serve as additional reservoirs of HBV. These cells, that contain the HBV genome, could be implicated in the perpetuation, reactivation of the infection and in its transmission."}
{"id": "PMID:1489772", "title": "[Microbiology and conservative surgery of serious infections of the diabetic foot].", "content": "Between June of 1987 and August 1988 we evaluated 31 diabetic patients hospitalized for severe foot infections to determine the etiologic agents, the value of the bacteriologic samples obtained, the benefits of conservative surgery and variable predictors of a major amputation. Sixteen patients suffered from necrosis, 16 osteomyelitis, 14 ulcers, 5 cellulitis, and/or abscesses and 22 had vascular compromise. Samples were taken from these infections excluding necrotic material. We isolate 76 microorganisms (2.4/pt), 57% Gram-positive cocci (predominantly S. aureus and enterococci), and 43% Gram-negative bacilli. Anaerobes were not isolated probably secondary to the exclusion of necrotic samples. There was high incidence of skin and soft tissue sampling (79%) bone (13/16) and surgical curettage (11/11). In 9 patients the correlation of soft tissue sampling and bone sampling was assessed with a positive correlation with respect to Gram-positive cocci. Twenty-one patients required conservative surgeries of the foot (9 underwent revascularization), 67% of which avoided a mayor amputation. However no significant variables predictive of a major amputation were detected in this study. In summary, the conservative surgery allowed to 2 out of 3 patients to preserve the foot."}
{"id": "PMID:1489773", "title": "[1st Spanish epidemic of plasmid resistance to 3d generation cephalosporins: the implication of SHV-2].", "content": "The first spanish outbreak of bacterial strains showing resistance to third generation cephalosporins and due to the presence of the extended spectrum beta-lactamase SHV-2 is reported. This outbreak was observed in Madrid during the years 1988-1990 and involved the San Carlos University Hospital with the same type of isolates at the Ram\u00f3n y Cajal University Hospital. The screening for extended-spectrum beta-lactamases was performed by the double-disk synergy test. Analytical isoelectric focusing and susceptibility tests were performed in all the strains showing a presumptive extended-spectrum beta-lactamase. Fifty-nine strains belonging to four bacterial species (Klebsiella pneumoniae, 61%; Serratia marcescens, 31%; Klebsiella oxytoca, 5%, and Escherichia coli, 3%) showed a beta-lactamase of point isoelectric 7.6; the susceptibility tests demonstrated more resistance to cefotaxime and ceftriaxone than to ceftazidime and aztreonam. The biochemical, kinetic and isoelectrofocusing parameters demonstrated the presence of a SHV-2 enzyme. The blind application of NCCLS breakpoints would lead to false \"susceptibility\" results in over 40% of the cases."}
{"id": "PMID:1489774", "title": "[Human babesiosis. Study of vectors].", "content": "Babesiosis in an entity transmitted by tick bite presented in our medium producing high morbidity and mortality in immunodepressed patients. The prevalence of ticks infected with bovine Babesias was studied in a sample of 104 ticks collected from cattle for alimentation in the Sierra of the Autonomous Community of La Rioja. 3.84% of the ticks studied (3.3% of 89 Ixodes ricinus and 6.6% of 15 Dermacentor marginatus) presented Babesias in the hemolymph by Giemsa staining. A sizable degree of parasitization by bovine Babesia was found in the ticks of the medium studied. Given the possibility of parasitization by these parasites, babesiosis must be included in the differential diagnosis of the febrile hemolytic conditions seen in our environment."}
{"id": "PMID:1489775", "title": "[Hybridization using a digoxigenin-labeled probe for the detection of hepatitis delta virus].", "content": "The presence of hepatitis delta virus was investigated in liver biopsies by in situ cyto-hybridization with a probe labelled with digoxigenin. The techniques developed included extraction of plasmid DNA by lysis by alkali, electroelution, electrophoresis in agarose gel and digoxigenin labelling, and the application in liver tissue. Viral RNA was detected in 6 of the 10 patients, and the reactivity was exclusively restricted to the nucleolus of the hepatocytes. This method reveals as a sensitive and quick diagnostic procedure, which allows to study the intensity of the infection as well as the serological state of the patient."}
{"id": "PMID:1489776", "title": "[Myopathy and zidovudine].", "content": "The aim of this study was to evaluate the frequency of appearance of myopathy in a group of patients treated with zidovudine. A prospective study of 37 patients with positive serology for HIV treated over 180 days with zidovudine was carried out with evaluation of the clinical history, physical examination and analytical data. The initial mean value of creatine kinase of 76.4 U/l and 83.3 U/l following 6 months of treatment was not statistically significant. Of the 37 patients, 2 (5.4%) showed no variations in CK values, while in 4 (10.8%) there was a decrease and in 30 (81%) an increase. There was an elevation in 11 of the 15 patients (73%) who received doses equal to or lower than 90 g, 11 out of 13 (84.6%) of those who received between 90 and 145 g and 8 out of 8 (100%) of those having received doses higher than 145 g. This increase was minimum in 27 cases (92%) and important with final values of pathologic CK in 3 (8%). Two patients (5.4%) developed clinical manifestations. Not only the frequency and range of creatine kinase elevation but also the appearance of clinical manifestations in this study are lower than those found in the literature, probably because of the relation with the use of lower doses of zidovudine. These results do not demonstrate any relation with sex, age, risk group for the immunodeficiency status."}
{"id": "PMID:1489777", "title": "[IgG against A60 antigen and the tuberculin test in healthy individuals and tubercular patients].", "content": "Study of the relation between the antibodies against the A60 antigen and the tuberculin test. An indirect ELISA for detecting serum antibodies (IgG) against the antigen A60 and tuberculin test, has been applied to 20 patients with pulmonary tuberculosis, and 52 healthy persons without tuberculous history. For the all people (healthy and patients) both techniques have had almost identical results in 76.4%. In the healthy people the ELISA A60 and tuberculin test positive results were: 20.7% and 26.9%, respectively. For the patients group this results were: 85% and 80%. These results were statistically significant (p = 0.0001). In the healthy people the antibodies response against A60 antigen has a direct relationship with the results of the tuberculin test. The combined use of ELISA A60 and the tuberculin test improve their separate results."}
{"id": "PMID:1489778", "title": "[Endocarditis caused by Brucella melitensis on a mitral valve prosthesis presenting as an ischemic cerebrovascular accident].", "content": "A new case of endocarditis by Brucella melitensis on a mitral valve prosthesis in a 15 year old patient, whose first manifestation was an ischemic cerebrovascular accident is reported. The patient presented with daily fever only two months later. Medical treatment alone was not sufficient to avoid valvular failure and substitution of the prosthesis was required. The clinical manifestations and complications of this infrequent condition is discussed. Treatment, which often requires the combination of surgery and antibiotics administered over a prolonged period, is highly recommended."}
{"id": "PMID:1489790", "title": "[Fasciola hepatica infestation. Biopathology and new diagnostic and therapeutic aspects].", "content": "We present here 6 patients with Fasciola hepatica infection, all from rural origin, and with the risk factors of eating wild watercress. The more common symptoms were: fever (83%), abdominal pain (100%), weight loss (83%) and generalized myalgia and joint pain (67%). All patients presented with an absolute eosinophil count above 1,000 cell/mm3. The diagnosis was established in five cases by means of serologic techniques (haemagglutination) and with direct visualization of adult worms while surgery in one case. A CT abdominal scan was performed in five patients, revealing specific lesions of tissue infiltration in four of them. Praziquantel was used in four patients, achieving clinical cure in three cases. In two patients, bithionol was used, with clinical cure in both cases. We review also some newer diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to this parasitic disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1489791", "title": "[Nosocomial fungemia caused by Candida parapsilosis].", "content": "We review 27 episodes of nosocomial fungemia due to Candida parapsilosis over a 6 year period, compared to a control group of 27 episodes of nosocomial fungemia due to Candida albicans. During the study period, C. parapsilosis accounts for 23% of all yeast isolated from blood-cultures. Fungemia due to C. parapsilosis was more frequently seen in males (23/4). More than half of the cases (15/27) presented in the postoperative period. In 89% of cases the patients were under total parenteral nutrition and 81% had received broad-spectrum antibiotics. In 41% of cases, the source of the fungemia was unknown, and in another 41% of cases was related to an iv line infection. Direct attributable mortality to C. parapsilosis infection was 11%. When compared to the control group, nosocomial fungemia due to C. parapsilosis occurs in patient with more prolonged courses of total parenteral nutrition, and also was related with less frequent development of septic shock and lower attributable mortality."}
{"id": "PMID:1489792", "title": "[Features of Vibrio cholerae 0:1 El Tor, Inaba serotype, isolated during the cholera epidemic in Cartagena (Colombia)].", "content": "Cholera is an infectious transmissible disease characterized by the development of secretory diarrhea and that presents in epidemic and endemic forms. In Latin-America we are currently seen what could be the eight pandemic in cholera history, due to Vibrio cholerae 0:1 El Tor, Inaba serotype, infection. In the present preliminary study we analyze 300 patients with a clinical picture suggesting cholerae. In 250 cases, Vibrio cholerae 0:1 strains were isolated. The identification was made using mainly the following test and procedures: 1) growth in TCBS (saccharose fermentation), 2) Reactivity with sodium desoxycholate, 3) Oxidase-cytochrome test and 4) agglutination with polyvalent antisera. All isolated Vibrio cholerae strains 0:1 were sensitive to tetracycline, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, norfloxacin, ciprofloxacin and gentamicin, but were resistant to ampicillin. This report summarizes the main features of Vibrio cholerae 0:1 El Tor, Inaba serotype, isolated in Colombian cholera epidemic."}
{"id": "PMID:1489793", "title": "[Prognostic value of plasma levels of fibronectin in septic shock].", "content": "The aim of the study was to assess possible changes in fibronectin serum levels in patients with septic shock and to analyze its usefulness as prognosis marker in this kind of shock. Fibronectin serum levels were determined in 20 patients with septic shock at 1, 3, 6, 12, 24 and 72 hours after the diagnosis was made. Serum level of fibronectin drops between 6 and 24 hours after shock starts, reaching its lower value around hour 12. The level recovered after 24 hours in those cases with good clinical evolution, but not in patients with bad outcomes. The analysis of fibronectin plasma level is a good prognostic marker for predicting survival in patients with septic shock."}
{"id": "PMID:1489794", "title": "[The suicide phenomenon and fermentative metabolic activity in strains of the Aeromonas group isolated from feces].", "content": "We study the \"suicide\" phenomena as well as metabolic pathways of mixed acids (methyl red test, MR) and butylene glycol (Voges-Proskauer, VP), in 107 strains belonging to mesophilic Aeromonas group, isolated from stools. The strains have been identified as A. hydrophila, 28 cases (26.1%), A. sobria 26 cases (24.3%) and A. caviae 53 cases (49.6%). All A. caviae strains behave homogeneously as F+, RM+ and VP-, independently of temperature (30 or 37 degrees C). A. hydrophila strains only showed their trend to \"suicide\" at 37 degrees C, being this behavior linked to RM test positivity. At 30 degrees C all strains were NS and RM-, keeping always positive the VP test (both temperatures). In A. sobria we have recorded changes in their behavior related to the temperature of incubation. At 37 degrees C, 57.7% were NS, whereas at 30 degrees C, 69.2% showed the same phenotype. The metabolic activity had remained stable, therefore F+ strains were VP and RM+, and NS strains were VP+ and RM-. It seems that FS is a phenotypic behavior of this bacterial group species and temperature-dependent, and also is related to a fermentative metabolic activity modulation of each of them."}
{"id": "PMID:1489795", "title": "[Multi-resistant strains of Salmonella typhi in Spain].", "content": "Most Salmonella typhi isolated in Spain are susceptible to antibiotics commonly used in its treatment as chloramphenicol, ampicillin and cotrimoxazole. Three multiresistant strains have been isolated from different patients the last two years. Two phage type M1, biotype xylose tetrationate + strains were isolated from blood of two patients in Bembibre (Le\u00f3n). One phage type E1a biotype xylose + tetrationate reductase + strain was isolated from blood and faeces of one patient in Barcelona. All strains harboured a 79 Mdal plasmid responsible for multiresistance, chloramphenicol acetyl transferase production and conjugative."}
{"id": "PMID:1489796", "title": "[Fungemia caused by Rhodotorula mucilaginosa in relation to total parenteral nutrition].", "content": "Fungal infections are nowadays more common in clinical practice. The most frequently isolated fungi are Candida and Cryptococcus. Infection due to Rhodotorula mucilaginosa is very uncommon. We describe here our experience with R. mucilaginosa fungemia, with emphasis on total parenteral nutrition related episodes. A retrospective review identified 3 patients with R. mucilaginosa, and predisposing conditions, clinical features, treatment used and outcome were analyzed. The case definition includes the repeated isolation of R. mucilaginosa in several blood-cultures and/or the isolation of R. mucilaginosa in one single blood culture together with its isolation in any other site. Three patients were identified. In all of them there are some defects in immune response (skin anergy in two, immunosuppressive therapy in the remaining patient), had an iv line placed, under antibiotic therapy and total parenteral nutrition. All factors could have been related to the development of R. mucilaginosa infection. Although its pathogenic role is controversial, in two or our patients R. mucilaginosa infections correlates well with clinical signs and symptoms of invasive infections (fever, hemodynamic changes). The treatment is still not clear."}
{"id": "PMID:1489815", "title": "Toxic colitis: diagnosis and management.", "content": "Toxic colitis, a serious complication of ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, may be life threatening. Early diagnosis and ensuing intensive medical therapy may control the disease process. Lack of rapid response to medical therapy necessitates surgical intervention. Subtotal colectomy and ileostomy is the operative procedure of choice. This allows resolution of the disease process and does not destroy the options for restorative operation at a later date."}
{"id": "PMID:1489816", "title": "Children with ostomies: parents helping parents.", "content": "Thousands of ostomies are performed on children every year to treat a variety of acquired conditions and congenital anomalies. The parents of children with ostomies are faced with the challenge of successfully living with and managing their child's ostomy. These families need practical information and support, both from the professional community and from parents who have shared the responsibility of a child with an ostomy. A parental support network has been developed throughout the country to address some of the needs of these families. This article provides current information about the status of these networks: what they have to offer and how they can be accessed. These groups, which continue to evolve, demonstrate a trend within this unique population. The parents of a child with an ostomy no longer need to feel alone in their experience."}
{"id": "PMID:1489814", "title": "Self-image changes with time in the cancer patient with a colostomy after operation.", "content": "Persons undergoing colostomy surgery face body mutilation and some loss of body function, which in turn causes their concept of self to change. Although nurses use physical and behavioral indicators as bases for assessment, planning, and evaluation of nursing intervention, only minimal empiric data is available on the physical and behavioral indicators of self-concept changes (e.g., lack of participation in self-care, depression, anxiety, fear of social rejection) among these patients. This study is a beginning in the description of the self-concept changes with time of the patient with a colostomy. The purpose of this study was twofold: (1) to begin the description of the postoperative behavioral indicators of cancer patients with colostomies according to Erikson's stages of trust and autonomy at 4 and 12 weeks after operation; and (2) to measure several indexes of psychosocial discomfort anticipated by patients before colostomy operations and them measurements with measurements of psychosocial discomfort at 4 and 12 weeks after operation. The study design incorporated three serial assessments. Each consenting subject was interviewed once before the operation and twice after (at 4 and 12 weeks). The study sample consisted of 12 subjects who had colostomy operations for cancer. Ages ranged from 41 to 74 years, with a mean age of 59.4 years. Results show an increase in trust, from a mean of 203.6 at 4 weeks to a mean of 221.7 at 12 weeks. Autonomy scores decreased, from 146.2 at 4 weeks to 143.9 at 12 weeks. Psychosocial discomfort decreased from 25.7 before to 22.1 4 weeks after and 8.0 12 weeks for operation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1489824", "title": "[Stationary kinetics of the function of multienzyme membrane sensors with electrochemical enzyme regeneration].", "content": "A theoretical analysis of the functioning of membrane biosensors based on consecutive polyenzymatic transformations of the substrate and detectable by indicator electrodes with electrochemical regeneration of the enzyme active sites, has been carried out. Correlations between the substrate concentration, diffusion-catalytic characteristics of the coating components, and rate of the indicator reaction on the one hand, and the level of the steady-state response of the polyenzymatic biosensors, on the other, have been determined for relatively low values of the polyenzymatic layer thickness. Various regimens of functioning of bienzymatic electrodes have been considered."}
{"id": "PMID:1489825", "title": "[Effective diameter of pores in rat liver mitochondria inner membrane and selectivity of transport of monovalent cations with a submicromolar concentration of Ca2+ ions or A23187 and EDTA].", "content": "Studies of swelling of rat liver mitochondria in isoosmotic solutions of nonelectrolytes in the presence of respiration inhibitors revealed that submicromolar concentrations of Ca2+ increase the diameter of pores in the inner mitochondrial membrane--from 5.5-6.0 A (10(-8) M Ca2+) up to 7.5 A (3 x 10(-7) M Ca2+) and 8.0-8.5 A (6 x 10(-7) M Ca2+); these increases are prevented by cyclosporin A. The inner mitochondrial membrane with an effective pore diameter of 7.5 A is readily permeable for potassium but not for sodium ions, although with an increase in the effective pore diameter up to 8.0-8.5 A the selectivity of the K(+)-Na+ channel decreases. A conclusion is drawn that in the presence of submicromolar concentrations of Ca2+ the conductivity of the cyclosporin-sensitive pore for monovalent cations increases in the following order: K > Na > Li."}
{"id": "PMID:1489826", "title": "[Detection of left-helical segments in eukaryotic DNA].", "content": "The method of DNA binding to nitrocellulose filters was applied to DNA isolated from mouse liver and Ehrlich ascite carcinoma (EAC), calf thymus, and lymphocytes from patients with chronic lymphoid leukemia. In those and phage PM2 DNA the increase in the DNA binding to the filters with a rise in NaCl concentration from 0.5 up to 4.5 M was sigmoidal being suggestive of a conformational transition. No such activity was found in the case of phage lambda or single-stranded DNA. The binding decreased dramatically after mild cleavage of DNA with DNAase I or treatment with phospholipase C or Eco RI and Hin PI restrictases. Incubation of DNA with ethidium bromide led to decrease in the amount of bound DNA. This effect was enhanced with a rise in the dye concentration. The isotherms of ethidium bromide binding to eukaryotic DNA obtained in Scatchard plots by optic titration had a component with a positive slope at low values of r. Bivalent ions (Mg2+, Zn2+) shifting the equilibrium towards the Z-form increased the proportion of macromolecules retained on the filters at NaCl concentrations of 1-3 M. Local changes in the helix conformation were studied with the help of chemical probes: diethylpyrocarbonate (guanine Z-DNA) and osmium-pyridine reagent (pyrimidines of boundary B-Z sites). These probes incorporation into samples of liver DNA, EAC, and lymphocytes resulted in chemical modification of all these samples. Modification of DNA by osmium-pyridine reagent led to inhibition of subsequent restriction by Eco RI restrictase. The data obtained are suggestive of the presence of Z-regions in the B-helix of eukaryotic DNA. A topological model of Z-site stabilization in small superhelical loops of DNA fixed by protein or lipoprotein molecules is proposed."}
{"id": "PMID:1489817", "title": "Pressure ulcers: developing a program of care.", "content": "The treatment of pressure ulcers has evolved from dry to moist healing techniques. Institutions must therefore develop a method to advance their clinical practices. Such a major change requires a systematic implementation of a comprehensive wound management program. The steps necessary in this program development include review of the current literature, review of current practice, standardization of treatment, assessment of product availability, standardization of documentation, in-service training of staff, and evaluation of program success."}
{"id": "PMID:1489827", "title": "[Heat shock modulates the ability of A-549 cell line from human lung adenocarcinoma to regulate the intensity of DNA and protein biosynthesis by an autocrine mechanism].", "content": "A-549 cells of human lung adenocarcinoma were subjected to heat shock (30 min, 44 degrees C) which caused substantial decreases in the rates of biosynthesis of the great bulk of cellular proteins with simultaneous increases in the synthesis rates of the 70 kDa protein predominantly localized in cell cytosol. By the 6th hour after the heat shock cessation this protein synthesis reached its maximum; by the 18th hour it was no longer detectable, while the protein itself was not denatured. During the recovery after the heat shock the ability of the serum-free culture medium conditioned by A-549 cells in autocrine regulation of [3H]thymidine incorporation into DNA and [3H]leucine incorporation into proteins changed also. The conditioned medium obtained within 1-3 hours after the heat shock did not influence the intensity of DNA synthesis, while the medium obtained 4-48 hours after the heat shock stimulated this process, the maximal effect (3.3-fold stimulation) being observed in the case of the 48-hour conditioned medium. Temporary (1 hour) acidification of the conditioned media down to pH 2.0 resulted in complete inhibition of the stimulating activity. Besides, these media acquired an ability to inhibit [3H]thymidine incorporation into the DNA of tracer cells. Study of effects of conditioned media on the rate of [3H]leucine incorporation into A-549 cell proteins revealed that the media obtained 1-4 hours after the heat shock inhibited this process, while the media obtained 6-18 hours thereafter stimulated it 1.2-2.1-fold. In the test systems under study temporary acidification of the media increased their stimulating influence on [3H]leucine incorporation into cellular proteins."}
{"id": "PMID:1489828", "title": "[Blood cobalamins and xenobiotic-metabolizing enzymes in rat liver in adjuvant arthritis].", "content": "Changes in the total cobalamin content and spectrum of individual forms of these vitamins in blood cells and plasma as well as the activities of enzymatic systems of xenobiotic metabolism in liver microsomes of rats with experimental adjuvant arthritis (AA) have been studied. The total cobalamin content in the blood plasma of rats with AA was increased in comparison with intact animals; however, leucocytes from AA rats were deficient in methylcobalamin (MeCbl). A correlation was found between the ratios of individual cobalamin forms and their total content which was differently expressed in experimental and control animals. The development of AA was associated with marked inhibition of the cytochrome P-450-dependent monooxygenase system of the liver and glutathione transferase. The possibility of correction of these disturbances by MeCbl is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1489829", "title": "[The effect of substrates on stability of firefly luciferase, embedded in phosphatidylcholine liposomes].", "content": "The effects of substrates (ATP and luciferin) on stability of firefly luciferase embedded into phosphatidylcholine liposomes have been studied. Luciferin did not exert any appreciable influence on enzyme inactivation. Minor concentrations of adenosine 5'-triphosphate destabilized the enzyme; however, the increase in ATP concentration markedly stabilized the enzyme entrapped into liposomes. A kinetic scheme of ATP action on enzyme inactivation is proposed. According to this scheme, the enzyme has two ATP-binding sites."}
{"id": "PMID:1489830", "title": "[Purification and physico-chemical properties of soluble carboxypeptidase N from cat brain gray matter].", "content": "Using affinity chromatography on diasorb-L-arginine and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, soluble carboxypeptidase H (E. C. 3.4.17.10) has been isolated from cat brain cortex and purified 598-fold with a 16% yield. The enzyme has a molecular mass of 50 kDa, consists of one polypeptide chain, and displays the maximum activity at pH 5.6. Carboxypeptidase H is a thiol-dependent metalloenzyme and contains a Zn2+ ion in its active center. The Km and V values for dansyl-Phe-Leu-Arg are 100 +/- 5 microM and 12.5 +/- 1.4 microM/min/mg of protein, respectively. The existence of two forms of soluble carboxypeptidase differing in isoelectric points and pH optima has been demonstrated. The enzyme with a pI of 4.8 has a pH optimum at 5.5-5.6, while that with a pI of 5.25-at 6.0."}
{"id": "PMID:1489831", "title": "[Rabbit annexins: comparison of a series of proteins in cell-free homogenates and membranes from various tissues and a method of rapid preliminary identification of individual components after two-dimensional electrophoresis].", "content": "The annexin sets in cell-free homogenates and membranes of rabbit skeletal and heart muscles, liver, kidney, lung, and brain, have been compared by one- and two-dimensional electrophoresis. The pIs and M(r)s of the proteins identified have been determined. The data on two-dimensional electrophoresis of annexins from different animals have been systematized. Simple graphs are proposed which allow to identify annexins on electrophoregrams. The technique has definite potentialities in recognition of some unidentified Ca(2+)-dependent membrane-binding proteins and may be used to predict the trend of search for novel members of the annexin family."}
{"id": "PMID:1489832", "title": "[Utilization of oxygen radicals by synthetic proline-rich oligopeptides].", "content": "Inhibition of superoxide by two synthetic proline-rich hexapeptides simulating the hinge region of the IgG molecule has been studied. The CPPPEL (P-Cys) peptide was active in utilizing superoxide (O2.-), while the APPPEL (P-Ala) peptide had no such activity. Spontaneous formation of clusters with six and/or eight monomers was shown for P-Cys, but not P-Ala. Preincubation of mixed P-Cys and P-Ala resulted in the appearance of a product with a high affinity for O2.-. Incubation of the mixture at 56 degrees C led to inactivation. Preincubation of P-Cys with ZnCl2 reversed the main pathway of O2.- utilization by P-Cys. The relationship of the P-Cys activity to its clusterization is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1489833", "title": "[Inhibiting effect of ADP-ribosylation by pertussis toxin on passive transport of Ca2+ into the cell membrane of porcine myometrium].", "content": "ADP-ribosylation by whooping cough toxin of protein components of inside-out oriented vesicles of pig myometrium plasma membranes under conditions of their depolarization results in significant inhibition of passive transport of Ca2+ ions. The inhibiting effect is dose- and time-dependent. rho-Chloromercuribenzoate (0.5 mM) blocks the effect of whooping cough toxin, no such effect on Ca2+ transport being observed in control preparations."}
{"id": "PMID:1489836", "title": "Applications of DAPI cytochemistry to neurobiology.", "content": "4',6-Diamidino-2-phenylindole hydrochloride (DAPI) is a fluorescent dye with high affinity for DNA. We have employed it as a fluorescent chromatin counterstain on sections immunofluorescent-stained using rhodamine and on tissues enzymatically stained using beta-galactosidase. DAPI also allows easy identification of mitotic figures and can be used to supplement cytochemical studies involving cell division in the nervous system."}
{"id": "PMID:1489837", "title": "Activation of mouse oocytes, fertilization and development of mouse embryos in vitro after staining with trypan blue or fluorescein diacetate.", "content": "The influence of vital staining with trypan blue or fluorescein diacetate on the fertilization of mouse oocytes and the developmental potential of mouse embryos was assessed. Neither stain induced spontaneous activation in mouse oocytes, nor did they impair the in vitro development and implantation of mouse zygotes, two-cell embryos, stressed morulae or blastocysts. However, fertilization and subsequent development of mouse oocytes have been shown to be reduced by vital staining."}
{"id": "PMID:1489838", "title": "Rapid assessment of maturation stage and reproductive mode in centrolecytic eggs of stick insects (Phasmatodea) using DAPI stain.", "content": "A rapid three-step DAPI technique is proposed for detecting meiotic stages and sperm head evolution in yolky, fertilized stick insect eggs, which were difficult to analyze with other methods. Fixed eggs were freed from chorionic envelopes and stained directly in DAPI/PBS solution. After rinsing, eggs were singly squashed in a drop of mounting buffer and examined under a microscope with incident fluorescent illumination. The method was almost uniformly successful, and direct observation of nuclear structures, coupled with fluorometry, allowed easy recognition of bivalents, diads, pronuclei and their DNA content. The DAPI method proposed here appears particularly helpful for investigating unusual reproductive modes in eggs with large amounts of yolk."}
{"id": "PMID:1489839", "title": "Light microscopic lectin histochemistry on celloidin stabilized cryostat sections of rat colon.", "content": "Celloidin stabilized pre-epithelial mucus gel (PMG) is stained in cryostat sections of the rat colon for light microscopic lectin histochemistry. Specific sugar residues of the mucins are demonstrated both in the PMG and in the mucin-containing cells of the mucosa."}
{"id": "PMID:1489840", "title": "A double-embedding technique for thin tissue membranes.", "content": "A new double-embedding technique for thin tissue membranes is presented. This technique is useful for thin membranes such as mesenteric membranes from rodents, which usually measure only 10 microns in thickness. Several membranes are fixed and mounted on four needles located at the bottom of a plastic box. The box is filled with agarose at 50 C and then allowed to solidify. The agarose block is then removed, dehydrated in alcohol, cleared with HistoPetrol (isoparaffin hydrocarbons), permeated with paraffin and sectioned. The morphology is comparable to that obtained with methacrylate plastic embedding but is less time-consuming, less hazardous since no plastic hardener and activator are used and makes immunohistochemical studies easier."}
{"id": "PMID:1489841", "title": "A comparative study of avidin-biotin-peroxidase complexes for the immunohistochemical detection of antigens in neural tissue.", "content": "It has been suggested that the use of avidin-biotin immunohistochemical techniques for antigen detection in neural tissue produces nonspecific background staining. For this reason neural tissue was used to test the quality, sensitivity and specificity of four commercially available antibody detection kits which use avidin or streptavidin binding to biotin. Free-floating, thick-section immunohistochemistry on perfusion fixed rat central nervous system revealed variability among staining kits for all parameters analyzed under the same experimental conditions. The reagents from the Vector 'Elite' kit were the most sensitive and specific, and received the highest overall rating for quality. Most commercial products tested could be used at greater dilutions than those recommended by the manufacturers without compromising specific staining. No staining was evident when the primary and secondary antibodies were omitted. This suggests that nonspecific binding is unlikely to be due to endogenous ligands, charge or hydrophilic reactions between these tertiary complexes and the tissue sections."}
{"id": "PMID:1489842", "title": "Lead tetraacetate-thiocarbohydrazide-silver proteinate method for light microscopy of polysaccharides.", "content": "Lead tetraacetate-thiocarbohydrazide-silver proteinate reaction sequence for light microscopy of polysaccharides was evaluated on Carnoy's fixed rat liver sections. The results of this evaluation suggest that, on the light microscopic level, the lead tetraacetate-thiocarbohydrazide-silver proteinate method may serve as a practical and histochemically specific alternative to the lead tetraacetate-Schiff reaction for the localization of tissue carbohydrates."}
{"id": "PMID:1489843", "title": "A method for embedding thin membranes in historesin.", "content": "A method is described for flat-embedding thin membranous tissues in Historesin. It allows easy orientation for sectioning large areas parallel to the surface. Selected fields can be monitored from the unfixed specimen, throughout preparation, to mounting on the microscope slide. For cross-sectioning, the flat-embedded tissue can be stacked and re-embedded to increase the amount of material examined per section."}
{"id": "PMID:1489844", "title": "Familial defective apolipoprotein B-100 in 12 subjects and their kindred.", "content": "Twelve unrelated subjects with heterozygous familial defective apolipoprotein B-100 were identified in a group of 252 patients with type IIa hypercholesterolaemia. Approximately 5% of hypercholesterolaemia can be explained by this mutation in the collective studied. Familial defective apolipoprotein B-100 is therefore the most common known mutation causing primary hypercholesterolaemia. Family studies revealed an additional 14 affected subjects. All family members with the mutation had elevated cholesterol concentrations. In a normolipidaemic control group of 146 subjects the mutation was not present. In the affected individuals a variable expression of total cholesterol concentrations and atherosclerosis was observed. Plasma cholesterol ranged from 6.60 to 14.89 mmol/l with a mean of 9.43 mmol/l. Premature atherosclerosis was present in 4 patients, while one affected woman is now 92 years old and has no symptoms of coronary heart disease or peripheral atherosclerosis. Analysis of the haplotypes and genotypes by 3 biallelic and 1 multi-allelic DNA marker suggests that the disorder is caused in all affected patients by the same rare allele. The fact that the same mutant allele was also identified in other European populations and in a North American population of Caucasian origin argues for a common European origin of this mutation."}
{"id": "PMID:1489845", "title": "Alteration of the permeability of the human erythrocyte membrane to cations by liposome-incorporated amphotericin B.", "content": "Some effects of liposome-incorporated amphotericin B on the permeability of the human erythrocyte membrane to potassium and sodium ions is reported. The influence of cholesterol and amphotericin B in causing a shift towards smaller and larger liposomes, respectively, is also described. Phosphatidylcholine liposomes containing amphotericin B in a molar ratio of 7.4 +/- 0.1 (mean +/- SD) antibiotic to 1000 phospholipid reduced the initial rates of K+ and Na+ transport across the erythrocyte membrane to 40 +/- 2.6% and 0%, respectively, of their rates in the presence of comparable concentrations of free amphotericin B. Amphotericin B incorporated into liposomes (8.2 +/- 0.15 mumol antibiotic per 1000 mumol total lipid) composed of cholesterol and phosphatidylcholine (in a molar ratio of 3:7) reduced the initial rate of K+ transport to 19 +/- 0.8% of its value measured in the presence of a comparable concentration of free antibiotic. These results suggest that liposomes containing specified amounts of amphotericin B, especially liposomes also containing cholesterol in addition to phosphatidylcholine, could be used as a method of controlling K+ transport across the erythrocyte and possibly other types of cellular membranes, thereby limiting antibiotic toxicity to some mammalian tissues."}
{"id": "PMID:1489846", "title": "Reference limits of plasma fibrinogen.", "content": "Fibrinogen is considered to be a strong predictor and independent factor of cardiovascular diseases. The data presented here describe the baseline measurements of fibrinogen in 1008 apparently healthy subjects, aged 4-60 years and their relationship to age, sex, body weight, smoking, alcohol, and use of oral contraceptives. Pearson's correlations and a linear multiple regression model were used. Plasma fibrinogen was measured kinetically in a photometer, the Behring Chromotimer, using the CTS-fibrinogen method. There were neither statistical difference between girls and boys aged 4-20 years nor correlation with variables related to cardiovascular diseases. In adults, we found an increase of plasma fibrinogen concentration with age and no statistical difference between men and women, except in subjects aged 40-50 years. There was a positive correlation between fibrinogen and ponderal index. In women aged 20-30, 30-40, 40-50 and 50-60 years, the mean fibrinogen concentrations increased of 0.009, 0.021, 0.010 and 0.015 g/l for one percent of overweight, in each subgroup respectively. In women aged 20-30 years using oral contraceptives, the mean fibrinogen concentration was 0.19 g/l higher than in women not using oral contraceptives. The smoking effect was observed only in 30-40 year-old men. Each cigarette smoked per day increases of the mean fibrinogen by 0.35 g/l after standardization for ponderal index and alcohol consumption. Alcohol consumption was negatively correlated to plasma fibrinogen in subjects 30-40 years old. In women, 1 g of alcohol per day induces a 0.008 g/l decrease in the mean fibrinogen while in men the decrease is 0.004 g/l.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1489847", "title": "Mucin-like high molecular mass protein fractions from total pig gallbladder bile mucus, pig gallbladder wall mucus, and total human gallbladder bile mucus.", "content": "Native mucin-like complexes were obtained from both pig gallbladder bile and pig gallbladder wall mucus by precipitation, centrifugation, and gel permeation chromatography. Crude preparations by either dialysis (native mucus from bile, and native gallbladder wall mucus) or by precipitation (crude total bile mucus, and lipomucoid) were purified by gel permeation chromatography on Sephacryl S-300HR and Sephacryl S-500HR (Pharmacia). The elution profiles obtained with a reversibly denaturing and detergent-containing eluent showed the same pattern for all samples, although the amounts of the four main fractions differed somewhat. The excluded fraction with the highest carbohydrate portion had an apparent M(r) > 10(7). This fraction and the following included lipomucoid (in physiological solution tightly bound to fraction I), and an eluent-insoluble mucus portion from all samples were characterized by determination of the protein concentration, carbohydrates, sialic acids, and lipids, using standard methods. Sugar analysis was performed by gas-liquid chromatography. Human gallbladder bile was subjected to the same procedures of mucus precipitation and separation. Human gallbladder bile mucus showed identical behaviour to that of pig gallbladder bile mucus, and showed a very similar elution pattern in gel chromatography."}
{"id": "PMID:1489848", "title": "Concentrations of purine nucleotides and purine and pyrimidine bases in cerebrospinal fluid of neurologically healthy children.", "content": "The concentrations of the nucleotides AMP and IMP, the nucleosides adenosine, guanosine and inosine, the purine bases adenine, guanine, hypoxanthine and xanthine, urate, and the pyrimidine bases cytosine, thymine and uracil were determined by high performance liquid chromatography in the cerebrospinal fluid of 63 children aged between 1 month and 13 years who showed no sign of neurological disease. The results are compared with those of other authors, and used to establish reference ranges for the above metabolites in the cerebrospinal fluid of children."}
{"id": "PMID:1489849", "title": "Stability of pO2, pCO2 and pH in heparinized whole blood samples: influence of storage temperature with regard to leukocyte count and syringe material.", "content": "Influences of storage temperature and blood cell metabolism in different types of syringes were investigated. Experiments were performed on blood samples with normal and elevated leukocyte counts. After equilibration with gas mixtures at normal pO2 (86 mm Hg/11.5 kPa) and elevated pO2 (140 mm Hg/18.7 kPa), sequential blood gas analyses were done within one hour. Storage temperatures were 4 degrees C or 22 degrees C. In the first group of experiments we compared glass samplers with plastic syringes at different storage temperatures with regard to deviations of blood gas concentrations. The analysed samples had a normal cell count. Blood stored in glass syringes in ice water served as the reference, and it displayed virtually no changes. The deviations of pCO2 and pH were relatively small. In plastic syringes the greatest increases for pO2 occurred after storage at 4 degrees C, which can be explained by the increased solubility of oxygen and the higher O2 affinity of haemoglobin at 4 degrees C. When stored at room temperature, the deviations in plastic syringes were smaller. In a second group of experiments, the influence of cell metabolism was studied. Blood gases were analysed in samples with elevated leukocyte counts (20 x 10(9)/l, 40 x 10(9)/l, 60 x 10(9)/l), and only glass syringes were used. It was demonstrated that after storage at 22 degrees C considerable losses in pO2 occurred, while at 4 degrees C there was virtually no change. Deviations of pO2, pCO2 and pH are described in detail.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1489850", "title": "Concentrations in serum of IgG, IgM and IgA and their age-dependence in beagle dogs as determined by a newly developed enzyme-linked-immuno-sorbent-assay (ELISA).", "content": "The concentrations of immunoglobulins IgG, IgM and IgA and their age dependence were determined in the serum of normal, untreated beagle dogs by a newly developed sandwich enzyme-linked-immuno-sorbent-assay (ELISA). A clear age-dependent increase between approximately 0.8 and 1.6 years of age was observed for the immunoglobulin IgA, whereas IgG and IgM showed only a slight tendency to an age-dependent increase. For immunotoxicological characterization of various compounds especially in long term studies, this IgA age-dependence has to be considered in the planning and interpretation of studies with beagle dogs."}
{"id": "PMID:1489851", "title": "Creatinine and automatic analysers in relation to icteric specimens.", "content": "A study is described on the interference of bilirubin with the determination of creatine in serum using three automatic analysers i.e. the Technicon Chem-1, the DuPont Dimension and the Baxter Paramax. In all instruments a kinetic Jaff\u00e9 reaction is applied. As comparison method we used a HPLC based selected method. All methods proved to be sensitive to interference, the Paramax showing the best performance with our set of specimens. Results regarding modifications leading to improvement and possible future experiments are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1489852", "title": "Determination of human neutrophil elastase in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid: homogeneous immunoactivation versus heterogeneous enzyme immunoassay.", "content": "Elastase mass concentrations of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid were determined by a homogeneous immunoactivation and a heterogeneous enzyme immunoassay. There was an excellent correlation between both assay systems (y = 1.0376 . x + 1.311; r = 0.9901; n = 43) indicating the suitability of the immunoactivation method for the determination of elastase concentrations in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid as a matrix. Furthermore, dilution of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid samples did not influence the elastase recovery of either assay system."}
{"id": "PMID:1489854", "title": "The C1 inhibitor deficiency. A review.", "content": "C1 inhibitor (C1I), a member of the serine protease inhibitor superfamily, is the principal regulator of the activation classical pathway of complement by reducing the proteolytic activity of activated C1r and C1s. A deficiency of active C1 inhibitor is the most commonly identified genetic defect of the complement system. It is associated with a pathology called angioedema. There are three forms of hereditary angioedema. The first type is characterized by an insufficient production of a normal protein. The two other forms are characterized by the presence of an abnormal C1 inhibitor protein. Moreover a reduction of functional C1 inhibitor may also be acquired. There are two types of acquired angioedema, a form associated with malignancy (B cell lineage, breast cancer, ...) and an autoimmune form. Angioedema manifests itself by attacks of swelling of the extremities, face, trunk, airways, or abdominal viscera, occurring spontaneously or as a result of trauma. Three main categories of substances have been proposed for the treatment of C1 deficiencies: the androgens, the antifibrinolytics and fresh plasma or purified C1 inhibitor. To distinguish between the different forms of C1 inhibitor deficiencies, it is necessary to determine the amount of C1 inhibitor protein and the level of its functional activity. Several methods for the determination of C1 inhibitor have been proposed: titrimetric and spectrophotometric assays, inhibition of complement haemolytic activity, radioimmunoassay, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, ...), in order to improve the diagnosis and the treatment of angioedema."}
{"id": "PMID:1489855", "title": "Significance of bone alkaline phosphatase, CA 15-3 and CEA in the detection of bone metastases during the follow-up of patients suffering from breast carcinoma.", "content": "After the introduction (1, 2) and methodical evaluation (3, 4) of a new method for the quantitative measurement of the bone isoenzyme of alkaline phosphatase (test-combination bone alkaline phosphatase, Boehringer Mannheim), we started a retrospective clinical study for the follow-up investigations of breast cancer patients. Our aim was to establish the significance of the routinely used tumour markers, CEA and CA 15-3, in combination with bone alkaline phosphatase for the early detection of metastatic spread to the bone. We investigated 492 sera from 92 patients suffering from breast carcinoma, and we compared each date of investigation with the results of the clinical examination and with the results of medical imaging, if that had been performed. From a previous study involving skeleton scintigraphy (5) we knew that single examinations do not allow a differential diagnosis between benign and malignant disorders of the bone, so we based our calculations on differences between sequential investigations. We found that in follow-up investigations of patients with breast carcinoma the combined determination of CEA, CA 15-3 and bone alkaline phosphatase may be indicative for the localisation of metastatic disease. The determination of the bone alkaline phosphatase is easy to handle with a short assay time and good reproducibility; it can therefore be recommended."}
{"id": "PMID:1489856", "title": "Calcium regulating hormones after oral and intravenous calcium administration.", "content": "The aim of this study was to determine the changes in serum calcium concentration and in the concentrations of calcium regulating hormones after a single oral or intravenous calcium administration. Standard dosages of calcium, as used in routine patient care, were employed. Intact parathyrin, calcitonin, calcitriol, calcidiol, total calcium, ionized calcium, total protein and phosphate were determined in 12 healthy young men before and up to 8 h after oral and intravenous administration of calcium. During a fortnight there were four study days with 1000 mg calcium orally (p.o.), 2000 mg orally, 180 mg calcium intravenous (i.v.) and a control day without calcium. During the study the men were on a low calcium diet. We observed a sharp increase in the calcium concentration after i.v. administration (15 min: total Ca: + 0.48 +/- 0.32 mmol/l; ionized Ca: + 0.25 +/- 0.15 mmol/l; p < 0.01). The concentration increase after the two oral loads was nearly identical. The maximal concentration of total calcium was reached after 120 min (1000 mg: + 0.1 +/- 0.04 mmol/l; p < 0.001; 2000 mg: + 0.12 +/- 0.04 mmol/l; p < 0.001). There was a significant increase in urinary calcium after all modes of calcium administration. Calcitonin increased significantly only after i.v. injection of calcium (+ 9.2 +/- 3.4 pmol/l; p < 0.001) while parathyrin decreased significantly after all modes of calcium administration (i.v.: 15 min: -1.9 +/- 0.88 pmol/l; p < 0.01; 1000 mg: 90 min: -0.78 +/- 0.75 pmol/l; p < 0.001; 2000 mg: 90 min: -1.02 +/- 0.57 pmol/l; p < 0.001).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1489857", "title": "Acute myocardial infarction size and myoglobin release into serum.", "content": "The kinetics of myoglobin release after acute myocardial infarction were studied. Various algorithms for calculation of infarct size, based on immunonephelometric determination of myoglobin and cumulative myoglobin release into the circulation were compared. The cumulative myoglobin release and maximal serum myoglobin concentration were compared with various measures of infarct size: cumulative release of creatine kinase, electrocardiographic changes, and left ventricular ejection fraction. After acute myocardial infarction, time to peak for myoglobin in serum was correlated with time to peak for creatine kinase (r = 0.645). On average, the myoglobin concentration peaked 8.8 h earlier than creatine kinase activity. The rate of elimination of myoglobin showed a large variation (0.041-0.628 h-1) and was not correlated with the elimination rate of creatine kinase. The elimination rate of myoglobin after acute myocardial infarction was shown to depend on the patient's age and infarct size. The elimination constant of myoglobin is preferably estimated on an individual basis in large and complicated infarctions. Cumulative myoglobin release correlated with algorithms based on the cumulative release of creatine kinase (r = 0.622) and its isoenzyme MB (r = 0.660), and to a lesser extent with the residual left ventricular ejection fraction (r = 0.513) and the sum of ST-segment deviations on electrocardiography (r = 0.469). Maximal myoglobin values in serum correlated moderately with the calculated infarct size (r = 0.488; based on creatine kinase-MB) and electrocardiographic changes (r = 0.554). In combination with fast immunological methods for myoglobin determination, myoglobin peak height offers the advantage of providing reliable results within 12 h after onset of symptoms.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1489858", "title": "Determination of serum calcitonin by immunometric two-site assays in normal subjects and patients with medullary thyroid carcinoma.", "content": "We evaluated the clinical usefulness of a commercial two-site immunoassay for calcitonin, which is based on two monoclonal antibodies against distinct epitopes of calcitonin. The potential lower detection limit of the assay was 2 ng/l. Inter-assay and intra-assay variation were both < 11%. No cross reaction with calcitonins from different species (salmon and eel calcitonin) was found. Of the various fragments of human calcitonin, only the 11-32 fragment could be detected. Basal calcitonin concentrations in normals (n = 69) ranged from < 2 ng/l to 50 ng/l. Basal calcitonin concentrations in 30% of the men (< 2-48 ng/l) and 51% of the women (< 2-10 ng/l) were undetectable. Stimulation of calcitonin with pentagastrin (0.5 microgram/kg body weight) in normal subjects was followed by an increase in calcitonin in all men (n = 17) and in 60% of the women (n = 12). The upper reference value for pentagastrin-stimulated calcitonin concentrations for all 29 normals was 78 ng/l (defined as the 95th percentile): 79 ng/l for men, and 50 ng/l for women. Using a different immunoradiometric two-site assay, a similar percentage of \"positive\" responses to pentagastrin in normals was obtained (20 out of 29). Four previously thyroidectomized patients with medullary thyroid carcinoma had normal basal, but pathological stimulated calcitonin values at follow-up. At reoperation, cervical lymph nodes with tumour tissue were removed. Postoperatively, the patients had basal and stimulated calcitonin concentrations within the limits of the established reference range. In conclusion, reference ranges for basal and pentagastrin-stimulated calcitonin concentrations have been established for an immunometric two-site assay.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1489859", "title": "Serum lipids and apolipoprotein concentrations and plasma fibronectin concentrations in renal transplant patients.", "content": "In those cases where hypertriglyceridaemia was present before renal transplantation, it persisted after transplantation, and hypercholesterolaemia also developed. We studied serum lipid, lipoprotein, and apolipoprotein concentrations and plasma fibronectin concentrations in 57 renal transplantation patients and 29 healthy controls. We concluded that atherosclerosis in renal transplantation patients might be related to alterations in the constitutions of lipoproteins and apolipoproteins, but fibronectin synthesized by vascular endothelial cells seemed not to be associated with the atherosclerotic process."}
{"id": "PMID:1489860", "title": "Perspective: measurement of circulating glycated proteins to monitor intermediate-term changes in glycaemic control.", "content": "The effective clinical management of diabetes requires accurate means to measure and monitor prevailing blood glucose concentrations. This can be accomplished with regular home glucose monitoring and periodic measurement of indicators that reflect ambient glycaemia during defined temporal intervals. The amount of glycated haemoglobin provides an index of integrated long-term glycaemia, whereas the amount of glycated albumin provides an index of short to intermediate term integrated glycaemic control. However, there is confusion regarding the various methods for estimation of glycated serum or plasma proteins, in part because the different methods use different reaction principles, measure different substances, and express results in different units. This article reviews the principles underlying different assays for measurement of glycated albumin and glycated serum proteins, compares their ranges of values, and discusses their clinical relevance assessed by studies published in the recent medical literature. The methods evaluated include commercially available assays for measuring glycated albumin with monoclonal antibodies and with affinity chromatography (including HPLC), and the fructosamine assay for glycated serum proteins."}
{"id": "PMID:1489861", "title": "Validation of the ultrafiltration technique for creatinine analysis by HPLC: a comparison with direct serum injection.", "content": "The determination of creatinine by HPLC was performed by direct injection of serum onto the column, and after ultrafiltration of the sample, and the results were compared. A modified weak cation exchange column was used for HPLC. This eliminates the protein displacement effect and the Gibbs-Donnan effect, thus permitting a rapid direct analysis. Three of the four ultrafiltration methods gave almost identical analytical results. Regression analyses of the results from direct serum injection versus ultrafiltration showed a bias of 5% on the slope y = 1.050 . xpure serum + 1.856, which was in our view solely due to the volume displacement effect of the proteins; correction of each data point by a protein-dependent correction factor resulted in an almost perfect regression line."}
{"id": "PMID:1489863", "title": "Determination of human mast cell tryptase by bioluminescence-enhanced two-site immunometric assay.", "content": "A highly sensitive bioluminescence-enhanced two-site immunometric assay for human mast cell tryptase was developed. The usable range of the standard curve was from 10 ng to 10 micrograms per litre. The intra-assay coefficient of variation of the test was between 8.0 and 12.3%, and the inter-assay coefficient of variation between 8.3 and 13.5%. Recovery of human mast cell tryptase in human serum was 100% (fraction of serum in the test sample: 0.30)."}
{"id": "PMID:1489862", "title": "The influence of pCO2 on the rate of ammonia formation in blood.", "content": "The influence of the sample pCO2 on the rate of ammonia formation was studied with gas equilibrated blood samples, using different gas mixtures for the equilibration. The rate of increase in plasma ammonia concentration at a mean pCO2 of 62 mm Hg = 8.2 kPa (mean pH = 7.282) was significantly lower than at 36 mm Hg = 4.8 kPa (pH = 7.438). In CO2-depleted blood (pH > 8) ammonia formation was strongly accelerated. This was reversible by readjusting the pH to 7.4 by addition of Tris-HCl solution. In stoppered containers with or without enclosed atmospheric air, a decrease of blood pCO2 or an increase of pH values was not observed during storage over 15 minutes at 0 or 20 degrees C. Although this study confirms that the pCO2 (or rather the pH) is an important analytical influence quantity in the determination of plasma ammonia, strictly anaerobic processing of the blood samples is not necessary; the usual technique of transporting and preprocessing blood samples in partially filled and stoppered containers appears to be adequate. Mainly due to the deamination of intracellular AMP (1), the ammonia1) concentration in blood increases continuously after sampling. Rates of increase in plasma ammonia concentration have recently been investigated thoroughly with blood samples from healthy probands to define the maximum delay between sampling and separation of the blood cells that can be tolerated if the in vivo existing plasma ammonia concentration has to be measured (2). Strictly speaking, the guidelines for handling the blood samples (2) apply to blood stored under anaerobic conditions.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1489864", "title": "Immunoassay of CEA, CA 19-9, CA 125, and CA 15-3 on the automated systems ES 300 and ES 600: methodological evaluation from a multicentre collaborative study.", "content": "The analytical performance of the automated Enzymun Test System ES 300 and ES 600 (developed by Boehringer Mannheim) for the assay of the tumour markers CEA, CA 19-9, CA 125, and CA 15-3, was assessed from data collected in a multicentre collaborative study in which eleven laboratories were involved. Results of the 1990 cycle of the external quality assessment (EQA) scheme for tumour markers, supported by the Italian National Research Council (CNR), were also used in this evaluation. The within-assay and between-assay precision was found to be 2.0 and 4.3 CV% for CEA, 2.9 and 6.8 CV% for CA 19-9, 3.6 and 9.4 CV% for CA 125, 2.9 and 6.0 CV% for CA 15-3. The between-lab variability of the four tumour markers on ES 300 and ES 600 systems was 9.4, 10.6, 11.9, 9.2 CV% for CEA, CA 19-9, CA 125 and CA 15-3 respectively. These values were comparable to or better than those obtained with the most precise manual kits used by laboratories participating in the 1990 EQA cycle. The agreement between the results from the Enzymun Test and those obtained using other method/kits was evaluated by assaying control samples previously circulated either in the CNR EQA or in the German EQA. The regression analysis indicates that for CEA, CA 125 and CA 15-3 assays the results produced by ES 300 and ES 600 are in good agreement with the consensus means of the EQAs; CA 19-9 results exhibit a worse correlation and are generally lower than the consensus mean. The linearity of the assays for the four tumour markers was checked by dilution tests performed by participants in the collaborative study; in all cases the dilution of the sample did not affect the values obtained."}
{"id": "PMID:1489865", "title": "Multicentre evaluation of the Boehringer Mannheim/Hitachi 747 analysis system.", "content": "Analytical performance and practicability of the new Boehringer Mannheim/Hitachi 747 analysis system were assessed in a multicentre evaluation involving four laboratories. The analytical performance was evaluated according to a protocol similar to the ECCLS guidelines and comprised 13 analytes including enzymes, substrates and electrolytes. About 65,000 results were obtained within three months. The evaluation was planned and supported by a program system called \"Computer Aided Evaluation\". Acceptance criteria have been established for judging the results. The median of the within-run coefficients of variation (CVs) in control sera of all methods was below 1%, being far below the acceptance limit of 2%. The median of CVs of between-days imprecision was below 2% (acceptance criterion 3%). The high degree of precision prompted us to set up a biometrical model suitable for the differentiation between deviant points, outliers and measurements that can still be explained by the system performance. No relevant drift effects were observed during eight hours. The methods were linear over a wide range, avoiding rerun analysis in most cases. No sample-related carry-over was found. Reagent-dependent carry-over outside the acceptance limits was measured from uric acid to phosphorus to a slight extent, and from triacylglycerols to lipase, as well as from total protein to bilirubin to a perceptible degree. It can be avoided by separating these reagent combinations in the channel arrangement. Taking a systematic deviation of more than 10% as unacceptable, four of the 13 analytes suffered from interference by haemoglobin, one by bilirubin and one by turbidity. The Boehringer Mannheim/Hitachi 747 analysis system is capable of determining serum indices which in combination with the interferogram allow an assessment of the interference. With the exception of chloride the recovery of the assigned values for all control sera showed values between 95 and 105%. Out of 40 method comparison studies for enzymes and substrates, 31 yielded regression equations with less than 5% proportional errors and less than 5% constant errors. Deviations exceeding these acceptance criteria can be explained by differences in the reagent formulation, in the method employed or in calibration. The agreement of the ISE method comparisons was within a +/- 5% deviation over a wide analytical range. Practicability of the Boehringer Mannheim/Hitachi 747 analysis system was assessed with the help of a questionnaire, in which properties of the instrument were quantified, thus permitting a relatively objective rating. The 190 questions were placed in 14 groups, each dealing with an attribute of the instrument.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1489867", "title": "Fine structure of cells in the young regenerating spinal cord of the lizard Anolis carolinensis after H3-thymidine administration.", "content": "H3-thymidine was injected in a single dose into adult lizards Anolis carolinensis during early stages of tail regeneration when the new tail measured in length 2-5 mm (about 3 weeks). Electron microscopic autoradiography revealed that in the regenerating spinal cord three different cell types were recognizable four hours post-injection. By far the most common type was the ependymal cell. Ependymal or roundish cells with clear electron-density or storing bundles of intermediate filaments were occasionally found. A second rarer, cell type devoid of intermediate filaments was a pale round cell, often highly labelled. This cell showed a very poor ultrastructural differentiation and probably represents the precursor of the few neurons and glial cells observed in older stages of regeneration. The third type was a neuroblast at different degrees of differentiation and did not uptake H3-thymidine revealing it was a post-mitotic cell. Despite the relatively advanced ultrastructural differentiation of these neurons, synapses were rarely seen after three weeks of SC regeneration in Anolis."}
{"id": "PMID:1489869", "title": "[Erythropoietin--physiology and therapeutic potentialities].", "content": "Erythropoietin (EPO) is the main regulatory hormone for the control of erythropoiesis. EPO leads to enhanced mitosis and differentiation of erythroid precursors in the bone marrow. The major stimulus for EPO-formation is anaemia of various origin, resulting in an exponential relation between EPO levels and a decrease in haematocrit. Another important stimulus for increased EPO production is a fall of the arterial oxygen tension caused by either cardiopulmonary disorders or by a decrease of the oxygen tension in the inspiratory gas. Human erythropoietin was first isolated and purified from a large amount of urine of patients with aplastic anaemia. After the EPO gene had been cloned and expressed, biotechnically produced recombinant human erythropoietin (rHu-EPO) became available for clinical trials. EPO deficiency appears to be the major cause of renal anaemia, and hence the treatment of these patients is the most important indication for clinical use. Encouraging results in patients whose anaemia is not of renal origin have also been reported, using treatment with rHu-EPO. In preoperative autologous blood donation programmes prior to elective surgery, rHu-EPO therapy improved the amount of donated blood and ameliorated the decrease of haematocrit values. Side effects such as hypertension, thrombosis, hypercalcaemia, elevated liver enzymes were rare and were mostly related to the underlying disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1489870", "title": "[Muscle relaxation with no effect on oxygen uptake during isoflurane anesthesia?].", "content": "To determine the effects of vecuronium neuromuscular blockade on O2 consumption (VO2) during isoflurane anaesthesia 12 patients were studied. 12 patients (ASA-PS I-II, 37.1 +/- 12.1 yr, 173 +/- 8 cm, 70.1 +/- 8.6 kg), scheduled for urological lower abdominal surgery, received isoflurane-N2O-O2-anaesthesia under steady-state conditions (1.3 MAC). Duration of anaesthesia was 169 +/- 32 min and 0.057 +/- 0.016 mg/kg/h vecuronium were needed. The desired level of neuromuscular transmission was set to 10% of control. This level of neuromuscular blockade was kept constant for 60 min by a negative feedback controlled infusion of vecuronium. VO2 was measured by an indirect calorimetry device (MMC Horizon, STPD). During and after recovery of neuromuscular function anaesthesia was maintained and oxygen measurements were continued. Preanaesthetic values of VO2 were in the predicted range for basal metabolism. Steady-state general anaesthesia lead to an 26-28% reduction of VO2 (Range: 144-232 ml/min) compared to the preanaesthetic values (202-288 ml/min, p < 0.01). Neuromuscular blockade showed no significant effect on O2 uptake. We conclude that in patients with adequate depth of anaesthesia vecuronium-induced neuromuscular blockade does not lead to a further reduction of oxygen consumption, since muscular tone is already reduced by general anaesthesia."}
{"id": "PMID:1489871", "title": "[The determination of end-expiratory CO2 during resuscitation. Experience and results with the Normocap 200 (Fa. Datex) in preclinical resuscitation conditions].", "content": "Capnometers measure carbon dioxide (CO2) in inspired and expired air. Under physiological conditions end-tidal CO2 (peCO2) measurements closely reflect arterial pCO2 (paCO2). End-tidal CO2 concentration has been found to correlate with cardiac output in animal models and in clinical studies with cardiac arrest during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). In the present study in 23 cases of CPR end-tidal CO2 concentrations were registered during precordial compression with a transportable, battery-carried capnometer. In 7 cases of successful CPR mean concentrations of end-tidal CO2 were higher than in unsuccessful CPR (13 +/- 7 mmHg versus 8 +/- 6 mmHg). No statistical significance was found. In case of successful CPR there was a sudden rise in end-tidal CO2 up to 54 +/- 6 mmHg, indicating satisfactory spontaneous circulation. With capnometry it is possible to assess the efficacy of precordial compression during resuscitation and the return of spontaneous circulation in cardiopulmonary arrest."}
{"id": "PMID:1489872", "title": "[Pulmonary function one year after extracorporeal lung assist. A long-term follow-up of patients with acute adult respiratory distress syndrome].", "content": "This retrospective follow-up studied lung function and reconvalescence in 38 young patients without primary lung disease, who suffered from severe ARDS and survived by means of extracorporeal lung assist (ELA) treatment. Over a period of 3, 6, 9 and 12-20 months dynamic and static lung volumes and the results of X-ray and CT scan of the thorax were studied. Within the third and sixth month the forced vital capacity, FEV1, and arterial blood gases reached the lower range of normal values. Obvious relative emphysema RV/TLC was observed at the time of discharge from hospital and during the first four months. This was found to reverse during the following months. After a period of 12-20 months all patients had an abnormal diffusion capacity (TLCO) but with normal transfer coefficients (TLCO/VA). Even though ARDS did not induce obstructive changes, the diminished diffusion capacity and the slightly reduced expiratory peak flow in 25-75% of FVC (FEF 25-75) indicates slight changes in the small airways. Following up the X-ray and CT results we found extraordinary morphological restitution. Spiroergometry results showed a normal cardiopulmonary pattern for untrained individuals. 36 of the 38 patients were integrated in normal working and social life within 12-20 months."}
{"id": "PMID:1489873", "title": "[Artificial intravascular oxygenation (IVOX). Application to the treatment of postoperative respiratory failure].", "content": "Very recently, the concept of artificial intracorporeal oxygenation of blood for patients suffering from respiratory failure has been introduced into clinical practice through development of a totally implantable intravascular oxygenator (IVOX). We report on the use of such a device in a patient who developed severe respiratory insufficiency secondary to prolonged hypovolaemic shock and pneumonia following successful repair of a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm in September, 1990. Postoperatively, severe hypoxaemia occurred (AaDO2 548-602 torr) despite extensive mechanical ventilatory support. There was no obvious chance to overcome this situation by conventional therapeutic measures and the decision was made to institute IVOX therapy. Hypoxaemia was resolved immediately and both FiO2 and tidal volume could be reduced within hours. The patient's respiratory condition continued to improve over the next days leading to termination of IVOX therapy after 71 hours. However, the necessity of long-term ventilatory support secondary to recurrent pneumonia and sepsis, multiple abdominal reoperations for ischemic colitis and retroperitoneal abscess prolonged his recovery. He was discharged from the hospital after four months and is alive and well now 14 months after his operation. He is the first long-term survivor after IVOX therapy in Europe. IVOX may be successfully used in selected patients while the indications and it's potential role in the therapy of severe respiratory failure still need to be defined."}
{"id": "PMID:1489879", "title": "[CT findings of a cerebral air embolism as a consequence of an accidental subclavian catheter disconnection].", "content": "This report describes the definitive diagnosis of cerebral air embolism following accidental disconnection of a subclavian catheter by documentation of cranial CT's. We also discuss critically the pathophysiology of cerebral air embolism and its differentiation from \"the bends\". The necessity of recognising this entity is important in differential diagnosis. The pathophysiology of air embolism is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1489880", "title": "[Acute angioneurotic edema due to ACE inhibitors].", "content": "Acute angioneurotic edema due to angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors usually develops shortly after therapy has been started. In this case, hypopharyngeal edema occurred with a delay of nine days. It required endotracheal intubation and could only be differentiated from an inflammatory process by examination under general anesthesia. The mechanism of action of ACE inhibitors, the pathogenesis of angioneurotic edema, its therapy outside as well as in the hospital, and the case described are being discussed. It is concluded that severe reactions induced by ACE inhibitors must be expected even after considerable time of therapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1489882", "title": "An appraisal of spontaneous adverse event monitoring.", "content": "Awareness of the need to continue the safety assessment of new drugs into the post-marketing period has continued to increase over the past few years. The stage has been reached where there is, for all practical purposes, unanimous agreement that all new drugs, particularly those intended for widespread use and/or long-term administration, be subjected to some form of post-marketing monitoring. In many cases nationally sponsored spontaneous reporting systems are claimed to be sufficient to meet the needs without any critical appraisal being made of the suitability or reliability of this method. The adoption of 'pharmacovigilance' (spontaneous reporting) as the system for the whole European Community (EC) emphasizes the faith that has been placed in the system. At a recent symposium (Management Forum, 9-10 March, 1992) on post-marketing safety evaluation, more than half of the 16 papers presented were entirely or predominantly concerned with spontaneous reporting systems, which is a pattern common to other meetings on this topic. The Committee on Safety of Medicines (CSM) has referred to spontaneous reporting as the cornerstone of post-marketing surveillance which has further endorsed a general feeling of confidence that the system will meet our societal needs even though its scientific capability may be deficient. It is the purpose of this paper to challenge these assumptions and to make an objective appraisal of the various methods available."}
{"id": "PMID:1489885", "title": "Reduction of vein graft intimal hyperplasia by ex vivo treatment with desferrioxamine manganese.", "content": "Reversed vein grafting exposes the venous tissue to a period of ischemia, reperfusion and subsequent free radical generation which may contribute to endothelial injury and/or damage, smooth muscle cell proliferation and the later development of intimal hyperplasia. The effects of ex vivo treatment with desferrioxamine Mn+3 (DFMn), a cell-permeable free radical scavenger, on the development of intimal hyperplasia in experimental vein grafts was examined. Twenty New Zealand white rabbits received a reversed vein interposition bypass graft into the ipsilateral common carotid artery. Ten explanted veins were immersed in a heparinized (5 IU/ml) saline solution, and 10 others were immersed in a similar solution containing DFMn (1 mM) for 45 min prior to reimplantation. There were no short-term functional or morphologic toxic side effects associated with DFMn treatment on either the endothelial or smooth muscle cells of the veins. At 28 days, grafts (n = 20) were perfusion-fixed in vivo for histological and morphometric studies. There was a significant reduction in intimal thickening in the DFMn-treated group compared to the untreated group. The thicknesses of the intimal hyperplasia in the proximal segments were 50.6 +/- 6.3 vs. 76.9 +/- 3.2 microns (p < 0.05), in the middle segments 42.0 +/- 5.0 vs. 84.3 +/- 5.4 microns (p < 0.05) and in the distal segments 55.7 +/- 5.0 vs. 88.3 +/- 6.2 microns (p < 0.05) for treated and untreated animals, respectively. No evidence of long-term toxicity was found.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1489887", "title": "Increased shear stress leads to differential release of endothelin and ATP from isolated endothelial cells from 4- and 12-month-old male rabbit aorta.", "content": "Freshly isolated thoracic aortic endothelial cells from 4- and 12-month-old male rabbits were exposed to two periods of increased flow rate and the levels of ATP, endothelin (ET) and arginine vasopressin (AVP) released into the perfusate were measured. The rapid, significant release of ATP and ET with increased flow from cells isolated from 12-month-old rabbits was not seen when cells isolated from 4-month-old rabbits were exposed to the same conditions. Increased flow did not stimulate AVP release from cells from either age group. Basal release with low flow also differed in endothelial cells from 4-month-old compared to 12-month-old rabbits; thus in 4-month preparations basal release of AVP was greater, that of ET was smaller, while that of ATP was unchanged relative to 12-month preparations. Immunohistochemical studies showed that almost half as many endothelial cells isolated from 4-month-old rabbits were immunoreactive to ET and AVP compared to cells isolated from 12-month-old animals. It is suggested that the endothelial contribution to the control of vascular tone in rabbit thoracic aorta changes during ageing."}
{"id": "PMID:1489892", "title": "Evidence that an Arg79-->Gln substitution in human factor VII is not associated with a reduction in coagulant activity.", "content": "A recent report hypothesized that an Arg79-->Gln mutation in the first epidermal growth factor-like domain of human factor VII is the molecular basis for a severe (< 1%) factor VII functional deficiency. In the present study, a site-specific mutant human factor VII cDNA (Arg79-->Gln) was constructed, subcloned and expressed in baby hamster kidney cells. Mutant factor VII was purified to homogeneity and characterized with respect to gamma-carboxyglutamic acid content, ability to activate, tissue factor-dependent amidolytic activity and expression of factor VIIa proteolytic activity on tissue factor-bearing cells. Mutant factor VII was fully carboxylated and exhibited the same molecular weight and coagulant activity as plasma factor VII. Mutant factor VII was activated by factor Xa at the same rate, and to the same extent, as plasma factor VII. In the presence of tissue factor, mutant factor VII was converted to factor VIIa in an autocatalytic manner at a rate indistinguishable from that observed with plasma factor VII. In addition, the amidolytic activities of mutant factor VIIa and plasma factor VIIa towards S-2288 in the presence of relipidated tissue factor were identical. Finally, following complex formation with cell surface tissue factor, mutant factor VIIa activated factor X at essentially the same rate as plasma factor VIIa under comparable conditions. These results are not consistent with the notion that the arginine-79 residue in the first epidermal growth factor-like domain of human factor VII is essential for the expression of tissue factor-dependent factor VIIa proteolytic activity."}
{"id": "PMID:1489888", "title": "Thrombogenicity and intimal hyperplasia after conventional and thermal balloon dilation in normal rabbit iliac arteries.", "content": "Acute occlusion and restenosis are the major complications of percutaneous transluminal coronary balloon angioplasty. Application of heat during balloon dilation was postulated to reduce these complications. We evaluated thrombogenicity and intimal hyperplasia of normal rabbit iliac arteries after conventional (37 degrees C) and thermal balloon dilation. Thermal dilation was performed with a radio-frequency-heated balloon, provided with three thermocouples attached to the inside of the balloon skin. In a previous in vitro study, thrombogenicity of human subendothelium was increased at 55 degrees C and greatly decreased at temperatures over 70 degrees C. Thermal balloon dilation was therefore performed at 55 and 90 degrees C in vivo. Rabbits survived 2 h for evaluation of platelet adhesion or either 3 or 8 weeks for intimal hyperplasia. Angiograms revealed no occlusions or thrombi after any procedure. Platelet adhesion was quantified on 20 scanning electron microscopic pictures per balloon dilation site and was expressed as the percentage of the luminal surface covered by platelets. Platelet adhesion was similar in all groups, although large thrombi were present in the 90 degrees C group. Intimal hyperplasia was measured morphometrically at regular intervals over the balloon site. After 3 weeks, the average intimal hyperplasia was significantly reduced in the 90 degrees C balloon dilation group, which was mainly due to the absence of intimal hyperplasia in the midpart of these segments. After 8 weeks, intimal hyperplasia was equal in all groups. Thus, in the applied model, platelet coverage was equal after conventional balloon angioplasty and after 55 and 90 degrees C balloon angioplasty.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1489886", "title": "Mechanisms of flow-mediated signal transduction in endothelial cells: kinetics of ATP surface concentrations.", "content": "Intracellular free calcium ([Ca2+]i) was measured in single cells of a confluent endothelial monolayer subjected to defined flow. Flow medium containing adenosine triphosphate (ATP) was used to study the influence of flow forces upon agonist-response coupling as mediated via the P2y-purinoceptor. [Ca2+]i responses were highly sensitive to the fluid motion at the cell surface; consecutive small increases of flow stimulated large [Ca2+]i transients with the levels returning to baseline at the new flow rate within 250 s. The characteristics of [Ca2+]i transients were also influenced by decreasing flow. Since potent ectonucleotidases at the endothelial cell surface rapidly degrade ATP, we postulated that a combination of flow and degradative enzymes regulates the mass transport of ATP in the boundary layer. The hypothesis predicts that step increases of flow exceed the capacity of the ectonucleotidases and allow ATP to reach the receptor. Experiments were conducted to compare ATP and ADP beta S, a nonhydrolyzable ATP analog that resists degradation by surface ectonucleotidases, and calculations of ATP mass transport to the cell surface were compared to estimates of surface clearance rates. Calculations of mass transport coefficients for ATP in the boundary layer demonstrated that changes of flow which elicited a prominent [Ca2+]i response represented 26-73% changes in the mass transport of ATP from the bulk fluid. When steadystate mass transport coefficients for ATP under various flow conditions were compared with the estimated rate constant for surface degradation of ATP, ratios close to unity were obtained. These results suggest that both boundary layer mass transport and ATP clearance rates can be rate-limiting for flow-mediated activation of the P2y-receptor. The experiments provide evidence for differential signal transduction responses in the endothelium driven by diffusion gradients (derived from both the blood and the vessel wall), which are likely to vary widely in the complex flow fields encountered in vivo."}
{"id": "PMID:1489893", "title": "Composition and susceptibility to thrombolysis of human arterial thrombi and the influence of their age.", "content": "Each of three distinct, concentric layers of human arterial thrombi, was analysed immunochemically for the plasminogen and fibrin content, and for the ex vivo susceptibility to thrombolysis by various thrombolytic agents in a saline or plasma milieu. The age of the thrombus layer determined: (a) the plasminogen content; (b) the fibrin content, inferred from the recovery of fibrin degradation products after complete lysis and from the binding of a monoclonal anti-fibrin antibody in a perfusion system, and (c) the lysibility of the thrombus. Plotting concentration of the various thrombolytic agents against percentage of lysis at several time points allows for reading of equivalent potencies of the respective units. Undiluted solutions of APSAC and rt-PA, prepared according to the manufacturer's directions, were less effective than diluted solutions, which has consequences for local therapy. All agents were at least as effective in saline as in a plasma milieu. We conclude that the plasminogen content of aged arterial thrombi is sufficient for complete and rapid thrombolysis. Only after several months do fibrin and plasminogen become so far degraded or replaced that the thrombi become resistant to thrombolysis."}
{"id": "PMID:1489889", "title": "Wall thickness to lumen diameter ratios of arteries from SHR and WKY: comparison of pressurised and wire-mounted preparations.", "content": "Passive properties (diameter, wall-to-lumen ratio and axial length) of small mesenteric arteries from SHR and WKY rats were measured with the artery segments cannulated and pressurised, or mounted on wires in a myograph. The measurements were made with a range of distending pressures (or calculated equivalent distending pressures when wire-mounted) from 0 to 180 mm Hg. The axial length of artery segments increased with increasing distending pressure when cannulated, but not when wire-mounted. The axial extension was greater for arteries from WKY (up to 105%) than for arteries from SHR (up to 65%). The arteries from SHR had significantly smaller diameters and greater wall-to-lumen ratios than the arteries from WKY. However, the diameters calculated for the arteries when wire-mounted were less than the measured diameters, and the wall-to-lumen ratio was always greater when wire-mounted than when cannulated because of the underestimated diameter and the absence of axial extension. Wall-to-lumen ratios decreased with increased distending pressure; values at 180 mm Hg were only 18 and 25% of those at 0 mm Hg for WKY and SHR arteries, respectively. The large degree of variability of wall-to-lumen ratios obtained from the two different preparations and the large range of values that are obtained from a single artery at different distending pressures must call into question the validity of characterising vascular hypertrophy by any single estimation of this parameter."}
{"id": "PMID:1489894", "title": "Non-vitamin K-dependent clotting factors during oral anticoagulant treatment.", "content": "The non-vitamin K-dependent coagulation factors fibrinogen, factor V, von Willebrand factor and factor XIII were measured in plasma of patients receiving oral anticoagulant treatment. Levels of fibrinogen, von Willebrand factor and factor XIII were above the upper normal limit in 60.0%, 58.6% and 53.4% of patients respectively. Factor V levels were below the lower normal limit in 56.3% of patients. Compared with a control group we found significant differences in the anticoagulated group for fibrinogen (P < 0.0001), factor V (P < 0.0001), von Willebrand factor (P < 0.0001) and factor XIII (P < 0.0001). It appears that the down-regulation of factors II, VII, IX and X during oral anticoagulation is accompanied by a subsequent up-regulation of fibrinogen, von Willebrand factor and factor XIII. This up-regulation or its absence could explain the thrombotic and bleeding complications seen in some patients on anticoagulant therapy and might also reduce the beneficial effect of oral anticoagulation in cardiovascular disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1489895", "title": "Early cross-linked fibrin in human plasma contains alpha-polymers with intact fibrinopeptide A.", "content": "alpha-polymer formation, as opposed to gamma-chain dimerization has been considered a relatively late event in factor XIII-induced fibrin stabilization. Recently it has been shown, however, that plasma from healthy individuals and from patients with fibrinaemia contains small amounts of soluble fibrin/fibrinogen oligomers interlinked through dimerized gamma-chains as well as cross-linked alpha-chains. The present work was carried out to see if these early alpha-chain polymers also arise during coagulation of plasma in vitro. Plasma samples from healthy individuals, prepared by immediate centrifugation of blood collected without anticoagulant, were allowed to clot spontaneously for varying periods. The plasma clots were solubilized in SDS-urea-mercaptoethanol and samples were subjected to SDS-PAGE and Western blotting using polyclonal antibodies to human fibrinogen, or monoclonal antibodies specific either for A alpha/alpha-chains, for fibrinopeptide A-containing chains, for the N-terminus of the fibrin beta-chain or for the gamma-chains. Fibrin/fibrinogen oligomers were seen to form long before visible gelation of plasma. These oligomers were cross-linked through gamma-chain dimerization, but also through A alpha- or alpha-chain polymerization. The number and amount of alpha-polymers containing A alpha-chains increased immediately after clot formation, but these disappeared about 20 min later, due to complete removal of fibrinopeptide A (FPA) by thrombin. It is concluded that alpha-polymer formation is a very early event during plasma coagulation in vitro, and that both A alpha- and alpha-chains are involved."}
{"id": "PMID:1489890", "title": "Fluid shear stress stimulates membrane phospholipid metabolism in cultured human endothelial cells.", "content": "There is evidence suggesting that fluid shear stress activates phospholipid turnover in endothelial cells, but it is not clear which phospholipids are involved in the transduction of the flow signal. Cultured human umbilical-vein endothelial cells were prelabeled with [14C]-arachidonic acid and subjected to laminar shear stresses of 0.4, 1.4 and 22 dyn/cm2 for times up to 30 min, after which the distribution of the radioactivity in the phospholipids was determined. We observed decreases in labeled phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidic acid at 10-30 s, and increases in labeled diacylglycerol (DG) and free arachidonate, as well as a simultaneous elevation in inositol 1,4,5-triphosphate (IP3) levels. A second peak in IP3 levels was observed 10 min after the onset of shear. This is in contrast with agonist-stimulated endothelial cells, where IP3 levels go back to initial values within a few minutes after stimulation. The flow-induced IP3 response was the same in the presence or absence of ATP and serum in the perfusing medium. These results are consistent with the activation of phospholipase C, phospholipase A2 and DG lipase by shear stress. This suggests that several phospholipids are involved in the production of free arachidonic acid and DG, which are likely to be important mediators of the shear stress signal. In addition, flow may lead to a chronic stimulation of endothelial-cell metabolism."}
{"id": "PMID:1489896", "title": "Congenital thrombophilia among patients with venous thromboembolism.", "content": "During a 3-year period we studied 393 adult patients (382 of whom were unrelated) with a history of acute venous thromboembolism. A congenital deficiency state known to predispose to thrombosis was found in 27.2%. Of these, most were due to deficiencies of protein C (9.2%), protein S (7.6%), antithrombin III (5%) or to increased plasma PAI-1 concentration (3.1%) which, in the absence of any known factor that predisposes towards thrombosis, results in a diminished fibrinolytic activity. There was a characteristic pattern between the age of onset (mean 34 years) of thrombosis and individual protein deficiency. Thrombosis appeared spontaneously in 73% of cases with recurrence in 80%. In contrast, in the remaining unrelated patients, 138 (35.1%) in whom venous thromboembolism was secondary and occurred at a mean age of 43 years, and in the other 140 (35.6%) who suffered thromboembolism spontaneously at a later age (mean age 55), there was no permanent protein deficiency state or alteration in fibrinolytic activity and thrombosis recurrence was lower (53.6% and 20.7% respectively). Of the 393 patients, deep vein thrombosis was the most common manifestation; however, in congenital thrombophilia, thrombosis of visceral vessels and Raynaud's syndrome (6%) were also detected."}
{"id": "PMID:1489897", "title": "Natural inhibitors of blood coagulation and fibrinolysis in patients with lupus anticoagulant.", "content": "We studied the natural inhibitors (NI) of blood coagulation and fibrinolysis in 50 patients with lupus anticoagulant (LA), in order to identify possible alterations of these NI, that could favour thrombotic manifestations. We found no statistically significant difference in antithrombin III, protein C and alpha 2-antiplasmin between controls and patients with LA, irrespective of their clinical manifestations. We found an increase of plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI, P < 0.001) and a decrease of free protein S (PSf, P < 0.001) and total protein S (PSt, 0.01 < P < 0.05) in the patients with LA when compared with the control group. We found no difference in the levels of NI between patients with thrombosis (n = 19) and without thrombosis (n = 31) nor between patients with (n = 25) or without thrombosis and/or foetal loss (n = 25). In contrast, we observed a decrease of PSf in women with foetal loss (n = 10) as compared with women without foetal loss (n = 22, 0.01 < P < 0.05) and a decrease of PSf when comparing 19 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) with 31 patients without SLE (0.01 < P < 0.05). These findings show that the patients with LA had several abnormalities in the NI system, but there was no significant association between levels of PAI, PSf, PSt and a history of thrombosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1489898", "title": "Evidence for activation of coagulation in Crohn's disease.", "content": "Haemostatic changes in 16 patients with Crohn's disease were studied from active disease into clinical remission and beyond. Elevated concentrations of fibrinopeptide A (FpA) and prothrombin fragments F1 + 2 (F1 + 2) were found at times of both active (FpA median 3.2, range [0.3-40] ng/ml and F1 + 2 median 2.3, range [0.3-18] nm/l) and inactive disease (FpA median 2, range [0.4-40] ng/ml and F1 + 2 median 1.3, range [0.2-20) nm/l]. We also measured the physiological inhibitors of coagulation and fibrinolysis; there was no significant difference in the levels of antithrombin III, protein C or the Exner ratio between active and inactive disease. Free protein S levels were significantly lower in active disease (median 34, range 9-54 U/dl) than in remission (median 40, range 12-65 U/dl). Plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 (PAI-1) was significantly raised in remission (median 11, range 3-32 ng/ml) when compared to active disease (median 7, range 3-42 ng/ml). The D-dimer correlated significantly with fibrinopeptide A (P < 0.001), suggesting reactive fibrinolysis in some patients. Most (35/52, 67%) samples showed evidence of persistent haemostatic activation (elevated FpA and/or F1 + 2) during phases of apparent clinical remission in Crohn's disease, a factor that is not reflected by clinical activity scores. This study supports the hypothesis that coagulation is activated in the mesenteric vasculature of patients with Crohn's disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1489899", "title": "Monoclonal antibodies against the C-terminal peptide of human tissue factor for studies of the cytoplasmic domain.", "content": "The carboxyl-terminal cytoplasmic domain of human tissue factor (the essential cofactor for coagulation factor VII) is a prospective regulatory domain through which viable cells may control the expression of tissue factor activity. Furthermore, this domain is subject to post-translational modifications of as yet unknown functional significance. Hybridomas producing antibodies against the C-terminal domain of tissue factor were obtained using splenocytes harvested from mice immunized with a synthetic peptide corresponding to the nine terminal residues of the protein sequence. These antibodies, C28 1.1 and C28 2.1, react with purified placental tissue factor, but not with a recombinant soluble tissue factor lacking the cytoplasmic and membrane-spanning domains. This confirms that tissue factor from biological membranes contains the entire cytoplasmic domain predicted from the cDNA sequence, and provides a mechanism to determine whether tissue factor used experimentally retains this proteolytically sensitive epitope. The antibodies have been employed to demonstrate selective proteolytic removal of the carboxyl-terminal peptide from tissue factor. Limited experiments indicate that they will be useful for characterizing the distribution of vesicles with regard to the possible orientations of tissue factor on their surface."}
{"id": "PMID:1489891", "title": "Morphological and functional characterization of vascular muscle cells enzymatically dispersed from dog mesenteric arteries.", "content": "The objective of this study was to compare the properties of single smooth muscle cells enzymatically dispersed from the dog mesenteric arteries to the properties of similar cells functioning in tissue strips. The isolated cells remained relaxed in nominally Ca(2+)-free medium for about 1-2 h after exposure to 1 mM Ca2+ and like intact mesenteric artery rings did not contract spontaneously. Enzymatically dispersed cells maintained all the characteristic morphological features observed in strips of muscle prior to isolation except that the amorphous materials covering the smooth muscle cell surfaces (basal lamina) were absent after enzymatic dispersion. Addition of 100 mM KCl to these vascular muscle cells elicited maximal shortening in the presence but not in the absence of extracellular Ca2+ and KCl-induced cell shortening was prevented by 10(-7) M nifedipine indicating the presence of functional voltage-operated Ca2+ channels. However, in contrast to the vascular muscle strips, in which graded contractile responses were observed with increasing KCl concentrations, isolated vascular muscle cells underwent nearly maximal contraction at concentrations as low as 15 mM KCl. Both intact tissue and isolated cell preparations responded similarly to phenylephrine in a concentration-dependent manner and the responses were blocked by prazosin. In contrast to muscle strips, the isolated cells did not shorten in response to phenylephrine in Ca(2+)-free medium. Isolated muscle shortened in the presence of sarcoplasmic reticulum selective Ca2+ transport ATPase inhibitors, cyclopiazonic acid or thapsigargin. Ryanodine also caused contraction. We conclude that enzymatically dispersed smooth muscle cells from dog mesenteric arteries are potentially useful for studies of the regulation of smooth muscle contractility, but have significantly increased sensitivity to external K+, implying an altered membrane potential or voltage dependence of ion channels. Their impaired ability to contract to phenylephrine in Ca(2+)-free medium implies some alteration in intracellular Ca2+ stores of their coupling to cellular activation. These differences will affect how the data obtained from freshly isolated enzymatically dispersed vascular muscle cells may be extrapolated to cell studies in intact tissues."}
{"id": "PMID:1489900", "title": "The fibrinolytic potential in patients with Cushing's disease: a clue to their hypercoagulable state.", "content": "The aim of our study was to determine the fibrinolytic potential in a large group of patients with Cushing's disease. These patients had a significant shortening of the activated partial thromboplastin time and increase in factor VIII/von Willebrand factor complex compared to normal controls. The mean levels of plasminogen, tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) antigen and plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI) activity were significantly higher than in normal subjects, whereas the basal fibrinolytic activity was similar to that seen in the control group. In 17 out of 30 Cushing patients and in 17 normal subjects the fibrinolytic potential was determined with the venous occlusion test. In the Cushing group, the release of t-PA antigen after 20 min of venous occlusion was comparable to that observed in the control group. However, Cushing patients showed a lower fibrinolytic activity than normal subjects, since a lesser shortening of the euglobulin lysis time and a non-significant rise of plasminogen activator activity levels were found. Moreover, in these patients the PAI activity values remained unchanged and significantly increased after venous occlusion test also. In conclusion, the impaired fibrinolytic activation seen in Cushing patients after venous occlusion can be explained by the inhibitory effect of the high PAI levels on plasminogen activators. The defective fibrinolytic potential could further contribute to the hypercoagulable state in Cushing's disease. High PAI levels before surgery may represent an additional risk factor for post-surgical thromboembolic complications in Cushing patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1489901", "title": "A microtitre plate ELISA to measure thrombin-antithrombin complex using pan-specific antibodies.", "content": "A sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) has been developed to measure plasma levels of thrombin-antithrombin complex (TAT). The assay is performed in a microtitre plate using polyclonal antibodies specific for antigenic determinants on prothrombin and antithrombin. Antibody to prothrombin was immobilized on a solid phase, using a titre predetermined to optimize capture of TAT. The performance of the microtitre plate ELISA for TAT has been extensively investigated and compared with the performance characteristics of a tube-based ELISA for TAT which is available commercially (Enzygnost-TAT, from Behringwerke, Marburg, Germany). Studies with plasma containing various levels of prothrombin showed that the zymogen competed with TAT for capture antibody in both assays. Variations in prothrombin levels between plasma samples present a potential source of artifact, but one which does not critically affect the performance of either assay in detecting large elevations in TAT. A high correlation (r = 0.88) was established between the results of plasma samples assayed by both assays, whether citrate or EDTA anticoagulant was used to prepare plasma. High correlations (r > 0.90) were also established for each assay between the results of plasma prepared with EDTA as compared to citrate anticoagulant. Both assays were able to discriminate completely between a group of 16 normal controls and a group of 31 patients with disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC)."}
{"id": "PMID:1489902", "title": "The pathogenesis of accelerated fibrinolysis in hepatosplenic schistosomiasis.", "content": "Seventy patients with different stages of hepatosplenic schistosomiasis and 18 non-bilharzial normal controls were studied. Plasminogen, plasminogen activators (PA), tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA), urokinase-type plasminogen activator (u-PA), alpha 2-antiplasmin (alpha 2-AP), plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI), fibrinogen/fibrin degradation products (FDP) and D-dimer were determined to elucidate the role of plasminogen activators and inhibitors in the pathogenesis of accelerated fibrinolysis in schistosomiasis. There was a progressive increase in the levels of PA, t-PA, u-PA, FDP and D-dimer indicating enhanced fibrinolytic activity with advancing disease. In addition, there was progressive decrease of plasminogen, alpha 2-AP and PAI levels which might be due to decreased hepatic synthesis and/or increased peripheral consumption. These findings suggest that the pathogenesis of accelerated fibrinolysis in schistosomiasis is multifactorial, but may be due to the progressive increase in the levels of plasminogen activators. In addition, the increase of FDP and D-dimer levels are evidence of secondary fibrinolysis following thrombin generation."}
{"id": "PMID:1489903", "title": "The fibrinolytic system and proteins C and S in treated polycythaemia rubra vera.", "content": "This study was designed to assess whether factors other than high haemoglobin, thrombocytosis and abnormal platelet function predispose to thrombosis in polycythaemia rubra vera (PRV). Components of the fibrinolytic system and concentrations of the naturally occurring anticoagulants were measured in patients and controls in the resting state; the fibrinolytic capacity was reassessed after venous occlusion. The results were related to presence or absence of a history of thromboembolism. Under resting conditions, patients with PRV had reduced plasminogen activator inhibitor antigen levels and higher fibrin plate lysis area and tissue plasminogen activator activity. Protein C, protein S and factor V levels were reduced. Those patients with a history of thromboembolism had decreased tissue plasminogen activator activity after venous occlusion compared to those who had not experienced a thrombosis. We conclude that reduced fibrinolytic capacity may predispose to thrombosis in PRV. Despite treatment to normalize haemoglobin levels, the patients have persistent activation of their fibrinolytic systems. This, and reduced levels of proteins C and S, may be secondary to a chronic, clinically occult, disseminated intravascular coagulation."}
{"id": "PMID:1489905", "title": "Rod-like cholesterol micelles in aqueous solution studied using polarized and depolarized dynamic light scattering.", "content": "Micelles of cholesterol in aqueous solution have been investigated using polarized and depolarized dynamic light scattering. They are shown to be highly extended and characterized by a narrow size distribution. It is shown that a rod-like model is applicable with length, L = 580 nm. Determination of the rotational diffusion coefficient by analysis of the autocorrelation function gave a value of theta = 150 s-1, which is close to the calculated value for the rod with this dimension. Depolarized dynamic light scattering measurements as a function of angle gave a value of 110 s-1."}
{"id": "PMID:1489906", "title": "Structure of the myosin head in solution and the effect of light chain 2 removal.", "content": "Structural properties of rabbit skeletal myosin head (S1) and the influence of the DTNB light chain (LC2) on the size and shape of myosin heads in solution were investigated by small angle x-ray scattering. The LC2 deficient myosin head, S1 (-LC2), and the S1 containing LC2 light chain, S1 (+LC2) were studied in parallel. The respective values of the radius of gyration were found to be (40.2 +/- 0.5) A and (46.7 +/- 1) A, while the maximum dimension was (190 +/- 15) A for both species. The large difference between the two Rg values suggest that LC2 is located close to one extremity of the myosin head, in agreement with most electron microscopy observations. All models derived from the x-ray scattering pattern of the native myosin head share a common overall morphology, showing two main regions, an asymmetric globular portion which tapers smoothly into a thinner domain of roughly equivalent length making an angle of approximately 60 degrees, with a contour length of approximately 210 A."}
{"id": "PMID:1489907", "title": "Motion of actin filaments in the presence of myosin heads and ATP.", "content": "We measured, by fluorescence correlation spectroscopy, the motion of actin filaments in solution during hydrolysis of ATP by acto-heavy meromyosin (acto-HMM). The method relies on the fact that the intensity of fluorescence fluctuates as fluorescently labeled actin filaments enter and leave a small sample volume. The rapidity of these number fluctuations is characterized by the autocorrelation function, which decays to 0 in time that is related to the average velocity of translation of filaments. The time of decay of the autocorrelation function of bare actin filaments in solution was 10.59 +/- 0.85 s. Strongly bound (rigor) heads slowed down the diffusion. Direct observation of filaments under an optical microscope showed that addition of HMM did not change the average length or flexibility of actin filaments, suggesting that the decrease in diffusion was not due to a HMM-induced change in the shape of filaments. Rather, slowing down of translational motion was caused by an increase in the volume of the diffusing complex. Surprisingly, the addition of ATP to acto-HMM accelerated the motion of actin filaments. The acceleration was the greatest at the low molar ratios of HMM:actin. Direct observation of filaments under an optical microscope showed that in the presence of ATP the average length of filaments did not change and that the filaments became stiffer, suggesting that acceleration of diffusion was not due to an ATP-induced increase in flexibility of filaments. These results show that some of the energy of splitting of ATP is impaired to actin filaments and suggest that 0.06 +/- 0.02 of HMM interferes with the diffusion of actin filaments during hydrolysis of ATP."}
{"id": "PMID:1489908", "title": "Residue solvent accessibilities in the unfolded polypeptide chain.", "content": "The difference of solvent accessibilities in the native and unfolded states of the protein is used as a measure of the hydrophobic contribution to the free energy of folding. We present a new approximation of amino acids solvent accessibilities in the unfolded state based on the 1-ns molecular dynamics simulation of Ala-X-Ala tripeptides at a temperature of 368 K. The standard accessibility values averaged from the molecular dynamics study are significantly lower from those previously obtained by considering only selected conformations of Ala-X-Ala tripeptides."}
{"id": "PMID:1489909", "title": "Effects of domain connection and disconnection on the yields of in-plane bimolecular reactions in membranes.", "content": "It has recently been shown (Vaz, W.L.C., E.C.C. Melo, and T.E. Thompson. 1989. Biophys. J. 56:869-875; 1990. Biophys. J. 58:273-275) that in lipid bilayer membranes in which ordered and disordered phases coexist, the ordered phase can form a two-dimensional reticular structure that subdivides the coexisting disordered phase into a disconnected domain structure. Here we consider theoretically the yields of bimolecular reactions between membrane-localized reactants, when both the reactants and products are confined to the disordered phase. It is shown that compartmentalization of reactants in disconnected domains can lead to significant reductions in reaction yields. The reduction in yield was calculated for classical bimolecular processes and for enzyme-catalyzed reactions. These ideas can be used to explain certain experimental observations."}
{"id": "PMID:1489910", "title": "Computer modelling of glycolipids at membrane surfaces.", "content": "Interactions of membrane anchored molecules such as glycolipids with a membrane surface are important in determining headgroup conformation. It is therefore essential to represent these membrane surface interactions in molecular modeling studies of glycolipids and other membrane bound molecules. We introduce here an energy term that represents the interaction of molecules with a membrane bilayer. This membrane interaction energy term has been added to the potential energy function of a molecular dynamics and mechanics program and has been parameterized using partition coefficients between an aqueous solution and a vesicular membrane for two model glycolipids."}
{"id": "PMID:1489911", "title": "A synthetic analogue of melittin aggregates in large oligomers.", "content": "An analogue of melittin synthesized in the group of E. T. Kaiser (DeGrado, W. F., F. J. Ke\u017ady, and E. T. Kaiser. 1981. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 103:679-681) was investigated by Raman spectroscopy and fluorescence anisotropy decay. In water, the analogue is completely alpha-helical and aggregates in large oligomers of about 50 monomers. In vesicle membranes, it undergoes orientational fluctuations similar to melittin. The most significant difference from melittin, therefore, is the formation of straight helixes and their aggregation in large oligomers in water. We interpret this as a consequence of the lacking proline residue in the analogue. We, furthermore, hypothesize that the increased tendency for aggregation causes the increased hemolytic activity of the analogue."}
{"id": "PMID:1489912", "title": "Photogating of ionic currents across lipid bilayers. Electrostatics of ions and dipoles inside the membrane.", "content": "The conductances of the lipophilic ions tetraphenylboride and tetraphenylphosphonium across a lipid bilayer can be increased or decreased, i.e., gated, by the photoformation of closed-shell metalloporphyrin cations within the bilayer. The gating can be effected by pulsed or continuous light or by chemical oxidants. At high concentrations of lipophilic anions where the dark conductance is saturated due to space charge in the bilayer, the photogated conductance can increase 15-fold. The formation of porphyrin cations allows the conductance to increase to its nonspace charge limited value. Conversely, the decrease of conductance in the light of phosphonium cations diminishes toward zero as the dark conductance becomes space charge limited. We present electrostatic models of the space charge limited conductance that accurately fit the data. One model includes an exponentially varying dielectric constant for the polar regions of the bilayer that allows an analytical solution to the electrostatic problem. The exponential variation of the dielectric constant effectively screens the potential and implies that the inside and outside of real dielectric interfaces can be electrically isolated from one another. The charge density, the distance into the membrane of the ions, about one-quarter of its thickness, and the dielectric constant at that position are determined by these models. These calculations indicate that there is insufficient porphyrin charge density to cancel the boride ion space charge and the following article proposes a novel ion chain mechanism to explain these effects. These models indicate that the positive potential arising from oriented carbonyl ester groups, previously used to explain the 10(3)-fold larger conductance of hydrophobic anions over cations, is smaller than previously estimated. However, the synergistic movement of the positive choline group into the membrane can account for the large positive potential."}
{"id": "PMID:1489913", "title": "Photogating of ionic currents across lipid bilayers. Hydrophobic ion conductance by an ion chain mechanism.", "content": "The photogating of hydrophobic ion currents across the lipid bilayer membrane allows the direct study of their kinetics by symmetrically forming charge within the membrane and across each interface, rather than across the membrane. We find that the photoinduced conductance continues to increase beyond the region where the tetraphenylboride charge density in the membrane exceeds the estimated porphyrin cation density. This photoconductance is proportional to the tetraphenylboride charge density raised to the second to third power. The risetime of the photogating effect increases with increasing concentration of tetraphenyl boride. The porphyrin cation mobility is increased when the tetraphenylboride anion is present, and low concentrations of tetraphenylphosphonium cation increase the dark conductivity while inhibiting the photoconductivity. The activation energy for both the porphyrin and phosphonium cation induced conductance is more positive than that of the tetraphenylboride conductance. From these results we conclude that in addition to some cancellation of space charge within the membrane, the mechanism of increased conductance involves the transport of these hydrophobic anions via an alternating anion-cation chain, analogous to the Grotthuss mechanism for excess proton conduction in water. This ion chain conductance can be viewed as an evolutionary prototype of an ion channel across the membrane. It also underscores the importance of the counter ion in the transport of large ions such as peptides across the lipid bilayer."}
{"id": "PMID:1489914", "title": "Low temperature structures of dCpG-proflavine. Conformational and hydration effects.", "content": "The structure of the complex of dCpG with proflavine was determined using x-ray data taken at -130 degrees C (low temperature) and at -2 degrees C (cold temperature) and compared with the structure of the complex determined previously at room temperature (Shieh, H. S., H. M. Berman, M. Dabrow, and S. Neidle. 1980. Nucleic Acids Res. 8:85-97). Low temperature was refined with 5,125 reflections between 8.0 and 0.93 A, Anisotropically modeled temperature factors were used for DNA/drug atoms and isotropic ones for water oxygens to R factor of 12.2% in P2(1)2(1)2; a = 32.853, b = 21.760, c = 13.296 A. Cold temperature was refined isotropically with 2,846 reflections 8.0-0.89 A to R = 15.1% in P2(1)2(1)2; a = 32.867, b = 22.356, c = 13.461 A. Both structures are very similar to the room temperature one, though some important differences were observed: one guanine sugar moiety is disordered and additional water molecules have been located that give rise to infinite polyhedral hydration networks."}
{"id": "PMID:1489915", "title": "Pressure and low temperature effects on the fluorescence emission spectra and lifetimes of the photosynthetic components of cyanobacteria.", "content": "The effects of hydrostatic pressure on the excited state reactions of the photosynthetic system of cyanobacteria were studied with the use of stationary and dynamic fluorescence spectroscopy. When the cells were excited with blue light (442 nm), hydrostatic pressure promoted a large increase in the fluorescence emission of the phycobilisomes (PBS). When PBS were excited at 565 nm, the shoulder originating from photosystem II (PSII) emission (F685) disappeared under 2.4 kbar compression, suggesting suppression of the energy transfer from PBS to PSII. At atmospheric pressure, the excited state decay was complex due to energy transfer processes, and the best fit to the data consisted of a broad Lorentzian distribution of short lifetimes. At 2.4 kbar, the decay data changed to a narrower distribution of longer lifetimes, confirming the pressure-induced suppression of the energy transfer between the PBS and PSII. When the cells were excited with blue light, the decay at atmospheric pressure was even more complex and the best fit to the data consisted of a two-component Lorentzian distribution of short lifetimes. Under compression, the broad distribution of lifetimes spanning the region 100-1,000 ps disappeared and gave rise to the appearance of a narrow distribution characteristic of the PBS centered at 1.2 ns. The emission of photosystem I underwent 2.2-fold increase at 2.4 kbar and room temperature. A decrease in temperature from 20 to -10 degrees C at 2.4 kbar promoted a further increase in the fluorescence emission from photosystem I to a level comparable with that obtained at temperatures below 120 degrees K and atmospheric pressure. On the other hand, when the temperature was decreased under pressure, the PBS emission diminished to very low value at blue or green excitation, suggesting the disassembly into the phycobiliprotein subunits."}
{"id": "PMID:1489916", "title": "A model for binding of an antifreeze polypeptide to ice.", "content": "A model is proposed, based on recent peptide analog and ice crystal etching studies, whereby an alanine-rich, alpha-helical antifreeze polypeptide (AFP) from the winter flounder inhibits the growth of ice crystals by hydrogen bonding of Thr, Asn, and Asp side chains in a specific pattern to the [2021] hexagonal bipyramidal planes of ice. It is further suggested that this mode of binding is unidirectional, maximizing opportunities for packing of AFPs on the ice surface, and that ice crystal growth inhibition occurs by a two-step mechanism involving hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interpeptide interactions."}
{"id": "PMID:1489917", "title": "Locomotion forces generated by a polymorphonuclear leukocyte.", "content": "There have been very few studies which have measured the physical forces generated by cells during active movements. A special micropipette system has been designed to make it possible to observe cell motion within the pipette and to apply a pressure to counter the chemotactic migration of the cell. This provides a direct measure of the locomotion force generated by the cell. The average velocity of forward motion is 0.33 microns/s in the absence of counter-pressure. The application of a positive counter-pressure (C-P) causes a decrease in the velocity of the forward motion of the cell. At 17 cm H2O of C-P, the cell velocity drops to zero and even moves backward with a higher C-P. The results show that the decrement of velocity is linearly related to the magnitude of the C-P with a complete stoppage at a pressure of 17 cm H2O which corresponds to a force of 0.003 dyn. The maximum work rate of the cell is approximately 2.5 x 10(-8) erg/s."}
{"id": "PMID:1489918", "title": "Conformational adaptability of the terminal regions of flagellin.", "content": "Secondary structure formation in the disordered terminal regions of flagellin were studied by circular dichroic (CD) spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and x-ray diffraction. The terminal regions of flagellin are known to form alpha-helical bundles upon polymerization into flagellar filaments. We found from comparative CD studies of flagellin and its F40 tryptic fragment that a highly alpha-helical conformation can be induced and stabilized in the terminal regions in 2,2,2-trifluoroethanol (TFE) containing solutions, which is known to promote intra-molecular hydrogen bonding. Two oligopeptides, N(37-61) and C(470-494), each corresponding to a portion of terminal regions and predicted to have a high alpha-helix forming potential, were synthesized and studied. Both peptides were disordered in an aqueous environment, but they showed a strong tendency to assume alpha-helical structure in solutions containing TFE. On the other hand, peptides were found to form transparent gels at high concentrations (> 15 mg/ml) and all three methods confirmed that the peptides become ordered into a predominantly beta structure upon gel formation. Our results show that large segments of the disordered terminal regions of flagellin can adopt alpha-helical as well as beta structure depending on the environmental conditions. This high degree of conformational adaptability may be reflecting some unique characteristics of the flagellin termini, which are involved in self-assembly and polymorphism of flagellar filament."}
{"id": "PMID:1489919", "title": "Teaching macromolecular modeling.", "content": "Training newcomers to the field of macromolecular modeling is as difficult as is training beginners in x-ray crystallography, nuclear magnetic resonance, or other methods in structural biology. In one or two lectures, the most that can be conveyed is a general sense of the relationship between modeling and other structural methods. If a full semester is available, then students can be taught how molecular structures are built, manipulated, refined, and analyzed on a computer. Here we describe a one-semester modeling course that combines lectures, discussions, and a laboratory using a commercial modeling package. In the laboratory, students carry out prescribed exercises that are coordinated to the lectures, and they complete a term project on a modeling problem of their choice. The goal is to give students an understanding of what kinds of problems can be attacked by molecular modeling methods and which problems are beyond the current capabilities of those methods."}
{"id": "PMID:1489924", "title": "Distinct conformers of alkylchrysene diol epoxide-deoxyguanosine adducts detected by proton NMR.", "content": "Proton NMR spectra, obtained in MeOH-d4, of the major DNA adduct of 5,7-dimethylchrysene-1,2-diol 3,4-epoxide, identified as 1(R),2(S),3(S)-trihydroxy-4(S)-(N2-deoxyguanosyl)-1, 2,3,4-tetrahydro-5,7-dimethylchrysene, showed the presence of two distinct conformers. One conformer, similar to those observed previously in spectra of peracetates of related DNA adducts of anti-diol epoxides of polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons, had a chair-like conformation of the tetrahydrobenzo ring. The other conformer, which has not been previously observed, had a boat-like conformation of the tetrahydrobenzo ring. This conformer was converted to the chair-like conformer upon addition of D2O or trifluoroacetic acid to the MeOH-d4 solutions of the adduct. The new conformers were also observed in proton NMR spectra of major DNA adducts of 5-methylchrysene- and 5,6-dimethylchrysene-1,2-diol 3,4-epoxides."}
{"id": "PMID:1489925", "title": "Oxidation of cyclopenta[cd]pyrene by human and mouse liver microsomes and selected cytochrome P450 enzymes.", "content": "The metabolism of the environmental pollutant and suspected human carcinogen, cyclopenta[cd]pyrene (CPP), was investigated. Human liver microsomes from three individuals were examined, as well as CD-1 mouse liver microsomes. Five new metabolites recently identified in our lab, 4-hydroxy-3,4-dihydroCPP, 3,4-dihydroCPP-cis-3,4-diol, 4-oxo-3,4-dihydroCPP, 3,4,9,10-tetrahydroCPP-trans-3,4-trans-9,10-tetrol, and trans-3,4-dihydroCPP-3, 4,x-triols, as well as the known major metabolite, 3,4-dihydroCPP-trans-3,4-diol, were all observed from the incubations of human liver microsomes and CPP. Even though all three human samples were capable of producing all the metabolites identified from the mouse liver microsomal incubations of CPP, the quantity of each metabolite varied among the microsomal samples. In an attempt to explain the variation among human liver samples, the microsomes derived from genetically engineered cells containing specific cytochrome P450 isozyme cDNAs were employed. It was found that the 3,4-cyclopenta double bond can be oxidized by the cytochrome P450 enzymes 1A1, 1A2, and 3A4. The 9,10 K-region double bond was not efficiently oxidized by cytochrome P450 1A1, but by P450 1A2 either from CPP or from the t-3,4-dihydrodiol. The lack of catalytic activity of 3A4 toward the t-3,4-dihydrodiol, despite its high activity toward CPP oxidation to tetrahydrotetrols, suggests the possibility of two dihydrodiol epoxides, 3,4-dihydrodiol 9,10-epoxide and 9,10-dihydrodiol 3,4-epoxide, of CPP."}
{"id": "PMID:1489926", "title": "Evidence of involvement of multiple sites of metabolism in the in vivo covalent binding of dibenzo[a,h]pyrene to DNA.", "content": "The in vivo formation of dibenzo[a,h]pyrene-DNA adducts in mouse skin was assessed by laser-excited fluorescence spectroscopy at 77 and 4.2 K. Two adducts were identified with fluorescence origin bands at approximately 383.5 and 407.2 nm, and these were shown to possess pyrene and benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) chromophores, respectively. Both DNA-bound chromophores displayed considerable electron-phonon coupling and likely assume a highly base-stacked or quasi-intercalated configuration within DNA duplexes. The presence of B[a]P and pyrene aromatic systems indicates that two-electron or monooxygenation metabolism occurred on either the a or h benzo moieties (which are equivalent) in the former case, and on both these rings in the latter case. The presence of two adduct species agrees with 32P-postlabeling analysis of the DNA, which showed the presence of two major adducts in both thin-layer and high-performance liquid chromatographic separations."}
{"id": "PMID:1489927", "title": "Direct synthesis and identification of benzo[a]pyrene diol epoxide-deoxyguanosine binding sites in modified oligodeoxynucleotides.", "content": "Adducts derived from the reaction of the benzo[a]pyrene metabolite model compound (+)-anti-7 beta,8 alpha-dihydroxy-9 alpha,10 alpha-epoxy-7,8,9, 10-tetrahydrobenzo[a]pyrene [(+)-BPDE] with the single-stranded oligodeoxynucleotide 5'-d(TATGCGTAT) were obtained according to direct synthesis techniques described earlier [Cosman, M., Ibanez, V., Geacintov, N. E., and Harvey, R. G. (1990) Carcinogenesis 11, 1667-1672]. Four major adducts, involving trans and cis addition (trans/cis adduct ratio approximately 4.5) of (+)-BPDE to the exocyclic amino groups of guanines G4 and G6 (the numbers denote the positions of the guanines counted from the 5'-side) were obtained. These adducts can be separated from one another by reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography methods. The site of BPDE binding on either G4 or G6 can be determined from the electrophoresis band patterns on 20% polyacrylamide gels of the BPDE-modified oligonucleotides subjected to the G+A and G Maxam-Gilbert strand cleavage reactions [Maxam, A. M., and Gilbert, W. (1980) Methods. Enzymol. 65, 499-560]. The electrophoresis gel band patterns are different for unmodified DNA and the two different BPDE-modified oligonucleotides because (1) the strand cleavage fragments bearing BPDE residues migrate slower than the corresponding fragments derived from the unmodified oligonucleotide and (2) strand cleavage tends to be inhibited on the 5'-sides of BPDE-modified guanines in the G+A, but not the G reaction."}
{"id": "PMID:1489929", "title": "S-(2-hydroxy-3-buten-1-yl)glutathione and S-(1-hydroxy-3-buten-2-yl)glutathione are in vivo metabolites of butadiene monoxide: detection and quantitation in bile.", "content": "Administration (ip) of butadiene monoxide, a toxic metabolite of 1,3-butadiene, to rats caused the appearance of two new biliary peaks when analyzed by HPLC chromatography. These peaks were isolated and identified as the regioisomeric glutathione conjugates, S-(2-hydroxy-3-buten-1-yl)glutathione (I) and S-(1-hydroxy-3-buten-2-yl)glutathione (II), by comparison of their HPLC retention times and fast atom bombardment mass spectra to those of synthetic standards. S-(4-Hydroxy-2-buten-1-yl)glutathione, a rearrangement product formed during chemical synthesis or storage of I, was not detected. Whether butadiene monoxide was given at a dose of 14.3 or 143 mumol/kg, the amount of conjugates excreted in 30 min was at least 85% of that excreted in 120 min. Conjugate excretion in 60 min did not exhibit saturation when the butadiene monoxide dose was varied between 14.3 and 286 mumol/kg; the total amount of the butadiene monoxide dose excreted as combined I and II averaged only 7.6 +/- 4.2% (mean +/- SD, n = 12), with approximately a 3:1 ratio of isomers I:II being excreted at all butadiene monoxide doses. Whereas these results indicate a role for glutathione S-transferase-catalyzed reactions in butadiene monoxide metabolism in vivo, biliary excretion of I and II can only account for a small fraction of the butadiene monoxide dose given."}
{"id": "PMID:1489930", "title": "Oxidative conversion by rat liver microsomes of 2-naphthyl isothiocyanate to 2-naphthyl isocyanate, a genotoxicant.", "content": "The present study investigated the oxidative metabolism of 2-naphthyl isothiocyanate catalyzed by rat liver microsomes. Incubation of 2-naphthyl isothiocyanate, microsomes, and NADPH yielded either N,N'-di-2-naphthylurea or, on inclusion of 2-aminofluorene in the incubations, N-2-naphthyl-N'-2-fluorenylurea. These ureas were formed by the production of 2-naphthyl isocyanate, which reacted with its hydrolysis product, 2-aminonaphthalene, to yield the symmetrical urea or, with 2-aminofluorene, to form the mixed urea. Formation of N,N'-di-2-naphthylthiourea was also observed, since 2-aminonaphthalene reacted with the substrate. Urea formation was dependent on microsomes, NADPH, and O2. Use of microsomes from rats previously treated with Aroclor increased urea formation > or = 10-fold. The enzyme activity was inhibited by alpha-naphthoflavone, flavone, or CO and slightly inhibited by metyrapone, 7-ethoxycoumarin, or SKF-525A. It was not inhibited by methimazole or paraoxon. These data are consistent with a cytochrome P-450-dependent, oxidative desulfuration of the isothiocyanate to yield an isocyanate."}
{"id": "PMID:1489928", "title": "Fluoranthene metabolism: human and rat liver microsomes display different stereoselective formation of the trans-2,3-dihydrodiol.", "content": "The metabolism of the environmental carcinogen fluoroanthene by human liver microsomes was compared to that by liver microsomes from rats treated with Aroclor 1254. Although the human-derived system gave primarily one product, similar metabolites were noted from each system. Enantiomers of the major metabolic product, in both cases the trans-2,3-dihydrodiol, were separated by chiral stationary-phase chromatography. Absolute configurations were assigned by application of the benzoate exciton chirality rules to the CD spectra of the 4-(dimethylamino)benzoyl esters. Liver microsomes from Aroclor 1254-treated rats produced the R,R enantiomer of the diol in 75-78% enantiomeric excess, while human liver microsomes produced this enantiomer in only 6-12% excess. The activities of these enantiomers were compared in Salmonella typhimurium strain TM677 mutagenicity assays employing the 9000g supernatant of Aroclor 1254-induced rat liver homogenates. Both the syn- and anti-2,3-dihydrodiol 1,10b-epoxides, which had only been inferred to be metabolites in previous studies, were isolated from the microsomal incubations by preparative reverse-phase HPLC. The evident exceptional aqueous stabilities of these diol epoxides were further examined by half-life determination experiments. Their tetrahydrotetrol hydrolysis products were also noted in the metabolite HPLC profiles. The structures of the tetrahydrotetrols were confirmed by total synthesis."}
{"id": "PMID:1489932", "title": "Identification and characterization of deoxyguanosine-crotonaldehyde adducts. Formation of 7,8 cyclic adducts and 1,N2,7,8 bis-cyclic adducts.", "content": "Crotonaldehyde, a chemically reactive alpha,beta-unsaturated carbonyl compound, is an important industrial chemical and a ubiquitous environmental pollutant. It has been shown to be carcinogenic and mutagenic. We have studied the reaction of crotonaldehyde with nucleosides and 5'-mononucleotides and found three different types of adducts with deoxyguanosine and 2'-deoxyguanosine 5'-monophosphate. No adducts could be isolated either with nucleosides other than deoxyguanosine or with nucleotides other than 2'-deoxyguanosine 5'-monophosphate. With crotonaldehyde, deoxyguanosine produced 1,N2 and 7,8 adducts as well as 1,N2/7,8 bis-adducts. The 1,N2 adducts were mixtures of diastereomers: one pair in which the substituents in the newly formed ring were trans [adduct Ia (6S,8S) and (6R,8R)], about 94%, and another pair Ib in which they were cis. In the case of the 7,8-adducts IIa,b, the ribose was cleaved and a mixture of isomers in which the substituents were cis-IIa and trans-IIb (2:1) in the newly formed tetrahydropyrrole ring was observed. A 3:2 cis-IIIa and trans-IIIb mixture of 1,N2,7,8 bis-adducts was found with the isomerism in the newly formed tetrahydropyrrole ring in analogy to the 7,8 adducts IIa,b. The corresponding bis-adduct with the cis form in the newly formed tetrahydropyrimidine ring was not observed."}
{"id": "PMID:1489940", "title": "Simultaneous modelling of mexiletine and hydroxy-methyl-mexiletine data after single- and multiple-dose administration of a sustained-release mexiletine formulation.", "content": "The pharmacokinetics of mexiletine and its metabolite hydroxy-methyl-mexiletine have been investigated following single-dose and during multiple-dose administration of a sustained-release form of mexiletine to six post-myocardial infarct patients. Comparison of single-dose and washout pharmacokinetics, after short-term multiple-dose administration, showed significant (p < 0.005), but not systematic, modifications in mexiletine apparent clearance for three patients. Furthermore, for these patients, simulation with both sets of parameters indicated that the steady-state was achieved before washout experiment in two cases. The fraction of mexiletine metabolized to hydroxy-methyl-mexiletine was lower for multiple-dose administration (about 18 per cent) than for the single dose (about 42 per cent). The hydroxy-methyl-mexiletine elimination rate constant was about four times that of mexiletine. Mexiletine clearance could be accounted for by other metabolic pathways. In one patient, hydroxy-methyl-mexiletine was undetectable even during multiple-dose administration, despite a significant increase in mexiletine clearance. However, the observed changes in mexiletine disposition had no therapeutic implications and active plasma levels were achieved by the third day of administration and maintained in the therapeutic range (0.75 to 2 micrograms ml-1) in all patients after a twice daily dosage regimen."}
{"id": "PMID:1489934", "title": "The enzymatic formation and chemical reactivity of quinone methides correlate with alkylphenol-induced toxicity in rat hepatocytes.", "content": "The effects of o-alkyl substituents on both the cytochrome P450-catalyzed oxidation of phenols to p-quinone methides (QM's; 4-methylene-2,5-cyclohexadien-1-ones), and on the rates of nucleophilic additions to the 4-methylene carbon of QM's were investigated. The derivatives of 4-methylphenol studied were BHT (2,6-di-tert-butyl), BHTOH [6-tert-butyl-2-(hydroxy-tert-butyl)], BDMP (2-tert-butyl-6-methyl), BMP (2-tert-butyl), TMP (2,6-dimethyl), and DMP (2-methyl). QM formation was estimated to be in the range 0.17-0.70 nmol/(nmol of P450.min) in rat liver microsomes and 16-62 pmol/(10(6) cells.min) in isolated rat hepatocytes. QM's derived from BHT (BHT-QM), BHTOH (BHTOH-QM), BDMP (BDMP-QM), and TMP (TMP-QM) were synthesized and their rates of reaction with water and reduced glutathione (GSH) determined. BDMP-QM and TMP-QM were the most reactive, BHT-QM was consumed relatively slowly, and BHTOH-QM displayed intermediate reactivity. These variations in rate were rationalized by differences in hydrogen bonding with the carbonyl oxygen, which affects positive charge density at the site of nucleophilic attack. The loss of hepatocyte viability during incubations with BMP, BDMP, and BHTOH was preceded by GSH depletion. Pretreatment of hepatocytes with diethyl maleate exacerbated alkylphenol toxicity, and metyrapone protected the cells. These data, together with information on the formation and reactivity of QM's, strongly support the proposal that QM's mediate the toxicity of alkylated 4-methylphenols in rat hepatocytes."}
{"id": "PMID:1489935", "title": "Characterization of (+/-)-7,8,10-trihydroxy-7,8,9,10-tetrahydrobenzo[a]pyrene-9-sulfonate.", "content": "The genotoxicity of certain benzo[a]pyrene (BP) derivatives is significantly enhanced in strains of Salmonella typhimurium following addition of sulfite to the incubations. The interaction between sulfite and those BP derivatives also results in the formation of isomeric BP sulfonates. As these trihydroxy sulfonates are formed in incubations of BP derivatives and sulfite in which a marked potentiation of bacterial mutagenicity occurs, we have investigated the properties of these novel intermediates. The compound (+/-)-7,8,10-trihydroxy-7,8,9,10-tetrahydrobenzo[a]pyrene-9-sulfonate (BPT-9-sulfonate) was isolated and characterized in terms of its chemical and biological activity. This BPT sulfonate isomer is formed by the addition of the sulfite anion radical to the 9,10-double bond of the known promutagen, (+/-)-7,8-dihydroxy-7,8-dihydrobenzo[a]pyrene (BP-7,8-diol). Evidence for the free radical character of this addition includes the initiation of the reaction by either peroxidase-catalyzed or chemical one-electron oxidation of sulfite, the inhibition of the reaction by phenolic antioxidants, and the isolation and characterization of the chain termination product, 7,8-dihydroxy-7,8,9,10-tetrahydrobenzo[a]pyrene-9,10-disulfonate (BPD-disulfonate). Analysis of incubations of S. typhimurium strain TA98 with BP-7,8-diol and sulfite, which resulted in a 10-fold increase in revertant bacterial colonies above control levels, showed that BPT-9-sulfonate and BPD-disulfonate were the only isolable products derived from BP-7,8-diol. This prompted a further investigation of the chemistry of these products. BPT-9-sulfonate was found to be quite stable in aqueous media, being refractory to acid- or base-catalyzed hydrolysis over a pH range of 3-11.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1489941", "title": "Bioavailability of lithium from lithium citrate syrup versus conventional lithium carbonate tablets.", "content": "The bioavailability of lithium citrate syrup was compared with that of regular lithium carbonate tablets in 18 healthy male human volunteers. Blood samples were collected up to 48 h after dosing. Lithium serum concentrations were determined by means of AAS. The absorption rate following oral administration of the syrup was greater (tmax 0.8 h) than following administration of regular tablets (tmax 1.4 h). Maximum lithium serum concentrations, however, were only about 10 per cent higher after syrup dosing and serum concentrations resulting from syrup and tablets were almost superimposable from 2 h after dosing. The terminal half-life of lithium was found to be 22 h after syrup as well as after tablet dosing. No side-effects were observed during the study. The bioavailability of lithium from syrup relative to tablets was found to be bioequivalent with respect to the maximum lithium serum concentration and the extent of drug absorption (AUC)."}
{"id": "PMID:1489931", "title": "Mutagenic decomposition products of nitrosated 4-chloroindoles.", "content": "4-Chloro-6-methoxyindole, a constituent of fava beans, forms a potent direct-acting mutagen, 4-chloro-6-methoxy-2-hydroxy-1-nitrosoindolin-3-one oxime, when nitrosated. In order to better understand the properties of this mutagen, we have studied a readily-available analog, 4-chloro-2-hydroxy-1-nitrosoindolin-3-one oxime, prepared by nitrosation of 4-chloroindole. This analog is also mutagenic, and both mutagens decompose rapidly at neutral or higher pH to yield in each case a new, less potent mutagen which then reacts further to form a nonmutagenic final product. The two products arising from 4-chloro-2-hydroxy-1-nitrosoindolin-3-one oxime, on the basis of comparison of spectroscopic and chromatographic evidence with that from authentic standards, are 4-chloro-N-nitrosodioxindole and 4-chloroisatin; those arising from 4-chloro-6-methoxy-2-hydroxy-1-nitrosoindolin-3-one oxime appear to be the corresponding 6-methoxy analogs. The interplay of these pathways with respect to net biological activity, especially under gastric conditions, remains to be described."}
{"id": "PMID:1489942", "title": "Effect of congestive heart failure on clentiazem pharmacokinetics in a dog model.", "content": "Clentiazem, 8-chloro diltiazem, is a calcium channel blocker currently undergoing evaluation for the treatment of stable angina and hypertension. As patients with ischaemic disorders often present some degree of heart failure, the aim of this study was to investigate the effect of congestive heart failure on clentiazem (200 micrograms kg-1, i.v. bolus) pharmacokinetics in a canine model. Congestive heart failure was induced in six dogs by rapid ventricular pacing (240 beats min-1) for 3-5 weeks. Clentiazem pharmacokinetics was studied in each dog under the control condition and after the development of clinical signs of heart failure (ascites, dyspnea, fatigue). Blood samples were collected up to 480 min post-dose. Clentiazem plasma concentrations were determined by high performance liquid chromatography. The area under the plasma concentration versus time curves (AUC0-infinity) was significantly increased in congestive heart failure dogs (8.8 +/- 1.6 vs 21.8 +/- 1.4 micrograms min ml-1) (mean +/- SEM). These changes were related to a reduction of the volume of distribution of the central compartment (0.9 +/- 0.1 vs 0.2 +/- 0.11 kg-1) and total body clearance (1.9 +/- 0.4 vs 0.7 +/- 0.21 h-1 kg-1). It is concluded that, in our model, congestive heart failure significantly modifies clentiazem disposition. These results suggest that caution should be exercised when clentiazem is given to patients with a low ejection fraction and a compromised cardiac function. Reduced loading and maintenance doses might be recommended in patients with severe congestive heart failure."}
{"id": "PMID:1489937", "title": "Formation of 3,N4-ethenocytidine, 1,N6-ethenoadenosine, and 1,N2-ethenoguanosine in reactions of mucochloric acid with nucleosides.", "content": "Mucochloric acid, a genotoxic hydroxyfuranone found in chlorinated drinking water, was reacted with cytidine, adenosine, guanosine, and uridine. HPLC analyses with UV detection at 290 nm showed that one major product peak was formed in the reactions of cytidine, adenosine, and guanosine. The products formed in reactions carried out at 90 degrees C for 24 or 45 h were isolated by HPLC and characterized by 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy, direct inlet chemical ionization mass spectrometry, and UV absorbance spectroscopy. The structures of the products were assigned to 3,N4-ethenocytidine, 1,N6-ethenoadenosine, and 1,N2-ethenoguanosine. In reactions performed at 37 degrees C and pH 7.0 the same compounds were detected after a reaction time of 7 days. No observable reaction took place between mucochloric acid and uridine."}
{"id": "PMID:1489933", "title": "Nickel(II)-mediated oxidative DNA base damage in renal and hepatic chromatin of pregnant rats and their fetuses. Possible relevance to carcinogenesis.", "content": "DNA base damage was studied in renal and hepatic chromatin of nickel(II)-injected pregnant female F344/NCr rats and their fetuses under conditions leading to initiation of sodium barbital-promotable renal tumors, but not liver tumors, in the male offspring. Pregnant rats were given a total of 90 or 180 mumol of nickel(II) acetate/kg body wt in a single ip dose on day 17 or in 2 or 4 ip doses between days 12 and 18 of gestation. Control rats received 180 mumol of sodium acetate/kg body wt. The animals were killed 24 or 48 h after the last injection. Chromatin was isolated from livers and kidneys from both adults and fetuses and analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry with selected ion monitoring. Eleven products derived from the purine and pyrimidine bases in DNA bases were identified and quantified. These were the following: 5-hydroxy-5-methylhydantoin, 5-hydroxyhydantoin, 5-(hydroxymethyl)uracil, cytosine glycol, thymine glycol, 5,6-dihydroxycystosine, 4,6-diamino-5-formamidopyrimidine, 2,6-diamino-4-hydroxy-5-formamidopyrimidine, 8-hydroxyadenine, 2-hydroxyadenine, and 8-hydroxyguanine (8-OH-Gua). Nickel(II) exposure increased the content of these products, especially those derived from purines, in both renal and hepatic chromatin of pregnant rats. The major difference between these two organs was the content of 8-OH-Gua, which increased greatly in the kidney but remained unchanged in the liver.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1489938", "title": "In vitro metabolism and DNA adduct formation from the mutagenic environmental contaminant 2-nitrofluoranthene.", "content": "The metabolism and DNA adduct formation by the mutagenic environmental contaminant 2-nitrofluoranthene (2-NFA) were studied. Incubation under aerobic conditions with liver microsomes of rats pretreated with 3-methylcholanthrene yielded trans-7,8-dihydroxy-7,8-dihydro-2-nitrofluoranthene, trans-9,10-dihydroxy-9,10-dihydro-2-nitrofluoranthene, and 7-, 8-, and 9-phenolic metabolites. When the epoxide hydrolase inhibitor 3,3,3-trichloropropylene was present in the incubation, only phenolic metabolites were detected. Under hypoxic conditions, 2-aminofluoranthene was obtained, together with a trace of the ring-oxidized metabolites. The activated metabolite, N-hydroxy-2-aminofluoranthene, was prepared in situ and reacted with calf thymus DNA. Upon enzymatic hydrolysis of the DNA and purification by HPLC, a C8-substituted deoxyguanosine adduct, N-(deoxyguanosin-8-yl)-2-aminofluoranthene, was identified by mass and proton NMR spectral analysis. This adduct was also formed at a level of 10 pmol/mg of DNA when 2-NFA was metabolized by xanthine oxidase, 6 pmol/mg of DNA from incubation with liver microsomes of rats pretreated with 3-methylcholanthrene, and 3-pmol/mg of DNA from metabolism by liver microsomes of rats pretreated with phenobarbital."}
{"id": "PMID:1489936", "title": "Metabolism of the food mutagen 2-amino-3-methylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoline in nonhuman primates undergoing carcinogen bioassay.", "content": "2-Amino-3-methylimidazo[4.5-f]quinoline (IQ) is a potent bacterial mutagen and rodent carcinogen which also produces hepatocellular carcinoma in monkeys. The metabolism and disposition of this procarcinogen were investigated in monkeys undergoing carcinogen bioassay and in monkeys given an acute dose of IQ. Analysis of urine, feces, and bile revealed that IQ was extensively metabolized. A number of metabolites in urine were purified by high-performance liquid chromatography and characterized by 1H NMR and mass spectroscopy. Metabolites resulted from cytochrome P450-mediated ring oxidation at the C-5 position or N-demethylation. These metabolites could be further transformed by conjugation to sulfate or beta-glucuronic acid. Glucuronidation and sulfamate formation at the exocyclic amine group were other major routes of metabolism. Enteric bacteria also contributed to IQ biotransformation by forming the 7-oxo derivatives of IQ and N-demethyl-IQ. The metastable N2-glucuronide conjugate of the carcinogenic metabolite, 2-(hydroxyamino)-3-methylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoline, was found in urine. This indicates that metabolic activation through cytochrome P450-mediated N-oxidation occurs in vivo and that glucuronidation is a means of transport of the carcinogenic metabolite to extrahepatic tissues."}
{"id": "PMID:1489943", "title": "The effects of chronic oral diltiazem and cimetidine dosing on the pharmacokinetics and negative dromotropic action of intravenous and oral diltiazem in the dog.", "content": "The kinetics and negative dromotropic action of intravenous (1 mg kg-1) and oral (5 mg kg-1) diltiazem were studied in dogs after acute doses, after treatment for 3 days with oral diltiazem (5 mg kg-1, t.i.d.), and after 3 days' treatment with oral diltiazem (5 mg kg-1 t.i.d.) and cimetidine (200 mg t.i.d.). Plasma concentrations of diltiazem and two of its metabolites, desacetyldiltiazem and desmethyldiltiazem were measured by HPLC. Chronic oral dosing significantly lowered both the systemic and oral clearance of diltiazem, with no changes in either the volume of distribution or blood binding of diltiazem. Cimetidine treatment resulted in a significant reduction in diltiazem oral clearance from chronic control with no effect on its systemic clearance. The AUCs of both metabolites increased by greater than threefold from acute to chronic oral dosing; however, the ratio of each metabolite's AUC to that of diltiazem AUC was not significantly altered. Cimetidine treatment significantly lowered these ratios. The negative dromotropic potency of diltiazem after the acute oral dose was three times greater than that after intravenous or chronic control dosing. Cimetidine treatment resulted in further lowering chronic oral diltiazem potency. These data indicate that the disposition and negative dromotropic action of diltiazem is dependent both on the route of administration and the duration of treatment, and can be altered by co-administration with cimetidine."}
{"id": "PMID:1489944", "title": "Simultaneous monitoring of bemoradan pharmacokinetics and hemodynamics in mongrel dogs.", "content": "This study was designed to determine the relationship between the hemodynamic responses to bemoradan, a novel cardiotonic agent, and its plasma levels after single administration of an oral dose or a 15 minute i.v. infusion to mongrel dogs, and to demonstrate that the clinical capsule formulation of bemoradan elicits a pharmacological response in the dog. Four conscious, instrumented mongrel dogs received each of four bemoradan treatments (30 micrograms kg-1 i.v., 100 micrograms kg-1 i.v., 100 micrograms kg-1 suspension p.o., or 1 mg capsule p.o.) in a Latin square cross-over design. Plasma levels of bemoradan up to 24 h post-dosing were determined by HPLC. Cardiac contractility (dP/dt), heart rate, and arterial blood pressure were continuously monitored for 8 h and again at 24 h. Results of the study indicate that there was a significant correlation between bemoradan plasma levels and dP/dt. The 1 mg clinical capsule formulation was well absorbed when compared to an oral suspension and an i.v. dose. Peak increases in dP/dt of 64 per cent at 15 min for the suspension and 53 per cent at 1 h for the capsule were observed."}
{"id": "PMID:1489945", "title": "In vivo evaluation of the effect of the size and opsonization on the hepatic extraction of liposomes in rats: an application of Oldendorf method.", "content": "In the hepatic uptake of large particles such as liposomes, a serum component called opsonin plays an important role. In this study, the 'Oldendorf method' is introduced to evaluate the hepatic extraction under the condition of single passage, which enabled examination of the effect of opsonization on liposome uptake by the intact liver. 14C-labelled liposomes and, an internal reference, 3H-H2O were injected as a bolus into portal vein. Liver uptake index (LUI) was calculated from the ratio of the extraction of 14C to that of 3H. The effect of liposome size (mean diameter of 0.8, 0.4, 0.2, and 0.05 micron) and opsonization (preincubation with fresh blood for 5 min) on liposomal hepatic uptake were investigated using this method. LUI increased with size significantly (p < 0.001), and opsonization enhanced LUI only for the large liposomes (0.8 micron). This result suggests that the critical diameter of opsonization for these liposomes lies between 0.4 and 0.8 micron."}
{"id": "PMID:1489939", "title": "A thermospray liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry method for analysis of human urine for the major malondialdehyde-guanine adduct.", "content": "A method is described for detection and quantitation of the major malondialdehyde-guanine adduct (M1G) based on thermospray liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry. A stable isotope analog of M1G ([2H2]M1G) was used as an internal standard. Thermospray mass spectra of M1G and [2H2]M1G showed intense protonated molecular (MH+) ions that were suitable for use in quantitation of M1G. M1G was purified from human urine and reduced with NaBH4 to a dihydro derivative that was cleanly separated from the contaminants in the urine. The detection limit of reduced M1G by thermospray liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry in the selected ion monitoring mode was 250 fmol on column. Six human urine samples were analyzed, and the concentrations of M1G were below the limit of detection of the assay (500 fmol/mL)."}
{"id": "PMID:1489946", "title": "Extrahepatic production of the lignocaine metabolite monoethylglycinexylidide (MEGX).", "content": "The extrahepatic production of monoethylglycinexylidide (MEGX) from lignocaine was measured in a 20-year-old female rendered anhepatic while awaiting liver transplantation 4 days after a paracetamol overdose. Following hepatectomy and during continuous arteriovenous dialysis, cardiac stability and control over rising intracranial pressure was restored. Lignocaine (1 mg kg body weight-1 intravenously over 2 min) reached a subtherapeutic peak serum concentration of 0.89 mg l-1 and was rapidly and exponentially cleared, reaching the lower limit of detection after 5 h (cf. around 2 h in normal subjects). There was significant production of MEGX at extrahepatic sites with serum concentrations rising from undetectable levels to 15 micrograms l-1 at 15 min and to a peak of 30 micrograms l-1 at 2 h and falling thereafter. MEGX concentrations were similar in arterial, venous, and pulmonary arterial blood, suggesting minimal MEGX production in the heart, lungs or skeletal muscle. Extrahepatic production of MEGX may contribute to total MEGX formation and should be considered when interpreting test results."}
{"id": "PMID:1489953", "title": "Genetic disease: effects on human health.", "content": "Genetic variation (chromosomal, single gene, multifactorial) is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in human populations. It increases in relative importance along with improvement in socioeconomic and environmental conditions and in association with prudent lifestyle. It affects longevity, development, reproductive capability, schooling, work and appearance of individuals. Its evidence is ubiquitous in the health care disciplines. Health care systems in general do not provide resources to meet the demand for genetics. Prevention of mutations, avoidance of their effects by reproductive counseling and treatment to offset mutant phenotypes are increasingly relevant scientific initiatives with broad social implications."}
{"id": "PMID:1489958", "title": "Delivery of genetic screening services.", "content": "This paper describes the genetic services in the United Kingdom and how the evolution of genetic screening services is taking place. Since these Community Genetic Services depend on the offer of a screening test that affects the whole population, it is essential that the community is given genetic education and an opportunity to discuss the issues before services are initiated. In this way, the differing beliefs and needs of individual communities are appropriately taken into account. The development of screening services for cystic fibrosis will show whether this community-orientated model can be successful."}
{"id": "PMID:1489964", "title": "Absenteeism as a symptom of occupational ill-health in hospitals and its repercussion on quality assurance.", "content": "The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the importance of absenteeism due to illness in the hospital organization. A measurement of absenteeism due to illness among hospital professionals of the National Health System in the Alicante province (Spain) during the years 1988, 1989 and 1990 was carried out, as well as its repercussion on quality assurance in health care. The absenteeism index (frequency) was 5.39, 6.38 and 6.79 in 1988, 1989 and 1990, respectively. The extent of absenteeism (duration) in 1988 was 19.7 days per worker, and was 24.23 in 1989 and 26.45 in 1990. Hospitals with more than 400 beds presented during these periods poor absenteeism self-control. Maintenance personnel, nurses, administrative personnel and graduates had, in this order, the highest scores of days lost. We show that the dimension of Intrinsic Job Satisfaction, Extrinsic Job Satisfaction and Job Monotony are interrelated with absenteeism."}
{"id": "PMID:1489965", "title": "Outcomes of care for anesthesia services: a pilot study.", "content": "This paper describes a pilot study involving 4347 patient abstracts collected by anesthesia providers during the first quarter of 1991 under the auspices of the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists. Descriptive statistics are presented on surgical site, type of provider and utilization of anesthetic agents as well as the prevalence of 87 preexisting conditions and the incidence of 103 adverse events."}
{"id": "PMID:1489966", "title": "Why do cardiology out-patient appointments fail in Saudi Arabia?", "content": "In a retrospective study, 534 appointments for a cardiology clinic were analysed to determine the frequency of no-show and to identify contributory factors. The overall rate of no-show was 30.1%, which is higher than the 18% and 20% reported from other teaching hospitals. Variables with the strongest univariate association with no-show were nationality (Saudi 35%, non-Saudi 22%; p = 0.0015), gender (males 34%, females 25%; p = 0.03), heart failure (present 44%, absent 27.9%; p = 0.005) and valvular heart disease (present 23.4%, absent 32.6%; p = 0.04). Turning to a stepwise logistic regression to predict no-show behaviour, we found that nationality, gender and heart failure were significant, while valvular heart disease was not. We conclude by recommending that physicians and mass media should share in the responsibility of stressing the importance of keeping out-patient department (OPD) appointments to all patients especially those who are more prone to no-show behaviour, namely male nationals. Telephone and mailed reminders have been used successfully to improve attendance at the OPD, and can be evaluated in our community."}
{"id": "PMID:1489967", "title": "An evaluation of the mathematical skills of beginner Swedish nursing students.", "content": "During the autumn of 1989 a mathematical test was given to 997 students attending a 2-year program of nursing education and 188 students on a 3-year program of nursing education. The test consisted of 65 items. Apart from the four fundamental rules of arithmetics, the test included calculations concerning fractions, scales, transformation of units and percentages. The level of the test was comparable to the 9-year compulsory school curriculum. The main purpose of the present study was to investigate whether nursing students had adequate knowledge and skills in mathematics when they started their studies. The result showed that approximately 50% of the items were solved correctly. The nursing students attending a 3-year nursing education program had higher average scores than the group attending a 2-year education program. The result is discussed in connection with medical errors. The Swedish Medical Responsibility Board supervises nurses' professional work and penalizes those who give wrong doses of drugs to patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1489968", "title": "\"Avoidable\" causes of death in Sweden 1974-85.", "content": "Mortality from potentially avoidable causes of death in Sweden 1974-85 for ages 0-64 years was analysed, based on a list published by Rutstein et al., [N Engl J Med 294: 582, 1976] of conditions that were suggested to serve as negative indicators of the quality of health care. In females 22% of deaths and in males 18% of deaths had underlying causes that were included in the list. Deaths from avoidable causes in the Rutstein list were concentrated to a limited number of causes of death and cause of death groups, such as neoplasms and diseases of the respiratory system. Both preventable and treatable conditions were found among the most common avoidable causes of death. There were differences in the causes of death that were most common between different age groups. A large number of the avoidable causes of death were relatively rare in Sweden. Areas for continued methodological development are suggested concerning the choice of avoidable causes of death and the definition of standards."}
{"id": "PMID:1489969", "title": "Comparison of information: a way to improve the quality of health care.", "content": "Quality of care is a growing concern of health care providers, financers and consumers, as regards both the cost and the outcome. Uncertainty about what is appropriate health care has triggered interest in comparing the outcomes of different health care practices. This paper addresses the necessity to compare information on variations in practice, utilization and cost of health care delivery. However, for general improvements in the outcome of health care, a variety of partners, such as ministries of health, non-governmental organizations, professional societies, third party financers and consumer groups, must be actively involved. The Regional Office for Europe of the World Health Organization (WHO/EURO) regularly collects data from member states. Such data collection is part of the monitoring of the European regional strategy for Health for All by the year 2000. These data can and actually are being used for the purpose of comparison of achievements in accordance with the European Health for All policy in member states. In addition, other indicators, information systems and longitudinal databases are being developed in collaboration with different professions, and provider and community groups to serve as instruments for quality assurance in the European region primarily at the level of health care services. However, this approach, which has been promoted over the past decade by the Quality of Care and Technologies programme of the WHO/EURO, is gradually gaining momentum at all levels of health care as a useful tool for quality assessment and development."}
{"id": "PMID:1489971", "title": "Mouse embryo stem cells: their identification, propagation and manipulation.", "content": "The early mouse embryo contains a transient population of pluripotential stem cells which are responsible for generating both the foetal primordia and extraembryonic membranes. The characterisation of murine embryo stem cells and their isolation and propagation in culture provides the first instance in which pure populations of normal stem cells are directly accessible to the researcher. This marks a considerable advance in stem cell biology which may pave the way to the dissection of general stem cell control mechanisms and the identification of key regulatory factors. In addition, the genetic manipulation of embryo stem cells affords a unique avenue for experimental intervention in mammalian development and for controlled modification of the mouse germ line."}
{"id": "PMID:1489972", "title": "Multipotential stem cells in the vertebrate CNS.", "content": "The functional differences between the many mature neuronal types make the origins of cellular diversity in the nervous system one of the most intriguing problems in biology. This paper discusses recent experiments which explore the mechanisms generating cell diversity in the vertebrate central nervous system, focusing particularly on the immediate precursor to neurons and on neuronal differentiation. Transplantation experiments have been used to explore regional and temporal differences in the cells of the neuroepithelium. The effects of specific genes on neuronal development have been examined by mutational analysis in transgenic mice and in established neuronal stem cell lines. The combination of methods now available allow increasingly powerful dissection of the molecular and cellular mechanisms that generate the large number of different neurons in the vertebrate brain."}
{"id": "PMID:1489973", "title": "The O-2A(adult) progenitor cell: a glial stem cell of the adult central nervous system.", "content": "Systematic comparison of the properties of oligodendrocyte-type-2 astrocyte (O-2A) progenitor cells derived from optic nerves of perinatal and adult rats has revealed that these two populations differ in many fundamental properties. In particular, O-2A(perinatal) progenitor cells are rapidly dividing cells capable of generating large numbers of oligodendrocytes over a relatively short time span. Oligodendrocyte differentiation generally occurs synchronously in all members of a clone, thus leading to elimination of that clone from the pool of dividing cells. However, some O-2A(perinatal) progenitors are also capable of giving rise to O-2A(adult) progenitors. These latter cells express many of the characteristics of stem cells of adult animals, including the capacity to undergo asymmetric division and differentiation. We suggest that precursors which function during early development give rise to terminally differentiated end-stage cells and to a second generation of precursors with properties more appropriate for later developmental stages. It is this second generation of precursors which express the properties of stem cells in adult animals, and we therefore further suggest that our work offers novel insights into the possible developmental origin of stem cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1489974", "title": "The haemopoietic stem cell: properties and control mechanisms.", "content": "All the cells of the immuno-haemopoietic system derive ultimately from a single pluripotent stem cell through processes of commitment and differentiation. The stem cell is also likely to be capable of extensive self renewal. Many factors which potentially control these processes have been identified and characterised both in vitro and in vivo. We discuss the nature of the haemopoietic stem cell and also the factors which have been identified as potential stem cell regulators. We also draw parallels from embryonal stem cell differentiation to derive a model of intrinsic determination of the haemopoietic stem cell. The possible role of developmental regulators, such as homeobox containing genes, are discussed in the context of differentiation commitment of the haemopoietic stem cell."}
{"id": "PMID:1489975", "title": "Epidermal keratinocyte stem cells: their maintenance and regulation.", "content": "The epidermis is a stratified epithelium consisting of interfollicular regions and appendages (hair follicles, sweat glands, sebaceous glands). The dominant cell type (the keratinocyte) is arranged in groups of cells termed epidermal proliferative units (EPUs), and one centrally-located clonogenic stem cell is ultimately responsible for replacing the remainder of the cells in the unit. Evidence is reviewed which indicates that the epidermal Langerhans' cell (ELC), and the cells comprising the dermis, may modify the keratinocyte microenvironment to create stem cell 'niches' and cellular diversity within the basal layer."}
{"id": "PMID:1489976", "title": "Epithelial stem cells in gastrointestinal morphogenesis, adaptation and carcinogenesis.", "content": "Epithelial stem cells have a central role in the physiological maintenance of epithelial tissues in a steady state. In addition it is becoming clear that these cells may also be implicated in the generation of metaplastic epithelia and ultimately the generation of neoplastic epithelia. This review aims to compare and contrast stem cells and their functions in different areas of the gastrointestinal tract in an attempt to emphasise unifying concepts. New methods of 'organotypic' cell culture can potentially be applied to the study of gastrointestinal stem cells and are, therefore, also discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1489977", "title": "What do patients want to know about their inflammatory bowel disease?", "content": "Being informed is not only a patient's right, it is also important in order to improve compliance and management. Apart from verbal consultations, informative material is often produced without prior analysis of what patients consider important to know. Patient information needs were defined in order to plan future educational programmes. A 44-item questionnaire was given to 100 Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) out-patients (50 Crohn's Disease (CD) and 50 Ulcerative Colitis (UC). Sixty-two per cent of those with UC and 78% of those with CD consider themselves insufficiently informed about their disease. CU and CD patients indicated different priorities concerning areas where further information is requested: CD patient needs were aetiology, diet, symptoms, history, new treatments, risks deriving from treatment, cancer risk and consequences on work. UC patients indicated a different priority order: risk of cancer, new treatments, symptoms, psychological and diet factors and aetiology. The media preferred by patients were: specifically prepared books (73%), video-cassettes (20%) and leaflets (25%). Ninety per cent think that educational material prepared according to their needs could be very useful; however 35% think that knowledge of the possible severity of their disease might increase their anxiety."}
{"id": "PMID:1489982", "title": "Animal models for heat stroke studies.", "content": "Heat stroke is a medical emergency where quick diagnosis and management of victims are essential for positive prognosis. Several biochemical, physiological and hematological changes were observed in heat stroke. It seems that all of these changes are a consequence of induced tissue damage, or may have been a compensatory action by the body. Induction of hyperthermia and temperature measurement are important components in heat stroke studies to determine the stage of progression or regression of heat stroke. Several animal models have been established by investigators in heat related studies. Rats, dogs, monkeys, baboons, cows, rabbits, sheep and chicks have all been used in such studies that allow manipulation of exposure conditions and various designs of experiments. Amongst these species, rats, rabbits and sheep are the most suitable models because of their similarity to man in response to high temperature and in relation to their availability, cost and simplicity of handling. Such models may be used to study various pharmacological and biochemical parameters and functions concurrently. Further informations could also be obtained from isolated organ studies. The present review is to analyse and compare the available methodology for heat stroke studies."}
{"id": "PMID:1489978", "title": "Primary sclerosing cholangitis: an analysis of 37 retrospective cases.", "content": "The clinical and laboratory findings of 37 patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) were reviewed. Mean age was 43.8 years, sex ratio between males and females was 3:1; IBD was present in 91% of patients with 51% having ulcerative colitis, 23% unclassified colitis and 17% Crohn's disease. Twenty-seven patients (73%) were symptomatic presenting most commonly with fatigue, pruritus and hepato-splenomegaly. Cholangiography revealed abnormalities affecting both extrahepatic and intrahepatic biliary ductal systems in 51.8% of cases, and only the intrahepatic or extrahepatic biliary tree, respectively in 11.1% and in 37% of cases. The last prevalence was very high compared with that previously known. Clinical and biochemical data, when compared between asymptomatics and symptomatics, demonstrated a significant difference only for alkaline phosphatase which increased in the symptomatic group and for prothrombin activity which decreased among symptomatic patients. Nevertheless, predictive value of sALP for the presence of PSC was high when pts were pooled together with a randomly selected group of 36 non-affected persons that underwent ERCP for suspected primary sclerosing cholangitis: sensitivity was 94% and specificity 78%."}
{"id": "PMID:1489983", "title": "4-Trimethylammonium antipyrine: a quaternary ammonium nonradionuclide marker for blood-brain barrier integrity during in vivo microdialysis.", "content": "The well-controlled microdialysis (MD) study of substance permeation into brain extracellular fluid (ECF) and cerebrospinal fluid requires consideration of blood-brain barrier (BBB) integrity, which might be compromised by microdialysis probe implantation. Others have assessed BBB integrity with radionuclide markers. A nonradionuclide marker may be desirable in many studies. A charged antipyrine analogue may be useful to determine BBB integrity with concomitant antipyrine characterization of probe efficiency (Yokel et al., 1992, J Pharmacol Toxicol Methods 27:135-142), and may not require another analytical technique. We synthesized, validated, and evaluated 4-trimethylammonium antipyrine (4TMA-AP) as a BBB integrity marker. BBB permeation was determined by calculation of a BBB integrity percentage (Pi) from brain/blood concentrations. The PiS of Evan's blue, which does not permeate the intact BBB, and 4TMA-AP were not significantly different in rats without known BBB disruption, suggesting a lack of 4TMA-AP permeation through the intact BBB. When MD probes were slowly implanted into the frontal cortex, 4TMA-AP PiS were usually zero. Intracarotid oleic acid injection to open the BBB significantly increased 4TMA-AP PiS, suggesting that 4TMA-AP entered brain ECF when the BBB was compromised. Rapid probe implantation produced increased 4TMA-AP PiS, suggesting BBB disruption. The predicted appearance of 4TMA-AP in brain ECF suggests that it is a BBB integrity marker."}
{"id": "PMID:1489984", "title": "In vitro measurement of endogenous norepinephrine release from small blood vessels with short stimulation trains.", "content": "We have previously developed a low-volume perfusion-superfusion system for studying neurotransmitter release in small blood vessels. We now extend this technique to allow for the measurement of neurotransmitter release with short stimulation trains in order to examine modulating factors such as activation of prejunctional receptors or the effects of altered external calcium. Segments of rat tail artery were perfused in the presence of deoxycorticosterone and cocaine (10(-5) M). For short trains, nerves were activated with five sequential trains, each 4 sec in length (total of 160 pulses) at 8 Hz. For long trains, nerves were activated continuously for 3 min for a total of 1440 pulses. Norepinephrine in the perfusate and tissue norepinephrine were quantitated with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and electrochemical detection. Fractional norepinephrine release was significantly greater with short as compared to long trains when extracellular calcium was maintained at 1.6 mM. When nerves were stimulated with short trains, fractional norepinephrine release was very sensitive to altered extracellular calcium, with a significant decline when extracellular calcium was reduced to 1 mM and a significant increase when extracellular calcium was increased to 5 mM. In contrast, with long-stimulation trains increases or decreases in calcium had no effect on fractional norepinephrine release. This unique method facilitates the study of norepinephrine release with short trains or low-frequency activation and will also make it easier to study presynaptic receptor function as well as interactions between extracellular calcium and presynaptic effectiveness."}
{"id": "PMID:1489985", "title": "Assessment of changes in vasomotor tone in vivo using intravascular ultrasound.", "content": "This study tested the capability of high-frequency, two-dimensional real-time intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) in the detection of dynamic changes of large vessel diameter in vivo. An IVUS-catheter (4.8 French, 20-MHz mechanical transducer) was inserted via the femoral vein, and advanced to the inferior vena cava of anesthetized rabbits (n = 7). The depth of field of the transducer allowed for visualization of the entire cross-sections of both the inferior vena cava (IVC) and the adjacent aorta. Changes in vessel diameter were induced pharmacologically using norepinephrine (NE) and glyceryltrinitrate (GTN), which were injected intravenously before and after the administration of L-NG-nitro-arginine methyl ester) L-NAME, a specific inhibitor of endothelium-derived relaxing factor (EDRF)-biosynthesis. Vasoconstriction and -dilation could be observed continuously from the two-dimensional real-time recordings of vessel cross-sections. Vessel diameters and cross-sectional areas (CA) were measured from still frames at given time intervals of drug infusion, and blood pressure and heart rate were recorded continuously. Following NE, an increase of aortic and a simultaneous decrease of venous CA were observed, while GTN elicited the opposite responses. Inhibition of EDRF was followed by an augmentation of the vascular responses. It is concluded that IVUS is capable of detecting changes in vascular dimensions in vivo. Thus in large vessels, IVUS may become a method for the direct assessment of vasomotion in vivo."}
{"id": "PMID:1489979", "title": "Computed tomography detection of gastrointestinal neoplasms.", "content": "Gastrointestinal (GI) tract neoplasms can be detected, evaluated and staged by computed tomography (CT), especially from high-resolution examinations, but routine CT scanning may occasionally discover GI neoplasms in patients with non-specific symptoms. We therefore evaluated the sensitivity and main signs of CT examinations resulting from routine sessions. In 46 out of 1560 patients who underwent abdominal CT, it was possible to obtain a diagnosis of primitive gastric or colo-rectal tumour by means of barium X-ray and/or endoscopy. The sensitivity rate of CT obtained from the present study was 86% in gastric tumours and 87% in colonic tumours. In gastric lymphoma, infiltrating carcinoma of stomach and rectal carcinoma, the sensitivity rate was 100%. The CT diagnosis of GI neoplasms was based on diffuse or local thickening of the gut on a solid dishomogenous mass showing contrast enhancement. The prevalence of various patterns depends on site of origin and on macroscopic features of the neoplasia. In conclusion the results suggest that abdominal CT, even if performed with a method not specifically devoted to GI tract, has high sensitivity rates and then a high probability of detecting GI neoplasms when unsuspected at time of the examination. In our series 11% of GI neoplasms were initially diagnosed by routine CT examination."}
{"id": "PMID:1489980", "title": "Early events in human colorectal carcinogenesis. Aberrant crypts and microadenoma.", "content": "Experimental studies have allowed the identification of foci of aberrant crypts on the fixed methylene-blue-stained mucosal surface of rodent colons after colon carcinogens administration. Similar lesions can also be observed and quantified on the mucosal surface of the human colon, using the same technique. Several foci showed dysplasia at histological examination, thus allowing the identification of microadenomas. Microadenoma may thus be a precursor lesion of adenomas and colorectal cancer. The identification of aberrant crypt foci and microadenomas in vivo could provide a new end-point for studies on the effect of environmental and genetic factors in the early stages of cancer of the large intestine. Further studies are needed to define the natural history of these lesions. Moreover, a critical evaluation of current colon cancer prevention strategies should be considered."}
{"id": "PMID:1489986", "title": "Removal of venous endothelium with air.", "content": "Much research on the activity and half-life of endothelium-derived substances has entailed the removal of endothelium from arteries by mechanical or enzymatic processes. It has been observed that the technique used for the removal of arterial endothelium may profoundly affect smooth muscle function and release of prostanoids by the vessel wall. The function and patterns of regeneration of arterial endothelium have been extensively described, but there is a relative paucity of information about the venous endothelium, due in part to the difficulty of its removal. We developed a technique for removal of the endothelium of rabbit femoral veins by passing a stream of air through the lumen of the vessel to dry and remove the endothelium. The effectiveness of endothelium removal was verified by the lack of in vitro reactivity to endothelium-dependent relaxing substances, examination of frozen sections of vessels, labeled with fluorescent-tagged acetylated low-density lipoprotein, with fluorescent light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy of vessel segments. Air drying effectively removed the endothelium and abolished mechanical responses to endothelium-dependent vasodilators but did not affect the function of the smooth muscle. We propose the use of air to remove endothelium from veins to be used to study endothelium-derived factors since this method achieves complete removal of endothelium without causing detectable damage (morphological or functional) to the remainder of the vessel wall."}
{"id": "PMID:1489987", "title": "Determination of acetazolamide in human serum by enzymatic assay.", "content": "Carbonic anhydrase (CA) inhibitors, such as acetazolamide (AZ), formerly used as diuretics, still play a role in the treatment of glaucoma, epilepsy, and altitude sickness. There is now hard evidence from both in vitro and in vivo studies in animals that carbonic anhydrase plays a vital function in bone loss. Acetazolamide blocks bone resorption in these experimental models. We have postulated that acetazolamide has potential for the treatment of human conditions associated with bone loss. In preparation for a clinical trial of acetazolamide's effectiveness in this regard, we developed an enzymatic method for determining the total concentration of acetazolamide in human serum. Acetazolamide is stripped from binding to serum proteins by adding 10(-6) M salicylic acid and adjusting the pH to 2.5, followed by ultrafiltration through a membrane (10 kD cutoff). The latter permits the free acetazolamide to enter the filtrate but retains any carbonic anhydrase (31 kD) which may contaminate the serum from hemolysis. The carbonic anhydrase inhibitory activity in the filtrate, representing the acetazolamide, is determined in a carbonic anhydrase assay using acetazolamide as the standard. Recoveries of acetazolamide added to human serum ranged from 83% to 94% depending on the concentration. Precision, as judged by the coefficient of variation, was 10.5%."}
{"id": "PMID:1489988", "title": "Assay for expression of methotrexate-resistant dihydrofolate reductase activity in the presence of drug-sensitive enzyme.", "content": "A simple, continuous spectrophotometric assay for dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) activity was adapted for determination of drug-resistant enzyme activity expressed from transfected genes in cells containing drug-sensitive enzyme. Methotrexate inhibition characteristics in this assay system were assessed for the murine wild-type (WT) enzyme as well as variant genes encoding amino acid substitutions at codon positions 22 (arg22) or 31 (trp31) expressed in DHFR-deficient Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells and in mouse 3T3 cells. Methotrexate concentrations were thus identified which maximized inhibition of the wild-type enzyme while maintaining substantial arg22 or trp31 activity. Mixing experiments were conducted to determine the minimum amount of drug-resistant enzyme distinguishable from a constant amount of wild-type enzyme in the presence of methotrexate. Mixtures of enzymes from a variety of sources (WT, arg22, or trp31 expressed in CHO or 3T3 cells) demonstrated a detection limit of 0.03 to 0.06 nmol/min. Assay of methotrexate-resistant arg22 DHFR appeared to be limited by the low level of activity associated with this enzyme variant, whereas assay of the trp31 variant was limited by enzyme inhibition at lower concentrations of methotrexate. The assay was thus applicable to two quite diverse DHFR variants and may be useful for assaying the expression of other drug-resistant DHFR genes as well after introduction into cells containing drug-sensitive enzyme."}
{"id": "PMID:1489989", "title": "Real-time measurement of microcirculation of skin by reflectance spectrophotometry.", "content": "A reflectance spectrophotometric measurement was developed to analyze the microcirculation of the skin in real time. The relative absorption (RA) spectra were obtained from skin tissue 10 times per second using a spectro-multi-channel-photodetector system. In this system, white light was projected onto the skin of the back of the anesthetized rat and the spectrum of the reflected light between 450 and 643 nm was analyzed. Two absorption peaks at wavelengths of about 540 and 577 nm were observed, corresponding to the absorption peaks in the oxyhemoglobin (HbO2) spectrum. Either phlebotomy or the i.v. injection of norepinephrine (NE) reduced the RA spectrum. Peaks of the reduction in spectrum [(RA spectrum before the treatment) - (RA spectrum after the treatment)] were observed at about 540 and 577 nm. Injection of NE (0.75-48 ng/100 g B.W., i.v.) reduced the RA value at 577 nm dose-dependently, suggesting a decrease in the skin blood flow due to vasoconstriction. In addition, the content of HbO2 and capillary permeation were measured at the same time after the i.v. injection of Evans blue (EB) dye. As indices of HbO2 content and capillary permeation, RA changes at 540 and 610 nm (the latter is an absorption peak in the EB spectrum) were measured in real time, respectively. Both RA values increased dose-dependently after the intradermal injection of histamine (0.3-100 micrograms/site), suggesting the presence of vasodilation and an increase in permeability. The time at which the RA value for HbO2 reached a maximum was shorter than that for EB. These observations suggest that the method described here can detect changes in the HbO2 content and permeation of skin microcirculation at the same time, and in real time."}
{"id": "PMID:1489991", "title": "Laparoscopic versus open cholecystectomy and the need for a randomized trial: a survey of surgeons and ethical committees in the British Isles.", "content": "A questionnaire on the necessity and ethics of a randomized trial to compare laparoscopic cholecystectomy and open cholecystectomy was sent to 200 randomly selected surgeons in the British Isles, of whom 117 replied. Of these, 58% thought that a trial was needed to compare laparoscopic cholecystectomy with open cholecystectomy by either minilaparotomy or the conventional approach. Nearly half (45%) expressed interest in participating in such a trial. A hypothetical protocol for a trial was sent to 40 ethical committees; 25 gave approval and only 3 considered that a trial was unethical (12 refused to comment). This survey shows wide support for a trial comparing laparoscopic cholecystectomy with open cholecystectomy."}
{"id": "PMID:1489992", "title": "Extraperitoneal endoscopic inguinal hernia repair.", "content": "The endoscopic extraperitoneal hernioplasty as reported in this study is a similar repair to that achieved by the conventional preperitoneal repair as described by Stoffa, Nyhus, and Rignault. However, this new repair is completed via a totally extraperitoneal approach. Thus, it eliminates all early and late complications related to the violation of the peritoneal cavity as proposed by other intraperitoneal laparoscopic approaches to hernia repair. This report demonstrates the safety and feasibility of this procedure while offering the patient the advantages of a minimally invasive surgical procedure which can be performed under regional anesthesia."}
{"id": "PMID:1489993", "title": "A comparative analysis of adhesion reduction, tissue effects, and incising characteristics of electrosurgery, CO2 laser, and Nd:YAG laser at operative laparoscopy: an animal study.", "content": "In this study, the relative efficacy and tissue effects of lasers and electrosurgery at operative laparoscopy were evaluated. Thirty rabbits underwent surgical procedures to create extensive intraperitoneal adhesions. The animals were then randomly assigned to laparoscopic adhesiolysis utilizing either electrosurgery, CO2 laser, or Nd:YAG laser exclusively for the assigned group. Each surgical tool was utilized at its optimal power density to achieve the best results. The depth of thermal injury on ovarian and uterine tissues, and the speed at which various segments of the uterine horn were transected were also compared. All three modalities significantly reduced (p < 0.01) intraperitoneal adhesions by approximately 50%. The depth of thermal injury was threefold greater with the Nd:YAG laser than either electrosurgery or the CO2 at both ovarian and uterine tissues (p < 0.001). The speed of transection across the uterine horn was significantly slower (p < 0.001) with the Nd:YAG (2.6 +/- 0.3 sec) than either the CO2 laser (1.4 +/- 0.2 sec) or electrosurgery (1.5 +/- 0.2 sec). From this study, the authors conclude that the Nd:YAG laser causes more tissue damage and is less efficient at incising tissue than either CO2 or electrosurgery, but that all three modalities are equally effective for laparoscopic adhesiolysis."}
{"id": "PMID:1489994", "title": "Laparoscopic cholecystectomy: an initial community experience.", "content": "The initial 950 consecutive laparoscopic cholecystectomies performed in one city at four hospitals by 30 general surgeons are reported, covering a period from April 4, 1990 to April 3, 1991. There were two operative deaths (0.2%), three common bile duct lacerations (0.3%), two subhepatic abscesses, two bowel perforations, and three bile leaks, two requiring laparotomy. Seven episodes of bleeding occurred, of which five required laparotomy, but none involved a major vessel. Sixty-five procedures were converted to open (6.7%). The mean operative time was 85.4 min. Intraoperative cholangiography was adequately completed in 49.8% and not attempted in 30.3%. Thirteen patients (2.7%) were found to have common duct stones. The pathologic diagnoses were chronic cholecystitis in 784 patients (82.5%), acute cholecystitis in 145 (15.3%), and cancer of the gallbladder in one (0.1%). Hospital stays ranged from 4 h to 31 days (mean 49.5 h). This procedure can be learned and performed safely in a community setting."}
{"id": "PMID:1489995", "title": "Preliminary experience with thoracoscopic surgery.", "content": "Thoracoscopic surgery was accomplished in 12 patients utilizing thoracoscopic instruments and a stapler. Five patients were treated for recurrent, spontaneous pneumothoraces, for which blebectomies were done; three patients for pulmonary nodules, for which wedge resections were done; one patient for cryptogenic pleural effusion; one patient for debridement of an empyema cavity; one patient for traumatic bronchopleural fistula; and one patient with AIDS for interstitial lung disease. All patients were done under general anesthesia in the lateral decubitus position and were prepped and draped for a standard thoracotomy. They underwent endobronchial double-lumen ventilation so that the ipsilateral lung could be deflated to create a working space. In addition, insufflation of 4 to 5 mmHg was also used. Trocars were placed using a blunt technique. The mid-axillary trocar was at about the eight intercostal space and was used for the endoscope, and then additional trocars were placed, usually on the anterior axillary line and posterior axillary line at about the fifth intercostal space. If adhesions were encountered, the lung was grasped atraumatically with a clamp or retractor used to give counteraction, and the adhesions were lysed with shears or electrocautery. After a thorough exploration of the hemithorax involved, the area of pathology was grasped with the clamp, which was used for countertraction. Through a 12 mm trocar, a stapler was introduced and fired. This staples and also transects on a 3 cm length. Several firings were usually necessary to remove the pathology, which, if malignant, was placed in a retrieval bag.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1489996", "title": "Comparison of laparoscopic cholecystectomy versus elective open cholecystectomy.", "content": "Laparoscopic cholecystectomy has essentially replaced open cholecystectomy as the procedure of choice for gallbladder disease. This rapid shift to laparoscopic cholecystectomy, however, has resulted more from marketing forces than from prospective clinical trials. To evaluate the safety and efficacy of laparoscopic cholecystectomy, the first 486 laparoscopic cholecystectomies at two institutions were studied. These results were then compared to the results of the last 6 months of elective open cholecystectomy cases prior to the introduction of laparoscopic surgery. The age, sex, height, and weight were similar in both groups. The mean operative time was 78.8 +/- 1.8 min for laparoscopic cholecystectomy and 62.7 +/- 2.6 min for open cholecystectomy (p < 0.01). The mean time for tolerating a regular diet was 1.23 +/- 0.04 days in the laparoscopic group versus 2.44 +/- 0.07 days in the open group (p < 0.01). Laparoscopic cholecystectomy patients required only oral pain medications by a mean of 1.22 +/- 0.03 days postoperatively compared to 2.55 +/- 0.07 days postoperatively for those undergoing open cholecystectomy (p < 0.01). The mean length of hospitalization was 1.58 +/- 0.07 days for laparoscopic patients and 3.55 +/- 0.11 days for open patients (p < 0.01). Thirty-one patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy were converted to open cholecystectomy (6.4%). The most common reasons for conversion to open cholecystectomy were acute inflammation, adhesions, and bleeding. For the laparoscopic patients, the morbidity rate was 8.4% and the mortality rate 0.2% (1 death). In the open cholecystectomy group the morbidity rate was 8.0% and there were no deaths. The most troublesome complication in laparoscopic cholecystectomies continues to be bile leaks and bile duct injuries.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1489997", "title": "Operative laparoscopy in the management of tubal ectopic pregnancy.", "content": "One hundred and seventeen consecutive patients with diagnosis of ectopic pregnancy admitted to Temple University Hospital between October 1989 and March 1992 were divided into two groups. Group 1 consisted of 56 patients with operative laparoscopy and Group 2 consisted of 61 patients treated by laparotomy. The two groups were similar for age, race, parity, gestation, presentation, and location of the ectopic gestations. Fifty seven percent of patients in the laparoscopy group were treated by salpingectomy and 43% by salpingostomy, compared to 84% and 16% respectively in the laparotomy group. Mean operative time for laparoscopy was 58 min and 42 min for laparotomy. Complication rates were similar in the two sub-groups. Only two patients in the laparoscopy group required subsequent laparotomy, one to assure hemostasis and one, 5 weeks following surgery, for persistent trophoblastic disease. Operative laparoscopy was associated with a significantly shorter length of hospital stay (1.25 v. 4.39 days). This reflected in a lower cost of hospital stay ($10,105 vs. $13,608). The present data demonstrates that operative laparoscopy is not only safe and effective, but also more economical than open laparotomy in the treatment of ectopic pregnancies. This procedure is expected to replace laparotomy for the treatment of most cases of tubal ectopic pregnancy."}
{"id": "PMID:1489998", "title": "Laparoscopic closure of perforated duodenal ulcer.", "content": "Simple patch closure is a treatment option for perforated duodenal ulcer. A 46-year-old male was admitted with evidence of perforation of a duodenal ulcer. The decision was made to carry out laparoscopy to confirm the diagnosis and to close the perforation. This was accomplished without difficulty by suture closure of an anterior perforation and application of an omental patch. The patient had an uneventful recovery. Laparoscopy can be of value in the diagnosis and treatment of perforated duodenal ulcer. The principles of management should be essentially similar to those adhered to during open surgery."}
{"id": "PMID:1489999", "title": "Laparoscopic resection of benign stromal tumor of the stomach.", "content": "Laparoscopic surgery has recently become commonplace in the general surgeon's armamentarium of surgical approaches to many problems. This has been seen most notably with laparoscopic cholecystectomies. Herein is reported a case of an incidental benign stromal tumor of the stomach being resected laparoscopically."}
{"id": "PMID:1490000", "title": "Alternative management of choledocholithiasis.", "content": "This paper is presented to clarify the role of ERCP in conjunction with laparoscopic cholecystectomy. As the field of surgery moves more toward less invasive procedures, our management schemata may also need revision. With the popularity of laparoscopic cholecystectomy came a large increase in the number of patients treated with cholelithiasis, and therefore an increase in patients with choledocholithiasis. The authors believe that treatment options exist to avoid open common bile duct procedure in most cases."}
{"id": "PMID:1490001", "title": "Laparoscopy through an inguinal hernia for diagnosis of intraperitoneal pathology.", "content": "During the repair of an incarcerated inguinal hernia, a 68-year-old gentleman was found to have unsuspected ascites. Upon palpation of the peritoneal cavity through the hernial sac, superficial nodules could be appreciated, suggesting abnormal pathology. A laparoscope was placed through the hernia sac after establishing a pneumoperitoneum through the same approach. This allowed visualization of the entire peritoneal cavity and appropriate exploration of the abdominal viscera. Biopsies confirmed unsuspected metastatic renal cell carcinoma. The authors describe this technique and suggest possible indications for its use."}
{"id": "PMID:1490002", "title": "Laparoscopic appendectomy: a simplified technique.", "content": "Laparoscopic appendectomy can easily be performed by a surgeon familiar with laparoscopic cholecystectomy. The technique described employs the same spatial relationships which are used in laparoscopic cholecystectomy. By maximizing the similarities between the two operations, surgeon and assistants can rapidly become comfortable with laparoscopic appendectomy. Of the laparoscopic appendectomies attempted 88% were successfully completed. The technique and results are presented and discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1490003", "title": "A simplified technique for open laparoscopy using disposable trocars.", "content": "An easily accomplished method for performing open laparoscopy with disposable trocars is presented. This technique provides for safe entry into the peritoneum and subsequently facilitates removal of the gallbladder and any larger stones at the completion of the procedure."}
{"id": "PMID:1490007", "title": "A comparative ultrastructural study of the cardiac and skeletal striated muscles of the skink.", "content": "Ultrastructural differences between cardiac and striated muscle fibres observed in the ocellated skink (Chalcides ocellatus ocellatus) indicate that functional differences have a structural correlate in the muscle cells. Although the myofibrils of both the cardiac and skeletal muscles displayed the same typical band pattern, differences in mean nuclear diameter and sarcomere length and in the A, I, Z, H, and M bands (discs) were observed. In addition, differences were found in the number, size and distribution of the mitochondria in the two types of muscle fibres. The Golgi complex was indistinguishable in skeletal muscles, but small Golgi vesicles could (with difficulty) be identified in cardiac muscle fibres. Skeletal striated muscle fibres were also found to contain significantly more glycogen granules, smooth sarcoplasm vesicles and heterochromatin than cardiac muscles. Three types of junctional complexes were identified in the cardiac muscles."}
{"id": "PMID:1490008", "title": "Effect of adriamycin on the morphology of the erythrocytes and blood parameters of the toad Bufo regularis.", "content": "The effect of the anticancer drug adriamycin on the morphology of the erythrocytes as well as some blood parameters were studied in the Egyptian toad Bufo regularis. Injecting the toads subcutaneously in the dorsal lymph sac with adriamycin at a dose level of 2 mg/kg body weight once every three weeks for 12 weeks induced the formation of abnormalities in the cytoplasm and nuclei of the erythrocytes. Its administration also caused severe anaemia, since the number of red blood corpuscles, haemoglobin content and haematocrit values were obviously decreased throughout the whole experimental period. The total leucocytic count was also diminished. On the other hand, the erythrocyte sedimentation rate was increased all over the experiment."}
{"id": "PMID:1490009", "title": "Abnormal delayed-type hypersensitivity in mice born to females treated with vitamin A during pregnancy.", "content": "The effects of vitamin A (retinolum palmiticum) administered to pregnant mice on the cell-mediated immunity of the offspring were studied in random-bred ICR mice. Delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) to sheep red blood cells was assayed after immunization of the control and experimental young in the 4th postnatal week. The administration of vitamin A, in doses of 5,000 IU, on days 15-17 of pregnancy depressed DTH of the female offspring. On the other hand, the administration of single doses of 5,000 and 10,000 IU on the 16th day of pregnancy increased DTH in the offspring. The effects were correlated to the sex and body weight of the offspring, the highest DTH being observed in the female offspring with a low body weight."}
{"id": "PMID:1490010", "title": "Biochemical properties of cartilage and multinucleate chondroclast formation.", "content": "This study demonstrates a relationship between the biochemical properties of the extracellular matrix of a cartilaginous model of long bone and the fusion of mononuclear clastic elements into multinucleate chondroclasts. The results suggest that the chondroitin sulphate level in the extracellular matrix has an inhibitory effect on this process."}
{"id": "PMID:1490011", "title": "Modulation by vitamin C of tumour incidence and inhibition in oral carcinogenesis.", "content": "This study reports the mechanism of involvement of vitamin C in the pathogenesis of induced oral carcinogenesis in the hamster cheek pouch epithelium. This site was exposed to either DMBA singly or in combination with vitamin C or DMBA for 7 weeks followed by only vitamin C till tumour induction. Macroscopically, vitamin C reduces the epithelial tumour incidence in the hamster cheek pouch. Microscopically tumours induced by DMBA alone were well differentiated squamous carcinomas in all the animals, whereas those induced by DMBA plus vitamin C were papillary epidermoid carcinomas with minimal invasion. These observations suggest that vitamin C is capable of restricting the growth of the initiated cells and does not allow the invasion of the subepithelium. The mechanism of action of vitamin C in the process of restricting growth and invagination was clearly shown in ultrastructural pathology too. In vitamin C exposed tumours the dermal epidermal junction of the cheek pouch epithelium maintains basement membrane integrity, with the presence of cellular organelles and cytoskeletal structure of the cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1490012", "title": "Developmental, histological and ultrastructural studies on the harderian gland of the Egyptian toad, Bufo regularis Reuss.", "content": "The present study shows that the Harderian gland of the toad Bufo regularis starts to appear during development at stage 57 concomitant with the development of the nictitating membrane. In the adult toad, the gland was found to be formed of one lobe and occupying the antero-ventral aspect of the orbital cavity. No anatomical differences were noted between the male and female glands. The histological and ultrastructural studies showed that the Harderian gland is a compound tubular gland composed of rounded tubules lined by a single layer of epithelial cells and having a meshwork of myoepithelial cells surrounding the gland tubules. Differences were observed in the epithelial cells of female and male toads Bufo regularis. While females have a dilated rough endoplasmic reticulum and several secretory granules throughout the cytoplasm, males have a compact rough endoplasmic reticulum and numerous secretory granules and vacuoles."}
{"id": "PMID:1490013", "title": "Malformations of the eye in the exencephalic tail-short mice during its development.", "content": "Exencephalic tail-short (Ts/+) embryos were obtained from mating normal mice of Patch strain with Ts/+ mice from Babl/c strain. The most common eye malformations in the exencephalic embryos were exophthalmy, microphthalmy, eye ball irregularity and corneal opacity. Squint eye and unilateral anophthalmy occurred at a lower frequency. The eye abnormalities were recognized histologically by 11-days of gestation. The retina was retarded in development. Lens fibres were swollen and some of them appeared degenerated. Lens epithelium was protruded anteriorly, detached from the underlying lens and joined the corneal endothelium. The lens remained in close contact to the ectodermal layer, forming a thick lens stalk. At the 16-day stage, the corneal epithelium became irregular in thickness and the corneal stroma was discontinuous, having disarranged collagenous fibrils. In a few embryos the corneal endothelium was absent. In the squint-eyed embryo, the cornea bulged through the opened eyelids, while in an anophthalmic embryo it was thick and underdeveloped. Generally, the upper and lower eyelids of the exencephalic embryos were asymmetrical, and the lower lid appeared covered by a thick irregular peridermal layer."}
{"id": "PMID:1490014", "title": "The importance of prenatal period to the new-borns population quality.", "content": "Approximately 60% of all human pregnancies terminate spontaneously before birth, mostly before being recognized. Exceptionally high prevalence of abnormalities has been found in this reproduction output. Original frequency of chromosomal (ChA) and developmental anomalies (DA) is not known, but may be very high. From 100 spontaneously aborted fetuses about 50 are ChA, approximately 70 are DA and only about 20 are without any pathological finding. Using data on ChA and DA distribution in newborns and those in abortuses--together with the knowledge on abortion rates in various gestation phases--the prenatal population structure may be reconstructed: in the pregnancy recognition phase about 7% ChA and 10-15% DA conceptuses remain in the population of surviving fetuses. Prenatal selection decreases gradually the frequency of anomalies to the values that are usually found in new-borns. The disappearance of particular anomalies is nonrandom, changing the malformation spectrum continually. The risk of prenatal elimination of the anomaly is not invariably proportional to the degree of phenotype damage of the fetus. Study of the hidden part of prenatal population offers the possibility to cover a considerably larger fraction of the whole reproduction output and supplies new valuable knowledge."}
{"id": "PMID:1490015", "title": "The rearrangement of the cranial part of embryonal body in chick studied by linear marking. II. Relations of the neck, thorax and shoulder.", "content": "The linear marking method was employed for studying morphogenetic movements of tissues involved in formation of the cranial part of the chick embryonic body. A total of 120 chick embryos marked on days 3-5 were used in this study with the following results: The cranial shift of axial structures and somites with respect to the other components of the cranial part of the embryonic body, described in our earlier papers, has been proven. This shift is considered crucial from the point of understanding and proper interpretation of the following formative processes: The prospective mesenchyme of the wall of the thorax shifts continuously in the cranial direction. The rate of the shift of the mesenchyme in the dorsal part of the developing body wall appears considerably lower than that of the somites. The cranial shift of the mesenchyme of the ventral part of the body wall is directed ventromedially and proceeds more rapidly than in the dorsal part of the body wall. The ventromedial deviation of the cranial shift is gradually increased in the craniocaudal sequence. In this way, the mesenchyme of the lateral body wall replaces step by step the membrana reunions to cover the heart, rapidly growing lungs and the liver. The presumptive shoulder shifts cranially at the rate similar to that of the somites. In this way, the shoulder slides over the body wall mesenchyme formerly located in the more cranial position. The shoulder undergoes rotation by the mechanism which is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1490016", "title": "Structure of the coronary arteries during the prenatal period in man.", "content": "The coronary arteries of human foetuses from the 4th to 10th month of gestation were examined in the light and the electron microscope. Marked changes were demonstrated in the course of prenatal development, particularly in the media and adventitia (thickening, an increase in the number of collagen fibrils). In regions of coronary artery branching, here and there we found intimal pads or diffuse thickening of the intima, which were separated from the media by a mostly thin or discontinuous inner elastic membrane with an accumulation of smooth muscle cells and a smaller quantity of elastic fibrils. The intimal thickenings, which occurred mostly in the region of bifurcation of the left coronary artery and at sites where branches sprang from the r. ventricularis anterior of the left coronary artery, were already discernible at the beginning of the period in question (i.e. in the 4th month). In some cases, oedematous changes were found in the pads, where they were characterized by dilatation of the elastic membranes and smooth muscle cells by proliferating structureless matter."}
{"id": "PMID:1490028", "title": "Effects of growth hormone on thymocyte development from progenitor cells in the bone marrow.", "content": "The effect of growth hormone (GH) on T cell differentiation was studied in young and old mice, employing in vivo and in vitro experimental approaches. Injections of GH during a period of 3 months to young and old mice resulted in a significant increase in the cell number and the percentage of CD3+ cells in the thymus of the old, but not in the young mice. Treatment of intact fetal thymus (FT) lobes with recombinant human GH (hGH) had no significant effect on cell numbers or on the values of CD4/CD8 thymocyte subsets. When partially depleted FT (10 Gy) were colonized with bone marrow (BM) cells and subsequently cultivated on monolayers of GH3, a GH-secreting cell line, the values of T cells deriving from the donor BM cells were elevated. Treatment with hGH to cocultures of lymphoid-depleted FT (dGUA) with BM lent further support to the idea that GH affects the newly emigrating BM cells, rather than the resident thymocytes. The results suggest that GH affects the thymocyte progenitors in the BM at the early stage of their development in the thymus."}
{"id": "PMID:1490029", "title": "In vivo effects of growth hormone on thymus function in aging mice.", "content": "It is well demonstrated that the normal functioning of the thymus gland is under neuroendocrine control. Thus, steroid, thyroid, and pituitary hormones can affect distinct structural and/or functional thymic parameters. Particularly growth hormone (GH) was shown to be capable of restoring some thymus functions in old individuals. This prompted us to carry out a multiparametric analysis of the thymus in young, middle-aged, and old mice, subjected to GH treatment lasting 3 or 6 weeks. For that, we treated animals with daily injections of ovine GH (2 micrograms/g BW). Although the general microarchitecture of the thymus remained unchanged following in vivo GH treatment, there was a clearcut increase in thymulin production, independent of the age group analyzed. Regarding the lymphoid compartment, we could not find evidence of changes in total thymocyte numbers nor in the subsets phenotypically defined by the expression of CD3, CD4, and CD8 antigens. Nonetheless, in GH-treated middle-aged and old mice, the concanavalin A-dependent proliferative response of thymocytes, as well as IL-6 production were enhanced compared to age-matched controls. These findings support the notion that GH has a pleiotropic effect upon the thymus, functionally affecting both microenvironmental and lymphoid compartments of the organ."}
{"id": "PMID:1490030", "title": "The production of growth hormone and insulin-like growth factor-I by the same subpopulation of rat mononuclear leukocytes.", "content": "In the present study, we evaluated the subpopulation of lymphoid cells from normal and hypophysectomized rats producing GH and IGF-I in vitro. The data show that removal of the pituitary results in depression of GH production in spleen, thymus, and bone marrow and an increase in the peripheral blood leukocytes. The changes in the percentage of cells producing GH in hypophysectomized animals are not due to a single cell type but appears to influence the T-helper, T-cytotoxic, and B-cell subsets. Interestingly, no significant changes in the levels of GH RNA were detected between control and hypophysectomized animals after the in vitro culture. We also found that the increase in GH production in spleen cell cultures after mitogen stimulation could be accounted for by an increase in the percentage of T cells producing GH. Lastly, we demonstrated that the cells positive for GH production were also positive for IGF-I production. This later finding coupled with our previous results suggest that an autocrine regulatory circuit may be important for the production of leukocyte-derived irGH and irIGF-I within the immune system."}
{"id": "PMID:1490031", "title": "Insulin and IGF-I stimulate normal and virally transformed T-lymphocyte cell growth in vitro.", "content": "We used normal and HTLV-II-transformed T-lymphocytes as target cells to study clonal proliferative responses to physiologic and supraphysiologic concentrations of insulin and IGF-I. Responses of both growth factors were measured in the presence and absence of alpha IR-3, and IGF-I receptor-blocking antibody. A biphasic response to insulin was noted in all cell lines with the first peak [78 +/- 6.6% (mean +/- SE) above control] occurring at 1.4 or 1.6 nmol/liter and a second peak (84 +/- 4.9% above control) occurring at 18.0 nmol/liter. Following preincubation with alpha IR-3, the overall clonal profile in response to insulin was significantly reduced [F(7,56) = (10.4, p < .0001] as a result of blunting at high physiologic and supraphysiologic insulin concentrations, i.e., > or = 1.6 nmol/liter. As expected, the overall clonal profile in response to IGF-I was blocked by alpha IR-3 [F(4,32) = 11.6, p < .0001]. These data show that insulin at both physiologic and supraphysiologic concentrations, as well as IGF-I, stimulate virally transformed T-lymphoblast growth. The significant inhibition of growth responses to high concentrations of insulin and to IGF-I by alpha IR-3 suggests mediation of these effects through the IGF-I receptor. Similar studies were performed using freshly isolated, phytohemagglutinin (PHA)-stimulated T-lymphocytes. The overall response to insulin was significantly reduced compared to the profile of transformed T-lymphoblasts [F(7,70) = 4.9, p = .0002] as a result of blunting at physiologic insulin concentrations < 1.8 nmol/liter. In response to IGF-I, the clonal profile of PHA-stimulated T-lymphocytes was slightly reduced compared to that of virally transformed T-lymphoblasts [F(4,40) = 3.4, p = .0174]. Thus, both insulin and IGF-I receptor-effector mechanisms are involved in the growth of virally transformed T-lymphoblasts, whereas the IGF-I receptor-effector mechanism appears to play a more significant role in the growth of normal, mitogen-activated T-lymphocytes."}
{"id": "PMID:1490032", "title": "In vivo activation of circulating monocytes by exogenous growth hormone in man.", "content": "Animal studies have shown that administration of growth hormone improves wound healing. Monocyte activation is a prerequisite for optimal repair of damage. In vitro, human recombinant growth hormone was shown to be a potent human monocyte chemoattractant. It induced random migration and chemotaxis at picomolar concentrations of recombinant human growth hormone; combinations of growth hormone with other chemoattractants deactivated the chemotactic response. Other functions of monocytes that are activated by growth hormone include release of superoxide anion and production of cytokines. In order to test activation of human monocytes by growth hormone in vivo, we investigated the effects of recombinant human growth hormone administration on monocyte migration in nine healthy young adults. After a single dose of recombinant human growth hormone (4 IU subcutaneously injected), random migration of circulating monocytes significantly increased, whereas chemotaxis of monocytes that was maximally stimulated with f-Meth-Leu-Phe decreased (p < .05). The alterations paralleled the concomitantly measured plasma levels of growth hormone. After recombinant human growth hormone administration, no changes were seen in plasma levels of proinflammatory cytokines. These in vivo data on monocyte migration are comparable to effects of growth hormone on monocyte migration in vitro and strongly suggest that recombinant human growth hormone can activate circulating monocytes in man."}
{"id": "PMID:1490033", "title": "Modulatory effect of prolactin on the resting and mitogen-induced activity of T, B, and NK lymphocytes.", "content": "Prolactin (PRL) has been shown to contribute to the development of lymphoid tissues and maintenance of physiological immune function. Here we show that the role of the hormone extends to the control of the effector phase of the immune response. In addition to triggering resting lymphocytes to cell division, the hormone can also control the magnitude of their response to polyclonal stimuli. Concentrations of PRL in the physiological range increased the [3H]thymidine, [3H]uridine, and [3H]leucine incorporation of unstimulated NK cells cultured in serum-free conditions. The same concentrations of the hormone increased the response of NK, T, and B cells to the mitogenic stimuli interleukin 2 (IL2), phytohemagglutinin (PHA), and staphylococcus aureus cowan, respectively, the effect being maximally evident in the presence of suboptimal concentrations of the mitogens. By contrast concentrations of PRL five- to tenfold the physiological levels inhibited the mitogenic response to IL2 and PHA. These data indicate a double-faceted regulatory role of this hormone in vivo."}
{"id": "PMID:1490034", "title": "The stabilizing system of the spine. Part I. Function, dysfunction, adaptation, and enhancement.", "content": "Presented here is the conceptual basis for the assertion that the spinal stabilizing system consists of three subsystems. The vertebrae, discs, and ligaments constitute the passive subsystem. All muscles and tendons surrounding the spinal column that can apply forces to the spinal column constitute the active subsystem. The nerves and central nervous system comprise the neural subsystem, which determines the requirements for spinal stability by monitoring the various transducer signals, and directs the active subsystem to provide the needed stability. A dysfunction of a component of any one of the subsystems may lead to one or more of the following three possibilities: (a) an immediate response from other subsystems to successfully compensate, (b) a long-term adaptation response of one or more subsystems, and (c) an injury to one or more components of any subsystem. It is conceptualized that the first response results in normal function, the second results in normal function but with an altered spinal stabilizing system, and the third leads to overall system dysfunction, producing, for example, low back pain. In situations where additional loads or complex postures are anticipated, the neural control unit may alter the muscle recruitment strategy, with the temporary goal of enhancing the spine stability beyond the normal requirements."}
{"id": "PMID:1490035", "title": "The stabilizing system of the spine. Part II. Neutral zone and instability hypothesis.", "content": "The neutral zone is a region of intervertebral motion around the neutral posture where little resistance is offered by the passive spinal column. Several studies--in vitro cadaveric, in vivo animal, and mathematical simulations--have shown that the neutral zone is a parameter that correlates well with other parameters indicative of instability of the spinal system. It has been found to increase with injury, and possibly with degeneration, to decrease with muscle force increase across the spanned level, and also to decrease with instrumented spinal fixation. In most of these studies, the change in the neutral zone was found to be more sensitive than the change in the corresponding range of motion. The neutral zone appears to be a clinically important measure of spinal stability function. It may increase with injury to the spinal column or with weakness of the muscles, which in turn may result in spinal instability or a low-back problem. It may decrease, and may be brought within the physiological limits, by osteophyte formation, surgical fixation/fusion, and muscle strengthening. The spinal stabilizing system adjusts so that the neutral zone remains within certain physiological thresholds to avoid clinical instability."}
{"id": "PMID:1490036", "title": "Impairment evaluation based on spinal range of motion in normal subjects.", "content": "Spinal range of motion is a major determinant of impairment in many disability rating schedules used today. The validity of using spinal motion as the primary variable for impairment ratings must be questioned because of the large spectrum of age-related changes in motion in a normal population. The purpose of this investigation was to test the validity of this concept by determining spinal impairment in normal subjects using one of the more popular rating systems, the American Medical Association (AMA) Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment. Ninety-five individual measurements of cervical and lumbar spine motion were performed on each of 81 healthy subjects by two examiners using the double-inclinometer method. Based on the AMA criteria, all of the normal subjects were noted to have some degree of impairment ranging from 2 to 38.5%, with a mean value of 10.8%. The level of impairment increased with age for cervical, lumbar, and total impairment percentages (p = 0.0001). The current method of impairment determination based on spinal motion may not accurately reflect impairment in many patients. Impairment may be overestimated by up to 38%. Alternate methods of impairment evaluation should be developed that are more specific for individuals with true functional impairment and that account for age-related differences in spinal motion."}
{"id": "PMID:1490037", "title": "Survivorship analysis of pedicular fixation systems in the treatment of degenerative disorders of the lumbar spine: a comparison of Cotrel-Dubousset instrumentation and the AO internal fixator.", "content": "We retrospectively analyzed the frequency and clinical consequences of pedicular fixation system failure in 50 patients who underwent Cotrel-Dubousset transpedicular instrumentation (CDI), and 46 patients who underwent AO internal fixator (IF) instrumentation for similar indications. After 2 years, 14 implants in the CDI group and 13 in the IF group had failed. The overall probability of implant survival was similar in both groups (CDI, 71.9% versus IF, 71.7%). However, more implant failures were associated with nonunion, loss of reduction, and nerve-root compromise in the IF group (four versus none) than in the CDI group. Implant failure usually occurred after solid fusion, and did not significantly affect the short-term clinical results. Therefore, implant failure does not a priori indicate failure of the operation."}
{"id": "PMID:1490038", "title": "Cervical spinal cord injury in children.", "content": "We examined 19 children under 10 years of age with cervical spinal cord injury using clinical records and radiographs. The children were divided into two groups: Eight had immediate and complete spinal cord injury, and 11 had incomplete or partial spinal cord injury. Those with complete spinal cord injury were injured in motor vehicle accidents with a proximal spinal cord injury. Eighty-eight percent had cervical spine fractures/instability with a distraction pattern of injury. Half had associated trauma. The mortality rate was 25%, and those who survived showed no neurologic improvement. Most of the children with partial spinal cord injury were injured at birth. Many had no radiographic evidence of cervical fracture. One-quarter had associated trauma. The neurologic improvement averaged 1.9 Frankel grades. Half of both groups required posterior cervical fusion, and there was a significant complication rate. Eight-eight percent developed scoliosis, and 71% developed hip subluxation."}
{"id": "PMID:1490039", "title": "Comparison of MRI and discography in the diagnosis of lumbar degenerative disc disease.", "content": "Recent reports have attempted to compare the relative value of discography and MRI in the evaluation of lumbar degenerative disc disease. None has compared the accuracy of the two techniques in regard to the detection of disc herniation specifically, and none has offered surgical correlation. In this prospective study, both techniques were used to evaluate 264 disc levels in 90 patients with incapacitating low back pain or radicular pain. The results showed an 86% agreement level both between tests and between the orthopaedist and radiologist on each test. Surgical findings agreed with diagnostic studies at 63 of 76 levels in 57 patients who underwent operative treatment. An analysis of the relative sensitivity and specificity of each test in the diagnosis of degeneration and herniation revealed that the greater sensitivity of MRI in the detection of herniation was the only statistically significant difference (p < 0.05)."}
{"id": "PMID:1490040", "title": "Extraperitoneal anterolateral discectomy for lumbar disc herniation: indications, techniques, and time-related clinical results.", "content": "We analyzed 80 consecutive cases of lumbar disc herniation who underwent an extraperitoneal anterolateral discectomy according to clinical and radiologic parameters. The average follow-up period was 5 1/2 years (range, 1-10 years). The results of 71 patients (89%) were satisfactory through the mid- and long-term follow-up periods, although a very slight decrease in subjective/objective scores and ADL score was found. Satisfactory results were obtained for adolescent and younger male adults and in isolated central or centrolateral herniations with a broad base. From an analysis of the nine reoperated cases, we determined that the contraindications of this technique are a sequestrated or extruded nucleus pulposus and disc protrusion accompanied by posterior dislocation of a vertebral edge fragment. The relative indications include a small, hard posterolateral herniation located just beneath the nerve roots, double-level herniation, disc herniation accompanied by narrow spinal canal, and bulged disc in elder patients. The absolute indications for this surgery are a centrally or centrolaterally protruded disc with a relatively broad base of herniation at single-disc level that is not accompanied by spinal stenosis in adolescent and younger male adults."}
{"id": "PMID:1490041", "title": "Results of in situ fusion for isthmic spondylolisthesis.", "content": "Between 1976 and 1990, we treated 56 isthmic spondylolisthesis patients with an average age of 15 + 4 (range, 4 + 9 to 27 +/- 2) with in situ bilateral transverse process fusions utilizing autogenous iliac bone graft. None of the patients had a decompression or instrumentation placed. Radiographic fusion was determined from standing spot lateral radiographs and either Ferguson AP or standing AP views of the lumbosacral junction. The radiographic fusion patterns were categorized into the following four grades: (A) definitely solid (n = 28, 50%)--solid big trabeculated bilateral fusion masses; (B) possibly solid (n = 10, 18%)--unilateral large fusion mass with contralateral small fusion mass; (C) probably not solid (n = 6, 11%)--small, thin fusion masses bilaterally; (D) definitely not solid (n = 12, 21%)--graft resorption bilaterally or fusion mass with obvious bilateral pseudarthrosis. This fusion pattern is best determined by the Ferguson (\"true AP\") radiograph of the lumbosacral junction. Despite this surprisingly low fusion rate, overall clinical improvement was noted in > 80% of patients with preoperative symptoms of back pain, leg pain, or hamstring tightness. We recommend this critical assessment of fusion grades to determine fusion success in this patient population."}
{"id": "PMID:1490042", "title": "Leg-length inequality and low-back pain after Perthes' disease: a 28-47-year follow-up of 96 patients.", "content": "A follow-up of 96 patients with Perthes' disease was made 28-47 years after onset of the disease. We paid special attention to leg-length inequality and its consequences and low-back disability. Leg-length inequality was a common finding, but low-back pain was not a significant problem. Leg-length inequality and lumbar scoliosis correlated poorly with low-back disorders. Degeneration of the lumbar spine was the only factor that correlated well with low-back pain."}
{"id": "PMID:1490043", "title": "CT-based geometric data of human spine musculature. Part I. Japanese patients with chronic low back pain.", "content": "Mechanical factors are considered to play a dominant role in low back problems. Various spinal structures, including muscles, act in unison to resist the external load, including the body segments. An estimation of the forces in these requires a knowledge of the orientation, location, and area of cross-section of the muscles to complete the information for the formulation of a truly three-dimensional biomechanical mathematical model of the spine in the lumbar region. Computed tomography scans of 10 Japanese patients suffering from chronic low back pain were obtained to determine the geometric data of the abdominal and back muscles from the 12th thoracic vertebral to the first sacral vertebral level. The mean age +/- 1 SD of the group was 40.1 +/- 14.12 years (range, 24-70), 573 +/- 88.5 N of body weight (range, 441-705), and 1.63 +/- 0.09 m tall (range, 1.44-1.74). The geometric parameters quantified were the line of action, and the centroid and physiologic area of cross-section of each muscle as a function of the spinal level. The effective/physiological area of cross-section of each muscle changed along the length of the spine because of the change in the line of action of the muscle. The centroidal approach adopted for quantifying the lines of action of various muscles was found unsuitable for the abdominal muscles, excluding the rectus abdominis, because of the associated anatomic complexities. Alternatives are proposed to complete the data base. The application of the data for the formulation of a truly three-dimensional biomechanical model of the spine at the L3-4 level is briefly presented. Application to nonlinear optimization-based force predictions in various spinal structures is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1490044", "title": "Pullout strength comparison of two methods of orienting screw insertion in the lateral masses of the bovine cervical spine.", "content": "We undertook a biomechanical study to compare the pullout strength of 3.5-mm AO screws placed in two different orientations within the bovine cervical spine. The first set of screws were oriented obliquely and passed through the lateral mass, as recommended by the AO group. The orientation of the second set was anterior to posterior through the lateral mass, as recommended by Roy-Camille. All screw holes were drilled and tapped by a spinal surgeon experienced with both techniques. Pullout force was measured on an Instron materials testing machine using a self-centering screw-holding chuck and loading rate of 0.833 mm/sec. Although the bone strength in the Roy-Camille orientation was greater (46.7 N/mm versus 36.1 N/mm, p < 0.05), the overall mean pullout force for the AO orientation was greater (607 N versus 471 N, p < 0.025) due to the longer length of bone available for screw purchase (17.0 mm versus 10.3 mm)."}
{"id": "PMID:1490045", "title": "Primary posterior fusion C1/2 in odontoid fractures: indications, technique, and results of transarticular screw fixation.", "content": "Odontoid fractures, especially unstable type II fractures have a poor prognosis in respect to healing. Therefore, operative stabilization (posterior fusion C1/2 or anterior screw fixation) has been suggested for the treatment of unstable type II and for some unstable type III fractures. Compared to posterior fusion C1/2, anterior screw fixation has proven to be effective; it has the advantage of leaving the motion segment C1/2 intact, therefore preserving at least some C1/2 rotation. However, in some instances, this method of stabilization is not indicated. In these cases, posterior fusion C1/2 is the treatment of choice. Primary posterior fusion C1/2 is indicated in (a) odontoid fracture associated with comminution of one or both atlanto-axial joints; (b) fracture of the odontoid associated with an unstable Jefferson fracture; (c) unstable type III odontoid fracture, when immobilization in a halo jacket or plaster cast is not suitable, as in elderly people or polytraumatized patients; (d) atypical type II fractures (comminuted or with oblique fracture in the frontal plane); (e) irreducible fracture dislocation C1/2, e.g., several-weeks-old fracture; (f) unstable type II or shallow and unstable type III odontoid fracture, when marked thoracic kyphosis is associated with limited extension of the cervical spine; (g) unstable type II or shallow type III odontoid fracture in elderly people with degenerative narrow spinal canal; (h) pathologic fracture of the odontoid. In all these instances, posterior fusion C1/2 is the treatment of choice. We prefer the transarticular screw fixation technique. Compared to other posterior fusion techniques, it has the advantage of increased stability and allows effective stabilization of C1/2 in a reduced position as well as immediate ambulation with minimal head support. This technique can also be performed when the posterior arch of the atlas is fractured or absent. Our experience of 12 acute odontoid fractures, managed by this technique, is presented. At follow-up, all C1/2 fusions were united in reduced position."}
{"id": "PMID:1490046", "title": "Frequency of intra-abdominal injury in cases of blunt trauma to the cervical spinal cord.", "content": "Historically, early management of the blunt trauma victim with hemodynamic instability and cervical spinal cord injury has been hampered by the physician's inability to perform an accurate physical examination. Invasive and time-consuming diagnostic tests are often run to check for the presence of occult intra-abdominal injuries. For this reason, we decided to study these patients by reviewing a clinical registry to assess the frequency of intra-abdominal injuries in cases of cervical spinal cord trauma. We hypothesized that intra-abdominal injury would occur infrequently in cases of blunt trauma to the cervical spinal cord. In fact, data from the Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems revealed that blunt trauma victims with cervical cord injury rarely (2.6%) sustained intra-abdominal wounds. Further analysis of this population revealed that specific mechanisms of trauma and the presence of hemodynamic instability and other major injuries were factors strongly associated with occult intra-abdominal injury. In light of these findings, we have outlined a protocol for management of these patients that is geared toward more rapid stabilization of the injured spinal column."}
{"id": "PMID:1490047", "title": "Lumbar mobility in asymptomatic individuals.", "content": "A radiological study of angulatory and translational lumbar mobility and of lumbar scoliosis was performed on 56 persons aged 35-54 years who had no history of back pain. The measurements of mobility were based on extension-flexion views; the assessment of scoliosis was done using radiographs taken in the standing position. The results indicated that the largest range of angulatory motion occurred in the L5-S1 segment (mean, 17.3 degrees for women and 16.4 degrees for men). Five-millimeter translational motion was so common in the L3-L4 and L4-L5 segments, as was 4-mm in the L5-S1 segments, that these values cannot be considered with certainty as pathological. Ten subjects (18%) showed scoliosis of > or = 10 degrees. Although based on a small series, these results are a step toward a more objective and careful interpretation of extension-flexion and functional radiographs of low-back pain patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1490048", "title": "Noise pollution in the operating room: a hazard to surgeons, personnel, and patients.", "content": "Noise levels up to 118 dB--a level that is potentially damaging to the hearing--were measured in the operating room, notably during the use of high-speed gas turbine bone-cutting drills. Suction tips, which had trapped tissue \"whistles\" inside, yielded noise levels of up to 96 dB. Surgeons, staff, and patients should be cautioned against such noises and shielded in prolonged cases. We offer a review of acoustical criteria for various practical noises and duration of safe exposure."}
{"id": "PMID:1490050", "title": "Stochastic differential equation models for spatially distributed neurons and propagation of chaos for interacting systems.", "content": "Distribution or nuclear space-valued stochastic differential equations (SDEs) (diffusions as well as discontinuous equations) are discussed as stochastic models for the behavior of voltage potentials of spatially distributed neurons. A propagation of chaos result is obtained for an interacting system of Hilbert space-valued SDEs."}
{"id": "PMID:1490051", "title": "Modeling the variability of firing rate of retinal ganglion cells.", "content": "Impulse trains simulating the maintained discharges of retinal ganglion cells were generated by digital realizations of the integrate-and-fire model. If the mean rate were set by a \"bias\" level added to \"noise,\" the variability of firing would be related to the mean firing rate as an inverse square root law; the maintained discharges of retinal ganglion cells deviate systematically from such a relationship. A more realistic relationship can be obtained if the integrate-and-fire mechanism is \"leaky\"; with this refinement, the integrate-and-fire model captures the essential features of the data. However, the model shows that the distribution of intervals is insensitive to that of the underlying variability. The leakage time constant, threshold, and distribution of the noise are confounded, rendering the model unspecifiable. Another aspect of variability is presented by the variance of responses to repeated discrete stimuli. The variance of response rate increases with the mean response amplitude; the nature of that relationship depends on the duration of the periods in which the response is sampled. These results have defied explanation. But if it is assumed that variability depends on mean rate in the way observed for maintained discharges, the variability of responses to abrupt changes in lighting can be predicted from the observed mean responses. The parameters that provide the best fits for the variability of responses also provide a reasonable fit to the variability of maintained discharges."}
{"id": "PMID:1490052", "title": "Response characteristics of the BVP neuron model to periodic pulse inputs.", "content": "The characteristics of the BVP neuron model response to periodic pulse stimuli are investigated. Temporal patterns of the output of the model are analyzed as a function of the stimulus intensity and period. The BVP model exhibits the same chaotic behavior, and a Cantor function-like graph of the response frequency (mean firing rate) as in electrophysiological experiments. This shows that the BVP model describes the complicated response characteristics of the neuron at least qualitatively."}
{"id": "PMID:1490053", "title": "Stochastic models of lesion induction and repair in yeast.", "content": "In the past decade several stochastic models for the effects of radiation on cell survival have been proposed. We survey them briefly and consider their possible application to some experimental results of Frankenberg-Schwager and co-authors on irradiated yeast. One possible model is a slight modification of the model proposed by Yang and Swenberg. It is shown that the modified model does not actually fit well and that the repair mechanism requires additional complications for adequate description."}
{"id": "PMID:1490054", "title": "DNA damage caused by ionizing radiation.", "content": "A survey is given of continuous-time Markov chain models for ionizing radiation damage to the genome of mammalian cells. In such models, immediate damage induced by the radiation is regarded as a batch-Poisson arrival process of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs). Enzymatic modification of the immediate damage is modeled as a Markov process similar to those described by the master equation of stochastic chemical kinetics. An illustrative example is the restitution/complete-exchange model. The model postulates that, after being induced by radiation, DSBs subsequently either undergo enzymatically mediated restitution (repair) or participate pairwise in chromosome exchanges. Some of the exchanges make irremediable lesions such as dicentric chromosome aberrations. One may have rapid irradiation followed by enzymatic DSB processing or have prolonged irradiation with both DSB arrival and enzymatic DSB processing continuing throughout the irradiation period. Methods for analyzing the Markov chains include using an approximate model for expected values, the discrete-time Markov chain embedded at transitions, partial differential equations for generating functions, normal perturbation theory, singular perturbation theory with scaling, numerical computations, and certain matrix methods that combine Perron-Frobenius theory with variational estimates. Applications to experimental results on expected values, variances, and statistical distributions of DNA lesions are briefly outlined. Continuous-time Markov chains are the most systematic of those radiation damage models that treat DSB-DSB interactions within the cell nucleus as homogeneous (e.g., ignore diffusion limitations). They contain virtually all other relevant homogeneous models and semiempirical summaries as special cases, limiting cases, or approximations. However, the Markov models do not seem to be well suited for studying spatial dependence of DSB interactions, which is known to be important in some situations."}
{"id": "PMID:1490055", "title": "Cell survival probability under ionizing radiation.", "content": "The survival probability of a living cell exposed to ionizing radiation in an experimental setup is derived. The survival of a cell depends on the severity of the radiation damage and efficiency of the cellular repair. The formula of the survival probability is expressed as a function of dose, nonlinear rate of lesion induction, nonlinear rate of cellular repair, and a key experimental parameter--the holding time. The result is an extension of the Markovian dose-response model developed by Yang and Swenberg."}
{"id": "PMID:1490056", "title": "Modeling the evolution of the human mitochondrial genome.", "content": "Mitochondrial DNA data have been used extensively to study evolution and early human origins. These applications require estimates of the rate at which nucleotide substitutions occur in the DNA sequence. We consider the problem of estimating substitution rates in the presence of site-to-site rate variation. A coalescent model is presented that allows for different substitution rates for purines and pyrimidines, as well as more detailed models that allow fast and slow rates within each of the purine and pyrimidine classes. A method for estimating such rates is presented. Even for these simple models of site heterogeneity, there are, typically, insufficient data to obtain reliable estimates of site-specific substitution rates. However, estimates of the average rate across all sites appear to be relatively stable even in the presence of site heterogeneity. Simulations of models with site-to-site variation in mutation rate show that hypervariable sites can produce peaks in the pairwise difference curves that have previously been attributed to population dynamics."}
{"id": "PMID:1490059", "title": "Carbon monoxide poisoning: an A&E perspective.", "content": "Carbon monoxide (CO) is a colourless, odourless, tasteless and non-irritating gas and may therefore be inhaled in large quantities by the victim without his realizing it. The toxic effect of CO is not exclusively the result of the binding of haemoglobin; the primary mechanism appears to be inhibition of cellular respiration. Carboxyhaemoglobin (COHb) is excreted fairly rapidly from the body, therefore blood levels do not necessarily reflect the severity of CO poisoning. Airway support and adequate ventilation are the primary objectives of the nursing and medical team. Oxygen is the only antidote to CO. Continuous monitoring of the patient's neurological state is necessary; conscious level is the most important guide to the patient's progress. Nurses must be aware of the clinical indications and contraindications for HBO therapy to ensure that their patients receive optimal treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1490060", "title": "Hearing impairment in elderly hospital residents.", "content": "Seventy per cent of the sample residents had significant hearing impairment (> or = 40 dBHL). Forty-seven per cent of the sample residents wanted further help with their hearing but this had not been offered. Screening for hearing impairment on the study wards was haphazard. Less than 10% of residents owned and used a hearing aid. The listening environment was potentially disabling on all of the wards. Nursing staff were inadequately prepared to meet the care needs of the hearing-impaired elderly hospital resident. Nursing and medical care policies are not sensitive towards the needs of the hearing-impaired elderly hospital resident. Hearing impairment is a neglected area of healthcare on long-stay wards for elderly people."}
{"id": "PMID:1490061", "title": "Detection and treatment of osteoporosis.", "content": "Osteoporosis is a silent disease that affects one in four women. Bone loss increases rapidly following the menopause. Osteoporosis can be easily detected and successfully monitored and treated. Prevention of osteoporosis is better than cure. Osteoporosis can be counteracted by developing a strong, healthy skeleton in early life. Bone density scanning provides a quick and accurate measurement of bone mineral density."}
{"id": "PMID:1490062", "title": "Developing a new uniform policy for student nurses.", "content": "It has been recognized that for many years traditional nurse uniforms are far from ideal. Inappropriate uniforms can be a contributory causative factor in back injury among nurses. Many nurses hold firmly to a traditional view of what constitutes a 'proper' nurse's uniform. Uniforms can act as a barrier and hindrance in the development of the therapeutic relationship between nurse and patient. Many colleges of nursing face amalgamation. This presents them with an opportunity to re-examine their uniform policies and rationalize the many into the one."}
{"id": "PMID:1490063", "title": "Role of the night nurse practitioner.", "content": "Major changes within the health service both nationally and locally demanded a closer look at the relevance of the night sister/charge nurse role. Research into particular issues such as quality of patient care, junior doctors' hours and general night administration confirm the most appropriate use of nurse practitioner skills. Careful consideration of the implications of the role and the necessary preparatory training formed a crucial part of the planning. A detailed evaluation of the new night nurse practitioner role is essential to review the effectiveness of this role and its contribution to quality patient care."}
{"id": "PMID:1490064", "title": "Night nurse practitioners are not 'mini-doctors'.", "content": "Nurse practitioner programmes should be negotiated between service and education. The contribution of experienced course participants should be valued through adult-centred learning strategies. The programme leader should be experienced in facilitation and have credible clinical experience; he/she will utilize the expertise of appropriately skilled lecturers. Clinical skills must be set within the context of professional accountability and within the principles of professional practice (UKCC). Assessment of practice leads to competence and theory assessments to credit rating and APL/APEL. Role development is concerned with understanding accountability and not with accepting junior doctor's tasks."}
{"id": "PMID:1490070", "title": "Inhibition of human immunodeficiency virus-1 proliferation by liposome-encapsulated sense DNA to the 5' tat splice acceptor site.", "content": "A liposome formulation containing a distearoylphosphatidylethanolamine analog was developed that was endocytosed by both lymphocytes and monocytes. This formulation was used to encapsulate sense and antisense 20-mer oligodeoxynucleotides to the 5' tat splice acceptor site of human immunodeficiency virus type 1. At a DNA concentration of 140 nM, the liposome-encapsulated sense DNA inhibited p24 production by as much as 84% in human peripheral blood leukocytes infected with \"wild-type\" virus. This treatment also reduced the number of peripheral blood leukocytes producing intracellular viral antigen by 71%. Of interest, no reduction in either parameter was observed for the antisense-containing liposomes. The results demonstrate the promise of a new liposomal delivery vehicle to inhibit human immunodeficiency virus replication by an entrapped oligodeoxynucleotide."}
{"id": "PMID:1490071", "title": "The use of antisense oligonucleotides to establish autocrine angiotensin growth effects in human neuroblastoma and mesangial cells.", "content": "Local renin-angiotensin systems (RAS) exist in many cell types, and angiotensin II (AII) has growth regulatory effects in some tissues. We demonstrated the presence of angiotensinogen (ANG) mRNA in cultured human mesangial cells (MC) and SHSY-5Y human neuroblastoma cells using reverse transcription and the polymerase chain reaction (RT/PCR) followed by hybridization to a human ANG-specific oligonucleotide probe. We speculated, therefore, that AII might act in an autocrine or paracrine fashion to regulate the growth of mesangial cells and neuroblastoma cells. Sense and antisense oligonucleotides were next synthesized complementary to the ANG transcription start site. Antisense but not sense oligonucleotides decreased [3H]thymidine incorporation into DNA by both MC and neuroblastoma cells. Growth of antisense oligonucleotide-treated cells was restored to control levels by the addition of AII but not by the addition of basic fibroblast growth factor. Neither oligonucleotide affected [3H]thymidine incorporation in mouse L929 cells. These data indicate that locally produced AII can act in an autocrine or paracrine fashion to alter the growth of human mesangial and neuroblastoma cells. Therefore, they suggest a role for local RAS in the pathogenesis of growth abnormalities in the cardiovascular system as well as in some forms of malignancy."}
{"id": "PMID:1490066", "title": "Legal implications of standard setting in nursing.", "content": "Patients are increasingly holding health professionals to account for their care. The practice of standard setting has important legal implications. Standard setting can be seen to aid the communication process in healthcare and can therefore help avoid expensive litigation. Standard setting can improve the quality of patient care. Standard documentation could be disclosed in a medical/nursing negligence case. Standards should not be automatically applied. Standard setting can be patchy, misdirected and irrelevant to actual problems. Standards can create unreal patient expectations of care. Patient care may suffer if unrealistic or unreasonable standards are in place. Standard setting can show that there is a controlled environment of care."}
{"id": "PMID:1490067", "title": "Managing upper airway obstruction.", "content": "A complete respiratory obstruction can lead to death in 3 minutes. The first and constant duty of the nurse aider is to check that the person is breathing by looking, listening and feeling. Partial obstruction is no less serious than complete obstruction. The nurse aider, in any situation, should assess the problem and attempt to overcome the airway obstruction using the measures described."}
{"id": "PMID:1490072", "title": "Cellular uptake and subcellular distribution of phosphorothioate oligonucleotides into cultured cells.", "content": "A phosphorothioate oligonucleotide that has been employed to inhibit HIV-1 viral expression in chronically infected H9 cells was examined for cellular uptake and subcellular distribution. The relationship between extracellular oligonucleotide concentration and the distribution and accumulation into subcellular organelles is important to the design, potential side effects, and understanding of a therapeutically useful antisense oligonucleotide. These studies employed uptake of both 35S- and fluorescence-labeled phosphorothioate oligonucleotides. Experiments with V79, HeLa, H9, and fresh human peripheral blood monocytes indicate that accumulations of oligonucleotide inside cells exceeds the concentration of oligonucleotide in culture media by over 100 times following 1 h of exposure at 37 degrees C. Uptake is more efficient at low concentrations, suggesting a saturable process. The total oligonucleotide that remains in cells begins to reach a plateau after 45-60 min, indicating either that efflux pathways exist or that uptake is saturable. Subcellular fractionation studies with 35S-labeled phosphorothioate demonstrate the oligonucleotide is sequestered into both the nuclei and the mitochondria of cultured HeLa cells in a time-dependent manner. The subcellular fractionation was examined with fluorescence-labeled phosphorothioate by both confocal and fluorescence microscopy, which confirmed the rate and localization of oligonucleotide into cultured cells. Finally, cellular uptake is not uniform for all cells in a nonsynchronous culture."}
{"id": "PMID:1490068", "title": "How to become a nurse teacher.", "content": "It may take a minimum of 4 years to become a nurse teacher. Teaching is about communicating effectively with a variety of groups. The ENB and UKCC have clear criteria that must be met. If teaching is for you, it is important to be proactive, explore alternatives and plan your way forward. The role of the teacher is open to a wide interpretation. Nurse teaching is moving towards an all-graduate profession. Your college of nursing library will have information packs and details of local courses. The college principal will be pleased to offer careers advice to prospective teachers."}
{"id": "PMID:1490073", "title": "Binding of antisense phosphorothioate oligonucleotides to murine lymphocytes is lineage specific and inducible.", "content": "A phosphorothioate oligonucleotide that has been employed to inhibit HIV-1 viral expression in chronically infected H9 cells was examined for its ability to associate with murine lymphoid cells. The relationship between cellular oligonucleotide concentration and the lymphoid target tissues is important to the selection of an animal model, evaluation of potential side effects, and understanding the actions of a therapeutically useful antisense oligonucleotide. Lymphoid cells were harvested from murine peripheral blood, bone marrow, thymus, lymph node, and spleen. Cell subpopulations that bind the oligonucleotide were distinguished by two-color flow cytometry employing a fluorescein-labeled anti-rev oligonucleotide and phycoerythrin-labeled antibodies to selected cell surface molecules associated with unique subpopulations of cells. Very little oligonucleotide binding was observed in peripheral blood mononuclear cells or thymic T cells, but substantial numbers of cells, primarily B cells from bone marrow and spleen, accumulated the oligonucleotide. The cell-associated oligonucleotide was increased significantly in lymphoid populations when the cells were mitogen pretreated with either concanavalin-A (ConA), a T cell mitogen, or lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a B cell mitogen. These data clearly demonstrate the ability of fluorescein-conjugated oligonucleotides to bind to unique cell populations in suspension, allowing simultaneous two-color phenotypic analysis, suggesting that fluorescein-conjugated oligonucleotides may be a useful bridge between in vitro molecular biology techniques and in vivo cell biology. In addition, these data provide optimism concerning the in vivo treatment of chronically infected HIV patients using antisense oligonucleotides."}
{"id": "PMID:1490074", "title": "Cellular uptake and degradation of phosphorothioate oligonucleotides by marine and freshwater ciliates.", "content": "To date, no antisense studies have been reported with either ciliated protozoa or marine organisms. This study examines the feasibility of using antisense oligonucleotides to alter gene expression in marine and freshwater ciliates. Radiolabeled, phosphorothioate-modified oligonucleotides were used to investigate whether ciliates take up and degrade oligonucleotides present in the culture medium. With all three ciliates examined, Euplotes crassus, Tetrahymena thermophila, and Oxytricha nova, the oligonucleotide in the culture medium was degraded very rapidly (> 90% in 8 h). The degradation probably occurred when the cells filtered the culture medium through the oral apparatus. Our results indicate that experiments involving the uptake of oligonucleotides from the culture medium are likely to be successful with ciliated protozoa. In studies designed to examine the uptake of fluorescent oligonucleotide by Euplotes cells, we found that dead or dying cells have a high affinity for fluorescein-labeled oligonucleotide. These results illustrate the importance of careful studies when only certain cell populations are found to have a high affinity for oligonucleotide. Although the seawater culture medium used to grow Euplotes causes some oligonucleotide to precipitate, this problem is not serious at concentrations > or = 1 microM oligonucleotide. Thus, it should be possible to use antisense oligonucleotides to manipulate gene expression in other marine organisms."}
{"id": "PMID:1490076", "title": "The opening of a high care hostel for problem drinkers.", "content": "This paper gives a personal and practice based account by one of the Team Leaders of the opening of a high-care hostel for problem drinkers in North London. The hostel, Rugby House, was set up to provide detoxification and assessment facilities for thirteen residents. It was part of the Rugby House Project, an alcohol agency in the voluntary sector. The paper explores the processes involved in setting up a new project; how the new paid employees turn a committee's vision into practice; how a group of individuals become a team; the importance of clarity about boundaries and underlying values and assumptions; the need for openness about negative as well as positive feelings; and the recognition that some of the experiences of staff will resonate with those of the residents for whom giving up drinking is a major life change."}
{"id": "PMID:1490077", "title": "The impact of intravenous drug use on mortality of young adults in Rome, Italy.", "content": "To estimate the impact of intravenous drug use (IVDU) on mortality in the general population of young adults in Rome, Italy, the Population Attributable Risk (PAR) was calculated for the overall and cause-specific mortality in the 15-34 years age group. Relative risks were derived from a previous historical cohort study on mortality among 4200 intravenous drug users (IVDUs) in Rome, in which increased mortality from cardiovascular, respiratory, and gastrointestinal diseases as well as from violence, overdose and AIDS had been observed. The prevalence of the risk factor (i.e. the proportion of IVDUs) in the general population was estimated using the 'multiplier formula' and 'capture-recapture' methods. The proportion of all deaths attributable to IVDU in the 15-34 age group in the Roman population was 16% and 9% in males and females, respectively. The cause-specific attributable proportions were 66% for endocarditis and 37% for cirrhosis in males, and 36% for endocarditis and pneumonia in females. These findings further document the relevant health consequences of IVDU on the general population of a large metropolitan area."}
{"id": "PMID:1490078", "title": "Estimating the trend of the epidemic of drug use in Italy, 1985-89.", "content": "We used data from different sources to estimate the extent and the trend of the epidemic of drug use in Italy in the second half of the '80s. During the study period, the number of subjects attending drug dependency units increased from 13,905 to 61,689. Mortality and morbidity indicators showed an increase in both drug related deaths (mainly from overdose) and AIDS cases reported in injecting drug users, particularly among older subjects. However, the number of young adults detected as drug users at the army recruitment remained virtually stable from 1986 on. These findings suggest that both demand and availability of treatment increased through the years 1985-89, and that clinical consequences of drug use related behaviour have become an important public health priority."}
{"id": "PMID:1490079", "title": "Assessment of drug involvement: applications to a sample of physicians in training.", "content": "The investigators examined survey data of lifetime and recent drug use in national samples of 2036 senior medical students and 1772 resident physicians to test whether patterns of lifetime drug use could be characterized adequately by a single underlying dimension of 'drug involvement'. The data analysis was based on a two parameter normal item response theory (IRT) model using the marginal maximum likelihood estimation method. The results showed that a single latent dimension of 'drug involvement' characterized individual drug use differences on the following measures: substances ever used, substances used in the previous year or previous month, and the sequential order of first use for each substance. The dimension was equivalent for students and resident physicians, and for both genders. Those who professed 'no religion' tended to be more drug involved. Physicians-in-training with a higher drug involvement score based on lifetime use were more likely: (a) to have used higher-ranking drugs (such as LSD and prescription opiates) in the past year; and (b) to have used a greater number of different drugs during the past month. Subjects first began to use each of the substances in a relatively invariant sequence corresponding to that predicted by the model. The implications of this model for evaluating the drug use histories of physicians-in-training, for identifying subgroups at greater risk for continued drug involvement after the beginning of medical training, and for further psychological, biological, and sociocultural research on the nature of 'drug involvement' are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1490080", "title": "Knowledge of AIDS and HIV among various groups.", "content": "To date, no cure has been found for HIV/AIDS. Prevention has therefore been the immediate principal aim and a didactic approach has been given a primary role. Studies from the USA indicate that knowledge level may be dictated by membership of particular subcultural groups and the perceived relevance of HIV/AIDS to these groups. This study investigates knowledge among four groups: homosexual; single heterosexual; IV drug users; and a 'married' group. Results indicate some gaps in knowledge and a greater knowledge base among one of the high risk groups, the homosexual group."}
{"id": "PMID:1490081", "title": "Socio-economic versus obstetric risk factors for drug addiction in offspring.", "content": "Two possible risk factors for drug addiction were weighed against each other: (1) perinatal factors associated with obstetric medication at time of birth; and (2) factors associated with familial socio-economic conditions at time of birth. The subjects comprised 200 amphetamine addicts and 200 opiate addicts born in Stockholm 1945-1966. In a matched case control study, addicts were compared to their siblings with regard to possible obstetric risk factors by means of conditional logistic regression controlling for socio-economic level and civil status. Administration of opiates, barbiturates and nitrous oxide to mothers during labour was associated with drug addiction in offspring, hence confirming results from earlier studies. In a cohort study the risk associated with birth at a given hospital and familial socio-economic level was analysed by means of log-linear analysis using 7100 controls from the general population. For amphetamine addicts, a low socio-economic level at time of birth might be of importance for the infant subsequently becoming an addict. This could not be demonstrated for the opiate addicts. An uneven distribution of births among the hospitals, most pronounced for the amphetamine addicts, is in agreement with the hypothesis that obstetric practices may be risk factors for adult drug addiction."}
{"id": "PMID:1490082", "title": "Young-adult children of alcoholic parents: protective effects of positive family functioning.", "content": "The occurrence of alcoholism is clustered within families, but the detrimental effect of a positive family history may vary with the degree of family impairment involved. In this study we assessed the effects of family history and family environment on alcohol misuse. From ongoing studies we recruited parents who had a child aged 18-30, 20 with a DSM-III-R alcohol dependence diagnosis, 20 without. The child then completed a multidimensional assessment. The young-adult participants included 20 men and 20 women (mean age = 24.8). Differences by family history were restricted to substance abuse behaviors. While a high level of alcohol problems occurred in both groups, those with an alcohol-dependent parent were more likely to be heavy drinkers and showed more symptoms of alcohol dependence. Overall psychological adjustment did not differ between the groups, however. Alcohol misuse measures did correlate moderately with symptoms of poor emotional health. The most important correlates of alcohol misuse measures in this study were exposure to parental alcoholism, abusive punishment, and psychological symptoms, with some separation of effects in the two subgroups. Psychological symptoms had a stronger relationship with misuse in subjects with social-drinking parents, while abuse was more associated in the group with an alcohol-dependent parent. These results confirm the importance of environmental interactions with familial risk. A biological vulnerability from an alcohol-dependent parent was not sufficient or necessary for the participants in this study to develop alcohol dependence as a young adult, although there was an increased risk. There appear to be strong protective effects of positive family relationships on the potential negative effects of a family history of alcoholism."}
{"id": "PMID:1490083", "title": "Drinking amongst medical patients: levels of risk and models of change.", "content": "Results are reported of a study in which 547 general hospital medical in-patients were screened, using a computer-administered questionnaire, for alcohol consumption, problems and concerns. Of males, 22.5% were classified as 'risk drinkers', of women 6.5%. Rates of risk were particularly high amongst younger male patients. It was concluded that certain screening questionnaire items were more useful than others in the general hospital context, and that standard questionnaires developed for other populations should not automatically be used in general hospitals. Comparisons with items relating to other health behaviours suggested that the medical profession, the general public and the patients themselves might be relatively insensitive to the risks associated with heavy drinking in comparison to those associated with smoking, weight and lack of exercise. Data from initial screening and from 75% of patients who were asked to repeat the questionnaire six months later, were used to test certain assumptions of a model of change based in part upon that of Prochaska & DiClemente (1986). Results suggested that processes of change were more complex than the model supposed."}
{"id": "PMID:1490084", "title": "Drinking habits and detection of heavy drinking among middle-aged women.", "content": "Little is known about alcohol consumption and the efficiency of alcohol questionnaires among women. In the present study 40-year-old (n = 90) and 45-year-old (n = 75) women participating in a health screening gave a self-report about their alcohol consumption and filled out the Malm\u00f6 modified Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test (Mm-MAST) and the CAGE questionnaires. Teetotallers comprised 11% of the 40-year-old group and 8% of the 45-year-old women. CAGE, but not Mm-MAST worked with the traditional cut-off point of two recommended for men. When the criterion for heavy drinking was a self-reported consumption > or = 140 g of absolute alcohol per week or a positive (> or = 2) finding in the CAGE or > or = 4 'yes' answers in the Mm-MAST, 20% of the 40-year-old and 17% of the 45-year-old group (together 19%) proved positive. Neither of the two questionnaires nor self-report alone worked perfectly for identifying the heavy drinker group (n = 31) screened. Using the three above criteria; of the heavy drinkers 52% were detected by self-report, 55% by CAGE, and 45% by Mm-MAST. CAGE in combination with self-report detected 90% and this combination, being short and simple, can be recommended for clinical practice."}
{"id": "PMID:1490085", "title": "Why children start smoking cigarettes: predictors of onset.", "content": "We review findings from 27 prospective studies of the onset of cigarette smoking conducted since 1980. Almost 300 measures of predictors of smoking onset were examined, and 74% of them provided multivariate support for predictors of onset derived from theory and previous empirical findings. Expected relationships were strongly supported for (a) socioeconomic status, with students with compromised status being more likely to try smoking; (b) social bonding variables, particularly peer and school bonding, with less support for family bonding; (c) social learning variables, especially peer smoking and approval, prevalence estimates, and offers/availability, with less consistent support for parent smoking and approval; (d) refusal skills self efficacy; (e) knowledge, attitudes and intentions, with the expected stronger predictions from intentions than from attitudes than from knowledge; and (f) broad indicators of self-esteem. The few investigators who analyzed their data separately by age, gender, or ethnicity found many differences by these factors, though there were too few of them to detect any pattern with confidence. Though the 27 studies are far from perfect, we believe that they confirm the importance of many well-accepted predictors and raise some questions about others. In particular, family smoking, bonding and approval each received unexpectedly low support. It is not clear whether this lack of support reflects reality as it has always been, is due to a changing reality, reflects developmental changes, either in the age of subjects or the stage of onset, or is due to poor measurement and too few tests. Future prospective studies need to be theory-driven, use measures of known reliability and validity, report analyses of scale properties, and use statistical methods appropriate to the hypotheses or theories under study. Finally, we encourage more investigations of the potentially different predictors of transitions to experimental or regular cigarette smoking. This will require multi-wave studies and careful measurement of changes in smoking behavior."}
{"id": "PMID:1490086", "title": "Severity of DSM-III-R alcohol dependence: United States, 1988.", "content": "One method of subtyping alcohol dependence is according to severity. Over 4000 respondents in a US national survey who met criteria for DSM-III-R alcohol dependence were classified as mildly, moderately or severely dependent, and the characteristics of each group were examined. The proportion of males was higher in the moderate and severe groups, and the greatest proportions of cases were concentrated in the younger ages in all three groups. A clear increasing gradient from the mild to severe group was found for early age at first drink, heavy alcohol consumption, family history of alcohol problems, social pressure to reduce drinking, and helpseeking, treatment or AA for drinking. Implications for further analyses are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1490087", "title": "Pressure control in glaucoma patients after cataract surgery with intraocular lens.", "content": "In a retrospective study 97 patients with glaucoma and 16 with ocular hypertension were examined with regard to intraocular pressure (IOP) after extracapsular cataract extraction with implantation of a posterior chamber lens. During the follow-up 39 cases dropped out but 63 glaucoma patients and 11 patients with ocular hypertension were followed for three years. Compared to preoperative IOP 59% of the patients treated previously with Argon laser trabeculoplasty (ALT) had an IOP rise of > 10 mm Hg the day after surgery. The corresponding proportion among medically treated patients was 34% (P = 0.01). A pressure rise of > 10 mm Hg was less frequent among patients treated with one drug than among those treated with two or three (P = 0.05). During follow-up eight patients had a pressure rise which could not be controlled medically and they had to undergo additional ALT or surgery. All eight had been treated with ALT or with glaucoma filtering surgery prior to the cataract operation. After three years observation of 63 of the glaucoma patients, 63% were having less medical therapy than preoperatively, 30% an equal amount and 7% more; 49% (31 of 63) were still without any therapy. In the group of patients who preoperatively were only treated medically, no definite increase in therapy was needed in the long term."}
{"id": "PMID:1490088", "title": "Influence of carteolol and timolol on IOP an visual fields in glaucoma: a multi-center, double-masked, prospective study.", "content": "The influences of Carteolol and Timolol eye drops on intraocular pressure (IOP) and visual fields were compared in a multi-center, double-masked, prospective study. Two-hundred and forty eyes of 120 patients were initially included in the study, and 142 eyes of 72 patients fulfilled all the criteria for final statistical analysis. Both drugs significantly reduced IOP. The visual fields in both treatment groups did not change during one year of treatment. In both groups some patients improved slightly, and others deteriorated slightly. This indicates that locally applied beta-blockers may efficiently stop further progression of visual field defects in cases with increased IOP and early visual field damage. There was no difference between Carteolol and Timolol in this regard. The side effects were minimal, and there were no differences in their frequency or intensity in the two treatment groups."}
{"id": "PMID:1490089", "title": "Electrophysiology in pseudohistoplasmosis and chronic idiopathic retinal vasculitis.", "content": "We used computerized electroretinography (E.R.G.) flash to study 12 patients: five pseudohistoplasmosis (P.S.H.) and seven chronic idiopathic retinal vasculitis (C.I.R.V.), compared with 12 healthy controls. We found a moderate correlation in controls between white computer averaged b-wave amplitude and b-wave obtained with other wavelengths (over 600 nm red, over 550 nm orange, and under 500 nm blue), in scotopic (white/orange r = 0.41, P < 0.05; white/red r = 0.45, P < 0.05; white/blue r = 0.48, P < 0.02) and photopic conditions (white/orange r = 0.6, P < 0.01). For P.S.H. there was a highly significant correlation between white and all wavelengths in photopic (white/orange r = 1, white/red r = 0.96, P < 0.0001) and scotopic conditions (white/orange r = 0.97, P < 0.0001; white/red r = 0.96, P < 0.0001; white/blue r = 0.96). In vasculitis, as in controls, we found no white/red correlation and only in vasculitis we could not find a scotopic white/blue correlation. We conclude that these situations are electrophysiologically different. The closer correlation in P.S.H. suggests more efficient phototransduction and in C.I.R.V. there may also be a rod-selective dysfunction."}
{"id": "PMID:1490094", "title": "Beta-endorphin responses to metyrapone and dexamethasone in depressed patients.", "content": "Controversy continues over the characteristics of beta-endorphin secretion in depression. Beta-endorphin plasma levels were measured in 30 drug-free male patients with a DSM-III-R major depressive disorder and 21 healthy controls. Depressed patients displayed significantly lower beta-endorphin plasma levels in baseline conditions, after the single dose metyrapone test, and after the dexamethasone suppression test. The activation of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis in depression might be due, at least in part, to low levels of beta-endorphin. These results suggest that HPA axis dysregulation in depression may involve peptides other than ACTH."}
{"id": "PMID:1490095", "title": "Anticonvulsive properties of calcitonin in rats.", "content": "The effect of human calcitonin and sodium valproate (VPA) on electrically induced seizures in rats was assessed. Intraperitoneal administration of calcitonin (20 and 40 IU/kg) 60 min prior to electroshock significantly reduced the duration of the seizures and their intensity. We also found that combined treatment with calcitonin (20 and 40 IU/kg i.p.) and VPA (100 mg/kg p.o.) did not enhance the anticonvulsant activity. These findings suggest that calcitonin exerts an anticonvulsant influence on rats during electrically induced seizures."}
{"id": "PMID:1490090", "title": "Two different genetic markers for high and low myopia.", "content": "In myopia patients, Rh and acid phosphatase were typed in two groups: group 1 consisted of 214 patients with low myopia (-6 D or less); group 2 of 124 patients with high myopia (more than -6 D). Statistical analysis of the markers showed a good Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium for both groups. In the Rh system there was a significant difference between group 1 and the control population (p < 0.05), but not between group 2 and control (p > 0.1). In the case of ACP there was a significant difference between group 2 and the control population (p < 0.05), but not between group 1 and control (p > 0.25). We conclude that the observed association between myopia and Rh system (chromosome 1) involves low myopia, while the association between myopia and acid phosphatase (chromosome 2) involves high myopia. Further DNA research will lead to more specific results."}
{"id": "PMID:1490096", "title": "Changes at cholecystokinin receptors induced by long-term treatment with diazepam and haloperidol.", "content": "Fourteen days administration of haloperidol (1 mg/kg daily) prevented the motor depressant effect of caerulein (an agonist at cholecystokinin receptors, 15 micrograms/kg) and the antagonistic effect of caerulein (100 micrograms/kg) against (+)-amphetamine (5 mg/kg) induced hyperlocomotion in mice. The antiaggressive effect of caerulein (40 micrograms/kg) in saline-treated mice was replaced by increased aggressiveness after long-term haloperidol and diazepam (5 mg/kg daily) treatment. The anticonvulsant effect of caerulein (125 micrograms/kg) against picrotoxin (10 mg/kg) induced seizures was abolished after 14 days diazepam, but not after haloperidol, treatment. The above described changes in the mouse behaviour are probably related to the development of subsensitivity at CCKA receptors, whereas the CCKB receptor subtype becomes more sensitized to the action of caerulein after long-term haloperidol and diazepam treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1490091", "title": "A case report of both Duane's syndrome and Rieger's anomaly in a single patient.", "content": "A young patient manifesting both Duane's syndrome and Rieger's anomaly is presented. This is believed to be the first known report of such an association. Although there is no obvious genetic correlation, the clinical implications of this finding are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1490097", "title": "Calcium antagonistic effects of carbamazepine as a mechanism of action in neuropsychiatric disorders: studies in calcium dependent model epilepsies.", "content": "Carbamazepine (CBZ) is used in neurology for the treatment of epilepsies and trigeminal neuralgia and in psychiatry for the prophylactic treatment of affective and schizoaffective psychoses. Since a common mechanism of epilepsies and affective psychoses might be increased intracellular calcium ion levels, CBZ action was analyzed in penicillin, caffeine and low Mg2+ induced model epilepsies which have been shown to be suppressed specifically by organic calcium antagonists. In CA3 and CA1 areas of hippocampal slice preparations of guinea pigs CBZ reduced paroxysmal depolarizations and extracellular field potentials (EFP) in a typical time and concentration dependent manner as it is known from calcium antagonists. Furthermore, subthreshold concentrations of the organic calcium antagonist verapamil intensified the action of CBZ. NMDA induced increases of the discharge rate of EFP were, however, unaffected by CBZ."}
{"id": "PMID:1490092", "title": "Presumed intraocular lymphoma in a 60-year-old man with AIDS.", "content": "A 60-year-old man with AIDS and active pulmonary tuberculosis presented with a rapidly growing chorioretinal tumor. Tuberculostatics had no effect on the tumor but radiation resulted in a quick decrease in its size. It is therefore believed to be a lymphoma. No biopsy was performed. An intraocular lymphoma in a patient with AIDS has not yet been described."}
{"id": "PMID:1490098", "title": "Sleep deprivation in rapid-cycling bipolar affective disorder: case report.", "content": "We describe a 4-month long hypomanic response to sleep deprivation in a patient with consistent (20-day cycles) rapid cycling. He subsequently reverted to very rapid cycling; however, sleep deprivation remained effective for each attack of depression. Sleep deprivation treatment, its immediate but short-lived beneficial effect, may have a role in the treatment of the ultra-short depressions encountered in very rapid cycling."}
{"id": "PMID:1490099", "title": "Effects of stimulation of putative dopamine autoreceptors on electroencephalographic power spectrum in comparison with effects produced by blockade of postsynaptic dopamine receptors in rats.", "content": "Alterations in cortical EEG activity in male rats produced by putative agonists at dopamine (DA) autoreceptors and by antagonists at postsynaptic DA receptors were compared in order to study, whether an impairment in dopaminergic neurotransmission via two different mechanisms might result in similar or different effects. Simultaneously to the EEG recordings, gross behaviour was observed. Putative agonists at DA autoreceptors (apomorphine 0.05 mg/kg, quinpirole 0.05 mg/kg, or talipexole 0.02 mg/kg s.c.) produced increases in the power in all of the frequency bands, except beta-2, with the most pronounced increase in the delta band. These EEG alterations were accompanied by hypokinesia, ptosis and yawning. In contrast, antagonists at DA receptors (haloperidol 0.1 mg/kg i.p., D2 blocker) or SCH 23390 (0.2 mg/kg i.p., D1 blocker) led to little increases in the delta band, but more pronounced increases in the alpha-2 band. Behavioural signs were hypokinesia, but little ptosis and yawning. The combination of both blockers produced, in addition, strong increases in the delta band and behavioural signs of ptosis and yawning. These results suggest that activation of putative dopamine autoreceptors produces EEG patterns and behavioural patterns different from those produced by blockade of either D1 or D2 postsynaptic dopamine receptors. In contrast, the effects following a stimulation of putative DA autoreceptors, which are expected to decrease the release of the agonist and its action at postsynaptic D1 and D2 receptors, were very similar to those found after a combined blockade of both types of postsynaptic dopamine receptors."}
{"id": "PMID:1490101", "title": "Synthesis of methyl alpha- and beta-N-dansyl-D-galactosaminides, probes for the combining sites of N-acetyl-D-galactosamine-specific lectins.", "content": "The synthesis of the methyl alpha- and beta-N-dansyl-D-galactosaminides is described using methyl alpha,beta-2-azido-2-deoxy-D-galactopyranoside as starting material. This was reduced to the corresponding methyl alpha,beta-2-amino-2-deoxy-D-galactopyranoside and then treated with dansyl chloride to yield a mixture of methyl alpha,beta-N-dansyl-D-galactosaminides which was separated into individual anomeric forms by flash chromatography on silica gel. Methyl alpha-N-dansyl-D-galactosaminide was used as a fluorescent indicator ligand in continuous substitution titrations to determine the association constants of nonchromophoric carbohydrates with the N-acetyl-D-galactosamine specific lectin from Erythrina corallodendron."}
{"id": "PMID:1490102", "title": "Effects of site-specific mutations on the enzymatic properties of a sialidase from Clostridium perfringens.", "content": "Three site-specific mutations were performed in two regions of a sialidase gene from Clostridium perfringens which are known to be conserved in bacterial sialidases. The mutant enzymes were expressed in Escherichia coli and, when measured with MU-Neu5Ac as substrate, exhibited variations in enzymatic properties compared with the wild-type enzyme. The conservative substitution of Arg 37 by Lys, located in a short conserved region upstream from the four repeated sequences common in bacterial sialidase genes, was of special interest, as KM and Vmax, as well as K(i) measured with Neu5Ac2en, were dramatically changed. These data suggest that this residue may be involved in substrate binding. In addition to its low activity, this mutant enzyme has a lower temperature optimum and is active over a more limited pH range. This mutation also prevents the binding of an antibody able to inhibit the wild-type sialidase. The other mutations, located in one of the consensus sequences, were of lower influence on enzyme activity and recognition by antibodies."}
{"id": "PMID:1490103", "title": "Purification of the Lewis blood-group gene associated alpha-3/4-fucosyltransferase from human milk: an enzyme transferring fucose primarily to type 1 and lactose-based oligosaccharide chains.", "content": "A soluble Lewis blood-group gene associated alpha-3/4-L-fucosyltransferase has been purified from human milk by a series of steps involving hydrophobic chromatography on Phenyl Sepharose 4B, ion exchange chromatography on CM-Sephadex C-50, affinity chromatography on GDP-hexanolamine Sepharose 4B and gel filtration on Sephacryl S-200. The first step separated alpha-3-L-fucosyltransferase activity directed towards N-acetylglucosamine in Type 2 (Gal beta 1-4GlcNAc-R) acceptors from an alpha-3/4-fucosyltransferase fraction acting on both Type 1 (Gal beta 1-3GlcNAc-R) and Type 2 acceptors. Further purification of this latter fraction on CM-Sephadex and GDP-hexanolamine Sepharose gave a single peak of fucosyltransferase activity that catalysed the addition of fucose to N-acetylglucosamine in both Type 1 and Type 2 acceptors and to the O-3 position of glucose in lactose-based oligosaccharides. The enzyme preparation at this stage resembled previously described alpha-3/4-fucosyltransferase preparations purified from human milk. However, gel filtration of this preparation on Sephacryl S-200 or Sephadex G-150 separated further amounts of alpha-3-fucosyltransferase activity acting solely on Type 2 acceptors and left a residual alpha-3/4-fucosyltransferase that retained strong alpha-4 activity with the Type 1 acceptor, lacto-N-biose 1, and alpha-3 activity with 2'-fucosyllactose, but had relatively little alpha-3 activity with N-acetyllactosamine and virtually no capacity to transfer fucose to glycoproteins with N-linked oligosaccharide chains having unsubstituted terminal Type 2 structures."}
{"id": "PMID:1490104", "title": "Reassessment of the acceptor specificity and general properties of the Lewis blood-group gene associated alpha-3/4-fucosyltransferase purified from human milk.", "content": "The acceptor specificity and general properties of a Lewis blood-group gene associated alpha-3/4-L-fucosyltransferase isolated from human milk have been examined at the penultimate purification stage involving affinity chromatography on GDP-hexanolamine Sepharose, and after a subsequent gel filtration step on Sephacryl S-200. Both preparations transferred fucose to the O-4 position of N-acetylglucosamine in Type 1 (Gal beta 1-3GlcNAc-R) acceptors and the O-3 position of glucose in lactose-based (Gal beta 1-4Glc) oligosaccharides, and both used Type 1 sialylated compounds when the terminal N-acetylneuraminic acid was present in alpha-2,3 linkage. The striking difference between the two preparations was in their reactivity with Type 2 (Gal beta 1-4GlcNAc-R) chains; after Sephacryl S-200 chromatography the apparent KM values for the alpha-3/4- preparation with unsubstituted low-molecular-weight Type 2 oligosaccharides were considerably increased. Substitution of the terminal galactose with sialic acid in alpha-2,3 linkage decreased the KM values for low-molecular-weight oligosaccharides but no detectable incorporation of fucose was observed into N-acetyllactosamine end-groups of glycoproteins with N-linked oligosaccharide chains, irrespective of the presence of sialic acid in the terminal sequences."}
{"id": "PMID:1490105", "title": "Ganglioside alterations in YAC-1 cells cultivated in serum-supplemented and serum-free growth medium.", "content": "Gangliosides of the 'GM1b-pathway' (GM1b and GalNAc-GM1b) have been found to be highly expressed by the mouse T lymphoma YAC-1 grown in serum-supplemented medium, whereas GM2 and GM1 ('GM1a-pathway') occurred only in low amounts [M\u00fcthing, J., Peter-Katalini\u0107, J., Hanisch, F.-G., Neumann, U. (1991) Glycoconjugate J 8:414-23]. Considerable differences in the ganglioside composition of YAC-1 cells grown in serum-supplemented and in well defined serum-free medium were observed. After transfer of the cells from serum-supplemented medium (RPMI 1640 with 10% fetal calf serum) to serum-free medium (RPMI 1640 with well defined supplements), GM1b and GalNAc-GM1b decreased and only low amounts of these gangliosides could be detected in serum-free growing cells. The expression of GM1a was also diminished but not as strongly as that of GM1b and GalNAc-GM1b. These growth medium mediated ganglioside alterations were reversible, and the original ganglioside expression was achieved by readaptation of serum-free growing cells to the initial serum-supplemented medium. On the other hand, a 'new' ganglioside, supposed to represent GalNAc-GD1a and not expressed by serum-supplemented growing cells, was induced during serum-free cultivation, and increased strongly after readaptation. These observations reveal that the ganglioside composition of in vitro cultivated cells can be modified by the extracellular environment due to different supplementation of the basal growth medium."}
{"id": "PMID:1490106", "title": "Comparison of the N-glycoloylneuraminic and N-acetylneuraminic acid content of platelets and their precursors using high performance anion exchange chromatography.", "content": "N-Acetylneuraminic acid (Neu5Ac) and N-glycoloylneuraminic acid (Neu5Gc) are distributed widely in nature. Using a Carbopac PA-1 anion exchange column, we have determined the ratios of Neu5Ac and Neu5Gc in hydrolysates of platelets and their precursors: a rat promegakaryoblastic (RPM) cell line and a human megakaryoblastic leukemia cell line (MEG-01). The ratio of Neu5Gc:Neu5Ac in cultured RPM cells is 16:1, whereas in platelet rich plasma and cultured MEG-01 cells it is 1:38 and 1:28, respectively. The nature of these sialic acids from RPM cells was verified using thin layer chromatography and liquid secondary ion mass spectrometry. The relevance of increased Neu5Gc levels in early stages of development is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1490107", "title": "1H resonance assignments, secondary structure and general topology of single-chain monellin in solution as determined by 1H 2D-NMR.", "content": "We determined the resonance assignments, secondary structure and general topology of the 11-kDa sweet protein single-chain monellin (SCM), using two-dimensional proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (2D-NMR). SCM is a genetically engineered protein whose design is based on the crystal structure of natural, two-chain monellin (Kim et al., 1989). Analysis of the NMR spectra shows that the secondary structure of SCM consists of a five-strand anti-parallel beta-sheet and a 15-residue alpha-helix. Tertiary NOE constraints place the alpha-helix on the hydrophobic side of the beta-sheet, and indicate that the sheet is partially wrapped around the helix. The general structural features determined for SCM are similar to those of native monellin (Ogata et al., 1987). Some differences between the SCM structure in solution and the crystal structure of monellin are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1490108", "title": "Complete sequence-specific 1H NMR resonance assignment of hyperfine-shifted residues in the active site of a paramagnetic protein: application to Aplysia cyano-metmyoglobin.", "content": "Two-dimensional sequence-specific 1H NMR resonance assignment methodology (W\u00fcthrich, 1986) has been applied for the first time to a 18-kDa paramagnetic hemoprotein (cyano-met Aplysia Mb) to identify all the hyperfine-shifted residues. The assignment was greatly facilitated by the fact that hyperfine shifts of residues impart a strong temperature dependence to the cross peaks, which aids location and identification, and provides improved spectral dispersion, particularly in the fingerprint region. 2D COSY and TOCSY were found to be surprisingly effective in locating the complete spin connectivities of all of the hyperfine-shifted residues, with the exception of the axially coordinated His95 imidazole ring, whose proton resonances were found to exhibit severe line broadening (> 400 Hz). Conventional 1D NOE and NOESY with short mixing times, combined with paramagnetic-induced relaxation effects, led to the successful assignment of even extremely broad proton signals. Three helical stretches and two loop regions were identified as the source of all hyperfine-shifted residues: the F helical residues 3-9, the E-helix residues 6-14, the G-helix residues 5-9, the FG-loop residues 1-4 and the CD-loop residues 1-4. These segments comprise all the residues that make contact with the heme and modulate the reactivity of the prosthetic group. The sequence-specific identifications of the active-site residues revealed that the solution structure of Aplysia metMbCN is fully consistent with that observed by X-ray diffraction in single crystals for a variety of other derivatives, except for the distal Arg66 (E10), which is turned into the heme pocket, as found only in the metMbF crystal structure (Bolognesi et al., 1990). The ready identification, by their temperature sensitivity, and the complete assignments of all hyperfine-shifted residues of Aplysia metMbCN demonstrate that sequence-specific assignment can be profitably applied to paramagnetic proteins, and that it should be possible to determine the solution structures of paramagnetic proteins, at least for low-spin complexes, by using NMR techniques used for diamagnetic proteins."}
{"id": "PMID:1490109", "title": "Gradient-tailored excitation for single-quantum NMR spectroscopy of aqueous solutions.", "content": "A novel approach to tailored selective excitation for the measurement of NMR spectra in non-deuterated aqueous solutions (WATERGATE, WATER suppression by GrAdient-Tailored Excitation) is described. The gradient echo sequence, which effectively combines one selective 180 degrees radiofrequency pulse and two field gradient pulses, achieves highly selective and effective water suppression. This technique is ideally suited for the rapid collection of multi-dimensional data since a single-scan acquisition produces a pure phase NMR spectrum with a perfectly flat baseline, at the highest possible sensitivity. Application to the fast measurement of 2D NOE data of a 2.2 mM solution of a double-stranded DNA fragment in 90% H2O at 5 degrees C is presented."}
{"id": "PMID:1490110", "title": "Selective in vivo and in vitro incorporation and accumulation of phenolic thioether amine into malignant melanoma and identification of a (58 kD) binding glycoprotein.", "content": "Our previous in vivo studies indicated that a phenolic thioether amine (PTEA), 4-S-cysteaminylphenol (CAP), selectively disintegrates melanocytes of black hair and skin, and inhibits the growth of murine and human malignant melanomas. To elucidate the mechanism of the in vivo melanocytotoxicity and anti-melanoma effect, this study examined the selectivity and specificity of PTEA incorporation into malignant melanoma cells using [14C]4(2)-S-CAP, and then identified a PTEA-binding protein through a ligand binding assay using [125I]-labelled cell lysates. Whole body autoradiography showed that [14C]4-S-CAP is selectively incorporated and accumulated into the eye and tumours of a B16 melanoma-bearing mouse. SK MEL 23 human melanoma cells also showed a steady accumulation of [14C]4-S-CAP (threefold at least up to 5 min) and of [14C]2-S-CAP (sevenfold up to 20 min), compared with that of HeLa cells and fibroblasts, which plateau at 5 min. Chromatography of 4-S-CAP on an affinity column (both CH- and CNBr-activated Sepharose 4B) identified a 58 kD protein in melanoma cells, which was present at very low levels in HeLa cells; this 58 kD protein was retained by both 4-S- and 2-S-CAP affinity columns, but not by columns of a phenolic thioether (cysteinylphenol: CP) or a phenolic thioether amide (N-acetyl-4-S-CAP), and could be retrieved by either 4-S or 2-S-CAP but not by CP and N-acetyl-4-S-CAP. This protein was glycosylated, and contained mannose residues.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1490111", "title": "Bromodeoxyuridine hypersensitivity of metastatic melanoma cells.", "content": "A model system for testing the efficacy of chemotherapy protocols for metastatic melanoma was established using cell cultures from two brain and three lymph node metastases of melanoma from five different patients. Continuously growing cultures which were positive for tyrosinase activity were analysed regarding their proliferation rate by continuous bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) labelling and subsequent Hoechst-33258/ethidium bromide flow cytometry. Melanoma cell cultures exhibit a strong sensitivity to BrdU: at 5% oxygen, 50% growth inhibition is attained with 360 +/- 130 microM BrdU (range: 130-520; n = 11) vs 650 +/- 50 microM BrdU (n = 3) for diploid human fibroblasts and 570 +/- 20 microM BrdU (n = 6) for human lymphoid cell lines. Moreover, BrdU sensitivity of melanoma cells is clearly oxygen dependent: 50% growth inhibition at 200 +/- 55 microM (range: 65-400 microM) for 20% oxygen vs 360 +/- 130 microM BrdU for 5% oxygen. The cell cycle kinetic mechanism of BrdU-induced growth inhibition is accumulation of cells in the first cycle G2 phase. On the basis of these results we suggest testing BrdU in chemotherapy protocols for the treatment of metastatic melanoma."}
{"id": "PMID:1490112", "title": "Improving the prognostic value of DNA flow cytometry in metastatic melanoma by combining ploidy and S-phase fraction.", "content": "The prognostic value of cellular DNA content of melanoma metastases was investigated in tumours from 114 consecutive patients referred to the Helsinki University Central Hospital Melanoma Team. Thirty-six percent of the tumours were diploid and 64% aneuploid. For 91 patients the S-phase fraction was calculable. Tumour ploidy and S-phase fraction (SPF) were shown by multivariate Cox model analysis to be independent prognostic variables and major determinants of survival after first recurrence. Patients with either aneuploid or low SPF tumours survived longer than did those with diploid or high SPF tumours. By combining DNA ploidy and SPF, three types of DNA histograms could be defined, associated with favourable, intermediate and poor prognosis. Patients with aneuploid, low SPF metastases showed a median survival of 57 months, whereas the high-risk group with diploid, high SPF metastases survived only 13 months. When ploidy, SPF, age, sex, TNM stage and duration of disease-free survival were analysed as covariates the division of flow cytometry histograms into these three types resulted in the most significant prognostic factor (p < 0.001) in the Cox multivariate analysis."}
{"id": "PMID:1490113", "title": "Local control of subcutaneous murine melanoma xenografts in nude mice by neutron capture therapy.", "content": "The systemic administration of enriched [10B]D,L-p-boronophenylalanine results in the selective uptake of boron by Harding-Passey melanoma xenografts in the nude mouse model. The boron-10 located in the tumour cells acts as a radiation sensitizer for thermal neutron irradiation. The nude mouse model can be successfully used to demonstrate that regression and local control of melanoma can be achieved by neutron capture therapy. Control is a manifestation of the high linear energy transfer radiation released after neutron capture by boron-10, and does not result from an equal fluence of neutrons alone. Histological examination of remnant tumour beds 300 days after treatment shows the presence of isolated melanoma cells. However, these cells are few in number and appear incapable of division."}
{"id": "PMID:1490114", "title": "Treatment of recurrent in transit metastases from cutaneous melanoma by isolation perfusion in extracorporeal circulation with interleukin-2 and lymphokine activated killer cells. A pilot study.", "content": "Chemoresistant melanoma cells are known to be susceptible in vitro to lymphokine activated killer (LAK) cells. To obtain a high LAK/tumour cell ratio in vivo and avoid systemic toxicity due to interleukin-2 (IL-2), we used IL-2 plus LAK cells in the treatment of in transit melanoma metastases of the limbs by isolation perfusion (IP). In vivo immunological modifications induced by this immunotherapeutic approach were also analysed. Six patients previously treated with IP in extracorporeal circulation with tumour cytotoxic drugs and presently relapsing or not responding, were submitted to locoregional adoptive therapy consisting of 5 days systemic administration of IL-2 (Proleukin, EuroCetus) (9-12 x 10(6) IU/m2/day c.i.). Autologous LAK cells were derived from leukapheresis and subsequent in vitro stimulation with IL-2; LAK cells were then given along with IL-2 (120-2400 IU/ml of perfusion priming) to the affected limb by IP. In addition, 7-16 x 10(9) LAK cells were administered by systemic infusion the day after together with IL-2 (9-12 x 10(6) IU/m2/day) by c.i. for 5 days. All patients concluded the treatment without major toxicity. The analysis of circulating lymphocytes obtained from extracorporeal circuit at different times revealed rapid disappearance of LAK cells, suggesting their extravasation and/or endothelial adhesion in perfused tissues. Clinical responses included four partial and one complete response; another patient had stable disease. All patients are presently alive. Follow-up after IP ranges from 8 to 22 months."}
{"id": "PMID:1490115", "title": "Elective lymph node dissection in stage I malignant melanoma: a meta-analysis.", "content": "The role of elective lymph node dissection (ELND) in stage I melanoma has been a controversial issue for decades. Numerous studies have been conducted to try to establish the benefit of ELND versus wide local excision (WLE). The majority of these studies suggest no significant difference in survival, although some investigations have shown ELND to be of benefit in intermediate thickness (0.76-3.99 mm) melanomas. In order to resolve this ongoing controversy, a meta-analysis was undertaken to review and analyse the results of previous reports. There was a total of 10,132 patients of whom 3,409 in 15 studies underwent ELND for all melanoma patients and 3,618 patients of whom 1,336 in eight studies had ELND for intermediate thickness (0.76-3.99) melanomas. No significant 5-year survival was present in all patients treated with ELND (p > 0.05, confidence intervals -0.0780, 0.0788), however, a significant 5-year survival was found in the intermediate thickness subgroup (p < 0.0001, confidence intervals -0.02, 0.22). Therefore, ELND may be valuable for improving the prognosis of patients with intermediate thickness melanomas."}
{"id": "PMID:1490120", "title": "The export of hazardous industries to newly industrialized countries.", "content": "The majority of investment in manufacturing industries in the newly industrialized countries come from foreign companies or investors. This vital source of new jobs and capital for the development of infrastructure brings with it some very significant longterm costs in environmental remediation and workers' compensation insurance that are seldom discussed with candor. These costs may be considered a necessary step on the road to industrialization by many developing countries. But the longterm costs may be high enough to sustain the relative poverty of the country. Moreover, the absence of value added in the process of manufacturing may insure the continued economic dependence on foreign interests. The inadequacy of international environmental law is of concern to a few important organizations. But the extent of environmental degradation in many newly industrialized countries warrants far more effort at regulation and enforcement. Likewise, the high levels of worker fatalities and injuries in developing countries remind us of the need for international cooperation and health and safety program development."}
{"id": "PMID:1490121", "title": "Non specific environmental factors and asthma development.", "content": "Environmental pollutants seem to be responsible for dramatical increase of allergic disorders that have been observed lately. The best documented environmental factors facilitating allergy development are: ozone, diesel-exhaust particulate matter and tobacco smoke. Formaldehyde and SO2 seem to be also very important but still are not sufficiently documented. Mechanisms involved in allergy promotion include: better penetration of allergens across respiratory mucosa or direct modulation of immunological response."}
{"id": "PMID:1490122", "title": "On the examination of the pulmonary toxicity of mordenite in rats.", "content": "Mordenite, a fibrous-granular type of zeolites, was examined in CFY rats in long term in vivo experiments. After single intratracheal treatment, the lungs, cervical and hilar lymph nodes of the animals were processed at the end of the 1st, 3rd and 6th month and also the 1st year by routine histology, enzyme histochemistry and electron microscopy. After observing the effect of mordenite, dust-storing macrophage foci developed in the interstitium, showing minimal fibrotic tendency by the end of the 1st year. Electron microscopic examinations showed that the dust introduced was stored in the macrophages without structural changes. Energy dispersive X-ray microanalysis indicated that in intracellularly stored dust, the ratio of the two main elements: aluminium and silicon changed in favour of aluminium as compared to the original dust sample. This phenomenon was assessed as an increase in intracellular aluminium concentration, which inhibited fibrosis, exerting an antagonistic effect on silicon."}
{"id": "PMID:1490123", "title": "Effect of isoniazid or phenobarbital pretreatment on the metabolism of dihalomethanes to carbon monoxide.", "content": "An oral dose of 6.2 mmoles of diachloromethane (DCM), bromochloromethane (BCM) or dibromomethane (DBM) per kg body mass yielded a maximum carboxyhemoglobin (COHb) level of about 9% (at 6 hr), 11% (at 8 hr) and 22% (at 12 hr), respectively. Pretreatment of rats with isoniazid, 4 x 0.36 mmol/kg i.p., produced significant enhancements of the COHb formation; the values were 18.0 +/- 0.8% COHb after DCM, 24.1 +/- 0.8% COHb after BCM, and 39.0 +/- 1.3% COHb after DBM. Prior administration of phenobarbital, 4 x 0.31 mmol/kg i.p., caused no appreciable alterations in the COHb levels after DCM and slight but significant increases after BCM as well as after DBM. The data indicate that the oxidative metabolism of dihalomethanes to carbon monoxide is mainly catalyzed by cytochrome P-450 IIE1 and that the DCM-evoked COHb formation seems to be a method of testing whether a chemical is an inducer of this form of cytochrome P-450 in vivo."}
{"id": "PMID:1490124", "title": "Effect of low dose ionizing irradiation on rat metabolism.", "content": "Thie biological effect of low dose radiation is little known. In the current study male Wistar rats were exposed monthly to a 60Co-source low dose whole body irradiation (0.25 Gy, per 18 months; total dose: 4.5 Gy). The glutathione disulphide (GSSH): total glutathione (GSH) ratio, the concentration of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances and the activities of glutathione peroxidase and glutathione transferase in: small intestine, spleen, kidney, soleus muscle, and liver were analysed. Low dose irradiation is accompanied by distinct peroxidative changes in organs, observed in the small intestine, the spleen and in the kidneys. The current study suggests that the measurement of glutathione status and thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances can be proposed as sensitive parameters for low dose radiation induced changes."}
{"id": "PMID:1490125", "title": "Physiological reaction to workload in women performing manual or mental work.", "content": "The aim of our study was to evaluate the reaction of the circulatory system on work with various levels of physical and mental load. The examinations were carried out at a department store in two groups of women: 20 cashiers (mental work) and 53 saleswomen (physical work). There were no statistically significant differences in age, duration of employment or physical fitness between those groups. Work at this department store was performed on a two-shift system with irregular rotations. The psychic load was evaluated as a relation between subjective estimation of work demands and the ability to cope with them. Physical effort was measured as an energy expenditure during work. Cardiovascular reaction was expressed by heart rate during work, leisure time and sleep estimated according to the 24-hour Holter monitoring method. No statistically significant differences in heart rate were found to exist between cashiers and saleswomen. This, taking into account the much higher energy expenditure in saleswomen, suggests that mental effort is likely to affect heart rate. In fact, mean values of subjective assessment of work demands in cashiers were much higher (5.1) than in saleswomen (4.4), unlike the evaluation of the ability to cope with them, which points to the occurrence of a significant psychic load in the work of cashiers. A lower difference between maximum and minimum frequencies of heart rate in cashiers in comparison with saleswomen confirmed this observation, although it might have resulted from different levels of physical activity during work.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1490126", "title": "The statokinesiometry in evaluation of the balance system in persons with chronic carbon disulphide intoxication.", "content": "In the group of 37 patients with chronic carbon disulphide (CS2) intoxication manifested by encephalopathy, polyneuropathy or psycho-organic syndrome and complaining for vertigo, a statokinesiometric test was performed with open and closed eyes, and with visual stimulation. Basic test parameters of stabilograms and statokinesiograms were compared with standard values of the control group. Results of the test were additionally verified by electronystagmography with the recording of spontaneous, positional, optokinetic and post-rotatory nystagmus as well as the eye-tracking test. The statokinesiometry revealed postural stability disorder in 72.9% of patients. Balance disorders detected by means of this test showed high compatibility with results of electronystagmography which confirmed damage of the central part of vestibular system due to CS2 intoxication."}
{"id": "PMID:1490129", "title": "Educational attainment and the risk of non-insulin-dependent diabetes or coronary heart disease in Japanese-American men.", "content": "Japanese-American men have higher rates of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus and coronary heart disease than same-aged men in Japan. Associations of educational attainment with either non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus or coronary heart disease were examined in a sample of 229 second-generation Japanese-American men (aged 45 to 74 years) living in King County, Washington (1984 through 1985). Men with a terminal school education showed higher frequencies of both disease compared to men with any college education and to men with high school educations. Occupation, income, diet, physical activity, weight, insulin, lipids, and lipoproteins were examined to determine whether they could account for the observed associations of educational attainment with disease. Logistic regression analysis indicates that the association of educational attainment with risk of coronary heart disease is explained, in part, by the larger average body mass index, higher total and VLDL triglyceride, and lower HDL and HDL-2 cholesterol observed in men with technical school educations compared to the other men. The association of educational attainment with risk of non-insulin-dependent diabetes is not explained by any of the factors examined. The findings suggest that attainment of a college education ameliorates some of the negative effects of westernization on the health of Japanese-American men."}
{"id": "PMID:1490130", "title": "Social inequality of stroke mortality among US black populations, 1968 to 1987.", "content": "Though the rate of stroke mortality in the United States has been declining for all race-sex-specific groups, rates for blacks are among the highest in the world. Studies of the geographic and social variation of stroke mortality between populations have focused solely on either trends or social determinants, but not on both. In addition, conclusions have concentrated on the comparison of whites to nonwhites. The purpose of this study was to investigate the variation in stroke mortality trends, from 1968 to 1987, between US black populations categorized by the socioeconomic structure of the state economic area. The educational achievement profile of the population (percentage of the state economic area that had not completed high school) was used as an indicator of socioeconomic development. This aggregate study assessed whether (1) an inverse relationship existed between stroke mortality and educational achievement category, and (2) levels and trends of stroke mortality by educational achievement category varied from 1968 to 1987, for each age-gender-specific group (35 to 64, 65 to 74, and 75 to 84 years). Results showed an inverse relationship between educational achievement level of communities and stroke mortality, as well as a rank-ordering in level of educational achievement for all age-gender-specific groups. The absolute difference in rates among educational achievement levels clearly converged over time, with greater convergence in the period 1968 to 1978 than 1979 to 1987. The percent declines were similar across education categories. Results suggest that geographic inequalities in stroke mortality, in relation to socioeconomic structure, have converged over time.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1490131", "title": "Cross-cultural studies in Alzheimer's disease.", "content": "The search for risk factors for Alzheimer's disease would be greatly enhanced by identification of populations with significantly different prevalence rates, particularly if these populations consisted of ethnic groups now living in different environments and cultures. Evidence is presented that two such groups are worthy of further study: subjects of African origin living in Africa and in the West and Native Americans living on and off reserves."}
{"id": "PMID:1490133", "title": "Correlates of HIV risk behaviors in black and white San Francisco heterosexuals: the population-based AIDS in multiethnic neighborhoods (AMEN) study.", "content": "This study, the first random household probability sample of unmarried adults in an HIV epicenter, examined the prevalence and correlates of HIV risk behaviors among sexually active unmarried heterosexual white and black adults (n = 848) in San Francisco, California. Racial or gender differences were found in the HIV risk factors among the men and women in our sample. More whites (17% men, 15% women) than blacks (12% men, 5% women) reported they had ever used injection drugs. White women were more likely to report that they had a sexual partner who used injection drugs (17%) than white men (11%), black women (5%), or black men (4%). Also, men were more likely than women to have had two or more sexual partners in the past year without using condoms: 43% of white men compared to 34% of white women and 40% of black men compared to 24% of black women. Among all ethnic and gender groups, more than half of those at sexual risk for HIV infection reported never using condoms. Of those at risk, more black women (75%) than white women (53%) reported they never used condoms with their sexual partners within the past year. However, only slightly more black men (62%) than white men (60%) at sexual risk for HIV reported they never used condoms with their sexual partners during the past year. High levels of HIV risk behaviors were associated with low income, not having a primary sexual partner, less enjoyment of condoms, and greater barriers to using condoms. The results support the need for major intervention programs and social marketing campaigns to promote the use of condoms by enhancing enjoyment of and reducing barriers to condom use, especially among sexual partners of black women."}
{"id": "PMID:1490134", "title": "Predicting intentions to use condoms among African-American adolescents: the theory of planned behavior as a model of HIV risk-associated behavior.", "content": "The relation of attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control to intentions to use condoms was examined among 179 adolescents who completed a confidential self-administered questionnaire prior to participating in a minority youth health conference. Approximately 72% of the adolescents were African Americans. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses revealed that attitudes and subjective norms predicted intentions to use condoms and that, consistent with the theory of planned behavior, perceived behavioral control added a significant increment to the squared multiple correlation. Although adolescents' perceptions of their friends' approval of condom use was unrelated to their condom-use intentions, adolescents' behavioral beliefs about the effects of condoms on sexual enjoyment, normative beliefs regarding partners' and mothers' approval, and control beliefs regarding technical skill at using condoms were associated with such intentions. These results suggest the utility of the theory of planned behavior as a model of condom use among adolescents. Implications for HIV risk-reduction interventions are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1490135", "title": "Cultural, gender, and psychosocial influences on HIV-related behavior of African-American female adolescents: implications for the development of tailored prevention programs.", "content": "This paper presents epidemiologic data describing the risk of HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted diseases for African-American female adolescents relative to their white peers. Diverse cultural, psychosocial, and gender influences affect behavior; these should be considered in the development and implementation of culturally sensitive HIV prevention interventions tailored toward African-American female adolescents. These influences include sex-role socialization issues, the African-American family; issues related to racial identity; communication styles common among African-American youth; normative influences in adolescent heterosexual relationships; and factors affecting feelings of self-efficacy, empowerment, and gender rules in the African-American female adolescent. Strategies for incorporating cultural, psychosocial, and gender influences into the development of HIV risk-reduction interventions are suggested. Culturally specific interventions tailored toward this population may be more effective at motivating the adoption and maintenance of HIV-preventive behaviors."}
{"id": "PMID:1490136", "title": "'Many are called...': participation by minority leaders in an AIDS intervention in San Francisco.", "content": "Though the AIDS epidemic has posed a significant threat to minority people, especially African Americans and Latinos, minority community response to the epidemic has lagged significantly behind the organized efforts initiated by the European-American gay community. To test the efficacy of an educational intervention in increasing the involvement of minority leaders in AIDS-related efforts, we identified and recruited 166 African-American and Latino leaders to participate in a randomized controlled trial. This report describes the identification and recruitment of leaders to the study. Overall, participation was low. Rates of participation were not associated with race but were significantly associated with category of leadership--that is, whether the individual was a religious leader, an agency director, an elected official, or an informal leader, with religious leaders least likely and agency directors most likely to participate. We discuss the implications of these findings for improving epidemic response in minority communities."}
{"id": "PMID:1490137", "title": "Oxytalan fibres in proliferative vitreoretinopathy.", "content": "The distribution of elastic and related fibres was studied in 29 fibrocellular membranes associated with proliferative vitreoretinopathy using histochemical, immunohistochemical and ultrastructural techniques. Ten subretinal and ten epiretinal membranes were subjected to light microscopical investigation, whilst the remaining nine membranes were examined by transmission electron microscopy. Oxytalan fibres, an elastic fibre precursor that is found in a variety of normal and pathological connective-tissue matrices, were identified in all of the specimens. Mature elastic fibres were not observed in any of the 29 membranes. The demonstration that oxytalan connective-tissue fibres contribute to the infrastructure of PVR membranes adds further evidence to the suggestion that this proliferative tissue might be the result of a repair mechanism."}
{"id": "PMID:1490138", "title": "Results of extracapsular cataract extraction with intraocular lens implantation in eyes with uveitis and Fuchs' heterochromic iridocyclitis.", "content": "A total of 63 cataractous eyes of 48 patients (group 1) with uveitis and 12 eyes of 12 patients (group 2) with Fuchs' heterochromic iridocyclitis underwent extracapsular cataract extraction (ECCE) with capsular bag fixation of a posterior-chamber intraocular lens (PC OIL). A perioperative regimen of systemic dexamethasone (0.8-1.5 mg/kg) was initiated. This dose was tapered by 20 mg/day, reaching zero within 4-8 days. Intraoperatively, synechiolysis was required in 51 of 63 eyes in group 1 and a sector iridectomy was necessary in 42 eyes. A fibrinous reaction occurred in 7 eyes. During a mean follow-up period of 2 years, 7 eyes developed uveitis recurrences that were successfully treated with topical and systemic steroids in 4 eyes; the other 3 eyes developed cystoid macular edema. Overall, mean visual acuity improved from 20/120 to 20/50. Intraoperatively, 3 patients in group 2 developed a transient hemorrhage from atypical anterior-chamber-angle vessels. Postoperatively, 3 eyes showed a transient fibrinous reaction. The mean visual acuity improved from 20/240 to 20/30. In patients with Fuchs' heterochromic iridocyclitis, ECCE with PC IOL implantation renders good intermediate results. In other selected patients with uveitis, in-the-bag IOL implantation may be performed with an acceptable risk. As judged from their improved visual acuity, 57 of 63 eyes (90.5%) benefited from the procedure."}
{"id": "PMID:1490139", "title": "Measurement of potential visual acuity in 343 patients with cataracts. A prospective clinical study.", "content": "In 343 patients with cataracts (the largest consecutive series in which this subject has been addressed) and 63 patients with clear optic media, who served as the control group, potential visual acuity was measured with the Guyton/Minkowski Potential Acuity Meter (PAM). The control group included 32 cases of macular degeneration, 22 cases of glaucoma, and 9 cases of amblyopia. The cataract group comprised 46 patients with macular degeneration, 46 with glaucoma, and 8 with amblyopia; 5-7 days postoperatively, corrected visual acuity was measured in this group. Because of dense cataracts in 59 patients, no PAM value could be obtained. The visual acuity of 70.4% of the patients, in whom complete data were obtained, was within one Snellen line of the predicted value or better (21%). In general, postoperative predictions were accurate in patients with moderate cataracts. The results were not affected by glaucoma or amblyopia. In 17.5% of patients with macular degeneration, false-positive results were obtained. The control group, in which distance visual acuity was compared with the PAM values, rendered comparable results, with 86.9% of the PAM predictions being correct."}
{"id": "PMID:1490140", "title": "Perimetric follow-up in glaucoma with a reduced set of test points.", "content": "The global mean defect (GM) is probably the most useful visual field index for glaucoma follow-up. We compared 50 regional subsets of test locations to estimate the GM. Using the data on 424 automated fields of 257 patients with either primary open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension, we calculated the partial sample error of the regional mean defect as compared with the GM. In many regions, the measured sample error was greater than expected for a representative sample of points. Some sample errors were up to 5 times larger (regions \"upper hemifield\" and \"lower hemifield\"). Only a few subsets proved to be representative of the whole field, namely, regions \"ring 3\" (10 degrees-15 degrees), \"ring 4\" (15 degrees-20 degrees) and \"ring 5\" (20 degrees-25 degrees). The use of such programs for follow-up is very accurate for staging. Moreover, theoretical calculations reveal that trend analysis is even more significant if the reduction in examination time is combined with a proportional increase in examination frequency."}
{"id": "PMID:1490141", "title": "The Aulhorn flicker test: possibilities and limits. Its use in optic neuritis for diagnosis, differential diagnosis, monitoring the course of the disease, and assessing the effect of oral prednisolone.", "content": "The Aulhorn flicker test, which measures subjective brightness in relation to flicker frequency, is of high specificity (98%) and sensitivity (85.5%) in active optic neuritis (ON). The test has proved to be valuable in the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of ON and in monitoring the course of the disease. The first part of this paper gives an overview based on more than 10 years of experience and on the evaluation of more than 1000 eyes, 250 of them with active ON. The possibilities and limits of the test are analyzed. The second part of the paper presents new results of a prospective, randomized, and controlled treatment study. The Aulhorn flicker test was used to determine whether a prednisolone effect would be assessable by means of this subtle parameter. A total of 50 patients were treated orally with either methylprednisolone (100 mg/day initially) or vitamin B1 (100 mg/day), 38 of them in a double-blind fashion. Although a trend toward faster recovery in favor of prednisolone treatment was noted, no long-term benefit was observed after 1 year."}
{"id": "PMID:1490142", "title": "Influence of windshield tint and tilt on recognition distance under mesopic conditions.", "content": "The influence of the angle of inclination and tint of windshields on recognition distance was tested in 94 subjects aged 20-83 years. Both clear and tinted (heat-absorbing) windshields were tested. Light transmission (in the vertical position) was 90.3% for the clear windshield and 81.0% for the tinted windshield. The windshields could be set at angles of 0 degree (vertical), 30 degrees, 50 degrees and 70 degrees of inclination. The tests were performed at night with low-beam headlights (mesopic conditions). A Landolt ring (diameter 43.5 cm; contrast 1:1.5) served as a test stimulus; it was painted on a disc 87 cm in diameter that could be rotated in steps of 45 degrees. The mean recognition distance without the windshield was 32.2 m +/- 5.5 m (mean +/- SD). It decreased to 31.0 m +/- 5.6 m (29.0 m +/- 5.3 m) by using a clear windshield in the vertical position (values for the tinted windshield are shown in parentheses): 30.1 m +/- 5.6 m (27.9 m +/- 5.3 m) with a 50 degrees angle of tilt, and 28.5 m +/- 5.4 m (26.9 m +/- 5.1 m) with a 70 degrees angle. The differences between the recognition distances obtained using the various tilts and tints were small but statistically significant (P < 0.01 in all cases: Student's paired t-test). Since the performance of the human eye is stressed to its limits during nighttime driving, our study suggests that extreme tilt of the windshield should be avoided and that the option of delivering cars equipped with a heat-absorbing but clear front windshield should be provided."}
{"id": "PMID:1490143", "title": "Pterygium excision using 193-nm excimer laser smoothing and topical mitomycin C.", "content": "A total of 31 eyes with primary pterygium and 24 eyes with recurrent pterygium underwent surgical treatment and were followed for at least 1 year. The surgery involved a conventional bare-sclera technique combined with excimer laser smoothing of the wound bed. Postoperatively, the eyes were medically treated with topical mitomycin C (0.02%) for 4 days and with steroids for several weeks. No recurrence was noted within the 1st year in the primary pterygium group, whereas recurrence was observed in 3/24 eyes that had been treated for recurrent pterygium, equivalent to a recurrence rate of 12.5% in this subgroup. Nine eyes (16.4%) had gained 2 lines or more in visual acuity by 1 year after surgery. Granuloma developed in 3 eyes, and dellen formation was detected in 1 eye after surgery. The combination of surgical management with local mitomycin therapy may be considered to be a safe and effective technique for the removal of pterygium. Although the visual results were good, the role of excimer laser smoothing in the treatment of this disorder needs further investigation."}
{"id": "PMID:1490144", "title": "Six years' experience with systemic cyclosporin A prophylaxis in high-risk perforating keratoplasty patients. A retrospective study.", "content": "Starting with single cases in 1985, we have routinely applied systemic cyclosporin A since 1987 in high-risk keratoplasty patients for a period of up to 37 months postoperatively. In all, 69 eyes undergoing 74 perforating keratoplasties have thus far been treated. A considerable percentage of them initially suffered from chemical burns or from endogenous eczema associated with chronic atopic inflammation. All patients were followed closely and their courses were reevaluated retrospectively. Our current conclusions are that (1) immune reactions are efficiently inhibited with constantly effective blood levels of cyclosporin A, which has enormously increased the rate of keratoplasty successful in these patients; (2) if drug blood levels fall too low due to noncompliance of the patient or to metabolic disturbances, immune reactions may occur, especially during the early postoperative months; (3) serious chronic surface problems, which are especially associated with chemical burns, atopic inflammation, and other chronic kerato-conjunctival diseases, are partly ameliorated but not completely eliminated (surface disorders are presently ranked as the number one cause of transplant failure, whereas immune reactions can be effectively suppressed by cyclosporin A); and (4) close medical follow-up has revealed no serious systemic complication of cyclosporin A prophylaxis over periods of up to 37 months. The present study was not conducted in a prospective, double-blind, controlled fashion."}
{"id": "PMID:1490145", "title": "Mantle cell lymphoma: an update.", "content": "Mantle cell lymphoma is a distinctive pathologic entity that incorporates the previous histopathologic categories of centrocytic lymphoma and lymphocytic lymphoma of intermediate differentiation. These lymphomas are characterized by common histologic and immunologic characteristics that suggest derivation from the follicular mantle zone. Mantle cell lymphomas are characterized by the t(11;14) (q13;q32) translocation and its molecular counterpart bcl-1 rearrangement. This translocation activates a gene called BCL-1/PRAD-1. The identification of the BCL-1 gene product as a cyclin has added a new dimension to our understanding of the variety of mechanisms involved in lymphomagenesis."}
{"id": "PMID:1490146", "title": "The role of adhesion molecules in multiple myeloma.", "content": "Human myeloma plasma cells had been considered to express few surface antigens until recently. The past two International Workshops on Leucocyte Differentiation Antigens have shown that myeloma cells can express a range of surface molecules, and it has become clear that many of these have adhesive functions. The identification of ICAM-1 (CD54) and H-CAM (CD44) on human plasma cells was the initial observation, and other antigens such as N-CAM (CD56) and LFA-3 (CD58) have been confirmed as features of malignant plasma cells in particular. The degree of expression of LFA-1 (CD11a) remains to be characterised fully. It seems probable that the loss of some adhesion structures may be associated with increased malignancy and plasma cell leukaemia. At the present time there are few studies relating to the function of these molecules, although homotypic adhesion appears to occur, and it is likely that such studies will shed light on the pathogenesis of myeloma."}
{"id": "PMID:1490147", "title": "t(2;18) and t(18;22) variant chromosomal translocations in B cell malignancies.", "content": "Variant translocations (2;18 and 18;22) are described in this review. The chromosomal and molecular findings of these translocation of BCL2 and their effect on possible BCL2 gene activation is discussed. Unanswered questions still remain and these include why this is so rare compared to the 25% incidence recorded for translocations in Burkitt's lymphoma. Further studies are obviously still needed in order to determine the true frequency of these findings and their distribution in the various B-cell disorders."}
{"id": "PMID:1490148", "title": "Karyotype instability in myelodysplastic syndromes--a specific step in pathogenesis preceding clonal chromosome anomalies.", "content": "In a prospective study, 20 (11.6%) out of 172 patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and two patients with aplastic anemia showed an increased spontaneous karyotype instability. No clonal chromosomal aberrations were detectable at the time of first examination. In three patients clonal anomalies developed during the course of the disease. In 17 out of 22 cases (77.2%) chromosomes 1, 5 or 7 were involved in nonclonal anomalies. The same chromosomes were frequently affected in patients with clonal abnormalities too. Our data suggest that spontaneous karyotype instability may be specific to a high proportion of cases with MDS and may constitute the source of clonal chromosome anomalies in these disorders."}
{"id": "PMID:1490149", "title": "A pilot study of prophylactic aerosolized amphotericin B in patients at risk for prolonged neutropenia.", "content": "Invasive aspergillosis continues to be a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with prolonged neutropenia. We performed a phase I trial of escalating doses of aerosolized amphotericin B given by a face mask nebulizer system with a disposable bacterial exhale filter. Five, 10, 15, and 20 mg of drug were dissolved in sterile water and inhaled over 10 to 15 minutes twice daily. Tolerance was studied in 26 patients (18 transplant recipients, and 8 leukemia patients). No side effects were observed at any dose level. Prophylactic treatment ended for 14 patients (54%) when intravenous (IV) amphotericin B was begun empirically for antifungal coverage following fevers. Eleven patients (43%) continued inhaled amphotericin B until blood counts recovered. One patient was taken off study when she developed cardiogenic pulmonary edema. No patient developed clinically suspicious or pathologically documented infection with invasive aspergillosis. Prophylactic aerosolized amphotericin B is well tolerated at 5, 10, 15, and 20 mg twice daily dosing. In addition, prophylactic aerosolized amphotericin B does not appear to sensitize patients to the subsequent use of IV amphotericin B. Although this study suggests that prophylactic inhaled amphotericin B is well tolerated and effective, a large scale controlled trial is needed."}
{"id": "PMID:1490150", "title": "Serum interleukin-6 levels in patients with thrombocytosis.", "content": "Interleukin-6 (IL-6) has been shown to increase platelet counts in several animal models and to enhance megakaryocytopoiesis in vitro. In order to investigate the possible relationship between IL-6 and thrombocytosis, serum IL-6 levels in patients with platelet counts > or = 6 x 10(5)/microliters were measured using an IL-6-responsive bioassay. A cohort of healthy volunteers with normal platelet counts was used to establish a control mean serum IL-6 level [2.19 U/ml +/- 1.08 SD (range 0-5.5)]. Patients with primary thrombocytosis had a mean serum IL-6 level not significantly different from controls. In comparison, serum IL-6 levels of patients with reactive thrombocytosis were significantly greater than controls (38.3 U/ml +/- 94.6; range 0-933; P < 0.001). Although no significant correlation was observed between the degree of serum IL-6 elevation and the height of the platelet count in any individual, elevated serum IL-6 was highly correlated with reactive thrombocytosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1490153", "title": "Detection and characterization of circulating immune complexes in peptic ulcer.", "content": "Immunological factors have been implicated in the pathogenesis of peptic ulcer following the demonstration of autoantibodies against IgA in patients with this disease. We investigated whether circulating immune complexes were present in this condition, and what type of immunoglobulins were involved. The sera of 37 patients with duodenal ulcer and 8 with gastric ulcer were tested for the presence of circulating immune complexes using the polyethylene glycol (PEG) assay and the results compared with those in 79 controls. The precipitate was dissociated and the levels of IgA, IgG and IgM estimated using the single radial immunodiffusion technique. Simultaneous estimation of these immunoglobulins in the serum was also done. Autoantibodies against IgA in the serum were tested using the ELISA test. Eleven patients (6 with duodenal ulcer and 5 with gastric ulcer) were found to have circulating immune complexes. The mean protein content of the PEG precipitates was significantly higher in patients than in control subjects (p < 0.001). The mean values of all the immunoglobulin isotypes were higher in patients than in controls. The IgA content in the PEG precipitates of positive cases was higher than that in control subjects (p < 0.05). Patients with peptic ulcer have circulating immune complexes which may interfere with normal immunoregulation."}
{"id": "PMID:1490155", "title": "Hip instability in newborns in an urban community.", "content": "It is important to recognize congenital dislocation of the hip early so that it can be treated effectively and secondary changes prevented. There is little data on the incidence of this condition in India and we, therefore, studied this problem in a large maternity and paediatric centre in New Delhi. Six thousand and twenty-nine consecutive newborns were examined for neonatal hip instability by an orthopaedic surgeon and a paediatrician. Clinical examination was supplemented by X-ray and ultrasonographic examination. One hundred and forty-eight hips in one hundred and thirteen newborns (18.7 per 1000 live-births) were found to be unstable at first examination. Of these 12.1 per 1000 live-births had subluxatable hips and 0.82 per 1000 had dislocated hips. Those affected were more likely to be females, have involvement of the left hip and have had a breech presentation. One hundred and twenty-eight hips in 97 children had stabilized within 2 weeks, although no definite progress to stability was observed in subluxatable, dislocatable or dislocated hips. Two children who had other congenital abnormalities initially required operation, but the hips in all the other children stabilized within 20 weeks of birth with conservative treatment. Neonatal hip instability is common in New Delhi and a screening programme should be initiated to detect its incidence in other parts of India."}
{"id": "PMID:1490154", "title": "Hepatitis B virus infection in hospital personnel.", "content": "Healthcare workers are known to be prone to infection with the hepatitis B virus. We did this study, as there are only a few reports from India on the prevalence of this infection among hospital personnel, so that a rational and effective immunization policy could be evolved. Eight hundred and sixty-three hospital employees including doctors, nurses, technicians, office workers, orderlies and other ancillary staff were screened by ELISA for both hepatitis B surface antigen and its antibody as indicators of prior infection. Eighty-six (10%) were found to be seropositive for hepatitis B surface antigen alone while in 138 (16%) only the antibody was detected. We did not come across any subject in whom both the antigen and the antibody were present simultaneously. Seropositivity was associated with a history of contact with blood or blood products, accidental parenteral exposure and direct patient contact. A history of close contact with a known patient with hepatitis and a past history of jaundice showed a weaker association, while a history of surgery or dental treatment was not significantly associated with seropositivity. There was a significantly (p < 0.5) higher seropositivity in males than in females. The seropositivity was also related to the employee's socio-economic status. Working in a dialysis unit carried the greatest risk. Energetic steps should be taken in all hospitals for the prevention of hepatitis B virus infection among healthcare workers."}
{"id": "PMID:1490170", "title": "F-SSCP: fluorescence-based polymerase chain reaction-single-strand conformation polymorphism (PCR-SSCP) analysis.", "content": "A fluorescence-based method for polymerase chain reaction-single-strand conformation polymorphism (PCR-SSCP) analysis, F-SSCP, was developed in which the target sequence is amplified by the PCR using fluorescent primers. The amplified products are then heat-denatured and applied to a water-jacket controlled gel in an automated DNA sequencer. The separated strands are detected as laser-excited fluorescence at the bottom of the gel, and mutations are detected as shifts in the position of the peaks in the fluorogram. The system does not involve radioactivity, and the conditions of electrophoresis are more strictly controlled than in the previous system, which relied on ambient air-cooling to maintain the gel at a constant temperature. The nature of the output data allows direct quantitative interpretation, and so the relative abundance of each allele in a mixture of two or more alleles can easily be estimated. The application of F-SSCP for detection of mutations and loss of heterozygosities of p53 in tumor tissues is reported."}
{"id": "PMID:1490161", "title": "Statistical measures of clinical agreement.", "content": "Disagreements over clinical findings, diagnoses and management decisions are unavoidable in medicine. It is, however, necessary to ascertain whether they agree 'sufficiently'. Such investigations are often analysed inappropriately using Pearson's product-moment correlation coefficient. In this article, we discuss these as well as other methods, such as the kappa statistic, intra-class correlation coefficient and the graphical procedure to measure agreement using clinical examples."}
{"id": "PMID:1490171", "title": "Mismatch amplification mutation assay (MAMA): application to the c-H-ras gene.", "content": "We have found that under appropriate conditions, an allele-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) can achieve a sensitivity suitable for measuring specific, infrequent mutations in single cell systems or in animal tissues. Using the 12th codon GC-to-AT mutation in the rat c-Ha-ras gene as a model system, we have defined conditions that allow for measurement of mutations present at frequencies as low as one in 10(5) gene copies. Our approach involved the use of PCR primers that created a single mismatch with the mutated allele (GAA) but created a double mismatch with the wild-type allele (GGA). Five out of the six such double-mismatch primers we tested permitted amplification of the mutant allele (GAA) with a high degree of specificity. The specificity of the assay was further enhanced by using a two-step PCR cycle consisting of a denaturation step (1 min incubation at 94 degrees C) and an annealing/extension step (1 min incubation at 50 degrees C) in the presence of 10% (vol/vol) glycerol. Reconstruction experiments using genomic DNA demonstrate that this procedure cna measure the presence of 30 copies of the transforming ras allele present amongst 3 x 10(6) copies of the wild-type allele."}
{"id": "PMID:1490172", "title": "Randomization of genes by PCR mutagenesis.", "content": "A modified polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was developed to introduce random point mutations into cloned genes. The modifications were made to decrease the fidelity of Taq polymerase during DNA synthesis without significantly decreasing the level of amplification achieved in the PCR. The resulting PCR products can be cloned to produce random mutant libraries or transcribed directly if a T7 promoter is incorporated within the appropriate PCR primer. We used this method to mutagenize the gene that encodes the Tetrahymena ribozyme with a mutation rate of 0.66% +/- 0.13% (95% C.I.) per position per PCR, as determined by sequence analysis. There are no strong preferneces with respect to the type of base substituion. The number of mutations per DNA sequence follows a Poisson distribution and the mutations are randomly distributed throughout the amplified sequence."}
{"id": "PMID:1490173", "title": "Automated DNA profiling by fluorescent labeling of PCR products.", "content": "DNA profiling has been automated by the fluorescent tagging of amplified variable number tandem repeat (VNTR) loci. This was achieved by the use of fluorescently labeled primers in the amplification of 10 ng of genomic DNA, coupled with laser detection of the products during electrophoresis. The PCR products are sized by co-electrophoresing a standard size ladder mixed with every sample, thereby eliminating errors in size estimation caused by lane-to-lane differences in migration rate. This increases the precision of VNTR characterization and enables alleles that differ by a single 15-bp repeat to be resolved. The system is capable of high throughput: Twenty-four samples are electrophoresed and analyzed within 6 hr. Also, because four different dyes are available, three different loci can be simultaneously characterized with the fourth dye used for the internal standard. Approximately 100 unrelated British caucasians were analyzed at the loci D1S80, D17S5, and ApoB. The probabilities of two unrelated individuals matching by chance (pM) at these three loci were determined to be 0.065, 0.040, and 0.069, respectively, with a combined pM of 1.8 x 10(-4)."}
{"id": "PMID:1490174", "title": "The use of hybrid-selected template increases the specificity of the polymerase chain reaction.", "content": "An efficient method for generating full-length DNA sequences from apparently unsuccessful polymerase chain reactions (PCR) has been developed. In cases where nonspecific background interferes with detection of the PCR product, a second amplification is performed using a nested set of primers. The internal fragment of DNA amplified in this reaction is then blotted to a membrane and used to hybrid-select the desired DNA from the initial amplification. This DNA is eluted and used as the template for a third round of PCR. The re-use of the original primers from the initial reaction enables the final PCR to generate full-length DNA. This technique was used to clone a full-length gene segment 8 from a mutant influenza A/WSN/33 (H1N1) virus after initial PCR attempts had failed."}
{"id": "PMID:1490175", "title": "PCR regimen for enhanced specificity and yield of targeted genomic DNA sequences: ras and p53.", "content": "By weighting the PCR reaction in favor of specificity for the target sequence in the beginning cycles and for continued efficient amplification of the sequence into later cycles, we were able to show an improvement in the specificity and quantity of amplified ras and p53 sequences. Increased purity and yield of specific products favorably enhanced post-PCR evaluation and interpretation of results using direct sequencing and single-stranded conformation polymorphism (SSCP) analysis when point mutations were present in DNA from tumor cell lines and tissues."}
{"id": "PMID:1490176", "title": "A method for nested PCR with single closed reaction tubes.", "content": "Toward the goal of reducing diagnostic false positives while retaining high sensitivity, a closed-tube nested PCR procedure has been developed for detecting low-copy-number human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) gag target DNA sequences. Master mix for amplification 2, in a hanging gel matrix at the reaction tube top, remains sequestered from the reaction space of the tube during amplification 1. A severalfold excess of inner over outer primers is built into the procedure to assure the high sensitivity of nested PCR. The master mix for amplification 2 is then introduced into the reaction space by centrifugation, and the second amplification is performed as usual. The closed-tube nested procedure shows sensitivity approaching that of the open-tube control procedure, which detects a single copy of HIV gag target DNA at near-theoretical frequency, typically with microgram yields of specific amplification product."}
{"id": "PMID:1490177", "title": "Rapid synthesis of DNA deletion constructs for mRNA quantitation: analysis of astrocyte mRNAs.", "content": "A rapid method for the synthesis of DNA fragments for competitive PCR analysis is described. This procedure takes advantage of the fact that if PCR is carried out with a mixture of re-ligated restriction digestion fragments, only those fragments containing binding sites for both PCR primers will be amplified. Following electrophoresis of the amplified mixture, the DNA fragment of desired size can be excised from an agarose gel, reamplified, and used for subsequent competitive PCR. We have used this procedure to synthesize deletion constructs for the rat glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) gene, and have used competitive PCR to determine the levels of this mRNA in primary cultures of rat brain astrocytes."}
{"id": "PMID:1490197", "title": "The effect of a combined purging with mafosfamide and hyperthermia on murine haemopoietic stem cells and leukaemogenic cells.", "content": "The in vitro purging effect of mafosfamide combined with hyperthermia was studied in a murine model. The survival of normal clonogenic progenitors (d-9 CFU-S and CFU-GM) and WEHI 3-B leukaemic clonogenic cells (CFU-L) were compared. At 37 degrees C, CFU-L proved to be significantly more sensitive to mafosfamide than either of the normal progenitors. When mafosfamide was combined with 42.5 degrees C hyperthermia for 1 h, an additive effect was observed: at a dose of 5 micrograms/ml mafosfamide, the survival of CFU-L was nearly two logs lower than that observed at 37 degrees C, while 37.7% of CFU-S survived the purging. The repopulating capacity of surviving bone marrow CFU-S was not altered: a similar 60 d survival of supralethally irradiated recipients transplanted with comparable graft sizes from purged or non-purged bone marrow was observed. When bone marrow suspensions containing WEHI 3-B cells were purged with 5 micrograms/ml mafosfamide at 42.5 degrees C and the minimal amount of bone marrow cells needed to protect supralethally irradiated mice were injected, leukaemia incidence was reduced to less than 10% as opposed to 100% of those injected with untreated bone marrow. Our results suggest that ex vivo hyperthermia may enhance the purging efficiency of mafosfamide."}
{"id": "PMID:1490198", "title": "A method for clinical purging of myeloma bone marrow using peanut agglutinin as an anti-plasma cell agent, in combination with CD19 monoclonal antibody.", "content": "Previous studies have shown that the lectin peanut agglutinin (PNA) binds bone marrow plasma cells in the majority of patients with myeloma and does not bind to normal haemopoietic progenitors. This lectin has been used in combination with anti-CD19 monoclonal antibody (moAb) in a system for purging myeloma bone marrow. This has now been scaled up for application to ex vivo treatment of large volumes of bone marrow suitable for autologous bone marrow transplantation. Four bone marrow harvests from patients with myeloma containing 9.5 +/- 4.9% plasma cells were depleted of erythrocytes and mature granulocytes by Ficoll separation using the Haemonetics V50 cell separator. The mononuclear fraction was then purged with magnetic beads coated with PNA and anti-CD19 moAb. The system proved highly efficient with removal of all detectable plasma cells and CD19+ cells. Average mononuclear cell recovery following purging was 71% of the concentrated marrow with 78% yield of CFU-GM. Normal progenitor recovery related to patients' weight is predicted to be adequate for haemopoietic reconstitution following ablative chemoradiotherapy. This system is therefore feasible for large-scale clinical purging."}
{"id": "PMID:1490199", "title": "von Willebrand factor as a marker of endothelial cell activation following BMT.", "content": "Endothelial cell activation may play a role in thrombotic complications of BMT such as hepatic veno-occlusive disease (VOD), right atrial line thrombosis and microangiopathic haemolysis. To assess this, von Willebrand factor antigen (vWF:ag) was measured in 72 patients (25 allografts, 46 autografts and one syngeneic) during the first 6 weeks post-transplant. There was a significant rise in vWF:ag in both allografts and autografts but a greater increase was seen in the allografts. The changes in vWF:ag did not correlate with changes in C reactive protein showing that this was not merely an acute phase response. vWF multimers were normal in a subgroup of uncomplicated transplants showing that there was no large scale endothelial cell disruption. Patients with VOD did not have changes in vWF:ag that were consistently different from uncomplicated controls. Three of four patients who developed line thrombosis had higher levels of vWF:ag compared with control groups; multimeric structure of the vWF was again normal. These results show that there is endothelial cell activation post-BMT and that this is greater in allografts compared with autografts, thus suggesting a possible mechanism for the higher incidence of VOD in this group. There were no useful predictive markers of VOD or thrombosis in individual patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1490200", "title": "Rapid and automated processing of bone marrow grafts without Ficoll density gradient for transplantation of cryopreserved autologous or ABO-incompatible allogeneic bone marrow.", "content": "The growing number of BMTs has increased interest in safe and standardized in vitro bone marrow processing techniques. We describe our experience with a rapid automated method for the isolation of mononuclear cells (MNC) from large volumes of bone marrow using a Fenwal CS-3000 cell separator without employing density gradient materials. Forty bone marrow harvests with a mean volume of 1650 +/- 307 ml were processed. A mean of 75 +/- 34% (50 percentile range 54-94%) of the original MNCs were recovered in a volume of 200 ml with only 4 +/- 2% of the starting red blood cells (RBC). Removal of granulocytes, immature myeloid precursors and platelets proved to be sufficient to permit safe cryopreservation and successful autologous BMT (n = 25). Allogeneic BMT (n = 14, including three major ABO-incompatible) could be performed without additional manipulation. In both groups of patients timely and stable engraftment comparable to historical controls receiving Ficoll gradient processed autologous (n = 17) or unprocessed allogeneic BMT (n = 54) was observed. Moreover, 70 +/- 14% of the RBC could be recovered from the grafts. They were used for autologous RBC support of donors, rendering unnecessary autologous blood pre-donations."}
{"id": "PMID:1490201", "title": "Regimen-related toxicity in patients undergoing BMT with total body irradiation using a sweeping beam technique.", "content": "In our institution, total body irradiation (TBI) is performed by means of a sweeping beam technique. Toxicity of the procedure was evaluated according to the only grading system designed for high dose chemoradiotherapy. One hundred patients undergoing TBI and conditioned with a standard cyclophosphamide regimen before BMT were evaluated. Regimen-related toxicity was graded according to the Seattle transplantation toxicity system, from 0 to IV (fatal toxicity), in eight organs on days 0, 7, 14, 28 and 100 for lungs. Eighteen patients did not develop any toxicity. Grades III, IV toxicities were uncommon (9%) and were not influenced by dose of TBI, GVHD prophylaxis, disease status and allogenicity although no grade IV toxicity was observed among autologous marrow recipients. However, grade II toxicity was more common in patients receiving allogeneic vs autologous grafts (p < 0.01) because of increased mucosal (p = 0.002) and liver (p = 0.12) toxicities. Renal toxicity was unevaluable. When cumulative toxicity was equal or higher than 4, day 100 survival was worse (p = 0.05). These data confirm the safety of our TBI procedure and the validity of the grading system except for renal toxicity. We suggest that a more aggressive conditioning regimen may be tolerated by patients receiving autologous grafts."}
{"id": "PMID:1490202", "title": "Reconstitution of the T cell receptor alpha beta repertoire in recipients of allogeneic BMT.", "content": "This report describes the qualitative analysis of T cell receptor (TCR) repertoire regeneration in recipients of BMT. RNA samples from patient and control peripheral blood lymphocytes were prepared and tested for the presence of multiple V alpha and V beta transcripts by the polymerase chain reaction. TCR V gene expression was highly diverse within the first 6 months post-transplantation in recipients receiving either T cell-depleted or T cell-replete marrow, and in HLA mismatched as well as matched donor-recipient pairs. The sequencing of TCR message from BMT recipients also demonstrated J gene diversity and apparently normal junctional diversity at the V-J alpha join. Thus, T cell pools in BMT recipients are largely heterogeneous, not mono- or oligoclonal."}
{"id": "PMID:1490203", "title": "Erythropoietin treatment in allogeneic BMT accelerates erythroid reconstitution: results of a prospective controlled randomized trial.", "content": "Twenty-eight allogeneic BMT patients (16 with acute leukemia, 12 with chronic myeloid leukemia) were included in a single center, prospective, randomized, controlled trial to assess the value of recombinant human erythropoietin (rh-Epo) in this setting. rh-Epo was administered through a central venous catheter as a single bolus injection (days 0-7: 100 U/kg/d; days 7-30: 150 U/kg/d). No secondary effects to rh-Epo treatment were detected. An earlier appearance of reticulocytes and a diminished need of red blood cells (RBCs) transfusions were observed in patients who were treated with rh-Epo (4 units vs 12 units; p < 0.05). The time to unsupported platelets above 25 x 10(9)/l was less in patients treated with rh-Epo than in control patients (19 days vs 31; p < 0.05), and they received significantly fewer platelet transfusions (36 units vs 138.5; p < 0.05). Our results show that rh-Epo treatment is capable of accelerating the erythroid reconstitution and decreasing the need for RBC transfusions. A beneficial effect on platelet reconstitution is also suggested, but further studies are necessary to confirm this point."}
{"id": "PMID:1490204", "title": "Acute suppurative thyroiditis complicating second allogeneic transplant for juvenile CMML.", "content": "We describe here a 3-year-old boy with juvenile chronic myelomonocytic leukemia and monosomy 7 who underwent a second HLA matched bone marrow transplant from his sister. He developed hypothyroidism due to acute suppurative thyroiditis in the recovery phase of BMT. This is an extremely rare complication of BMT."}
{"id": "PMID:1490205", "title": "New method of limb deformities correction in children.", "content": "A new \"bloodless\" technique (Ilizarov) was used to correct 36 limb deformities in 29 children. There were six leg length discrepancies, five achondroplasias, four deformed feet, five joint contractures, one rotational deformity of tibia, and in three the apparatus was used as an external fixator after corrective osteotomy. Lengthening was accomplished in 15 of the 16 procedures (93%). Average increase in femur length was 10 cm (32%), in tibial length 7.5 cm (30%), in humerus 11 cm (40%). Bony union was achieved in two out of five pseudoarthroses. Four deformed feet were fully corrected. Joint contractures were corrected in four out of five. The complication rate is as high as in other methods but with the Ilizarov apparatus, longer segments of bone were lengthened and more complex deformities were treated. Complications lessened as experience was gained."}
{"id": "PMID:1490211", "title": "Rectus sheath haematoma in a canoeist.", "content": "A 26-year-old male canoeist was referred with a 10-day history of abdominal pain, and a palpable mass in the left upper quadrant. No history of direct trauma was given. He was not taking any medication, and malignancy and inflammatory conditions were considered in the differential diagnosis. Ultrasonographic scan identified a mass originating in the rectus abdominis sheath. Ultrasonographically guided aspiration yielded some partially clotted blood, confirming the clinical diagnosis of rectus sheath haematoma. After conservative treatment, the patient resumed training, and is fully asymptomatic 1 year after discharge."}
{"id": "PMID:1490212", "title": "Understanding of Weil's disease among canoeists.", "content": "Although the risks of contracting Weil's disease in the UK are small, it can be a serious illness. Recently the disease has attracted public interest. This interest has prompted confusion and anxiety among recreational water user groups such as canoeists who had not previously seen themselves as being particularly at risk. In this paper, the experience of symptoms associated with Weil's disease among canoeists, their understanding and perceptions of the disease, and their compliance with preventive advice on the British Canoe Union (BCU) warning card, have been studied. Gaps in understanding and of adherence to preventive advice were identified. Accordingly, it was concluded that health education for canoeists could be improved. Consideration is being given by the BCU to the value of preparing a canoeist instructors' training pack."}
{"id": "PMID:1490213", "title": "Daily physical activity and blood lactate indices of aerobic fitness in children.", "content": "This study examined the relationship between daily physical activity and aerobic fitness in 11-16-year-olds. Habitual physical activity was assessed in 28 boys (mean(s.d.) age 13.6(1.3) years) and 45 girls (mean(s.d) age 13.7(1.3) years) from minute-by-minute heart rate monitoring during 3 school days. Aerobic fitness was assessed by determining the percentage peak VO2 at blood lactate reference values of 2.5 and 4.0 mmol l-1 during incremental treadmill running. The 4.0 mmol l-1 level occurred at a mean(s.d.) value of 89(7)% peak VO2 in both boys and girls and mean(s.d.) values at the 2.5 mmol l-1 level were 82(9)% peak VO2 in girls. Mean(s.d.) percentage time with heart rates at or above 140 beats min-1 was 6(3)% in boys and 5(3)% in girls. Corresponding values for percentage time at or above 160 beats min-1 were 3(2) for boys and 2(1) for girls. The number of 10- and 20-min periods of activity with the heart rate sustained above the 140 and 160 beats min-1 thresholds were also totalled over the 3 days. No significant relationships were identified between percentage peak VO2 at the 2.5 or 4.0 mmol l-1 blood lactate reference levels and either percentage time or number of 10- or 20-min periods above 140 or 160 beats min-1 (P > 0.05). These results support the hypothesis that daily physical activity levels in 11-16-year-old children do not stress aerobic metabolism sufficiently to influence aerobic fitness."}
{"id": "PMID:1490214", "title": "Training-overtraining: performance, and hormone levels, after a defined increase in training volume versus intensity in experienced middle- and long-distance runners.", "content": "Performance and hormones were determined in eight middle- and nine long-distance runners after an increase in training volume (ITV, February 1989) or intensity (ITI, February 1990). Seven runners participated in both studies. The objective was to cause an overtraining syndrome. The mean training volume of 85.9 km week-1 increased within 3 weeks to 176.6 km week-1 during ITV and 96-98% of training volume was performed as long-distance runs at mean(s.d.) 67(8)% of maximum capacity. Speed endurance, high-speed and interval runs averaging 9 km week-1 increased within 3 weeks to 22.7 km during ITI, and the total volume increased from 61.6 to 84.7 km. A plateau in endurance performance and decrease in maximum performance occurred during ITV, probably due to overtraining, with performance incompetence over months. Nocturnal catecholamine excretion decreased markedly (47-53%), contrary to exercise-related plasma catecholamine responses, which increased. Resting and exercise-related cortisol and aldosterone levels decreased. Improvement in endurance and maximum performance occurred during ITI indicating a failure to cause an overtraining syndrome in ITI. Decrease in noctural catecholamine excretion was clearly lower (9-26%), exercise-related catecholamine responses showed a significant decrease, cortisol and aldosterone levels remained almost constant, exercise-related prolactin levels decreased slightly. There were no differences in insulin, C-peptide, free testosterone, somatotropic hormone (STH), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), tri-iodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4). The decrease in nocturnal catecholamine excretion during ITV might indicate a decrease in intrinsic sympathetic activity in exhausted sportsmen. But it remains open whether this reflected a central nervous system incompetence."}
{"id": "PMID:1490215", "title": "Retrospective survey of rugby injuries in the Leinster province of Ireland 1987-1989.", "content": "Rugby Union Football is a high-speed contact sport and has a significant incidence of injury. This study evaluated senior rugby players with reference to the anatomical site of injury for each playing position."}
{"id": "PMID:1490216", "title": "Fracture of the lateral process of the talus: computed tomographic scan diagnosis.", "content": "Fracture of the lateral process of the talus is rare but can be mistaken for a simple ankle sprain. A case with normal conventional radiographs is presented to draw attention to this diagnosis in the resistant ankle sprain, and to highlight some of the problems that may be encountered with treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1490217", "title": "Acromioclavicular disruption in first class rugby players.", "content": "In a random sample of 105 first class rugby players, 45% gave a history of injury of the acromioclavicular joint. All continued to play at the highest level. The effects of the injury appeared to be minimal. Supraspinatus impingement syndrome commonly associated with acromioclavicular pathology was sought, but not found."}
{"id": "PMID:1490218", "title": "A modified repair for the anterior cruciate ligament deficient knee.", "content": "A retrospective analysis of 48 sportsmen and women from an original series of 76 consecutive patients who had undergone a modified McIntosh repair was carried out to establish whether or not the procedure could provide a satisfactory recovery and return to previous ability. The type and level of sport before injury was compared with that after operation. Symptoms of pain and giving way, and examination findings of pivot shift, and Lachman's test were compared before and after operation. Of the 48 patients assessed, 28 (58%) returned to full sporting capacity; 17 (35%) patients were participating in different sports or lower levels of their previous sports, and three patients did not participate in any sport. The more severely symptomatic knees did not perform so well after operation. The degree of preoperative anterior draw and Lachman's test did not influence the final result and the pivot shift, present in all before operation, was abolished in all but one case, which remained badly symptomatic. Concurrent meniscal injury or medial or lateral laxity did not influence return to sport once a full postoperative recovery was made. No deterioration was noticed in the level of sporting ability achieved thereafter. In this study it has been shown that the modified McIntosh repair is a swift extra-articular reconstruction for the anterior cruciate ligament deficient knee, which is less elaborate than previously described Ellison and McIntosh procedures, and which has produced a comparable result."}
{"id": "PMID:1490219", "title": "Injuries of the spine sustained during rugby.", "content": "A comparison was made between the number of rugby injuries seen between 1956 and 1982 (67) and the number of rugby injuries seen between 1982 and 1987 (20). The standards, the positions, the mechanics of injury and the fitness of the players were analysed. It was concluded that the law changes had resulted in a dramatic fall in the number of players injured, that it was the less fit and less skilled players that were getting injured, and that the laws were adequate but were not being enforced."}
{"id": "PMID:1490220", "title": "Dying to be big: a review of anabolic steroid use.", "content": "Anabolic steroids use is commonly perceived to be the domain of the higher echelons of competitive athletes. However, a great deal of anabolic steroid use occurs in private gymnasia (non-local authority) among non-competitive recreational athletes. Our study has attempted to give an insight into the prevalence of the use of these drugs, the hazards associated with it, and the public health responses which we have adopted."}
{"id": "PMID:1490221", "title": "Physiological profiles of Hong Kong \u00e9lite soccer players.", "content": "Most physiological profiles of \u00e9lite soccer players originate from Western Europe and North America. Unfortunately, there is a scarcity of descriptive data on the physical characteristics of Asian soccer players. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the physiological profiles of \u00e9lite soccer players in Hong Kong. It was conducted in conjunction with the selection of the Hong Kong team before the 1990 Beijing Asian Games. In all, 24 professional soccer players were selected from a pool of 180 players as subjects for the study. The following means(s.d.) were observed: height 173.4(4.6) cm; weight 67.7(5.0) kg; body fat 7.3(3.0)%; forced vital capacity (FVC) 5.1(0.6) l; maximum oxygen uptake (VO2max) 59.1(4.9) ml kg-1 min-1; anaerobic threshold (AT 80.0(7.2)% of VO2max; alactic power index 13.5(2.4) W kg-1; lactic work index 298(27) J kg-1; peak isokinetic dominant knee extensor and flexor strengths 2.72(0.36) Nm kg-1 and 1.65(0.20) Nm kg-1. On average the physique of Hong Kong soccer players appeared to be smaller and lighter than those found in Europe, which may be one of the key factors that contribute to the lack of success of Hong Kong soccer teams in international competition."}
{"id": "PMID:1490222", "title": "Muscle soreness, swelling, stiffness and strength loss after intense eccentric exercise.", "content": "High-intensity eccentric contractions induce performance decrements and delayed onset muscle soreness. The purpose of this investigation was to study the magnitude and time course of such decrements and their interrelationships in 26 young women of mean(s.d.) age 21.4(3.3) years. Subjects performed 70 maximal eccentric contractions of the elbow flexors on a pulley system, specially designed for the study. The non-exercised arm acted as the control. Measures of soreness, tenderness, swelling (SW), relaxed elbow joint angle (RANG) and isometric strength (STR) were taken before exercise, immediately after exercise (AE), analysis of variance and at 24-h intervals for 11 days. There were significant (P < 0.01, analysis of variance) changes in all factors. Peak effects were observed between 24 and 96 h AE. With the exception of STR, which remained lower (P < 0.01), all variables returned to baseline levels by day 11. A non-significant correlation between pain and STR indicated that pain was not a major factor in strength loss. Also, although no pain was evident, RANG was decreased immediately AE. There was no relationship between SW, RANG and pain. The prolonged nature of these symptoms indicates that repair to damaged soft tissue is a slow process. Strength loss is considered particularly important as it continues when protective pain and tenderness have disappeared. This has implications for the therapeutic management of patients with myopathologies and those receiving eccentric exercise for rehabilitation."}
{"id": "PMID:1490223", "title": "Spondylolysis in fast bowlers: principles of prevention and a survey of awareness among cricket coaches.", "content": "Back injury in general, and spondylolysis in particular, represents a serious threat to the fast bowler. Hereditary factors, poor technique, overuse, and poor preparation for fast bowling may combine to produce the 'at risk' bowler. Three first-class county coaches were interviewed to establish a level of awareness of the lesion, with an emphasis on preparation of fast bowlers and the roles of technique alteration and bowling prescription in reducing the risk of back injury."}
{"id": "PMID:1490224", "title": "Effect of caffeine on maximal strength and power in \u00e9lite male athletes.", "content": "Computerized testing of 20 \u00e9lite male athletes was performed to determine the effect of 7 mg kg-1 caffeine on strength and power of the knee extensors and flexors. Subjects received counterbalanced administrations of either caffeine or a placebo on two separate occasions. Peak torque (T) was measured for knee extension (ET) and flexion (FT) at angular velocities of 30 degrees, 150 degrees and 300 degrees s-1. Additionally, performance for the first 125 ms (TAE) and power (W) were recorded during 300 degrees s-1. Testing sessions were held 1 week apart, at which time the placebo/caffeine administration was reversed. A 2 x 2 repeated measures analysis of variance supplemented with a Neuman-Keuls post hoc test showed the following--significant caffeine-related increases (P < 0.05) for ET at 30 degrees s-1, ET at 300 degrees s-1, and ETAE, and EW at 300 degrees s-1. Dependent t-tests performed for pre- to post-test means showed significant changes for the caffeine group in ET at 30 degrees s-1, FT at 30 degrees s-1, FT at 150 degrees s-1, ET at 300 degrees s-1, FT at 300 degrees s-1, E and FTAE, and EW at 300 degrees s-1. No significant effects were found for the placebo trial in any variable. It was concluded that caffeine can favourably affect some strength parameters in highly resistance-trained males. However, differences in subject fibre type, motivation and caffeine sensitivity need to be elucidated."}
{"id": "PMID:1490225", "title": "[Auto-adaptative network separator of sources].", "content": "This article defines a new convergence criterion for the modelization of networks with modifiable synapses, as presented by Jutten, Herault, Ans ([1], [2]). The network adaptation law, empirically determined in [1], [2], is reconsidered: a theoretical law concerning the evolution of system coefficients and outputs is demonstrated and validated on simulations. The system always converges towards a unique attractor, as predicted by the theoretical convergence criterion. This system evolution towards a particular stable state enhances the interesting physical aspect of this modelization."}
{"id": "PMID:1490226", "title": "[Morphologic differentiation of modern humans: correspondence between skull form and geographic distribution of population].", "content": "Multivariate distance analysis of 7 to 9 classical craniometric dimensions was carried out on a large number (n = 536) of modern human populations. Results obtained showed that the scatter plot based on morphological affinities was very similar to geographic dispersion of sample populations. Asia appeared to be closer to a possible center of dispersion than any other location."}
{"id": "PMID:1490235", "title": "Materials management considerations in critical care areas.", "content": "The materials management department has the potential to provide great value to the nursing department in the planning, relocation, and occupation of new patient care areas. Functional responsibilities in the materials area compels these personnel to evaluate issues such as contractor compliance; new products and equipment on the market; price trends; required lead times; traffic patterns inside the hospital; space requirements for clean, soiled, and hazardous materials; utilization patterns of supplies and equipment; and shifting demands on the time of the clinical staff."}
{"id": "PMID:1490240", "title": "Brain-stem anesthesia as a complication of regional anesthesia for ophthalmic surgery.", "content": "Brain-stem anesthesia is a serious complication of orbital regional anesthesia that may occur when the injected local anesthetic agent gains access to the central nervous system by direct spread from the apex of the orbit via submeningeal pathways. In most studies the reported incidence rate during retrobulbar block is one case per 350 to 500 patients. Failure to recognize the condition or to treat it adequately may be life threatening. Treatment includes reassurance, intravenous administration of fluids, pharmacologic circulatory support or suppression of convulsions, and cardiopulmonary resuscitation. With proper treatment complete recovery is the rule. In all situations in which orbital block is to be done, basic cardiopulmonary resuscitation equipment and personnel familiar with its use are essential. Monitoring of the blood pressure, electrocardiography and pulse oximetry should be routine. Having the globe in primary gaze renders the optic nerve less vulnerable, and avoidance of deep penetration of the orbit is of great importance."}
{"id": "PMID:1490241", "title": "Trans-scleral neodymium: YAG retinal photocoagulation in rabbit eyes.", "content": "To assess the ability of trans-scleral application of the continuous-wave neodymium: YAG laser to produce retinal ablation with reproducible chorioretinal scars, retinal photocoagulation with the YAG laser was done in four Dutch-belted rabbits (eight eyes). Sharply defined, reproducible lesions were produced that were identical to those found following conventional treatment with the argon laser. At 0.2 J there was destruction of the outer retinal layers with sparing of the inner retinal layers. At 3.0 J full-thickness retinal reorganization was noted; however, even at this energy setting there was minimal histologic evidence of scleral damage. Focused laser energy produced distinctly more retinal destruction and obliteration of the retinal pigment epithelium than unfocused energy. The results suggest that trans-scleral photocoagulation with the YAG laser may be possible and would be particularly applicable in situations in which media opacities preclude visualization of the retina."}
{"id": "PMID:1490242", "title": "Cell culture of macular epiretinal membranes.", "content": "To attempt to differentiate the cells of origin in epiretinal membranes, cells were cultured from an idiopathic epiretinal membrane and an epiretinal membrane that formed after successful repair of a retinal detachment. The cells exhibited a variety of forms. When the cells from the idiopathic epiretinal membrane were incubated with melanin from donor eyes a population of small cells accumulated the pigment, but the large, flat cells did not. The epiretinal membrane was not composed of a single cell type. Although a population of cells exists within epiretinal membranes, no one cell type could be identified as the cell type of origin."}
{"id": "PMID:1490243", "title": "Stability of fixation in healthy subjects during automated perimetry.", "content": "The stability of fixation of 12 healthy young subjects was assessed with a high-resolution eye tracker during automated perimetry. All the subjects exhibited eye movements and fixation shifts during the examination. The average shift in eye position between successive 1-minute intervals ranged from 0.41 degrees to 2.11 degrees, and the average standard deviation of eye position around the average of each interval ranged from 0.56 degrees to 2.55 degrees. In nine of the subjects the eye remained within 3 degrees of centre for 96% or more of the stimuli. The remaining three subjects experienced difficulty maintaining central fixation: the eye was more than 3 degrees away from centre for 28% or more of the stimuli. In the latter subjects the ability to repeatedly stimulate the intended retinal test locations was substantially reduced. The authors discuss the effects of unstable fixation on short-term fluctuation and on fixation loss."}
{"id": "PMID:1490244", "title": "An ocular dynamic study supporting the hypothesis that hypothyroidism is a treatable cause of secondary open-angle glaucoma.", "content": "To examine the hypothesis that glaucoma may be a manifestation of unrecognized hypothyroidism, we studied 25 consecutive patients with newly diagnosed hypothyroidism who presented to an endocrinology clinic. Using tonography and tonometry, we demonstrated a reduction in facility of outflow in the hypothyroid state. With treatment of the hypothyroidism alone there was a statistically significant improvement in facility of outflow, intraocular pressure and Po/C (p < 0.002). Our results support the hypothesis that secondary open-angle glaucoma may be a manifestation of hypothyroidism and that the glaucoma will resolve on treatment of the primary disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1490245", "title": "Reversal of poorly controlled glaucoma on diagnosis and treatment of hypothyroidism.", "content": "Hypothyroidism was diagnosed in a 62-year-old woman with poorly controlled primary open-angle glaucoma, including a disc hemorrhage and a documented arcuate scotoma. After 1 year of thyroxine therapy the glaucoma was easily controlled, pilocarpine treatment was stopped and the visual fields were completely normal. To our knowledge this is the first report in the modern literature of reversal of open-angle glaucoma with treatment of hypothyroidism."}
{"id": "PMID:1490246", "title": "Favourable outcome of traumatic endophthalmitis with associated retinal breaks or detachment.", "content": "Traumatic endophthalmitis in association with retinal breaks or detachments is reported to have uniformly poor visual and anatomic outcomes. We describe two cases of culture-positive traumatic endophthalmitis with retinal breaks or detachment in which the final visual result was 20/70 in one case and 20/40 in the other. Factors that may improve the prognosis in such cases include attention to the possibility of infection, selective use of broad-spectrum antibiotics, prompt surgical intervention and improvement in vitreous surgical techniques. Modification of intravitreal antibiotic regimens may be indicated in eyes in which the vitreous cavity is partially filled with air or gas."}
{"id": "PMID:1490247", "title": "Periorbital hyperpigmentation and erythema dyschromicum perstans.", "content": "Erythema dyschromicum perstans is a rare idiopathic dermatosis characterized by ash-grey, well-demarcated skin lesions, which may involve the face. We describe an 8-year-old girl with erythema dyschromicum perstans presenting as bilateral acquired periorbital hyperpigmentation. The changes seen on histologic study of a skin biopsy specimen were consistent with the clinical diagnosis. The various causes of periorbital hyperpigmentation and characteristics of erythema dyschromicum perstans are reviewed."}
{"id": "PMID:1490249", "title": "Role of sodium and water excretion in the antihypertensive effect of vasopressin in the spontaneously hypertensive rat.", "content": "Mean arterial pressure (mmHg (1 mmHg = 133.322 Pa)), sodium excretion rate (mumol.kg-1.min-1), and urine flow (microL.kg-1.min-1) were measured in conscious unrestrained spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and normotensive Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKY) before, during, and after a 3-h intravenous infusion of arginine vasopressin (20 ng.kg-1.min-1), an equipressor dose of phenylephrine, or an infusion of the vehicle. Cessation of the phenylephrine infusion was associated with a return of arterial pressure to preinfusion control values in both SHR and WKY. Cessation of the vasopressin infusion was also associated with a return of arterial pressure to preinfusion values in WKY. In contrast, in the SHR, arterial pressure fell from a preinfusion control level of 164 +/- 6.2 to 137 +/- 4 mmHg within 1 h of stopping the vasopressin infusion. Five hours after stopping the infusion, pressure was 134 +/- 3 mmHg (29 +/- 5 mmHg below preinfusion levels). Similar to the WKY, cessation of a vasopressin infusion was associated with a return of arterial pressure to preinfusion values in Sprague-Dawley rats. Thus, the failure to observe a hypotensive response in normotensive rats was not a peculiarity of the WKY strain. Sodium excretion rates increased during the infusions of vasopressin to a greater extent in SHR than in WKY. However, the natriuresis induced by phenylephrine was not significantly different from that generated by vasopressin in SHR, and in WKY, the natriuresis was greater for phenylephrine than for vasopressin. Urine output increased to a greater extent during the infusions of phenylephrine in both SHR and WKY than during vasopressin infusion.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1490250", "title": "Differences in myocardial ischemic tolerance between 1- and 7-day-old rabbits.", "content": "Between 1 and 7 days of life, the newborn rabbit heart shifts from predominantly using carbohydrates to predominantly using fatty acids as an energy substrate. We therefore used isolated working hearts from 1- or 7-day-old rabbits to determine the effects of fatty acids on myocardial glucose use and the ability of hearts to recover following various periods of transient no-flow ischemia. One-day-old hearts were perfused via the inferior vena cava and ejected buffer through the cannulated aorta and pulmonary artery. Seven-day-old hearts were perfused via the left atrium and ejected buffer through the cannulated aorta. To measure glucose use, hearts were perfused with 11 mM [3H, 14C]glucose, 3% albumin, and 500 microU insulin/mL, in the presence or absence of 0.4 mM palmitate. In the absence of fatty acids, glycolytic rates were similar in 1- and 7-day-old hearts, whereas glucose oxidation rates were 5 times greater in 7-day-old hearts. Palmitate did not have any major effects on overall glucose use in 1-day-old hearts, but did markedly inhibit glycolysis and glucose oxidation in 7-day-old hearts. A series of hearts were also subjected to periods (25-60 min) of no-flow ischemia, followed by 30 min of aerobic reperfusion. In the absence of palmitate, 1-day-old hearts subjected to ischemic periods of up to 60 min recovered some degree of mechanical function during reperfusion, whereas 7-day-old rabbit hearts failed to recover if hearts were subjected to ischemic periods of 35 min or longer.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1490251", "title": "Recovery of rat tibialis anterior motor unit properties following partial denervation.", "content": "The recovery of selected mechanical, morphological, and metabolic properties of rat tibialis anterior fast motor units was determined following partial denervation (n = 7) or partial denervation and hemispinal cord transection (n = 5) and compared with age-matched control units (n = 7). Following 1-12 months of recovery, the mechanical properties of each unit were measured and the fibres depleted of glycogen by using standard ventral root filament stimulation techniques. Quantitative histochemical techniques were used to determine cross-sectional area and the activities of succinate dehydrogenase and alpha-glycerolphosphate dehydrogenase in individual unit fibres. Partial denervation increased the mean fibre area but decreased alpha-glycerolphosphate dehydrogenase activity. Succinate dehydrogenase was unchanged in the denervated groups. The variability in area and enzymatic activities among the unit fibres was unchanged. However, the interrelationship between the enzymes was altered by both denervation procedures. Succinate dehydrogenase activity was directly related to fatigue resistance and inversely related to tetanic tension across the units. These findings suggest that a motor unit reestablishes many of its properties despite marked changes to the composition of the unit brought about by partial denervation. In addition, a reduction in the neuromuscular activity of units during reorganization had a limited effect on recovery."}
{"id": "PMID:1490252", "title": "Antioxidant changes in heart hypertrophy: significance during hypoxia-reoxygenation injury.", "content": "Because hypertrophied rat hearts display an increase in antioxidant enzyme activities and because hypoxia-reoxygenation injury is known to involve free radicals, we tested the hypothesis that the hypertrophied heart may be more resistant to this type of injury. Hypertrophied rat hearts after 10 weeks of chronic pressure overload showed elevated superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSHPx) activities and a decrease in lipid peroxidation as indicated by malondialdehyde (MDA) content. Glucose-free hypoxia for 15 min resulted in a complete failure of developed tension and about 200% increase in resting tension in both hypertrophied and sham control groups (p < 0.05). Upon reoxygenation for up to 30 min, hypertrophied hearts recovered developed tension to 60% and resting tension was higher by only 80% of prehypoxic values. In contrast, sham hearts showed only a 25% recovery of developed tension, whereas resting tension remained 130% higher than prehypoxic control values. During hypoxia, the SOD activity was significantly reduced in both sham and hypertrophied groups, whereas GSHPx was reduced only in the sham group. Upon reoxygenation there was no further change in these enzyme activities. Both the SOD and GSHPx activities in the hypertrophied group remained significantly higher than the corresponding reoxygenated sham hearts. During hypoxia, there was no apparent change in MDA content in either the sham or hypertrophied hearts. However, reoxygenation resulted in a significant increase in MDA content in both sham and hypertrophied hearts, but the MDA content was significantly less in the hypertrophied group (p < 0.05). It is suggested that maintenance of an adequate endogenous antioxidant reserve during hypoxia may be important in recovery upon reoxygenation."}
{"id": "PMID:1490253", "title": "Role of environmental temperature and photoperiod in regulation of seasonal testicular activity in the frog, Rana perezi.", "content": "To analyze the role of environmental temperature and photoperiod in the regulation of the annual testicular cycle in Rana perezi, we performed experiments combining high (25 +/- 1 degrees C) or low (6 +/- 1 degrees C) temperature and different photoperiod regimens (18L:6D, 12L:12D, and 6L:18D (hours light:hours dark)) during three phases of the reproductive cycle: winter stage (December) and prebreeding (February) and postbreeding (May, June) periods. Low temperature and short photoperiod in winter induced the arrest of the maturation phase of spermatogenesis and the activation of primary spermatogonia proliferation and spermiohistogenesis. Rana perezi testis responded to long days stimulus in winter, even at low temperature, with induction of the maturation phase of the cycle. Exposure of male frogs to either high temperature or long photoperiod induced a decrease in testosterone levels in winter. During the prebreeding period, an increase in environmental temperature caused a reduction in testosterone, and a lengthening in photoperiod produced the opposite effect. Photoperiod had no effect on testosterone levels during the postbreeding period, but low temperature increased testosterone plasma levels. These results suggest that both temperature and photoperiod effects can vary seasonally, depending on the phase of the annual reproductive cycle in R. perezi."}
{"id": "PMID:1490254", "title": "Muscle metabolism in track athletes, using 31P magnetic resonance spectroscopy.", "content": "We tested whether preferred running event in track athletes would correlate with the initial rate of phosphocreatine (PCr) resynthesis following submaximal exercise. PCr recovery was measured in the calf muscles of 16 male track athletes and 7 male control subjects following 5 min of repeated plantar flexion against resistance. Pi, PCr, and pH were measured using phosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopy (31P MRS) with an 8-cm surface coil in a 1.8-T magnet. During exercise, work levels were gradually increased to deplete PCr to 50-60% of the initial value. No drop in pH was seen in any of the subjects during this exercise. The areas of the PCr peaks following exercise were fit to monoexponential curves. Two or three tests were performed on each subject and the results averaged. Athletes were divided into three groups based on their primary event: sprinters running 400 m or less, middle-distance athletes running 400-1500 m, and long-distance athletes running farther than 1500 m. The maximal rates of PCr resynthesis (mmol.min-1.kg-1 muscle weight) were 64.8 +/- 8.6, for long-distance runners; 41.4 +/- 11, for middle-distance runners; 32.0 +/- 7.0, for sprinters; and 38.6 +/- 10, for controls (mean +/- SE). The faster PCr recovery rates seen in long-distance runners compared with sprinters indicate greater oxidative capacity, which is consistent with the known differences between athletes in these events."}
{"id": "PMID:1490255", "title": "Acute administration of bromocriptine abolishes the hyperprolactinemic response induced by submaximal exercise in man.", "content": "The effective control of hypophysial prolactin (PRL) secretion with a pharmacological agent is a prerequisite for the investigation of the role of hyperprolactinemia observed during exercise. Using bromocriptine, a potent inhibitor of PRL secretion, this study established the proper experimental conditions whereby any significant increase in plasma PRL level can be prevented and basal circulating levels maintained during physical exercise. On three occasions at weekly intervals, 15 male adults, separated into two groups, exercised on an ergocycle (40 min at 65% VO2max) either 1 or 3 h after ingesting either placebo or 1.25 or 2.50 mg of bromocriptine mesylate (Parlodel; Sandoz Canada Inc., Dorval, Qu\u00e9.). Under all conditions, the plasma PRL elevation observed during exercise after placebo was prevented by the administration of bromocriptine. Resting plasma PRL levels were maintained when exercise was performed 1 h after bromocriptine ingestion, but were significantly reduced when exercise was performed 3 h after administration of either bromocriptine dosages. Considering the primary and secondary effects observed, 1.25 mg of bromocriptine administered 1 h before exercise provides suitable experimental conditions to investigate the role of the increase in plasma PRL during physical exercise."}
{"id": "PMID:1490256", "title": "Moderate increases in peripheral blood estradiol concentration in the adult ram do not directly inhibit testosterone secretion.", "content": "Two experiments were conducted in July with adult Dorset x Leicester x Suffolk rams to determine whether increases of 150 or 300% in estradiol (E2) concentration in peripheral blood (from 6.3 +/- 0.8 pg/mL in control rams) would affect testosterone secretion directly as well as indirectly via the hypothalamic-pituitary axis. After 4 days of estradiol treatment (experiment 1) provided with subcutaneous polydimethylsiloxane implants filled with crystalline estradiol, luteinizing hormone (LH) and testosterone secretions were reduced by 50% (p < 0.05) in both groups of rams because of subtle decreases in pulse frequencies and amplitudes. Estradiol treatments were also associated with decreases in mean follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) concentration (30-50% in both groups, p < 0.05) and increases in mean prolactin concentration (35% in low-E2 group; 105% in high-E2 group, p < 0.05), but testicular responsiveness to an LH challenge (single intravenous dose, 10 micrograms NIH-LH-S25) remained normal. When along with estradiol treatment, 10-micrograms doses LH were given every 80 min (experiment 2), testosterone secretion increased by 265% (p < 0.05) in both treated and control rams. Relative to day -1, secretion on day 4 was characterized by higher (p < 0.05) pulse frequencies and baseline concentrations and lower (p < 0.05) pulse amplitudes; values for all characteristics were similar to those for Dorset x Leicester x Suffolk rams in the breeding season. Interestingly, the decreases in mean FSH concentration brought about by estradiol and (or) LH treatments were not any greater than in experiment 1, and estradiol's ability to elevate mean prolactin concentration was blocked completely.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1490257", "title": "Effects of acute swimming exercise on muscle and erythrocyte malondialdehyde, serum myoglobin, and plasma ascorbic acid concentrations.", "content": "Acute exercise may induce free-radical production in mitochondria during basal metabolism of aerobic cells. Ascorbic acid is a strong antioxidant agent, whereas myoglobin is known to act as an oxygen reservoir. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of acute exercise on malondialdehyde levels in gastrocnemius, vastus medialis, and triceps brachi muscles and erythrocytes. In addition, we investigated the ascorbic acid levels and serum myoglobin concentrations in rats, following acute swimming exercise. We found that the levels of muscle malondialdehyde and serum myoglobin increased and the levels of plasma ascorbic acid decreased, in proportion to the duration of exercise; however, the levels of erythrocyte malondialdehyde did not change."}
{"id": "PMID:1490258", "title": "Atrial natriuretic peptide inhibits compensatory responses when cardiac performance is depressed.", "content": "We tested the hypothesis that the atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) mediated decrease in baroreceptor sensitivity that is seen in normal rats is more pronounced in a state of depressed cardiac performance. Holtzman rats (n = 15) were injected with Adriamycin (1 mg/kg i.p. 3 times/week for 8-10 weeks). Control rats (n = 17) were injected with 0.9% saline. Experiments were done in conscious animals that had been catheterized for i.v. infusions and for measurement of arterial blood pressure (ABP) and heart rate (HR). ANP (250 ng.kg-1.min-1) or saline vehicle was infused i.v. Graded periodic bolus injections of phenylephrine or sodium nitroprusside were given to assess baroreceptor sensitivity (beats.min-1.mmHg-1) up to 60 mmHg (1 mmHg = 133.3 Pa) above and below resting ABP. The following day the experiment was repeated with the ANP-vehicle regimen reversed. Finally, the rats were anesthetized and the rate of left ventricular pressure increase (dP/dt) was measured. Data evaluation included calculation of least squares linear regression slopes of peak delta HR vs. peak delta ABP, applying corrections for experimental errors in both the dependent and independent variables. Adriamycin rats (A) did not differ significantly from control rats (C) with respect to either initial ABP (A = 105 +/- 5; C = 100 +/- 3; mean mmHg +/- SEM) or initial HR (335 +/- 9 vs. 312 +/- 13 beats.min-1). However, their indices of cardiac performance were significantly depressed.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1490259", "title": "Inhibitory and excitatory mechanisms of neurotensin action in canine intestinal circular muscle in vitro.", "content": "The effect of neurotensin on canine ileal circular muscle devoid of myenteric plexus was investigated using single and double sucrose gap techniques. Similar results were obtained with microelectrode techniques. Neurotensin caused a temperature-sensitive and dose-dependent biphasic response, an initial hyperpolarization associated with inhibition of contractile activity, followed by an excitatory phase, usually consisting of spike discharge and tonic and phasic contractions, for which depolarization was not required. Neither response was affected by tetrodotoxin, phentolamine, propranolol, or atropine. The hyperpolarization was associated with decreased membrane resistance, blocked by 10(-7) M apamin, and converted to tonic depolarization by apamin (10(-6) M). Tachyphylaxis to neurotensin occurred when the stimulation interval was less than 20 min. After Ca2+ depletion, depolarization was observed instead of the hyperpolarization; this depolarization was not affected by nitrendipine and was gradually abolished with repetitive stimulation at 20-min intervals. When Ca2+ was present, nifedipine did not alter the hyperpolarizing phase of the response but inhibited spiking and blocked all contractions. The excitatory phase of the response was enhanced by Bay K-8644. Neuromedin N elicited a response identical with that of neurotensin. The responses of the two peptides were completely cross tachyphylactic. Inhibitory junction potentials were not affected by neurotensin tachyphylaxis. It is concluded that neurotensin and neuromedin N activate apamin-sensitive, calcium-dependent potassium channels in circular muscle, causing membrane hyperpolarization and inhibition of muscle contraction. Release of intracellular calcium is involved in the activation of these potassium channels.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1490260", "title": "Portal venous infusions of L-glutamine in anaesthetized dogs do not influence renal function.", "content": "It has been reported that the intraportal infusion of glutamine in Munich-Wistar rats will cause depression of renal perfusion and the urinary excretion of salt and water. We have attempted to reproduce these findings in anaesthetized dogs. L-Glutamine was infused at doses between 120 and 150 mumol/min into the portal vein and femoral vein of anaesthetized dogs. No effect was observed on portal venous pressure, blood pressure, or kidney function. Similar data were obtained with D-glutamine. Liver biopsy revealed no abnormalities. When 1.5-3 micrograms histamine (free base) was infused into the portal system, portal venous pressure rose from 15.2 +/- 0.33 to 24.8 +/- 0.40 cmH2O (p < 0.05) (1 cmH2O = 98.1 Pa). Glutamine infusions do not appear to initiate hepatorenal reflexes in dogs as they have been reported to do in rats."}
{"id": "PMID:1490271", "title": "[A career in nursing sciences?].", "content": "A research study was conducted in a francophone high school in Northern Ontario to examine students' perceptions of nursing and the influence of these perceptions on nursing as a career choice. All students in grades 11, 12 and 13 were invited to participate. Fifty-eight percent (n = 268) completed the questionnaire. Results showed that 37 percent of the respondents considered pursuing a career in the health sciences. Only 14% percent were interested in nursing. Respondents' comments suggest that the nurse is viewed favorably but the profession is perceived as a career that does not involve pleasant tasks, good working conditions or opportunities for professional advancement. Reasons advocated for choosing nursing were altruistic rather than career-oriented. Students saw nursing practice as occurring mainly in a hospital setting. Half of the respondents who had chosen nursing as a career opted to enroll in a university program and the other half chose a college program. Results suggest that nursing continues to face an image problem regarding its role in the health care system. In these times of job losses and budget cuts, the profession still needs to attract young recruits. This is the challenge we have to face."}
{"id": "PMID:1490274", "title": "Preproenkephalin RNA increases in the hypothalamus of rats stressed by social deprivation.", "content": "1. Pharmacological evidence indicates that stress induced by brief (14 to 20-day) social deprivation in the rat is associated with an activation of the central preproenkephalin (ENK) opioid system. This study examines the neurochemical evidence that substantiates such an activation. 2. Using a specific ENK complementary DNA probe, ENK RNA levels were measured by dot blot and Northern blot analyses in different brain areas of socially deprived rats. Immunoreactivity to met-enkephalin-derived peptides was also evaluated by radioimmunoassay in the same brain regions. 3. Brief social deprivation increased the levels of ENK RNA and enkephalin immunoreactivity in whole hypothalamus. 4. Our data suggest that this type of stress appears to be associated to an induction of ENK gene transcription in hypothalamus."}
{"id": "PMID:1490275", "title": "Thyroidal influence on the cell surface GM1 of granule cells: its significance in cell migration during rat brain development.", "content": "1. No difference was observed in the in vitro growing ability of granule cells isolated from hypothyroid or normal rat brain. When granule cells were taken from hypothyroid rat brain and grown in normal culture medium containing 10% fetal calf serum, they behaved similarly to the granule cells obtained from normal rat brain. 2. In both cases there were progressive losses of in vitro growing ability of the granule cells with the age of the animal and it became impossible to grow them when derived from 21 days or older animals. 3. A marked decrease in cell surface GM1 was observed when the cells were maintained under thyroid hormone-deficient conditions in culture. 4. Anti-GM1 antibody was found to inhibit significantly the migration of granule cells along the astrocyte fibers. 5. These results indicate that GM1 has an important role in thyroid hormone-dependent postnatal brain maturation in rat."}
{"id": "PMID:1490276", "title": "Effects of chronic antidepressant treatment on dopamine-related [3H]SCH 23390 and [3H]spiperone binding in the rat striatum.", "content": "1. The effects of chronic administration of antidepressants on dopamine-related [3H]SCH 23390 and [3H]spiperone binding to rat striatal membranes were assessed. 2. The monoamine oxidase inhibitors phenelzine (5 or 10 mg kg-1/day) and tranylcypromine (1 mg kg-1/day) and the tricyclic desipramine (10 mg kg-1/day) were administered for 28 days by constant subcutaneous infusion using Alzet (2ML4) osmotic minipumps. 3. These treatments did not alter Kd estimates for either [3H]SCH 23390 or [3H]spiperone binding sites. The monoamine oxidase inhibitors induced a decrease in the Bmax values for both [3H]SCH 23990 and [3H]spiperone binding sites. Desipramine induced a decrease in the Bmax value for [3H]SCH 23390 binding but had no effect on the Bmax value for [3H]spiperone binding."}
{"id": "PMID:1490277", "title": "DNA polymerase alpha--primase complex of Physarum polycephalum.", "content": "DNA polymerase alpha and DNA polymerase alpha--primase complex of Physarum polycephalum were purified by rapid methods, and antibodies were raised against the complex. In crude extracts, immune-reactive polypeptides of 220 kDa, 180 kDa, 150 kDa, 140 kDa, 110 kDa, 86 kDa, 57 kDa and 52 kDa were identified. The structural relationships between the 220 kDa, 110 kDa and 140 kDa (the most abundant form) was investigated by peptide mapping. The 140 kDa form was active DNA polymerase alpha. The 57 kDa and the 52 kDa polypeptides were identified as primase subunits by auto-catalytic labelling. In amoebae, the immune-reactive 140 kDa polypeptide was replaced by a 135 kDa active DNA polymerase alpha."}
{"id": "PMID:1490278", "title": "Effects of tubulozole on the amoeboflagellate transformation in Physarum polycephalum.", "content": "The Amoeboflagellate Transformation (AFT) of Physarum polycephalum involves rapid changes in the cytoskeleton, cell shape and cell motility. Use of pharmacologic agents to probe the role of cytoskeletal elements in the AFT are impeded because the transforming cells are very sensitive to such commonly-used drug solvents as DMSO. The anti-microtubule agent tubulozole is found to disrupt, rapidly and transiently, the AFT, inhibiting flagella formation, cell elongation and the arrangement of microtubules and microfilaments. Cells recover quickly, possibly due to precipitation of the drug; the reappearance of normal arrays of microfilaments and cytoplasmic microtubules lags behind flagella formation."}
{"id": "PMID:1490279", "title": "Cellular and molecular analysis of plasmodium development in Physarum.", "content": "The development of an amoeba into a plasmodium involves extensive changes in cellular organisation and gene expression. The genetic basis of a number of recessive mutations that block plasmodium development has been elucidated. The stage at which development becomes abnormal has been determined for all the mutants, as has the terminal phenotype. In order to investigate the changes in gene expression that accompany plasmodium development, a cDNA library has been made using RNA isolated from cell populations in which development was occurring."}
{"id": "PMID:1490281", "title": "[Protective effect of sho-saiko-to (TJ 9) in experimental liver injury].", "content": "Experiments carried out on male mice (ICR) demonstrated a protective effect of premedication with the preparation Sho-Saiko-To (TJ 9, Tsumura and Comp.) against the hepatotoxic effects of CCl4 and T1-acetate, which were manifested by increased peroxidation of lipids and increased depletion of reduced glutathion in liver homogenates."}
{"id": "PMID:1490282", "title": "[The effect of kampo preparations and their effect on peptidase activity in damage caused by free radicals].", "content": "The activity of peptidases (trypsin from bovine pancreas and trypsin-like enzymes from the liver rat homogenate) was influenced by five preparation of Kampo medicine, TJ-9 (Sho-Saiko-To), TJ-15 (Oren-Gedoku-To), TJ-23 (Toki-Shakuyaku-San), TJ-96 (Saiboku-To), and TJ-114 (Sairei-To) and studied in relation to their effect on the uptake of free oxygen radicals demonstrated earlier. On the basis of increased activity of trypsin and trypsin-like enzymes and the previously found capability of uptaking free oxygen radicals, the mechanism of action of the Kampo preparations may be assumed to be connected not only with a direct support of enzymes of digestion and increased activity of peptidases, capable of eliminating oxidatively damaged proteins, but with an antioxidative effect as well, which prevents increased cumulation of oxidatively damaged macromolecules and the action of superoxide radicals developed earlier by the well-known and trypsin-stimulated conversion of xanthinedehydrogenase to xanthinoxidase."}
{"id": "PMID:1490283", "title": "[Antioxidative activity of oren-gedoku-to (TJ-15) and toki- shakuyaku-san (TJ-23) in the liver microsomes of rats].", "content": "TJ-15 (Oren-Gedoku-To) inhibited enzymatically (NADPH or CumOOH) and non-enzymatically (Fe-askorbate) induced lipid peroxidation in the rat liver microsomes as assessed by the TBA-reactive product accumulation. TJ-23 (Toki-Shakuyaku-San) had little effect on either system. The protective effect of TJ-15 against lipid peroxidation could not be fully accounted for by its action on microsomal electron transfer, as evaluated by studying the kinetics of reduction of cytochrome C. In a free solution TJ-15 and TJ-23 effectively scavenged OH., radicals, as indicated by the inhibition of ethylene production from KMBA, and O2-. anion radicals, as assessed by the inhibitory effect on the rate of NBT reduction. The present results suggest that TJ-15, yet not TJ-23, is capable to reach hydrophobic intra-membrane sites at concentrations at which it is an effective antioxidant. Thus TJ-15 may be a potentially useful protective agent against free radical-mediated damage."}
{"id": "PMID:1490284", "title": "[Antioxidative properties of the kampo drugs TJ-9, TJ-15, TJ-23, TJ-96 and TJ-114].", "content": "Plant extracts from Kampo medicines TJ-9 (A), TJ-15 (B), TJ-23 (C), TJ-114 (D) and TJ-96 (E) inhibited peroxidation of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) in vitro and peroxidation of multilamellar liposomes formed by total lipids isolated fro the rat brain. The order of relative efficacy of the extracts in both experiments was as follows: C < D equal to or greater than A < B. Using EPR spectroscopy, the Kampo extracts were found to be oxidated by means of PbO2 and to become relatively stable radicals, which shows that they possess electro-donor properties. A relationship between their ability to inhibit peroxidation of LDL and liposomes and their ability to become a radical was found. The Kampo medicines which produced more radicals inhibited peroxidation of LDL and liposomes more effectively. By means of EPR spectroscopy, Kampo B was found to reduce the vitamin E radical. The results contribute to the understanding of the positive effects of Kampo extracts in the diseases in which a negative influence of free radicals is assumed."}
{"id": "PMID:1490285", "title": "[Local anesthetics. CVI. Preparation and effect of (+/-)-trans-[2-(piperidinomethyl) cyclopentyl] alkyl, alkoxy and halogen substituted esters of phenylcarbamic acid].", "content": "Within the framework of the research of potential local anaesthetics, five compounds from the group of (+/-)-trans-[2-(piperidino-methyl)cyclopentyl]alkyl, alkoxy and chloroalkyl esters of phenylcarbamic acid were prepared. The final compounds were obtained by addition of (+/-)-trans-2-(piperidinomethyl)cyclopentanol to the corresponding substituted phenylisocyanates. They were isolated in the form of salts with hydrochloric acid. Their structure was confirmed on the basis of interpretation of the results of UV and IR spectra. A pharmacological evaluation revealed that the final compounds were more effective than the employed standards cocaine and procaine, but they did not achieve the expected effect in comparison with the pattern compound pentacaine. The index of local-anaesthetic efficacy ranges from 1 to 8 in surface anaesthesia and 1 to 12 in infiltration anaesthesia. It is substantially lower even in comparison with analogical basic esters of alkoxyphenylcarbamic acid."}
{"id": "PMID:1490289", "title": "Molecular basis and allele specific screening of apolipoprotein CIISt. Michael.", "content": "The DNA basis for a circulating nonfunctional variant apoCII, designated apoCIISt. Michael (CII-S) is a shifted reading frame. We developed two amplification primers to screen for CII-S. One contained wild type apoCII sequence and the other contained the sequence for CII-S. Allele-specific polymerase chain reaction (ASPCR) of the apoCII gene from the CII-S proband and her relatives showed unambiguous identification of heterozygous carriers of the CII-S protein. ASPCR may have general applicability in screening for DNA point mutations that do not alter a restriction site."}
{"id": "PMID:1490290", "title": "Observed relationship between ratios HDL-cholesterol/total cholesterol and apolipoprotein A1/apolipoprotein B.", "content": "Epidemiological evidence suggests that the ratio HDL-cholesterol (HDL-C)/total cholesterol (TC) or apolipoprotein A1 (apo A1)/apolipoprotein B (apo B) are good indicators of coronary heart disease risk. In investigating the distribution of these ratios in the typical population served by our routine laboratory, we analysed the lipid results of 541 serum samples submitted over a 2-month period for TC, HDL-C, apo A1, and apo B. Good correlation was observed between HDL-C and apo A1 (r = 0.664), and between TC and apo B (r = 0.674). Surprisingly, the correlation between the ratios HDL-C/TC (range: 0.05-0.40) and apo A1/apo B (range: 0.27-3.71) was even higher (r = 0.822). Similar significant correlations were observed in 31 heterozygous and 20 homozygous familial hypercholesterolemic subjects, viz. the correlations between HDL-C/TC (ranges: 0.04-0.24 and 0.02-0.12, respectively) and apo A1/apo B (ranges: 0.47-1.84 and 0.15-1.12, respectively) were r = 0.951 and r = 0.972, respectively."}
{"id": "PMID:1490297", "title": "Role of cholesterol-accumulating macrophages on vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation.", "content": "The proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) was stimulated by co-incubation with macrophages. Further stimulation was observed when co-incubated macrophages were supplied with LDL or cholesterol. However, the stimulation of VSMC proliferation did not result from co-incubation with macrophages supplemented with acetylated LDL or delipidated LDL. The addition of anti-PDGF antibody partially abolished the stimulation of VSMC proliferation induced by co-incubation with macrophages supplemented with LDL or cholesterol. A high concentration of prostaglandin E2 inhibited the proliferation of VSMC stimulated by PDGF and plasma-derived serum when they were at the G0/G1 stage. However, the inhibitory effect of prostaglandin E2 on proliferation was not observed when cells were incubated with macrophages supplemented with LDL or cholesterol in spite of the promotion under these conditions of prostaglandin E2 production. These results suggest that cholesterol-accumulating macrophages may exert a regulatory effect on the proliferation of VSMC through the synthesis and secretion of platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) and prostaglandin E2, besides foam-cell formation."}
{"id": "PMID:1490298", "title": "Eicosapentaenoic acid inhibits cholesteryl ester accumulation in rat peritoneal macrophages by decreasing the number of specific binding sites of acetyl LDL.", "content": "We found that rat peritoneal macrophages bind acetyl low density lipoprotein (AcLDL) by a saturable and specific manner and accumulate a substantial amount of cholesteryl ester (CE) when incubated with AcLDL. In macrophages enriched with eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) by the ingestion of highly purified eicosapentaenoic acid-ethyl ester (EPA-E), the accumulation of CE was significantly decreased in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, the contents of EPA and docosapentaenoic acid (DPA) in macrophage phospholipids were dose dependently and significantly increased by EPA-E feeding. In contrast, the contents of arachidonic acid (AA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) were unchanged. Furthermore EPA-E ingestion significantly decreased the Bmax of the AcLDL receptor without affecting the Kd in rat peritoneal macrophages. In addition, specific proteolytic degradation of AcLDL was also dose dependently inhibited by EPA-E feeding, indicating that the number of AcLDL receptor was significantly decreased after EPA-E ingestion. These findings indicate that EPA-E feeding inhibited CE accumulation mainly by decreasing the AcLDL receptors in macrophages. We speculate that EPA inhibits foam cell formation and this inhibitory effect may partly account for its anti-atherogenic action."}
{"id": "PMID:1490299", "title": "Low-density lipoproteins in hyperalphalipoproteinemic heavy alcohol drinkers have reduced affinity for the low-density lipoprotein receptor.", "content": "Heavy alcohol intake causes a marked inhibition of cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) activity resulting in cholesterol ester enrichment of HDL. In this study we have characterized LDL of 35 chronic heavy alcohol drinkers with hyperalphalipoproteinemia to clarify the effect of alcohol on the metabolism of LDL. Serum concentrations of LDL-cholesterol and apolipoprotein B were normal, while the chemical composition of LDL was characterized by depletion of cholesteryl ester and enrichment of triglyceride. The LDL particles of the drinkers were significantly smaller in size than those of controls and had reduced affinity for LDL receptors of normal human fibroblasts. After cessation of alcohol, these abnormal characteristics returned toward normal along with elevation of CETP activity. These results suggest that heavy alcohol intake alters the compositions and particle size of LDL, consequently reducing their affinity for LDL receptors. This may be attributed, at least in part, to the reduction of CETP activity."}
{"id": "PMID:1490301", "title": "Effect of the ACAT inhibitor CI-976 on plasma cholesterol concentrations and distribution in hamsters fed zero- and low-cholesterol diets.", "content": "The overall objective of the present study was to determine if the ACAT inhibitor CI-976 can lower plasma cholesterol in hamsters fed zero or low, \"human-like\" levels of cholesterol. With a purified diet containing zero dietary cholesterol, CI-976 significantly lowered VLDL cholesterol (VLDL-C), but not total plasma cholesterol (TPC). When 0.06% cholesterol was added to this diet, reductions in both VLDL and LDL cholesterol (LDL-C) lowered TPC. Efficacy was still greater with 0.2% dietary cholesterol, but not potency. Mixing CI-976 into the purified diet resulted in greater decreases in VLDL-C compared to gavage administration, but LDL-C reductions with 0.2% cholesterol were optimal with gavage. With nonpurified, chow-based diets efficacy was markedly greater with diet-admix administration, regardless of the amount of dietary cholesterol. CI-976 inhibited cholesterol absorption with chow-based diets more potently compared to nonabsorbable agents (e.g., beta-sitosterol, tigogenin cellobioside), and the lowering of LDL-C was greatest when inhibition of cholesterol absorption was maximal. We conclude that the ACAT inhibitor CI-976 is efficacious in hamster models which utilize human-like levels of dietary cholesterol. Moreover, the data suggest that the pharmacologic responses to lipophilic ACAT inhibitors in the hamster, or even other lipid-regulating drugs, are likely to depend not only on the type of basal diet but also on the mode of drug administration."}
{"id": "PMID:1490302", "title": "Effect of cyclosporin on plasma lipoproteins in bone marrow transplantation patients.", "content": "The effects of cyclosporin and prednisone on plasma lipid and lipoprotein levels were studied in 20 allogeneic bone-marrow transplantation patients receiving cyclosporin plus prednisone therapy, and in 14 allogeneic patients treated only with cyclosporin during 100 days. Eighteen autologous bone-marrow patients not requiring cyclosporin were used as a control group. Patients were studied 5 days prior to transplantation, and on days 30, 60, and 100 after transplantation. To determine the reversibility of the changes, lipid parameters were analyzed 30 days after completion of the treatment. Nutritional supplementation, conditioning regimens, and concomitant medications were not significantly different between groups. Furthermore, no significant differences in age, weight, lipid, or lipoprotein levels were found at baseline. Our results indicate that cyclosporin therapy induces a reversible increase of plasma cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, triglycerides, VLDL-triglycerides, and apolipoprotein B and a decrease of HDL-cholesterol, HDL2-cholesterol, and apolipoprotein A-I. The addition of prednisone to cyclosporin therapy induces a higher increase in plasma cholesterol mainly due to an increase in HDL-cholesterol. Total cholesterol/HDL-cholesterol ratio increased significantly in patients treated only with cyclosporin. No differences were found in this ratio in patients treated with prednisone compared to those submitted to autologous bone-marrow transplantation. Lipid changes observed in this study were reversible 30 days after cessation of cyclosporin treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1490303", "title": "Effect of cyclosporin on plasma lipoprotein lipase activity in rats.", "content": "The effects of cyclosporin on plasma lipoproteins and lipoprotein lipase (LPL) activity were studied in rats treated with different doses of the drug for periods ranging between 7 and 30 days. The treatment with cyclosporin resulted in an increase in plasma triglycerides and non-HDL-cholesterol, and a dose and time-dependent decrease of LPL activity and HDL-cholesterol, mainly because of a fall in the HDL2-cholesterol subfraction. The decrease of LPL activity was positively correlated (p < 0.01) with plasma HDL-cholesterol and HDL2-cholesterol and negatively with plasma triglycerides and non-HDL-cholesterol (p < 0.01). Our results indicate that the decrease in plasma LPL activity may be responsible for the increase in plasma triglycerides and the decrease in plasma HDL-cholesterol found in rats under cyclosporin treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1490304", "title": "Probucol, incorporated into LDL particles in vivo, inhibits generation of lipid peroxides more effectively than endogenous antioxidants alone.", "content": "One of the first steps in lipid autoxidation leads to the generation of lipid peroxides (LPO). The time course of LPO generation during Cu++ catalyzed oxidation of LDL before and after treatment with probucol was determined in this study. Before analysis the samples had been stored for about 3 years at -20 degrees C. The results show that in LDL samples without probucol the total antioxidative potential had been depleted during the long-term storage. In contrast, LDL containing probucol showed almost no signs of lipid autoxidation. In addition, the ratio of vitamin E to cholesterol was significantly higher in serum samples containing probucol. We conclude that, in vivo, probucol is incorporated into LDL particles in concentrations high enough to inhibit even early steps of lipid autoxidation."}
{"id": "PMID:1490308", "title": "[Magnetic resonance imaging in multiple system atrophy].", "content": "We studied 18 patients with multiple system atrophy (MSA) by high field strength MRI: 6 striatonigral degeneration (SND), 4 Shy-Drager syndrome (SDS), and 8 olivo-ponto-cerebellar atrophy (OPCA). We also studied 30 Parkinson's disease (PD) and 10 age-matched controls. The diagnoses of SND, SDS, and OPCA were based on criteria after Hirayama et al (1985). Bradykinesia, rigidity, and tremor were assessed with the summed scores of the signs used as the extrapyramidal scores. The mean extrapyramidal scores were not significantly different in patients with SND, SDS, OPCA, and PD. MRI studies were performed on 1.5 tesla MRI unit, using a T2 weighted spin echo pulse sequence (TR2500 ms/TE40 ms). The width of the pars compacta signal in all subjects was measured by the method of Duguid et al (1986). Intensity profiles were made on a straight line perpendicular to the pars compacta through the center of the red nucleus on an image of the midbrain. We measured the width of the valley at half-height between the peaks of intensity representing the red nucleus and the crus cerebri-pars reticulata complex and used this measurement as an index of the width of the pars compacta signal. The mean widths of the pars compacta signal were: 2.8 +/- 0.4 mm (SND), 2.8 +/- 0.7 mm (SDS), 3.6 +/- 0.6 mm (OPCA), 2.7 +/- 0.3 mm (PD), and 4.3 +/- 0.6 mm (control). The mean widths of the pars compacta signal in PD, SND, and SDS were significantly narrower than that in the control group (p < 0.05), while the OPCA group was not significantly narrower.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1490309", "title": "[On stuttering-like hesitation resulting from infarct in the midbrain and the mesial thalami].", "content": "We described a patient who developed stuttering after an infarct both in the midbrain and the medial part of bilateral thalami. Previously, speech disturbance resulting from these lesions has been named palilalia. However, we differentiated such a speech disturbance from both stuttering and palialia, because it had high frequency of repetition and monotonous rhythm, and because repetition was observed more frequently in the head of words than in the middle or the end of words. We proposed to call this speech abnormality stuttering-like hesitation in order to differentiate it from ordinary stuttering or palilalia. As the causative lesion for stuttering-like hesitation, we proposed the lesion in the neuronal circuit including the supplementary motor area and its afferent pathways, in addition to the lesion in the extrapyramidal system."}
{"id": "PMID:1490310", "title": "[Cerebral blood flow distribution and reactivity during the symptom-free stages of transient ischemic attacks--a 99mTc-HMPAO SPECT study].", "content": "Even during the symptom-free stages, patients with transient ischemic attacks (TIA) often show cerebral blood flow (CBF) disturbances. For evaluating the factors which cause these abnormalities, we studied CBF and CBF reactivity to acetazolamide (Diamox) using a 99mTc-hexamethylpropyleneamine oxime (HMPAO) single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). The results from CBF-SPECT were compared with X-ray computed tomography (CT), cerebral arteriogram, clinical characteristics of TIA and cerebrovascular risk factors. The overall sensitivity rates in detecting the lesion were 68% in CBF-SPECT and 9% in CT. The size of the hypoperfused area tended to be wide in patients who had intracranial, severe stenotic or multiple arterial lesions on the ipsilateral side. No such relations were found between CBF and other examinations. Brain hypoperfusion was located in the subcortical region in eight patients; two patients showed a small hypodense lesion on CT which corresponded to the hypoperfusion on SPECT, and three patients showed no arteriographic abnormality. Hypoperfusion in the cortex was seen in seven patients; all patients showed arteriographic abnormality, but no CT abnormality. The severity rating of the vascular stenosis and hypoperfusion, and the incidence of the intracranial lesions were higher in this group than the group with subcotical hypoperfusion. Seven patients showed fixed normoperfusion before and after diamox injection. Two patients with a subcortical small infarction showed fixed hypoperfusion even after diamox injection. Twelve patients showed focal hypoperfusion before diamox with a new filling-in after diamox. Only one patient showed resting hypoperfusion and decreased CBF reactivity to diamox.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1490311", "title": "[A case of progressive hemiatrophy with type 2 muscle atrophy in muscle biopsy].", "content": "We reported a case of progressive hemiatrophy, whose skeletal muscle biopsy revealed type 2 fiber atrophy. This patient, a 40-year-old woman, noticed left leg atrophy at the age of 39. She had a history of minor trauma of the left thigh at the age of 30. On admission, physical examination revealed atrophy of various parts of her left side of body, predominantly in the left leg. There was no dermatological or neurological abnormalities except these atrophies. Hematological and biochemical examinations were normal. EEG, EMG, nerve conduction studies and autonomic function tests were normal in either side of the body. MRI study showed reduced muscle bulk as well as subcutaneous fatty tissue especially in her left leg. Skeletal muscle biopsy of her left quadriceps femoris muscle revealed type 2 fiber atrophy and type 1 fiber predominance. However, no abnormality was found in the intramuscular nerves. We considered that type 2 muscle fiber atrophy was one of the cause of atrophy of this case."}
{"id": "PMID:1490312", "title": "[MRI findings of brain-stem tuberculoma in a case of tuberculous meningitis].", "content": "A 54-year-old woman developed headache and slight fever. When she consulted a physician, she could not move either of her eyes to the right. Cranial CT scan revealed no significant findings. Lumbar puncture was performed and CSF examination showed the cell count of 10,304/mm3, glucose level of 10 mg/dl, and total protein value of 270 mg/dl. Her symptoms and laboratory findings suggested meningitis and she was admitted to our hospital. Neurological examination revealed bilateral dilated pupils with sluggish light reflex, right gaze palsy, and hypesthesia of the left side of her face. A diagnosis of tuberculous meningitis was established by a positive test for acid-fast bacillus in CSF, and anti-tuberculous therapy was started at once. One month after the onset of symptoms, her main complaints were double vision and cerebellar ataxia. Both CT and MRI revealed a right brain-stem lesion. Pre-contrast CT could not clearly visualize the lesion but with contrast medium a homogeneously-enhanced circular lesion was shown. MRI on T2WI demonstrated the right brain-stem lesion to have a central bright core with hypointense periphery, which in turn was surrounded by hyperintensity. The lesion appeared isointense with cerebral white matter and the \"central bright core\" area was demonstrated to be slightly hypointense on T1WI. On post-contrast T1WI (with Gd-DTPA), the lesion showed strong homogeneous enhancement. The CT and MRI findings indicated a brain-stem tuberculoma, which was regarded as the cause of the ocular movement paralysis and cerebellar ataxia. As the clinical symptoms gradually resolved with anti-tuberculous treatment, the MRI appearance of the lesion also improved.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1490313", "title": "[Palilalia and acquired stuttering in a case of Parkinson's disease].", "content": "We report palilalia and acquired stuttering in a 60-year-old Japanese male with Parkinson's disease. At the age of 54, he presented with resting tremor in the hand and foot on the left, and gradual slowness in voluntary movements. Two years later, resting tremor involved the right foot, and an expressionless face and frozen gait occurred. A diagnosis of Parkinson's disease was made and treatment with L-dopa and carbidopa resulted in conspicuous improvement. At the age of 57, he developed compulsive repetitions of syllables, words and phrases, and sentences infrequently when he spoke. They have been persisting for four years. Repetitions increased in spontaneous speech while they decreased in oral reading and repetition of sentences. These repetitions in speech were symptomatologically diagnosed as palilalia and acquired stuttering. Brain CT showed slight brain atrophy, and brain MRI disclosed a few lesions indicating lacunae in the left substantia nigra, left putamen, and right internal capsule. SPECT showed a slight decrease in blood flow in the frontal lobes and basal ganglia bilaterally. Full IQ on WAIS was 105, and neither agnosia nor apraxia was detected. Palilalia and acquired stuttering, though the pathomechanism has not been clarified, have been reported to occur usually secondary to cerebral vascucular lesions and very rarely in Parkinson's disease. In the present case, they may have been produced by the parkinsonian nigro-striatal lesions. Alternatively, they may have been induced by the small vascular lesions demonstrated by MRI."}
{"id": "PMID:1490314", "title": "[Myoclonus epilepsy associated with ragged-red fibers--report of a patient with negative myoclonus].", "content": "A 21-year-old woman, who had no particular familial history, was admitted to our hospital because of hand tremor and gait disturbance. On neurological examination, she showed muscle weakness in the proximal extremities. There was an ataxia on heel-to-shin testing. Action and postural myoclonus involving the extremities were also noted. In addition, with dorsiflexion of the hands, asterixis-like movement was manifested. Pyruvate was 1.0 mg/dl and lactate was 24.1 mg/dl in cerebrospinal fluid. Brain CT scan revealed mild cerebellar atrophy. EEG showed synchronous diffuse slow wave. Median nerve SEPs showed a large N20-P25 component (20 microV). Median nerve C-reflex was not evoked. With dorsiflexion of the hands, the asterixis-like movement was induced with brief cessation of surface EMG activity in the forearm muscles, as shown by the accelerometer trace. Biopsy specimens of the biceps brachii muscle revealed numerous ragged-red fibers. By PCR-RFLP method with use of a mismatched primer, we analyzed mitochondrial DNA extracted from peripheral leukocytes. The A to G mutation at nucleotide position 8,344 in a tRNA(Lys) gene of a mitochondrial genome was detected. In this patient, clonazepam was effective on the asterixis-like movements. From existence of positive myoclonus, giant SEPs and efficacy of clonazepam, we considered this movement to be negative myoclonus. Our study indicated the possibility that such an involuntary movement could be induced by certain posture in patients with MERRF."}
{"id": "PMID:1490315", "title": "[A case of benign intracranial hypertension with fluctuated symptoms and CSF pressure synchronized with menstrual cycle].", "content": "A 39-year-old woman presented with a 2-month history of repeated severe headache, nausea and diplopia. On admission she was obese with bilateral papilledma and abducens weakness. Mass lesion and sinus thrombosis were ruled out by brain CT and angiography. CSF pressure was normal initially. CSF pressure fluctuated with menstrual cycle, sometimes showing over 600 mmH2O with worsening of the symptoms. She was diagnosed as benign intracranial hypertension (BIH). Diuretics did not improve the symptoms, and visual disturbances ensued and deteriorated. A spinal subarachnoid space-peritoneal shunt was inserted to control CSF pressure, showing rapid improvement of headache and diplopia but visual disturbances remained almost unchanged. Optic nerve sheath fenestration was performed without improvement of visual deterioration. We postulated multiple factors such as obesity, menstrual abnormality, iron deficiency anemia and analgesic drugs played important roles to produce BIH in this case. Careful quantitative perimetry should be done to decide a suitable time for surgical treatment in BIH."}
{"id": "PMID:1490316", "title": "[A case of myasthenia gravis occurring in the period of remission of chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy].", "content": "A 31-year-old woman noticed progressive muscular weakness in the limbs and paresthesia in the fingers in February 1989. Paresthesia worsened and improved 4 times during 2 months. Intravenous edrophonium chloride failed to improve her muscular weakness. She had high antiacetylcholine receptor antibody titer in serum. We made a diagnosis of chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (CIDP) because of slow nerve conduction velocity (NCV), increased CSF protein, and the clinical course. Treatment with prednisolone improved muscular weakness and the slow NCV. Two years later she acutely had dyspnea, dysphagia, and muscular weakness after upper respiratory infection. Intravenous edrophonium chloride dramatically improved her symptoms. The diagnosis was made as myasthenia gravis (MG). After thymectomy her weakness was getting better without any medications. There may exist an autoimmune mechanism common, at least in part, to both CIDP and MG in our patient."}
{"id": "PMID:1490317", "title": "[Gerstmann-Str\u00e4ussler-Scheinker disease with heterozygous codon change at prion protein codon 129].", "content": "A 53-year-old male was admitted to our hospital for progressive dementia and gait disturbance which had started at the age of 48. Examination indicated dementia, dysarthria, dysphagia, bilateral pyramidal signs, apraxia of the limbs, and extrapyramidal signs such as fine finger tremors, and rigidity of limbs. There were no cerebellar signs or myoclonus. His mother and elder brother showed similar symptoms and died at the ages of 53 and 50, respectively. EEG was normal. CT and MRI showed mild brain atrophy, but no cerebellar atrophy. T2 weighted image indicated low intensity areas covering bilateral caudate nuclei and putamina. A heterozygous amino acid change from methionine to valine was noted at codon 129 of the prion protein of the patient as well as in one of his son. The most likely diagnosis was Gerstmann-Str\u00e4ussler-Scheinker (GSS) disease without cerebellar atrophy. GSS may include a broad spectrum of brain pathology. Whether the codon change is associated with pathology without cerebellar atrophy is a problem that awaits further investigation."}
{"id": "PMID:1490318", "title": "[Unilateral abolition of parkinsonian rigidity after subthalamic nucleus hemorrhage].", "content": "A 63-year-old man with parkinsonism suddenly developed a right hemiballism, and the CT showed a hematoma of the left subthalamic nucleus. After the ballistic movement had disappeared, muscular rigidity improved on the right. This case suggests that excessive output from the subthalamic nucleus to the internal segment of globus pallidus plays a critical role in the pathophysiology of parkinsonian rigidity."}
{"id": "PMID:1490319", "title": "[The neuroendocrinological examinations in mentally retarded boy with self-injurious behavior (SIB) and the effect of naloxone, clomipramine and sulpiride on SIB].", "content": "The neuroendocrinological examinations were performed in mentally retarded 7-year-old boy with severe self-injurious behavior (SIB). The thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and prolactine responses to TRH showed lower in the basal and peak levels compared with those in the age matched control group. It is suggested that there may be an enhanced dopaminergic activity. The effects of naloxone, clomipramine and sulpiride on the frequency of SIB were investigated in this case. The frequency of SIB was reduced by sulpiride; a dopamine antagonist. These data suggest dopaminergic supersensitivity and hypothalamic dysregulation as a mechanism underlying SIB."}
{"id": "PMID:1490322", "title": "From Monroe to Moreau: an analysis of face naming errors.", "content": "Functional models of face recognition and speech production have developed separately. However, naming a familiar face is, of course, an act of speech production. In this paper we propose a revision of Bruce and Young's (1986) model of face processing, which incorporates two features of Levelt's (1989) model of speech production. In particular, the proposed model includes two stages of lexical access for names and monitoring of face naming based on a \"perceptual loop\". Two predictions were derived from the perceptual loop hypothesis of speech monitoring: (1) naming errors in which a (correct) rare surname is erroneously replaced by a common surname should occur more frequently than the reverse substitution (the error asymmetry effect); (2) naming errors in which a common surname is articulated are more likely to be repaired than errors which result in articulation of a rare surname (the error-repairing effect). Both predictions were supported by an analysis of face naming errors in a laboratory face naming task. In a further experiment we considered the possibility that the effects of surname frequency observed in face naming errors could be explained by the frequency sensitivity of lexical access in speech production. However, no effect of the frequency of the surname of the faces used in the previous experiment was found on face naming latencies. Therefore, it is concluded that the perceptual loop hypothesis provides the more parsimonious account of the entire pattern of the results."}
{"id": "PMID:1490323", "title": "Regular and irregular inflection in the acquisition of German noun plurals.", "content": "In this paper we study the acquisition of German noun plurals in relation to the question of how children represent regular and irregular inflection. Pinker and Prince (1992) have demonstrated several dissociations between regular and irregular inflection in the English past tense system. However, in English, the default status of -ed is confounded with its high frequency; therefore inflectional systems other than English past tense formation must be examined. The noun plural system in German is particularly interesting, because most nouns have irregular plurals in German and the regular (default) plural is less frequent than several of the irregular plurals. Thus it is unclear how a language learner determines whether German even has a regular plural, and if so what form it takes. Based on longitudinal data from impaired and unimpaired monolingual German-speaking children, we find a striking, statistically significant correlation: plural affixes that are used in overregularizations, namely -n or -s, are left out within compounds. This correlation shows that even impaired children are sensitive to the distinction between regular and irregular morphology. We propose a linguistic analysis of the correlation in terms of Kiparsky's (1982, 1985) level-ordering model plus an additional ordering condition on affixes: default (regular) affixes cannot serve as input to compounding processes."}
{"id": "PMID:1490324", "title": "The source of belief bias effects in syllogistic reasoning.", "content": "In studies of the belief bias effect in syllogistic reasoning, an interaction between logical validity and the believability of the conclusion has been found; in essence, logic has a larger effect on unbelievable than on believable conclusions. Two main explanations have been proposed for this finding. The selective scrutiny account claims that people focus on the conclusion and only engage in logical processing if this is found to be unbelievable; while the misinterpreted necessity account claims that subjects misunderstand what is meant by logical necessity and respond on the basis of believability when indeterminate syllogisms are presented. Experiments 1 and 2 compared the predictions of these two theories by examining whether the interaction would disappear if only determinate syllogisms were used. It did, thus providing strong support for the misinterpreted necessity explanation. However, the results are also consistent with a version of the mental models theory, and so Experiment 3 was carried out to compare these two explanations. The mental models theory received strong support, as it did also in the follow-up Experiments 4 and 5. It is concluded that people try to construct a mental model of the premises but, if there is a believable conclusion consistent with the first model they produce, then they fail to construct alternative models."}
{"id": "PMID:1490325", "title": "Factors associated with outcome in blunt aortic injury: a population-based study.", "content": "A population-based study was conducted for two contiguous states representing a population of 9.1 million to determine whether age, injury severity score, major complications, and preexisting conditions contribute to the outcome of patients diagnosed with blunt traumatic aortic injury. A secondary analysis reviewed patients with blunt aortic injury admitted over a six-year period to a trauma center located in one of the states to examine other more detailed factors related to mortality. Age was the only variable that correlated statistically with mortality in both populations analyzed. (Region P = .004; trauma center P = .0012) The severity of injury showed a tendency for decreased survival with increasing injury severity score. The elderly (age > or = 55) in both data sets sustained higher mortality from blunt aortic injury. In the trauma center population, the elderly had more delay in diagnosis than the younger patient population."}
{"id": "PMID:1490326", "title": "Surgical potpourri.", "content": "Six unusual surgical case are reported and the literature reviewed. The cases are: 1. Adenoid cystic carcinoma of the submaxillary gland 2. Parathyroid carcinoma 3. Squamous cell cancer of the pancreas 4. Leiomyosarcoma of the abdomen (two cases) 5. Myelolipoma of the adrenal gland These are representative cases from a general surgeon's practice, emphasizing the variety of interesting patients that the general surgeon cares for, and the scope of surgical knowledge that must be continually maintained. One of the attractions of having a practice in general surgery is that it provides the opportunity to diagnose and treat patients with a variety of conditions requiring surgical intervention. Reviewed here are six recent operative cases, their presentation, and management."}
{"id": "PMID:1490333", "title": "Topographical differences in cell area at the surface of the corneal epithelium of the pigmented rabbit.", "content": "Corneas from female pigmented rabbits were prepared for scanning electron microscopy at 15.00 h. The superior-temporal and inferior-nasal quadrants were evaluated at 500X at-stage magnification, normal to the corneal surface, at central, paracentral and peripheral sites. Non-parametric statistical analyses of the histograms of cell surface areas at each site from seven corneas revealed significant differences between the three sites but not between superior and inferior quadrants."}
{"id": "PMID:1490334", "title": "Functional characterization of insulin and IGF-I receptors in chicken lens epithelial and fiber cells.", "content": "Insulin and insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) play a role in lens cell growth and development. The binding of these hormones to their respective receptors with its concomitant signal transduction is an important step in these cellular processes. Hormone binding to adult chicken lens insulin and IGF-I receptors, partially purified from epithelial and fiber cells, was studied to examine this activity in lens. The associated stimulation of receptor-mediated tyrosine kinase by the hormones was also studied. At an insulin concentration of 0.02 nM, specific binding was similar for epithelial and fiber receptor preparations (Epi = 0.23 +/- 0.03 fmol, Fib = 0.19 +/- 0.02 fmol). Displacement studies revealed that there was also no difference between epithelial and fiber receptor preparations in the concentration of insulin necessary for half maximal displacement of specific [125I]-insulin binding (IC50: Epi = 0.32 nM +/- 0.07 nM, Fib = 0.31 nM +/- 0.05 nM). Comparison of IGF-I (0.02 nM) binding to receptor preparations from epithelial and fiber cells demonstrated that specific binding was similar in the two preparations (Epi = 0.50 +/- 0.05 fmol, Fib = 0.42 +/- 0.05 fmol). Also, there was no difference in the concentration of IGF-I necessary for half maximal displacement of specific [125I]-IGF-I binding (IC50 = Epi: 0.27 +/- 0.05 nM, Fib: 0.28 +/- 0.04 nM). The ability of IGF-I to displace bound [125I]-insulin was also examined. The IC50 for IGF-I binding to the insulin receptors isolated from epithelial and fiber cells was 37.4 +/- 2.4 nM, and 35.4 +/- 2.8 nM, respectively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1490335", "title": "Human recombinant bFGF stimulates corneal endothelial wound healing in rabbits.", "content": "We have previously shown that bovine, human placenta extracted and recombinant human basic Fibroblast Growth Factor (bFGF) are effective in enhancing corneal epithelial wound healing in vivo. In the present study, we investigated the effect of rh-bFGF on the regeneration of injured rabbit endothelium. A standardized wound was created by scraping of endothelial cells with a special device within the boundaries of a central epithelial trephine mark of 7 mm in diameter. A single dose of 1.5 micrograms rh-bFGF was injected into the anterior chamber immediately after wounding, while control eyes received the vehicle only (n = 27). Functional recovery and wound closure rates were assessed by means of ultrasonic pachymetry, corneal button wet weight, endothelial vital staining as well as direct computer assisted surface analysis of Janus green stained corneal buttons. Measurements were carried out 1, 2, 4, and 7 days after injury. Morphological evaluation and cell counts at D4 and D7 were also performed. Significant stimulation of endothelial regeneration in rh-bFGF treated eyes, was observed with all methodological approaches. These results demonstrate the effectiveness of rh-bFGF in enhancing experimental corneal endothelial wound healing and advocate for a possible clinical application of this growth factor in order to preserve endothelial cell function or to promote healing of this important monolayer in case of disease or injury."}
{"id": "PMID:1490336", "title": "Partial purification and characterization of arylamine N-acetyltransferase in bovine retina.", "content": "Arylamine N-acetyltransferase (NAT) activity was partially purified and characterized in bovine retina. Upon examining the retinal supernatant for multiple ionic species, only one NAT activity was detected. Based upon its substrate specificity, it is best described as an arylamine NAT. According to size-exclusion HPLC, the molecular mass of the arylamine NAT is approximately 30-kDa. This arylamine NAT acetylates p-aminobenzoic acid thereby demonstrating a monomorphic pattern of acetylation. The NAT activity demonstrated low sensitivity to methotrexate inhibition as indicated by a high IC50 value (480 microM)."}
{"id": "PMID:1490337", "title": "The rod sensitivity of dark adapted human infants.", "content": "The determinants of infants' low scotopic visual sensitivity are controversial. Some interpret infants' scotopic vision as indicative of immature rod photoreceptor function while others attribute infantile sensitivities mainly to post receptoral immaturities. To date the rod photoreceptor sensitivity of human infants has not actually been measured. In the work reported herein, electroretinographic a-wave responses, which represent the rod photoresponse, were recorded from dark adapted 10-week old infants and adult control subjects. Rod isolated a-waves indicate that 10-week-old infants' rods are less sensitive than adults'. Thus, any explanation of infants' scotopic visual sensitivity must take into account this fundamental property of infants' rods, low sensitivity."}
{"id": "PMID:1490338", "title": "Identification of alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone as a potential immunosuppressive factor in aqueous humor.", "content": "The aqueous humor of the eye contains factors that regulate immunological responses within the immunosuppressive ocular microenvironment. Besides TGF-beta, the proteins in the low molecular weight (< 3500 Da) fraction of normal aqueous humor are also immunosuppressive. The low molecular weight fraction of aqueous humor inhibits IFN-gamma production and proliferation of antigen-stimulated lymph node cells. Neuropeptides are one possible family of low molecular weight factors in aqueous humor. Through the utilization of an antigen capturing enzyme-assay, the immunosuppressive neuropeptide alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH) was detected in normal aqueous humor of humans, rabbits, and mice. The mean concentration of alpha-MSH in normal aqueous humor of humans was 20 +/- 3 pM, of rabbits 11 +/- 1 pM, of BALB/c mice 16 +/- 3 pM, and of C57BL/6 mice 14 +/- 3 pM. These physiological concentrations of alpha-MSH inhibited the production of IFN-gamma by antigen-stimulated lymph node cells. In contrast to the low molecular weight fraction, alpha-MSH did not inhibit proliferation. There was a 26% recovery of IFN-gamma production when alpha-MSH was absorbed from the low molecular weight fraction. The results demonstrate neuropeptides to be constitutive components of normal aqueous humor and that factors with the capability of differential regulation of effector T-cell activity may be present within the immunosuppressive ocular microenvironment."}
{"id": "PMID:1490339", "title": "Characterization and pathogenic potential of a soil isolate and an ocular isolate of Acanthamoeba castellanii in relation to Acanthamoeba keratitis.", "content": "Acanthamoeba castellanii, one isolate from the eye and one from the soil, were compared on the basis of: (a) pathogenic potential; (b) plasminogen activator activity; (c) chemotactic activity; (d) cytopathic effects; (e) collagenolytic activity; (f) binding ability to contact lenses; and (g) and binding ability to corneal buttons. The ocular isolate of A. castellanii was found to be pathogenic based on its ability to produce corneal infections in Chinese hamsters. By contrast, the soil isolate produced only mild lesions in a single Chinese hamster. Amoebae from the ocular isolate bound to corneal epithelium in greater numbers than the soil isolate counterparts. Moreover, ocular isolate organisms displayed plasminogen activator activity that was not detected in cultures from soil isolates of A. castellanii. Although neither the soil isolate nor the ocular isolate amoebae responded chemotactically to epithelial or stromal components, the ocular isolate displayed a curious and reproducible positive chemotactic response to endothelial extracts. Both A. castellanii isolates produced cytopathic effects on pig corneal epithelium, however the cytotoxicity from the ocular isolate was significantly greater than that of the soil isolate. The results indicate that the pathogenic potential of A. castellanii is correlated with the parasite's capacity to bind to corneal epithelium, respond chemotactically to corneal endothelial extracts, elaborate plasminogen activators, and produce cytopathic effects on corneal epithelium."}
{"id": "PMID:1490340", "title": "Confirmation of the role of pneumolysin in ocular infections with Streptococcus pneumoniae.", "content": "In earlier experiments on the role of the cytolytic toxin pneumolysin in ocular infections with pneumococcus, we found that a strain carrying a deletion in the gene encoding pneumolysin was considerably less virulent than wild type when tested in an intracorneal model of keratitis in the rabbit. To confirm this result, we have constructed a strain in which pneumolysin activity was restored by transformation of the deleted strain with a plasmid bearing the complete pneumolysin gene. Hemolytic titers of pneumolysin indicated that only one copy of the plasmid per bacterium expresses the pneumolysin gene in this strain. The virulence of this strain was compared with that of wild type and deleted strains transformed with the vector lacking the pneumolysin gene. Slit lamp examination (SLE) scores for eyes infected with the restored strain were similar to those for eyes infected with wild type and significantly greater than those for the pneumolysin-deleted strain. Molecular analysis of bacteria recovered from infected corneas showed that the vector plasmid was retained; however, in most isolates of the restored strain, the plasmid underwent an excision and lost the pneumolysin gene. The cloned gene apparently persisted long enough to induce the pathologic changes, and the results confirm the importance of pneumolysin as a virulence factor in ocular infections."}
{"id": "PMID:1490341", "title": "Mitochondrial dynamics in differentiating fiber cells of the mammalian lens.", "content": "The distribution of mitochondria was investigated in living rat and monkey lenses using rhodamine 123 staining and confocal microscopy. In both species, epithelial cells contained abundant small mitochondria scattered throughout the cell volume. Mid-sagittal slices of the living monkey lens revealed that, at the lens equator, mitochondria were only present in fiber cells to a depth of approximately 100 microns. Mitochondria were not present in fiber cells that had already reached the suture line or fibers abutting the central epithelium. Dual-staining with rhodamine 123 and the vital nuclear stain thiazole orange revealed that the loss of nuclei and mitochondria was coincident during fiber cell differentiation."}
{"id": "PMID:1490342", "title": "Report on the sequence of DQB1*0301 gene in ocular cicatricial pemphigoid patients.", "content": "Ocular cicatricial pemphigoid (OCP) is an autoimmune disease that affects the conjunctiva and other mucous membranes. Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II genes are important in autoimmunity because the antigen is presented to the T cell receptor in association with these molecules. A highly statistically significant association has been observed between patients with OCP and DQw7 (DQB1*0301) gene. DNA sequences of the second and third exons of the DQB1*0301 gene were determined in three OCP patients and compared with a control homozygous cell line for DQw7 from the Tenth International Histocompatibility Workshop. The sequences were identical in the patients studied and reference cell line. This data indicates that DQB1*0301 may only partly provide the enhanced susceptibility to get OCP and that another gene(s) in linkage disequilibrium with it and other factors may play an important role in the pathogenesis."}
{"id": "PMID:1490343", "title": "Protein analysis of monkey aqueous humor.", "content": "Aqueous humor from individual eyes of young monkeys (Macaca mulatta) was analyzed by gel exclusion chromatography, and one- and two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. The data indicated that in young normal monkey the main peak of protein eluting from gel exclusion columns was observed around 80,000 daltons. There was a small amount of heavy molecular weight material eluting from these columns with an apparent molecular size of greater than 500,000 daltons, but very little material smaller than 40,000 daltons. By one- and two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, the major polypeptide components in the monkey aqueous were similar to those reported for the human aqueous with polypeptides at around 170, 130, 110, 80, 67, 60, 42, 34, 28, 25, 22, 16, and 14 kilodaltons (kD). The monkey aqueous humor also contains the protease inhibitor cystatin."}
{"id": "PMID:1490348", "title": "Rearrangement and expression of immunoglobulin genes in transgenic mice.", "content": "Transgenic mice are discussed which carry a rearrangement test transgene. The methylation status of the transgene varies, depending on the background mouse strain. When the transgene is bred into the C57BL/6 strain, it is completely methylated and not rearranged in lymphoid organs. After several generations of crossing into DBA/2 or SJL the transgene becomes unmethylated and rearranges at high frequency. A strain specific modifier of DNA methylation (Ssm-1) was mapped close to the Friend virus susceptibility locus (Fv-1) on mouse chromosome 4. Rearranged transgenes from spleen, bone marrow and thymus of adult mice or fetal liver were cloned and sequenced. A great variety of joints was found, with about 1/3 being in the correct reading frame. Small deletions into the V- and J-coding ends as well as N region additions contributed to the variability. The fetal joints showed no N regions. Since no functional immunoglobulin (Ig) gene can be created from this artificial test gene, the data indicate that the rearrangement mechanism of the fetus differs from that of the adult."}
{"id": "PMID:1490354", "title": "Circulating peripheral blood plasma cells in multiple myeloma.", "content": "These studies indicate that monoclonal plasma cells can be detected in the peripheral blood of patients with active myeloma even when they are not detectable by routine WBC differentials performed on Wright-stained blood smears. These cells are usually not present in patients with MGUS and true SMM. They are detected in approximately 60% of patients with new, active MM and over 90% of patients with relapsed or refractory MM. If treatment is effective, they tend to decrease or disappear from the blood. When immunological, molecular, or cytogenetic studies are performed on peripheral blood cells from patients with MM, it must be realized that monoclonal plasma cells may be present and that they can influence the results of these tests. Although monoclonal plasma cells can circulate in the peripheral blood, it is not yet clear whether this cell represents the myeloma stem cell. It is possible that there are precursor cells that do not have plasma cell morphology in the blood or marrow that then differentiate into plasma cells. This question can only be answered by first depleting the plasma cells and then examining the remaining B-cells with appropriate immunological and molecular techniques."}
{"id": "PMID:1490358", "title": "Genes expressed selectively in plasmacytomas: markers of differentiation and transformation.", "content": "We have analyzed a murine plasmacytoma minus highly differentiated B lymphoma subtractive cDNA library and identified eight genes that are expressed in most plasmacytomas but at a much lower level, or not at all, in most B lymphomas. Four of the genes are markers of the terminal differentiation of B lymphocytes into plasma cells: placental alkaline phosphatase, also expressed in pre-B lymphomas xlr-3, a new X-linked member of the xlr multi-gene family EGP314, a pan-epithelial glycoprotein with sequence features of an adhesion molecule PC315, a gene that is up-regulated by IL6, but without obvious sequence homologies. Two of the genes are not clearly related to normal B cell differentiation, appearing to be associated with malignant transformation of plasma cells: PC326 is a new member of the beta-transducin mosaic protein gene family. It is an X-linked gene, expressed at a very low level in testis, but in no other normal tissue, including LPS- or IL6-induced plasma cells. It has a high level of expression (apparently dysregulated) in most (> 85%) mineral oil induced plasmacytomas. However the likelihood that PC326 is expressed decreases as the tumor latency decreases when different retroviral agents are used to accelerate mineral oil induced plasmacytomagenesis. This suggests that PC326 expression may be a late event in a multi-step process of tumorigenesis. PC251 a new member of the hematopoietic growth factor receptor family, most homologous to IL5R alpha.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1490362", "title": "An exceptional mouse plasmacytoma with a new kappa/N-myc [T(6; 12) (C1; B)] translocation expresses N-myc but not c-myc.", "content": "Mouse plasmacytomas (MPC) carry one of three reciprocal translocations that juxtapose c-myc to one of the three immunoglobulin (Ig) loci. Here we describe an exceptional MPC, induced by pristane oil and Abelson (A-MuLV) virus. It does not carry any of the three c-myc/Ig translocations, but contains a previously unknown reciprocal T(6;12) translocation affecting the bands known to carry the IgK (6C/1) and N-myc (12B) loci, respectively. Northern blot analysis showed high N-myc but no c-myc expression. This is consistent with the constitutive activation of N-myc by a juxtaposition of the IgK and N-myc loci. Reciprocal translocation in B-cell derived tumors are believed to involve the Ig loci by the action of some enzyme that participates in the physiological rearrangement of the Ig loci. Only transcriptionally active chromatin regions are accessible to such recombinases (Alt et al. 1987). N-myc is not expressed in B-cells, but it is transcriptionally active during the early pro- and pre-B cell stage, whereafter it and the surrounding chromatin region becomes inactive (Smith et al. 1992). It is therefore most likely that the N-myc/Kappa translocation has arisen at an early stage of B-cell differentiation. This would imply that the myc/Ig translocations do not block B-cell differentiation. They also reaffirm the functional equivalence of N- and c-myc in relation to B-cell carcinogenesis, as shown by our previous work on tumor induction in N-myc transgenic mice (Wang et al. 1992)."}
{"id": "PMID:1490378", "title": "Does HIV infection of B lymphocytes initiate AIDS lymphoma? Detection by PCR of viral sequences in lymphoma tissue.", "content": "Individuals infected with HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) frequently develop B cell non-Hodgkins lymphoma. Although previous studies have failed to document the presence of HIV sequences in these tumors, the recent demonstration of malignant transformation of primary B lymphocytes by HIV-1 has prompted us to reinvestigate this issue. We have examined DNA extracted from 7 lymphomas and 5 lymphadenopathy specimens for HIV LTR (long terminal repeat), gag, and tat sequences using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). All samples produced products of the expected size with primers for these regions, indicating the presence of HIV proviral sequences in these tissues. The amount of provirus in the tissue was estimated by normalizing the amount of HIV product to the amount of product for the cellular myc gene or beta globin gene. Products were quantitated during the exponential phase of DNA accumulation. These studies indicated that provirus was present at approximately one copy per cell in the 7 lymphoma samples and in 4 of the 5 lymphadenopathy samples. These results are consistent with a direct role for virus in the initiation of lymphoma. Studies to determine whether provirus resides in the lymphoma cells per se will be necessary to further substantiate this hypothesis."}
{"id": "PMID:1490382", "title": "Transcriptional activities of the Myc and Max proteins in mammalian cells.", "content": "The myc family of oncogenes exhibit deregulated expression in a host of neoplasias. Though the molecular function of the Myc protein in both normal and tumorigenic cells has remained uncertain, it has been postulated to play a role in gene transcription on the basis of amino acid homologies with known transcription factors such as MyoD (L\u00fcscher & Eisenman, 1990). We report here the direct testing of full-length Myc and its dimerization partner, Max, on the transcriptional activity of reporter genes bearing Myc/Max binding sites. Such reporter constructs display an endogenous level of activity in transient transfections which is dependent on the presence of the CACGTG sequence. Exogenous expression of myc results in modest activation of reporter gene transcription. Similar overexpression of max results in a repression of reporter gene activity, an effect which is reversed by co-expression with c-myc. Max repression is dependent on an intact DNA binding region, while Myc activation depends on both the N-terminal activation and the C-terminal dimerization domains. These results suggest a model in which Max homodimers can act as as repressors, and Myc-Max heterodimers as activators, of potential target genes."}
{"id": "PMID:1490390", "title": "Loss of p53 expression in Myc-induced B lineage tumors.", "content": "Tumors are formed following the accumulation of several genetic changes in genes which normally function to regulate cell growth. As yet it is unclear why multiple mutations are required, which type of alterations can collaborate with each other, and if collaboration is cell-type specific. In our myc transgenic mouse model system both point mutations and loss of mRNA expression for the p53 tumor suppressor gene have been found in the myc-induced B-lineage tumors arising spontaneously in these mice. This demonstrates the collaboration between these two growth control genes in cellular transformation. The observation that alterations in the expression of p53 is a common phenomenon in tumors formed in myc transgenic mice as well as a variety of different types of human tumors suggests that inactivation of the p53 growth control pathway may be required for transformation, and that alterations in p53 itself might be the most efficient way to achieve this inactivation. An analysis of the molecular mechanism for p53 alterations has implications for what kind of factors, both environmental and physiological, can influence tumor formation. The identification of collaboration groups has implications for the process of tumor formation, growth regulation, and will some day be important for the diagnosis of cancer, the prognosis of the individual and the design of specific therapeutic agents for treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1490391", "title": "The purification of B-cell precursors from mouse fetal liver.", "content": "Lymphocyte progenitor cells isolated on sequential days of gestation from mouse fetal liver represent distinct stages in B cell development. We have utilized polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based assays to detect immunoglobulin (Ig) gene rearrangement and flow cytometry to assay cell surface markers following fractionation based on the differential expression of the B cell-specific phosphatase CD45 (B220). The purification of B220+ cells from day 17 fetal liver resulted in a 10-fold enrichment of cells which had undergone gene rearrangement events. We have also shown that day 13 fetal liver cells activate successive Ig gene rearrangements during short-term culture in the presence of fetal calf serum (FCS), interleukin-3 (IL3), and interleukin-7 (IL7). However, partially purified lymphocyte precursors fail to activate Ig gene rearrangement in culture unless they are cultured in the presence of a stromal cell line."}
{"id": "PMID:1490395", "title": "Pediatric limb amputation: aspects of coping and psychotherapeutic intervention.", "content": "This paper addresses the assessment of and intervention with pediatric patients undergoing limb amputation. A multicomponent treatment package is advocated including the use of play and cognitive-behavioral strategies to enhance coping and adjustment to the loss of a limb."}
{"id": "PMID:1490396", "title": "Special education placements of language-disordered children in a psychiatric population.", "content": "Children evaluated by an interdisciplinary team that provided data on psychiatric disturbance, language handicaps, and psychoeducational assessment were placed in special education classes following the complete evaluation. Discriminant analysis as a special case of multiple regression analysis determined that mean reading achievement score, pre-evaluation classroom placement, and to a lesser degree, Performance IQ predicted classroom placement. Overall, correct classroom predictions approached 90 percent. These findings highlight the value of interdisciplinary evaluation to educators and mental health professionals."}
{"id": "PMID:1490397", "title": "Sexuality in traditional China: its relationship to child abuse.", "content": "The sexual and marital history of China for 3000 year is reviewed, indicating a general open humanistic attitude about sex, with little perversion, sado-masochism, or denigration of sexuality. Foot fetishism (particularly foot binding) has been extensive in the past, but less so since World War I. Respect for women and their sexual rights and importance has been related to the low rate of child abuse. Currently, restrictions on sexual freedom and psychological injury to children is increasing in the urban areas (20% of the population) with resultant increase in infanticide particularly of little girls."}
{"id": "PMID:1490398", "title": "Cluster analysis of child behavior checklists of 6 to 11-year-old males with varying degrees of behavior disorders.", "content": "Achenbach Child Behavior Checklist ratings were collected on boys aged 6 to 11 years screened as not having significant behavior problems, as clinic-referred boys, and as boys diagnosed as having Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder alone or together with Oppositional-Defiant Disorder or Conduct Disorder. Cluster analysis resulted in a classification system related to DSM-III-R classification of the boys and parent self-report of mildly antisocial acts. Clusters also enhanced the ability of the instrument to detect Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and disruptive behavior disorders."}
{"id": "PMID:1490399", "title": "Comorbidity for disruptive behavior disorders in psychiatrically hospitalized children.", "content": "A variety of instruments were used to compare six groups of inpatient children: pure attention deficit disorder with hyperactivity (ADDH), pure conduct disorder (CD), pure oppositional defiant disorder (OD), ADDH + CD, and ADDH + OD, and a clinical control group who had no DBD diagnosis. Children with ADDH and CD or OD exhibited a greater degree of psychopathology. Children with CD and OD were more similar than different, indicating that perhaps a continuum of pathology exists between these diagnostic classifications."}
{"id": "PMID:1490400", "title": "Behavior problems in sons and daughters of substance abusing parents.", "content": "Information to address the question of whether sex specific features exist in behavioral characteristics of children of substance abusing parents was gathered from the records of a large number of hospital treated youth. There was a trend for sons of substance abusing parents to have more conduct disorder diagnoses in association with severe aggressive/destructive behavior than sons of non substance abusing parents. Girls of substance abusing parents generally were more likely to have attention deficit/hyperactive, aggressive and conduct disorder problems than girls of non substance abusing parents."}
{"id": "PMID:1490409", "title": "[Preoperative risk assessment with the ASA classification. A prospective study of morbidity and mortality in various ASA classes in 2,937 patients in general surgery].", "content": "The value of ASA classification in assessment of perioperative risk, i.e. especially postoperative morbidity, was analyzed prospectively using the data of 2937 patients. The analysis took into account the criteria validity, reliability, and sensitivity. The incidence of post-operative morbidity after elective surgery rose from 3.9% in ASA class I to 36% in ASA class IV. Mortality was 0.6% in ASA class II, whereas 9.3% died in ASA class IV. Morbidity, mortality respectively, after emergency surgery was 10.2% in ASA class II compared to 69% in class IV, mortality 1.4% compared to 21.5%. Differences between the ASA classes were confirmed (p-value < 0.05) considering separate kinds of complications and different periods. Furthermore, ASA classification was a valuable reference to length of stay and severity of necessary therapy at the ICU."}
{"id": "PMID:1490410", "title": "[Differential surgical therapy in diffuse peritonitis].", "content": "96 patients were operated on for diffuse peritonitis from January 1986 to June 1990. They underwent a differentiated therapeutical concept according to the severity of the underlying peritonitis. Mild forms were handled with the standard approach, while mid-severe cases were treated by continuous postoperative peritoneal lavage. Patients with severe peritonitis were operated on by open abdomen management. Mortality was 32% (31/96) and with that obviously better than the statistically expected mortality, based on the Mannheim-Peritonitis-Score (49%). The same findings could be demonstrated in the therapeutic subgroups. The management of diffuse peritonitis using such a differentiated surgical concept seems to be an effective approach to reduce mortality rates."}
{"id": "PMID:1490411", "title": "[What is the cost of laparoscopic cholecystectomy?].", "content": "After laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) has replaced open cholecystectomy (OC) to a large extent as standard method in the operative treatment of cholecystolithiasis the question of costs and economics raises. To evaluate this question the data of 50 patients who underwent elective LC were analysed in a retrospective study and compared with the data of 50 patients who were cholecystectomized using the open technique. The median of in-hospital stay was 6 (3-15) days for LC and 10 (3-33) days for OC. The median of time of working-disability was 14 (2-35) days for LC and 21 (2-56) days for OC. Total cost (median) of 3788 (2637-8101) DM for LC compared to 4509 (2041-15218) DM for OC. The median of hospital income was 2790 (1395-6975) DM for the LC-group and 4650 (1395-15346) DM for the OC-group. Due to the shorter in-hospital stay of LC-patients this method causes a microeconomical loss for the hospital compared to OC. Macroeconomically LC represents a benefit because of shorter working-disability."}
{"id": "PMID:1490412", "title": "[Thoracoscopic middle lobe resection].", "content": "The authors report a case of middle lobectomy by a thoracoscopic procedure. A forty-year old patient had carcinoma of the middle lobe (6 cm diameter). The use of staplers and ligatures by this way allows the control of the different vessels and bronchus. The indications of that technique must be evaluated in the future."}
{"id": "PMID:1490413", "title": "[Argon gas embolism in laparoscopic cholecystectomy with the Argon Beam One coagulator].", "content": "The report is about argon embolism in a 37-year-old female patient during laparoscopic cholecystectomy and coagulation of a liver bed bleeding with the \"Argon Beam One\". The presented case report is to show that in spite of technical perfection and correct use of the Argon Beam One coagulator unfavorable anatomical conditions can cause life threatening gas embolism."}
{"id": "PMID:1490418", "title": "Intestinal absorption of aluminium.", "content": "The intestinal absorption of aluminium can contribute significantly to systemic exposure to this element. Aluminium can be absorbed not only from oral pharmaceuticals but also from solid food and drinking water. The absorption process is not restricted to patients with kidney disorders; other groups of patients and healthy subjects are not excluded. Details of the absorptive mechanism are mainly obtained from in vitro (everted gut sac) and animal studies (intestinal perfusion) rather than from controlled human studies and case reports. The process of absorption depends on the intraluminal speciation, the intraluminal quantity, the presence of competing (iron, calcium) or complexing (citrate) substances and the intraluminal pH. The condition of the exposed organism with respect to the gut also determines intestinal absorption (iron status, calcium [vitamin D, parathyroid hormone] status, age and kidney function). Various absorption sites and passage routes, both transcellular and paracellular, have been reported, each apparently related to a different aluminium species (hydrated ionic species, aluminium citrate complex etc.). No uniform mechanistic model allowing extrapolation to the clinical situation has yet emerged."}
{"id": "PMID:1490419", "title": "Aluminium intoxication in renal disease.", "content": "Aluminium intoxication in renal failure occurred over weeks or months when dialysis fluid or parenteral solutions were heavily contaminated and over many years when the main source was oral administration of aluminium-containing phosphate binders. Encephalopathy was common during subacute intoxication but in slow aluminium poisoning the main brunt was borne by the bones. However, in both tempos of intoxication several organs or systems were involved. Encephalopathy was usually accompanied by bone disease, bone disease by parathyroid suppression and both by anaemia. The heart and the lymphocytes are probably damaged by aluminium overload. Among the many questions left unanswered 15 years after the incrimination of aluminium as the cause of this multi-system illness are: (1) does low level aluminium overload in renal failure cause gradual deterioration in cerebral function? And, if so, (2) does it resemble Alzheimer's disease or a slow-onset version of dialysis encephalopathy? The evidence we review suggests that the answer to (1) is 'yes' and to (2) 'probably the latter'."}
{"id": "PMID:1490420", "title": "Aluminium and Alzheimer's disease.", "content": "The hypothesis that aluminium (Al) is a cause of (or a risk factor in) the development of beta-amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles (NFT) and dementia in Alzheimer's disease (AD) is based on studies by Wisniewski et al, Klatzo et al and Terry & Pe\u00f1a in 1965 that showed that injection of experimental animals with Al compounds induces the formation of NFT. Other publications revealed that Al affects cognitive functions in experimental animals and humans undergoing dialysis for renal failure. Electron probe and laser microprobe mass analysis (LAMMA) studies have demonstrated the presence of Al in NFT and cores of amyloid stars and nuclei of neurons in AD patients. Other studies have indicated the association between amyotrophic lateral sclerosis/Guam parkinsonism-dementia complex and Al in the environment. A recent report suggests that the chelating agent desferrioxamine slows the rate of cognitive decline in AD patients. Extensive studies of the pathology of AD and Al-induced encephalopathy by our group and others indicate that Al does not cause Alzheimer's disease neuropathology. However, under certain conditions, cognition can be affected when Al enters the brain. Therefore, for individuals with renal failure or undergoing dialysis or individuals with a damaged blood-brain barrier, the intake of Al should be controlled."}
{"id": "PMID:1490421", "title": "Aluminium accumulation, beta-amyloid deposition and neurofibrillary changes in the central nervous system.", "content": "Deposition of beta-amyloid and the formation of neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) are central to the aetiopathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The possible effects of aluminium on these processes have been investigated in patients with renal failure who are exposed chronically to high blood levels of aluminium. Focal accumulation of aluminium was observed in neurons with high densities of transferrin receptors, indicating transferrin-mediated uptake, in regions such as cortex and hippocampus which are selectively vulnerable in AD. Increased staining for the beta-amyloid precursor protein (APP) in cortical pyramidal neurons was evident in the majority of renal patients and immature senile plaques were present in 30% of cases, suggesting that aluminium may induce or accelerate beta-amyloid deposition. The absence of neurofibrillary changes in this group of renal patients indicates that aluminium does not directly cause the formation of NFTs. The brain aluminium content was not raised in neuropathologically assessed cases of AD and we have been unable to confirm claims of defective transferrin binding in this disorder. If aluminium contributes to the development of sporadic AD, it must do so indirectly, perhaps via effects on the synthesis or metabolism of APP, or by contributing generally to the age-related attrition of neurons and thus reducing the threshold for deficits produced by more specific disease-related processes."}
{"id": "PMID:1490423", "title": "Elemental analysis of neurofibrillary tangles in Alzheimer's disease using proton-induced X-ray analysis.", "content": "We have investigated the elemental content of hippocampal slices from normal human brain and from brains of Alzheimer's disease patients by X-ray fluorescence using both electron and proton beam microprobes. The sections have been stained with a dye--toluidine blue--which contains sulphur so that the X-ray fluorescence map can be correlated with known intracellular sites as seen under the light microscope. The results show that associated with neurofibrillary tangles and Hirano bodies (the distinctive internal visual features of cells from Alzheimer's disease patients) there is increased calcium. We cannot confirm that there are peculiarities in the distribution of aluminium in cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1490422", "title": "Aluminium(III) in experimental cell pathology.", "content": "Controversy over the relevance of aluminium to certain human encephalopathies has emphasized the importance of in vivo and in vitro models as tools for shedding light on the biological and molecular aspects of the aluminium toxicity. The search for an experimental model in animals or in cultured cells able to reproduce specific pathological human conditions may prove to be an unattainable aim; nevertheless, in vivo and in vitro models should be actively sought and the pathological changes induced in experimental animals should always be evaluated at the cellular level, just as for changes produced directly in cultured cells. These toxicological aspects are outlined with particular emphasis on the role played by the molecular form of aluminium (metal speciation) in determining the quality and intensity of the metal's biological effects."}
{"id": "PMID:1490424", "title": "Aluminium and the neurofibrillary tangle: results of tissue microprobe studies.", "content": "Despite the contradictory results of studies attempting to compare the bulk brain tissue aluminium content of specimens from Alzheimer's disease patients and controls, microprobe studies from our laboratory have consistently documented evidence of selective accumulation of the element within the neurofibrillary tangle-bearing cells associated with this condition. Laser microprobe mass analysis (a highly sensitive and precise technique for trace elemental microprobe analysis) has now demonstrated that the most prominent aluminium accumulations occur within the neurofibrillary tangle itself. Similar findings have been obtained from microprobe studies of the neurofibrillary tangles which are a characteristic feature of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis/parkinsonism-dementia complex of Guam. Although the intraneuronal localization of aluminium in the Guam-derived specimens is similar to that of Alzheimer's disease, the concentration of aluminium is considerably higher than is encountered in Alzheimer's disease specimens. We conclude that aluminium is an integral component of the neurofibrillary tangle and raise the possibility that the cross-linking properties of this highly reactive metal may stabilize the constituent cytoskeletal proteins which make up this pathological structure."}
{"id": "PMID:1490425", "title": "Dietary and other sources of aluminium intake.", "content": "Aluminium in the food supply comes from natural sources including water, food additives, and contamination by aluminium utensils and containers. Most unprocessed foods, except for certain herbs and tea leaves, contain low (< 5 micrograms Al/g) levels of aluminium. Thus most adults consume 1-10 mg aluminium daily from natural sources. Cooking in aluminium containers often results in statistically significant, but not practically important, increases in the aluminium content of foods. Intake of aluminium from food additives varies greatly (0 to 95 mg Al daily) among residents in North America, with the median intake for adults being about 24 mg daily. Generally, the intake of aluminium from foods is less than 1% of that consumed by individuals using aluminium-containing pharmaceuticals. Currently the real scientific question is not the amount of aluminium in foods but the availability of the aluminium in foods and the sensitivity of some population groups to aluminium. Several dietary factors, including citrate, may affect the absorption of aluminium. Aluminium contamination of soy-based formulae when fed to premature infants with impaired kidney function and aluminium contamination of components of parenteral solutions (i.e. albumin, calcium and phosphorus salts) are of concern."}
{"id": "PMID:1490426", "title": "Molecular characterization and measurement of Alzheimer's disease pathology: implications for genetic and environmental aetiology.", "content": "The neuropathological changes seen in Alzheimer's disease represent an interaction between the ageing process in which normal intellectual function is retained, and changes which are specifically associated with severe cognitive deterioration. Molecular analysis of these changes has tended to emphasize the distinction between neurofibrillary pathology, which is intracellular and highly correlated with cognitive deterioration, and the changes associated with the deposition of extracellular amyloid, which appears to be widespread in normal ageing. Extracellular amyloid deposits consist of fibrils composed of a short 42 amino acid peptide (beta/A4) derived by abnormal proteolysis from a much larger precursor molecule (APP). The recent demonstration of a mutation associated with APP in rare cases with familial dementia, neurofibrillary pathology in the hippocampus and atypical cortical Lewy body pathology raises the possibility that abnormal processing of APP could be linked directly with neurofibrillary pathology. Neurofibrillary tangles and neuritic plaques are sites of dense accumulation of pathological paired helical filaments (PHFs) which are composed in part of an antigenically modified form of the microtubule-associated protein tau. The average brain tissue content of PHFs measured biochemically does not increase in the course of normal ageing but increases 10-fold relative to age-matched controls in patients with Alzheimer's disease. There is also a substantial (three-fold) disease-related decline in normal soluble tau protein relative to age-matched controls. This intracellular redistribution of a protein essential for microtubule stability in cortico-cortical association circuits may play an important part in the molecular pathogenesis of dementia in Alzheimer's disease. The role of abnormal proteolysis of APP in this process remains to be elucidated. Immunohistochemical studies on renal dialysis cases have failed to detect evidence of neurofibrillary pathology related to aluminium accumulation in brain tissue. Nevertheless it needs to be seen whether more sensitive biochemical assays of neurofibrillary pathology can demonstrate evidence of an association with aluminium."}
{"id": "PMID:1490427", "title": "Aluminium speciation in biology.", "content": "Before we can understand the role of Al3+ in living organisms we need to learn how it interacts with molecules found in biological systems. The only aluminium oxidation state in biology is 3+. In aqueous solutions there are only two main Al(III) species: the hexahydrate Al3+ at pH < 5.5 and the tetrahedral aluminate at pH > 6.2. In the blood plasma, citrate is the main small molecule carrier and transferrin the main protein carrier of Al3+. In fluids where the concentrations of these two ligands are low, nucleoside di- and triphosphates become Al3+ binders. Under these conditions Al3+ easily displaces Mg2+ from nucleotides. When all three classes of ligands are at low concentrations, catecholamines become likely Al3+ binders. Double-helical DNA binds Al3+ weakly and under no conditions should it compete with other ligands. Al(III) in the cell nucleus probably binds to nucleotides or phosphorylated proteins. Al3+ undergoes ligand exchange much more slowly than most metal ions: 10(5) times slower than Mg2+."}
{"id": "PMID:1490428", "title": "The interrelationship between silicon and aluminium in the biological effects of aluminium.", "content": "It is well established that aluminium is toxic at the cellular level and that pathological symptoms follow its entry into organisms (plants, fish, humans) when the normal exclusion mechanisms fail or are bypassed, as for example in renal dialysis. The present debate concerns the availability of environmental aluminium and the possible impact of its slow and insidious absorption and accumulation in vulnerable individuals. Silicon is considered as essential element but the mechanisms underlying its essentiality remain unknown and binding of the element (through oxygen) with biomolecules has not been demonstrated. There is, however, a unique affinity between aluminium and silicon, not only in solid state chemistry ([AlO4]5- and [SiO4]4- are isostructural), but also in aqueous solution chemistry as illustrated by the synthesis of zeolite from aluminate and silicate anions at high pH and under hydrothermal conditions. This affinity exists also in very dilute solution (< 10(-5) M) at near-neutral pH when hydroxyalumino-silicate species form. These species mediate the bioavailability and cellular toxicity of aluminium. The observed effects of silicon deficiency can be attributed to consequential aluminium availability. There are important implications for the epidemiology and biochemistry of aluminium-induced disorders and any consideration of one element must include the other."}
{"id": "PMID:1490429", "title": "The epidemiology of Alzheimer's disease in relation to aluminium.", "content": "The combination of an ageing population, an exponential increase in the incidence of dementing illness with age, and the high demands that demented patients place on health care resources makes Alzheimer's disease a major public health issue. So far, epidemiologists have made better progress in quantifying the frequency of the disease than in identifying strong risk factors, but evidence is accumulating to implicate environmental exposure to aluminium in the aetiology. The finding of a geographical correlation between death rates from dementia and water aluminium concentrations in Norway has since been replicated in several other surveys. Although ecological studies of this type should be interpreted cautiously, the association between Alzheimer's disease and aluminium in drinking water may prove to be an example of a potentially important biological effect of aluminium."}
{"id": "PMID:1490430", "title": "Aluminium and the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease: a summary of evidence.", "content": "Known risk factors for Alzheimer's disease (AD) are few and insufficient knowledge is available to recommend steps to reduce AD in our ageing populations. Although not 'the cause', considerable evidence implicates human ingestion of aluminium as a possible risk factor for the expression of dementia of the Alzheimer type. A recent epidemiological study in Ontario relating the incidence of AD to aluminium in drinking water strongly supports this conclusion. To test further the hypothesis that aluminium may play a role in the pathogenesis of AD we conducted a clinical trial employing the trivalent metal ion binding compound, desferrioxamine. The design was a two-year randomized trial with behavioural assessments blinded to study assignment. Sixty-three patients with probable AD were selected who were living at home and were under 74 years. Forty-eight signed an informed consent and completed all initial testing. The main outcome measure was a video-recorded home-behavioural assessment of measures of skills of daily living. The principal outcome was that the mean slope for performance of the skills of daily living for the group without treatment was -1.72% maximum score/month, compared to -0.87% maximum score/month for the group treated with desferrioxamine (P = 0.038). Considerable evidence supports the hypothesis that aluminium has an active role in the pathogenesis of AD."}
{"id": "PMID:1490431", "title": "Prevention of some types of inflammatory damage using AA 231-1, a fluorinated beta-lactam.", "content": "The leukocyte elastase inhibitory activity of AA 231-1, a suicide substrate, was investigated in the presence of elastin, a natural substrate of elastase, and its efficiency to reduce the degradation of basement membrane and haemorrhage induced by elastase was analysed. Elastin only moderately decreased the inhibitory efficiency of AA 231-1. The digestion by human leukocyte elastase (HLE) of glomerular basement membrane prepared from pig kidney was prevented in the presence of AA 231-1. Intradermal microvascular haemorrhage was also significantly inhibited by AA 231-1. These results suggest that AA 231-1 may be a valuable candidate as an anti-inflammatory agent."}
{"id": "PMID:1490432", "title": "Deficits in cholinergic neurotransmission markers induced by ethylcholine mustard aziridinium (AF64A) in the rat hippocampus: sensitivity to treatment with the monoamine oxidase-B inhibitor L-deprenyl.", "content": "Assessment was made of the effects of intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) administration of ethylcholine mustard aziridinium (AF64A) and of the monoamine oxidase (MAO)-B inhibitor L-deprenyl on the acetylcholine (ACh) biosynthetic enzyme choline acetyltransferase (ChAT), on the ACh catabolic enzyme acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and on the density of ACh muscarinic M-1 and M-2 receptor sites. In addition, the effect of AF64A and of L-deprenyl treatment on the localization of AChE activity in the CA-1 and CA-3 fields of the hippocampus was evaluated by combined enzyme histochemistry and microdensitometry techniques. I.c.v. injection of AF64A induced, 4 weeks after administration of the neurotoxin, a remarkable increase of MAO-B activity, and a significant reduction of ChAT and AChE activities in the hippocampus but not in the neostriatum which was used as a reference tissue. Hippocampal muscarinic M-1 receptors were unaffected by AF64A administration, whereas M-2 sites were reduced after neurotoxin injection. Enzyme histochemistry analysis showed that the loss of AChE induced by AF64A was more pronounced in the CA-3 than in the CA-1 field of the hippocampus. Treatment with L-deprenyl induced, from a dose of 11.17 microM/kg/day, a significant reduction of MAO-B activity in the hippocampus. The expression of ChAT and AChE, as well as the density of M-2 receptors, was increased after L-deprenyl administration in the hippocampus but not in the neostriatum. An increase in AChE reactivity was noticeable in the CA-1 and CA-3 fields of the hippocampus of AF64A-injected rats treated with L-deprenyl.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1490433", "title": "Recent findings on the regulatory functions of CoA and the normalizing activity on plasma lipids of exogenous CoA.", "content": "In recent years many studies have shown that coenzyme A (CoA) is not only an acyl carrier coenzyme but it also has an important role in the regulation of metabolic functions and cell activities such as transport from the Golgi cisternae. This regulatory role is carried out by CoA, its precursor, catabolites and acylated derivatives. The acylation (myristylation and palmitylation) process of peptides and proteins dependent on CoA seems to be an important regulatory mechanism of cell activities. Furthermore exogenous CoA has been shown to decrease the triacylglycerols, cholesterol and Apo B of plasma lipoproteins in man. This regulatory mechanism acts either on VLDL synthesis and secretion or on their plasma clearance. CoA also protects cell-membrane and plasma lipoproteins against the peroxidative action of oxygen free-radicals."}
{"id": "PMID:1490434", "title": "Sulodexide oral administration influences blood viscosity and fibrinolysis.", "content": "The aim of this study was to verify the effects of oral administration of a new enteric-coated formulation of sulodexide on blood viscosity and fibrinolysis. Six outpatients suffering from peripheral artery occlusive disease were administered orally two enteric-coated tablets containing 50 mg of sulodexide, twice daily for seven days. On the first and seventh administration days, the following parameters were evaluated: plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI-1) activity, PAI-1 antigen, tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) and whole blood, serum and plasma viscosity, before (0 time) and 2, 4 and 8 hours after ingestion of the drug. Following the first administration (50 mg), a slight reduction of PAI was registered; after 7 days' administration, a clear-cut lowering of functional and antigenic PAI was observed, together with an increase of t-PA. As to the drug's influence on blood viscosity, after 7 days the most evident reduction was that registered for plasma viscosity. No side effects were observed throughout the treatment period."}
{"id": "PMID:1490435", "title": "Aztreonam compared to chloramphenicol in the treatment of enteric fevers.", "content": "Fifty-seven patients, twenty-six males and thirty-one females, aged 6 to 50 years (mean 12.6 years) with proven Salmonella typhi or S. paratyphi A septicaemia, were treated in an open randomized parallel study with either aztreonam or chloramphenicol. Aztreonam was given intramuscularly at a level of 50 to 80 mg/kg body weight per dose every 8 h for 7 days to thirty patients. Chloramphenicol was given orally in a dose of 50 to 70 mg/kg body weight every 6 h for 12 days to twenty-seven patients. All patients responded rapidly to treatment, becoming afebrile and asymptomatic within 5.5 to 6.4 days. Only one patient on aztreonam relapsed following treatment, whereas three patients relapsed after chloramphenicol treatment. There were no serious side effects with either drug."}
{"id": "PMID:1490436", "title": "Clinical evaluation of a new NSAID applied topically (BPAA gel) vs. diclofenac emulgel in elderly osteoarthritic patients.", "content": "This study reports therapeutic results obtained with a group of elderly subjects suffering from osteoarthritis undergoing therapy with a new topically applied NSAID (BPAA gel). Excellent results, ease of use and absence of side effects are the essential characteristics of the anti-inflammatory drug in this preparation. Results were compared to those obtained in a homogeneous sample treated with diclofenac emulgel. No statistically significant differences were observed in therapeutic effectiveness."}
{"id": "PMID:1490437", "title": "How fast should the night shift rotate?", "content": "Claims are frequently made that changing from morning to afternoon to night shift at about two- to three-day intervals (rapid rotation) is the best way of organizing 24h staffing. A critical analysis is made of the grounds for these assertion, followed by a review of evidence bearing upon the issue of whether longer periods of rotation are to be preferred. The conclusion is that permanent (zero rotation), fixed-night systems are superior on most counts, and should be implemented for night work, leaving the option of rapid rotation to cover the two (morning and afternoon) day shifts. This said, the multiplicity of shift systems and settings means that this will not always be the method of choice. Furthermore the recommendation should be regarded as provisional pending a search for more data directly comparing the two systems."}
{"id": "PMID:1490438", "title": "How fast should the night shift rotate? A rejoinder.", "content": "The argument for greater use of permanent night shift does not match the three times greater use of rotating three-shift systems in Britain. Studies of industrial production show very slight differences between output on different shifts, unlike laboratory studies, suggesting that it is almost impossible to reproduce the practice, motivation, and real consequences of work in laboratory settings. People who prefer permanent night shift often prefer to avoid management, and few managements welcome this; or have important tasks to perform at home in the day-time. Some studies of adaptation have defined inversion of temperature curves poorly, and most night-workers never completely adapt. Social flexibility, which has been the main attraction of rapidly rotating shifts, can be reproduced on permanent night shifts, but then loses the possibility of adaptation."}
{"id": "PMID:1490439", "title": "Is there a 'best compromise' shift system?", "content": "In his review Wilkinson considers the question 'How fast should the night shift rotate? He concludes quite strongly that with the possible exception of social factors, most of the evidence favours the use of prolonged or permanent night shifts. In this reply I argue that in reaching this conclusion Wilkinson has (i) overestimated the problems associated with rapidly-rotating shift systems; and (ii) underestimated the problems that might be encountered in trying to implement effective permanent night shift systems. The evidence on the various problems reviewed by Wilkinson is reconsidered. Other aspects of shift systems that were ignored by Wilkinson are then also taken into account. It is concluded that the evidence does not allow a general choice to be made between the use of either permanent night shifts or rapidly rotating, delaying, shift system. Rather the choice between them would appear to depend on the relative importance attached to safety and social problems in any given workplace."}
{"id": "PMID:1490440", "title": "Ranges of dynamic motion of the wrist in healthy young and middle-aged men.", "content": "The difference in the range of dynamic motion of the wrist between young and middle-aged men was studied. To analyse wrist function easily, a new quantitative evaluation technique for wrist circumduction using a biaxial flexible electrogoniometer was introduced. A phase plane was made from two-channel signals of the electrogoniometer, and the 'ROM (range of motion) Index' for wrist circumduction was defined. Twelve healthy young men (age 19-31 years) and twelve healthy middle-aged men (age 45-63 years) were studied. Under forearm fixed conditions, there was no difference of the ROM Index between the two age groups. A significant decrease of the ROM Index in the middle-aged group was found in the non-dominant wrists without forearm fixation. The four quadrantal analysis of wrist circumduction clarified that this difference appeared especially in the radiodorsal direction. These results suggest that in the middle-aged men, the motor function involving the radiocarpal and midcarpal joints does not decrease, but that for the proximal and distal radioulnar joints in the non-dominant side drops."}
{"id": "PMID:1490443", "title": "Postsurgical follow-up by MRI of anterior cervical discectomy without fusion.", "content": "Postoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings are described in selected patients with cervical radiculopathy and a cervical soft disc herniation, treated by anterior cervical discectomy (ACD) without fusion. Six months postoperatively, 45 patients underwent MRI examination using a 0.5 T superconductive unit. T1- and T2-weighted spin echo sequences were acquired on sagittal and axial planes. A low signal intensity on T2-weighted images was visualized at the ACD level in all patients. Five patients were found to have a slight kyphosis at the discectomy level. There was no residual disc material at any ACD level. In 5 patients, areas of diminished signal intensity on T1- and T2-weighted images on adjacent vertebrae was noticed, indicating sclerosis of the cortical bone adjacent to the ACD level. In 3 patients, cervical disc protrusions without impression on the dura were visualized postoperatively: 2 below and 1 above the ACD level. One patient developed a cervical disc herniation without complaints one level above the operated one. No patient developed infolding or degenerative swelling of the ligamenta flava and no intrinsic cord abnormalities were present. MRI provided useful information on pathology, allowing a non-invasive evaluation following ACD and enabling a better understanding of surgical consequences."}
{"id": "PMID:1490446", "title": "Bone scans in patients with osteoarthritis of the hip for the evaluation of bipolar hip arthroplasty: quantitative analysis using SPECT.", "content": "To establish the time-course of bone scans after bipolar hip arthroplasty (BHA) bone scanning was performed before and after surgery in 22 hips. The influence of migration of the outer head into the acetabulum on the time-course of bone scans was examined by analyzing the relationship between the uptake of radioisotope and the magnitude of migration. The bone scans were quantitatively analyzed by single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) on the basis of the ratio of radioactivity at the acetabulum to that in the anterior superior iliac spine (ASIS). The increased radionuclide activity decreased exponentially to a baseline with time after surgery. The postoperative uptake ratio could be expressed as a function of the preoperative uptake ratio and the postoperative length of time. The regression slope representing the decreasing rate of uptake showed no significant differences between two groups divided by the magnitude of migration of the outer head. Migration of the outer head was considered not to influence the time-course of the bone scans."}
{"id": "PMID:1490447", "title": "Use of percutaneous nephrostomy in hydronephrosis of pregnancy.", "content": "Traditional methods of urinary diversion in pregnancy include retrograde passage of ureteral catheter or stents and operative nephrostomy. These techniques are, however, associated with the use of anesthesia, are technically difficult to perform, and may induce labor. We report the use of percutaneous nephrostomy in four pregnant patients, two with obstruction due to ureteral calculi and two with infected hydronephrosis. The procedure provided rapid relief from pain and pyosepsis, and allowed uneventful continuation of the pregnancy to full-term, with preservation of renal function."}
{"id": "PMID:1490448", "title": "Spiral versus conventional CT in soft tissue diagnosis.", "content": "Spiral volumetric computed tomography (SVCT) has been predicted to improve vascular and organ enhancement with little effect on image quality. To see if this was the case, we studied 100 patients referred for computed tomography where we would normally have performed dynamic incremental computed tomography (DICT). Patients were randomly allocated to undergo either standard DICT or SVCT. The resulting images were analysed for overall quality, the degree of contrast medium enhancement and the extent of artefacts associated with the technique. No statistically significant difference in overall image quality between SVCT and DICT was found, apart from images of the hepatic parenchyma where the quality was significantly worse on SVCT (P < 0.05) due to the low mA permissible. Contrast enhancement was better with SVCT, although only for the thorax (P < 0.01) and the group taken as a whole (P < 0.01) did this improvement reach statistical significance. There was no statistically significant difference between the extent of artefacts observed in the two techniques. As expected, all acquisition times were shorter using SVCT. The benefits of SVCT have been well described and include the absolute contiguity of the reconstructed images and the ability to obtain many images at peak contrast enhancement. We have confirmed the latter effect. We are now also satisfied that there is no appreciable loss of overall image quality except where large volumes of solid tissue are being examined (e.g. liver)."}
{"id": "PMID:1490449", "title": "Imaging techniques in myotonic dystrophy. A comparative study of ultrasound, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging of skeletal muscles.", "content": "Limb and trunk muscles of 57 patients with the juvenile or adult form of myotonic dystrophy were studied by imaging techniques (ultrasound, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging). Typical findings were atrophy of the tibialis anterior and triceps brachii muscles and fatty degeneration of the vastus intermedius, sartorius, tibialis anterior and soleus muscles as well as of medial head of the gastrocnemius muscle. Magnetic resonance imaging was the most sensitive technique in depicting mesenchymal muscle alterations, followed by computed tomography and ultrasound. The data support that imaging is more sensitive in detecting the myopathy than measurement of the creatine kinase activity."}
{"id": "PMID:1490451", "title": "Digital subtraction sialography: technique, advantages and results in 107 cases.", "content": "Sialographic examinations with the digital subtraction technique were performed in 107 salivary glands (90 parotid and 17 submandibular) of 99 patients. Diagnostic and technical advantages of the digital imaging and subtraction for sialography were investigated. Superior quality enabled detailed imaging of the entire ductal system. Reduced radiation exposure, short examination time and almost painless examinations with good patient tolerance proved to be the major advantages of digital subtraction sialography as a diagnostic tool."}
{"id": "PMID:1490452", "title": "Aberrations in X-ray output waveforms of radiological generators.", "content": "The waveform produced by variations in the output of radiological X-ray tubes during exposure was recorded by a solid state detector and oscilloscope in 14 different systems. Aberrations from the expected rectangular shape were observed in 11 of them, of which, 8 had faults due to bad service or improper installation. In some cases these faults affected the kVp rectification. This resulted in beam quality variations during the exposure which may have caused an increase in the patient dose. The ripple on the output waveform was also measured and proved to depend on the kVp."}
{"id": "PMID:1490453", "title": "Safety and tolerability of iodixanol in healthy volunteers with reference to two monomeric X-ray contrast media.", "content": "The low osmolar, non-ionic X-ray contrast media have shown a lower frequency of adverse events than the older ionic ones. In this study changes in routine clinical-chemical parameters in blood and urine, vital signs and adverse events were recorded in six groups of 10 healthy male volunteers receiving either iodixanol, a new non-ionic, dimeric X-ray contrast medium for general vascular use, or one of the two non-ionic, monomeric contrast media iopentol and iopamidol. Minor decreases were observed in the values for haemoglobin, haematocrit and erythrocytes 5 min and 3 days after injection of iodixanol. A minor increase was seen in platelets and total protein after 3 days. A transient increase in serum osmolality was seen 5 min after the injections of iopentol and iopamidol. This was not seen in any iodixanol group. The level of thyrotropin showed an increase in all groups at 3 days. It was back to normal within 21 days. No changes of clinical importance were seen regarding blood pressure, heart rate or ECG in any volunteer. No severe adverse events were reported. All events were of short duration, and of mild or moderate intensity. The results, however, may indicate a lower frequency of adverse events/discomfort after the administration of the dimeric iodixanol than the 2 monomeric contrast media iopentol and iopamidol."}
{"id": "PMID:1490454", "title": "Productivity of radiologists in the United States by imaging technique: a 16-year analysis based upon relative value units.", "content": "Professional Relative Value Units (RVUs) quantifying productivity of radiologists in the United States were used to study trends from 1973 to 1989 in the distribution of productivity among the various imaging techniques. Data from a 1989 survey were used to estimate the distribution of radiology examinations among techniques for 1989. A difficulty index (RVUs per examination) was calculated for each technique weighted by actual CPT-code occurrences reported in that survey. An RVU workload was estimated for each technique by multiplying the occurrences of the technique by its corresponding difficulty index. This analysis was applied first to the 1989 data, and second, retrospectively, to data from the literature that gave the distribution by technique of estimated national procedures for 1973 and 1980. The number of studies and RVUs in all techniques has increased from 1973 to 1989 with a relatively greater increase in the percentage of mammography and of sectional imaging examinations. Differences in difficulty index between the techniques leverage the changes in occurrence, causing a dramatic increase in the percentage of RVU workload represented by sectional imaging. The percentage of procedures and RVUs represented by vascular/interventional has remained relatively constant. The overall difficulty index has risen by 18% from 1973 to 1989. These trends should influence the allocation of space, equipment, and human resources in radiology department planning and management."}
{"id": "PMID:1490457", "title": "How to improve the quality of patient care and still save money in the radiology department.", "content": "1, A pediatric radiology department at an institution such as Minneapolis Children's Medical Center is a true microcosm of the gigantic radiology department of a general hospital. Our positive experiences with IMACS discussed above should be even more profound and profitable for the larger medical institutions. 2, IMACS did improve service and communications among radiologists, referring clinicians and the hospital staff. Both the old and new images needed for review and comparison are presently available for the clinicians on the nursing stations as soon as the current studies have been completed. 3, IMACS allowed us to reduce the number of films lost, misplaced or misfiled and reduced the interpretation delays by keeping all the films in the radiology department. This has resulted in improvement in the overall productivity of the radiology staff and the referring clinicians. 4, The cost of IMACS was paid for through additional revenue capture, increased productivity and a decrease in the expenses in the radiology department in less than one year. These benefits should continue for several more years without the need for any additional expenses. 5, Despite these initial successes, there are several issues which must be addressed before total computerization of the radiology services and a \"filmless\" radiology department can be created. A. The speed of an available workstation is totally inadequate for the day to day clinical use.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1490458", "title": "Policy development for CT and MRI services in Manitoba.", "content": "Economic forces are changing Canadian medicine. There are four hospitals in Manitoba with CT services and eight were planning to add services based on public subscription, internal transfer of resources and expected growth. The Ministry of Health requested an in depth report and review. Analysis of clinical activity for 287 disease categories from 13,996,240 physician claims and 149,480 hospital discharges reveal that 33,552 CT examinations are reasonable for 1.1 million people. The cost of operating each scanner is one million dollars per year. A formal review process of the report by the 12 hospitals and 7 selected experts was conducted. An advisory committee of all interested parties recommended that no further resources be allocated without proven clinical need and that a strong management committee be reactivated. MRI growth for nervous disease is expected to replace much CT activity in the next five years."}
{"id": "PMID:1490459", "title": "A survey on critical qualities and information sources on products purchased to the radiology department.", "content": "A survey on critical product qualities and sources of information on contrast media, CT and ultrasound machines, X-ray laboratories, angiography catheters and film was completed by 79% of the heads of radiology departments at Swedish hospitals. The respondents were asked to rank in order of preference as important information sources; own experience, opinions of colleagues, influence by sales representatives at the hospital or outside, fairs, congresses and scientific articles. The qualities of contrast media to rank were; low frequency of serious side-effects, low frequency of patient discomfort, easiness to handle, package size and price. For the other products technical performance, terms of delivery, terms of maintenance and price were ranked. Most important for contrast media was low frequency of serious side-effects and for the other products it was technical performance. The most important source of information regarding all products was the experience of the radiologist himself. In conclusion; high quality of the products and, safety and comfort of the patients are favoured over low price."}
{"id": "PMID:1490461", "title": "Screening mammography program delay recommended by Manitoba working group: issues for radiology.", "content": "Assignment: A working group, appointed by government, examined the advisability of implementing a mammography screening program and prepared a cost analysis. Present Manitoba activity (45,695) is a mixture of clinical mammography (10,000) and unorganized screening, mammographies (35,695) at an annual screening cost of $2.8 million. Canadian policy reports, program descriptions in other countries and critical reviews were analyzed. A steady-state clinical and financial model was constructed. A controlled screening program enrolling 80% of women 50-69 years will cost $2.6 million per year plus $0.65 million new clinical costs limited to 4 years. Recommendations; Six were made: delay implementation awaiting more evidence of benefit, discourage use in asymptomatic women under 50 years, develop information programs for women and health professionals, establish an advisory group and participate in research directed to a eventual decision."}
{"id": "PMID:1490470", "title": "A model for an outpatient imaging center.", "content": "U.S. federally imposed efforts to regulate joint venturing are a result of certain physician strategies to circumvent anti-kickback statutes by investing in clinics, labs, and facilities for self-referral. This article addresses the ethical debate on physician ownership, MRI as an evolving modality, the 1989 Ethics in Patient Referrals Act and the subsequently released \"safe harbors,\" and finally, describes an existing model for physician/hospital ownership in an outpatient MRI facility."}
{"id": "PMID:1490473", "title": "William Beaumont Hospital Imaging Center design update.", "content": "The William Beaumont Imaging Center is designed to bridge the gap between conventional and totally digital imaging technology. Reverse capacity and flexibility are designed into the building and it's systems to facilitate the transition at minimal cost and disruption to daily operations."}
{"id": "PMID:1490477", "title": "Radiology department design to accommodate the future introduction of global PACS.", "content": "In the light of the continuing development of pictorial archiving and communication systems (PACS) and image management and communications (IMAC) systems it is appropriate to consider the provision that should be made in the design of a new or renovated department of radiology to accommodate these new technologies at either an earlier or later date. This paper considers three particular aspects of the influence of PACS on future department design: (1) the requirement for either more or less total department gross square feet, (2) the provision for the specific allocation of spaces at certain locations for PACS equipment and functions, and (3) the provision for dedicated pathways for fiber optic communications among the many locations in the department where PACS components would be located."}
{"id": "PMID:1490478", "title": "Proposed multi-modality network to support image acquisition at remote sites.", "content": "There is a growing tendency for planners to permit non-radiologists to install isolated radiographic facilities with fluoroscopy in clinical specialty areas. These dedicated facilities are thereby frequently removed from support by radiology. Examples include endoscopy, urology, pulmonology, cardiology, surgery, intensive care, and orthopedics. A multi-modality network tying these remote sites to radiology can restore radiological support. Radiologists can participate in image acquisition procedures even though the procedures are no longer performed in the radiology department. A network also provides the isolated facility with technical support (laser printing, mass storage, etc.) that cannot be economically duplicated for each separate specialty site. A clinical model emphasizing the role of electronic networks in supporting image acquisition (in addition to image display) is undergoing the first phase of implementation at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) in Durham, North Carolina. The planned multi-modality network uses endoscopy as the acquisition model. Both the VAMC network and its extension to the sophisticated endoscopy suite at nearby Duke University Medical Center will be described."}
{"id": "PMID:1490482", "title": "The Vienna SMZO-PACS-project: the totally digital hospital.", "content": "This paper gives an overview of the SMZO-PACS-Project in the form of a rough specification of the system architecture and the functional parameters related to it. The PACS architecture, determined by the large amount of data volume produced in the SMZO Hospital is outlined. In both radiology and trauma departments high technical requirements concerning data throughout and fault tolerance are demanded. Therefore these PACS modules are designed to minimize the workload of the network so that the performance is not degraded in the case of fault of a single component. A PACS module includes image acquisition devices of a certain modality with related reporting workstations and a distributed electronic archive. The functionality of the modules is described, special interest is posed on the integration of the different information management systems PACS, RIS and HIS, to achieve a complete record of data input and throughput in the hospital."}
{"id": "PMID:1490483", "title": "Integration of radiology and hospital information systems (RIS, HIS) with PACS: requirements of the radiologist.", "content": "PACS development has now reached a stage where it can clearly be stated that the technology for storage, networking and display in a fully digital environment is available. This is reflected by an already large and rapidly increasing number of PACS installations in USA, Western Europe and Japan. Such installations consist of a great variety of information systems, more or less interconnected, like PACS, HIS, RIS and other departmental systems, differing in both hardware and software. Various data - even if they only concern one person - are stored in different systems distributed in the hospital. The integration of all digital systems into a functional unit is determined by the radiologist's need of quick access to all relevant information regardless where it is stored. The interconnection and functional integration of all digital systems in the hospital determine the clinical benefits of PACS. This paper (1) describes the radiologist's requirements concerning this integration, and (2) presents some realistic solutions such as the Siemens ISI (Information System Interface), and a mobile viewing station for the wards (visitBox)."}
{"id": "PMID:1490485", "title": "Sex difference in metabolism of simvastatin by rat hepatic microsomes.", "content": "Metabolism of simvastatin (SV), a new cholesterol-lowering agent, by hepatic microsomes from male and female rats was investigated. After incubation of [14C]-SV with hepatic microsomes, radioactive metabolites were detected by HPLC. The main metabolite was 3' alpha-hydroxy-SV in male rats and the hydroxy open acid form of SV (SVA) in females. The 3\"-hydroxy-SV and 3',3\"-dihydroxy-SV which were observed in male rats were hardly detected in females. Specific activity for the metabolism of SV in male rats (3.97 nmol/mg protein/min) was about 9-times higher than that in females. Metabolic activity of hepatic microsomes in male rats was essentially unchanged with increase in age, whereas that in females decreased age-dependently and was very low or negligible after 7 weeks of age. Formation of 3\"-hydroxy-SV and 3',3\"-dihydroxy-SV in male rats was markedly increased with age, and that in females was negligible at all ages examined."}
{"id": "PMID:1490484", "title": "Pharmacokinetic parameters from data relating to the plasma and biliary excretion kinetics of cefmetazole in rats.", "content": "The plasma disposition kinetics and the biliary excretion kinetics of cefmetazole after i.v. administration to rats anaesthetized with pentobarbital sodium were studied. Parametric estimation was carried out using non-linear regression methods with uni- and bivariate analyses. On the basis of statistical criteria a two-compartment model was chosen as the most appropriate for fitting the plasma concentration data, establishing a mean half-life value of the slow disposition phase at around 13 min. Analysis of the plasma and biliary data revealed a mean value for the biliary excretion constant of 0.049 l/min and 0.113 l/min for the urinary excretion constant. The cumulative biliary excretion data showed a mean value of 36.25% of the dose administered. The relationship between the biliary excretion rates and plasma concentrations seems to point to a saturable mechanism of excretion."}
{"id": "PMID:1490486", "title": "The in vitro metabolic inversion of R(-) to S(+) indoprofen.", "content": "The paper reports a study on the metabolic inversion of indoprofen (2-[4-(2-isoindolinyl-1-one)-phenyl]-propionic acid) following incubation of the drug with liver microsomes from non-induced and phenobarbital-induced rats. The enantiomeric composition of the drug was determined after different incubation times of the racemate and the individual isomers. The S(+)/R(-) ratio was evaluated by densitometry following HPTLC separation of the R(+)-1-phenylethylamides. After incubation of the racemate and the individual isomers, no detectable amounts of indoprofen catabolites were extracted from the acidified incubation mixture. An appreciable enrichment in the S(+) enantiomer was observed after incubation of both racemate and R(-)-indoprofen; the S(+)/R(-) ratio reached a maximum after 1 h. Values were higher in the case of induction. After incubation of S(+)-indoprofen, a small but statistically significant decrease of the S(+)/R(-) ratio was observed. The increase of the S(+)-isomer concentration observed following incubation of R(-)-indoprofen can be ascribed to metabolic inversion by phenobarbital-inducible liver enzymes."}
{"id": "PMID:1490488", "title": "Cross-over study of the bioavailability of a new NSAID (droxicam) versus piroxicam in healthy volunteers following single and multiple dose administration.", "content": "Droxicam is a new anti-inflammatory drug which is a pro-drug of piroxicam and possesses delayed absorption kinetics. In this study, the comparative bioavailability of the two compounds was investigated. The study was performed following a cross-over design with single (20 mg) and multiple (20 mg/day for 30 consecutive days) administration in 25 healthy volunteers. The peak plasma concentrations of piroxicam, obtained following administration of droxicam, were lower than those calculated for administration of piroxicam, and the time taken to reach these peak concentrations was increased by approximately 5-7 h. There was no significant difference in either the elimination kinetics of piroxicam or the AUC values found following administration of the two products. Bioavailability of droxicam is equal to that of piroxicam, with a slower rate of absorption."}
{"id": "PMID:1490494", "title": "Lamotrigine as an add-on drug in the management of Lennox-Gastaut syndrome.", "content": "We report our experience with lamotrigine add-on therapy in the treatment of 11 patients with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome. Lamotrigine is a novel antiepileptic drug, chemically unrelated to the major anticonvulsants in current use. Ten patients experienced a > 50% reduction in seizure frequency, 1 patient experienced no change in seizure frequency. All patients tolerated lamotrigine satisfactorily and no side-effects were reported."}
{"id": "PMID:1490495", "title": "Asymptomatic homozygous gene carrier in a family with type I familial amyloid polyneuropathy.", "content": "Type I familial amyloid polyneuropathy (FAP) is a molecular disorder with a mutation of the transthyretin (TTR) gene, and most patients previously examined were reported to be heterozygous for this mutant gene. In the present study a rapid and easy DNA diagnostic method employing the polymerase chain reaction revealed an asymptomatic homozygous TTR gene carrier in a Japanese family with type I FAP. The level of the variant TTR (methionine instead of valine at position 30) in his serum was much higher than that usually found in type I FAP patients. However, the histological findings of the biopsied rectum and abdominal fat tissues failed to demonstrate amyloid deposits, and the autonomic nerves from his rectal mucosa were normally preserved. Moreover, his 72-year-old mother (a TTR gene heterozygote) was supposed to start amyloid deposition in her late sixties. It is suggested that in addition to the mutant TTR gene some other factors control the development of the disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1490496", "title": "Effect of brovincamine on cerebral circulation and metabolism in internal carotid artery occlusion examined by positron emission tomography.", "content": "We evaluated the effect of brovincamine on the circulatory and metabolic state in the brain ischemia with internal carotid artery occlusion accompanying the 'misery perfusion syndrome'. Cerebral blood flow (CBF), cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen (CMRO2) and oxygen extraction fraction (OEF) were measured by PET before and after intravenous loading of brovincamine. Brovincamine increased CBF and decreased OEF significantly on the occluded side of the hemisphere. CMRO2 did not show any remarkable changes upon brovincamine administration. It was concluded that brovincamine might be useful for increasing the hemodynamic reserve, but did not affect the metabolic state immediately after its administration."}
{"id": "PMID:1490487", "title": "Absorption of intra-bronchial diprophylline-methodology and preliminary results.", "content": "With the objective of measuring alveolo-capillary permeability, a diprophylline solution (molecular weight 254 D) was instilled as a bolus. Instillation was performed through distallized impacted fiber bronchoscope and 3 normal volunteers and 3 patients with pulmonary fibrosis were evaluated. Blood samples were collected at regular intervals with subsequent pharmacokinetic study, mainly aimed at determining absorption kinetics. This technique enabled us to distinguish the two groups of individuals which had different absorption rates. In controls, kinetics apparently followed a simple, one compartment model for absorption, which was slower and occurred to a lesser extent. Patients with a pulmonary fibrosis had a faster and higher degree of absorption, with a larger plasma Cmax. In the latter group two-compartment kinetics for absorption was found. We conclude that absorption kinetic parameters can disclose data on structural integrity of epithelia and possible lesions of the lung interstitium."}
{"id": "PMID:1490497", "title": "Parlodel SRO in Parkinson's disease: a double-blind randomized comparison of Parlodel standard and Parlodel SRO.", "content": "In this study, we compared in an intent-to-treat analysis the tolerance and efficacy of Parlodel SRO with its standard galenic formulation in 34 patients with Parkinson's disease who received optimal levodopa therapy. The results suggest that Parlodel SRO was equally efficacious as Parlodel standard, but Parlodel SRO is better tolerated."}
{"id": "PMID:1490490", "title": "Solid-phase extraction of piribedil and its metabolites from plasma and urine without and after deconjugation, by high performance liquid chromatography.", "content": "A new high performance liquid chromatographic procedure has been developed for the simultaneous quantification of piribedil (PD) and its three main basic metabolites in rat plasma and urine, without and after hydrolysis. The procedure relies on isolation of the compounds from plasma and urine constituents using the Sep-Pak C18 cartridge, with satisfactory recovery and specificity, and resolution by acetonitrile gradient elution on a C18 reversed phase column coupled to a UV detector monitored at 240 nm. The assay was linear over a wide range of concentrations for all compounds in both body fluids with mean within-day and day-to-day coefficient of variation (CV) and relative error (RE) generally below 10%. Plasma concentrations of PD and its metabolites at selected intervals and urinary recoveries of all compounds before and after enzymatic hydrolysis are presented."}
{"id": "PMID:1490489", "title": "Pharmacokinetics of loracarbef in pediatric patients.", "content": "Loracarbef is an investigational oral antibiotic but its pharmacokinetics have not been studied after multiple oral doses in pediatric patients. The pharmacokinetics of loracarbef were determined in 18 pediatric patients after multiple oral doses. 8 patients with streptococcal pharyngitis received 7.5 mg/kg every 12 h, and 10 patients with otitis media were given 15 mg per kg every 12h. Multiple blood and urine samples were collected to measure loracarbef concentrations. In patients with streptococcal pharyngitis, the mean maximum serum concentration (Cmax), the time to achieve maximum concentration (Tmax), area under the serum concentration-time curve (AUC) and elimination half-life (t1/2) were 10.6 +/- 3.6 mcg/ml, 0.78 +/- 0.21 h, 21.4 +/- 7.2 mcg.h/ml, and 1.2 + 0.4 h, respectively. The mean Cmax, Tmax, AUC and t1/2 were 18.0 +/- 5.4 mcg/ml, 0.83 +/- 0.44 h, 35.6 +/- 9.4 mcg.h/ml, and 1.1 +/- 0.5 h, respectively, in patients with otitis media. The Cmax exceeded the minimum inhibitory concentration of common susceptible pathogens causing pharyngitis and otitis media by severalfold. Nearly 60% of the dose was excreted unchanged in the urine during the dosage interval. The pharmacokinetics were independent of dose. Loracarbef was well tolerated in all patients. These data suggest that loracarbef may be used safely at doses of 7.5 mg/kg every 12 h in pediatric patients with streptococcal pharyngitis and 15 mg/kg every 12 h in those with otitis media."}
{"id": "PMID:1490498", "title": "Myalgia as the major symptom in systemic panniculitis (Weber-Christian disease).", "content": "A case of systemic panniculitis (Weber-Christian disease) presenting with myalgia as the main clinical symptom is reported. There was no laboratory or electromyographic evidence of myogenic disturbance. Biopsy of the painful muscle revealed nonspecific mononuclear cell infiltration in the epimysial fatty tissue, while the muscle fibers remained intact. Prednisolone was dramatically effective in alleviating the myalgia as well as the other signs of panniculitis. The present case may indicate that myalgia in systemic panniculitis is one manifestation of its systemic connective tissue involvement."}
{"id": "PMID:1490499", "title": "Long-term influence of anticonvulsant agents on calcitonin, parathyroid hormone and osteocalcin.", "content": "It has been reported that anticonvulsant drugs decrease serum calcitonin; this effect may be dose dependent and/or hypocalcemia dependent. The objective of the present study is to assess such a dependence and to evaluate other parameters in relation to calcitonin. Serum calcitonin, parathyroid hormone and osteocalcin were determined through RIA, and serum calcium, total protein and alkaline phosphatase through an autoanalyzer in 17 patients undergoing long-term treatment with phenytoin and phenobarbital. At the same time, 20 normal subjects were studied and served as controls. In the patients, no changes were observed in calcitonin, parathormone, osteocalcin and calcemia corrected for protein, and there was a statistically significant increase in alkaline phosphatase values (p < 0.001). Calcemia correlated positively with calcitonin (p < 0.01) and negatively with parathormone (p < 0.05). There was no calcitonin correlation with the anticonvulsant dosage or with the total doses ingested. Increased alkaline phosphatase levels in the presence of normal osteocalcin figures suggest a hepatic origin of the former. The fact that there were no calcitonin level changes but a correlation did exist between calcitonin and calcemia leads us to think that any hormonal changes induced by anticonvulsant agents may act indirectly through changes induced in serum calcium."}
{"id": "PMID:1490500", "title": "Acute spinal epidural abscess and spinal leptomeningitis: report of 2 cases with comparative neuroradiological and autopsy study.", "content": "A 21-year-old male developed back pain, fever, and rapidly progressive quadriparesis. Lumbar tap yielded frank pus which was confirmed on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to be located mainly in the cervical epidural space. Conservative antibiotic remedy was partially effective for restoration of the neurological deficits. A 82-year-old female noticed low-back pain which was rapidly accompanied with clouding of consciousness, paraplegia, and sphincter disturbances. Lumbar puncture revealed thick pus which was best depicted on MRI in the thoracolumbar subarachnoid space. At autopsy, spinal subarachnoid abscess or leptomeningitis was confirmed, and a spinal infarction previously unrecognized on MRI was found. Usefulness and shortcomings of MRI in the diagnosis of paraspinal infections are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1490491", "title": "Pharmacokinetics of cadralazine and its hydrazino-metabolite in patients with renal impairment after repeated administration of 5 mg once daily.", "content": "Since the hydrazino-pyridazine metabolite of cadralazine, CGP 22 639 is believed to contribute to the activity of the drug, its pharmacokinetics and that of cadralazine were investigated in 8 hypertensive patients with renal impairment. The creatinine clearance (CLcr) of patients ranged from 10 to 60 ml/min. The concentrations of cadralazine in plasma and urine, and of CGP 22 639 (plus its possible hydrazones) in plasma were measured after single and repeated administration of 5 mg of cadralazine once daily. A hypotension possibly linked to cadralazine treatment was recorded on day 3 for the patient with CLcr = 10 ml/min. Metabolite concentrations were found to be at least twice as high as in other patients indicating that in this patient, the daily dose of 5 mg was probably too high. The pharmacokinetics of cadralazine were not modified by repeated administration. The drug and its metabolite were eliminated more slowly in patients with low creatinine clearance. The t1/2 of CGP 22 639 was about twice the t1/2 of the unchanged drug. In patients whose CLcr ranged from 19-37 ml/min the mean accumulation factor of apparent CGP 22 639 was 1.7 times that of the unchanged drug. It shows that the apparent CGP 22 639 accumulated more than the unchanged drug. A starting daily dose of 2.5 mg of cadralazine in patients with CLcr < 40 ml/min appears to be suited to take into account the pharmacokinetics of CGP 22 639. This dose can be increased by 2.5 mg steps if the antihypertensive effect is not sufficient (maximum dose with CLcr < 40 ml/min: 10 mg).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1490493", "title": "The effects of long-term occupational exposure to carbon disulphide on serum lipids.", "content": "No definite conclusion can be made from many epidemiological and clinical studies of lipid metabolism in workers exposed to carbon disulphide (CS2). The aim of our investigation was to study the serum lipid levels in workers exposed to different CS2 levels to establish possible exposure-response relationships. The first group, spinners, were exposed to high CS2 levels; the second group, workers in viscose production, to low CS2 levels; and the third group included non-exposed workers. As a part of a large examination, total and free serum cholesterol, total lipid and triglyceride levels were determined. Mean total lipid levels were similar in high and low CS2 exposed workers, but significantly lower in non-exposed workers. The total serum cholesterol mean levels were also similar in both groups, but significantly higher in the non-exposed group. Only serum triglyceride values were related to the CS2 levels: the most elevated were in the high exposed workers, somewhat lower in the low exposed, and the lowest in the non-exposed group. The finding is especially important as triglycerides are the most specific for developing atherosclerosis, which is often reported in workers with long-term exposure to carbon disulphide."}
{"id": "PMID:1490492", "title": "Pharmacokinetics of heptacaine, a novel potent local anaesthetic agent, after rectal administration to rats.", "content": "The pharmacokinetics of heptacaine, N-(2-(2-heptyloxyphenylcarbamoyloxy)ethyl)-piperidinium chloride, a new long-acting potent carbanilate type local anaesthetic, proposed for local anaesthesia in complex treatment of hemorrhoids, was studied following its rectal administration to rats in the form of cocoa butter suppositories. The heptacaine plasma concentration, 0.0083% of dose/ml, peaked at 90 min post administration and the maximum rate of its bioavailability, 0.19% of dose/min, assessed by deconvolution, occurred 38 min post administration. The plasma elimination half-life of heptacaine was 133 min and its biological availability of 52% was comparable to other agents of the class."}
{"id": "PMID:1490501", "title": "Significance of white matter lucencies in posthypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy: comparison of clinical status and of computed and positron emission tomographic findings.", "content": "The clinical status and the computed and positron tomographic findings were compared in 10 patients with sequelae of hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy after cardiopulmonary arrest and successful resuscitation. Conscious patients with moderate neuropsychiatric deficits had no significant computed tomography (CT) scan changes and normal values of regional cerebral blood flow and oxygen consumption, while patients in vegetative state had definite cerebral atrophy on CT scan and a severe and widespread decrease of regional cerebral blood flow and oxygen consumption. This decrease was even more pronounced in vegetative patients with the worst neurological score and with CT scans demonstrating additional diffuse white matter lucencies and hypodensities in the basal ganglia. In this group of patients increased regional oxygen extraction rates mainly in the white matter indicated the occurrence of delayed ischemic changes. The positron emission tomography and CT findings correlated well with the degree of posthypoxic-ischemic damage and the clinical status of the studied subjects."}
{"id": "PMID:1490502", "title": "Isolated prolonged retrograde amnesia.", "content": "We describe a patient who had isolated retrograde amnesia of 1-year duration without anterograde amnesia after recovery from encephalitis. Single photon emission computed tomography using 123I-IMP revealed that left temporal lobe abnormality. We postulate that the learning ability for new information and recalling ability for old information involve different neural structures, and there is a possible relationship between isolated retrograde amnesia and left temporal dysfunction."}
{"id": "PMID:1490503", "title": "Comparative multiple-dose pharmacokinetics of controlled-release levodopa products.", "content": "The multiple-dose (200 mg levodopa t.i.d.) pharmacokinetic profile of two controlled-release products of levodopa (Madopar HBS and Sinemet CR) was compared to conventional Madopar capsules in 18 healthy volunteers in a cross-over, randomized design. A pronounced controlled-release profile of the Madopar HBS and Sinemet CR product was demonstrated compared to conventional Madopar capsules with a significant (p < 0.001) decrease (-40 and -55%) in Cmax and a significant (p < 0.001) increase (+237 and +256%) in morning Cmin for the 200 mg t.i.d. dosage schedule. Almost equivalent bioavailability (85-90%) of levodopa was demonstrated for the controlled-release formulations relative to that of conventional Madopar capsules. The Madopar HBS formulation was bioequivalent with Sinemet CR with respect to levodopa, but it exhibited a moderately higher fluctuation index compared to Sinemet CR as a result of somewhat higher Cmax and lower Cmin values for the Madopar HBS formulation. 3-OMD (a metabolite of levodopa) levels were significantly (p < 0.05) higher for Madopar HBS and Madopar compared to Sinemet CR. The higher 3-OMD levels for the levodopa/benserazide combinations are consistent with a more potent decarboxylase inhibitory activity of benserazide as compared to carbidopa. The number of adverse events was highest for conventional Madopar (n = 18) compared to the controlled-release formulations (n = 12 for Sinemet CR and only 2 for Madopar HBS). A more efficient inhibition of dopamine formation from levodopa (resulting in higher 3-OMD levels) by Madopar HBS was consistent with the superior tolerability (especially for initial nausea) observed for the Madopar HBS formulation as compared to Sinemet CR."}
{"id": "PMID:1490504", "title": "Orthostatic tremor associated with voice tremor.", "content": "We report a 67-year-old female with orthostatic and voice tremor. Her orthostatic tremor mainly affected her lower extremities, alternating between antagonist muscle groups at a frequency of 4.4-4.8 Hz. The voice tremor ranged between 4.8 and 8.8 Hz. In this case, the frequency of voice tremor was same as that of orthostatic tremor, suggesting a common origin from a tremor-generating mechanism. These tremors were diagnosed as 'forme fruste' of the essential tremor, not the incipient stage of Parkinson's disease. Medications including clonazepam, perphenazine, Dopa and trihexyphenidyl hydrochloride had no effect on both the orthostatic and voice tremors, but propranolol was somewhat beneficial on voice tremor."}
{"id": "PMID:1490505", "title": "Value of random mucosal biopsies in the management of superficial bladder cancer.", "content": "115 newly diagnosed patients with Ta-T1, G1-G2 superficial transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder underwent four quadrant biopsies of normal-looking bladder mucosa, in addition to the endoscopic treatment of the primary tumour or tumours. In 88 (77%) patients all the biopsies were normal; in the other 27 (23%) at least one biopsy revealed dysplasia or carcinoma in situ or G1-G2 carcinoma. 88 patients presented with a single tumour, of which 14 (16%) had abnormal biopsies compared to 13 (48%) of the 27 presenting with multiple tumours. The difference between the 2 groups was statistically significant (p < 0.01). The incidence of freedom from new tumours at 5 years was 68% in patients with normal biopsies compared to 33% in patients with abnormal biopsies (p = 0.002). In patients presenting with multiple tumours and in those with single tumours and abnormal biopsies, the incidence of freedom from new tumours was significantly lower than in those presenting with single tumours and normal mucosal biopsies (p = 0.002). The study shows that the exercise of performing random mucosal biopsies is particularly useful in patients presenting with single tumours, in order to identify those who are more likely to develop new tumours over the longer term. Such patients could be offered early prophylactic intravesical chemotherapy. The study did not substantiate tumour implantation as a factor for new tumour development in superficial bladder cancer."}
{"id": "PMID:1490506", "title": "Successful hyperbaric oxygenation for radiation cystitis due to excessive irradiation to uterus cancer.", "content": "Six female patients with radiation cystitis, induced by previous pelvic radiation to uterus cancer, were treated with hyperbaric oxygenation (30-35% of oxygen concentration at 2 atmospheric absolute pressures for 90-120 min daily from 20 to 61 days with the average of 45 +/- 7 days, mean +/- standard error). Except in 1 patient symptoms and cystoscopic findings were improved. No side effects were found. Recurrence of radiation cystitis never occurred during the follow-up period (1.0 +/- 0.1 years). Hyperbaric oxygenation treatment in this pressure environment appears to have a beneficial effect of this disorder."}
{"id": "PMID:1490507", "title": "Three-dimensional computed tomographic imaging of the pelvicaliceal system: analysis of factors influencing image quality.", "content": "We analyzed 3-dimensional (3D) computed tomographic images of the pelvicaliceal system obtained in 25 patients after opacification of the collecting system by retrograde ureteric or intravenous (IV) infusion of sodium iothalamate. 3D images were reconstructed using the data from nonoverlapping 5-mm sections taken on an Elscint 2400 scanner. Factors contributing to poor image quality were: artifacts caused by contrast in the collecting tubules, underfilling or overdistension of the pelvicaliceal system with contrast, movement of the patient and severe hydronephrosis. Satisfactory 3D images of the pelvicaliceal system can be obtained by retrograde ureteric infusion of 5% w/v sodium iothalamate at 20 cm H2O, or by IV injection of 50 ml of 70% w/v sodium iothalamate. Abdominal compression should be applied 10-15 min after the IV injection of contrast, and the computed tomographic examination should commence 20-30 min after the injection. It is imperative that the patient lie completely still and breathe normally to avoid movement of the kidneys. 3D computed tomographic imaging of the pelvicaliceal system may become a valuable adjunct to the preoperative planning and performance of percutaneous nephrolithotomy."}
{"id": "PMID:1490508", "title": "Nuclear DNA analysis: DNA heterogeneity in the monitoring of patients with locally advanced prostatic carcinoma.", "content": "Single-cell DNA cytophotometry was employed to analyze the tumors of 271 patients with locally advanced prostatic carcinoma as to DNA ploidy and heterogeneity and the distribution of the phases of the cell cycle before and during therapy, with the intention of establishing prognostic factors apart from those already known (stage, grade). Follow-up periods ranged from 1 to 9 years. 198 (73%) of the 271 patients had carcinoma stage T3 N0 M0, and 73 (27%) of them had carcinoma stage T3/T4 N+M1. The tumors were evaluated cytologically to establish the grades of malignancy. 11.8% were grade I carcinoma, 64.3% were grade II and 23.9% were grade III carcinoma. Single-cell DNA cytophotometry demonstrated aneuploidy rates of up to 73% and diploidy rates of up to 23.8% for the higher grades of malignancy, whereas the diploidy rate established for grade I carcinoma was 71% and the respective aneuploidy rate was 15.2%. These differences are significant (p < 0.001). There was a significant correlation between the results of DNA cytophotometry and the clinical course of the disease. Patients with diploid tumor cell nuclei developed no metastases and no local tumor progression during the follow-up period of 9 years, whereas patients with aneuploid tumor cell nuclei showed metastases and local tumor progression within 8-22 months, despite changes in therapy. These patients died of carcinoma after an average 18 months following primary diagnosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1490509", "title": "DNA content, nuclear grading and early tumor progression in renal cell cancer: a prospective study on frozen specimens.", "content": "Renal cell carcinoma is a neoplasia with an unpredictable behavior. Nuclear grade and pathologic stage are widely accepted as valuable prognostic factors. More recently DNA content has been proposed as an adjunctive parameter of the clinical course of the disease. In order to substantiate these findings we prospectively analyzed 36 frozen specimens from patients submitted to radical nephrectomy for renal cell carcinoma. The study population had a 2:1 male/female ratio with a median age of 57 years. Six of 33 patients died of tumor progression with a median survival time of 11 months. The tumor DNA index (DI) ranged from 0.86 to 2.06 with a mean coefficient of variation of 4.59. Ten cases (27.8%) had a diploid DNA content, whereas 26 (72.2%) showed a distinct aneuploid population. In 10 cases different DI values were observed in different samples from the same tumor. Aneuploidy was significantly associated with advanced pathologic stages, high nuclear grade, and tumor progression."}
{"id": "PMID:1490510", "title": "DNA flow cytometry and neo-adjuvant chemotherapy/radiotherapy in operable muscle-invasive bladder carcinoma. A preliminary report.", "content": "Fifty-five patients with muscle-invasive transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder were treated with preoperative cisplatin-based chemotherapy followed by radiotherapy (20 Gy within 1 week) and cystectomy. DNA flow cytometry (FCM) was performed in paraffin-embedded tissue obtained by transurethral resection immediately before therapy. Together with the T-category and histological grade, DNA ploidy and S-phase fraction (SPF) were evaluated for the ability to predict the response to chemotherapy/radiotherapy and survival: a low T-category, but neither DNA ploidy nor SPF, was predictive for the response to neo-adjuvant treatment. The T-category was not related to the patients' survival. In the Cox regression analysis, SPF was an independent prognostic parameter together with response to the precystectomy therapy. We concluded that, in spite of remaining technical problems, paraffin-embedded tissue from bladder carcinoma is suitable for DNA FCM. Contrary to the situation in superficial bladder cancer, DNA ploidy is not related to the clinical outcome in muscle-invasive bladder carcinoma treated by neo-adjuvant chemo-/radiotherapy and cystectomy. SPF seems to be a clinically worthwhile parameter with significance that has to be further studied in larger series."}
{"id": "PMID:1490511", "title": "Ectopia of the vas deferens into the ureter. Case report and review of the literature.", "content": "Ectopia of the vas deferens into the ureter is a rare occurrence, frequently associated with anorectal anomalies. To date, 20 cases have been reported, accounting for a total of 26 vasoureteral communications, 6 of which are bilateral. Embryologically, ureteral ectopia of the vas deferens may be explained by an underlying defect in the proximal mesonephric duct or an abnormally cranial origin of the ureteric bud. We add the case of a newborn with an ectopic vas terminating into the ureter of a multicystic kidney."}
{"id": "PMID:1490512", "title": "Simultaneous bilateral adrenal metastases from renal cell carcinoma. Surgical implications and review of the literature.", "content": "We report a case of left-side renal cell carcinoma with contemporary bilateral adrenal involvement discovered preoperatively with computerized tomography and other imaging techniques. Surgical treatment consisted of radical nephrectomy with a nearly total contralateral adrenalectomy and the unroofing of a lower pole renal cyst. Postoperative cortisone acetate replacement was instituted. The surgical implications of renal cell carcinoma with metastasis are also discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1490513", "title": "Blue nevus of the prostate: report of two new cases with immunohistochemical and electron-microscopic studies.", "content": "Two new cases of prostatic blue nevus are studied with routine histological, immunohistochemical and ultrastructural methods. Both cases showed a chronic lower urinary tract obstruction due to a benign prostatic hyperplasia with spindle-shaped stromal cells loaded with melanin pigment. These cells were positive for S-100 and negative for HMB-45 antibodies, being, to the best of our knowledge, the first time that this antibody has been tested in prostatic pigmented lesions. The electron-microscopy study was performed in the first case, confirming the nature of these pigmented cells as melanocytes derived from the neural crest showing melanosomes in all the stages of differentiation and without complete basal cell membrane. The histogenesis of pigmented lesions of the prostate and the differences between blue nevus and melanosis are discussed, and the literature is reviewed."}
{"id": "PMID:1490514", "title": "Serotonin-induced dilation of small arterioles is not mediated via endothelium-derived relaxing factor in skeletal muscle.", "content": "Serotonin (5-HT) dilates precapillary arterioles in skeletal muscle. The purpose of this study was to determine if 5-HT releases endothelium-derived relaxing factor (EDRF) in this tissue. Diameters of third-order arterioles (A3) in the cremaster muscle of pentobarbital-anesthetized rats were measured via videomicroscopy. Concentration-response curves for acetylcholine, nitroprusside and 5-HT were obtained before and after the application of either hydroquinone (5 x 10(-4) M) or NG-nitro-L-arginine (10(-4) M). The involvement of prostaglandins was eliminated by ibuprofen (10(-4) M). In one group, 5-HT (20 micrograms/kg) and NG-nitro-L-arginine were given i.v. (30 mg/kg). The non-EDRF-dependent vasodilator papaverine (10(-5) M) was applied at the end of the protocol to determine the maximal resting diameter. When applied topically, both hydroquinone and NG-nitro-L-arginine significantly inhibited the dilation induced by acetylcholine, but neither agent affected the dilation to nitroprusside or 5-HT. NG-Nitro-L-arginine (i.v.) attenuated acetylcholine-induced dilation but not the dilation to intravenous 5-HT. These data suggest that 5-HT-induced dilation of small arterioles in skeletal muscle is EDRF-independent."}
{"id": "PMID:1490515", "title": "Subclasses of purinoceptors in feline bladder.", "content": "Purines have been shown to inhibit and excite feline detrusor smooth muscle through P1 and P2 receptor activation. Several recent studies have demonstrated differences in agonist potency orders for subclasses of purinoceptors, including P2Y and nucleotide, or P2U receptors. The current studies were performed to determine the presence of such receptor subtypes in feline detrusor smooth muscle. Cats were surgically prepared for monitoring detrusor smooth muscle contractions as increases in intravesical pressure. Contractions were induced by pelvic nerves stimulation (PNS), ATP, and ATP analogs, such as beta, gamma-methylene ATP (APPCP), 5' adenylimido diphosphate (AMP-PNP) and 2-methylthio ATP (2-MeSATP), ATP gamma S, UTP, CTP and GTP. These agents all produced contractions and had an agonist potency order of AMP-PNP = APPCP > ATP gamma S = 2-MeSATP >> ATP > UTP = CTP = GTP. The agonist potency order for inhibition of PNS nerve-evoked bladder contractions was APPCP = AMP-PNP = ATP gamma S > 2-MeSATP = ATP > UTP = CTP = GTP. Reactive Blue 2 and Coomassie's Brilliant Blue G, two putative P2Y receptor antagonists, antagonized purine-induced actions. This antagonism and the agonist potency orders suggest the possible presence of novel receptors in detrusor smooth muscle and/or the presence of multiple receptors in detrusor smooth muscle."}
{"id": "PMID:1490516", "title": "Bradykinin-induced airway responses in guinea pig: effects of inhibition of cyclooxygenase and thromboxane synthetase.", "content": "We studied the effects of indomethacin (10 mg/kg i.v.), a cyclooxygenase inhibitor, and OKY-046 (1, 10 and 30 mg/kg i.v.), a selective thromboxane synthetase inhibitor, on airflow obstruction and airway plasma exudation induced by bradykinin (150 nmol) instilled by the airway route to anesthetized guinea pigs. To do this, we studied changes in lung resistance (RL) and extravasation of Evans Blue dye respectively. Instilled bradykinin produced an immediate and marked increase in RL which peaked at approximately 30 s. We also observed a delayed increase in RL, reaching a second peak at approximately 3 min. Bradykinin produced airway plasma exudation at all airway levels, measured as extravasation of Evans Blue dye. Indomethacin significantly inhibited both the immediate and the delayed increase in RL after bradykinin. OKY-046 had a similar significant and dose-dependent inhibitory effect on these responses. In addition, both drugs inhibited bradykinin-induced Evans blue dye extravasation in intrapulmonary airways. Bradykinin instilled by the airway route significantly decreased systemic blood pressure but this effect was not altered in animals pretreated with either indomethacin or OKY-046. We conclude that the bronchoconstrictor response and airway plasma exudation induced by instilled-bradykinin may be mediated in part via thromboxane A2 generation."}
{"id": "PMID:1490517", "title": "Effect of endothelin-3 on cytosolic calcium level in vascular endothelium and on smooth muscle contraction.", "content": "In isolated rat aorta, endothelin (ET)-3 increased cytosolic Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i) in the endothelium at a concentration (100 nM) which had little effect on muscle resting tone. In the absence of external Ca2+, ET-3 still transiently increased endothelial [Ca2+]i. Verapamil (10 microM) did not change the effects of ET-3. In aortas stimulated with 100 nM norepinephrine, 100 nM ET-3 relaxed the muscle with an increase in endothelial [Ca2+]i. An inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase, 100 microM NG-monomethyl-L-arginine, inhibited the relaxant effect of ET-3 but not the increase in endothelial [Ca2+]i. In the absence of the endothelium or in the presence of an antagonist of ETB receptors, 3 microM IRL 1038, the ET-3-induced increase in endothelial [Ca2+]i and relaxation of norepinephrine-induced contraction were inhibited. Under these conditions, ET-3 increased smooth muscle [Ca2+]i and induced contraction, both of which were inhibited by an inhibitor of ETA receptors, 3 microM BQ123. These results suggest that ET-3 acts on ETB receptors in the vascular endothelium to increase [Ca2+]i by releasing Ca2+ from storage sites and by opening non-L type Ca2+ channels, activates nitric oxide synthase, releases nitric oxide and relaxes vascular smooth muscle. Although ET-3 also activates ETA receptors in smooth muscle to induce contraction, this effect is overcome by the relaxant effect mediated by ETB receptors."}
{"id": "PMID:1490518", "title": "Alterations in vasoactive intestinal polypeptide-related peptides after pentylenetetrazole-induced seizures in rat brain.", "content": "The possible involvement of vasoactive intestinal polypeptide-related peptides in pentylenetetrazol (PTZ)-induced seizures in rats was investigated. The chemoconvulsant PTZ was administered (45 mg/kg i.p.) either acutely or chronically for three days. The detailed time course of changes in VIP-(1-28) and VIP-(22-28) was examined in several rat brain areas 5 and 20 min and 24 h after acute treatment and after three days chronic treatment. Ir-VIP levels dramatically decreased in all areas 5 min after PTZ injection, remained low after 20 min and progressively increased back to control values after 24 h and after three days of repeated treatment (except for the cortex). Chromatographic analysis of extracts prepared from PTZ-treated rats revealed a concomitant decrease in VIP-(1-28) and increase in VIP-(22-28). Thus VIP-(22-28) might be a product of the internal cleavage of the precursor VIP-(1-28) after its neuronal release; alternatively, VIP-(22-28) might be generated by post-transcriptional processing of VIP-(1-28), and thus be an 'independent' neuropeptide. The results suggest that VIP-(1-28)/VIP-(22-28)-containing neurons might be involved in PTZ-induced seizures in rat brain, and that VIP-(22-28) might play a role in these experimental seizures."}
{"id": "PMID:1490519", "title": "Nitric oxide in gastroprotection by aluminium-containing antacids.", "content": "Pretreatment with aluminium-containing antacids at their original pH or after acidification is known to protect the gastric mucosa against the damaging action of strong irritants and this protection is accompanied by an increase in gastric blood flow (GBF) but the mechanisms underlying these effects have not been elucidated. We investigated the role of endogenous nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandins (PS) in the prevention of ethanol-induced gastric damage and the alteration of GBF by Maalox and its active component Al(OH)3. Maalox and Al(OH)3 at their original and acidic pH induced dose-dependent gastroprotection accompanied by attenuation of the reduction in GBF caused by 100% ethanol; similar protective and hyperemic effects were recorded after treatment with nocloprost, a locally active PGE2 analog, and nitroglycerin, a donor of NO. Pretreatment with indomethacin that suppressed mucosal PGE2 by about 90%, failed to affect the protective influence of Maalox or Al(OH)3 at their original or acidic pH. On the contrary, pretreatment with NG-nitro-L-arginine (L-NNA), a potent selective inhibitor of NO synthase, reversed the gastroprotective and hyperemic effects of Maalox or Al(OH)3 at original and acidic pH and this reversal was significantly antagonized by L-arginine but not D-arginine. The gastroprotective and hyperemic effects of nocloprost were not influenced by the pretreatment with L-NNA. We conclude that aluminium-containing antacids activate the NO system, which may contribute to the gastroprotective activity of these drugs through an increase in mucosal microcirculation."}
{"id": "PMID:1490520", "title": "Caffeine inhibits depolarization-activated outward currents in rat ventricular myocytes.", "content": "The effects of caffeine (10 mM) on depolarization-activated, calcium-independent outward K+ currents were investigated in isolated rat ventricular myocytes, using whole-cell clamping. The external solution contained CoCl2 2 mM and the internal solution contained ethylene glycol-bis(-aminoethyl ether) N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid 10 mM. Caffeine decreased the peak amplitude of the total current and the sustained plateau current. Caffeine did not modify the steady state inactivation curve, which was fitted by two Boltzmann functions. Caffeine blocked the tetraethylammonium-sensitive slowly activating and inactivating outward current by 32% and the 4-aminopyridine-sensitive rapidly activating and inactivating transient outward current by 19%. Caffeine did not modify the inactivation rate or the time course of the recovery from inactivation of the transient current. Ryanodine 10 microM did not modify any of the current components and the effect of caffeine was not modified by ryanodine pretreatment. The phosphodiesterase inhibitor, 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine 100 microM, did not modify the depolarization-activated calcium-independent outward currents."}
{"id": "PMID:1490521", "title": "The thromboxane receptors of rat and guinea-pig lung.", "content": "The thromboxane (TXA2) receptors on rat and guinea-pig lung strips were compared using TXA2 agonists and TXA2 receptor antagonists. On rat lung strip several TXA2 mimetics were full agonists whilst the primary prostanoids lacked agonist activity. On guinea-pig lung strip the same agonists displayed markedly different efficacies. Both preparations contained homogeneous populations of TXA2 receptors as evidenced by BAY u3405 giving comparable pA2 values against four TXA2 mimetics. However, the observed pA2's of nine different TXA2 receptor antagonists, determined against U46619, did not correlate between the two preparations. These results point to the existence of TXA2 receptor subtypes."}
{"id": "PMID:1490522", "title": "Ro 40-5967, a novel calcium channel antagonist, protects against ventricular fibrillation.", "content": "Ro 40-5967 is a new calcium channel antagonist that binds at the same membrane sites as verapamil, yet has minimal negative inotropic effects. The effects of Ro 40-5967 on the susceptibility to ventricular fibrillation were investigated and compared to diltiazem. Ventricular fibrillation (VF) was induced in 40 mongrel dogs with healed myocardial infarctions by a 2-min coronary occlusion during exercise. Twenty-four animals were found to be susceptible to VF and were given the treatments described below. Pretreatment with Ro 40-5967 (n = 17, 1000 micrograms/kg i.v.) significantly (P < 0.001) reduced the incidence of VF (13 of 17 protected) during the exercise plus ischemia test. Diltiazem (n = 8, 1000 micrograms/kg) completely suppressed VF. Lower doses of diltiazem and Ro 40-5967 did not prevent VF. The hemodynamic effects of Ro 40-5967 were also compared to diltiazem and verapamil. Diltiazem and verapamil, but not Ro 40-5967, increased P-R interval in a dose-dependent manner. Even when reflex tachycardia was controlled by beta-adrenoceptor blockade, Ro 40-5967 still exerted only minimal effects on P-R interval. Verapamil, but neither Ro 40-5967 nor diltiazem, provoked a dose-dependent negative inotropic response. All three drugs elicited large increases in coronary blood flow. These data support the hypothesis that calcium entry may play a critical role in the development of malignant arrhythmias during ischemia. Further, Ro 40-5967 can protect against ventricular fibrillation without significant negative inotropic or dromotropic effects."}
{"id": "PMID:1490524", "title": "Blockade of endothelium-derived relaxing factor synthesis with NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester leads to enhanced venous reactivity in vivo.", "content": "This study was performed to examine whether endothelium-derived relaxing factor (EDRF) influences venous tone and reactivity in vivo. The inferior vena cava and abdominal aorta were studied simultaneously under continuous haemodynamic monitoring in anaesthetised rabbits. In addition, a 20-MHz intravascular ultrasound catheter was placed in the vena cava for on-line two-dimensional imaging of vessel cross-sectional area and calculation of wall stress (T(ension) = P(mean) * r(adius)/2). This approach enabled simultaneous visualisation of both venous (CA(ven)) and aortic (CA(art)) cross-sectional area with continuous recording of vessel dimensions. Measurements were made before and after administration of NG-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME; 10 mg.kg i.v.), a specific inhibitor of EDRF biosynthesis. After L-NAME there was a significant increase in central venous pressure and a decrease in CA(ven). On the arterial side, L-NAME caused a significant increase in mean pressure and CA(art), resulting in a significantly augmented arterial wall stress. The venodilatation elicited by increasing doses of glyceryltrinitrate was markedly enhanced after L-NAME. Norepinephrine caused a parallel shift of the dose-response curve for CA(ven) in the presence of a lower baseline value. These results suggest that EDRF contributes substantially to the control of large capacitance veins in vivo and that L-NAME increases venous reactivity to both norepinephrine and glyceryltrinitrate."}
{"id": "PMID:1490523", "title": "Mechanism of blockade by flunarizine of bovine adrenal catecholamine release.", "content": "How flunarizine, a class IV Ca2+ antagonist, affects the secretion of catecholamines in response to nicotinic receptor activation (10-s pulses with 100 microM dimethylphenylpiperazinium, DMPP) or direct depolarization of chromaffin cells (10-s pulses with 100 mM K+ and 2.5 mM Ca2+, 100 K+/2.5 Ca2+) was studied in bovine adrenal glands perfused with an oxygenated Krebs-Tris solution at 37 degrees C at a rate of 20 ml/min. Experimental protocols aimed to test voltage and time dependence of the flunarizine blocking effects on secretion are described. The DMPP pulses released an average of 217 micrograms catecholamines and the K+ pulses, an average of 117 micrograms. These responses were blocked by flunarizine concentration dependently; IC50s were 3.7 microM for DMPP and 1.1 microM for K+. Under polarizing conditions (60-s perfusion with a solution containing 5.9 mM K+ and nominally zero Ca2+), a 10-s pulse with 100 K+/2.5 Ca2+ released 117 +/- 26 micrograms of catecholamines (n = 12). Under depolarizing conditions (60-s perfusion with 118 K+/0 Ca2+ prior to the Ca2+ pulse), the pulse with 118 K+/2.5 Ca2+ released 307 +/- 36 micrograms of catecholamines (n = 14). Flunarizine blocked these secretory responses equally and concentration dependently with an IC50 of 3.4 microM under polarizing conditions and of 3.8 microM under depolarizing conditions. Thus, blockade by flunarizine of secretion was apparently not voltage-dependent. The blockade was, however, clearly dependent on the time of exposure of the adrenal medullary tissue to flunarizine.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1490525", "title": "Difference in the effects of verapamil on Ca(2+)-activated K+ channels of smooth myocytes of aorta and taenia coli.", "content": "In freshly dispersed taenia coli myocytes of guinea pig, verapamil decreased the whole-cell outward current during depolarization. In aortic myocytes it has the opposite effect. In cell-attached patches, verapamil increased the frequency of opening of the maxi-K+ channel of both taenia coli and aortic myocytes at the expense of the mean open time. In taenia coli myocytes, the greater frequency did not fully compensate for the reduced open time, and the overall open probability of the channel was reduced. In aortic myocytes, the increase in open frequency overwhelmed the effect of the decrease in mean open time. None of the effects could be reproduced with nifedipine or diltiazem in either cell type."}
{"id": "PMID:1490526", "title": "Acute effects of gamma-vinyl GABA on the GABAergic system in rats as studied by microdialysis.", "content": "The acute effects of the irreversible gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) transaminase inhibitor, gamma-vinyl GABA (Vigabatrin), were studied in the central nervous system of the rat. GABA concentrations were monitored in the hippocampus by implantation of microdialysis probes. Two doses of gamma-vinyl GABA (1.6 and 8.0 mM) were administered via the probes and were found to cause a transient increase in the basal GABA outflow (10-fold) during the period of drug administration. In addition, gamma-vinyl GABA pretreatment (1.6 mM) seemed to decrease K(+)-evoked GABA release (P < 0.05). The immediate increase of GABA outflow after gamma-vinyl GABA administration may be the result of direct blockade of GABA uptake sites, a finding which further indicates that the action of GABA transaminase inhibitors may be mediated partly through GABA uptake inhibition."}
{"id": "PMID:1490527", "title": "Involvement of endogenous nitric oxide in the regulation of rat intestinal motility in vivo.", "content": "The effect of the nitric oxide (NO) synthase inhibitor, NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) on the motility of the small intestine in an acute model in the anaesthetised rat was determined by changes in jejunal intraluminal pressure. L-NAME (0.5-10 mg kg-1 i.v.) caused a dose-dependent increase in intraluminal pressure and initiated phasic intestinal contractions. These responses were inhibited by concurrent administration of L-arginine (200 mg kg-1 i.v.) but not by D-arginine (200 mg kg-1). The increase in jejunal motility induced by L-NAME was attenuated by atropine (4 mg kg-1), although even high doses of atropine (16 mg kg-1) did not abolish these responses. This indicates that although there are interactions between NO and muscarinic cholinergic mechanisms, other processes are also involved in these contractile events following administration of L-NAME. These observations in the rat suggest that endogenous NO plays a role in the modulation of intestinal motility in vivo."}
{"id": "PMID:1490530", "title": "Does the continuous use of bronchodilators mask the progression of asthma or chronic bronchitis?", "content": "Recently, we published data of a 2 year randomized controlled study in which the effects of continuous versus symptomatic bronchodilator treatment in patients with moderate asthma or chronic bronchitis were investigated. The results showed that FEV1 decline in the continuously treated group was significantly larger than in the symptomatically treated group (72 versus 20 ml/year, P < 0.05). We reanalysed these data in order to investigate the hypothesis that the continuous use of bronchodilators may mask a rapid decline in lung function. Lung function decline was assessed by regression analysis of seven FEV1 measurements. Respiratory symptoms were assessed by means of the MRC questionnaire every 12 months, and they were also recorded by the patients in a weekly report. Of the participating patients 144 completed the study. Increased lung function decline in the continuously treated group was not reflected in a significant deterioration of the symptoms. Moreover, the decline in FEV1 showed no correlation at all with changes in respiratory symptoms in continuously treated patients (r = -0.03, P = 0.80), whereas in the symptomatically treated group, there was a better relation (r = -0.32, P = 0.003) to changes in respiratory symptoms. These results show that continuous bronchodilation may indeed mask the worsening of the disease. This lack of awareness of deterioration of the disease is probably caused by the continuous symptom relief of bronchodilators. It may be misleading to both patients and physicians."}
{"id": "PMID:1490531", "title": "New insights into irritable bowel syndrome. A literature study.", "content": "439 papers on the irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) were listed in the Index Medicus and FAMLI in the period from the beginning of 1985 to the end of 1990. From these 439 papers 58 research reports were selected for a literature study into new insights into the aetiology, diagnostics and therapy of IBS. After these research reports had been evaluated according to eight criteria, the relevance of the research results for general practice was assessed. Many studies had methodological flaws. Often no hypotheses had been formulated. Only one-third of the research reports addressed the question of the validity and reliability of the measuring instruments used. Most of the investigations involved a strongly selected research population. The aetiology of IBS remains obscure. The general practitioner can make the diagnosis of IBS himself using straightforward diagnostic methods. No specific form of therapy is effective in the case of IBS. The policy of physicians concerning patients with IBS will have to be directed towards helping them cope with chronic complaints for which there is no adequate explanation."}
{"id": "PMID:1490532", "title": "The diagnostic value of symptoms for the identification of patients with an increased risk of colorectal disease. A criteria-based analysis.", "content": "In most textbooks of gastroenterology, diseases with their symptoms are discussed. The exact diagnostic value of these symptoms, however, regarding the differentiation between organic and functional disease, is not mentioned. A criteria-based meta-analysis of the few existing studies in this field was done. From the 14 identified studies, there were two that did not find any significant symptoms. In the other studies the diagnostic value of colonic symptoms showed great variability. Methodological deficiencies in these studies are probably responsible for the latter. The generalization of these results into general practice is not straightforward and needs research in general practice patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1490533", "title": "Testing for cervical Chlamydia trachomatis infection in an inner city practice.", "content": "The aims of the study were to find the prevalence of cervical Chlamydia trachomatis infection in women attending for a speculum examination, to examine possible risk factors, and to see if we could develop a rational policy for testing for chlamydia in our deprived inner London practice. During 18 months 409 women aged 17-45 (mean 28) who attended for a cervical smear or vaginal examination were tested for chlamydia using the direct immunofluorescent test. They were assessed for possible risk factors: age less than 25, more than one sexual partner in the previous 3 months, sexual contact with men with urethritis, past history of chlamydia infection, purulent vaginal discharge, cervicitis and abnormal cervical cytology. Thirty-six women (8.8%) were chlamydia positive. Chlamydia infection was significantly associated with the presence of purulent vaginal discharge or an inflammatory cervical smear. In view of the prevalence of chlamydial cervicitis, the lack of symptoms and signs, and the potential consequences of untreated infection, ideally all young women in this population should be offered screening when they attend for a speculum examination. If this is not practical, chlamydia testing might be offered to women thought to be in high-risk groups including those with purulent vaginal discharge or an inflammatory cervical smear."}
{"id": "PMID:1490534", "title": "Fever in general practice. II. Reasons for encounter, management and duration of fever conditions.", "content": "A sample of 80 direct and 36 telephone encounters for fever was established in 1988 as part of a Norwegian study on fever as a clinical problem in general practice. Reasons for encounter (ICPC) and clinical examinations were recorded along with clinical laboratory tests, treatment, management and follow up (IC-Process-PC). The doctors assessed the diagnostic process by means of visual analogue scale. Duration of the fever conditions was estimated through a postal questionnaire. Patients with direct encounters presented a wide range of reasons for the encounters. Fever was the most frequent single presenting complaint (31%). The general practitioners put major emphasis on the clinical examinations. They prescribed drugs in 68% of the direct encounters. Seventy per cent of the prescriptions were general systemic anti-infectives. Penicillin accounted for 58% of antibiotics. Six (8%) patients were hospitalized, and three (4%) were referred to a specialist. The mean time until complete recovery was 15 days for direct and 19 days for telephone encounters. Fever may be a sign even when it is not a presenting complaint. Major emphasis is probably put on the clinical examination of febrile patients because of the complexity of symptoms and the wide range of diagnoses associated with fever."}
{"id": "PMID:1490535", "title": "The family physician's role in caring for the dying patient and family: a comprehensive theoretical model.", "content": "Care for the dying patient is a difficult task which arouses many emotions in all participants. Many physicians feel inadequately prepared to cope with the many diverse challenges. A three-dimensional model is described which intends to help physicians better define their role in caring for dying patients. The model comprises direct involvement with the dying patients and their families, the physician's own needs and personal development and the co-operation with other care-givers. This model can be implemented at three levels, according to the physician's experience, skills, feelings, and the situation. The model can serve as a basis for extensive research and as a foundation for curricular innovation for students, residents and continuing medical education."}
{"id": "PMID:1490536", "title": "The general practitioner in Lebanon: is he a potential family physician?", "content": "A cross-sectional exploratory study was conducted on a group of general practitioners in Beirut, Lebanon to assess the level of family medicine practice among them. Data were collected on the age, sex, number of children, marital status, load of patients per day, field of specialization, if any, and place of study of medicine of 43 general practitioners. The level of family medicine practice was assessed through a self-administered questionnaire containing questions related to the various criteria of family medicine practice. Only 2.3% of the general practitioners had an adequate level of family medicine practice, defined as the top 15th percentile of a maximal score. Doctors were most likely to adhere to the 'informality' criterion and less likely to adhere to the 'family approach', 'ensuring maximal compliance' and 'comprehensiveness of care' criteria. They performed poorly on 'the continuity of care' and on 'the art of medical care' criteria. Overall, family medicine was found not to be adequately practised by the general practitioner and is deemed necessary as a specialty in Lebanon. Suggestions and future recommendations are further presented."}
{"id": "PMID:1490537", "title": "General practitioner records on computer--handle with care.", "content": "This 1 year prospective study involved nine general practitioners in an urban health centre who routinely record all patient contacts on computer. The study determines by comparison with a manual record how accurately doctors record laboratory investigations on computer and compares the effectiveness of three interventions in improving the completeness of computerized recording of presenting symptoms, problems/diagnoses and laboratory investigations. Recording was analysed for 1 month prior to and for two 1 month periods following each intervention. A control group was used. A total of 7983 patient contacts were analysed. Intervention led to an improvement in the recording of presenting symptoms and problems/diagnoses. Recording of investigations on the computer showed no improvement, remaining at one-third of the total in the treatment room book for both study and control doctors. The effectiveness of the different forms of intervention depended on both the aspect of the consultation considered and the familiarity of individual doctors with the method of data collection. Aspects considered less important required greater intervention to bring about a marked improvement, as did doctors relatively new to the practice. It may not be possible to get all aspects of the consultation recorded with the same degree of accuracy. This has implications for the accuracy of retrospective studies dependent on existing computerized data."}
{"id": "PMID:1490538", "title": "Divorce: different experiences of men and women.", "content": "Demographic variables, the reasons for the divorce, the changes as a consequence of the divorce and the differences between the sexes were studied among 157 Swedish-speaking spouses through interviews and assessments on visual analogue scales. The results showed that various conflicts were the main reason for the divorce in half of the families. Compared to men, women came significantly more often from broken homes, were the initiators of the divorce in most cases, and felt that the marriage had been dissatisfying for a significantly longer time period. Self-employed men were significantly overrepresented. The changes as a consequence of the divorce were significantly different for men and women in several areas, in most cases in favour of the women."}
{"id": "PMID:1490539", "title": "Short-lived effects of a formulary on anti-infective prescribing--the need for continuing peer review?", "content": "Because of the introduction of indicative drug budgets in the UK and their likely association with prescribing from a drug formulary, we have studied the effect of the introduction without continued reinforcement of a voluntary practice formulary on antimicrobial prescribing in a group practice. Detailed prescribing feedback for two matched periods before and after the launch of the Northern Ireland Faculty of the Royal College of General Practitioners practice formulary was compared. The parameters chosen were adherence to the formulary, generic prescribing and costs. A slight increase in prescriptions dispensed (3.5%) was observed between the two periods but prescribing costs increased by 32%. There was a 5.9% fall in the number of prescriptions for formulary agents following the launch of the formulary and a major increase (60%; P < 0.01) in the use of non-formulary antimicrobials particularly penicillins and tetracyclines. It was concluded that the high level of formulary prescribing prevalent during the production of the formulary was not maintained following its launch probably because of the lack of reinforcement."}
{"id": "PMID:1490540", "title": "Factors linked to the prescribing of benzodiazepines by general practice principals and trainees.", "content": "Principals and trainees in general practice attending training events were asked to give information about their prescribing of drugs, with a focus on the prescribing of benzodiazepines for psychological problems. High prescribers of benzodiazepines believed that a prescription saved consultation time, tended to be influenced by drug company information and believed that patients expected a prescription. Low prescribers of benzodiazepines did not prescribe for bereavement, wished to have more psychological expertise and offered treatments other than drugs. Doctors classified as empathic from their statements at interview found difficulty in ending consultations and thought that social problems should be part of the general practitioner's work, although there were no differences between empathic and unsympathetic doctors in overall prescribing rates of benzodiazepines. The data suggest that doctors who are emphatic towards their patients would prescribe less if they had training in psychological skills."}
{"id": "PMID:1490541", "title": "Who do people talk to about healthy lifestyles? A South Australian survey.", "content": "To investigate who people talk to about healthy lifestyle a personal interview of people in a representative sample of South Australians was carried out. The information was collected by interview from all occupants of selected private dwellings who were aged 15 years or older. The interviewer used a prompt card with nine possible responses and the question asked was \"which one of these would you be most likely to talk about healthy lifestyle changes?\" Forty-four per cent nominated the general practitioner and 22% a family member. People who were either married or in a de facto relationship (30%) significantly chose a general practitioner more than others (14%) (P < 0.05). In the 30-59 age group more men (12%) than women (6%) chose a family member as a healthy lifestyle adviser (P < 0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in interest in healthy lifestyle in people born in Australia and outside Australia, or in the employed or unemployed. It is suggested that further attention needs to be paid to training in preventive medicine at all levels of general practice education and more needs to be known about the role of family members as healthy lifestyle advisers."}
{"id": "PMID:1490542", "title": "The productive use of threat in primary care: behavioural responses to health promotion.", "content": "The importance of a scientific understanding of the behavioural change processes involved in certain health promotion interventions is stressed. A model for guiding the behavioural dimensions in health promotion in primary care is presented. This distinguishes between information-giving and -providing skills to facilitate behavioural change. The social factors which impinge upon processes of behaviour change are highlighted. It is suggested that health promotion clinics in primary care may produce a situation with which the client has to cope. The manner of their coping will be a critical factor in determining outcome. Some key organizational issues are underlined."}
{"id": "PMID:1490543", "title": "Health checks in general practice: the patient's response.", "content": "With the advent of the new GP contract, the offering of health checks in general practice is on the increase. This paper assesses the patient's response to this development. Conducted in a single practice and including 872 patients aged between 30 and 41, the study assessed a number of different invitation letters to, and ways of giving feedback to patients at a health check in terms of the uptake of the service, patients' satisfaction ratings, and changes in patients' health beliefs. A number of important findings emerged. First, almost twice as many patients attended a health check when their invitation letter contained an appointment than when it contained an open invitation. Second, patients' satisfaction with their invitation letters and the information received at the health check was high. However, the health check appeared to increase patients' beliefs in the importance of health professionals in maintaining health. Overall though, the results suggested that the patient's response to the health checks was a positive one, and this may be important in promoting future uptake of preventive services and compliance with advice."}
{"id": "PMID:1490544", "title": "Key factors in health counselling in the consultation.", "content": "To design an effective course in behaviour influence all GPs and general nurses at two health care centres were interviewed concerning procedure and perceived barriers to prevention. The results demonstrated that most doctors and nurses regarded health counselling as important in medical health service. They also maintained that they have time and space for this activity. However, most doctors and nurses were hesitant and/or disappointed concerning their perceived efficacy in affecting people's life habits. The explanation may be that the personnel lack an effective methodology to handle these issues. Few had a more developed educational theory where the starting-point was the patient. Another explanation may be that many doctors and nurses had a non-patient-centred style, which previous studies demonstrate to be less successful in affecting people's behaviour. This was expressed in the notion that the doctor/nurse has to be a model from which the patient can learn the 'right' life habits. It was also expressed in the notion that the reasons why patients do not change behaviour were mostly psychological, but no importance was attached to the role of different values. The results point out the need for education in patient-centred pedagogics."}
{"id": "PMID:1490545", "title": "Smoking habits in early pregnancy and attitudes towards smoking cessation among pregnant women and their partners.", "content": "One-hundred and eighty-seven general practitioners in western Norway recorded smoking habits among 2379 women, consulting for their first regular medical check-up in pregnancy. Forty-six per cent had been daily smokers the last 3 months before pregnancy. Thirty-nine per cent were still smoking at the time of their first check-up. Sixteen per cent of the daily smokers stopped smoking spontaneously during the first few weeks of pregnancy. Fifty-seven per cent of women younger than 20 and 28% of women 30 years and older, did smoke at the first check-up. Single women smoked more often than women living with a partner (58% versus 38%). Smoking habits were not associated with number of previous pregnancies. At the first check-up, 530 pregnant women, still smoking daily, 18-34 years of age, living with a partner, accepted to participate in a smoking intervention study. They filled in a questionnaire about their smoking habits, the smoking habits of their partners and their attitudes towards smoking cessation. Sixty-five per cent reported a reduction in their use of cigarettes after becoming pregnant. The mean reduction in the number of cigarettes smoked daily was 4.0 (31%). Most of the respondents expressed a strong motivation to quit or reduce their smoking habits during their pregnancy. Seventy-two per cent of the partners were daily smokers. Reduction in the consumption of cigarettes, negative attitudes towards smoking and determination to stop smoking was significantly higher among women who were encouraged by their partners to stop smoking and in those who perceived that their partners were willing to reduce their consumption."}
{"id": "PMID:1490546", "title": "The effectiveness of lifestyle-related health screening: a 2 year follow-up study of doctors and teachers.", "content": "The effects of screening a group of 98 general practitioners and teachers for fitness, body mass index, serum cholesterol and lifestyle measures--smoking, alcohol consumption, diet and exercise habits were assessed 6 and 24 months later by postal questionnaire (response rate 98%). There was no significant difference for any screened measure between zero months and 6 or 24 months except that subjects found to have a raised cholesterol at 0 months were subsequently more likely to reduce the proportion of fat in their diet. There were no significant differences between screened subjects compared with a control group of non-screened doctors and teachers at 24 months. The number of subjects with abnormal measurements found at the screening session who altered to measurements within the normal range was equal to the number of subjects who changed from normal to abnormal measurements over the 2 year period of study."}
{"id": "PMID:1490547", "title": "ROC curves for the initial assessment of new diagnostic tests.", "content": "New diagnostic tests are mainly evaluated by determining the sensitivity and specificity of the test. These test characteristics were originally meant to be used in making diagnoses. For evaluative purposes their usefulness is weakened by their susceptibility to selection and their dependence on the cut-off points that are used for test positivity. The plotting of a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve might be a solution to these problems. Furthermore, the ROC curve yields a measure for the diagnostic power of the test expressed in one number instead of two, namely the area under the curve (AUC). Finally, the ROC curve and its AUC permit easy comparison of different tests and the performance of different interpreters of one test. The construction and use of ROC curves are described and illustrated with data of a case-referent investigation into the relationship between iron status parameters and the presence of acute myocardial infarction. The AUCs of ferritin and serum iron, 0.61 and 0.68 respectively, are too low to suggest meaningful usefulness in clinical practice."}
{"id": "PMID:1490548", "title": "Selections from current literature: inhaled steroid use in asthma management.", "content": "Though our understanding of asthma has improved, its incidence, prevalence and associated death rate have been increasing in most industrialized countries. Inadequate treatment of airway inflammation may explain some of this trend. Steroids are the most effective anti-inflammatory agents and are effective and safe in inhaled form. Together with sodium cromolyn, they should be used more frequently in the management of all types of asthmatics, especially those who require chronic or acute administration of oral steroids."}
{"id": "PMID:1490550", "title": "[Ultrasound studies in pregnancy: technical principles and clinical safety].", "content": "Ultrasound examinations in pregnancy were carried out worldwide for over 30 years with no proof of adverse effects on either, mother or child. However, to evaluate the clinical significance of the numerous studies dealing with questions of safety of obstetrical sonography, a basic knowledge of its physical and technical aspects is needed. The present paper aims to convey these basics and should provide a review of the major publications concerned with the clinical safety of the method. Below clearly defined intensity levels, ultrasound scanning in pregnancy can still be considered unhazardous for both mother and child. However, it must be borne in mind, that the safety margin of Doppler flow measurements is lower for duplex compared with B-mode equipment. Therefore, for the present, duplex sonography should not be routinely applied in the first trimester of pregnancy."}
{"id": "PMID:1490551", "title": "[Detection of fibronectin for confirming the diagnosis of premature rupture of fetal membranes].", "content": "Diagnosis of premature rupture of membranes (PROM) usually leads to severe clinical consequences. Diagnostic tests for confirmation of suspected rupture of membranes are either unreliable or can adversely affect the pregnancy. Foetal fibronectin is synthesised by the foetoplacental membranes especially in the anchoring villus. Its concentration in the amniotic fluid is 5-10 times greater, than in the maternal plasma. An immunoassay has recently been developed, which detects fibronectin in vaginal secretions using monoclonal antibodies, thereby establishing the presence of amniotic fluid in the vagina. Vaginal specimens were collected from 133 pregnancies. 34 of 35 patients with clearly visible amniotic fluid in the vagina had a positive test result (97.1%), whereas the majority of the control group without any signs of ruptured membranes had negative test results (96.5%). 39 of 41 women with positive test results delivered within 48 hours (95%). A positive test result thus helps to confirm the diagnosis of PROM especially in equivocal cases or may indicate forthcoming labour."}
{"id": "PMID:1490552", "title": "[Telemetric cardiotocography--clinical value and limits of the method in routine monitoring].", "content": "Cardiotocography by external telemetry and maternal ambulation has been compared to the usual recording in recumbent position. The visual interpretation extended to several items, such as technical quality, CTG scoring, contractions and foetal activity, which were interpreted for single groups of gestational age and diagnosis. A questionnaire of the patients joined with this study, referring to the acceptance of cardiotocography, definitely voted for the telemetrical method. As to the valuation of the cardiotocograms (CTGs), it was necessary to consider a slight restriction of the undulation of the foetal heart rate by telemetry. Referring to the technical quality of the CTGs, the telemetrical method was inferior in all points while recording in recumbent position. Problems appeared to occur especially with adipose gravidas. In patients with toxaemia, we noticed a tendency to increasing systolic blood pressure combined with growing restriction of foetal undulation by telemetrical recording. The use of external telemetry with maternal ambulation at other diagnostical situations should depend only on technical quality and maternal acceptance of telemetry, since there are no differences with respect to information."}
{"id": "PMID:1490553", "title": "[Is diagnosis of toxoplasmosis within the scope of prenatal care meaningful?].", "content": "In the course of prenatal care, the sera from 5670 pregnant women were investigated. The average infection rate in the population was 39.22%; 60.39% were seronegative. To minimise the risk involved in toxoplasmosis infection, toxoplasma-antibodies must be definitely determined during prenatal care. This should be carried out simultaneously with the determination of antibodies to the rubella virus."}
{"id": "PMID:1490554", "title": "[Miscarriage in the first trimester--a \"non-event\"? An empirical study of 40 women and their physicians of experiences and coping].", "content": "Explored by structured dialogue, miscarriage meant for 31 women, a psychosocial stress but not a medical stress. They tried to convince themselves of the non-normative event via subjective causal attributions to obtain cognitive control. Social support, especially by the partner, minimising the importance of the miscarriage, and social comparisons were the main modes of coping with their problem. Doctors and nurses significantly undervalued the degree of psychosocial stress, which resulted in negative consequences in the doctor-patient-relationship."}
{"id": "PMID:1490555", "title": "[Results of treatment in vulvar cancer from 1970 to 1990].", "content": "From 1970-1990, 159 patients with invasive malignant tumours of the vulva (150 squamous cell carcinomas) underwent surgery at the University Hospitals, department of gynaecology. Heidelberg (1970-1988) and Homburg/Saar (1988-1990). 73% of the patients were more than 60 years old and 3% were less than 40 years old. The mean age was 69 years. 30% of the patients had diabetes mellitus. As a standard therapy, 101 patients had radical vulvectomy with bilateral inguinal node removal in accordance with S. Way. If nodes were found to be positive, the inguinal/pelvic region was irradiated postsurgically with 40-50 Gy. The 5 years survival rate for all patients with vulvar carcinoma was 69%. For early stage carcinomas (pT1, depth of invasion < or = 1 mm) a restricted radical therapy should be considered. 9 patients with early stage carcinomas survived disease-free for a period of 70 months. Significant prognostic differences were noticed if node histology was N- as opposed to N+ (p < 0.001), if depth of invasion was < or = 1 mm as opposed to > 10 mm (p < 0.001), if stage was pT1 as opposed to pT2 to pT4 (p < 0.001) or if lymphangiosis carcinomatosa (p < 0.01) was present or not. Prognostic differences were also noticed, if cytological grading was done in accordance with Broders (p < 0.09). 27 patients had successful reconstructive surgery with local cutaneous or myocutaneous flaps at the time of initial surgery. The median recovery period after radical vulvectomy with bilateral inguinal lymph node excision was 22 days. The median recovery period after radical vulvectomy with bilateral node removal and reconstructive surgery was 25 days. Early recurrence of carcinoma (< or = 6 months after initial therapy) was 5.9%, late recurrence was 12%."}
{"id": "PMID:1490556", "title": "[Cytogenetic subtyping of 139 uterine leiomyoma].", "content": "A cytogenetic study of 139 uterine leiomyomas of 70 patients is presented. 26 of the tumours failed to grow, 87 showed an apparently normal karyotype and 26 tumours were characterised by clonal aberrations. In 5 tumours, a numerical change was the only abnormality, including 2 tumours with a trisomy 12. 5 myomas showed an interstitial deletion of the long arm of chromosome 7. The largest group were 9 tumours with an aberration involving chromosome 12 in the band of 14-15. 2 myomas showed a t(12; 14) as the only abnormality, in 4 tumours very complex rearrangements with up to 12 breakpoints were observed. In the last group 7 myomas with other clonal aberrations involving 11 different chromosomes were found."}
{"id": "PMID:1490557", "title": "[Total ablation of uterine mucosa (TUMA)--C*U*R*T* instead of endometrium ablation].", "content": "Hysteroscopic ablatio endometrii, a procedure established in gynaecology as a result of the general trend to minimal invasive surgery, is clinically not very satisfactory. A new procedure, namely, transvaginal pelviscopically monitored cervix/cavum uteri fundus punch via C*U*R*T* (Calibrated Uterine Resection Tool) enables removal of the total endothelium from the uterus. TUMM (total uterine mucosa ablation) is a synthesis of pelviscopy, excoriation by conisation, and ablatio. This procedure may be considered as the presently optimal method to avoid hysterectomy in case of special indications."}
{"id": "PMID:1490558", "title": "[Early premature rupture of fetal membranes and risk of lung hypoplasia in the fetus. Case report from the 22d week of pregnancy with delivery in the 30th week of pregnancy].", "content": "We report on a case of ruptured foetal membranes in the 22nd week of pregnancy. A possible risk is pulmonary hypoplasia. Although factors exist that predispose to the occurrence of pulmonary hypoplasia, the diagnosis cannot be predicted prenatally. As pulmonary hypoplasia is associated with a high neonatal mortality rate, prenatal detection would be helpful in the clinical management of early premature rupture of the membranes."}
{"id": "PMID:1490559", "title": "[Infected chorionic hematoma as a cause of infection in the 2nd trimester].", "content": "Superinfected subchorionic haematomas are a rare septic focus in the 2nd trimenon. Symptoms being unspecific, the diagnosis has to be made by exclusion, in most cases. As the changes of a successful treatment of the manifest infection is poor, antibiotic prophylaxis as well as close laboratory controls and early antibiotic therapy should be discussed after sonographic diagnosis of an intrauterine haematoma. Two of our three patients reported on having suffered a miscarriage; only one pregnancy could be maintained after spontaneous depletion of the infected haemorrhage."}
{"id": "PMID:1490560", "title": "[Prenatal diagnosis of holoprosencephaly with postaxial polydactyly, cardiopathy with normal karyotype].", "content": "Holoprosencephaly is a malformation complex, in which the foetal forebrain (prosencephalon) fails to cleave. The aetiology of holoprosencephaly is heterogeneous. In the last years, a new malformation syndrome has been described, including holoprosencephaly, postaxial polydactyly, congenital heart defects and normal karyotype. In this report, a new case of this syndrome, prenatally diagnosed, is discussed, based on ultrasound and foetal blood sampling. The important implications are pointed out in relation to adequate genetic counselling."}
{"id": "PMID:1490562", "title": "[Activation of the processes of lipid peroxidation in the small-intestinal mucosa and liver in peritonitis and possible ways of their correction by a complex infusion-detoxification therapy].", "content": "Possibilities of lipid peroxidation (LPO) correction by infusion-detoxication therapy in peritonitis were studied in an experiment on 160 white rats and during clinical treatment of 88 patients with general peritonitis. It was shown that peritonitis development in rats was attended by an increase of LPO products--malonic dialdehyde and diene conjugates, in the hepatic tissue and small intestine mucosa, while the activity of antioxidant defense elements--superoxide dismutase and fat-soluble antioxidants, decreased. It was noted that LPO became normal after intravenous administration of exogenous superoxide dismutase (6 mg/kg) and the blood substitute Mafusol containing Krebs cycle substrate--sodium fumarate (9 ml/kg). Inclusion of Mafusol into the combined therapy of patients with general peritonitis contributed to the reduction of malonic dialdehyde and diene conjugate levels in the blood, normalization of its acid-base state, diminution of medium mass molecule content. Similar normalization of LPO was not recorded when lactosol was used. It has been concluded that blood substitute Mafusol used in the combined therapy of patients with general peritonitis significantly raises the treatment effectiveness."}
{"id": "PMID:1490564", "title": "[Indicators of central hemodynamics and microcirculation in patients with stenocardia for evaluation of the effectiveness of the treatment by plasmosorption].", "content": "The myocardial contractile function and microcirculation were studied in 39 patients with angina of effort, III-IV FC before and after plasmosorption course treatment in the presence of drug therapy. A positive clinical effect was recorded in 86% of cases that resulted in disappearance of anginal attacks, reduction of antianginal drug therapy in the presence of improved central hemodynamics and increased myocardial contractility and microcirculation."}
{"id": "PMID:1490566", "title": "[Effect of a synthetic prostacyclin analog on kidney function and the system of regulation of blood coagulation in experimental acute renal failure].", "content": "The influence of a stable analogue of prostacyclin on the renal function and parameters of hemostasis was investigated in experiments on animals with the nephrotic form of acute renal insufficiency. Diuresis, glomerular filtration, water and sodium reabsorption in the presence of diminished intravascular coagulation were recovered after two injections of the compound in a dose of 115 micrograms/kg."}
{"id": "PMID:1490565", "title": "[Phagocytic activity of the central macrophage of erythroblastic islet in experimental inhibition and stimulation of erythropoiesis].", "content": "Phagocytic activity of the erythroblastic island central macrophage (EICM) was studied under normal conditions and in experimental inhibition and stimulation of erythropoiesis. Specific phagocytic activity (SPA) was estimated by the amount of latex particles absorbed by 1 EICM during 30-min incubation on plastic Petri dishes. SPA of CM in all the animals (no matter what experimental model was chosen) depended on EI affiliation to a certain class, with the maximum activity in EICM of the III class. SPA in EICM of the II-III classes in polycythemia animals was low. Blood loss significantly increased SPA in EICM of the II-IV classes of maturity. EICM of the I class showed a lower SPA that was, probably, due to the involvement of immature monocytes into EI organization."}
{"id": "PMID:1490567", "title": "[Adverse effects of Ferrum Lec (clinico-experimental study)].", "content": "Summation of negative effects of hypoxia and lysosome-tropic properties of Ferrum Lec was observed in patients with severe stage of iron-deficiency anemia (IDA), and in rabbits with experimental IDA, during treatment by intravenous injections of Ferrum Lec. These effects were expressed in exageration of the destabilizing action of hypoxia on lysosome membranes, and attended by a significant rise in the lysosomal enzyme levels of blood plasma, by the development of dystrophic processes in hepatocytes, and by a decrease in the number of sinusoidal cells. All these facts should be considered in clinical practice."}
{"id": "PMID:1490568", "title": "[Effective and ineffective erythropoiesis in long-term hemorrhages].", "content": "The investigation of effective and ineffective erythropoiesis in long-term hemorrhages has shown that the index of normal erythroblasts maturation is decreased down to 0.7 +/- 0.01 (P < 0.01) that evidences disorders in the process of proliferation and differentiation of the erythron cells. A rise of ineffective erythropoiesis was observed at the level of polychromatophilic normal erythroblasts , the mean number of PAS (positive cells) comprised 22.9 +/- 4.1% (P < 0.05). Erythropoiesis intensity was lowered and erythrocyte life was shortened. The data obtained are important for the evaluation of the erythron system lesion and purposeful therapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1490569", "title": "[Effect of hematopoietic and lymphoid cells on the stromal CFU colony formation in rabbit bone marrow cell cultures].", "content": "Guinea pig and rabbit bone marrow and splenic cells with increasing cellular density suppress in vitro formation of fibroblast colonies by rabbit bone marrow clonogenic stromal cells. At the same time guinea pig bone marrow and splenic cells produce a stimulating effect on guinea pig bone marrow CFUf, but they are inhibited by rabbit splenocytes, although to a lesser extent than rabbit bone marrow CFUf. Rabbit blood platelets stimulate the growth of bone marrow CFUf of these animals. However, introduction into the culture of rabbit bone marrow cells combined with platelets eliminates the latter's growth-stimulating effect on stromal clonogenic cells of rabbit bone marrow. The results obtained have evidenced that guinea pig and rabbit bone marrow and lymphoid cell populations contain cells both stimulating and inhibiting CFUf proliferation, and that CFUf of varying animal species have different sensitivity to growth-stimulating and growth-inhibiting effects."}
{"id": "PMID:1490570", "title": "[Indicators of iron metabolism in pregnant women and infants].", "content": "Iron metabolism parameters were studied in pregnant women in time course of trimesters depending on the pregnancy character and in newborns and infants in relation to the antenatal period. The dynamic study of serum and erythrocytic ferritins has confirmed the expediency of iron therapy during pregnancy for prevention of iron deficiency in infants. Differences detected in the rate of using iron reserves by infants of the first year of life depending on the antenatal period character have necessitated an individual approach to preventive iron therapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1490580", "title": "Seasonal fluctuations of androgen-binding activity in the testis of the frog, Rana esculenta.", "content": "An androgen-binding activity has been identified in nuclear extracts of the testis of the frog, Rana esculenta. A single class of high affinity (Kd = 2.5 +/- 0.6 x 10(-9) M), low-capacity binding sites was found. The binding was specific for androgens; 17 beta-estradiol displaced [3H]testosterone with an ID50 of 0.1 microM. Cytosolic binding activity has a low affinity and a high capacity and lacks specificity. The seasonal fluctuations in binding capacity did not correlate with the androgen peaks in plasma and testes between February and June and in September; periods coinciding with the resumption of spermatogenesis and the development of spermatids, respectively. The present data strongly support androgenic control of intratesticular function in vertebrates generally."}
{"id": "PMID:1490574", "title": "[New criteria for differential diagnosis of polycythemia vera and erythrocytosis].", "content": "\"Laborskel-analyzer\" (PSL-1) was used to estimate red blood cell volume for the differential diagnosis in 36 polycythemia vera, 20 erythrocytosis patients and 30 normal subjects. Erythrocyte count of polycythemia vera patients (I, IIA and IIB stages) showed a shift to the left (an increase of microcytic fractions), while erythrocyte count++ of 20 erythrocytosis patients (16 of them with a relative erythrocytosis and 4 with an absolute erythrocytosis) were close to erythrocyte count++ of normal subjects. The counting of the percent content of erythrocytic fractions of varying volumes has proved fraction 5 with the erythrocytic volume from 56 microns 3 to 62 microns 3 to have the highest information content. The percent content of this fraction in polycythemia vera fluctuated from 3.9 to 19.5%, and in erythrocytosis it was from 0.9 to 3.0%, that could serve as a criterion for the differential diagnosis of polycythemia vera and erythrocytosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1490581", "title": "Purification, partial characterization, and radioimmunoassay of prolactin and growth hormone from the Bennett's wallaby.", "content": "Bennett's wallaby prolactin (wPRL) and growth hormone (wGH) were purified from an aqueous extract of pituitary glands. The extract from 202 glands (6.5 g wet wt) was processed by gel filtration on Sephadex G-100, gel filtration on Sephadex G-100 SF, and then anion-exchange chromatography on DEAE-Sepharose CL-6B. The yields of wPRL and wGH were 5.2 and 15.7 mg, respectively. Since recovery of wPRL from the anion exchange column was 10%, anion exchange was performed in the presence of 20% acetonitrile in a subsequent purification. Recovery from this column was markedly increased to 42%. The purified hormones each gave a single band on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis with a molecular weight under reducing conditions of 21,000 and 23,000 for GH and PRL, respectively. Each hormone was positively identified by its N-terminal amino acid sequence, which showed high sequence identity with the equivalent eutherian hormone. Semianalytical gel filtration of purified hormone was used to demonstrate that each hormone remained as a monomer in aqueous solution. Each purified hormone was tested in the heterologous PRL radioimmunoassay (RIA) which has been used in many earlier studies to measure marsupial PRL. Highly purified wPRL was less potent than ovine prolactin (5.3 compared with 1.5 ng/ml at 50% displacement) and the cross-reaction of wGH was < 0.01%. Antibodies were raised against wPRL and wGH and a homologous RIA was developed for each hormone. The sensitivity of the wPRL assay was 0.8 ng/ml which is similar to that of the heterologous PRL assay. Cross-reaction with a number of eutherian pituitary hormones or wGH was < 0.07%. The wGH assay detected 0.8 ng/ml which is similar to that of the heterologous PRL assay. Cross-reaction with a number of eutherian pituitary hormones or wGH was < 0.07%. The wGH assay detected 0.8 ng/ml, cross-reacted with GH from several eutherian species, and showed low cross-reaction with wPRL (< 0.5). In both the wPRL and wGH assays, pituitary homogenates from several species of marsupial diluted in parallel with the wallaby standard, suggesting that these assays will be of use in studies of a number of marsupial species."}
{"id": "PMID:1490582", "title": "Influence of temperature and photoperiod on plasma melatonin in the mudpuppy, Necturus maculosus.", "content": "A melatonin (MEL) radioimmunoassay employed previously only in mammals was used to estimate plasma MEL in a salamander, Necturus maculosus. Validation procedures included thin-layer chromatography of plasma extracts, parallel inhibition curves of authentic MEL and serially diluted plasma and plasma extracts and quantitative recovery of authentic MEL added to pooled Necturus plasma. A diel cycle of plasma MEL was demonstrated in mudpuppies acclimatized for a minimum of 3 weeks under a 12L:12D photoperiod and 15 +/- 1 degrees and sampled in late March. The MEL cycle persisted under a reversed photoperiod (lights on, 1800 hr), but the amplitude of the MEL peak was diminished, and the peak was more than 180 degrees out of phase with the corresponding peak under a normal photoperiod. In animals acclimated to 5 degrees in mid-June under a 12L:12D photoperiod, the diel cycle of plasma MEL continued, but both midphotophase and midscotophase concentrations were reduced compared with 15 degrees controls. The diel cycle was also present in animals acclimated to 25 degrees, but the decrease in MEL concentrations was less marked than that in 5 degrees animals. Photoperiod is apparently the primary cue for cycles in plasma MEL in Necturus, but the cycle can be influenced by temperature."}
{"id": "PMID:1490583", "title": "A comparison of the responses of dispersed steroidogenic cells derived from embryonic adrenal tissue from the domestic chicken (Gallus domesticus), the domestic Pekin duck and the wild mallard duck (Anas platyrhynchos), and the domestic muscovy duck (Cairina moschata).", "content": "The steroidogenic responsiveness of adrenal cell suspensions prepared from domestic chicken adrenal tissue at the end of embryogenesis was compared to the responses of similar preparations derived from the wild and domesticated mallard duck (Anas platyrhynchos), and the domesticated muscovy duck (Cairina moschata). In all cases, the masses of corticosterone (B), aldosterone (Aldo), and deoxycorticosterone (DOC) released from cells incubated in medium containing 1-24 ACTH exceeded the estimated hormone content of the freshly dispersed cells; the induced rates of corticosteroid release were, therefore, presumed to reflect de novo hormone synthesis. When chicken cells were incubated in medium containing 1-24 ACTH, there were progressive, dose-dependent increases in B and DOC synthesis over a range of concentrations spanning two orders of magnitude; only small, non-dose-related, albeit significant, increases in Aldo release were observed. The 1-24 ACTH-induced increases in B and Aldo synthesis by the mallard and Pekin duck cells exposed to the same range of concentrations were up to 40 and 60 times greater than the corresponding responses of the chicken cells. The rates of 1-24 ACTH-induced B and DOC release from muscovy duck cells were similar to those from the Pekin duck cells; compared with the mallard duck cells, however, the muscovy duck cells were less sensitive and the maximum inducible rate of B release was significantly lower. The pattern of 1-24 ACTH-induced Aldo release from the muscovy duck cells was indistinguishable from that of the mallard duck cells, although the maximum inducible increase occurred at a lower concentration. Angiotensin II (AII) induced very small, but significant increased in B, Aldo, and DOC release from the chicken cells but in a nondose-related fashion. In contrast, mallard, Pekin, and muscovy duck cells all responded in a dose-dependent manner when incubated in medium containing AII. In each instance the maximum rate of Aldo synthesis induced by AII was about one-tenth of the corresponding rate induced by 1-24 ACTH. The maximum rates of B synthesis induced by AII, however, were extremely low compared with the rates induced by 1-24 ACTH. Thus, when maximally stimulated with AII the B:Aldo output ratio ranged from 1.0 to 1.9, whereas the corresponding ratio was between 9.0 and 17.0 when the cells were maximally stimulated with 1-24 ACTH."}
{"id": "PMID:1490578", "title": "[Anti-Rho[D] antigen monoclonal antibodies. II. Serological characteristics of monoclonal IgG1 antibodies].", "content": "Four IgG1 monoclonal antibodies (MoAbs) to the Rh antigen D, produced by stable Epstein-Barr virus transformed B-lymphoblastoid cell lines were assessed in different serological tests. Their suitability in blood group typing was shown in antiglobulin, enzyme or albumin methods. The specificity and activity of MoAbs was tested with a panel of red cells of various Rh-phenotypes. The supernatants of all four lines showed anti-D specificity and ability to react with Du red cells. Mean level of MoAbs concentration was near 10 micrograms/ml. These human anti-D MoAbs proved to be useful D-typing diagnostic reagents."}
{"id": "PMID:1490584", "title": "Stimulatory effects of serotonin on maturational gonadotropin release in the Atlantic croaker, Micropogonias undulatus.", "content": "The effects of serotonin (5-HT) injection alone, and in combination with des Gly10 [D-Trp6]-luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone ethylamide (LHRHa), on plasma maturational gonadotropin (GtH) levels in the Atlantic croaker, Micropogonias undulatus, were examined. An injection of 5-HT (20 micrograms/g body wt) alone did not significantly elevate GtH levels, whereas simulatneous administration of LHRHa (20 ng/g body wt) and 5-HT elicited a greater elevation of plasma GtH levels than that induced by LHRHa alone. Pretreatment of 1-year-old fish with fluoxetine (10 micrograms/g), a 5-HT reuptake inhibitor, only slightly augmented the effect of 5-HT on GtH levels, whereas pretreatment with ketanserin (10 micrograms/g), a 5-HT receptor antagonist, completely inhibited the potentiating effect of 5-HT on the GtH response to LHRHa. Administration of LHRHa (20 ng/g) or 5-HT (20 micrograms/g) significantly elevated GtH levels in the 2- and 3-year-old croaker, but the combined treatment failed to increase GtH levels above those induced by LHRHa alone. However, with a lower dose of LHRHa (5 ng/g), the combination produced an additive effect. Serotonin (20 micrograms/ml media) alone, and in combination with LHRHa (10 ng/ml media), significantly stimulated GtH release from the pituitaries of gonadally mature 2- and 3-year-old female croaker during an 18-hr incubation in vitro, but not from pituitaries of gonadally regressed fish. The combined treatment of LHRHa with 5-HT also significantly stimulated in vitro GtH release during 6- and 12-hr pituitary incubations, whereas these treatments alone were ineffective.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1490585", "title": "Asynchrony of changes in tissue and plasma thyroid hormones during the parr-smolt transformation of coho salmon.", "content": "The relationship between plasma thyroid hormone concentrations and the thyroid hormone concentrations in selected tissues was examined throughout the spring during the typical course of parr-smolt transformation in coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) in fresh water and also in coho salmon moved prematurely to seawater. The thyroid hormones thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3) were extracted from brain, liver, and muscle tissue. The T4 and T3 concentrations in the extracts and plasma were measured by radioimmunoassay. The peak in plasma T4 occurred in late April; however, the concentration of T4 in the brain and liver increased before levels of T4 in plasma increased. During the rise in plasma T4, the T4 content in muscle decreased. Plasma T3 concentrations were unchanged in March and April, but decreased in May. Transfer to seawater eliminated the late April peak in plasma T4 levels, indicating suppressed thyroid activity; however, the tissues of salmon in seawater contained more T3 than tissues of salmon in fresh water at this time. These findings indicate complex peripheral regulation of thyroidal status in this teleost and represent the first bridge between compartmental models of thyroid hormone kinetics and actual measurement of tissue pools of thyroid hormones in an ectothermic vertebrate. In summary, tissue concentrations of thyroid hormones did not echo plasma concentrations, indicating that thyroidal status cannot be inferred from plasma data alone."}
{"id": "PMID:1490579", "title": "[Cyclic neutropenia: a disease or a syndrome?].", "content": "Peripheral blood and bone marrow morphology, blood and bone marrow lymphocyte subpopulation composition were studied in two children with cyclic neutropenia, using flow cytofluorometry, monoclonal antibodies, colony-forming capacity of granulocytic macrophagal precursors in semi-fluid agar. The studies were conducted in varying periods of the neutropenic cycle. Differences were revealed in immunohematologic parameters and clinical course of neutropenia in the two patients. The analysis of the literature data and the authors' own observations of the patients with cyclic neutropenia permitted a suggestion on high heterogeneity of pathogenetic mechanisms of this disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1490586", "title": "Hormonal control of in vitro vitellogenin synthesis in Rana esculenta liver: effects of mammalian and amphibian growth hormone.", "content": "Estradiol 17-beta is known to induce hepatic synthesis and secretion of vitellogenin in all species studied and in Rana esculenta, previous experiments demonstrated the involvement of pituitary in these processes; indeed, in addition to estradiol 17-beta, homologous pituitary homogenate directly stimulated male and female liver to produce vitellogenin in tissue cultures. Therefore, the effect of ovine growth hormone (o-GH) and Rana catesbeiana growth hormone (f-GH) on hepatic vitellogenin synthesis was investigated. In the present in vitro experiments, both o-GH and f-GH positively stimulated vitellogenin synthesis, in female and male liver, in a dose-related fashion. No significant differences were found in VTG levels induced by o-GH and f-GH. The GH stimulatory effects, found during the different phases of the reproductive cycle, displayed different trends related to season and sex."}
{"id": "PMID:1490587", "title": "Thyroid hormone feedback regulation of the secretion of bioactive thyrotropin in the frog.", "content": "Thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH), ovine corticotropin-releasing hormone (oCRH) (both 268 nM), and mammalian gonadotropin-releasing hormone (mGnRH) (268 and 2680 nM) stimulated the secretion of bioactive thyrotropin (TSH) by Rana esculenta pituitaries (pars distalis) in vitro. Preincubation of the pituitaries with 50 ng/ml (64 nM) thyroxine (T4) for 6 hr suppressed the TRH- and oCRH-induced (268 nM) secretion of bioactive TSH, but did not affect the response of the pituitaries to 268 nM mGnRH. Triiodothyronine (T3) (64 nM) reduced both the TRH- and mGnRH-stimulated release of bioactive TSH; the response of TSH to TRH even decreased toward basal levels while a significant TSH response to mGnRH remained. In a separate experiment, pituitaries were preincubated for 6 hr with different equimolar doses of T3 and T4 (6.4, 32, and 64 nM); neither treatment affected the mGnRH-stimulated secretion of bioactive TSH. On the other hand, T4 suppressed the TSH response to TRH in a dose-dependent manner. The inhibitory effects of thyroid hormones on the TRH-induced release of bioactive TSH was present for at least 4 hr after their removal from the incubation medium. These results suggest that thyroid hormones exert a negative feedback control on the secretion of bioactive TSH in adult frogs by a direct action on the pars distalis. There may also be differences in thyroid hormone sensitivities of the TSH responses to mGnRH and TRH."}
{"id": "PMID:1490588", "title": "Effects of atrial natriuretic peptide and toad heart extract on isolated toad Bufo arenarum aortic rings.", "content": "The vascular effects of synthetic atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) (rANP-99-126), and toad heart extract (THE) were examined on isolated toad aortic rings from the toad Bufo arenarum. ANP inhibited contraction produced by human angiotensin II (AT II), norepinephrine (NE), and arginine vasopressin (AVP) in isolated toad aortic rings. The present data show that a relaxant effect of ANP could be obtained also in the noncontracted aortic smooth muscle of toad if it had been previously challenged with AT II or NE and allowed to return to the original basal tension. Bufo arenarum THE was able to relax the AT II-induced contraction in toad aortic rings. In toad arteries contracted with 10(-6) M AT II, ANP produced a dose-dependent relaxation with a half-maximal inhibitory concentration IC50 of 1.2 x 10(-8) M. ANP was not effective in relaxing contraction induced by high K+. The vasorelaxant effect of ANP on AT II-induced contraction was significantly increased in Ca(2+)-free medium containing 3 mM ethylene glycol bis(beta-aminoethyl ether) N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid (EGTA-Ringer) or by pretreatment with the calcium antagonist, diltiazem (DIL). The vasorelaxant effect of ANP on basal tension after treatment with AT II was also obtained in absence of extracellular calcium (EGTA-Ringer). These results show that Bufo arenarum contains ANP-like material and that the ANP relaxant action in the toad aorta is similar to that in mammals."}
{"id": "PMID:1490589", "title": "Annual changes in the binding of follicle-stimulating hormone to gonads and plasma gonadotropin concentrations in Indian weaver birds inhabiting the subtropical zone.", "content": "In birds, annual changes in gonadal weight are much more pronounced in the male than in the female. To analyze the mechanism inducing such a sex difference in the gonadal responsiveness to natural environmental conditions, we measured annual changes in the binding of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) to the gonads and the plasma gonadotropin concentration in adult Indian weaver birds inhabiting the subtropical zone. The binding of FSH was highly specific for mammalian FSHs and located primarily in the gonad. The testicular weight and FSH binding showed marked changes during the annual breeding cycle. The testicular weight was maximal in the breeding phase (June, 1987) and minimal in the nonbreeding phase (December, 1987). FSH binding per unit testicular weight was greatest in the nonbreeding phase, while the total FSH binding per two testes was maximal in the breeding phase and minimal in the regressive phase (October, 1987). In contrast, the changes in the ovarian weight and FSH binding to the ovary were less pronounced than those in the testis. Although FSH binding per unit ovarian weight showed a peak in the nonbreeding phase, there was no significant change in the total FSH binding per ovary during the year, indicating the presence of a clear sex difference in the total FSH binding. Scatchard plot analyses of the binding suggested that the dissociation constant (Kd) ranged from 0.35 to 1.53 nM regardless of sex and season and that the changes in FSH binding were due to changes in the number of binding sites. Plasma FSH and luteinizing hormone (LH) levels markedly changed during the year in both sexes. Both FSH and LH levels were maximal in the breeding phase and minimal in the nonbreeding phase regardless of sex, although the rate of change in either hormone tended to be greater in the male than in the female."}
{"id": "PMID:1490590", "title": "The effects of confinement stress on circulating prolactin levels in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) in fresh water.", "content": "Rainbow trout were confined for 48 hr, during which time water quality either was allowed to deteriorate (resulting in elevated NH3, elevated free CO2, and reduced dissolved O2) or was maintained at preconfinement levels. Fish were removed and blood samples taken at 0, 2, 4, 8, 24, and 48 hr after the onset of confinement from both stressed (confined) and unstressed (unconfined) fish. Plasma cortisol and plasma prolactin (PRL) levels were determined using specific RIAs. Chronic confinement of rainbow trout, accompanied by a decline in water quality, resulted in significant elevation of plasma cortisol, maintained for the period of confinement. Plasma PRL levels were significantly lower in stressed fish, by up to 60% relative to control fish, during the first 24 hr of confinement. The stress of confinement alone, in the absence of deterioration in water quality, produced similar results, with the change in prolactin levels being less rapid but more prolonged under these conditions."}
{"id": "PMID:1490591", "title": "Hormonal control of polymorphic and sexually dimorphic coloration in the lizard Sceloporus undulatus erythrocheilus.", "content": "This study investigated the influence of sex steroids on the expression of seasonally labile and sexually dimorphic coloration in the red-lipped plateau lizard. The responses of ventral blue and polymorphic facial coloration to exogenous steroid administration were assessed. Though facial color is usually dimorphic in nature, males and females did not differ in the degree to which they expressed facial coloration following administration of testosterone (T). Both sexes developed significantly more ventral blue coloration than controls, but a fundamental dimorphism in intensity, favoring males, was maintained throughout the experiment. These results indicate that facial coloration is under activational influence of T. The ventral blue coloration is probably organized at sexual maturation, thus manifesting the more vivid expression in males. Males of this subspecies are polymorphic for facial coloration. Administration of T did not cause any lizards to change hue, whether their color morph was yellow or orange or lacked the facial pigments altogether. The difference among color morphs is probably not controlled by differences in circulating steroid concentrations and is hypothesized to be under genetic control."}
{"id": "PMID:1490592", "title": "Uniform designation for genes of the Calvin-Benson-Bassham reductive pentose phosphate pathway of bacteria.", "content": "Structural and regulatory genes encoding enzymes and proteins of the reductive pentose phosphate pathway have been isolated from a number of bacteria recently. In the phototroph Rhodobacter sphaeroides, and in two chemoautotrophic bacteria, Alcaligenes eutrophus and Xanthobacter flavus, these genes have been found in distinct operons. However, in these three organisms and in other bacteria where certain of these genes have been discovered, a uniform nomenclature to designate these genes has been lacking. This report represents an effort to provide uniformity to the designation of these genes from all bacteria."}
{"id": "PMID:1490593", "title": "Studies on a murine model for evaluation of virulence of Streptococcus suis capsular type 2 isolates.", "content": "Five different parameters, time of incubation of the culture, type of culture medium, inoculum, strain of inbred mice, and age of mice, were tested using the LD50 technique to standardize a murine model for the evaluation of the virulence of Streptococcus suis capsular type 2 isolates. A model using 28 day-old mice belonging to CF1 strain appeared to give the best results. The inoculum size was the parameter most influencing the 50% lethal dose obtained with mice. Inoculation with 1-ml volume of a bacterial suspension instead of 0.1 or 0.5 ml decreased the LD50. The standardized model was used to evaluate the virulence of some isolates of known pathogenicity for pigs. The minimum lethal dose was used in the model and it appeared that the virulence of Streptococcus suis capsular type 2 isolates can be measured from highly virulent to totally avirulent."}
{"id": "PMID:1490594", "title": "In vivo crystal formation in Escherichia coli of an over-expressed soluble form of penicillin-binding protein 5.", "content": "Accumulation of either native membrane-bound or soluble variants of PBP5 over-expressed in the cytoplasm was investigated by electron microscopy of ultra-thin sections. One of the soluble forms of PBP5 (PBP5s353) formed well-ordered crystals inside the cells. Cells sectioned perpendicular to their long axis showed a diamond-shaped crystal whereas cells cut parallel to their long axis contained a long, narrow crystal. In both sectioning directions an ordered ultrastructure was visible as shown by optical diffraction. Computer processing was used to enhance the crystal images. From this the unit cell parameters were calculated as a = 7.6 nm, b = 4 nm, c = 4.2 nm, gamma = 75 degrees. The calculated unit-cell volume of 120 nm3 is large enough to contain one protein molecule."}
{"id": "PMID:1490595", "title": "Distribution of xylanase genes and enzymes among strains of Prevotella (Bacteroides) ruminicola from the rumen.", "content": "The distribution of two xylanase genes was examined by Southern hybridization among 26 strains of the rumen anaerobic bacterium Prevotella (Bacteroides) ruminicola. Hybridization with a xylanase/endoglucanase gene from the type strain 23 was found in six strains while hybridization with a xylanase gene from strain D31d was found in 14 strains. Sequences related to both genes were present, on different restriction fragments, in six strains, whereas no hybridization to either gene was detected in five other strains capable of hydrolysing xylan, or in seven strains that showed little or no xylanase activity. Zymogram analyses of seven xylanolytic strains of P. ruminicola demonstrated interstrain variation in the apparent molecular masses of the major xylanases and carboxymethylcellulases that could be renatured following SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis."}
{"id": "PMID:1490596", "title": "Potassium ions and changes in bacterial DNA supercoiling under osmotic stress.", "content": "Escherichia coli transiently increases both the [ATP]/[ADP] ratio and the negative supercoiling of plasmid DNA when it is shifted to high osmolarity. Here we report that a mutant lacking all saturable K+ transport systems increases the negative supercoiling of the plasmid DNA under upshock but cannot further relax DNA. The mutant dnaK756 behaves like the K+ transport mutant."}
{"id": "PMID:1490597", "title": "Identification of the cellulose-binding domain of the cellulosome subunit S1 from Clostridium thermocellum YS.", "content": "The 3' region of a gene designated cipB, which shows strong homology with cipA that encodes the cellulosome SL subunit of Clostridium thermocellum ATCC 27405, was isolated from a gene library of C. thermocellum strain YS. The truncated S1 protein encoded by the cipB derivative bound tightly to cellulose. The cellulose-binding domain in this polypeptide consisted of a C-terminal proximal 167 residue sequence which showed complete identity with residues 337-503 of mature SL from C. thermocellum strain ATCC 27405. The cellulose-binding domain interacted with both crystalline and amorphous cellulose, but not with xylan."}
{"id": "PMID:1490598", "title": "Isolation of an Aspergillus terreus mutant impaired in arginine biosynthesis and its complementation with the argB gene from Aspergillus nidulans.", "content": "Using filtration enrichment techniques, an Aspergillus terreus arginine auxotrophic strain which contains a mutation that abolishes ornithine transcarbamylase (OTCase) activity has been isolated. This mutant has been genetically transformed with the cloned Aspergillus nidulans OTCase gene. Prototrophic transformants arose at a frequency of about 50 transformants per microgram of plasmid DNA. Southern blot analysis of DNA from the transformants showed that the transforming DNA was ectopically integrated at different locations in the A. terreus genome, often in multiple tandem copies. The transformants were phenotypically stable for several mitotic divisions and retained their capacity to produce extracellular enzymes."}
{"id": "PMID:1490599", "title": "Multiple transformation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae by protoplast fusion.", "content": "A technique for the multiple transformation of yeast by protoplast fusion is described. This involved the PEG-induced fusion of protoplasts from cells which had been treated with chromosome-fragmenting agents (in this case cupferron and hydroxylamine) with protoplasts of triply auxotrophic cells. The recovery of transformants was increased significantly if one of the amino acid requirements of the recipient strain was included in the selection medium. Transformants isolated on supplemented media remained auxotrophic for that requirement. Prototrophic, uninucleate transformants had a DNA content and cellular volume similar to that of the parental strains. Possible mechanisms of gene transfer are discussed. This technique offers the possibility of transferring desirable characteristics from one yeast strain to another without altering the ploidy level of the recipient strain."}
{"id": "PMID:1490600", "title": "Glycosaminoglycans inhibit Candida albicans adherence to extracellular matrix proteins.", "content": "The ability of Candida albicans to adhere to subendothelial extracellular matrix (ECM) may be important in the pathogenesis of disseminated candidiasis. ECM proteins, such as fibronectin, laminin, and types I and IV collagen bind C. albicans avidly. These proteins all possess heparin-binding domains. The influence of the glycosaminoglycans (GAGS) including heparin, heparan sulfate and dextran sulfate on C. albicans adherence to subendothelial ECM and ECM proteins was studied. It was demonstrated that the GAGS inhibited C. albicans adherence to ECM and ECM proteins. This possibly occurred by the GAGS binding to the ECM proteins and, in so doing, masking a preferred ligand for C. albicans adherence."}
{"id": "PMID:1490601", "title": "Luminometric measurement of population activity of genetically modified Pseudomonas fluorescens in the soil.", "content": "Genetically modified cells of Pseudomonas fluorescens, chromosomally marked with genes for bioluminescence, were inoculated into sterile soil microcosms. During incubation for 90 days, viable cell concentration did not change significantly but light output, measured by luminometry, decreased, indicating reduced metabolic activity due to lack of substrates. Amendment with nutrients resulted in parallel increases in both luminescence and dehydrogenase activity. Luminometry therefore enables rapid monitoring of the activity of populations of luminescence-marked microbial inocula in the soil, with greater sensitivity and selectivity than traditional techniques."}
{"id": "PMID:1490602", "title": "Cloning of DNA from a Rhodococcus strain conferring the ability to decolorize sulfonated azo dyes.", "content": "Azo dyes are recalcitrant pollutants. Two sulfonated azo dyes, Orange II and Amido black, are effectively decolorized by certain nocardioform strains of the genus Rhodococcus. A mutant of one of these strains was isolated which had lost azo-dye decolorizing ability and the strain was used to clone DNA conferring this ability, by screening a BclI library constructed from DNA of a decolorizing strain. The relevant genetic information was located on a 6.3-kb fragment of DNA."}
{"id": "PMID:1490603", "title": "Isolation and identification of granule-associated proteins relevant for poly(3-hydroxyalkanoic acid) biosynthesis in Chromatium vinosum D.", "content": "Poly(3-hydroxybutyric acid) granules, which harbored only four major granule-associated proteins as revealed by SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, were isolated from crude cellular extracts of Chromatium vinosum D by centrifugation in a linear sucrose gradient. N-Terminal amino acid sequence determination identified two proteins of M(r) 41,000 and M(r) 40,000 as the phaECv and phaCCv translational products, respectively, of C. vinosum D. In a previous study it was shown that both proteins are required for the expression of poly(3-hydroxyalkanoic acid) synthase activity. The N-terminus of the third protein (M(r) 17,000) exhibited no homology to other proteins. Lysozyme, which was added during purification of the granules, exhibited a strong affinity to PHB granules and was identified as the fourth protein enriched with the granules."}
{"id": "PMID:1490604", "title": "Glucoamylase P gene of Hormoconis resinae: molecular cloning, sequencing and introduction into Trichoderma reesei.", "content": "The glucoamylase P gene of the fungus Hormoconis resinae has been cloned and sequenced from a genomic library. The gene consists of a 2153-bp protein coding region including three introns. The usual number of introns in cloned fungal glucoamylase genes has been four and in some cases five. Two of the glucoamylase P gene introns contain a sequence resembling the consensus sequence found near the 3' splice site in the introns of the fungus Trichoderma reesei cellobiohydrolase 1 (cbh1) gene. The H. resinae glucoamylase P gene, under its own promoter, was introduced into T. reesei, but no expression could be detected."}
{"id": "PMID:1490605", "title": "Mapping of genes on the linear chromosome of the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi: possible locations for its origin of replication.", "content": "Molecular clones of Borrelia burgdorferi, aetiologic agent of Lyme borreliosis, were isolated and analysed by DNA sequence determination. This procedure yielded B. burgdorferi homologues of gidA, gyrB, gyrA, ftsA and ftsZ. The genes were located on the physical map of the B. burgdorferi linear chromosome. Also mapped were the genes fla and p60 while dnaA was mapped using a heterologous probe. gyrA and gyrB were found to be in tandem and were mapped, along with dnaA at the centre of the chromosome. gidA was located close to the left hand extremity of the chromosome. Because gyrB, dnaA and gidA are normally located within 50 kb of the origin of replication (oriC), we propose two possible sites for oriC in the B. burgdorferi linear chromosome."}
{"id": "PMID:1490606", "title": "Plasmid localization of a type E botulinal neurotoxin gene homologue in toxigenic Clostridium butyricum strains, and absence of this gene in non-toxigenic C. butyricum strains.", "content": "It has been shown recently that two Clostridium butyricum strains (ATCC 43181 and ATCC 43755) contain a botulinal neurotoxin type E (BoNT/E) gene closely related to that of C. botulinum type E. In this study, we show that this gene is located on a large plasmid in the two toxigenic C. butyricum strains and is absent in 18 non-toxigenic C. butyricum and C. beijerinckii strains. Interestingly, the 230 bp upstream and the 1260 bp downstream of the neurotoxin coding sequence are not present in either the non-toxigenic C. butyricum or C. beijerinckii strains. Our data suggest a BoNT/E gene transfer from C. botulinum E to originally non-toxigenic C. butyricum strains."}
{"id": "PMID:1490607", "title": "Construction of a shuttle lacZ alpha-based Escherichia coli-actinomycetes vector containing the phage JHJ-3 replicon.", "content": "Using the broad replicating range JHJ-3 phage replicon, a shuttle vector for Escherichia coli and actinomycetes has been constructed. The vector, pOJ31, bears the lacZ alpha fragment allowing a blue/white gene cloning system. pOJ31 also contains a polylinker of 15 unique cloning sites and the phage T7 promoter. The vector has been used to stably express the mel gene from plasmid pIJ702 in Streptomyces lividans."}
{"id": "PMID:1490608", "title": "Reversible expression of flagella in Campylobacter spp.", "content": "The in vitro phase variation of flagella and the transition rates between flagellate and aflagellate phenotypes in Campylobacter species including C. jejuni, C. coli, C. lari (thermophilic campylobacters), C. fetus subsp. fetus, C. fetus subsp. venerealis and C. hyointestinalis were investigated. The change from the flagellate to aflagellate phenotype was detected in all of the 12 Campylobacter strains studied. When measured in a motility medium, flagellate to aflagellate transition in thermophilic campylobacters, C. fetus and C. hyointestinalis strains occurred at a rate of 1.8 x 10(-3) to 7.5 x 10(-3), 3.0 x 10(-4) to 7.8 x 10(-4) and 1.8 x 10(-5) to 7.7 x 10(-6) per cell per generation, respectively. Transition from aflagellate to flagellate phenotype occurred at a rate of 5.8 x 10(-6) to 9.3 x 10(-6) per cell per generation in thermophilic campylobacters and 1.0 x 10(-6) to 1.5 x 10(-6) in C. fetus strains. No reversion from aflagellate to flagellate phenotype could be detected in C. hyointestinalis strains. It was concluded that the ability to reversibly express flagella was inherent in the wild-type strains and the transition rates for both directions were consistent for each strain."}
{"id": "PMID:1490609", "title": "Molecular cloning and expression of the xylanase gene from Chainia in Escherichia coli.", "content": "A complete genomic library of Chainia was constructed in coliphage lambda vector gt10 and was screened for the xylanase gene using an 18-mer mixed oligonucleotide probe corresponding to a six-amino acid sequence of low molecular mass Chainia xylanase. Inserts from 11 putative clones, showing hybridization with the oligonucleotide probe at medium stringency, were subcloned in pUC8 and screened for xylanase gene expression using anti-xylanase antibodies. The restriction map of the insert (1.4 kb) from one of the four immunopositive clones (PVX8) showing detectable xylanase activity was constructed. The xylanase activity of PVX8 was not induced by IPTG or xylan. Reorientation of the insert by directional cloning into pUC9 had no effect on the xylanase activity suggesting that an indigenous promoter from Chainia is responsible for the xylanase activity."}
{"id": "PMID:1490610", "title": "The putative sigma factor KatF (RpoS) is required for the transcription of the Salmonella typhimurium virulence gene spvB in Escherichia coli.", "content": "The virulence of Salmonella typhimurium for mice is dependent on a plasmid-borne gene cluster termed spv. We previously determined that both S. typhimurium and Escherichia coli bacteria grown in a rich medium preferentially express the spv genes during the stationary phase of growth. In this study we evaluated the role of KatF, a putative sigma factor for starvation- and stationary phase-induced genes, in the expression of the spvB gene. The transcription of spvB in E. coli was compared in katF and wild-type backgrounds, using cloned spvB-lacZ and spvB-cat fusions. Expression of spvB was found to be greatly affected in katF mutants. Complementation experiments performed with the cloned katF gene confirmed that KatF is required for the expression of the S. typhimurium virulence gene spvB in E. coli."}
{"id": "PMID:1490611", "title": "The nature and site of biocide-induced sublethal injury in Bacillus subtilis spores.", "content": "Spores of Bacillus subtilis NCTC 8236 exposed at 22 degrees C to test biocides (alkaline glutaraldehyde, an iodophor, Lugol's solution, sodium hypochlorite and sodium dichloroisocyanurate) demonstrated varying degrees of injury to stressing agents (sodium hydroxide, sodium lauryl sulphate, polymyxin B sulphate or cetylpyridinium chloride) incorporated into a recovery agar medium. This injury to stressing agents was expressed mainly during outgrowth."}
{"id": "PMID:1490612", "title": "Degenerate PCR primers for the amplification of fragments from genes encoding response regulators from a range of pathogenic bacteria.", "content": "Many bacterial responses to environmental stimuli are mediated by response regulators which coordinately regulate genes involved in particular adaptive responses. Degenerate oligonucleotide primers were used to amplify by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), fragments from genes encoding eleven novel response regulators. Sequence and phylogenetic analysis revealed that phoB, phoP and creB gene fragments had been amplified from Yersinia enterocolitica and Yersinia pseudotuberculosis, and that a creB sequence had been amplified from Campylobacter jejuni. Four amplified fragments from C. jejuni, Listeria monocytogenes, Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Escherichia coli clearly came from response regulator genes, but were not closely related to any of the known genes. Mutagenesis of the newly identified genes should allow us to determine their function and the genes under their control."}
{"id": "PMID:1490613", "title": "Isolation and partial characterization of SSI-like protease inhibitors from Streptomyces.", "content": "We attempted to screen a series of Streptomyces subtilisin inhibitor-like (SIL) proteins among several Streptomyces strains by using a highly sensitive assay system established by us. Of six randomly tested strains, four were found to produce SIL inhibitors as their major secreted proteins, suggesting that they might be distributed in a high frequency among this genus. Three inhibitors exhibited inhibition of both subtilisin BPN' and trypsin. Comparison of the amino terminal sequences of these isolated proteins with those of other reported SIL inhibitors revealed that the beta 1- and beta 2-sheets in SSI were highly conserved."}
{"id": "PMID:1490614", "title": "The PurR binding site in the glyA promoter region of Escherichia coli.", "content": "Site-directed mutagenesis was used to change the PurR binding site in the control region of a glyA-lac gene fusion. Mutations that changed the PurR binding sequence away from the consensus sequence reduced PurR binding, which correlated with reduced purine-mediated repression. Mutations that changed the binding sequence toward the consensus sequence had no significant effect on either PurR binding or purine-mediated repression. Hypoxanthine and guanine, co-repressors for PurR-mediated regulation of the pur regulon, increased binding of PurR to glyA operator DNA."}
{"id": "PMID:1490615", "title": "Pyrimidine base and ribonucleoside catabolic enzyme activities of the Pseudomonas diminuta group.", "content": "Pyrimidine base and ribonucleoside catabolic enzyme activities of the two type strains of the Pseudomonas diminuta group were investigated for taxonomic classification purposes. The presence of the pyrimidine salvage enzyme nucleoside hydrolase was indicated in both type strains following thin-layer chromatographic analysis. The presence of the hydrolase was also confirmed by enzyme assay. In addition, the activities of the pyrimidine salvage enzymes dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase and dihydropyrimidinase were measurable in cell-free extracts of both P. diminuta and P. vesicularis. An absence of cytosine deaminase activity was found when assaying extracts of the two type strains. Nucleoside hydrolase and dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase levels in P. vesicularis were influenced by carbon source while dihydropyrimidinase activity was observed to increase after P. diminuta growth on dihydrothymine as a nitrogen source."}
{"id": "PMID:1490616", "title": "Simplified procedures for detection of amplified DNA using fluorescent label incorporation and reverse probing.", "content": "Conventional methods of detecting polymerase chain reaction (PCR) products require equipment and expertise which may not be available in diagnostic bacteriology laboratories, especially in developing countries. To this end we have examined other methods of product detection, including fluorescein-12-dUTP incorporation during PCR amplification, and reverse probing, where the PCR product is used as the probe in a scaled down hybridization with a fixed capture probe consisting of a fragment entirely internal to the sequence of the PCR product. These techniques have shown sensitivities of 20 fg of purified mycobacterial DNA, which corresponds to approximately five cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1490617", "title": "Biopsy of canine ear tissue for detection of Borrelia burgdorferi following Ixodes dammini feeding.", "content": "A punch biopsy method was developed to detect and cultivate Borrelia burgdorferi from canine ear tissue. The biopsy procedure was sensitive in that spirochetes were detected in 100% of the dogs upon which infected ticks had fed. B. burgdorferi could be cultured as early as 6 days after tick feeding at which time the organisms could not be concurrently recovered from peripheral blood. The ear punch biopsy provides a reliable method for sampling live canines and should prove useful for detecting early B. burgdorferi infection and for monitoring duration of non-disseminated infection. Additionally, the procedure will aid in the development of an animal model for evaluation of preventive and therapeutic treatment modalities."}
{"id": "PMID:1490618", "title": "Effects of ethanol on the growth and elongation of Escherichia coli under high pressures up to 40 MPa.", "content": "The effects of ethanol on growth, viability and cell length were studied in Escherichia coli cultured under pressures up to 40 MPa (400 bar). A pressure of 10 MPa reversed the effect of ethanol in retarding cell growth. Cells cultured in the absence of ethanol became about seven times longer at 40 MPa than at atmospheric pressure, and some cells showed incomplete cell division. Ethanol also increased cell length but these effects were not seen at pressures of 20 MPa or more."}
{"id": "PMID:1490619", "title": "Management of allergies to animals.", "content": "Allergy to animals affects between 15 to 30% of atopic persons and about the same proportion of all those who work with laboratory animals. The responsible allergens are contained in the urine, saliva, and secretions of furred animals. The allergens apparently dry on fur, bedding, or other fomites so that with disturbance, the antigen becomes airborne on particles or \"vectors\" of diverse size. Many of these vectors are small enough to remain airborne and reach the lower airway. They adhere to surfaces in the environment such as rugs, walls, and clothing, so that animal allergens are found in virtually every sample of household dust and in the air and surfaces throughout most research facilities. This creates a reservoir of allergen that makes total elimination of the allergen from any environment very difficult. It then becomes important to understand the minimum level of allergen capable of inducing symptoms in sensitized patients so strategies can be developed to reduce exposures to below these limits. Otherwise, management will depend on nearly complete avoidance of animal dander, a difficult task. Alternatively, it will be necessary to modify the allergic host with drugs or immunotherapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1490622", "title": "Mast cell disease.", "content": "The mast cell, equipped with enzymes, chemotactic factors, a vasoactive amine, an anticoagulant, and lipid-derived proinflammatory products, may be essential in tissue modeling as well as in defense. Its primarily perivascular location in skin and the mucosa of the respiratory tract and the gut assures its availability to counter parasites. By the same token, the mast cell is responsible for interactions with inhaled, ingested, and injected antigens that comprise IgE-mediated allergic reactions. Abnormally high numbers of mast cells in the skin, either localized or generalized, result in urticaria pigmentosa or generalized cutaneous mastocytosis, respectively. Tissue infiltration by excessive mast cells, primarily in gut, bone, liver, and spleen, results in systemic mastocytosis; this may be accompanied by myelodysplasia or lymphoma and may eventuate in mast cell leukemia. Until the etiology of mastocytosis is understood, the treatment is symptomatic: histamine antagonism by H1 +/- H2 blockade for flushing, itching, and gastric distress; cyclooxygenase inhibition to prevent prostaglandin D2 (PGD2)-induced hypotension when indicated; and oral cromolyn to prevent gastrointestinal symptoms and bone pain."}
{"id": "PMID:1490628", "title": "Age and sex-ratio expression in Drosophila mediopunctata.", "content": "The sex-ratio trait--production of progenies with excess of females due to X-linked meiotic drive in parental males--has a variable expression in Drosophila mediopunctata. We tested the effect of male age and found that aging increases the expression of sex-ratio, a fact relevant for the interpretation of field data and for experimental design."}
{"id": "PMID:1490629", "title": "Localization of genes ecs, dor and swi in eight Drosophila species.", "content": "A cluster of genes corresponding to the early ecdysone stimulated puff 2B of the Drosophila melanogaster X chromosome has been localized using in situ hybridization in eight Drosophila species. Genes ecs, dor and swi from this cluster have been mapped in D. funebris, D. virilis, D. hydei, D. repleta, D. mercatorum and D. paranaensis to the telomeric region of the X chromosome, in D. kanekoi to the distal region, and in D. pseudoobscura, to the proximal region of the X chromosome. It is assumed that organization of this cluster in these species is conserved. In D. hydei, multiple hybridization sites of certain DNA probes from this region were found."}
{"id": "PMID:1490624", "title": "Influenza vaccination: a successful outpatient program.", "content": "We initiated a program to evaluate patient reasons for refusing immunization in an allergy clinic. A general medicine clinic was studied for comparison. For the Northwestern University Allergy Service (NUAS) there were five full-time salaried and seven voluntary physicians. In the general medicine clinic there was one part-time salaried physician. Four hundred eighty-eight NUAS patients and 48 general medicine patients were evaluated. Ninety-five percent of the patients agreed to vaccination. Egg allergy, the only valid contraindication to influenza vaccination, was reported by three (< 1%) patients. Transient mild symptoms consisting of fatigue, myalgias, rhinitis and/or diarrhea were reported in 20% of the patients who received vaccination. No severe systemic reactions were reported. No significant difference in the vaccination acceptance rate was noted between the subspecialty and primary care outpatient clinics. The importance of influenza immunization in patients with asthma and in other high-risk populations deserves emphasis, and high success rates are achievable when emphasized by physicians."}
{"id": "PMID:1490620", "title": "Immunization update.", "content": "During the 1970s and the early 1980s, immunization practices in the United States were unchanged. Immunization against pertussis, tetanus, diphtheria, measles, mumps, rubella, and polio were routinely administered to children. Infections with these organisms declined dramatically. Nonetheless, research was vigorous, culminating in the 1980s in new vaccines and changes in immunization strategies and practices. This presentation will focus on these changes: universal hepatitis B immunization; two-dose schedule for the measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine, Hemophilus influenza type B vaccine for infants, acellular pertussis vaccine as booster immunizations, the inactivated polio vaccine, and the yet-to-be-licensed live varicella vaccine."}
{"id": "PMID:1490621", "title": "IgG subclass deficiency.", "content": "IgG subclasses have been recognized since the early 1960s. Four such subclasses, designated IgG1, IgG2, IgG3, and IgG4, are known to exist. Approximately 65 to 70% of the total circulating IgG in normal persons is of the IgG1 subclass. IgG2 constitutes 20 to 25% of circulating IgG, and IgG3 and IgG4 each represent less than 10%. Deficiencies in the various IgG subclasses have been detected in adults and children with common variable hypogammaglobulinemia as well as in those with relatively normal total IgG levels. An important issue facing clinicians today is to determine what, if any, therapeutic implications are associated with demonstration of an IgG subclass deficiency."}
{"id": "PMID:1490630", "title": "Human handedness and the concept of developmental stability.", "content": "A model is proposed to explain the etiology of pathological handedness. Developmental instability, caused by elevated genotypic homozygosity, environmental disturbances, or their interaction, overrides programmed laterality and handedness in the same way that it perturbs the bilaterally symmetrical expression of morphological and metric traits. The model predicts that pathological handedness should be elevated among individuals with higher than average homozygosity and individuals who have developed under unfavorable uterine environments. Suggestions are offered for specific populations in which the predictions may be tested."}
{"id": "PMID:1490623", "title": "Cytokines: clinical potentials for the allergic patient.", "content": "Classic allergic responses occur as a result of mast cell-bound IgE being cross linked by allergen, causing degranulation and activation with release of multiple biologically active mediators. Such mediators may have a direct effects on target tissues and/or promote the inflammatory milieu typical of late-phase responses. The production of IgE is a normal T-cell dependent antibody response. It is the specificity for allergens that is aberrant, resulting in a hypersensitivity state. Recent work has demonstrated that small molecular weight substances called cytokines are responsible for many immunological activities such as IgE production, mast cell and eosinophil maturation, and proinflammatory mediators that directly contribute to the pathology of late-phase allergic responses. Differences are being sought in the relative production of various cytokines that can be correlated with disease activity. This should find clinical use in diagnosis, prognosis, and/or monitoring of specific immunotherapy. Additionally, therapeutic agents are being sought that have various agonist/antagonist properties to correct aberrant cytokine production. Such agents likely will have a central role in future therapy for allergic diseases."}
{"id": "PMID:1490626", "title": "Characterization of latex antigen and demonstration of latex-specific antibodies by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in patients with latex hypersensitivity.", "content": "Two latex antigens, one extracted from surgical gloves (GE) and the other from the sap of Hevea brasiliensis plant (RPE) were characterized by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. These antigens were used to detect latex specific IgE and IgG antibodies by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in the sera of patients with meningomyelocele (spina bifida) and of normal controls. Of the 36 patients studied, 26 had wheal-and-flare skin-prick test reactivity to latex antigen with 11/26 having had a history of anaphylaxis to latex products. Twenty three of the 26 sera from skin-test positive patients and 10/11 patients with history of anaphylaxis demonstrated significant levels of latex specific IgE and IgG in the sera, whereas only 1/14 normals showed significant antibodies to latex. The remaining 10 patients, all skin-test negative with latex antigens, showed only low levels of antibodies. The findings indicate that the ELISA used in the present study employing partially characterized antigens has sensitivity and specificity to detect latex specific antibodies in the sera of suspected patients and can be used for presumptive diagnosis of latex allergy."}
{"id": "PMID:1490631", "title": "The SbcCD protein of Escherichia coli is related to two putative nucleases in the UvrA superfamily of nucleotide-binding proteins.", "content": "The derived amino-acid sequences of the proteins encoded by E. coli genes sbcC and sbcD have been compared with other protein sequences using computer assisted methods. This work has shown that SbcC and D, which inhibit the propagation of replicons containing long palindromic DNA sequences, are distantly related to two putative bacteriophage nucleases. These nucleases both comprise two polypeptide chains which are the products of genes 46 and 47 of bacteriophage T4 (gp 46 and gp 47) and genes D13 and D12 of bacteriophage T5 (gp D13 and gp D12). The comparisons reveal that SbcC, gp 46 and gp D13 are more closely related to each other than are SbcD, gp 47 and gp D12. SbcC appears to have undergone a partial duplication of an ancestral sequence. These proteins all contain motifs common to the superfamily of nucleotide-binding proteins that includes UvrA and the cystic fibrosis transmembrane regulator CFTR."}
{"id": "PMID:1490627", "title": "Fauna, flora, fowl, and fruit: effects of the Columbian Exchange on the allergic response of New and Old World inhabitants.", "content": "The Columbian Exchange has been described as \"the most important event in human history since the end of the Ice Age.\" This interchange of many species of fauna, flora, fowl, and fruits resulted in new encounters between New and Old World inhabitants. Prominent among these were manifestations of allergic reactions to many of the new substances. Little imagination is required to reflect on what these substances, added to or detracted from both the New and Old World lifestyles, habits, and diets. The numerous peas, vegetable seeds, and grasses, such as sugarcane, introduced during Columbus' later voyages, made an enormous difference in the lives of New World inhabitants, as did the introduction of the cow and horse, not to mention substances such as coconuts and bananas, that are now intimately associated with the Caribbean and the Bahamas. This article focuses on some the more important exchange substances and emphasizes many forms of anaphylaxis: asthma, food allergy, hypersensitivity pneumonitis, chronic bronchitis, rhinitis, serum sickness, and other conditions that developed in both New and Old World inhabitants. To mention only a few examples, the Europeans introduced to the New World potential dangers such as honeybees (anaphylaxis). It also gave the New World the cow and the horse (serum sickness), which became the constant companion of Columbus' Indians and the American cowboy. It gave the Italians their thick red gravy, and the New World its pizza (food allergy). The Caribbean received bananas and coconuts and the New World embraced coffee (caffeine addiction). On the other hand, the exchange also caused Europeans to begin puffing away on tobacco."}
{"id": "PMID:1490625", "title": "Partial albinism, immunodeficiency, and progressive white matter disease: a new primary immunodeficiency.", "content": "We studied 12 children who presented with a recently recognized syndrome. The salient features of this new syndrome were recurrent fever; hepatosplenomegaly; pancytopenia; blond, golden to silvery gray hair; hypopigmented skin, progressive white matter demyelination; and early death. Seven patients died, four with severe central nervous system (CNS) involvement, and three with bone marrow failure and sepsis. Cutaneous anergy to recall antigens was present in all patients. Other immunological abnormalities were poor antibody responses; deficient T-cell responses to phytohemagglutinin (PHA), concanavalin A (Con-A), and allogeneic lymphocytes; hyperresponsiveness of B lymphocytes to pokeweed mitogen; and variable phagocytic defects. Histopathologic examination of the hair and skin biopsies showed characteristic distribution of melanin with melanocytes present in normal numbers but with fewer short dendritic processes. Langerhans' cells were present in normal numbers in some patients and sparse in others. This syndrome seems to cluster into two tribes from two different geographical areas in the Arabian Peninsula. In the eight families studied, 12 other siblings and close relatives were found to be affected. The mode of inheritance in this syndrome is that of an autosomal recessive pattern. We propose the term \"PAID syndrome\" to identify patients with the above features."}
{"id": "PMID:1490644", "title": "Peripheral nervous system in the larynx. An anatomical study of the motor, sensory and autonomic nerve fibers.", "content": "The laryngeal peripheral nervous system is presented on the basis of our results in the cat, following 10 years of investigation using mainly tracer techniques. The present paper focused on the localization of each laryngeal motoneuron, the myotopical arrangements of motoneurons innervating the pharyngeal and esophageal striated muscles within the nucleus ambiguus in the motor nerve supply, and also on the location of neurons, the distribution and density of nerve fibers, the area and laterality of the innervation, and the pathway to the larynx in the sensory and sympathetic nerve supplies. Regarding the parasympathetic nerve supply, the neural ganglia and the ganglionic cells in and around the laryngeal nerves and in the laryngeal framework are demonstrated. Most of this innervation, however, is still unclear. Discussions from the literature are also reported."}
{"id": "PMID:1490643", "title": "Examining the effects of amplification on the nasalance ratios of hearing-impaired children.", "content": "Nasalance scores were obtained for hearing-impaired children. Data speech samples obtained with and without personal amplification were compared for differences between gender and chronological age. Statistical comparisons are presented for each amplification condition. Significant differences for nasalance in the aided and unaided conditions were not evident although a high, positive correlation between conditions was reported. Nasalance, age and gender were not positively related. Dispersion of the nasalance scores for the two speech conditions was suggestive of persisting difficulties with velopharyngeal control during speech activities; mean scores revealed objective evidence of hypernasality."}
{"id": "PMID:1490645", "title": "[Electromyography of the larynx with skin surface electrodes].", "content": "A new method of skin surface electromyography (EMG) was evaluated. Twelve electrodes were placed symmetrically in the cricothyroid and thyroid lamina region. Raw EMG signals were continuously recorded, filtered, and rectified. Phonation of the vowel /a/ triggered a computer, which thereafter stored a 625-ms EMG recording, starting 375 ms before and ending 250 ms after onset of the audible phonation. Sixteen to 64 of these recordings were averaged to eliminate random noise. Twenty-six healthy subjects and 9 patients with unilateral laryngeal paralysis were studied. EMG activity exhibited great intra- and interindividual variation. Often, even in healthy subjects, EMG levels were different between the left and right side of the larynx. Thus, this method is not suitable for diagnosis or follow-up of laryngeal paralysis. Sources of variation in EMG activity are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1490646", "title": "Computerised measurement of fundamental frequency in Scottish neoglottal patients.", "content": "An electrolaryngograph has been used to investigate the fundamental frequency of neoglottal speech produced by patients who have undergone near-total (parsimonious) laryngectomy. The resulting estimates of fundamental frequency were compared with the fundamental frequency of normal and oesophageal speakers of a similar age and Scottish dialect. It was found that the average fundamental frequencies of neoglottal and oesophageal male speakers were higher than those in the normal group, though many fall into the normal range. The fundamental frequency of the single neoglottal female speaker was higher than the normal average, but the fundamental frequencies of all of the oesophageal female speakers were lower than those of the normal female speakers. The 80 and 90% ranges of the alaryngeal speakers were wider than those of the normal speakers, but the average range of neoglottals was narrower than that of the oesophageals for the male speakers."}
{"id": "PMID:1490647", "title": "Myofunctional therapy in patients with orofacial dysfunctions affecting speech.", "content": "Tongue thrusting, deviate swallowing, mouth breathing, orofacial muscle imbalance, deviate mandibular movement and malocclusion are the most important orofacial dysfunctions underlying disorders of articulation. Their development is linked to early bottle feeding and sucking habits. The phoniatrician is charged with the early detection of orofacial dysfunctions affecting speech. Early correction of habits and retraining by speech therapy are important preventive measures. Case histories, phoniatric and myofunctional diagnoses and dental/orthodontic findings were compiled for a total of 103 patients aged 3-30 years (11 +/- 4 years). Forty-five patients have completed a regimen of myofunctional therapy. For these patients highly significant improvements in lip strength, lip closure, breathing and tongue placement as well as in the swallowing pattern and orofacial muscle balance have been observed. Concomitantly, two thirds of the patients (66%) attained normal articulation. Speech defects were resistant to therapy in only 2 cases. In dental/orthodontic practice myofunctional therapy is used for retraining abnormal positions and functions of the orofacial muscles so as to create a normal occlusal relationship. The results of this study show that myofunctional therapy is highly instrumental also in phoniatrics as a special form of treatment for disorders of articulation."}
{"id": "PMID:1490649", "title": "Potassium channel openers: pharmacological and clinical aspects.", "content": "Opening of plasmalemmal K+ channels leads to cellular hyperpolarization which, in excitable tissues possessing voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels, prevents the opening of such channels and thus prevents excitation. In the last few years, an increasing number of compounds have been identified which elicit their effects by opening K+ channels, preferentially in smooth muscle, but also in other excitable tissues. These include the novel benzpyrans, cromakalim and bimakalim, the thioformamide aprikalim, and also well known antihypertensives such as minoxidil sulphate, diazoxide and pinacidil. After a short overview of the various families of K+ channel openers (KCOs), their basic pharmacological properties, including inhibition by the sulfonyl ureas (such as glibenclamide) are presented. The actual discussion concerning the type of K+ channel(s) opened by these compounds and their mechanism(s) of vasorelaxation will be reported. The therapeutic potential of these compounds in the cardiovascular field (as antihypertensives and, in particular, as anti-ischemic agents in heart and skeletal muscle), and in asthma (where they reverse established airway hyperreactivity) will also be discussed. Improved tissue selectivity may be the essential pre-requisite for true clinical success of this class of compounds."}
{"id": "PMID:1490650", "title": "KATP channels modulate GABA release in hippocampal slices in the absence of glucose.", "content": "We studied the effects of KATP channel blockers on [3H]GABA release in the absence of glucose in rat hippocampal slices. The omission of glucose induced a marked increase in the efflux of [3H]GABA, which was antagonized by TTX (1 microM), but not by MK 801 (1 microM) or DNQX (100 microM). Glibenclamide (10-100 microM) increased dose-dependently the release of [3H]GABA evoked in the absence of glucose. An increase in [3H]GABA release was also observed with gliquidone (100-300 microM), another sulfonylurea. The potentiation of [3H]GABA release induced by glibenclamide (100 microM) was antagonized by DNQX but not by MK 801. Thus, in the absence of glucose, KATP channel blockers enhance the release of GABA from rat hippocampal slices; this effect seems to be mediated by an overstimulation of non-NMDA glutamate receptors. On the basis of results reported in the present paper, we suggest that KATP channels may play a role in the regulation of GABAergic activity during hypoglycemia."}
{"id": "PMID:1490651", "title": "Effects of paraldehyde on the convulsions induced by administration of soman in rats.", "content": "The ability of paraldehyde, a potent central nervous system depressant, to prevent the convulsions induced by the organophosphate soman, an irreversible inhibitor of acetylcholinesterase, was studied in rats. Paraldehyde (0.1-500 mg/kg, im) administered 10 min before soman (100 micrograms/kg, sc) did not protect against seizures. Co-administered with atropine sulfate (10 mg/kg, im), paraldehyde produced a clear dose-dependent anticonvulsant response. Although this pre-treatment could delay the occurrence of death, it did not produce any change in the soman-induced 24 h mortality rate. Thus, co-administration of paraldehyde and atropine sulfate might constitute a valuable tool to be used against the convulsant consequences of soman poisoning. However, supplementary pre-medication, in addition to paraldehyde and atropine sulfate, remains necessary to improve the antilethal capacity of the pre-treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1490652", "title": "A French version of the Sickness Impact Profile (SIP): stages in the cross cultural validation of a generic quality of life scale.", "content": "The Sickness Impact Profile is a quality of life scale developed in the United States which is now widely used in clinical trials in chronic conditions such as chronic obstructive lung disease, angina, rheumatoid arthritis, chronic pain, psoriasis, inflammatory bowel disease and cancer. Validated generic scales permit cross cultural comparisons within disease processes in clinical trials. As a simple, direct translation of a scale is inadequate, we have created a French version of the original US version of the Sickness Impact Profile. The first phase was qualitative. A first French translation of the original US version was back translated into English by three independent translators. A second French version resulted from a consensus reached by a panel of lay subjects and health professionals after comparing the original US version, the first French version and the three back translations. This second version was tested with a group of 40 healthy volunteers. This qualitative phase resulted in a French Test Version with content and face validity. The quantitative phase assessed the equivalence of the rank order of each item, by sub scale, in the US version with that of the French Test Version, ie the rank of the French item was comparable (+/- 2) to the rank of the corresponding US item. The French Test Version was tested with 47 healthy subjects. Of the 136 items of the Sickness Impact Profile, 13 were retranslated to create a final French version. This was similarly tested on ten healthy subjects.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1490653", "title": "Twenty-four-hour serum growth hormone, insulin, C-peptide and blood glucose profiles and serum insulin-like growth factor-I concentrations in women with polycystic ovaries.", "content": "Raised insulin levels are now recognized as a characteristic feature of women with polycystic ovaries (PCO), and hyperinsulinism has been shown to stimulate androgen production in such women. We have, however, recently shown that hyperinsulinaemia is present only in the obese subjects with PCO in whom insulin concentrations correlate with those of luteinizing hormone. We therefore studied 24-hour blood profiles of growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) in obese and non-obese women with PCO, for comparison with their levels of insulin, C-peptide and other hormones, such as androgens which are known to be disturbed in PCO. Mean 24-hour GH levels were higher overall in PCO than in control subjects, although the difference was not significant. When, however, a separate analysis was made in obese as compared with non-obese PCO patients, GH concentrations were significantly higher in the non-obese group than in the obese (p = 0.0005). There was a significant negative correlation between body mass index and mean 24-hour GH concentrations (r = -0.641; p = 0.0006). IGF-I concentrations were however similar in the PCO group overall and in controls, as well as in the obese and non-obese PCO patients. The 24-hour blood glucose profile pattern was significantly different in PCO women from controls (p = 0.009), with absence of post-prandial peaks in blood glucose concentrations. These changes were most marked in the non-obese PCO group, who also had significantly lower blood glucose levels than either controls or obese PCO subjects.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1490654", "title": "Menstrual variation in salivary testosterone among regularly cycling women.", "content": "To determine menstrual variation in salivary testosterone daily saliva samples were collected from 20 regularly cycling women. Results indicate that the menstrual profile of salivary testosterone for both ovulatory and anovulatory cycles exhibits local peaks during the follicular phase and at midcycle, as well as a luteal trough. However, the testosterone profile for anovulatory cycles exhibited a later midcycle peak than that for ovulatory cycles, as well as significantly higher average testosterone levels. These results extend the observation of a midcycle peak in serum testosterone to saliva and suggest the existence of a follicular peak in unbound testosterone coincident with the early androgen production of a cohort of developing follicles."}
{"id": "PMID:1490655", "title": "Effects of prolonged treatment with diltiazem on pituitary secretion of luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, thyrotropin and prolactin.", "content": "In previous studies it has been observed that acute administration or short-term treatment with calcium channel blockers can influence the secretion of some pituitary hormones. In this study, we have examined the effect of the long-term administration of diltiazem on luteinizing-hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), thyrotropin (TSH) and prolactin (PRL) levels under basal conditions and after gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH)/thyrotropin-releasing-hormone (TRH) stimulation in 12 subjects affected by cardiovascular diseases who were treated with diltiazem (60 mg 3 times/day per os) for more than 6 months and in 12 healthy volunteers of the same age. The basal levels of the studied hormones were similar in the two groups. In both the treated patients and the control subjects, a statistically significant increase (p < 0.01) in LH, FSH, TSH and PRL levels was observed after GnRH/TRH administration. Comparing the respective areas under the LH, FSH, TSH and PRL response curves between the two groups did not present any statistically significant difference. These findings indicate that long-term therapy with diltiazem does not alter pituitary hormone secretion."}
{"id": "PMID:1490657", "title": "Knemometry in the assessment of short-term linear growth in a population of healthy school children.", "content": "Short-term lower leg length increments were monitored with weekly knemometry measurements during 3 months in 27 healthy school children aged 8-12 years. One year after the first visit the children were measured once again. The mean short term velocity of lower leg growth was 0.40 mm/week (SD 0.12 mm/week). The mean short-term and annual ratios between height velocity and lower leg growth velocity were identical (2.8). The relative variation between two observers was 0.08%. Knemometry is a suitable method for monitoring short-term linear growth in populations of children. Two trained observers may substitute for each other in group studies."}
{"id": "PMID:1490656", "title": "Final height after growth hormone therapy in peripubertal boys with a subnormal integrated concentration of growth hormone.", "content": "The aim of this study was to test the effect of growth hormone (GH) therapy on final height in peripubertal boys with idiopathic short stature in whom a subnormal integrated concentration of GH (< 3.2 micrograms/l) was found. Twenty-eight peripubertal children were studied. Height was below 2 SD for age, growth velocity was < 4.5 cm/year, bone age was more than 2 SD below mean for age and GH response to provocative tests was more than 10 micrograms/l. Eleven subjects (group B) were treated with recombinant GH 0.75 unit/kg/week, divided into 3 weekly doses for 2 years, and then the same weekly dose divided into daily injections was administered until final height was attained. Seventeen untreated children (group A) who were followed until cessation of growth served as controls. The GH-treated patients reached their target heights (-2.1 +/- 0.5, mean +/- SD in SDS) and predicted heights (-1.8 +/- 0.8) determined by the Bayley and Pinneau method, while the final heights of the untreated patients were significantly lower than their target heights and their predicted final heights (-2.7 +/- 0.7, -1.8 +/- 1.0 and -2.7 +/- 0.7, respectively). The main effect of GH was observed during the 1st year of treatment when height velocity was significantly higher in the GH-treated group than in the untreated one (9.3 +/- 2.1 vs. 5.3 +/- 1.1, respectively, p < 0.001). The high cost of the treatment in this specific age group should be weighed against the results."}
{"id": "PMID:1490658", "title": "Serum prolactin in patients with Laron-type dwarfism: effect of insulin-like growth factor I.", "content": "Prolactin (PRL) secretion was studied in Laron-type dwarfism (LTD) patients (8 children and 9 adults) in basal condition, after acute insulin-like growth factor (IGF-I) or TRH injections and during 2 months of daily IGF-I treatment. Basal PRL was repeatedly higher (12.6 +/- 1.6 micrograms/l) than that in control subjects (7.6 +/- 1.2 micrograms/l, p < 0.05). Acute IGF-I injection caused an immediate slight decrease in serum PRL and growth hormone (GH), followed by a progressive rise to mean peak levels of 33.3 +/- 4.5 micrograms/l again parallel to serum hGH which rose to 86 +/- 20 micrograms/l--a response to the IGF-I-induced hypoglycemia. Intravenous TRH in LTD children induced a marked response in serum PRL, similar to that registered in estrogenized adult females. Serum PRL did not show consistent changes during chronic IGF-I treatment. It is suggested that the higher-than-normal PRL levels and release in LTD patients are due to a drift phenomenon of the mammosomatotropes which produce large amounts of hGH."}
{"id": "PMID:1490659", "title": "Direct measurement of immunoreactive renin during changes of posture in man.", "content": "For several years, it has been possible to determine renin by a direct RIA. In the present study, plasma active renin concentration (PRC) was related to plasma renin activity (PRA) and aldosterone as a function of a standardized posture test. Using PRC, our target was to define the shortest necessary test duration. The three parameters were examined in 10 healthy male subjects (22-34 years old). Salt balance was determined in 24-hour urine, and plasma potassium and sodium were measured. Volunteers were hospitalized for 1 night, and at 8 a.m. the next morning they were subjected to the following postural changes: 3 h active orthostasis and 3 h recumbency. Frequent blood samples were taken. Orthostasis induced a significant rise in PRC, PRA and aldosterone already after 15 min. PRC and PRA reached a maximum level after 90 min of orthostasis and remained relatively stable, while aldosterone reached its highest level already after 30 min and then gradually decreased. Significant correlations were found between PRA and PRC (p < 0.001), between PRC and aldosterone (p < 0.001), and between PRA and aldosterone (p < 0.001). The PRC/PRA ratio changed during the course of the test, especially in supine subjects. When subjects returned to the supine position, all the parameters measured began a continual decrease. There were no significant changes in serum potassium and sodium levels throughout the duration of the test.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1490660", "title": "HLA haplotypes and susceptibility to Graves' disease.", "content": "Graves' disease is a polygenic disease in which the HLA cluster could play a role. The purpose of our study is to identify HLA haplotypes in a family with closely related susceptibility to Graves' disease and foresee the risk of disease in the youngest daughter. The family studied had included the father (47 years), mother (46 years) and 3 daughters (18, 17 and 13 years). The mother and 2 eldest daughters were affected by Graves' disease. HLA-A, -B, -C, -DR and -DQ were performed with standard microlymphotoxicity techniques. A mother's role in passing susceptibility to Graves' disease to daughters is undisputed; it seems to be due to the B35 HLA allele. Also, the third daughter (at 15 years) has an HLA B35 allele, and actually has an incipient humoral hyperthyroidism."}
{"id": "PMID:1490661", "title": "Relation between nocturnal melatonin profile and hormonal markers of puberty in humans.", "content": "We examined the relation between nocturnal melatonin and hormonal markers of puberty in 57 normal children and adolescents and 39 subjects with disorders of pubertal onset. Melatonin was measured in hourly blood samples drawn overnight by constant withdrawal. Basal 08.00 h plasma testosterone, estradiol and LH, and the peak LH response to LHRH administration were determined. There were no significant correlations between testosterone, estradiol, basal LH and peak LH and melatonin peak (r = -0.18, -0.22, -0.02, -0.12, respectively) or melatonin peak time (r = 0.12, -0.01, -0.02, 0.07 respectively). The results were not affected significantly by sex, diagnosis or age. A comparison of subjects grouped by peak LH < 15 U/l (most likely prepubertal; n = 40) and peak LH > 30 U/l (most likely pubertal; n = 34) showed no significant differences in melatonin peak (160.5 +/- 59.3 vs. 146.6 +/- 50.9 pg/ml; t = 1.09; p > 0.05) or melatonin peak time (1.8 +/- 1.7 vs. 2.5 +/- 1.7 h; t = -1.79; p > 0.05). Although a pineal-puberty relation cannot be excluded, the results do not support the hypothesis that melatonin restrains the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis during childhood."}
{"id": "PMID:1490662", "title": "Normal hemodynamic and coagulation responses to 1-deamino-8-D-arginine vasopressin in a case of lithium-induced nephrogenic diabetes insipidus. Results of treatment by a prostaglandin synthesis inhibitor (indomethacin).", "content": "The effect of 1-deamino-8-D-arginine vasopressin (DDAVP) on mean arterial pressure, pulse rate (PR), plasma renin activity (PRA), plasma factor VIIIc and von Willebrand factor were studied in a case of persistent lithium-induced nephrogenic diabetes insipidus (LINDI). 20% decrease in MAP, 22% increase in PR, 100% in PRA, and release of coagulation factors (2- to 3-fold) were noticed after infusion of 0.3 micrograms/kg DDAVP. Urinary prostaglandin (PG) E2 were enhanced. The treatment of this LINDI by PG synthesis inhibitor (PSI) combined with a low osmotic diet (LOD) led to a 51% fall in urine volume, 57% in free water clearance and 75% in sodium clearance. Urinary osmolality rose by 42% but remained low, probably in part because of the LOD. Urinary PGE2 was about one fifth of the initial high value. The results argue for (1) an end-organ resistance to DDAVP confined to the kidneys in LINDI and (2) an effectiveness of indomethacin combined with an LOD."}
{"id": "PMID:1490663", "title": "Stimulation of nitrogen and whole-body protein metabolism in growth hormone-deficient children by recombinant human growth hormone: relationship to growth.", "content": "The effect of a mammalian-cell-derived recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) on nitrogen and whole-body protein metabolism was assessed in 12 children with complete growth hormone (GH) deficiency. All the patients received single oral doses of 15N-glycine (95 atom % 15N), 20 mg/kg body weight, prior to and following 7 days of treatment with rhGH, 1.7 IU/m2 body surface area (BSA) per day, administered subcutaneously. Prior to rhGH, mean urinary 15N-nitrogen excretion was 42.8 +/- 8% of the administered dose, which fell significantly to 22.8 +/- 7% during rhGH administration (p < 0.0001). Stimulation of protein metabolism by rhGH resulted in a protein net gain rate of 1.1 +/- 0.4 g/kg/day, which was significantly higher than the 0.6 +/- 0.5 g/kg/day rate seen prior to rhGH (p < 0.001). In patients subsequently placed on daily subcutaneous injections of rhGH 1.7 IU/m2 BSA, mean height velocity standard deviation score (HV SDS) for chronological age significantly increased from -3.8 +/- 2.6 to +8.5 +/- 3.1 and +3.3 +/- 2.2, during the 1st and 2nd years of treatment, respectively. However, there was no correlation between the long-term response to rhGH treatment and the short-term changes in nitrogen or protein metabolism in GH-deficient children."}
{"id": "PMID:1490664", "title": "Spanish multicenter clinical trial of recombinant growth hormone produced in mammalian cells for treatment of growth failure due to idiopathic growth hormone deficiency. Spanish Multicenter Study Group.", "content": "A total of 17 patients (14 boys, 3 girls) with poor growth due to idiopathic growth hormone deficiency (IGHD) were treated for 12 months with recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH; Saizen), 0.5 IU/kg body weight per week administered by subcutaneous injection on a daily basis. Therapy significantly increased growth velocity (GV) from 4.0 +/- 1.5 to 10.1 +/- 2.4 cm/year (p < 0.001). Correspondingly, GV standard deviation score (GV SDS) for chronological age (CA) increased from -2.7 +/- 1.6 to +4.5 +/- 2.8; GV SDS for bone age (BA) increased from -4.0 +/- 2.0 to +3.6 +/- 3.3; and patient height SDS-CA increased from -3.5 +/- 1.1 to -2.4 +/- 0.7. Changes in these parameters were significant at p < 0.001. During the course of the study, mean plasma IGF-1 levels rose significantly from 0.3 +/- 0.2 IU/ml to 1.3 +/- 1.2 IU/ml (p < 0.01). BA maturation proceeded at approximately 1 year per treatment year. Therapy was well tolerated. Anti-hGH antibodies were seen in only 1 patient at a low concentration, and did not appear to affect GV. This study demonstrates that rhGH is safe and efficacious when used to increase height in patients with IGHD."}
{"id": "PMID:1490665", "title": "Growth response to recombinant human growth hormone of mammalian cell origin in prepubertal growth hormone-deficient children during the first two years of treatment.", "content": "In five clinical studies performed in Austria, France, the FRG, Italy, Switzerland, the UK and the USA, 304 growth hormone (GH)-deficient children were treated with recombinant human GH (rhGH) of mammalian cell origin. Two hundred and twenty-five patients were previously untreated (naive patients), and 79 were transferred from pituitary hGH after interruption of therapy for at least 6 months (transfer patients). Two treatment protocols, differing in both dose and frequency of injections, were used: (1) a dose of 0.6 IU/kg body weight per week was administered in 3 s.c. injections to 203 patients (178 naive, 25 transfer; group 1); and (2) a dose of 0.45 IU/kg body weight per week was administered in 7 s.c. injections to 101 patients (47 naive, 54 transfer; group 2). After 1 and 2 years of treatment, 143 and 109 naive, and 51 and 46 transfer patients, respectively, were still prepubertal, and their data were analyzed for efficacy. During the 1st year of treatment, both naive and transfer patients on daily injections (group 2) demonstrated better growth than those on 3 injections per week (group 1), with height velocities (HVs) of 10.6 +/- 2.7 cm/year (group 2) versus 8.6 +/- 2.0 cm/year (group 1) for naive patients (p < 0.001), and 9.9 +/- 1.9 cm/year (group 2) versus 7.2 +/- 2.7 cm/year (group 1) for transfer patients (p < 0.001). The corresponding changes in height standard deviation score (delta H SDS) for chronological age (CA) were +1.3 +/- 0.6 (group 2) versus +0.8 +/- 0.5 (group 1) for naive patients (p < 0.01), and +1.1 +/- 0.3 (group 2) versus +0.6 +/- 0.4 (group 1) for transfer patients (p < 0.001).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1490666", "title": "Recombinant human growth hormone and oxandrolone in treatment of short stature in girls with Turner syndrome.", "content": "91 girls with Turner syndrome (TS) with a mean chronological age (CA) and bone age (BA) of 10.3 +/- 2.3 and 8.9 +/- 1.9 years, respectively, were randomly assigned to subcutaneous treatment with recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) alone (n = 47), 2.6 IU/m2 body surface area daily or combination treatment (n = 44) with the same dose of rhGH and oxandrolone 0.1 mg/kg body weight orally, for the first 12 months of this study. During the 1st year of therapy, there was a striking increase in height velocity (HV) in both groups, from 4.0 +/- 0.8 to 6.3 +/- 1.3 cm/year [HV standard (standards of untreated Turner patients) deviation score (SDS) for CA from 0.0 +/- 0.7 to 2.9 +/- 1.3] in the rhGH group and from 4.2 +/- 1.2 to 8.5 +2- 1.7 cm/year (HV SDS-CA from +0.3 +/- 1.0 to 5.6 +/- 1.6) in the combination group. The difference between the groups was statistically significant (p < 0.01). During the 2nd year of treatment, the rhGH dose was increased to 3.4 IU/m2 daily for the rhGH-alone group, whereas in the combination treatment group the oxandrolone dose was reduced to 0.05 mg/kg daily. HV was maintained at significantly higher levels than those prior to treatment, at 5.3 +/- 1.1 cm/year (HV SDS-CA: +2.1 +/- 1.3) and 6.2 +/- 1.5 cm/year (HV SDS-CA: +3.6 +/- 1.4) in the rhGH-alone and the combination group, respectively (p < 0.001).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1490667", "title": "Immunogenicity of a mammalian cell-derived recombinant human growth hormone preparation during long-term treatment.", "content": "The development of anti-human growth hormone (anti-hGH) and anti-host-cell protein antibodies to recombinant hGH (rhGH) of mammalian cell origin was determined in 395 children (304 GH deficiency; 91 Turner syndrome) undergoing long-term treatment (up to 54 months) for growth disorders. In all patients, blood samples were obtained prior to and every 2-3 months during treatment, and analyzed at a central laboratory for anti-hGH antibodies by RIA and antibodies to host-cell antigens by ELISA. During the first 24 months of treatment, 9 (3%) of the 304 patients with GH deficiency developed antibodies to rhGH for longer than 3 months. However, persistent antibodies were seen in only 2 patients, both of whom had proven hGH-N gene defects. In the remaining 7 (2%) anti-rhGH-antibody-positive patients, antibody concentrations showed a tendency to increase for 3-12 months, irrespective of the time of onset of measurable concentrations, and declined thereafter. In these patients, binding capacities were between 0.01 and 0.1 mg/l, and binding affinities were between 7 x 10(8) and 8 x 10(9) l/mol. Height velocity was unaffected in these children. None of the 91 patients with Turner syndrome developed persistent anti-hGH antibodies. Further, no child developed antibodies to host-cell antigens during treatment with rhGH of mammalian cell origin."}
{"id": "PMID:1490668", "title": "Pharmacokinetics and short-term metabolic effects of mammalian cell-derived biosynthetic human growth hormone in man.", "content": "The pharmacokinetics and acute effects of an authentic recombinant DNA-derived human growth hormone (rhGH) produced by genetically engineered mammalian cells were determined in 12 healthy volunteers following intravenous (i.v.), intramuscular (i.m.) and subcutaneous (s.c.) administration of 4 IU (1.3 mg) hGH/m2 body surface area. Following i.v. administration, apparent elimination half-life of rhGH was 18 min. Following i.m. administration, a mean peak serum concentration of 36.9 ng/ml (range 13-61 ng/ml) occurred at 3 h, and following s.c. administration, more sustained but lower serum concentrations occurred, with mean peak concentrations of 16.4 and 16.3 ng/ml at 4 and 6 h (ranges 9.0-27.5 ng/ml and 6.5-35.5 ng/ml at 4 and 6 h, respectively). The mean area under the curves was lower after s.c. (134 +/- 48 ng.h.ml-1) than after i.m. (194 +/- 48 ng.h.ml-1) injections (p < 0.03). Comparable results were obtained for the same dose of rhGH given subcutaneously in concentrations of either 4 IU/ml or 10 IU/ml. Both i.m. and s.c. administrations caused similar increases in free fatty acids at 4 h and insulin-like growth factor I at 24 h. Insulin, C-peptide and blood glucose were almost unchanged during the first 4 h after administration, whereas leukocytes increased significantly (p < 0.0001). Local and systemic tolerance were good, and no adverse reactions were observed. In a GH-deficient child, hGH serum levels between 10 and 20 ng/ml were demonstrated for a period of 8 h after s.c. administration of 0.07 IU rhGH/kg body weight."}
{"id": "PMID:1490671", "title": "Improvement of metabolic control and changes of fatty acid composition do not alter platelet aggregability and thromboxane production in type 2 diabetes mellitus.", "content": "To evaluate whether improvement of metabolic control or changes in fatty acid composition of serum lipids may alter thromboxane (TXB2) formation and platelet function we followed up 25 newly diagnosed type 2 diabetics without angiopathy for about 6 months. Improvement of metabolic control was associated with significant decrease in total cholesterol (C), HDL-C, LDL-C, triglycerides (TG) and ratios of total C/HDL-C and LDL-C/HDL-C, respectively. Palmitic acid of TG and phospholipids decreased significantly whereas linoleic acid increased in the two serum lipids. The ADP-induced platelet aggregability and sensitivity were not altered. There was even no effect on TXB2 synthesis capacity of clotting whole blood during 6 months of treatment. Platelet aggregability and TXB2 formation were not correlated to the degree of metabolic control, nor was there any correlation to serum lipids and their fatty acid composition."}
{"id": "PMID:1490672", "title": "High urinary excretion of adrenaline in insulin dependent diabetic subjects.", "content": "In view of the hyperglycemic and ketogenic actions of catecholamines, studies on the adrenergic pattern in diabetic patients are relevant to the management of diabetes. We have studied urinary adrenaline and noradrenaline excretion in 4-hour collections in 16 type I diabetic male patients without signs of autonomic or peripheral neuropathy and 11 age-weight matched controls. In diabetic patients adrenaline levels were higher than control subjects (26.8 +/- 3.9 vs 10.7 +/- 3.0 nmol/4h; p < 0.003) but did not differ in respect of noradrenaline (62.6 +/- 6.8 vs 59.6 +/- 10.8 nmol/4h) and creatinine excretion. This finding demonstrates a hyperactivity of the adrenal medulla in diabetic patients without concomitant elevations of noradrenaline. This occurred in absence of hypoglycemia and seems to be a common feature of type I diabetics without complications. Since these levels of adrenaline are sufficient to stimulate both lypolysis and glycogenolysis a previous characterization of adrenomedullary activity may help to better define insulin demands in diabetic patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1490673", "title": "Responses of peripheral blood cells to acute insulin-induced hypoglycaemia in humans: effect of alpha-adrenergic blockade.", "content": "Acute hypoglycaemia provokes rapid changes in peripheral blood cell counts. To examine possible adrenergic mechanisms modulating these changes, counts of peripheral blood cells including lymphocytes, granulocytes and red cells were measured in response to acute hypoglycaemia in a group of six normal subjects in control conditions (study 1), and during alpha-adrenergic blockade with phentolamine (study 2). In study 1 hypoglycaemia provoked a biphasic white cell response, with an early rise in lymphocyte count and a later rise in granulocyte count. The red cell count increased modestly following hypoglycaemia. During alpha-adrenergic blockade, the rise in total white cell count was diminished, with the rise in the lymphocyte count being greatly obtunded. The rise in the granulocyte count was unchanged. The increment of the red cell count during acute hypoglycaemia was abolished. These findings suggest that the increments of peripheral lymphocyte and red cell counts in response to acute insulin-induced hypoglycaemia are mediated via alpha-adrenoreceptors."}
{"id": "PMID:1490674", "title": "Etiology and pathogenesis of type 1 diabetes.", "content": "An increasing bulk of evidence suggests that type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus is an autoimmune disease with a strong immunogenetic background. 1st-degree relatives of type 1 diabetic patients, especially HLA-identical individuals, bear an increased risk to develop the disease. The autoimmune reactions are pronounced at the onset of disease where an infiltration of islets with T and B lymphocytes, plasma cells and macrophages can be observed. Autoreactive T lymphocytes play a crucial role among effector mechanisms which finally lead to a selective destruction of pancreatic beta cells. Disease-specific autoantibodies (Ab) include cytoplasmic islet cell Ab (ICA), islet cell surface Ab (ICSA), Ab to the 64KD islet cell protein and Ab to insulin (IAA). As ICA can be detected months or years before the onset of clinical disease, testing of individuals at risk or population screening programs can help to recognize subclinical insulitis. High titers of ICA and high levels of IAA, as measured by radioimmunoassay, indicate a high risk for progression to type 1 diabetes. A blunted first phase insulin response in the i.v. glucose tolerance test is the most sensitive sign of an irreversible metabolic deterioration. It is likely that immunotherapy at a prediabetic state will be more efficacious than its initiation after the clinical manifestation of diabetes. However, the appropriate immunotherapeutical strategies are yet to be worked out."}
{"id": "PMID:1490675", "title": "A new ELISA measuring antibodies to islet cell membranes: levels are increased in type 1 diabetes.", "content": "Using purified rat islet cell membranes as the solid phase antigen we have established an ELISA to detect anti-islet cell membrane antibodies. Levels were increased in Type 1 diabetics compared to controls (p < 0.02). There was no relationship between the level of antibodies to the membrane and the presence of islet cell cytoplasmic antibody (ICA), suggesting that they are not the same. The assay offers the opportunity to study antibodies to human beta cell membranes, the target of the immune attack in type 1 diabetes."}
{"id": "PMID:1490676", "title": "A new ELISA assay for islet cell surface antibodies determination in type 1 diabetes mellitus of recent onset.", "content": "Sera from 46 newly diagnosed type 1 diabetic patients and from 100 normal controls were screened for ICA Cf ICA (standard immunofluorescence test) and for ICSA (ELISA assay) detection. Among 46 patients, 33 (71.7%) were ICA positive (16 of them also Cf ICA positive) and 21 resulted ICSA positive (45%). No correlation was found between ICSA, ICA and Cf ICA respectively. Therefore the ICSA detection, by a new and sensitive ELISA assay, in addition to ICA immunofluorescence determination, may be of significant diagnostic value in IDDM of recent onset."}
{"id": "PMID:1490677", "title": "CD11B lymphocytes in type 1 diabetes mellitus of recent onset.", "content": "To evaluate the behaviour of CD8+ cells (suppressor/cytotoxic T lymphocytes) and CD8+Leu15+ cells (CD11B, suppressor T lymphocytes) in type 1 diabetes mellitus, 27 newly diagnosed diabetic patients and 47 normal controls were studied. CD8 cells were significantly increased in 6 patients, decreased in 9 and unchanged in 12. In all diabetic patients was present a lack of CD8+ Leu15+ cells. These results show that in newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes mellitus, suppressor T lymphocytes are reduced independently from the number of CD8 cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1490678", "title": "C4 serum levels in newborns of diabetic mothers: relationship with metabolic assessment during pregnancy.", "content": "Serum levels of C4 complement factor are lower in diabetic patients: it is supposed that this finding is related to genetic inheritance factors of diabetes. The purpose is to compare C4 levels in newborns of diabetic mothers with maternal metabolic control during pregnancy. The results suggest that metabolic control could influence the expression of genetic factors of diabetes; in fact C4 serum levels in newborns are significantly higher (p < 0.01) than controls, but not different from those observed in large newborns of non diabetic mothers."}
{"id": "PMID:1490679", "title": "Insulin analogues with improved absorption characteristics.", "content": "The insulin preparations available today are not ideal for therapy as s.c. injection does not provide a physiological insulin profile. With the aim to improve the absorption properties recombinant DNA technology has been utilized to design novel insulin molecules with changed physico-chemical characteristics and hence altered subcutaneous absorption kinetics. Soluble, long-acting human insulin analogues in which the isoelectric point has been increased from 5.4 to approx. 7 are absorbed very slowly, providing a more constant basal insulin delivery with lower day-to-day variation than present protracted preparations. In addition they have better storage stability. Rapid-acting human insulin analogues with largely reduced self-association are absorbed substantially faster from subcutaneous tissue than current regular insulin and thus are better suited for bolus injection. The absorption kinetics of these analogues have been able to explain the mechanism behind the dose effect on insulin absorption rate."}
{"id": "PMID:1490680", "title": "Entero-insular axis and diabetes mellitus.", "content": "1. The incretin effect (i.e. the difference between the insulin response after oral and i.v. glucose) is reduced in type 2 diabetes although GIP secretion is normal or exaggerated. This suggests an insensitivity of the diabetic B-cell to GIP. However, it could also indicate the lack of another not yet defined \"incretin\". 2. While CCK is a potent incretin in rats and dogs, physiological concentrations of this hormone do not stimulate insulin secretion in man in presence of elevated blood levels of glucose or phenylalanine in the physiological range. It also does not interact with GIP. 3. Glucagon-like peptide I (7-36) is a potent glucose-dependent stimulator of insulin secretion in animals and man. Preliminary data suggest release after oral glucose despite localization of the GLPI containing cells predominantly in the ileum and colon. More data are needed before GLPI (7-36) can be regarded as a physiological incretin and its role in type 2 diabetes assessed."}
{"id": "PMID:1490681", "title": "Proinsulin as a possible therapeutic agent.", "content": "Gene technology has made significant amounts of biosynthetic human proinsulin (BHP) for biological and clinical studies available. It has been shown both in vitro and in vivo that BHP is about 10% as active as biosynthetic human insulin. More specifically it is 8% as potent regarding its action in stimulating peripheral glucose disposal and 12% as potent in suppressing hepatic glucose output. Its hypoglycemic effect is rather produced by the intact molecule or its intermediates and not by conversion to insulin or C-peptide. BHP appears to exert a more prolonged action when administered subcutaneously compared to NPH insulin. Furthermore because of its weaker effect on peripheral glucose utilization it is expected to create less profound hypoglycemia. Under conditions of equipotency BHP may stimulate triglyceride synthesis in a lower degree and in that way be less lipogenic. On longterm basis BHP proved to have a low immunogenic potential. We investigated the efficacy of BHP in split doses in type II diabetics with relative insulin resistance. Glucose levels at 1600 and 2000 and 0400 hrs as well as integrated glycemia over the 24 h period were lower under BHP. The potency of BHP in this and other studies has been demonstrated after application of greater quantities from it in terms of equimolarity. Nevertheless there are certain features such as the protracted action, the stronger effect on hepatic glucose production and the lower suppression of endogenous insulin secretion which make proinsulin a promising agent in the future management of type II diabetes."}
{"id": "PMID:1490682", "title": "Timing between the subcutaneous administration of insulin and consumption of a carbohydrate rich meal.", "content": "There is considerable uncertainty as to the appropriate timing of preprandial injections of short acting insulin before consumption of a meal. 8 healthy male volunteers were subjected to a glucose clamp (glucose 4.2 mmol/l) by means of a continuous insulin infusion on two occasions. On each occasion the subjects ingested a standardized meal. Twelve units of short acting insulin were injected subcutaneously either immediately before (A) or 30 min prior to the meal (B). In a control study (C) only the meal was consumed. The maximal increment of insulin concentrations after sc injection was 53.1 (6.9) mU/l in A and 58.6 (5.1) mU/l in B and thus comparable to C (52.8 (4.7) mU/l), however it was reached 30 to 60 min later as compared to endogenous stimulation. Injection 30 min prior to meal resulted in higher insulin concentrations early after the meal, but the glucose infusion rate doubled to 5.3 (0.3) mg/kg/min before the meal in order to prevent hypoglycaemia. Omission of this time interval is less hazardous, but bears the risk of late postprandial hyperinsulinaemia."}
{"id": "PMID:1490684", "title": "Experiences with a computerized diabetes information system.", "content": "This study shows the results of working with a computerized system which stores values of blood glucose, insulin, diet and exercise and demonstrates which diabetic patients are suitable for continuous monitoring. The recording of blood glucose as well as the insulin doses, diet and exercise correlated to time is more accurate and easier than the usual protocolling of data. Deficiencies in diet, exercise or insulin regimens are detected more easily by evaluation of data with a computerized system, for example by making an average profile of a day. These results have a strengthening effect: Well controlled diabetic patients are ambitious to further improve their blood glucose control. Poorly controlled diabetics appear to be frustrated by this kind of unfailing control."}
{"id": "PMID:1490683", "title": "Insulin delivery by implantable pumps.", "content": "We have developed a neutral human insulin (Hoe 21 GH) which is stabilized for use in implantable roller pumps. After extensive in vitro tests and animals experiments this preparation was selected for a clinical trial in humans. Twenty remote-controlled insulin pumps (Siemens AG) were implanted into insulin-dependent Type I diabetic patients for a one-year feasibility trial in four centres. The total observation time was 18.2 patient years. Three pumps had to be prematurely explanted after 101, 141 and 236 days. Blood glucose was measured by self-monitoring with 5.5 (1-17) values per day. 62.9% of these were in the range 3.33-8.88 mM. 3.25 glucose values per patient month were in the hypoglycemic range (lower than 2.78 mM) and 2.6 symptomatic hypoglycemias were reported per patient month, of which 0.22 per patient year required medical attention. The median HbA1c level was 7.6% at base line (5.9%-9.1%, 10-90% percentile) and 7.0% at the end of the trial (5.7%-8.3%, 10-90% percentile) (p < 0.05). Although some technical and clinical problems were observed, the study showed that the combination of this dosing device and a stabilized insulin preparation was a successful approach to the treatment of insulin-dependent patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1490685", "title": "Islet transplantation: clinical and experimental.", "content": "Experimental diabetes in rodents has been successfully treated by implantation of isolated islets using a syngenic system (Lewis rats). It is possible to reverse all diabetic symptoms of the animals and to prevent late complications in kidney, eye and nervous system. Although isolated islets are highly immunogenic in an allogenic system immuno-alteration techniques have been developed and succeeded in longterm survival after culture at low temperature (24 degrees C), UV-irradiation, cryopreservation, pretreatment with Ia-antibodies etc. Islet transplantation in larger animals and in man up to now has been less successful. Although in a few studies longterm survival of canine islets has been observed, other groups were less successful using dogs and pigs in auto- or allo-transplantation. In man there are reports from various institutions during the last fifteen years using adult or fetal islet material. Only in a few instances the patients came off insulin for some weeks or months. The reasons for this failure are probably manifold: low number of islets, impurity, long ischemia time before isolation, transplantation to inappropriate sites, impairment of engraftment in longterm diabetic recipients and recurrence of autoimmunity in transplanted islets. Further studies are necessary to overcome these barriers. Recent observations using a higher number of islets (> 500,000) and new immunosuppressive drugs (FK506) seem to be promising."}
{"id": "PMID:1490687", "title": "Delayed activation of D-glucose transport in type II diabetes mellitus.", "content": "Peripheral insulin resistance is suggested to play an important role in the pathogenesis of type II diabetes mellitus. In this study we investigated insulin receptor binding, D-glucose transport under equilibrium conditions for insulin and the activation kinetics of insulin stimulated D-glucose transport in isolated human adipocytes from type II diabetics and healthy controls. While the insulin receptor binding affinity was not significantly different between both groups, basal and insulin stimulated glucose transport rates were reduced in adipocytes from type II diabetics compared to normal controls. The activation of D-glucose transport was significantly delayed in the diabetics, the time to achieve maximal transport rates was 7.7 +/- 1.1 vs. 4.2 +/- 1.4 min, respectively (p < 0.05). Thus a reduced velocity of glucose transport activation by insulin appears to be a further factor contributing to peripheral insulin resistance in type II diabetics."}
{"id": "PMID:1490689", "title": "Effect of the infusion of p-Glu-His-Ala-OH, analog of the anorexigenic peptide, on the insulin response induced by intravenous glucose. Preliminary results with obese subjects.", "content": "The effect of the intravenous infusion of peptide p-Glu-His-Ala-OH, analog of the postulated anorexigenic peptide, on the insulinaemic response to an intravenous bolus of 20 g glucose was studied in 6 obese patients (body mass index 43.12 +/- 5.77 kg/m2). The infusion of the peptide reduced the insulinaemic response (p < 0.05) without modifying either the C-peptide or the glucose response. This decreased insulinaemic response is associated with a greater hepatic extraction of insulin (86.45 +/- 1.1% vs 82.1 +/- 1.2%; p 0.05), determined in terms of the molar ratio of the C-peptide to insulin) but not with a smaller pancreatic secretion (determined as C-peptide levels). Our results confirm that the infusion of the peptide increases the hepatic insulin extraction without its effect being mediated by any intestinal factor. Its therapeutic application remains to be determined."}
{"id": "PMID:1490690", "title": "Improvement of glucose tolerance by minimal doses of glipizide in obese subjects with different degrees of glucose intolerance.", "content": "Obesity and impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) are risk factors for non insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) and for ischemic heart disease. Long term treatment of IGT subjects with diet and tolbutamide prevents progression of IGT to NIDDM. We have evaluated the lowest dose of glipizide, a second-generation sulfonylurea, able to improve glucose tolerance in response to oral glucose in 31 obese subjects, 12 with NIDDM, 9 with IGT and 10 with normal glucose tolerance (NGT). All subjects underwent four OGTTs, preceded by placebo and by different doses of glipizide (0.5, 1.0, 2.5 mg). Glucose tolerance was progressively improved by increasing glipizide doses in all groups, probably by peripheral mechanism and by enhanced insulin release."}
{"id": "PMID:1490692", "title": "Efficacy of 6 months monotherapy with glucosidase inhibitor Acarbose versus sulphonylurea glibenclamide on metabolic control of dietary treated type II diabetics (NIDDM).", "content": "Six months monotherapy with Acarbose vs. glibenclamide led to a marked improvement of BG and HbA1 in NIDDM, insufficiently controlled with diet. Beneficial effects of these distinct principles of action were statistically not different."}
{"id": "PMID:1490693", "title": "Value of fasting blood glucose and serum fructosamine as a measure of diabetic control in non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.", "content": "The predictive values of fasting blood glucose and serum fructosamine for monitoring longterm diabetic control were investigated in 98 non-insulin dependent diabetic patients. The HbA1c percentage was taken as standard in this study. Despite a significant correlation, the predictive values of the parameters studied for an acceptable HbA1c-value appeared to be low (37% and 44% respectively), possibly due to differences in periods of time in which these parameters can change during variable metabolic control. In addition, the serum fructosamine value may vary due to variations in serum albumin and lipid content. It is concluded that the fasting blood glucose and serum fructosamine values cannot replace HbA1c measurement for monitoring diabetic control, but are additional for assessment of this control over short-and longterm periods of time."}
{"id": "PMID:1490695", "title": "Diabetic retinopathy, nephropathy and neuropathy. Generalized vascular damage in insulin-dependent diabetic patients.", "content": "The most serious complication of diabetes mellitus is clinical nephropathy. The development of persistent proteinuria (urinary excretion of more than 300 mg albumin/24 hours) implies an extremely high risk of early death. Renal failure is the most frequent cause of death but the mortality of cardiovascular diseases is also increased. Besides the link between albuminuria (nephropathy) and atherosclerosis in coronary arteries, albuminuria is also a predictor of microangiopathy in other organs than the kidneys. The annual incidence of proliferative retinopathy in early nephropathy is 10-15% compared to only 1% in patients without nephropathy. Also signs of cardiomyopathy have been demonstrated in early nephropathy. Further we have described markers of universal endothelial damage in these patients, and we hypothesize that albuminuria not only is a predictor of renal disease but also of widespread vascular disease. Long-term improvement of metabolic control by use of insulin infusion pumps and early antihypertensive treatment seem to stop the further progression of early diabetic nephropathy and to significantly improve the prognosis of clinical nephropathy."}
{"id": "PMID:1490696", "title": "Screening for micro-albuminuria with Micro-Bumintest tablets and albumin/creatinine ratio.", "content": "The value of Micro-Bumintest tablets and the albumin/creatinine ratio in first morning (FM) urine samples to screen for micro-albuminuria in diabetic patients was evaluated. The A/C ratio in FM urine was highly correlated with the urinary albumin excretion (UAE) rate in micrograms/min in timed overnight (0) urine (R = 0.95, p < 0.001). The sensitivity, specificity and positive and negative predictive values of an A/C ratio > 3.0 to predict micro-albuminuria defined as an UAE > 20 micrograms/min were 94, 92, 92 and 94% respectively. The day-to-day fluctuation of albumin excretion varied between 10 and 105%. The sensitivity, specificity and positive and negative predictive values of micro-bumintest tablet reactions on FM urine samples to predict an A/C ratio > 3.0 were 93, 59, 63 and 91% respectively. It is concluded that for screening of micro-albuminuria the A/C ratio in FM urine is as precise as timed 0 urine collection, but with more comfort for the patient. Micro-Bumintest tablets are useful as an initial screening test and will decrease the number of quantitative albumin measurements in the screening programme by about 30% if only urine samples with positive tablet test are selected for a further investigation. Because of considerable day-to-day fluctuation of urinary albumin excretion several urine samples should be investigated before presence of incipient diabetic nephropathy is assumed."}
{"id": "PMID:1490698", "title": "The prevalence of diabetes mellitus and other risk factors of atherosclerosis in bradycardia requiring pacemaker treatment.", "content": "258 patients with pacemakers (PM) were examined retrospectively; 126 (48.8%) had second- or third-degree av-block (AVB), 43 (16.7%) atrial fibrillation with bradycardia (AFB), 63 (24.4%) sick sinus syndrome (SSS) and 26 (10.1%) other indications (OI). Control persons (CP) of same age and sex with regular sinus rhythm were recruited from in-patients of our hospital. Diabetes was found in 127 (49.2%) of PM (of adult onset only) and in 99 (38.4%) of CP (3 of juvenile onset; p < 0.025), in 68 (53.9%) of the patients with AVP (p < 0.05), 24 (55.8%) with AFB, 21 (33.3%) with SSS (n.s.) and 14 (53.8%) with OI (n.s.). Obesity was positively correlated concerning the entire PM group, blood pressure and smoking habits showed no correlation, cholesterol and triglycerides were inversely correlated (p < 0.05 up to p < 0.001). Myocardial infarction showed no difference between PM and CP, digitalis and diuretics were taken significantly more often (p < 0.001) by PM. We conclude that diabetes mellitus is a major risk factor for av-block of higher degree and atrial fibrillation with bradycardia, which is not influenced by other, diabetes-related risk factors of atherosclerosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1490699", "title": "Autonomic neuropathies in skin and its incidence in non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.", "content": "The autonomic function of nerve fibres was investigated with the newly developed hyperthermal Laser-Doppler-Flowmetry in 45 patients suffering from Non-Insulin-Dependent Diabetes Mellitus (NIDDM). They were divided into 3 groups depending on the duration of NIDDM. Group A contained a duration of 1-3 years, group B 4-5 years and group C 5-6 years. All groups showed a dysfunction of autonomic nerve fibres: in group A there were 4 of 11 patients, in group B 2 of 13 and in group C no patients with values within the normal ranges. So autonomic neuropathies of skin seem to be one of the earliest complications in NIDDM"}
{"id": "PMID:1490700", "title": "Diabetes mellitus and bone metabolism.", "content": "Whether there is a diabetic osteopathy\" or osteopathy in diabetes mellitus\", is still unclear. Epidemiological studies show in part discrepant results: bone mass was diminished in some studies, unchanged in others--even more positive trends were reported. Increases in osteoporotic fractures were observed in smaller collectives whereas no general trends for fracturing bones were found in diabetics. There are many in part favouring, in part impairing factors to be taken into consideration: Diabetes mellitus type I is a disease including immune phenomena. As inflammation leads to bone loss (inflammation-mediated osteopenia = IMO), peak bone mass may be influenced by such a process. The lack of insulin-like growth factors may be decisive, too. Complications of diabetes mellitus include hypogonadism--this may be disadvantageous for the skeleton. Diabetic complications like retinopathy, neuropathy, and angiopathy may influence the fracture event independently from bone mass. On the other hand, diabetes mellitus type II may be somehow protected against bone loss: Increased adipose tissue in connection with the frequently seen overweight yields metabolically active steroid hormones, insulin related growth factors may stimulate bone formation (e.g. in Forestier's disease). Older diabetics do not show diminished life expectancy any more due to their regular medical care--whether this includes the risk of bone diseases, is not yet clear. It may be worth to further analyse these \"positive\" effects seen in bones of type II diabetics because they may be useful in osteoporosis even in non-diabetics."}
{"id": "PMID:1490701", "title": "Increased platelet activity in diabetic macroangiopathy.", "content": "In order to investigate the relationship between the in vivo platelet activity and diabetic macroangiopathy we have measured plasma beta-thromboglobulin (beta-TG) concentrations by means of a very sensitive radioimmunoassay in 55 diabetics, aged 47-80 years, and in 27 non-diabetic healthy controls (group A) of respective age and sex. Among diabetics 17 were free of vascular complications (group B) in terms of diabetic micro- or macroangiopathy, while the remaining 38 (group C) suffered from peripheral occlusive arterial disease (POAD) of the lower limbs. All subjects underwent a thorough clinical and laboratory investigation. The diagnosis of POAD was based upon the findings of Doppler ultrasound examination and was confirmed by selective arteriography. The mean plasma beta-TG concentrations were significantly higher in the two groups of diabetics compared to the non-diabetic controls (p < 0.001), whereas the highest beta-TG levels were found in diabetics with POAD (py 0.001), (beta-TG: mean +/- 1 SD ng/ml; group A: 26.50 +/- 13.14; group B: 55.88 +/- 26.56; group C: 106.50 +/- 52.65). These findings reveal an increased release reaction of platelets in diabetics and an enhanced in vivo platelet activity especially in POAD subjects. However, this may occur not only in cases with prominent macroangiopathy but also in the early stages of diabetic angiopathy when the vascular lesions cannot be traced clinically."}
{"id": "PMID:1490706", "title": "More lessons, of a different kind: Canadian mental health policy in comparative perspective.", "content": "Many health policy reformers and researchers in the United States have focused on the Canadian health care system and its lessons for design of a national health care program in the U.S. Yet minimal attention has been given to Canadian mental health policy in this discussion. The author reviews the historical development of mental health services in Canada and discusses five current sources of tension in Canada's mental health care system, many of which are familiar to the American setting: restriction on fee-for-service payments, a two-tiered pattern of care involving provincial mental hospitals and general hospital psychiatric units, shortages of mental health care resources, limited funding of community-based programs, and lack of coordination of care. The author concludes that universal insurance coverage patterned after the Canadian model would ameliorate only some problems faced by mentally ill persons in the United States. Mental health benefits must be structured to ensure the availability and organization of a full spectrum of long-term health care and supportive services."}
{"id": "PMID:1490707", "title": "The fate of mental health services in health care reform: I. A system in crisis.", "content": "The U.S. health care system is in the midst of a severe crisis. More than 50 million Americans are uninsured or underinsured. Medicare and Medicaid are not adequately serving populations in need. Analyses and reform proposals are often based on biased interpretations of data, resulting in confusion and heated debate. To avoid jeopardizing psychiatric care in a national health care reform movement, we must understand the causes of the national crisis. In the first part of a two-part paper, the author describes factors such as demographic trends and limitations in public health coverage that have contributed to the crisis. Outcomes of the current system include higher morbidity and mortality among the uninsured and a high prevalence of untreated illness. The author reviews direct and indirect costs of health care and concludes that in attempts to solve the difficult equation of access, cost, and quality, mental health services are in serious jeopardy."}
{"id": "PMID:1490708", "title": "The fate of mental health services in health care reform: II. Realistic solutions.", "content": "In the second part of a two-part paper, the three major proposals for U.S. health care reform--the government-sponsored model, the employment-based model, and the market reform model--are reviewed. Barriers to their success include the current economic crisis, the lack of a clear consensus, and the high costs of the proposals. Most proposals limit the extent of psychiatric coverage; some exclude such coverage from minimum benefit packages, an area of concern for clinicians. The author concludes that any substantial health care reform is unlikely in the near future. A thoughtful, realistic, and yet vigorous strategic plan is needed now to forestall the possible exclusion of significant mental health coverage. The basic elements of such a plan are reviewed."}
{"id": "PMID:1490709", "title": "Mental health care in Japan.", "content": "Long-term institutionalization has been the primary treatment for mentally ill patients in Japan since the early 1920s. The average length of stay in a Japanese mental hospital in 1989 was 496 days, 41 times the average stay of patients in the United States. Although the government has encouraged and supported the integration of mentally ill people in the community and the development of rehabilitation programs since enactment of the Mental Health Law of 1988, implementation of such programs has been slow. The authors summarize the history of mental health care in Japan, discuss the current availability of mental health care facilities and personnel, and recommend changes needed to improve care."}
{"id": "PMID:1490710", "title": "Determinants of equality and equity for special populations served by public mental health systems.", "content": "Within the publicly funded mental health service delivery system, debate continues over what constitutes a fair and just system for special populations. To determine a system's fairness, the author proposes a conceptual framework in which two standards of fairness--equality and equity--are applied to three dimensions of a mental health system: utilization of services, funding for services, and access to services. An equal system assumes that rates of mental illness and needs for treatment are the same for all subgroups of the general population; funds are allocated and services are offered accordingly. An equitable system assumes that special populations have different rates of mental illness and different treatment needs; funds are allocated and programs are designed based on the recognition of these differences. The author argues that the publicly funded mental health service system must establish equitable, rather than equal, services for special populations."}
{"id": "PMID:1490711", "title": "A voucher system that enables persons with severe mental illness to purchase community support services.", "content": "Fragmentation in the delivery of community support services is often identified as a major barrier to persons with severe mental illness, preventing them from living productive lives in the community. In Nassau County, New York, in 1989 a voucher process was created to allow service users to develop individualized support networks by purchasing services directly and by pooling funds to start new services. The voucher process is part of an intensive case management program. Goals set in the individual service plans of users guide voucher purchases. The local Mental Health Association manages funds based on a bank credit card model. The user, the case manager, and a staff member from an agency designated by the user review expenditures quarterly. The first year of operation is described, and suggestions for developing a voucher process, such as the need for extensive retraining of users and providers, are offered."}
{"id": "PMID:1490712", "title": "The role of general hospitals in the privatization of inpatient treatment for serious mental illness.", "content": "For almost three decades, many have regarded general hospital psychiatric units as the most appropriate setting for acute treatment of persons with serious mental illness who were once treated mostly in state hospitals. The extent to which this transfer has taken place and the differences between public and private general hospitals have been unclear. Using data from the 1988 National Mental Health Facilities Study and published data from the 1970s, the authors found that nearly half of all general hospitals providing psychiatric services treat persons with serious mental illness. Significant differences in case and payer mix were observed between public and private general hospitals, although these differences were smaller than in the 1970s. The findings suggest increased involvement by private general hospitals in treating patients reimbursed by public payers, but the findings also indicate that persons with serious mental illness and those using Medicaid are still more prevalent in public general hospitals than in private ones."}
{"id": "PMID:1490713", "title": "Case-based reimbursement for psychiatric hospital care.", "content": "A fixed-prepayment system (case-based reimbursement) for patients initially requiring hospital-level care was evaluated for one year through an arrangement between a private nonprofit psychiatric hospital and a self-insured company desiring to provide psychiatric services to its employees. This clinical and financial experiment offered a means of containing costs while monitoring quality of care. A two-group, case-control study was undertaken of treatment outcomes at discharge, patient satisfaction with hospital care, and service use and costs during the program's first year. Compared with costs for patients in the control group, costs for those in the program were lower per patient and per admission; cumulative costs for patients requiring rehospitalization were also lower. However, costs for outpatient services for patients in the program were not calculated. Treatment outcomes and patients' satisfaction with hospital care were comparable for the two groups."}
{"id": "PMID:1490714", "title": "Reorganization of a private psychiatric unit to promote collaboration with managed care.", "content": "Managed care organizations have become significantly involved in health care in the Denver metropolitan area. Their presence has challenged psychiatric hospitals to reduce costs and length of stay. In 1990, a locked private psychiatric unit was reorganized into locked, open, and partial care services through which patients progress at individualized rates. One treatment team manages patients in all settings, allowing a reduction in staffing costs and flexibility in treatment design. The hospital administration takes an active role in facilitating collaborative decision making between hospital clinicians and managed care representatives. In the first year after reorganization, length of stay was significantly reduced; 90 percent of patients were discharged from 24-hour care within ten days or less, whereas only 40 percent were discharged within that time in the original program. Staffing costs were reduced by 15 percent. No increase in recidivism was noted."}
{"id": "PMID:1490722", "title": "[Bacterial infections in pregnancy].", "content": "The spectrum of bacterial infections during pregnancy is broad. Among blood-transmitted infections especially listeriosis endangers the child. More frequent are ascending and peripartal infections, which imperil both mother and child. The disturbed vaginal flora, which occurs in 10-30% of all pregnant women, has to be regarded as its reservoir. Cervicitis caused by gonococci or chlamydiae, but also high concentrations of facultative pathogenic bacteria are regarded as the main cause of the preterm rupture of membranes leading to preterm delivery. Especially feared is the group-A-streptococci infection, which appears more frequently. In 5% of all pregnant women a chlamydial cervicitis is found."}
{"id": "PMID:1490723", "title": "[Acellular pertussis vaccines].", "content": "Each vaccine is normally rated according to its efficacy and to the frequency and severity of unwanted side effects. The efficacy of whole-cell pertussis vaccines is beyond doubt, its frequent side effects, however, stimulated research into less reactogenic acellular vaccines. Several acellular pertussis vaccines of different composition have been developed. All of these produced significantly less local and systemic side effects, as compared to the conventional whole-cell vaccine. Various epidemiological data strongly suggest the efficacy of these vaccines. An equivalence of protective efficacy between whole-cell vaccines and acellular pertussis vaccines can, however, only be documented in controlled field trials, which are now ongoing in several countries."}
{"id": "PMID:1490724", "title": "[Infections by Streptococcus pyogenes: new aspects of diagnosis, epidemiology, clinical practice, and therapy].", "content": "Essential procedures for the cultural and serological laboratory diagnosis of Streptococcus pyogenes are described. A reliable and rapid species identification is achieved by serologic or biochemical tests. Direct antigen detection tests from throat swabs have broadened the diagnostic possibilities; however, they are often not satisfactory in terms of sensitivity. Typing of strains (either by classic serologic techniques or by molecular methods) is of high value for the study of clinical and therapeutic questions. In recent years, the epidemiology of the prevalent group A streptococcal strains has changed in Europe as well as in the U.S.: an increase of those M protein serotypes that are associated with higher virulence is being recognized. There is good evidence that the unexpected resurgence of rheumatic fever in the U.S. and the emerging number of life-threatening invasive and toxic manifestations of disease (including the toxic shock syndrome) in the U.S. and in Europe are related to the changing epidemiology. The existence of strains with rheumatogenic and nephritogenic potency has been established, but genetic host factors are a prerequisite for the sequelae as well. Although, based on experimental data, there are a lot of hypotheses concerning the nonsuppurative sequelae and the toxic shock syndrome, the exact pathogenesis of these diseases remains to be clarified. A thorough knowledge of the various clinical manifestations of group A streptococcal infections is necessary in order to apply the therapeutic and preventive measures in a rational and sophisticated manner. For most infections penicillins are considered the drug of choice, although no final conclusions regarding optimal dosages or the reasons for treatment failures can be made.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1490725", "title": "[New strategies for the prevention of foreign body infections].", "content": "Foreign body infections continue to present a challenge to modern medicine. New aspects for the prevention of such infections are presented on the basis of modifying medical devices or implant materials (synthetic polymers). Physicochemical treatment of polymer surfaces is a possible tool to create anti-adhesive and thus anti-infective surfaces. Coupling or incorporation of antimicrobial substances to or into polymers is another way to prevent bacterial colonization and subsequently the development of polymer-associated infections."}
{"id": "PMID:1490726", "title": "Binding of a membrane proteoglycan from Klebsiella pneumoniae and its derivatives to human leukocytes.", "content": "The binding of a membrane proteoglycan from a non-encapsulated strain of Klebsiella pneumoniae (Kp-MPG) and four derivatives thereof, to human leukocytes, was investigated by indirect immunofluorescence using biotinylated F(ab')2 fragments of anti-Kp-MPG antibodies and the streptavidin-phycoerythrin amplification system in flow cytometry. Four Kp-MPG derivatives were studied: 1/ an acylpoly(1,3)galactoside (APG), 2/ an APG preparation submitted to acid hydrolysis which removed all fatty acids, but left intact the galactose chain of APG (GC-APG), 3/ a preparation obtained by mild alkaline hydrolysis, containing additional ester-linked C14 and C16 fatty acids bound to the APG molecule (EFA-APG) and 4/ a polymer of the latter compound (APG pol). Kp-MPG, APG and EFA-APG were shown to bind exclusively to monocytes at the lowest concentrations (from 0.15 to 3 microM APG). At higher concentrations, these compounds interacted with polymorphonuclear leukocytes, and with lymphocyte subsets in the following decreasing order: B cells, NK cells, CD8+ and CD4+ lymphocytes. Neither APG pol or GC-APG nor K. pneumoniae smooth LPS showed significant binding to leukocytes. However Kp-LPS treated by drastic alkaline hydrolysis displayed binding properties similar to those of APG. Removal of the ester-linked C14 and C16 fatty acids from EFA-APG did not affect the binding of the molecule. The capacity of cells from the myelomonocytic lineage to bind Kp-MPG and APG was very low in phenotypically immature cell lines (HL60 and U937) as compared with monocytes or polymorphonuclear cells. Treatment of U937 cells with interferon-gamma up-regulated their APG binding capacity along with the expression of the integrin CD 11 b and the CD 14 molecule, whereas monocytes exposed to interferon-gamma showed an increased binding of APG associated with an elevated expression of the galactose specific lectin Mac-2. The data demonstrate a preferential binding of Kp-MPG and APG to cells of the monocyte/macrophage lineage. APG binding does not involve the poly (1,3) galactose chain and the ester-linked C14 and C16 fatty acids but requires the presence of the hydrophobic part of the molecule."}
{"id": "PMID:1490727", "title": "Indirect and selective down-regulation of serum tumor necrosis factor-alpha release by interleukin-1 beta.", "content": "A selective inhibition of LPS-induced tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF) response in mice was caused by an injection of recombinant human interleukin-1 (IL-1). The decrease in serum TNF level reached 70 to 80 percent of the controls receiving LPS alone when IL-1 was given simultaneously or prior to the challenge. At the same time serum IL-6 release was more elevated. Ex vivo assays have shown that macrophages from IL-1 treated animals did not respond to LPS when stimulated immediately after harvesting but recovered their normal responsiveness after being cultured for 2 hours and then washed. In vitro with or without addition of IL-1, mouse elicited macrophages responded equally to LPS in releasing TNF. In the absence of a direct and lasting effect on TNF-producing cells, the host reaction responsible for the inhibitory effect of IL-1 could be related to the overproduction of corticosterone that occurred after IL-1 injection, since it was not observed in adrenalectomized animals. Indeed the blockade of corticoid secretion by indomethacin prevented the inhibition of TNF production induced by IL-1 administration before LPS challenge. TNF administration did not result in elevation of corticosterone level and in contrast to IL-1 enhanced the TNF response to LPS injection. In vitro and ex vivo assays have shown this enhanced response to LPS was linked to a direct and prolonged effect of TNF on TNF-producing cells. Muramyl dipeptide (MDP) which was used as a known priming agent for enhanced cytokine release had a similar effect on TNF-producing cells.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1490728", "title": "Effector cells of low-dose IL-2 immunotherapy in tumor bearing mice: tumor cell killing by CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes and macrophages.", "content": "The presence and cytotoxicity of tumor infiltrating cells is described in mice during effective immunotherapy with interleukin 2 (IL-2). DBA/2 mice were inoculated i.p. with 2 x 10(4) tumor cells on day 0 and treated with daily i.p. injections with 20,000 units IL-2 on days 10-14. Mice bearing a large syngeneic i.p. tumor burden (SL2 lymphoma, P815 mastocytoma, L5178Y lymphoma, or L1210 lymphoma) could be cured by i.p. immunotherapy with these low doses of IL-2. In the peritoneal cavity of these mice an infiltrate of mononuclear cells was present. Similar numbers of lymphocytes (10(6)-10(7)) and macrophages (+/- 10(7)) were present in control tumor bearing mice and IL-2 treated tumor bearing mice. The ratio of CD4+/CD8+ T lymphocytes in the peritoneal cavity of mice rejecting the SL2 tumor was smaller than 0.5, whereas this ratio is about 2 in naive mice. In the spleens of IL-2 treated tumor bearing mice only a minor decrease of CD4+/CD8+ ratio was observed from 2.1-2.4 to 0.9-1.9. T cells isolated from the peritoneal cavity of mice inoculated with SL2 tumor cells and treated with IL-2, were highly cytotoxic to SL2 cells: at E:T ratio 2:1 the cytotoxicity index was 37 +/- 3. This cytotoxicity was specific and mediated by CD8+ T lymphocytes. Macrophages that were present in the peritoneal cavity of mice treated with IL-2 were also highly cytotoxic. The C.I. of these cells was 63-76% at E:T ratio 1:1. Cytotoxic macrophages were also present in untreated tumor bearing mice. The i.p. injections of IL-2 (20,000 units/day) caused a four-fold increase in the local NK-activity in the peritoneal cavity in naive mice. These IL-2 injections did not generate LAK-activity in vivo. Specificity of the in vivo tumor rejection was tested by injection SL 2 i.p. on day 0 and P815 i.p. on day 10, or vice versa, followed by IL-2 treatment. Only the tumor cells that were injected on day 0 were rejected. These in vivo experiments point to specific tumor rejection. In conclusion, both cytotoxic macrophages and CTL's are present in a sufficient number and with sufficient cytotoxicity to explain the killing of tumor cells in the peritoneal cavity. The CTL-activity seems of decisive importance for tumor rejection as this is induced by IL-2."}
{"id": "PMID:1490729", "title": "Induction of an increased number of dendritic cells in the peritoneal cavity of rats by intraperitoneal administration of Bacillus Calmette-Gu\u00e9rin.", "content": "Recently we described the presence of a small number of DC among the peritoneal cells of steady state rats. These DC had the same morphological characteristics and a similar antigen-presenting capacity as DC isolated from the spleen. This study shows that in the peritoneal cavity, which is a non-lymphoid microenvironment, the number of DC increases after i.p. administration of BCG. Next to this relatively small influx of DC, the approximately three-fold increase of the total number of cells is predominantly caused by an enormous influx of neutrophilic granulocytes, and to a lesser extent by an influx of macrophages. The phenotype and the antigen-presenting capacity of peritoneal DC has not changed, while the number of Ia-positive M phi has increased. Nevertheless, due to a suppressive effect of the peritoneal M phi, the total peritoneal cell suspension is no longer capable of presenting antigen."}
{"id": "PMID:1490730", "title": "Induction of cytokines in human whole blood cultures by a mitogen derived from Mycoplasma arthritidis and by staphylococcal enterotoxin B.", "content": "Mycoplasma arthritidis produces a so-far only partially characterized soluble material (MAS) that has a potent mitogenic effect on T lymphocytes of several species. Similar to staphylococcal enterotoxins and a number of related toxins secreted by other species of bacteria, nanogram quantities of these so-called superantigens are sufficient to induce significant amounts of cytokines in the supernatant of lymphocyte cultures. Induction of interleukin-6 (IL-6) by MAS in murine bone marrow-derived macrophages has recently been described. In our study, we examined the differential effects of MAS and Staphylococcus aureus enterotoxin B (SEB) on human blood cells. When compared to MAS, SEB induced a higher proliferative response and, accordingly, a higher release of IFN-gamma. In contrast, large amounts of the macrophage products IL-1, IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) were observed in supernatants of cell cultures stimulated with MAS, whereas only small amounts were induced by SEB. Staphylococci and mycoplasmas are responsible for a number of diseases with various symptoms in man and animals. Our results suggest that SEB and MAS show different qualities in lymphocyte and macrophage stimulation which may be relevant in the pathogenesis of diseases."}
{"id": "PMID:1490731", "title": "Expression of murine soluble CD4 protein in baculovirus infected insect cells.", "content": "The expression of murine soluble CD4 (L3T4) protein (sCD4) by baculovirus-infected insect cells was characterized. The yield of sCD4 reached 2 mg/l culture supernatant late in infection. Nevertheless, a large amount of sCD4 remained cell-associated, presumably in the endoplasmic reticulum or an early golgi compartment, as indicated by the endo-beta-N-acetyl-D-glucosaminidase H (endo-H) sensitivity of its carbohydrate chains. The secreted form of sCD4 is modified with both endo-beta-N-acetyl-D-glucosaminidase D (endo-D) and endo-H-sensitive oligosaccharides. It was possible that the incomplete secretion indicated faulty glycosylation or improper folding of the sCD4 protein. However, inhibitor studies showed that complete carbohydrate processing is not required for secretion of sCD4 by insect cells. Moreover, maintained reactivity with a panel of monoclonal Ab as well as phase partitioning experiments suggested that secretion is apparently not caused by misfolding of the sCD4 protein. Similar results were obtained with biologically active murine interleukin-4 produced by insect cells. This indicates that an inefficient secretory pathway may be a general problem of baculovirus-infected insect cells and is not a consequence of incorrect molecular conformation."}
{"id": "PMID:1490732", "title": "Quantitative analysis of MEL-14 expression on various lymphocyte subpopulations.", "content": "Amounts of gp90MEL-14 molecules in various lymphocyte subpopulations were analyzed. The expression of gp90MEL-14 was rapidly up-regulated in the course of usual procedures for preparing single cell suspensions. On the other hand, the gp90MEL-14 expression was down-modulated after short term culture in the presence of PMA. Addition of NaN3 in the medium for preparing cell suspension was shown to stabilize the expression profile of the gp90MEL-14. By this simple improvement, we could successfully evaluate the precise amounts of gp90MEL-14 expressed on various lymphoid cells which appeared to reflect the expression pattern of gp90MEL-14 in vivo. The proportion of MEL-14+ cells and amounts of gp90MEL-14 on the cells were clearly associated with the anatomical and functional distance from endothelial cells of HEV in peripheral lymph nodes. The present findings, thus, support the role of gp90MEL-14 molecules as homing receptors for HEV that was originally proposed by Weissman and his colleagues."}
{"id": "PMID:1490733", "title": "Comparison of tolerance inducibility to class I or class II antigens between cyclophosphamide (CP)-induced tolerance and transfusion with donor cells: general effectiveness of CP-induced tolerance and difference of skin graft prolongation in each class I antigen-disparate combination.", "content": "Transfusion with allogeneic cells alone was reported to prolong skin allograft survival in the MHC class I antigen alone-disparate combination of B6.C-H-2bm1 (bm1; Kbm1, IAb, IE-, Db)-->C57BL/6 CrSlc (B6; H-2b). Using 6 class I antigen-disparate and 2 class II antigen-disparate combinations, we compared the effectiveness for skin graft prolongation between transfusion with donor cells (TDC) and our system of CP-induced tolerance, which comprises intravenous (i.v.) injection of allogeneic cells followed by cyclophosphamide (CP), i.e., TDC followed by CP. TDC was effective only in the combination of bm1-->B6, but not at all in the other combinations. On the other hand, CP-induced tolerance was effective in the 5 class I antigen-disparate and 2 class II antigen-disparate combinations except for bm1-->B6 combination. These results suggest that CP-induced tolerance may be more general for the induction of unresponsiveness than TDC."}
{"id": "PMID:1490734", "title": "The cytotoxic T lymphocyte response in reticuloendotheliosis virus-infected chickens is mediated by alpha beta and not by gamma delta T cells.", "content": "We induced a virus-specific cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) response in B2 chickens by i.v. inoculation with 100 TCID50 of the reticuloendotheliosis virus (REV). Chickens were sacrificed 7 days after the infection and cytotoxic activity of the spleen cells against various target cells was assayed in a 4 h 51Cr-release assay at an effector to target ratio of 100:1. In addition, T cell receptor (TCR) alpha beta and TCR gamma delta cells were negatively selected from the REV-immune spleen cells and used as effector cells against REV-infected B2 target cells. (On average 40% of spleen T cells express TCR gamma delta in the chicken.) By inhibition of the cytotoxic activity of the immune spleen cells against REV-infected syngeneic target cells with monoclonal antibodies specific for chicken CD3 and CD8 molecules, the effector cells could be identified as CD8+ T cells. The cytotoxic activity was MHC-restricted, as only syngeneic but not allogeneic REV-infected target cells were lysed by REV-immune spleen cells, and virus-specific, as no cytotoxic activity could be found using uninfected syngeneic target cells. When assaying the activity of the negatively selected, > 98% pure alpha beta and gamma delta T cells, it was found that alpha beta T cells exerted virus-specific CTL activity ranging from 26 to 62% specific 51Cr-release, while gamma delta T cells showed only 2-4% 51Cr-release. These data indicate that REV-specific CTL response is mediated by alpha beta T cells and that gamma delta T cells are not involved in virus-specific CTL activity in the spleen of REV-infected chickens."}
{"id": "PMID:1490735", "title": "Complex pattern of the myelo-monocytic differentiation antigens MRP8 and MRP14 during chronic airway inflammation.", "content": "One of the characteristics of cystic fibrosis is the presence of the so-called cystic fibrosis antigen in the plasma of patients. The CF-antigen has been shown to consist of the two calcium-binding proteins MRP8 and MRP14. In the present study we investigate first whether elevated plasma titers of MRP8 and MRP14 are linked to the primary defect of CF or are rather a result of chronic airway inflammation; and second, whether the known complexes of these proteins may have in vivo relevance during inflammation. By employing the ELISA technique we measured MRP8 and MRP14 levels in the plasma of patients suffering from CF or nonspecific chronic bronchitis (CB) and of healthy controls, in sputum of CF and CB patients, and in saliva of CF patients and healthy controls, respectively. We found elevated plasma concentrations of both proteins in CF and CB patients compared to healthy controls. Levels correlated significantly with systemic and local signs of disease activity (i.e. c-reactive protein (CRP), daily sputum production). MRP8 and MRP14 both were found in high amounts at similar concentrations in sputum of CF and CB patients and, to a lesser extent, in saliva of CF patients and healthy donors. After covalent cross-linking at least three different complexes composed of MRP8 and MRP14 with approximate molecular weights of about 25, 35 and 48 kDa were detected in all samples. From this we conclude that the elevated plasma levels of MRP8 and MRP14 in CF and CB are the result of inflammatory processes. Further, possible biological functions of these proteins seem to be associated with complexed forms of MRP8 and MRP14 rather than with individual proteins."}
{"id": "PMID:1490736", "title": "Self-reactive and antigen-specific T cell clones derived from a HLA-DR4+/DR5+ donor: T cell receptors and MHC-restriction patterns.", "content": "The relationship of heat shock proteins and rheumatoid arthritis as well as the relevance of autoreactivity in this disease is unclear. T cells of six individuals (four expressing the DRB1*0401 allele, one harboring DRB1*0404 and one the DRB1*0407 allele) were cloned in the presence of 65kD mycobacterial heat shock protein (HSP60) in order to determine T cell receptors (TcR) used and the MHC class II restriction patterns of potentially relevant T cell clones (TcC). All TcC obtained were not specific for HSP60, but six TcC of one donor (HLA-DR4/HLA-DR5) were responsive towards autologous antigen-presenting cells. One TcC displayed authentic autoreactivity whereas five TcC reacted specifically to serum proteins. The amino acids (aa) of the MHC molecule, crucial for immune recognition were mapped to aa #71 or #86 of either maternal or paternal origin. The strictly autoreactive TcC did not recognize transfected L cells implicating specificity for self-peptides not presented by L cells or the involvement of adhesion molecules. Correlations between autoreactivity and TcR V(D)J sequences or N nucleotides of various \"autoreactive\" TcC were not evident."}
{"id": "PMID:1490737", "title": "Diagnostics and categories of patients.", "content": "Care in identifying and categorizing patients is a critical first step in proper drug evaluation. The appropriate diagnostic tests include culture and urinalysis. They are essential for the firm establishment of a diagnosis and should be sensitive and specific enough to meet the appropriate clinical requirements. The clinical categories outlined are encountered in clinical practice with a frequency that is sufficient to provide enough patients for an assessment of the response to antimicrobial therapy and to give information that will have practical value for clinicians."}
{"id": "PMID:1490738", "title": "Inclusion criteria for acute uncomplicated cystitis.", "content": "Inclusion criteria for acute uncomplicated cystitis were studied in a total of 307 patients. The data on recurrence should be grouped according to age or menopause, because recurrence was observed only in postmenopausal patients, and the mean age was significantly higher in the recurrence group than in the non-recurrence group. Bacteriuria of 10(3) and 10(4) cfu/ml could be included only when urine was collected by catheterization or very careful clean-catch method, because the incidence of uropathogens was significantly low even in patients with bacteriuria of 10(4) cfu/ml, when urine was collected by conventional midstream catch."}
{"id": "PMID:1490740", "title": "Criteria for the diagnosis of urinary tract infection and for the assessment of therapeutic effectiveness.", "content": "Three parameters--urinary symptoms, pyuria, and bacteriuria--can be used independently or in combination to define the presence of urinary tract infection. Using these parameters, several approaches to defining urinary infection in various clinical contexts are discussed. Similarly, approaches to the definition and classification of therapeutic outcomes after antimicrobial treatment are explored. Further research is needed to more precisely evaluate the effectiveness of various criteria for diagnosis and cure of urinary infection."}
{"id": "PMID:1490742", "title": "The dipstick test in the diagnosis of UTI and the effect of pretreatment catheter exchange in catheter-associated UTI.", "content": "We examined the value of the dipstick test for detecting pyuria and bacteriuria in the diagnosis of urinary tract infection (UTI). The dipstick esterase test could be quickly assessed and could easily detect leukocyte esterase in the urine. This was well correlated with the conventional sedimentation method. The dipstick nitrate reduction method for detecting bacteriuria, however, was not well correlated with the urine culture method. These findings suggested that the dipstick esterase test was a useful method for detecting pyuria in the diagnosis of UTI, but not the dipstick nitrate reduction method. Catheter-associated UTI is the most difficult category of UTI to treat and control. One of the reasons for this is the formation of biofilm around the indwelling catheter. We attempted to evaluate the effect of catheter exchange just before treatment of catheter-associated UTI with either 300 or 600 mg/day of levofloxacin, one of the newer quinolones. However, we are unable to find any apparent effect on the drug's efficacy."}
{"id": "PMID:1490743", "title": "Standards of therapy for urinary tract infections in adults.", "content": "Therapeutic standards have not been well defined for many forms of bacterial urinary tract infection. In women with uncomplicated infections, these exist for bacterial cystitis and for acute pyelonephritis. For most other categories of illness, among patients with complicated infections, no treatment regimens have been determined. As a result, well-designed clinical trials for these patient populations should be a priority."}
{"id": "PMID:1490744", "title": "French consensus on antibiotherapy of urinary tract infections. The French Society for Infectious Diseases.", "content": "We report on a recent French Consensus Conference on antimicrobial therapy of urinary tract infections (UTI). These guidelines were limited to questions on which a consensus seemed possible, namely lower uncomplicated urinary tract infections, bacteriuria in pregnancy and in the elderly, acute pyelonephritis and prostatitis."}
{"id": "PMID:1490745", "title": "Design of clinical trials in patients with urinary tract infections.", "content": "This overview deals with the optimization of the design of clinical trials in patients with urinary tract infections (UTIs). Despite the fact that UTI is one of the most common types of infection and that the main end-point (elimination or persistence of bacteriuria) is objective and easy to register, the quality of studies performed and published has generally been less than optimal. Problems that should always be addressed in the study protocol are definitions of terms used, for example bacteriuria, level of the infection (cystitis or pyelonephritis), and uncomplicated and complicated infections; dimension of the patient's sample to allow adequate testing of a null hypothesis; procedures before, during and after treatment; methods for analysis of the results."}
{"id": "PMID:1490746", "title": "Prophylaxis: recurrent urinary tract infection in women.", "content": "Long-term, low-dose antimicrobial prophylaxis is effective for the prevention of acute uncomplicated urinary tract infection in women. Selected new antimicrobials should be assessed to determine their efficacy for this clinical use. Recommended guidelines for future studies of prophylactic therapy need to address several issues. The study population must be limited to women with recurrent symptomatic uncomplicated urinary tract infection. Antimicrobials studied should be excreted in the urine, with an in vitro spectrum that includes the common uropathogens. An extended half-life may be beneficial. Monitoring during the study should include monthly urine cultures and vaginal, periurethral and rectal colonization studies. The primary outcome measurement is symptomatic urinary tract infection. Secondary outcomes would include asymptomatic bacteriuria, adverse antimicrobial effects, colonization with potential uropathogens, and development of resistance. The comparative regimen should be one of the current standard regimens, trimethoprim/sulphamethoxazole, nitrofurantoin, or trimethoprim."}
{"id": "PMID:1490747", "title": "Prophylaxis in urological surgery.", "content": "Prophylaxis in urological surgery is usually taken to mean antibacterial agents. However, in this study, other factors such as the environment, patient risk and surgical risk factors are also taken into account. Because patients have a wide variety of possible risk factors, individual variations must be possible. In standard transurethral resection in non-risk patients, single-dose preoperative prophylaxis may be sufficient. In open surgery prophylactic measures should be varied according to the extent of the procedure."}
{"id": "PMID:1490748", "title": "Prophylactic antibiotherapy in urological surgery.", "content": "The aim of prophylactic antibiotic therapy in urological surgery is the prevention of local or systemic infections. The authors treated 100 patients prophylactically; 62 were treated with amikacin and 38 with cefotaxime. Of the 62 patients treated with amikacin, 18 had infectious complications. Of the 38 patients treated with cefotaxime, ten had infectious complications. We conclude that in the Hospital do Desterro the incidence of infectious complications is high, despite antibiotic prophylaxis."}
{"id": "PMID:1490749", "title": "Prostatitis--diagnostic criteria, classification of patients and recommendations for therapeutic trials.", "content": "Infections of the prostate may occur despite the numerous host defences of the male urogenital tract. It is important to distinguish patients with genuine inflammation of the gland from the larger number of men with symptoms but no signs of an inflammatory response (prostatodynia). To define prostatitis, the degree of the inflammatory reaction must first be determined. Increased numbers of leucocytes in expressed prostatic secrections (EPS) are essential for this diagnosis. Careful lower urinary tract studies may then be used to classify the patients into two major groups of bacterial and nonbacterial prostatitis. Chronic bacterial prostatitis is primarily due to Escherichia coli. Gram-positive prostatitis is debatable. In chronic bacterial prostatitis, secretory dysfunction is common. The increased alkalinity of the pH of expressed prostatic secretions is one of the reasons for poor results of antibiotic therapy. Uncommon microorganisms, such as Chlamydia trachomatis and Ureaplasma urealyticum may be involved in some cases of the \"nonbacterial\" form. Routine culture for these microorganisms is not recommended."}
{"id": "PMID:1490750", "title": "Detection of a local prostatic immune response to bacterial prostatitis.", "content": "Bacteria-specific antibody responses in expressed prostatic secretions (EPS) were investigated by use of an indirect immunoperoxidase method. Positive responses were observed in all 12 patients with acute bacterial prostatis due to gram-negative rods. However, in 41 patients with chromic prostatitis, antibody responses varied depending on the bacterial species; no positive responses were observed in cases resulting from gram-positive cocci."}
{"id": "PMID:1490755", "title": "Effect of vitamin E therapy on sexual functions of uremic patients in hemodialysis.", "content": "Twenty-four uremic patients on hemodialysis who had never been treated with vitamin E or related drugs and 12 control patients with normal renal function were studied. Hemodialysis patients were randomly divided into two groups; 12 were treated with oral vitamin E (300 mg/day) for eight weeks and 12 uremic patients and 12 controls were given placebo. Serum vitamin E, prolactin, FSH, LH, and free testosterone levels were measured in all patients before and after treatment. After the vitamin E treatment serum prolactin levels were significantly decreased (50.8 vs 15.4 ng/ml, p < 0.01). Vitamin E levels were significantly increased (1.11 vs 1.22 mg/dl, p < 0.05). Serum FSH, LH and free testosterone were not affected. In the other two groups there were no significant changes. These results show that vitamin E treatment lowers prolactin levels in uremic hemodialysis patients. This might be due to inhibition of central prolactin secretion. Vitamin E inhibits pituitary gland hypertrophy in vitamin E-deficient rats."}
{"id": "PMID:1490756", "title": "Variables associated with the assessment of systemic tumor necrosis factor alpha levels during hemodialysis.", "content": "Conflicting results have been published concerning the systemic induction of the cytokine tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha) during hemodialysis (HD). We therefore evaluated in vitro TNF alpha production in whole blood as well as in vivo variability of TNF alpha levels in patients on long-term HD. Whole blood was incubated at room temperature (RT) with or without exogenously added endotoxin (ET), and plasma-TNF alpha was measured after 5, 30, 120, 240, and 960 min by specific enzyme immunoassay. Additionally, plasma-TNF alpha before and after 120 and 240 min HD was studied longitudinally once a week over a period of 4 weeks in 36 patients on Cuprophan (CU, n = 23) or polysulfone-F60 (PSu, n = 13) HD. Mean plasma TNF alpha levels in vitro rose from (mean) 8 pg/ml after 5 min to 12 pg/ml (120') and 32 pg/ml (960') even without ET addition, and to 18 pg/ml (after 120') and 88 pg/ml (after 960') when 0.1 microgram/ml ET were added. Pre-dialytic as well as intra-dialytic TNF alpha levels in patients showed high intra-individual variability. A substantial (> 100%) increase in plasma TNF alpha was observed during only 14 out of 84 treatments with CU and 20 out of 47 with PSu, however, the increase in TNF alpha was not statistically significant in either group. We conclude that the sampling procedure, if not carefully standardized, is a potential source of artifacts with regard to \"systemic\" TNF alpha levels. The high intra and inter-individual variability of plasma TNF alpha suggests that results of cross-sectional studies are questionable."}
{"id": "PMID:1490757", "title": "Peritoneal dialysis using conventional, lactate--containing solution sterilized by ultrafiltration.", "content": "Peritoneal dialysis was performed on 7 end-stage renal failure patients using an I-lactate-containing solution sterilized by ultrafiltration through polyamide filters. The patients tolerated the procedure well while their metabolic acidosis and azotemia improved."}
{"id": "PMID:1490758", "title": "Neutrophilic intracellular acidosis induced by conventional, lactate-containing peritoneal dialysis solutions.", "content": "Exposure of human neutrophils to a conventional, acidic, lactate-containing peritoneal dialysis solution (PDS) resulted in the development of a prompt and substantial intracellular acidosis. It is possible that this intracellular acidosis contributes to cellular dysfunction."}
{"id": "PMID:1490759", "title": "Perforation of the superior vena cava by a subclavian hemodialysis catheter: early detection by angiography.", "content": "A dual-lumen subclavian catheter was placed for temporary dialysis access in a 36-year-old woman. Clinical suspicion for a possible vena caval perforation by the catheter tip was confirmed by injection of contrast through the catheter. This technique allowed rapid diagnosis and prevented further potential complications related to catheter malposition."}
{"id": "PMID:1490760", "title": "High volume plasma exchange in fulminant hepatic failure.", "content": "We investigated the effect of repeated high volume plasma exchange with fresh donor plasma in 11 patients with fulminant hepatic failure, all initially in stage 3 or 4 encephalopathy. A daily exchange of a volume equal to the extracellular volume (20% of body weight) on three consecutive days was intended. We obtained an average of 2.6 exchanges each with a mean volume equal to 16% of the body weight. Five patients (46%, 95% confidence limits 17%-77%) survived, all with acetaminophen induced liver failure. Four of the 6 non-survivors showed a temporary improvement in cerebral function. Two of the patients woke up completely. The 6 non-survivors maintained a stable condition with a systolic blood pressure > 110 mm Hg for a mean of 6.9 days after initiating plasma exchange. Plasma exchange may be considered in acute liver failure in patients with residual liver function before transplantation is finally decided. In addition, plasmapheresis may be used to keep patients with definite liver failure clinically stable until a transplant can be performed."}
{"id": "PMID:1490761", "title": "Hemoperfusion with a new anion exchange resin corrects the metabolic alkalosis in pyloric stenosis: an experimental demonstration.", "content": "An experimental model of hypertrophic pyloric stenosis was made by suture of the pyloric wall and gastrostomy in 10 rabbits under general anesthesia. Blood sampling indicated severe alkalosis and hypochloremia 3h 30 min after surgery. To correct the derangement, we tested an ion exchange resin (Dowex SAR), coated with a methacrylic hydrogel. A cartridge containing 18 g of this resin was inserted in an extracorporeal circuit. This chloride charged resin achieved uptake of HCO3- ions, and elution of Cl- ions. The electrolytic balance was fully restored after 10 min of treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1490762", "title": "In vitro hemolysis by mechanical heart valve prostheses with tilting disc.", "content": "Hemolytic and subhemolytic blood damage by mechanical heart valve prostheses have been observed in both clinical and in vitro investigations. A direct comparison between these studies is not possible. Nevertheless the transfer of some in vitro results to the behaviour of the valve in situ may be performed considering the similarity principle. This requires the use of dimensionless similarity numbers such as the plasma's hemoglobin concentration (PHb) or others, instead of dimensioned parameters. To evaluate the in vitro hemolysis of valve prosthesis a test chamber filled with human banked blood was used. An artificial ventricle ensuring an oscillatory flow through the valve was also used. The rise of PHb was evaluated in terms of a similarity number, called the lysis number. This number describes the probability of destroying a single red blood cell participating once in the hemolytic process under consideration. The lysis number, a Bj\u00f6rk-Shiley valve (TAD 29), was found to be in the order of 2 x 10(-4). From this, the survival time of erythrocytes in patients with an artificial heart valve was estimated. It was found to be in the order of 20 d of T50 Cr in agreement with clinical results."}
{"id": "PMID:1490763", "title": "Liquid phase enzyme reactor, a new bioreactor principle.", "content": "One of the drawbacks of solid phase enzyme reactors is the sharp decrease in substrate affinity as shown by an increase in the Km app value. To circumvent this problem a liquid phase enzyme reactor system was designed. Biotin labeled L-Tryptophan side chain oxidase (TSO) was directly injected into the plasma circuit of a filter plasmaphoresis system of rabbits and adsorbed onto an Avidin column prior to its reentry into the animal's general blood circulation. In five experiments total L-Tryptophan depletion could be observed in the plasma circuit during 60 minutes of the experiment with complete readsorption of the enzyme to the Avidin column."}
{"id": "PMID:1490765", "title": "William Harvey, Peter Lauremberg and cardiac output.", "content": "In 1636, the Rostock professor of medicine and the art of poetry, Peter Lauremberg (1585-1639), was one of the earliest to mention circulation which had been discovered by William Harvey and documented in his anatomical manual. In 1628 William Harvey proved the existence of the blood circulation by calculating the \"cardiac output in a half an hour (semihora)\". The answer to the question why Harvey chose half an hour as the time range can be found in the way of measuring time usual at that period. The sandglasses were turned half-hourly in maritime navigation and the wheel-clocks on shore had only the hour-hand. Improved chronometry was one of the prerequisites for measuring cardiac output. The minute-hand became usual after 1700 and the second-hand later on. Taking into consideration the alterations of cardiac output made the latter one of the most important circulation parameters in diagnostics, prognostication and therapeutics."}
{"id": "PMID:1490766", "title": "Clinical pharmacology and pharmacoepidemiology: synergistic interactions.", "content": "There are many opportunities for synergistic interactions between clinical pharmacology and pharmacoepidemiology. They range from the applications of molecular biology and pharmacogenetics to population studies, and vice versa, to population pharmacokinetics, to the evolution of well-designed, large scale clinical trials in less contrived settings. Ultimately, the synergy can contribute to intelligent and hopefully more efficient drug development, and when a drug goes to market, a better understanding of what will happen."}
{"id": "PMID:1490767", "title": "Interneuronal information transfer: recent advances in synaptology.", "content": "The elementary mechanisms underlying synaptic transmission are described with respect to the following topics: 1. morphology and bioelectric activity of nerve cells; 2. electrical and chemical synapses; 3. transmitter-operated opening of membrane channels on the basis of allosteric effects; 4. synaptic transmission on the basis of second messengers (adenylate-cyclase-system, phosphoinositol-cycle); 5. interactions of transmitters."}
{"id": "PMID:1490768", "title": "Relation between psychometric tests and quantitative topographic EEG in pharmacology.", "content": "Both, psychometric tests and quantitative pharmaco-EEG are accepted as necessary tools in different fields of pharmacology. But using these methods separately, none is able to forward informations about the behavioral performance and the central nervous demand simultaneously. The solution of this problem is a complex psychophysiological set-up. Till today such complex measurement set-ups are a rarity. The main reason is the impossibility of EEG recordings during psychometric tests without different artefacts. In the present paper we demonstrate by using our own CATEEM-System in connection with the IBIS-Psychometry-system the possibility to get artefact free EEG recordings during psychometric test conditions. The different mental loads at different tests are producing a graduated increase in the delta and theta frequency range of the EEG of the fronto-temporal region and the occipital region of the cortex. During the tests a decrease of alpha-activity is seen generally. These effects can be described quantitatively as the topographical distribution of frequency changes. The present data are in line with the knowledge about the functional and anatomical structure of the human brain."}
{"id": "PMID:1490769", "title": "Identification and treatment of postmenopausal women at risk for the development of osteoporosis.", "content": "One in the three women develops osteoporosis--low bone mass and structural deterioration leading to fractures. Pre- and postmenopausal deficiency states are main causes. Estrogens prevent bone loss: Oral doses of 2 mg estradiol or 0.625 conjugated estrogens/day or 50-100 micrograms transdermal estradiol/day substantially reduce vertebral, forearm, and hip fractures. Certain progestins may enhance this effect. Calcium as a prerequisite for attainment of peak bone mass will not substitute for estrogen replacement. Selection of patients actually being at risk for postmenopausal osteoporosis needs to be improved substantially; there is no sensitive single test or testing system for osteoporosis. As individual history and physical exam or biochemical markers of bone resorption and formation rarely provide the early diagnosis of osteoporosis, prophylactic estrogen replacement therapy has to be considered in the majority of postmenopausal women to achieve prevention of postmenopausal osteoporosis. Compliance of replacement therapy in the European countries is poor, only 5-25% of postmenopausal women use estrogen replacement therapy for more than one year. Major compliance problems are alleged weight gain, resumption of withdrawal bleeding and fear to develop breast or endometrial cancer."}
{"id": "PMID:1490778", "title": "Drug utilization research in primary health care as exemplified by physicians' quality assessment groups.", "content": "Drugs in primary health care are often prescribed for nonrational reasons. Drug utilization research investigates the prescription of drugs with an eye to medical, social and economic causes and consequences of the prescribed drug's utilization. The results of this research show distinct differences in drug utilization in different age groups and between men and women. Indication and dosage appear irrational from a textbook point of view. This indicates nonpharmacological causes of drug utilization. To advice successfully changes for the better quality assessment groups of primary health care physicians get information about their established behavior by analysis of their prescriptions. The discussion and the comparisons in the group allow them to recognize their irrational prescribing and the social, psychological and economic reasons behind it. Guidelines for treatment are worked out which take into account the primary health care physician's situation. After a year with 6 meetings of the quality assessment groups the education process is evaluated by another drug utilization analysis on the basis of the physicians prescription. The evaluation shows a remarkable improvement of quality and cost effectiveness of the drug therapy of the participating physicians."}
{"id": "PMID:1490781", "title": "Drug use in pregnancy: east German data of an international collaborative study.", "content": "In an epidemiological collaborative international study under the auspices of WHO-Euro the drug use in pregnancy was investigated in 22 countries in 14,778 women and in hospitals of three different levels. The East German state Thuringia took part according to the annual birth rate with 300 women in 3 hospitals (Jena, Gera, Greiz). In the international average, 14% of the enrolled women took no drugs during pregnancy before admission to hospital for delivery. In East Germany 44% of the women taking part in the study had no drug administration during pregnancy. The critical use of iron preparations and vitamins there has to be mentioned. Under delivery, 99% of the Thuringian women received drugs. In the puerperium the administration of ergot derivatives and of laxatives exceeds the international average and has to be critically revised, but the administration of antiinfectives in only 1/5 and of analgetics 1/3 of the international average."}
{"id": "PMID:1490788", "title": "Problems in performing a double-blind multicenter study using a hypnotic in private practice.", "content": "1. The procedure described--the immediate data transfer and entry system (ITES)--is suitable to improve the quality of data collected in multicentre studies in private practice. 2. The results of the study show that regarding influence on sleep quality and daytime well-being the non-benzodiazepine Z is significantly superior to placebo and slightly superior to the benzodiazepines F and T. 3. The advantage of Z treatment is the better daytime well-being after taking the hypnotic for sleep induction the night before. 4. This study shows that a quality standard equal to that in clinical practice may be achieved in private practice."}
{"id": "PMID:1490794", "title": "Bioequivalence of a new atenolol formulation.", "content": "A new generic drug of atenolol, Atenolol (A), (Fahlberg-List Magdeburg, Germany) was studied in comparison with standard preparation (S) in their pharmacokinetic behaviour in 12 patients under steady state conditions. The concentration-time-profile of both preparations was nearly identical. The half time of elimination was calculated for A at 6.5 h and for S at 5.9 h. From the ratio of AUC from A to S (extent of absorption) a mean bioequivalence of 103.1% (90%-confidence limits 0.85-1.21) was estimated. Corresponding values for the rate of absorption were in the mean 102.8% (90%-confidence limits 0.94-1.12)."}
{"id": "PMID:1490801", "title": "Pharmacokinetics of trapidil (Rocornal) in patients with chronic liver disease.", "content": "The pharmacokinetics of trapidil (Rocornal, Deutsches Hydrierwerk Rodleben GmbH) were studied in 15 patients with chronic liver disease (12 patients with hepatic cirrhosis, 2 patients with alcoholic fatty liver, one patient with liver fibrosis). Trapidil was given orally (200 mg, Rocornal dragees 100 mg) as well as intravenously (100 mg) in random order. Serum samples were analyzed for trapidil by HPLC. The pharmacokinetic parameters were compared with the parameters of 12 healthy volunteers, investigated by Weiss [1991]. Total plasma clearance was decreased significantly in patients with hepatic cirrhosis (99.6 ml/min vs 273.1 ml/min in controls and 255.3 ml/min in patients with non cirrhotic liver disease). However, there was no difference in clearance between patients with compensated and patients with decompensated cirrhosis. Clearance and aspartate aminotransferase activity correlated inversely. In addition, in some of the patients suffering from portal hypertension delayed absorption was observed, but the difference did not reach statistical significance. The volumes of distribution were significantly lower in patients with non alcoholic cirrhosis (19.9 l vs 36.8 l in controls and 41.0 l in patients with alcoholic cirrhosis). It might be concluded from this study, that dosage adjustments are necessary in treatment of patients with cirrhosis. In patients suffering from portal hypertension an intravenous administration should be prefered."}
{"id": "PMID:1490803", "title": "Investigation of the variability of etoposide pharmacokinetics in children.", "content": "The interindividual variation of etoposide pharmacokinetics under different therapeutic schedules and the rationale of dose reduction in young children and newborns were investigated in the present study. We evaluated pharmacokinetic parameters during short-term infusion in 21 therapy cycles (18 children) on different therapeutic schedules (66-200 mg/m2). In 33 patients state levels (Css) during continuous infusion of 125 mg/m2/96 h were analyzed by an HPLC-method. During short-term infusion half-life (3.3 +/- 0.7 h) and total body clearance (26 +/- 6 ml/min/m2) showed a relatively narrow range. Calculation of the area under the curve was standardized to a dosage of 100 mg/m2 (AUC/[100 mg/m2]). The AUC then was 68 +/- 17 (micrograms.h/ml)/(100 mg/m2) with a coefficient of variation of 25%. In the subgroup of 10 patients who received 150 mg/m2 the AUC was 106 +/- 15 micrograms.h/ml with only 14% coefficient of variation. In children < 2 years, pharmacokinetic parameters were within the normal range. Calculation of the doses the short-term infusion per kg resulted in a dose reduction or 31% (mean, n = 5) and in 22% (mean) lower AUC's. With continuous infusion of 125 mg/m2 etoposide the interpatient variability was greater with a 33% coefficient of variation of the Css (4.4 +/- 1.4 micrograms/ml; n = 24). Calculation of the doses per kg (age < 1 year) or 2/3.kg resulted in reduced Css. Standardization of these levels showed Css (125 mg/m2) of 4.6 +/- 1.4 micrograms/ml and a coefficient of variation of 31%. Interpatient variability of etoposide pharmacokinetics at least during short-term infusion is limited. Dose reduction is not substantiated in children < 2 years by our pharmacokinetic data."}
{"id": "PMID:1490811", "title": "The biliary and renal elimination of the new muscarinic-1-antagonist AWD 26-06 in volunteers with T-tube after cholecystectomy.", "content": "The biliary and renal elimination of the new muscarinic-1-antagonist AWD 26-06 were investigated in 6 female volunteers (age: 26-69 years) 9-14 days after cholecystectomy and T-tube construction. After a single oral dose of 50 mg AWD 26-06 as an aqueous solution the amount of the unchanged substance was determined in serum, T-tube bile and urine with a special HPLC-method. The concentration maximum was reached earlier and higher in bile (60 +/- 22 min; 10.8 +/- 5.7 micrograms/ml) than in serum (73 +/- 28 min; 0.98 +/- 0.53 micrograms/ml). During the whole observation time of 24 h the AWD 26-06 concentration in bile was 2-21-fold higher than in serum. In mean 2.3 +/- 1.5% of the administered dose were eliminated unchanged by bile and 12.2 +/- 5.9% by urine. More than 70% of the dose were metabolized. The results gave a hint at active liver transport processes and an enterohepatic recirculation. A drug interaction was observed with valproic acid on the metabolic level. The great interindividual variability of pharmacokinetic data can be caused by the heterogeneity of the subject group and a genetic polymorphism in the metabolism of AWD 26-06. The bile sampling by means of a T-tube is a simple but effective method under consideration of special conditions."}
{"id": "PMID:1490813", "title": "HPLC-methods for determination of lipoic acid and its reduced form in human plasma.", "content": "A method has been developed for the HPLC analysis of lipoic acid and its reduced form (dihydrolipoic acid) in biological samples. Both substances are released from the samples by enzymatic hydrolysis and extracted by solid phase column. The extracts, after evaporation, were chromatographed and quantified by electrochemical detection. The basic level was in the range 1-25 ng/ml for lipoic acid and 33-145 ng/ml for dihydrolipoic acid (6 healthy volunteers)."}
{"id": "PMID:1490815", "title": "Investigations into a new antiarrhythmic substance Z-2-amino-5-chlor-benzophenon-amidin-hydralazin in humans.", "content": "Z-2-amino-5-chlor-benzophenon-amidin-hydralazin is a new chemical potential antiarrhythmic substance. The blood levels were investigated after different dosages and forms of administration in patients and volunteers. The determination of the substance can be performed by high-pressure liquid chromatography. In addition the pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated. The pharmacokinetic profile is similar in humans and animals."}
{"id": "PMID:1490817", "title": "Modelling of the pharmacodynamics and pharmacodynamic interactions of CNS active drugs.", "content": "The pharmacodynamics and pharmacodynamic interactions of benzodiazepines have been determined using amplitudes in the 12-30 Hz frequency band of the EEG as a measure of the pharmacological response. Following the administration of a single intravenous dose, plasma concentration and pharmacological effect versus time profiles were determined and subjected to simultaneous pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic modelling to derive individual concentration EEG effect relationships. For flunitrazepam, midazolam, oxazepam and clobazam the concentration EEG effect relationships could be characterized on basis of the sigmoid Emax model. The values of the EC50 differed widely. A close correlation between the value of the EC50 and the affinity to the nanomolar benzodiazepine receptor in vitro was observed. For midazolam, bretazenil, flumazenil and Ro 19-4603 in addition to differences in potency also widely different values of the Emax were observed, which are in agreement with the known pharmacological properties of these compounds. The pharmacodynamic interaction between midazolam and flumazenil was characterized both under steady-state and non steady-state conditions. It was found that the effects of combined treatment with these drugs can be described and predicted on the basis of a competitive interaction model. The findings of these studies demonstrate that on the basis of an integrated pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic approach, important information on the pharmacodynamics and pharmacodynamic interactions of CNS active drugs can be obtained."}
{"id": "PMID:1490818", "title": "Population pharmacokinetics.", "content": "Traditionally pharmacokinetic studies have been performed in small homogenous groups of subjects, often normal healthy, young male volunteers. These studies are well controlled and generate meaningful baseline data. However, concern has been expressed that insufficient data is collected at an early state in the target population during a drug's development. Logistically studies during Phase III are difficult, control is lacking and what data that is generated is very sparse. In recent years there has been a growing interest in techniques capable of analyzing sparse data and there is now pressure on manufacturers to obtain more kinetic and dynamic information from Phase III studies. The issues, problems and the current status of population based studies will be discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1490820", "title": "The importance of prospective planning of pharmacokinetic trials. Considerations of studies on the phenytoin-digoxin-(P-D) and phenytoin-digitoxin-(P-DT) interaction.", "content": "To study possible pharmacokinetic interactions between two compounds a single-dose or a multiple dose experimental design may be used. Two prospective trials on the possible pharmacokinetic interaction between phenytoin (P) and digoxin (D) or digitoxin (DT) were performed in healthy volunteers. It is demonstrated that an statistically significant pharmacokinetic interaction was found only after multiple dosing under conditions of steady-state, whereas after single dosing no interaction was observed. In case of investigating possible pharmacokinetic interactions a multiple dosing trial design appears to be advantageous."}
{"id": "PMID:1490821", "title": "Planning of drug interaction studies involving digoxin treatment: a statistical view.", "content": "The most valuable information we obtained from literature research was, that digoxin serum concentrations are generally of primary interest rather than area under curve or maximum concentration. Steady-state plasma levels appeared as a generally accepted endpoint to judge pharmacokinetic interaction. However, time-points for measurements were chosen differently and varied widely. Often, digoxin clearance was also considered. Despite the large amount of data, publications, opinions and single conclusions, no general statement could be made either about what is considered a relevant interaction or what is judged as \"no interaction\"."}
{"id": "PMID:1490832", "title": "Observations on color vision testing in ocular hypertension and glaucoma.", "content": "Forty-eight patients aged from 60 to 69 years (58 eyes) with ocular hypertension (OHT) or primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) and a control group of 16 persons (31 eyes) were studied with six color vision tests: Standard Pseudoisochromatic Plates Part 2, Farnsworth Panel D 15, Farnsworth-Munsell 100-hue (FM 100) test, Lanthony Desaturated Panel, Nagel (red-green) anomaloscope, and Besan\u00e7on (blue) anomalometer. In the color vision tests, the newly diagnosed OHT eyes without treatment differed significantly from the control group in the blue anomalometer. The long-term OHT eyes with treatment had no significant difference from the normals in any of the tests. The newly diagnosed POAG eyes without treatment were significantly different from the normals in the FM 100 test as well as in the boxes I, II, III and IV of the test, in the Lanthony Desaturated Panel and in the blue anomalometer. The long-term POAG eyes with treatment only differed significantly from the normal eyes in the blue anomalometer. The box IV of the FM 100 test and blue anomalometer were observed to be the most useful of these six tests in finding the possible early beginning of the blue color vision defect in the group of newly diagnosed OHT."}
{"id": "PMID:1490833", "title": "Color vision in Stargardt's disease.", "content": "The color vision of nine patients aged from 13 to 52 years with Stargardt's disease was studied with the following tests: Standard Pseudoisochromatic Plates part 2 (SSP2), Farnsworth-Munsell 100 hue test (FM100), Nagel (red-green) anomaloscope and Besan\u00e7on (blue) anomalometer. At the beginning of the disease, a very slight defect in red-green color vision could be demonstrated. Later, a distinct acquired red (pseudo-protanomalous) defect in the Nagel anomaloscope and an abnormal error score in the FM100 test were observed. In advanced stages, the red defect became stronger (scotopization) and the FM100 test showed a red-green axis. In the course of the disease, a blue defect with the SPP2 plates and with the Besan\u00e7on anomalometer could also be found. The visual acuities of the patients had a significant correlation with the matching ranges of the Rayleigh equation and the Moreland equation. The duration of the disease did not show any correlation with the color vision tests."}
{"id": "PMID:1490834", "title": "Diabetic retinopathy in a population of 1,302 insulin dependent diabetics (IDDM) diagnosed before 30 years of age.", "content": "The authors analyse the data resulting from the first ophthalmological observation of 1,302 insulin dependent diabetics whose age at diagnosis is less than 30 years and who have been observed regularly by the Portuguese Diabetic Association. The prevalence of retinopathy is 41, 6%; 34.3% is non-proliferative and 7.3% is proliferative. Retinopathy is more frequent in males (P < 0.001). The prevalence of retinopathy increases with the duration of diabetes and it is equal to or greater than 80% in people who have had diabetes for 10 years or more. 'Poor' glucose control, the coexistence of other late complications and arterial hypertension increase the risk of retinopathy (P < 0.001)."}
{"id": "PMID:1490835", "title": "Internal choroidectomy of posterior uveal melanomas under a retinal flap.", "content": "Local excision of uveal melanoma is an intriguing therapeutic modality in selected cases. An internal choroidectomy under a retinal flap has been developed as an alternative to retinochoroidectomy in managing posterior pole melanomas. This technique offers more adequate preservation of retinal architecture, thus potentially enhancing central visual function in patients with tumors located close to the fovea."}
{"id": "PMID:1490836", "title": "Impression Cytology with Transfer in xerophthalmia and conjunctival diseases.", "content": "During a countrywide survey, we assessed the prevalence of clinical signs of xerophthalmia and of major conjunctival diseases in a randomized sample of 2,445 subjects representative of the population of the Republic of Djibouti. On a part of this sample, conjunctival Impression Cytology with Transfer (ICT) test and a plasma retinol determination were performed. Xerophthalmia as a public health problem was displayed by clinical signs (Bitot's spots, corneal scars among preschool children), low plasma retinol levels and ICT test results: 9.3% with deficient cytology in the rural area and 12.3% in the urban one (age-standardized rates). Results of ICT were related to age (p < 0.00001). Vitamin A deficiency was prevalent not only in preschool children but also up to 15 years. Moreover, ICT results are influenced by conjunctival diseases: compared to age-matched controls, there were more abnormal cytologies among patients with trachomatous inflammation (p = 0.025), conjunctivitis (p = 0.024) or Limbal Vernal Keratoconjunctivitis (p = 0.015). Thus ICT shouldn't be performed among children with conjunctival diseases. In the region under study conjunctival diseases had high rates of prevalence: 16.4% of trachomatous scarrings in the urban area (standardized rate), 8% of conjunctivitis among rural preschool children, and 5% of Limbal Vernal Keratoconjunctivitis among children between 5 and 14 years in both areas."}
{"id": "PMID:1490837", "title": "Best's multiple vitelliform degeneration.", "content": "Best's disease with multifocal lesions is rare. The authors describe four cases of multifocal vitelliform disease. The fluorescein angiographic features of macular and extramacular lesions are considered. Different stages of evolution may be present between central and extramacular lesions."}
{"id": "PMID:1490838", "title": "The follow-up of patients screened for glaucoma with non-mydriatic fundus photography.", "content": "In order to evaluate the value of photographic screening in predicting progressive glaucomatous damage, we re-examined 26 subjects 5 years after the initial screening. Of the 26 patients 16 had typical glaucomatous optic disc and visual field abnormalities (n = 7), retinal nerve layer damage (n = 6), or other risk factors of glaucoma (n = 3). In 10 of 26 patients suspected of having glaucoma, no abnormalities were initially confirmed. Of the 16 eyes with initially abnormal findings, 10 (63%) showed progressive changes during the 5-year follow-up period. The 10 initially suspected cases have remained healthy throughout the follow-up, giving a false positive rate of 5.5%. The results of this study indicate that it is possible to identify correctly patients with progressive glaucomatous changes with a non-mydriatic fundus camera."}
{"id": "PMID:1490852", "title": "The Yorkshire Region Children's Tumour Registry--the role of the specialised children's.", "content": "The Yorkshire Regional Children's Tumour Registry (YRCTR) has been operating since the early 1980's in Leeds. It has collected registrations of childhood cancer from (approximately) the Yorkshire Regional Health Authority (RHA) area for the years 1974 onwards. All malignant neoplasms, all intracranial tumours, and a number of other disorders diagnosed in persons aged 14 or under, resident in the RHA area are included. For several reasons large general cancer registries are unable to cover childhood malignancies as well as they do adult malignancies. Many of these problems can be addressed by establishing a specialist register. This also has certain advantages for researchers, and can serve as a useful basis for diverse types of research work."}
{"id": "PMID:1490868", "title": "The mapping of natural boron in histological sections of mouse tissues by the use of neutron-capture radiography.", "content": "Neutron-capture radiography has been applied to the mapping of natural boron in mouse histological sections. The method is based on the fact that the stable isotope boron-10 has an extremely large cross-section for the thermal-neutron reaction 10B(n, alpha)7Li. The local tissue boron concentrations were evaluated from the corresponding track densities of the nuclear reaction using an equation derived from a theoretical model of the system. The adjustable parameters of this equation were determined in two separate calibration experiments using standardized samples prepared by the addition of known amounts of boron. Interference from other nuclides engaged in nuclear reactions with thermal neutrons was also estimated. In the present experimental conditions the natural boron lower detection limit was 0.03 p.p.m. (fresh weight), and the spatial resolution was of the order of a few micrometers. Boron concentrations in mouse serum and urine were close to 0.22 and 0.57 micrograms ml-1, respectively. In the solid mouse tissues--liver, heart, brain, muscle and spleen--the concentration was usually low, ranging from 0.12 to 0.16 p.p.m. (fresh weight). They were significantly higher in the kidney, especially in the papilla (6.2 p.p.m. fresh weight). Apart from the kidney papilla, where boron was particularly concentrated in wall tubules, the boron distribution in most tissues appeared to be practically homogeneous. Natural boron, and even more so its enriched stable isotope 10B, appear as good candidates for molecular labelling using non-radioactive tracers."}
{"id": "PMID:1490869", "title": "Postnatal changes in sublobular distribution of NADPH-cytochrome P-450 reductase in rat liver.", "content": "Immunohistochemical distribution of NADPH-cytochrome P-450 reductase (NADPH-ferrihaemoprotein reductase; EC 1.6.2.4.) in the liver lobule was examined during development of the rat. From the 19th day of gestation to 4 days after birth, the enzyme was distributed uniformly throughout the lobule. The immunostaining for the enzyme was weak before birth, and became slightly stronger after birth. A slightly uneven distribution of immunoreactivity, stronger in perivenular zones, appeared at 5 days after birth. Then, the staining intensity in perivenular zones became progressively stronger with age, except for a slight increase between 10 and 20 days of age. The intensity in periportal zones also increased gradually, although it remained weaker than that in perivenular zones. Around 30 days of age, the distribution of the immunostaining, stronger in perivenular than in periportal zones, was similar to that seen in the lobules of adult animals. Thus, heterogeneity among hepatocytes with respect to the enzyme content is not present in fetal and newborn rats but develops gradually during postnatal development; the postnatal growth of the liver is accompanied by a change in the pattern of the distribution of this enzyme within the lobule."}
{"id": "PMID:1490870", "title": "Noise exposure level while operating electronic arcade games as a leisure time activity.", "content": "In order to study noise levels associated with electronic arcade games, noise measurements were made in 3 selected game centers and 192 samples were taken in each location. The background noise was recorded at a level of 61 dB(A) and 64 dB(C). When the electronic games were performed these levels of noise reached to 88 approximately 90 dB(A). The 1/3 octave bands analyzing sound pressure levels showed that more intense noise levels arose in a frequency range between 0.5 and 2.0 kHz. The computed values for noise pollution levels (LNP) and L90 (fast response A-weighted sound level exceeded 90% of the measurement time) ranged from 93.3 to 96.6 and from 85.1 to 87.3 dB(A), respectively. Concerning our results and according to Melnic (1979), it was estimated that these levels of noise might cause 4-8 dB temporary threshold shift (TTS) at 4.0 kHz in an individual with less than one hour of exposure to such a level of noise. As for the employees of the 3 game centers, the 8-hr equivalent continuous sound levels (Leq,8) were in the range of 80.3 approximately 87.5 dB(A), although their exposure time could not be exactly determined. It was suggested that: 1) The maximum levels should be limited to a reasonable level, either by the manufacturers or by the game center owners; 2) Education programs in industry should inform the employees about other factors outside the work that may affect their hearing; and 3) For policy-making on hearing conservation, recreational warning and standards should be established."}
{"id": "PMID:1490871", "title": "Interaction of flufenamic acid on ethanol metabolism in rat.", "content": "Flufenamic acid (FA) is a widely used non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug. It is also known to be an uncoupling agent of oxidative phosphorylation in mitochondria. The interaction of FA and ethanol has been of concern in the occupational health field, since alcohol consumption is a common habit among members of the working population. Thus, we investigated the effects of FA on ethanol metabolism in the rat. In the first experiment, FA and ethanol were administered intragastrically to male Wistar rats. Ethanol and acetaldehyde were measured in blood samples collected from the tail vein by head-space gas chromatography. In the second experiment, the interaction of FA and ethanol was observed in the perfused rat liver. The following items were monitored in perfused livers from both fed and fastd rats: uptake rate of ethanol, production rate of acetaldehyde, level of reduced pyridine nucleotides, and oxygen consumption rate. In the first experiment, the rats with FA showed significantly higher concentrations of both ethanol and acetaldehyde in blood after ethanol intake than the rats without FA. In the perfused liver, FA suppressed ethanol uptake, and increased acetaldehyde concentration in the effluent. FA decreased the level of intracellular reduced pyridine nucleotides which had been elevated by ethanol. FA caused an increase in the oxygen consumption rate, which was not altered by the coexistence of ethanol. It was concluded that FA suppressed ethanol metabolism due to suppression of acetaldehyde oxidation in the liver, despite its uncoupling effect on oxidative phosphorylation in mitochondria."}
{"id": "PMID:1490872", "title": "Dethymicin, a novel immunosuppressant isolated from an Amycolatopsis. Fermentation, isolation, physico-chemical properties and biological activities.", "content": "In the course of screening for immunomodulators inhibiting the mixed lymphocyte culture reaction (MLCR), we found a novel immunosuppressant, dethymicin in mycelium of Amycolatopsis mediterranei MI710-51F6. From physico-chemical properties and biological activity it is different from immunosuppressants produced by microorganisms such as cyclosporins, FK506 and rapamycin. It inhibited immune responses in vitro and in vivo, and prolonged skin allograft in rats."}
{"id": "PMID:1490873", "title": "Isolation, purification, synthesis, and antiinvasive/antimetastatic activity of U-77863 and U-77864 from Streptomyces griseoluteus, strain WS6724.", "content": "In screening of actinomycetes for structures with differential solid tumor activity, Streptomyces griseoluteus, strain WS6724 was found to produce U-77863 and U-77864. U-77863 exhibited antiinvasive activity in vitro in the membrane invasion culture system (MICS) and a dose-dependent antimetastatic activity in vivo versus K1735-M2 and B16-F10 murine melanomas. The isolation, purification, and synthesis of both structures and biological activity is reported."}
{"id": "PMID:1490874", "title": "Production of new anthracycline antibiotics by microbial 4-O-methylation using a specific daunorubicin-negative mutant.", "content": "Microbial 4-O-methylation using a specific daunorubicin-blocked, nonproducing mutant provided the new anthracycline antibiotics 4-O-methylbetaclamycin T, 4-O-methylyellamycin A and 4-O-methyl-13-hydroxyoxaunomycin, from which 4-O-methyloxaunomycin and 4-O-methyl-6-deoxyoxaunomycin were then prepared by further photochemical N-demethylation. Antitumor activities in vitro and in vivo against L1210 cells were compared with those of their 4-O-demethyl derivatives. It was found that all the 4-O-methyl derivatives had a markedly reduced cytotoxicity in vitro as compared with the 4-O-demethyl compounds. However, some of them were endowed with a significantly improved antitumor activity in vivo."}
{"id": "PMID:1490875", "title": "The producer and biological activities of SO-75R1, a new mutactimycin group antibiotic [corrected].", "content": "The producer of SO-75R1, a new anthracycline group antibiotic was identified as Nocardia brasiliensis. SO-75R1 was active against Gram-positive bacteria, but not active against Gram-negative bacteria or fungi. All tested Nocardia brasiliensis strains as well as the producer itself were resistant to SO-75R1, although four other pathogenic Nocardia, i.e. N. asteroides, N. nova, N. farcinica and N. otitidiscaviarum were sensitive [corrected]."}
{"id": "PMID:1490876", "title": "Pneumocandins from Zalerion arboricola. I. Discovery and isolation.", "content": "HPLC bioautography of the directed biosynthesis of Zalerion arboricola led to the discovery of pneumocandin B0 (L-688,786), a new antifungal and anti-Pneumocystis carinii lipopeptide. Isolation techniques were developed to separate this component from pneumocandin A0 (L-671,329) in fermentations of a mutant of Zalerion arboricola. A number of related compounds were also isolated, which differ from pneumocandins A0 and B0 in the hydroxylation patterns on the ornithine, homotyrosine, and proline."}
{"id": "PMID:1490877", "title": "Pneumocandins from Zalerion arboricola. II. Modification of product spectrum by mutation and medium manipulation.", "content": "Zalerion arboricola ATCC 20868 produces pneumocandin A0 (L-671,329), a cyclic hexapeptide with a dimethylmyristic acid side chain. This compound has anti-candida and anti-pneumocystis activities. We were interested in looking for other related compounds produced by this organism. To facilitate this search, a simple medium (S2) composed of D-mannitol, peptonized milk, lactic acid, glycine, KH2PO4 and trace elements, which supported the production of a number of such compounds, was designed. For the isolation of mutants, either spores or growing mycelia were treated with N-nitroso-N-methylurethane or N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine and survivors were screened for changes in the product spectrum. From approximately 1,500 survivors tested, 5 mutants were isolated. Mutants ATCC 20957, 74030, 20958 and 20988 exclusively produce various pneumocandins other than A0. These compounds were active against Candida and Pneumocystis carinii. The yield of A0 was found to be increased 2.5-fold over that of the parent in the fifth mutant, MF5415. Further medium studies indicated that the addition of soybean oil to S2 medium improved the yields. Subsequent development of another series of media containing Pharmamedia as a nitrogen source resulted in increase in production by 10- approximately 20-fold. Overall, these studies resulted in substantial improvement in the production of A0 as well as discovery and/or facile production of 7 other related compounds."}
{"id": "PMID:1490878", "title": "Pneumocandins from Zalerion arboricola. III. Structure elucidation.", "content": "Pneumocandin B0 (6) and six related lipopeptides are antifungal and anti-Pneumocystis carinii agents from mutants of Zalerion arboricola, whose structures were determined mainly on the basis of spectroscopic analysis. They belong, along with pneumocandin A0 (L-671,329) previously isolated from these laboratories, to the echinocandin class of antifungal agents. The product from base-catalyzed ring opening involving the hemiaminal position of the dihydroxyornithine residue of B0, has been clearly defined as 6b. Modifications were limited to the 3-hydroxy-4-methylproline, 3,4-dihydroxyhomotyrosine and 4,5-dihydroxyornithine residues of pneumocandin A0."}
{"id": "PMID:1490879", "title": "Pneumocandins from Zalerion arboricola. IV. Biological evaluation of natural and semisynthetic pneumocandins for activity against Pneumocystis carinii and Candida species.", "content": "A series of lipopeptide compounds co-produced during the fermentation of pneumocandin A0 (L-671,329) and related semisynthetic compounds were evaluated in vivo against Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia and systemic candidiasis. In addition, they were tested in vitro against a panel of pathogenic Candida species and in a Candida membrane 1,3-beta-D-glucan synthesis assay. The results of these studies demonstrate that pneumocandin A0 and pneumocandin B0 (L-688,786) are the most potent compounds when considering both antipneumocystis and anticandida activity. Other compounds in the series are selectively more potent against P. carinii or Candida albicans suggesting a diverging structure-activity relationship. Evaluation of these compounds for their ability to inhibit C. albicans 1,3-beta-D-glucan synthesis in vitro demonstrates that they inhibit this process. A positive correlation between 1,3-beta-D-glucan synthesis inhibition and in vitro antifungal activity was also demonstrated for some of the pneumocandins."}
{"id": "PMID:1490880", "title": "Dactylocyclines, novel tetracycline derivatives produced by a Dactylosporangium sp. I. Taxonomy, production, isolation and biological activity.", "content": "A screen for antibiotics with activity against tetracycline-resistant microorganisms has led to the isolation of Dactylosporangium sp. (ATCC 53693), a producer of several novel tetracycline derivatives. The major fermentation products, dactylocyclines A and B, were purified and MIC values determined against tetracycline-resistant and tetracycline-sensitive Gram-positive bacteria. The dactylocyclines represent the first naturally occurring tetracycline C2 amides which lack cross resistance with tetracycline."}
{"id": "PMID:1490881", "title": "Dactylocyclines, novel tetracycline derivatives produced by a Dactylosporangium sp. II. Structure elucidation.", "content": "Fermentation of Dactylosporangium sp. (ATCC 53693) produces a mixture of tetracycline derivatives from which several related tetracycline glycosides, the dactylocyclines, were isolated and their structures determined. The most abundant glycoside in initial fermentations was found to be dactylocycline A. Each glycoside proved to be acid sensitive and readily hydrolyzed to a common aglycone, dactylocyclinone. While the aglycone was cross resistant with tetracycline, the dactylocyclines proved active against certain tetracycline-resistant organisms."}
{"id": "PMID:1490882", "title": "Dactylocyclines, novel tetracycline derivatives produced by a Dactylosporangium sp. III. Absolute stereochemistry of the dactylocyclines.", "content": "The dactylocycline antibiotics were found through circular dichroism measurements, NMR spectroscopy and chemical transformations to possess the usual tetracycline family absolute configuration at carbons 4, 4a, 5a and 12a. The absolute stereochemistry about the C-6 carbon, however, was the reverse of that found with previously investigated tetracyclines."}
{"id": "PMID:1490883", "title": "Improved production of pentostatin and identification of fermentation cometabolites.", "content": "A practical process is described for the large-scale isolation of pentostatin, an adenosine deaminase inhibitor used clinically for the treatment of interferon-refractory hairy cell leukemia. The identities of minor components in the fermentation beer, including 2'-deoxyguanosine, are also reported."}
{"id": "PMID:1490884", "title": "Biosynthesis of bellenamine by Streptomyces nashvillensis using stable isotope labeled compounds.", "content": "The biosynthesis of bellenamine was studied by feeding 13C and 15N labeled precursors to the synthetic medium culture of Streptomyces nashvillensis MD743-GF4. The high degree of incorporation of D-[1-13C]beta-lysine indicated that it is a direct intermediate, while supplemented L-beta-lysine repressed the production of bellenamine. [2-13C]Glycine was well incorporated into the C-1' of the open-chain aldoaminal structure. All four nitrogens of bellenamine were derived from [15NH4]2SO4 present in the synthetic medium. In the addition of L-lysine and glycine, [15NH4]2SO4 was highly incorporated into CONH. The feeding experiments of 13C labeled acetates suggested that the D-beta-lysine moiety was derived from L-lysine by catalysis of a new 2,3-aminomutase, and L-lysine was biosynthesized from acetates via the TCA cycle and diaminopimelic acid pathway."}
{"id": "PMID:1490885", "title": "Preparation of 13C and 15N labeled bellenamine and its degradation products.", "content": "A streptomyces metabolite, bellenamine, has been converted into D-beta-lysinamide and cyclized bellenamine in an acidic solution at 75 degrees C. The structure of the new cyclized compound was assigned as (R)-6-(3-aminopropyl)-1,3-diazacyclohexan-4-one by spectral analyses. [1-13C, Amide, 1'-15N2]bellenamine, which has been isolated from the culture by feeding both L-[1-13C]lysine and [15NH4]2SO4 to a synthetic medium, was degraded under acidic condition to obtain the stable isotope labeled D-beta-lysine, D-beta-lysinamide and cyclized bellenamine. These labeled compounds were analyzed by 13C and 15N NMR spectra, and will be used for the biosynthetic study on bellenamine."}
{"id": "PMID:1490886", "title": "Synthesis and activity of 3-(isoxazolin-5-yl)- and 3-(isoxazol-4-yl)cephalosporins.", "content": "The 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of nitrile oxide with 3-vinylcephalosporin provided diastereomeric isomers of 3-(isoxazolin-5-yl)cephalosporin. Cycloaddition of nitrile oxide with 3-(dimethylamino-vinyl)cephalosporin gave 3-(isoxazol-4-yl)cephalosporin. These semisynthetic cephalosporins with an aminothiazole in the C-7 side chain showed moderate antibacterial activities."}
{"id": "PMID:1490887", "title": "Synthesis and activity of potent 3-(isoxazolidin-5-yl)- and 3-(isoxazolidinium-5-yl)cephalosporins.", "content": "The syntheses and in vitro antibacterial activities of 3-(isoxazolidin-5-yl)- and 3-(isoxazolidinium-5-yl)cephalosporins are described. 1,3-Dipolar cycloaddition of 3-vinylcephalosporin with nitrone gave diastereomeric isomers of 3-(isoxazolidin-5-yl)cephalosporin. The antibacterial activities of 3'-(S)-isomers were superior to those of 3'-(R)-isomers. The quaternarization of isoxazolidine ring increased the antibacterial activity. Among them, compound 10b with a hydroxyimino group in the C-7 side chain showed potent activities against staphylococci and compound 10f with an N-hydroxypyridone exhibited an excellent antipseudomonal activity."}
{"id": "PMID:1490894", "title": "Expression of carbonic anhydrase isoenzyme-like immunoreactivity in the limbus spiralis of the human fetal cochlea.", "content": "The distribution of carbonic anhydrase isoenzymes (CA I, II, III, V) was analyzed the 14-, 15- and 16-week-old human fetal cochleae using immunohistochemical methods. The interdental cells in the limbus spiralis were strongly labelled with antibodies against CA I and III and the spiral ligament was also positive for CA I and III. The stria vascularis and organ of Corti were however negative for CA I, II, III and V. These results suggest that the interdental cells in the human fetus may be related to fluid and ion transport of endolymph especially in the early stages of development."}
{"id": "PMID:1490895", "title": "Factors influencing temporal effects with notched-noise maskers.", "content": "Temporal effects in simulataneous masking were studied by measuring the reduction in the amount of masking produced by a gated masker when that masker was preceded by a 400-ms noise (the precursor) that was usually spectrally identical to the masker. The signal frequency (fs) was 1.0 or 4.0 kHz. Experiment 1 revealed a temporal effect only when there was a spectral notch (centered at fs) in the masker and precursor. For a relative notchwidth of 0.4 fs, the temporal effect was larger at 4.0 than at 1.0 kHz. In experiment 2. where the masker and precursor both consisted of two bands of noise separated by a spectral notch of 0.4 fs, the size of the temporal effect remained essentially constant as the bandwidth of these noise bands increased from 0.2-0.8 kHz. The results from experiment 3 indicated that the temporal effect was largest when the level fo the precursor was equal to the level of the masker. Finally, the results from experiment 4 suggested that the temporal effect may depend upon the frequency region below as well as above fs, but that the frequency region above fs is probably more important."}
{"id": "PMID:1490896", "title": "Suppression of the 2f1-f2 otoacoustic emission in humans.", "content": "Suppression of the 2f1-f2 distortion-product otoacoustic emission (DPOAE), stimulated with primaries, f1 and f2, in the frequency regions of 1, 2, and 4 kHz was measured in one ear of 14 human subjects with normal hearing. Suppression rate functions were generated with a suppressor at either 1, 2, or 4 kHz increasing in level from 30 to 76 dB SPL for the corresponding f1 and f2 combinations. Stimulus levels for DPOAEs were L1 = 70 dB SPL and L2 adjusted to produce the highest amplitude DPOAE for each ear (range, 0 to 6 dB below L1). Results indicated that DPOAEs were reduced 3 dB in amplitude for a mean suppressor level of 61 dB SPL. Maximum amplitude reduction occurred at a mean suppressor level of 69 dB SPL. These levels varied little for the three stimulus frequency regions. Mean slopes of the rate functions decreased as stimulus frequency region increased. Suppression tuning curves (STCs) were generated in the same three frequency regions and with L1 at either 70 or 55 dB SPL and L2 adjusted individually for each ear. The tips of the STCs were at frequencies associated with f1 and f2. The tip regions of the STCs for the 4-kHz stimulus condition were more complex in that they contained more multiple minima than did those for the 1- and 2-kHz regions. Results confirm that optimal suppression of the 2f1-f2 DPOAE occurs for frequencies in the vicinity of f1 and f2 rather than at 2f1-f2."}
{"id": "PMID:1490897", "title": "Stage dependent development of intraocular cochlear grafts.", "content": "The intraocular grafting technique was employed to test whether the peripheral hearing organ, the cochlea, is capable of survival and an organized development in total isolation from the temporal bone. Rat cochleae obtained from gestation day 16, postnatal day 1 and 7 were chosen for transplantation into the anterior chamber of the eye of adult Sprague-Dawley rats. The grafts were maintained in the anterior chamber for 6, 10, or 15 weeks survival time. The salient features of this study is that 1) cochlear structures survive and, 2) the cochlear structures develop beyond their pre-grafted stage as determined from light and electron micrographs. In the present study, the grafts obtained at gestation day 16 (GD 16) and postnatal day 1 gave a much higher rate of survival and development than the postnatal day 7 grafts. In addition, grafts maintained for either 6 or 10 weeks had a better survival rate than those grafts left for 15 weeks. It is estimated from light and electron micrographs that the gestation day 16 otocysts that were maintained for 10 weeks, developed to the equivalent of a postnatal day 10 cochlea. The grafts obtained from postnatal day one rats developed to the equivalent of approximately 14 days after birth. Interestingly, in the absence of synaptic contact, the inner and outer hair cells were capable of survival, differentiation and maturation. It remains to be determined if the spiral ganglion cells require additional neurotrophic factors for survival in the anterior chamber of the eye."}
{"id": "PMID:1490898", "title": "The protein composition of the avian tectorial membrane.", "content": "Gel electrophoretic analysis of the avian tectorial membrane under non-reducing conditions reveals the presence of 2 major proteins with apparent molecular masses of 195 and 41 kDa on 8.25% gels. Under reducing conditions, 6 polypeptides with apparent molecular masses of 146, 60, 56, 43, 35 and 31 kDa are consistently observed. None of these six polypeptides observed under reducing conditions are sensitive to digestion with collagenase, and all, except for the 43 kDa component, are degraded by treatment with cold acidic pepsin. The 60, 56 and 43 kDa polypeptides bind the peroxidase conjugated lectins from Canavalia ensiformis and Triticum vulgaris, indicating the presence of mannose, N-acetyl glucosamine and/or sialic acid. The 146, 60 and 56 kDa bands undergo a shift in electrophoretic mobility after treatment of native tectorial membranes with the enzyme neuroaminidase. Fibronectin and Type II collagen cannot be detected in the avian tectorial membrane by either immunoblotting or immunofluorescence techniques. Polyclonal antisera raised against the different polypeptides after partial purification by one dimensional gel electrophoresis confirm that these proteins are all components of the tectorial membrane, and show that they are restricted to the otolithic and tectorial membranes within the inner ear. Analysis of a wide variety of other tissue types indicates that the 60, 43 and 35 kDa components can only be detected within the inner ear, and that the antisera recognising the 146 and 31 kDa components only show cross-reactivity within the head, with the anti-146 kDa antibodies staining the mucus ducts supplying the olfactory epithelium and the anti-31 kDa antibodies staining granular elements in the cells of the respiratory epithelium. The results suggest that certain of the tectorial membrane components may be novel matrix molecules unique to the inner ear, and that some of the other proteins may be antigenically related to mucins."}
{"id": "PMID:1490899", "title": "Development of the human stria vascularis.", "content": "Fifteen human fetal cochleas were investigated by light microscopy and transmission electron microscopy in order to observe the development of the stria vascularis. The earliest signs of strial cell differentiation take place during the 11th week of gestation. Subsequently, the first stages of the stria vascularis development occur quickly. At week 14 the three types of cells, namely, marginal, intermediate and basal cells are discernable. Moreover at this stage, signs of specific activity are already present. The adult-like appearance of the stria vascularis is reached by week 21 but its maturation is completed only during the last trimester of pregnancy. This is in good agreement both with the development of the organ of Corti structures and with the maturation of the human auditory function."}
{"id": "PMID:1490900", "title": "Two-tone suppression, excitation and the after effect in rate responses in auditory nerve fibres in the cat.", "content": "Responses were recorded from single, auditory nerve fibres in the anaesthetized cat. Acoustic stimuli consisted of two tones, one of which was at characteristic frequency (CF), the other (the suppressor) was at considerably lower frequency. Tones were presented in simultaneous and sequential configurations. For simultaneous presentations, well-known response properties were observed. The rising limb of the two-tone rate-intensity function closely matched that of the appropriately adapted response to the suppressor tone presented alone. Also, whether strongly suppressed relative to CF-driven rate, or equal to CF-driven rate, rate responses to the two-tone stimuli persisted unchanged when the CF tone was terminated and the suppressor tone continued alone. These results support the hypothesis that the suppressor tone has dual influences, suppressive and excitatory, that are distinct and additive. Peristimulus response histograms confirm in the cat that depression and slow recovery of sensitivity to CF may follow termination of the suppressor tone, as reported for the guinea pig [Hill, K.G. and Palmer, A.R. (1991) Hear. Res. 55, 167-176]. This delay in recovery of normal sensitivity to CF appeared to be directly related to the amount of excitation of the fibre that is attributable to the suppressor tone. A similar, delayed re-establishment of sensitivity also occurred in the response to a tone at CF, presented immediately following excitation by a suppressor tone. However, no delay occurred in the onset of response to the suppressor when preceded by the CF tone.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1490901", "title": "Characteristics of stria vascularis melanocytes of viable dominant spotting (Wv/Wv) mouse mutants.", "content": "The Wv mutation lies in the kinase domain of the proto-oncogene c-kit which is expressed in a variety of cells including neural crest derived melanoblasts. The mutation results in the abnormal migration, proliferation, survival and/or differentiation of melanoblasts. Viable Dominant Spotting (Wv/Wv) mouse mutants have a white coat due to the absence of melanocytes. The majority of these animals have no melanocytes within the stria vascularis and no endocochlear potential (EP). A proportion of homozygous mutants partially escape the effects of the mutation: 47.2% of pinnae and 21% of vestibular regions were pigmented and 10.8% of ears had an EP. All ears with an EP that were available for histology had some pigmentation of the stria. There was no obvious correlation between external and internal spotting in Wv/Wv mice, and asymmetrical pigmentation of the ears was common. Both light and dark intermediate cells (which are derived from melanocytes) were present in the middle and/or basal turns of these cochlear ducts and they appeared to function normally in enabling the stria to produce an EP (although the EP was usually lower than normal). This suggests that the c-kit gene product is needed only during development of the stria, and not for mature melanocyte function because the melanocytes present in the mutant strias were carrying the mutant version of the c-kit gene. Melanocytes were similar in appearance in controls and mutants, except that fewer melanin granules were observed in the strias of Wv/Wv mice. The observations that strial melanocytes with very few melanin granules in Wv/Wv mutants are able to support EP production, together with previous observations that albino animals with strial melanocytes but no melanin have a normal EP, suggest that melanocytes but not melanin are essential for normal strial function."}
{"id": "PMID:1490902", "title": "Frequency selectivity in workers with noise-induced hearing loss.", "content": "This study was undertaken in order to document, in a group of subjects affected by a noise-induced hearing loss, the relation between the loss of auditory sensitivity and the loss of frequency selectivity at mid-frequencies, namely 1000 and 3000 Hz. Auditory filter shapes were estimated using the notched noise method. Twelve notch widths were tested, six symmetrical and six asymmetrical with respect to the signal frequency; the spectral level of the noise was set at 50 dB SPL. Data were collected with 22 noise-exposed workers having different degrees of hearing loss. The findings indicate that above a certain degree of hearing loss, which seems to be around 30 dB HL, frequency selectivity tends to decrease linearly with increase in loss of sensitivity. Even when the degree of hearing loss is similar in origin and in magnitude, there is a wide variation among subjects in auditory filter bandwidth. Based on the data collected in this study, it is not possible to adequately predict the auditory filter bandwidth of an individual from hearing threshold levels."}
{"id": "PMID:1490903", "title": "Intracochlear salicylate reduces low-intensity acoustic and cochlear microphonic distortion products.", "content": "Salicylate is well-known to produce reversible hearing loss and tinnitus. The site and mechanism of salicylate's ototoxic actions, however, remain unresolved. Recent experiments demonstrating primarily low-intensity effects on cochlear afferent outflow and effects on otoacoustic emissions (OAEs) suggest that salicylate acts to compromise active, energy-enhancing processes within the cochlea (i.e., the active process). We tested this hypothesis by examining the effect of salicylate on distortion product emissions. Distortion product responses to two-tone stimulation were monitored in the guinea pig before, during, and after intracochlear administration of increasing concentrations of salicylate (0.6-5 mM). These responses were recorded as acoustic signals in the ear canal spectrum (ADP), and as present in the cochlear microphonic (CM) recorded from a wire in basal turn scala vestibuli (CMDP). We also recorded the CM response to a single tone. Cochlear perfusion of salicylate resulted in a dose-responsive reduction in ADPs that was greater for low intensities of stimulation. CMDPs also demonstrated a concentration-dependent reduction at low intensities, but were increased slightly, though not significantly, by salicylate when elicited by high intensity primaries. CM was essentially unchanged by intracochlear salicylate. These results are consistent with an action of salicylate that involves the outer hair cells (OHCs) and are in harmony with the hypothesis that salicylate may selectively compromise the active process."}
{"id": "PMID:1490904", "title": "Effects of envelope fluctuations on gap detection.", "content": "The inherent fluctuations present in narrowbands of noise may limit the ability to detect gaps in the noise; 'dips' in the noise may be confused with the gap to be detected. For subjects with cochlear hearing loss, loudness recruitment may effectively magnify the fluctuations and this could partly account for the reduced ability to detect gaps in noise bands that is usually found in subjects with cochlear hearing loss. In the present experiments we tested these ideas by processing noise bands to alter the amount of envelope fluctuation. The envelopes of the noise bands were raised to a power, N. Powers greater than 1 result in expansion of the envelope (magnified fluctuations, simulating loudness recruitment), while powers less than 1 result in compression of the envelope (decreased fluctuations). Thresholds for detecting gaps in processed noise bands centered at 1 kHz were measured as a function of noise bandwidth and of N. To prevent the detection of spectral changes introduced by the gap or by the processing, stimuli were either presented in background noise, or at a low sensation level (20 dB). Three normally hearing subjects, two subjects with unilateral cochlear hearing loss and two subjects with bilateral cochlear hearing loss were tested. Gap thresholds generally increased with increasing N. This effect was large for small noise bandwidths (50 Hz or less) and smaller for larger noise bandwidths (200 Hz or more). For both the normal and impaired ears, gap thresholds at narrow bandwidths were improved relative to those for unprocessed noise bands (N = 1) by compressing the envelope fluctuations (N < 1). The results support the idea that fluctuations in narrowband noises affect gap detection, and that loudness recruitment may adversely affect the ability to detect gaps in noise bands. They also show that compression of the fluctuations in the noise can improve gap detection."}
{"id": "PMID:1490905", "title": "Cyclic steroid replacement alters auditory brainstem responses in young women with premature ovarian failure.", "content": "To determine the independent contributions of estradiol and progesterone to the auditory brainstem response (ABR) latency changes associated with the menstrual cycle, we obtained ABRs on young women with premature ovarian failure who were undergoing cyclic hormone replacement therapy (HRT). We evaluated the influence of cyclic HRT on the ABRs of young women in three controlled phases of the same replacement cycles: 1) no steroid replacement, 2) estrogen-only replacement (E2-only), and 3) estrogen-plus-progesterone replacement (E2-plus-P). A significantly lengthening of wave V peak latency and I-V interpeak interval was found during E2-only replacement. Despite equivalent circulating estradiol levels, both wave V peak latencies and wave I-V interpeak intervals significantly decreased during the E2-plus-P replacement phase as compared to the E2-only replacement phase. These findings are compatible with the hypothesis that estradiol potentiates secretion of the inhibitory neurotransmitter gamma-amino-butyric acid (GABA) at auditory nerve synapses, leading to delayed synaptic conduction time. Progesterone is known to blunt E2-potentiated GABA release and may antagonize its prolongation of wave V latency."}
{"id": "PMID:1490906", "title": "Chronic intracochlear electrical stimulation in neonatally deafened cats: effects of intensity and stimulating electrode location.", "content": "An earlier study conducted in this laboratory suggested that chronic intracochelear electrical stimulation at moderate current levels can at least partially delay or prevent the retrograde degeneration of primary auditory (spiral ganglion) neurons that otherwise is progressive after neonatal deafness induced by ototoxic drug administration. Increased survival of spiral ganglion neurons was observed within the basal cochlear region near the stimulating biopolar electrode pairs, while in more apical regions there was no significant difference between the stimulated and control cochleas. The mechanisms underlying this maintenance of spiral ganglion neurons induced by chronic electrical stimulation are uncertain, especially since increased neuronal survival was observed over broader sectors of the ganglion than would be expected to be directly activated by the bipolar electrodes and moderate stimulation intensity (6 dB above electrically evoked auditory brainstem response threshold) used. In this report, data are presented from a second series of neonatally deafened and chronically stimulated cats. The parameters for chronic electrical stimulation were manipulated in two simple ways. First, the intensity of the electrical stimulus was reduced from the earlier study, while the duration of chronic stimualtion periods was increased; and secondly, two different intracochlear positions of stimulating electrodes were employed in different experimental groups. Results indicate that elecrical stimulation of the cochlea at an extremely low intensity (2 dB above electrically evoked auditory brainstem response threshold) is sufficient to at least partially prevent or delay ganglion cell degeneration in the deafened cochlea. In addition, data suggest a differential distribution of the maintained or conserved ganglion cells, such that when the stimulating electrode pair was positioned near the base of the cochlea increased ganglion survival in a more basal cochlear sector, while stimulation at a more apical site resulted in increased neuronal survival extending to more apical regions."}
{"id": "PMID:1490907", "title": "Susceptibility of the brine shrimp Artemia and its pathogen Vibrio parahaemolyticus to chlorine dioxide in contaminated sea-water.", "content": "Adults and nauplii of the brine shrimp, Artemia, together with Vibrio parahaemolyticus, were placed in sewage-contaminated sea-water which had been treated with chlorine dioxide (Hallox E-100TM) to test its potential as a disinfectant for salt water aquaculture. The nauplii were very susceptible to low concentrations of chlorine dioxide (47 micrograms/l Cl-), but the adults were slightly more resistant. Sterile sea-water treated with lower concentrations of chlorine dioxide (less than 47 micrograms/l Cl-) had no effect on the shrimp, but inhibited the growth of V. parahaemolyticus. In sewage-contaminated sea-water, chlorine dioxide levels of 285-2850 micrograms/l, necessary for the inactivation of V. parahaemolyticus and any native bacteria, destroyed the Artemia culture. Hallox E-100TM persisted in sea-water for 18 h, but later decayed. We conclude that: (i) Artemia nauplii are a sensitive and convenient test-organism to determine low concentrations of chlorine dioxide in sea-water; (ii) chlorine dioxide is efficient for controlling V. parahaemolyticus in sea-water; and (iii) chlorine dioxide should be further evaluated as a potential disinfectant for aquaculture, but, for higher organisms than Artemia."}
{"id": "PMID:1490908", "title": "Antibacterial spectrum of lactoferricin B, a potent bactericidal peptide derived from the N-terminal region of bovine lactoferrin.", "content": "A physiologically diverse range of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria was found to be susceptible to inhibition and inactivation by lactoferricin B, a peptide produced by gastric pepsin digestion of bovine lactoferrin. The list of susceptible organisms includes Escherichia coli, Salmonella enteritidis, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Proteus vulgaris, Yersinia enterocolitica, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Campylobacter jejuni, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus mutans, Corynebacterium diphtheriae, Listeria monocytogenes and Clostridium perfringens. Concentrations of lactoferricin B required to cause complete inhibition of growth varied within the range of 0.3 to 150 micrograms/ml, depending on the strain and the culture medium used. The peptide showed activity against E. coli O111 over the range of pH 5.5 to 7.5 and was most effective under slightly alkaline conditions. Its antibacterial effectiveness was reduced in the presence of Na+, K+, Mg2+ or Ca2+ ions, or in the presence of various buffer salts. Lactoferricin B was lethal, causing a rapid loss of colony-forming capability in most of the species tested. Pseudomonas fluorescens, Enterococcus faecalis and Bifidobacterium bifidum strains were highly resistant to this peptide."}
{"id": "PMID:1490909", "title": "In vitro studies on the growth of Shigella sonnei by Lactobacillus casei and Lact. acidophilus.", "content": "The inhibitory effect of lactobacilli on growth of Shigella sonnei was studied. The effect was not due to pH alone, as addition of hydrochloric, lactic or acetic acids to culture media did not inhibit the normal growth of the shigellas. The degree of inhibition was measured by disc assay and showed that the inhibitory substance(s) can be extracellular and diffusible, varying the degrees of inhibition depending on the media tested. When broth was inoculated with mixed cultures of Lactobacillus and Shigella strains, the inhibition began at 6 h and the death phase at 9 h. The higher inhibition was produced by the mixture of lactobacilli (35.5 +/- 2.5% at 6 h culture, 57.4 +/- 1.9% at 9 h and 91.2 +/- 1.2% at 14 h). The degree of inhibition was higher when the relationship pathogen : lactobacilli was 1:10(3). The specific growth rate of lactobacilli and shigella was different in pure or mixed cultures. When the lactobacillus alone was grown for 12 h and the shigellas then added, the numbers of shigellas began to decrease immediately at 37 degrees C. This work shows that the Lactobacillus strains employed in fermented milk can be used to inhibit the growth of Sh. sonnei."}
{"id": "PMID:1490910", "title": "Range of action and genetic bacteriocin codification of Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolated from three different ecological niches.", "content": "Strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolated from sediments in wells showed a greater bacteriocinogenic activity in those isolated from river and clinical specimens. More than half of all the strains examined had extrachromosomal DNA. Plasmid DNA was extracted from all the strains and in only 24/120, all from different origins, was the curing achieved; all these strains coded their bacteriocins in the chromosomal DNA."}
{"id": "PMID:1490911", "title": "16S rrn gene copy number in Helicobacter pylori and its application to molecular typing.", "content": "The copy number of the genes encoding 16S ribosomal RNA was analysed for the genomes of geographically diverse strains of Helicobacter pylori, and restriction site variation within and around the genes was characterized. A DNA probe of 550 bp was amplified by the polymerase chain reaction from genomic DNA of the type strain NCTC 11637. This probe constituted a sequence internal to the 3' end of the 16S rrn gene. Homology profiles were compared for genomic Southern blots made with four restriction enzymes cutting within and outside the probe sequence. A copy number of two was established for all 12 strains analysed. This approach yielded significantly simpler data than does conventional 'ribotyping ' of H. pylori. It was equally discriminatory, however, and provided strain-specific 16S rrn gene 'signatures'. These represent both fundamental physical-genetic information and a novel approach to typing this gastric pathogen."}
{"id": "PMID:1490912", "title": "The rate of uptake and metabolism of starch grains and cellulose particles by Entodinium species, Eudiplodinium maggii, some other entodiniomorphid protozoa and natural protozoal populations taken from the ovine rumen.", "content": "The rates of engulfment and breakdown of starch grains and cellulose particles and of the rate of synthesis of amylopectin from cellulose by individual species of entodiniomorphid protozoa (grown in vivo and in vitro) and incubated anaerobically in vitro were studied. Rates of starch uptake varied from 2.3 to 770 micrograms/mg protozoal protein/min; the lowest was found with Diploplastron affine and the highest with Entodinium spp. on initial incubation with starch grains. The rate of starch breakdown varied from 0.49 to 8.6 micrograms/mg protein/min; the rate was dependent on the initial starch concentration inside the protozoa. Eudiplodinium maggii engulfed cellulose particles more rapidly (2-7 times) than rice starch grains and digested the cellulose at rates of 10 to 16.5 micrograms/mg protein/min. In a mixture of starch grains and cellulose particles, it engulfed the latter at 1.35 to 25 times the rate of the former. Eudiplodinium maggii and Epidinium caudatum, but not Entodinium spp. or Dip. affine, synthesized an amylopectin-like material from cellulose at rates of 0.4 to 4.75 micrograms/mg protein/min. If these reactions occur in the rumen in vivo, up to 9 g of amylopectin could be synthesized from cellulose each day by the entodiniomorphid protozoa."}
{"id": "PMID:1490913", "title": "Interactive effects of solutes, potassium sorbate and incubation temperature on growth, heat resistance and tolerance to freezing of Zygosaccharomyces rouxii.", "content": "The interactive effects of solutes, potassium sorbate and incubation temperature on growth, heat resistance and tolerance to freezing of Zygosaccharomyces rouxii were investigated. Growth rates in media supplemented with glucose, sucrose or NaCl to aw 0.93 were more rapid than in unsupplemented media (aw 0.99). Although growth in unsupplemented medium was lower at 35 degrees C, incubation at 21 degrees C or 35 degrees C had little effect on growth in media supplemented with glucose and sucrose. The addition of 300 micrograms potassium sorbate/ml to media resulted in reduced growth rates, particularly at 35 degrees C. Heat resistance of Z. rouxii was substantially greater in cultures previously incubated at 35 degrees C than in cultures incubated at 21 degrees C in media both with and without 300 micrograms potassium sorbate/ml. Zygosaccharomyces rouxii was tolerant to freezing at -18 degrees C for up to 120 d in all test media supplemented with glucose, sucrose or NaCl. The addition of 300 micrograms potassium sorbate/ml to sucrose-supplemented media resulted in increased resistance to freezing in cultures previously incubated at 21 degrees C. Sensitivity to freezing increased when cultures were incubated at 21 degrees C in media not supplemented with solutes. Glucose and sucrose provided the best protection against inactivation by heating and freezing, regardless of the presence of potassium sorbate in growth media."}
{"id": "PMID:1490914", "title": "Synthesis of lipopolysaccharide by Escherichia coli cells recovering from sublethal heat stress.", "content": "Escherichia coli cells exposed to a sublethal heat treatment at 55 degrees C for 15s synthesized lipopolysaccharide during their recovery period after heat stress. As chloramphenicol at least partly inhibited the synthesis of lipopolysaccharide, it is suggested that its synthesis might be in part due to the lipopolysaccharide-synthesizing enzymes produced de novo. The results obtained coincided with our previous finding that the permeability barrier function was repaired by heat-stressed cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1490916", "title": "The quinine connection.", "content": "Quinine, an alkaloid derived from the bark of the cinchona tree was brought to Europe from Peru in the 17th century. Isolation of quinine and other cinchona alkaloids was achieved in France in the early part of the 19th century and uncertainties of supply of the bark stimulated efforts to synthesize quinine. While attempting synthesis, the young chemist, William H. Perkin, stumbled on mauve purple, the first aniline dye. Use of dyes in histopathology and the infant specialty of medical microbiology established the reputation of Paul Ehrlich, and partial success with the use of dyes in trypanosomiasis and malaria encouraged the German dye industry to pursue these substances as antimicrobial agents. By good fortune, this led to the discovery of the sulphonamides by Gerhard Domagk in the mid-1930s, an event that stimulated much other work and may have influenced the development of antibiotics."}
{"id": "PMID:1490917", "title": "Survey of the prevalence of beta-lactamases amongst 1000 gram-negative bacilli isolated consecutively at the Royal London Hospital.", "content": "beta-Lactamase expression was examined in 1000 consecutive Gram-negative bacilli isolated from urine, wound swab, sputum or blood specimens received at the Microbiology Laboratory of the Royal London Hospital. This survey, performed between January and April, 1991, followed a similar study undertaken in early 1982. The distribution of species was similar in the two surveys, except that the proportion of Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates had increased from 11% in 1982 to 17.5% in the present study. This increase was balanced by a decreased proportion of enterobacteria. Amongst plasmid-mediated beta-lactamases, TEM-1 (especially), TEM-2, SHV-1 and OXA types continued to predominate in enterobacteria. Their frequency in Escherichia coli was unchanged (46% in 1991 compared with 43% in 1982), but had increased from 5 to 22% amongst Proteus mirabilis isolates. An apparent decrease in their frequency amongst Enterobacter cloacae isolates, from 48% in 1982 to 17% in 1991, probably reflected changes to strain prevalence rather than enzyme prevalence. Plasmid type beta-lactamases were present in fewer than 2% of P. aeruginosa isolates in both surveys. In the present study, chromosomal beta-lactamase derepression (constitutive hyperproduction) was detected in 10/76 isolates of E. cloacae, Enterobacter aerogenes, Citrobacter freundii, Serratia spp. and Morganella morganii, and in 2/170 P. aeruginosa isolates. These proportions were increased, compared with those seen the 1982 survey, though the significance was borderline (P approximately 0.05; chi 2 test). Extended-spectrum plasmid mediated beta-lactamases, unknown in 1982, were found in 11/70 Klebsiellae pneumoniae isolates in the present study. Ten of these organisms, representing at least five distinct strains, produced TEM-10 enzyme, encoded by a plasmid of c. 90 kb; the remaining organism had an unidentified SHV-derived enzyme."}
{"id": "PMID:1490918", "title": "Clinical isolates of Escherichia coli producing TRI beta-lactamases: novel TEM-enzymes conferring resistance to beta-lactamase inhibitors.", "content": "Two different strains of Escherichia coli exhibiting unusual patterns of resistance to beta-lactam antibiotics were isolated from patients at Cochin Hospital. Both isolates showed a low level of resistance to amoxycillin, ticarcillin and ureidopenicillins but were susceptible to cephalosporins, aztreonam and imipenem; beta-lactamase inhibitors potentiated the activities of the beta-lactams to only a limited extent. All resistance characteristics of the strains were transferable by conjugation to E. coli K12. Resistance was shown to be due to beta-lactamases of pI 5.20 and relative molecular masses of 24,000. The hydrolytic and inhibition profiles of these enzymes were similar to each other but differed from those of broad-spectrum beta-lactamases (TEM-1). The rates of hydrolysis (Vmax) of amoxycillin (c. 200%) were higher than that for TEM-1 (84%). Ticarcillin, ureidopenicillins and cephaloridine were hydrolyzed slowly. However, as for TEM-1, no hydrolysis was observed with cefoxitin, third generation cephalosporins, aztreonam and imipenem. The high Km values demonstrated the poor affinity of these enzymes for their substrates. Unlike TEM-1, they were poorly inhibited by beta-lactamase inhibitors. These two enzymes differed from each other as follows: (i) the concentrations of clavulanic acid required for 50% beta-lactamase inhibition were 31 mumol/L for one enzyme (E-SAL) and 9.4 mumol/L for the other (E-GUER); (ii) p-chloromercuribenzoate was a more active inhibitor of E-SAL then E-GUER. The titration curve method and DNA-DNA hybridization studies demonstrated that both enzymes were structurally related to TEM-1. The novel plasmid-encoded enzymes produced by the two isolates of E. coli appeared to be almost identical and to be derived from TEM-enzymes. On the basis of their presumed phylogeny and their biological properties, we propose that these beta-lactamases be given the generic name TRI (TEM Resistant to beta-lactamase Inhibitors)."}
{"id": "PMID:1490919", "title": "Characterization of antibiotic-resistant Corynebacterium striatum strains.", "content": "Antibiotic-resistant Corynebacterium strains were isolated from 14 Harborview and one Veterans Administration Hospital patients in Seattle during the period 1987-90. These clindamycin-erythromycin resistant strains were shown to hybridize with the ermCd gene, which was cloned from a Corynebacterium diphtheriae plasmid and encodes for a rRNA methylase. Thirteen of these strains also hybridized with the tetM gene probes, and were tetracycline resistant. The ermCd gene could be transferred, by conjugation, while the tetM gene was not transferable."}
{"id": "PMID:1490920", "title": "Bactericidal activity of cefclidin (E1040) against Pseudomonas aeruginosa under conditions simulating plasma pharmacokinetics: lack of development of chromosomally-mediated resistance to beta-lactams.", "content": "The bactericidal activity of cefclidin (E1040), a new cephalosporin, against Pseudomonas aeruginosa was compared with that of ceftazidime and imipenem in an in-vitro model in which antibiotic concentration was varied continuously. A two-compartment open in-vitro model was used to simulate the plasma pharmacokinetics of each antibiotic in man for 12 h after a 1 h infusion of 1 g iv. The bactericidal activity of each antibiotic was observed for 6 h; however, it was diminished or absent after 6 h when the antibiotic concentration fell near to the MIC. With ceftazidime and imipenem, marked regrowth was observed after 6 h. Moreover, selection of resistant variants was observed with ceftazidime, and these variants produced 200 to 500 times more beta-lactamase than the corresponding wild-type strains. With cefclidin neither marked regrowth nor emergence of resistant variants was observed. The affinity of cefclidin for the chromosomal beta-lactamase produced by P. aeruginosa was much lower than the affinities of other new beta-lactams, and cefclidin was hydrolyzed more slowly than ceftazidime at a low concentration (2 microM). The high activity of cefclidin against P. aeruginosa, which results mainly from the low affinity of cefclidin for the pseudomonal beta-lactamase, and may play a major role in the absence of regrowth and lack of selection of resistant variants."}
{"id": "PMID:1490921", "title": "Frequencies of subpopulations of aminoglycoside- and vancomycin-resistant variants in Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis.", "content": "Selection and regrowth of resistant variants, which are present in low frequencies in the initial inoculum, were seen when large inocula of five strains of Staphylococcus aureus and four strains of Staphylococcus epidermidis were incubated in broth with amikacin, gentamicin, netilmicin and tobramycin. Statistical analysis showed no significant difference between the aminoglycosides in the selective growth of resistant variants (P > 0.5). Vancomycin differed significantly from the aminoglycosides in both the frequency of, and selection of resistant variants (P < 0.001). No bacteria resistant to > 1 x MIC was seen in the vancomycin-exposed cultures of S. aureus and S. epidermidis, while in most aminoglycoside-exposed cultures, bacteria resistant to 4-16 x MIC were seen."}
{"id": "PMID:1490922", "title": "Bactericidal effects of co-amoxiclav (amoxycillin clavulanic acid) against a Legionella pneumophila pneumonia in the immunocompromised weanling rat.", "content": "To evaluate the activity of co-amoxiclav (amoxycillin/clavulanic acid) against Legionella pneumophila in vivo, a model of L. pneumophila pneumonia was developed in weanling rats rendered leukopenic by pre-administration of cyclophosphamide. Assessment of therapy was by lung bacterial counts and histological examination. Amoxycillin was ineffective in reducing bacterial counts in the lungs of infected rats, whereas erythromycin, the standard agent, was significantly more effective (P < 0.01). Co-amoxiclav and erythromycin, administered parenterally, produced significant bactericidal effects (P < 0.01), reducing the counts of L. pneumophila strain 1624 at 96 h to 1.2 log10 cfu/lungs compared with counts of 6 log10 cfu/lungs in the untreated animals. Clavulanic acid was also highly effective in preventing development of the infection, and was as efficacious as co-amoxiclav. Because of the significant reduction in bacterial numbers, a marked reduction in inflammation and consolidation of lung tissue was seen in rats treated with erythromycin, clavulanic acid or co-amoxiclav. The activity of co-amoxiclav was no greater than clavulanic acid alone, and no synergy was noted between the two components. When therapy was delayed until 48 h after infection, co-amoxiclav was as effective as erythromycin, with both treatments reducing bacterial numbers to 3.3 and 3.6 log10 cfu/lungs by 96 h, after only two days of therapy, in comparison with non-treated rats (5.6 log10 cfu/lungs). In a prolonged infection, produced by extending the period of leucopenia, co-amoxiclav and erythromycin were equally effective in preventing growth of the organism, with 1.5 and 1.6 log10 cfu/lungs, respectively, present at 96 h, in contrast to the non-treated rats with 5.7 log10 cfu/lungs (P < 0.01). After cessation of therapy, regrowth of L. pneumophila occurred in the erythromycin-treated group to such a degree that by 168 h, lung viable counts from these rats were significantly higher (4.8 log10 cfu/lungs) than in co-amoxiclav-treated rats (2.1 log10 cfu/lungs) (P < 0.05). Oral therapy of this infection with erythromycin or clavulanic acid, either alone or in combination with amoxycillin, resulted in counts of 3.3, 3.6 and 3.5 log10 cfu/lungs at 96 h, respectively. Although oral therapy was significantly less effective than parenteral therapy (P < 0.05), the bacterial counts in the treated groups were significantly lower than in the non-treated animals. The data show that co-amoxiclav displayed bactericidal activity consistently against intracellular L. pneumophila in vivo."}
{"id": "PMID:1490923", "title": "Reduced renal toxicity and improved clinical tolerance of amphotericin B mixed with intralipid compared with conventional amphotericin B in neutropenic patients.", "content": "The clinical use of amphotericin B is sometimes limited by nephrotoxicity. In a randomized prospective study, 32 patients treated for haematological malignancies received either amphotericin B in 5% dextrose (group A, 16 patients, 0.7-1 mg/kg/day), or amphotericin B mixed with Intralipid (group B, 16 patients, 0.7-1 mg/kg/day) during prolonged neutropenia. Renal dysfunction occurred in 9/16 patients in group A and 2/16 patients in group B (P < 0.05). Clinical tolerance was improved with a reduction of fever with chills in 12/16 patients in group A compared with 5/16 in group B (P < 0.05). Preparation of amphotericin B with Intralipid reduces nephrotoxicity, improves clinical tolerance, may allow an increase in the daily dose of amphotericin B, and be an alternative to liposomal-amphotericin B infusion."}
{"id": "PMID:1490929", "title": "Exercise training-induced coronary vascular adaptation.", "content": "Aerobic exercise training induces an increase in coronary vascular transport capacity. This increased transport capacity is the result of increases in both blood flow capacity and capillary exchange capacity. These functional changes are the result of two major types of adaptive responses, structural vascular adaptation and altered control of vascular resistance. Structural vascular adaptation occurs in response to exercise training in at least two forms, increases in the cross-sectional area of the proximal coronary arteries and angiogenesis. Angiogenesis has been demonstrated in that training causes moderate cardiac hypertrophy while maintaining or increasing capillary density and increasing arteriolar density. Training-induced changes in coronary vascular control have been shown to include altered coronary responses to vasoactive substances, changes in endothelium-mediated vasoregulation, and alterations in the cellular-molecular control of intracellular free Ca2+ in both endothelial and vascular smooth muscle cells isolated from coronary arteries of exercise-trained animals. The signal or signals for these adaptive responses remain unknown. The hypothesis that the adaptive strategy entails maintenance of normal shear stress in coronary arterial vessels is discussed. We propose that as a result of training-induced structural vascular adaptations and alterations in the control of vascular resistance, shear stress throughout the coronary vasculature is returned to the level present in sedentary animals. The signal for adaptation may be peak shear stress during exercise and/or average shear stress over a 24-h period of time."}
{"id": "PMID:1490930", "title": "Effects of daily physical activity on insulin action in the elderly.", "content": "The effects of daily physical activity on peripheral insulin action were investigated in aged individuals. Glucose infusion rates (GIR) during the euglycemic insulin clamp procedure in aged bedridden, aged controls, and aged athletes were compared with those in young controls and young athletes at insulin infusion rates of 40 and 400 mU.m-2.min-1 to estimate insulin action at physiological and maximal insulin concentrations, respectively. At both insulin infusion rates, GIR was significantly higher in aged athletes and significantly lower in aged bedridden subjects than in aged controls. Although there was no statistical difference in GIR at 400 mU.m-2 x min-1 between young athletes and young controls, GIR at 40 mU.m-2 x min-1 was higher in young athletes than in young controls. Comparison of the aged and young groups showed that although GIR at 400 mU.m-2 x min-1 was significantly lower in aged controls than in young controls, there was no significant difference between the aged athletes and the young athletes. We conclude that insulin responsiveness (insulin action at the postreceptor binding site) may decrease with the aging process and may be further affected by physical inactivity. Although physical training may improve insulin responsiveness in aged individuals up to levels similar to those in young athletes, physical training in young individuals may improve only insulin sensitivity."}
{"id": "PMID:1490931", "title": "Human temperature regulation during narcosis induced by inhalation of 30% nitrous oxide.", "content": "The study investigated the effect of inhalation of 30% nitrous oxide (N2O) on temperature regulation in humans. Seven male subjects were immersed to the neck in 28 degrees C water on two separate occasions. They exercised at a rate equivalent to 50% of their maximum work rate on an underwater cycle ergometer for 20 min and remained immersed for an additional 100 min after the exercise. In one trial (AIR) the subjects inspired compressed air, and in the other trial (N2O) they inspired a gas mixture containing N2O (20.93% O2-30% N2O-49.07% N2). Sweating, measured at the forehead, and shivering thermogenesis, as reflected by O2 uptake, were monitored throughout the 100-min recovery period. The threshold core temperatures at which sweating was extinguished and shivering was initiated were established relative to resting preexercise levels. Neither the magnitude of the sweating response nor the core threshold at which it was extinguished was significantly affected by the inhalation of N2O. In contrast, shivering thermogenesis was both significantly reduced during the N2O condition and initiated at significantly lower core temperatures [change in esophageal temperature (delta T(es)) = -0.98 +/- 0.33 degrees C and change in rectal temperature (delta T(re)) = -1.26 degrees C] during the N2O than during the AIR condition (delta T(es) = -0.36 +/- 0.31 degrees C and delta T(re) = -0.44 +/- 0.22 degrees C).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1490932", "title": "H2O2 increases expression of pulmonary artery endothelial cell platelet-derived growth factor mRNA.", "content": "Endothelial cells subjected to cell injury are capable of producing platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), a mitogen for the stimulation of fibroblast and smooth muscle cell proliferation. Cultured bovine pulmonary artery endothelial cells were exposed to low concentrations of H2O2 for 30 min. Total cell RNA was isolated and subjected to Northern analysis with use of a v-sis PDGF cDNA probe. Results demonstrate a fourfold increase in cell PDGF mRNA immediately after exposure of bovine pulmonary artery endothelial cells to 50 microM H2O2. Evidence of expression of PDGF was sought in samples of cell supernatant collected 48 h after exposure. No evidence of PDGF activity or PDGF antigen could be demonstrated in those supernatants. Although the biologic activities of PDGF suggest that PDGF production by endothelial cells may contribute to the pulmonary pathology associated with acute lung injury, our results suggest that posttranscriptional events may prevent expression of PDGF under the experimental conditions of this investigation."}
{"id": "PMID:1490933", "title": "ECG-synchronized thoracic vest inflation during autonomic blockade, myocardial ischemia, or cardiac arrest.", "content": "To evaluate, in the absence of lung inflation, the cardiovascular effects of single and repetitive pleural pressure increments induced by thoracic vest inflations and timed to occur during specific portions of the cardiac cycle, seven chronically instrumented dogs were studied. Reflexes and left ventricular (LV) performance were varied by autonomic blockade, circumflex coronary occlusion (with and without beta-blockade), or cardiac arrest. Single late systolic, but not early systolic, vest inflations significantly increased LV stroke volume both before (+12.4%) and after myocardial depression by coronary occlusion+beta-blockade (+18.5%) when performed after a period of apnea to control preload and rate. During vest inflations, LV and aortic pressures increased to a greater degree than esophageal pressure (by 51 vs. 39 mmHg, P = 0.0001). Lung inflations (26 trials in 3 dogs) during early or late systole failed to increase stroke volume, despite peak esophageal pressures of 11-26 mmHg. With autonomic reflexes intact, repetitive vest inflations coupled to early systole, late systole, or diastole induced a large (40%) but unspecific systemic flow increase. In contrast, during autonomic blockade, flow increased slightly (7.5%, P < 0.05) with late systolic compared with diastolic inflations but not relative to baseline. During coronary occlusion (with or without beta-blockade), no cycle-specific differences were seen, whereas matched vest inflations during cardiac arrest generated 20-30% of normal systemic flow. Thus only single late systolic thoracic vest inflations associated with large increments in pleural pressure increased LV emptying, presumably by decreasing LV afterload and/or focal cardiac compression. However, during myocardial ischemia and depression, coupling of vest inflation to specific parts of the cardiac cycle revealed no hemodynamic improvement, suggesting that benefits of this circulatory assist method, if any, are minor and may be restricted to conditions of cardiac arrest."}
{"id": "PMID:1490934", "title": "Effect of respiratory muscle tension on lung volume.", "content": "The chest wall is modeled as a linear system for which the displacements of points on the chest wall are proportional to the forces that act on the chest wall, namely, airway opening pressure and active tension in the respiratory muscles. A standard theorem of mechanics, the Maxwell reciprocity theorem, is invoked to show that the effect of active muscle tension on lung volume, or airway pressure if the airway is closed, is proportional to the change of muscle length in the relaxation maneuver. This relation was tested experimentally. The shortening of the cranial-caudal distance between a rib pair and the sternum was measured during a relaxation maneuver. These data were used to predict the respiratory effect of forces applied to the ribs and sternum. To test this prediction, a cranial force was applied to the rib pair and a caudal force was applied to the sternum, simulating the forces applied by active tension in the parasternal intercostal muscles. The change in airway pressure, with lung volume held constant, was measured. The measured change in airway pressure agreed well with the prediction. In some dogs, nonlinear deviations from the linear prediction occurred at higher loads. The model and the theorem offer the promise that existing data on the configuration of the chest wall during the relaxation maneuver can be used to compute the mechanical advantage of the respiratory muscles."}
{"id": "PMID:1490935", "title": "Heart energetic efficiency in O2-exposed rats studied in isolated working heart.", "content": "Death in normobaric hyperoxia was related in the past to pulmonary insufficiency of the edematous lung. However, high arterial O2 tension on final collapse led to the suggestion that the heart and not the lung is the first organ that fails. We measured aortic flow, coronary flow, left ventricular pressure, affluent and effluent PO2, PCO2, and pH in the working heart excised from control and normobaric O2-exposed rats (51-63 h). The oxygen consumption (VO2) of experimental hearts was not different from control, but mechanical power output (PVAP) (calculated from pressure-volume area) was reduced as a function of O2 exposure time. Myocardial contractility indexes, maximal elastance and maximal time derivative of pressure, increased as a function of O2 exposure time, being below control values after 50 h and above control values after 60 h. The individual slopes for the regression of VO2 vs. PVAP rose as a function of exposure time from values below control after 50 h exposure to values above control after 60 h. Energetic efficiency (PVAP/VO2) decreased as a function of O2 exposure time and points to possible heart failure in the intact animal. After 50 h O2 exposure the heart was energetically more efficient than the control. Possible changes in the heart are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1490936", "title": "Acid-base changes in the running greyhound: contributing variables.", "content": "To determine the factors responsible for changes in [H+] during and after sprint exercise in the racing greyhound, Stewart's quantitative acid-base analysis was applied to arterial blood plasma samples taken at rest, at 8-s intervals during exercise, and at various intervals up to 30 min after a 402-m spring (approximately 30 s) on the track. [Na+], [K+], [Cl-], [total Ca], [lactate], [albumin], [Pi], PCO2, and pH were measured, and the [H+] was calculated from Stewart's equations. This short sprint caused all measured variables to change significantly. Maximal changes were strong ion difference decreased from 36.7 meq/l at rest to 16.1 meq/l; [albumin] increased from 3.1 g/dl at rest to 3.7 g/dl; PCO2, after decreasing from 39.6 Torr at rest to 27.9 Torr immediately prerace, increased during exercise to 42.8 Torr and then again decreased to near 20 Torr during most of recovery; and [H+] rose from 36.6 neq/l at rest to a peak of 76.6 neq/l. The [H+] calculated using Stewart's analysis was not significantly different from that directly measured. In addition to the increase in lactate and the change in PCO2, changes in [albumin], [Na+], and [Cl-] also influenced [H+] during and after sprint exercise in the running greyhound."}
{"id": "PMID:1490937", "title": "Vagal afferent and reflex responses to changes in surface osmolarity in lower airways of dogs.", "content": "In anesthetized dogs we examined the sensitivity of afferent vagal endings in the lungs to changes in airway fluid osmolarity. Injection of 0.25-0.5 ml/kg water or hyperosmotic sodium chloride solutions (1,200-2,400 mmol/l) into a lobar bronchus caused bradycardia, arterial hypotension, apnea followed by rapid shallow breathing, and contraction of tracheal smooth muscle. All effects were abolished by vagotomy. We examined the sensory mechanisms initiating these effects by recording afferent vagal impulses arising from the lung lobe into which the liquids were injected. Water stimulated pulmonary and bronchial C-fibers and rapidly adapting receptors; isosmotic saline and glucose solutions were ineffective. Hyperosmotic saline (1,200-9,600 mmol/l, 0.25-1 ml/kg) stimulated these afferents in a concentration-dependent manner. Stimulation began 1-10 s after the injection and sometimes continued for several minutes. Responses of slowly adapting stretch receptors varied. Our results suggest that non-isosmotic fluid in the lower airways initiates defense reflexes by stimulating pulmonary and bronchial C-fibers and rapidly adapting receptors. Conceivably, stimulation of these afferents as a result of evaporative water loss from airway surface liquid could contribute to exercise-induced asthma."}
{"id": "PMID:1490938", "title": "Upward flow of pleural liquid near lobar margins due to cardiogenic motion.", "content": "In anesthetized, paralyzed, supine rabbits (3-4 kg) during apnea, we injected fluorescent dye or fluorescent microspheres (2 or 6 microns diam) into the dependent pleural space and observed the arrival and movement of the dye or microspheres at superior regions. Injection was through a rib capsule located in the dependent right chest. The dye or microspheres were observed through a pleural window overlying a lobar margin. The vertical distance between the capsule and window was 3-4 cm. The movement of the dye or microspheres was recorded via a fluorescence videomicroscope, and the signals were analyzed for dye transit time and microsphere velocity. The transit time of the dye to traverse the height of the pleural space was calculated from the light intensity vs. time curve. Transit time during apnea averaged 6.0 +/- 3.4 (SD) min (n = 4). Transit time measured after the onset of mechanical ventilation was < 1 min. The direction and speed of a microsphere moving in the relatively thick pleural space adjacent to the lobar margin depended on its distance from the lobar margin. Microspheres moved upward in the pleural space that was in proximity to the lobar margin but downward at farther distances from the lobar margin. Pleural liquid recirculation occurs via the pleural space adjacent to lobar margins."}
{"id": "PMID:1490939", "title": "Effect of age on cardiovascular responses to static muscular contraction in beagles.", "content": "Induced muscular contraction in anesthetized animals results in significant hemodynamic and regional blood flow (RBF) changes. Although reflex cardiovascular responses initiated in contracting muscle have been firmly established, little is known about the effects of age on these responses. Because other reflex responses that involve sympathetic activation appear to be attenuated with age, it was hypothesized that reflex efferent cardiovascular responses that normally occur during muscular contraction would be impaired in senescent dogs. Therefore, hemodynamic and RBF responses to induced static hindlimb contraction (HLC) were evaluated in 8- to 14- and 2- to 3-yr-old beagles during alpha-chloralose anesthesia. Most baseline hemodynamic parameters were similar in both groups, but heart rate was significantly (P < 0.05) higher in old dogs. During HLC, heart rate and blood pressure increased in the young and old dogs. However, increases in stroke volume and cardiac output were greater in old dogs, combined with a reduction in systemic vascular resistance not observed in young dogs. No age-related difference in baseline RBF (microspheres) was observed in six of eight abdominal regional circulations and in each of four skeletal muscle groups. During HLC, RBF reductions occurred in six of eight abdominal organs in young and old dogs. However, the reduction in RBF and concomitant increase in vascular resistance in all eight abdominal regions combined was almost twice as great in young vs. old dogs. In noncontracting skeletal muscle, RBF decreased and vascular resistance increased four times more in young vs. old dogs.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1490940", "title": "Heterogeneous airway tone in asthmatic subjects.", "content": "We examined the effect of volume history on the dynamic relationship between airways and lung parenchyma (relative hysteresis) in 20 asthmatic subjects. The acoustic reflection technique was employed to evaluate changes in airway cross-sectional areas during a slow continuous expiration from total lung capacity to residual volume and inspiration back to total lung capacity. Lung volume was measured continuously during this quasi-static maneuver. We studied three anatomic airway segments: extra- and intrathoracic tracheal and main bronchial segments. Plots of airway area vs. lung volume were obtained for each segment to assess the relative magnitude and direction of the airway and parenchymal hysteresis. We also performed maximal expiratory flow-volume and partial expiratory flow-volume curves and calculated the ratio of maximal to partial flow rates (M/P) at 30% of the vital capacity. We found that 10 subjects (group I) showed a significant predominance of airway over parenchymal hysteresis (P < 0.005) at the extra- and intrathoracic tracheal and main bronchial segments; these subjects had high M/P ratios [1.53 +/- 0.27 (SD)]. The other 10 subjects (group II) showed similar airway and parenchymal hysteresis for all three segments and significantly lower M/P ratios (1.16 +/- 0.20, P < 0.01). We conclude that the effect of volume history on the relative hysteresis of airway and lung parenchyma and M/P ratio at 30% of vital capacity in nonprovoked asthmatic subjects is variable. We suggest that our findings may result from heterogeneous airway tone in asthmatic subjects."}
{"id": "PMID:1490941", "title": "Systemic pilocarpine increases deposition of and decreases responsiveness to inhaled carbachol in sheep.", "content": "The purpose of this study was to determine whether excessive airway secretions could serve as a barrier function against inhaled particulate matter. To increase airway secretions, six conscious sheep were treated with pilocarpine (0.8 mg/kg i.v.). Pilocarpine increased pulmonary resistance (RL) and total aerosol deposition within five breaths (AD5) as determined by the rebreathing of an inert monodisperse aerosol. When RL had returned to baseline, AD5 remained elevated [21 +/- 2% (SE), P < 0.05] and tracheal secretions were increased (237 +/- 77%, P < 0.05) above the values before pilocarpine administration. A carbachol aerosol dose-response curve was carried out at this time and compared with a control carbachol dose-response curve by calculating the dose of carbachol required to increase RL by 400% (PD400). Mean PD400 was increased postpilocarpine by 53 +/- 18 (P < 0.05) and 85 +/- 25% (P < 0.05) when normalized for increased aerosol deposition. Thus, pilocarpine decreased airway responsiveness to inhaled carbachol despite increasing aerosol deposition. The pilocarpine-induced airway hyporesponsiveness to inhaled carbachol is consistent with the hypothesis that excessive secretions have a protective role in the airways."}
{"id": "PMID:1490942", "title": "Effects of repeated cycles of starvation and refeeding on lungs of growing rats.", "content": "Adult male rats were subjected to four cycles of mild starvation (2 wk) and refeeding (1 wk) and were compared with a fed group. Starvation was induced by giving rats one-third of their measured daily food consumption. During each starvation cycle, rats lost approximately 20% of their body weight. Despite catch-up growth and overall weight gain, starved rats had lower final body weight than fed rats. Lung dry weight and lung volumes were also reduced in the starved group. The mechanical properties of air- and saline-filled lungs did not change significantly with repeated cycles of starvation. Mean linear intercept was similar in the two groups, but alveolar surface area was reduced in the starved rats. Total content of crude connective tissue and concentration per lung dry weight of hydroxyproline and crude connective tissue were reduced in starved rats. We conclude that lung growth is retarded in growing rats subjected to repeated cycles of mild starvation and refeeding, as manifested by smaller lung volume and reduced alveolar surface area. Because alveolar size is unchanged, a reduced number of alveoli is most likely responsible for decreased lung volumes."}
{"id": "PMID:1490943", "title": "Changes of respiratory input impedance during breathing in humans.", "content": "Changes of total respiratory resistance (Rrs) and reactance (Xrs) were studied between 8 and 32 Hz at five moments during the respiratory cycle in healthy adults (group A) and children (group B) and in patients with chronic obstructive lung disease (group C) and with upper airway obstruction (group D). Two forced oscillation techniques were used: the conventional one and the head generator, with the oscillations applied at the mouth and around the head of the subject, respectively. Both techniques yielded similar results. Rrs is lowest during the transition from inspiration to expiration and highest in the course of expiration, except in group D. Mean Xrs is highest at the transitions from inspiration to expiration or vice versa and lowest during expiration, except in group D. In groups C and D, the increases of Rrs are accompanied by a more pronounced negative frequency dependence of Rrs. The variations of Rrs and Xrs appear to be markedly flow dependent and may be a consequence of the interaction of breathing with oscillatory flows."}
{"id": "PMID:1490944", "title": "Energy status of the rapidly paced canine myocardium in congestive heart failure.", "content": "Rapid ventricular pacing (RVP) is used as an experimental model of congestive heart failure (CHF). The purpose of this study was to determine the energy status of the dog myocardium after the development of CHF via chronic RVP. The myocardium had a significantly lower (P < 0.05) energy charge (EC) during CHF (0.63 +/- 0.01) than in sham-operated controls (0.82 +/- 0.02). This was due to significant differences in concentrations in ATP (-48%), ADP (29%), and AMP (275%) in the RVP group. However, the total adenine nucleotide pool was not different between groups. Myocardial lactate concentration was also similar. Glycogen was significantly lower (P < 0.05) by 20% at peak CHF. The adenine nucleotides were similar among the different myocardial layers (endo-, mid-, and epicardium). The administration of enalapril (an inhibitor of angiotension-converting enzyme) to decrease vascular resistance had no effect on the myocardial energy status of CHF dogs. These findings suggest that the lower EC in CHF animals is not the result of subendocardial ischemia. Also, lower EC is not associated with endogenous glycogen depletion or increased lactate concentration. The energy status of the myocardium in RVP-induced CHF is unlike that seen in ischemia-induced heart failure. This suggests that CHF in RVP is not vascular in origin."}
{"id": "PMID:1490945", "title": "Effect of maturation on the extrathoracic airway stability of infants.", "content": "The influence of maturation on extrathoracic airway (ETA) stability during quiet sleep was determined in 13 normal preterm infants of 1.41 +/- 0.14 (SD) kg birth weight and 32 +/- 2 wk estimated gestational age. Studies began in the first week of life and were performed three times at weekly intervals. A drop in intraluminal pressure within the ETA was produced by external inspiratory flow-resistive loading (60 cmH2O.l-1 x s at 1 l/min); an increase in intrinsic resistance, indicating airway narrowing, was sought as a measure of ETA instability. Baseline total pulmonary resistance was not significantly different between weeks 1, 2, and 3 (88 +/- 35, 65 +/- 24, and 61 +/- 17 cmH2O.l-1 x s, respectively) but increased markedly above baseline with loading to 144 +/- 45 cmH2O.l-1.s during week 1 (P < 0.001), 89 +/- 28 cmH2O.l-1 x s at week 2 (P < 0.01), and 74 +/- 25 cmH2O.l-1 x s at week 3 (n = 10). The increment with loading was significantly greater during week 1 than during weeks 2 or 3 (P < 0.02). Similar studies were also done in seven full-term infants in the first week of life to evaluate the influence of gestational maturity on ETA stability. Despite a relatively greater drop in intraluminal pressure within the ETA of term vs. preterm infants with loading (P < 0.001), total pulmonary resistance failed to increase (68 +/- 21 to 71 +/- 32 cmH2O.l-1.s). These data reveal that ETA instability is present in preterm infants at birth and decreases with increasing postnatal age. Full-term neonates, by comparison, display markedly greater ETA stability in the immediate neonatal period."}
{"id": "PMID:1490946", "title": "Chest wall and trunk muscle activity during inspiratory loading.", "content": "We measured the electromyographic (EMG) activity in four chest wall and trunk (CWT) muscles, the erector spinae, latissimus dorsi, pectoralis major, and trapezius, together with the parasternal, in four normal subjects during graded inspiratory efforts against an occlusion in both upright and seated postures. We also measured CWT EMGs in six seated subjects during inspiratory resistive loading at high and low tidal volumes [1,280 +/- 80 (SE) and 920 +/- 60 ml, respectively]. With one exception, CWT EMG increased as a function of inspiratory pressure generated (Pmus) at all lung volumes in both postures, with no systematic difference in recruitment between CWT and parasternal muscles as a function of Pmus. At any given lung volume there was no consistent difference in CWT EMG at a given Pmus between the two postures (P > 0.09). However, at a given Pmus during both graded inspiratory efforts and inspiratory resistive loading, EMGs of all muscles increased with lung volume, with greater volume dependence in the upright posture (P < 0.02). The results suggest that during inspiratory efforts, CWT muscles contribute to the generation of inspiratory pressure. The CWT muscles may act as fixators opposing deflationary forces transmitted to the vertebral column by rib cage articulations, a function that may be less effective at high lung volumes if the direction of the muscular insertions is altered disadvantageously."}
{"id": "PMID:1490947", "title": "Computer simulation of O2 transport and utilization mechanisms at the onset of exercise.", "content": "During transitions in work rate, O2 uptake (VO2) kinetics at the working tissue level might be rate limited by O2 transport and/or by O2 utilization. A computer model with parallel working and non-working tissue compartments, connected to an ideal lung by a variable-sized venous blood volume, was developed to study this. The time constant for working tissue O2 demand (tau T) was set by a first-order linear metabolic response. The model attempted to replicate the VO2 response at the alveolar level of a single subject performing step transitions on a cycle ergometer from 25 to 105 W [total lag time (equivalent to 63% increase above baseline) = 40.2 s]. Measured cardiac output kinetics (total lag time = 44.1 s) were used as a model parameter. Blood flow to the nonworking tissue (QNW) was kept constant at 4.5 or 5.0 l/min. A critical PO2 of 20 Torr was set, and the Bohr effect on the O2-hemoglobin dissociation curve was included. The \"best\" simulation had tau T = 36 s, QNW = 4.5 l/min, and venous blood volume = 2 liters and was not O2 transport limited. The approximation to the real data was good in all but the phase 1 response, where the model underpredicted the measured response. However, when QNW was increased to 5.0 l/min, the model was O2 transport limited; yet the predicted VO2 response at the alveolar level was not notably different from the subject's data.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1490948", "title": "Heart rate and plasma catecholamines during 24 h of everyday life in trained and untrained men.", "content": "Physical training decreases resting heart rate as well as heart rate and catecholamine responses to ordinary physical activity and mental stress. These effects have been speculated to diminish cardiac morbidity. However, the sparing of heartbeats and catecholamine production might be outweighed by exaggerated responses during training sessions. To elucidate this issue, heart rate was measured continuously and plasma catecholamine concentrations were measured frequently during 24 h of ordinary living conditions in seven endurance-trained athletes (T) and eight sedentary or untrained (UT) young males. T subjects had lower heart rates than UT subjects during sleep and during nontraining awake periods. However, because of the increase during training, the total 24-h heartbeat number did not differ between groups (107,737 +/- 3,819 for T vs. 113,249 +/- 6,879 for UT, P = 0.731). Neither during sleep nor during awake nontraining periods were catecholamine levels lower in T than in UT subjects. Peak catecholamine levels during exercise in T were much higher than peak levels in UT subjects, and 24-h average epinephrine and norepinephrine concentrations were twice as high. We concluded that in highly trained athletes the total number of heartbeats per day is not decreased and the catecholamine production is, in fact, increased."}
{"id": "PMID:1490949", "title": "Alterations of filtration coefficients in pulmonary edema of different pathogenesis.", "content": "Different pathomechanisms in the development of pulmonary edema are being discussed. We investigated the effect of pathogenetically varying forms of edema on lung vascular barrier function in isolated cell-free perfused rabbit lungs. As an index of permeability, capillary filtration coefficients (Kfc) were determined from the slope of lung weight change over periods of stepwise venous pressure elevation (5, 7.5, and 10 mmHg) before (controls) and 60 min after edema induction. Edema was induced by venous congestion (n = 6), by application of arachidonic acid in the presence of diclofenac sodium (n = 6), and by elastase application (n = 6). Control values ranged from 0.28 to 0.51 ml.min-1 x mmHg-1 x 100 g-1. Kfc was significantly enhanced after edema induction up to 243% of control value in the hydrostatic edema, 357% in the arachidonic acid edema, and 594% in the elastase edema. When the alterations in capillary filtration due to the different types of edema were compared, Kfc was significantly higher in the proteinase edema, indicating an irreversibly damaged barrier function. These data exemplify different pathophysiological characteristics due to the pathogenesis of interstitial edema formation."}
{"id": "PMID:1490950", "title": "PDC activity and acetyl group accumulation in skeletal muscle during prolonged exercise.", "content": "Seven subjects cycled to exhaustion [58 +/- 7 (SE) min] at approximately 75% of their maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max). Needle biopsy samples were taken from the quadriceps femoris muscle at rest, after 3, 10, and 40 min of exercise, at exhaustion, and after 10 min of recovery. After 3 min of exercise, a nearly complete transformation of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDC) into active form had occurred and was maintained throughout the exercise period. The total in vitro activated PDC was unchanged during exercise. The muscle concentration of acetyl-CoA increased from a resting value of 8.4 +/- 1.0 to 31.6 +/- 3.3 mumol/kg dry wt at exhaustion and that of acetylcarnitine from 2.9 +/- 0.7 to 15.6 +/- 1.6 mmol/kg dry wt. This was accompanied by corresponding decreases in reduced CoA (CoASH) from 45.3 +/- 3.1 to 25.9 +/- 3.1 mumol/kg dry wt and in free carnitine from 18.8 +/- 0.7 to 5.7 +/- 0.5 mmol/kg dry wt. Acetyl group accumulation, in the form of acetyl-CoA and acetylcarnitine, was maintained throughout exercise to exhaustion while the glycogen content decreased by 90%. This suggests that availability of acetyl groups was not limiting to exercise performance despite the nearly total depletion of the glycogen store. The increased acetyl-CoA-to-CoASH ratio during exercise caused inhibition of neither the PDC transformation nor the calculated catalytic activity of active PDC."}
{"id": "PMID:1490951", "title": "Effect of lung volume on the respiratory action of the canine pectoral muscles.", "content": "Lung volume influences the mechanical action of the primary inspiratory and expiratory muscles by affecting their precontraction length, alignment with the rib cage, and mechanical coupling to agonistic and antagonistic muscles. We have previously shown that the canine pectoral muscles exert an expiratory action on the rib cage when the forelimbs are at the torso's side and an inspiratory action when the forelimbs are held elevated. To determine the effect of lung volume on intrathoracic pressure changes produced by the canine pectoral muscles, we performed isolated bilateral supramaximal electrical stimulation of the deep pectoral and superficial pectoralis (descending and transverse heads) muscles in 15 adult supine anesthetized dogs during hyperventilation-induced apnea. Lung volume was altered by application of a negative or positive pressure (+/- 30 cmH2O) to the airway. In all animals, selective electrical stimulation of the descending, transverse, and deep pectoral muscles with the forelimbs held elevated produced negative intrathoracic pressure changes (i.e., an inspiratory action). Moreover, with the forelimbs elevated, increasing lung volume decreased both pectoral muscle fiber precontraction length and the negative intrathoracic pressure changes generated by contraction of each of these muscles. Conversely, with the forelimbs along the torso, increasing lung volume lengthened pectoral muscle precontraction length and augmented the positive intrathoracic pressure changes produced by muscle contraction (i.e., an expiratory action). These results indicate that lung volume significantly affects the length of the canine pectoral muscles and their mechanical actions on the rib cage."}
{"id": "PMID:1490952", "title": "Effects of neutrophil depletion and repletion on PAF-induced hyperresponsiveness of canine trachea.", "content": "Platelet-activating factor (PAF) has been implicated as a mediator of airway hyperresponsiveness. PAF, infused intra-arterially into the canine cervical trachea, causes adherence of neutrophils to vascular endothelium, increases vascular permeability, and increases the responsiveness of tracheal muscle to parasympathetic stimulation. We hypothesized that the increase in airway responsiveness induced by PAF in this model depends on the presence of neutrophils. To test this hypothesis, we perfused a cervical tracheal segment with autologous blood depleted of leukocytes or with similar leukocyte-depleted blood that had been repleted with its neutrophils. Fifteen minutes after the onset of perfusion with either leukocyte-depleted or neutrophil-repleted blood, PAF infusion was begun into the tracheal arterial vasculature. The contractile response of the tracheal muscle to parasympathetic stimulation was measured before and 15 and 30 min after the onset of PAF infusion. PAF did not significantly change the response of tracheal muscle during perfusion with neutrophil-depleted blood but increased the response of tracheal muscle during perfusion with neutrophil-repleted blood. We conclude that the increase in canine tracheal muscle response induced by intra-arterial PAF depends on neutrophils."}
{"id": "PMID:1490953", "title": "Carotid chemoreceptor discharge during epinephrine infusion in anesthetized cats.", "content": "It is known that during exercise there is an increase in plasma epinephrine. The purpose of the present investigation was to determine whether stimulation of carotid chemoreceptors by epinephrine is a direct effect or secondary to epinephrine-induced increases in arterial plasma [K+] and whole body CO2 production (VCO2). Chemoreceptor discharge was recorded from single fiber preparations of the carotid sinus nerves in anesthetized cats ventilated to a constant arterial PCO2 (PaCO2). Infusion of epinephrine (1 microgram.kg-1 x min-1) caused arterial [K+] to increase from a mean of 2.7 to 3.8 mM. VCO2 increased so that ventilation had to be increased by 60% to maintain PaCO2 constant. Mean chemoreceptor discharge increased by 50%, but this was no greater than would be predicted on the basis of the increases in arterial [K+] and VCO2. In a further group of experiments epinephrine was infused at 0.1 microgram.kg-1 x min-1 and produced no significant increase in chemoreceptor firing. These experiments provide no evidence for epinephrine having a direct effect on the carotid chemoreceptor."}
{"id": "PMID:1490954", "title": "Protein absorption and energy digestibility at high altitude.", "content": "To test the hypothesis that malabsorption of dietary protein is partly responsible for the weight loss observed during prolonged altitude exposure, six healthy male subjects [31.8 +/- 4.5 (SD) yr] received 15N-labeled soya protein by mouth and [15N]glycine intravenously at 122 and 5,000 m. From the subsequent 4-day total urine and fecal pools, the different fractions of the administered 15N were determined by mass spectrometry. Weight and skinfold thickness were measured at the beginning and end of the altitude exposure. In addition, the overall digestible energy of the diet at altitude was assessed by a 3-day diet control and adiabatic bomb calorimetric assessment of the energy content of the corresponding fecal pool. The average decrease of the subjects' weight during altitude exposure was 3%. Loss of fat mass at altitude estimated from the skinfold measurements was 9%. Protein absorption, calculated as 100--[fecal excretion of 15N after ingestion of 15N soya protein (% of dose given)--fecal excretion of 15N after injection of 15N glycine (% of dose given)], was not significantly impaired at altitude compared with sea level (96 vs. 97%, respectively), and overall digestible energy at altitude, calculated as 100--percent undigested gross energy in the feces, amounted to 96%. It is concluded that, at least up to an altitude of 5,000 m, malabsorption does not play a role in altitude-related weight loss."}
{"id": "PMID:1490955", "title": "L-NAME enhances pulmonary vasoconstriction without inhibiting EDRF-dependent vasodilation.", "content": "The purpose of the present study was to determine the influence of NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) on pulmonary vascular responses to endothelium-dependent relaxing factor- (EDRF) dependent and EDRF-independent substances in the pulmonary vascular bed of the anesthetized cat. Because pulmonary blood flow and left atrial pressure were kept constant, changes in lobar arterial pressure directly reflect changes in pulmonary vascular resistance. When pulmonary vasomotor tone was actively increased by intralobar infusion of U-46619, intralobar bolus injections of acetylcholine, bradykinin, serotonin, and 5-carboxyamidotryptamine (a serotonin1A receptor agonist) decreased lobar arterial pressure in a dose-related manner. The pulmonary vasodilator response to serotonin, but not to 5-carboxyamidotryptamine, acetylcholine, and bradykinin, was significantly decreased by L-NAME (100 mg/kg i.v.). Administration of ritanserin (0.5 mg/kg i.v.), but not L-arginine (1 g/kg i.v. with 60 mg.kg-1 x min-1 i.v. infusion), reversed the inhibitory effects of L-NAME on the pulmonary vasodilator response to serotonin and abolished the enhanced pulmonary vasoconstrictor response to (+-)-1-(2,5-dimethoxy-4-iodophenyl)-2-aminoproprane hydrochloride (a serotonin2 receptor agonist) after L-NAME administration. In conclusion, the present experiments suggest that L-NAME inhibits the pulmonary vasodilator response to serotonin by increasing the sensitivity of serotonin2 receptor-mediated vasoconstriction and not by inhibiting EDRF formation. Because the pulmonary vasodilator responses to bolus administration of acetylcholine and bradykinin were not inhibited by L-NAME, these data suggest that L-NAME does not appear to be an adequate probe to study the role of endogenous EDRF in the adult feline pulmonary vascular bed in vivo."}
{"id": "PMID:1490956", "title": "Simultaneous measurement of fluid and protein permeability in isolated rabbit lungs during edema.", "content": "Fluid conductance and protein permeability have been studied in isolated perfused lung models of pulmonary edema. However, previous studies have not investigated changes of both fluid conductance and protein permeability in the same isolated lung preparation after injury. Arachidonic acid (AA) metabolites are involved in the inflammatory processes that lead to the development of pulmonary edema. The hemodynamic effects of AA have been well established; however, controversy exists concerning the ability of AA to alter the permeability of the pulmonary microvasculature to fluid and protein. The purpose of this study was to simultaneously determine whether transvascular fluid conductance and protein permeability are increased in isolated perfused rabbit lungs with pulmonary edema induced by AA. Indomethacin (80 microM) was added to the perfusate to inhibit the hemodynamic effects of AA and produce a pressure-independent model of pulmonary edema. Fluid conductance was assessed by determination of the capillary filtration coefficient (Kf), and protein permeability was evaluated by measurement of 125I-albumin clearance. The injection of AA (3 mg/200 ml of perfusate) into the pulmonary arterial catheter resulted in an increase in lung weight over the remaining 30-min experimental period. Kf (microliter.s-1 x cmH2O-1 x g dry lung-1) was increased (P < 0.05) in AA-treated lungs at 10 and 30 min post-AA injection when compared with control lungs and baseline values (determined 10 min before AA injection). Albumin clearance was also greater (P < 0.05) in lungs that received AA. 125I-albumin clearance was measured at different rates of fluid flux produced by elevation of venous pressure.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1490957", "title": "Role of pulmonary blood flow in postpneumonectomy lung growth.", "content": "To study the influence of blood flow on postpneumonectomy lung growth, we banded the left caudal lobe pulmonary artery of eight ferrets in such a way that blood flow to the caudal lobe did not increase when the right lung was excised 1 wk later. The fraction of the cardiac output received by the right lung before pneumonectomy was therefore directed entirely to the left cranial lobe. Three weeks after pneumonectomy the weight, volume, and protein and DNA contents of the two lobes of the left lung were measured and compared with those of five unoperated animals and eight animals after right pneumonectomy alone. Although its perfusion did not increase after pneumonectomy, the left caudal lobe of banded animals participated in compensatory growth, increasing in weight and protein and DNA contents. Although the cranial lobe of banded animals received 25% more of the cardiac output than the same lobe in pneumonectomized animals, cranial lobe volume and protein and DNA contents in the two groups were similar. Caudal lobes were smaller in banded than in simple pneumonectomized animals and tended to contain less protein, whereas the cranial lobes tended to be heavier. We conclude that increased pulmonary perfusion is not necessary for compensatory lung growth in adult ferrets, but it may modify this response."}
{"id": "PMID:1490958", "title": "Muscle temperature, contractile speed, and motoneuron firing rates during human voluntary contractions.", "content": "A study was made of motoneuron firing rates and mechanical contractile parameters during maximum voluntary contraction of human hand muscles. A comparison of muscles that had been fatigued after a 60-s maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) with muscles that were cooled by approximately 5 degrees C showed that the contractile properties, in particular the rates of contraction and relaxation, were similarly affected in both conditions. In contrast, the motoneuron firing rate was affected differently by the two treatments. In the case of the fatigued muscles the motoneuron firing rate was reduced by 36%, as was expected from previous studies, but in the case of the cooled muscles, there was no significant change in the motoneuron firing rate. We conclude that the reflex reduction in the motoneuron firing rate seen in the fatigued muscle is not triggered directly by a change in the mechanical properties of the muscle."}
{"id": "PMID:1490959", "title": "Respiratory instability during sleep onset.", "content": "It has been hypothesized that regulatory control in the respiratory system is state dependent. According to this view respiratory instability during sleep onset is a consequence of repeated fluctuations in arousal state. However, these speculations are based primarily on measurements during stable sleep, not during sleep onset itself. The aim of the present study was to assess changes in ventilation and gas tensions during sleep onset as a function of arousal state. Twenty-one subjects (12 males and 9 females, mean age 20 yr) were assessed over an average of 11.3 sleep onsets. The subject's state was classified as alpha, theta, body movement, or stage 2 sleep, and expiratory tidal volume, minute ventilation, respiratory rate, and end-tidal CO2 and O2 were measured by means of a face mask, valve, and pneumotachograph on a breath-by-breath basis. Respiratory instability during sleep onset was found to be a result of two factors. The first factor was a between-state effect in which transitions from alpha to theta were associated with falls, and from theta to alpha with increases, in ventilation. The magnitude of the change was a positive function of metabolic drive at the time of the state change (as indicated by alveolar PCO2 and PO2 levels). The second was a within-state effect in which ventilation fell during consecutive alpha breaths and increased during consecutive theta breaths. These changes were due to the influence of the relative hyperventilation of the alpha state and the relative hypoventilation of the theta state on metabolic drive."}
{"id": "PMID:1490960", "title": "Increased plasma O2 solubility improves O2 uptake of in situ dog muscle working maximally.", "content": "A perfluorocarbon emulsion [formulation containing 90% wt/vol perflubron (perfluorooctylbromide); Alliance Pharmaceutical] was used to increase O2 solubility in the plasma compartment during hyperoxic low hemoglobin concentration ([Hb]) perfusion of a maximally working dog muscle in situ. Our hypothesis was that the increased plasma O2 solubility would increase the muscle O2 diffusing capacity (DO2) by augmenting the capillary surface area in contact with high [O2]. Oxygen uptake (VO2) was measured in isolated in situ canine gastrocnemius (n = 4) while working for 6 min at a maximal stimulation rate of 1 Hz (isometric tetanic contractions) on three to four separate occasions for each muscle. On each occasion, the last 4 min of the 6-min work period was split into 2 min of a control treatment (only emulsifying agent mixed into blood) and 2 min of perflubron treatment (6 g/kg body wt), reversing the order for each subsequent work bout. Before contractions, the [Hb] of the dog was decreased to 8-9 g/100 ml and arterial PO2 was increased to 500-600 Torr by having the dog breathe 100% O2 to maximize the effect of the perflubron. Muscle blood flow was held constant between the two experimental conditions. Plasma O2 solubility was almost doubled to 0.005 ml O2 x 100 ml blood-1 x Torr-1 by the addition of the perflubron. Muscle O2 delivery and maximal VO2 were significantly improved (at the same blood flow and [Hb]) by 11 and 12.6%, respectively (P < 0.05), during the perflubron treatment compared with the control. O2 extraction by the muscle remained the same between the two treatments, as did the estimate of DO2.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1490961", "title": "13CO2 washout dynamics during intermittent exercise in children and adults.", "content": "To test the hypothesis that children store less CO2 than adults during exercise, we measured breath 13CO2 washout dynamics after oral bolus of [13C]bicarbonate in nine children [8 +/- 1 (SD) yr, 4 boys] and nine (28 +/- 6 yr, 5 males) adults. Gas exchange [O2 uptake and CO2 production (Vco2)] was measured breath by breath during rest and during light (80% of the anaerobic threshold) intermittent exercise. Breath samples were obtained for subsequent analysis of 13CO2 by isotope ratio mass spectrometry. The tracer estimate of Vco2 was highly correlated to Vco2 measured by gas exchange (r = 0.97, P < 0.0001). The mean residence time was shorter in children (50 +/- 5 min) compared with adults (69 +/- 7 min, P < 0.0001) at rest and during exercise (children, 35 +/- 7 min; adults, 50 +/- 11 min, P < 0.001). The estimate of stored CO2 (using mean Vco2 measured by gas exchange and mean residence time derived from tracer washout) was not statistically different at rest between children (254 +/- 36 ml/kg) and adults (232 +/- 37 ml/kg). During exercise, CO2 stores in the adults (304 +/- 46 ml/kg) were significantly increased over rest (P < 0.001), but there was no increase in children (mean exercise value, 254 +/- 38 ml/kg). These data support the hypothesis that CO2 distribution in response to exercise changes during the growth period."}
{"id": "PMID:1490962", "title": "TNF-alpha augments pulmonary vasoconstriction via the inhibition of nitrovasodilator activity.", "content": "We tested the hypothesis that tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) increases pulmonary vasoconstriction by decreases in nitric oxide- (NO) dependent vasodilation. Lungs were isolated from guinea pigs 18 h after intraperitoneal injection of either TNF-alpha (1.60 x 10(5) U/kg) or control. U-46619 (365 mM/min) caused increases in pulmonary arterial and capillary pressures, pulmonary arterial and venous resistances, and lung weight. TNF-alpha augmented the U-46619-induced increases in pulmonary arterial and capillary pressures, pulmonary arterial and venous resistances, and lung weight. Methylene blue (1 microM), which inhibits the activation of soluble guanylate cyclase by NO, had an effect similar to TNF-alpha on the pulmonary response to U-46619 alone but was not additive to the effect of TNF-alpha. NG-monomethyl-L-arginine (270 microM), an inhibitor of NO generation, also enhanced the response to U-46619. Lung effluent levels of nitrite, the oxidation product of NO, were reduced after treatment with either TNF-alpha or NG-monomethyl-L-arginine compared with U-46619 alone. In addition, lungs isolated after TNF-alpha treatment showed decreased vasodilation in response to acetylcholine (10(-8)-10(-5) M) compared with control; however, vasodilation in response to L-arginine (10 mM) and nitroprusside (10(-6.3) and 10(-6) M), agents that promote NO release, was not decreased in TNF-alpha-treated lungs. The data indicate that TNF-alpha induces an increase in vascular constriction in response to U-46619 and a decrease in vasodilation in response to acetylcholine. The mechanism for the TNF-alpha-induced alteration in pulmonary vascular reactivity may be decreased generation of NO."}
{"id": "PMID:1490963", "title": "Increased thrombin-antithrombin III complexes after 1 h of physical exercise.", "content": "Concentrations of thrombin-antithrombin III (TAT) complexes in plasma were previously reported to be increased after a 100-km run, while fibrinopeptide A (FPA) concentration remained unchanged. Thus, antithrombin III appears to neutralize thrombin generated during running and prevents fibrin formation. To determine the clinical relevance of these findings, we compared the effects of exhaustive running (1 h, n = 10) on the plasma concentrations of prothrombin fragments F1 and F2, TAT, FPA, and beta-thromboglobulin with the effects of recreational jogging (1 h, n = 10) and exhaustive bicycling on an ergometer (1 h, n = 8). Prothrombin fragments F1 and F2 and TAT concentrations increased significantly in each group. The most significant increase in TAT concentration was measured in the running group (from 1.72 +/- 0.49 to 3.61 +/- 1.03 ng/ml, P < 0.001). The best correlation was found between the postexercise TAT and lactate concentrations (r = 0.62, n = 28, P < 0.001). Mean FPA concentrations after exercise did not exceed normal values in any of the three groups analyzed. An increase in beta-thromboglobulin concentration was measured in the running and in the cycling group. Thus, thrombin is formed, in particular, when associated with anaerobic metabolism, and platelets are activated during high-intensity exercise."}
{"id": "PMID:1490964", "title": "Intrapleural fluid movements described by a porous flow model.", "content": "We injected technetium-labeled albumin (at a concentration similar to that of the pleural fluid) in the costal region of anesthetized dogs (n = 13) either breathing spontaneously or apneic. The decay rate of labeled activity at the injection site was studied with a gamma camera placed either in the anteroposterior (AP) or laterolateral (LL) projection. In breathing animals (respiratory frequency approximately 10 cycles/min), 10 min after the injection the activity decreased by approximately 50% on AP and approximately 20% on LL imaging; in apneic animals the corresponding decrease in activity was reduced to approximately 15 and approximately 3%, respectively. We considered label translocation from AP and LL imaging as a result of bulk flows of liquid along the costomediastinal and gravity-dependent direction, respectively. We related intrapleural flows to the hydraulic pressure gradients existing along these two directions and to the geometry of the pleural space. The pleural space was considered as a porous medium partially occupied by the mesh of microvilli protruding from mesothelial cells. Solution of the Kozeny-Carman equation for the observed flow velocities and pressure gradients yielded a mean hydraulic radius of the pathways followed by the liquid ranging from 2 to 4 microns. The hydraulic resistivity of the pleural space was estimated at approximately 8.5 x 10(5) dyn.s.cm-4, five orders of magnitude lower than that of interstitial tissue."}
{"id": "PMID:1490965", "title": "Training can improve muscle strength and endurance in 78- to 84-yr-old men.", "content": "Nine men, 78-84 yr of age, participated in a dynamometer training program 2-3 times/wk, totaling 25 sessions, using voluntary maximal isometric, concentric, and eccentric right knee-extension actions (30 and 180 degrees/s). Measurements of muscle strength with a Kin-Com dynamometer and simultaneous electromyograms (EMG) were performed of both sides before and after the training period. Muscle biopsies were taken from the right vastus lateralis muscle. The total quadriceps cross-sectional area was measured with computerized tomography. Training led to an increase in maximal torque for concentric (10% at 30 degrees/s) and eccentric (13-19%) actions in the trained leg. The EMG activity increased at maximal eccentric activities. The total cross-sectional quadriceps area of the trained leg increased by 3%, but no changes were recorded in muscle fiber areas in these subjects, who already had large mean fiber areas (5.15 microns 2 x 10(3)). The fatigue index measured from 50 consecutive concentric contractions at 180 degrees/s decreased and the citrate synthase activity increased in all but one subject. The results demonstrate that increased neural activation accompanies an increase in muscle strength at least during eccentric action in already rather active elderly men and that muscle endurance may also be improved with training."}
{"id": "PMID:1490966", "title": "Effects of hypoxia on the discharge of group III and IV muscle afferents in cats.", "content": "The reflex pressor response evoked by static muscular contraction is widely believed to be caused by the stimulation of group III and IV afferents. Although the specific nature of the contraction-induced stimulus to these thin-fiber afferents is unknown, they are thought to be stimulated in part by a condition arising from a mismatch between blood supply and demand in the exercising muscle. Hypoxia, a condition found in skeletal muscle during such a mismatch, may stimulate these afferents. We have therefore tested the hypothesis that perfusion of the triceps surae muscles with hypoxic blood stimulates group III and IV afferents in barbiturate-anesthetized cats. We found that 3-3.5 min of hypoxia with the triceps surae muscles at rest significantly (P < 0.05) increased the average discharge rate of contraction-sensitive group IV afferents but had no effect on the average discharge rate of contraction-sensitive group III afferents. Hypoxia had only trivial effects on the discharge of contraction-insensitive group III and IV afferents. Hypoxia stimulated 4 of 11 contraction-sensitive group IV afferents and 2 of 13 contraction-sensitive group III afferents. The responses of the afferents stimulated by hypoxia were small in magnitude. Hypoxia with the muscles at rest appeared to have no effect on either hydrogen or lactate ion concentrations in the femoral venous blood. In addition, hypoxia increased the responses to contraction in only 3 of 22 group III and 4 of 21 group IV afferents tested. We conclude that muscle tissue hypoxia is a minor stimulus to afferents that sense a mismatch between blood supply and demand during static contraction."}
{"id": "PMID:1490967", "title": "Gamma irradiation prevents compensatory hypertrophy of overloaded mouse extensor digitorum longus muscle.", "content": "Mouse extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscle was subjected to a dose of gamma irradiation that causes reproductive death of satellite cells and/or to chronic compensatory overload, achieved by removal of the distal portion of the tibialis anterior muscle. Four weeks later the mass, fiber type percentage, and fiber size of the EDL muscle were measured. Both the irradiated + overloaded and the irradiated only EDL muscles were significantly lighter and contained significantly smaller fibers than untreated muscle or muscle subjected to chronic overload only. Overload muscle, whether irradiated or not, had a larger percentage of type IIx fibers and a smaller percentage of type IIb fibers than muscle that had not been overloaded. The results confirm that satellite cell proliferation is a prerequisite for muscle hypertrophy induced by synergist incapacitation, but it appears not to be required for the maintenance of, or change in, normal muscle fiber myosin heavy chain phenotype expression."}
{"id": "PMID:1490968", "title": "Vasoconstrictor-mediated release of lactate from the perfused rat hindlimb.", "content": "The effects of different vasomodulators on lactate release by the constant-flow-perfused rat hindlimb were examined and compared with that by perfused mesenteric artery, incubated preparations of aortas, soleus and epitrochlearis muscles, and perifused soleus muscles. Infusion of vasopressin (0.5 nM), angiotensin II (5 nM), norepinephrine (50 nM), and methoxamine (10 microM) into the hindlimbs of 180- to 200-g rats increased the perfusion pressure by 112-167% from 30.4 +/- 0.8 mmHg, O2 consumption by 26-68% from 6.4 +/- 0.2 mumol.g-1 x h-1, and lactate efflux by 148-380% from 5.41 +/- 0.25 mumol.g-1 x h-1. Hindlimbs of 100- to 120-g rats responded similarly to angiotensin II. Isoproterenol (1 microM) had no effect on O2 uptake or perfusion pressure but increased lactate release by 118%. Nitroprusside (0.5 mM) markedly inhibited the vasoconstrictor-mediated increases in lactate release, perfusion pressure, and O2 consumption by the hindlimb but had no effect on isoproterenol-mediated lactate efflux. Serotonin (6.7 microM) increased lactate release from the perfused mesenteric artery by 120% from 5.48 mol.g-1 x h-1. Lactate release by incubated aorta was increased by angiotensin II (50 nM), isoproterenol (1 microM), and mechanical stretch. The increase mediated by angiotensin II was blocked by glycerol trinitrate (2.2 microM), which had no effect on lactate release by isoproterenol. Neither angiotensin II (5 nM) nor vasopressin (0.5 nM) increased lactate release from incubated soleus and epitrochlearis muscles; however, lactate release was increased by isoproterenol, and this increase was unaffected by glycerol trinitrate (2.2 microM).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1490969", "title": "Vascular effects of platelet-activating factor in lambs: role of cyclo- and lipoxygenase.", "content": "In adult sheep, platelet-activating factor (PAF) effects include systemic hypotension and pulmonary hypertension. To identify developmental differences in vascular responses to PAF, we studied the effects of C18- and C16-PAF in 49 +/- 2- (SE) day-old lambs. Responses of upstream (arteries and microvessels) and venous segments of the lung to C18-PAF were determined both in vivo and in isolated lungs. In isolated lungs, the role of eicosanoids in PAF effects was also determined. In vivo, both C18- and C16-PAF caused a significant increase in systemic and pulmonary vascular resistance. The magnitude of vascular responses to C16-PAF was greater than that to C18-PAF. C18-PAF constricted both upstream and venous segments of the pulmonary circulation. Cyclooxygenase inhibition in isolated lungs attenuated arterial constriction to C18-PAF, whereas simultaneous cyclooxygenase and lipoxygenase inhibition completely blocked the effects of C18-PAF. In summary, in contrast to PAF effects in adult sheep, PAF constricts both systemic and pulmonary vessels in lambs, with significant pulmonary venous constriction. Eicosanoids, especially lipoxygenase products, play a major role in mediating PAF effects in the lung."}
{"id": "PMID:1490970", "title": "Evaluation of human dynamic contraction by phonomyography.", "content": "Phonomyogram (PMG, or acoustic myogram) is known to increase with force in isometric contractions. We investigated this relationship for dynamic contractions against different inertias. PMG and surface electromyogram (EMG) from biceps brachii and brachioradialis muscles were simultaneously recorded with the angular acceleration of elbow flexions. These were self-initiated movements (30 degrees) toward a fixed target and performed against two different inertias. PMG and EMG were integrated from the onset of the signal to the end of the acceleration phase. Phono- and electromechanical delays were also measured. For integrated EMG (iEMG), there was a linear relationship between integrated PMG (iPMG) and force, the slope of which did not depend on inertia. There was also a linear relationship between iPMG or iEMG and angular acceleration, with a higher slope for the highest inertia condition. There was also a family of linear relationships between iPMG or iEMG and angular acceleration, and their slopes depended on inertia. Measurements of the phono- and electromechanical delays showed that onset of PMG followed that of EMG but preceded onset of acceleration. It is suggested that PMG expresses tension of the underlying muscle contractile elements. Given the simplicity of the PMG method, we conclude that PMG allows convenient evaluation of muscle tension during human dynamic contraction."}
{"id": "PMID:1490971", "title": "Operation Everest II: metabolic and hormonal responses to incremental exercise to exhaustion.", "content": "The reasons for the reduced exercise capacities observed at high altitudes are not completely known. Substrate availability or accumulations of lactate and ammonium could have significant roles. As part of Operation Everest II, peak oxygen uptakes were determined in five normal male volunteers with use of progressively increasing cycling work loads at ambient barometric pressures of 760, 380, and 282 Torr. Decrements from sea level (SL) to 380 and 282 Torr occurred in peak power output (19 and 47%), time to exhaustion (19 and 48%), and oxygen uptake (41 and 61%), respectively. Arterial saturations after exhaustive exercise were decreased to 63% at 380 Torr and 39% at 282 Torr. At 380 and 282 Torr, postexercise plasma concentrations of glucose and free fatty acids were not increased, whereas plasma glycerol concentrations were decreased relative to SL (145 +/- 24 microM at 380 Torr and 77 +/- 10 microM at 282 Torr vs. 213 +/- 24 microM at SL). Preexercise plasma insulin concentrations were elevated at both 380 and 282 Torr (87 +/- 16 pM at 380 Torr and 85 +/- 18 pM at 282 Torr vs. 41 +/- 30 pM at SL). In general, postexercise concentrations of plasma catecholamines were decreased at altitude compared with SL. Preexercise lactate and ammonium concentrations were not different at any simulated altitude. From these data neither substrate availability nor metabolic product accumulation limited exercise capacity at extreme simulated altitude."}
{"id": "PMID:1490972", "title": "Lactate exchange and removal abilities in sickle cell patients and in untrained and trained healthy humans.", "content": "Arterial blood lactate concentrations obtained on seven black males with hemoglobin sickle cell disease (SC) before, during, and after graded bicycle exercise up to exhaustion were compared with those of seven untrained (HU) and seven trained (HT) healthy males of the same ethnic origin. Lactate recovery curves were fitted by a biexponential time function consisting of a rapidly increasing and a slowly decreasing component. Higher work rates were reached by the HU and HT than by the SC group. Blood lactate rose distinctly over the corresponding preexercise resting values after the 25-, 50-, and 100-W exercise steps for the SC, HU, and HT groups, respectively. The arterial oxygen content was significantly lower for the SC than for the HU group at rest and at the end of exercise. The velocity constants of the slowly decreasing component of the lactate recovery curves were similar for the SC, HU, and HT groups despite the fact that they cycled up to different absolute work rates. The velocity constant of the rapidly increasing component was significantly higher for the HT. In terms of the functional meaning given to these constants and in view of their inverse relationship with absolute work rate (Freund et al. J. Appl. Physiol. 61: 932-939, 1986), these results indicate that, relative to the HU, the HT and the SC display improved and impaired abilities, respectively, to exchange and to remove lactate."}
{"id": "PMID:1490973", "title": "Relationship between arterial oxygen desaturation and ventilation during maximal exercise.", "content": "The purpose of the present study was to investigate the contribution of ventilation to arterial O2 desaturation during maximal exercise. Nine untrained subjects and 22 trained long-distance runners [age 18-36 yr, maximal O2 uptake (VO2max) 48-74 ml.min-1 x kg-1] volunteered to participate in the study. The subjects performed an incremental exhaustive cycle ergometry test at 70 rpm of pedaling frequency, during which arterial O2 saturation (SaO2) and ventilatory data were collected every minute. SaO2 was estimated with a pulse oximeter. A significant positive correlation was found between SaO2 and end-tidal PO2 (PETO2; r = 0.72, r2 = 0.52, P < 0.001) during maximal exercise. These statistical results suggest that approximately 50% of the variability of SaO2 can be accounted for by differences in PETO2, which reflects alveolar PO2. Furthermore, PETO2 was highly correlated with the ventilatory equivalent for O2 (VE/VO2; r = 0.91, P < 0.001), which indicates that PETO2 could be the result of ventilation stimulated by maximal exercise. Finally, SaO2 was positively related to VE/VO2 during maximal exercise (r = 0.74, r2 = 0.55, P < 0.001). Therefore, one-half of the arterial O2 desaturation occurring during maximal exercise may be explained by less hyperventilation, specifically for our subjects, who demonstrated a wide range of trained states. Furthermore, we found an indirect positive correlation between SaO2 and ventilatory response to CO2 at rest (r = 0.45, P < 0.05), which was mediated by ventilation during maximal exercise. These data also suggest that ventilation is an important factor for arterial O2 desaturation during maximal exercise."}
{"id": "PMID:1490974", "title": "Nitrogen tensions in brachial vein blood of Korean ama divers.", "content": "Intravascular bubble formation and symptoms of decompression sickness have been reported during repetitive deep breath-hold diving. Therefore we examined the pattern of blood N2 kinetics during and after repetitive breath-hold diving. To study muscle N2 uptake and release, we measured brachial venous N2 partial pressure (PN2) in nine professional Korean breath-hold divers (ama) during a 3-h diving shift at approximately 4 m seawater depth and up to 4 h after diving. PN2 was determined with the manometric Van Slyke method. Diving time and depth were recorded using a backpack computer-assisted dive longer that allowed calculating the surface-to-depth time ratio to derive the effective depth. With the assumption that forearm muscle N2 kinetics follow the general Haldanian principles of compression and decompression, i.e., forearm muscle is a single compartment with a uniform tissue PN2 equal to venous PN2, PN2 data were fitted to monoexponential functions of time. In the early phase of the diving shift, PN2 rapidly increased to 640 Torr (half time = 6 min) and then slowly declined to baseline levels (half time = 36 min) after the work shift. Peak PN2 levels approximated the alveolar PN2 derived from the effective depth. We conclude that forearm muscle N2 kinetics are well described by a Haldanian single-compartment model. Decompression sickness is theoretically possible in the ama; it did not occur because the absolute PN2 remained low due to the shallow working depth of the ama we studied."}
{"id": "PMID:1490975", "title": "Adaptation to fatigue of long duration in human wrist movements.", "content": "Subjects made fast, accurate, consistent wrist flexions under normal conditions and under conditions of low-frequency fatigue. Movements made 1 h after fatiguing exercise were indistinguishable from those made before exercise, even though twitch tensions were only approximately 60% of their fresh values. Electromyograms (EMGs) recorded from the fatigued muscles were, however, different from those recorded before exercise. EMGs during unfatigued movements showed multiple bursts typical for rapid movements. In the presence of low-frequency fatigue, the duration of the first burst was longer than that under normal conditions, and its onset occurred earlier relative to the initiation of movement. The area of the second agonist burst and, in some cases, the antagonist burst, was increased, although changes in their timings were unclear. We conclude that subjects adapted to low-frequency fatigue by changing the neural patterns controlling their muscles and present a simple model of excitation-contraction coupling that demonstrates how the observed changes in excitation can produce the same kinematics."}
{"id": "PMID:1490976", "title": "Role of platelet-activating factor in the ovine heparin-protamine reaction.", "content": "Platelet-activating factor (PAF) infusion into sheep, as well as protamine reversal of heparin anticoagulation, causes thromboxane release into plasma, pulmonary hypertension, hypoxemia, and leukopenia. We investigated the possible role of PAF in the heparin-protamine reaction. Intravenous protamine was administered to neutralize heparin anticoagulation in five awake sheep and caused an increase of mean pulmonary arterial pressure from 16.6 +/- 1 (SE) mmHg at base-line to 47 +/- 9 mmHg at 1 min after protamine injection (P < 0.01) because of a 4.5-fold increase of pulmonary vascular resistance. This neutralization reaction induced a 25% reduction of circulating leukocyte count and arterial PO2. Undetectable blood levels of PAF were measured by bioassay and high-performance liquid chromatography during these heparin-protamine reactions. Infusion of BN 52021 (20 mg/kg), a PAF receptor antagonist, before rechallenging the same sheep with heparin and then protamine did not reduce the level of peak pulmonary hypertension or the degree of hypoxemia and leukopenia. We conclude that the leukopenia and thromboxane-mediated pulmonary vasoconstriction occurring after rapid intravascular formation of heparin-protamine complexes in sheep are not due to the release of PAF."}
{"id": "PMID:1490977", "title": "Development of pulmonary intravascular macrophage function in newborn lambs.", "content": "We sought to determine whether pulmonary intravascular macrophages are involved in pulmonary vascular sensitivity to intravenously injected particles in sheep. We estimated that newborn lambs have few of these macrophages at birth but develop a 10-fold greater density within 2 wk. Awake, chronically instrumented newborn lambs showed no change in pulmonary vascular driving pressure (pulmonary arterial minus left atrial pressure) after injection of either liposomes [2 +/- 3 (SD) cmH2O; n = 5] or Monastral blue particles (3 +/- 2 cmH2O; n = 6) and showed no net pulmonary production of thromboxane B2, the stable metabolite of the vasoconstrictor thromboxane A2. In contrast, five of those lambs 2 wk later showed both an increase in pulmonary vascular driving pressure after injection of liposomes and Monastral blue (20 +/- 16 and 25 +/- 15 cmH2O, respectively; P < 0.05) and net pulmonary production of thromboxane B2 (171 +/- 103 and 429 +/- 419 pg/ml plasma, respectively; P < 0.05). Older lambs (n = 5) had higher pulmonary uptakes than newborn lambs (n = 6) of radioactive liposomes (47 +/- 13 vs. 12 +/- 10%; P < 0.01) and Monastral blue (53 +/- 6 vs. 21 +/- 10%; P < 0.05). We conclude that pulmonary intravascular macrophages are responsible for the sensitivity of sheep to intravenous foreign particles and are essential for a cascade of processes leading to microvascular injury."}
{"id": "PMID:1490978", "title": "Separate effects of ischemia and reperfusion on vascular permeability in ventilated ferret lungs.", "content": "In systemic organs, ischemia-reperfusion injury is thought to occur during reperfusion, when oxygen is reintroduced to hypoxic ischemic tissue. In contrast, the ventilated lung may be more susceptible to injury during ischemia, before reperfusion, because oxygen tension will be high during ischemia and decrease with reperfusion. To evaluate this possibility, we compared the effects of hyperoxic ischemia alone and hyperoxic ischemia with normoxic reperfusion on vascular permeability in isolated ferret lungs. Permeability was estimated by measurement of filtration coefficient (Kf) and osmotic reflection coefficient for albumin (sigma alb), using methods that did not require reperfusion to make these measurements. Kf and sigma alb in control lungs (n = 5), which were ventilated with 14% O2-5% CO2 after minimal (15 +/- 1 min) ischemia, averaged 0.033 +/- 0.004 g.min-1.mmHg-1.100 g-1 and 0.69 +/- 0.07, respectively. These values did not differ from those reported in normal in vivo lungs of other species. The effects of short (54 +/- 9 min, n = 10) and long (180 min, n = 7) ischemia were evaluated in lungs ventilated with 95% O2-5% CO2. Kf and sigma alb did not change after short ischemia (Kf = 0.051 +/- 0.006 g.min-1.mmHg-1.100 g-1, sigma alb = 0.69 +/- 0.07) but increased significantly after long ischemia (Kf = 0.233 +/- 0.049 g.min-1 x mmHg-1 x 100 g-1, sigma alb = 0.36 +/- 0.05).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1490979", "title": "Effects of ventilation inhomogeneity on DLcoSB-3EQ in normal subjects.", "content": "In patients with airflow obstruction, we found that ventilation inhomogeneity during vital capacity single-breath maneuvers was associated with decreases in the three-equation single-breath CO diffusing capacity of the lung (DLcoSB-3EQ) when breath-hold time (tBH) decreased. We postulated that this was due to a significant resistance to diffusive gas mixing within the gas phase of the lung. In this study, we hypothesized that this phenomenon might also occur in normal subjects if the breathing cycle were altered from traditional vital capacity maneuvers to those that increase ventilation inhomogeneity. In 10 normal subjects, we examined the tBH dependence of both DLcoSB-3EQ and the distribution of ventilation, measured by the mixing efficiency and the normalized phase III slope for helium. Preinspiratory lung volume (V0) was increased by keeping the maximum end-inspiratory lung volume (Vmax) constant or by increasing V0 and Vmax. When V0 increased while Vmax was kept constant, we found that the tBH-independent and the tBH-dependent components of ventilation inhomogeneity increased, but DLcoSB-3EQ was independent of V0 and tBH. Increasing V0 and Vmax did not change ventilation inhomogeneity at a tBH of 0 s, but the tBH-dependent component decreased. DLcoSB-3EQ, although independent of tBH, increased slightly with increases in Vmax. We conclude that in normal subjects increases in ventilation inhomogeneity with increases in V0 do not result in DLcoSB-3EQ becoming tBH dependent."}
{"id": "PMID:1490980", "title": "Topography of cat medullary ventral surface hypoxic acidification.", "content": "The topographic relationship between previously identified medullary ventral surface respiratory chemosensitive regions and brain surface extracellular fluid (ECF) acid production during acute hypoxia was explored in anesthetized, paralyzed, and artificially ventilated cats. Glass pH electrodes (0.8-mm diam, sheathed in stainless steel tubing) were mounted in mechanical contact with surfaces of medullary surface or adjacent pyramids, pons, spinal cord, or parietal cortex. Isocapnic hypoxia of 5 min [at arterial O2 saturation (SaO2) = 48 +/- 10%] reduced pH over rostral (Mitchell) and caudal (Loeschcke) areas by 0.12 +/- 0.09 and 0.07 +/- 0.04, respectively (n = 10, P < 0.05). Change in pH (delta pH) was proportional to desaturation with slopes 100 delta pH/delta SaO2 of 0.45 (rostral) and 0.20 (caudal) (R = 0.91 and 0.88, respectively). pH drop usually began within 3 min of hypoxia, became stable between 5 and 15 min, began to rise within 2 min of reoxygenation, and returned to control within 10 min. During equally hypoxic tests, intermediate area (Schl\u00e4fke), pons, and spinal cord surfaces showed no significant acid shift. Parietal cortex ECF pH dropped more slowly but steadily by 0.079 +/- 0.034 during 20 min at SaO2 = 50% after a small but significant initial alkaline shift, and acidification of cortical surface continued for > 5 min after reoxygenation. We conclude that medullary ventral chemosensitive regions produce more lactic acid during hypoxia than neighboring brain surfaces.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1490981", "title": "Internal carotid arterial flow velocity during exercise in Tibetan and Han residents of Lhasa (3,658 m).", "content": "Cerebral blood flow increases with acute exposure to high altitude, but the effect of hypoxia on the cerebral circulation at rest and during exercise appears influenced by the duration of high-altitude exposure. To determine whether internal carotid artery flow velocity increased with exercise in long-term residents of high altitude and whether resting values and the response to exercise differed in lifelong vs. acclimatized newcomer male residents of high altitude, we studied 15 native Tibetan and 11 Han (\"Chinese\") 6 +/- 2-yr residents of Lhasa (3,658 m), Tibet Autonomous Region, China. Noninvasive Doppler ultrasound was used to measure internal carotid artery diameter, mean flow velocity, and, in combination, hemoglobin and arterial O2 saturation to assess cerebral O2 delivery. Tibetan and Han groups were similar in body size and resting internal carotid artery diameter, blood pressure, hemoglobin concentration, internal carotid artery mean flow velocity, and calculated cerebral O2 delivery. Submaximal exercise increased internal carotid artery mean flow velocity and cerebral O2 delivery in the Tibetan and Han subjects. At peak exercise, the Tibetans sustained the increase in flow velocity and cerebral O2 delivery, whereas the Hans did not. Across all exercise levels up to and including peak effort, the Tibetans demonstrated a greater increase in internal carotid artery flow velocity and cerebral O2 delivery relative to resting values than did the Hans. The greater cerebral O2 delivery was accompanied by increased peak exercise capacity in the Tibetan compared with the Han group. Our findings suggest that the cerebral blood flow response to exercise is maintained in Tibetan lifelong residents of high altitude."}
{"id": "PMID:1490982", "title": "Time course of respiratory mechanics during histamine challenge in the dog.", "content": "We studied the dynamics of respiratory mechanical parameters in anesthetized tracheostomized paralyzed dogs challenged with a bolus of histamine injected either venously (venous group) or arterially (arterial group). The venous group was further divided into two groups: the first was bilaterally vagotomized and received hexamethonium bromide (denervated group), and the second also received atropine sulfate (atropine group). In the venous group, tissue resistance (Rti) and tissue elastance (Eti) increased biphasically, whereas airway resistance was monophasic and synchronized with the second rise of the tissue parameters. In the arterial group, Rti, Eti, and airway resistance increased synchronously. The denervated and atropine groups showed dynamics similar to those of the venous group. We postulate that the first phase observed in Rti and Eti in the venous group is due to constriction of the smooth muscles of the peripheral airways and blood vessels distorting the parenchyma. The second and larger phase is then due to histamine reaching the bronchial circulation and constricting the central airways, again distorting the parenchyma. The results from the arterial group support this hypothesis, whereas those from the denervated group ascertain that none of the phases observed in the venous group was due to nervous reflexes."}
{"id": "PMID:1490983", "title": "Canine pulmonary filtration coefficient calculated from optical, radioisotope, and weight measurements.", "content": "Three independent methods were used to estimate filtration coefficient (Kf) in isolated dog lungs perfused with low-hematocrit (Hct) blood. Pulmonary vascular pressure was increased by 12-23 cmH2O to induce fluid filtration. Average Kf (ml.min-1 x cmH2O-1 x 100 g dry wt-1) for six lungs was 0.26 +/- 0.05 (SE) with use of equations describing conservation of optically measured protein labeled with indocyanine green. Good agreement was found when a simplified version of the multiequation theory was applied to the data (0.24 +/- 0.05). Both optical estimates were lower than those predicted by constant slope (0.55 +/- 0.07) or extrapolation (1.20 +/- 0.15) techniques, which are based on changes in total lung weight. Subsequent studies in five dog lungs investigated whether the higher Kf from weight analyses could be caused by prolonged pulmonary vascular filling. We found that 51Cr-labeled red blood cells (RBCs), monitored over the lung, continued to accumulate for 30 min after vascular pressure elevations of 9-16 cmH2O.Kf was determined by subtracting computed vascular filling from total weight change (0.28 +/- 0.06) and by perfusate Hct changes determined from radiolabeled RBCs (0.23 +/- 0.04). These values were similar to those obtained from analysis of optical data with the complete model (0.30 +/- 0.06), the simplified version (0.26 +/- 0.05), and from optically determined perfusate Hct (0.16 +/- 0.03). However, constant slope (0.47 +/- 0.04) and extrapolation (0.57 +/- 0.07) computations of Kf were higher than estimates from the other methods. Our studies indicate that prolonged blood volume changes may accompany vascular pressure elevations and produce overestimates of Kf with standard weight measurement techniques. However, Kf computed from optical measurements is independent of pulmonary blood volume changes."}
{"id": "PMID:1490984", "title": "Reduced vascular responsiveness after a single bout of dynamic exercise in the conscious rabbit.", "content": "We measured agonist-induced changes in the iliac artery blood flow velocity (IFV) independent of baroreflex-mediated compensatory mechanisms in chronically instrumented New Zealand White rabbits (n = 8). Animals were instrumented with a Doppler flow probe around the right common iliac artery. A Teflon catheter was inserted into the right iliolumbar artery for local infusion of the vasoactive agonists. Another Teflon catheter was inserted in the left femoral artery for the measurement of pulsatile and mean arterial (MAP) blood pressures and heart rate (HR). The alpha-adrenergic receptor agonist phenylephrine (PE, 1.32-10.0 micrograms), the beta 1- and beta 2-adrenergic receptor agonist isoproterenol (IP, 0.022-0.11 micrograms), and the purinergic receptor agonist adenosine (AD, 10.0-100.0 micrograms) were injected into the functionally isolated hindlimb, and dose-response curves were generated. Changes in IFV were obtained without changes in MAP or HR. Exercise increased HR, MAP, and IFV (65.3 +/- 7.1 beats/min, 11.1 +/- 2.2 mmHg, and 2.2 +/- 0.3 kHz, respectively). The maximum responses to PE, AD, and IP were reduced 29.0 +/- 6.7, 50.7 +/- 8.5, and 61.0 +/- 8.1%, respectively, after exercise. In conclusion, exercise attenuated adrenergic and purinergic receptor-mediated vascular responses in the intact conscious rabbit."}
{"id": "PMID:1490985", "title": "Effects of varied air velocity on sweating and evaporative rates during exercise.", "content": "This study was designed to determine the extent to which changes in the evaporative power of the environment (Emax) affect sweating and evaporative rates. Six male subjects undertook four 60-min bouts of cycle ergometer exercise at 56% maximal O2 uptake (VO2max).Emax was varied by differences in ambient temperature and airflow; two exercise bouts took place at 24 degrees C and two at 35 degrees C, with air velocity at < 0.2 and 3.0 m/s in both. Total sweat production was estimated from body weight loss, whereas whole body evaporative rate was measured continuously from a Potter beam balance. Body core temperature was measured continuously from a thermocouple in the esophagus (T(es)), with mean skin temperature (Tsk) computed each minute from thermocouples at eight sites. Total body sweat loss was significantly greater (P < 0.05) in the 0.2- than in the 3.0-m/s condition at both 24 and 35 degrees C. Tsk was higher (P < 0.05) in the still-air conditions at both temperatures, but final T(es) was significantly higher (P < 0.05) in still air only in the 35 degrees C environment. Thus the reduced Emax in still air caused a greater heat storage, thereby stimulating a greater total sweat loss. However, in part because of reduced skin wettedness, the slope of the sweat rate-to-T(es) relation at 35 degrees C in the 3.0-m/s condition was 118% that at 0.2 m/s (P < 0.005).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1490986", "title": "Dynamic response of the isolated passive rat diaphragm strip.", "content": "To further our understanding of the mechanisms underlying chest wall mechanics, we investigated the dynamic response of the isolated passive rat diaphragm strip. Stress adaptation of the tissue was measured from 0.05 to 60 s after subjecting the strips to strain steps of normalized strain amplitudes from 0.005 to 0.04. The tissue resistance (R), elastance (E), and hysteresivity (eta) were measured in the same range of amplitudes by sinusoidally straining the strip at frequencies from 0.03125 to 10 Hz. The stress (T) depended exponentially on the strain (epsilon) and relaxed and recovered linearly with the logarithm of time. E increased linearly with the logarithm of frequency and decreased with increasing amplitude. R fell hyperbolically with frequency and showed an amplitude dependence similar to that of E. To interpret the strong nonlinear behavior, we extended the viscoelastic model of Hildebrandt (J. Appl. Physiol. 28: 365-372, 1970) to include an exponential stress-strain relationship. Accordingly, the step response was described by T - Tr = Tr(e alpha delta epsilon - 1)(1 - gamma log t), where delta epsilon is the strain amplitude, Tr is the initial operating stress, alpha is a measure of the stress-strain nonlinearity, and gamma is the rate of stress adaptation. The oscillatory response of the model was computed by applying Fung's quasi-linear viscoelastic theory. This quasi-linear viscoelastic model fitted the step and oscillatory data fairly well but only if alpha depended negatively on delta epsilon, as might be expected in a plastic material."}
{"id": "PMID:1490987", "title": "Cardiovascular responses to lower body negative pressure in trained and untrained older men.", "content": "To determine whether aerobic conditioning alters the orthostatic responses of older subjects, cardiovascular performance was monitored during graded lower body negative pressure in nine highly trained male senior athletes (A) aged 59-73 yr [maximum O2 uptake (VO2 max) = 52.4 +/- 1.7 ml.kg-1 x min-1] and nine age-matched control subjects (C) (VO2 max = 31.0 +/- 2.9 ml.kg-1 x min-1). Cardiac volumes were determined from gated blood pool scintigrams by use of 99mTc-labeled erythrocytes. During lower body negative pressure (0 to -50 mmHg), left ventricular end-diastolic and end-systolic volume indexes and stroke volume index decreased in both groups while heart rate increased. The decreases in cardiac volumes and mean arterial pressure and the increase in heart rate between 0 and -50 mmHg were significantly less in A than in C. For example, end-diastolic volume index decreased by 32 +/- 4 ml in C vs. 14 +/- 2 ml in A (P < 0.01), mean arterial pressure declined 7 +/- 5 mmHg in C and increased by 5 +/- 3 mmHg in A (P < 0.05), and heart rate increased 13 +/- 3 beats/min in C and 7 +/- 1 beats/min in A (P < 0.05). These data suggest that increased VO2 max among older men is associated with improved orthostatic responses."}
{"id": "PMID:1490988", "title": "Altitude acclimatization and energy metabolic adaptations in skeletal muscle during exercise.", "content": "To determine whether the working muscle is able to sustain ATP homeostasis during a hypoxic insult and the mechanisms associated with energy metabolic adaptations during the acclimatization process, seven male subjects [23 +/- 2 (SE) yr, 72.2 +/- 1.6 kg] were given a prolonged exercise challenge (45 min) at sea level (SL), within 4 h after ascent to an altitude of 4,300 m (acute hypoxia, AH), and after 3 wk of sustained residence at 4,300 m (chronic hypoxia, CH). The prolonged cycle test conducted at the same absolute intensity and representing 51 +/- 1% of SL maximal aerobic power (VO2 max) and between 64 +/- 2 (AH) and 66 +/- 1% (CH) at altitude was performed without a reduction in ATP concentration in the working vastus lateralis regardless of condition. Compared with rest, exercise performed during AH resulted in a greater increase (P < 0.05) in muscle lactate concentration (5.11 +/- 0.68 to 22.3 +/- 6.1 mmol/kg dry wt) than exercise performed either at SL (5.88 +/- 0.85 to 11.5 +/- 3.1) or CH (5.99 +/- 0.88 to 12.4 +/- 2.1). These differences in lactate concentration have been shown to reflect differences in arterial lactate concentration and glycolysis (Brooks et al. J. Appl. Physiol. 71: 333-341, 1991). The reduction in glycolysis at least between AH and CH appears to be accompanied by a tighter metabolic control. During CH, free ADP was lower and the ATP-to-free ADP ratio was increased (P < 0.05) compared with AH.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1490989", "title": "Energetics of walking and running: insights from simulated reduced-gravity experiments.", "content": "On Earth, a person uses about one-half as much energy to walk a mile as to run a mile. On another planet with lower gravity, would walking still be more economical than running? When people carry weights while they walk or run, energetic cost increases in proportion to the added load. It would seem to follow that if gravity were reduced, energetic cost would decrease in proportion to body weight in both gaits. However, we find that under simulated reduced gravity, the rate of energy consumption decreases in proportion to body weight during running but not during walking. When gravity is reduced by 75%, the rate of energy consumption is reduced by 72% during running but only by 33% during walking. Because reducing gravity decreases the energetic cost much more for running than for walking, walking is not the cheapest way to travel a mile at low levels of gravity. These results suggest that the link between the mechanics of locomotion and energetic cost is fundamentally different for walking and for running."}
{"id": "PMID:1490990", "title": "Adaptation of rat skeletal muscle to creatine depletion: AMP deaminase and AMP deamination.", "content": "AMP deaminase catalyzes deamination of the AMP formed in contracting muscles to inosine 5'-monophosphate (IMP). Slow-twitch muscle has only approximately 30% as high a level of AMP deaminase activity as fast-twitch muscle in the rat, and rates of IMP formation during intense contractile activity are much lower in slow-twitch muscle. We found that feeding the creatine analogue beta-guanidinopropionic acid (beta-GPA) to rats, which results in creatine depletion, causes a large decrease in muscle AMP deaminase. This adaptation was used to evaluate the role of AMP deaminase activity level in accounting for differences in IMP production in slow-twitch and fast-twitch muscles. beta-GPA feeding for 3 wk lowered AMP deaminase activity in fast-twitch epitrochlearis muscle to a level similar to that found in the normal slow-twitch soleus muscle but had no effect on the magnitude of the increase in IMP in response to intense contractile activity. Despite a similar decrease in ATP in the normal soleus and the epitrochlearis from beta-GPA-fed rats, the increase in IMP was only approximately 30% as great in the soleus in response to intense contractile activity. These results demonstrate that the accumulation of less IMP in slow- compared with fast-twitch skeletal muscle during contractile activity is not due to the lower level of AMP deaminase in slow-twitch muscle."}
{"id": "PMID:1490996", "title": "Retinoblastoma gene product Rb accumulates during myogenic differentiation and is deinduced by the expression of SV40 large T antigen.", "content": "The cell growth suppression activity of the retinoblastoma gene (RB) product Rb is considered to be regulated by phosphorylation, whereas no positive correlation has been demonstrated between the activity and the amount of Rb protein in numbers of cell types examined. Both the RB mRNA and the protein were dramatically induced during terminal differentiation of the mouse skeletal muscle cell line C2 and its transfectant C2SVTts11, which stably harbors the SV40 T antigen gene linked to an inducible promoter. They were gradually deinduced when the terminally differentiated C2SVTs11 myotubes reentered the cell cycle through the induction of the large T antigen. Thus, the accumulation of Rb protein is likely to be required for growth arrest during differentiation of at least these myogenic cells, which have low basal levels of the protein."}
{"id": "PMID:1490997", "title": "Amino acid sequence of the 20-kDa regulatory light chain of porcine aorta media smooth muscle myosin.", "content": "The amino acid sequence of the 20-kDa regulatory light chain (LC20) of myosin from porcine aorta media smooth muscle was determined. The LC20 consisted of 171 amino acid residues and its N-terminal Ser residue was blocked by an acetyl group. The amino acid sequence was identical with that of chicken gizzard myosin LC20 except that the 60th residue, Met in chicken gizzard LC20, was substituted for Leu in porcine aorta LC20."}
{"id": "PMID:1490998", "title": "Proteinase-sensitive sites on isolated rabbit dystrophin.", "content": "Dystrophin was isolated from the purified large oligomeric dystrophin complex with its associated proteins (DC) of rabbit skeletal muscle by alkaline dissociation followed by gel filtration to remove the associated proteins. Isolated dystrophin and DC were subjected to digestion with calpain or alpha-chymotrypsin, and the generated polypeptide fragments were studied by immunoblot analysis using seven kinds of antibodies raised against antigens corresponding to various regions from the N- to the C-terminal of human dystrophin. For some fragments, the amino acid sequences at the N-termini were determined. Two proteinases, which bear distinct specificities, generated very similar fragments from purified dystrophin with or without the associated proteins. The cleavage sites found by mapping the fragments onto the dystrophin molecule were similar to those found in a previous study using crude mouse muscle cell membrane fraction [Koenig, M. & Kunkel, L.M. (1990) J. Biol. Chem. 265, 4560-4566]. On the basis of these results, we concluded that dystrophin has several unique proteinase-sensitive sites."}
{"id": "PMID:1490999", "title": "Possible involvement of clathrin in neuritogenesis induced by a protease inhibitor (benzyloxycarbonyl-Leu-Leu-Leu-aldehyde) in PC12 cells.", "content": "Our previous reports showed that benzyloxycarbonyl (Z)-Leu-Leu-Leu-al (ZLLLal) induces neurite outgrowth in PC12 cells, and that 33-, 35-, and 180-kDa proteins from PC12 cells elute specifically from a Leu-Leu-Leu-al (LLLal)-coupled affinity column. Several lines of evidence suggest that the 33-, 35-, and 180-kDa proteins are components of clathrin, well-known for its role in endocytosis. Separation of clathrin into its heavy and light chains showed that the clathrin heavy chains have the ability to bind to a LLLal affinity column directly. Furthermore, ZLLLal enhances the rate of polymerization of clathrin triskelion to the coat structure. ZLLL-COOH does not cause neurite outgrowth in PC12 cells, and has no effect on the rate of clathrin polymerization. On immunocytochemical analysis of PC12 cells with an anti-clathrin heavy chain antibody, enhanced staining of the clathrin heavy chain was observed concomitantly with neurite outgrowth initiated by ZLLLal, but not by NGF. This study provides new insights into both the role of the clathrin molecule and the regulatory mechanism of neurite outgrowth."}
{"id": "PMID:1491000", "title": "Purification and characterization of novel sulfotransferase obtained from Klebsiella K-36, an intestinal bacterium of rat.", "content": "A novel type of sulfotransferase was purified from Klebsiella K-36, an intestinal bacterium of rat. The enzyme (M(r) 160,000) is composed of two subunits (M(r) 73,000) with pI and optimal pH values of 5.3 and 10-10.5, respectively. The apparent Km for PNS (p-nitrophenyl sulfate) using phenol as an acceptor and that for phenol using PNS as a donor substrate were determined to be 0.11 and 0.66 mM, respectively. The enzyme is activated by magnesium ion and inhibited by EDTA."}
{"id": "PMID:1491001", "title": "Characterization of two novel pyruvylated glycosphingolipids containing 2'-aminoethylphosphoryl(-->6)-galactose from the nervous system of Aplysia kurodai.", "content": "Two novel acidic glycosphingolipids containing pyruvylated galactose were purified from the nervous tissue of Aplysia kurodai by successive Iatrobeads column chromatographies. By component analysis, sugar analysis, permethylation studies, fast atom bombardment-mass spectrometry, and proton magnetic resonance spectrometry, the structures of these acidic glycosphingolipids, named F-9 and FGL-I, were determined to be: [3,4-O-(S-1-carboxyethylidene)]Gal beta 1-->3 GalNAc alpha 1-->3[6'-O-(2-aminoethylphosphonyl)Gal alpha 1-->2] (2-aminoethylphosphoryl 1-->6)Gal beta 1-->4Glc beta 1-->1ceramide and [3,4-O-(S-1-carboxyethylidene)] Gal beta 1-->3GalNAc alpha 1-->3(Fuc alpha 1-->2)(2-aminoethylphosphonyl-->6 Gal beta 1-->4Glc beta 1-->1ceramide, octadeca-4-sphingenine and anteisononadeca-4-sphingenine. Thus, pyruvylated glycosphingolipids containing phosphoethanolamine in addition to or in place of 2-aminoethylphosphonate are present in the nervous system of Aplysia."}
{"id": "PMID:1491002", "title": "Decreased arachidonate metabolism in mouse peritoneal macrophages after foam cell transformation with oxidized low-density lipoproteins.", "content": "Oxidized low density lipoproteins (LDL) are now considered to be one of the atherogenic lipoproteins in vivo and to play an important role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. We previously demonstrated in mouse peritoneal macrophages that oxidized LDL stimulated prostaglandin (PG) E2 synthesis when incorporated into the cells [Yokode, M. et al. (1988) J. Clin. Invest. 81, 720-729]. In this study, we investigated arachidonate metabolism in macrophages after foam cell transformation. The cells were incubated with 100 micrograms/ml of oxidized LDL for 18 h, then stimulated with zymosan. Lipid-enriched macrophages which had taken up oxidized LDL produced much less eicosanoids, such as PGE2, 6-keto-PGF1 alpha, and leukotriene C4 than control cells. After labeling of the cells with [14C]arachidonic acid, they were stimulated with zymosan and the phospholipase activity was determined. The activity of lipid-enriched cells was about two-thirds of that of control cells. Then we investigated the fatty acid composition of their phospholipid fraction to clarify arachidonic acid content and mobilization. Percent of arachidonic acid of lipid-enriched cells decreased and less arachidonic acid mobilization was observed after stimulation with zymosan. These data suggest that impaired arachidonate metabolism in lipid-enriched macrophages can be explained by their decreased phospholipase activity and changes in their fatty acid composition."}
{"id": "PMID:1491003", "title": "Mass production of sphingomyelinase of Bacillus cereus by a protein-hyperproducing strain, Bacillus brevis 47, and its purification.", "content": "Sphingomyelinase (sphingomyelin cholinephosphohydrolase) [EC 3.1.4.12] of Bacillus cereus was overproduced in a protein-hyperproducing strain, B. brevis 47, by cloning the gene into an expression vector pNU211, which has been developed to express a foreign gene utilizing a promoter and a signal sequence of an outer cell wall protein gene. From 1 liter of culture, about 10 mg of protein was purified to near-homogeneity by two steps of column chromatography; this is almost 500 times higher production compared to the conventional preparation from the original strain, B. cereus IAM 1208. The N-terminal amino acid sequence of the secreted enzyme was identical to that of the authentic enzyme, indicating that the signal sequence for secretion of B. cereus was processed properly in B. brevis 47."}
{"id": "PMID:1491004", "title": "Effect of the potential triplex DNA region on the in vitro expression of bacterial beta-lactamase gene in superhelical recombinant plasmids.", "content": "The effect of a pyrimidine/purine-biased stretch which has the potential to form an unusual triplex DNA structure on gene expression has been analyzed by measuring the activity of beta-lactamase as a reporter gene in recombinant plasmids. The Escherichia coli transformant carrying the plasmid p7ERS which has a potential triplex DNA region expressed about twofold more beta-lactamase activity than that carrying the plasmid pUC19. Since the expression of beta-lactamase has been shown to be affected by template topology in vitro, this in vivo observation suggests that the inserted pyrimidine/purine-biased stretch modulates the topology of flanking regions by forming unusual DNA structure to keep the template at the superhelicity favorable for the expression of beta-lactamase."}
{"id": "PMID:1491005", "title": "Human T cell L-plastin bundles actin filaments in a calcium-dependent manner.", "content": "The amino acid sequences deduced from cDNA analyses revealed that human leucocyte L-plastin phosphorylated in response to interleukin 1, 2 closely resembles a chicken intestinal microvilli protein, fimbrin, that bundles actin filaments [de Arruda et al. (1990) J. Cell Biol. 111, 1069-1079]. In the present work, it was observed that unphosphorylated L-plastin isolated from human T cells bundled F-actin just as fimbrin does. L-Plastin acted on T cell beta-actin, but hardly acted on muscle alpha-actin or chicken gizzard gamma-actin, whereas fimbrin bundled muscle alpha-actin. Unlike fimbrin, L-plastin's actin-bundling action was strictly calcium-dependent: the bundles were formed at pCa 7, but not at pCa 6. Under suitable conditions, approximately one molecule of L-plastin bound to 8 molecules of actin monomer in the actin filament."}
{"id": "PMID:1491006", "title": "A novel dihydrodiol dehydrogenase in bovine liver cytosol: purification and characterization of multiple forms of dihydrodiol dehydrogenase.", "content": "Three enzymes (DD1, DD2, and DD3) having dihydrodiol dehydrogenase activity were purified to homogeneity from bovine cytosol. DD1 and DD2 were identified as 3 alpha-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase and high-Km aldehyde reductase, respectively, as judged from their molecular weights, substrate specificities and inhibitor sensitivities. DD3 was a unique enzyme which could specifically catalyze the dehydrogenation of trans-benzenedihydrodiol and trans-naphthalenedihydrodiol without any activity toward the other tested alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, and quinones. The Km value of DD3 (0.18 mM) for benzenedihydrodiol was lower than those of other dihydrodiol dehydrogenases so far reported. DD3 immunologically crossreacted with DD1, but showed no crossreactivity with DD2. Additionally, DD3 was inhibited in a competitive manner, with a low Ki value of 1 microM, by androsterone, which was a good substrate for DD1. It was assumed that DD3 is a novel enzyme which is specific to dihydrodiols, exhibiting similarity to DD1 in immunological and structural properties."}
{"id": "PMID:1491007", "title": "Molecular cloning of cDNAs for rat proteasomes: deduced primary structures of four other subunits.", "content": "Proteasomes (multi-protease complexes) are composed of approximately 15 non-identical subunits of similar sizes (molecular weight = 21-32 kDa), but different charges (isoelectric point = 4-9). Previously, we deduced the primary structures of 6 subunits of rat proteasomes by recombinant DNA techniques. In this paper we report the nucleotide sequences of 4 other subunits, rIOTA, rZETA, rDELTA, and rRING12, determined from cDNA clones isolated by screening a rat H4TG hepatoma cell cDNA library with the cDNAs of their human counterparts as probes. The polypeptides deduced from their nucleotide sequences consisted of 246, 241, 202, and 219 amino acid residues with calculated molecular weights of 27,399, 26,391, 21,649, and 23,324, and calculated isoelectric points of 6.37, 4.65, 4.84, and 4.70, respectively. These results and previous findings indicate that the primary structures of the subunits of rat proteasomes show considerably high inter-subunit homology, but can be classified into apparently distinct sub-groups, suggesting that rat proteasome genes form a multi-gene family with the same evolutionary origin, but have diverged during evolution to acquire possibly subunit-specific functions."}
{"id": "PMID:1491008", "title": "In vitro formation of estrogen receptor-heat shock protein 90 complexes.", "content": "We previously showed that the 9 S estrogen receptor can be reconstituted from purified vero ER (estradiol binding subunit) and purified hsp 90 (heat shock protein 90) in vitro [Inano, K. et al. (1990) FEBS Lett. 267, 157-159]. In this study, we further characterized our reconstitution system to investigate the mechanism underlying the formation of 9 S ER. When a vero ER preparation stored at 4 degrees C for more than 20 h after affinity chromatography was used for the reconstitution of 9 S ER, 0.5 M NaSCN was essential, but not Na2MoO4 or other reagents. When, however, vero ER was used within 3 h after dissociation from an affinity resin, 9 S ER could be reconstituted in a relatively high yield without NaSCN. Moreover, if such a fresh vero ER preparation was used, 9 S ER could be reconstituted in the absence of NaSCN from not only unoccupied vero ER but also the occupied form. From these results it was suggested that the conformation of purified vero ER tends to change quickly in a time dependent manner, and so a chemical perturbant, NaSCN, is generally necessary for the reconstitution of 9 S ER from purified vero ER and purified hsp 90. The concentration of hsp 90 required for the reconstitution was only about 1.0 microM, which was lower than its physiological concentration. Based on these results, the mechanism underlying the formation of 9 S ER was discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1491009", "title": "Three-dimensional structure of soybean beta-amylase determined at 3.0 A resolution: preliminary chain tracing of the complex with alpha-cyclodextrin.", "content": "The three-dimensional structure of a complex of soybean beta-amylase [EC 3.2.1.2] with an inhibitor, alpha-cyclodextrin, has been determined at 3.0 A resolution by X-ray diffraction analysis. Preliminary chain tracing showed that the enzyme folded into large and small domains. The large domain has a (beta alpha)8 super-secondary structure, while the smaller one is formed from two long loops extending from the beta 3 and beta 4 strands of the (beta alpha)8 structure. The interface of the two domains together with shorter loops from the (beta alpha)8 structure form a deep cleft, in which alpha-cyclodextrin binds slightly away from the center. Two maltose molecules also bind in the cleft. One shares a binding site with alpha-cyclodextrin and the other is situated more deeply in the cleft."}
{"id": "PMID:1491010", "title": "Calphobindins (placental annexins) inhibit protein kinase C.", "content": "Calphobindins (CPBs, placental annexins) are intracellular Ca(2+)- and phospholipid-dependent proteins like protein kinase C [EC 2.7.1.37]. We investigated the inhibitory effects of calphobindins on the protein kinase C activity in vitro. CPB I inhibited the protein kinase C activity for both histone phosphorylation and lipocortin phosphorylation, but CPB II and CPB III inhibited only the protein kinase C activity for histone phosphorylation. In the case of histone phosphorylation, all CPBs inhibited the protein kinase C activity in a concentration-dependent manner, and the IC50 (concentration required for 50% inhibition) value of CPB I was 70 nM. The inhibition of protein kinase C by CPB I was Ca(2+)-dependent, and did not disappear upon increasing the concentration of phosphatidyl-serine. Kinetic analysis by double-reciprocal plots indicated that CPB I interacted not only with phosphatidylserine but also with protein kinase C. Although CPB I partially interacts with phospholipid, it is conceivable that the inhibitory action of CPB I on protein kinase C results from direct interaction of CPB I with protein kinase C. Since CPBs are mainly present under the plasma membrane, it is presumed that CPB I is an endogenous inhibitor of protein kinase C, and according to intracellular circumstances, CPB II and CPB III may also be endogenous inhibitors."}
{"id": "PMID:1491011", "title": "Identification of the disulfide bonds in human plasma protein SP-40,40 (apolipoprotein-J).", "content": "SP-40,40, a human plasma protein, is a modulator of the membrane attack complex formation of the complement system as well as a subcomponent of high-density lipoproteins. In the present study, the positions of the disulfide bonds in SP-40,40 were determined. SP-40,40 was purified from human seminal plasma by affinity chromatography using an anti-SP-40,40 monoclonal antibody and reversed-phase, high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The protein was digested with trypsin and the fragments were separated by reversed-phase HPLC. The peptides containing disulfide bonds were fluorophotometrically detected with 4-(aminosulfonyl)-7-fluoro-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole (ABD-F). The peptides containing more than two disulfide bonds were further digested with Staphylococcus aureus V8 protease and lysylendopeptidase, and the fragments were isolated by HPLC. The amino acid compositions and the amino acid sequences of the peptides containing only a disulfide bond were determined. Disulfide bonds thus determined were between Cys58(alpha)-Cys107(beta), Cys68(alpha)-Cys99(beta), Cys75(alpha)-Cys94(beta), and Cys86(alpha)-Cys80(beta). Since there was no free sulfhydryl groups in the SP-40,40 molecule, Cys78(alpha) and Cys91(beta) should also be linked by a disulfide bond. It is notable that all of the disulfide bonds in SP-40,40 are not only formed by inter-chain pairing, but also appear to form an antiparallel ladder-like structure between the two chains. The unique structure could be related to the functions of SP-40,40."}
{"id": "PMID:1491012", "title": "Fatty acid composition and properties of the liver microsomal membrane of rats fed diets enriched with cholesterol.", "content": "Male rats were fed diets containing olive (OO) or evening primrose (EPO) oil (10% w/w), with or without added cholesterol (1% w/w). After 6-week feeding, the lipid and fatty acid compositions, fluidity, and fatty acid desaturating and cholesterol biosynthesis/esterification related enzymes of liver microsomes were determined. Both the OO and EPO diets, without added cholesterol, increased the contents of oleic and arachidonic acids, respectively, of rat liver microsomes. The results were consistent with the increases in delta 9 and delta 6 desaturation of n-6 essential fatty acids and the lower microviscosity in the EPO group. Dietary cholesterol led to an increase in the cholesterol content of liver microsomes as well as that of phosphatidylcholine (PC). The cholesterol/phospholipid and PC/PE (phosphatidylethanolamine) ratios were also elevated. Fatty acid composition changes were expressed as the accumulation of monounsaturated fatty acids, with accompanying milder depletion of saturated fatty acids in rat liver microsomes. In addition, the arachidonic acid content was lowered, with a concomitant increase in linoleic acid, which led to a significant decrease in the 20:4/18:2 ratio in comparison to in animals fed the cholesterol-free diets. Cholesterol feeding also increased delta 9 desaturase activity as well as membrane microviscosity, whereas it decreased delta 6 and delta 5 desaturase activities. There was a very strong correlation between fluidity and the unsaturation index reduction in the membrane. Furthermore, the activity of hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA reductase increased and the activity of acyl-CoA:cholesterol acyltransferase decreased in liver microsomes from both cholesterol-fed groups.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1491013", "title": "Muscle actin cleaved by proteinase K: its polymerization and in vitro motility.", "content": "Skeletal muscle actin was lightly digested by proteinase K, which cleaved the peptide bond between Met-47 and Gly-48, producing a C-terminal 35 kDa fragment. Proteinase K-cleaved actin (proK-actin) did not polymerize into F-actin upon addition of salt. In the presence of phalloidin, however, it polymerized slowly into F-actin (proK-F-actin), indicating that the cleaved actin did not dissociate into the individual cleaved fragments but retained the global structure of actin. Electron microscopy showed that proK-F-actin had the typical double-stranded structure of a normal actin filament and formed the arrowhead structure when decorated with HMM. Heavy meromyosin ATPase was weakly activated by proK-F-actin: Vmax = 0.24 s-1, and Kapp = 2.8 microM, while Vmax = 7.6 s-1, and Kapp = 13 microM by F-actin. Correspondingly, in vitro this proK-F-actin slid very slowly on HMM attached to a glass surface at an average velocity of 0.47 microns/s, or 1/12 of that of intact F-actin. The fraction of sliding filaments was less than 50%. Assuming that the nonmotile filaments attached to HMM were not involved in ATPase activation, the sliding velocity correlated with the ATPase activity activated by proK-F-actin."}
{"id": "PMID:1491015", "title": "A comparison of the fatigue behavior of human trabecular and cortical bone tissue.", "content": "The fatigue properties of trabecular bone tissue (single trabeculae) and similarly sized cortical bone specimens from human tibia were experimentally determined on a microstructural level using four-point bending cyclic tests, and they were compared based on modulus, mineral density, and microstructural characteristics. The results showed that trabecular specimens had significantly lower moduli and lower fatigue strength than cortical specimens, despite their higher mineral density values. Fracture surface and microdamage analyses illustrated different fracture and damage patterns between trabecular and cortical bone tissue, depending upon their microstructural characteristics. Based on the results from mechanical tests and qualitative observations, a possible mechanical role of the cement lines in trabecular tissue microfracture was suggested."}
{"id": "PMID:1491016", "title": "Biomechanical analyses of rising from a chair.", "content": "Quantification of the biomechanical factors that underlie the inability to rise from a chair can help explain why this disability occurs and can aid in the design of chairs and of therapeutic intervention programs. Experimental data collected earlier from 17 young adult and two groups of elderly subjects, 23 healthy and 11 impaired, rising from a standard chair under controlled conditions were analyzed using a planar biomechanical model. The joint torque strength requirements and the location of the floor reaction force at liftoff from the seat in the different groups and under several conditions were calculated. Analyses were also made of how body configurations and the use of hand force affect these joint torques and reaction locations. In all three groups, the required torques at liftoff were modest compared to literature data on voluntary strengths. Among the three groups rising with the use of hands, at the time of liftoff from the seat, the impaired old subjects, on an average, placed the reaction force the most anterior, the healthy old subjects placed it intermediately and the young subjects placed it the least anterior, within the foot support area. Moreover, the results suggest that, at liftoff, all subjects placed more importance on locating the floor reaction force to achieve acceptable postural stability than on diminishing the magnitudes of the needed joint muscle strengths."}
{"id": "PMID:1491017", "title": "Effects of variation on extensor elements and operative procedures in patellofemoral disorders.", "content": "The influence of both insertion and strength/elasticity of each extensor in patellofemoral disorders was fully investigated through a two-dimensional mathematical model analysis in a horizontal plane, in combination with experimental design theory for analyzing mutually correlated influences. In the model, patellofemoral joint profiles projected on a horizontal plane have been expressed as spline functions. Each muscle of the quadriceps has been represented as a string pulled by the respective force; fascias and tendons have been represented by springs. Nonlinear equations have been constructed to represent the forces involved, and then solved by numerical iteration. An analysis of variance was performed on the data derived from a series of simulations, obtaining the following results. The strength of most extensors has been shown to have an influence on the increase in lateral contact force but not patellar translation. The tibial tubercle position has significant influence on both patellar translation and lateral contact force. The quadriceps' insertion on the femur has no influence on patellar translation. The insertion of each extensor on the patella has been shown to have a strong effect on patellar translation but not on contact force."}
{"id": "PMID:1491018", "title": "Stress distribution in a physical buttock model: effect of simulated bone geometry.", "content": "Mechanical stresses developed in the tissue during sitting or reclining could cause bedsores in paralyzed individuals. Cushions are usually prescribed to redistribute the stresses. Two two-dimensional physical models of the buttock were developed and used to study whether the stress distribution is different with round- and flat-base bone core geometries and to find out whether the relative cushion responses are dependent on loading direction and bone core geometries. In these models, PVC gel simulated the soft tissue and a wooden core simulated the bony prominence. One model had a round-base core and the other had a flat-base bone core. A grid etched on the model allowed strain measurements, and stress calculations. The sharp-base bone core model generated large regions of high shear stress during vertical and inclined loading. However, the round-base core produced maximum compressive stress during vertical loading. The relative cushion responses were dependent on bone core geometry and loading direction."}
{"id": "PMID:1491019", "title": "A finite element model for evaluation of tibial prosthesis-bone interface in total knee replacement.", "content": "A numerical model based on the finite element method was developed for the load transfer analysis at the tibial bone-implant interfaces in total knee replacement. A transverse isotropic material model, based on a quadratic elastic potential and on Hill's quadratic yield criterion, was next developed for bone constitutive laws. The bone-cement and bone-prosthesis interfaces were both assumed to be discontinuous. A dry friction model based on Coulomb's criterion was adopted for the interfaces friction. The model was shown to be able to give compressive and shear stresses distributions and distractive and relative shear micromotions at these interfaces. A preliminary application was conducted for cemented metal tray total condylar (MTTC) and for cemented and uncemented porous coated anatomic (PCA) tibial plateaus. The PCA plateaus were found to be more deformable and had greater global displacements than the MTTC one. Debonding of the bone-peg interface was observed for the uncemented PCA. Correspondingly, the stress peaks at the interface beneath the tray were lower for the uncemented PCA. Correspondingly, the stress peaks at the interface beneath the tray were lower for the PCA than for the MTTC. Shear micromotions appeared under the tray for both the two prostheses. We observed that bone anisotropy and interface discontinuity affected the results sensibly."}
{"id": "PMID:1491020", "title": "The behavior of adaptive bone-remodeling simulation models.", "content": "The process of adaptive bone remodeling can be described mathematically and simulated in a computer model, integrated with the finite element method. In the model discussed here, cortical and trabecular bone are described as continuous materials with variable density. The remodeling rule applied to simulate the remodeling process in each element individually is, in fact, an objective function for an optimization process, relative to the external load. Its purpose is to obtain a constant, preset value for the strain energy per unit bone mass, by adapting the density. If an element in the structure cannot achieve that, it either turns to its maximal density (cortical bone) or resorbs completely. It is found that the solution obtained in generally a discontinuous patchwork. For a two-dimensional proximal femur model this patchwork shows a good resemblance with the density distribution of a real proximal femur. It is shown that the discontinuous end configuration is dictated by the nature of the differential equations describing the remodeling process. This process can be considered as a nonlinear dynamical system with many degrees of freedom, which behaves divergent relative to the objective, leading to many possible solutions. The precise solution is dependent on the parameters in the remodeling rule, the load and the initial conditions. The feedback mechanism in the process is self-enhancing, denser bone attracts more strain energy, whereby the bone becomes even more dense. It is suggested that this positive feedback of the attractor state (the strain energy field) creates order in the end configuration. In addition, the process ensures that the discontinuous end configuration is a structure with a relatively low mass, perhaps a minimal-mass structure, although this is no explicit objective in the optimization process. It is hypothesized that trabecular bone is a chaotically ordered structure which can be considered as a fractal with characteristics of optimal mechanical resistance and minimal mass, of which the actual morphology depends on the local (internal) loading characteristics, the sensor-cell density and the degree of mineralization."}
{"id": "PMID:1491021", "title": "Computation of steady three-dimensional flow in a model of the basilar artery.", "content": "The flow in the basilar artery arises from the merging of the flows from the two vertebral arteries. To study the flow phenomena in the basilar artery, computations have been performed using a finite element (FE) method. We consider steady flow in a geometrically symmetric confluence. For simplicity, channels with a rectangular cross-section have been used. Both symmetric and asymmetric flow cases have been considered. The results show that for the Reynolds number of interest the flow downstream of the junction is highly three-dimensional, and that the flow at the end of the basilar artery, where it splits again, will not be fully developed. The computed phenomena have been confirmed by laser Doppler velocity measurements."}
{"id": "PMID:1491022", "title": "An activation-recruitment scheme for use in muscle modeling.", "content": "The derivation of a new activation-recruitment scheme and the results of a study designed to test its validity are presented. The activation scheme utilizes input data of processed surface EMG signals, muscle composition, muscle architecture, and experimentally determined activation coefficients. In the derivation, the relationship between muscle activation and muscle fiber recruitment was considered. In the experimental study, triceps muscle force was determined for isometric elbow extension tasks varying in intensity from 10 to 100% of a maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) using both a muscle model that incorporates the activation scheme, and inverse dynamics techniques. The forces calculated using the two methods were compared statistically. The modeled triceps force was not significantly different from the experimental results determined using inverse dynamics techniques for average activation levels greater than 25% of MVC, but was significantly different for activation levels less than 25% of MVC. These results lend support for use of the activation-recruitment scheme for moderate to large activation levels, and suggest that factors in addition to fiber recruitment play a role in force regulation at lower activation levels."}
{"id": "PMID:1491023", "title": "Computer simulation of arterial flow with applications to arterial and aortic stenoses.", "content": "A computer model for simulating pressure and flow propagation in the human arterial system is developed. The model is based on the one-dimensional flow equations and includes nonlinearities arising from geometry and material properties. Fifty-five arterial segments, representing the various major arteries, are combined to form the model of the arterial system. Particular attention is paid to the development of peripheral pressure and flow pulses under normal flow conditions and under conditions of arterial and aortic stenoses. Results show that the presence of severe arterial stenoses significantly affects the nature of the distal pressure and flow pulses. Aortic stenoses also have a profound effect on central and peripheral pressure pulse formation. Comparison with the published experimental data suggests that the model is capable of simulating arterial flow under normal flow conditions as well as conditions of stenotic obstructions in a satisfactory manner."}
{"id": "PMID:1491024", "title": "Effect of groove on bone fracture toughness.", "content": "When testing for the effects of bone orientation on mode I fracture toughness, compact tension specimens are grooved with a V-notch to provide a crack guide. The effect of grooving on the expressions for the critical stress intensity factor (Kc) and the critical strain energy release rate (Gc) for mode I fracture toughness was investigated. Experiments were performed using grooved and ungrooved bovine compact tension specimens. The results indicate that the standard expression used to determine Kc for a compact tension specimen requires modification. The thickness (B) must be modified to account for the thickness between the grooves (Bn). The thickness used in the standard expression is replaced by an effective thickness written as (BBn)0.5. It was also found that the thickness between the grooves should be used in the standard formula for Gc."}
{"id": "PMID:1491028", "title": "Determination of drugs from urine by on-line immunoaffinity chromatography-high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry.", "content": "A method for rapid extraction and identification of drugs in urine is described. The system utilizes a high-performance protein G immunoaffinity column coupled to a reversed-phase analytical column by use of a trapping column and switching valve. A small amount of antibody (5 micrograms drug-specific) is used for each analysis to extract either propranolol or lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) from human urine. Urine diluted with phosphate-buffered saline is pumped directly through the protein G column thus eliminating time- and solvent-consuming sample preparation procedures. On-line ultraviolet or mass spectral analysis provides the means of drug detection and identification. With ultraviolet detection propranolol may be detected in spiked urine at the 250 pg/ml level. A Hewlett-Packard mass spectrometer modified for atmospheric pressure ionization and equipped with an ion spray source allows detection of propranolol in urine at 2.5 ng/ml and LSD at 500 pg/ml using single ion monitoring. The potential applicability of the technique for drug confirmations is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1491029", "title": "Determination of chloramphenicol in muscle using a particle beam interface for combining liquid chromatography with negative-ion chemical ionization mass spectrometry.", "content": "A simple and rapid liquid chromatographic-mass spectrometric analysis of chloramphenicol in calf muscle is presented. A particle beam interface was used, with negative-ion chemical ionization mass spectrometry using methane as the reagent gas. The method specificity was tested for three related compounds, dehydrochloramphenicol, nitrosochloramphenicol and nitrophenylaminopropanediol. The extraction procedures require 5 g of muscle, and the quantification limit is 2 micrograms/kg for chloramphenicol. Residues were detected in calf muscle 48 h after intravenous administration of chloramphenicol (25 mg/kg body weight)."}
{"id": "PMID:1491030", "title": "On-line dialysis and weak cation-exchange enrichment of dialysate. Automated high-performance liquid chromatography of pholcodine in human plasma and whole blood.", "content": "An automated method for the determination of pholcodine in plasma and whole blood is described. The technique combines dialysis and trace enrichment prior to high-performance liquid chromatography. Dialysis, trace enrichment on a weak cation-exchange column, separation on a cyano column and fluorescence detection was shown to be an extremely selective and sensitive method. The method has been used successfully in the analysis of real samples after administration of pholcodine. The automated method can be used, after minor modification, to determine other basic drugs in whole blood and plasma."}
{"id": "PMID:1491031", "title": "Rapid and simple method for the determination of urinary benzoic and phenylacetic acids and their glycine conjugates in ruminants by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography.", "content": "A simple, rapid and reproducible reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic method for the simultaneous determination of benzoic acid (BA), phenylacetic acid (PAA) and their respective glycine conjugates hippuric acid (HA) and phenaceturic acid (PA) in sheep urine is described. The procedure involves only direct injection of a diluted urine sample, thus obviating the need for an extraction step or an internal standard. The compounds were separated on a Nova-Pak C18 column with isocratic elution with acetate buffer (25 mM, pH 4.5)-methanol (95:5). A flow-rate of 1.0 ml/min, a column temperature of 35 degrees C and detection at 230 nm were employed. These conditions were optimized by investigating the effects of pH, molarity, methanol concentration in the mobile phase and column temperature on the resolution of the metabolites. The total analysis time was less than 15 min per sample. At a signal-to-noise ratio of 3 the detection limits for ten-fold diluted urine were 1.0 microgram/ml for BA and HA and 5.0 micrograms/ml for PAA and PA with a 20-microliters injection."}
{"id": "PMID:1491032", "title": "High-performance liquid chromatographic determination of cyanide in human red blood cells by pre-column fluorescence derivatization.", "content": "A method for the determination of cyanide in human red cells has been developed. Cyanide was extracted from red cells by adding water and methanol, and then derivatized with 2,3-naphthalene-dialdehyde and taurine to give a fluorescent product, which was determined by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection. The recovery of cyanide from red cells was ca. 83%, and the limit of detection was 100 pmol/ml. The mean concentrations of red cell cyanide from ten smokers and from ten non-smokers were 705 and 466 pmol/ml, respectively. The method was also applicable to whole blood."}
{"id": "PMID:1491033", "title": "Rapid and sensitive determination of coumarin and 7-hydroxycoumarin and its glucuronide conjugate in urine and plasma by high-performance liquid chromatography.", "content": "A rapid and sensitive high-performance liquid chromatographic method was developed for the analysis of coumarin, 7-hydroxycoumarin and its glucuronide conjugate in urine and plasma. This method was used to monitor the urinary excretion of these compounds following a single oral dose of coumarin (100 mg). This new method gives excellent chromatographic separation and includes an internal standard. The method was validated and shown to be both accurate and precise in the range 0.5-100 micrograms/ml."}
{"id": "PMID:1491034", "title": "High-performance liquid chromatographic determination of nicotinamide and its metabolites in human and murine plasma and urine.", "content": "A high-performance liquid chromatographic method is described which enables the determination of nicotinamide and eight of its possible metabolites in human and murine plasma and urine, using ion-pairing on a base-deactivated reversed-phase column. Calibration curves were linear up to 2 mumol/ml for nicotinamide and 200 nmol/ml for the metabolites; both the intra- and inter-assay relative standard deviations ranged between 1 and 8%. In murine plasma, the N-oxide was the major nicotinamide metabolite, but in man, formation of 1-methylnicotinamide and the 2- and 4-pyridones was also significant. In urine, nicotinuric acid was seen in the mouse, but no nicotinic acid metabolites were seen in man."}
{"id": "PMID:1491035", "title": "Isolation and structural elucidation of the geometrical isomers of lutein and zeaxanthin in extracts from human plasma.", "content": "All-E-(3R,3'R,6'R)-lutein, all-E-(3R,3'R)-zeaxanthin, all-E-(3R,3'S,6'R)-3'-epilutein and some geometrical isomers of the former two dihydroxycarotenoids have been separated from an extract of human plasma by semipreparative high-performance liquid chromatography on a silica-based nitrile-bonded column. In the order of chromatographic elution, the isolated fractions were identified as all-E-lutein, all-E-zeaxanthin, all-E-3'-epilutein, 9Z-lutein, 9'Z-lutein, a mixture of 13Z-lutein and 13'Z-lutein, 9Z-zeaxanthin, 13Z-zeaxanthin and 15Z-zeaxanthin. The structures of all compounds, including the relative configuration at C(3') and C(6') of the luteins and the position of the stereomutated double bonds in the geometrical isomers, were unambiguously established by 1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The absolute configuration of the three all-E compounds was derived by circular dichroism and is also assumed to be valid for the geometrical isomers. The ultraviolet-visible absorption and mass spectra of each of the individually isolated compounds were also in agreement with the proposed structures."}
{"id": "PMID:1491036", "title": "Determination of cocaethylene, cocaine and their metabolites in rat serum microsamples by high-performance liquid chromatography, and its application to pharmacokinetic studies in rodents.", "content": "A single-solvent extraction step high-performance liquid chromatographic method is described for quantitating cocaethylene in rat serum microsamples (50 microliters), a substance formed in vivo when cocaine and ethanol are present concurrently. The separation used a 2 mm I.D. reversed-phase Nova-Pak C18 column with a mobile phase of acetonitrile-phosphate buffer containing an ion-pairing reagent. With an ultraviolet detector operated at 230 nm, a linear response was observed from 0.05 to 2.0 micrograms/ml with a detection limit of 5 ng/ml for cocaethylene, cocaine and norcocaine. The method showed a longer half-life for cocaethylene than for cocaine in rat."}
{"id": "PMID:1491037", "title": "High-performance liquid chromatographic analysis of methocarbamol enantiomers in biological fluids.", "content": "Methocarbamol enantiomers in rat and human plasma were quantified using a stereospecific high-performance liquid chromatographic method. Racemic methocarbamol and internal standard, (R)-(-)-flecainide, were isolated from plasma by a single-step extraction with ethyl acetate. After derivatization with the enantiomerically pure reagent (S)-(+)-1-(1-naphthyl)ethyl isocyanate, methocarbamol diastereomers and the (R)-flecainide derivative were separated on a normal-phase silica column with a mobile phase consisting of hexane-isopropanol (95:5, v/v) at a flow-rate of 1.6 ml/min. Ultraviolet detection was carried out at a wavelength of 280 nm. The resolution factor between the diastereomers was 2.1 (alpha = 1.24). An excellent linearity was observed between the methocarbamol diastereomers/internal standard derivative peak-area ratios and plasma concentrations, and the intra- and inter-day coefficients of variation were always < 9.8%. The lowest quantifiable concentration was 0.5 microgram/ml for each enantiomer (coefficients of variation of 9.8 and 8.8% for (S)- and (R)-methocarbamol, respectively), while the limit of detection (signal-to-noise ratio 3:1) was approximately 10 ng/ml. The assay was used to study the pharmacokinetics of methocarbamol enantiomers in a rat following intravenous administration of a 120 mg/kg dose of racemic methocarbamol and to evaluate plasma and urine concentrations in a human volunteer after oral administration of a 1000-mg dose of the racemate. The method is suitable for stereoselective pharmacokinetic studies in humans as well as in animal models."}
{"id": "PMID:1491038", "title": "Determination of acetazolamide in human urine samples by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography in the presence of xanthines.", "content": "A simple, rapid and selective high-performance liquid chromatographic assay for the determination of acetazolamide in urine samples is described. After extraction with ethyl acetate, the drug is chromatographed on an HP-Hypersil ODS-C18 column with a mobile phase of acetonitrile-phosphate buffer (pH 3) and ultraviolet detection at 275 nm. The efficiency of the extraction, the linearity and the reproducibility of the method permit the evaluation of acetazolamide urinary excretion a long time after its administration."}
{"id": "PMID:1491039", "title": "High-performance liquid chromatographic determination of diuretics in urine by micellar liquid chromatography.", "content": "The use of micellar liquid chromatography for the determination of diuretics in urine by direct injection of the sample into the chromatographic system is discussed. The retention of the urine matrix at the beginning of the chromatograms was observed for different sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) mobile phases. The eluent strengths of a hybrid SDS-methanol micellar mobile phase for several diuretics were compared and related to the stationary phase/water partition coefficient with a purely micellar mobile phase. The urine band was appreciably narrower with a mobile phase of 0.05 M SDS-5% methanol (v/v) at 50 degrees C (pH 6.9). With this mobile phase the determination of bendroflumethiazide and chlorthalidone was adequate. Acetazolamide, ethacrynic acid, furosemide, hydrochlorothiazide and probenecid were overlapped by the urine matrix, and the retention of amiloride and triamterene was too long."}
{"id": "PMID:1491040", "title": "Simultaneous measurement of serotonin, catecholamines and their metabolites in cat and human plasma by in vitro microdialysis-microbore high-performance liquid chromatography with amperometric detection.", "content": "A method for the simultaneous measurement of norepinephrine, epinephrine, dopamine, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid, homovanillic acid, serotonin and 5-hydroxyindole-3-acetic acid in cat and human plasma by in vitro microdialysis-microbore high-performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection is described. The detection limit (signal-to-noise ratio = 3) is about 0.05-0.1 pg per injection. The volume of plasma samples required is very small (< 200 microliters), hence there is minimal blood loss in repeated blood sampling, especially in experiments using small animals. Within 15 min, a fast isocratic separation of these analytes by using a microbore reversed-phase ODS column is achieved, hence over 90 analyses can be performed in a single working day. As microdialysis per se is not destructive to plasma samples, the remaining plasma sample and perfusate can be repeatedly analysed for other substances. This simple, efficient and sensitive method can therefore be used as a routine clinical and basic research technique in the investigation of blood biogenic amines and their metabolites."}
{"id": "PMID:1491041", "title": "Quantitation of the novel anticonvulsant remacemide in rat and dog plasma and urine: application of the plasma methodology to measure the plasma protein binding of remacemide.", "content": "Sensitive and selective methods have been developed for quantitation of the novel anticonvulsant remacemide in rat and dog plasma and urine. The methods employed liquid-liquid extraction (urine) or ion-exchange solid-phase extraction (plasma), with an internal standard, followed by high-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection. The detection limit for both methods was 10 ng/ml. Overall accuracy was 0.00% for plasma and -1.4% for urine with a precision of 6.04 and 3.87% for plasma and urine, respectively. The standard curves were linear for both plasma and urine over a wide concentration range (9.96-2490 ng/ml). The plasma method was also applied to measurement of in vitro plasma protein binding of remacemide in rat, dog and human plasma."}
{"id": "PMID:1491042", "title": "Simple and sensitive high-performance liquid chromatographic method for the determination of diltiazem and six of its metabolites in human plasma.", "content": "A sensitive, specific and reproducible high-performance liquid chromatographic technique is described for the simultaneous determination in human plasma of diltiazem (DZ) and six of its primary and secondary metabolites which are products of N- and O-demethylation, deacetylation and N-oxidation. The method involves addition of excess KHCO3 to 1 ml of plasma, followed by extraction with 4 ml of ethyl acetate. The organic layer was extracted with 0.01 M HCl and the aqueous layer was dried under nitrogen and then reconstituted with 0.002 M HCl. DZ and its metabolites were free from interference and wer baseline-separated. Calibration curves were linear in the concentration range studied (5-500 ng/ml for all the species). The lower limit of quantification of the assay was 5 ng/ml for DZ and the metabolites. Inter-day and intra-day coefficients of variation were less than 10%. The applicability of this procedure is shown by evaluating the kinetics of DZ and its metabolites in three patients receiving chronic DZ therapy. N-Demethyldiltiazem, deacetyldiltiazem and N-demethyldeacetyldiltiazem were found to be the major metabolites, as previously described. Deacetyldiltiazem N-oxide was found in two of the patients. The other two known but unreported metabolites in human, O-demethyldeacetyldiltiazem and N,O-didemethyldeacetyldiltiazem, were found in the plasma of all three patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1491043", "title": "Determination of thalidomide in plasma and blood by high-performance liquid chromatography: avoiding hydrolytic degradation.", "content": "Thalidomide was determined in plasma and blood by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection. The coefficient of variation of the assay was 1-2% over the 0.25-4.0 micrograms/ml concentration range. Hydrolysis of thalidomide during storage and work-up of the samples was avoided by the addition of an equal volume of citrate buffer, pH 1.5. The assay could be applied to the determination of blood concentrations of thalidomide in rats for at least 28 h after a single oral dose, with multiple blood sampling from the same animal."}
{"id": "PMID:1491044", "title": "High-performance liquid chromatographic method for quantitating plasma levels of amiloride and its analogues.", "content": "An assay for amiloride was devised for efficient use with the wide variety of analogues available. Amiloride was extracted from 1-ml plasma samples by elution from a C8 preparative column with 6% acetonitrile-45% methanol-5.4% acetic acid, adjusted to pH 4.0 with trimethylamine. Samples were lyophilized, resuspended in 50% methanol, filtered through 0.22-microns Spin-X cartridges, applied to a reversed-phase C18 column, and eluted in a 0-50% acetonitrile gradient in 0.4% acetic acid, pH 4.5 (1.2 ml/min). Detection by ultraviolet absorbance at 360 nm was linear from 1 to 1000 ng. Versatility of the method was demonstrated with the analogues benzamil, 6-hydro-, 6-iodo-, 5-hexamethylene-, and 5-chlorobenzyl-2',4'-dimethylbenzyl-amiloride."}
{"id": "PMID:1491045", "title": "High-performance liquid chromatographic analysis of the anticancer drug oxantrazole in rat whole blood and tissues.", "content": "A reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) assay was developed for the antitumor anthrapyrazole analogue, oxantrazole (OX), in rat whole blood and tissues. Blood samples were mixed with equal volumes of a 25% (w/v) aqueous solution of L-ascorbic acid, whereas tissue samples were homogenized with 1.5-3 volumes of an L-ascorbic acid-methanol-water (1:10:1, w/v/v) mixture to prevent oxidative degradation of OX. Samples were then treated with 60% (v/v) perchloric acid (25-30 microliters/ml of stabilized sample) to precipitate proteins, and centrifuged, with the resultant supernatants analyzed on HPLC utilizing a C8 column. The mobile phase for blood and urine samples consisted of 8% (v/v) glacial acetic acid, 13% (v/v) acetonitrile, 79% (v/v) water, 0.16% (w/v) sodium acetate, and 0.05% (w/v) L-ascorbic acid (final pH 2.7), and was pumped at 1.8 ml/min. Tissue samples were eluted at 2 ml/min with a mobile phase consisting of 8% (v/v) glacial acetic acid, 12% (v/v) acetonitrile, 80% (v/v) water, 0.16% (w/v) sodium acetate, and 0.0;5% (w/v) L-ascorbic acid. OX and internal standard were detected at 514 nm and had retention times of 2.3 and 3.1 min, respectively. The limit of quantitation of OX was 25-50 ng/g. Recovery of OX from biological samples ranged from 50 +/- 0.9% in spleen to 102.8 +/- 1.8% in RG-2 glioma. The analytical method was applied to a pharmacokinetic study in rats."}
{"id": "PMID:1491046", "title": "Improved sample preparation for the testosterone hydroxylation assay using disposable extraction columns.", "content": "The preparation of samples for injection into a high-performance liquid chromatograph from assay mixtures for the determination of cytochrome P-450-dependent testosterone hydroxylation has been substantially facilitated. By replacing the multiple cumbersome extraction steps of the conventional method with a single column extraction the time for sample preparation was reduced from hours to minutes. The new procedure also yields better recoveries for most of the testosterone metabolites than the original protocol. The use of extraction columns for sample preparation allows the simultaneous treatment of a large number of samples or even the automation of the whole assay procedure. The modified procedure is a straightforward, easy-to-perform method that should greatly facilitate the implementation of the testosterone hydroxylation assay for sharply discriminating between many individual cytochrome P-450 species in routine enzyme diagnostics."}
{"id": "PMID:1491047", "title": "Determination of plasma homovanillic acid by liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection.", "content": "We describe a simple method for extracting homovanillic acid (HVA) from plasma. An aliquot of 0.5 ml of the internal standard solution (3-hydroxy-4-methoxycinnamic acid in 0.2 mol/l phosphoric acid) and 0.5 ml of the sample are applied to a 1-ml Bond Elut C18 column prewashed with methanol and 0.2 mol/l phosphoric acid. The sample is drawn through the column at low speed. The column is washed with water and eluted with dichloromethane. The eluate is evaporated under vacuum at ambient temperature and the residue reconstituted with 250 microliters of the mobile phase. A 10-microliters aliquot of the resulting solution is injected onto a 150 mm x 4.6 mm I.D. column packed with 5-microns octadecylsilyl silica particles (Beckman). Peaks are detected coulometrically in the screening-oxidation mode with E1 = +0.25 V and E2 = +0.38 V. In the resulting chromatogram, HVA and the internal standard give sharp peaks and are well separated from solvent and other endogenous electroactive acids. The extraction recovery is 90-95% which allows the determination of 0.5 microgram/l analyte."}
{"id": "PMID:1491048", "title": "Ion-pair high-performance liquid chromatography of diaminopimelic acid in hydrolysates of physiological samples.", "content": "A method is reported for the determination of diaminopimelic acid (DAPA) in physiological samples. DAPA is derivatized with an o-phthaldialdehyde reagent solution, subjected to reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography and detected spectrofluorometrically. The method is a significant advance over previous methods because it uses the ion-pairing agent hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (HTMA) to facilitate DAPA measurement. Ion-pairing with HTMA avoids interference with co-eluting derivatives to provide simultaneous, sensitive, reproducible measurement of both DAPA peaks (DD,LL-DAPA and DL-DAPA)."}
{"id": "PMID:1491049", "title": "Rapid and simple method for the determination of alpha 1-acid glycoprotein in serum by column liquid chromatography.", "content": "A rapid and simple method for the determination of alpha 1-acid glycoprotein (AAG) in serum was developed by using an anion-exchange column for clean-up of serum and a hydroxyapatite column for high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). A good correlation was observed between this HPLC method and the conventional radial immunodiffusion method. The method may also be used to determine the AAG concentration in the serum of experimental animals."}
{"id": "PMID:1491050", "title": "Improved procedure for the drying and storage of polyacrylamide slab gels.", "content": "An improved procedure for the drying and storage of polyacrylamide (PAA) slab gels of various sizes and acrylamide contents is presented. A PAA slab gel is preferentially fixed in methanol-acetic acid-glycerol-water (1.0:1.0:0.1:2.0) and then dried under low pressure in an adapted photoprint dryer between Cellophane and polyethylene foils at 75-80 degrees C for 50-90 min. Strong, transparent and flexible sheets are obtained that can be stored for extended periods. The potential of the procedure is exemplified following electrophoresis of both lipopolysaccharides and protein isolated from Coxiella burnetii bacterium."}
{"id": "PMID:1491051", "title": "High-performance liquid chromatographic monitoring of metabolic products resulting from the treatment of mouse hepatoma cells with N6-cycloalkylated nucleosides.", "content": "High-performance liquid chromatography was used to analyze cell lysates and growth medium of mouse hepatoma cells, separately treated with N6-cyclopropyl-, N6-cyclobutyl-, and N6-cyclopentyladenosines, in an effort to gain insight into the mechanism by which these modified nucleosides exert their cytotoxic effect(s). The corresponding 5'-monophosphate of the respective modified nucleoside was detected in the separate cell lysate samples. Both the modified nucleoside and its corresponding 5'-monophosphate were detected in the separate growth medium samples and their relative concentrations therein were determined. These results indicate that the cytotoxicity of these N6-cycloalkylated nucleosides may be attributed to their 5'-monophosphates within the cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1491052", "title": "Simple high-performance liquid chromatographic method for the determination of captopril in biological fluids.", "content": "A rapid, simple and sensitive column-switching high-performance liquid chromatographic procedure for the determination of captopril in plasma and urine had been developed. p-Bromophenacyl bromide was used as a derivatizing reagent to react with captopril to form a product that showed ultraviolet-absorbing properties. For plasma samples the protein was removed with 6% perchloric acid before injection. The urine samples were directly injected into the chromatograph. The column-switching system was equipped with a pre-column (5 cm x 0.5 cm I.D.) packed with muBondapak C18 (37-50 microns) and an analytical column (15 cm x 0.5 cm I.D.) packed with YWG-C18, 10 microns. Impurities were washed from the pre-column with 0.2% acetic acid and the retained substances were eluted into the analytical column with acetonitrile-water-acetic acid (35:65:0.4, v/v). Captopril was detected at 260 nm. The calibration curve was linear in the range 20-1000 ng/ml for plasma and 10-200 micrograms/ml for urine. The recoveries averaged 103.2 and 99.5% for plasma and urine, respectively. The coefficients of variation were all less than 10%."}
{"id": "PMID:1491053", "title": "Improved high-performance liquid chromatographic determination of ciprofloxacin and its metabolites in human specimens.", "content": "A simple approach to the quantitation of ciprofloxacin and its three metabolites, M1 (desethylene-ciprofloxacin), M2 (sulfo-ciprofloxacin) and M3 (oxo-ciprofloxacin), in human serum, urine, saliva and sputum is described. This assay allows the parent drug and its metabolites to elute and be resolved in a single chromatogram at 280 nm using a linear gradient. The procedure involved liquid-liquid extraction. Separation was achieved on a C18 reversed-phase column. The limit of detection of ciprofloxacin is 0.05 microgram/ml and that of its three metabolites is 0.25 microgram/ml. This method is sufficiently sensitive for pharmacokinetic studies."}
{"id": "PMID:1491054", "title": "Automated high-performance liquid chromatographic method for the determination of mianserin in plasma using electrochemical detection.", "content": "An automated high-performance liquid chromatographic method for the determination of mianserin in plasma is described. Extraction and injection of the samples were automatically done by the Gilson ASPEC system using C8, 100-mg Supelclean solid-phase extraction columns. The extracts were chromatographed on a reversed-phase C18 column (150 mm x 3.9 mm I.D.) with a phosphate buffer-acetonitrile-methanol mobile phase and the analytes detected electrochemically. Calibration curves were linear to at least 53.7 ng/ml at which the between-day relative standard deviation was 5% and the recovery 101%. The limit of quantification was 1.67 ng/ml at which the between-day relative standard deviation was 9% and the recovery 92% using a sample volume of 0.5 ml. The method was applied to the determination of mianserin in the plasma of normal human volunteers participating in a comparative bioavailability study."}
{"id": "PMID:1491055", "title": "Determination of D-alanine and D-glutamic acid in biological samples by coupled-column chromatography using beta-cyclodextrin as mobile phase additive.", "content": "A high-performance liquid chromatographic assay for monitoring traces of D-alanine and D-glutamic acid in peptide and protein hydrolysates is presented, which uses a two-column set-up with column switching. The main advantage of the proposed method is the higher reliability of the results, compared with the analysis by derivatization and single-column chromatography of the diastereomers. A non-chiral alkyl-silica reversed-phase column is combined with a second column, in which beta-cyclodextrin is used as a chiral mobile phase additive. The amino acids of the hydrolysate are dansylated, and the amino acid of interest is separated from the others on the first column and transferred to the second column where chiral resolution is performed. The transfer volume of ca. 200 microliters is small enough not to cause any peak distortion or dilation in the second column."}
{"id": "PMID:1491056", "title": "Determination of free amino acid enantiomers in rat brain and serum by high-performance liquid chromatography after derivatization with N-tert.-butyloxycarbonyl-L-cysteine and o-phthaldialdehyde.", "content": "The concurrent determination of free amino acid enantiomers and non-chiral amino acids in rat brain and serum was accomplished by high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorimetric detection after derivatization with N-tert.-butyloxycarbonyl-L-cysteine and o-phthaldialdehyde. The method revealed the presence of a large amount of free D-serine (0.22 mumol/g of tissue; D/D + L ratio = 0.25) in the brain whereas D-aspartate and D-alanine were established to be at trace levels. These results further support the presence of D-serine in adult brain tissues as demonstrated by recent work using gas chromatography."}
{"id": "PMID:1491057", "title": "Quantitative analysis of collagen and elastin cross-links using a single-column system.", "content": "The separation of both the immature and mature cross-links present in collagen together with the stable cross-links of elastin has been achieved on a single ion-exchange column. This technique avoids the current necessity for two different systems, ion-exchange and high-performance liquid chromatography-fluorescence techniques. The value of the method is illustrated by the comparison of the cross-link contents of aging bovine skin, from foetal to old age."}
{"id": "PMID:1491058", "title": "High-performance liquid chromatographic determination of dihydroorotate dehydrogenase of Plasmodium falciparum and effects of antimalarials on enzyme activity.", "content": "A reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic technique for the determination of dihydroorotate dehydrogenase in Plasmodium falciparum was developed. The assay was applied to the evaluation of the effects of several antimalarial drugs on the enzyme. Treatment of both the asexual and gametocyte stages of P. falciparum in culture with menoctone, primaquine or the primaquine derivative WR 238605 led to depression of the enzyme activity, although the drugs did not appear to inhibit the enzyme directly."}
{"id": "PMID:1491059", "title": "Evaluation of the chromatographic procedure for the preparation of a high-purity C1-esterase inhibitor concentrate from cryosupernatant plasma.", "content": "This report is an analysis of the parameters involved in the preparation of a C1-esterase inhibitor concentrate. We investigated ways to improve the purification by finding the optimal pH, ionic strength, and quantity of chromatographic media to use at each step. The optimisation of the process gave a greater than two-fold increase in both yield and purity over published methods. The product retained more than 50% activity upon dry heat-treatment at 80 degrees C for 72 h, and the yield of the heat-treated product was 180 I.U./kg of plasma."}
{"id": "PMID:1491060", "title": "Urinary testosterone measurement by gas chromatography after solid-phase extraction and high-performance liquid chromatography.", "content": "A method was developed for the rapid determination of testosterone in urine. The procedure consists of solid-phase extraction (SPE) followed by high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) clean-up before gas chromatographic determination. Recovery was evaluated by adding [3H]testosterone (10(4) cpm) to urine samples; the mean recovery of radioactivity after SPE and HPLC was 82%. Precision was estimated by repeated measurement of testosterone in four different urine samples; the coefficient of variation was 7.9% (95% confidence limits 6.1-11.4%). Accuracy was evaluated by standard addition and dilution assays; a linear relationship was found between the expected and observed values (r2 = 0.982). The method is rapid, effective and suitable for routine analysis."}
{"id": "PMID:1491061", "title": "Rapid purification yielding highly active 17 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase: application of hydrophobic interaction and affinity fast protein liquid chromatography.", "content": "Homogeneous human placental 17 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase was obtained by a procedure consisting of two fast protein liquid chromatographic (FPLC) steps using Phenyl-Sepharose hydrophobic interaction and Blue-Sepharose affinity columns. In the first chromatography, the enzyme eluted only when an additional decrease in ionic strength was inserted after the ammonium sulphate concentration had reached zero, thus enhancing the separation. In the affinity chromatography, separation of contaminating proteins occurred at different stages of loading and washing. The specific elution of the enzyme by the co-factor NADP+ is very efficient in obtaining a homogeneous preparation in high yield. The rapidity of FPLC was further increased by a maximum simplification of the intermediate steps, and the whole procedure lasted only two days. This preparation has a yield of more than 50% and a high specific activity, catalysing the formation of 7.9 mumol of estrone from estradiol per minute at pH 9.2 and 23 degrees C. It has an apparent molecular mass of 35,000. This provides an efficient candidate for the purification of other membrane-associated proteins."}
{"id": "PMID:1491062", "title": "Separation of serum bilirubin species by micellar electrokinetic chromatography with direct sample injection.", "content": "Four major bilirubin species in serum were separated by micellar electrokinetic chromatography with 25 mM sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and 20 mM sodium tetraborate-boric acid buffer at pH 8.5. Due to the solubilization of the serum proteins by the SDS micelles, serum samples were injected directly into a 50 cm x 75 microns I.D. fused-silica capillary and complete separation of the four bilirubin species was accomplished within ca. 10 min without extensive sample pretreatment. Detection was performed by absorbance at 450 nm and average limit of detection was in the 6.0 microM concentration range. The usefulness of this method was demonstrated for the separation and detection of a number of bilirubin species present in pathological human serum samples."}
{"id": "PMID:1491063", "title": "Polypeptide marker and disease patterns found while mapping proteins in ascitis.", "content": "To assess the protein composition of ascitis, 28 samples of ascitic fluid were obtained from patients admitted to Geneva University Hospital. The samples were analysed randomly and blindly by high-resolution two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The final visual evaluation was compared with the discharged summary and diagnosis. The protein pattern of ascitis was, as expected, very similar to normal or diseased plasma, with the exception of two spots which were present in ascitic fluids but not in the 200 plasma samples analyzed in parallel. After microsequencing, they proved to be beta-fibrinogen fragments. Several diseases showed distinct patterns, especially acute pancreatitis. A group of intense spots with an apparent molecular mass between those of alpha 1-antitrypsin and beta-haptoglobin were found in all ascitic fluid from pancreatitis cases (six patients). These spots had isoelectric points similar to those of alpha 1-antitrypsin and beta-haptoglobin and microsequencing revealed that they were three different fragments of alpha 1-antitrypsin."}
{"id": "PMID:1491064", "title": "Determination and identification of amiloride in human urine by high-performance liquid chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.", "content": "A simple and sensitive high-performance liquid chromatographic method was developed to screen and determine amiloride (I) in human urine. The detection limit of the method is 0.12 micrograms/ml and the recovery of amiloride from urine was 80.4-85.5% at different concentrations. The coefficients of variation were less than 2.8 and 4.4% for intra- and inter-assays, respectively. Total urinary excretion of I in 24 h after oral administration of 5 mg or 15 mg of I ranged from 22.0 to 33.3% of the total dose for three different subjects. I could be detected in urine up to at least 44 h after a 5-mg dose and 72 h after a 15-mg dose. A gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric (GC-MS) confirmatory method was established based on the methanolysis of I to methyl 3,5-diamino-6-chloropyrazine-carboxylate (II). The di-N-trimethylsilyl derivative of II showed very good GC-MS properties and provided reliable structure information for confirmation analysis of I. This is the first time that a reliable GC-MS method has been reported for the detection of urinary I."}
{"id": "PMID:1491065", "title": "Supercritical fluid extraction of polychlorinated biphenyls and pesticides from soil. Comparison with other extraction methods.", "content": "A comparison is made of supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) with two other techniques widely used for the extraction of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and organochlorine pesticides in soil. Extraction conditions for the SFE of PCBs and pesticides were first determined. An experimental approach was set up to determine the influence of different extraction parameters such as pressure, extraction time, static and dynamic extraction, restrictor type and collection solvent for off-line SFE. The use of carbon dioxide at 50 degrees C and 20 MPa, 10 min static followed by 20 min dynamic extraction with collection in iso-octane were been found to be the optimum conditions. Two types of soil, with a low and high content of organic carbon, respectively, spiked with 16 PCBs and organochlorine pesticides with a wide range of volatility and polarity at a level of 5 ng/g dry matter, were used as test materials. Conventional solvent extraction gives a good extraction yield for soil with a low content of organic carbon, but for peat soil the recoveries decrease dramatically to 30% for DDE, DDT and PCB 138 and 153. The recoveries with Soxhlet extraction are good, but an extra clean-up step before analysis is necessary. SFE gives good extraction yields for PCBs and organochlorine pesticides, varying between 85 and 105% with a reproducibility of 5% for each component for both types of soil. SFE is a fast, clean and reproducible method for the extraction of PCBs and organochlorine pesticides from these two soil matrices."}
{"id": "PMID:1491066", "title": "Determination of organophosphorus pesticides in fruits by on-line size-exclusion chromatography-liquid chromatography-gas chromatography-flame photometric detection.", "content": "The determination of organophosphorus pesticides in fruits by size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) on a polystyrene column coupled on-line to a gas chromatography (GC) system was unsatisfactory as a result of interfering peaks in GC. A liquid chromatography step on silica gel was therefore inserted between the SEC and GC steps to filter out polar by-products. Samples of fruit (apples, grapes and kiwi fruits) were extracted, then the extract filtered or centrifuged and injected into an automated on-line SEC-liquid chromatography-GC-flame photometric detection. Recoveries were about 95% and the detection limits about 1 ng/g."}
{"id": "PMID:1491069", "title": "Isolation, purification and partial characterization of tropomyosin and troponin subunits from the lobster tail muscle.", "content": "In a search for an invertebrate muscle from which the muscle regulatory proteins could be obtained in a great quantity and at high homogeneity, the regulatory proteins, tropomyosin (Tm) and three subunits of troponin (Tn), have been isolated from the lobster tail muscle, purified and partially characterized. The calcium-sensitive ATPase of lobster myofibril was restored when purified lobster Tm and lobster Tn were added to actin. Quantitative SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis showed that the lobster muscle contains actin, Tm, Tn with a molar ratio 7:1:1 and that lobster Tn consists of three subunits, one of each I, C and T. Each subunit was identified according to its effect on the acto-S1 ATPase rate. The isomer composition in each fraction of purified Tn subunit and in Tm are different from the rabbit skeletal muscle proteins; Tm consists of a single species of polypeptide of M(r) 38,000; the TnT fraction appears to be homogeneous with M(r) 43,000; the TnI fraction contains five isomers, all showing similar isoelectric pH, differing in M(r) in the range from 28,000 to 31,000; two TnC fractions contain three isomers in total with a range of M(r) from 18,500 to 19,000. Further study of the lobster Tm elucidated that digestion by carboxypeptidase A gave rise to a homogeneous preparation of truncated and non-polymerizable Tm which is devoid of 11 residues at the C-terminus of the molecule. The C-terminal amino acid sequence of 11 residues is homologous to the thoracic isomer generated from Drosophila melanogaster Tm-I gene. The present study indicated that, despite heterogeneities owing to the occurrence of isomers, the lobster regulatory proteins serve as an invertebrate source of the proteins for structural and biophysical studies, alternative to vertebrate counterparts."}
{"id": "PMID:1491070", "title": "Unloaded shortening after a quick release of a contracting, single fibre from crayfish slow muscle.", "content": "The time course of shortening at zero load was studied by the slack test method during tetanic contractions in isolated, single, slow muscle fibres of the crayfish. In 28 of 32 shortenings (from 14 different fibres) a biphasic shortening was seen, which consisted of an initial high-velocity phase lasting 3.3-20.8 ms and a following slow-velocity phase lasting for the entire time examined (up to 89.2 ms). Provided that the shortening occurred uniformly along the fibre length, velocity in the initial phase, V1, of the biphasic shortening was 14.4 +/- 3.4 (mean +/- SD, n = 10) microns s-1 per half sarcomere at Lo, the slack length, at 20 degrees C, while that in the second phase, V2, was 7.4 +/- 1.4 microns s-1 per half sarcomere. Lowering temperature decreased both V1 and V2 with Q10 = 1.4 for V1 and 2.0 for V2. Lowering the external Ca concentration from 15 mM, the standard, to 2 mM resulted in a tetanic tension below one-third of that at 15 mM Ca and decreased both V1 (t test; p < 0.01) and V2 (p < 0.001). Prestretching the fibre to 1.5 Lo had no significant effect on V2 (p < 0.3) but increased V1 (p < 0.001). The distance shortened during the initial high-velocity phase, LV1, was 4.0 +/- 1.8% Lo (mean +/- SD, n = 10) at 20 degrees C or about 0.14 microns per half sarcomere on average. LV1 was independent of the tetanic tension level when it was changed by lowering the external Ca concentration or temperature in the same fibre. Prestretching the fibre to 1.5 Lo, at which the sum of the active and the resting tension was lower than Po at Lo in two of three fibres, increased LV1 significantly (p < 0.001). The independency of LV1 from the tension level indicates that the initial high-velocity phase was not from shortening of some inert components in the fibre. One possibility is that the initial high-velocity phase was brought about by an acceleration of shortening by a compressive force, the origin of which has been discussed. The slow-velocity phase seemed to result from the crossbridge turnover with little exogeneous stress on myofilaments. Four different fibres exhibited an unloaded shortening with a constant velocity during the entire time examined (29.9-61.8 ms). This type of shortening had a velocity between the usual V1 and V2 values, suggesting that a compressive force accelerated the shortening during the entire time."}
{"id": "PMID:1491071", "title": "Relaxation rate of intact striated muscle fibres after flash photolysis of a caged calcium chelator (diazo-2).", "content": "Single twitch fibres from lumbrical muscles of Xenopus have been loaded with the photolysable calcium-chelator diazo-2 by incubation in Ringer solution containing the membrane permeable acetoxymethyl ester (AM) form of diazo-2. Incubation caused a progressive slowing of tetanus rise and relaxation which is ascribed to calcium-buffering by unphotolyzed diazo-2 (Kd = 2.2 microM). After incubation, exposure to a brief UV flash caused a three to four fold increase in the rate of tension fall. A flash given 16-18 ms after the last tetanic stimulus (at 22-24 degrees C) resulted in 10% increase in relaxation rate compared with the control before incubation. A much bigger effect was observed when a flash was given half-way into the slow phase, where an 1.8-1.9-fold increase in relaxation rate, above the preincubation slope, was observed. It is concluded that rapid lowering of [Ca]i, and hence more rapid removal of Ca2+ from troponin, speeds up relaxation, indicating that calcium translocation is the major determinant of the rate of tension fall during the isometric phase of relaxation."}
{"id": "PMID:1491072", "title": "Sea urchin axonemal motion supported by fluorescent, ribose-modified analogues of ATP.", "content": "The axonemal motion supported by fluorescent ribose-modified analogues, anthraniloyl ATP (Ant-ATP) and methylanthraniloyl ATP (Mant-ATP), was investigated. Ant-ATP and Mant-ATP supported good vigorous motion. A detailed study of the movement shows that the maximum beat frequencies (Vmax) were significantly lower with the analogues. However, Michaelis constants (Km) for beat frequency were also significantly lower than with ATP. Thus the net effect of changes in these two parameters, Vmax/Km, was similar for ATP and Ant-ATP and higher with Mant-ATP. Thus these fluorescent analogues are good substrates for axonemal movement. The consistently higher value of Vmax/Km, a measure of substrate selectivity, with Mant-ATP over Ant-ATP suggests a feature of the ribose binding site. Other significant differences in the movement with the fluorescent analogues are quantified in terms of kinetic measures of sliding velocity and bend propagation velocity."}
{"id": "PMID:1491073", "title": "Distribution of developmental myosin isoforms in isolated A-segments.", "content": "Immunogold labelling was used to determine the distribution of myosin isoforms within the A-bands of developing chicken pectoralis muscles. Previous localization studies led to the suggestion that neonatal myosin is preferentially located in the centre of heterogeneous thick filaments that contain either embryonic or adult myosin in addition to neonatal myosin. To further explore the possibility that neonatal myosin may serve to nucleate thick filament assembly, a method was developed to isolate A-segments (arrays of myosin filaments) from myofibrils in the presence of MgATP. A-bands usually dissociate into thick and thin filaments in a relaxing buffer, but the inclusion of an antibody against M-line protein prevented separation of the thick filament array. Well-ordered A-segments, approximately 1.5 microns in length, were prepared from muscles 12, 29, 40 days, and approximately 1 year after hatching. After reaction with monoclonal antibodies specific for neonatal and adult myosins, the A-segments were labelled with gold-conjugated secondary antibodies prior to negative staining. An antibody which cross-reacts with embryonic myosin was used to localize that epitope in A-bands of myofibrils from day 1 and day 3 posthatch muscles. At ages where expression of neonatal myosin was high, extensive gold labelling of A-segments was observed in the electron microscope. However, no preferential distribution of antibodies was observed at any age, independent of whether embryonic or adult myosin was coexpressed with the neonatal myosin, suggesting that neonatal myosin is not segregated to any particular region in the A-bands of developing muscles."}
{"id": "PMID:1491074", "title": "Differences in maximal activation properties of skinned short- and long-sarcomere muscle fibres from the claw of the freshwater crustacean Cherax destructor.", "content": "Single fibres of different sarcomere length at rest have been isolated from the claw muscle of the yabby (Cherax destructor), a decapod crustacean. Fibres of either long (SL > 6 microns) or short (SL < 4 microns) sarcomere length have been mechanically skinned and were maximally activated by Ca2+ and Sr2+ under various experimental conditions (ionic strength, in the presence of 2,3 butanedione monoxime (BDM)) to determine differences in their contractile properties. Isometric force was measured simultaneously with either myofibrillar MgATPase or fibre stiffness in both fibre types. The ultrastructure of individual long- and short-sarcomere fibres was also determined by electron microscopy. The long-sarcomere fibres developed greater tension (30.48 +/- 1.72 N cm-2) when maximally activated by Ca2+ compared with the short-sarcomere fibres (18.60 +/- 0.80 N cm-2). The difference in the maximum Ca(2+)-activated force can be explained by the difference in the amount of filament overlap between the two fibre types. The maximum Ca(2+)-activated myofibrillar MgATPase rate in the short-sarcomere fibres (1.60 +/- 0.27 mmol ATP l-1s-1) was higher, but not significantly different from the ATPase rate in fibres with long-sarcomeres (1.09 +/- 0.14 mmol ATP l-1s-1). As the concentration of myosin is estimated to be higher only by a factor of 1.22 in the short-sarcomere preparations there is no evidence to suggest that the myofibrillar MgATPase activity is different in the long- and short-sarcomere preparations. The maximum Ca(2+)-activated force (P0) of both short- and long-sarcomere fibres was quite insensitive to BDM compared with vertebrate muscle. Force decreased to 60.2 +/- 5.3% and 76.1 +/- 2.7% in the short- and long-sarcomere fibres respectively in the presence of 100 mmol l-1 BDM. The difference in the force depression between the long- and short-sarcomere fibres is statistically significant (p < 0.05). Fibre stiffness during maximum Ca(2+)-activation expressed as percentage maximum force per nm per half sarcomere was higher by a factor of 3.5 in short-sarcomere fibres than in long-sarcomere fibres suggesting that the compliance of the filaments in the long-sarcomere fibres is considerably higher than in the short-sarcomere fibres. Sr2+ could not activate the contractile apparatus to the same level as that seen by Ca2+ in either fibre type: the maximum Sr(2+)-activated force was (20 +/- 3%) and (63 +/- 3%) of the maximum Ca(2+)-activated force response in short- and long-sarcomere fibres, respectively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1491075", "title": "Time course of rise of muscle stiffness at onset of contraction induced by photorelease of ATP.", "content": "Isometric contraction (9-10 degrees C) of skinned fibres from rat psoas muscle was elicited by photorelease of ATP (1.3-1.4 mM), and force (F), in-phase (I) and quadrature (Q) stiffness were monitored. The sinusoidal length change for the stiffness measurement was approximately 0.09% fibre length and 200-1000 Hz. On photolysis, F and I initially fell, and then rose. The half-time of the rise of I was shorter than that of F. Contrary to the previous assumption, Q rose even earlier than I. Although the time courses of the rise of F and I were greatly affected by the presence of phosphate ion (Pi; 4 mM), its effect on Q was modest. We propose the following hypothesis: the rigor crossbridges, after binding ATP, initially enter a state characterized by high Q with low I and none or little F, and then, releasing Pi during passing the state with the increased I, reach the final force generating state."}
{"id": "PMID:1491077", "title": "A survey of local anesthetic usage in pediatric patients by Florida dentists.", "content": "Local anesthetic toxicity in the child dental patient is a concern of the dental profession. A survey of 117 Florida dentists was conducted to determine their local anesthetic practices in treating children. Results indicated that a fifth of the respondents might use local anesthetic levels that could cause potential CNS toxicity in the smaller and younger children they treat. It is the responsibility of the dental profession to recognize the differences in treating this group of patients, and the serious consequences that might occur when maximum recommended levels of local anesthetic are exceeded."}
{"id": "PMID:1491080", "title": "The oral effects of orotracheal intubation in prematurely born preschoolers.", "content": "This cross-sectional study of fifty-two prematurely-born children, ages two to five years, evaluated the long-term effects of oral intubation at birth on palatal architecture, crossbite malocclusion, and enamel structure. Seventy percent showed a high palatal vault, with palatal grooving in 25 percent; 36 percent had enamel defects in the maxillary primary incisors; and 17 percent had posterior crossbites. The mean palatal depth was 12.9 mm, as compared to 11.4 mm for a group of 45 nonintubated, normal healthy children (the difference was significant at alpha = 0.05). There are significant iatrogenic defects from prolonged neonatal intubation with this sample of preschoolers."}
{"id": "PMID:1491079", "title": "Management of aspiration and swallowing incidents: a review of the literature and report of case.", "content": "This article has reviewed aspiration and swallowing incidents in a dental environment with particular emphasis on the young child and the medically, physically and mentally handicapped patient. A thorough review of prevention, signs and symptoms, management and documentation of these incidents has been presented. This review was presented to reaffirm the potential of these incidents and strives to educate the practitioner who treats these special populations. The case report applies reported guidelines for noting signs and symptoms, management and documentation. This case report also affirms the need to check all dental instruments before their use, as a safeguard against possible failure. Current policy for infection control maintains strict guidelines for asepsis. With the increasing use of steam autoclaving and cleansing products, an increased rate of failure may be seen in some instruments. Manufacturers should be contacted for instrument care and sterilization recommendations, as well as projected longevity of the instrument, if their sterilization procedures are followed. The economic implications of replacing instruments because of the protocol for maintaining asepsis will undoubtedly contribute to the rising cost of care. Prevention has been the goal of dentistry for decades and dental emergencies are not excluded. Preparation for such incidents will prevent many incidents and allow for proper patient management should they occur."}
{"id": "PMID:1491086", "title": "Expression of CA 50 in normal human skin: comparative study of CEA and CA 19-9.", "content": "Normal skin specimens from different body sites were estimated for the expression of CA 50 in comparison with CA 19-9 and CEA. Expression of CA 50 and CA 19-9 was observed in the ductal system and a small part of the secretory portion of eccrine units, but never in any other skin components including apocrine units. CEA was expressed on the ductal and a small part of the secretory portion of apocrine units as well as on those of eccrine units. However, the expression pattern and intensity in eccrine units were different from those of CA 50 or CA 19-9. We concluded that CA 50 was strongly expressed in the normal ductal system of eccrine units and hence could be standardized to stain the eccrine ductal portion and that immunohistochemical comparative studies with CA 19-9 or CEA might be a good methodological technique for discriminating an eccrine or apocrine origin for some skin disorders."}
{"id": "PMID:1491078", "title": "Prevalence of hidden caries.", "content": "Clinical evaluations of the first and second permanent molars were compared with radiographic evaluations of the same teeth, for 359 patients (between six and eighteen years old) of the pediatric department of the Academic Centre for Dentistry Amsterdam (ACTA). The teeth were professionally cleaned and dried before the clinical evaluation. Despite the thorough examination, taking into account the fact that all discolorations and/or decalcifications were noted, 15 percent of the teeth that did not show signs of enamel caries clinically, showed a dentine lesion on the bitewing radiograph. These 15 percent of teeth with hidden caries were found in 7.5 percent of the population studied. The absence of clinical signs of occlusal enamel caries or dentine caries does not guarantee a sound dentition. Sealant treatment of teeth that are sound (both clinically and radiographically) is justified, therefore, soon after tooth eruption."}
{"id": "PMID:1491081", "title": "Demographic and psychosocial characteristics of western Pennsylvania school-age tobacco users.", "content": "A 25-item tobacco usage questionnaire was presented to 2,189 subjects in grades 1 through 12 in a school district in Western Pennsylvania. It was found that thirty percent (30 percent) of the subjects were former or current cigarette smokers. Approximately 20 percent of the subjects reported using snuff, while approximately 16 percent reported using chew. Use of smokeless tobacco was found to be associated with such variables as grade level, school grade-average, parents' education, parents' use of tobacco, peer tobacco usage, and participation in certain sports."}
{"id": "PMID:1491087", "title": "Growth and collagen synthesis of cultured neurofibroma fibroblasts.", "content": "Cells from cutaneous neurofibromas of three patients with von Recklinghausen's disease and skin fibroblasts from four healthy adults were cultured. After two passages, DNA and collagen syntheses were determined by measuring incorporation of [3H] thymidine and [3H] proline respectively, and expressed as the values per unit DNA content. These values from neurofibroma cells were increased by 54% in DNA synthesis and 60% (p < 0.05) in nondialyzable hydroxyproline synthesis, suggesting that neurofibroma cells in culture even after several passages still possess those characteristics corresponding to their pathological features in vivo. Collagen synthesized by neurofibroma cells appears to be normal as judged by intracellular degradation rates and SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis."}
{"id": "PMID:1491088", "title": "Effects of malnutrition on development of experimental pressure sores.", "content": "Using food-deprived rabbits we investigated the effects of nutritional deficiency on the development of pressure sores. The body weight of these animals was decreased significantly from normal. Organ weights of liver, heart, spleen, kidney, and testis were significantly decreased from normal as well. Protein deficiency in these animals was indicated by serum tests, as well as by histologic features of liver and testis and ultrastructural findings on fibroblasts. We produced lesions in malnourished as well as normal rabbits by exposing their skin to a balloon-produced compressive force of 120 +/- 10 mmHg for 4 hours. Biopsies were taken 1, 2, and 3 days after the pressure application. Histologic findings at each time were as follows: At day one, the degree of ischemic skin destruction in the malnourished animals was more severe than that in the normal ones, and thrombi were occasionally seen in the malnourished cases. At day two, proliferation of fibroblasts and macrophage infiltration were evidenced in the normal animals, whereas signs of collagen fiber degeneration as well as microthrombi were seen in the malnourished ones. At three days, epidermal cells covered the lesions in the case of normal animals; however, massive necrosis of the epidermis was still recognized in the malnourished rabbits. Thus, the healing process of pressure sores was strongly suppressed in the malnourished animals. This suppression was attributed to the reduction in fibroblast proliferation, capillary formation, macrophage infiltration, and also to the low level of epidermal cell proliferation."}
{"id": "PMID:1491083", "title": "Children are expensive.", "content": "Rearing children is not cheap. Family and socioeconomic costs are explored."}
{"id": "PMID:1491089", "title": "A case of subepidermal blister disease associated with autoantibody against 450 kD protein.", "content": "We report a case of subepidermal blister disease with eruptions distributed on the trunk and extremities. The blisters regressed after administration of corticosteroid and cyclophosphamide. An immunoblot analysis revealed that the patient's serum reacted exclusively with a 450-kD epidermal polypeptide. It did not react with a 230-kD or a 180-kD bullous pemphigoid antigen. The immunofluorescence study showed the patient's serum reacted with the basement membrane zone of human skin."}
{"id": "PMID:1491084", "title": "Tuberculosis: revisited.", "content": "Recent upsurge of tuberculosis (TB) has been reviewed. Clinical features of TB have been briefly described along with possible risk of transmission. Methods for prevention of transmission have been reported, including suggestions pertaining to prevention in the dental office."}
{"id": "PMID:1491090", "title": "Localized basaloid follicular hamartoma.", "content": "We report a 39-year-old Japanese woman with a 30 x 10 mm, skin-colored, soft, hairless, irregularly elevated plaque in the left retroauricular area. Histologically, it consistently showed features of atypical hair follicles; some showed immaturely developed basaloid epithelial islands invaginated with condensed stromal cells, and others were replaced or associated with solid strands, branching cords, or lace-like networks of undifferentiated basaloid cells. Although the clinical appearance of a typical localized basaloid follicular hamartoma is a plaque of alopecia, this case seems to be a variant, because the histological findings are so characteristic of the entity. The relationship of basaloid follicular hamartoma to other hair-follicle derived tumors is also considered."}
{"id": "PMID:1491082", "title": "Gender differences in the characteristics of dental services provided for children.", "content": "The purpose of this project was to describe the differences and similarities in the practice of dentistry for children by male and female dentists. A once-mailed survey with a series of questions regarding the characteristics of their dental practices was sent to a random sample of 3,000 dentists. There were 1,154 useable responses (39 percent). Approximately 8 percent of the respondents were women, which is representative of the percentage of female dentists practicing in the United States. Chi square analysis was employed. There were differences in the practice characteristics of the male and female dentists responding to this survey. The female respondents were: significantly younger; had been in practice for a shorter period of time; more likely to be employees rather than solo practitioners; more likely to treat younger patients; less likely to do comprehensive orthodontic treatment and more likely to use physical restraints than their male counterparts."}
{"id": "PMID:1491091", "title": "BCC-associated amyloidosis with a peculiar pattern of deposition.", "content": "An 83-year-old Japanese woman with lepromatous leprosy had been treated in a leprosarium. More than 10 years ago, she developed a dome-like brown tumor on the dorsum of the nose which showed the histology of basal cell carcinoma. The lesion was a well bordered, rounded tumor with tumor cell nests on its periphery extending toward the center as cords of tumor nest and with amyloid depositions between the cords. The tumor nests and amyloid lessened toward the center of the tumor, being replaced by collagen fibers. Amyloidosis showing this peculiar pattern of transition was reported with a review of published cases."}
{"id": "PMID:1491092", "title": "A rare association of localized gigantism with tuberous sclerosis.", "content": "An unusual association of localized gigantism with hypertrophy of the long bones and soft tissues in the left lower limb in an 18-year-old male with tuberous sclerosis (TS) is reported. The significance of this association is discussed from the point of view of its common neural crest origin during embryogenesis."}
{"id": "PMID:1491093", "title": "Subcorneal pustular dermatosis and IgA multiple myeloma.", "content": "A case of subcorneal pustular dermatosis associated with IgA multiple myeloma is described. The significance of the combination of the two diseases is not yet known, but the association is certainly more than coincidence."}
{"id": "PMID:1491094", "title": "Autoimmune progesterone dermatitis.", "content": "A 35-year-old woman had recurrent urticarial erythemas on her trunk and extremities for 3 years. The eruptions appeared regularly 3 to 5 days prior to menstruation and persisted for several days. The patient showed a positive skin test response to progesterone and had circulating antiprogesterone IgG antibodies. A speculative concept of the possible autoimmune damage to the ovary, the major organ producing progesterone, is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1491095", "title": "Tuberous sclerosis and spina bifida occulta.", "content": "An interesting occurrence of tuberous sclerosis and spina bifida occulta is described, highlighting their unique and previously undescribed association in a 5-year-old boy."}
{"id": "PMID:1491096", "title": "Two patients with solar urticaria manifesting pruritic erythema.", "content": "Two patients with solar urticaria are described. They complained of transient pruritic erythema, but not frank wheal, on sun-exposed areas. However, urticarial wheals were elicited by polychromatic radiation in the ultraviolet and visible light ranges; the action spectra for solar urticaria ranged from 400 to 550 nm in case 1 and from UVA to 550 nm in case 2. In patients manifesting only transient pruritic erythema on sun-exposed areas, phototests are essential for making a confident diagnosis of solar urticaria."}
{"id": "PMID:1491097", "title": "Analytic models for nonlinear curve-fitting of forward-rate binding data, with applications to hemoglobin.", "content": "The experimental procedure of Perrella et al. (1983, J. Biol. Chem. 258, 4511-4517) can reveal most of the intermediate ligation states of hemoglobin either at equilibrium or in a kinetic reaction. In this paper, a model of stepwise ligand binding, under conditions of negligible reverse reaction, is derived with particular attention to hemoglobin. The model leads to a two-phase procedure. First, the ratios of the forward rates are determined by fitting the model to normalized concentrations vs. saturation. Second (optionally), an auxiliary relation is used to deduce the scale factor for the rates that make the model consistent with time information if such is available. The procedure has been applied to hemoglobin binding of the ligands carbon monoxide (this paper) and ferricyanide (manuscript in preparation)."}
{"id": "PMID:1491098", "title": "Characterization of bacterial growth on solid medium with image analysis.", "content": "Alkaliphilic bacterial strains producing the enzyme cyclodextrin glucanotransferase were cultivated on solid agar medium containing an indicator system detecting the enzyme. The growth of the colony and the surrounding diffusion zone, due to the enzyme, were measured by the image analysis during the cultivation. It was possible to differentiate between relatively similar clones by observing quantitatively the changes at and around the colony. Optimal experimental conditions for such measurements are discussed. The image analysis technique provides a potential tool for characterizing microbes grown on solid media."}
{"id": "PMID:1491099", "title": "Cell growth on immobilized cell-growth factor; 4: Interaction of fibroblast cells with insulin immobilized on poly(methyl methacrylate) membrane.", "content": "Insulin was immobilized on the surface-hydrolyzed poly(methyl methacrylate) membrane and the growth acceleration of mouse fibroblast cells, STO, by the immobilized insulin was investigated. It was found that insulin remains immobilized on the surface of nonbiodegradable membrane and interacts specifically with receptors existing on the biological membrane of fibroblast cells. The growth acceleration by immobilized insulin was enhanced by introduction of a spacer arm between insulin and the immobilization matrix. The amount of receptor proteins present on the biological membrane of fibroblast cells after culturing with insulin, immobilized on nonbiodegradable polymer membrane, was much higher than that after culturing with free insulin, implying the suppression of down-regulation in the case of immobilized insulin."}
{"id": "PMID:1491100", "title": "Bioluminescence analysis of NAD(P)H and NAD(P)+ preventing mutual interference by selective nucleotide destruction and enhanced specific light emission.", "content": "Improved bioluminescence analysis of pyridine nucleotides has been designed based on the fact that the luminescence intensity expresses the velocity of the light formation. The bacterial luciferase system is, in principle, composed of two reactions with two different velocities, one for energy supply by the oxidation of NAD(P)H and the other for the subsequent light generation. The rate setting can be arranged such that an emission maximum is produced 30 to 40 s after mixing the sample with the light-yielding solution, hence providing for a convenient analytical performance. The maximal intensity which is easily recorded, e.g., by a tracking volt-meter, is proportional to the concentration of the reduced nucleotide. Discriminative analysis of the various pyridine nucleotides is facilitated by selective destruction of the oxidized forms with alkali and the reduced forms with acid. Erroneous conversion of NAD(P)H to NAD(P)+ may be induced by haemoglobin in a tissue sample but this is prevented by the presence of 2 mM ascorbic acid at the instant of the acidification. Simultaneous coupling of the ongoing reduction of a pyridine nucleotide to the oxidation in the bacterial luciferase system generates a light-yielding cycle which offers important advantages. With NAD(P)+ as the analytic target compound, direct measurement replaces a preceding separate conversion to NAD(P)H. The four nucleotide forms become determinable in a sample by combining selective destruction of either the reduced or oxidized species with a nucleotide-specific reduction in the cycle. Discriminative analyses are furthermore facilitated by the enhanced emission which is due to the energy derived from the continuous specific reduction, whereas initial light signals from side reactions fade out. It is often possible to suppress disturbing analytical errors by the design of the light-yielding cycle. If the rate of the dehydrogenase reactions is kept low compared with the overall rate of the luciferase system, moderately impaired function of some of its components may only give rise to a slight and tolerable decrease in emission intensity. Kinetic evaluations and model experiments are presented and supplemented with applications to tissue samples."}
{"id": "PMID:1491101", "title": "Formation of proline thiohydantoin with ammonium thiocyanate: progress towards a viable C-terminal amino-acid-sequencing procedure.", "content": "Pure amino acid thiohydantoins are required as reference standards for development of C-terminal-sequencing procedures based on thiohydantoin formation of the C-terminal amino acids of peptides and proteins. Proline thiohydantoin was prepared using a straightforward method involving reaction of acetylproline with ammonium thiocyanate. It was characterized by UV spectrophotometry, mass spectrometry and back-hydrolysis to the free amino acid. These data establish unequivocally that the thiocyanate procedure is applicable to proline as well as to the other common amino acids. This work also validates earlier claims that proline thiohydantoin can be prepared by reaction with thiocyanic acid."}
{"id": "PMID:1491102", "title": "Determination of endothelin by an immobilized receptor assay utilizing a 96-well format.", "content": "Bovine cerebellar membranes immobilized on 96-well microtiter plates provide receptors for 125I-labeled endothelin-1 as the basis for a competitive binding assay. Adsorption of the membranes to a surface does not significantly alter the ligand-receptor interaction and reduces non-specific binding to 3-7% of total binding compared to 10-20% for a filtration technique. Considerable savings in reagents are realized since assays can be performed in 100 microliter volumes with only 10-20 micrograms of membrane protein. The 96-well format allows the rapid quantitation of large numbers of samples, and the assay is especially attractive in that it utilizes readily available reagents and equipment without the need for specific antibodies. The endothelin-receptor-based assay may be used to measure conversion of big endothelin-1 to endothelin-1 in aqueous assays. Since the presence of serum does not affect this method, tissue culture medium may be directly analyzed for endothelin production by cultured cells. All three isoforms of endothelin are detected, and the specificity of the receptor is retained since fragments and precursor forms of endothelin are not recognized. In cases where multiple endothelin isoforms may be present or where specificity of binding is in question, this assay may be used in conjunction with high pressure liquid chromatography to distinguish active peptides."}
{"id": "PMID:1491103", "title": "A simple vacuum transfer device for nucleic acids.", "content": "We present a new vacuum device intended for transferring nucleic acids from agarose gels onto hybridization membranes. The apparatus is drawn so that plastic sheets serve as substitutes for the elaborate, but cumbersome and unnecessary, locking systems mounted on all the commercial blotters. This substitution results in (1) a much more easy and rapid set-up of the transfer and (2) a very simple framework allowing the possibility of low-cost manufacturing."}
{"id": "PMID:1491104", "title": "A fluorimetric assay for the effects of cytolytic toxins on the transport properties of resealed erythrocyte ghosts.", "content": "We prepared resealed erythrocyte ghosts loaded with SPQ and chloride. We demonstrated that these membranes were still functional, as they were capable of exchanging anions, most probably through the band-3 protein. When cytolytic toxins (Escherichia coli hemolysin and Staphylococcus aureus alpha-toxin) were offered to the resealed ghosts, the internal SPQ was released. This could be attributed to the formation of toxin-induced ion channels into the ghost membrane that were so large that SPQ could escape through them. This release was actually independent of the anion-exchanging protein, since DIDS had no inhibitory effect on it. Due to their simplicity, and because they do not lyse, erythrocyte ghosts may serve as useful models to study the action of cytolytic pore-forming toxins. To assess the validity of these model membranes we compared results obtained using RBC and resealed erythrocyte ghosts as targets for the toxin, finding complete consistency. Pre-assembled toxin channels could also be studied on the ghosts. Applying different proteolytic enzymes to the external compartment after channel formation, we found that performed E. coli hemolysin pores were at least partially destroyed by enzymatic digestion."}
{"id": "PMID:1491105", "title": "Statistical testing of equality of two break-points in experimental data.", "content": "Two examples in quantitative biology are examined to emphasize the need for two-phase regression models: the osmotic behaviour of cells and the non-linear temperature kinetics of membrane-bound enzyme systems. Existing statistical techniques are inadequate to test the equality of break-points of two data sets for specific reasons. We suggest here a pragmatic solution by way of a computer programme useful in applying two-phase regression models to such data sets wherein a decision needs to be made whether the critical transition differs or not."}
{"id": "PMID:1491106", "title": "Characteristics of sympathetic reflexes evoked by electrical stimulation of phrenic nerve afferents.", "content": "In chloralose-anaesthetized cats, sympathetic reflex responses were recorded in left cardiac and renal nerve during stimulation of afferent fibres in the ipsilateral phrenic nerve. In cardiac nerve, a late reflex potential with a mean onset latency of 75.6 +/- 13.8 ms was regularly recorded which, in 20% of the experiments, was preceded by an early, very small reflex component (latency between 35 and 52 ms). In contrast, in renal nerve only a single reflex component after a mean latency of 122.1 +/- 13.1 ms was observed. Bilateral microinjections of the GABA-agonist muscimol into the rostral ventrolateral medulla oblongata resulted in a nearly complete abolition of sympathetic background activity and in an 88% reduction of the late reflex amplitude with only small effects on the latency of the evoked potentials. Under this condition, an early reflex component was never observed to appear. After subsequent high cervical spinalization, the residual small potentials which persisted after bilateral muscimol injections were completely abolished and in cardiac nerve an early reflex potential with a mean latency of 45 +/- 10 ms was observed in all but one experiment. The early reflex was therefore referred to as a spinal reflex component which, however, is suppressed in most animals with an intact neuraxis. In the renal nerve a spinal response was only observed in one experiment after spinalization. The results suggest that sympathetic reflexes evoked by stimulation of phrenic nerve afferent fibres possess similar spinal and supraspinal pathways as previously described for somato-sympathetic and viscero-sympathetic reflexes.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1491107", "title": "Involvement of dopamine in control of renal blood flow.", "content": "Previous studies have shown that the renal nerve supply in the dog contains a population of dopaminergic vasodilator neurons. In order to obtain more information on the possible physiological functions of these neurons, we examined two situations in which there is existing evidence for active intrarenal vasodilation--the reflex response to coronary artery occlusion and the autoregulatory response to reduced renal perfusion pressure. We were unable to confirm published reports that coronary artery occlusion evokes renal vasodilation. However, our results support the view that dopaminergic nerves participate in maintenance of renal blood flow and glomerular filtration at perfusion pressures around the lower limit of autoregulation."}
{"id": "PMID:1491108", "title": "Additive effects of dopamine and 8-OH-DPAT microinjected into the nucleus ambiguus in eliciting vagal bradycardia in rats.", "content": "The effects of combined microinjection into the nucleus ambiguus (NA) of dopamine (DA) and the 5-hydroxytryptamine-1A (5HT-1A) receptor agonist 8-hydroxy-2-[di-n-propylamino]tetralin (8-OH-DPAT) on arterial pressure (AP) and heart rate (HR) were studied in 24 urethane-anaesthetized, artificially ventilated spinal (C1) rats. Sites from which bradycardia was elicited by microinjection of L-glutamate (GLU) were selected for microinjection of DA and 8-OH-DPAT into the NA. Microinjections of 8-OH-DPAT (60-300 pmol in 10 nl) elicited a dose-dependent bradycardia; the HR responses elicited by microinjection of 300 pmol of 8-OH-DPAT were significantly larger (-34.0 +/- 3.0) than responses elicited by the threshold dose of 60 pmol (-3.1 +/- 0.1 bpm). The onset latency of the HR responses elicited by the 300 pmol of 8-OH-DPAT was 6.5 +/- 0.5 s and the peak was reached in 40.0 +/- 8.0 s. The duration of these responses was 615 +/- 3.5 s. Microinjection of DA (1 nmol in 10 nl) within 3-5 s from the time of 8-OH-DPAT microinjection (60 pmol in 2 nl) into the NA at sites previously shown to elicit decreases in HR following microinjection of GLU, produced significant additive effects in eliciting bradycardia (20.4 +/- 2.9 bpm) when compared with decreases in HR elicited by microinjection of DA (11.1 +/- 1.8 bpm) or of 8-OH-DPAT (3.1 +/- 0.1 bpm) alone. There were no changes in AP after microinjections of DA, 8-OH-DPAT or of these two substances combined.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1491109", "title": "Role of the rostral ventrolateral medulla in the generation of synchronized sympathetic rhythmicities in the rat.", "content": "In artificially ventilated, paralyzed rats anesthetized with Nembutal or urethane, power density spectral analysis (PDS), using direct FFT algorithm, was used to quantify rhythmicities in the sympathetic cervical and lumbar nerves after bilateral microinjections into rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM) of CoCl2 and MgCl2--unspecific synaptic transmission blockers. Later overall sympathetic activity, phrenic nerve discharge, heart rate and arterial blood pressure were recorded. Block of synaptic transmission in RVLM was tested by elimination of sympathoinhibitory or sympathoexcitatory reflex responses to aortic nerve and vagal afferents stimulation respectively. In animals vagotomized with bilateral section of carotid sinus nerve the power in all frequency bands was very significantly reduced to a level not different from that which remained after spinal cord transsection. If carotid baroreceptors were intact, a small peak corresponding to cardiac frequency band persisted. Overall, non-synchronized sympathetic activity and arterial blood pressure increased. All effects were transient, lasted up to 15 min, and could be reproduced several times in one experiment. Respiratory rhythmic activity was unchanged yet respiratory-sympathetic synchronization was abolished. It is concluded that RVLM reticulospinal sympathoexcitatory neurons are responsible for non-synchronized tonic sympathetic activity but are not able to generate synchronized sympathetic rhythms. Synaptic input, presumably inhibitory, either from local neuronal circuits within ventral medulla and/or from other brain stem neuronal circuitries is needed to shape out the flexible pattern of sympathetic oscillations."}
{"id": "PMID:1491110", "title": "Different modes of dampening influence from baroreceptors are determined by the functional organization of the NTS neuronal network.", "content": "Simultaneous recordings of several neurones of the first relay station of baroreceptor afferents show that its general activity-dampening influence is realized via the common brainstem system (CBS) which itself controls the processing on the neurones of the nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS). This feedback system maintains the degree of activity which is necessary for the ongoing behaviour as long as it fits to the environmental situation. The output of the NTS is determined partly by the CBS, partly by the properties of the peripheral afferent input, partly by the dynamic functional organization of the local circuits and partly by influences from other brain areas."}
{"id": "PMID:1491111", "title": "Current data and ideas on digestive sensitivity.", "content": "Remarkable advances have recently been made in the study of visceral sensitivity. Both electrophysiological and histological data emphasize the richness and the complexity of information elicited in the visceral area including the digestive tract. In addition these afferents are largely involved in physiological mechanisms which are not only restricted to the visceral area. The current knowledge of visceral sensitivity leads us to reconsider the classical ideas and concepts previously accepted in this field and raises questions to help gain a better comprehension of sensory physiology in general."}
{"id": "PMID:1491112", "title": "Mesencephalic cuneiform nucleus and its ascending and descending projections serve stress-related cardiovascular responses in the rat.", "content": "The aim of the present study was to explore the neuroanatomic network that underlies the cardiovascular responses of reticular formation origin in the region of the cuneiform nucleus (CNF). The study was performed in urethane anesthetized male Wistar rats. The left iliac artery was supplied with a catheter for the measurement of systemic blood pressure. Low intensity electrical stimulation of the mesencephalic reticular formation (MRF) in the vicinity of the CNF always resulted in pressor and bradycardiac responses, whereas stimulation in the parabrachial nucleus (PB) and K\u00f6lliker-Fuse nucleus (KF) led to a pressor response and a small tachycardiac response. The cuneiform area may be placed in the center of a circuit that serves a specific autonomic response pattern to stress: parallel activation of the sympathetic (pressor response) and parasympathetic limb (bradycardia). The efferent connections of the effective stimulation sites in the MRF and the CNF area, were investigated by anterograde tracing with the lectin Phaseolus vulgaris leucoagglutine (PHA-L). The CNF sends descending fibers to the gigantocellular reticular nuclei (GI), the motor nucleus of the vagus (DMNV) and nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS). These projections are probably involved in the bradycardiac response to stimulation. The descending pathway to the NTS/DMNV and GI may therefore be the parasympathetic limb of the circuit. Furthermore, the CNF sends ascending fibers to limbic forebrain areas and descending fibers to the PB-KF complex. The KF in its turn projects to the rostroventrolateral medullary nucleus (RVLM) and the intermediolateral cell column (IML). These latter projections are partly involved in producing the pressor response and thereby represent the sympathetic limb of the circuit. Accordingly, the transection of the descending fibers from the CNF to the PB-KF complex resulted in a decreased pressor and an increased bradycardiac response. This suggests that a baroreceptor reflex-induced bradycardia which results from blood pressure increase can be excluded as the origin of the stimulation-induced bradycardia, and that the pressor and bradycardiac responses are two independent moieties. It cannot be excluded that ascending fibers from the CNF are also involved in producing the pressor response. On the basis of the present physiological and neuroanatomical study, a brain circuit has been proposed in which the cuneiform nucleus has a central position. The described brain circuit may serve a passive coping strategy to novel, painful or threatening stimuli during which the animals show orientation/attention or freezing behavior accompanied by a bradycardiac and pressor response."}
{"id": "PMID:1491113", "title": "Multiple modes of operation of cardiac autonomic control: development of the ideas from Cannon and Brooks to the present.", "content": "Since Cannon's time much emphasis has been placed on reciprocal control of the organ function by the autonomic nerves while other modes of control has been neglected. In our laboratory, prompted by Dr. Brooks, we initiated the study of the autonomic control of the heart by recording simultaneously the activity of cardiac sympathetic and parasympathetic nerves under a variety of conditions in chloralose anesthetized dogs. We have demonstrated that the central nervous system exercises reciprocal as well as non-reciprocal pattern of control over the two arms of the autonomic outflows under different physiological and behavioral conditions, and that each mode of control has an important functional significance."}
{"id": "PMID:1491114", "title": "Specialized functional pathways are the building blocks of the autonomic nervous system.", "content": "The autonomic nervous system supplies each type of target organ via separate pathways which consist of sets of pre- and postganglionic neurones with distinct patterns of reflex activity. This has been firmly established for the lumbar sympathetic nervous system to skin, skeletal muscle and viscera, for the thoracic sympathetic outflow to the head and for several parasympathetic systems. In principle, that was already known by Langley. The specificity of the messages that these pathways transmit from the central nervous system arises from integration within precisely organized pathways in the neuraxis. The messages travel along discrete functional pathways and are transmitted to the target tissues via close neuroeffector junctions. Integration in the periphery occurs within each pathway, both in ganglia and at the level of the effector organs. We still need to understand how the central messages get through without distortion and how they control the diverse functions of the vasculature and viscera."}
{"id": "PMID:1491115", "title": "The meaning of H2O2 generation in carotid body cells for PO2 chemoreception.", "content": "The rat carotid body is able to generate H2O2 in type-I cells with the aid of an electron-transferring chain with cytochrome b as the major component as it can be detected by spectrophotometry as well as confocal laser-microscopy. This cytochrome b is reducible by hypoxia, but not by cyanide, indicating that it does not participate in the energy production by the respiratory chain. The carotid body possesses a glutathione peroxidase (GPO) which scavenges H2O2 and other organic hydroperoxides. The nervous chemoreceptor discharge can be inhibited by external application of hydroperoxides with a similar half maximal value (60-80 microM) as used to stimulate GPO. A hypothetical signal chain is described which suggests the involvement of cytochrome b as an O2 sensor in PO2 chemoreception of the carotid body and the degradation of H2O2 by glutathione to control the K(+)-conductivity of carotid body cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1491116", "title": "Neuronal mechanisms responsible for ongoing activity of rabbit superior cervical ganglion neurons.", "content": "The action potentials evoked by stimulation of single preganglionic nerve fibres or of single neurons of the ganglion were recorded from postganglionic nerves of rabbit superior cervical ganglion. The averaging technique was used to improve the nerve signal-to-noise ratio. It was found by dividing the area by the area that single preganglionic nerve fibre discharges, as an average, 15 neurons of the ganglion. Action potentials were also recorded from preganglionic nerves, either appearing synchronously with the intracellular spikes recorded during ongoing activity of the ganglion neuron, or being evoked by stimulation of a single preganglionic nerve fibre. It was found by dividing the area by the area that each ongoing spike in the ganglion neuron is preceded by firing, as an average, of three preganglionic nerve fibres. Thus, 45 ganglion neurons are expected to be discharged by a preganglionic volley during their ongoing activity. This number is much lower than that found in our previous experiments (about 100 neurons). The difference suggests that in the majority of the ganglion neurons the ongoing discharges need summation of excitatory effects produced by a few converging preganglionic nerve fibres (multiple input) rather than being evoked by a single preganglionic nerve fibre (single input). Methacine, a selective muscarinic antagonist (0.3-0.5 mg/kg, i.v.), decreased by about 10% the rate of the multiple input-induced ongoing spikes while not affecting the single input-induced ongoing spikes in the ganglion neurons. This effect is probably due to the increase in the duration of after-hyperpolarization observed after the application of methacine.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1491117", "title": "Local cerebral blood flow responses in rats to hypercapnia and hypoxia in the rostral ventrolateral medulla and in the cortex.", "content": "The effects of hypercapnia and hypoxia on two local cerebral blood flows in the parietal cortex (PC-BF) and rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM-BF) were examined using laser Doppler flowmetry in anesthetized rats. Hypercapnia for 45 s duration at the end-tidal CO2 between 5% and 10%, induced by increasing inspiratory CO2, increased both cerebral blood flows and systemic blood pressure in a degree-dependent manner. The response of RVLM-BF was significantly stronger than that of PC-BF. Both cerebral blood flow responses to hypercapnia were not influenced by cutting peripheral chemoreceptor afferent nerves. Hypoxia for 45 s duration at the end-tidal O2 between 12% and 6%, induced by decreasing inspiratory O2, produced an increase of similar magnitude in both RVLM and PC local blood flows in a degree-dependent manner and a decrease in systemic blood pressure. The responses of both PC-BF and RVLM-BF to hypoxia were significantly diminished after cutting peripheral chemoreceptor afferent nerves. It is concluded that: (1) the RVLM-BF is much more sensitive to hypercapnia than the PC-BF; and (2) activation of peripheral arterial chemoreceptors possibly contributes to hypoxia-induced increase in the RVLM-BF and PC-BF."}
{"id": "PMID:1491118", "title": "Electrophysiological study on the vagal innervation of the adrenal gland in the rat.", "content": "Action potentials evoked by stimulation of the ventral or dorsal subdiaphragmatic vagal nerve trunks were recorded from the adrenal branch of the splanchnic nerve in the urethane-anesthetized rat. Action potentials were clearly demonstrated after averaging over 50 times by a computer. In some experiments action potentials evoked by stimulation of the adrenal branch of the splanchnic nerve were observed in the celiac branch of the vagus nerve. The observations indicate the existence of a nervous pathway from the ventral and dorsal subdiaphragmatic vagus nerve to the adrenal gland, and the conduction velocities (0.32-0.91 m/s) suggest that the majority of the nerve fibers belong to the non-myelinated C-fiber group."}
{"id": "PMID:1491119", "title": "Delayed puberty in uremia: pituitary-gonadal function during short-term pulsatile luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone administration.", "content": "Pubertal development is frequently delayed or disordered in children with chronic renal failure. Both neuroendocrine and peripheral alterations due to uremia have been hypothesized to explain the impairment in the pituitary gonadal axis. The aim of the present study was to evaluate quantitative (immunological) and qualitative (biological) LH secretion, as well as FSH and sex steroids, before and during 7 days of sc LHRH administration (136-150 ng/kg bw every 120 min) in 5 uremic children (13.1-14.8 yr) with delayed puberty. Six nonuremic children (13.2-17.8 yr) with delayed puberty underwent the same schedule and served as control group. On day 0 mean immunoreactive LH (I-LH) levels were higher in uremic (4.5 +/- 0.9 mIU/ml) than in nonuremic (1.9 +/- 03 mIU/ml; p < 0.05) subjects while no differences were observed in bioactive LH (B-LH) levels (2.9 +/- 0.7 mIU/ml vs 2.4 +/- 0.3 mIU/ml). In both groups of subjects testosterone was at prepubertal levels. Spontaneous I-LH and B-LH pulses were observed sporadically in both uremic and nonuremic subjects. Short-term pulsatile LHRH administration induced significant increases in B-LH, I-LH, FSH and testosterone. The B/I LH ratio increased from day 0 (0.7 +/- 0.2) to day 7 (1.3 +/- 0.4; p < 0.05) in uremics while it showed wide fluctuations in nonuremic subjects. On day 7, 4 uremic and 5 nonuremic subjects showed a pulsatile release of B-LH after exogenous LHRH pulses. Our data document that in uremia there are qualitative as well as quantitative abnormalities in pituitary gonadal secretion.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1491120", "title": "Immunohistochemical detection of estrogen and progesterone receptors in the normal urinary bladder and in pseudomembranous trigonitis.", "content": "According to recent studies showing the presence of estrogens receptors (ERs) in the human female lower urinary tract, we performed ER and progesterone receptor (PR) assays in fresh frozen and paraffin embedded biopsies taken from the urinary bladder. Fourteen females undergoing endoscopy during staging for gynecological cancer (endometrium, cervix, ovary) and 15 women complaining of recurrent abacterial cystitis (pseudomembranous trigonitis) were enrolled in the study as Group 1 and Group 2, respectively. After informed consent, they were submitted to cystoscopy, during which two biopsies were taken: one on the trigonum and the other on the bladder lateral wall. ERs were identified in both groups only in the trigonum (7/14 patients in Group 1 and 8/15 in Group 2), whereas the bladder lateral wall always stained negative. PRs were found at both sites in both groups (11/14 cases on the trigonum and 7/14 on the bladder lateral wall in Group 1; 11/15 and 2/15 respectively in Group 2). Morphological localization of PRs showed intense omogeneous staining in the nuclei of the stromal fibroblasts too. A clear correspondence between the presence of steroid receptors at the squamous metaplasia of the trigonum was observed. These data are discussed speculating about a possible endocrine pathogenesis of pseudomembranous trigonitis."}
{"id": "PMID:1491121", "title": "Effects of the administration of thyroid hormone on the plasma levels of atrial natriuretic peptides and on atrial myoendocrine cells in the rat: an immunochemical, ultrastructural, and stereological study.", "content": "The effects of an altered thyroidal status on the levels of immunoreactive (ir-) atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) in serum and in the right and left atria, as well as on the subcellular structures of atrial myoendocrine cells were explored in groups of male Sprague Dawley rats given the vehicle or triiodothyronine in the toxicological dose-range (50 micrograms/100 g bw/day) for 0,5, 1,2,4,7 or 14 days. Plasma levels of ir-ANP were 30% higher in T3-treated rats compared with controls at 0,5 and 1 day after hormone administration and then decreased to levels 30-40% lower than controls at days 2 and 4 to rise again above control values on day 7 and 14. Atrial ir-ANP levels decreased at first both in the right and in the left atria with different latencies (1 and 2 days, respectively) and rose back towards control levels by day 4. Changes in the numerical density of specific granules followed a parallel temporal pattern. An increased in the individual volume of the granules followed was also observed. Investigation into the circulatory effects of T3 administration showed that the heart rate was increased by hour 12 after hormone administration (simultaneously with the early rise in plasma ir-ANP levels) and that blood pressure was increased by day 2.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1491122", "title": "Nocturnal prolactin pulses in relation to luteinizing hormone and thyrotropin.", "content": "The two hypothalamic releasing factors, luteinizing hormone releasing hormone (LHRH) and thyrotropin releasing hormone (TRH), have been shown to stimulate pituitary prolactin (PRL) release as well as their respective pituitary hormones, luteinizing hormone (LH) and thyrotropin (TSH). In this study the influence of LH and TSH regulatory mechanisms on nocturnal PRL secretion was investigated by evaluating whether the coincidence of PRL with LH and TSH pulses occurred more frequently than would be expected if the hormone generators were not coupled. Thirty night studies were conducted in twelve healthy male subjects. Six subjects underwent 3 studies and 6 subjects 2 studies. Blood was collected into aliquots at 10 min intervals throughout the night and plasma concentrations of PRL, TSH, and LH were determined. From the plasma profiles, hormone secretory rates were calculated using a method of deconvolution. Significant plasma and secretory hormone pulses were identified by a peak detection computer program. For statistical analysis the night studies of each subject were concatenated. Concomitance between the plasma pulses of both TSH and LH with PRL was insufficient to reject the null hypothesis of random coincidence. An increase in the number of subjects demonstrating significant coincidence between the hormone pulses was obtained when secretory pulses were analysed. Seven of the 12 and 10 of the 12 subjects showed significant concomitance between PRL and respectively TSH and LH. This proportion was sufficient to confirm copulsatility between PRL and LH. These results suggest that LH regulatory mechanisms are involved in the generation of the nocturnal pulsatile PRL profile, TRH may also play a role in the secretion of PRL at a central level, but was not reflected in the plasma or secretory profiles because of other overriding regulatory factors."}
{"id": "PMID:1491123", "title": "Visual evoked potentials in hypothyroid and hyperthyroid patients before and after achievement of euthyroidism.", "content": "Thyroid hormone deficiency is frequently associated with central nervous system (CNS) disturbances such as mental retardation, convulsions, coma etc. Studies of quantitative changes in CNS in hypo- or hyperthyroidism are scarce. Evoked potentials is a good method of assessing the electrical response of the brain to different (visual, acoustic, somatosensory) stimuli and has been used extensively in the study of brain disturbances and to a lesser degree in metabolic diseases. We studied the visual evoked potentials (latency and amplitude) in 12 patients with hyperthyroidism and 15 patients with hypothyroidism, before treatment and after they became euthyroid. Four of the hyperthyroids (33%) had abnormally prolonged (> 104 msec) latencies before therapy. Two of them had clinical exophthalmos. No change was observed after euthyroidism was achieved. On the contrary 7 out of 15 (47%) hypothyroids had abnormally prolonged latencies which became normal in 4 when euthyroidism was achieved. Amplitude was lower than normal in 6 and became normal only in one of them after treatment. None of the hyperthyroid patients had amplitude changes. In conclusion, hypothyroid patients may have changes in the amplitude and/or the latency of visual evoked potentials which are reversible to a great extent with thyroxine. Evoked potentials is another method of studying in humans the metabolic effects of thyroxine deficiency in CNS."}
{"id": "PMID:1491124", "title": "Lack of any estrogenic effect of ipriflavone in postmenopausal women.", "content": "Estrogen replacement therapy (ERT) has been demonstrated to prevent osteoporosis in postmenopausal women (PMW). However, several contraindications exist for ERT and many PMW cannot be treated. It has also been shown that too low doses of ERT are able to exert therapeutical effects on some climacteric symptoms but not on bone and compounds exerting synergic actions with ERT on bone without effects on other organs could be useful. The isoflavone derivative, ipriflavone, seems to have this effect but data are lacking on its endocrine effect in humans; thus, this study was undertaken to clarify in PMW whether ipriflavone exerts estrogenic activity. Evaluation of LH and FSH secretion during a 24-h period was performed in a group of 15 PMW after a single oral dose of 600 or 1,000 mg of ipriflavone or placebo, and after 7, 14 and 21 days of oral treatment with ipriflavone 600 mg and 1,000 mg/daily, administered in three divided doses. LH secretion was also evaluated during naloxone infusion before and after 21 days of ipriflavone, placebo or conjugated estrogen treatment (0.625 mg/day; CE). LH response to NAL treatment was absent during ipriflavone and placebo such as it was observed before treatments. By contrast, a significant increase of LH plasma levels was measured during naloxone infusion in CE-treated women. This result demonstrates that ipriflavone is unable to exert the same effects that estrogens do in PMW. In addition, no changes like in placebo group were seen on vaginal cytology in this group of subjects after 21 days, whereas a significant increase of superficial vaginal cells was observed after 21 days of CE treatment.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1491125", "title": "Increased arterial and venous plasma noradrenaline levels in patients with primary hypothyroidism during hypothyroid as compared to euthyroid state.", "content": "The use of venous plasma noradrenaline levels as a marker of general sympathetic tone has been questioned as changes in local sympathetic activity may influence the venous levels. To compare arterial and venous plasma noradrenaline levels in patients with primary hypothyroidism, arterial and venous blood were sampled during strictly standardized conditions during hypothyroid and euthyroid states. The patients were hospitalized for 5 days at a metabolic ward on a standardized sodium and potassium intake. On the fourth day catheters were positioned in the axillary artery and vein. Blood samples were drawn simultaneously for noradrenaline and adrenaline determinations during resting conditions. The arterial and venous plasma noradrenaline levels did not differ significantly, neither during hypothyroidism nor during euthyroidism. The arteriovenous difference in plasma adrenaline was similar during hypothyroidism compared to euthyroidism, indicating similar peripheral extraction rate of catecholamines during hypothyroidism as compared to euthyroidism. During hypothyroidism venous and arterial noradrenaline were significantly higher as compared to euthyroidism. In conclusion, there is no difference between arterial and venous noradrenaline levels either in the hypothyroid or the euthyroid state, and the peripheral extraction rate of plasma noradrenaline seems to be similar in hypothyroidism and euthyroidism. The local contribution of noradrenaline from the arm, reflecting local sympathetic nervous activity, is limited during resting conditions. In hypothyroid patients plasma noradrenaline levels are increased as compared to the euthyroid state, indicating increased general sympathetic activity in hypothyroidism."}
{"id": "PMID:1491126", "title": "Cervical pheochromocytoma: a rare localization and a difficult diagnosis.", "content": "A 45-year-old hypertensive female with insulin-treated diabetes mellitus presented to our clinic with elevated urinary norepinephrine (NE) concentrations and a negative 131-metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) scintigraphy, errouneously limited to the abdomen, for evaluation of a pheochromocytoma (Pheo). Despite antihypertensive medications blood pressure remained highly variable and frequently elevated. Further biochemical testing, including a glucagon provocation test and a clonidine-suppression test, revealed autonomous NE secretion. In order to avoid repeat MIBG-scintigraphy, other non invasive imaging techniques were performed, including real time sonography (7.5 MHz) of the neck which revealed a tumor. Fine needle aspiration of this tumor tissue demonstrated cells compatible with Pheo. Histology and immunohistochemistry of the excised tumor confirmed the diagnosis of Pheo. After surgical removal of the tumor, urinary and plasma NE levels normalized. Without any medication the blood pressure of the patient was now only slightly hypertensive. Only half of the daily insulin dose was needed to maintain the patient euglycemic."}
{"id": "PMID:1491127", "title": "Hypercalcemia associated with dysregulation of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D in arthritis.", "content": "We describe an elderly man who presented with hypercalcemia associated with suppressed intact parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels. Despite renal insufficiency the circulating 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25(OH)2D) was in the upper part of the normal range. Known causes of hypercalcemia were absent and mild hypercalcemia with suppression of intact PTH persisted until after bilateral hip replacement for severe arthritis (1 year after presentation). After hip replacement the ionized calcium normalized, intact PTH normalized, and 1,25(OH)2D decreased markedly. We believe the abnormalities in mineral homeostasis were related to production of 1,25(OH)2D by inflammatory mononuclear cells associated with arthritis."}
{"id": "PMID:1491128", "title": "Growth hormone deficiency throughout puberty.", "content": "Growth during puberty does not appear to be the major determinate of final height in isolated GH deficient patients. Early diagnosis and commencement of therapy are probably the most important factors, as reflected by the correlation between final height and height at the onset of puberty. The cost effectiveness of increasing the dose of GH during puberty does not appear to represent any advantage from the data presently available. Indeed, such an approach may have a deleterious effect on final height by shortening the duration of pubertal maturation. Further prospective studies are required to demonstrate the effectiveness of manipulating the onset and duration of puberty using gonadotrophin releasing hormone analogues on final height in isolated GH deficiency."}
{"id": "PMID:1491129", "title": "[Fetal growth retardation: physiopathology. Review of the literature].", "content": "Fetal hypotrophy or intrauterine growth retardation is an important cause of fetal and neonatal mortality and a real cause of iatrogenic prematurity. When pregnancy is progressing normally there are histological changes in the spiral arteries with an equilibrium between the endothelial prostacyclin and platelet thromboxane on the one part and peroxides and Vitamin E on the other part. This allows uteroplacental circulation to flow rapidly and at a low pressure. Furthermore immunological tolerance of the mother's system in the relationship to her embryo plays a part in bringing about this special haemodynamic state. The physiopathology of retarded growth stemming from the blood vessels brings into play multiple mechanisms. The first cause is a defect in placentation which is shown up as insufficient trophoblastic invasion in the second stage. This brings about endothelial dysfunction with disappearance of the normal equilibrium of the prostaglandins and an alteration in the physiological equilibrium between the peroxides and a natural antagonist, which is vitamin E. Immunological disturbances have also been considered following studies on the immunohistochemistry and with the frequent association of obstetrical vascular complications together with phospholipid specific autoantibodies."}
{"id": "PMID:1491130", "title": "[The value of color Doppler ultrasound in the diagnosis of breast tumors].", "content": "A prospective study was performed in 102 patients, including 40 malignant tumors (13 subclinical), to evaluate colour Doppler in breast tumours. All patients had abnormalities that led to their selection for this study. 92 patients had a mammographic examination. 10% of malignant tumours were not detected by mammography. Mammographic abnormalities without any ultrasonographic confirmation were excluded from this series. All the lesions have been proven by cytology or histology. In the assessment of malignancy only one false negative and two false positive results were obtained. The sensitivity and specificity of colour Doppler are both of 97% with radiate vessels beneath the tumour and intratumoral vessels as malignant criteria. This non invasive method should be performed in lesions with tissue ultrasonographic appearances even before fine needle puncture. So it may be possible to select more surgical indications considering an ultrasonographic abnormality atypical, subclinic or post-therapeutic (radiotherapy or surgery)."}
{"id": "PMID:1491131", "title": "[Immunologic aspects of endometriosis].", "content": "Endometriosis is thought to result from implantation of endometrial tissue swept back into the pelvic cavity during menstruation, or from coelomic metaplasia of the peritoneum. Yet not all women with menstrual reflux develop endometriosis. The authors present and analyse the arguments in favour of immune system involvement in the physiopathology of this frequent disease. A knowledge of the antigens that have been recognized and of the operative mechanisms will probably make it possible to understand better the repercussions of endometriosis on fertility, to develop diagnostic methods less traumatic than those available at present and to modulate treatments and improve their effectiveness."}
{"id": "PMID:1491132", "title": "[Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome during in vitro fertilization stimulations. Comparison between the experience of the Center for Medically Assisted Procreation of the Saint Antoine maternity department and a review of the literature].", "content": "The authors present their experience with the severe ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome when they were using stimulation for IVF and ET and they compare it with the literature. Over a period of 23 months. 154 stimulations were carried out using a long protocol associated with a CnRH agonist and hMG. 142 vaginal aspirations were carried out. The clinical pregnancy rate was 19% per aspiration and 21.9% per transfer. Of the 142 patients who were aspirated five had severe ovarian hyperstimulation with a favourable outcome. The authors suggest a physiopathological comparison for ovarian hyperstimulation and the management to be carried out when this complication occurs. They emphasise how potentially serious this complication is and that there has been no physiopathological explanation for its recrudescence since GnRH agonist have started to be used."}
{"id": "PMID:1491133", "title": "[Langerhans-cell histiocytosis of the vulva. General review and a case history].", "content": "Localisation of Langerhans' cell histiocytosis (HCL) is rare. In solitary form the prognosis for this pathology is good, if the tumour occurs in a woman of 36 years of age. (In this case the woman's age was 91) The appearances may be misleading clinically. The diagnosis is made by histological examination of P-S 100 positive cells and by finding Birbeck's granules on electron microscopy. Treatment may be surgical or as in our case medical."}
{"id": "PMID:1491134", "title": "[Hysterectomy and intraepithelial neoplasia of the lower female genital tract].", "content": "Delimiting the place of hysterectomy in cases of lower genital tract intraepithelial neoplasias in women. The laser and colposcopy centre (CCL) of a maternity unit in Lausanne in the Vaudois University Hospital Centre (CHUV). THE TYPE OF STUDY: Retrospective on 1,303 patients between 1986 and 1990. THE SUBJECTS AND TREATMENT: 853 cases of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) and 79 cases of vaginal intraepithelial neoplasia (VAIN) were treated with CO2 laser. The situations in which hysterectomy could be considered in the course of treatment are discussed. They are: 1) Dysplasia persisting after treatment, 2) when pathological tissue is found on examining slides from conisation specimens, 3) micro-invasive carcinoma, 4) post-operative obstructive stenosis. The multiple location of dysplasia lesions of the lower genital tract was calculated for all the patients examined. It shows that hysterectomy itself will be insufficient to remove all dysplasias since frequently (9.2%) of lesions are found in the vagina in cases that have dysplasia of the cervix. Residual lesions after hysterectomy are shown up by VAIN which are responsible for the persistence of changes in the control smears (in which there were 9 cases of VAIN3 after hysterectomy in this series). Treatment therefore is hazardous and only poorly successful because the site of these lesions is often hidden in the scar through the top of the vagina. Furthermore their discovery in uncertain since there is a tendency at present to avoid out cytological screening of these patients once they have undergone hysterectomy. The high incidence of multifocal lesions and the possibility that is very real of residual dysplasia after hysterectomy has made the authors limit the place of hysterectomy in these cases, preferring to use conservative treatments and emphasizing the need to continue cytological controls for after treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1491135", "title": "[Hematoma of the rectus abdominis muscle. Incident or accident of laparoscopy: A case report].", "content": "Laparoscopy can lead to complications in the abdominal wall, usually benign in outcome, including damage to an umbilical or epigastric vessel. A few simple rules can be drawn up to avoid (but not always) this type of accident. The treatment of this complication and the prognosis is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1491136", "title": "[Peritonitis due to a suppurating urachal cyst in a young woman. Review of the literature].", "content": "Peritonitis caused by a suppurating urachal cyst in a young woman. A review of the literature. Urachal cysts are not rare but occur much more often in children. In adults they may become infected and cause clinical symptoms including sub-umbilical mid-abdominal pain, fever, guarding and leukocytosis. Intraperitoneal rupture is rare (21 published cases) and only 7 cases have involved an adult female patient. The authors report the case of a 27 year old woman with peritonitis caused by rupture of a suppurating urachal cyst. 6 cm in diameter, for which the diagnosis had been established by pre-operative ultrasound. The surgical procedure carried out was total excision of the urachus, of the fascia between the umbilicus and the bladder, and partial excision of the dome of the bladder. Indeed total excision should have been carried out because of the risk of malignant degeneration of this mass to an adenocarcinoma."}
{"id": "PMID:1491137", "title": "[Cost effectiveness analysis of prenatal screening of trisomy 21 by maternal serum markers (hCG)].", "content": "Introduction of maternal serum markers for prenatal screening of Down's syndrome leads to a redefinition of the criteria used for identifying at risk women (i.e. in France, mainly based on maternal age of 38 and over). Effectiveness and costs of prenatal screening of Down's syndrome using such maternal serum markers will vary depending on the biological cut-off values defined, at each maternal age, to identify the population of pregnant women that will be sent to amniocentesis. On the basis of the first French prospective study of the use of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) measurement in maternal serum as a predictor of an increased risk of Down's syndrome, this paper shows that a screening policy combining maternal age with hCG measurement is more cost-effective than screening on the basis of maternal age alone. However, final decisions about hCG cut-off values should take into account the complex ethical dilemmas involved, especially the potential consequences of \"false positives\" and \"false negatives\", of this marker."}
{"id": "PMID:1491138", "title": "[Ectasia of the umbilical recess during the antenatal period. 3 case reports].", "content": "Having found three cases of ectasia of the umbilical recess in the antenatal period we decided to review the embryology and the ultrasound of the anatomy of the portal system. We consider that this is a normal anatomic variant of the portal system because the lesion is asymptomatic and regresses spontaneously."}
{"id": "PMID:1491139", "title": "[Ultrasonic diagnosis of a hereditary multiple malformation syndrome: Meckel-Gruber syndrome or Carpenter-Hunter syndrome].", "content": "Concerned by 2 cases of a recurring multiple fetal malformation syndrome in a consanguineous couple, the authors present the ultrasonic, clinical and paraclinical data that, when introduced into a computerised prenatal diagnostic programme, suggest a Meckel-Gruber or Carpenter-Hunter syndrome. The discovery of single or multiple fetal malformations requires not only complete echographic assessment, but also detailed post-abortum examination to allow optimal use of diagnostic aid programmes."}
{"id": "PMID:1491140", "title": "[Varicella in pregnancy after the 20th week of amenorrhea].", "content": "We report five cases of varicella pneumonia among ten otherwise healthy pregnant women who were admitted in our hospital between 1986 and 1991 with chickenpox. The precise frequency of this rare complication is not well known actually but analysis of the literature shows that the mortality rate is about 20%. Beside the problem of the fetal varicella syndrome, the other complication is the severe varicella of the neonate which can appear when varicella occurs in the mother within 5 days before, and 2 days after delivery. When primary varicella infection occurs during pregnancy clinical examination must be repeated for a week after occurring of the exanthema to find elements of severity significance. Acyclovir is the drug of choice (10 to 15 mg/kg every 8 hours) for 7 days when pneumonia is present. Varicella-zoster immunoglobulin is useful for prophylaxis and for neonates with high risk of severe varicella."}
{"id": "PMID:1491141", "title": "[Prematurity due to medical decisions. Analysis of a retrospective study of 18 maternity hospitals in the periphery of Paris].", "content": "We have analysed induced prematurity in a retrospective study of 18 maternity hospitals located in the area of Paris: the Ile-de-France. The rate of induced prematurity was 1.4%, whereas the total rate of prematurity in our study was of 4.6% for a total number of 16,337 deliveries. The great majority of those medically induced prematurity was decided at and after 33 weeks, and the main cause was intrauterine growth retardation. Caesarean section was performed in 60% of the cases."}
{"id": "PMID:1491142", "title": "[Cerebral aneurysms and pregnancy: 4 cases].", "content": "Haemorrhagic cerebral accidents are the commonest neurosurgical diagnoses made in pregnancy. The state of pregnancy makes it more likely that an arterial or an arteriovenous aneurysm will rupture and this is the principal cause of most haemorrhages. They occur more often in primiparae in the third trimester of pregnancy. The clinical picture is classical. The conformation of the diagnosis is made by scanning and angiography. The main differential diagnosis is eclampsia. Neurosurgical treatment should be carried out immediately whenever possible in order to avoid the two great risks that follow, namely recurrence of haemorrhage and secondly ischaemia. As far as the obstetric side is concerned, Caesarean section would only be indicated if: the clinical state of the mother is severe with coma and brain stem damage when the child is viable, if there is symptomatic vascular malformation diagnosed at term, if there is haemorrhagic arteriovenous malformation which is highly liable to occur and cannot be operated on without risks for the child if viable, if, finally, the interval between the surgical treatment of the condition and labour is less than 8 days. In all other cases a vaginal delivery is preferable under epidural anaesthetic which should be given if medical induction is carried out, and where instrumental delivery is being carried out systematically, unless radical treatment is being performed. The prognosis which is, in spite of all steps that may be taken, poor, depends on the initial neurosurgical stage and the nature of the causes of lesion and the possibilities of treatment.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1491143", "title": "[Hydrocephalus with cerebrospinal fluid shunts and pregnancy: 2 cases].", "content": "During pregnancy 50% of all cases with a ventriculo-peritoneal shunt malfunction. This is because of anatomo-physiological changes associated with the pregnant state, and shows itself as a rise in intracranial tension. There were no acute neurological complications at term; with the malfunction of the shunt distally, vaginal delivery is preferable. It is not necessary routinely to carry out instrumental delivery."}
{"id": "PMID:1491144", "title": "[Sub-capsular hematoma of the liver during pregnancy: a case report].", "content": "A sub-capsular haematoma of the liver is a rare but very serious complication of pregnancy. We report a case of a primipara whose pregnancy was first complicated by hypertension, then by a haematoma of the liver at the 28th week of amenorrhoea. It was diagnosed because of the clinical symptoms associated with the hypertension and a pain in the right hypochondrium and nausea. The diagnosis of haematoma of the liver was made before rupture and confirmed by ultrasound of the liver and by tomodensitometry made it possible to avoid operating on the liver during the laparotomy that was carried out to terminate the pregnancy. Regular X-ray follow-ups showed that the lesion had regressed in six months. MRI investigation of the parenchyma of the liver showed no cause of the lesions. If there is even the slightest suspicion of a haematoma of the liver in pregnancy, ultrasound nowadays should be carried out because it is indispensable to make the diagnosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1491145", "title": "[Obstetrical prognosis of gestational pemphigoid. Study of a series of 13 cases and review of the literature].", "content": "Pemphigoid gestationis (PG) Herpes Gestationis (HG) is an auto-immune bullous dermatosis which usually occurs in pregnancy. We have studied the maternal and fetal prognosis of this pathological condition. Thirteen cases were reported at the same time by the departments of dermatology and obstetrics of the Charles-Nicolle Hospital between 1980 and 1990. Two women were not followed up. In the remaining eleven there was one intrauterine fetal death and one intrauterine fetal growth retardation (IUGR). One case was delivered prematurely because of obstetric indications. Four infants were delivered by Caesarean section on purely obstetrical indications. The other cases were delivered normally. There were no dermatological lesions or other malformations in the infants. Immediately after delivery ten women showed exacerbation of the skin lesions and most of these were treated by general corticotherapy. Our results were compared with those found in the literature. The prognosis differs according to different authors but in order to avoid any risks the condition must be followed carefully by obstetricians and dermatologists and laboratories working together."}
{"id": "PMID:1491149", "title": "Impact of operator technique and device on infrared emission detection tympanic thermometry.", "content": "Preliminary data on the use of infrared emission detection (IRED) tympanic thermometers suggest that operator technique may be important in IRED readings. No systematic investigation of specific technique and available IRED devices has previously been performed. In a prospective, blinded trial, 40 healthy adult subjects using six IRED thermometers with two techniques were examined in random sequence. Differences between IRED tympanic, oral, and rectal temperatures were compared using ANOVA. Significant differences were observed between all temperatures, the IRED devices, and the method of probe insertion. Differences between oral or rectal temperatures and IRED tympanic readings were reduced by an ear tug (as for routine otoscopy) for all but one device. An \"ear tug\" results in increased IRED readings that may improve accuracy of tympanic thermometers using IRED."}
{"id": "PMID:1491150", "title": "Enalapril-induced cough in the emergency department.", "content": "A case of enalapril-induced cough is reported. In the Emergency Department, the patient initially was misdiagnosed with bronchial asthma and, later, with early congestive heart failure, despite normal physical examination and investigations. The cough subsided within 5 days of cessation of enalapril. It is important to recognize this side effect in patients taking enalapril."}
{"id": "PMID:1491148", "title": "Determination of prehospital blood glucose: a prospective, controlled study.", "content": "To determine if emergency medical personnel can effectively rule out hypoglycemia in the prehospital setting. During a 10-week period, emergency medical personnel determined the fingerstick glucose on all prehospital patients with altered mental status using the Chemstrip bG. Statistical comparisons were made to serum glucose levels performed by hospital laboratory personnel on blood samples obtained prior to glucose administration. A serum glucose level less than 60 mg/dL was considered a positive test for hypoglycemia. 170 consecutive patients with altered mental status (AMS) ranging in age from 13 to 90 years were enrolled. Of these patients, 158 were normal or hyperglycemic, 12 were hypoglycemic, and one patient was hypoglycemic but had only a borderline negative fingerstick test. Thus, a sensitivity of 91.7% and a negative predictive value of 99.3% were obtained. The specificity was 92.4%, and positive predictive value was 47.8%. The Chemstrip bG may be used safely in the prehospital setting to rule out hypoglycemia."}
{"id": "PMID:1491153", "title": "Fat embolism syndrome in a child with muscular dystrophy.", "content": "Fat embolism syndrome is a relatively common complication of orthopedic trauma. Once thought to be rare in children, it probably occurs with a similar frequency as in adults, but is often subclinical. Clinically apparent fat embolism syndrome may exhibit neurologic, pulmonary, and cutaneous manifestations. It often resolves without sequelae if it is recognized promptly and supportive treatment is provided. We present a pediatric case of fat embolism syndrome and review the literature on its diagnosis and management in children."}
{"id": "PMID:1491152", "title": "Atlanto-occipital dislocation.", "content": "Reported is the case of a 29-year-old woman who sustained an atlanto-occipital dislocation (AOD). This patient survived the initial resuscitation to expire some 72 hours later. Survival of patients with AOD is being reported with increasing frequency and with good neurologic recovery in many cases. Emergency physicians should be aware of this injury and the methods of initial evaluation and stabilization in order to maximize the potential for patients with these serious injuries. Radiographic features of AOD are outlined and the potential hazards of longitudinal traction are emphasized."}
{"id": "PMID:1491154", "title": "Infant botulism: a case series and review of the literature.", "content": "Little has been written about infant botulism in the emergency medicine literature, despite increasing references in the pediatric journals. We describe three cases diagnosed at The Children's Hospital in Denver, Colorado, over an 8-month period. A review of the literature follows, to discuss the clinical manifestations, differential diagnosis, diagnostic workup and treatment of the disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1491151", "title": "Emergency medical recognition and management of idiopathic anaphylaxis.", "content": "Idiopathic anaphylaxis (IA) is a diagnosis of exclusion that is made when no identifiable causative factors can be found for an episode of anaphylaxis. IA is a potentially life-threatening disease that is the result of a nonimmunologic mast cell activation syndrome. Acute presentation and treatment of these patients is most often in the emergency department and is clinically the same as anaphylaxis from allergens. Since these episodes are unpredictable and often recurrent, these patients are at risk of death if not identified on acute presentation and managed appropriately. As an increasing number of patients are being diagnosed with IA, they will be presenting to emergency departments with initial and recurrent episodes of IA. Therefore, increased awareness of IA and coordinated care is needed so that the morbidity and mortality of this potentially fatal disease can be kept at a minimum."}
{"id": "PMID:1491155", "title": "Cocaine-associated dissection of the thoracic aorta.", "content": "Patients present to emergency departments with a variety of complications related to cocaine abuse. Emergency physicians must be aware of the life- and limb-threatening complications to avoid undue mortality and morbidity. We present the case of a patient with aortic dissection who developed the acute onset of abdominal pain 5 minutes after subcutaneous cocaine use. Four previous reports of cocaine-associated aortic dissection are reported in the literature. These cases and other reports of intra-abdominal vascular injuries related to cocaine use are reviewed. Cocaine's mechanism of action as it relates to aortic dissection and some of the pharmacologic agents available for treatment are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1491156", "title": "Techniques of nasotracheal intubation with the fiberoptic bronchoscope.", "content": "When nasotracheal intubation with a fiberoptic bronchoscope is performed, the tube may be blocked in the nasal cavity or larynx, resulting in several complications including epistaxis and hoarseness. We review the causes and complications of tube blockage and discuss optimal techniques for minimizing it."}
{"id": "PMID:1491157", "title": "Magnesium: clinical considerations.", "content": "Magnesium is gaining recognition as a clinically important electrolyte. Hypomagnesemia has been associated with a variety of disorders including seizures, malignant ventricular dysrhythmias, and sudden death. The emergency department patients who are most likely to be magnesium deficient include alcoholics, patients who take diuretics, and those in diabetic ketoacidosis. Hypokalemia and hypocalcemia may represent unrecognized hypomagnesemia. Clinical trials and case reports also document increasing interest in magnesium as an effective therapeutic agent for potentially life-threatening problems such as torsade de pointes, digitalis toxicity, bronchospasm, and alcohol withdrawal. We present an overview of hypomagnesemia, review the current literature, and focus on the role of magnesium in the acute care setting and the implications for the emergency physician."}
{"id": "PMID:1491167", "title": "Time factors in VDT-induced myopia and visual fatigue: an experimental study.", "content": "In an experimental design with two matched groups (n = 13 and n = 17) working 2 and 4 hr respectively, followed by a 15-min restitution time, the study examined the effect of continuous VDT work on 1) visual acuity, refraction and oculomotor functions (ZCSV: zone of clear, single vision) and 2) the effect of 15-min restitution time on the oculomotor functions (ZCSV). In both groups there were a significant reduction in visual acuity, refraction changes in myopic direction and reduced ciliar and vergence muscle capacity. The ZCSV changes were temporary and a 15-min restitution period restored approximately half of the ZCSV changes. There were no significant differences between 2 or 4 hr of VDT work on any of the variables examined."}
{"id": "PMID:1491169", "title": "A study on optimum load for physical work.", "content": "Five healthy men were chosen as experimental subjects and were divided into groups at random. The subjects walked with a load in a shoulder-waist-back manner on the treadmill at the speed of 5, 7 and 9 km h-1. The parameters measured were as follows: oxygen expenditure, energy consumption, heart rate and self appraisal. Based on the experimental results and analysis of multiple regression, the authors suggested that physical loading should not exceed 25 kg (i.e. roughly equal to 39% of average body weight of male Chinese), when the walking speed was at 5 km h-1. The suitable loading at physical work would be 20 kg (i.e. equal to 31% of the average body weight of male Chinese)."}
{"id": "PMID:1491170", "title": "A comparative study of the myoelectric amplitude characteristics for weight-holding tasks.", "content": "This study was conducted to examine the effects of load, time, and gender on five amplitude measures of the myoelectric signal (MES) for 10 male and 10 female subjects engaged in upper extremity weight-holding tasks. The results indicated that: (1) measures of amplitude variability (e.g.: standard deviation) are more sensitive to changes in load and time than the full-wave rectified integral and root-mean square indices; (2) both load and time had a significant effect on MES indices, suggesting that amplitude measures may be used as a tool for evaluating the degree of muscular loading and fatigue; (3) females have higher muscular exertion values than males under the same experimental conditions, indicating that females are subjected to higher levels of stresses than males for the same amount of workload. The implications of the results are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1491171", "title": "Work stress of women in sewing machine operation.", "content": "The study examined the work stresses of 107 women who were engaged in sewing machine operation in small garment manufacturing units. Of the three types of sewing machines (motor-operated, full and half shuttle foot-operated), 74% of the machines were foot-operated, where throttle action of the lower limb is required to move the shuttle of the machine. The motor-operated machines were faster than the foot-operated machines. The short cycle sewing work involves repetitive action of hand and feet. The women had to maintain a constant seated position on a stool without backrest and the body inclined forward. Long-term sewing work had a cumulative load on the musculo-skeletal structures, including the vertebral column and reflected in the form of high prevalence of discomfort and pain in different body parts. About 68% of the women complained of back pain, among whom 35% reported a persistent low back pain. Common sewing work accident is piercing of the needle through the fingers, particularly the right forefingers. Unsatisfactory man-machine incompatibility, work posture and fatigue, improper coordination of eye, leg and hand are the major problems of the operators. The design mis-match of the work place may be significantly improved by taking women's anthropometric dimensions in modifying the workplace, i.e. the seat surface, seat height, work height, backrest, etc."}
{"id": "PMID:1491165", "title": "Objectives to direct the training of emergency medicine residents on off-service rotations; radiologic imaging 2: contrast and imaging techniques.", "content": "Interpretation of radiologic images is an essential skill for the emergency physician. This is the second of two sets of objectives for an off-service rotation in radiology. The first covered the interpretation of plain films. This series addresses commonly used imaging modalities such as contrast media, ultrasound, computed tomography, nuclear medicine, and magnetic resonance imaging. This set of objectives may be used to guide a one-month radiology rotation or to serve as part of a teaching program integrated with didactic training and emergency department experience."}
{"id": "PMID:1491172", "title": "Measurement of the car steering wheel turning force of persons with cervical cord injuries.", "content": "Steering wheel turning force was measured in persons with cervical cord injuries for evaluation of their ability to drive a car. Seventeen subjects were divided into two groups according to their functional level: Group I (comprising 11 subjects of functional level C6) and Group II (comprising 6 subjects of functional level C7-C8). A device for hand fastening was attached to a steering wheel, which was mounted onto the rotation shaft of a Cybex machine, and the torque for turning the wheel with the right hand at a constant speed was measured. Persons with cervical cord injuries showed characteristically higher left-turning torque than right-turning torque. Mean values and standard deviation of the two groups were: 0.52 +/- 0.16 kgf-m (left-turning) and 0.40 +/- 0.12 kgf-m (right-turning) for Group I; and 0.81 +/- 0.16 kgf-m (left-turning) and 0.76 +/- 0.15 kgf-m (right-turning) for Group II. Subjects in Group I had a turning torque lower than 0.30 kgf-m (the lowest wheel turning torque shown by Japanese cars equipped with a power-steering system) at a turning angle range of between 0-135 degrees in left-turning and 45-200 degrees in right-turning."}
{"id": "PMID:1491173", "title": "Noise in multiple-workstation open-plan computer rooms: measurements and annoyance.", "content": "Computers in the workplace have become very prevalent. As with the introduction of any new technology, unanticipated problems often develop. Noise in open-plan computer rooms and annoyance and perceived deterioration in performance associated with it also appears to be a problem that may be similarly categorized. An experimental investigation was undertaken as a result of frequent user complaints about the difficulty of concentrating and performing their work in the computer rooms of a large service organization. Two typical computer rooms were investigated. Noise levels were measured at random times during the working hours. The noise spectrum was found to be almost similar in both facilities. The 10-second A-weighted noise level for all frequencies ranged between 53 and 62 dB. Most noise energy was either in the high-frequency bands (above 2,000 Hz) or low-frequency bands (below 500 Hz). The highest noise energy levels were recorded at 8,000 Hz (between 64 and 73 dB). Least noise energy levels were recorded between 500 and 2,000 Hz (between 35 and 44 dB). The noise spectrum, thus, was substantially different from those of open-plan offices. Eighty-nine percent of the users questioned indicated their tasks required concentration. Fifty percent of all respondents rated the noise level between extremely annoying and unbearable and intolerable (scale values between 22 and 25 on a 25-point scale; 1 being noticeable but not objectionable and 25 being unbearable and intolerable); 10% of the respondents considered the noise very annoying; 20% of the respondents considered the noise levels moderately annoying; the remaining respondents did not seem to have a major problem. Conversational sound and computer-printer beeping sounds were reported to be most annoying by 90% of the respondents who considered the noise levels annoying. Constant arrival and departure of users, sound from keyboards, and ventilation equipment also appeared to be major contributing factors."}
{"id": "PMID:1491174", "title": "Perceived workload and performance of shift workers.", "content": "The present paper is based on the results of a study conducted to investigate whether the relationship between perceived workload and quality of performance, if any, holds true if controlled for shift system, type of task, age, and skill level of the workers. The sample of the study comprised 279 blue-collar workers of a jute industry operating under fixed three-shift system. The subjects were all males selected by random sampling method. The method of data collection was a field study through questionnaire. The collected data were analyzed by employing zero-order and partial correlation coefficients. The results indicate that workload and performance were negatively correlated but the strength of the relationship reduced substantially when the effects of the control variables were partialled out simultaneously. It was concluded that the control variables had joint effect on the relationship between workload and performance but skill level of the employees appeared to be the variable having the greatest contaminating effect."}
{"id": "PMID:1491175", "title": "Immunological properties of a radioiodinated monoclonal antibody and its F(ab')2mu fragments directed against the polymorphic epithelial mucin of human breast cancer.", "content": "The purification of the IgM monoclonal antibody 436 against a breast tumor antigen from mouse ascitic fluid is reported. The purified immunoglobulin was radioiodinated and the resulting product assessed for its binding capacity and binding specificity. Purified IgM-436 served for F(ab')2 mu preparation which was tested for its antigen binding capacity. Radioiodinated IgM-436 and its F(ab')2 mu retained their immunological activity which was never lower than those of the corresponding cold products."}
{"id": "PMID:1491176", "title": "CA-549 serum levels in breast cancer monitoring.", "content": "CA-549 serum levels were assessed in 288 patients, 156 with early breast cancer (after surgery) and 132 with advanced breast cancer. CA-549 was abnormal (> 12 U/ml) in 25/156 patients (16%) without clinical signs of disease after surgery (median 9 U/ml), in 49/60 patients (82%) with disease in progression (P) (median 50 U/ml), in 19/27 patients (70%) with stationary disease (NC) (median 14 U/ml), in 25/33 patients (76%) with partial remission (PR) (median 18 U/ml) and in 4/12 patients (33%) with complete remission (CR) (median 9 U/ml). CA-549 serum levels correlated mainly with the extent of disease and secondarily with the prevalent metastatic site, higher values being observed in patients with visceral involvement (median 32.5 U/ml). CA-549 serum levels were also assessed in 51 patients at the start of treatment and at the time of objective evaluation: the results underline the concordance of CA-549 behavior with the clinical outcome in 71% of the cases. We conclude that CA-549 is a useful marker for monitoring breast cancer patients during the advanced stages of the disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1491180", "title": "Plasmatic fibronectin in malignancies.", "content": "Plasmatic fibronectin has been studied in tumor patients on the basis of the role that unspecific opsonin may play in tumor growth and spreading. Alterations in fibronectin levels might be used as a biological marker and our purpose has been to evaluate the significance of this test in the biological diagnosis of cancer. When comparing the levels found in the control group (22.86 +/- 1.40 mg/dl) and in tumor patients (23.80 +/- 1.90 mg/dl), we observed no difference in the overall group. However, in relation to the localization of tumors, a significant increase was found in breast cancer (31.83 +/- 3.83 mg/dl) and a significant decrease in squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (9.56 +/- 1.68 mg/dl). These results suggest that plasmatic fibronectin could be useful as a biomarker in some types of tumors. Our conclusion was confirmed by analysis of ROC curves related to every one of the studied tumors."}
{"id": "PMID:1491178", "title": "Serum prolactin levels in women with gross cystic breast disease.", "content": "Serum prolactin (PRL) concentrations at baseline and after TRH stimulation were determined in 15 healthy women and in 51 premenopausal patients suffering from Gross Cystic Breast Disease. All women were in the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle and patients were divided into three groups according to cyst type at presentation. Basal hormone levels were within the normal range in the control group and in the three cystic breast disease groups. The maximum PRL response to TRH stimulation was significantly higher (p < 0.001) in patients with type I cysts (low Na+/K+ intracystic ratio and apocrine epithelium) than in patients with type II cysts (high Na+/K+ intracystic ratio and flattened epithelium), type III cysts (intermediate Na+/K+ intracystic ratio and mixed epithelium) and in normal women. Serum PRL concentrations corresponding to samples obtained 60 and 90 minutes after stimulation remained higher in the first group of patients. These results led us to consider the existence of an altered central regulation of PRL secretion in patients with type I cysts at presentation."}
{"id": "PMID:1491177", "title": "The diagnostic value of mucinous carcinoma-associated antigen (MCA) tests in breast carcinomas.", "content": "MCA (Mucinous Carcinoma-Associated Antigen) levels of 176 breast carcinoma patients were tested postoperatively by serial determination. One hundred forty-one patients had non-progressive disease (PD-) while 35 were in the progressive phase (PD+); in the latter the diagnosis was confirmed by means of current diagnostic procedures. One hundred seventeen of the 141 PD-patients showed MCA levels below cutoff whereas 27 of the 35 PD+ cases showed high values. The difference in the incidence of elevated MCA levels between PD- and PD+ groups was statistically significant (p < 0.05). The overall diagnostic efficacy of MCA assays showed 77% sensitivity and 82% specificity."}
{"id": "PMID:1491181", "title": "Evaluation of the behavior of carcinoembryonic antigen in cirrhotic patients.", "content": "Benign liver diseases are a cause of increased serum levels of CEA. We studied the behavior of CEA in 86 patients with liver cirrhosis who underwent extensive clinical and laboratory evaluation. We found abnormal CEA levels in 38.4% of the patients (28.6% Child's grade A, 40.6% Child's B, and 42.4% Child's C) with a mean of 4.75 ng/ml. Significant differences were found between patients and controls. There was a trend towards higher levels of CEA in more severe cirrhosis according to Child's classification, although this was not significant. We found significant correlations between CEA and some liver tests, including glycocholic acid (r = 0.264., p = 0.012), a marker of severity in liver diseases. The increase of CEA in these patients is probably due to alterations in its metabolic processing caused by hepatocellular dysfunction. Moderate elevations of serum CEA can be expected in cirrhotic patients independently of malignancy."}
{"id": "PMID:1491179", "title": "Simultaneous determination of urinary CEA, ferritin and TPA in Egyptian bladder cancer patients.", "content": "Urinary carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), ferritin (Fer) and tissue polypeptide antigen (TPA) were determined in 328 cases (106 with bladder cancer, 152 with non-malignant urinary tract disease and 70 healthy controls). CEA was determined by the kit supplied by Roche Diagnostica (CEA EIA Doumab 60), ferritin by the Tandem-E Fer kit supplied by Hybritech and TPA by the Prolifigen TPA-IRMA kit supplied by Sangtec Medical. The results of this work revealed that combined determination of urine CEA and Fer, CEA and TPA or Fer and TPA showed higher sensitivity than determination of the individual markers. There was no significant difference between combined and individual marker determination with respect to false positivity in non-malignant urinary tract diseases. At 97% specificity, the sensitivities of urine CEA, Fer and TPA were 82.1%, 71.7% and 90.6%, respectively, while combined urine CEA & Fer, CEA & TPA and Fer & TPA showed sensitivities of 92.5%, 99.1% and 98.1%, respectively. When the specificity was related to the entire non-cancer group (patients with benign urinary tract diseases and normal controls), some reduction in the sensitivities of the combined markers was noted compared to the normal group only. In conclusion, combined determination of urine markers is superior to determination of individual markers in the diagnosis of bladder cancer."}
{"id": "PMID:1491183", "title": "Neuron-specific enolase and embryology of the trabecular meshwork of the rat eye: an immunohistochemical study.", "content": "Neuron-specific enolase (NSE) is a unique form of the glycolytic enzyme enolase found exclusively in neurons and neuroendocrine tissues. Immunohistochemical techniques in which antineuron-specific enolase antibodies are used have made it possible to map out derivatives of the neural crest in humans. By using affinity-purified antibodies against NSE, we investigated whether the contribution of the neural crest cells to the development of the anterior ocular structures in the rat is similar to that in man. We found that filtration structures in rats show morphologically striking similarities with the analogous region of the human eye. Hence, the rat eye, with certain reservations, is a suitable model for experimental studies on ocular diseases that are characterized by chamber angle anomalies or congenital glaucoma."}
{"id": "PMID:1491182", "title": "Tissue polypeptide antigen (TPA) in chronic active hepatitis and mild liver diseases.", "content": "Tissue polypeptide antigen (TPA) is a non-specific tumor marker with a broad reactivity. Increases in TPA are also observed in benign liver diseases. We conducted this study to evaluate the usefulness of TPA serum level determination in 15 patients with chronic active hepatitis (CAH) and in 30 patients with mild liver diseases (MLD) diagnosed at the time of evaluation. TPA levels were abnormal in 73.3% of CAH patients and in 40% of MLD patients. CAH patients had significantly higher TPA levels than MLD patients (p = 0.006). There was a significant correlation between TPA and ASAT (r = 0.581 p < 0.00001), suggesting that cytolysis plays an important role in the increase in TPA. A TPA value of twice the normal level will unlikely be due to MLD (specificity 90%). TPA can be used in the clinical characterization of these patients and in the selection of patients for biopsy."}
{"id": "PMID:1491190", "title": "[Clinical experience with the omnicarbon valve prosthesis].", "content": "Between January 1985 and March 1990, isolated valve replacements with the Omnicarbon valve were performed in 90 patients aged 34-72 years. There were 53 aortic valve replacements (AVR) and 37 mitral valve replacements (MVR). The cumulative follow-up was 320 patient-year (py) with a mean follow-up of 3.7 +/- 1.4 years. There were 3 operative and hospital mortalities (3.3%), resulting from retrograde aortic dissection during cardiopulmonary bypass, postoperative renal failure, and rupture of infective pseudoaneurysm in ascending aorta. Seven patients died during the late postoperative period, 4 due to valve-related causes. Two of these patients died of prosthetic valve endocarditis (PVE), while the others died of thromboembolism (including valve thrombosis). The overall actuarial survival rate at 6 years was 86.3% (98.8% for AVR, and 82.1% for MVR). There were 2 thromboembolic events (one mesenteric artery thrombosis, and the other valve thrombosis). The linearized incidence of thromboembolism was 0.63%/py. PVE occurred in 3 patients (0.94%/py). One patient (0.31%/py) was found to have a valve dehiscence due to aortitis syndrome. There were no instances of anticoagulant-related hemorrhage, or valve-related hemolysis. The actuarial rate of freedom from valve-related mortality at 6 years was 93.5% (100% for AVR, and 88.1% for MVR). On the basis of a follow-up period of 6 years, good clinical results and a low incidence of valve-related complications can be demonstrated with Omnicarbon valve."}
{"id": "PMID:1491191", "title": "[Emergency coronary artery bypass grafting in patients with severe pump failure complicating acute myocardial infarction].", "content": "Thirty patients with severe pump failure (Killip's degree III or more) complicating acute myocardial infarction (MI) underwent emergency coronary bypass grafting (CABG). Average age was 66 years old and CABG was performed 2.6 days after the onset of MI. The patients were divided into two groups according to the mechanisms that can bring about severe pump failure: 19 patients had large MI alone (G-I). The other 11 patients had severe ischemia occurring either at areas distant from the site of coronary occlusion or in the previous area at risk (G-II). To estimate the ventricular wall motion quantitatively, the left ventricular wall was divided into 17 segments. Each segment was graded on a four-point scale: akinesis, 3; severe hypokinesis, 2; hypokinesis, 1; normal 0. Wall motion score was estimated by summing the number of asynergic segments score. In G-I, Cardiac index (CI (l/min/m2)) increased from 2.03 +/- 0.91 to 2.68 +/- 0.73 and pulmonary wedge pressure (PCWP (mmHg)) decreased from 28 +/- 5 to 15 +/- 5, 72 hours after the surgery (p < 0.01). In G-II, CI increased from 2.17 +/- 0.78 to 3.17 +/- 1.01 and PCWP decreased from 29 +/- 6 to 13 +/- 5 after the surgery (p < 0.01). There was no difference in preoperative and postoperative hemodynamics between two groups. The wall motion score at the risk area did not change postoperatively (from 16 +/- 7 to 17 +/- 9 in G-I, from 15 +/- 8 to 11 +/- 5 in G-II).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1491192", "title": "[Coronary revascularization using only arterial grafts in patients with left main coronary artery stenosis].", "content": "Although increasing use is being made of arterial grafts (internal thoracic arteries and right gastroepiploic artery) for coronary revascularization, application to left main coronary artery (LMT) patients is frequently not possible. During the period from December 1989 to July 1991, coronary revascularization was conducted on 9 LMT patients using only arterial grafts and no venous grafts. The bypass grafts were 6 left internal thoracic artery grafts, 9 right internal thoracic artery grafts and 9 right gastroepiploic artery grafts, a total of 24 grafts and an average of 2.7 bypasses per patient. There were no operated deaths, but five patients required IABP support after cardiopulmonary bypass. They had more than 90% stenotic lesions of left main coronary artery. In contrast, four patients with less than 90% stenotic lesion were uneventful. The cause of these catastrophic hemodynamics was considered reduced blood flow by graft spasm. All patients could be functionally placed in New York Heart Association Class I or II. Postoperative stress tests were made on eight patients and the results were normal in seven. Eight patients have had postoperative angiograms. Twenty-one of 22 grafts were patent. The present results demonstrate that an arterial bypass is possible even on LMT patients by IABP support."}
{"id": "PMID:1491193", "title": "[Postoperative conduction disturbances in patients with retrograde continuous cold blood cardioplegia].", "content": "Two hundred twenty-seven patients who underwent open heart surgery with retrograde continuous cold blood cardioplegia (RC-CBCP) were investigated to manifest the incidence of postoperative conduction disturbances (CD) and to determine factors related to the occurrence of CD. The incidence of CD in patients with RC-CBCP was 16.7%, which was lower than that (24.4%) in 41 patients with antegrade continuous cold blood cardioplegia. In addition, the CD resolved by the time of hospital discharge in 65% of the patients. There were no patients with new complete atrioventricular block requiring a pacemaker. The development of postoperative CD was related to topical cooling with slushed ice and lower myocardial temperature of the left ventricle, but not to kinds of diseases, duration of aortic cross-clamp, or the distribution of RC-CBCP evaluated from myocardial temperature at the end of initial infusion of cold cardioplegic solution. Furthermore, terminal warm blood cardioplegia reduced the occurrence of CD. We conclude that the occurrence of CD in patients with RC-CBCP is lower than that in patients with antegrade cardioplegia, and is most related to local hypothermia with slushed ice. This suggests that the most likely mechanism for the development of CD would be ischemic or reperfusion injury to the specialized conduction system with the disturbance of microcirculation because of rouleaux formation in CBCP at very low myocardial temperature."}
{"id": "PMID:1491194", "title": "[Coronary revascularization with bilateral internal thoracic artery grafts].", "content": "Thirty-two patients underwent coronary revascularization with bilateral internal thoracic artery (ITA) grafts. Each patient received 2.7 grafts in average including double ITA grafts. Seventeen patients had the right ITAs as free grafts. The other sixteen were treated with 13 autologous veins and 9 right gastroepiploic arteries in addition. Fifty-five grafts out of 56 (98.2%) were proved to be patent at the time of hospital discharge. The postoperative morbidity included three reoperations for bleeding and one perioperative inferior myocardial infarction. One patient died of colon perforation after surgery and another died of cerebral infarction late after surgery. These results exhibited that coronary artery bypass grafting with bilateral ITA grafts had relatively low risks and could contribute to complete revascularization in patients with diseased coronary arteries."}
{"id": "PMID:1491195", "title": "[Experimental study on coronary bypass grafts--functional and pathologic comparison of late changes in various coronary grafts].", "content": "The internal thoracic artery (ITA) has excellent long-term patency when used as a conduit for coronary artery bypass (CAB), but there are still some problems, such as flow capacity and limited graft length of the ITA. This study was performed to evaluate the functional and pathologic late changes in left ITA grafts (LITAG), vein grafts (VG), ITA-vein (ITA-VG) and ITA-ITA composite grafts (ITA-ITAG) in a canine model of coronary artery bypass. Twenty-nine adult mongrel dogs underwent bypass of the left circumflex coronary artery (CX) with one of the above grafts. More than five months postoperatively (mean follow up period 245 +/- 78 days), changes in graft flow (CX flow in control group), mean aortic pressure (AoP), left ventricular end diastolic pressure (LVEDP), diastolic pressure time index/tension time index (DPTI/TTI), left atrial pressure (LAP) and right atrial pressure (RAP) with atrial pacing were compared with control group, and postmortem specimens were examined microscopically. With atrial pacing, AoP and RAP did not change in any group. Increases in graft flow, LVEDP and LAP with decrease in DPTI/TTI were observed in ITAG and ITA-ITAG groups, but these changes were similar to control group. On the other hand, increases in LVEDP and LAP with decreases in graft flow and DPTI/TTI were observed in VG and ITA-VG groups, and these changes were different from control group. No atherosclerotic change without anastomotic site was observed in any ITA which was used in ITAG, ITA-ITAG and ITA-VG groups, while intimal thickening and irregular dilatation were observed in al veins which were used in VG and ITA-VG groups. In conclusion, this study shows that ITA is a excellent conduit for CAB because of sufficient flow capacity and no atherosclerosis without anastomotic site in a long-term period. And to elongate ITA as a CAB graft, ITA-ITAG could be more appropriate than ITA-VG."}
{"id": "PMID:1491196", "title": "[The surgical treatment for the Stanford type A aortic dissection].", "content": "Twenty-nine patients who underwent operation at Shinshu University Hospital for the Stanford type A dissecting aneurysm were analysed. The patients were operated on in the acute stage within 2 weeks after onset. In 13 of these 26 acute cases, the graft replacement of the ascending and arch of the aorta was performed (group A). The patients were operated under a separate perfusion to the brain and the distal anastomosis to the proximal portion of the descending aorta was performed using the method of open distal anastomosis. In other 13 cases, the graft replacement of the ascending aorta was performed (group B). Operative mortality rate was 19% in this series (group A: 23%, group B: 15%). There was no significant difference in their operative mortality of acute stage. And there was also no significant difference in their post operative course of acute stage operations. We concluded that the graft replacement of the ascending and arch of the aorta was better than the graft replacement of the ascending aorta alone for the patients with Stanford type A acute aortic dissection."}
{"id": "PMID:1491198", "title": "[A clinical study of the analysis and ranking of the determinant factors for non-blood open heart surgery].", "content": "We analyzed the determinant factors as to whether open heart surgery with non-blood transfusion may be indicated or not, according to the formula based on the quantitative theory (class II). Extracorporeal circulation with non-blood priming were indicated on 106 patients using Cell Saver apparatus in our department, they were divided into two groups; blood transfusion group (group I): 38 patients, and non-blood transfusion group (group II): 68 patients. These two groups were compared for study in terms of age, preoperative body weight (BW), the body surface area (BSA), preoperative Hct value (Hct), calculated Hct value (Hct(C)) at the start of extracorporeal circulation (ECC), the aortic cross-clamping time (AXT), the total extracorporeal circulation time (TECCT) and total bleeding amount. The followings are described in the ranking of importance. 1) The amount of blood loss in ICU: less than 400 ml. 2) Hct(C): more than 30%. 3) The amount of blood loss after ECC: less than 130 ml. 4) Hct: more than 40%. 5) BW: more than 55 kg. 6) The total bleeding amount: less than 600 ml. 7) TECCT: less than 90 min. 8) AXT: less than 50 min. In addition, prospective factors which should be considered preoperatively are determined in the following ranking. 1) Hct. 2) Hct(C). 3) BW. From these results, the amount of blood loss in ICU, Hct and Hct(C) were found to be reliable critical in any case as determinant factors for open heart surgery with non-blood transfusion."}
{"id": "PMID:1491197", "title": "[Distribution of thymic tissue in the mediastinal adipose tissue removed at the thymectomy in 47 patients with myasthenia gravis].", "content": "In this report, the distribution of thymic tissue in the mediastinal adipose tissue was examined histologically in 54 patients with myasthenia gravis underwent extended thymectomy. In fourty-seven of 54 patients, the mediastinal adipose tissues were removed from 6 different parts adjacent to the thymus, i.e., right upper, right middle, right lower, left upper, left middle, and left lower, respectively. Upper area means of around the upper pole of thymus, middle area means of around hilum and lower area means of around from lower pole of thymus to diaphragma. In the mediastinal adipose tissue, thymic tissue was found outside the thymus lobes in 41 (75.9%) of 54 patients. The each prevalence (percent of occurrence) of 6 areas were as follows: 15.0% in the right upper area, 21.4% in the right middle area, 19.0% in the right lower area, 17.5% in the left upper area, 66.7% in the left middle area and 33.3% in the left lower area. There was significant differences in the prevalence of the left middle area according to the other 5 areas (p < 0.01). There were no significant differences in the prevalences among sex, Osserman type, duration of the disease, pre-operative treatment and histological findings or removal thymus. There were significant differences in the prevalence of all according to the proportion of thymic tissue in the thymus (0.01 < P < 0.05). In conclusion, it is suggested that for the removal of all thymic tissue, the sufficient procedure required utmost care especially to the left middle area around thymus.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1491199", "title": "[Evaluation of the correlation with preoperative left ventricular end-systolic volume index and postoperative exercise tolerance in the patient with aortic regurgitation].", "content": "Twenty-three male patients (49 +/- 11 years old) undergoing aortic valve replacement (AVR) for aortic regurgitation received the exercise tolerance test using bicycle ergometer at more than one year after AVR. Preoperative left ventricular end-systolic volume index (LVESVI) significantly correlated with tolerance time, peak VO2, anaerobic threshold (AT) during the exercise, and with serum noradrenaline (NAd) levels at rest. Then patients were divided into two groups: those with preoperative LVESVI < or = 70 ml/M2 (13 patients, group A), and those with LVESVI > 70 ml/M2 (10 patients, group B). All patient in group A achieved more than 75 W of the exercise, however only one in group B achieved this level. The increase of VO2 in group B with an increasing exercise was significantly suppressed compared to group A, and then, the peak VO2 levels in group B were significantly lower than in group A (A: 20.9 +/- 3.7, B: 11.4 +/- 3.9 ml/kg/min). In addition group B showed a less increase of AT levels (A: 10.6 +/- 2.9, B: 6.8 +/- 2.3 ml/kg/min). In contrast, serum lactate and NAd levels in group B increased significantly at 50 W of the exercise compared to group A (A: 12.5 +/- 3.7, 332.3 +/- 104.2; B: 17.5 +/- 5.7 mg/dl, 746.7 +/- 324.3 pg/ml, respectively) though a significant difference of NAd levels before the exercise was observed between the both groups (A: 173.7 +/- 34.2, B: 329.0 +/- 132.1). In conclusion, group A showed a better exercise tolerance physiologically and biochemically compared to group B.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1491200", "title": "[Examination of post operative split lung function using quantitative xenon 133 (133Xe) inhalation scan].", "content": "133Xe inhalation scan and ordinary lung function testing were performed three times in 34 patients undergoing pulmonary resection: before surgery, and one and six months postoperatively. Forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1.0) were used as spirometric parameters. From the 133Xe inhalation scan, a split lung capacity (right to left, upper, middle and lower) and T1/2 (time required for half of the inhalation of 133Xe gas to be expired) were calculated by computer and used as indices of split lung capacity and ventilation, respectively. Results obtained from this study are as follows. 1) The predicted postoperative lung functions were calculated using preoperative spirometric respiratory function and 133Xe inhalation data according to the formula reported by Ali and associates. At sixth postoperative month, both predicted FVC (r = 0.895, p < 0.001) and FEV1.0 (r = 0.897, p < 0.001) correlated highly with those actually observed. These results appear to be very useful for preoperative evaluation of operative indications and the choice of surgical methods. 2) The ratios of observed to predicted lung capacity in the post operative state were examined by splitting the right and left lung and the means +/- S.D. (%) were as follows. One month after surgery, operated side; 80.5 +/- 9.7%, opposite side; 119.2 +/- 11.7%. Six months after surgery, operated side; 111.0 +/- 5.6%, opposite side; 96.7 +/- 16.4%. The post operative T1/2 values on the operated sides were about 2.4 times the preoperative values at one month after surgery but had recovered to the preoperative values by the six postoperative month.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1491201", "title": "[A case report of Lucas-Schmidt IIA type Cor triatriatum in neonate].", "content": "Lucas-Schmidt IIA type of Cor triatriatum has been rarely reported. Since it shows the same hemodynamics as Darling IIb type TAPVC, it is important as a emergent surgical case in early infancy. We reported a male neonate with IIA type Cor triatriatum. He was admitted to our hospital because of cyanosis and dyspnea since birth. The echocardiographic examinations revealed the accessory chamber behind the left atrium and atrial septal defect. The view from the right atrium revealed that there was no direct connection between the accessory chamber and the true left atrium, and we diagnosed it Lucas IIA type Cor triatriatum. The abnormal diaphragma was resected, and the atrial septum was corrected with a Xenomedica patch. The patient had an uneventful postoperative course, and was discharged on the 25th postoperative day."}
{"id": "PMID:1491202", "title": "[Successful repair of traumatic aortic arch rupture].", "content": "The most common site of traumatic aortic tear is at the isthmus, and there have been few reports of successful surgical repair of traumatic rupture of the aortic arch. We have experienced a 18-year-old patient who sustained a blunt chest trauma in a traffic accident. After admission to our hospital, his general condition became stabilized by conservative therapy. But the chest X-ray showed widening of mediastinum and aortography demonstrated leakage of contrast media outside of the aortic arch lumen between the innominate and the left common carotid arteries. The patient underwent reconstructive surgery for the innominate artery with a part of the aortic arch using prosthetic graft with the aid of hypothermic retrograde total body perfusion. He has recovered without any neurological deficit, although the retrograde perfusion time exceeded 100 minutes. It is suggested that the technique of \"retrograde total body perfusion\" may provide longer time to perform aortic arch repairs than the conventional circulatory arrest does."}
{"id": "PMID:1491203", "title": "[A case of mitral valve replacement in the first three months of life for congenital mitral valve regurgitation].", "content": "Mitral valve replacement with 19 mm St. Jude Medical mechanical valve was successfully performed for congenital mitral regurgitation in an infant aged 3 months. The infant had undergone ligation of ductus arteriosus at the first month of age. Ten days after the operation, he was discharged, though having systolic murmurs. One month later, however, he was re-admitted for progressive heart failure. After hospitalization, he had to be supported mechanical ventilation. The second operation was needed for intractable heart failure, that was considered to be caused by mitral regurgitation, on an emergency basis without cardiac catheterization. The mitral valve was hypoplastic and the leaflet and chordae were gelatinous. Therefore, mitral valvuloplasty was considered to be impossible, and consequently mitral valve replacement was chosen. Postoperatively the patient's condition remarkably improved. Anticoagulation therapy with sodium warfarin and dipyridamole was maintained after operation. At present the patient is growing without any symptom."}
{"id": "PMID:1491204", "title": "[A rare case of mediastinal neuroblastoma with pectus excavatum in a 4-month-old boy--a surgical report].", "content": "Screening of neuroblastoma is commonly performed on 6-month-old infants; therefore, its discovery in children younger than that age is extremely rare. However, a 4-month-old boy with pectus excavatum was found to also have mediastinal neuroblastoma after close examination. This 7 kg child had no apparent symptoms, yet revealed an egg-sized shadow along the right atrium in the chest X-ray film, and along the right side of the vertebrae on CT. Due to the increase in the size of the tumor after two months of observation, we suspected malignant neurogenic tumor and performed a thoracotomy. With a right posterolateral thoracotomy we removed the dark-brown, elastic tumor measuring 6 x 4 x 3 cm and located along the right side of the vertebrae from III through VIII ribs. The origin was the thoracic sympathicus and the pathological diagnosis of the tumor was neuroblastoma with rosset formation. After conducting a post-operative chemotherapy (Jame's protocol), no evidence of recurrence was observed at 33 months after surgical treatment. We summarized the previously reported seven surgically treated cases of Stage I mediastinal neuroblastoma at less than 12 months of age. Among the 2500 pectus excavatum surgeries that have been held at our department, non has been found to have mediastinal neuroblastoma."}
{"id": "PMID:1491205", "title": "[A case of Stanford type A acute aortic dissection complicated with clotted false lumen and saccular aneurysm formation].", "content": "A 59-year-old farmer was admitted with severe anterior chest and back pain. As MRI showed a Stanford type A dissection, operation was performed. Surgical intervention revealed the clotted false lumen of the ascending aorta without intimal tear, and it was transected and primarily reconstructed with Teflon felt bolsters. Three months later MRI disclosed disappearance of the dissected lumen in the ascending and descending aorta. During the following two years and three months, a saccular aneurysm of the distal arch was found to be increased in size rapidly. The second operation was attempted to close the intimal defect with patch. As a whole this was a rare case of DeBakey type III acute aortic dissection complicated with proximal extension, clotted false lumen and saccular aneurysm formation at the site of the intimal tear."}
{"id": "PMID:1491206", "title": "[Surgical treatment of infected left atrial myxoma--a case report].", "content": "A 22-year-old man had undergone dental therapy following an intermittent fever, and the bacteriological examination by blood culture identified Streptococcus viridans. A left atrial myxoma was echocardiographically found out and the tumor was surgically resected with uneventful postoperative course. Multiple foci and Gram-positive cocci within the typical myxoma were revealed histopathologically. Reviewing previous reports on infected cardiac myxoma, the coexistence of cardiac myxoma and a confirmed positive blood culture has been considered diagnostic criteria for \"infected cardiac myxoma\". But, from the surgical viewpoint, the demonstration of infecting organisms within the tumor is essential for accurate diagnosis. Infected atrial myxoma has an extremely high incidence of systemic embolization, and its bacterial foci could be the source of persistent bacteremia. Therefore, in clinical situations suggesting infected cardiac myxoma, we recommend performing open heart surgery to prevent both the embolization and the infective progression into other cardiac valves, as soon as possible."}
{"id": "PMID:1491207", "title": "[Surgical treatment of ventricular tachycardia after total correction of tetralogy of Fallot].", "content": "A 38-year-old man with total repair of tetralogy of Fallot at the age of 16 suffered from paroxysmal ventricular tachycardia. His first attack of sustained ventricular tachycardia was recognized at the age of 37 and it was refractory for medical therapy. Electrophysiologic study demonstrated two morphological types of clinical ventricular tachycardias, one originated from the outflow tract of the right ventricle and the other from the area around the patch for closure of ventricular septal defect. He underwent cryosurgical ablation for ventricular tachycardia and patch-closure for residual shunt of ventricular septal defect following the failure of electrical ablation. All of clinical ventricular tachycardias disappeared postoperatively without antiarrhythmic drugs."}
{"id": "PMID:1491208", "title": "[One-staged repair for coarctation of the aorta and annuloaortic ectasia with severe aortic regurgitation in a patient with Turner syndrome].", "content": "A 27-year-old woman with Turner syndrome was admitted to NCVC for congestive heart failure. 2-D echocardiography and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) disclosed annuloaortic ectasia with severe aortic regurgitation and coarctation of the aorta. One staged operation by a modified Bentall procedure and extra-anatomical bypass grafting from the ascending aorta to the infrarenal abdominal aorta was successfully performed. The postoperative course was uneventful. The pressure gradient between upper and lower extremities decreased as to be 30 mmHg compared with preoperative 60 mmHg."}
{"id": "PMID:1491209", "title": "[A case of coronary artery-pulmonary artery fistula in tetralogy of Fallot with pulmonary atresia and major aortopulmonary collateral arteries (MAPCA)].", "content": "A case of four year old girl with tetralogy of Fallot, pulmonary atresia, major aortopulmonary collateral arteries and coronary artery to pulmonary artery fistula is reported. The patient was misdiagnosed as truncus arteriosus, pulmonary stenosis and major aortopulmonary collateral arteries (MAPCA) preoperatively. The ligation of MAPCAs was carried out through left thoracotomy as an initial procedure, because we believed that the area fed by MAPCAs had dual blood supply. However, the patient demonstrated pulmonary infarction post operatively. This complication forced us to postpone an intracardiac repair. At the time of intracardiac repair, after mentioned diagnosis was established and a Rastelli type operation and ligation of coronary-pulmonary artery fistula were carried out. A 18 mm Carpentier-Edwards valved conduit was used as an extracardiac conduit. 1) We experienced a rare association of coronary artery fistula in TOF with PA. 2) The MAPCAs functioning as a sole source of blood-supply to the lung should be precisely diagnosed preoperatively and uniforcalized before an intracardiac repair."}
{"id": "PMID:1491210", "title": "[A case of chronic fibrosing mediastinitis].", "content": "This case report describes a 32-year-old male patient with superior vena cava syndrome due to chronic fibrosing mediastinitis involving superior vena cava, bilateral brachiocephalic, subclavian, and internal jugular veins. Although the ringed ePTFE graft was placed between left internal jugular vein and right atrium twice, it occluded each time. Pathological examination of the removed specimen showed invasion of the fibrous tissue into the lumen of the graft at the anastomotic site and severe fibroelastosis in the intima of the jugular vein. The third reconstruction of the venous system with the ringed ePTFE substitute was done in the same manner. Postoperative venography demonstrated the patent graft and the interruption at the midportion of the left internal jugular vein. The patient remains free from the symptoms one year and nine months after the last operation."}
{"id": "PMID:1491211", "title": "[A case report of isolated tricuspid valve endocarditis in a non-addicted adult person without underlying cardiac disease].", "content": "We report a rare case of isolated tricuspid valve endocarditis. A 46-year-old man who was non-addicted, non-alcoholic and had no underlying cardiac disease was admitted to our hospital for persistent pyrexia. Appropriate intravenous antibiotics therapy was unable to control the repeated infection and destruction of his tricuspid valve progressed. The patient was referred to our surgical division where on intraoperative inspection, tricuspid valve endocarditis was found to involve the entire anterior leaflet and part of the posterior leaflet. Following complete debridement of the infectious lesion, tricuspid valvuloplasty was not considered to be possible. So we performed tricuspid valve replacement using a mechanical valve (CARBOMEDICS 27 mm). His postoperative course was uneventful and he had no ventricular arrhythmia. After prophylactic antibiotic administration for 3 weeks, he was afebrile for 2 weeks without any medication. Thereafter he was discharged and has been free from any complications for over 1 year."}
{"id": "PMID:1491212", "title": "[An electron microscopic study on osteoblastoma--ultrastructure and fine localization of alkaline phosphatase].", "content": "Three cases of osteoblastoma were studied by electron microscopy. They included two cases of conventional osteoblastoma and one case of aggressive osteoblastoma. In conventional osteoblastoma, ultrastructural features and location of alkaline phosphatase activity of the osteoblast-like cell were similar to those of normal osteoblast. On the other hand, aggressive osteoblastoma cell (case 3) showed different structure from those of a normal osteoblast; the nucleus of the tumor cell showed irregular surface with a small degree of heterochromatin, and poorly developed cytoplasmic organellae. Cytochemically, alkaline phosphatase activity was noted not only on the cytoplasmic membrane, but on the abundant vesicles in the cytoplasm. From these findings we conclude that the aggressive osteoblastoma cells are more immature in morphology and show increased synthesis of alkaline phosphatase."}
{"id": "PMID:1491213", "title": "[Anatomical study of radiocarpal joint--degenerative change and morphometry].", "content": "The present investigator studied following degenerative changes of the articular cartilage of the radiocarpal joint: the ruptures of the scapholunate and the lunotriquetral interosseous ligaments (S-L lig., L-T lig.), the shape of the scaphoid and the lunate fossa of the distal radius. We studied 120 wrist joints from 74 cadaveric specimens (age 20-97, average age 68). The cartilaginous changes were correlated significantly with age (p < 0.01). The cartilaginous changes were most commonly found in the ulnar demarcation of the lunate, next commonly, in the radiodorsal demarcation of the scaphoid fossa, thirdly, in the radiodorsal demarcation of the scaphoid and finally, in the radial demarcation of the scaphoid fossa. Clearly, the cartilaginous changes in the ulnar demarcation of the lunate intensified proportionally as the ulnar variance increased (p < 0.05) and as the radial inclination decreased (p < 0.05). The S-L lig. and the L-T lig. ruptures increased as the age of the specimens increased. The cartilaginous changes of the interosseous ligament rupture group were stronger than those of the non ligament rupture group (p < 0.01). The concavity of the scaphoid fossa in the dorsovolar direction exhibited an S shaped curve, a convexity on the dorsal side and a concavity on the volar side. The other concavities exhibited a smooth concave curve. From these results, it was concluded that the stability of the wrist joint in extention and the cartilaginous changes of the radioscaphoid joint were due to the volar concavity of the scaphoid fossa of the radius."}
{"id": "PMID:1491214", "title": "[Histochemical study of adrenergic nerve fibers in the skeletal muscle of the rat].", "content": "The distribution of adrenergic nerve fibers in the vessels, nerves, and skeletal muscles of the rat was studied by the glyoxylic acid fluorescence method and by electron microscopy. The changes in catecholamine fluorescence were investigated after decentralization, lumbar sympathectomy, and femoral nerve ligation. Catecholamine fluorescence was mainly localized in the arteries, and arterioles in the perimysium of the skeletal muscle. Sometimes, a spot-shaped catecholamine was seen in the metarteriole and capillary. Adrenergic nerve fibers ran parallel with femoral nerve fibers. After lumbar sympathectomy catecholamine fluorescence disappeared, the fluorescence in the quadriceps femoris muscle did not disappear even after ligation of the femoral nerve. Unmyelinated nerve fibers were identified adjacent to the capillary, whereas adrenergic nerve fibers were seen approaching to the quadriceps femoris muscle within a gap of 300 nm."}
{"id": "PMID:1491215", "title": "[Reinnervation after direct neurotization in cross innervated rats--a study of spinal anterior horn cells by horseradish peroxidase method].", "content": "This experiment was performed to clarify the progress of the reinnervation of the denervated muscle after direct neurotization using cross innervation. In this study 79 rats were used. The common peroneal nerve was cut and neurotized into the previously denervated gastrocnemius muscle. At different stages after neurotization, evoked M-waves of the neurotized muscle, and muscle weights were analyzed. Histological findings of the neurotized and denervated gastrocnemius muscles, and the number of spinal anterior horn cells labeled by the horseradish peroxidase method, were also studied. The labeled cells of the neurotized gastrocnemius muscle were located in the spinal level between L3 and L5, which was almost the same site as that of the anterior tibial muscle in normal rats. This finding showed that the denervated gastrocnemius muscle was reinnervated by the implanted common peroneal nerve. The labeled cells of the neurotized gastrocnemius muscle started to appear 2 weeks after neurotization, and the number of cells were almost the same as in the control side from 3 weeks to the end of the experiment. The fixed formed M-wave was observed in some cases 3 weeks after neurotization and in all cases at 6 weeks and thereafter. Four weeks after neurotization and denervation, the weight of neurotized muscle was significantly heavier than that of denervated muscle. The histological findings of the gastrocnemius muscle 3 months after neurotization were almost normal. These results showed that the reinnervation of denervated muscle after direct neurotization using cross innervation began after 2 weeks and the neurotized muscle started to regain its function 3 weeks after the neurotization. The present study also suggested that the muscle power of the neurotized muscle recovered fully resulting from increasing number of labeled spinal anterior horn cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1491220", "title": "Evidence for a conserved 95-120 kDa subunit associated with and essential for activity of V-ATPases.", "content": "Vacuoles purified from Saccharomyces cerevisiae bearing the vph1-1 mutation had no detectable bafilomycin-sensitive ATPase activity or ATP-dependent proton pumping. Furthermore, the vacuolar H(+)-ATPase (V-ATPase) nucleotide binding subunits were no longer associated with vacuolar membranes yet were present at wild-type levels in yeast whole-cell extracts. The VPH1 gene was cloned by screening a lambda gt11 expression library with antibodies directed against a 95 kDa vacuolar integral membrane protein and independently cloned by complementation of the vph1-1 mutation. Deletion disruption of the VPH1 gene revealed that the VPH1 gene is required for vacuolar H(+)-ATPase assembly and vacuolar acidification but is not essential for cell viability or for targeting and maturation of vacuolar proteases. VPH1 encodes a predicted polypeptide of 840 amino acid residues (95.6 kDa) with putative membrane-spanning regions. Cell fractionation and immunodetection demonstrate that Vph1p is a vacuolar integral membrane protein that co-purifies with V-ATPase activity. Vph1p has 42% identity to the 116 kDa polypeptide of the rat clathrin-coated vesicles/synaptic vesicle proton pump, 42% identity to the TJ6 mouse immune suppressor factor, 42% identity to the Caenorhabditis elegans proton pump homologue and 54% identity to the predicted polypeptide encoded by the yeast gene STV1 (Similar To VPH1, identified as an open reading frame next to the BUB2 gene."}
{"id": "PMID:1491221", "title": "Evolution and isoforms of V-ATPase subunits.", "content": "The structure of V- and F-ATPases/ATP synthases is remarkably conserved throughout evolution. Sequence analyses show that the V- and F-ATPases evolved from the same enzyme that was already present in the last common ancestor of all known extant life forms. The catalytic and non-catalytic subunits found in the dissociable head groups of both V-ATPases and F-ATPases are paralogous subunits, i.e. these two types of subunits evolved from a common ancestral gene. The gene duplication giving rise to these two genes (i.e. those encoding the catalytic and non-catalytic subunits) pre-dates the time of the last common ancestor. Similarities between the V- and F-ATPase subunits and an ATPase-like protein that is implicated in flagellar assembly are evaluated with regard to the early evolution of ATPases. Mapping of gene duplication events that occurred in the evolution of the proteolipid, the non-catalytic and the catalytic subunits onto the tree of life leads to a prediction of the likely quaternary structure of the encoded ATPases. The phylogenetic implications of V-ATPases found in eubacteria are discussed. Different V-ATPase isoforms have been detected in some higher eukaryotes, whereas others were shown to have only a single gene encoding the catalytic V-ATPase subunit. These data are analyzed with respect to the possible function of the different isoforms (tissue-specific, organelle-specific). The point in evolution at which the different isoforms arose is mapped by phylogenetic analysis."}
{"id": "PMID:1491222", "title": "Structure and function of V-ATPases in endocytic and secretory organelles.", "content": "Chromaffin granules and clathrin-coated vesicles are major sources for V-ATPases of mammalian cells. Studies of these organelles have helped us to understand the structure and function of the enzyme. It was shown that V-ATPases are composed of distinct catalytic and membrane sectors containing several subunits. The subunit stoichiometry was determined to be 3A, 3B, 1C, 1D, 1E, 6c (proteolipids), 1Ac115 and ?Ac39. Additional subunits are likely to be discovered. Resolution and reconstitution of the enzyme revealed that the catalytic and membrane sectors are interdependent for their partial activity. The catalytic sector has no ATPase activity when detached from the membrane sector, and the membrane sector when depleted of the catalytic sector does not conduct protons. The mechanistic significance of these properties is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1491223", "title": "Structure, function and regulation of the coated vesicle V-ATPase.", "content": "The coated vesicle V-ATPase plays an important role in both receptor-mediated endocytosis and intracellular membrane traffic by providing the acidic environment required for ligand-receptor dissociation and receptor recycling. The coated vesicle V-ATPase is a macromolecular complex of relative molecular mass 750,000 composed of nine subunits arranged in two structural domains. The peripheral V1 domain, which has a relative molecular mass of 500,000, has the subunit structure 73(3)58(3)40(1)34(1)33(1) and possesses all the nucleotide binding sites of the V-ATPase. The integral Vo domain of relative molecular mass 250,000 has a subunit composition of 100(1)38(1)19(1)17(6) and possesses the pathway for proton conduction across the membrane. Reassembly studies have allowed us to probe the role of specific subunits in the V-ATPase complex while chemical labeling studies have allowed us to identify specific residues which play a critical role in catalysis. From both structural analysis and sequence homology, the vacuolar-type H(+)-ATPases resemble the F-type H(+)-ATPases. Unlike the F1 and Fo domains of the F-type ATPases, however, the V1 and Vo domains do not appear to function independently. The possible relevance of these observations to the regulation of vacuolar acidification is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1491224", "title": "V-ATPases in phagocytic cells.", "content": "V-ATPases in phagocytic cells are known to mediate the acidification of most intracellular organelles. Proton-pump-mediated acidification of these organellar compartments is vital to numerous cell processes, including receptor recycling, protein processing and sorting and microbial degradation. Recent studies have suggested a role for V-ATPases in cytoplasmic pH homeostasis. The present discussion will review the current knowledge regarding the presence of V-ATPases in both the plasmalemmal and organellar membranes of phagocytic cells, the regulation of proton pump activity in these locations and the functional significance of pump-mediated proton translocation."}
{"id": "PMID:1491225", "title": "The osteoclast proton pump differs in its pharmacology and catalytic subunits from other vacuolar H(+)-ATPases.", "content": "Osteoclasts are multinucleated cells derived from the mononuclear phagocyte system in the hematopoietic bone marrow. Their function is to resorb bone during skeletal growth and remodeling. They perform this function by acidifying an enclosed extracellular space, the bone resorbing compartment. Analysis of proton transport by inside-out vesicles derived from highly purified chicken osteoclast membranes has revealed the presence of a novel type of multisubunit vacuolar-like H(+)-ATPase. Unlike H(+)-ATPases derived from any other cell type or organelle, proton transport and ATPase activity in osteoclast vesicles are sensitive to two classes of inhibitors, namely V-ATPase inhibitors [N-ethyl-maleimide (NEM) and bafilomycin A1] and vanadate (IC50 100 mumol l-1), an inhibitor previously found to affect only P-ATPases. The osteoclast V-ATPase morphologically resembles vacuolar proton pumps and contains several vacuolar-like subunits (115 x 10(3), 39 x 10(3) and 16 x 10(3)M(r)), demonstrated by Western blot analysis. Subunits A and B of the catalytic domain of the enzyme, however, differ from that of other V-ATPases. In osteoclasts, subunit A has an M(r) of 63 x 10(3) instead of 67 x 10(3)-70 x 10(3); in contrast, monocytes, macrophages and kidney microsomes, which contain a vanadate-insensitive H(+)-ATPase, express the classical subunit A (70 x 10(3)M(r)). Moreover, two types of 57 x 10(3)-60 x 10(3)M(r) B subunits are also found: they are differentially recognized by antibodies and one is expressed predominantly in osteoclasts and the other in bone marrow cells and in kidney microsomes. Preliminary cloning data have indicated that the B subunit expressed in osteoclasts may be similar to the brain isoform. The osteoclast proton pump may, therefore, constitute a novel class of V-ATPase, with a unique pharmacology and specific isoforms of two subunits in the catalytic portion of the enzyme."}
{"id": "PMID:1491226", "title": "Polarized targeting of V-ATPase in kidney epithelial cells.", "content": "The membrane-associated V-ATPase that plays an important role in the regulation of acid-base balance by the kidney is a multisubunit enzyme that is densely packed into specialized membrane domains in intercalated cells. Intercalated cells can be separated into at least two subtypes, A-cells and B-cells, based on their morphological features, the distribution of V-ATPase, and the presence or absence of a basolateral chloride/bicarbonate anion exchanger (AE1) exclusively in B-cells. A-cells secrete protons into the tubule lumen, whereas B-cells secrete bicarbonate. The relative amounts of V-ATPase and AE1 in the plasma membranes of A- and B-cells are modulated under different acid-base conditions and provide a sensitive means by which urinary acidification can be controlled. The mechanisms governing the movement of acid-base transporting proteins between intracellular vesicles and the plasma membrane are under investigation. The microtubular apparatus of the cell is involved in maintaining both apical and basolateral polarity of the enzyme, and different isoforms of V-ATPase subunits may also be involved in the selective targeting of V-ATPase to different membrane domains."}
{"id": "PMID:1491227", "title": "Energization of sodium absorption by the H(+)-ATPase pump in mitochondria-rich cells of frog skin.", "content": "The frog skin in vivo is capable of active transepithelial H+ secretion (JH) which is matched by Na+ absorption (JNa). Studies in vitro demonstrate that JH is generated by an H(+)-ATPase pump localized in apical membranes of mitochondria-rich (MR) cells, whereas JNa occurs through an amiloride-sensitive pathway in principal (P) cells. The H+ pump is sensitive to inhibitors of carbonic anhydrase (e.g. acetazolamide) and to specific inhibitors of mitochondrial F1F0 H(+)-ATPase (oligomycin) and vacuolar (V)-type H(+)-ATPase (N-ethylmaleimide) and to inhibitors of both these types of H(+)-ATPases (dicyclohexylcarbodiimide, DCCD). JH is independent of external K+, which differentiates it from gastric H+/K(+)-ATPase and is strictly dependent on aerobic metabolism. The proton pump is primarily implicated in whole-body acid-base regulation. Acute stimulation of JH in response (seconds-minutes) to an acid load involves insertion of H+ pumps (exocytosis) from a cytosolic pool into the apical membrane. The chronic response (days) to metabolic acid load involves morphological changes (increased apical membrane surface area and number of MR cells). Whole-cell patch-clamp recordings of membrane capacitance and current fluctuations from MR cells demonstrate that a respiratory acid load and aldosterone produce rapid exocytotic insertion of DCCD-sensitive conductive membrane. A secondary role of the H+ pump is to energize sodium absorption (JNa) via principal cells from dilute solutions in the absence of a permeant anion under open-circuit conditions. The apparent 1:1 stoichiometry between JH and JNa is a result of transepithelial electrical coupling between these electrogenic fluxes. The H+ pump in MR cells generates a transepithelial current (serosa to apical) which acts as a physiological voltage-clamp to hyperpolarize the apical membrane of P cells. This hyperpolarization can facilitate passive Na+ entry across the apical membrane against a threefold chemical gradient. Since both JH and JNa are sensitive to membrane potential, inhibition or activation of one will produce similar effects on the transport of the other ion. For example, inhibition of JH by ethoxzolamide will reduce JNa. Conversely, blocking JNa with amiloride also inhibits JH. These effects can be avoided or reversed if variations in membrane potential are prevented by voltage-clamping the epithelium. A paradoxical activation of JNa is observed when JH is stimulated by an acid load (CO2), despite inhibition of Na+ channel activity by H+ in P cells.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1491228", "title": "V-ATPases of the plasma membrane.", "content": "V-ATPases reside in high densities on the plasma membrane in specialized types of insect and vertebrate cells. They provide unique biochemical and electrophysiological properties that allow them to function in energizing the plasma membrane in insects, and in cellular acid excretion in vertebrates."}
{"id": "PMID:1491229", "title": "Ion transport in parasitic protozoa.", "content": "Many parasitic protozoa go through complex life cycles in the course of which they adapt to widely different environments; ion transport processes are expected to play a role both in pathogenicity and in adaptation. So far, studies on ion transport have been virtually limited to Leishmania, Plasmodium and Entamoeba. The distribution of ion pumps in the former two organisms generally appears to conform to the picture established for other protozoa, i.e. a proton-motive P-ATPase in the plasma membrane provides the driving force for H(+)-coupled secondary-active transport, a proton-motive V-ATPase in the digestive vacuoles is responsible for vacuolar acidification, and an F-ATPase (ATP synthase) is found in the mitochondria. The situation in Entamoeba, an archaic organism that lacks mitochondria, could be different from that in the two other parasites in that a V-ATPase may be present and active both in the plasma membrane and in the membranes of the endocytic vesicles."}
{"id": "PMID:1491230", "title": "The insect V-ATPase, a plasma membrane proton pump energizing secondary active transport: molecular analysis of electrogenic potassium transport in the tobacco hornworm midgut.", "content": "Goblet cell apical membranes in the larval midgut of Manduca sexta are the site of active and electrogenic K+ secretion. They possess a vacuolar-type ATPase which, in its immunopurified form, consists of at least nine polypeptides. cDNAs for the A and B subunits screened by monoclonal antibodies to the A subunit of the Manduca V-ATPase or by hybridisation with a cDNA probe for a plant V-ATPase B subunit have been cloned and sequenced. There is a high degree of identity to the sequences of the respective subunits of other V-ATPases. The M. sexta plasma membrane V-ATPase is an electrogenic proton pump which energizes, by the electrical component of the proton-motive force, electrogenic K+/nH+ antiport, resulting in net electrogenic K+ secretion. Since the midgut lacks a Na+/K(+)-ATPase, all solute fluxes in this epithelium seem to be energized by the V-ATPase. Thus, the midgut provides an alternative to the classical concept of animal plasma membrane energization by the Na(+)-motive force generated by the Na+/K(+)-ATPase."}
{"id": "PMID:1491233", "title": "Vacuolar ATPase of Neurospora crassa: electron microscopy, gene characterization and gene inactivation/mutation.", "content": "We are using three approaches to investigate the vacuolar ATPase, V-ATPase, from Neurospora crassa. (1) Examination in the electron microscope shows the enzyme has a 'ball and stalk' structure like the F-type ATPases. However, the vacuolar ATPase is significantly larger, has a prominent cleft in the head sector, and has extra components associated with the stalk and membrane sectors. (2) Genes encoding three of the major subunits of the vacuolar ATPase and the homologous subunits of the mitochondrial F-ATPase have been isolated. The exon/intron structures of the genes have been analyzed and the chromosomal locations have been determined. Two of the vacuolar ATPase genes map very close to each other, suggesting the possibility of a cluster of ATPase genes. (3) The function of the ATPase is being investigated by isolating strains with altered or inactivated ATPase. We are characterizing strains that are resistant to bafilomycin A1, a potent and specific inhibitor of the vacuolar ATPase. Initial attempts to inactivate a vacuolar ATPase gene indicate that the enzyme may be essential for growth."}
{"id": "PMID:1491234", "title": "Molecular genetics of the yeast vacuolar H(+)-ATPase.", "content": "The yeast vacuolar proton-translocating ATPase was discovered in 1981 as the first member of the V-ATPases, which are now known to be ubiquitously distributed in eukaryotic vacuo-lysosomal organelles and archaebacteria. Nine VMA genes that are indispensable for expression of vacuolar ATPase activity have been identified in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. VMA1, VMA2, VMA3, VMA5 and VMA6 were cloned and characterized on the basis of partial amino acid sequences determined with the purified subunits. Genetic and biochemical studies of the yeast Pet-cls mutants have demonstrated that they are related to vma defects. Based on this evidence, VMA11 (CLS9), VMA12 (CLS10) and VMA13 (CLS11) were isolated from a yeast genomic DNA library by complementation of the vma11, vma12 and vma13 mutations, respectively. This article summarizes currently available information on the VMA genes and the molecular biological functions of the VMA gene products."}
{"id": "PMID:1491235", "title": "Mutations in the yeast vacuolar ATPase result in the mislocalization of vacuolar proteins.", "content": "The vacuolar ATPase of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae acidifies the vacuolar lumen and generates an electrochemical gradient across the vacuole membrane. We have investigated the role of compartment acidification of the vacuolar system in the sorting of vacuolar proteins. Strains with chromosomal disruptions of genes (delta vat) encoding the A (69 x 10(3) M(r)), B (57 x 10(3) M(r)) or c (16 x 10(3) M(r)) subunits of the vacuolar ATPase accumulate and secrete precursor forms of the soluble vacuolar hydrolases carboxypeptidase Y and proteinase A. A kinetic analysis suggests that these precursor proteins accumulate in, and are secreted from, the Golgi complex or post-Golgi vesicles. In addition, subcellular fractionation shows that vacuolar hydrolase-invertase hybrid proteins are inefficiently localized to the vacuole in delta vat strains. This result suggests that the vat mutations cause a steady-state defect in vacuolar protein sorting. The vat mutations also affect the sorting of vacuolar membrane proteins. Precursor forms of alkaline phosphatase are accumulated in vat mutant cells, but to a lesser extent than is seen for the soluble vacuolar hydrolases. This finding, coupled with the insensitivity of alkaline phosphatase to the ATPase inhibitor bafilomycin A1, suggests that vacuolar membrane protein sorting is less sensitive to changes in lumenal pH when compared with the targeting of soluble vacuolar proteins. These results indicate that acidification of the vacuolar system is important for efficient sorting of soluble proteins to the vacuole."}
{"id": "PMID:1491236", "title": "Biogenesis of the yeast vacuolar H(+)-ATPase.", "content": "Achieving an understanding of the biosynthesis, assembly and intracellular targeting of the vacuolar H(+)-ATPase is critical for understanding the distribution of acidic compartments and the regulation of organelle acidification. The assembly of the yeast vacuolar H(+)-ATPase requires the attachment of several cytoplasmically oriented, peripheral subunits (the V1 sector) to a complex of integral membrane subunits (the Vo sector) and thus is not easily described by the established mechanisms for transport of soluble or vacuolar membrane proteins to the vacuole. In order to examine the assembly of the enzyme complex, yeast mutants lacking one of the subunit genes have been constructed and the synthesis and assembly of the other subunits have been examined. In mutants lacking one subunit, the remaining ATPase subunits seem to be synthesized, but in many cases are either not assembled or not targeted to the vacuole. Immunofluorescence and subcellular fractionation experiments have revealed that deletion of one peripheral subunit prevents the other peripheral subunits, but not the integral membrane subunits, from reaching the vacuole. In contrast, the absence of one of the integral membrane subunits appears to prevent both the peripheral subunits and another integral subunit from reaching the vacuole and also results in reduced cellular levels of the other integral membrane subunit. These data suggest that transport of integral and peripheral membrane subunits to the vacuole may employ somewhat independent mechanisms and that some assembly of the V1 and Vo sectors may occur before the two sectors are joined. Current models for the assembly process and the implications for organelle acidification are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1491237", "title": "Four triggering factors in loudness adaptation.", "content": "A factor analysis was used to determine whether induced loudness adaptation (Botte, Canevet, & Scharf, 1982; Scharf, 1983) and adaptation measured by Hood's (1950) classic Simultaneous Dichotic Loudness Balance technique (SDLB) would cluster on the same factors. The two phenomena did not cluster on the same factors; thus, induced adaptation cannot replace SDLB adaptation. Four independent factors that trigger auditory adaptation were identified in the factor analysis."}
{"id": "PMID:1491238", "title": "Individual differences in anxiety level and eyewitness memory.", "content": "The present study investigated the relationship between individual differences in anxiety and eyewitness performance. Instructions designed to produce evaluative threat were given to anxious and nonanxious subjects at encoding and/or at retrieval. The performance of those subjects who were given anxiety-arousing instructions at encoding and retrieval and who scored high on the Test Anxiety Scale (TAS; Sarason, 1972) was less accurate on an eyewitness task than was that of the subjects who scored low on the scale. This difference in performance was attributable to improvement in the performance of nonanxious subjects, rather than debilitation in the performance of anxious subjects. Faced with the threat of failure, low-anxious subjects appeared to have the potential for increased effort. High-anxious subjects seemed to perform at or near capacity under all the experimental conditions because of their predisposition for task-irrelevant worry, which limited the possibility of an increase in working memory capacity."}
{"id": "PMID:1491239", "title": "Verbal indicators of depression.", "content": "Speech content, voice quality, and temporal pacing of speech were evaluated for 11 well and 11 depressed women. Sadness was the dominant mood of the depressed women's speech, whereas happiness and mood neutrality characterized the well women's speech. The well women's tone of voice changed with the content of their speech. The well women spoke with a wide range of fundamental frequency, and the average fundamental frequency of their voices changed according to speech content. In contrast, the depressed women spoke with a narrow range of fundamental frequency, and the average fundamental frequency of their speech was unaffected by speech content. The depressed women spoke with longer pauses than the well women did. The results of this study contribute to the understanding of measures for assessing depression."}
{"id": "PMID:1491240", "title": "Some perceptual and cognitive factors in mirror tracing: their limits.", "content": "Three mirror tracing experiments were conducted to investigate the connection between perception and motor behavior. In the first experiment, some subjects traced a hex-maze, other subjects traced a hex-maze after observing a model trace, others traced a hex-maze after reading instructions on mirror images, and others traced a hex-maze after having observed a model and heard the instructions. There were no significant differences between the groups' error scores, but their time scores differed significantly, although not always in the predicted direction. In Experiment 2, the subjects were to trace selected letters of the alphabet. Error scores for the second experiment did not differ much from those for the first experiment. In Experiment 3, the experimenter gave each subject commands for the correct directions of movement, using the subject's body as a frame-of-reference. There was little improvement in motor performance. These results suggest that the visual information presented in the mirror captured the subjects' attention and blocked their motor tracing program."}
{"id": "PMID:1491241", "title": "Exposed eye area (EEA) in the expression of various emotions.", "content": "Exposed eye area (EEA) was measured in photographs of Indian adults who modeled six emotions--happiness, sadness, fear, anger, surprise, and disgust--as well as a neutral expression. The data were analyzed with a 2 x 6 (Eyes x Emotions) factorial analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). EEA for neutral expression was used as the covariate measure. The EEAs of the two eyes did not differ significantly during the expression of emotion. The EEAs for fear and surprise were significantly larger, and the EEA for disgust was significantly smaller than those for either other emotions or neutral expression."}
{"id": "PMID:1491242", "title": "The history of drugs for the treatment of Parkinson's disease.", "content": "In 1817, the English physician, James Parkinson, described the classical symptoms of a disease that was characterized by tremor, rigidity and akinesia. In 1861, the first autopsy of a patient with Parkinson's disease was carried out. Although Ordenstein, a pupil of Charcot, introduced treatment with belladonna in 1867, this later fell into disuse. In 1875, Brissaud determined that the lesion responsible for Parkinson's disease must be locatec the subthalamic regions of the brain. He was also the first to discuss arteriosclerosis-induced forms of Parkinson's disease. In 1919 Tretiakoff discovered cellular damage in the substantia nigra of patients with the encephalitic form of Parkinson's disease. In the 1920s, C. and O. Vogt discovered the basic histological conditions underlying the function of the corpus striatum; later Hassler significantly expanded and completed this work. The following chronology of dates and events is aimed at creating an understanding of the historical aspects of this diseases and consists of milestones in the development of antiparkinsonian treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1491243", "title": "Early diagnosis in Parkinson's disease.", "content": "In early stages of Parkinson's disease (PD) clinical symptoms are often very subtle. Therefore additional instrumental and biochemical methods could be useful to confirm the diagnosis. Firstly, clinical signs could be detected in a more sensitive way by using kinesiologic methods e.g. the Motor Performance Test. Secondly, imaging techniques like Positron Emission Tomography are valuable tools. Up to now, specific biochemical markers for early PD are not available. Field studies are needed to validate the sensitivity of different instrumental and biochemical methods for early diagnosis in PD."}
{"id": "PMID:1491244", "title": "Mental disorders in Parkinson's disease.", "content": "Certain psychiatric complications are associated with various stages of PD. The possible causes known to date are analysed. Depression, isolated cognitive impairments, pharmacotoxic psychosis and dementia-related changes are the predominant mental disorders in PD. PD and depression syndrome occur very frequently in old age. Behaviour and mimicry of patients with progressive PD and of patients with depression syndrome are sometimes so similar that the two conditions can be differentiated only by long-term monitoring. In addition, PD and depression may occur simultaneously. However, frequency and intensity of depressive phases do not differ in PD patients and aged-matched depressed patients without PD. About one third of patients hospitalized at the neurological department of the Geriatric Hospital Lainz require antidepressant drug treatment. Similar percentages were found for other chronic cerebral and extracerebral diseases in the aged. Major depressions are independent of the parkinsonian disability and can be successfully managed only by antidepressant medication. Pharmacotoxic psychoses are not only serious conditions, they also reveal the limitations of therapeutic options. The unusual frequency of such acute psychoses, i.e. 30 to 60% in the terminal stages of the disease, indicates a special relation between antiparkinson medication and increasing neurotransmitter disturbances. Permanent pronounced depression in the sense of DSM III is not one of the symptoms of typical PD. States of dementia occur only in connection with a second or third cerebral pathology, mostly in combination with SDAT and MID."}
{"id": "PMID:1491245", "title": "Modern therapy of Parkinson's disease.", "content": "The article summarizes historical aspects and current concepts of the treatment of Parkinson's disease. Antiparkinsonian therapy varies with the progression of the disease, age and clinical subtypes. Levodopa, anticholinergic substances, direct dopamine agonists, amantadine, L-deprenyl are used to treat motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease. Novel substances and therapeutic concepts are currently investigated. Treatment of non-motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease and supportive therapies are discussed in the article."}
{"id": "PMID:1491246", "title": "Trichloroharmanes as potential endogenously formed inducers of Morbus Parkinson: synthesis, analytics, and first in vivo-investigations.", "content": "The hypnotic chloral reacts chemically with tryptamine and tryptophan under physiological conditions to give novel trichloro-tetrahydroharmanes (\"TTHs\"). These are structurally similar to the classical neurotoxin MPTP. Moreover, the TTH-precursor chloral is also a metabolite of the frequently used solvent trichloroethylene (Tri). These properties and first hints at a neuropharmacological potential of this class of substances warrent investigations whether TTHs and other chloral-derived harmanes are formed endogenously and possibly have to do with the pathogenesis of Morbus Parkinson (MP). For an investigation of these problems, some fundamental methods and results had to be elaborated first: the synthesis of several representatives of this novel class of trichloroharmanes, sensitive analytical methods for the detection of these compounds even in biological matrices, and studies concerning their biological \"fate\"."}
{"id": "PMID:1491247", "title": "Neurotoxicity and neuroprotection in Parkinson's disease.", "content": "Recent findings of impaired mitochondrial function, altered iron metabolism and increased lipid peroxidation in the substantia nigra in Parkinson's disease emphasize the significance of oxidative stress and free radical formation in the pathogenesis of the disease. Future research will focus on improvements in neuroprotective therapy to prevent or slow the rate of progression of Parkinson's disease. Possible neuroprotective strategies include free radical scavengers, monoamine oxidase-B inhibitors, iron chelators and glutamate antagonists."}
{"id": "PMID:1491248", "title": "Synergism of NBQX with dopamine agonists in the 6-OHDA rat model of Parkinson's disease.", "content": "Advance in understanding of the anatomy, physiology and pharmacology of basal ganglia organisation over the past decade revealed a functional relation between excitatory glutamatergic and the degenerated dopaminergic nigrostriatal transmitter systems which could serve as targets for pharmacological interventions in Parkinson's disease. The selective AMPA-antagonist NBQX is not effective in animal models of Parkinson's disease when given alone but ameliorates parkinsonian symptomatology and enhances the locomotor response of a threshold dose of L-DOPA. These synergistic effects are seen in the MPTP-treated (1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine) common marmoset and the rat with unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) lesions of the substantia nigra. Here we report that, in the latter model, such synergism of NBQX is also seen with the direct dopamine agonists lisuride and apomorphine, indicating the potential usefulness of AMPA antagonists for the symptomatic treatment of Parkinson's disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1491249", "title": "Behavioural pharmacology of glutamate in the basal ganglia.", "content": "In Parkinson's disease the dopaminergic inhibition--mediated by DA2 receptors in the striatum--is reduced. Therefore glutamatergic excitation predominates in the antero-dorsal striatum. In turn the glutamatergic neurons of the subthalamic nucleus become disinhibited. Antagonists of the NMDA-subtype of glutamate receptors injected locally into the glutamatergically innervated nuclei or competitive and non-competitive NMDA-antagonists administered systemically, counteract parkinsonian symptoms in animals."}
{"id": "PMID:1491250", "title": "In vitro and in vivo experiments--what is more informative?", "content": "In-vitro experiments offer a lot of informations but if in-vitro technics would be used exclusively for drug research and screening of new substances the complete pharmacological profile would be unknown. It is always necessary to integrate knowledge of basic research into living and active animals. The fruitful co-operation between theoretical and clinical disciplines--as demonstrated by the L-DOPA story here--demonstrates how to achieve real progress in medical research and the question which type of experiments is more informative is not relevant."}
{"id": "PMID:1491251", "title": "Dystonia--a clinical, neuropathological and therapeutic review.", "content": "Dystonia is a syndrome characterized by sustained muscle contractions frequently causing twisting and repetitive movements or abnormal posture. For diagnosis, prognosis and therapy, it is useful to classify dystonia with regard to types of abnormal movements present, their mode of activation and topographical distribution taking into account age of onset, and etiology. The majority of cases are idiopathic, or primary dystonias, while in a minority environmental, structural, or metabolic causes can be identified. Primary dystonias can be familial or sporadic. The most important neurophysiological phenomenon in dystonia is pathological cocontraction of antagonistic muscles, while there is no consistent neuropathological abnormality in idiopathic dystonia. Causal therapies for dystonia are only possible in a few symptomatic forms (M. Wilson, Segawa-syndrome). As a rule, treatment has to be symptomatic but results of systemic pharmacotherapies remain disappointing. For adult onset focal dystonias, a breakthrough in symptomatic therapy has been achieved with local \"chemical\" denervation by means of botulinum toxin type A injections."}
{"id": "PMID:1491252", "title": "Activity of monkey frontal eye field neurons projecting to oculomotor regions of the pons.", "content": "1. This study identified neurons in the rhesus monkey's frontal eye field that projected to oculomotor regions of the pons and characterized the signals sent by these neurons from frontal eye field to pons. 2. In two behaving rhesus monkeys, frontal eye field neurons projecting to the pons were identified via antidromic excitation by a stimulating microelectrode whose tip was centered in or near the omnipause region of the pontine raphe. This stimulation site corresponded to the nucleus raphe interpositus (RIP). In addition, electrical stimulation of the frontal eye field was used to demonstrate the effects of frontal eye field input on neurons in the omnipause region and surrounding paramedian pontine reticular formation (PPRF). 3. Twenty-five corticopontine neurons were identified and characterized. Most frontal eye field neurons projecting to the pons were either movement neurons, firing in association with saccadic eye movements (48%), or foveal neurons responsive to visual stimulation of the fovea combined with activity related to fixation (28%). Corticopontine movement neurons fired before, during, and after saccades made within a restricted movement field. 4. The activity of identified corticopontine neurons was very similar to the activity of neurons antidromically excited from the superior colliculus where 59% had movement related activity, and 22% had foveal and fixation related activity. 5. High-intensity, short-duration electrical stimulation of the frontal eye field caused omnipause neurons to stop firing. The cessation in firing appeared to be immediate, within < or = 5 ms. The time that the omnipause neuron remained quiet depended on the intensity of the cortical stimulus and lasted up to 30 ms after a train of three stimulus pulses lasting a total of 6 ms at an intensity of 1,000 microA. Low-intensity, longer duration electrical stimuli (24 pulses, 75 microA, 70 ms) traditionally used to evoke saccades from the frontal eye field were also followed by a cessation in omnipause neuron firing, but only after a delay of approximately 30 ms. For these stimuli, the omnipause neuron resumed firing when the stimulus was turned off. 6. The same stimuli that caused omnipause neurons to stop firing excited burst neurons in the PPRF. The latency to excitation ranged from 4.2 to 9.8 ms, suggesting that there is at least one additional neuron between frontal eye field neurons and burst neurons in the PPRF. 7. The present study confirms and extends the results of previous work, with the use of retrograde and anterograde tracers, demonstrating direct projections from the frontal eye field to the pons.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1491253", "title": "Coding of odor molecules by mitral/tufted cells in rabbit olfactory bulb. I. Aliphatic compounds.", "content": "1. Recordings of extracellular spike responses were made from single mitral/tufted cells in the main olfactory bulb of urethan-anesthetized rabbits. Olfactory epithelium ipsilateral to the recorded olfactory bulb was stimulated with homologous series of aliphatic compounds using periodic artificial inhalations. 2. In the dorsomedial part of the main olfactory bulb, single mitral/tufted cells were activated by subsets of n-fatty acids with similar hydrocarbon chain lengths. Response selectivities of single mitral/tufted cells were examined in detail using a series of n-fatty acids at five different concentrations. The results indicate that although the range of effective fatty acids is broader at the higher concentrations, the best response at higher concentrations was similar to that determined at lower concentrations. 3. Analysis of single-unit responses to the panel of fatty acids, including those with branched hydrocarbon chains, suggested that the determinants for the response specificities of individual mitral/tufted cells in the dorsomedial region include the overall size of hydrocarbon chains of the odor ligand molecules. 4. Single mitral/tufted cells in the dorsomedial region tended to be activated not only by fatty acids but also by n-aliphatic aldehydes. For a panel of a homologous series of n-aldehydes at five different concentrations, individual mitral/tufted cells showed response selectivity to subsets of aldehydes with similar hydrocarbon chain lengths. 5. In most cases, normal aliphatic alcohols and alkanes were ineffective in activating mitral/tufted cells in the dorsomedial region. This suggests that carbonyl group (--C = O) in the odor molecules plays an important role in determining response specificity of these neurons. 6. Examination with an expanded panel of stimulus odor molecules that included ketones and esters indicated that single mitral/tufted cells sensitive to subsets of fatty acids and n-aliphatic aldehydes were also responsive to subsets of ketones and/or esters having hydrocarbon chain lengths similar to those of the effective fatty acids and aldehydes. 7. The present results show a clear correlation between the tuning specificity of individual mitral/tufted cells and the stereochemical structure of the odor molecules, with respect to 1) length and/or structure of hydrocarbon chain, 2) difference in functional group, and 3) position of the functional group within the molecule. 8. A hypothetical diagram suggesting functional convergence of olfactory nerve input to individual glomeruli is proposed to explain the mechanism for selective activation of individual mitral/tufted cells by a range of odor molecules with similar stereochemical structures."}
{"id": "PMID:1491254", "title": "Characterization and adaptive modification of the goldfish vestibuloocular reflex by sinusoidal and velocity step vestibular stimulation.", "content": "1. The normal and adapted vestibuloocular reflex (VOR) of goldfish was characterized by means of sinusoidal, velocity step, and position step head rotations about the vertical axis. VOR adaptation was induced by short-term, 1- to 4-h, presentation of visual and vestibular stimuli that altered the ratio of eye to head velocity. 2. The VOR response measured with sinusoidal oscillations in the dark was close to ideal compensatory values over 2 decades (1/32-2 Hz). Gain approximated unity, and phase, in relation to the head, was nearly 180 degrees. The VOR was linear within the range of head velocity tested (4-64 degrees/s). 3. Head velocity steps from 1/8 to 1 Hz produced steplike eye velocity profiles that could be divided into an early acceleration-related \"dynamic\" component and a later constant-velocity \"sustained\" period frequently separated by a sag at approximately 0.1-0.15 s from the initiation of eye movement. The sustained response exhibited no decay during the constant-velocity component of the step. 4. Higher temporal resolution of the dynamic response showed the adducting eye movement to have a shorter latency, faster rise time, and larger peak gain than the abducting eye movement. The characteristics of this directional asymmetry were similar for position steps and electrical stimulation of the vestibular nerve. However, the asymmetry was not observed during sinusoidal head rotation, the sustained component of the step response, or after electrical stimulation of the VIth and IIIrd nerves. We conclude that this directional asymmetry is of central origin and may be largely due to the parallel vestibular and abducens internuclear neuron pathways onto medial rectus motoneurons. 5. The VOR adaptation process for both higher and lower eye velocity exhibited an exponential time course with time constants of 55 and 45 min, respectively. After continuous sinusoidal training for 4 h, VOR gain reached an asymptotic level 5% away from perfect suppression in the low-gain training, but 19% away from the actual performance in the high-gain paradigm. The time constant for VOR gain reversal was 5 h, and an asymptotic level 40% less than performance was reached within 10 h. 6. Adapted VOR gain was symmetrical for both directions of eye movement measured either during sinusoidal rotation or the sustained part of the velocity step. VOR adaptation also produced a comparable gain change in the nasal and temporal directions of the dynamic component, but this reflected the asymmetric characteristics observed in the preadapted condition.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1491255", "title": "Somal membrane properties of physiologically identified sensory neurons in the rat: effects of nerve growth factor.", "content": "1. Intracellular recordings were made in situ from physiologically identified dorsal root ganglion (DRG) cells in untreated rats aged 5-8 wk and in rats treated from birth to 5 wk of age with nerve growth factor (NGF) or antisera against NGF (anti-NGF). 2. As demonstrated in cats, the shape of the somal action potential (AP) of DRG cells of normal rats is correlated with peripheral receptor type. Cells that innervate high-threshold mechanoreceptors (HTMRs) and thus respond to noxious stimulation of skin or deep tissue in the periphery have long-duration APs characterized by an inflection on the falling limb of the spike. Cells that innervate low-threshold mechanoreceptors (LTMRs) have briefer APs that lack the inflection. Somal APs of neurons supplying HTMRs tend to be larger in amplitude, have slower peak rates of rise, and on average have longer afterhyperpolarizations than those innervating LTMRs. 3. It was also found that the somal APs of HTMRs were not blocked by 200 microM tetrodotoxin (TTX) applied directly to the surface of the ganglion. In contrast, those of LTMRs were rapidly and irreversibly blocked. Despite the difference in the sensitivity of the soma, axonal conduction in both types of cells was abolished by TTX. 4. Chronic treatment with NGF resulted in an increase in duration of the falling limb of the spike compared with untreated control animals or animals treated with preimmune rabbit serum. This was true only in cells that had long duration APs to begin with, i.e., HTMRs. LTMRs were unaffected by the treatment.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1491256", "title": "Short-term modulation of cerebellar Purkinje cell activity after spontaneous climbing fiber input.", "content": "1. There are two opposite points of view concerning the way climbing fiber input in a Purkinje cell modifies simple spike (SS) activity transiently: depression versus enhancement of SS activity. The different groups of investigators favored one effect predominating over the other. In the decerebrate unanesthetized cat, we recorded spontaneous activity of single Purkinje cells and investigated time course of SS activity after the complex spike (CS). 2. In the peri-CS time histogram, there was a SS pause lasting, on average, 10.8 ms after onset of the CS in all of the 316 cells recorded. The pause was followed by a rapid increase in SS activity to a maximum, which was on average 175.6% of a pre-CS control level, and a gradual return to around the control level in the majority of the cells recorded (pause-facilitation type, 71.2%). The increase in SS activity was significant (P < 0.01, t test) during 20-100 ms. The SS activity during the 20-100 ms was, on average, 163.7% of the control level. In some cells (pure-pause type, 25.3%), no significant changes were found (P > 0.01) in the post-pause SS firing. In contrast, only 3.5% of the cells (pause-reduction type) showed a significant (P < 0.01) firing decrease (average 54.0% of the control level) lasting 20-60 ms after the pause period. 3. Analysis of the pre-CS time histogram revealed no significant differences (P > 0.01) in the SS activity between pre-CS periods in all of the cells recorded, suggesting that the SS activity enhancement is not due to a coactivated mossy fiber input just preceding the activation of the climbing fiber input. 4. Analysis of the raster diagram revealed variability of individual SS responses after the CS. The probability of occurrence of the increase in SS number during a post-CS period of 0-100 ms with respect to that during a pre-CS period of -100-0 ms in individual raster traces was high (on average 78.2%), medium (57.3%), and low (36.3%) in the pause-facilitation, pure-pause, and pause-reduction types of the cell, respectively. 5. Nonsequential time histograms showing frequency distribution of the pause duration after the CS in individual raster traces and that showing interspike intervals of the SS were constructed.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1491257", "title": "Influence of temporal cues on acoustic motion-direction sensitivity of auditory neurons in the owl.", "content": "1. We studied the sensitivity of auditory neurons in the barn owl's brain stem to the direction of apparent acoustic motion. Motion stimuli were generated with an array of seven free-field speakers (Fig. 2). Motion-direction sensitivity was determined by comparing the number of spikes evoked by counterclockwise (CCW) motion with the number of spikes evoked by clockwise (CW) motion. A directionality index (DI) was defined to quantify the measurements. The statistical significance of the directional bias was determined by a chi 2 test that used the responses to stationary sounds as the null hypothesis. 2. During the search for acoustic neurons, dichotic stimuli were presented via earphones, and the sensitivity of the units for interaural time difference (ITD), interaural level difference (ILD), and frequency was measured. After a unit had been isolated, its response to moving and stationary free-field stimuli was recorded. Most of the neurons that responded to dichotic stimulation responded also to free-field stimulation. At 61 of the 211 recording sites, the response was motion-direction sensitive. 3. The spontaneous activity of all neurons was low, so that some 95% of the recorded activity was due to an excitation caused by the stimuli. 4. Neurons sensitive to the direction of motion were found in many nuclei of the auditory pathway such as the nuclei of the lateral lemniscus, the subnuclei of the inferior colliculus (IC), and the optic tectum (OT) (Figs. 3 and 5-8, Table 1). 5. In 61% of the motion-direction-sensitive neurons, the response to motion in the preferred direction was equal to the response to stationary sounds, whereas in 75% of the neurons, the response to motion in the null direction was lower than the response to stationary sounds (Table 2, Fig. 6). This observation suggested a null-direction inhibition as one important factor of generating motion-direction sensitivity. 6. Neurons having a high motion-direction sensitivity usually responded phasically, whereas tonically active neurons exhibited a low motion-direction sensitivity (Fig. 9). 7. Velocity tuning was broad (Fig. 7). A shallow peak appeared around 310 degrees/s within the range tested (125-1,200 degrees/s, 33 cells). 8. A silent gap between the bursts from successive speakers caused a decrease in motion-direction sensitivity. This decrease was linear with gap duration and depended on the apparent velocity (Figs. 10-13).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1491258", "title": "Increased responsiveness of sensory neurons in the saphenous nerve of the streptozotocin-diabetic rat.", "content": "1. This study examined sensory neurons in the saphenous nerve of rats treated with streptozotocin to induce diabetes (STZ-D). Several physiological properties of sensory neurons were not significantly different in STZ-D compared with control (CON) rats, including percentage and rate of spontaneous activity seen in the whole nerve and mechanical and thermal thresholds of individual C-fibers. 2. The response of STZ-D and CON C-fibers to a sustained (1 min) mechanical stimulus of threshold force was similar. However, during the 5 min immediately after removal of this stimulus, there was a much greater afterdischarge in STZ-D rats (STZ-D: n = 35; 14.6 +/- 5.1 action potentials/5 min, mean +/- SE; CON: n = 34; 3.9 +/- 0.7 action potentials/5 min). The number of action potentials during a sustained (1 min) suprathreshold mechanical (445 g) stimulus was also significantly greater in the C-fibers from STZ-D rats (STZ-D: n = 44; 149.7 +/- 18.4 action potentials; CON: n = 45; 84.7 +/- 12.2 action potentials). The afterdischarge during the 5 min immediately after removal of the sustained suprathreshold stimulus was also greater in C-fibers from STZ-D rats (STZ-D: 38.7 +/- 13.1 action potentials/5 min; CON: 9.3 +/- 2.3 action potentials/5 min). 3. There was a significant difference between C-fibers from STZ-D and CON rats with respect to the distribution among certain sensory classes.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1491259", "title": "Properties of two voltage-activated potassium currents in acutely isolated juvenile rat dentate gyrus granule cells.", "content": "1. The properties of outward currents were investigated in acutely isolated dentate gyrus granule cells at postnatal ages of day 5-7, 10-14, 18-24 (P5-7, P10-14, P18-24) and at adulthood (2-3 mo), with the use of the whole-cell patch-clamp technique. 2. Kinetic analysis and pharmacological properties showed that an A-type K+ current (IA) and a delayed rectifier current (IK) were present in these cells. 3. IA in P10-14 cells activated and inactivated rapidly with a decay time constant of 7.5 +/- 2.1 (SD) ms with command pulses to +30 mV. The removal of inactivation was monoexponential with a time constant of 23.1 ms (holding potential, -50 mV; conditioning voltage steps of varying duration to -110 mV). V 1/2 of the Boltzmann function describing steady-state inactivation was -65.1 +/- 1.8 mV with a slope factor of -6.0. IA was sensitive to 5 mM 4-aminopyridine (4-AP) but not to 10 mM tetraethylammonium (TEA). 4. IK in P10-14 cells displayed a voltage-dependent activation time constant (4.3 +/- 0.8 ms for command pulses to +30 mV and 16.2 +/- 2.4 for command pulses to -10 mV) and a double-exponential decay (time constants 194 +/- 21 and 1,625 +/- 254 ms). The rate constant of removal of inactivation was 332.1 ms. IK showed a reduction by 61.4 +/- 5.3% with 10 mM TEA and was partially blocked by 5 mM 4-AP in a subpopulation of cells. 5. Whereas IA remained stable over time, IK showed a substantial reduction of current amplitude by 67% after 30 min of cell perfusion through the patch pipette. The time course of this reduction was monoexponential with a time constant of 6.9 min and was partly due to a shift in V1/2 of the steady-state inactivation from -79.2 to -99.6 mV. 6. IA and IK remained stable with respect to kinetic properties during ontogenesis. However, the relative contribution and pharmacological properties of the investigated K+ currents varied with age. Although IA dominated in P5-7 cells, IK was prominent in most older cells. Five millimolars 4-AP reduced IA by 40.7 +/- 26.7% in P5-7 cells and blocked IA completely in 80% of investigated P10-14 cells. Similar changes were observed for the effects of 4-AP on IK (18.7% depression in the age group P5-8, 46.1% in the age group P10-14, and 45.7% in adult animals)."}
{"id": "PMID:1491260", "title": "Nimodipine increases excitability of rabbit CA1 pyramidal neurons in an age- and concentration-dependent manner.", "content": "1. Cellular properties were studied before and after bath application of the dihydropyridine L-type calcium channel antagonist nimodipine in aging and young rabbit hippocampal CA1 pyramidal cells in vitro. Various concentrations of nimodipine, ranging from 10 nM to 10 microM, were tested to investigate age- and concentration-dependent effects on cellular excitability. Drug studies were performed on a population of neurons at similar holding potentials to equate voltage-dependent effects. The properties studied under current-clamp conditions included steady-state current-voltage relations (I-V), the amplitude and integrated area of the postburst afterhyperpolarization (AHP), accommodation to a prolonged depolarizing current pulse (spike frequency adaptation), and single action-potential waveform characteristics following synaptic activation. 2. Numerous aging-related differences in cellular properties were noted. Aging hippocampal CA1 neurons exhibited significantly larger postburst AHPs (both the amplitude and the integrated area were enhanced). Aging CA1 neurons also exhibited more hyperpolarized resting membrane potentials with a concomitant decrease in input resistance. When cells were grouped to equate resting potentials, no differences in input resistance were noted, but the AHPs were still significantly larger in aging neurons. Aging CA1 neurons also fired fewer action potentials during a prolonged depolarizing current injection than young CA1 neurons. 3. Nimodipine decreased both the peak amplitude and the integrated area of the AHP in an age- and concentration-dependent manner. At concentrations as low as 100 nM, nimodipine significantly reduced the AHP in aging CA1 neurons. In young CA1 neurons, nimodipine decreased the AHP only at 10 microM. No effects on input resistance or action-potential characteristics were seen. 4. Nimodipine increased excitability in an age- and concentration-dependent manner by decreasing spike frequency accommodation (increasing the number of action potentials during prolonged depolarizing current injection). In aging CA1 neurons, this effect was significant at concentrations as low as 10 nM. In young CA1 neurons, nimodipine decreased accommodation only at higher concentrations (> or = 1.0 microM). 5. We conclude that aging CA1 neurons were less excitable than young neurons. In aging hippocampus, nimodipine restores excitability, as measured by size of the AHP and degree of accommodation, to levels closely resembling those of young adult CA1 neurons. These actions of nimodipine on aging CA1 hippocampal neurons may partly underlie the drug's notable ability to improve associative learning in aging rabbits and other mammals. Reversal of inhibitory postsynaptic potentials (IPSPs) by chloride ion and/or current injections into six motoneurons revealed the presence of inhibition during the period between phrenic bursts during fictive vomiting and also during the final phase of expulsion when phrenic discharge ceased by abdominal discharge continued. 3. Fictive coughing, evoked by repetitive electrical stimulation of superior laryngeal nerve afferents, was characterized by a large phrenic discharge followed immediately by a large abdominal nerve discharge. During fictive coughing, phrenic motoneurons retained their ramplike depolarizations throughout phrenic discharge; however, the amplitude of depolarization was greater than during inspiration. During the subsequent abdominal nerve discharge, the phrenic membrane potential usually underwent an initial rapid, transient hyperpolarization followed by a gradual repolarization associated with increased synaptic noise.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1491261", "title": "Membrane potential changes of phrenic motoneurons during fictive vomiting, coughing, and swallowing in the decerebrate cat.", "content": "1. The patterns of membrane potential changes of phrenic motoneurons were compared during fictive vomiting, fictive coughing, and fictive swallowing in decerebrate, paralyzed cats. These fictive behaviors were identified by motor nerve discharge patterns similar to those recorded from the muscles of nonparalyzed animals. Phrenic motoneurons (n = 54) were identified by antidromic activation from the thoracic phrenic nerve. Intracellular recordings were obtained from 27 motoneurons during fictive vomiting, 40 during fictive coughing, and 27 during fictive swallowing. Sixteen motoneurons were recorded during both fictive coughing and fictive swallowing, eight during both fictive coughing and fictive vomiting, and two during both fictive vomiting and fictive swallowing. Seven motoneurons were studied during all three behaviors. 2. Fictive vomiting, typically evoked by electrical stimulation of abdominal vagal afferents, was characterized by a series of bursts of coactivation of phrenic and abdominal motor nerves, culminating in an expulsion phase in which abdominal discharge was prolonged both with respect to phrenic discharge and to abdominal discharge during the preceding retching phase. During fictive vomiting, phrenic motoneurons depolarized abruptly, and the amplitude of depolarization was significantly greater than during control inspirations. They then repolarized slowly throughout the phrenic burst, rapidly repolarizing at the end of each phrenic burst during retching and reaching a level similar to that observed during expiration. During the expulsion phase, the pattern was initially the same. However, after the cessation of phrenic discharge, the membrane potential repolarized slowly until the end of the abdominal burst, exhibiting greater synaptic noise than during expiration. One phrenic motoneuron, presumably innervating the periesophageal region of the diaphragm, received a strong hyperpolarization just before the onset of the emetic episode and fired for shorter periods during fictive vomiting than did other phrenic motoneurons.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1491262", "title": "Persistent hyperexcitability in isolated hippocampal CA1 of kainate-lesioned rats.", "content": "1. Subcutaneous kainate injection in rats evoked acute seizures and led to cell loss in the hilus and areas CA1 and CA3, which resembled the pattern of hippocampal sclerosis often associated with temporal lobe epilepsy in humans. 2. Simultaneous intra- and extracellular recordings were performed in the stratum pyramidale of area CA1 while stimulating in the stratum radiatum close to the recording electrodes. Responses from control slices consisted of a brief excitatory postsynaptic potential (EPSP) with only one action potential, corresponding to a single extracellular population spike, followed by a clear biphasic inhibitory postsynaptic potential (IPSP). In slices from kainate-treated animals, however, stimulation evoked a prolonged EPSP, which often triggered multiple action potentials corresponding to multiple extracellular population spikes. 3. In slices from kainate-treated animals, the mean amplitude but not the duration of the stimulation-evoked IPSP was reduced. The extent of the kainate-induced loss of inhibition in area CA1 was highly variable. 4. Low concentrations of bicuculline in control slices led to a moderate hyperexcitability, which consisted of multiple population spikes and mirrored the responses observed in slices from kainate-treated animals in normal ACSF. Prolonged application of 10-30 microM bicuculline for > or = 30 min led to a much higher level of hyperexcitability, which was similar in slices from controls and kainate-treated rats. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that the hyperexcitability of CA1 pyramidal neurons following kainate treatment is mainly due to decreased GABAA-receptor-mediated inhibition and that the loss of inhibition is only partial.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1491263", "title": "Mechanisms of human vertical visual-vestibular interaction.", "content": "1. The purpose of this study was to infer the properties of the mechanisms contributing to visual-vestibular interaction (VVI) of human beings during vertical motion. Predictable trains of single-frequency sinusoids; poorly predictable sums of sinusoidal harmonics; and unpredictable random impulses of passive, whole-body rotation about a horizontal, interaural axis were produced by the use of a servo-driven chair at frequencies from 0.4 to 3.2 Hz. The vestibuloocular reflex (VOR) was studied in darkness with the use of the magnetic search coil technique to record eye movements during head rotation. Telescopic spectacles of varying magnifications and visual field areas were used as a challenging stimulus to induce substantial gain enhancement by VVI. Real and imagined targets moving with the head were used to induce gain reduction. VVI was compared with vertical smooth pursuit and small field optokinetic nystagmus (OKN) for similar stimulus motion. 2. The vertical VOR and visually enhanced VOR (VVOR) were directionally symmetrical. Viewing with telescopic spectacles of powers from x1.9-4 was associated with significantly increased gain at frequencies up to 2.0 Hz as compared with the VOR (P < 0.01). Gain enhancement was not strongly influenced by stimulus velocity for either predictable or poorly predictable head motion, and there was a trend toward greater VVOR gain at higher head velocities. Phase was compensatory at all frequencies for predictable sinusoids. For poorly predictable and unpredictable head motion, gain enhancement with telescopic spectacles was significantly less than during predictable head motion. During poorly predictable head motion, phase lags were observed that increased with frequency and telescopic spectacle power. 3. The perseverance of VVI during disappearance of the visual environment was evaluated by blanking it during various proportions of the cycle of predictable head rotation at frequencies from 0.8 to 2.4 Hz. Below 2.0 Hz, a trend toward gain enhancement was observed with x1.9 telescopic spectacles when the visual environment was present for as little as 6% of the sinusoidal cycle. This effect was statistically significant (P < 0.01) at 0.8 and 1.2 Hz when the visual environment was present for 50% of the cycle. 4. Suppression of the VOR was evaluated for visual fixation of real and imaginary head-fixed targets during predictable, poorly predictable, and unpredictable rotations. Fixation of a real target was most effective at low frequencies of predictable rotation and was significantly effective in reducing gain relative to the VOR at frequencies of < or = 2.4 Hz.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1491264", "title": "Effects of stationary textured backgrounds on the initiation of pursuit eye movements in monkeys.", "content": "1. The initial ocular pursuit of small target spots (0.25 degrees diam) that suddenly start to move at constant speed (ramps) was recorded in four rhesus monkeys with the electromagnetic search coil technique. All target motions were horizontal, and both eyes were monitored. 2. In agreement with the observations of Keller and Khan, stationary textured backgrounds substantially reduced the initial eye acceleration achieved during pursuit but did not affect its latency. Correlation techniques were used to assess the changes in the eye speed profiles and indicated that the reduction in eye acceleration due to the background was a linear function of the logarithm of target speed over the range investigated (5-40 degrees/s), averaging 60% with the fastest targets. 3. Selectively excluding the background texture from the path of the target with a horizontal strip of card (vertical width, 4 degrees) reduced the impact of the background only slightly, and, even when the vertical width of the card was increased to 60 degrees, the effect of the background was not entirely eliminated. Thus the effect involves regions of the visual field well beyond the target and is not due simply to the reduced physical salience (contrast) of the target spot. Such spatially remote interactions suggest that the neurons decoding the target's motion have very extensive visual receptive fields. 4. Textured backgrounds also caused similar reductions in the eye acceleration during initial pursuit when, before the ramps, the fixated target spots stepped forward, i.e., stepped in the direction of the subsequent ramps (step ramps). In this situation, as with no steps, initial target ramps were foveofugal. When the fixated target spots were stepped back before moving forward so that initial target ramps were foveopetal, textured backgrounds now also delayed the onset of pursuit, and the reductions in eye acceleration were not seen until some time later when tracking resulted from foveofugal target-ramp motion. Selectively excluding the texture from the path of the target with a narrow strip of card eliminated any delays in the onset of pursuit to step ramps, but the later reductions in eye acceleration were still evident. These step-ramp data indicate that the mechanisms decoding foveofugal and foveopetal target ramps differ markedly in their sensitivity to textured backgrounds. That backgrounds can influence the latency and the initial eye acceleration independently is consistent with the idea that there are independent trigger and drive mechanisms for the decoding of target motions.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1491265", "title": "Differential responses of neocortical neurons to glucose and/or O2 deprivation in the human and rat.", "content": "1. Intracellular recordings were performed in human and rat neocortical neurons with in vitro brain slice techniques. Baseline cellular properties and the effect of O2 and glucose deprivation on these neurons were studied. 2. Intracellular labelings of electrophysiologically identified neurons showed that most neurons recorded from layers 4 and 5 of the neocortex in both rats and humans were pyramidal cells with a regular-spiking or a burst firing pattern. 3. A period of complete anoxia (4-5 min) induced little or no change in membrane potential (Vm) in rat and human neocortical neurons, contrasting with the major depolarization we have previously observed in rat brainstem neurons during a similar period of anoxia. Evident depolarization occurred only when the slices were exposed to a more prolonged period of anoxia (> 7 min in rats and > 10 min in humans). 4. Membrane input resistance (Rm) of neocortical neurons decreased in both species during anoxia. In human neocortical neurons, Rm decreased by a mean of 22% with a marked increase in rheobase and suppression in spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs). Interestingly, the increase in rheobase in human cells occurred even at an early stage (post 2-3 min in anoxia), when Vm and Rm had not yet changed. 5. Perfusing slices with a glucose-free medium for 1-2 h produced a relatively modest change in Vm (mean congruent to 28 mV). However, combined deprivation of both glucose and O2 resulted in a major depolarization (mean congruent to 50 mV) within 5-10 min in both human and rat neocortical neurons.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1491266", "title": "Relative contributions of burst and tonic responses to the receptive field properties of lateral geniculate neurons in the cat.", "content": "1. In an anesthetized, paralyzed in vivo preparation, we recorded extracellular responses of 61 geniculate neurons (2 W, 25 X, 33 Y, and 1 mixed) to drifting sine-wave gratings of various spatial frequency, temporal frequency, and contrast. Our goal was to study the differential contributions to these visual responses of bursting caused by voltage dependent, low-threshold (LT) Ca2+ spikes and of purely tonic responses unrelated to LT spikes. Cells responding with LT spikes are said to be in the burst firing mode and those responding in a purely tonic fashion to be in the relay or tonic firing mode. We separated the total visual response into LT burst and tonic components by use of the empirical criteria set forth in our intracellular study described in the previous paper (Lu et al. 1992). A response component was considered to be an LT burst if its action potentials displayed interspike intervals < or = 4 ms and if the first spike in the burst episode occurred after a silent period of > or = 100 ms (or > or = 50 ms when the neuron responds to visual stimuli at temporal rates > or = 8 Hz). All other activity is considered to be part of the tonic response. 2. In addition to LT bursts, we recognized another type of burst response, the high-threshold (HT) burst. These also have clusters of action potentials with interspike intervals < or = 4 ms. However, HT bursts, unlike LT bursts, lack a preburst silent period. HT bursts are part of the tonic response component and merely reflect the gradual decrease in interspike intervals that occurs as the cell becomes more depolarized and thus more responsive. Thus interspike interval is a necessary but insufficient criterion to identify LT bursts. 3. Visually evoked LT bursts were recorded among W, X, and Y cells. When evoked, LT bursts occurred in phase with drifting sine-wave grating stimuli at a rate never exceeding one per stimulus cycle. In response to individual cycles of the visual stimulus, LT bursts could comprise the total response, a tonic component could comprise the total response, or an LT burst and tonic component could be mixed. When a stimulus evoked a mixture of LT bursts and tonic response components, LT bursts were always the first response. 4. Of the 61 cells tested with grating stimuli, 47 exhibited LT bursts and 14 did not. Those that did exhibited varying amounts of burstiness.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1491267", "title": "Velocity- and acceleration-sensitive units in the trunk lateral line of the trout.", "content": "1. The two main types of lateral line organs of lower vertebrates are the superficial neuromasts (SN), with a cupula that protrudes in the surrounding water, and the canal neuromasts (CN), located in the lateral line canal. The scales of the trunk lateral line canal of fish contain SNs as well as CNs. In this study, we examine whether there exist two functional classes of afferent fibers in the trunk lateral line nerve of the rainbow trout that can be attributed to the SNs and CNs. 2. The response properties of the afferent fibers in the trunk lateral line nerve have been determined during stimulation with sinusoidally varying water motion generated by a small vibrating sphere. Linear frequency response analysis revealed the presence of two distinct populations of afferent fibers in the lateral line nerve. The fibers belonging to the two populations showed significant differences in the frequency at which the sensitivity was maximal, the low-frequency response slope and the low-frequency asymptotic phase angle. 3. One population of fibers has a maximum sensitivity at 36 +/- 13 (SD) Hz (n = 22) and responds up to this frequency to water velocity. The low-frequency slope of the frequency response of these fibers was 20 +/- 3 (SD) dB/decade and the low-frequency phase lead was 121 +/- 11 degrees (mean +/- SD), both with respect to sphere displacement. The fibers of the other population have a maximum sensitivity at 93 +/- 14 (SD) Hz (n = 12) and respond up to this frequency to water acceleration. The low-frequency slope of these fibers was 35 +/- 5 (SD) dB/decade, and the low-frequency phase lead was 188 +/- 13 degrees (mean +/- SD). 4. Analysis of the stochastic properties of the spontaneous activity of both types of fibers revealed that the mean firing rate of the fibers responding to water velocity (26 +/- 12 spikes/s, mean +/- SD; n = 22) was significantly higher than that of the fibers responding to acceleration (36 +/- 11 spikes/s, mean +/- SD; n = 12). The other statistical properties of the spontaneous activity were found to be indistinguishable. 5. From comparison of the results with the available quantitative data on frequency responses of lateral line organs in other species, it has been concluded that the fibers responding (< or = 40 Hz) to water velocity innervate SNs and that the fibers responding (< or = 90 Hz) to water acceleration innervate CNs.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1491268", "title": "Purkinje cell complex and simple spike changes during a voluntary arm movement learning task in the monkey.", "content": "1. To evaluate the role of the cerebellum during improvement of voluntary motor performance over time, the discharge of 88 Purkinje cells in the intermediate and lateral cerebellum of two primates (Macaca mulatta) was investigated during a motor learning task involving visually guided arm movements. The animals were trained to move a draftsman's style manipulandum over a horizontally placed video screen. The animals were required to move a cursor from the start box to one of four target boxes by movement of the manipulandum. Errors were introduced into the movement by altering the visual feedback loop, changing the gain between the cursor movement and the hand movement. When a novel gain was presented over 100-200 movement trials, the animals adapted the movements to the new gain. The animals used a strategy of scaling the amplitude and velocity of the initial phase of the movement while keeping the time to peak velocity constant. 2. The learning paradigm consisted of an initial control phase with 35-100 trials at the gain of 1.0. The next 100-200 trials, the learning phase, were presented at one of four gains (0.6, 0.75, 1.5, 2.0). Lastly, a testing phase involved 80% of 100 trials at the learned gain and 20% of the trials randomly interspersed at the control gain of 1.0. An additional \"distance control\" was used in most experiments to control for the movement scaling associated with learning. In this series of movements using a gain of 1.0, the target box was placed at the distance and direction the hand would have to move in the adapted state. Two aspects of the kinematics were the same for the distance control and the movement at the learned gain: movement amplitude and time to peak velocity. There were, however, slight differences in the peak velocity attained. For gains < 1.0, the peak velocity of the learned task was 14-20% lower than the distance controls, and for gains > 1.0, it was 10-18% higher. 3. After implantation of chronic unit recording hardware, Purkinje cell simple and complex spike discharge was recorded extracellularly during the learning task. The cells were located primarily in the ipsilateral intermediate zone or nearby hemisphere of lobules V and VI. Simple and complex spike histograms, as well as averages of the hand displacement and velocity profiles, were calculated for each phase of the paradigm. To determine the time course of any changes, the learning trials were subdivided into three equal phases.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1491269", "title": "Role of calcium influx and buffering in the kinetics of Ca(2+)-activated K+ current in rat vagal motoneurons.", "content": "1. Intracellular recordings were obtained from neurons of the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus (DMV) in transverse slices of the rat medulla maintained in vitro. These neurons had a resting potential of -59.8 +/- 8.7 (SD) mV. Single action potentials elicited by brief depolarizing current pulses were followed by a prolonged afterhyperpolarization (AHP). Under voltage clamp, the current underlying the AHP was found to be a calcium-activated potassium current. 2. The outward current (GkCa,1) was voltage insensitive and was not blocked by tetraethylammonium (TEA) (10 mM). Unlike the slower time course calcium-activated potassium current recorded in some other neurons, GkCa,1 was blocked by apamin (25-100 nM), indicating that SK type calcium-activated potassium channels underlie this current. 3. GkCa,1 was maximal within 10 ms of the action potential and its decay was well described by a single exponential. After a single action potential the time constant of decay of GkCa,1 was 155 +/- 66 (+/- SD) ms. 4. Calcium influx was increased by adding TEA to the extracellular solution or by firing more than one action potential. As the calcium load was increased, both the peak amplitude and the time constant of decay of GkCa,1 increased. In cells impaled with ethylene glycol-bis(beta-aminoethyl ether)-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid (EGTA)-filled electrodes, the time constant of decay of GkCa,1 after a single action current was 71 +/- 19 ms. 5. A simple diffusion-based model that incorporates two intrinsic calcium buffers is developed that accounts for many of the properties of GkCa,1. It is concluded that the decay of GkCa,1 reflects the time course of removal of calcium that has entered the cell during the action potential."}
{"id": "PMID:1491270", "title": "A long closed state of the synaptosomal bursting potassium channel confers a statistical memory.", "content": "1. The statistical properties of the bursting potassium channel from fused Torpedo synaptosomes were studied by using patch-clamp recording and time series analysis. 2. Voltage steps produce channel openings; the number of channels opening fluctuates from trial to trial. The maximal current observed in each trial is strongly dependent on the previous history of the membrane patch. Trials with no activity are frequently clumped together and so are trials with intense activity. 3. Autocorrelation analysis reveals a strong interdependence of successive responses, which is voltage dependent. 4. We propose that the strong statistical interdependence of responses to successive depolarizing pulses (the statistical \"memory\") is a manifestation of a long lived closed state. We speculate that this statistical memory may be of significance in frequency modulation of transmitter release."}
{"id": "PMID:1491271", "title": "[Enophthalmos following radical operation of the maxillary sinus and ethmoidal sinus].", "content": "Enophthalmos is usually a consequence of orbital trauma resulting in a blowout fracture of the orbital floor. We report here the case of a 35-year-old male who had a radical operation of the maxillary sinus and the ethmoidal sinus, and 2 months after the operation, developed spontaneous enophthalmos and ocular pain. The left orbit was enophthalmic by 5mm according to Hertel enophthalmometry. Surgical correction was performed under general anesthesia. The left orbit was explored through a transcutaneous incision of the left lower lid which revealed marked periosteal adhesions and absence of the bony floor of the orbit. A rib cartilage graft was used to reconstruct the floor of the orbit, and the globe was brought forward by means of retrobulbar placement. Enophthalmos and ocular pain disappeared postoperatively."}
{"id": "PMID:1491272", "title": "[A case of Bezold's abscess associated with cholesteatoma].", "content": "Since the advent of antibiotics, otogenic complications have decreased considerably. However, incomplete antibiotic therapy has altered the clinical course of middle ear disease so as to be more insidious. This paper reports a case of Bezold's abscess associated with cholesteatoma. A 48-year-old man visited our hospital presenting with a 4-day history of right otorrhea and a tender swelling in the right neck. Physical examination showed a febrile patient (38.8 degrees C) with right facial paresis and trismus. A hyperemic, hard and tender swelling was observed in his right neck from the lateral cervical to the mental region. The tympanic membrane was invisible because of granulation and swelling of the posterior wall of the external auditory canal. Intravenous clindamycin and ceftazidime therapy was started immediately. A CT-scan revealed a diffuse shadow with bony destruction in the right mastoid cortex. Extensive abscess formation was also found in the right sternocleidomastoid muscle, in the anterior neck and in the posterior neck. He was diagnosed as having Bezold's abscess associated with cholesteatoma. Radical mastoidectomy and drainage of the neck abscess was performed on the third day under general anesthesia. The mastoid cavity was found to be filled with pus and cholesteatoma debris. A small area of defective bone was found at the mastoid tip, through which there were communications between the mastoid cavity and the abscesses in the neck. Bony destruction was also found in the horizontal and vertical portion of the facial canal. Bacteroides and three kinds of gram-negative rods were cultured from the mastoid cavity.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1491273", "title": "[Development of endolymphatic hydrops following immune response in the endolymphatic sac of guinea pigs--long-term observation].", "content": "We report findings for endolymphatic hydrops in specimens obtained 5 to 28 weeks after a direct challenge with secondary KLH antigen to the endolymphatic sac (ES) of guinea pigs. Following gradual disappearance of endolymphatic hydrops (EH) in the period between the 5th and 8th weeks, the inferior labyrinth EH gradually developed again from the 3rd month onward in the saccule and from the 4th month onward in the cochlea. Many lymphocytes and plasma cells infiltrated into the perisaccular space for up to 7 months. These results suggest that an immune response in the ES may ultimately induce chronic dysfunction of the ES and thereby lead to progressive EH."}
{"id": "PMID:1491274", "title": "[Gd-DTPA-enhanced MR imaging of cholesteatoma].", "content": "It is sometimes difficult to differentiate a cholesteatoma from an accompanying cholesterol granuloma, mucosa, fluid and, especially, granulation tissue. This study was designed to assess the reliability with which cholesteatoma can be differentiated from such accompanying lesions by Gd-DTPA-enhanced MR imaging. Twenty-one patients with cholesteatoma were studied with magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. The cholesteatoma had intermediate to high signal intensities similar to those of granulation tissue, on both T1- and T2-weighted images. On Gd-enhanced images, however, there was marked enhancement of all granulation tissues while the cholesteatoma showed no such enhancement. Gd-DTPA-enhanced images distinguished cholesteatoma from granulation tissues and permitted determination of the exact extent of the cholesteatoma. Cholesterol granulomas showed high signal intensities on both T1- and T2-weighted images. Cholesterol granuloma can, therefore, be distinguished from cholesteatoma and granulation tissues on both T1- and T2-weighted images. Gd-DTPA-enhanced MR imaging is a valuable tool in the evaluation and management of cholesteatoma."}
{"id": "PMID:1491275", "title": "[Maxillary prosthesis for better QOL--early setting and faster construction of maxillary prosthesis].", "content": "The maxillofacial prosthesis (MFP) is well accepted as one of the modalities to ameliolate the postsurgical crippling in the patients with maxillary malignancy. In this report, we analyzed 55 primary cases of MFP out of 100, from July, 1981 to July, 1987 in terms of the time of start after operation, and the duration and procedure of the MFP-making. MFP-making set about within 4 weeks in 35% of patients, 8 weeks in 25%, 12 weeks in 22%, and more than 12 weeks in 18%. The completion of MFP-making averaged 10 days. As a result of simplifying of MFP-making, we shortened a period requiring MFP-making within 3 days in recent 10 cases. There were no adverse effects of early wear of MFP after operation. We believe that early wear of MFP after operation improve the quality of life of patients with maxillary malignancy and considered that wear of MFP is not the completion of treatment, but is one of the procedures of treatment for the patients undergone maxillectomy."}
{"id": "PMID:1491276", "title": "[Laryngeal closure--a simple method and a reversible method for phonation preservation].", "content": "Patients with dysphagia due to a disorder in swallowing phase II are candidates for laryngeal closure operation. The operation prevents bolus drainage into the larynx and therefore permits oral feeding. Operative methods in general should be simple and reliable, and furthermore, with regards to this laryngeal closure procedure, they should preferably be reversible to maintain phonatory function, in the event that patients improve swallowing function later on. A laryngeal closure operation which satisfies both conditions has not been previously reported. We present two laryngeal closure operations. One is relatively simple and reliable but irreversible in terms of phonatory function. The other procedure requires more effort but is reversible and therefore allows for preservation of phonatory function. We performed one of these operations on two cases each and obtained good results. 1. Laryngeal closure at the vocal cords. (simple method) The frontal neck skin is incised vertically. The thyroid cartilage perichondrium is incised in the midline and retracted widely on both sides. Then the anterior thyroid lamina is removed at the crico-arytenoid joint. A control hole is opened into the laryngeal lumen by an incision made from the cricoarytenoid membrane to the anterior commissure. The larynx is cut horizontally from the anterior to posterior commissure between the upper and lower lips of the vocal cords. Finally the vocal cords are sutured at the top and bottom of the cut stump. 2. Closure at the false vocal cords. (reversible method for phonation preservation) After the vertical incision has been made, the laryngeal lumen is opened by laryngofissure.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1491277", "title": "[Genotypic analysis of lethal midline granuloma].", "content": "So-called lethal midline granuloma is of great clinical and theoretical interest. The etiology of lethal midline granuloma is unknown and the pathogenesis is variable, with debate as to precise classification and natural history. In this study, we reported genotypic and immunopathological features in 3 cases of lethal midline granuloma. The histopathological diagnosis of their biopsy specimens was initially polymorphic reticulosis/midline malignant reticulosis. Immunohistologic study of the specimens revealed that immature or atypical cells had phenotypes of T-cells, CD2, CD3, CD4 (Case 1), CD4 (Case 2), and CD2, CD3 (Case 3). Those cells were also found to be positive for HLA-DR, which indicated that they were activated T-cells. Immunohistology in T-cells, however, was not able to give a similar clue to clonarity as it was possible within B-cell neoplasms by immunophenotyping the light chains. With the establishment of cDNA probes for the T-cell receptor genes it was possible to analyze neoplasms of lymphocyte origin for lineage and clonality. The Southern blot analysis of 3 cases showed rearrangement of TCR gene, TCR beta and TCR gamma chain (Cases 1 and 2) and TCR beta and TCR delta chain (Case 3), whereas none of them showed rearrangement of immunoglobulin heavy chain. These findings represented conclusive evidence for a monoclonal T-cell proliferation within lethal midline granuloma. On the ground of immunohistological and genotypic studies, lethal midline granuloma histologically diagnosed as polymorphic reticulosis/midline malignant reticulosis are proven to be a T-cell lymphoproliferative disorder."}
{"id": "PMID:1491278", "title": "[Solute movement across the round window membrane in comparison with that across the blood-labyrinth barrier].", "content": "The permeability of the normal round window membrane of the guinea pig to trimethylphenylammonium (TMPA) was assessed using ion-selective electrodes and compared with the rate of TMPA entry from the systemic blood circulation into the scala tympani (ST) of the cochlea across the so-called blood-labyrinth barrier. While the round window niche was irrigated with artificial perilymph containing 1 mM TMPA, the TMPA concentration in ST of the basal turn rose rapidly so as to reach 20-50% of the irrigating medium concentration in one hour. Following this procedure, the concentration declined significantly faster when the niche was subsequently irrigated with TMPA-free artificial perilymph than when the niche was left free of any fluid. This result shows that the membrane is fairly permeable to TMPA in both directions. Furthermore, TMPA entry from blood to STs of the basal and third turns was observed while the plasma TMPA concentration was maintained at about 0.5 mM by continuous intravenous infusion of isotonic 50 mM TMPA medium (1 part 150 mM TMPA + 2 parts lactated Ringer solution). TMPA appeared to distribute evenly from the blood to both turns at a much slower rate than across the round window membrane. In another experiment, the round window niche was irrigated with TMPA-free artificial perilymph during the intravenous infusion of 50 mM TMPA medium. The TMPA concentration increase in ST of the basal turn was greatly suppressed, whereas that of the third turn was not affected for at least an hour.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1491279", "title": "[Comparison of vulnerability between avian and mammalian inner ears--electrophysiological and morphological studies].", "content": "In order to assess the vulnerability of the inner ear, auditory function and morphology of the inner ear were compared between adult budgerigars and adult guinea pigs. Budgerigars have been considered to have an excellent auditory-vocal system. Two experimental conditions were produced in each species; one by acoustic hyperstimulation (1500 Hz, 120 dBSPL) for 96 hours, the other by administration of kanamycin (200 mg/kg) for 7 weeks. Measurement of auditory evoked potentials (AEP) and observation of hair cells by electron microscopy were performed both immediately and 14 days after exposure. In the acoustic hyperstimulation experiment, AEPs of budgerigars showed less damage and better recovery than those of guinea pigs, probably because of morphological differences between the two species in hair and supporting cells. Electron microscopic observation on the budgerigars showed that a small part of the hair cell area was damaged and that regeneration of hair cells had occurred in this area 14 days after exposure. Such observations in guinea pigs revealed that outer hair cells had been damaged and replaced by supporting cells 14 days after exposure. In the kanamycin administration experiment, AEPs showed the same degree of damage and recovery in both species. This suggests that blood supply and drug transport to the inner ear are almost the same although the structure of the inner ear differs markedly between the two species. Electron microscopic observation did not show an apparent regeneration of hair cells 14 days after administration in the budgerigars. Guinea pigs had a tendency to show progressive damage of both auditory function and inner ear morphology even after the cessation of administration. Regeneration of hair cells in the budgerigar differed under both experimental conditions, suggesting that there is a difference in the mode of auditory disturbance between acoustic hyperstimulation and administration of kanamycin. In conclusion, resistance to acoustic hyperstimulation is higher in the avian inner ear than in the mammalian inner ear, while resistance to administration of kanamycin does not differ significantly between the two species."}
{"id": "PMID:1491281", "title": "The setting for the crack era: macro forces, micro consequences (1960-1992).", "content": "This article provides an overview of the social history leading up to the crack era, especially 1960 to the present. The central theme holds that several major macro social forces (e.g., economic decline, job loss, ghettoization, housing abandonment, homelessness) have disproportionately impacted on the inner-city economy. These forces have created micro consequences that have impacted directly on many inner-city residents and have increased levels of distress experienced by households, families, and individuals. Economic marginality has generated high levels of alcohol and other drug abuse as well as criminality, which are exemplified in this article by one inner-city household having an extensive family history exhibiting the chronic impacts of these macro forces and their micro consequences."}
{"id": "PMID:1491284", "title": "From bag brides to skeezers: a historical perspective on sex-for-drugs behavior.", "content": "There are many ways that women support their use of crack cocaine, including sex-for-crack bartering and other forms of prostitution. Empirical studies conducted in the mid-1970s and in the mid-1980s in New York City, and in Chicago in the late 1980s to early 1990s are compared, analyzing similarities and differences between the contemporary crack-prostitution scene and previous prostitution scenes. Findings suggest that the arrival of crack cocaine has directly and indirectly affected the drugs-prostitution nexus by lowering the price of sex for street prostitutes, altering the social status of cocaine, and increasing the level of social disorganization in illicit street activities, including prostitution. Barterers are shown to be the heaviest drug users, using the greatest variety of drugs, using larger amounts of drugs, and using more frequently."}
{"id": "PMID:1491285", "title": "High-risk sex behavior among young street-recruited crack cocaine smokers in three American cities: an interim report. The Multicenter Crack Cocaine and HIV Infection Study Team.", "content": "Since crack cocaine appeared in urban areas in the United States in the mid-1980s, reports have suggested that crack smokers may be at increased risk of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), including infection with HIV, because they have multiple sex partners, trade sex for money or drugs, and rarely use condoms. A cross-sectional survey is being conducted in urban neighborhoods in Miami, New York and San Francisco--where crack use is common--to explore these issues. Indigenous street outreach workers are recruiting men and women who are either current regular crack smokers or who have never smoked crack; each group is further stratified according to whether participants had ever injected drugs. Participants were interviewed about their sexual and drug-use practices. Overall, crack smokers, whether injectors or not, engaged in higher-risk sexual behaviors than nonsmokers, reported greater numbers of sex partners than nonsmokers, and were more likely than nonsmokers to have exchanged sex for money or drugs or to have had an STD. Differences between crack smokers and nonsmokers were generally greater among non-injectors than among injectors, and generally greater among women than among men. Condom use, although somewhat more common with paying than nonpaying partners, was infrequent overall. Most of the subjects had not been in substance abuse treatment in the preceding 12 months, and a majority had never been in substance abuse treatment. Education and prevention programs specifically targeted at crack smokers not currently in substance abuse treatment are needed to reach these high-risk persons."}
{"id": "PMID:1491282", "title": "Studying crack abusers: strategies for recruiting the right tail of an ill-defined population.", "content": "This study attempts to better understand a limited segment of the drug-abusing population, especially individuals who repeatedly use crack and other drugs. This article addresses the methodological strategies and underlying paradigms informing the recruitment of hard-to-reach and ill-defined subpopulations of crack abusers and noncrack drug abusers. Subjects were recruited from diverse social contexts: streets or communities where most drug users do their business, arrested persons who were released, jail inmates, probationers and parolees, prison inmates, and treatment settings. A systematic comparison of subject attributes across recruitment locales and with other, similar target groups is presented. The utility and external comparability of the recruitment techniques are supported by the findings."}
{"id": "PMID:1491283", "title": "The developmental cycle of a drug epidemic: the cocaine smoking epidemic of 1981-1991.", "content": "Although Americans have experienced many drug epidemics, the majority of which have ended within ten years of onset, they nevertheless believed that the use of smokable cocaine, which took the popular form of crack cocaine in 1984, would grow exponentially throughout the 1990s unless it was vigorously combated. However, in 1991 it appears that crack use is in decline even in the inner-city neighborhoods where it had been most entrenched, and that the decline is due more to natural controls than to the War on Drugs. The cyclical nature of drug epidemics, as well as their progression through regular stages, was again affirmed. The cocaine-smoking epidemic of 1981-1991 (which included crack) afforded the opportunity to research it in its entirety. In this article, the advantages of recognizing the developmental cycles of drug epidemics are outlined, the most important of which concerns the future. In the terminal stage of the developmental cycle of a drug epidemic, remaining abusers play a pivotal role. If humanely treated, they may serve as deterrents to future drug use: frustrated in current drug use, however, yet insensitively treated by the wider society, they may author the next epidemic."}
{"id": "PMID:1491286", "title": "Crack cocaine use and sexual activity in Miami, Florida.", "content": "Data are analyzed from the Multicenter Study of Crack Cocaine and HIV Infection in Miami, Florida, examining interrelationships among use of crack cocaine, use of other drugs, sexual activity, and exchange of sex for money and drugs. This study was designed to recruit two groups of approximately equal size: persons who reported current use of crack cocaine three or more times per week, and those who had never used crack. Participants (N = 641) were recruited in Miami. Participants' median age for first use of crack cocaine was higher than for use of alcohol, marijuana or powdered cocaine. It was also higher than participants' ages at first sexual activity, and somewhat higher than the median age for reporting initiation of trading sex for money or drugs. The median age of first crack use was lower among younger participants, suggesting that crack use in older participants followed quickly upon availability of the drug. Crack users reported reduced desire for sex and diminished ability to have sex after smoking crack. However, crack use was associated with increased sexual activity, trading sex for money or drugs, and sex with multiple partners. Participants who traded sex for money or drugs (traders) reported higher rates of condom use than nontraders; however, neither traders nor nontraders reported rates of condom use sufficient to substantially reduce the transmission of sexually transmitted diseases and HIV infection."}
{"id": "PMID:1491291", "title": "Five confirmed human cases of gnathostomiasis nipponica recently found in northern Japan.", "content": "Five confirmed human cases of gnathostomiasis nipponica exhibiting creeping eruption and itching were found sporadically from the autumn of 1991 to the winter of 1992 in the northern region of the mainland of Japan. In all cases, a causative gnathostome with 3 transverse rows of hooklets on the head bulb was detected in biopsied skin. The morphological characteristics agreed with the advanced third-stage larvae of Gnathostoma nipponicum. Within a few weeks before development of symptoms, all patients had histories of eating raw freshwater fishes, kokanee (Salmo nerka nerka), carp (Cyprinus carpio), crucian carp (Carassius gibelio langsdorfi), or common ice-fish (Salangichthys microdon). However, they had never eaten raw loach, which is known as a source of human infections with G. nipponicum."}
{"id": "PMID:1491287", "title": "Women who use cocaine too much: smoking crack vs. snorting cocaine.", "content": "Monique (an African-American 19-year-old) and Becky (a white 21-year-old) were interviewed as part of a NIDA-funded study of women and cocaine. Although they were not necessarily typical, they do illustrate some of the differences among women who use cocaine. Despite the fact that they were close in age and both used cocaine, their scenarios and outcomes were very different, as one was a white middle-class woman and the other was an underclass woman of Color. The argument presented in this article is that it is not simply substance use that frames the experiences of women who use cocaine too much, but the social class mediated by gender and race. Through these life histories, the lives of these women are examined prior to cocaine use. Then the differential processes of initiation into and continuation of cocaine are described and analyzed, followed by a discussion of their lives after cocaine use."}
{"id": "PMID:1491292", "title": "Characterization of Eimeria tenella unsporulated oocyst-specific cDNA clones.", "content": "A cDNA library was constructed with poly(A)+ RNA from unsporulated oocysts of Eimeria tenella in pUC18. After screening, 4 cDNA clones that hybridized to RNA of unsporulated and sporulating oocysts but not to RNA of either sporulated oocysts or second generation merozoites were isolated and characterized. Each of the cDNA clones is unique. The loci for 2 of the clones are on E. tenella chromosome 7, the site of the third is located on chromosome 6 and the last clone hybridizes, for the most part, to chromosome 5 but also to other E. tenella chromosomes. The cognate RNAs for each of the cDNA clones show differential patterns of hybridization during oocyst sporulation with the levels of RNA being low at the start of sporulation (0 hr), increasing to peak levels between 6.5 and 23 hr after the onset of sporulation and, in each case, decreasing to low hybridization levels at 48 hr after initiation of sporulation. These results establish that specific mRNA levels are differentially regulated during sporulation."}
{"id": "PMID:1491293", "title": "Cultivation of excysted metacercariae of Echinostoma caproni to ovigerous adults in the allantois of the chick embryo.", "content": "Chemically excysted metacercariae of Echinostoma caproni inoculated into the allantois of domestic chick embryos became ovigerous in that site within 9 days postinoculation. The egg preparation technique of Saville and Irwin was markedly better than that of a modified Zwilling procedure for obtaining large numbers of postinoculation embryos with worm infections. Adults of E. caproni from the allantois were larger and became ovigerous sooner than worms grown on the chorioallantois. Only worms from the allantois produced eggs with fully developed miracidia. Miracidia were released from these eggs, but an insufficient number was available to attempt infections in Biomphalaria glabrata snails."}
{"id": "PMID:1491288", "title": "A gender comparison of health status among users of crack cocaine.", "content": "This study examines a population of inner-city crack cocaine users in Miami, Florida. Many study participants were also injection drug users; others were the sexual partners of injection drug users. In general, the self-reported health status of the study population was good, but men perceived their health in a more positive light than did women. HIV-seronegative men were most likely to report excellent or good health, and seropositive women reported the greatest incidence of poor health, regardless of the amount of crack use. Serostatus was statistically significant for women but not for men. Pneumonia was reported more frequently by women, while hepatitis and tuberculosis were reported more frequently by men. There was a significant gender difference in reported endocarditis among light users of crack, with more women that men reporting a history of endocarditis. Among sexually transmitted diseases, men reported more gonorrhea and women reported more syphilis. These gender differences were statistically significant only for heavy users of crack. A gender difference was evident in the HIV seropositivity rates, with 25.7% of men and 32.2% of women testing positive for antibodies to HIV. While this difference held true when frequency of crack use was controlled, the difference was not statistically significant. Women were significantly more likely than men to trade sex for drugs and/or money. Women who were heavy crack users traded most often and would be expected to be at correspondingly increased risk for HIV infection or transmission."}
{"id": "PMID:1491294", "title": "Cultivation of Eimeria tenella in Japanese quail embryos (Coturnix coturnix japonica).", "content": "Complete development of Eimeria tenella in Japanese quail embryos was observed. Sporozoites were inoculated into the allantoic cavity of 7-day-old Japanese quail embryos (Coturnix coturnix japonica), after which the infected embryos were incubated at 41 C. In the chorioallantoic membrane mature first generation schizonts, mature second generation schizonts, and gametes were detected at 48 hr postinoculation of sporozoites (PI), 84 hr PI, and 126 hr PI, respectively. Mature gametes and zygotes were found at 132 hr PI, and oocysts were detected at 138 hr PI. Mortality of embryos increased with increment of inoculum size of sporozoites. LD50 was 1.7 x 10(2) sporozoites. Oocyst production was also dependent on inoculum size. Oocysts harvested from embryos sporulated. The oocysts were inoculated into 13-day-old chickens, and oocysts, capable of sporulating normally, were recovered from ceca 7 days after inoculation."}
{"id": "PMID:1491289", "title": "Cocaine use patterns and overdose.", "content": "The question of how cocaine overdoses are related to preferred routes of cocaine administration and other aspects of cocaine use patterns is sufficiently complex that very little information is available on it. Even the most extensive information on cocaine overdoses, that of the Drug Abuse Warning Network, is severely limited for purposes of examining this topic. Findings are presented from a 1988-1990 study of a purposive but demographically diverse sample of 699 crack and other cocaine users in Miami, 349 of them interviewed in residential treatment and 350 interviewed on the street. Among these respondents: a history of cocaine overdose is extremely common; overdose episodes do not commonly motivate treatment entry and in some populations are relatively unlikely to result in an emergency room visit; cocaine overdose is less associated with crack smoking than with snorting or intravenous (IV) use, whereas IV use is especially likely to result in overdose; and the street and treatment samples are strikingly different in regard to drug use patterns, overdose history, changes some users made to use patterns as a result of overdose experiences, and reasons given by other users for not making such changes."}
{"id": "PMID:1491295", "title": "Resumption of feeding in vitro by hookworm third-stage larvae: a comparative study.", "content": "Third-stage infective larvae of the canine hookworm Ancylostoma caninum resume feeding in vitro in response to several stimuli. Experiments were conducted to characterize the in vitro feeding behavior of several hookworm species. Reduced glutathione and, to a lesser extent, canine and human serum stimulated third-stage larvae of Ancylostoma duodenale to resume feeding. Glutathione-induced feeding reached a maximum by 16 hr and was concentration-dependent between 0- and 15-mM glutathione. Oxidized glutathione and the reducing agents dithiothreitol and L-cysteine failed to induce feeding, suggesting that reducing conditions alone were not stimulatory. Serum incubated with glutathione was the most efficient stimulus for Ancylostoma ceylanicum, Ancylostoma braziliense, and Ancylostoma tubaeforme larvae, whereas Uncinaria stenocephala larvae responded best to canine serum alone. Necator americanus larvae did not resume feeding in response to glutathione, serum, glutathione plus serum, or linoleic acid (0.1-10 mM). These differences in feeding behavior suggest that generalizations concerning hookworm biology must be interpreted cautiously."}
{"id": "PMID:1491296", "title": "Endogenous development of Eimeria intestinalis in rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus).", "content": "The endogenous life cycle of a pure strain of Eimeria intestinalis was studied by light and electron microscopy in coccidia-free rabbits. Four schizont generations could be observed: the first one, not previously described, was seen between 36 and 144 hr postinoculation (PI), the second one between 64 and 168 hr PI, the third one between 96 and 192 hr PI, and the fourth one between 168 and 240 hr PI. Gamogony apparently started as early as 144 hr PI. Thus, it was possible for oocysts to develop from third generation merozoites, later oocysts developing after the fourth schizont generation. Electron microscopic observation suggested that oocysts were derived mainly from merozoites of the fourth schizont generation. During the first stage of the life cycle, sporozoites were seen in intraepithelial lymphocytes. All asexual generations, except the fourth, were characterized by 2 schizont types: the first, regarded as female, contained mononuclear merozoites and the second, regarded as male, contained polynuclear merozoites."}
{"id": "PMID:1491290", "title": "Crack use and correlates of use in a national population of street heroin users. The National AIDS Research Consortium.", "content": "Traditionally, researchers and clinicians have viewed street heroin users as representing an end point in a drug-using career. It is toward this population that major national treatment efforts have been directed. Concomitant with the historical national concern about heroin use has been concern about the increase in crack cocaine use. There has been speculation that crack use may have become a substitute for the higher risk of heroin injection. This article examines the impact of crack use in a national population of heroin users. It was consistently found that there was a correlation between the frequency of crack use and the frequency of speedballing as well as the use of other forms of cocaine, amphetamines, and marijuana. There was also a positive relationship between frequency of crack use and such HIV risk behaviors as renting needles and having a large number of sex partners. The data suggest that in this population of heroin users, crack is not a substitute for heroin but rather is a part of a drug-use pattern that includes an increased use of other drugs and increased high-risk behaviors for contracting HIV."}
{"id": "PMID:1491297", "title": "Infectivity of plerocercoids of Schistocephalus solidus (Cestoda: Ligulidae) and fecundity of the adults in an experimental definitive host, Gallus gallus.", "content": "Aspects of the infectivity of the plerocercoid stage and the fecundity of the adult stage of Schistocephalus solidus were examined using the chicken, Gallus gallus, as an experimental host. To investigate size-related infectivity of the plerocercoid stage to a definitive host, a range of plerocercoids (166) were weighed, and each was fed to an individual male chicken. Only a very small percentage of plerocercoids weighing less than 50 mg established compared with in excess of 50% in all other weight classes. To examine the factors affecting the quantity of eggs produced by the adult stage, 15 similar-sized plerocercoids (160-218 mg) were fed to chickens. The majority of plerocercoids administered established as adults and survived until the experiment was terminated on day 7 postinfection (PI). Fecal egg counts indicated that all established worms commenced egg production on day 2 PI with peak output on day 2 or 3 PI. By day 7 PI, egg production in the surviving worms had declined, but it was still evident. The final weight of the adult and the average egg output per worm were unrelated to the initial weight of the infecting plerocercoid. However, the average egg output was predicted by the final adult dry weight and to a lesser extent by the proportion of weight lost in the transition from plerocercoid to adult, but not by the absolute weight loss."}
{"id": "PMID:1491298", "title": "Induction of anti-secretory factor in mice by the nonintestinal parasite Schistosoma mansoni.", "content": "Anti-secretory factor (ASF) was determined by the rat intestinal loop model in the pituitary gland and in the blood at various intervals after experimental infection of mice with Schistosoma mansoni. ASF could be detected in the pituitary gland by 6 hr after percutaneous infection with cercariae and in the blood at 24 hr after infection. A peak level was reached 3 days after infection and, after a decline, 2 more peaks were noted between 4 and 8 wk after infection. Characterization of ASF induced by S. mansoni by means of isoelectric focusing revealed 2 distinct peaks at approximately pH 4 and pH 5, respectively. Upon affinity chromatography on agarose, the activity dissociated in a gradient of methyl-alpha-D-glucoside at 1.0 M but not at 0.1 or 0.3 M concentrations."}
{"id": "PMID:1491299", "title": "Differential cardiac histopathology in inbred mouse strains chronically infected with Trypanosoma cruzi.", "content": "Seven inbred mouse strains were examined for the presence of chronic Chagas' cardiomyopathy in postacute Trypanosoma cruzi infection. DBA/1, DBA/2, BALB/c, B10.T (6R), B10.Q, B10.D2, and B6 mice were infected for 100 days with the Brazil strain of T. cruzi. Standard histologic examination of cardiac tissue from these mice revealed the following relationship among the different strains based on the severity of observed inflammation (myocarditis): BALB/c, DBA/1, and DBA/2 were the most inflamed; B10.T (6R) and B10.Q were intermediate; and B6 and B10.D2 showed the least inflammation. Examination of these tissues for characteristics of myocardiopathy such as cell swelling, edema, vacuolization, necrosis, myocytolysis, connective tissue infiltration, and thinning of the right ventricular wall indicated a relative relationship among the different strains relative to the severity of cardiomyopathy as follows: BALB/c, DBA/2, and DBA/1 showed the most cardiopathy (pathopermissive); B10.T (6R) and B10.Q showed intermediate pathology; and B6 and B10.D2 showed the least involvement (pathoresistant). Anti-heart antibody present in the sera of all these mice showed specific reactivity in western blots to a 43-kDa glycoprotein from normal heart tissue. Also, anti-heart antibody enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay titers for all mouse strains were similar and showed no correlation with the severity of tissue damage. The fact that different inbred strains show various degrees of myocarditis and cardiomyopathy may be useful in the study of pathogenesis of chronic Chagas' disease. Results from this limited list of inbred strains suggest that background genes, rather than the major histocompatibility complex, play the major role in the expression of cardiac pathogenesis.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1491300", "title": "Characterization in vitro and in vivo of resistance to ionophores in a strain of Eimeria tenella.", "content": "A field isolate of Eimeria tenella (FS139) was propagated several times in chickens medicated with 200 ppm of dietary monensin. In a laboratory test with 2-wk-old-chickens, the strain was resistant to monensin, salinomycin, and lasalocid given at double use level and was resistant to narasin and maduramicin at the normal use level. In comparison, a laboratory strain (WIS) was controlled by the normal use level of each product. When free WIS sporozoites were treated in vitro with 1.0 microgram/ml of monensin for 0.5 or 4.0 hr at 41 C and inoculated into primary cultures of chicken kidney cells the invasion was reduced by 35.6% or 96.3%, but invasion of FS139 sporozoites was increased by 18.5% by 0.5 hr treatment and was about the same as controls after 2 hr of treatment. Few sporozoites from the WIS strain developed into schizonts, but numerous sporozoites from the FS139 strain developed into normal first and second generation schizonts. The structure of free WIS sporozoites was distorted after 3 hr of treatment with 2.5 micrograms/ml of monensin at 41 C, as observed by light and scanning electron microscopy, whereas there was no change in structure of most treated FS139 sporozoites."}
{"id": "PMID:1491301", "title": "Resistance of Trypanosoma cruzi to blood clearance induced by acute-phase immune mouse serum.", "content": "To investigate functional changes in Trypanosoma cruzi parasites induced during their interaction with the vertebrate host, we compared the blood clearance profiles of blood forms isolated from infected normal mice (Reg-Tc) or from infected mice immunodepressed after treatment with cyclophosphamide (Cy-Tc). Parasite blood numbers were measured at various time intervals in animals injected intravenously (i.v.) with 1-2 x 10(6) T. cruzi of either isolate. In the absence of added immune sera (spontaneous clearance), Reg-Tc and Cy-Tc were cleared from blood at similar rates. However, when acute immune mouse serum (Ac-IMS) was injected i.v. 2 min after inoculation of parasites, a significant proportion of Cy-Tc only was cleared from the blood an hour later, whereas Reg-Tc were not, their clearance profile being identical to that observed in mice injected with normal mouse serum. Cy-Tc susceptibility to Ac-IMS was not the result of a toxic effect of cyclophosphamide over T. cruzi as parasites recovered from animals immunodepressed by irradiation before infection were cleared similarly by acute serum. Contrary to Ac-IMS, chronic immune mouse serum induced similar rates of disappearance of Reg-Tc and Cy-Tc from blood. Our results suggest the occurrence of T. cruzi selection or modification during the acute phase, which leads to an increased parasite resistance to the clearance properties of acute-phase antibodies."}
{"id": "PMID:1491302", "title": "Population structure of Lankatrematoides gardneri (Digenea: Opisthotrematidae) in the pancreas of the dugong (Dugong dugon) (Mammalia: Sirenia).", "content": "The distribution among size and reproductive classes of the digenean Lankatrematoides gardneri was recorded from the pancreatic ducts of 41 dugongs from the Gulf of Papua, Papua New Guinea. Infrapopulation sizes ranged from 5 to 921 worms and showed no correlation with host age, sex, or month of capture. Immature worms tended to be concentrated in intermediate size classes, the largest immatures being no more numerous than matures. The mean proportion of mature worms in the 29 infrapopulations containing them was small (9.8%). Mature worms were significantly greater in mass than the largest immatures. There is evidence of an interaction between the presence or absence of mature worms and the distribution of immatures among classes."}
{"id": "PMID:1491303", "title": "Parasites of cottontail rabbits of southern Illinois.", "content": "Fifteen species of parasites including Haemaphysalis leporispalustris, Ixodes dentatus, Amblyomma americanum, Cediopsylla simplex, Odontopsyllus multispinosus, Cuterebra sp., Obeliscoides cuniculi, Trichostrongylus calcaratus, Trichostrongylus affinis, Longistriata noviberiae, Dermatoxys veligera, Trichuris sp., Mosgovoyia sp., Taenia pisiformis, and Hasstilesia tricolor as well as coccidia oocysts were collected from 96 cottontail rabbits (Sylvilagus floridanus) confined to a pen in southern Illinois in 1983 and 1984. The diversity of parasites and the intensities of infections were similar to published reports on free-ranging populations. Most variations in parasite abundances were attributable to season. Few lesions were seen in association with parasitism."}
{"id": "PMID:1491304", "title": "Allozymic and biological characters of Trichinella pseudospiralis isolates from free-ranging animals.", "content": "To evaluate biological and biochemical variability in nonencapsulated Trichinella isolates, biological and allozymic studies were conducted on isolates of Trichinella collected from a raptoral bird (Aquila rapax) and a fox (Vulpes corsac) in Kazakhstan and from a dasyurid marsupial (Dasyurus maculatus) on the island of Tasmania, Australia. Allozyme profiles of bird and marsupial isolates showed close similarity with the type isolate of Trichinella pseudospiralis. The avian and fox isolates successfully interbred with the type T. pseudospiralis isolate, but they failed to interbreed with 3 encapsulating species, Trichinella spiralis, Trichinella nativa, and Trichinella britovi. The reproductive index assessed in 4 inbred and 1 outbred strains of mice was lower for the avian isolate than for the marsupial and the type T. pseudospiralis isolates (P < 0.001)."}
{"id": "PMID:1491305", "title": "Collection of eggs and hatching and culturing second-stage larvae of Toxocara vitulorum in vitro.", "content": "Eggs of Toxocara vitulorum were harvested from the feces of infected buffalo calves and embryonated in vitro. Optimum conditions for hatch and culture of the second-stage larvae were determined. Maximum hatch of larvae occurred from eggs that were decoated by treatment with saturated Ca(OCl)2 for 16-24 min followed by treatment with CO2 and incubation at 37 C. Larvae could be cultured in RPMI-1640 medium for up to 3 mo but survived for only 3 wk in Eagle's minimum essential medium."}
{"id": "PMID:1491306", "title": "Further evidence that the genes controlling susceptibility of Aedes aegypti to filarial parasites function independently.", "content": "Comparisons were made of in vivo labeled polypeptides from Aedes aegypti strains refractory to either Brugia malayi or Dirofilaria immitis. There does not seem to be a generalized \"anti-parasite\" polypeptide response that mosquitoes refractory to filarial worm infection produce following bloodfeeding. Instead, it seems that any response produced by these mosquitoes is localized to the tissue in which the filarial parasite develops."}
{"id": "PMID:1491307", "title": "A bioassay for mefloquine.", "content": "A bioassay method that allows for the estimation of serum concentrations of mefloquine is presented. Concentrations obtained by bioassay and high performance liquid chromatography showed a good correlation. This bioassay should be helpful in assessing prophylactic/treatment failures to mefloquine under field conditions."}
{"id": "PMID:1491312", "title": "Differentiation of Rhipicephalus ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) by gas chromatography of cuticular hydrocarbons.", "content": "Gas chromatography of the cuticular hydrocarbons of 4 species of ticks belonging to the genus Rhipicephalus (R. sanguineus, R. turanicus, R. pusillus, and R. bursa) showed a unique pattern for each taxon. The hydrocarbon fractions were composed of a mixture of straight-chain, terminally methylated, and internally branched alkanes; however, only a small quantity of alkenes was detected. Freshly collected, dried, and alcohol-stored specimens of R. sanguineus were analyzed and their patterns found to be nearly identical. Collection of specimens from separate localities demonstrated a species-specific pattern for Spanish material."}
{"id": "PMID:1491313", "title": "On-site diagnosis of Plasmodium falciparum, P. vivax, and P. malariae by using the Quantitative Buffy Coat system.", "content": "The Quantitative Buffy Coat (QBC) system was used for the detection and identification of malaria parasites in blood specimens from 570 residents of Oksibil, an isolated highland valley in the eastern Jayawijaya Mountains of Irian Jaya (Indonesian New Guinea). The availability of a battery-powered centrifuge and a fiberoptic Paralens enabled us to complete and interpret the assay in this remote environment. Of 322 QBC tubes examined for 2-4 min each, results of 295 (92%) concurred with findings on the matched Giemsa-stained thick smear (GTS). The 27 discrepant results included 13 QBC+/GTS- that, upon reexamination, were found to be GTS+. When using the corrected GTS results as the standard, the sensitivity and specificity of the QBC were 94% and 96%, respectively. Because electricity was available only 3 hr per day, it was decided to decrease the examination for an additional 248 QBC to a maximum of 90 sec per tube. This shortened inspection time resulted in a reduction of sensitivity to 53% but specificity was preserved at 89%. Forty-two of 45 conflicting results, QBC-/GTS+ from cases of light Plasmodium falciparum infections with < 1 trophozoite or gametocyte per field, were resolved by reexamination of the QBC in the laboratory. Tubes held at 4 C could be reexamined, without noticeable loss of fluorescence, for at least 6 wk after collection. Despite some difficulty in the identification of Plasmodium species, it was concluded that the QBC is an easy, sensitive method for the rapid diagnosis of malaria in the field and that it provides the inexperienced microscopist with an additional means for on-site identification of individuals needing treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1491314", "title": "Schistosome antigen gp50 is responsible for serological cross-reactivity with Trichinella spiralis.", "content": "The 50-kDa component (gp50) present in Schistosoma mansoni eggs and secretions of the various life stages of the parasite was recognized by experimentally infected mice and by humans with S. mansoni, Schistosoma haematobium, and Schistosoma japonicum infection. All sera reacting with crude S. mansoni-soluble egg antigens (SEA) also reacted strongly with gp50 in enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. No reactivity against gp50 was seen with sera from individuals without schistosomiasis, with the exception of sera from patients with Trichinella spiralis infection. All of 10 sera from patients with trichinellosis also reacted with schistosomes by immunofluorescence essentially recognizing testes, ovaries, ootype epithelium and ducts of the reproductive system. Cross-reacting antigens were seen in T. spiralis hypodermis, stichocytes and possibly germinal primordia using anti-gp50 monoclonal antibodies and anti-gp50-positive schistosomiasis patient sera. The results suggest that the anti-gp50 antibody response constitutes a significant part of the anti-SEA antibody response in infected individuals and is a major reason for the previously recognized serological cross-reactivity between T. spiralis and schistosome species."}
{"id": "PMID:1491316", "title": "Cystic fibrosis: a new perspective in genetic counseling.", "content": "Recent developments in DNA technology mean that all individuals can be tested to identify whether they carry one of the known mutations for cystic fibrosis. This testing will allow people to know whether they are at risk to have a child with cystic fibrosis. However, this knowledge has the potential to create harm if the testing programs are not managed carefully. Implications of this new technology for nurses and the general public are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1491317", "title": "Breast-feeding problems and telephone consultation.", "content": "Parents and health care providers may have difficulty obtaining accurate and current information for the management of breast-feeding concerns. This study documents the types of problems that lead family members and health care professionals to seek telephone consultation from a breast-feeding service managed as an activity of a school of nursing faculty practice. During the 6-month study period, calls from 387 individuals (64% mothers and 31% health care providers) were received, for a mean of 64 calls per month. These calls required approximately 9.5 hours monthly to manage. Thirty-one percent of the calls were requests for general information (including stooling and urination or frequency and duration of breast-feeding); an additional 24% requested consultation from or referral to the service. Twenty-five percent of the calls resulted in a consultation with either the clinicians (9.9% inpatient; 9.6% outpatient) or referral to another health care professional (6%). Suggestions for pediatric nurse practitioner practice with breast-feeding mothers and babies were developed from the results of this clinical study."}
{"id": "PMID:1491320", "title": "The genogram: a strategy for assessment.", "content": "One of the strongest components of the role of the pediatric nurse practitioner (PNP) is that of assessing pediatric clients and their families. Many tools have been developed to assist the PNP in assessing family relationships and dynamics to formulate plans of care that promote physical and mental health. This article explores the use of the genogram as a tool for successful family assessment. A case study is presented to guide the PNP to incorporate the technique into the practice setting."}
{"id": "PMID:1491327", "title": "Utility of Fourier transform-Raman and Fourier transform-infrared diffuse reflectance spectroscopy for differentiation of polymorphic spironolactone samples.", "content": "Thirteen bulk pharmaceutical preparations of spironolactone were examined by Fourier transform (FT)-Raman spectroscopy and by diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS) for residual solvents (including the hydrolysis product, thioacetic acid), the presence of enolic tautomeric forms, and evidence for different polymorphic forms. One sample (L) only was found to contain solvent residue (benzene). No evidence for the possible existence of enolic tautomers in the solid state was found. From these specimens, four different representative polymorphic samples (A, B, C, and D) were selected on the basis of their DRIFTS patterns in the 3600-3200-cm-1 region. Samples K and L were considered to represent mixtures of two or more of the above representative types. Similar differentiation of the samples was made on the basis of their Raman spectra over the frequency range 1800-400 cm-1. The various fundamental stretching frequencies for the C = O and C = C bonds have been assigned, and these assignments, in turn, were used to account for all the bands in the 3600-3200-cm-1 region as overtone and combination frequencies of the fundamentals. The Raman lines at 637 and 655 cm-1 were assigned to the two C-S stretching modes of the thioacetyl moiety."}
{"id": "PMID:1491319", "title": "The fear of healthy eating: understanding the paranoia.", "content": "Scientific research continues to point to the health benefits of including more fruits and vegetables in the diet. At the same time, some groups claim that pesticides used in their production pose significant health risks. This article reviews some of the position statements, describes the principles of risk and hazard assessment, and identifies regulatory processes to assure the safe use of pesticides."}
{"id": "PMID:1491328", "title": "Evaluation of cytotoxicity of some Mannich bases of various aryl and arylidene ketones and their corresponding arylhydrazones.", "content": "Mannich bases were synthesized and converted to the corresponding arylhydrazones. X-ray analysis of a ketone (1a) and a hydrazone (4d) revealed structural features of interest. All of the compounds showed cytotoxicity toward murine lymphocytic leukemia L1210 cells in the 4.9-25.0-microM range. The correlation coefficients generated by plotting the IC50 values (the concentrations of compounds that inhibit the growth of tumors by 50%) of some hydrazones against certain electronic, hydrophobic, and steric constants of the aryl substituents indicated only weak correlations. A few ketones and hydrazones displayed significant cytotoxicity to the WiDr human colon cancer cells, and these derivatives, especially the ketones, may serve as prototypes for future drug development. The KB tumor (a human epidermoid carcinoma of the nasopharynx) was somewhat refractory to selected compounds. In an in vitro assay conducted by the National Cancer Institute and involving approximately 53 tumor cell lines originating from eight neoplastic diseases, 65% of the compounds showed some selectivity toward one or more groups of cancers, principally leukemia, melanoma, and colon cancer. The bioevaluation of the ketones and hydrazones against the L1210, WiDr, and KB tumors, as well as evidence from proton nuclear magnetic resonance studies did not support the suggestion that hydrazones may be prodrugs of the corresponding ketones."}
{"id": "PMID:1491318", "title": "Cardiovascular risk stability: from grade school to high school.", "content": "School-based, cardiovascular risk reduction programs have increased dramatically over the past decade. Though a wide range of evaluation plans have been implemented, limited longitudinal data are available to estimate the effectiveness of these risk reduction programs. The purposes of this study were to describe the stability of risk factors, the changes in cardiovascular risk from grade school to high school, and the differences in risk between gender. The sample (N = 195) of high school students was developed from three cohorts of elementary school students who participated in a risk reduction program in the sixth grade. Three to six years had elapsed since the students participated in the risk reduction program, thus providing a longitudinal view of participants' risk. Subject risk for obesity and high cholesterol level was stable although significant changes were noted for heart rate recovery and blood pressure. The only gender difference in risk was for elevated cholesterol level among female students. Nursing implications are presented."}
{"id": "PMID:1491329", "title": "In vitro release of nitroglycerin from topical products by use of artificial membranes.", "content": "An in vitro testing method for measuring the release of nitroglycerin from topical drug products was evaluated. The method involved measuring the amount of nitroglycerin that diffused from ointments and patches through various synthetic membranes into receptor fluid contained in a modified Franz diffusion cell. Plots of the amount of nitroglycerin released against the square root of time for all 10 synthetic membranes were linear. Five membranes (group I) were found to release nitroglycerin at similar rates (difference not significant; p > 0.05). Use of the other five membranes (group II) in diffusion cells resulted in release rates significantly slower than those of group I membranes (p < 0.05). Rapid permeation of nitroglycerin from a solution through a polysulfone membrane demonstrated a lack of significant diffusion barrier properties of this membrane. Rates of release of nitroglycerin from commercially available ointments were found to be similar. A comparison of three commercial nitroglycerin patches revealed that these products released nitroglycerin at different rates in vitro."}
{"id": "PMID:1491330", "title": "Molecular modeling of beta-cyclodextrin complexes with nootropic drugs.", "content": "The geometry and structural features of the inclusion complexes of beta-cyclodextrin (beta-CD) with the chiral antiamnesic drugs (+/-)-1-benzyl-4-hydroxymethylpyrrolidin-2-one (WEB-1868). (+/-)-1-benzenesulfonyl-5-ethoxypyrrolidin-2-one (RU-35929), and (+/-)-1-(3-pyridinlysulfonyl)-5-ethoxypyrrolidin-2-one (RU-47010) were studied by the molecular modeling method (MacroModel interactive computer program). Docking procedures yielded the most stable complexes, which showed the aromatic ring of the guests inside the cavity and the pyrrolidinone ring out from the side of the beta-CD secondary hydroxyl groups. The binding energies were essentially due to hydrogen-bonded structures involving the C=O group of the guests. Selective interactions allowed chiral discrimination, and accordingly, separate beta-CD complexes of the R and S enantiomers of each guest compound were studied. The almost round beta-CD structure, in all the cases, assumed an elliptic shape on passing from the isolated molecule to the docked complex. The optimized structures and conformations of beta-CD and its inclusion compounds showed acceptable general agreement with information from proton nuclear magnetic resonance studies."}
{"id": "PMID:1491331", "title": "Proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy studies of the inclusion complex of piroxicam with beta-cyclodextrin.", "content": "Proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy showed that piroxicam sodium salt forms an inclusion complex with beta-cyclodextrin in aqueous solution. The 1:1 stoichiometry of the complex was determined by the continuous variation method. Significant nuclear Overhauser effects were observed between the inner protons of beta-cyclodextrin and protons of both the aromatic rings of piroxicam sodium salt, a result indicating that two isomeric 1:1 complexes must be present in solution within the range of concentrations investigated. The overall association constant was 113 M at 298 K. At concentrations less than 1.0 x 10(-3) M, the complex is completely dissociated."}
{"id": "PMID:1491332", "title": "Oral bioavailability of griseofulvin from aged griseofulvin:lipid coprecipitates: in vivo studies in rats.", "content": "The bioavailabilities of aged coprecipitates of griseofulvin (Gris), dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC), or egg phosphatidylcholine (EPC) and cholesterol (CHOL) in rats and correlations with their in vitro dissolution behaviors were determined. In vivo absorption studies of Gris:DMPC (4:1, w/w) or Gris:DMPC:CHOL [4:1(1:0.33 mole ratio)] coprecipitates yielded evidence of a 40% increase in the peak concentration in plasma (Cmax) and a 2.5- to 3-fold decrease in the time to reach Cmax (tmax), compared with those obtained with micronized Gris but a statistically unchanged area under the concentration in plasma--time curve (AUC) when 1-day-aged samples at equivalent doses were used. On the other hand, a 10% decrease in the AUC, a 20% increase in the Cmax, and a three- to fourfold decrease in the tmax were observed for the same formulations aged for 90 days. In comparison, the Cmax produced by the 1-day-aged Gris:EPC:CHOL [4:1(1:0.33 mole ratio)] coprecipitate was the same as that produced by micronized Gris, but the tmax and the AUC were significantly lower; the Cmax produced by the 90-day-aged coprecipitate was 30% higher than that produced by micronized Gris, but the tmax and the AUC remained unchanged. The Gris concentrations after 5 and 30 min (dissolution parameters) and the percent dissolution efficiency also showed excellent correlations with the concentration in plasma after 1 h, the Cmax, and the AUC (in vivo parameters) for all formulations, but the individual in vitro parameters showed poor correlations with the AUC results.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1491333", "title": "Gastric emptying of tablets and granules in humans, dogs, pigs, and stomach-emptying-controlled rabbits.", "content": "Rates of gastric emptying of nondigestible tablets and granules in humans were compared with those in three animal models: dogs, minipigs, and stomach-emptying-controlled rabbits. The rates of gastric emptying of both dosage forms in dogs tended to be faster than or similar to those in humans, whereas the rates in pigs were slower. In stomach-emptying-controlled rabbits, no tablets were emptied from the stomach because of their large size. The rate of gastric emptying of granules in rabbits was slow and variable. Food delayed gastric emptying in dogs, especially for tablets. In rabbits, the rate of gastric emptying of granules was faster when the granules were given before feeding, in comparison with that after feeding or under fasting conditions. We concluded that the dog is a better animal model for bioavailability studies under fasting conditions than the pig and the rabbit."}
{"id": "PMID:1491334", "title": "Simultaneous determination of otilonium bromide and diazepam by first-derivative spectroscopy.", "content": "A rapid, simple assay procedure was developed for simultaneous analysis of otilonium bromide, a smooth-muscle relaxant, and diazepam in tablets containing 20 mg of otilonium bromide and 2 mg of diazepam (20:2 tablets) or 40 mg of otilonium bromide and 2 mg of diazepam (40:2 tablets) by \"zero-crossing\" first-derivative spectroscopy. The tablets were dissolved in 0.01 N HCl, mixtures were centrifuged at 3500 rpm (2472 x g) for 5 min, and first-derivative spectra were recorded. The absolute values of the derivative were measured at 264 nm for determination of otilonium bromide and between 406 and 408 nm (380 nm for analysis of 40:2 tablets) for determination of diazepam. The method is linear, quantitative, and reproducible and can also be used for the tablet dissolution test. Ten tablets of the same batch were analyzed by the described method and by a high-performance liquid chromatographic method, and the results were in good agreement."}
{"id": "PMID:1491335", "title": "Effects of verapamil, ouabain, and ethacrynic acid on calcium retention in perfused rat kidneys.", "content": "A Sprague-Dawley rat kidney perfusion technique was used in situ to study the effect of verapamil, ouabain, and ethacrynic acid on renal calcium retention. The technique involves perfusion of the kidneys via the abdominal aorta and then through the left and right renal arteries and dorsal aorta. Verapamil (1 mM) in Krebs-improved Ringer solution increased calcium retention in the kidneys by approximately 117% compared with controls. With Na-free Krebs-improved Ringer solution, calcium retention increased by only 92%. However, in Krebs-improved Ringer solutions containing 59 and 122 mequivalents of Na, calcium retention in the kidney increased by 46 and 43%, respectively, compared with controls. With Krebs-improved Ringer solution containing 15 mM ouabain, calcium retention in the kidney decreased by 29.5%, whereas with 15 mM ouabain plus 1 mM ethacrynic acid in the perfusate, the effect on calcium retention in the kidney was insignificant compared with controls. These results suggest that two sodium-dependent calcium-transporting systems exist at the peritubular side of the kidney tubules: (1) a Na(+)-Ca+2 countertransport system sensitive to verapamil and (2) a Na(+)-Ca+2 cotransport system sensitive to the intracellular concentration of sodium."}
{"id": "PMID:1491336", "title": "Synthesis and anticholinesterase activity of new bispyridinium compounds.", "content": "Synthesis of new bis(1-methylpyridinium) compounds containing a 1,4-diacetylbenzene linkage between the pyridinium moieties from commercially available 2-, 3-, and 4-picoline precursors was accomplished via metallation, reaction of the picolyllithium with 1,4-dicyanobenzene, and subsequent quaternization of the resulting bispyridyl compounds. Acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activity was determined colorimetrically with purified electric eel enzyme. Examination of structure-activity relationships indicated that the 3-substituted pyridinium compound is the most potent isomer, followed by the 2-substituted isomer, and that the 4-substituted analogue is the least active."}
{"id": "PMID:1491337", "title": "Structural properties of polyethylene glycol-polysorbate 80 mixture, a solid dispersion vehicle.", "content": "The structural properties of the mixtures of polysorbate 80 with various polyethylene glycols (PEG), viz., PEG 1000, PEG 1450, PEG 3350, and PEG 8000, have been investigated by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) and differential scanning calorimetric studies. These mixtures may be used as solid dispersion vehicles to insure complete dissolution of poorly water-soluble drugs. Although polysorbate 80 is a liquid at room temperature, the PEG-polysorbate 80 mixtures with up to 75% (w/w) polysorbate 80 were solid. The XRD studies revealed that the crystal structures (d-spacings) of the PEGs (M(r) 1000, 1450, 3350, and 8000) did not change with increasing amounts of polysorbate 80 in the mixture. The intensities of the XRD peaks, however, varied approximately in proportion to the concentration of PEG present. Similarly, the differential scanning calorimetric studies showed that the melting behavior of a PEG-polysorbate 80 mixture was similar to that of the PEG used. The lowering of the mp of a particular PEG due to the presence of 50% (w/w) polysorbate 80 in the mixture was < 6 degrees C, and the decrease in mp was < 12 degrees C in the presence of 75% (w/w) polysorbate 80. When enthalpies of fusion of the mixtures were normalized for the amounts of PEGs present, they were similar to those of pure PEGs. These results indicate that the crystalline structure of PEG in a PEG-polysorbate 80 mixture is substantially the same as that of the pure PEG, and that polysorbate 80 is incorporated into the amorphous region of PEG solid structure."}
{"id": "PMID:1491338", "title": "Effect of geometric factors on hydration kinetics of theophylline anhydrate tablets.", "content": "The effect of tablet thickness on the hydration kinetics of types I and II theophylline anhydrate tablets at 95% relative humidity and 35 degrees C was studied with various kinetic equations. Samples of 1- and 2-cm-diameter tablets (1 g) were compressed at 1000 kg/cm2. Types I and II tablets expanded by 11-17% in volume during hydration to the monohydrate. The thickness expansion of all tablets exceeded the diameter expansion. After the hygroscopicity test, the final expansion ratio of type I tablets was more than that of type II tablets. The hydration kinetics analysis suggested that the hydration of theophylline anhydrate tablets proceeds as follows: Hydration of the 1-cm-diameter type I tablet followed the two-dimensional phase boundary equation, and that of the 1-cm-diameter type II tablet followed the three-dimensional phase boundary equation, but those of the 2-cm-diameter types I and II tablets followed the equation for two-dimensional growth of nuclei. The hydration kinetics of tablets does not depend on the nature of bulk powder but on geometrical factors (tablet thickness and porosity)."}
{"id": "PMID:1491339", "title": "Physical and lubrication properties of magnesium stearate.", "content": "The lubrication properties of two commercial-grade magnesium stearates were studied. Their moisture contents and crystal structures were similar. There were minor differences in their fatty acid composition, but the differences did not affect the lubrication properties. The lubrication properties correlated with particle size distributions and specific surface area. The effect of these parameters was further studied with unmilled and milled chemically pure magnesium stearate. Milling decreased the particle size and increased the specific surface area. In both cases, the batch with a smaller particle size and larger specific surface area had considerably better lubricity."}
{"id": "PMID:1491340", "title": "Decomposition of alpha-hydroxyaryl ketones and characterization of some unusual products.", "content": "Alpha-Hydroxyaryl ketones such as 2-hydroxypropiophenone and 1-(2,4-difluorophenyl)-2-hydroxy-1-propanone, the key intermediates in the preparation of antifungal agents, decompose into oxidized, rearranged, and condensed products. These products were isolated and characterized. The possible mechanisms for the formation of the products are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1491341", "title": "A thin-layer chromatographic method to determine process impurities in leucovorin calcium.", "content": "A densitometric thin-layer chromatographic method for the analysis of process impurities in leucovorin calcium was developed and validated. Using this method, folic acid, N10-formyldihydrofolic acid, p-aminobenzoic acid, and N-(4-aminobenzoyl)-L-glutamic acid were monitored with a limit of detection of approximately 0.1% each. Both absorbance and fluorescence densitometric evaluations were utilized; fluorescence evaluation selectively detected impurities that were not chromatographically resolved from leucovorin."}
{"id": "PMID:1491342", "title": "Pharmacokinetic characterization and tissue distribution of the new glucocorticoid soft drug loteprednol etabonate in rats and dogs.", "content": "Loteprednol etabonate, a new glucocorticoid soft drug with a characteristic chloromethyl ester function in the 17 beta-position, is currently in the early phases of clinical development. As the basis for human trials, this study describes a new reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic method for the determination of levels of drug in plasma and urine samples and assesses the pharmacokinetic properties of loteprednol etabonate in dogs and rats. Intravenous administration of loteprednol etabonate (5 mg/kg) to dogs revealed a terminal half-life of 2.8 h, a volume of distribution of 3.7 L/kg, and a total body clearance of 0.9 L/h/kg. Intact loteprednol etabonate was not detectable in the urine. After oral administration of the drug (5 mg/kg) to dogs, only metabolites, but no intact drug, were found in the plasma, an indication for a high first-pass effect. A pronounced binding of the drug to plasma protein (> 90%) and a high erythrocyte-buffer partition coefficient of 7.8 were determined in vitro. Preliminary information about tissue distribution and possible metabolic pathways were obtained in rats after oral administration of a 14C-labeled loteprednol etabonate suspension (5 mg/kg). pH-selective extraction into ethyl acetate revealed three distinguishable fractions: (1) a neutral lipophilic fraction, presumably intact drug, (2) an acidic, lipophilic fraction, and (3) a hydrophilic nonextractable fraction. Levels of intact drug and metabolites were highest in liver and kidney, whereas significantly lower levels were found in other investigated organs (lung, brain, heart).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1491343", "title": "Liquid chromatographic determination of oxytetracycline in bovine plasma by double-phase extraction.", "content": "A liquid chromatographic method for the determination of oxytetracycline in bovine plasma was developed. Contrary to most current tetracycline assays involving solid-phase extraction, oxytetracycline and the internal standard tetracycline were isolated from buffered plasma by double-phase extraction with ethyl acetate-isopropyl alcohol. The latter component was found to be essential to ensure reproducible partitioning of both tetracyclines into the organic layer. Chromatography was conducted on a Lichrosorb RP8 column, compounds were eluted with 0.01 M oxalic acid-methanol-acetonitrile, and detection was at 357 nm. Linearity was observed over the 0-8.5-micrograms/mL range, and the detection limit approximated 5 ng/mL. The extraction yield was 80.4 +/- 3.4% (n = 12), and the coefficients of variation for repetitive within-run and between-run analyses at two concentration levels (0.25 and 2 micrograms/mL) were 1.0-4.3 and 2.4-7.2%, respectively. The method was applied to a pharmacokinetic study of oxytetracycline in three nonlactating cows after a single intramuscular administration of a long-acting preparation."}
{"id": "PMID:1491344", "title": "The synthesis and anti-inflammatory properties of a new sulindac analogue synthesized from natural safrole.", "content": "The synthesis of the new sulindac (3) analogue (Z)-5,6-methylenedioxy-2-methyl-1-(p-methylsulfinylbenzylidene)-3- indenyl acetic acid (1) from natural safrole (2), an abundant natural product occurring as the principal chemical constituent of Sassafraz oil, is described. The principal feature of this route is shortness, stereoselectivity, and high overall yield. The new analogue is produced in a yield of approximately 30% from the natural product. The results include the anti-inflammatory activity of 1 as well as that for its corresponding sulfide (12), a synthetic precursor of 1 that may be an important metabolic product of 1 by analogy to 3 itself. The anti-inflammatory profiles of these derivatives, measured in the carrageenan-induced rat paw edema test, indicated a 50% effective dose of 42 mg/kg for 1 and of 23 mg/kg for 12, confirming the structure-activity relationships of these agents. These results indicate that the new analogue 1 could represent a prodrug with a similar therapeutic profile to that of the pharmaceutical product 3."}
{"id": "PMID:1491345", "title": "Pharmacokinetics of moxisylyte in healthy volunteers after intravenous and oral administration.", "content": "The concentration-time profiles of metabolites of moxisylyte, an alpha-blocking agent, in the plasma and urine of 12 healthy volunteers were investigated after intravenous (iv) and oral (two formulations) administration. The study was conducted with an open, randomized Latin squares design. Plasma and urine levels of moxisylyte and its biotransformation products were assayed by a specific HPLC method with fluorescence detection. Plasma levels declined in a monophasic or biphasic pattern depending on the subject. Two metabolites, conjugated desacetylmoxisylyte (DAM) and conjugated monodesmethylated DAM (MDAM), were found in plasma and urine. Unconjugated DAM was found in plasma only after iv administration. The apparent elimination half-lives of unconjugated DAM, conjugated DAM, and MDAM were 0.86, 1.7, and 3 h, respectively. The total amounts of metabolites (expressed as the equivalent of DAM) excreted in the urine were 75% after i.v. administration and 68 and 69% after oral administration of the two formulations. Oral absorption appeared to be complete for the two treatments. There was no statistical difference between the two oral formulations studied."}
{"id": "PMID:1491349", "title": "Genes, viruses and neurodevelopmental schizophrenia.", "content": "Recent neuroimaging and neuropathological studies suggest a developmental origin for schizophrenia. Some cases may, therefore, be caused by a genetic defect in the specification of brain development. Early environmental hazards such as obstetric complications, and maternal exposure during pregnancy to influenza epidemics, have also been found to increase the risk of later schizophrenia. The relationship between the prevalence of influenza and birth date has been found more consistently for female than male schizophrenics. Female schizophrenia is also associated with a higher risk of schizophrenia in first degree relatives. This raises the question of whether part of the genetic predisposition to schizophrenia may comprise an abnormal reaction to maternal influenza."}
{"id": "PMID:1491350", "title": "The concept of schizophrenia: the conflict between nosological and symptomatological aspects.", "content": "A brief overview is given of the history of psychiatric nosology during the last 150 years. The varying role of genetics for theories of nosology is described. Classifications of mental disorders, more or less based on nosological concepts, are mentioned, as well as the recent emphasis on operational tools for classification. Conflicts between nosology and modern classifications are mentioned. The place of the schizophrenic syndrome in relation to nosological theories is described, including the questions of schizophrenia being a disease entity, or several entities, or even a part of a continuum, or just a symptomatically characterized reaction form."}
{"id": "PMID:1491351", "title": "Genetic transmission and improved diagnosis of schizophrenia from pedigrees of adoptees.", "content": "In previous investigations of the prevalence of schizophrenic illness among the biological relatives of schizophrenic adoptees in Copenhagen and the remainder of Denmark, the operation of heritable spectrum illness was clearly implicated. The findings supporting that conclusion are briefly summarized. Classical chronic schizophrenia was found almost exclusively in the biological relatives of chronic schizophrenic probands and its prevalence was ten times greater than that in the biological relatives of controls. These were global diagnoses, made without knowledge of the relationships and family histories of the subjects, and based upon the descriptions of dementia praecox or schizophrenia by Kraepelin and Bleuler. They showed considerably greater sensitivity and at least equal specificity in comparison with diagnoses made on the same material in accordance with operational criteria as exemplified by DSM-III. The prevalence of a disorder in the biological relatives of adoptees with that disorder in comparison with biological relatives of control adoptees offers a useful test for the expression of genetic factors in the disorder, but also a much needed evaluation of the validity of diagnoses based on clinical observation."}
{"id": "PMID:1491352", "title": "The importance of measures of affective temperaments in genetic studies of mood disorders.", "content": "Collaboration between the University of Pisa, Italy, and the University of Tennessee, Memphis, U.S.A., on patients presenting with major depressive episodes (in the absence of nonaffective psychiatric illness) focused on the detection of depressive and hyperthymic temperaments. From our data on symptomatology, family history and course of 538 such patients, several findings emerge of cardinal relevance to genetic studies. Hyperthymic temperament, observed more commonly in men, appears as one pole of an attenuated form of manic-depressive illness. Thus, major depressives with this temperament have high rates of bipolar family history, even in the absence of hypomanic and manic episodes. The depressive temperament, more prevalent in women, is correlated with earlier onset and higher number of depressive episodes, greater severity of the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D), as well as higher familial loading for mood disorders, compared with major depressives without this temperament. Building on Akiskal's latest model on the multifactorial origin of mood disorders, we submit that these temperamental dysregulations constitute the intermediate step between predisposing familial-genetic factors in affective illness and gender-related clinical expressions of mood disorders. The authors recommend that future high-risk prospective studies and genetic investigations should include measures of affective temperament."}
{"id": "PMID:1491353", "title": "Genetics of affective disorders.", "content": "Studies of the mode of inheritance of affective disorders have been reviewed. The overall picture which emerges does not seem to involve specific modes of inheritance. Linkage studies based on the single gene hypothesis, support X-linkage for a bipolar variant, as well as possible linkage to chromosomes 6 and 11. The more recent approach of linkage studies using large numbers of RFLP markers scattered throughout the genome looks promising, though it may still give rise to misinformation. Several confounding factors have been suggested such as genetic and phenotypic heterogeneity, as well as the lack of well defined diagnostic criteria."}
{"id": "PMID:1491354", "title": "The complexity of psychiatric nosography and the \"simplicity\" of molecular genetics.", "content": "Are molecular genetic approaches, related at the present time to psychiatric categories, mostly conventional? If the psychiatric field is to be related with the plasticity of the brain, and then to its ability to be reorganized relative to experiences, it seems to be more important to study the relation between genetics and brain plasticity. It therefore seems more significant today, to be raising questions rather than gathering data."}
{"id": "PMID:1491355", "title": "Tracking disease genes by reverse genetics.", "content": "Increasingly, human genes are being identified by the \"reverse genetics\", or \"positional cloning\" approach. This molecular genetic strategy is particularly useful in mental illness, for which no readily detectable functional alterations are present to indicate candidate genes. The positional cloning procedure is briefly described. Significant examples of successful positional cloning are presented, including the fragile-X mental retardation syndrome gene. The study of gene expression may be complicated by genetic and non-genetic variability. Genomic imprinting may play a role in several mental illnesses, and may provide an explanation for the unusual inheritance pattern in fragile-X syndrome, for the phenotypic differences observed between Angelman and Prader-Willi syndromes, and for the juvenile onset form of Huntington disease. DNA instability may explain disease anticipation in fragile-X syndrome and myotonic dystrophy. Finally, the prospects of improvements in positional cloning methods for tracking genes responsible for mental illness are briefly discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1491356", "title": "How genetically heterogeneous are the major psychiatric disorders?", "content": "Linking specific chromosomal regions with the abnormal genes responsible for major psychiatric disorders is rendered particularly difficult because of three factors: diagnostic uncertainty; the possibility that some psychiatric disorders are caused by the concerted action of more than one gene; and the possibility that similar disorders may result from alternative genetic abnormalities. The approach proposed here is to concentrate initially on the highly focused problem of resolving the question of genetic heterogeneity of a given disorder. To this end, it is recommended (a) that studies concentrate on pedigrees large enough to contain at least two nuclear families with several affected individuals, and (b) that, within them, work be confined to an intensive examination of such small nuclear families containing an affected parent and at least two affected offspring with a fairly unmistakable phenotype--bipolar disorder, type I. By using molecular and genetic techniques designed to extract maximal information from this relatively small number of affected individuals, it should be possible to determine whether or not bipolar disorder is genetically heterogeneous. This is a limited but very important question, and the technology is presently available to answer it. The answer should, in turn, guide subsequent approaches to identification of the relevant gene or genes."}
{"id": "PMID:1491357", "title": "Extending the phenotype of schizophrenia: implications for linkage analysis.", "content": "On the basis of simulation studies, we suggest that most existing designs for studying linkage in schizophrenia do not have sufficient power to detect a major contributing locus, even if one is present. For this reason, recent failures to replicate reports of linkage in schizophrenia are not surprising. Inclusion in the linkage design of phenotypes genetically related to schizophrenia, but more commonly found in the relatives of schizophrenics than schizophrenia itself, may increase the power of linkage analysis substantially."}
{"id": "PMID:1491358", "title": "From an animal model of an attentional deficit towards new insights into the pathophysiology of schizophrenia.", "content": "The paper presents an animal model of schizophrenic-like attentional deficit, consisting of an inability to ignore irrelevant stimuli. It is based on the paradigm of latent inhibition (LI), in which animals learn to ignore repeatedly presented stimuli not followed by meaningful consequences. In a series of experiments it was demonstrated that the capacity to ignore irrelevant stimuli is lost in rats treated with systemic or intra-accumbens injections of amphetamine, in normal volunteers given amphetamine, in high \"psychosis-prone\" persons, in acute schizophrenic patients and in untreated male adult rats that were raised until weaning under conditions of extremely restricted stimulation. In addition, LI is lost following the disruption of the hippocampal input to the nucleus accumbens. In all of the above conditions tested for antagonism by anti-psychotic drugs a loss of LI is reversed. On the basis of these results we propose an animal model which accommodates a neurodevelopmental dysfunction, hippocampal pathology, mesolimbic DA overactivity, vulnerability to stress, and gender differences, all of which have been postulated as factors in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia."}
{"id": "PMID:1491359", "title": "On familial factors in the attentional deficit in schizophrenia: a review and report of two new subject samples.", "content": "We review the literature on attentional impairment in schizophrenics and their first-degree relatives and present new information from ongoing family studies of the disorder in Ireland and Israel. Subjects were administered a neuropsychological test battery (the NIMH Attention Battery) intended to measure four different elements of attention: encode, focus/execute, sustain, and shift. Results from both samples indicated that schizophrenic subjects performed most poorly on the tests, the control subjects performed best, and the scores of the relatives fell somewhere between the other two groups. Separation among subject groups was most significant for those tests comprising the focus/execute and sustain elements. Some of the results indicate, as well, that tests of auditory sustained attention may be the most discriminating of all. Overall comparison of the Irish and Israeli cohorts revealed striking differences. While within cohort differences remained, subjects from the Irish sample performed more poorly on many of the tests than Israeli subjects. This between-cohort difference was not found in the sustain element, as measured by the Continuous Performance Test. The socio-cultural implications of these findings are discussed with respect to future neuropsychological studies of schizophrenia."}
{"id": "PMID:1491360", "title": "A summary of attentional findings in the New York High-Risk Project.", "content": "We summarize here our findings with respect to attentional impairment among offspring of schizophrenic, affectively ill, and normal parents followed from childhood to adulthood during the two decades of the New York High-Risk Project (NYHRP). We review our data first, on childhood attentional performance in each of our two independent samples of such subjects and, second, on the relationship of early dysfunctions observed in this domain to psychopathological outcomes in adolescence and adulthood. Our cumulative results contribute strong support to the contention that global attentional dysfunctions may be viewed as a biobehavioral marker for the genetic liability to schizophrenic disorders."}
{"id": "PMID:1491361", "title": "Behavioral markers of schizophrenia useful for genetic studies.", "content": "The advent of powerful molecular biological techniques have already led to the discovery of chromosomal loci linked to some genetically transmitted diseases. These techniques, however, lose their power if applied to a disease trait that is not Mendelian in its transmission. The low familial prevalence of psychiatric diseases such as schizophrenia make these techniques unsuitable for linkage studies of these conditions, if identification of schizophrenia relies solely on the clinical manifestation of the schizophrenic psychosis. Broadening the disease phenotype in diseases such as schizophrenia, with low recurrence risk, and narrowing it in diseases such as major affective disorder, with very high recurrence risk, may be an effective strategy for linkage studies of these diseases. Several alternative phenotypes are discussed, including smooth pursuit eye movement abnormalities, event related potentials, and deficient attentional deployment as measured by the continuous performance test. The strategy assumes that schizophrenia is a pleiotropic disorder, and that the psychosis is the rare form of the condition. The paper focuses principally on smooth pursuit eye movement abnormalities, and claims a plausible place for them as an independent expression of schizophrenia. With this strategy, the possibility for successful linkage studies increases, since familial distributions of schizophrenia and pursuit abnormalities, considered together, appear to fit an autosomal dominant pattern."}
{"id": "PMID:1491362", "title": "Gene expression in mental illness: a navigation chart to future progress.", "content": "An initial course in disentangling complex causal interactions in psychiatric illnesses, we suggest, is finding co-familial traits with classical Mendelian segregation. Starting with non-Mendelian traits, three methods can be used to find underlying Mendelian phenotypes. (1) Statistically-inferred latent traits, with more nearly Mendelian transmission than the measures from which they are derived, can serve as pointers to concrete Mendelian phenotypes. (2) Linkage of non-Mendelian traits to genetic markers, if it can be established, can be followed by searching for phenotypes that discriminate carriers from non-carriers of the imputed trait gene. (3) In the long run, the most successful method is likely to be direct refinement of non-Mendelian behavioral and physiological traits into more fundamental components."}
{"id": "PMID:1491363", "title": "Subtypes of depression, efficacy, and the Depressive Experiences Questionnaire.", "content": "The purpose of our study was to reanalyze the Depressive Experiences Questionnaire (DEQ; Blatt, D'Afflitti, & Quinlan, 1976, 1979) and to evaluate relationships between the questionnaire's factors and other construct-related measures, the Beck Depression Inventory (Beck, Ward, Mendelson, Mock, & Erbaugh, 1961) and the Edwards Personal Preference Schedule (Edwards, 1959). We argue that composite scores derived from this study's principal components analysis are more interpretively useful than the original factor scales reported by Blatt et al. (1976; Blatt, Quinlan, Chevron, McDonald, & Zuroff, 1982). Correlational evidence reported in this study does not support the Dependency and Self-Criticism factors as adequate representations of anaclitic and introjective depression (Blatt, 1974). The third DEQ factor scale, Efficacy, as revised for this study, demonstrated moderate to strong associations with other personality measures."}
{"id": "PMID:1491364", "title": "Effects of stimulus color, pattern, and practice on sex differences in mental rotations task performance.", "content": "Redundant color information improved performance for both sexes on the Shepard Mental Rotations Task (MRT; Shepard & Metzler, 1971). Absolute score gains for women were larger than those for men; therefore, relative improvement was greater. Substantial practice effects, also favoring women, were apparent in both studies. Study 1 showed that redundant color improved performance by 0.25 SD. Study 2 demonstrated that redundant black-and-white pattern information did not have any effect; a second visuospatial channel, redundant color, was a critical factor in improving scores of men and women on difficult mental rotations tasks."}
{"id": "PMID:1491365", "title": "Unhappy self-esteem: a meaningful exception to the rule.", "content": "Self-esteem and well-being are often seen as closely related and sometimes even considered conceptually identical. In marked contrast to this association, the focus of this article is on experiences of a high level of self-esteem coexisting with a low level of well-being: unhappy self-esteem. Although these experiences constitute an exception to the general rule, they nevertheless have a theoretically coherent character. In this article, a framework was used in which the self was considered an organized process, and an idiographic assessment procedure--the method of self-confrontation--was called upon. The self-statements of 15 subjects in the Netherlands showing unhappy self-esteem were compared, and the phenomenon was found to clearly refer to anger and opposition."}
{"id": "PMID:1491366", "title": "The ability to encode facial and emotional expressions by educable mentally retarded and nonretarded children.", "content": "The object of the present study was to investigate whether 20 educable mentally retarded (EMR) children matched for verbal mental age on the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT; Dunn, 1965) with 20 nonretarded (NR) controls were adept in identifying emotional facial expressions and producing the equivalent word adjectives. I also reassessed the relationship between the phase of identifying facial expressions (i.e., happy, sad, angry, and scared) and the phase of producing emotional word adjectives, consisting of 16 emotional linguistic constructions (4 short stories for each of the adjectives) between higher in verbal ability educable mentally retarded (HEMR) children and higher in verbal ability nonretarded controls (HNRC) and between low in verbal ability educable mentally retarded (LEMR) children and low in verbal ability nonretarded controls (LNRC). There were no significant differences between EMR and NR children in general, despite the fact that EMR children had deficits in receptive linguistic competence."}
{"id": "PMID:1491368", "title": "Treatment of persistent and complicated pancreatic pseudocysts.", "content": "In a review of 1895 patients admitted with pancreatitis during a 4-year period, 241 (12.7%) were identified as having pseudocysts. The majority of these were treated without operation, but 59 patients (24.5%) needed surgical intervention because of persistence (17 cases) or development of complications (biliary obstruction in 16, infection in 12, duodenal obstruction in ten and haemorrhage in four). Most cysts (68%) resulted from alcohol-related chronic pancreatitis. Blunt abdominal trauma was the cause in three. Operations included internal drainage in 35 (cystogastrostomy in 23, cystojejunostomy with Roux-en-Y in ten and cystoduodenostomy in two), external drainage in 20, pancreatic resection in two, and gastroenteric or bilioenteric bypass in ten. There were six postoperative deaths (10.2%), one after internal drainage (3%) and 5 (25%) after external drainage (P < 0.01, Fisher's exact test). Pseudocyst decompression failed to relieve biliary obstruction in half of the patients and biliary-enteric anastomosis was necessary because of a stricture in the distal bile duct. Massive bleeding from pseudocyst-related false aneurysms was successfully controlled by transcatheter angiographic embolization in four patients. During 1-5 years' follow-up, 24 of the 53 surviving patients (45%) were readmitted with pancreatitis and three of these died. Pseudocysts recurred in three patients, with spontaneous resolution in two and need for operation in one. It is concluded that operative treatment of complicated pseudocysts carries a substantial mortality rate. The need for additional biliary-enteric bypass after cyst decompression should be carefully assessed during operation. Angiographic embolization of pseudocyst haemorrhage is a valuable therapeutic manoeuvre."}
{"id": "PMID:1491369", "title": "Therapeutic options in subclavian artery disease.", "content": "Chronic ischaemia of the upper limb secondary to subclavian artery disease is uncommon. These patients may present with a variety of symptoms caused by cerebrovascular or upper limb hypoperfusion. If these symptoms are severe, revascularization may be required. This may be accomplished by percutaneous transluminal angioplasty or surgery. The experience of the management of these patients has been reviewed to document their presentation, treatment and outcome."}
{"id": "PMID:1491370", "title": "Retrospective analysis of the Bangour Burn Unit.", "content": "The Bangour Burn Unit was opened in 1968 having been built using existing buildings modified in a relatively inexpensive way. The buildings were unsophisticated because the Unit was designed to be temporary before an eventual move into a new regional plastic surgery unit elsewhere. An analysis of some salient observations over the 22-year period of its lifetime is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1491371", "title": "Ambulatory hydrocele surgery: a review of 50 cases.", "content": "In a prospective study, 50 cases of hydrocele were treated by ambulatory surgery. Lord's technique was performed under local anaesthesia. A modified simple scrotal dressing was used to facilitate ambulation. In one case (2%), haematoma was reported. There were no wound infections. Patients tolerated the procedure well and ambulation was excellent in all cases. On the grounds of safety and cost effectiveness, most hydrocele repair procedures should be performed on ambulant patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1491372", "title": "Excessive wastage of blood resources in elective colorectal surgery.", "content": "A prospective study of perioperative blood transfusion requirements for elective colorectal surgery over a 6-month period has been conducted. A total of 106 procedures was performed, 94 of which were for malignancy. A median of 2 units of packed red cells was cross-matched per patient. Twenty-three patients (21.7%) required a transfusion in the postoperative period. Fourteen of these patients required a second cross-match sample because their transfusion occurred more than 48 h after the original request. The greatest transfusion requirements were for patients undergoing abdominoperineal resection or subtotal colectomy. Routine perioperative cross-matching and reservation of blood for elective colorectal surgery may be an unnecessary expense, resulting in wastage of resources. A selective policy of serum being retained for grouping in these patients is justified."}
{"id": "PMID:1491373", "title": "Adverse influence of fibrin sealant on the healing of high-risk sutured colonic anastomoses.", "content": "The effect of fibrin glue sealing on sutured colonic anastomoses was studied using a 'high-risk' colon anastomosis model in the rat. Animals (n = 104) were randomized to have their sutured anastomosis sealed with fibrin glue or left untreated. They were assessed clinically until they were killed on the fourth day after surgery when contrast radiology, detailed post-mortem examination, anastomotic bursting pressure (ABP) and assessment of adhesion formation were performed. The clinical outcome was worse in the glued group (toxic or death from sepsis: 18 versus seven in the non-glued group; P = 0.0354), which also showed a significantly higher moderate to major leak rate (17 versus two in the non-glued group; P = 0.0009). The median ABP was significantly higher in the glued anastomosis group (96 versus 68 cmH2O in the non-glued group; P = 0.0367). Excessive perianastomotic adhesion formation was significantly greater in the glued group. Microscopic examination showed an extremely intense inflammatory reaction in the glued anastomoses compared with that in the untreated group. These results indicate that sealing of a sutured anastomosis with fibrin glue containing an antiproteinase impairs healing the of anastomotic wound, probably by resisting the ingrowth of vascular granulation tissue during the early stages of repair."}
{"id": "PMID:1491374", "title": "Tissue expanders in the gut: a histological and angiographic study.", "content": "A study to assess the effects of an intraluminally placed tissue expander in the rabbit jejunum was performed. Oval expanders (8 cm3) were placed via a midline coeliotomy through an enterotomy on the antimesenteric border of the jejunum. The reservoir was tunnelled subcutaneously through the abdominal wall. Expansion was carried out through this port at 7-10-day intervals using 0.5-cm3 increments. At the end of the experiment, angiography was performed and routine haematoxylin and eosin-stained sections were produced. Angiography revealed an increase in vessel diameter and vascular density of the specimen. Histology showed an increase in villi size, an increase in the number of goblet cells and a marked increase in the thickness of the muscular layer. The possible applications of this technique are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1491375", "title": "Wrist and hand ganglion treatment with hyaluronidase injection and fine needle aspiration: a tropical African perspective.", "content": "In an attempt to provide an alternative non-invasive treatment to surgical excision of ganglion cysts of the hand, and as part of the departmental audit resulting from the prevailing economic depression, 340 consecutive patients with 349 ganglia were treated in a prospective investigation by intralesional injection of hyaluronidase (up to 150 units in 1 ml) followed by fine needle aspiration (FNA) of the cyst to dryness. Pressure was applied over a piece of gauze and maintained with a crepe bandage for 24 h. Of the 340 patients treated in this way, the vast majority (323 or 95.0%) were considered to be cured on clinical examination at 6-month follow-up; only 17 patients (5.0%) exhibited recurrence during this period and these were successfully treated by re-aspiration. To the knowledge of this author, this is the first report of the use of the enzyme hyaluronidase as an adjunct to FNA in the treatment of ganglion cysts of the hand. The results clearly show that this method of treatment is a safe, fast, well accepted and cost-effective alternative to surgical excision, which is relatively expensive and is known to be associated with certain complications, including hypertrophic scars and cheloids."}
{"id": "PMID:1491379", "title": "Sensory nerve damage during surgery on the hallux.", "content": "Division of the medial branch of the superficial peroneal nerve during surgery on the hallux can lead to unpleasant and troublesome symptoms, including neuroma formation. This study aims to show the incidence and consequences of damage to this nerve and to describe an easily applied solution. A total of 75 feet (51 randomly selected patients) was examined, with a mean follow-up of 4 years. Evidence of nerve damage was seen in 45% on clinical examination but, interestingly, only 29% were aware of their symptoms when questioned beforehand. In 3% the symptoms were severe and disabling. In view of this unexpectedly high incidence, ten cadaveric feet were dissected with a reliable surface marking being described to avoid the nerve during surgery."}
{"id": "PMID:1491383", "title": "Sex hormones in postmenopausal HLA-identical rheumatoid arthritis discordant sibling pairs.", "content": "Dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS), testosterone, androstenedione, 17-beta estradiol and sex hormone binding globulin have been assayed in 50 HLA-identical postmenopausal rheumatoid arthritis (RA) discordant sibling pairs. The only difference was for DHEAS, siblings with RA having a significantly lower level than their sisters. However, in 68 patients with RA, the level of DHEAS inversely correlated with disease duration, a radiographic grading score, the Health Assessment Questionnaire score, duration of morning stiffness, and a clinical score of disease activity and severity (the Spread/Severity index). These observations, taken with that of previous work on DHEAS, suggest that low levels may be a consequence of RA rather than predisposing to the disease. The role of sex hormones in RA will have to be approached in alternative ways."}
{"id": "PMID:1491384", "title": "Autoantibodies to lipocortin-1 are associated with impaired glucocorticoid responsiveness in rheumatoid arthritis.", "content": "Autoantibodies to the antiinflammatory protein lipocortin-1 have been found in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) receiving oral glucocorticoids. The highest antibody titers correlated with a requirement for high maintenance doses of steroid (> 7.5 mg/day prednisolone). Forty-two patients with RA were grouped according to high or low autoantibody titer. In 18 patients, peripheral blood leukocyte counts and phenotypic analysis were performed before and 4 h after a single intravenous (iv) dose of 100 mg hydrocortisone. The group with low titer antibody exhibited a normal poststeroid peripheral blood lymphopenia, but the response in the group with high antibody titer was considerably blunted. In a 2nd study, 24 patients received 3 separate doses of 1000 mg iv methylprednisolone. After 8 weeks the group with the high titer antibody had shown no improvements in clinical or laboratory variables observed in the group with low titer antibody. Thus, the presence of high titer antilipocortin-1 antibody is associated with impaired responses to glucocorticoid therapy both in terms of clinical efficacy and effects on the immune system. This could explain the relative glucocorticoid resistance reported in a proportion of patients with RA."}
{"id": "PMID:1491385", "title": "The effects of methotrexate on interleukin 1 in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.", "content": "The effect of methotrexate (MTX) treatment on patients with rheumatoid arthritis on interleukin 1 (IL-1) was evaluated. Eight patients received a weekly MTX dose of 7.5 mg for 6 weeks; none received concomitant corticosteroids. Peripheral blood was obtained 1 day before and 1 day after their weekly MTX dose at Week 1 and 6, isolated monocytes stimulated ex vivo with 1 mg/ml zymosan for 18 h and IL-1 measured by bioassay. Serum and plasma IL-1 levels were measured by immunoassay. Four patients manifested a sharp decrease in IL-1 production 6 weeks after MTX administration associated with a decrease in the number of painful but not swollen joints. No effect on blood levels was observed. Our results suggest that MTX may affect IL-1 production and IL-1 mediated events in some patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1491386", "title": "Nitrogen mustard as induction therapy for rheumatoid arthritis: clinical and immunologic effects.", "content": "We treated 5 patients diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) with nitrogen mustard (HN2) and monitored clinical and immunologic variables. HN2, 0.3 mg/kg ideal body weight was given over 7 days. Disease activity and immune function were monitored during and after treatment. Duration of morning stiffness (p = 0.0044), joint count (p = 0.0140), and assessment of pain (p = 0.0264) and function (p = 0.0057) improved by Day 6. T lymphocytes (p = 0.0060), especially T memory cells (CD4CD29; p = 0.0017) fell dramatically. HN2 is effective for rapidly gaining control of active RA. This effect is T cell specific."}
{"id": "PMID:1491387", "title": "Erythroid abnormalities in rheumatoid arthritis: the role of erythropoietin.", "content": "Erythroid alterations were studied in 136 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Anemia was present in 75 cases. A definite diagnosis was determined in 65. The most frequent anemia was that of chronic disease (ACD) (43 cases); 14 patients with ACD presented with moderate to severe anemia. Prevalence of deficiencies were also high (15 cases had iron deficiency anemia, IDA). Serum erythropoietin levels were different in patients with RA compared with a healthy control group (p < 0.00001). Serum erythropoietin was increased in ACD (49 +/- 28.8 U/l) with respect to both RA (38.6 +/- 12.7 U/l, p = 0.0036) and controls (18.2 +/- 7.6 U/l, p < 0.00001). Although hemoglobin (Hb) was similar in ACD and IDA, serum erythropoietin in ACD was lower than in IDA (p = 0.01). There was a negative relationship between Hb and serum erythropoietin in ACD (r = -0.42, p = 0.005). In conclusion, almost 50% of patients with RA have anemia and ACD is the most frequent. As serum erythropoietin in ACD is blunted, patients with moderate to severe ACD are possible candidates for erythropoietin treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1491388", "title": "Digital subtraction radiography for the assessment of bone changes in rheumatoid arthritis.", "content": "A digital subtraction radiography (DSR) method was developed to assess changes of bony erosions in the hands of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The method initially was validated in vitro using simulated lesions in cadaver hands. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy in detecting simulated lesions were 84.6, 100, and 92.3%, respectively. This technique was then pilot tested clinically using 17 patients with RA and 5 controls with no arthritis. All subjects received the nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug, flurbiprofen, during the 6-month study period. No progressive changes in bone were observed in the control group; however, 18% of the target joints studied in the group with RA showed significant erosive changes (positive or negative) which correlated with the clinical assessment. The results indicate that DSR may be useful in detecting small changes in erosions on hand/wrist radiographs of patients with RA."}
{"id": "PMID:1491389", "title": "Growth and characterization of fibroblasts obtained from bronchoalveolar lavage of patients with scleroderma.", "content": "We describe the detection and the growth of fibroblasts with human smooth muscle cell differentiation features from bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid of 53% of patients with scleroderma, but not from healthy controls. The binding of alpha-actin, vimentin and desmin antibodies by scleroderma lung fibroblasts exceeded that of normal adult lung fibroblasts, indicating that scleroderma lung fibroblasts express some markers of human smooth muscle cell differentiation (myofibroblasts), which may account for differences in biological behavior. A mesenchymal cell phenotype was documented by mRNA analysis, showing high expression of collagen type I and fibronectin in these cells. Fibronectin is also released in significantly higher amounts by scleroderma alveolar macrophages than by macrophages from healthy donors."}
{"id": "PMID:1491390", "title": "Chloroquine therapy in psoriatic arthritis.", "content": "Our aim was to examine the efficacy of chloroquine in psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and to assess whether chloroquine therapy exacerbated psoriasis. Thirty-two patients had been given chloroquine therapy while attending the University of Toronto Psoriatic Arthritis Clinic. Twenty-four patients continued therapy for at least 6 months, and 18, or 75%, demonstrated > 30% reduction in the actively inflamed joint count. Moreover, there was a significant decrease in the number of actively inflamed joints. A control group, consisting of 24 patients taking no remittive agents, seen during the same period of time, was identified. Only 14, or 58%, of these patients had a > 30% reduction in inflamed joint count over a 6-month period. This pattern was not significantly different (p = 0.19) from the chloroquine treated group. Of the 32 patients who had been given chloroquine, a total of 6 had an exacerbation of psoriasis, only 1 discontinued therapy. There was no case of exfoliative dermatitis. Six of the 24 control patients had an exacerbation of psoriasis. Our experience suggests that chloroquine may be an effective treatment in PsA, and that it does not exacerbate psoriasis. A prospective, randomized, double blind, controlled trial of antimalarial therapy in PsA is warranted."}
{"id": "PMID:1491391", "title": "The utility of the arthritis impact measurement scales for patients with psoriatic arthritis.", "content": "The Arthritis Impact Measurement Scales (AIMS) consists of 9 scales that measure physical function, pain and psychosocial function. It has been validated for use in various forms of arthritis, but not in psoriatic arthritis (PsA). The AIMS was administered to 145 patients attending our PsA clinic. We carried out simultaneous assessment of clinical measures of function, measures of disease activity, and measures of disease severity. Most scales of physical function were moderately to highly correlated with clinical measures of function (r = 0.33-0.57; p = 0.0001), measures of disease activity (r = 0.24-0.53, p = 0.003-0.0001), and measures of disease severity (r = 0.23-0.6; p = 0.02-0.0001). The pain scale was highly correlated with clinical measures of function and measures of disease activity (r = 0.38-0.58; p = 0.0001) but not with measures of disease severity. Of the psychosocial scales, the depression scale was moderately correlated with clinical measures of function (r = 0.27-0.3; p = 0.001-0.0001). Our data suggest that the physical function and pain scales are good indicators of overall function and disease activity and are valid for use in PsA."}
{"id": "PMID:1491392", "title": "Autoimmune thyroid disease, thyroid antibodies and giant cell arteritis: the supposed correlation appears fortuitous.", "content": "The coexistence of giant cell arteritis (GCA) and autoimmune thyroid diseases has been suggested. In our prospective study of 39 patients with GCA, we measured autoantibodies and thyroid function and compared the results to those of a control group. No statistical difference was found. Our conclusions differ from those of other authors."}
{"id": "PMID:1491393", "title": "A new protein antidenaturant agent, bindarit, reduces secondary phase of adjuvant arthritis in rats.", "content": "Bindarit (or 2-[(1-benzyl-indazol-3-yl)methoxy]-2-methyl propionic acid) reduces heat induced denaturation of bovine and rat serum albumin in vitro (EC50 = 8.5 and 65 micrograms/ml, respectively) and inhibits heat induced serum albumin denaturation after in vivo (12.5-25-50 mg/kg po) administration in rats. To assess the relationship between protein denaturation and the development of chronic inflammatory diseases, the drug (0.5 or 0.12% medicated diet) was studied in comparison with indomethacin (1 mg/kg po daily) in rats injected with complete Freund's adjuvant. Bindarit appeared different from aspirin-like drugs, antiinflammatory steroids and immunosuppressants because it does not reduce primary inflammation of arthritic rats and was shown to be completely inactive on cyclo and lipooxygenase activity in vitro and on immune reactions of mice in vivo. Nevertheless, the drug strongly reduced the development of the secondary phase of adjuvant induced arthritis. The most significant effect of bindarit in this phase was a strong inhibition of serum albumin denaturation in arthritic rats. Assessment of both electrophoretic and quantitative changes suggests that the reduction of albumin during inflammation is due, at least in part, to a denaturation of native albumin, which loses its electrophoretic mobility. The involvement of protein denaturation in the production of new antigenic determinants, their pathogenic relevance in the development of adjuvant arthritis and the possibility that protein stabilization by bindarit could be the mechanism of action of the drug are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1491394", "title": "Epidemiology of Lyme disease in Olmsted County, MN, 1975-1990.", "content": "Lyme disease has been reported in Minnesota since 1980. Until now, it has not been regarded as endemic in Olmsted County. We reviewed the medical records of all 68 cases of Lyme disease diagnosed in residents of Olmsted County for 1980-1990. Only 17 of the 68 cases met Centers for Disease Control surveillance criteria for definite Lyme disease (13 men, 4 women). Of these 17 cases, 3 were likely acquired in Olmsted County. The age and sex adjusted incidence rate was 2.3/100,000 (95% CI 1.1-3.4). Although reporting of Lyme disease is mandatory in Minnesota, only 7 suspected or definite cases were actually reported to public health officials. Of these, 4 met the case definition. In this population Lyme disease was both over-diagnosed and underreported. This observation questions current data and could have important health policy implications if confirmed nationally."}
{"id": "PMID:1491395", "title": "Measurement of synovial fluid volume: a new dilution method adapted to fluid permeation from the synovial cavity.", "content": "A new dilution method was developed to measure the synovial fluid (SF) volume in a single knee joint of a rabbit. In this dilution method, we used 2 different kinds of dextrans, one having a mean molecular weight (M(r)) of 487,000 and labelled with fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) as a marker, and the other M(r) of 300,000 to give hypertonicity to the solution. By employing these high M(r) dextrans in their optimal concentrations, we were able to minimize the inevitable transsynovial shift of the fluid and marker after intraarticular injection. The original SF volume was then calculated using the fluorescence intensities of the injected and retrieved fluids. By determining the accurate volume of SF, it became possible to measure per joint the protein and hyaluronic acid contents in SF as well as the total and differential cell counts. The results obtained by this new method were reasonable and consistent, except for volume, with the reported results based on pooled samples from multiple joints. We believe that the method can contribute to the analysis of SF changes under various conditions in small laboratory animals."}
{"id": "PMID:1491396", "title": "Effect of calcitonin or the anabolic steroid Decadurabolin on serum beta 2 microglobulin in osteoporotic postmenopausal women.", "content": "beta 2-Microglobulin (beta 2m) is a small polypeptide of 99 amino acids with a molecular weight of 11.800. It is found in serum, on the surface of almost all mammalian cells and is part of the surface antigen of the cell membrane of human lymphocytes. Moreover, the heavy chain of major histocompatibility complex class I molecules normally associates in the membrane with beta 2m. According to Canalis, et al this polypeptide is a bone derived growth factor. In our study, serum beta 2m, osteocalcin bone Gla-protein (BGP) and calcium phosphorous metabolism were evaluated in a group of 18 osteoporotic women. Nine were treated with an anabolic steroid, DecaDurabolin and 9 with salmon calcitonin (sCT) for 3 months. The same variables were evaluated in a control group (6 osteoporotic women) treated with oral Ca (1,500 mg/day for 3 months). A significant increase in serum beta 2m and BGP (p < 0.001) was observed after anabolic steroid while a significant decrease in serum beta 2m and BGP (p < 0.01) was observed after sCT. No significant variation for serum beta 2m and BGP was observed in the control group. No significant variation of calcium-phosphorous metabolism was observed in either the control group or the treated group. BGP variations suggest that anabolic steroid stimulates bone formation while a decrease in BGP observed after sCT suggests that this hormone depresses bone turnover via a block in osteoclast activity. Moreover it could be suggested that anabolic steroid and sCT affect beta 2m producing cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1491397", "title": "Nocturnal pain correlates with effusions in diseased hips.", "content": "Thirty-five of 50 patients with different hip joint disease had sonographic evidence of joint effusion. Arthrocentesis confirmed effusions in 30 of these 35 patients. Thirty-two of the 35 patients had nocturnal pain. Both nocturnal pain and sonographic evidence of effusion decreased after aspiration (15 patients) and aspiration and injection of corticosteroids (15 patients). In a further group of 61 patients who subsequently had Charnley arthroplasties, 35 had positive sonograms before operation. Of these, 25 had effusions confirmed at operation, the remaining 10 having synovitis and capsule thickening. Again a correlation was found with nocturnal pain. The sensitivity of sonography in detecting hip joint effusion was 92% with a specificity of 70%. Nocturnal pain had a lower sensitivity, 85%, but higher specificity, 94%."}
{"id": "PMID:1491398", "title": "Impact of running on lumbar bone density: a 5-year longitudinal study.", "content": "Our study was designed to examine associations of longterm physical impact (running) with changes in lumbar bone mineralization. Study subjects were a volunteer sample of 14 members of a running club now aged 55 to 77 years and 14 matched controls undergoing computerized scans of the first lumbar vertebra both at baseline and after 5 years. Separate analyses included data from 23 runners available over the entire 5-year period. A decrease in bone mineral density (BMD) over time was statistically significant in both runners and controls. Among runners bone loss was most pronounced in those decreasing their running habits substantially. At the 5-year mark, runners maintained greater BMD. A highly significant correlation was found between change in lumbar BMD and average time spent running (min/week) over the 5-year period. Furthermore, changes in BMD were positively correlated with changes in run min/week. We conclude that regular running appears to reduce age related bone loss both in women and men over 50 years of age. However, substantial decreases in physical weight bearing activity are associated with important bone loss in the lumbar spine."}
{"id": "PMID:1491399", "title": "Extraction of calcium containing crystals from synovial fluids and articular cartilage.", "content": "A protocol for extracting minerals from biological tissues and fluids has been developed. Synovial fluid (SF) and articular cartilage samples were treated with papain and sodium hypochlorite to extract and concentrate calcium containing crystals. The method was validated by testing the ability to reextract synthetic calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate and calcium hydroxyapatite crystals added to SF in an unchanged form. The extracted crystals were analyzed by infrared spectroscopy and X-ray powder diffraction. The concentration of both calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate and hydroxyapatite crystals in SF was found to be higher than published figures."}
{"id": "PMID:1491400", "title": "Clinical manifestations of the antiphospholipid syndrome.", "content": "We studied a large cohort of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) to determine which manifestations associate with the antiphospholipids (aPL) and to ascertain when 2 or more such manifestations coexist, the association with aPL is stronger and the titers tend to be higher. We have confirmed that when aPL occur within SLE, they may account for some disease manifestations. We also described a similar syndrome occurring in the absence of a primary condition which we termed primary antiphospholipid syndrome (APS). Thus, we were able to construct preliminary criteria for the classification of APS as it occurs in SLE. With appropriate additions and exclusions to rule out SLE, these criteria could be applied to the classification of primary APS."}
{"id": "PMID:1491401", "title": "The nature of antiphospholipid antibodies.", "content": "Despite the striking clinical manifestations associated with antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) the role of these autoantibodies in disease and the nature of their true \"inducing\" and \"target\" antigens remain elusive. To address these issues, we investigated the immunogenic potential of phospholipid structures. To date, phospholipid immunogens have included hexagonal (II) forms of phosphatidylethanolamine and mixtures of apolipoprotein H (beta 2-glycoprotein I) with cardiolipin. Both hexagonal (II) phosphatidylethanolamine and the cardiolipin/apolipoprotein H mixture were capable of inducing aPL with lupus anticoagulant activity. Bilayer phosphatidylethanolamine and cardiolipin in the absence of apolipoprotein H were nonimmunogenic. Our data support our views that specific phospholipid structures are recognized by the immune system and that such structures serve as inducing and/or target antigens in the pathogenesis of aPL in vivo."}
{"id": "PMID:1491402", "title": "Idiopathic musculoskeletal pain syndromes in children.", "content": "Between 1982 and 1990, 81 children with localized or diffuse musculoskeletal pain, for which no cause could be found were seen in a pediatric rheumatology clinic. Forty-one children had localized idiopathic pain and 40 had diffuse idiopathic pain. Twenty-four of the patients with localized idiopathic pain fulfilled criteria for definite reflex neurovascular dystrophy. Thirty-five patients with diffuse idiopathic pain fulfilled criteria for fibromyalgia. Four patients with localized idiopathic pain (10%) developed diffuse idiopathic pain during followup; four patients with diffuse idiopathic pain (10%) had a history of localized idiopathic pain and one patient had previously been diagnosed as having Tietze's syndrome. Recurrences or persistence of pain was very common. Many children had potentially important stressors including single parent families, histories of sexual abuse, and learning difficulties. Idiopathic musculoskeletal pain is a common cause of referral to a pediatric rheumatology clinic and is often associated with significant morbidity."}
{"id": "PMID:1491403", "title": "Major histocompatibility complex class II alleles in Kawasaki syndrome--lack of consistent correlation with disease or cardiac involvement.", "content": "Recent refinements in molecular genetic typing have allowed the precise determination of the extensive polymorphism now recognized in class II major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genotypes. This could have important applications in Kawasaki syndrome (KS), where the relative contribution of genetic factors is now well known. Accordingly, 44 Caucasian, 13 Asian, and 5 American black patients, as well as 221 Caucasian controls were typed for HLA-DRB1, DRB3, DRB4, DQA1, DQB1, and DPB1 alleles by oligonucleotide probe hybridization of polymerase chain reaction amplified genomic DNA using probes and primers supplied by the 11th International Histocompatibility Testing Workshop. Among the 15 HLA-DRB1, 3 DRB3, 9 DQA1, 15 DQB1, and 19 DPB1 alleles examined, none were found to be significantly associated with KS, except for an increased frequency of HLA-DRB3*0301 in Houston Caucasian patients when compared to Houston Caucasian controls (38 vs 11%, pc = 0.012, RR = 5.0). Twelve patients developed coronary artery involvement of whom 7 had aneurysms and 5 had dilatation (8 Caucasians, 2 blacks, 2 Asians). No specific HLA class II allele was associated with this disease complication. Despite a regional association, our data fail to support a consistent role for MHC class II alleles in the pathogenesis of KS."}
{"id": "PMID:1491404", "title": "Chlamydial associated syndrome of arthritis and eye involvement in young children.", "content": "The current classification of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) consists of several distinct subsets. We describe 6 children (2 boys, 4 girls, mean age 3.7 years, range 2.0-4.9 years) with arthritis and eye involvement associated with infection with Chlamydia trachomatis. In some of the children, the clinical picture was similar to early onset pauciarticular JRA: onset within the first 4 years of life, predominance of girls, pauciarticular arthritis, subacute uveitis, and presence of antinuclear antibodies. Joint involvement was pauciarticular in 4 patients and polyarticular in 2. Two patients had clinical symptoms of Reiter's disease. Further investigations of this post chlamydial associated syndrome should be performed to establish appropriate diagnostic, therapeutic and prognostic measures."}
{"id": "PMID:1491405", "title": "Juvenile dermatomyositis and pregnancy: report and literature review.", "content": "Reports of dermatomyositis (DM) and polymyositis complicating pregnancy are rare. Only nineteen cases have been published. We describe the first case in which juvenile DM appeared during pregnancy. An emergency cesarean section had to be performed due to fetal distress at 37 weeks of gestation. Patient and infant are doing well after 8 months of followup."}
{"id": "PMID:1491406", "title": "Bilateral renal artery occlusion in a patient with primary antiphospholipid antibody syndrome: thrombosis, vasculitis or both?", "content": "A 43-year-old man presented with oliguria and hypertension. Renal arteriography showed bilateral renal artery occlusion. Circulating antiphospholipid antibodies were found together with a change in natural anticoagulant plasma levels. Immunofluorescence of examined vessels showed immune complex vasculitis. We discuss the pathogenetic mechanism leading to the development of this rare occlusive event."}
{"id": "PMID:1491407", "title": "Ten year survival of a patient with advanced pulmonary hypertension and mixed connective tissue disease treated with immunosuppressive therapy.", "content": "Pulmonary hypertension is the most frequent cause of death in patients with mixed connective tissue disease. The pulmonary hypertension is progressive and difficult to treat effectively. These patients experience considerable morbidity secondary to diminished cardiac function. We describe a case in which sequential administration of cyclophosphamide and cyclosporine A favorably altered the clinical and hemodynamic course of this serious complication."}
{"id": "PMID:1491408", "title": "Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and HIV infected cells in saliva and salivary glands of a patient with systemic lupus erythematosus.", "content": "A young woman with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) was infected with human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) and about 6 years later developed persistent bilateral parotid gland enlargement. It was unclear whether this represented salivary gland involvement as a component of her SLE (secondary Sj\u00f6gren's syndrome) or the initial clinical manifestation of her HIV-1 infection. HIV proviral DNA was found in individual salivary glandular secretions and in whole saliva. Additionally, cells positive for HIV RNA were isolated from whole saliva. A parotid gland biopsy revealed infiltrating lymphocytes containing large amounts of HIV RNA."}
{"id": "PMID:1491409", "title": "Vasculitis with eosinophilia and digital gangrene in a patient with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.", "content": "Fewer than 40 cases of vasculitis have been described in the setting of human immunodeficiency virus infection. We describe a patient with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), a heavy smoker, who developed a syndrome of constitutional symptoms, eosinophilia and digital gangrene. Vasculitis of the digital arteries was documented by angiography. He responded to high dose corticosteroid therapy with arrest of the ischemic process. After steroids were discontinued, he suffered a relapse of the vasculitis documented by skin biopsy. In patients with AIDS with this serious, potentially steroid responsive condition, steroid therapy should be considered in spite of the preexisting immunodeficiency state."}
{"id": "PMID:1491410", "title": "Klebsiella pneumoniae septic arthritis of a lumbar facet joint.", "content": "Only 3 cases of isolated septic arthritis of a lumbar facet joint have been reported, all due to Staphylococcus aureus. We describe a case of Klebsiella pneumoniae septic arthritis of a lumbar facet joint in an HLA-B27 positive patient."}
{"id": "PMID:1491416", "title": "Ostrich (Struthio camelus) immobilisation using carfentanil and xylazine and reversal with yohimbine and naltrexone.", "content": "Ostriches (Struthio camelus) (n = 20) were immobilised from a helicopter by darting with a total dose of 3 mg carfentanil and 150 mg xylazine. An initial excitement phase was displayed, commencing on average at 2.67 min (S.D. 0.72) after darting, and the average time to recumbency was 4.97 min (S.D. 1.05). The average heart and respiration rates prior to reversal were 121.2 (S.D. 19.96) and 13.7 (S.D. 5.96) min-1 respectively. Reversal was achieved by the intravenous injection of yohimbine at approximately 0.125 mg kg-1 and 300 mg of naltrexone, and was uneventful. Further investigations need to be done to establish the most appropriate dosage rates for these preparations in ostriches."}
{"id": "PMID:1491417", "title": "Breaking strength of CO2-laser and scalpel blade incisions in the dog.", "content": "Incisions were made in the skin, linea alba and intestine of dogs (n = 5) with a CO2-laser and a stainless steel scalpel blade. The procedures were carried out on Day 0, 8, 10 and 11 in order to produce 1, 2, 4 and 12-day old samples. On Day 12 the dogs were euthanized, the incisions harvested and the breaking strength of each sample recorded. No significant difference in the strength developed in the skin and intestinal wounds could be observed, whereas the incisions made with the scalpel blade in the linea alba were significantly stronger."}
{"id": "PMID:1491418", "title": "[Resistance of small strongyles in an equine stud in South Africa to the benzimidazole anthelmintics].", "content": "This paper is apparently the first report of resistance of helminths of equids to anthelmintics in South Africa. While a strain of Cyathostominae from an Arab horse stud near Pretoria showed greatly reduced susceptibility to benzimidazoles in faecal egg reduction tests, ivermectin was apparently still unaffected. It is suggested that integrated methods of control such as alternation of horses and ruminants on pasture and mechanical removal of faeces should be used in addition to anthelmintics."}
{"id": "PMID:1491419", "title": "Response to selenium supplementation of sheep grazing cultivated pastures in the Natal Midlands.", "content": "The response to selenium supplementation of sheep grazing cultivated pastures was investigated on different farms in the Natal Midlands, Republic of South Africa. Over a period of one year, a significant (P < 0.01) improvement of 18.2% in live mass gain and of 13.7 and 15.8% (P < 0.05) in greasy and clean wool production, respectively, was measured in response to selenium supplementation in young ewes at the Cedara Research Station. In ewes injected with a long-acting barium selenate product, the glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity in the erythrocytes was maintained at elevated levels, above that of the control group, for almost 2 years. On 6 private farms, mature ewes were dosed approximately 6 weeks before mating, with a long-acting intraruminal selenium pellet. On 2 of the farms, a significant improvement (P < 0.05) in fertility of ewes was observed with no response to supplementation in the birth mass, lamb growth rate, or in lamb mortality. The long-acting pellets maintained elevated erythrocyte GSH-Px activity in the ewes for approximately one year. Although sheep on some farms in the Natal Midlands responded to selenium supplementation, it seems advisable to establish the selenium status of a flock before embarking on a supplementation programme. The risk of an excessive selenium intake, through the inadvertent supplying of selenium in different feed sources, has been demonstrated and should be guarded against."}
{"id": "PMID:1491420", "title": "An assessment of the selenium, copper and zinc status of sheep on cultivated pastures in the Natal Midlands.", "content": "Blood samples were collected from sheep on 24 farms in the Natal Midlands to ascertain the selenium, copper and zinc status of sheep kept under intensive grazing conditions on cultivated pastures in this region. The mean erythrocyte glutathione peroxidase activity was 34.1 enzyme units (EU: nmol NADPH oxidised min-1 mg-1 haemoglobin). A total of 59.4% of the samples contained less than 30 EU, a level below which a marginal deficiency may exist. The mean selenium concentration in whole blood was 0.57 mumol l-1. Sixty four per cent of the samples contained less than 0.63 mumol l-1, a level below which the animals were considered to be marginally deficient. The mean copper concentration in plasma was 16.1 mumol l-1 and that of zinc 15.0 mumol l-1. On none of the farms was the copper concentration in plasma below the concentrations accepted to represent a marginal deficiency, and ewes on only one farm had relatively low plasma zinc concentrations. It is concluded that many sheep grazing cultivated pastures in the Natal Midlands may be marginally deficient in selenium. However, the selenium status in sheep should be determined on individual farms before supplementation is recommended, as external sources of selenium are often supplied, mostly unintentionally. Seasonal variations in blood selenium concentrations did not follow a specific trend, probably because the sheep were grazing cultivated pastures for most of the year and feeding practices differed from farm to farm. It is therefore suggested that the selenium status of sheep be determined at the pre-mating and pre-lambing stages rather than in a specific season of the year."}
{"id": "PMID:1491421", "title": "Use of a semi-quantitative sweat test in thoroughbred horses.", "content": "A practical test for evaluating the sweating response to various concentrations of the specific beta 2 agonist, salbutamol sulphate, is described. The results of performing this test on horses (n = 54) considered to be \"free sweaters\", horses (n = 6) that showed signs of heat stress following exercise, and horses with complete anhidrosis (n = 2) are presented. The results indicate that intradermal injections of 0.1 ml of salbutamol sulphate at dilutions of 10(-7) or less are suitable stimuli to elicit a visually detectable local sweating in horses with a normal sweating response. Horses that only sweated at the sites where salbutamol solutions with dilutions of between 10(-4) and 10(-6) were injected, probably had a reduced sweating response and could be considered to be suffering from partial anhidrosis. Horses with severe anhidrosis of long duration did not sweat, even in response to salbutamol solutions with dilutions of 2 x 10(-3)."}
{"id": "PMID:1491422", "title": "A quantitative study of the attitudes of members of a black developing community towards their dogs and veterinary services.", "content": "To further the study of human-companion animal interactions in black developing communities, the clients (n = 94) of a university-based animal hospital, serving primarily a developing community, were interviewed. The interviews covered demographics, socio-economic aspects, perceptions, values and attitudes of clients towards their dogs. Regular and new clients were compared. A profile of the hospital's black clientele was also constructed. The study showed that the majority of black clients value their dogs for the sake of security and protection. Attitudes towards pets parallelled improvements in socio-economic status. Most clients felt positive towards existing veterinary services. The results of this study support and highlight the value of a previous observational study and could prove to be invaluable in designing, implementing and planning socially relevant animal health services."}
{"id": "PMID:1491427", "title": "Anion-dependent transport of thallous ions through human erythrocyte membrane.", "content": "Undirectional fluxes of 204Tl+ through the human red blood cell membrane were measured. The inward rate coefficient measured in a K(+)-free saline was 15.6 +/- 0.6 hr-1. The influx of Tl+ could be partially inhibited with 0.1 mM ouabain (by 28%), 0.1 mM DIDS (by 50%) or 1 mM furosemide (by 51%). The inhibitory effects of ouabain and DIDS or furosemide were additive. Half-maximal responses were seen at 0.72 microM and 0.22 mM concentrations of DIDS and furosemide, respectively. A similar action of these blockers on Tl+ influx was observed in the erythrocytes incubated in MgCl2-sucrose media. The outward rate coefficient of 204Tl was also inhibited by DIDS and furosemide (by 65 and 52%, respectively). Rate coefficients of 204Tl influx and efflux decreased significantly in the red cells exposed to Cl(-)-free media (NaNO3 or Mg(NO3)2-sucrose). Under these conditions addition of DIDS and furosemide led to only a small inhibition of Tl+ fluxes. There was a linear increase in Tl+ influx with rising of external Cl- concentration within 80-155 mM or HCO3- concentration from 20 to 40 mM when the sum of anions was kept constant (155 mM) with NO3-. The HCO3(-)-stimulated Tl+ influx was completely blocked by 0.05 mM DIDS but only 67% by 1 mM furosemide. The present study provides direct evidence for the occurrence of Cl- (HCO3-)-dependent, DIDS-sensitive movement of Tl+ across the human erythrocyte membrane in both directions. Under physiological conditions, about half of net Tl+ fluxes occurs due to an anion exchange mechanism.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1491428", "title": "The permeability of reconstituted liposomes containing the purified lens fiber cell integral membrane proteins MP20, MP26 and MP70.", "content": "A number of lens fiber cell integral membrane proteins have been localized to junctional regions where they have been proposed to play a role in either mediating or controlling cell-to-cell communication. We have examined the effect of three lens fiber cell membrane proteins, MP20, MP26 and MP70, on the permeability properties of unilamellar phospholipid liposomes. This approach has been previously used to examine the channel-forming properties of MP26. Liposome permeability was determined by measuring the effect of Co2+ on the quenching of the fluorescence of N-4-nitrobenzo-2-oxa-1,3 diazole phosphatidyl ethanolamine (NBD-PE)-containing liposomes as described previously by Scaglione and Rintoul (Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci. 30:961-966, 1989). The effect of all three proteins on liposome permeability was similar. Permeability was dependent on the protein/phospholipid ratio and was not significantly affected by agents known to modify gap junctional permeability in vivo. Glycophorin A, a non-channel-forming integral membrane protein derived from erythrocytes, was also shown to increase the permeability of unilamellar phospholipid liposomes. The ability of a non-channel membrane protein to increase Co2+ quenching of NBD-PE-containing liposomes (presumably in a nonspecific manner) indicates that reports describing the permeability of lens membrane protein-containing liposomes should be interpreted with caution in terms of their relationship to cell-to-cell communication."}
{"id": "PMID:1491430", "title": "Transvaginal sonography of cervical width and length during pregnancy.", "content": "Transvaginal ultrasonography has been proposed as a reliable method of assessing dimensions of the cervix. The purpose of the current investigation was to establish normative data for cervical width and length during pregnancy. This information may be helpful in predicting patients at risk for preterm birth. A transvaginal 5 or 7.5 MHz transducer was used on 132 consecutive low-risk pregnant women undergoing evaluation for gestational dating purposes. Even in cases of patient obesity or an empty bladder, high resolution was possible and permitted cervical measurement in all but one case. The external cervical width at the vaginal fornices was found to increase with advancing gestation (R = 0.512, P < 0.005). The cervical length from internal os to external os was found not to change with advancing gestation (R = 0.11, P = 0.30). Using these normative data, investigation is recommended to determine whether measuring cervical width and length is useful in predicting preterm labor and delivery."}
{"id": "PMID:1491429", "title": "G-protein activators induce a potassium conductance in murine macrophages.", "content": "The whole-cell patch clamp technique was used to test whether intracellular application of G-protein activators affect ionic currents in murine macrophages. Both the J774.1 macrophage-like cell line and primary bone marrow derived macrophages were used. Cells were bathed in Na Hanks' solution and intracellularly dialyzed (via the patch pipette) with K Hanks (145 mM KCl, < 100 nM Ca) plus or minus the G-protein activators GTP gamma S (10 microM), GppNHp (10 microM), or AIF4- (200 microM AlCl3 + 5 mM KF). In the absence of G-protein activators, only two K currents, an inwardly rectifying K current (Kir) and an outward, inactivating K current (Ko) were observed. In the presence of protein activators, two effects were observed: (i) the Kir conductance, which is stable for up to 30 min under control conditions, decayed twice as fast and (ii) an outwardly rectifying, noninactivating current appeared. The induced outward current appeared < 2 min after attaining the whole-cell patch clamp configuration. The current could be distinguished from the Kir and Ko currents on the basis of its direction of rectification (outward), barium sensitivity (> 1 mM), and kinetics (no time-dependent inactivation). Intracellular application of GTP (500 microM), GDP (500 microM), cAMP (100 microM + 0.5 mM ATP), or IP3 (20 microM) did not induce the current; 100 microM ATP gamma S activated a half-maximal amount of current. Induction of outward current by 10 microM GTP gamma S could be prevented by pre-exposing cells to pertussis toxin but not cholera toxin. This current is K selective since (i) its induction was accompanied by hyperpolarization of the cell toward EK, even after Kir had \"washed out\", (ii) it was present after > 90% of both intracellular and extracellular Cl were replaced by isethionate, and (iii) the induced outward conductance was absent when Ki was completely replaced by Cs, and was reduced by approximately 1/3 when [K]i was reduced by 1/3. Quinidine (1 mM) and 4-aminopyridine (10 mM) inhibited the current, but apamin (1 microM) and charybdotoxin (1 microM) did not."}
{"id": "PMID:1491431", "title": "Inability of color and spectral Doppler to identify fetal renal obstruction.", "content": "Color flow Doppler imaging was used to obtain fetal renal artery flow velocity waveforms in 130 normal fetuses at various gestational ages to build a database for the establishment of normal ranges for the Pulsatility Index in the fetal renal arteries throughout pregnancy. Twenty-nine cases of fetal renal tract dilation (greater than 5 mm anteroposterior diameter of the renal pelvis) of various causes were investigated. We found that measurements of the pulsatility index were not significantly altered from the normal range, so that color flow Doppler does not appear to be helpful in the differential diagnosis of fetal renal dilation."}
{"id": "PMID:1491432", "title": "Abnormal spinal curvature in the fetus.", "content": "We reviewed 20 cases of sonographically detected abnormal fetal spinal curvature to help determine the significance of this finding. Both marked (13 cases) and mild (7 cases) curves were diagnosed sonographically. Sonography showed associated anomalies in 19 fetuses, including neural tube and ventral wall defects. Outcomes were poor, with only three infants surviving. Isolated scoliosis was identified prenatally in one neurologically normal infant with hemivertebrae. We conclude that abnormal spinal curvature in the fetus is a significant finding, whether mild or severe. Even as an isolated finding, it is significant, as prenatal detection assists postnatal management."}
{"id": "PMID:1491433", "title": "Evaluation of celiac and mesenteric vascular disease with duplex ultrasonography.", "content": "A retrospective study of 25 patients was performed to evaluate the applicability of duplex ultrasonography to the celiac and superior mesenteric circulation. Lateral contrast aortograms were compared to the pulsed-Doppler spectral data from duplex examinations in fasting subjects. A significant correlation was identified between the celiac-aortic diastolic ratio and the degree of stenosis measured angiographically, but such a relationship could not be established for the superior mesenteric artery. These data suggest that duplex ultrasonography may not be a reliable screening test for mesenteric vascular disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1491434", "title": "Compression ultrasonography. Treatment for acute femoral artery pseudoaneurysms in selected cases.", "content": "Treatment of pseudoaneurysms has traditionally been surgical. We evaluated 12 patients who developed femoral artery pseudoaneurysms after cardiac catheterization. Using color Doppler ultrasonography steady pressure was applied, occluding flow in both the neck and body of the pseudoaneurysm for 10 minute intervals. Six patients were treated successfully. We believe the same technique was unsuccessful in five additional patients because compression of a short (< 5 mm) or wide neck is ineffective. In one patient the pseudoaneurysm thrombosed spontaneously prior to a treatment attempt. We believe compression ultrasonography of pseudoaneurysms should be offered as a therapeutic alternative to surgery in selected cases."}
{"id": "PMID:1491440", "title": "[Molecular biological approaches in nephrology].", "content": "Recent explosive advances in molecular biological techniques have greatly expanded their applications, and they are now widely employed in nephrology. Main applications of molecular biological techniques in the field of nephrology are 1) molecular cloning of genes coding important proteins, 2) analysis of gene expressions, 3) approach using transgenic animals, 4) molecular genetic approach for inheritable diseases such as adult polycystic kidney disease. These techniques are now considered to be one of the most important and powerful tools in the field of nephrology."}
{"id": "PMID:1491441", "title": "[Application of transgenic model in renal research].", "content": "In the present report, we have used transgenic models to analyze the role of growth factors in the development of glomerulosclerosis. All peptides inducing a growth response do not lead to glomerulosclerosis, however, several transgenic models including growth hormone, transforming growth factor-a or SV 40T antigen developed progressive glomerulosclerosis, which was associated with glomerular hypertrophy. Evidence obtained from these transgenic models suggests that glomerulosclerosis may be related to a dysregulation of glomerular cell growth and a synthesis of extracellular matrix components by resident glomerular cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1491442", "title": "[In situ hybridization histochemistry for the kidney diseases].", "content": "Crucial points of in situ hybridization methods were pointed out for study on the kidney diseases at molecular level. As examples of in situ hybridization study on kidney, we introduced two cases: 1) expression of the hepatocyte growth factor gene during renal regeneration after unilateral nephrectomy, and 2) induction of the metallothionein gene expression by ischemic acute renal failure. We proposed an idea to establish a probe bank for the in situ hybridization study."}
{"id": "PMID:1491443", "title": "[Usefulness of microdissection of nephron segments and fluorescent indicator for molecular biological studies of nephron functions].", "content": "The kidney consists of numerous functional units called nephrons. Thus, the use of individual nephron segments is essential to characterize their functional properties and to clarify the molecular basis of site-specific functions. Nephron segments can be microdissected from collagenase-treated renal slices under a stereomicroscope. A variety of intracellular ionic concentrations or membrane potential can be determined with various fluorescent probes. Fura-2/AM-loaded nephron segments reveal a transient increase of cytosolic free calcium concentrations by agonists such as angiotensin II, vasopressin, kinins, etc. To localize their receptors or to characterize their subtypes, this technique is especially beneficial, because tiny fragments of the nephron are sufficient by combination with a two-wave length microscope fluorometer. As an example, discovery of a novel vasopressin receptor (Vp) is described."}
{"id": "PMID:1491444", "title": "[Renin-angiotensin system].", "content": "Renin is a key enzyme in the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) which controls the blood pressure and electrolyte balance. By numerous studies on RAS and structures of renin and prorenin, the determination of three-dimensional structure for renin has been thought to be important in the rational approach to the drug design for antihypertensives. Here, several investigations for the three-dimensional structure of human and mouse renins are reviewed. These papers showed that the active site cleft had a less open arrangement in renins than that in other aspartic proteinases, although the general topology of both renins were quite similar. They also described subsites of renins and others."}
{"id": "PMID:1491445", "title": "[Molecular biology of the natriuretic peptide system].", "content": "The natriuretic peptide system is composed of at least three distinct endogenous peptides: atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) and C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP), and three receptors: ANP-A receptor/GC-A, ANP-B receptor/GC-B and the clearance receptor. This system influences the control of body fluid and blood pressure as cardiac hormones and local regulators. Recent advances in molecular biology have unravel the molecular mechanism of the natriuretic peptide system and have facilitated our understanding of it. The present review gives the current knowledge of the molecular biology of the natriuretic peptide system."}
{"id": "PMID:1491446", "title": "[Interleukin 6 (IL-6)].", "content": "Interleukin 6 (IL-6) is a polypeptide mediator regulating immune response, acute phase reaction and hematopoiesis. Disregulating production of IL-6 was suggested to be involved in a variety of chronic inflammatory diseases. IL-6 is an autocrine growth factor for cultured mesangial cells. IL-6 was localized in the mesangial area of the kidney tissue and intraglomerular expression of mRNA, encoding for IL-6 gene, was observed in patients with mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis (mes PGN). Furthermore, mesangial proliferation was observed in IL-6 transgenic mice. These results suggest that IL-6 is closely associated with the pathogenesis of mesPGN."}
{"id": "PMID:1491447", "title": "[Growth factors: a regulator of renal function].", "content": "We selectively focus on two growth factors, epidermal growth factor (EGF) and insulin-like growth factor (IGF), and discuss their roles on regulation of renal function and associated diseases conditions, as well. EGF, 6 kD polypeptide, is derived by proteolysis from a large precursor (prepro EGF, 133 kD). Prepro EGF is a membrane-anchored protein and its mRNA is predominantly localized to distal tubules of mouse and rat kidneys. We immunohistochemically demonstrated the glomerular distribution of EGF and EGF-receptor in normal and nephritic human kidneys. The physiologic roles of EGF produced in the kidney are various; it is mitogenic for tubular epithelial cell, inhibits gluconeogenesis and salt and water reabsorption in the tubules, and effects on glomerular hemodynamics. Alteration of renal EGF expression is suggested in renal ischemic injury, renal hypertrophy and cystic renal disease. IGF-I, somatomedin-C, is produced in collecting duct, and glomerular cells, and exerts a variety of actions on kidney. IGF-I stimulates gluconeogenesis in renal tubules, and is mitogenic for mesangial cells. The administration of this growth factor increases glomerular filtration rate. Enhanced expression of renal IGF-I was observed in the uninephrectomized animals."}
{"id": "PMID:1491448", "title": "[The molecular basis for the steroid hormone actions in the kidney].", "content": "Steroid hormones such as mineralo- and glucocorticoids act as important regulators for the kidney to maintain the body fluid homeostasis. During the past 40 years, numerous investigations have been dedicated to the elucidation of precise mechanisms of steroid hormone actions in their target tissues including the kidney. Now it is well recognized that cellular actions of steroid hormones can be accomplished by two step processes, namely a specific receptor binding in the cytosol and/or the nucleus and a new protein synthesis through a gene transcription. The efforts for the isolation and purification of steroid hormone receptors have been also made and followed by the great successes of molecular techniques in the cDNA cloning and determination of amino acid sequences for them in recent years. The revealed high homology of the functional domains of receptors has renewed the issues of how tissue specificities of steroid hormone actions are determined. The identification of steroid-induced proteins and cellular steroid hormone metabolites would be also important issues to be studied."}
{"id": "PMID:1491449", "title": "[Adenosine and adenosine receptors in the kidney].", "content": "In the kidney, adenosine plays important regulatory roles, including renal blood flow, glomerular filtration rate, renin secretion, tubuloglomerular feedback, tubular reabsorption of sodium and water, sympathetic neurotransmitter release, and erythropoietin secretion. These functions are mediated through adenosine 1 (A1)-receptors and adenosine 2 (A2)-receptors. These receptors couple to the inhibition and stimulation of adenylate cyclase, through Gi and Gs proteins, respectively. A variety of other effecter systems have been reported to be coupled to A1 receptors, including phospholipase C, phospholipase A2 and potassium, as well as Ca++ channels. Recently, A1 receptors, A2 receptors and novel A2 receptor have been cloned, sequenced and expressed. In association with the development of selective adenosine analogues, we are now ready to take up problems at the biochemical and molecular biological levels."}
{"id": "PMID:1491450", "title": "[Molecular structure and function of renal adrenergic receptors].", "content": "The kidney is the principal organ in the body that mediates the excretion of water and minerals, and also functions as an endocrine organ in producing hormones, enzymes (e.g., renin), and vasoactive molecules (e.g., prostaglandins). Circulating catecholamines and autonomic innervation of the kidney can influence those important functional responses as well as vascular constriction via renal adrenergic receptors. The adrenergic receptors are members of a large family of G protein-coupled receptors. Recent advance of molecular cloning has revealed a growing heterogeneity of adrenergic receptor subtypes. They share a common topographical motif consisting of seven putative transmembrane regions, where. They are thought to be essential for ligand binding. Multiple subtypes of adrenergic receptors may exist in the kidney. Defining the precise role of renal adrenergic receptors in disease states, particularly hypertension, will certainly require the application of new tools of biochemistry and molecular biology."}
{"id": "PMID:1491451", "title": "[Molecular pharmacology in diuretics].", "content": "Recently, much knowledge of the molecular mechanism of diuretic actions has been accumulated. Molecular cloning of carbonic anhydrase revealed a difference in isozymes and the localization of each isozymes was also identified. Carbonic anhydrase VI, located in brush border of the proximal tubules, is inhibited by acetazolamide. Loop diuretics, furosemide, bumetanide, piretanide and ethacrynic acid, inhibit Na(+)-K(+)-Cl(-)-cotransport system in the thick ascending limb of the Henle's loop. The histochemical localization and biological characterization were investigated by using [3H]-bumetanide. Loop diuretics cotransport protein and inhibit Na+ and Cl- reabsorption. Spironolactone inhibits the binding of aldosterone and cytosol mineralocorticoid receptor in the cortical connecting tubule competitively."}
{"id": "PMID:1491452", "title": "[Regulation of fibrillar and type IV collagen genes].", "content": "Control of collagen synthesis can be exerted through control of mRNA levels by regulating of gene transcription and RNA maturation or the stability of mRNA. For fibrillar collagen genes many of the cis-acting regulatory elements are located in a relatively small region 5' to the transcription start site. The exon structure of the type IV genes differs significantly from that of fibrillar collagen in that triple-helical exons show considerable divergence from the 54 bp motif. The first intron of the alpha 1 (IV) is shown to contain an enhancer that can activate promoter. To identify the cellular mechanisms that determine the tissue-specific expression of the different collagen genes, the mechanisms whereby these genes respond to various cytokines and hormones that influence their expression."}
{"id": "PMID:1491453", "title": "[Abnormality of type IV collagen metabolism in the development of diabetic nephropathy].", "content": "Diabetic nephropathy is characterized by the thickening of glomerular basement membrane and the expansion of mesangium. These changes are considered to be caused by an accumulation of the extracellular matrix protein including type IV collagen. The mesangial cells are the cells responsible for the synthesis and metabolism of type IV in the mesangial cells are discussed. The role of advanced glycation end products in the pathogenesis of diabetic nephropathy will be also discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1491454", "title": "[Molecular genetics of Alport syndrome].", "content": "Alport syndrome is a hereditary glomerulonephritis in which progressive loss of kidney function is often accompanied by sensorineural deafness. Ultrastructural studies in glomerular basement membranes (GBM) of Alport syndrome patients implicate an altered GBM protein structure as the cause of nephritis. The product of COL4A5, the alpha 5 (IV) collagen chain, is a specific component of GBM of the kidney. Various mutations in the COL4A5 gene have been identified in X-linked dominant Alport syndrome, and these aberrations of the alpha 5 (IV) can account for at least a part of X-linked Alport syndrome."}
{"id": "PMID:1491455", "title": "[TGF-beta gene expression in mesangial cells].", "content": "TGF-beta recently has been shown to inhibit mesangial cell growth and to stimulate mesangial matrix synthesis by mesangial cells. Cultured rat mesangial cells expressed 2.5 kb TGF-beta mRNA, and removal of fetal calf serum (FCS) for two days decreased the TGF-beta mRNA level, which was then stimulated by addition of 17% FCS and TPA, one of the phorbol esters, although it is also reported by others that the mRNA expression was stimulated by PDGF, EGF, or high glucose. Bioassay and immunoblot analysis showed that mesangial cells produce and secrete substantial amounts of TGF-beta but mostly in latent forms. Moreover, addition of anti-TGF-beta neutralizing antibodies augmented mesangial cell growth, indicating that the secreted TGF-beta exerts a growth-inhibitory action on themselves. Thus, TGF-beta may function as an autocrine factor in mesangial cells, and it is suggested that mesangial cells may play an important role in the pathogenesis of glomerulopathy."}
{"id": "PMID:1491456", "title": "[Role of TGF-beta in glomerular diseases].", "content": "Accumulation of extracellular matrix (ECM) is a major histological change in glomerular diseases that progress to chronic renal failure. Such accumulation can be mediated by increased production of molecular signal such as cytokines. Transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-beta 1) has a combined effect of enhancing the synthesis of ECM, while inhibiting the proteolytic degradation of newly formed matrix proteins. TG1-F beta 1 has stimulative effects on the production of ECM by cultured rat mesangial cells. In an experimental glomerulonephritis, there was a close association between elevated expression of the TGF-beta 1 mRNA and development of glomerulonephritis. Treatment of glomerulonephritic rats with antiserum directed to a synthetic peptide from mature TGF-beta 1 prevented the histological accumulation of ECM in glomeruli. These results suggest that TGF-beta 1 may participate in glomerular matrix expansion."}
{"id": "PMID:1491457", "title": "[Glomerular extracellular matrix in glomerulosclerosis by molecular biology].", "content": "Many renal diseases progress to end-stage renal failure with glomerulosclerosis, irrespective of the cause of the disease. Glomerulosclerosis is characterized by an accumulation of extracellular matrices (ECM) due to increased synthesis of the ECM and/or decreased degradation of the ECM. Sclerotic lesions represent an accumulation of normal constituents of the ECM, including type IV collagen, laminin, proteoglycans, as well as, abnormal constituents such as type I and III collagens. The cDNAs for various ECM constituents have been obtained and it has become possible to study the status of their synthesis, in the transcriptional level, in various glomerular diseases. Studies suggest that hemodynamic factors and growth factors, such as, TGF-beta and PDGF are responsible for the development of glomerulosclerosis. Inappropriate expression of intrinsic mesangial cell metalloproteinases and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases also lead to glomerulosclerosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1491458", "title": "[Polymorphism of immunoglobulin heavy chain switch region in IgA nephropathy].", "content": "We examined the relation between IgA hyperproduction and polymorphism of the immunoglobulin heavy chain switch (S) region in patients with IgA nephropathy. The frequency of the heterozygous phenotype of IgA2 switch region was significantly increased in these patients. The patients showed a significant increase in the amount of serum IgA, IgA bearing cells and levels of proteinuria. We also compared two reports on the S region in Europe, which showed different results, and found different frequencies in the phenotype of the S region. These findings suggest that IgAN patients in various countries show heterogeneity in the S region and that this polymorphism might be associated with IgA hyperproduction and the development of proteinuria in Japanese patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1491459", "title": "[Recent progress in molecular biology of inherited tubular transport abnormalities].", "content": "Recent progress in the molecular biological approach to analysis of inherited tubular transport abnormalities is reviewed. 1) cDNAs of several mammalian proteins, related to amino acid transport in renal tubular cell, have been cloned using an expression cloning in Xenopus oocytes. One of them stimulates the transport of cystine, dibasic amino acids and neutral amino acids and will accelerate the analysis of cystinuria. 2) Isolation of cDNAs, encoding human and rat vasopressin V2 receptors, has been reported. The deduced amino acid sequence seems to be a member of receptors with seven putative transmembrane regions. Analysis of this gene from patients with nephrogenic diabetes insipidus is in progress. 3) Analysis of carbonic anhydrase II (CA II) gene in a Belgian family with renal tubular acidosis associated with osteoporosis and cerebral calcification has shown a point mutation replacing an invariant histidine residue of CA II protein with tyrosine. 4) Oculocerebrorenal syndrome of Lowe (OCRL) is a X-linked disorder affecting the lens, brain and kidneys. The OCRL locus has been mapped to Xq24-26 by linkage analysis and by finding de novo X-autosome translocations at Xq24-26 in two unrelated females with OCRL. A cDNA has been isolated using yeast artificial chromosome and DNA inserts that span the X chromosome breakpoint from a female patient. Transcript for this cDNA is absent in unrelated male patients. The open reading frame encodes a new protein similar to human inositol-polyphosphate-5-phosphatase, raising a possibility that OCRL is an inborn error of inositol phosphate metabolism."}
{"id": "PMID:1491460", "title": "[Tumor suppressor genes associated with development of human renal cell carcinoma].", "content": "Several rodent studies based on molecular biology have suggested that accumulation of genetic alterations in cancer-associated genes is required to convert a normal cell into a malignant cell. Activation of oncogenes and inactivation of tumor suppressor genes appear to be involved in carcinogenesis. In renal cell carcinomas, we have recently implied that the presence of tumor suppressor genes at chromosome 3p13-14.3 and 21.3, the regions where are also commonly deleted in adenocarcinoma of the lung; at chromosome 5q21, the region where the MCC (mutated in colorectal cancer) gene and APC (adenomatous polyposis coli) gene are located; at chromosome 6q27; and at 10q 21-23. We have also indicated that genes on 3p is probably important for development of RCCs and genes on 5q, 6q, and 10q may be associated with progression of RCCs."}
{"id": "PMID:1491461", "title": "[Genotype and genetic diagnosis of APRT deficiency].", "content": "Adenine phosphoribosyltransferase (APRT) deficiency is one of the most common genetic diseases among the Japanese and is transmitted in an autosomal recessive manner. Urolithiasis is a typical symptom of this disease. Molecular analysis of the deficient APRT alleles revealed that 96% of disease-causing genes among the Japanese was accounted for only three alleles. Therefore, genetic diagnosis can be performed on most of the patients without determining the mutant sequence in each family. The ASO-PCR hybridization method differentiated all of these alleles. Linkage analysis using neighboring RFLP markers revealed that each of the three mutant APRT alleles had a common ancestral origin."}
{"id": "PMID:1491462", "title": "[Triplex DNA for therapeutics].", "content": "Application of triplex DNA, including therapeutic use for the genetic diseases, cancers and the diseases caused by viruses, such as AIDS is widely discussed today. The use of triplex DNA for the regulation of gene expression, especially at the transcriptional level, is discussed here by considering three criteria: (1) selection of target polypurine.polypyrimidine sequences, (2) designing triplex DNA to form, and (3) introduction of oligonucleotides into nuclei. This triplex DNA method can be used as an alternate to or in combination with the more popular method using antisense oligonucleotides, which regulates the gene expression at the posttranscriptional stage."}
{"id": "PMID:1491463", "title": "[Frequency of Helicobacter pylori in chronic gastritis with endoscopically defined erosion].", "content": "The frequency of Helicobacter pylori was histopathologically evaluated in biopsy specimens of the gastric mucosa from 112 patients which endoscopically diagnosed as erosion. The specimens, histopathologically diagnosed as chronic gastritis, were divided into eight groups according to age, sex and location. The Helicobacter pylori infection was revealed in 65% of all specimens observed, and the frequency in patients of their sixties was lower than that of the forties. The frequency in the elder was the lowest in the transitional zone of the gastric mucosa. These findings indicate that the decrease in the frequency of Helicobacter pylori begins in the transitional zone and subsequently in the antrum."}
{"id": "PMID:1491464", "title": "[Effect of ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) therapy for compensatory liver cirrhosis on liver function tests and serum bile acid metabolism].", "content": "Effect of ursodeoxycholic acid (600 mg/day 12 weeks) on liver function tests and bile acid metabolism were investigated in 6 patients with compensatory liver cirrhosis (CLC) and 6 with chronic active hepatitis (CAH). Serial determination of serum GOT, GPT and gamma-GTP after the initiation of UDCA revealed significant reduction in mean levels of these enzymes after 4 weeks, and further improvement was observed at the end of the 12-weeks treatment regimen (CLC: 79.3%, 81.1%, 51.5% of initial values, respectively, CAH: 61.2%, 59.3%, 42.8%). On the other hand, after UDCA administration, serum total bile acid increased and UDCA became the predominant bile acid in CLC and CAH patients. Other endogenous bile acids decreased in both groups, but reduction rate of serum chenodeoxycholic acid level in CLC was smaller than that in CAH group (CLC: 86.1% of initial values, respectively, CAH: 54.2%). During UDCA treatment, apparent side effect was not observed. We suggest that UDCA administration might constitute effective treatment for compensatory liver cirrhosis as well as chronic hepatitis."}
{"id": "PMID:1491475", "title": "[Evaluation of subjective happiness in the elderly using a visual analogue scale of happiness in correlation with depression scale].", "content": "A Visual analogue scale of happiness (VAS-H) was applied to elderly population in a community to evaluate their subjective quality of life. The study population consisted of 313 elderly people aged over 75. Using a 20 cm visual analogue scale (VAS), VAS-H was measured by asking subjects to place a single vertical mark on a horizontal line at a point corresponding to their current subjective degree of happiness judged from health condition and psycho-social background as a whole; The VAS-H was anchored on the left and with the words \"-100%; unhappiest\" and on the right end with the words \"+100%; happiest\". The scores of VAS-H (%) were obtained by multiplying the distance (cm) from the zero point to the vertical line by 10. To determine the characteristics of VAS from the standpoint of the quality of life, we compared VAS with scores of two kinds of established depression scale, because the mood which was assessed by these scale was supposed to be an important factor of the quality of life. The results of the simultaneously assessed Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), and Zung's depression scale (SDS) which was obtained 1 year before for the same subjects were compared with that of VAS-H. The score of VAS-H had a significantly negative correlation with both GDS and SDS. In conclusion, VAS-H was a simple and useful method to evaluate degree of subjective happiness which was one factor of quality of life in the elderly people."}
{"id": "PMID:1491476", "title": "[Evaluation of subjective happiness in the elderly using a visual analogue scale of happiness to analyze the effect of life style and neurobehavioral function on subjective happiness].", "content": "The effects of activity of daily living (ADL), physical conditions, social environmental factors and neurobehavioral functions on subjective happiness were investigated in 313 elderly subjects. The degree of subjective happiness was measured using visual analogue scale of happiness (VAS-H). There was significant relationship between VAS-H and ADL. The VAS-H score had weak but significant correlation with physical conditions and neurobehavioral functions. The social environmental factors, especially economical conditions, family relationships and group behavior had a significant correlation with VAS-H. In conclusion, in apparent healthy elderly people, the subjective degree of happiness was not related to ADLs, but to social environment and information physical conditions."}
{"id": "PMID:1491477", "title": "[Application of visual analogue scale of happiness to elderly Himalayan highlanders].", "content": "Visual analogue scale of happiness (VAS-H) was applied to elderly Himalayan highlanders to investigate the influence of life-style and socio-cultural background on subjective happiness. The score of \"VAS-H\" and neuropsychological function tests in 733 Himalayan highlanders who belonged to 5 separate villages were compared with those in 313 Japanese elderly subjects. The places of study consisted of 4 villages (Khalimabad; K, Gulmit; G, Pasu; P, Shimshal; S) in Hunza area in Pakistan, and Namche Bazar; N in Nepal. Degree of modern civilization was highest in K, followed by N, G, P and lowest was that in S by historical and sociological aspects. The mean VAS-H sore in Himalayan highlanders and the degree of modern civilization in the area was in inverse proportion. Himalayan elderly women showed a significant lower score on VAS-H compared with elderly Himalayan men or elderly Japanese subjects. The VAS-H score in the Japanese elderly correlated significantly with the stability of posture and walk, and that of Himalayan highlanders correlated significantly with manual skill. In conclusion, the life style or socio-cultural background strongly affected subjective happiness in the elderly. The VAS-H was useful in comparing subjective happiness in different cultures."}
{"id": "PMID:1491478", "title": "[Upper gastrointestinal bleeding in the elderly].", "content": "Due to increasing number of the elderly, cases of hematemesis and melena in the aged have been increasing. The authors evaluated 69 such cases over 60 years old in whom emergency endoscopy of the upper digestive tract was carried out because of hematemesis and melena. Twenty cases are diagnosed as gastric ulcer (29%), 12 cases as esophageal ulcer and esophageal erosion (17.4%), 9 as duodenal ulcer (13.0%), 7 as gastric cancer (10.1%), 6 as Mallory-Weiss syndrome (8.7%), 6 as esophageal and gastric varices (8.7%), 4 as acute hemorrhagic gastritis (5.8%), 3 as Dieulafoy's ulcer (4.3%), and one case each of chronic pancreatitis (hemosuccus pancreaticus) and hemorrhage due to gastric angiodysplasia (1.4%). Of these cases, blood transfusion was performed in 46 cases (66.7%), and shock occurred in 27 cases (39.1%). The endoscopical hemostatic procedure was effective for detection of underlying diseases in the aged. Surgery was often impossible because of the rapid deterioration of the systemic condition due to the hemorrhage of the digestive tract."}
{"id": "PMID:1491479", "title": "[Post operative upper gastrointestinal bleeding in the aged].", "content": "A 10-year experience with 2,441 patients over 65 years of age undergoing operations for non-upper gastrointestinal tracts was reviewed to evaluate both the incidence of postoperative upper gastrointestinal bleeding and the clinical risk factors associated with the complication. A total of 18 (0.7%, 7 males and 11 females) patients had overt postoperative upper gastrointestinal bleeding of non-variceal origin documented by endoscopic findings or blood transfusions. Of these, the complication developed in 10 (1.5%) of 646 patients after an operation for biliary or pancreatic disease, 1 (1.5%) of 64 for aneurysmal or obstructive arterial disease, 5 (1.1%) of 43 for colorectal cancer and 2 (0.3%) of 916 for hernia. The incidences of bleeding after an operation for obstructive jaundice (3.8%), for biliary or pancreatic malignancy (4.5%), and of unavoidable diversion colostomy for colorectal anastomosis (3.1%) were significantly higher than for non-jaundice (0.6%), for non-malignancy (1.1%) and of postoperative upper gastrointestinal bleeding in the present study. The origins of bleeding were gastric ulcer in 11, acute gastric mucosal lesion in 4, duodenal ulcer in 1 and other in 2. All cases of bleeding were treated and met success in hemostasis using H2-blockers. Of these, however, 5 patients died of multiple organ failure despite discontinued hemorrhage, prophylactic use of H2-blockers showed a decrease in occurrence of postoperative upper gastrointestinal bleeding in the present study."}
{"id": "PMID:1491480", "title": "[Comprehensive activities of daily living (ADL) index for the elderly].", "content": "In order to measure disability in the elderly with a variety of handicaps a comprehensive activities of daily living (ADL) index is described. This instrument, named the ADL-20, consists of 20 items from four major categories of daily activities: (1) 5 items from basic ADL for mobility (BADLm), (2) 6 items from basic ADL for self-care (BADLs), (3) 7 items from instrumental ADL (IADL), and (4) 2 items from communication ADL (CADL). Each activity is scored on a four point scale with values from 0 (total dependency) to 3 (independency). In order to study the interrater reliability of the instrument 40 subjects were examined by a physician and physiotherapist independently at the University of Tokyo Hospital on the same day. Perfect agreement rates on the assignment of the disability score ranged from 70.0% to 97.5% with 85.6% in 800 paired examinations. The kappa values for perfect agreement ranged from 0.52 to 0.88. These results may guarantee a moderate or greater degree of interrater reliability. The correlation coefficients of the Spearman test on the rating scores by the physician and physiotherapist ranged from 0.66 to 0.99 in each activity with 0.97 in total score of 20 items. This scale was employed in 110 patients at the University Hospital and 106 patients staying in the nursing home or long-stay geriatric hospital in order to study its validity. The average age of those 216 patients, 77 males and 139 females, was 76.2 years old. The Cronbach alpha value concerning the consistency of each item as ADL assessment scale was 0.97.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1491481", "title": "[Intellectual ability and activity of daily living of centenarians in institutions for the elderly].", "content": "The purpose of this study was to assess the intellectual ability and activity of daily living (ADL) of 12 centenarians in institutions for the elderly and to compare them with individuals in the 62-99 age group. At the time of our study, 66.7% of the centenarians were severely demented, three quarters of them suffering from Alzheimer's type dementia and the other one quarter the mixed type. There were qualitative differences between non-demented centenarians and the demented elderly in general, particularly in regard to understanding of surrounding objects and the presence or absence of mental symptoms indicating intellectual deterioration. A total of 50% of the centenarians were bedridden, but 41.7% of them could eat without assistance. Intellectual ability and ADL directly decreased with aging. We think centenarians do not present a special case and our clinical observations suggest a continuous process of aging. Five of the centenarians recently died and were autopsied. The agreement rate between clinical diagnoses and pathological findings with respect to dementia was 80%."}
{"id": "PMID:1491482", "title": "[Drug compliance in the elderly].", "content": "In order to clarify the characteristics of elderly patients concerning their attitudes toward taking prescribed medicine, self-reported compliance with prescriptions was compared among different age groups. We performed a survey in 626 outpatients and their attending physicians in 4 of our affiliated hospitals, and analyzed self-reported compliance by the patients to the prescription and their answers to questions related to drug-taking along with the diagnoses and prescriptions reported by the physician. The number of prescribed medicine was 2.3 tablets on the average for patients younger than 40, while 5.1 tablets were prescribed for patients over 70. However, self-reported compliance was best in patients over 70 than in other age groups. Compliance was good in 76% of patients who answered that the amount of medicine was appropriate, while good compliance was lower in those who thought the prescription excessive (67%). Likewise, compliance of patients who had concerns with drug side effects or who were not feeling well under medication was lower than that of patients who felt well under medication. Prescriptions for after lunch were most liable to be forgotten than those for other times of the day. Moreover, a high percentage of elderly patients attended more than 2 departments or medical facilities, and one third of those patients did not inform the physician of the fact suggesting that they were at higher risks of overdosing and unexpected drug interaction. Furthermore, the percentage of patients who did not receive explanation from physicians was higher in the elderly thus demonstrating that elderly patients have quite different characteristics in attitude with regard to medicine from younger age group patients.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1491483", "title": "[Spinal bone mineral density in the female diabetic patients].", "content": "To investigate the frequency and etiology of diabetic osteopenia, we measured spinal bone mineral density (SBMD), total body bone mineral density (TBBMD), total body fat and lean body mass in 69 female diabetic patients (14 IDDMs and 55 NIDDMs). SBMD decreased with age in both IDDM and NIDDM, but when expressed as a percentage of age-matched normal Japanese females, some had lower SEMD, but others had normal or increased SBMD. Postmenopausal IDDM patients had lower SBMD than postmenopausal NIDDM patients. Thirteen out of 69 (18.8%) had an SBMD lower than 90% of age-matched controls. SBMD correlated positively with TBBMD. Those with lower SBMD had poor glycemic control, but there was no relation between SBMD and either duration of diabetes or presence of retinopathy and/or nephropathy. IDDM patients had lower 1.25 (OH)2D, osteocalcin than NIDDMs. SBMD correlated negatively with urinary pyridinoline and deoxypyridinoline excretion. SBMD correlated positively with body weight, and those with lower SBMD had significantly lower body mass index, body weight, fat weight and lean body mass than those with normal or increased SBMD. These results suggest that IDDM patients may be at higher risk of losing bone postmenopausally, and diabetic patients with lower SBMD have characteristics of poor diabetic control, lean habitus, low serum 1.25 (OH)2D."}
{"id": "PMID:1491484", "title": "[Protein binding of cephems in the elderly].", "content": "The serum protein-binding of 12 representative cephems (CET, CEZ, CZX, CPZ, CZON, CPM, CDZM, CFX, CMZ, CTT, LMOX, FMOX) was assessed, using sera from young healthy subjects (mean age, 28.6 years old) and elderly healthy subjects (mean age, 69.7 years old), applying equilibrium dialysis under the same conditions in vitro. The protein-binding capacity of 12 cephems in elderly subjects was significantly less than that in young subjects, and marked increase in free drug concentration was observed in elderly subjects. This decrease in the protein binding capacity of cephems in elderly subjects was possibly caused by decreased serum albumin and change in non-esterified fatty acid constitution related to aging. As free-drug concentration participates in the appearance of effects and adverse reactions, the possibility of an enhanced pharmacological effects and increased adverse reactions of cephems due to decrease of protein binding in elderly subjects should be considered."}
{"id": "PMID:1491485", "title": "[Pharmacokinetics of oral alminoprofen (Minalfen) in elderly patients with rheumatoid arthritis and spondylosis deformans].", "content": "The pharmacokinetics of oral Alminoprofen, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, were studied in five elderly patients with rheumatoid arthritis and spondylosis deformans after 200 mg (three times a day) repeated dose for 5 days. The pharmacokinetic parameters after oral administration of Alminoprofen were analyzed by the one-compartment open model method. The maximum plasma concentrations (Cmax) were 16.1 +/- 2.5 micrograms/ml, after dosing on day 1, 25.2 +/- 1.6 micrograms/ml on day 3 and 21.6 +/- 2.7 micrograms/ml on day 5. The maximum time (Tmax) were about 2 hours after the medication in al cases. The area under the curve in drug concentration in plasma versus time (AUC) were 58.5 +/- 6.3 micrograms hr/ml on day 1, 58.5 +/- 3.1 micrograms hr/ml on day 3 and 58.1 +/- 8.5 micrograms hr/ml on day 5. The biological half-lives (t1/2) were 2.45 +/- 0.35, 2.09 +/- 0.82 and 2.49 +/- 0.63 hours, after dosing on day 1, day 3 and day 5, respectively. The analysis of moment in pharmacokinetics revealed that the mean residence time (MRT) on day 1, day 3 and day 5 observed were 2.31 +/- 0.03, 2.15 +/- 0.09 and 2.15 +/- 0.07 hours, respectively. The variance residence times (VRT) observed were 0.95 +/- 0.05 hour2 on day 1, 0.88 +/- 0.09 hour2 on day 3 and 1.06 +/- 0.07 hour2 on day 5. The ratios of accumulation calculated were 1.16 +/- 0.05 in both the morning medication on day 3 day 5, and it therefore appears that the steady-state equilibrium is established within 3 days after commencement of dosage.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1491486", "title": "[Diagnostic value of a new myocardial perfusion agent, 99mTc-teboroxime (SQ30,217) in patients with coronary artery disease, utilizing a SPECT imaging protocol: a multicenter phase III clinical trial].", "content": "Technetium-99m teboroxime (TEBO) is a new technetium-based myocardial perfusion imaging agent, which has high myocardial extraction and rapid myocardial washout. Its rapid myocardial washout may necessitate rapid imaging protocols. This study was designed to perform exercise/rest SPECT imaging protocols with rapid data acquisition (from 2.8 +/- 1.4 min to 11.2 +/- 4.1 min after injection) in 171 patients with coronary artery disease, 15 patients with cardiomyopathy and 8 patients with other heart disease. The rapid imaging protocols resulted in a high prevalence of good image quality. The diagnostic value of TEBO was recognized from the high concordance of image findings with thallium-201 (201Tl) scintigraphy, 88.2% in the exercise protocol and 89.9% in the rest protocol. Also, the sensitivity and specificity of TEBO for detecting coronary artery disease were comparable (86.6% and 53.9%, respectively) with those of 201Tl (90.7% and 46.2%, respectively). No toxic effects of TEBO were observed in subjective and objective clinical findings and blood examinations. TEBO was finally evaluated to be useful in 98.4% of the patients. Thus, this agent has good clinical potential for myocardial perfusion imaging."}
{"id": "PMID:1491487", "title": "[Three-phase bone scintigraphy of Kienb\u00f6ck disease].", "content": "Thirty-three joints in 31 patients of Kienb\u00f6ck disease were evaluated with three-phase bone scintigraphy. Follow-up studies were performed in 19 cases of them. The patients with increased ulnar blood flow on arterial phase and ample perfusion on venous phase in angiograms showed good clinical prognosis. This ample ulnar blood flow and perfusion might be essential for the recovery of this disease. Although staging was possible using static images alone, blood pool images provided more information about the present condition of lesions, such as hyperemic state and remodeling reactions. Blood pool image was indispensable for staging and analyzing lesions and evaluating post-operative course. Increased lunate perfusion in venous phase of angiograms and localized lunate uptake in blood pool images were the favorable signs, which were shown in most cases with good prognosis. It is concluded that three-phase bone scintigraphy gives useful informations for evaluating Kienb\u00f6ck disease which can not be obtained by conventional bone scintigraphy."}
{"id": "PMID:1491488", "title": "[Usefulness of 99mTc-ECD SPECT in diseases of the central nerve system: special reference to a comparison with 123I-IMP and 99mTc-HM-PAO SPECT].", "content": "The usefulness of a new cerebral perfusion imaging radiopharmaceutical, 99mTc-ethyl cysteinate dimer (ECD), was clinically evaluated. The subjects of this study were 14 patients with neurological disorders including 10 patients with cerebral infarction and 4 patients with other diseases. A total of 15 examinations was performed. 99mTc-HM-PAO or 123I-IMP SPECTs were performed simultaneously, and the findings from those examinations were compared with 99mTc-ECD. As to the count ratio of lesions to normal area (L/N), the L/N ratio in severe ischemic patients was lower in 99mTc-ECD than in 99mTc-HM-PAO or 123I-IMP. In mild ischemic patients, on the other hand, the L/N ratio was the lowest in 123I-IMP. When the relationship between rCBFs obtained from 123I-IMP and the values of L/N in 99mTc-ECD or 99mTc-HM-PAO was compared, the values of L/N in 99mTc-ECD or 99mTc-HM-PAO were found to have decreased linearity with increasing rCBF. In a patient showing luxury perfusion, the accumulation pattern of 99mTc-ECD was different from that of the other two radiopharmaceuticals, and focal defect was revealed in 99mTc-ECD SPECT. On the dynamic SPECT of 99mTc-ECD in a patient with meningioma, the tumor showed a change from high to low perfusion with the passage of time. This finding indicated that care should be taken in the evaluation of accumulation of 99mTc-ECD. Therefore, 99mTc-ECD was found to be useful as a cerebral perfusion agent. In addition, as accumulation of 99mTc-ECD might somehow reflect metabolism in some cases, further careful investigation of many cases should be carried out."}
{"id": "PMID:1491489", "title": "[Clinical usefulness of the quantitative assessment of exercise thallium-201 myocardial imaging in patients with ischemic heart disease].", "content": "To clarify the significance of the quantitative analysis of the area of decreased activity in exercise thallium-201 myocardial imaging, 42 patients with one vessel disease (20 patients with angina pectoris without myocardial infarction, 22 patients with old myocardial infarction: MI) were evaluated by exercise thallium scan and compared with clinical findings and wall motion assessed by left ventriculography (LVG). Patients with MI were divided into two groups by LVG (Mild MI: MI with only hypokinesis on LVG, Severe MI: MI with akinesis or dyskinesis on LVG). The degree of defected area was expressed by the ratio of the counts of defected area to the normal area (Relative Activity: RA). RA of the area of decreased activity in patients with angina was higher than that of patients with MI (77.5 +/- 4.59% vs. 65.7 +/- 7.85%, p < 0.05). RA of the area of decreased activity in patients with mild MI was higher than that of patients with severe MI (69.5 +/- 4.78% vs. 61.3 +/- 8.45%, p < 0.01). The above results suggest that the regional thallium-201 uptake ratio in the scintigram may help to differentiate viable zones from necrotic ones and detect the degree of MI."}
{"id": "PMID:1491490", "title": "[Quantitative analysis of sodium fast and slow component in in vivo human brain tissue using MR Na image].", "content": "In vivo sodium concentrations in the normal brain tissue and a tumorous tissue were analyzed using MR Na image. The nuclear magnetic resonance enabled us to divide the signal from sodium in the living tissue into 2 parts based on the differences of T2 value. Those are fast component having the T2 value of less than 5 msec and slow component of 15-40 msec. We investigated the effect of macromolecules on T2 value of sodium image using polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) powder. MR Na image was taken with the parameters of TR/TD, 110 ms/1.9 ms (FID image) and TR/TE, 110 ms/20 ms (SE image). Saline solution showed high intensity on both FID image and SE image. Saline solution added PVA (PVA phantom) also showed high intensity on FID image, whereas the signal intensity of PVA phantom in SE image extinguished. To know the relation between the signal intensity and sodium concentration, sodium concentration--signal intensity curve was obtained using phantoms with various sodium concentrations (0.05-1.0%). This curve showed a direct proportion between sodium concentration and signal intensity on Na image. We measured further the sodium concentrations of the human brain tissue. Sodium phantoms were arranged around the heads and the MR Na images of the normal brains from 3 volunteers and a patient with a brain tumor (meningioma) were taken. The sodium concentrations of occipital lobe, basal ganglia and the tumorous tissue were calculated using the sodium concentration--signal intensity curve obtained from the phantoms arranged around the heads.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1491491", "title": "[Effect of scattering and spatial resolution on SPECT quantification values: experimental study using phantoms and clinical application].", "content": "The relative SPECT values are often inaccurate by the scattering and limited spatial resolution of single photon emission CT (SPECT). These effects were studied using phantoms and some attentions on clinical application were investigated. Using cylindrical phantom divided into six compartments filled with various radioactivities, the linear correlation between SPECT value and radioactivity, and also correlation with partial reduction of radioactivity were identified. But the SPECT value was relatively increased in proportion to the reduction of radioactivity due to the increase of scattering contribution. The SPECT value represented lower radioactivity when the cortical thickness was smaller than two times of FWHM and represented half radioactivity when the cortical thickness was equal to FWHM. Excellent correlation between SPECT value and radioactive partial volume averaging of brain with CSF was recognized using our hand made phantom simulating various degree of atrophic brain. It is very important to compare SPECT image with X-CT or MR image to avoid misreading taking the above mentioned effects due to scattering and limited spatial resolution."}
{"id": "PMID:1491492", "title": "[Quantification of regional cerebral blood flow using 99mTc-HMPAO SPECT and intravenous 133Xe injection method].", "content": "We converted an absolute value of 133Xe-CBF (initial slope index, ISI) to the three dimensional CBF-SPECT using the intravenous 133Xe injection technique and 99mTc-HMPAO SPECT according to the microsphere model (method A), and the three compartment model described by Lassen et al. (method B): [formula: see text] [formula: see text] where f = flow in the region of interest (ROI), fr = flow in the reference region, C = count density of 99mTc-HMPAO SPECT in the ROI, Cr = count density of 99mTc-HMPAO SPECT in the reference region, and alpha = conversion to clearance ratio of HMPAO. We used alpha value of 1.5, and the whole cerebrum as a reference region. Four asymptomatic subjects and 15 patients with ischemic cerebrovascular disease were entered the study. In method A, excellent correlation was seen between ISI and SPECT-CBF in both of the cerebral hemisphere (r = 0.993; p < 0.001, n = 38) and the cerebellar hemisphere (r = 0.901; p < 0.001, n = 38). When back diffusion of HMPAO was corrected by method B, correlation coefficient of SPECT-CBF with ISI was equivalent to that in method A in the cerebrum (r = 0.978; p < 0.001, n = 38), while the correlation coefficient ih the cerebellum was lowered (r = 0.726; p < 0.001, n = 38) although high flow to low flow ratio was increased. Reproducibility of rCBF assessed 1 week apart from the first CBF-SPECT was highly reproducible in all of the brain regions; correlation coefficient ranged from 0.757 to 0.910 with a mean correlation coefficient of 0.834 (n = 11). The slope and intercept of the linear regression line between 2nd rCBF versus 1st CBF were 0.889 (range, 0.791-1.141) and 5.5 (range, -9.1-13.4), respectively. Regional CBF measured by method B was approximately 20% increase from that measured by method A. However, there was no significant difference in the reproducibility of rCBF between the two methods. Our results indicate that rCBF can be simply and noninvasively quantified using 99mTc-HMPAO SPECT and absolute unit of CBF measured by 133Xe injection technique. SPECT-CBF offers high resolution images and may be applicable for various cerebrovascular disorders in routine clinical use."}
{"id": "PMID:1491493", "title": "[Unsuspected painless subacute thyroiditis detected by radiogallium scintigraphy].", "content": "Two cases of painless subacute thyroiditis were presented in whom fever, fatigue and arthralgia except for thyroidal pain and swelling were complained. Until a intense uptake of the thyroid was found on radiogallium scintigraphy, the examinations of the thyroid had not been done. Laboratory data showed increased erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein and serum alkaline phosphatase, and mild leukocytosis. Skeletal, hepatic and biliary diseases were denied. In patients who have fever, increased erythrocyte sedimentation rate and serum alkaline phosphatase elevation without apparent sources, thyroid function should be evaluated because subacute thyroiditis can be associated with elevation of the serum alkaline phosphatase."}
{"id": "PMID:1491494", "title": "[Clinical study on the time courses of serum myosin light chain I levels in patients with acute myocardial infarction: effect of intracoronary thrombolysis on serum myosin light chain I levels].", "content": "Changes of serum myosin light chain I (Myosin LCI) concentrations and CK activities were serially measured in 23 patients with acute myocardial infarction. Intracoronary thrombolysis was performed in 14 patients (ICT group) while the remaining 9 patients were treated in the conventional manner (non ICT group). The relationships between the maximum levels of serum Myosin LCI or CK and a myocardial infarct size index or left ventricular function were evaluated in 18 patients. The myocardial infarct size index was determined by 201Tl myocardial scintigrams performed in the chronic phase. Multiple peaks of Myosin LCI were observed in 64% (9/14) of the ICT group and the first peak in 6 of these patients appeared Much earlier in the same time as CK peak than in the non-ICT group, while multiple peaks were seen only in one case in the non-ICT group. The infarct size index by 201Tl myocardial SPECT correlated with maximum Myosin LCI levels (r = 0.88, p < 0.001, n = 10) and CK activities (r = 0.67, p < 0.05, n = 10). These results indicate that the measurement of serum Myosin LCI is very useful for estimating the extent of myocardial damage and suggest that myocardial degeneration occurs at a very early phase of myocardial infarction."}
{"id": "PMID:1491495", "title": "[Metabolite of 15-p-iodophenyl-3(R,S)-pentadecanoic acid (123I) in blood and urine].", "content": "We analyzed metabolites of 123I-BMIPP in blood and urine using rats, rabbits and human, while human samples were obtained from normal volunteers of Phase I clinical study. We estimated metabolic pathway of 123I-BMIPP as a myocardial metabolic imaging agent. Radioactivity accumulated in heart after administration gradually decreased and was mainly excreted to bladder via kidneys. The main radioactive component in blood was 123I-PIPA for any species and the urinary components were metabolic conjugates of 123I-PIPA. As results of these studies, we considered that 123I-BMIPP was metabolized to 123I-PIPA by alpha-oxidation process for the first step, follow by beta-oxidation process, then 123I-PIPA was released to blood from tissues. Moreover, 123I-PIPA in blood was conjugated with other compounds and excreted to the bladder."}
{"id": "PMID:1491496", "title": "Evidence for phase-locking response to hypoxia in peripheral chemoreceptor activity in man.", "content": "A number of animal studies have demonstrated that the ventilatory response to stimulation of the peripheral chemoreceptors is well reproduced only when it is stimulated during inspiratory period. In humans, such a response has not been confirmed when using a mild hypoxic stimulus. We, therefore, hypothesized that this response may be detected when a more intense hypoxia is applied. To confirm this hypothesis, six healthy subjects inhaled N2 gas mixture with 5% CO2 in an amount of vital capacity. This procedure started from steady state mild hypoxia (PET02; 60-70 mmHg). Inspiratory and expiratory minute ventilation (VI and VE), tidal volume (VT), and inspiratory and expiratory time (TI and TE) of the breath, at the start of falling oxygen saturation, were analyzed. 21% O2 + 5% CO2 balanced with N2 was inhaled and a breath cycle with a similar latency as during N2 gas mixture inhalation was also analyzed as a control. When oxygen saturation began to drop at the inspiratory phase, the increment of ventilation and tidal volume were larger than the control. When it occurred at the expiratory phase, no significant difference from the control was seen. These results signify the presence of rectification of chemoreceptor afferent signal in humans and may support the concept of oscillation hypothesis as an effective ventilatory stimulus."}
{"id": "PMID:1491497", "title": "Caffeine and theophylline contractures in tonic skeletal muscle fibers of the frog.", "content": "Caffeine and theophylline evoke maintained tension in tonic skeletal muscle fibers of the frog. Their effects depended upon concentrations ranging from 0.5 to 14 mM. The resting potential of tonic skeletal fiber was unaffected by caffeine or theophylline (4 mM). Caffeine and theophylline contractures have a peak tension followed by a sustained tension, which recovered spontaneously when returned to normal solution. The peak tension and total tension (the area under tension-time curve) were reduced when the fibers were soaked in calcium-free solution. In addition the tension was reduced by calcium channel blockers (cadmium). The sustained tension was increased when external calcium was raised. These results suggest that caffeine and theophylline promote the calcium release from sarcoplasmic reticulum and probably the entry of calcium from external medium."}
{"id": "PMID:1491498", "title": "Axon reflex flare evoked by nicotine in human skin.", "content": "(1) The purpose of the present study is to investigate whether or not the vasodilatation evoked by intradermal (I.D.) injection of nicotine is mediated through axon reflex mechanism, and to examine the involvement of histamine receptors or capsaicin-sensitive C-fibers in nicotine-induced vasodilator response, using a band method and a laser Doppler technique. (2) The vasodilator response, whether it was caused by nicotine or histamine, developed as quickly on the uninjected side as on the injected side of the band, while the wheal reaction was elicited only by histamine and was localized in the injection side of the band. (3) Pretreatment with either a local anesthetic (lidocaine) or 1% capasaicin markedly reduced the nicotine- and histamine-induced blood flow responses, whereas pretreatment with antihistaminergic agent (diphenhydramine) showed inhibitory effect to the blood flow response only to histamine. (4) These data suggest that two types of chemical receptors, i.e. the nicotinic and the histamine-sensitive receptors, exist in capsaicin-sensitive C-fibers to elicit axon reflex vasodilatation in human skin."}
{"id": "PMID:1491499", "title": "Somatosensory regulation of regional hippocampal blood flow in anesthetized rats.", "content": "The effect of noxious or non-noxious mechanical stimulation of various cutaneous areas on cerebral blood flow in hippocampus was examined with laser Doppler flowmetry in urethane-anesthetized artificially-ventilated rats. Noxious mechanical stimulation (pinching) of the skin on the face, forepaw, chest, or hindpaw for 20s increased regional hippocampal blood flow (Hpc-BF) and systemic blood pressure, but non-noxious mechanical stimulation (brushing) had no such effect. After the spinal cord was transected at T1 level a forepaw pinch caused no change in blood pressure but still increased Hpc-BF. This suggests that cutaneous noxious stimulation can induce pressor-independent increases in Hpc-BF. The increase in Hpc-BF induced by a forepaw pinch in T1-transected rats was partially reduced by intravenous administration of mecamylamine (2 mg/kg), a nicotinic cholinergic receptor antagonist. Atropine (0.5 mg/kg), a muscarinic cholinergic antagonist was ineffective. These data indicate that the cholinergic vasodilative system is involved in the somatically-induced increase in Hpc-BF via activation of the nicotinic cholinergic receptors."}
{"id": "PMID:1491500", "title": "Inhibition of arterial baroreceptor reflex during coronary artery occlusion.", "content": "The sensitivity of baroreceptor reflex during myocardial ischemia induced by acute occlusion of left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) was studied in anesthetized, artificially ventilated, and thoracotomized dogs. Occlusion of LAD attenuated the baroreflex mediated changes in heart rate (HR) in response to changes in arterial pressure (AP) in the animals with intact autonomic nervous system (ANS). The HR increased significantly with the time of occlusion of LAD in control (ANS) as well as in beta-blocked group, suggesting vagal inhibition. In atropinized and vagotomized animals, the HR remained unchanged following LAD occlusion. In control group, the sensitivity of baroreflex mediated tachycardia response to hypotension and bradycardia response to hypertension, after 4 h of LAD occlusion, was reduced. In beta-blocked animals, the tachycardia response after LAD occlusion was drastically reduced to almost zero. The peak sensitivity of baroreflex bradycardia response was reduced in atropinized and vagotomized animals while the peak sensitivity of baroreflex tachycardia response increased after vagotomy. In contrast, bradycardia response was increased after beta-blockade. These data indicate that acute LAD occlusion attenuates arterial baroreflex control of HR and reduction of baroreflex sensitivity is mediated by parasympathetic efferents."}
{"id": "PMID:1491501", "title": "Effect of verapamil on ventilatory and circulatory responses to hypoxia and hypercapnia in normal subjects.", "content": "Recent investigations have shown that the calcium channel blocker verapamil attenuated the hypoxic ventilatory chemosensitivity of carotid body in animals. To determine whether this is also the case in humans, transient physiological chemodenervation by O2 breaths (withdrawal test) during sustained hypoxia (N = 7), and ventilatory and circulatory responses to progressive hypoxia and hypercapnia (N = 8) were examined after oral administration of verapamil. During sustained hypoxia after verpamil, there was a significant reduction of withdrawal response from 5th to 25th min value (p < 0.01), but not after placebo. On the other hand, no significant difference in ventilatory responses to progressive hypoxia and hypercapnia was observed after verapamil. Verapamil run reveals similar features with placebo run in circulatory parameters except blood pressure response, which tended to be suppressed by verapamil. We conclude that verapamil attenuates peripheral chemoreceptor activity with time during sustained mild hypoxia in normal adult humans and this may be explained by delayed depletion in intracellular Ca2+ for chemotransduction of the peripheral chemoreceptors."}
{"id": "PMID:1491502", "title": "Changes in blood volume and potassium concentration during exercise in rats.", "content": "We measured the changes in circulating blood volume (BV), plasma sodium ([Na+]), and plasma potassium ([K+]) concentrations continuously, during and after exercise in euhydrated and dehydrated rats. Rats ran on a treadmill for 15 min at 600, 900, and 1,200 m/h, and the recovery period lasted 45 min. The BV decreased immediately after onset of exercise, and reached a plateau value in about 5 min of exercise. With 1,200 m/h exercise, a further decrease in blood volume was observed in both groups. The decline in BV was reversely related to the exercise intensity in both groups although the decrease was less in the dehydration group. During and after exercise, there were no significant changes in plasma [Na+] at any speed in either group. Plasma [K+] increased sharply at the onset of exercise and the magnitude of the increase was directly related to the exercise intensity. However, at all three exercise intensities the change in plasma [K+] in the dehydrated group was only about 60% of that measured in the euhydrated control group. These findings suggest that dehydration reduces the wash-out of K+ from the interstitial space of the exercising muscle."}
{"id": "PMID:1491503", "title": "Somatic afferent stimulation-plasma corticosterone, luteinizing hormone (LH), and testosterone responses in aged male rats under anesthetization.", "content": "Our previous studies have demonstrated that somatic sensory stimulation can produce increases in secretions of corticosterone, luteinizing hormone (LH), and testosterone in young male Wistar rats of 13-22 weeks old even after emotional factors are eliminated by pentobarbital-anesthetizing of the subjects. In the present study, we examined the effects of somatic sensory stimulation on plasma corticosterone, LH, and testosterone using aged male Wistar rats (24-27 months old) under the same anesthetizing condition as employed in our previous studies. We compared the reflex responses in aged rats with those previously measured in young rats. Nociceptive mechanical stimulation of both hindpaws by pinching for 10 min significantly increased plasma corticosterone levels in aged rats. The magnitude and time-course of this response were equivalent to those in young rats. On the other hand, neither plasma LH nor testosterone levels were changed by nociceptive mechanical stimulation of the hindpaws of aged rats. This is in sharp contrast to the increase in both plasma LH and testosterone caused by the stimulation of young rats. These results indicate a functional dissociation induced by aging between the secretory responses of the anterior pituitary, testes on the one hand and the adrenal cortex on the other hand, to nociceptive somatic sensory stimulation. Aging does not alter corticosterone release from the adrenal cortex to nociceptive somatic sensory stimulation; however, LH secretion from the anterior pituitary and testosterone secretion from the testes to nociceptive somatic sensory stimulation are subject to dysfunction with aging."}
{"id": "PMID:1491504", "title": "Heat production associated with a propagated impulse in bullfrog myelinated nerve fibers.", "content": "By using heat-sensors constructed with thin film of polyvinylidene fluoride, it was found possible to detect the heat generated by myelinated fibers in the bullfrog sciatic nerve in association with a propagated impulse. The quantity of heat generated (about 0.4 microcal/g at 4.5 degrees C) is roughly two orders of magnitude smaller than that observed in nerves containing only non-myelinated nerve fibers. The smallness of the heat observed is attributed to the localization of the heat sources at the nodes of Ranvier. The major portion of the heat generated is re-absorbed by the nerve."}
{"id": "PMID:1491505", "title": "Contractile activity and fluorescence changes in fluo-3-loaded isolated ventricular myocytes.", "content": "Isolated rat ventricular myocytes were loaded with fluo-3 which did not result in a loss of beating activity, in order to record the changes in the fluorescence and contractile parameters. Changes in the beating activity induced by various reagents in perfusing medium were related to variations in the peak intensity of fluorescence time course and possibly to changes in myofibrillar ATPase activity. Isoproterenol stimulated, whereas 2,3-butanedione monoxime (BDM) and a medium with a low Ca2+ concentration suppressed the contractile activity by increasing and reducing the Ca2+ transient, respectively, and, in the presence of BDM, a decrease in the maximum ATPase activity also contributed the suppressive effect."}
{"id": "PMID:1491506", "title": "Effects of acute hypoxia on ventilatory response at the onset of cycle exercise in man.", "content": "In order to examine whether or not there are initial changes in ventilation at the start of bicycle exercise having work loads of differing intensities are affected with regard to normoxia and to hypoxia accompanying hypocapnia, six healthy male subjects performed submaximal exercise of 30 and 120 W at 60 rpm under normoxic (FIO2 = 0.21) and hypoxic (FIO2 = 0.11) conditions. Resting ventilation was significantly higher in hypoxia than in normoxia. However, no statistically significant differences in the initial change in ventilation at the start of exercise (delta VI assessed breath-by-breath) were found between eucapnic normoxia and hypocapnic hypoxia in both 30 and 120 W exercise. Moreover, blood lactate after exercise did not increase in any conditions as compared with rest. These observations suggest that the neurogenic ventilatory response immediately after submaximal exercise at a work load below the subject's anaerobic threshold is independent from PO2."}
{"id": "PMID:1491507", "title": "Epinephrine and norepinephrine release from bullfrog gastrointestinal sympathetic postganglionic endings at a high ambient temperature.", "content": "The influence of a high ambient temperature on sympathetic neurotransmitter release in bullfrogs was studied. Gastrointestinal vascular perfusates were collected before and after splanchnic nerve stimulation, and their content of epinephrine and norepinephrine was determined. A marked increase in epinephrine and norepinephrine release was observed following stimulation at 29-32 degrees C, indicating that epinephrine and norepinephrine may both act as adrenergic transmitters in a high-temperature environment."}
{"id": "PMID:1491509", "title": "Chronopharmacology of furosemide in rats with amikacin-induced acute renal damage.", "content": "To examine the influence of amikacin-induced acute renal damage on the urinary excretion of furosemide and the time-dependent variation in the urinary amount of the agent, amikacin (1.2 g/kg) was given intraperitoneally to Wistar rats. Study I: Three percent b.w. of 1% NaCl solution was given orally before and after amikacin treatment, and an 8-hour urine for N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase (NAG) was collected. Study II: Furosemide (30 mg/kg) in 3% b.w. of 1% NaCl solution was given orally at 12 a.m. or 12 p.m. before and after amikacin treatment, and an 8-hour urine for sodium and furosemide was collected. Following amikacin treatment, urinary excretion of NAG increased, while urine volume and urinary excretion of sodium and furosemide decreased. Urinary excretion of furosemide and its diuretic effects were significantly greater at 12 a.m. than at 12 p.m. before and after treatment. However the time-dependent differences in these parameters were diminished by amikacin treatment. These results suggest that the urinary excretion of furosemide is reduced and the extents of the time-dependent variation in the urinary furosemide and its diuretic effects are altered in rats with amikacin-induced renal damage."}
{"id": "PMID:1491510", "title": "Characterization of the triphenyltin-induced increase in intracellular Ca2+ of mouse thymocytes: comparison with the action of A23187.", "content": "The properties of triphenyltin (TPT) in increasing intracellular Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i) of thymocytes was studied, in comparison with those of A23187, by the use of fluorescent dyes to monitor membrane potential and [Ca2+]i. Both 1 microM TPT and 30 nM A23187 increased the [Ca2+]i associated with the hyperpolarization mediated by Ca(2+)-dependent K+ conductance. The time course for the TPT-induced increase in the [Ca2+]i was much slower than that of A23187. When the external Ca2+ ([Ca2+]o) was removed, TPT produced a slight, but persistent, increase in the [Ca2+]i while A23187 caused only a transient increase in the [Ca2+]i. Reintroduction of Ca2+ to the external solution produced an increase in [Ca2+]i in both cases. Therefore, these results suggested that the increase in the [Ca2+]i of thymocytes induced by TPT and A23187 was dependent on the presence of [Ca2+]o and an intracellular Ca store. The potency of TPT in increasing the [Ca2+]i was greater than those of diphenyltin and monophenyltin, suggesting an involvement of the lipophilic property of organotins in increasing [Ca2+]i. The TPT-induced increase in the [Ca2+]i may be partly responsible for the toxicity of TPT on organs and/or organ systems."}
{"id": "PMID:1491511", "title": "Studies on the antinephritic effects of plant components (6): antinephritic effects and mechanisms of phellodendrine (OB-5) on crescentic-type anti-GBM nephritis in rats (2).", "content": "Effects of phellodendrine (OB-5) on crescentic-type anti-GBM nephritis in rats and the cell number of the various leukocyte subpopulations in the glomeruli of the nephritic rats were investigated. OB-5 at 25, 50 and 100 mg/kg/day, p.o. prevented the urinary protein excretion by the 19th day after i.v.-injection of anti-GBM serum. In the OB-5-treated rats, plasma cholesterol and creatinine contents were lower than those of the control rats throughout the 40-day experimental period. Histopathological observations demonstrated that OB-5 inhibited the incidence of crescent formation, adhesion and fibrinoid necrosis in the glomeruli by the 41st day. OB-5 did not affect the plasma antibody titer against rabbit gamma globulin. The increases in total leukocytes, macrophages, cytotoxic/suppressor T cells, Ia positive cells, and IL-2 receptor positive cells in the glomeruli in OB-5, 100 mg/kg-treated rats as well as those of the animals treated with azathioprine or cyclosporin A were lower than those of the anti-GBM nephritic control. These results indicate that OB-5 was effective in crescentic-type anti-GBM nephritis and the antinephritic mechanisms of this agent may be due to its ability to inhibit the proliferation or the migration of macrophages and cytotoxic T lymphocytes in the glomeruli."}
{"id": "PMID:1491512", "title": "In vitro antagonism of ONO-1078, a newly developed anti-asthma agent, against peptide leukotrienes in isolated guinea pig tissues.", "content": "We evaluated the antagonist activity of ONO-1078 against peptide leukotrienes (LTs) by a radioligand binding assay and functional experiments in guinea pigs. In the radioligand binding assay, ONO-1078 inhibited [3H]LTD4 and [3H]LTE4 bindings to lung membranes (Ki = 0.99 and 0.63 nM, respectively) and was 2,000- to 3,000-fold more potent than FPL55712. Antagonism of ONO-1078 against [3H]LTC4 binding (Ki = 5640 nM) was approximately twofold more potent than that of FPL55712. The antagonism of ONO-1078 against [3H]LTD4 binding was competitive. In functional experiments, ONO-1078 showed competitive antagonism against the LTC4- and LTD4-induced contractions of guinea pig trachea and lung parenchymal strips with a pA2 range of 7.70 to 10.71 and was approximately 400- to 3,300-fold more potent than FPL55712. Interestingly, in the presence of an inhibitor of the bioconversion of LTC4 to LTD4, ONO-1078 also antagonized the LTC4-induced contraction of guinea pig trachea (pA2 = 7.78). ONO-1078 significantly reversed the LTD4-induced prolonged contraction without effect on the KCl- and BaCl2-induced contractions of guinea pig trachea. Furthermore, ONO-1078 antagonized the antigen-induced SRS-A mediated contraction of guinea pig trachea. On the other hand, ONO-1078 showed no antagonism against histamine, acetylcholine, 5-hydroxytryptamine, prostaglandin D2 and U-46619. In addition, ONO-1078 showed little or no effect on the activities of cyclooxygenase, 5-lipoxygenase and thromboxane synthetase. These in vitro studies indicate that ONO-1078 is a highly potent, selective and competitive antagonist of peptide leukotrienes that acts with higher affinity at LTD4 and LTE4 receptors than LTC4 receptors."}
{"id": "PMID:1491513", "title": "Removal of extracellular Mg2+ suppresses sulfation of glycoconjugates secreted from rabbit trachea in culture.", "content": "The influences of extracellular Ca2+ and Mg2+ concentrations on the basal secretion of glycoconjugates from rabbit trachea in organ culture were examined. Over 80% of the 35S-labeled and [3H]glucosamine-labeled glycoconjugates secreted by the trachea were digested upon incubation with chondroitinase ABC. The basal secretion did not occur in the medium at 4 degrees C, indicating an energy-dependent process. The basal secretion at 37 degrees C of 35S-labeled glycoconjugates was prominently suppressed in Mg(2+)-free Tyrode solution but not in Ca(2+)-free Tyrode solution containing ethyleneglycol bis(2-aminoethylether)tetraacetic acid (EGTA). In contrast, the basal secretion of [3H]glucosamine-labeled glycoconjugates was not affected by the Mg2+ concentration in the medium. The results suggest that extracellular Mg2+ largely contributes to sulfation of glycoconjugates basally secreted from rabbit trachea."}
{"id": "PMID:1491514", "title": "Regional hemodynamic effects of betaxolol, a new selective beta 1-blocker, and atenolol in conscious spontaneously hypertensive rats.", "content": "Betaxolol is a new beta-blocker that has been reported to have beta 1-selectivity, and it is devoid of both membrane stabilizing action and intrinsic sympathomimetic action. The effects of betaxolol on systemic and regional hemodynamics were examined in conscious spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) by a microsphere method and compared with the effects of atenolol. A single oral administration of betaxolol at 1 and 10 mg/kg decreased the mean arterial pressure in a dose-dependent manner. At the same doses, atenolol also showed a similar but weak hypotensive effect. Both of these drugs at the high dose decreased cardiac output and heart rate and at the low dose, did not. Total peripheral resistance decreased by only betaxolol at the low dose. Betaxolol showed a tendency to normalize the hemodynamic abnormalities which were observed in the kidney, spleen and gastrointestinal tract of SHR, while atenolol did not. It should be noted that betaxolol increased the flow rate in the kidney, which may be explained by its direct vasodilatory action on renal blood vessels. In conclusion, betaxolol showed an antihypertensive action at the doses of 1 and 10 mg/kg, exhibited the characteristics of a beta 1-blocker and produced preferable effects on regional hemodynamics in SHR."}
{"id": "PMID:1491515", "title": "Evidence that stretch receptors for peristalsis are located in the mucosal layer of the guinea pig ileum.", "content": "Location of stretch receptors triggering the peristalsis was investigated in the isolated guinea pig ileum. Peristalsis was cyclically induced by perfusing the lumen with Krebs solution flowing at a constant rate. Peristalsis was promptly abolished by serosally applied 3 x 10(-7) M tetrodotoxin, 10(-4) M lidocaine, 10(-6) M morphine or 10(-5) M nicotine, confirming the claim that peristalsis was neurally regulated by the myenteric plexus. Intraluminal application of 3 x 10(-7) M tetrodotoxin not only blocked the peristalsis, but also inhibited the contractions of the longitudinal muscle elicited by transmural stimulation or 10(-4) M nicotine by the same extent as those by serosal tetrodotoxin, suggesting that the blockade of peristalsis was due to the tetrodotoxin infiltrating into the muscle layer. In contrast, intraluminal application of 0.1% glutaraldehyde or perfusing the lumen with the low NaCl (20 mM)-containing Krebs solution abolished the peristalsis without critically inhibiting the neurogenic contractions of the longitudinal muscle, indicating that the blockade of peristalsis by these intraluminal treatments was ascribed to the actions on the mucosal layer. These results may imply that stretch receptors are located in the mucosal layer of the guinea pig ileum, and the impairment of the functions of these receptors by the intraluminal treatments leads to the blockade of the peristalsis."}
{"id": "PMID:1491516", "title": "Effects of standard cigarette smoke and nicotine-reduced cigarette smoke on plasma concentrations of indomethacin administered orally to rats.", "content": "The influence of acute exposures to standard (ST) and nicotine-reduced (NR) cigarette smokes on the plasma concentration of orally administered indomethacin (IM, 5 mg/kg) was investigated in rats. IM plasma concentrations in the ST- and NR-groups were lower than those in the non-smoking control group, while the lowered effect in the NR-group was slightly weaker than in the ST-group. These results suggest that the plasma concentrations of IM administered orally are lowered by the acute exposure of cigarette smoke, and this influence may be attributed largely to constituents other than nicotine in the cigarette smoke as well as slightly attributable to nicotine."}
{"id": "PMID:1491517", "title": "Effects of isolation housing and timing of drug administration on theophylline kinetics in mice.", "content": "ICR mice were grouped according to 1) housing environment: individual (I) or aggregated (A) and 2) timing of drug administration: midlight (L) or middark (D), i.e. I-L, I-D, A-L, A-D groups. Theophylline was orally administered at midlight or middark. The results showed that both social environment and timing of drug administration exerted significant influence on the pharmacokinetics of theophylline. These data may suggest the importance of considering many non-drug factors in toxicological studies with experimental animals."}
{"id": "PMID:1491518", "title": "ATP-sensitive K+ channels are gradually recruited in the vasodepressor response to adenosine in spinally-anesthetized dogs.", "content": "Vasodepressor mechanisms of adenosine were investigated in spinally-anesthetized dogs. An i.v.-infusion of adenosine (0.1-10 mumol/kg/min) caused a slowly developing and sustained decrease in blood pressure (BP). This vasodepression was antagonized by glibenclamide, a blocker of ATP-sensitive K+ (KATP) channels. On the other hand, a transient decrease in BP caused by a single bolus i.v.-injection of adenosine was not antagonized by glibenclamide in our previous study. These results suggested that the opening of KATP channels is gradually recruited in the vasodepressor mechanisms for adenosine-induced sustained vasodepression."}
{"id": "PMID:1491519", "title": "Kangenkaryu prevents the decrease of cholinergic markers following the nucleus basalis magnocellularis lesion.", "content": "The nucleus basalis magnocellularis (nbm)-lesioned rat is considered to be a model of the cholinergic dysfunction observed in the cerebral cortices of Alzheimer's disease patients. The cholinergic markers, acetylcholine release and choline acetyltransferase activity, were decreased in the cerebral cortex of the nbm-lesioned rat. Kangenkaryu (KAN), a Chinese traditional medicine, is a typical prescription for the treatment of symptoms related to blood circulation deficiency. Orally administered KAN following the nbm lesion significantly preserved the cholinergic markers. The present results indicate that KAN may preserve the activity of cholinergic neurons in the cerebral cortex after the nbm lesion."}
{"id": "PMID:1491520", "title": "In vivo release of dopamine by perfusion of 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium ion in the striatum with a microdialysis technique.", "content": "We examined the effects of 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium ion (MPP+) on the release of DA in rat striatum by the in vivo microdialysis technique. For this study, we made a suitable microdialysis probe from a 22-G needle, microliter pipette tip, silica tube and polyethylene tube. Such a repairable microdialysis probe can be easily made from readily available and inexpensive materials. DA release, as determined by the 3-methoxytyramine level, was dose-dependently increased by MPP+ (1-10 mM). Only the presence of a 1 mM concentration of MPP+ in the dialysate significantly decreased the level of the DA metabolite DOPAC, while administration of higher MPP+ concentrations resulted in no significant change."}
{"id": "PMID:1491534", "title": "[Nursing research issues and trends: views from Korea].", "content": "The purposes of study was: 1. To identify the direction and scope of research activities in Korean Nursing. 2. To discuss the unique problems present in Korea that warrant nursing research. 3. To delineate the factors that facilitate and/or hinder nursing research in Korea. This study was conducted at six colleges of nursing in Korea. The schools which were selected had doctoral programs at the time, the data were collected in 1990. Four of the schools were located in the metropolitan area of the capital city, Seoul, and two were in two other cities similar in size. The total population of the study was 283 nurses. The instrument for the research was the English version of Research Profile Questionnaire which was translated into Korean by the researchers and was validated in its translation by two professors. A pretest procedure was done before the data collection process. Of the population of 283,210 subjects received the questionnaire and 150 subjects responded (71.4%). Excluding incomplete questionnaires, 141 questionnaires were utilized for data analysis. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Responses to open-ended questions were content analyzed for themes and categories. Results of the study were as follows: Respondents currently involved in nursing research numbered 108 (76.6%), but 33 (23.4%) did not have any research experience. The inexperienced respondents tended to be younger than the experienced subjects and most (60.6%) were employed in hospitals, while 82.4 percent of the experienced nurses were employed in nursing schools. Among the respondents with research experience, 68.5 percent were involved in one to three projects and 31.5 percent were engaged in four or more projects. The experienced nurses indicated that nursing research in Korea is active. On the other hand, the responses of the inexperienced were that nursing research is not active. The most frequently selected research subjects were patients (76.9%, 83 respondents) followed by nurses, healthy persons and nursing students. The relatively high percentage of healthy persons as study subjects, could be explained as a concern of nurses for healthy persons as well as for ill patients. The aforementioned literature review showed a dramatic change in the kinds of study subjects; approximately 33 percent were patients but 25 percent were healthy subjects of various ages. The hospital was the prevailing research setting (67.6%) but at the same time various community settings were used. This is a changing phenomena in nursing research of Korea. Current research designed to build on previous studies amounted to 75 percent; about 39.8 percent were theory and hypothesis generated.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1491533", "title": "[Study on the families' participation need for women in labor].", "content": "This study was done to suggest basic modifications in the present situation for the family of women in labour which is a separation management method. The study design was a descriptive study. The number of the subjects were 80. They were husbands, mothers in law, and mothers of women in labour who were full term and for whom there were no complications, either for the mother or the fetus. Data collection was done with a structured questionnaire which was analyzed using frequencies. The results were as follows, 1. Most of the subjects (95.0%) wanted to participate in the labour process. 2. The subjects wanted to support the women in labour by way of encouraging (95.0%), consoling (95.0%), listening to (75.0%), praying with (68.8%), hand holding (97.5%), stroking (63.8%), helping with respiration control (50.0%), maintaining relaxation (46.3%), changing position (58.8%), and illustration (58.8%). 3. The subjects answered that they expected their participation to have the effect of an easier labour course (52.5%), security for the women in labour (95.0%), and providing a better relationship between the women in labour (66.3%) and the new baby (55.0%). 4. The priority of the response as to who is the best supporter was husband, and mother of the women in labour in that order. It can be concluded that nurses maintained a management method which ignored the needs of the families of women in labour. If given consideration is to be given to these subjects, future programs should initiate ways to let the families participate in the labour process."}
{"id": "PMID:1491546", "title": "Identification of free and esterified hydroxyoctadecadienoates (HODEs) and linoleate-hydroxylating pathway in the epidermis of hairless mice.", "content": "Epidermal homogenates of hairless mice contained a large amount of lipid material showing a single peak on reverse phase (RP)-high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) with a maximum absorbance of 234 nm, which was different in retention time from arachidonate metabolites such as 12-HETE, 15-HETE and 5-HETE. The production of this material was dependent on exogenous linoleate concentration, protein concentration and buffer pH. This material was identified to be a mixture of 13-HODE and 9-HODE on the basis of UV absorbance spectra, retention times on RP-HPLC, straight phase (SP)-HPLC, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and mass spectra obtained. As assessed by SP-HPLC after saponification, these two HODEs were found to exist primarily in esterified forms in the skin. Neither substance was produced following heat denaturation of the homogenate. These results indicate that 13- and 9-HODEs are produced from linoleate enzymatically at physiologically relevant levels in the epidermis of hairless mice. Thus, it is possible that these two materials may play some important role in pathophysiology of the skin."}
{"id": "PMID:1491547", "title": "A retrospective study of resected gastric cancers.", "content": "From 1976 to 1989, a total of 1303 patients with gastric cancers underwent gastrectomies in the First Department of Surgery, Kurume University Hospital. Of these, 358 (27.5%) were total gastrectomies, 84 (6.4%) were proximal gastrectomies and 825 (63.1%) were distal gastrectomies. The 5-year survival rate was 44.8% after the total gastrectomies, 38.9% after the proximal and 72.4% after the distal gastrectomies. The 5-year survival rate was 86.2% with the absolute curative resection, 36.3% with the relative curative resection, 29.3% with the relative non-curative resection and 9.4% with the absolute non-curative resection. Macroscopically, the 5-year survival rate was 95.1% for type 0 (early cancers), 61.3% for Borrmann type 1, 58.8% for Borrmann type 2, 37.5% for Borrmann type 3 and 16.5% for Borrmann type 4. According to the pathological cancer stage, the 5-year survival rate was 94.8% for stage I, 79.3% for stage II, 49.2% for stage III and only 11.3% for stage IV."}
{"id": "PMID:1491548", "title": "Mandibular angloplasty.", "content": "Bulging of the mandibular angle is considered to be unattractive in the Orient since it gives the face a quadrangular and muscular appearance. In spite of its muscular origin, surgery should be aimed toward bony reduction or osteoplasty and supplemental myotomy. An intraoral approach was utilized with an oscillating saw to resect a predetermined segment of bone (mandibular angloplasty). In 2 patients with a prominent bilateral mandibular angle, only the bony angle was resected. The improvement of facial esthetics was subtle, and the acceptance and satisfaction of the patients were very good. A review of the literature is included with comments on the diagnosis and treatment of benign masseteric hypertrophy."}
{"id": "PMID:1491549", "title": "Incidentally identified multiple low-intensity areas on T2-weighted images by MR imaging.", "content": "Multiple small lesions of low intensity on T2-weighted images identified by MR imaging were observed in four patients. There were no definite associations between the patients' clinical symptoms and the lesions. MR imaging showed multiple, small areas with slightly high and/or low-intensities on T1-weighted images, and low intensities on T2-weighted images. IN two patients these low intensity areas were increased in size with field echo images. These MR studies indicate that multiple ruptures and/or hemorrhagic infarctions of microaneurysms may occur in the brain without any clinical manifestations."}
{"id": "PMID:1491550", "title": "Preoperative prediction of mortality following surgery for esophageal cancer.", "content": "Ninety-five patients with thoracic esophageal cancer who had undergone radical esophagectomies through right thoracotomies from 1986 to 1989 were statistically analyzed semi-quantitatively to identify the risk factors predicting \"operative (within 45 days of operation) or hospital death.\" Age, pulmonary function (%VC or %FEV1.0), cardiac function (EKG or Master test), renal function (Ccr), hepatic function (R15'ICG), diabetes mellitus (75 OGTT), extent of tumor invasion to the adventitia, and the type of operative procedure were each scored according to severity; 0 (no risk), 1, 2, or 3 (high risk). Patients with no severe postoperative complications had an accumulated score of less than 8 and comprised Group I, while those suffering an an \"operative death\" had a total score of 8 or more, and comprised Group II. Group III included those suffering a \"hospital death.\" There was a significant difference between Group I and Group II (p < 0.005), but not between Group I and Group III. \"Operative deaths\" could be preoperatively predicted from the risk factors. However, \"hospital deaths\" could not be predicted, since they resulted mainly from recurrences of the cancer. In cases with scores of 8 or more the operative procedure should be changed to a simpler one for an improved prognosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1491551", "title": "Cervico-thoraco-abdominal (3-field) lymph node dissection for carcinoma in the thoracic esophagus.", "content": "The efficacy of an extended radical lymph node dissection for carcinoma in the thoracic esophagus is controversial. Results of a multivariate analysis using clinical data from 127 cases collected from 1982 to 1988 are reported. Twenty-seven of these patients underwent an extended radical (cervico-thoraco-abdominal: 3 fields) lymph node dissection which was recently developed in Japan, while others underwent a standard (thoraco-abdominal: 2 fields) lymph node dissection. They all had a locally-curative resection of the tumor through a right thoracotomy. In this study, 13 factors commonly affecting prognosis were examined: sex, age, cancer location, tumor length, radiographic type, depth of invasion, lymph node metastasis, tumor differentiation, postoperative radiotherapy, chemotherapy, operative risk, postoperative complications, and 3-field or 2-field dissection. Based on the survival-rate curves using Kaplan-Meier's statistics, the 3-field dissection was superior to the 2-field dissection. Moreover, when other prognostic factors were adjusted using Cox's proportional hazards general linear model, the same result was obtained from survival-rate curves. From this analysis, it can be concluded that a 3-field dissection is a better approach for management of carcinoma in the thoracic esophagus."}
{"id": "PMID:1491552", "title": "Preoperative radiation for carcinoma of the thoracic esophagus involving adjacent organs--a comparative and multivariate analysis of prognosis.", "content": "Controversy remains over the comparative efficacy and subsequent prognosis for preoperative radiation for carcinoma of the esophagus involving the trachea, bronchus, and/or aorta. Results of a multi-variate analysis are reported using clinical data from 57 cases from 1981 to 1987. Based on both the survival-rate curves using the Kaplan-Meier method and the adjusted survival-rate curves using Cox's proportional hazards linear model, there was no significant difference in prognosis between patients who received preoperative radiation and those who did not. This analysis indicates that preoperative radiation at doses of 30Gy produces no clinical advantage and therefore is not the best treatment for carcinoma of the esophagus involving these adjacent organs."}
{"id": "PMID:1491553", "title": "Questionable resection for carcinoma of the esophagus involving the trachea, bronchus and/or aorta--a comparative and multivariate analysis.", "content": "Controversy remains over the comparative efficacy and subsequent prognosis of resections for carcinomas of the esophagus involving the trachea, bronchus, and/or aorta. Results of a multi-variate analysis are reported using clinical data from 103 cases from 1981 to 1987. Based on the survival-rate curves according to the Kaplan-Meier method, resection was superior to non-resection. However, when other prognostic factors were adjusted using Cox's proportional hazards linear model, there was no significant difference between the resection and non-resection groups. This analysis indicates that esophagectomy is not necessarily the best approach for carcinoma of the esophagus involving these adjacent organs, although it must be remembered that resection provides excellent palliation."}
{"id": "PMID:1491554", "title": "Sclerotic fibromas of the skin--reports of two cases and a review of the literature in Japan.", "content": "Two cases of sclerotic fibromas of the skin are presented. Clinical and light-microscopic findings are also reviewed from 8 sclerotic fibromas of the skin arising in other Japanese patients. The patients in this series had no manifestations of Cowden's disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1491555", "title": "Intraperitoneal transplantation of ascitic cancer cells from a 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA)-induced ovarian cancer.", "content": "Intra-abdominal implantation of 7,12 dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA)-induced rat ovarian cancer tissue produces intraperitoneal carcinomatosis with a high incidence. The peritoneal carcinoma produces malignant ascites in 62% of the donor rats. The ascites is bloody in appearance and includes an average of 1.2 x 10(6) cancer cells/ml. To observe the transplantability of the ascites, 0.1 ml of a condensed ascites with 4 x 10(6) cancer cells was injected into the abdominal cavity of 118 infant rats that were 2 to 4 days old. In 103 rats (87%), the ascitic cells were successfully transplanted. Twelve rats were sacrificed each week from the 2nd to the 6th week following the inoculation. The omentum was the first site at which the metastastic tumor appeared following the inoculation. Then the tumor disseminated throughout the intraperitoneal cavity and produced bloody ascites by the 3rd week. Eighty-four rats were observed to determine the survival, and it was 34 +/- 10 days. Cytologically the ascites had clusters of tumor cells resembling bunches of grapes. The ultrastructure of the ascitic cells was globular shaped with many microvilli and epithelial attachments. The histology of the developed tumor was that of an adenocarcinoma. Due to morphological similarity with advanced human ovarian cancer and the high reproducibility, this experimental system could be a feasible model for human ovarian cancer, especially the type which produces malignant ascites."}
{"id": "PMID:1491556", "title": "Doppler ultrasonographic assessment of fetal renal artery blood flow velocity waveforms in intrauterine growth retarded fetuses.", "content": "Thirty-two blood flow velocity waveforms of the fetal renal artery, umbilical artery and fetal middle cerebral artery were recorded by a pulsed Doppler ultrasound from 28 to 38 gestational weeks in 32 intrauterine growth-retarded (IUGR) fetuses without structural defects. The nonstress test (NST) was performed on the day of pulsed Doppler ultrasonographic examination to assess fetal well-being. Of the 32 fetuses, the pulsatility index (PI: peak systolic velocity minus end diastolic velocity over mean velocity) values in the fetal renal artery were in the normal range in 26 measurements (81.3%), high in 2 (6.3%) and low in 4 (12.5%). The resistance index (RI: peak systolic velocity minus end diastolic velocity over peak systolic velocity) values in the umbilical artery and fetal middle cerebral artery were determined simultaneously in all the patients examined. Of the 12 fetuses with high RI values in the umbilical artery and low RI values in the fetal middle cerebral artery, the PI values in the fetal renal artery were within the normal range in 11 measurements (91.7%) and high in 1 (8.3%). Of the 9 fetuses with loss of fetal heart rate baseline variability in NST, the PI values in the fetal renal artery were within the normal range in 7 measurements (77.8%), high in 1 (11.1%) and low in 1 (11.1%). These data suggest that fetal renal blood flow may not change under the condition of chronic hypoxic state, although the NST shows fetal distress and the pulsed Doppler ultrasound reveals a brain sparing effect in the fetal middle cerebral artery. It is hypothesized that the fetal renal blood flow is controlled by an autoregulation mechanism for oxygen delivery presumably located in the renal artery."}
{"id": "PMID:1491544", "title": "[A study of psychiatric patients perceived effect and expectancy of activity therapy].", "content": "The intent of this descriptive study is to investigate the patients perceived effect and expectance of activity therapy. The subjects for this study were 56 patients from the psychiatric ward in Severance Hospital. The data were collected during the period from June 1, 1991 to January 18, 1992. The effect and expectance of the activity therapy was measured using a questionnaire developed by this study's investigators. The date were analyzed by descriptive statistics, t-test and one-way ANOVA, using the SPSS program. The results of this study can be summarized as following; 1. For motivation for the activity therapy, the response range was from 64.3% to 89.3%, that is, it showed a relatively positive response. 2. For the degree of improvement according to the nurse's method in the activity therapy, it was shown that the nurses need professional skill and meeting after activity therapy. 3. For the relevance of the nurse in the activity therapy, 90% of the subjects had a positive answer for all of the activity therapy except the painting therapy. 4. For the perceived effect of the activity therapy, the following results were obtained. 1) 92% of the subjects had a positive response to the dance therapy, that is-I am vigorous physically. 2) 90% of the subjects had a positive response to the reading therapy, that is-I acquire good ideas and instruction. 3) 98.1% of the subjects had a positive response to the recreation therapy, that is-I am joyful. 4) 88.9% of the subjects had a positive response to the writing therapy, that is-I am interested and become acquainted with other patients. 5) 86.8% of the subjects had a positive response to the occupation therapy, that is-I am happy when I work. 6) 92.6% of the subjects had a positive response to the painting therapy, that is-I can express myself in painting. 7) 87.3% of the subjects had a positive response to the music therapy, that is-I am comforted. 5. For the expectance related to the activity therapy, 97.1% of the subjects had the most positive response to the music therapy which is a pleasant comfortable time. From the above-mentioned findings, it is suggested that psychiatric nurses need to development systematic and professional group activity therapy, and know the patient premorbid hobbies, interests and occupations."}
{"id": "PMID:1491545", "title": "[A study of home care needs of patients at discharge and effects of home care--centered on patients discharged from a rural general hospital].", "content": "The study was carried out at W. hospital, an affiliated hospital of Y university, involved a total of 163 patients who were discharged from the hospital between May 1990 and March 1991. Data collection was twice, just prior to discharge and a minimum of three months post discharge. Thirty patients who lived within a hour travel time of the hospital received home care during the three months post discharge. Nursing diagnoses and nursing interventions for these patients were analyzed in this study. The results of the study are summarized as follows: 1. Discharge needs for the subjects of the study were analyzed using Gordon's eleven functional categories and it was found that 48.3% of the total sample had identified nursing needs. Of these, the needs most frequently identified were in the categories of sexuality, 79.3%, health perception, 68.2% self concept, 62.5%, and sleep and rest 62.5%. Looking at the nursing diagnosis that were made for the 30 patients receiving home care, the following diagnoses were the most frequently given; alteration in sexual pattern 79.3%, alterations in health maintenance, 72.6%, alteration in comfort, 68.0%, depression, 64.0%, noncompliance with diet therapy, 63.7%, alteration in self concept, 55.6%, and alteration in sleep pattern, 53%. 2. In looking at the effects of home nursing care as demonstrated by changes in the functional categories over the three month period, it was found that of the 11 functional categories, the need level for health perception, nutrition, activity and self concept decreased slightly over the three month period. On the average sleep patterns improved, but restfulness was slightly less and bowel elimination patterns improved but satisfaction with urinary elimination was slightly less. On the other hand, role enactment, sexuality, stress management and spirituality decreased slightly. The only results that were statistically significant at the 0.05 level were improvement in digestion and decrease in pain. No statistically significant changes were found in ability related to ADL, the total ADL score at discharge was 19.78 +/- 8.23, and after 3 months 19.01 +/- 8.12. Considering that a majority of the patients were over 60 years of age and that many had brain or spinal cord injuries, the fact that their ADL ability did not deteriorate after discharge can be interpreted as related to a positive impact by the home health care nurses. Similarly there was a slight but not statistically significant decrease in the quality of life scores between the two test times (147.83 at discharge and 143.02 at the three month period).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1491572", "title": "6R instrumented spatial linkages for anatomical joint motion measurement--Part 2: Calibration.", "content": "The six-revolute-joint instrumented spatial linkage (6R ISL) is often the measurement system of choice for monitoring motion of anatomical joints. However, due to tolerances of the linkage parameters, the system may not be as accurate as desired. A calibration algorithm and associated calibration device have been developed to refine the initial measurements of the ISL's mechanical and electrical parameters so that the measurement of six-degree-of-freedom motion will be most accurate within the workspace of the anatomical joint. The algorithm adjusts the magnitudes of selected linkage parameters to reduce the squared differences between the six known and calculated anatomical position parameters at all the calibration positions. Weighting is permitted so as to obtain a linkage parameter set that is specialized for measuring certain anatomical position parameters. Output of the algorithm includes estimates of the measuring system accuracy. For a particular knee-motion-measuring ISL and calibration device, several interdependent design parameter relationships have been identified. These interdependent relationships are due to the configuration of the ISL and calibration device, the number of calibration positions, and the limited resolution of the devices that monitor the position of the linkage joints. It is shown that if interdependence is not eliminated, then the resulting ISL parameter set will not be accurate in measuring motion outside of the calibration positions, even though these positions are within the ISL workspace."}
{"id": "PMID:1491573", "title": "Finite element stress analysis of a push-out test. Part 1: Fixed interface using stress compatible elements.", "content": "In this first part of a two-part paper, interelement stress compatible finite elements are developed and used to perform the stress analysis of a push-out test with a fixed interface. In the formulation, the required continuity of some of the stresses along either a specific interface or all interelement interfaces is enforced by a penalty procedure. The model is axisymmetric and consists of two cylinders attached to each other through the interface. Various relative material properties and boundary conditions are simulated in order to examine their effects on the interface stresses. Both loadings of axial compression force and axial torque are considered. The predicted results exhibit identical interelement stresses and displacements even when highly dissimilar materials are used. They also exhibit a complex state of interface stresses which depend on the geometry, material arrangement, boundary conditions, and loading. The variation of the shear stress is often highly nonuniform and the radial normal stresses are likely to be large. The present results, therefore, disagree with the common assumptions made in the pull-out tests in the orthopaedic applications. Finally, stress analysis of a number of possible testing configurations could lead to the design of an optimal pull-out test which maximizes the usefulness of the measured results in terms of the interface bond strength and factors affecting it."}
{"id": "PMID:1491574", "title": "Failure analysis of a beam-column under oblique-eccentric loading: potential failure surfaces for cervical spine trauma.", "content": "For a cantilever beam-column with one end built-in and the free end subjected to an oblique-eccentric arbitrary concentrated force, general formulas to produce failure were derived. The original generalized uniform solution to the oblique-eccentric buckling problem was obtained. The Secant formula and Euler's formula were proved to be specific cases in this general solution. The load ratio, F/aE, was derived as functions of the force acting direction, alpha, the slenderness ratio, L/r, as well as the eccentricity ratio, ec/r2. Material and buckling failures aspects were combined in a uniform structural failure analysis. Safe regions for the load ratio, F/aE, were visualized in the three-dimensional (F/aE)-alpha-(L/r) space with the eccentricity ratios, ec/r2, as a parameter. The column failure factor, kL, was shown to be a key index controlling both aspects of failure as well as the orientation of the second stiffest region. The angle alpha E = tan-1 (2L/pi e) for kL = pi/2 is the singular point for both strength and buckling failure, and alpha II = tan-1 (2L/3e) for KL = 0 is the upper bound of the second stiffest region. The feasible domain of the second stiffest region is bounded by alpha E and alpha II both of which are only functions of geometrical properties. The implications of these analyses for the experimental validation of cervical spine trauma are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1491575", "title": "An evolutionary Wolff's law for trabecular architecture.", "content": "A continuum model is proposed to describe the temporal evolution of both the density changes and the reorientation of the trabecular architecture given the applied stress state in the bone and certain material parameters of the bone. The data upon which the proposed model is to be based consist of experimentally determined remodeling rate coefficients and quantitative stereological and anisotropic elastic constant measurements of cancellous bone. The model shows that the system of differential equations governing the temporal changes in architecture is necessarily nonlinear. This nonlinearity is fundamental in that it stems from the fact that, during remodeling, the relationship between stress and strain is changing as the stress and strain variables themselves are changing. In order to preserve the remodeling property of the model, terms that are of the order strain times the changes in density and/or microstructural properties must be retained. If these terms were dropped, there would be no feedback mechanism for architectural adaptation and no adaptation of the trabecular architecture. There is, therefore, no linearized version of the model of the temporal evolution of trabecular architecture. An application of the model is illustrated by an example problem in which the temporal evolution of homogeneous trabecular architecture is predicted. A limitation of the proposed continuum model is the length scale below which it cannot be applied. The model cannot be applied in regions of cancellous bone where the trabecular bone architecture is relatively inhomogeneous or at a bone-implant interface."}
{"id": "PMID:1491576", "title": "A composite micromechanical model for connective tissues: Part I--Theory.", "content": "A micromechanical model has been developed to study and predict the mechanical behavior of fibrous soft tissues. The model uses the theorems of least work and minimum potential energy to predict upper and lower bounds on material behavior based on the structure and properties of tissue components. The basic model consists of a composite of crimped collagen fibers embedded in an elastic glycosaminoglycan matrix. Upper and lower bound aggregation rules predict composite material behavior under the assumptions of uniform strain and uniform stress, respectively. Input parameters consist of the component material properties and the geometric configuration of the fibers. The model may be applied to a variety of connective tissue structures and is valuable in giving insight into material behavior and the nature of interactions between tissue components in various structures. Application of the model to rat tail tendon and cat knee joint capsule is described in a companion paper [2]."}
{"id": "PMID:1491577", "title": "A composite micromechanical model for connective tissues: Part II--Application to rat tail tendon and joint capsule.", "content": "A micromechanical model of fibrous soft tissue has been developed which predicts upper and lower bounds on mechanical properties based on the structure and properties of tissue components by Ault and Hoffman [3, 4]. In this paper, two types of biological tissue are modeled and the results compared to experimental test data. The highly organized structure of rat tail tendon is modeled using the upper bound aggregation rule which predicts uniform strain behavior in the composite material. This model fits the experimental data and results in a correlation coefficient of 0.98. Applied to cat knee joint capsule, the lower bound aggregation rule of the model correlates with the data and predicts uniform stress within this more loosely organized tissue structure. These studies show that the nature of the interactions between the components in tissue differs depending upon its structure and that the biomechanical model is capable of analyzing such differences in structure."}
{"id": "PMID:1491578", "title": "Secondary flow in the human common carotid artery imaged by MR angiography.", "content": "The blood flow in arteries affects both the biology of the vessels and the development of atherosclerosis. The flow is three-dimensional, unsteady, and difficult to measure or to model computationally. We have used phase-shift-based magnetic resonance angiography to image and measure the flow in the common carotid arteries of a healthy human subject. There was curvature of the vessels and thin-slice dynamic flow imaging showed evidence of the presence of secondary motions. Flexing the cervical spine straightened the vessels and reduced the asymmetry of the flow."}
{"id": "PMID:1491579", "title": "The effect of storage on the biomechanical behavior of articular cartilage--a large strain study.", "content": "The transplantation of stored shell osteochondral allografts is a potentially useful alternative to total joint replacements for the treatment of joint ailments. The maintenance of normal cartilage properties of the osteochondral allografts during storage is important for the allograft to function properly and survive in the host joint. Since articular cartilage is normally under large physiological stresses, this study was conducted to investigate the biomechanical behavior under large strain conditions of cartilage tissue stored for various time periods (i.e., 3, 7, 28, and 60 days) in tissue culture media. A biphasic large strain theory developed for soft hydrated connective tissues was used to describe and determine the biomechanical properties of the stored cartilage. It was found that articular cartilage stored for up to 60 days maintained the ability to sustain large compressive strains of up to 40 percent or more, like normal articular cartilage. Moreover, the equilibrium stress-strain behavior and compressive modulus of the stored articular cartilage were unchanged after up to 60 days of storage."}
{"id": "PMID:1491580", "title": "A noninvasive method of measuring Max(dP/dt) of the left ventricle by Doppler echocardiography.", "content": "Although slightly affected by alterations in preload, the maximum first derivative of left ventricular pressure with respect to time, Max(dP/dt), is widely regarded as a simple and convenient index of cardiac contractility for clinical use. The feasibility of noninvasive, hence repeatable, measurement of Max(dP/dt) will certainly lead to re-evaluation of its usefulness. Max(dP/dt) is given by the following equation: Max(dP/dt) = rho c Max(du/dt), where rho is the blood density, c the pulse wave velocity, and mu the flow velocity in the aorta. This equation has been previously validated in animal experiments and has now been applied to the clinical setting for the first time. In 20 patients without aortic stenosis, left ventricular pressure was measured with a catheter-tip micromanometer, aortic ejection flow velocity was measured by Doppler echocardiography, and pulse wave velocity by mechanocardiography or Doppler echocardiography. Then, delta c Max (du/dt was calculated from the measured data and compared with measured Max (dP/dt). A significant positive correlation was found between them (rho c Max (du/dt) = 0.96 x Max (dP/dt) + 6.52, r = 0.83, p < 0.001). In 11 patients with hypertension, rho c Max (du/dt) was obtained before and after long-term (average 13.1 months) treatment with antihypertensive drugs. In spite of the expected reduction in blood pressure and the regression of left ventricular mass, rho c Max (du/dt) remaioned unchanged. In 9 patients with dilated cardiomyopathy, the effects of beta 1-agonist were tested at the beginning of therapy (30 mg/day denopamine) and 6 months later. The increase in rho c Max (du/dt) observed 1 hour after oral administration of he drug had not changed significantly 6 months later. We conclude that the index rho c Max (du/dt), is useful in assessing the contractile state of the left ventricle noninvasively."}
{"id": "PMID:1491581", "title": "A general method of determining the frequency-dependent propagation coefficient and characteristic impedance of an artery in the presence of reflections.", "content": "An iterative method of calculating propagation parameters at harmonics of heart rate for a uniform vascular segment from a combination of four arterial waveform measurements is presented. Measurements of blood pressure, vascular diameter, and blood flow-rate may be combined arbitrarily provided only that at least one measurement of pressure and one of flow-rate be included; the requirement of four measurements implies at least two measurement sites along the vessel. The analysis is thus a generalization of those associated with previous methods of determining propagation parameters, allowing for instance relaxation of the requirement of equal spacing in the three-point method. Results are presented for the propagation of an impulse along a rubber tube when the measurements are pressure at two sites, flow-rate and diameter."}
{"id": "PMID:1491582", "title": "Does vibration cause poststenotic dilatation in vivo and influence atherogenesis in cholesterol-fed rabbits?", "content": "Arterial post-stenotic dilatation (PSD) is a fusiform swelling immediately down-stream to a stenosis. It is characterized by the presence of turbulent blood flow and wall vibration which has been claimed by others to be causal by producing structural weakening. We tested the hypothesis that vibration causes PSD in vivo by attaching electromagnetic and pneumatic vibrators to the aortic wall in chronic rabbits. We also observed whether mechanical vibration of the aorta in vivo influenced the distribution of oil-red-O lesions during one percent dietary cholesterol feeding. Low mass vibration gauges were developed to measure the vibration. Electromechanical vibrators having a ceramic magnet slug within a coil supplied with 50 Hz were glued to the aorta of chronic rabbits and the vibration maintained for an average of 8 weeks. Despite greater amounts of energy imparted to the wall there was no dilatation or difference in oil-red-O staining from the controls. Five weeks vibration at 100 Hz and an amplitude equal to the normal diameter pulse also produced no dilatation. We conclude that vibration does not cause PSD in vivo and suggest that its cause is likely to involve the vascular muscle stimulated by the effect of turbulent flow on the endothelium."}
{"id": "PMID:1491583", "title": "Numerical analysis of flow in an elastic artery model.", "content": "Oscillatory and pulsatile flows of Newtonian fluids in straight elastic tubes are simulated numerically with the aid of Ling and Atabek's \"local flow\" assumption for the nonlinear convective acceleration terms. For the first time, a theoretical assessment of the local flow assumption is presented, and the range of validity of the assumption is estimated by comparison with perturbation solutions of the complete flow problem. Subsequent simulations with the local flow model indicate that the flow field and associated wall shear stress are extremely sensitive to the phase angle between oscillatory pressure and flow waves (impedance phase angle). This phase angle, which is a measure of the wave reflection present in the system, is known to be altered by arterial disease (e.g., hypertension) and vasoactive drugs. Thus, the paper elucidates a mechanism by which subtle changes in systemic hemodynamics (i.e., phase angles) can markedly influence local wall shear stress values."}
{"id": "PMID:1491584", "title": "Advanced spectral estimators for detailed blood flow studies.", "content": "Recent publications have emphasized the relationship between the spectrum of the backscattered acoustic signal, beam geometry, and flow patterns in the measurement of blood flow by Doppler ultrasound. On this basis, we believe that in the future more importance will be placed on analyzing various characteristics of the spectral shape rather than absolute parameters of measurement, such as the mean frequency. The potential of this approach for extracting more information from the raw Doppler signal is introduced by considering the Spectral Broadening Index (SBI). We explain the use of the SBI parameter for measuring flow angle under restricted flow conditions. This is done by using an analytic/computational model for prediction of the spectral broadening effect. By simulation study, the performance of various spectral estimators for determining the SBI from finite Doppler signal segments is evaluated."}
{"id": "PMID:1491585", "title": "Numerical simulation of steady flow in a model of the aortic bifurcation.", "content": "The governing equations of steady flow of an incompressible viscous fluid through a 3-D model of the aortic bifurcation are solved with the finite element method. The effect of Reynolds number on the flow was studied for a range including the physiological values (200 < or = Re < or = 1600). The symmetrical bifurcation, with a branch angle of 70 degrees and an area ratio of 0.8, includes a tapered transition zone. Secondary flows induced by the tube curvature are observed in the daughter tubes. Transverse currents in the transition zone are generated by the combined effect of diverging and converging walls. Flow separation depends on both the Reynolds number and the inlet wall shear."}
{"id": "PMID:1491586", "title": "Pulsatile flow in a constricted channel.", "content": "A nonuniform channel is used as a simple model of a constricted arterial vessel. Flow patterns have been calculated for pulsatile flow with both sinusoidal and nonsinusoidal flow rates for a range of Reynolds number, Re, and Strouhal number, St. The results show that even for relatively low frequency flows a strong vortex wave will be generated with a complex wall shear stress distribution and peak values much greater than those found in steady or unsteady parallel flow. The vortex wave increases in strength with increasing Re and St, with its total length and wavelength independent of Re but inversely proportional to St. The form of the imposed flow rate is found to have an important effect on the flow and the shear stress distribution."}
{"id": "PMID:1491587", "title": "Chaotic oscillations in a simple collapsible-tube model.", "content": "A steady flow through a segment of externally pressurized, collapsible tube can become unstable to a wide variety of self-excited oscillations of the internal flow and tube walls. A simple, one-dimensional model of the conventional laboratory apparatus, which has been shown previously to predict steady flows and multiple modes of oscillation, is investigated numerically here. Large amplitude oscillations are shown to have a relaxation structure, and the nonlinear interaction between different modes is shown to give rise to quasiperiodic and apparently aperiodic behavior. These predictions are shown to compare favorably with experimental observations."}
{"id": "PMID:1491588", "title": "Longitudinal tension variation in collapsible channels: a new mechanism for the breakdown of steady flow.", "content": "There are several mechanisms potentially involved in the breakdown of steady fluid flow in a collapsible tube under external pressure. Here we investigate one that has received little attention in the past: the fact that the longitudinal tension in the tube wall, T, decreases with distance downstream as a consequence of the viscous shear stress exerted by the fluid. If the tube is long enough, or the initial tension small enough, T may fall to zero before the end of the collapsible tube, and unsteady motion would presumably then ensue; this is what we mean by \"breakdown.\" We study the phenomenon theoretically, when the flow Reynolds number is of order one, using lubrication theory in a symmetric two-dimensional channel in which the collapsible tube is replaced by membranes occupying a segment of each wall. The resulting nonlinear ordinary differential equations are solved numerically for values of the dimensionless parameters that cover all the qualitatively different types of solution (e.g., in which the channel is distended over all its length, collapsed over all its length, or distended in the upstream part and collapsed downstream). Reducing the longitudinal tension has a marked effect on the shape of the collapsible segment, causing it to become much more deformed for the same flow rate and external pressure. Indeed, the wall slope is predicted to become very large when the downstream tension is very small, so the model is not self-consistent then. Nevertheless, the parameter values for which T becomes zero are mapped out and are expected to be qualitatively useful.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1491589", "title": "Possible sources of discrepancy between sphygmomanometer cuff pressure and blood pressure quantified in a collapsible-tube analogue.", "content": "This paper examines the assumption that the audible events detected as Korotkov sounds in sphygmomanometry occur when blood pressure equals arm-cuff pressure. Several effects that contribute to discrepancy between these pressures are quantified using an idealised arm-and-cuff system consisting of a thick-walled collapsible tube subject to external compression along a central part of its length. The effects studied are (1) transverse pressure difference, resulting from tissues sustaining a part of the external compression through (a) circumferential bending stiffness and (b) longitudinal curvature of the tensed localised neck at the site of initial collapse, (2) longitudinal pressure difference between upstream pressure and pressure at the collapse point due to both (a) viscous and (b) inertial pressure drop. These effects are found to compensate partially for each other; the pressure within the vessel at the collapse point is less than the cuff pressure, but is also less than the blood pressure at the upstream end of the cuff. All four of the contributing terms increase proportionally to the flow-rate raised to a power greater than one, except the viscous pressure drop. Owing to a progressive shortening of the collapsed neck as flow-rate increases, the viscous term is almost independent of the flow-rate. The overall discrepancy displays less flow-rate dependency and is smaller than some of the terms which contribute to it. This means that considerable accuracy is needed if measurements of the effects are to be used to correct the raw data on cuff pressure at the time of Korotkov sound emission so as to obtain an improved estimate of the blood pressure."}
{"id": "PMID:1491590", "title": "Blood flow in a brachial artery compressed externally by a pneumatic cuff.", "content": "Blood flow in human brachial arteries, compressed by a pneumatic cuff for blood pressure measurement, is examined using several different noninvasive techniques. From the experimental results it is shown that, when arterial pressure distal to the cuff is always lower than cuff pressure, flow in the artery under the cuff becomes supercritical near the cuff downstream margin and no reflection occurs there and the reflected wave from the peripheral vascular system of the arm does not propagate beyond the cuff downstream margin. Therefore an unsteady transition from supercritical to subcritical flow occurs near the cuff downstream margin. When the peak value of distal arterial pressure exceeds cuff pressure, a reflection occurs near the cuff downstream margin. The reflection becomes stronger corresponding to decrement of the cuff pressure and the whole artery segment under the cuff inflates fully at systole. At diastole, however, the artery segment under the cuff does not collapse completely and, hence, the phenomenon becomes that of pressure wave propagation in a partially collapsed artery segment."}
{"id": "PMID:1491591", "title": "Steady flow through collapsible tubes: measurements of flow and geometry.", "content": "Compliant tubes attain a complex three-dimensional geometry when the external pressure exceeds the internal pressure and the tube is partially collapsed. A new technique for remote measurement of dynamic surfaces was applied to classical experiments with collapsible tubes. This work presents measurements of the three-dimensional structure of the tube as well as pressure and flow measurements during static loading and during steady-state fluid flow. Results are shown for two tubes of the same material and internal diameter but with different wall thicknesses. The measured tube laws compare well with previously published data and suggest the possible existence of a similarity tube law. The steady flow measurements did not compare well with the one-dimensional theoretical predictions."}
{"id": "PMID:1491592", "title": "6R instrumented spatial linkages for anatomical joint motion measurement--Part 1: Design.", "content": "Six-revolute-joint instrumented spatial linkages (6R ISLs) have become often-used devices to measure the complete six-degree-of-freedom motion of anatomical joints. Accuracy of motion measurement depends on ISL design and calibration technique. In this paper, a design process is outlined that uses computer graphics and numerical methods as aids in developing 6R ISLs that (i) physically assemble within the desired range of motion of the joint; (ii) do not collide with either the experimental apparatus or the subject joint; (iii) avoid singular linkage configurations that can cause forces to be applied to the joint; and (iv) measure selected anatomical motions most accurately. It is found that a certain subgroup of 6R linkages are suitable for accurate measurement of specific motions, and can be the basis for new ISL designs. General guidelines are developed that can assist in the generation of unique linkage designs for different anatomical joints. The design process is demonstrated in the creation of an ISL to measure knee motion."}
{"id": "PMID:1491593", "title": "Evaluation of precision grip using pneumatically controlled loads.", "content": "Precise control of grip force and finger movement is a fundamental aspect of motor tasks in which an object is held and manipulated between the subject's fingers. A new device to measure motor performance which simultaneously records grip force and finger movement is described. The subject holds a small, compressible cylinder between thumb and index finger. The load opposing finger movements is controlled pneumatically and may be altered with computer software. Different types of loads (e.g., constant load, spring load) may be applied. In addition, reactions to perturbing stimuli (e.g., fast changes of load) may be measured. Construction principles and examples of tasks investigating different aspects of hand function are presented in the paper."}
{"id": "PMID:1491598", "title": "Effects of aging on the content, composition and synthesis of sphingomyelin in the central nervous system.", "content": "Sphingomyelin (SPH) content and composition in different regions of the brain were analyzed in 2.5, 21.5 and 26.5-month-old rats. SPH content increased in the cerebral hemispheres, cerebellum and medulla oblongata plus pons as age increased. The highest SPH content was observed in 26.5-month-old rats, with values increasing by 1.74, 2.75 and 0.88-fold, respectively, over 2.5-month-old rats. The SPH fatty acid composition of brains from aged rats was markedly different from that of adult rats. Between 2.5 and 26.5 months of age the monoenoic/saturated fatty acid ratio increased from 0.22, 0.30 and 0.54 to 0.54, 0.68 and 1.03 in cerebral hemispheres, cerebellum and medulla oblongata plus pons, respectively. The percentage and content of fatty acids longer than 22 carbon atoms esterified to SPH increased with age from 18, 26 and 44 to 48, 52 and 62 mole % in cerebral hemispheres, cerebellum and medulla oblongata plus pons in 26.5-month-old rats. In subcortical white matter from aged rats, monoenoic 22-26 carbon atom fatty acids increased more than the saturated ones in 21.5-month-old rats relative to 2.5-month-old rats. In vitro synthesis of SPH from [3H]choline and [3H]palmitic acid in cerebral cortex and cerebellum showed no significant differences between adult rats and those 21.5 months of age. In cerebellum and in cerebral cortex, [14C]serine incorporation increased in aged rats. The results suggest that aging induces increases in both SPH content and in the monoenoic/saturated fatty acid ratio. These increases are quantitatively different in all brain regions analyzed."}
{"id": "PMID:1491594", "title": "Chronic drug infusion into the scala tympani of the guinea pig cochlea.", "content": "This research describes a unique, effective and inexpensive delivery system to provide discrete quantities of drugs on a chronic basis to the inner ear. The amount of the drug administered and specific timing of each administration are under investigator control. A micro-injection system mounted atop an animal's head is shown to permit repeated application of agents which effectively block neural responsiveness (tetrodotoxin) on a daily basis for periods up to 2 weeks. Cannulation of the inner ear and chronic delivery of control substances (artificial perilymph) do not affect function. This system may be used to administer drugs to other compartments of the body (e.g., the brain) on a chronic basis for neurophysiologic and neuropharmacologic investigations."}
{"id": "PMID:1491599", "title": "Determination of beta-carotene in plasma, blood cells and buccal mucosa by electrochemical detection.", "content": "The beta-carotene concentrations in plasma, blood cells and buccal mucosal cells were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection. This method was 1,000 times more sensitive than the conventional spectrophotometric method. Polymorphonuclear cells and red blood cells had lower beta-carotene levels than the other cells. After oral administration of 580 mg/day of all-trans beta-carotene to human male volunteers for a week, the beta-carotene concentrations in all cell types increased at least several times above the original levels."}
{"id": "PMID:1491600", "title": "Gender and dietary fat affect alpha-tocopherol status in F344/N rats.", "content": "For four weeks, groups of eight male and eight female F344/N rats were fed diets containing 15.5, 20, 30 or 40% of energy (en%) as fat. The fat was composed of corn oil and beef tallow with 9 en% from linoleate in all diets. Females had greater mean hepatic alpha-tocopherol levels, whereas males had greater plasma alpha-tocopherol and cholesterol concentrations. In males, the plasma ratio of alpha-tocopherol/cholesterol was significantly greater than in females (P < 0.05). Plasma alpha-tocopherol increased with increasing en% fat (r = 0.51, P < 0.001) in both sexes, but dietary fat did not alter hepatic alpha-tocopherol levels. These results suggest that plasma alpha-tocopherol may serve as a biomarker of total dietary fat intake and that in F344/N rats gender differences affect alpha-tocopherol and cholesterol status."}
{"id": "PMID:1491597", "title": "The RIPP density estimate: an alternative method for the estimation of peri-stimulus spike density.", "content": "Cross-correlation between stimuli and neuronal discharges determines the peri-stimulus spike density. This density function is usually estimated by the peri-stimulus time histogram (PSTH). In this paper an alternative method for spike-density estimation is considered that employs estimation of the rate of an inhomogeneous Poisson process by Jth waiting times. This procedure is called the RIPP density estimate. It involves sorting the spike times for all trials and obtaining the Poisson rates for successive groups of spikes. By application of this procedure to simulated action-potential sequences from the leaky-integrator model subject to a realistic input, it is shown that the RIPP density estimate reveals much more information from a given set of spike train data than a PSTH. An application of the RIPP density estimate to experimental spike train data from a human hand muscle motoneuron subject to a low-threshold-afferent volley is also presented."}
{"id": "PMID:1491595", "title": "NEUROLAB, a comprehensive program for the analysis of neurophysiological and behavioural data.", "content": "A comprehensive and versatile computer software for IBM-compatible microcomputers has been developed. It is designed for quantitative off-line analysis of A/D-sampled intracellular or extracellular recordings and behavioural or stimulus data. The program works with single files or file sets. It supports data to be viewed on the monitor and allows sectioning of interesting data for common analysis. It offers 19 filters/operators for data processing and comprehensive possibilities to set and calculate trigger points. Data of trigger points can be exported as ASCII files. Standard neurophysiological histograms like interval-, PST-, phase histograms or auto- and cross-correlograms can be obtained. Time-dependent and phase-dependent averaging is possible for all original and filtered data. All graphical output on the display can directly be copied to a plotter/laser printer or HP-GL file by keyboard commands."}
{"id": "PMID:1491602", "title": "Human milk in disease: lipid composition.", "content": "Differences in the lipid composition of human milk have been described in maternal diseases known to affect fat metabolism. Diseases such as diabetes, cystic fibrosis, hypobetalipoproteinemia and Type I hyperlipoproteinemia affect the quantity and quality of human milk fat. Increased fatty acid chain elongation and changes in desaturation (especially delta 6 desaturase), as well as changes in lipid class composition, have been shown in diabetes and cystic fibrosis, whereas compensatory increases in medium-chain fatty acids have been described in hypobetalipoproteinemia and Type I hyperlipoproteinemia. It is important to realize that these observations were made either on single women or on very small groups of women. In infant diseases, such as breast milk jaundice and ectopic eczema, changes in polyunsaturated fatty acids in maternal milk have been described."}
{"id": "PMID:1491603", "title": "The absorption of fish oils and concentrates.", "content": "Both preventive and curative therapies have created a considerable demand for eicosapentaenoic (EPA) and docosahexaenoic (DHA) acids. The most common sources for omega 3 fatty acids are fish oil. The concentrations of EPA and DHA in commercial oils, after modest enrichment, reach about 300 mg/g; alternative technologies can produce reasonably priced fish oils containing 400 or even 500 mg/g of omega 3 acids. When the acids are liberated from the glycerides, concentrates of ethyl esters or free acids with 65 to 70% total omega 3 fatty acids (at least 50% EPA + DHA) are readily prepared. Difficulties have arisen because most clinical trials have used fish oils of unspecified composition, and some trials are now based on either ethyl esters or free acids. There are at least three different, but not mutually exclusive, absorption routes in humans, namely the preduodenal route, the lymphatic route via chylomicrons, and the route via the portal vein to the liver. This makes it difficult to compare results. The difficulty in obtaining dose-related clinical data may in part be due to the form in which the omega 3 acids are offered and due in part to the natural presence of these fatty acids in the body. The nontriglyceride forms, especially the free acids, have been advocated for standardization of trials to facilitate interlaboratory comparisons."}
{"id": "PMID:1491596", "title": "Comparison of methods for the in vitro assembly of postmortem human brain microtubules that retain the microtubule-associated protein tau.", "content": "Several methods for the in vitro assembly of microtubules from postmortem human brain were compared for the purpose of obtaining microtubule preparations that best retained their microtubule-associated proteins. The polymerized microtubules from the preparations were examined by negative staining and electron microscopy and shown to consist of well-formed microtubules with varying amounts of abnormal assembly products that differed between methods. The microtubule protein was analyzed by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, quantitative densitometry, as well as trans-blotted onto membranes which were reacted with monoclonal antibodies to tubulin subunits and microtubule-associated proteins. All the preparations were found to contain both the alpha- and beta-tubulin subunits with quantitative differences, but they varied most, both quantitatively and qualitatively, in their content of microtubule-associated proteins. The optimal method for the assembly of soluble tubulin from postmortem human brain cytosol into intact microtubules which specifically retained most of their MAPs, especially tau, employed 4 M glycerol assembly buffer in the presence of 10 microM taxol and 1 mM GTP. The isolation methods were used to compare young and aged brains, and there were fewer microtubule-associated proteins, especially tau, associated with the microtubules in advanced age, in all preparations."}
{"id": "PMID:1491604", "title": "Effect of fish oil on the fatty acid composition of human milk and maternal and infant erythrocytes.", "content": "To examine the effect of fish oil supplementation on the fatty acid (FA) composition of human milk and maternal and infant erythrocytes, five lactating women were supplemented with 6 g of fish oil daily for 21 d. Usual maternal diets contained 1,147 mg of total n-3 FA, with 120 mg from very long-chain (> C18) n-3 FA. Supplementation increased dietary levels to 3,092 mg of total n-3 FA and 2,006 mg of very long-chain n-3 FA. Milk samples were collected daily, prior to fish oil ingestion, and at 4-h intervals on days 1, 7, 14 and 21. Milk n-3 FA content increased within 8 h and reached steady state levels within one week. The n-6 fatty acid content decreased. Erythrocyte eicosapentaenoic acid content increased from 0.24% to 1.4% (P < 0.01) in mothers and from 0.11% to 0.70% (P < 0.05) in infants. Docosapentaenoic acid increased from 1.4% to 2.2% (P < 0.05) in mothers and from 0.30% to 0.78% (P < 0.01) in infants. There was no significant change in docosahexaenoic acid or n-6 fatty acid content. Maternal platelet aggregation responses were variable. No differences in milk or plasma tocopherol levels were noted."}
{"id": "PMID:1491605", "title": "Positional specificity of gastric hydrolysis of long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids of seal milk triglycerides.", "content": "Long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFA) of marine oils are important dietary components for both infants and adults, and are incorporated into milks following maternal dietary intake. However, little is known about the hydrolysis of these PUFA from milk triglycerides (TG) by lipases in suckling young. Seals, like humans, possess gastric lipase; however, the milk lipids of seals and sea lions are almost devoid of the readily hydrolyzable medium-chain fatty acids, and are characterized by a large percentage (10-30%) of n-3 PUFA. Gastric hydrolysis of milk lipids was studied in vivo in suckling pups of three species (the California sea lion, the harp seal and the hooded seal) in order to elucidate the actions and specificity of gastric lipases on milk TG in relation to fatty acid composition and TG structure. Regardless of milk fat content (31-61% fat) or extent of gastric hydrolysis (10-56%), the same fatty acids were preferentially released in all three species, as determined by their relative enrichment in the free fatty acid (FFA) fraction. In addition to 16:1 and 18:0, these were the PUFA of 18 carbons and longer, except for 22:6n-3. Levels of 20:5n-3 were most notably enriched in FFA, at up to five times that found in the TG. Although 22:6n-3 was apparently also released from the TG (reduced in the diglyceride), it was also notably reduced in FFA.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1491606", "title": "n-3 fatty acid requirements of the newborn.", "content": "Whether docosahexaenoic acid (22:6n-3) is an essential nutrient for term or preterm infants, or if not, the quantity of dietary linolenic acid (18:3n-3) needed to support sufficient synthesis of 22:6n-3 for assimilation in the central nervous system is unknown. Infants fed formulas have lower plasma and red blood cell (RBC) levels of 22:6n-3 than breast fed infants. No relationship between the intake of 18:3n-3 in formula (0.8 or 4.5% of fatty acids, 18:2n-6/18:3n-3 ratio 35:1 or 7:1, respectively) and the infant's RBC 22:6n-3 was found. Premature infants (< 33 wk gestation) also showed a decrease in RBC 22:6n-3 during feeding with formula containing 18:3n-3 as the only n-3 fatty acid. However, a marked decrease in plasma and RBC 22:6n-3 occurred between premature birth and the start of full enteral feeding at 1-2 wk of age. This was not reversed by breast milk or formula feeding. Piglets, which are appropriate for studies of infant lipid metabolism, had decreased brain synaptic plasma membrane, retina and liver 22:6n-3 and increased 22:5n-6 when fed formula with 0.8% fatty acids (0.3% of kcal) as 18:3n-3. Formula with 4.0% fatty acids (1.7% of kcal) as 18:3n-3 resulted in similar accretion of 22:6n-3 in the organs compared to milk fed animals. The studies suggest the dietary requirement for 18:3n-3 in term animals in energy balance exceeds 0.3% diet kcal.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1491607", "title": "Addition of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids to formula for very low birth weight infants.", "content": "Thirty-four premature infants who were appropriate for gestational age and weighing less than 1500 g at birth were fed \"preemie\" SMA-24 formula, \"preemie\" SMA-24 formula manufactured to contain C20 and C22 omega 6 and omega 3 fatty acids (LCPE-SMA), or expressed milk (EBM). Blood samples were drawn from a small arm vein during the first week of life and after 28 days of feeding. The fatty acid content of plasma phospholipids was determined. Infants fed SMA-24 had a high content of 18:2 omega 6 in plasma phospholipids. Feeding LCPE-SMA normalized plasma phospholipid levels of C20 and C22 omega 6 and omega 3 fatty acids to be similar to levels of C20 and C22 omega 6 and omega 3 fatty acids found in infants fed EBM, and significantly higher than characteristic levels for infants fed SMA-24. Feeding LCPE-SMA or EBM results in a balanced incorporation of C20 and C22 omega 6 and omega 3 fatty acids into phospholipids derived from the liver or perhaps the small intestine."}
{"id": "PMID:1491608", "title": "First year growth of preterm infants fed standard compared to marine oil n-3 supplemented formula.", "content": "Very low birth weight (VLBW) infants (748-1390 g, n = 65) were randomly assigned to receive control or marine oil-supplemented formula when they achieved intakes > 454 kJ (110 kcal)/kg/d of a formula designed for VLBW infants. Study formulas with or without marine oil were provided until 79 wk of postconceptional age (PCA), first in a formula designed for preterm infants followed by a formula designed for term infants. Infants were studied at regular intervals through 92 wk PCA. Weight, length, and head circumference were determined by standardized procedures and normalized to the National Center for Health Statistics figures for growth of infants born at term of the same age and gender. Mean normalized weight, weight-to-length, and head circumference were greatest at 48 wk and decreased thereafter. The decline in normalized weight was greater in infants fed the marine oil-supplemented formula. Beginning at 40 wk, marine oil-supplemented infants compared to controls had significantly poorer Z-scores for weight, length and head circumference. In addition, birth order (negatively) and maternal height (positively) influenced weight and length achievement in infancy as shown previously in infants born at term."}
{"id": "PMID:1491609", "title": "Human mammary gland function at the onset of lactation: medium-chain fatty acid synthesis.", "content": "The onset of medium-chain fatty acid synthesis in the human mammary gland was investigated. Colostrum and serum were collected from 31 healthy women and the fatty acid composition of total lipid was analyzed by gas-liquid chromatography. Although colostrum/serum ratios for most fatty acids range from 0.7-2.4, very low levels of 10:0 and 12:0 were present in serum lipids as compared to much higher concentrations of these fatty acids in colostrum lipids (colostrum/serum ratio 16.23 and 17.11 for 10:0 and 12:0, respectively). We have previously found that medium-chain fatty acid levels are very low in prepartum mammary secretions (6-10 wk before term delivery) but are higher and similar in colostrum of women who deliver preterm (3-14 wk) or at full term. The data indicate that parturition, irrespective of length of pregnancy, is the trigger for medium-chain fatty acid synthesis in the human mammary gland."}
{"id": "PMID:1491610", "title": "Lactation curves and effect of pup removal on milk fat of C57Bl/6J mice fed different diet fats.", "content": "Groups of C57Bl/6J mice, fed either a cis (C-Diet) or trans diet (T-Diet) were milked without preconditioning at 6, 8, 10 and 12 days postpartum. On day 10, groups of mice were also milked 4, 6 and 18 h after separation of the pups. Except for the 18-h separation, all T-Diet fed animals produced milk of lower fat content than did the C-Diet animals (P < 0.001) throughout the lactation period measured. In the C-Diet mice, the 6-h separation period resulted in a decrease (P < or = 0.03) in fat, but the diet-depressed milk fat of T-Diet animals was not decreased further until the 18-h separation period. Milk volume increased as lactation progressed and was greatly increased as a result of preconditioning (P < or = 0.001), even at 4 h of separation when fat was not reduced, and was always greater for T-Diet animals. Within diet groups, fatty acid composition was similar throughout the lactation period studied and was not affected by preconditioning except in the 18-h separation period, when de novo fatty acids were significantly reduced (P < or = 0.05). The data are consistent with the hypothesis that preconditioning results in lowered milk fat values and that preconditioning techniques can explain discrepancies in literature values for murine milk fat."}
{"id": "PMID:1491611", "title": "Bile salt stimulated lipase: comparative studies in ferret milk and lactating mammary gland.", "content": "Bile salt stimulated lipase (BSSL) activity is 10-20 times higher in ferret milk than in human milk. We have used the ferret to study BSSL activity in lactating mammary gland and in mammary cells isolated by hyaluronidase-collagenase treatment followed by Ficoll gradient centrifugation. Furthermore, we have compared the characteristics of BSSL in the tissue preparations (homogenate or cells) to BSSL of ferret milk and to BSSL purified from ferret and human milk. The characteristics of BSSL in ferret mammary gland preparations and milk were similar to those of human milk BSSL--absolute requirement of primary bile salts, pH optimum of 7.5-9.0, stability at pH 3-9 and inhibition by eserine (physostigmine) and by serum. Purified ferret milk BSSL had a lower molecular weight (90kD) than did human milk BSSL (125 kD). There was an 86% homology of the N-terminal amino acid sequence between BSSL of ferret and of human milk. The marked similarity in characteristics between BSSL in ferret and human milk and the high activity of BSSL in ferret milk (520 U/mL colostrum and 250 U/mL mature milk) indicate that this species is an ideal animal model for the study of the synthesis and secretion of this digestive lipase which constitutes a significant portion (1-2%) of total milk protein."}
{"id": "PMID:1491612", "title": "Neutral glycolipids of human and bovine milk.", "content": "The neutral glycolipids of milk, a small fraction of the total lipids, are of potential biological importance. The simultaneous quantitation of the simple (less than five sugars) glycosphingolipids of human milk samples was achieved by high-pressure liquid chromatography. The samples, representing various stages of lactation, parity of the nursing child, and age of the mother, contained similar glycolipid patterns, but with varying individual glycolipid concentrations. The cerebrosides are major glycosphingolipids of human milk: the non-hydroxylated fatty acid (NFA)-containing species are present at 1.8 microM, and the hydroxylated and/or short-chain fatty acid-containing species (HFA) are present at 1.7 microM; NFA lactosylceramide is present at 931 nM. The cerebrosides appear to be primarily galactosylceramides (galactocerebrosides); glucosylceramides (glucocerebrosides) are a minor component. Globotriaosylceramide (Gb3) is found at 50 nM and 73 nM for the NFA and HFA species, respectively, while globoside (Gb4) is found at 45 nM and 46 nM for the NFA and HFA species. Bovine milk glycosphingolipids differ from those of human milk, with bovine milk containing mainly NFA glucosylceramide (8 microM) and NFA lactosylceramide (17 microM); bovine milk contains little Gb3 or Gb4."}
{"id": "PMID:1491613", "title": "Oxidative interactions of cholesterol in the milk fat globule membrane.", "content": "The effects of oxidative interactions between cholesterol and milk fat globule membrane (MFGM) components, i.e., nonlipid fraction, total lipid, nonpolar lipid and polar lipid, on cholesterol oxidation were studied in the presence and absence of water. In the dry state, cholesterol natively present in MFGM appeared to be protected at 135 degrees C. The nonpolar lipid and nonlipid fraction contributed to the protective effect of MFGM. Added cholesterol accelerated the oxidation of membrane lipid fractions. At 75 degrees C, pure cholesterol and membrane lipid fractions did not show significant interaction. However, cholesterol and other lipids in MFGM were less stable than when these were heated separately. When cholesterol and membrane lipids were mixed in an aqueous medium at 75 degrees C, each accelerated the oxidation of the other. The MFGM exhibited a high protective effect on cholesterol oxidation in an aqueous environment. The nonlipid fraction protected cholesterol against oxidation, whereas the lipid fraction was destructive. In the absence of water, the net balance between these two opposing factors was destructive. The presence of water reversed the balance in favor of protection."}
{"id": "PMID:1491615", "title": "Fatty acid composition of black bear (Ursus americanus) milk during and after the period of winter dormancy.", "content": "Black bears give birth and lactate during the 2-3-mon fast of winter dormancy. Thereafter the female emerges from the den with her cubs and begins to feed. We investigated fatty acid patterns of milk from native Pennsylvania black bears during the period of winter dormancy, as well as after den emergence. Throughout winter dormancy, milk fatty acid composition remained relatively constant. The principal fatty acids at all times were 14:0, 16:0, 16:1, 18:0, 18:1, 18:2n-6, 18:3n-3 and 20:4n-6. After den emergence, large changes occurred in almost all the fatty acids, particularly in 18:2n-6 and 18:3n-3. Large variability among the active free-ranging animals likely reflected differences in diet. In a carnivore, with apparently limited de novo synthesis of fatty acids, milk fatty acid composition may be affected by factors such as transition from reliance on stored lipids to feeding, and by temporal changes in dietary intake."}
{"id": "PMID:1491614", "title": "High-performance liquid chromatography of human milk triacylglycerols and gas chromatography of component fatty acids.", "content": "Human milk triacylglycerols were separated by high-performance liquid chromatography. A 5-mu Supelcosil LC-18 column (Supelco, Inc., Bellefonte, PA) was used with acetone/acetonitrile (64:36, vol/vol) as mobile phase. Triacylglycerols were tentatively identified based on theoretical carbon number and relative retention time. Despite changes resulting from dietary fat variation, the major component triacylglycerols were those composed of palmitic, oleic and linoleic acids. Triacylglycerols with palmitic, stearic and oleic acids were present as minor components. Fatty acids were quantified by gas chromatography relative to an internal standard. Ratios of n-6/n-3 fatty acids were found to be higher than previously reported."}
{"id": "PMID:1491616", "title": "Co-existence of colonies with different serotypes and other biological characteristics in clinical isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa.", "content": "The biological characteristics of individual colonies of Pseudomonas aeruginosa from 138 specimens were investigated. Of these isolates, 90 (65.2%) formed colonies of similar appearance and morphology, and 48 (34.8%) formed colonies which differed either in appearance or morphology. The individual colonies of 138 isolates were tested for serotype. The former 90 isolates formed only the colonies with one kind of serotype, whereas 17 of the latter 48 isolates formed the colonies with more than one kind of serotype. All the 9 isolates tested also differed in other biochemical characteristics: acid productions from xylose, mannitol and maltose, urease production and gelatin liquefaction. beta-Lactamase activity was investigated in 7 isolates forming colonies with more than one serotype. There were no marked differences in beta-lactamase activity among the different colonies in 5 isolates but marked differences among those in the other 2 isolates."}
{"id": "PMID:1491617", "title": "Characterization of an amorphous and soluble hemagglutinin from Yersinia pseudotuberculosis.", "content": "Yersinia pseudotuberculosis which were screened out depending on auto-agglutination and Ca2+ dependency, were examined for their production of hemagglutinin (HA), and its purification and characterization were performed. The HA with a broad reactivity with various mammalian erythrocytes was recovered from the culture supernatant of these strains grown at 37 C but not 25 C. HAs from two strains, R148R and T1040, were purified by salt precipitation, gel filtration and anion-exchange chromatography by HPLC. Both purified HAs were cysteine-deficient acidic protein with an apparent molecular weight in the range of 15,000 to 16,000. N-terminal amino acid sequences of the first 25 residues were found to share 12% identity with that of afimbrial adhesin from enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli 2230. Immunoelectron microscopy and immunodiffusion test with polyclonal antiserum raised against the purified R148RHA demonstrated that the HA was associated with the amorphous aggregates which were detached from bacteria. These results suggest that the HA of Y. pseudotuberculosis belongs to a third type of HA produced by the yersinial species."}
{"id": "PMID:1491618", "title": "Sensitivity of polymerase chain reaction assay for Rickettsia tsutsugamushi in patients' blood samples.", "content": "We developed a nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method to detect Rickettsia tsutsugamushi (R. tsutsugamushi) DNA and determined its sensitivity. Primers were selected from the DNA sequence of the 58-kDa group-specific antigen gene of the Karp strain. The target sequence of rickettsial DNA was detectable as the band corresponding to 88 bp in 1.0 microgram of the DNA extracted from BS-C-1 cells infected with R. tsutsugamushi. Rickettsia-specific bands were observed not only for the homologous Karp strain, but also for four heterologous strains: two other reference strains (Gilliam and Kato) and two prototype strains prevalent in Miyazaki district (Irie and Hirano). The minimum copy number detectable by this method was estimated to be five rickettsiae. All of nine peripheral blood mononuclear cell samples from patients with tsutsugamushi disease who were seen 2-11 days after disease onset tested positive for rickettsial DNA. The PCR assay method presented here could be a specific diagnostic tool for tsutsugamushi disease, especially in its early acute stage."}
{"id": "PMID:1491619", "title": "Species dependency of in vitro macrophage activation by bacterial peptidoglycans.", "content": "The effect of various bacterial cell wall components on in vitro biological function of murine peritoneal exudate macrophages was evaluated. We examined four different parameters of metabolic activity and monokine secretion. Peritoneal exudate macrophages from rats and guinea pigs, all of the strains tested, were stimulated by whole bacterial cell wall preparations, purified bacterial cell wall peptidoglucans, its water-soluble peptidolglycan fragments, muramyl dipeptides and amphipathic substances. Murine peritoneal exudate macrophages were activated by amphipathic substances of gram-positive bacteria. However, macrophages from mice, irrespective of strains, were not stimulated in the in vitro assay systems by purified bacterial cell wall peptidoglycan, water-soluble bacterial peptidoglycan fragments or muramyl dipeptides. These results suggest that macrophage activation by bacterial peptidoglycan in vitro is animal species specific."}
{"id": "PMID:1491620", "title": "Killing of Escherichia coli by mononuclear phagocytes and neutrophils stimulated in vitro with beta-1,3-D-polyglucose derivatives.", "content": "Human monocytes, human peritoneal macrophages, mouse peritoneal macrophages and human peripheral neutrophils pretreated with beta-1,3-D-polyglucose derivatives showed pronounced bactericidal capacity to Escherichia coli compared to control cells. The increased bactericidal capacity was detectable in mononuclear phagocytes over a wide range of concentrations of bacteria. Granulocytes, however, showed bactericidal capacity only at low concentrations of bacteria. The pretreated mononuclear phagocytes released significant amounts of IL-1 and PGE2. However, there was no significant release of tumor necrosis factor (TNF). By incubating unstimulated cells with purified IL-1 and TNF, the bactericidal activity of neutrophils and mononuclear phagocytes was enhanced. Our data indicate that the inability of neutrophils stimulated with beta-1,3-D-polyglucose derivatives to kill large numbers of bacteria could be overcome by a combined treatment with purified IL-1 or TNF in addition to beta-1,3-D-polyglucose derivatives. By incubating unstimulated cells with medium from beta-1,3-D-polyglucose-treated human peritoneal macrophages, the bactericidal activity of the cells was enhanced to the same extent as cells pretreated with purified TNF and IL-1. Cells incubated with IL-1-depleted medium from beta-1,3-D-polyglucose-treated human peritoneal macrophages, showed reduced bactericidal activity compared to cells incubated with undepleted medium. These studies demonstrate that beta-1,3-D-polyglucose-treated mononuclear phagocytes and neutrophils show enhanced bactericidal activity. The enhanced activity is partly caused by stimulation of the cells with IL-1 released from mononuclear phagocytes and partly by other unknown effects of beta-1,3-D-polyglucose derivatives on both mononuclear phagocytes and neutrophils."}
{"id": "PMID:1491621", "title": "The patterns and transmissibility of antibiotic resistance among clinical strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa.", "content": "Four hundred and ninety-eight predominantly pyocin-type 10 clinical strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa were analyzed for resistance to carbenicillin, cefoperazone, cefotaxime, ceftazidime, gentamicin, amikacin and netilmicin. Based on NCCLS-recommended MIC breakpoints, 245 strains were found to be resistant, of which 41.6% were resistant to carbenicillin, 38% to gentamicin, 37.8% to netilmicin, 26.3% to cefoperazone, 17.9% to cefotaxime, 0.6% to amikacin and none to ceftazidime. Quadruple resistance to carbenicillin, cefoperazone, gentamicin and netilmicin was the most frequent pattern observed. Resistance to older antibiotics (kanamycin, streptomycin and tetracycline) and to mercuric chloride were also common. Conjugation experiments suggested that self-transmissible and non-transmissible plasmids occurred in at least 66 strains."}
{"id": "PMID:1491622", "title": "cDNA cloning of an aspartic proteinase secreted by Candida albicans.", "content": "cDNA of an aspartic proteinase secreted by Candida albicans No. 114 was isolated using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The primary structure of the enzyme was deduced from the nucleotide sequence of the cDNA and compared with the structures of Saccharomyces cerevisiae proteinase A and vacuolar aspartyl proteinase of C. albicans. The mature aspartic proteinase consisted of 341 amino acid residues, and was 17.6 and 15.3% identical with the proteinase A and the aspartyl proteinase, respectively. Two active aspartic acid sites and the amino acids near those sites were conserved in the aspartic proteinase. We also showed that there is another gene of aspartic proteinase than that of strain ATCC10231 reported by Hube et al (J. Med. Vet. Mycol. 29 (1991)) in the same C. albicans genome, both in that strain and in No. 114."}
{"id": "PMID:1491623", "title": "Commentary on the possible effect of hormones in food on human growth.", "content": "A change in the shape and size of young Americans' heads has been empirically observed with, specifically, a tendency toward dolicocephalic and smaller heads. It is known that hormones in food are likely to affect the growth process. In recent decades this factor distinguished the diet of Americans from the diet of Europeans. It is suggested that the general acceleration of growth in the most recent American generation could have been caused by accumulated hormonal residues in diet. The general acceleration of growth caused by hormones affects long bones more than any other tissue, and it triggers inhibitors of growth during earlier stages of flat bone development. Because of that, the relative size of the skull (flat bone structure) with respect to the body is diminished. This change of body/head proportion could be accompanied by a diminution in the absolute size of the skull as well."}
{"id": "PMID:1491624", "title": "Pregnancy and breast cancer: a possible explanation for the negative association.", "content": "We propose that pregnancy protects against breast cancer, in part, because it results in excretion of lipophilic carcinogens by the mother through the fetal fat and vernix caseosa. We review several lines of epidemiologic and toxicologic evidence in support of this idea, including concordances between known or suspected risk factors for cancer of the female breast and known or suspected risk factors for increased body burdens of lipophilic carcinogens."}
{"id": "PMID:1491625", "title": "An update of the zinc deficiency theory of schizophrenia. Identification of the sex determining system as the site of action of reproductive zinc deficiency.", "content": "The following article updates the GZD theory of schizophrenia (1) by showing that male transmission of risk, the parental age effect, racial differences in birth seasonality, the disturbed sex ratios in the offspring of schizophrenic mothers and the association between diabetes and schizophrenia are explained by changes to zinc homeostasis. A genetic component to the disorder is now seen as unnecessary, transmission of risk by either parent, and twin concordance differences can be explained by other means. The primary site of action of GZD is identified as the putative ZFY sex determining system. Evidence suggesting that other mental disorders might be caused by GZD is also discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1491626", "title": "Vitamin C--the primate fertility factor?", "content": "The loss of the ability of primates and man to synthesise ascorbic acid (vitamin C) is usually seen as an evolutionary accident, with no benefit to the species. This paper argues that the loss of this biosynthetic ability has allowed vitamin C to act as a 'fertility factor' in primate societies. It is argued that the requirement for vitamin C increases with age, and so in times of food shortages the older members of society suffer higher mortality than the younger. This reduces the median age of the population towards the younger and most fertile members, and so enables the population to regrow rapidly when food resources are restored."}
{"id": "PMID:1491627", "title": "Mechanism of general adaptation.", "content": "An analysis of theories and results of corresponding studies indicate that the adaptive processes in organisms have to be discriminated to specific and nonspecific adaptive responses. The integrated sum of specific adaptive responses constitute homeostatic regulation in order to maintain a constant level of rigid constants of the body's internal milieu. The constancy of rigid constants (temperature, pH, osmotic pressure, and contents of ions, water and p0(2)) is necessary to ensure the optimal activity of enzymes. The nonspecific adaptive responses are directed towards the mobilization of the organism's reserves for energy and protein synthesis. Additionally, a general activation of the body's defence faculties is included into the nonspecific adaptive responses. The nonspecific adaptive responses constitute a coordinated mechanism of general adaptation. The mobilization of the reserve for protein synthesis is connected with induction of the adaptive synthesis of the enzyme and structural proteins in order to restore and develop the functional capacity of cellular structures that were highly active during acute influence of various stressors."}
{"id": "PMID:1491628", "title": "The origin of the mammalian brain as a case of evolutionary irreversibility.", "content": "The origin of the mammalian neocortex is usually considered as an improvement in the design of the brain. I suggest that the mammalian neocortex arose as a consequence of contingent adaptations in which there was no specific selection for more elaborate cognitive abilities. This perspective differs from the current view of brain evolution as a progressive phenomenon towards increased intelligence."}
{"id": "PMID:1491629", "title": "An electromagnetic theory of life--II: Testing.", "content": "Serious problems and contradictions face the long-standing chemical reaction theory of life. Arguments favoring an alternative view featuring electromagnetic micromechanisms were presented in the December 1989 issue of this Journal (27, 31). However, the theory had an extremely general form which was forbidding to laboratory demonstration. It became clear that its essentially conceptual form needed to be transformed to a testable theory which ultimately could lead to laboratory verification. Now, with the recognition of the role of chaos theory in finding order within chaos in the kinetics of cell metabolism, the electromagnetic theory of life has become better grounded and more amenable to laboratory testing and evaluation. I thus focus on certain theoretical advances as well as the application of new technologies to test the hypothesis of 5 specific target areas. With the verification of electromagnetic processes in life, we anticipate that the biomedical sciences will be propelled to a wealth of solutions to many vexing problems."}
{"id": "PMID:1491630", "title": "On consciousness: what is the role of emergence?", "content": "Can consciousness be understood as the ongoing active creation of information (of meaning)? 'Emergence', the central concept in this hypothesis, plays an essentially different role in it than in theories previously proposed."}
{"id": "PMID:1491631", "title": "Energy transformations in the biosynthesis of the immune system: their relevance to the progression and treatment of AIDS.", "content": "Dysfunction of the immune system is observed in diseases where metabolic respiration is inhibited. Anabolites that enhance oxidative phosphorylation will provide the ATP essential for the biosynthesis of the cellular components and antibodies of the immune system. The induction of Coenzyme Q10 has been observed to protect against tumor growth and to enhance viral immunity in experimental animals. In a pilot study in AIDS patients the energy mediating catalyst elicited remarkable improvement. Additional cellular respiratory stimulants are considered as palliative synergists designed to enhance immunity in HIV infection. Competing antagonists to metabolic respiration acting to negate the effect of F delta in mediating optimal immune response to HIV are evaluated."}
{"id": "PMID:1491632", "title": "Are sense-antisense peptide interactions between HIV-1 (gp120), CD4, and the proto oncogene product p56lck important?", "content": "The finding that codons for hydrophobic and hydrophilic amino acids are generally complemented by codons for hydrophilic and hydrophobic amino acids respectively has led to a novel observation. The antisense peptides coded for by the complementary DNA strand of biologically active peptides are able to bind their active sense counterparts with high specificity. Sense-antisense relationships have been observed in several peptide species as well as in receptor-ligand interactions. The idea that sense-antisense interactions are biologically relevant and indeed feasible among complex molecules prompts the examination of virus-host cell interactions. We propose such a sense-antisense interaction exists between the HIV glycoprotein gp120 and the intracellular domain of the HIV receptor CD4. This interaction is at a site which may be occupied by the proto oncogene product p56lck."}
{"id": "PMID:1491633", "title": "Serotonin-GABA treatment is hypothesized for self-injury in Lesch-Nyhan syndrome.", "content": "The self-injurious movements of Lesch-Nyhan patients are considered extremely severe and currently intractable. Lesch-Nyhan syndrome is a genetic disorder of purine metabolism resulting in several abnormalities, one of which is elevated levels of xanthine. The author reasons that elevated plasma xanthine sets off a chain of events that produce excessive endogenous convulsants and diminished endogenous anticonvulsants. Treatment is proposed for self-injury in Lesch-Nyhan that entails reducing production of two endogenous convulsants (kynurenine and quinolinic acid) and enhancing two endogenous anticonvulsants (serotonin and gamma aminobutyric acid)."}
{"id": "PMID:1491634", "title": "Is erythema toxicum neonatorum a mild self-limited acute cutaneous graft-versus-host-reaction from maternal-to-fetal lymphocyte transfer?", "content": "Erythema toxicum neonatorum (ETN) is a common, self-limited neonate dermatosis affecting worldwide about 50% of newborns--mostly second and later deliveries--irrespective of sex and race. Its etiology still remains obscure: some reaction of the skin of the newborn in adapting to its new environment is the favorite hypothesis to date. A suggested viral or allergic nature could not be confirmed by adequate agent or antigen isolation respectively. In this paper a hypothesis is presented that ETN is a self-limited acute cutaneous graft-versus-host reaction (GVHR) caused in the transiently immunosuppressed newborn by maternal lymphocytes transferred shortly prior to or during delivery."}
{"id": "PMID:1491635", "title": "Compartmental syndrome in Duchenne muscular dystrophy: early evaluation of an epiphenomenon leading to wasting, weakness and contracture.", "content": "Elevation of intracompartmental calf pressure in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy can cause compartmental syndrome which accelerates mechanical muscle damage. Relief of increased pressure by fasciotomy inhibits this process. Intermittent pressure monitoring may prove of value in the routine orthopaedic management of patients with this disease. A historically controlled study to determine long term clinical benefit is in progress."}
{"id": "PMID:1491636", "title": "Seasonal birth distribution of west European soccer players: a possible explanation.", "content": "Twice as many top soccer players from The Netherlands, Belgium and France are born in August, as compared to July. A creeping selection mechanism, inadvertently caused by organisational aspects of the youth soccer competition in the countries mentioned, could be the explanation."}
{"id": "PMID:1491639", "title": "High-dose flunitrazepam anesthesia.", "content": "Benzodiazepines have receptors in the nervous system as well as in the kidney, liver, skeletal and ileal muscle, lungs and the heart. Flunitrazepam is a benzodiazepine with pronounced hypnotic effects in the usual dosage. High dose flunitrazepam anesthesia is suggested for prolonged surgical procedures as an alternative to the well known high-dose opiate anesthesia. Its reversal using flumazenil can shorten the post-operative anesthetic effect."}
{"id": "PMID:1491640", "title": "Commitment reversion model of unrestricted cell growth.", "content": "Through the analysis of accumulated experimental data of cell growth, a model of unrestricted cell growth is presented here. This model is based hypothetically on the cellular commitment to senescence as in the previously presented commitment theory. Cells are divided into 3 types, namely uncommitted cells, committed cells and terminal cells. The division of an uncommitted cell produces an uncommitted cell itself and a committed cell of the first generation. This committed cell goes through a limited number of cell divisions until the cells become non-dividing terminal cells. It is hypothesized that during a committed cell division, there is a very small probability that an uncommitted cell may be generated. With computer simulations, it is estimated that a committed cell of the first generation may divide around 30 times until they become non-dividing terminal cells, and that the probability of an uncommitted cell regeneration for each committed cell division may be 2(-H). This hypothesis may possibly clarify some aspects of the biological phenomena of cell growth, which can not be explained by the previous commitment theory, such as the growth pattern of cultured diploid cells, cancer initiation and promotion, and cancer progression and metastasis."}
{"id": "PMID:1491642", "title": "Prevalence of malnutrition among children in an urban squatter settlement in Petaling Jaya.", "content": "In a study of mild to significant malnutrition in an urban squatter settlement, the weights for age of 297 children between birth and ten years, and the heights for age and weights for height of 197 children between two to ten years were analysed. Using NCHS standards, the overall prevalence of underweight was found to be 18.9%, stunting 15.2%, and wasting 11.2%. Age and ethnicity were significantly associated with the prevalence of underweight and stunting. The growth achievement of children below the age of two years were significantly better off than the older children, and Chinese children significantly better off than Malay and Indian children."}
{"id": "PMID:1491643", "title": "Dose requirement and effect of nicardipine on lipid profile in mild to moderate essential hypertensives.", "content": "Twenty eight patients who satisfied the entry criteria and had completed an initial 2 weeks treatment with placebo were titrated fortnightly with doses of Nicardipine ranging from 30 mg to 90 mg daily in two or three divided doses. Nicardipine treatment significantly reduced blood pressures both in the supine and standing positions (p < 0.0004) when compared with placebo treatment. Heart rates however did not change significantly. Forty six percent (13/28) of patients on 20 mg twice daily, 25% (7/28) on 10 mg three times daily, 18% (5/28) of patients on 20 mg three times daily and 11% (3/28) on 30 mg three times daily achieved supine diastolic blood pressures < 90 mm Hg. Nicardipine treatment at 16 weeks and at 24 weeks did not significantly alter the lipid profile when compared to the end of placebo treatment period. No other biochemical abnormalities were reported during the study period. Except for 2 cases of mild pedal oedema and 2 cases of transient headaches, no serious side-effects were encountered."}
{"id": "PMID:1491644", "title": "Comparative study of plain-film radiographs of maxillary sinuses between radiologists and clinicians.", "content": "Maxillary sinuses plain film radiographs of 59 patients were reviewed and reported by both clinicians or Radiologists at the University Hospital, Kuala Lumpur. There was agreement in 52 reports of the plain film radiographs however there was partial differences in about seven cases. This gave an impression that the ENT specialist and the Radiologist were both capable of reporting plain film radiographs of maxillary sinuses, even though the radiologist has no opportunity of doing detail clinical examination of the patient."}
{"id": "PMID:1491645", "title": "Risk factor awareness and expectations of outpatients attending the Cardiology Clinic, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia.", "content": "One hundred consecutive patients attending the UKM (Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia) Cardiology Clinic completed a questionnaire enquiring about their own assessment of their knowledge about their illness, their awareness of cardiac risk factors and their expectations in their management. Only 11% of our patients had graduated from tertiary education. 59% of our patients were being treated for ischaemic heart disease. Although only 28% of our patients considered having considerable knowledge of their illness, a majority of our patients were aware of cardiac risk factors. This was independent of the formal education achieved. However this awareness did not necessarily result in appropriate behaviour; 32% of patients admitted to smoking despite being aware of the harmful effects of smoking. 74% of our patients expected a cure from their doctors; only 37% of our patients thought they required medication indefinitely. Thus, patients could be made aware of their illness regardless of their formal educational status. However this may not necessarily result in appropriate behaviour. The high expectations which the patients have of their doctors is unrealistic and may be detrimental to appropriate long-term management of their chronic illness."}
{"id": "PMID:1491646", "title": "Prevalence of peptic ulcer in 82 Kelantanese Malaysians with non-alcoholic cirrhosis.", "content": "A review of 82 (68 male) Kelantanese patients with non-alcoholic cirrhosis who underwent gastroduodenal endoscopy revealed duodenal and gastric ulcers in 4.9% and 7.3% of patients respectively. Comparing with prevalence rates of peptic ulcer disease reported in the literature, there was no evidence to suggest that duodenal ulcers occur more frequently in patients with non-alcoholic cirrhosis. There is a suggestion, albeit a tenuous one, that non-alcoholic cirrhosis may be associated with gastric ulceration."}
{"id": "PMID:1491647", "title": "Perforating eye injuries due to intraocular foreign bodies.", "content": "The results of sixty-four perforating eye injuries with intraocular foreign bodies (IOFB) treated at University Hospital over ten years were reported. Compared to an earlier report we found that the population at risk was the same and consisted of patients under 35 years (70%), males (95.3%) and work related (86%). The commonest causes of IOFB were hand hammer (64.1%) and grass cutting (20.3%). We also noted that while the incidence of cases had increased by 23%, the final visual outcome has improved significantly due to advances in preoperative diagnosis and surgical techniques. Preoperative factors found to have a statistically significant effect on the final visual outcome were the size of the IOFB, poor initial visual acuity, and the presence of the following complications: cataract, iris damage and vitreous haemorrhage. The outcome was also worse in posterior segment IOFBs but this was not statistically significant."}
{"id": "PMID:1491648", "title": "Results of meniscal surgery of the knee.", "content": "From 1988 to 1990, eighty operations on eighty knees of seventy-nine patients with a clinical diagnosis of meniscal tear was entered into a prospective study. The clinical diagnosis was correct in 76% of patients. Excellent or good results were achieved in 90% of knees which had only meniscal lesions but dropped to 70.5% when other intraarticular pathologies coexisted with the meniscal lesions. Excellent or good results were achieved in 71% of the knees in the presence of Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) deficiency."}
{"id": "PMID:1491649", "title": "All trans-retinoic acid in the treatment of promyelocytic leukaemia--a case report.", "content": "A six year old Chinese boy with relapsed Acute Promyelocytic Leukaemia (APML) failed to respond to reinduction with Daunorubicin and Cytarabine infusion. He was successfully treated with all trans-Retinoic Acid (45 mg/m2/day) orally. After four weeks of treatment, he was in complete remission. The side effects of all trans-Retinoic Acid were negligible."}
{"id": "PMID:1491650", "title": "Prenatal diagnosis of intestinal obstruction due to ileal atresia.", "content": "A case of intestinal obstruction due to ileal atresia where the diagnosis was made prenatally by ultrasound is presented. Close monitoring of the fetus was done ultrasonographically to look for any evidence of meconium peritonitis. The baby was delivered preterm but weighed 3.3 kg. Laparotomy and enterostomy was done and the baby is currently well."}
{"id": "PMID:1491651", "title": "Cassava (ubi kayu) poisoning in children.", "content": "Three sisters with cassava poisoning are described. A review of the toxic properties of cassava is presented together with discussion on the methods of its preparation, its adverse effects on man, its detoxification in the body, and the treatment of its poisoning."}
{"id": "PMID:1491652", "title": "[Bone clefts of the median facial structures. An anatomical study].", "content": "After reviewing the literature concerning rare facial fissions, the authors describe the skull of a young woman with an incomplete bone fission of the median facial structures. They focus on the associated bone anomalies observed in the skeleton of the nose and upper jaw."}
{"id": "PMID:1491653", "title": "[The importance of direct immunofluorescence in the diagnosis of oral lichen planus. A clinical study and proposal of new diagnostic criteria].", "content": "A series of 40 lesions of various kinds as lichen planus are examined using samples stained with trichromic test. HLA-DR expression with immunoperoxidase technique and direct immunofluorescence using the standard techniques. The aim of the study was to discover the usefulness for diagnosis of direct immunofluorescence, above all in histologically uncertain cases. The results suggest the view that direct immunofluorescence is essential for diagnosis of lichen planus, in all clinical aspects. The author concludes with description of clinical proceeding for differential diagnosis between white and erosive lesions of mouth."}
{"id": "PMID:1491654", "title": "[The anthropomorphic proportions of the face: an evaluation of the response to orthodontic surgical treatment of Angle class III].", "content": "The purpose of this investigation was: to examine the anthropometric facial presurgical and postsurgical indices of patients having a dento-skeletal class III malocclusion and who were treated with the orthodontic-surgical procedure. To evaluate the postsurgical response of the soft tissues, according to the type of approach: mandibular surgery or maxillo-mandibular surgery. To recognize, if it is possible, what indices are to be considered more involved in the esthetic change. Ninety pre and postoperative frontal photographs of 45 subjects were studied. The subjects were 32 females and 15 males who had a dento-skeletal class III malocclusion and who had undergone the orthodontic-surgical treatment (21 had sagittal bilateral mandibular osteotomy, 24 had sagittal bilateral mandibular osteotomy + Le Fort I). The photographs were taken with lips in repose, relaxed soft tissue and centric occlusion. The mean age of the patients was 23 years (ranging 16-35). The post-treatment follow-up went from 1 to 3 years. 11 frontal landmarks: n = nasion, sn = subnasale, sto = stomion, sl = sublabiale, gn = gnathion, go = gonion (bilateral), zy = zygoma (bilateral), ch = cheilion (bilateral) were recognized and 3 horizontal and 5 vertical measurements were taken: zygomatic width (zy-zy), mouth width (ch-ch), gonial width (go-go); face height (n-gn), lower face height (sn-gn), upper face height (n-sto), height of lower third of the face (sto-gn), medial vertical chin height (sl-gn). 11 pre and post-treatment facial indices were obtained from the ratio per cent of the measurements previously mentioned using the method of Farkas: Facial (n-gn-zy-zy), Mandible-face width (go-go/zy-zy), Upper face (n-sto/zy-zy), Mandible width-face height (go-go/n-gn), Mandibular (sto-gn/go-go), Mouth face width (ch-ch/zy-zy), Lower face-face height (sn-gn/n-gn), Mandible face height (sto-gn/n-gn), Mandible-upper face height (sto-gn/n-sto), Mandible-lower face height (sto-gn/sn-gn), Chin-face height (sl-gn/sn-gn). In each patient the mean values, with their standard deviations, were calculated according to the sex for each index. A different group of average values was calculated according to the sex and to the type of surgical approach; 17 females and 4 males underwent a mandibular setback osteotomy and 15 females and 9 males underwent a sagittal bilateral mandibular osteotomy + Le Fort I osteotomy.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1491655", "title": "[Cyclosporin in a bioadhesive formulation in the therapy of oral erosive lichen planus. A clinico-experimental evaluation].", "content": "This study illustrates the possible topical therapy of OLP with cyclosporine A under bioadhesive gel formula. The treatment was carried out on 6 patients for 8 weeks in much lower (48 mg/day) than those used by other authors. The novelty of this study lies in the use of a bioadhesive formula with carbosymethylcellulose which allows CsA to remain on oral mucosa for about two hours. The remarkable results have shown a reduction ranging from 50 to 80% of oral lesions, thus proposing its specific use in all the forms resisting usual therapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1491656", "title": "[Diabetic disease and periodontal disease. Diabetes and periodontopathy].", "content": "Diabetic patients have been reported to be more susceptible to gingivitis and periodontitis than healthy subjects, and these diseases are commonly considered to be oral complications of diabetes. The influence of diabetes on the onset and development of periodontal disease has been studied for many years but clear agreement is still lacking on the nature of the relationship between diabetes and these oral disorders. In fact recent observational epidemiological studies suggest that diabetes should not be considered as the direct cause of periodontal disease but rather as a systemic promoting factor, able to produce conditions suitable for local agents producing gingivitis and periodontitis. The overriding oral problem in diabetes is infection, like with any of the dermal lesions in the diabetic. In fact periodontal disease is caused by specific bacteria (Bacteroides Gingivalis, Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans) growing in the periodontal pocket so that the bacterial products such as histolytic enzymes, endotoxins or exotoxins may exert a direct effect. Particular attention has been directed to the neutrophils and to their role in antibacterial defense. In fact a reduced phagocytosis, leukotaxis and leucocyte index have been reported in neutrophils from diabetics. The careful metabolic control was reported by most of the Authors to lower the incidence and to reduce the severity of periodontal disease. This may be related both to the improvement in leukocyte function and to a change in gingival fluid rendering it less suitable for bacterial growth. In diabetics also local factors, such as decreased pH of salivary fluid and a reduced salivary flow, seem to play an important role.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1491657", "title": "[The role of biopsy of the minor salivary glands in the diagnosis of Sj\u00f6gren's syndrome].", "content": "After a short critical review of the latest literature, the authors evaluate the role of minor salivary gland biopsy in the diagnosis of Sj\u00f6gren's syndrome. The histological factors typical of this syndrome are examined in this context."}
{"id": "PMID:1491658", "title": "[Epidemiological studies of the dental-periodontal health conditions in 2 samples of the school-age population of the city of Turin].", "content": "The paper reports the results of a study of the prevalence of teeth-parodontal diseases found in two groups from the school population, aged between 13 and 19, resident in Turin. The structure of the survey, the clinical methods of collecting data and the statistical processing of data were carried out according to OMS directives regarding the study of oral pathologies."}
{"id": "PMID:1491659", "title": "[A case of a carcinoma arising in lichen planus in a subject with diabetes mellitus and arterial hypertension (Grinspan's syndrome)].", "content": "The authors describe a clinical case observed at the Inst of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery characterized by three simultaneous symptoms: arterious hypertension, diabetes mellitus, oral erosive lichen planus. Grinspan & his co-workers observed this syndrome. The results of their research were exposed at the Congress on Dermatology in Buenos Aires, 1963. In 1965 in a repetitive study Grupper & Avul seemed confirm the existence of this symptomatological triad; therefore the authors defined this complex as \"Grinspan's syndrome\". Further researches conducted by other authors (Jolly, Powell. Howell e Rick) confirmed the association hypertension-diabetes-\"erosive\" lichen. However there were other worthwhile studies (Lozada-Nur, Christensen) which emphasized a not significant high frequency of patients with diabetes and high blood pressure and the oral sugar tolerance like random specimens of common people. Besides the authors notice that their clinical case is interesting not only because of their simultaneous presence of the three symptoms but also because of the bioptic appearance of a cancer likely appeared on a pre-existing inveterate lichenoid lesion."}
{"id": "PMID:1491666", "title": "Bilirubin encephalopathy in a term infant after planned home delivery.", "content": "A term infant was delivered at home by his father after a pregnancy which involved no organized medical care. By the third day of life the infant developed fever, poor feeding and severe jaundice. The infant was found to have a serum indirect bilirubin of 49 mg/dl secondary to isoimmune hemolytic anemia due to anti-c antibody. The infant survived but suffers from clinical manifestations of kernicterus."}
{"id": "PMID:1491667", "title": "Tetanus surveillance--United States, 1989-1990.", "content": "During the period 1989-1990, 117 cases of tetanus were reported from 34 states, for an average annual incidence of 0.02/100,000 population. Fifty-eight percent of patients were > or = 60 years of age, while seven (6%) were < 20 years of age, including one case of neonatal tetanus. Among adults, the risk of tetanus in those > 80 years of age was more than 10 times the risk in persons ages 20-29 years. The case-fatality rate increased with age, from 17% in persons 40-49 years of age to 50% in those > or = 80 years of age. Only 11% of patients reported having received a primary series of tetanus toxoid before disease onset, while 31% lacked a history of tetanus vaccination. Tetanus occurred following an acute injury in 78% of patients. Of patients who sought medical care, only 58% received tetanus toxoid as part of wound prophylaxis. Tetanus remains a severe disease that primarily affects unvaccinated or inadequately vaccinated older adults. Increased efforts are needed to reduce the risk of tetanus among the elderly. Health-care providers should take every opportunity to review the vaccination status of their patients and provide tetanus vaccine when indicated."}
{"id": "PMID:1491668", "title": "Pertussis surveillance--United States, 1989-1991.", "content": "The licensure of whole-cell pertussis vaccine combined with diphtheria and tetanus toxoids as DTP in the 1940s--and its widespread use in infants and children--led to a dramatic decline in the incidence of reported pertussis. In the prevaccine era, the average annual incidence and mortality for reported pertussis were 150 cases and six deaths per 100,000 population, respectively. From 1989 to 1991, pertussis cases were reported by state and local health departments to CDC through two distinct national surveillance systems: the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System (NNDSS) and the Supplementary Pertussis Surveillance System (SPSS). During the period 1989-1991, 11,446 pertussis cases were reported to the NNDSS (4,157 in 1989; 4,570 in 1990; and 2,719 in 1991), for an unadjusted annual incidence of 1.7, 1.8, and 1.1 cases per 100,000 population in 1989, 1990, and 1991, respectively. For the period 1989-1991, case reports were received through the SPSS on 9,480 (83%) of the 11,446 patients reported to the NNDSS. Age-specific incidence and hospitalization rates were highest among children < 1 year of age and declined with increasing age. Long-term trends suggest an increase in the reported incidence of pertussis in the United States since 1976. The peak in reported pertussis cases in 1990 represents the highest annual incidence of pertussis since 1970. However, the incidence of pertussis declined 41% from 1990 through 1991. Whether the long-term increase in reported pertussis is a true increase in incidence is unclear; the observed increase may be a function of improved surveillance.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1491669", "title": "[Simulated modeling of biopolymer molecular structure].", "content": "A simple approach for simulation of structure of biopolymers and their complexes is developed, including methods for conformational analysis \"in vacuum\" and methods for estimation of free energy of transfer between organic phase and water, evaluating hydrophobic interactions. The possibilities of the described methods are demonstrated by the simulation of the structure of C60-hydrocarbon polymer and glycine and alanine peptides."}
{"id": "PMID:1491670", "title": "[De novo proteins with a given spatial structure: new approaches to design and analysis].", "content": "Based on the molecular theory of protein structure the de novo protein was designed in order to obtain the tertiary fold which has not yet been observed in natural proteins, namely four-stranded antiparallel beta-sheet covered by two alpha-helixes. The gene coding for this protein (named albebetin) was chemically synthesized, cloned in plasmid with SP6 phage promoter and expressed in mRNA-dependent cell-free translation system. An approach was developed to study albebetin using only nanogram amounts of radio labelled protein without previous purification. The preliminary analysis of its structure by gel-filtration, urea-gradient electrophoresis and limited proteolysis revealed compactness and stability of the de novo protein."}
{"id": "PMID:1491671", "title": "[Electron-conformational interactions at the active site of reduced bacterial cytochrome P450cam induced by a substrate and analysis of the electron structure of heme].", "content": "Magnetic circular dichroism (MCD) spectra in the Soret region (360-480 nm) of camphor-free and camphor-bound reduced bacterial cytochrome P450cam from Pseudomonas putida were recorded and analysed in the temperature range from 2 K to 290 K. The temperature dependences of the MCD intensity are qualitatively changed by binding of substrate to the enzyme. In the absence of camphor the linear increase of the MCD intensity with 1/T at T < 4.2 K gives evidence for degeneracy or near degeneracy of the ground electronic state. In the presence of substrate the degeneracy is removed and temperature profiles show saturation behaviour at T < 4.2 K and wavelength dependence of their high-temperature parts. The temperature profiles for the long-wavelength region of the Soret band have a maximum approximately at 15 K, whereas the MCD intensity increases in a monotonous manner up to saturation in the short-wavelength region. The wavelength dependence of temperature profiles gives evidence for the co-existence of two different forms of substrate-bound reduced P450cam. The following conclusions were obtained from a theoretical analysis of the temperature profiles. In the absence of substrate there are very small if any rhombic distortions at the heme iron, and a parameter D of axial zero-field splitting is negative (D = -8.3 cm-1 and -6.2 cm-1 for P450cam and P450LM2, respectively). In the presence of substrate the two forms of reduced P450cam have positive parameters D but of different values (D1 = 12 cm-1 and D2 = 28 cm-1), and there are large rhombic distortions at the heme iron. More than two-fold difference between the D values made it possible to isolate temperature-dependent contributions of the two enzyme forms from the total MCD spectra and to simulate the alterations of the MCD spectra with temperature for reduced P450cam in the presence of substrate. Taking into account the drastic effect of substrate binding on the ground electronic state of reduced P450cam one can suggest that substrate binding induces the transition of enzyme from an inactive to an active state."}
{"id": "PMID:1491672", "title": "[SLS--a new type of polynucleotide chain folding].", "content": "Short tandem repeats (5-8 base pairs) are not uncommon in the prokaryotic and eukaryotic DNA. Regions with such sequence motifs, when under superhelical stress, manifest unusual sensitivity to single-strand specific nuclease. To explain this, it has been suggested that one DNA thread should be shifted relatively to another, so that they could form two single-stranded loops protruding from the opposite chains and separated on the DNA helix by the length of a direct repeat. The structure was proposed to play a role in the regulation of transcription, organization of chromatin and in the recombination. Such type of folding could have been extra-stabilized by base pairing between the loops. This attractive possibility of the interloop minihelix formation requires a delicate stereochemical analysis and direct experimental support. Formation of the interloop minihelix in the Slipped Loop Structure (SLS) was tested by a chemical modification method at one nucleotide level resolution. The results show that bases located within the proposed interloop helix are well protected from the probes used. This fact encourages us to publish a 3-D model for the SLS-form DNA (and RNA). The SLS is characterized by a remarkable symmetry having three mutually perpendicular dyad axes. Scanning the bank of nucleotide sequences has revealed more than 500 sites, the transcripts of which are capable of folding into the SLS form, which allow us to regard the SLS form as a novel universal structural form. Remarkably, the abundance of SLS in intrones three times exceeds that of the coding sequences. This may reflect a functional role (or roles) of the SLS conformation."}
{"id": "PMID:1491673", "title": "[DNA sequencing by hybridization with an oligonucleotide matrix (SHOM). The theory of DNA elution after hybridization].", "content": "The theoretical treatment of the process of washing out of a single stranded DNA fragment after hybridization with short oligonucleotides immobilized within the polyacrylamide gel layer is presented. The theory describes satisfactorily the main body of experimental findings, obtained earlier in connection with the elaboration of a new DNA sequencing method based on hybridization with the matrix of immobilized oligonucleotides [K.R. Khrapko et al.@J. DNA Sequencing Mapp. 1991. V. 1. P. 373-388]. In particular the theory explains and describes well quantitatively the observed dependence of the \"washing off temperature\" Tw on the concentration of the immobilized oligonucleotides. The Tw dependence on inherent physico-chemical parameters such as the enthalpy and the entropy of duplex formation and on those selected by the experimenter (washing time duration, the gel thickness etc.) is also considered. A simple approximate expression for the calculation of \"washing off temperature\" is given. Some inconsistencies between calculated and observed washing curves are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1491674", "title": "[A triple-stranded \"clip\" from the oligonucleotide 3'-(dA)10-pO(Ch2Ch2O)3p-(dT)10-pO(CH2CH2O)3-p-(dT)10(-5)].", "content": "The temperature dependence of the UV- and CD-spectra of the oligonucleotides 3'-d(A)10-L-(T)10-5' [anti(AT)], 3'-d(A)10-L-d(T)10-3' [par(AT)] and 3'-d(A)10-L-(dT)10-L-(dT)10-5' [tripl(ATT)] (L = -PO(CH2CH2O) 3p-) in the phosphate buffer at pH 7 under different concentrations of NaCL and in the presence or absence of 0.01 M MgCl2 was studied. All registered structural changes are the result of intramolecular processes if the concentrations of the oligonucleotides is low (about 2.2.10(-5) M). Par(AT) and anti(AT) exist in the only two forms, transforming into each other: under low temperatures they exist as hairpins with the parallel or antiparallel orientation of chains accordingly which transform into unfolded chains when the temperature increased. In contrast trip(ATT) exists in the three different forms depending on the temperature and ion conditions. They are: the three- stranded clip, the two-stranded hairpin with a single stranded \"tail\" and completely unfolded chain. For the first time this work presents thermodynamic parameters of the triplex formation from deoxyoligonucleotides depending on NaCl concentration. We have registered the CD spectra to one-, two-, and three-stranded forms. Ethidium bromide binding to three-stranded \"clip\" was investigated, and it was established that molecules of the dye may intercalate into the \"clip\" with formation of stable complexes (the constant of association 10(6) M-1). It is maximum three molecules of ethidium bromid which may bound to one molecule of the three-stranded clip. It has been shown that the suggested synthetic model (three oligonucleotide blocks combined by hydroxyalkyl chains) is the most convenient for physico-chemical investigations of triplexes today."}
{"id": "PMID:1491676", "title": "[Parallel DNA helices. Conformational analysis of regular poly(dG).poly(dC) helices with different variants of base binding].", "content": "We have performed a conformational analysis of DNA double helices with parallel directed backbone strands. The calculations were made for homopolymers poly(dG).poly(dC). All possible models of base binding were checked. By the potential energy optimization the dihedral angles and helices parameters of stable conformations of parallel double polynucleotides were calculated. The dependences of conformational energy on the base pair structure were studied. Possible structure of parallel helices with various nucleotide composition are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1491677", "title": "[Extracellular alkaline ribonuclease of Bacillus thuringiensis var. subtoxicus].", "content": "Intraspecific selection of Bacillus thuringiensis strains producing extracellular alkaline ribonucleases was carried out. Subtoxicus subspecies with increased expression of the enzyme was detected. A method was developed to isolate preparative amounts of homogeneous extracellular RNase of B. thuringiensis var. subtoxicus. The physico-chemical and catalytic properties of the enzyme was studied and compared with extracellular RNases of others Bacillus species. The conclusion about the structural and evolutional conservation of Bacillus extracellular RNases was drawn."}
{"id": "PMID:1491678", "title": "[Decomposition fluorescence spectra of tryptophan residues in proteins based on log-normal components by a least squares method].", "content": "An algorithm of decomposition of protein tryptophan spectra into components was developed. The spectral shape of components is described by a uniparametric log-normal function. Rise of certainty and accuracy of resolution of widely overlapping smooth spectral components (a typical uncorrect reverse problem) was achieved using several regularizing factors: (i) the set of experimental spectra used were measured at several quencher concentrations; (ii) the functional being minimized, along with the root mean square residuals of intensities, the term depending on the obedience to the Stern-Volmer law; (iii) an extra information is used--the number of experimental values greatly exceeds the number of parameters to be estimated. The minimum of functional is determined by a consecutive setting of all possible combinations of component spectral maxima values, which allows to avoid sticking in the local minima of noisy functional. The real experimental noise restricts the decomposition into not more than three components. The decomposition error does not exceed the experimental one. The algorithm functioning is illustrated by resolution of tryptophan fluorescence spectra of papain into one, two, and three components."}
{"id": "PMID:1491675", "title": "[Conformational transition of parallel DNA in solutions with decreased water activity].", "content": "Conformations of parallel deoxyoligonucleotides 5'd(CTATAGGGAT)3'/5'd(GATATCCCTA)3' and 5'd(TGATTGATCGATTGTTTGCATGCACACGTTTTTGTGAGCG)3'/'5'd (ACTAACTAGCTAACAAACGTACGTGTGCAAAAACACTCGC)3' were studied in solution by CD method. A cooperative change in the CD spectra is observed in trifluoroethanol (TFE) solutions at decreased water activity (relative humidity). This distinctive change is supposed to stem from a cooperative conformational transition of parallel double helix from a B-like form with C2'endo sugar conformation to a A-like form designated as Ap. The free energy difference between Ap- and B-like conformations of the parallel decaduplex is close to that for antiparallel decaduplex with the nucleotide sequence studied. A-phility of a parallel helix is dependent on its sequence."}
{"id": "PMID:1491679", "title": "[L-shaped structure from two alpha-helices with a proline residue between them].", "content": "L-shaped structures formed by two consecutive alpha-helices joined by short connections are considered. The L-structures with the alpha m gamma beta/delta alpha n-conformations are of particular value since they usually have Pro residues in the second positions of the second alpha-helices. These structures can be divided into two classes, the right-turned and left-turned L-structures, depending on whether the second alpha-helix is located on the right or the left, relative to the first one when viewed from the hydrophobic core. Stereochemical analysis shows that in an ideal case the left- and right-turned L-structures should have different sequence patterns of hydrophobic, hydrophilic and proline residues. These sequence patterns can be used in the prediction of the L-shaped structures as well as in protein design and engineering."}
{"id": "PMID:1491680", "title": "[Study of the dynamics of human serum albumin by coherent Rayleigh dispersion of Mossbauer radiation].", "content": "The measurements of angle dependencies of total and elastic Rayleigh scattering of Mossbauer radiation intensities have been performed for human serum albumin (HSA) with hydration degrees h = 0.13 and h = 0.4. The extended model was developed for calculating the inelastic intensity of Rayleigh scattering. Original data for HSA and published data on met-Mb were fitted within the frame of this model. The best agreement with experiment was obtained when two types of intraglobular motions were taken into account: individual motions of small side-chain groups and cooperative (mechanical) motions of segments (most probable alpha-helices). Long-range correlated motions are essential at low hydration degree. The possibilities of application of the coherent version of RSMS technique are described."}
{"id": "PMID:1491685", "title": "Mammary gland-specific nuclear factor activity is positively regulated by lactogenic hormones and negatively by milk stasis.", "content": "The mammary gland-specific nuclear factor (MGF) is a crucial contributor to the regulation of transcription from the beta-casein gene promoter. The beta-casein gene encodes a major milk protein, which is expressed in mammary epithelial cells during lactation and can be induced by lactogenic hormones in the clonal mammary epithelial cell line HC11. We have investigated the specific DNA-binding activity of MGF in mammary epithelial cells in vivo and in vitro. Comparison of MGF in HC11 cells and mammary gland cells from lactating mice revealed molecules with identical DNA-binding properties. Bandshift and UV cross-linking experiments indicated that MGF in HC11 cells has a higher mol wt than MGF found in mice. Little MGF activity was detected in nuclear extracts from HC11 cells cultured in the absence of lactogenic hormones. Lactogenic hormone treatment of HC11 cells led to a strong induction of MGF activity. The induction of MGF activity as well as utilization of the beta-casein promoter were suppressed when epidermal growth factor was present in the tissue culture medium simultaneously with the lactogenic hormones. In lactating animals, MGF activity is regulated by suckling, milk stasis, and systemic hormone signals. The mammary glands from maximally lactating animals, 16 days postpartum, contain drastically reduced MGF activity after removal of the pups for only 8 h. The down-regulation of MGF by pup withdrawal was slower in early lactation, 6 days postpartum. We also investigated the relative contributions of local signals, generated by milk stasis, and systemic hormone signals to the regulation of MGF activity. The access to one row of mammary glands of lactating mothers was denied to the pups for 24 h. High levels of MGF were found in the accessible mammary glands, and intermediate levels of MGF were found in the inaccessible glands of the same mouse. Very low MGF levels were detected when the pups were removed from the dams for 24 h. We conclude that systemic as well as local signals cooperate in the in vitro regulation of MGF activity."}
{"id": "PMID:1491681", "title": "[Spatial structure of (1-36)bacterioopsin solubilized in a methanol-chloroform mixture with sodium dodecylsulfate micelles].", "content": "Spatial structures of proteolytic segment A (sA) of bacterioopsin of Halobacterium halobium (residues 1-36) solubilized in the mixture of methanol-chloroform (1:1), 0.1 M LiClO4 or in perdeuteriated sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) micelles, were determined by 2D 1H-NMR techniques. Most of the resonances in 1H-NMR spectra of fragment A were assigned using DQF-COSY, TOCSY and NOESY spectra. Deuterium exchange rates for amide protons were measured in series of NOESY spectra. 324 and 400 NOESY cross-peak volumes were measured in NOESY spectra of sA in mixture of organic solvents and SDS micelles, respectively. The sA structure was determined by local structure analysis, distance geometry calculation with program DIANA and systematic search for energetically allowed side chain rotamers consistent with NOESY cross-peak volumes. The structures of sA are similar in both milieus. These structures have the right-handed alpha-helical region from Pro-8 to Met-32 with root mean square deviation (RMSD) of 0.25 A between back bone heavy atoms and fit well with Pro-8 to Met-32 alpha-helical region in electron cryo-microscopy (ECM) model of bacteriorhodopsin [4]. The C-terminal region Gly-33-Asp-36 is disordered in both milieus, while N-terminal region Ala-2-Gly-6 in organic solvents has a fixed structure (RMSD of 0.25 A) stabilized by the Thr-5 NH...O=C Gln-3 and Ile-4 NH...O = C Ala-2 hydrogen bonds. This region of sA in SDS micelles has disordered structure with RMSD of 1.44 A for back bone heavy atoms. Torsion angles chi 1 of sA were unequivocally determined for 72% of side chains in the alpha-helical region and are identical in both milieus."}
{"id": "PMID:1491686", "title": "Developmental expression of peptidylglycine alpha-amidating monooxygenase (PAM) in primary cultures of neonatal rat cardiocytes: a model for studying regulation of PAM expression in the rat heart.", "content": "Primary cultures of neonatal rat atrial and ventricular cardiomyocytes were used to investigate the expression of peptidylglycine alpha-amidating monooxygenase (PAM), a bifunctional enzyme required for the production of alpha-amidated neuroendocrine peptides. The use of assays for the individual enzymes, peptidylglycine alpha-amidating monooxygenase (PHM) and peptidyl-alpha-hydroxyglycine alpha-amidating lyase (PAL), demonstrated that the levels of expression observed in vitro approximated those observed in vivo. Both in vivo and in vitro, atrial and ventricular PAL activity greatly exceeded PHM activity. Atrial and ventricular cardiomyocytes secreted PHM and PAL activity at a constant rate throughout the culture period. Immunofluorescence studies localized PAM proteins to the perinuclear region, with intense punctate staining. Both in vivo and in vitro, PAM mRNAs encoding integral membrane proteins predominated throughout the neonatal period, with PAM-1 mRNA becoming more prevalent after the first week in culture. Although PAM-2 mRNA decreased in prevalence in vivo at the time when PAM-1 expression increased, levels of PAM-2 mRNA remained elevated throughout 2 weeks in vitro. Western blot analysis demonstrated intact PAM-1 and PAM-2 proteins in atrial cultures, with the prevalence of PAM-1 increasing in older cultures. Atrial cardiomyocytes secreted only bifunctional PAM proteins. Many of the features of PAM expression, processing, and storage that are unique to cardiomyocytes as opposed to endocrine cells are faithfully replicated by primary atrial and ventricular cultures."}
{"id": "PMID:1491682", "title": "[The effect of electrostatic interactions on the conformation of the sugar-phosphate backbone in DNA].", "content": "The influence of sugar ring flexibility in DNA on the mechanism of the B<-->A conformational transition is studied. The dipole moment of the deoxyribose as a function of its puckered states is calculated by the quantum-mechanical method using the MINDO/3 approximation. The interaction of the sugar dipole with the neighbour molecular groups in polynucleotide chain is estimated. The sugar dipole interaction witch phosphate groups and counterions is shown to be strong and capable to deform the pseudorotation potential of deoxyribose. The effective pseudorotation potential of sugar ring in the B- and A-helices is obtained. The results are used to explain the behaviour of Raman bands in the region of sugar-phosphate vibrations. The mechanism of the effect of electrostatic forces on the sugar-phosphate backbone conformation which is essential for the B<-->A and other structure transitions is offered."}
{"id": "PMID:1491687", "title": "Angiotensin-II induction of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 gene expression in astroglial cells of normotensive and spontaneously hypertensive rat brain.", "content": "Angiotensin-II (AII) stimulates plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) gene transcription, translation, and protein secretion from astroglial cells derived from normotensive [Wistar-Kyoto (WKY)] rat brain, an effect mediated by AII type 1 (AT1) receptors. Since abnormal expression of the brain AII system has been demonstrated in spontaneously hypertensive (SH) rats, we investigated the regulation of PAI-1 gene expression by AII in astroglial cells from the brains of these animals. AII caused an increase in PAI-1 gene expression in SH rat astroglia in a manner similar to that observed in WKY-derived cultures. However, both the basal and AII-stimulated levels of PAI-1 mRNA in SH rat astroglia were only 20% of those observed in WKY rat astroglial cultures. Consequently, there was a significant reduction in the de novo synthesis and secretion of PAI-1 from astroglia of SH rat brain. The reduced synthesis and secretion of PAI-1 from SH rat brain astroglia was associated with lower numbers of AT1 receptors in these cells. However, the steady state levels of AT1 receptor mRNA were comparable in both WKY and SH rat astroglia. This reduction in AII-modulated PAI-1 levels in SH rat astroglia is consistent with a proposed role of these interactions in the development of hypertension in these animals."}
{"id": "PMID:1491683", "title": "[Planar charged clusters--structural invariants of the gamma-crystallin family of the crystalline lens: functional role and evolutionary conservatism].", "content": "Plane charge clusters from the calf eye lens protein gamma-crystallin are considered. The clusters consist of four to six side chain charged groups with interatomic distances in ionic pairs from 4 to 7 A. The charge clusters appear to decrease the hydrophilic potential of the molecular surface which maintains the transparent refracting lens medium of vertebrates with a very high protein concentration. It is shown that the charge pattern for different gene products of one species is conservative as well as for whole set of 25 sequences of vertebrates, including carp, frog, mouse, rat, calf and human. Taking into account \"neutral mutations\", Asp-Glu and Arg-Lys the homology of those charge positions is equal to 95-100%. Functionally important charge clusters are absent in the ancient structural motifs of gamma-crystallin."}
{"id": "PMID:1491684", "title": "[Effective diameter of DNA].", "content": "Different methods of determination of effective diameter of DNA double helix under different ionic conditions in solution are reviewed. This value is a characteristic of excluded volume effects in DNA and allows for electrostatic repulsion between segments of the molecule. The values of the effective diameter found by completely different methods are in excellent agreement. This allows to conclude that in wide range of ionic and DNA concentrations a model of unpermeable cylinders provides adequate description of DNA conformational properties. The effective double helix diameter grows rapidly with decreasing salt concentration and can be several times higher than the geometric one. Even in solutions of physiological ionic strength corresponding to 200 mM NaCl the value of the effective diameter is 5 nm. Such a sharp dependence of DNA effective diameter on salt concentration should be taken into account when analyzing conformational properties of superhelical DNA."}
{"id": "PMID:1491688", "title": "Regulation of Sertoli cell differentiation by the testicular paracrine factor PModS: potential role of immediate-early genes.", "content": "Testicular peritubular cells produce a paracrine factor, PModS, under androgen control that modulates Sertoli cell functions that are essential for the process of spermatogenesis. PModS has a more dramatic effect on Sertoli cell differentiated functions in vitro than any regulatory agent previously shown to influence the cell, including FSH. Investigation of the actions of PModS on a molecular level have used transferrin expression as a marker of Sertoli cell differentiation. PModS was found to stimulate transferrin gene expression while having no effect on transferrin mRNA stability. The ability of PModS to elevate transferrin mRNA levels was inhibited by cycloheximide. Therefore, the actions of PModS require ongoing protein synthesis and appear to be indirectly mediated through trans-acting early event genes. PModS was found to dramatically increase mRNA levels for c-fos, but had no effect on c-jun mRNA levels. The c-fos mRNA levels increased transiently within a few minutes to a maximal level of stimulation at 1 h and returned to basal levels within 6 h. The rise in c-fos mRNA preceded the elevation in transferrin mRNA, which started to increase at 2 h to a maximum level between 6-12 h that was maintained at high levels for several days in cell culture. Treatment of Sertoli cells with an antisense c-fos oligonucleotide was found to inhibit the actions of PModS on transferrin expression. Combined results support the hypothesis that PModS acts indirectly through transcription factors (e.g. c-fos) to induce Sertoli cell differentiated functions (e.g. transferrin expression). Therefore, PModS appears to act as a differentiation-type factor to promote and maintain optimal Sertoli cell function."}
{"id": "PMID:1491689", "title": "Expression of the rat carboxypeptidase-E gene in neuroendocrine and nonneuroendocrine cell lines.", "content": "To identify cis-acting elements involved with the expression of the rat carboxypeptidase-E (CPE) gene, constructs containing various regions of the 5'-flanking region of the CPE gene attached to the luciferase reporter gene were transiently expressed in cell lines derived from pituitary (AtT-20 and GH4C1), liver (SK-HEP-1), and kidney (HEK293 and COS1). Regions of the CPE gene spanning the major transcription initiation site (-12 to 47) are sufficient for low levels of transcription. Activity is enhanced 3- to 15-fold by sequences present between -12 and -395 in all cell lines examined. Sequences between -395 and -3081 influenced transcription activity up to 5-fold in some, but not all, cell lines. There was no correlation between the transcription activities of the various constructs and the level of endogenous CPE mRNA in the cell lines, indicating that the tissue-specific elements responsible for the large variations in endogenous CPE mRNA levels are not present within -3081 to 47. The region between -395 and 45 was examined in greater detail using transient expression assays and DNase-I protection analysis. Transcription activity is enhanced in GH4C1 and HEK293 cells by sequence present between -12 and -84; this region contains a potential GC box, which binds factors present in GH4C1 nuclear extracts. Other regions between -340 and 80 that bind proteins in the GH4C1 nuclear extracts include the major transcription initiation site, which has homology to the initiator sequence; the pituitary-specific transcription initiation sites (-101 and -105); and sequences with homology to NF-1, Pan-1, simian virus-40 enhancer core, and AP-2-binding sites. Taken together, these results suggest that basal expression of the CPE gene from its major transcription initiation site, which does not contain an up-stream TATA box, is primarily under the control of an initiator-like element together with an upstream GC box."}
{"id": "PMID:1491690", "title": "Ligand-dependent down-regulation of stably transfected human glucocorticoid receptors is associated with the loss of functional glucocorticoid responsiveness.", "content": "The effect of glucocorticoids on the regulation of stably transfected human glucocorticoid receptors has been examined. Exposure of a Chinese hamster ovary-derived cell line containing stably transfected human glucocorticoid receptor genes and glucocorticoid-responsive dihydrofolate reductase genes to 5 nM dexamethasone resulted in a rapid, time-dependent reduction in the level of glucocorticoid receptor protein to 50% of control levels within 5 h of steroid treatment. This decrease in receptor protein was persistent, with a maximal 70% reduction observed even after 4 weeks of dexamethasone treatment. Immunocytochemical analysis of the influence of dexamethasone on stably transfected glucocorticoid receptors revealed efficient translocation of receptors to the nucleus within 1 h of hormone treatment. However, upon longer exposure to dexamethasone (5 h), immunoreactive glucocorticoid receptors were localized primarily to the cytoplasm. By 24 h of treatment, glucocorticoid receptors were absent from the cytoplasm and the nucleus, suggesting that the ligand-induced loss of glucocorticoid receptors may be a cytoplasmic event. The decrease in transfected glucocorticoid receptor protein was largely reflected by similar changes in steady state levels of human glucocorticoid receptor mRNA; however, the effects of hormone on receptor protein levels were more profound than on receptor mRNA. There was an initial rapid reduction in transfected glucocorticoid receptor mRNA to 50% of control levels within 2 h of dexamethasone treatment. This reduction was followed by a transient rise in mRNA expression after 12 h of hormone treatment. With prolonged exposure to dexamethasone (> 12 h) a second, more gradual decline in human glucocorticoid receptor mRNA was observed. This biphasic pattern of glucocorticoid receptor gene expression was not reflected at the level of receptor protein, suggesting that both transcriptional and translational control mechanisms may be involved in ligand-dependent receptor regulation. When cells were removed from dexamethasone after up to 48 h of treatment, glucocorticoid receptor mRNA levels fully recovered within 12 h. Receptor protein recovered only partially during this same time period. Down-regulation of glucocorticoid receptor protein and mRNA levels by dexamethasone in stably transfected cells led to corresponding reductions in the hormone sensitivity to two glucocorticoid-regulated genes: a transiently transfected chloramphenicol acetyltransferase receptor gene and a stably integrated dihydrofolate reductase gene. These results demonstrate that stably transfected human glucocorticoid receptors are subject to ligand-induced down-regulation in a heterologous cell line. Moreover, glucocorticoid receptor autoregulation appears to be a highly conserved mechanism for attenuating cellular responsiveness to hormone."}
{"id": "PMID:1491691", "title": "Transforming growth factor-alpha and epidermal growth factor receptor gene expression and action during pubertal development of the seminiferous tubule.", "content": "The potential role of transforming growth factor-alpha (TGF-alpha) as a mediator of cell-cell interactions in the growth and development of the testis was examined. Developing rat testes were collected, and preparations of mesenchymal-derived peritubular cells and epithelial-like Sertoli cells were isolated from prepubertal, midpubertal, and late pubertal rat testes. The developmental expression of TGF-alpha and its receptor, the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), in whole testis and isolated cell types was determined using a nuclease protection assay. TGF-alpha and EGFR gene expression were predominant early in testis development and decreased during pubertal development. TGF-alpha expression was greatest in prepubertal peritubular cells. Sertoli cell TGF-alpha expression remained relatively constant during development, with a slight decline at the later pubertal stages. EGFR gene expression was predominant in peritublar cells throughout development. A low level of EGFR expression was detected in Sertoli cells. Scatchard analysis confirmed the presence of high affinity receptors on peritubular cells; however, no functional receptors were detected on Sertoli cells from any stage of development examined. Interestingly, low-level EGFR gene expression was also detected in pachytene spermatocytes and round spermatids. TGF-alpha was found to stimulate [3H] thymidine incorporation into DNA and increase cellular proliferation of peritubular cells from each developmental stage, while having no effect on Sertoli cells. The in vivo physiological significance of TGF-alpha was evaluated in a line of transgenic mice which overexpress TGF-alpha in the mature testis. These transgenic animals had no abnormal testicular morphology or alterations in spermatogenesis. Observations demonstrate that gene expression of TGF-alpha and its receptor is high during early pubertal stages when somatic cell growth is predominant and low at late pubertal stages when somatic cell proliferation is reduced. TGF-alpha can act as an autocrine/paracrine mitogen for the mesenchymal-derived peritubular cell, while actions on the Sertoli cell population are not evident. The observation that spermatogenic cells express the EGFR gene, although the protein remains to be identified, implies that TGF-alpha may potentially mediate Sertoli-germinal cell interactions."}
{"id": "PMID:1491692", "title": "The alpha- and beta-isoforms of the inhibitor protein of the 3',5'-cyclic adenosine monophosphate-dependent protein kinase: characteristics and tissue- and developmental-specific expression.", "content": "The inhibitor protein (PKI) of the cAMP-dependent protein kinase was first characterized from rabbit skeletal muscle. More recently a form of PKI was isolated and cloned from rat testis which shares relatively limited amino acid sequence with the rabbit skeletal muscle form. We have now isolated a cDNA from rat brain which encodes a protein corresponding to the rabbit skeletal muscle PKI. This establishes the presence of the \"skeletal muscle\" and \"testis\" proteins in the same species and therefore that they clearly represent distinct isoforms. We have also demonstrated that the isoform from testis, like the skeletal muscle isoform, is specific for the cAMP-dependent protein kinase and that it is able to inhibit this enzyme when expressed in cultured JEG-3 cells. Both forms contain the five specific amino acid recognition determinants which have been shown to be required for high affinity binding to the protein kinase catalytic site, although there is some noted lack of conservation of codons used for these residues. Overall, the two rat isoforms are only 41% identical at the amino acid level and 46% at the level of coding nucleotides. We propose that the rabbit skeletal muscle and rat testis forms be designated PKI alpha and PKI beta, respectively. Using Northern blot analysis, we have examined the tissue distribution of the two forms in the rat and their relative expression during development. In the adult rat, mRNA of the PKI alpha species is highest in muscle (both skeletal and cardiac) and brain (cortex and cerebellum).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1491693", "title": "Heparin-binding keratinocyte growth factor is a candidate stromal-to-epithelial-cell andromedin.", "content": "The growth of isolated epithelial and stromal cells from both androgen-dependent normal rat prostate and an androgen-responsive model rat prostate tumor is androgen-independent. When added to co-cultures of epithelial and stromal cells separated by a semipermeable membrane, androgen stimulated epithelial cell growth without an effect on stromal cell growth. Northern blot and nuclease protection analysis of mRNA revealed that stromal cells specifically expressed an androgen-sensitive secreted member of the heparin-binding fibroblast growth factor family [keratinocyte growth factor (KGF)/fibroblast growth factor-7]. KGF was mitogenic for epithelial cells, but not for stromal cells. Epithelial cells expressed specifically a splice variant of the bek receptor gene that specifically binds KGF. Expression of the bek receptor gene in stromal cells was undetectable by Northern blot and nuclease protection analyses. The results suggest that stromal cell-derived KGF has the properties of an andromedin, which mediates the indirect control of epithelial cell proliferation by androgen through a directional stromal-to-epithelial cell paracrine mechanism."}
{"id": "PMID:1491694", "title": "Identification of a new brain-specific transcription factor, NURR1.", "content": "We have identified and cloned a novel member of the nuclear receptor superfamily. The cDNA was isolated from a mouse brain cDNA library and encodes a protein 598 amino acids in length with a predicted mol wt of 66 kilodaltons. The amino acid sequence of the protein is closely related to an additional family member and immediate early gene product, Nur77, and the novel factor is referred to as Nurr1 (Nur-related factor 1). The relationship between Nurr1 and Nur77 suggests that these proteins constitute an additional subfamily within the nuclear receptor superfamily. Like Nur77, the expression of Nurr1 is induced by membrane depolarization of PC12 cells. However, while Nur77 shows an early transcriptional response to nerve growth factor stimulation, the failure of Nurr1 to respond to this agent suggests a differential selectivity of the two proteins in terms of their transcriptional responses to specific stimuli. Finally, both proteins are differentially expressed during development and in tissues of the adult mouse. Unlike Nur77, Nurr1 appears to be predominantly located in brain tissue, suggesting a primary role for this putative transcription factor in regulation of gene expression in the central nervous system."}
{"id": "PMID:1491695", "title": "Identification of two cysteines closely positioned in the ligand-binding pocket of the human estrogen receptor: roles in ligand binding and transcriptional activation.", "content": "We have previously identified cysteine 530 in the human estrogen receptor (ER) as the major site of attachment for covalently binding affinity ligands and have shown that when this cysteine is mutated to alanine (C530A mutant), the affinity ligand [tamoxifen aziridine (TAZ)] can still bind covalently to the ER, presumably by interaction with a different cysteine(s) in the hormone-binding domain (HBD). Using site-directed mutagenesis, we have determined the alternative ligand attachment site and the functional importance of the cysteines (residues 381, 417, 447, and 530) in the HBD of the ER to the hormone-binding and transcriptional responses to estrogens and antiestrogens. Cysteine 530 plus one or more of these other cysteines were mutated to alanines. Analysis of these mutant ERs expressed in Chinese hamster ovary cells provides strong evidence that cysteine 381 is the residue that is preferentially covalently labeled by TAZ in the C530A mutant. Hence, portions of the HBD that are far apart in the linear receptor sequence, namely regions near C381 and C530, are probably closely positioned in the ligand-binding pocket, with the cysteine thiols being 1.1 nm or less apart. The affinity of estradiol binding to receptors was reduced only 2- and 5-fold, respectively, in the double and quadruple Cys to Ala mutants, and estradiol was an effective stimulator of transcription from an estrogen-responsive reporter gene [(ERE)2-TATA-CAT].(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1491696", "title": "Point mutation of estrogen receptor (ER) in the ligand-binding domain changes the pharmacology of antiestrogens in ER-negative breast cancer cells stably expressing complementary DNAs for ER.", "content": "The antiestrogen tamoxifen is used in the treatment of hormone-responsive breast cancer. However, therapeutic failure has frequently been observed in both patients and animal models after long term treatment. We have studied the effect of a point mutation that leads to the substitution of Val for Gly at codon 400 in the ligand-binding domain of the estrogen receptor (ER) on estrogenic and antiestrogenic activities of 4-hydroxytamoxifen (4-OHT) and its derivatives. Stable ER transfectants derived from MDA-MB-231 CL10A, an ER-negative breast cancer cell line, have been used in these studies. 4-OHT and its fixed ring derivatives showed more estrogen-like activity in ER transfectants than in MCF-7, an ER-positive breast cancer cell line. In this study, 4-OHT was a partial agonist of cell growth in the transfectant S30 cells, which express the wild-type ER. However, it was a full agonist in the mutant ER transfectant ML alpha 2H, which expressed ER with Val at codon 400. The increased estrogenic activity of 4-OHT in ML alpha 2H cells was not due to the preferential isomerization of trans 4-OHT to cis 4-OHT, since the nonisomerizable fixed ring trans 4-OHT was a partial agonist for cell growth in S30 cells and was a full agonist in ML alpha 2H cells. Transient transfection using a reporter plasmid containing an estrogen response element demonstrated that fixed ring trans 4-OHT had estrogenic activity in ML alpha 2H cells.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1491697", "title": "Inhibition of pancreatic glucagon gene expression in mice bearing a subcutaneous glucagon-producing GLUTag transplantable tumor.", "content": "Transgenic mice that express a glucagon gene-simian virus-40 large T-antigen (GLUTag) fusion gene develop neuroendocrine carcinoma of the large bowel. This glucagon-producing tumor was implanted sc and reproducibly formed tumors in nude mice. The transplanted GLUTag tumor expressed large amounts of proglucagon mRNA transcripts, and the levels of proglucagon mRNA transcripts remained constant during 2-8 weeks of tumor growth. The posttranslational processing of proglucagon in the transplantable tumor resembled that detected in the original transgenic tumor, with the liberation of glicentin, oxyntomodulin, glucagon, glucagon-like peptide (1-37) [GLP-1-(1-37)] and GLP-1-(7-37). Tumor-bearing mice demonstrated progressive elevations in the plasma levels of proglucagon-derived peptides. Elevated plasma levels of glucagon-like immunoreactive peptides and immunoreactive glucagon were associated with a marked reduction in the levels of pancreatic glucagon mRNA transcripts by 4 weeks, and after 8 weeks of tumor growth, the levels of glucagon mRNA transcripts in the pancreas were not detectable by Northern blot analysis. Synthesis of the proglucagon-derived peptides was also significantly suppressed at 4-8 weeks in the pancreas of tumor-bearing animals. Histological examination of the endocrine pancreas in mice carrying the GLUTag tumor for 6-8 weeks demonstrated a marked reduction in the number and size of the islets of Langerhans and a disproportionately greater decrease in the number of cells exhibiting glucagon immunoreactivity. By electron microscopy, the residual A-cells were small, compressed at the periphery of the islets, and had poorly developed cytoplasmic organelles. In contrast, no changes in mouse glucagon gene expression or islet morphology were detected in control animals without tumors or mice carrying a sc v-jun-induced fibrosarcoma. The suppression of pancreatic A-cell function and islet size in mice with elevated plasma levels of the proglucagon-derived peptides raises the possibility that a proglucagon-derived peptide may participate in a negative feedback loop, inhibiting expression of the glucagon gene in the A-cells of the endocrine pancreas."}
{"id": "PMID:1491698", "title": "Expression of a peptide processing enzyme in cultured cells: truncation mutants reveal a routing domain.", "content": "Peptidylglycine alpha-amidating monooxygenase (PAM) is a bifunctional enzyme responsible for the alpha-amidation of peptides in secretory granules of neuroendocrine cells. The single gene encoding PAM undergoes tissue-specific alternative splicing and endoproteolytic processing to generate bifunctional membrane proteins with a single transmembrane domain as well as soluble proteins that are mono- or bifunctional. In order to examine the endoproteolytic processing and subcellular localization of the various forms of PAM in cells lacking regulated secretory granules, we established stably transfected hEK-293 cell lines expressing naturally occurring and mutant forms of PAM. As expected, newly synthesized soluble PAM proteins were rapidly secreted into the medium. Integral membrane protein forms of PAM were largely localized in the perinuclear region with punctate staining visible throughout the cell and 2-5% of the enzyme activity detectable on the cell surface. Bifunctional PAM proteins were slowly released into the medium after expression of integral membrane protein forms of PAM. Deletion of 77 amino acids from the COOH-terminus of the integral membrane forms of PAM resulted in a membrane-bound protein which retained both enzymatic activities but accumulated on the cell surface. Rapid internalization of full-length PAM proteins was observed by incubating live cells with antiserum to PAM; deletion of the COOH-terminal domain eliminated the ability of cells to internalize PAM. Thus the cytoplasmic domain of integral membrane PAM contains a routing determinant recognized by cells lacking the regulated secretory pathway."}
{"id": "PMID:1491699", "title": "Identification and characterization of a luteinizing hormone/chorionic gonadotropin (LH/CG) receptor precursor in a human kidney cell line stably transfected with the rat luteal LH/CG receptor complementary DNA.", "content": "It is well established that the LH/CG receptor expressed in gonadal cells is an 85- to 92-kilodalton (kDa) glycoprotein. Additionally, however, a number of reports have noted the existence of other putative receptor species, but few attempts have been made to characterize these variant receptor species. A cell line [293L(wt1)] had previously been isolated which expresses large numbers of high affinity cell surface LH/CG receptors. Visualization of the LH/CG receptor species expressed in these cells and in rat luteal cells using ligand blots revealed 85- and 90-kDa LH/CG receptors, respectively, while immunoblots revealed another 68-kDa glycoprotein receptor in both cell types. The presence of both the 85- and 68-kDa receptor species was confirmed using immunoprecipitation and affinity purification of metabolically labeled 293L(wt1) cells. Enzymatic deglycosylations established that the 85-kDa receptor is a sialoprotein, while the 68-kDa species contains exposed high mannose residues. Protease digestion before LH/CG receptor immunoprecipitations localized the 85-kDa receptor on the plasma membrane, while the 68-kDa receptor was shown to be located intracellularly. Pulse-chase experiments were then used to positively establish that the 68-kDa receptor protein is actually a precursor of the 85-kDa LH/CG receptor species."}
{"id": "PMID:1491700", "title": "A consensus DNA-binding site for the androgen receptor.", "content": "We have used a DNA-binding site selection assay to determine a consensus binding sequence for the androgen receptor (AR). A purified fusion protein containing the AR DNA-binding domain was incubated with a pool of random sequence oligonucleotides, and complexes were isolated by gel mobility shift assays. Individually selected sites were characterised by nucleotide sequencing and compiled to give a consensus AR-binding element. This sequence is comprised of two 6-basepair (bp) asymmetrical elements separated by a 3-bp spacer, 5'-GGA/TACANNNTGTTCT-3', similar to that described for the glucocorticoid response element. Inspection of the consensus revealed a slight preference for G or A nucleotides at the +1 position in the spacer and for A and T nucleotides in the 3'-flanking region. Therefore, a series of oligonucleotides was designed in which the spacer and flanking nucleotides were changed to the least preferred sequence. Competition experiments with these oligonucleotides and the AR fusion protein indicated that an oligonucleotide with both the spacer and flanking sequences changed had greater than 3-fold less affinity than the consensus sequence. The functional activity of these oligonucleotides was also assessed by placing them up-stream of a reporter gene in a transient transfection assay and correlated with the affinity with which the AR fusion protein bound to DNA. Therefore, sequences surrounding the two 6-bp half-sites influence both the binding affinity for the receptor and the functional activity of the response element."}
{"id": "PMID:1491701", "title": "The transcription factor interferon regulatory factor-1 is expressed during both early G1 and the G1/S transition in the prolactin-induced lymphocyte cell cycle.", "content": "PRL induces quiescent Nb2 rat T-lymphoma cells to undergo mitogenesis. Upon PRL stimulation, the transcription factor interferon regulatory factor-1 (IRF-1) is induced as a novel T-cell activation gene in Nb2 cells. Surprisingly, IRF-1 is expressed twice during a single PRL-induced growth cycle: first during the early G1 phase, in an immediate transient peak from 15 min to 2 h, and second during the G1/S phase transition, in a broader peak beginning at 8 h. The unusual biphasic expression of IRF-1 mRNA is accompanied both times by de novo IRF-1 protein synthesis. However, the rate of IRF-1 protein turnover appears to be different in G1 and S phases. IRF-1 protein expressed in G1 exhibits a half-life of about 25 min, whereas in the S phase, the half-life is about 60 min. By washing out PRL at various times during G1, we found a direct correlation among the length of PRL exposure, the second peak of IRF-1 mRNA expression, and DNA synthesis. Our data suggest that PRL and one putative nuclear mediator, IRF-1, may be important in two distinct phases of the cell cycle: first in cell cycle activation, and then in S phase progression."}
{"id": "PMID:1491703", "title": "[What is the cause of recurrent urinary tract infection?].", "content": "The increased susceptibility of patients prone to recurrent urinary tract infection (UTI) has been explained by an imbalance of bacterial virulence properties versus host defense capacities. In fact, the presence of certain virulence factors of the invading gram-negative bacteria (i.e. O-antigens, K-antigens, flagellae, hemolysine production, siderophores and fimbriae) determines the severity of clinical symptoms--whether UTI will present as a severe pyelonephritis or merely as an asymptomatic bacteriuria. On the other hand, an increased periurethral bacterial colonization, a deficiency of the uromucoid defense line, the increased density of globoseries glycolipids on uroepithelial cells, that function as receptors for type II mannose-resistant bacterial fimbriae and the defense defect of the uroepithelium itself contribute to the assumption that a localized defense deficiency within the non-obstructed urinary tract promotes the generalized susceptibility to recurrent UTI."}
{"id": "PMID:1491704", "title": "[How dangerous is a urinary tract infection?].", "content": "Urinary tract infections (UTI) may become dangerous if ascending bacteria reach the kidney and subsequently induce an inflammatory reaction within the renal parenchyma. Host factors like vesicorenal reflux or obstructive uropathies increase the risk of ascending infection and facilitate renal damage even by bacteria of \"low virulence\". Inadequate antibiotic therapy and young age are further predisposing factors for pyelonephritic scars. Hypertension, reduced kidney function and complications during pregnancy are the potential long term problems arising from renal damage. Early recognition of obstructive uropathies by sonographic screening, undelayed diagnosis and consequent treatment of symptomatic UTI, and early identification of reflux after symptomatic UTI's may reduce the incidence of these problems."}
{"id": "PMID:1491705", "title": "[Effectiveness of Haemophilus influenzae B-diphtheria conjugate vaccination in German children].", "content": "In 1990 the Haemophilus influenzae b-Diphtheria conjugate vaccine (Hib-D) was introduced in Germany. In addition, most children under 18 months of age failed to develop protective levels of Hib antibodies in response to systemic infections. To evaluate the protective efficacy of the Hib-D vaccine in Germany a post marketing case-control study was performed during 1.5. 1990-30.4. 1992. Surveillance for invasive Hib-infections was maintained by pediatricians of 8 hospitals in the Rhein-Main area. The antibody responses to Hib were evaluated by ELISA at the onset (days 0-3) and during remission of disease. During the first year of the study 23 cases per 100,000 children of invasive Hib-infections were recorded. Of these children, 15 suffered from meningitis, 6 from epiglottitis and one from cellulitis and pericarditis respectively. None of these patients had been vaccinated except for one, who received two injections of Hib-D. Due to increased acceptance of the Hib-D vaccine we found a significant reduction of invasive Hib-infections (6 cases per 100,000 children) in the second year of the study. Again, of these children only one child was vaccinated. As expected, in all patients investigated the initial Hib antibody level was below 1 microgram/ml. The development of Hib specific immunity to invasive disease was clearly age dependent: 10 of 11 children below 18 months failed to produce any Hib antibodies (> 0.15 microgram/ml) in response to their infection. In contrast 8 of 10 children older than 18 months developed protective antibody levels to Hib. The incidence of serious Hib-disease has significantly decreased in Germany since the introduction of the Hib-D vaccine. Because no other Hib vaccine was licensed in Germany our data confirm efficacy and safety of Hib-D reported previously. In addition, children, who contracted disease before 18 months of age, remain susceptible to Hib and require active immunization for protection."}
{"id": "PMID:1491706", "title": "[Procollagen III propeptide. Values in the course of pediatric celiac disease].", "content": "An explanation for an incomplete catch-up growth in children with coeliac disease has not yet been found. The marker of growth procollagen-III-propeptide could possible provide a better understanding of the actual regulation of growth in the situation. The investigation was made in children with established coeliac disease (n = 30). A commercial radioimmunoassay was used for the measurement of PC-III-P. A close relationship (r = 0.75; P < 0.0001) was found between height velocity and PC-III-P in serum of coeliac children. There was also a good correlation (r = 0.54; P < 0.001; n = 72) with serum levels of alcaline phosphatase. Only weak correlations were found to insulin-like growth factor I (r = 0.33; P < 0.05; n = 62), to urinary calcium (r = 0.27; P < 0.05; n = 62), and to the maturation of bones (r = 0.25; P < 0.05; n = 54). In accordance with the good correlation between height velocity and PC-III-P normal results were found in normal growing children with coeliac disease. Reduced serum levels of PC-III-P were found in coeliac children who failed to show a complete catch-up growth while on a gluten-free diet. Gluen challenge, as required for the confirmation of the diagnosis, led to a significant further decrease of the values of PC-III-P. Parallel investigations for IgA endomysium antibodies in serum suggest that besides dietary errors additional factors may impede growth, or in other words that disorders of growth regulation persist in some patients with coeliac disease even under treatment. This assumption will have to be tested by further investigations."}
{"id": "PMID:1491707", "title": "[Cardiopulmonary capacity in patients with mucoviscidosis. Comparison of ergospirometry findings with clinical and radiological scores].", "content": "Shwachman-Kulczycki- and Chrispin-Norman-Scores are widely used scoring systems for CF-patients. Maximum bicycle exercise testing was performed in 15 patients (medium age 13.4 years) to investigate whether clinical and radiographic scores or pulmonary function testing could predict cardiorespiratory fitness. A progressive exercise test was used to determine maximum working capacity (Wmax). Prior to exercise testing, lung function and blood gases were investigated. Chest radiographs were scored by an independent radiologist (G.B.) applying the Chrispin-Norman-Score. The Shwachman-Kulczycki-Score was determined by two observers (F.F., H.S.). Chrispin-Norman-Score, Schwachman-Kulczycki-Score, results of lung function testing and blood gas values were significantly correlated to each other. However no significant correlation was found to the degree of exercise limitation. Clinical, radiographic scores and lung function testing cannot predict exercise tolerance. Exercise testing is mandatory to evaluate cardio-respiratory fitness in CF-patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1491708", "title": "[Irreversible valproate-associated liver failure].", "content": "A very severely retarded infant with a Dandy-Walker malformation was treated with valproate since the age of 6 months on account of infantile spasms. Three weeks after start of therapy dexamethasone was applied additionally because valproate was ineffective. Seventy-six days after initiation of valproate therapy the infant died with the clinical signs of fulminant valproate-associated hepatotoxicity despite the discontinuation of valproate. In combination with a febrile otitis media the child had been periodically restless and lethargic during the last week prior to liver coma. Activity of liver enzymes remained within normal limits up to two days before coma occurred. Analysis of valproate metabolites by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry yielded unusually high concentrations of the di-unsaturated metabolite E,E-2,3'-dien-valproate before and during liver failure. The concentrations of the main metabolites E-2-en-valproate und 3-keto-valproate remained within the usual range found during valproate therapy at steady state. The oxydation products 4-en-valproate and E-2,4-dien-valproate which are formed by alternative pathways and are considered to be hepatotoxic were detected in very low concentrations only. The application of carnitine, of antioxidants thought to improve the capacity of the free radical scavenger system (selen, vitamin E), and of N-acetylcysteine which can detoxify reactive drug metabolites could not prevent the fatal outcome."}
{"id": "PMID:1491709", "title": "[Hospitalism. A current problem?].", "content": "The development of the term \"hospitalism\" since Spitz is described. The phases of hospitalism, protest, despair and separation are illustrated, as are preventive measures. Mother-childwards, rooming-in in obstetrics and generous visiting regulations have led to a major decrease in hospitalism in Germany. Outdated wards, social orphans and intensive care units are still current problems of hospitalism."}
{"id": "PMID:1491710", "title": "Fungal contamination of Kashar cheese in Turkey.", "content": "Fifty random samples of Kashar cheese were collected from shops in different localities in Erzurum, all contained moulds. Mean count of total surface mould was 3.02 x 10(10)/g cheese and that of inner mould was 3.02 x 10(3)/g cheese. The genera Penicillium, Aspergillus, Mucor, Rhizopus and Geotrichum sp. were isolated from cheese samples. Aflatoxins were not detected in cheese samples. Potassium sorbate inhibited mould growth and sporulation in YES broth. The public health importance and economic significance of fungal contamination, and suggested measure for cheese quality are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1491718", "title": "Cannabinoid receptors: which cells, where, how, and why?", "content": "Localization of the mRNA for this receptor has identified many regions of the rat brain in which the gene for this receptor is active. Several of these regions are consistent with the cannabinoid- or marijuana-induced effects that occur in both laboratory animals and humans. However, other labeled regions are not easily associated with well-known effects of marijuana (Matsuda et al., submitted for publication). Although great progress has been achieved in elucidating the mechanism of action of cannabis in recent years (Howlett et al. 1990), much remains to be discovered about the expression of cannabinoid receptors in the brain and exactly how this receptor influences numerous brain functions."}
{"id": "PMID:1491720", "title": "Regulation of opioid gene expression: a model to understand neural plasticity.", "content": "The recent finding that neurotransmitters and drugs that affect neurotransmission have important influences on gene expression suggests that drug-induced alterations in gene expression may underlie many long-term effects of addictive drugs, for example, dependence and drug-seeking behaviors. These long-term adaptive responses to opiate drugs have been particularly difficult to understand at a mechanistic level. Data presented here indicate that the gene encoding the opioid precursor proenkephalin is highly regulated by neural activity, second-messenger pathways, and PKA. These observations raise the possibility that drugs of abuse (e.g., opiates acting through opiate receptors) may act at the genetic level to modulate the expression of endogenous opiates and that these effects may underlie one component of the brain's long-term adaptive response to exogenous opiates. The transgenic animals described above can be used to investigate opiate drug-induced changes in proenkephalin gene expression, allowing rapid analysis of changes in proenkephalin gene expression in highly restricted populations of neurons in a fashion previously impossible. In addition, by analyzing the effects of specific enhancer mutations on tissue-specific and transsynaptic regulation of proenkephalin expression, transgenic models will permit mechanistic investigations within the intact nervous system that cannot otherwise be undertaken. Investigation of mechanisms underlying this process requires the analysis of intracellular signaling pathways, responsive DNA regulatory elements, and the transcription factors transducing synaptic signals into gene regulation. In the studies described herein, we demonstrate that AP-1 complexes consisting of different Jun proteins differentially regulate proenkephalin transcription at the CRE-2 element. c-Jun constitutively activates proenkephalin transcription, whereas JunD activates in a fashion completely dependent on the activation of second-messenger pathways and the cAMP-dependent PKA. JunB alone has no effect on proenkephalin gene expression, yet this molecule effectively blocks activation mediated by JunD and, hence, may act as a repressor. These data are consistent with a model (figure 4) in which preexisting JunD mediates the rapid cAMP-dependent activation of the proenkephalin enhancer, whereas IEGs such as JunB or c-Fos mediate the protein synthesis-dependent inactivation. Because c-Jun activates proenkephalin transcription constitutively, induction of c-Jun may lead to a further and prolonged activation of proenkephalin gene expression. Hence, the ratio of c-Jun to JunB induction may determine whether proenkephalin is repressed or further activated."}
{"id": "PMID:1491721", "title": "New monoclonal antibodies specific to HLA class I and their application in the study of acid treatment effect on cell surface antigens.", "content": "New monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against HLA class I antigens were prepared and characterized. Three mAbs (CLI-1, CLI-2, CLI-3) were directed to the heavy chain of HLA class I molecules and one mAb (B2M-1) is specific to beta 2-microglobulin. Using these mAbs, it was confirmed that acid treatment selectively eliminated cell surface HLA class I antigenicity. The treatment with citric acid solution resulted in preparation of cells with lower residual HLA class I surface molecules than was seen after the treatment with glycine buffer."}
{"id": "PMID:1491722", "title": "Detection of cytoplasmic and surface membrane markers in cells of some human hematopoietic cell lines.", "content": "The cells of some human leukemia-lymphoma T cell lines (JURKAT, MOLT4), B cell lines (DAUDI, U-266) and of myeloid U-937 cell line were characterized for their surface membrane and cytoplasmic marker profiles. The usefulness of some fixation and permeabilization methods of cell membrane for detection of cytoplasmic markers by flow cytometry was studied. The methods of cell fixation in suspension were found to be more sensitive than the methods of cell fixation in smears. With the very short buffered formaldehyde-acetone (BFA) fixation used in this study an optimal penetration of the monoclonal antibodies (MoAbs) through the plasma membrane and specific binding to the appropriate structures were achieved. CD22 antigen was detected in cytoplasm but not on membrane of DAUDI cells. In another B cell line, U-266, CD22 antigen was present both in cell membrane and cytoplasm. The marker corresponding to anti-CD19 MoAb was detected in cytoplasm but was absent on membrane of U-266 cells. Furthermore, the antigen estimated by anti-CD3 MoAb could be detected intracellularly in cells of both T cell lines tested, while it was absent on cell membrane of these cells. The phenotypic study of U-937 cells showed that the majority of cells expressed myeloid associated antigens. In our study the CD14 marker detected on cell surface membrane of U-937 cells was missing in their cytoplasm. The surface antigens remained intact after BFA fixation enabling a simultaneous detection of membrane and cytoplasmic markers in double immunofluorescence studies. Through this combination of markers minor cell populations could be detected. Human hematopoietic cell lines could serve as a reliable model system for a rapid and quantitative immunodiagnosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1491723", "title": "Regulation of the proto-oncogenes c-sis, c-fos, c-myc and c-myb in acute myeloid leukemias.", "content": "RNA transcriptional levels of the proto-oncogenes c-sis, c-fos, c-myb and c-myc were measured in peripheral blood leukemic blast cells of 16 patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) of different FAB subtypes, 8 being at diagnosis and 8 upon relapse. The studied proto-oncogenes were found to be regulated but varied considerably within morphologically identical subtypes. This is consistent with the clinically observable diverse behavior of seemingly identical AMLs as to the course and outcome of the individual disease. Overexpression of c-sis and c-myc was found more often in AML upon relapse than at diagnosis and in two cases overexpression not found at diagnosis was present at relapse. This implies alterations of biological behavior in the course of antileukemic drug therapy. A decline of c-myb expression was observed in one patient studied throughout therapy which was found to be associated with a complete but transient hematological remission after chemotherapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1491724", "title": "Estrogen and progesterone receptor status of primary breast cancer: relationship with the pattern of first metastasis and survival.", "content": "Estrogen (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) contents in primary tumors from 127 advanced breast cancer patients were measured by DCC method. The patients were followed for 2 years and the prognostic value of the receptor levels was evaluated and compared with other tumor and patient characteristics. No relation was found between receptor levels and tumor, first relapse site as well as short-term survival (2 years) which might be due to the advanced stage of disease at diagnosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1491725", "title": "Flow cytometry (FCM) of early radiation response in epidermoid carcinoma of uterine cervix.", "content": "DNA flow cytometry (FCM) investigation of tumor specimens before and after 30 Gy 137Cs radiation treatment was performed in 33 cases of epidermoid uterine cervix carcinoma. Distinct differences in the type of FCM response to radiation were seen when the results of DNA index (DI) in diploid and aneuploid tumors and proliferation index (PI) values in diploid tumors from pretreatment and 30 Gy irradiated specimens were compared. We observed partial or total reduction of PI in 12 of 17 diploid and near diploid tumors, and total reduction of the aneuploid population in 14 of 16 aneuploid tumors. No significant correlation was found between the type of FCM response and clinical stage of the disease or the histological degree of differentiation."}
{"id": "PMID:1491726", "title": "Studies on the natural killer cell activity of human nonadherent mononuclear cells (nMNC) with tumor necrosis factor, interleukin-1, interferon-gamma and cisplatin.", "content": "The potential for additive or synergistic augmentation of NK cell activity of nMNC with recombinant tumor necrosis factor (TNF-alpha), interleukin-1 (IL-1), interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) and cisplatin in different combinations was examined. Significant augmentation in NK activity of nMNC was observed when treated with cisplatin, rIFN-gamma, rIL-1 or rTNF-alpha in vitro. Combined treatment of nMNC with rIL-1 and rTNF-alpha resulted in moderate increase in NK cell activity. However, killing of K 562 target cells was markedly augmented by co-stimulation of nMNC with rIL-1 plus rIFN-gamma and rIL-1 plus cisplatin. Further, only a moderate augmentation of NK activity was observed when nMNC were treated with cisplatin plus TNF or IFN-gamma. These observations demonstrated the individual and co-stimulative effects on NK function of nMNC in vitro by rTNF-alpha, rIL-1, cisplatin and rIFN-gamma."}
{"id": "PMID:1491727", "title": "HPLC determination of a new anticancer agent (acylfulvene) in serum.", "content": "High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) combined with effective preseparation steps (liquid extraction, solid-phase extraction, preconcentration procedures) was used in pharmacokinetic studies of a novel anticancer agent (acylfulvene) in serum. HPLC conditions were optimized for the analysis of model clinical samples and real serum samples with different contents of acylfulvene. Extraction recoveries for both extraction procedures were evaluated and linearity was achieved for a wide concentration range. Detection limit for acylfulvene in serum was 0.075 microgram/ml, preconcentration minimum 5 times was recommended, especially after the solid-phase extraction step. The HPLC assay was applied for pharmacokinetic studies of acylfulvene in dogs and rats and pharmacokinetic parameters were determined."}
{"id": "PMID:1491728", "title": "Sarcomas of the breast: a multicenter series of 70 cases.", "content": "A multicenter retrospective series of 70 breast sarcomas (malignant cystosarcoma phyllodes (25), osteosarcoma (12), liposarcoma (10), stromal sarcoma (8), angiosarcoma (7), mixed types sarcoma (4), malignant histiocytoma (3), leiomyosarcoma (1)) was reviewed. The average follow-up was 5.9 years. Diagnostic tests (palpation, mammography, sonography and cytology) were poorly sensitive, and a large proportion of cases, appearing as regular, sharp bordered, rounded masses were diagnosed as benign fibroadenomas. Surgery (limited (29), mastectomy (41)) was the treatment of choice. Axillary nodes were rarely involved (2 of 31) at pathologic staging. No significant predictors of local recurrences (12 cases) were observed although recurrences were more frequent in larger lesions (0-20 mm = 1.1%, 21-50 mm = 1.7%, > 50 mm = 6.1% women-year) and in cases treated with limited surgery (limited surgery 4.6%, mastectomy 2.0% women-year). Distant metastases (16 cases) were less frequent in malignant cystosarcoma phyllodes or liposarcoma patients, but no other significant predictors of distant metastases were evidenced. Five-year disease-free or overall survival was 50% or 66%, respectively. The study confirms that breast sarcomas are rare, difficult to diagnose, but can be cured by surgical treatment in a considerable proportion of cases."}
{"id": "PMID:1491729", "title": "Efficacy of a hospital based cytology screening program.", "content": "From 1976 to 1986, a total of 117,471 women attending gynecologic outpatient departments of six hospitals in Delhi, India, were screened cytologically. The cytodiagnosis revealed 30,399 (25.9%) normal finding, 84,889 (72.3%) inflammatory changes, 1910 (1.6%) dysplasia of various grades and 213 (0.2%) malignant lesions. Of the 213 cases detected as malignant, clinical suspicion of cervical cancer was not present in 125 women (58.7%). Histologically malignancy was confirmed in 192 women (90.1%) of the 213 cytologically diagnosed malignant cases. The diagnosis revealed 94 (49.0%) as carcinoma in situ and the rest of the cases were invasive lesions. This was in contrast to only 5.2% (10/194) of cases with carcinoma in situ seen at the cancer clinic during 1983-1986 in one of the major collaborating hospitals of Delhi. The analysis of data according to age revealed that median age at detection of mild/moderate, severe dysplasia, carcinoma in situ (CIS) and invasive cancers was 34.0, 37.9, 38.6, and 47.8 years, respectively, indicating a latency period of one and a half decade from the onset of precursor lesions to invasive disease. Mass population screening in our country is not feasible in the near future and this may be true also for other developing countries. In its absence cytological screening of patients attending hospitals and maternity homes can give a large yield of early cervical cancers, which are curable."}
{"id": "PMID:1491730", "title": "Profiling of endogenous brain peptides and small proteins: methodology, computer-assisted analysis, and application to aging and lesion models.", "content": "Significant advances in the technology for the isolation of peptides and small proteins have permitted their identification as biologic markers and enhanced the study of the posttranslational life of proteins. The protocol described here examined large numbers of tissue-derived peptides and small proteins, extracted in low pH and boiled so that proteolysis was interrupted. These were then fractionated batchwise using size exclusion and ion-exchange chromatography. Profiles of species in the peptide pools were then generated on reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The HPLC profiles were evaluated with chromatographic analysis software to identify and quantify peptide peaks and with data compilation programs to sort this information into spreadsheets for comparison of profiles among groups. Using rodent brain, the effects of postmortem delay or age were examined. Postmortem delay produced limited alterations to the profiles, but the effect of age was more pronounced. Many changes were apparent until 12 months, after which the profiles became more constant. Additional peptide profiling of the hippocampus demonstrated changes in peptide content as a function of perforant pathway ablation. The major strengths of HPLC-mediated peptide profiling are that it lends itself to automation and can be used to detect changes in peptides and small proteins among experimental groups or subjects without any prior assumptions concerning which ones might be altered."}
{"id": "PMID:1491731", "title": "Hsp70 mRNA induction is reduced in neurons of aged rat hippocampus after thermal stress.", "content": "Levels of heat-shock 70 mRNAs, relative to those of 18S rRNA, were quantitated in specific cell types of hippocampus of adult and aged rats subjected to identical heat shock regimens. Body temperature changes in response to the heat stress were no different in adult and aged rats. In control rats, as well as 3 h after initiation of heat shock in both adult and aged rats, relative levels of the constitutively synthesized heat-shock cognate 70 (hsc70) mRNA were highest in hippocampal neurons and much lower in glia. No heat-shock protein 70 (hsp70) mRNAs were present in any cell type of control adult or aged rats. In heat-shocked adult rats, the relative levels of the heat-shock-inducible hsp70 mRNAs were highest in a subpopulation of glia, intermediate in granule cells of the dentate gyrus, and lowest in pyramidal cells of Ammon's horn. Relative levels of hsp70 mRNA were several-fold lower in the dentate gyrus granule cells of aged rats compared to relative levels in controls and were also reduced in many pyramidal cells of the hippocampus but not in hippocampal glia. These findings suggest that some neuronal populations in the hippocampus may be at increased risk for stress-related injury in the aged animal."}
{"id": "PMID:1491735", "title": "Soluble and membrane-bound forms of brain acetylcholinesterase in Alzheimer's disease.", "content": "In order to determine the effect of Alzheimer's disease on the relative distribution of soluble and membrane-bound molecular forms of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) in the brain, postmortem samples (delay interval less than 12 h) were obtained from parietal cortex (Brodmann area 40) and hippocampus as well as the areas containing their respective projection nuclei, i.e., substantia innominata and septal nucleus, in 9 patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and 4 normal controls. The monomer (G1), dimer (G2), and tetramer (G4) forms of AChE were examined. In AD compared to controls, significant changes occurred in area 40 and hippocampus but not in the areas containing projection nuclei, and included loss of mean total AChE activity, decrease in the relative percentage of membrane-bound G4, and increase in the relative percentage of soluble G1-G2. Percent of soluble G4 was unaffected in AD brain. In area 40 but not hippocampus a large increase in percent membrane-bound G1-G2 occurred. Thus, these results emphasize that the selective decrease in membrane-bound G4 accounts for the decrease in total G4 activity in AD brain."}
{"id": "PMID:1491734", "title": "Age-dependent cerebral metabolic effects of unilateral nucleus basalis magnocellularis ablation in rats.", "content": "To investigate the age-dependent functional importance of cholinergic neocortical inputs, and to explore whether cortical cholinergic denervation in aged animals might better model the cerebral metabolic changes of Alzheimer's disease, the effects of unilateral ablation of the nucleus basalis magnocellularis (NBM) on cerebral glucose metabolism were studied in young and aged rats. Regional cerebral metabolic rates for glucose (rCMRglc) were determined, using the [14C]deoxyglucose method, in 48 brain regions of 3- and 24-month old Fischer-344 rats at 3, 7, 14 and 28 days after stereotaxic injection of ibotenate into the right NBM, and in sham-operated animals at 3 and 14 days later. For both ages the peak effect of unilateral NBM ablation occurred 3 days later: in young rats, rCMRglc was significantly reduced (compared to the contralateral side) in all 24 anterior cortical areas examined (mean decline 20%), whereas in aged animals, only 9 of 24 areas showed a significant decline in glucose utilization, and the magnitude of rCMRglc reduction (9%) was smaller. Near complete recovery of rCMRglc occurred by 7 days in young and old rats. We conclude that the basalocortical cholinergic projection plays a smaller role in neocortical function of aged rats, possibly because its tonic activity is reduced. Both young and aged rats undergo cortical metabolic normalization after unilateral NBM ablation; hence the NBM-lesioned aged rat is not a better model of the progressive decline in rCMRglc that occurs in Alzheimer's disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1491736", "title": "Are thrombocyte membranes altered in Alzheimer's disease? A morphometric and biochemical study.", "content": "Morphometric analysis of thrombocytes from patients with Alzheimer's disease, from patients with multi-infarct dementia, and from young and age-matched healthy control donors, did not reveal any Alzheimer-related increase in internal membranes. Biochemical analysis showed a reduced cholesterol content of thrombocyte membrane preparations from Alzheimer patients relative to age-matched controls, but not relative to multi-infarct dementia patients. Overall distribution of protein kinase C activity (PKC) between cytosol and membrane, in resting as well as in activated thrombocytes from Alzheimer patients, was similar to that in the control groups. However, both Alzheimer and multi-infarct dementia patients had lower cytosolic levels of basal kinase and PKC activities than age-matched controls, while only Alzheimer patients had lower cytoskeletal PKC activity than controls."}
{"id": "PMID:1491737", "title": "Diabetes mellitus and brain atrophy: a computed tomography study in an elderly population.", "content": "Previous studies have suggested that noninsulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) could lead to learning and memory deficits. We studied cognitive performance and computed tomography (CT) findings of the brain in elderly subjects with drug treated NIDDM (n = 12), with diet treated NIDDM (n = 13), and in nondiabetic individuals (ND, n = 59). The cognitive performance (orientation and up-to-date knowledge, praxic functions, understanding of speech, expressive speech, memory, general reasoning) did not differ between the groups. The drug treated diabetics had more pronounced central temporal atrophy compared to that in the ND subjects as evidenced by wider right temporal horn (ANCOVA adjusted for age, p = 0.011). The drug treated diabetics (all women) also had wider frontal horns than did the ND women. The CT measures of diet treated diabetics were comparable with those of the ND group. The fasting glucose level was positively correlated with the width of the right temporal horn but not with other CT measures in diabetic subjects. The results suggest that NIDDM and poor glucose control may carry a risk for accelerated brain atrophy in the elderly."}
{"id": "PMID:1491732", "title": "Differential effects of age on subpopulations of hippocampal theta cells.", "content": "The possible contribution of age-related changes in the firing properties of hippocampal theta cells to spatial learning deficits was addressed in the present study. The behavioral correlates of theta cells in strata oriens, pyramidale, and granulosum were compared as young and old rats performed a radial maze spatial working memory task. Behaviorally, the old animals made significantly more errors on the maze and required more time to solve the task than did young animals. Firing rates were compared in four different locomotion states: still, running radially inward and radially outward, and forward motion. The discharge rates of theta cells in strata pyramidale and granulosum were significantly modulated by these movements in both age groups. Stratum oriens theta cells recorded from young animals, on the other hand, were not movement-sensitive, while similar cells from old animals demonstrated exaggerated responses to movement. In old animals, the mean discharge rates were higher in stratum granulosum and lower in stratum oriens than in the young rats. The discharge rates of cells in stratum pyramidale did not differ between age groups. These region specific changes in the firing characteristics of hippocampal theta cells are likely to have important consequences for information processing in this structure."}
{"id": "PMID:1491733", "title": "Increased synaptic input to gonadotropin-releasing hormone neurons in aged, virgin, male Sprague-Dawley rats.", "content": "Using double-label ultrastructural immunocytochemistry, we found the synaptic input to gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons in the preoptic area of aged (20 months old), virgin, male Sprague-Dawley rats to be denser than that in young adults (3 months old). These results confirmed earlier observations on F-344 virgin male rats. The aging F-344 rat, however, is prone to testicular tumor and so it was essential to see if the phenomenon was reproducible in another rat strain. In the first study, a portion of the increase in synaptic density was due to an increase in the proportion of synapses containing pleiomorphic vesicles, frequently associated with the neurotransmitter GABA. We tested the possibility directly using a double-label protocol for GnRH and glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD). However, in the present study the density of input by GABA did not change with age. This inhibitory amino acid represented about 10% of the total innervation in young animals; but, in aged animals, because the total synaptic input was greater, GABA represented only about 4% of the innervation. Synaptic vesicles within GAD-immunoreactive terminals were uniformly clear and spherical, suggesting that pleiomorphic vesicle shape is not an appropriate criterion for GABAergic innervation."}
{"id": "PMID:1491739", "title": "Effects of combined acetylcholinesterase inhibition and serotonergic receptor blockade on age-associated memory impairments in rats.", "content": "We recently reported that post-training administration of serotonergic receptor antagonists attenuated the inhibitory-avoidance memory deficits normally exhibited by aged rats. In the present study, we determined whether a subeffective dose of the serotonergic type-2 receptor antagonist, ketanserin, would augment the facilitative effects produced by the acetylcholinesterase inhibitor, physostigmine, on memory in aged rats using the same task. The drugs were injected intraperitoneally alone, or in combination, immediately following training. Retention testing occurred 24 hours following training. A dose-dependent enhancement of memory was demonstrated as a result of the two treatment conditions (physostigmine 0.01-10.0 micrograms/kg, ketanserin 1.0 mg/kg + physostigmine 0.001-0.01 micrograms/kg). The facilitation of memory produced by the combined treatment was observed at doses well below those required to produce a similar effect when each drug was administered alone. The results provide additional evidence for an interaction between the cholinergic and serotonergic neurotransmitter systems in learning and memory, and may have important implications in the treatment of age-related memory impairments."}
{"id": "PMID:1491738", "title": "Nature of mental retardation and dementia in Down syndrome: study with PET, CT, and neuropsychology.", "content": "Recent evidence suggests that Alzheimer's disease is an etiologically heterogeneous disorder. A human model of Alzheimer's disease exists that avoids such problems of etiologic heterogeneity. Down syndrome (DS), trisomy 21, is a genetic disorder in which an extra portion of chromosome 21 leads to mental retardation, short stature, and phenotypic abnormalities. Prior investigations by others have shown that DS subjects over 40 years of age demonstrate neuropathologic and neurochemical defects postmortem that are virtually indistinguishable from those found in brains of Alzheimer's disease patients and a universal cognitive deterioration more severe in demented than nondemented older DS subjects. In our study, these nondemented older DS subjects show a distinctive pattern of age-related deficits, while a more global pattern is seen in demented older DS subjects. Dementia occurs in 40% of older DS subjects. We find that in older demented DS subjects positron emission tomography (PET) shows identical patterns of abnormal glucose metabolism as those described previously in Alzheimer's disease patients, selectively involving the phylogenetically newer association areas of parietal and temporal neocortices but sparing primary sensory and motor regions. Further, we find in older demented DS patients quantitative computer-assisted tomography (CT) indicates accelerated neuronal loss and brain atrophy, similar to that previously shown in Alzheimer's disease patients. As a potential use of the DS model, we observed a case of DS with dementia but without mental retardation. This case suggests that expression of dementia in DS may involve genes on chromosome 21 other than in the \"obligatory\" distal segment of the q arm. Alternatively, differential expression of genes on the q arm of chromosome 21 might cause dementia without phenotypic features and mental retardation."}
{"id": "PMID:1491746", "title": "Sigh-related heart rate changes during sleep in premature and full-term newborns.", "content": "The functional linkage in the cardio-respiratory system demands precise coordination of their activity. Sighs provide an opportunity to study the interaction and the maturation of the autonomic nervous system. In 4 groups of normal, sleeping newborns (31 to 41 weeks conceptional age [wCA], 2 to 10 days postnatal age) we investigated heart rate changes caused by sighs by means of polygraphy. In full-term (39-41 wCA) and near-term newborns (37-38 wCA) sighs during quiet sleep (QS) were accompanied by heart rate acceleration (p < 0.01) and thereafter by heart rate deceleration (p < 0.01). During active sleep (AS) only heart rate acceleration (p < 0.01) was observable. In prematures (35-36 wCA) acceleration could be observed in QS (p < 0.01) and AS (p < 0.01) but no deceleration in QS. In prematures of 31-34 wCA no changes during AS and QS could be detected. Body movements caused heart rate acceleration but no heart rate deceleration. In conclusion, it can be hypothesized that heart rate acceleration may be caused by reduced vagotonus initiated by augmented lung volume and movements. Sigh-related changes responsible for heart rate deceleration occur solely during quiet sleep. In prematures of 31-34 wCA these reflexes are not developed."}
{"id": "PMID:1491741", "title": "Tacrine restores cholinergic nicotinic receptors and glucose metabolism in Alzheimer patients as visualized by positron emission tomography.", "content": "Three patients with Alzheimer's disease, a 68-year-old woman with mild dementia and 2 men (aged 64 and 72 years) with moderate dementia were treated orally with the cholinesterase inhibitor tacrine (tetrahydroaminoacridine), 80 mg daily, for several months. The patients were investigated using positron emission tomography (PET) prior to, and after 3 weeks and 3 months of treatment. The PET studies involved a multi-tracer system consisting of [18F]-fluoro-deoxy-glucose (18F-FDG) (tracer for glucose metabolism); 11C-butanol (cerebral blood flow) and (S)(-)- and (R)(+)-[N-11C-methyl]-nicotine (nicotinic receptors; cholinergic neural activity). Tacrine treatment increased the uptake of 11C-nicotine to the brain. Significant reduced difference in uptake between the two enantiomers (S)(-)- and (R)(+)11C-nicotine was observed in the frontal and temporal cortices after tacrine treatment in all three patients. The kinetic analysis indicated increased binding of (S)(-)11C-nicotine in brain compatible with a restoration of nicotinic cholinergic receptors. The most pronounced effect was observed after 3 weeks and 3 months treatment in the patient with mild dementia. An increase in cerebral glucose utilization was found in the 68-year-old patient with mild dementia but also slightly in the 64-year-old man with moderate dementia when treated with tacrine for 3 months. Tacrine administration did not affect cerebral blood flow. The PET data obtained after 3 weeks of tacrine treatment was paralleled by improvement in neuropsychological performance. This study shows in vivo by PET neurochemical effects induced in brain by treatment with tacrine to Alzheimer patients. Intervention with tacrine in the early course of the disease might be necessary for clinical improvement."}
{"id": "PMID:1491747", "title": "Acrocallosal syndrome: association with cystic malformation of the brain and neurodevelopmental aspects.", "content": "The acrocallosal syndrome (ACS) is a rare malformation syndrome characterized by a distinct pattern of craniofacial, brain and limb anomalies. It was first described by Schinzel in 1979 and followed by 25 other cases reported in the literature. Neurodevelopmental aspects include hypotonia of prenatal onset, seizures and moderate to severe mental retardation. The condition is probably of autosomal recessive inheritance but is closely resembles the Greig cephalopolysyndactyly syndrome (GCPS), an autosomal dominantly inherited disorder mapped to the short arm of chromosome seven. We reviewed the literature for aspects of associated cystic malformations in addition to agenesis of the corpus callosum and report on another patient with ACS. Prognosis is dependent on the degree of hypotonia and early onset of epilepsy rather than the degree of craniofacial and limb malformations."}
{"id": "PMID:1491748", "title": "Development of the relationship between active and passive muscle power in preterms after term age.", "content": "Fifty-eight infants were assessed with an instrument which is designed to evaluate the development of the relationship between active and passive muscle power. The purpose of this longitudinal assessment was to investigate whether preterms show a different development course than fullterms in the relationship between these two components of muscle power. Thirty-seven low-risk preterms and twenty-one healthy fullterms were followed from term until 24 weeks corrected age. It is concluded that preterms differ markedly from fullterms in the developing interrelationship between active and passive muscle power. The value of the instrument for detecting signs of early pathology is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1491743", "title": "Oxytocin concentration changes in different rat brain areas but not in plasma during aging.", "content": "The concentration of oxytocin was measured by radioimmunoassay in different brain areas, hypophysis, and plasma of male Wistar Kyoto rats during aging. Although no difference in the concentration of oxytocin in any of the above tissues among 2- and 6-month-old rats was found, in 12-month-old rats a 21% decrease was observed in both septum and hippocampus, but not in the hypothalamus, hypophysis, and plasma, when compared to values of 2- and 6-month-old rats. In 18-month-old rats, the decrease of septal and hippocampal oxytocin content was higher than that found in 12-month-old rats, but no change was found in the hypothalamus, neurohypophysis, and plasma. In 24-month-old rats, oxytocin content was similar to that found in 18-month-old rats in all tissues analyzed. The results suggest that aging induces an impairment of oxytocinergic transmission in the central nervous system but not in the neurohypophyseal system."}
{"id": "PMID:1491749", "title": "Serial magnetic resonance imaging studies in a case of late onset globoid cell leukodystrophy.", "content": "The late onset type of globoid cell leukodystrophy (GLD) is a rare disorder and only three magnetic resonance imaging (MR) studies have been reported for this disease. We report a sporadic case of late onset GLD. The illness started at the age of 3 years and 8 months with spastic gait. He became bedridden at the age of 4 years and 7 months. The diagnosis was made by deficient activity of galactosylceramidase in lymphocytes, and the biochemical and morphological examinations of the biopsied sural nerve were also conducted. Computed tomography (CT) and MR study revealed that the degenerative change of the white matter was initially recognized in the occipital and parietal lobes and then extended forward. Literature of the CT or MR findings of GLD is also reviewed."}
{"id": "PMID:1491750", "title": "Acute encephalopathy with bilateral striatal necrosis. A distinctive clinicopathological condition.", "content": "Two patients with acute encephalopathy with bilateral striatal necrosis are presented and the literature on the subject is reviewed. The disease is characterized by abrupt onset following a systemic infectious illness, with disturbance of consciousness, absence of speech, dystonic movements of the limbs, general stiffness, opisthotonus, tremor, facial grimacing, and stereotyped reaction to painful stimuli. After a variable period of time, there is gradual improvement of the neurological status with clearing of consciousness and recovery of motor functions. Mild CSF pleocytosis is the only abnormal laboratory test encountered. Cranial imaging shows from the beginning of the illness, bilateral involvement of the striatum that may persist indefinitely. The pathogenesis of this disorder remains unknown although an infectious or para-infectious mechanism seems to be the most likely possibility."}
{"id": "PMID:1491744", "title": "Failure of dietary restriction to retard age-related neurochemical changes in mice.", "content": "Age-sensitive neurochemical measures and estrous cyclicity were studied in female mice from the long-lived C3B10F1 strain fed either a control diet or subjected to dietary restriction (DR) from 3 weeks of age. Striatal dopaminergic D2 receptor density decreased by 25% from 9-10 months to 28-30 months of age in the control group. This decline was uninfluenced by DR. Anterior pituitary dopamine + dihydroxyphenylacetic acid content increased by 2.5 fold with age in the control group but DR failed to oppose this age-related change. In contrast to DR's lack of influence on these two neurochemical measures were findings on estrous cyclicity. Although mice on DR did not display estrous cycles, cyclicity was rapidly initiated when these mice were switched to the control diet at 12 and even at 22 months of age. Thus, limited aspects of neuroendocrine aging were retarded by DR in this long-lived mouse model."}
{"id": "PMID:1491745", "title": "Neuroimmunology of Alzheimer's disease: a conference report.", "content": "A multidisciplinary group met under the auspices of the National Institute on Aging and the Dell Foundation at the Princess Resort in San Diego, CA on April 5-6, 1991. The meeting was organized by Dr. Caleb E. Finch, University of Southern California, Dr. Zaven Khachaturian, National Institute on Aging, Dr. William Markesbery, University of Kentucky, Dr. Patrick McGeer, University of British Columbia, and Dr. Joseph Rogers, Institute for Biogerontology Research, and covered recent data suggesting neuroimmune correlates of Alzheimer's disease (AD). These findings span many of the major immune system phenomena, from major histocompatibility complex (MHC) antigens through cytokines and the complement cascade and suggest that some facets of AD pathogenesis may be immune related."}
{"id": "PMID:1491751", "title": "Congenital muscular dystrophy with eye and brain malformations in six Dutch patients.", "content": "From four Dutch families six patients, who have congenital muscular dystrophy, involvement of the central nervous system and of the eyes, or the so-called \"muscle, eye and brain disease\" (MEB-D), are reported. Two patients are still alive, in four autopsy could be performed. The clinical and morphological data of our patients are compared to those described in recent literature. The progression of the disease was rapid in five of our six patients. Our study supports the idea that within the MEB-D syndrome there are at least two different types of clinical expression, one with a rapid progression as described by Dobyns et al 1989 (9) and one with a slower progression as described in most patients of Santavuori et al 1989 (23). The study also confirms the autosomal recessive mode of inheritance of MEB-D."}
{"id": "PMID:1491740", "title": "Sleep-disordered breathing in healthy and spousally bereaved elderly: a one-year follow-up study.", "content": "This study examined the progression of sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) over 1 year in two samples of elderly subjects: 45 healthy controls (20 men; 25 women mean age 74.8 years) and 27 recently spousally bereaved elders (9 men; 18 women, mean age 69.7 years). Although controls and bereaved subjects did not differ in the proportions with SDB, both groups showed a rise in the proportion of subjects with apnea hypopnea index > or = 5 and > or = 10 at 1-year follow-up and a small but statistically significant worsening in average maximum desaturation. The severity of SDB did not correlate with medical burden or with other clinical variables, such as severity of depressive symptoms. In summary, SDB increased longitudinally in both samples. This finding may have health implications for the aging population although at this time the implications are unclear."}
{"id": "PMID:1491752", "title": "Glutaric aciduria type 1 an atypical presentation together with some observations upon treatment and the possible cause of cerebral damage.", "content": "This report describes an infant diagnosed aged twenty-five months as having glutaric aciduria Type 1 (GA 1). Initial presentation was with isolated macrocephaly at four months of age. Severe hypertonia, and dystonia, within 24 hours of minor head injury occurred at nineteen months of age. Serial cranial imaging showed subdural fluid collections, and increasing underlying cerebral atrophy, mainly frontal and temporal. Confirmation of the clinical diagnosis required repeated blood and urine analysis by high performance liquid chromatography and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry; diagnosis was later confirmed enzymologically. Treatment with riboflavin, L-carnitine, vigabatrin and baclofen, produced some symptomatic relief; a low protein diet, nitrazepam and sodium valproate appeared of less obvious use. The rationale for these attempts at treatment is discussed. The possible role of quinolinic acid in the genesis of the fronto temporal and striatal atrophy is discussed and measurement of the quinolinate concentration in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of this case and age-related controls is presented."}
{"id": "PMID:1491753", "title": "Cervical cord birth injury and subsequent development of syringomyelia: a case report.", "content": "A 2830 g full-term baby, born by breech delivery, exhibited weak crying and sucking and severe hypotonia of the extremities after birth. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed marked thinning of the cervical cord at the level of C4 and C5. This lesion evolved into focal syringomyelia by the fourth month after birth. In this patient, MRI was useful in detecting the initial spinal cord injury, which appeared as marked thinning, and the subsequent syringomyelia as well. The role of birth trauma in cervical spinal cord injuries is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1491742", "title": "Aging changes in the beta-endorphin neuronal system in the preoptic area of the C57BL/6J mouse: ultrastructural analysis.", "content": "In hypothalami of aging rodents, beta-endorphin (beta-EP) neuron number and content are reduced. The objectives of this study were: first, to analyze ultrastructurally the population of neuronal elements in a selected region of the preoptic area (POA) in young and old mice; second, to study the beta-EP neuronal system in the same region to determine whether or not this population remains stable with age. Vibratome sections from the most caudal POA through the diagonal band of Broca were examined by light microscopy and immunocytochemistry in mature, cycling (5-6 months old) and old, acyclic, disease-free (24-26 months old) mice. A subset of beta-EP-like perikarya and associated structures was observed in the periventricular POA. When this subregion was examined at the ultrastructural level, there was a significant decrease in the number of recipient dendrites [3.78 +/- 0.04 SEM/micron 2 young vs. 0.82 +/- 0.03/micron 2 old; p < 0.007, analysis of variance (ANOVA)], but a significant increase in the number of nonmyelinated axons (20.0 +/- 2.6/micron 2 young vs. 26.8 +/- 0.7/micron 2 old; p < 0.05). Immunolabeled terminals that contained a synapse comprised 2.56 +/- 0.08% of all terminals with synapses in young mice but only 0.34 +/- 0.04% in old ones when corrected for surface area examined (p < 0.03). A significant age-related loss was also observed in the nonmyelinated beta-EP-labeled axon population (1.50 +/- 0.10% young vs. 0.40 +/- 0.01% old; p < 0.009, ANOVA). We conclude that there are critical changes in the microenvironment of the POA in old, noncycling female mice that are likely to affect neuron function."}
{"id": "PMID:1491754", "title": "Neuropathy with lysosomal changes in Marinesco-Sj\u00f6gren syndrome: fine structural findings in skeletal muscle and conjunctiva.", "content": "The light- and electron-microscopical findings in the skeletal muscle and conjunctiva of 6 patients with Marinesco-Sj\u00f6gren syndrome (MSS) were presented. All patients were related and showed the cardinal clinical symptoms of the syndrome: congenital cataracts, mental retardation, delayed statomotor development, and cerebellar ataxia. The most prominent alteration found in the skeletal muscle of four patients was extensive neurogenic atrophy with conspicuous groups of atrophic muscle fibers. Additional findings were vacuolar degeneration and secondary, unspecific changes like slight mitochondrial alterations and increased variability in muscle fiber calibers. The ultrastructural examination revealed double-membrane structures near to, but not in direct contact with the nucleus. The nuclear changes described earlier (7, 20) were not found in any of the cases. Conjunctival biopsies revealed a marked increase in the number of lysosomes in fibroblasts. In summary, to the well known myopathic damage of muscles in MSS a neurogenic component should be added. Disturbed lysosomal function is to be considered as the basic abnormality, though the enzyme defect has not yet been identified. In cases of clinically suspected MSS, examination of a conjunctival biopsy is highly recommended."}
{"id": "PMID:1491756", "title": "[Cholelithiasis. Ultrasonography and other diagnostic methods. Usefulness, indications, and limitations].", "content": "It is reported that 12.5% of the Italian population suffer from cholecystopathy. The Authors carried out a retrospective analysis of the cases observed over an 18-month period. It was found that ultrasonography was the most appropriate screening method to reveal cholecystic pathologies and diseases of the biliary tract since it is specific and sensitive and also enables adjacent organs to be examined (liver, kidneys, aorta, pancreas, spleen)."}
{"id": "PMID:1491757", "title": "[Defecography and manometry in the postoperative follow-up of patients treated with colo-anal anastomosis by the Parks technique for neoplasm stenosis of the rectum].", "content": "The Authors report 15 cases of patients with adenocarcinoma of the rectum who were treated using Park's resection. Morphofunctional parameters are evaluated 3 months after surgery using defecography and manometry before the closure of the neostoma and the reactivation of the ano-rectal canal. Opaque defecography enables the morphology and dimensions of the anal canal to be examined together with modifications to the area between the rectum and the anal canal, and the impression of the pubo-rectal sling. In conclusion these data confirm the importance of surgery, whereas the correlation between defecographic and manometric results allows the functional recovery \"ad integrum\" of the area to be checked."}
{"id": "PMID:1491758", "title": "[Compliance problems in chronic pain].", "content": "The aim of this paper is to focus on a medical issue which is not held in due consideration in Italy. In chronic pain control and management, specialists may advise at various times drugs, physical therapies, behavioral modification techniques, and not demolitive antinociceptive procedures. Quite often patients do not follow medical prescriptions as one should expect, especially if they are not inpatients. The Authors examine this clinical problem known as compliance and try to explain the reasons for this behaviour from different points of view."}
{"id": "PMID:1491759", "title": "[Lipid behavior during hemodialysis using heparin and prostacyclin].", "content": "Ten patients have been studied for lipidic behaviour during hemodialysis using as anticoagulant heparin and prostacyclin. Hearing has been administered at infusion rate of 2000 U/h and prostacyclin in 5 ng/kg/min. Lipidic behaviour (before and after hemodialysis) has been studied for apolipoproteins A and B, total serum cholesterol and serum triglycerides, HDL-cholesterol, lipoprotein. Total serum cholesterol/HDL-cholesterol, apolipoproteins A/apolipoproteins B, apolipoproteins A/HDL-cholesterol ratios have been also studied. Our findings show that heparin produces acute changes in lipidic behaviour after hemodialysis and suggest that administrations may contribute to lipidic derangement of uremic dialytic patient while heparin free dialysis (prostacyclin infusion) doesn't show lipidic derangement after dialytic treatment. Prostacyclin infusion suggests that may be a useful anticoagulant and therapeutic drug especially in uremic dialytic subject with high atherosclerosis involvement, dyslipidemia and arterial hypertension."}
{"id": "PMID:1491761", "title": "[Mid-term clinical study of the effectiveness of and tolerability to simvastatin ++ in dyslipidemic patients].", "content": "The HGM-CoA reductase inhibitors, blaking up intracellular synthesis of cholesterol, support the receptorial captation of cholesterol with a reduction in plasma levels. The simvastatin efficacy was evaluated in 12 patients, mean age 59 +/- 10 years with a primary hypercholesterolemia. All the patients were on a pharmacologic wash out for at least 6 weeks and dietetic treatment (according to their weight and daily needs) for a week. Total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol and triglycerides plasma levels were taken at time 0. Then a treatment with simvastatin 10 mg/die was begin for 4 weeks and than increased to 20 mg in patients with plasma cholesterol > 200 mg/100 ml at the end of fourth week. In some patients the dose was increased up to 40 mg for the elevated levels of plasma cholesterol at the end of the second month. All the parameters above were controlled monthly for three months. A control was performed at the end of sixth month of treatment. After 4 weeks treatment, simvastatin induced reduction in cholesterol plasma levels (p < 0.005), that continued during the whole time treatment (228 mg/dl at 24 week, p < 0.005 vs basal). The mean dosage of the simvastatin at fourth month was of 25 mg/die. During the treatment an increase of HDL plasma levels was noted, but this increment wasn't statistical significant (40 +/- 7 vs 45 +/- 9 mg/100 ml). No significant impairment of principal metabolic and laboratory parameters were observed during the treatment. These data indicate that simvastatin in small dose induce a reduction in cholesterol plasma levels with a significant increase in HDL without side effects."}
{"id": "PMID:1491760", "title": "[Effectiveness of and tolerability to oral desmopressin in the treatment of central diabetes insipidus].", "content": "Intranasal desmopressin represents the treatment of choice in Central Diabetes Insipidus. Nevertheless, this route of administration bears some practical disadvantage, linked to either difficult delivering technique, or the status of nasal mucose. The antidiuretic effectiveness of oral desmopressin has been recently demonstrated, both in experimental animals and in man. In our study we compared oral vs. intranasal desmopressin efficacy in 13 patients affected by Central Diabetes Insipidus. The results show that the peroral administration of Desmopressin at a mean dose of 500-600 micrograms/die determines an antidiuretic effect comparable to that of intranasal route, without affecting body weight, arterial pressure and chemical analysis. Side effects, generally limited to the first week of treatment, were described (nausea, vomiting, headache, dizziness [corrected], bitter taste, epygastralgia, asthenia, epystassis), inducing 4/13 patients to withdrawal the trial."}
{"id": "PMID:1491762", "title": "[Diabetes mellitus, hypercholesterolemia, and therapeutic prospects with simvastatin. General considerations and personal contribution].", "content": "The Authors examine the relationship between diabetes mellitus, lipid metabolism and atherosclerosis with particular emphasis on the role of insulin and on the therapeutic consequences. The results of a study on the efficacy and tolerability of simvastatin in the treatment of hypercholesterolemia in non insulin-dependent diabetic patients are reported. Simvastatin administration induce a significant reduction and increase in total and HDL cholesterol levels respectively contributes to the decrease of triglycerides without interfering with the metabolic control of diabetic condition."}
{"id": "PMID:1491763", "title": "[Long-term local tolerability to intranasally administered salmon calcitonin in post-menopausal osteoporosis].", "content": "The aim of this study was to acquire further knowledge relative to the local tolerability of synthetic salmon Calcitonin, administered by the intranasal route. The Authors have evaluated several olfactometry parameters in a group of patients treated for twelve months with the drug. The Wright matrix test and the olfacto-respiratory reflex test were performed. An evaluation regarding mucociliary transport time was additionally effected. No interference on the part of the drug was reported regarding the functional parameters of the nasal mucosa. The excellent local tolerability of intranasal salmon Calcitonin, as already indicated by other Authors, was confirmed, even in terms of specific parameters relative to the olfactory functions."}
{"id": "PMID:1491764", "title": "[Monosialoganglioside (Sygen) in amateur boxers suspended from sport activities].", "content": "Thirty boxers, suspended from sport activity for EEG alterations (delta and theta localized) and for alterations of evoked potentials (brain stem and visual potentials) have been examined after KO. Every boxer has been administered with GM1 40 mg per die for twenty days after performing the EEG with brain map, encephalic TAC, audiovestibular examination, evoked potentials. These controls (tests) have been repeated after 30 days. In particular, the cerebral mapping has been examined comparing it with significant statistic tests before and after the administration of GM1; a shift in the power spectrum of the alpha activity toward central derivation and a decrease in delta and theta activities have been observed. The hypothesis of a noradrenergic action of GM1 has been formulated."}
{"id": "PMID:1491765", "title": "[Primary hyperparathyroidism with prevalent neuro-muscular manifestations].", "content": "A case of primary hyperparathyroidism with prevalent neuromuscular symptoms is described. Clinical, diagnostic and therapeutic implications are emphasized. Particular attention must involve a full clinical examination, electromyographic data and neuromuscular biopsy to make differentiation from primary myopathy or denervation pathology. Some similarity of electromyographic data with those observed in botulism and myastenia gravis should also be taken in mind. Hypercalcemia could play a pathological role in conditioning abnormalities of nervous impulse conduction at the level of neuromuscular junction. Another possible interference might be related to a direct effect of parathormone and hypophosphataemia on nervous impulse conduction. \"Glandular hyperplasia\", as observed in this case at istologic examination, rises some problems as far as the prognosis is concerned."}
{"id": "PMID:1491766", "title": "[Rhabdomyolysis during acute poisoning with drugs and narcotics. Experience with 7 clinical cases].", "content": "Numerous and extremely varied conditions (intense muscular activity, ischemia, metabolic and genetic disorders, infections, immunological diseases and toxic causes) may play a role in the genesis of non-traumatic rhabdomyolysis. Over the past years there has been an increased number of reports of forms due to drug or narcotic intoxication. Seven cases of rhabdomyolysis are reported in patients admitted to emergency wards in a state of coma due to heroin overdose (4 cases), cocaine overdose (1 case), carbamazepin (1 case), and tricyclic anti-depressives (1 case). In all cases it was possible to hypothesise a multifactorial pathogenesis of the disease in which other factors, such as acidosis, hypoxia, hypothermia and compression of the muscle mass during coma, were associated with the direct toxic damage caused by the drug. The most frequent complication was acute renal failure. One case of myocardial involvement with non-Q infarction characteristics was also observed."}
{"id": "PMID:1491768", "title": "[Echographic measuring of the length of the fetal femur in the screening for Down syndrome].", "content": "Our purpose was to assess the value of sonographic measurement of fetal femur length in the second trimester, as a screening tool for Down's syndrome. We evaluated a consecutive series of fetuses scanned by a single sonologist at the time of amniocentesis between 15 and 19 weeks. The study group consisted of fetuses with Down's syndrome (N = 16); the control group comprised normal fetuses (N = 1163). A linear regression model of the normal femur length based on biparietal diameter (BPD), was established for our population; the ratios of measured to expected femur length for a viven BPD (FL M/E) were calculated in the two groups. To test statistical significance of observed differences between case and control population, unpaired t test was used. The ability of specific FL M/E cut-off values to discriminate between Down syndrome and normal fetuses was assessed by Fisher's exact test. The mean ratio of measured to expected femur length was significantly lower in the Down syndrome as compared with control population (0.9473, DS 0.0795) versus 1.0, DS 0.0745) (p < 0.0045). The ratio of 0.91 or less predicted Down's syndrome with a sensitivity of 43.7% and a false-positive rate of 8.6%. For women with risk of one in 250 and one in 1000 of having an affected fetus based on maternal age, a shortened femur yielded positive predictive values of one in 26 and one in 105, respectively. These results suggest that the sonographic measurement of fetal femur length for the screening of Down syndrome in the low-risk population is hindered by a high false positive rate (about 9%). It follows that the percentage of women requiring an amniocentesis would increase to un unacceptably high level. The utilization of this biometric marker may be helpful, in our opinion, for identifying fetuses at risk for Down syndrome in women between 35 and 38 years of age. These women in fact, are not offered amniocentesis for the prenatal diagnosis of Down's syndrome in the majority of italian institutions. The sonographic measurement of fetal femur length could detect about 45% of fetal Down's syndrome, offering an amniocentesis to 9% of women, with a consequent reduction of the cost required. Only a prospective study can evaluate the efficacy of this method to predict Down syndrome in such group of women."}
{"id": "PMID:1491769", "title": "[Diagnostic and therapeutic value of hysteroscopy in intrauterine synechiae].", "content": "The paper evaluates the diagnostic and therapeutic value of hysteroscopy in a group of women suffering from intrauterine synechiae secondary to intrauterine mechanical manipulation following spontaneous abortion."}
{"id": "PMID:1491770", "title": "[Myomectomy via hysteroscopy. Indications, technics, results].", "content": "Nowadays operative hysteroscopy represents the elective treatment of submucous and partially intramural fibroids. Seventy patients underwent hysteroscopic resection of fibroids, because of abnormal uterine bleeding in 58 (82.8%) cases, and infertility in 12 (17.2%) cases. The evaluation of the lesion was performed by diagnostic hysteroscopy and abdominal (57 patients) or transvaginal (13 patients) ultrasounds. In particular, for the evaluation of the intramural portion of the lesion, the hysteroscopic study of the angle between fibroid and myometrium was fundamental: the more acute the angle is the more intracavitary the myoma is. Forty-six (65.7%) out of 70 had a completely intracavitary fibroid; in 14 (20%) cases the intramural development was less than 1.5 cm and in the remaining 10 (14.3%) cases was more than 1.5 cm. Integration of hysteroscopy and ultrasounds for the assessment of myomas and the preoperative preparation by LH-RH analogues allow to perform an endoscopic resection of myomas which has up to, and sometimes over, 50% of their volume in the uterine wall."}
{"id": "PMID:1491771", "title": "[Italian multicenter study for the verification of the efficacy and tolerability of short-term substitution hormone therapy using conjugated estrogens and progestagens administered orally in the postmenopausal a period].", "content": "Three hundred and sixty-three postmenopausal women received 6 months of cyclic hormone replacement therapy with conjugated estrogens in differing doses (0.625 mg and 1.25 mg) associated in a sequential pattern lasting 12 days with progestagens (medroxyprogesterone acetate or medrogestone) in 16 italian health centres. The results of the multicentre study confirm the efficacy of this conjugated estrogen-progestogen regimen in resolving climacteric syndrome, offering cardiovascular protection and vaginal trophic effect and preventing postmenopausal osteoporosis, as well as confirming its tolerability in relation to blood pressure, body weight, breast, endometrium, blood coagulation and hepato-renal function."}
{"id": "PMID:1491772", "title": "[Short-term therapy of uterine fibromyomatosis with GN-Rh analog].", "content": "A short term therapy of leiomyomata uteri with leuprolide acetate depot 3.75 i.m. every 28 days for 4 months was started in 19 patients. Uterine volume, based on the ultrasound data, was calculated, utilizing the formula for a prolate ellipsoid, before and after treatment. Before the treatment the uterine mean volume was 207.3 cc and decreased to 122.2 cc after therapy. The efficacy of the treatment was evaluated by means of the \"t\" test for paired data and showed a p < 0.002."}
{"id": "PMID:1491773", "title": "[Diagnosis and therapy of low-risk endometrial hyperplasia. Experience with LH-RH-A].", "content": "Endometrial hyperplasia is a endometrial condition often found in perimenopausal age. AUB is the most frequent symptom of endometrial hyperplasia. The combination of hysteroscopy and endometrial biopsy is the most suitable approach for the diagnosis of endometrial hyperplasia in symptomatic patients. The Authors have studied endometrial modifications due to LH-RH analogue, a depot formula, in 60 perimenopausal patients with AUB and with hysteroscopic and histologic picture of low-risk endometrial hyperplasia. They report the result of treatment efficacy (disappearance of symptoms and tendency to hypoatrophy of the mucosa). The use of LH-RH A seems to have a good result in the management of oestrogen-dependent gynaecological benign diseases."}
{"id": "PMID:1491774", "title": "[Comparative clinical study of a new imidazole molecule (fluconazole) and ketaconazole in the treatment of Candida albicans vulvovaginitis].", "content": "A multicentre trial was carried out in Italy with the aim of comparing the efficacy, safety and tolerability of the oral administration of fluconazole with the oral administration of ketoconazole in the treatment of patients affected by Candida vulvovaginitis. A total of 174 patients with symptomatic Candida vulvovaginitis were identified both by objective examination and cell culture tests: of these 87 were treated using a single oral administration of fluconazole (150 mg) whereas the other 87 received 2 200 mg capsules of ketoconazole daily for 5 days. Tests to assess the efficacy, safety and tolerability of both treatments were carried out approximately 7 days and 5-6 weeks from the start of therapy. The results obtained showed a success rate of 92% for fluconazole-treated patients and 83% for those treated with ketoconazole. In addition to the rapid and safe efficacy of treatment, the most important findings which emerged from this study were the extreme simplicity of use, excellent patient compliance and the complete absence of collateral effects of variations in the hematochemical and urine parameters taken into consideration caused by fluconazole."}
{"id": "PMID:1491775", "title": "[Preventive and therapeutic use of cefriaxon in gynecologic surgery].", "content": "The Authors have been investigating the behaviour of ceftriaxone in gynecological surgery employing 1 g of the drug through intravenous injection an hour before the operation, after executing a cutaneous pomphus the night before. They obtained satisfactory results since out of 25 cases analyzed nowhere had they to intervene with other antibiotics. The drug, despite the 15 cases of infectious pathology observed, has been showing great tolerance and an utmost ease and usefulness of usage."}
{"id": "PMID:1491776", "title": "[Isolated splenic metastasis in a case of adenocarcinoma of the uterine cervix. A clinical case].", "content": "The incidence of splenic metastasis, revealed during autopsy, from solid tumours varies from 1.6% to 30% with a mean of 7%. The clinical observation of splenic metastasis in patients with carcinoma of the exocervix is only occasionally reported. In the majority of cases metastasis appears 4 or 5 years after the onset of disease. The case reported here is the only example we have found in the literature relating to an adenocarcinoma of the uterine cervix which led to an isolated splenic metastasis. A 47-years-old patient underwent radical hysterectomy according to Meigs due to a stage 1B N0 G2 endocervical adenocarcinoma. The patient was subsequently reoperated due to pelvic recurrence and received radiotherapy. Almost five years after the first operation CT showed a suspected isolate splenic recidivation following pain in the left side. Hepatosplenic scintigraphy confirmed the presence of a large central cold area, with blurred edges, suggesting metastasis. The patient again underwent laparotomy: the volume of the spleen was found to be increased with the splenic hilum covered with neoplastic tissue. Splenectomy was performed. Abdomino-pelvic and retroperitoneal inspection showed no further signs of metastasis. Histological tests confirmed the massive metastasis of the adenocarcinoma in splenic parenchymal tissue which was relatively differentiated with a clear cell appearance. Seven months later the patient was again operated following intestinal occlusion due to numerous entero-enteric adhesions. During the course of surgery a micronodule was removed from the cholecystic serosa, apparently composed of fibrin; histological analysis proved that this micronodule was the site of glandular micrometastasis. The patient then began three cycles of chemotherapy with Adriamycin (60 mg/m2).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1491777", "title": "Post cardiac arrest hyperoxic resuscitation enhances neuronal vulnerability of the respiratory rhythm generator and some brainstem and spinal cord neuronal pools in the dog.", "content": "Selective neuronal vulnerability of the motor cortex, basal ganglia, brainstem, medulla, cerebellum, C6 and L6 segments of the spinal cord were studied after 15 min of cardiac arrest followed by 1 h of normoxic or hyperoxic resuscitation using the suppressive Nauta method in dogs. Hyperoxic resuscitation causes characteristic somatodendritic argyrophilia of the interneuronal pool in the spinal cord and lower medulla. Cuneate, lateral reticular, supraspinal, and caudal trigeminal nuclei as well as the dorsal and ventral respiratory neuronal groups were heavily involved. Similarly, the Purkinje cells, neurons in the middle and deep portions of the mesencephalic tectum, perirubral, pretectal, posterior commissure, middle-sized striatal and giant pyramidal (Betz's) neurons in the motor cortex became argyrophilic. Hyperoxic resuscitation versus normoxic resuscitation causes statistically significant somatodendritic argyrophilia of the dorsal respiratory group, cuneate, dorsal lateral geniculate and thalamic reticular nuclei."}
{"id": "PMID:1491778", "title": "Regional accumulation of amyloid beta/A4 protein precursor in the gerbil brain following transient cerebral ischemia.", "content": "Alterations of beta/A4 amyloid protein precursor (APP) were investigated immunohistochemically in the gerbil brain after transient global ischemia and subsequent reperfusion. Marked accumulation of this protein peaking at 24 h occurred in the neurons of the CA3 and paramedian region of the hippocampus as well as layers III, V and VI of the cerebral cortex. On the contrary, the accumulation was not observed in the neurons of the CA1 region. These results indicate that distribution of APP is altered depending on tissue viabilities after cerebral ischemia."}
{"id": "PMID:1491779", "title": "NG-nitro-L-arginine enhances neuronal death following transient forebrain ischemia in gerbils.", "content": "Experiments were performed with Mongolian gerbils to study the effect of the specific nitric oxide (NO) synthase inhibitor NG-nitro-L-arginine (L-NNA) on ischemic brain damage induced by 5 min bilateral carotid occlusion. A single i.p. injection of L-NNA did not result in any neuronal loss in the central nervous system. In animals undergoing ischemia, a selective destruction of hippocampal CA1 cells was observed whereas pretreatment with 50 mg/kg L-NNA 4 h before administration of ischemia produced significantly more extensive cell damage in the hippocampus and other brain regions. These findings demonstrate that in this model inhibition of nitric oxide generation augments ischemia-induced neuronal cell injury in the brain."}
{"id": "PMID:1491780", "title": "Antinociception from the administration of beta-endorphin into the periaqueductal gray of rat is enhanced while that of morphine is inhibited by barbiturate anesthesia.", "content": "Pentobarbital anesthesia causes about a 10-fold increase in the antinociceptive potency of beta-endorphin microinjected into the periaqueductal gray (PAG) region of the rat brain. The antinociceptive response to PAG morphine was markedly attenuated during anesthesia, but returned as the rats regained consciousness. As they recovered from anesthesia, muscular rigidity and body stiffness (catalepsy) also occurred in the pentobarbital treated animals receiving morphine. These results are consistent with the activation of separate and distinct descending pain inhibitory neuronal systems by these two opioid agonists, and the differential modulation of the systems by pentobarbital. They also suggest that the mechanism underlying muscular responses to morphine is sensitive to pentobarbital, and is not shared by beta-endorphin."}
{"id": "PMID:1491781", "title": "Thrombin accumulation in brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease.", "content": "Thrombin was detected immunohistochemically in brain tissue of Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients and age-matched controls. Positive staining was restricted to vessels and residual plasma in controls but was also present in senile plaques, some diffuse amyloid deposits and neurofibrillary tangles in AD. Positive staining was abolished by absorption of antibody with purified human thrombin but not by absorption with prothrombin. The data suggest that thrombin formation from prothrombin probably takes place in AD brain."}
{"id": "PMID:1491783", "title": "Circadian variation of [3H]dopamine handling in adrenal chromaffin cells of mice.", "content": "Circadian variation of exogenous [3H]dopamine handling by adrenal chromaffin cells was examined using mice habituated to 08.00-20.00 h light cycle. Experiments were carried out at 00.00, 06.00, 12.00 and 18.00 h. [3H]Dopamine-derived radioactivity reached a peak at 2 min then decreased rapidly except at 18.00 h, when no particular peak was observed at 2 min but at 30 min in both intact and denervated adrenals. In intact adrenals, the 2-min peak at 06.00 h was suppressed by corticosterone while in denervated adrenals the 2-min peak remained. The present result indicates that quick turnover of [3H]dopamine was suppressed by a steroid surge at about 2 h before light to dark alteration. Normal innervation is necessary for corticosterone-induced suppression."}
{"id": "PMID:1491782", "title": "Calretinin-immunoreactivity in the oro-facial and pharyngeal regions of the rat.", "content": "Calretinin-immunoreactivity (CR-ir) was examined in the rat oro-facial and pharyngeal tissues using an immunofluorescence method. CR-ir was distributed in the entire size range of trigeminal ganglion neurons. CR-ir was also observed in nerve fibers surrounding neuronal cell bodies in autonomic ganglia, and in nerve endings in the lip, tongue, incisal papilla, soft palate, pharynx and epiglottis. CR-immunoreactive nerve endings were all in close proximity to the epithelium, and classified into 2 types; simple (free nerve ending) and taste-bud-related types. In the salivary gland, positive nerve fibers were seen around large excretory ducts. The present study indicates that viscerosensory (probably including gustatory) nerve fibers innervating the oral and pharyngeal tissues contain CR, while somotosensory nerve fibers innervating the facial skin are devoid of CR."}
{"id": "PMID:1491784", "title": "Testosterone: a role in the development of brain asymmetry in the chick.", "content": "The visual projections from the thalamus to the Wulst of the chick forebrain are asymmetrically organized. The development of this asymmetry is dependent on light stimulation just prior to hatching, and it is present to a greater extent in males than in females. We have shown that administration of testosterone to the developing embryo alters the development of the asymmetry of the projections in both sexes. Following testosterone treatment, the asymmetry normally present in male chicks after hatching was marginally reversed in direction, and that normally present in females was no longer present. Thus the development of these visual projections depends on the interaction of light stimulation and the level of circulating testosterone."}
{"id": "PMID:1491785", "title": "Regional response differences within the human auditory cortex when listening to words.", "content": "The relationship between activity within the human auditory cortices and the presentation rate of heard words was investigated by measuring changes in regional cerebral blood flow with positron emission tomography. We demonstrate that in the primary auditory cortices and middle regions of the superior temporal gyri there is a linear relationship between the rate of presentation of heard words and blood flow response. In contrast, the blood flow response in an area of the left posterior superior temporal gyrus (Wernicke's area) is primarily dependent on the occurrence of words irrespective of their rate of presentation. The primary auditory cortices are associated with the early processing of complex acoustic signals whereas Wernicke's area is associated with the comprehension of heard words. This study demonstrates for the first time that time dependent sensory signals (heard words) detected in the primary auditory cortices are transformed into a time invariant output which is channelled to a functionally specialised region--Wernicke's area. Wernicke's area is therefore distinguished from other areas of the auditory cortex by direct observation of signal transformation rather than by association with a specific behavioural task."}
{"id": "PMID:1491786", "title": "Event-related potentials reveal how non-attended complex sound patterns are represented by the human brain.", "content": "Event-related potentials (ERPs) to complex auditory sound patterns consisting of eight 50-ms segments differing in frequency were recorded from the human scalp while the subject was performing a visual search task. Randomly occurring frequency changes of single segments elicited a 'mismatch negativity' although the subjects were not attending to the auditory stimuli. This negative deflection in the ERP waveform elicited by the changed pattern compared with the ERP waveform elicited by the standard pattern is consistent with the hypothesis that the spectro-temporal features of complex sound patterns are automatically and precisely represented in passive auditory sensory memory. The finding that an easily discriminable change, that is, a change with a high discrimination performance measured in a separate condition, elicited a larger mismatch negativity than a poorly discriminable change suggests that discrimination is based on these representations."}
{"id": "PMID:1491787", "title": "Potentiation of quinolinate-induced hippocampal lesions by inhibition of NO synthesis.", "content": "Low doses of quinolinic acid (QUIN) administered intracerebroventricularly (ICV) to rats produced either no damage or mild to moderate damage in the pyramidal cell layer of the hippocampus and resulted in mild, limbic seizures in the majority of animals treated. The same dose of QUIN following ICV pretreatment with the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor N-nitro-L-arginine (NARG), produced extensive hippocampal lesions with complete loss of the pyramidal layer in 50% of the animals, and moderate damage with total neuronal loss in areas CA1 and CA3 in the remainder of the group. Animals treated with both NARG and QUIN also exhibited a greater incidence of severe convulsive behavior (9/11) and 3 deaths. Pretreatment with the nitric oxide-generating drug molsidomine attenuated the enhanced toxicity observed with combined NARG-QUIN treatment, resulting primarily in no detectable hippocampal damages and mild seizures resembling those produced by QUIN alone. Administration of NARG alone produced neither seizure activity nor histological evidence of neurotoxicity. We conclude that inhibition of nitric oxide production with NARG potentiates the neurotoxicity of quinolinic acid in the rat hippocampus."}
{"id": "PMID:1491788", "title": "Localisation of aromatase activity in androgen target areas of the mouse brain.", "content": "Oestrogens are formed from androgens in the mouse brain, but the localization of aromatase activity is unresolved. Immunocytochemistry has not detected aromatase in expected key androgen target areas such as the medial preoptic area. Using a micropunch method and a sensitive in vitro 3H2O product detection assay, we report significant aromatase activity in adult male preoptic area (POA) and amygdala with [1 beta-3H]testosterone as substrate (Vmax < or = 1,200 fmol 3H2O formed/mg protein/h), in contrast to cerebrum (Vmax < 18 Units), from two strains of albino mice (BALB/c, Swiss NIHS) and the wild-type, Mus musculus. Aromatase activity was significantly higher in the amygdala than in the POA, particularly in the Swiss NIHS (4.6 x higher). Neonatal preoptic aromatase activity is 4 times higher than in the adult, but the Kms (both approximately 30 nM) suggest that the enzyme does not change during development. Similar inhibition potencies using Fadrozole HCl (IC50 approximately 0.5 nM) also suggest a common form of the enzyme in adult and developing brain. Adult mouse ovarian aromatase activity is higher (Vmax > 3,000 Units), but has a substrate binding constant similar to that of the POA."}
{"id": "PMID:1491789", "title": "Comparison of contraction times of a muscle and its motor units.", "content": "The twitch contraction time (CT) for each of 13 soleus (SOL) and 13 medial gastrocnemius (MG) muscles was compared with the mean CT from a sample of its motor units (MUs; 356 total) to see if the CT of a whole muscle when tested at its optimal length (Lo) differed systematically from that of its MUs tested at their individual Lo's. The CTs of the whole muscle were significantly longer in the ratio of 1.13. This is consistent with a hypothesis that electrical-field effects result in a more protracted contraction of the individual muscle fiber."}
{"id": "PMID:1491790", "title": "Analog of neuropeptide FF attenuates morphine tolerance.", "content": "Previous studies suggest that neuropeptide FF (NPFF) plays a role in opiate dependence and subsequent abstinence syndrome. Endogenous NPFF also appears to play a role in opiate tolerance since third ventricle injection of IgG from NPFF antiserum selectively restores morphine sensitivity in morphine-tolerant rats. The NPFF analog, desamino YFLFQPQRamide (daY8Ra) has previously antagonized behavioral effects of NPFF and has attenuated morphine dependence. The present study assessed whether daY8Ra could similarly attenuate morphine tolerance. Third ventricle (i.c.v.) injection of daY8Ra restored the analgesic response to i.c.v. morphine in morphine-tolerant rats (radiant heat tail flick test). Saline injection failed to produce this effect. In opiate-naive rats, however, the same treatment with daY8Ra did not affect the analgesic response to i.c.v. morphine. Thus, daY8Ra appears to selectively restore morphine sensitivity in opiate-tolerant animals. These results further support the hypothesis that endogenous NPFF contributes to opiate tolerance."}
{"id": "PMID:1491791", "title": "Dopamine regulation of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) gene expression in the female rat brain.", "content": "The effects of the dopaminergic antagonist haloperidol (HAL) as well as the D2 dopamine receptor agonist bromocriptine (BRO) on gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) mRNA levels in intact and hypophysectomized rats were investigated by quantitative in situ hybridization. In situ hybridization was performed using a 35S-labelled 48-base oligodeoxynucleotide complementary to the GnRH coding region of the GnRH DNA. In intact animals, a 14-day treatment with BRO increased by 70% the number of silver grains per neuron while HAL decreased by 20% the value of this parameter. Hypophysectomy which induced a 32% decrease in the hybridization signal could not prevent the effects of BRO or HAL. The present data clearly demonstrate that GnRH mRNA levels are positively regulated by dopamine and that the effects of BRO and HAL on GnRH mRNA are not mediated by variations in pituitary hormone secretion."}
{"id": "PMID:1491792", "title": "Effects of high pressure on striatal dopamine release in freely moving rats: a microdialysis study.", "content": "When human divers and experimental animals are exposed to high pressure of helium-oxygen mixture, they develop the high pressure neurological syndrome, characterized by nausea, vertigo, tremor, myoclonus, EEG modifications and convulsions. Free-moving rats were stereotaxically implanted in the anterior caudate nucleus with a microdialysis probe to measure dopamine, dihydroxyphenylacetic acid and homovanillic acid levels during different phases of a simulated dive up to 5.1 MPa. Compression was found to cause an increase in extracellular dopamine and dihydroxyphenylacetic acid concentrations, but not in homovanillic acid. This represents a specific effect of high pressure on the dopaminergic pathway. Recent findings on D2 autoreceptors, showing a decrease in receptor affinity under pressure, allow us to conclude that pressure increases dopamine synthesis through a direct action on D2 autoreceptors."}
{"id": "PMID:1491793", "title": "D-cycloserine, a modulator of the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor, improves spatial learning in rats treated with muscarinic antagonist.", "content": "The results of the present study indicate that D-cycloserine, a partial agonist at the glycine binding site, which is a positive modulation site of the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor, could improve dose dependently the acquisition of a water maze task in rats treated with scopolamine, a muscarinic antagonist. The low to moderate doses of D-cycloserine which improved learning did not affect swimming speed in scopolamine-treated rats. The higher dose did not improve learning, but it increased swimming speed in scopolamine-treated rats. These results show a dissociation between impaired acquisition and abnormal behavioral activity in scopolamine-treated rats in the water maze task. Furthermore, the present results suggest that D-cycloserine can act as a cognitive enhancer at the appropriate doses."}
{"id": "PMID:1491794", "title": "Intrathecally administered N-methyl-D-aspartate increases persistent hindlimb flexion in rat.", "content": "Persistent hindlimb flexion was induced in pentobarbital anesthetized rats using a prolonged, electrical stimulus. Intrathecal (i.t.) N-methyl-D-aspartate NMDA) (1 mM, 5 microliters) applied prior to stimulation increased flexion relative to stimulated controls subsequent to stimulation (156%); 3 days later (109%) and after spinalization at 3 days (91%). Pretreatment with MK-801 (3 mg/kg, i.p.) prevented the enhancement of flexion. Withdrawal latencies to a thermal stimulus also were measured. I.t. NMDA plus stimulation reduced mean latency relative to controls only subsequent to stimulation. Latencies were increased by MK-801 post-injection, post-stimulation and at 3 days. The results suggest that the induction of persistent hindlimb flexion depends upon spinal NMDA receptors."}
{"id": "PMID:1491795", "title": "A new technique for fractal analysis applied to human, intracerebrally recorded, ictal electroencephalographic signals.", "content": "Application of a new method of fractal analysis to human, intracerebrally recorded, ictal electroencephalographic (EEG) signals is reported. 'Frameshift-Richardson' (FR) analysis involves estimation of fractal dimension (1 < FD < 2) of consecutive, overlapping 10-s epochs of digitised EEG data; it is suggested that this technique offers significant operational advantages over use of algorithms for FD estimation requiring preliminary reconstruction of EEG data in phase space. FR analysis was found to reduce substantially the volume of EEG data, without loss of diagnostically important information concerning onset, propagation and evolution of ictal EEG discharges. Arrhythmic EEG events were correlated with relatively increased FD; rhythmic EEG events with relatively decreased FD. It is proposed that development of this method may lead to: (i) enhanced definition and localisation of initial ictal changes in the EEG presumed due to multi-unit activity; and (ii) synoptic visualisation of long periods of EEG data."}
{"id": "PMID:1491796", "title": "Ultrastructural study of skein-like inclusions in anterior horn neurons of patients with motor neuron disease.", "content": "We investigated the ultrastructure of skein-like inclusions (SI) in 11 patients with motor neuron disease. SI mainly consisted of bundles of filaments. Each filament was approximately 15-25 nm in diameter and had a tubular profile on transverse sections. SI occasionally appeared to contain electron-dense material similar to Bunina bodies (BB), and in clusters of SI, electron-dense material closely resembling BB with vesicles were scattered among the bundles of filaments or were directly attached to the filaments, suggesting a close relationship between SI and BB. We also infer that SI might be the precursor of Lewy body-like hyaline inclusions (LBHI), on the basis of the frequent presence of in-between structures, the coexistence of SI and LBHI, the detection of tubular profiles (component of SI) in LBHI, the far greater frequency with which SI were observed compared with LBHI, and the occasional connection between ubiquitin-positive SI and LBHI observed in preceding immunocytochemical studies."}
{"id": "PMID:1491797", "title": "Cytochalasin inhibits light-dependent synaptic plasticity of horizontal cells in teleost retina.", "content": "Previous studies have shown that the horizontal cell-->cone photoreceptor negative feedback synapse in teleost fish retinae is 'plastic', being suppressed in the dark and potentiated by light adaptation. The possible involvement of filamentous actin in ultrastructural and electrophysiological aspects of this plasticity has been investigated using cytochalasins, which inhibit actin turnover, in the cyprinid fish (roach) retinae. Cytochalasin B or D (40 microM) inhibited both the light-dependent formation and maintenance of spinules, and enhancement of the feedback interaction involved in generation of biphasic spectral responses in horizontal cells. The results suggest that actin turnover is essential for both ultrastructural and electrophysiological plasticity of horizontal cell feedback and that spinules could mediate this dynamic interaction."}
{"id": "PMID:1491798", "title": "Sensitivity of Fischer 344 x brown Norway hybrid rats to exogenous NGF: weight loss correlates with stimulation of striatal choline acetyltransferase.", "content": "Nerve growth factor (NGF) infusion into normal Fischer 344 x Brown Norway (F344/BN) hybrid male rats for 2 weeks resulted in a dose-dependent stimulation of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) enzyme activity to 70% above control values in both the basal forebrain and striatum, and a statistically significant 10% loss in animal weight. There was a significant correlation between weight gain and stimulation of striatal ChAT activity, but not with stimulation of basal forebrain ChAT. Thus, unlike some other rat strains, the normal F344/BN rat is sensitive to exogenous NGF, and can be used to study the efficacy of NGF on normal central cholinergic neurons. The NGF effect on weight gain may be mediated by cholinergic stimulation of the nucleus accumbens."}
{"id": "PMID:1491799", "title": "Photoconverted carbocyanine DiI allows direct visualization of transplanted glial cells at the ultrastructural level.", "content": "We have used the carbocyanine fluorochrome, DiI, to trace living glial cells (astrocytes, oligodendrocytes and immortalized Schwann cells) after their transplantation into the newborn shiverer and normal mouse brain. DiI fluorescence first detected on vibratome sections, was photoconverted into a stable, non-diffusible and electron-dense diaminobenzidine product. Both fluorescence and precipitate were found in the same cells and were detectable until 60 days after transplantation. At the ultrastructural level, DiI precipitate was contained within cytoplasmic vesicles scattered in the transplanted cell bodies and processes. Photoconversion did not interfere with the cell fine structure or predicted post-transplantation behavior. DiI is thus a suitable marker to trace, at the ultrastructural level, living cells after their transplantation."}
{"id": "PMID:1491800", "title": "Blockade of nitric oxide formation by N omega-nitro-L-arginine mitigates ischemic brain edema and subsequent cerebral infarction in rats.", "content": "In order to investigate whether or not nitric oxide (NO) formation underlies the cellular mechanisms of ischemic brain damage, we examined the effects of N omega-nitro-L-arginine (L-NNA), a NO synthase inhibitor, on ischemic brain edema and subsequent infarction in rats with middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAo). For this purpose, administrations of L-NNA (1 mg/kg, i.p.) to each animal were done at the time of 5 min, 3, 6 and 24 h after MCAo, respectively. It was shown from this study that L-NNA significantly mitigated ischemic cerebral edema, and histological examinations revealed that this compound markedly reduced infarction size that occurred following MCAo. These results strongly suggest that NO formation is at least partly involved in the pathogenetic mechanisms of ischemic brain edema and subsequent cerebral infarction."}
{"id": "PMID:1491801", "title": "Actions of vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) on neocortical neurons of the rat in vitro.", "content": "The action of vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) was studied using intracellular recording techniques in neocortical neurons of the rat in vitro. When added to the perfusion medium, VIP enhanced direct excitability and increased the amplitude of the excitatory postsynaptic potential (EPSP). Effects of VIP were long-lasting and in most cases not fully reversible within the observation period. The present results suggest a role for VIP in long-lasting peptidergic modulation of excitatory synaptic components as well as direct excitability of neocortical pyramidal neurons of the adult rat."}
{"id": "PMID:1491802", "title": "Inflammatory stimuli induce a new K+ outward current in cultured rat microglia.", "content": "Membrane currents of cultured rat microglia were recorded with the whole-cell patch clamp technique. Undifferentiated microglia express only inwardly rectifying K+ channels. However, treatment of the cells with bacterial lipopolysaccharide, interferon-gamma, or their incubation in hydrophobic teflon bags, procedures that promote microglial differentiation, induced the expression of an additional outward current. Cycloheximide prevented the development of this conductance indicating the synthesis of a new channel protein. The reversal potential of the outward current was near to the K+ equilibrium potential; the current was abolished by intracellular Cs+ or extracellular 4-aminopyridine, and was depressed by extracellular tetraethylammonium. Hence, the channels involved appear to be highly selective for K+; their possible function is a rapid termination of depolarizing shifts of the membrane potential."}
{"id": "PMID:1491803", "title": "Neuronal and glial plasma membrane carrier-mediated uptake of L-homocysteate is not selectively blocked by beta-p-chlorophenylglutamate.", "content": "The proposed action of beta-p-chlorophenylglutamate (chlorpheg) as a selective blocker of L-homocysteate uptake was studied in primary cultures of mouse brain neurons and astrocytes and in rat brain synaptosomes. The preparations were incubated with 1 microM to 10 mM L-homocysteate and D-aspartate in the absence and presence of 7.5 mM chlorpheg. In each preparation uptake of the two amino acids comprised a saturable uptake and a non-saturable (passive diffusion) component. L-Homocysteate was of at least 100-fold lower affinity than D-aspartate as a substrate for the amino acid transporter. Chlorpheg was shown to be essentially equieffective as a weak competitive inhibitor of only the saturable uptake of L-homocysteate and D-aspartate. It is concluded that chlorpheg is not a selective blocker of L-homocysteate uptake."}
{"id": "PMID:1491804", "title": "Age-related loss of cannabinoid receptor binding sites and mRNA in the rat striatum.", "content": "Differences in the distribution of cannabinoid receptor (studied by receptor binding radioautography using the synthetic psychoactive cannabinoid ligand [3H]CP55,940) and its mRNA (studied by in situ hybridization histochemistry using oligonucleotide probes complementary to rat cannabinoid receptor cDNA) have been investigated in the rat striatum during ageing. The striata of old rats (24 months) show a 50% reduction in expression of cannabinoid receptors and mRNA levels when compared with young (3 months) equivalents. Thus, changes in cannabinoid receptor gene expression appear to be partially responsible for age-related loss of these receptors."}
{"id": "PMID:1491805", "title": "The dopamine D1 receptor antagonist SCH-23390 decreases the mRNA levels of the transcription factor zif268 (krox-24) in adult rat intact striatum--an in situ hybridization study.", "content": "By in situ hybridization with an oligonucleotide probe, we have studied the cellular distribution of the messenger RNA encoding the transcription factor zif268 (krox-24) in the adult intact rat striatum and regulation of its synthesis by acute treatment with the dopamine D1 receptor antagonist SCH-23390. Zif268 mRNA was found in the striatal medium-sized neurons and not in the large cells. Its levels were decreased by SCH-23390, suggesting activation of this immediate early gene in the striatum through dopamine D1 receptor stimulation."}
{"id": "PMID:1491806", "title": "Intracellular EGTA alters phasic firing of neurons in the rat supraoptic nucleus in vitro.", "content": "To determine the function of intracellular free Ca2+ which is important in generating the phasic firing pattern characteristic of vasopressin neurons in the supraoptic nucleus (SON), we injected the highly specific Ca(2+)-chelating agent ethyleneglycol-bis-(beta-aminoethyl ether) N,N-tetraacetic acid (EGTA) into SON cells in the rat hypothalamic slice preparation. Intracellular recordings from 29 SON neurons which showed phasic firing were analyzed. Of the 29 SON neurons, 21 were recorded with microelectrodes filled with 3 M potassium acetate and 20 of the 21 neurons retained the phasic pattern more than 1 h after penetration by the electrode. Only one neuron lost phasic firing and fired randomly. By contrast, in all 8 neurons which were recorded with microelectrodes filled with 100 mM EGTA/2 M potassium acetate, phasic firing disappeared 10-80 min after penetration of the recording electrode although the neurons still showed spontaneous activity. These neurons also lost the after hyperpolarization and plateau potentials which followed bursting discharges. Our results suggest that intracellular free Ca2+ may play an important role in generating phasic firing."}
{"id": "PMID:1491807", "title": "Effect of local cyanide perfusion on rat striatal extracellular dopamine and its metabolites as studied by in vivo brain microdialysis.", "content": "To investigate in vivo effects of energy failure on functions of dopaminergic neurons, we administered 0 (control), 0.2, 1 or 2 mM sodium cyanide (NaCN) dissolved in Ringer's solution for 60 min into the rat striatum through a brain microdialysis membrane. During NaCN perfusion, a transient and concentration-dependent increase in dopamine (DA) levels in the dialysate was observed. The maximum DA level during 2 mM NaCN perfusion was found to be 63-fold higher than the control levels. Leves of 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid and homovanillic acid were continuously lowered during and after NaCN perfusion. These data suggest that suppression of ATP production by NaCN induces an abrupt and remarkable increase in dopamine release from the nerve terminal in the striatum."}
{"id": "PMID:1491808", "title": "Light suppression of nocturnal pineal and plasma melatonin in rats depends on wavelength and time of day.", "content": "Effects of light on the pineal and plasma melatonin were examined in Wistar and Long-Evans rats at two different times in the dark phase (light off from 18.00 h to 06.00 h) using lights of two different monochromatic wavelengths but with the same irradiance. The green light pulse (520 nm) given at 24.00 h suppressed the pineal and plasma melatonin to the day-time level for at least 2 h, while the red light (660 nm) pulse given at the same time of the day suppressed pineal melatonin only transiently and did not suppress the plasma melatonin at all. Both green and red lights given at 4.00 h suppressed the pineal and plasma melatonin to a similar extent. The results demonstrated that the suppression of melatonin by light depends on the wavelength of light and the circadian phase."}
{"id": "PMID:1491809", "title": "Effect of two different routes of administration of R-PIA on glutamate release during ischemia.", "content": "Considering that adenosine decreases glutamate release from brain slices by stimulating presynaptic A1 receptors, we have attempted to modulate glutamate release in vivo during global ischemia with an agonist (R-phenylisopropyladenosine, R-PIA) of A1 receptors. Extracellular hippocampal glutamate was sampled by microdialysis and measured by HPLC. Conscious rats were submitted to transient global ischemia for 20 min. Ischemia induced a significant increase (10 fold) in extracellular glutamate. R-PIA (20 micrograms/kg) administered i.p. 30 min before ischemia significantly reduced (-64%) glutamate release. Conversely, R-PIA (100 microM) continuously infused through the hippocampal dialysis probe did not significantly modify glutamate efflux. The efficiency of infused R-PIA was evidenced by the decrease (-47%) of glutamate release induced by veratridine depolarization. These results indicate that the depressive action of R-PIA during ischemia results from various effects which are not restricted to a local action on the hippocampus."}
{"id": "PMID:1491813", "title": "A simple method for measuring ventriculomegaly in neonates.", "content": "The author presents a simple, easy-to-use, noninvasive, and easily reproducible method for measuring ventriculomegaly in the premature neonate. Neonatologists, as well as neurologists and neurosurgeons, have come to rely upon this method of measuring the ventricles in neonates."}
{"id": "PMID:1491814", "title": "Inpatient triage for out-of-hospital disasters.", "content": "Due to Operation Desert Storm, St. Francis Medical Center established an inhouse triage system to make bed space rapidly available during out-of-hospital disasters. The authors discuss the use of physician bed monitors and discharge criteria and suggest the importance of hospital readiness."}
{"id": "PMID:1491816", "title": "Childhood and young adult cancer in New Jersey.", "content": "Cancer incidence rates for 0 to 24 years of age were examined for New Jersey for 1979-1985. New Jersey rates generally were higher than the comparison states. They were most like those of Connecticut, the state most similar in demographics, geography, and degree of urbanization."}
{"id": "PMID:1491817", "title": "Radiology rounds: MRI of rotator cuff arthropathy.", "content": "Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has proved to be an excellent diagnostic tool in evaluating the musculoskeletal system. This article illustrates one particular facet of musculoskeletal MRI: investigation of the rotator cuff tendon complex."}
{"id": "PMID:1491819", "title": "LPN to ADN: a new model for educational mobility.", "content": "There is growing interest among nurse educators in methodologies to promote upward mobility between the levels of nursing education. The author describes an innovative model for facilitating mobility from licensed practical nurse level to registered nurse practice at the associate degree level."}
{"id": "PMID:1491823", "title": "The intimate dialogue: journal writing by students.", "content": "Nurse educators have long used logs and diaries with students in clinical settings. However, the literature is not specific about the development or implementation of journal writing in nursing classrooms. To guide nurse educators interested in integrating journal writing into their repertoire of teaching strategies, the author reviews relevant literature and describes a triangulation model for journal writing assignments tailored for nursing classrooms."}
{"id": "PMID:1491822", "title": "Dual assignment: an alternative clinical teaching strategy.", "content": "Meeting students' learning needs in acute care settings is challenging. The authors discuss dual assignment in the pediatric setting with beginning nursing students."}
{"id": "PMID:1491826", "title": "The acquisition of delegation skills: collaboration between education and service.", "content": "Many new patient care delivery models are being developed and evaluated. One of the most important skills needed by registered nurses (RNs) to function within these new models is delegation. For many reasons, RNs find it difficult to develop and implement this skill. The authors outline a program that can be used to assist students in the acquisition of delegation behaviors. As a result, students were able to explore and discover their delegation ability while gaining self-confidence in implementing the RN role."}
{"id": "PMID:1491824", "title": "Caring among nursing students.", "content": "Nursing students need to have a sense of being cared for in order to nurture their own ability to care for others. This phenomenologic study explored the meaning of caring among nursing students. Fifty-three nursing students were asked to describe a situation in which they had experienced caring from another nursing student. Their written descriptions were analyzed using Van Kaam's phenomenologic method. Four necessary constituents of a caring experience among nursing students emerged: Authentic presencing, selfless sharing, fortifying support, and enriching effects. The enriching effects of caring experiences among nursing students that were revealed support the author's stance that, along with faculty, nursing students can also be role models for caring."}
{"id": "PMID:1491827", "title": "A collaborative health promotion effort: nursing students and Wendy's Team Up.", "content": "Community health nursing students, faculty, and Wendy's fast food restaurant conducted a 2-day health fair that provided health screening, counseling, and educational opportunities for the community, an exciting learning experience for the students, funds for the school of nursing, and good public relations for Wendy's. The authors describe the planning, implementation, and evaluation of this health fair as a student learning activity."}
{"id": "PMID:1491834", "title": "Radioleucoscintigraphy in osteoarthritis. Is there an inflammatory component?", "content": "The possible contribution of an inflammatory component in osteoarthritis was investigated. There was no correlation between the percentage uptakes of 99Tcm-hexamethylpropyleneamine oxime (HMPAO)-labelled white blood cells and 99Tcm-methylene diphosphonate (MDP) and between the former and pain scores. A significant correlation was found between the percentage uptake of 99Tcm-MDP and pain scores (0.002 > P > 0.01). In osteoarthritis, 99Tcm-HMPAO-labelled white cell imaging may or may not show a positive localization in the synovial membrane. Positive white cell localization appears to be limited to the area that corresponds to the radiological evidence of the condition and the positive uptake of the skeletal imaging agent."}
{"id": "PMID:1491825", "title": "The culturally diverse student: a model for empowerment.", "content": "The student who is at a disadvantage due to race, educational background, or cultural background is often unsuccessful in higher education. Specific programs designed to assist the culturally diverse student can make a significant difference in the successful completion of a program of nursing and passing of the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX). The authors discuss a model that assists culturally diverse students' success in a program of nursing."}
{"id": "PMID:1491835", "title": "A radiopharmaceutical for imaging areas of lymphocytic infiltration: 123I-interleukin-2. Labelling procedure and animal studies.", "content": "The labelling of interleukin-2 (IL-2) with 123I and its in vivo application for imaging chronic pathological lymphocytic infiltrations are described. The lactoperoxidase/glucoseoxidase technique was the labelling method of choice leading to immunoreactive IL-2 with high specific activity. Labelled IL-2 was injected in diabetes-prone non-obese diabetic (NOD) mice with pancreatic lymphocytic infiltration. As control animals, Balb/c mice were used. As specificity control, monoclonal antibodies AMT13 and UCHT1, bovine serum albumin and alpha-lactalbumin were radioiodinated and injected in mice. Eighteen NOD mice and four control Balb/c mice were used for gamma camera imaging experiments. Fifty-four NOD and 20 Balb/c mice were used for time course single organ counting and autoradiography. Gamma camera images showed that radioactivity accumulated in the pancreatic region from the 10th minute onwards in NOD mice injected with 123I-IL-2 but not in Balb/c mice, or in NOD mice injected with control radiopharmaceuticals. These findings were confirmed by counting the radioactivity present in single organs. Autoradiography of NOD pancreas, after injection of labelled IL-2, showed that radioactivity was specifically associated with infiltrating lymphocytes. In conclusion, this technique is highly specific and easy to perform and we suggest its application in humans for in vivo detection of areas of lymphocytic infiltration."}
{"id": "PMID:1491836", "title": "Anti D dimer monoclonal antibodies: a possible scintigraphic agent for immunodetection of thrombi.", "content": "The aim of this work was to produce a MoAb able to react with clots but not with fibrinogen. Monoclonal antibodies directed towards DD dimers, against specific products of plasmic digestion of cross-linked fibrin, were obtained. One of these antibodies, F 60/43/8, showed a 1.79 x 10(9) l mol-1 binding constant in spite of the presence of fibrinogen at a 4000 times greater concentration than the cross-linked fibrin. In vitro studies with 125I-F(ab')2 of F 60/43/8 showed that 34-80% of the radioactivity can be found in human clots, in the presence of physiologic concentrations of fibrinogen, and that 96-h washing does not remove the labelled F(ab')2 from the clot. 131I-F(ab')2 was injected into rabbits in which a clot had formed in an artery (six rabbits) or in a vein (six rabbits) of the left ear. Scintigraphic images of the clot were always obtained. In conclusion, the results of this work suggest that F 60/43/8 may be used as a specific antibody for the radioimmunodetection of thrombi."}
{"id": "PMID:1491832", "title": "Bringing electrolytes to life: an imagery game.", "content": "Stimulating the interest of nursing students in impersonal physiological processes, such as fluid and electrolyte exchanges, is a challenge for nurse educators. Facilitating the students' understanding beyond a superficial level may be a greater challenge. The author developed an imagery game that will bring electrolytes to life for nursing students. Imagery gaming, a new concept, could be used to teach many applied physiological processes."}
{"id": "PMID:1491838", "title": "Estimation of right ventricular ejection fraction by means of 99Tcm-macroaggregates.", "content": "A method is described for assessing right ventricular ejection fraction (RVEF) by means of 99Tcm-macroaggregates (MAA). The method consists of performing, in right anterior oblique (RAO) projection, a direct ECG-gated data acquisition over 120 s, as soon as the intravenous administration of the tracer is started. The activity returning to the left heart being negligible, background is limited to the lung activity overlapping the right ventricle. The distribution of lung activity in the gated frames is, however, exactly the same as that in the lung perfusion image, it can therefore be subtracted using static lung scintigraphy acquired directly after the gated study. Considering the count density distributions in the corrected end-diastolic (ED) and end-systolic (ES) frames and the first harmonic phase and amplitude images, ED and ES RV regions of interest (ROIs) are delineated for the calculation of RVEF. It has been shown that using 5 mCi 99Tcm-MAA, the ED count obtained is similar to that usually observed during a 20 mCi 99Tcm first-pass study. Intraobserver variation is acceptable and there is a good correlation between the RVEF calculated by this method and that obtained by means of a steady-state ECG-gated 81Krm technique. As the method presents similar advantages to those offered by 81Krm while using 99Tcm, it constitutes, in our opinion, a good approach for estimating RVEF in routine clinical practice."}
{"id": "PMID:1491837", "title": "Does gallium uptake in the pulmonary hila predict involvement by non-Hodgkin's lymphoma?", "content": "67Ga imaging of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is useful for evaluating the presence of viable tumour in a residual mass after treatment. However, we have frequently seen gallium uptake in the pulmonary hila without other evidence of lymphoma. To study the significance of this finding, 79 patients with intermediate grade non-Hodgkin's lymphoma were reviewed. Thirty-seven (47%) had abnormal hilar gallium uptake. Twenty-three of these could be fully evaluated, and only five (22%) had hilar lymphoma. A pattern of bilateral, symmetric hilar uptake was seen in 19 patients, but only one had evidence of lymphoma. In 15 cases, this pattern was seen only on single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). The aetiology of this uptake remains unknown. It is not treatment related, as 12 patients had hilar gallium uptake prior to chemotherapy. Unless confirmed by other methods, hilar gallium uptake should not be attributed to lymphoma, and should not influence patient management."}
{"id": "PMID:1491839", "title": "Cognition and 99Tcm-HMPAO SPECT in Parkinson's disease.", "content": "99Tcm-hexamethylpropyleneamine oxime (HMPAO) single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) of brain was performed in 43 unselected patients with Parkinson's disease to evaluate whether low cerebral perfusion on SPECT correlated with cognitive impairment in the patients. All patients received neurological, Mini-Mental State Examination and a neuropsychological assessment. Eighteen (41.9%) of the 43 patients were demented. Thirty patients (69.8%) had abnormal SPECT: 17 had perfusion defects in cortical regions, eight in basal ganglia and five in both regions. Of the 22 patients with abnormal cortical perfusion, 15 (68.2%) were demented; only three (14.3%) of the 21 patients without cortical defect were demented (P < 0.01). Twelve of the 15 demented patients had low perfusion in the parietal region alone or in parietal and occipital regions. The cortical perfusion defects, present in 22 (51.2%) Parkinson's patients, are highly correlated with cognitive impairment. The pattern of SPECT abnormality in most demented patients with Parkinson's disease is similar to that seen in Alzheimer's disease, suggesting that the underlying pathophysiology for dementia in patients with Parkinson's disease may be similar to that in Alzheimer's disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1491840", "title": "Changes in septal regional ejection fraction early and late following coronary artery bypass grafting in patients without postoperative myocardial infarction.", "content": "Changes in regional ejection fraction (rEF) of the interventricular septum following coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery were examined using first-pass radionuclide ventriculography (RNVG) in patients without objective evidence of postoperative myocardial infarction (MI). One hundred and one patients had pre- (mean 6.3 days) and early postoperative (mean 8.7 days) RNVGs, and 60 of these patients had follow-up studies at 14-39 months (mean 27 months) postsurgery. Early post-CABG, mean rEF in the proximal septum was unchanged from the preoperative value (35.3%), with almost equal numbers of patients showing increased (n = 36), unchanged (n = 33) or decreased (n = 32) rEFs. In the distal septum, mean rEF increased from 47.1 to 50.7%, with more than twice as many patients having increased (n = 44) as decreased (n = 20) rEF. At late follow-up, proximal septum rEF in individual patients tended to revert to the presurgery baseline, with 72% (13/18) of regions with early decrease improved and 61% (14/23) of those with early improvement decreased. In the distal septum, rEF was less than early post-CABG in 76% (19/25) of patients with early improvement, while being improved in 27% (3/11) of those with early decrease in rEF. In the absence of MI, changes in rEF in the proximal septum early post-CABG tend to resolve over time. While global changes in cardiac systolic motion are the probable cause of many new post-CABG septal abnormalities, persistent septal dysfunction probably reflects effects of permanent damage as a result of the operative procedure."}
{"id": "PMID:1491841", "title": "SPECT versus planar scintigraphy for quantification of splenic sequestration of 111In-labelled platelets.", "content": "The splenic uptake of thrombocytes and spleen size were studied in 25 patients with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) using two methods: anterior/posterior scintigraphy and single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). Various factors (acquisition and reconstruction protocols) influencing the quality of 111In SPECT were studied. The splenic uptake, measured by SPECT, was found to be significantly higher in patients with a high level of autoantibodies in the blood than in patients without such antibodies (37 +/- 6%, n = 8 vs 22 +/- 3%, n = 11, P = 0.04, t-test). The correlation between the spleen SPECT volume and the geometric mean size in anterior and posterior images was 0.80 (P < 0.001). However, the spleen size calculated as geometric mean of anterior and posterior images differed by more than 50% from the SPECT volume in some patients. Based on these observations and on the results of phantom studies it is concluded that a reasonable estimate of the spleen:liver uptake ratio may be obtained using planar imaging, but to estimate the spleen volume and the absolute splenic uptake of platelets SPECT imaging is needed, in spite of the present technical limitations of SPECT."}
{"id": "PMID:1491842", "title": "The effects of hyperthyroidism on oesophageal motility.", "content": "This study, evaluating the effects of hyperthyroidism (HT) in oesophageal motility, depended on an oesophageal radionuclide transit test. A modified standard method was used to calculate: (a) total mean transit time (MTT), (b) residual fraction (RF) and (c) retrograde index (RI) in a supine position. Eighteen untreated patients with HT and 25 normal volunteers (NV) with a similar age distribution were included in this study. The results showed that oesophageal motility in patients with HT was worse than in the normal controls (P < 0.05 by Student's t-test). The correlation of MTT, RF and RI with size and function of thyroid glands in the patients with HT were calculated to explain the effects of HT in oesophageal motility. The results showed that neither the size nor the function of the thyroid glands in HT affected oesophageal motility."}
{"id": "PMID:1491843", "title": "Assessment of regional cerebral perfusion by 99Tcm-HMPAO SPECT in chronic fatigue syndrome.", "content": "Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a severely disabling illness of uncertain aetiology. It is characterized by a chronic, sustained or fluctuating sense of debilitating fatigue without any other known underlying medical conditions. It is also associated with both somatic and neuropsychological symptoms. Both physical and laboratory findings are usually unremarkable. Regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) was assessed in 60 clinically defined CFS patients and 14 normal control (NC) subjects using 99Tcm-hexamethylpropyleneamine oxime (99Tcm-HMPAO) single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). Compared with the NC group, the CFS group showed significantly lower cortical/cerebellar rCBF ratios, throughout multiple brain regions (P < 0.05). Forty-eight CFS subjects (80%) showed at least one or more rCBF ratios significantly less than normal values. The major cerebral regions involved were frontal (38 cases, 63%), temporal (21 cases, 35%), parietal (32 cases, 53%) and occipital lobes (23 cases, 38%). The rCBF ratios of basal ganglia (24 cases, 40%) were also reduced. 99Tcm-HMPAO brain SPECT provided objective evidence for functional impairment of the brain in the majority of the CFS subjects. The findings may not be diagnostic of CFS but 99Tcm-HMPAO SPECT may play an important role in clarifying the pathoaetiology of CFS. Further studies are warranted."}
{"id": "PMID:1491844", "title": "Bone mineral density in children with Down's syndrome detected by dual photon absorptiometry.", "content": "Bone mineral density (BMD) in ten children with Down's syndrome (seven boys, three girls; aged 10-16 years) was measured by dual photon absorptiometry (DPA) using an M&SE OsteoTech 300 scanner. The BMD of the 2nd to 4th lumbar vertebrae was measured and the mean density presented as g cm-2. The BMD of Down's syndrome was compared with the BMD of normal Chinese children of the same age group. The results showed that the BMD in Down's syndrome was significantly lower compared to that found in normal children (P < 0.01). The percentage of decreased BMD is 8.47 +/- 2.69% (mean +/- 1 S.E.M.) in Down's syndrome compared to normal children of the same age group. The distribution curve of BMD against ages in Down's syndrome has a delay of 2.3 +/- 0.5 (mean +/- 1 S.E.M.) years compared to normal children. In our conclusion, the children with Down's syndrome have lower BMD than the normal children of the same age group. The causes of this abnormality may require further study in the future."}
{"id": "PMID:1491845", "title": "Clinical evaluation of 99Tcm-MIBI SPECT in the assessment of coronary artery disease.", "content": "To evaluate the clinical efficacy of 99Tcm-MIBI myocardial tomography for detecting coronary artery disease (CAD) 115 consecutive patients who underwent both 99Tcm-MIBI single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and coronary arteriography were studied. Thirty-three patients without and 82 with significant coronary artery disease were documented by coronary arteriography. The overall sensitivity and specificity of 99Tcm-MIBI SPECT for detecting coronary artery disease were 96 and 87.9%, respectively. The sensitivity for identifying patients with CAD without myocardial infarction was 88%. The sensitivity of 99Tcm-MIBI SPECT for detecting individual coronary artery lesions was 86% for left anterior descending artery (LAD), 69% for left circumflex artery (Lcx) and 86% for right coronary artery (RCA), lesions respectively. In conclusion, 99Tcm-MIBI SPECT provides a reliable method for detecting CAD."}
{"id": "PMID:1491853", "title": "The Pain Beliefs Questionnaire: an investigation of beliefs in the causes and consequences of pain.", "content": "This paper reports the development and validation of the Pain Beliefs Questionnaire (PBQ). This is a 20-item questionnaire covering beliefs about the cause and treatment of pain. It was administered to 294 subjects, comprising 100 chronic pain patients and 194 controls. An exploratory factor analysis revealed 2 factors accounting for 68.15% of the variance. From the final solution 2 scales were derived: the first called Organic Beliefs and the second Psychological Beliefs scale, comprising 8 and 4 items, respectively. The construct validity of the questionnaire was assessed in 2 ways. First, the responses of chronic pain patients and non-patient controls were compared: a significant difference (F(1,236) = 53.04, P < 0.0001) between these 2 groups emerged such that chronic pain patients were more likely to endorse the Organic Beliefs scale items, whereas non-patients were more likely to endorse the Psychological Beliefs scale items. Secondly, as predicted significant associations were observed between scores on the Organic Beliefs scale and scores on the Chance and Powerful Others scales of the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control (MHLC), and also between the Psychological Beliefs and Internal scales of the MHLC. No relationship, however, emerged between these scales and measures of pain intensity. The implications of these findings for the assessment and management of chronic pain patients, and in the understanding of the development of chronic pain, are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1491854", "title": "Chronic pain coping measures: individual vs. composite scores.", "content": "Differences in the use of coping strategies have been hypothesized to explain some of the variation in adaptation among chronic pain patients. Investigators often assess coping using composite indices of different coping strategies. Although the use of composite measures has advantages, it may obscure the importance of specific coping strategies as they relate to functioning. This study compared composite with individual coping scale scores in the prediction of adjustment among chronic pain patients. One hundred and forty-one patients completed the Coping Strategies Questionnaire (CSQ) and 2 measures of adjustment (Sickness Impact Profile (SIP) and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI)). The scales and ratings of the CSQ were factor analyzed to create composite measures, and the ability of the composite scores and individual scales to predict adjustment was compared. The results indicated that the individual scales provided more information than the composite measures regarding the relationship between coping and adjustment to chronic pain. The results also suggested that individual scale scores may be more useful than composite scores in identifying the conditions under which coping efforts have their greatest effects on adjustment."}
{"id": "PMID:1491855", "title": "Relations between experimentally induced tooth pain threshold changes, psychometrics and clinical pain relief following TENS. A retrospective study in patients with long-lasting pain.", "content": "The present study investigates the relationships between clinical pain relief, physiological and psychological parameters. Out of 50 patients with long-lasting musculoskeletal neck- and shoulder-pain treated with transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS), 21 were selected and classified as responders (n = 13) or non-responders (n = 8). Tooth pain thresholds (PT) were measured before and after an experimental TENS treatment and the relative change in PT following the stimulation was calculated. Three psychometric self-inventories were administered: Zung Depression Scale, Spielberger's Trait Anxiety Scale and the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control Scale. Responders (R) and non-responders (NR) differed significantly from each other in the PT measurements as well as on the psychometric scales. NR exhibited higher levels of anxiety and depression, a more pronounced powerful other orientation and no change or a decrease in PT following TENS compared to R. These findings indicate relationships and interactions between physiological and psychological factors in patients with long-lasting pain."}
{"id": "PMID:1491856", "title": "Effect of temporomandibular disorder pain duration on facial expressions and verbal report of pain.", "content": "This study investigated how specific expressive behaviors (verbal report of pain level and the frequency of emitting specific non-verbal facial expressions of pain) may change over the course of a chronic pain condition. Based on the concept of chronic pain behaviors, we hypothesized that both verbal and non-verbal behavior would increase with duration of pain. Thirty-six women with chronic temporomandibular disorder (TMD) pain (duration over 6 months) were compared with 35 recent onset cases (first episode, duration < or = 2 months). Subjects completed questionnaires assessing depression, anxiety, somatization, daily hassles and pain coping strategies. They were videotaped during a resting baseline and 2 painful conditions: experimental cold pressor pain and the clinically relevant pain of palpation of the masticatory muscles and temporomandibular joint; tapes were coded for facial expression using the Facial Action Coding System. Visual analog scale (VAS) ratings of the aversiveness and intensity of ongoing TMD pain were collected at baseline, and similar ratings of cold pressor and clinical examination pain were gathered after the painful stimulus. Recent onset and chronic cases did not differ on self-report measures of anxiety, depression, somatization or daily stress. Coping strategies were also similar, although chronic cases showed a greater tendency to catastrophize. Self-report measures of ambient facial pain, as well as the pain of clinical examination and cold pressor stimulation, revealed no significant differences between the 2 groups. In contrast, rates of pain facial expression were significantly higher for chronic cases under all conditions of the experiment, including baseline.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1491857", "title": "The consistency of facial expressions of pain: a comparison across modalities.", "content": "A number of facial actions have been found to be associated with pain. However, the consistency with which these actions occur during pain of different types has not been examined. This paper focuses on the consistency of facial expressions during pain induced by several modalities of nociceptive stimulation. Forty-one subjects were exposed to pain induced by electric shock, cold, pressure and ischemia. Facial actions during painful and pain-free periods were measured with the Facial Action Coding System. Four actions showed evidence of a consistent association with pain, increasing in likelihood, intensity or duration across all modalities: brow lowering, tightening and closing of the eye lids and nose wrinkling/upper lip raising. Factor analyses suggested that the facial actions reflected a general factor with a reasonably consistent pattern across modalities which could be combined into a sensitive single measure of pain expression. The findings suggest that the 4 actions identified carry the bulk of facial information about pain. They also provide evidence for the existence of a universal facial expression of pain. Implications of the findings for the measurement of pain expression are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1491858", "title": "Reflex sympathetic dystrophy in brain-injured patients.", "content": "One-hundred consecutive patients were prospectively evaluated on admission to our Brain Injury Unit for signs and symptoms of reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD) in the upper extremity. Patients averaged 4 months postinjury and had an average age of 29 years. Thirteen patients had clinical signs and symptoms of RSD and were then evaluated with standard radiographs and 3-phase radionuclide scintigraphy. Twelve of 13 patients had 3-phase bone scans (TPBS) consistent with RSD (12% overall incidence). RSD was present exclusively in the spastic upper extremity. There were 9 patients with hemiparesis and 3 with quadraparesis. There was a significantly higher (P < 0.01) incidence of associated upper extremity injury in the group with RSD (75%). All patients had a mean Rancho Cognitive Level of V and initial Glasgow Coma Scores less than 8. Patients who developed RSD had lower Glasgow Coma Scores than the non-RSD patients. Brain-injured patients often display agitation, hyperalgesia, disuse or neglect of the RSD-involved extremity. In addition, these patients are often cognitively unable to vocalize complaints of pain. Undiagnosed RSD in these patients can result in a significant delay in rehabilitation and possible loss of the use of an otherwise functional upper extremity."}
{"id": "PMID:1491859", "title": "Effects of age and size on development of allodynia in a chronic pain model produced by sciatic nerve ligation in rats.", "content": "Sciatic nerve constriction injury in rats has been used by various investigators as a model of chronic pain exhibiting allodynia and hyperalgesia. Although rats ranging between 200 and 350 g (40-70 days old) at the time of operation have been used by various investigators, the effect of rat age and weight on the model has not been previously studied. We noted that a group of older rats failed to develop all the characteristics of the model and designed the present study to determine the effect of age and weight on the development of allodynia and hyperalgesia. Three groups of rats varying in age (54, 71, and 107 days) and weight (220-250 g, 270-350 g, and 370-470 g) with the experimental lesion were tested for hyperalgesia, cold allodynia, and tactile allodynia. We found that although the degree of hyperalgesia of all groups was the same, the oldest group had significantly longer response latencies to allodynia tests than the younger 2 groups. Responses to the cold test were no different than control in the oldest group. The results of the present study demonstrate that larger, older rats fail to develop allodynia after sciatic nerve ligation."}
{"id": "PMID:1491860", "title": "Sympathectomy does not abolish bradykinin-induced cutaneous hyperalgesia in man.", "content": "Bradykinin is an endogenous peptide that is thought to be a chemical mediator of the hyperalgesia following inflammation. In rat, bradykinin has been postulated to cause hyperalgesia to mechanical stimuli by releasing prostaglandin from sympathetic post-ganglionic terminals. The aim of this study was to determine whether bradykinin-induced cutaneous hyperalgesia in humans requires post-ganglionic sympathetic terminals. In humans, intradermal injection of bradykinin produces dramatic hyperalgesia to heat but not mechanical stimuli. Therefore, we measured the magnitude and duration of pain and hyperalgesia to heat stimuli following intradermal injection of bradykinin into the leg of a woman before and 6 months after an ipsilateral, surgical, lumbar sympathectomy. The pain and hyperalgesia to heat following bradykinin was found to be unaffected by the sympathectomy. These results suggest that the algesic effects of cutaneous bradykinin in human are independent of the sympathetic nervous system."}
{"id": "PMID:1491861", "title": "Selective changes of receptive field properties of spinal nociceptive neurones induced by noxious visceral stimulation in the cat.", "content": "This study was designed to examine the central changes in the receptive field properties of dorsal horn neurones induced by a period of visceral noxious stimulation. The aim of this investigation was to establish whether noxious stimulation of the visceral input to the spinal cord could influence transmission of cutaneous information through dorsal horn neurones. Single-unit electrical activity was recorded in the lower thoracic spinal cord of anaesthetized cats from dorsal horn neurones with a somatic receptive field in the ipsilateral flank. Changes in the properties of these receptive fields induced by reversible spinalization (by means of a cold block 4 or 5 segments rostral to the recording electrodes) and by a conditioning noxious stimulation of the biliary system (3 successive distensions of the gall bladder for 30 sec at 65-80 mm Hg at 1-min intervals) were analysed. Nineteen neurones have been studied, 10 of which could be driven by stimulation of the gall bladder. All of these 10 cells showed increases in the size of their cutaneous receptive fields following conditioning noxious stimulation of the biliary system. The increases were large and lasted for at least 20 min. None of the 9 spinal cord neurones without an input from the gall bladder were affected by the conditioning visceral stimulus even though 7 showed changes in receptive field size when the animals were spinalised. These results show that noxious stimulation of viscera can evoke increases in the somatic receptive fields of spinal cord neurones but only of those neurones which are also driven by the visceral stimulus."}
{"id": "PMID:1491862", "title": "Electrical stimulation of the subdiaphragmatic vagus in rats: inhibition of heat-evoked responses of spinal dorsal horn neurons and central substrates mediating inhibition of the nociceptive tail flick reflex.", "content": "Electrical stimulation of the subdiaphragmatic branch of the vagus nerve (SDVAS) inhibits the nociceptive tail flick (TF) reflex. The present experiments examined (1) the central substrates mediating SDVAS-produced inhibition of the TF reflex and (2) the effects of SDVAS on either background or noxious heat-evoked responses of spinal dorsal horn neurons. Microinjections of ibotenic acid in the ipsilateral nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS), nucleus raphe magnus (NRM), or bilateral locus coeruleus/subcoeruleus (LC/SC) significantly increased the intensity of SDVAS required to inhibit the TF reflex in lightly anesthetized rats. In studies of class-2 spinal dorsal horn neurons, SDVAS produced significant intensity-dependent inhibition of noxious heat-evoked responses of 17/25 (68%) units, facilitation of 4/25 (16%) units, and no effect on 4/25 (16%) units. In studies of class-3 spinal dorsal horn neurons, SDVAS produced significant intensity-dependent inhibition of noxious heat-evoked responses of 8/9 (89%) units. Noxious heat-evoked responses of 1/9 (11%) unit were facilitated by SDVAS. In general, the background activity of either class-2 or class-3 units was not significantly affected by SDVAS. SDVAS produced a significant rightward, parallel shift in the stimulus response function (SRF) of class-2 neurons to noxious, graded heat stimuli ranging from 40 to 52 degrees C, while SDVAS produced a significant increase in the threshold and a significant reduction in the slope of the SRF of class-3 neurons. These data indicate that SDVAS generally inhibits noxious heat-evoked responses of lumbosacral spinal dorsal horn neurons in the rat, but does not significantly affect background activity of the same neurons. Furthermore, the inhibition of the TF reflex produced by SDVAS depends on central relays in the ipsilateral NTS, NRM, and bilateral LC/SC."}
{"id": "PMID:1491863", "title": "Acute tolerance to nitrous oxide in humans.", "content": "The goal of this research was to determine whether the level of analgesia produced by nitrous oxide remains constant for the duration of a typical dental procedure or whether acute tolerance reduces the drug's efficacy. A computer-controlled stimulator delivered brief (approx. 1 msec) electrical pulses to a vital maxillary incisor which had been found to have normal sensitivity in a preliminary session. Subjects were trained to indicate the occurrence of a barely perceptible sensation (i.e., detection threshold) as well as a minimally painful sensation (i.e., pain threshold). On the experimental day, all subjects breathed a non-odorized placebo gas mixture during a 10-min baseline condition, and were then randomly assigned to receive either an odorized placebo gas mixture or an odorized 35-40% nitrous oxide/oxygen gas mixture for 46 min. Detection and pain thresholds were assessed repeatedly during the baseline and gas exposure conditions. Placebo control subjects had little change of either sensory threshold. Subjects breathing nitrous oxide significantly increased both detection and pain thresholds within 2-8 min following the onset of the drug. However, maintenance of the drug's effect was not consistent between subjects, despite continuous administration of a constant concentration of nitrous oxide. Some subjects had a relatively constant elevation of sensory thresholds throughout the nitrous oxide administration period, and others returned to baseline sensitivity values and therefore were acutely tolerant."}
{"id": "PMID:1491864", "title": "The postmastectomy pain syndrome and topical capsaicin: a randomized trial.", "content": "This paper describes a randomized parallel trial of topical 0.075% capsaicin versus vehicle (placebo) in the postmastectomy pain syndrome (PMPS). The study was double-blind in design; however, this was compromised by the burning sensation induced by capsaicin. We could not demonstrate a significant difference in the visual analogue scale (VAS) for steady pain although a trend was present. A significant difference was found, however, in the VAS for jabbing pain, in category pain severity scales, and in overall pain relief scales in favour of capsaicin. Five of 13 patients on capsaicin were categorized as good-to-excellent responses with 8 (62%) having 50% or greater improvement. Only 1 of 10 cases had a good response to vehicle with 3 rated as 50% or better."}
{"id": "PMID:1491868", "title": "Non-invasive ultrasonic biopsy in the classification of early arterial lesions and in the evaluation of the rate of progression of arteriosclerosis.", "content": "The evaluation of early arterial lesions and the follow-up of the progression of arteriosclerotic wall changes is possible with high resolution ultrasound. While dynamic (duplex scanning) data are suitable for the follow-up of advanced stenosis and plaques, the morphological evaluation performed using the technique of non-invasive ultrasonic biopsy may be used to follow-up early lesions and their progression. The data obtained by ultrasonic biopsy are related to the incidence of occult coronary ischemia and to the occurrence of cardiovascular events in 4 years. The rate of progression (ROP) to the next, more advanced UB class can be also evaluated by ultrasonic biopsy. It has been shown that in diabetic and hyperlipidemic subjects the ROP is higher. Also in interventional studies using lipid lowering agents (with a four-year follow-up) a reduction in ROP in treated asymptomatic hyperlipidemic subjects in comparison with controls has been documented. The combination of dynamic data and morphological data gives us a complete evaluation of the vascular system both for the assessment of single individuals and for large population studies."}
{"id": "PMID:1491871", "title": "Persistence of human growth hormone circadian rhythm in patients with homozygous beta-thalassemia.", "content": "Plasma levels of human growth hormone (hGH) were measured for an entire day every two hours, starting from midnight, in 6 healthy male subjects and in 6 male patients with homozygous beta-thalassemia, without evidence of any endocrine disease. The data were analyzed by the \"cosinor\" method, and the results show the presence of a significant (p < 0.05) circadian rhythm for hGH in both groups. Whereas no differences were found in mesors and acrophases between the two studied groups (p > 0.05), a statistically-significant (p < 0.05) difference was observed regarding amplitudes, being higher in the controls. These data suggest that in patients with beta-thalassemia major without evidence of any endocrine abnormality, the circadian secretory pattern of hGH is preserved, even if the rhythm amplitude is reduced: this could be a compensatory mechanism in order to stimulate growth."}
{"id": "PMID:1491873", "title": "Dubowitz' syndrome with special characteristics.", "content": "The Authors describe the main characteristics of Dubowitz' syndrome: retarded growth, microcephaly, cranio-facial deformations and dysmorphia of the extremities, psycho-motor development varying between normal and retarded, thin hair, cryptorchism, hyperactivity and others. They report a case which was brought to their attention in which, in addition to numerous anomalies and dysmorphia which justify its inclusion in Dubowitz' syndrome, there was marked bilateral metacarpal hypoplasia with strongly and permanently adducted thumbs. The aim of this report was to add to the mosaic of data relating to this highly polymorphous syndrome."}
{"id": "PMID:1491869", "title": "Skin blood flux and the venoarteriolar response in the perimalleolar area in patients with venous hypertension.", "content": "In patients with venous hypertension due to postphlebitic syndrome or varicose veins skin changes, liposclerosis and ulcerations are associated with increased skin blood flux at rest, a decreased venoarteriolar response and increased capillary filtration. Using laser-Doppler flowmetry we studied skin flux and the venoarteriolar response in the perimalleolar region in 100 normal limbs, 100 limb with varicose veins and 100 postphlebitic limbs with edema, skin changes and liposclerosis. The venoarteriolar response was studied with the leg on dependency, the foot being 50 cm below heart level. Flux at rest and on dependency were increased and the venoarteriolar response decreased in both groups of patients at a significantly greater extent in postphlebitic limbs. In conclusion laser-Doppler flowmetry measurements differentiate between normal limbs and those with venous hypertension and between postphlebitic limbs and limbs with venous hypertension due to varicose veins. The increase in skin flux and decrease in venoarteriolar response may be useful to define and quantify the degree of microangiopathy and the effects of treatments in venous hypertension."}
{"id": "PMID:1491874", "title": "Seminom cicatrice. About a case of spontaneous testicular regression.", "content": "This is a case of spontaneous regression of a tumour. Only the French Authors speak about this type of seminoma called them \"seminome cicatrice\". Probably the immunological defences are fundamental for the complete or partial spontaneous resolution of this type of tumour. Here we describe our clinical and surgical approach. The last control was normal with a relapse-free patient."}
{"id": "PMID:1491875", "title": "A theoretical look at gravity in the human cell: its role in normal cell division as well as neoplasia.", "content": "Explaining the ultimate expression of life with fundamental physical law is the proposition dealt with in this paper. Normal cell division, as well as cancer, are analyzed and scrutinized in terms of Jacobson resonance, cyclotron resonance, the quantum Hall effect and the piezoelectric effect. The underpinning concept is based in the unification and connection of gravity to biological systems."}
{"id": "PMID:1491870", "title": "The treadmill test in the assessment of peripheral arterial occlusive disease.", "content": "Results of a study using the treadmill test on 32 patients with peripheral Fontaine's stage II arterial disease are described. The aim of the study was to evaluate the utility of the test in assessing useful information concerning the site of the lesion. Patients were divided in three classes depending on the arterial segment involved (iliac-femoral, femoro-popliteal, associated lesions) as resulted from the velocimetric and angiographic evaluation. Ankle pressure and WI, at rest and after stress test, PFWD and RT were evaluated. The authors conclude that data achieved with the dynamic test are related to the arterial involvement, allowing to differentiate obstructive and stenotic lesions, but do not give information concerning the site of the lesion. Nevertheless it is a valuable means of highlighting arterial lesions well compensated at rest and with normal pressure values."}
{"id": "PMID:1491876", "title": "Systemic lupus erythematosus: medical and nursing treatments.", "content": "Systemic lupus erythematosus is a multisystem autoimmune disease that may affect skin, joints, mucous membranes, heart, lungs, kidneys, nervous system and all the blood cell lines. Although its cause is unknown, abnormal immune function results in the formation of antibodies directed against various components of the human body (autoantibodies). Treatment depends of the severity of the illness and may include nonsteroidal antiinflammatory agents for arthritis; antimalarial therapy for skin disease and other mild lupus manifestations; and corticosteroids and immunosuppressive agents including azathioprine, cyclophosphamide, and methotrexate for more severe lupus manifestations. Persons affected by lupus and their families need help in understanding the condition and require support as they deal with fear, depression, and possible disability. Implications for nursing are varied and include patient/family education about medication, joint protection principles, energy conservation, pain and stress management, and coping techniques."}
{"id": "PMID:1491877", "title": "Steroid management in orthopaedic patients.", "content": "Corticosteroids are encountered on a regular basis in the treatment of orthopaedic problems. Foreseeing potential dangers and complications and taking appropriate actions, the nurse helps to minimize the negative effects steroids may produce. This article discusses the physiologic production of corticosteroids and their effects. Potential risks associated with larger doses are described along with nursing interventions directed at assessing, avoiding, and managing steroid-related problems."}
{"id": "PMID:1491872", "title": "Surgical applications of the greater omentum. A critical review of the literature.", "content": "The paper presents and discusses a review of the literature on the use of the greater omentum, focusing in particular on chest surgery. Following an introduction on the anatomy and surgical techniques of mobilisation based on the vascular anatomy of the organ, the author examines the applications of the greater omentum in general surgery. Among these, it is particularly interesting to note the possibility of covering anastomoses, above all extraperitoneal; the interposition of the omentum in the prevention of endoabdominal adhesive syndromes, the covering of pathological perforations of hollow viscera. Lastly, the Author illustrates the applications of the omentum in chest surgery, both preventive and due to endothoracic pathological processes. The Author mentions the covering of bronchial and tracheal anastomoses following resection or lung transplant; the covering of defects in the thoracic wall in patients with osteoradionecrosis or previous irradiation; its therapeutic use in broncho-pleural fistulae and in post-sternotomy mediastinitis."}
{"id": "PMID:1491880", "title": "Practical tips on preparing for a JCAHO survey.", "content": "This article focuses on the role of the Nurse Manager and Staff Nurse in the Joint Commission for Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations survey process. We present practical tips to make the unit visits, interviews, and closed chart reviews easier and more meaningful. Emphasis is on meeting those standards that address use and documentation of the nursing process."}
{"id": "PMID:1491878", "title": "Compounded problem: chronic low back pain and overweight in adult females.", "content": "Overweight adult females may have negative self-concepts and body images compounded by chronic low back pain and obesity. This subgroup of clients need special attention and nursing interventions to adjust to chronic low back pain and to achieve permanent weight control. Interventions designed to improve female clients' self-concepts and body images also support their efforts toward weight control, and, in turn, improve their negative perceptions of chronic pain. Orthopaedic nurses are in an excellent position to explore the relationships among body image, overweight, and chronic low back pain."}
{"id": "PMID:1491885", "title": "Fundamentals of hyperbaric oxygen therapy.", "content": "Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBO) is an adjunctive treatment used for wound healing. HBO treatments are given by increasing the atmospheric pressure in a chamber while the patient is breathing 100% oxygen. Many orthopaedic disease entities can benefit from HBO therapy. For the orthopaedic nurse to recognize potential HBO patients, a basic understanding of HBO therapy is necessary. Knowledge of diseases that can be treated with HBO, the side effects of HBO, and educating a patient for HBO therapy are all important aspects of hyperbaric therapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1491879", "title": "Update in orthopaedic oncology.", "content": "Orthopaedic oncology is a growing field with unanswered questions. Improvements in imaging have led to increases in limb salvage surgery. Chemotherapy is indicated in most bone sarcomas but varied agents are used. Newer surgical procedures such as an internal hemipelvectomy and resection using an expandable prothesis are currently being evaluated. Further research in all areas is indicated."}
{"id": "PMID:1491886", "title": "[Optical and ultrastructural morphology in hyperparathyroidism during dialysis].", "content": "Twenty-six cases of surgically removed parathyroid glands in patients under chronic dialytic treatment were studied. In 19 cases a total parathyroidectomy was performed while in the remaining 7 cases only a subtotal parathyroidectomy was possible. All parathyroid glands (98) showed chief cells hyperplasia, with nodular pattern in 24 patients and diffuse pattern in two cases. A solid pattern was observed in 79 parathyroid glands, a trabecular in 49 and a follicular one in 33. Ultrastructural study was performed on 75 parathyroid glands. Electron microscopy has been useful in the evaluation of functional status of the single cell and in the detection of some morphological features (i.e., presence of intermediate filaments in the cytoplasms, mitochondrial abnormalities, multinucleation), rarely observed in hyperplasia and more frequent in adenoma. No morphologic differences have been found between hyperplastic glands and adenomatous glands. In the 27.2 per cent (out of 44 cases) flow-cytometric DNA analysis showed an aneuploid DNA content."}
{"id": "PMID:1491887", "title": "[The use of flow cytometry in the study of parathyroid hyperplasia and adenomas].", "content": "To discriminate benign from malignant parathyroid glands lesions is often difficult, because the morphologic features lack absolute diagnostic value. The differential diagnosis between chief cell hyperplasia and parathyroid adenoma is frequently based on physical features such as increased gland weight and number of enlarged glands. A carcinoma is identified by the evidence of local invasion, metastases or recurrence. Nevertheless the lesions classified as benign for lack of histologic features of aggressiveness can show nuclear atypia, increased mitotic figures and broad fibrous bands. Since DNA aneuploidy is present in a great number of human neoplasms and DNA aneuploidy has been suggest to be a marker of malignancy, flow cytometric assessment of ploidy appeared a possible method for rapid and objective distinction between benign and malignant lesions. Flow cytometric DNA content was evaluated on 113 parathyroid glands: the parathyroids were resected from 26 patients with hyperparathyroidism and from 17 patients with adenoma. The analysis was performed on paraffin-embedded specimens according to Hedley with minor modifications. Interpretable histograms were obtained for 103 parathyroids gland (mean CV = 5.3). Aneuploidy was detected in 22.5% of glands; in 12 instances of parathyroid hyperplasia the glands of the same patient showed different DNA Indexes. Cytometric results and morphological features do not correlate as far as aneuploidy and cellular atypia are involved. Although our results fail to show any correlation between morphology of parathyroid cells and DNA content, and abnormal DNA content suggests a careful follow up of these patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1491888", "title": "[Changes in the cardiovascular chemo-baroreceptors as a possible basis for sudden infant death (SIDS)].", "content": "A male sixty days old infant, dying suddenly, has been diagnosed as sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Autopsy visualized plurifocal haematic suffusions, typical for an asphyxial status. Abnormalities were not found in the conduction system, but aorticopulmonary paraganglia hyperplasia with mild inflammatory characters has been noted. The role of aorticopulmonary paraganglia, as baro-chemoreceptors, in the cardiovascular regulation, has been anatomical substrate for explaining a sudden infant death, according to a multifactorial theory of SIDS."}
{"id": "PMID:1491889", "title": "[Anatomopathological findings correlated with high-dose recombinant interleukin-2. Review of the literature and description of 2 autopsy cases].", "content": "After review of the pertinent literature on pathologic findings associated with Interleukin-2 (IL-2) therapy for metastatic malignancies (melanomas, renal cell carcinomas), two autoptic cases are described with particular emphasis on the cardiovascular and pulmonary changes. The authors report on the occurrence of massive transmural acute myocardial infarct in a patient with metastatic cutaneous melanoma, treated with recombinant IL-2, who did not show atherosclerotic lesions of the coronary arteries. Conversely, myocardial lesions were not found in the other patient with metastatic renal cell carcinoma, treated with recombinant IL-2; he had severe generalized atherosclerosis and died of pulmonary causes. It is suggested that myocardial direct toxic effects of IL-2 associated with capillary leak syndrome may determine a myocardial infarct. It is concluded that IL-2 therapy is not contra-indicated in oncologic patients with atherosclerosis of the coronaries if they are carefully monitored."}
{"id": "PMID:1491894", "title": "[Pharyngo-esophageal motility disorders in Steinert's myotonic dystrophy. Description of a case presenting with dysphagia].", "content": "In Myotonic Dystrophy symptoms of gastrointestinal dysfunction may dominate the clinical picture or they may be manifested long before the musculoskeletal disturbances become apparent. A case of Myotonic Dystrophy in a 26-year-old woman with dysphagia as the symptom of clinical presentation is reported. Manometric investigations demonstrated motor dysfunctions in pharynx and in proximal, middle and distal portions of the esophageal body, indicating both striated and smooth muscle involvement. The pathophysiology of the esophageal motility disorders in Myotonic Dystrophy and the related therapeutic problems are briefly discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1491890", "title": "Physicochemical characterization of the inorganic phases in the aortic wall of young individuals.", "content": "The autopsy samples of human aortic wall were investigated to determine the structure of the inorganic deposits formed at the onset of the mineralization process. The studies were concentrated on the material for which histochemical staining of randomly selected sections did not reveal the presence of minerals. The highly mineralized human media samples as well as broad spectrum of model compounds were investigated for comparative purposes. It was found that the inorganic phase at the onset of tunica media mineralization is composed of a few compounds including octacalcium phosphate as the predominant Ca-P compound, and a Mg-compound, probably magnesium carbonate or double/triple salts containing magnesium carbonate."}
{"id": "PMID:1491891", "title": "[Morphological and biochemical study of the lipid components of the fetal aorta].", "content": "We made a biochemical and histochemical study of the lipidic component of intima of fetal aortas on 8 autopsy cases (7 +/- 2 months aged) arrived at our observation in the Pathology's Institute of II Faculty of Naples. We made a study with freeze-sections stained with Oil-Red 0 and after dissociation of the intima by the adventitia, it is valued biochemically the lipidic peroxidation studying the levels of malonyldialdehyde (MDA) like indirect marker of peroxidation. It is known that is present a lipidic component in the intima of fetal aorta whether intracellular or extracellular (Fig. 1, 2). Sometimes this component can accumulate until to determinate true lipidic striae. The aim of this study is a detection of MDA in lipids extracted from human fetal aortas. MDA levels was measured by Thiobarbituric method (TBA): lipids were extracted both intima and adventitia by Chloroform/methanol method, after surgery immediately. The results are expressed in nMoles/mg of lipids +/- Standard Deviation. Controls of spontaneous lipid peroxidation was take at a different times. It is known that in vitro incubation of LDL with cultured endothelial cells, smooth muscle cells or macrophages leads to peroxidation of LDL phospholipids and oxidatively modified LDL become atherogenic via foam cells production. In addition lipid peroxidation was formed by the direct peroxidation of unsaturated fatty acids and their esters are capable of further lipoperoxide production by oxygen free radical; chain reactions. In this context lipid peroxidation could be an important factor in the first stage of human pathophysiological development and this phenomenon may be related by an early free radical production."}
{"id": "PMID:1491901", "title": "Growth retardation due to idiopathic growth hormone deficiencies: MR findings in 24 patients.", "content": "In this study we evaluated the pituitary-hypothalamic abnormalities of \"idiopathic growth hormone (GH) deficiency\" as demonstrated by MR imaging. Twenty-four patients were examined with a 1.5-T unit using spin echo T-1 weighted images. The patients were divided into two groups according to MR findings: those with ectopic posterior pituitary glands (12 patients), and those with normal posterior pituitary glands (12 patients). Ten patients in the former group and four in the latter group had small anterior pituitary glands. All patients in the former group but only four in the latter group had severe GH deficiencies. Multiple hormone deficiencies were found in eight patients in the former group, but in only two in the latter group. Among the 12 patients with posterior pituitary ectopia, 11 were males, 10 had been born by breech delivery, and four had a history of asphyxia. It is speculated that perinatal abnormalities can cause posterior pituitary ectopia and that there is a close correlation between breech delivery and the male disadvantage of posterior pituitary ectopia. Half of our patients with \"idiopathic GH deficiency\" had ectopic posterior pituitaries. GH deficiency with posterior pituitary ectopia should no longer be considered idiopathic because organic lesions can now be identified during life."}
{"id": "PMID:1491897", "title": "Blue nevus of the lymph node capsule. Report of a case.", "content": "A case of blue nevus in the lymph node capsule is described. It's not a common pathology and only few cases have been reported so far. Nevus-cell aggregates in the same location are more frequent and difference between the two entities is described. So for histogenesis of these lesions, a melanocyte migration arrest is favoured rather than the hypothesis of a 'benign metastasis' from a cutaneous primitive site."}
{"id": "PMID:1491892", "title": "[A case of focal necrotizing granulomatous hepatitis in childhood].", "content": "Granulomatous hepatitis make up a group of conditions of various aetiologies. The diagnosis of granulomatous hepatitis is histologic, since the aspect of the granulomatous lesion is not always indicative of a specific disease. It is important to take into consideration for the aetiologic diagnosis a good response to a specific therapy or the execution of complementary examinations. The 25% of granulomatous hepatitis remain undiagnosed."}
{"id": "PMID:1491902", "title": "MR imaging of the pituitary gland in central precocious puberty.", "content": "Cranial magnetic resonance imaging was performed in 17 children with central precocious puberty (CPP) and 19 aged-matched controls to compare the appearance of the pituitary gland. Gland size was measured on T1-weighted sagittal and coronal images. The gland was graded according to the concavity or convexity of the upper surface, and the signal intensity of the gland was assessed visually. The mean pituitary volume in 13 CPP children without hypothalamic tumor (292.6 mm3) was significantly greater than that in normal controls (181.35 mm3). The mean volume for the four CPP children with hypothalamic tumor was smaller (145.0 mm3). Compared to controls, the upper pituitary surface in CPP patients appeared convex in a higher proportion. The anterior pituitary was isointense to pons in all patients and controls. Although the posterior pituitary bright spot was present in 14 controls and 11 CPP patients, none with hypothalamic tumor showed it."}
{"id": "PMID:1491904", "title": "Aberrant thymus--MR assessment.", "content": "Aberrant thymic tissue, particularly when it is located posteriorly, can present a diagnostic dilemma. Once a mediastinal \"lesion\" is defined on the plain film, MR is the most efficient and best diagnostic test for defining the nature of the mass and showing its relationship to other mediastinal structures. Two cases of aberrant thymic tissue, one on the right side and one on the left, are presented to elucidate the unique role of MRI."}
{"id": "PMID:1491893", "title": "[Rhodococcus equi infections in AIDS: personal cases].", "content": "We report on the occurrence of an uncommon pathogen, Rhodococcus equi (R.e.) in HIV infection. In the period february 1990-July 1991 we performed the diagnosis of R.e. infection (lung, lung-central nervous system) in two infected patients, aged 27 and 31 years, both males, drug addicts, classified as CDC IV. In the first of them an cavitating right bronchopneumonia (bpm) was diagnosed as of tuberculous origin, on the ground of the microscopic demonstration of an acid-fast, gram-positive strain in b.a.l.. A standard antituberculous regimen was uneffective and R.e. was eventually isolated in three blood culture taken shortly before the exitus and at post-mortem examination of the lungs. In the second patient a subclavian right bpm developed without microbiological evidence of any common pathogen. A third-generation cephalosporin course was only partially successful (clinical amelioration, incomplete clearing of radiological findings). After 3 months the patient relapsed and an aseptic meningitis developed. Cultures of blood and csf yielded a R.e. strain; post-mortem examination revealed a diffuse, cavitating bpm. Our personal experience underlines the difficulty in recognizing R.e. infections in compromised host, because of similarity to other entities (i.e. tuberculosis) and the absence of pathognomonic hints."}
{"id": "PMID:1491903", "title": "Neuroimaging in tuberous sclerosis: a clinicoradiological evaluation in pediatric patients.", "content": "CT, MRI and neurological features of 27 children with tuberous sclerosis were prospectively compared. Imaging studies were positive in 92.5% of cases. CT was more useful in detecting subependymal nodules, while MRI showed the number and location of cerebral cortical and subcortical lesions more accurately. Cortical lesions in the cerebellar hemispheres were present in 26% of patients. Gadolinium-DTPA used in 10 patients showed slight enhancement of the subependymal lesions in 80% of cases, probably representing active lesions with alteration of the blood-brain barrier. None of the cortical and subcortical lesions enhanced. Giant-cell astrocytomas were detected in 5 patients, the postcontrast CT and MRI studies improving their assessment. Unlike subependymal nodules, all tumors showed marked enhancement regardless of their size. Seizures were present in 96% of patients, mostly beginning before 1 year of age. There was no clear relationship between the radiological features and the neurological evolution of these patients. Therefore, it is not possible to establish a clinical prognosis based on the radiological findings. MRI is the procedure of choice in the diagnosis of tuberous sclerosis. When pre and postcontrast MRI are negative, CT is used to exclude small calcified subependymal nodules. MRI follow-up is required only when tumoral development is clinically suspected."}
{"id": "PMID:1491899", "title": "[Glial heterotopy of the nose (\"nasal glioma\"). Description of a case].", "content": "A six months female infant was admitted in our hospital for congenital dysmorphism of face: a subcutaneous nodule in left nose region was present. An x-ray study showed relevant scoliosis of the nasal septum. On surgery a white firm nodule was incompletely excised; a post-operatory CT-scan excluded any communication of neoplasia with brain. No bone lacunae were seen. Clinically there was neither rhinorrhea nor meningitis. The baby was discharged on 7th day. Grossly the mass presented white surface, firm consistency with small hemorrhages on cut surface. Microscopically the nodule, encircled by a fibrous pseudo-capsule, was mostly composed of gemistocytic astrocytes, occasionally binucleated, interspersed within fibrillary neuroglial tissue. Strands of fibrous tissue, in continuity with the pseudo-capsule, separated the glial tissue. No neuronal cells were seen. Necrosis, mitotic figures and vascular proliferations were absent. GFAP immunohistochemical stain confirmed the glial nature of the cells. Our diagnosis was one of \"heterotopic glial tissue of nose\" (nasal glioma). The absence of connection between the nodule and endocranial contents (CSF-filled spaces, leptomeningeal or dural tissue), excluded the diagnosis of encephalocele. In our case, the tissue was only of embryonic neuroectodermal derivation: on this basis the diagnosis of teratoma, which is classically composed of two or three embryonic layers could be excluded. The pathogenesis of nasal glioma is briefly discussed by authors."}
{"id": "PMID:1491898", "title": "Intravascular papillary endothelial hyperplasia in the hand of a fencer.", "content": "A case of intravascular papillary endothelial hyperplasia in the hypothenar eminence of a 23-year-old female fencer is described. Differential diagnosis with other similar benign and malignant lesions was made using histopathology and immunohistochemistry. The possible post-traumatic proliferative histogenesis is discussed. The non-malignant nature of the mass was confirmed after a three year follow-up."}
{"id": "PMID:1491896", "title": "Blue nevus of the uterine cervix.", "content": "A case of blue naevus of the endocervix is reported with immunohistochemical and ultrastructural findings. The dendritic melanin-containing cells are analogous to the blue naevi cells of the skin. Electron microscopy showed melanosomes in dendritic cells but no cells with melanin-producing Schwann cells features were observed. Histogenetic hypotheses are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1491905", "title": "Rare malignant mid-femoral tumours in the first decade of life. Report of three cases with short literature review.", "content": "The most common femoral shaft tumours in children are eosinophilic granuloma and Ewing's sarcoma. Three children in the first decade of life with rare femoral shaft tumours are reported. There was one osteosarcoma and two chondrosarcomas. Radiographic differential diagnosis of the femoral shaft tumours and microscopic diagnostic difficulties of chondrosarcoma are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1491906", "title": "Ultrasonography in Legg-Calv\u00e9-Perthes disease.", "content": "Ultrasonography was found to be a valuable investigation in the assessment and management of Legg-Calv\u00e9-Perthes disease (LCPD). It was used to assess 23 patients with LCPD in 25 affected hips and was compared with radiographs obtained at the same time. A chronological five-part staging of LCPD is proposed, expressing the degree of flattening and fragmentation as well as reconstitution of the femoral head as seen on ultrasound examination. Thickening of articular cartilage was documented, and associated findings of synovitis and lateral extrusion of the femoral head were evaluated. An intraarticular hip effusion was present in 74% of cases in stages I-II. Lateral extrusion increased from stage II onwards until the healing stage. The phase of reconstitution (stage IV) demonstrated both resorption of the necrotic bone and formation of new immature osteoid tissue. Lateral extrusion and the start of the healing phase can be shown earlier by ultrasonography than by radiography."}
{"id": "PMID:1491895", "title": "Pancreatic malignant melanoma with occult primary lesion. A case report.", "content": "A case of unusual location of a M.M. in the head of pancreas is described. Evidence of a primary lesion was not achieved, still we incline to retain this case as a metastatic malignant melanoma with occult primary location."}
{"id": "PMID:1491907", "title": "Scrotal ultrasonography in Henoch-Sch\u00f6nlein purpura.", "content": "The vasculitis of Henoch-Sch\u00f6nlein purpura may involve the scrotum and clinically mimic diseases requiring surgical intervention, such as testicular torsion or an incarcerated inguinal hernia. The ultrasonographic features include marked edema of the scrotal skin and contents with intact vascular flow in the testicles. These findings may suggest the correct diagnosis and prevent unnecessary surgical exploration."}
{"id": "PMID:1491908", "title": "Congenital bladder rupture and urine ascites secondary to a sacrococcygeal teratoma.", "content": "A case of congenital bladder rupture with urine ascites and bilateral hydronephrosis secondary to a sacrococcygeal teratoma obstructing the bladder outlet is presented. As no evidence of pulmonary hypoplasia and renal dysplasia was present, with rapid recovery of renal function after decompressive surgery, the infravesical obstruction probably occurred late in the fetal period. The bladder rupture resulting in internal decompression may have constituted an additional protective mechanism for the preservation of renal function."}
{"id": "PMID:1491909", "title": "The size and contractility of the gallbladder in infants.", "content": "The size of the gallbladder and the common bile duct as well as the contractility of the gallbladder were measured in infants under the age of 1 year. A total of 43 healthy infants were studied at their routine visit to the well-baby clinic at the ages of 6 weeks, 4 months, 8 months or 12 months. Gallbladder size was measured before and after a test meal. Fasting gallbladder size increased with the age of the infants. However, when the size was corrected for the infant's weight, no age-related variation was found. The contraction index (CI) was determined as a percentage decrement of planimetric gallbladder size from the initial size. The mean CI declined with age from 75% (+/- 27%) (mean (+/- SD)) at the age of 6 weeks to 24% (+/- 28%) at the age of 12 months. Overall CI varied from -44% to 100%. An increase in gallbladder size after the test meal was observed in 4 infants. Gallbladder volumes were also calculated, but two-dimensional measurements were regarded as more accurate in infants. A large variation was found in the size as well as in the contractility of the gallbladder in infants less than 1 year of age."}
{"id": "PMID:1491910", "title": "Renal transplant artery stenosis in children: treatment with percutaneous transluminal angioplasty.", "content": "Hypertension due to transplant renal artery stenosis was treated with percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) in 6 children. 8 angioplasties were performed and the follow-up period varied between 3 and 66 months (average 23 months). The stenoses were located at the site of anastomosis in 4 children and distal to the anastomosis in 2. PTA resulted in improvement of hypertension in all patients, although the need for antihypertensive medication remained. No grafts were lost. Our findings show that PTA of transplant renal artery stenosis in children is a good first choice of treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1491911", "title": "Balloon dilatation of cricopharyngeal achalasia.", "content": "A 6-month-old male infant with difficulty swallowing, recurrent aspiration pneumonia and failure to thrive was diagnosed with cricopharyngeal achalasia. Normal oral feeding and no further aspirations followed a single catheter balloon dilatation."}
{"id": "PMID:1491912", "title": "CT of gyriform calcification in tuberous sclerosis.", "content": "This paper presents a patient with typical clinical and CT features of tuberous sclerosis associated with gyriform calcification of the most part of the left frontal lobe. This patient represents the third case of tuberous sclerosis in the literature presenting with gyriform calcification."}
{"id": "PMID:1491913", "title": "Diagnosis of moyamoya disease with additional renal artery stenosis by colour coded Doppler sonography.", "content": "Moyamoya disease is a rare vascular anomaly of the cerebral arteries. The etiology of the disease has not yet been clearly identified. We report the noninvasive diagnosis of Moyamoya disease in a patients with a very early onset of symptoms in infancy. The diagnosis was made by colour coded Doppler sonography and confirmed by angiography at the age of 6 months, following two episodes of cerebral infarction. A bilateral encephalodurosynangiosis was performed at the age of 7 months with subsequent slight improvement of the neurological deficits. Colour Doppler sonography revealed early vascularisation from the fascia temporalis graft into the arachnoid space. At the age of 10 months the patient developed arterial hypertension caused by left renal artery stenosis. Our case suggests, that in infancy Moyamoya disease can be suspected noninvasively by colour Doppler sonography of the cerebral arteries. Patients should be carefully screened for possible extracranial arterial stenoses which may develop in the course of time. Encephalodurosynangiosis seems to be a good therapeutic option for patients with severe neurological symptoms."}
{"id": "PMID:1491914", "title": "Cystic encephalomalacia and intrauterine herpes simplex virus infection.", "content": "Cystic encephalomalacia occurred in two preterm infants who had proven intrauterine herpes simplex virus type 2 infection. Calcification was evident in the basal ganglia. Follow-up scans indicated that the cysts had resolved over a period of two months in one infant, while in the case of the other, the cysts became progressively larger with significant ventricular dilatation developing. While cystic changes in the brain of preterm infants are usually due to periventricular leukomalacia, intrauterine infection needs to be considered as a possible cause. Antiviral treatment may be of benefit to infants with herpes simplex virus infection."}
{"id": "PMID:1491915", "title": "MRI in poliomyelitis-like syndrome.", "content": "We report the MRI findings in a patient with poliomyelitis-like syndrome. MRI demonstrated a lesion extending from the dorsal region of the pons to the upper level of the thoracic spinal cord. The spinal cord was particularly affected in a region involving the bilateral anterior horns. Although its pathology is unknown, the lesion of the spinal cord seemingly reflects the pathological features of this disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1491916", "title": "Chronic recurrent multifocal osteomyelitis with MR correlation: a case report.", "content": "Chronic recurrent multifocal osteomyelitis (CRMO) is a rare disorder of unknown etiology. The main characteristics on plain X-rays are a lytic destruction in the metaphyseal region of the long bones followed by progressive sclerosis. The symmetrical pattern and the frequent involvement of the sternoclavicular joints and vertebrae are typical. An association with palmoplantar pustulosis has also been described. Laboratory findings are nonspecific. Although MRI is not necessary to make the diagnosis of chronic osteomyelitis, it is useful in assessing the extent and the evolution of the lesions. CRMO of the tibial and fibular bones is described in a 14-year-old girl, who suffered from pain and soft tissue swelling in both ankles. Initial plain X-rays and laboratory findings were normal. After relapsing clinically, progressive sclerosis of both fibular bones occurred. Lytic lesions in the left tibia and both fibular bones were visible. Scintigraphic examination showed pathologic tracer accumulation in both legs. The diagnosis of CRMO was suggested based on CT and MRI findings. CRMO was confirmed after curettage and bone biopsy. Histopathological findings were consistent with active chronic osteomyelitis."}
{"id": "PMID:1491917", "title": "Relapsing polychondritis in childhood: a rare observation studied by CT and MRI.", "content": "Relapsing polychondritis is very rare in children. The diagnosis must be based on a combination of clinical and pathologic features. CT is very useful for an accurate and rapid assessment of laryngo-tracheo-bronchial involvement and the typical finding is lumen narrowing by wall thickening and collapse of the supporting cartilaginous structures. The role of MR imaging should be complementary to CT."}
{"id": "PMID:1491918", "title": "Hypertrophic osteoarthropathy in a young child with adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) secondary to burns.", "content": "A case of hypertrophic osteoarthropathy (HOA) is presented in a 14-month-old girl with adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) secondary to severe burn injury. The child developed clubbing during a lengthy and tumultuous hospitalization for her underlying lung disease, and hypertrophic osteoarthropathy was demonstrated radiologically."}
{"id": "PMID:1491919", "title": "Wolman's disease: ultrasonographic and computed tomographic findings.", "content": "Acid lipase deficiency which is an inborn error of lipid metabolism leads to an abnormal accumulation of cholesteryl esters and triglycerides in many tissues. It is manifested in two clinical forms: Wolman's disease (WD) which is fatal in infancy and cholesteryl ester storage disease (CESD) which is a milder form and usually presented in adulthood. An infant with a clinical diagnosis of WD was examined with CT and ultrasound. Where as CT showed an enlarged liver with decreased density and heavily calcified adrenal glands, ultrasound revealed an enlarged liver with normal echogenicity, adrenal calcification and thickening of bowel loops. Bowel wall thickening in WD was not demonstrated in the literature before with any imaging modality."}
{"id": "PMID:1491920", "title": "Congenital solitary nonparasitic cyst of the liver in a newborn.", "content": "Congenital solitary nonparasitic cysts of the liver (CSNCL) are extremely rare causes of abdominal masses in newborns and infants. We describe a cystic abdominal mass virtually all extrahepatic in a newborn that proved to be a CSNCL."}
{"id": "PMID:1491921", "title": "Iatrogenic perforation of the lamina cribrosa by nasogastric tube in an infant.", "content": "A case of iatrogenic perforation of the lamina cribrosa, followed by intracranial placement of a nasogastric tube in a preterm neonate is described. By routine ultrasound examination of the brain an echogenic structure was seen, which was radiographically diagnosed as a nasogastric tube. The tube was manually removed under antibiotic prophylaxis. No complications were observed. The false route disappeared and long-term follow-up showed no neurological side effects."}
{"id": "PMID:1491923", "title": "Pericardial effusion and its relationship to cardiac disease in children with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.", "content": "Over 200 children with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) have been followed at our institution. We retrospectively evaluated 45 children from the above group. 26 of the 45 children had a pericardial effusion documented at echocardiography and/or at post-mortem examination. This report describes the association of pericardial effusion, myocarditis, and pericarditis in children with AIDS and the implications for imaging. Half of the children with a pericardial effusion had a normal cardiac silhouette on chest radiography. 18 children with a pericardial effusion, had associated cardiac abnormalities. These abnormalities were ventricular dilatation and/or hypertrophy, myocarditis, or pericarditis. The presence of pericardial effusion also correlated highly with pleural effusion and ascites. The presence of a pleural effusion and a pericardial effusion was almost exclusively seen in the children with cardiac abnormalities. Pericardial effusion and cardiac disease should not only be suspected in any child with radiographic signs of cardiomegaly, but be strongly suspected in any child with pleural effusions or ascites, even with a normal cardiac silhouette, especially if they are not responding to conventional medical therapy and their respiratory condition is not improving."}
{"id": "PMID:1491924", "title": "Two smooth muscle tumors in the airway of an HIV-infected child.", "content": "Tumors of smooth muscle origin are rare in childhood. We report a case of multiple bronchial leiomyomata in a seven year old girl with clinical HIV infection who presented with new onset of wheezing. Clinical details of this case have been published elsewhere, but without imaging studies [1]."}
{"id": "PMID:1491927", "title": "Normal childhood developmental patterns in skull bone marrow by MR imaging.", "content": "To establish the normal developmental pattern of skull bone marrow in children by MR imaging, sagittal T1-weighted MR skull images of 324 normal children (newborn to 18 years) were reviewed. Bone marrow intensity was assigned four gradations as compared with that of muscle and fat on the same image. Bone marrow became isointense with fat (yellow marrow) at a mean age +/- S.E.M. (in years) of 8.5 +/- 0.24 in sphenoid, 9.1 +/- 0.29 in mandible, 9.3 +/- 0.28 in hard palate, 9.7 +/- 0.26 in frontal, 11.0 +/- 0.26 in squamous occiput, 11.5 +/- 0.28 in parietal, and 11.9 +/- 0.24 in basiocciput. There is a strong correlation between age and marrow intensity by Spearman analysis (p < 0.001): hard palate 0.64, mandible 0.61, parietal 0.42, sphenoid 0.70, cervical spine 0.50, basi-occiput 0.58 and occiput 0.52. Two consistent overall patterns of red-yellow marrow conversion were observed. Bone marrow became isointense with fat prior to pneumatization of the paranasal sinuses. Marrow conversion in the bones of the face occurred before those of the calvarium in a specific pattern. There was no significant sex difference in the pattern or rate of marrow conversion. These normative data are necessary to evaluate the immature skull by MR imaging in disease states."}
{"id": "PMID:1491928", "title": "Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry in the lumbar spine, proximal femur and distal radius in children.", "content": "Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry was used to measure bone mineral density (BMD) in the lumbar spine, proximal femur and distal radius in 48 Japanese children aged 3-18 years. In the normal children (n = 32), BMD increased with age in all locations, with a nearly twofold increase from preschool age to adolescence. Most of the children with chronic diseases known to affect bone metabolism (e.g., steroid osteoporosis) (n = 16) had low BMD in every region, indicating that these disease states probably affect multiple sites of the skeleton in children."}
{"id": "PMID:1491929", "title": "Coexistence of bronchial atresia and bronchogenic cyst: diagnostic criteria and embryologic considerations.", "content": "We report a case in a neonate of concurrent bronchial atresia and bronchogenic cyst. An accurate, noninvasive, preoperative diagnosis of this unusual combination of anomalies was made by ultrafast computed tomography (UFCT). This case supports the hypothesis that bronchial atresia results from an event occurring in the 5th-6th week of embryological development, rather than after the 16th week as previously believed."}
{"id": "PMID:1491930", "title": "Contrast enemas after necrotising enterocolitis: a case for prophylaxis?", "content": "During a 4-year period 9 out of 35 patients deteriorated following a contrast enema after necrotising enterocolitis (NEC). Two developed Klebsiella septicaemia with one subsequent death. Following the latter two cases the paediatric surgeons instituted intravenous prophylactic antibiotics (benzyl penicillin, metronidazole, gentamicin) prior to contrast enemas post-NEC. Of the factors examined only the presence a long line in-situ or history of previous perforation demonstrated any increased risk with regard to clinical deterioration post-examination."}
{"id": "PMID:1491931", "title": "The antegrade colonogram: extending the small bowel follow through for children suspected of having colonic disease.", "content": "Fifty pediatric patients suspected of having colonic disease were evaluated by antegrade barium study (\"antegrade colonogram\") and by colonoscopy with multiple biopsy specimens. Radiographic patterns of mucosal irregularity, nodularity, or ulceration, haustral asymmetry or edema, and narrowing of the colonic lumen were easily recognized. Correlation between colonographic patterns, biopsy findings, and gross appearance at colonoscopy showed the colonogram to have an overall accuracy of 77-88%. The antegrade colonogram is easily performed and often provides information regarding areas of the colon not seen by the endoscopist. In some cases it may also be useful in the evaluation of response to therapy for inflammatory bowel disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1491932", "title": "Sonographic diagnosis of portal venous gas in two pediatric liver transplant patients with benign pneumatosis intestinalis. Case reports and literature review.", "content": "Pneumatosis Intestinalis (gas in the bowel wall) is uncommon in children and is associated with a number of clinical conditions most notably necrotizing enterocolitis in sick neonates. We observed portal venous gas on sonography and benign pneumatosis intestinalis on abdominal radiography in two children who had recently undergone liver transplantation. Asymptomatic portal venous gas and pneumatosis intestinalis has not been described previously in pediatric liver transplant patients. It is important to recognize the sonographic appearance of portal venous gas since sonography is the imaging modality most frequently utilized for monitoring the allograft post liver transplantation."}
{"id": "PMID:1491933", "title": "Gas gangrene: an unusual cause of graft failure in an orthotopic pediatric liver transplant.", "content": "Gas gangrene of the liver is a very unusual cause of graft failure, and gas gangrene caused by Enterobacter cloacae is also exceedingly rare. Although Clostridial infection could not be excluded in this case, the literature and our case show that Enterobacter cloacae can be present in gas gangrene tissue whether or not it is the only infecting organism."}
{"id": "PMID:1491934", "title": "Is cystic mesenchymal hamartoma of the liver similar to infantile hemangioendothelioma and cavernous hemangioma on dynamic computed tomography?", "content": "Dynamic incremental contrast CT of a cystic mesenchymal hamartoma of the liver in a 10 year old boy demonstrated peripheral and septal enhancement with partial centripetal fill-in during the next sixty minutes, not unlike that which occurs in hemangioendothelioma and hemangioma. Histologic similarities among these mesenchymal lesions may explain the similar CT and angiographic characteristics of such malformations."}
{"id": "PMID:1491935", "title": "Spinal muscular atrophy: MR evaluation.", "content": "The neurogenic myopathy of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is degeneration of anterior horn cells of the spinal cord and associated muscle weakness. In three patients with the severe type, according to Dubowitz's classification, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the lower extremity showed severe atrophy of the entire muscle bundles of the thigh and the calf. Nine intermediate type patients had ragged atrophy of muscle bundles of the thigh and the calf with selective preservation of adductor longus muscle. Five patients with the mild type had fatty infiltration of muscle bundles and increased intermuscular fat planes. MRI was insufficient for the evaluation of cervical cord abnormalities. MRI of the lower extremity was a reliable complementary modality for the diagnosis and follow-up of SMA patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1491936", "title": "MRI of fibromatosis: with pathologic correlation.", "content": "Fibromatosis refers to group of benign but sometimes locally aggressive proliferative lesions of myofibroblasts. These are characterized by infiltrative growth, and hence may mimic a malignant lesion. These lesions reveal a low signal intensity on T1-weighted pulse sequences, but may show low or high signal intensity on the T2-weighted sequences. Histologic correlation reveals that the lesion showing low signal intensity on T2-weighted sequences has a larger collagenous component, and reduced cellularity compared with the lesion showing high signal intensity on T2-weighted sequences."}
{"id": "PMID:1491937", "title": "The conus medullaris: time of ascendence to normal level.", "content": "This study was intended to determine the level of the conus medullaris in normal babies. We examined 114 healthy infants using high resolution ultrasound which identified the spinal cord and the tip of the conus medullaris. This method provided a good analysis of the level of the conus medullaris so that we could assess the rate of ascent to L1/2. The range of the conus level for all children was at TH12/L1 interspace to L4.78% of babies aged between the 30th and 39th postmenstrual week had the tip of the conus medullaris between L2 and L4.84% of babies aged between the 40th and 63rd postmenstrual week had their conus level between TH12/L1 and L1/2 interspace. In one girl aged 53 weeks the tip was found at L4. Ultrasound is a reliable method to observe the development of the conus level in young infants and to identify a tethered cord."}
{"id": "PMID:1491938", "title": "Genochondromatosis II.", "content": "We report a new disorder which we have called genochondromatosis II. The disorder is similar in mode of inheritance and long bone changes to that named genochondromatosis but shows some distinctive features, namely involvement of short tubular bones and normal clavicles. The disorder has a benign clinical course and may be discovered incidentally. Accurate diagnosis is important for proper genetic counselling."}
{"id": "PMID:1491939", "title": "Chronic granulomatous disease with renal stones.", "content": "A case of chronic granulomatous disease with hydronephrosis and renal calculi is presented. This is to our knowledge the first such case to be reported. The calculi were successfully ablated by extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy."}
{"id": "PMID:1491940", "title": "An unusual thoracic duplication arising below the diaphragm.", "content": "Gastrointestinal tract duplications are relatively uncommon in the paediatric age group. This is a report of an infant who had a tubular duplication of the jejunum which extended into the thoracic cavity via the aortic hiatus of the diaphragm."}
{"id": "PMID:1491941", "title": "Invasive pulmonary aspergillosis with pneumopericardium and pneumothorax.", "content": "A case of an invasive pulmonary aspergillosis with pneumopericardium and pneumothorax in an immunocompromised child of 5 years is reported. He was treated with thoracic drainage, amphotericin B and itraconazole. The course was satisfactory."}
{"id": "PMID:1491942", "title": "Bronchiectasis in children with lymphocytic interstitial pneumonia and acquired immune deficiency syndrome. Plain film and CT observations.", "content": "In a review of 77 HIV positive children seen between 1981 and 1990, 32 were diagnosed as having lymphocytic interstitial pneumonitis). Four of the LIP group developed bronchiectasis, a finding not previously reported. The precise factors leading to the bronchiectasis are unclear. All patients had chronically consolidated lung with volume loss. A history of recurrent bacterial superinfection was not noted in any of the cases. With more cases of HIV positive children living longer, bronchiectasis, long known to occur in primary immunologic disorders, will probably be more frequently noted."}
{"id": "PMID:1491947", "title": "The iron hand from Slovenia.", "content": "The iron hand prosthesis now in the custody of the Rehabilitation Institute Ljubljana, was excavated some 80 years ago in the ruins of the Vransko castle. The hand, its form and function are described. It was manufactured somewhere in Europe between the years 1500-1650. The owner, probably one of the local nobles, has remained unknown."}
{"id": "PMID:1491948", "title": "A standardised trans-tibial amputation method following chronic occlusive arterial disease.", "content": "The histo- and biochemical parameters of leg muscles from patients with chronic occlusive arterial disease were examined. The outcome of these tests indicated that it is not possible visually to determine the amputation level accurately at the time of surgery. These test results therefore encouraged the authors to develop a standardised surgical procedure for trans-tibial amputations. With this standardised technique specific musculature is resected to assure that no pathological tissues remain. This surgical prophylaxis is meant to prevent the development of gas gangrene and thus to obtain primary healing. Eighty-six trans-tibial amputations were performed and in 93% of these the knee joint was preserved."}
{"id": "PMID:1491949", "title": "Level of lower limb amputation in relation to etiology: an epidemiological study.", "content": "The Danish Amputation Register and the nationwide National Patient Register are presented. Based upon the code numbers in the WHO classification system (ICD), 4 etiology groups i.e. vascular insufficiency, diabetes mellitus, malignant neoplasma and trauma were extracted. The purpose was to analyse the relationship between level of amputation (i.e. foot, below-knee, through-knee, above-knee and hip) and etiology (cause of amputation). The material represents all such amputations in Denmark during the period 1978 to 1989 (n = 25.767). The number of amputations because of vascular insufficiency with and without diabetes mellitus decreased over the period studied. The number of tumour and trauma amputations seemed unchanged. There was a significant reduction in the number of amputations at proximal levels (above-knee) for vascular insufficiency with and without diabetes mellitus and in the trauma group. No such change was found regarding tumour amputations. There was a characteristic pattern in the distribution of level respectively of etiological factors for each etiology group and for each level of amputation."}
{"id": "PMID:1491950", "title": "Function after through-knee compared with below-knee and above-knee amputation.", "content": "Fifty-nine amputees, 24 below-knee (BK), 17 through-knee (TK) and 18 above-knee (AK) who had prosthetic replacements, were evaluated using a questionnaire which provided a quantitative and qualitative assessment scale for the prosthetic function. The ability to apply or don the prosthesis was noted in 100% of the BK, 70% of the TK and 56% of the AK amputations (p < 0.001). Daily use of the prosthesis was recorded in 96% of the BK, 76% of the TK and 50% of the AK amputations (p < 0.001). A higher level of amputation resulted in a significantly lower degree of rehabilitation (p < 0.05). The qualitative evaluation shows that the higher the level of amputation, the lower the usefulness of the prosthesis. Four percent of the BK, 12% of the TK and 39% of the AK amputees had no use whatsoever of their prosthesis (p < 0.01). From a functional standpoint, TK amputation should always be considered as the primary alternative to AK amputation when a BK amputation is not feasible."}
{"id": "PMID:1491951", "title": "Functional evaluation by gait analysis of various ankle-foot assemblies used by below-knee amputees.", "content": "Twelve different prosthetic feet were tested by 10 male subjects with right below-knee amputations. Level walking with each prosthetic foot was investigated using a pair of force plates. Five parameters were selected to compare the functional characteristics of the feet: 1) step length, 2) walking velocity on the sound side in relation to the prosthetic side, 3) depth of valley in the pattern of the vertical component of the floor reaction force, 4) efficiency of the deceleration and acceleration by the prosthetic foot, and 5) irregular patterns in the wave form of the fore and aft components of the floor reaction force. Each of the above parameters was rated numerically. The total score of the objective evaluation attained by analysing the five parameters showed some coincidence to the results of subjective evaluation. However, a good correlation existed between the objective negative score and the subjective negative rating (p < 0.05). Non-axial feet developed recently, such as the SAFE II and Seattle Light feet achieved higher scores in the older age group, while single-axis feet, such as the LAPOC and Otto Bock feet achieved higher scores in the younger age group (p < 0.05)."}
{"id": "PMID:1491952", "title": "A CAD CAM method for custom below-knee sockets.", "content": "The purpose of this investigation was to develop a numerical method for fabricating prosthetic sockets for below-knee amputees. An optical/laser digitiser scans an amputee's stump and collects three dimensional numerical data describing the surface of the limb and describing specific modification site locations. The numerical data from the laser camera representing the stump and modification sites are altered by the prosthetist using a custom computer aided design software system running on a personal computer. Using the altered numerical data a programme is created for a high resolution numerically controlled milling machine and a mould is made. The prosthetist then fabricates a socket. While the system has been tested with below-knee amputees it has been designed for application in most areas of prosthetics and orthotics. Utilising this method 15 patients were fitted. All patients subjectively stated that their \"computer designed\" socket fitted better than their conventionally made socket. As the research progressed and experience was gained with the system patients were normally fitted with the first socket iteration. The system overcomes five limitations existing with some of the other numerical systems: 1) accurate high resolution surface topography, 2) specific identification of subject modification sites, 3) flexible, user friendly software, 4) high resolution numerically controlled milling, and 5) integrated expansion to other prosthetic and orthotic areas."}
{"id": "PMID:1491953", "title": "CAD CAM trans-tibial temporary prosthesis: analysis and comparison with an established technique.", "content": "The purpose of this study was to evaluate the application of CAD CAM in the production of temporary trans-tibial prostheses. The CAD CAM system was assessed based on the number of socket attempts, number of prosthetic appointments, and temporary prosthesis rehabilitation time. These parameters were considered to be related to the quality of socket fit and were influenced by the entire interdisciplinary team including the patient. A concurrent prospective comparison between the CAD CAM system and an established fiberglass/pelite liner technique was also performed. Patients (n = 30), were fitted with either a conventional or a CAD CAM socket. Records were kept before and after discharge until the interdisciplinary team considered the patient ready for definitive prosthesis casting. After approximately 90 postoperative days, patients were deemed fit to proceed from their initial plaster cast prostheses to their temporary prostheses. The group fitted with conventional sockets had an in-patient rehabilitation phase of 10.5 +/- 15.0 days and required 2.9 +/- 1.1 prosthetic appointments. In-patients fitted with CAD CAM sockets required 5.1 +/- 1.8 appointments and were hospitalised for 23.6 +/- 15.0 days. The significantly increased rehabilitation duration and number of appointments (p = 0.01), were generally due to incorrect socket volume and/or inadequately modified relief/loading areas. In this study 67% of the patients fitted with CAD CAM sockets required at least one additional attempt. The clinical evaluation and modification of the temporary prostheses, including the decision to remake a particular socket, were carried out by the same prosthetist who cast the patients.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1491954", "title": "Psychological factors leading to amputations in adults.", "content": "Psychological factors may lead to a small number of amputations in adults. They may be classified as being due to: 1. chronic pain syndrome; 2. artefactualists; 3. self-mutilation; 4. attempted murder. An understanding of these potential factors will make the amputee clinic team aware of this problem, and help them deal with the rehabilitation of the patient."}
{"id": "PMID:1491955", "title": "Weight distribution of below-knee amputee and able-bodied children during standing.", "content": "The purpose of this investigation was to compare weight distributions of a relatively large number of below-knee (BK) amputee and able-bodied children during two different standing positions. Twenty-one BK amputees and 200 able-bodied children volunteered as subjects for this investigation. Each child stood on a pressure plate and three sets of trial data were collected. One set of trial data was collected with both feet together on the pressure plate and two were collected with feet placed 20cm apart. The total force applied by each foot to the pressure plate was normalised by dividing by subject weight to yield foot force to body weight ratios. Data were separated into forefoot and rearfoot areas, force for the forefoot area was then calculated and normalised by dividing by total foot force to yield forefoot to whole-foot force ratios. Ratios for the two foot placement conditions and for non-prosthetic, prosthetic, dominant, and non-dominant feet were compared using paired t-tests (p < 0.05). Results indicated that: 1) BK amputee children placed more weight on their non-prosthetic limb than their prosthetic limb, yet this was not different from able-bodied children in respect of weight distribution between dominant and non-dominant limbs; 2) approximately 90% of the load on the prosthetic foot was placed on the forefoot; and 3) the load on the non-prosthetic foot was evenly distributed between the forefoot and rearfoot like that of able-bodied children. It was concluded that except for substantially more weight on the forefoot of the prosthetic leg BK amputee children stood in the same way as able-bodied children."}
{"id": "PMID:1491958", "title": "[Follow-up evaluation of metastatic neuroblastoma using high dose [131I-meta]iodobenzylguanidine].", "content": "Between 1989 and 1990 nine children with neuroblastoma stage IV (according to Evans) have been treated with high-dose [131I-meta]Iodobenzylguanidine (HD-mIBG). The total HD-mIBG dose administered to each child was at mean 699.3 +/- 111 MBq/kg body weight. Prior to (median 28 days) and after (median 50 days) HD-mIBG treatment a diagnostic scan with [123I-meta]Iodobenzylguanidine ([123I-m]IBG) was performed. Scans performed with HD-mIBG were superior to diagnostic scans for the detection of bone lesions in 8/9 children, for the detection of soft tissue lesions in 4/9 children, and for a more precise diagnosis of the primary tumor in 1 child. In 4 children lesions which were primarily identified in the therapeutic scan could be further observed in posttherapeutical examinations."}
{"id": "PMID:1491959", "title": "[The potential significance of early effort myocardial scintigraphy following PTCA].", "content": "Exercise 201Tl scintigraphy before and after successful PTCA was evaluated in 69 patients with coronary stenosis > 60%. Mean luminal stenosis was found reduced from 74 +/- 10% to 31 +/- 11% (58% reduction). Scintitomographic examination within 3 weeks following intervention showed a reduction of the exercise perfusion defect from 17.00 +/- 14.6 to 5.8 +/- 7.8 arbitrary units (66% reduction). Angiographically, re-stenosis was identified in 22/41 patients (54%) after 6 months. Unexpectedly, re-stenosis could not be predicted by early 201Tl scintigraphy (positive and negative predictive value in patients with single-vessel disease: 61% and 41%, resp.). Nevertheless, evaluation of PTCA results was possible (sensitivity 83%). However, postinterventional transient defects, indicating ischemia, were often seen (all patients: 43/69; patients with single-vessel disease: 31/55) and not indicative of failure of the intervention. Thus, post-PTCA scintigrams should be compared with scintigrams recorded before the intervention to ensure reliable follow-up control."}
{"id": "PMID:1491960", "title": "[Reinjection of 201TL in postinfarct patients so as to improve the demarcation between cicatrix and ischemia].", "content": "In patients with earlier myocardial infarction the value of additional imaging after reinjection of 201Tl for better detection of ischemic myocardium was assessed. In 40 patients 40 MBq 201Tl were reinjected 24 h after stress and additional SPECT was performed 1 h later. Quantification of defect sizes showed a further reduction of 4 h redistribution defects by more than 30% in 18 patients. Comparison with clinical, electrocardiographic and scintigraphic parameters showed that none of these was sufficiently accurate for predicting additional thallium uptake after reinjection. In 22 patients with coronary angiography all 11 patients with collateralized occlusions of a coronary artery showed a reduction of the 4 h redistribution defect by > 20%, whereas all patients (5/5) with occlusions without distal collateralization had changes < 20%. This demonstrates that an improved thallium uptake after reinjection is typical of ischemic but vital myocardium."}
{"id": "PMID:1491961", "title": "[Combined bilateral idiopathic necrosis of the humerus and femur heads: bone scintigraphy, x-ray, CT and MRT findings].", "content": "Aseptic bone necrosis in adults is usually caused by circulation defects or metabolic diseases but may also occur without any obvious reason. In these \"idiopathic\" cases, alcoholism seems to play a prominent role. In addition to the frequently affected femoral heads other bones may be involved. Here a remarkable pattern of localizations is reported: the bilateral idiopathic necroses of the heads of both humerus and femur. Untreated aseptic bone necroses close to a joint commonly leads to severe secondary arthrosis and destruction of the joint within a short time. Therefore, only a diagnosis in an early stage of the disease offers the chance of a successful joint-preserving therapy. In cases of clinically suspected aseptic bone necrosis but still negative or doubtful X-ray findings, bone scans or MRI are reliable methods of verifying the diagnosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1491962", "title": "[The clinical course of oxyphilic carcinoma of the thyroid].", "content": "In a total of 1665 patients with malignant thyroid neoplasms 90 oxyphilic thyroid carcinomas (OTC) were found of whom 55 could be re-examined and newly classified. Morphological and clinical parameters influencing the clinical course were determined. During a mean follow-up period of 6.5 y metastases or local recurrent disease occurred in 12 patients (24%). Apart from 3 early manifestations of metastases, 9 patients developed recurrent disease within, on average, 4.7 y after thyroidectomy: local lymph node metastases and local recurrences occurred within an average of 5.4 y, distant metastases after only 2.7 y. Thyroglobulin proved to be reliable for follow-up with a sensitivity of 88% on levothyroxine and 75% on endogenous TSH-stimulation (specificity: 98%). The frequency of metastases and local recurrences correlated with age at the time of tumor diagnosis, the degree of invasiveness and the local tumor extension (pT4 vs. pT1-3), whereas other factors such as the absolute diameter of the tumor or patient's sex had no influence on the clinical course. The survival probability for 5 and 10 years was 95 and 75%, respectively. All OTC patients should be examined regularly at least once a year by cervical sonography and thyroglobulin measurement. Because 18% recurrences occurred within 4.7 y such examinations should be repeated beyond year 5 after thyroidectomy."}
{"id": "PMID:1491963", "title": "Survey of 1725 bone scans in patients with malignant disease with particular emphasis on carcinoma of the breast.", "content": "1725 bone scans, done for evaluation of metastatic involvement from malignant neoplasms, were reviewed. The fraction of positive scans (multiple lesions in the bone scan) was 34% of the patients with different malignancies. In 251 patients (12%) a single bone lesion was detected and 114 of these patients were followed-up and re-scanned once or twice within 1 to 4 years. 39 of the 93 patients with solitary bone lesion who on follow-up developed multiple lesions had carcinoma of the breast as the primary."}
{"id": "PMID:1491964", "title": "[The effect of Ca-diethylenetriamine pentaacetate on the bio-behavior of tumor-affine metal complexes].", "content": "The complexon CaDTPA was injected into tumour-bearing mice in concentrations of 0.05, 0.1, 0.3, and 0.6 mole/l (pH:6) 30 min after the 169Yb-injection. 100 microliters of a 0.3 M CaDTPA solution were injected at different time points (simultaneously, 2, 5, 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 min, 1, 1.25, 1.5, 2.5 and 10 h) after 169Yb-citrate injection. The animals were killed 24 h after radionuclide administration. A strong radioactivity decrease was observable 24 h p.i. not only in blood, liver, spleen, muscle and bone but also in the tumour if CaDTPA was administered within the first 2 h after ytterbium injection. Thereafter no change in radioactivity could be achieved by DTPA. A time phase in which the Yb could be eliminated from the tissues by means of DTPA (time intervals < 2 h) was distinguishable from a time phase in which it was not attainable for DTPA (time intervals > 5 h). This indicates that the incorporation of Yb into the cells is completed after 5 h and that the metals are intracellularly bound, probably to the lysosomes. Improvements of the scintigraphic tumour detection cannot be expected from the use of complexons."}
{"id": "PMID:1491965", "title": "[A clinical evaluation of MAb BW 835/6 in breast and ovarian cancer].", "content": "Studies with the 99mTc-labeled murine monoclonal antibody BW 835/6 in patients suspected of breast (n = 7) or ovarian cancer (n = 8) showed insufficient depiction of primary tumors and metastases of breast cancer, but promising results in the detection of primary tumors in ovarian cancer without metastases. The small number of patients does not allow statistical analysis."}
{"id": "PMID:1492005", "title": "Comparative pharmacokinetics of zidovudine in healthy volunteers and in patients with AIDS with and without hepatic disease.", "content": "To understand whether disease caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) affects zidovudine disposition, we compared the drug's pharmacokinetics in six healthy volunteers; six persons with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and no evidence of gastrointestinal (nausea, vomiting, diarrhea), renal (elevated blood urea nitrogen, serum creatinine), or hepatic (elevated liver function tests) disease; and three patients with AIDS and hepatic disease. After a single oral dose of zidovudine, serial blood samples were analyzed for drug concentration by radioimmunoassay. A one-compartment oral absorption model was fit to the concentration-time data. The absorption rate constant (4.05 vs 2.11 hr-1) and time to maximum concentration (0.61 vs 1.03 hr) were significantly different in healthy volunteers versus patients with AIDS without hepatic disease. Differences in half-life, oral clearance, and area under the curve were not statistically significant. In the three patients with AIDS plus hepatic disease, clearance was reduced an average of 63%, and area under the curve was increased by a factor of 2.3. These comparative pharmacokinetic data do not support profound differences between zidovudine's disposition in healthy volunteers and individuals with AIDS; however, the differences and trends that were observed may represent an effect of HIV disease. Although the presence of hepatic disease clearly indicates a need to modify individual dosages, these pharmacokinetic data may have more generalized implications for zidovudine dosing as the relationships between drug concentration and therapeutic or toxic effects are clarified."}
{"id": "PMID:1492006", "title": "Potential warfarin-ciprofloxacin interaction in patients receiving long-term anticoagulation.", "content": "This study prospectively evaluated the potential interaction between the oral anticoagulant warfarin and the quinolone antimicrobial agent ciprofloxacin. After a 10-day placebo lead-in phase, 16 patients stabilized with long-term warfarin therapy were randomized to receive ciprofloxacin 500 mg or a matching placebo twice/day for 10 days. International normalized ratios (INRs) measured by both standard laboratory analysis and by Coumatrak (finger-stick) methods were evaluated at 3- to 5-day intervals. No patient experienced a significant increase in INR. No patient experienced a bleeding event. These data support the fact that a warfarin-ciprofloxacin interaction does not routinely occur at this dosage and duration of ciprofloxacin therapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1492007", "title": "Evaluation and comparison of the adverse effects of streptokinase and alteplase.", "content": "The frequency and severity of adverse effects resulting from the administration of streptokinase and alteplase were determined in 126 consecutive patients who received standard dosages of these agents for the treatment of acute myocardial infarction. Evaluation was based on patient assessment by nursing staff, physicians, and the investigators before, during, and after thrombolytic administration. Overall, adverse effects occurred in 15 (41.7%) of 36 patients receiving streptokinase and 12 (13.3%) of 90 receiving alteplase (p = 0.001). No major bleeding or neurologic events were documented. Minor bleeding occurred in 13.9% and 7.8% of streptokinase and alteplase recipients, respectively (p = 0.47), and hypotension in 8 (22.2%) and 5 (5.6%), respectively (p = 0.01). The frequency of hypotension associated with streptokinase was significantly higher than that with alteplase. Thrombolytic-induced hypotension was easily managed and was not associated with sequelae."}
{"id": "PMID:1492008", "title": "A retrospective review of the use of lipid-lowering agents in combination, specifically, gemfibrozil and lovastatin.", "content": "We conducted a retrospective review examining lipid profiles, creatine phosphokinase (CK) levels, and alanine aminotransferase levels (ALT) in patients receiving the combination of gemfibrozil and lovastatin. Serum lipid levels were significantly improved with therapy over those before therapy. Of the 70 patients receiving the combination, 5 experienced mild elevations in CK, 1 a mild elevation in ALT, and 1 mild elevations in both. No patient reported muscle weakness or muscle pain. The combination of these two medications appeared to be at least additive, highly effective, and well tolerated. The mean total cholesterol, triglyceride, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels decreased from 278, 306, and 180 mg% to 200, 151, and 129 mg%, respectively, and the mean high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels increased from 34 to 40 mg%. This retrospective data analysis suggests that the combination of gemfibrozil and lovastatin may be safe in patients with normal renal function when the dosage of lovastatin is limited and when CK and ALT levels are monitored carefully."}
{"id": "PMID:1492009", "title": "Comparison of frequencies of suicidal tendencies among patients receiving fluoxetine, lofepramine, mianserin, or trazodone.", "content": "To evaluate whether fluoxetine causes an important increased risk of suicidal behavior, we compared the frequency of attempted suicide, suicidal ideation, and aggressive behavior in persons who received fluoxetine, lofepramine, mianserin, and trazodone, based on information available on general practitioners' computers provided by Value Added Medical Products, Ltd. The frequency of these events was higher in fluoxetine users in the year prior to first treatment than in users of the other three antidepressants. The frequency of these events in the 90 days after the study drug was started was similar for the users of all four drugs. These data indicate that fluoxetine does not directly cause suicidal behavior at a substantially higher frequency than do lofepramine, mianserin, and trazodone."}
{"id": "PMID:1492010", "title": "Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor and zidovudine in the treatment of neutropenia and human immunodeficiency virus infection.", "content": "Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GMCSF) is a hematopoietic protein that has been studied both in vitro and in vivo in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Since both HIV infection primarily and zidovudine (formerly AZT) treatment secondarily may result in neutropenia, administration of GMCSF to persons with HIV infection is generating considerable interest. Despite in vitro studies demonstrating that the agent may stimulate HIV replication, in the presence of zidovudine a synergistic inhibition of replication occurs. Early clinical studies in patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome indicate that GMCSF can raise neutrophil counts with or without concurrent zidovudine treatment. The long-term safety and tolerance of the combination has to be established."}
{"id": "PMID:1492011", "title": "Review of drug-induced acute interstitial nephritis.", "content": "Drug-induced acute interstitial nephritis (AIN) is a rare, potentially correctable cause of acute renal failure. Early recognition and appropriate therapy are essential to its management. Several drugs have been associated with the development of AIN, including antibiotics and nonsteroidal antiinflammatory, agents, all with characteristic mechanisms of toxicity."}
{"id": "PMID:1492012", "title": "Survey of ACCP members regarding use of computers and information processing.", "content": "A questionnaire was sent to a random sample of 480 members of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy to determine their opinions on various issues relating to computer technology and the future role of computers in information processing in pharmacy. Results from the 335 evaluable responses revealed nearly universal use of computers. Word processing was the most common application and IBM or compatible computers were the dominant machines. Respondents used a wide variety of generalized and specialized programs, especially electronic communication products. Computer technology is expected to have a major impact on routine aspects of pharmacy practice, although, respondents were split on its impact on more cognitively intensive functions."}
{"id": "PMID:1492019", "title": "Statistical interpretation of body surface potential maps; aspects of adequate group representation and parameter selection.", "content": "Nonparametric approaches for studying adequate group representation accuracy vs. sample size relationship and two discriminative parameter searching methods of statistical body surface map analysis are discussed. A clinical application of the selection methods supports that body surface potential mapping provides significant additional diagnostic information with respect to the conventional 12 lead ECG."}
{"id": "PMID:1492018", "title": "[Heart potential mapping from the thoracic surface in healthy persons].", "content": "We have examined 56 normal subjects, 24 females and 32 males. We have calculated the average maps on the basis of 30 patients of the average age of 24.3 years (SD = 4.91). The aim of our studies was to settle the normal heart potentials mapping. The studies were realized in the Laboratory of Electrophysiology in the Department of Pathophysiology of Wroc\u0142aw Medical Academy. In order to record the heart potential mapping we have used the HPM 7100 system (Fukuda Denshi). We have analyzed isopotential maps, isointegral maps and ventricular activation time maps. We have calculated the average maps using the information system \"Heart-Map\" Normal heart potential mapping are necessary for statistic analyzing of heart potentials mapping in patients suffering from the heart diseases."}
{"id": "PMID:1492017", "title": "[Multi-electrode mapping from thoracic surface in patients with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome].", "content": "Body surface potentials mapping is a new method of heart electric phenomena visualisation. Attempts of accessory conduction pathways localisation in 9 patients with overt and in 1 with concealed WPW syndrome are presented. In 4 pts the preexcitation with QRS complex > 120 ms was clearly seen, in next 4 individuals that symptom was less evident and in one case the retrograde conduction through the accessory pathway was hardly noticed. The isopotential maps allowed precise localisation of the accessory pathways ventricular insertion in all patients with QRS > 120 ms and in one with QRS < 120 ms. After successful dissection of accessory pathways, isopotential maps became normal. In patients with slight signs of preexcitation, noninvasive (transesophageal) or invasive atrial stimulation could improve the visibility of accessory pathways localisation."}
{"id": "PMID:1492020", "title": "[Multipolar image of the heart in patients after myocardial infarction].", "content": "This paper regards 136 cases of cardiac ischaemia including 93 post-infarction cases and 43 with post-effort angina pectoris. The patients with history of infarction were divided according to its electrocardiographic++ location. The groups of subjects were submitted to multipolar electrocardiographic recording from chest surface by means of a multi-electrode network (diamentoid) introduced to vectorcardiography by the Kowarzyk method. The QRS complex divided into 8 equal sectors served as the basis for calculating, among other things of the non-ipolarity index (km) and its graphical representation. The ++non-dipolarity index tends to be especially high in patients with recurrent and large infarction, it was increased in angina pectoris."}
{"id": "PMID:1492029", "title": "[Analysis of the foci of ectopic stimuli based on body surface mapping of cardiac potentials during sinus rhythm].", "content": "This paper submits results of cardiac potentials mapping recorded from the body surface in a 87-electrodes Fukuda-Denshi system in 10 patients exhibiting documented ventricular cardiac rhythm disturbances. Isopotential and isointegral maps of depolarisation periods of the ventricles were analysed for sinus cycle and additional ventricular activations. The results were then compared to those of a 15-persons reference group of people not displaying any cardiac rhythm disturbances. Occurrence was pointed out of aberration at different cardiac activation time, manifested as additional potential extremes during QRS as well ventricular repolarization. The additional extremes during ventricular repolarization are of a persistent potential character, probably resulting in disturbed activation."}
{"id": "PMID:1492030", "title": "[Localization of infarction of the anterior and inferior myocardial wall by body surface mapping].", "content": "11 patients after anterior myocardial infarction and 7 patients inferior myocardial infarction were subjected to potentials mapping from 87 body surface electrode system. The reference group was made up by 15 healthy individuals. The analysis referred to isopotential and isointegral maps during the 20 ms and 40 ms of the QRS onset and for the entire QRS. It was stated that the occurrence of abnormal potential minimum might be the essential diagnostic criterion. In the case of anterior infarction, the abnormal negative potentials is located in the vicinity of the sternum, whereas in inferior infarction in right and lower part of the chest. The diagnostics of inferior infarction requires additional criteria, ventricular activation time maps especially."}
{"id": "PMID:1492032", "title": "[Histocompatibility antigens (HLA) in children with lipoid nephrosis].", "content": "Actual knowledge on the HLA relationship with the primary glomerulopathies, with particular reference to steroid - sensitive nephrosis of childhood, is surveyed. Occurrence of HLA B-8 and B-35 in this nephropathy has been investigated. The studies involved 47 patients aged between 3 and 15 years and 117 healthy children from Lower Silesian region. It has been showed, that HLA B-8 is present more frequently in sick children, than in healthy controls. The situation is reverse in case of HLA B-35 antigen. However, the difference is statistically insignificant. A probability of the lipid nephrosis sensitivity to corticosteroids can not be predicted on the base of the presence of these HLA antigens."}
{"id": "PMID:1492033", "title": "[Clinical significance of urinary excretion of beta 2-microglobulin in patients with chronic glomerulonephritis].", "content": "Assuming, that deterioration of renal function in the primary glomerulonephritis may also result from the destructive lesions to parenchymal tissue of the renal cortex (with simultaneous lesions to renal tubuli), the assessment of the urinary excretion of beta 2-microglobulin could be approached as an indicator of renal function in this situation. The study involved 85 patients with chronic glomerulonephritis treated with immunosuppressors++. In these subjects beta 2-microglobulin concentration per one unit of the urine (UB2M) together with fractional excretion of this globulin (FEB2M) was studied. Statistically significant differences in mean UB2M and FEB2M values have been noted between patients with remission and with the lack of the remission following therapy. Gradual increase in UB2M values as well as FEB2M values have been noted with deterioration of excretory renal function. The results have shown, that the assays of UB2M, and particularly FEB2M, is a sensitive marker of proximal renal tubuli function and indirectly of the processes which take place in extraglomerular renal cortex structures. It might be there fore of prognostic value."}
{"id": "PMID:1492034", "title": "[Evaluation of selected indicators of the renal proximal tubule function in patients treated with gentamicin].", "content": "The study aimed at evaluating proximal renal tubule function in patients with nephrolithiasis and chronic pyelonephritis, and in patients with infectious diseases treated with gentamicin. The study involved 2 groups of patients: group A--17 patients with nephrolithiasis and chronic pyelonephritis and group B--30 patients with other infectious diseases (pneumonia, biliary tract infections) but with normal glomerular filtration rate. Patients from both groups were treated with gentamicin in a daily dose of 2-3 mg/kg for 7-10 days. Serum and urine creatinine levels were assayed in all patients prior to, 2-3, 7, 10 days, and after the treatment. Patients assigned to group B were divided into two subgroups: B1 included 15 patients with normal beta 2-microglobulinuria, and B2 15 patients with increased renal loss of beta 2-microglobulin and decreased tubular reabsorption of this protein. Significant increase in beta 2-microglobulinuria was seen on the third day of therapy, the decrease in the tubular reabsorption and glomerular filtration rate were noted in all patients on the seventh day of gentamicin administration. Beta 2-microglobulinuria was significantly higher in patients from groups A and B2 in comparison with group B1 in which no dysfunction of the proximal renal tubule was present before gentamicin therapy. A degree of beta 2-microglobulinuria is an early and sensitive indicator of gentamicin nephrotoxicity. The risk of nephrotixic symptoms is particularly obvious in patients with deteriorated function of renal proximal tubuli before the treatment with gentamicin."}
{"id": "PMID:1492035", "title": "[Zinc level in the blood of children with nephrotic syndrome and correction of its deficiency with animal blood preparation Livex].", "content": "Serum and erythrocyte zinc levels have been assayed in in 45 children with steroid-dependent nephrotic syndrome in both acute phase and remission. Out of these children a group of 22 has been distinguished. These patients have been treated with Livex--animal blood preparation containing amino acids and trace elements, including zinc. It was found, that serum zinc has been significantly lowered in children with the acute phase of nephrotic syndrome who were not treated with Livex. Erythrocyte zinc levels have been normal in these patients. A significant increase in both serum and erythrocyte zinc levels has been noted during remission, but they have still been lower that in healthy children. A three-month cure with Livex produced statistically significant increase in zinc levels in children during remission."}
{"id": "PMID:1492036", "title": "[Urinary tract infection caused by Chlamydia trachomatis in children].", "content": "In 1988-1989, 131 children aged between 1 and 18 years were examined for urinary infections with C. trachomatis at the Department of Pediatric Urology in Wroc\u0142aw. Chlamydia trachomatis was diagnosed with the aid of McCoy's cellular cultures and immunoenzymatic test Chlamydiazyme in 25% of the examined children. A relationship between Chlamydia trachomatis and particular components of the clinical picture has been analysed. Effectiveness of the treatment with erythromycin (Davercin) and doxycycline (Vibramycin) has been also assessed."}
{"id": "PMID:1492045", "title": "Pediatric HIV-1 infection: a clinical overview.", "content": "Several questions remain unanswered including the timing of perinatal transmission, maternal factors predisposing to perinatal transmission of HIV-1, the best methods for early diagnosis in the neonate, and means of preventing perinatal HIV-1 infection. Significant advances have been made in the early diagnosis of HIV-1 infection, and now it is possible to make a diagnosis in most infants by 6 months of age. Unfortunately, not all these techniques are commercially available, so this capability is limited to certain institutions and laboratories. The natural history of HIV-1 infection in children continues to evolve, particularly with increased prophylaxis of P. carinii pneumonia and the availability of antiretroviral therapy. Our challenges for the future are to prevent perinatal transmission, to develop new and better therapies for opportunistic infections and HIV-associated complications, and to improve outcome and prognosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1492046", "title": "Cutaneous manifestations of pediatric HIV infection.", "content": "Children who are infected with human immunodeficiency virus may develop a wide variety of mucocutaneous manifestations, such as skin infections, tumors, and inflammatory skin disorders. The most significant infectious diseases are candidiasis, dermatophytosis, herpes simplex, herpes zoster, and pyoderma. Inflammatory disorders include seborrheic dermatitis, vasculitis, and pyoderma gangrenosum. Kaposi sarcoma is extremely rare in children with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome."}
{"id": "PMID:1492039", "title": "[Arteriovenous hemofiltration as an adjuvant therapy in peritoneal dialysis and hemodialysis in a patient with terminal renal failure].", "content": "In the uraemic patient regularly treated with peritoneal dialyses occurring peritonitis caused a decrease of ultrafiltration and transfer abilities of the peritoneum. Other symptoms dangerous for life also appeared: uraemic pericarditis and significant overhydration. Peritoneal dialyses lost its effectiveness. Therefore they were supplemented by arterio-venous haemofiltration. Haemofiltration was also conducted at the beginning of haemodialysis treatment, which was initially unregular. Application of haemofiltration enabled the patient to survive during the time of waiting for regular haemodialyses. It may be useful to consider such a treatment, when the adequacy of proper renal substitutive management of uraemia by other methods is impossible to obtain."}
{"id": "PMID:1492047", "title": "Sexually transmitted diseases in children.", "content": "Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in children may be transmitted by sexual abuse, by accidental contact, or perinatally. Although only 2% to 10% of abused children become infected, childhood syphilis, gonorrhea, condylomata acuminata, and Chlamydia trachomatis must always be considered. We reviewed data from our hospital regarding the frequency, prevalence, routes of transmission, and clinical features of these infections. Ninety-five percent of acquired syphilis in children is transmitted by sexual abuse. The perpetrator is usually someone the child knows or trusts. Of our 21 patients under 14 years of age with acquired syphilis, most were 4 to 8 years old. Girls were infected twice as often as boys. Sexual contact was confirmed in 71.4%. A chancre sore was infrequent in children; condylomata lata was the most frequent cutaneous lesion (80.9%). In the last 10 years, 102 cases of congenital syphilis were diagnosed in our hospital. The main clinical findings were bone involvement (78.7%), hepatosplenomegaly (68.8%), cutaneous lesions (50.8%), and jaundice (15.1%). Gonorrhea was detected in only nine children. Vulvovaginitis was the most common clinical manifestation. Sexual transmission was documented in three patients. Accidental contact with their infected mother occurred in two sisters. Three newborns acquired the disease during delivery. The STDs in children are a worrisome problem. Evaluation for sexual abuse should be done in all cases. Prevention and treatment of adults are the main steps to prevent these infections in children."}
{"id": "PMID:1492051", "title": "Epidermal nevi and the epidermal nevus syndromes: a review of 233 cases.", "content": "It is likely that most if not all epidermal nevi can be explained on the basis of genetic mosaicism, with each of the many types of nevi representing the cutaneous manifestation of a different mosaic phenotype. Hence there are potentially many different epidermal nevus syndromes."}
{"id": "PMID:1492054", "title": "Investigation of the photosensitive child.", "content": "Photosensitivity disorders in childhood frequently can be diagnosed and managed in the general dermatology clinic. Occasionally, when diagnostic doubt exists, referral to a specialist unit is required for diagnostic phototesting. Light testing equipment is fickle by nature, making such units uncommon. Phototesting using monochromator or provocation systems takes approximately 45 minutes. Immediate and delayed readings over the following 48 hours as appropriate are required to cover the diagnostic possibilities. Individual diseases are characterized by particular patterns of wavelength dependency and evolution of the abnormal response. Other investigations that may be required are autoantibodies to exclude lupus erythematosus, a porphyrin scan leading to full studies and, on occasion, cell mutation or survival, and chromosome studies for the rarer genophotodermatoses. Good investigative data frequently help clarify the common clinical variants."}
{"id": "PMID:1492059", "title": "Epidermolysis bullosa: to split and to clump.", "content": "During the past few years various proteins have come to the forefront as underlying the structural abnormalities of different forms of epidermolysis bullosa. Only very recently has linkage been established between certain major forms of epidermolysis bullosa and the genes encoding some of these proteins, and mutations of these genes identified. The stage will soon be set for providing a new and rational basis for a better understanding of the pathogenesis of epidermolysis bullosa, for improving diagnosis, including prenatal testing, and for devising new approaches to treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1492060", "title": "Ichthyosis: mechanisms of disease.", "content": "The disorders of cornification (ichthyoses) comprise acquired and inherited disorders characterized clinically by generalized scaling and histologically by hyperkeratosis. They may arise through defects in the production or maintenance of a normal cornified cell compartment, or both. The stratum corneum is composed of protein-enriched and lipid-depleted corneocytes (\"bricks\") surrounded by an intercellular domain (\"mortar\") composed of hydrophobic, lipid-enriched membrane bilayers, and containing desmosomes and a limited array of hydrolytic enzymes. Mechanisms whereby a genetic defect involving either the bricks or the mortar may result in abnormal stratum corneum retention are discussed using ichthyosis vulgaris and recessive X-linked ichthyosis as examples. In addition, epidermal hyperproliferation, which floods the cornified cell compartment with incompletely formed units, results in hyperkeratosis. To date, no primary disorders of epidermal hyperproliferation have been defined. Recent work, however, demonstrates that stratum corneum barrier function regulates epidermal DNA synthesis. For example, in essential fatty acid deficiency, barrier dysfunction is responsible at least in part ror the epidermal hyperproliferation. Defective barrier function due to defective lamellar body secretion may also underlie the phenotypic changes after birth in harlequin ichthyosis; that is, from the massive, constrictive hyperkeratosis of the newborn to an exfoliative erythroderma in survivors. The mechanisms whereby specific defects in cornification result in generalized scaling disease are only beginning to be defined. Yet, even at this early stage, the view of the stratum corneum as a tightly organized structure whose function is highly regulated is emerging. Hence, the disorders of cornification should provide important insights into stratum corneum structure and function."}
{"id": "PMID:1492063", "title": "Food hypersensitivity and dietary management in atopic dermatitis.", "content": "Although immune dysfunction is known to play an integral role in the development of atopic dermatitis, no clear delineation of the underlying pathogenic mechanism(s) responsible for this disorder has been proposed. Several factors are known to trigger flares of atopic dermatitis. In the extrinsic form of this disorder, food and airborne allergens may provoke flares of eczema. Research implicating food hypersensitivity in the pathogenesis of atopic dermatitis includes studies of food allergen avoidance in newborn infants at high risk for atopic disease, investigations of children with blinded food challenges, and therapeutic trials of allergen-elimination diets. Taken together, these studies demonstrate a significant pathogenic role for food hypersensitivity in about one-third of children with atopic dermatitis."}
{"id": "PMID:1492065", "title": "Atopic dermatitis: studies of skin permeability and effectiveness of topical PUVA treatment.", "content": "Ultraviolet light is effective treatment for patients with atopic dermatitis that is resistant to conservative therapy, or complicated by adverse effects of extended steroid use. We designed a protocol using topical psoralen chemotherapy with ultraviolet A (PUVA) to treat atopic dermatitis in 114 patients. Clinical results were excellent, with complete clearing in 50% of patients receiving daily treatment. Histologic and immunologic values correlated with the clinical response, including reduced epidermal thickness, and decreased numbers of epidermal Langerhans cells and dermal mast and mononuclear cell infiltrates. The pattern of keratin 14-positive keratinocytes returned toward normal. In addition, the water-holding capacity of the stratum corneum increased to near normal levels. We also studied stratum corneum permeability in lesional and nonlesional skin using the dimethyl sulfoxide whealing test and theophylline absorption studies. Compared with controls, permeability was markedly increased in lesional skin and mildly increased in nonlesional skin in patients with atopic dermatitis. These results suggest that immune abnormalities and barrier dysfunction participate in the pathogenesis of atopic dermatitis."}
{"id": "PMID:1492066", "title": "Atopic dermatitis: recent therapeutic advances.", "content": "New treatments were recently proposed for the management of severe atopic dermatitis (AD). They all act on some component of the immune reaction. Oral cyclosporine reduces the number of CD4+ cells, the secretion of interleukins, and the function of Langerhans cells. Although the action of oral cyclosporine at moderately high dosages is regular and rapid, the risk of serious side effects and the reappearance of progressive disease after stopping treatment limits the use of this drug in AD. Thymic hormone extracts in patients with severe AD affect the deficit of cellular immunity. gamma-Interferon inhibits IgE synthesis induced by interleukin-4, increases expression of Fc gamma receptors, and increases superoxide production by circulating monocytes. More recently, two other treatments were published: complexes of allergen and specific antibodies to Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, and interleukin-2. All of these modalities have only a transitory effect, but they can help to modify a flare of severe AD."}
{"id": "PMID:1492070", "title": "Pigment cell refugia in homeotherms--the unique evolutionary position of the iris.", "content": "Homeotherms are generally considered to lack classical active dermal pigment cells (chromatophores) in their integument, attributable to the development of an outer covering coat of hair or feathers. However, bright colored dermal pigment cells, comparable to chromatophores of lower vertebrates, are found in the irides of many birds. We propose that, because of its exposed location, the iris is an area in which color from pigment cells has sustained a selective advantage and appears to have evolved independently of the general integument. In birds, the iris appears to have retained the potential for the complete expression of all dermal chromatophore types. Differences in cell morphology and the presence of unusual pigments in birds are suggested to be the result of evolutionary changes that followed the divergence of birds from reptiles. By comparison, mammals appear to have lost the potential for producing iridophores, xanthophores, or erythrophores comparable to those of lower vertebrates, even though some species possess brightly colored irides. It is proposed that at least one species of mammal (the domestic cat) has recruited a novel iridial reflecting pigment organelle originally developed in the choroidal tapetum lucidum. The potential presence of classical chromatophores in mammals remains open, as few species with bright irides have been examined."}
{"id": "PMID:1492071", "title": "The effect of oxygen on melanin precursors released from retinal pigment epithelial cells in vitro.", "content": "The autoxidation of dopa to melanin in culture media causes toxicity to retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells and endothelial cells. The damage is specific to cell type and to the ambient oxygen concentration. To determine whether RPE cells influence the oxidation of dopa to media, we compared light absorbing dopa derivatives in the media exposed to cells with those found in the media incubated without cells. Dopa was extensively oxidized in the presence of RPE cells, and more light absorbing substances were generated with higher dopa and oxygen concentrations. However, an increase in ambient oxygen concentration decreased the quantity of several dopa derivatives which had been formed. The data provided evidence that RPE modulated dopa metabolism. Quinolic derivatives produced from a tyrosinase reaction and dopa-melanin formation moved the peak absorbance wavelength of dopa into the visible range. The spectrum between the dopa-derived compounds in the media has an absorbance at 240-275 nm and a maximum around 300 nm with a shoulder near 375 nm. Gaussian analysis (peak separation) resolved these spectra into five components: a sharp band at 248 nm, a band at 295 nm, a large band at 359 nm, and two broad bands at 459 and 585 nm."}
{"id": "PMID:1492072", "title": "Proteinuria of B700, a 67 kD albumin-like melanoma-specific antigen.", "content": "B700 is a murine melanoma antigen that is closely related to, but distinct from, serum albumin. The present study examined the metabolic fate and anatomic distribution of radioiodinated B700 and mouse serum albumin (MSA) administered s.c. to mice. In blood, both proteins were associated with the plasma fraction where the halflife of B700, a glycoprotein, was 0.5 days, compared to 2.7 days for MSA. Of particular interest was the observation that B700, a 67 kD anionic protein, was excreted primarily in urine. The selective B700-proteinuria did not alter urinary volumes or produce hematuria or edema. SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and western blot analysis using the H-2-3-3 B700-specific monoclonal antibody revealed that B700 proteinuria occurred in B-16 murine melanoma bearing animals but not in control mice. These studies demonstrate that the tumor-bearing host readily distinguishes between very similar normal protein (MSA) and tumor-associated antigen (B700) molecules and processes them differently."}
{"id": "PMID:1492073", "title": "The effect of sodium iodate and melanin on the formation of glyoxylate.", "content": "Sodium iodate damages retinal pigment epithelium specifically, but the reason for this specificity is not well understood. The work reported here describes an effect of sodium iodate on melanin, a major component of the retinal pigment epithelium. Sodium iodate increases the ability of melanin to convert glycine to glyoxylate. Almost ten times as much glyoxylate is formed when sodium iodate is present compared to the amount formed with melanin alone, although iodate alone does not convert glycine to glyoxylate. A chemical reaction between sodium iodate and melanin is suggested as a partial explanation of the specificity of iodate toxicity towards retinal pigment epithelium."}
{"id": "PMID:1492074", "title": "L-dopa inhibits in vitro phosphorylation of melanoma glycoproteins.", "content": "L-DOPA had no effect on the endogenous phosphorylation of proteins after extraction with 1% Triton X-100 from hamster melanoma. When proteins were purified further by wheat germ-agglutinin chromatography, however, a dramatic and dose-dependent inhibitory effect of DOPA on glycoprotein phosphorylation was observed in the presence of Mn+2."}
{"id": "PMID:1492075", "title": "Effect of amphotericin B on dopachrome tautomerase activity and other melanogenic parameters in cultured B16/F10 melanoma cells.", "content": "The antifungal reagent Fungizone (amphotericin B and deoxycholate) caused an activation in dopachrome tautomerase and dopa oxidase activities of B16/F10 melanoma cells at the routine concentration (2.5 micrograms/ml) used for preventing molds and yeast growth in cultures of animal cells. However, higher amphotericin B concentrations caused a significant cell death and the inhibition of enzymatic activities. At the optimal concentration of Fungizone, the enzymatic activities and melanin content were augmented as incubation time increased. The detergent sodium deoxycholate alone exerted no effect on these melanogenic parameters, eliminating the possibility that this detergent was partially responsible for melanogenic modifications produced by Fungizone. After withdrawal of Fungizone from the reaction medium, the recovery of melanogenic parameters to normal values was slower for DCT than for tyrosinase. The behavior of dopa oxidase was very similar to that reported by Johnson and Bagnara (Pigment Cell Res. 3, 173-175) for tyrosine hydroxylase."}
{"id": "PMID:1492076", "title": "Penile lentiginosis. An ultrastructural study.", "content": "This study on five patients has revealed more extensive alterations to melanocytes than previously reported, and emphasizes the fact that depigmentation is an essential element of the condition. In hyperpigmented areas, melanocytes were increased in number along the basal layer of the epithelium, were hyperactive, and in some cases contained bizarre melanosomes. In two cases there was suggestion of a defect in melanosome transfer to keratinocytes. Lymphocytes were closely apposed to melanocytes, and, in hypopigmented areas, were clearly involved in their disintegration. In depigmented areas, there was complete absence of melanocytes and of melanosomes in keratinocytes, and lymphocytes were present in the basal layer. In general, the appearances did not resemble melanoma in situ with spontaneous regression, although a second biopsy of one patient after one year did reveal features of melanocytes suggestive of an early stage of this condition. The study has provided no clear information as to the initial cause of the condition, but the manner of destruction of melanocytes suggests an immune reaction. Neither has it been of assistance in suggesting a more precise name for it."}
{"id": "PMID:1492078", "title": "[Surgical treatment of inguinal hernia in short-term hospitalization. Prospective survey of 500 consecutive unselected cases. Associations Francaises de Recherche en Chirurgie].", "content": "Individual medical and social factors associated with the acceptance and success of short stay surgery for unilateral, uncomplicated inguinal hernia were looked for in 500 consecutive unselected patients. The mean duration of postoperative hospital stay was 3.4 days. Sixty percent of the patients were discharged within the first 48 hours following surgery, including 10 percent who left the hospital in the evening of the operation day. Twenty-two percent of the patients who could have left during these 48 hours refused to do so. The most predictive variable for acceptance and success was a profession requiring little physical activity. Local anaesthesia has been associated with success in the so-called ambulatory surgery, but the methodology of the present study did not permit to establish a cause-effect relationship."}
{"id": "PMID:1492079", "title": "[Unsatisfactory results of intradiscal injection of triamcinolone hexacetonide in the treatment of sciatica caused by intervertebral disk herniation].", "content": "Sciatica caused by intervertebral disc herniation can be treated with intradiscal injection of chymopapain. A search for a cheaper and less allergizing product led to triamcinolone hexacetonide, this procedure being known as \"nucleorthesis\". The first results at 6 months were encouraging. In 3 centres where triamcinolone hexacetonide was tested with a more than 2 years' follow-up 92 patients could be evaluated. The results obtained were considered satisfactory in 34 patients (36.9 percent), but they were poor in 19 patients (20.6 percent), and 39 patients (42 percent) had to be operated upon within 2 years. Return to surgery took place within the 6 months following nucleorthesis in 18 patients (19.56 percent) and beyond this period in 17 patients (22.8 percent) with degradation of the results. Moreover, calcifications were found in 19 out of 38 patients; they were of varying size, sometimes detected only at computerized tomography, and some of them appeared to produce symptoms. All considered, the failure rates, the number of patients who required surgery and the occurrence of large and sometimes symptomatic calcifications make triamcinolone nucleorthesis unacceptable compared with the recognized percentages of success with papain nucleolysis and surgical operations. For these reasons, we consider that this treatment should be abandoned."}
{"id": "PMID:1492080", "title": "[Parasitemia in Plasmodium falciparum malarial attacks in children].", "content": "In order to evaluate the predictive value of parasitaemia, this parameter was measured on admission in 69 Gabonese children aged from 3 to 13 years hospitalized for Plasmodium falciparum malarial attacks. Fourteen of these children had cerebral malaria, 5 had isolated convulsions and 50 had uncomplicated attacks. The parasitaemia values measured were compared with those found in asymptomatic children of the same age range carrying trophozoites. There were no significant differences in mean parasitaemia count between the 3 types of malarial attack, and only the asymptomatic carriers had significantly lower counts. However, the wide scattering of individual values within each group indicated that simple measurement of parasitaemia is not discriminative enough to predict the course of malarial attacks in children living in endemic regions. In particular, malarial attacks with very low or very high parasitaemia value are possible, but similar values are found in asymptomatic carriers."}
{"id": "PMID:1492081", "title": "[Role of antiphospholipid antibodies in fetal loss].", "content": "A review of the literature and our own experience have shown that the three types of antibodies to phospholipids (APL) usually looked for (i.e. dissociated treponema serology, antiprothrombinase and anticardiolipin) increase the risk of foetal loss, irrespective of whether the mothers have or do not have systemic lupus erythematosus. The prevalence of APL may exceed 40 percent in some series of women who suffered at least 3 foetal losses. Conversely, the incidence of foetal loss (often late in pregnancy) in women with APL has been estimated at 25 to 75 percent, depending on the studies. The presence of lupus seems to increase the risk. There is no consensus on the best factor predictive of foetal loss (antiprothrombinase or one of the anticardiolipin isotypes). Foetal loss seems to be caused by thrombosis of the placenta, the origin of which remains controverted. The therapeutic escalade consists of abstention (in the first pregnancy), aspirin (about 100 mg/day), aspirin-corticosteroid combination or subcutaneous heparin, high-dose intravenous immunoglobulins and plasmapheresis. With these various methods, the birth of a normal child can be expected in almost every case."}
{"id": "PMID:1492090", "title": "Canine pancreatic kallikrein: enzyme isolation and characterization.", "content": "Two forms of canine pancreatic kallikrein, designated as canine pancreatic kallikrein A and B, were separately isolated by ion-exchange, affinity and hydrophobic chromatographies. These enzymes had similar apparent molecular masses, substrate specificities and pH optima. However, kallikrein B was inhibited by soybean trypsin inhibitor, while kallikrein A was not. Both kallikrein A and B were shown by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacryl amide gel electrophoresis to consist of two polypeptide chains, designated alpha and beta chains, and binding by disulfide bond(s). The N-terminal amino acid sequences of each alpha and beta chains of kallikrein A and B were determined."}
{"id": "PMID:1492091", "title": "Amino acid sequences of ferredoxins from Alocasia macrorrhiza Schott in Papua New Guinea.", "content": "The amino acid sequences of ferredoxin isoproteins (Fd A and Fd B) from Alocasia macrorrhiza Schott in Papua New Guinea were determined. They consisted of single polypeptide chains of 97 and 98 residues, respectively, and both Fds had a molecular mass of 10,800 Da. There was an 88% identity between the sequences of the isoproteins (Fd A and Fd B). These sequences were compared with those of the closely related plant Fds and their phylogenetic relationships are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1492092", "title": "Complete amino acid sequence of ovine miniplasminogen.", "content": "The complete amino acid sequence of ovine miniplasminogen (M(r) 37,662, 343 residues) was determined with the aid of fragments obtained by cleavage with 2-(2-nitrophenylsulfenyl)-3-methyl-3'-bromoindolenine and clostripain. The fragments were aligned with overlapping sequences and sequence comparison with miniplasminogens of other species. Sequence comparison with other species (human, bovine, porcine, equine and canine) gave an overall identity of 63% and a similarity of 83%. The dendrogram of the alignment indicates that ovine miniplasminogen has the closest relationship with the bovine (87% identity) and the most distant with the equine (77% identity) species. The close relationship is indicative for the presence of the same structural and functional domains as in the other species. Sequence comparison of different miniplasminogens showed that positions 49 (Arg), 83 (Arg) and 161 (Ser) in the light chain of the plasmin molecule may play a role in the interaction between plasminogen and streptokinase."}
{"id": "PMID:1492093", "title": "The amino acid sequences of two 13-kDa alpha-amylase inhibitors from the seeds of Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench.", "content": "Two inhibitors (SI alpha 4 and SI alpha 5) of the alpha-amylases from insect and mammalian sources were purified from seeds of Sorghum bicolor by saline extraction, precipitation with ammonium sulphate, affinity chromatography on Red Sepharose, and preparative and analytical reverse-phase HPLC on columns of Vydac C18. The complete primary structures of these two inhibitors were determined by automated degradation of the intact, reduced and S-alkylated proteins and by manual 4-N,N-dimethylaminoazobenzene-4-isothiocyanate/phenyl isothiocyanate microsequencing of peptides derived from them following enzyme digests. The amino acid sequences were as follows: SI alpha 4: TVDVTACAPGLAIPAPPLPTCRTFARPRTCGLGGPYGPVDPSPVLKQ- RCCRELAAVPSRCRCAALGFMMDGVDAPLQDFRGCTREMQRIYAVSRLTRAAECNLPTIPGGGCHLSNS PR; and SI alpha 5: ANWCEPGLVIPLNPLPSCRTYMVRRACGVSIGPVVPLPVLKERCCSELEKLV- PYCRCGALRTALDSMMTGYEMRPTCSWGGLLTFAPTIVCYRECNLRTLHGRPFCYALGAEGTTT. Comparisons of these sequences with one another and with those of other proteins in the US National Biomedical Research Foundation Databank indicated that the two Sorghum proteins had significant similarities (21%-42% identity) with the members of the cereal superfamily of enzyme inhibitors."}
{"id": "PMID:1492094", "title": "Hydrophobic zippers and hook-and-eye: evolutionarily conserved protein sequence motifs in eukaryotic acidic ribosomal proteins which are assumed to be involved in the association of the protein family.", "content": "The acidic ribosomal protein family of eukaryotic cells is thought to form a complex on ribosomes mainly by hydrophobic forces. To investigate the structural basis of how they associate with one another, the primary sequences of the related proteins accumulated from various organisms were analyzed searching for evolutionarily conserved hydrophobic motifs. Initially it is shown that all the P1-type 13-kDa proteins contain a bilateral hydrophobic zipper on a putative alpha-helix, which consists of two periodic arrays of hydrophobic amino acid residues arranged on the opposite sides of an alpha-helix. The P2-type 13-kDa proteins, except for those from the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, are shown to contain two kinds of hydrophobic areas on putative alpha-helices, which can sterically bind to each other in a hook-and-eye fashion. On the other hand, the 38-kDa proteins contain a hydrophobic zipper and a hydrophobic hook in different helical regions. Thus, it is proposed that the 13-kDa proteins associate with the 38-kDa proteins via the hydrophobic zipper or hydrophobic hook-and-eye, and associate with one another with these hydrophobic elements."}
{"id": "PMID:1492095", "title": "Improved detection of homology in distantly related proteins: similarity of adducin with actin-binding proteins.", "content": "A novel and generally applicable method is described for the detection of homology in distantly related proteins using a new domain sequence database that contains over 20,000 protein sequence segments of known function. The use of the method is illustrated on distantly related domains shared by complement components C1S and C1R, calcium-dependent serine proteinase and bone morphogenetic protein 1. New homologies are shown between human adducin and the actin-binding domains of alfa-actinin and dystrophin."}
{"id": "PMID:1492096", "title": "The superfamily of UvrA-related ATPases includes three more subunits of putative ATP-dependent nucleases.", "content": "It is demonstrated that the amino acid sequences of the products of E. coli genes sbcC and prrC, and bacteriophage P2 gene old encompass the four conserved motifs typical of the superfamily of UvrA-related ATPases. A more pronounced statistically significant similarity was revealed between SbcC protein, bacteriophage T4 endonuclease component gp46 and bacteriophage T5 protein D13. It is suggested that the newly identified members of the superfamily might all be ATPase components of the respective nucleases, and that the reactions catalyzed by these enzymes are probably ATP dependent."}
{"id": "PMID:1492097", "title": "Structural similarities in the repeat sequences of plasma apolipoproteins, A-I, A-IV, and E.", "content": "The presence of 22-residue repeats, each with a preferential potential to form an amphipathic alpha-helix, is a unique feature of the plasma apolipoproteins. There are 27 such repeats in the three human apolipoproteins A-I, A-IV, and E. The extent of similarities and differences among these repeats have been estimated by computing correlation coefficients, Dayhoff scores, secondary structure difference profiles, and discrete Fourier transforms. The results reveal that there is a high level of similarity among the repeats of apo A-IV, and a low level of similarity in the repeats of apo E. Within each protein, similarity among some specified repeat pairs is distinctively higher than the others. A high order of similarity is also found among certain segments of each protein with those in the other two. The repeats prefer a mostly alpha-helical structure that is amphipathic in nature. Among the repeats of the three proteins, those of apo E show a high level of divergence among themselves. A consensus alignment of the residues of the 27 repeats into a hydrophobic versus hydrophilic pattern brings to focus the possible specific structure-stabilizing factors, such as the leucine zipper and the salt bridge. The recently reported crystal structures of the human apolipoprotein E and locust apolipophorin-III support many of the predictions made in this study."}
{"id": "PMID:1492098", "title": "A review of cytokine structures.", "content": "The expanding family of cytokines, interleukins and colony-stimulatory factors has made it difficult to readily access their structural and biological properties for comparative purposes. Here their aligned amino acid sequences, biological actions and some structural predictions are presented together for ready comparisons"}
{"id": "PMID:1492101", "title": "Effect of vitamin C and vitamin E on prostaglandin synthesis by fibroblasts and squamous carcinoma cells.", "content": "Dietary levels of vitamins C and E have been associated with cancer prevention and to a lesser extent with therapeutic enhancement of cancer treatment. Inhibition of prostaglandins (PGs) by pharmacological agents has been demonstrated to enhance immunocompetence, and to suppress growth of tumors in animals and humans. We report here on the effect of vitamins C and E on PGE2 production by human gingival fibroblasts and SCC-25 oral squamous carcinoma cells. The results indicate: 1. vitamins C and E exert a dose-dependent effect on arachidonic acid (AA) release and PGE2 synthesis; 2. vitamin E has a biphasic effect which is stimulatory at 1 and 10 microM and inhibitory at 100 microM; 3. vitamin E is considerably more potent than vitamin C in its inhibitory effect on AA and PGE2 in both cell types; 4. a combination of the two vitamins has a consistent dose-dependent inhibitory effect on AA and PGE2; 5. vitamin C stimulates PGE2 synthesis from exogenous AA in fibroblasts, and inhibits it in SCC-25 cells. The in vivo significance of these findings requires further investigation."}
{"id": "PMID:1492102", "title": "Effect of tert-butyl hydroperoxide on cyclooxygenase and lipoxygenase metabolism of arachidonic acid in rabbit platelets.", "content": "The effect of tert-butyl hydroperoxide (t-BOOH) on the formation of thromboxane (TX) B2, 12-hydroxy-5,8,10-heptadecatrienoic acid (HHT) and 12-hydroxy-5,8,10,14-eicosatetraenoic acid (12-HETE) from exogenous arachidonic acid (AA) in washed rabbit platelets was examined. t-BOOH enhanced TXB2 and HHT formation at concentrations of 8 microM and below, and at 50 microM it inhibited the formation, suggesting that platelet cyclooxygenase activity can be enhanced or inhibited by t-BOOH depending on the concentration. t-BOOH inhibited 12-HETE production in a dose-dependent manner. When the platelets were incubated with 12-hydroperoxy-5,8,10,14-eicosatetraenoic acid (12-HPETE) instead of AA, t-BOOH failed to inhibit the conversion of 12-HPETE to 12-HETE, indicating that the inhibition of 12-HETE formation by t-BOOH occurs at the lipoxygenase step. Studies utilizing indomethacin (a selective cyclooxygenase inhibitor) and desferrioxamine (an iron-chelating agent) revealed that the inhibitory effect of t-BOOH on the lipoxygenase is not mediated through the activation of the cyclooxygenase and that this effect of t-BOOH is due to the hydroperoxy moiety. These results suggest that hydroperoxides play an important role in the control of platelet cyclooxygenase and lipoxygenase activities."}
{"id": "PMID:1492103", "title": "Effects of fatty acyl-coenzyme A esters on prostaglandin synthesis in rabbit kidney medulla microsomes.", "content": "The effects of fatty acyl-coenzyme A (CoA) esters (palmitoyl-, stearoyl-, oleoyl-, linoleoyl- and arachidonoyl-CoA) on the synthesis of prostaglandins (PGs) in rabbit kidney medulla microsomes were examined. Medulla microsomes were incubated with arachidonic acid in 0.1 M-Tris/HCl buffer (pH 8.0) containing reduced glutathione and hydroquinone and the formed PGE2, PGF2 alpha and PGD2 were measured by high-pressure liquid chromatography using 9-anthryldiazomethane for derivatization. Under our incubation conditions rabbit kidney medulla was found to produce PGE2 mainly. The addition of fatty acyl-CoA esters inhibited total PG formation (the sum of PGE2, PGF2 alpha and PGD2) in a dose-dependent manner. Palmitoyl-, stearoyl- and oleoyl-CoA were about 10 times more potent than linoleoyl- and arachidonoyl-CoA as inhibitors of total PG formation. Linoleic acid was slightly more effective than linoleoyl-CoA, while palmitic acid had no influence on PG formation. All the fatty acyl-CoA esters inhibited the formation of PGE2. Simultaneously, the production of PGF2 alpha and PGD2 was increased. These results suggest that the CoA derivatives of palmitic, stearic and oleic acids have the potential to modulate PGE2, PGF2 alpha and PGD2 synthesis by affecting the activities of both-cyclooxygenase and endoperoxide E2 isomerase."}
{"id": "PMID:1492105", "title": "Proteins synthesized and secreted by the guinea-pig conceptus during early pregnancy in relation to corpus luteal maintenance.", "content": "Guinea-pig conceptuses obtained on Day 15 of pregnancy were cultured for 24 h in the presence of [3H]leucine. Proteins present in the culture medium were purified by dialysis, desalted, and subjected to analysis by gel filtration chromatography, ion-exchange chromatography, and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The major non-radioactive protein present co-chromatographed with serum albumin. Fresh protein synthesis occurred as indicated by the incorporation of [3H]leucine, and the proteins produced were acidic in nature. Many radioactive proteins in relatively similar amounts were produced, with protein of molecular weights 28.8 and 98.2 kDa (as determined on Sephacryl S-300HR) and of molecular weights 8.4 and 14.7 kDa (as determined on Sephadex G-75SF) being synthesized in marginally greater quantities. Consequently, from the profile of proteins synthesized and secreted, no obvious candidate emerged as the anti-luteolytic factor synthesized and secreted by the guinea-pig conceptus during early pregnancy which inhibits endometrial PGF2 alpha synthesis and maintains corpus luteal function."}
{"id": "PMID:1492104", "title": "Effect of guinea-pig conceptus and its secretions on endometrial prostaglandin output.", "content": "The co-culture of Day-15 guinea-pig conceptuses or Day-15 pregnant guinea-pig endometrium with Day-15 non-pregnant guinea-pig endometrium had no inhibitory effect on PGF2 alpha output from the non-pregnant endometrium. Unpurified proteins secreted by the Day-15 guinea-pig conceptuses, or these proteins purified by Blue Sepharose CL-6B and ion-exchange column chromatography also had no inhibitory effect on PGF2 alpha output from Day-15 non-pregnant guinea-pig endometrium cultured in vitro. However, following the further purification of guinea-pig conceptus secreted proteins on Sephadex G-75SF, the proteins present in fraction F3:4 inhibited PGF2 alpha output from the Day-15 non-pregnant guinea-pig endometrium during the first 6 h of culture. The major protein present in F3:4 had a molecular weight of 38.2 kDa on SDS-PAGE. Proteins present in F3:4 formed only a minor proportion of the total proteins secreted. Nevertheless, the anti-luteolytic factor secreted by the guinea-pig conceptus may be this 38.2 kDa protein, but further study is required."}
{"id": "PMID:1492106", "title": "The effects of platelet-activating factor on the output of prostaglandins from the guinea-pig uterus.", "content": "Platelet-activating factor (PAF) significantly increased the output of prostaglandin (PG) F2 alpha from the guinea-pig uterus during the mid-cycle phase (Days 6-10), but only had a small, non-significant stimulatory effect on the outputs of PGE2 and 6-keto-PGF1 alpha. PAF significantly increased the outputs of PGF2 alpha, PGE2 and 6-keto-PGF1 alpha from the guinea-pig uterus during the later phase of the cycle (Days 15-17). Lack of extracellular calcium did not affect the stimulatory effect of PAF on uterine PG output. However, TMB-8 (an intracellular calcium antagonist) prevented the increases in uterine PG output produced by PAF at both phases of the cycle. These results suggest that the stimulatory effect of PAF on uterine PG output in the guinea-pig is dependent upon the mobilization of intracellular calcium but is not dependent upon the uptake of extracellular calcium. Also, the weak stimulatory effect of PAF on PGE2 output from the uterus during the mid-cycle phase indicates that, if PAF is involved in implantation in guinea-pigs, it probably does not act via PGE2. Also, the lack of an inhibitory effect of PAF on uterine PGF2 alpha synthesis and release suggests that PAF is not the anti-luteolytic factor produced by the guinea-pig conceptus during early pregnancy."}
{"id": "PMID:1492107", "title": "Carbonate inhibition of leukotriene D4-dipeptidase in human serum.", "content": "Human serum contains an inhibitor of leukotriene D4 (LTD4) dipeptidase which was separated from the enzyme by ultrafiltration (Amicon, YM-10). Removal of the inhibitor resulted in a 3- to 5-fold increase in total LTD4-dipeptidase activity in the material retained by the filter. Inhibitor activity (which was assayed with a partially purified LTD4-dipeptidase) was recovered in the filtrate. Ultrafiltration of serum using YM-3, YM-1, and YC-05 membranes suggested an inhibitor molecular weight of less than 500. Elution of inhibitor activity from a Bio Gel P2 gel filtration column was identical to the elution pattern of pure carbonate. The inhibitor was heat stable (95 degrees C, 30 min), stable in 0.1 N NaOH, but rapidly inactivated by 0.1 N HCl at both 4 degrees C and 30 degrees C. Partially purified LTD4-dipeptidase was inhibited by carbonate and phosphate but not by nitrate, sulfate, or chloride. Based on these observations it was concluded that the inhibitor of LTD4-dipeptidase in human serum either was carbonate or required carbonate. The relative concentrations of LTC4, LTD4, and LTE4 appear to be important parameters in determining the duration and intensity of LT mediated reactions. The relative concentration of carbonate in serum or extracellular fluids might, therefore, be a factor in modulating localized LT mediated responses."}
{"id": "PMID:1492108", "title": "The effect of ascorbic acid on arachidonic acid and prostaglandin E2 metabolism in B16 murine melanoma cells.", "content": "Ascorbic acid (Asc), arachidonic acid (AA) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) are reported to be important in maintaining the stability of the cell matrix. Asc has also been shown to influence fatty acid (FA) and PGE2 synthesis, with the result that effects of Asc on cell growth are suggested to be mediated through the metabolism of these two compounds. This study examined the effect of Asc, supplemented over the concentration range of 0-100 micrograms/ml, on the in vitro cell growth of non-malignant LLCMK (monkey kidney) cells and malignant B16 murine melanoma cells. The effects of Asc supplementation on AA and PGE2 levels in the cell stroma and membrane fractions of the two cell types was also determined. Asc had no significant inhibitory or stimulatory effect on the growth of either the B16 or LLCMK cells. The total percentage AA composition determined in the B16 control cells (combined stroma and membrane fractions), was similar to that determined in the LLCMK control cells. Asc supplementation of the B16 cells, resulted in an inverse relationship between B16 cell growth and total percentage AA composition. PGE2 concentration in the control B16 cells (combined stroma and membrane fractions) was significantly higher than that detected in the control LLCMK cells. No PGE2 was detected in the B16 stroma fraction, with all appearing to be located in the membrane fraction. However, upon the supplementation of the B16 cells with increasing Asc concentrations, PGE2 appeared to be mobilized from the membrane fraction, resulting in increasing PGE2 levels in the stroma fraction relative to the membrane fraction. This was accompanied by a significant decrease in PGE2 concentration, in the membrane fraction. B16 cell growth and total (stroma and membrane fractions) PGE2 concentration in these cells was inversely related, when cultures were supplemented with increasing levels of Asc. Asc supplementation of the LLCMK cells did not appear to have any significant effect on AA or PGE2 metabolism in these cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1492109", "title": "The mechanisms for the effects of dietary lipid modification on autoimmune diseases: the role of membrane lipid composition in antigen presenting cells.", "content": "Several mechanisms have been proposed to explain the effects of dietary lipid modification on autoimmune diseases. One of these being the modification of cell membranes which affects immune functions. In order to further define this mechanism, the author proposes that dietary lipid modification could affect antigen presentation, an immune function responsible for initiating cell-mediated immune responses in body defense or autoimmune diseases, through membrane lipid composition modification."}
{"id": "PMID:1492111", "title": "[Antiarrhythmic amidinohydrazone substituted benzophenones. 2. Preparation and determination of configuration of (Z)- and (E)-2-amino-5-chlorobenzophenone amidinohydrazone salts].", "content": "The configurational isomers of the 2-amino-5-chlorbenzophenoneamidinohydrazones could be obtained as TLC pure samples by fractionating crystallization of the product mixture. The determination of their configuration by comparison of the UV spectra with the corresponding oximes could be confirmed by X-ray structure analysis."}
{"id": "PMID:1492112", "title": "The synthesis and anti-neoplastic activity of N2-isobutyryl-2'-deoxyguanosine-N7-cyanoborane derivatives.", "content": "N2-Isobutyryl-2'-deoxyguanosine-N7-cyanoborane derivatives were observed to be potent antineoplastic agents and to be active against a number of human tissue culture tumor cells, e.g. Tmolt3 leukemia, HeLa-S3 uterine carcinoma. Selective agents were active against colon adenocarcinoma, osteosarcoma and glioma growth. These agents preferentially inhibited both DNA and RNA synthesis of L1210 cells. De novo synthesis of purines was significantly inhibited at the regulatory sites of PRPP amido transferase and IMP dehydrogenase. Other sites of inhibition were thymidylate synthetase, OMP decarboxylase and thymidine kinases. The agents also significantly reduced deoxyribonucleotide levels and caused DNA strand scission."}
{"id": "PMID:1492113", "title": "[Synthesis of N-(2-carboxy-thieno(2,3-b)pyridin-3-yl)-amidines by the reaction with 4-oxo-4H-pyrido(3',2':4,5)-thieno(3,2-d)-1,3-oxazines with secondary cycloaliphatic amines].", "content": "4-Oxo-4H-pyrido[3',2':4,5]thieno[3,2-d]1,3-oxazines react with secondary cycloaliphatic amines to give besides the expected bisamides the amine salts of N-(2-carboxy-thieno[2,3-b]pyridine-3-yl)amidines. These compounds showed inhibitory activity against different lipoxygenases, but a small chemical stability."}
{"id": "PMID:1492114", "title": "[Potential cardiotonics. 16. Molecular and crystal structures of three polymorphic forms and a hydrochloride monohydrate of 3-cyano-2-morpholino-5-(pyridin-4-yl)pyridine (AWD 122-14)].", "content": "The results of an X-ray structure analysis of the alpha-modification were the starting point for the prediction and establishment of further polymorphic and pseudopolymorphic, respectively, forms of AWD 122-14. A complete structure determination of the gamma- and delta-modifikation as well as of a hydrochloride monohydrate could be carried out. Molecular parameters, conformational flexibility, and intermolecular interactions are discussed in this paper."}
{"id": "PMID:1492115", "title": "Reduced degradation of biological active peptides during in vitro aging of endothelial cells.", "content": "Endothelial cells under in vitro cultivation show an age-dependent decrease in peptide-cleavage activity. After a number of passages, the rates of Leu-enkephalin and bradykinin decomposition by cultivated cells were diminished as compared to their counterparts before in vitro aging. In addition, these cells have been found to be less capable of converting angiotensin I into angiotensin II. Such phenomena could be interpreted as correlated with age-related disturbances concerning the regulation of vascular functions in vitro."}
{"id": "PMID:1492119", "title": "AIDS acquired by drug consumption and other noncontagious risk factors.", "content": "The hypothesis that human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a new, sexually transmitted virus that causes AIDS has been entirely unproductive in terms of public health benefits. Moreover, it fails to predict the epidemiology of AIDS, the annual AIDS risk and the very heterogeneous AIDS diseases of infected persons. The correct hypothesis must explain why: (1) AIDS includes 25 previously known diseases and two clinically and epidemiologically very different epidemics, one in America and Europe, the other in Africa; (2) almost all American (90%) and European (86%) AIDS patients are males over the age of 20, while African AIDS affects both sexes equally; (3) the annual AIDS risks of infected babies, intravenous drug users, homosexuals who use aphrodisiacs, hemophiliacs and Africans vary over 100-fold; (4) many AIDS patients have diseases that do not depend on immunodeficiency, such as Kaposi's sarcoma, lymphoma, dementia and wasting; (5) the AIDS diseases of Americans (97%) and Europeans (87%) are predetermined by prior health risks, including long-term consumption of illicit recreational drugs, the antiviral drug AZT and congenital deficiencies like hemophilia, and those of Africans are Africa-specific. Both negative and positive evidence shows that AIDS is not infectious: (1) the virus hypothesis fails all conventional criteria of causation; (2) over 100-fold different AIDS risks in different risk groups show that HIV is not sufficient for AIDS; (3) AIDS is only 'acquired,' if at all, years after HIV is neutralized by antibodies; (4) AIDS is new but HIV is a long-established, perinatally transmitted retrovirus; (5) alternative explanations disprove all assumptions and anecdotal cases cited in support of the virus hypothesis; (6) all AIDS-defining diseases occur in matched risk groups, at the same rate, in the absence of HIV; (7) there is no common, active microbe in all AIDS patients; (8) AIDS manifests in unpredictable and unrelated diseases; and (9) it does not spread randomly between the sexes in America and Europe. Based on numerous data documenting that drugs are necessary for HIV-positives and sufficient for HIV-negatives to develop AIDS diseases, it is proposed that all American/European AIDS diseases, that exceed their normal background, result from recreational and anti-HIV drugs. African AIDS is proposed to result from protein malnutrition, poor sanitation and subsequent parasitic infections. This hypothesis resolves all paradoxes of the virus-AIDS hypothesis. It is epidemiologically and experimentally testable and provides a rational basis for AIDS control."}
{"id": "PMID:1492120", "title": "Pokeweed antiviral protein: ribosome inactivation and therapeutic applications.", "content": "Pokeweed antiviral protein (PAP) is a ribosome-inactivating protein (RIP) that inactivates ribosomes by the removal of a single adenine from ribosomal RNA. The studies summarized in our review concern the nature and application of this novel therapeutic agent. We describe how researchers continue to elucidate the structure and biologic activity of RIPs. Pokeweed antiviral protein is among the RIPs that have been conjugated to selective monoclonal antibodies for the treatment of several human cancers and viral diseases. Clinical trials using PAP immunotoxins for the treatment of leukemia have been particularly encouraging."}
{"id": "PMID:1492121", "title": "Activation of lymphokine genes in T cells: role of cis-acting DNA elements that respond to T cell activation signals.", "content": "Activation of T cells is initiated by the recognition of antigen on antigen presenting cells to exert the effector functions in immune and inflammatory responses. Two types of helper T cell (Th) clones (Th1 and Th2) are defined on the basis of different patterns of cytokine (lymphokine) secretion. They determine the outcome of an antigenic response toward humoral or cell-mediated immunity. Although lymphokine genes are coordinately regulated upon antigen stimulation, they are regulated by the mechanisms common to all as well as those which are unique to each gene. For most lymphokine genes, a combination of phorbol esters (phorbol 12-myristate 13 acetate, PMA) and calcium ionophores (A23187) is required for their maximal induction. Yet phorbol ester alone or calcium ionophore alone produce several lymphokines. The production of the granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) is completely dependent on the two signals. We have previously found a cis-acting region spanning the GM-CSF promoter region (positions -95 to +27) that confers inducibility to reporter genes in transient transfection assays. Further analysis identified three elements required for efficient induction, referred to as GM2, GC-box and conserved lymphokine element (CLE0). GM2 defines a binding site for protein(s) whose binding is inducible by PMA. One protein, NF-GM2 is similar to the transcription factor NF-kB. GC-box is a binding site for constitutively bound proteins. CLEO defines a binding site for protein(s) whose optimum binding is stimulated by PMA and A23187. Viral trans-activators such as Tax (human T cell leukemia virus-1, HTLV-1) and E2 (bovine papilloma virus, BPV) proteins are other agents which activate lymphokine gene expression by bypassing T cell receptor (TCR) mediated signaling. The trans-activation domain of E2 and Tax is interchangeable although they have no obvious sequence homology between them. The viral trans-activators appear to target specific DNA binding protein such as NF-kB and Sp1 to cis-acting DNA site and promote lymphokine gene expression without TCR-mediated stimulation."}
{"id": "PMID:1492127", "title": "Spin labeled cysteines as sensors for protein-lipid interaction and conformation in rhodopsin.", "content": "In stoichiometric amounts, the spin label N-tempoyl-(p-chloromercuribenzamide) reacts rapidly with one cysteine residue in membrane-bound bovine rhodopsin. This residue is distinct from the two reactive cysteines previously used as attachment sites for spectroscopic labels, and is on the external surface of the protein near the cytoplasmic membrane/aqueous interface. The spin-labeled side chain has revealed a light-induced conformational change in membrane-bound rhodopsin that is apparently not associated with protein aggregation. The changes are reversible upon the addition of 11-cis retinal, and the magnitude of the change is dependent on the identity of the phospholipid in the surrounding bilayer. Alteration of lipid composition has a much larger effect on bleached rhodopsin than rhodopsin itself, indicating that the former is more readily deformable in response to changes in bilayer properties. This is consistent with the loss of 11-cis retinal binding energy in opsin compared to rhodopsin. These results provide direct structural evidence that the conformation of a membrane protein can be modulated by the lipid properties."}
{"id": "PMID:1492128", "title": "Sensitivity increase in the photophobic response of Halobacterium halobium reconstituted with retinal analogs: a novel interpretation for the fluence-response relationship and a kinetic modeling.", "content": "Phoborhodopsin (also called sensory rhodopsin II) is a photoreceptor protein which mediates photophobic responses of Halobacterium halobium to blue-green light. Under conditions where the synthesis of the chromophore retinal is inhibited, the photophobic system is reconstituted in vivo by incorporation of all-trans retinal or retinal analogs into the apoprotein of phoborhodopsin. Retinal analogs which retard the cyclic photoreaction kinetics of phoborhodopsin increase significantly the sensitivity of the photophobic response. This supports the previously reported hypothesis that signal amplification occurs during the lifetime of intermediate states of the photocycle. The sensitivity increase caused by the chromophore substitution is observed in cells at several different growth stages, i.e. the naturally occurring chromophore (all-trans retinal) does not produce maximal sensitivity at any stage of the culture growth. These results are difficult to interpret in terms of the proposal by Marwan et al. (J. Mol. Biol. 199, 663-664, 1988) that only a single photon is sufficient to cause the photobehavioral response in cells containing native phoborhodopsin. A new interpretation for the fluence-response curves is described based in part on their Poisson statistical analysis. Further, a kinetic model which relates the receptor photochemical reaction cycle to the behavioral response is developed, which accounts for both the sensitivity increase and the shape of the fluence-response curves."}
{"id": "PMID:1492129", "title": "Molecular mechanisms in visual pigment regeneration.", "content": "The photochemical bleaching of vertebrate rhodopsin results in the cis to trans isomerization of the 11-cis-retinal protonated Schiff base. Hydrolysis of the Schiff base leads to the formation of opsin and all-trans-retinal. In order for vision to proceed, the enzymatic trans to cis isomerization of a retinoid must occur. Since retinoids exist as alcohols, aldehydes, or esters in the eye, there are potentially nine different routes for isomerization. Moreover, 11-cis-retinoids are approximately 4 kcal/mol higher in energy than their all-trans isomers. Thus, not only must the isomerization route be defined, but an energy source must be identified to power this process. It was discovered that the energy is provided for in a minimally two-step process involving membrane phospholipids as the energy source. First, all-trans-retinol (vitamin A) is esterified in the retinal pigment epithelium by lecithin retinol acyl transferase to produce an all-trans-retinyl ester. Second, this ester is directly transformed into 11-cis-retinol by an isomerohydrolase enzyme, in a process that couples the negative free energy of hydrolysis of the acyl ester to the formation of the strained 11-cis-retinoid."}
{"id": "PMID:1492130", "title": "Photoreceptor cell types in the retina of various vertebrate species: immunocytochemistry with antibodies against rhodopsin and iodopsin.", "content": "Types of photoreceptor cells in the retinas of 36 species of vertebrates (5 classes, 14 orders) were investigated immunocytochemically with monoclonal antibodies against chicken iodopsin (Io-mAb) and antiserum against bovine rhodopsin (Rh-As). In mammals, Rh-As labeled the outer segments of some photoreceptor cells in striped squirrels (a diurnal mammal) and those of most photoreceptor cells in mice (a nocturnal mammal), while Io-mAb labeled any photoreceptor cells in either of them. In all species of birds studied, Io-mAb labeled the principal and accessory members of double cones and single cones with a red oil droplet. Rh-As labeled single cones with a yellow or clear oil droplet in addition to rods. In turtles, both Rh-As and Io-mAb labeled single cones with a red or clear oil droplet and the principal (with a yellow oil droplet) and accessory members of double cones. This suggests that the visual pigments in these cones of turtles have common epitopes with bovine rhodopsin and chicken iodopsin. In Japanese grass lizards, single cones with a yellow oil droplet and double cones were immunoreactive to both Rh-As and Io-mAb. In snakes, rods and cones could not be distinguished but both positively and negatively stained cells were observed by the use of each antibody. In geckos, however, all photoreceptor cells were immunonegative to Io-mAb. In all species studied in amphibians, Rh-As labeled rods but not cones. Neither rods nor cones reacted with Io-mAb. In fishes, almost all species studied had well developed cones, and some of these cones were labeled by Rh-As. However, Io-mAb labeled the outer segments of some cones only in loaches. Rh-As labeled photoreceptor cells in all species of fishes studied. Thus, Rh-As recognized the outer segments of rods in all species studied from fishes to mammals, whereas the epitope recognized by Io-mAb is conserved in some species of fishes, most species of reptiles and all species of birds studied."}
{"id": "PMID:1492131", "title": "Interaction of rhodopsin, G-protein and kinase in octopus photoreceptors.", "content": "Light induced phosphorylation of octopus rhodopsin was greatly enhanced by guanosine 5'-O-(3-thiotriphosphate) (GTP gamma S), suggesting that the kinases are involved in regulating interaction between rhodopsin and G-protein. We determined phosphorylated peptides of octopus rhodopsin in the presence or absence of GTP gamma S. Possible phosphorylation sites for octopus rhodopsin enhanced by GTP gamma S were Thr329, Thr330 and/or Thr336, which suggest that the G-protein associates with cytoplasmic loops including C-terminal peptide in the seventh helix of octopus rhodopsin."}
{"id": "PMID:1492133", "title": "Photobleaching difference absorption spectra of human cone pigments: quantitative analysis and comparison to other methods.", "content": "Four human cone pigment apoproteins were expressed by transfection of human tissue culture cells with the corresponding complementary DNA clones. Following reconstitution of the cone pigments by incubation with 11-cis retinal, photobleaching difference absorption spectra were obtained for the blue pigment, the green pigment, and two polymorphic variants of the red pigment. These spectra were analyzed to determine the wavelengths of maximal absorbance and the bandwidths. The recombinant cone pigment spectra were compared to human cone spectral sensitivities and cone pigment absorption spectra determined by microspectrophotometry, single-cell electrophysiology, reflection densitometry, electroretinography, and psychophysical color and brightness matching."}
{"id": "PMID:1492134", "title": "Modeling rhodopsin, a member of G-protein coupled receptors, by computer graphics. Interpretation of chemical shifts of fluorinated rhodopsins.", "content": "An attempt has been made to construct a 3-D model of rhodopsin, a member of G-protein coupled receptors. Sequence homology of rhodopsin with the latter was a factor considered in the modeling procedure. The constructed model has been used to compare currently available specific protein/substrate interaction information, the shape of the binding cavity derived from shape of binding retinal isomers and analogs and challenged to explain recently available results from a series of fluorinated rhodopsins."}
{"id": "PMID:1492135", "title": "Bacteriorhodopsin reconstituted from two individual helices and the complementary five-helix fragment is photoactive.", "content": "Bacteriorhodopsin (bR), a light-driven proton pump, consists of a bundle of seven membrane-spanning alpha-helices connected to each other by short extramembranous loops. Previously it has been shown that bR can be reconstituted from three fragments corresponding to the first helix, the second helix, and the remaining five helices, and that this reconstituted material reforms the native structure of bR. In this study, it is shown that the native function is also recovered. Low-temperature spectroscopy was used to examine the photochemical properties of bR reconstituted from three fragments. At room temperature at pH 6, the reconstituted material shows essentially the same absorption spectrum as native bR, while upon raising the pH at room temperature or cooling the sample in glycerol, a second, blue-shifted peak appears. The pH and temperature dependence of the absorption spectrum indicates that the reconstituted bR is in an equilibrium between two pigments, which we call P560 and P480. Both pigments convert to their own K intermediates, which differ in absorption maxima, upon illumination with green light at -180 degrees C. Each K intermediate can be reverted to its initial state by light. Similarly, both pigments convert to their own M intermediates upon irradiation with yellow light at -77 degrees C. The M intermediate of both species can be reverted only to P560 by light. Both pigments are therefore photoactive. These unique photochemical properties of bR reconstituted from three fragments may be attributable to the lack of a covalent linkage in the loop connecting the A and B helices, and thus possibly to a change in the orientation of the B helix."}
{"id": "PMID:1492136", "title": "Biosynthetic incorporation of m-fluorotyrosine into bacteriorhodopsin.", "content": "Halobacterium halobium, grown in a defined medium where tyrosine had been largely replaced with m-fluorotyrosine, biosynthetically produced purple membrane. Analysis of this membrane by high pressure liquid chromatography of phenylthiocarbamyl derivatized amino acids of membrane acid hydrolysates revealed that up to 50% of the tyrosine was present as the m-fluorotyrosine form. Yields of the purple membrane decreased as the level of incorporation increased. The experimental purple membrane showed a single 19F NMR resonance at -61.983 ppm (relative to trifluoroacetic acid). The bacteriorhodopsin (bR) in the purple membrane was normal as assayed by gel electrophoresis, isoelectric focusing, circular dichroic spectra, and UV-visible spectra. However, the fluorinated tyrosine bacteriorhodopsins at near neutral pH exhibited slightly slower rates of proton uptake and a slower M-state decay with biphasic kinetics reminiscent of alkaline solutions of bR (pH > 9). These results imply that the tyrosines in bacteriorhodopsin may play a role in the photoactivated proton translocation process of this pigment."}
{"id": "PMID:1492137", "title": "Conformational energetics and excited state level ordering in 11-cis retinal.", "content": "Semiempirical molecular orbital theory and semiclassical solvent effect theory are used to analyze the conformational and electronic properties of the 12-s-cis and 12-s-trans conformers of 11-cis retinal. The goal is to examine the influence of solvent environment on the equilibrium geometries of these conformers as well as to provide a perspective on the electronic transitions that contribute to the four band systems that are observed in the 200-500 nm region of the optical spectrum. We conclude that the 12-s-cis isomer is more stable in vacuum, but that the 12-s-trans conformer is preferentially stabilized in both polar and nonpolar solvent environment due to dispersive as well as electrostatic interactions. This observation is in substantial agreement with previous literature results. In contrast, our analysis of the excited state manifold indicates that the spectral features observed in the absorption spectrum are associated with a complex set of overlapping transitions. A total of 18 pi*<--pi transitions contribute to the four bands, and in some cases, conformation changes the relative contribution of the individual transitions that define the overall band shape. This study provides the first definitive assignments for all four band systems."}
{"id": "PMID:1492138", "title": "Solvent and temperature effects on the excited singlet state absorption of diphenylbutadiene.", "content": "Nanosecond excited state absorption spectra of all-trans-1,4-diphenyl-1,3-butadiene (DPB) and a rigid s-cis DPB analog, 1,4-diphenyl-1,3-cyclopentadiene, were obtained in several hydrocarbon solvents at room temperature and low temperatures. Analysis of the excited state absorption spectra of these two molecules suggests the presence of excited state s-cis rotamers in DPB at room temperature."}
{"id": "PMID:1492139", "title": "Photosensitivities of iodopsin and rhodopsins.", "content": "The relative photosensitivity and the molar extinction coefficient of a highly purified iodopsin (chicken red sensitive cone visual pigment) solubilized in a mixture of 3-[(3-cholamidopropyl)-dimethylammonio]-1-propanesulfonate and phosphatidylcholine (CHAPS-PC) were measured using bovine rhodopsin solubilized in 2% digitonin as a standard and compared with those of chicken and bovine rhodopsins. The photosensitivity obtained (1.08) was close to those of rhodopsins (chicken, 1.04; bovine, 0.99) in CHAPS-PC. The molar extinction coefficient of iodopsin (47,200) was 1.15-1.17 times higher than those of rhodopsins (chicken, 40,500; bovine, 41,200). The oscillator strength of iodopsin (0.60) calculated from the extinction coefficient was nearly identical to that of chicken rhodopsin (0.61), suggesting that the chromophore of iodopsin is similar in configuration to rhodopsin. In contrast, the difference in quantum yield between iodopsin (0.62) and chicken rhodopsin (0.70) suggests that the chromophore-opsin interaction after absorption of a photon by the chromophore may be different."}
{"id": "PMID:1492140", "title": "Depressive attributional style and the dexamethasone suppression test: relationship to the endogenous/melancholic distinction and to each other.", "content": "The dexamethasone suppression test (DST) and the depressive attributional style questionnaire (ASQ) were administered to 105 depressed patients prior to participation in a double-blind outpatient study and to 29 normal controls. The depressed patients were classified into three groups (1) met criteria for both research diagnostic criteria for definite endogenous depression and DSM III melancholia; (2) met criteria for neither, and (3) met criteria for one but not both. The group that met criteria for both RDC endogenous depression and DSM-III melancholia had a statistically greater frequency of abnormal DST versus the group that met neither criteria and the normal controls. With regard to ASQ, patients who met both criteria had statistically higher bad event internality scores but statistically lower bad event stability and globality scores as opposed to the group that met neither criteria. In general, normal controls had significantly lower bad event ASQ scores than the three depressive groups. There was no correlation between ASQ and DST, as both DST suppressors and nonsuppressors had similar ASQ scores and there was no correlation between ASQ bad event attributions and initial severity of depression."}
{"id": "PMID:1492141", "title": "Serious suicide attempts in the elderly.", "content": "A retrospective study was carried out including all those patients who, over the last 6 years (n = 257), required admission to our hospital for medical or surgical reasons following attempted suicide. The authors examined a series of clinical and demographic variables. Thirty-eight patients over 65 years of age were compared with 120 patients aged between 30 and 64 years and 99 aged under 30 years. When compared with the other two groups, a significantly higher proportion of elderly patients were widowed and showed affective disorders and concurrent physical illness."}
{"id": "PMID:1492142", "title": "Clinical study of schizophrenia--application of jacksonism.", "content": "Factors influencing prognosis and relapses in schizophrenia were investigated systematically. The results were agreed with Jacksonism. Data were collected from 166 patients who suffered relapses and were readmitted to hospital from November 15, 1971, to December 31, 1974. The psychiatric symptoms were classified from A to G, positive to negative. The initial symptoms were divided into 4 groups. There was interrelation between the somatic and psychiatric symptoms; in the initial symptoms and prognosis, courses, and psychiatric symptoms. Based on my results, I suggest that an evolutional and hierarchical interpretation, which Jackson emphasized, in the correlation between brain and mind is applicable in the psychopathology of schizophrenia."}
{"id": "PMID:1492143", "title": "Specificity of Schneider's first rank symptoms for schizophrenia in Malay patients.", "content": "The frequency of Schneider's first rank symptoms (FRS) was studied in 221 Malay patients with functional psychosis. The prevalence of FRS in schizophrenia was 26.7%. The most common symptoms were voice arguing, passivity phenomena and somatic passivity. In the absence of organic brain dysfunction, the specificity of FRS for schizophrenia was 87.8%, and their positive predictive value was 90.6%. These findings indicate that although FRS is not pathognomonic of schizophrenia, their presence should be regarded as strongly suggestive of schizophrenia in the absence of organic etiology. FRS do not however occur with sufficient frequency to have potential diagnostic in schizophrenia."}
{"id": "PMID:1492144", "title": "Stability of psychiatric diagnoses among acutely ill patients.", "content": "A survey of patients admitted four or more times to the same acute care psychiatric hospital over a period of 3 years revealed that only 56 of 162 (34%) of such patients were discharged with the same diagnosis on each admission. Instability of diagnosis occurred despite the fact that previous diagnoses were known and that only relatively few diagnoses contributed to this degree of chronicity. Schizophrenia and mania were the most stable diagnoses with considerable overlap between them. Organic disorders were a variable diagnosis, often made in the context of chronicity, substance abuse or uncertainty. A diagnosis of substance abuse usually occurred in the context of other comorbid diagnoses which sometimes took precedence. Instability of diagnosis will continue so long as the diagnostic system is based so heavily on clinical criteria."}
{"id": "PMID:1492145", "title": "Coexistence of the Ekbom syndrome and lilliputian hallucination.", "content": "A patient who showed Ekbom's syndrome, i.e. delusions of parasitosis, and also lilliputian hallucination is described. She was diagnosed as senile dementia based on the diagnostic criteria of DSM-III-R and cerebral imaging techniques. When she was 74 years, she felt a mowworm-like wriggle in her stomach and their travels all over her body. When she was 78 years, she saw dressed-up dwarfs dance or march on her abdomen. Since the case showed simultaneously delusions of parasitosis and lilliputian hallucinations, it cannot be denied that she has undetected lesions in the brainstem. In this case, the delusions and hallucinations seem to have occurred as a part of psychopathological signs of senile dementia."}
{"id": "PMID:1492146", "title": "Who needs treatment? A nationwide psychiatric case identification study.", "content": "'Case' identification has been considered a major issue in cross-sectional psychiatric epidemiologic surveys. The question is: what is a 'case' and how reliable and valid can criteria be selected? This paper deals with this issue with respect to our experience obtained from a cross-sectional home survey on psychosocial issues and mental health carried out in Greece, with a nationwide probability sample of 4,292 respondents. Mental health status was assessed by use of the CES-D and Langner scales. A high proportion (29%) of respondents was characterized by a degree of mental impairment scoring above the cut-off points in both scales. In order to identify the true psychiatric 'cases', a total of 9 clinical and help-seeking criteria were selected after examining their discriminant power. Finally, a much lower proportion of the sample was identified as probable (7.2%) and definite (8.0%) psychiatric cases in need of care."}
{"id": "PMID:1492147", "title": "Periodic psychosis of puberty: a review on near-monthly episodes.", "content": "Published cases of periodic psychosis of puberty and related papers were reviewed. The clinical picture is near-monthly recurrence of episodes of stupor or excitement lasting about 1 or 2 weeks, which are accompanied by delusion and in some cases also by hallucinations or confusion. This condition was found to occur more commonly in girls than in boys, and in half of the girls reported the episodes tended to start a few days before menses. Adolescents with mental retardation were more commonly affected, and this suggests that organic brain damage may play a role in the etiology in some cases. Short-term prognosis is usually favorable, but at long-term follow-up, nearly half of them were found to be suffering from affective or schizophrenic illness. The clinical importance of recognizing this psychosis early in the course of illness is emphasized."}
{"id": "PMID:1492148", "title": "[The pathology of soft tissue sarcomas].", "content": "Soft tissue sarcomas are rare and can cause considerable difficulty in diagnosis and differential diagnosis as well as in estimation of the prognosis. These problems are due in part to the wide histological diversity, which is a consequence of intratumoral heterogeneity. The best known example of a very heterogeneous soft tissue tumor is malignant fibrous histiocytoma (MFH). Regular application of ancillary techniques, including electron microscopy and immunohistochemistry, has made it possible to reduce the number of unclassified cases from more than 10% to about 5%. Further progress in this direction is to be expected from cytogenetic studies, since for some of the tumor types characteristic chromosomal abnormalities have been established. Prognosis has been related to the grade of malignancy, but recent studies show that in many soft tissue sarcomas it will also be possible to correlate prognosis with DNA ploidy. By contrast, overexpression of the multidrug resistance gene mdr-1 does not seem to play an essential role in soft tissue sarcomas."}
{"id": "PMID:1492149", "title": "[Magnetic resonance tomography of soft tissue tumors].", "content": "Soft tissue tumors are relatively often seen on MR tomography, although they make up a fairly small proportion of malignant lesions. To date, most soft tissue tumors have been investigated by MRI because of its unique soft tissue contrasts and its flexibility in slice orientation. But is MRI really adequate for staging and defining soft tissue tumors, or what role does it have pre-therapeutic work-up? Most malignant soft tissue tumors give rise to somewhat similar MRI findings and may not be sufficiently well characterized. On the other hand, some benign lesions can be clearly identified and staged. The goal of this paper is a critical discussion of the ability of MRI to define a lesion's degree of malignancy, to evaluate diagnostic criteria, and to describe requirements in the set-up of the investigation."}
{"id": "PMID:1492150", "title": "[Imaging techniques in the preoperative diagnosis of soft tissue tumors. A comparison of MRT, CT, sonography, angiography and conventional x-rays].", "content": "In a study on 51 patients with histologically confirmed soft tissue tumors (STT), we retrospectively evaluated the preoperative use of imaging procedures (MRI, CT, ultrasound, angiography, plain film) for identification of tumor size, delineation, and determination of malignancy and tissue type. The findings were correlated with intraoperative findings and histological diagnosis. The overall diagnostic method of choice for preoperative imaging of STT is MRI, followed by CT. Ultrasound, although sensitive, lacks the required specificity. Angiography and plain film can only be used for specific indications, as they generally do not make it possible to stage the tumor. Combining our results with those from the more recent literature, we propose a diagnostic algorithm according to which MRI would generally be performed for preoperative staging of STT. CT and plain film should only be used if bony infiltration is suspected; angiography is indicated for planning intraarterial chemotherapy or embolization or if vascular infiltration is probable."}
{"id": "PMID:1492151", "title": "[Radiologic diagnosis of the recurrence of soft tissue sarcomas].", "content": "We report about the diagnosis of recurrent soft tissue tumors in more than 350 patients using magnetic resonance tomography (MRT) and computed tomography (CT) during the last 5-6 years. MRT turned out to be the method of choice having a sensitivity of about 85% and a specificity of 60-70%, provided that a high resolution technique is used and a paramagnetic contrast agent (gadolinium-DTPA (Gd)) is applied. By performing \"dynamic Gd-sequences\" a quantification and of the perfusion of a recurrent tumor is possible. Even MRT does not produce a definite tumor-specificity. The alterations of imaging concerning surgical treatment or therapeutic irradiation are extensively discussed. Practical suggestions for the daily routine diagnostic in case of uncertain clinic or symptoms are given."}
{"id": "PMID:1492152", "title": "[Radiotherapeutic strategies for soft tissue sarcomas in adults].", "content": "Soft tissue sarcomas account for under 1% of all cancers in adults. Most soft tissue tumours are benign, only about 1% being characterized clinically and histomorphologically as malignant neoplasms. Since these tumours are often treated by excisional biopsies without any further diagnostic imaging, precise planning of postoperative irradiation therapy is often difficult to achieve. Therefore, all soft tissue tumours with a short history should be regarded as malignant until the contrary has been proven. In general, the mode of tumour resection should be postponed until CT or MR diagnosis is complete and a biopsy of the tumour has been carried out. Whereas benign lesions need only marginal tumour resection, malignant lesions require considerable safety margins. In soft tissue sarcomas of the extremities, which account for 50-60% of all sarcomas, a wide local resection followed by postoperative irradiation with about 66 Gy can guarantee local control rates above 80% and preserve the function of the limb. Radical surgery alone can achieve the same local control, but without the high level of functional integrity. In the case of marginally resectable tumours, preoperative irradiation can induce partial tumour remission and thus allow definitive limb-sparing tumour resection. Recently, multimodal and neoadjuvant therapeutic strategies have been developed. The efficacy of these experimental strategies is not yet proven."}
{"id": "PMID:1492153", "title": "[Primary amyloid tumor of the lung].", "content": "Primary idiopathic amyloidosis may be a diagnostic problem because of its low incidence and its variable manifestations. The clinical and radiographic findings in a patient with accidentally discovered primary amyloidosis of the lung are presented. The extensive mediastinal and hilar lymph-node enlargement was striking. Peripheral bronchial carcinoma was initially suspected because of the radiographic and CT findings. Various patterns of pulmonary amyloidosis have to be considered in the differential diagnosis of nodules and interstitial changes of the lung."}
{"id": "PMID:1492154", "title": "Studies on iron deficiency anemia, rickets and zinc deficiency and their prevention among Chinese preschool children.", "content": "The incidence of iron deficiency anemia, rickets, and zinc deficiency is very high in Chinese preschool children and a method for prevention is urgently needed. From our studies, it can be seen that a soft drink powder is a convenient vehicle for the supplementation of iron, zinc, calcium, vitamin D, riboflavin, and ascorbic acid. Table salt is also a good, low-cost carrier for iron and zinc, and cow's milk can only be used for the enrichment of vitamins A and D. In our study the therapeutic dose of iron was lower than 3 mg/kg body weight recommended by the WHO Expert Committee. As ascorbic acid can enhance the absorption of iron in the body, so 300 mg vitamin C was added to 100 g of soft drink powder containing 100 mg of elemental iron. Ten g of powder is not only enough for the prevention of iron deficiency anemia but it can also cure iron deficiency anemia within 3 months. One hundred mg of iron in 100 g of table salt is an adequate level, because an adult or a child taking 10 or 5 g of salt will receive 10 and 5 mg of elemental iron respectively. This dosage is adequate for the prevention of anemia. From our results, 10 mg of zinc daily is enough for the prevention and treatment of zinc deficiency in preschool children. Four hundred IU of vitamin D (from fortified soft drink powder or enriched fresh cow's milk) orally-administered daily, is a good way to prevent rickets in infants and young children."}
{"id": "PMID:1492155", "title": "Zinc: a perinatal point of view.", "content": "Zinc is a metal with great nutritional importance, particularly during periods of rapid growth due to its intervention in cellular replication as well as in the development of the immune response. A review of studies by several authors trying to determine the normal behaviour of zinc during pregnancy and early infancy is done, in an attempt to establish adequate circulating levels, in order to be able to identify zinc deficiency correctly and provide appropriate treatment. However, the information is very contradictory and no real conclusion can be reached."}
{"id": "PMID:1492156", "title": "The production of menaquinones (vitamin K2) by intestinal bacteria and their role in maintaining coagulation homeostasis.", "content": "Vitamin K is an essential cofactor necessary for the production of clotting factors II, VII, IX, and X in humans and has recently been found to be an essential factor for many other proteins in the body. There are two sources of this essential vitamin, including vitamin K1, or phylloquinone which is primarily found in green leafy vegetables and vitamin K2 or menaquinone which is synthesized by certain intestinal bacteria. The precise contribution of the bacterially synthesized menaquinone to overall vitamin K requirements in man is unknown. This paper reviews the available literature regarding the production and liberation of menaquinones from bacteria, the animal experiments which have been done to examine the absorption of menaquinones and the indirect and direct evidence in humans regarding utilization of menaquinones. The preponderance of the evidence suggests that bacterially synthesized menaquinones, particularly in the ileum can and do play a significant role in contributing to vitamin K requirements in humans to prevent clinically significant coagulopathy, especially during periods of episodic dietary lack of the vitamin."}
{"id": "PMID:1492160", "title": "Self-medicating practices for managing chronic pain after spinal cord injury.", "content": "Spinal cord injured (SCI) persons often experience chronic pain. Methods of dealing with pain that the SCI client found helpful in the past may not be beneficial after the injury. This article describes a study of self-medication for the purpose of pain relief. Over-the-counter, prescription, or illicit drugs or alcohol are among the agents employed in self-medication. The rehabilitation nurse has a role in helping the SCI person to identify appropriate methods of managing chronic pain throughout life."}
{"id": "PMID:1492161", "title": "Negotiating self-care in rehabilitation nursing.", "content": "The authors conducted a study to examine nurse and patient perceptions of self-care and the performance of self-care in rehabilitation settings. The grounded-theory method was used to conduct and analyze in-depth interviews of 12 nurses and 12 rehabilitation patients. Every nurse and every patient had expectations regarding who would control each aspect of the patient's self-care. When these expectations were noncongruent, negotiation usually occurred. Successful negotiation resulted in a balance of self-care, the optimal balance between nurse and patient control."}
{"id": "PMID:1492159", "title": "The effect of an inpatient arthritis rehabilitation program on self-assessed functional ability.", "content": "Self-assessed functional ability of patients with arthritis was measured prior to their participation in a 6-day inpatient arthritis rehabilitation program. Self-assessed functional ability was rechecked at discharge and again at the follow-up, which took place 5 to 10 weeks after discharge. Patients at five different centers completed the modified Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) at admission (n = 97) and again at discharge (n = 95). Thirty-six of those patients completed the follow-up questionnaire. The disability index was significantly lower at discharge than at admission and significantly lower at follow-up than at discharge. Pain severity was significantly lower at discharge than at admission but was not significantly different at follow-up than at discharge. McNemar's test, a modification of the standard chi-square, was used to compare patients' reliance on the assistance of others to perform functional tasks at admission versus at discharge. Reliance on others for help was significantly lower on discharge than on admission for grooming, arising, eating, walking, hygiene, reaching, and gripping/opening. This study concludes that participation in the inpatient rehabilitation program significantly reduced disability, pain, and the need for assistance from others."}
{"id": "PMID:1492162", "title": "The influence of the family's perception of disability on rehabilitation outcomes.", "content": "The family plays an important role in facilitating positive rehabilitation outcomes with a disabled client. Thus, families must be involved in the rehabilitation process. For this to occur, the nurse must identify the characteristics of the family unit. This article presents a framework that supports the assessment of the family unit."}
{"id": "PMID:1492163", "title": "Patient discharge planning documentation in an Australian multidisciplinary rehabilitation setting.", "content": "This article, drawing on data from 17 case studies, addresses problems in documentation of discharge planning in an Australian multidisciplinary rehabilitation center and the ways these were, or could be, overcome. The problems identified in the case studies were not specific to one discipline; they were due to inadequately defined guidelines and responsibility and poorly designed forms, and they possibly reflected the tendency for members of practice-oriented disciplines to see documentation as low on their list of priorities."}
{"id": "PMID:1492164", "title": "Evaluating the effects of a family education intervention.", "content": "The role of the family is regarded as one of the key variables influencing rehabilitation outcomes. Rehabilitation literature ranks family education as one of the important elements of a rehabilitation program--but as the cost of health services escalates, it is becoming increasingly important to justify the expenditure of resources for family education. Little was found in the literature about how to demonstrate or evaluate the benefits gained from family education interventions, and no instrument that had been used for this purpose was identified. The Family Assessment Device (FAD) (Epstein, Baldwin, & Bishop, 1983) is a self-report instrument that was cited in the literature (Bishop & Miller, 1988) as a way to measure changes in family functioning that resulted from a clinical intervention. It seemed possible that the FAD also might be used to evaluate the effects of an educational intervention for families. A study was designed using the FAD to evaluate the outcome of a family education series provided by an outpatient rehabilitation program for head-injured patients; however, the expected improvements in family functioning, evidenced by changes in mean scores on the FAD, did not occur. While the results of this study were disappointing, it may be that the FAD could serve as the prototype in the development of an instrument designed specifically to measure the effects of a family education intervention during rehabilitation."}
{"id": "PMID:1492198", "title": "[Genotoxic activity test of sodium fluoride in vitro].", "content": "The artificial drinking water fluoridization provided as a mass preventive measure against dental decay poses another substantial problem which is a possibility of genotoxic action. Up to this date, this matter remains still obscur and is discussed with more or less intensity from time to time. The mentioned fact supported authors to study the impact of short-term 24 hrs sodium fluoride (NaF) action in concentration range of 0-500 mg.1(-1) drinking water in the frame of so-called minimal testing set (analysis of chromosomal aberrations in human peripheral lymphocytes, Ames test). For the initial NaF concentration applied, the reference value of 1 mg per 1 liter artificial fluoridization was estimated. The use of Ames test with TA 98 and TA 100 Salmonella typhimurium (+/- S9) strains showed no significant increase in revertants responsible of NaF mutagenic activity in any of applied concentrations (0-1300 mg per 1 Petri dish; = 0-520 mg.l-1 converted to the basic supplementative dose). Cytogenetic analysis of peripheral lymphocytes showed more sensitivity than prototrofic salmonella test. Yet one order higher NaF concentration than its application norm 1 mg.l-1 (i.e. 11 mg.l-1) has induced the occurrence of 3.8% ABB after single addition for 24 hrs to the \"healthy\" blood cultivated in vitro at short-term. This accounts for a value close to the level of statistically significant difference with regard to the application norm recommended. This level has been even exceeded as for a total count of fragments and exchanged parts. Thus the two orders higher NaF concentration (110.0 mg.l-1) resulted in a strong increase of cells with chromosomal aberrations for all of indicators observed; e.g. 27.5% ABB. Based on literary sources, obtained results and properly experience in practical proceeding artificial fluoridation, the authors concluded that the latter is not adequate to the up-to-date status of knowledge. Besides of economical and technical problems, those scientific are mainly concerned with making doubtful the auto-presumed genotoxic inertness for chronic users of fluoridated drinking water. Author's opinion is that when necessarily provided, the artificial fluoridization of drinking water should be proceeded selectively (in accord with real requirements of an appropriated population group, its age structure and location), temporarily and with intermittent checkout of fluoridization application regimen. To conclude, authors recommend further observation with use of biological model situations in vivo."}
{"id": "PMID:1492199", "title": "[Antimicrobial activity of composite filling materials].", "content": "Antimicrobial effects of several composite fillers are monitored in response to a mixed aerobic and anaerobic microbial flora of the oral cavity. None of observed both self-polymerizing and photopolymerizing composites showed antimicrobial effects."}
{"id": "PMID:1492194", "title": "[Skin hypersensitivity: intradermal hypersensitivity to allergen extracts and its relation to the place of residence].", "content": "A retrospective review of 308 clinical files of patient to respond at immunological and clinical allergic service of the Centro Medico 20 de Noviembre, ISSSTE for suffer with allergica illnes, realized by aeroalergens sensitization and determination frequency (intradermoreactions mediated) and relation to area living. The patients was highly sensitive at dust and dermatophagoides (75 and 40% respectively) others aeroalergen caused sensitization in the Capriola dactylon (37%), Amarantus palmieri (35.5%), Fracxinus (34.6%), Ambrosia elatior (33%), Candida (21.4%), Penicillium (18.1%), Mucor y Rizopus (17.8% each one)."}
{"id": "PMID:1492200", "title": "[Cytotolerance for Nimetic Grip (ESPE), a material used for fixation of dental bridge plates].", "content": "Providing in vitro experimentation on cells, the authors monitor general biologic effects of the fixation composite Nimetic Grip (ESPE). Cytotoxicity of three components of supplied package is tested with both dynamic identification of contact cytotoxicity and macro contact test. Those concerned are composite cements. Nimetic Grip Opak and Transparent as well as Nimetic Bond adhesive varnish. All the observed materials were shown to induce morphologic changes on HEp-2 cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1492195", "title": "[The importance of pollinosis in the Valley of Mexico].", "content": "The climatic conditions and the vegetation in the valley of Mexico are analyzed in virtue of their modification during the last few years which have consequently altered the surrounding ecological systems. In this article, we were particularly interested in describing the botanical characteristics of the gimnospermas, an abundant vegetation in Mexico."}
{"id": "PMID:1492201", "title": "[Effective dosage equivalents in evaluating radiation burden in patients in stomatologic roentgenology].", "content": "Risk coefficients are the main quantitative parameter when determining the extent of X-ray load in patients investigated with roentgenography. A concept of effective dose equivalent HE is used for this purpose. The present study is aimed on the determination of the HE for both orthopantomography and routine extra-oral roentgenogram of the mandibula. Measurements were performed on Alderson Rando phantom. The resulting effective dose equivalent for investigation with orthopantomograph represented 99.0 mu Sv and 80.9 mu Sv for the extra-oral projection, respectively. Based on the results obtained, the load with dental X-ray was shown to be disproportionately high."}
{"id": "PMID:1492196", "title": "[In vitro transfer of immunity against PPD with dialyzable extract of leukocytes from human colostrum].", "content": "The aim of this study is to demonstrate the transference of PPD hypersensibility in an in vitro model, with dialysable colostral leukocyte extract (DCLE) of PPD+ and PPD-mothers, through measurements of leukocyte migration inhibition factor activity (LIF) from blood obtained of the umbilical cord of newborns from PPD+ mothers. The results show that DCLE PPD+ incubated with leukocytes of newborns from PPD- mothers had inhibition of leukocyte migration compared with migration of leukocytes incubated with DCLE PPD-. These results suggest that in this in vitro model, DCLE transfers hypersensibility to PPD."}
{"id": "PMID:1492197", "title": "[Occupational disease at an allergy service].", "content": "26 nurses were included in a prospective study mean age of 37.2 years old. 14 of them participated either in the application or preparation of allergenic extracts (vaccines) for several months (range 3-60). The other 12 were taken as control subjects. In both groups, we obtained atopic background, clinical evaluation, seric IgE, nasal smears, skin test with glicerinated antigens, positive and negative control. The study concluded allergy sensibilization occurs in those nurses working at the allergy service mainly in those whom referred genetic background for atopy."}
{"id": "PMID:1492204", "title": "Laser therapy for endobronchial tumours.", "content": "Endobronchial laser therapy has been performed at Knightswood Hospital, Glasgow since 1983. During the period 1983 to 1990, 62 patients underwent a total of 149 laser treatments. The principal indications for therapy were tracheo-carinal stridor (24%), dyspnoea due to bronchial occlusion (60%) and haemoptysis (13%). Squamous carcinoma accounted for 80% of the lesions. Over 75% of patients had already received some form of prior therapy (radiotherapy 71%, chemotherapy 8%, surgical resection 11%). Laser therapy reduced stridor in 67% of patients with tracheal and carinal tumours and produced symptomatic improvement in 72% of patients with bronchial obstruction but without evidence of lobar collapse. Haemoptysis was controlled in all but one of patients treated. Two patients (3.2%) died during laser treatment following severe haemorrhage."}
{"id": "PMID:1492205", "title": "Skin lesion removal: practice by general practitioners in Grampian Region before and after April 1990.", "content": "The introduction of new GP contracts in April 1990 incorporated a financial incentive to undertake minor surgical procedures. Previous reports have noted large increases in the number of GP-derived skin specimens after April 1990. Our present study intended to address whether similar changes have occurred in Grampian Region as well as, more specifically, noting whether there have been changes in the quality of practice following the 1st April 1990. A retrospective study of skin biopsies removed by general practitioners in Grampian Region was undertaken. Cases were selected from four periods of six months (1st April to end of September) in 1987, 1988, 1989 and 1990. All skin specimens sent by general practitioners to the Department of Pathology, Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, were included. Following April 1990 there was a two-fold increase in skin specimen numbers--an increase significantly greater than increases observed over previous years (p < 0.01). Of particular note was the contribution made to this increase by Aberdeen City GPs whose contribution rose five-fold (p < 0.0001). Non-benign lesions (ie malignant plus carcinoma-in-situ-) represented 6% of lesions excised. A non-benign clinical diagnosis or an indication of suspicion was written on only one third of request forms for histopathologically diagnosed non-benign lesions. The proportion of histologically incompletely excised lesions rose over the four years (p < 0.01); moreover the increase in total numbers of lesions resulted in a striking increase in the actual numbers of incompletely excised lesions after April 1990."}
{"id": "PMID:1492206", "title": "Persuasion, coercion, medical paternalism or the Mental Health Act: the dilemma of detention in the general hospital.", "content": "This paper describes the cases of three patients where the question of the need for formal detention arose due to mental disorder, apparently primarily due to physical illness, which in each case required further investigation and treatment in a general hospital. It states some of the issues facing those caring for patients under these circumstances and offers advice on overcoming some of the problems."}
{"id": "PMID:1492207", "title": "Could it be myotonic dystrophy? Myotonic dystrophy presenting with atrial flutter.", "content": "Myotonic dystrophy is a well recognised and well defined multisystem disorder which is inherited in an autosomal dominant fashion through a locus on chromosome 19. The disease itself is characterised by rigidity and degeneration of skeletal muscle, cataract formation, gonadal atrophy, frontal baldness and mental retardation. Like many inherited disorders there is a variable expression and so diverse clinical presentations can occur."}
{"id": "PMID:1492212", "title": "Patterns of unhealthy eating behaviours in a middle aged Scottish population.", "content": "This paper examines unhealthy eating in a middle aged Scottish population. Data from a 1989 survey of 500 Scottish men and women aged 45 to 59 years are used to explore inter-relations among five items of unhealthy eating, smoking and alcohol consumption. The results show that unhealthy eating behaviours are highly correlated, indicating strong links among certain nutrition habits. The findings also reveal that such patterns of unhealthy eating vary considerably between males and females. Finally, unhealthy eating behaviours were also found to be significantly associated with smoking and alcohol consumption. Implications of these findings for future research in epidemiology and health promotion are considered."}
{"id": "PMID:1492213", "title": "Crescentic glomerulonephritis: experience of a single unit over a five year period.", "content": "Crescentic glomerulonephritis is a well defined pathological lesion occurring in a range of renal and systemic diseases. We have retrospectively reviewed the aetiology, clinical features and outcome in 60 patients presenting over a five and a half year period. Most patients were elderly (median age 61 years, range 16-84 years). The majority presented with severe renal impairment, 32 requiring dialysis at admission. The degree of glomerular crescent formation on biopsy was closely related both to initial dialysis dependence and the ensuing response to immunosuppression. Forty-three patients received immunosuppressive treatment. A beneficial response was seen in 40% of patients requiring dialysis, and in 88% of those with less severe renal impairment. A high early mortality was apparent (30% within three months), exclusively affecting elderly patients (all > 60 years), with advanced renal failure (all dialysis dependent), the majority of whom (15 out of 18) had been immunosuppressed. The results suggest that the benefits of immunosuppression in this group may be outweighed by the complications of treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1492214", "title": "Medical clinic referral letters. Do they say what they mean? Do they mean what they say?", "content": "Consecutive general practitioner referrals to three general medical clinics were examined prospectively to assess whether the reason for referral was being correctly interpreted by consultants. The resultant data revealed that although this was not always the case, such misunderstandings did not appear to affect subsequent management. Explicit reasons for referral in the referral letter however could improve both the quality and value of out-patient consultations."}
{"id": "PMID:1492215", "title": "Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in Scotland and Northern Ireland 1980-1989.", "content": "The epidemiological and clinical features of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease have never before been studied in Scotland and Northern Ireland. Case records for those dying with this diagnosis were obtained for the period 1980-89. Over the ten year period, 25 definite or probable cases were identified, giving an annual incidence of 0.37 cases/million. There were more cases in the second half of the decade, and this was most likely due to increased ascertainment. One pair of cases occurred in close proximity to each other. Sex distribution showed an excess of males (male:female ratio = 1.8:1). Mean age at onset was 65.2 years, and mean duration of disease was 5.3 months. The presenting symptoms and clinical features were similar to those noted in previous studies of other populations. There was no excess of cases in occupations linked to food, farming, or medical/paramedical work."}
{"id": "PMID:1492216", "title": "Abscess formation as a complication of chickenpox.", "content": "Chickenpox is a common infectious disease of childhood. Skin lesions may occasionally become secondarily infected with bacteria. Large abscess formation is reported complicating a mild case of chickenpox in a previously healthy patient."}
{"id": "PMID:1492217", "title": "Atrial myxoma: a rare cause of progressive exertional dyspnoea.", "content": "A 40 year old man suffered eight years of vague but disabling symptoms, initially thought to be related to post viral fatigue syndrome, but ameliorated by the removal of a large atrial myxoma. The diagnosis of atrial myxoma is notoriously difficult, but should be excluded by echocardiography if there are predominant symptoms of progressive exertional dyspnoea, even in the absence of cardiological signs."}
{"id": "PMID:1492222", "title": "Preclinical leads for innovative uses for etoposide.", "content": "Amplification of oncogenes in human tumors has been associated with a poor prognosis. Microscopically visible amplified oncogenes can be located either within chromosomes in homogeneously staining regions, or in an extrachromosomal compartment in double minutes (DMs). The DMs are composed of submicroscopic circular DNA (episomes), which have multimerized to form the microscopically visible DMs. When amplified oncogenes are located in an extrachromosomal location, they are vulnerable to loss from the cell. In this study we have found that the topoisomerase II inhibitor etoposide, in concentrations easily achievable clinically, causes a significant decrease in the number of DM-containing amplified oncogenes in three different human tumor cell lines. The elimination of amplified oncogenes from the cell could be accompanied by less aggressive tumor behavior."}
{"id": "PMID:1492223", "title": "Etoposide/cisplatin-based chemotherapy for patients with metastatic poorly differentiated carcinoma of unknown primary site.", "content": "Patients with poorly differentiated carcinoma (PDC) or poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma (PDA) of unknown primary site comprise a sizable minority (25% to 35%) of patients with carcinoma of unknown primary site. Some of these neoplasms are highly responsive to combination chemotherapy, and a minority of patients are curable. Between 1978 and 1982 we treated 67 patients with combination chemotherapy, most of whom received PVB (cisplatin/vinblastine/bleomycin) with or without doxorubicin. Thirty-eight patients (56%) responded to treatment, with 15 (22%) attaining complete responses (CRs). Nine patients (13%) are long-term disease-free survivors. Since that time, we have incorporated etoposide into our treatment program because of its synergism with cisplatin and its marked activity against several other neoplasms including germ cell tumors. Seventeen patients with PDC or PDA of unknown primary site received second-line therapy with etoposide/cisplatin after failing to respond to PVB. Ten of these patients had partial responses, with a median response duration of 5 months (range, 2 to 12). Eighty-five previously untreated patients with PDC or PDA received etoposide/cisplatin combinations as initial treatment; 57 of 78 evaluable patients (73%) responded to therapy, and 24 (31%) achieved CRs. Sixteen patients (19% of entire group) remain disease-free a median of 28 months (range, 9 to 66) after therapy. Etoposide is active against poorly differentiated carcinoma of unknown primary site. These results indicate that initial treatment with etoposide/cisplatin combinations is equivalent or superior to our previous results with PVB."}
{"id": "PMID:1492224", "title": "Etoposide in the treatment of non-Hodgkin's lymphomas.", "content": "Although etoposide has become one of the most active drugs for the treatment of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, its optimal use remains to be determined. Nevertheless, it has been used judiciously in a wide variety of treatment settings, including management of aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, in combinations testing an aggressive approach for the treatment of advanced indolent lymphomas, integrated combined-modality therapy for localized aggressive lymphoma, salvage therapy, and induction regimens with autologous bone marrow transplantation. It has also been used in assorted combinations attempting to maximize antitumor efficacy while minimizing toxicity in elderly patients with lymphomas. This paper reviews the studies using etoposide in these various management situations."}
{"id": "PMID:1492225", "title": "Etoposide pharmacology.", "content": "Etoposide, a podophyllotoxin derivative, has demonstrated antitumor efficacy in a number of human malignancies, including lymphomas, germinal tumors, and lung cancer (especially small cell). Etoposide's antineoplastic activity is achieved through DNA strand breakage, which likely results from the formation of a complex involving drug, DNA, and the DNA unwinding enzyme, topoisomerase II. The drug's steady state volume of distribution ranges from 5 to 17 L/m2, and it is highly bound to plasma protein with an average free plasma fraction of 6%. A number of etoposide metabolites have been confirmed or postulated. Several cell lines have been shown to acquire resistance to etoposide through membrane transport changes. Considerable intrapatient variability exists in pharmacokinetic parameters following intravenous (IV) and oral dosing. Approximately 30% to 40% of unchanged IV drug is excreted in the urine, whereas biliary excretion appears a minor route of drug elimination. The bioavailability of oral etoposide averages 50%, although wide variability exists both among and within different patients. Bioavailability decreases as the dose of oral etoposide is increased. Several recent studies have attempted to correlate etoposide plasma concentrations with toxicity (primarily myelosuppression) in hopes of using this information to optimize drug dosing."}
{"id": "PMID:1492226", "title": "Etoposide in the treatment of leukemias.", "content": "Etoposide (VP16-213), a topoisomerase II inhibitor, has produced complete responses in 17% of previously treated patients with acute nonlymphocytic leukemia (ANLL) but has little activity in acute lymphoblastic leukemia. As salvage therapy for relapsed ANLL etoposide produces 28% complete responses in combination with amsacrine, 49% with 5-azacytidine, and 51% with anthracycline. It has been successfully combined with high-dose cytarabine as a salvage treatment. In a randomized trial in previously untreated patients with ANLL, etoposide significantly prolonged remission duration. Etoposide has been used to intensify postinduction therapy with or without bone marrow rescue, but its exact role in that setting has not been clarified. Because of its schedule dependency in other tumors, etoposide should be investigated using different schedules in ANLL."}
{"id": "PMID:1492227", "title": "Etoposide in gastric cancer.", "content": "Etoposide has modest single-agent activity (21% partial response rate) in patients with previously untreated metastatic gastric carcinoma. The use of etoposide in combination with agents like doxorubicin, cisplatin, and 5-fluorouracil with or without leucovorin has been of increasing interest to oncologists. Such combinations have been reported to produce overall response rates as high as 60% to 70%, with complete response rates as high as 20%, in patients with advanced measurable gastric carcinoma. Etoposide-containing regimens have also been used preoperatively in potentially resectable patients. In these studies, approximately 60% of treated patients may be rendered disease-free following resection. Preoperative (neoadjuvant) therapy has not yet been shown in phase III studies to be superior to surgery alone. Significant myelosuppression is the major toxicity of etoposide-based chemotherapy. Such chemotherapy deserves further evaluation in the treatment of gastric cancer."}
{"id": "PMID:1492228", "title": "High-dose etoposide (VP-16)-containing preparatory regimens in allogeneic and autologous bone marrow transplantation for hematologic malignancies.", "content": "High-dose etoposide has been added to total body irradiation, cyclophosphamide, carmustine, or busulfan in preparatory regimens for allogeneic or autologous bone marrow transplantation for patients with leukemia, Hodgkin's disease, lymphoma, or multiple myeloma. The treatment results are encouraging, indicating that etoposide may be a valuable addition to the previously established regimens. Etoposide should be incorporated into collaborative, prospective trials to define its ultimate role in bone marrow transplantation."}
{"id": "PMID:1492229", "title": "Role of etoposide in treatment of breast cancer.", "content": "Etoposide has played a prominent role in the treatment of many common and uncommon malignancies. The use of etoposide in the treatment of breast cancer is still experimental. Early work using etoposide as a single agent in previously treated patients suggests this drug is inactive in the dose and schedules tested. The sole trial using etoposide as a single agent in untreated patients suggests a modest overall response rate of 15%. Perhaps more promising has been the use of etoposide in both cisplatin and noncisplatin-containing combinations. Early data suggest these combinations display at least additive effects and perhaps some synergy. Ongoing cooperative group trials are evaluating cisplatin/etoposide combinations in minimally pretreated patients with metastatic breast cancer. While trials using high-dose etoposide in combination with other drugs as ablative treatment for breast cancer have been reported, etoposide's poor performance in pretreated patients calls such practice into question; the contribution of etoposide to such therapy is therefore conjectural."}
{"id": "PMID:1492230", "title": "New perspectives on the toxicity of etoposide.", "content": "Etoposide has been used in the treatment of a wide variety of neoplasms, including small cell lung cancer. Kaposi's sarcoma, testicular cancer, acute leukemia, and lymphoma. Its current therapeutic use is limited by myelosuppression, particularly neutropenia. Pharmacodynamic studies of etoposide show that this toxicity can be modeled using a modified Hill equation, and that the dose intensity of etoposide can be successfully increased by adaptive control using this model. Significant influences on the degree of myelosuppression include pretreatment leukocyte count, performance status, extent of prior erythrocyte transfusions, and serum albumin level. In the past 5 years, interest has developed in a distinct subset of acute nonlymphocytic leukemia that is associated with prior exposure to etoposide. This syndrome has been described in several studies, and is characterized by the lack of a preleukemic phase, M4 or M5 morphology, and distinct translocations involving the chromosome 11q23 region."}
{"id": "PMID:1492231", "title": "Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor with dose-intensified treatment of cancer.", "content": "GM-CSF decreases the hematopoietic toxicity of both nonablative and marrow ablative intensive chemotherapy regimens. Data are limited at this time, particularly in regard to optimal schedules and GM-CSF dosing regimens with particular chemotherapy programs. The importance of GM-CSF scheduling in relationship to chemotherapy is becoming more clear. The dose-intensive regimens supported by GM-CSF produce a high complete remission rate in several types of malignancy. Evidence that these remissions will be durable is still lacking. Future directions will include filling some of these voids in our knowledge, as well as exploring various cytokine combinations for improved hematopoietic recovery and other chemotherapeutic regimens for improved antitumor effect. The near complete cytoreduction produced by these dose-intensive regimens may also create a better setting for attempts at therapeutic immunomodulation. Yet another, but more difficult, task will be to identify those situations where progenitor cell replacement is beneficial and appropriate."}
{"id": "PMID:1492243", "title": "Epidemiology by computer.", "content": "Collecting epidemiological data from a large community sample has, in the past, been a costly and time-consuming exercise. This paper outlines a methodology for undertaking such research by using a set of standard psychiatric questionnaires, including a computerised version of the Diagnostic Interview Schedule Screening Interview on a portable laptop computer. The study of 1009 country South Australian subjects found that this technique provided prevalence estimates similar to those obtained from the more established Diagnostic Interview Schedule, with the added benefit that all interviews were successfully carried out by lay interviewers under minimal supervision, in the subject's home."}
{"id": "PMID:1492244", "title": "Trends in psychiatric hospitalization and changes in admission patterns in two counties in Denmark from 1977 to 1989.", "content": "Based on data from the nationwide Danish Psychiatric Case Register, trends in admission rates and treatment-day rates were studied in two Danish counties between 1977 and 1989. During the observation period, the number of available beds in the counties investigated decreased from 1.78 to 1.10 per 1000 inhabitants aged 15 years or more. Over the same period, the admission rates decreased by 20% for in-patients and 38% for day-patients. At the same time, treatment-day rates for in-patients decreased by approximately 50% and treatment-day rates for day-patients by 32%. The decrease was seen in all age groups both for admission rates and treatment-day-rates. Rates for short-term hospitalization showed a steeper decrease than those for long-term hospitalization. For schizophrenia, admission rates increased except among men under 25 years of age, and treatment-day rates decreased in all age groups. Affective disorders, neuroses, personality disorders, and alcohol and drug abuse showed the most pronounced decreases in admission rates and treatment-day rates. The same trend was seen for treatment-day rates for organic disorders. A marked decrease in admission rates was seen in the provincial towns. Treatment-day rates decreased markedly in city areas, and less so in rural areas."}
{"id": "PMID:1492245", "title": "Prediction of hospitalization within a psychiatric community care system--a five-year study.", "content": "Within a comprehensive community care system, we examined which patients became hospitalized during long-term treatment. We studied 60 consecutively admitted, and mainly chronic psychotic patients over 5 years. Full and partial hospitalizations were assessed by means of a hospitalization index. This index was significantly lower in the 2nd to 5th years after admission than in the 1st year. Sociodemographic and clinical characteristics failed to predict hospitalizations during the 1st year. Patients' age, gender and last occupational status were related to hospitalizations in the following 4 years. A better prediction of hospitalizations was allowed by treatment data obtained during the 1st year. It is suggested that long-term prognosis should be based mainly upon experience with a patient in a given care system, rather than on a patient's history and characteristics as known before treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1492246", "title": "Inpatient care in an eastern and a western European area. A comparative case-register study.", "content": "Inpatient point-prevalence and admission rates in both mental hospitals and psychiatric wards in general hospitals in East Bohemia and in Drenthe (the Netherlands) were compared. A higher point-prevalence rate was found in Drenthe as there was a higher rate of long-stay patients. However, in East Bohemia the admission rates were higher for all diagnostic categories, except for neuroses, the admission rates for neuroses were twice as high in Drenthe. The differences were explained by the availability of complementary in-patient services and more developed out- and day-patient facilities in Drenthe."}
{"id": "PMID:1492247", "title": "The validity of the 28-item General Health Questionnaire in a Nigerian antenatal clinic.", "content": "The 28-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28) was validated against the Psychiatric Assessment Schedule (PAS) using data collected during a prospective study of psychiatric disorders associated with childbirth among 277 Nigerian women attending an antenatal clinic. Using the results of correlational analyses of the total scores on the GHQ and on the PAS and the traditional validity coefficients of sensitivity, specificity, and misclassification rate, the instrument was shown to be a valid tool for the detection of psychiatric morbidity in this population. With a sensitivity of 82% and a specificity of 85%, the revised scoring method devised by Goodchild and Duncan-Jones performed better in discriminating 'cases' from 'non-cases' than the conventional scoring method, which values respectively, of 75% and 83%. In a discriminant function analysis, only three of the four subscales of the instrument contributed to its discriminating power."}
{"id": "PMID:1492248", "title": "Explaining social class differences in psychological health among young adults: a longitudinal perspective.", "content": "The relationship between psychological health and occupational class was investigated in the large British sample of 23-year-old subjects from the 1958 birth cohort study. Odds of poor psychological health indicated by (1) the Malaise Inventory and (2) seeking help for a psychological problem between ages 16 and 23] were significantly greater in classes IV and V than in classes I and II: odds ratios were (1) 3.90 and 5.84, (2) 2.32 and 2.33 for men and women, respectively. Explanations for these differences were examined using longitudinal data representing 'inheritance' at birth, socio-economic background, educational achievement, earlier health and behaviour. The analyses suggested that each of these contributes to class differences in psychological health. Behaviour at age 16 (identified from the Rutter Behaviour Scale) was particularly notable for both psychological measures, as were educational achievement (for Malaise) and unemployment (for psychological morbidity needing specialist help). Mechanisms by which such factors might operate are discussed. Having accounted for earlier circumstances, class differences were no longer significant, except for Malaise in women. In this case an odds ratio of more than twofold remained after adjusting for earlier circumstances."}
{"id": "PMID:1492249", "title": "Jewish Americans and mental health: results of the NIMH Epidemiologic Catchment Area Study.", "content": "Data from the Epidemiologic Catchment Area Study showed that the overall lifetime rate of psychiatric disorder among Jews did not differ from the rate among non-Jews. However, there was a significant difference between Jewish and non-Jewish samples when comparing the distribution of specific psychiatric disorders. Compared with Catholics and Protestants, Jews had significantly higher rates of major depression and dysthymia, but lower rates of alcohol abuse. Jews were more likely than Catholics or Protestants to seek treatment with mental health specialists and general practitioners. These differences remained statistically significant after adjusting for sex, age, race and socioeconomic status."}
{"id": "PMID:1492250", "title": "Behavioural correlates of expressed emotion in staff-patient interactions.", "content": "Staff members working in community facilities for patients with long-standing mental illness were assessed using a modification of the Camberwell Family Interview designed to measure their attitudes towards their key patients. This enabled an evaluation of their levels of expressed emotion (EE). Staff members and their patients took part in a direct interaction task 2-4 weeks later. This was deliberately focused on low-conflict issues, and each interaction was audiotaped. The presence of the nuclear symptoms of schizophrenia in the mixed diagnosis sample was the only patient attribute associated with high-EE attitudes. Staff rated high in EE were more likely than low-EE staff to make negative statments during the interaction, and less likely to make supportive ones. Patients with low-EE keyworkers were more likely to volunteer statements of self-affirmation during the interaction. Low-EE staff tended to focus on positive aspects of the patient's life. During interviews and interactions, low-EE keyworkers did not dwell on their own negative feelings (if any) or on those expressed by the patient. This characteristic is probably a salient feature of successful therapeutic relations with clients suffering from long-term mental illness."}
{"id": "PMID:1492255", "title": "Use of an adsorption enzyme immunoassay to evaluate the Haemophilus ducreyi specific and cross-reactive humoral immune response of humans.", "content": "Serodiagnosis of chancroid is limited by the cross-reactivity of Haemophilus ducreyi with Haemophilus influenzae and Haemophilus parainfluenzae. This research describes an adsorption enzyme immunoassay (EIA) that assesses the humoral immune response of North Americans and Africans to H. ducreyi. Adsorption effectively removed anti-H. influenzae and anti-H. parainfluenzae antibodies, revealing that North American control sera had no residual anti-H. ducreyi reactivity. However, African control sera still had a residual anti-H. ducreyi response. Assessment of the duration of the humoral immune response in sera from African patients with chancroid showed that the humoral antibodies persisted for up to 8 months after the diagnosis. This may explain the lack of specificity of the adsorption EIA in areas where chancroid is endemic. The detection of the humoral immune response was affected by the strain of H. ducreyi used, with indigent strains being most useful. Using H. ducreyi 35000 for Canadian sera, the sensitivity of the adsorption EIA was 100% and the specificity was 88%. For African sera, H. ducreyi strain R018 was used, and the adsorption EIA had a sensitivity of 81% and a specificity of only 23%. These data reveal that the existing humoral response in a country where chancroid is endemic differs from that in a country where it is not, and that care must be used interpreting unadsorbed humoral immune responses. The adsorption EIA approach may prove useful as an epidemiologic tool for definition of existing (past and present) levels of exposure to H. ducreyi."}
{"id": "PMID:1492257", "title": "High-risk sexual behavior in the general population. Results from a national survey, 1988-1990.", "content": "The responses of 2,896 adults who completed the General Social Survey (1988-1990), a nationally representative household probability sample of the United States adult population, were analyzed. Three outcome variables were examined: engaging in sexual intercourse with two or more partners, with five or more partners, or with a stranger in the past year. Age, marital status, gender, pattern of alcohol consumption, and race have the strongest and most consistent relationship with having multiple sexual partners or sex with a stranger. Marriage reduces the odds of having 5 or more sexual partners by a factor of 90% (odds ratio, OR, = 0.10). For each single year increase in age, the odds of having multiple partners or sex with a stranger also decrease (OR = 0.95). Alcohol consumption, on the other hand, increases the odds of sexual risk behavior by a factor of 2 to 3 in the three models. Men are more likely to have 5 or more sexual partners (OR = 7.17) and sex with a stranger (OR = 5.62) than women; and blacks are more likely to have multiple partners (OR = 2.82) than members of other racial or ethnic groups. In the United States last year, an estimated 3 to 6 million adults had sex with 5 or more partners and an estimated 5 to 8 million had sex with a stranger."}
{"id": "PMID:1492256", "title": "Effects of broadening the gold standard on the performance of a chemiluminometric immunoassay to detect Chlamydia trachomatis antigens in centrifuged first void urine and urethral swab samples from men.", "content": "Traditionally, evaluations of nonculture assays for Chlamydia trachomatis are based on a comparison with urethral culture in men and cervical culture in women as the standard for positivity of infection, but it is known that culture may be less than 100% sensitive. A chemiluminometric immunoassay, Magic Lite (Ciba Corning, Medfield, MA) that detects C. trachomatis antigens was performed on centrifuged first void urine samples and urethral swabs collected from men attending a sexually transmitted disease (STD) clinic. Immunoassay performance was compared to urethral culture and also to a broader gold standard: an infected patient with positive culture results or a confirmed positive Chlamydiazyme enzyme immunoassay (Abbott, Chicago) result. Two studies were performed on a retrospective group of stored first void urine samples from 200 men and a prospective group of urethral swabs and first void urine samples from 199 men. Expanding the gold standard showed that a urethral swab assayed by culture had a sensitivity between 70.3% and 87.5%, with the following effects on immunoassay performance in the prospective study: the sensitivity of urethral swabbing was reduced from 96.2% to 78.4% (specificity increased from 96.0% to 98.1%) and first void urine sensitivity increased from 92.3% to 94.6% (specificity went from 87.9% to 93.8%). In the retrospective study, sensitivity of first void urine testing went from 91.4% to 92.5%, with a corresponding increase in specificity from 93.9% to 96.9%. This maneuver had relatively little impact on the negative predictive values, but dramatically increased the positive predictive values, for both samples.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1492258", "title": "Prior episode of sexually transmitted disease and subsequent sexual risk-reduction practices. A need for improved risk-reduction interventions.", "content": "Persons with a history of a sexual transmitted disease (STD) are at increased risk for infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The extent to which women with a previous history of a STD report currently practicing protective behaviors against STD transmission is examined. Specifically, whether having experienced one or more previous episodes of an STD was related to current STD/HIV preventive practices was studied. Of the study group, 36% had at least one prior STD episode. Results of bivariate analysis show no relationship between previous STDs and current STD/HIV preventive practices: 47% of women with no previous STD episode, 64% of women with 1 previous episode, and 46% of women with 2 or more previous STD episodes reported currently practicing moderate to high levels of STD/HIV prevention methods. To adjust for potentially confounding variables, logistic regression analyses were also performed. The logistic regression model included age, alcohol use with sex, drug use with sex, marital status, and perceived risk of becoming infected with an STD in the next year. Results from the logistic regression analyses also showed no relationship between prior STD episode and current level of preventive practices against STD/HIV. Variables found to be significantly associated with level of STD/HIV preventive practices were marital status, age, and drug use with sex. These findings suggest that greater advantage should be taken of the opportunities presented when women are diagnosed with an STD to teach individuals at risk of acquiring STDs or HIV to practice risk-reduction behaviors."}
{"id": "PMID:1492259", "title": "Age at first coitus. A marker for risky sexual behavior in women.", "content": "This study examines whether riskier sexual behavior or duration of sexual experience explains why women who become sexually active earlier in life have a higher prevalence of sexually transmitted disease (STD). Responses to a self-administered questionnaire on risk behavior from 4,342 single women attending Planned Parenthood clinics in Pennsylvania were analyzed. Logistic regression was used to control for years of sexual activity, race, and amount of education. Women who became sexually active between the ages of 10 and 14 years were almost 4 times more likely to report having 5 or more sexual partners in the past year (OR = 3.8; 95% CI = 2.6-5.6); 3 times more likely to report having sex with bisexual, intravenous drug-using, or human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected men (OR = 3.5; 95% CI = 2.4-5.0); and twice as likely to report a history of STD within the last 5 years (OR = 2.3; 95% CI = 1.8-3.0) compared with women who became sexually active when they were 17 years of age or older. The analysis suggests that age at first intercourse is a useful marker for risky sexual behavior and history of STD."}
{"id": "PMID:1492261", "title": "Successful response of metronidazole-resistant trichomonal vaginitis to tinidazole. A case report.", "content": "Treatment of metronidazole-resistant Trichomonas vaginalis infection is complicated by the lack of an effective alternative therapeutic regimen. Data on the susceptibility of the organism to metronidazole and other nitroimidazoles are important in managing intractable cases. A case of trichomonal vaginitis with true resistance to metronidazole that responded to treatment with tinidazole is reported."}
{"id": "PMID:1492260", "title": "Sexual patterns and human immunodeficiency virus infection among homosexuals in Taiwan.", "content": "Between 1988 and 1991, 64 homosexual men and 43 bisexual men were screened for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in Southern Taiwan; 5 of them were found to carry HIV antibodies. According to a self-administered questionnaire completed before screening, the average age of the men in the study group was 27 years, and the average duration of practiced homosexuality was 3.8 years. Occupations included student, merchant, laborer, officer, and soldier, and many of the men (45/107) had some junior college or university level education. A relatively high proportion (48/107) of these subjects reported having only 1 sexual partner, and there was a significant association between HIV antibody status and number of sexual partners (P = 0.025). Of the 107 subjects, 58 had practiced anal intercourse and more than a third of them (37/107) indicated that they had participated in receptive anal intercourse, 42 in insertive anal intercourse, and 21 in both of the above. All five carriers of HIV had practiced receptive anal intercourse, in which transmission of HIV from inserter to receptor was highly likely (P = 0.004). Of the men who came forward for HIV testing, the bisexual men tended to be older and often married."}
{"id": "PMID:1492262", "title": "Evaluation of treatment with single-dose ampicillin/sulbactam with probenecid or ceftriaxone in patients with uncomplicated gonorrhea.", "content": "This study compared ampicillin/sulbactam plus probenecid with ceftriaxone for treatment of uncomplicated gonorrhea. Of the 297 men and women who were enrolled and randomized to receive either ampicillin/sulbactam (1.0 g/0.5 g) with probenecid (1 g) or ceftriaxone (0.25 g), 274 patients were evaluable. Both ampicillin/sulbactam and ceftriaxone were administered by intramuscular injections. Patients were gonococcal contacts, had positive culture results for Neisseria gonorrhoeae, or had clinical evidence of gonorrhea. Specimens for gonococcal cultures were collected from the cervix (female patients), urethra, rectum, and pharynx at pretreatment and test-of-cure visits. The presence of N. gonorrhoeae and a test-of-cure visit were required for drug efficacy analysis. Of the 274 evaluable patients, 195 (71.2%) had positive culture results for N. gonorrhoeae. Cure was achieved in 93 (94.9%) of 98 patients receiving ampicillin/sulbactam with probenecid and in 96 (99.0%) of 97 patients receiving ceftriaxone. Penicillinase-producing N. gonorrhoeae strains were found in 21 (10.8%) patients; these were eradicated by either ampicillin/sulbactam with probenecid (N = 9) or ceftriaxone (N = 12). Overall, the two drug regimens were very well tolerated and no serious adverse effects were noted. Ampicillin/sulbactam with probenecid may be useful as single-dose therapy in patients with uncomplicated genitorectal gonorrhea."}
{"id": "PMID:1492263", "title": "Behaviors of crack cocaine users and their impact on early syphilis intervention.", "content": "The impact of crack use on syphilis intervention was investigated by reviewing records of persons diagnosed with early syphilis when voluntarily attending County Health Department clinics in Detroit, Michigan and Dallas, Texas between August 1989 and August 1990. The sample was stratified and data were analyzed using multivariate techniques. Compared with men who did not use crack, male crack users were more likely to report having four or more sexual partners during their critical period for acquiring or passing on infection (odds ratio, OR = 4.33; 95% confidence interval, CI = 2.08, 8.99). Among men, having a large number of sexual partners during this period was associated with a lower percentage of contacts being examined (OR = 11.8; 95% CI = 2.91, 47.5). Among women, having four or more sexual partners during their critical period and a lower partner examination rate were both associated with crack use; crack use was strongly associated with exchanging sex for money or drugs. We conclude that crack use has the largest impact on syphilis intervention through its association with having large numbers of sexual partners."}
{"id": "PMID:1492264", "title": "Compliance with antibiotic therapy for Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae.", "content": "Control of bacterial sexually transmitted diseases (STD) depends on adequate antibiotic therapy. During a 4-week period, a survey concerning compliance was administered to all patients attending an STD clinic who were being treated with one of the standard antibiotic regimens for presumed gonococcal or chlamydial infections. Of the 497 eligible patients, 406 (81.7%) were surveyed between 24 hours and 72 hours after the end of treatment. Of those being treated with the standard 7-day regimen of tetracycline or erythromycin, 63.4% complied. Compliance was not associated with race, gender, symptoms, or antibiotic regimen. Those who were younger, were sexual contacts of an infected partner, or had gastrointestinal side effects were more likely not to comply with treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1492266", "title": "[Immunohistochemical determination of antigen 19-9 (CA 19-9) in transitional carcinoma of the bladder].", "content": "Carbohydrate Antigen 19-9 (CA 19-9) histological expression in transitional cell bladder carcinoma (TCBC) was studied by means of immunohistochemistry and its findings compared with those of Tissue Polypeptidic Antigen (TPA) and Carcino Embryonic Antigen (CEA). Twenty-one TCBC of various grade and stage were analyzed by using Avidin-Biotin complex method for CA 19-9 and TPA Peroxidase-Antiperoxidase method for CEA. Grade 3 and pT1, pT2/pT3 carcinomas showed a constant staining for CA 19-9 antigen, grade 2 showed a 50% positive immunoreaction while all grade 1 cases were negative. TPA showed an inverse correlation with well differentiated carcinomas which were better and more extensively stained than anaplastic ones. CEA expression was not correlated either with grade or stage. CA 19-9 could be considered as a dedifferentiation marker in TCBC."}
{"id": "PMID:1492267", "title": "[Uroflowmetry in the early diagnosis of postoperative urethral stenosis].", "content": "Uroflowmetry is a widely used technique for evaluation of lower urinary tract \"obstructions\", and urethral strictures (US) are considered a typically late complication after endoscopic or open prostatectomy. The clinical experience of the Department of Urology of Catania University is reported. Uroflowmetry was included in routine checks of prostatic patients after operation (TUR or open surgery) and the tests were performed at 40 and 180 days post-operatively. This proved to be an effective and objective means for early diagnosis of urethral strictures."}
{"id": "PMID:1492268", "title": "[Diagnostic imaging of kidney carcinomas. Our experience and review of the literature].", "content": "In the image diagnosis of renal carcinoma echotomography has played an increasingly important role over the past ten years due to its simplicity and low costs. This method is responsible, above all, for the increased number of diagnosed cases of kidney carcinoma at a pre-clinical stage, the so called \"incidentaloma\", for which an aggressive surgical approach may be employed with good probabilities of the patient's complete recovery Having illustrated their personal experience of the diagnosis of renal carcinoma, the Authors review currently used imaging methods."}
{"id": "PMID:1492270", "title": "[Percutaneous use of vasoactive drugs in the diagnosis and treatment of erectile impotence].", "content": "The Authors report their experience of topical and intracavernous treatment with papaverine and phentolamine in patients with erectile dysfunction from May 1988 to March 1992. Topical application of drug cream proves efficacious both alone or combined with intracavernous injection with PGE1. Topical treatment besides may be carried out without systemic or local complications."}
{"id": "PMID:1492271", "title": "[Treatment of prostatic carcinoma in an advanced stage. Our experience].", "content": "The authors report the results of a retrospective study regarding 214 patients (mean age 73, smallest follow-up 6 months, greatest 70 months, average 42 months) affected by advanced prostatic cancer histologically demonstrated, observed from January 1983 to December 1990 and subject to hormonal treatment. They particular compared so-called \"total androgenic suppression\" (Gn-RH analogous or orchiectomy plus antiandrogen) with the \"partial androgenic suppression\" (Gn-RH analogous or orchiectomy). The authors report the results of the treatment regarding the subjective and the objective response, evaluated with NPCP criteria. Moreover the actuarial aspects of response and survival curves of two groups of patients are compared. The authors conclude that total compared to partial androgenic suppression does not offer significant advantages as regards to objective response and present their current treatment of advanced prostatic cancer."}
{"id": "PMID:1492272", "title": "[Advanced carcinoma of the prostate (stages C and D). Mortality within 12 months of the initiation of hormonal therapy].", "content": "Seventy-three patients with stage C and D prostatic carcinoma were treated with hormonotherapy. During a mean follow-up of 27 +/- 17.8 months, 30 tumour-related deaths were registered. The patients in the G3 subset suffered a 35.7% early death rate versus a 10.1% rate of G1-2 ones. This difference is significant (p = 0.0102). Nevertheless the Authors' opinion is that G3 patients should not be given a more aggressive treatment initially apart from the case of a controlled trial."}
{"id": "PMID:1492269", "title": "[The ultrasonographic examination in hematuria. Evaluation of its diagnostic possibilities].", "content": "Hematuria is a very frequent clinical occurrence and is connected with a number of genito-urinary diseases. Our present work is aimed at checking the usefulness of ultrasonography (US) in etiological diagnostic of hematuria. 516 patients with hematuria and 1788 controls were included in the present study. Renal and urological diseases were found in 74% of patients with hematuria and in 22.7% of those without. Their prevalence is analogous of the general population for those diseases easily detectable by US, such as cystic and heteroplastic diseases. On the contrary, no correspondence was observed for cases of inflammatory, for which echography has never been a reliable diagnostic tool. Furthermore, US sensitivity, if associated with hematuria, was 93%, specificity was 100%, diagnostic accuracy 99% and predictive value about 100%. Ultrasonography is easy to perform, well tolerated, involves low cost and may therefore be considered as the investigation technique of choice for the study of hematuria."}
{"id": "PMID:1492275", "title": "[Comparison of efficacy and tolerability among 3 quinolones in the treatment of lower urinary tract infections (cinoxacin versus ciprofloxacin and pefloxacin].", "content": "A clinical trial was carried out in 150 patients with lower urinary tract infections in order to compare the efficacy and tolerability of three quinolone drugs (cinoxacin, ciprofloxacin, pefloxacin). The satisfactory therapeutic efficacy of all three drugs is underlined, as is the excellent tolerability of cinoxacin."}
{"id": "PMID:1492276", "title": "[A case of Leydig cell tumor of the testis].", "content": "Leydig cell tumors represent about 3% of all testicular neoplasms. Actually no specific pathologic criteria has really distinguished the benign from the malignant tumors which represent about 11% of the cases. The presence of metastases is the only unequivocal criteria of malignancy. Authors present a rare Leydigoma case with gynecomastia. Clinical, diagnostical and most of all therapeutical aspects are discussed reconfirming the role of the orchifuniculectomy in T1 N0 M0 stage."}
{"id": "PMID:1492274", "title": "[Conservative surgical therapy in the treatment of renal carcinoma].", "content": "The authors report results in 10 patients (5 with renal neoplasms in a single kidney, 4 with healthy contralateral kidney, and one with a pathological opposite kidney following conservative surgery: 4 surgical enucleations and 6 partial nephrectomies."}
{"id": "PMID:1492273", "title": "[Transitional cell carcinoma of the urethra in patients after cystectomy for bladder carcinoma].", "content": "Transitional cell carcinoma of the urethra in men after radical cystectomy for bladder carcinoma have an incidence which varies from 4 to 18%. The Authors present their experience of 6 cases (6/196; 3.06%) analysing the characteristics of the urethral neoplasm and confirming the systematic cystourethrectomy when there is a urethra prostatic and bladder neck infiltration or when there is a urethral ca in situ. It also underlines the role of the clinical, radiological, cytological and urethro-endoscopical follow-up in patients who have undergone a cystoprostatovesciculectomy."}
{"id": "PMID:1492306", "title": "A cross-cultural study of occlusal tooth wear.", "content": "Occlusal and incisal tooth wear were evaluated for the purpose of assessing their prevalence, severity and distribution in a selected Swedish high-wear patient sample and in a young adult Saudi non-patient population. Furthermore, an attempt was made to investigate, by means of a questionnaire and a clinical examination, the association of various factors with wear; any observed associations were further analyzed with reference to possible cause and effect relationships. The scales used for evaluating the severity and the progression of wear provided high inter- and intra-observer concordances. The results revealed a high wear experience in the Saudi population compared to Western equivalents. Dietary, para-functional, anamnestic, occlusal and salivary factors exhibited certain correlations with wear. Progression of tooth wear was shown to be a slow process in the Swedish sample. The common element of a harsh desert terrain in the Saudi sample may constitute the dominant passive abrasive etiological factor in this population. While progression of wear seems to be of a \"linear\" nature in the Saudi population, it is postulated that wear in Western populations may, in addition to a \"linear\" deterioration, occur in \"bursts\", coinciding with the presence of certain causative factors. The results from this study also indicate that the effects of excessive function, including that of wear, on certain dentoalveolar morphological features are similar in modern man and his ancestors. On the basis of the findings, not only is the multifactorial etiology of occlusal tooth wear a reality, but so too is the complex interdependence of these factors in the prevalence, severity, distribution and progression of wear."}
{"id": "PMID:1492307", "title": "Acupuncture in the treatment of patients with craniomandibular disorders. Comparative, longitudinal and methodological studies.", "content": "The aim of the thesis was to compare the short- and long-term effects of acupuncture and occlusal splint therapy in patients with craniomandibular disorders (CMD). One hundred and ten patients, 23 males and 87 females, participated in the study. All patients exhibited moderate or severe signs and symptoms of CMD and had had pain for more than six months. The participants were randomly assigned to three groups: acupuncture, occlusal splint therapy or control. Ten different subjective and/or clinical assessment variables were used in the evaluation of the treatment effect. Immediately after treatment, acupuncture and occlusal splint therapy had reduced the symptoms as compared with the control group which remained essentially unchanged. Acupuncture gave better subjective results than occlusal splint in the short-term. In the 12-month long-term follow-up, 57% of the patients who received acupuncture and 68% of the patients who received occlusal splints benefitted subjectively and clinically from the treatment. There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups in any of the assessment variables. Those patients who received various additional therapies following acupuncture and/or occlusal splints rarely responded favorably to additional treatment. No serious adverse events or complications were observed in the study. Acupuncture seems to have adverse events of a more general nature whereas adverse events of the occlusal splint seem to be more related to the orofacial region. The majority of the patients responded positively to the comfort of both treatment modes. In order to measure tenderness (pressure pain threshold, PPT) more objectively, the usefulness of an algometer was evaluated. A good reliability and validity was found for the algometer in recording the PPT in the masticatory muscles. The reliability was further improved by connection of a stopwatch to the algometer so that the pressure rate could be kept within acceptable limits. A moderate but statistically significant correlation was found between PPT and clinical and subjective variables. The algometer was sensitive enough to detect pre- and post-treatment changes. A statistically significant reduction in tenderness was found immediately after and at the 6-month follow-up for both treatment modes. This series of studies showed that acupuncture gave positive results similar to those of occlusal splint therapy in patients with primarily myogenic CMD symptoms over a 1-year period."}
{"id": "PMID:1492308", "title": "Post-treatment effects of the Herbst appliance. A radiographic, clinical and biometric investigation.", "content": "The treatment effects of continuous bite jumping with the Herbst appliance in the correction of Class II malocclusions have been analysed in previous investigations. The purpose of this study was to investigate the post-treatment effects of the appliance as well as to compare various mandibular anchorage systems. The total patient sample consisted of 108 malocclusion cases treated with the Herbst appliance. The subjects in the various parts of this study were selected from the total sample according to different criteria. The study included analyses of lateral cephalometric radiographs in centric occlusion and with the mouth wide open, lateral tomograms of the temporomandibular joints, growth records and dental casts. A clinical examination of the patients and a questionnaire at the time of follow-up was also included. During Herbst appliance therapy, all subjects were treated to a Class I or overcorrected Class I relationship. During the post-treatment period of 12 months, the occlusion settled into Class I, mainly as a result of relapsing (recovering) maxillary and mandibular tooth movements. Ninety per cent of the dental changes occurred during the first 6 months post treatment. The anterior movement (proclination) of the mandibular teeth during treatment could not be prevented even if the anchorage system was increased by incorporating more dental units. In the long-term perspective (5-10 years after treatment), it was found that Herbst treatment improved the sagittal jaw base relationship but without normalising it. The sagittal dental arch relationship, on the other hand, was almost normalised. The growth period in which the subjects were treated did not seem to have any impact on the long-term result. Furthermore, Herbst appliance therapy did not seem to have any long-term adverse effects on the craniomandibular system."}
{"id": "PMID:1492339", "title": "Causality in medicine: towards a theory and terminology.", "content": "One of the cornerstones of modern medicine is the search for what causes diseases to develop. A conception of multifactorial disease causes has emerged over the years. Theories of disease causation, however, have not quite been developed in accordance with this view. It is the purpose of this paper to provide a fundamental explication of aspects of causation relevant for discussing causes of disease. The first part of the analysis will discuss discrimination between singular and general causality. Singular causality, as in the specific patient, is a relation between a concrete sequence of causally linked events. General causation, e.g. as in disease etiology, means various categories of causal relations between event types. The paper introduces the concept of a reference case serving as a source for causal inference, reaching beyond the concept of general causality. The second part of the analysis provides exemplification of a theory of causation suitable for discussing singular causation. The chain of events that induce a disease state can be identified as effective causal complexes, each complex composed of non-redundant components, which separately contribute to the effect of the complex, without the individual component being necessary or sufficient in itself to produce the effect. In the third part of the analysis the theory is elaborated further. Causes, defined as non-redundant components, can furthermore be differentiated according to their avoidability, according to theories about human error or by the potential of eradication. Multifactorial models of disease creates a need for systematic approaches to causal factors. The paper proposes a taxonomical terminology that serves this purpose."}
{"id": "PMID:1492340", "title": "Selection bias in using data from one population to another: common pitfalls in the interpretation of medical literature.", "content": "The prevalence, course and prognosis of diseases in patients referred to tertiary medical centers frequently differ from those treated in primary care settings. Extrapolation of findings from one population to another may therefore be unwarranted. Other factors that contribute to misinterpretation of medical literature include failure to distinguish statistical from clinical significance and advocacy of medical interventions prior to adequate clinical trials."}
{"id": "PMID:1492341", "title": "The importance of primary care for theoretical medicine: a commentary.", "content": "Froom and Froom call attention to referral bias as a frequent cause for misinterpreting the medical literature. This is particularly a source of false certainty, and therefore false science, in U.S. practice, where referral centers are often seen as the only legitimate source of medical knowledge and where primary care is discounted as a source of scientific observations. Appreciation of the primary care setting is therefore a critical element in theoretical understanding of medical epistemology."}
{"id": "PMID:1492342", "title": "Meta-diagnosis: towards a hermeneutical perspective in medicine with an emphasis on alcoholism.", "content": "This essay argues that making a diagnosis in medicine is essentially a hermeneutic enterprise, one in which interpretation skills play a major part in understanding a disease. The clinical encounter is an event comprised of two 'voices'; one is the voice of science which is grounded in empiricism, the other is that of human experience, which is grounded in story-telling and the interpretation of those stories. Using two 'voices', one from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-III-Revised, which describes 'alcohol abuse' and 'alcohol dependence', and the other, that of Claire, a character in Edward Albee's play, A Delicate Balance, who is conversing with her brother-in-law, Tobias, I apply principles from Hans-Georg Gadamer's hermeneutics to the clinical diagnostic process. The essay will demonstrate that we overlook an enormous amount of information about alcoholism by an over-reliance on 'objective data' and that our hope for understanding alcoholics is in listening to their voices, and sharing the interpretation of their experiences with them."}
{"id": "PMID:1492343", "title": "Why physicians should not do ethics consults.", "content": "Increasing complexities facing physicians negotiating the bedside decision continue to fuel the debate over who is the appropriate party to offer ethics consults, should one be needed, during the decision-making process. Some very good arguments have been put forth on behalf of clinical ethicists as being the proper and best party to engage in ethics consultations. However, serious questions remain about the role of the clinical ethicist and his ability to provide the necessary level of objectivity called for in an ethics consult. I argue that the clinician's professional psyche, or mode of thinking as a professional, leaves him little room to maneuver as an objective and detached third party ethics consultant. Several factors are cited and discussed that greatly influence the analyses applied to a case problem by physicians. The most formidable of these factors are habits and the practice of defensive medicine. I conclude that clinical ethicists are less suited for the overall tasks required of an objective consultant in medical cases that appear to involve insurmountable ethical issues."}
{"id": "PMID:1492344", "title": "Justice and care: the implications of the Kohlberg-Gilligan debate for medical ethics.", "content": "Carol Gilligan has identified two orientations to moral understanding; the dominant 'justice orientation' and the under-valued 'care orientation'. Based on her discernment of a 'voice of care', Gilligan challenges the adequacy of a deontological liberal framework for moral development and moral theory. This paper examines how the orientations of justice and care are played out in medical ethical theory. Specifically, I question whether the medical moral domain is adequately described by the norms of impartiality, universality, and equality that characterize the liberal ideal. My analysis of justice-oriented medical ethics, focuses on the libertarian theory of H.T. Engelhardt and the contractarian theory of R.M. Veatch. I suggest that in the work of E.D. Pellegrino and D.C. Thomasma we find not only a more authentic representation of medical morality but also a project that is compatible with the care orientation's emphasis on human need and responsiveness to particular others."}
{"id": "PMID:1492345", "title": "Making peace in gestational conflicts.", "content": "Mary Anne Warren's claim that \"there is room for only one person with full and equal rights inside a single human skin\" ([1], p. 63) calls attention to the vast range of moral conflict engendered by assigning full basic moral rights to fetuses. Thereby, it serves as a goad to thinking about conflicts between pregnant women and their fetuses in a way that emphasizes relationships rather than rights. I sketch out what a 'care orientation' might suggest about resolving gestational conflicts. I also argue that the care orientation, with its commitment to the significance of the partial and the particular, cannot be absorbed within standard, impartialist moral theory."}
{"id": "PMID:1492346", "title": "Blessed are the peacemakers: commentary on making peace in gestational conflicts.", "content": "The purpose of this commentary on James Nelson's article [1] is to advocate introducing the ethics of care into the arena of gestational conflict. Too often the debate gets stalled in a maternal versus fetal rights headlock. Interventionists stress fetal over maternal rights: they believe education, post-birth prosecution or pre-birth seizure of pregnant women may be permissible. In contrast to interventionists, other philosophers stress that favoring fetal rights treats women like 'fetal containers'. I question whether we should really consider issues of moral/parental obligations to children in terms of rights. Rather, the language of care should guide moral conduct vis-a-vis children/fetuses. The particularity of each woman's story--the particulars of her human relationships--inform her story. An individual's ability to care is largely a function of whether community cares for her. We must care for others to enable them to care for themselves and their loved ones--born or unborn."}
{"id": "PMID:1492347", "title": "Organ transplants, foreign nationals, and the free rider problem.", "content": "There is strong sentiment for a policy which would exclude foreigners from access to organs from American cadaver donors. One common argument is that foreigners are 'free riders'; since they are not members of the community which gives organs, it would be unfair to allow them to receive such a scare resource. This essay examines the philosophical basis for the free rider argument, and compares that with the empirical data about organ donation in the U.S. The free rider argument ought not to be used to exclude foreign nationals because it is based on fallacious assumptions about group membership, and how the 'giving community' is defined. Polls show that even among the seventy-five per cent of Americans who support organ donation, only seventeen per cent had taken the small step of filling out donor cards. Therefore, it goes against logic to define the giving community as coextensive with American residency, while excluding foreigners who might well have become donors had they lived in countries which provided that option."}
{"id": "PMID:1492348", "title": "Should physicians be bayesian agents?", "content": "Because physicians use scientific inference for the generalizations of individual observations and the application of general knowledge to particular situations, the Bayesian probability solution to the problem of induction has been proposed and frequently utilized. Several problems with the Bayesian approach are introduced and discussed. These include: subjectivity, the favoring of a weak hypothesis, the problem of the false hypothesis, the old evidence/new theory problem and the observation that physicians are not currently Bayesians. To the complaint that the prior probability is subjective, Bayesians reply that there will be ultimate convergence, but the rebuttal to this is that there will not be uniform convergence. Secondly, since the Bayesian scheme favors a weak hypothesis, theories turn out to be a gratuitous risk. The problem with the false hypothesis comes out in the denominator of the theorem, revealing that a factor which is not a theory at all is being considered in the reasoning. On the old evidence/new theory problem old evidence cannot confirm a new theory so that the posterior probability will equal the prior probability. Finally, empiric studies have shown that current physicians are not Bayesians. But on consideration of Bayesian inference as a system of inference, it can be reasoned that physicians should be Bayesians. However, the problem of physicians' and patients' own subjectivity continue to plague this system of medical decision making."}
{"id": "PMID:1492360", "title": "T cell receptor repertoire of gamma delta cells generated from the 14-day embryonic mouse thymus.", "content": "Whole, undisrupted 14 day mouse fetal thymus lobes cultured in the presence of 10 U/ml IL-2 generate a heterogeneous population of gamma delta-expressing T cells. Phenotypic analysis has shown that the majority of gamma delta T cells in such cultures stain with the anti-V gamma 3-specific mAb 536. To investigate the V gamma T-cell receptor diversity of cultured fetal thymocytes, cDNA was prepared and amplified using the polymerase chain reaction. The DNA fragments obtained were subsequently cloned and sequenced and compared with those obtained from fresh and organ-cultured 14 day fetal thymus lobes. Results obtained tend to support a positive selection model of gamma delta T cell differentiation."}
{"id": "PMID:1492361", "title": "Immunomodulatory properties of cyclic hexapeptide oxytocin antagonists.", "content": "The thymic repertoire of neuroendocrine 'self' antigens has been previously described on the basis of the intrathymic expression of neurohypophysial (NHP)- and tachykinin-related peptide signals and receptors. According to that model, the cryptocrine signalling between thymic epithelial/nurse cells and thymocytes through NHP-related signals and receptors constitutes one accessory pathway in the process of T-cell differentiation and/or activation. A pharmacological manipulation of that novel type of cell-to-cell signalling was tested by the investigation of the immunomodulatory properties of novel cyclic hexapeptide oxytocin (OT) antagonists (MSD Research Laboratories). These compounds were found to significantly inhibit the productions of cytokines (mainly IL-1 beta and IL-6) elicited by anti-CD3 treatment of human whole blood cell cultures. Cytokine productions were more significantly reduced by OT antagonists in whole blood cell cultures derived from female volunteers than in those obtained from male donors, suggesting an influence of the gonadal steroid environment on the expression of NHP peptide receptors by immune cells. These observations support the concept of novel immunomodulating approaches through immune-specific neuropeptide antagonists, as well as the pharmacological value of such strategies in selective immunotherapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1492362", "title": "Conditioning of Nude bone marrow increases in vitro migration to thymus supernatant.", "content": "The thymus must be continuously seeded by cells termed prothymocytes in order to maintain normal T-cell development (Scollay et al. 1986). Using parabiotic studies, the source of prothymocytes appears to be either from the fetal liver or the adult bone marrow (Roderwald et al. 1992). The ability of the body to distinguish self from non-self and mount a functionally mature immune response is dependent upon the intrathymic education of these cells. Therefore, it is apparent that successful migration of prothymocytes into the thymus is an inescapable event in the development and maintenance of the immune system. Utilization of the athymic Nude mouse is a valuable asset in the elucidation of the mechanisms influencing the migration of bone marrow cells into the thymus. Its aberration enables investigators to examine the effect of thymic factors on cells previously devoid of thymic influence. In an attempt to understand the migration of normal prothymocytes into the thymus, we analyzed the in vitro migration of athymic bone marrow cells towards newborn thymus supernatant. Adult athymic murine bone marrow cells were incubated in either thymus supernatant or media and allowed to migrate toward one or the other. Similar control experiments were performed using CBA adult mice. Results indicate that athymic bone marrow migration towards both supernatant and media can be restored to control levels after incubation in thymus supernatant."}
{"id": "PMID:1492363", "title": "Age-dependent induction of thymic lymphomas by N-propyl-N-nitrosourea in the F344/DuCrj rat.", "content": "N-Propyl-N-nitrosourea (PNU) is one of the most potent thymic-lymphomagenic agents in rats. Our previous experiments strongly suggested that leukemogenic viruses were not the cause of thymic lymphomas in rats and that target cells of PNU exist in the thymus but not in the bone marrow. On the other hand, the role of retrovirus in lymphomagenesis is undeniable in mice. Therefore, chemically induced rat thymic lymphoma provides a good model to analyse lymphomagenesis without viral implications. In the present experiment 1, we investigated the relationship between the age of animal at commencement of PNU treatment and the incidence of thymic lymphomas. Incidences of thymic lymphomas were 100, 100, 80 and 18, and average latent periods were 15.1, 18.7, 25.4 and 27.3 weeks after the start of PNU-treatment, in 5-, 10-, 20- and 40-week-old groups, respectively. In experiment 2, rats were sacrificed postnatally at 5, 10, 20, 30 and 40 weeks each, and thymus weight, number of thymocytes in the thymus, frequency of mitosis, and percentage of OX-7 (Thy 1.1), OX-8 (CD8), or W3/25 (CD4) positive cells, were examined cytologically. Thymus weight, number of cells in the thymus and mitotic index were maximum at 10 weeks old, and thereafter decreased gradually. No marked changes were observed in the ratio of each cell-surface marker positive cell. These results indicate that induction of thymic lymphomas by PNU is very closely related with the total number of mitotic cells in the thymus. Thus, chemical induction of rat thymic lymphoma reflects an age-dependent function of the thymus."}
{"id": "PMID:1492365", "title": "V(D)J recombination gets a break.", "content": "The diversity of immunoglobulins and T cell receptors is largely due to the assembly of functional genes from separate segments. The mechanism by which these gene fragments are joined is starting to be deciphered, with broken DNA molecules that may be intermediates in the reaction providing a new clue."}
{"id": "PMID:1492366", "title": "Activation of V(D)J recombination by RAG1 and RAG2.", "content": "V(D)J recombination is normally limited to lymphoid cells, but expression of the RAG1 and RAG2 genes allows other cell types to carry out this reaction. The products of these recently discovered genes may form part of the recombination machinery, and are a focal point for lymphoid development."}
{"id": "PMID:1492367", "title": "Creation of immunoglobulin diversity by intrachromosomal gene conversion.", "content": "Not all vertebrates create an immunoglobulin repertoire through the recombination of individual members of variable (V), diversity (D) and joining (J) gene segment families. In chickens, for example, a diverse set of immunoglobulins is created by intrachromosomal gene conversion of the single variable gene segments of the immunoglobulin heavy and light chain genes. Recent evidence from other species such as the rabbit suggests that gene conversion may be a more widespread mechanism for the creation of immunologic diversity than previously supposed."}
{"id": "PMID:1492368", "title": "Chromatin diminution in nematode development.", "content": "Chromatin diminution in Parascaris and Ascaris represents the classical case of a developmentally programmed genome rearrangement. The process is very specific with respect to ontogenetic timing and chromosomal localization, and involves chromosomal breakage, new telomere formation and DNA degradation. Recent evidence from Ascaris lumbricoides var. suum suggests that chromatin diminution might have a function in gene regulation."}
{"id": "PMID:1492369", "title": "Mating-type gene switching in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.", "content": "The study of yeast mating-type (MAT) gene switching has provided insights into several aspects of the regulation of gene expression. MAT switching is accomplished by a highly programmed site-specific homologous recombination event in which mating-type-specific sequences at MAT are replaced by alternative DNA sequences copied from one of two unexpressed donors. The mating-type system has also provided an opportunity to study both the genetic regulation of gene silencing by alterations in chromatin structure, and the basis of preferential recombination between a recipient of genetic information and one of several possible donors."}
{"id": "PMID:1492370", "title": "Antigenic variation in African trypanosomes.", "content": "African trypanosomes evade the humoral immune response by periodically changing the antigenic identity of their variant cell-surface glycoprotein (VSG) coat. Antigenic variation relies on DNA rearrangement events that can translocate a silent VSG gene to a telomerically located VSG gene expression site. Antigenic switches can also be brought about by the differential transcriptional control of the expression sites, only one of which is transcribed at any time."}
{"id": "PMID:1492376", "title": "Cutaneous findings associated with HIV disease including AIDS: experience from Sub Saharan Africa.", "content": "Cutaneous manifestations are common in patients with HIV infection and tend to be more frequent as immunodeficiency progresses. In the initial stage of HIV infection a transient maculopapular-rash may appear. During the otherwise asymptomatic phase that follows, patients may develop seborrhoeic dermatitis, persistent genital ulcer disease, pruritic papular eruption and/or a variety of scaling dermatoses. The most frequent skin tumour associated with HIV disease is Kaposi's sarcoma. Skin manifestations of adverse reactions to a variety of drugs occur more frequently in patients with HIV disease than in immunocompetent patients. In general most skin diseases that occur in association with HIV disease respond well to standard treatment regimens. However relapses, and/or recurrences are frequent in this group of patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1492380", "title": "An approach to the patient with skin disease.", "content": "We practise an integrated approach to the management of skin diseases, leprosy and sexually transmitted diseases because the latter diseases are still stigmatized and patients are unwilling to attend clinics so labelled. When approached by a patient with skin disease it is advisable to see the patient promptly, because any further delay encourages the use of assorted remedies which may lead to undesirable complications, physically, emotionally and financially. Since there is no health insurance scheme, it is also prudent to manage the patient as much as possible without admission to hospital and with minimal laboratory investigations, to save cost, so that the patient still has sufficient money to buy the required drugs. Family health workers treat patients at the primary health care (PHC) level. At this level, patients are managed by the use of specially prepared standing orders (SO), where checklists and flow charts are grouped by problems or complaints, to facilitate usage by an individual with minimal training in morphology. The SO presents, so far as is possible, the best treatment available for each condition, but which cannot be misused by the primary health care personnel. Before discussing the management of individual diseases, it is important for the reader to appreciate the milieu in which we practise which determines our approach to the patient with skin disease. Some of its features will be highlighted before the management of individual disorders is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1492384", "title": "[Degradation of endo- and exogenous albumin in normal and starved rats].", "content": "A rate of degradation of homologous exogenous 14C-albumin proved to be higher 3-fold as compared with that of endogenous 14C-albumin, while the albuminolysis rate was additionally increased in starvation. Evaluation of 14C- and 3H-labels demonstrated that the protein hydrolysis occurred mainly in liver tissue, kidney and intestinal membrane and its rate was elevated in starvation. Dissimilar secretion of exo- and endogenous albumins into small intestine lumen was detected. Removal of albumins was found to depend on augmentation in the proteolytic potential and on reconstructive activity of secondary lysosomes."}
{"id": "PMID:1492385", "title": "[Mechanisms of anticoagulant effect of chitosan sulfuric acid ester].", "content": "Anticoagulation effect of chitosan sulfate ester and some mechanisms of its influence on hemostasis were studied in vitro. The chitosan sulfate ester catalyzed more effectively inactivation of the enzymes involved in the inner pathway of blood coagulation affecting only slightly the activity of outer pathway factors. The ester, similarly to heparin, inhibited blood coagulation mainly via accelerated thrombin inactivation by means of blood plasma antithrombin III. Inhibition of the enzyme coagulation activity using heparin cofactor II occurred only at high concentrations of chitosan sulfate ester in blood plasma. Besides, the ester decreased the thrombin catalytic activity in reactions with natural and synthetic peptide substrates. Thus, anticoagulation effect of chitosan sulfate ester is similar to that of heparin."}
{"id": "PMID:1492387", "title": "[Assessment of vitamin B2, B6, and PP supply from data on excretion of vitamins and their metabolites in alimentary iron and riboflavin deficiency].", "content": "Alimentary deficiency in riboflavin and/or iron in rats involved distinct decrease in excretion of 4-pyridoxylic acid and 1-N-methyl nicotinamide--the metabolites considered as the indices of vitamins B6 and PP consumption. The effect observed appears to occur due to a decrease in activity of some iron- and flavin-containing enzymes participating in the metabolism of pyridoxine and niacin. Addition to the diet of the deficient component normalized these patterns. Use of the data on excretion of 4-pyridoxylic acid and 1-N-methyl nicotinamide as criteria of consumption of pyridoxine and niacin is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1492386", "title": "[Activity of menadione reductase and level of cytochrome B5 and P-450 in liver with varying supplies of vitamin K and administration of pelentan to rats].", "content": "Content of cytochromes b5 and P-450 as well as activity of soluble menadione reductase were estimated in liver microsomes of rats deprived of vitamin K or maintained both on a diet containing excess of vicasol or antivitamin K-pelentan. Deficiency of vitamin K led to an increase in the specific activity of menadione reductase and in content of the cytochrome P-450. Administration of antivitamin K did not alter these parameters but caused an increase in the content of cytochrome b5, which was not changed in vitamin K deficiency. Dissimilar effects of alimentary deficiency in vitamin K and of pelentan administration suggest that administration of antivitamins K (although it allowed to discover alterations developed via the system of vitamin K-dependent carboxylation) could not be completely identified with alimentary vitamin K deficiency."}
{"id": "PMID:1492388", "title": "[The effect of oxythiamine on tumor growth and certain biochemical and genetic characteristics of normal and tumor cells].", "content": "The effect of oxythiamine (400 mg/kg) on chromosomal structure of Ehrlich ascites carcinoma cells (EAC, hyperdiploid strain) and bone marrow cells was studied in intact AF mice. The influence of the antivitamin on the rate of tumor growth was investigated in tumor-bearing mice. Oxythiamine decreased transketolase activity in hepatocytes and tumoral cells and markedly inhibited tumor growth. Amount of chromosomes was unaltered both in tumor cells and in bone marrow cells, which could be manifested as increased content of cells with impairment of chromosomal set calculated per a cell. However, the oxythiamine-induced impairment of chromosomal integrity was less distinct as compared with the effect of such mutagens as urethane and cyclophosphamide; hence, the antivitamin might be used in the courses of combined chemotherapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1492390", "title": "[Status of oxidative phosphorylation in brain mitochondria during its toxic and traumatic edema-swelling].", "content": "A rate of oxidative reactions was decreased in brain mitochondria under conditions of toxic edema and within 1 day after traumatic impairment of brain tissue. Oxidative phosphorylation in mitochondria was normalized within 4 days after trauma. These alterations appear to depend on inhibition of oxidative enzymes in the respiration chain."}
{"id": "PMID:1492391", "title": "[Use of o-phenylenediamine in determining the activity of L-lysine- alpha-oxidase and concentration of L-lysine].", "content": "A spectrophotometric procedure for estimation of L-lysine-alpha-oxidase activity involved measurement of optical density in samples after reaction of the H2O2 formed with o-phenylene diamine. Suitable values of pH, o-phenylene diamine concentration and time of incubation were chosen. The procedure developed was distinctly dissimilar as compared with the methods currently widely used. Advantages of the new method are due to its sensitivity, reproducibility, accessibility, relative safety and short time of the reaction performance. The procedure may be used for estimation of L-lysine content in various biological materials."}
{"id": "PMID:1492389", "title": "[Status of carbohydrate metabolism in the rat brain during alcohol withdrawal syndrome].", "content": "Periodically repeating alterations of carbohydrate metabolism were found in rat brain tissue under conditions of experimental alcohol withdrawal syndrome. Along with the maximal external manifestations of the withdrawal, a significantly higher glucose levels in all brain formations were observed, which was decreased within 3 days. Activity of the glycolytic enzymes was altered differentially in various brain structures."}
{"id": "PMID:1492394", "title": "[Use of vitamins in allergic illnesses in children].", "content": "Therapeutic efficacy of vitamins B6, P and E was studied in children with allergic diseases. Bronchial asthma and atopic dermatitis were treated more effectively if maximal doses of vitamin B6 were used. Quercetin was found to be useful for treatment of children with pollinosis in order to correct impairments in metabolism of lymphocyte membrane lipids. Only slight efficacy of vitamin E was detected in atopic dermatitis of children."}
{"id": "PMID:1492395", "title": "[Free radical reactions and cancer].", "content": "Activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase as well as content of malonyl dialdehyde (MDA) were estimated in the blood of patients with tumor of gastrointestinal tract. In the early stage of development of tumor SOD activity and concentration of MDA in whole blood was decreased while catalase activity was increased significantly. In the cases of metastases spreading and cachexia both SOD and catalase activities were greatly decreased; the content of MDA was increased."}
{"id": "PMID:1492392", "title": "[Vitamin E and its synthetic analogs in experimental cardiovascular pathology].", "content": "Oxidative metabolism and the antioxidant system were studied in the myocardium of rats with various experimental impairments of heart tissue. Vitamin E and its synthetic derivatives proved to be effective in correction of the deteriorations observed."}
{"id": "PMID:1492393", "title": "[Metabolism of vitamins B1 and PP and their use in oncological practice].", "content": "Blood of patients with gastric tumor was studied after their admission to the hospital and after the chemotherapeutic course. Formation of the tumor was accompanied by development of hypovitaminoses B1 and PP. The vitamin deficiency was more distinct after treatment of the patients with cyclophosphan: content of thiamine diphosphate (TDP) was decreased by 40%; NAD+NADP, by 30% and NADH+NADPH, by 20%. In mice with Ehrlich ascites carcinoma, activity of transketolase in erythrocytes was decreased by 48%, content of TDP, by 61% and that of NADPH, by 27%. The administration of cyclophosphan increased further thiamine deficiency in the tumor-bearing mice. Simultaneous administration of thiamine and cyclophosphan abolished the cytostatic toxic effect but did not affect their antitumoral properties. Under these conditions treatment with vitamins B1 and PP complex was undesirable due to malignization. The vitamins B1 and PP did not stimulate the tumor growth, partially restored impaired metabolism of the vitamins and may be included separately into combined multidrug oncotherapeutics."}
{"id": "PMID:1492404", "title": "Pocket computers in anesthesiology.", "content": "Pocket computers are a new technology in academic anesthesia practice. These computers are inexpensive, portable, easy to use and can store large amounts of data, but the limited ability to program them and the length of time necessary to enter data can be disadvantages."}
{"id": "PMID:1492398", "title": "[The effect of a soy protein isolate and sources of polyunsaturated omega-3 fatty acids in an anti-atherosclerotic diet on the lipid spectrum of blood serum and immunological indicators in patients with ischemic heart disease and hypertension].", "content": "Blood serum lipid spectra and immunologic spectra were studied in patients with ischemic heart disease and hypertension maintained on antiatherosclerotic diet containing either soy bean protein isolates or ichthyenic oil. The ichthyenic oil-containing diet decreased distinctly the level of cholesterol, triglycerides and the atherogenicity coefficient simultaneously with an increase of cholesterol content in high density lipoproteins in blood of 37 patients with these diseases. The diet with soy bean protein isolates exhibited less pronounced effects on lipid metabolism patterns in blood serum as compared with the ichthyenic oil-containing diet; however, the former diet contributed to normalization of the immunologic reactions in patients with ischemic heart disease and hypertension."}
{"id": "PMID:1492397", "title": "[The effect of unilateral nephrectomy on vitamin D metabolism in pregnant rats].", "content": "Unilateral nephrectomy causes a decrease in provision of vitamin D dihydro derivatives in pregnant rats, which correlated with the development of hypocalcemia and hypophosphatemia as well as with an increased content of parathyroid hormone. Fetuses of these females contained less amount of mineral components and active metabolites of vitamin D. Neonates, being born by these females with the nephrectomy, had vitamin D deficiency, which was manifested as a decrease in content of active vitamin D metabolites and minerals as well as an increase in activity of alkaline phosphatase and in the content of parathyroid hormone."}
{"id": "PMID:1492399", "title": "[Dynamics and factors regulating the intensity of free radical processes during experimental supravesical block].", "content": "Two phase alterations of induced chemoluminescence were detected in kidney homogenates and blood plasma after unilateral ureteral occlusion in rats. A high correlation was observed between the rates of free radical oxidation in the blocked kidney tissue and blood plasma. Hemodynamic alterations in the kidney, accumulation of activated phagocytes in the interstitial space and elevation of medium-weight molecules were mainly responsible for the regulation of lipid peroxidation rates."}
{"id": "PMID:1492405", "title": "Chlamydia trachomatis antigen prevalence among pregnant women in West Virginia.", "content": "During 1990, more than 2,100 women who received prenatal care at one of four clinics which serve 11 West Virginia counties, were screened for chlamydial antigen. Overall, 5.6 percent of the women screened had positive antigen tests and 90 percent of these individuals were under the age of 25. The prevalence of chlamydia was different at three geographic sites with the highest rate of positive antigen test being 9.4 percent at one site. These findings led to a careful analysis of the prevalence of this disease among women who lived in rural areas versus those who lived in urban areas. This detailed analysis involved only patients seen in the Grafton and Morgantown clinics, and revealed a tendency for most positive antigen tests to occur among women with urban addresses. Our study indicates that a substantial chlamydial problem exists among pregnant women of young age. Although screening all pregnant women for chlamydia may not be cost effective, knowing which individuals are at highest risk may help target limited screening for these patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1492406", "title": "Heart disease in women.", "content": "Heart disease is a significant problem in women. Age, smoking, and hyperlipidemia are potent risk factors, as is the presence of diabetes. Hypertension is less of a risk factor in women than men. Diagnosis of coronary artery disease is most difficult in women, especially using non-invasive techniques, because of a lower prevalence of disease. Thrombolytic therapy may be associated with more bleeding in older, smaller women. Angioplasty and surgical bypass may be more difficult because of smaller coronary artery size in women. Exercise, aspirin, and estrogens appear to decrease the incidence and mortality of heart disease in women, but concern has been raised that the use of resources for the study, prevention and treatment of heart disease has a gender bias, with men receiving more than their fair share."}
{"id": "PMID:1492396", "title": "[Dependence of the initial stages of the pentose phosphate cycle on vitamin C metabolism in connective tissue pathology].", "content": "Correlation between rates of oxidative and non-oxidative steps of the pentose phosphate pathway and vitamin C concentration was studied in experimental diffuse impairment of connective tissue. As compared with transketolase, activity of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase was more closely dependent on concentration of ascorbic acid. Content of vitamin C was considerably altered in tissues thus demonstrating profound deterioration of vitamin C metabolism under these conditions. Simultaneous impairment of the pentose phosphate pathway primary steps and of vitamin C metabolism appear to be responsible for initiation of the diffuse injury of the connective tissue."}
{"id": "PMID:1492407", "title": "The ideological and technological shaping of motherhood.", "content": "Women's medical care, especially the care of birthing women, is increasingly based on technological innovations. While the use of electronic fetal monitoring, in vitro fertilization and cesarean section have benefited some women, the expanding use of medical technology distances women and their physicians. The problem is compounded because the application of medical technology is often clouded by a gender based ideology that defines women as mere reproductive beings. Forgotten is the recognition that the \"facts\" and interpretations generated by medical advance are subject to the same ideological bias as traditional beliefs and understandings about women. Forgotten is the women, the person, in the body. By seeing, hearing, touching and talking with women, physicians, not technological feats, provide a foundation for women's health based on the mutual interaction, understanding and respect between women and their physicians."}
{"id": "PMID:1492408", "title": "Effects of a combination of evening primrose oil (gamma linolenic acid) and fish oil (eicosapentaenoic + docahexaenoic acid) versus magnesium, and versus placebo in preventing pre-eclampsia.", "content": "In a placebo controlled, partially double-blinded, clinical trial, a combination of evening primrose oil and fish oil was compared to Magnesium Oxide, and to a Placebo in preventing Pre-Eclampsia of Pregnancy. All were given as nutritional supplements for six months to a group of primiparous and multiparous pregnant women. Some of these women had personal or family histories of hypertension (21%). Only those patients who received prenatal care at the Central Maternity Hospital for Luanda were included in the study. Compared to the Placebo group (29%), the group receiving the mixture of evening primrose oil and fish oil containing Gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) had a significantly lower incidence of edema (13%, p = 0.004). The group receiving Magnesium Oxide had statistically significant fewer subjects who developed hypertension of pregnancy. There were 3 cases of eclampsia, all in the Placebo group."}
{"id": "PMID:1492409", "title": "Positive-spillover effects from job to home: a closer look.", "content": "What is the association between subjective experiences in two roles, employee and mother, and women's psychological distress? Previous research indicated that employed mothers with troubled mother-child relationships reported high levels of psychological distress, unless they were in rewarding jobs. In this paper, using data from the same sample of 228 employed mothers, we explored further the above finding by addressing two related questions: (1) which job rewards mitigate the relationship between parent-role quality and psychological distress?; and (2) which parental concerns are buffered by these stress mitigators? The main finding was that having a rewarding job per se did not automatically serve as a parent-stress mitigator. Although several job-reward factors (e.g., Helping Others at Work, Challenge), were associated with reports of low distress, Challenge was the only job-reward factor that mitigated parental stress. Thus, the previously reported positive-spillover effect from work to home was attributable to the presence of rewards from challenging work. However, Challenge buffers only particular parent concerns. For employed mothers, a job high in rewards from Challenge mitigates the distress associated with Disaffection (not Burden or Safety) in their relationships with their children."}
{"id": "PMID:1492402", "title": "[Increase in the level of luminol-dependent chemoluminescence in mouse blood under the effect of certain synthetic peptides].", "content": "Synthetically produced peptides increased the luminol-dependent chemoluminescence of mice whole blood during phagocytosis. Using some peptides it is possible to cause an increase in the antimicrobial peroxidase system activity of neutrophils very rapidly (within seconds)."}
{"id": "PMID:1492410", "title": "Maternal demographic, situational and psychosocial factors and their relationship to enrollment in prenatal care: a review of the literature.", "content": "Whether or not a woman enrolls in prenatal care in a timely fashion is a major predictor of pregnancy outcome. In this review, we consider maternal demographic, situational and psychosocial factors which have been studied with relation to enrollment in prenatal care. Paying increased attention to some situational barriers such as problems with child care or transportation, and a number of psychosocial factors such as unplanned pregnancy and negative feelings about medical care, holds promise in achieving improved utilization of prenatal care."}
{"id": "PMID:1492403", "title": "[Status of the monooxygenase enzyme system in rat and rabbit organs in sugar diabetes and upon insulin administration].", "content": "Content of cytochromes P450 and b5, activities of amidopyrine-N-demethylase, alanine- and p-nitrophenol hydroxylases, NADPH-cytochrome c reductase were studied in the liver, kidney, small intestine and lung tissues of rats and rabbits in insulin-dependent hypoglycemia and alloxan diabetes. The diabetes and hypoglycemia caused dissimilar alterations in activity of alanine- and p-nitrophenol hydroxylases, thus indicating their dependence on blood sugar levels. The activity of monooxygenase enzymes studied was altered similarly in rabbit liver and other tissues, while the enzymatic activity was distinctly differentiated in rat tissues. Specific properties of cytochromes P450 isozyme spectra appear to be responsible for these alterations detected."}
{"id": "PMID:1492411", "title": "Women and mental health: two traditions of feminist research.", "content": "Gender differences in mental health have been the focus of much research and debate in several academic disciplines. This paper reviews the literature regarding the socio-cultural dimensions of women's mental health in the United States. Feminist scholarship on mental health has followed two lines of inquiry. The first, a social causation approach, examines the features of women's lives that enhance or undermine well-being. The social constructionist perspective involves critical analyses of methodology and conceptions of mental health and illness. This body of literature suggests that the findings of gender differences in mental health are artifactual and focuses on the sexism of psychiatry. Although these bodies of work have remained largely distinct and have been criticized as contradictory, both are important ingredients of a general feminist perspective on mental health. Feminist therapy is used as a model for a synthesis of approaches."}
{"id": "PMID:1492412", "title": "Health value and gender in predicting health protective behavior.", "content": "This research analyzes the influence of selected social psychological factors (health locus of control and health value), social support factors (influence of parents and peers, organizational involvement, and reliance on others during stressful times), and health-specific factors (recent health crisis and self-assessment of health status) on participation in health protective behaviors by males and females. While much research has focused on identifying determinative factors (often with inconsistent findings), little research has been directed to understanding if and how predictive factors vary by gender. Data for the research were obtained from personal interviews with 167 undergraduate college students collected during the fall semester of their freshman year and again during their sophomore year. Female students averaged statistically significant more health protective behaviors than did male students, and increased involvement in HPBs from their freshman to sophomore years (while male students' participation declined). Among the factors studied, peer practices (collected in time 2) is a statistically significant predictor for both males and females. Value placed on health predicts for females but not males, while grade point average predicts for males but not females. Overall, females and high GPA males are most likely to engage in HPBs."}
{"id": "PMID:1492413", "title": "Health status and health care utilization among New York City home attendants: an illustration of the needs of working poor, immigrant women.", "content": "In this paper, the health needs and health care utilization patterns of home attendants and their families have been studied as an illustration of those likely to be found among working poor, immigrant women and their children. Despite tremendous growth in the number of immigrants, studies to date provide only limited information regarding the specific health needs and patterns of health care utilization among such women and their children. As part of a longitudinal study on the impact of insurance on health status and health care utilization, 387 female, immigrant home attendants were interviewed. Data were also gathered on 355 of their minor children. These women and children were found to be less likely than other Americans to make use of basic health services, despite the fact that they are more likely to indicate fair or poor health status. This is true even in comparison to poor or uninsured Americans. Immigrant attendants in fair or poor health report an average annual visit rate of 4.1 ambulatory care visits for themselves and 2.2 for their children, as compared to 8.4 for poor adults and 4.4 for poor children in national samples. These findings illustrate the likelihood that poor, immigrant women make limited use of American medical care, and face barriers to health care that appear even greater than those faced by the uninsured and the poor."}
{"id": "PMID:1492414", "title": "In vitro assessment of cytotoxicity and biotransformation of propranolol in Cunninghamella echinulata.", "content": "1. Biotransformation studies with five concentrations of racemic propranolol were conducted using the filamentous fungus Cunninghamella echinulata ATCC 9244. 2. The rate of formation and subsequent disappearance of a new major metabolite, 8-hydroxypropranolol, was dose-dependent. Desisopropylpropranolol and 4-hydroxypropranolol were also formed. 4-Hydroxypropranolol was the major fungal metabolite in earlier studies. 3. Propranolol exerted a dose-dependent response on biotransformation, fungal growth, dextrose utilization, ammonia formation and incubation broth pH. Determination of dextrose utilization and incubation broth pH would provide reliable, cost-effective and convenient alternative methods for cytotoxicological evaluation."}
{"id": "PMID:1492415", "title": "The metabolism of acitretin and isoacitretin in the in situ isolated perfused rat liver.", "content": "1. The metabolism of acitretin and its 13-cis isomer, isoacitretin, has been investigated in the in situ isolated perfused rat liver in order to differentiate the action of the liver from that of the gut on the metabolism of these isomers. 2. Acitretin undergoes alpha-oxidation, chain shortening O-demethylation, and glucuronidation in the perfused rat liver. 3. Isoacitretin undergoes glucuronidation as the major, almost exclusive, route of metabolism in the perfused rat liver. 4. The difference in the hepatic metabolism of the cis and trans isomers of this retinoid may explain the differences in their pharmacokinetics, and may help in understanding the pharmacokinetics of related retinoids."}
{"id": "PMID:1492416", "title": "Mercapturic acid formation from 2-aminopyrazine in rats.", "content": "1. The compound 2-aminopyrazine was given by oral gavage to normal rats and their urine collected. 2. A mercapturic acid containing the 2-aminopyrazine moiety was isolated from this urine. This represents the first example of this type of a metabolite from a pyrazine."}
{"id": "PMID:1492417", "title": "Metabolism of antipyrine and sulphadimidine in dwarf goats: effects of the enzyme-inducing agents phenobarbital, troleandomycin and rifampicin.", "content": "1. Antipyrine (AP) and sulphadimidine (SDD) plasma elimination and metabolite formation were studied in dwarf goats before and after treatment with phenobarbital (PB), triacetyloleandomycin (TAO), and rifampicin (RIF). 2. PB treatment significantly increased AP plasma clearance in both male and female goats. With SDD, only male goats were studied, which showed a significant increase of SDD plasma clearance following PB treatment. 3. After PB treatment, partial clearance values of four AP metabolites, 3-hydroxymethylantipyrine (HMA), norantipyrine (NORA), 4-hydroxyantipyrine (OHA) and 4,4'-dihydroxyantipyrine (DOHA), were significantly increased. This induction effect was different for the individual metabolites and also showed sex-dependency. 4. In PB-induced male goats the formation of the hydroxylated SDD metabolites, 6-hydroxymethyl-SDD and 5-hydroxy-SDD, was significantly increased. 5. After TAO treatment, female goats showed a slightly reduced AP plasma clearance and a decreased partial clearance of two AP metabolites, HMA and DOHA. There was no effect on SDD plasma elimination or metabolite excretion. 6. In male goats, RIF had no effect on plasma elimination of AP and SDD. With SDD, it decreased the urinary excretion of the unchanged drug and its N4-acetylated metabolite. 7. Induction/inhibition studies of drug metabolism in food-producing animal species are desirable to gain more insight into the regulation of enzymes involved in the metabolism of xenobiotics."}
{"id": "PMID:1492418", "title": "Comparative biodisposition and metabolism of 14C-(+/-)-fenfluramine in mouse, rat, dog and man.", "content": "1. The comparative metabolism of fenfluramine was investigated in mouse, rat, dog and man following a single oral dose of 14C-(+/-)-fenfluramine hydrochloride (1 mg/kg), and also in rat after eight consecutive 12-h subcutaneous doses (24 mg/kg). 2. Main route of excretion of radioactivity in all species and at all doses was into urine (> 80%), with only minor amounts of radioactivity found in faeces. 3. From all species examined a total of 11 metabolites were observed in urine and plasma by t.l.c. and h.p.l.c. analysis and no metabolite was present in the plasma which was not present in urine. 4. All species dealkylate fenfluramine to the active metabolite norfenfluramine, to a relative greater or lesser extent, with plasma metabolic ratios (norfenfluramine/fenfluramine) showing inter-animal variation (rat >> dog >> mouse = man). 5. These differences are due to the efficient deamination of both compounds to polar inactive metabolites in man, with less dealkylation and lower plasma levels of norfenfluramine compared with the other species studied. 6. In conclusion, major species differences in the metabolism of (+/-)-fenfluramine, both qualitative and quantitative were observed, and no one species had a similar metabolic profile to that found in man."}
{"id": "PMID:1492419", "title": "Disposition and pharmacology of propofol glucuronide administered intravenously to animals.", "content": "1. Propofol glucuronide (PG) is the major human metabolite of the i.v. anaesthetic propofol, 2,6-diisopropylphenol. 2. Bolus i.v. doses of 14C-PG (1 mg/kg) to rat and dog were eliminated in urine (40 and 66% respectively) and faeces (48 and 19%); 25 and 48% of the dose were excreted unchanged in urine. 3. In dog, PG was distributed from plasma (t 1/2 4 min) into a volume equivalent to extracellular water and eliminated with t 1/2 80 min. Total body clearance was 1.8 ml/min per kg, and renal clearance about 20% GFR. In rat, plasma 14C concentrations were about one-tenth those in dog, thus PG levels were not quantified. 4. Propofol was not detected in the plasma showing that PG is hydrolytically stable. Enterohepatic circulation of PG occurred in rat and to a lesser extent in dog. Metabolites, mainly side-chain hydroxylation products, were evident in both species from 4 h after dosing. 5. Bolus i.v. doses of PG (200 mg/kg) showed no hypnotic activity in mice."}
{"id": "PMID:1492420", "title": "Metabolism of 2,4,5,2',4',5'-hexachlorobiphenyl with liver microsomes of phenobarbital-treated dog; the possible formation of PCB 2,3-arene oxide intermediate.", "content": "1. Metabolism of 2,4,5,2',4',5'-hexachlorobiphenyl (HCB) was investigated in vitro using liver microsomes of one male beagle dog after phenobarbital treatment. 2. Three major metabolites were isolated and identified as 3-hydroxy-2,4,5,2',4',5'-HCB, 2-hydroxy-4,5,2',4',5'-pentachlorobiphenyl (PenCB), and 2-hydroxy-3,4,5,2',4',5'-HCB, by comparison of g.l.c.-mass spectrometry and 1H-n.m.r. data with those of authentic samples. 3. 2-Hydroxy-3,4,5,2',4',5'-HCB was found as a metabolite of 2,4,5,2',4',5'-HCB for the first time using dog liver microsomes. Present result indicate that this metabolite and the dechlorinated PenCB are derived from a metabolic intermediate, namely, 2,3-epoxy-2,4,5,2',4',5'-HCB. 2,3-Epoxide formation is a new metabolic pathway of PCB."}
{"id": "PMID:1492421", "title": "Enantioselective metabolism of cumene.", "content": "1. The enantioselective metabolism of cumene (isopropylbenzene) was studied in intact rabbits. 2. Of the total 2-phenyl-1-propanol formed metabolically, 90.3% was shown by h.p.l.c. to be (R)-(+)-2-phenyl-1-propanol. The corresponding values for (S)-(+)-2-phenylpropanoic acid and (R)-(-)-2-hydroxy-2-phenylpropanoic acid were 99.0 and 81.0%, respectively. 3. These results imply that firstly, preferential omega-hydroxylation occurs at the pro-S methyl group and secondly, the oxidation is followed by stereochemical inversion of (R)-(-)-2-phenylpropanol to the corresponding (S)-(+)-acid."}
{"id": "PMID:1492422", "title": "The formation of proximate carcinogens from three polycyclic aromatic compounds by human liver microsomes.", "content": "1. The metabolism of 3H-benzo[a]pyrene (BP), 3H-7-methylbenz[c]acridine (7MBAC) and 3H-dibenz[a,j]acridine (DBAJAC) have been studied in human liver microsomes from 13 subjects. 2. When the metabolism of these carcinogens to more polar ethyl acetate-soluble metabolites were compared, the activities towards the nitrogenous carcinogens were twice that determined for BP. 3. The specific rates of formation of the three proximate carcinogens, BP-7,8-dihydrodiol, 7MBAC-3,4-dihydrodiol and DBAJAC-3,4-dihydrodiol per nmol cytochrome P-450 for 12 subjects were positively correlated. 4. These dihydrodiols constituted 5.9 +/- 0.7% (mean +/- SEM), 57.8 +/- 2.6% and 3.0 +/- 0.4% of the total metabolites identified by cochromatography with standards, 7MBAC, DBAJAC and BP respectively."}
{"id": "PMID:1492423", "title": "Comparison of pulmonary and hepatic glucuronidation and sulphation of ethanol in rat and rabbit in vitro.", "content": "1. Pulmonary and hepatic UDP-glucuronyltransferase and sulphotransferase activities in subcellular fractions from rats and rabbits were determined, comparing ethanol with known substrates for these enzymes. 2. No ethyl glucuronide formation was detected with either hepatic or pulmonary microsomal incubations. 3. Chromatographic, autoradiographic and scintillation counting analysis indicated that ethanol is sulphated by rat and rabbit pulmonary cytosol, although this activity was approx. 2-6% of that in liver. 4. Rat hepatic and pulmonary sulphotransferase activities with beta-naphthol were approx. 13 and 60 times higher than with ethanol, respectively. 5. Rabbit hepatic and pulmonary sulphotransferase activities with both substrates were higher than those in rat."}
{"id": "PMID:1492424", "title": "Microsomal formation of a pyrrolic alcohol glutathione conjugate of the pyrrolizidine alkaloid senecionine.", "content": "1. Pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) are metabolized primarily to putative dehydroalkaloid (PA pyrrole) metabolites and to PA N-oxide by rat liver microsomal monooxygenases. 2. The dehydroalkaloids are highly reactive and either bind covalentely to tissue nucleophiles or are hydrolysed to the more stable pyrrole, (R,S)-6,7-dihydro-7-hydroxy-1-hydroxymethyl-5H-pyrrolizine (DHP), and the corresponding necic acid. 3. Addition of glutathione (GSH 1 mM) to incubation mixtures containing rat liver microsomes and the PA senecionine (SN), resulted in the formation of a conjugate of DHP with GSH. 5. The mass spectrum of this DHP-GSH conjugate was identical to that of the chemically-synthesized dehydroretronecine (the R enantiomer of the racemic DHP) and GSH. 6. Only negligible amounts of DHP-GSH conjugate were formed when DHP itself was incubated with GSH at physiological pH. 7. These findings provide strong evidence for the microsomal conversion of SN to a highly reactive metabolite, presumably dehydrosenecionine, which then reacts with GSH to form the DHP-GSH conjugate. 8. It is likely that a similar mechanism is responsible in vivo for the formation of GSH conjugates of DHP from SN and other PAs."}
{"id": "PMID:1492425", "title": "Effects of oxygen concentration on the metabolism of anisole homologues by rat liver microsomes.", "content": "1. The effects of oxygen concentration were studied on the metabolic pathways of anisole homologues (anisole, phenetole and isopropoxybenzene) catalysed by liver microsomes from phenobarbital-treated rats. 2. With increase of oxygen concentration, the rate of anisole o-hydroxylation reached a plateau at about 35 microM O2, while the rates of O-demethylation and aromatic p-hydroxylation were still increasing at 223 microM O2 (air). 3. The rates of all three metabolic reactions of phenetole reached plateau levels at about 80 microM O2. 4. The rates of all three metabolic reactions of iso-propoxybenzene were still increasing as 223 microM O2 (air). 5. The ratio of aromatic p-hydroxylation or O-dealkylation to aromatic o-hydroxylation decreased in anisole metabolism, and showed no uniform change in phenetole and isopropoxybenzene metabolism with decreasing oxygen concentration. 6. The ratio of aromatic p-hydroxylation to O-dealkylation was essentially constant over the range of oxygen concentration studied in anisole and phenetole metabolism, while in iso-propoxybenzene metabolism the ratio was different between higher and lower oxygen concentrations than 60 microM. 7. This series of compounds with increasing chain length did not show homologous changes in rates of product formation or O2 dependent of product formation."}
{"id": "PMID:1492426", "title": "Metabolism of the anti-psoriatic agent 5-methoxypsoralen in humans: comparison with rat and dog.", "content": "1. Single oral doses of 14C-5-methoxypsoralen (5-MOP) to human subjects (50 mg), rats (1 mg/kg) and dogs (1 mg/kg) were fairly well absorbed but subjected to extensive first-pass metabolism, at least in rat and human. Means of 62, 51 and 40% dose in urine and 31, 38 and 48% dose in faeces, were excreted by humans (during 5 days), rats (3 days) and dogs (1 day), respectively. In dogs, faecal 14C was probably derived, in part, from biliary excreted material. 2. Total 14C in human plasma reached peak concentrations after 2 h (mean 235 ng 5-MOP equivalent/ml) and declined relatively slowly, to about 60% of this value within 24 h. Unchanged 5-MOP was not detected in plasma using h.p.l.c. (< 5 ng/ml). 3. Tissue concentrations of 14C were generally greater in dogs than rats and reached peak levels at 1 h in dogs but at 24 h in rats. Apart from liver and bile, dog tissue 14C concentrations were lower than those in the corresponding plasma, whereas in rat they were lower only until the time of peak concentrations, after which they were generally greater. 4. 5-MOP was extensively metabolized in all three species. The major 14C-components in human and dog urine were glucuronic acid conjugates, mainly of an arylacetic acid and arylalcohols, resulting from initial oxidative metabolism of the furan ring of 5-MOP. In rat, these metabolites were excreted mainly unconjugated. An unusual metabolite was formed by reduction of the lactone moiety of 5-MOP, probably by the gut flora, giving rise to an arylpropionic acid, excreted as a glucuronic acid conjugate in the urine of all three species. 5. Unchanged drug was a very minor component of human and rat plasma, but a major component of dog plasma. In all three species, circulating 14C-metabolites were similar to those in the urine but were present mainly unconjugated. On the basis of these data, the metabolic fate of 5-MOP in humans was more similar to that in dog than to that in rat, although humans appeared to metabolize 5-MOP more rapidly than did dog."}
{"id": "PMID:1492427", "title": "[The overall toxic situation today. Thoughts on the WHO report, \"Diet, nutrition and the prevention of chronic diseases.\"].", "content": "In the 1950s to '70s, food additives and contaminants were considered important risk factors for cancer and other chronic diseases. Opinion leaders like F. Eichholtz and W. Kollath in Germany and R. Carson and J.J. Delaney in the United States maintained that the exclusion of man-made chemicals from the food supply would decisively contribute to better health. In contrast to these views, world-wide scientific opinion now emphasizes the role of personal lifestyle, e.g., over-nutrition, unbalanced diets, smoking, and excessive alcohol consumption in the causation of chronic diseases. Dietary guidelines now recommended for the prevention of cancer are largely identical with those recommended for the prevention of cardiovascular disease. Indications are that oxidative damage to DNA contributes importantly to both these diseases. In research the role of antioxidants and other protective substances in foods receives as much attention today as man-made carcinogens received in the past. Media reporting and nutrition counseling have taken very little notice of these fundamental changes in scientific opinion."}
{"id": "PMID:1492428", "title": "[Influence of an activator of protein kinase C (TPA) and a calcium-mobilizing agonist (A 23187) on zinc metabolism in the rat].", "content": "The influence of 12-O-Tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate, an activator of proteinkinase C and A 23187, a calcium ionophore increasing cytosolic free calcium concentration on zinc metabolism was investigated in a study with 24 eight-week old rats. Twenty-four hours before killing, the rats (235 g body weight, 8 per group) were either injected intraperitoneally with TPA (1.6 x 10(-7) mol/kg body weight) or A 23187 (1.6 x 10(-6) mol/kg body weight). Control rats received the solvent dimethylsulfoxide. The application of TPA and A 23187 provoked a marked decline in feed intake accompanied by a reduction in body weight and liver mass. Serum concentrations of zinc were reduced significantly after A 23187 injections. TPA and A 23187 increased liver zinc levels by 20 and 30% respectively, if based on fresh and dry weight. The injections, however, did not alter total liver zinc. Liver metallothionein (MT) concentration was elevated 2.4-fold after TPA administration. The increase in response to A 23187 was only 1.5-fold and not significant. Mucosa MT levels were not altered. Serum activity of alkaline phosphatase was significantly reduced (TPA: -23%, A 23187: -31%). There was no change in serum glucose after injections. However, serum creatinine and urea were increased in response to A 23187. In conclusion, TPA and A 23187 had an effect on zinc metabolism of the rat, most marked in the case of MT induction in the liver. There is evidence that the reduced feed intake caused by TPA and A 23187 resulted in effects indistinguishable from those caused by fasting. Further experiments are needed to clarify whether proteinkinase C and cytosolic free calcium are directly involved in the regulation of zinc metabolism."}
{"id": "PMID:1492430", "title": "Assessment of the iodine status in children aged 2-3 years.", "content": "In 22 healthy toddlers (age: 2.5 +/- 0.06 years; from families living in Dortmund, FRG) measurements of iodine and creatinine concentrations were carried out in spontaneous urine samples collected in the afternoon (U1), as well as during the night (U2). Median iodine-creatinine ratios found in the \"afternoon specimens\" U1 were significantly elevated (p < 0.05) compared to U2 (181.3 vs. 119.5 micrograms/g). Higher values in U1 than in U2 were also obtained when total daily iodine excretion (under the assumption of an average creatinine excretion of 15 mg/kg/d for infants) was calculated and the corresponding data were related to body surface area (BSA). The results of the specimens collected during the night were (after expressing as iodine-creatinine ratio as well as after correcting for BSA) comparable with the excretion data of accurately timed 24-h urine collections obtained in a separate group of toddlers (n = 23) of nearly the same age. When the iodine-creatinine ratios established by the WHO--after standardizing with BSA--were taken as criteria for iodine deficiency, then in both study groups (spontaneous urine samples at night (U2) and timed 24-h urine collections) about half of the infants would fall in the deficiency state II with an elevated risk for iodine-deficiency goiter. It is suggested that the nutritional status of iodine can be reliably monitored (in infants) by determining iodine and creatinine concentrations in overnight urine samples and relating the data to BSA."}
{"id": "PMID:1492429", "title": "Bioavailabilities of calcium, phosphorus and magnesium from whey mineral complex in growing male rats.", "content": "The bioavailabilities of Ca, P and Mg from whey mineral complex (WMC) were studied from the viewpoint of the mineral balance and bone properties in growing male rats and compared with bovine bone ash (BBA) and CaCO3. Ca source showed no significant effect on feed intake, body weight gain or feed efficiency (p < 0.05). When the dietary Ca level was 0.3%, the dry weight of the femur in rats fed WMC was significantly higher than that in rats fed BBA. The femur P content of rats fed 0.3% Ca as WMC was significantly higher than that of rats fed BBA or CaCo3. The breaking energy of the femur from rats fed WMC was significantly higher than that from rats fed BBA at a Ca level of 0.2% or 0.3%. There was the same tendency in bone densities as was observed in breaking properties. There was no significant difference in quantitative values for Ca balance among three groups of rats, whereas those rats fed WMC had a significantly higher P retention than other groups. Ca bioavailability from WMC and the effect on the utilization of P and Mg were discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1492431", "title": "[Hot weather damage of wheat gluten: determination of the intermediate lysine degradation in chicks using isotope techniques (14C-U-L-lysine oxidation].", "content": "The aim of our experiments was to identify a restricted lysine bioavailability after heating of wheat gluten by estimating a reduced metabolic 14C-lysine degradation. In two trials, male broiler chickens were fed with six diets based on wheat and wheat gluten (gluten untreated or heated), but differing in lysine content according to lysine supplementation. In trial 1 animals were fed restrictively, in trial 2 they were fed ad libitum. For estimation of metabolic lysine degradation all animals received an additional i.v. injection of 14C-U-L-lysine 3 weeks posthatching, followed by hourly collection of 14CO2 up to 3 h after injection. There were no differences between groups receiving untreated or heated gluten concerning weight gain and N-balance if the lysine supplementation was medium or high. When applying a lysine supply close to the requirement level or above the requirement the lysine degradation to 14CO2 (% of the dose) and the specific radioactivity of CO2 in animals receiving heated gluten was significantly lower compared to the corresponding group with untreated gluten. It can be concluded that reduced bioavailability of lysine due to heat treatment of gluten might be indicated by means of weight gain or N-balance only at lysine supply levels below the requirement. In contrast, measurements of lysine degradation by means of 14CO2-excretion after i.v. lysine injection indicate the heat-damaging effect, especially at lysine levels close to the requirement."}
{"id": "PMID:1492432", "title": "[Synchronized coronary venous retroperfusion: protection from ischemia in coronary angioplasty (PTCA)].", "content": "The potentially ischemia-protective effect of ECG-synchronized coronary venous retroperfusion (SRP) with arterial blood via the coronary sinus (CS) was assessed in 26 patients (56 +/- 10 years, 22 male, 4 female) in the clinical scenario of PTCA of a proximal LAD stenosis. In six additional patients the SRP procedure failed due to anatomical or technical reasons. In an intraindividual comparison at least two standardized balloon inflations for 60 seconds at 6-8 atm were performed in randomized order with and without continuous SRP at a flow rate of 200 +/- 46 ml/min. Under both conditions echocardiographic regional wall motion, ST depression in leads V1-6, hemodynamic parameters and symptoms expressed in a pain score were continuously monitored during angioplasty. This study revealed that the echocardiographic regional wall motion score in the perfusion territory of the dilated artery increased from 1.65 +/- 1.81 at baseline to 5.65 +/- 2.88 (p < 0.001) during a one minute dilatation without SRP. With SRP-support the regional wall motion at 1 minute angioplasty was significantly improved to 3.55 +/- 2.80 (p < 0.025). Moreover, the ischemic ECG-changes were markedly less pronounced, whereas the subjective perception of anginal pain was not different as a function of SRP-support. Thus, the simultaneous coronary venous retroperfusion with arterial blood has ischemia-protective potential in elective PTCA of a proximal LAD stenosis and may reduce ischemic dysfunction with prolonged balloon inflations."}
{"id": "PMID:1492433", "title": "[Acute and long-term results of coronary Excimer laser angioplasty].", "content": "Laser and catheter technology have been considerably improved within the first 2 years of the clinical use of coronary excimer laser angioplasty. Furthermore, patient selection has changed due to increasing operator experience. We report on the acute- and long-term results achieved in 163 patients in three subgroups with different system parameters and catheter technology. In the initial series 1 (N:60) a prototype catheter with a diameter of 1.4 mm was used. In series 2 and 3, we employed improved transmission devices with 1.3, 1.5 or 1.8 mm. In series 3 the pulsewidth was increased from 60 ns to 115 ns. The target vessel was the LAD in 68%, the LCX in 10%, and the RCA in 21%. According to the AHA/ACC Lesion classification there were 13% type A, 26% type B1, 55% type B2, and 5% type C lesions. Stand-alone laser angioplasty was performed in 23/60 (38%), 24/40 (60%), and 34/64 (53%) in series 1, 2, and 3, respectively. Additional balloon angioplasty was necessary in 32, 11, and 21 interventions. Failure of laser angioplasty occurred in five patients of series 1 and 2, and nine patients of series 3. Frequently observed complications included coronary spasm in 18 to 32%, dissections in 16% to 33%, and vessel closure in 18 to 27%. Myocardial infarction occurred in three patients in the first and one patient of the second and third series. There was one in-hospital death in series 1 and 2.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1492434", "title": "[Chronic coronary artery occlusion--age, morphology and chance of reopening. An attempt to define indications].", "content": "In chronic coronary occlusions the rate of successful reopening seems to be improved with the help of new techniques; the chance of success can be judged by the age of occlusion. Frequently this age cannot be fixed exactly. The purpose of the study was therefore to find out, whether the chance of reopening can be judged by morphology. 60 patients in whom the occlusions could not be passed with a conventional wire were treated with the ROTACS system. Cine angios were reviewed carefully, morphological details in at least two projections were evaluated in graphic representations and correlated with the acute success rate and the estimated age of occlusion. Morphological parameters associated with a higher rate of success (type A) were: 1) a clearcut proximal stump with 2) no sidebranches at the site of occlusion, 3) no bridging collaterals and 4) only a slight filling of the distal vessel. Parameters with a low success rate (type B) were: 1) no proximal stump, 2) sidebranches at the site of occlusion, 3) bridging collaterals and 4) a very good distal filling. 48/60 (80%) of occlusions could be classified in type A or type B. The success rate was 17/21 (81%) (type A) versus 5/27 (18.5%) (type B) (p < 0.0002). The estimated age of type B occlusions was significantly higher than in type A: median 8 versus median 4 months (p < 0.002). It is concluded that the rate of success in reopening chronic coronary occlusions can be judged in the majority of patients using morphological parameters."}
{"id": "PMID:1492435", "title": "[Ventricular late potentials in athletes].", "content": "Ventricular late potentials detected by signal averaging have a high predictive value for the origin of malignant ventricular tachyarrhythmias in patients with coronary artery disease. We examined 35 male sportsmen aged from 22 to 33 years. Clinical examination, ECG at rest, echocardiography and signal averaging were performed. In nine of the 35 sportsmen (26%) ventricular late potentials were detected. In a control group of 20 nonsportsmen none had late potentials. The nine sportsmen with late potentials all had electrocardiographical and echocardiographical signs of left-ventricular hypertrophy. Of the 26 sportsmen without ventricular late potentials five had left-ventricular hypertrophy. Ventricular late potentials are not rare in sportsmen. They seem always to appear together with left-ventricular hypertrophy."}
{"id": "PMID:1492436", "title": "[Prospective long-term ECG study of 100 patients surviving sudden cardiac death].", "content": "One hundred survivors of sudden death were randomized to four groups and treated with Amiodarone, Propafenone and Metoprolol, or were supplied with an automatic implantable cardioverter/defibrillator (AICD, control group). Prospective Holter-monitoring showed that the prognostic significance of the complexity and frequency of ventricular ectopic activity in survivors of sudden cardiac death is relative to the chosen prophylactic antiarrhythmic treatment: Findings in the control group confirm the classical notion that frequent and complex ventricular ectopic activity is predictive for recurrent life-threatening ventricular tachyarrhythmias (relapse) (> or = 25 VES/h, p < 0.05; Lown IVb, just short of statistical significance). Therapy with Amiodarone reduced frequent and complex ventricular ectopic activity as well as the 2-year relapse rate, which was significantly lower than in the control group (AICD: 36%, Amiodarone 12%, p = 0.03). Under Metoprolol the frequency and complexity of ectopic ventricular activity increased, yet the relapse rate was reduced (12%, p = 0.03). Under Propafenone, especially, those patients who showed low frequencies of ventricular ectopic activity were at high risk; the 2-year relapse rate was 28%."}
{"id": "PMID:1492437", "title": "[Acoustic quantification--a new online procedure for automatic recording of left ventricular areas and area changes in the echocardiogram].", "content": "Initial experiences were obtained with a new technique for automatic quantification of left ventricular areas and area changes in two-dimensional (2D) echocardiograms (acoustic quantification, AQ). AQ is based on integrated back-scatter-analysis in real-time. Practicality and reliability of AQ were studied in 50 non-selected patients. AQ measurements of left-ventricular (LV) cavities were compared with off-line measurements which were obtained by analysis of videotaped images. Thirty-two (64%) and 39 (78%) patients could be studied by AQ from parasternal and apical views, respectively. LV areas measured from parasternal views or apical views showed a good correlation with corresponding values obtained by off-line analysis (r = 0.78 to 0.91). In addition, LV fractional area changes measured by AQ showed an excellent correlation with off-line measurements (parasternal: r = 0.86; apical: r = 0.84). During infusion of dobutamine (n = 3; 5, 10, 20 micrograms/kg/min, 10 min each dose), reduction of LV cavity areas could be continuously monitored and quantified by AQ for each cardiac cycle. In five of six patients who underwent transesophageal echocardiography, AQ could easily detect LV contours in the transgastric short axis view. Although AQ is not practicable in all patients, this new technique appears to be a promising and reliable approach for real-time, automatic boundary detection in 2D echocardiograms."}
{"id": "PMID:1492438", "title": "[Doppler echocardiography measurement of diastolic filling parameters in acute changes of pre- and afterload in healthy probands].", "content": "For a more precise understanding of the net effects of acute alterations of pre- and afterload on left-ventricular filling, loading conditions were altered in normal subjects. The specific purpose of this study was to investigate if Dopplerechocardiographically derived transmitral flow patterns are able to differentiate the manner of loading condition. In 24 normal subjects (13 female, 11 male, mean age 44.1 +/- 11.5 years) the following Doppler variables were analyzed at baseline, after rapid infusion of volume (preload increase), nitroglycerine (preload decrease), isometric exercise (afterload increase) and converting enzyme inhibitor (afterload decrease): peak and integrated early (E, Ei) and late (A, Ai) diastolic flow velocities, their ratios (E/A, Ei/Ai), the percentage of atrial contribution (ACON) and the times of acceleration (Az) and deceleration (Dz) of early filling. Preload reduction as well as afterload increase led to a similar filling pattern with a significant decrease (p < 0.05 from baseline) of E and Ei, increase of A and Ai, and, consequently, a reduction of E/A and Ei/Ai. The atrial contribution to filling increased during both alterations; Az and Dz were reduced. Following the increase of preload, only the increase of E and Ei was statistically significant, while afterload reduction showed no significant differences. Different loading conditions alter Doppler-derived diastolic filling patterns. But the transmitral flow profile is not specific enough to differentiate in which manner loading conditions have been altered."}
{"id": "PMID:1492439", "title": "[Differences in the non-invasive assessment of left ventricular filling in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy using Doppler echocardiography and radionuclide angiography].", "content": "Doppler echocardiography and radionuclide angiography were shown to provide valuable tools with comparable functional parameters for the noninvasive assessment of left ventricular (LV) diastolic function in patients with coronary artery disease or LV hypertrophy. In order to examine the influence of an impaired systolic function on both methods, we studied LV filling simultaneously by Doppler echocardiography and radionuclide angiography in 47 patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy and stable sinus rhythm. The Doppler echocardiographic peak velocities (VE, VA) and radionuclide angiographic peak filling rates (PFRFF, PFRA) normalized to either left ventricular enddiastolic volume or stroke volume were measured and systolic function was assessed by obtaining the ejection fraction (EF) with the radionuclide angiography. Patients were divided into two groups with moderately (group 1: EF > or = 35%) or severely impaired (group 2: EF < 35%) systolic function. In group 2 the PFRFF (1.8 +/- 0.5 vs. 3.3 +/- 0.8 SV/s; p < 0.01) and PFRA (1.2 +/- 0.6 vs. 2.5 +/- 1.0 SV/s; p < 0.01) were both lower than in group 1, as was the Doppler echocardiographic VA (0.44 +/- 0.20 vs. 0.63 +/- 0.17 m/s; p < 0.01). However, VE was increased with reduced systolic function (0.75 +/- 0.20 vs. 0.53 +/- 0.16 m/s; p < 0.01). No relation was found between PFRFF and VE and only a weak relation between the atrial filling parameters of Doppler echocardiography and radionuclide angiography. The peak filling rates were closely correlated with the systolic function (PFRFF:r = 0.86; p < 0.001) and were reduced with an impaired systolic function.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1492440", "title": "[Risk stratification and long-term therapy with amiodarone in patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy].", "content": "Patients with cardiomyopathy are known to suffer from a high prevalence of tachyarrhythmic complications and sudden cardiac death. In a prospective study, 30 patients (25 men, 5 women, mean age: 52 +/- 12 years) with dilated cardiomyopathy underwent 48-h-Holter monitoring and programmed electrical stimulation and, independent from the results of the diagnostic work-up, were then randomized either to amiodarone or to a conventional or no antiarrhythmic therapy. At baseline, frequent ventricular arrhythmias (> 30 ventricular premature beats/h) were observed in 15/30 patients (50%), 13 patients (43%) had repetitive ventricular arrhythmias, additionally. Four patients suffered spontaneous sustained tachyarrhythmias. During programmed electrical stimulation, sustained monomorphic ventricular tachycardia was induced in 3/3 patients with and in 1/25 patients (4%) without a history of sustained tachycardia. Sustained monomorphic ventricular tachycardia was induced with one to two extrastimuli; three extrastimuli only increased the incidence of inducible ventricular fibrillation (8 patients, 28%). During a mean follow-up of 28 +/- 6 months 10/30 patients (33%) died for cardiac reasons (sudden cardiac death: 4/10 patients). Cardiac death was most likely in patients with a left-ventricular ejection fraction < 35% (5/18 patients, 28% versus 1/12 patients with ejection fraction > 35%, 8%) and further increased in the presence of reduced exercise tolerance and frequent and repetitive ventricular arrhythmias (4/7 patients, 57%). In the amiodarone group 4/15 patients died (27%, sudden cardiac death: one patient), while in patients not treated by amiodarone 8/15 patients died (54%; sudden cardiac death: three patients). Amiodarone therapy was well tolerated in all but one patient."}
{"id": "PMID:1492442", "title": "[Early radiological assessment of spinal injuries. Indication for additional imaging procedures].", "content": "The question of the best radiological diagnostic pathway to explore the acute spinal trauma is discussed. the current state of knowledge is given, based on bibliography and the authors experience. Standard-radiography allows fast orientation. CT ist the best procedure for high resolution imaging of bony structures and MRI is best suited for soft tissue and medullar lesions. Ligamentous lesions are still explored with functional X-ray studies, but ligament rupture can be visualized directly by MRI. Standard-radiography must precede all further studies. In patients without neurological deficit: CT is indicated if standard radiography suspects a bony lesion. MRI is indicated, if there is a discrepancy between a normal radiography and severe complaints of the patient. functional radiographies are indicated if ligamentous damage is suspected, but MRI can directly visualize ligament rupture. In patients with a radicular lesion, CT is indicated. In patients with a medullar or central radicular lesion, MRI or Myelo-CT are indicated."}
{"id": "PMID:1492443", "title": "[Stabilization method in cervical spine traumatology: implants and biomechanics].", "content": "The various currently used methods of stabilisation of the cervical spine are described. The choice of the procedure depends mainly on the classification of the lesion and on the biomechanics of the injured segment. Better knowledge of the biomechanics have led to the development of more reliable and safer implants."}
{"id": "PMID:1492446", "title": "[Possibilities for rehabilitation in spinal injuries with or without neurological deficit].", "content": "Generally spine injured persons without neurological deficits can--as long as the principles of industrial medicine are observed--be occupationally integrated without any particular rehabilitation measures within the limits of their remaining capacity. Spine injured persons, however, with remaining instabilities, serious static deficiencies and/or neurological deficits need further rehabilitation after their in-patient and immediate posthospital treatment. Spinal cord injured patients usually have to accept serious changes and limitation in all spheres of life. Rehabilitation measure in work, school and the social field are vital. Despite all efforts at rehabilitation limitations do remain among other things in work, mobility and social contacts. The preceding paper presents the tasks and results of rehabilitation of spinal cord injured persons, special consideration being given to spinal cord injured persons with supporting facts from long term studies."}
{"id": "PMID:1492447", "title": "[Expert evaluation in bony injuries of the spine].", "content": "The conventional way of appreciating working capacity is no longer satisfying considering the improved diagnostic tools with increasing frequency of various deformities, instability and ankylosis and their combinations. As in the evaluation of peripheral joint function a concept is proposed, which is based on the structural changes in the motion segments. The concept is practicable in all parts of the vertebral column and allows a differentiated judgement within the usual percentages."}
{"id": "PMID:1492448", "title": "[The so-called post-discotomy syndrome--failure of intervertebral disk surgery?].", "content": "The Post-discectomy-Syndrome (PDS) is a clinical entity with various components from individual disposition, sequelae of the underlying disc degeneration and of the operation, as well. These include local back pain, persisting (poly-)radicular pain and facet irritation with pseudoradicular irradiation due to segmental instability, epidural scarring and local arachnoiditis. Diagnosis has to focus on separation from failed-back-surgery-syndromes (FBSS) with single components like insufficient discal or bony decompression or segmental instability. Arachnoiditis seems to be the least modifiable factor and should be excluded if fusion or revision of the spinal canal is planned. A 100 point-score for grading of PDS is presented."}
{"id": "PMID:1492449", "title": "[How much intervertebral disk tissue is in reality removed in percutaneous nucleotomy?].", "content": "In an experimental study with standardized conditions nuclear material of 40 human lumbar discs was excised. In 20 the non-automated discectomy method was used (NAPLD-method). In the other 20 the automated discectomy method (APLD-method). The excised material was weighted. After the removal, the material of the NAPLD-method was wet with isotonic saline over 45 minutes and again weighted. Afterwards the wet material of both methods was freeze dried and again weighted. The weight of the wet material of the NAPLD-method in relation to that of the freeze dried material was a factor 11 (average value: 7.7 g in relation to 0.7 g) and in the APLD-method a factor 15 (average value: 4.5 g in relation to 0.3 g). This means, that the uptake and distribution of the saline is different in both methods and for this reason it is not allowed to compare the wet weight of the two methods. This has to be considered in clinical comparative studies. Because the biomechanical changes after a discectomy are dependent of the amount of the excised nuclear material, the NAPLD- and APLD-method can only be compared when the amount of the excised material is changed in a freeze dried weight."}
{"id": "PMID:1492444", "title": "[Conservative treatment of spinal injuries yesterday and today].", "content": "Since 60 years fractures of the spine are reduced by longitudinal traction and hyperlordosis and then immobilized in a plaster jacket followed by an intensive exercise programme. This type of treatment was originated by Davis, Watson-Johnes and Lorenz B\u00f6hler. Inspite of the increase of operative stabilizations this method of treatment is still valid."}
{"id": "PMID:1492450", "title": "[Changes in the lumbar disk following use of non-automated percutaneous discectomy. A biomechanical study].", "content": "For a biomechanical study 8 specimens of the lumbar spine (L1-S1) were scanned with MRI. After that 21 motion segments were prepared for the experiments. The paraspinal musculature as well as the posterior elements were removed. From each disc 1,0 g, 2,0 g, and 3,0 g of nuclear material were consecutively removed under an axial load of 500 N. At the beginning of every standardized experiment of a motion segment, as well as after the excision of every gram of nuclear material, intradiscal pressure, the height of the disc and the contour of the disc were determined with an axial load on the motion segment of 1000 N. The change in radial bulging of the disc was measured using the computer-assisted recordings of each disc contour. All the data were statistically analyzed using the Friedman-test. The nuclear material removed from the discs ('in-vitro nuclear material') was placed in isotonic saline over 45 minutes and again weighted ('wet weight'). Af that the nuclear material was freeze-dried ('dry weight'). The results of this study showed that after the excision of every gram of nuclear material the height of the disc decreased in average 0,77 mm. Also intradiscal pressure reduces significantly: from the initial stage, on average, 9, 19 bar to the endstage (= after the removal of 3,0 g), on average, 2, 58 bar. Radial bulge increases with every gram removed, on average 0,23 mm. The weight of the wet nuclear material is 2,6 times as much as that of the in-vitro nuclear material and 11 times as much as that of the freeze-dried material."}
{"id": "PMID:1492445", "title": "[Deformation in conservative treatment of vertebral fractures].", "content": "The indication for functional or operative treatment of fractures of a vertebral body depend on the additional injury, on the stability of the fracture and on the amount of deformity. In a retrospective radiological study on 74 patients we analysed the behavior of secondary deformation in stabile fractures of thoraco-lumbal vertebral bodies under treatment with a 3-Points-Corset. The average initial sagittal deformity was 12.5 degrees. After three months an average increase of 1.5 degrees was measured resulting in an average increase of total kyphosis of 2.5 degrees during fracture consolidation. No further secondary changes were seen after a period of three months following the injury."}
{"id": "PMID:1492451", "title": "[Accuracy of pedicle screws following instrumented dorsal fusion of the lumbar spine].", "content": "We evaluated the placement of pedicle screws (N = 131) in 30 patients after lumbar dorsal spinal fusion. Postoperatively all patients were examined by CT. 39.9% of all screws penetrated the cortex of the vertebra. Of special interest were those implants which led to medial penetration of the pedicle, which is of potential hazard to the neural structure within the nerve root canal. 28.5% of all screws showed a medial deviation. In our study, a penetration of more than 6 mm coincided with a high risk for nerve root damage. In 2 patients there was proven damage to a nerve root due to screw placement. In another 3 patients coherence was likely to exist. The technique of transpedicular screw fixation for spinal fusion is highly demanding and should be performed only by experienced surgeons after a clear indication and after a trial of intense conservative therapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1492452", "title": "[Proprioception in the anterior cruciate ligament of the human knee joint--morphological bases. A light, scanning and transmission electron microscopy study].", "content": "In 21 human anterior cruciate ligaments removed with their synovial sheaths during autopsy and operation, nerves and nerve endings were demonstrated by light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Ultrastructural examination allowed a classification of nerve endings into three types: Ruffinian corpuscles, Pacinian corpuscles and free (afferent and efferent) nerve endings. The nerve endings corresponded to those characteristic of articular capsules. The anterior cruciate ligament shows evidence of a proprioceptive function besides its stabilizing function, which is based on its collagenous structure. Together, they probably represent the most important factor in the dynamic stabilization of the knee joint. At present it is only possible to speculate on the potential clinical significance of these findings, for example in development of rehabilitation programs and prevention strategies offering protection against anterior cruciate tears. This also applies to the question of whether to preserve the ligament during surgery for ruptures and knee-joint prostheses."}
{"id": "PMID:1492453", "title": "[Chondromalacia of the patella and intraosseous pressure. A study of 43 patients].", "content": "There are some hints concerning a relationship between the intraosseous pressure and degenerative changes in hyaline cartilage. With a specially constructed cannula we evaluated the intraosseous pressure in 43 patients in relation to the joint position (Extension/Flexion). In two groups we compared patients with and without degenerative changes in the hyaline cartilage, diagnosed by arthroscopy. Our results show, that patients with a chondromalacia have an increase of intramedullary pressure. These changes were discussed in the possible role of the pathology of chondromalacia patellae and retropatellar arthrosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1492455", "title": "[Primary osteotomy of the fibula in the treatment of post-traumatic tibial pseudoarthrosis].", "content": "In a retrospective study 32 case histories of patients with primary osteotomies of the fibula were evaluated to find out the reliability of this method in the treatment of tibial pseudarthroses. The influence of the osteotomy level and extent was taken into account as well. In 23 cases the pseudarthroses resulted from tibial and fibular fractures. Causative for the pseudarthroses were the blocking effects of healed fibula, tibial infection and loose osteosynthetic materials. 22 tibial pseudoarthroses healed by fibular osteotomy and postoperative immobilisation only, healing time was 25 months on average, in case of proximal fibular osteotomies even longer. The extent of fibular resection was between 5 and 30 mm. In contrast to \"modern\" methods of treatment, primary osteotomies in the treatment of tibial pseudarthroses take a rather long time to heal."}
{"id": "PMID:1492454", "title": "[Comparative morphological studies on the incorporation of various cementless implanted artificial patellas].", "content": "Twelve uncemented, artificial patellar components clinically and radiologically without signs of loosening after an implantation period of 9-48 Months were investigated histologically and microradiographically. The components correspond to the system GSB-\"old\", GSB-\"new\", PCA and APS. Within the observed implantation period the artificial patellar components GSB-\"old\", GSB-\"new\" and PCA showed severe patho-morphological changes of the surrounding tissue and point to loosening. The dowel system according to APS shows after the longest period of time of 14 Months morphologically a fully bony encasement with wide spread direct contacts between the living bone and the metallic Titanium surface. The observation points urgently to the fact, that Polyethylene must not be in direct contact with the bony bed. On the basis of the patho-morphological reactions a partial armament of the polyethylene surface with metallic structures must be rejected as a general principle."}
{"id": "PMID:1492456", "title": "[Sonographic screening of neonates' hips. Analysis of the years 1986-1988 and comparison with 1977-1979].", "content": "Establishing a sonographical neonate hip screening program in three nearby counties has made us able to simplify our management in socalled \"congenital dysplasia of the hip\". Earliest diagnosis has led to a percentage of conservative treatment of 95% and therefore to a reduction of surgical interventions and less inpatient treatment. Our results force us to urge a state covering sonographical neonate hip screening done by educated specialists (Orthopaedic surgeons, Paediatricians, Radiologists)."}
{"id": "PMID:1492457", "title": "[Charcot's elbow joint in syringomyelia].", "content": "Neuropathic arthropathy is a rare case in daily orthopedic practice. The case of a 43 year old technician is reported, who developed severe destruction of both elbow joints as a result of syringomyelia. The diagnostical problems as well as the therapeutical considerations are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1492459", "title": "[Tumoral calcinosis of the ischium].", "content": "The authors report on a case of tumoral calcinosis of the ischium in a 63 year old female. A general review of the literature on pathogenesis, histological characteristics and the way of treatment is given and the prognosis of tumoral calcinosis pointed out."}
{"id": "PMID:1492458", "title": "[Preoperative autologous blood collection under erythropoietin stimulation. Preliminary results in patient selection, erythropoietin dosage and administration].", "content": "In a randomised study we have evaluated the influence of erythropoietin (EPO) on the yield of autologous blood in elective surgery (total hip replacement). The study was performed placebo controlled in 82 patients: 25 patients received 200 IE EPO/kg 2 x/week i.v. over 3 weeks (group C), 30 patients 100 IE EPO in the same schedule (group B), and 27 patients received placebo (group A). All patients were treated with 3 x 250 mg Fe-sulfate p.o. during the study time. The number of collected blood conserves was not significantly different in these groups (5.4 in group C, 5.06 in group B, 4.8 in group A), but there was a significant difference in patients with a diminished hemoglobin (Hb < 14 g/dl): 5.2 in group C, 4.9 in group B, and 3.6 in group A. Patients with a normal hemoglobin level showed a significantly higher preoperative hemoglobin in group C against group A. We conclude that the application of EPO is suggestive in patients with a diminished hemoglobin, but also in patients with normal hemoglobin the blood picture at the time of surgery is higher in EPO treated patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1492460", "title": "[Transient hip joint inflammation (coxitis fugax)].", "content": "The transient coxitis is the most common hip disease in the childhood. Etiology is unknown. Questioning the history you will often find an infection in the neck, nose, ear area. Clinical, radiological findings and serological testing are unspecific. In the arthrosonography normally you will find an effusion. The positive diagnosis of the transient coxitis is only possible by observing the mostly benign course of the disease. The treatment is bed rest and non weight bearing. The most important differential diagnosis is the Perthes disease. The principal aspects of the transient coxitis are described and discussed in literature and by own experience."}
{"id": "PMID:1492495", "title": "The N-terminal 22 amino acids encoded by the gene specifying the major secreted protein of vaccinia virus, strain Lister, can function as a signal sequence to direct the export of a foreign protein.", "content": "Cells infected with vaccinia virus strain Lister secrete a polypeptide of approximate molecular weight 35,000 (35K) into the medium. Previous studies identified a cleavable, hydrophobic region of 17 amino acids in the 35K protein which could potentially function as a signal peptide to target the protein to the secretory pathway. Here we report the use of the expression-secretion signals derived from the 35K gene to direct export and secretion of a foreign protein. Vaccinia virus recombinants carrying the bacterial chloramphenicol acetyl transferase gene (cat) immediately downstream from the promoter and the N-terminal coding sequences of the 35K gene were constructed. Our studies show that the N-terminal 22 or 42 amino acids of the 35K protein direct efficient secretion of the CAT protein. However, due to a cryptic glycosylation site within CAT, glycosylated protein was secreted, which reduced enzymatic activity. Activity was restored in the presence of tunicamycin. Removal of the glycosylation site by site-directed mutagenesis abolished glycosylation with no effect on secretion, although CAT activity was again reduced, possibly due to an effect on the active site. The results presented here demonstrate the feasibility of using the promoter and the signal sequence of the 35K gene to generate recombinant viruses for overexpression and secretion of foreign proteins."}
{"id": "PMID:1492496", "title": "Reduction of c-myc expression correlated with E1a expression but not with the transformed phenotype.", "content": "The adenovirus E1a oncogene has both positive and negative regulatory effects on the expression of a variety of host genes. Both type of effects have been reported for certain cell cycle genes such as c-myc. To study the potential role of c-myc in adenovirus transformation, we have assessed the steady-state levels of c-myc mRNA after serum stimulation in genetically related transformed or non-transformed cell lines in the presence or absence of E1a. Serum stimulated the accumulation of stable c-myc mRNA only in cell lines which did not express E1a. Therefore under the present assay conditions, E1a had a negative effect on the steady-state level of c-myc mRNA. Surprisingly, this effect was independent of the transformed phenotype."}
{"id": "PMID:1492497", "title": "Analysis of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease infectious fractions by gel permeation chromatography and sedimentation field flow fractionation.", "content": "Gel permeation chromatography and sedimentation field flow fractionation (SF3) were used to further analyze highly infectious fractions from Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) infected hamster brain. These analyses defined the relative molecular mass and physical size of the Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) agent with greater precision than previously possible. Highly purified disaggregated fractions yielded single, homogeneous Gaussian peaks with both methods. The relevant analytical peaks contained protein-nucleic acid complexes with an M(r) of approximately 1.5 x 10(7) daltons and a mean radius of approximately 30 nm. The experimental evidence further solidifies the concept of an infectious agent that resembles a viral core rather than a simple protein."}
{"id": "PMID:1492498", "title": "[Salami and extrinsic allergic alveolitis: a new occupational disease in Switzerland].", "content": "The authors report a case of extrinsic allergic alveolitis in a patient working in an industrial butchery where she is involved in the preparation of dry sausages. The molds proliferating at the surface of these sausages, molds from the Penicillium family, are responsible for the disease. The respective value of laboratory tests such as the presence of precipitating antibodies and the analysis of the cellularity of the bronchoalveolar lavage are discussed. Whenever a patient presents with clinical symptoms suggestive of extrinsic allergic alveolitis a detailed search for any type of exposure linked to the professional milieu is required, so as to propose adequate modifications in work conditions or work place."}
{"id": "PMID:1492499", "title": "A review of epidemiological methods applied in studies on laboratory animal allergy. With a discussion of the relation between prevalence and risk of an irreversible disease in a dynamic population of constant size.", "content": "The risk of developing an occupational allergic respiratory disease depends strongly on the duration of exposure. For estimating the instantaneous risk (hazard function) in a dynamic cohort, information is required for each cohort member on the time of exposure either until disease onset or until termination by leaving the job or the end of the study. However, most existing epidemiological studies on occupational allergies are cross-sectional, computing prevalences; no information on job-leavers and on their disease status is obtained. The functional dependency of prevalence on risk, as well as on the rate of leaving the job among the diseased and on the distribution of exposure duration, is described, with special attention to the sensitivity of the prevalence to differences of the rate of leaving the job. A literature review of 15 studies on laboratory animal allergy is given; none of the studies collected and reported all the information necessary for risk estimation."}
{"id": "PMID:1492500", "title": "[Language competence of 14-year-old adolescents in relation to their sociocultural origin: results from a logopedic study in the framework of the Basel kindergarten study].", "content": "Between 1986 and 1988 speech and language abilities of a representative sample of 341 fourteen-year-old Basle schoolchildren were assessed as part of the 2nd Follow-up examination of the Basle Kindergarten-study. The language and speech test consisted of retelling and writing two stories, one of them played by tape-recorder, the other by video recorder. In addition three established language tests (Mottier-, IMK- and KLI-speechtest) were used. The results show significant differences between Swiss children and children of Italian workers in different test parts. There are also differences between boys and girls and between social classes. The high proportion of children with language difficulties is alarming. Parts of the tests used in this study were found to be appropriate for a screening of speech and language abilities."}
{"id": "PMID:1492501", "title": "[Screening for determination of workers in need of rehabilitation].", "content": "Blue collar workers whose fitness is at risk may receive in-patient rehabilitation therapy in the Federal Republic of Germany, provided they apply for it to their annuity insurance company. Only 50% of the workers who retire early (before the age of 60) and are in need of medical rehabilitation make such an application within the five-year period before retirement. It is against this background that we are developing and testing a screening procedure which includes all insured workers and recommends a rehabilitation therapy to those at risk. The screening procedure involves two steps: a questionnaire which is then followed by a medical examination. In an experiment with 600 workers who are insured with the LVA W\u00fcrttemberg (the relevant insurer) we tested: whether the screening is accepted by the insured and their family doctors, to what extent the insurer's appointed doctors ratify the family doctor's report and give approval for rehabilitation therapy, whether the questionnaire is suitable for the preselection of insured at risk, and whether the screening detects insured at risk who do not apply for rehabilitation therapy. Participation at the screening was 68% and speaks well for the acceptance of the procedure. The family doctors recommended rehabilitation therapy in 43% of all cases whereas the insurer's appointed doctors recommended such a therapy only in 25%. This discrepancy arose in 2/3 of the cases due to the fact that the insurer's appointed doctors refused renewed rehabilitation therapy during the mandatory three-year waiting period or considered out-patient rehabilitative treatment sufficient.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1492502", "title": "[Health behavior of young adults: empirical analysis of complex behavior patterns and their determinants].", "content": "Complex associations between alcohol consumption, cigarette smoking, eating habits and physical exercise are explored. Data from the 1985 German Cardiovascular Prevention Study are used to explore associations between these behaviours, separate for young men (n = 561) and young women (n = 509) between 25 to 34 years of age. Analyses concern three forms of associations: 1. associations between different categories of single health behaviours; 2. associations between various health behaviours, and 3. associations between health behaviours, and their social determinants. Contingency tables, cluster analyses and logistic regression analyses are applied. Cluster analyses identified subgroups with particular health behaviour patterns. One distinct pattern, similarly among men and women, was typified by increased physical exercise, less smoking and increased beer consumption. For young men, results from regression analyses showed significant effects of higher income and positive health attitudes on belonging to this distinct cluster. For young women cluster membership was significantly correlated with higher education and positive health attitudes. Results of the statistical analyses demonstrate the usefulness of a multi-methods approach in studying complex behaviour patterns. Finally the relevance of the present findings for future studies and applications is indicated."}
{"id": "PMID:1492503", "title": "Quality of life: a model for evaluating health for all. Conceptual considerations and policy implications.", "content": "The potential of the quality of life (QoL) concept lies in its basically positive meaning and interdisciplinary acceptance. This can be used when the Public Health sector tries to develop health into a resource concept, as is the intention of the WHO Health For All Strategy. Out of different scientific views on QoL this paper synthesizes a theoretical framework of QoL and describes how this concept can be used in practice when evaluating the health resources of a population."}
{"id": "PMID:1492506", "title": "Adaptation of a commercially available enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the determination of thyroxine in canine plasma samples.", "content": "The purpose of the present study was to modify a previously evaluated enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (Larsson and Lumsden, 1980) for the determination of the thyroxine (T4) concentration in canine plasma samples. The test kit Enzymun-Test(Boehringer Mannheim) for determination of T4 concentrations in human plasma was used in connection with the analyzer system Enzymun-Test(Boehringer Mannheim) System ES-33. The assay protocol originally used by Larsson and Lumsden (1980) was modified by including an additional standard, prolongation of the incubation period for the immunoreaction and the enzymeassay, and reduction of the amount of T4 conjugate. The intra- and interassay coefficient of variations ranged from 3.8% to 12.5%. The detection limit of the assay was 3.9 nmol/l which is well below the T4 concentration observed in plasma from healthy dogs, and the T4 concentrations determined in plasma from healthy dogs before and 3 hours after administration of TRH (38.0 +/- 7.4 nmol/l and 51.8 +/- 8.5 nmol/l, respectively) were comparable to those reported in the literature."}
{"id": "PMID:1492507", "title": "Immunohistochemistry of hepatic IGF-I in calf, pig, and rat.", "content": "The liver appears to be the major site of synthesis of somatomedin C or insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I), yet, the intrahepatic histological localization of this polypeptide is not well known. For this reason we investigated immunohistochemically the liver of calves, pigs, and rats, fixed by perfusion or immersion with Karnovsky solution. In all three animal species the layer of hepatocytes bordering the liver capsule was labeled by anti-IGF-I. In the pig and rats all perivenous hepatocytes were intensively labeled whereas in calves only the periportal hepatocytes contained immunoreactive IGF-I. While preabsorption of the anti-IGF-I antiserum with the antigen abolished the immunoreaction, preabsorption with insulin or IGF-II did not. No labeling occurred when immersion-fixed liver tissue was used."}
{"id": "PMID:1492508", "title": "Effects of diets with graded levels of deoxynivalenol on performance in growing pigs.", "content": "Feeding trials were conducted to evaluate the effect of including deoxynivalenol (DON)-contaminated oats to provide approximately 0.5, 1.0, 2.0 and 4.0 mg/kg in the complete diets of growing pigs with initial weight of 25 kg. Performance was recorded as weight gain, feed intake, efficiency of feed utilization and carcass quality. Restricted feeding was compared to ad libitum feeding. For the groups fed diets containing 2 and 4 mg/kg of DON, a dose-related decrease in weight gain was observed during the first 8 weeks on experimental diets. With 4 mg/kg DON there were decreased feed intake, weight gain and efficiency of feed utilization throughout the experiment. No effect was observed in groups fed diets containing 0.5 or 1.0 mg/kg of DON. The carcass quality was not affected in any group."}
{"id": "PMID:1492509", "title": "Cardiac function, morphology and chromosomal aberrations in a calf with ectopia cordis cervicalis.", "content": "A male calf with ectopia cordis cervicalis inferior was investigated clinically, hemodynamically, and morphologically from the 3rd day of age until slaughter at the age of 22 months. Arterial hypertension (mean AOP 140 mm Hg), concentric myocardial hypertrophy and good ventricular contractility with normal valve function were found. Normal clinical condition at rest (cardiac output 48 l/min in the 600 kg bullock), but cyanosis and dyspnea during physical exercise were observed. Variations in the large vessels, such as persistence of the right cranial caval vein and one common pulmonary vein emptying into the left atrium, were found. Abrupt caliber differences of large arterial vessels together with a right angled aortic arch were observed, presumably contributing to increased afterload. The cytogenetic analysis showed the presence of a small marker chromosome leading to a chromosome number of 61 in a fraction of metaphases (mosaicism). Moreover, chromosome breakages were observed in many cells. From the 5 cows which were inseminated, 3 became pregnant. Ectopia cordis was not observed in any offspring. We conclude that in this animal compensated cardiac insufficiency with peripheral hypertension was established."}
{"id": "PMID:1492510", "title": "Urinary protein analysis in cardiomyopathy-affected and healthy cattle by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.", "content": "Urinary proteins of cardiomyopathy (CMP)-affected (n = 31) and of healthy cattle (n = 35) were analyzed by a combination of SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and silver stain. The following results were obtained: 1) Out of the various urinary proteins found in CMP-affected and healthy cattle, IgG, Tf, Alb, alpha 1-acid GP, Apo A1, IgG heavy and light chain could be identified. 2) In CMP-affected cattle, all the proteins mentioned above were detected in increased amounts in the urine. The quantities of Alb, Tf, and IgG were especially large. 3) In the case of CMP, the permeability of the glomerular filter was highly increased for large serum proteins. The tubular protein reabsorption of small proteins was less altered by the disease. 4) Although the electrophoretic pattern of the urinary proteins was abnormal in all the examined CMP-affected animals, the urinary protein concentrations were increased (> 230 mg/l) in only 42% of the cases. Consequently, the urinary protein concentration is not a reliable parameter for detecting renal diseases. 5) For both CMP-affected and healthy cattle the urinary protein pattern depended neither on the urine sampling technique (catheterization, spontaneous urine) nor on the reproductive stage."}
{"id": "PMID:1492511", "title": "Vasointestinal polypeptide (VIP)-immunoreactive nerves in the boar penis.", "content": "Vasointestinal polypeptide (VIP)-immunoreactivity was localized at LM-level in cryostat sections using a peroxidase-anti-peroxidase technique, and at EM-level in glutaraldehyde-fixed, resin-embedded sections using an immunogold technique, of samples from the penis of 3 Hampshire boars with a history of normal erection and mating behaviour. One boar of the same breed with an impotence diagnosis was also examined. In the normal animals, VIP-immunoreactivity was localized into nerves associated to blood vessels and non-vascular smooth muscle in the capsular lamina propria and the fibromuscular layers, and intermingled under the penis epithelium. At EM level, the immunogold localization confirmed the above mentioned results, VIP being localized in nerve terminals. Nerve terminals without VIP-reactivity had EM appearance of cholinergic or adrenergic nerve terminals. No obvious differences in VIP innervation were noticed among the normal boars. In the impotent animal, a marked depletion of VIP-immunoreactivity was evident, as well as degenerative changes in the adrenergic and cholinergic nerve profiles. It is concluded that the porcine penis is well innervated, along with adrenergic and cholinergic components, by VIP-containing nerves. The depletion of the scattered VIP-containing nerves in the impotent case suggests its involvement in the mechanisms of penile erection in the boar."}
{"id": "PMID:1492512", "title": "Simplification of superovulation induction in rabbits by means of human menopausal gonadotrophin dissolved in polyvinylpyrrolidone.", "content": "Superovulation induction methods in rabbits were simplified by a single subcutaneous (sc) injection of human menopausal gonadotrophin (hMG) dissolved in a 25% solution of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP). Superovulatory response was considered satisfactory at sc dose of 60 IU hMG-PVP. Fertilization rates were considered acceptable at doses ranging from 15-90 IU hMG but not at the 120 IU dose. The findings suggest that a single sc injection of 60 IU hMG in 25% PVP will induce a satisfactory superovulatory response in rabbits."}
{"id": "PMID:1492513", "title": "Experimental cerebrospinal elaphostrongylosis (Elaphostrongylus rangiferi) in goats: II. Pathological findings.", "content": "Pathological findings in 17 goat kids inoculated with 100-1,000 infective larvae of Elaphostrongylus rangiferi and autopsied 21-154 days post inoculation (p.i.) are reported. The lungs, heart, diaphragm, liver and kidneys contained small foci of necrosis or fibroblastic scarring and interstitial infiltrates of inflammatory cells. The lungs also contained many parasitic granulomas. Infarcts were observed in the myocardium and kidneys. Accumulations of inflammatory cells and granulomas were seen in the peri- and epineurium of the spinal nerve roots, connective tissue of the spinal ganglia, dura and epidural tissue of the cord, choroid plexus of the brain and leptomeninges of the entire central nervous system (CNS). Within nerve fascicles there were endoneural cell infiltrates, axon and myelin sheath degenerations and granulomas. The CNS parenchyma contained foci of traumatic encephalomyelomalacia, microgliosis, secondary axon degeneration, perivascular cuffs and granulomas. Sections of intact nematodes were found in the subarachnoid spaces, brain ventricles, central canal of the spinal cord and CNS parenchyma. Pathological findings from individual animals are compared to the clinical signs described in a separate paper. The development, migration and pathogenesis of E. rangiferi in goats are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1492514", "title": "Comparison of penicillin-G susceptibility testing methods of staphylococci isolated from bovine mastitis.", "content": "Penicillin-G susceptibility was analyzed on forty staphylococcal strains isolated from mastitic bovine quarters (29 coagulase positive and 11 coagulase negative) by the standard Kirby-Bauer agar diffusion method, the epsilon-Test, the Vetmic, turbidimetric MIC analysis in Iso-Sensitest Broth (ISB) and whey. Penicillinase production was tested. Parallel susceptibility tests were carried out in whole milk, whey and ISB using resazurin and triphenyltetrazolium as the indicators of bacterial activity. The traditional susceptibility testing methods (radial agar diffusion, MIC in broth culture) showed good agreement with each other and confirmed that the tests can be used interchangeably with the current breakpoint values (0.25 micrograms/ml and phi 26 mm). The tests carried out in whey showed good correlation with the traditional tests. However, the susceptibility testings in milk resulted in additional variation. Therefore, traditional susceptibility tests of Penicillin-G in artificial media are limited in estimation of bacterial susceptibility when they grow in whole milk. The relevance of this observation regarding mastitis therapy is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1492515", "title": "[Histological studies of the occurrence of organisms shaped like Campylobacter in the abomasum of calves].", "content": "The mucosa of the abomasum is a strongly acidic and therefore germ poor, but not entirely germfree environment. Only in isolated areas of the fundic glands zone were straight rods in the foveolas, and even more seldom spiral shaped bacteria could be encountered. They had no relation to the inflammatory infiltrates. On the other hand, Campylobacter-like organisms were more often observed in the pyloric region and, preferably, in a narrow zone following the cutaneous mucosa of the omasum. These organisms appeared to have a different size (1.3 to 2.4 microns length and 0.4 to 0.8 microns width) and they occurred deep inside the glands in an almost pure fashion. Whereas they caused no visible reaction of the tissue in the narrow cardiac zone, their occurrence in the pyloric region was several times connected with neutrophilic-rich infiltration. It ought to be tested, whether Helicobacter are among these Campylobacter-like organisms, which cause a disease leading up to ulcerations in calves similar to gastritis B in humans."}
{"id": "PMID:1492516", "title": "[Clostridia in carcasses and fresh meat--a literature review].", "content": "Clostridia are of large clinical importance as well as in the field of food hygiene, where they are responsible for spoilage but they also have a certain significance as food poisoning organisms. Information on the ecology of Clostridia in samples of deep muscle tissue of slaughtered animals is insufficient. This article is intended to increase the knowledge on the occurrence of different Clostridia species in slaughtered animals. The main emphasis is put on the significance of clostridia in meat hygiene. The theoretical basis of the so called original content of microorganisms (intrinsic bacteria), the factors and pathways of Clostridia spreading in muscles and organs are demonstrated."}
{"id": "PMID:1492517", "title": "Cytometric and cytochemical study of peritoneal and alveolar macrophages from Yersinia pseudotuberculosis infected ground squirrels (Citellus citellus).", "content": "The enzymic activity (succinate dehydrogenase, acid and alkaline phosphatase) of alveolar and peritoneal macrophages as well as leucocytic reaction of ground squirrels infected with Yersinia pseudotuberculosis (I and III serovar) have been investigated in dynamics from the 1st up to the 30th day. The animals infected with III serovar survived only to the 7th day, while those infected with I serovar survived up to the 30th day after inoculation. A massive influx of leucocytes having peak values (100-fold increase) on the 3rd day after infection has been found in the peritoneal cavity of the animals infected with I serovar. Moderate leucocytosis in the blood, and insignificant fluctuations in alveolar macrophage number have been established too. An earlier and higher activation of succinate dehydrogenase in alveolar and peritoneal macrophages from animals infected with III serovar in comparison with those infected with I serovar was observed. No differences in alkaline phosphatase activity of alveolar and peritoneal macrophages have been found between the animals infected with I and III serovar. A correlation has been found between the number of leucocytes and changes in the enzymatic activity of the macrophages. A metabolic transformation was demonstrated typical for different macrophages (peritoneal and alveolar), in the course of this experimental intraperitoneal infection. Obviously, more virulent serovar III of Y. pseudotuberculosis fails to attract leucocytes to the peritoneal cavity sufficiently quickly, so it overcome the local protective mechanisms with consequent systemic cytochemical changes. On the other hand the virulent serovar I attracts leucocytes to the peritoneum and is presumably destroyed by them."}
{"id": "PMID:1492518", "title": "Protein antigens secreted by Mycobacterium paratuberculosis.", "content": "Proteins secreted by Mycobacterium paratuberculosis (M.ptb) during short-term cultivations were analyzed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and Western(Immuno) blotting. Cultivation in a defined medium containing 35S methionine allowed autoradiographic detection of proteins which had been secreted or passively released by actively metabolizing M.ptb organisms. After the first 3 days of cultivation, 4 proteins with molecular weights of approximately 38, 50, 65 and 110 kilodaltons (kd) were detected on SDS gels. Longer incubation up to 12 days resulted in an increased concentration of these proteins as well as in appearance of additional proteins ranging from 14 to over 90 kd. In long-term (8-10 weeks) culture filtrates only two prominent proteins with molecular weights of 30 and 65 kd proteins could be detected. Immunoblot analysis showed that some of the proteins secreted during short-term cultivations were recognized by sera from M.ptb-infected sheep and more significantly by sera from animals which had been immunized with a M.ptb live vaccine strain. The study indicates that during short incubation times M.ptb may secrete immunoreactive proteins which are not dominant in long-term cultures."}
{"id": "PMID:1492519", "title": "Detection of T-lymphocytes in the peripheral blood and lymphoid tissues of cattle using a variant of the E-rosette test and monoclonal antibodies.", "content": "A simple and efficient variant of the E-rosette test based on addition of dextran to the incubation media is described. This variant 1) does not include B cells 2) involves some CD2+ null cells as described 3) is not inhibited by anti-CD5 antibody 4) correlates with CD2 expression 5) detects specific changes in the relative proportion of T-lymphocytes under the different conditions. In a group of calves the mean percentage of RFC in the peripheral blood lymphocytes was 53.59 +/- 8.70 and in cows there was 72.57 +/- 3.85. The proportion of RFC detected in bovine leukemia virus (BLV)--infected cows with lymphocytosis was less than one third of that in BLV--negative animals and vice versa in B (MHC class II+) lymphocytes."}
{"id": "PMID:1492520", "title": "[Serologic detection of antibodies to Newcastle disease virus in water fowl using the hemagglutination inhibition test and enzyme immunoassay].", "content": "8410 samples from Moscovy duck, Pekin duck and geese were incorporated into examinations of antibodies against the Newcastle Disease virus. A new enzyme-immuno-assay (EIA) for antibody detection in Moscovy duck and Pekin duck was developed using purified antigen from NDV-strain \"La Sota\". The epidemiology as well as the relation of incidence of the Newcastle Disease in waterfowl was discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1492521", "title": "Polymyxin B: pharmacokinetics of single doses given intravenously and intramuscularly to turkeys, and minimal inhibitory concentrations for Escherichia coli and Pasteurella multocida.", "content": "The 50% and 90% minimal inhibitory concentrations (MIC50 and MIC90) of polymyxin B for avian Escherichia coli and Pasteurella multocida isolates were determined by the agar plate dilution method. Polymyxin B at approximate MIC level in serum was bactericidal for E. coli in 2 to 4 hours. Aqueous polymyxin B sulfate was administered by a single bolus intravenous injection into turkeys at 10,000 IU/kg, and by a single bolus intramuscular injection at 5,000, 10,000 or 20,000 IU/kg. Effective serum drug concentrations after intramuscular injection (MIC50 levels or greater) were maintained for E. coli for 7.0 hr (10,000 IU/kg) and 11.5 hr (20,000 IU/kg), and for P. multocida for 3.0 hr (10,000 IU/kg) and 4.1 hr (20,000 IU/kg). Pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated by non-compartmental methods. Elimination time half-lives, mean residence time, clearance, and apparent volume of distribution at steady state (Vdss) were all much higher for i.m. injection of 20,000 IU/kg than for i.m. injection of 10,000 IU/kg. We postulate that there exists a minimal tissue-interaction threshold concentration (MTC) at which polymyxin B can enter previously unavailable compartments or bind to previously refractory tissue components. Bioavailability of polymyxin B injected i.m. was 0.904 for the 10,000 IU/kg dose and 0.675 for the 20,000 IU/kg dose. Dosage intervals necessary to produce minimal steady state concentrations (Cssmin) equal to the MIC were calculated. Certain aspects of the use of the parameter Vdss, and limitations on the use of dosage interval calculations for polymyxin B, are discussed. One week after i.m. injection of polymyxin B at 10,000 IU/kg, high tissue drug levels were present, especially in bound form in liver. Following single injections, no toxic effects on turkeys were observed."}
{"id": "PMID:1492522", "title": "Influence of the transport on the outcome of the bacteriological analysis of dog urine comparison of three transport tubes.", "content": "A sterile plastic tube, a boric acid-glycerol-sodium formate tube and a dip-slide tube were compared for transport of dog urine for bacteriological examination under practice conditions, at ambient temperature. In a first part, 50 dog urine samples were cultured on agar plates and on a dip-slide kit within 2 h after collection and after storage at 20 degrees C in a sterile tube and in a boric acid tube for 24 h and 48 h. Culture of the samples stored in the boric acid tube and culture on the dip-slide yielded results which correlated very well with those of the culture of fresh urine. However, culture of the samples stored in the sterile tube yielded up to 65% false positive results. In a second part, a comparison was drawn with culture results of 100 dog urine specimens collected by different practitioners and simultaneously mailed to our laboratory in a sterile tube, in a boric acid tube and in a dip-slide kit. Samples sent in the boric acid and in the dip-slide tube showed comparable culture results. Culture of the samples sent in the plastic tube yielded 53% false positive results in comparison with those of the samples preserved in boric acid."}
{"id": "PMID:1492523", "title": "Lethal cerebrospinal elaphostrongylosis in a reindeer calf.", "content": "Lethal elaphostrongylosis in a reindeer calf is described. The calf showed signs of abnormal behaviour, mental confusion and reduced vision due to lesions in the brain parenchyma caused by migrating mature Elaphostrongylus rangiferi. Traumatically caused malacia and secondary axon degeneration were observed in all brain areas. Nematodes were found in the skeletal muscles, epidural space of the spinal cord, and in the subdural spaces and leptomeninges of the cord and brain. Developing nematode ova were sectioned along migratory tracks in the brain, in the subdural space of the cord, epidural adipose tissue, perineurium of the spinal nerve roots and in the lungs."}
{"id": "PMID:1492524", "title": "The influence of genotypes and social ranks in the clinical course of an experimental infection with Mycoplasma pulmonis (MRM) in inbred rats.", "content": "Social ranks of healthy, adult male inbred rats housed in groups of four per cage were determined by their relative differences in intromission and ejaculatory patterns observed repeatedly under competitive copulatory conditions. Once ranked they were inoculated with M. pulmonis by contact with castrated females suffering clinically from M.pulmonis.--Body weight reduction and scores for laryngo-bronchotracheal breathing sounds and dispnoea or sneeze or wipe and the titers of specific antibodies were continuously observed during 123 days of illness. Studies were done in five series concerning the inbred strains AS/Ztm, LEW/Ztm, BH/Ztm. Genotypic differences accounts for 60-80% of the variability of the illness. LEW/Ztm was the most affected strain. Only in strain LEW/Ztm week correlations were shown between social rank before the infection (characterized by sexual activity under competitive conditions) and the scores for breathing sounds, dyspnoea and sneeze and wipe. Animals high in social rank showed a milder clinical course of the infection."}
{"id": "PMID:1492525", "title": "Reduction of aflatoxin M1 in milk using hydrogen peroxide and hydrogen peroxide plus heat treatment.", "content": "Use of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) under various conditions of temperature and time to inactivate aflatoxin M1 in artificially contaminated raw milk was examined. The degree of inactivation was measured by Enzym Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA). It appeared that there is no change in the content of aflatoxin M1 in milk contained H2O2 and examined after 24 hours without heat treatment and in contaminated milk without add of H2O2 and heat treated treatment at (63 degrees C for 30 min, 75 degrees C for 15 sec) but slight inactivation (4.3%) was obtained in milk boiled for 5 min without H2O2. Maximum inactivation (27.8%, 28.8% and 45.1%) were obtained using 1% H2O2 followed by heat treatment at 36 degrees C for 30 min, 75 degrees C for 15 sec and boiling for 5 min respectively."}
{"id": "PMID:1492526", "title": "[Detection of aflatoxin B1 in tissues of free-living game animals (Lepus europaeus, Phasianus colchicus, Capreolus capreolus, Anas platyrhynchos)].", "content": "This contribution states concentrations of products of toxogenic mould fungus Aspergillus in livers, kidneys and testes of specific game animals. In hares (Lepus europaeus), there was determined an average concentration in livers of 0.407 microgram.kg-1 +/- 0.29, in kidneys 0.658 microgram.kg-1 +/- 0.60, in testes 0.523 microgram.kg-1 +/- 0.27 and in the ovaries 0.207 microgram.kg-1 +/- 0.19. Higher values were found in those animals with silage pits, hayricks and liquid manure pits nearby. In roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), average concentration of Aflatoxin showed the following results:livers--0.696 microgram.kg-1 +/- 0.59, kidneys--0.794 microgram.kg-1 +/- 0.48, testes--0.367 microgram.kg-1 +/- 0.22. The different values found in the organs are likely to be dependent upon the varying resistance of species when digesting, and also upon the wide-spread variance of intaken food. Average concentration of Aflatoxin B1 in pheasants (Phasianus colchicus) were recorded to be in livers 0.329 micrograms.kg-1 +/- 0.38, and in kidneys 0.676 micrograms.kg-1 +/- 0.59. Controlled contents of mycotoxin in livers of mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) was found to be 0.840 micrograms.kg-1, in kidneys 0.594 micrograms.kg-1 +/- 0.85. Animals living in ecologically strained localities showed maximum values of 3.605 micrograms.kg-1 in kidneys and 2.484 micrograms.kg-1 in livers. An alimentary and inhalatory path for mycotoxin or for solely mould fungus into the organism could be found in the rearing of chicken. Detection of Aflatoxin B1 was performed by the means of proved radioimmunological screening method (33) that had been accompanied by routine chromatographic methods."}
{"id": "PMID:1492527", "title": "A psychophysical comparison of sensory and affective responses to four modalities of experimental pain.", "content": "It is generally accepted that the sensory and affective components of pain may be differentially associated with various acute and chronic diseases, and that some treatment regimens are best directed toward certain aspects of the pain experience. In addition, experimental animal models have been described that presume to assess either the sensory-discriminative aspects of phasic pain or the affective responses associated with tonic pain. The present psychophysical experiment directly compares the perceived intensity and unpleasantness of sensations evoked by four types of experimental noxious stimuli: contact heat, electric shock, ischemic exercise, and cold-pressor pain. A novel pain measurement technique is described that incorporates unbounded magnitude-estimation/category scales; this technique allows precise ratio responses, while minimizing within- and between-subject variability. We observe that, relative to the perceived intensity of the individual stimuli, subjects consistently differentiate among the degrees of unpleasantness evoked by the four stimulus modalities. Ischemic exercise and cold-pressor pain evoke higher estimates of unpleasantness, and thus may better mimic the pain of chronic disease. The relative unpleasantness produced by contact heat is significantly less than that of the other modalities tested, and therefore contact heat stimuli may be ideally suited for assessing sensory-discriminative aspects of pain perception. Possible neurophysiological mechanisms underlying the observed differences in perceived unpleasantness are discussed in relation to the growing body of literature concerning tonic and phasic pain stimuli."}
{"id": "PMID:1492528", "title": "Neuronal response properties within subregions of raccoon somatosensory cortex 1 week after digit amputation.", "content": "Multiple penetrations in the somatosensory cortex of three anesthetized raccoons 1 week following amputation of the fourth digit provided detailed information about somatotopy and neuronal responsiveness in the deafferented cortex. Recordings in a total of 601 penetrations (292 in deafferented cortex and 309 in the surrounding cortex) were compared with those from intact control animals described previously (Rasmusson et al., 1991). The level of spontaneous activity increased within the deafferented cortex, with 42% of the sites having high or moderate levels of spontaneous activity, in comparison with 18% in control animals. There was also an increase in the incidence of inhibitory responses to stimulation of adjacent digits (26% of the penetrations vs. 10% in control animals), confirming previous findings. These two variables, increased spontaneous activity and the presence of strong lateral inhibition, were highly correlated in individual penetrations. An unexpected finding was that the cortex representing the intact parts of forepaw was also disrupted with respect to these two measures, suggesting that amputation had an effect outside the deafferented region. In contrast, response properties that are more clearly a reflection of information processing in the dorsal column-medial lemniscal pathway (adaptation and threshold) were altered only within the deafferented region. The deafferented region was not homogeneous immediately after amputation, but consisted of a radically affected core region and a slightly affected fringe adjacent to the intact representations. This inhomogeneity had also been apparent with partial digit deafferentation, reported previously. The fringe, approximately 1 mm in width, may reflect overlapping projections from adjacent digits at one or more levels of the somatosensory pathway. Since the size of the fringe is similar to the maximum extent of reorganization found in other models of reorganization, the mechanisms of plasticity within this region may involve an unmasking of pre-existing synapses with slight modification in synaptic strength. However, the plasticity within the core region of the raccoon seen in these experiments, which may be 5 mm from nondeafferented cortex, requires more extensive changes, perhaps via polysynaptic pathways."}
{"id": "PMID:1492529", "title": "Respiration in vitro: I. Spontaneous activity.", "content": "The present report describes respiratory-like activity recorded from intercostal muscles in the neonatal rat in vitro brain stem-spinal cord, rib-attached preparation. In this preparation from 1- to 4-day-old rats, spontaneous rhythmic and synchronized upward movements of the rib cage coincided with the recorded muscle activity. Spontaneous respiratory-like activity showed a frequency in the range of 0.05-0.2 Hz, with single-, double-, and mixed-burst patterns. Spontaneous activity declined over time, but increased in frequency as temperature increased. Multilevel recordings showed a cephalocaudal order of bursting of intercostal muscles. Brain stem transections at the prepontine level did not affect spontaneous frequency, whereas premedullary transections resulted in an increase in spontaneous respiratory frequency. High spinal transections eliminated spontaneous respiratory-like activity. These results suggest that there is a well-organized pontomedullary pattern generator for respiratory-like activity in this preparation, which can be modulated by temperature. The characteristics of these electromyographic (EMG) recordings allow comparison with previous in vitro studies of respiratory-like activity using nerve activity and in vivo studies using EMG activity. These results provide basic information on the spontaneous activity of this preparation as a prelude to the study of the effects of electrical stimulation of the spinal cord to induce respiratory-like activity, as described in the companion article."}
{"id": "PMID:1492530", "title": "Respiration in vitro: II. Electrical stimulation.", "content": "The present report describes electrical-stimulation-induced activity recorded from intercostal muscles in the neonatal rat rib-attached, in vitro brain stem-spinal cord preparation. The muscle bursts induced by electrical stimulation included a short-latency twitch contraction and a long-latency modulated contraction similar to that observed during spontaneous respiratory-like activity. Multilevel recordings showed a cephalocaudal order of recruitment of intercostal muscles similar to that observed during spontaneous activity. The optimal parameters of stimulation were 2-msec pulses delivered at 0.1-0.2 Hz. Trains of pulses also were effective. These movements could be induced following stimulation of various sites within each segment of the spinal cord, with the lowest threshold sites located in the ventrolateral funiculus and intermediate gray. Stimulation of every cervical segment was effective in inducing respiratory-like activity, with the lowest-threshold segments being C1, C2, and C5. These results suggest that low-frequency, long-duration pulses applied directly to the spinal cord can induce respiratory-like activity similar to that observed during spontaneous activity in the neonatal rat, rib-attached in vitro brain stem-spinal cord preparation. The ability to elicit a coordinated respiratory pattern even after a high spinal transection suggests that such stimulation may be effective in inducing respiratory-like activity in the absence of descending brain stem connections."}
{"id": "PMID:1492531", "title": "Magnitude estimation of contact force when objects with different shapes are applied passively to the fingerpad.", "content": "Stimuli with spherically curved surfaces were presented passively to the fingerpads of human subjects. There were 28 stimuli, consisting of all combinations of 4 different curvatures and 7 different contact forces; these were presented in random order. Subjects scaled their perceived magnitude of the contact force using magnitude estimation. Perceived force increased markedly with an increase in experimentally applied contact force. An increase in curvature resulted in a slight increase in perceived contact force. Thus, when humans are passively presented with objects changing in both shape and contact force, they are able to extract information about the force. Because of the passive nature of the task, all such information must be conveyed to the brain by the cutaneous mechanoreceptors."}
{"id": "PMID:1492532", "title": "Dimensional analysis of RR dynamic in 24 hour electrocardiograms.", "content": "Using dimensional analysis, we demonstrate that it is possible to quantify changes in the topological structure of cardiac dynamics over long periods of time. A method was developed to calculate a dimension-like measure (referred to here as apparent dimension) from a correlation algorithm within a data window of 500 heart beats which is moved in equidistant steps over the time series of the RR intervals over 24 hours. The correspondence between the apparent dimension and the correlation dimension was tested using artificial data sequences. Furthermore 24 hour electrocardiographic recordings of two healthy subjects and of a patient with acute myocardial infarction were examined. The reliability of the analysis could be demonstrated and changes in dimension reflecting physiological as well as pathophysiological changes were observed."}
{"id": "PMID:1492533", "title": "A constant of temporal structure in the human hierarchy and other systems.", "content": "The levels that compose biological hierarchies each have their own energetic, spatial and temporal structure. Indeed, it is the discontinuity in energy relationships between levels, as well as the similarity of sub-systems that support them, that permits levels to be defined. In this paper, the temporal structure of living hierarchies, in particular that pertaining to Human society, is examined. Consideration is given to the period defining the lifespan of entities at each level and to a periodic event considered fundamental to the maintenance of that level. The ratio between the duration of these two periods is found to be approximately 2.5 x 10(4). A similar relationship is found when lower, non-living levels of molecules and atoms are considered. This suggests that there is a constant factor of amplification between analogous periodic events at successive levels of the Human hierarchy."}
{"id": "PMID:1492535", "title": "Bioregulatory role of the kallikrein-kinin system in the normal pituitary gland and its tumours.", "content": "Tissue kallikrein, a serine protease, is present in the prolactin-secreting cells of the normal anterior pituitary gland and pituitary adenomas. It is mainly located in the Golgi apparatus, but is also present in secretory granules. There is a distinct sexual dimorphism, with amount of tissue kallikrein being greater in anterior pituitary tissue from female rats. The intracellular levels of tissue kallikrein are increased by estradiol and in pituitary tumours, and decreased by ovariectomy, dopamine and its agonists. There is preliminary in vitro evidence that tissue kallikrein may be involved in the intracellular processing of the prolactin molecule before secretion. Tissue kallikrein synthesizes kinins which are present in the anterior pituitary and are capable of stimulating prolactin and growth hormone secretion by activating the phosphoinositide second messenger system. Prolactin physiology is uniquely linked to the kallikrein-kinin system in the normal pituitary and its tumours. Tissue kallikrein may have an important role in the pathophysiology of prolactin-secreting pituitary adenomas."}
{"id": "PMID:1492536", "title": "Growth hormone binding protein in patients with renal failure.", "content": "To investigate changes in the growth hormone binding protein (GH-BP) in renal disease, gel chromatography was used to separate free and bound hormone after incubation with 125I-GH, the results being expressed as a percentage of radioactive GH eluting in a high molecular weight (70-80 kD) peak. In 26 normal individuals, binding was 39.3 +/- 8.0%, while in 11 patients with renal disease who were off dialysis binding was reduced to 16.8 +/- 5.6%. Similarly, in 9 patients undergoing hemodialysis binding was reduced to 24.6 +/- 6.8%, in 8 patients undergoing chronic ambulatory peritoneal dialysis binding was reduced to 25.7 +/- 7.6%, and in 9 patients within three months of a renal transplant binding was reduced to 25.1 +/- 8.6%. Scatchard analysis showed that these changes were not a result of decreased affinity of GH-BP for GH, and receptor binding studies showed that uremic serum was not inhibiting binding. The decreased concentration of GH-BP may indicate decreased expression of the GH receptor in target tissues, and hence diminished responsiveness to GH in renal failure."}
{"id": "PMID:1492537", "title": "Plasma vasopressin responses in postpartum hypopituitarism: impaired response to osmotic stimuli.", "content": "The neurohypophyseal function was assessed in a group of 15 patients with postpartum hypopituitarism by measuring plasma arginine-vasopressin concentrations during 5% hypertonic saline infusion. None of the patients had symptoms of diabetes insipidus and all patients were on adequate cortisone and thyroxine replacement therapy before testing. The mean basal plasma vasopressin value in the patients (0.6 +/- 0.1 pmol/l) was significantly lower than that in the normal subjects (2.9 +/- 0.3 pmol/l; p < 0.01), whereas the mean serum sodium, plasma osmolality, plasma renin activity and serum aldosterone values were similar in the two groups. During the osmolar load (5% hypertonic saline), the patients revealed varying degrees of arginine-vasopressin responses to the increase in plasma osmolality. Three patients showed normal arginine-vasopressin responses, 10 had subnormal responses, and 2 had no response. During the dehydration test, the patients revealed significantly lower maximum urine osmolalities (p < 0.0025) with significantly higher concurrent mean plasma osmolality (p < 0.0025) than the controls. None of the patients showed overt polyuria at the time of the study. The results indicate the impaired osmoregulation of arginine-vasopressin secretion to an osmolar stimuli in patients with postpartum hypopituitarism, suggesting neurohypophyseal damage. In patients with Sheehan's syndrome, partial diabetes insipidus seems to be much more frequent than previously believed."}
{"id": "PMID:1492538", "title": "Studies on the rapid stimulation of mitochondrial respiration by thyroid hormones.", "content": "Injection of L-3,5-diiodothyronine (T2) into rats made hypothyroid by 6-n-propyl-2-thiouracil (PTU) increased the respiration rates of subsequently isolated liver mitochondria; this stimulation of respiration by T2 occurred in the presence of cycloheximide and is therefore independent of protein synthesis on cytoplasmic ribosomes. Injection of T3 into PTU-treated rats had a lesser effect than T2 on the respiration rates of subsequently isolated mitochondria; as PTU is an inhibitor of 5'-iodothyronine deiodinases, which convert T3 into T2 in vivo, the rapid stimulation of mitochondrial respiration by T3, which has been shown in a range of systems, may not be due directly to T3 itself, but may be mediated by its deiodination product T2. Injection of T2, or T3, into hypothyroid or euthyroid rats had no effect on the percentage activity of mitochondrial pyruvate hydrogenase assayed 30 min later. The amount of active pyruvate dehydrogenase is regulated by changes in mitochondrial calcium concentration and matrix ATP/ADP ratio; therefore these parameters are not persistently affected by treatment with T3 or T2. In addition, the total amount of pyruvate dehydrogenase present was the same in euthyroid and hypothyroid rats, indicating that the expression of this enzyme is not stringently controlled by thyroid hormone status."}
{"id": "PMID:1492539", "title": "Effects of chronic thyroid hormone administration on pregnancy, lactogenesis and lactation in the rat.", "content": "We studied the effects of daily administration of 1 mg/kg thyroxine (T4) starting 10-15 days before mating, on parturition, maternal behavior and lactation in rats. Treated rats had elevated serum titers of T3 and T4, a greater number of fetuses and parturition was advanced approximately 12 h and lasted longer than in controls. None of the treated rats were able to lactate because of defects in maternal behavior and milk ejection; the litters died usually within 48 h postpartum. In rats sacrificed at 10.00 on day 21 of pregnancy, mammary gland content of total protein, phospholipids, casein and lactose were significantly increased, but total lipid was markedly reduced. Lipogenesis was also significantly increased, as well as the activity of the lipogenic enzymes glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, fatty acid synthetase and isocitrate dehydrogenase. These results are indicative of normal albeit premature lactogenesis. The T4-treated rats also had advances in the prepartum fall in serum progesterone and the increase in prolactin as well as in the increase in mammary casein and lactose concentrations of approximately 12 h with respect to control pregnant rats. These results show that chronic T4 treatment induces an advance of approximately 12 h in luteolysis, which in turn advances lactogenesis and parturition in rats. Although the mammary gland was able to produce milk, lactation failed due to abnormal maternal behavior and milk ejection, the causes of which are still unknown. Other effects of hyperthyroidism were also present, such as a severe reduction in lipid content of the gland.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1492540", "title": "[Tissue-type plasminogen activator (T-PA). Structure and function].", "content": "The paper describes the results of the studies on structure and function of the tissue-type plasminogen activator collected for the past 10 years. The properties of one- and two-chain t-PA as well as the structure of the particular domains in the t-PA molecule have been characterized and discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1492541", "title": "[Central venous catheters with subcutaneous ports for long-term chemotherapy in pediatric oncology].", "content": "In 29 paediatric oncology patients requiring intravenous chemotherapy, intravenous antibiotics intravenous fluids and blood products transfusions the central venous catheters with subcutaneous ports were inserted. Catheters were left in place for the period lasting from two weeks up to one year in 14 children they still remain in place, 6 catheters were removed due to complications such as occlusion, local necrosis, abscess or bleeding around the place of insertion. The described method, securing long-term venous access, enables safe and painless treatment, which is specially important in paediatric oncology. Moreover, home care can replace hospital treatment and whole procedure is highly cost-effective due to extended time of catheters utilization."}
{"id": "PMID:1492542", "title": "[Studies of methotrexate pharmacokinetics in children with neoplasms of the hematopoietic system after administration of different doses of the drug].", "content": "Concentration of MTX was determined in the serum after the infusion of MTX in a dose of 0.5 g/m2, 1.0 g/m2 and 5.0 g/m2 to 24 children with ALL/NHL. The mean value of steady-state concentrations of MTX was two-fold greater after the infusion of a dose of 1.0 g/m2 and ten-fold greater after the infusion of a dose 5.0 g/m2 than at dose 0.5 g/m2. Great inpatient and interpatient variations of serum MTX concentrations were observed. Pharmacokinetic analysis of the data revealed biphasic model of the elimination. Statistically significant differences were found between the half-life MTX values (ti/2 alpha) in the first postinfusion day: the higher the dose, the shorter ti/2 was observed. The ti/2 of MTX during the second postinfusion day was significantly longer than that of the first day after infusion, but values for the higher doses were not significantly shorter than those for 0.5 g/m2. Systemic clearance (Cl) of MTX showed inpatient and interpatient variations of the values. However, no statistically significant difference was found between Cl values at doses of 0.5 g/m2, 1.0 g/m2 and 5.0 g/m2."}
{"id": "PMID:1492543", "title": "[Cerebrospinal fluid methotrexate level in children treated with medium-high and high doses of the drug].", "content": "Concentrations of MTX were determined in the cerebrospinal fluid (csf) and serum after intravenous infusion of MTX at intermediate dose (0.5-1.0 g/m2) and at high dose (5.0 g/m2) to 20 children (33 infusions) with ALL/NHL. The cytotoxic concentrations of MTX in csf (> 1.0 microM/l) were reached in half of the cases after the infusion of MTX at intermediate dose and in all patients after the infusion of 5.0 g/m2. Great inpatient and interpatient variations of MTX concentrations in csf were observed. No statistically significant difference was found between mean systemic clearance of MTX in patients with MTXcsf concentrations > 1.0 microM/l and < 1.0 microM/l after infusion of MTX at intermediate dose."}
{"id": "PMID:1492544", "title": "Jaundice following high--dose arabinoside cytosine in a child with acute myelogenous leukemia.", "content": "A girl with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) was treated with high dose arabinoside cytosine during consolidation. She developed jaundice twice after the completion of 3 rd and 4 th cycle of the drug. The jaundice was characterized by conjugated hyperbilirubinemia, elevated aminotransferases and alkaline phosphatase. The histologic study of the liver showed only infiltration by mononuclear cells in portal space and scarce bile pigment in some hepatocytes. In both cases jaundice receded spontaneously. Now the patient has been in complete remission for 36 months and subsequent liver function tests are normal."}
{"id": "PMID:1492546", "title": "Similarity of parent and child self-views in stress-affected and stress-resilient urban families.", "content": "This study was conducted with a sample of highly stressed 4th-6th grade urban children consisting of matched subsamples previously classified as stress affected (SA) or stress resilient (SR). Separate in-depth interviews with parents and children provided objective self-ratings of a number of personal characteristics and expressive motor behavioral styles. Based on subsets of identical items from the two interviews, discrepancy (D)-scores were computed between parents' and children's self-ratings of ten personal descriptors, seven expressive motor behaviors, and their sum. Significantly lower D-scores were found for SR, compared to SA, parent-child dyads on all three of these measures. For the total sample, small parent-child D-scores also related significantly to indicators of fewer child problem behaviors and more competencies, assessed across multiple rater sources (i.e., parents, former teachers, and current teachers)."}
{"id": "PMID:1492547", "title": "Respiratory stridor and repressive defense style in adolescent somatoform disorders.", "content": "Three cases of adolescents with respiratory stridor of psychiatric etiology are described. All three fulfilled DSM-III-R criteria for diagnoses of somatoform disorders and showed characteristics of repressive defense style. Such patients are likely to undergo extensive medical investigation and treatment if the psychiatric nature of their disorder is not recognized, but few data describing their psychological characteristics or treatment exist. Repressors are typically unaware of emotional arousal and do not recognize the negative affects which lead to their somatic symptoms. They therefore respond poorly to confrontational psychotherapy and are at risk of discontinuing treatment and repeating their maladaptive symptom cycle. Identification of repressive defense style in patients with stridor which has no obvious organic cause may be useful both as a possible \"marker\" of psychiatric disorder and as a guide to treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1492548", "title": "The assessment of psychophysiological dysfunction in children using the BSE scale before and during therapy.", "content": "The purpose of exchange and development therapies (EDT) is to reduce the behavioural problems which are the expression of psychophysiological dysfunction. The aim of this study was to reveal the most disturbed psychophysiological functions and their evolution during the course of EDT in 42 children divided into three groups; group I--15 children with pure autism (A); group II--16 children with autism associated with neurological disorders (AA); and group III--11 children with pervasive developmental disorders (PDD). Among the 12 functions analysed, groups AA, A and APDD had respectively 8, 6 and 4 functions in which the score was high (> 2.5), indicating serious disorders (maximum 4). All the dysfunctions improved during EDT. However, each group had certain areas which were more susceptible to treatment. Further analysis of behaviour problems led to a more precise definition of the objectives and to the adaptation of the therapeutic methods to obtain greater effectiveness."}
{"id": "PMID:1492549", "title": "Psychometric measures in clarifying diagnosis in malnourished adolescents.", "content": "Three cases of adolescent females suffering from unexplained weight loss are presented. Differential diagnoses included psychiatric and medical illnesses. We describe how psychometric measures were used in each case to clarify diagnosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1492550", "title": "Prevalence of sexual abuse of children in Germany.", "content": "A survey of the prevalence of sexual abuse of children in two different areas of Germany (W\u00fcrzburg - former West Germany and Leipzig - former East Germany) was conducted using a multiple screen questionnaire. The sample consisted of 1841 students from different institutions in W\u00fcrzburg and 310 students from vocational schools in Leipzig (n = 2151). Data on a similar number of males and females were recorded. Problems of definition, sample characteristics and methodology are discussed. Sexual abuse was reported by 16.1% of the women and 5.8% of the men in the W\u00fcrzburg sample and 9.6% and 5.8%, respectively, in the Leipzig sample. More comparable subsamples showed less discrepancy in the prevalence rates for women in the two cities."}
{"id": "PMID:1492551", "title": "The familial problems of Hungarian youth. Interaction of socialization and psychological health.", "content": "The study of teenager behaviour and adaptation in the family context is an important trend in psychology. This article records one attempt at evaluating the adolescent's adjustment in the family context, from the perspective of interaction of socialization and psychological health. It shows the problems in the family and home of adolescents and how the socialization effects the teenager's mental health and the behaviour of the family members, knowing that not only the parents' behaviour influences the adolescent adjustment, but adolescent development affects the parents' behaviour. The group differences in the behaviour problems among youths are presented. The younger, urban and female adolescents suffered more problems than older, rural, male adolescents."}
{"id": "PMID:1492552", "title": "Group differences in the behaviour of help-seekers. Need for consultation among Hungarian adolescents.", "content": "The aim of this study was to assess the differences in the behaviour of help seeking teenagers at the time of consultation. The younger urban and female adolescents were more need of than older rural males."}
{"id": "PMID:1492553", "title": "Stones and other \"transitional objects\" as mediators in psychotherapeutic dialogue.", "content": "A special technique is described, to be used at the beginning or in the course of psychotherapy, designed to gain access to inhibited, silent or depressive patients. For this purpose, the client is presented with an assortment of natural stones, feathers or pieces of wood (driftwood) in a rich variety of colours and forms and invited to choose and handle whatever object most attracts him/her. In the resulting interaction with the therapist, the concrete object acts as a mediator and \"transitional object\" in the literal sense of the term, namely as a \"third object\" between the patient and the therapist. This real object (stone, feather or piece of wood), which the patient can feel and handle, helps to enlarge the \"playing field\" of the dyadic patient-therapist relationship and to reduce anxiety in inhibited and depressive clients. Feeling the object helps the patient to evoke memories and associations and to perceive and address inner emotions hitherto pent up inside him/her. With the help of three case studies the technique of using such natural materials is described."}
{"id": "PMID:1492554", "title": "Projective drawings as an aid to music therapy.", "content": "Music therapy is becoming an increasingly prevalent method for assisting in the mental health needs of a variety of different conditions. However, other tangential aids can greatly facilitate the music therapy process. The use of Projectives techniques to assist in the process of music therapy and to assess the growth and development of clients is described."}
{"id": "PMID:1492555", "title": "Pervasive developmental disorders not otherwise specified. A developmental-psychopathological approach for the development of made-to-measure treatment planning.", "content": "Diagnosis and classification of autism and related pervasive developmental disorders is both easy and difficult. Infantile autism is a characteristic syndrome on which many publications have appeared in the last 50 years. Conversely, the diagnosis and even the classification of children with pervasive developmental disorders related to autism is difficult. Although children with these disorders are twice as numerous as children with infantile autism, growing attention has been directed to at the latter group since the last decade. In this paper, autism and related disorders are described as a developmental disorder as well as a spectrum disorder. The spectrum of clinical symptoms can be explained, of which infantile autism is the most severe and prototypical manifestation. A working model is presented which accounts for all the problems of children with pervasive developmental disorders. An illustration of working with the model in practice is also given. The main lines of treatment and stages in treatment are briefly described."}
{"id": "PMID:1492556", "title": "Psychiatric disturbances in children with hamartomas: a neglected somatopsychic issue. A case report.", "content": "To date, in publications on hamartomas, precocious puberty and laughing seizures have been discussed, but behavioural and cognitive abnormalities have been neglected. Therefore, we report a 14-year-old girl with a proven hamartoma, in which abnormalities of behaviour and cognition played an important role within the somatopsychic complex. In our patient, urinary incontinence during the seizures and psychiatric symptoms, such as eating disorder with obesity, school phobia, antisocial behaviour, withdrawal and cognitive problems (e.g. general slowness, deficiency of cognitive flexibility) came to the fore. The girl had not attended school regularly for almost 2 years, had stayed at home and was overtaxed psychosocially. The seizures and the urinary incontinence improved with drug treatment, but psychiatric difficulties increased and remained untreated until the girl came to a child psychiatric inpatient clinic where drug treatment and behavioural therapy were combined. During well-coordinated neurological and psychiatric treatment the laughing seizures (spontaneous, event-related, psychogenic) decreased and a considerable improvement in psychiatric and psychosocial problems was attained. Consequently, we recommend a close and timely integration of the psychiatric aspects in the treatment of children with hamartomas."}
{"id": "PMID:1492557", "title": "Some psychological aspects of shame and guilt in school children.", "content": "The paper presents the results of an investigation into some psychological aspects of shame and guilt of a group of school children aged fourteen. The research, which involved forty seven children, showed that majority of them, and girls in particular, treat guilt as distinctly different from shame. Guilt seems to be as a more intensive, longer-lasting experience, usually accompanied by a feeling of bad or wrong behaviour, with a general tendency to be coped with in privacy and rather consciously. In the case of the feeling of guilt, it is the individual in question who is his/her own judge (inner source), whereas in the case of shame judgement seems to come from the outside (i.e. other people). The paper proposes ways in which children can be protected from these two emotions."}
{"id": "PMID:1492559", "title": "Chemoattractant-induced firm adhesion of leukocytes to vascular endothelium in vivo is critically dependent on initial leukocyte rolling.", "content": "Leukocyte rolling and firm adhesion at the venular endothelium are two discrete events in the cellular inflammatory response mediated via selectin and integrin adhesion molecules, respectively. The dependency of chemoattractant-induced firm leukocyte adhesion on the preceding rolling interaction was investigated in rat mesenteric microvessels through use of intravital microscopy. Leukocyte rolling was dose-dependently inhibited by systemic treatment with the sulphated polysaccharide fucoidin. The firm leukocyte adhesion following stimulation with the chemotactic peptide fMLP was similarly inhibited when fMLP challenge was performed subsequent to inhibition of leukocyte rolling by fucoidin. Thus, based on paired observations in single venules before and after fucoidin treatment, reduced rolling leukocyte flux prior to fMLP challenge was paralleled over a wide range by a proportional decrease in fMLP-induced leukocyte adhesion. The results demonstrate quantitatively a close relationship between the extent of leukocyte rolling and the magnitude of the subsequent firm adhesion response, and, that an initial rolling interaction is a precondition for firm adhesion to occur at physiological blood flow rates in vivo."}
{"id": "PMID:1492560", "title": "Effects of autonomic reflexes on tooth pulp blood flow in man.", "content": "In 15 subjects, laser-Doppler flowmetry (LDF) was used to investigate whether the nervous control of pulpal blood flow (PBF) is affected by three tests known to excite the sympathetic nervous system. For comparison, skin blood flow was similarly recorded. Dynamic exercise (bicycle ergometer, 5 min, 90-100 W) in eight subjects was accompanied by a rise in PBF. PBF was increased by the cold pressor test (2 min) in eight subjects, while in five the flow decreased or remained unaffected. The isometric hand grip (2 min, 30% MVC) and the subsequent muscle ischaemia (2 min) led to a rise in PBF in two subjects and a fall in four. Following unilateral anesthesia of the mandibular nerve, PBF in five subjects became unresponsive to dynamic exercise or the cold pressor test, indicating pressure autoregulation. All three tests triggered increases in mean arterial pressure (MAP) and heart rate (HR). Skin blood flow usually increased in response to the tests, but could also decrease, and often changed in a direction opposite to that of PBF. It is concluded that the circulation of blood in the human tooth is affected by evoked changes in autonomic nerve activity, involving activation of both vasodilator and vasoconstrictor nerves to vessels serving the tooth."}
{"id": "PMID:1492561", "title": "Vasomotion in the rat cerebral microcirculation recorded by laser-Doppler flowmetry.", "content": "In the present study, changes in frequency and amplitude of the rhythmic variations (vasomotion) in blood flow in the intact cerebral circulation of the rat were investigated using laser-Doppler flowmetry (LDF) during stepwise decrease in mean arterial blood pressure (MABP) and hyper- and hypocapnia. Experiments were performed on 12 adult Sprague-Dawley rats of either sex, anesthetized with alpha-chloralose. The rat's head was fixed on a stereotaxic frame and a small hole was made in the parietal bone but the dura and a thin inner bone layer were kept intact. The microvascular blood flow of the parietal cortex on the right or on both sides was continuously recorded by the laser-Doppler flowmeter (Periflux PF2B, Perimed, Stockholm, Sweden). The cerebral circulation of the rat exhibited vasomotion in control conditions with a frequency of 8-10 cycles per minute (cpm) and an amplitude of 5-10% of the cerebral blood flow (CBF). No significant changes in CBF could be detected when the MABP was above 60 mmHg, but it decreased significantly when MABP was reduced below 50 mmHg. However, during stepwise pressure reduction the vasomotion frequency decreased progressively while its amplitude showed a reversed U-shaped curve with a peak at 60-80 mmHg. During hypercapnia, the rhythmical oscillations showed a decrease in both frequency and amplitude, whereas during hypocapnia their frequency did not change but their amplitude increased. These results support the hypothesis that the vasomotion frequency might be dependent of the wall tension and cellular pH while its amplitude could be related to decreased tissue oxygenation."}
{"id": "PMID:1492562", "title": "Changes in muscle sympathetic nerve activity and calf blood flow during combined leg and forearm exercise.", "content": "In order to examine efferent sympathetic nerve control of the peripheral circulation during exercise, muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA), calf blood flow (CBF), heart rate (HR), blood pressure (BP) and oxygen uptake were measured during combined foot and forearm exercise. An initial period of rhythmic foot exercise (RFE) (60 min-1 at 10% of maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) was followed by the addition of rhythmic handgrip exercise (RFE + OCCL) (60 min at 30% of MVC) and by forearm ischaemia after handgrip exercise while continuing RFE (RFE + OCCL). During RFE, CBF in the working leg, HR and oxygen increased respectively by 560%, 121% and 144% when compared with the control rest period, but MSNA (burst rate) was reduced by 13% (P > 0.05) and BP was unchanged. During RFE + RHG, HR, BP and oxygen uptake were greater than during RFE alone. There was no change in CBF, but a significant increase occurred in calf vascular resistance (CVR) and MSNA increased to 121% of the control level. During RFE + OCCL, MSNA, CVR and BP were all higher than during RFE alone, whereas HR and oxygen uptake decreased slightly, although they remained higher than the control values. The increase in CVR in the working leg and the rise in BP during RFE + RHG or RFE + OCCL might be linked to enhancement of MSNA, which may have been reflexly evoked by input from muscle metabolic receptors in the working forearm."}
{"id": "PMID:1492563", "title": "Tolerance to haemorrhage during vasopressin antagonism and/or captopril treatment in conscious sheep.", "content": "The effect of separate and combined blockade of vasopressin (AVP) V1-receptors and angiotensin II formation on resistance to a slow venous haemorrhage (0.7 ml kg-1 min-1) was studied in six conscious adult sheep by bleeding to the point of an abrupt fall in the mean systemic arterial pressure (MSAP). Intravenous administration of the V1-receptor antagonist [d(CH2)5Tyr(Me)AVP] (10 micrograms kg-1) and/or the angiotensin I converting enzyme inhibitor captopril (20 mg + 1 mg h-1) did not cause any significant haemodynamic changes in the normovolaemic animal. The volume of haemorrhage necessary to induce acute hypotension (MSAP < 50 mmHg) was significantly smaller after AVP blockade alone (13.8 +/- 0.7 ml kg-1; P < 0.01) but not after captopril treatment (14.7 +/- 1.6 ml kg-1; n.s.) compared to control animals receiving no drug treatment (16.8 +/- 0.6 ml kg-1). The combined treatment with the AVP antagonist and captopril caused a further decrease in tolerance to haemorrhage (9.4 +/- 1.2 ml kg-1; P < 0.001). Blockade of AVP V1-receptors was associated with an attenuated increase in systemic vascular resistance immediately after the end of haemorrhage, concomitant with an accentuated lowering of the central venous pressure. In contrast, captopril treatment decreased the degree of vasoconstriction mainly during the second half of the posthaemorrhage observation period of 1 hour. It is concluded that both AVP and angiotensin II contribute to the maintenance of the MSAP during haemorrhage in conscious sheep.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1492564", "title": "Regulation of glomerular angiotensin II receptor densities in renovascular hypertension: response to reduced sympathetic and vasopressin influence.", "content": "The regulation of the density of angiotensin II receptors in renal glomeruli in response to changes in salt intake is altered in Sprague-Dawley rats with renovascular hypertension due to aortic constriction, and in hypertensive salt-sensitive Dahl rats (Sahlgren 1989, Sahlgren & Aperia 1989). This study examines the modulatory role of sympathetic activity and arginine-vasopressin on angiotensin II receptors in hypertensive Sprague-Dawley rats with aortic constriction as well as in normotensive control rats. Denervation of the left kidney caused a 50% increase in the glomerular angiotensin II receptor density in the denervated kidney in both hypertensive rats and normotensive controls. An even more marked increase in glomerular receptor density occurred in both hypertensive rats and controls after blocking the sympathetic nervous system with guanethidine. To block the effects of arginine-vasopressin we used a blocker of the V1-receptors (predominant in vessels) and found an approximately 100% increase in the glomerular receptor density of angiotensin II in rats with aortic constriction. There was no reduction in blood pressure. Thus, on the receptor level the renin-angiotensin system is markedly influenced by the activity of other major pressor systems."}
{"id": "PMID:1492565", "title": "Brain interstitial volume fraction and tortuosity in anoxia. Evaluation of the ion-selective micro-electrode method.", "content": "The micro-electrode method for determination of interstitial volume fraction (alpha) (Nicholson & Phillips 1981), was evaluated. The extracellular marker, tetramethylammonium+, is iontophoretically ejected from a micropipette and the change in concentration measured at a distance by an ion-sensitive micro-electrode and fitted to a diffusion equation. We used suspensions of human red blood cells as a model system and found that the values of alpha determined by this method and by haematocrit measurement were linearly correlated (r = 0.94) and not significantly different. The micro-electrode method was used to characterize the interstitial space in rat brain cortex during normal conditions and during arrest of blood flow supply. Transport of solutes in interstitial space is governed by two characteristics, the interstitial volume fraction and the tortuosity factor. During control conditions, the interstitial volume fraction was 0.18 +/- 0.02 (mean +/- SEM), whereas it decreased to 0.07 +/- 0.01 in ischaemia. The tortuosity factor was 1.40 +/- 0.05 in controls and increased to 1.63 +/- 0.09 during ischaemia. Our measurements support the validity of the micro-electrode method (Nicholson & Phillips 1981) and demonstrate that arrest of blood supply changes interstitial diffusional characteristics of brain cortex mainly by diminishing the size of the interstitial diffusional space."}
{"id": "PMID:1492566", "title": "A technique for studies of the contractile apparatus in single human muscle fibre segments obtained by percutaneous biopsy.", "content": "Human muscle samples were obtained with the percutaneous biopsy technique. The samples were membrane-hyperpermeabilized (skinned) using a chemical or freeze-drying technique. Short single fibre segments were dissected from the sample, transferred to an experimental chamber, connected to a force transducer and manipulator, and exposed to temperature-controlled solutions. The force generating-capacity, the sensitivity of the contractile apparatus to calcium and the caffeine threshold for calcium release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum could be studied in the short muscle fibre segments obtained from man with the percutaneous muscle biopsy technique. The average length of the fibre segments between the connectors was 0.44 +/- 0.21 mm. Thus, detailed studies of the contractile machinery can be made on human skinned muscle fibres with only minimal discomfort to the patient or subject during biopsy, which should be useful in studies of neuromuscular disease, muscle plasticity or in applied physiology."}
{"id": "PMID:1492567", "title": "The effects of testosterone on insulin sensitivity in male rats.", "content": "In order to examine the effects of testosterone (T) on insulin sensitivity, male rats were castrated or sham-operated, and exposed to low or high doses of T to substitute normal or to produce high serum T concentrations. Insulin sensitivity was followed by euglycaemic, hyperinsulinaemic glucose clamp measurements. An index of insulin-stimulated glucose transport was obtained in the white gastrocnemius (WG), extensor digitorum longus (EDL), red gastrocnemius (RG) and soleus (SOL) muscles after a bolus dose of [2-3H]deoxyglucose (2-DOG) when steady state was obtained in the clamp measurements. Glycogen synthesis was followed similarly with [U-14C]glucose as a labelled precursor after isolation of glycogen in the muscles mentioned, and in the liver. Castration and high T were followed by a marked insulin resistance in the clamp measurements. This was paralleled by a diminished insulin stimulation of glucose incorporation into glycogen down to about 50% of control values, apparently equally pronounced in all muscles but not found in liver glycogen synthesis. 2-DOG uptake was diminished by castration in the WG and RG muscles but was unaffected by high doses of T. Substitution of castrated rats with a low dose of T, restoring their serum T concentrations to the normal range, completely abolished these perturbations of insulin sensitivity. It is concluded that T is an important regulator of muscular insulin sensitivity, which seems to be highest in a 'window' of normal serum T concentrations."}
{"id": "PMID:1492568", "title": "The mediation of increased duodenal alkaline secretion in response to 10 mM HCl in the anaesthetized rat. Support for the involvement of capsaicin-sensitive nerve elements.", "content": "Experiments were performed on chloralose-anaesthetized rats. Bicarbonate secretion by the duodenal mucosa was continuously recorded by use of an in situ-titration technique. Exposing the duodenal segment to 10 mM HCl over 5 min increased the bicarbonate transport by about 65%. This acid-induced secretory response was resistant to neural decentralization by means of bilateral cervical vagotomy and/or splanchnicotomy. Furthermore, in the decentralized state, serosal application of the local anaesthetic lidocaine or tetrodotoxin (TTX) lowered basal duodenal bicarbonate secretion. Despite the presence of lidocaine or TTX, exposure of the duodenal mucosa to 10 mM HCl induced a net increase in secretion with a magnitude similar to that observed in the control situation with intact nerves. A 5-min exposure period of the decentralized duodenal segment to capsaicin (1.2 mg ml-1) raised bicarbonate secretion, a response which also occurred in the presence of lidocaine (serosa). Tachyphylaxis to capsaicin blocked the secretory response to 10 mM HCl and inhibited the response to luminal prostaglandin E2 (1.5 10(-5) M) by 80%. The present results indicate that luminal exposure to 10 mM HCl activates capsaicin-sensitive primary afferents which, locally within the submucosa or epithelium, activate the bicarbonate secretion."}
{"id": "PMID:1492577", "title": "The in vitro perifused rat ovary: I. Steroid secretion in response to ramp and pulsatile stimulation with luteinizing hormone and follicle stimulating hormone.", "content": "A computer-controlled perifusion apparatus has been used to investigate the effects of different patterns of hormonal stimulation on secretion of steroids by ovaries from untreated, or pregnant mare serum gonadotropin (PMSG)-pretreated, immature rats. With ovaries from untreated rats, a low rate of increasing concentration of gonadotropins (luteinizing hormone (LH) plus follicle stimulating hormone (FSH)) induced a maximum secretion of estradiol within 60 min (22.6 +/- 1.4 pg/mg/30 min). An intermediate and a high rate of increasing gonadotropin concentration stimulated maximum secretion (26.0 +/- 1.2 pg/mg/30 min) and 28.1 +/- 2.8 pg/mg/30 min), respectively) within 30 min. Peak secretion, however, was not maintained and was reduced despite continued LH/FSH pulses. Progesterone secretion increased during, and subsequent to, the decreasing estradiol output. Increasing amplitudes of LH/FSH or constant perifusion with LH/FSH did not change the profile, or the concentration of estradiol, but these measures increased progesterone release. An occasional transient increase in estradiol secretion was observed when ovaries from unstimulated rats were perifused with low LH/FSH pulse frequency. Thus, these studies support the hypothesis that in the prepubertal rat ovary, elements of pulse characteristics, such as rate of increasing LH/FSH concentration, and amplitude are important in differentially regulating steroid output. The steroid secretory pattern of ovaries from PMSG-treated prepubertal rats was different from that of untreated rats. With ovaries from PMSG-treated rats, an acute increase in secretion of progesterone, testosterone or estradiol was not observed, whether low or high rates of increasing gonadotropin concentration were used. Rather, the concentration of these steroids continued to rise following LH/FSH pulses. Thus, in contrast to the untreated ovary, the PMSG-treated ovary did not show differential regulation of steroid secretion in response to LH/FSH. In conclusion, we have shown the in vitro perifusion model to be a useful tool for studying the effects of different patterns of hormonal stimulation on ovarian steroidogenesis. In addition, differential effects of gonadotropins on steroid output were shown, depending upon prior maturation of the ovary."}
{"id": "PMID:1492578", "title": "The in vitro perifused rat ovary: II. Role of oxygen tension in the whole and quartered ovary.", "content": "In vitro perifusion of whole ovaries raises questions about tissue viability and its effects on the observed ovarian steroid secretion. To assess effects of tissue degeneration, whole and quartered ovaries from pregnant mare serum gonadotropin (PMSG-) treated immature rats were perifused for 8 h, employing various levels of pO2. Histological examination of both the whole and quartered ovary showed signs of degeneration in centrally located follicles but not in follicles located near the surface. However, basal and gonadotropin-stimulated (luteinizing hormone plus follicle stimulating hormone) secretion of estradiol, testosterone and progesterone were not significantly different in the whole ovary whether in the presence of high or low pO2 (n = 8; p > 0.05). Similarly, although the quartered ovary secreted greater amounts of steroids than did the whole ovaries (p < 0.05, n = 8), pO2 levels did not affect the steroid output. We conclude that during in vitro perifusion, minimal oxygen supply is sufficient for ovarian steroidogenesis to proceed. In addition, although quartered ovaries displayed some evidence of tissue degeneration, they were more responsive in terms of steroid output per mg ovary than were whole ovaries."}
{"id": "PMID:1492579", "title": "Progesterone administration by nasal spray in menopausal women: comparison between two different spray formulations.", "content": "The aim of the study was to compare the bioavailability of progesterone dissolved in almond oil or dimethicone, and administered by nasal spray. Twenty healthy menopausal women were randomly allocated to treatment by four doses of intranasal spray either of a progesterone solution in almond oil, 2 mg/0.1 ml, corresponding to a total dose of approximately 11 mg of progesterone, or a progesterone solution in dimethicone 5 mg/0.1 ml corresponding to a total dose of approximately 28 mg of progesterone. Circulating progesterone levels were calculated at various time intervals following administration. The formulation with almond oil yielded a maximum progesterone concentration (Cmax of 3.75 ng/ml at Tmax = 60 min, and the area under the curve (AUC0-720) value was 1481.6 +/- 343. The formulation with dimethicone yielded a mean Cmax of 1.049 ng/ml at Tmax = 30 min; the AUC0-720 value was 302.06 +/- 37.5. Therefore, bioavailability of progesterone dissolved in almond oil proved to be largely superior compared to the solution in dimethicone. The crucial role of the carrier in the spray formulations is discussed; in addition to ensuring clinical safety, it must have good solubility for progesterone, be fluid enough to enable efficient 'spraying' and also must allow progesterone to be absorbed through the nasal mucosa."}
{"id": "PMID:1492580", "title": "High density lipoprotein concentration is increased during the ovulatory phase of the menstrual cycle in healthy young women.", "content": "This study aimed to examine the relation between sex steroid hormone fluctuations during the menstrual cycle and serum lipoproteins and their constituents. Serum was obtained in the early follicular, preovulatory, and midluteal phases from 18 young women. Ovulation was confirmed by estrogen and progesterone assays. High density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) was found to increase by 16% in the preovulatory phase, in comparison to the early follicular phase. Serum apolipoprotein-AI (Apo-AI) was elevated in the preovulatory and mid-luteal phases (14% and 19%, respectively) in comparison to the early follicular phase. Total cholesterol, triglycerides, very low, and low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (VLDL-C and LDL-C) and apolipoprotein-B (Apo-B) serum levels did not change throughout the cycle. In the mid-luteal phase, the Apo-AI/HDL-C ratio was higher than in the other two phases, suggesting altered HDL composition during this phase. These results suggest that endogenous progesterone, unlike some synthetic progestogens, does not negate the beneficial effect of estrogen on serum lipoproteins."}
{"id": "PMID:1492581", "title": "The effect of somatostatin analog octreotide (Sandostatin) on luteinizing hormone and ovarian steroids in insulin-dependent diabetic women without residual insulin secretion.", "content": "In order to determine whether the inhibitory effect of octreotide on luteinizing hormone (LH) secretion and ovarian steroids observed in women with polycystic ovaries (PCO) is a direct or indirect action of the analog, we have investigated the effect of 7 days of octreotide on LH, follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and ovarian steroids in nine insulin-dependent diabetic women without residual insulin secreting, as in these patients a possibly confusing inhibitory effect of octreotide on endogenous insulin production is excluded. LH and FSH pulsatility over 4 h and hormonal responses (LH, FSH, estradiol, testosterone and androstenedione) to a single subcutaneous injection of buserelin were measured before and after 7 days' treatment with octreotide 100 micrograms subcutaneously twice a day. Octreotide failed to induce a significant reduction in either serum gonadotropin or ovarian steroid levels, although there was a general tendency of hormonal responses to buserelin to be lower with the analog. The effect of octreotide on LH secretion seems to be in correlation with the pretreatment levels which are, in turn, at least determined partly by endogenous insulin secretion. Thus, the results of the present study support the view that insulin has an important influence on LH secretion."}
{"id": "PMID:1492582", "title": "Multiple serum marker assay in the diagnosis of endometriosis.", "content": "Serum levels of CA-125, CA-15-3 and TAG-72 were measured in 81 patients with endometriosis, diagnosed by laparoscopy, and staged according to the Revised American Fertility Society, and in 31 control subjects. The values of CA-125 and CA-15-3 were also determined in peritoneal fluid. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the clinical usefulness of these various markers in the diagnosis of endometriosis by using them either by themselves or combined. High serum levels of CA-125 were found in 43 of 81 patients with endometriosis (53%) and in five of 38 control subjects (13%). The values of serum CA-125 progressively increased in relation to the severity of the disease. High serum values of CA-15-3 and TAG-72 were also found in patients with endometriosis, but with a similar incidence also in control patients. High CA-125 and CA-15-3 values in peritoneal fluid were found in all patients investigated. These results suggest that measurement of serum CA-15-3 and TAG-72 in addition to CA-125, does not provide any advantage for the diagnosis of endometriosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1492583", "title": "GnRH agonist analog therapy in advanced/recurrent granulosa cell tumors: further evidence of a role of inhibin in monitoring response to treatment.", "content": "Five patients with advanced ovarian granulosa cell malignancies resistant to cytotoxic chemotherapy were treated with monthly subcutaneous injections of long-acting gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) agonist analog. One partial response and one stabilization of the disease were observed. In three patients, the tumor continued to progress. Treatment response was monitored with serum inhibin assay. Four patients had high serum inhibin concentrations at the beginning of GnRH analog treatment, while one patient had an inhibin-negative tumor. In three of four patients, serum inhibin remained relatively constant, or decreased during the first 3 months of therapy. It subsequently increased, in parallel with clinical deterioration. Further clinical trials with GnRH analogs are warranted in this malignancy in which serum inhibin appeared to be a clinically valuable tumor marker."}
{"id": "PMID:1492584", "title": "Vaginal progesterone administration in physiological doses normalizes raised luteinizing hormone levels in patients with polycystic ovarian syndrome.", "content": "A raised luteinizing hormone (LH) level is a typical finding in the polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). This inappropriate elevation of LH is thought to interfere with normal follicular development and ovulation. The resulting chronic anovulation is associated with the absence of the luteal phase increase in secretion of progesterone and inhibin. Progesterone can exert both a positive and negative feedback action on LH secretion, but inhibition is thought to occur following prolonged exposure to progesterone. Therefore, the aim of this study was to see if exogenously administered progesterone in physiological doses would normalize circulating LH concentrations in patients with PCOS. Vaginal progesterone was administered twice daily in a dose of 100 mg, at 12 h intervals, to ten women with PCOS. Serum samples were taken on alternate days for radioimmunoassay of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), LH, estradiol, progesterone and inhibin. To determine the effect of progesterone on LH secretory dynamics in PCOS, LH pulse studies were carried out prior to treatment, and on day 10 of progesterone administration in four of the ten subjects. Mean serum progesterone concentrations reached 51 nmol/l by 4 days after exogenous progesterone treatment, and remained in the mid-luteal phase range, as established in 12 normal cycles, during the use of the vaginal suppository. The mean serum LH concentration had fallen significantly (p < or = 0.01) after 8 days of treatment, and continued to fall progressively until the end of progesterone administration. Serum LH concentrations had fallen into the normal follicular phase range by 14 days (mean 5.5, range 3.4-10.9 IU/l; normal follicular phase range 1.8-10.0 IU/l).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1492585", "title": "The value of an electronic microcomputerized basal body temperature measurement device (Bioself) in in vitro fertilization cycles.", "content": "The Bioself 110 electronic basal body temperature (BBT) measurement device was employed in 18 women undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF). This microcomputer-operated device records, charts and accurately analyzes the mean temperature measurements. These temperature recordings were used in addition to transvaginal ovarian sonography and serum estradiol and progesterone levels. The BBT rise correlated significantly (p < 0.0002) with progesterone elevation following human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) administration. It is suggested that this electronic device may be used as an additional tool in the detection of premature progesterone secretion in IVF cycles."}
{"id": "PMID:1492586", "title": "Urinary and amniotic epidermal growth factor during normal and abnormal pregnancies. A comparison based upon umbilical Doppler velocimetry.", "content": "Fetal growth retardation is associated with abnormal umbilical flow velocity. We have begun a systematic study of growth factors and their relationship to this specific pattern of growth retardation. Using a specific double-antibody epidermal growth factor (EGF) 125I-radioimmunoassay, we studied urinary EGF in normal pregnancy from 5 to 42 weeks of gestation, and amniotic fluid EGF from 18 to 24 weeks. EGF levels increased from early pregnancy until 21-28 weeks, when they declined to a level at term similar to non-pregnant controls and first-trimester pregnancy levels. There was no significant difference in urinary EGF levels between women delivering appropriate-for-gestational-age (AGA) infants, and those delivering small-for-gestational-age infants (SGA). We conclude that the urinary EGF is not different in the SGA pregnancy from normal pregnancy."}
{"id": "PMID:1492587", "title": "The human first-term placenta in vitro: regulation of hCG secretion by GnRH and its antagonist.", "content": "Gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) has been proposed to play a role in the regulation of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) release from the human placenta. To test this assumption, we utilized an in vitro perifusion system, together with cultures of placental explants, to investigate short- and long-term effects of GnRH and its respective antagonist on the hCG secretion from the early human placenta. Tissue slices of human placenta (100 mg), obtained from first-trimester terminations of pregnancies, were continuously perifused and the effluent collected in fractions of 2-20 min. After initial perifusion periods of 30-40 min, either GnRH, a GnRH antagonist (SB-75; Asta Pharma, Frankfurt, Germany) or both compounds at equimolar concentrations were added to the perifusion medium at final concentration of 10(-4)-10(-8) mol/l). Administration was effected either continuously or intermittently in 10-min pulses. Further, 50-mg pieces of placental tissue explants were cultured in tissue culture plates for up to 6 days. During the perifusions, hCG (determined by enzymeimmunoassay) was found to be released spontaneously in a pulsatile fashion. Pulse amplitudes and frequencies of this episodic hCG secretion were increased in response to GnRH, but not affected by GnRH antagonist. Also, GnRH stimulated the hCG secretion during cultures of placental explants. When pharmacological doses of GnRH (10(-4) mol/l) were utilized, this stimulatory effect of GnRH was no longer evident, while perifusion with medium containing GnRH antagonist at identical concentrations stimulated the hCG secretion, indicating an intrinsic agonistic activity of the antagonist.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1492589", "title": "Regulation of the low affinity receptor for nerve growth factor, p75NGFR, in the olfactory system of neonatal and adult rat.", "content": "Using MAb192, a monoclonal antibody to the rat low affinity receptor for nerve growth factor (p75NGFR), we determined the expression of p75NGFR in rat neonatal and adult olfactory system. In neonates and adults, we observed discrete p75NGFR-immunoreactivity (p75NGFR-ir) in the glomerular layer of the main olfactory bulb. The intensity and organization of glomerular p75NGFR-ir increased with age. This was in keeping with the general ontogeny of the main olfactory bulb. Generally, granule cells, mitral cells and periglomerular cells of the main olfactory bulb were not specifically stained. However, in early neonates, granule cells close to the lateral olfactory tract exhibited p75NGFR-ir. Additional specific staining was found in the olfactory receptor neurons of neonatal and adult olfactory neuroepithelium, the olfactory fascicles and in the glomeruli of the accessory olfactory bulb. The intensity, but not the organization, of specific staining in the accessory olfactory bulb increased as the animal matured. We believe that p75NGFR-ir in the olfactory system is associated with its unique capacity to regenerate its peripheral input to the main olfactory bulb. The presence of p75NGFR-ir in the accessory olfactory bulb would suggest a broader role for this protein. Here we discuss the implications of these findings with regards to nerve growth factor, other trophic molecules, and their receptors. The data presented provide a foundation for studies involving manipulation of regenerative phenomena while monitoring the expression of neurotrophic factors and their receptors."}
{"id": "PMID:1492590", "title": "Immunofluorescent labeling of tight junctions in the rat brain and spinal cord.", "content": "Tight junctions may play an important role in maintaining the integrity of the blood-brain barrier. These junctions can be individually visualized using electron microscopy but no current technique is able to provide a more global picture of the presence and density of tight junctions in central nervous system tissue. We used an antibody that recognizes a high molecular weight protein (ZO-1) associated with tight junctions, to identify these specialized junctions within the rat brain and spinal cord. Immunofluorescent labeling showed a network of tight junctions between cells in the brain vasculature, leptomeninges and choroid plexus, and between tanycytes lining the floor of the third ventricle and the central canal of the spinal cord. Anti-ZO-1 labeled the majority of cells associated with the blood-brain barrier and may prove a useful marker, possibly in conjunction with functional dye studies, in evaluating the anatomical and functional integrity of the blood-brain barrier."}
{"id": "PMID:1492591", "title": "Neuritogenesis on collagen substrates. Involvement of integrin-like matrix receptors in retinal fibre outgrowth on collagen.", "content": "Extracellular matrix molecules such as laminin, fibronectin and collagen promote neurite outgrowth in vitro. We have investigated the capacity of hydrated gels of collagen types I-III and monomeric collagen types I-VI on plastic surfaces to support neuritogenesis. The attachment and survival of explants from the day 6 chick embryo were studied and neurite outgrowth measured as mean elongation rate and maximal neurite length. Collagen types I and III, both as three-dimensional gels or as native monomers supported neuritogenesis equal to or better than laminin. Collagen type V also supported neurite out-growth although less effectively. Collagen types II, IV and VI, as well as denatured collagens of all types tested, did not support outgrowth. The monoclonal anti-beta 1 integrin antibody (CSAT), as well as rabbit polyclonal antibodies directed to the integrin beta 1-chain, effectively inhibited neurite outgrowth on permissive collagenous substrata, indicating that collagen-binding integrins were involved in the neuritogenesis. These beta 1-integrins were independent of Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) since neurite formation proceeded in the presence of synthetic RGD-containing peptides. Fluorescence immunohistochemistry revealed the presence of the integrin beta 1-chain on the outgrowing neurites. The results suggest a possible function of collagen and collagen-binding integrins in the development of the visual system."}
{"id": "PMID:1492592", "title": "Recovery of vestibular function in young guinea pigs after streptomycin treatment. Glutamate decarboxylase activity and nystagmus response assessment.", "content": "Fifty-day streptomycin (STP) treatment in guinea pigs causes specific vestibular hair cell (VHC) types I and II (HCI; HCII) degeneration, depletion of glutamate decarboxylase (GAD) and a gradual disappearance of postrotatory nystagmus response (PRNR), which is a sign of vestibular function alteration. In order to look for a possible spontaneous reversibility and its time course guinea pigs receiving 300 mg/kg STP daily were monitored for PRNR and vestibular GAD loss. Once PRNR was lost, STP was interrupted and the animal was allowed to recover; at the time that PRNR was completely reestablished, vestibular GAD was measured. PRNR was lost within 22-25 days of STP treatment. Vestibular GAD showed a loss that, with time of treatment, gave two slopes: a fast decrement (45% in 20 days) and a slow one (40% in the remaining 30). Stopping of the STP treatment after 22-25 days and animal recovery resulted in the return of both PRNR and GAD activity 22 days after STP stoppage. These results suggest two STP-susceptible GAD-containing VHC populations, one more sensitive than the other, possibly HCI followed by hair cell II (HCII). As hypothetic HCI loss and PRNR disappearance is simultaneous, the important role of the former for vestibular function could be inferred. Interruption of STP treatment after PRNR loss results in a long range restoration of both GAD activity and vestibular function, and thus recovery of HCI, the first evidence of its occurrence in a mammalian vestibule, could be suggested. The intimate mechanism of this recovery remains to be seen."}
{"id": "PMID:1492593", "title": "NMDA receptor levels in chronically depolarized long-term neonatal rat neocortical explants.", "content": "The levels of the N-methyl-D-aspartate subclass of glutamate receptor were determined in organotypic neocortical explants chronically exposed to a growth medium containing 25 mM potassium (K25). Explants exposed to 25 mM potassium for 2-3 weeks evinced significantly less binding of the non-competitive N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor-associated channel antagonist 125I-MK801 than did age-matched controls. Surprisingly, cultures that were returned to control growth medium for a further 2 or 7 days showed even less binding of the ligand. The Kd values of binding were not affected and were similar to those of fresh postnatal cortex. The maximum number of binding sites did not vary between postnatal day 6 and 14 days in vitro control cultures, but were significantly less than those measured at postnatal day 20 (comparable age: 14 days in vitro). Several conclusions can be drawn from these findings: (i) the density of the N-methyl-D-aspartate subclass glutamate receptor does not attain in vivo levels under the present culturing conditions, but remains at those levels associated with the stage of development at which the tissue was brought into culture, (ii) chronic depolarization results in a drastic reduction in N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor density, which is not compensated for after the return to normal growth conditions, (iii) depolarization selectively inhibits cellular maturation of the neocortex (but not survival, as shown previously), including neurotransmitter receptor production and/or insertion into membranes or assembly."}
{"id": "PMID:1492594", "title": "Neonatal prazosin exposure reduces ovarian weight and estrogen receptor binding in adult female rats.", "content": "Exposure of estrogen treated adult female guinea pigs to the alpha-1 antagonist prazosin has been shown to reduce levels of estrogen binding in the hypothalamus and preoptic area. To further investigate this interaction between the noradrenergic and neuroendocrine axes, newborn female rat pups received an s.c. implant of prazosin (0.0125 mg/day for 5 days) or placebo. In adulthood, subjects were sacrificed by perfusion with DMSO on the morning of proestrous. Tissue analysis of the medial preoptic area, corticomedial amygdala, and mediobassal hypothalamus revealed that cytosolic estrogen binding was significantly reduced in all three areas for the prazosin treated group as compared to controls. Ovarian weight was also significantly reduced in the prazosin treated group, although uterine weight was unaffected. Interestingly, prazosin treated females showed a post-pubertal increase in body weight characteristic of ovariectomized females, while controls showed no such increase. These results support the existence of a significant developmental interaction between the noradrenergic system and the neuroendocrine axis as measured by ovarian weight and estrogen binding in the brain."}
{"id": "PMID:1492595", "title": "Distribution of cholinergic neurons in the chick spinal cord during embryonic development. Comparison of ChAT immunocytochemistry with AChE histochemistry.", "content": "The location of cholinergic neurons was studied during the development of the chick embryo spinal cord. A comparison between choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) immunocytochemistry and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) histochemistry was performed. ChAT-positive neurons could be detected only from embryonic day 9 (E9) onwards by the FITC technique and from E12 onwards by the PAP technique. These neurons were located mainly in the medial and lateral motor columns in the ventral horn of the gray matter and some of them were observed in the intermediate region of the spinal cord. AChE-containing cell bodies were much more numerous than the ChAT immunoreactive ones and were distributed in the ventral horn of the gray matter, the intermediate gray region and mostly off the apical part of the dorsal horn. ChAT should provide a reliable and specific marker for cholinergic neurons."}
{"id": "PMID:1492600", "title": "[Angiographic diagnosis of intracranial aneurysms: study of the experience of the neuroradiology service at the Egas Moniz Hospital].", "content": "In this work, 139 intra-cranial aneurysms diagnosed at the Egas Moniz Hospital were studied, from 1980 to the first quarter of 1992. The nature of this type of lesions was discussed, and aneurysms were defined as an abnormal and segmental dilatation of an intracranial artery wall. A statistical study was performed, including 67 cases after selection, corresponding to 71 aneurysms. Of these, 39% originated from the anterior cerebral artery, 37% from the carotid siphon, 18% from the middle cerebral artery and 6% were found in the vertebro-basilar system. The observed topographic incidence of the symptomatic aneurysms was compared with neuropathology data. The results obtained with the hypothesis test for a proportion are suggestive of an increased incidence of symptoms for the aneurysms of the anterior cerebral artery, with a significance level alpha = 0.05."}
{"id": "PMID:1492601", "title": "[Neuroradiology in the physiopathologic diagnosis of subarachnoid hemorrhage--cerebral aneurysm].", "content": "The clinical importance of the cerebral aneurismatic lesion in well known. In Portugal we still do not have reliable statistics regarding the occurrence of the subarachnoid hemorrhage, however we can make a comparison through Kassel's and Drake's studies where they refer that annually 28,000 North-Americans suffer from subarachnoid hemorrhage attributed to the rupture of the cerebral aneurysm. This is a clinical situation that needs to be analyzed, more so because if it is not diagnosed and treated in time, it can cause a high level of morbidity and mortality. From 1984 to 1990, the authors studied 208 clinical cases of in-patients at the Santa Maria Hospital who had been diagnosed as having subarachnoid hemorrhage-cerebral aneurysm. They analyzed 172 cranium-encephalic Tomographies and 190 cerebral Angiographies. They found levels that overlapped the series already published with respect to the location of the lesion, dimensions and age groups involved. They tried to relate the presence aneurysm in the willis arterial circle with the occurrence of locoregional anatomic variants that were detected in 51% of the patients with aneurysm of the anterior communicating artery and in 33% of the cases in the posterior communicating artery. The high occurrence of serious forms of tomodensitrometric presentation should also be emphasized. As a matter of fact, 42.6% of the patients studied were grouped in degree IV of the Fisher Scale. This result translates the effort that is still required towards an early clinical and imaging diagnosis of warning hemorrhage to avoid or prevent a catastrophic hemorrhage recurrence."}
{"id": "PMID:1492596", "title": "Tumor necrosis factor in solid tumors: increased blood levels in the metastatic disease.", "content": "TNF, a cytokine produced by macrophages, is able either to exert an antitumor activity, or to determine severe clinical complications, such as cachexia and septic shock. Increased blood levels of TNF have been described in cancer patients. The present study was performed to better define TNF secretion in patients with solid tumors. The study included 48 cancer patients (lung cancer: 22; colon cancer: 11; breast cancer: 10; renal cancer: 5), and among them 27 showed distant organ metastases. TNF serum levels were measured by IRMA method. The control group comprised 40 healthy subjects. TNF levels were also evaluated in relation to those of SIL-2R, whose increase seems to be associated with an unfavorable prognosis in cancer. High levels of TNF were seen in 27/48 (56%) patients. Mean levels of TNF were significantly higher in cancer patients than in controls. Moreover, within the cancer group, TNF mean values were significantly higher in metastatic patients than in those without metastases; the highest levels were observed in patients with visceral lesions as dominant metastasis sites. Finally, patients with high TNF concentrations showed significantly higher mean levels of SIL-2R than those with normal values. This study shows that the neoplastic metastatic disease is associated with an exaggerated TNF secretion."}
{"id": "PMID:1492602", "title": "Percutaneous placement of inferior vena cava filters.", "content": "Pulmonary embolism is a serious and difficult problem. Many approaches for the prevention of recurrent pulmonary embolism have been tried. Percutaneous placement of inferior vena cava filters is an easy, safe, available and well established procedure for the prevention of pulmonary embolism. The authors review the indications for use of IVC filters, and they review the main filters available in terms of ease of use, the physical characteristics, the technique of introduction, the efficacy and morbidity, and the potential complications associated with their use. Insertion of IVC filters by percutaneous approach was successfully performed in 6 patients with recurrent pulmonary embolism. Following the intervention procedure without complication there were no further pulmonary emboli."}
{"id": "PMID:1492603", "title": "[Value of percutaneous nephrostomy in nephrology].", "content": "Percutaneous Nephrostomy (P.N.) has been traditionally used by Urologists. The authors seek to demonstrate the interest of its mastering by members of Nephrology teams, by reviewing 27 cases of unilateral or bilateral P.N. performed in a Nephrology unit from 1983 to 1991. The single most frequent indication for P.N. was Acute or Chronic Renal Insufficiency of obstructive etiology (21 cases), followed by infected Hydronephrosis (4), assessment of residual function of an obstructed Kidney (1) and renal colic in a pregnant woman (1). There were no major complications of the procedure. P.N. allowed correction of metabolic derangements and of infections, enabling the definitive etiologic solution to take place in a clearly favourable clinical context."}
{"id": "PMID:1492597", "title": "Interferon-gamma (r-IFN-gamma) induced activation of alveolar macrophages (AM) from anergic patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).", "content": "Forty-six anergic patients (37 males and 9 females, age range 55-79 yr) were selected from ninety-one patients suffering from COPD due to frequent exacerbations and impaired delayed cutaneous reactivity (43.9%). The phenotype of circulating lymphocytes, their proliferative response to a panel of polyclonal T-cell activators and the candidacidal activity (CA) of circulating PMNs (polymorphonuclear cells) were measured. In 13 patients presenting a defective CA of circulating PMNs, the in vitro response of alveolar macrophage CA to r-IFN-gamma was also determined. We found: 1) a significant reduction in the CL response to PHA in COPD patients vs controls; 2) a low PMN-CA in 23 (57%) COPD patients; 3) a non-significant difference in phenotype analysis in patients and controls; 4) lower CA of AMs in COPD patients than in controls; 5) restoration in vitro of CA by r-IFN-gamma in the group of anergic COPD patients presenting depressed CA. We conclude that a defective cell-mediated immunity could be the basis of the enhanced susceptibility to infectious exacerbations in many COPD patients and that, in vitro, it could be reversed by r-IFN-gamma treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1492598", "title": "In vitro antitumor effect of LAK cells and alpha interferon in combination on tumor cell lines.", "content": "In vitro antitumor effects of LAK cells and alpha-2b-Interferon (IFN) either alone or in combination were evaluated on NK resistant (K562) and NK sensitive (Namalwa, Raji) cell lines. Tumor cells were incubated with LAK cells for 4, 8 and 24 hours at a LAK: tumor cell ratio of 1:1, 10:1, 100:1, or with IFN for 48 and 96 h at the concentrations of 100, 1000, 10,000, 100,000 IU/ml. A clonogenic assay was utilised to enumerate residual cells after in vitro treatment. A positive correlation was found between tumor cell killing and effector: target ratio, IFN of 100:1 incubated for 4 h, and 100 IU/ml of IFN incubated for 48 h were further chosen. A synergistic effect was found when IFN was incubated before LAK cells or contemporarily, but not when IFN was incubated after LAK cells. These findings demonstrate that an additive or a synergistic effect in vitro can be obtained by adding the two agents in different sequences and suggest that a potential utility of LAK cells and IFN in vivo should be tested in clinical trials."}
{"id": "PMID:1492604", "title": "[Radiologic manifestations of AIDS in the thorax].", "content": "In AIDS, pulmonary involvement is the main cause of morbidity and death. In this article the author makes a short report of the illness and a review of its radiological pulmonary images, in what concerns infections, tumoral, non-infections and non-tumoral pathology. Finally, the author proposes a radiological follow-up of great interest for the early diagnosis and treatment of the illness."}
{"id": "PMID:1492599", "title": "Rapid high level production and purification of recombinant murine and human interferons alpha from Escherichia coli.", "content": "The availability of large quantities of pure interferon alpha (IFN-alpha) subtypes for in vivo studies has often proved difficult. This paper presents details on the use of the commercially available pGEX expression system for the production and purification of milligram (mg) quantities of recombinant Murine (Mu) and Human (Hu) IFNs-alpha-1 in Escherichia coli. Initially a fusion product is made which can be rapidly purified on a glutathione-sepharose 4B affinity matrix. Biologically active IFN-alpha can then be released from the matrix by cleavage with the restriction protease activated factor X (FXa+7,++). Routine yields of the final products were in the range of 0.5 to 2.0 mg/l of original culture."}
{"id": "PMID:1492605", "title": "[Research in psychogeriatrics. Various theoretical and methodologic aspects].", "content": "The rapid increase in individuals aged 65 years old and more in the general population has directed attention to geriatrics, a medical specialty concerned with the study, prevention and treatment of pathological conditions in the aged. Among these conditions, frequent psychiatric disturbances occur and therefore it is widely recognized the increasing role of psychogeriatrics. A comprehensive review of theoretical and methodological issues related with research in psychogeriatrics is presented. In a short introduction, the state of the art in some main areas is analyzed. It is pointed out that controversial and unsolved problems still influence the ongoing research in this field. The use of different theoretical models is discussed, taking into consideration their specific scope and drawbacks. Psychopathological phenomena in the elderly are under the influence of a variety of etiologic and pathogenic factors and the conclusion arises that an adequate conceptual framework can be provided by systemic and multifactorial models. However, in order to preserve their explicatory power, they require valid and reliable definitions of all variables involved--not only independent and dependent variables, but also mediating variables--as well as clear hypothesis on their relationships. Different approaches for the fulfillment of these requirements are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1492606", "title": "[Gastric carcinoid associated with pernicious anemia].", "content": "A clinical case of a patient with pernicious anaemia and a carcinoid tumor of the gastric fundus is described. In the context of the case the relationship between pernicious anaemia, achlorhydria, atrophic gastritis and gastric carcinoid is discussed. The gastric neuroendocrine tumours and their structural and functional characteristics were reviewed in an attempt to clarify the nomenclature and the diagnostic and therapeutic approach in these situations."}
{"id": "PMID:1492607", "title": "[Primary hyperparathyroidism].", "content": "Primary hyperparathyroidism due to a solitary adenoma of the right inferior parathyroid gland was diagnosed in a 60 year old female, presenting a 4 year complaint of progressive disabling bone and joint pain. The diagnostic follow-up used in this case, including the imaging techniques, the clinical features and the medical and surgical management are presented and discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1492608", "title": "[William Harvey: his life and work (2)].", "content": "William Harvey's biography is briefly summarized in this essay. The author shows a bird's-eye view of the 16th and the 17th centuries, with regard to the transformations which occurred in science, and narrates Harvey's life. A short description is given of his precursors and their ideas. His most important works are analysed, as well as contemporary scientists' reactions to them. Special emphasis was laid on the discovery of the blood circulation."}
{"id": "PMID:1492610", "title": "Effects of various growth factors on a chondrocyte differentiation model.", "content": "We developed a new 4-dimensional differentiation model of growth-cartilage cells (temporally and spatially regulated). composed of a high-density suspension culture of rabbit costal chondrocytes. In this system, fibroblast growth factor (FGF) or transforming growth factor-beta (TGF beta) stimulated proliferation and matrix synthesis, but reversibly inhibited terminal differentiation-induction of alkaline phosphatase (Alpase) activity, type X collagen synthesis and subsequent calcification. When parathyroid hormone (PTH) was added to the differentiation model, both the induction of Alpase and calcium uptake were reversibly suppressed. In contrast, calcitonin (CT) stimulated Alpase activity and calcium uptake dose-dependently. Bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) strongly stimulated DNA synthesis of chondrocytes in the presence of FGF and induced rapid maturation of chondrocytes at a growing stage. Moreover, BMP stimulated Alpase activity in multilayered chondrocytes at the calcifying stage."}
{"id": "PMID:1492611", "title": "Potential role of HBGF (FGF) and TGF-beta on prostate growth.", "content": "We review in this paper the role of heparin-binding growth factor (HBGF*) or fibroblast growth factor (FGF*), rat prostate cancer cells produce TGF-beta, IGF-II* and OGF*. Of these growth factors, TGF-beta and unknown labile factor with 19 kDa are the most probable candidates responsible for osteoblastic bony metastasis of prostate cancer. In vitro experiments suggest that TGF-beta modulates cell detachment of prostate cancer cells together with nutritional factors. HBGF-dependent growth of the prostate tumor epithelial cells is free from inhibition by TGF-beta, whereas normal prostate epithelial cells are sensitive to TGF-beta inhibition. Transfection experiments suggest that HBGF-2 (basic FGF) might be closely related to the malignant growth of prostate cancer, in addition to tumor angiogenesis."}
{"id": "PMID:1492612", "title": "Animal prostate carcinoma models: limited potential for vertebral metastasis.", "content": "Several methods for induction of rat prostate carcinomas are now available. The induced adenocarcinomas, which develop normally in the lateral and/or dorsal prostate, are invasive and can form distant metastases. Metastatic sites include the abdominal cavity, liver, lung, and/or lymph nodes but, as yet, bone metastasis of prostate cancers in experimental animals has not been reported, despite its being very common in man. Anatomical and hemodynamic differences seem to be account for this lack of bone metastasis."}
{"id": "PMID:1492615", "title": "Analysis of bone metastasis of prostatic adenocarcinoma in 137 autopsy cases.", "content": "Metastatic frequency to various organ sites in 137 autopsy cases with histologically confirmed prostatic adenocarcinoma was examined retrospectively. Bone lymph node metastases were observed in 81% and 82.5% of the cases, respectively. Lung and liver metastases were noted in 46.7% and 30.7% of the cases respectively. Statistical analysis of the inter-relation among metastases to the bones, lymph nodes, lungs and liver revealed that 83.2% of cases with lymph node metastasis also had bone metastasis. Sixty out of 64 cases with lung metastasis also presented with bone metastasis. There was a significant correlation of metastases between bones and lymph nodes, bones and lungs, and lymph nodes and lungs. Although approximately 88% of cases with liver metastasis also had bone metastasis, this relationship was not statistically significant. there was a statistically significant relationship between lung metastasis and specific sites of bone metastases, i.e. vertebrae, ribs, and sternum. Using the Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel statistical method, we found that the metastatic combination between lung and bone was significantly related in cases with or without lymph node metastasis. These observations suggest that the Batson's vertebral system might play an important role in the metastatic spread of prostatic adenocarcinoma either to the bones or lungs."}
{"id": "PMID:1492616", "title": "Flow cytometric analysis of prostatic carcinoma with and without bone marrow metastasis.", "content": "We have analyzed 68 prostates obtained at autopsy, for DNA ploidy by means of flow cytometry from patients who had clinical prostatic carcinoma with (29 cases) and without (39 cases) bone marrow metastasis. Flow cytometric analysis revealed 42 diploid cases and 26 aneuploid cases in a total of 68 cases. Among the 26 cases of aneuploidy, 4 cases were tetraploid aneuploid and 22 cases were not tetraploid aneuploid. The highest incidence for the aneuploidy was found in stage D2 disease (19/29, 65.5%), while the highest incidence for diploid was seen in stage B disease (23/25, 92.0%). The correlation between ploidy and bone marrow metastasis was significant (P < 0.01). We thus reconfirm that flow cytometric analysis of paraffin embedded tissue is useful for prognostic evaluation of prostatic carcinoma."}
{"id": "PMID:1492618", "title": "Bone marrow MRI in prostate cancer.", "content": "Normal bone marrow MRI has a distinct pattern with STIR pulse sequence MRI. The central low signal intensity area corresponds to fatty marrow. The red marrow is distributed in the peripheral portion of the vertebrae and shows a high signal intensity. Prostatic cancer metastases to the bone marrow revealed a high signal intensity with STIR. Prior to the appearance of an abnormal scintigram and radiograph, MRI was able to depict an abnormality."}
{"id": "PMID:1492619", "title": "Bone mineral density for patients with bone metastasis of prostate cancer: a preliminary report.", "content": "Patients with prostate cancer frequently have osseous metastases which are qualitatively assessed with bone scannings. We have studied the quantitative evaluation of skeletal diseases by measuring bone mineral density (BMD) in the lumbar vertebrae and radius. Forty-four patients with prostate cancer, nine with non-prostatic urogenital cancer and 90 controls were entered in this study. Among the patients with prostate cancer, the values of BMD in the lumbar vertebrae were significantly higher in patients with osseous metastasis than in those without metastasis, whereas the values of BMD in the radius were insignificantly different. Most of the patients with high levels of BMD in the lumbar vertebrae had osseous metastatic disease with no relationship between BMD in the lumbar vertebrae and the radius. The values of BMD in the lumbar vertebrae where hot spot scans were observed were related to X-ray findings. The alterations of BMD levels in the lumbar vertebrae were quantitatively evaluable as responses to androgen deprivation therapy. Measurement of BMD is useful for the accurate diagnosis of osteosclerotic lesions. BMD measurements of the lumbar vertebrae compared with those in the radius were variable in individuals."}
{"id": "PMID:1492621", "title": "The usefulness of serum acid phosphatase in monitoring patients with advanced prostate carcinoma.", "content": "The usefulness of serum acid phosphatase (SAP) in monitoring patients with advanced prostate carcinoma has been questioned. We reviewed a series of 59 patients with stage D2 prostate carcinoma. All patients had extended follow-up through at least one clinical relapse, or death. Responses to a variety of therapies were characterized as absent, subjective, or objective. All patients with an elevated pre-treatment SAP that fell to normal following therapy had prolonged survivals and improved prognoses. Conversely, all patients with an elevated SAP which did not normalize following therapy had poorer survivals. Among 36 objective responses to therapy, the SAP was elevated prior to or simultaneous with disease progression in 33 (93% sensitivity). In each ease where the pretreatment SAP normalized following therapy, any subsequent elevation in SAP above normal was always associated with clinical evidence of disease progression (100% specificity). Changes in SAP following therapy correlate well with both disease regression and disease progression in patients with advanced prostatic carcinoma."}
{"id": "PMID:1492622", "title": "Clinical study of bone-related relapse in prostate carcinoma.", "content": "Prostate carcinoma is usually highly responsive to initial endocrine therapy. However, when relapse occurs, the subsequent clinical course is very poor. In this study, we tried to reveal the clinical aspects of bone-related relapse in 392 patients who received endocrine therapy for prostate carcinoma. In 17 stage B patients who had relapsed, 76% experienced relapse within 4 years following the start of treatment, 76% within 3 years in 27 stage C patients, and 71% within 2.5 years found in 45 stage D patients. Pre-treatment levels of serum enzymes and initial response of the primary lesion and of serum enzymes failed to predict relapse. The Gleason sum tended to be correlated with relapse. In particular, patients with a Gleason sum of 9-10 had a lower non-relapse rate during the follow-up period than patients with lower sums. With the recent use of more sophisticated measurements of PSA and/or PAP, the reduction rate or interval to normalization of the markers must be more relevant to predicting relapse."}
{"id": "PMID:1492623", "title": "Analysis of survival of prostate cancer patients in Japan and the U.S.A.", "content": "The prognosis of U.S.A. patients with prostate cancer based on reports from the American College of Surgeons and Roswell Park Cancer Institute was compared with that of Japanese in Nagasaki and Gunma. There was more than a 10% difference in survival rate between the two countries. Several clinical parameters were analyzed to determine the basis for this difference. In general, stage distribution, metastatic sites, bone pain and alkaline phosphatase in the USA patients with Stage D disease were more severe than in the Japanese patients. Moreover the prostate cancer death rate in the USA was higher than that in Japan. However, only the distribution of pathological grade in the USA was better than that in Japan. From these results, it is difficult to conclude that prostate cancer in the USA is more aggressive than in Japan. The possibility of selection bias in these studies is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1492624", "title": "Surgical treatment of metastatic tumors of long bones and the spine.", "content": "We have operated on 42 patients with bone metastasis from various primary tumors over the past fourteen years. The number of operated cases of metastasis secondary to thyroid and breast carcinoma was especially high, since patients with such types of cancer have prolonged life expectancies in general. The sites of these operation were as follows: 27 in the spine, 12 in the femur, 2 in the tibia, and 1 in the humerus."}
{"id": "PMID:1492625", "title": "Hormone therapy of prostatic bone metastases.", "content": "When present at diagnosis or when developing in the course of disease, the presence of bone metastases from prostate cancer is generally considered an indication to begin endocrine therapy, as this is clearly the most effective form of treatment for this problem. Endocrine therapy can stop progression of prostate cancer in 80-85% of cases. Endocrine therapy can relieve pain, prevent pathologic fractures, and prevent neurologic complications from bone metastases from prostate cancer. Rarely, bone scans may become normal after the start of endocrine therapy, but partial improvement or stabilization of bone scans are more commonly seen. While endocrine therapy has been the first line of treatment of metastatic prostate cancer for the past 50 years, the recent development of newer forms of endocrine therapy have increased the options in the past few years. In addition to orchiectomy and estrogens, newer alternatives include inhibitors of androgen synthesis, the class of agents termed \"antiandrogens\", and luteinizing hormone releasing-hormone (LHRH) analogues either alone or in combination. Orchiectomy causes a prompt fall in serum testosterone and is regarded by many as the \"standard\" form of endocrine therapy, but there is concern about the psychologic impact of surgery. Estrogens are being used less frequently today because of their real or potential side-effects, including cardiovascular and thromboembolic complications. The development of analogues of LHRH has resulted in another major choice for endocrine therapy, and one which is therapeutically equivalent to orchiectomy or estrogens. Since LHRH analogues may cause an early rise or \"flare\" in serum testosterone before it drops to castrate level, these agents should not be given alone to patients with severe pain or neurologic problems. The newly available antiandrogen flutamide can block the \"flare\", and may also improve survival when used with LHRH analogues or orchiectomy, especially when disease is less advanced. Not all studies of \"combination therapy\" support this conclusion. However, the use of flutamide is increasing significantly in the United States. Both the LHRH analogues and flutamide are fairly safe, but they are very expensive. Their use, in combination, is likely to become a progressively more common form of initial endocrine therapy in the future. The growing application of prostate specific antigen (PSA) as a tumor marker for prostate cancer has made the difficulty in interpreting changes in bone scans a much less critical problem in determining response to endocrine or other forms of therapy for advanced prostate cancer."}
{"id": "PMID:1492628", "title": "Role of the vertebral venous system in metastatic spread of cancer cells to the bone.", "content": "Bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) labeled human prostatic cancer cells, PC-3, and murine osteosarcoma cells, POS-1 were injected into the tail veins of male mice under concomitant temporal occlusion of inferior vena cava. Five minutes after release of the venous occlusion, animals were sacrificed and various tissues, organs and the vertebral bones were examined immunohistochemically using an application of BrdU-anti-BrdU methods. Obvious BrdU labeled tumor cells, isolated or clumped, were demonstrated within the venous channels along the vertebral column, the epidural venous channels around spinal nervous tissues, in the bone marrow of lumbo-sacral vertebrae and intra- and peri-prostatic venous channels. The results suggest that a blockade of short duration of venous flow at the inferior vena cava can result in the bypassing of tumor cells through the vena cava to the vertebral venous system, which has a close connection with the peri-prostatic venous plexus. Thus, the vertebral venous system may play an important role in the metastasis of prostatic carcinoma to bone. In addition this experimental procedure is a very valuable model for studying mechanisms and prevention of bone metastases from prostatic carcinoma."}
{"id": "PMID:1492629", "title": "Clinical significance of the vertebral vein in prostate cancer metastasis.", "content": "A total of 75 prostate cancer and 67 lung cancer patients with positive bone scintigrams were studied. The patterns of spread in the axial skeleton and pelvis were different between the groups. The differences in the distribution of bony metastases between prostate and lung are explained by the role of Batson's vertebral venous plexus. We developed an animal model of spinal bone metastasis to prove this route. As suspension of tumor cells was injected into the tail vein of mice with vena caval occlusion. This procedure reproducibly resulted in metastatic tumor growth in the lumbar region of the vertebral column. The prevalence of spinal bone metastasis is attributed to passage of tumor cells via the vertebral venous plexus."}
{"id": "PMID:1492631", "title": "Treatment of anejaculation with electroejaculation.", "content": "Male infertility caused by anejaculation is common after spinal cord injury (SCI) and following retroperitoneal lymph node dissection (RPLND) for testicular cancer. Other conditions sometimes associated with neurogenic ejaculation loss are diabetes mellitus, multiple sclerosis, extensive pelvic surgery and adult myelodysplasia. Primary absence of ejaculation also has been described. Few treatment options exist for these patients, if they wish to father a child. With electroejaculation (EEJ), or the low-current stimulation of the ejaculatory organs via a rectal probe, emission of semen can be initiated in these men. In non-SCI-patients EEJ requires general anaesthesia. The collected semen is washed and the motile sperm fraction isolated before artificial insemination (AI) of the partner. At the University of Michigan 198 men have been treated between 1986 and December 1991. An ejaculate could be obtained from nearly all patients. A major obstacle to success is the severe asthenozoospermia and the poor functional quality of the obtained sperm samples. This can be caused by the EEJ-technique itself, as well as by the long anejaculatory status. A semen sample with at least 10 million progressively motile sperm cells, useful for AI, was obtained in 75% of the SCI men and in 87% of the men following RPLND. In the couples wishing insemination, 49 pregnancies were induced, accounting for an overall pregnancy rate of 35% per couple. Thirty five healthy babies have been born. Only three complications were encountered. At Hannover Medical School only few patients have been stimulated to date. We could obtain an adequate sperm sample for AI from all of them. No complications were seen. As the first couple has just entered the phase of AI with husband sperm, an analysis of these results would be premature. Electroejaculation combined with artificial insemination is an efficient and safe treatment of male infertility due to neurogenic anejaculation."}
{"id": "PMID:1492630", "title": "[Urinary bilharziasis].", "content": "A short account is given of present views on urinary schistosomiasis or bilharziasis. The incidence of infections is increasing in endemic areas of Africa and the near east, as a consequence of irrigation programs and hydroelectric power development. Urinary schistosomiasis is a disease of children and young adults. The serious consequences, obstructive uropathy due to more or less irreversible ureteral lesions, and cancer of the bladder, less directly related to the infection, appear but later in life. Diagnosis is still based on parasitology and serology but ultrasonography has proven to be an important means to evaluate the extent of lesions of the urinary tract, especially in developing countries. Praziquantel was a major development in the medical treatment and cures easily the infection. Some irreversible consequences have however to be treated surgically. Schistosomiasis is still an important cause of morbidity and mortality in medically backward endemic countries. The control of the disease aims at reducing morbidity and mortality, consequences of the infection, rather than to avoid infection itself. It is based on mass treatment of school age children, together with focal molluscacides at places where people have contacts with water. Vaccination will be available in the near future and will be a welcome addition to other control measures, but will not be able to interrupt transmission on its own. Only economic development will solve in the long term this social African problem."}
{"id": "PMID:1492632", "title": "[Conservative treatment of urogenital fistula following gynecological surgery: the value of fibrin glue].", "content": "Ureteric and bladder vaginal fistulas are recognized complications of gynaecologic surgery. We report on 4 cases of fistulas (2 uretero-vaginal and 2 vesico-vaginal) successfully treated by urinary drainage associated with plugging of fistula with fibrin sealant. Efficiency of conservative treatments is directly related to early application. Mechanical and biological properties of fibrin sealant explain its possible role in recovery, without increasing risk of viral transmission."}
{"id": "PMID:1492633", "title": "[Youssef syndrome].", "content": "Youssef's syndrome is a vesico-uterine fistula through the uterine isthmus, with periodic hematuria, or menouria, and an absence of vaginal bleeding or urinary leaks. The sphincteric mechanism of the uterine isthmus could explain this symptoms, quite unusual for a urogenital fistula. Diagnosis can be achieved by cystography and hysterography. Surgical closure of the fistula is the usual treatment, but uterus can be preserved if patient wishes further pregnancy."}
{"id": "PMID:1492634", "title": "[Ureteral risk in celioscopic surgery].", "content": "In recent years, there has been a significant improvement in laparoscopic surgery which had led to more and more frequent use of this technic in various cases. As a consequence, the ureteral injury which have been a less common iatrogenic pathologic up to know is likely to be more and more frequent in the years to come. The authors present 2 cases of 28 and 36 years old patients. In both cases the laparoscopy was indicated for gynecologic pathology. The healing ureteral occurred in those cases during a revealing postoperative peritonitis. Treatment consisted in healing up the lesion by ureteral stent. Treatment and evolution of this injury are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1492635", "title": "[The role of neoadjuvant treatment prior to radical prostatectomy].", "content": "Preoperative hormonal therapy has been recently advocated, but remain controversial. The aim purpose is to achieve downstaging, downgrading and improvement of the surgical results. In the last 80 patients undergoing radical retropubic prostatectomy, 28 had preoperative androgen deprivation, for a period ranging from 2 to 12 months with a mean treatment time of 3 months. Medical castration was obtained with total androgen deprivation. Return to normal value of PSA level in 90% cases and to undetectable level (< 0.25) in 39% of cases, expressing probably reduction of the tumor activity. Total prostatic volume is reduced by 30-50% after three months of treatment. The operative procedure was facilitated by an easier dissection, reducing operative time and blood loss. Recovery of postoperative continence was achieved in a significantly shorter period of time (3 months) as compared with the untreated patients (9 months). Immediate continence was obtained in 70% of patients treated preoperatively. No tumor was found in one specimen but no change was observed in the histological grading of the tumor in all the patients. This present study indicates the interest of a large scale randomized study, in order to show the real benefits of neoadjuvant hormonal treatment in prostate cancer patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1492636", "title": "Neo-adjuvant hormonotherapy does not facilitate radical prostatectomy.", "content": "Sixty-eight patients who underwent radical prostatectomy without or after neo-adjuvant hormonotherapy for B2 or C stage prostate cancer were evaluated as concerned to the ease of the surgical procedure. Although it is difficult to assess this parameter, we experienced more difficulties and blood loss was higher in patients who had preoperative hormonal deprivation. Ongoing randomized trials could demonstrate an oncological benefit of neo-adjuvant hormonotherapy before radical prostatectomy. This eventual benefit will have to be balanced against an increased surgical difficulty."}
{"id": "PMID:1492637", "title": "[Partial cystectomy: and alternative to radical cystectomy? Apropos of a series of 75 patients].", "content": "From a retrospective series of 75 patients, we try to determine the place of this treatment with respect to bladder urothelial cancer. Of our 75 patients the breakdown of tumours according to their stage is the following: PTA: 16 (21.3%) PT1: 12 (16%) PT2: 21 (28%) PT3 A: 15 (20%) PT3 B: 7 (9.3%) PT4: 4 (5.4%) 47 patients benefited from a complete check up of tumoural spread which is negative in any case. In 28 cases, an uretero-vesical reimplantation was necessary for carcinologic reasons. None of the patients benefited from chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy in pre or post-operative period. Mortality was 4% (3 cases) and morbidity 8% (6 cases)- Sixty two Patients were followed-up at 5 years. The results are expressed according to different carcinologic parameters. The overall rate of recurrence is 61.2% (38/62). The actuarial survival corrected at 5 years, all stages and grades included, is 53.2% (32/62). There was no recurrence in 18 patients (29%) and 29 patients preserved their bladder. The advantages of partial cystectomy are obvious: Its mortality and morbidity are weak. It also preserves the sexual function and mainly avoids resorting to urinary derivations. As a principle these indications apply to a small percentage of invasive tumours T2-T3 A located in the mobile part of the bladder that is unifocal and of small size (< 4 cms)."}
{"id": "PMID:1492638", "title": "[Intestinal implantation of an artificial sphincter].", "content": "In order to restore anal sphincteric function, artificial AMS sphincter was used with his 3 components: the peri-intestinal cuff giving anal sphincter tone, the pump used for active opening and the pressure regulating balloon. In the same fashion a continent valve may be created on an intestinal segment as a part of a reconstructed bladder. In this case the pump may be replace by a subcutaneous port allowing fluid injection to adjust volume and pressure in the cuff. Two patients with fecal incontinence related to sequela of a high imperforate anus syndrome were implanted. Follow-up is greater than 1 year with normal continence in the day for the first case (degree 2) and continence day and night in the second case. Artificial valve has been implanted in seven cases of neobladder pouch (or related situations), with in 4 cases very good results and in 3 cases a failure (Follow-up 3-36 months)."}
{"id": "PMID:1492641", "title": "Subgroup differences in educational placement for deaf and hard of hearing students.", "content": "This study presents crosstabulations of educational placement variables by selected demographic characteristics and reports the different patterns of educational placement for subgroups of the deaf and hard of hearing population. Type of school, amount of academic integration with hearing students, and the number of deaf or hard of hearing students attending the same school building were considered as dependent variables in the analysis. Degree of hearing loss, age, ethnic and racial background, and additional handicap status were considered as independent variables. Data from the 1990-1991 Annual Survey of Hearing Impaired Children and Youth were analyzed. Results indicate that subgroups defined by each of these variables differ markedly with regard to patterns of educational placement. The importance of paying attention to subgroup statistics, as opposed to global population statistics, in the formulation of educational policy is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1492642", "title": "The receptive communication abilities of deaf students under oral, manual, and combined methods.", "content": "Two groups of severely and profoundly deaf students aged 10 to 17 years were tested on their abilities to choose, from a set of four pictures, the one matching a sentence presented on videotape under 11 different communication conditions. The communication conditions involved individual and combined presentations of lipreading, listening, fingerspelling, and signed English. Severely deaf students scored higher than profoundly deaf students under all conditions except those that involved signed English, where the profoundly deaf group scored as high as the severely deaf group. All the students scored higher under conditions that involved audition, including lipreading plus audition, than under audition alone. The discussion of the results highlights methodological problems that made it difficult to interpret some previous studies in this area. Practical implications of the results for both oral education of the deaf and simultaneous communication are also discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1492643", "title": "Combining cognitive learning theory and computer assisted instruction for deaf learners.", "content": "This study investigated the effects of implementing cognitive learning theory principles in computer assisted instruction of educational psychology concepts. A total of 19 preservice deaf teachers participated in the study. We used a pre-post design to measure the learning and attitude changes of the teachers. The results of the analysis of pretests and posttests of cognitive outcomes indicated that significant learning occurred as a result of the computer-based instruction. Also, the majority of the students reacted positively to the quality of the lessons. The results also suggest that applying an appropriate theoretical framework to the design of instruction offers an avenue for meaningfully addressing the appropriate use of technology."}
{"id": "PMID:1492644", "title": "Using video resumes to teach deaf college students job search skills and improve their communication.", "content": "For several years the National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID) at the Rochester Institute of Technology has offered a course that focuses on preparing video resumes. Professionals from the Instructional Television Department and the National Center of Employment for the Deaf have collaborated with communication instructors to develop this option for NTID students. This paper describes the instruction and evaluation process from the perspective of NTID instructors, students, and other technical professionals. Employers who have hired NTID students and those who have no familiarity with deaf employees also participated in the evaluation. Their comments give valuable insights into the often different perspectives of deafness between those who have worked with deaf employees and those who lack such experience. Video resumes were found to be a viable tool in the job search, and the process of preparing the video was found to be a stimulating and rewarding experience for the participating students."}
{"id": "PMID:1492645", "title": "Partnering to run a community-based program for deaf-blind young adults.", "content": "Community-based programs that assist deaf-blind young adults with living skills can be a cost effective alternative to institutional care. Their unique medical, psychosocial training, and daily living needs require services and support from a variety of agencies and providers. The elements and concepts necessary to conduct a program 24 hours a day for young adults who are deaf and blind includes sound management, realistic staff expectations for clients, developmentally appropriate activities, family participation in planning accessible medical and psychological services, and close collaboration with universities and community organizations. Management must also be sensitive to the emotional concerns of the staff and provide ongoing opportunities for supervision and training."}
{"id": "PMID:1492646", "title": "Reforming teacher education: a model program for preparing teachers of deaf children.", "content": "Recent literature is replete with the concerns of general educators that students majoring in elementary and pre-primary education do not acquire sufficient content and liberal arts matter as a part of their knowledge base. Educators in undergraduate teacher preparation programs in deafness have expressed the same concerns. This article describes how the Program in Education of Deaf Children at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro added courses in a second major and in liberal arts to expand the knowledge base of prospective teachers of deaf and hard of hearing children."}
{"id": "PMID:1492647", "title": "A survey of the appropriateness of instructional language materials used with deaf students.", "content": "A questionnaire survey was conducted of the instructional language materials used by educators in programs for deaf and hard of hearing students. The results indicated that over half (51%) of the materials used are not developed specifically for use with deaf students. The majority of the respondents (67%) cited problems finding age- and interest-appropriate materials. Dissatisfaction with current language materials was one reason many educators (60%) made their own materials. Their comments emphasized the need to develop language materials and assessment tools specifically for deaf and hard of hearing students."}
{"id": "PMID:1492648", "title": "A national survey of educational preparation programs for early intervention specialists.", "content": "To examine the status of preprofessional education in early intervention, we conducted a nationwide survey of college and university programs offering degrees in education of the deaf. Curriculum content and practicum experiences with infants and toddlers and their families were examined, as well as general comments and recommendations of program directors. Additional information was sought from programs offering specializations at the preschool level to determine whether they had CED affiliation, and if so, whether they were certified in the areas of parent-infant education or early childhood education. The findings are discussed in the context of Public Law 99-457 and the growing emphasis on family centered early intervention."}
{"id": "PMID:1492649", "title": "Improved pregnancy outcome in epileptic women in the last decade: relationship to maternal anticonvulsant therapy.", "content": "The prevalence of abnormal pregnancy outcomes in the offspring of 103 epileptic women, followed prospectively during pregnancy between 1982 and 1989, was compared with that in the previous study of 119 pregnancies by Dansky et al from the same institution. Our results have shown a significant decrease in the prevalence of major malformations, as compared with the previous study: 8.8% vs 24.1% (P < 0.01). Monotherapy was more frequent and the mean number of drugs used during pregnancy was significantly smaller in the present study. Phenytoin, phenobarbital and primidone were prescribed less frequently in the present study, whereas carbamazepine and valproic acid were used more frequently. Plasma levels of valproic acid during pregnancy were higher in mothers of malformed babies. In the present study, plasma folate levels were significantly higher, and more patients were taking folate supplements during pregnancy. In conclusion, the type and number of drugs used during pregnancy, as well as the plasma concentrations and serum folate levels, may determine the frequency of abnormal outcomes."}
{"id": "PMID:1492650", "title": "Stroke in neonates with cardiac right-to-left shunt.", "content": "Neonatal focal cerebral arterial infarction has been rarely reported in the literature, in contrast to the watershed infarctions, which are common entities among asphyxiated infants. In neonatal postmortem series, thromboembolism was the commonest cause of cerebral arterial occlusion; the source of emboli was associated to different risk factors. Our four cases are the first alive patients reported with congenital heart disease and right-to-left shunt, who suffered a cerebral infarct with its clinical neurological correlates in the neonatal period. We assume that the most probable mechanism was paradoxical embolism, once pulmonary filter is obviated as a result of the altered hemodynamics in these patients. Our data demonstrate the value of ultrasound scanning for assessment of focal cerebral ischemic lesions. Thus, although abnormal neurological signs in this particular group of infants could be attributed to hypoxemia or specific treatments as prostaglandins, we suggest routine cerebral ultrasounds in neonates with congenital heart disease and neurological disabilities, as early complications could be not so infrequent."}
{"id": "PMID:1492651", "title": "Ferritin, creatine kinase, and neopterin in subacute sclerosing panencephalitis.", "content": "To study the disease process in the brain in subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE), sequential changes in ferritin, creatine kinase (CK), and neopterin in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of two patients with SSPE were compared with the changes in the clinical signs and symptoms and the findings by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). On the basis of changes in various substances in the CSF, especially ferritin, CK and neopterin, we concluded that the high-intensity area in MRI might be evidence of local inflammation and the resulting cell damage. Ferritin, CK and neopterin seemed to be biochemical markers in patients with SSPE for detection of the extent of lesions, and their measurement may provide information useful for evaluation of the therapeutic response."}
{"id": "PMID:1492652", "title": "Down syndrome complicated by brain tumors: case report and review of the literature.", "content": "This report concerns a 24-year-old male patient with Down syndrome, complicated by a benign but true neoplastic lesion of a differentiated papilloma of the choroid plexus which simultaneously displayed a dysgenetic character. A review of the literature revealed a lack of single case reports of Down syndrome with brain tumors, which may reflect chance occurrence; however, the brain tumors in Down syndrome patients are characterized by their dysontogenetic or dysgenetic character."}
{"id": "PMID:1492653", "title": "Deficiency in complex II of the respiratory chain, presenting as a leukodystrophy in two sisters with Leigh syndrome.", "content": "We report 2 sisters with a degenerative neurological disorder presenting clinically as a leukodystrophy. CT scan and MRI demonstrated small symmetrical foci of necrosis in the substentia nigra and in the basal ganglia typical of Leigh syndrome and diffuse cerebral white matter abnormalities. In these patients a deficiency in complex II of the respiratory chain was demonstrated in isolated mitochondria from muscle, as well as in fibroblasts and lymphocytes."}
{"id": "PMID:1492654", "title": "Improvement of clinical and MRI findings in a boy with adrenoleukodystrophy by dietary erucic acid therapy.", "content": "A 5-year-old boy with adrenoleukodystrophy, with clinical symptoms of visual, mental and motor disturbances which progressed rapidly, was treated with Lorenzo's oil consisting 1 volume of glyceryl trierucate and 4 volumes of glyceryl trioleate. Five months after initiation of this therapy, ability to swallow was enhanced and T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging of the brain revealed regression of high intensity area of the parieto-occipital white matter."}
{"id": "PMID:1492655", "title": "A case with nocturnal paroxysmal unilateral dystonia and interictal right frontal epileptic EEG focus: a lateralized variant of nocturnal paroxysmal dystonia?", "content": "We report here a patient with frequent nocturnal attacks, characterized by paroxysmal dystonic posturing of the left arm and contraction of the lower face, lasting 20-30 seconds. The attacks occurred in clusters of up to 20 spasms during the NREM stage of sleep. Interictal EEG showed clear-cut epileptic discharges in the right frontal region. Repeated ictal video-EEG recordings revealed only arousal pattern immediately before and during seizures except in those which evolved to left sided clonic hemiconvulsions. The dystonic attacks here described share many features of nocturnal paroxysmal dystonia (NPD) of Lugaresi and Cirignotta in common, including nocturnal periodic occurrence, absence of ictal EEG changes during attacks, and favorable response to CBZ, except for their unilateral nature. It was assumed that our case may be a lateralized variant of NPD and would further support the hypothesis that NPD is one particular form of frontal lobe epilepsy."}
{"id": "PMID:1492656", "title": "Hydrocephalus due to acute aqueductal stenosis following mumps infection: report of a case and review of the literature.", "content": "An acquired form of hydrocephalus due to aqueductal stenosis developing as a sequela of mumps virus infection of the central nervous system is presented. Percutaneous third ventriculostomy and interventriculostomy (aqueduct cannulation) were performed using a flexible fiberoptic ventriculoscope. The aqueduct was blocked with amorphous material but was cleared with the scope. This is the first case of a fulminant phase of mumps ventriculitis leading to aqueductal stenosis, which has been treated using a ventriculoscope for the first time."}
{"id": "PMID:1492657", "title": "Congenital muscular dystrophy of a non-Fukuyama type with white matter hyperlucency on CT scan.", "content": "The term \"congenital muscular dystrophy (CMD)\" is used for a group of diseases with heterogeneous clinical and cranial CT scan manifestations. Recently, a distinct subtype, characterized by white matter hyperlucency on CT scan but normal or nearly normal intellectual function, has been recognized in Western peoples and has even been named \"occidental-type cerebromuscular dystrophy.\" Here, we described two Chinese siblings with this type of CMD."}
{"id": "PMID:1492659", "title": "Elevated fibrinopeptide A (FPA) in patients with Lesch-Nyhan syndrome.", "content": "The detection of elevated fibrinopeptide A (FPA) level in a patient with the Lesch-Nyhan syndrome complicated with cerebral infarction prompted us to examine FPA level in 3 other patients with the syndrome. FPA level significantly increased in all patients. Fibrinopeptide B beta 15-42 (FPB beta 15-42) level was increased in two, and both beta-thromboglobulin (beta TG) and platelet factor 4 (PF4) levels were elevated in one patient. These results suggest coagulation abnormalities in patients with Lesch-Nyhan syndrome."}
{"id": "PMID:1492660", "title": "Early infantile epileptic encephalopathy: a case associated with hemimegalencephaly.", "content": "The authors report a case of early infantile epileptic encephalopathy (EIEE) associated with hemimegalencephaly. The etiological factors in previously published cases of EIEE are reviewed and attention is focused on the high proportion of cases associated with neuronal migration disorders. We suggest that idiopathic cases of EIEE would be due to such disorders."}
{"id": "PMID:1492662", "title": "Analysis of diffusional broadening of vesicular packets of catecholamines released from biological cells during exocytosis.", "content": "Secretion of catecholamines is observed as a series of current spikes when measured at the surface of a bovine adrenal medullary cell in culture with a carbon-fiber microelectrode operated in the amperometric mode. Prior work has shown that these spikes are due to detection of concentrated packets of catecholamines which are released from individual vesicles after their fusion with the cell membrane, a process known as exocytosis. The shape of the individual current spikes, detected with a 5-microns spacing between the hemispherical cell and the electrode, has been compared to the shape generated by a theoretical model. The model consists of an instantaneous point source of material on a surface which subsequently diffuses to a disk that consumes the emitted material. The pertinent diffusion conditions have been evaluated with finite difference and random walk digital simulations. The two methods give identical results when the point source is located on a plane. The more realistic simulation geometry, emission from a hemispherical surface, was evaluated with the random walk method. The simulations allow a set of criteria to be established to evaluate diffusion-controlled broadening of spike shape. The broad range of spike widths observed experimentally and their individual shapes measured with 5-microns cell-electrode spacing are consistent with diffusion from point sources randomly distributed across a hemispherical surface. The data can be described with the diffusion coefficient for catecholamines in free solution. The model enables evaluation of signal-to-noise losses and correction for diffusional losses which are dependent on electrode radius.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1492663", "title": "World Health Organization international intercalibration study on dioxins and furans in human milk and blood.", "content": "Under the sponsorship of the World Health Organization (WHO), an interlaboratory calibration on the analysis of PCDD/PCDFs in human milk and blood was carried out which included 19 laboratories from 14 countries. The study design involved the analysis of three samples of each matrix in triplicate. Selected samples were spiked with native standards of certain 2,3,7,8-substituted congeners at concentrations known only to WHO staff. The study design resulted in approximately 4000 individual pieces of PCDD/PCDF data generated by a variety of analytical methods, at various concentrations, and by laboratories of widely different experience. This was, by considerable margin, the largest study which allowed for the direct comparison of laboratory and method performance. The results of statistical analysis of this data base addresses the effect on data quality of clean up methods, instrumental methods, analyte concentration, laboratory QA programs, and laboratory experience. The study has shown that the laboratory is the single most important determinant of data precision and accuracy. The method of analyte enrichment (sample clean up), analyte measurement [gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) protocol], and analyte concentration have weaker correlations with data quality."}
{"id": "PMID:1492664", "title": "Combined effect of coulombic and van der Waals interactions in the chromatography of proteins.", "content": "We have recently proposed a theoretical framework for the effect of the eluting salt ionic strength of the eluent on the retention factor of proteins in ion-exchange chromatography of proteins. It is based on the solution of the linearized Poisson-Boltzmann equation for two oppositely charged planar surfaces in contact with a salt solution and describes the coulombic interaction between the protein and the oppositely charged stationary-phase surface. At sufficiently high salt concentrations in the mobile phase van der Waals interactions between the protein and the stationary phase become important. In this work we consider the effect of salt on the combined coulombic and van der Waals interactions by combining the electrostatic theory with the theory for van der Waals interactions. The combined theory describes the retention of proteins as a function of eluting salt concentration over a wide salt concentration range. The protein molecules are, according to the proposed theory, held in a diffuse layer close to the stationary phase and are not in a distinct layer, which is assumed in the traditional thermodynamic interpretation of the capacity factor. For this reason, we also examine the thermodynamic interpretation of the capacity factor when it is due to distant dependent interactions."}
{"id": "PMID:1492665", "title": "Improvements in the computerized analysis of 2D INADEQUATE spectra.", "content": "The carbon skeleton of a molecule can be determined by using the powerful 2D INADEQUATE experiment, but the method suffers from very poor sensitivity at natural carbon-13 abundance. A computer program, described previously, has been significantly improved in its ability to recognize AB spectral patterns corresponding to carbon-carbon bonds which makes it possible to evaluate reliably spectra with rms S/N ratio as low as 2.5, i.e., nearly 1 order of magnitude below the level required for routine manual interpretation. Application of the INADEQUATE experiment to samples containing as little as 20 mumol of a compound of interest is now possible. The method is described in detail and critically evaluated by means of examples and simulations."}
{"id": "PMID:1492666", "title": "Applications of the improved computerized analysis of 2D INADEQUATE spectra.", "content": "This paper illustrates the use of the program CCBond to determine the carbon skeletons of bioorganic molecules in low concentration samples. Discussed is the structure elucidation of bistramide A, a compound extracted from a Fijian Lissoclinum sp. and cholesterol in 71- and 20-mumol samples, respectively. The detection limit of the automated bond extraction is shown to be dramatically improved compared to the manual interpretation of 2D INADEQUATE spectra."}
{"id": "PMID:1492667", "title": "Stable films of cationic surfactants and phthalocyaninetetrasulfonate catalysts.", "content": "Films made from cationic surfactants and well-retained redox catalysts were investigated. Full loading of metal phthalocyaninetetrasulfonates (MPcTS4-) into water-insoluble dialkyldimethylammonium surfactants by ion exchange from aqueous solutions yielded coatings on electrodes that retain these catalyst ions for 1-2 weeks in electrolyte solutions. In contrast, partly loaded films lost most MPcTS4- ions in a few hours. All films showed gel-to-liquid crystal phase transitions at temperatures characteristic of surfactant bilayers. Cross-sectional views by SEM showed layers of 0.1-0.2 micron, as well as some disordered regions. Each larger layer is probably made up of stacks of many molecular bilayers. Retention of MPcTS4- ions seems related to their dimerization. Dimers of MPcTS4- associated with ammonium head groups may crosslink adjacent surfactant bilayers. The MPcTS4- ions that enhance stability in these films are also good redox catalysts."}
{"id": "PMID:1492669", "title": "[Caudal epidural anesthesia during surgery of the lower extremities in traumatology and orthopedics].", "content": "One hundred and forty operations and eleven manipulations on all the segments of the lower extremities have been performed under caudal epidural anesthesia, i.e. by forming in the caudal canal a dense infiltrate using lidocaine or trimecaine solutions prepared on hypotonic solvent supplemented by microdoses of adrenalin and calcium chloride."}
{"id": "PMID:1492670", "title": "[Nasogastric intubation of the small intestine in relation to the anesthesiologist and the resuscitation specialist].", "content": "The experience of the use of single and prolonged nasogastric intubation of the small intestine in 286 urgent patients in Arkhangelsk clinical hospital No. I has been reviewed and the peculiarities and drawbacks of the technique have been assessed from the point of view of the anesthesiologist and intensive care specialist. A special technique of respiratory airway protection during intestinal intubation is described and recommendations on intensive care as well as control over tubing location and patency in the postoperative period that can adequately prevent potential complications are outlined."}
{"id": "PMID:1492668", "title": "[The effect of exogenously administered ATP on the postischemic restoration of myocardial function].", "content": "The effect of ATP (24 x 10(-6) M) on the contractility of the isolated hearts has been studied. It has been shown that ATP infusions improved postischemic hemodynamics. The favourable effect of ATP was based on the retention of diastolic properties and compliance of the left ventricle. The percent of postischemic reduction in the force and rate of contractions was analogous to the results in the control group, but the hearts on ATP performed a greater volume of work and demonstrated higher functional reserve."}
{"id": "PMID:1492672", "title": "[Monitoring and computer control of the status of the central and regional hemodynamics in patients with diffuse forms of peritonitis].", "content": "Changes in basic central and regional hemodynamic parameters have been studied in 46 patients with diffuse peritonitis using an automated system of constant intensive circulation monitoring. It has been established that the type of circulation did not reflect the severity of the condition in patients with peritonitis, but a characteristic combination of central hemodynamic parameters makes it possible to assess compensatory reserves within each circulation type, as well as to identify unfavourable hemodynamic tendencies. Analysis of changes in the circulation parameters in the course of peritonitis development is necessary to predict the course of the disease and its outcome. There was a considerable difference in circulation parameters patterns of patients who recovered and died of the disease. The principal differences manifested on day 2 postoperatively. Abdominal hemodynamic changes are specific and characterize the severity of peritonitis beginning from the first day of observation."}
{"id": "PMID:1492674", "title": "[The choice of anesthesia during abdominal delivery in patients with severe forms of late pregnancy toxemias].", "content": "Sixty eight anesthesia procedures during abdominal delivery in patients with late toxemia of pregnancy have been analysed. In 32 cases the diagnosis was preeclampsia, in 8 cases--eclampsia, in 28 cases III degree nephropathy. Depending on the variant and method of anesthesia the subjects were divided into 3 clinical groups. Group I comprised 31 women to whom cesarean section was performed under general endotracheal anesthesia. In group II (24 pregnant women) analgesia was achieved by prolonged epidural anesthesia (PEA). In group III (13 patients) a combination of PEA and superficial endotracheal anesthesia was used. Analysis of the anesthesia techniques in patients with severe late toxemia of pregnancy has established that in endotracheal anesthesia it is sometimes impossible to block completely pathological and operation-induced nociceptive pulsation. PEA has a good analgetic effect but ensures no neuroautonomous protection, and upon discontinuation of action of the local anesthetic there is a danger of the onset of the convulsion syndrome and signs of preeclampsia or eclampsia. Taking into account the advantages and disadvantages of endotracheal anesthesia and PEA, a technique based on the combination of both variants has been selected, which ensures optimal anesthesiological protection in abdominal delivery."}
{"id": "PMID:1492671", "title": "[The tolerance to exogenous energy substrates in the post aggression period in children].", "content": "Pharmacokinetic parameters of glucose and fatty emulsion elimination from the vascular bed have been studied using prolonged glucose-fat tolerance test. Forty-four children have been examined upon various aggressive interventions. Surgical intervention or mechanical trauma have been regarded as an aggressive factor. It has been established that children in the post aggression period are characterized by a pronounced increase of exogenous fatty emulsion tolerance and a reduction of glucose tolerance. The most marked changes in the elimination of basic energy substrates are observed in the first three days after the aggression."}
{"id": "PMID:1492676", "title": "[Early prognostic signs of disorders of the regional pulmonary circulation in the dynamics of hemorrhagic shock and in the post-resuscitation period].", "content": "The earliest significant unfavourable signs of shock are as follows: an increase in total pulmonary resistance, reduced pulmonary blood flow and tachypnea. Ventilation-perfusion disturbances in the lungs precede the onset of circulation decompensation, which in the pulmonary flow manifests as enhanced pulmonary blood content and elevated pressure in the pulmonary artery. Pulmonary flow damage in the early postresuscitation period is to a great extent predetermined by the degree of circulation disturbances in the lungs, developing during hypotension period, the leading among them being congestive processes in the lungs (increased blood content, hypertension) which progressed in case of unfavourable outcome of resuscitation and reduction of the microvascular bed."}
{"id": "PMID:1492677", "title": "[The pathogenesis and correction of disorders of the heart rhythm in the early post-resuscitation period].", "content": "The frequency and nature of heart rhythm disturbances have been studied in experiments on random-bred male rats who survived 4- and 6-min clinical deaths of acute blood loss. Using correlation analysis it has been shown that the leading pathogenetic arrhythmogenic factors are: catecholamine excess, as well as excess of free fatty acids, lipid peroxidation products, lactate and Ca-ATPase inhibition. The efficacy of preventive (gutimin, inderal, oxipiridin-6, isoptin) and therapeutic (carnozin, creatinphosphate) use of the drugs affecting pathogenetic mechanisms of heart arrhythmias and thus stabilizing bioelectrical heart activity in the early postresuscitation period has been observed."}
{"id": "PMID:1492678", "title": "[General anesthesia, hormones and hemodynamics during the excision of tumors of the posterior cranial fossa].", "content": "The levels of tropic and peripheral hormones (ACTH, TSH, STH, T3, T4, hydrocortisone, insulin) have been assessed in 74 patients, aged 16 to 64 years, operated on for posterior cranial fossa tumors. Depending on the basic anesthesia component the patients were divided into 3 groups: patients on halothane anesthesia, patients on anesthesia with azeotropic mixture, patients on neuroleptanalgesia. Three hemodynamic variants in the course of operation and postoperative period have been established: patients with normal blood pressure, heart rate, stroke volume; patients with elevated and high blood pressure; patients with unstable hemodynamics. It has been found that general halothane and azeotropic mixture anesthesia is associated with marked changes in intraoperative endocrine function. Endocrine function is changed on the 3rd and 7th day postoperatively due to surgical brain trauma."}
{"id": "PMID:1492679", "title": "[Late potentials of the heart ventricles and a method of spectral mapping for evaluating the action of dalargin in intensive therapy].", "content": "The data of 114 examinations of 38 patients with respiratory failure of different genesis have been presented. The method used was that of averaging the ECG signal with analysis of late ventricular potentials and parameters of spectral mapping, as well as analysis of the R-R intervals. The patients were examined initially, 30-45 min after intravenous injection of 1 mg dalargin and 16-20 hours later. The results have shown that there were differences in the changes of a number of basic characteristics of the QRS complex spectrum. In 18 cases (21%) signs of late potentials have been recorded, 14 of them (78%) in the group with decreased total spectral density. A shift of extremums by the beginning of QRS was observed. Statistical and spectral characteristics of the R-R intervals changed in one direction. It has been shown that dalargin has a complex effect on electrophysiological myocardial properties. The use of the method of ECG signal averaging and its different modifications broadens considerably the quality of evaluation of the drug effect in the heart. The technique of spectral-time mapping simplifies the diagnosis of late potentials and elucidates their inner structure."}
{"id": "PMID:1492680", "title": "[The choice of a method of general anesthesia for patients with cancer of the abdominal cavity].", "content": "Two variants of anesthesiological management have been used in 135 patients with gastrointestinal tumors. The first variant was intubation anesthesia with N2O+O2, ketamine or sodium hydroxybutyrate combined with classical neuroleptanalgesia technique. Pentamine was used to potentiate protection. This anesthesia technique was used in patients under 50 who had no concomitant diseases. The second variant was used in patients over 50 with concomitant diseases. In these cases combined prolonged epidural anesthesia was accompanied in the intraoperative period with intubation anesthesia with controlled lung ventilation using N2O+O2 and additional administration of promedol and droperidol. The second variant of anesthesia not only ensured a safe intraoperative period but also optimized the management of patients in the postoperative period."}
{"id": "PMID:1492675", "title": "[The effect of a nitroglycerin infusion on the hemodynamics, extravascular lung water and gas exchange in patients with adult respiratory distress syndrome].", "content": "Nine patients with adult respiratory distress syndrome, stage III, secondary to diffuse peritonitis have been examined. The patients were subject to pulmonary artery and aorta catheterization. Cardiac output, extravascular water in the lungs, the extent of pulmonary shunting were determined; pulmonary artery and aortic pressure were measured. O2 transport parameters, pulmonary capillary pressure (Pc), pressure gradient (Pc-COP) were calculated and arterial and venous blood gases as well as colloid-osmotic pressure (COP) were analysed. Selective hypotension in the pulmonary circulation was performed using an infusion of nitroglycerin solution. Despite differences in the response of patients with ARDS to nitroglycerin, when the drug was injected with optimal positive end-expiratory pressure, it promoted an increase in O2 delivery, normalization of pulmonary hemodynamics and a decrease in extravascular pulmonary water."}
{"id": "PMID:1492681", "title": "[The hemodynamic effects of ketamine anesthesia in children with congenital heart diseases].", "content": "One hundred and thirty five children have been examined after surgery for congenital heart valve defects performed under ketamine anesthesia. It has been established that ketamine anesthesia has no considerable effect on the preload and cardiac pump function. Different hemodynamic changes have been observed in systemic and pulmonary circulation: the afterload of the left ventricle increases, while the afterload of the right ventricle decreases, which causes an increase in the heart performance (and energy consumption) in the first case and their reduction in the second case. In ketamine anesthesia myocardial contractility is enhanced and relaxation is deteriorated, and the tone of arterial vessels in the kidneys, bulbar conjunctiva, and skeletal muscles is increased. A spasm in the vessels of the conjunctiva is observed even when small drug doses are used. This may be accounted for by calcium accumulation in the muscular cells, noradrenaline hyperproduction, enhanced sensitivity of sympathomimetic receptors to circulating endogenous catecholamines."}
{"id": "PMID:1492684", "title": "[Opioid inhibition of oxytocin release from the posterior lobe of the hypophysis and its significance for obstetrical anesthesiology].", "content": "The review of literature presents modern experimental and clinical data on opioid inhibition of oxytocin release from posterior hypophysis lobe during pregnancy and in childbirth. The impact of various narcotic analgesics on oxytocin secretion, myometrium contractility and the condition of the fetus and newborn has been assessed. The data on oxytocin blood plasma level are of importance in the clinical practice for selecting the most suitable anesthesia technique during physiological and pathological labour, especially when modern narcotic analgesics (morphine, promedol, fentanyl, tramadol, etc.) are used."}
{"id": "PMID:1492692", "title": "Variability in reprocessing policies and procedures for flexible fiberoptic endoscopes in Massachusetts hospitals.", "content": "Concern is increasing regarding the risk of transmission of blood-borne pathogens by means of improperly reprocessed medical devices. On-site surveys of policies and practices were performed in 18 reprocessing areas in eight randomly selected hospitals in Massachusetts to assess current practices for reprocessing of flexible fiberoptic endoscopes. Manufacturers' and internal written protocols, were reviewed, employees were interviewed, and procedures were observed. Reprocessing included high-level disinfection in 17 of 18 areas, with 16 areas using 2% glutaraldehyde; ethylene oxide gas sterilization was used in one area. Considerable interhospital and intrahospital variability was found in high-level disinfection procedures, including equipment, contact time (range 10 to 45 minutes), disinfectant testing, and rinsing. Disinfection of internal channels was inadequate in three areas, recommended sterilization of biopsy forceps was not performed in five, and written protocols were unavailable in three. Ad hoc deviation from established written or verbal protocols occurred in eight areas during reprocessing of flexible fiberoptic endoscopes from patients known to have AIDS; ethylene oxide sterilization was used in seven areas and a separate device was used in one. Interviews with personnel revealed that lack of knowledge of high-level disinfection contributed to the discrepancies between policy and practice. We conclude that reprocessing of flexible fiberoptic endoscopes is inconsistent and potentially ineffective. Knowledge that a flexible fiberoptic endoscope was used for a patient with AIDS influences practice."}
{"id": "PMID:1492687", "title": "[The use of trakrium during surgical interventions in children].", "content": "Nondepolarizing shortly acting myorelaxant trakrium (0.5 mg/kg) during surgical interventions in children makes it possible to perform tracheal intubation 1.5 min later and to maintain optimal myoplegia at various stages of the operation by bolus injections in doses making up 1/2-1/3 of the initial one or by non-stop infusion at a rate of 0.008 mg/kg per min. Trakrium may be used along with arduan administered at the end of the operation. Trakrium administration is accompanied by the recovery of adequate respiration 25-30 min after discontinuation of administration. Trakrium has no unfavourable effect on hemodynamics and ensures retention of the myocardial reserve capacities."}
{"id": "PMID:1492693", "title": "A survey of hospital infection control policies and employee measles cases during Los Angeles County's measles epidemic, 1987 to 1989.", "content": "Between December 1987 and December 1989, 74 adults employed in Los Angeles County acute care hospitals were found to have measles. To investigate measles infection control policies in Los Angeles County and to gain information on employee measles cases, two surveys were performed. A survey of all infection control practitioners (N = 102) of acute care hospitals was conducted in July 1989. Reported employee measles cases were surveyed after initial case reports were reviewed. The survey of acute care hospitals revealed that only 17% had mandatory measles infection control policies requiring written proof of past measles vaccination, disease, or seropositivity. Only 4% of hospitals had policies affecting students or volunteers. A second survey of hospital employees with confirmed measles revealed that 46% (34/74) were working in hospitals without measles infection control policies, 43% (32/74) were born before 1957, and 31% (21/67) were working in jobs not traditionally considered to provide a high risk of measles exposure. One third of the sick employees were hospitalized. The standard of either birth date before 1957 or oral history of measles illness or vaccination would have classified 93% (39/42) of the employees with measles as immune. Effective infection control policies against measles and rubella should be adopted and enforced. Those policies should only allow written documentation as proof of measles immunity and should address all employees, regardless of age or job description."}
{"id": "PMID:1492694", "title": "Plumbing system shock absorbers as a source of Legionella pneumophila.", "content": "Water distribution systems have been demonstrated to be a major source of nosocomial legionellosis. We describe an outbreak in our institution in which a novel source of Legionella pneumophila was identified in the plumbing system. After an outbreak of 10 cases of legionellosis in our hospital, recommended measures including superheating of the hot water to 80 degrees C, hyperchlorination to 2 ppm, and flushing resulted in no new cases in the following 5 years. Recently, despite these control measures, three new cases occurred. Surveillance cultures of shower heads and water tanks were negative; cultures of tap water samples remained positive. This prompted a search for another reservoir. Shock absorbers installed within water pipes to decrease noise were suspected. One hundred twenty-five shock absorbers were removed and cultured. A total of 13 (10%) yielded heavy growth of L. pneumophila (serogroup 1). Since their removal, no new cases have been found and the percentage of positive results of random tap water culture has dropped from 20% to 5%. This is the first report that identifies shock absorbers as a possible reservoir for L. pneumophila. We recommend that institutions with endemic legionellosis assess the water system for possible removal of shock absorbers."}
{"id": "PMID:1492695", "title": "Use of generic quality improvement chart review to recognize nosocomial infection.", "content": "Generic medical quality improvement concurrent chart review for adverse patient occurrences was introduced into our hospital. To determine whether this program could be used to augment the surveillance activities of the infection control program, an evaluation of this review was carried out and it was compared with existing surveillance methods. Analysts were provided with Centers for Disease Control definitions of site infections and were trained in identification. During a 6-month period (period 1) infections in this manner documented were reviewed by infection control program to confirm nosocomial infection as a measure of specificity. Data were also compared with infection control surveillance data when the two programs overlapped (nosocomial bloodstream infections and surgical wound infections) as a check on the sensitivity of the data generated in the medical quality improvement process. A second 6-month review of data (period 2), starting 3 months after completion of period 1, was carried out; this review was limited to areas of overlap and designed to determine whether changes in data occurred with experience. In period 1, 72% (109/152) of infections detected by chart review were confirmed by infection control methods, and 51% (26/51) of infections detected by the infection control program were also detected by chart review. During period 2 the values were 73% (52/71) for confirmed infections and 61% (43/70) for detected infections. There was no statistical difference between periods 1 and 2. In the two periods 25 bacteremic infections went undetected by chart surveyors. We conclude that this chart surveillance has only moderate sensitivity and specificity compared with our infection control surveillance methods. Improvements were not demonstrated with experience."}
{"id": "PMID:1492696", "title": "Chronology of a hospital-wide measles outbreak: lessons learned and shared from an extraordinary week in late March 1989.", "content": "In March 1989, Mount Sinai Hospital, a community hospital in Hartford, Connecticut, faced a potential hospital-wide outbreak of measles when eight cases of measles occurred among medical personnel during several days. This article describes the chronology of events, from the initial discovery of the outbreak to the evolution of the hospital-wide containment program designed to protect patients and staff members. Measles IgG immune status was determined for 1249 employees during a 9-day period. Measles vaccine and immune serum globulin were administered to patients and employees. We offer advice from our experience for infection control practitioners who may face outbreak situations in their institutions."}
{"id": "PMID:1492697", "title": "Measles: lessons from an outbreak.", "content": "Measles outbreaks continue to be a problem for infection control in hospitals--patients, personnel, and employee health service. Guidelines for measles outbreaks are not clear for medical personnel in the hospital. Outbreak investigation in a university-affiliated teaching hospital. Four primary cases resulted in 607 staff exposures and two secondary cases. Forty-seven medical personnel were furloughed and 88 were vaccinated for measles. Minimal serologic criteria for immunity were found to be inadequate in the outbreak setting. We found that serologic guidelines for assessing immunity to measles are inadequate. During the outbreak, we arbitrarily doubled the acceptable enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay titers that we would consider protective, > or = 2, to decrease the possibility of further secondary cases. Employees with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay measles titers less than 2 and without a definite history of natural measles were revaccinated with a measles vaccine. This strategy takes advantage of the anamnestic response that revaccination would confer in persons with low antibody titer."}
{"id": "PMID:1492688", "title": "[Tracheostomy in a resuscitation unit (methodology, tactics of postoperative management, long-term results].", "content": "The experience of management of 123 patients after tracheostomy and the following prolonged controlled lung ventilation has been summarized. The techniques of tracheostomy and postoperative management that made it possible to decanulate 118 patients without additional surgical interventions have been described. The studies performed using radiopharmacological agents have revealed considerable disturbances of the pulmonary flow, foci of chronic inflammation in tracheal and bronchial cartilages, mediastinal lymph nodes and pulmonary tissue, reduction in pulmonary tissue elasticity and increase of the lung area."}
{"id": "PMID:1492698", "title": "Surveillance of infection in home care.", "content": "Home care accreditation standards from the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations require a system for recording, reporting, and evaluating infections related to the services provided. We developed a surveillance system for home care related infections to meet these requirements. Our goal was to reduce the risk of infection and improve the quality of care. Definitions for home care-related infections were adapted from the Centers for Disease Control's 1988 definitions for nosocomial infections. The home health care staff assisted by reporting clients with possible infections. Surveillance was completed by the infection control coordinator. On the basis of our findings in the population, we concentrated our efforts on reducing the risk of catheter-related genitourinary infection in our home care patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1492691", "title": "[The prostacyclin-thromboxane system and platelet hemostasis following aortocoronary bypass with an uncomplicated postoperative course].", "content": "Prostacyclin-thromboxane system and platelet hemostasis have been studied in 56 patients upon aortocoronary bypass surgery with uncomplicated early postoperative period. It has been established that cardiopulmonary bypass surgery leads to a considerable increase in 6-keto-PGF1 alpha and TXB2 levels per platelet, as compared to preoperative values. By hour 18 postoperatively 6-keto-PGF1 alpha to platelet number ratio returns to baseline, while TXB2 to platelet number ratio remains higher than preoperative values, which determines a shift in 6-keto-PGF1 alpha to TXB2 ratio towards TXB2, thus ensuring, probably, enhanced platelet aggregation properties. Thrombocytopenia, a decrease in platelet aggregation properties and elevated blood plasma level of beta-thromboglobulin were observed upon aortocoronary bypass surgery. By hour 18 postoperatively the number of platelets increased significantly, their aggregation properties were enhanced, beta-thromboglobulin blood plasma level was reduced, however, the parameters under study did not reach normal values at that time. Increased levels of 6-keto-PGF1 alpha and TXB2 per platelet in the early postoperative period are considered an important component of compensatory-adaptive body reactions directed to normalization of the damaged body functions, namely hemostasis and microcirculation."}
{"id": "PMID:1492700", "title": "Bovine monoclonal alloantibodies to blood group antigens prepared by murine x bovine or (murine x bovine) x bovine interspecies fusions.", "content": "In order to obtain monoclonal alloantibodies against bovine blood group antigens, lymph node cells from calves immunized with bovine red blood cells (RBC) were fused with either murine NSO/1 myeloma cells or a HAT sensitive murine x bovine heterohybridoma cell line. Both fusion partners resulted in heterohybridoma cell lines, producing monoclonal alloantibodies against bovine red blood cell antigens. Several clones produced antibodies against identical antigens and some of these clones have been further analysed. The antibodies produced by these selected cell lines have been compared with conventional polyclonal antisera used in bovine blood typing service. Thus extensive tests--including the ISAG Comparison Tests 1989/90 and 1991/92--have proved that monoclonal alloantibodies specific for the internationally recognized bovine red cell antigens A2, I1, O1, Q, A', B', Q', C1, R1, X1, S and Z have been produced. The Q, A', B', and C1 antibodies react weakly with certain phenogroups, whereas the A2, I1, O1, Q', R1, X1, S and Z antibodies have proved to be excellent blood typing reagents and have now substituted the polyclonal antisera in routine bovine blood typing in our laboratory."}
{"id": "PMID:1492701", "title": "Canine blood groups: description of 20 specificities.", "content": "Twenty blood typing reagents, four agglutinins and 16 operable in the antiglobulin test, were prepared from 54 antisera which were produced in 24 dogs. Two of the reagents were identified as anti-B and Nf6. Two of the antigens were shown by absorption and family studies to be linear subtypes. In most cases, detailed family studies demonstrated a Mendelian dominant inheritance for the genes controlling the canine red cell antigens. Gene frequencies were determined in various breeds of dogs and in the dingo."}
{"id": "PMID:1492703", "title": "Absence of evidence for linkage between Booroola gene and genetic markers at 11 sheep blood polymorphic loci.", "content": "Genetic linkage between the Booroola locus (Fec) and 11 sheep blood polymorphic loci (i.e. Tf, Hb, CA, OLA, and A, B, C, D, M, R, F41 red cell blood groups) was investigated in six large sire families (163 informative female offspring). The six sires tested were heterozygous for the Booroola allele (FecB) and for several genetic markers. No evidence in favour of linkage was found. Moreover, depending on the marker locus considered, linkage closer than or as close as the recombination frequency of 10-30% was excluded."}
{"id": "PMID:1492704", "title": "Sheep gene mapping: synteny between COL2A1 and the LDHB-PEPB-TPI-GAPD-LALBA-IGF1 group.", "content": "DNA extracted from 21 hamster-sheep hybrid cell lines was subjected, after Southern blotting, to hybridization with a type-II alpha 1 collagen genomic probe (COL2A1). The corresponding locus was found to be syntenic with the LDHB-PEPB-TPI-GAPD-LALBA-IGF1 group in sheep."}
{"id": "PMID:1492705", "title": "A study on association between mastitis and serologically defined class I bovine lymphocyte antigens (BoLA-A) in Norwegian cows.", "content": "A total of 102 cows was tested for class I antigens of the bovine major histocompatibility complex. Half of the animals (51) had completed at least four lactations without any veterinary treatment for mastitis. The distribution of BoLA-A antigens among these relative mastitis-resistant cows was compared to that in the other half of the material (51), which comprised animals with at least one recorded treatment for mastitis. There were no statistically significant differences in BoLA-A antigen frequency between cows with mastitis and cows without mastitis. The two most common antigens were A2 and w16. The frequency of these two antigens deviated from earlier estimates within the Norwegian cattle (NRF) population, the difference for w16 being statistically significant."}
{"id": "PMID:1492706", "title": "Characterization of five new bovine dinucleotide repeats.", "content": "Five new bovine (TG)n microsatellite sequences were characterized. During the screening procedure, one-third of the clones had essentially the same flanking sequences. A fast technique was devised to eliminate these clones."}
{"id": "PMID:1492707", "title": "Identification of a conserved microsatellite site in the porcine and bovine insulin-like growth factor-I gene 5' flank.", "content": "Examination of published rat and human sequences for the insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) gene indicated the presence of CA dinucleotide repeats in corresponding segments of each. Presence of similar microsatellite sequences in the porcine and bovine IGF-I genes was hypothesized. A 1200-bp segment upstream of the porcine and bovine IGF-I genes was amplified using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with primers developed from a consensus of human, rat and bovine sequences. Both porcine and bovine PCR products contained similar microsatellite sequences. Amplified pIGF-I DNA was cloned and sequenced, and an additional primer was developed specifically for microsatellite marker detection. Six allelic variants of 124, 130, 132, 134, 136 or 138 bp were observed in pigs with differing frequencies between breeds (P < 0.01). The same primers were used to amplify the corresponding bovine microsatellite. Three alleles of 126, 128 and 130 bp were observed in a genetically diverse cattle population with estimated frequencies of 0.06, 0.68 and 0.26, respectively. Results of this study indicate sequence information from the human and laboratory species can be used to facilitate genetic marker development in livestock species."}
{"id": "PMID:1492708", "title": "Genetic polymorphism of esterase in plasma of American mink (Mustela vison L.).", "content": "Plasma samples of 412 minks, including 20 families and representing 15 lines, have been investigated by isoelectric focusing for the enzyme esterase (ES). The observed variation of the enzyme may be explained as a result of one locus with at least seven codominant alleles. The segregation of six alleles assumed for the locus in 20 families supports this genetic model. Genetic divergence among the lines is observed and may be due to founder effect and/or selection."}
{"id": "PMID:1492709", "title": "New A system allele of red cell alloantigens in Paso Fino horses.", "content": "Family data from Paso Fino horses support the existence of a new allele (Aabdf) in the A system of red cell alloantigens. Considering breeds throughout the world, the A system now consists of 13 alleles defined by reagents which serologically detect seven factors."}
{"id": "PMID:1492710", "title": "Direct sequencing and bidirectional allele specific polymerase chain reaction of the bovine beta-casein B variant.", "content": "We have used the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to amplify exon VII of the bovine beta-casein gene. The mutations responsible for the B variant were identified by direct sequencing of the amplification products. A bidirectional allele-specific PCR method (BAS-PCR) has been developed using oligonucleotides overlapping the mutation site at their 3' ends. This new procedure allows a rapid and reliable discrimination between the B and non-B alleles of beta-casein."}
{"id": "PMID:1492716", "title": "[Intracellular traffic of the progesterone receptor].", "content": "The nuclear localization of the progesterone receptor is mediated by two signal sequences: one is constitutive and lies in the hinge region (between the DNA and steroid binding domains), the other is hormone-dependent and is localized in the second zinc finger of the DNA binding domain. The use of various inhibitors of energy synthesis in cells expressing permanently or transiently the wild-type receptor or a receptor mutated within the nuclear localization signals, demonstrated that the nuclear residency of the receptor reflects a dynamic situation: the receptor diffusing into the cytoplasm and being constantly and actively transported back into the nucleus. The existence of this nucleo-cytoplasmic shuttle mechanism was confirmed by receptor transfer from one nucleus to the other in heterokaryons. Preliminary evidence was obtained, using oestrogen receptor, that this phenomenon may be of general significance for steroid receptors."}
{"id": "PMID:1492717", "title": "Identification and susceptibility testing for obligate anaerobic bacteria using a semi-automated API ATB plus system.", "content": "We evaluated the reliability of the API systems, Rapid ID 32 A and ATB ANA, for the identification and susceptibility testing of obligate anaerobic bacteria in a clinical laboratory that does not possess either an anaerobic chamber or a chromatograph. Tested were 105 clinical isolates. Identifications were compared with those obtained according to the criteria of the Virginia Polytechnic Institute Manual using the API 20 A system with incubation in an anaerobic chamber and gas chromatography. Identifications were concordant in 86.3% of cases. The Rapid ID 32 A system was inaccurate in distinguishing Bacteroides of the fragilis group. Susceptibility to 10 antibiotics of the ATB ANA system was compared to that obtained by MIC determination on Wilkins Chalgren agar. Overall, concordance was 78.2%. Disagreements were mostly minor (16.4%): resistant strains classified as intermediate or intermediate classified as susceptible. When the ATB ANA strip cannot be inoculated in an anaerobic chamber, it is possible that a denser inoculum would decrease the percentage of minor disagreements."}
{"id": "PMID:1492718", "title": "Decrease in zinc serum concentrations after surgical intervention. A study of 87 cases.", "content": "The post-surgery zinc depletion reported by Hallb\u00f6\u00f6k in 1977 and subsequently confirmed by many authors is now well known. Our study concerns a homogeneous group of 87 female patients undergoing the same surgical procedure: simple or enlarged hysterectomy. Results confirm a mean 35% drop in serum zinc after surgery compared to initial values. The drop is mainly during the operation. A parallel zinc and albumin depletion was noted in 36 patients between the beginning and end of intervention. More systematic zinc supplementation could be proposed before surgery in patients presenting chronic zinc depletion."}
{"id": "PMID:1492720", "title": "[The use of tapioca as coverage in viral titration].", "content": "Virus titration is an important step required on viral vaccines quality control. \"Plaque assay\", which employs several types of overlay media, is usually used on viral titrations. In this paper we describe the use of Tapioca as an overlay media. Firstly, the toxicity of Tapioca was tested on Vero cells inoculated or not with the Yellow Fever virus (YF) 17DD vaccine strain. Secondly, different batches of the 17DD virus using the Tapioca and Karaya gum as the overlay on Vero cells were tested when higher titres were obtained using Tapioca. Tapioca was also shown to be a suitable overlay to be used in thermostability and plaque reduction neutralization tests. Other systems could benefit from the use of Tapioca as an overlay, since it was possible to titer Measles virus in Vero cells. Tapioca is a cheap Brazilian product, is locally available, easy to use, and reliable. Its use is suggested."}
{"id": "PMID:1492729", "title": "[Demography and public health: the complexity of interventions in women].", "content": "Some considerations on age distribution of the Italian population, in particular women, are reported; after 40, they are the majority. Problems of ageing and their quality of life constitute a large interest of future research. Cardiovascular diseases are more frequent with ageing for both, males and females; the differences, found in middle age males and females, suggest the possible protective role of feminine sexual hormones. Trials, which include hormone replacement therapy in women after menopause, are conducted for the possible influence on cardiovascular diseases, on osteoporosis and on thrombogenic factors."}
{"id": "PMID:1492730", "title": "[Epidemiology and risk factors for cardiovascular diseases in women].", "content": "Some Italian data on frequencies of cardiovascular diseases in women are reported. Recent data, published by ISTAT (1987), record that diseases of the circulatory system represent 50% of all deaths and cardiovascular events happen over 75. Mortality rates for cardiovascular diseases, aged 0-74, are lower than in men of the same age group. Coronary and cerebrovascular events recorded by the MONICA register in the Area Latina are lower in women than in men with a ratio of 3:1 and 3:2 respectively. Fatality rate is higher in women than in men. Incidence rate of definite coronary events assessed by population samples is 2.2 per 1000 per year in women aged 40-69. On cardiovascular risk factors few Italian data are published. Some data from American studies reported for women the prediction of risk factors, such as serum cholesterol, blood pressure, and smoking habit; an independent role is played by diabetes and obesity."}
{"id": "PMID:1492731", "title": "[Sex hormones and ischemic cardiopathy in women].", "content": "Gender differences in coronary heart disease frequency is dramatic during the reproductive age of the woman. The main biological difference during this age depends on the endogenous sexual hormone pattern. This paper discusses the possible role of these hormones in determining the coronary risk and the coronary heart disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1492732", "title": "[Diet and cardiovascular risk among women in Italy].", "content": "Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) is less common in females compared to males and geographical differences are observed in both sexes; furthermore time trend mortality in women follows the same pattern as in men suggesting that the environmental factors have similar influence in both sexes. Nutrition is an environmental factor which plays an important role in the etiology and pathogenesis of CHD. The Italian Nine Communities Study on Atherosclerosis Risk Factors analyzes the relationships between consumption of food rich in saturated fatty acids and cholesterol and a number of CHD risk factors in a sample of Italian women aged 20-59 years. The dietary habits of the participants were ascertained by a food frequency questionnaire. Intake of atherogenic food was evaluated for each participants systolic blood pressure, serum glucose, serum cholesterol increased with increasing consumption of atherogenic food (i.e. butter). Conversely, consumption of olive oil and vegetable oil was inversely associated with serum cholesterol, serum glucose and systolic blood pressure. Furthermore, calcium rich food consumption was associated with lower blood pressure. These findings were independent from any possible confounding effect of age, adiposity, alcohol intake and cigarette smoking. Data from the Intersalt Study in Italy (400 women aged 20-59 years) have clearly shown lower blood pressure levels in participants with lower intake of sodium and alcohol and higher intake of potassium. Some clinical and experimental observations suggest a possible difference in response to dietary factors in women compared to men due to the intermediate effects of the sex hormone pattern."}
{"id": "PMID:1492733", "title": "[Blood cholesterol in women].", "content": "The distribution of blood lipids is described and their role as cardiovascular risk factors in women is discussed. The determinants of serum cholesterol levels are identified in genes, in particular in changes of codes for LDL and HDL; in habitual food intake as polyunsaturated and saturated fats. Obesity, jointed by atherogenic lipoproteins as total and LDL-cholesterol, is considered a risk factor independently on smoking habit or age. Finally the role of menopause in changing lipoprotein levels and in increasing cardiovascular risk is reported."}
{"id": "PMID:1492734", "title": "[Prospective studies based on biological specimen banks: a new epidemiological generation].", "content": "A new generation of studies is emerging from the recent technical development in the epidemiology of chronic diseases. Prospective investigations on large number of individuals using a biological specimen bank as a support have been designed recently in the major European and North-American research center in epidemiology. The efficiency of this design may guarantee sound information on a number of etiological questions regarding modifiable environmental factors (such as nutrition) and tumours and cardiovascular diseases. Studies on women appear the most efficient use of this design in cardiovascular epidemiology, especially for coronary heart disease. The design, the objectives and the rationale of a study on the etiology of cardiovascular disease in Italian women are described in the present paper. The Progetto ATENA and the women-dedicated section of the Progetto Controllo Comunitario Integrato nel Distretto Sanitario di Sezze are the two components of the investigation."}
{"id": "PMID:1492735", "title": "[The biological specimen bank: methodological and organizational problems].", "content": "Little experience is available to solve methodological and organizational problems when setting up a biological specimen bank as a support to prospective studies on chronic diseases. Sample aliquots preparation, processing procedures and storage system are discussed in the present paper. Problems related to the quality of biological material stored, as to the influence of the very low temperature freezing physico-chemical effects, are discussed also in the appendix."}
{"id": "PMID:1492736", "title": "[The quality of biological information: standardization and quality control].", "content": "Some procedures and methods for the measurement of cardiovascular risk factor are described; in particular of anthropometric measurements (weight, height, arm circumference, wrist circumference, hip circumference) of blood pressure, of electrocardiogram and of blood samples for the preservation of biological specimens. Some advice for the quality control during screening activities are reported."}
{"id": "PMID:1492737", "title": "[Computerization of data collection in epidemiological studies].", "content": "Data collected in epidemiological studies on large cohorts need to be evaluated through the organization of a specific computer laboratory in order to make all procedures simple and fast. This paper describes the basic elements composing a computer laboratory and discusses its implementation in epidemiological investigations."}
{"id": "PMID:1492738", "title": "[The finalization of the information output].", "content": "A biological specimen bank, as a support to prospective studies on etiology of chronic diseases can be considered the final product of our research and the central point of an information system in which many participants are involved. After a brief consideration of some problems related to the criteria and the methodologies evaluation of scientific results and about their transfer to the users, the afferent and efferent informative flows are analysed using the bank as a central processing unit. The aim is to realize an interactive bidirectional communication process involving both the observer and the observed."}
{"id": "PMID:1492739", "title": "[Food questionnaire for epidemiological studies on large cohorts for use in Italy].", "content": "Two Italian studies on dietary habits have been analyzed to prepare a list of 78 food items explaining 95% of nutrients variation. These food items can be reliability used in nutritional investigations carried out in Italy, provided the limiting due to study design."}
{"id": "PMID:1492740", "title": "[Nutritional research in studies of large numbers of people: the need for integrating accuracy and simplicity].", "content": "Epidemiological investigations on nutrition and chronic diseases require high reliability, accuracy, low cost and feasibility of the system through which dietary information is collected. Food frequency questionnaire are commonly used in large epidemiological investigations. However, repeated 24 hour recall should be considered to integrate this information. Multiple 24 h recalls in random samples of large cohorts appear to be convenient choice to improve data accuracy. This procedure also allow calibration of dietary information in case of pooling of data from different cohorts. Multiple 24 h recalls can be easily carried out through telephone interviews instead of multiple face-to-face. This reliable procedure, tested in a study reported in this paper, may improve compliance."}
{"id": "PMID:1492741", "title": "[Reliability and power of genetic studies].", "content": "During the last few years new powerful diagnostic methods have been developed in the field of molecular and cell biology. It is now possible to work out the molecular pathology of many genetic diseases and to institute new techniques for the detection of carriers and neonatal diagnosis. However, it is in the field of polygenic diseases such as degenerative vascular disease, diabetes, cancer and other chronic diseases that molecular biology will play its most important part and perhaps change in the long term our clinical approach. There is considerable debate among geneticists on the safest strategy for obtaining and long term storing sufficient DNA from an individual for projects requiring large but unknown amounts of DNA. As little as 0.5 ml whole, blood samples (or white cells) which have been frozen with 10% DMSO or anticoagulants will provide sufficient DNA by direct extraction methods and also permit to establish lymphoblastoid cell lines providing an infinite source of DNA."}
{"id": "PMID:1492742", "title": "[Community prevention: the role of women].", "content": "Socio-cultural, biological, psychological and environmental determinants of health develop within the community. Therefore, any intervention aimed at promoting health must derive from and evolve within the community itself, with the participation of all its members, each of whom charged with a specific and well-defined role to play. Deep changes have occurred in modern society, as a consequence of industrialization and urbanization. This notwithstanding, the biological and social role of women in family management has remained unchanged, even after the spreading of female work. The community-based control of chronic and degenerative diseases calls for the acquirement of a lifestyle more suitable to maintaining health. To this purpose, women can be charged with the responsibility of carrying our activities aimed at improving scientific knowledge to the benefit of the whole community."}
{"id": "PMID:1492743", "title": "The genes coding for phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase-1 (PCK1) and neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptor alpha 4 subunit (CHRNA4) map to human chromosome 20, extending the known region of homology with mouse chromosome 2.", "content": "The mouse genes for cytosolic phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase-1 (Pck-1) and neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptor alpha 4 subunit (Acra-4) both map to distal chromosome 2 (Siracusa et al. 1989; Bessis et al. 1990). We have utilized Southern blot analysis on human/rodent somatic cell hybrids to map the human homologues of both of these genes, PCK1 and CHRNA4, to human chromosome 20."}
{"id": "PMID:1492744", "title": "The AD1 locus in familial Alzheimer disease.", "content": "The AD1 locus on chromosome 21 (MIM 104300) maps to the beta-amyloid precursor locus (APP) at approximately 27.7 Mb from pter (10.9 cM in males and 33.9 cM in females), flanked proximally by D21S8 and distally by D21S111, with D21S124 and D21S210 close but of uncertain order. AD1 accounts for 63 +/- 11% of multiplex Alzheimer pedigrees for which lod scores have been reported. Since a much smaller proportion of pedigrees have mutations in the cDNA for beta-amyloid (APP exons 16 and 17), it is likely that the AD1 locus spans controlling elements near those exons. There is no evidence for a second locus on chromosome 21. The remaining pedigrees may include sporadic cases as well as mutations at an AD2 locus on another chromosome."}
{"id": "PMID:1492745", "title": "Disequilibrium of multiple DNA markers on the human Y chromosome.", "content": "We characterized four DNA polymorphisms on the Y chromosomes of 123 males from five Caucasian populations. Three markers on the male specific portion of the chromosome varied appreciably in frequency among the populations. When combined, these markers define a limited number of haplotypes compared with the maximum expected on the basis of random association. The associations found in the five groups are qualitatively similar and are thus considered to be relatively stable on an evolutionary time-scale and possibly to predate the divergence of Caucasian populations. However, the haplotype frequencies varied markedly among populations, even between weakly isolated areas such as northern vs. southern Sardinia. This may indicate rapid progression towards fixation of alternative types of Y chromosomes. We also report data suggesting that the same associations no longer hold when examining a marker as close as 275 bp from the boundary of the pseudoautosomal region on the Y chromosome."}
{"id": "PMID:1492746", "title": "Hazard and probabilities of unknown genotypes.", "content": "The likelihood of a genotype of an unsampled individual depends upon genetic data from relatives. When these relatives may be carriers of a mutation as in X-linked disease, the likelihood of a genotype is altered by the consequences of the possible genotypes on offspring. The probabilities of the possible genotypes are easily derived from the probabilities conditional on the genotype obtained from a computer program aimed at risk calculation. This procedure of genotype reconstruction brings to light a potential hazard in the interpretation of computer data: a compound risk may be better represented as the harmonic mean of a set of conditional probabilities than the simple average of these probabilities."}
{"id": "PMID:1492747", "title": "The power of the N-test of haplotype concordance.", "content": "The N-test of haplotype concordance among siblings affected by some disease under investigation is used to decide whether there is a disease susceptibility gene linked to a marker locus or chromosomal region. The use of this test and appropriate modifications of it is briefly reviewed. The power of the ordinary N-test is then derived as a function of several parameters. The sample size needed to attain a given power is then derived. Some of the parameters are specified and the required sample sizes are given in tables for different values of the main unknown parameters."}
{"id": "PMID:1492748", "title": "Calculation of genetic identity coefficients.", "content": "Genetic identity coefficients define the kind and amount of gene sharing between two relatives at a single locus. Non-recursive computation of these probabilities depends on cumbersome graph-tracing algorithms. Closely related to the identity coefficients are certain generalized kinship coefficients which can be computed recursively. The present paper clarifies some ideas of Karigl about how to relate identity coefficients to generalized kinship coefficients."}
{"id": "PMID:1492749", "title": "Hydroxymethylthiobutanoic acid spares methionine from catabolism in the chick.", "content": "Two groups of chicks were fed, until they were 3 weeks old, diets supplemented with either DL-methionine (MET) or DL-2-hydroxy-4-methylthiobutanoic acid (HMB). Oxidation to CO2 and uric catabolism of intraperitoneally injected L-[1-14C]MET and DL-[1-14C]HMB were studied comparatively for 8 h. HMB supplementation spares available MET from both oxidative and uric catabolism."}
{"id": "PMID:1492750", "title": "Skinfold thickness at ulnar, triceps, subscapular, and suprailiac regions in 1,656 Japanese children aged 3-11 years.", "content": "We measured body weight, height, and skinfold thickness (SFT) at ulnar, triceps, subscapular and suprailiac regions in 1,656 Japanese children aged 3-11 years. Means of SFT in boys and girls with normal weight exhibited similar changes with age to Caucasian children. However, nadirs of SFT were observed 1 year earlier and means at 11 years were slightly higher in Japanese. Correlation coefficients between SFT and excess weight (EW) were high in boys and girls when EW was more than 10%. Some children with EW of more than 10% had abnormal SFT. Skinfolds in all children with EW of 30% or more were beyond the normal limits. In this study, normal ranges of SFT in Japanese children are demonstrated and their racial characteristics are compared to Caucasians. It is suggested that children with EW of 10-30% are heterogenous and determination of fat volume is essential to confirm the diagnosis of obesity in these subjects."}
{"id": "PMID:1492751", "title": "Infant feeding practices among poor families of an urban squatter community.", "content": "We studied the types of food, time of introduction, frequency and nutrient intake among 133 infants during the 1st year of life. A 24-hour dietary recall indicated that 42 different types of food, including mothers' milk, were offered directly or in suitable preparations. Breast- and mixed-fed infants were likely to receive more milk feedings than non-breast-fed infants. Sugar and liquids such as tea, fruit juices and soft drinks were introduced at a very early age. The breast-fed babies were offered only teas before the 3rd month. Solid food was offered as early as at 4 months, regardless of breast or bottle feeding. Fe and vitamin A were estimated to be below the recommended dietary allowance in the group that was not receiving breast milk."}
{"id": "PMID:1492752", "title": "Aging, energy expenditure and nutritional status: evidence for denutrition-related hypermetabolism.", "content": "Resting energy expenditure (REE) and nutritional status have been evaluated in 39 elderly inpatients (mean age 84.0 +/- 6.9 years). The nutritional status declined with aging as shown by significant negative correlations between age and, respectively, weight (p < 0.001), fat free mass (FFM) (p < 0.01) and body mass index (BMI) (p < 0.01). The best prediction for REE when considering the whole population was given by FFM (p < 0.001). Increased REE was observed in patients after recent surgery, related to an inflammatory state, as shown by increased plasma levels of C-reactive protein and orosomucoid. Irrespectively of the inflammatory state, REE was also found to be related to the nutritional status: patients who showed a BMI < 20 had higher REE than patients with a BMI > 20 (28.4 +/- 1.3 vs. 22.1 +/- 0.7 kcal/kg of body weight; p < 0.001; 35.7 +/- 1.6 vs. 30.9 +/- 1.0 kcal/kg of FFM; p < 0.02). These results increasingly suggest that elderly patients may suffer from denutrition relevant to hypermetabolism."}
{"id": "PMID:1492753", "title": "Fatty acid composition of blood lipids in Chinese children consuming high erucic acid rapeseed oil.", "content": "The fatty acid patterns of oils, blood plasma and erythrocyte lipids from 28 children in the Shaanxi province of the People's Republic of China were determined by capillary gas liquid chromatography. The main source of fat in this region is rapeseed oil. The analysis of locally available rapeseed oil shows a high erucic acid content (mean 43.83%, range 33.91-50.48%). According to protocol data, about 3% of the daily nutrient energy is provided by erucic acid. Despite a low fat intake in Chinese children, the composition of the fatty acids of the fractions analyzed showed normal patterns. However, erucic acid was found in all fractions analyzed. Data on erucic acid in human tissue are scarce. Although there are no indications of erucic acid toxicity in man, it is known to cause cardiac lipidosis and necrosis in rats. The question remains open if erucic acid aggravates selenium deficiency symptoms which are known to be associated with Keshan disease, an endemic cardiomyopathy."}
{"id": "PMID:1492754", "title": "Influence of milk factors on riboflavin uptake by rat intestinal everted sac.", "content": "The uptake of riboflavin was measured in Krebs' medium and a system consisting of riboflavin-free dialyzed milk (providing milk factors) equalized to Krebs' medium with respect to different salt concentration and pH. The final riboflavin concentration in the medium ranged between 0.1 and 0.5 microM. Total riboflavin incorporation was greater in the milk system and the increase ranged between 120 and 134% in comparison with Krebs' medium (100%). The Michaelis-Menten constant (Km) and Vmax for labelled riboflavin uptake were calculated by Lineweaver-Burk plotting of data. Km value decreased from 1.23 microM for Krebs' medium to 0.75 microM in the presence of milk factor(s). Vmax values were 62 and 60 pmol/100 mg tissue/min for Krebs' and milk systems, respectively. It was concluded that milk factor(s) enhanced intestinal uptake of riboflavin."}
{"id": "PMID:1492755", "title": "n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation (Pikasol) in men with moderate and severe hypertriglyceridaemia: a dose-response study.", "content": "The effect of n-3 fatty acids in 11 men with hypertriglyceridaemia was investigated. The subjects were given daily supplements with three different doses of n-3 fatty acids for 8-week periods. The supplements given were 2, 4 and 9 g of n-3 fatty acids/day, respectively. Total cholesterol, triglycerides and the ratio of total cholesterol to HDL-cholesterol significantly decreased with all three doses in a dose-dependent way. HDL-cholesterol increased in a dose-dependent fashion, while apolipoproteins A1 and B were unaltered by the supplements apart from a small increase in apolipoprotein A1 after the lowest dose of n-3 fatty acids. The greatest effect was observed after 2 g of n-3 fatty acids/day."}
{"id": "PMID:1492756", "title": "Intestinal epithelial cell surface glycosylation in mice. I. Effect of high-protein diet.", "content": "The effects of variation in dietary protein content have been investigated on brush border glycosylation and enzyme activities in mice small intestine. The comparison of different parameters was made between the mice fed 30% (high protein, HP) and 18% protein (pair-fed, PF, and ad libitum-fed) for 21 days. The activities of brush border sucrase, lactase, p-nitrophenyl (PNP)-beta-D-glucosidase and PNP-beta-D-galactosidase were reduced in the HP diet-fed mice compared to PF and ad libitum-fed controls. Alkaline phosphatase and leucine amino-peptidase activities were significantly enhanced while gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase activity was unaltered under these conditions. Total hexoses and sialic acid content in the brush borders were reduced significantly in the test group compared to the controls while hexosamine and fucose contents remained essentially similar in different groups. The results on the binding of wheat germ agglutinin and Ulex europaeus agglutininI to microvillus membranes corroborated the chemical analysis data on sialic acid and fucose contents of the membranes. Peanut agglutinin binding was enhanced in mice from the HP group. Incorporation of (14C)-mannose into membranes was significantly less in HP diet-fed mice. These results indicate that the feeding of HP diet to mice brings about marked alterations in small intestinal epithelial cell surface glycosylation and enzyme functions."}
{"id": "PMID:1492757", "title": "Tracer study of metabolism and tissue distribution of sebacic acid in rats.", "content": "The present study investigates the metabolic disposition of sebacic acid in rats. Three groups of experimental animals received different doses of disodium sebacate with 25 microCi of 14C-labeled molecule by intravenous injection. In the first group radioactivity plasma elimination curves were examined for two administered doses (80 and 160 mg). In the second group, expired 14CO2, urine tracer and feces tracer were counted after intravenous administration of 160 mg of sebacate. The animals of the third group were sacrificed at different times after intravenous administration of 160 mg of sebacate, and tracer elimination curves were obtained for several organs. The plasma half-life of sebacate is 38.71 min; about 35% of the administered tracer was excreted in the urine as unchanged sebacate; about 25% was eliminated as 14CO2 in expired air. Disposition of sebacate was complete within 4 h of administration. The sebacate half-life is longest in adipose tissue (135 min) and in liver (74 min), sites of likely transformation. In all other organs examined, the sebacate half-life is similar to that in plasma."}
{"id": "PMID:1492758", "title": "Increase of long chain omega-3 fatty acids in the major serum lipid classes of patients with cystic fibrosis.", "content": "We studied the effects of supplementing patients with cystic fibrosis for 1 month with 3 g/day of a dietary supplement, containing 911 mg omega 3 fatty acids, on the fatty acid composition of serum cholesterol esters, free fatty acids, phospholipids and triglycerides. At the end of the supplementation period, the content of total omega 3 fatty acids was increased significantly in all lipid classes. The effect on individual omega 3 fatty acids depended on the fatty acid and lipid class studied, increased with the dose fed and decreased with the weight of the patient. One month after the end of the supplementation period, fatty acid levels had returned to pretreatment values. These results demonstrate that enrichment of serum lipid classes with omega 3 fatty acids is feasible in CF patients by dietary supplementation."}
{"id": "PMID:1492759", "title": "Effect of pyridoxine on mice gastric ulcers and brain catecholamines after an immobilization stress.", "content": "Fifty adult female Swiss albino mice were injected with either 1.11 mg/kg body weight pyridoxine or saline, subsequently they were all submitted to an immobilization stress with a complete fast for 17 h. At the end of this period, the animals were sacrificed, the gastric mucosa was dissected for ulcer count, and brain noradrenaline, dopamine and serotonin were determined by liquid chromatography. In addition, 26 nonstressed mice were used as controls, 16 of them being fed at libitum and 10 submitted to the same fasting period as the first two groups. In the stressed animals, the average number of gastric ulcers per mouse was twice as large in the saline-treated group than in the pyridoxine-treated group (p < 0.05). With a single exception, no ulcer was found in the non stressed controls. Brain norepinephrine content was almost identical in fasting controls and in stressed mice treated with pyridoxine; in the stressed animals treated with saline, the average norepinephrine content was higher by 15% and in the fed controls lower by 11% than in the two preceding groups. Pyridoxine treatment entailed a very significant reduction (p < 0.002) of norepinephrine variability, mainly due to the absence of high values (> or = 750 ng/g of fresh brain) which occurred only in the saline-treated group. Similar results were yielded for brain dopamine. No variations were observed for brain serotonin. These results suggest the antistress effect of pyridoxine."}
{"id": "PMID:1492760", "title": "Appropriate days for measuring intake of dietary fat and cholesterol.", "content": "Seven consecutive day food records were assessed in 224 free-living adult volunteers to (1) identify the smallest number of days, and which days of the week, would provide most of the information about dietary fat and cholesterol intake (assessed by B score) and (2) whether a complex mathematical formula for weighting certain days was required to achieve reasonable validity. A factor analytic approach was used to identify 3- and 4-day sets. The correlations with the 7-day average B score ranged from 0.95 for the best 4-day (Saturday through Tuesday) average B score to 0.91  for the best 3-day (Sunday through Tuesday) average B score. Simple averaging (no weighting) was found to be adequate to achieve this level of validity."}
{"id": "PMID:1492761", "title": "Changes in serum and urinary amino acids after the administration of a mixed beta-adrenergic agonist.", "content": "The administration of the repartitioning agent metaproterenol, with affinity for beta 1- and beta 2-receptors, induced marked increases in gastrocnemius muscle and heart weights. The renal loss of essential amino acids was reduced in animals treated with beta-adrenergic agonists and a significant reduction in total serum amino acids was found as well. The assessment of urinary 3-methylhistidine suggests, that those changes were accompanied by a lower myofibrillar protein breakdown, while hydroxyproline output was increased as an indirect index of collagen turnover."}
{"id": "PMID:1492762", "title": "Effects of weight loss on the fatty acid composition of serum lipids in obese women.", "content": "The effect of a weight reduction regimen, consisting of a protein-sparing modified fast and an exercise program, on the fatty acid composition of serum phospholipids and cholesterol esters of obese women, is described. In phospholipids, this treatment did not induce any significant change of the different fatty acid families (total saturated, monounsaturated, omega 9, omega 7, omega 6 and trans-fatty acids), except for total omega 3 fatty acids which increased. Within families, individual fatty acids change however. The changes are compatible with increased delta 5 and delta 6 desaturase activity. In cholesteryl esters, significant changes occurred which are suggestive of an increase in serum of the fraction of cholesteryl esters of intracellular origin. The changes in fatty acid compositions may not be beneficial with respect to atherosclerosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1492765", "title": "[Historic evolution of the use of the intestine in urology].", "content": "Knowing the history of Urology has allowed urologists to recover techniques which had been abandoned for different reasons, yet when modified or utilized with current technological advancements, have proved to be very useful. A brief review of the history of urinary diversion clearly shows that it has evolved in parallel with the important diseases; i.e., vesical exstrophy, urinary tuberculosis and bladder cancer. Time tests all new, and thus controversial, concepts or procedures. They become either well established or are condemned to oblivion. All the experience, both successes and failures, that make up the history of Urology undoubtedly contribute towards finding new therapeutic alternatives."}
{"id": "PMID:1492766", "title": "[The future of total substitution ileoplasty].", "content": "Up to now radical cystectomy with or without ancillary methods (radiotherapy, chemotherapy) has been usually considered as the most efficient treatment for invasive bladder cancer. Bladder replacement, which maintains body image, made this mutilation more acceptable for the patient and more easily offered for early stages T1b, T2. According to the progresses of oncologic knowledge, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, it seems reasonable to think that within less than 10 years, conservative treatments for bladder cancer will probably make obsolete radical cystectomy and, of course, associated bladder replacement. Nevertheless, bladder substitution must remain available as a second treatment of choice for some cases and also for bladder deteriorations secondary to trauma, neurologic or benign diseases."}
{"id": "PMID:1492767", "title": "[Evolution of urinary bladder substitution].", "content": "The historical background to the currently used methods for continent bladder substitution is shortly outlined. The significance for the patient's quality of life of various methods for bladder reconstruction or urinary diversion is briefly discussed. The importance of reservoir configuration for achieving a high compliant urinary receptacle is pointed out. Factors affecting reabsorption of urinary constituents are stressed and the significance of an antireflux mechanism is discussed. Currently the majority of patients undergoing cystectomy for cancer or for other reasons can be offered bladder substitutes providing continence and easy emptying; that is, complete control over voiding. This can be achieved by orthotopic bladder reconstruction or by diverting the urine to the augmented and valved rectum or to the skin via a continent intestinal reservoir."}
{"id": "PMID:1492768", "title": "[Ileal neobladder].", "content": "Since April 1986, 227 patients received an ileal neobladder at our institution. Of these patients 206 underwent simultaneous radical cystectomy for bladder cancer, and 21 received a bladder augmentation. The mean postoperative follow-up ranges from 3-71 months. Perioperative mortality was 2.55 percent, 15 percent of the patients died later than 2 months postoperatively, 13.4 percent due to tumor progression, 1.5 percent because of pneumonia, severe metabolic acidosis, myocardial infarction and apoplexia. Day and night continence was preserved in 77 percent of the patients with a follow-up of more than 2 years; severe stress incontinence was found in 2 patients, and night time incontinence needing some external device in 4.6 percent. 11.5 percent with mild stress incontinence do not require further treatment. Our experience with this relatively simple procedure is excellent: the need for re-operation is low and the high reservoir capacity results in early continence in most cases. This concept offers a genuine alternative to any form of cutaneous urinary diversion with an incidence of complications not higher than after standard supravesical urinary diversion."}
{"id": "PMID:1492769", "title": "[The \"Mainz pouch\" technique (bladder augmentation with ileum and cecum) for bladder augmentation, bladder substitution, and continent urinary diversion].", "content": "Back in 1983 we created a continent urinary reservoir, called the MAINZ pouch, using 10 to 15 cm. of cecum as well as two terminal ileal segments of equal length. Following detubularization, the posterior wall of the pouch is established by anastomosis of the ascending colon with the terminal ileal loop starting at the inferior aspect. The latter is then anastomosed with the next proximal ileal segment. The ureters are implanted in an antirefluxive manner in the open end technique through a submucosal tunnel of 4 to 5 cm length. For bladder augmentation the pouch is anastomosed to the bladder remnant. For bladder substitution a buttonhole incision at the most inferior aspect of the cecal pole is placed or the appendix is used for end-to-end anastomosis to the membranous urethra. For continent diversion an additional 7 to 12 cm of ileum are isolated in order to create an ileal intussuscepted valve. Alternatively the appendix can be used. Continence is achieved by submucosal embedding of the appendix into the cecal pole. A total of 346 patients underwent the MAINZ pouch procedure in Mainz and Wuppertal; 56 for bladder augmentation, 49 for bladder substitution and 241 for continent urinary diversion. We encountered early complications in 29 of the 346 patients (8.38%). Late complications were observed in 72 patients (20.8%). The major complications we encountered were stone formation inside the pouch in 19 patients and stomal stenosis in 21. 54 of the 56 patients with a bladder augmentation are completely continent (mean follow-up: 50 months, range: 10 to 83 months). All of the 49 patients who received a bladder substitution after radical cystectomy are continent during daytime. Three of these patients who do not empty their bladder at regular four hour intervals have leakage during the night (follow-up: 23 to 69 months). The revision rate due to nipple gliding and subsequent incontinence could be greatly reduced by the use of staples for fixation of the ileal nipple and the use of the appendix. For correction of the most frequently occurring complications standardized techniques have been developed."}
{"id": "PMID:1492770", "title": "[Ileal cystoplasty in bladder cancer].", "content": "We present our experience with bladder substitution in radical surgery for bladder cancer. Ileocapsuloplasty was performed in 40 patients. There were 2 postoperative deaths and 11 patients died from tumor recurrence or progression 2 to 10 years later. Two patients had urothelial tumor recurrence in the capsuloplasty. Day continence was good in 89.5% of the cases and 10.5% were partially continent. Night continence was good in 23.5%, partial in 23.5% and poor in the remaining 53% of the patients. Detubularized ileal cystoplasty was performed in 9 patients. Two patients have died; one early postoperatively and the other from tumor progression. Day continence was good in all of the patients and night continence was good in four of the seven patients that were evaluated."}
{"id": "PMID:1492771", "title": "[Functional rectosigmoid neobladder: a new continent urinary diversion].", "content": "From 1988 to 1992, six patients underwent surgery to create a functional rectosigmoid neobladder following the technique initially described by Kock and Ghoneim. Four also had a total cystectomy (3 females were submitted to cystourecterectomy). This new continent urinary diversion procedure was performed at the time of reoperation in two previously cystectomized patients with complicated ileal conduits due to ureteroileal stenosis. There were no postoperative deaths. Two cases presented minor complications postoperatively (prolonged paralytic ileus and wall abscess). The follow up period ranged from 3 months to 4 years. All patients were continent during the day and voided every 4 to 6 hours. They were continent during the night and voided once or twice. Preservation of renal function was demonstrable analytically and urographically. The proctogram and proctography disclosed a rectosigmoid neobladder with a big capacity, low pressures and good adaptability to filling. Ureteral reflux was not observed and colosigmoid reflux was minimum, although they did not have the second valve (colosigmoid) of the original technique. Because the procedure is acceptable for the patients and achieves good results, this new alternative continent urinary diversion procedure should be considered for those patients who refuse cutaneous urinary diversion and for those in whom construction of an ileoureteral reservoir is not possible."}
{"id": "PMID:1492772", "title": "[Urodynamic basis and findings in detubularised intestine neobladders: bladder substitutions and continent urinary reservoirs].", "content": "Construction of a neobladder utilizing intestine is currently considered to be the ideal option for the cystectomized patient. We reviewed the history as well as the physical and urodynamic principles of the substitution neobladders and continent reservoirs. In our series of patients who underwent cystectomy from January 1988 to December 1991, we have performed bladder substitution using detubularized ileum in 37 patients (18 Camey II and 16 Hautmann) and 13 patients had a continent reservoir (Mainz pouch). Patient ages ranged from 33 to 72 years (mean 60.4). The functional behaviour of the intestinal neobladders was analyzed clinically, radiologically and urodynamically. Eleven of the 18 patients with a Camey II (61.8%) and 3 of the 16 with a Hautmann (18.7%) neobladder were incontinent during the night, the difference being statistically significant (p < 0.05). Incontinence correlated manometrically with high pressure peaks in the Camey II neobladders and waves with a lower intensity were recorded in the Hautmann neobladders. Flowmetry revealed a normal peak flow in all but one Camey II that required internal urethrotomy due to urethroileal stenosis. The maximum capacity was 215-500 cc for the Camey II (mean 340 cc), 310-850 cc for the Hautmann (mean 590 cc) and 350-925 cc (mean 675) for the Mainz pouch. Intermittent catheterization was required in 3 of the Camey II and 1 of the Hautmann neobladder with important postmicturition residual urine. The patients who received the Mainz pouch had good continence, with pressure recordings less than 55 cm H2O), which is lower than the continent closing pressure. Only one case was incontinent due to failure of the intussusception mechanism. The good functional results achieved with the Hautmann procedure are underscored. The pressure recordings and the incidence of night incontinence for the foregoing procedure were lower than the Camey II. For the unviable urethra, the Mainz pouch achieves moderate pressures and is socially acceptable."}
{"id": "PMID:1492773", "title": "[Why is intussusception an antireflux mechanism?].", "content": "One of the aims of bladder substitution or augmentation using the intestine is to preserve renal function. If reflux impairs renal function, an antireflux mechanism should be attempted. Direct ureteroileal reimplantation with spatulation of the ureter is safer and carries a lower risk of stenosis. The antireflux mechanism is created by ileoileal or ileocecal intussusception without involvement of the ureter. Thus we can diminish the risk of stenosis and reflux at the same time."}
{"id": "PMID:1492774", "title": "[Antireflux ureteroileal implantation in mucosal groove].", "content": "The technique of the mucosal groove antireflux uretero-ileal implantation is described. The clinical results based on 300 implanted ureters are analysed: No leakage or fistula; Late stenosis in 3 to 5% of implantations. The antireflux efficacy is 85 to 83%. The use of this technique can be recommended in any case of ureteroileal implantation."}
{"id": "PMID:1492775", "title": "[Ileal ureteroplasties].", "content": "When the ureter is extensively compromised, preservation of the kidney without recurring to external diversion may be attempted by a psoas bladder procedure, transureteroureterostomy, renal autotransplantation or ureteral substitution using the intestine. The first two are not always possible and transplantation is perhaps extremely disproportionate. We therefore recur to ureteral substitution using the intestine. Ureteral substitution may be partial or total, although it is recommended to preserve the upper segment of the lumbar ureter whenever possible. The procedure can be performed using the entire ileal segment with or without modelling to the appropriate thickness. Reducing the diameter of the ileal graft will enhance urine propulsion, reduce mucus secretion and improve antireflux dynamics. Nine cases of ureteral substitution are described herein. Treatment depended on the underlying pathology, extent of ureteral compromise and location. The techniques employed were ureteral substitution with or without modelling and ureteral substitution combined with a bladder repair procedure."}
{"id": "PMID:1492776", "title": "[De-diversions. Indications, techniques, and complications].", "content": "Today it is possible to restore the continuity of the urinary tract and to correct the underlying condition that had prompted the diversion procedure. Patients with a Bricker cutaneous ureteroileostomy will essentially benefit from this possibility. However, they must be carefully evaluated and meet the following criteria: patients with upper urinary tract disorders and/or symptoms arising from a malfunctioning urinary diversion, those who refuse a stoma for social or personal reasons, those requiring renal transplantation and those who had undergone urinary diversion for pathologies that can be resolved otherwise today. Undiversion, however, is not free from complications, which may present early (wound infection, suprapubic or intestinal fistula, irritation syndromes, mucus secretion) or late (diminished renal function, incontinence or urinary obstruction, electrolyte imbalance or problems arising from the artificial sphincter. In carefully selected patients, therefore, undiversion permits amending a surgical indication which, in the light of current knowledge and possibilities, can be resolved otherwise."}
{"id": "PMID:1492777", "title": "[Surgical staplers. Urologic surgery with intestines].", "content": "Since the late 1980s, different reservoirs and bladder substitution techniques have been added to the urological surgical armamentarium. The necessary use of an intestinal segment--generally detubularized--make these surgical procedures complicated and time-consuming. Furthermore, problems are encountered postoperatively due to the important morbidity arising from these procedures. The present article describes our experience with mechanical sutures and resorbable material. Although the results have not been analyzed, our initial experience at the Miguel Servet Hospital has shown that these devices significantly facilitate the operative procedure, thereby reducing the incidence of urinary and intestinal fistulas. Although there is an evident risk of calculi formation, complicated solutions are not required and the biological tolerance to the metal sutures is excellent."}
{"id": "PMID:1492778", "title": "[Ag-NOR in meningiomas. Clinical and morphologic study of 14 cases].", "content": "A total of 14 meningiomas were studied in this report, grouped in different subtypes. The number of NORAg of each was analyzed and quantified. This study analyzes the results obtained as opposed to different subtypes and with clinic and biologic characteristics of patients. Similarly, technical characteristics of silver impregnation method to determine nucleolar organizer regions (NORAg) and its application as a routine method were analyzed. We propose this as a fast and reliable method to analyze of neoplastic proliferative activity."}
{"id": "PMID:1492780", "title": "[Validation of the S-IQCODE: the Spanish version of the informant questionnaire on cognitive decline in the elderly].", "content": "Although in the last decade the screening test of dementia have improved, is still being of interest the study of simple methods with a most sensitivity and specificity in the detection of the cognitive decline. Jorm et al have used recently a questionnaire (IQCODE) by which a subject's relative informs of the decline suffered by this in his cognitive capacity. In this work is showed a spanish adaptation of this test, the spanish-IQCODE, analysing it's usefulness for the detection of mild dementia. The S-IQCODE shows a diagnostic validity (sensitivity of 86%, specificity of 92%, positive predictive value of 54% and negative predictive value of 98%) greater than Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE); it also shows a correlation with the diagnostic of dementia greater (r = 0.70 vs r = 0.37); and, different from MMSE, it doesn't show significative correlations with the age, the schooling and the premorbid intelligence. The results in this study show the S-IQCODE as a good test for the detection of the mild dementia, of greater diagnostic power than the MMSE and less contaminated than this by strange variables to the cognitive decline."}
{"id": "PMID:1492779", "title": "[Meningiomas: morphologic and ultrastructural characteristics of psammoma bodies].", "content": "In this study we analyzed the morphologic and ultrastructural characteristics of the psammoma bodies in ten meningiomas of different histologic subtypes, characterizing the components of the psammoma body and the elements of the tumor, such as the capillaries and degenerative cells that have been classically considered as initiators of the formation of these calcareous is structures. The discussion considers the diagnostic interest of psammoma bodies in central nervous system tumors, as well as its histogenesis. The different points of view explaining biological mineralization in other territories of the organism are analyzed, as well as the formation of psammoma bodies, comparing the morphologic data obtained in this study. It is concluded that the mineralization of the psammoma bodies is induced principally by the collagen fibers synthesized by the meningocytes and that the form of mineralization is spherical and growth is radial, controlled by the tumoral cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1492781", "title": "[Multifocal neurologic syndrome and Fanconi disease].", "content": "A patient suffering from Faconi's anemia presented multifocal neurologic complications, initially with an exacerbating-remitting clinical presentation, next followed by chronic progressive course. Both as a nosologic association or as neurologic complication of Fanconi's anemia, this case is un unpublished observation, to our knowledge."}
{"id": "PMID:1492786", "title": "[An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the quantitation of the major allergen from Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica) pollen, Cry j I, using monoclonal antibodies].", "content": "We have developed an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using two anti-Cry j I monoclonal antibodies (KW-S10 and KW-S131) for the quantitation of the major allergen from Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria Japonica) pollen, Cry j I. Polystyrene microplates coated with KW-S131 were incubated with pollen allergen extracts. Cry j I, which bound to the antibody, was detected with alkaline phosphatase-conjugated KW-S10 using chromogenic enzyme substrate. Cry j I could be measured in concentration of between 0.16 and 2.5 ng/ml by this assay. Intra- and inter-assay coefficients of variation were 1.1-3.5% and 0.9-4.6%, respectively. This assay was considered that it was specific for Cry j I of Japanese cedar pollen because it didn't react with allergens of hinoki (Chamaecypairs obtusa) pollen which have antigenicity in common to Japanese cedar pollen. This assay would be useful for the standardization of Japanese cedar pollen allergen extracts."}
{"id": "PMID:1492787", "title": "[Environmental and immunological survey of sensitization with Japanese cedar (Cryotomeria japonica) pollen in children. Part 2. The clinical significance of Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica) pollen specific IgE antibody and IgG4 antibody].", "content": "The clinical manifestations and Japanese cedar (sugi in Japanese) pollen specific antibodies were studied in 340 children who had not received specific hyposensitization. Specific IgE antibodies were measured by radioallergosorbent test (RAST) and IgG4 antibody by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). There were 52 children (15%) with RAST scores of over 2, and 44 children (13%) with ELISA of over 101 mu/ml. The specific IgG4 level was significantly higher in the RAST positive group than in the negative group. The incidence of pollinosis among children with RAST negative and IgG4 below 100 mu/ml was 13.3%, while combinations of RAST negative and higher ELISA, RAST positive and low ELISA, and RAST positive and higher ELISA were 50.0+-62.5%. There were 5 children with RAST scores of 4, and 6 children with ELISA of over 201 mu/ml. Symptoms of pollinosis manifested in all of them. Since the children with low IgE and high IgG4 antibodies had comparatively more symptoms, the IgG4 antibodies might be reaginic. It was concluded that measurement of sugi specific IgG4 antibodies as well as IgE antibodies could provide useful data on pollinosis in children."}
{"id": "PMID:1492782", "title": "[Atypical neuroradiologic manifestation of systemic lupus erythematosus].", "content": "The most frequent neurological lesions found on Cranial Computerized Tomography (CT scan) in patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) are cortical atrophy (psychosis, although in general atrophy is not associated with a particular clinical presentation), infarcts and haemorraghes (strokes). We describe a patient diagnosed of SLE who developed a psychotic clinical picture followed by generalized epileptic seizures within a context of diffuse lupus encephalopathy. On the neurological examination, she presented cortical blindness, generalized piramidalism and extrapiramidal rigidity. Various electroencephalographic recordings showed signs of diffuse cerebral involvement predominantly in posterior regions. Cerebrospinal fluid analysis showed a slight increase of IgG without oligoclonal bands and a positive anti-DNA antibody with an homogeneous pattern. Sequential CT images were carried out demonstrating hypodense areas initially in the occipital regions that extended progressively to the temporal, parietal and finally to the frontal lobes, with a moderate mass effect on the lateral ventricles and with no contrast enhancement. The images of the lesions on the CT disappeared completely with the adequate treatment as the symptomatology resolved. A MRI and cerebral angiography were performed when the patient recovered. Both MRI and angiography showed no alterations. We consider that this neuroradiological finding is exceptional, because of its total resolution. Nevertheless, more observations will be necessary to determine the exact meaning of these abnormalities."}
{"id": "PMID:1492783", "title": "[Moyamoya syndrome. Diagnosis with angio-MRI].", "content": "We present a case of Moya-Moya syndrome in a 28-year-old female patient with an unusual debut in the form of mirror-image writing. The patient was studied by CAT, conventional cerebral angiography, MRI and angio-MRI. The results obtained show a very good correlation between the images of conventional angiography and those obtained by angio-MRI. Angio-MRI requires no contrast, is noninvasive and rapid, promising to be a first class alternative in the diagnosis and follow-up of Moya-Moya syndrome."}
{"id": "PMID:1492788", "title": "Eosinophil infiltration and enhancement of airway reactivity by leukocyte chemotactic factor, formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (fMLP), in guinea pigs.", "content": "N-formyl-L-methionyl-L-leucyl-L-phenylalanine (fMLP) is a bacterial-derived chemotactic factor for eosinophils and neutrophils. This study is aimed to examine whether or not eosinophil infiltration induced by intra-airway administration of fMLP causes the damage of the bronchial epithelium and results in airway hyperresponsiveness in normal non-sensitized guinea pigs. In normal guinea pigs fMLP administered by aerosol inhalation or intratracheal injection caused significant infiltration of eosinophils in the tracheal mucosa and enhanced bronchial reactivity to inhaled histamine 6 and 24 hours after exposure. Electron microscopic examination showed damage of the alignment of the epithelial cells in the bronchial mucosa in fMLP-treated guinea pigs. PAF antagonists CV3988 and WEB2086 and a 5-lipoxygenase inhibitor (AA-861) did not prevent fMLP induced eosinophil infiltration, which suggests that fMLP caused eosinophil infiltration mainly by its chemotactic activity, not by the release of platelet activating factor (PAF) or leukotrienes in this experimental condition. These results showed that in normal guinea pigs a bacteria-derived chemoattractant of fMLP could reproduce a sequence of eosinophil infiltration and airway hyperresponsiveness, similar to the inflammatory pathophysiology after antigen challenge in sensitized animals. We concluded that eosinophil infiltration induced by either immunological or non-immunological mechanisms can cause airway damage and airway hyperresponsiveness."}
{"id": "PMID:1492789", "title": "[The relationship between reactivity and asthmatic attacks before and after acetylcholine inhalation test].", "content": "Sixty two asthmatic children participated in this study to clarify the relationship between the number of the days of asthmatic attack and the respiratory threshold of acetylcholine (RT-Ach) and % fall of FEV1.0 at the RT-Ach. In the age group 5 to 11, there was a statistically significant correlation between the RT-Ach and % fall of FEV1.0 at RT-Ach. However there was no such relationship in the age group 12 to 15. In the age group 5 to 11, there was a statistically significant correlation between the % fall of FEV1.0 and the number of the days of asthmatic attack during 10 days and one month before the inhalation test. However there was no such relationship in the age group 12 to 15. There was a statistically significant correlation between the % fall and the number of the days of asthmatic attack over 12 months following the inhalation test in the age group 12 to 15. There was no such relationship in the age group 5 to 11."}
{"id": "PMID:1492790", "title": "[Complement system in status asthmatics--analysis of anti-complementary effects induced by methylprendisolone].", "content": "Complement system was investigated in 7 patients with status asthmatics treated with large doses of methylprednisolone (MPS). Complement hemolytic activities, complement protein profile, complement fragments and circulating immune complexes were measured before, 3 and 8 hours after and 14 days after MPS administration. MPS normalized C4 and C1INH activities 6 hours after administration. MPS also decreased ACH50 6 hours after administration and D activity 3 and 6 hours after, but these activities recovered to their previous normal range within 14 days. P and H were decreased at each measurement time, and C1s was transiently decreased 6 hours after MPS administration. Complement fragment iC3b was increased at each measurement time, but fragment Bb tended to be decreased 14 days after MPS administration. The increment of anaphylatoxin C3a recovered to normal 14 days after MPS administration. In vitro experiments, MPS inhibited D and C1s activation directly, and decreased the decay of B and C4. Inhibition of C1s might also increase C1INH activity clinically. These results clarified that the alternative complement pathway was activated, and suggested that the C1 bypass pathway might be also activated in status asthmatics. It was further considered that these anti-complementary effects induced by MPS, brought about an improvement in asthmatic symptoms. Studies to identify the complement activators continued, and circulating immune complexes may possibly be one of those agents activating complement cascade."}
{"id": "PMID:1492791", "title": "[Clinical epidemiology of bronchial asthma in children report. No. III. Comparison of prevalence of asthma with 1982 and 1990 and environmental factors].", "content": "In 1982, our group carried out a survey by the questionnaires and on the site medical check-ups to observe and occurrence of asthma and other allergic symptoms in elementary and junior high school children in Izu Ohshima island. Same procedure was repeated in 1990 for 1145 children of the same age group to see any data fluctuation. The occurrence of allergic symptoms with relation to living conditions was also researched. 114 students (11.0%) had either suffered from asthma in the past, or were still currently exhibiting symptoms, this marked a 7.5% rise (108 students) over the 1982 research data. However, patients in need of current treatment numbered 48 (4.5%), which was similar to the 1982 data of 82 (4.3%). For other allergic symptoms, rhinitis showed a marked increase over the 1982 data. The relation between living conditions and asthma was analyzed by Multiple Factor Analysis Quantification Theory. 1) Family history of allergy, 2) Selection of food products upon starting solids during infancy, 3) Infection of lower bronchus during infancy all seemed to have had much influence on the occurrence of asthma."}
{"id": "PMID:1492792", "title": "[Efficacy of continuous isoproterenol inhalation therapy for severe asthma attacks in younger children].", "content": "The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of continuous isoproterenol inhalation therapy for severe asthma attacks in younger children, compared with its efficacy in older children. We used l-body isoproterenol (Proternol L) in 31 children with 42 episodes of severe attacks. They were divided into two group according to age: 20 cases under 6 years old (Group A), and 22 cases over 7 years old (Group B). All of the patients except for one in Group B, eventually improved with this therapy. Wood's clinical scores for Group A were significantly higher than those for group B (p < 0.01). In 22 cases whose scores were 5-6, their SpO2 values at the onset of this therapy were 90.8 +/- 3.17 in group A and 92.4 +/- 3.82% in group B. The improvement time of group A (13.6 +/- 16.2 hours) was significantly longer than that of group B (2.5 +/- 5.66, p < 0.01). The nebulized isoproternol doses for group A were 0.47 +/- 0.168 and for group B 0.26 +/- 0.096 mg/kg/saline 500 ml. The dose for group A was significantly higher than that for group B (p < 0.01). We concluded that continuous isoproterenol inhalation therapy was effective even in younger children. But the degree of efficacy was slightly lower in younger children, although they inhaled higher doses of isoproterenal than older children."}
{"id": "PMID:1492793", "title": "[Prognosis of intractable asthma].", "content": "Forty-nine intractable asthma patients from January 1981 were divided into three groups. Group I consisted of patients still alive after ten years (January 1991) who were receiving decreased doses of steroids or no steroids at all. Group II patients were also alive, but the doses of steroids they were receiving were unchanged. Group III consisted of patients who had died during the ten years. Of the 49 patients, nine were in Group I, 13 in Group II and 17 in Group III. The condition of the other 10 patients was unknown. The mortality rate of the known 39 patients over 10 years was 43.6%, a very high rate. The groups of living patients (I + II) were younger than the patients in the dead group (III) and the latter patients had more obstructive ventilatory dysfunction in the stable state (FEV1.0/FVC%, and %FEV1.0 were 56.1% and 52.8%) in 1980. In the therapy carried out over the 10 years, antiallergic drugs and inhaled steroids were administered in order to decrease oral steroids in both Group I, II and III. In Group I, however, more patients had received immunotherapy (hyposensitization) or gold therapy than in Group II and III. There were more complications due to steroids during the ten years in Group II and III than in Group I. Aging and obstructive ventilatory dysfunction may be factors which worsen the prognosis of intractable asthma, and decreasing of the doses of oral steroids may be important to prevent complications."}
{"id": "PMID:1492794", "title": "[A case of asthma relieved by aspirin--the first case in Japan and investigation of its mechanism].", "content": "We report a case of asthma that was relieved by aspirin and other cyclooxygenase inhibitors. The patient, a 51-year-old man, was admitted to our hospital because of an asthmatic attack. Onset of asthma had occurred at the age of 40 years, after a flu-like infection, and was preceded for several years by perennial rhinitis and loss of the sense of smell. The course was perennial, and unrelated to the seasons. These clinical features resembled those of aspirin-induced asthma (AIA). Therefore, suspecting AIA, we performed a aspirin-DL-lysine iv challenge test. After aspirin-DL-lysine injection, FEV1 was increased by about 30% and nasal obstruction was improved. Other cyclooxygenase inhibitors (indomethacin, mefenamic acid, ketoprofen) also improved FEV1 by more than 30%. Hydrocortisone sodium succinate (HCs) improved FEV1 about 20%. Lipoxygenase inhibitor (AA861) produced an evident attack, but continued administration did not result in complete tolerance. On the other hand, seven other AIA patients showed no reaction to AA861. DSCG had an acute bronchodilative effect similar to that of AIA. Paraben and chloramphenicol sodium succinate (CMs) produced an asthmatic attack. The present patient showed a marked improvement in response to cyclooxygenase inhibitors and HCs, in contrast to the situation in AIA, and developed an evident asthmatic attack in response to lipoxygenase inhibitor. He showed marked improvement in the response to DSCG and developed an asthmatic attack in response to paraben and CMs, as in AIA. Our results suggest an abnormality of Arachidonic acid metabolism not only in AIA but also in asthma relieved by aspirin.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1492795", "title": "[A case of chronic fatigue syndrome who showed a beneficial effect by intravenous administration of magnesium sulphate].", "content": "We have treated a case of chronic fatigue syndrome with atopic diathesis was had suffered general malaise, low grade fever, swelling of the lymph nodes, myalgias and arthralgias for a long time. A 29-year-old female, who had been treated for atopic dermatitis for 5 years, complained of general malaise in May 1990. She was admitted to the nearest hospital in December 1990 because of low grade fever, swelling of the lymph nodes and an elevation of antinuclear antibody (2520x). She was transferred to our hospital in May 1991. A diagnosis of collagen disease was not compatible with her condition. In addition to general malaise, fever and lymph node swelling, headache, myalgias, muscle weakness, arthralgias and insomnia were observed, and a diagnosis of chronic fatigue syndrome was made based on the working case definition proposed by Holmes et al. Although eosinophilia, a high serum level of IgE, and elevation of RAST scores, low NK and ADCC activity, and a reduced level of NK cells in the peripheral blood were detected, serum antibodies to a number of viruses were in the normal range. Treatments with non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs, minor tranquilizers and antidepressant drugs were not effective at all. An administration of magnesium sulphate was intravenously performed once a week in order to improve her condition, especially severe general malaise. After about 6-week's administration of magnesium sulphate, she noticed reduced easy fatigability and an improvement in her impaired daily activities. Finally she was able to leave the hospital in January 1992.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1492796", "title": "[Brief counting method of airborne Cryptomeria japonica pollen by a combination of fluorescence antibody staining and flow cytometry].", "content": "Airborne pollens collected in a pollen collector (Virtual Impactor) was treated with a fluorescein isothiocyanate-labeled monoclonal antibody (KW-S10) which was strictly specific to Japanese cedar pollen antigen (Cry j I). Flow cytometric analysis revealed that the intensity of fluorescence of the pollen samples treated with the antibody was greater than that of non-treated reference pollen or the antibody treated Hinoki-cypress pollen. By use of this method, it may be possible to display the airborne pollen concentration within 20 min after sampling."}
{"id": "PMID:1492797", "title": "[Effect of acute ethanol administration on lipid composition of rat liver plasma membrane and serum--with two different doses of ethanol].", "content": "This investigation was performed to determine whether acute ethanol administration (5 g and 3 g/kg body wt.) alters the lipid composition both of liver plasma membrane (LPM) and serum in rat or not. The changes of lipid composition of LPM and serum were observed during peak values which blood ethanol concentration was achieved, after both 5 g and 3 g/kg body wt. ethanol administration; LPM cholesterol (CH) content was significantly decreased, but LPM phospholipids (PL) content was not changed statistically. Serum CH and PL contents were significantly increased. However, CH/PL molar ratio showed significant decreases in both LPM and serum. SPM/PC in LPM was also decreased significantly. These changes of lipid composition in LPM were associated with the increase of the fluidity as demonstrated in our previous reports. These lipid values in ethanol treated animals expressed as a ratio of those from corresponding control animals, taken as 1, consisted with 0.7-0.8, that is very interesting from viewpoint of \"homeoviscous adaptation\", and in addition, suggesting the possibility that serum CH/PL molar ratio may be useful for the estimation of the changes of lipid composition concerned with LPM fluidity."}
{"id": "PMID:1492798", "title": "[Platelet adenylate cyclase activity in alcoholics].", "content": "Platelet adenylate cyclase (AC) activity in the long-term abstinent alcoholics, who maintained abstinence from alcohol for at least one year was examined. Guanine nucleotide [Gpp(NH)p] stimulated AC activity was not changed in platelet membrane from long-term abstinent alcoholics. However, the extent of AC activity induced by 250 mM ethanol in vitro, in the presence of 1 microM Gpp(NH)p, was significantly reduced in platelet membrane from long-term abstinent alcoholics. These results suggest that platelet AC activity may be a biological marker for alcoholics."}
{"id": "PMID:1492799", "title": "[ALDH phenotype in eating disorders with and without alcoholism].", "content": "Individuals who have inactive low Km aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH2) are much less likely to develop alcoholism than those who have active ALDH2. On the other hand, frequent alcoholism has been reported in eating disorder patients. Whether inactive ALDH2 works as an inhibitory factor for alcoholism in these patients is not known. We compared the ALDH2 phenotype in eating disorder patients with and without alcoholism. Among the 25 subjects (4 with anorexia nervosa, 6 with anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, 13 with bulimia nervosa and 2 with eating disorder not otherwise specified according to the DSM-III-R), 13 were alcoholics and 12 were non-alcoholics. Isoelectric focusing of hair roots samples demonstrated that 8% of the alcoholic subjects had the inactive ALDH2, while 58% of the non-alcoholic subjects had this variant form of the isozyme (p < 0.01). The results suggest inactive ALDH2 has a similar inhibitory effect for alcoholism as in eating disorder patients as has been reported in normal populations."}
{"id": "PMID:1492800", "title": "[Effects of ethanol intake by the mother rat on learning ability and behavior of offspring rats].", "content": "The effects of ethanol intake by the mother rat were studied in five groups of Fischer strain rats; we observed learning ability and behavior of offspring rats using a maze with eight radial arms. I The ethanol free-intake groups (F-) were given a 10% aqueous solution of ethanol, classified by length of ethanol exposure. The mother rats were exposed to ethanol from a young age. The offspring were classified as follows: A. to the delivery (F-DEL), B. to the lactation period (F-NURS), C. to the lactation period, and after weaning, the offspring was continuously exposed to the maze experiment (F-CON). II The ethanol compulsory-intake group (P-DEL) was given a 20% aqueous solution of ethanol, 2 ml/100 g b.w., for the first time on the first day of pregnancy. The solution was given orally once a day through gestation. III The control group was not exposed to ethanol. Radial arm maze observations were made on offspring rats during a total of 30 trials, and we made the following findings: 1) The number of trials required for fulfilling learning criterion was significantly large in F-DEL and F-NURS male rats groups relative to the controls; that is, F-DEL and F-NURS were slow in learning. The number of rats which did not fulfill the learning criterion was significantly large in F-DEL and F-NURS male rats groups, relative to the controls. 2) In all groups running time was shortened with training time, it was result of acclimation to the device and of practice to catch and eating feed. In female rats of the F-DEL and F-NURS groups, running time was not shortened with the training, relative to the control. 3) The behavior of the rats in the F-CON group differed from those in the other groups: The number of well-performed trials was significantly large in F-CON rats group relative to control. They seemed to lack carefulness, and the number of times they failed to eat the feeds even though they succeeded in selecting the correct arm, was significantly large in F-CON female rats group, relative to the controls, in the final 10 trials. Their motion was abrupt and they ran at extraordinarily high speeds. 4) The number of trials required for fulfilling learning criterion was significantly large in the P-DEL rats relative to the controls.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1492801", "title": "Acute effects of tobacco smoking on the autonomic nervous system in comparison with alcohol drinking.", "content": "A total of 21 male university students were used to investigate the acute physical effects on the autonomic nervous system of two adult daily habits; smoking and drinking. A tobacco loading trial and an alcohol loading trial were conducted, keeping the conditions as uniform as possible. The nine subjects were instructed to smoke two cigarettes in 10 minutes, and their blood pressure, heart rate, and pupil diameter were measured. In addition, blood samples were taken 30 minutes after initiation of the trial, and the level of nicotine in the samples was measured (Trial 1). The twelve subjects were instructed to drink one large bottle of beer in 10 minutes, and the same parameters were measured. (Trial 2: trial for comparison). The pupil diameter decreased significantly 30 minutes after the subjects started smoking. Also, the heart rate increased suddenly as soon as the subjects started smoking, and the increase in the heart rate was pronounced for the 10 minutes that they were smoking. The maximal and minimal blood pressures generally did not fluctuate greatly. On the other hand, the pupil diameter tended to decrease slightly as soon as the subjects began drinking, and no significant difference in this value was noted. Also, even though the heart rate tended to increase slightly, no significant difference was noted in this value. In contrast, the maximal blood pressure increased significantly when the subjects started drinking, and tended to decrease gradually after they finished drinking.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1492802", "title": "Outcome of 143 pregnancies conceived by assisted reproductive techniques.", "content": "One hundred and forty-three pregnancies conceived by assisted reproductive techniques (ART) from October 1985 to June 1989 in the National University Hospital, Singapore, resulted in 66 deliveries and 89 babies. There were 27 (18.7%) biochemical pregnancies, 44 (30.7%) clinical miscarriages and 6 (4.2%) ectopic pregnancies when total pregnancies were considered. Of those who continued pregnancy to second trimester multiple births occurred in 20 (13.3%) patients. A high incidence of vaginal bleeding and hypertension in pregnancy was noted in 32 (48.5%) patients and 18 (27.3%) patients, respectively. Caesarean section was the method of delivery in 48.5% of patients. Twenty-six (29.2%) babies required admission to the neonatal intensive care unit. All babies except one set of twins delivered at 24 weeks of amenorrhoea survived. Fetal abnormality was noted in 2 cases."}
{"id": "PMID:1492803", "title": "Analysis and outcome of 502 cases of laser excision cone (LEC) at the Samaritan Hospital for Women, London.", "content": "When performed based on cytology, histological accuracy of the laser cone specimen improved with the more severe cytology. The incidence of adenocarcinoma in situ is 1.0%. With and without residual disease, the rate of abnormal cytology after laser excision cone are 0.6% and 1.6% respectively. There is good correlation between colposcopic biopsy and cone specimen in the more severe lesions. Out of 139 cases of incomplete excision, only 3 cases had abnormal cytology at follow-up. The complication rates are very low."}
{"id": "PMID:1492804", "title": "A case report: vesico-rectal fistula with ano-urethral atresia.", "content": "Vesico-rectal fistula is a rare congenital abnormality causing severe early second trimester oligohydramnios. Prenatal diagnosis of such a case is reported here. Ultrasound diagnosis could be aided by transabdominal amnio-infusion and, if necessary, fetal intraperitoneal saline installation. In a karyotypically normal fetus with normal somatic growth, demonstration of normal fetal kidneys together with a functioning urinary bladder, in presence of severe oligohydramnios, is very suggestive of the diagnosis. Since pulmonary hypoplasia is the major cause of neonatal mortality in these cases, restoration of normal amniotic fluid volume by serial amnio-infusion was attempted. Although amnio-infusion is an important diagnostic aid in the evaluation of severe midtrimester oligohydramnios, the role of multiple therapeutic amnio-infusion in improving lung growth remains to be evaluated."}
{"id": "PMID:1492805", "title": "Ultrasonography and Doppler studies in twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome.", "content": "In 40 twin pregnancies, the evaluation of hemodynamics by ultrasound was performed during the period January 1986 through September 1991. The blood flow velocities' waveforms in the umbilical artery, umbilical vein and tricuspid valve, and the total cardiac dimension, were obtained by ultrasonography in conjunction with 3.5 MHz pulsed Doppler ultrasound. Six patients with twin pregnancies were identified as having twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTS), on the basis of like-sex twins with monochorionic diamniotic placentation, vascular anastomosis in the placenta, and umbilical cord venous blood hemoglobin difference exceeding 5 g/dl at delivery. No distinctive findings for TTS were revealed by the measurement of umbilical artery blood flow velocity waveforms. However, cardiomegaly in 5 recipient fetuses and tricuspid regurgitation and biphasic umbilical vein waveforms in 3 recipient fetuses constituted characteristic features of TTS. Ultrasonography and a Doppler study might be beneficial in diagnosing TTS and evaluating the hemodynamics in a recipient fetus."}
{"id": "PMID:1492806", "title": "Acute abdomen due to adenomyosis of the uterus: a case report.", "content": "A Japanese woman with severe abdominal pain underwent an emergent exploratory laparotomy. Intraperitoneal bleeding from the uterine serosal surface was observed, and a pathologic examination showed that the bleeding was caused by an exudative hemorrhage from the endometrial tissues in the myometrium close to the uterine serosal surface."}
{"id": "PMID:1492807", "title": "Effect of menstruation on serum CA125 levels.", "content": "CA125 levels were measured in the sera of 54 women with normal menstrual cycle and without infectious, benign and malignant gynecologic disorders. In 54 subjects studied, 13 (24%) had no significant variations in serum CA125 levels throughout the menstrual cycle. In contrast, there 41 (76%) had significant variations in serum CA125 with peak levels (51.8 +/- 6.5 U/ml, mean +/- SEM) during menstruation. The concentration reached a normal value (17.7 +/- 1.6 U/ml, mean +/- SEM) at proliferative phase, and remained low throughout the rest phases of the cycle. The mean peak level was significantly higher than that at proliferative phase (P < 0.001), where as no significant difference in mean concentration was detected between sequential phases from proliferative phase to premenstrual phase (P > 0.1). Among 41 with variable CA125 levels in the menstrual cycle, more than half of them, namely 39% of the total (21/54), had the levels of the upper limit or normal values."}
{"id": "PMID:1492808", "title": "Measurement of serum rubella antibody titers in Korean children, female adolescents, and pregnant women.", "content": "IgG antibody titers to rubella virus in serum of 322 nuchal cord blood, 1,473 children, and 1,103 reproductive and pregnant women were detected in Soonchunhyang University Hospital in Korea. Positive rate of IgG antibody to rubella virus was 86.3% (278/322) in nuchal cord blood, 68.0% (991/1,458) in children. The IgG antibody from the mother disappeared between the 7th to 11th month after birth, and then the positive rate increased as age increased. In the reproductive age group including pregnant women, positive rate of IgG antibody was 81.8% (894/1,103). Therefore, it was known that there was a possibility that 18.9% of this group would be attacked with rubella in Korea."}
{"id": "PMID:1492809", "title": "Origin of macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF) and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) in amniotic fluid.", "content": "A large amount of M-CSF and G-CSF exists in human amniotic fluid and both are considered to have some physiological affect on maintaining pregnancy. We therefore examined the source of M-CSF and G-CSF found in the amniotic fluid. The average level of M-CSF in the amniotic fluid of patients without complications was 17.3 +/- 8.5 ng/ml and that of G-CSF 1.85 +/- 1.72 ng/ml, both being high values. In neonatal urine, the average level of M-CSF was also very high, 144.3 +/- 97.0 ng/ml, but that of G-CSF was below the determination limit of 60 pg/ml. Immunohistochemical staining indicated that production of M-CSF and G-CSF was localized in the epithelial cells of fetal membrane. On the basis of the above observations, M-CSF was found to derive from neonatal urine and the epithelial cells of fetal membrane, and G-CSF from the epithelial cells of fetal membrane."}
{"id": "PMID:1492810", "title": "The effects of glucose concentration on early embryogenesis using the whole embryo culture system on rats.", "content": "In order to investigate the effect of hyperglycemia on fetal teratogenesis, rat embryo culture was performed according to the method of New et al. The effect of hyperglycemia was then studied at glucose concentrations of 300, 600, 900 and 1,200 mg/dl in the medium. The embryos from the high glucose medium (600 mg/dl) had significantly shorter CRLs and fewer somites. Major anomalies characterized by neural lesions and minor anomalies characterized by extraneural lesions increased as the glucose concentration increased. However, fetal growth was promoted with statistical significance in the medium with 300 mg/dl of glucose, where the incidence of malformations remained unchanged as compared to the control group. The findings indicate that the glucose is one of the substantial compounds which influences embryo growth, development and abnormalities, but glucose alone appears to have no major effect on early embryogenesis in diabetic pregnancy."}
{"id": "PMID:1492811", "title": "Thymidylate synthase activity in normal and malignant gynecologic tissues.", "content": "We assayed thymidylate synthase (TS) activity in normal and malignant gynecologic tissues. TS activity in the normal cervix, secretory endometrium, and ovaries from a total of 61 patients was 1.00 +/- 0.52 pmol/g tissue (mean +/- SD). Thus the upper limit (mean + 2SD) of TS activity in normal gynecologic tissue was 2.00 pmol/g tissue. TS activity was generally higher in malignant tissue than in normal tissue, and particularly high activity was detected in cervical cancer. TS activity in endometrial cancer was relatively low, but activity in poorly and moderately differentiated tumors was significantly elevated compared to well differentiated tumors. These findings suggest that cervical cancer is a highly proliferative tumor and that in endometrial cancer, cell proliferation is more rapid in poorly differentiated tumors than in well differentiated ones."}
{"id": "PMID:1492812", "title": "Study of the relationship between abnormalities in nuclear DNA and drug sensitivity of human gynecological cancer transplanted into nude mice.", "content": "The relationship between abnormalities in nuclear DNA and anticancer-drug sensitivity of human gynecological cancer transplanted into nude mice is reported. Nuclear DNA content was expressed in terms of the DNA index (DI) and heterogeneity index score (HIS) using flow cytometry (FCM). Southern blot analysis was used to examine changes in DNA and in observed abnormal-size DNA fragments. Drug sensitivity was carried out according to a procedure described by Battelle Columbus Laboratories. The results were as follows: (1) Tumors with a high degree of DNA content were more sensitive to anticancer drugs than tumors with less DNA damage. (2) Severe heterogeneity of nuclear DNA caused drug resistance."}
{"id": "PMID:1492813", "title": "The effects of cryopreservation on early development and chromosome constitution in Chinese hamster embryos.", "content": "The effects of cryopreservation on early embryonic development were investigated in Chinese hamster embryos. Embryos were randomly divided into 3 groups, as follows: the control group, embryos which were simply cultured; the DMSO group, embryos which were exposed to dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and then cultured; the cryopreservation group, embryos which were cryopreserved and then cultured. The percentages of embryos which developed into blastocysts after 40 hours of cultivation were high in all groups. However, there were significant differences in the mean number of blastomeres with lower values after an exposure to DMSO and cryopreservation (73.2 in the control group, 62.0 in the DMSO group, and 40.2 in the cryopreservation group). No significant differences in chromosome abnormality rate were evident and there was no distinct tendency for variation in karyotype among the 3 groups. These results indicate that DMSO adversely affects the division of blastomeres, and that cryopreservation with DMSO as a cryoprotectant might aggravate these adverse effects."}
{"id": "PMID:1492814", "title": "Experimental look at cochlear mechanics.", "content": "The mechanisms by which the organ of Corti is stimulated by acoustic stimuli are discussed on the basis of experimental observations. This discussion refers to the resonance theory as well as to the traveling wave (TW) theory. The measurement of the basilar membrane displacements, of the cochlear microphonic (CM) responses to pure tones and impulses, and the recording of the intracochlear acoustic pressure seem to indicate that, at least in the basal part of the cochlea and for frequencies up to the characteristic frequency of a given location, the cochlear responses do not exhibit large phase lags and long delays which characterize the one-dimensional long-wave models (in which a TW transports the energy along the cochlear partition). These experimental observations suggest that the cochlear partition is excited simultaneously as a whole, more or less like a bank of resonators, as proposed a long time ago by Helmholtz."}
{"id": "PMID:1492815", "title": "An investigation of normally hearing subjects with tinnitus.", "content": "The hearing sensitivity and psychological profile of 18 young subjects with tinnitus and normal hearing were investigated by pure-tone and high-frequency audiometry, notched-noise tests, auditory-brainstem responses, evoked otoacoustic emissions and Crown-Crisp experiential index. Psychoacoustical and brainstem tests were comparable to those of 19 normally hearing subjects without tinnitus. Otoacoustic emissions were worse in ears of tinnitus subjects. Neurotic personality traits were stronger in the tinnitus subjects. These traits may be secondary to otological dysfunction, or may contribute to complaint behaviour."}
{"id": "PMID:1492816", "title": "Human long-latency potentials evoked by monaural interruptions of a binaural click train: connection to sound lateralization based on interaural intensity differences.", "content": "In 9 subjects with normal hearing, monaural offset (MO) responses in the long-latency range were recorded with and without an ongoing sound (click train at a rate of 250/s) at the opposite ear. In the latter case MOs were perceived simply as termination of a sound. In the former case, however, the abrupt transition from binaural to monaural (BM) stimulation was perceived as a shift of the fused image from the center to either side. Therefore, the fairly large difference potential obtained by subtracting the MO response from the BM response was evaluated as the cortical response to stimulation of the sound lateralization mechanism based on interaural intensity differences. These center-to-side responses, which could be characterized by an N1-P2 wave sequence at latencies of 120 and 220 ms, respectively, were compared with the auditory onset responses also recorded from the same subjects by means of a sequential stimulation paradigm. The scalp topography of the N1 components in all these responses recorded simultaneously from frontocentral, parietocentral and two superior temporal electrodes with a neck reference is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1492817", "title": "Acoustic pattern recognition and short-term memory in normal adults and young children.", "content": "Our experiments were aimed at determining if the delayed matching-to-sample paradigm (DMS) could be used to study short-term acoustic recognition memory in young children and whether or not differences exist between children and adults. Our results indicate that the DMS paradigm can produce reliable data in young children. The decay of acoustic information over time was equivalent in both children and adults, beginning at about 1 s and lasting for longer than 10 s. With 7-element acoustic frequency-pattern sequences, a performance difference between children and adults was observed which appears explicable on the basis of longer memory spans in the adult subjects. When we equated for span length, this effect was no longer apparent."}
{"id": "PMID:1492818", "title": "Aspects of short-term acoustic recognition memory: modality and serial position effects.", "content": "Two experiments were performed to study short-term acoustic recognition memory using synthesized binary tone patterns within a three-interval, three-alternative forced choice psychophysical procedure. In Experiment 1, subjects showed as significant performance advantage in processing binary frequency patterns over intensity and duration patterns. In Experiment 2, we found that elements at the beginnings and ends of various length frequency pattern sequences were recognized better than those in the middle of the sequence (primacy and recency effects). Furthermore, we showed that performance on a serial position task may be a useful tool to demonstrate the limited capacity of information storage in acoustic short-term memory. Sensory memory typically has been examined using verbal stimuli and requiring immediate ordered recall. These results demonstrate the utility of studying sensory memory using complex nonverbal stimuli within a forced-choice recognition paradigm."}
{"id": "PMID:1492826", "title": "Catarrh in sheep.", "content": "Catarrh or influenza in sheep occupies a unique position in livestock diseases in Australia. The condition, recognised in 1834, was the subject of government enquiries and the passing of special legislation for its control. Within 30 years it had disappeared. The identity of the condition was not determined then nor has it been identified in subsequent years. The purpose of the article is to review what was recorded about the disorder and to speculate on its nature."}
{"id": "PMID:1492833", "title": "[The ultrasonic diagnosis of foreign bodies in the horse].", "content": "Ultrasonography in veterinary practice represents a method that nowadays is a approved component of the examination of small and large animals. Although sometimes more difficult than in small animals, ultrasonography can be often useful in horses. In the present report two cases demonstrate the possibility of sonography in the diagnostic of foreign bodies in soft tissues in horses."}
{"id": "PMID:1492834", "title": "[Laboratory diagnosis and differential diagnosis of disseminated intravascular coagulation in the dog].", "content": "The laboratory diagnostic possibilities for characterization of disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) in dogs are reviewed. A DIC can be demonstrated by means of: 1. Simultaneous consumption of platelets, fibrinogen, coagulation factors and inhibitors of coagulation 2. Increased plasma levels of the specific reaction products fibrin monomers and fibrinopeptides 3. Secondary hyperfibrinolysis, especially an increase in plasma concentrations of fibrin(ogen) degradation products 4. Presence of schistocytes in the blood smear 5. Improvement in the coagulation values during an efficacious anticoagulant therapy 6. Indication of enhanced turnover and formation of microthrombi in different organs by radioisotopically detected coagulation components. Different principles of the laboratory diagnostic procedure in DIC are illustrated by the results of an animal experiment and clinical case reports. Concerning differential diagnosis among other things a deprivation- and dilution effect as well as a disturbance of synthesis have to be considered. One must especially bear in mind that a DIC may also be caused by different coagulator disturbances, e.g. of prothrombin complex synthesis. A DIC can mask such a defect in laboratory diagnostic findings, thereby complicating the diagnosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1492835", "title": "[Determination of the activity of single coagulation factors in clinically healthy swine and cattle].", "content": "Special details of animal haemostaseological investigations are insufficiently known as yet. This concerns as well the use of standardized laboratory methods as the differences between species and the normal ranges. Global tests and determinations of activity of single blood clotting factors (II, V, VII - XII, AT III) were carried out on healthy pigs and cattle. Quantitative evaluations were performed by using human or animal reference plasmas. Special attention was paid to the determinations of single blood clotting factors."}
{"id": "PMID:1492836", "title": "[Micromorphological studies of the blood vessels of the dental pulp of small ruminants].", "content": "The blood vascular supply of the dental pulp of 15 domestic sheep of varying age and sex was investigated using light and electron microscopy. The pulp vascular system is showing arterioles with a media of varying thickness and with endothelial cells of variable structure. In the transitional zone between crown and root pulp, the arterioles are taking a typical S- or U-shaped course. The capillary network of the crown pulp is denser and more regular than that in the root pulp. In addition to the capillaries lined by a continuous endothelial tube, there may be others with a typically fenestrated endothelial lining. Specialised vascular structures of the peripheral blood vessels, especially arterio-venous anastomoses as described in man, have not been observed in the sheep."}
{"id": "PMID:1492837", "title": "Synthesis and antidepressant activity of some new 8-thiocarbamoyl-7,8-diazabicyclo[4.3.0]non-6-ene derivatives.", "content": "Several 8-thiocarbamoyl-7,8-diazabicyclo[4.3.0]non-6-enes were prepared by condensing two alpha,beta-unsaturated ketones (2-benzylidene and 2,6-dibenzylidene cyclohexanones) with hydrazine hydrate and reacting the resulting compounds with various isothiocyanates. The structures of the synthesized compounds were confirmed by spectra (IR, 1H-NMR) and microanalysis; they were tested for antidepressant activity using Porsolt's behavioural despair test."}
{"id": "PMID:1492838", "title": "Effects of the new cognition-enhancing agent nefiracetam in rats with cerebral embolism.", "content": "The effects of nefiracetam (DM-9384, CAS 77191-36-7) on the learning behavior and cholinergic and GABAergic neuronal transmitter systems of rats with experimentally-induced cerebral embolism were investigated. Cerebral embolisms were induced in male Wistar rats by injection of 800 microspheres 50 microns in diameter via the left internal carotid artery under 2% halothane anesthesia. Daily oral administration of nefiracetam (30 mg/kg/d) was started 9 days after embolization. Nefiracetam caused significant (p < 0.05) improvement of deficits in the learning of both water maze and passive avoidance tasks beginning 22 days after embolization of the rats. The drug also significantly restored decreases in cortical choline acetyltransferase (p < 0.05) and hippocampal glutamic acid decarboxylase activities (p < 0.01) in the embolized cerebral hemisphere and significantly increased cortical choline acetyltransferase (p < 0.05) and acetylcholinesterase activities (p < 0.05) in the contralateral cerebral hemisphere 21 days after embolization. These results demonstrate that nefiracetam improves cognitive dysfunction in the late phase in embolized rats and suggest that the effect is at least partly due to the increase in glutamic acid decarboxylase, choline acetyltranseferase and acetylcholinesterase activities."}
{"id": "PMID:1492839", "title": "Molecular structure and antiaggregating activity of the potent local anaesthetic (-)-4-[2-hydroxy-3-(N-isopropylamino)-propoxyimino]-cis-carane .", "content": "The molecular structure of (-)-4-[-2-hydroxy-3-(N-isopropylamino)- propoxyimino]-cis-carane (C16H30O2N2.HCl), a recently synthesized potent local anaesthetic, including the absolute configuration at 4 chirality centres was determined using X-ray diffraction method. The substance crystallizes in diastereoisomeric form in lowest symmetry (triclinic P1 space group). Determined intermolecular close contacts between chlorine atoms and nitrogen and hydroxyl oxygen are the main determinants of crystal packing. In the crystalline state nitrogen of the isopropylamine group has quaternary coordination. The influence of the title compound on blood platelets aggregation induced by adenosine diphosphate was studied. The results of parallel tests conducted for lidocaine and bupivacaine show that the antiaggregating activity of the title compound is much stronger. This property could be attributed to the monoterpene part of its molecule, in analogy to the observed cyclic adenosine monophosphate inhibitory action of forskolin (diterpene)."}
{"id": "PMID:1492840", "title": "Fluorenone and benzophenone 1,4-dihydropyridine derivatives with cardiodepressant activity.", "content": "A series of fluorenone and benzophenone 1,4-dihydropyridine derivatives were prepared. The compounds were evaluated for inotropic, chronotropic and calcium antagonist properties."}
{"id": "PMID:1492841", "title": "Biotransformation of nifedipine in rat and dog.", "content": "Following oral and/or intraduodenal administration, the biotransformation of 14C-labelled nifedipine (dimethyl 1,4-dihydro-2,6-dimethyl-4-(2-nitrophenyl)-pyridine-3, 5-dicarboxylate, Bay a 1040, Adalat, CAS 21829-25-4) has been reinvestigated in rats and dogs (dose: 5 mg/kg body weight in both species) to complete the metabolic data. Thirteen metabolites were isolated from the perfusate and bile of the isolated perfused rat liver model. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic methods (FAB-MS, combined GC/MS, NMR). The analyzed samples were used for the chromatographic (HPLC) comparison with urine and bile from the in vivo studies. The metabolites identified in rat urine (oral dose) account for 47.4% of the dose administered. 82.8% (rat) and 62.8% (dog) of the dose, resp., could be attributed to known structures in urine and bile following intraduodenal administration. Based on the structures identified the following biotransformation steps occurred: dehydrogenation of the 1,4-dihydropyridine system, hydroxylation of the methyl groups at 2- or 6-position followed by glucuronidation or by subsequent oxidation to the carboxylic acid, and oxidative ester cleavage."}
{"id": "PMID:1492842", "title": "Biotransformation and pharmacokinetics of the nitrate trans-2-amino-2-methyl-N-(4-nitroxycyclohexyl)-propionamide in dogs.", "content": "The biotransformation and the pharmacokinetic behavior of the organic nitrate trans-2-Amino-2-methyl-N-(4-nitroxycyclohexyl)-propionamide (BM 12.1179, CAS 129795-96-6) were examined in dogs. BM 12.1179 was predominantly eliminated by urinary excretion, and the unchanged molecule prevailed in urine as well as in plasma. By means of various mass spectroscopic methods, the chemical structures of the metabolites were elucidated. As metabolites trans-2-amino-2-methyl-N-(4-hydroxycyclohexyl)-propionamide and trans-2-amino-2-methyl-N-(4-oxocyclohexyl)-propionamide were formed. Urine levels of the main metabolite were determined by high-pressure liquid chromatography; plasma and urine levels of BM 12.1179 were determined by capillary gas chromatography. The absolute bioavailability of BM 12.1179 was 80-100%. The plasma protein binding was about 34% which is high in comparison to other organic nitrates. BM 12.1179 represents a long-acting organic nitrate in that it shows a slow reductive denitration, and a long elimination half-life of about 10 h."}
{"id": "PMID:1492843", "title": "Modulation of receptor-dependent increase of calcium ions in human platelets by taurine.", "content": "Taurine (2-aminoethanesulfonic acid, CAS 107-35-7) is present in high concentrations in platelets. It suppresses bronchial responses to platelet-activating factor (PAF) and inhibits aggregation induced by ADP. In the present experiments human platelet calcium responses to PAF were measured by a fluorescent label \"Quin-2\" method. Preincubation with 0.01 mol/l of taurine decreased effects of PAF by 250 nmol/l if the initial Ca intracellular response (delta Ca2+) to inductor was more than 400 nmol/l. If the initial response to inductor was less than 150 nmol/l, taurine did not affect the response to inductor if PAF effect was in delta Ca2+ range of 150-400 nmol/l. Hence, some effects of taurine may be ascribed to its modulating influence on secondary Ca2+ messenger."}
{"id": "PMID:1492844", "title": "Effects of the new thromboxane A2 antagonist vapiprost on isolated canine blood vessels.", "content": "Effects of the new thromboxane A2 antagonist vapiprost (SN-309, GR-32191B, CAS 85505-64-2) on isolated canine blood vessels were investigated. U46619 ((15S)-hydroxy-11a, 9a-(epoxymethano) prosta-5Z, 13E-dienoic acid) 10(-10)-10(-6) mol/l, a thromboxane A2 analogue, produced concentration-dependent contractions of oblong or ring preparations isolated from basilar, coronary, mesenteric and femoral arteries. Vapiprost 10(-8) and 10(-7) mol/l significantly and concentration-dependently shifted the concentration-contraction curves for U46619 of these arteries to the right. The pA2 values were 8.80 +/- 0.09 in basilar arteries, 8.67 +/- 0.12 in coronary arteries, 8.86 +/- 0.05 in mesenteric arteries and 9.01 +/- 0.07 in femoral arteries. On the other hand, oblong or ring preparations of basilar, coronary, mesenteric and femoral arteries showed sustained contractile responses to KCl 3 x 10(-2) mol/l, U46619 10(-7) mol/l or prostaglandin (PG) F2 alpha 10(-5) mol/l. Norepinephrine (NE) 3 x 10(-5) mol/l also produced sustained contractions in mesenteric and femoral arterial preparations, but not in basilar and coronary arterial preparations. Vapiprost 10(-10)-3 x 10(-6) mol/l relaxed these four arterial preparations constricted with U46619 10(-7) mol/l and PGF 2 alpha 10(-5) mol/l in a concentration-dependent fashion, but hardly affected them constricted with KCl 3 x 10(-2) mol/l. NE 3 x 10(-5) mol/l-induced contractures of mesenteric and femoral arterial preparations were not influenced by any concentrations of vapiprost. Results indicate that vapiprost has an antagonistic action on a so-called TP-receptor and/or a vasoconstrictive prostaglandin(s)-receptor and thus produces vasorelaxation."}
{"id": "PMID:1492845", "title": "Evaluation of the local anaesthetic activity of dimetindene maleate by means of laser algesimetry in healthy volunteers.", "content": "Dimetindene maleate (DMM, Fenistil, CAS 3614-69-5) a specific H1-receptor antagonist, is therapeutically used for the treatment of respiratory allergies, urticaria, itching dermatoses and generally pruritic sensations occurring with various diseases. As it exhibits local anaesthetic activity in the rabbit cornea and the local anaesthetic activity of a couple of H1-antagonists was found to be linearly correlated to the H1-potency represented by the pA2-values--and dimethindene maleate demonstrates a high pA2-value--it seemed worth investigating the local anaesthetic potency in man making use of an objective and well validated pain model, the Laser algesimetry. The study was carried out with 24 healthy volunteers in a double-blind placebo- and reference-controlled, randomized, cross-over design. Three different medications were applied with occlusive dressing: DMM, lidocaine, and placebo. Selective thermo-noxious stimulation of A-delta- and C-fibers was induced by a CO2-laser. Somato-sensory evoked vertex potentials (SEPs) were simultaneously recorded. Both verum treatments showed a remarkable analgesic potency compared to placebo. Effects were preferably concentrated on the peripheral N1-component of the SEPs. The overall means of the N1-amplitudes were suppressed compared to placebo by both active drugs, with the effects being more pronounced for DMM."}
{"id": "PMID:1492846", "title": "Influence of mofebutazone in comparison to phenylbutazone on the adenosine triphosphate level of polymorphonuclear cells and their migration.", "content": "Two pyrazolon derivatives--mofebutazone (CAS 2210-63-1) and phenylbutazone (CAS 50-33-9)--were compared as to their effects on the adenosine triphosphate (ATP) level of polymorphonuclear cells (PMNs) and their response to the migration of these cells. In the range of 10(-8) to 10(-3) mol/l neither mofebutazone nor phenylbutazone significantly changed the ATP level of PMNs. Compared to the untreated PMNs only phenylbutazone reduced the migration of PMNs significantly (chemotactic index (CI) 0.46) at a concentration of 10(-3) mol/l. On the other hand with mofebutazone no statistically significant abnormality on PMN migration was found. Direct statistical comparisons of the migration between specific concentrations of the two pharmaceuticals did not indicate a different migration behavior even at 10(-3) mol/l. These results show that in contrast to the chemical and pharmacological differences of mofebutazone and phenylbutazone their effect on the ATP level and the migration of PMNs is comparable."}
{"id": "PMID:1492847", "title": "[Comparative biological availability of two different ibuprofen granules].", "content": "Bioavailability of ibuprofen (CAS 15687-27-1) was investigated in 12 healthy volunteers who received 2 sachets of newly developed effervescent granules (Imbun), each containing 500 mg of ibuprofen lysine salt (corresponding to 292.6 mg of ibuprofen) as the test preparation and 1 sachet of commercially available granules containing 600 mg ibuprofen. Blood samples were withdrawn pre-dose and at 16 occasions until 10 h post dose. Ibuprofen plasma concentrations were assayed by HPLC using a proprietary column-switching technique. Maximum plasma concentrations, Cmax, and times of their occurrence, tmax, were taken from the plasma data directly, areas under the plasma level/time curves, AUC0-10, were calculated using the trapezoidal rule. Pharmacokinetic parameters were checked for significant differences using ANOVA with p = 0.05. When the test preparation was applied maximum ibuprofen levels of 60 +/- 17 micrograms/ml were reached at 27 +/- 17 min p. appl. while Cmax was 52 +/- 12 micrograms/ml at tmax = 94 +/- 27 min after application of the reference preparation. AUC values were 150 +/- 44 microgramsh/ml (test) and 148 +/- 33 microgramsh/ml (reference), respectively. Thus, relative bioavailability of ibuprofen was 101.8 +/- 16.3% (or 104.1 +/- 16.7% when the slight differences in doses were corrected for). Differences in extent of absorption as measured by AUC and Cmax proved to be insignificant whereas differences in absorption rate as measured by tmax were highly significant (p < 0.001)."}
{"id": "PMID:1492848", "title": "Dose-proportional plasma levels of the analgesic flupirtine maleate in man. Application of a new HPLC assay.", "content": "Single oral doses of the non-opioid, centrally-acting analgesic flupirtine maleate (Katadolon, CAS 75507-68-5) were administered to healthy volunteers and the 2 h plasma levels determined with a new specific HPLC assay. 50, 100, 200, and 300 mg were ingested as the commercial capsules in a double-blind randomized cross-over design with time intervals of at least 6 d. Dose-proportionality was observed for the median 2 h plasma levels which is in agreement with dose-proportionality previously described for multiple-dose studies."}
{"id": "PMID:1492849", "title": "[Individual dosing in methadone substitution therapy. Determination of concentration with high performance liquid chromatography in comparison to immunoassay].", "content": "Individual Dosing in Methadone Maintenance Therapy/Plasma level determination by means of high performance liquid chromatography versus immunoassay. Measuring plasma methadone levels during maintenance therapy is a matter of discussion. Yet, there has been surprisingly little interest in integrating therapeutic drug monitoring into methadone maintenance programmes. The reasons for this are practical. To achieve optimal results during methadone maintenance therapy, a plasma level higher than 200 ng/ml is desired at all times during treatment. In the present study, a total number of 124 plasma samples were estimated twice: by means of HPLC and by means of fluorescence polarization immunoassay (Abbott TDx). The coefficient of correlation was 0.96416. We conclude that therapeutic drug monitoring should become routine in methadone treatment to achieve optimum results, especially in patients who complain of withdrawal symptoms and continue high-risk behaviour. The used immunoassay was found to be safe and inexpensive."}
{"id": "PMID:1492850", "title": "Potentially active hypoglycemic agents from N1-nicotinoyl-2-pyrazolin-5-one derivatives and their N1-(oxynicotinoyl) analogues.", "content": "Several ethyl 2,3-dioxohexanoate 2-arylhydrazone derivatives were obtained via coupling of the appropriate diazonium chlorides with ethyl butanoylacetate. Acetic acid-mediated cyclization of these products with N1-nicotinoyl and/or N1-(oxynicotinoyl)hydrazine derivatives gave a new series of 4-arylhydrazono-3-(n-propyl)-N1-nicotinoyl-2-pyrazolin-5-one s (Va-h) as well as their N1-(oxynicotinoyl) analogues (VIa-h). The structure of the prepared compounds was confirmed on the basis of elemental and spectral data. The hypoglycemic effect, antibacterial activity and toxicity of these agents were evaluated and discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1492851", "title": "Studies on the metabolic clearance of ciclotropium to alpha-phenylciclopentylacetic acid using a new enantiospecific metabolite assay.", "content": "Ester hydrolysis represents an important biotransformation pathway for various parasympatholytic agents. Cleavage of the ciclotropium ester bond results in the formation of alpha-phenylciclopentylacetic acid (PCA). The relevance of this metabolic route for ciclotropium bromide (HIT-PCE, CAS 85166-20-7) including its stereochemical aspects was studied in a preliminary pharmacokinetic study. An enantiospecific assay for biological material was developed that is based on chiral derivatization of PCA with N-ethyl-N'-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide (EDAC) and the primary amine S-FLOPA, a chiral coupling component for carboxylic acids derived from S-flunoxaprofen, followed by HPLC resolution. R-(--)-Ibuprofen was used as internal standard. From plasma or urine PCA can be extracted into n-hexane/ethanol (9:1) at pH 4 under addition of sodium chloride. Derivatization with EDAC/FLOPA was performed under addition of 1-hydroxybenzotriazole in anhydrous dichloromethane that contained trace amounts of pyridine (ambient temperature; 2 h reaction time). The chromatographic separation was performed on a silica gel stationary phase (Zorbax Sil) using n-hexane-chloroform-ethanol (100:10:1, by vol.) as mobile phase (flow rate, 2 ml/min; fluorescence-detection, 305/355 nm; elution order of the derivatives, (-) before (+)). Limit of quantification was 1.0 ng/ml for plasma and 10 ng/ml for urine. In the pharmacokinetic study in two healthy volunteers who received a single i.v. dose of 10 mg ciclotropium race-mate the PCA concentrations in plasma were below the detection limit, but approx. 1.5% of the administered dose were excreted into urine as the respective glucuronides.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1492852", "title": "Dose-response effects of oral loxiglumide on postprandial gall-bladder emptying in man.", "content": "The effect of two different single oral doses of loxiglumide (CR 1505, CAS 107097-80-3) on gall-bladder emptying induced by a 550-cal standard mixed meal in 6 healthy volunteers was studied. Following placebo, the maximal gall-bladder emptying occurred about 90 min after the meal (minimal residual gall-bladder volume 27.4% of basal volume). Loxiglumide 400 or 800 mg dose-dependently inhibited the physiologica gall-bladder emptying. Loxiglumide plasma levels dose-dependently increased. The inhibition of gall-bladder emptying and the kinetic of loxiglumide plasma levels were temporally related. The results of the present study confirm that oral loxiglumide is a potent orally active cholecystokinin (CCK) antagonist in man and that CCK is the major physiological mediator of gallbladder emptying in response to meal."}
{"id": "PMID:1492853", "title": "Chronic toxicity study on a new glucan extracted from Candida albicans in rats.", "content": "Fifty-two-week oral toxicity of a new glucan (Glucanil, Gluimmun) extracted from Candida albicans ATCC 20955 was investigated in rats. The glucan was orally administered in dose levels up to 200 mg/kg/d and was well tolerated. No deviation from normality was observed in mortality, physical appearance and general behaviour of the treated animals. Food and water consumption and body weight gain of glucan-fed groups did not differ from those of control animals. In these groups no alteration of the weight of the main organs was also observed. Hematology, blood chemistry, urinalysis and autopsy findings were within normal ranges in every group of rats treated. No sex difference was noted. In the 200 mg/kg group soft stools or diarrhoea and cecal enlargement with variable hyperplasia of the colon mucosa were observed. These symptoms are typical of exposure to substances which are absorbed incompletely in the small intestine and subjected to microbial metabolism in the cecum and colon. Diarrhoea, cecal enlargement and mucosal hyperplasia are reversible. The no-effect dose level was estimated to be 100 mg/kg/d under these conditions."}
{"id": "PMID:1492854", "title": "Effects of subinhibitory concentrations of ciclopirox on the adherence of Candida albicans to human buccal and vaginal epithelial cells.", "content": "At present, only a limited number of studies of the effects of sub-inhibitory antifungal agents on the adherence of Candida to epithelial (buccal and vaginal) host cells are available. The adherence of Candida albicans to the epithelial cell surface is accepted as an important first step in persistent colonization and in the following symptomatic or asymptomatic infection of mucosal surface. Ciclopirox (ciclopiroxolamine, CAS 29342-05-0) is a substituted pyridone antimycotic drug, unrelated to the imidazole derivatives and its topical application ensures maximum local bioavailability. The present study was done to investigate the effects of sub-inhibitory concentrations of ciclopirox on the adherence of Candida albicans to human buccal and vaginal epithelial cells. The findings on the adherence of different strains of Candida indicate that the drug caused a significant reduction in the mean number of Candida adhering to both buccal and vaginal cells. This reduction was maximal at concentration of 1/2 MIC and still significant at 1/4, 1/8, 1/16 MIC, but with progressive return to mean control values at 1/32 MIC. Ciclopirox acts on fungi by inhibiting the intracellular uptake of essential substrates and ions and this probably acts on the Candida ability to express its adherence mechanisms."}
{"id": "PMID:1492857", "title": "[Dihydroergocristine. A review of pharmacology and toxicology].", "content": "A pharmacological and toxicological review of dihydroergocristine (DHEC, CAS 17479-19-5) is reported. Dihydroergocristine exercises a double agonistic/antagonistic activity on dopaminergic and adrenergic receptors; it also shows a non competitive antagonistic effect on serotonin receptors. The central effects of DHEC depend on the initial cerebrovascular resistance. DHEC exercises an inhibiting effect on the anaerobic glycolysis and on aerobic oxidation processes. It increases the cerebral blood flow and the oxygen consumption of the brain. Dihydroergocristine protects the brain against the metabolic effects of ischaemia by acting at a cellular level. In age-related modifications of the cerebral enzymatic antioxidant system DHEC increases the reduced glutathione. DHEC exercises a vasoregulating amphoteric action which depends on the initial tonus: it is hypotensive in hypertensive and normotensive animals but it is hypertensive in hypotensive animals. The results of acute and chronic toxicity in rats, dogs and monkeys, of teratogenesis and fertility in rats and rabbits and of mutagenic tests show that DHEC is a non toxic and well tolerated drug."}
{"id": "PMID:1492858", "title": "[Cerebral actions of dihydroergocristine].", "content": "Dihydroergocristine (DEC, CAS 17479-19-5) is a dihydrogenated ergot alkaloid with a potent dopaminergic activity that has been proved both in vitro and in vivo. Apart from its effect on the secretion of pituitary hormones, the following actions have been evidenced. It induces stereotyped behaviour and changes in the sleep-waking cycle, and reduces hypoxia-induced cerebral metabolic changes and emesis. The effect of DHEC on behaviour patterns has been studied in aged male rats in comparison with young animals. The acquisition of the active avoidance response in the shuttle-box test and the retention of the passive avoidance response in a step-through passive avoidance task were facilitated in aged rats by an acute treatment with DHEC. The effect on the acquisition and extinction of the pole-jumping performance after a single injection of DHEC at the beginning of the acquisition session was restricted to the first acquisition trial. A more potent effect on the acquisition of the shuttle-box response and on the retention of passive avoidance reaction was found in animals treated subchronically with DHEC. The latter animals also showed a facilitation of acquisition and an inhibition of extinction of the pole-jumping performance. In other experiments, the repeated administration of DHEC was followed by a decrease in the excessive grooming in aged rats, which is considered a sign of the lack of adaptability of these animals. A facilitation of the compensatory mechanisms in experimental models of vertigo has also been found in animals treated with DHEC."}
{"id": "PMID:1492859", "title": "[The pharmacokinetics of dihydroergocristine after intravenous and oral administration in rats].", "content": "The pharmacokinetic properties of dihydroergocristine (DHEC, CAS 17479-19-5) were investigated in rats using a specific radioimmunoassay technique specific for non-metabolized drugs. DHEC, administered intravenously at the dose of 6 mg/kg, showed a plasma profile conforming to an open two-compartment pharmacokinetic model with a long terminal half-life (t1/2 = 13.6 h). DHEC kinetics after oral administration (6 mg/kg) showed two peaks. The first peak (C = 37 micrograms/l) occurred at the first collection point (0.5 h) indicating a quick absorption of the drug. The second peak (C = 34 micrograms/l) occurred at 2 h and may be considered an indication of an enterohepatic cycle. A long terminal half-life (t1/2 = 18.1 h) was observed. An extensive biotransformation of DHEC was indicated by an almost complete absence of unchanged drug in the urine and a high systemic clearance (2.65 l.h-1 x kg-1). A large volume of distribution (52 l.kg-1) was calculated."}
{"id": "PMID:1492860", "title": "[The pharmacokinetics of dihydroergocristine in free-will subjects after oral administration of three formulations].", "content": "This paper reports the pharmacokinetics of three dihydroergocristine (DHEC, CAS 17479-19-5) oral formulations in six volunteers. In a randomized crossover trial the volunteers received 6 mg of the drug (1 tablet of 6 mg; 3 ml of drops containing 2 mg/ml; 1 single-dose bottle containing 6 mg); radioimmunoassay was used for the determination of the unchanged drug plasma levels. DHEC shows a plasma profile according to a 3-compartment pharmacokinetic model with a long half-life and high distribution volume. The analysis of AUC0-infinity, Cmax, tmax, and other pharmacokinetic parameters shows that the three formulations investigated are practically bioequivalent."}
{"id": "PMID:1492861", "title": "[Dihydroergocristine in the treatment of organic brain psychosyndrome. Dose-finding study against placebo].", "content": "Purpose of this study was to evaluate the activity of dihydroergocristine (DHEC, CAS 17479-19-5) at three different dosages, when administered to aged patients with senile dementia of Alzheimer type. Eighty patients, 48 males and 32 females, aged 55-80 years, affected with senile organic brain syndrome, were admitted to the trial. Clinical evaluation was made by SCAG (Sandoz Clinical Assessment Geriatric Scale). Inclusion criteria considered patients presenting at the basal evaluation a total SCAG score between 60 and 90, with stressed impairment of cognitive function. All the patients were divided in four groups and treated with DHEC 1.5, 3, 6 mg/d or placebo for three months. The evaluation of the total SCAG score demonstrated a significant activity of the drug compared vs placebo, and a dose-related effect. Also for the single clusters it was demonstrated a significant (p < 0.05) dose/effect relation, except for the \"affective\" one; on the contrary \"cognitive functioning\" cluster displayed the best benefit. The drug was very well tolerated, as only some cases of dyspepsia, mild gastralgia and nausea were reported in some patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1492862", "title": "[The effect of dihydroergocristine on cognitive functions and sleep in elderly subjects].", "content": "The aim of this study was to assess the effect induced by the dopamine agonist dihydroergocristine (DHEC, CAS 17479-19-5), whose memory-improving activity is well-known, on sleep pattern and cognitive function, and the possible relationship between them. Ten elderly volunteers were included in the study. Selected subjects had to be neither demented nor depressed, according to neuropsychodiagnostic criteria (SCAG < 30, Hachinski dementia score < or = 15, Hachinski ischemic score < 6, HRSD < or = 22). All subjects underwent a nightly polysomnographic evaluation during placebo, after single and long-term once-daily 6 mg DHEC administration. Cognitive function and attention were also assessed by the Randt memory test and WAIS digit-symbol subtest. DHEC caused a marked and significant increase in the acquisition subitem, and memory improvement was documented during DHEC treatment. A significant direct relationship between the effect of DHEC on REM sleep and memory test was also evidenced. Our results confirmed the role of REM sleep in the restoration of cognitive function."}
{"id": "PMID:1492863", "title": "[Controlled study of the effect of dihydroergocristine on organic brain psychosyndrome].", "content": "The aim of this study was to verify long-term therapeutic efficacy and tolerance of dihydroergocristine (DHEC, CAS 17479-19-5) in a double blind placebo controlled study, in elderly patients with psychosyndrome characterized by memory and behaviour impairment. Two hundred patients, aged more than 65 years, were randomly divided into two groups of one hundred each. The first group received one 6-mg DHEC tablet daily for four months and the other group received placebo. The evaluation parameter for efficacy was the neuropsychological test SCAG (Scale of Clinical Assessment for Geriatrics), administered before and after 30, 60 and 120 days. The results showed a significant difference between DHEC and placebo with regard to total and partial scores of SCAG as well as to single items (mental alertness, recent memory, disorientation, anxiety, mood depression, emotional lability, motivation, uncooperativeness, fatigue, headache, tinnitus). After as few as thirty days of DHEC treatment the severity of mental and psychological symptoms was markedly decreased (p vs placebo < 0.01), as documented by significant positive changes of SCAG items. The four-month double blind period was followed by a two-month single blind period, during which patients of both groups received placebo. At the end of these two months, SCAG total score was unfavourably increased in patients previously administered DHEC, although scores were still significantly lower both versus baseline and versus previous placebo patients. Safety was good (placebo: one case of diarrhea; DHEC: one case of gastralgia and dizziness). Nine patients dropped out for reasons unrelated to treatment.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1492864", "title": "[Dihydroergocristine in organic brain psychosyndrome. Multicenter placebo-controlled clinical double-blind study in 240 patients].", "content": "The aim of this 3-month study was to assess the activity of dihydroergocristine (DHEC, CAS 17479-15-5) on organic brain syndrome. DHEC is an ergot alkaloid derivative with a dopaminergic activity on the central nervous system (CNS). It improves cerebral metabolism and increases the bioelectric potential in the cerebral cortex. The randomized double-blind trial versus placebo involved 240 outpatients (138 females and 102 males, mean age 68 years) recruited in 6 hospitals. Subjects with Hachinski Ischemic Score > 6 and Mini Mental State < 22 were excluded. Patients were randomly divided into 4 groups of 60 subjects each to receive either one 6-mg DHEC oral vial or placebo vial, or one 6-mg DHEC tablet or placebo tablet once daily for 3 months. Neuropsychological tests were performed at baseline, and then after 45 and 90 days of treatment. The statistical analysis of results showed a significant difference (p < 0.01) between DHEC and placebo groups with regard to the following tests: \"Scale of Clinical Assessment for Geriatrics (SCAG), Digit Symbol, Digit Span, Toulouse-Pieron, Hamilton Depression Rating Scale and Rey's Words\". The amelioration of clinical symptoms pointed out the equivalence of DHEC oral vials and tablets. The drug was well tolerated. It is concluded that DHEC is an effective and safe drug in the treatment or organic brain syndrome."}
{"id": "PMID:1492865", "title": "[One-year therapy with dihydroergocristine for treatment of impaired alertness and memory in elderly patients. Placebo-controlled multicenter study].", "content": "This double-blind study of dihydroergocristine (DHEC, CAS 17479-19-5) versus placebo was performed in 240 elderly patients affected by chronic cerebrovascular disease or organic brain syndrome. The therapy was carried on for one year. Results pointed out a decrease of SCAG total score and a significant improvement of the target items \"confusion, mental alertness and memory performance\" after DHEC versus placebo. Furthermore the data show that DHEC maintained its activity throughout the 12-month trial period. Very few and mild side-effects were reported for both groups, thus confirming the well known good safety of the compound. Based on results of this 1-year investigation, it is concluded that DHEC treatment should not be abruptly interrupted, but continued for as long as possible."}
{"id": "PMID:1492866", "title": "[Epidemiologic study on the effectiveness and safety of dihydroergocristine in impaired memory and behavioral functions in aged humans].", "content": "Aim of the study was to assess the activity of dihydroergocristine (DHEC, CAS 17479-19-5) in aged patients with impaired cognitive function. Twenty-five university hospital centres and 250 physicians participated in the study. 2,600 patients (1,104 males and 1,496 females, age range 50-80 years) were admitted to the study. Each patient was administered 6 mg/d DHEC for 120 days. Clinical evaluation was made through the SCAG Rating Scale registered at basal time, after 60 and 120 days. Responsivity to treatment was considered high when the final score was reduced by 30% and none if less than 10%. Analysis of results demonstrated that at the end of the study responsivity was high in 73% of cases, moderate in 20.4% and absent in 6.5%. Tolerability was very good as side effects were reported only in 3.16% of patients. Most frequent side effects were: nausea (1.23%), gastralgia (1.11%), headache (0.29%), hypotension (0.12%), vertigo (0.12%) and rash (0.08%). Drop-outs for gastralgia were reported only in 0.53% of the patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1492867", "title": "Preservice training to meet the needs of people from diverse cultural backgrounds.", "content": "The provision of speech-language pathology and audiology services to persons from culturally and linguistically diverse populations is changing. Researchers have indicated that many current ASHA certified speech-language pathologists and audiologists do not perceive themselves as competent to provide services to individuals from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds due to the paucity of this information during their professional education (Campbell, 1986; Shewan & Malm, 1989; Snope, 1982). ASHA has attempted to meet the needs of individuals from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds who are communicatively impaired and students and practitioners through the latest revisions of the requirements for the Certificates of clinical Competence and through ESB accreditation requirements for university training programs. This article discussed several important needs associated with university training programs for speech-language pathologists and audiologists that must be considered as the professions respond to the needs of specific service populations."}
{"id": "PMID:1492872", "title": "Devices for the hearing impaired.", "content": "Hearing loss can result in significant communicative and social dysfunction. Various methods of sound amplification are available for the hearing impaired. Hearing aids are becoming more technologically sophisticated, more cosmetically appealing and more commonly used. The choice of hearing aid must be individualized and depends on several factors, including the type of hearing loss, the cost of the device, the patient's work environment, motivation and vanity, and the degree of difficulty in using the hearing aid. Devices are also available to help hearing-impaired persons in specific situations where hearing aids may not be necessary. The cochlear implant is a relatively new device for use in the profoundly hearing impaired."}
{"id": "PMID:1492873", "title": "Thermal desorption-gas chromatography for the determination of benzene, aniline, nitrobenzene and chlorobenzene in workplace air.", "content": "Sampling on Tenax TA of different mesh sizes followed by thermal desorption and gas chromatography was evaluated as a simple method for the determination of benzene, aniline, nitrobenzene and chlorobenzene in the workplace air. An alternative sampling technique in place of pump sampling was developed. Quantitative recoveries were obtained in the mass range 0.04-10 micrograms. It was found that air humidity had no effect on recovery. The charged tubes can be stored at room temperature for 5 days with no change in recovery. The particle size of Tenax TA has no significant effect on adsorption and desorption."}
{"id": "PMID:1492874", "title": "Chronic fatigue syndrome.", "content": "A 36-yr-old white female presented with severe fatigue and symptoms consistent with immune deficiency, but was later found to be suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome. This article discusses the diagnostic criteria for this condition. Chiropractic manipulation afforded relief of some symptoms for this patient."}
{"id": "PMID:1492871", "title": "Neuropharmacological study of aged MAM-treated rats.", "content": "After evaluation of activity in an open field, norepinephrine (NE), serotonin (5HT), 5-hydroxyindolacetic acid (5HIAA), homovanillic acid (HVA), and choline acetyltransferase (CAT) were investigated in cortex of 26-month-old rats poisoned with methylazoxymethanol (MAM) as compared to control rats of the same age. NE and 5HT concentrations showed a marked increase, but levels were normal when expressed as total content, just as in MAM-exposed young adults. Concentrations of 5HIAA were also increased but to a lesser extent than 5 HT. Aged MAM rats did not show any modification of spontaneous activity although hyperactivity is characteristic of young adults exposed to MAM. Together with this behavioral observation, a significant decrease in total HVA content was measured. Because HVA levels seem correlated with activity in MAM-exposed rats, we speculate that the behavioral abnormality recovers in old age. Total CAT activity was also reduced. These results indicate that the neurochemical pattern of young adult MAM-poisoned rats is conserved in aged rats except for some changes in the dopaminergic and cholinergic systems."}
{"id": "PMID:1492877", "title": "Postpartum hemolytic uremic syndrome associated with antiphospholipid antibodies. A case report and review of the literature.", "content": "Postpartum hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) is described in a woman with a history of spontaneous abortions and both circulating lupus anticoagulant and anticardiolipin antibody (ACA). After termination of her pregnancy because of severe preeclampsia, ACA blood levels increased simultaneously with the onset of a microangiopathic process associated with severe hypertension and renal failure. Plasma exchange resulted in a rapid decline in ACA levels and immediate improvement in her clinical condition. This case strongly suggests an important causal relationship between ACA and postpartum HUS. The possible mechanisms of ACA-related postpartum HUS and the potential role of plasmapheresis in its treatment are reviewed and discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1492878", "title": "Occupational cancer in Canada: what do we know?", "content": "To examine the reporting of cases of occupational cancer in Canada in order to determine reporting requirements, the availability of data, the characteristics of reported cancers and the completeness of reporting. Descriptive epidemiologic study based on data requested from workers' compensation boards (WCBs) and cancer registries in each province and territory from 1980 to 1989. The number of claims accepted and rejected by the WCBs; year of claim, cancer site, sex of claimant, age of claimant at diagnosis, occupation, industry, exposure agent and reasons for rejection of claims; and new primary cancers according to site, age and sex. Reporting of occupational cancer by physicians is required in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Newfoundland. Only British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Ontario were able to provide all the requested information about the claims. Of the 1026 claims in these three provinces almost all were by men, and about two-thirds were for cancers of the respiratory tract. Asbestos was listed as the etiologic agent in more than one-third of the cases. A comparison of the proportion of incident cancers accepted as occupational by the WCBs with the estimated proportion of cancers in the general population attributable to occupation (based on population-attributable risk percentages from epidemiologic data) suggests that less than 10% of occupational cancers [corrected] are compensated. The main source of the deficit is underreporting to WCBs rather than rejection of claims. The availability of data about occupational cancers in Canada is inconsistent from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, and reporting is incomplete. An active disease surveillance system and additional education of physicians and workers about work-related illnesses may be required to improve reporting."}
{"id": "PMID:1492879", "title": "Race and ethnicity in housing: turnover in New York City, 1978-1987.", "content": "This study examines the patterns and predictors of housing turnovers among non-Hispanic whites, non-Hispanic blacks, Puerto Ricans, and other Hispanics in New York City during 1978-1987 to assess whether access to housing is distributed differentially by race and ethnicity. The data are taken from the triennial New York City Housing and Vacancy Survey. After controlling for household preferences, purchasing power, and quality characteristics of the housing unit, multinomial logistic regression results show the most consistent and significant predictors of turnover to be geographic and market-sector attributes. The findings suggest the presence of structural constraints in the housing market which effectively channel racial/ethnic groups to separate neighborhoods. The overall results are reminiscent of early studies of neighborhood transition by Duncan and Duncan (1957) and Taeuber and Taeuber (1965), and show that little progress has been made toward achieving equality in housing or informal social contact between racial/ethnic groups."}
{"id": "PMID:1492881", "title": "Serine incorporation into phosphatidylserine in hypoxic rat brain cortex.", "content": "The effect of hypoxia on the incorporation of [14C]serine into serine glycerophospholipids was investigated in rat brain cortex. Brain slices were incubated, in the presence of the labeled precursor, in Krebs-Henseleit Ringer bicarbonate or Krebs Ringer phosphate, and hypoxia was induced by bubbling nitrogen in the medium. The lowering of oxygen caused an increase of the incorporation of the base into phosphatidylserine in slices incubated in both media, although the effect was greater in Krebs Ringer phosphate. Such an effect was also observed in the homogenate subjected to N2-treatment, with an increase in the incorporation similar to that obtained in slices incubated in Krebs-Henseleit Ringer bicarbonate. Phosphatidylserine is synthesized in mammalian tissues by a \"base-exchange\" enzyme, strictly Ca2+ dependent, and, moreover, is necessary for protein kinase C activity. We postulate that the increased synthesis of phosphatidylserine might affect signal transduction mechanisms and participate in the modification of lipid metabolism observed in hypoxia and/or ischemia."}
{"id": "PMID:1492882", "title": "Eicosanoid formation in the rat cerebral cortex. Contribution of neurons and glia.", "content": "Despite the extensive literature on brain eicosanoids, no information is available on the cellular source of individual compounds in the mature organ and the relative contribution of different cell types to the total synthetic product. To address this problem, neurons and glia were isolated from the cerebral cortex of the adult rat by a process comprising, in order, trypsinization, selective sieving, differential centrifugation, and density gradient centrifugation. Enrichment of cells in the appropriate fractions was verified by morphological, immunocytochemical, and biochemical criteria. Both neuron- and glia-rich fractions retained synthetic activity throughout the period of incubation (max. 60 min). Among the eicosanoids examined, prostaglandin (PG) E2 was the predominant compound, followed by leukotriene (LT) E4 and thromboxane (TX) B2, whereas LTC4 occurred in minimal amounts. Although the rank order of eicosanoids did not vary with the cell type, absolute values of PGE2 and TXB2 were greater with neurons. PGE2 synthesis was increased by supplementation of the medium with arachidonic acid (2.6 microM), whereas indomethacin (5.6 microM) had the opposite effect. Conversely, LT synthesis was not altered by arachidonic acid and was only marginally reduced by the 5-lipoxygenase inhibitor, U-60,257 (10 microM). Several agonists (12-O-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate, TPA; Ca ionophore A23187; platelet-activating factor; endotoxin; recombinant IL-1) were tested on both neuron- and glia-rich fractions but none of them had an effect. We conclude that freshly isolated neurons and glia are viable insofar as the basal rate of eicosanoid synthesis is concerned. No qualitative difference was noted between the two cell types in the spectrum of products formed and the spectrum itself accorded with early data on the biosynthetic activity of the intact tissue in vivo. Our isolation procedure appears useful for the analysis of the cellular source of eicosanoids under resting conditions, although it cannot be applied to the study of the site and mode of action of activators."}
{"id": "PMID:1492883", "title": "Regional mRNA changes in brain stem motor neurons from patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.", "content": "An antisense oligonucleotide (54 mer) from the mRNA to the midsize neurofilament protein (NFM) was labeled with 35S on the 3' end and purified by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE). In situ hybridization was performed on sections from medulla oblongata of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The slides were dipped in photographic emulsion, developed, and stained. Neurons from both nucleus hypoglossus and nucleus ambiguous showed a marked reduction of silver grains when compared to normal. This indicates a reduction of mRNA, which may precede the reduction of ribosomal RNA and the changes in neurofilament proteins that have been described by several investigators in ALS. It does not settle the question of whether the reduction of mRNA is owing to reduced transcription or increased decay of mRNA."}
{"id": "PMID:1492884", "title": "Diabetes-induced alterations of central nervous system G proteins. ADP-ribosylation, immunoreactivity, and gene-expression studies in rat striatum.", "content": "Previous studies from our laboratory have suggested that diabetes-associated central nervous system abnormalities are characterized by progressive alterations of neurotransmitters and of transductional Gi/Go proteins. In this study, we have further characterized these abnormalities in the striatum of alloxan-diabetic rats by means of adenosine 5'-diphosphate (ADP)-ribosylation, and Western and Northern blotting techniques. Fourteen weeks after diabetes induction, pertussis-toxin (PTX) catalyzed ADP-ribosylation of Gi/Go proteins was markedly reduced in diabetic animals, as shown by a clear decrease of 32P-ADPribose incorporation into G protein alpha subunits. In agreement with our previous pharmacological studies that showed a reduction of Gi-mediated modulation of adenylate cyclase activity only at this stage of diabetes, no changes in PTX-mediated ADP-ribosylation were observed earlier (5-wk diabetes). Immunoblotting studies performed by using antibodies selectively raised against Gi-2, Go, and Gs proteins did not reveal any differences between control and diabetic animals at any stage of diabetes. Similarly, the mRNAs corresponding to the alpha subunits of Gi-2, Go, and Gs proteins did not show any marked changes in chronic diabetic rats with respect to control animals. It is therefore concluded that diabetes is associated with development of a time-related alteration of cerebral Gi/Go proteins and that this defect is not owing to gross changes in either content of G proteins or mRNA level, but probably reflects modifications of G protein's structure or physiological status affecting the coupling with membrane effector systems and the sensitivity to PTX."}
{"id": "PMID:1492885", "title": "[Tumor-biologic and epidemiologic aspects of laryngeal cancers in women before and after menopause].", "content": "44 women with laryngeal cancer were treated between 1961 and 1991 in the ENT clinic of the university of Rostock. 7 patients were found in the phase of fertility, 12 patients within the climacteric and 25 patients in the senium. Half of the patients before menopause and 2/3 of the patients after menopause were smokers. Only one of the women at the fertile age had a laryngological history lasting 1 year before the onset of the cancer illness but half of the patients after menopause revealed such an anamnesis. Laryngological symptoms that existed over a period of one year or more began before the onset of the climacteric phase or clearly in the senium phase. These points in time corresponded to phases of relative or absolute decrease of oestrogens from an endocrinological view. The mean controlled survival time of the patients decreased clearly with increasing age. Furthermore, in the case of the patients with over one year's laryngeal anamnesis the survival time was longer than for patients without anamnesis, at least for patients in the phase of the senium. Several parameters of tumour biology, tumour dynamics and gynaecological history were examined by the authors. A trend indicating an increase of glottic localisation after the onset of the climacteric phase and increase of keratinised carcinomas in the phase of senium was apparent. No other clear differences amongst the patients of various groups could be observed."}
{"id": "PMID:1492880", "title": "Urinary ortho-cresol concentrations as an indicator of toluene inhalation in glue-sniffers.", "content": "In a Japanese study of glue-sniffers, urinary ortho-cresol and expired air toluene concentrations were determined by gas chromatography, and urinary hippuric acid concentrations by high performance liquid chromatography. There were significant differences among three sample groups (30 male \"glue-sniffers\", 13 \"non-glue-sniffers\" and 32 industrial workers) in their expired air toluene, urinary hippuric acid and ortho-cresol concentrations. Moreover, there was a better correlation between expired air toluene and urinary ortho-cresol concentrations than between toluene and urinary ortho-cresol concentrations than between toluene and hippuric acid. These results suggest that urinary ortho-cresol is a good indicator of toluene inhalation in glue-sniffers."}
{"id": "PMID:1492886", "title": "[Importance of whole body skeletal scintigraphy within the scope of staging of neoplasms in the ENT area].", "content": "Concerning malignant tumours of the oral cavity, pharynx and larynx, bone metastases are in general rarely seen. For the specification to which patients the whole body bone scintigraphy as detection method should be applied, the findings of 370 patients were analysed retrospectively. In respect of primary staging, bone metastases could be found by scintigraphy in only 1.4% of the patients. On the other hand, there was a detection rate of 12% during the further course of the disease, especially in case of clinical symptoms pointing at spreading metastases or in tumour recurrences. Nevertheless, positive scan findings which were not due to metastases could be found in both groups with equal frequency (12 and 13%, respectively). Therefore the routine performance of whole body bone scintigraphy as a screening method does not seem to be useful in the primary staging of cancer of the mouth, pharynx and larynx. Contrary to this, in the follow-up of these tumours bone scanning proves to be a valuable and sensitive method for detecting skeletal metastases."}
{"id": "PMID:1492887", "title": "[Clinical relevance of malignant lateral branchial cyst].", "content": "We analyzed 7 patients with so called \"maligne lateral cervical cysts\" regarding the controversies in the literature. Primary tumors of oropharyngeal sites were discovered in all these cases of \"branchiogenic carcinoma\" rising the final diagnosis of cystic metastases. Diagnostic tonsillectomy is supposed to be important to solve this problem of differential diagnosis. The issue of malignant transformation in cysts of branchial cleft origin has to be recognized as being an oncological artifact. We argue that the \"maligne lateral cervical cyst\" does'nt exist as a proper entity. In analogy to the principles of the treatment of oropharyngeal cancer ipsilateral neck dissection and wide local excision of the cyst followed by radiation therapy is the suggested plan of therapeutic management. Search for a possible unknown primary tumor within the oropharynx must be continued over years."}
{"id": "PMID:1492888", "title": "[Mechanics and function of the middle ear. 2: Hearing physiologic comments on middle ear surgery].", "content": "The reconstruction of the destroyed ossicular chain has the purpose to re-establish an unhindered sound reception and transmission. With respect to the hydraulic factor, the reconstructed chain should be attached to a large effective area of the drum membrane, ideally to the malleus handle. The sensitivity is furthermore diminished in a linear relationship with increasing mass and stiffness. Therefore, cartilage cannot represent an acoustically ideal material for a drum membrane replacement. The reconstructed chain must vibrate without restraint for an unhindered transmission. Furthermore, the interposed prosthesis must be secured firmly to the remnants of the ossicular chain; the reconstructed chain must vibrate like one solid body. A loose contact attenuates the transmission and might result in a dislocation of the prosthesis with excessive ambient air pressure induced displacements of the drum membrane. A solid anchoring might be created by glueing, bony adhesion, special design of the prosthesis or with a wire connection. With unfavorable middle-ear conditions, the piston-like vibrational mode of the footplate has to be met with a direct driving of the stapes by a T-like prosthesis in the extension of the stapedial's vertical (high) axis. Ineffective rocking movements of the footplate are thus reduced. The almost perfect hearing result of the stapesplasty demonstrates that the impedance-matching middle-ear function is determined by the area ratio between the drum membrane and the width of the cochlear scala. Both components are not altered by the operation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1492889", "title": "[The effect of systematic change in middle ear pressure on transitorily evoked otoacoustic emissions--a pressure chamber study].", "content": "Otoacoustic emission power spectrum and amplitude are influenced by the middle ear transmission mechanism. In this study, the influence of progressive increase in atmospheric pressure on the frequency and amplitude of transiently evoked otoacoustic emissions (TEOAEs) was determined in normally hearing humans. For testing, subjects were seated in a pressure chamber. Transiently evoked otoacoustic emissions were tested in 20 ears of 20 subjects using of 80 microseconds unfiltered click and tone bursts duration at 0.5, 1, 2, 3, and 4 kHz presented at 40 dBnHL. Ambient air pressure was increased from 0 kPa up to 8 kPa in 2-kPa steps. In spite of large interindividual differences, the results demonstrate that the changes that occur in TEOAEs with variations in ambient air pressure are frequency specific. Amplitude and reproducibility of high-frequency TEOAEs are less influenced by middle ear pressure changes than are the amplitude and reproducibility of low- and middle-frequency TEOAEs. Results have implications for clinical and research applications of TEOAE measurements in that middle-ear and inner-ear effects on OAEs can be differentiated."}
{"id": "PMID:1492890", "title": "[Examination of 1,300 children for incidence and therapy of hearing disorders in pediatric speech disorders].", "content": "This study presents the results on 1305 children with speech disorders. The examination includes ENT-inspection, audiometry, speech-evaluations and if required, psychological tests. In 48% we found hearing losses, most frequently in the age up to four years. In 95% hearing losses were fluctuating about 20 decibels, caused by malfunction of the tube or by adenoids, not even in autumn and winter, but also all the year. In this case, fluctuating hearing function reduces the total hearing input over the year. In only 5% we found cochlear hearing loss. In hearing impaired children speech development was significantly more depressed in all dimensions in comparison to normal hearing children. This study does impressive demonstrate the necessity of follow-up microscopic evaluations of the tympanic membrane and audiometry as well as the consequence operative therapy including adenoidectomy and insertion of ventilation tubes. With this concept, only 37% of the children required speech therapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1492891", "title": "[Chronic otitis externa from the dermatologic viewpoint].", "content": "Chronic external otitis may be divided into several diagnostic categories. Disposition for psoriasis, seborrhoeic and atopic eczema are main endogenous reasons. Exogenous pathogens for external otitis are microbes and allergens. There are numerous interrelations by coincidence of dispositional diseases, e.g. psoriasis and atopic eczema and by combination of exogenous and endogenous pathogens. This holds good for the yeast Pityrosporum ovale vs. orbiculare in seborrhoeic eczema and for the susceptibility to contact (type IV) and respiratory (type I) allergy in atopic individuals as well. Mycotic and bacterial, especially gram negative external otitis are linked to predisposing factors like eczema, long-term microbicidal therapy, hot and humid environment. Contact allergic external otitis may occur during long lasting local therapy with various substances including vehicles, the most common allergen being neomycin. Mucosal allergic reactions (Type I) in the upper respiratory tract may impair ventilation of the Eustachian tube and middle ear and therefore epithelial migration, as a drainage mechanism of the auditory canal. Examination should include functional assessment of the Eustachian tube and middle ear and allergy testing (patch, prick test). Preparations for local therapy should contain a limited number of constituents and avoid common allergens. Surgical procedures to reestablish ventilation of the middle ear are also a therapy for chronic external otitis."}
{"id": "PMID:1492892", "title": "[Chronic recurrent parotitis in childhood].", "content": "Juvenile recurrent parotitis (j.r.p.) is distinguished from the adult form by the course of the disease, therapeutic considerations and prognosis. Children suffering from j.r.p. are between 2 and 15 years of age; the male: female ratio is 1.5:1. In the present paper the author describes the different pathogenic theories of j.r.p. in accordance with the relevant literature. Besides malformation of the glandular duct like stenosis and ectasis, functional factors like the character of salivary secretion are suspected as being responsible for the disease. Other authors assume that a viral genesis, allergic factors, a physiological immaturity of the immune response, or family history may be the causes. In the evaluation of children with j.r.p. the patients' history with recurrent swelling episodes of the parotid gland(s) followed by quiescent periods is indicative. Further procedures like ultrasonography, sialography and MRI are discussed according to their diagnostic value. Therapeutic possibilities include antibiotics in the acute stage of the disease as well as parotidectomy in severe cases. Radiotherapy cannot be recommended because of its side effects (facial dysplasia, tumour induction). In most cases, the disease ends at puberty."}
{"id": "PMID:1492895", "title": "Can ambulance personnel intubate?", "content": "To assess the performance of intubation skills by advanced trained ambulance personnel, a prospective study was carried out of the intubation of cardiac arrest victims by ambulance personnel in the field. Twenty-eight ambulance personnel attempted the intubation of 87 patients over 2 years. Eighty-five patients were initially successfully intubated, one endotracheal tube became displaced and cuff leakage occurred on three occasions. This was treated appropriately in each instance. Ambulance personnel can perform the skills of intubation successfully in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest victims."}
{"id": "PMID:1492896", "title": "Audit of unexpected return visits to an accident and emergency department.", "content": "Unscheduled re-attendances of patients to the A&E Department were examined over 50 days. A re-attendance rate of 1.9 per 100 new patients was found. Of 102 return visits, only 35 resulted in no change in the diagnosis or treatment. Common faults in the initial consultation were failure to explain the condition and prognosis adequately and failure to provide adequate analgesia. Review of patients reattending unexpectedly by a more senior member of staff is a means of identifying faults in management and advising and educating junior staff."}
{"id": "PMID:1492897", "title": "Causes of fatal childhood accidents in North Staffordshire, 1980-1989.", "content": "Sixty-nine children aged under 15 years were identified from coroners' records as having died as a result of an accident between 1980 and 1989. Road traffic accidents (RTAs) accounted for the majority of cases (n = 38; 55% of total) and in almost all of these, the unsafe behaviour of the child was considered to be at fault. Most fatal accidents occurred between 15.00 and 21.00 hrs and within 2 km of the child's home; the majority of children killed were not supervised by an adult at the time of the accident. Considerable variation in mortality within the district was observed with several areas having a rate significantly higher than the district as a whole. Head injury was the most commonly recorded cause of death (n = 37, 53%) confirming the importance of head injury as a cause of childhood mortality. Road safety educational and engineering measures as well as adequate adult supervision and awareness could have prevented the vast majority of these accidental deaths. Coroners records are a vital and often poorly utilized source of locally relevant information regarding childhood accidents which should be of use to all interested agencies including child accident prevention groups."}
{"id": "PMID:1492898", "title": "Case report. Self-induced grand mal epilepsy.", "content": "A case of a male patient who accidentally induced a grand mal seizure with a home-made electronics device. Other comparative cases are described."}
{"id": "PMID:1492899", "title": "Case report. Bee sting brachial block.", "content": "A case of brachial plexus block is presented, following a bee sting in the posterior triangle of the neck. The onset of neurological symptoms was rapid as was their subsequent resolution. Delayed peripheral neurological symptoms believed to have an immunological basis have been reported in response to stings from bees and other Hymenoptera both in the central and peripheral nervous systems (Goldstein et al., 1960; Means et al., 1973; Bachman et al., 1982; Weatherall et al., 1987; Van Antwerpen et al., 1988), but to the authors' knowledge no similar case of immediate peripheral block has been reported."}
{"id": "PMID:1492900", "title": "The MiniCAP III CO2 Detector: assessment of a device to distinguish oesophageal from tracheal intubation.", "content": "A new portable infra-red CO2 detector was assessed in 50 intubated patients. This device was 100% accurate in distinguishing between tracheal and oesophageal intubation when used by nursing and paramedic personnel."}
{"id": "PMID:1492902", "title": "Synthesis of 7-oxo-7H-benzo[e]perimidine-4-carboxamides as potential antitumor drugs.", "content": "A series of 7-oxo-7H-benzo[e]perimidine-4-carboxamides (4a-f) was synthetized from the corresponding acid (3) and the suitable amines by the \"mixed anhydride\" method. The amide derivatives were tested for antitumor activity against P 388 leukemia \"in vivo\". Only the N-[2-(diethylamino)ethyl]-7-oxo-7H-benzo[e]perimidine-4-carboxa mid e (4b) shows borderline antineoplastic activity."}
{"id": "PMID:1492903", "title": "Synthesis and antimicrobial activity of some pyrrole derivatives. V: 5-Aryl-3-ethoxycarbonyl-2-(4-substituted piperazino)pyrrole derivatives.", "content": "The synthesis of new 5-aryl-3-ethoxycarbonyl-2-piperazinopyrrole derivatives is reported. The new compounds were tested in vitro for their antimicrobial activity. Compound 11 was the most active against the Gram-positive microorganisms."}
{"id": "PMID:1492905", "title": "Relationship of utero- and fetoplacental blood flow velocity wave forms with pathomorphological placental findings.", "content": "Pulsed Doppler examinations were performed in 143 risk pregnancies. The resistance index (RI) values of the uteroplacental vessels and umbilical artery on the last examination before delivery were correlated to specific patterns of morphological placental findings. The sensitivity and specificity of Doppler blood flow velocity wave forms to predict placental disease as well as the significant relationships were calculated. Impaired uteroplacental perfusion is correlated with: disturbances in growth, such as reduced weight and reduced basal area (p < 0.005, p < 0.05); disturbances in villous maturation, such as prematurity or a reduction in intermediate sized villi (p < 0.05, p < 0.01), and circulation disorders, such as acute or chronic infarcts (p < 0.05), villous fibrosis (p < 0.005) or microfibrin deposits (p < 0.05). Villous immaturity was not correlated to either pathological utero- or fetoplacental blood flow. Except for acute infarcts, all these findings as well as endangiopathy of truncal arteries are also combined with high RI values in umbilical arteries (p < 0.005) possibly reflecting the 'down-stream impedance' of the fetoplacental circulation."}
{"id": "PMID:1492906", "title": "Relief of presumed compression in oligohydramnios: amnioinfusion does not affect umbilical artery Doppler waveforms.", "content": "The suggestion that amnioinfusion improves umbilical artery Doppler indices of downstream resistance in oligohydramnios by relieving cord compression was investigated by obtaining waveforms before and immediately after amnioinfusion in 16 pregnancies with severe oligohydramnios. There was no significant difference in the change in umbilical artery pulsatility index (PI) between 11 pregnancies in which amniotic fluid volume was restored (mean delta PI = -0.07, 95% confidence interval -0.17 to +0.07), and 5 pregnancies in which immediate vaginal leakage of infused fluid prevented restitution of amniotic fluid volume. Fetal heart rate did not change significantly in either group. End-diastolic frequencies did not return with restitution of amniotic fluid volume in the 2 pregnancies in which they were absent before infusion (absent in 1, reverse in 1). This study suggests that restitution of amniotic fluid volume in human pregnancies complicated by severe oligohydramnios does not acutely alter the umbilical artery PI."}
{"id": "PMID:1492907", "title": "Prenatal diagnosis and obstetrical management of May-Hegglin anomaly: a case report.", "content": "A case of May-Hegglin anomaly, a rare autosomal dominant thrombocytopenia, is reported. This disorder is characterized by giant platelets, basophilic inclusion bodies within the cytoplasm of granulocytes and an occasional bleeding tendency. This bleeding tendency depends on the platelet count. The fetuses of such patients run the risk of intracranial hemorrhage in utero and during the early neonatal period following vaginal delivery. Prenatal diagnosis of this disorder has not yet been reported. We describe a case of this disorder, diagnosed in pregnancy, which, following prenatal diagnosis of mild thrombocytopenia in the fetus and confirmation by cordocentesis, could successfully undergo a vaginal delivery."}
{"id": "PMID:1492908", "title": "Detection of 47,XYY trophoblast fetal cells in maternal blood by fluorescence in situ hybridization after using immunomagnetic lymphocyte depletion and flow cytometry sorting.", "content": "Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) allows to diagnose aneuploidy in uncultured interphase nuclei. This rapid method of chromosomal analysis associated with cell-sorting techniques was realized on 47,XYY fetal cells isolated from maternal blood. Trophoblast cells were sorted by combining immunomagnetic removal of maternal lymphocytes and flow cytometry sorting using antitrophoblast monoclonal antibodies. Cells were sorted directly on slides and analyzed by FISH with a Y-centromeric probe. Among 1,387 examinable nuclei, 59 (4.25%) showed one single or two Y-specific domains."}
{"id": "PMID:1492909", "title": "Predictive value of uterine artery velocity waveforms in pregnancies complicated by systemic lupus erythematosus and the antiphospholipid syndrome.", "content": "The objective of this study was to see if determination of uterine artery velocity waveforms between 20 and 30 weeks in lupus pregnancy and the antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) have a good predictive value for later fetal distress before labor, intrauterine growth retardation, and preeclampsia. Uterine and umbilical artery blood flow velocity waveforms were determined in 21 pregnancies complicated by systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE): 12 with antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL), 9 without aPL. We also studied 7 pregnancies with APS. This retrospective study was running from January 1st 1986 to July 31st 1991, at the Port-Royal Maternity, Paris, France. Abnormal uterine artery blood flow velocity waveforms were found in 10 out of 28 pregnancies at the first examination performed between 20 and 30 weeks gestational age. All the later adverse fetal and neonatal events were predicted by an abnormal uterine artery blood flow velocity waveform. From the 7 cases of fetal distress diagnosed during pregnancy, 6 were predicted by abnormal uterine waveforms and all of these pregnancies resulted in induced delivery before 32 weeks of gestational age. Twelve pregnancies with aPL and normal uterine artery waveforms were uncomplicated. Only 1 out of 7 pregnancies with abnormal uterine artery waveform and aPL ended without complication. Determination of uterine artery flow velocity waveform is a good adjunct to the management of pregnancies complicated by SLE or aPL. This determination has a better predictive value than the presence of aPL."}
{"id": "PMID:1492911", "title": "[Trace element metabolism in healthy and sick children. II. The disease state].", "content": "In the last 3 decades, the discovery of importance of trace elements in structure and functions of many enzymes, provided a tremendous impetus for research on the physiopathology, metabolism, clinical pharmacology and toxicology of these micronutrients in human beings, specially, in children. This paper presents recent information on various pathological inherited and acquired conditions, with abnormal nutritional status in children, due either to deficiency or excess of some oligo-elements. The general aspects of abnormal metabolism, physiopathology, and some specific clinical features, are described."}
{"id": "PMID:1492912", "title": "[Differential physical growth during the first years of life. III. Body composition].", "content": "The present article report the results of longitudinally research, on growth children, of both sex and ages from 0 to 1 year of extrauterine life. We obtained measures that appraisal the muscular and fat tissues: upper arm and leg circumferences; muscle and fat of upper arm areas; triceps, subscapular and supra-iliac skinfolds. Moreover, we report relationship dates between weight and stature, which is a good indicator for morphological body equilibrium."}
{"id": "PMID:1492913", "title": "[IgA nephropathy (Berger's disease) in children].", "content": "IgA nephropathy, also called Berger's disease, is characterized by recurrent gross hematuria or persistent microscopic hematuria, together with mesangial glomerular deposits of IgA found in the renal biopsy. Seven children with IgA nephropathy were studied. Most of them presented initially with recurrent macroscopic hematuria and low or moderate-grade proteinuria, without hypertension or renal function impairment. Only one patient presented with a rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis. Four patients did not receive any treatment; one of them is in remission, one has improved and two remain with moderate proteinuria and hematuria. One patient with significant proteinuria improved after prednisone and azathioprine treatment. The patient with rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis improved his renal function after oral prednisone and intravenous boluses of methylprednisolone and cyclophosphamide."}
{"id": "PMID:1492914", "title": "[Nosocomial infection in newborn infants on mechanical ventilation].", "content": "During a two-year period (1988-1989), were studied newborns treated with intermittent mandatory ventilation (IMV). The goal was to know incidence of infections in these patients and characteristics of these process. Of 187, 40 (21.3%) were infected. For these neonates the mean gestational age was 33 +/- 3 weeks and average for birth weight was 1755 +/- 644 g. In 32 the infecting agent was isolated, being the most common coagulase negative Staphylococcus, it was found in 18 (45%), Klebsiella sp in 7 (17%), Escherichia coli in 1 and Candida albicans in 1. In the remaining 8 (20%) with negative cultures, postmortem confirmation was made in 5 and in 3 by clinical, radiologic or hematologic evidence. Of the 17 positive blood cultures and 3 spinal fluid culture, the same bacteria grew as in the bronchial aspirate. Were found, thrombocytopenia in 22 (55%) and leucocytosis in 19 (47%) as the most common blood changes. Pneumonia was the most common form of infection; it was found in 30 (75%); 22 of 40 died (55%). We concluded that 21.3% of neonates under IMV without infections, may get infected later in the hospital. S. epidermidis is the etiologic agent that predominates through the whole year, except during epidemics caused by others agents."}
{"id": "PMID:1492915", "title": "[Should computed axial tomography of the skull be done in all pediatric patients with epilepsy?].", "content": "The charts of 118 children with epilepsy (64 boys and 54 girls) from the Pediatric Hospital of the National Medical Center, Mexican Institute of Social Security, were surveyed. Results are as follow: 21% had a family history of epilepsy; 15.3% had pathological findings in simple skull x-ray. In 50% of the cases there were a normal CT scan and in the remaining 50% there were pathological findings, such as cerebral atrophy (12.7%) and neurocysticercosis (10%). The CT scan was abnormal in 51% of partial seizures cases and in 41.8% of those with generalized seizures. Electroencephalogram (EEG) was abnormal in 85.7% of both simple and complex seizures cases. EEG was abnormal in 85.4% of cases with generalized seizures. We do not intend to establish a comparison between EEG and CT scan, but to show the usefulness of CT scan in children with epilepsy. Finally an algorithm for correct CT scan prescription in children with epilepsy is proposed."}
{"id": "PMID:1492916", "title": "[Cataracts and atopic dermatitis in children. A study of 68 patients].", "content": "We choose 68 children with diagnosis of atopic dermatitis according to Hanifin's criteria, then they were sent to ophthalmologic exploration and were investigated other clinical data that could be related with ocular disturbances. The positive result for cataracts was found in three patients (4.4%) all of them females, 11, 12 and 18 years old respectively, with around 9 years of the onset of the disease. They were considered as severe according to the same criteria, all of them had familiar history of atopic diseases and tendency to generalize and to present eczematous phase in any moment of the evolution. These findings are similar to those reported by other authors and we remark the importance of recognizing risk factors in patients with this dermatosis to send opportunely to a periodic ophthalmologic evaluation."}
{"id": "PMID:1492917", "title": "[Systemic neonatal infection by Streptococcus pneumoniae. A case report].", "content": "The neonatal sepsis by Streptococcus pneumoniae is a clinical manifestation well know, but very often reported. It's role as an etiologic agent is limited to sporadic references in the medical literature, since 1972 only about fifty cases of septicaemia and/or meningitis have been reported. In the Instituto Nacional de Perinatolog\u00eda, from a whole of 560 confirmed cases of septicaemia in the newborn within the last 6 years, only one has been documented as systemic infections by S. pneumoniae. This was a 32.2 gestational aged male patient, with antecedent of maternal chorioamnionitis. This patient presented early-onset sepsis and died during the first 12 hours of life. Presence of S. pneumoniae was found in the blood culture. The type of clinical presentation and its correlation to the perinatal infection is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1492918", "title": "[Nutritional recommendations for the newborn infant].", "content": "The nutritional recommendations for newborn babies and infants change when there is an improvement on the technics and knowledge for evaluating requirements of each nutrient. In general, breast milk is enough for covering the nutritional requirements on healthy infants during the first six months of life. Therefore, the nutritional recommendations are focused to newborn babies and infants who do not receive exclusively breast milk or preterm infants whether they receive their own mother's milk or formula. The calculations are based on the assumption that mothers who breast fed their babies are healthy, well nourished and supplying daily a mean of 750 mL of breast milk during the period of lactation."}
{"id": "PMID:1492919", "title": "Synthesis and structural studies of a pentapeptide sequence of elastin. Poly (Val-Gly-Gly-Leu-Gly).", "content": "Poly (Val-Gly-Gly-Leu-Gly), a polypeptide mimicking the physico-chemical properties of the glycine-rich regions of elastin, has been synthesized and studied both in solution and in the aggregated state. By comparison, also the conformation of different \"monomeric\" units has been investigated. The polymer showed increased disorder with respect to the \"monomers\", the molecular conformation being accounted for by a more or less random collection of isolated beta-turns. Nevertheless, in the solid state the polymer is able to adopt supramolecular structures reminiscent of those found for elastin."}
{"id": "PMID:1492920", "title": "mRNA periodical infrastructure complementary to the proof-reading site in the ribosome.", "content": "Virtually all mRNA sequences carry a 3-base periodical pattern, presumably involved in the translation frame monitoring mechanism (Trifonov, E.N., J. Mol. Biol. 194, 643-652, 87). The hidden pattern, 5'-(GHN)n-3' (H representing nonG, N any base), is further refined by extensive computational analysis of mRNA sequences. According to mononucleotide preferences in the three positions of coding triplets, it appears now as 5'-(GHU)n-3'. Dinucleotide frequencies independent of mononucleotides (contrast dinucleotides, 2) generate the motif 5'-(GCU)n-3'. The same motif is found by regarding the expected avoidance of destabilizing base oppositions in hypothetical transient complementary complexes between mRNA and rRNA. This hidden pattern, in its refined consensus form, 5'-(GCU)n-3', is an almost perfect complementary match to a unique site in small subunit rRNA, the universally conserved (3) proofreading loop at position 525 (of E.coli small subunit rRNA): [formula: see text] This strongly suggests that the 525 site is a major structural component of the previously proposed frame-keeping mechanism which is based on the in-frame contacts between mRNA and three segments of rRNA. Consistent with the original proposition, this site is one of three believed to interact with mRNA."}
{"id": "PMID:1492921", "title": "A high angle neutron fibre diffraction study of the hydration of the A conformation of the DNA double helix.", "content": "A high angle neutron fibre diffraction study of the distribution of water around the A-form of DNA has been performed using the diffractometer D19 at the Institut Laue-Langevin, Grenoble. These experiments have exploited the ability to replace H2O surrounding the DNA by D2O so that isotopic difference Fourier maps can be computed in which peaks are identified with the distribution of water in the unit cell. All peaks of significant height have been accounted for by four families of water molecules whose positions and occupancies have been determined using least squares refinement. The coordinates of the water peaks making up each family do not deviate significantly from a regular helical arrangement with the same parameters as the DNA. Two of these families are of particular interest. The first consists of water molecules in the major groove linking successive charged phosphate oxygens along the polynucleotide chains. The second is associated with bases in the major groove and forms a central core of density along the helix axis. These two families provide a layer of hydration lining the interior wall of the major groove leaving a central channel to accommodate cations. The relationship between these observations and conformational stability is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1492922", "title": "Binding of nucleic acids to intermediate filaments of the vimentin type and their effects on filament formation and stability.", "content": "Guanine-rich polynucleotides such as poly(dG), oligo(dG)12-18 or poly(rG) were shown to exert a strong inhibitory effect on vimentin filament assembly and also to cause disintegration of preformed filaments in vitro. Gold-labeled oligo(dG)25 was preferentially localized at the physical ends of the aggregation and disaggregation products and at sites along filaments with a basic periodicity of 22.7 nm. Similar effects were observed with heat-denatured eukaryotic nuclear DNA or total rRNA, although these nucleic acids could affect filament formation and structure only at ionic strengths lower than physiological. However, whenever filaments were formed or stayed intact, they appeared associated with the nucleic acids. These electron microscopic observations were corroborated by sucrose gradient analysis of complexes obtained from preformed vimentin filaments and radioactively labeled heteroduplexes. Among the duplexes of the DNA type, particularly poly(dG).poly(dC), and, of those of the RNA type, preferentially poly(rA).poly(rU), were carried by the filaments with high efficiency into the pellet fraction. Single-stranded 18S and 28S rRNA interacted only weakly with vimentin filaments. Nevertheless, in a mechanically undisturbed environment, vimentin filaments could be densely decorated with intact 40S and 60S ribosomal subunits as revealed by electron microscopy. These results indicate that, in contrast to single-stranded nucleic acids with their compact random coil configuration, double-stranded nucleic acids with their elongated and flexible shape have the capability to stably interact with the helically arranged, surface-exposed amino-terminal polypeptide chains of vimentin filaments. Such interactions might be of physiological relevance in regard to the transport and positioning of nucleic acids and nucleoprotein particles in the various compartments of eukaryotic cells. Conversely, nucleic acids might be capable of affecting the cytoplasmic organization of vimentin filament networks through their filament-destabilizing potentials."}
{"id": "PMID:1492923", "title": "Aflatoxin B1 and DNA adducts. Proposed model for surface noncovalent and covalent complexes with N(7) of guanine. II.", "content": "An alternate model for surface noncovalent and surface covalent binding of aflatoxin B1 to N(7) of guanine in DNA is proposed. This model considers the out-of-plane motions of C(8) of aflatoxin B1 in those interactions. The covalent intercalated fit of aflatoxin B1 into DNA arises from steric adjustments made by DNA at the covalent intercalation site as well as local strain in the bond angles about N(7) of guanine and C(8) of aflatoxin B1. The bond angle about N(7) deviates modestly from the sp2 value toward the sp3 value. This study suggests that the surface covalent aflatoxin B1-DNA complex serves only a minor role in aflatoxin's precarcinogenic interaction with DNA and is a likely correctable error."}
{"id": "PMID:1492924", "title": "DNA binding of the nonintercalative ligands SN-6132, SN-6131 and SN-6113: minor variations of the ligand structure may cause changes in the base pair preference.", "content": "The DNA binding selectivity of three ligands of a series of antitumor agents of bisquaternary ammonium heterocycles has been investigated by means of CD spectroscopy and melting measurements. From the spectroscopic results and binding data it is concluded that the agents SN-6132, SN-6131 and SN-6113 have relatively high affinity to AT base pair sequences whereas the binding to GC pairs is very low. The binding selectivity to AT base pair sequences decreases in the order netropsin > SN-6132 > SN-6113 > SN-6131. Poly(dA).poly(dT) has the highest binding preference for SN-6132 relative to that of SN-6131. The different binding behavior of the ligands is related to their distinct changes in the chemical structure and to the DNA minor groove properties which determines the adaptability of the ligands in the groove."}
{"id": "PMID:1492925", "title": "Triple helical polynucleotidic structures: an FTIR study of the C+ .G. Ctriplet.", "content": "Triple helixes containing one homopurine poly dG or poly rG strand and two homopyrimidine poly dC or poly rC strands have been prepared and studied by FTIR spectroscopy in H2O and D2O solutions. The spectra are discussed by comparison with those of the corresponding third strands (auto associated or not) and of double stranded poly dG.poly dC and poly rG.poly rC in the same concentration range and salt conditions. The triplex formation is characterized by the study of the base-base interactions reflected by changes in the spectral domain involving the in-plane double bond vibrations of the bases. Modifications of the initial duplex conformation (A family form for poly rG.poly rC, B family form for poly dG.poly dC) when the triplex is formed have been investigated. Two spectral domains (950-800 and 1450-1350 cm-1) containing absorption bands markers of the N and S type sugar geometries have been extensively studied. The spectra of the triplexes prepared starting with a double helix containing only riboses (poly rC+.poly rG.poly rC and poly dC+.poly rG.poly rC) as well as that of poly rC+.poly dG.poly dC present exclusively markers of the North type geometry of the sugars. On the contrary in the case of the poly dC+.poly dG.poly dC triplex both N and S type sugars are shown to coexist. The FTIR spectra allow us to propose that in this case the sugars of the purine (poly dG) strand adopt the S type geometry."}
{"id": "PMID:1492926", "title": "Atomic force microscopy imaging of double stranded DNA and RNA.", "content": "A procedure for imaging long DNA and double stranded RNA (dsRNA) molecules using Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) is described. Stable binding of double stranded DNA molecules to the flat mica surface is achieved by chemical modification of freshly cleaved mica under mild conditions with 3-aminopropyltriethoxy silane. We have obtained striking images of intact lambda DNA, Hind III restriction fragments of lambda DNA and dsRNA from reovirus. These images are stable under repeated scanning and measured contour lengths are accurate to within a few percent. This procedure leads to strong DNA attachment, allowing imaging under water. The widths of the DNA images lie in the range of 20 to 80nm for data obtained in air with commercially available probes. The work demonstrates that AFM is now a routine tool for simple measurements such as a length distribution. Improvement of substrate and sample preparation methods are needed to achieve yet higher resolution."}
{"id": "PMID:1492927", "title": "Atomic force microscopy of uncoated plasmid DNA: nanometer resolution with only nanogram amounts of sample.", "content": "Reproducible, high-contrast, nanometer-resolution AFM images of uncoated plasmid DNA can be obtained with nanogram quantities of DNA with the help of two advances in sample preparation: (1) Heating a DNA solution at 35 degrees C for 10 to 20 minutes before deposition on mica helps separate and spread the DNA, and (2) Using 5 microliter drops of the heated DNA solution in the concentration range of 2 to 10 nanogram/microliter in contact with a specially prepared mica surface for 5 to 10 minutes gives optimal coverage with only nanograms of DNA."}
{"id": "PMID:1492928", "title": "Cation-dependence of the self-association behavior of guanylyl-(3'-5')-guanosine.", "content": "The aggregation behavior of guanylyl-(3'-5')-guanosine, GpG, in the form of the tetramethylammonium (TMA), Li, Na, and K salts in aqueous solution has been investigated by NMR and FTIR techniques. The salts were prepared by a cation-exchange method. The ability of the cations to induce aggregate formation is TMA+ < Li+ < Na+ < K+, where TMA+ has only a weakly promoting action and K+ has a very strong effect. Three types of aggregates have been observed: (a) small aggregates which are in rapid exchange with respect to the NMR time scale; (b) intermediate-sized aggregates which are slow to exchange; (c) very large aggregates which can only be observed by FTIR. In all cases the aggregated species are held together by base stacking and guanine-guanine hydrogen bonding. A stoichiometry of 2 GpG per K+ has been determined by a 1H NMR titration of TMAGpG with KCl. Models have been proposed for the various-sized species. These include stacked dimers, stacked tetramers (similar to G-tetrads), and species in which K+ ion bridges between phosphates in separate tetramers."}
{"id": "PMID:1492930", "title": "Zidovudine-resistant and -sensitive HIV-1 isolates from patients on drug therapy: in vitro studies evaluating level of replication-competent viruses and cytopathogenicity.", "content": "To compare biological properties of zidovudine-resistant variants of HIV-1 isolated from subjects on long-term drug therapy with drug-sensitive parental isolates obtained from the same patients before initiation of treatment. Clinical HIV-1 strains were isolated following co-incubation of patient peripheral blood mononuclear cells with mitogen-stimulated umbilical cord blood lymphocytes. Drug resistance was evaluated by infecting MT-4 cells pretreated with zidovudine and maintained under drug pressure. The drug-resistant phenotype remained stable, following many viral replication cycles in the absence of zidovudine. Drug-resistant variants contained fewer replication-competent viruses but were more cytopathogenic than their corresponding zidovudine-sensitive parental strains. These results suggest that drug-resistant strains possess biological properties that may differ from those of drug-sensitive variants of HIV-1."}
{"id": "PMID:1492929", "title": "Infection of cultured human adrenal cells by different strains of HIV.", "content": "To determine whether human adrenal cells can be infected by HIV. Cultured human fetal adrenal cells and the SW13 human adrenocortical carcinoma cell line were inoculated with several HIV-1 and HIV-2 strains. Virus replication was detected by viral core antigen enzyme-linked immunosorbent and reverse transcriptase assays. CD4 expression was measured by Northern blot and polymerase chain reaction procedures. HIV infection of these adrenal cells was detected and was most evident after cocultivation of the inoculated cells with peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Infection does not involve the CD4 molecule, which is not expressed by these adrenal cells. The relative level of HIV replication depended on the viral strain used. Virus production occurred best in cells that maintained evidence of adrenal cell function. Infection did not appear to disturb steroidogenesis measured in the cells. These observations indicate that human adrenal cells are susceptible to HIV infection, and provide further evidence of the polytropic nature of the virus."}
{"id": "PMID:1492931", "title": "Immunization in children with HIV seropositivity at birth: antibody response to polio vaccine and tetanus toxoid.", "content": "To evaluate the humoral response to routine childhood immunization of HIV-infected children. Response rate, antibody titres and persistence after polio and tetanus vaccination were compared in 72 children with HIV seropositivity at birth and divided according to HIV infection status as determined by clinical and laboratory tests. Polio antibodies were titred in a microneutralization test (positive titres, > or = 1:4), and antibody to tetanus toxoid with a passive haemagglutination method (protective titres, > or = 1:1024). The response rates to polio and tetanus vaccination (> 80 and > 75%) were similar in the HIV-infected and non-infected children, as were antibody levels. In the subgroup with sera obtained some months after the last dose of vaccine, polio antibody levels decreased in all four HIV-infected and in three of the seven non-infected children; protective tetanus antitoxin levels were detected in three of the six infected and in all three non-infected children. This study demonstrates the ability of children with HIV infection to respond adequately to the two vaccines considered, although tetanus antitoxin levels were inferior, compared with those in the seroreverted children. The unsatisfactory antibody levels observed in the admittedly few HIV-positive children studied some months after the last vaccination could be the result of a lower initial protective level and not necessarily an expression of severely impaired immunocompetence. The administration of booster doses in addition to the traditional immunization schedule could be useful in children with HIV infection."}
{"id": "PMID:1492932", "title": "Eflornithine versus cotrimoxazole in the treatment of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia in AIDS patients.", "content": "To compare cotrimoxazole and eflornithine as primary treatment for first-episode Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP). Prospective open-labelled study. Patients were randomized to eflornithine (400 mg/kg daily, as a continuous intravenous infusion) or cotrimoxazole (3.84 g twice daily, intravenously) for 14 days. Only 39% of patients treated with eflornithine (20 out of 51) and 40% of those given cotrimoxazole (nine out of 47) successfully completed therapy. Although 12 out of the 36 patients with confirmed PCP were treated successfully with eflornithine, significantly more patients were withdrawn from the eflornithine group because of therapy failure (25 out of 51 versus 10 out of 47, P = 0.007). This significant difference persisted in patients in whom a diagnosis of PCP was confirmed histologically (19 out of 33 versus seven out of 27, P = 0.03). Significantly more patients were withdrawn from cotrimoxazole because of serious drug-related side-effects (38 versus 12%, P = 0.005). Eflornithine (400 mg/kg daily) is less effective than cotrimoxazole (7.68 g daily) as treatment for first-episode PCP. Eflornithine does have activity against P. carinii in humans."}
{"id": "PMID:1492933", "title": "HIV infection and breast-feeding: policy implications through a decision analysis model.", "content": "(1) To develop a comprehensive decision analysis model to compare mortality associated with HIV transmission from breast-feeding with the mortality from not breast-feeding in different populations and (2) to perform sensitivity analyses to illustrate critical boundaries for guiding research and policy. Using a decision tree, mortality rates were estimated for all children, children born to mothers infected during pregnancy, and children born to mothers who were uninfected at delivery. Given various assumptions about child mortality rates, relative risks of mortality among children who are not breast-fed compared with those who are (R), rates of HIV transmission from breast-feeding, HIV prevalence, and HIV incidence, scenarios were created and sensitivity analysis used to delineate critical boundaries. Our model shows that only in situations where R is approximately < or = 1.5 and HIV incidence/prevalence is high (prevalence > 10%, incidence > 5%) would universal breast-feeding result in equal or higher mortality compared with non-breast-feeding. Among populations in many developing countries, where there is a high relative risk of mortality if breast-feeding is not practiced, if R > 3, overall mortality is almost always lower among children who are breast-fed, even by HIV-infected mothers. In situations where maternal HIV status is known, the decision whether to breast-feed is largely dependent on the magnitude of additional mortality risk if the child is not breast-fed. The model illustrates the importance of distinguishing between population and individual recommendations. Based on available data, the model supports current World Health Organization and Centers for Disease Control recommendations on HIV infection and breast-feeding. Given the importance of breast-feeding and the global impact of HIV infection, more research is needed, especially to clarify the range of HIV transmission rates from breast-feeding and to expand specific assessments of relative risks for different areas of the world."}
{"id": "PMID:1492934", "title": "Estimating the incubation period of paediatric AIDS in Rwanda.", "content": "To estimate the distribution of the incubation period of paediatric AIDS in Rwanda. Data were collected between February 1984 and December 1990 at the Centre Hospitalier de Kigali (CHK), the capital city of Rwanda, Central Africa. We used a sample of 685 AIDS cases registered consecutively in the Department of Paediatrics of the CHK, in which the proportion of perinatally acquired HIV-1 infection was estimated to be 98.6%. We performed both non-parametric and parametric analyses. The methods of estimation were adapted to truncated data, using essentially the same methods as Auger et al. in their analysis of data from the New York City and the New York State AIDS case registries in 1988. We found that a double Weibull model fitted the data very well and that the risk of developing AIDS was high for subjects under 18 months of age, but lower for older subjects. Our results were qualitatively similar to those of Auger et al.. There were quantitative differences between the two studies, but it was not possible to compare median survival periods. Parameters such as median or mean survival times cannot be validly estimated using only data from registers because these data exclude infected subjects who have not yet developed AIDS."}
{"id": "PMID:1492935", "title": "The epidemiology of HIV-1 infection in urban areas, roadside settlements and rural villages in Mwanza Region, Tanzania.", "content": "To determine the prevalence of HIV-1 infection and to identify the most important risk factors for infection. A cross-sectional population survey carried out in 1990 and 1991 in Mwanza Region, Tanzania. Adults aged 15-54 years were selected from the region (population, 2 million) by stratified random cluster sampling: 2434 from 20 rural villages, 1157 from 20 roadside settlements and 1554 from 20 urban wards. Risk factor information was obtained from interviews. All sera were tested for HIV-1 antibodies using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA); sera non-negative on ELISA were also tested by Western blot. The response rate was 81%. HIV-1 infection was 1.5 times more common in women than in men; 2.5% of the adult population in rural villages, 7.3% in roadside settlements and 11.8% in town were infected. HIV-1 infection occurred mostly in women aged 15-34 years and men aged 25-44 years. It was associated with being separated or widowed, multiple sex partners, presence of syphilis antibodies, history of genital discharge or genital ulcer, travel to Mwanza town, and receiving injections during the previous 12 months, but not with male circumcision. This study confirms that HIV-1 infection in this region in East Africa is more common in women than in men. The results are consistent with the spread of HIV-1 infection along the main roads. There is no evidence that lack of circumcision is a risk factor in this population."}
{"id": "PMID:1492936", "title": "No seroconversions among steady sex partners of methadone-maintained HIV-1-seropositive injecting drug users in New York City.", "content": "To assess the incidence of heterosexual HIV-1 transmission from seropositive methadone-maintained injecting drug users (IDU) to their seronegative, non-IDU steady sex partners. A prospective, longitudinal study. HIV-1-seropositive IDU and their HIV-1-seronegative, non-IDU steady sex partners were recruited from six methadone-maintenance clinics in the New York City boroughs of Brooklyn and Manhattan. Between December 1988 and October 1991, 60 research participants were recruited [30 methadone-maintained, HIV-1-seropositive IDU (index subjects) and their non-IDU HIV-1-seronegative steady partners]. Baseline and follow-up (every 3-4 months) data included a structured questionnaire and blood testing for HIV infection and CD4+ cell subsets. Demographic characteristics of the 30 steady sex partners were evaluated as follows: sex (22 women, eight men); age (mean, 32 years; range, 21-55 years) and race (African-American, 13; Hispanic, 13; other, 4). The average duration of relationship between index subject and partner at study entry was 7.5 years (range, 4 months to 19.4 years). At entry, 27 of the 30 partners reported no or intermittent use of condoms with the index subject during a typical 12-month period. Follow-up data (median follow-up, 298 days; range, 85-992 days) were available for 22 partners. Of these, 15 reported no or intermittent condom use. For a total study observation time of 23 person-years, there were no seroconversions. The upper 95% confidence interval for the observed seroconversion rate of 0% is 13%. These results suggest that the likelihood of heterosexual HIV-1 transmission from seropositive methadone-maintained IDU to their seronegative, non-IDU steady sex partners is low."}
{"id": "PMID:1492937", "title": "Seroprevalence of HIV infection in rural South Africa.", "content": "To establish the prevalence of HIV infection in rural South Africa and to investigate demographic factors that influence this prevalence. An anonymous HIV seroprevalence survey was performed in conjunction with a population-based malaria surveillance programme. The rural area of northern Natal/KwaZulu, South Africa. A total of 5023 black African participants were recruited by malaria surveillance agents during house-to-house visits; each house in an endemic malaria area is visited approximately once every 6 weeks. Participants included 4044 healthy and 979 febrile individuals (i.e., suspected of having malaria). HIV-1 and HIV-2 serological status, degree of mobility, age and sex. Sixty of the 5023 blood specimens were confirmed to be HIV-1-antibody-positive by Western blot, an overall prevalence of 1.2% (95% confidence interval, 0.9-1.5). None of the specimens was positive for HIV-2 antibodies. After adjusting for age, presence of fever and migrancy, women had a 3.2-fold higher prevalence of HIV-1 infection than men. HIV-1 infection was approximately three times more common among subjects who had changed their place of residence recently (2.9 versus 1.0%, P < 0.01). The prevalence of HIV-1 infection is higher among women than men resident in rural Natal/KwaZulu, South Africa. This is at least in part the result of oscillatory migration, particularly of men who work in urban areas but have families and homes in rural areas. Migration is associated with a higher prevalence of HIV-1 infection, suggesting that improving social conditions so that families are not separated and become settled in their communities is one way to help reduce the spread of HIV-1."}
{"id": "PMID:1492950", "title": "Comparative study of some factors affecting enumeration of moulds using dilution plate techniques.", "content": "The influence of dilution plating technique, nature of diluent, culture media and incubation period on the enumeration of moulds have been studied. Three new culture media containing Auramine, Gentian Violet and Malachite Green respectively have been induced in this study. No significant differences were observed between results obtained after 3, 5 and 7 days of incubation. Significantly higher recoveries were obtained using the surface-spread method than pour plate method. Using the first technique no effect of diluent was observed, and among the different culture media studied higher counts were obtained with medium containing Auramine."}
{"id": "PMID:1492951", "title": "[Detection of Bacillus larvae in mixed populations of bacterial spores from larval remains].", "content": "An accurate laboratory technique for the detection of Bacillus larvae from larval remains of Apis mellifera with mixed bacterial spore populations was developed. The incorporation of nalidixic acid to the culture medium (3 micrograms/ml) was a satisfactory procedure for the separation of Bacillus larvae strains from Bacillus alvei motile colonies."}
{"id": "PMID:1492953", "title": "Microbial corrosion of stainless steel.", "content": "Stainless steel, developed because of their greater resistance to corrosion in different aggressive environments, have proved to be affected, however, by various processes and types of corrosion. Some of these types of corrosion, mainly pitting, is activated and developed in the presence of microorganisms, which acting in an isolated or symbiotic way, according to their adaptation to the environment, create a favorable situation for the corrosion of these steel. The microorganisms that are involved, mainly bacteria of both the aerobic and anaerobic type, modify the environment where the stainless steel is found, creating crevices, differential aeration zones or a more aggressive environment with the presence of metabolites. In these circumstances, a local break of the passive and passivating layer is produced, which is proper to these types of steel and impedes the repassivation that is more favorable to corrosion. In the study and research of these types of microbiologically influenced corrosion are found electrochemical techniques, since corrosion is fundamentally an electrochemical process, and microbiological techniques for the identification, culture, and evaluation of the microorganisms involved in the process, as well as in the laboratory or field study of microorganism-metal pairs. Microstructural characterization studies of stainless steel have also been considered important, since it is known that the microstructure of steel can substantially modify their behavior when faced with corrosion. As for surface analysis studies, it is known that corrosion is a process that is generated on and progresses from the surface. The ways of dealing with microbiologically influenced corrosion must necessarily include biocides, which are not always usable or successful, the design of industrial equipment or components that do not favor the adherence of microorganisms, using microstructures in steel less sensitive to corrosion, or protecting the materials."}
{"id": "PMID:1492954", "title": "Thiobacillus ferrooxidans detection using immunoelectron microscopy.", "content": "A specific, fast and very sensitive immunoelectron microscopy method was developed to morphologically and serologically distinguish different cultures of iron oxidizers. Bacteria isolated from the acidic waters of \"Matahambre\" and \"Mina Delita\" mines (Cuba) were characterized. An antiserum specific to Thiobacillus ferrooxidans did not react with other bacteria also present in the acidic waters of mine drainage. Our results suggest the occurrence of some strains of Thiobacillus ferrooxidans, Thiobacillus thiooxidans and Leptospirillum ferrooxidans in these waters."}
{"id": "PMID:1492955", "title": "[Biomass of Rhizopus oligosporus as an adsorbent for metal ions].", "content": "The effect of different parameters on the adsorption of metal ions by Rhizopus oligosporus has been studied. The uranium sorption by dried biomass was rapid, reaching in 5 min around 95.% of the binding capacity. The uranium-binding capacity of the culture showed an inverse relation to the growth kinetic. The relationship between sorption and equilibrium concentration was similar to an adsorption isotherm. Using the Langmuir model, a maximum sorption capacity of 0.52 mmoles uranium/g dry biomass and an affinity constant of 101 l/mmol uranium at pH 4.15 were determined. The best capacity of the biomass to bind ions (UO2(2+), Cu2+, Cd2+ and Zn2+) was best at pH 4.5-5.5. By using hydrochloric acid as eluant a 18% uranium removal of the biomass-bound ions was obtained at pH 1.0. The presence of other cations inhibited uranium-binding in the following order: Cu2+ > Cd2+ > Zn2+ > Mg2+ > Ca2+."}
{"id": "PMID:1492956", "title": "Meeting the challenge of infection: a case study.", "content": "Infection is the most critical complication of cancer. A case study is presented that describes an adolescent with acute lymphocytic leukemia. He experienced multiple complications due to infection. Both new and standard therapies were required for the treatment and prevention of infections. A discussion of the rationale for various aspects of his care is presented."}
{"id": "PMID:1492957", "title": "The use of venous access devices in pediatric oncology nursing practice.", "content": "Venous access devices have been in use since 1973 and have made a tremendous impact on care of children with malignancies to facilitate the delivery of complex medical care and minimize the trauma associated with cancer therapy. During the past 20 years the variety and complexity of available devices has resulted in an increased demand for technical knowledge and expertise to prevent complications and assure safe use. This article reviews the various devices, complications and implications for nursing practice, and recommendations for pediatric nursing regarding patient/parent self-care and developmental safety issues."}
{"id": "PMID:1492958", "title": "Premedicating children for painful invasive procedures.", "content": "Children with cancer experience a great deal of anxiety concerning their treatment and invasive tests such as bone marrow aspirations (BMAs) and lumbar punctures (LPs). Responses of pain, fear, and anxiety are well documented and may cause regression, developmental delay, sleeping and eating problems, nausea and vomiting, nightmares, and depression. Diagnostic and treatment procedures need not cause such adverse effects if sufficient pharmacological sedation, analgesia, and anesthesia are used. However, studies show that inappropriate interventions such as underdosing and limited use of medications occur because of certain myths, beliefs, and lack of pharmacological knowledge on the part of health professionals. Studies that specifically address premedication for painful procedures in children with cancer have shown that only a small percentage of children receive premedications and that there is no clear consensus or standard for either drugs or dosages. The issue of premedicating children before procedures remains controversial and deserves further investigation. This study explored the attitudes and perceptions of oncology physicians and nurses concerning medicating children before procedures. Findings showed that most pediatric oncology specialists medicate their patients before invasive procedures and that the most common premedications used are Versed; Demerol, Phenergan, Thorazine; chloral hydrate; Ativan; fentanyl; Demerol; and Xylocaine. Most pediatric oncology specialists believe that premedication is necessary for children for BMAs and LPs."}
{"id": "PMID:1492959", "title": "Comparing the perception of support by parents of children with cancer and by health professionals.", "content": "Childhood cancer is considered one of the greatest challenges a family can face. Some families cope well with it; others do not. The presence of social support, both perceived and actual, as well as the individuals with whom parents interact, may determine how well a family copes. The purpose of this pilot study was to describe how parents of children with cancer perceive support and the types of things parents found supportive while their child was hospitalized. Parents' perceptions of support were compared with those of the health professionals involved in the care of these children. The primary way the parents perceived support was any activity that met their affective needs. Health professionals faltered when asked to define support, but most said that it meant \"being available.\" Caring and educational activities were the two ways the professionals could offer support to the families, yet parents rarely mentioned teaching as a supportive activity. Parents and health professionals defined aspects of support similarly, but there was minimal congruity between them in listing which people were considered supportive to the parents. In conclusion, health professionals and parents have similar ideas about what support is, but at best, the professionals' predictions concerning who is supportive in a given case appear random and may be biased. This study suggests that new ways of assessing support needs for these families are needed."}
{"id": "PMID:1492962", "title": "Accuracy and precision in protein structure analysis: restrained least-squares refinement of the structure of poplar plastocyanin at 1.33 A resolution.", "content": "The structure of the electron-transfer protein, plastocyanin (99 amino acids, one Cu atom, 10,500 Da) from poplar leaves, has been refined at 1.33 A resolution to a residual R = 0.15. The space group is orthorhombic, P2(1)2(1)2(1), a = 29.60 (1), b = 46.86 (3), c = 57.60 (3) A. The 14,303 reflections used in the refinement were obtained from a data set recorded on a four-circle diffractometer with radiation from a sealed fine-focus tube, combined with a data set measured on oscillation films exposed at the DESY synchrotron. The final model comprises 1442 (738 non-H) protein atoms, one Cu atom and 110 solvent molecules. Nine residues are described as disordered. The root-mean-square deviation from ideal bond lengths is 0.016 A and the root-mean-square difference between the positions of the C alpha atoms in this refined model and in the structure previously refined at 1.6 A resolution is 0.11 A. The effects of manual model adjustment, resolution, choice of standard values for geometrical parameters, inclusion of H atoms and inclusion of anomalous-scattering corrections on the copper-site geometry have been explored. The final values of the Cu-ligand bond lengths are: Cu--N(His37) 1.91, Cu--S(Cys84) 2.07, Cu--N(His87) 2.06, Cu--S(Met92) 2.82 A."}
{"id": "PMID:1492963", "title": "Structures of secocubane and nortwistbrendane derivatives.", "content": "(I): 4,7-Dichloro-1-cyano-N-isopropyltetracyclo-[4.2.0.0(2,5).0(3,8)] octane-4-carboxamide, C13H14Cl2N2O, M(r) = 285.17, orthorhombic, Fdd2, a = 34.012 (1), b = 15.791 (2), c = 10.899(1)A, Z = 16, D chi = 1.29 g cm-3, Cu K alpha (lambda = 1.5418 A), mu = 39.2 cm-1, F(000) = 2368, T = 293 K, 1504 reflections with I > 3 sigma(I), R = 0.042. (II): 4,7-Dichloro-N-isopropyl-10-oxo-9-oxatetracyclo [4.4.0.0(2,5).0(3,8)]decane-4-carboxamide, C13H15Cl2NO3, M(r) = 304.17, monoclinic, P2(1)/a, a = 9.902(2), b = 9.381(2), c = 15.174(2) A, beta = 103.25(1) degrees, Z = 4, D chi = 1.47 g cm-3, Cu K alpha (lambda = 1.5418 A), mu = 43.1 cm-1, F(000) = 632, 2107 reflections with I > 3 sigma(I), R = 0.036. (I) represents the first crystallographic example of a secocubane. The nonbonded distances (C4...C7) are 2.742 (5) and 2.717(3) A in (I) and (II). C--C distances in the cage portions of the molecules are typical of cubanes."}
{"id": "PMID:1492964", "title": "Oligonucleotide separations with capillary gel electrophoresis.", "content": "Capillary Electrophoresis with polyacrylamide gel filled columns offers a fast and automated alternative to slab gel electrophoresis for the analysis of biopolymers. The principle of operation of CE in general, the operation conditions for the analysis of synthetic oligonucleotides and practical examples are described."}
{"id": "PMID:1492965", "title": "Few aspects of bacterial colonies in the stomach during the treatment with acidoinhibitors.", "content": "On this paper are stated the reasons why a prolonged gastric-acid inhibition causes bacterial and/or mycotic colonizations in the stomach. Instead, the surgical operations, that now became obsolete, are only casual occasions of intragastric colonizations. This paper ends with some rules to be followed in order to avoid risks connected to a pH increase, and with a short hint to two important vitamins (i.e. Vitamin C and Vitamin E) for the complementary treatment of ulcerous patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1492966", "title": "Evaluation of some 4-aryl-3-arylamino-5-imino-1,2,4-thiadiazolidines as potential anticonvulsant and analgesic compounds.", "content": "A series of 4-aryl-3-arylamino-5-imino-1,2,4-thiadiazolidines (1a-k) and 4-aryl-3-arylamino-5-oxo-1,2,4-thiadiazolidines (2a-k) were evaluated for their anticonvulsant and analgesic activity. Substitution of p-methoxy group (1g) in the aryl ring resulted in more active compounds than the standard drug phenytoin in the MES test, whereas in the chemoshock test the compounds were found inactive. In the analgesic test most of the compounds exhibited analgesic activity with particular reference to p-Br (1k) and m-Cl (1i) substitutions which were most potent in this series."}
{"id": "PMID:1492968", "title": "Novel pyrazolo [4,3-e] [1,4] diazepin-5,8-diones.", "content": "The synthesis of some pyrazolo [4,3-e] [1,4] diazepin-5,8-diones has been accomplished starting from the readily available 1-ethyl-3-methyl-4-nitro-5-pyrazolecarbonylchloride and the appropriate alpha-aminoesthers, 2a, b, c. The catalytic reduction of the obtained 3a, b, c gave the products 4a, b, c which were, in turn, cyclized into the title compounds 5a, b, c. The intermediates of type 3 and 4 and the pyrazolo-diazepin-diones 5 were tested in vitro for their antimicrobial activity."}
{"id": "PMID:1492969", "title": "A non-antibiotic antimicrobial mixture (C31G): evaluation of the antimicrobial efficiency of C31G on vaginal cultures.", "content": "Minimum inhibitory concentrations and the effective period for cidal concentrations of an amphoteric surfactant mixture (C31G) were determined on 13 microorganisms (common bacteria, strains ATCC, and fungi) by microtiter dilution procedure. Also the antimicrobial efficiency of this composition (C31G) was evaluated on 105 culture samples which were obtained from (Turkish) patients having vaginal infections. E. coli was found to be the most frequently observed microorganism (45.45%) in these samples and C31G was determined to be active on microorganisms obtained from vagina at low concentrations in a short time."}
{"id": "PMID:1492970", "title": "Approach to the sterilization with gamma rays of a drug. Note I: Treatment technique and effects at zero time.", "content": "Authors, considering a possible use of the sterilizing treatment with gamma rays for the productive process of a drug, performed a series of practical treatment tests. To this purpose, they used a single molecule, stable in time and with an easy analytical approach. The examined active principle is the injectable salt of acetylcarnitine chloride. For tests, they used irradiating doses by 2.5-5.0-7.5 Mrads in order to point out the process possible effects. The treatment, even at highest dosages, did not show damages to the molecule that could prevent from going on with the investigation."}
{"id": "PMID:1492973", "title": "Rate-limiting components and reaction steps in complement-mediated haemolysis.", "content": "The aims of this study were to identify the rate-limiting components and reaction steps in the integrated activation sequence of the alternative (AP) and classical (CP) pathways of the complement (C) system. In an initial correlation analysis we found that the haemolysis rate in AP was correlated with the concentrations of C5 and IgM. In CP, the haemolysis rate was correlated with the concentrations of C2-C6, factors I and B, and IgM. In order to identify the rate-limiting components, we added single, purified C components and IgM to pooled, normal human serum and measured the resultant change in the haemolysis rate. We found that a large number of different components, rather than a single one, were rate-limiting in AP and CP. In reconstitution experiments we found that in CP the rate-limiting reaction steps are the activation of C4 and C2. In AP we cannot identify the rate-limiting step precisely, but can only state that it is at the C3 activation step or earlier."}
{"id": "PMID:1492974", "title": "Comparison of detection speed and yield in agitated and non-agitated aerobic blood culture bottles.", "content": "The influence of agitation on detection speed and yield was evaluated in 7,033 paired, identical aerobic blood culture bottles (Media Department, Statens Seruminstitut, Copenhagen, Denmark). One bottle was agitated and the other was incubated stationary. Of a total of 943 organisms isolated in aerobic blood culture bottles, 74% were clinically significant. No difference in the total yield of significant organisms was observed between agitated and non-agitated bottles. In the evaluation of detection speed, only cultures where organisms were isolated from both bottles, but at different times, were included, to ensure that no other factors influenced the result. Staphylococci, Pseudomonas spp., and Candida spp. were detected significantly faster in agitated bottles, on average 0.5-1 day earlier (p < 0.05), and in the majority of the cases within the first incubation day. These species are frequently found and are important causes of severe generalized infections, especially in immunocompromised patients, where early detection is of great importance. The detection principle in agitated bottles in our system, darkening of blood, proved to be an easy, reliable, and fast method to detect positive aerobic blood cultures, which could probably lead to increased automation."}
{"id": "PMID:1492975", "title": "Comparison of the effects of methoxysuccinyl-Ala-Ala-Pro-Val-chloromethyl ketone-inhibited neutrophil elastase with the effects of its naturally occurring mutationally inactivated homologue (HBP) on fibroblasts and monocytes in vitro.", "content": "The mature neutrophils in the circulation contain, besides the different proteases known for a long time, a recently discovered proteolytically inactive elastase homologue (HBP/CAP37/azurocidin). This homologue, which we have named HBP due to its strong affinity to heparin, is a chemoattractant for monocytes and has been shown to induce reversible detachment and contraction when added to monolayers of endothelial cells or fibroblasts. HBP may therefore play a pivotal role in leukocyte migration in response to inflammation. In this report a comparison of CH3O-Suc-Ala-Ala-Pro-Val-CH2Cl-inhibited elastase with HBP, its naturally occurring homologue selectively mutated in active serine and histidine, reveals that homotypic aggregation of monocytes and contraction of fibroblasts is specific for HBP. HBP induces thrombospondin secretion from monocytes four times as efficiently as the inhibited elastase, and the same molecule was found unable to compete for a specific saturable binding of HBP to monocytes with an apparent KD of 3 x 10(-8)M."}
{"id": "PMID:1492976", "title": "Superficial perineal leiomyosarcoma in an adolescent female and a review of the literature including vulvar leiomyosarcomas.", "content": "Superficial perineal leiomyosarcomas are rare, with only three previously reported examples. We encountered a superficial (deep subcutaneous) perineal leiomyosarcoma in a 17-year-old female. At follow-up two years after a wide excision, there were no signs of recurrence. The tumour was well differentiated and showed immunoreactivity for alpha-smooth muscle actin and desmin. A review of the literature on superficial leiomyosarcomas indicates that superficial perineal leiomyosarcomas may be more aggressive than superficial leiomyosarcomas in general. As the presented tumour occurred in a female, it was compared with vulvar leiomyosarcomas."}
{"id": "PMID:1492977", "title": "Primary non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of the breast (PLB): a clinicopathological study of seven cases.", "content": "Seven cases of PLB in females were reviewed. Six cases involved the breast alone (stage 1E), whereas one case also involved the ipsilateral lymph nodes (stage 2E). None had B symptoms. The age range was 37-70 years (mean 52 years). The clinical course was indistinguishable from that of breast carcinomas, though the tumors were relatively large and the duration of symptoms was relatively short. Histologically, all cases were non-Hodgkin's B-cell lymphomas, comprising five cases of diffuse centroblastic type, one case of diffuse centroblastic-centrocytoid type and one case of follicular centroblastic-centrocytic type, according to the updated Kiel classification, corresponding to six cases of the diffuse large cell type and one case of the follicular mixed, small cleaved and large cell type, according to the modified International Working Formulation (IWF). None of the cases was a lymphoma of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT). The mammary glandular tissue outside the tumor showed ductectasia in four cases. Changes resembling fibrous disease of the breast were seen in four cases, too. The inflammatory infiltration in all these cases was mainly composed of T cells. At the time of diagnosis, all patients were receiving cytoreductive treatment. The mean follow-up time was 34 months (range 5-79 months). At present, six of the patients are alive and well."}
{"id": "PMID:1492978", "title": "Remnant kidney pathology after five-sixth nephrectomy in rat. I. A biochemical and morphological study.", "content": "In Wistar male rats, hypertension was induced by 5/6 nephrectomy (5/6N). Body weight, blood pressure measurements, morphological and biochemical changes were followed (at four weekly intervals) for 12 weeks after 5/6N. Renal function was assessed by daily total urinary protein (TUP), plasma creatinine concentration [(Cr)p] and creatinine clearance rate. Plasma renin concentration (PRC), aldosterone concentration and erythrocyte content of sodium [Na]E and potassium [K]E were also investigated. Significant increases in systolic blood pressure (SBP), TUP, [(Cr)p] and [Na]E occurred after 4, 8, and 12 weeks of 5/6N. Progressive glomerulosclerosis (GSC), tubular atrophy and interstitial fibrosis were observed. Positive correlations were found between GSC and SBP and TUP. Positive correlations were also found between SBP and [Na]E and [(Cr)P]. PRC was not increased and showed no correlation with SBP. It is concluded that 5/6N produced hypertension associated with a series of morphological and biochemical alterations in kidney structure and function. In this model, mechanisms other than the renin-angiotensin system may be involved."}
{"id": "PMID:1492979", "title": "Fetal antigen 2: an amniotic protein identified as the aminopropeptide of the alpha 1 chain of human procollagen type I.", "content": "Fetal antigen (FA2) was purified from second trimester human amniotic fluid by immunospecific chromatography, gel filtration and reversed-phase chromatography. Gel filtration revealed two molecular forms of FA2 eluting at volumes corresponding to an M(r) of approximately 100 kDa and 30 kDa. SDS-PAGE analysis gave an M(r) = 27 kDa under reducing and non-reducing conditions for both forms, whereas the exact M(r) determined by mass spectrometry was 14,343 +/- 3 Da. FA2 was N-terminally blocked and after tryptic digestion the amino acid composition and sequences of the peptides showed identity with the aminopropeptide of the alpha 1 chain of human procollagen type I as determined by nucleotide sequences. After oxidative procedures normally employed for radio-iodination (iodogen and chloramine-T), FA2 lost its immunoreactivity. An antigen which cross-reacted with polyclonal rabbit anti-human FA2 was demonstrated in fetal calf serum. Gel filtration with analysis of fractions by inhibition ELISA showed that the bovine homologue was present in the same molecular forms as those in human amniotic fluid, and immunohistochemical analysis with anti-human FA2 showed that its distribution in bovine skin was identical to that of FA2 in human skin. FA2 is a circulating form of the aminopropeptide of the alpha 1 chain of procollagen type I, and this is the first description of its isolation and structural characterization in humans."}
{"id": "PMID:1492980", "title": "Immunohistology of skin and rectum biopsies in bone marrow transplant recipients.", "content": "We have studied histological and immunohistological specimens of 39 skin biopsies from 21, and 30 rectal biopsies from 17 bone marrow transplant recipients. The biopsies were taken before transplantation, during acute and chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), and at times with no GVHD. In biopsies taken during cutaneous aGVHD grade I to III, epithelial changes were seen in 16/23 biopsies. The cutaneous infiltrates during aGVHD consisted of CD2-, CD4-, CD8- and FMC-33-positive cells both in the epithelium and in the dermis. CD57-positive NK cells were also detected in most biopsies. During chronic GVHD the cutaneous cellular infiltrates were similar to those seen in moderate aGVHD, i.e. both CD4- and CD8-positive lymphoid cells were present. When the biopsy was taken after the beginning of corticosteroid treatment for aGVHD, or at times when the patient did not have GVHD symptoms, the cellular infiltrates were considerably smaller in the dermis. During clinical intestinal aGVHD mucosal epithelial changes were relatively uncommon; instead, increased numbers of both CD4- and CD8-positive lymphocytes in the lamina propria (LP) were seen in 11/13 samples. During chronic GVHD the number of CD4-positive cells exceeded that of CD8-positive cells in the LP, and the large lymphoid infiltrates also reached the muscularis mucosae. In rectal biopsies the differences were not so prominent because most of the pretransplant biopsies showed CD2-, CD4-, CD8- and CD57-positive lymphocytes both in the lamina propria and epithelium."}
{"id": "PMID:1492981", "title": "Cell kinetics of the rat corneal epithelium.", "content": "In the rat corneal epithelium the mitotic rate (MR) is almost equal throughout the epithelium in the morning (Haaskjold et al. 1988). The labelling index (LI) shows a marked reduction in the central cornea, which could suggest a lack of uptake of tritiated thymidine via the salvage pathway (Haaskjold et al. 1989). In the present study we have used [3H]deoxycytidine, and [3H]thymidine after prior treatment with a methotrexate regimen to elucidate this discrepancy. Deoxycytidine is incorporated into DNA independent of thymidine kinase, while methotrexate, which depletes the cells of reduced folates, makes the cells completely dependent on the salvage pathway. With both techniques the same pattern of labelling was observed, confirming that in the morning the ratio between the MR and the LI differs throughout the cornea. Based on previous observations, an analysis of the MR/LI ratio during 24 h was performed, showing that these parameters were strongly correlated. This suggests that there may be different circadian variations in the cell proliferation parameters throughout the corneal epithelium. The methotrexate regimen may be a useful tool to investigate the salvage pathway."}
{"id": "PMID:1492982", "title": "Binding of human IgA to HCl-extracted c protein from group B streptococci (GBS).", "content": "The c beta protein of group B streptococci obtained by HCl extraction appears as a ladder-like pattern in SDS-PAGE when detected by a rabbit anti-c beta serum, and a similar picture is seen when the crude extract is incubated with human IgA and an anti-human IgA conjugate. Affinity-purified c beta antigen and IgA receptors from GBS gave identical pictures in Western blots using rabbit anti-c beta serum. Both the c beta antigen and the IgA receptor are exposed on the surface of GBS as demonstrated by immunofluorescence."}
{"id": "PMID:1492983", "title": "[Contents of daily reports and nursing practice in 2 homes for the aged].", "content": "Many patients in homes for the aged become progressively more disabled and thus constant reevaluation of all their nursing care needs is required. The patients' basic human needs, as well as those related to their diseases, have to be met. The aim of this study was to describe the contents of daily reports in two homes for the aged. The data was collected by tape-recording nursing staff's reports for four weeks period on two wards. The data was analysed by using content analysis. The contents were divided into messages. The results show that most of the discussions concerned daily activities and medical care. Some of the discussions fell within the categories of \"patients' opinions\" and \"mood\". Information was situation related. Patient's holistic care or supporting the patient's initiativeness in his daily activities were seldom discussed. The impression given on the nursing practice was task orientated and routinized."}
{"id": "PMID:1492984", "title": "[Patients' need for information in self-dialysis].", "content": "The purpose of the study was to examine self-dialysis patients' need for information at different stages of the dialytic treatment, to find out the most efficient method to give information and to examine the patient's idea of the best communicator. The data were collected by the theme interview of 30 patients performing self-dialysis. Content analysis was the method used in analysing the data and in the presentation of the results both qualitative and quantitative representations are used. The self-dialysis patients felt that they needed information on the cause of their basic disorder. Of the information given before the dialytic treatment they were most interested in the technical and nutritional aspects of the treatment. During the dialytic treatment, information was wanted on hygiene, as well as further information on the technical and nutritional aspects. Information on the post-transplantation treatment was found especially important. The patients wanted the information mainly to be told to them by the physician, only during treatment the information was wanted from the nurse."}
{"id": "PMID:1492985", "title": "[Ambulatory surgery unit. One year's experience of the otorhinolaryngology service].", "content": "Surgery practice is no longer defined by the number of days of stay but for its results without regard to whether it has been performed under in-patients or outpatient basis. Due to this fact and others suck as the increase in population and shortage of surgical resources, the improve in technics, and new concepts in anesthetics, we developed and out patient surgery unit in our hospital. We describe our experience in the design development and follow-up of this unit. The sticss in set on ensuring patient's safety and comfort in order to make this procedure more attractive than in patient's ones. Finally we explored the significance of data available, its pros and cons."}
{"id": "PMID:1492986", "title": "[Influence of the contralateral acoustic stimulation on the acoustic otoemissions: response modulation by the efferent olivocochlear system].", "content": "We have correlated in 16 patients (32 ears), the modifications de EOEs before and after sound stimulation of the contralateral ear. The recording of the EOEs has been performed in a sound proof room with ILO 88 from Otodynamics Ltd., the analysis has been made with the ILO 88 V.3.5 software. We have tried to study the modulator rol of the medial efferent coclear system on the external ciliated cells. In the results we observe a decrease of the amplitude in the EOEs when the contralateralmears is stimulated a white noise, in relation with the nonstimulation situation. When pures tones are used contralateral stimulation the decrease in the EOEs amplitude takes place in the same frequency spectrum as the pure tone used."}
{"id": "PMID:1492987", "title": "[Vascular microinvasion in laryngeal epidermoid carcinoma].", "content": "Microvascular invasion by carcinoma cells is one of the first steps for the potential development of met\u00e1stasis. The presence of squamous cell carcinoma within capillaries and/or venules in the immediate vicinity of primary lesions of the oral cavity and oropharynx may be related to regional lymph node metastasis. To evaluate this possibility in laryngeal carcinomas we have reviewed the histopathologic features of 48 cases of this type of tumor with simultaneous surgical treatment of the primary neoplasms and the neck. In our opinion the histologic finding of such invasion is not pathognomonic for establishment of regional met\u00e1stasis in epidermoid carcinoma of the larynx."}
{"id": "PMID:1492988", "title": "[Congenital paralysis of the vocal cords: a review of 14 cases].", "content": "Were performed 220 direct laryngoscopys and bronchoscopys, from 1981 to 1990, in newborns and infants that showed as a main finding: stridor, voice change or aspiration syndromes. Fourteen (20.28%) of the 69 congenital laryngeal anomalies were vocal cord paralysis: 13 (92.8%) unilateral paralysis and 1 (7.2%) bilateral paralysis. Eleven (84.6%) of the 13 unilateral paralysis were left and 2 (15.4%) were right. The vocal cord position was noted to be median or paramedian in 13 (92.8%) patients. The etiology was idiopathic in 11 (78.5%) of the cases. The bilateral paralysis required tracheotomy and in the unilateral paralysis wasn't necessary it."}
{"id": "PMID:1492989", "title": "[ORL manifestations in HIV patients. Report of 156 cases].", "content": "The study of 156 cases HIV infected patients put forward the high incidence of ENT manifestations in these cases. Cervical lymph nodes are an habitual manifestation of the disease. They appear as a host reaction versus viral infection and often they are the expression of opportunistic infection, Kaposi Sarcoma or lymphoma. They also have prognostic significance. We think that the lowe incidence of Kaposi Sarcoma in our report (comparing with other authors rates) is due to the fact that there is a smaller population of homosexuals in our environment."}
{"id": "PMID:1492991", "title": "[Synchronous carcinomas of the upper aerodigestive tract: a diagnostic and therapeutic problem].", "content": "Patients with epithelial cancer of the upper aerodigestive tract are at increased risk of a new epithelial cancer developing in the same upper aerodigestive tract, in the oesophagus, or in the lung. We studied the cases seen at our Hospital in the last seven years. The clinical characteristics, the diagnosis and the treatment of 38 patients with synchronic epithelial cancer of the upper aerodigestive tract, oesophagus and lung, were reviewed."}
{"id": "PMID:1492990", "title": "[Collagen diseases and their manifestations in the head and neck region].", "content": "We carried out a clinical study on the manifestations of various connective tissue pathologies of the head and neck. The need to suspect the presence of these pathological entities from non-specific ENT symptoms and performing early diagnoses of cochleovestibular diseases on the basis of a clinical and examination protocol is emphasized."}
{"id": "PMID:1492992", "title": "[Study of the facial nerve motor pathway with the transcranial cerebral magnetic stimulation technique].", "content": "Transcranial magnetic stimulation method permits the study of the facial nerve in all its aspects (motor cortex-alpha moto-neurone-facial muscle) in an non invasive and painless way. We studied 12 patients using two levels of stimuli, the first was at an occipital level and the second at the primary motor cortex in the frontal lobe. We compared the results of this technique with those obtained by electric stimulation of the nerve."}
{"id": "PMID:1492994", "title": "[Nystagmic response after bithermal caloric stimulation in elderly subjects: latency, culmination, and finalization].", "content": "We analysed the nystagmic response poscaloric stimulation in 38 healthy elderly persons. Latence, culmination, lasting, central nystagmic frequency and interaural difference are analysed. We establish the normal pattern for the nystagmic response."}
{"id": "PMID:1492993", "title": "[Endogenous peroxidase activity of the laryngeal epithelium: experimental study].", "content": "Twenty vocal cords were studied. The used animals were rabbits. Beta-blockers and beta-stimulants were perfused by the jugular vein. Variations in endogenous peroxidase were observed in electron microscopy. The activity of endogenous peroxidase can be used according to our results as tracer of the autonomic innervation of the vocal cord."}
{"id": "PMID:1492996", "title": "[Lateral pharyngeal phlegmon following nasotracheal intubation].", "content": "We present a case of lateropharyngeal abscess, which was caused by the undermucous dissection of the lateral wall of the nasopharynx in the moment to make a nasotracheal intubation in a patient with long-term intubation. In the International Literature none other case of this complication have previously been reported and we things that is suitable his publication and the revision of this anesthetic method and their repercussions in the field ORL."}
{"id": "PMID:1492997", "title": "[Congenital cystic adenomatoid malformation of lung].", "content": "In the differential diagnosis of the bronchial aspiration syndrome of foreign bodies, we must place the congenital malformations among the rare causes that can simulated it. In this work, we present a case in which bronchoscopy was indicated because the existence of intrabronchial foreign body was suspected."}
{"id": "PMID:1492998", "title": "[ORL manifestations of Wegener's disease].", "content": "Wegener's disease is characterized by necrotizing granulomatous vasculitis. The localized form involves the upper and lower respiratory tract, in the generalized form, the kidneys are also involved. In this paper, three cases of Wegener granulomatosis with otorhinolaryngological symptoms are reported. Frequently the presentation of this disease occurs in the ears, nose and throat, we think that the knowledge of this granulomatosis by the otorhinolaryngologist is necessary."}
{"id": "PMID:1493004", "title": "Use made by patients of chronic disease surveillance consultations in general practice.", "content": "A prospective, observational study of chronic disease surveillance consultations over a six-month period was performed in one semi-rural general practice in order to determine the content of the consultations, including incidental items not relevant to the chronic disease. At least one incidental item was recorded during 43% of consultations. There was substantial clinical content in these items: 23% of items required a prescription to be issued and 7% referral to a specialist. It is concluded that chronic disease surveillance consultations in general practice are frequently extended by patients who are anxious to discuss issues which may not be relevant to their chronic diseases. General practitioners must be sensitive to such patient expectations when they instigate chronic disease management clinics."}
{"id": "PMID:1493005", "title": "Provision of health promotion clinics in relation to population need: another example of the inverse care law?", "content": "The new contract encourages health promotion in general practice. The aim of this study was to explore the pattern of provision of health promotion clinics across one family health services authority and to relate this to possible indicators of health need in the practice population. Single-handed practices were less likely to be running health promotion clinics. The proportion of practices running clinics increased with increasing numbers of partners. Practices located in wards where the standardized mortality ratio was greater than 100, and practices receiving deprivation payments were less likely to be offering health promotion clinics. This was explained by the presence of most single-handed practitioners in deprived, historically unhealthy wards. If effective, health promotion clinics will have tended to benefit populations in Bedfordshire at lower risk of ill-health. Other shortcomings of the clinic-based health promotion model are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1493006", "title": "Prevalence of eating disorders in three Cambridge general practices: hidden and conspicuous morbidity.", "content": "The aims of this study were to investigate the prevalence of anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and partial syndromes in women general practice attenders to establish the relative proportions of 'conspicuous' and 'hidden' morbidity. A consecutive series of 540 women patients aged 16-35 years attending their family doctor were screened using a specially devised questionnaire, the weight and dietary practices survey. A total of 115 patients were selected for further assessment and of these 101 patients were interviewed using a standardized diagnostic interview for DSM III-R eating disorders. The prevalence of anorexia nervosa was 0.2% (one case), of bulimia nervosa 1.5% (eight cases) and of partial syndrome bulimia nervosa 5.4% (29 cases). Half of the cases of bulimia nervosa had not been identified by the general practitioner and two of these patients had been referred to specialists for treatment of secondary complications of the eating disorder. Hidden cases of bulimia nervosa or partial syndromes are relatively common in general practice. Certain key questions could be used by general practitioners in order to identify women with eating disorders."}
{"id": "PMID:1493007", "title": "Mothers' attitudes to and experience of breast feeding: a primary care study.", "content": "This study investigated the attitudes to breast feeding of women registered with 24 general practitioners in Nottingham. A total of 514 women were interviewed in the antenatal period and then followed up at six weeks and six months after the birth of their child. Seventy per cent of the women planned to breast feed their baby, 23% planned to bottle feed and 7% were undecided. Only 26 women changed their plans. Although 73% of the women interviewed began breast feeding, this had fallen to 49% by six weeks and 26% by six months. Logistic regression analysis showed that multiparae who had bottle fed or stopped breast feeding their previous child during the first six weeks were 5.15 times more likely to stop breast feeding in the first six weeks, than those who had breast fed their previous child for six weeks or more. Primiparae in social classes 3M, 4 or 5 or who were unemployed were 3.68 times more likely to stop than women in higher social classes, while those who said they had considered bottle feeding were 2.40 times more likely to stop. Most women gave an inadequate milk supply as a reason for stopping, but sore nipples were also a problem in the first six weeks. Of all the women who had started breast feeding 46% felt they did not have enough milk at some stage and despite the finding that 49% of those who sought advice from a health professional were advised to feed more often, 42% said they had been advised to give bottle feeds.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1493008", "title": "Assessment of the otoscopic skills of general practitioners and medical students: is there room for improvement?", "content": "Ear, nose and throat problems are common in general practice, yet undergraduate and postgraduate teaching in the subject is variable and often sparse. The assumption that direct experience in otoscopy in practice will compensate for inadequate previous tuition was tested by assessing a group of 53 general practitioners and 59 medical students. Confidence in otoscopy was assessed using a visual analogue scale and skill was assessed by clinical examination of four ears. Otoscopy was divided into identifying the tympanic membrane, distinguishing a normal from an abnormal membrane and identifying specific features of the membrane. The medical students and general practitioners were comparable in both confidence and skill for all parameters except skill in identification of specific features of the tympanic membrane, in which the students' ability was greater (Student's t-test, P < 0.01). In both groups the percentage of false negative observations was reassuringly low--for students the mean was 3.0%; and for general practitioners 4.3%. There is room for improvement in general practitioner's training in otoscopy. Supervised tuition is essential and cannot be compensated for by unsupervised experience. More involvement with ear, nose and throat problems in vocational training or attendance at continuing education courses is suggested."}
{"id": "PMID:1493009", "title": "Prescription of diuretic drugs and monitoring of long-term use in one general practice.", "content": "A cross-sectional survey of the prescription and monitoring of diuretic drugs for long-term use was performed in a Nottinghamshire training practice, which has 7619 patients. It was found that 330 patients were long-term users of diuretic drugs, with 79% of these patients aged 60 years or over. Twenty three different diuretic drugs were prescribed with a total cost of 13,643 pounds per year. A few drugs accounted for a disproportionate amount of the total cost, with combination diuretic drugs being particularly expensive. The most common indications for the prescription of diuretic drugs were hypertension and congestive cardiac failure. General practitioners initiated the prescribing of diuretic drugs in 87% of cases, with only a small proportion being prescribed by hospital doctors. One third of the patients had no record of urea and electrolyte levels in their notes after commencing treatment with a diuretic drug. On the basis of these findings recommendations are made for the initiation and monitoring of the long-term use of diuretic drugs."}
{"id": "PMID:1493025", "title": "Computerized health information in The Netherlands: a registration network of family practices.", "content": "A registration network of family practices (Registratienet Huisartspraktijken) has recently been established in the Netherlands. Forty two general practitioners in 15 practices, with a patient population of 80,000 people, are using a general practice health information system to establish a central computerized anonymous database containing certain patient characteristics and all relevant health problems. By September 1990 patient characteristics and problem lists for 32,972 patients had been entered and a total of 94,476 health problems had been identified. The database has been set up primarily as a sampling frame, allowing researchers to identify patients with particular health problems. The database can also provide descriptive data on prevalence and incidence rates, fulfil a monitoring function and provide data for practice audit, medical education and health management."}
{"id": "PMID:1493026", "title": "Attitudes towards and use of general practitioner services among homosexual men with HIV infection or AIDS.", "content": "In a study of 263 homosexual men positive for the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), it was found that 87% were registered with a general practitioner and of these, 55% said that the general practitioner knew their HIV status. Of the 104 men who had experienced symptoms, 39% had consulted the general practitioner for HIV-related advice. A total of 49% of those who were not registered used a specialist outpatient clinic for all their medical needs. Of those who were registered and whose general practitioner was aware of their HIV status but who did not consult their doctor, 72% used a specialist outpatient clinic. Reasons for not consulting the general practitioner included fears of breach of confidentiality and lack of confidence in the general practitioner's understanding of HIV. Fifteen per cent of the sample continued to see a general practitioner who was unaware of their HIV status, for non-HIV related advice. The needs of patients must be taken into account when planning more integrated hospital and community care for those with HIV infection or the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS)."}
{"id": "PMID:1493027", "title": "Outpatient clinic referrals and their outcome.", "content": "A cohort of 392 patients referred to six outpatient clinics by general practitioners during 1987 with diagnoses of rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, peripheral vascular disease, psoriasis or eczema, were studied from the time of their first attendance until up to two years later. Six consultant clinics were studied in the three specialties: rheumatology, vascular surgery and dermatology. For each specialty a clinic in both a teaching hospital and a district general hospital were included. The cohort members were predominantly middle-aged or elderly people, with a greater proportion of women, except at the vascular surgery clinic where 65% of patients were men. The 392 patients made a total of 936 visits (median two, range one-eight) during the study period; 91 patients were still attending up to two years after the first visit. Patients referred by their general practitioner for therapy were less likely to be discharged than those referred for other reasons. The principal reason for continuing attendance as perceived by patients, general practitioners and hospital doctors was the necessity for consultant supervision, although agreement was far from complete in individual cases. Junior staff tended to see a higher proportion of patients at follow-up visits than did consultants, and were found to have lower discharge rates than consultants. Analyses of data showed that at the first visit, diagnosis, disease severity and the grade of doctor seeing the patient in the clinic was significantly associated with patient discharge at the P < 0.05 level of significance. Patients considered that their visits had produced improvement in their condition in 38% of cases.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1493028", "title": "Rule of halves: implications of increasing diagnosis and reducing dropout for future workload and prescribing costs in primary care.", "content": "Evidence from one practice and from the literature suggest that approximately half of most common chronic disorders are undetected, that half of those detected are not treated, and that half of those treated are not controlled: the 'rule of halves'. Workload in primary care would increase by at least 12% if all common and important chronic disorders were fully diagnosed, treated and followed up; the accompanying effects on prescribing costs would be complex, but not necessarily inflationary. The relationship between these data and the new general practitioner contract is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1493029", "title": "Hormone replacement therapy and breast cancer, endometrial cancer and cardiovascular disease: risks and benefits.", "content": "The relatively restricted use of hormone replacement therapy in the United Kingdom has frequently been noted. It is possible that low prescribing rates may, in part, be due to the difficulty in interpreting the wealth of research evidence relating to the risks and benefits of hormone replacement therapy. Conflicting conclusions from research can cause considerable uncertainty and confusion. This paper reviews the evidence relating to hormone replacement therapy and the risks of breast cancer, endometrial cancer and cardiovascular disease and discusses the issues which require critical assessment. This should add to the information base available to general practitioners and thus assist in decision-making in the context of uncertainty."}
{"id": "PMID:1493043", "title": "Psychological aspects of miscarriage: attitudes of the primary health care team.", "content": "A questionnaire surveying the attitudes of general practitioners, health visitors, community midwives and district nurses towards the psychological aspects of miscarriage was distributed to a random sample of 50 staff in each professional group. The response rate was 78%. A large majority of all staff surveyed (76%) agreed that miscarriage is frequently associated with significant psychological distress and 90% agreed that women should be routinely encouraged to explore and discuss their feelings following such an event. Overall, health visitors and community midwives were seen to be the most appropriate members of the primary health care team to offer such counselling. The gap between perceived need and provision of care for women who have had a miscarriage is highlighted, and ways of narrowing this are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1493042", "title": "Psychological sequelae of miscarriage: a controlled study using the general health questionnaire and the hospital anxiety and depression scale.", "content": "This study was carried out to assess whether psychiatric morbidity after a miscarriage is higher than that associated with early pregnancy. A total of 60 consecutive women admitted to a Swansea hospital with a miscarriage were compared with 62 consecutive women who attended an antenatal clinic at the same hospital, using the 28-item general health questionnaire and the hospital anxiety and depression scale. These were completed both at initial contact and six weeks later. Women who had had a miscarriage were found to be significantly more anxious and scored higher on the subscale for severe depression than the pregnant women, both at initial assessment and six weeks later. At the six week assessment more somatic symptoms were also experienced by the group who had had a miscarriage. This study highlights the psychological disturbance associated with miscarriage. The primary health care team and hospital staff need to take this into consideration when organizing follow up for women who have had a miscarriage."}
{"id": "PMID:1493045", "title": "Effect of a human immunodeficiency virus protease inhibitor on human monocyte function.", "content": "Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is the cause of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Encoded by the HIV genome are several precursor proteins that undergo proteolytic cleavage to yield functional proteins. The env precursor protein is cleaved by a cellular protease. The gag precursor protein of HIV (p55), however, is cleaved by a virally encoded aspartate protease (HIV Protease). Cleavage of p55 is required for viral maturation and infectivity. There are also several host cell aspartate proteases that serve important homeostatic functions. Cathepsins D and E are lysosomal aspartate proteases which are believed to play an important role in macrophage function, and it has been suggested that inhibition of these enzymes by an HIV protease inhibitor may exacerbate immunosuppression in AIDS patients. We have studied the effect of SK&F 107461 (a hydroxyethylene dipeptide isostere inhibitor of HIV protease), on various host defense functions of human monocytes. Pepstatin A (an inhibitor of most aspartate proteases) and leupeptin (an inhibitor of serine and cysteine proteases) were included as controls. Although less potent than the prototypic aspartate protease inhibitor pepstatin, SK&F 107461 inhibited partially purified cathepsin D in vitro. However, in cell-based assays, SK&F 107461 had no effect on the degradation of hemoglobin, antigen processing of the protein antigen streptokinase, or secretion of 17-kD IL-1 beta by monocytes at concentrations which inhibit maturation of intracellular virus in HIV infected monocytes. Furthermore, SK&F 107461 had no effect on constitutive candidacidal activity. In contrast, leupeptin and pepstatin A partially inhibited accessory cell function of monocytes in the proliferative response to the recall antigen streptokinase. In addition, leupeptin partially inhibited degradation of hemoglobin.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1493046", "title": "A novel transgenic mouse model for the in vivo evaluation of anti-human immunodeficiency virus type 1 drugs.", "content": "We have developed a binary transgenic mouse system that allows easy in vivo evaluation of new anti-human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) drugs or therapies specifically designed to target the viral transactivator protein (TAT) or long terminal repeat (LTR) functions. This approach consists of a simple genetic cross between an \"activator\" transgenic mouse expressing the HIV-1-tat gene exclusively to T lymphocytes and a \"target\" transgenic mouse bearing a silent reporter gene whose expression is under the control of the HIV-1-LTR. As expected, most of the target transgenic animals did not express the reporter gene; on the contrary, all the double-transgenic mice bearing both the activator and target transgenes strongly expressed the TAT-induced reporter gene. The choice of a secreted human alpha 1-antitrypsin variant (alpha 1-AT) as reporter gene readily permits in a single animal the quantitative determination of the plasma level of alpha 1-AT protein before and after anti-LTR or anti-TAT treatments. Such mice may be valuable as new laboratory models for the in vivo evaluation of agents with potential anti-HIV-1 activity."}
{"id": "PMID:1493047", "title": "Diagrammatization of codon usage in 339 human immunodeficiency virus proteins and its biological implication.", "content": "The occurrence frequencies of bases A (adenine), C (cytosine, G (guanine), and T (thymine) occurring in the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd codon positions in the codon usage table of viral genes for the 339 human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) proteins compiled recently have been calculated and diagrammatized. For comparison, the corresponding diagrammatic representations for the 2681 human proteins from the codon usage table for primate genes are also presented. The analyzed results based on these characteristic diagrams indicate that considerably similar features have been found between HIV and human proteins for the 1st and 2nd codon positions; i.e., they are all occupied predominantly by purine, especially base A. However, a significant difference in the 3rd codon position between HIV and human proteins has been observed; i.e., human proteins are of high C + G content and low A + G content in the 3rd codon position, whereas the case is just the opposite for HIV proteins. The biological implication of such a duality on the codon bias of HIV against human proteins is discussed. It is suggested that the 1st and 2nd codon positions can be termed as the structure-determining position, and the 3rd codon position termed as the species-determining position. The diagrammatic representation and analysis method described here possess a great potential for the study of molecular evolution from the viewpoint of the genetic code for which data have been accumulated rapidly and will continue to grow at a much faster pace."}
{"id": "PMID:1493048", "title": "Regulatory elements in the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 long terminal repeat LTR (HIV-1) responsive to steroid hormone stimulation.", "content": "Within the long terminal repeat (LTR) of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) provirus there exists a steroid hormone-responsive element corresponding to the TGTTCT sequence identified as the glucocorticoid receptor binding element within the LTR of mouse mammary tumor virus. We have used an LTR(HIV-1)-chloramphenicol acetyl transferase (CAT) plasmid construct to transfect infected H9V3 and noninfected H9 cells. Four hours before harvest the cells were divided into two parts and half was treated with hydrocortisone (10(-7) M). The cells were harvested and washed, and the CAT activity was measured. In eight repeat experiments an increased expression of the CAT gene has consistently been observed in H9V3 cells in response to the glucocorticoid but no significant effect of the steroid was observed in noninfected cells. Double transfection of LTR(HIV-1)-TAT and LTR(HIV-1)-CAT into noninfected H9 cells results in a cell population in which the CAT gene was responsive to glucocorticoid stimulation. A time course and dose response for the steroid effect have been determined and the binding of steroid receptor fo the LTR-DNA characterized by gel retardation experiments."}
{"id": "PMID:1493049", "title": "Heterogeneous expression and coordinate regulation of endogenous retroviral sequences in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells.", "content": "This study examines the expression of human endogenous retroviral or retroviral-like (ERV) sequences in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). Probes to 12 human ERV were used in Northern analyses of 38 patients with autoimmune muscle diseases and 31 blood donor controls. All patients and controls expressed multiple classes of ERV RNA. This expression was quite heterogenous: for each of the nine ERV classes for which expression was detected, some individuals showed high RNA levels whereas others showed low levels. ERV expression was independent of disease and autoantibody production. Statistical analysis of densitometric data indicated that expression of several classes of ERV was coordinately regulated. ERV expression in individual patients showed coordinate fluctuations with time. These studies demonstrate the heterogeneity and coordinate regulation of human ERV expression. To evaluate whether ERV expression might be affected by lymphocyte activation, PBMC were cultured with or without lymphocyte mitogens before RNA extraction. These studies demonstrated complex changes in ERV expression after lymphocyte activation. Murine ERV have several immunoregulatory activities. If human ERV have analogous effects, their heterogeneous expression and association with lymphocyte activation may have important biologic consequences."}
{"id": "PMID:1493050", "title": "Stable expression of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 envelope glycoprotein in transfected L cells.", "content": "An SV40-based expression vector was used to generate CD4-negative murine L cell lines which stably expressed the human immunodeficiency virus envelope glycoprotein (env). Despite the presence of abundant intracellular envelope glycoprotein, the expression of env gp120/41 was not detected on the cell surface. Pulse-chase studies showed that the majority of the gp120 detected at the end of a 20-h chase was in the culture medium. Therefore gp120 was shed and/or secreted from these cells. Transfected L cells (H-2k) served as targets for specific lysis by CTL raised against vaccinia virus-encoded env gp160. The discrepancy in relative levels of intracellular versus surface expression of env was probably due to the highly inefficient processing of newly synthesized gp160, as well as the apparent instability of the gp120/41 complex in the transfected cell lines. Digestion of immunoprecipitated gp120 and gp160 with endoglycosidase H and peptide N-glycosidase F revealed that the envelope glycoprotein in transfected L cells possessed both high mannose and complex N-glycans, analogous to the posttranslational modification of the mature envelope glycoprotein in infected T cells. These studies indicate that the relatively inefficient processing of env gp160 occurs in the absence of CD4, and that the stable surface expression of envelope gp120/41 complex may require additional factors not present in transfected cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1493051", "title": "Strong association of simian immunodeficiency virus (SIVagm) envelope glycoprotein heterodimers: possible role in receptor-mediated activation.", "content": "Soluble forms of a human cell-surface molecule expressed on T lymphocytes (CD4) neutralize diverse strains of both human (HIV) and simian (SIV) immunodeficiency viruses through the induction of envelope shedding and direct competition with cellular CD4 for virus binding. However, we have previously shown that sCD4 enhances infection of simian immunodeficiency viruses from African green monkeys (SIVagm) and have theorized that this enhancement is due to the induction of conformational changes leading to viral fusion (receptor-mediated activation). In this report, we compared the relative association of the envelope glycoproteins of SIVagm with HIV type 1 (HIV-1) in order to determine if a more stable association of SIVagm envelope glycoproteins might account for the differential effects of sCD4 on the infectious process. Monospecific antisera to each of the SIVagm glycoproteins were generated and used to detect stable heterodimers by radioimmunoprecipitation. Standard solubilization buffers containing both ionic and nonionic detergents or saturating concentrations of sCD4 failed to disrupt SIVagm gp120 interactions with the transmembrane protein, gp36, whereas HIV-1 heterodimers were easily dissociated. Higher concentrations of SDS (1%) were necessary to disrupt the SIVagm envelope complexes demonstrating the existence of strong noncovalent interactions between these membrane glycoproteins. In addition, morphometric analysis by electron microscopy revealed that the linear density of SIVagm spikes was stable and resisted shedding when virus was incubated with sCD4 whereas a significant decrease in linear spike density was noted for HIV-1. Based on our original hypothesis, the strong association of SIVagm glycoprotein spikes during soluble receptor binding may allow for highly stable conformational intermediates important for viral fusion, while neutralization of HIV-1 by sCD4 results from less stable envelope associations."}
{"id": "PMID:1493052", "title": "Simian immunodeficiency virus (SIVsm) infection of cynomolgus monkeys: effects on follicular dendritic cells in lymphoid tissue.", "content": "We studied follicles in sections of lymph nodes and spleen from cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis) after infection with simian immunodeficiency virus (SIVsm), by (immuno)histology and (immunogold) electron microscopy. Also isolated follicular dendritic cells (FDC) were investigated. Histology showed ranged from follicular hyperplasia to follicle fragmentation. FDC showed desmin and vimentin, characteristic of mesenchymal cells. Except for two animals who got experimental chemotherapy in the first postinfection period, the cells expressed SIV gag p28 protein. Electron microscopy showed SIVsm-like particles in the germinal centers. A number of cell types in the germinal center, including FDC, showed tubuloreticular structures, indicative of alpha-interferon synthesis during an antiviral response. In immunogold electron microscopy, SIV p28 label was observed on the surface of FDC, on SIVsm-like particles, and in the cytoplasm of macrophages. A relatively high density of CD8-positive cells (T cytotoxic-suppressor phenotype) was observed around and in germinal centers, especially areas depleted of FDC. Cells immunoreactive for serine esterase granzyme-B, a protein occurring in granules of cytotoxic cells, occurred around germinal centers, but not in germinal centers at areas where FDC and SIV p28 label localized. This argues against a role of cytotoxic T cells in mediating follicle destruction."}
{"id": "PMID:1493053", "title": "Changes in the reactivity and neutralizing activity of a type-specific neutralizing monoclonal antibody induced by interaction of soluble CD4 with gp120.", "content": "Antibodies directed against the third hypervariable loop-domain (V3 loop) of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) gp120 inhibit the infection by HIV-1 in a type-specific manner without interfering with the binding of gp120 to CD4. Previous studies demonstrated that soluble CD4 (sCD4) induced the dissociation of gp120 with gp41 and caused conformational changes within the envelope oligomer. We report changes in the binding and neutralizing activity of a monoclonal antibody against the V3 loop after sCD4 binding to gp120. Flow cytometry revealed that a type-specific neutralizing monoclonal antibody against V3 loop of HTLV-IIIB, 0.5 beta, reacted with HTLV-IIIMN-infected cells after exposure to sCD4. When the sCD4-treated HTLV-IIIMN infected cells were analyzed by two-color flow cytometry, most of the CD4-bearing cells were 0.5 beta-positive, indicating that this reactivity of 0.5 beta was associated with the binding of sCD4 to the infected cells. To determine the cross-neutralization by 0.5 beta after exposure to sCD4, HTLV-IIIMN viruses pretreated with sCD4 were used to infect susceptible target cells. The addition of 0.5 beta significantly reduced the p24 antigen production (66.1 +/- 5.9 pg/ml) compared with a control murine IgG (221.3 +/- 15.3 pg/ml). In contrast, no significant reduction in the p24 antigen production was observed by adding the HTLV-IIIMN neutralizing monoclonal antibody, mu 5.5, (209.9 +/- 15.0 pg/ml). Taken together, these results suggest that sCD4/gp120 binding could induce conformational/antigenic changes within the V3 loop that result in the induction of cross-reactivity and cross-neutralizing activity of a type-specific monoclonal antibody."}
{"id": "PMID:1493054", "title": "Expression of human CD4 in transgenic mice does not confer sensitivity to human immunodeficiency virus infection.", "content": "Transfection of the human CD4 molecule into mouse cells does not confer susceptibility to human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection. Expression of the human CD4 molecule in transgenic mice was seen to offer some new possibilities. However, transgenic mouse T cells expressing either the human CD4 receptor, or a hybrid human/mouse CD4 receptor alone or in conjunction with human major histocompatibility complex class I molecules, were refractory to in vitro HIV-1 infection. In addition, no infection was observed after in vivo HIV inoculation to mice of these various transgenic lines. Injection of recombinant gp160 viral protein to the transgenic mice did not alter their T and B cell populations. The existence of a dominant block in mouse cells that prevents HIV entry is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1493055", "title": "[Cancer of the esophagus (I): its epidemiological, clinical and diagnostic assessment according to histological type].", "content": "From 1975 to 1991, sixty-eight patients were treated with surgery for esophageal cancer at the Cl\u00ednica Universitaria de Navarra. This study involves an analysis of epidemiologic and predisposing risk factors in relation with the histologic type of tumor: epidermoid carcinoma vs. adenocarcinoma. The difference in mean age of males (60.5 yrs.) as compared with that of females (48.7 yrs.) was statistically significant (p < 0.05). Likewise, the mean age of patients with epidermoid carcinoma (57.8 yrs.) was significant lower (p < 0.01) as compared with that of those with adenocarcinoma (66.3 yrs.). Smoking and alcoholism were common in the group of patients with epidermoid carcinoma, while Barrett's esophagus and hiatal hernia were frequently seen in patients with adenocarcinoma. Dysphagia was the most frequent symptom both at the start of disease (75%) and with the diagnosis established (96.7%). There was no significant difference in the symptomatology of patients with one type of tumor or the other. The efficacy of ancillary diagnostic procedures such as barium swallow, esophagoscopy, computerized tomography and biopsy were likewise assessed. The most frequent site of tumor was at the middle third, with majority of patients being at clinical stage 1-2 of disease at the time of diagnosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1493056", "title": "[Cancer of the esophagus (II): the results of surgery, anatomicopathological study and patient survival].", "content": "We present a retrospective study of 68 esophageal cancer patients treated with surgery between 1975 and 1991. Results showed a resectability of 73.5% with the most frequent surgical approach being a Lewis esophagectomy. The mean hospitalization time was 24.7 days with a postoperative mortality of 7.3%. Other complications included anastomotic leakage, wound infection, sepsis and pulmonary disorders. Over-all survival at 3 years was 17.3%, reaching 24% in resected patients. Survival according to lymph node involvement was 13.4% for lymph node positive patients and 34.5% for node negative patients. According to histopathologic stage, survival rates were 34.6% and 8.59% for early and advanced tumor respectively, the difference being statistically significant using the Mantel-Haenszel test."}
{"id": "PMID:1493057", "title": "[Is the introduction and realization of the Japanese system of staging and surgical treatment for stomach cancer possible in Spain?].", "content": "Discrepancies in the five-year survival rates after treatment of gastric cancer between the West and the East have been attributed to differences in the biological behavior of the tumor or in the incidence of early cancer. Alternatively, the better staging system and the national standardization of the diagnosis and treatment used in the East may explain their findings. Poor definition of stages and curability, scarce interest in standardization of techniques, and lack of basic information in many pathological reports are frequent in Western countries. Between May 1988 and April 1991 a prospective study on a consecutive series of 89 patients diagnosed of gastric carcinoma in the Hospital \"Pr\u00edncipe de Asturias\" using the directions given by the Japanese Research Society for Gastric Cancer has been made. Our results support the use of the Japanese system in a General Hospital of our country and confirm its accuracy in defining the type of surgery performed, the later being its main advantage over the TNM staging system."}
{"id": "PMID:1493058", "title": "[A cellular proliferation study in patients with colorectal cancer, solitary, synchronous and with polyps].", "content": "Colonic carcinogenesis is probably related to a disturbance in cell proliferation of the colonic mucosa. The present study was designed to determine whether patients with adenomatous polyps of the colon, which have a tendency to develop synchronous malignancies of the colon, have any disturbance in mucosal cell proliferation. Using flow cytometry the proliferative index, and the S and G2M phases of normal mucosa and tumoral tissue of patients with colorectal cancer (synchronous, alone, or associated with adenomatous polyps) were studied. No differences were found between the there groups of study at the level of proliferation pattern of normal mucosa. Our findings do not support the development of synchronous or metachronous colon cancer in patients with polyps on the basis of different patterns of cell proliferation."}
{"id": "PMID:1493059", "title": "[Biliary complications in the follow-up of 54 orthotopic liver transplant patients].", "content": "We analyze the biliary tract complications after 54 orthotopic liver transplantation in 49 patients during a 2-year period. Biliary tract reconstruction was achieved by a choledochocholedochostomy over a t-tube in 47 cases and by a Roux-en-Y choledochojejunostomy in 7 cases (2 sclerosing cholangitis, 4 retransplants and 1 secondary biliary cirrhosis). The t-tube was removed between the 12-16 postoperative week in all cases except in two patients (2 and 3 postoperative week). There was not intraoperative mortality. During the first postoperative month 8 patients died (16.3%) none of them because a biliary complications. The one year actuarial survival of patients was 74.6%. During the (first three postoperative months) we observed 5 patients with a bile leak (biloma). In 3 cases the ultrasonographic drainage was effective and in two cases a surgical drainage was necessary. After the 3rd postoperative month, four patients developed a biliary peritonitis after t-tube removal and a reoperation was required in all cases. Finally, 1 patient suffered a hilar biloma cavity due to hepatic artery thrombosis. We stress the low incidence of reoperations due to early biliary complications (2 cases) and the high incidence of biliary peritonitis after t-tube removal."}
{"id": "PMID:1493060", "title": "[The accidents and complications of laparoscopy. A review of 8,915 cases].", "content": "Complications occurring in 8,915 laparoscopies done during 1957-1991 are analyzed. Complications were classified as major or minor, according to the need of surgical intervention for their management, and also in relation to pneumoperitoneum, introduction of the laparoscope, during the examination or after laparoscopy. The total number of major accidents was 54 (0.60%). Half of them as a consequence of the instrumentation or of liver biopsy. There were 442 minor complications (4.96%). Mortality included 10 patients (0.11%) as a sequel of uncontrolled haemorrhage, 5 of them after liver biopsy. The complications of laparoscopy cannot be ignored; as all invasive techniques it may have a risk, even in the most expert hands. Half of the major accidents and of the mortality were due to complications from liver biopsy."}
{"id": "PMID:1493061", "title": "[Gastric metastasis of melanoma].", "content": "The authors report a case of gastric metastases from a melanoma three years after the removal of the original tumour located at the front side of the left leg. The metastases was diagnosed because of asymptomatic iron deficiency anemia."}
{"id": "PMID:1493062", "title": "[Deficiency polyneuropathy secondary to immunoproliferative disease of the small intestine].", "content": "We report a new case of immunoproliferative small intestinal disease with neurological involvement expressed as deficiency polyneuropathy. In spite of non identifiable plasmatic paraprotein, the use of immunohistochemical techniques showed the characteristic proliferation in the intestinal mucosa of plasma cells with a prevalence of IgA cells, which define this disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1493063", "title": "[Collagenous colitis as a cause of acute diarrhea].", "content": "Collagenous colitis is a newly recognized entity presenting clinically as chronic watery diarrhea and histologically by a thickened subepithelial collagenous band in colonic biopsies. We report the case of a middle aged woman affected of acute diarrhea in whom, after ruling out its main etiologies, the diagnosis of collagenous colitis was made."}
{"id": "PMID:1493064", "title": "[Retroperitoneal lipoma (with areas of myxoid degeneration)].", "content": "Retroperitoneal tumors of lipomatous origin are usually liposarcomas. Only a minority of adipose tumors of the retroperitoneum show histological criteria of benignity. We present the case of a 52-year-old woman, diagnosed of a retroperitoneal lipoma with areas of myxoid degeneration. The tumor involved the left kidney and was resected completely."}
{"id": "PMID:1493065", "title": "[Idiopathic sclerosing peritonitis (ISP). A report of a new case and a review of the literature].", "content": "Idiopathic sclerosing peritonitis (I.S.P.) is a rare disease, in which the small bowel is encased in a fibrous capsule, with symptoms and signs of intestinal obstruction. A new case of I.S.P. in a 42-year-old man who underwent laparotomy and was reoperated for intestinal obstruction is presented. A jejunal fistula with a favorable outcome occurred in this case. The literature about this entity is reviewed, and 16 cases are collected. This condition is being reported more and more commonly and requires further research to elucidate its unknown mechanism."}
{"id": "PMID:1493070", "title": "[Trauma surgery, a multidisciplinary responsibility].", "content": "Our efforts within trauma-care have to include accident-prevention, the organization of a functioning rescue-chain as well as a pluridisciplinary care of the trauma-patient. This is of special importance within the given Swiss hospital structure. For the treatment of injuries of the locomotor-system general-and orthopaedic surgeons need to cooperate. Additional training and experience in traumatology are therefore important for both specialties."}
{"id": "PMID:1493071", "title": "[Shoulder dislocation and periarthrosis humeroscapularis].", "content": "1232 injuries involving shoulder luxations in 1984 were investigated on the basis of the insurance dossier. 1/3 of the injured persons have sequelae: 10.5% habitual tendency to luxation, 9% peritendinitis, 2% omarthritis and 2% a shoulder instability. 1/5 in each case still experience pain and restricted movement. The 108 cases where peritendinitis has occurred following shoulder luxations are shown divided up according to various symptoms. Peritendinitis ankylosis or frozen shoulder represents the major share in almost half of the cases. Various characteristics, complications and risk factors for the possibility of contracting peritendinitis following shoulder luxation are being worked out. In conclusion, the insurance-relevant parameters for peritendinitis after shoulder luxation are shown: in cases with peritendinitis, integrity compensation was awarded 12 times more frequently than in cases without peritendinitis; in the case of shoulder luxation with peritendinitis, the entire insurance benefits were 10 times higher than in cases without peritendinitis."}
{"id": "PMID:1493072", "title": "[Clinical and radiologic long-term follow-up of Eden-Lang operation in habitual anterior shoulder dislocation].", "content": "The incidence of degenerative arthritis after Eden-Lange procedure is judged differently in literature, recently high rates of degenerative arthritis have been reported. 37 patients and the same number of shoulder joints have been evaluated clinically and radiologically after an average follow-up time of 14.9 years. Overall results can be considered as good. Recurrence of dislocation occurred only in one case. Most frequently we observed a limitation of external rotation and overhead performance in sports. The frequency of degenerative arthritis was 17%, clearly less than mentioned elsewhere. The Eden-Lange procedure still can be recommended as a treatment for recurrent anterior shoulder dislocation except for patients with high expectations in physical overhead activities."}
{"id": "PMID:1493073", "title": "[Chronic posterior shoulder dislocation].", "content": "The posterior dislocation of the shoulder is frequently unrecognized for many days, months or even years after the initial accident. After the presentation of its clinical and radiological features, as the different ways of its treatment, some cases will illustrate this entity, too frequently missed or wrongly treated."}
{"id": "PMID:1493074", "title": "[Hook plate (so-called Balser plate) or tension banding with the Bosworth screw in complete acromioclavicular dislocation and clavicular fracture].", "content": "With both treatments good results are achieved. In cases treated with the hook-plate mobilisation and load putting are earlier possible. These patients are sooner back to work. The costs for the hook-plate are higher. To take out the hook-plate a second hospitalisation is necessary."}
{"id": "PMID:1493075", "title": "[Extended surgical indications in combined shoulder girdle fracture].", "content": "The combination of an ipsilateral clavicule and scapula fracture causes a double instability of the shoulder. In opposite to an isolated clavicule or scapula fracture this injury should be treated operatively. Diagnosis of the scapula fracture in polytrauma can be difficult. If there is a clinical or radiologic suspicion, the indication for a CT scan is given. Osteosynthesis with plates from separated approaches, first the scapula from dorsal then the calvicule from ventral has proven good. The nervus suprascapularis must be treated carefully and, if necessary, liberated from the fracture. The optimal treatment of this injury is not always possible in polytraumatised patient."}
{"id": "PMID:1493076", "title": "[Treatment of subcapital humerus fracture with the Pr\u00e9vot nail].", "content": "Displaced subcapital fractures of the humerus are difficult to manage due to the specific anatomical and biological conditions in the proximal humerus. With respect to the fracture type and extent of displacement of the humeral head and the tuberosities the concepts for treatment remain controversial. A large spectrum of recommendations for the treatment of unstable subcapital fractures are known ranging from conservative treatment, open reduction and internal fixation using different implants to the primary prosthetic replacement of the humeral head. Recent results from basic research emphasize the importance of sound tissue viability for undisturbed fracture healing and influence today's strategies in fracture management. Minimal exposure of the fracture area, indirect reduction techniques and a minimal but optimal biomechanical use of implants can help to avoid some of the possible (and partially iatrogenic) complications. Fixation of subcapital humeral fractures by intramedullary pinning seems to provide sufficient stability without damaging the vascularity of the fracture fragments leaving intact in addition the soft tissues around the shoulder. The treatment of proximal humeral fractures by the use of Pr\u00e9votnails is presented in this paper and some possible problems of the method are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1493077", "title": "[Fractures of the proximal humerus. Classification and treatment principles].", "content": "The therapeutical strategy for fractures of proximal humerus is pointed out both by Neer's and by AO classification. Thus closed functional treatment is indicated in case of all undislocated or minimally displaced fractures. Conservative management is indicated for all reducible fractures as well. Severe and irreducible bone lesions i.e. three and four part fractures with or without dislocation are to be handled primarily by operation. Dislocated fractures require an emergency procedure. The operative strategy has to be suitable for the type of fracture. Stable T-plate osteosynthesis is preferred for simple fractures (i. e. Type A2 or A3 according to the AO classification). Serious bifocal and articular bone lesions are sufficiently managed by minimal internal fixation (osteosynthesis) especially in regard to the biological aspects. The sincere contact of bone fragments accompanied by sufficient anatomical axis should be the aim of the operative strategy. Manifold expedients for reduction like temporarily applied Steinmann pins are necessary. Larger lesions of spongiosa can mostly be substituted by autoclaved spongiosa transfer. As minimal osteosynthesis led rarely to necrosis of the humeral head it is preferred especially in case of severe fractures. According to our therapeutical draft head preserving procedure had the priority to primary humeral prosthetic arthroplasty."}
{"id": "PMID:1493078", "title": "Impedance cardiography using the Sramek-Bernstein method: accuracy and variability at rest and during exercise.", "content": "1. Sramek and Bernstein's method of impedance cardiography is a simple, non-invasive and inexpensive computerised way of measuring stroke volume and systolic time intervals. In this study measurements made using the method were compared with those found simultaneously using established reference techniques. 2. In healthy volunteers there was no significant bias (d) and narrow 95% limits of agreement (d +/- 2s) when impedance and mechanophonocardiographic measurements of pre-ejection period (PEP, d = 0.3, d + 2s = 7.3, d-2s = -6.6 ms), ventricular ejection time (VET, d = 1.5, d + 2s = 17.7, d-2s = 14.6 ms) and PEP/VET ratio were compared. 3. In critically ill patients there was moderate agreement between impedance and thermodilution measurements of stroke volume (d = 8.1 (P < 0.05), d + 2s = 35.5, d-2s = -19.4 ml) and drug-induced changes in stroke volume were accurately detected. 4. In healthy volunteers agreement between impedance and dye dilution measurements of stroke volume was moderate, and similar at rest and during exercise (d = 3.4, d-2s = -31.1, d + 2s = 37.9 ml), however impedance underestimated exercise-induced increases in stroke volume (P < 0.05). 5. In patients with coronary heart disease impedance measurements correlated with angiographic left ventricular ejection fraction included the PEP/VET ratio (r = -0.81), stroke volume index (r = 0.65) and Heather index (r = 0.58, all P < 0.001), however the PEP/VET ratio could not be used to estimate the left ventricular ejection fraction with sufficient accuracy. 6. This impedance method provides reproducible semi-quantitative measurements of cardiac performance and blood flow. Its use for making pharmacodynamic measurements can be justified when invasive methods are considered inappropriate."}
{"id": "PMID:1493079", "title": "Clinical, radiological, and functional evaluation following acute stroke.", "content": "1. There are currently no proven treatments for cerebral infarction or intracerebral haematoma. Drug testing is at an exciting phase, however, and thrombolytic and neuroprotective agents appear to have the potential to rescue ischaemic cerebral tissue. The heterogeneous nature of stroke demands adequate patient assessment by clinical and radiological study, with standardised approaches to the measurement of recovery. 2. Previous studies have not fulfilled these stringent criteria, impairing interpretation and inter-study comparison. The needs of drug studies in the acute phase following stroke are discussed in this review."}
{"id": "PMID:1493080", "title": "Therapeutic interventions in acute stroke.", "content": "1. Potential therapies for ischaemic stroke include agents to reduce oedema, to improve cerebral perfusion, to reduce excitotoxic damage, to minimise free-radical induced injury and to reduce complications such as deep venous thrombosis. 2. Of the anti-oedema drugs, steroids are ineffective and possibly dangerous; intravenous glycerol is unproven. 3. Haemodilution to reduce whole blood viscosity and improve perfusion is ineffective. Thrombolytic drugs have not been adequately tested but several randomised multicentre trials are now commencing. Early treatment and CT scanning are essential. 4. Anticoagulants and antiplatelet drugs may have wide applicability but have not been tested in the acute phase of stroke. A multi-centre trial will address this issue. 5. Neuronal cytoprotection offers exciting prospects for acute stroke treatment. Antagonists of glutamate at the NMDA receptor, calcium and sodium channel blocking agents and free radical scavenging drugs have potent effects experimentally. Several agents are now reaching clinical trials. The calcium antagonist nimodipine has been disappointing in large scale trials but some studies were flawed by late treatment. 6. Successful treatment of acute stroke is likely to combine several approaches. 7. Therapeutic trials in stroke must include CT scanning, early treatment and a multicentre approach to achieve large numbers of patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1493081", "title": "Co-regulation of phenytoin and tolbutamide metabolism in humans.", "content": "1. The disposition of phenytoin and tolbutamide was compared in eighteen healthy young adults separately administered single therapeutic doses (sodium phenytoin 300 mg, tolbutamide 500 mg) of the two drugs. 2. Within the group, ratios of ranges of total and unbound areas under the plasma concentration-time curves were similar for both drugs. 3. There were significant (P < 0.001) correlations between total (r = 0.88) and unbound (r = 0.86) areas under the plasma phenytoin and tolbutamide concentration-time curves. 4. The results are consistent with the involvement of the same cytochrome P-450 isoenzyme(s) in the metabolism of tolbutamide and phenytoin."}
{"id": "PMID:1493082", "title": "The pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of recombinant human erythropoietin in haemodialysis patients.", "content": "1. The pharmacokinetics of and therapeutic response to recombinant human erythropoietin (rcEPO) were studied in 12 patients under chronic haemodialysis on a thrice weekly intravenous rcEPO treatment scheme. The kinetics of rcEPO were also assessed after a subcutaneous injection during the initial period and during maintenance treatment. RcEPO was measured in plasma by radioimmunoassay. 2. After the first i.v. dose plasma erythropoietin concentrations were best described by a monoexponential disposition function with a mean (+/- s.d.) elimination half-life of 5.4 +/- 1.7 h. The volume of distribution was 70 +/- 5.2 ml kg-1 and the clearance was 10.1 +/- 3.5 ml h-1 kg-1 (n = 12). 3. After 3 months of continuous therapy, the plasma half-life of rcEPO decreased by 15% (P < 0.05, mean half-life during steady state: 4.6 +/- 2.8 h), while mean clearance and volume of distribution remained constant. 4. After the first s.c. injection the mean (+/- s.d.) absorption time was 22 +/- 11 h and systemic availability was 44 +/- 7%. 5. Changes in haemoglobin concentrations were described by a linear additive dose-response model, defined by an efficacy constant (Keff) and the mean erythrocyte lifetime (MRTHb). The sample mean (+/- s.d.) Keff was 0.043 +/- 0.017 g dl-1 Hb per 1000 units rcEPO and MRTHb was 10.02 +/- 1.75 weeks. The net effect of rcEPO treatment was described by the area under the unit-dose-response curve (AUEC) with a mean (+/- s.d.) value of 0.45 +/- 0.23 g dl-1 weeks. 6. RcEPO clearance showed a significant positive correlation (r2 = 0.41) with the effectiveness of rcEPO therapy, as measured by the parameters Keff or AUEC."}
{"id": "PMID:1493083", "title": "A study of the interaction of omeprazole and warfarin in anticoagulated patients.", "content": "1. Thirty-five patients on continuous therapy with warfarin were given omeprazole 20 mg once daily and placebo each for 3 weeks according to a two-centre randomised double-blind cross-over design. 2. Blood samples were obtained once weekly during the run-in and follow-up periods as well as during the first 2 weeks of each treatment period, and twice during the last week of each treatment period. Plasma concentrations of R- and S-warfarin were measured by h.p.l.c. and the anticoagulant effect was assessed using the Trombotest. 3. Twenty-eight patients were evaluated. The mean plasma concentration of R-warfarin was increased by 9.5% during omeprazole treatment compared with placebo, while that of S-warfarin, the more active isomer, was unaffected. The coagulation time was not significantly changed (106 s during omeprazole and 98 s during placebo). Corresponding TT-values (Trombotest) were 8.8 and 9.9 (NS)."}
{"id": "PMID:1493084", "title": "Blood cyclosporin concentrations and the short-term risk of lung rejection following heart-lung transplantation.", "content": "1. The relationship between blood cyclosporin concentration (CyACb) and a patient's risk of organ rejection following heart-lung (HL) transplantation was investigated. 2. Longitudinal data were collected for 90 days post-operation for 31 HL transplant recipients. Following exploratory analysis, a multiple logistic regression model with a binary outcome variable representing presence or absence of lung rejection (as defined on biopsy findings and/or intention to treat) in the next 5 days was fitted to the data. 3. A significant interaction between time post-transplant and CyACb was found. During weeks 1-3, the relative risk (RR) of rejection per unit increase in log(e) (5-day mean CyACb) was reduced: RR = 0.29, 95% confidence interval (CI) = (0.12, 0.72). After 3 post-operative weeks, this trend was reversed: RR = 1.61, 95% CI = (0.96, 2.70). Increases in cyclosporin dose (CyAD) and in coefficient of variation (CV) for both CyAD and CyACb over the previous 10 days significantly increased the risk of rejection: RR per unit increase in log(e) (5-day mean CyAD) = 2.72, 95% CI = (1.18, 6.25); RR per increase of 10% (i.e. from, say, 20% to 30%) in the CV for CyAD = 1.20, 95% CI = (1.07, 1.36); RR if the CV for CyACb > 40% = 1.51, 95% CI = (1.01, 2.27). Administration of high dose steroids in the previous 5 days was found to protect against further rejection: RR if steroid treatment was given = 0.23, 95% CI = (0.13, 0.38).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1493085", "title": "Trials of the bronchodilator activity of the isoenzyme-selective phosphodiesterase inhibitor AH 21-132 in healthy volunteers during a methacholine challenge test.", "content": "1. An approximately steady-state reduction of specific airway conductance was induced in normal human subjects by means of a methacholine individualized loading+maintenance dose regime. Tested against this background bronchoconstriction, the mixed type III/IV phosphodiesterase inhibitor AH 21-132, ingested in doses up to 90 mg, had no detectable bronchodilator activity. 2. AH 21-132, infused intravenously over 15 min, evoked short-lived bronchodilatation at doses of 20 and 40 mg, without affecting blood pressure or heart rate. 3. AH 21-132, mixed 1:18.5 by weight with sucrose, dissolved in saline, nebulized and inhaled in doses between 2 and 24 mg of AH 21-132, produced dose-dependent bronchodilation. The ED50 was estimated as 9.2 mg AH 21-132. The peak relief of imposed bronchoconstriction was 80% and the apparent half-time of removal of AH 21-132 from its site of action was 25 min. 4. Inhaled, nebulized, hypertonic sucrose had a minor bronchodilator action. 5. AH 21-132, by intravenous and inhaled routes of administration, provides relief of methacholine-induced bronchoconstriction."}
{"id": "PMID:1493086", "title": "The effect of genetically engineered glucagon on glucose recovery after hypoglycaemia in man.", "content": "To compare the effect on glucose recovery after insulin-induced hypoglycaemia of intramuscular genetically engineered glucagon, intramuscular glucagon from pancreatic extraction and intravenous glucose, we examined 10 healthy subjects during blockage of glucose counterregulation with somatostatin, propranolol and phentolamine. Each subject was studied on three separate occasions. Thirty min after a bolus injection of 0.075 iu soluble insulin per kilogram body weight the subjects received one of the following treatments: 1 mg glucagon from pancreatic extraction intramuscularly; 1 mg genetically engineered glucagon intramuscularly; and 25 g glucose intravenously, respectively. The two glucagon preparations induced an equally rapid increase in plasma glucose. This was due to an abrupt (within 4 min) and equal increase in glucose appearance rate. The increases in both plasma glucose and in glucose appearance rate were far more protracted after i.m. glucagon than after i.v. glucose. These results suggest that genetically engineered glucagon and glucagon from pancreatic extraction have a similar effect on hepatic glucose production rate. Due to the protracted effect of intramuscular glucagon, a combined treatment consisting of both intravenous glucose and intramuscular glucagon may be more effective in the treatment of hypoglycaemia than any of these given alone."}
{"id": "PMID:1493087", "title": "Trimethoprim, alone or in combination with sulphamethoxazole, decreases the renal excretion of zidovudine and its glucuronide.", "content": "Trimethoprim and trimethoprim-sulphamethoxazole (co-trimoxazole) are often prescribed in HIV patients treated with zidovudine. The pharmacokinetics of zidovudine, after a dose of 3 mg kg-1 by constant rate intravenous infusion over 1 h were evaluated in nine HIV patients in an open, randomized, three-phase crossover study, without and with trimethoprim (150 mg) and trimethoprim-sulphamethoxazole (160 and 800 mg). The metabolic clearance of zidovudine was not significantly influenced by trimethoprim-sulphamethoxazole and trimethoprim. However, the renal clearance of zidovudine was decreased by 58 and 48%, respectively, and that of its glucuronide by 27 and 20% (P < 0.05). The fraction of the dose excreted as the parent compound fell by 47 and 39% and the metabolic ratio by 48 and 43% (P < 0.05). This kinetic drug interaction, apparently due solely to trimethoprim, may only be clinically important when hepatic glucuronidation is also impaired by liver disease or inhibited by other drugs."}
{"id": "PMID:1493089", "title": "Photosensitive psoriasis.", "content": "Photosensitive psoriasis is rare. The prevalence among psoriasis patients was estimated to be 5.5%. Photosensitive psoriatics have a statistically significant higher frequency of skin type I, a heredity of photosensitivity, advanced age, and psoriasis affecting hands compared with nonphotosensitive psoriatics. Half of the patients with photosensitive psoriasis have polymorphous light eruption (PLE), with psoriasis appearing as a secondary phenomenon in the PLE lesions. The other half slowly develop psoriasis after sun exposure but without preceding PLE. These reaction patterns may be confirmed with phototesting. Photochemotherapy is effective treatment for photosensitive psoriasis."}
{"id": "PMID:1493090", "title": "Optimal efficacy of topical corticoids in psoriasis.", "content": "Topical corticoids remain the mainstay of treatment for mild psoriasis. In recent years certain valuable modifications of this mode of treatment have emerged. Clobetasol propionate was found to induce the highest immediate response if applied as intensive pulse therapy and possibly also to induce longer remissions than other compounds. Once-daily application of betamethasone dipropionate in optimized vehicle and mometasone furoate were at least as effective as repeated applications of several other compounds. There are indications of a dissociation of potency and side effects for mometasone furoate. Thus, corticoid therapy now can be tailored to suit more closely the needs of the patients than was possible previously."}
{"id": "PMID:1493091", "title": "Home ultraviolet phototherapy.", "content": "Home UV phototherapy is extremely popular with many psoriasis patients. However, it is essential that they understand the need for regular skin examination by the dermatologist. Patients with psoriasis are not trained nor are many nondermatologist physicians to recognize the early features of many skin cancers, and continued home UV therapy in the presence of such skin cancers is clearly unwise for the safety of that patient. The use of UVA tanning salon treatments in the therapy of psoriasis is usually unsuccessful and is extremely unwise with concomitant psoralen and drug therapy. This is to be discouraged, and the patient should always be treated with PUVA in the dermatologist's office with carefully monitored UVA machines and staff trained in the administration of PUVA phototherapy."}
{"id": "PMID:1493092", "title": "PUVA: how to use it for maintenance.", "content": "The selection of optimal maintenance therapy for psoriasis needs great dermatologic skill. The choice between topical therapy, photochemotherapy (PUVA), UVB, and immunomodulating regimens alone or in combinations is a balance between cost and benefit. The effectiveness of healing and the tendency to relapse stands against convenience and access of therapy, the patients' motivation, and not least, the risks of side effects. The effective PUVA-maintenance must be reserved for patients who do not experience clearing of their disease on mild topical and UVB regimens."}
{"id": "PMID:1493093", "title": "Practical use of retinoids in psoriasis.", "content": "In two decades, retinoids have nearly revolutionized some aspects of dermatologic practice. The dramatic response of severe acne to isotretinoin therapy is equally matched at times by the rapid response of pustular psoriasis treated with etretinate. Many other psoriatic patients, especially those who have failed the standard therapeutic regimens, have immensely benefited by the addition of retinoids to the therapeutic armamentaria. The use of etretinate or acitretin where available has repeatedly shown their utility, general safety, and cost effectiveness. Additionally, the advent of combination therapy with UV light has allowed better response using less retinoid and less light, eg, in retinoid-light combinations. With careful attention to the safety profile of retinoids, especially in the area of pregnancy prevention, a powerful therapy option is available for even the most recalcitrant patients. These responses would be sufficient reason for interest in retinoids but, when coupled with the exciting developments in molecular biology of retinoids, lead one to look with excitement on the dermatologic horizon for a new generation of significant breakthroughs."}
{"id": "PMID:1493094", "title": "Can maintenance cyclosporine be used in psoriasis without decreasing renal function?", "content": "Nephrotoxicity attributable to cyclosporine therapy is dose dependent and unlikely to occur in psoriasis treatment protocols using less than 5 mg/kg/d in otherwise healthy patients. Any long-term or maintenance protocol should include regular monitoring of urea nitrogen/creatinine levels and blood pressure. Cyclosporine is a potent drug, and it is reasonable to monitor its administration to otherwise healthy psoriasis patients with yearly measurement of glomerular filtration rate (GFR), especially in elderly patients or patients with diminished renal reserve (eg, diabetes). There is no convincing evidence of irreversible renal dysfunction in psoriasis patients on low-dose cyclosporine protocols, nor is there evidence that cyclosporine in low doses in completely safe or banal. Therefore, we suggest monitoring GFR at 3, 6, and 12 months after initiating therapy, provided serum creatinine level is stable. If serum creatinine level increases by > 30% over baseline, GFR should be monitored more frequently and the dose of cyclosporine adjusted if there is a persistent decrease."}
{"id": "PMID:1493101", "title": "Development and resolution of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia in severe combined immunodeficient mice: a morphological study of host inflammatory responses.", "content": "The development and resolution of naturally-acquired Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia was studied in a severe combined immunodeficient (SCID) mouse model by light and electron microscopies. Initial infection was evident in 3-week-old SCID mice and started as focal alveolar colonization in the areas near terminal airways. Pronounced pulmonary inflammation occurred in animals of 10 weeks or older and the infection intensity reached a plateau in animals 12 weeks of age. At this stage of disease, the histopathological features of P. carinii infection in SCID mice were similar to those of immunodeficient man. Reconstitution of SCID mice with immunocompetent spleen cells at day 0 induced substantial pulmonary inflammation that was evident already by day 7 and most severe and extensive by day 12. The clearance of P. carinii did not begin until after day 12 and was almost completed by day 17. Alveolar macrophages in mice killed between days 12 and 15, at the time when P. carinii are being rapidly cleared, appeared active but phagocytosis of P. carinii was not commonly observed by either light or electron microscopy. These results suggest that (1) the presence of non-lymphoid inflammatory cells in SCID mice is not sufficient to control P. carinii infection; (2) the clearance of P. carinii from the lungs of reconstituted SCID mice requires local recruitment of large numbers of inflammatory cells with an active appearance; and (3) intracellular killing of P. carinii by phagocytosis does not appear to be a major mechanism in host defences against P. carinii infection in this model."}
{"id": "PMID:1493102", "title": "The effect of thionaphthene-2-carboxylic acid (TNCA) on bone structure in the rat: a histomorphometric study.", "content": "Thionaphthene-2-carboxylic acid (TNCA) has been shown to decrease osteoclast-mediated bone resorption in vitro and has shown efficacy in animal models of hypercalcaemia of malignancy. In this study, the effects of TNCA on the tibial proximal epiphysis and the sternum have been quantified by image analysis in rats administered the drug orally for 90 days at 75, 125 or 250 mg/kg/day. The amount of bone in the subepiphyseal area and sternum was increased in a dose-related manner. TNCA exerted a biphasic effect on the height of the epiphyseal plate. It was stimulatory at the low dosage and inhibitory at the high dose. This study constitutes the first of its kind to demonstrate the in-vivo effect of TNCA on the bones of rats."}
{"id": "PMID:1493103", "title": "Induction of contact sensitivity by cell-associated immunocomplexes requires activation of the early complement components.", "content": "Lymph node cells collected from CBA/J mice 4 days after painting the skin with picryl chloride behave like antigen presenting cells and induce contact sensitivity when injected into naive recipient mice. The immunizing capacity of these '4-day' cells is due to T cells which carry on their membrane hapten-IgM immunocomplexes. Incubation of the cells with complement from mouse strains that express high C4 serum levels (C4H), abolishes their immunizing capacity. This effect is related to the activation of the early components of the classical complement pathway, as supported by experiments using C3 and C4-depleted or C5 and C6-genetically deficient mouse sera. The detection of different amounts of C3b and C4b on the surface of 4-day T cells after incubation with C4L and C4H sera supports the possibility that membrane bound activated complement components could modify the immunizing capacity of these cells. Results herein reported suggest that membrane-bound C3b and C4b are not per se inhibitory but interfere with the residual complement activating capacity of 4-day T cells. The role of complement activation by 4-day T cells is pivotal as complement depletion of recipient mice by cobra venom factor (CVF) inhibits the immunizing capacity of untreated 4-day T cells, while 4-day T cells treated with complement in vitro and injected together with C4a anaphylatoxin are able to immunize recipient mice."}
{"id": "PMID:1493104", "title": "Morphology of rejection in experimental pancreas transplantation and its modification by cyclosporin A administration.", "content": "Histology of pancreas transplant rejection is complicated by non-specific appearances related to undrained exocrine secretions. Using a rat model of pancreas transplantation with exocrine drainage into the urinary tract, morphology of acute rejection has been studied with minimal interference from non-specific change. Unmodified acute rejection was complete after 7-9 days. Intralobular lymphocytic infiltration, which differentiated allografts from isografts, was present 5 days after transplantation and lymphocytic infiltration of islets and blood vessel walls developed between 5th and 7th days. Cyclosporin A immunosuppression of allografts resulted in marked attenuation of the cellular infiltrate. The nature of the infiltrate and its suppression with cyclosporin A indicated an allograft reaction."}
{"id": "PMID:1493105", "title": "Phenotypic modulation of perisinusoidal cells following acute liver injury: a quantitative analysis.", "content": "Expression of the alpha-(smooth muscle) isoform of actin (alpha-SMA) by non-parenchymal cells in rat liver was studied following induction of acute liver injury using a single sublethal dose of carbon tetrachloride (CCl4). In normal liver, alpha-SMA immunoreactivity was identified in the smooth muscle cells of hepatic arteries and in the walls of portal and hepatic vein branches. Occasional alpha-SMA-containing stellate shaped cells were found in acinar zone 3 but most perisinusoidal cells (PSCs) did not express this protein. In CCl4-treated animals, there was an increase in the number of immunoreactive cells in perivenular zones, reaching a peak at day 3 following exposure to the toxin. These cells were morphologically identical to desmin-positive PSCs and the kinetics of the responses of alpha-SMA-positive and desmin-positive cells were similar. In en face labelling experiments, evidence of co-expression of alpha-SMA and desmin by non-parenchymal cells was obtained, although some desmin-positive PSCs did not appear to express alpha-SMA. These results suggest that PSCs rapidly undergo phenotypic modulation in response to acute liver injury with acquisition of alpha-SMA expression. It is proposed that these phenotypic changes coincide with functional alterations, such activated 'myofibroblast-like' cells being responsible for the enhanced matrix protein synthesis necessary for tissue repair."}
{"id": "PMID:1493106", "title": "Transmission of dengue virus-induced helper signal to B cell via macrophages.", "content": "The helper T cells (TH) generated in dengue type 2 virus (DV) infection of mice produce a soluble helper cytokine (HF) which enhances the clonal expansion of DV-specific IgM antibody plaque forming cells (PFC). The present study was undertaken to investigate the mechanism of transmission of the helper signal from TH and HF to B cells. It was observed that TH could transmit the helper signal to B cells by direct cell to cell contact, but HF could not do so without the presence of live macrophages (M phi). HF was adsorbed by both heat killed and live M phi but the former could not transmit it to B cells. Both the polypeptide chains of HF bind to M phi. HF remains on the surface of M phi and can be retrieved completely by contact with B cells for 40 min. The helper signal from TH or HF-adsorbed M phi could not be transmitted to B cells when they were separated from each other by a cell impermeable membrane. The enhancement of PFC count is greater when the signal is transmitted by HF-adsorbed M phi as compared to that by TH alone. Thus, even with lower frequency of TH a significant number of B cells may be triggered with the help of HF and M phi. The findings thus show that the DV-specific helper signal could be transmitted only by a close physical contact of the plasma membranes of the signal presenting cells (TH or HF-adsorbed M phi) and B cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1493107", "title": "Interferon-gamma increases macrophage phospholipid polyunsaturation: a possible mechanism of endotoxin sensitivity.", "content": "Incubation of murine macrophages or the macrophage-like cell line P388D with interferon-gamma in vitro induced a significant increase in the polyunsaturated fatty acid content of phosphatidylethanolamine. These increases were time and dose-dependent, being maximal at 12 hours and with 5000 U/ml interferon and were inhibited in the presence of anti-interferon-gamma monoclonal antibody. Interferon-gamma induced a significant increase in linoleate in peritoneal macrophages while in the cell line arachidonate was significantly increased. These results are of interest because such increases in the polyunsaturated fatty acid content of phosphatidylethanolamine were previously shown by us to be associated with increased sensitivity to endotoxin in mice in vivo. The implications for interferon-gamma sensitizing to endotoxin are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1493108", "title": "An immunohistochemical study of mesothelial cell seeding for knitted Dacron.", "content": "Six greyhounds underwent bilateral femoral artery replacement with knitted Dacron, one side seeded with omental digest at graft preclotting, the other acting as an unseeded control. Grafts were removed at 24 hours and two months. Tissue was examined using a monoclonal antibody (MNF116) directed against a broad range of human cytokeratins to differentiate mesothelial cells (MC) from microvascular endothelial cells (MEC), which stained only with a polyclonal antibody directed against von Willebrand Factor (anti-vWF). Cells released from omentum by collagenase stained with MNF116 and reacted poorly with anti-vWF. Identical cells were observed to be within the interstices of seeded but not control knitted Dacron. Few remained in seeded grafts (n = 2) removed at 24 hours and none at two months (n = 4)."}
{"id": "PMID:1493109", "title": "Gilles de la Tourette's syndrome: a case study.", "content": "Tourette's Syndrome was first described by Gilles de la Tourette in 1885. Previously thought to be a rare neuropsychiatric disorder, its prevalence is now estimated at 0.05%. In Canada, this would mean approximately 12,000 people are affected. The rapid growth of knowledge in the neurosciences has led to better understanding and treatment of this disorder. Tourette's Syndrome is characterized by motor tics, usually beginning in the face and progressing to other areas, and by vocal tics, such as hissing, snorting, and barking. Fifty percent also develop copralalia. The age of onset is between 2 and 15 years of age but its complex symptomatology and its waxing and waning course delays diagnosis. This paper will describe the disease process including etiology, signs and symptoms, and treatment. The main focus will be on a case study which will depict how this syndrome affected the life of one woman. The multidisciplinary approach required to assist the severely affected individual to return to her family following successful treatment will be described."}
{"id": "PMID:1493110", "title": "Strategies for intervention and research with children or adolescents who have a parent with multiple sclerosis.", "content": "Parents with multiple sclerosis worry about effects their illness may have on their children. This stress can be a factor in exacerbating parental illness, yet little conclusive research exists about this population of children. In most instances their existence is not even recorded within the medical records of their parents. Children with chronically ill parents have been described by some as constrained, depressed and antisocial. In contrast, other authors, including this researcher, have concluded that these children are more empathetic and are advanced in friendship concept development compared to the general population. Implications for nursing research and nursing care are presented."}
{"id": "PMID:1493116", "title": "Effect of wound location, orientation, direction, and postoperative time on unsutured corneal wound healing morphology in monkeys.", "content": "Clinical observation suggests the location, orientation, direction, and postoperative time of unsutured corneal wounds may affect healing. We studied wound depth, deviation, width, and healing phases in central to peripheral portions of superior and inferior transverse incisions, and centripetal and centrifugal semiradial incisions. Healing phases were quantified by the amount of epithelial plug elimination and by fibroblast orientation to the wound. Healing rates varied among individual monkeys. Complete stromal wound closure was seen as early as 2.5 months postoperative, whereas epithelial plugs were present up to 11 months. Average depth did not differ between superior (61.7% +/- 13.4%) and inferior transverse incisions (66.3% +/- 8.2%) (p > .1); all incisions deviated toward the limbus (28.9 degrees +/- 19.9 degrees and 31.0 degrees +/- 19.8 degrees) (p > .1). Superior transverse wounds showed advanced healing compared to mate inferior wounds (p < .05). Compared to centrifugal wounds, centripetal wounds had greater depth (48.1% +/- 7.3% versus 76.0% +/- 7.0%) (p < .0005), greater width (17.2 microns +/- 4.5 microns versus 27.8 microns +/- 6.9 microns) (p < .01), and earlier healing phases (p < .025). With longer postoperative time intervals, fibroblast orientation appeared to change from a relatively perpendicular to a parallel orientation to the wound. Transverse incisions may be difficult to perform perpendicular to the corneal surface. Superior transverse wounds may heal faster than mate inferior wounds, and centrifugal radial wounds may heal faster than centripetal wounds. Differences in semiradial wound morphology may be related primarily to incision depth and postoperative time; incision direction may also affect wound healing."}
{"id": "PMID:1493117", "title": "Stability of refraction and visual acuity during 5 years in eyes with simple myopia. The PERK Study Group.", "content": "Normal ranges of variability of refraction and visual acuity in adult myopic eyes are needed as a reference standard for assessing the stability of refractive corneal surgery. We measured the changes in spectacle-corrected visual acuity and cycloplegic refraction during 5 years for the unoperated eye of 82 patients aged 21 to 57 years in the Prospective Evaluation of Radial Keratotomy Study. The changes were compared for contact lens and non-contact lens wearers. We also compared the 5-year cycloplegic and manifest refractions for these unoperated eyes. Of 77 eyes, 44% gained or lost one Snellen line and 48% experienced no change in spectacle-corrected visual acuity between baseline and 5 years. Only one eye (1%) lost two lines, and 7% gained two lines. The refractive change was less than 1.00 D for 84% of the 37 non-contact lens wearing eyes. Only 13% became more myopic by at least 1.00 D (maximum increase in myopia, 2.00 D), and 3% became less myopic by 1.00 D. Of 45 contact lens wearing eyes, 38% became more myopic by at least 1.00 D. The 5-year manifest refraction was 0.50 D to 1.50 D more myopic than the cycloplegic refraction for 37% of eyes. We recommend using two or more Snellen lines as the standard for a meaningful change in spectacle-corrected visual acuity in operated eyes, and 1.00 D as a meaningful cutoff for stability of refraction. The wearing of contact lenses can confound the results of stability studies. The difference between the cycloplegic and manifest refractions suggests that the cycloplegic refraction should be used in planning for refractive surgery."}
{"id": "PMID:1493119", "title": "A new procedure for evaluating smoothness of corneal surface following 193-nanometer excimer laser ablation.", "content": "The routine technique for evaluating the smoothness of an excimer laser keratectomy has been scanning electron microscopy (SEM). However, this method suffers from tissue shrinkage and surface artifacts, and evaluates the surface only in a qualitative manner. In our study, we used a Zygo microscope to quantitatively assess the smoothness of the excimer laser ablated corneas, without complicated tissue processing. Five rabbit eyes and five PMMA blocks underwent 193-nanometer excimer laser ablations (5.00-millimeter diameter and 80-micrometer depth). The ablation zones of the corneas were trephined and fixated prior to the measurement. The surface smoothness was measured under the Zygo and characterized by two surface parameters (Ra and RMS). After measurement, the corneal and PMMA samples were processed for SEM. The Ra and RMS (mean +/- SD) for the ablated corneas are 183.33 +/- 20.6 and 240.06 +/- 23.10 nm, respectively; for the PMMA blocks, 79.49 +/- 23.02 and 96.45 +/- 27.16 nm, respectively. There are significant differences of Ra and RMS between the ablated corneas and PMMA blocks (p < .01), indicating the ablated corneal surfaces are rougher than the ablated PMMA surfaces. Qualitatively, SEM correlated well with the results of the Zygo measurements. We found this technique to be a simple, accurate, and reproducible means of objectively assessing the surface smoothness following excimer laser ablation. Combined use of the Zygo and SEM enables more complete evaluation of the ablated corneal surface."}
{"id": "PMID:1493125", "title": "Nutritional intake, height and weight of 11-12-year-old Northumbrian children in 1990 compared with information obtained in 1980.", "content": "There is little age-specific information on changes in dietary intake over time in this country, yet this is valuable in assessing the effectiveness of health education programmes particularly in vulnerable groups such as adolescents. In 1990, 379 children aged 12 years completed two 3 d dietary records. They were interviewed by one dietitian on the day after completion of each diary to verify and enlarge on the information provided and, with the aid of food models, obtain a quantitative record of food intake. Nutrient intake was calculated using computerized food tables. These children attended the same seven Middle schools in Northumberland as 405 children of the same age who recorded their diet using the same method, 10 years previously. Heights and weights were also recorded in both studies in the same manner. Comparing the nutrient intakes in 1990 with 1980, energy intake fell in the boys (to 8.6 MJ) but not in the girls (8.3 MJ). The contribution of fat to energy intake was unchanged at about 40% (about 90 g/d). Likewise, intake of sugars was unchanged at about 22% of energy (about 118 g/d). Calcium intake remained the same in the girls (763 mg/d in 1990) but fell in the boys (786 mg/d in 1990). Iron, vitamin C and unavailable carbohydrate intakes increased in both sexes, and the nutrient density of the diet improved in all sex and social-class groups. However, a social trend evident in 1980 still existed in 1990 with low social groups having the poorest-quality diet. It is concluded that there is little evidence of substantial progress towards improving the diet of adolescents in this country."}
{"id": "PMID:1493121", "title": "Iowa PK Press for donor corneas--a comparative study of donor corneal shape.", "content": "A new cornea press for cutting donor corneal buttons from the endothelial side, the Iowa PK Press, is described. Major modifications of the Bourne Press include a spring-activated piston without lateral sway, a centering device for a Teflon cutting pad, and the ability to accommodate a wider range of trephine sizes (6.2 mm to 10.0 mm). The Iowa PK Press was compared with the Bourne Corneal Press and trephination by hand in a series of 15 donor cornea trephinations. Measurements taken from photographs of the buttons included endothelial diameter, epithelial diameter, and edge angles. The Iowa PK press cut buttons that had a slightly larger epithelial and endothelial diameter when compared to hand trephination (p < .05, analysis of variance) with less undercutting of the endothelial surface. There was no statistically significant difference in epithelial and endothelial diameters, eccentricity, or edge angles between the two presses. The Iowa PK Press is more versatile than the Bourne Press in terms of the potential range of diameter of corneal buttons that can be created."}
{"id": "PMID:1493126", "title": "Modifying diets to satisfy nutritional requirements using linear programming.", "content": "A computational method for constructing individually acceptable diets by modifying a chosen diet to meet nutritional requirements is described. The effects on food quantities of imposing different nutrient requirements on a sample diet are demonstrated and techniques which can ensure the acceptability to the individual of the modified diet are described. The starting point in the calculation is the person's current dietary intake. This is modified using linear programming methods which make the smallest changes to the food quantities to meet specific targets. Sequential modification can be used to identify changes that are acceptable to the individual. The computer program has been developed in collaboration with practising dietitians and is in use in some leading UK hospitals."}
{"id": "PMID:1493118", "title": "Astigmatism after cataract extraction: 6-year follow up of 6.5- and 12- millimeter incisions.", "content": "Cataract surgery and cataract surgeons have long realized that the surgical wound induces a significant change in the astigmatic properties of the eye postoperatively. In efforts to avoid or minimize these changes, there has been a progressive shift toward smaller incision sizes. However, that incision size which renders the eye astigmatically neutral has yet to be completely defined. This article will examine the long-term behavior of planned extracapsular surgical wounds (chord length 12 mm) and phacoemulsification wounds (chord length 6.5 mm), as well as look at potential animal models for defining how smaller incisions behave. One hundred thirty-eight eyes of patients whose average age was 75 years have been followed for up to 6 years. Both vector and scalar analyses of the induced postoperative cylinder were evaluated. Additionally, the astigmatic properties of 10 nonhuman primate eyes which had phacoemulsification surgery were followed for 1 year. Finally, incisions of smaller chord lengths, as small as 2.5 mm, were examined in the nonhuman primate model. We demonstrated that with vector analysis, the induced cylindrical change with phacoemulsification wounds (6.5 mm) was 1.20 +/- 0.60 diopters and with planned extracapsular wounds was 2.20 +/- 1.30 D. In all cases, a significant against-the-rule shift was observed which was independent of the amount of surgically induced with-the-rule astigmatism at the time of surgery. Vector analysis was more appropriate because it demonstrated the against-the-rule shift for both patients whose preoperative cylinder was \"with-the-rule\" as well as those who were preoperatively \"against-the-rule.\" In humans with 6.50-millimeter scleral incisions, these changes were completely stable 2 to 6 months postoperatively depending on the cylinder induced at the time of surgery. Experiments were also carried out in monkeys demonstrating that similar types of surgical wounds induced roughly the same amount of induced against-the-rule cylindrical shift (1.40 +/- 1.00 D), suggesting that this model is appropriate for looking at the behavior of cataract wounds in general. Smaller wounds in the nonhuman primate showed that 3.5- and 2.5-millimeter wounds were astigmatically neutral whereas 4.5-millimeter wounds and larger were not. Although the later study was performed with corneal incisions, whereas the studies mentioned earlier were all performed with scleral incisions, it is felt that this model could define that incision size which is neutral and that further work utilizing this model with other wound locations might be clinically helpful. Although the long-term behavior of 6.5-millimeter phacoemulsification wounds was generally stable, a small clinically insignificant shift did occur several years after the initial surgical procedure (0.30 D). Animal modeling, although difficult and costly, could provide relevant data in defining the specific size and placement of surgical wounds for cataract surgery."}
{"id": "PMID:1493127", "title": "Evaluation of the nutritive value of yellow rice in rats and broiler chicks.", "content": "Yellow discoloration often develops in rice kernels during post-harvest storage, due possibly to fungal activity. The present study examined the changes in nutrient composition taking place during yellowing of rice, and the effects of feeding rats and broiler chicks on a moderately yellow rice at 600 g/kg diet. Nitrogen content was found to be higher in rice grains that had become more yellow, only part of the increase being in non-protein-N; however, relative to crude protein (N x 6.25) the concentrations of lysine, methionine, cystine and arginine were lower. There were no significant differences between white and yellow rice in the food intake, weight gain and efficiency of food utilization (EFU) of rats and chicks when diets were formulated to contain similar nutrient concentrations, or the same basal ingredient composition. Diet pelleting increased food intake and weight gain in both animal species, but reduced dry matter and energy digestibility in rats; effects on nutrient retention in chicks were largely non-significant. Liver weights of rats and chicks and pancreas weights of chicks were unaffected by yellow rice; however, chicks fed on mash had a larger pancreas on average than those fed on pellets. Thus, whilst the nutrient composition of rice is altered during yellowing, a moderately yellow rice is unlikely to produce major adverse effects when fed to rats and broiler chicks."}
{"id": "PMID:1493120", "title": "Hypersensitivity following excimer laser ablation through the corneal epithelium.", "content": "From our preliminary study, we found corneal hypersensitivity after excimer laser. To study the effects of corneal epithelial wound healing on corneal sensitivity, we investigated the recovery of corneal sensitivity following excimer laser and manual epithelial debridement. The corneal epithelium of the right eye of New Zealand white rabbits (n = 19) was manually debrided and the left eye was ablated with the excimer laser (5 Hz, 160 mJ/cm2, 47-micrometer depth). The wound-healing rate was measured up to 46 hours. Corneal sensitivity was measured for 10 weeks. There was no significant difference in the wound-healing rate, but at 36 hours there was a reduction in wound-healing rate of the excimer ablated corneas. In the laser-ablated cornea, sensitivity rapidly increased to a normal level by day 5, and then it continued to increase gradually and reached a maximum at day 42. Thereafter, it retained a higher level than normal up to 10 weeks. There were significant differences in the recovery of sensitivity following excimer ablation and manual debridement. These results show the development of a lasting enhanced sensitivity in the cornea after excimer laser ablation, suggesting the need to conduct further studies of neural plasticity and sensory thresholds following interventions on the corneal surface."}
{"id": "PMID:1493128", "title": "Changes in insulin-receptor mRNA levels in skeletal muscle and brown adipose tissue of weanling rats during fasting and refeeding.", "content": "Tissue-specific alterations in insulin sensitivity occur in response to fasting and refeeding, as part of the integrated adaptive mechanisms employed to adjust to major changes in nutritional status. In the present study the effects of fasting and refeeding on insulin-receptor, actin and myosin mRNA levels in skeletal muscle, and insulin-receptor and uncoupling-protein mRNA in brown adipose tissue of rats have been examined. Insulin-receptor mRNA levels increased markedly in both skeletal muscle and brown adipose tissue after a 40 h fast, the increase being greater in brown fat (8-fold) than in muscle (2-fold). On refeeding for 4 h, the insulin-receptor mRNA level in both tissues declined rapidly to control levels. An increase in insulin-receptor mRNA level was also observed in brown adipose tissue after a 16 h fast, although not in skeletal muscle. In contrast to the insulin-receptor mRNA, the level of the mRNA for the mitochondrial uncoupling protein declined markedly in brown adipose tissue during a 40 h fast. These results indicate that insulin-receptor mRNA levels are modulated in response to the alterations in nutritional status that occur during fasting and refeeding; this may reflect a nutritional influence on transcription of the receptor-protein gene."}
{"id": "PMID:1493129", "title": "Energy supplementation reverses changes in the basal metabolic rates of chronically undernourished individuals.", "content": "The objective of the present study was to examine the influence of energy supplementation and its cessation thereafter on the basal metabolic rates (BMR) of chronically undernourished individuals. Seven apparently healthy males were supplemented daily with 3.35 MJ (15 g protein, 35 g fat, 105 g carbohydrate) for 12 weeks. The average gain in body-weight was 1.9 kg (body fat, 58%; fat-free mass (FFM), 42%). The rise in BMR exceeded that accounted for by the increases in FFM during the 12 weeks of supplementation and was attributed to increases in the amount and activity of the visceral tissue as well as to an added cost of lipogenesis. At 12 weeks after cessation of the supplement, body-weights and FFM had decreased to presupplementation levels. BMR at this stage were significantly lower than at the 12th week of supplementation, when expressed per kg FFM or when adjusted for FFM using an analysis of covariance. These results suggest an increase in the metabolic efficiency during this negative energy balance period. The study demonstrates that, in the chronically undernourished, the changes in BMR are reversible and, hence, physiologically important to the process of adaptation to low-energy intakes."}
{"id": "PMID:1493130", "title": "The effects of varying protein and energy intakes on the growth and body composition of pigs. 1. The effects of energy intake at constant, high protein intake.", "content": "The objective of the present experiment was to define the form of the relationship between varying levels of energy intake at constant, high protein intake and the performance of young pigs. By doing so it was expected that we could distinguish between four models that predict the pig's responses to its diet as rates of protein and lipid retention. Forty young pigs were assigned at 12 kg live weight either to an initial slaughter group (n 8) or to one of four allowances of starch intake at a constant intake of a high-protein feed (with 345 g crude protein (nitrogen x 6.25)/kg food). Half the pigs were killed after 4 weeks and half after 8 weeks on the treatments; at each slaughter point on each treatment half the pigs were entire males and half were females. Increasing the intake of starch (energy) resulted in significant increases in the rates of live weight, empty-body, protein and lipid gains of pigs slaughtered at both stages. There was no minimum positive lipid:protein ratio in the gain of the pigs. Male pigs deposited more protein and less lipid than females but this effect of sex on protein and lipid retention was seen only on the two highest allowances of starch intake. The calculated efficiency of protein utilization increased with increasing starch intake up to a maximum of 0.81, when probably the energy:protein in the diet became non-limiting. The results led to the rejection of two of the models that predict the rates of protein and lipid retention as responses to protein and energy intake, but the two remaining models could not be rejected, at least qualitatively."}
{"id": "PMID:1493131", "title": "The effects of varying protein and energy intakes on the growth and body composition of pigs. 2. The effects of varying both energy and protein intake.", "content": "The objective of the experiment was to define the form of the relationship between varying levels of protein and energy intake and the performance of young pigs. Forty-four young-pigs were assigned at 12 kg live weight for 6 weeks either to an initial slaughter group (n 8) or to one of the nine feeding treatments (n 4); three allowances of a high-protein food with 355 g crude protein (nitrogen x 6.25; CP)/kg (P1, P2, P3) at three levels of feeding (L, M and H). Each feeding level was met by supplementing the allowance of feed P with the appropriate amount of starch and each treatment had two males and two females. The rate of protein deposition was not affected by feeding level at the two lowest allowances of basal feed P (P1 and P2), but it increased with increasing the feeding level for the pigs on treatment P3. Males deposited more protein than females, but this effect was more pronounced with treatment P3. The rate of lipid deposition increased with each increase in the level of feeding and decreased with increasing the allowance of feed P. The calculated efficiency of protein utilization (ep) was expressed as a function of the energy:protein ratio in the feed (MJ metabolizable energy/kg digestible CP). The best model to describe the relationship was a linear-plateau model, with the maximum value for ep of 0.814 at 73 MJ/kg. This relationship provided the basis of a model that could predict the response of a growing pig to its diet as rates of protein and lipid retention."}
{"id": "PMID:1493132", "title": "Depletion of delta 9 desaturase (EC 1.14.99.5) enzyme activity in growing rat during dietary protein restriction.", "content": "The effects of protein restriction on delta 9 desaturase (EC 1.14.99.5) activity were studied in growing rats. A control group was fed on a balanced diet (200 g casein/kg; BD) for 28 d. The experimental group was fed on the low-protein diet (20 g casein/kg; LP) for 26 d, then refed the balanced diet (BD-R) for 2 d. Rats were born to and suckled from normally fed dams. The enzyme activity was measured after 2 and 14 d of LP, and 26 d of LP plus 2 d of BD-R, by incubations in vitro of hepatic microsomal pellets with [1-14C]steric acid. The results indicated a decreased delta 9 desaturase activity after 2 and 14 d of LP of -33 and -43% respectively. Refeeding for 2 d was sufficient to super-repair this activity (+66%). The fatty acid composition of total liver lipids and microsomal phosphatidylethanolamines (PE) and phosphatidylcholines (PC) were also investigated; 18:0 decreased in total liver lipids at 14 d of LP, when 18:1n-9 increased. Stearic acid (18:0) increased in PC at 2 d of LP and in PE at 14 d of LP; oleic acid (18:1n-9) did not change. Therefore, it is concluded that a defect occurred in the bioconversion of 18:0 into 18:1n-9 by delta 9 desaturation during protein depletion. As oleic acid is accumulated in total liver lipids during LP, we speculate that this is due to a decreased oxidation or transport of this fatty acid."}
{"id": "PMID:1493133", "title": "Effects of n-3 fatty acids on postprandial triacylglycerol and hormone concentrations in normal subjects.", "content": "The present study reports results from two investigations to determine effects of a 6-week period of moderate n-3 fatty acid supplementation (2.7 g/d) on fasting and on postprandial triacylglycerol and metabolic hormone concentrations in response to standard test meals. In the first study postprandial responses were followed for 210 min after an early morning test meal challenge; in the second study responses to an evening test meal were followed during the evening and overnight for a total period of 12 h. In both studies postprandial triacylglycerol responses to the test meals were significantly reduced after compared with before fish-oil supplementation. In the second study the triacylglycerol peak response seen between 200 and 400 min in subjects studied before supplementation with fish oils was almost completely absent in the same subjects after 6 weeks of n-3 fatty acid supplementation. Analysis of fasting concentrations of metabolites and hormones was carried out on the combined data from the two studies. There were no significant differences in total, low-density-lipoprotein- or high-density-lipoprotein-cholesterol concentrations during fish-oil supplementation, although there was considerable individual variation in cholesterol responses to the supplement. Concentrations of Apo-B and Apo-A1 were unchanged during supplementation with fish oils. Fasting and early morning postprandial GIP concentrations were lower in subjects taking fish oils, possibly due to acute effects of fish-oil capsules taken on the evening before the studies. In both studies fasting insulin and glucose and postprandial insulin concentrations remained unchanged following fish-oil supplementation. The results do not support the view that triacylglycerol-lowering effects of n-3 fatty acids are due to modulation of insulin secretion mediated via the enteroinsular axis. Further studies are required to determine the precise mechanism by which fish oils reduce both fasting and postprandial triacylglycerol concentrations."}
{"id": "PMID:1493134", "title": "Replacement of dietary fat with palm oil: effect on human serum lipids, lipoproteins and apolipoproteins.", "content": "Thirty-eight male volunteers participated in a double-blind cross-over trial evaluating the effect of replacing the usual sources of saturated fat in the Dutch diet (animal fats and hydrogenated oils) by palm oil, which is virtually free of cholesterol and trans-fatty acids, on serum lipids, lipoproteins and apolipoproteins. Maximum (about 70%) replacement had no significant effect on serum total cholesterol or most lipoprotein fractions, but resulted in an 11% increase in serum high-density-lipoprotein (HDL)2-cholesterol relative to the control (P2 = 0.01). The palm-oil diet also caused an 8% decrease in low-density-lipoprotein (LDL):HDL2 + HDL3-cholesterol ratio (P2 = 0.02) as well as a 9% decrease in triacylglycerols in the low-density-lipoprotein fractions (P2 = 0.01). Palm oil consumption resulted in a 4% increase in serum apolipoprotein AI (P2 = 0.008) and a 4% decrease in apolipoprotein B (P2 = 0.01) relative to the control diet; the B:AI apolipoprotein ratio was decreased by 8% (P2 < 0.0001). These results were not significantly affected by the different lipoprotein E phenotypes of the volunteers. Although the observed differences were relatively modest, the present study, nonetheless, indicates that dietary palm oil, when replacing a major part of the normal fat content in a Dutch diet, may slightly reduce the lipoprotein- and apolipoprotein-associated cardiovascular risk profiles."}
{"id": "PMID:1493135", "title": "Influence of ascorbic acid supplementation on copper metabolism in rats.", "content": "An attempt was made to unravel further the mechanism by which high dietary concentrations of ascorbic acid influence copper metabolism. The addition of ascorbic acid to the diet of rats caused about a twofold increase in plasma ascorbate concentrations and reduced group mean plasma and tissue concentrations of Cu. The effect of 10 g ascorbic acid/kg diet was greater than that of 1 g/kg. Ascorbic acid feeding reduced blood haemoglobin concentrations and packed cell volume values. Dietary ascorbic acid caused a significant decrease in apparent Cu absorption from the intestine. Ascorbate, intravenously administered together with 64Cu, caused an increase in 64Cu in the liver. Ascorbate, at concentrations occurring in plasma after ascorbic acid feeding, promoted the uptake of 64Cu by isolated hepatocytes. Thus, ascorbate stimulated the efficiency of hepatic uptake of Cu. Ascorbate, intravenously administered together with 64Cu, stimulated accumulation of 64Cu in bile of rats with a bile duct cannula. In rats fed on ascorbic acid, intravenously administered 64Cu was recovered in bile at increased rates. Dietary ascorbic acid enhanced the recovery of intraperitoneally administered 64Cu in faeces. The ascorbate-induced stimulation of biliary 64Cu excretion may reflect an increased hepatic uptake of 64Cu and be caused by an increased specific activity of Cu in liver pools. It is suggested that dietary ascorbic acid reduces tissue Cu concentrations primarily by interfering with intestinal Cu absorption. Ascorbate increases the efficiency of hepatic uptake of Cu, but this effect may not be causatively related with the reduced tissue Cu concentrations after ascorbic acid feeding."}
{"id": "PMID:1493136", "title": "A study of whole-body isotope dilution of [14C]ascorbic acid in guinea-pigs with graded ascorbate intakes.", "content": "The purpose of the present study was first to assess the extent to which unlabelled ascorbate in the diet of guinea-pigs can exchange with labelled ascorbate within their organs when the dietary intake is varied over a wide range, and second to determine whether the retention of label might be used to assess either the amount of ascorbate intake or its biological availability where these are not known. The retention of [14C]ascorbate in the body and in various organs of guinea-pigs were, therefore, measured following a 13 d period of graded dietary intakes of ascorbate. It was found first, that the amount of label retained in each of the organs, 13 d after the initial dose of labelled ascorbate, was much more closely related to the amount of ascorbate intake after labelling than to the intake (and tissue ascorbate levels) before and at the time of labelling. Second, most of the individual internal organs exhibited a constant relationship between the specific activity at 13 d and the dietary intake, except for brain which was flushed to a smaller extent. Third, in agreement with several previous studies a high proportion of the radioactive label in the tissues was found to be still present in ascorbate. The specific activity of column-purified ascorbate was very similar to the estimated specific activity in the crude extract, which implies that it may be possible to estimate specific activities (or stable isotope enrichments) at certain sites without rigorous isolation procedures. Fourth, the amount of radioactivity appearing in the urine 2 d before killing the animals was correlated with the amount of ascorbate intake and with tissue specific activities, suggesting that intakes (or bioavailability) might be predicted from the patterns of label-appearance in the urine."}
{"id": "PMID:1493137", "title": "Evaluation of inert markers for the determination of ileal and faecal apparent digestibility values in the pig.", "content": "A series of experiments was designed to evaluate inert markers employed in studies of ileal and faecal apparent digestibilities of nitrogen and amino acids in pigs fitted with simple 'T' piece cannulas. Trial 1 assessed the palatability of diets containing (a) 5 g chromic oxide/kg, (b) 1 and (c) 5 g titanium dioxide/kg at two levels of feeding. The results indicated that there were slight problems in terms of period of feed consumption associated with diets (a) and (c), but that these effects were transitory and disappeared following acclimatization, although higher levels of feeding may compound the problem. Trial 2 estimated N balance, faecal apparent digestibility of amino acids as determined by both total collection and ratio of markers, ileal apparent digestibility of amino acids and recovery of markers using diets containing (a) 1 and (b) 5 g Cr2O3/kg, (c) 1 and (d) 5 g TiO2/kg. An additional assessment of acid-insoluble lignin present within the diet was also undertaken. Cr2O3 was associated with the lowest recovery, whilst calculations based on TiO2 gave lower standard errors. Trial 3 examined diurnal variation in digesta sampling and its effect on faecal apparent digestibility of N and amino acids. There were no evident effects. In general, it was concluded that the most appropriate marker to use in studies of this nature was TiO2 at a rate of 1 g/kg."}
{"id": "PMID:1493138", "title": "Effect of vitamin A deficiency and Newcastle disease virus infection on IgA and IgM secretion in chickens.", "content": "The effect of vitamin A deficiency or the lentogenic La Sota strain of Newcastle disease virus (NDV) infection, or both, on immunoglobulin (IgA and IgM) levels in bile and plasma were investigated. In addition, tissue distribution of IgA-, IgG- and IgM-containing cells was studied to establish the source of these Ig. Chickens (1-d-old) with limited vitamin A reserves were fed ad lib. on diets containing either marginal or adequate levels of vitamin A. At 4 weeks of age, half the chickens in each group were infected with NDV. The number of IgA- and IgM-containing cells was not significantly affected by vitamin A deficiency, demonstrating that neither class-switching nor homing of Ig-containing cells is influenced by vitamin A deficiency. Although bile IgM levels were not significantly different in vitamin A-deficient chickens compared with normal chickens, IgA levels were significantly lower. This decrease was even more pronounced in deficient NDV-infected chickens, despite the higher number of IgA-containing cells found in these birds. These results, together with the slightly increased levels of IgA in plasma of vitamin A-deficient chickens, suggest that the hepatobiliary transport of IgA is impaired by vitamin A deficiency and possibly also by NDV infection, although disturbed secretion by IgA-containing cells cannot be excluded."}
{"id": "PMID:1493139", "title": "Effect of casein, casein phosphopeptides and calcium intake on ileal 45Ca disappearance and temporal systolic blood pressure in spontaneously hypertensive rats.", "content": "Paracellular 45Ca absorption and temporal systolic blood pressure (SBP) measurements were recorded in spontaneously hypertensive (SHR) and normotensive Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats fed on casein (C) and soya-bean-protein isolate (S) diets, containing 20 (H), 5 (H) and 0.5 (L) g Ca/kg. Similar measurements were also taken in SHR rats only fed on C-M and S-M diets supplemented with 30 g caseinophosphopeptides (CPP)/kg. Absorption of 45Ca from the ileal loop was equivalent in both SHR and WKY animals and largely affected by the level of dietary Ca. In addition, animals fed on C diets exhibited significantly (P < 0.05) greater ileal absorption of 45Ca compared with S-fed animals. This result was attributed to the presence of CPP and a greater (P < 0.05) proportion of soluble 45Ca in the contents of the ileum. Animals fed on S diets supplemented with CPP confirmed this finding. The SBP of SHR rats was higher (P < 0.01) than WKY controls after 9-10 weeks of age. The temporal pattern of observed hypertension was independent of dietary influence in the SHR. The severity of hypertension in SHR rats was affected only by dietary Ca deficiency, and not by Ca supplementation or CPP enhancement of Ca bioavailability. These findings suggest that tryptic digestion products of casein in milk can enhance Ca bioavailability by increasing Ca solubility; however, this action had no effect in reducing hypertension in SHR."}
{"id": "PMID:1493140", "title": "Nutritional evaluation of the trypsin (EC 3.4.21.4) inhibitor from cowpea (Vigna unguiculata Walp.).", "content": "The effect of feeding rats purified cowpea (Vigna unguiculata Walp.) trypsin (EC 3.4.21.4) inhibitor in a semi-synthetic high-quality diet based on lactalbumin (10 g inhibitor/kg) for 10 d was a moderate reduction in the weight gain of rats in comparison with controls, despite an identical food intake in the two groups. The reduction in the growth rate was about 20% on a live weight basis. However, the corresponding value calculated from the weight of dry carcasses was less, only about 7%, probably because the water content of the body of the two groups of rats was different. Although most of the cowpea trypsin inhibitor (CpTI) was rapidly broken down in the digestive tract, its inclusion in the diet led to a slight, though significant, increase in the nitrogen content of faeces but not of urine. Accordingly, the net protein utilization of rats fed on inhibitor-containing diets was also slightly depressed while their energy expenditure was elevated. In agreement with results obtained for the protease inhibitors of soya bean, the slight anti-nutritional effects of CpTI were probably due mainly to the stimulation of the growth and metabolism of the pancreas. Thus, the nutritional penalty for increased insect-resistance after the transfer of the cowpea trypsin inhibitor gene into food plants is slight in the short-term."}
{"id": "PMID:1493141", "title": "The digestibility in piglets of faba bean (Vicia faba L.) as affected by breeding towards the absence of condensed tannins.", "content": "Seed samples from two near-isogenic faba bean (Vicia faba L.) lines were examined for the levels of so-called anti-nutritional factors (ANF). From the ANF known to be present in faba beans, trypsin inhibitor activity, functional lectins, condensed tannins and pyrimidine glycosides were analysed. It was concluded that the lines differed only in the content of condensed tannins being < 0.5 g/kg and 5.2 (SD 0.2) g/kg for the low (LT)- and high (HT)-tannin lines respectively. In addition, the level of pyrimidine glycosides in the LT line was slightly higher than that in the HT line. The LT line showed a reduced proportion of the seed coat (105 v. 119 g/kg) and a lower seed weight (0.85 v. 1.01 g). The apparent ileal and faecal digestibility values of dry matter and nitrogen from the HT and LT line were determined for piglets which were fed on diets containing chromium oxide as a marker. The mean apparent ileal and faecal digestibility values for dry matter for the LT line were 0.694 and 0.889 and for N 0.828 and 0.879 respectively. For the HT line, these values were approximately 0.05 and 0.10 lower (P > 0.05). A multienzyme technique was used to predict the in vitro protein digestibility (IVPD) of the two lines. The IVPD of the LT line was 0.965 and about 0.05 higher than the HT line, confirming the difference in digestibility as measured in vivo. The present study shows the positive effects on digestibility of removal of condensed tannins in faba beans which was achieved by plant breeding."}
{"id": "PMID:1493144", "title": "Use of birth control pills and condoms among 17-19-year-old adolescents in Norway: contraceptive versus protective behaviour?", "content": "This article addresses the relationship between sexual risk behaviour and contraceptive behaviour, and considers whether adolescents who use condoms are practising birth control or STD protective behaviour. The material comprised a representative sample of 3000 Norwegians aged 17-19 years. Data were collected by anonymous self-administered questionnaires. The response-rate was 63%. At the first sexual intercourse 51% of the adolescents used condoms and 7% birth control pills. At the most recent intercourse 31% used condoms and 38% the pill. Use of the pill was widespread among adolescents with high coital frequency and few coital partners. Use of condoms was not particularly widespread among adolescents who reported a relatively large number of coital partners. Irrespective of the number of years they had been coitally active there was no significant difference between those who intended to use condoms at the next sexual intercourse and those who did not as regards their beliefs about condoms as protection against STDs, HIV and unintended pregnancies. The results from this study indicate that the majority of adolescents who use contraception do this for protection against unintended pregnancy and not for protection against STDs. The preference for the pill may make teenagers less prepared to practise STD protective behaviour in specific situations."}
{"id": "PMID:1493145", "title": "AIDS dementia-related psychosis: is there a window of vulnerability?", "content": "Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) frequently enters the central nervous system (CNS) soon after infection, and frequently produces a wide variety of neurologic, cognitive, and psychiatric complications. Although, the entire spectrum of psychiatric illnesses may be seen in individuals with HIV infection, most are probably not directly caused by the virus. Psychiatric manifestations that are the direct result of HIV infection are usually seen in the setting of HIV-associated dementia. In this paper, it is proposed that these psychiatric manifestations of HIV infection can be phenomenologically separated into positive and negative symptoms. Negative symptoms are deficit states presenting as cognitive, social, or motivational deterioration; positive symptoms are psychotic or manic states that may occur in the course of the dementing illness. It is further purposed that there is a window of vulnerability to psychosis or mania that occurs relatively early in the dementing process. Consequently, advancing dementia would be expected to be associated with remission of psychosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1493146", "title": "Differences in HIV-related knowledge and attitudes between Caucasian and 'Asian' men in Glasgow.", "content": "There is little available information about the possible differences in HIV-related knowledge and attitudes between ethnic majority and minority groups. Questionnaires were completed by 490 Caucasian males and 243 males with origins in the Indian subcontinent ('Asian') living in Glasgow. There were small differences between the samples regarding knowledge of modes of transmission of HIV or perceived adequacy of personal knowledge. The 'Asian' men, however, were much more likely to indicate reluctance to use services also used by people with HIV and to feel that people with AIDS only had themselves to blame. They were also much less likely to feel at risk of becoming infected with HIV. The differences were not related to age. These marked differences, apparently unrelated to knowledge are important and require further exploration."}
{"id": "PMID:1493147", "title": "Selling sex: female street prostitution and HIV risk behaviour in Glasgow.", "content": "Female prostitutes have often been seen as a major source of HIV infection. In this paper we report on a study of HIV-related risk behaviour among street prostitutes in Glasgow. This paper is based on street interviews using a standardized schedule with 68 women. We focus on the extent of HIV testing amongst the women, travel, the sexual services provided, the use of condoms with clients and private partners, and the extent of drug injecting and equipment sharing by the women. It is shown that female street prostitution within Glasgow is, at present, unlikely to be associated with significant heterosexual spread of HIV as most commercial sex is with a condom. However, some risk activities are continuing. Additionally, prostitutes report worrying rates of condom failure with clients. It is suggested that attention should switch away from an exclusive focus on women selling sexual services to target the men who purchase sex. These data indicate that much of the pressure for these women to provide unprotected sex comes from their clients."}
{"id": "PMID:1493148", "title": "Maintenance of open gay relationships: some strategies for protection against HIV.", "content": "The role of sexual exclusivity (monogamy) in relation to HIV, and the use of rule making in non-exclusive (open) relationships, are discussed. Data from interviews with 387 homosexually active men are presented. The most common sexual/relational configuration amongst these men is that of open relationships. Sexual non-exclusivity was found to be associated with longer relationships, and a greater age difference between partners. The strategies some of these men are using to maintain sexually non-exclusive relationships are outlined. These rules pertain both to interpersonal dynamics and HIV prevention. Differing epidemiological significance of the rules and some implications for health education are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1493149", "title": "The Edinburgh cohort of HIV positive drug users: who are they and who cares for them?", "content": "Between 1983 and 1984, it is estimated that over 1,000 injection drug users in Edinburgh were infected with HIV. The social and demographic characteristics of 300 HIV positive drug users attending a medical clinical between 1987 and 1991 have been recorded. Nearly all were unemployed, poorly educated and living in council-owned accommodation; one third were female, 17% of whom were caring for a child. Half the cohort lived with a partner, and one fifth with parents; there were no differences between symptomatic and asymptomatic patients. During the study, 45 patients died, mostly from AIDS or an AIDS-related condition. HIV positive drug users are not socially isolated, but they are heavily dependent on family support in the community."}
{"id": "PMID:1493151", "title": "The origin of clinical laboratories.", "content": "Clinical laboratories are a main attribute of clinical chemistry. Their historical development is therefore of great interest in the history of clinical chemistry. The results of a study are given which was undertaken to trace the establishment of clinical laboratories in central Europe, mainly in France, England and in the German-speaking countries. Presuppositions for the creation of these laboratories were: (i) The idea that the results of laboratory examinations can be used as \"chemical signs\" in medical diagnosis, and (ii) a new concept of disease which was the result of the \"birth of the clinic\" at the end of the 18th century. The study shows that the development of clinical laboratories began 200 years ago. Up to the end of the 19th century, three development phases can be distinguished: an early phase from 1790 to 1840, a phase of institutionalization from 1840 to 1855, and a phase of extension between 1855 and 1890. To characterize these three phases, the foundation of the laboratories, the layout of the laboratory rooms, their equipment and instrumentation, and the usual staff are described with the aid of typical examples."}
{"id": "PMID:1493152", "title": "Liver transplantation in a boy with acute porphyria due to aminolaevulinate dehydratase deficiency.", "content": "The clinical and biochemical outcome of a liver transplantation in a seven-year-old boy with acute porphyria due to aminolaevulinate dehydratase deficiency is described. Before transplantation standard liver function tests were normal and the rationale for transplantation was that the new liver would reduce the metabolic disturbance and thus avert the porphyric symptoms. During the year after the transplantation, the functioning of the new liver has been excellent. Basal excretion of porphyrin and porphyrin precursors has remained unchanged but, with the new liver transplant the patient has been able to withstand several porphyrinogenic challenges without increasing the excretion. Episodes of neurological and respiratory crises may have been due to persistent porphyric vulnerability. Alternatively, two early attacks may have been caused by neurotoxic effects of cyclosporin in combination with the existing damage to nervous tissue."}
{"id": "PMID:1493153", "title": "Renal sorbitol, myo-inositol and glycerophosphorylcholine in streptozotocin-diabetic rats.", "content": "The polyols, sorbitol and myo-inositol, seem to be involved in the development of diabetic complications of different organs. High concentrations of both polyols were found in kidney medulla in addition to trimethylamines. To investigate the influence of diabetes mellitus on the regulation of both polyols and glycerophosphorylcholine in kidney, these osmolytes were quantitated enzymatically along the corticopapillary axis in untreated, streptozotocin-diabetic and insulin-treated streptozotocin-diabetic rats. In control animals three individual osmolyte patterns were found: a steep gradient of sorbitol in the papilla, increasing amounts of glycerophosphorylcholine from the outer medulla to the papilla, and nearly equal amounts of myo-inositol in the renal medulla, decreasing towards the cortex. Diabetic rats exhibit an up to fourfold increase of inner medullary sorbitol, whereas myo-inositol was only elevated in the outer medulla. Glycerophosphorylcholine was lowered in the papillary tip and elevated in the outer medulla and cortex. Insulin treatment reduced sorbitol to a concentration between those of diabetic and control rats, caused a restoration of glycerophosphorylcholine in the papillary tip and outer medulla to control values, and increased cortical myo-inositol. These data confirm previous in vitro data, which show that papillary sorbitol specifically increases in hyperglycaemic states, thereby counteracting the increased extracellular tonicity due to elevated tissue glucose concentrations. Imbalance of extra- vs intracellular osmolality during insulin treatment may be involved in the pathomechanism of renal papillary necrosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1493154", "title": "The physiological and pathophysiological basis of glomerular permeability for plasma proteins and erythrocytes.", "content": "The barrier function of glomerular capillaries in vivo, which prevents the leakage of plasma proteins and cellular elements, depends on the basic morphological and electro-chemical fine structure of the glomerular capillary wall, and on a functional barrier maintained by components obtained from blood, which effect the definitive barrier against the leakage of plasma proteins and cellular elements. The functional component of the barrier may explain the variability and some of the phenomena known as functional proteinuria. A certain size and number of morphological \"defects\" are thought to represent the normal condition, but under pathological conditions they may increase in size and number, resulting in a shift to an increasing permeability for higher molecular mass proteins; also an increase of the size and number of larger defects may enable more red cells to pass the barrier compared with the normal condition. These defects are different from the minimal glomerular lesions which are due to charge defects in the glomerular capillary membrane, primarily the lamina rara interna and the lamina rara externa of the basement membrane."}
{"id": "PMID:1493155", "title": "Glomerular changes in diabetes mellitus.", "content": "Ultrastructural, immunohistochemical and biochemical studies have improved our knowledge on the events occurring during the development of diabetic late complications. Immunohistochemical investigations of diabetic kidneys, using antibodies against various components of the extracellular matrix, showed increased collagen type IV (alpha 1,alpha 2-chain) deposition in the mesangial matrix, and a decrease of heparan sulphate proteoglycan in the mesangial matrix and glomerular basement membrane. Changes in matrix components seem to be the underlying cause of the alterations in renal function, as reflected by albuminuria and proteinuria. The occurrence of collagen type III in late diffuse glomerulosclerosis has been interpreted as an irreversible change in glomerular structure. The extent of alteration of the extracellular matrix correlates to a certain extent with the severity of nephropathy of the individual subject. The studies performed to date support the hypothesis that hyperglycaemia, whatever its origin, is the primary cause of diabetic late complications, although the pathobiochemical mechanisms are not yet fully understood. Increased intra- and extracellular levels of glucose and its derivatives are thought to contribute to diabetic tissue dysfunction. Three pathobiochemical theories are favoured in the current discussion: i) the polyol pathway ii) non-enzymatic glycation of proteins iii) direct influence of hyperglycaemia on the synthesis of matrix components. The evidence for the participation of the polyol pathway in the pathogenesis of diabetic nephropathy comes mainly from animal data using aldose reductase inhibitors, but only limited data are available for humans, so that the significance of this pathomechanism cannot yet be determined.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1493156", "title": "Role of glomerular proteinases in the evolution of glomerulosclerosis.", "content": "Recent studies suggest that proteolytic enzymes located within the glomerulus are involved in the degradation of extracellular matrix components. In the present investigation glomerular proteinase activities were followed in a variety of non-immune-mediated renal diseases as well as during different dietary manipulations. Azocaseinolysis was significantly reduced in the obese Zucker rat compared with lean littermates (pH 5.4:8.9 +/- 0.4 vs 11.4 +/- 0.7; pH 7.4:5.8 +/- 0.7 vs 9.3 +/- 0.6 arb. U/mg protein). When the glomerular proteolytic capacity was measured in old rats, again a significant decline in proteolysis was observed (pH 5.4:9.8 +/- 0.8 vs 17.7 +/- 0.8; pH 7.4:6.4 +/- 0.7 vs 11.7 +/- 0.5 arb. U/mg protein). In Goldblatt hypertensive rats the unclipped kidney, which is exposed to high blood pressure, revealed lower glomerular azocaseinolytic activity compared with the contralateral clipped kidney (pH 5.4:8.1 +/- 0.4 vs 12.9 +/- 0.5 arb. U/mg protein). In parallel, the cathepsin B content was also diminished in glomeruli from kidneys exposed to hypertension. When proteinases were followed in glomeruli from intact kidneys of rats fed protein-modified diets (fraction of casein 0.05, 0.20 or 0.60) a significant fall in the activities of cysteine proteinases, e.g. cathepsin B (casein 0.05:1,498 +/- 110 vs casein 0.60:914 +/- 84 microU/micrograms DNA), as well as metalloproteinases, e.g. collagenase (casein 0.05:233 +/- 14 vs casein 0.60:137 +/- 11 microU/micrograms DNA), occurred. These data indicate that in both early and late stages of glomerulosclerosis, proteolytic activities within the glomerulus tend to be reduced, which could allow extracellular matrix accumulation. Moreover, changes in dietary protein intake resulted in profound alterations of glomerular proteinases.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1493157", "title": "Adenosine deaminase restores the ability of atrial natriuretic peptide to induce glomerular hyperfiltration in low-sodium rats.", "content": "Administration of a large dose of atrial natriuretic peptide is associated with an increase in glomerular filtration rate, diuresis and natriuresis in normal-sodium rats. However, glomerular hyperfiltration induced by atrial natriuretic peptide is markedly decreased in low-sodium rats. Glomerular insensitivity to atrial natriuretic peptide may be due to increased activity of the renin-angiotensin system in low-sodium rats and to an accompanying hypersensitivity to adenosine. The results indicate that attenuated glomerular responses to atrial natriuretic peptide are restored by the administration of adenosine deaminase in low-sodium rats. Moreover atrial natriuretic peptide markedly increases the urinary excretion of adenosine deaminase, which may be due to increased permeability of glomeruli to the enzyme."}
{"id": "PMID:1493158", "title": "Glycation of serum albumin and its role in renal protein excretion and the development of diabetic nephropathy.", "content": "The present study was designed to investigate whether microalbuminuria at the onset of diabetic nephropathy might be partially due to the glycation of serum albumin. It is postulated elsewhere (Ghiggeri et al., Proc. Eur. Dial. Transplant. Assoc. 21 (1984) 633-636) that the glycation of serum albumin and the subsequent cationization may induce microalbuminuria. To investigate whether a relationship exists between the amount of glycated albumin in its cationized form and the development, and progression of diabetic nephropathy, the urinary excretion of glycated albumin was studied in diabetic patients. The diabetic patients (type I and II diabetes) were divided into groups according to their albumin excretion rates: group I diabetics had a normal albumin excretion (n = 30, x = 4.2 mg/12 h); group II diabetes displayed microalbuminuria (n = 17, x = 38.6 mg/12 h); group III diabetics displayed macroalbuminuria (n = 21, x = 582.5 mg/12 h). The fraction of glycated albumin in serum (Glyco Gel Test Kit) was 0.032 in group I, 0.042 in group II, and 0.038 in group III, all these values were significantly higher than the value for the controls (0.014%; n = 17, 2 alpha = 0.001) as measured with the Glyco Gel Test Kit. The concentration of glycated albumin in the urine of the controls and group I was below the detection limit. Urine in group II contained only a glycated albumin fraction of 0.0002 of total albumin, and the fraction for group III was 0.0008. Isoelectric focussing (IEF) and chromato-focussing revealed native albumin with an isoelectric point of 4.7-4.9, and anionic glycated albumin with a pI of 3.0-4.2.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1493159", "title": "Carbohydrate and lipid metabolism of the renal tubule in diabetes mellitus.", "content": "Diabetic nephropathy not only involves vascular and glomerular changes but also affects tubular metabolism, structure and function. Under acute insulin withdrawal the tubular size increases with glomerular hyperfiltration. Insulin like growth factor 1 (IGF1) has been found to be a candidate mediator involved under these conditions. Tubular carbohydrate metabolism is characterized by gluconeogenesis in the proximal tubule, glycolytic enzymes in the distal segments and high aldose reductase activity in the structures of the renal papilla. In the diabetic state, gluconeogenesis is stimulated by changes of the acid base status. Mitochondrial glucose oxidation is decreased by inhibition of pyruvate dehydrogenase activity through preferential oxidation of fatty acids and ketone bodies. The increase in glycogen in distal tubule cells and sorbitol accumulated in papillary structures can be explained by the high extracellular glucose supply under diabetic conditions. Fatty acids taken up in excess of tubular energy needs accumulate in the nephron as triacylglycerols, mainly in the proximal convoluted tubule. Fatty acid oxidation is inhibited by ketone bodies in proximal and outer medullary tubules, leading to preferential oxidation of the latter under ketotic conditions. Ammonia formed during tubular metabolism of glutamine increases in metabolic acidosis but is suppressed by ketone bodies, leading to a nitrogen sparing effect of ketone bodies. All acute metabolic derangements are abolished, and normal metabolism reestablished by adequate insulin treatment in vivo."}
{"id": "PMID:1493160", "title": "Distribution of cathepsins B and L in the kidney and their role in tubular protein absorption.", "content": "Intralysosomal proteinase activity, due to cathepsins B and L, was measured in microdissected segments of rat nephron, using Z-Phen-Arg-7-amido-4-methylcoumarin as the substrate. Cathepsin B was determined with Z-Arg-Arg-7-amido-4-methylcoumarin. The enzymes cleave on the carboxy side of arginine and release free 7-amino-4-methylcoumarin, which is highly fluorescent and can be measured at very low concentrations in small volumes. Enzyme activities were measured in three individual microdissected segments of the proximal tubule and in six different segments of the distal tubule. Experiments were performed in normal non-proteinuric rats and in several rat models of glomerular proteinuria. The distributions of cathepsin activities along the nephron were similar. In all groups, the convoluted part of the proximal tubule had enzyme activities three times higher than in the remaining segments of the nephron. In the last millimeter of the pars convoluta and in the pars recta of the proximal tubule, enzyme activities were two to three times higher in proteinuric animals. These findings suggest that in proteinuric animals the increase in the protein load delivered to the proximal tubules selectively stimulated cathepsin B and L activities in the last millimeter of the pars convoluta and in the pars recta of the proximal tubule, presumably because of an increase in protein uptake, and that cathepsins B and L participate in lysosomal digestion of protein reabsorbed from the glomerular ultrafiltrate via endocytosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1493161", "title": "Measurement of N-acetyl-beta-glucosaminidase and its isoenzymes in urine methods and clinical applications.", "content": "1. N-Acetyl-beta-glucosaminidase is the most widely used urinary enzyme assay for the assessment of renal disease and the detection of nephrotoxicity. 2. An increase in N-acetyl-beta-glucosaminidase activity in urine is a sensitive test for renal tubular damage, since its relative molecular mass (M(r) > 130,000) precludes its filtration by the glomerulus and it is the most active of the glycosidases found in the lysosomes in the proximal tubule. 3. The analytical methods available for the determination of urinary N-acetyl-beta-glucosaminidase include fluorometric, colorimetric, spectrophotometric and a dipstick test. 4. The isoenzyme profile of N-acetyl-beta-glucosaminidase in urine varies at different stages of renal disease and damage. In particular there are increases in the B and I2 forms which may reflect perturbation of the cellular biosynthetic processes. 5. The value of N-acetyl-beta-glucosaminidase assays in various areas of medicine is briefly discussed and attention paid to its future role."}
{"id": "PMID:1493162", "title": "A new strategy for characterizing proteinuria and haematuria from a single pattern of defined proteins in urine.", "content": "Prerenal, glomerular, tubulointerstitial and postrenal proteinurias and haematurias are usually differentiated by a number of non-invasive and invasive diagnostic procedures. We have applied a new analytical strategy based on the observation that different urine protein patterns are excreted in normal, prerenal, renal and postrenal proteinurias and haematurias. When analysed by turbidimetric procedures urine albumin, IgG, alpha 1-microglobulin and alpha 2-macroglobulin can be used as marker proteins to characterize the degree of glomerular permeability, tubular protein reabsorption and postrenal bleeding respectively. Primary glomerulopathies (selective and non-selective) and tubulointerstitial nephropathies can be differentiated by plotting the excretion rates of IgG or alpha 1-microglobulin against that of albumin. Postrenal contaminations are detected by quantitative turbidimetric assay of the high molecular weight proteins, alpha 2-macroglobulin and IgG. In postrenal bleeding, with albumin concentrations above 100 mg/l, the relative excretion rates of these proteins were proportional to their plasma concentrations. In glomerular haematurias, however, the ratios to albumin were much lower. The optimal discriminating ratio was found to be 2.0 x 10(-2) for alpha 2-macroglobulin/albumin and 2 x 10(-1) for IgG/albumin. Tubulointerstitial involvement in haematuria is characterized by elevated alpha 1-microglobulin excretion rates, with alpha 2-macroglobulin/albumin ratios below 2.0 x 10(-2) and IgG/albumin ratios above 2 x 10(-1). The reported procedure allows the exclusion and differentiation of clinically relevant proteinurias and haematurias in a single urine specimen."}
{"id": "PMID:1493163", "title": "Intestinal alkaline phosphatase as an indicator of effects on the S3-segment of the human proximal tubule.", "content": "A specific monoclonal antibody (IAP250) raised against human intestinal alkaline phosphatase was used to study the expression of this isoenzyme in human renal tissue and its release into urine."}
{"id": "PMID:1493164", "title": "Exogenous progesterone and progestins as used in estrous synchrony regimens do not mimic the corpus luteum in regulation of luteinizing hormone and 17 beta-estradiol in circulation of cows.", "content": "Our working hypothesis was that the low concentrations of progesterone (P4) and synthetic progestins administered in hormonal regimens to control estrous cycles of cows would have similar effects on secretion of LH and 17 beta-estradiol (E2). In addition, we hypothesized that concentrations of exogenous P4 typical of the midluteal phase of the estrous cycle and the corpus luteum (CL) would have similar effects on LH and E2, and the effects would be different from those of synthetic progestins and low concentrations of P4. Cows (n = 29) were randomly assigned to one of five treatment groups: 1) one Progesterone Releasing Intravaginal Device (1PRID; n = 6); 2) two PRIDs (2PRID; n = 6); 3) norgestomet, as in Syncro-Mate-B regimen (SMB; n = 6); 4) melengestrol acetate (MGA; 0.5 mg/day; n = 5); and 5) control (CONT; n = 6). Treatments were administered for 9 days (Day 0 = initiation of treatment). All cows from 1PRID, 2PRID, SMB, and MGA groups were injected with prostaglandin F2 alpha (PGF2 alpha) on Days 2 and 5 of the treatment period to regress CL. Cows in the 1PRID and SMB groups were also administered exogenous estrogen according to the respective estrous synchronization protocol for these products. Daily blood samples were collected from Day 0 to 35 to determine concentrations of P4. On Day 8, blood samples were collected at 15-min intervals for 24 h to determine pattern of LH secretion. On Day 9, all treatments ceased and cows in the CONT group received injections of PGF2 alpha.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1493165", "title": "Changes in concentrations of follicular inhibin alpha and beta A subunit messenger ribonucleic acids and inhibin immunoactivity during preovulatory maturation in the pig.", "content": "Ovarian tissues were collected from 5 pigs on each of days 1, 3, 5, and 7 after withdrawal of an orally active progestin to determine changes in follicular inhibin subunit mRNAs during preovulatory maturation. Follicles (N = 146) were aspirated for fluid and homogenized in guanidinium isothiocyanate for RNA isolation. Follicular RNA and inhibin alpha and beta A subunit mRNA standards were dot-blotted, hybridized with [32P]-cDNA probes, and quantified by densitometry. Mean concentrations of alpha mRNA (pg/micrograms of RNA) increased (p < or = 0.05) by 140% as healthy follicles grew from medium (3-5 mm) to large (> 5 mm). Inhibin immunoactivity was greater (p < or = 0.05) in large than medium follicles. In contrast, mean concentrations of inhibin beta A subunit mRNA did not differ between healthy medium and large follicles. However, both alpha mRNA and beta A mRNA increased (p < or = 0.05) linearly as follicular diameter increased from 3 to 5 mm on Day 1 and from 3 to 9 mm on Day 3. On Day 5, alpha mRNA remained elevated, but was not significantly correlated with diameter. In contrast, beta A mRNA decreased linearly (p < 0.05) as diameter increased from 6 to 11 mm on Day 5. The molar ratio alpha mRNA to beta A mRNA was 20:1 in healthy, large follicles on Days 3 and 5. Mean concentration of alpha mRNA in large follicles decreased (p < 0.05) by 72% between Days 5 and 7, while beta A mRNA decreased to non-detectable levels on Day 7.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1493166", "title": "Influence of sexual maturity of donor on in vivo survival of transferred porcine embryos.", "content": "A study was conducted to determine whether embryos recovered from first-estrous (pubertal) and second-estrous gilts differed in survival when transferred to first- or third-estrous recipients. Embryos were recovered surgically from first- and second-estrous donors 48-72 h postmating and 6-10 normal embryos/zygotes (1-4 cells) were transferred to oviducts (3-5 embryos/ampulla) of nonmated synchronous first- (n = 40) or third- (n = 15) estrous recipients. Blood samples were collected from the jugular vein of recipient gilts on Days 3, 12, and 30 of gestation and the sera were analyzed for progesterone and free (unconjugated) estrogens by use of radioimmunoassays. Recipient gilts were subsequently slaughtered between Days 30 and 40 to assess embryonic losses. Mean number of ovulations was lower among first-estrous vs. third-estrous recipients (8.9 +/- 0.7 vs. 11.4 +/- 0.7; p < 0.05). Percentage of recipients that maintained pregnancy was similar between first- and third-estrous gilts (67.5 vs. 60.0%) and recovery of total conceptuses (normal and degenerating) resulting from transfer of one-cell- and cleavage-stage embryos did not differ among first- vs. third-estrous gilts (76.1 vs. 78.2%). Similarly, percentage of viable fetuses in first-estrous gilts that were pregnant from transfer of one-cell- and cleavage-stage embryos was not different from that of third-estrous gilts (69.3 vs. 75.6%). Percentages of total conceptuses and viable fetuses in first- and third-estrous gilts that were recipients of cleavage-stage embryos only also did not differ (p > 0.05).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1493167", "title": "Urethral glands of the male mouse contain secretory component and immunoglobulin A plasma cells and are targets of testosterone.", "content": "The occurrence and possible functions of mucosal immunity in the male urogenital tract have not been extensively investigated. In this study we used immunolabeling to localize secretory component (SC) and immunoglobulin (Ig) A in the urogenital tract of the male mouse. SC was located in the ventral prostate, while SC and IgA plasma cells were both detected in the urethral glands in the pelvic and bulbous portions of the urethra. SC and IgA were not observed elsewhere in the urogenital tract. We also examined the ventral prostate and urethral glands of sham-castrated, oil-treated castrated, and testosterone-treated castrated mice. There was a striking reduction in the size of the ventral prostate and urethral glands in oil-treated castrates compared to the other two groups, based on gross and histological morphology. Morphometric analysis showed that the cell and nuclear sizes of the urethral gland acinar cells were reduced after castration and restored to normal size by testosterone treatment. Androgen receptors (AR) were localized in the nuclei of urethral gland cells by immunocytochemistry using anti-AR antibodies. Labeling of SC and IgA plasma cells was similar in the urethral glands and ventral prostates of sham- and testosterone-treated castrates, but was reduced or absent at these sites in oil-treated castrates. These studies show that the ventral prostate and urethral glands may be sites for secretory immunity in the male murine urogenital tract, and that the urethral glands are targets for testosterone."}
{"id": "PMID:1493168", "title": "Localization of a maturation-dependent epididymal sperm surface antigen recognized by a monoclonal antibody raised against a 135-kilodalton protein in porcine epididymal fluid.", "content": "A specific 135-kDa protein was purified from porcine cauda epididymal fluid. Analysis of its N-terminal amino acid sequence revealed it to be a new protein. Stable clones of hybridomas that produced monoclonal antibodies against the purified 135-kDa protein were established. A clone, B-11, reacting both with epididymal fluid and with sperm plasma membranes was selected and used in this study. Immunoblotting analysis showed that B-11 reacted only with a 135-kDa protein among epididymal fluid proteins. In contrast, B-11 did not recognize a similar 135-kDa sperm protein but did strongly react with a 27-kDa protein among sperm membrane proteins, extracted by NP-40 in the presence of protease inhibitors. B-11 also reacted only with a 27-kDa protein fragment among trypsin digests of the 135-kDa epididymal protein. The 135-kDa protein was first detected, by ELISA or immunoblotting analysis, at the beginning of the corpus epididymis. Maximal levels were reached in the distal corpus and levels were slightly decreased in the cauda epididymis. On the other hand, the surface of caput sperm were found to contain small amounts of antigen(s), the concentration of which gradually increased during epididymal transit. In immunocytochemical studies, the antigen was detectable in the epithelial cells from the initial segment to the corpus of the epididymis but not in the caudal cells. In the lumen, the presence of the 135 kDa protein was apparent in the corpus (at a maximum in the middle and distal corpus) and to a lesser degree in the caudal lumen. The 27-kDa protein was distributed all over the equatorial region of the acrosome of less than 10% of caput epididymal sperm. As sperm passed through the corpus epididymis, the percentage of immunoreactive cells increased and the protein was restricted to specific domains of the sperm head. Thus, on the mature sperm, antigen was localized in a crescent-shaped area of the equatorial segment just behind the anterior part of the acrosome and on the apical rim of the sperm head. This is the first observation of a sperm surface antigen derived from an epididymal protein as a proteolytic fragment that interacts with specific regions of the sperm membrane during the process of spermatozoa maturation."}
{"id": "PMID:1493169", "title": "Analysis of seminal plasma from roosters carrying the Sd (sperm degeneration) allele.", "content": "In previous research, subfertile roosters carrying the Sd (sperm degeneration) allele were characterized by malformed proximal efferent ducts. An abnormal biochemical milieu within the excurrent ducts of the testis was inferred. The objective of the present study was to compare seminal plasma composition between mutant (Sd) and normal (sd+) roosters. Phenotypic mutants were selected--on the basis of sperm viability--from a flock of Delaware roosters. After weekly ejaculations, sperm viability was < 60% for mutant roosters as compared to 100% for normal roosters. As reported previously, sperm viability in mutants increased to normal levels after frequent ejaculation. When comparisons were based on semen containing 100% viable spermatozoa, mutants were comparable to normal roosters with respect to sperm concentration and seminal plasma osmolality. Neither genotype was characterized by seminal plasma proteolytic activity at neutral pH. In contrast, seminal plasma from mutants was characterized by an imbalance of electrolytes, amino acids, and protein. Because the rooster lacks accessory sex glands, seminal plasma composition reflects excurrent duct function. Consequently, the abnormal seminal plasma composition of Sd roosters is attributed to excurrent duct dysfunction."}
{"id": "PMID:1493170", "title": "Thymosin alpha-1 enhances the fertilizing capacity of human sperm cell: implication in diagnosis and treatment of male infertility.", "content": "The effects of synthetic thymosin peptides (T alpha 1 and T beta 4) and their antibodies on the fertilizing capacity of human sperm cells were investigated. T alpha 1, but not the T beta 4, significantly (p < 0.001) increased the human sperm penetration rates in sperm penetration assay (SPA). Antibodies to both T alpha 1 and TB4, which predominantly bound to the acrosomal region of human sperm cell in the indirect immunofluorescence technique (IFT), also significantly (p < 0.001) increased (up to 4.7-fold) the human sperm penetration rates in SPA. The T alpha 1 and antibodies to both T alpha 1 and T beta 4 enhanced spontaneous as well as calcium ionophore-induced acrosome reaction and release of acrosin from the human sperm cells. There was no effect of T alpha 1 and antibodies to T alpha 1 and T beta 4 on percent sperm motility, although they significantly affected various motility characteristics such as velocity, amplitude of lateral head displacement (ALH), and beta frequency--the motility parameters involved in hyperactivation phenomenon of sperm cells. Both T alpha 1 and T beta 4 were detected in the seminal plasma of fertile men, and the levels of T alpha 1 were significantly (p = 0.002) lower in the seminal plasma of infertile men having defective sperm function. These results indicate that the thymosin molecules, especially T alpha 1, may have a role in human sperm capacitation leading to acrosome reaction. These findings also suggest that the T alpha 1 may find clinical applications in the specific diagnosis and treatment of male infertility in humans."}
{"id": "PMID:1493171", "title": "Immunocytochemical analysis of estrogen and progestin receptors in uteri of steroid-treated and pregnant cats.", "content": "The purpose of this study was to determine the distribution of estrogen receptors (ER) and progestin receptors (PR) in specific uterine cell populations during various steroid hormone treatment regimens, and to determine if ER and PR distribution in the uterus is altered during implantation and the establishment of pregnancy in the cat. The tissues were processed for indirect immunocytochemical localization of receptors using specific monoclonal antibodies against ER and PR. ER were present in the nuclei of all epithelial cells and stromal fibroblasts in endometrium obtained from ovariectomized animals, whereas PR were only detectable in the nuclei of stromal fibroblasts. There was an apparent increase in the staining intensity and number of nuclei that stained positively for both ER and PR in all cell populations after 14 days of estradiol treatment. The administration of progesterone for 14 and 21 days, in the presence or absence of continuous estradiol, reduced the apparent intensity of staining and the number of nuclei staining positively for both ER and PR. ER were undetectable in the luminal epithelium, but remained in the glandular epithelial cells and stromal fibroblasts, whereas PR were only detectable in stromal fibroblasts. ER and PR localization in the endometrium obtained from estrus animals was similar to that observed in the estradiol-treated animals. A general decrease in intensity of staining for both ER and PR was evident by Day 5 postcoitus in pregnant animals. This decrease in intensity of staining continued until Day 12 postcoitus, when the distributions of ER and PR were similar to those observed in the ovariectomized estradiol-primed, progesterone-treated animals.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1493172", "title": "Melatonin decreases estrogen receptor expression in the medial preoptic area of inbred (LSH/SsLak) golden hamsters.", "content": "Daily late afternoon injections of melatonin (25 micrograms/day s.c.) were found to reduce the number of cells expressing estrogen receptor immunoreactivity in the medial preoptic area of ovariectomized inbred (LSH/SsLak) golden hamsters. Employing immunocytochemical analysis with the H222 monoclonal antibody to the human estrogen receptor, we examined the effects of melatonin on estrogen receptor expression in the hypothalamus, particularly the medial preoptic area, of ovariectomized virgin female hamsters. Analysis of the results showed that melatonin administration induced a 50-70% decrease in numbers of estrogen receptor-immunoreactive neurons in the medial preoptic area of ovariectomized female hamsters. Furthermore, an overall qualitative decrease in the intensity of estrogen receptor immunoreactivity was observed. In intact regularly cycling female hamsters used to monitor the efficacy of melatonin treatment, there were significant reductions in the serum levels of FSH, LH, and prolactin as measured by radioimmunoassay and in uterine and pituitary weights after 8 wk of melatonin treatment. These results suggest that melatonin may exert its anti-reproductive effects in hamsters by modulating estrogen receptor levels in medial preoptic area neurons, thus influencing steroid feedback mechanisms."}
{"id": "PMID:1493173", "title": "Missing generations of spermatocytes and spermatids in seminiferous epithelium contribute to low efficiency of spermatogenesis in humans.", "content": "Daily sperm production per gram parenchyma (DSP/g) in humans is only 25 or 35% of that for most species including rats and nonhuman primates. To explain the low efficiency of spermatogenesis in humans, the number of generations of germ cells (spermatocytes and spermatids) and the number of these germ cells in each generation were determined for each spermatogenic stage in men with varied efficiencies. Testes were obtained at autopsy, fixed by vascular perfusion with glutaraldehyde, further fixed in osmium, and embedded in Epon 812 before 0.5-micron sections were stained with toluidine blue. Tubular cross sections were photographed, and spermatogenic stages were determined by two observers. Testes were divided into three groups on the basis of DSP/g. The number of generations of spermatocytes and spermatids was greater (p < 0.05) in the high (2.01 +/- 0.05) and intermediate (1.77 +/- 0.04) than in the low (1.45 +/- 0.15) DSP/g group. All groups had a lower number of generations of spermatocytes and spermatids compared to the optimum value of three. The number of these generations per cross section was related (r = 0.85; p < 0.01) to DSP/g in these men. The number per cross section of spermatocytes, spermatids, and the combined number of germ cells was higher (p < 0.01) in the high than in the low DSP/g group. The combined number of germ cells per cross section was related (r = 0.85; p < 0.01) to DSP/g. The combined number of germ cells was higher in the high versus the low DSP/g group in stages I through V, but this difference was significant only in stages IV and V.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1493174", "title": "Characterization and immunolocalization of bovine uterine retinol-binding protein.", "content": "Endometrial explants obtained from cows between Days 13 and 29 of pregnancy were cultured for 24 h in modified minimum essential medium in the presence of [35S]methionine or [3H]leucine. Proteins synthesized and released into medium were analyzed by two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and fluorography. Uterine luminal flushings were obtained from cyclic cows (Days 2-20 of estrous cycle) and early pregnant cows (Days 17-22). Endometrial tissues from cows on Days 17 and 29 of pregnancy were prepared for immunocytochemistry. A uterine secretory protein, which consisted of five isoelectric variants (pI 5.3-6.1) of identical molecular mass (23,000 Da), was shown to react immunologically with antiserum raised against bovine placental retinol-binding protein (bpRBP). Limited N-terminal sequence analysis of two major isoforms showed that the protein had nearly complete homology with bovine placental and plasma retinol-binding protein (RBP) over the first 25 amino acids. Through use of bpRBP antiserum, immunoreactive RBP was detected in uterine flushings collected from cows in the late luteal phase of the estrous cycle and early pregnancy by Western blotting, and in medium conditioned by uterine explants prepared at Days 13-29 of pregnancy by immunoprecipitation. Immunoreactive RBP was localized in endometrial surface and glandular epithelium on Days 17 and 29 of pregnancy by immunocytochemistry. These results demonstrate that RBP is a product of bovine uterine tissues. The uterine RBP may play an important role in vitamin A transport between maternal tissues and developing embryos."}
{"id": "PMID:1493175", "title": "Purine-induced block to mouse embryo cleavage is reversed by compounds that elevate cyclic adenosine monophosphate.", "content": "The second or third cleavage of mouse embryos from several strains of females is blocked in the presence of hypoxanthine. To begin to determine the mechanism of the block, we studied several aspects of cell metabolism in blocked embryos, including the stage of the cell cycle and the levels of transcription, translation, and protein phosphorylation. In addition, we attempted to reverse the block by transfer of cytoplasm, transfer of RNAs from dividing cells, and co-culture with compounds that elevate cAMP. Our results indicate the following: 1) that the embryos were blocked in interphase; 2) the expression of lac Z linked to SV40 promoter was depressed, but not blocked; 3) overall protein synthesis was depressed but the appearance of early embryonic proteins was not blocked; 4) overall phosphorylation of proteins was not affected; 5) microinjection of additional cytoplasm from non-blocking embryos did not reverse the block; and 6) compounds that elevate cAMP did reverse the block. Thus, the purines apparently do not prevent early embryonic gene expression or most phosphorylation events, but do inhibit a critical cell process occurring during interphase of the cell cycle that can be compensated by elevations in cAMP."}
{"id": "PMID:1493176", "title": "Preferential attachment of cock spermatozoa to the perivitelline layer directly over the germinal disc of the hen's ovum.", "content": "In vitro incubation of cock spermatozoa with perivitelline layer (PL) from recently ovulated ova of the hen resulted in binding of spermatozoa to the PL and activation of the acrosome reaction. A simple quantitative technique was developed for assessing these events. Following incubation of the PL (0.5 cm2 sections) with spermatozoa, the PL section was rinsed and stained with Schiff's reagent. Microscopic examination revealed holes in the PL that were assumed to be sites of spermatozoa penetration. Utilizing this technique, a correlation was demonstrated between sperm concentration and the number of spermatozoa attaching to the PL and undergoing an acrosome reaction. Pre-treatment of spermatozoa with solubilized PL inhibited spermatozoa binding to pieces of intact PL. The PL overlying the germinal disc and a similarly sized section of PL from another area of the ovum were removed and incubated separately with spermatozoa (1 x 10(5) sperm/100 microliters). Spermatozoa showed preferential attachment and digestion of the PL from the germinal disc area (809 sperm/mm2) as compared to PL from other areas of the ovum (608 sperm/mm2). Spermatozoa attached to the PL in a circular, doughnut-shaped fashion in the area directly over the germinal disc."}
{"id": "PMID:1493177", "title": "Characterization of deoxyribonucleic acid synthesis and the transition from maternal to embryonic control in the 4-cell porcine embryo.", "content": "These studies were conducted to identify the point during the 4-cell stage at which the porcine embryo begins to control development. Reproductive tracts of gilts were flushed 48 h after the onset of estrus to obtain 1- and 2-cell embryos. To determine the duration of the 4-cell stage in vitro, development of 29 embryos was timed from cleavage to the 4-cell stage and from cleavage to the 8-cell stage. The average duration of the 4-cell stage was 50.5 h. The duration of the 4-cell stage was positively correlated (p < 0.01) with culture time in vitro before cleavage to the 4-cell stage. DNA content was determined by using the Feulgen's reaction and quantified with micro-densitometry. Staining units (SU; density x area) were calculated at 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 16, 20, 24, 30, and 36 h post-cleavage to the 4-cell stage (P4C). Results revealed a possible G1 phase (< 2 h) with DNA synthesis starting within 2 h P4C. DNA synthesis was completed by 16 h P4C, and was followed by an extended G2 phase. Embryos were evaluated for uptake and incorporation of [35S]methionine and for qualitative changes in protein profiles specific to time points during the 4-cell stage (2, 10, 14, 16, 18, 24, 30, and 40 h P4C). Methionine uptake and incorporation into protein followed similar patterns, both decreasing until 16-18 h P4C, followed by a steady increase through the 4-cell stage. Protein profiles revealed qualitative changes beginning at 14 and 16 h P4C.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1493178", "title": "Purification and characterization of a human follicular fluid lipid transfer protein that stimulates human sperm capacitation.", "content": "Identification of the mechanisms responsible for sperm capacitation has been an active area of research for nearly four decades. Changes in the lipid composition of the sperm membrane is one of the biochemical events that occurs during sperm capacitation. We have been studying physiological effectors of some of these changes and have identified lipid transfer activity in fractions of human follicular fluid that stimulates sperm penetration of zona-free hamster oocytes. We report here the purification of a lipid transfer protein by sequential chromatography from human follicular fluid. This protein was purified greater than 20,000-fold for lipid transfer activity and greater than 28,000-fold for sperm penetration-inducing activity. This 64,000 molecular weight protein has a pI of approximately 5.0 and shares physicochemical characteristics with the plasma lipid transfer protein, LTP-I. Antibodies to LTP-I also recognize this protein and depletion of LTP-I from human follicular fluid by immunoaffinity chromatography renders the follicular fluid incapable of stimulating sperm penetration. We conclude that purified LTP-I is able to stimulate human sperm capacitation and that LTP-I is a molecule responsible for this stimulation in follicular fluid."}
{"id": "PMID:1493179", "title": "Survival of mouse morulae vitrified in an ethylene glycol-based solution after exposure to the solution at various temperatures.", "content": "Mouse morulae were exposed in one step to a vitrification solution (EFS, a modified PBS containing 40% ethylene glycol, 18% Ficoll, and 0.3-M sucrose) at various temperatures, then cooled rapidly in liquid nitrogen, and then warmed rapidly. All of the embryos exposed to the EFS solution for 0.5 min at 25 degrees C before vitrification developed in culture. However, survival rates were lower if the duration of exposure was prolonged to 2, 5, or 10 min. At lower ambient temperatures (20, 10, and 5 degrees C), high survival rates were associated with longer exposure to the EFS solution. The toxicity of the EFS solution was also lower at lower temperatures. The toxic injury of morulae was manifested as decompaction of the blastomeres. Among the three additives in the EFS solution, ethylene glycol, which can cross cell membranes, was responsible for the toxicity. The results show that the optimum time for exposure of the embryos to the EFS solution before rapid cooling varies with the ambient temperature, i.e., 0.5 min at 25 degrees C, 0.5-5 min at 20 degrees C, 2-5 min at 10 degrees C, and 2-10 min at 5 degrees C. If they are exposed for an optimum period, almost all mouse morulae can survive vitrification (94-100%)."}
{"id": "PMID:1493180", "title": "Stress reduces the quality of gametes produced by rainbow trout.", "content": "In this study we have used the rainbow trout as a model animal to study the biological consequences of stress in terms of gamete quality and quantity. Groups of 30 mature male and female rainbow trout were subjected to repeated acute stress during the 9 mo prior to spawning. Time of ovulation, fecundity, and egg size were recorded in mature females, and sperm counts were carried out on the milt from the male fish, from both the stressed and control groups. Eggs from ovulated females were fertilized with milt from males subjected to the same treatment regime. Approximately 300 eggs from each female were fertilized with a sperm dilution of 10(-3) in diluent. Subsequent development of the fertilized eggs was then monitored. There were no differences in somatic weight or length between the two groups at the end of the experiment, but exposure of rainbow trout to repeated acute stress during reproductive development resulted in a significant delay in ovulation and reduced egg size in females, significantly lower sperm counts in males, and, perhaps most importantly, significantly lower survival rates for progeny from stressed fish compared to progeny from unstressed control fish. Hence, stress reduces the quality of gametes produced by rainbow trout."}
{"id": "PMID:1493181", "title": "Role of prostaglandins in the testosterone-dependent wolffian duct differentiation of the fetal mouse.", "content": "Recent observations from this laboratory indicated a role of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) in masculine differentiation of the external genitalia of the fetal mouse, induced by fetal testosterone. In this communication, we further investigated the role played by PGE2 in the testosterone-induced differentiation of the internal genital tract (Wolffian duct) of the fetal mouse. Using in vitro organ culture bioassay of Wolffian duct differentiation, we determined the effect of a PG-depleting agent, namely, anti-PGE2 antibody, and of inhibitors of PG synthesis for their ability to prevent Wolffian duct differentiation in the presence of testosterone. We demonstrated that anti-PGE2 antibody inhibited Wolffian duct differentiation in a dose-dependent manner in embryonic male explants containing fetal testes. At 1:10 dilution, the antibody inhibited the appearance of the entire Wolffian duct as well as growth of the specimen. At 1:100 dilution, however, only development of the Wolffian duct was prevented, as indicated by the absence of regions of the Wolffian duct or by the presence of epithelial disintegration throughout the ductal lumen. The antibody at 1:1000 dilution produced no significant effect on the appearance of the Wolffian duct. PGE2 (10 micrograms/ml) replacement in the medium prevented Wolffian duct disintegration induced by anti-PGE2. We next determined whether the testosterone-dependent Wolffian duct differentiation requires ongoing PG synthesis within the reproductive tract and analyzed the effects of the compounds inhibiting PG synthesis at the level of phospholipase A2 (PLA2) namely, cortisone and dexamethasone-and of those inhibiting at the level of cyclooxygenase-namely, aspirin and indomethacin. We have demonstrated that both PLA2 and cyclooxygenase inhibitors inhibited Wolffian duct differentiation in the male explant, i.e., in the presence of testis. These compounds also prevented the appearance of the Wolffian duct in female explants induced by exogenous testosterone. PGE2 added in the medium blocked the anti-masculinizing effects of PG synthesis inhibitors both in the male and female specimens. Thus, it appears that PG synthesis plays a role in the testosterone-induced masculine differentiation of the Wolffian duct."}
{"id": "PMID:1493182", "title": "Estrogen- and progesterone-dependent secretory changes in the uterus of the sheep.", "content": "This study was undertaken to determine the effects of 17 beta-estradiol (E) and progesterone (P) on polypeptide synthesis and release from the uterus of the sheep. Uterine flushings (UF) and endometrium were obtained from ovariectomized untreated animals, ovariectomized animals treated with E (approximately 5-10 pg/ml) for 6 days (6E) and ovariectomized animals primed with E for 6 days then treated with P (approximately 1.5-3 ng/ml), in the continued presence of E, for an additional 6 days (6EP). Endometrium was cultured (24 h) in the presence of 3H-leucine (3H-leu) or 3H-glucosamine (3H-glcN), and newly synthesized and released proteins were detected in culture media by fluorography of 10% SDS gels. The quantity of proteins in UF and radiolabeled proteins in explant culture media did not change between treatment groups (p < 0.05). Qualitative changes in the synthesis and release of proteins were observed depending on the steroid treatment. An M(r) 57,000 protein was present in UF and 3H-leu-labeled culture media obtained from animals treated only with E and an M(r) > 200,000 was present in 3H-leu-labeled culture media of endometrium obtained from 6E and 6EP animals. An M(r) 44,000 protein was present only in UF from 6EP animals but could not be detected in endometrial culture media from animals undergoing this steroid treatment. These data show that the endometrium of the ovariectomized sheep undergoes alterations in secretory protein patterns which depend on the presence of E and P."}
{"id": "PMID:1493183", "title": "Characterization of the kinin system in the ovary during ovulation in the rat.", "content": "Ovulation has been noted for some time to bear a remarkable similarity to an inflammatory response. One of the principal components that is activated and helps mediate the events during an inflammatory response is the kinin system. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to examine whether this system could be similarly activated and involved in the cascade of events that leads to ovulation. To answer this question, immature 23-day-old female rats were primed with eCG (10 IU) and ovulation was induced by administration of hCG (10 IU) 48 h later. Groups of rats were killed at 0 h, 10 h, 20 h, and 30 h after hCG for determination of ovulation, ovarian steroid levels, and changes in the levels of kinin system components. Plasma total kininogen levels did not change during the entire period studied. In contrast, ovarian total kininogen levels rose from 0 h to reach a peak at 10 h--a time immediately preceding the beginning of ovulation--after which the levels fell at 20 h, only to rise again at 30 h. Three species of kininogens, high molecular weight (HMW), low molecular weight (LMW), and T-kininogen, were shown to be present in the ovary. T-kininogen was the major kininogen present in the ovary, accounting for 60-92% of the total kininogen at any given time point during the ovulatory process. HMW kininogen levels accounted for only 1.2% of the total ovarian kininogen.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1493184", "title": "Patterns of intracellular Ca2+ concentrations in fertilized bovine eggs.", "content": "Sperm-induced calcium (Ca2+) changes were examined in zona pellucida-intact, mature bovine eggs injected with the fluorescent Ca2+ indicator fura-2 dextran (fura-2 D). Fifty four percent (37/68) of the dye-injected, inseminated bovine eggs were fertilized and 43% (16/37) of the fertilized eggs exhibited Ca2+ elevations during the time of measurement. All (16/16) of the eggs with Ca2+ elevations were fertilized but none of the unfertilized eggs (0/31) showed intracellular Ca2+ elevations. Six of 13 eggs that were later examined and found to be fertilized at the time of the Ca2+ recordings did not show sperm-induced Ca2+ elevations. Fifty percent (8/16) of the eggs with Ca2+ elevations exhibited a single Ca2+ rise as a response to sperm penetration during the 60-min period in which these eggs were monitored. Twelve percent (2/16) of the eggs responded with two Ca2+ elevations spaced by 50- and 51-min intervals and 38% (6/16) of the eggs exhibited multiple elevations with intervals of 15-29 min. In the latter group, one egg was polyspermic. The mean amplitude of the sperm-induced Ca2+ elevations was 564 +/- 58 nM. Eggs with single elevations reached higher peak concentrations than eggs with multiple elevations (p < 0.05). The mean duration of the Ca2+ elevations was 166 +/- 13 sec and was similar among eggs with different Ca2+ patterns. The first elevations detected occurred at a mean of 6.6 +/- 0.5 h after insemination. Fertilization in this study was confirmed by looking at pronuclear formation 16 h post-insemination or by DNA staining immediately after the fluorescence readings. Eggs exhibiting Ca2+ elevations ranged in stage of fertilization from just penetrated to pronuclear. Injection of inositol 1,4,5 trisphosphate (5 microM in the injection pipette) into 6 bovine eggs induced an immediate Ca2+ elevation with a mean peak Ca2+ value of 700 +/- 60 nM and a mean duration of 103 +/- 21 sec. Incubation of bovine eggs with 200 microM thimerosal induced periodic Ca2+ rises. The mean number of Ca2+ elevations observed in 35 min of recordings was 3.0 +/- 0.5 (n = 9, range 1-5). The mean peak Ca2+ value of the first thimerosal-induced Ca2+ elevation was 990 +/- 210 nM. The results of this study indicate that fertilization can evoke intracellular Ca2+ elevations in bovine eggs and that the periodicity of these Ca2+ elevations is different among eggs. Furthermore, both inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate and thimerosal were able to induce intracellular Ca2+ release in bovine eggs."}
{"id": "PMID:1493185", "title": "Tissue uptake of human sex hormone-binding globulin and its influence on ligand kinetics in the adult female rat.", "content": "The distribution of human sex hormone-binding globulin (hSHBG) and its influence upon the kinetics of its ligands were assessed in the adult female rat, which lacks a comparable protein in serum. Purified hSHBG was administered i.v. to adult female rats as a single bolus. The plasma disappearance rate of immunoreactive hSHBG had one component with a half-life of 15 h. The estradiol (E2) binding activity of serum attributable to hSHBG was elevated 2-fold; during a continuous infusion of E2, hSHBG increased E2 serum levels above those of control infused animals. Treatment with hSHBG did not modify the plasma clearance of endogenous E2, but accelerated the disappearance rate of 5 alpha-dihydrotestosterone (DHT). In animals injected with a tracer dose of radioactive steroids, pretreatment with hSHBG increased uterine and oviductal accumulation of E2- but not DHT-associated radioactivity. This effect was specific to some E2 target tissues since hSHBG did not alter the concentration of E2- or DHT-associated radioactivity in the hypophysis, liver, diaphragm, or brain. Treatment with anti-E2 antibodies, which elevated E2 binding activity in serum, decreased the accumulation of E2-associated radioactivity in uterus and oviduct. Immunofluorescent localization of hSHBG revealed intense labeling of the uterine and oviductal epithelium. We conclude that this foreign hormone-binding globulin introduced in serum at concentrations that have minimal circulating reservoir effect on E2 can reach intracellular domains and affect the concentration of this ligand in target tissues."}
{"id": "PMID:1493186", "title": "Source of immunoreactive inhibin in the chicken ovary.", "content": "High concentrations of immunoreactive inhibin were detected in the plasma of the laying domestic hen using a heterologous RIA validated for use in the chicken. Cessation of egg production induced by restricting the intake of nutrients decreased circulating inhibin to approximately 20% of its original concentration within 8 days, indicating that the ovary is the major source of the measured material. Dissection of ovarian follicles revealed that inhibin is nearly exclusively produced in the granulosa cell layer. When expressed per milligram cell protein the concentration of inhibin decreased significantly in granulosa layers of follicles of succeeding order in the hierarchy (F4 to F1). The concentration of progesterone increased in the granulosa layers of the same follicles whereas oestradiol in the surrounding theca layers decreased. In vitro culture of granulosa cells derived from follicles at different stages of development confirmed the decrease in inhibin secretion as a function of follicular growth observed in vivo. The granulosa cell inhibin secretion is stimulated by LH as well as by FSH, the former being the most effective one. The physiological significance of these changes in inhibin concentration during follicular maturation requires further investigation. It may be concluded, however, that the chicken presents a useful model for the study of the endocrine as well as the paracrine function of ovarian inhibin."}
{"id": "PMID:1493187", "title": "Dietary fish oil delays puberty in female rats.", "content": "Marine oils contain eicosapentaenoic acid, a fatty acid that competes for cyclooxygenase and reduces the synthesis of dienoic prostanoids including prostaglandin E2 (PGE2). Since PGE2 plays an important role in the estrogen-stimulated release of hypothalamic GnRH on proestrus, it was postulated that a diet containing fish oil would delay first ovulation through inhibitory effects on GnRH release. Thirty, 22-day-old female Sprague-Dawley rats were fed a diet containing fish oil ad libitum. Controls were pair-fed an identical diet with the substitution of safflower oil as the dietary fat. All rats were killed on the morning of first metestrus after vaginal opening and the display of an estrous smear(s). Fish oil feeding did not affect growth as indicated by the lack of an observed effect on body weights or femur lengths. On the other hand, pituitary, ovarian, and uterine weights were significantly lower in the rats fed fish oil (p < 0.001). The age at first estrus of the rats fed fish oil was significantly increased compared with the controls (42.9 +/- 1.0 vs. 36.1 +/- 0.3 days; p < 0.001), whereas the number of rats with corpora lutea (CL), as well as the number of CL per ovary (2.3 +/- 0.4 vs 4.8 +/- 0.6 for controls; p < 0.001) was significantly reduced by fish oil feeding. GnRH concentration in the preoptic area/hypothalamus was significantly increased in the fish oil-fed rats (21.4 +/- 4.0 pg/mg vs. 7.6 +/- 2.2 pg/mg for controls; p < 0.01); radioimmunoassable hypothalamic PGE2 was concomitantly reduced (p < 0.01).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1493188", "title": "Study of blood compatible polymers. II. poly(N,N-disubstituted) acrylamides.", "content": "Poly(N,N-disubstituted) acrylamides with both hydrophilic and hydrophobic groups as substituents were synthesized. Different degrees of hydrophilicity were achieved by varying the bulk of the hydrophobic substituent. N-alkyl, N-(2-hydroxyethyl) acrylamides with alkyl substituents propyl (PROPAAm), octyl (OCTAAm) and benzyl (BENAAm) were synthesized. The swelling capacity of the polymers decreased with increase in bulk of the hydrophobic substituent. In vitro studies showed that the surfaces of these polymers did not induce platelet aggregation. Cell compatibility of these polymers was assessed by following the growth of human umbilical cord fibroblast cells. Pronounced cell growth and spreading was observed on the surfaces of polyOCTAAm and polyBENAAm. The relatively low cell growth on polyPROPAAm was ascribed to its high water content."}
{"id": "PMID:1493189", "title": "Macrophage response to microtextured silicone.", "content": "Seven different silicone surface textures were tested for effect on macrophage spreading and metabolic activity in vitro. Variables of the textured arrays that could modify spreading were determined to be the size, spacing between, depth, density, and orientation of the individual surface events and the roughness of the surfaces. Cells were influenced by the size of the events and the roughness of the surfaces more than any other variables. Cell morphology data, surface area and perimeter, could be divided into discrete regions that correlated well with the size of the events. Cell dimensions on 5 microns textures were smallest while those on smooth silicone and glass surfaces were the largest. Surface texture events may be modifying contact guidance of the cells or interacting with specific transmembrane proteins to alter cell shape and function. The mitochondrial activity of cells attached to the textured silicones was determined by measuring the amount of reduced MTT directly through live cells. Cells on polystyrene (PS), 5VP and 8VP textures were metabolically more active than cells on the other textures. PMA was used to stimulate cells on the various textures. PMA-stimulated cells, on the smaller textures, 2VP, 5VP and 5CP, were less active than test cells that were not stimulated. The inability of PMA to stimulate these cells may be due to a structural alteration of protein kinase C. An hypothesis is introduced that includes a possible mechanism of how a micrometre-sized surface texture could modify cell function."}
{"id": "PMID:1493190", "title": "Woven carbon surface replacement in the knee: independent clinical review.", "content": "An independent assessment was performed of the results of woven carbon implants of mesh or rods into articular cartilage defects performed by two surgeons in the knees of 96 patients. Eight had symptomatic osteochondritis, 31 had chondromalacia patellae and 57 had early osteoarthritis. They were reviewed up to 5 yr after operation. Seventy-six patients (79%) experienced an improvement in analogue pain score and similar improvements occurred in a range of functional activities (P = 0.002). No evidence of inflammatory change or deterioration in joint damage was found. It is concluded that this relatively minor procedure is valuable in younger patients with troublesome symptoms due to early articular cartilage damage and does not prejudice further operative treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1493191", "title": "3-Methoxybutylcyanoacrylate: evaluation of biocompatibility and bioresorption.", "content": "The biocompatibility and bioresorption of 3-methoxybutylcyanoacrylate (MBCA) was evaluated in vivo using female Wistar albino rats. MBCA was found to elicit slight to moderate tissue reaction similar to isobutylcyanoacrylate (iBCA) which has been sold commercially as a surgical adhesive (Bucrylate, Ethicon). MBCA was judged less reactive to tissue than ethylcyanoacrylate (ECA). The MBCA implants in rat gluteal muscles also resorbed within approx. 16 wk while iBCA implants remained essentially unchanged at 36 wk in vivo. In vitro resorption in phosphate buffer (pH 7.2) at 37 degrees C showed the same trend. The MBCA performed similarly to iBCA as a haemostat on excised rat livers and as an adhesive on rat skin incisions and had comparable adhesive bond strength."}
{"id": "PMID:1493192", "title": "Biocompatibility of lipid microcylinders: effect on cell growth and antigen presentation in culture.", "content": "The authors are developing a lipid-based microcylinder for the controlled release of biological response modifiers and as templates for cellular migration and differentiation. These structures are comprised of a photopolymerizable phosphatidylcholine (1,2-ditricosa-10,12-diynoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine) and form spontaneously as a result of a thermotropic phase transition in aqueous solution or in a cosolvent solution of 70:30 ethanol:water. The hollow cylinders are helically wrapped lipid bilayers, variable in length (50-250 microns, depending on conditions of formation) and are 0.5-1.0 microns in diameter. The interaction has been examined of three types of lipid microcylinders: (1) monomeric, (2) photopolymerized by exposure to 254 nm light, and (3) surface-modified by incorporation of 6 mol% gangliosides, with different human cell lines and peripheral blood leucocytes to evaluate the biocompatibility of these structures. The proliferative status of U937 (a histiocytic monocyte), K562 (an erythroleukaemic cell), and Jurkat's derivative (a T-lymphoblast) as measured by pulsed tritiated thymidine was unaffected by the presence of up to 100 micrograms/ml of lipid microcylinders after 3 d in culture. Adherent human peripheral blood monocytes were shown to form adhesive contacts with the lipid microcylinders. An 'association' index from this interaction shows that after 3 d in culture, the association was much lower for those microcylinders that had incorporated ganglioside compared with monomeric or polymerized structures. The lipid microcylinders do not activate T-cells isolated from human peripheral blood, nor do they inhibit the activation of T-cells by phorbol esters or other mitogens.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1493193", "title": "Body distribution of fully biodegradable [14C]-poly(lactic acid) nanoparticles coated with albumin after parenteral administration to rats.", "content": "Fully biodegradable polylactic acid (PLA) nanoparticles (90-250 nm) coated with human serum albumin (HSA) were prepared by high-pressure emulsification and solvent evaporation, using the protein as surfactant. A new analytical tool was developed, based on Mie's law and size exclusion chromatography, to establish that, after evaporation of the solvent, the protein saturates the surface of the nanoparticles, masking the PLA core. According to this technique, no HSA is encapsulated in the polymer matrix. A radiolabelled [14C]-PLA50 was synthesized to follow the fate of this new drug carrier after i.v. administration to rats. The time necessary to clear the albumin-coated nanoparticles from the plasma was significantly longer than for the uncoated ones but not extended enough to target cells other than mononuclear phagocytes. As deduced from whole-body autoradiography and quantitative distribution experiments, the 14C-labelled polymer is rapidly captured by liver, bone marrow, lymph nodes, spleen and peritoneal macrophages. Nanoparticle degradation was addressed following 14C excretion. The elimination of the 14C was quick on the first day (30% of the administered dose) but then slowed down. In fact, if the metabolism of the PLA proceeds to lactic acid which is rapidly converted into CO2 via the Krebs cycle (80% of the total excretion was fulfilled by the lungs), anabolism from the lactic acid may also have taken place leading to long-lasting radioactive remnants, by incorporation of 14C into endogenous compounds."}
{"id": "PMID:1493194", "title": "Adsorption of plasminogen from plasma to lysine-derivatized polyurethane surfaces.", "content": "The adsorption of plasminogen, the principal protein of the fibrinolytic pathway in blood, to a number of solid surfaces from plasma was investigated. This study forms part of a larger project to develop a fibrinolytic surface for blood-contacting applications. Polyurethanes incorporating lysine residues were developed in an attempt to promote selective adsorption of plasminogen from plasma through lysine-binding sites in the plasminogen molecule. The adsorption of plasminogen to these surfaces as well as to glass, 'conventional' polyurethanes and precursor sulphonated polyurethanes was investigated. Adsorption from citrated human plasma diluted with isotonic Tris buffer (pH 7.4) was measured under static conditions at room temperature using radioiodinated plasminogen. The following trends were observed. (1) Adsorption increases monotonically with increasing plasma concentration and there is no suggestion of transient adsorption (Vroman effect) on any of the surfaces studied. (2) Sulphonate groups appear to have a strong effect on plasminogen adsorption as was found previously for adsorption from buffer. (3) The lysine-derivatized material having the highest lysine content may show a slight increase in plasminogen binding affinity compared to its sulphonated precursor."}
{"id": "PMID:1493195", "title": "FT-IR measurement of emulsified cationic DMAEMA-MMA adsorption to calcium alginate.", "content": "The rate of adsorption of aqueous emulsions of DMAEMA-MMA copolymers to calcium alginate substrates was examined using ATR FT-IR spectroscopy. This work was undertaken as part of the development of a hybrid artificial pancreas. Aqueous DMAEMA-MMA copolymer emulsions containing < 25 mol% DMAEMA were slowly adsorbed to calcium alginate substrates; emulsions of 50 mol% DMAEMA-MMA copolymer were adsorbed rapidly to calcium alginate gels. The adsorption of 50 mol% DMAEMA-MMA copolymer emulsions to calcium alginate gels was attributed to electrostatic rather than simple van der Waals' attractive forces."}
{"id": "PMID:1493196", "title": "Multiple births: trends and patterns in Canada, 1974-1990.", "content": "This paper examines Canadian trends and patterns in multiple births in relation to total confinements, singleton births, maternal age, parity, gestational age and birth weight using vital statistics from 1974 to 1990. Multiple-birth rates in Canada increased from 912.8 to 1,058.9 per 100,000 confinements between 1974 and 1990. The increase is especially noticeable for women over 30. The rate of triplet and higher-order births increased from 8.3 to 21.7 per 100,000 confinements between 1974 and 1990. The proportion of multiple-birth babies that were pre-term (< 37 weeks gestation period) increased from 32.8% in 1974 to 45.8% in 1990. Factors associated with the increase in multiple births may include the use of assisted pregnancy techniques, and the fact that women aged 30 and older, who are at higher risk of a multiple birth, and who postponed their child bearing, have increased their fertility. The sharp increase in multiple-birth rates has implications for maternal and child health and health care costs."}
{"id": "PMID:1493197", "title": "Level of care for deinstitutionalized psychiatric patients.", "content": "The New York state Level-of-Care Survey (LOCS) was used in 1987-88 to assess the community care and social support needs of 936 mentally disabled community residents in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The cases were assigned an appropriate level-of-care by the computerized algorithm based on an 101-item questionnaire covering all aspects of the cases' physical and mental condition, needs and activities. Compared with their current setting, the algorithm assigned 60% of cases to the same level-of-care, 17% to a lower level, and 23% to a higher level-of-care. The net effect on social service costs of the reassignments would be a 7% increase. The increased costs for some cases ($1.5 million) would be partly offset by lowered costs for others ($900,000). The gradual shifting of 14 cases from the relatively expensive rehabilitation unit to more independent living at lower levels of care would compensate for most of the increases."}
{"id": "PMID:1493198", "title": "A statistical chronicle of tuberculosis in Canada: Part II. Risk today and control.", "content": "This report marks over 50 years of publication by Statistics Canada of annual reports on Tuberculosis Statistics. These years have witnessed what has been described as a conquest of tuberculosis in Canada. To quote George Jasper Wherrett in the Miracle of the Empty Beds: One hundred years ago the word consumption (as tuberculosis was then called) struck horror in human hearts. Today, in the western world, it barely evokes any emotion save a too easy surprise that it still exists. This statistical chronicle of tuberculosis in Canada is divided into two parts. Part I: From the Era of Sanatorium Treatment to the Present pulls together data from yellowed-with-age reports on tuberculosis and vital statistics, historical accounts, and modern computer files, to document the changes in tuberculosis incidence and mortality over past decades to the present. Part II: Risk Today and Control takes a closer look at those most vulnerable to contracting tuberculosis. It also looks at the future, the need for maintaining and, indeed, strengthening vigilance, and the work yet to be done to eradicate tuberculosis in Canada. The fight against tuberculosis is far from over."}
{"id": "PMID:1493199", "title": "The consistency of various high blood pressure indicators based on questionnaire and physical measures data from the Canada Health Survey.", "content": "Several indicators of the presence of high blood pressure, taken from different parts of Canada Health Survey data, are compared at the individual respondent level to determine their consistency and their usefulness, alone or in combination, in measuring the prevalence of hypertension. The results demonstrate some systematic and substantial discrepancies among various high blood pressure indicators derived from questionnaire data, and between questionnaire data and physically measured blood pressure status."}
{"id": "PMID:1493200", "title": "The National Population Health Survey: highlights of initial developments.", "content": "A National Population Health Survey is being developed for implementation across Canada in 1994. A description is given of the objectives, plans and current status of the survey. The current assumptions concerning the survey methodology are also outlined along with an early indication of the content."}
{"id": "PMID:1493203", "title": "Molecular computing for edge-enhanced laser imaging.", "content": "In order to illustrate the self-assembly capability, we consider a laser imaging experiment on a wet film that is made of bacteriorhodopsin (BR) molecules suspended in a diffusion-limited viscous medium. BR wet film is similar to a wet photograph film but having a finer resolution and adaptive pixel locations due to laser-induced thermal diffusion. The synergism between thermal diffusion of BR molecules (induced externally by a write-laser) and molecular photochromism (generated internally by a read-laser) is exploited naturally for edge-enhanced image applications."}
{"id": "PMID:1493204", "title": "Do biomolecules process information differently than synthetic organic molecules?", "content": "This paper compares information/signal processing in synthetic and biological molecules. The role of conformation-based (shape-based) mechanisms and electrostatic interactions in molecular recognition is discussed. In biological electron transfer, the 'electron shuttle'-mediated mechanism is contrasted with the mechanism based on pre-formed 'electron wires'. While biological information processing is thought to be more distributed (less discrete), an example of molecular switch is presented: visual transduction. We further speculate that visual transduction may be implemented in the form of a switch based on electrostatic interactions. The concept of intelligent materials is discussed with the well-known Bohr effect of hemoglobin oxygenation. Based on these examples, we argue that there are no fundamental differences between synthetic and biological molecules in their mode of information processing. In the pursuit of novel paradigms of molecular information processing, we also perceive no conflicts in developing molecular devices that emulate the switching function of conventional microelectronic devices."}
{"id": "PMID:1493205", "title": "Purple membrane multilayers: detailed structure and photoelectric characteristics of bacteriorhodopsin.", "content": "The structure of the Langmuir purple membrane (PM) monolayer was studied by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). The topography of both the external and cytoplasmic sides of the monolayer was investigated. The thickness of the PM monolayer was determined to be about 4 nm. PM films include specific oval 'crater'-like structures of 50-60 nm in diameter."}
{"id": "PMID:1493206", "title": "Bacteriorhodopsin: a picosecond optoelectric signal transducer.", "content": "This paper summarizes the results found in our laboratory investigating the ultrafast light-induced charge separation in bacteriorhodopsin. A special technique was elaborated for dried oriented samples of long term stability. An upper limit of 21 ps was found by a direct electric method for the early charge separation processes. A permanent electric field on the surface of illuminated samples was demonstrated. The potential application of such samples as ultrafast optoelectric signal transducers is discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1493207", "title": "Biosensors and enzyme immobilized electrodes.", "content": "A biosensor is a device which consists of a biological sensing element connected to a transducer. The transducer can be electronic, optical, electrical, etc. This emerging technology offers us a powerful tool which is radically altering our approach to analytical methods. It was realised that enzymes are natural sensors on account of their highly selective nature. Much of the impetus to the work has come from medical requirements. Instant analysis of clinical samples has an obvious appeal to physicians and patients alike. Of particular interest is the possibility of continuous 'in-vivo' monitoring of metabolites, drugs and proteins using miniature, portable systems. In recent years, there has been a growing demand for biosensors in the fields of veterinary science, animal husbandry, the food industry and environmental monitoring. However, the possibility of successful application rests upon future developments. Increasing attention will have to be paid to the engineering of both the basic components and the device on the whole. New biochemical reactions will either have to be discovered or engineered through genetic manipulation or chemical techniques. Optimization of response time, selectivity, stability and low costs should receive priority considerations."}
{"id": "PMID:1493208", "title": "Molecules as electronic components?", "content": "Aspects of electronics at the molecular level are reviewed. Molecules can store information in their different states. To transmit information, they need to interact with other molecules, but this affects the states. Excitation transfer is also more complex than sometimes realised. Information processing is best treated in terms of the whole system of interacting molecules, so that molecules cannot be treated simply as small conventional electronic components."}
{"id": "PMID:1493209", "title": "Molecular optical memories and switches based on photochromic dihydropyridines.", "content": "Photochromic behavior of dihydropyridines and the mechanism of the photochromism based on phenyl transfer is described. Formation of polar coloured species, changes in optical absorption and in the tau electron character of the molecular skeleton allow for the fabrication of molecular optical memories and switches."}
{"id": "PMID:1493210", "title": "Towards a biomolecular computer.", "content": "A new version of computing and information processing devices may result from major principles of information processing at molecular level. Non-discrete biomolecular computers based on these principles seems to be capable of solving problems of high computational complexity. One of the possible ways to implement these devices is based on biochemical non-linear dynamical systems. Means and ways to materialize biomolecular computers are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1493211", "title": "The seed germination model of enzyme catalysis.", "content": "The activity of enzymes and other biological macromolecules is often sensitively dependent on physiochemical context. Seed germination provides an analogy that helps to elicit the control and information processing capabilities of enzymatic networks. Like a seed, the enzyme takes a particular action (complexes with a specific substrate and catalyzes a specific reaction) when a specific set of milieu influences is satisfied. The context sensitivity, specificity and speed are enormously enhanced by the parallelism inherent in the electronic wave function (i.e. by the superposition of electronic states). This parallelism is converted to speedup through electronic-conformational interactions. The quantum speedup effect allows biological 'switches' to have qualitatively greater pattern recognition capabilities than electronic switches. Consequently the information processing and control capabilities of biomolecular systems exceed the capabilities obtainable from classical models and exceed the intuitive expectations that have developed through the study of such models."}
{"id": "PMID:1493212", "title": "Semantic commitments as a mode of non-programmable computation in the brain.", "content": "The natural language processor in the brain can cope with non-programmable computation. The average number of different lexical meanings per word serves as a quantitative figure in terms of which the extent of being non-programmable can be evaluated. The possible maximum average number of different lexical meanings per word that the brain of the subject reading the text can cope with while comprehending the context is found to be 3.3 with its standard deviation 0.15, beyond which the brain can no more succeed in comprehending the context. In contrast, the maximum average number of different lexical meanings per word that would make lexical disambiguation programmable is e = 2.718. Natural language processing in the brain is non-programmable in the sense that the manageable average number of different meanings per word is greater than e, but does not exceed roughly 3.3."}
{"id": "PMID:1493213", "title": "Magnetic fields stimulate peripheral nerve regeneration in hypophysectiomized rats.", "content": "The effect of a sinusoidal 50 Hz magnetic field, 0.4 mT on regeneration of the rat sciatic nerve was studied. The sciatic nerve of intact and hypophysectomized rats was crushed and regeneration was evaluated by the pinch test and by immunocytochemical staining for neurofilaments. The animals were exposed to the magnetic field for 3-6 days, between a pair of Helmholtz coils. Hypophysectomy of the rats resulted in an impaired regeneration. However, the magnetic field exposure stimulated regeneration in both the intact and hypophysectomized animals. The results imply that the pituitary gland is not involved in magnetic field induced stimulation of nerve regeneration."}
{"id": "PMID:1493214", "title": "Testosterone fails to rescue motoneurons from axotomy-induced death in young rats.", "content": "This study was undertaken to determine whether testosterone acting on muscle alone could enhance motoneuron survival after axotomy. Facial nerves were transected unilaterally in 10-day old rats in which androgen receptors were already present in skeletal muscle but not yet developed in motoneurons. Testosterone treatment lessened chromatolysis but failed to reduce neuronal loss which reached more than 50% 2 weeks postaxotomy. The inefficacy of testosterone was attributed to the death of motoneurons before they could re-establish synaptic contact with targets, thereby rendering target-derived trophic substances stimulated by testosterone unable to rescue motoneurons in a timely manner. The present finding is consistent with our hypothesis that functional neuromuscular connectivity is a prerequisite for testosterone to promote neuronal survival."}
{"id": "PMID:1493215", "title": "Axon outgrowth from grafts of human embryonic spinal cord in the lesioned adult rat spinal cord.", "content": "Adult rats with acute partial lesions of their upper thoracic spinal cords were implanted bilaterally with cell suspensions of 6-7 week-old embryonic human spinal cord tissue one segment above or below the lesions. After 14-19 weeks, the animals were perfusion-fixed and the tissue analysed with a light microscope after immunocytochemical labelling with an antiserum recognizing human, but not rat, intermediary neurofilaments. Using this method, extensive efferent projections were demonstrated extending longitudinally from the grafts into the host spinal cord, both in the caudal and rostral directions. Within the white matter tracts, dense bundles of fibres extended for about 3-4 mm, and single fibres were identified up to 10 mm away from the implants. Axonal growth of this length within host white matter has not previously been observed from intraspinal grafts of rat CNS tissue."}
{"id": "PMID:1493216", "title": "Expression of odorant receptors in spatially restricted subsets of chemosensory neurones.", "content": "From a rat olfactory library a cDNA clone (OR37) which is supposed to encode an odorant receptor protein has been isolated and characterized. Specific antisense RNA and in situ hybridization techniques have been employed to monitor the olfactory epithelium for the distribution of olfactory neurones expressing the OR37-gene. The OR37-transcripts were detected only in a subset of receptor cells segregated in two restricted areas of the olfactory epithelium. The clusters of reactive cells appear symmetrically in both nasal cavities. Within a reactive region only a subset of the cells expressed the receptor. The segregation of neurones expressing a distinct receptor supports the notion that a spatial component may be involved in coding odour quality."}
{"id": "PMID:1493217", "title": "Simultaneous EEG 10 Hz desynchronization and 40 Hz synchronization during finger movements.", "content": "Nineteen-channel EEG was recorded with closely spaced electrodes overlaying the left sensorimotor cortex during self-paced, voluntary right finger movements. Three right-handed people served as subjects. The EEG was analysed in the 10 Hz band (10-12 Hz) and in four 40 Hz bands (34-36, 36-38, 38-40, 40-42) by calculation of ERD time courses and ERD maps, whereby a ERD is characterized by a movement-related band power decrease. In all three subjects a close to C3 localized 10 Hz ERD was found, starting about 2 s prior to movement onset and continuing during movement. Along with this 10 Hz ERD a localized and short-lasting (about 0.5 s) burst of 40 Hz oscillations was embedded around movement onset. This can be interpreted as indicating that planning of movement is accompanied by a desynchronization of central mu rhythm and a generation of 40 Hz oscillations."}
{"id": "PMID:1493218", "title": "Synaptic origin of rhythmic visually evoked activity in kitten area 17 neurones.", "content": "Rhythmic patterns in neuronal activity in response to moving stimuli were observed in 28% of cells recorded extracellularly or intracellularly in area 17 of 4-16 week old anaesthetized and paralysed kittens. In both recording modes, oscillation frequencies ranged between 7 and 71 Hz, and were confined for 88% of cells in the 7-20 Hz band of the spectrum. A comparative study of firing autocorrelograms) and subthreshold activity (autocorrelation functions) indicates that the regularity of discharge stemmed from visually evoked oscillations of membrane potential at the same frequency. These oscillations are shown to result from extrinsic excitatory activity, since their amplitude, but not their frequency, depends on the resting membrane potential. The dependency on stimulus configuration supports the hypothesis that oscillations in neuronal output are dictated by periodic activity in afferent circuits selectively recruited by different attributes of the visual input which are not exclusively processed at the cortical level."}
{"id": "PMID:1493219", "title": "Development of subpopulations of GABAergic neurons in cat visual cortical areas.", "content": "The development of GABAergic interneurons in feline striate area and extrastriate areas was tracked by single and double labeling immunohistochemistry using antibodies to GABA and to molecular markers which identify subpopulations of GABAergic neurons in adult mammalian neocortex; i.e., neuropeptide Y, somatostatin, and the calcium-binding proteins parvalbumin and calbindin. The density of GABA-ir neurons was relatively constant during development and among visual areas. By contrast, most of the GABA-subpopulations increased in the cortex of visual areas during postnatal development, and thus the proportion of GABA-ir neurons which also expressed another molecular marker increased during development. By the end of the first postnatal month, the neurotransmitter phenotypes of the neocortical GABAergic neurons are mature."}
{"id": "PMID:1493220", "title": "bFGF induces its own gene expression in astrocytic and hippocampal cell cultures.", "content": "Basic FGF mRNA induction by bFGF was investigated in cell cultures from rat brain, i.e. postnatal day 2 cortex and embryonic day 18 hippocampus. In situ hybridization shows that after bFGF treatment (10(-10) M) for 14 h neurones and glial cells show a remarkable increase in bFGF mRNA production. Incubation of astrocytes with antisense bFGF phosphorothioate oligodeoxynucleotides (bFGF-PTOs) resulted in an inhibition of both bFGF induced and serum induced proliferation. The results indicate that bFGF is capable of inducing its own mRNA production. This induction, i.e. new synthesis of bFGF mRNA, seems to be essential for the mitogenic effect of both bFGF and serum components."}
{"id": "PMID:1493221", "title": "Quantitative age-related changes on nuclear invaginations of neocerebellar Purkinje cells.", "content": "The aim of this study was to provide stereological data for seeking whether Purkinje neurones increase their nuclear envelope invaginations with age. The nuclear parameters considered were: ratio of absolute surface area to volume, surface density and absolute surface area. The first two parameters did not significantly change, but the absolute surface area exhibited marked variations. Regression studies showed no significant linear correlations between any of the parameters and age; so, the increase in number and/or in depth of the invaginations was not suggested. The association of invaginations with a nuclear cap of Nissl substance is a constant feature, stressing that the physiological importance of the complex is maintained throughout the ageing process."}
{"id": "PMID:1493222", "title": "Familial influence on plaque formation in the beagle brain.", "content": "Aged canines exhibit central neuropathological changes strikingly similar to those seen in patients with Alzheimer's disease. In this study, brain tissue from pure bred beagles raised in a controlled environment were examined for Alzheimer-like pathology. The mean age of the animals was 15.6 years. The incidence of plaques among these 29 dogs was 65.5%. Of the 19 samples that demonstrated Alzheimer-like pathology, 18 were characterized as diffuse and one as neuritic. Plaque density was found to be independent of age. Plaque numbers were highest in the perirhinal cortex and the adjacent temporal cortex. Familial influence on plaque development is supported by congruence within 15 of the 16 litters examined (p < 0.001). In this environmentally controlled group the diffuse plaques were rarely converted to the dense neuritic plaques found in Alzheimer's disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1493223", "title": "Regional cerebral blood flow and P3 variables in patients with multiple lacunar infarcts.", "content": "We measured regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) and event-related potentials (ERPs) in 36 patients with multiple lacunar infarcts and 14 age-matched normal subjects. rCBF was measured by the 133Xe inhalation method. ERPs were recorded during visual discrimination tasks using three kinds of stimuli. The patients showed lower mean cortical blood flow than normal subjects especially for the frontal cortex. Nontarget P3 latency in patients was longer than in normal subjects, while no significant differences could be found in target P3 latency between the two groups. Nontarget P3 latency correlated with frontal CBF. These results show that frontal lobe dysfunction may be particularly marked with multiple lacunar infarcts and suggest that reduction of frontal CBF is related to the impairment of the automatic processing associated with the nontarget P3 component."}
{"id": "PMID:1493224", "title": "Additivity of nicotinic and muscarinic cholinergic stimulation of substantia nigra.", "content": "Microinjection of cholinergic agonists into the anterior substantia nigra increases behaviours for which there is a pre-existing tendency and a low current rate. Rats received microinjections of carbachol, nicotine or a combination of both into the anterior substantia nigra. Carbachol and nicotine both stimulated consumption of palatable food in a dose-dependent manner (F(3,24) = 3.99, p < 0.02 and F(3,33) = 7.07, p < 0.01 respectively). Addition of carbachol to each dose of nicotine caused a significant increase in feeding compared with nicotine alone (F(1,23) = 7.01, p < 0.015). This suggests muscarinic or nicotinic cholinergic stimulation of the anterior substantia nigra can have behaviourally similar effects and, at the doses used here, the effects of nicotinic and muscarinic stimulation are additive."}
{"id": "PMID:1493225", "title": "Adenosine-induced hyperpolarization is depressed by glibenclamide in rat CA1 neurones.", "content": "The effect of the adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-sensitive potassium (KATP) channel blocker, glibenclamide, on adenosine-induced postsynaptic hyperpolarization was studied by means of intracellular recording techniques in TTX-treated CA1 neurones in the rat hippocampal slice. Glibenclamide applied in the CSF perfusion fluid at 30 microM reversibly depressed the 2-chloroadenosine-induced hyperpolarization and the increase in the membrane conductance. It is suggested that adenosine induces the opening of potassium channels in the postsynaptic membrane of CA1 neurones, including KATP channels in the mammalian central nervous system (CNS)."}
{"id": "PMID:1493226", "title": "Astrocyte maturation and susceptibility to ischaemia or substrate deprivation.", "content": "We demonstrate that immature astrocytes die much earlier than mature astrocytes when substrate is deprived in the presence of oxygen. In contrast, mature astrocytes die much earlier than immature astrocytes when substrate is deprived in the absence of oxygen. These observations correlate well with the recent findings that the newborn rodent brain is more susceptible to damage from lack of substrate than from lack of oxygen. The basis for this susceptibility of immature astrocytes to substrate deprivation in the presence of oxygen is not clear, but perhaps is related to the ability of the cell to scavenge free radicals."}
{"id": "PMID:1493227", "title": "Developmental changes in distribution of NMDA receptor channel subunit mRNAs.", "content": "In situ hybridization analyses have revealed drastic changes in expression and distribution of five subunit mRNAs of the mouse NMDA receptor channel during brain development. The epsilon 1 subunit mRNA is expressed postnatally and widely in the brain. On the other hand, the epsilon 2 subunit mRNA is found throughout the entire embryonic brain, but its expression becomes restricted to the forebrain at postnatal stages. The epsilon 3 subunit mRNA appears postnatally and predominantly in the cerebellum, whereas the epsilon 4 subunit mRNA is abundantly expressed in the diencephalon and the brainstem at embryonic and neonatal stages. In contrast, the zeta 1 subunit mRNA distributes ubiquitously in the brain throughout development. These findings suggest that changes in the subunit composition of the NMDA receptor channel take place during brain development."}
{"id": "PMID:1493228", "title": "Auditory sensitivity in rats exposed to toluene and/or acetyl salicylic acid.", "content": "The present study investigates whether exposure to acetyl salicylic acid (ASA) affects the permanent auditory loss, caused by simultaneous exposure to toluene. Rats were exposed to toluene by inhalation (1,000 ppm), or to ASA by gavage (100 mg kg-1), or to both toluene and ASA, during 10 days. Toluene exposure caused a loss of auditory sensitivity recorded as auditory brainstem response, and no loss was found after exposure to ASA alone. The group exposed to both ASA and toluene had a more severe sensitivity loss (p < 0.05) at all frequencies compared with all other groups immediately after (2-5 days) exposure and also 4 months later. The results indicate that ASA permanently potentiates toluene induced loss of auditory sensitivity."}
{"id": "PMID:1493229", "title": "Representation of abstract attributes of auditory stimuli in the human brain.", "content": "Representations of abstract attributes of auditory stimuli in the human brain were demonstrated using the mismatch negativity (MMN), an event-related potential component elicited by a change in a repetitive sound. Stimuli were pairs of sinusoidal tones. There were two types of tone pairs in each block, standard (p = 85%) and deviant pairs (p = 15%), delivered in a random order. Standard and deviant tone pairs differed only in the direction of within-pair frequency change. In addition, the frequency levels of both the standard and deviant pairs varied randomly within a wide range in a block; thus the standard pairs shared the direction of the within-pair frequency change but not the absolute frequency level. Correspondingly, the deviant pairs only shared the opposite direction of the within-pair change. Nevertheless, the deviant tone pairs elicited MMN, implying that even the direction of the within-pair frequency change of the standard stimuli, and not just their absolute frequencies, developed a neural representation."}
{"id": "PMID:1493230", "title": "Novel anticonvulsant action of chronic melatonin in gerbils.", "content": "Melatonin, a hormone from the pineal gland, was tested for its anticonvulsant effects in male gerbils. Daily administration of melatonin (25 micrograms injection-1, s.c.) for ten weeks reduced the number and severity of seizures (total convulsion score: 7.67 +/- 1.83 in controls vs 2.47 +/- 0.90 in melatonin-injected animals, p < 0.05) associated with the injection of the convulsant, pentylenetetrazol (PTZ, 60 mg kg-1, s.c.). However, neither 12 weeks of short photoperiod exposure (LD 10:14) nor biweekly administration of melatonin pellets altered PTZ-induced convulsions. Overall, melatonin-injected gerbils were better able to survive and respond to seizures than control animals. No melatonin-injected gerbils died during seizure induction (0/31) while 5 out of 33 control gerbils died after PTZ injection. The mechanism for melatonin's anticonvulsant effects could be due to a direct inhibitory action on neural activity or a conversion of melatonin to an anticonvulsant compound that resembles the kynurenines."}
{"id": "PMID:1493232", "title": "Theoretical and methodological aspects of BCG vaccine from the discovery of Calmette and Gu\u00e9rin to molecular biology. A review.", "content": "The BCG vaccine has been used to prevent tuberculosis since 1921 and applied for immunostimulation in neoplasia since the 1960s. Both the preventive and immunostimulation effects have been evaluated and communicated with contradictory, positive and negative conclusions. For an objective evaluation and interpretation of the protective efficacy, effectiveness and efficiency of the BCG vaccination it must be considered that: (1) several BCG substrains have been developed in manufacturing laboratories that differ in the residual virulence which determines immunogenicity and reactogenicity; (2) various liquid and freeze-dried BCG vaccine production methods are used, resulting in different BCG viable units per dose; (3) quantitative bioassay methods are not yet being used for statistical quality control of the vaccine; (4) BCG products are applied in various demographical, epidemiological and socioeconomic conditions with different vaccination policies; (5) inadequate biostatistical models are often used to analyse efficacy, effectiveness and adverse reactions. The same conditions influence the precise evaluation of BCG immunostimulation in neoplasia. Recombinant DNA technology will modify production methods, and explain at the molecular level the mechanism of the protective effects BCG confers in tuberculosis and immunostimulation in neoplasia. High level laboratory techniques and biostatistical methods, based on probability logic and inductive inference, ensure appropriate experimental designs and the exact analysis of laboratory data and the results of vaccination policies. They will lead to the evaluation of the protective effect of BCG in order to reduce the BCG contradictions."}
{"id": "PMID:1493233", "title": "A comparative study of the polymerase chain reaction and conventional procedures for the diagnosis of tuberculous pleural effusion.", "content": "Preliminary reports by ourselves and others suggest that amplification of mycobacterial DNA by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a sensitive and rapid diagnostic test for tuberculosis. We recently described a PCR assay with a 336 bp repetitive sequence specific for Mycobacterium tuberculosis as the DNA target, which gave encouraging results in culture-positive smear-negative clinical specimens. In the present prospective study of patients with pleural effusions we compared PCR of the pleural fluid with conventional procedures. 84 adult patients with pleural effusions were divided into 4 groups. In group A (44 patients), M. tuberculosis was detected by culture of pleural fluid, pleural biopsy or extrapleural source. In group B (6 patients), tuberculous infection was confirmed by histology (group A excluded). Group C (3 patients) had clinical evidence of tuberculosis. Group D (31 patients) had no evidence of active M. tuberculosis infection. Analysis of the pleural fluid confirmed a sensitivity for PCR of 81%. The sensitivity of pleural fluid culture, culture of pleural biopsy, and histology of biopsy was 52.8%, 69.8% and 77.3% respectively. There were however 7 PCR positive results within group D; 6 of these were in patients with malignant effusions. We conclude that for the diagnosis of M. tuberculosis PCR is more sensitive than laboratory culture as determined by the analysis of pleural fluids. Positive PCR results among patients with malignant effusions may be false-positives or the result of latent tuberculous infections. PCR should remain an investigational procedure until prospective studies in high and low prevalence areas have critically evaluated the specificity of the assay."}
{"id": "PMID:1493234", "title": "Virulence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis for guinea pigs: a quantitative modification of the assay developed by Mitchison.", "content": "One of the more accepted methods of assay of virulence of tubercle bacilli is one developed by Mitchison in which guinea pigs were infected by the intramuscular route with 1.0 mg of tubercle bacilli freshly harvested from Lowenstein Jensen medium and in which virulence was based on a subjective score of the extent of gross disease in the animal 6 weeks after infection. Due to the practical difficulties involved in such an assay when routinely performed, the following modifications were made: frozen stocks of the culture were prepared prior to the date of infection, the inoculum was quantitated by means of colony forming units, and virulence was based on the number of tubercle bacilli recovered from the spleen of infected animals 6 weeks after infection. A significant correlation was obtained between the findings from the Mitchison assay of virulence and the modification. The latter assay is recommended for its quantitative and objective features."}
{"id": "PMID:1493235", "title": "Studies on cell-wall deficient non-acid fast variants of Mycobacterium tuberculosis.", "content": "While the host-parasite relationship in tuberculosis still remains incompletely understood, there has been recent renewed interest in indications that tubercle bacilli are converted into metabolically inactive, non-acid fast (NAF) granular forms in the presence of host defence mechanisms and antituberculosis drugs. The present study investigates the mechanism of induction of these NAF variants in vitro and in vivo, and their ultimate pathogenicity. Evidence is provided that appears to clearly indicate that acid-fast mycobacteria are converted into NAF, cell wall deficient variants which remain dormant, only to revert to the parent, acid-fast bacilli in immune-compromised hosts, thence ultimately producing disease. It is then suggested that this may be one of the causes of the observed persistence of the bacilli in hosts in spite of chemotherapy. In a typical study in experimental animals in the present investigation, NAF variants were separated from lung lavage by differential centrifuging. When these were then injected into animals made immune-deficient with Freund's adjuvant or cyclophosphamide, they reverted to parent acid-fast forms. The presence of these NAF forms as variants of M. tuberculosis, and not merely contaminants, was clearly established by a number of methods. These included phase contrast and electron microscopy, immunological studies employing antiserum and comparison with the parent organisms, and gel electrophoresis of the proteins of the parent organisms. Other evidence is also offered confirming the hypothesis of reversion of NAF forms. It is also shown in this study that NAF forms can be induced in vitro by hydrolases."}
{"id": "PMID:1493236", "title": "Tuberculosis and HIV infection association in a rural district of northern Uganda: epidemiological and clinical considerations.", "content": "59 (18.3%) of 323 patients with tuberculosis (TB) tested for HIV-1 antibody by ELISA technique (Wellcozyme) were seropositive. In the control group selected among the health personnel working in the Arua Hospital, 7.7% were found positive for HIV-1 antibody, thus showing a significantly lower prevalence compared with the TB patients (P < 0.005). The prevalence of HIV infection was 50% in the urban TB patients, 7% in TB patients living in rural areas surrounding Arua town and 1.6% in the peripheral rural setting. Of 27 TB patients with clinical AIDS, 18 died during the course of the study. The AIDS patients' survival rate was 46.4% 6 months after diagnosis, and 21.4% after 16 months, the median period of survival being 5.0 months. Risk factors, sputum conversion rate, clinical and radiological findings were analysed. No significant difference was found between seropositive and seronegative TB patients for clinical drug-related toxicity (P > 0.05)."}
{"id": "PMID:1493237", "title": "Effect of birth season on case fatality rate of pulmonary tuberculosis: coincidence or causality?", "content": "The effects of birth season on the case fatality rate (CFR) of pulmonary tuberculosis were examined in case records of 9206 patients discharged during 1937-1965 from a national hospital for tuberculosis in Tokyo. The CFR was over 60% until 1945, then it decreased down to less than 9% after 1950. Male cases had little variation in their CFR by their birth season, while female cases had a significant variation and showed a significantly higher CFR than the male cases when they were born in January-June. The results suggest that the birth season had a significant influence on the prognosis of pulmonary tuberculosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1493238", "title": "The supply of antituberculosis drugs and national drugs policies.", "content": "The money necessary for purchasing antituberculosis drugs in a national programme comes from the Public Health Services budget, funds from the health insurance scheme (when it exists) and household budgets. The Public Health Services budget is on average $2-23 US per year and per person in low or middle income countries. Average drug consumption in these groups of countries was from $2-26 US per person in 1990. The number of patients to be treated depends on the annual risk of tuberculous infection (ARTI) and the case detection rate: it is the same when the ARTI is 1% and the detection rate 100%, and when the ARTI is 2% and the detection rate 50% of cases. The supply of antituberculosis drugs has a real cost representing around 3% of global drug consumption in low income countries and is always less than 1% of global drug consumption in middle income countries. In most developing countries it could be covered with the aid of national financial resources, on condition that it is integrated into a coherent national drugs policy aimed at guaranteeing the continued availability of essential drugs."}
{"id": "PMID:1493252", "title": "Secretory functions of the vascular endothelium.", "content": "The endothelial cells which line the blood vessels as a monolayer exert a remarkable control over the vascular system. Indeed, the endothelium can be regarded as a highly active metabolic and endocrine organ in its own right. On the hand, vasoactive substances such as serotonin and bradykinin are inactivated and on the other the cells can enzymatically produce the vasoconstrictor, angiotensin II and secrete endothelin-1 ((ET-1). Perhaps more importantly, the cells also produce two unstable vasodilator substances, which potently inhibit platelet clumping: prostacyclin and endothelium-derived relaxing factor (EDRF) which has been identified as nitric oxide (NO; 1). Both substances seem well designated as local hormones, released to influence adjacent cells. The endothelial cell, therefore, exerts control over the cardiovascular system by elaborating dilator substances as well as vasconstrictors."}
{"id": "PMID:1493253", "title": "Regional heterogeneity of myocardial blood flow within the rabbit left ventricle during haemorrhagic hypotension.", "content": "Several studies have reported an extensive regional heterogeneity in myocardial blood flow. The reported coefficients of variation for regional myocardial perfusion range from about 0.2 to 0.4 in normotensive animals. The spatial distribution of myocardial perfusion during haemorrhagic hypotension seems not to have been assessed. The goal of the present study was to determine the regional heterogeneity in myocardial blood flow within the rabbit left ventricle during normal conditions and after haemorrhagic hypotension. Radioactive microspheres were infused into the left ventricle in barbiturate anaesthetized rabbits over either 30 or 120 sec. The haemorrhagic hypotension was induced by bleeding, so that mean arterial blood pressure was reduced to about 50% of control. The left ventricles were divided into samples of about 0.025 g each. Regional heterogeneity in the blood flow was expressed as the coefficient of variation corrected for the Poisson distribution of microspheres (CVc). The CVc was 0.37 +/- 0.09 (mean +/- SD) during control and 0.41 +/- 0.11 after bleeding, the CVc obtained after bleeding being somewhat higher than during control (P < 0.05). We obtained a high correlation coefficient (tau about 0.68) between regional perfusion values at control and after bleeding which indicates a stable perfusion pattern within the myocardium. We conclude that the regional distribution of coronary blood flow within the left ventricle is markedly heterogenous during control condition and that this pattern is not changed during haemorrhagic hypotension."}
{"id": "PMID:1493254", "title": "Effect of exercise on adenosine deaminase activity in rat skeletal muscles.", "content": "Adenosine deaminase activity was shown to decrease in each skeletal muscle type (the slow-twitch oxydative, fast-twitch oxydative--glycolytic and fast-twitch glycolytic) at the beginning of exercise of moderate intensity and to return to the control when exercise was continued till exhaustion. 5 min occlusion of the femoral artery had no effect on the enzyme activity in either muscle. The reduction of the enzyme activity at the onset of exercise could result in reduction of adenosine breakdown and thus contribute to vasodilation at this stage of increased contractile activity of the muscles."}
{"id": "PMID:1493255", "title": "Feedback control of pancreatic secretion in rats. Role of gastric acid secretion.", "content": "Pancreatic secretion in rats is regulated by feedback inhibition of cholecystokinin (CCK) release by proteases in the gut lumen, but little is known about the role of gastric acid in this regulation. This study, carried out on conscious rats with large gastric fistulas (GF) and pancreatic fistulas, shows that diversion of pancreatic juice results in the progressive stimulation of pancreatic secretion only in rats with the GF closed. When the GF was kept open, the diversion resulted in only small increment in pancreatic secretion and this was accompanied by progressive increase in gastric acid outputs. Similar amounts of HCl instilled into the duodenum in rats with the GF open fully reproduced the increase in pancreatic secretion observed after the diversion of pancreatic juice. Pretreatment with omeprazole (15 mumol/kg) to suppress gastric acid secretion or with L-364,718 (5 mumol/kg) to antagonize CCK receptors in the diverted state, resulted in the decline in pancreatic secretion similar to that observed after opening the GF. CCK given s.c. (20-320 pmol/kg) failed to cause any significant rise in the post-diversion pancreatic secretion in rats with the GF closed, but stimulated this secretion dose-dependently when the GF was open. Camostate (6-200 mg/kg) in rats with pancreatic juice returned to the duodenum caused dose-dependent increase in pancreatic secretion, but after opening the GF or after omeprazole this increase was reduced by about 75%. This study provides evidence that gastric acid plays a crucial role in the pancreatic response to diversion of pancreatic juice or inhibition of luminal proteases, and that factors that eliminate gastric acid secretion reduce this response."}
{"id": "PMID:1493256", "title": "Effect of gamma-aminobutyric acid and muscimol on corticosterone secretion in rats.", "content": "The effect of gamma-aminobutyric acid-receptor agonists, GABA and muscimol on the pituitary-adrenocortical activity, measured indirectly through corticosterone secretion, and the receptors involved were investigated in conscious rats. GABA given ip induced a dual effect, in lower dose (10 mg/kg) it significantly decreased the resting serum corticosterone levels while in higher doses (100-500 mg/kg) it considerably raised that level. Muscimol (0.5 mg/kg ip) also increased the corticosterone concentration. Both GABA and muscimol given intracerebroventricularly (icv) induced a significant, dose-related increase in serum corticosterone levels. Bicuculline, a GABAA-receptor antagonist, totally abolished the corticosterone response to GABA but did not influence the response to muscimol. Pretreatment with atropine did not affect the corticosterone response to GABA but significantly diminished the response to muscimol. These results suggest that GABA moderately inhibits the pituitary-adrenal axis at the pituitary level but significantly stimulates it at the hypothalamic level. The stimulatory effect of GABA, but not muscimol, is mediated by hypothalamic GABAA-receptors, and in the effect of muscimol hypothalamic cholinergic, muscarinic receptors are involved to a significant extent."}
{"id": "PMID:1493257", "title": "Behavioural effects of luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) in rats.", "content": "Behavioural effects of intracerebroventricularly-injected (icv) LHRH were studied in female rats. Locomotor and exploratory activities as well as irritability were determined. A pronounced inhibitory effect of 10 micrograms doses of LHRH was found. At 100 micrograms doses of LHRH, barrel behaviour was observed. We conclude that LHRH can modify the activity of central serotonergic receptors in rats."}
{"id": "PMID:1493258", "title": "The influence of age and sex on selenium distribution and glutathione peroxidase activity in plasma and erythrocytes of selenium-adequate and supplemented rats.", "content": "The experiment was performed on Sprague-Dawley male rats weighting 203, 103 and 53 g, and female 99 g. Animals were fed for 2 weeks a diet containing 0.1 and 2.0 ppm of Se (Na2SeO3 added). It was observed that the daily Se intake per kg of BW is lowered with an increase in animals body weight. Se-supplementation caused a significant increase of Se content in plasma and red blood cells. The highest concentration of Se in plasma and in RBC was found in females. GSH-Px activity was higher in RBC of all male rats receiving a Se-supplemented diet, but not in females. In plasma these differences between Se-adequate and supplemented rats were significant in youngest male rats and in females. These results suggest that age and sex of rats affect the concentration of Se and GSH-Px activity in plasma and RBC of rats."}
{"id": "PMID:1493259", "title": "[Pathology of stomach cancer].", "content": "Dysplasias, the best-defined precancerous lesion of the stomach, are seldomly found alone, but most commonly in association with carcinoma. The established classification of gastric carcinomas includes the site, histological tumour type, grade of differentiation, R classification and pTNM classification with stage grouping. The Laur\u00e9n classification is important in operative planning (extent of operation on the stomach and oesophagus). Additional conventional classification parameters are at present not proven independent prognostic factors."}
{"id": "PMID:1493260", "title": "[Surgical treatment of early stomach cancer].", "content": "Data from our own clinical experience as well as overview articles from Japan show an 80%-100% 5-year survival rate for early gastric cancer. An indispensable prerequisite is a resection depending on the type, size and infiltration. For the submucosal type, which shows lymph node metastasis in 10%-25%, the appropriate surgical therapy is resection of the stomach or total gastrectomy with systemic lymphadenectomy of compartments I and II. Distinct types of mucosal carcinoma (small size) may be suitable for local therapy, particularly in high-risk patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1493261", "title": "[Indications for aboral subtotal resection].", "content": "Aboral gastric resections for gastric cancer are performed in 20%-40% of cases at German university hospitals. This type of resection can only be carried out if an ample oral safety margin is given. The margin should be at least 10 cm in the case of diffuse carcinoma, and no less than 6 cm in intestinal-type carcinoma. Thus, aboral subtotal resection is confined to smaller tumors, preferably those located in the antrum of the stomach. Lymph node dissection can and should be carried out in the case of subtotal resection. Aboral subtotal resection represents an adequate form of treatment, complying with the necessary oncological standards if the appropriate safety margin is chosen."}
{"id": "PMID:1493262", "title": "Wert der systematischen erweiterten Lymphknotendissektion--Ergebnisse in Japan. [Value of systematic extended lymph node dissection--results in Japan].", "content": "In the National Cancer Center, 6112 patients with primary gastric cancer have undergone gastric resection since 1962, and the 5-year survival rate (5YSR) was 57.5%. In the 25-year period, 5YSR rose from 57% to 83% in stage II disease, and from 33% to 50% in stage III disease. Systematic lymph node dissection (R2 dissection) played major role in this improvement. It gave significantly better prognosis (5YSR, 48%) than incomplete dissection (31%), particularly reducing local recurrence. The proportion of local recurrence was 38% in 1967-1971, however it decreased to 16% in 1982-1986 by introduction of this treatment. Disadvantages of the dissection were minimal. Surgical death rate was 3.0% in the 1960s but it was only 0.6% in the 1980s."}
{"id": "PMID:1493263", "title": "[Left upper abdominal quadrant evisceration].", "content": "To improve the surgical outcome of patients with advanced gastric cancer, we performed left upper abdominal quadrant evisceration (LUAE), which was introduced by Prof. T. Kajitani in 1980. From 1980 to 1989, 0.2% of 5123 gastric resections performed in the cancer institute Hospital and the National Cancer Center were total gastrectomies, in 4.5% (i.e., 232 patients) LUAE was the operative treatment. The 5-year survival rate of patients who underwent LUAE was 28%. Complications of the operation were 39.6%, other complications occurred in 15.1%. The mortality of patients who underwent LUAE was 2.2%."}
{"id": "PMID:1493264", "title": "[Stomach cancer: multimodality therapy--reliable and new developments].", "content": "The extension of surgical radicality including multivisceral procedures has only improved prognosis in individual cases. The concern now obviously is to achieve an improvement by additional therapeutic measures. Unfortunately, studies in Western countries show that adjuvant chemotherapy does not result in any significant improvement as has been repeatedly reported in Japanese trials. It is possible that differences in time and mode of drug application may be responsible for these discrepancies. Decisive may be the immediate post- or intraoperative therapy as well as its intraperitoneal application. Some phase II trials have also shown that preoperative chemotherapy may improve the resectability rate. Further studies are needed to determine how these findings are generally transferable. In addition of chemotherapy intraoperative radiation (IORT) and photodynamic therapy (PDT) may gain importance in the treatment of gastric cancer for the future."}
{"id": "PMID:1493265", "title": "[Mesothelioma of the pleura--pathological anatomy].", "content": "The examination of the pathology of diffuse malignant mesotheliomas (DMM) is based upon the analysis of 600 pleural tumours of the German Mesothelioma Panel in Bochum. Macroscopically there is a characteristic feature of the tumour growth, often restricted to the pleura, with preference of the basal pleural parts even in advanced stages. The highly variable growth pattern of the tumour phenotype contains parts of epithelial cells (42%), sarcoma-like cells (18%), and biphasic patterns (27%) as revealed by microscopy. Secondary pleural carcinosis are much more frequent (10 x) as diffuse malignant mesotheliomas but may mimic the DMM. Since there is no specific tumour marker for DMM available, additional immunohistochemical staining using different monoclonal antibodies directed against cytokeratins and epithelial antigens are recommended especially for examinations of small biopsies. The morphological security cheque follows the criteria of the European Mesothelioma Panel and is subdivided into 5 groups: A, assured mesothelioma; B, possible mesothelioma; C, probable mesothelioma; D, possibly no mesothelioma; E, certainly no mesothelioma. In the Bochum panel the incidence of A and B is 66%, of C, 6% and of D and E, 28%. In addition to the histomorphological examinations, in dust analysis of nontumourous lung tissue an augmented asbestos charge has been found in approximately 90% of all cases. The significance of asbestos fibers as an essential cause of the pleural mesothelioma could be underlined by our own animal experiments. After instillation of asbestos fibers into the right lung, a transpleural transport of fibers was observed with preneoplastic lesions and transformation of multipotent subserosal cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1493266", "title": "[Mesothelioma of the pleura--diagnosis with imaging procedures].", "content": "Typical radiological findings in patients with diffuse malignant pleural mesothelioma are nodular opacities of the pleura including the fissures, pleural effusion, shrinking of the ipsilateral hemithorax, and mediastinal shift. The radiological differentiation between pleural mesothelioma and benign pleural tumors is possible; however, a secondary metastatic pleural involvement imitates pleural mesothelioma. Magnetic resonance imaging is superior to computed tomography in the preoperative assessment of tumor extension, because it demonstrates exactly the tumor extension in the coronal or sagittal plane. The noninvasive ultrasound examination is helpful in the evaluation of the diaphragmatic pleura and the costodiaphragmatic spaces."}
{"id": "PMID:1493267", "title": "[Progress in heart transplantation].", "content": "Within the past 10 years, heart transplantation has become established as a standard procedure in heart surgery. Improvements in immunosuppressive therapy and diagnosis of graft rejection have been crucial. The criteria for transplantation have been broadened for recipients as well as for donors. Newborns, pediatric patients, diabetics, and patients with impaired renal function will no longer be excluded from transplantation due to improved postoperative therapy. Furthermore, progress has been made with assisted circulation. Patients with acute heart failure can now be bridged to transplantation."}
{"id": "PMID:1493268", "title": "[Progress in the field of liver transplantation in the last 10 years].", "content": "During the past 10 years, liver transplantation has developed into an established form of treatment. In 1991 alone, almost 450 liver transplants were performed in Germany with a mean 1-year survival of 70%. Consistent progress in the fields of organ preservation, surgical techniques, and prevention of disease recurrence has made a more than 90% 1-year survival rate achievable during the last 3 years in Berlin. Progress in organ preservation is based on the use of colloidal solutions, pharmacological improvement of microcirculation, and probably prevention of reperfusion injury by the use of calcium antagonists and free oxygen radical scavengers. Improvements in surgical techniques have led to a reduction in blood loss and vascular complications, and to a drastic reduction of biliary leaks and stenosis. The introduction of cyclosporin, FK-506, and monoclonal antibodies into immunosuppressive therapy has contributed to the improvement of results in a major way. Furthermore, progress in intensive care in the areas of fluid therapy and blood component substitution, respiratory care and prophylaxis of infection as well as postoperative nutrition has led to a reduction in early postoperative morbidity and mortality. Efficient prophylaxis of the recurrence of hepatitis-B-virus-related disease by using hepatitis B hyperimmunoglobulin after liver transplantation has prevented this lethal recurrence, which was previously frequent, in a large group of patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1493269", "title": "[Progress in kidney transplantation].", "content": "The introduction of immunosuppression with cyclosporine A in 1983 compared to conventional immunosuppression has clearly improved early results within the first year post transplant. In contrast, the rate of graft failure per year in the following course has not changed essentially. Still HLA histocompatibility is a predominant prognostic factor which can be influenced by organ sharing. On the other hand, donor factors like sex and age are becoming more important and should be taken into account for organ allocation. This furthermore requires strict attention to future exchange rules within the transplant community."}
{"id": "PMID:1493270", "title": "[Development and importance of combined organ transplantation].", "content": "In 1966, Kelly and Lillehei transplanted a pancreas together with a kidney in a young patient suffering from end-stage diabetic nephropathy. Since this first combined organ transplantation, various organs have been transplanted together: heart-lung (Cooley 1969), liver-kidney (Margreiter 1983), liver-pancreas-stomach-small bowel (Starzl 1983), heart-liver (Starzl, Bahnson 1984), heart-lung-liver (Wallwork, Calne 1986), and liver-small bowel (Grant 1990). Although some of these combined organ transplants will only occasionally be necessary, some others such as kidney-pancreas, heart-lung, or liver-kidney have already gained clinical relevance."}
{"id": "PMID:1493271", "title": "[Developments in the field of transplantation of bones and cartilage].", "content": "Experience with more than 2000 allogenic bone and cartilage transplantations between 1975 and 1990 confirms the indication for implanting this material in a wide range of applications. Especially in reconstructive surgery and after tumor resection the use of this procedure is increasing. The main advantage is the almost unlimited availability and the possibility of en bloc and orthotopic administration. Even with extensive defects, we saw satisfying results. An overall complication rate of 4.5% is low, and infection is the complication most frequently seen. Primary consolidation was seen in over 80% on average after 17 weeks."}
{"id": "PMID:1493272", "title": "[Organ transplantation, development and perspectives of the legal status].", "content": "The FRG has no transplantation law as most other European countries do. A model of agreement is practised which is derived from fundamental principles, i.e., a personal right outlasting death and the agreement of the next of kin for organ removal. The paper favours a legal regulation that resolves the difference between a model of presumed consent on the hand and a model of agreement on the other hand, and advocates informing the next of kin, who can then object as representatives of the deceased."}
{"id": "PMID:1493273", "title": "[Organ donation to hospitals not specializing in transplantation].", "content": "The necessary and possible rate of transplantations is limited by the insufficient availability of donor organs. In the FRG, only 36% of all hospitals (transplantation centers excluded) are active in postmortem organ donation. In only 57% are other organs than the kidneys (liver, pancreas, heart, lung) explanted. The main problems do not derive primarily from structural difficulties (no intensive care unit, limited capacity of operation room or staff), but from an insufficient degree of cooperation with the transplantation center and an uncertain legal position. Possible solutions to the problem (transplantation coordinator, legal regulation) are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1493274", "title": "[Anatomic-functional viewpoints in treatment of injuries of the spine].", "content": "The ligaments of the lumbar motion segment acting together constitute primarily a holistic system responsible for every static and dynamic phase of segmental control. Taking into account the elastic tension produced by the intervertebral disks and the partial constraint imposed by the vertebral joints, the lumbar motion segment may be regarded as a particular form of ligamentous mechanism. Its fiber bundles, which are for the most part nonelastic, usually make a contribution to segmental movement, although the extent of their involvement depends upon how far that movement has progressed."}
{"id": "PMID:1493275", "title": "[Classification and surgical indications in spinal injuries].", "content": "A simple and precise classification of vertebral injuries is the key to correct treatment, depending on the differentiation of temporary or permanent instability. This aim is met by a classification presented by Magerl, Harms, Gertzbein et al. It is based on three main types according to the pathomechanics consisting of several subgroups with morphological aspects. In the neurological field, indications for surgical treatment are absolute after a free interval or rapid rising of the level of lesion. In vertebral injuries operative indications are found in possibly permanent instabilities or kyphotic deformities. Some indications depend on the patient himself, especially age and psychosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1493276", "title": "[Neurologic disorders after injuries of the spine].", "content": "The most frequent result of a cervical or dorsal spinal cord injury is a transverse lesion with quadriplegia or paraplegia, total loss of bladder and bowel control, breakdown of sympathetic function, and complete loss of sensory function. Partial cord lesion leading to central/anterior/posterior or Brown-S\u00e9quard syndromes are rare. Progressive clinical signs of cord damage are only rarely due to sub- or epidural hematoma or edema; in nearly all cases, they point to a persistent instability of the spine."}
{"id": "PMID:1493277", "title": "[Indications, choice of procedure and results of conservative therapy of spinal injuries].", "content": "For conservative treatment of injuries of the cervical spine, two different methods are available: The HALO fixator and the collar. The choice depends on the kind and extension of the injury. Stable thoracic and lumbar vertebral fractures are treated in a conservative functional way in order to strengthen the muscular apparatus. Three-point-fixation with a brace is not necessary. Functional therapeutic methods can also be applied in the case of instable fractures if they are not operable. During a rigid confinement to bed, the postural reduction by increasing lordosis has turned out to be the treatment of choice. As an essential measure the patient has to take part in a \"backschool\" with postural exercises for the daily life."}
{"id": "PMID:1493278", "title": "[Surgical treatment of injuries of the upper cervical spine].", "content": "The surgical treatment of instabilities of the upper cervical spine requires the use of differentiated procedures if physiological anatomy is to be largely restored. Successful procedures are diagonal screw fixation of the axis from the anterolateral aspect in the case of odontoid fractures Anderson type II and III (high type), transpedicular screw osteosynthesis of C2 in hangman's fractures, and transarticular screw fixation of C1/2 with posterior fusion for atlantoaxial instabilities. In occipito-atlantal trauma occipitoatlantoaxial fusion is required."}
{"id": "PMID:1493279", "title": "[Surgical treatment of injuries of the lower cervical spine].", "content": "Fractures at the C3-C7 level present primarily diagnostic problems. If instability is certain, therapy is simple: using an image intensifier, dislocation is reduced under general anesthesia and relaxation, and later secured by anterior interbody fusion. Compound fractures demand total resection of the vertebral body and its (autologous) replacement. Plating of the adjacent segments is mandatory. Neurological function after a dysfunction free interval may be fully restored if primary reduction and stabilization are achieved. Postponed treatment is less useful, but may also improve neurological deficits."}
{"id": "PMID:1493280", "title": "[Dorsal stabilization of thoracic and lumbar vertebral injuries].", "content": "The concept of angle-stable transpedicular screw-rod instrumentation, realized in the different models of internal spine fixators with intrinsic stability, allows secure stabilization of the most unstable fracture patterns, limited-segment fixation and three-dimensional reduction of the fragments. The canal diameter is improved by ligamentotaxis and, if necessary, by hemilaminectomy and fragment impaction. Late collapse of the upper disk space must be anticipated and may lead to some increase in kyphotic deformity. The situations are identified where an additional formal interbody fusion is recommended."}
{"id": "PMID:1493281", "title": "[Ventral stabilization of thoracic and lumbar spinal injuries].", "content": "An isolated ventral approach to the thoracal or lumbar spine seems sufficient in special burst fractures (type A2/3) or older compression fractures. The most effective ventral decompression of the spinal cord is followed by the fusion of the ventral body. Ventral plate instrumentation avoid dislocations of the interposed bone transplants. Our own clinical results are demonstrated."}
{"id": "PMID:1493282", "title": "[Indications and technique of combined dorso-ventral stabilization of the spine].", "content": "In delayed treatment of fracture dislocations or luxation of the cervical spine, combined dorsoventral operative treatment is necessary. After anatomical reduction from dorsal, stabilization is performed from ventral using autologous bone grafting and a plate. The injured intervertebral disk is removed to avoid protrusion. At the thoracolumbar spine this technique includes ventral bone grafting with a corticocancellous sandwich block and dorsal transpedicular fixation using an internal fixator system. This simplifies removal of the implant."}
{"id": "PMID:1493283", "title": "[Complications in surgical management of spinal injuries].", "content": "Operative treatment of spinal injuries requires an accurate surgical technique and biochemical know-how to avoid complications due to mistakes in device handling, operative technique, and indication. Device failures are caused by loosening of locking clamps or fracture of Schanz screws, followed by loss of angle stability and early loss of reduction. Maldisplacement of pedicle screws may involve irritation of neurovascular structures or loss of correction as well as insufficient transpedicular bone reduction and bone grafting. In burst fractures with destruction of the vertebral body and loose canal fragments, the posterior approach is less efficient than a combined procedure."}
{"id": "PMID:1493284", "title": "[Spinal injuries in polytrauma patients].", "content": "In about 30% of all multiple trauma patients, spinal injuries are found. The diagnostic and therapeutic procedure follows the five-step program for acute multiple trauma patients. Only in cases of open lesions or secondary deterioration of neurologic symptoms do we indicate an urgent operative treatment in step 3. All other patients should only be operated on after normalization of vital functions in step 5. The high risk for further complications is represented by the combination of thoracic spine lesions and lung contusion."}
{"id": "PMID:1493285", "title": "[New classification of practical surgical performance].", "content": "The commission was founded in April 1990 by the Professional Association of German Surgeons to devise a new evaluation of surgical practice, especially operative procedures. The catalogue uses time as its first approach, but also gives other qualities for surgical work. The given time values for some standard operations are backed up by statistical calculation of well-documented times in three different surgical units."}
{"id": "PMID:1493286", "title": "[Performance structure and performance documentation in ambulatory surgery].", "content": "Between January and September 1991, the average turnover of outpatient surgical centers in the Palatinate medical district was DM 100,000. A total 14.5% of this amount was costs of operation. Hourly charges are DM 300-600. For economical reasons, operations which do not cover these costs cannot be done."}
{"id": "PMID:1493287", "title": "[Test procedures and social welfare regulation--an assessment of the performance of surgery?].", "content": "Test and appeal proceedings in the self-administrating health insurance companies, according to the reform of the public health law of 1.1.1989 (SGB V) Welfare tribunal, namely, state welfare tribunal, and Federal welfare tribunal and its composition and functions. The responsibilities and rights of honorary medical judges in the welfare jurisdiction. A discussion of a possible discrepancy between the demand for economic behavior of the doctor involved in the health-care and the keeping of an up-to-date scientific standard (evaluation). Possibilities of putting medical-scientific arguments into the process of searching a verdict. Perspectives."}
{"id": "PMID:1493288", "title": "[Assessing performance in surgical research and teaching].", "content": "The clinical registration of performance mainly serves to ascertain the staff plan. The measure of teaching and research is not quality but quantity in hours. For teaching, the time of lectures is taken with an added factor of 1.5 for lectures and 0.5 for practical training for preparation. For research it is customary to take an index of 10% of yearly working hours of all physicians working in medical care. Therefore, in an university hospital approximately 25% of the staff plan accounts for research and teaching."}
{"id": "PMID:1493289", "title": "[Assessing performance and reimbursement in \"emergency ambulatory surgery\" from the viewpoint of hospital administration].", "content": "1) Definition of emergency and its payment is given, as well as the legal background of charging by the hospital. 2) The total work on outpatient departments of a central hospital is shown, especially that of surgical emergency cases. 3) The reasons for documentation of actual work are discussed, by whom and how, and the problems arising. 4) The payment for patients with social insurance is considered in respect of the official fees and the cost-averaging of the hospital as a nonprofit organisation."}
{"id": "PMID:1493290", "title": "[Assessing performance in new German states].", "content": "With the disbandment of the G.D.R., the following also ended: a) the central registration of all inpatients, which allowed statements to be made about hospital morbidity; b) the central tumor documentation, in which all tumor patients were registered up to 5 years after first treatment. Data relating to the clinic are being set up. We present a proven program of operating statistics set up by the working group for quality assurance."}
{"id": "PMID:1493291", "title": "[What is the value of anorectal manometry today?].", "content": "Since it was first introduced into clinical investigations in 1960 by M. Schuster, anorectal electromanometry has become one of the most-important methods to evaluate anorectal continence. Electromanometry now is a wide-spread, safe and simple screening method to analyze chronic constipation and to control the results of proctologic surgery. Its most important parameters are the anorectal pressure profile, the squeezing pressure profile, the adaptation reaction, the internal sphincter relaxation, and the rectal sphincteric reflex to the external anal sphincter. Wherever proctology is performed, electromanometry and electromyography of the external sphincter muscle should be done."}
{"id": "PMID:1493292", "title": "[Three-dimensional evaluation of computerized tomography images of pediatric fractures].", "content": "Three-dimensional reconstruction from CT was performed in pediatric patients after joint, facial, or spinal injury. Three-dimensional reconstruction proved particularly helpful in children with reduced post-trauma joint mobility. Free fragments, joint dislocations, and articulate surface defects were demonstrated. Here, as well as in facial and spinal injury, three-dimensional CT may facilitate and augment the understanding of two-dimensional displays."}
{"id": "PMID:1493293", "title": "[Surgical indications of funnel chest].", "content": "Pathological findings in ECG represent indications for operation only if they are accompanied by subjective complaints and psychogenic problems. The extent of the abnormality usually does not correlate with the patient's complaints. Disappearance of such complaints after surgery does not be considered as a sign of successful surgery. Even a deep funnel chest is not necessarily an indication for operation if the patient has no complaints and can manage the situation. A flat funnel chest should not be operated on. The operation can be performed in patients between 4 and 24 years of age. If severe associated anomalies require operation as well, the choice is not for correction of the funnel chest first."}
{"id": "PMID:1493294", "title": "[1992 tumor classification/developments].", "content": "Surgical oncology must consider some new international and national publications: 1. New fascicles of the 2nd edition of the WHO International Histological Classification of Tumors. 2. The 1992 revision of the 4th edition of the UICC TNM Classification and of the UICC TNM Atlas. 3. The TNM Supplement 1992/93 (UICC), which includes, among other things, explanatory notes for uniform use, proposals for further development, and a compilation of prognostic factors other than TNM and R to be considered in clinical studies. 4. The fully revised and enlarged tumor documentation system of the Working Group of German Cancer Centers (Arbeitsgemeinschaft Deutscher Tumorzentren)."}
{"id": "PMID:1493295", "title": "[Techniques and experiences in funnel chest operations].", "content": "Hegemann's technique of funnel chest correction using transsternal metal bar stabilization was adapted from the method published by Sulamaa and coworkers in 1958. Until the end of 1991, about 2400 chest wall corrections were performed in our department, more than 2000 of them using modifications of the original method. The principles of external chest wall measurement, our classification method, and the current operative modifications are described. In long-term follow-up examinations less than 3% recurrences should be possible."}
{"id": "PMID:1493296", "title": "[Experiences with funnel and pigeon chest correction with the modified Ravitch method].", "content": "We present 843 operations of chest wall deformities performed from 1971 to 1991 using the modified technique of Ravitch. We discuss the indication for operation, the perioperative management, and the early and late complications. In 54% we found a good result, and in up to 91% an acceptable one. In 9%, the result was poor. Furthermore we report our interview of 184 patients about their opinion on the perioperative situation and the result."}
{"id": "PMID:1493297", "title": "[Skin culture--keratinocytes].", "content": "Our efforts to cultivate keratinocytes and to use cultivated epidermal grafts which are then transplanted onto deep second- and third-degree burns and donor sites date back in 1987. Our laboratory is now able to provide our intensive care unit with cultured epidermografts as a routine procedure. Furthermore, we have developed a simple method for cryopreservation of cultured human epidermal keratinocytes. So in 1980, a skin bank was set up which provides us with cryopreserved allogenic cultured epidermis. Indications, operative management, and results are presented and accompanied by typical clinical cases."}
{"id": "PMID:1493298", "title": "[Myocutaneous flaps for reconstruction of large tissue defects of the trunk].", "content": "Large defects in the thorax and abdominal wall require a stable reconstruction. The use of muscle flaps offers many advantages: 1. Anatomically constant vascular patterns with a good blood circulation of the overlying fascia and skin. 2. Stable reconstruction of the whole wall as well as effective substitution of infected or irradiated tissue. Clinical cases and technical details are presented."}
{"id": "PMID:1493299", "title": "[Progress in the use of tissue expanders for defect closure of the body surface--experimental principles].", "content": "The principle of soft tissue expansion has been applied in widespread techniques in the field of plastic and reconstructive surgery since Radovan (1976) presented a method in which silicone expanders were subcutaneously implanted. Many experimental and clinical reports have been published since then, dealing particularly with the histomorphology, vascularization, and pathophysiology of expanded skin as well as with surgical techniques. Our own study intends to identify the effects of tissue expanders on the biomechanical, biochemical, and morphological qualities of expanded skin, and to determine the influence of pharmacological therapy during expansion."}
{"id": "PMID:1493300", "title": "[Progress in the use of tissue expanders for defect closure of the body surface--clinical aspects].", "content": "The time-honored principle of tissue expansion has only gained clinical relevance in the past 10 years. Its advantages are that sound tissue of equal texture, color, and quality adjacent to a defect or scarred area can be transposed to treat defects without producing further scars. Especially in the hair covered part of the head, but also in reconstruction of the female breast after mastectomy, in large scars from burns, or in large pigmented nevi, tissue expansion has to be reliable. Only when used in extremities does a higher rate of complication demand a certain restriction."}
{"id": "PMID:1493301", "title": "[Anatomy of the flexor and extensor tendons].", "content": "The flexor and extensor tendons of the hand are equipped with special gliding mechanisms. Blood supply is provided via paratenon and in the fibro-osseous tunnel via mesotenon. The tendons show different amplitudes of active excursion which decrease distally. The function of flexors and extensors is coordinated and supplemented by reflexes and by the correlating relay system of lumbricals. Activation of extensor aponeurosis results via the so-called extrinsic and intrinsic system, where the IP joints are additionally linked functionally by the oblique retinacular ligaments of Landsmeer. At the level of the MP joint, the dorsal aponeuroses are furthermore linked by oblique fibrous structures, which lead to functional impairment of the neighboring MP joints in maximal flexion and extension of a finger due to an effect of tenodesis (so-called quadriga phenomenon)."}
{"id": "PMID:1493302", "title": "[Progress in primary management of the extensor tendon].", "content": "Extensor tendon injuries are conventionally treated by immobilizing the involved digit in an extended position for 4-6 weeks, followed by active mobilization. This regimen is compared with early controlled active mobilization with dynamic splintage. The improved results are demonstrated."}
{"id": "PMID:1493303", "title": "[Surgical indications--who determines the limits?].", "content": "The indication for revascularization in claudicants is determined by the complaints of the patients and the risk of the procedure. Instead of good long-term results, a possible more rapid progression of arteriosclerosis should be considered after a vascular procedure. In limb-threatening ischemia, a vascular intervention is possible in up to 95% of cases. In the case of poor prognosis, the patient himself decides whether or not amputation is the primary treatment. The consent of the patient is valid only when there is no possibility of revascularization as determined by objective criteria, or when the patient chooses amputation primarily. Therefore, the indication for amputation is not limited by the competence of a single surgeon."}
{"id": "PMID:1493304", "title": "[Progress in arterial reconstruction of the upper and lower leg--percutaneous transluminal procedures].", "content": "Conventional PTA represents the state of the art method for treating arterial occlusive disease of the leg arteries. Rotational angioplasty is an improvement over conventional PTA in treating long proximal occlusions of the SFA. It can also be used as a second treatment in cases that were primarily unsuccessful with PTA, with an initial success of 59%. Stent implantation is mainly indicated in limb-threatening ischemia. It also permits successful management of an aneurysm as a late and rare complication correlated to PTA. Atherectomy produces better initial success in eccentric stenotic lesions than PTA. It also permits the successful management of obstructive intimal flaps after angioplasty. The new techniques only improve on PTA, if they are used in the differential therapeutic strategy mentioned above."}
{"id": "PMID:1493305", "title": "[17 years experience with saphenous vein in situ bypass].", "content": "Long-term results of femorodistal in situ vein bypasses depend on the quality of the outflow tract. The cumulative patency of in situ bypasses to the third popliteal segment with a three-vessel runoff is 82.2% at 5 years, compared to 56% for bypasses to a single tibial artery. Immediate occlusions during the first 3 postoperative days are fatal for long-term permeability. After successful revision, the cumulative patency is only 39.5% at 5 years, compared to 64.9% for the whole group. A prospective randomized trial could show that an adjunct intra-arterial treatment with PGE 1 over 10 days can statistically significantly reduce the rate of fatal immediate occlusions."}
{"id": "PMID:1493306", "title": "[Surgery of perforant veins].", "content": "The eradication of incompetent perforating veins combined with fasciotomy is a successful concept in the therapy of leg ulcers. Both can be achieved by endoscopy. Under endoscopic control, the medial, anterior, and posterior groups of perforating veins can be prepared at different levels and dissected after bipolar coagulation. Under endoscopic control the superficial fasciae of the leg are split."}
{"id": "PMID:1493307", "title": "[Para-tibial fasciotomy].", "content": "Fifty patients with large venous ulcers have been surgically treated by paratibial fasciotomy plus dissection of incompetent perforating veins since January 1990. The operative mortality rate was 0.0%. A single significant complication (hematoma) required a secondary operation. Forty-eight ulcers healed within 8 weeks completely. In two cases, the venous ulcers recurred. Healing could be obtained under conservative treatment. Our results suggest that paratibial fasciotomy is the method of choice for the treatment of chronic deep venous insufficiency stage III after unsuccessful conservative treatment."}
{"id": "PMID:1493308", "title": "[Extended resection in tumor surgery of the lung].", "content": "Out of 3823 prospectively followed patients with bronchial carcinoma, 1404 were operated upon. After radical resection, prognoses for 5-year survival in T3 and T4 tumors was 22% and 10%, respectively. Resection was carried out in 190 T3 tumors and 202 T4 tumors. Indications are based on existing or imminent complications in advanced locoregional tumor growth. Surgery must be decided on as palliative treatment in a high number of cases. This kind of surgical tumor management requires sophisticated techniques."}
{"id": "PMID:1493309", "title": "[Complications in surgery of varicose veins].", "content": "Complications after varicose vein operations are rare. Minor complications such as lesions of cutaneous nerves, e.g. saphenus or sural nerve, hematomas, lymphogenic fistulas or postoperative edemas are reported and can be treated conservatively. Major complications like injuries to the femoral vein must be considered in about 1% and injuries to the femoral arteries in 0.02%. This means, for example, for the FRG 50 serious venous and 10 serious arterial injuries with the possibility of limb loss/year. Deep vein thrombosis and pulmonal infarction occurred in 3300 of our varicose vein operations, in 0.15% and 0.06% respectively. Knowledge of vascular surgery and anatomy with all variations of the venous systems are mandatory for varicose vein surgery."}
{"id": "PMID:1493310", "title": "[Esthetic aspects of varicose vein surgery].", "content": "In addition to relieving variceal pain and preventing potential ulcer formation, the goal of variceal surgery is also a cosmetic one. The problems faced at surgery include scars, hematomas, and residual and recurrent varicose veins. Intraoperative interventions and surgical techniques to prevent these are presented here."}
{"id": "PMID:1493311", "title": "[Thoracic injuries--when is use of the heart-lung machine necessary?].", "content": "Most patients with severe blunt or penetrating thoracic injuries die early after the accident (approximately 50%). The majority of those who reach an emergency department (approximately 80-85%) can therefore be treated initially with intensive observation (following drainage and/or intubation). If clinical deterioration due to continuous bleeding or progressive hemodynamic and respiratory problems occurs, however, urgent surgical intervention is indicated. Transfer of those critical patients to specialized hospitals often becomes dangerous because of time loss, and it is unnecessary as major equipment (e.g., extracorporeal circulation) is demanded only in the minority of operations."}
{"id": "PMID:1493312", "title": "[Surgery of infiltrating tumors of the pericardium and myocardium].", "content": "Tumors arising from different organs may infiltrate the peri- and myocardium. Complete resections and defect repairs are possible using a variety of operating techniques. Although longterm survival rates of those patients with advanced tumor stages are unfavorable, individuals can be cured. Almost always, the patient's condition can symptomatically be improved by reduction of cardiac tamponade, venous congestion, and dyspnoe."}
{"id": "PMID:1493313", "title": "[Constrictive pericarditis--surgery with or without heart-lung machine?].", "content": "In patients suffering from constrictive pericarditis, the best hemodynamic results can be achieved by total mobilization of the heart and complete resection of the pericardium. Among 72 patients operated upon from 1969 to 1991, the use of extracorporeal circulation became necessary only twice. Therefore, we suggest the use of heart lung machine only in patients with bad myocardial function or in patients who need correction of additional diseases. Routine use of extracorporeal circulation is not mandatory."}
{"id": "PMID:1493314", "title": "[Regional hyperthermic perfusion--therapeutic concept and long term results].", "content": "Isolation perfusion was introduced in 1957 by Creech and Krementz for treatment of malignancies of the limbs. The isolation of the extremity from the body circulation allows a high concentration of cytostatics without systemic side effects. Regionally metastasizing malignant melanomas with satellites, intransit or lymph node metastases are generally accepted indications for isolation perfusion. There is still controversy about elective adjuvant perfusion in stage I melanoma. Prospective randomized studies must clarify this situation. Krementz demonstrated long-term survival rates between 29% and 52%. Our group of patients with satellites and intransit metastases shows a 10-year survival rate of 48%. Considering the historical data of our patients without perfusion and with a 10-year survival of 11%, there is a highly significant statistical difference. In conclusion, isolation perfusion is the therapy of choice in patients with locally metastasized malignant melanoma of the limbs."}
{"id": "PMID:1493315", "title": "[Multivisceral and extended resection in tumor surgery--esophageal cancer].", "content": "Extended resections are strategies in the surgical treatment of cancer which provide large oncological safety margins: these are of particular relevance in the neck in view of the close anatomical relation of the major cervical organs. In the region of the distal esophagus, extended resections may be a reasonable alternative to conservative approaches even when only intended as a palliative treatment. The removal of metastases does not influence the outcome in patients with esophageal carcinoma, in contrast to simultaneous surgery of other malignancies."}
{"id": "PMID:1493316", "title": "[Non-cardiac complications after open heart surgery].", "content": "The most important complications after open heart surgery are neurological, gastrointestinal (GI), and renal complications. New neurological deficits may occur in 1%, and neuropsychiatric alterations may be observed in 40%. In 6% peripheral neurological damage occurs. Endoscopy in all patients whose clinical history suggests signs of gastric ulcer disease, and perioperative H2-blocking therapy are effective in reducing severe GI bleeding to 1%. Small-bowel ischemia is a rare but high risk complication. Hepatitis due to homologous blood transfusion is as low as 2%-3%. Postoperative renal insufficiency occurs in 1% needing hemodialysis. Good hemodynamic condition during and after surgery reduces the frequency of extracardiac complications as well as the reduction of use of homologous blood transfusions for open heart surgery."}
{"id": "PMID:1493317", "title": "[Priority of interventions: myocardial revascularization--heart valve replacement--carotid endarterectomy--tumor surgery].", "content": "The simultaneous treatment of heart and concomitant disease is now possible in many cases, and is usual in heart-valve disease with coexistent coronary artery disease. If in addition to the heart disease, a carotid artery stenosis exists, a simultaneous operation is preferred in our clinic using the aid of extracorporeal circulation (with hypothermia, hemodilution, and full heparinization). When both heart disease that is in need of operation and a malignant tumor are present, the clinical strategy can be dependent only on the prognosis of the malignant illness."}
{"id": "PMID:1493318", "title": "[Acute pulmonary embolism--are vena cava interruption procedures and extracorporeal circulation always necessary?].", "content": "Between 1983 und 1991, emergency pulmonary embolectomy with the aid of extracorporeal circulation was performed in 13 patients. Ten patients were in class IV according to Greenfield, seven came into the operating theater with external cardiac massage. The 30-day mortality was 46%. In the same period, 15 venous interruption procedures were performed (three Adams de Weese Clip, ten Greenfield-Filter, and two femoral vein ligations). Eight times the venous interruption procedure was done prophylactically. The acute pulmonary embolism of class III and IV according to Greenfield is an indication for lytic therapy. We operate only if there is a contraindication to lytic therapy or if there is deterioration of the clinical state."}
{"id": "PMID:1493319", "title": "[Reconstruction of atrioventricular valves in partial and total atrioventricular canal].", "content": "Among the anomalies of endocardial cushion defects, the partial (PCAVC) and common (CCAVC) AV canal present a special challenge to the cardiac surgeon. In particular, reconstruction of the AV valve can be difficult in CCAVC because of morphologic variations. Within 17 years, 383 patients with this disease were operated on. Early mortality of PCAVC is below 1%, and of CCAVC below 5%. A total of 90% of the survivors are in NYHA class I. In general, plastic reconstruction of the mitral valve is performed. The risk of reoperation for recurrent mitral incompetence in both groups is between 7% and 10%. Mitral valve replacement is a rare event (1.5%)."}
{"id": "PMID:1493320", "title": "[Reconstruction of the subvalvular mitral valve tissue in mechanical mitral valve replacement].", "content": "Since it was demonstrated in experimental studies that preservation of the subvalvular mitral apparatus is of significance for left ventricular function, it was concluded that in mitral valve replacement complete excision of the mitral valve is disadvantageous for the patient. Clinical experience showed that in patients with mitral regurgitation and large mitral annulus, most of the valvular apparatus can be preserved. In stenotic mitral valve disease, it may be possible to decalcify and mobilize the mitral apparatus and to preserve it. If it is necessary to excise the mitral valve completely, one should think of replacing the chordae tendineae and thus improving postoperative left ventricular function."}
{"id": "PMID:1493321", "title": "[Preservation of the posterior mitral valve leaflet and effect on follow-up results after additional mitral valve implantation].", "content": "As early as 1964, Lillehei et al. published the technique of preservation of the posterior mitral leaflet (PML) and chordae tendineae in combination with mitral prosthesis implantation (MPI). In a limited randomized number of 95 patients with MPI the influence of preservation of PML on hemodynamics and physical capacity at least 46 months after surgery without (group A) and with preservation of PML (group B) was investigated. Statistically significant differences in favor of group B were found for cardiac index, pulmonary artery pressure after stress, end-diastolic volume index (EDVI), physical capacity and survival rate after a complication-free course. Basing on these results at rest and after exertion (30 W), patients with preservation of PML and MPI are long-term in a better clinical condition."}
{"id": "PMID:1493322", "title": "[The severely injured patient in the emergency center--new diagnostic, therapeutic and organizational concepts].", "content": "Recent advances in clinical intensive care medicine and legal aspects of quality assurance require new concepts and methods in preclinical emergency medicine. Different new methods of emergency medicine are presented and evaluated as to their economy, practicability, and medical efficacy, points which have to be considered in order to make general recommendations."}
{"id": "PMID:1493323", "title": "[Infection management in surgical intensive care patients].", "content": "Achieving significant reductions in the rate of infections contracted in hospital requires an integrated approach. Such an approach is comprised of standardized procedures in the areas of prevention, diagnosis, therapy, and tracking. Prevention must begin by differentiating between exogeneous and primary or secondary endogenous infections. For infections already contracted, diagnosis and therapy must be standardized to the greatest possible extent, thereby discouraging recourse to a polypragmatic approach. Finally, tracking provides important information about the type, number, and origin of infections, as well as about the resistance of pathogens and the success of infection-control techniques. Standardization should not be limited to a single ward or hospital, but should extend to the national and even international level."}
{"id": "PMID:1493325", "title": "[Multivisceral and extended resection in tumor surgery: stomach cancer].", "content": "The aim of curative surgery in gastric cancer is the complete removal of all tumour bulk both macroscopically and microscopically (R0 resection). The operative strategy should consider the location of tumor, its histological character (Laur\u00e9n classification), and the stage of disease according to the TNM-classification. Lymphadenectomy of compartments I and II does not increase operative morbidity and mortality if performed routinely, but seems to increase long-term survival in patients with stages II and IIIa disease. Routine removal of the spleen does not lead to better results. Gastrectomy in locally advanced gastric cancer with combined resection of adjacent organs can prolong survival in absence of peritoneal disseminating or distant metastases if R0 resection is achieved. The indication for gastrectomy of patients with an incurable stage of disease (peritoneal dissemination, distant metastases) should be determined after considering the individual status of the patient and surgical risk and can be performed as a so-called ultima ratio resection with the aim of palliation."}
{"id": "PMID:1493326", "title": "[Synchronous resection of liver metastases of colorectal cancers].", "content": "From 1981 to 1991, 161 patients underwent liver resection for colorectal secondaries with curative intent. In 57 patients metastases were synchronous to the primary tumor and were resected in 29 cases simultaneously and in 28 patients after a 2-week delay. Median survival of 28 months is similar to the treatment result for metachronous metastases. However, the recurrence-free interval was significantly shorter (7.5 months vs 11.8 months; p = 0.05). Radical resection of the primary tumor contributes to the treatment result; segmental resections of colorectum without lymphadenectomy should be avoided. Indication for liver resection should be made in the case of solitary lesions and in patients without extrahepatic disease. The type of resection for the primary tumor or for liver metastases does not influence survival, morbidity, or operative mortality."}
{"id": "PMID:1493327", "title": "[Multivisceral and extended resection in tumor surgery. Bone and peripheral soft tissue tumors].", "content": "Out of 92 patients with bone sarcoma and 640 patients with sarcomas of soft tissue 45 thoracic girdle amputations and 23 hemipelvectomies were performed. Radical surgery is the most effective prognostic factor. Recurrences stem from unradical operations which fail to include a compartment resection with a mantle of normal tissue in the case of soft tissue sarcomas or a resection of the sarcoma-bearing bone with normal surrounding tissue. Although multimodal therapies often cause tumour regression and necrosis, they do not stop recurrences if even minimal macroscopic parts of tumour have been left in situ."}
{"id": "PMID:1493328", "title": "[Abdominal multivisceral resection of colonic cancer].", "content": "Multivisceral resection in combination with extended lymph node dissection is used in the surgical treatment of locally advanced colon carcinoma without distant metastases. This also applies to tumours with marked peritumorous inflammation in contact with neighbouring organs where an intraoperative diagnostic attempt could result in tumour seeding. The low mortality and complication rate following multivisceral resection justifies this concept. The 5-year survival rate following multivisceral resection in advanced colon carcinoma is over 80%."}
{"id": "PMID:1493329", "title": "[Pelvic multivisceral resection from the viewpoint of surgery].", "content": "Even rectal carcinomas, carcinomas of the female genital tract, and retroperitoneal sarcomas of the pelvis with invasion of adjacent organs are potentially curable by extending the operation to the relevant structures. In the Surgical Department of the University of Erlangen, 1535 patients with a first diagnosis of rectal carcinoma were treated from 1978 to 1988. Among these patients, 97 multivisceral pelvic resections (patients with distant metastases excluded) were performed. True tumor invasion had occurred in 48%, the others were operated on for inflammatory adhesion. In 54 patients, the anal sphincter was preserved. Postoperative mortality was 7%. The 5-year survival of those patients with tumor invasion of adjacent organs and R0-resection (n = 26) was 32%. Excluding the five patients with a tear or incision of the tumor (n = 5), the 5-year survival of the remaining patients was 44%. One patient who was operated on for a leiomyosarcoma of the rectum with a multivisceral resection of the rectum, prostate, and urine bladder is still alive 9 years after the operation without recurrence. The history of this patient argues for pelvic exenteration also in males, if a R0 resection can be performed."}
{"id": "PMID:1493330", "title": "[Multivisceral resection of colorectal cancer--experiences of the Colorectal Cancer Study Group].", "content": "Between 1984 and 1986, 2341 patients with colorectal carcinoma from 7 German institutions entered the colorectal carcinoma study group (SGCRC). In 197 of 2053 patients with radical resections, the operation was extended by multivisceral resection. The two groups of patients were comparable in age, preoperative risk factors, postoperative morbidity, and mortality. Long-term results showed no statistically significant difference in survival according to the 5-year survival rates, calculated by the actuarial method when curative resections in UICC stage II and III were compared. After curative resection (R0), the presence or absence of intraoperative tumor-cell dissemination could be identified as a significant prognostic factor. The analysis of T4 tumors without distant metastases or serosal penetration showed a significant correlation between the percentage of patients treated by R0 resection and long-term survival in the different participating institutions."}
{"id": "PMID:1493333", "title": "I kappa B/MAD-3 masks the nuclear localization signal of NF-kappa B p65 and requires the transactivation domain to inhibit NF-kappa B p65 DNA binding.", "content": "The active nuclear form of the NF-kappa B transcription factor complex is composed of two DNA binding subunits, NF-kappa B p65 and NF-kappa B p50, both of which share extensive N-terminal sequence homology with the v-rel oncogene product. The NF-kappa B p65 subunit provides the transactivation activity in this complex and serves as an intracellular receptor for a cytoplasmic inhibitor of NF-kappa B, termed I kappa B. In contrast, NF-kappa B p50 alone fails to stimulate kappa B-directed transcription, and based on prior in vitro studies, is not directly regulated by I kappa B. To investigate the molecular basis for the critical regulatory interaction between NF-kappa B and I kappa B/MAD-3, a series of human NF-kappa B p65 mutants was identified that functionally segregated DNA binding, I kappa B-mediated inhibition, and I kappa B-induced nuclear exclusion of this transcription factor. Results from in vivo expression studies performed with these NF-kappa B p65 mutants revealed the following: 1) I kappa B/MAD-3 completely inhibits NF-kappa B p65-dependent transcriptional activation mediated through the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 kappa B enhancer in human T lymphocytes, 2) the binding of I kappa B/MAD-3 to NF-kappa B p65 is sufficient to retarget NF-kappa B p65 from the nucleus to the cytoplasm, 3) selective deletion of the functional nuclear localization signal present in the Rel homology domain of NF-kappa B p65 disrupts its ability to engage I kappa B/MAD-3, and 4) the unique C-terminus of NF-kappa B p65 attenuates its own nuclear localization and contains sequences that are required for I kappa B-mediated inhibition of NF-kappa B p65 DNA binding activity. Together, these findings suggest that the nuclear localization signal and transactivation domain of NF-kappa B p65 constitute a bipartite system that is critically involved in the inhibitory function of I kappa B/MAD-3. Unexpectedly, our in vivo studies also demonstrate that I kappa B/MAD-3 binds directly to NF-kappa B p50. This interaction is functional as it leads to retargeting of NF-kappa B p50 from the nucleus to the cytoplasm. However, no loss of DNA binding activity is observed, presumably reflecting the unique C-terminal domain that is distinct from that present in NF-kappa B p65."}
{"id": "PMID:1493334", "title": "Mutation of a tyrosine localization signal in the cytosolic tail of yeast Kex2 protease disrupts Golgi retention and results in default transport to the vacuole.", "content": "Kex2 protease processes pro-alpha-factor in a late Golgi compartment in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The first approximately 30 residues of the 115 amino acid CO2H-terminal cytosolic tail (C-tail) of the Kex2 protein (Kex2p) contain a Golgi retention signal that resembles coated-pit localization signals in mammalian cell surface receptors. Mutation of one (Tyr713) of two tyrosine residues in the C-tail or deletion of sequences adjacent to Tyr713 results in loss of normal Golgi localization. Surprisingly, loss of the Golgi retention signal resulted in transport of C-tail mutant Kex2p to the vacuole (yeast lysosome), as judged by kinetics of degradation and by indirect immunofluorescence. Analysis of the loss of Kex2 function in vivo after shutting off expression of wild-type or mutant forms proved that mutations that cause rapid vacuolar turnover do so by increasing the rate of exit of the enzyme from the pro-alpha-factor processing compartment. The most likely explanation for these results is that mutation of the Golgi retention signal in the C-tail results in transport of Kex2p to the vacuole by default. Wild-type Kex2p also was transported to the vacuole at an increased rate when overproduced, although apparently not due to saturation of a Golgi-retention mechanism. Instead, the wild-type and C-tail mutant forms of Kex2p may follow distinct paths to the vacuole."}
{"id": "PMID:1493335", "title": "Morphological classification of the yeast vacuolar protein sorting mutants: evidence for a prevacuolar compartment in class E vps mutants.", "content": "The collection of vacuolar protein sorting mutants (vps mutants) in Saccharomyces cerevisiae comprises of 41 complementation groups. The vacuoles in these mutant strains were examined using immunofluorescence microscopy. Most of the vps mutants were found to possess vacuolar morphologies that differed significantly from wild-type vacuoles. Furthermore, mutants representing independent vps complementation groups were found to share aberrant morphological features. Six distinct classes of vacuolar morphology were observed. Mutants from eight vps complementation groups were defective both for vacuolar segregation from mother cells into developing buds and for acidification of the vacuole. Another group of mutants, represented by 13 complementation groups, accumulated a novel organelle distinct from the vacuole that contained a late-Golgi protein, active vacuolar H(+)-ATPase complex, and soluble vacuolar hydrolases. We suggest that this organelle may represent an exaggerated endosome-like compartment. None of the vps mutants appeared to mislocalize significant amounts of the vacuolar membrane protein alkaline phosphatase. Quantitative immunoprecipitations of the soluble vacuolar hydrolase carboxypeptidase Y (CPY) were performed to determine the extent of the sorting defect in each vps mutant. A good correlation between morphological phenotype and the extent of the CPY sorting defect was observed."}
{"id": "PMID:1493336", "title": "Inducible expression of calmodulin antisense RNA in Dictyostelium cells inhibits the completion of cytokinesis.", "content": "The single gene encoding calmodulin in the eukaryotic microorganism Dictyostelium discoideum was cloned and sequenced. The gene was found to contain three introns, one lying immediately after the translation initiation codon. The deduced amino acid sequence indicated that Dictyostelium calmodulin contains 19 amino acid differences from vertebrate calmodulin, including extensions at both termini. Northern blot analysis showed that similar levels of calmodulin mRNA are present throughout growth and development of wild-type cells. A complete copy of the calmodulin cDNA was prepared, and an 87-base pair fragment complementary to the 5'-end of the calmodulin mRNA was subcloned into the Dictyostelium transformation vector pVEII, such that expression of the antisense transcript was driven by the discoidin I gamma promoter. Transformed cells were selected and maintained at low cell density, a condition resulting in minimal activity of the discoidin I promoter. High level expression was induced by allowing the transformants to reach high cell density or by growing them in the presence of medium conditioned by high density cells. Under these conditions, in which calmodulin mRNA and protein levels were reduced about twofold, the calmodulin antisense transformants lost the ability to complete cytokinesis. A contractile ring formed and constricted, but the midbody linking daughter cells failed to break. The resulting cell population contained multinucleated cells and networks of cells connected by cytoplasmic bridges. Normal cell division was restored when the cells were diluted to low density. These observations have identified a new point at which calmodulin may regulate cell cleavage."}
{"id": "PMID:1493337", "title": "Requirement for ESP1 in the nuclear division of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.", "content": "Mutations in the ESP1 gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae disrupt normal cell-cycle control and cause many cells in a mutant population to accumulate extra spindle pole bodies. To determine the stage at which the esp1 gene product becomes essential for normal cell-cycle progression, synchronous cultures of ESP1 mutant cells were exposed to the nonpermissive temperature for various periods of time. The mutant cells retained viability until the onset of mitosis, when their viability dropped markedly. Examination of these cells by fluorescence and electron microscopy showed the first detectable defect to be a structural failure in the spindle. Additionally, flow cytometric analysis of DNA content demonstrated that massive chromosome missegregation accompanied this failure of spindle function. Cytokinesis occurred despite the aberrant nuclear division, which often resulted in segregation of both spindle poles to the same cell. At later times, the missegregated spindle pole bodies entered a new cycle of duplication, thereby leading to the accumulation of extra spindle pole bodies within a single nucleus. The DNA sequence predicts a protein product similar to those of two other genes that are also required for nuclear division: the cut1 gene of Schizosaccharomyces pombe and the bimB gene of Aspergillus nidulans."}
{"id": "PMID:1493338", "title": "A Dictyostelium myosin II lacking a proximal 58-kDa portion of the tail is functional in vitro and in vivo.", "content": "We used molecular genetic approaches to delete 521 amino acid residues from the proximal portion of the Dictyostelium myosin II tail. The deletion encompasses approximately 40% of the tail, including the S2-LMM junction, a region that in muscle myosin II has been proposed to be important for contraction. The functions of the mutant myosin II are indistinguishable from the wild-type myosin II in our in vitro assays. It binds to actin in a typical rigor configuration in the absence of ATP and it forms filaments in a normal salt-dependent manner. In an in vitro motility assay, both monomeric and filamentous forms of the mutant myosin II translocate actin filaments at 2.4 microns/s at 30 degrees C, similar to that of wild-type myosin II. The mutant myosin II is also functional in vivo. Cells expressing the mutant myosin II in place of the native myosin II perform myosin II-dependent activities such as cytokinesis and formation of fruiting bodies, albeit inefficiently. Growth of the mutant cells in suspension gives rise to many large multinucleated cells, demonstrating that cytokinesis often fails. The majority of the fruiting bodies are also morphologically abnormal. These results demonstrate that this region of the myosin II tail is not required for motile activities but its presence is necessary for optimum function in vivo."}
{"id": "PMID:1493340", "title": "Predisposing psychological factors in the development of reflex sympathetic dystrophy. A review of the empirical evidence.", "content": "To examine the literature for evidence that psychological factors predispose certain individuals to development of reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD). English-language journal articles that described psychological data on patients diagnosed with RSD, identified through Medline search and bibliography reviews. All studies reporting data on psychological factors in adult, adolescent, or child patients with RSD were included. We extracted data regarding psychological factors in patients with RSD and assessed validity of these studies through evaluation against seven basic research criteria. Of the 20 articles reviewed, 15 reported the presence of depression, anxiety, and/or life stress in patients with RSD. However, the methodological quality of these studies was generally poor, with most meeting three or less of the seven validity criteria. In particular, the absence of prospective designs restricts conclusions concerning whether psychological factors are etiologically related to RSD. The data reviewed are consistent with a theoretical model in which depression, anxiety, or life stressors may influence development of RSD through their effects on alpha-adrenergic activity. However, conclusions regarding etiological significance of these factors are not possible due to the dearth of high-quality studies. Suggestions for prospective research are described."}
{"id": "PMID:1493341", "title": "Etiopathogenesis of reflex sympathetic dystrophy: a review and biopsychosocial hypothesis.", "content": "Reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD) is an enigmatic condition. Many clinicians, however, believe that psychological factors could contribute to the onset and persistence of the syndrome. In this article we critically review the evidence from psychometric and psychodynamic/biographical studies that suggests a role for such factors. An etiopathogenetic hypothesis based on the authors' clinical experience and the foregoing literature also encompasses elements of stress-coping theory, cognitive-behavioral views on chronic pain, and the psychobiological approach to sympathetic nervous system dysfunction. Implications of this model for future psychological research and the therapeutic treatment of RSD are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1493342", "title": "Chronic low back pain patients around the world: cross-cultural similarities and differences.", "content": "The current study sought to determine whether there were any significant cross-cultural differences in medical-physical findings, or in psychosocial, behavioral, vocational, and avocational functioning, for chronic low back pain patients. Partially double-blind controlled comparison of six different culture groups. Subjects were selected from primarily ambulatory care facilities specializing in treating chronic pain patients. PATIENTS-SUBJECTS: Subjects consisted of 63 chronic low back pain patients and 63 healthy controls. Low back pain patients were randomly selected from six different culture groups (American, Japanese, Mexican, Colombian, Italian, and New Zealander). Ten to 11 were gathered per culture from a pool of patients treated at various pain treatment programs. Likewise, 10 or 11 control group subjects were obtained from each culture from a pool of healthy support staff. The Sickness Impact Profile and the Medical Examination and Diagnostic Information Coding System were used as primary outcome measures. Findings showed that (a) low back pain subjects across all cultures had significantly more medical-physical findings and more impairment on psychosocial, behavioral, vocational, and avocational measures than controls did; (b) Mexican and New Zealander low back pain subjects had significantly fewer physical findings than other low back pain groups did; (c) the American, New Zealander, and Italian low back pain patients reported significantly more impairment in psychosocial, recreational, and/or work areas, with the Americans the most dysfunctional; and (d) findings were not a function of working class, age, sex, pain intensity, pain duration, previous surgeries, or differences in medical-physical findings. It was concluded that there were important cross-cultural differences in chronic low back pain patients' self-perceived level of dysfunction, with the American patients clearly the most dysfunctional. Possible explanations included cross-cultural differences in social expectation; attention; legal-administrative requirements; financial gains; attitudes-expectations about usage, type, and availability of health care; and self-perceived ability and willingness to cope."}
{"id": "PMID:1493343", "title": "Bacteriology, drug stability and exchange of percutaneous delivery systems and antibacterial filters in long-term intrathecal infusion of opioid drugs and bupivacaine in \"refractory\" pain.", "content": "To provide a basis for recommendations on the exchange of containers (syringes and cassettes) and antibacterial filters, and for choice of administration device in patients with \"refractory\" pain treated with long-term percutaneous intrathecal (IT) infusions of opioid (morphine or buprenorphine) and bupivacaine mixtures. Prospective, cohort, nonrandomized control trial-case series, with consecutive sample, no standard criterion, and cost-benefit analysis. Tertiary care center, institutional practice as well as hospitalized and ambulatory care. Eighty-nine (51 women and 38 men); 81 with malignant pain and 8 with benign \"refractory\" pain. (a) The chemical stability of the drugs in the containers during 30 days. (b) The results of bacteriologic culture of the residual volumes of the analgesic mixtures from used and reused (1-16 times) syringes (n = 135) and cassettes (n = 258), and of 5 ml of sterile isotonic saline filtered through the used Millipore filters (n = 149). The bacteriologic samples from the 89 patients were taken after 1-40 (median = 7), 1-86 (median = 20), and 5-78 (median = 31) days of IT treatment, respectively. Chemical stability: buprenorphine and bupivacaine concentrations-liquid chromatography; morphine concentrations--gas chromatography. Bacteriologic cultures: standard laboratory procedures. The hypothesis (repeated use of the infusion systems and their exchange once a month does not significantly affect drug concentrations or increase the infection risk) was elaborated before data collection began. The bupivacaine-opioid mixtures were found to be chemically stable within 3-10% of the original doses up to 30 days. Seventeen cultures (from five syringes, six cassettes, and six filters) in 13 patients (having no signs of meningeal infection) were found to be colonized with Staphylococcus aureus (n = 4), coagulase negative staphylococci (n = 7), viridans streptococci (n = 3), Neisseria sp (n = 4), Corynebacterium sp (n = 4), Enterobacter sp (n = 2), Klebsiella sp (n = 3), gram-negative bacilli (n = 1), and yeasts (n = 2). The place of IT treatment, its duration, and patient-related infection risk factors (age; malignancy; diabetes; presence of a colostomy, pyelostomy, or indwelling urinary catheter; and the presence and location of infection foci) were not related to the results of the cultures. However, 9 of the 17 positive cultures came from patients with skin ulcers, a notable incidence. The positive cultures had no connection with the cultured item, its in-use duration, the number of times of reuse, the analgesic drugs used, their concentrations or the presence of preservatives (sodium metabisulfite and sodium edetate), or the antiseptic agent (70% ethanol or 0.5% chlorhexidine gluconate) used during bacteriologic sampling. The bacterial growth was sparse in 14 and massive in 3 of the 17 positive cultures. One item (filter) from one patient with meningitis was sterile. In our population, exchange of the infusion systems when they are empty (within 1 month) and of the antibacterial filters once a month does not appear to affect the concentrations of, or increase the infection risk from, the opioid-bupivacaine mixtures. The risk of bacterial contamination/colonization of the syringes from syringe drivers does not seem to be higher than that of cassettes from external portable pumps."}
{"id": "PMID:1493344", "title": "Intrathecal baclofen suppresses central pain in patients with spinal lesions. A pilot study.", "content": "To assess the efficacy of acute intrathecal (i.t.) baclofen on chronic, dysesthetic, and spasm-related pain (SRP) among patients with spinal spasticity [i.e., multiple sclerosis (MS), spinal cord injury (SCI), transverse myelitis (TMy)]. Double-blind, randomized, and placebo (vehicle) controlled trials (n = 7), and nonrandomized, nonblinded trials (n = 2). In-patient program at Samaritan Rehabilitation Institute, Phoenix, Arizona, U.S.A. MS (n = 4), spinal cord compression (n = 1), and TMy (n = 2) in the double-blind trial, and SCI (n = 2) in the nonblinded trial; all had chronic spinal lesions and function-limiting spasticity refractory to oral medications, including baclofen (p.o.). i.t. baclofen (50 micrograms) in 1 ml preservative-free normal saline into the L1-2 interspace. Electromyographic (EMG) activity; intravesical and intraurethral pressures; Ashworth Scale and tendon response values; visual analog scales for describing dysesthetic pain intensity; and threshold/EMG relationships after controlled pinch as an indication of nociceptive pain. i.t. baclofen (a) caused marked reduction of segmental reflexes before suppression of intersegmental reflexes; (b) significantly suppressed dysesthetic pain and SRP with temporal dissociation; and (3) did not influence pinch-induced and musculoskeletal (low back) pain. The suppressive action of i.t. baclofen on spontaneous and evoked (allodynia) dysesthetic pain suggests that a dysfunctional spinal gamma-aminobutyric acidB receptor system, including functional supersensitivity, is associated with the phenomenon of central pain among patients with spinal lesions. Temporal dissociation regarding the action on dysesthetic pain and SRP suggests that disparate central mechanisms subserve the two clinical states."}
{"id": "PMID:1493345", "title": "Long-term phantom breast syndrome after mastectomy.", "content": "Phantom breast syndrome after mastectomy has already been reported by us and other authors. The temporal course, character, and extent of these phenomena, however, have not yet been elucidated. To investigate in a prospective study the incidence, clinical picture, and temporal course of phantom breast syndrome during a 6-year period. One-hundred twenty women who embarked on consecutive postoperative control or treatment at our department during a 1-year period were interviewed by a standard questionnaire 3 weeks after the operation. Of these, 110 patients were interviewed 1 year later and 69 were interviewed again 6 years later. The median age at the first interview was 54 years (Quartile (Q)1 = 45 years; Q3 = 62 years) and at the third interview 6 years later, 60 years (Q1 = 51 years; Q3 = 68 years). The incidence of phantom pain and nonpainful phantom sensations was 13.3% and 15.0%, respectively, 3 weeks after mastectomy, 12.7% and 11.8%, respectively, after a year, and 17.4% and 11.8%, respectively, after 6 years. We found significant relationships between preoperative pain and phantom breast syndrome, but no significant relationship between age and the occurrence of this syndrome. Neither postoperative sequelae nor cancer treatment including radiotherapy seemed to affect the occurrence of phantom breast syndrome. Pain in the scar, which was clearly distinguishable from phantom pain, was present in 35.0% of the patients 3 weeks postoperatively, in 22.7% after 1 year, and persisted in 30.9% 6 years later. The present incidence of phantom-related phenomena is close to the incidence reported by others. However, persistent phantom pain after mastectomy may be more common than usually expected. Also, the persistence of pain in the scar seems to be more common than generally expected."}
{"id": "PMID:1493346", "title": "A comparison of psychosocial functioning and personality in amputee and chronic pain populations.", "content": "To compare two populations with disabling conditions, amputation and chronic pain, in terms of psychosocial functioning and personality factors. We hypothesized that the degree of disability of amputees would resemble that of patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain. We also examined the prevalence of personality characteristics stereotypic of chronic pain in the two samples. Survey. Outpatients at the pain and amputee clinics of a teaching hospital. Ninety-four patients (47.7% of the number approached) were selected in consecutive samples taken from records and clinics. Sickness Impact Profile (SIP) and the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory (MCMI). The two groups did not differ on the SIP total score. Sixteen of 47 amputees reported significant pain, and this group showed higher levels of overall disability than did patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain (n = 47) and significantly greater disability than the 31 amputees reporting low levels of pain. Contrary to common perceptions of chronic pain patients, 25% showed no significant evidence of psychopathology. Only anxiety and dysthymia levels were clinically elevated in more than 50% of chronic pain patients. Results are discussed in terms of the dual disability of amputees with chronic pain and of the hazards of attributing common characteristics to heterogenous patient groups."}
{"id": "PMID:1493347", "title": "Predictors of outcome in the treatment of chronic \"psychogenic\" pain with amitriptyline and brief psychotherapy.", "content": "Baseline measures associated with outcome are described for amitriptyline and brief psychotherapy used in the outpatient treatment of chronic \"psychogenic\" pain. The results delineate patient profiles associated with suitability for these treatments. These may serve as guidelines for choice in the treatment of heterogeneous pain clinic patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1493352", "title": "Ocular diclofenac. A review of its pharmacology and clinical use in cataract surgery, and potential in other inflammatory ocular conditions.", "content": "Diclofenac sodium is a potent nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug with analgesic activity. When instilled as a topical 0.1% solution in a limited number of patients undergoing cataract surgery, diclofenac limits surgically induced miosis, reduces signs of ocular inflammation, does not cause elevations in intraocular pressure, and reduces the occurrence and severity of cystoid macular oedema. Preliminary findings suggest a niche for topical diclofenac in other ocular inflammatory conditions such as iritis, episcleritis and conjunctivitis, although its efficacy in these areas awaits confirmation. The drug appears well tolerated, apart from a transient burning sensation after instillation in some patients. Ocular diclofenac thus appears well suited as a local anti-inflammatory adjunct to cataract surgery, and may be useful in some other inflammatory ocular conditions."}
{"id": "PMID:1493353", "title": "Transdermal estradiol. A review of its pharmacological profile, and therapeutic potential in the prevention of postmenopausal osteoporosis.", "content": "The estradiol transdermal therapeutic system is a percutaneous delivery device which, when affixed to the skin, delivers estradiol (the major estrogen in premenopausal women) into the systemic circulation at a constant rate for up to 4 days. Because this method of delivery avoids first-pass hepatic metabolism, premenopausal levels of estradiol can be maintained in postmenopausal women using very low dosages. Bone density decreases at an accelerated rate after the menopause, which can lead to development of osteoporosis and increased fracture risk. In common with other estrogen therapies, transdermal estradiol provides protection against osteoporosis following spontaneous or surgical menopause, as evidenced by both biochemical markers of bone resorption and, in a small number of studies, measurement of bone mineral density. Protection against further vertebral fractures was also demonstrated in women with established osteoporosis in one study. Transdermal estradiol also has beneficial effects on vaginal cytology and menopausal symptoms similar to those of oral estrogens. The tolerability of transdermal estradiol appears to be very good, the most common adverse effect being local irritation at the application site. As with other estrogens, transdermal estradiol can be given continuously or in 4-week (3 weeks on/1 week off) cycles, and concomitant progestogen therapy is recommended in women with intact uteri, in order to minimise the risk of endometrial hyperplasia. Available evidence thus suggests that transdermal estradiol may represent an attractive alternative to other forms of estrogen therapy for the prevention, and possibly treatment, of postmenopausal osteoporosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1493354", "title": "Prevention of osteoporosis. Current recommendations.", "content": "Osteoporosis and its treatment have attracted much attention in recent years, especially since the widespread recognition of its association with the menopause. The resulting fractures are a cause of considerable morbidity and mortality in the elderly, and current costs of treating these patients has been estimated to be in excess of pounds 500 million per annum in the UK. As the causes of osteoporosis are now recognised the condition may be largely preventable, especially in women, and significant savings in health expenditure could be made if preventive methods are applied to those most at risk. The most well researched preventive treatment for osteoporosis is hormone replacement therapy (HRT) which offers additional benefits to those who choose it. Alternative methods currently under investigation for those who cannot or will not use HRT include those agents which inhibit the resorption of bone and those that stimulate the production of new bone. Treatment of established disease, i.e. attempts at increasing bone density in those with significant loss, is more difficult and methods so far investigated are not without risks and adverse effects. Furthermore, whether an increase in bone mineral density results in a reduced rate of fracture incidence has yet to be confirmed."}
{"id": "PMID:1493355", "title": "HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor use in the aged. A review of clinical experience.", "content": "While the benefit of cholesterol-lowering in the elderly has yet to be proven in clinical trials, individuals at high risk of coronary events who otherwise enjoy a good quality of life, should not be denied cholesterol-lowering therapy on the basis of age alone. Moreover, hypolipidaemic drugs are already extensively used in the aged. The HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors lovastatin, simvastatin and pravastatin are potent well tolerated hypolipidaemic therapies in young subjects. Although there have been few studies on their use in elderly subjects, the available data suggest the efficacy and safety of HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors in similar to that established for younger age groups."}
{"id": "PMID:1493357", "title": "The epidemiology and therapy of airflow limitation in the elderly.", "content": "Airways disease is a frequent problem poorly recognised in older people. Many have reversible airway limitation and do not receive appropriate therapy. As in younger patients, pulmonary function tests are essential as a baseline and in relation to formal trials of treatment in both the diagnosis and management. Preferably, the assessment of all patients with airflow limitation should include a corticosteroid trial to correctly identify all patients who need long term prophylactic therapy. Many older patients have difficulty using the metered dose inhalers and the addition of volume spacer devices, though cumbersome, has many further advantages. In some patients, airflow limitation may be complicated by the presence of cardiac failure, arrhythmias and arterial hypoxia, and these problems also need to be reviewed."}
{"id": "PMID:1493356", "title": "Aromatase inhibitors in malignant diseases of aging.", "content": "Aromatase inhibition is an established endocrine treatment modality in postmenopausal breast cancer and is currently considered as an interesting experimental treatment approach in other malignant conditions such as endometrial carcinomas and prostatic cancer. While the 'classic' aromatase inhibitor aminoglutethimide causes many adverse effects that makes it unfit for use in elderly patients, several novel aromatase inhibitors with minimal adverse effects are currently being investigated. These drugs may provide important new tools in the endocrine treatment of malignant diseases in aging patients."}
{"id": "PMID:1493364", "title": "DNA reactive and epigenetic carcinogens.", "content": "Animal and human carcinogens exert their effects through diverse mechanisms which include DNA reaction and epigenetic effects. This review covers the basis for distinguishing between carcinogens that have either DNA reactivity or epigenetic activity as their primary effect."}
{"id": "PMID:1493365", "title": "Overview of genotoxic carcinogens and non-genotoxic carcinogens.", "content": "It is known that carcinogens designated on the basis of longterm animal test results are extremely diverse in character, both in terms of potencies and the mechanism of action, which leads to complexity in their assessment for cancer risk to humans. The classification of carcin0ogens into two categories, namely, genotoxic and non-genotoxic varieties has been proposed to give a longical foundation on which cancer risk assessment can be reasonably based. The term \"genotoxic carcinogen\" indicates a chemical capable of producing cancer by directly altering the genetic material of target cells, while \"non-genotoxic carcinogen\" represents a chemical capable of producing cancer by some secondary mechanism not related to direct gene damage. This classification has contributed to the exclusion of various rodent-specific carcinogens from the group of chemicals with potential cancer risk to humans. However, the term, \"nongenotoxic carcinogen\" tends to give the mistaken impression that carcinogens shown to be negative for mutagenicity in a series of test systems might be harmless to humans. It should be realized that clear-cut criteria for this classification have not been established because of insufficiencies in the available information concerning mechanisms of action of non-genotoxic carcinogens. Future scientific advances leading to elucidation of the subcellular mechanisms of carcinogenesis are necessary for establishment of the unified, more realistic and mechanism-based approach to cancer risk estimation form exposure to chemicals."}
{"id": "PMID:1493366", "title": "Search for the mechanism of toxicity of dioxins. A lesson in toxicology.", "content": "The development of modern toxicology was strongly influenced by parallel evolutions of sister disciplines as well as regulatory requirements. This led to an overemphasis of some areas of toxicology while other aspects of it experienced at least a temporary benign neglect. The author of this paper believes that the few and far between successes in elucidating the mechanism of toxicity of chemicals are related to this uneven approach to a very complex problem. Based on one of the most important and controversial contemporary issues in toxicology, viz. that of dioxins, it is argued that by a systematic step-wise use of methodologies borrowed from sister disciplines, our capabilities of elucidating the mechanism of action of toxicants can be considerably improved."}
{"id": "PMID:1493360", "title": "Tissue repair by thrombin-derived peptides in the rat.", "content": "An ordered sequence of events occurs following tissue damage to bring about healing. One molecule involved in this process is thrombin. Utilizing rat linear incision and full dermal excision models, we have investigated the ability of two thrombin-derived RGD-containing peptides, p517 and p508, to enhance tissue repair under normal and healing-impaired conditions. p508, at 0.5 micrograms peptide per wound, produced a significant .23% improvement in wound strength in a dose-dependent manner. Similarly, a single application of 0.5 micrograms p517 per 6-cm linear incision would significantly increased wound-breaking strength approximately 18% at nine days postsurgery (control: 3.95 +/- 0.13 Newtons, vs. p517: 4.68 +/- 0.13 Newtons; P < 0.001). However, in glucocorticoid-stressed rats, the application of 0.5 micrograms per wound p508 or 517 did not significantly influence steroid-impaired healing. In the full dermal skin excision wound model, a single application of 0.5 micrograms p508 per wound at the time of surgery significantly reduced average wound area at days 3 and 5, when healing was impaired by glucocorticoid administration. Wound area was also reduced by p508 treatment at day 3 in the normal animal, but this effect was not statistically significant. We suggest wound-healing benefits of p508 and p517 may activate wound fibroblast proliferation or stimulate other cell types in the wound site through an RGD-mediated interaction."}
{"id": "PMID:1493361", "title": "Construction of affinity sorbents utilizing glutathione analogs.", "content": "Solution-phase N-fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl (Fmoc) mediated peptide synthesis has been adapted to the synthesis of glutathione (gamma-glutamyl-cysteinyl-glycine) analogs. A protecting group strategy has been devised in which all of the masking groups are removed with mild base. This allows for the synthesis of acid-sensitive materials and lessens concerns about the alkylation at sulfur by carbocations known to be present in the trifluoroacetic acid mixtures usually employed for deprotection of peptides made by the Fmoc methodology. A series of structurally varied glutathione analogs were prepared by modifying the peptide in two ways. The first involved C-terminal substitution for glycine by one of several different amino acids. The second involved substitution of one of five alkyl or aryl groups onto the cysteine sulfhydryl. The complete set of all combinations would yield 48 reagents, of which 25 have actually been synthesized. Following confirmation of the structures by FAB mass spectrometry, the peptides were immobilize by conjugation to epoxyfunctionalized Sepharose at pH 11-12. The amount and identity of immobilized peptide was assayed by amino acid analysis of acid-hydrolyzed resin. One of the tripeptides was purified by ion-exchange and preparative HPLC."}
{"id": "PMID:1493362", "title": "Conformational studies on beta-amino acid-containing peptides. I.", "content": "Modified amino acids (such as beta-amino acids) are becoming increasingly popular research tools in the development of orally active and metabolically stable peptidomimetics. We present conformational energy calculations using molecular mechanics (MM2) on two model compounds containing beta-amino acids. The low-energy models are characterized by a lack of intramolecular hydrogen-bonding interactions, qualitatively consistent with the results of the IR studies. The structures obtained from the limited amount of x-ray crystal data on compounds with beta-amino acid incorporated lie within 3 kcal/mol of the global minimum obtained from the present calculations. Preliminary stereochemical guidelines for the incorporation of beta-amino acid residues have been proposed."}
{"id": "PMID:1493368", "title": "Outcome of thyroid function in newborns from mothers treated with amiodarone.", "content": "Amiodarone, a drug extensively used as an antiarrhythmic agent, contains 37% iodine and causes several thyroid abnormalities. The transplacental passage of amiodarone occurs with chronic therapy; we describe in this report the outcome of 9 pregnant women who used amiodarone (200 mg/day) for treatment of resistant tachycardia and the follow-up of their newborns. All women were clinically euthyroid at the 3rd trimester and showed expected values of thyroid hormones (mean +/- SD: total T4, 228 +/- 45 nmol/L; total T3, 4.0 +/- 0.65 nmol/L; TSH, 4.0 +/- 1.8 mU/L; negative thyroid antibodies). At birth all newborns were normal on routine examination with no goiter or corneal changes. T4 and TSH, measured on dried umbilical blood spots were normal or borderline-normal in 8 of 9 babies. Only 1 neonate presented clearly abnormal values of T4 and TSH (96 mU/L); on clinical grounds the baby was normal, without signs of hypothyroidism. At 1 month of life, T4 and TSH were normal. Follow-ups at 3, 6, and 12 months were normal. We conclude that is not necessary to discontinue treatment with amiodarone in pregnant women with resistant tachycardia, but it is imperative to evaluate the thyroid function of the newborn, since transient hypothyroidism may occur."}
{"id": "PMID:1493358", "title": "C-terminal amidation of calcitonin by carboxypeptidase Y catalyzed transpeptidation with a photocleavable nucleophile.", "content": "The C-terminal amidation of calcitonin represents an important technological problem. A method using a serine carboxypeptidase-catalyzed transpeptidation reaction in combination with photochemical cleavage to give the warranted peptide amide is described. The overall yield is higher than 95%."}
{"id": "PMID:1493369", "title": "Clinical picture of endemic cretinism in central Apennines (Montefeltro).", "content": "Endemic cretinism is still present in an endemic goiter area of the central Apennines (Montefeltro) (goiter prevalence 55%; mean urinary iodine level 39 micrograms/g creatinine). Clinical and biochemical features of patients with myxedematous, neurologic, and mixed cretinism were studied. Also, in this area, as in most other, neurologic cretinism is more prevalent than myxedematous and mixed forms. The hormonal profiles of the three types of cretinism were clearly different. Nevertheless, all myxedematous cretins had some neurologic disorders (hyperreflexia, increased muscle tone, disorder of gait, Babinski sign, hypoacusia) that were similar to those present in neurologic cretins. These findings suggest that neurologic damage is very similar in all forms of endemic cretinism, reflecting a diffuse insult to the developing fetal nervous system. Furthermore, these data support the hypothesis that the primary pathophysiologic event in the different types of endemic cretinism is represented by maternal and fetal hypothyroidism, while differences may be explained by the extent and duration of postnatal hypothyroidism. All the cretins were over 35 of age, suggesting a severe iodine deficiency in the past decades, and a progressive improvement of nutritional status resulted in \"silent iodine prophylaxis.\" However, recent studies have revealed the persistence of a moderate iodine deficiency, a high prevalence of neurologic hypoacusia, and reduction of mental performance in normal schoolchildren of this area. These findings constitute strong evidence in favor of adequate iodine prophylaxis."}
{"id": "PMID:1493359", "title": "Conformation of aminosuccinyl dipeptides Ac-L-X-L-Asu-NMe from empirical energy calculations.", "content": "The aminosuccinyl (Asu) residue is formed as intermediate in some peptide and protein reactions. Potential energy calculations, using the parameters of the empirical conformational energy program for peptides (ECEPP), were performed on blocked X-Asu dipeptides, where X = Gly, Ala, Ser, Val and Pro. Results indicate that intra-residue interactions are dominant, and the low-energy dipeptide conformations correspond to the low-energy single-residue minima. Comparisons were made with previous results from energy calculations on blocked Asu-X dipeptides (X = Gly, Ala, Ser and Val)."}
{"id": "PMID:1493370", "title": "Surrogate thyroglobulin receptors and T cell proliferation in Hashimoto's thyroiditis.", "content": "Immunoglobulin molecules on the surface of a B lymphocyte are the endogenous \"receptors\" to which specific antigens bind. Studies in mice have shown that a monoclonal antibody, conjugated with palmitate to provide a lipid tail, can be inserted into the cell membrane to provide a \"surrogate\" antigen receptor. We have investigated whether a palmitate conjugate of a human monoclonal antibody specific for thyroglobulin (TG) could function as a surrogate TG receptor on blood mononuclear cells separated into fractions enriched for T cells or depleted of T cells (non-T cells). Using flow cytometry, we detected surrogate TG receptors on non-T (but not on T) cells from 11 of 11 individuals studied (5 Hashimoto patients and 6 control donors). In contrast, endogenous TG receptors could only be detected on non-T cells from 1 of 3 Hashimoto patients and from 0 of 4 control donors. Because of the efficient binding of TG by surrogate receptors on non-T cells, we assessed the ability of such cells to present TG to T cells. Proliferation in response to TG was observed in T cells from only 1 of 5 Hashimoto patients. This low frequency of response was no different from that previously detected using cultures of T cells and autologous dendritic cells. Therefore, the successful generation of surrogate receptors on non-T cells is not associated with more efficient TG presentation of T cells. Furthermore, the significance of the present study is that the T cells, not the antigen-presenting cells, are likely to be the limiting element in the T cell proliferative response to TG and other thyroid autoantigens."}
{"id": "PMID:1493371", "title": "Role of magnetic resonance imaging in thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy: its predictive value for therapeutic outcome of immunosuppressive therapy.", "content": "To investigate the efficacy of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the assessment of thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy (TAO), 51 patients with TAO were evaluated by ophthalmologic examinations and MRI at 0.5 T. Thickness of extraocular muscles (EM) was measured by T1-weighted image. Signal intensities of EM and orbital connective tissue (OCT) were measured by short inversion time inversion recovery (STIR) image and expressed as a ratio by comparison to the signal intensity of cerebral substantia alba (SI, signal intensity ratio). Significant enlargement of one or more EM was observed in 86% of patients with TAO, and SI of EM (2.15 +/- 0.63, mean +/- SD) was significantly increased compared with control values (n = 16; 1.35 +/- 0.33; t test, p < 0.01). SI of OCT tended to be greater than that in the control group, although the difference was not significant. There was a significant positive correlation between thickness of EM and severity of ophthalmopathy, assessed as an ophthalmopathy index (p < 0.05). SI of neither EM nor OCT correlated with the severity of the eye disease. To investigate whether MRI findings could predict the outcome of methylprednisolone pulse therapy, we studied 23 patients with TAO who received this treatment. SI of EM and OCT in the 12 patients giving favorable responses were significantly greater than those in the 11 patients without good response (t test, p < 0.01). On the other hand, the thickness of eye muscles did not correlate with the outcome of treatment except for that of medial rectus muscle. There was a significant correlation between SI of EM and that of OCT (r = 0.78, p < 0.01), suggesting possible similar pathologic processes in these tissues in TAO.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1493372", "title": "Expression of the thyroid hormone receptor, the oncogenes c-myc and H-ras, and the 90 kD heat shock protein in normal, hyperplastic, and neoplastic human thyroid tissue.", "content": "Expression of the thyroid hormone receptor (TR beta), the 90 KD heat shock protein (HSP 90), and the oncogenes H-ras and c-myc mRNA in normal hyperplastic, and neoplastic human thyroid tissue was investigated by Northern blot and slot blot analyses. The TR beta mRNA was present in all normal and neoplastic thyroid tissue samples. The levels were significantly higher in normal and hyperplastic tissues (7.91 +/- 0.48 and 7.60 +/- 0.68 arbitrary units, respectively) than in neoplastic tissues (3.82 +/- 0.67) (p < 0.001). H-ras and c-myc mRNA were also detected in glandular tissue specimens, but no significant difference was observed in their expression levels. Furthermore, there was a tendency to a negative correlation between the level of TR beta and c-myc mRNA (p = 0.06). In normal thyroid tissue, HSP 90 mRNA levels were significantly higher than in hyperplastic and papillary carcinoma tissue specimens (p < 0.001). These results indicate that mRNA of TR beta and HSP 90 (the latter only in papillary thyroid carcinoma) are expressed in relation to the degree of cellular differentiation. Furthermore, the presence of TR beta in normal thyroid tissue implies that T3 and T4 may be involved in the regulation of their own production via TR beta activated feedback mechanism(s)."}
{"id": "PMID:1493374", "title": "The 5' region of the human thyroglobulin gene contains members of the Alu family.", "content": "Repeated sequences were identified in the 5' region of the human Tg gene in introns 4, 5, 10, and 11. Another repeated cluster was located in the 5' flanking sequences, approximately 6 Kb upstream from the first exon. The nucleotide sequence analysis indicated that these repeated sequences are members of the Alu family. The homology between the sequences of the intron 4 and the Alu consensus was 86%. The Alu member studied was oriented in the direction of transcription of the Tg."}
{"id": "PMID:1493373", "title": "Human chorionic gonadotropin induces c-myc mRNA expression via TSH receptor in FRTL-5 rat thyroid cells.", "content": "To elucidate the gene regulation of the thyroid-cell growth-promoting activity by human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), we investigated the effect of hCG on c-myc proto-oncogene expression in cultured rat FRTL-5 cells by the Northern blot method. hCG induced c-myc mRNA expression, which peaked at 60-120 min. A dose-dependent increase in c-myc mRNA levels was also ascertained. In the presence of crude immunoglobulin G (IgG) from 2 patients with primary hypothyroidism who had blocking type TSH-receptor antibody, c-myc mRNA expressions induced by hCG were decreased to 82% and 62%, compared with that in the presence of normal IgG. The present results suggest that the expression of c-myc mRNA is a part of the molecular mechanism through which hCG regulates the proliferation of thyroid cells, and that hCG-induced c-myc mRNA expression is presumed to be mediated in part by TSH receptors."}
{"id": "PMID:1493375", "title": "Dual-site thyroid ectopy in a mother and son.", "content": "We found familial thyroid ectopy in a mother and son, each of whom had an anterior neck mass corresponding to a perihyoid ectopic thyroid. In addition, technetium scintigraphy revealed another focus of aberrant uptake at their tongue roots. Neither patient showed hypothyroid symptoms or abnormal biochemical data other than a mildly elevated TSH level in the son. No other member of the family had a thyroid disorder. To our knowledge this is the first documented instance of familial thyroid ectopy in multiple sites. The observed similarity in distribution of ectopic tissue suggests a hereditary pathogenic factor."}
{"id": "PMID:1493376", "title": "Low-molecular-weight iodoproteins in the congenital goiters of cog/cog mice.", "content": "Previously we described sedimentation and immunologic abnormalities of thyroglobulin (Tg) in a strain of mice with inherited congenital goiter and hypothyroidism (cog/cog). The goals of the present study were to determine the extent to which thyroid gland stimulation by TSH accounts for the abnormal properties of cog/cog Tg and to characterize further the abnormally small iodoproteins found in cog/cog mice. Cog/cog and control +/cog and BALB/c mice were fed with either normal or thyroid-hormone-containing diets and were injected with Na125I. Sucrose density gradient centrifugation of labeled thyroid extracts from cog/cog mice on normal diet showed that 82% of the iodine was in iodoproteins smaller than Tg, with sedimentation rates of 3-8S. No 12S and 19S peaks, characteristic of normal Tg, were present, but distinct and stable 12S and 19S peaks emerged after recentrifugation of the 12S and 19S areas. In contrast, in cog/cog mice treated with T4, a smaller (55%) amount of 3-8S iodoproteins and distinct 12S and 19S peaks were present. In both groups of mice, the labeled 3-8S iodoproteins were composed of three fractions: 15% precipitated by antirat Tg serum, 38% precipitated by antimouse albumin serum, and 47% not precipitated by either serum. The 3-8S iodoproteins contained labeled MIT and DIT and no T4. On sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis the 3-8S iodoprotein fraction that reacted with anti-Tg serum contained a distinct electrophoretic band at 49K. The 3-8S nonreactive iodoproteins resolved into several bands of lower molecular weight. We conclude that the 3-8S iodoproteins in cog/cog mice are heterogeneous and that TSH stimulation contributes to the production of these low-molecular-weight iodoproteins."}
{"id": "PMID:1493377", "title": "Fucosylation of glycoproteins begins in the rough endoplasmic reticulum of mouse active thyrotrophs.", "content": "Our aim was to determine whether fucosylation of glycoproteins begins in the rough endoplasmic reticulum (RER) of active thyrotrophs. This would contrast with most cells studied, in which fucosylation generally is associated with the Golgi apparatus. Mouse thyrotropic tumor tissue was incubated with [35S]methionine for 2, 5, 7, 10, 30, and 90 minutes. TSH and free alpha-subunits were immunoprecipitated from cell lysates, and they displayed a time-dependent increase in affinity for lentil lectin (which binds oligosaccharides having core fucose), even at short times. Since no 20-30 minute lag in onset of TSH- and free alpha-subunit-lentil binding was appreciated, as might have been expected had fucosylation begun only in the Golgi, it appeared that fucosylation was beginning in the RER of thyrotrophs. Pituitary tissue from euthyroid and hypothyroid mice was incubated with [3H]fucose, then subjected to electron microscopic autoradiography. The pituitaries of hypothyroid mice had numerous \"thyroidectomy cells,\" which had 40% of silver grains over dilated cisternae of RER. \"Nonthyroidectomy\" cells had few silver grains over RER; most were over secretory granules and Golgi areas. Thus, active mouse thyrotrophs appear to shift the subcellular site of fucosylation partially from Golgi to RER, and this phenomenon may represent one cellular mechanism whereby the endocrine regulation of the structure of TSH oligosaccharides is accomplished."}
{"id": "PMID:1493378", "title": "Effects of epidermal growth factor, phorbol ester, and retinoic acid on hormone synthesis and morphology in porcine thyroid follicles cultured in collagen gel.", "content": "Epidermal growth factor (EGF), phorbol esters (PEs), and retinoic acid (RA) inhibit differentiated functions of thyrocytes. In the present study the inhibitory effects of these growth-promoting factors on hormone synthesis were studied in thyroid follicles cultured in type-I collagen gel, and morphologic alteration by these factors was examined by light and electron microscopy (EM). Porcine open thyroid follicles obtained by treatment with 0.1% collagenase were embedded in collagen gel and cultured in Ham's F12 medium supplemented with 6H (insulin, hydrocortisone, somatostatin, transferrin, glycyl-his-lys, and thyrotropin) + 0.5% fetal bovine serum (FBS). After 1 week these open follicles developed to closed follicles, and the medium was changed to one containing 6H + 0.5% FBS + 0.1 microM sodium iodide (NaI). Some media were supplemented with either EGF, phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA), or all-trans RA. The closed follicles retained ability for hormone synthesis for 2 weeks after the medium change in the presence of 6H + FBS + NaI. The amounts of T4 and T3 secreted into the culture medium from day 9 to day 12 after the medium change were 60% and 45% of those from day 0 to day 4, respectively. EGF reduced production of T4 and T3 by 61% and 69%, respectively; PMA, by 87% and 99%; and RA, by 55% and 44%. In the medium supplemented with 6H + 0.5% FBS, the follicles exhibited intact polarity. Apical surfaces with microvilli were oriented to the follicular lumen and tight junctions were on the apical side of cell-to-cell contacts. Desmosomes were found on both the apical and basal halves of the cell contacts.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1493379", "title": "Effects of dexamethasone, calcium and 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol on calcitonin and calcitonin gene-related peptide mRNA levels from the CA-77 C cell line.", "content": "We used the CA-77 cell, a murine C-cell line derived from a medullary thyroid carcinoma, to study the effects of glucocorticoids, calcium, and vitamin D metabolites on calcitonin (CT) gene expression. Total RNA was isolated, and CT and CT gene-related peptide (CGRP) mRNAs were measured by Northern hybridizations using specific probes. A control mRNA probe (cyclophilin) was used to quantitate the specificity of the changes in CT and CGRP mRNAs. The CA-77 C cell line cultured in basal conditions with a medium deprived of fetal calf serum, but was supplemented by insulin, expressed mainly the CGRP mRNA. Dexamethasone was found to increase both CT and CGRP mRNAs in a time- and dose-dependent way without changing the alternative splicing. A slight but significant increase in the steady-state CT mRNA level was found 3 days after addition of 10(-10) M dexamethasone; the same dose slightly decreased the CGRP mRNA level; concentrations of dexamethasone > or = 10(-9) M elevated both mRNAs. A twelve-fold increase for CT mRNA, and an eightfold increase in CGRP mRNA occurred 3 days after administration of 10(-6) M dexamethasone. Kinetic data revealed inductions of both mRNAs 24 hours after exposure to 10(-7) M dexamethasone, and highest CT and CGRP mRNAs levels were observed after 72 hours of treatment. Calcium from 1-4 mM in short-term (1 hour and 4 hour) or long-term stimulations (1 day and 4 days), with or without dexamethasone cotreatment was ineffective. CT and CGRP mRNAs levels were both half-reduced 48 hours after addition of 10(-7) M 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol; this effect was transient, as it disappeared 2 days later."}
{"id": "PMID:1493380", "title": "The best asthma care. A case problem in continuous quality improvement.", "content": "In the future, health care delivery systems may need to respond to requests from payers to demonstrate the quality of care they provide for types of patients or diseases. Here, asthma is used as an example of what such a response might look like in the context of continuous quality improvement."}
{"id": "PMID:1493381", "title": "Determining medical necessity of outpatient physical therapy services.", "content": "A patient referred for physical therapy may attend one or several therapy visits or may continue to receive ongoing therapy services several times weekly for several months. The question of the continued medical necessity of those services arises often. Determination of medical necessity for continued therapy services requires knowledge of the natural history of diseases that may require therapy services, familiarity with the effectiveness of treatment alternatives for those diseases, and awareness of community practice patterns. Accurate and complete documentation from the therapist or referring physician is required for the physician advisor or utilization review consultant to make an accurate determination of medical necessity. A structured format for providing this documentation is suggested."}
{"id": "PMID:1493382", "title": "Assessment of quality of care in laparoscopic cholecystectomy.", "content": "With the advent of laparoscopic cholecystectomy, assessment of data and its relationship to quality of care became important. The Mount Sinai Hospital Medical Center conducted a prospective survey in conjunction with the Society of American Gastrointestinal Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES) National Survey. In this survey, only two surgeons operated as surgeon and co-surgeon with an extremely small rate of complication. A national survey of chairpersons in surgery was designed at Rush Presbyterian St. Luke's Hospital, and 4300 chairpersons were mailed questionnaires to record complications of laparoscopic cholecystectomy. There were 36,232 patients and 3111 surgeons in the survey. The Southern Surgeons Club experience, as reported in New England Journal of Medicine, was reviewed. Because of the complexity of understanding the implications of the survey results, the authors have arrived at a simplified system of evaluating quality of care in laparoscopic cholecystectomy. In this system only three considerations are taken into account: (a) elective conversions to standard operation, (b) forced conversions (due to iatrogenic injuries), and (c) reoperation rate (delayed complication). It is hoped that data collection will be simplified and more meaningful."}
{"id": "PMID:1493383", "title": "Federal laws govern the conduct of peer review.", "content": "The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that an antitrust plaintiff does not need to prove that defendant physicians and hospitals engaged in interstate commerce in order to assert federal jurisdiction over his claim that peer review proceedings against him violated the law."}
{"id": "PMID:1493390", "title": "Cost effectiveness of primary stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation: Swedish national perspective.", "content": "To assess the potential effects of primary prevention with anticoagulants or aspirin in atrial fibrillation on Swedish population. Analysis of cost effectiveness based on the following assumptions: about 83,000 people have atrial fibrillation in Sweden, of whom 22,000 would be potential candidates for treatment with anticoagulants and 55,000 for aspirin treatment; the annual 5% stroke rate is reduced by 64% (with anticoagulants) and 25% (with aspirin); incidence of intracranial haemorrhage of 0.3%, 1.3%, or 2.0% per year; direct and indirect costs of a stroke of Kr180,000 and Kr90,000; estimated annual cost of treatment is Kr5030 for anticoagulants and Kr100 for aspirin. Total Swedish population. Direct and indirect costs of stroke saved, number of strokes prevented, and cost of preventive treatment. Depending on the rate of haemorrhagic complications 34 to 83 patients would need to be treated annually with anticoagulants to prevent one stroke; 83 patients would need to be treated with aspirin. Giving anticoagulant treatment only would reduce costs by Kr60 million if the incidence of intracranial haemorrhage were 0.3% but would imply a net expense if the complication rate exceeded 1.3%. The total savings from giving anticoagulant (22,000 patients) and aspirin (55,000 patients) treatment would be Kr175 million per year corresponding to 2 million pounds per million inhabitants each year. Treatment with anticoagulants and, if contraindications exist, with aspirin is cost effective provided that the risk of serious haemorrhage complications due to anticoagulants is kept low."}
{"id": "PMID:1493391", "title": "Atrial fibrillation and stroke: prevalence in different types of stroke and influence on early and long term prognosis (Oxfordshire community stroke project)", "content": "To determine in patients with first ever stroke whether atrial fibrillation influences clinical features, the need to perform computed tomography, and prognosis. Observational cohort study with maximum follow up of 6.5 years. Primary care, based on 10 general practices in urban and rural Oxfordshire. Consecutive series of 675 patients with first ever stroke registered in the Oxfordshire community stroke project. Prevalence of atrial fibrillation by type of stroke; effect of atrial fibrillation on case fatality rate and risk of recurrent stroke, vascular death, and death from all causes. Prevalence of atrial fibrillation was 17% (95% confidence interval 14% to 20%) for all stroke types (115/675), 18% (15% to 21%) for cerebral infarction (97/545), 11% (4% to 11%) for primary intercerebral haemorrhage (7/66), and 0% (0 to 11%) for subarachnoid haemorrhage (0/33). For patients with cerebral infarction the 30 day case fatality rate was significantly higher with atrial fibrillation (23%) than with sinus rhythm (8%); the risk of early recurrent stroke (within 30 days) was 1% with atrial fibrillation and 4% with sinus rhythm. In patients who survived at least 30 days the average annual risk of recurrent stroke was 8.2% (5.9% to 10.9%) with sinus rhythm and 11% (6.0% to 17.3%) with atrial fibrillation. After a first stroke atrial fibrillation was not associated with a definite excess risk of recurrent stroke, either within 30 days or within the first few years. Survivors with and without atrial fibrillation had a clinically important absolute risk of further serious vascular events."}
{"id": "PMID:1493392", "title": "Nurse practitioners in accident and emergency departments: what do they do?", "content": "To determine the distribution and scope of nurse practitioner schemes in accident and emergency departments in England and Wales; to describe the caseloads of doctors and nurse practitioners on two representative days; and to estimate the number of patients managed by nurse practitioners in the year to 31 March 1991. A postal survey of accident and emergency departments and a content analysis of case notes of new patients attending a representative sample of accident and emergency departments on two days. All accident and emergency departments in England and Wales.  560 nurses in charge of accident and emergency departments. Census: case notes of 5814 patients in 37 accident and emergency departments.  number of accident and emergency departments with nurse practitioner schemes. Census: demographic and clinical characteristics of new patients attending and whether nurse practitioner or doctor made diagnoses and ordered investigations, treatments, referrals, discharges. 513 replies (92%) from 465 surveyed functioning accident and emergency departments and 48 departments recently closed. 27 (6%) departments used designated nurse practitioners and 159 (34%) \"unofficial\" nurse practitioners. Only 530 (9%) of the 5814 patients in the census were managed entirely or mainly by nurse practitioners, with higher proportions in ophthalmic departments (nearly 30%) and minor casualty departments (over 40%) than in major departments (3%). Most patients managed by nurse practitioners (86%) had minor trauma. In the year ending 31 March 1991 an estimated 390,000 (95% confidence interval 260,000 to 520,000) patients out of a total of 12.5 million (3.1%, 2.1% to 4.1%) were clinically managed by a nurse practitioner. Designated nurse practitioner schemes are rare. The volume and range of nurse practitioner work in major general accident and emergency departments is small compared with those in specialised and minor accident and emergency departments."}
{"id": "PMID:1493393", "title": "Regional transfusion centre preoperative autologous blood donation programme: the first two years.", "content": "To assess the efficacy of a regional autologous blood donation programme. Clinical and laboratory data were collected and stored prospectively. Transfusion data were collected retrospectively from hospital blood bank records. Northern Region Blood Transfusion Service and 14 hospitals within the Northern Regional Health Authority. 505 patients referred for autologous blood donation before elective surgery. Patient eligibility, adverse events from donation, autologous blood units provided, and autologous and allogeneic blood units transfused within 10 days of operation. Of 505 patients referred, 354 donated at least one unit. 78 of 151 referred patients who did not donate were excluded at the autologous clinic, mostly because of anaemia or ischaemic heart disease. In 73 cases the patient, general practitioner, or hospital consultant decided against donation. 363 autologous procedures were undertaken. In 213 (59%) cases all requested units were provided. The most common reasons for incomplete provision were late referral or anaemia. Adverse events accompanied 24 of 928 donations (2.6%). Transfusion data were obtained for 357 of the 363 procedures. 281 donors were transfused; autologous blood only was given to 225, autologous and allogeneic blood was given to 52, and allogeneic blood only was given to four. 648 of 902 (72%) units of autologous blood were transfused. Complete provision of requested autologous units was followed by allogeneic transfusion in 12 of 208 procedures (5.8%). Incomplete provision was followed by allogeneic transfusion in 44 of 149 procedures (30%). This study shows the feasibility of a regional autologous transfusion programme. Autologous donors only infrequently received allogeneic transfusion. Patients should be appropriately selected and referred early."}
{"id": "PMID:1493395", "title": "Excision biopsy of malignant melanoma by general practitioners in south east Scotland 1982-91.", "content": "To examine the management of patients who had a malignant melanoma excised initially by general practitioners in south east Scotland over the past 10 years and to assess the impact of the April 1990 contract on this. A retrospective case-control study. South east Scotland. All patients in south east Scotland who had malignant melanomas excised by general practitioners in 1982-91. Demographic details of patients; Breslow thickness, clearance of excision. 42 patients had malignant melanomas excised by general practitioners in 1982-91: 15 in 1982-9 and 27 in 1990-1. These patients were significantly younger than those who had their tumours excised initially in hospital. Although the longest diameter of melanomas excised by general practitioners was significantly less than of those excised in hospital, the Breslow thicknesses were similar. Completeness of initial excision was doubtful or incomplete in nine (23%) general practitioner excisions compared with 4% of hospital excisions, but the time interval between excision biopsy and wide excision was similar. Pathology requests accompanying excision biopsies mentioned melanoma as a possible diagnosis in 15% (6/40) of general practitioner cases compared with 79% of hospital cases. Thirty nine general practitioners responded to a questionnaire and only 12 had considered melanoma in the differential diagnosis. General practitioners need to think more often of malignant melanoma when they excise pigmented lesions and when they consider this tumour a possibility should perform an excision biopsy with a lateral clearance of at least 2 mm."}
{"id": "PMID:1493399", "title": "Community health services.", "content": "The Tomlinson report, with its emphasis on primary and community care, offers great scope to community health services, for long the poor relation of the NHS, and particularly poorly resourced in London. The aim is to create services that break down the barriers between primary, secondary, and tertiary health care and concentrate on providing high quality care tailored to individual patients' needs. Thus a range of flexible options needs to be developed between acute hospital based care and the standard home care arrangements currently provided by district nurses. Examples, include hospital at home schemes, nursing beds, and rehabilitation beds. Together community and primary care services need to consider weekend coverage, to conduct research, and to become a setting for education. The infrastructure for primary and community care must, however, be put in place before acute facilities are shut."}
{"id": "PMID:1493425", "title": "Cytogenetic abnormalities in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia correlates with clinical features and treatment outcome.", "content": "Virtually all cases of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia have chromosomal abnormalities. Non-random chromosomal abnormalities have been correlated with leukemic cell lineage, the degree of cell differentiation and certain clinical and biologic features. Cytogenetic findings have prognostic significance, but the adverse influence of many rearrangements, including most chromosomal translocations, may be offset by the greater cytoreductive effects of intensified therapy. Cytogenetic abnormalities have also provided focus for molecular studies of leukemogenesis. Such studies have recently identified key genes and their protein products which play important roles in malignant transformation and proliferation."}
{"id": "PMID:1493426", "title": "Chromosome analysis in the management of patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.", "content": "Analysis of chromosome abnormalities in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma has stimulated a basic inquiry into the mechanisms of gene deregulation in human tumors. A growing literature has also correlated cytogenetic and molecular genetic features of lymphoma with patient prognosis and other clinical features of the disease. The goal of this report is to review those genetic abnormalities which are currently useful in the clinical management of patients with lymphoma, and to provide a conceptual framework for this growing literature."}
{"id": "PMID:1493427", "title": "Molecular mechanisms in the evolution of chronic myelocytic leukemia.", "content": "Chronic myelocytic or Ph1-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemias have been analyzed for alterations in a variety of proto-oncogenes and anti-oncogenes implicated in the progression of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) from its chronic phase to blast crisis. The most frequent genetic change found in disease evolution is an alteration of the p53 gene involving a point mutation, a rearrangement or a deletion. These gene changes are common in myeloid and undifferentiated variants of blast crisis but are usually undetectable in lymphoid leukemic transformants. Other molecular changes also occur in the clonal evolution of CML. The retinoblastoma-susceptibility (Rb) gene is an anti-oncogene. Structural abnormalities of Rb are frequent in all types of human acute leukemia, but are particularly common in Ph1-positive leukemia of lymphoid phenotype including both Ph1-positive ALL and lymphoid blast crisis of CML. Changes in Rb occur early in the transition to blast crisis with loss of Rb protein being the common factor. Mutations in the N-RAS gene also occur, but are rare in typical blast crisis. They are sometimes seen in Ph1-negative myeloid blast crisis. Since changes in the p53 gene are generally associated with progression of disease of a myeloid phenotype and changes in the Rb gene occur more often with a lymphoid phenotype, a particular molecular alteration may influence the character of disease evolution in CML."}
{"id": "PMID:1493428", "title": "Variable rate of detection of immunoglobulin heavy chain V-D-J rearrangement by PCR: a systematic study of 41 B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphomas and leukemias.", "content": "The use of clonospecific probes has recently been employed for the detection of minimal residual disease in B- and T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemias. However, these methods are predicated upon the successful amplification of the V-D-J rearrangement in the genome of the tumor cells by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). In order to determine whether the type of B-cell lymphoid malignancy influenced the rate of success of amplifying the region of the immunoglobulin heavy chain gene rearrangement in these lesions, we studied 41 morphologically and immunologically well characterized B-cell neoplasms. DNA was extracted from frozen tissue of the lymphomas and leukemias, and subjected to PCR amplification using a 5' immunoglobulin heavy chain gene variable region consensus Framework 3 region (FR3) primer, and a 3' consensus primer for the immunoglobulin heavy chain joining region. One or two distinct bands, representing the rearranged immunoglobulin heavy chain gene, were detected in six of six small non-cleaved cell lymphomas, five of five small lymphocytic lymphomas, four of six acute lymphoblastic leukemias, four of six follicular lymphomas, three of six diffuse mixed small and large cell lymphomas, one of six diffuse large cell lymphomas, and one of six immunoblastic large cell lymphomas; all control cases of lymphocyte predominant Hodgkin's disease (5/5) and reactive follicular hyperplasia (5/5) were negative. We therefore conclude that the type of B-cell neoplasm influences the ability to detect immunoglobulin gene rearrangements by PCR with currently used consensus primers."}
{"id": "PMID:1493429", "title": "Hodgkin and Reed-Sternberg cells express interleukin 6 and interleukin 6 receptors.", "content": "Interleukin 6 (IL-6) is a pleiotropic lymphokine which can stimulate a variety of cells including B and T lymphocytes. It has been suggested that IL-6 plays a crucial role in several diseases such as human plasmacytoma, cardiac myxoma or Castleman's Disease by autocrine or paracrine stimulation. To analyse whether IL-6 is involved in the biology of Hodgkin's Disease (HD), we investigated the expression of IL-6 and IL-6 receptor (IL-6R) in cell lines and primary specimens from patients with HD. IL-6 specific transcripts were detected in three out of six HD derived cell lines by Northern blot analysis and in the culture supernatants of four HD derived cell lines by ELISA. Its biological activity was confirmed by proliferation of an IL-6 dependent cell line. By in-situ hybridization experiments IL-6 specific transcripts were detected in Hodgkin (H) and Reed-Sternberg (RS) cells in primary tissues in two out of three patients. mRNAs specific for the IL-6 receptor were detected in five HD derived cell lines. Staining of HD derived cell lines revealed expression of the receptor molecules in five cell lines; Western blot experiments confirmed the 80kDa receptor protein in the cells. Immunohistology in primary specimens revealed expression of the receptor molecules on H and RS cells in 8 out of 16 cases with HD. Expression was mostly detected in the mixed cellularity subtype of HD. Elevated levels of IL-6 were detected in the sera of more than 50% of patients with HD. Taken together our data suggest that IL-6 might be involved in the biology of HD."}
{"id": "PMID:1493430", "title": "Mitoxantrone in the treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia.", "content": "During the last few years it has been shown that intensive or continuing chemotherapy of patients with advanced chronic lymphocytic leukemia prolongs survival. In the search for new effective drugs with tolerable toxicity, mitoxantrone was evaluated in this phase 2 study. Seven of 11 previously untreated patients achieved complete or partial remission after single agent treatment with mitoxantrone, and 5 of .16 previously treated patients had the same degree of response. Only minor toxicity was observed. Therefore, it appears likely that mitoxantrone is as effective as chlorambucil, and it would seem justified to evaluate mitoxantrone in future combination chemotherapy regimens in patients with advanced chronic lymphocytic leukemia."}
{"id": "PMID:1493431", "title": "Results of a double blind placebo controlled study of ondansetron as an antiemetic during total body irradiation in patients undergoing bone marrow transplantation.", "content": "Total body irradiation (TBI) is a highly emetogenic component of the majority of conditioning regimens in use for bone marrow transplantation. Conventional antiemetic therapy fails to control nausea and vomiting induced by single fraction TBI in as many as 50% of patients. In a double blind study of 20 patients undergoing marrow transplantation, a single 8 mg ondansetron dose was compared with placebo given immediately prior to TBI. Our routine premedication of phenobarbitone and corticosteroid was also administered to all patients. All patients had received high dose melphalan the previous evening. Only 1 of the 10 patients in the ondansetron group experienced an emetic event compared with 5 of the 10 in the comparison group (p = 0.029). No significant adverse events were observed. Ondansetron appears to have extremely useful antiemetic activity during single fraction low dose rate TBI."}
{"id": "PMID:1493432", "title": "Phospholipase C-induced monocytic differentiation in a human monocytic leukemia cell line THP-1.", "content": "Previous studies showed that the human monocytic leukemia cell line THP-1 can be induced to undergo monocytic differentiation by tumor promoting phorbol esters (TPA), suggesting that protein kinase C (PK-C), the primary binding site of TPA, may play a role in the control of monocytic differentiation: The effect of exogenous phospholipase C (PLC) on THP-1 cells was investigated. Within 24-48 hr, PLC induced over 40% of THP-1 cells to undergo monocytic differentiation as manifested by adherence, growth arrest, functional expression, morphological changes and expression of c-fms gene which encode for M-CSF receptors. Compared to TPA, however, the inducing activity of PLC was weaker, slower and not as effective. PLC treatment also induced a transient expression of c-fos proto-oncogene prior to c-fms expression. On the contrary, the level of c-myc RNA, which is constitutively expressed in THP-1 cells, was down-regulated 48 hr after PLC treatment. The PLC-induced monocytic differentiation in THP-1 cells was inhibited by staurosporine, a potent PK-C inhibitor, further suggesting that direct activation of the PK-C is one of the metabolic events essential for monocytic differentiation. It is postulated that in THP-1 cells the metabolic pathway transducing PK-C activation has been permanently blocked, thereby leading to uncontrolled proliferation without differentiation."}
{"id": "PMID:1493433", "title": "Concomitant primary low grade non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of the spleen and breast carcinoma.", "content": "A case is described of a 71 year old woman with scirrhous breast cancer and multiple hypoechogenic lesions in the spleen. The patient was treated successfully by mastectomy and splenectomy. Morphologic examination of the spleen showed a primary, centroblastic-centrocytic, low grade non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Eight months after splenectomy the patient still remains in complete remission."}
{"id": "PMID:1493435", "title": "Haematological differences between chronic granulocytic leukaemia, atypical chronic myeloid leukaemia, and chronic myelomonocytic leukaemia.", "content": "Chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) is a generic term that include five apparently distinct entities. The best known form, the classical Ph-positive subtype, accounts for about 90% of all cases of CML. The morphology of its presentation blood film is highly characteristic but is also seen in about half of the remaining 10% of cases, which are Ph-negative. This classical morphological subtype, whether Ph-positive or Ph-negative I describe as 'chronic granulocytic leukaemia' to refer to the exuberant granulocytic proliferation which is its hallmark. This term is often used indiscriminately and interchangeably with 'chronic myeloid leukaemia' and similar terms, just as 'chronic lymphocytic leukaemia' was, until recently, used to cover the chronic lymphoid leukaemias in general, but is now used in a specific sense. Chronic granulocytic leukaemia (CGL), whether Ph-positive or Ph-negative, is almost always BCR-rearranged and associated with the production of a unique 210-kd protein with enhanced tyrosine kinase activity. Most of the remaining cases of Ph-negative CML are examples of either chronic myelomonocytic leukaemia (CMML), a subtype almost as homogeneous as CGL, and characterized in its presentation blood film by the presence of monocytes and neutrophils but few immature granulocytes, or atypical CML (aCML), distinct from and less homogeneous than either CGL or CMML, in which some cases also share features with CGL while others share some with CMML. CMML and aCML do not show BCR rearrangement and are not associated with the production of p210kd. CGL, CMML, and aCML, though characterized on morphological features differ in their clinical features and behaviour, response to treatment and survival.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1493436", "title": "T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia with t(11;14) in children.", "content": "We review and update our examination of the clinical and biologic findings in 19 cases of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) with the t(11;14) and discuss the literature relevant to the clinical, biologic, and molecular aspects of these translocations. In nine consecutively diagnosed cases at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and 10 cases reported by other institutions, clinical features did not differ among T-cell ALL patients with and without the t(11;14), although leukemic cells with this translocation were more likely to coexpress CD4 and CD8 antigens. The t(11;14)(p13;q11) appears to occur exclusively in T-cell malignancies of intermediate- or late-stage thymocyte differentiation; further studies will be needed to determine whether it has prognostic significance."}
{"id": "PMID:1493437", "title": "Mutations of the retinoblastoma gene in human lymphoid neoplasms.", "content": "The inactivation or loss of tumor suppressor genes (anti-oncogenes) has been implicated as a mechanism central to the pathogenesis of many solid tumors. More recently, we and others have identified a role of one rumor suppressor gene, the retinoblastoma gene, in the development of human lymphoid lymphoma and leukemia. Here we review the involvement of the retinoblastoma gene in the control of normal lymphocyte cell division and the consequences of inactivation of the retinoblastoma gene for the development of lymphoid neoplasia. Our survey has disclosed a broad involvement of retinoblastoma gene inactivation in a wide variety of non-Hodgkin's lymphomas and lymphocytic leukemia. Based on these early findings, it appears likely that tumor suppressor genes may well be involved in many hematopoietic neoplasma."}
{"id": "PMID:1493438", "title": "T-cell receptor alpha and delta gene assembly in B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia.", "content": "The status of the TCR-alpha/delta genes in B-precursor ALL and the rearrangement patterns of these gene loci are discussed in this review. Although most of these rearrangements have been characterized, some still remain to be clarified. Almost all rearrangements of the TCRs in B-precursor ALL are incomplete and may reflect early recombinational steps during the TCR differentiation processes in normal T-lineage cells. In addition, even in T-cell malignancies, it is rarely possible to obtain clonal cell populations with TCR rearrangements arrested in very early recombinational steps. Therefore, studies of these as yet uncharacterized rearrangements may lead to the discovery of additional gene segments playing important roles in the TCR recombinational processes and may provide useful information for understanding the processes of T-cell differentiation."}
{"id": "PMID:1493439", "title": "The association of c-myc rearrangements with specific types of human non-Hodgkin's lymphomas.", "content": "The function of c-myc in physiology is only partially known. Its product has DNA binding properties and plays a role in the control of proliferation and differentiation. In general, increased c-myc expression leads to proliferation and abolishment of differentiation. The involvement of c-myc in mouse plasmacytomas and human Burkitt's lymphoma is well known: due to chromosomal translocation c-myc comes under the influence of regulatory elements of immunoglobulin genes, leading to increased expression of the gene and proliferation of the cells. In man, the chromosomal translocations may occur within the increased pool of (pre) B-cells due to Epstein Barr virus (EBV) and malaria infection with subsequent immunosuppression. Apart from these early (primary?) events in lymphomagenesis, c-myc is also often involved in tumour progression, probably by a similar mechanism. Different types of c-myc involvement are associated with specific types of lymphoma: there are differences between endemic, sporadic and ileocecal Burkitt's lymphoma as well as between those and primary extranodal large cell lymphoma and large cell lymphoma which has progressed. These differences are associated with the differentiation of the involved lymphoid cells and may point to the stage of differentiation in which the oncogenic event occurred."}
{"id": "PMID:1493440", "title": "Human NK cells in health and disease: clinical, functional, phenotypic and DNA genotypic characteristics.", "content": "Natural killer (NK) cells are the subject of great current interest because of their possible (in vivo) role in tumour cell surveillance and killing, and because of the potential application of cytokine-modulated NK cells in cancer immunotherapy. In addition, clonal proliferations of NK-associated (NKa) cell populations represent a high proportion of chronic (non-B) lymphoid malignancies and abnormal (both clonal and non-clonal) NKa components are being increasingly reported in association with diverse clinical pictures such as autoimmune disease. This communication extensively reviews what is presently known regarding normal and leukaemic NKa phenotypic diversity, the mechanisms of NK-mediated cytolysis, the role of NK cells in malignancy, and the diagnostic and cellular aspects of malignant NKa proliferations."}
{"id": "PMID:1493441", "title": "Relationship between chemical-induced fragile sites and chromosomal breakpoints in malignant cells in children.", "content": "Many fragile sites in the human genome occur at or near chromosomal breakpoints reportedly involved in translocations of DNA material in neoplastic cells. This fact has led some investigators to postulate that fragile sites have a pathogenic role in human neoplasia. To learn whether caffeine-induced fragile sites relate to breakpoints found in the neoplastic cells of an individual patient, we studied lymphocytes from the peripheral blood of 32 patients in remission from malignant disease. Lymphocytes were cultured in medium containing either 5-Fluoro-2'-deoxyuridine (FdU) or FdU plus caffeine, and G-banded metaphases were examined for nonrandom breaks. Analyses of completely G-banded malignant cell chromosomes from 31 of the 32 patients were available for comparison. In only once case, a 5-year-old child with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, did a caffeine-induced fragile site (1q44) coincide with a breakpoint in the neoplastic cells [dup(1)(q21-->q44)]. Our findings suggest that chromosomal abnormalities in childhood malignancies cannot generally be explained by the presence of FdU- or FdU plus caffeine-induced fragile sites."}
{"id": "PMID:1493442", "title": "Tumor necrosis factor-beta and hypercalcemia.", "content": "Hypercalcemia in hematological malignancy is frequently encountered in lymphoid malignancies such as adult T-cell leukemia (ATL) and multiple myeloma and is difficult to manage. As a causative agent of hypercalcemia in ATL, tumor necrosis factor-beta (TNF-beta), previously known as lymphotoxin, has been carefully studied and reviewed here. Bone resorption studies showed the presence of activity in culture supernatants of HTLV-I infected cells. Enzyme linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) for TNF-beta detected elevated TNF-beta in the sera of ATL patients with hypercalcemia. Immunostaining by monoclonal anti-TNF-beta antibody demonstrated the presence of TNF-beta in both HTLV-I infected cell lines and freshly isolated ATL cells. Furthermore biological TNF-beta activity assay including inhibition of anti-TNF-beta antibody confirmed the conventional documentation of TNF-beta activity in the sera and culture supernatants of HTLV-I infected cell lines. These studies showed that the TNF-beta secreted from ATL cells might be one of the factors contributing to the hypercalcemia in patients with ATL functioning as an osteoclast activating factor (OAF)."}
{"id": "PMID:1493443", "title": "Poor clinical outcome of patients developing malignant solid tumors after bone marrow transplantation for severe aplastic anemia.", "content": "From January 1974 to September 1991, 245 consecutive patients with severe aplastic anemia underwent bone marrow transplantation at the H\u00f4pital Saint-Louis, Paris, France. Five cases of solid tumor were observed overall, a number that leads to an 8-year cumulative incidence rate of 7.7% (95% CL: 0.9%, 14.5%). Relative to the general population, the risk was equal to 22 (95% CL: 7, 51; p < 0.001). The present report focuses on the unusual clinical course of patients developing malignant tumors after bone marrow transplantation for severe aplastic anemia. It also aims at reporting the difficulty encountered in comparing data from different sources."}
{"id": "PMID:1493444", "title": "Serum soluble interleukin-2 receptor levels are associated with clinical disease status and histopathological grade in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and chronic lymphocytic leukemia.", "content": "Serum soluble Interleukin-2 receptor levels (sIL-2R) were measured in 121 patients (pts) with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) and in 30 patients with Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Sera collected from 32 normal volunteers and 18 patients with infection or a variety of non malignant hematological disorders served as controls. A small number of patients with Hairy cell leukemia (HCL) and Hodgkin's disease (HD) were also studied. NHL patients were classified according to their clinical status as \"active\" (82 pts) or \"non-active\" (39 pts) and CLL according to the stage of their disease. NHL patients were also further classified as low (55 pts), intermediate (38 pts) and high grade malignancy (28 pts), according to the Working formulation scheme. A significant difference was found between the high levels of sIL-2R in patients with \"active\" disease and the lower levels in patients with quiescent or responsive disease. Significantly different high levels were found in patients with aggressive (intermediate and high grade) lymphoma as opposed to low grade lymphoma and CLL. In CLL itself higher levels of sIL-2R were seen in more advanced disease than in early disease. Thirteen patients with active Hodgkin's disease (HD) had moderately elevated sIL-2R levels, similar to those recorded for patients with infections and some non-malignant hematological disorders while another 13 HD patients in remission, had normal levels comparable to those recorded in normal controls. Extremely high levels of sIL-2R were seen in 2 patients with HD with severe viral infections and levels approaching those seen in HCL, were noted (20-30,000 u/ml).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1493445", "title": "Clinical and biological analysis of peripheral T-cell lymphomas: a single institution study.", "content": "Peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL) accounts for 15-20% of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in the Western World. Clinical, histopathologic, phenotypic and genotypic data were received from 33 cases of PTCL referred to our institution. The median age order was 50 years, 78% were males, and 18% had a history of a preceding disorder of the lymphoid system. 60% had stage 4 at diagnosis and B symptoms were also present in 60%. The most frequent sites of extranodal involvement were bone marrow (54%), liver (45%) and skin (33%). Twenty-eight of 33 cases were histologically classified according to the Working Formulation (most in the diffuse mixed and large-cell subgroups) and the Kiel updated system. Phenotypic and genotypic studies of malignant cells showed a considerable heterogeneity with respect to the expression of either T-cell receptor (TCR) alpha beta and gamma delta and pan-T differentiation molecules. Of the studied cases 63% expressed TCR-alpha beta. All five patients with PTCL of the TCR-gamma delta subtype had a peculiar extra-nodal presentation. The vast majority of cases expressed an abnormal T-cell phenotype with respect to the expression of pan-T antigens, including the lack of expression of the TCR-associated CD3 molecule in 2 cases. Rearrangements of the TCR beta and/or delta-chain genes showed clonality in 21 of the 23 studied cases. Twenty-five patients were treated with a multiagent chemotherapy regimen with curative intent and the remainder received a less intensive palliative regimen. Only 9 patients achieved CR (8 of whom had received an anthracycline-containing regimen) and the 4-year survival rate was 25%.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1493446", "title": "Expression of diphtheria toxin A-chain in mature B-cells: a potential approach to therapy of B-lymphoid malignancy.", "content": "Specifically targeted expression of a toxin gene potentially represents a novel approach to cancer therapy. With a view to the ablation of B-cell malignancies, we have constructed a plasmid, designated pTHA71, which expresses the A-chain of diphtheria toxin (DT-A) with high efficiency and specificity in transfected, mature B-lymphoid cells. The construction incorporated immunoglobulin (Ig) kappa light chain gene regulatory sequences, including a kappa promoter, small intron, partial constant region exon, and 3'-flanking sequence (but lacking a known enhancer). These sequences conferred substantially more efficient expression of DT-A in mature B-cells than was seen from constructs that included only Ig promoters and enhancers. When transfected into the 70Z/3 murine pre-B-cell line, pTHA71 was only expressed efficiently if the cells were induced to express their endogenous, rearranged Ig kappa gene by prior exposure to lipopolysaccharide. The insertion of the enhancer from the Ig kappa large intron into pTHA71, generating pTHA81, did not markedly influence the level of DT-A expression in 70Z/3 cells. The observed absence of expression in pre-B-cells suggests that DT-A constructs similar to pTHA71 might be used for the therapeutic ablation of malignant B-cells of mature stages, while sparing normal progenitor cells."}
{"id": "PMID:1493447", "title": "Analysis of c-myc, bcl-1 and bcl-2 translocations in human lymphoma by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis.", "content": "Translocations of the c-myc, bcl-2 and the putative bcl-1 oncogene are recurrent events in B-cell lymphoma. Since it is likely that the rearranged genes contribute to the malignant phenotype of the tumor cells, such oncogene translocation is of major interest. The molecular detection of translocations using conventional Southern hybridization analysis is complicated by the fact that translocation breakpoints are dispersed over large chromosomal regions. In order to overcome this problem we used pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) to detect c-myc, bcl-2 and bcl-1 translocations in 29 lymph node biopsies. C-myc translocation could not be detected in this group, either with standard Southern analysis of PFGE. Translocations of the bcl-2 gene were detected by PFGE in 5 samples and the breakpoints were mapped in all cases to the third exon of bcl-2 by standard Southern analysis. Furthermore, we also found rearrangements of the bcl-1 locus in 3 samples. Mapping of the breakpoint failed in one of these cases, which strongly indicates the existence of a breakpoint outside the bcl-1 major breakpoint region. Thus, PFGE allows the rapid detection of translocations in human lymphomas within large stretches of DNA."}
{"id": "PMID:1493448", "title": "Continuous-infusion cyclophosphamide in combination with teniposide and dexamethasone in refractory myeloma.", "content": "Forty-three consecutive patients with refractory myeloma, median age 60, received monthly courses of teniposide 30 mg/m2 i.v. on days 1-2, dexamethasone 40 mg i.v. on days 1-7 and cyclophosphamide 200 mg/m2 by continuous i.v. infusion for seven days. Major response (decrease > 50% of M-protein) was achieved in 18 of 37 evaluable patients and minor response in 9, with an overall response rate of 73%. Response was irrespective of disease status, time from diagnosis and previous treatments, while beta 2 microglobulin > 6 mg/l was a powerful prognostic factor. All patients experienced transient granulocytopenia but extramedullary toxicity was negligible. Median survival of the whole group is 20 months, with 74% of responding patients projected to be alive at 30 months. In refractory myeloma cyclophosphamide appears to be more active when given by continuous infusion."}
{"id": "PMID:1493449", "title": "Multiphenotypic acute leukemias: clinicopathologic correlations and response to therapy.", "content": "Multiphenotypic acute leukemias (MAL), defined by the coexpression on most blast cells of antigens classically attributed to different lineages, remain a rare event. We isolated a series of 26 such cases from a cohort of 1565 leukemic patients whose cells were immunophenotyped at diagnosis. Markers of B and myeloid lineage (BM) were associated in 16 cases (62%), 3 coexpressed B and T markers (BT), and T-cell and myeloid antigens (TM) were found in 7 (27%). A tumoral syndrome was observed in 69% of the patients, without significant differences between the immunophenotypic subgroups. Median event free survivals in the three immunophenotypic subgroups as defined were respectively 24 months for BM-MAL, 4 months for TM-MAL and 7 months for BT-MAL respectively. The poorer prognosis of TM-MAL was significantly different from that of BM-MAL (p < 0.001). This concurred with the poorer prognosis associated with CD7 expression or absence or CD10, both characteristic features of TM-MAL."}
{"id": "PMID:1493450", "title": "Detection of platelet-specific protein mRNAs in different megakaryoblasts using the reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction.", "content": "The short segments of cDNA encoding glycoprotein (GP)Ib alpha, GPIIb, GPIIIa and platelet factor (PF) 4 were amplified using reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in order to characterize various types of megakaryoblasts. Cell lines with megakaryocytic features (K562, CMK and HEL) were tested. GPIb alpha, GPIIb and GPIIIa mRNAs were found to be present in K562, CMK and HEL cells, while only HEL cells expressed PF4 or mRNA. These results suggested that megakaryoblastic cell lines could be categorized into two groups, one with the PF4 transcript and the other without it. PF4 mRNA was present in the cells obtained from one Down's syndrome patient with transient myeloproliferative disorder and in one patient with primary myelofibrosis and megakaryoblastosis. On the other hand, one patient with acute megakaryoblastic leukemia transformed from refractory anemia had a poor prognosis with megakaryoblastic leukemia cells which expressed no PF4 mRNA. These observations suggested that the expression of PF4 mRNA in peripheral blood megakaryoblasts may indicate the absence of a true leukemic process."}
{"id": "PMID:1493453", "title": "A numerical prognostic index for clinical use in identification of poor-risk patients with Hodgkin's disease at diagnosis. The Scotland and Newcastle Lymphoma Group (SNLG) Therapy Working Party.", "content": "The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility of using objective data obtained at the time of diagnosis of Hodgkin's disease to predict those patients who were likely to die of progressive disease within four years. Ninety-two consecutive patients from one centre (Newcastle upon Tyne) were used to construct a numerical index based on disease stage (Ann Arbor), age, haemoglobin and absolute lymphocyte count. Weight was assigned according to a predictive value from univariate and multivariate analyses based on survival. The index produced was then validated on a separate patient set (455) from other centres within the Scotland and Newcastle Lymphoma Group (SNLG) on whom the same prospective information was available. The index produced provided a useful separation of those patients destined to die of disease. In 101 patients with index > 0.5, 62 (61.4%) were dead at four years, whereas with index < 0.5, 61 (18%) of 336 patients were dead at four years. The index includes Ann Arbor stage but possesses additional practical prognostic value which allows identification of patients with early stage destined to die of disease. Of 149 patients with Stage IA and IIA disease 15 patients had index > 0.5, and 10 (60%) have died, whereas the remaining patients had survival of 90% and 85% respectively. This numerical index has now been strengthened by an added factor for bulk disease > 10 cms and in the SNLG it has replaced Ann Arbor staging for selection of patients requiring aggressive therapy. A randomized study of chemotherapy versus chemotherapy plus autotransplant in first remission using high dose melphalan and VP16 is currently in progress."}
{"id": "PMID:1493454", "title": "Indications for autologous bone marrow transplantation in Hodgkin's disease.", "content": "This paper reviews briefly the most relevant indications for ABMT in Hodgkin's disease. The accurate definition of prognostic categories at the time of first treatment failure and the role of ABMT in the early sequential treatment of highly effective drug combination followed by high dose chemotherapy in very high risk Hodgkin's disease patients, are also discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1493455", "title": "BEAM autografting in lymphoma--experience at one centre.", "content": "Since December 1987, we have examined the use of high-dose chemotherapy and unpurged bone marrow rescue in 31 patients with advanced or refractory lymphoma. Twenty-one patients had Hodgkin's disease (HD) and 10 had Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). At ABMT, 22 patients had relapsed or resistant disease. All patients, excluding 3 early deaths, engrafted. There was no relationship between cell numbers harvested, CFU-GM and bone marrow recovery. The mean times to 0.5 x 10(9)/l neutrophils and 50 x 10(9)/l platelets were 20 d and 43 d respectively. However, 5 patients with HD had a significantly slower platelet recovery time of up to 203 days (p = 0.05). Disease-free survival was 72% for HD and 40% for NHL at 40 months. Relapsed or refractory disease at ABMT, bulky disease, extensive salvage therapy and Karnofsky scores below 80% were all associated with a poorer outcome. The most striking observation has been the dramatic radiological response of some patients with advanced/refractory disease."}
{"id": "PMID:1493456", "title": "High-dose chemotherapy with bone marrow rescue for treatment of Hodgkin's disease.", "content": "Between December 1st 1984 and July 1st 1991, 20 patients, 11 males and 9 females, median age 36 years (range 14-54) with Hodgkin's disease were treated with high dose chemo-radiotherapy followed by autologous bone marrow rescue. At the time of autologous bone marrow transplantation, 8 patients were in complete remission, 9 in sensitive relapse and 3 were resistant to conventional treatments. There were 3 early procedure-related deaths: 1 cardiac failure due to cyclophosphamide treatment, 1 veno-occlusive disease, and 1 patient died from CMV interstitial pneumonitis, 4 months after ABMT. Of the 17 other patients, 15 are alive, 12 in complete remission, 2 in relapse and 1 patient is not evaluable due to short-follow-up follow-up. Disease free survival is 65% at 20 months with a follow-up of 60 months. There is a trend for a better disease-free survival in patients in complete remission at the time of autologous bone marrow transplantation vs patients in sensitive relapse, although it does not reach statistical significance (80% vs 37%)."}
{"id": "PMID:1493457", "title": "High dose chemotherapy with autologous marrow transplantation in follicular lymphomas.", "content": "Twenty six adult patients with low grade nodular non Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) were treated with autologous bone marrow transplantation. Conditioning regimen was BEAM-BEAC in 15 patients and TBI + Cyclophosphamide in 11 patients. Twenty one patients were grafted with haematopoietic stem cells, 12 after bone marrow purging and five with peripheral blood stem cells (PBSC). Two patients were treated in CR1 of leukemic phase, six in PR1 and eighteen in sensitive relapse. With a median follow-up of 30 months, the actuarial survival is 91% and actuarial event free survival 67%. These data confirm some interest of ABMT in the treatment of low grade follicular NHL."}
{"id": "PMID:1493459", "title": "Use of high-dose cytarabine in autologous bone marrow transplantation in acute myeloid leukemia.", "content": "Autologous bone marrow transplantation is widely used as late intensification therapy for patients with AML in remission without an HLA identical donor or who are older than 40-45 years. We report our experience in 21 AML patients in 1st or 2nd CR transplanted with a regimen including HD-ARA-C in addition to Cyclophosphamide (CY) and TBI. The median age was 32 years (3-50). Fourteen patients were transplanted in 1st CR and 7 in 2nd CR. In all but one patient BM harvesting and ABMT were done in the same remission status and after at least 3 courses of consolidation therapy. Two patients (9.5%) died from treatment related toxicity on Day +15 and Day +31. The median time to reach 1000 WBC and 50,000 platelets per cmm was 23 (13-55) and 55 (22-790) days respectively. Only 4 (21%) of the 19 evaluable patients (median observation time of 32 months) relapsed, at 3, 8, 18 and 26 months from ABMT. The projected event free survival curve shows survival of 67% at 96 months with a relapse rate of 26%."}
{"id": "PMID:1493462", "title": "Successful treatment of fungal infections in neutropenic patients with liposomal amphotericin (AmBisome)--a report on 40 cases from a single centre.", "content": "The use of high-dose chemotherapy and the subsequent prolonged neutropenia in patients with haematological diseases has resulted in an increased incidence of fungal infections. The only drug with proven efficacy in the treatment of deep seated fungal infections or invasive aspergillosis is amphotericin B. Unfortunately, this drug has adverse side effects, most importantly dose dependent nephrotoxicity. Furthermore, some patients fail to show a response to amphotericin B. We have treated 40 patients undergoing myeloablative chemotherapy and or bone marrow transplantation for haematological diseases with liposomal amphotericin for proven or suspected fungal infections. All patients had failed treatment with conventional Amphotericin B. Fourteen patients received liposomal amphotericin (AmBisome) due to progression of infection on conventional amphotericin B. Twenty six patients received liposomal amphotericin due to nephrotoxicity caused by conventional Amphotericin B. Nine patients had mycologically proven fungal infection and of these, 7 patients (78%) showed a complete response to liposomal amphotericin. Thirty one patients received liposomal amphotericin due to suspected fungal infection. Eleven of these 31 patients (35%) showed a complete clinical response to liposomal amphotericin. However in the patients with suspected fungal infections 14 patients had no response and 6 patients could not be evaluated for response to liposomal amphotericin. Overall, of the 18 patients showing a response to liposomal amphotericin, 15 patients had either recovered their neutrophil count (> 0.5 x 10(9)/l) or achieved remission from their underlying haematological disease. Recovery from fungal infection in this group of patients occurred when there was complete remission of underlying disease and recovery of neutrophil counts, when concurrently treated by liposomal amphotericin."}
{"id": "PMID:1493463", "title": "The modulatory hematopoietic activities of leukemia inhibitory factor.", "content": "Leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) is a multi-potential cytokine which has been implicated in the hematopoietic regulatory machinery. For example, we have found that LIF is constitutively expressed in marrow stroma. Other investigators have reported that LIF affects remodeling of bone, and that, in concert with other growth factors, it stimulates hematopoietic stem cell proliferation. Moreover, in vivo animal trials reveal that, at high doses, administration of LIF induces myelosclerosis whereas, at lower doses, megakaryocytosis and thrombocytosis with reduced bone marrow cellularity and marrow lymphopenia are observed. Therefore, the role of LIF in the pathogenesis of myeloproliferative disorders such as myelofibrosis and sclerosis merits investigation. Further, its megakaryocytic stimulatory properties suggest that LIF may be exploitable in the clinic to enhance platelet production."}
{"id": "PMID:1493464", "title": "Growth of human lymphoma cells in SCID mice.", "content": "Two EBV-negative human lymphoma cell lines raised in this laboratory and peripheral blood cells of a patient with large cell lymphoma in leukemic phase were injected intravenously or intraperitoneally into C.B.17 SCID mice. One line (OCI-LY18) was derived from the pleural fluid of a patient with a large cell, immunoblastic malignant lymphoma. Cells of this line are of B cell origin and characterized by multiple rearrangements of the JH locus. The second line (OCI-LY17) was grown from the peripheral blood of a patient with a large cell lymphoma of T-cell phenotype which has characteristic rearrangement of the T-cell receptor beta chain. The cells directly obtained from a patient with large cell non-cleaved malignant lymphoma were of B-cell origin. Animals carrying OCI-LY18 developed large tumor masses within 6-8 weeks of inoculation. The tumors were detected in the intestine, mesentery, retroperitoneum, lymph nodes, spleen, lung and kidney. The masses resembled the primary tumor with respect to histological appearance and immunological phenotype. It was possible to generate secondary cell lines from the tumors found in the inoculated SCID mice. Injection of one of these secondary cell lines into SCID mice resulted in the rapid development of lymphoma and as few as 10 cells were sufficient to establish the disease in the inoculated animals. In contrast cells of OCI-LY17 produced small tumor aggregates that did not appear to progress over time and did not cause death of the animals.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1493465", "title": "Ultrastructural characteristics of the spleen in hairy cell leukemia.", "content": "Eighteen spleens derived from patients with hairy cell leukemia (HCL) were analyzed by correlative scanning and transmission electron microscopy. In 15 of the cases, the white pulp areas were markedly decreased or absent when compared to normal spleens, although few hairy cells were observed within this region. In only one case did the white pulp appear normal. In all HCL cases, hairy cells were observed within normal, dilated, and abnormal sinuses. The abnormal sinuses contained hairy cells of typical morphology attached to other hairy cells, to endothelial lining, and to erythrocytes. The degree of sinus filling by hairy cells varied from loosely- to tightly-packed. Endothelial cells exhibiting degenerative changes, such as swelling with smooth surfaces and dilated intercellular spaces, were frequently seen. These results indicate that in addition to the previously described overcrowding of the spleen by hairy cells, the splenic tissue itself is considerably altered and sometimes severely damaged in patients with HCL."}
{"id": "PMID:1493466", "title": "Tumour lysis following hydrocortisone prior to a blood product transfusion in T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.", "content": "The acute tumour lysis syndrome is a well recognised complication of chemotherapy for lymphoid malignancies. There are few reports, however, of this complication after corticosteroid therapy alone. We report a case of T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia who developed the biochemical picture of tumour lysis after two doses of hydrocortisone given prior to platelet transfusion. Prophylactic corticosteroids prior to blood product infusion should be reserved for patients who have experienced febrile or allergic reactions in the past and it is suggested that they should only be administered to patients with active lymphoid malignancies with due caution."}
{"id": "PMID:1493467", "title": "Bone marrow microenvironment and the progression of multiple myeloma.", "content": "The BM microenvironment in MM, in terms of adhesive features, is well organized to entrap circulating precursors with BM-seeking properties and is able to produce cytokines that offer them the optimal conditions for local growth and final differentiation. Likewise, the malignant B cell clone is equipped with adhesion molecules which enable the cell to establish close contacts with BM stromal cells. Furthermore a number of cytokines are released including IL-1 beta and M-CSF activating BM stromal cells to produce other cytokines, such as IL-6, that stimulate the proliferation of plasma cells. Finally, most cytokines produced locally, including IL-1 beta, TNF-beta, M-CSF, IL-3 and IL-6, also have OAF properties, explaining why the expansion of the B cell clone parallels the activation and numerical increase of the osteoclast population."}
{"id": "PMID:1493469", "title": "Complement receptor 1 (CR1) expression in chronic myeloid leukemia.", "content": "The complement receptor 1 (CR1), also called CD35, is a polymorphic glycoprotein which mediates a variety of neutrophil functions, including phagocytosis and, probably, tumor cell cytotoxicity. The role played by this molecule in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is not yet well understood. CML frequently shows a marked decrease of CR1 antigens on both the neutrophil population and myeloid precursors. This reduced expression appears to be related to disease activity, since patients at more advanced clinical stages, as well as those who develop blastic crisis, have been found to express the lowest levels of CR1 antigens. At the onset of the disease low CR1 expression on CML neutrophils seems to be associated with a higher risk of blastic transformation. Furthermore, CML neutrophils deficient in CR1 lack the ability to respond to PMA stimulation, suggesting a failure in CR1 granular storage. In patients lacking CR1, the number of receptors increased to normal levels following exposure of CML cells to therapeutic concentrations of recombinant alpha interferon. The role played by the CR1 molecule in sustaining neutrophil-mediated tumor cell cytotoxicity has yet to be definitively proved; studies performed by our group are relevant here, since complete suppression of tumor lysis following receptor neutralization by anti CR1 monoclonal antibodies was demonstrated in a large number of normal and CML individuals. In CML patients, the evidence of a direct relationship between lytic activity and antigen receptor levels seems to further support the involvement of CR1 molecules in tumor cell lysis, function.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"}
{"id": "PMID:1493470", "title": "The role of intensive chemotherapy in myelodysplastic syndromes.", "content": "We review results of intensive chemotherapy (IC) obtained in myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). Overall, the complete remission (CR) rates and median CR duration obtained with IC are low in MDS, especially when compared to results obtained in de novo AML treated with the same chemotherapy regimens; very few MDS patients achieve prolonged remissions. Failure to achieve CR, in MDS, results both from a high incidence of resistant disease and toxic deaths, the latter being due to longer periods of aplasia than in de novo AML. However some subgroups of MDS seem to obtain higher CR rates and more prolonged remissions. These include patients younger than 45 to 50 years, those with a large excess of marrow blasts or Auer rods at diagnosis, and patients with a normal karyotype or at least without involvement of chromosomes 5 and/or 7. Results of IC clearly have to be improved in MDS. Higher CR rates may possibly be obtained by intensifying induction regimens, but this will probably require the addition of growth factors, in order to reduce the already very long periods of aplasia seen with IC in MDS. For consolidation therapy, new approaches, and especially autologous bone marrow transplantation, will have to be investigated."}
{"id": "PMID:1493471", "title": "Myelodysplastic syndrome associated with bone marrow fibrosis.", "content": "Bone marrow biopsy (BMB) in myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) frequently reveals a slight alteration in the reticulin stroma which does not have any clinical significance. However, in a minority of cases, full-blown bone marrow fibrosis (BMF) can be found. Primary MDS patients with BMF show distinct clinico-pathological features and an unfavourable prognosis mainly attributable to complications deriving from pancytopenia and continuous transfusions, while leukemic transformation occurs only rarely. Since BMF may characterize other hematological disorders, primary MDS with BMF should be included in the differential diagnosis particularly with malignant myelofibrosis (MM) and idiopathic myelofibrosis (IMF). Secondary MDS with BMF represent a variety of preleukemic conditions in subjects treated for previous neoplasias. Unlike the primary forms, they do not form a clearcut clinico-pathological entity."}
{"id": "PMID:1493472", "title": "Inhibitory anti-tumor effects of interleukin-4 on Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphocytic leukemia and other hematopoietic malignancies.", "content": "IL-4 has been shown to possess a broader spectrum of biological activities. Recently, anti-tumor activities of IL-4 on malignant tumors including hematopoietic tumors has been revealed in vitro or in vivo. We investigated the effect of recombinant human (rhIL-4) on the in vitro growth of human leukemia cells and demonstrated the inhibitory anti-tumor activity of rhIL-4 on Ph1-positive ALL cells in association with the decreased activity of cellular tyrosine kinase. This finding suggests that the clinical evaluation of rhIL-4 may offer promising therapeutic possibility for patients with Ph1-positive ALL. In this paper, we presented the IL-4-dependent inhibition of Ph1-positive ALL cells and reviewed implications for mechanism of IL-4-dependent inhibition and anti-tumor activities of IL-4."}
{"id": "PMID:1493473", "title": "Extremely poor prognosis of pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia with translocation (9;22): updated experience.", "content": "Approximately five percent of pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemias (ALL) contain a translocation (9;22)(q34;q11) which results in rearrangement of the bcr and abl genes. At a median follow-up of 5 years, we assessed the prognostic implications of translocation (9;22) in 434 children receiving intensive treatment for ALL. Four-year event-free and overall survivals were only 0% and 20%, respectively, in 15 children with translocation (9;22), but were 81% and 89%, respectively, in 419 children lacking translocation (9;22) (P < 0.001). Based on these findings, we recommend very intensive treatment approaches for all children with translocation (9;22)-positive ALL."}
{"id": "PMID:1493474", "title": "Massive mediastinal involvement in stage I-II Hodgkin's disease: response to combined modality treatment.", "content": "Thirty-seven patients with stage I-II Hodgkin's disease and massive mediastinal involvement, observed between June 1981 and November 1989, underwent combined modality treatment. This treatment included: 3 cycles of mechlorethamine, vincristine, procarbazine, and prednisone followed by mantle-field irradiation, and subsequently by 3 additional cycles of doxorubicin, bleomycin, vinblastine, and dacarbazine. Thirty-five (95%) patients achieved complete responses and only 2 (5%) had partial responses. All the complete responders are living and relapse-free at a median follow-up of 62 months; no major toxic reactions were recorded. These data suggest, as did those of other studies, that combined modality therapy is superior to either radiotherapy or chemotherapy alone for patients in stage I-II with bulky disease, especially in the mediastinum. In fact, in these particular patients, if adequately treated with a combination of chemotherapy and radiotherapy, the role of massive mediastinal involvement as a poor prognostic factor appears to be less significant."}
{"id": "PMID:1493475", "title": "A multiparametric study of malignant lymphoma of mucosa associated lymphoid tissue (MALT).", "content": "A morphological, immunophenotypic and ultrastructural study, cell cycle estimation, DNA and cytogenetic analysis were performed in ten cases of B-MALT lymphomas. Five had low grade lymphoma and five had high grade. Low and high grade cases showed the same cells but in different percentages: These included centrocyte-like cells with occasional monocytoid cytoplasmic changes, and centroblast-like cells. However, in high grade cases more dysplastic and large cells were present. All cellular types showed an important development of rough endoplasmic reticulum. In all cases a large panel of monoclonal antibodies was employed to study the B-cell immunophenotype. Ki-67 positivity ranged from 5% to 30% in low-grade cases and from 50% to 70% in high-grade cases. Gene rearrangement analysis showed rearrangement with Jh probe and half of the cases were also rearranged with the Kde probe (Kappa constant chain gene). A rearrangement banding pattern with TCR genes was not present in any of the cases. Cytogenetic study showed complex alterations in high grade cases and a normal karyotype in low grade lymphomas. Only one case had rearrangement for the bcl-2 probe."}
{"id": "PMID:1493476", "title": "Constitutive production of the interleukins IL-5 and IL-6 by the lymphoma cell line OCI-Ly 17 derived from a patient with malignant lymphoma and hypereosinophilia.", "content": "Peripheral blood cells of a patient with diffuse large cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma presenting with hypereosinophilia were used to establish an EBV negative lymphoma cell line termed OCI-Ly17. Cells of the line stained positive for CD2 and CD5 determinants and demonstrated rearrangement of the T-cell receptor beta chain. The immunoglobulin heavy chain gene was found to be in germ line configuration. Northern blot studies using probes for IL-1 alpha, IL-3, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, and GM-CSF showed message for IL-5 and IL-6. Supernatants of the cell line were evaluated on normal non-adherent, E-rosette depleted bone marrow cells to determine the presence of growth promoting activities for clonogenic eosinophilic progenitors. Eosinophilic colonies were observed. Their frequency depended upon the amount of supernatant added to the cultures. The growth promoting activity in the supernatant was reduced in a dose dependent manner by preincubation with increasing concentrations of anti-IL-5 antibodies. The supernatants of the cell line were also tested on the IL-6 sensitive human myeloma line OCI-My4 and myeloma colonies grew in response. This stimulatory activity within the supernatant was neutralized by addition of increasing concentrations of anti-IL-6 antibodies. Although producing IL-5 and IL-6 constitutively, the lymphoma line did not increase proliferation in response to either interleukin, nor did it show a reduced proliferative rate when antibodies to IL-5 or IL-6 were added to the cultures."}
{"id": "PMID:1493477", "title": "A commentary on strategies for AIDS prevention from the British perspective.", "content": "The commentary review similarities between the American and the European perspective of the HIV spread, with particular emphasis on the British mode of transmission among women. Social perceptions of the female role are seen as contributing to the difficulties experienced by British women who are HIV positive. Although there are numerous ongoing programs to assist and support HIV-infected women, the projection of an increased incidence in the spread of HIV among the heterosexual population is one that needs to be addressed. This is recognized as an issue that will reveal the needs of this new infected population and will in turn decide the necessary revisions of all existing programs that offer help and assistance to women. The commentary acknowledges the value of the American-designed peer counseling and leadership training and suggests that international (PCLT) program implementation might be considered."}
{"id": "PMID:1493478", "title": "Analysis of strike-through contamination in saturated sterile dressings.", "content": "The method of saturating gauze sponges directly in their wrapper was tested to determine strike-through contamination. Contamination occurred in 100% of the uncoated-wrapper sponges, regardless of exposure to Staphylococcus epidermidis or Escherichia coli. Among coated-wrapper sponges, 80% exposed to Staphylococcus epidermidis and 20% exposed to Escherichia coli demonstrated strike-through contamination. Coated-wrapper sponges had a significantly lower rate of contamination than uncoated-wrapper sponges when exposed to Escherichia coli. Occurrence of contamination of all sponges was significantly higher from Staphylococcus epidermidis. The findings render the popular practice of saturating gauze sponges in their wrapper unacceptable."}
{"id": "PMID:1493480", "title": "Mismatched caring in high-risk perinatal situations.", "content": "A longitudinal study with a phenomenological approach revealed mismatched perceptions between caregivers and women in high-risk perinatal care. The participants were 27 women, 20 of which were recruited during a high-risk pregnancy and 7 who were recruited following the birth of a high-risk newborn. Interviews and diaries were analyzed to gain understanding of the subjective experience of being in a high-risk situation. One of the major discoveries was the inappropriate labeling of mothers as denying the seriousness of the situation. Mothers focused on the possibilities in the situation, whereas caregivers focused on the actual or potential problems. The article describes this mismatch and proposes changes in practice to offset dysynchronous caring."}
{"id": "PMID:1493481", "title": "Why promote clinical nursing scholarship?", "content": "The rationale for clinical nursing scholarship derives both from the nature of any health profession and from the nature of nursing. Clinical scholarship, whether scientific, evaluative, philosophical, or historical, provides the means for advancing knowledge needed to continuously improve the essential services that nurses provide."}
{"id": "PMID:1493482", "title": "Variations in the hemodialysis treatment process.", "content": "The Medicare end-stage renal disease (ESRD) program costs more than $2 billion a year. Costs per treatment vary significantly across hemodialysis facilities, yet the relationship of these cost differentials to case mix and outcomes is uncertain. This study analyzed treatment variations in 527 chronic hemodialysis patients dialyzing in four freestanding and three hospital-based facilities. Results indicated that patients receiving care in the hospital-based units received a more costly routine dialysis treatment as well as more intensive nursing care during the treatment process than did patients in freestanding units. Policy and clinical implications of the findings are discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1493483", "title": "The assessment of coping.", "content": "Major methodological problems attend any attempt to measure coping. Some of these difficulties relate to the time frame, the units of evaluation, and who should judge the effectiveness of coping behaviors. Account must be taken of factors as diverse as the social context of the individual and the balance of costs and benefits to a person as a result of adopting a given strategy. Although many instruments exist to measure aspects of coping, there is a need to lay a sure foundation in subjective assessments by patients and never to lose sight of the individuality of each person and situation. The article reports on research conducted in the Nursing Research Unit at the University of Edinburgh in which an attempt has been made to examine both measurement issues and the components that explain coping."}
{"id": "PMID:1493484", "title": "What psychiatric nurses say about constant care.", "content": "As part of a qualitative research project on constant care, 8 psychiatric nurses described their perceptions of the constant care experience and its purposes and values. One of the major domains that emerged from the interviews was \"nursing\"; it consisted of nine themes, some of which indicated that constant care alters the passage, meaning, and use of time, is a dynamic rather than a static relationship, and enhances a nurse's sense of powerfulness. The findings showed that constant care is a dynamic, and to some, distorting, experience. It demands extra work from the nurses, yet constrains them from doing counseling or other higher-order interventions. Having more nursing experience was seen as an advantage in preparing for constant care, controlling angry feelings, and discriminating for potentially dangerous situations. Also, due to the interactive nature of constant care, a nurse could not merely guard a patient because the nurse is also on constant care. These findings have implications for making patient assignments, teaching novice nurses how to do constant care, affirming current practice even though it is against hospital policies, and illustrating how nurses can be aware of and resourceful when constant care is stressful."}
{"id": "PMID:1493485", "title": "Strategies for AIDS prevention: leadership training and peer counseling for high-risk African-American women in the drug user community.", "content": "A culturally congruent training program to promote HIV risk-reduction behaviors was implemented in a convenient sample of 9 African-American women in an urban methadone treatment program. At each of eight peer counseling and leadership training (PCLT) program sessions, the transmission and prevention of AIDS were discussed while emphasizing enhancement of participants' self-esteem, confidence, and control over high-risk behaviors. The results indicate that support of the women helped develop their sense of purpose and self-worth, reduced sexual and drug use practices associated with risk for HIV and AIDS infection, and promoted assumption of leadership roles and dissemination of accurate AIDS-related information in their communities. It was apparent that knowledge alone does not change behavior if it conflicts with established norms, values, beliefs, and life-styles and that individuals who have a sense of personal control are more willing to explore alternative lower-risk behaviors."}
{"id": "PMID:1493486", "title": "Comfort: the refocusing of nursing care.", "content": "Caring is an inadequate concept for nursing practice. Rather, if comfort is used as the central paradigm for nursing, the focus of nursing research changes from the nurse to the patient. The components, limitations and relevance of comfort are discussed in this article. Preliminary results of a study exploring the usefulness of comfort in emergency rooms identified eight types of comforting. The characteristics of each type are described."}
{"id": "PMID:1493488", "title": "Intergenerational geriatric remotivation.", "content": "This piece of a larger study on intergenerational geriatric remotivation discusses influential program variables. Interviews, participant observation, and videotapes were used to study a program in the Southeast and a comparison program in the Midwest. The variables examined were frequency, longevity, and constancy of intergenerational contact, problem discovery and problem resolution procedures, physical environment, and activity structure. As practitioners contemplate establishing intergenerational programs, a number of issues regarding program structure need to be considered to ensure that outcomes match expectations."}
{"id": "PMID:1493489", "title": "Cultural diversity in the nurse-client encounter.", "content": "This study examined encounters between nurses and clients who originate from diverse cultures to determine the perspectives of both the nurse and the client concerning the experience of their time spent together. Fifteen nurses and 15 clients were interviewed separately after their encounter, and their responses were compared. Three major themes emerged from the data: descriptions of mutual satisfaction with the encounter (mentioned most often), different or incongruent perceptions of the encounter, and mutual dissatisfaction with the encounter. Themes in the category of mutual satisfaction were markedly similar to the themes of caring described by previous research. Although there were expressions of language difficulties and lack of knowledge of cultural differences, these did not appear to inhibit the mutual caring that was described."}
{"id": "PMID:1493490", "title": "A comparison of childbirth expectations in high-risk and low-risk pregnant women.", "content": "This study described and compared the childbirth expectations of high-risk and low-risk pregnant women and then examined the influence of anxiety, risk status, and childbirth preparation on these expectations. This descriptive correlational study employed a convenience sample of 75 high-risk nulliparas and 77 low-risk nulliparas. Results indicated that high-risk pregnant women had significantly less positive expectations for their childbirth experience than did low-risk pregnant women. In particular, high-risk pregnant women expected more medical intervention and more difficulty coping with pain during their labor and birth. For both groups of women, anxiety was negatively correlated with childbirth expectations, whereas childbirth preparation was positively correlated with childbirth expectations."}
{"id": "PMID:1493491", "title": "Effects of intraoperative progress reports on anxiety of elective surgical patients' family members.", "content": "The purpose of this experimental study was to examine the effects of intraoperative progress reports on family members' state anxiety level (STAI S-Anxiety), mean arterial pressure (MAP), and heart rate during elective surgical procedures. Family members of randomly selected surgical patients were eligible to participate. Control group family members (n = 50) received usual care. Family members in the experimental group (n = 50) received a 5- to 10-minute progress report protocol about halfway through a surgical procedure. Families' STAI S-Anxiety scores, MAP, and heart rates were compared between the control and experimental groups using multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA). Family members in the experimental group reported lower STAI S-Anxiety scores (p < .001), and had significantly lower MAP and heart rates than did the control group (p < .001). Progress reports appear to be a beneficial nursing intervention for reducing anxiety in family members during the intraoperative period."}
{"id": "PMID:1493492", "title": "A comparative study of patients with chronic pain in India and the United States.", "content": "Pain is the most frequently reported symptom in the health care industry today. Chronic pain in the United States costs millions of dollars annually, and its financial impact is mounting. For individuals living in the United States, chronic pain affects nearly all normal activities and often leaves the person feeling helpless and hopeless. Literature supports the idea that chronic pain does not have the same debilitating effect in the Eastern cultures as it does in the Western cultures. Therefore, clients from both a Western and Eastern culture were studied. This qualitative research, based on grounded theory, sampled 20 persons from India and 20 from the United States. Focused, open-ended interviews were used as the major manner of gathering data. Although the condition of chronic pain was the same for each culture, there were significant differences regarding the phenomenon of chronic pain. This research indicates the need for health professionals to assess, implement a plan of care for, and evaluate patients' suffering and need for improved quality of life rather than focusing only on the elimination of pain."}
{"id": "PMID:1493493", "title": "Home health care: delineation of research priorities and formation of a national network group.", "content": "The purposes of this national study were (a) to determine priority research questions in home health care nursing and (b) to develop a home health research network group. Collaborative brainstorming was used initially by an interdisciplinary research team to generate a list of research questions. The major content areas covered in the questionnaire were questions relating to home health care as a delivery system, patient classification, quality assurance, nursing diagnosis, and nursing professionalism. A survey of 450 practicing home health care nurses was completed. The questions were rated by the respondents on a scale of high, medium, or low research priority. The response rate was 52%, with home health nurses responding from 30 states. The results clearly indicated the top 10 research priorities for home health care nursing research. The formation of the home health care research network groups are also discussed."}
{"id": "PMID:1493504", "title": "[Free alveolar cells in experimental pulmonary emphysema. I. Statistical analysis of cellular composition and lung morphometry].", "content": "The study was carried out on an experimental papain induced model of pulmonary emphysema. The authors assessed the cell populations sampled with lavage. Special emphasis was directed on alveolar macrophages and neutrophils. Extent of emphysema was analysed morphometrically. The authors demonstrated an influx of neutrophils 24 hours after papain was introduced intratracheally. This was followed by a swift decrease of the number of sampled neutrophils. Seven days latter the neutrophil count returned to normal. A significant increase of alveolar macrophages was seen on the seventh day. The increased macrophage count correlated with the extent of the pulmonary emphysema destruction."}
{"id": "PMID:1493505", "title": "[Free alveolar cells in experimental pulmonary emphysema. II. Morphological studies of cells and analysis of their adhesive properties].", "content": "Morphological analysis of cells sampled by lavage from alveoli was carried out. Analysis of their adherent properties on a nylon filter was also studied. Morphological analysis was carried out by light and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The authors have demonstrated a correlation between adherence of the cells to the filter and morphological characteristics of the cells. SEM disclosed a very rich configuration of the cytoplasmatic membrane and/or formation of philopodia and pseudopodia. These results correlated with the extent of emphysemic pulmonary changes. Light microscopy showed a thin veil formed by the cell membrane in cells showing highest adherent properties."}
{"id": "PMID:1493506", "title": "[Does the moment of birth influence future atopic respiratory diseases? I. Statistical analysis].", "content": "In order to define the possible role of the time of birth on future presentation of atopic respiratory disorders an analysis of birth rates was studied according to time of birth in the following groups: 111 patients with pollinosis 145 patients non-seasonal allergic respiratory disorders, 117 patients with non-atopic respiratory disorders and 291 healthy volunteers Clinical diagnosis of atopic respiratory disease was based on the presence of conjunctivitis and/or mucosal inflammation and/or bronchial asthma. Confirmation of atopic etiology of the disorders was based on results of skin prick tests with common allergens and/or of allergen specific IgE levels. It was demonstrated that patients with respiratory disorders are born most often in the second quarter of the year. Patients with non-seasonal allergic disorders were born usually in the second and third quarter of the year. Patients that were born in the first quarter of the year developed atopic disorders less frequently."}
{"id": "PMID:1493507", "title": "[Spirographic predicted values for young men in Poland].", "content": "Basing on results of VC and FEV1 measurements in 293 males of the age group 15-40 years using the regression calculations new predictive values were calculated. These values were compared with values published 27 years earlier by Nikodemowicz and Morris's normograms. The latter published the highest reference values, on which most computer programs are based on. The analysis demonstrated significantly higher predictive values compared to those of Nikodemowicz, and comparable with the Morris's normograms. It seems that the latter can be used for reference values in Poland."}
{"id": "PMID:1493508", "title": "[Coexistence of asthma and certain symptoms of atopic dermatitis].", "content": "The frequency of basic and minor features of atopic dermatitis were compared between 86 patients with coexistent asthma, and 269 without asthma. The coexistence of asthma caused a statistically significantly more frequent presence of one of the basic features: personal or family history of atopy and five minor features. The latter included: early age of onset, recurrent conjunctivitis, tendency toward cutaneous infections, elevated serum IgE and keratosis pilaris."}
{"id": "PMID:1493509", "title": "[The role of radiophotography in tuberculosis control programs in Poland].", "content": "The role of mass radiophotography in Poland in the years 1985-1898 is presented basing on routine data from Antituberculous Centers and Radiophotographic Units. Mass radiophotography detects approximately 30% of new registered pulmonary tuberculosis cases. In the analysed period the number of radiophotographic examinations systematically fell. Also the percentage of the population that was screened using this method decreased, as well as, although to a lesser state, the percentage of new detected cases of pulmonary tuberculosis. A significant decrease in usage of mass radiophotography equipment was also seen. The economical cost of such examination increased. The role and place of mass radiophotography in tuberculosis control programs in Poland is discussed by the authors. It seems that first contact physicians will have the most pronounced role in early diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis. Also more emphasis should be placed on bacteriological diagnosis of tuberculosis."}
{"id": "PMID:1493511", "title": "[Foreign bodies in the bronchial tree].", "content": "In the study tree cases of foreign bodies in bronchial tree were discussed to illustrate a proper way for their removal. According to time of their remaining in bronchial tree a foreign body may be removed immediately after aspiration or after special preparation with surgical and anesthetic assistance. Our studies documented the use of flexible fiberoptic bronchoscope in foreign body removal."}
{"id": "PMID:1493513", "title": "[Cellular analysis of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BAL) in patients with acute and chronic bronchitis (preliminary study)].", "content": "Cell morphology of BAL- fluid and index bronchitis (by Thompson) were evaluated in 52 patients with acute and chronic bronchitis. A significant increase of index bronchitis and percentage of neutrophils in BAL were observed in acute and chronic bronchitis. There was no correlation between index bronchitis and cell in BAL- fluid."}